iStock/Thinkstock(BINGHAMTON, N.Y.) -- Binghamton police has released the name of a possible suspect in the homicide of 22-year-old college student Haley Anderson.



Cops believe Anderson's ex-boyfriend Orlando Tercero, 22, skipped town and hopped an 8:40 a.m Friday morning flight out of New York City's John F. Kennedy International Airport to Nicaragua -- giving him a four-hour headstart before Anderson was found dead at around 1 p.m. in a Binghamton, New York, off-campus home where Tercero lived, Binghamton Police Chief Joseph Zikuski told ABC News.



"We were a few hours behind him," Zikuski said. "Then we put two and two together quickly."



Anderson was enrolled as a nursing student at the State University of New York at Binghamton, and from Westbury, Long Island.



According to Zikuski, Tercero was also a nursing student there and became romantically involved with Anderson going back to early in the Fall term. In September, Zikuski cited an incident in which Anderson filed a police report over damage to her property and blamed Tercero for it. In the report, Anderson said she was in a relationship with Tercero.



Because Terero paid Anderson for the damage -- which Zikuski said involved car tires -- Anderson decided "she didn't want to pursue" the complaint any further.



Anderson was last seen alive at around 4 a.m. on Thursday.



She was with roommates before she went missing, Zikuski said.



The roommates, he said, alerted cops about "concern for her" and a wellness check was prompted.



On Saturday, authorities ruled Anderson's death a homicide. The circumstances of what led to Anderson's death have not been revealed.



As to why Tercero chose to take a flight to Nicaragua, Zikuski said the ex-boyfriend "has family over there."



Even though Tercero was born in Miami, Florida, Zikuski said, it's unclear if he acquired additional citizenship from Nicaragua.



"We're currently determining with the State Department if he's a U.S. citizen," said Zikuski.



The issue is critical if Tercero has duel citizenship.



While the U.S. has an extradition treaty with the Republic of Nicaragua, Zikuski said he was informed that if Tercero is also a Nicaraguan citizen "it will be harder."



"There's a chance they may not extradite him," he said.

Copyright  2018, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.More than 30,000 farmers reached Mumbai's Azad Maidan at dawn today. Visuals of the march show that the roads leading up to the maidan were turned into red. The farmers are there to gherao the Maharashtra Assembly and to put forth their demands.

The farmers marched overnight to the maidan so as not to cause inconvenience to the students appearing for their exams today. They also had ample support from Mumbaikars, so, they decided to march at midnight to prevent any inconvenience to the city people.

"We do not want to put SSC students in any trouble. But we will reach Azad Maidan. Therefore, we have decided to start walking past midnight," Ashok Dhawale, President of AIKS or All India Kisan Sabha said, as tweeted by the committee's Twitter handle.

This is not an issue of Maharashtra farmers alone but of farmers all over India: Congress President Rahul Gandhi on All India Kisan Sabha protest in #Maharashtra (file pic) pic.twitter.com/wPcdqYSct0 - ANI (@ANI) March 12, 2018

"We do not want to put SSC students in any trouble. But we will reach Azad Maidan. Therefore, we have decided to start walking past midnight," AIKS President Com. Ashok Dhawale. #KisanLongMarch - AIKS (@KisanSabha) March 11, 2018

According to reports, Maharashtra Navnirman Sena's chief, Raj Thackeray extended his support to the farmers. Showing his support, Congress President Rahul Gandhi also said that this is not an issue of Maharashtra farmers alone but of farmers from all over India.The farmers had walked from Nashik to Mumbai, a journey of 180 km.According to reports, the state government has appointed a six-member committee to look into their demands. Their demands include waiver of dues and loans and implementation of the Ms Swaminathan Committee report. The Swaminathan report contains five reports with recommendations for "faster and inclusive growth" of farmers as envisioned in the Planning Commission's Approach to the 11th Five Year Plan. The Swaminathan report recommends a range of reforms including of land and irrigation, credit and insurance reforms, productivity growth, a range of steps in order to achieve food security and very importantly, prevention of farmer suicides.In what could be another cause of worry for the beleaguered real estate developer Unitech Limited, the Supreme Court on Monday said that it will auction unencumbered assets of the embattled realty major. The apex court today sought details of all unencumbered assets of Unitech.

Coming as a relief for Unitech homebuyers, the Supreme Court said the auctioned assets will be used to refund money to home buyers. A bench headed by Chief Justice Dipak Misra also imposed a cost of Rs 25 lakh on JM Financial Asset Reconstruction Company, which had taken over some loans advanced by HDFC Bank to Unitech Limited.

The bench, also comprising Justices A M Khanwilkar and D Y Chandrachud, said that the asset reconstruction company had given the impression that it would pay the money for refund to home buyers and now the entire proceeding had been diverted. "We treat it as an unnecessary diversion form the main case," the bench said while imposing the cost.

The bench asked the real estate company to file the details of its unencumbered assets and made it clear that they would be auctioned to settle the deals of hassled home buyers. The details of assets have to be filed within 15 days from today. "You (Unitech) have cheated and deceived home buyers," said Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra said, according to NDTV.

The firm had on March 5 told the apex court that Mumbai-based firm J M Financial Ltd was interested in financing their under-construction projects.

The apex court had on October 30 last year said that Unitech Ltd Managing Director Sanjay Chandra, currently in jail, would be granted bail only after the real estate group deposited money with its registry by December-end.

The top court had earlier directed the jail authorities to facilitate Chandra's meeting with his company officials and lawyers so that he could arrange money to refund the home-buyers as well as for completing the ongoing housing projects.

Chandra is seeking interim bail from the apex court after the Delhi High Court on August 11 had rejected the plea in a criminal case lodged in 2015 by 158 home-buyers of Unitech projects' -- 'Wild Flower Country' and 'Anthea Project' -- situated in Gurugram.

Last month, Crisis-hit Unitech Ltd reported widening of its net loss to Rs 103.42 crore for the quarter ended December on higher expenses. Its net loss stood at over Rs 17 crore in the year-ago period.

with PTI inputsSuresh Prabhu today took over as the Civil Aviation Minister.

Soon after taking charge, Prabhu held a meeting with senior officials from the ministry, DGCA, AAI, Air India and Pawan Hans, among others. Minister of State for Civil Aviation Minister Jayant Sinha was also present.

Prabhu, who is the Commerce and Industry Minister, has been given the additional charge of Civil Aviation Ministry following the resignation of TDP leader Ashok Gajapathi Raju from the post last week.

Speaking to reporters after taking charge, Prabhu said the aviation sector is competing with other modes of transportation. Such competition would help in bringing down the cost of logistics, he added.

The minister said a lot of work had been done in the aviation sector in the last four years.

He has assumed charge at a time when the government is in the process of finalising the modalities for strategic disinvestment of national carrier Air India.After the country's largest budget airline IndiGo expressed interest to buy Air India's international operations last year, a consortium led by full-service carrier Jet Airways along with European airliner Air France-KLM and US-based Delta Airlines has expressed interest in the disinvestment of national carrier Air India, according to a report.

Going ahead with the strategic disinvestment of debt-laden Air India, the government is expected to soon invite Expression of Interest (EoI) from the bidders. Last year, Turkey's Celebi Aviation Holding and Delhi-based Bird Group had shown interest in buying state-owned Air India's ground handling operations.

As per reports, the government is planning to split the airline into four entities - core airline business (Air India and Air India Express), regional arm (Alliance Air), ground handling and engineering operations. Each entity will be sold separately with at least 51 per cent stake on offer. The disinvestment process is likely to be completed by the end of 2018. Air India's debt stands at Rs 51,890 crore.

Jet Airways' possible bid for Air India by way of a consortium comes at a time when CEO Vinay Dube, without naming any manufacturer, said Jet hopes to order 75 narrow-bodied aircraft by March 31 in addition to 75 Boeing 737 MAX that the airline had ordered in 2015. The Naresh Goyal-led airline enhanced cooperation agreement with the Air France-KLM Group less than four months ago.

Interestingly, Jet Airways CEO Vinay Dube had a decade-long career at Delta Air Lines before joining the Indian carrier last year. Immediately before coming to Jet Airways, he was Senior Vice President (Asia Pacific) at the American airline. Air France-KLM and its partners Delta and Alitalia operate the largest Trans-Atlantic joint venture with over 270 daily flights.

Though Air India is saddled with huge debt, acquiring the airline can help boost the acquirer in terms of foot print, bilteral flying rights, parking slots, etc.

Last year in June, the Union Cabinet had approved privatisation of the debt-laden national carrier, which is kept afloat on taxpayers' money. On January 10, in an attempt to fast-track Air India's divestment process, the Cabinet allowed foreign airlines to invest upto 49 per cent in Air India.

A group headed by Finance Minister Arun Jaitley with Rothschild and Ernst & Young as consultants has been appointed to chalk out the strategy for Air India's stake sale. The airline has six subsidiaries, out of which three are making losses, with assets worth about $4.6 billion. The government has pumped $3.6 billion since 2012 to bail out the airline.

with PTI inputsA lightning strike killed at least 16 people and injured dozens more at a Seventh-Day Adventist church in Rwanda on Saturday, an official said.



Most of the victims died instantly when lightning hit the church in the southern district of Nyaruguru, local mayor Habitegeko Francois told AFP.



Two people died from their injuries, and 140 people were rushed to hospital and health centres.



Lightning also killed a student in the area on Friday, the mayor said.



The weather accident in the mountainous region near the border with Burundi took place around midday on Saturday while parishioners of the town of Gihemvu were at a church service.



"Doctors say that only three [more churchgoers] are in critical condition but they are getting better," Mr Francois told AFP on Sunday.



He said that in Friday's incident, lightning struck a group of 18 students in the area, killing one.



Three of the students remain in hospital while the rest have been able to return home, reports say.



The deadly church incident comes less than two weeks after the closure of more than 700 Rwandan churches for failing to comply with building regulations and for noise pollution.



Local news outlet Panor Actu reported (in French) that a number of the closed churches did not have required lightning rods - devices intended to protect a structure from a lightning strike.

Source: BBC









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Featured VideoThe Ghana Health Service (GHS) says it is making efforts to secure a ban on the smoking of water-pipe tobacco popularly known as shisha and electronic cigarettes by the middle of this year.



The Principal Research Officer of the GHS, Divine Darlington says a research conducted by his outfit showed that most youths have ditched the smoking of traditional tobacco cigarettes for e-cigarettes and shisha.



The research revealed that that the rate of smoking shisha and e-cigarettes among young people has shot up to 5.3 percent, higher than the traditional use of tobacco which stands at 2.8 percent.



Mr Darlington in an interview on the sidelines of the 17th World Conference on Tobacco or Health held in Cape Town, South Africa revealed that the GHS was collaborating with the Ministry of Health to secure a ban on shisha this year.



He said research on the smoking of shisha had revealed that one puff from a shisha tube equalled the smoking of an entire cigarette.



"All the effects of smoking are in shisha and electronic cigarettes, so FDA does not have that regulation right now to control shisha and that of electronic cigarettes," Mr Darlington lamented.



He added: "However, we working with the Ministry of Health now to ban shisha and electronic cigarettes now in Ghana, Shisha use is more harmful than cigarettes, one puff from that tube is equal to one full cigarette that you smoke.



"So it is more dangerous than cigarette, so with that alone as far as public health is concerned we using that alone to ban it from Ghana, I can assure you by the middle of this year surely that has to be done".





What is shisha?



Shisha  also known as hookah or a water pipe  is tobacco thats usually fruit-flavoured, and smoked through a glass-bottomed pipe filled with water.



A porcelain attachment is topped with flavoured tobacco, covered with foil, and then heated with roasted charcoal.



Shishas origins are disputed  its thought to either originate from India, Persia or Turkey  but in any case, its now really popular in the UK.





Shisha bans on the rise worldwide



If the ban is passed, Ghana will become the third African country to ban shisha after Tanzania and Rwanda. Other countries with similar bans are Pakistan, Jordan, Singapore and Saudi Arabia.



The World Health Organisation (WHO), in an advisory note to regulators, revealed that smoking shisha posed grave health risks.



In a single session, it said, shisha smokers can inhale the smoke of 100 or more cigarettes.



Cigarette smokers typically take eight to 12 cigarettes with a 40 to 75-millimetre puffs and inhaled 0.5 to 0.6 litres of smoke unlike shisha smoking sessions which typically last 20 to 80 minutes, during which the smoker may take 50 to 200 puffs which range from about 0.15 to 1 litre each, it said.



Shisha smoking is very popular among young people in Ghana with many believing it is harmless because the risks of tobacco are reduced since it is purified as it passes through the water-pipe known as hookah.



The smoke exposes the user to the addictive chemical nicotine as well as tar, carbon monoxide and heavy metals such as arsenic and lead.



Shisha smoke is associated with increased risk of disease cancer, heart and lung complications.



It is also known to cause problems during pregnancy among female smokers.



The side effects may not be immediately noticeable but just like cigarettes, the harmful fumes slowly damage certain parts of the body of a shisha smoker over time.



Tobacco Conference urges governments to phase out tobacco products sale by 2021



Dr Harry Lando, Chair of the WCTOH Organizing Committee, announced eleven declarations of the 17th World Conference on Tobacco or Health.



Thanking delegates, organizers and speakers for their contribution to the success of the conference, he emphasized the significance of holding this years conference in Africa for the first time. Dr Fenton Howell from the Department of Health, Ireland, was then invited on stage to announce that the 2021 World Conference on Tobacco of Health will be held in Dublin.



Dr Lando read the official conference declaration before closing the conference:



We, the participants of the WCTOH, meeting on the African continent for the first time, and delighted that for the first time the WCTOH has a woman as President emphasize that:



The tobacco epidemic represents one of the biggest public health threats that the world has ever faced. Tobacco use kills more than 7 million people each year, and the vast majority of these deaths take place in low- and middle-income countries.



The global economic cost of smoking amounts to nearly 2 trillion dollars and 2 percent of the worlds GDP in 2016.



Tobacco use also undermines sustainable development, imposing a huge burden on the global economy, exacerbating poverty, contributing to food insecurity, and harming the environment.



There is an irreconcilable conflict between the manufacture and marketing of tobacco products and the right to health.



The tobacco industry is a driver of poverty and linked to child labor, violation of workers rights, food insecurity and exploitation of farmers. African governments need to take concrete and urgent action to implement alternative livelihoods that are the rich sources of income free from tobacco.



Ending the scourge of tobacco and achieving the SDGs will require urgent action.



Therefore the 17th World Conference on Tobacco or Health affirms the following:



WCTOH 2018 Declarations



*We call on governments to unite with civil society to stop tobacco industry interference and accelerate implementation of the WHO FCTC using a whole of government approach.

*We urge governments, scientists, research entities, foundations, and civil society organizations to reject or cease engagement with the Philip Morris International-funded Foundation for a Smokefree World and other initiatives of the tobacco industry

*We adopt the Cape Town Declaration on Human Rights and a Tobacco-free World

*We call on African governments to operationalize the Addis Ababa Action Agenda on financing for development that recommends increasing tobacco taxes as an untapped, sustainable domestic resource mobilization strategy, for accelerating the implementation of the WHO FCTC in Africa

*We call on Parties to actively engage in the development of the WHO FCTC Medium Term Strategic Framework and Plan and to endorse them at the forthcoming eighth session of the Conference of the Parties of the WHO FCTC.

*We support the concept of a tobacco-free generation and commit to empowering youth involvement and advocacy as a means to achieving a tobacco-free world.

*We call on Finance Ministers to actively support the WCTOH 2018 Declarations by prioritizing sustainable funding for tobacco control and ceasing public and private investment in the tobacco industry.

*We call on governments to extend as a priority, fiscal policies to continually decrease the affordability and accessibility of tobacco products

*We call on the Parties to the WHO FCTC to integrate gender-based data collection and reporting into Party reports to the Conference of the Parties on their implementation of the WHO FCTC by COP9.

*We call upon the International Labour Organisation (ILO) to align with the decision of the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) and end its collaboration with the tobacco industry immediately

*We call upon governments to develop a plan by 2021 for phasing out the sale of tobacco products.

Source: Daily Graphic









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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LULA y su Pueblo



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Los ricos protestan, los pobres celebran



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LOS REVOLUCIONARIOS NO TOMAN CACA-COLA No se trata solamente de un capricho, sino de una sana actitud en todos los sentidos. Desde la solidaridad con el pueblo colombiano donde la empresa Caca-Cola ha cometido los mas grandes abusos contra sus trabajadores incluyendo el presunto secuestro y asesinato de los dirigentes del sindicato, hasta la proteccion de la salud de nuestros hijos, enviciados por ese jarabe de cola y azucar, que les produce obesidad prematura. Pensemos tambien los revolucionarios, que ese dinero que gastamos en los refrescos es utilizado por esas empresas para financiar el terrorismo en nuestro pais. Es cierto, no se trata solo de la Caca-Cola, sino tambien de la cerveza, de los cigarrillos y todos esos articulos innecesarios y mas que eso, daninos para nuestra salud. Podriamos incluso pensar en un dia de parada para cada uno de ellos. Es cuestion de irnos organizando. Pero para empezar, que tal si dejamos de comprar Caca-Cola y sus similares?



























Cuando lo extraordinario se vuelve cotidiano...



Discurso del Acto de Grado en Barinas en 12 de Febrero del 2005 Queridos Graduandos:



Mas que un discurso, quiero dirigirles algunas palabras que escribi anoche, despues de visitar en las clinicas, a los estudiantes heridos, a consecuencia de los enfrentamientos con la policia de hace apenas dos dias.



Me ha tocado por razones del destino, ser la persona que les otorgue el titulo que bien merecieron con sus estudios. Y me siento sumamente orgulloso de serlo. Me consta que la Universidad de Los Llanos Occidentales Ezequiel Zamora, a pesar de lo dicho por los enemigos de esta universidad, es una universidad de primera.



No tendremos la mejor planta fisica, en los salones hace calor. En el comedor hace calor. Pero no es en lo material que las cosas deben valorarse. El mayor capital es el ser humano. Y en eso, nuestra UNELLEZ, lo digo con conocimiento de causa, esta sobrada. Los llaneros venezolanos son nobles, valientes, de coraje.



En la UNELLEZ hacen vida, en este momento, aproximadamente 67000 personas. El 97% de ellas son estudiantes. Jovenes que, como Ustedes hasta el dia de hoy, buscan ese titulo, que constata los anos de dedicacion y de estudio.



Los jovenes son el rio de la vida, ustedes graduados deben ser los capitanes de esos barcos que naveguen por el rio de la vida.



Nuestra Patria atraviesa momentos muy dificiles porque decidio dejar de ser esa matrona de edad vetusta y complaciente, para ser joven, rebelde y altanera. Nuestra imagen ya no es la de una acaudalada ricachona mayamera. En nuestro rostro brilla ahora la sonrisa del Che Guevara, con su diente delantero torcido, su pelo largo y su boina con la estrella.



Entender esto, a mi me ha tomado practicamente toda la vida. Tengo 53 anos, y ya perdi mi oportunidad de derramar sangre joven a causa de un ideal.



Ustedes son jovenes, estan en la flor de la vida. No cometan por favor el error de renunciar a su instinto de rebelion. El Che Guevara fue Ministro de a Economia en Cuba. Los billetes y las monedas se adornaban con su rostro. Nada de eso le importo. Primero fue a Angola donde paso un penoso ano de combate. Despues se fue a Bolivia, donde encontro la muerte. El Che era el ultimo que comia, el que cargaba la mochila mas pesada. Siempre se sacrificaba por los demas en un estoicismo que mas parecia fervor religioso que ideologia marxista.



Si quieren un modelo de vida. Ahi lo tienen.



Dije hace unos momentos que el 97% de la poblacion de la UNELLEZ es estudiante. Se imaginan Ustedes la Universidad que podriamos tener si todos los estudiantes tuvieran la abnegacion, la combatividad del Che?



Los momentos que se avecinan van a requerir de una gran unidad del pueblo venezolano. La alternativa de continuar siendo libres o regresar a la pobreza se nos planteara en los proximos dias de forma enmascarada, o quizas peor, desenmascarada, vestida con uniforme de soldado del Imperio.



Por nuestra parte podemos esperar lo mejor. La macroeconomia no podria ir mejor, la justicia social ha mejorado notablemente. Las misiones ocupan un papel muy importante en el pago de dicha justicia social. Aqui en Barinas ya hemos cumplido con dos de las misiones, la mision Robinson y la mision Sucre. No hay analfabetismo y no hay exclusion en la educacion superior, en estas tierras de Zamora.



Pero ay malhaya! Son precisamente estos exitos los que nos hacen mas antipaticos al Imperio. Para ellos, somos inclusive un mal ejemplo que se esta contagiando al resto del continente y cuidado sino al resto del mundo.



Nunca venceremos al Imperio. Estara siempre ahi, acechando. Por lo menos hasta que el mismo no se autodestruya. Porque, sepanlo senores, el neoliberalismo es canibal. Cuando le ataque el hambre, se devorara a si mismo.



Ustedes, queridos graduandos, a partir de hoy pasan a conformar la elite profesional que debe sostener este pais en los proximos cuarenta o cincuenta anos. Anos decisivos para el logro de nuestra libertad y del rescate de nuestra Soberania.



No se dejen comprar. No se dejen corromper. No se dejen gritar. No se dejen pisar. Que nadie les diga que comer, o que vestirse, o que leer. Sean siempre autenticos, rebeldes, contestatarios. Pero eso si, profundamente patriotas, dignos de ser hijos de Bolivar.



Muchas gracias y que Dios los bendiga.





Alguna duda?



Medio siglo de Holocausto Palestino



Oscar Zanartu Nacio en Caracas en 1960. Ha realizado exposiciones individuales en las galerias Minotauro, Clave y San Francisco, y en salas de Coro, estado Falcon, y Puerto Ordaz, estado Bolivar. En Paris su obra ha sido exhibida en el Centro Cultural Tanagra, en la Exposicion Cite Internationale des Arts, en las galerias De Mars y Arver Space, al igual que en la Galeria Municipal Levallois, en Levallois Perret (Francia). En muestras colectivas, su obra se ha expuesto en Belgica, Francia, Estados Unidos y Venezuela; en Caracas intervino en la exposicion "Del genesis a la memoria", 1995, organizada por la Fundacion La Previsora. En 1982 obtuvo el Premio Nacional Critven y en 1990 la Mencion de Honor Jose Antonio Paez, en la Embajada de Venezuela en Paris. En 1991 se le concedio el primer premio de Pintura Itinerante, en Levallois Perret, Francia.



OZ1



OZ2



OZ3



OZ4



Homenaje a Jason Galarraga



La Victoria de Samotracia



Odalisca



Mas fotos de la nevada del pasado agosto 2008



























La Sierra Nevada de Merida



Nuestro precioso Churum Meru



Homenaje a Picasso



Autoretrato



Sabes lo que bebes en una Coca-Cola?

La formula de la Pepsi tiene una diferencia basica con la de la Coca-Cola y es intencional, para evitar el proceso judicial. La diferencia es a proposito, pero suficientemente parecida como para atraer a los consumidores de Coca-Cola que prefieren un gusto diferente con menos sal y azucar.

Mi profesion?

Tuve que aprender quimica, entender todo sobre componentes de gaseosas, conservantes, sales, acidos, cafeina, enlatado, produccion, permisos, aprobaciones y muchas otras cosas. Monte mi propio mini-laboratorio de analisis de productos.

Sal en la Coca Cola?

A patadas. El Cloruro de Sodio no solo refresca sino da mas sed, como para pedir otra gaseosa. Y no resulta desagradable porque la sal mata literalmente la sensibilidad al dulce... del que por cierto tambien tiene mucho: 39 gramos de azucar.

De los 350 gramos de producto liquido, mas del 10% es azucar, o sea que en una lata de Coca-Cola mas de un centimetro y medio es puro azucar en polvo. Aproximadamente tres cucharadas soperas llenas de azucar por lata!!La formula de la Coca Cola es muy sencilla:

Concentrado de azucar quemado caramelo- para dar color oscuro y gusto

Acido fosforito (para darle el sabor acido)

azucar (HFCS-jarabe de maiz de alta fructosa)

Extracto de hojas de la planta de Coca (Africa e India) y otros pocos aromatizantes naturales de otras plantas

Mucha Cafeina

Conservante que puede ser Benzoato de Sodio o Potasio

Dioxido de Carbono en cantidad para sentir freir la lengua cuando se bebe

Sal para dar la sensacion de refrigeracion

El uso del acido fosforito y no del acido citrico como en todas las demas gaseosas, es para dar la sensacion de dientes y boca limpia al beber. El acido fosforito literalmente frie todo y dana el esmalte de los dientes, cosa que el acido citrico lo hace en menor grado.Trate de comprar acido fosforito para ver las mil recomendaciones de seguridad que te dan para su manipulacion (quema el cristalino del ojo, quema la piel, etc...). Esta prohibido usar el acido fosforito en cualquier otra gaseosa; solo la Coca Cola tiene permiso. Porque claro, sin el acido fosforico, la Coca Cola sabria a jabon.El extracto de coca y otras hojas casi no cambia en nada el sabor. Es mas bien un efecto cosmetico. El extracto forma parte de la Coca-Cola porque legalmente tiene que ser asi. Pero sin el, no se nota ninguna diferencia en el gusto, que esta dado basicamente por las cantidades diferentes de azucar, azucar quemada, sales, acidos y conservantes.Sabor a que...? ja, ja, ja.

Aqui en Bartow, sur de Orlando, hay una empresa quimica que produce aromatizantes y esencias para zumos. Envian diariamente camionadas de sales concentradas y esencias para las fabricas de helados, gaseosas, jugos, enlatados y comida colorida y aromatizada.Cuando visite por primera vez la fabrica, pedi ver el deposito de concentrados de frutas, que deberia ser inmenso, especialmente los de naranja, pina, fresa y tantos otros. El encargado me miro, se rio y me llevo a visitar los depositos inmensos... pero de colorantes y componentes quimicos.

Las gaseosa de naranja no contiene naranja.

En los zumos dizque de fresa, hasta los puntitos que quedan en suspension estan hechos de goma (una liga quimica que envuelve un semi-polimero).

Pina, es un popurri de acidos y goma.

La esencia para helado de aguacate usa peroxido de hidrogeno (agua oxigenada) para dar la sensacion espumosa tipica del aguacate.

Bebidas Light?

Quieres saber la cantidad de basura que tiene un refresco 'light'? Yo ni siquiera los uso para destapar mi lavaplatos pues temo que danen los tubos de PVC. Los productos endulzantes 'ligth' tienen una vida media muy corta. Por ejemplo el

Despues de toda mi experiencia con la produccion de bebidas embasadas, puedo afirmar sin dudar un segundo: la mejor bebida es el agua, como tambien los jugos exprimidos de naranja o limon. Nada mas, cero azucar y cero sal.



Publicado por loretahur



En realidad, la formula secreta de la Coca-Cola se puede detallar en 18 segundos en cualquier espectrometro optico, y basicamente la conocen hasta los perros. Lo que ocurre es que no se puede fabricar igual, a no ser que uno disponga de unos cuantos millones de dolares para ganarle la demanda que te metera la Coca-Cola ante la justicia (ellos no perderian).La formula de la Pepsi tiene una diferencia basica con la de la Coca-Cola y es intencional, para evitar el proceso judicial. La diferencia es a proposito, pero suficientemente parecida como para atraer a los consumidores de Coca-Cola que prefieren un gusto diferente con menos sal y azucar.Tuve que aprender quimica, entender todo sobre componentes de gaseosas, conservantes, sales, acidos, cafeina, enlatado, produccion, permisos, aprobaciones y muchas otras cosas. Monte mi propio mini-laboratorio de analisis de productos.A patadas. El Cloruro de Sodio no solo refresca sino da mas sed, como para pedir otra gaseosa. Y no resulta desagradable porque la sal mata literalmente la sensibilidad al dulce... del que por cierto tambien tiene mucho: 39 gramos de azucar.De los 350 gramos de producto liquido, mas del 10% es azucar, o sea que en una lata de Coca-Cola mas de un centimetro y medio es puro azucar en polvo. Aproximadamente tres cucharadas soperas llenas de azucar por lata!!La formula de la Coca Cola es muy sencilla:Concentrado de azucar quemado caramelo- para dar color oscuro y gustoAcido fosforito (para darle el sabor acido)azucar (HFCS-jarabe de maiz de alta fructosa)Extracto de hojas de la planta de Coca (Africa e India) y otros pocos aromatizantes naturales de otras plantasMucha CafeinaConservante que puede ser Benzoato de Sodio o PotasioDioxido de Carbono en cantidad para sentir freir la lengua cuando se bebeSal para dar la sensacion de refrigeracionEl uso del acido fosforito y no del acido citrico como en todas las demas gaseosas, es para dar la sensacion de dientes y boca limpia al beber. El acido fosforito literalmente frie todo y dana el esmalte de los dientes, cosa que el acido citrico lo hace en menor grado.Trate de comprar acido fosforito para ver las mil recomendaciones de seguridad que te dan para su manipulacion (quema el cristalino del ojo, quema la piel, etc...). Esta prohibido usar el acido fosforito en cualquier otra gaseosa; solo la Coca Cola tiene permiso. Porque claro, sin el acido fosforico, la Coca Cola sabria a jabon.El extracto de coca y otras hojas casi no cambia en nada el sabor. Es mas bien un efecto cosmetico. El extracto forma parte de la Coca-Cola porque legalmente tiene que ser asi. Pero sin el, no se nota ninguna diferencia en el gusto, que esta dado basicamente por las cantidades diferentes de azucar, azucar quemada, sales, acidos y conservantes.Sabor a que...? ja, ja, ja.Aqui en Bartow, sur de Orlando, hay una empresa quimica que produce aromatizantes y esencias para zumos. Envian diariamente camionadas de sales concentradas y esencias para las fabricas de helados, gaseosas, jugos, enlatados y comida colorida y aromatizada.Cuando visite por primera vez la fabrica, pedi ver el deposito de concentrados de frutas, que deberia ser inmenso, especialmente los de naranja, pina, fresa y tantos otros. El encargado me miro, se rio y me llevo a visitar los depositos inmensos... pero de colorantes y componentes quimicos.Las gaseosa de naranja no contiene naranja.En los zumos dizque de fresa, hasta los puntitos que quedan en suspension estan hechos de goma (una liga quimica que envuelve un semi-polimero).Pina, es un popurri de acidos y goma.La esencia para helado de aguacate usa peroxido de hidrogeno (agua oxigenada) para dar la sensacion espumosa tipica del aguacate.Quieres saber la cantidad de basura que tiene un refresco 'light'? Yo ni siquiera los uso para destapar mi lavaplatos pues temo que danen los tubos de PVC. Los productos endulzantes 'ligth' tienen una vida media muy corta. Por ejemplo el aspartamo , despues de tres semanas mojado, pasa a tener gusto de trapo viejo sucio.Para evitar eso, se agregan una infinidad de otros productos quimicos, uno para alargar la vida del aspartamo, otro para neutralizar el color, otro para mantener el tercer quimico en suspension porque sino el fondo de la gaseosa quedaria oscuro, otro para evitar la cristalizacion del aspartamo, otro para realzar el sabor, dar mas intensidad al acido citrico o fosforito que perderia su sabor por el efecto de los cuatro productos quimicos iniciales... y asi sucesivamente.Un consejo final !!Despues de toda mi experiencia con la produccion de bebidas embasadas, puedo afirmar sin dudar un segundo: la mejor bebida es el agua, como tambien los jugos exprimidos de naranja o limon. Nada mas, cero azucar y cero sal.Publicado por loretahur

MARGARINA o MANTEQUILLA La margarina fue producida originalmente para engordar a los pavos; cuandolo que hizo en realidad fue matarlos.Las personas que habian puesto el dinero para la investigacion quisieronrecobrarlo asi que empezaron a pensar en una forma de hacerlo.Tenian una sustancia blanca, que no tenia ningun atractivo como comestible,asi que le anadieron el color amarillo, para venderselo a lagente en lugar de la mantequilla.Que tal esa?... Ahora han sacado algunos nuevos sabores para vender mas alos incautos como usted y yo.CONOCE USTED la diferencia entre la margarina y la mantequilla?Siga leyendo hasta el final... porque se pone bastante interesante!Comparacion entre mantequilla y margarina:

1.- Ambas tienen la misma cantidad de calorias.

2.- La mantequilla es ligeramente mas alta en grasas saturadas: 8 gramos,comparada con los 5 gramos que tiene la margarina.

3.- Comer margarina en vez de mantequilla puede aumentar en 53% el riesgo deenfermedades coronarias en las mujeres, de acuerdo con un estudiomedico reciente de la Universidad de Harvard.

4.- Comer mantequilla aumenta la absorcion de gran cantidad de nutrientesque se encuentran en otros alimentos.

5.- La mantequilla provee beneficios nutricionales propios mientras lamargarina tiene solo los que le hayan sido anadidos al fabricarla.

6.- La mantequilla sabe mucho mejor que la margarina y mejora el sabor deotros alimentos.7.- La mantequilla ha existido durante siglos mientras que la margarinatiene menos de 100 anos.

Ahora... sobre la margarina:

1.- Es muy alta en acidos grasos trans. (Si, esos que recien ahora loscientificos descubrieron que son malisimos y los gobiernoscomenzaron a prohibirlos) .

2.- Triple riesgo de enfermedades coronarias.

3.- Aumenta el colesterol total y el LDL (el colesterol malo) y disminuye elHDL (el colesterol bueno).

4.- Aumenta en cinco veces el riesgo de cancer.

5.- Disminuye la calidad de la leche materna.

6.- Disminuye la reaccion inmunologica del organismo.

7.- Disminuye la reaccion a la insulina.

Y he aqui el factor mas inquietante (AQUI ESTA LA PARTE MAS INTERESANTE! ):A la margarina le falta UNA MOLECULA para ser PLASTICO...!!Solo este hecho es suficiente para evitar el uso de la margarina de porvida, y de cualquier otra cosa que sea hidrogenada (esto significaque se le anade hidrogeno, lo cual cambia la estructura molecular de lassubstancias).Usted puede ensayar lo siguiente:Compre un poco de margarina y dejela en el garaje o en un sitio sombreado.Dentro de unos dias notara dos cosas:

* No habra moscas; ni siquiera esos molestos bichos se le acercaran (esto yale debe decir a usted algo).

* No se pudre ni huele mal o diferente porque no tiene valor nutritivo; nadacrece en ella. Ni siquiera los diminutos microorganismos puedencrecer en ella.Por que? Porque es casi plastico!!



No a la guerra, Si a la Paz



Misterios de la ciencia...



Los costos de la guerra



medicos y capitalismo...



Capitalismo...



medicos (2)



Quien educa a nuestros hijos?



Los Medios...



Sin Palabras...



Chistes feministas

- Cual es el problema, Eva?

- Se que me has creado, que me has dado este hermoso jardin, todos estos maravillosos animales y esa serpiente con la que me muero de risa... pero no soy del todo feliz...

- Como es eso, Eva? - replico Dios desde las alturas.

- Me encuentro sola, y ademas estoy harta de comer manzanas...

- Bueno Eva, en tal caso, tengo una solucion... creare un hombre para ti.

- Que es un hombre?

- Un hombre sera una criatura imperfecta, con muchas artimanas. Mentira, hara trampas, sera engreido... vamos, que te va a dar problemas... Pero, va a ser mas fuerte y rapido que tu y le gustara cazar y matar cosas... Tendra un aspecto simple, pero como te estas quejando, le creare de tal forma que satisfaga tus... eh... necesidades fisicas... Y tampoco sera muy listo, y destacara en cosas infantiles como pegarse o dar patadas a un balon... Necesitara tu consejo siempre para actuar cuerdamente.

- Suena bien - dijo Eva, mientras levantaba la ceja ironicamente.

- Cual es el truco?.

- Pues... que lo tendras con una condicion.

- Cual?

- Como te decia, sera chulo, arrogante y muy narcisista... asi que le tendras que hacer creer que le hice a el primero... recuerda... es nuestro secreto... de mujer a mujer.





Por que a los hombres no les puede dar la enfermedad de las vacas locas?  Porque todos son unos cerdos

Un dia, en el Paraiso, Eva llamo a Dios: Tengo un problema.- Cual es el problema, Eva?- Se que me has creado, que me has dado este hermoso jardin, todos estos maravillosos animales y esa serpiente con la que me muero de risa... pero no soy del todo feliz... - Como es eso, Eva? - replico Dios desde las alturas.- Me encuentro sola, y ademas estoy harta de comer manzanas...- Bueno Eva, en tal caso, tengo una solucion... creare un hombre para ti.- Que es un hombre?- Un hombre sera una criatura imperfecta, con muchas artimanas. Mentira, hara trampas, sera engreido... vamos, que te va a dar problemas... Pero, va a ser mas fuerte y rapido que tu y le gustara cazar y matar cosas... Tendra un aspecto simple, pero como te estas quejando, le creare de tal forma que satisfaga tus... eh... necesidades fisicas... Y tampoco sera muy listo, y destacara en cosas infantiles como pegarse o dar patadas a un balon... Necesitara tu consejo siempre para actuar cuerdamente.- Suena bien - dijo Eva, mientras levantaba la ceja ironicamente.- Cual es el truco?.- Pues... que lo tendras con una condicion.- Cual?- Como te decia, sera chulo, arrogante y muy narcisista... asi que le tendras que hacer creer que le hice a el primero... recuerda... es nuestro secreto... de mujer a mujer.Por que a los hombres no les puede dar la enfermedad de las vacas locas?  Porque todos son unos cerdos

Ellas...



Ellas (2)...



Tres venganzas femeninas VENGANZA NUMERO 1

Hoy mi hija cumple 21 anos y estoy muy contento porque es el ultimo pago de pension alimenticia que le doy, asi que llame a mi hijita para que viniera a mi casa y cuando llego le dije:

-Hijita, quiero que lleves este cheque a casa de tu mama y que le digas que: Este es el ultimo maldito cheque que va recibir de mi en todo lo que le queda de su puta vida!!! Quiero que me digas la expresion que pone en su rostro.

Asi que mi hija fue a entregar el cheque. Yo estaba ansioso por saber lo que la bruja tenia que decir y que cara pondria.

Cuando mi hijita entro, le pregunte inmediatamente: -Que fue lo que te dijo tu madre?

-Me dijo que justamente estaba esperando este dia para decirte que no eres mi papa!



VENGANZA NUMERO 2

Un hombre que siempre molestaba a su mujer, paso un dia por la casa de unos amigos para que lo acompanaran al aeropuerto a dejar a su esposa que viajaba a Paris.

A la salida de inmigracion, frente a todo el mundo, el le desea buen viaje y en tono burlon le grita:

- Amor, no te olvides de traerme una hermosa francesita Ja ja ja!!

Ella bajo la cabeza y se embarco muy molesta.

La mujer paso quince dias en Francia.

El marido otra vez pidio a sus amigos que lo acompanasen al aeropuerto a recibirla.

Al verla llegar, lo primero que le grita a toda voz es:

- Y amor me trajiste mi francesita??

- Hice todo lo posible, - contesta ella - ahora solo tenemos que rezar para que nazca nina.



VENGANZA NUMERO 3

El marido, en su lecho de muerte, llama a su mujer. Con voz ronca y ya debil, le dice: - Muy bien, llego mi hora, pero antes quiero hacerte una confesion.

- No, no, tranquilo, tu no debes hacer ningun esfuerzo.

- Pero, mujer, es preciso - insiste el marido - Es preciso morir en paz.

Te quiero confesar algo.

- Esta bien, esta bien. Habla!

- He tenido relaciones con tu hermana, tu mama y tu mejor amiga.

- Lo se, lo se Por eso te envenene, hijo de puta!!!



machismo y cibernetica



Chiste machista La NASA ha enviado al espacio una mision experimental tripulada por dos monos y una mujer.Apenas abandona la atmosfera, se establece comunicacion con Houston.

-Atencion, simio 1, verifique sistemas hidraulicos, controle adecuada presion de los propulsores de arranque. A 60.000 pies disminuya un 25% la velocidad.

El simio hace la sena de OK.

-Atencion, simio 2, nivele al cruzar la estratosfera y active sistemas anticongelantes. No olvide monitorear sistemas de comunicacion e indicadores de presion. Comprendido?.

El simio hace la sena de OK.

-Atencion, Houston llamando a mujer: no se olvide.

-Mujer: Si, si, ya se! -interrumpe enojada- que no me olvide darles de comer a estos monos de mierda y que no se me vaya a ocurrir tocar nada!.



.Spaghetti, Spaghetti, Spaghetti, Spaghetti, Spaghetti.

Un abogado mantiene un romance con su secretaria.Al poco tiempo, esta queda embarazada y el abogado, que no quiere que su esposa se entere, le da a la secretaria una buena suma de dinero y le pide que se vaya a parir a Italia.Esta pregunta: Y como voy a hacerte saber cuando nazca el bebe ? El abogado responde: Para que mi mujer no se entere, tan solo enviame una postal y escribe por detras: Spaghetti. Y no te preocupes mas, que yo me encargare de todos los gastos.

Pasan los meses y una manana la esposa del abogado lo llama al bufete, algo exaltada: Querido, acabo de recibir el correo y hay una postal muy extrana viene desde Italia. La verdad, no entiendo que significa.El abogado, tratando de ocultar sus nervios, contesta:Espera a que llegue a casa, a ver si yo entiendoCuando el hombre llega a casa y lee la postal, cae al suelo fulminado por un infarto.Llega una ambulancia y se lo lleva. Ya en el hospital, el jefe de cardiologia se queda consolando a la esposa y le pregunta cual ha sido el evento que precipito tan masivo ataque cardiaco.

Entonces la esposa saca la postal y se la muestra diciendole: No me explico, doctor; el solamente leyo esta postal. Vea usted mismo lo que trae escrito.Spaghetti, Spaghetti, Spaghetti, Spaghetti, Spaghetti."Tres con salchicha y albondigas y dos con almejas



Gol !!!!



Chistes de Borrachos Entra un borracho a su casa todo manchado con lapiz labial por todos lados hecho un desastre, y la mujer le pregunta:-Hombre que te paso?Y el borracho le responde:-No me vas a creer, me pelee con un payaso!



Este es un borracho que entra en un bar y le dice al camarero:-Me da cinco copas de whisky?Al rato:-Me da cuatro?Al rato:-Me da tres copas?Despues:-Me da dos copas?Luego le dice:-Me da una copa?Y le dice al camarero:-Ves? Cuanto menos bebo, mas borracho estoy!

What is the price for wood chips in volume of 90 m3 with delivery to Serbo-Slobidka district Zhitomir region

Send a photo of wood chipsAfter a foray into fashion, The Frick Art and Historical Center has returned to its comfort zone with Van Gogh, Monet, Degas: The Mellon Collection of French Art from the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts (March 17-July 8, 2018).

Mr. and Mrs. Paul Mellon amassed an extremely large collection of art, and while he was most interested in British art, they also bought a lot of French art. They had an affinity for Edgar Degas, giving over 100 pieces, primarily sculptural studies and drawings to the National Gallery of Art (NGA). In this show, Degas small racetrack scenes and the intimate scene in a millinery shop reveal his ability to animate an ordinary activity by experimenting with spatial shifts, moving to the flatness that would characterize modern art.

The star of the show is sure to be The Little Dancer by Degas, which has captured hearts for over a century, though its initial reception was rather cool with viewers expecting ethereal beauty, not a realistic depiction of a 14-year-old girl. The original, given to the NGA by the Mellons, was the only sculpture exhibited during the artists lifetime because he tended to experiment with movement in his sculptures, using them as studies for other works. The original was in wax, with this bronze being one of many cast after his death, but it hints at the textured surface of the original. Its quite unusual as Degas dressed his work in real clothes and human hair that he covered with a layer of wax, except for the tutu.

The show includes all the major French artists, but it rounds out the usual suspects with lesser known artists, those working before and after impressionism, and unusual works by major painters. Particularly interesting is a small group of interiors that span from Monet to Matisse to Picasso. Gauguin, known for his Breton landscapes and Tahitian scenes, is here with an atypical still life, while Manet and Morisot, both figurative artists, are represented with beach scenes. This variety allows a look at the edges of such a popular movement.

Paul Mellon, the son of NGA founder Andrew Mellon, left Pittsburgh for Virginia horse country, and his enormous collection went to his favorite museums elsewhere. Over 1,000 pieces went to the NGA, a much smaller number to the Virginia museum, and he established the Yale Center for British Art and the Paul Mellon Centre for Studies in British Art in London. He and his sister Ailsa Mellon Bruce, a patron of the Carnegie, did combine their foundations into one, which partially endowed the Carnegie International and commissioned the report on the International that led to the move to one-person shows in 1977 and 79.

Its inevitable to compare this collection to the Carnegies impressionist holdings bought by Sarah Mellon Scaife. Unlike the Cone sisters of Baltimore who were buying early on and who put together a phenomenal group of works, the Mellon cousins entered the market much later, leading to idiosyncratic collections. It would have been wonderful to see the two collections together as they complement each other in a way that gives a much fuller look at the nuances of the impressionist moment, looking at both the stars and the outliers, the icons and the rarely seen work, thus broadening our understanding of that popular period.

Five local photographers showcase immigration issues

If you missed the photographs about immigration at the Jewish Community Centers American Jewish Museum this fall, you can still see them at the Westmoreland Museum of American Art in Greensburg through April 22.

The brainchild of Brian Cohens umbrella organization The Documentary Works, this exhibition features the work of five Pittsburgh photographers, Brian Cohen, Scott Goldsmith, Nate Guidry, Lynn Johnson, and Annie ONeill, who document stories about contemporary emigres in a city known for its large immigrant population.

As Cohen wrote, Working with the premise that we all come from somewhere, the group explores the central role that immigration and migration have played, and continue to play, in the formation of our identity and culture, and in sustaining our economy, and in so doing, aims to create a space for civil, constructive conversation about belonging and cultural heritage today.

The show gives viewers a look at one aspect of social justice in our city. To understand the relationship between art and social justice, I turned to Melissa Hiller who, as the director of the American Jewish Museum, has furthered their mission with thoughtful exhibitions and programs concerning the issues of our times.

Q. Why did this show appeal to you?

A. The photographs were made by some of the citys most talented documentary photographers. The photos are evocative and thoughtful, and merit being exhibited in a gallery setting. I knew the show would create pathways for us to create public programs that explore the current, and frankly, divisive questions around immigration, Americanism, and who belongs. The JCC was founded in 1895 as a settlement house in the Hill District. Our roots remain connected to settlement house ideals, so we have a stake in talking about issues that affect communities. It also appealed to me that when Brian conceived this project he hoped it would travel to venues like the Westmoreland. When you finish reading a good book, you want everyone you know to read it, and I feel that way about this project. Every museum has opportunities to make this project their own, and to connect the work to their own stories, to their visitors stories, and even to their own collections.

Q. As a child of the Sixties, our generation felt we could change the world through protests. Art didnt play as large a role then. Today artists talk about affecting social change and transformative art and engaging the larger community about social justice. Whats different now?

A. I think the strict rules throughout history that governed the ideas around what art is and who artists are have completely transformed, and much of that transformation occurred in the 1960s. In many ways, artists are actually the most suited for instigating change or awakening us to different realities because they make it possible to imagine what change looks like, sounds like, and feels like.

Q. What is the relationship between art and social justice?

A. Creative expression moves us in the soul and hits us in the gut, so artists have this unparalleled power to strip away facades and help us to see, hear, and feel other perspectives and other peoples stories and challenges. Art and humanities are very often the root system of how we find common ground, build empathy, see other sides of the coin, and connect value to people who are different from us. For this, I think artists are really patriots.Pompeo, who has secured a bond with Trump in part by reliably praising him in public, implied that Trump's often personal attacks on Kim were among those pressure points, saying on CBS News' Face the Nation that USA intelligence officials had briefed Trump on how Kim "might react and how North Korea might respond". -South Korean military maneuvers that were postponed during the recent Winter Olympics in South Korea. Shinzo Abe, the Japanese prime minister who has worked assiduously to cultivate a close relationship with Mr Trump, announced an unplanned trip to Washington next month to discuss the North Korean nuclear issue. "I don't know yet, until we are able to meet ourselves face to face with representatives of North Korea, whether the conditions are right to even begin thinking about negotiations".

"The president has made it clear that the conditions are that there's no nuclear testing and there's no missiles and those will be a condition through the meeting".

Senators Rob Portman and Sherrod Brown praised the development but insisted that Pyongyang must eventually give up its nuclear weapons program.

"They're not going to send missiles up". But he also believes that it is his nukes that have persuaded Mr Trump to meet him. Perhaps most dangerously for the world, he'll be left feeling embarrassed.

North Korea's leaders have sought a face-to-face meeting with a USA president for decades, but have been rebuffed over human rights concerns as well as the nuclear ambitions.

"If we could avoid a nuclear confrontation with North Korea, that would be a wonderful achievement", the 93-year-old former Democratic president reportedly told his class.



GETTYDonald Trump said I dont think theyre going to send any more missiles up

"These results show that many people welcome the recent forward-looking change in North Korea's attitude, but they still have a high level of distrust (about the regime)", Realmeter said.

Mnuchin said denuclearization of the peninsula is the objective of a meeting between the two leaders.

Duerr warned that a nuclear war with North Korea could put Dayton on a list of targets because of Wright-Patterson.

The US sees denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula as an ultimate goal of direct talks between Trump and Kim, he said. In 2005 North Korea committed to denuclearisation. It has gone against multiple pledges to discontinue its nuclear program, and defied sanction after sanction since it launched its first nuclear weapon in 2006. It is likely, therefore, that Pyongyang will use the lull in tensions to continue to develop its nuclear weapon and missile programmes in secret or push for concessions on United Nations sanctions.

"Never before have we had the North Koreans in a position where their economy was at such risk, where their leadership was under such pressure that they would begin conversations on the terms that Kim Jong-Un has conceded to at this point", Pompeo said.

Michel Chain es candidato del PVEM a gobernador de Puebla

Trabaje en el gobierno federal, estatal y municipio, a mi nadie me ha regalado nada, nadie, egrese con mencion honorifica en la UNAM (.) O que?

Inicia el proceso para suceder a Raul Castro

Entre las criticas opositoras esta el hecho de que la eleccion presidencial no se haga en comicios directos. Segun datos oficiales, la Asamblea sera renovada en mas del 50%.

Melrose to raise stakes in battle for GKN

It has gone directly to shareholders with its offer because, it said, the GKN board continued to refuse any "constructive discussions"."We have made it very clear that it would be very unwise to use gas" as a weapon, he added.

"Russia was the framework guarantor that (Syrian dictator Bashar al Assad) would get rid of all of it", Mattis said.

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitoring group says an indiscriminate campaign of regime and Russian air strikes and shelling has killed some 1,100 civilians in rebel-held Eastern Ghouta over the past three weeks.

He said the latest reports of Syrian government forces killing civilians in eastern Ghouta show that troops are "at best indiscriminately" attacking and "at worst targeting hospitals".

Mattis said he was aware of "an terrible lot of reports about chlorine gas use or about symptoms that could be resulting from chlorine gas", but indicated he did not have conclusive evidence.

"Either Russia is incompetent or in cahoots with Assad", Mattis said. Tried them together with the Syrians on the battlefield.

Novak Djokovic knocked out of Indian Wells

I mean, I just completely lost rhythm, everything". "Just struggled also a little bit with the health the last couple of weeks". Daniel went toe-to-toe with Djokovic as the match wore on, matching the Serbian's aggression.

Dos hermanos fueron a cazar patos y se ahogaron

El fiscal sanlorencino Leantro Lucente se encuentra a cargo de las actuaciones y ordeno la autopsia en el Instituto Medico Legal. Los cuerpos de los hermanos que habian desaparecido en Timbues fueron rescatados este domingo a la manana.

First ever MacBook Air with Retina Display leaks alongside affordable MacBook

And we've also heard more recently on the grapevine that Apple is planning to debut a new, cheaper 13-inch MacBook Air . Apple will pack its future MacBook Air 2018 with the new Retina Display.

The White House said last week Russian military aircraft took off from Humaymim Airfield in Syria and carried out at least 20 daily bombing missions in Damascus and Eastern Ghouta between February 24 and 28. Instead, it has accused rebel forces of planning to set up poison gas attacks and blame the Syrian government.

The Syrian regime has vowed to continue the offensive in Eastern Ghouta, one of the deadliest in the war.

Russian Federation signed up with the United Nations Security Council for a cease-fire in Homs, Aleppo and East Ghouta in Syria, Mattis noted.

While in Oman, Mattis planned to meet with the country's supreme ruler, Sultan Qaboos bin Said, on Monday.

"They are Assad's partner and whether the airplane dropping the bomb is a Russian airplane or a Syrian airplane, I'd prefer not to say right now", he said. He said he expects to discuss Yemen with Qaboos. After the 2011 Arab Spring, Qaboos is now the longest-serving Arab leader in the Middle East. Oman was the site of secret talks between Iran and the USA that birthed Tehran's 2015 nuclear deal with world powers.

U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley worked with the U.N. Security Council to reach a cease-fire in Syria, and "Russia's partner immediately commenced violating it", Mattis said.The EU said it was prepared to respond to any tariffs with counter-measures against US products such as Harley-Davidson motorcycles, Levi's jeans and bourbon.

President Trump said earlier this week the decision on Cohn's successor would be announced soon, while Cohn himself is expected to return to the administration for a higher role as a part of President Trump's cabinet. Jeff Flake, (R-Ariz.), who vowed to file a bill to nullify Trump's proclamation.

"He's going to go out and make another couple of hundred million and then he's gonna maybe come back", Trump said during a cabinet meeting. He was second-in-command at Goldman Sachs before Trump offered him the job in December of 2016.

Advisers argue that tales of Trump's freelancing are exaggerated and that in many cases - as with tariffs - he is following through on long-stated promises. Shortly after, Hope Hicks, the president's communications director, announced that she would also be leaving.

The White House said the levies would be looked at "country by country" after a backlash from around the world. "In his own way he's a nationalist because he loves this country".

Texas, Texas A&M punch tickets to NCAA Tournament

The other schools - Louisville, Oklahoma State, South Carolina and USC - did not make it as at-large teams. They won the AAC Tournament on Sunday and are probably the best team that no one has been talking about.

Attacker shot dead after 'knife assault' at Iran ambassador's house in Austria

Austrian police patrol the main station in Salzburg as the trains arrive from Vienna , Austria September 14, 2015. Police have ordered reinforcements around all diplomatic missions in the city.

OJ Simpson dragged after 'hypothetical' murder confession

Fox, which like HarperCollins was owned by News Corp., planned to air a two-part special before the book's planned 2006 release. Simpson says he got angry at Ron - presumably thinking he was there on a date with Nicole - and started screaming at him.

Scott Paul, president of the Alliance for American Manufacturing, who has known Navarro for more than a decade, described him as "someone who certainly speaks his mind and is not afraid to present ideas and data that are contrarian".

In a statement, President Trump said, "Gary has been my chief economic adviser and did a superb job in driving our agenda, helping to deliver historic tax cuts and reforms and unleashing the American economy once again".

Trump last week announced a plan to introduce a 25 per cent tariff on steel imports and a 10 per cent tariff on aluminium.

This was not the only recent moment where Trump opted to trust his gut and go it alone. Cohn previously indicated that he might resign if Trump followed through with the tariffs. In the process, he saw his top economic adviser, Gary Cohn, head for the exit and faced his most public condemnation to date from Republican lawmakers. But so far there has been one big victor - Peter Navarro, director of the Office of Trade and Manufacturing Policy. The third option is a mixture of tariffs and quotas, which would consist of imposing stiff tariffs on South Korea, China and Brazil, while giving relatively lenient quotas to Canada, Mexico and the EU. Cohn, who had been rumoured just weeks ago as a potential next Chief of Staff, will leave the White House in the coming weeks, CNN reported.

President Donald Trump's announcement of import tariffs, and the prospect of retaliation by other countries, is prompting some fund managers to pare their holdings of us stocks and look for opportunities overseas.About Me Scott Because prophetic scriptures are found throughout the bible, it is obvious that a comprehensive, systematic approach would be useful, if not necessary, for the understanding of prophecy. Past prophecies have been fulfilled in a literal manner, as confirmed by the dating of these writings and historical records of confirmation. These past prophecies also serve as a model of how to interpret future prophecies. A literal view of prophecy clearly indicates a certain sequence of events will occur within a single generation, concluding with the Tribulation and Second Advent and these events will be obvious. The prophetic signs appear to be present in this generation and we believe these signs are revealed in the news from around the world. View my complete profileWelcome Guest! You Are Here:Welcome Guest! You Are Here:

Home Regional News East

In a statement to the House of Commons that triggered a furious response from Moscow, the prime minister said the evidence had shown that Skripal had been targeted by a military-grade nerve agent of a type developed by Russia.

Describing the incident as an indiscriminate and reckless act, she said that Boris Johnson had summoned the Russian ambassador to Whitehall and demanded an explanation by the end of Tuesday.

Russian officials immediately hit back, with Maria Zakharova, the spokeswoman for the Russian foreign minister, calling the remarks a provocation and describing the event as a circus show in the British parliament.





Quick guide What is Novichok? Theresa May has said it is highly likely that Russia was responsible for the poisoning of former spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter, Yulia, and warned Britain would not tolerate such a brazen attempt to murder innocent civilians on our soil.In a statement to the House of Commons that triggered a furious response from Moscow, the prime minister said the evidence had shown that Skripal had been targeted by a military-grade nerve agent of a type developed by Russia.Describing the incident as an indiscriminate and reckless act, she said that Boris Johnson had summoned the Russian ambassador to Whitehall and demanded an explanation by the end of Tuesday.Russian officials immediately hit back, with Maria Zakharova, the spokeswoman for the Russian foreign minister, calling the remarks a provocation and describing the event as a circus show in the British parliament. Andrei Lugovoi , a Russian member of parliament who stands accused of the 2006 murder of the former Russian agent, Alexander Litvinenko, said Mays decision to point the finger at Moscow so quickly was at a minimum irresponsible.

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Facebook Twitter Pinterest Andrei Lugovoi said Mays decision to point the finger at Moscow was at a minimum irresponsible. Photograph: Misha Japaridze/AP

Salisbury nerve agent attack: expert criticises lack of information Read more

May addressed MPs after chairing a meeting of the national security council, where senior ministers were told that the nerve agent used was from a group known as Novichok.Based on the positive identification of this chemical agent by world-leading experts at Porton Down, our knowledge that Russia has previously produced this agent and would still be capable of doing so, Russias record of conducting state-sponsored assassinations, and our assessment that Russia views some defectors as legitimate targets for assassinations, the government has concluded that it is highly likely that Russia was responsible for the act against Sergei and Yulia Skripal, she said.The prime minister said that left just two plausible explanations for what happened in Salisbury.Either this was a direct act by the Russian state against our country. Or the Russian government lost control of this potentially catastrophically damaging nerve agent and allowed it to get into the hands of others.She said that Johnson had summoned the Russian ambassador to account for how the nerve agent had been deployed. The UK government demanded a response by the end of Tuesday, she added.However, May made clear that she believed there was already a backdrop of a well-established pattern of Russian state aggression  listing the illegal annexation of Crimea, violating the airspace of European countries, and a sustained campaign of cyber-espionage and disruption.This has included meddling in elections, and hacking the Danish ministry of defence and the Bundestag, among many others.She also spoke of the extrajudicial killing of terrorists and dissidents outside Russia  and the murder of Litvinenko.The government would consider Russias response on Wednesday, she said.Should there be no credible response, we will conclude that this action amounts to an unlawful use of force by the Russian state against the United Kingdom, she said, promising to return to the house with a full range of responsive measures.This attempted murder using a weapons-grade nerve agent in a British town was not just a crime against the Skripals.It was an indiscriminate and reckless act against the United Kingdom, putting the lives of innocent civilians at risk. And we will not tolerate such a brazen attempt to murder innocent civilians on our soil.The tough statement means that a major diplomatic row is now looming between Moscow and London, with expulsions on both sides inevitable. Russias hardline ambassador to the UK, Alexander Yakovenko, may well be sent home.The Labour leader, Jeremy Corbyn, responded by saying the whole house condemned the deeply alarming attack and that a full account was needed from Russian authorities. But he warned against a full breakdown of communications with Moscow.We need to continue seeking a robust dialogue with Russia on all the issues currently dividing our countries, rather than simply cutting off contact and letting the tensions and divisions get worse and potentially even more dangerous, he said.Corbyn then turned to a political attack on the Conservatives, after reports that the party had accepted donations of more than 820,000 from Russian oligarchs since May took over leadership. He also asked why the government had not accepted a Labour-led amendment to the sanctions and anti-money laundering bill that would pave the way for so-called Magnitsky powers to punish human rights abuses with asset freezes and visa bans.May responded that her governments simple approach to Moscow was: Engage but beware.Setting out her previous attack on Russian interference in elections , she said: There can be no question of business as usual with Russia.On the Magnitsky powers she insisted that the UK already was able to take tough action against individuals, but did promise to try to reach agreement over the amendment.In 2007 Gordon Brown kicked out four Russian diplomats in protest at Vladimir Putins refusal to extradite Lugovoi and Dmitry Kovtun, the two assassins who put polonium into Alexander Litvinenkos tea. The Russian foreign ministry expelled four British diplomats.On this occasion, Putin is likely to react badly to Mays ultimatum. The UKs ambassador to Moscow, Laurie Bristow  deputy ambassador at the time of Litvinenkos murder  is vulnerable.Additionally, the Kremlin may take action against the BBC. When relations plummeted over Litvinenko, Moscow closed the St Petersburg office of the British Council and accused its director, Stephen Kinnock  now a Labour MP  of drink driving.The use of Novichok  a deadly nerve agent developed in the 1970s and 1980s by the Soviet Union  will be seen as a brutal calling card. It was inevitable that the poison would be discovered, with a trail leading straight back to Moscow.The timing of the attack was two weeks before Russias presidential election, to be held on Sunday. The calculation may be that the Skripal case galvanises Putins conservative base and boosts votes.The reaction of backbench MPs to the statement was largely supportive on all sides of the house. The Tory chair of the foreign affairs select committee, Tom Tugendhat, said that the Salisbury attack was if not an act of war ... certainly a war-like act by the Russian federation.Labours Yvette Cooper, who chairs parliaments home affairs committee, said it was hard to see any alternative to the prime ministers very grave conclusion but asked if any action had been taken to review 14 other cases that she had raised.In a barbed attack on Corbyn, the Labour MP John Woodcock  a longtime critic of his party leader  welcomed the resilience of May and said the UK would face a national security threat if led by anyone who did not understand the gravity of the threat which Russia poses.The Ministry of Defence (MoD) is planning to accelerate and expand its cyber-offensive capability over the next five years in response to the present crisis with Russia, according to Whitehall sources.The aim is to increase the UKs ability to strike back against selected targets inside not only Russia but also other states regarded as hostile such as China, North Korea and Iran.The MoD is also, in the wake of Salisbury, planning to spend more on chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear (CBRN) defence. The move is an acknowledgement on the part of the MoD that it has paid inadequate attention to the increased danger.Thank you for reading!

Please log in, or sign up for a new account and purchase a subscription to continue reading.Make fishing a wealth generating activity  consultant Huggins

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The Fisheries Division in the Ministry of Agriculture, supported by the Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations, hosted a aFishing as a Business Workshopa on Wednesday, February 28, at the Fisheries conference room in Kingstown.

The workshop was implemented under the National Zero Hunger Challenge Initiative (ZHCI) Action Plan of SVG, which seeks to support selected activities under the project. Some 29 participants were present at the workshop, which began at 4 p.m. and went up until 7:30 p.m.

Addressing the opening ceremony, Conroy Huggins, the national consultant: project operations assistant, challenged the fishers, boat owners and vendors to take full advantage of the training. He asked them to see what they do as a meaningful investment and said that their mindset and attitude has to change to maximize their earning potential. They need to see fishing as a wealth generating activity.

Lorenzo George, fisheries officer (extension) at the Fisheries Division, made remarks on behalf of the division. He expressed thanks to FAO and the Ministry of Agriculture for such a timely initiative and encouraged the fishers, boat owners and vendors to make full use of the training. He also informed stakeholders of the work of the Fisheries Division and upcoming projects that will benefit them.

Hayden Billingy, national project coordinator for Climate Change for Fish (CC4Fish) project, gave an overview of the CC4Fish project, which he stated will come on stream soon. He said the CC4Fish project, which is a regional project of which SVG is a beneficiary, will take the business training of the fishers even further. He said factors such as the impact of the Sargassum (sea weed), safety at sea, agroponics, aquaponics, diversifying the fisheras economy and training in survival skills at sea would be addressed. The project, he stated, has a multi-faceted approach.

The FAO national correspondent in SVG, Dr Coleen Phillips, highlighted the challenges faced by fisherfolk and farmers which need urgent attention, including praedial larceny, projection via the use of risk insurance, and protection of water resources. She informed the fishers that apart from the Zero Hunger Challenge Initiative Project, they will also benefit through the CC4Fish, which is a regional project.

The workshop facilitator Dougal James of Prime Consulting gave the rationale for the training, the aim of the workshop, the proposed training outcomes, and the objectives of the training. He shared recent data on studies of the fishing industry in SVG and gave reasons for the dismal performance.

He presented a way forward for the fishing industry, the components needed to set up a business, record keeping, understanding a business cycle and how the business works. He also shared with them how to practise good cash management.According to Beck, CP TPP is really important to Canada, as it gives the country unlimited access to the Japanese market and other potential markets such as Vietnam and Singapore, with which Canada is yet to have a bilateral free trade agreement.



He said the deal will bring Canada certain advantages in the Vietnamese market, and through Vietnam, helps it to enter the ASEAN.



According to Beck, Canadian people and businesses have come to realise that Vietnam is a potential market thanks to publicity campaigns about the CP TPP. He expressed his belief that after two or three years of enforcement, the CP TPP will help further bilateral cooperation in fields of importance to both countries.



Having visited Vietnam several times to push the implementation of the Womens Initiative for Startups and Entrepreneurship (WISE) sponsored by the Canadian Consulate General in Vietnam and APF, the expert has his opinion on fields with great potential for bilateral cooperation after the CP TPP officially takes effect.



He said Vietnam will be able to increase the export of seafood and other goods to Canada, and technology and service are also promising fields.



The Canadian side hopes that with the official signing of CP TPP, and considering the large Vietnamese community and increasing numbers of Vietnamese students in Canada, more opportunities for bilateral affiliation will be opened up based on the cultural and education bridges, Beck said.



The Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CP TPP) was officially inked at a ceremony chaired by Chilean President Micelle Bachelet in Chile on March 8.



Trade ministers of 11 countries participating in the trade pact, namely Australia, Brunei, Canada, Malaysia, Mexico, Japan, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore and Vietnam, attended the event.



The ambitious deal came after the US pulled out the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) agreement last year. It sets high criteria in numerous fields, including labour, the environment, intellectual property, digital economy and cyber security.



The pact will create one of the worlds largest free trade blocs with a combined market of 499 million people and GDP of around 10,100 billion USD, accounting for 13.5 percent of the global GDP.

VietnamplusArtists, including Nguyen Thi Tam, Tran Thi Thuy Linh, Huynh Phuong Thi dai Trang and Viet Thi Kim Quyen who are members of the HCM City and Vietnam Fine Arts Associations, will exhibit their paintings describing Vietnamese natural landscapes and people.



The exhibition will feature nearly 50 paintings using various materials by 22 women artists from Myanmar, Malaysia, Thailand, and Vietnam. It aims to give a regional fine art exchange for insiders.





By LINH TRAN  Translated by Kim KhanhThey were accompanied by a high-level Vietnamese delegation.



They were welcomed by New Zealand Ambassador to Vietnam Wendy Matthews and Vietnamese Ambassador to New Zealand Nguyen Viet Dung, among others.

As scheduled, New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Andern will chair an official ceremony to welcome Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc and his spouse on March 13.



Afterwards, PM Phuc will have bilateral meetings with leaders from New Zealand and Auckland city in particular. He is due to meet with the Vietnamese community in the host country.



The PM will attend the Vietnam-New Zealand business forum, receive some New Zealands big businesses, and visit several local research facilities.

The cooperation between Vietnam and New Zealand has developed rapidly and strongly in recent years since the establishment of bilateral diplomatic ties in 1975.



The two sides issued a joint statement agreeing to strengthen and deepen the bilateral comprehensive partnership and look toward to strategic partnership.



Two-way trade has increased through years with an average level of around 20 percent per year. In 2016, the bilateral trade reached approximately US$ 707 million. At present, nearly 3,000 Vietnamese students are studying in New Zealand.



Auckland is the biggest city of New Zealand with cultural diversity. In 2017, close to 29,000 New Zealand tourists arrived in Vietnam for studying and travelling.The tournament aims to tighten further cooperation relations between Vietnam, New Zealand and Australia- who are three important members of Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP)- the worlds third largest free trade agreement.Cooperation ties between Vietnam and New Zealand has blossomed in the recent years. The partner considered Vietnam as an important factor of policies in Asia- Pacific region. In 2009, the two nations established the comprehensive partnership, and maintained a bilateral defense dialogue mechanism and visits of naval ships.The first official visit of PM Nguyen Xuan Phuc takes place amid the good friendship and cooperation relations between Vietnam and New Zealand contributes to deepen the comprehensive partnership and creates new cooperation opportunities between the two countries in near future.New Zealand is Vietnams 31st largest trade partner with two- way trade turnover up to more than US$ 900 million in 2017. Both sides closely collaborated and supported each other in signing the CPTPP and desired to continue strengthening the comprehensive partnership as well as raise the ties up to the strategical partnership.This occasion is considered as a favorable chance to boost and strengthen mutual political belief, create a strong foundation to deepen the cooperation ties in accordance with the orientations of the Viet Nam - New Zealand Action Plan for the period 2017-2020.After New Zealand, the high- ranking delegation of Vietnam will begin an official visit to Australia and join the ASEAN- Australia Special Summit from March 14- 18.The visit marks an important millstone in the history of upgrading the ties to the strategic partnership on the occasion of the 45th establishment anniversary of Vietnam and Australia diplomatic ties.Australia is Vietnam's biggest trade partner in the Southern Hemisphere with bilateral trade turnover hitting US$ 6.5 billion (according to Vietnam data).Each year, Australia gives about US$ 70.7 million aid to Vietnam; and the country always considers Vietnam as a key partner in ASEAN and the two countries well cooperated at the regional and international forums such as the East Asia Summit (EAS), the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) and the United Nations.The ASEAN- Australia Special Summit focusing on improving security and prosperity within the region aims to reaffirm Australia's commitment to foster the strategic partnerships with ASEAN in the new stage.Vietnam will actively contribute and closely collaborate with Australia and member countries of ASEAN to ensure success of the ASEAN- Australia Special Summit, propose important development orientations for the ASEAN-Australia partnership in the new period.

BY HANH CHI- Translated by Huyen HuongForeign Ministry Spokesperson Lu Kang's Regular Press Conference on March 12, 2018

2018/03/12

Q: ROK National Security Adviser Chung Eui-yong has reportedly arrived in Beijing today. He will brief the Chinese leaders on his visits to the DPRK and the US. What is your expectation for his China visit?

A: You are right that Special Envoy of the ROK President and National Security Adviser Chung Eui-yong is in China today. As his visit is still unfolding, we will timely release relevant information when we have it.

Q: The Global Times reported today that a delegation of Chinese health officials will be visiting the Vatican for a conference on organ transplant. China attended one last year as well. Do you have any information on that and whether or not it is connected with the improving relationship between China and the Vatican?

A: I can check after the press briefing whether it is the case that a Chinese delegation is going to attend that meeting as you mentioned. If that is true, it is not the first time that a Chinese health delegation attended such a meeting.

As for whether it has anything to do with the improvement of China-Vatican ties, I believe you know very well that it is rare to discuss diplomatic ties via health channels. China's principled position on developing China-Vatican relations is clear enough. I will not repeat it here. We hope and look forward to seeing that China and the Vatican could improve bilateral ties by working towards the same direction.

Q: According to reports, on March 5, Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev proposed Five Social Initiatives. What is your comment? How do you envision the future of China-Kazakhstan relations?

A: China and Kazakhstan are friendly neighbors and comprehensive strategic partners. Under the strategic guidance of President Xi Jinping and President Nazarbayev, China and Kazakhstan have in recent years conducted exchanges and experience-sharing activities on state governance, which have yielded fruitful outcomes. Our two countries all regard improving people's livelihood as the priority of development goals. China firmly supports the policy measures and initiatives for better livelihood proposed by the Kazakh leader, and sincerely hopes that Kazakhstan will make new progress in its national development.

As to the prospect of China-Kazakhstan relations, the China-Kazakhstan relationship operating at a high level is an exemplar of friendship between China and its neighbors. We are satisfied with the development of such bilateral relations. We believe that under the strategic guidance of the two heads of state and with the concerted efforts of all walks of life in China and Kazakhstan, the China-Kazakhstan relationship will score even greater success in the future.

Q: Recently, the Spokesperson of the Indian Ministry of External Affairs said that relations between India and China are not just important bilaterally, but also have regional and global significance. He also mentioned that India is willing to work with the Chinese side to develop bilateral relations based on commonalities, while dealing with differences on the basis of mutual respect and sensitivity to each other's interests, concerns and aspirations. What is your comment on that?

A: We have noted these positive remarks made by the Indian side. You may also noted that Foreign Minister Wang Yi at his press conference on March 8, talked about China's perspective on China-India ties as well as its basic stance on developing China-India relations. We stand ready to work with the Indian side, under the guidance of the important consensus reached by our leaders, to enhance political mutual trust, promote mutually beneficial cooperation, properly handle differences so as to ensure China-India relations move forward steadily along the right track.

Q: Regarding the future meeting between the DPRK and the US leaders, has the DPRK side informed the Chinese side of anything?

A: These positive signs that have recently emerged in the Korean Peninsula situation are holding the attention of the international community. My colleagues have talked about China's viewpoints and proposals many times. I can tell you, for sure, that China remains in close communication with relevant parties on realizing a turn-around in the Korean Peninsula situation and bringing the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue back to the right track of political settlement through dialogue and consultation.

Q: According to the Guardian, the Philippine Department of Justice last month listed more than 600 people it wanted to be categorized as rebels for "using acts of terror" to undermine the government. Among them was the UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights Victoria Tauli-Corpuz. The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein, said in response that President Duterte needs to submit himself to some sort of psychiatric examination. What is your comment?

A: Anyone without bias can see that President Duterte has made positive efforts since assuming office to combat drug-related crimes as well as terrorism, develop the national economy, and improve people's livelihood, which have effectively protected and promoted the Philippine people's fundamental rights to security and development. The achievements made by the Philippine government led by President Duterte on these fronts have won great approval and extensive support among the Philippine people.

Relevant sides of the international community, including the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, shall respect the sovereignty of the Philippines and the will of its people, view the outcomes of the Philippines' fight against drug and terrorism in a comprehensive, unbiased and objective way, and support its efforts to move forward its human rights cause in light of its national conditions. As an agency of the UN, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights is expected to fulfill its duties within the framework set out by the purposes and principles of the UN Charter.About a month ago, we were in a meeting with three village Mayors (male Chiefs) to discuss the implementation of the first carbon offsetting project for Samoa by replanting more than 12,000 native trees in the O le Pupu Pue national Park.

The aim of the project by Samoa Conservation Society and funded through the Small Grants Programme was to train young people on basic forestry skills and equip them with enough knowledge to strategically plant native trees across the national park.

Three villages were asked to submit the names of 10 young people between 18 and 35 who would be trained and implement the project in one year.

Upon receiving the list, I noticed something that I tend to note every time I do anything involving communities. There were no young women on the list. The three village Mayors who were leading engagement had each gone through their respective councils for nominations and endorsement of the 30 young people and had come out with a list they deemed most appropriate for the activity.

To be honest, I would find it very hard to request a mother to release their daughter to work deep in the forest with a group of young men, its just not a feasible option, one village Mayor said.

His statement drove home the point of the gender challenges in climate change. Women were not being included for fear of their safety and other cultural values and perceptions, but in doing so, marginalised women who were genuinely interested in the work.

After further discussions, a compromise was met, each Mayor would include two women in their nominations and that the women would work in the nursery and assist in the monitoring of the project, instead of being in the forest.

Cultural consideration of gender

Although some cultural inhibitions may inadvertently prevent women from taking part in some small-scale climate projects, at the national level, women have risen to high level positions that determine national direction on climate change policy and practice.

From the Minister of Natural Resources and Environment, to the C.E.O. of Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, to one of Samoas negotiators under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, Samoas representation is strongly women.

During a visit by a high-level United Nations team looking at gender discrimination in Samoa last year, one of them attributed womens success at the national level to family support, in doing so, this person took away the strength and ability of these women to rise by themselves on their own accord.

Two years ago, while I was working for the International Labour Organization, an employment specialist from Geneva, who had worked all over Asia and Africa and had 30 years of field work under his belt, met counterparts from private sector, Government, N.G.O.s and individuals. We talked to 21 representatives that day, all heads of their respective organisations. When we were done with the daily consultations, he was shocked to reflect that out of that 21, only three of the people we met were men.

The observation by the visiting specialist drove home the point that when it comes to merit based professional settings, women have demonstrated a natural ability to climb the ladder and progress through the ranks of Government, N.G.O, Private Sector and regional organisations without bias from their male counterparts.

Community action

At the community level, it is well known that when you want to get something done immediately, thoroughly and with all hands on deck, you approach the womens committee.

We have found that women tend to take on projects to heart, are committed to the longevity of projects and have a particular passion that we can depend on during implementation, said Sua Julia Wallwork, Executive Director of A.D.R.A. Samoa, an agency that has extensive climate projects across Samoa.

When you go into a village, although the men tend to surround the coveted poles in the open traditional fales during the village meetings, women still have an active and influential role that tends to be disregarded if not diminished by concepts of western feminism.

There tends to be misconceptions that their physical absence is translated to ideological absence, when in fact women so much to do in the village that needs not only to be acknowledged but embraced. During our meetings in development of climate change projects or conservation projects, there are always women who lead aspects of the work at the community level, and this is very encouraging.

Perception vs Reality

In my experience and I am sure it is the same for my fellow female colleagues who represent their organizations in the implementation of projects and carrying out of outreach activities with village councils, I have not once felt ill at ease being the only woman in a fale full of matais (chiefs) or of high ranking male officers or Ministers of Government. Never once in my experience, specific to this area, have these men undermined the programmes I deliver because I am a woman, or I am young or I am from an international organization. In my experience and from what I have witnessed, merit based professionally placed women are openly accepted and embraced at the village level by male majority village councils in the implementation of environmental programmes.

Yes, there are challenges at the village level with issues pertaining to womens access to decision making, and other family based issues, but when it comes to the implementation and the integration of gender into climate change projects and outreach activities, I have found that through a careful negotiation and culturally considerate approaches, we can include more women and ultimately ensure that gender is mainstreamed into environmental projects and programming.

Innovative approach

After Cyclone Gita, the Bank South Pacific offered a three to six month suspension on loan repayments to assist families who had to recover their homes and properties after the disaster. The initiative, a first from the Samoan banking sector, was initiated by the only woman head of a commercial bank.

Samoa Country Manager, Taituuga Maryann Lameko-Vaai in her announcement said: This means to assist with rebuilding efforts, our customers who were impacted by the cyclone will not have to make any repayments on their loans for up to three months or six months in most severe cases.

It is through these lenses of a mother, of a woman having to care for and think of many different aspects in the home and professionally that women have actively made a difference both environmentally and socially in Samoa.

It is clear that there is a dichotomy between cultures placement of women in the village and merit based placement of women at the national level, but if we view the Samoan woman as a single entity based on her ability to affect change in conservation or in any other facet of her life, then we are truly capable, and we have truly made a difference.

Women in Climate Change

Conservation International helped me realise a dream with the launch of the Women in Climate Change initiative in January this year. With the endorsement of Samoas first woman Parliamentarian, Minister and Deputy Prime Minister, Fiame Naomi Mataafa, W.I.C.C. brings perspectives together not just to celebrate women working in the various multifaceted areas of climate change, but also to find ways to further the inclusion of gender perspectives in our work on conservation and climate change.

The invitation to members of the Initiative to the Pacific Climate Change Lunch for the Prime Minister of New Zealand Jacinda Ardern was testament yet again to the innovative nature of this initiative.

The World Bank and the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme, whose climate work are led also by women, have already offered to host subsequent meetings of this initiative.

At the end of the day, its not only in the leadership of women that assures change, but rather in the strategic inclusion and culturally considerate approaches that we take, endorse and promote through our work that will ultimately ensure that women, girls and those who identify as women, are encouraged and automatically considered as key to entities in any community or national initiatives on climate change. That is true progress in gender considerate conservation approach.

*Lagipoiva is the Oceans and Climate Change Manager for Conservation International Pacific. She is a founding member of the Samoa Conservation Society and Women in Climate Change.(WB) Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah) has reintroduced legislation in the U.S. Senate seen to enable anti-LGBT discrimination in the name of religious freedom  and President Trump made signing the legislation a campaign promise during the 2016 election.

The purported intent of the First Amendment Defense Act, as introduced by Lee on Thursday, is to protect individuals from adverse action by the U.S. government if they oppose same-sex marriage or sexual relations outside of marriage.

Lee said in a statement the legislation is necessary to ensure the federal government doesnt impinge on individuals beliefs about marriage.

What an individual or organization believes about the traditional definition of marriage is not  and should never be  a part of the governments decision-making process when distributing licenses, accreditations, or grants, Lee said. And the First Amendment Defense Act simply ensures that this will always be true in America  that federal bureaucrats will never have the authority to require those who believe in the traditional definition of marriage to choose between their living in accordance with those beliefs and maintaining their occupation or their tax status.

A section of the bill explicitly forbids the U.S. government from alter[ing] in any way the federal tax treatment of institutions that oppose same-sex marriage. That has been a concern expressed by public universities against gay nuptials, such as Brigham Young University, who fear their tax-exempt status will be stripped away much like the U.S. Supreme Court in 1983 stripped Bob Jones University of its tax-exempt status for not recognizing interracial marriage. (Bob Jones dropped its interracial ban in 2000 and its tax-exempt status has been restored.)

According to Lees office, the legislation has 21 co-sponsors who are all Republicans. Among them are Sens. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), Orrin Hatch (R-Utah), Ben Sasse (R-Neb.), Rand Paul (R-Ky.), Tim Scott (R-S.C.), Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) and Ted Cruz (R-Texas).

But critics say the legislation, also known as FADA, would impair LGBT rights in various ways because it would carve into federal non-discrimination protections for LGBT people.

For example, FADA would undermine President Obamas executive order against anti-LGBT workplace discrimination among federal contractors. Although legislation says it wouldnt apply to federal for-profit contractors, that means non-profit contractors  such as religious affiliated hospital or university  would be able to engage in anti-LGBT discrimination and still obtain U.S. government contracts.

Jennifer Pizer, law and policy Director for Lambda Legal, said the bill is evidence one of the main goals is to freeze-frame the lack of civil rights protections for LGBT people.

Many religiously affiliated non-profits want to keep getting lots of public money and want to be able to discriminate, Pizer said. We have been steadily building the body of the law and the public recognition and that that discrimination is wrong and thats true if its LGBT people or same-sex couples as well, so its an effort to get public money.

David Stacy, government affairs director for the Human Rights Campaign, said in a statement the legislation would legalize state-sanctioned discrimination and undermine key civil rights protections for LGBTQ people.

Supporters of this legislation are using religious liberty as a sword to hurt LGBTQ families rather than staying true to our long tradition of it serving as a shield to protect religious expression from government overreach, Stacy said.

According to Human Rights Campaign, FADA would compromise Obamas 2014 executive order, LGBT non-discrimination protections in the Violence Against Women Act for emergency shelters; LGBT non-discrimination rules for homeless shelters within the Department of Housing & Urban Development; and same-sex couples access to benefits under the Family & Medical Leave Act.

Conn Carroll, a Lee spokesperson, downplayed via an email to the Washington Blade the possibility the legislation would affect each of these pro-LGBT measures.

On Obamas 2014 executive order, Carroll said FADA would prevent a government agency from cancelling a contract just because some bureaucrat didnt like a religious contractor, but offer no organizations protection from an EEOC claim that they discriminated against gay people. (That response address concerns about compromising the executive order by asserting the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission could take up the slack.)

Carroll denied FADA would supersede Family & Medical Leave Act benefits and, with regard to HUD rules, said hes unaware of any homeless shelter even asking about a beneficiarys married status.

With respect to compromised LGBT protections at emergency shelters under VAWA, Carroll also said he doesnt see a problem.

I could see an organization declining to counsel in support of a same-sex marriage, but why would anyone decline to protect someone in an abusive relationship? Carroll said.

Pizer the kind of discrimination Carroll said doesnt exist is much more widespread than one might think even with LGBT non-discrimination protections in place.

You have many vulnerable members of our communities who should get better treatment, whether its youth in foster care, or whether its people in medical settings, or whether its people who are homeless, Pizer said. Thats an enormous area of concern and lots of that bad treatment happens now.

The website for Lees Senate office has a Q&A about FADA that seeks to downplay the potential impact of the legislation on LGBT rights.

The Q&A denies FADA would make it legal for businesses to refuse service to gay people; for churches to fire gay employees; for businesses to deny benefits for same-sex partners; for landlords to advertise that they will not rent to unmarried parents; or for federal bureaucrats to refuse to process benefit claims made by same-sex couples.

On the question on whether FADA targets gay people, the Q&A says the answer is absolutely not.

Many religious institutions have codes of conduct that forbid premarital sexual relations among their members even when those sexual relations are completely heterosexual, the Q&A says. FADA would protect those heterosexual codes of conduct just as it would protect traditional beliefs about marriage.

Pizer said the answer is no when asked if the Q&As denials about FADA are accurate based on how the different concepts are framed in the discussion.

So the whole description of the landscape, I think, is a mistake and it is consistent with their way of framing all of these religious exemptions, Pizer said.

Trump made a pledge to sign the FADA a campaign promise during the 2016 election  one he spelled out in a statement to social conservative Catholics who support his candidacy.

If I am elected president and Congress passes the First Amendment Defense Act, I will sign it to protect the deeply held religious beliefs of Catholics and the beliefs of Americans of all faiths, Trump said.

The White House didnt immediately respond to the Washington Blades request to comment on whether Trump still supports the First Amendment Defense Act and would sign the legislation as introduced into law.

FADA has undergone various iterations in the past. Although the latest version is some respects more narrow than it was first introduced, FADA has new language covering individuals who think marriage should limited to two individuals as recognized under federal law, not just confined to opposite-sex couples.

Pizer said that new language may be an attempt to make FADA seem less discriminatory, but in fact that doesnt cure the problem because the bill make clear its main concern is a desire not to recognize same-sex marriage.

Its kind of like saying, OK, were going to specially privilege people who want to discriminate based on religion against Jews, oh, and also people who want to discriminate against Italians, so therefore weve taken care, its not really just about discriminating against Jews,' Pizer said. Its like well sure it is; you didnt take care of the problem.

Should Congress pass the legislation and Trump sign it into law, Pizer said it would be subject to challenge in the courts and found constitutional because it violates the Establishment Clause and Equal Protection Clause.

Its an Establishment Clause problem because its preferring a particular religious view and set of views over other religious positions, and its an Equal Protection problem because its targeting same-sex couples, Pizer said. The focus on religious objections to same-sex couples is right there and explicit, and, as I said, you cant cure that problem by adding some other language that seems to permit discrimination against other people, Im not sure who it would relate to. They havent cured the problem by adding additional permission to discriminate.

 Chris Johnson, Washington Blade courtesy of the National LGBTQ Media Association.We can't seem to find the page you are looking for.

You may have typed the address incorrectly or you may have used an outdated link.Dees Rocketman, smartly driven by Andy Santeramo, pulled off a 13-1 upset victory in the $30,000 final of the Fred Monteleone Memorial, which was held at Pompano Park on Sunday night (March 11).

The six-year-old ridgling son of Rock N Roll Heaven covered the extended distance in 2:21.3. He pinned a three and a quarter-length defeat on track record holder Panocchio, handled by Wally Hennessey. Doo Wop Hanover, with Tony Kerwood in the bike, finished third, while Hollywood Sign A finished fourth. Drachan Hanover was fifth and earned the final award in the very classy octet.

The task appeared to be a steep one for Dees Rocketman heading into the race because, first, the draw put him in the outside post position in a field of stellar performers whose career bankrolls exceeded $3 million, and, second, Dees Rocketman was the poorest one coming in with $143,997.

That didn't matter to the confident Santeramo, who came into the action as the second leading winning percentage driver at Pompano Park with 54 wins in 227 starts.

As he said prior to the race, "You never know, in this game, what is going to transpire on the track. When that gate opens, you have to make decisions and, with the outside post, my decision will depend on what the others do. I'm certainly not going to bang heads early with them in a longer race. So, we'll see what happens."

From the opening bell, the action was swift. Rockys Z Tam left alertly from the rail; Hollywood Sign was on the engine from Post 5; and Uncomprmising Z Tam was eager leaving, as well, which left the favoured Panocchio fourth  but not for long.

After an opening panel in :27.3, Panocchio went in search of the top spot, and, after a half in :57.1, secured  again, but not for long.

The pace quickened on the backside, as Hollywood Sign A went on a second speed binge. He took command past the third station in a picked-up 1:24.4.

Through all of this, Santeramo played the waiting game early before catching live cover, first, third over, them second over around the final bend with the mile timed in 1:52.2.

Tipping three wide turning for home, Dees Rocketman was in the highest of gears. He mowed down his foes one-by-one and then drew clear in the final stages.



Dees Rocketman, driven by Andy Santeramo, captured the $30,000 final of the Monteleone Memorial at Pompano Park on Sunday night (Skip Smith)

After the race, Santeramo said, "Like I said, you never know what is going to happen on the track. They were all banging heads early, I caught live cover, the flow brought us into contention and, because Mickey (trainer McNichol) has this horse so sharp, he saved the best for last. When I tipped him, he responded and I thought to myself, 'it's all over.' That's how strong he felt when I tipped him. To beat a field like this is, well, it's unbelievable, because this was a very classy group."

For Dees Rocketman, it was his sixth win from nine starts this year, good for $39,735. And, although he's still the poorest of his group in lifetime earnings  now at $158,997  he's the richest of the group this year for owner Joseph Martinelli Sr.

Off as fifth choice in the wagering, Dees Rocketman paid $29.40 to win.

The $15,000 Open II, carded at the same distance of one and a quarter miles, went to The Onlyest One, driven by Wally Hennessey, in 2:22.3.

Pompano racing will continue on Monday night. The Super Hi-5 jackpot has ballooned to $18,213.

Post time for the card is set for 7:20 p.m.

(With files from Pompano Park)Floridas premier Standardbred trotting sire, Famously, has passed away at the age of 24, according to Christine Garrity of Amante Standardbreds.

A stakes winner of $150,893 on the racetrack to go along with his mark of 1:55.1, Famously was a son of Royal Prestige. His heritage traced back through the great Speedy Crown and Speedy Scot.

Famously began his stallion career in 2002 and his sons and daughters enriched many owners as stakes winners and bonus winners through the lucrative FSBOA breeding program.

Among his credits are Famous Mark, 1:53.2 ($543,784); Lugar, 1:54.3 ($234,991); Jeanie Marie, 1:56.3 ($204,668) and countless others that impacted the stakes program at Pompano Park. His prodigy has earned well in excess of $3 million.

Ms. Garrity, in paying homage to the Amante Standardbred premier stallion, related, You know, as a small child, my favourite books were the great series by Walter Farley entitled The Black Stallion. Well, I considered Famously my black stallion. He was the pride of our farm  the mascot of our farm.

Famously will be laid to rest in the paddock in which he resided since 2002.

Please join Standardbred Canada in offering condolences to the connections of Famously.

(John Berry)WWME 50th Anniversary Convention Will Offer On-Site Livestream for June 2018 Event

SAN BERNARDINO, March 12, 2018 / Standard Newswire / -- For the first time in the history of Worldwide Marriage Encounter conventions, the upcoming 50th Anniversary Convention has been sold out four months in advance, but an on-site live stream convention opportunity has been announced by Peter & Sheila Oprysko and Fr. Tom Griffith, SVD, the convention leadership team.

"We thank you everyone for your blessings and understanding as we proclaim that the 50th Anniversary WWME Convention has been sold out. It is the first time in the history of WWME that a convention has been full four months prior to the event. We understand that some people were disappointed that they could not be there in person, and we have worked very hard to explore every way possible to bring more sacraments to this once in a lifetime event," the convention leadership team said.

"With that thought in mind an email has gone out offering first refusal to those on the convention waitlist to purchase an "Onsite Live Stream" option for $150 per couple for the Convention," they added.

Additional space at the Westin Lombard, Illinois venue will be dedicated to showing the live video feed of the Convention. This gives more people the opportunity to experience the excitement and energy of this groundbreaking event live and in person.

The price for the Onsite Live Stream program is $150. All Onsite Live Stream attendees will get: the Official Convention Welcome Bag, access to the Onsite Viewing Room to view all general sessions and liturgies, entry and participation in the breakout sessions, access to all Convention vendors and access to the Saturday Evening Celebration after 9:00 PM.

Space for the Onsite Live Steam is limited to 300 people and is available on a first come, first serve basis. Should space open in the Full Convention option due to cancellations, Onsite Live Stream attendees will be given the opportunity to upgrade at the Convention.

"We want to stress that there are only 300 seats available and none will be added! We have filled all public spaces in the venue with the Convention." the Opryskos and Fr. Griffith added.

Worldwide Marriage Encounter has been offering weekend experiences for over 50 years and is considered the original faith-based marriage enrichment program. The programs are continually updated to keep abreast of changes in society, and WWME now offers evening and half-day programs that are presented at parishes and other church facilities. The weekend program, traditionally presented as an overnight experience at a hotel or retreat center, can also be presented at the parish where the couples return to their homes in the evenings. WWME has a presence in almost 100 countries, which makes it the largest pro-marriage movement in the world. In North America, the WWME programs are presented in English, Spanish, French, and Korean languages.Many people are worried that the move to open up the border and remove the mandatory stay home notice will lead to high infections, hospit...LAST weekend a generous show of community spirit was on display when several members of the public teamed up with various local companies and the family of 69-year-old Shirley Walkin to find the missing woman.





After a two day search, Ms Walkin was found alive and safe, albeit tired, walking in the vicinity of Bone Fish Point, Blue Hills at about 11.38am.





Police reported that the woman appeared in good health, but was still taken to the Cheshire Hall Medical Centre for treatment and observation following her ordeal.





Ms Walkin was reported missing to the 911 Centre at about 10.45pm on Saturday, March 3.





She was last seen at about 7pm at a relatives home on the said date, after she left on foot to make her way home.





However, she never made it there, and family members reported the matter to the police whereupon an all point bulletin was put out to locate the womans whereabouts.





Ms Walkin, who has early onset of Alzheimers disease and other health ailments, was seen and had stopped at a number of homes along her journey to reach her house, but never made it there until an intense search found her 41 hours after she left her relatives home.





Premier Sharlene Cartwright Robinson, Cabinet members, other officials, churches, Digicel, Fortis TCI, and other local companies, along with countless members of the TCI community all pitched in to spread the word to find the missing woman.





Police personnel, which included members of the criminal investigation department, led by Sergeant Delton Robinson, were involved in the initial search, along with relatives and members of the community.





As reported by Magnetic Media, which also helped spread the word and supported the organisation of the public search parties, Pastor Pedro Williams confirmed Ms Walkins identity when the woman was discovered walking along the dirt road headed toward Malcolm Beach.





The Royal Turks and Caicos Islands Police Force has since thanked members of the public and private sector partners who volunteered and provided assistance in the search efforts.



By Delana Isles

OVER the past couple of weeks weather conditions have been rather erratic, both here in Turks and Caicos Islands and around the Caribbean region.





Last weekend saw massive sea surges and high surf along the beaches in Providenciales, in Grand Turk, Salt Cay and other islands in the territory.





These intense weather conditions spawned social media rumours, which flew around the TCI and around several other Caribbean islands, stating that Caribbean islands were among more than 30 countries under tsunami alert following a 7.9 magnitude earthquake in Costa Rica.





This led to the Department of Disaster Management and Emergency (DDME) and other regional weather information bodies coming out on Monday to dispute the alleged tsunami threat.





The DDME stated: "According to the Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre (PWTC) [with responsibility for providing tsunami notification for the TCI] as of March 5, there are no current tsunami warning, alerts or advisories in effect for the Caribbean region.





Several weather and disaster officials chimed in on Tuesday, March 6, with: "No tsunami alerts have been issued for anywhere in the Caribbean, and any warnings about the approach of any such monster wave is a hoax.





Over the past few days the general situation has been one of high surf being experienced in the TCI and around the region.





Hazardous marine conditions were being experienced due to a deep low pressure system in the western Atlantic Ocean producing long period swells over the areas.





Special warnings were given and still remain in place for boaters to remain in port and for beachgoers to remain on shore due to dangerous surf, strong rip currents and large breaking waves at northern and eastern shorelines.





On Thursday (March 8) seas were projected to be up to 10 feet with northerly to north easterly swells, while on Friday things are expected to quieten down with seas some two to four feet over the ocean with likely light north easterly swells.





Members of the public are being advised by the emergency departments around the region to be mindful of others who are trying to cause unnecessary distress and worries.





"Seemingly, theyre using the high seas, the high surfs and large swells as an excuse to cause some amount of havoc across the region. But this is just a malicious message, the Barbados Met office advised.





The TCIs DDME office also reminded the public that all information on hazards, alerts and warnings will only come from official sources.





"It is very important for the public to note that the sea swell is not related to any tsunami occurrence.





"The type of waves has no connection with tsunami waves, the Nevis Disaster Management Department said in a statement.





Meanwhile, on March 15, a regional tsunami drill in which Caribbean islands will participate - Caribe Wave 2018 - will be conducted.





The Tsunami Exercise Caribe Wave 18 will have three scenarios: Barbados, Colombia and Puerto Rico.





All scenarios will start, with one dummy message, at 1400 UTC (time of the earthquake) and the first message for each of the three scenarios will be five minutes later (1405 UTC).





The Turks and Caicos Islands will be conducting the exercise in scenario three under the primary scenario in Puerto Rico, along with the Dominican Republic, Honduras, the Bahamas, British Virgin Islands and the US Virgin Islands.





The goal of the exercise is to strengthen the knowledge of evacuation routes and communication patterns, and to assess the speed people would need to get from unsafe zones to the safe ground.



OWNERS of restaurants, bars and hotels and those involved in the sale of tobacco products are being urged to attend sensitisation sessions on the Tobacco Control Ordinance.





The Department of Mental Health and Substance Dependence within the Ministry of Health will be hosting two meetings to educate the public on the law.





The ordinance made public places in the Turks and Caicos Islands smoke free after coming into effect on April 1, 2016.





The department in a press release this week said that in an effort to protect the health of the public, there will be increased enforcement in this area.





"Therefore, it is imperative for the public to equip themselves with information so that they are not found in conflict with the law, the Department reminded.





The meetings will be hosted in Grand Turk on March 15 at 10am at the Salem Baptist Church Hall and in Providenciales on March 16 at 10.30am at the Department of Planning, Emilys House, Leeward Highway.





Under the law smokers could receive a hefty fine or imprisonment if they smoke in public places.





The ordinance states: "A person shall not smoke or hold a lighted tobacco product in an enclosed public place, enclosed workplace or public conveyance.





The ordinance also bans smoking in government buildings and vehicles, public parks, hospitals and medical facilities, restaurants, public lounges and canteen areas, cinemas, areas for public transportation, corridors, toilet areas, stairways and elevators.





As well as hotels, motels, inns, vehicles used for public transportation, schools, meetings and interview rooms, shops and shopping centres, bars, pool halls, clubs and casinos, reception rooms, lobbies or areas where the public have access.





According to the law anyone who breaches this ordinance is liable on summary conviction to a fine up to $5,000 or a term of imprisonment up to two years.





"A manager, owner or lessee who consents to the smoking commits an offence and is liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding $3,000 or a term of imprisonment not exceeding 18 months.





"A person who wishes to smoke may smoke at least 35 feet beyond an enclosed public place or any place previously listed.





The department also advised business owners or managers of outdoor bars or outdoor restaurants that an application must be made first to designate an outdoor smoking area.





"All outdoor smoking areas must be in line with the Tobacco Control Regulations and approved by the Environmental Health Department and the Planning Department.





Tobacco use is the second leading cause of death globally and is one of the main risk factors for chronic diseases, including cancer, lung diseases and cardiovascular diseases.





This law is part of the Ministry of Healths ongoing efforts to mitigate against the harmful effects of second hand tobacco smoke and to ensure that the health of the general population is being preserved.A STAGGERING $432.6 million has been spent on merchandise imports in 2017.





This is according to a merchandise trade report released by the Department of Statistics on Thursday (March 8).





The report, which highlighted the merchandise trade performance for the fiscal year 2017-2018, showed that merchandise imports continued its role as the main recurrent revenue earner for the Turks and Caicos Islands.





With more than 90 percent of total imports arriving from the United States and more than 85 percent of exports being shipped there, the US continues to be the Islands main trading partner.





The preliminary information from the Treasury reveals that for the first nine months of the fiscal year duties from imports decreased by 11.1 percent to $46.7 million when compared with a growth rate of 3.5 percent for the nine months of the 2016 imports value.





Last December the department predicted a 10 percent increase in imports, given the impact of the two hurricanes in September which affected all sectors of the economy.





"For the period January to December 2017 import duties was $64.2 million when compared to $69.1 million for the same period in 2016.





"Customs processing fee was $30.7 million when compared to $28.5 million in 2016.





"This shows a decline of seven percent in import duties and an increase of eight percent in customs processing fee.





However, in stark contrast to the territorys imports, the exports of merchandise goods totalled some $2.3 million at the end of 2017 compared to the $4.5 million at the end of 2016.





This represented a decline of 48.5 percent or $2.2 million in total exports over the recorded value in 2016.





Trade deficit

The report stated: "A merchandise trade deficit of approximately $430 million was recorded during the calendar year of 2017.





"This was roughly 11.7 percent or $45 million above the deficit for the corresponding period of 2016.





It was explained that the increase in the deficit is mainly as a result of a slight increase in the value of imports when compared to a significant decline in the value of exports.





"As with previous years there were negative balances on all categories of goods.





The decline in import duties is partly a result of the duty concessions granted by the Government to residents and businesses to help ease the strain of the process of rebuilding.





The department in December 2017 stated that it is likely that the trade imbalance will continue to increase in the foreseeable future.





This is due to the current projected growth in the construction sector of the TCI economy, as a result of the rebuilding exercise currently taking place and the attraction of new direct investment opportunities coupled with the lack of a more diversified group of exports.





Under the United Nations Statistical Office (SITC) classification food and live animals were the largest source of imports during the period under review.





Despite this food imports saw a downturn by three percent, while inedible crude materials increased by 38.9 percent.





Machinery and transport equipment were the second largest expenditure.





"Machinery and transport equipment increased by 23.5 percent, imports of beverages and tobacco recorded a decrease of 2.8 percent during the 2017 calendar year while mineral fuels, lubricants and related materials increased by some 15.5 percent.





This undoubtedly reflects the significant increase in used motor vehicles from Asia.





"Motor vehicles imports at the Grand Turk Port increased by 10.6 percent whereas motor vehicles to the Providenciales South Dock Port decreased by 0.3 percent.





Despite the TCIs present status as an associate member of Caricom, the territory has not fully embraced and the trade regime established by this organisation.





The report pointed out that although the Turks and Caicos Islands is permitted to trade with all countries except those listed as restricted, there continues to be poor trading arrangements with its Caribbean counterparts and other countries outside of North America.





The Department of Statistics attributed the poor trading arrangement to indirect shipping links with these countries.





However, the goods imported from Caricom countries shows a significant increase of 10.9 percent and accounted for $27.9 million or 6.4 percent of the total import bill.





"The Bahamas continue to be the main Caricom country that the TCI trades with and represents the second largest contributor to the TCI merchandise imports bill, accounting for 6.4 percent of the total imports.



Detel has launched its Smart LED TV last month in the Indian market. It is a 32-inch smart TV powered by Googles Android operating system for high-speed internet connectivity is exclusively available for Rs 17,999. While talking with Detels spokesperson, he told us that Detels new Smart LED TV is India ka TV-the worlds most economical.

After we thought that we should review this TV because it is made by an Indian brand. After our request, we got a review unit and we have started our review of this newly launched TV.

The day this Smart LED TV received our office, we have first checked its box packing, because, this TV is direct shipped by B2BAdda.com, trust me, they have shipped this TV with full of protection.

We have opened this box, inside the box we got, a TV set, user manual, TV stand and TV mount rod. Everything was in proper condition inside the box.

Once, we have set this TV and connected with our WIFI and DTH, our review has been started.

Remote:

Remote of this Smart LED TV comes with multiple buttons, including Netflix, YouTube, HotStar and other buttons.

One dedicated mouse button is also placed in this remote, by it, any user can easily navigate in Google Play area or inside Smart TV area.

There is a source button, by it, any user can easily navigate this Smart LED TV. TV, PAL 1, PAL 2, HDMI 1, HDMI 2 are here. Whatever any user wants to see, he/she can see it.

Size of all buttons are not small, we like it, because, it is good for normal use.

Display:

The screen display of Smart LED TV is 32-Inch with 1366 X 768 Screen Resolution. Samsung LSC320AN09/10 panel is assembled on this TV, which gives the good display to our eyes.

Hardware And Design:

CPU inside Smart LED TV is CA7*2CORE@1.5GHz, GPU is Mali400*2. This Smart LED TV comes with internal storage and RAM, 8GB and 1GB respectively. Internal storage is good for installing multiple apps from Play Store. Any user can install apps and games on this Smart LED TV.

There is a dedicated micro SD card slot is also available on this TV. In term of I/O ports, this Smart TV we found 2AV IN, 2 USB, 2 HDMI, 1 VGA, 1 PC A-IN, 1 TF/ Micro SD card, 1 RF IN, 1 LAN, and 1 Line out ports.

Application:

It is a Smart LED TV, any user can watch any content through online, watch TV through DTH, and through Miracast. Any user can watch these content after clicking on Source button.

A user can watch Movie, Listen to songs, read any text file and watch any photo on this Smart LED TV.

This TV supports .avi, .mp4, .ts/.tr, .mkv/mov, .mpg, .dat, .vob, .rm/.rmvb Movie files; .mp3, .wma, .m4a/.aac Audio files; .jpg/.jpeg, .bmp, .png Photo files and .txt Text file.

Conclusion:

During our review, we explored every segment of this Smart LED TV. We explored Netflix, Hotstar, SONY LIV and other Apps. The best part was, we were able to run JIO TV on this TV. We just downloaded JIO TV app on this TV, provided User Name and Password inside Sigh UP area and BOOM We were able to watch JIO TV too on this LED TV. We were also able to connect mouse and keyboard to this TV. Overall this Detel Smart LED TV is good in every aspect.

After review Detels Smart LED TV, our expectations are increased. Hope, they will include more internal memory, currently, it is 8GB. Detel should also focus on RAM, currently, it is 1GB. The scope of some dedicated buttons on remote like SONY LIV, Amazone Prime, and others.

Detel should also focus on content partnership with other players like EROS Now, Voot, Zee5 App, ALT Balaji App, JIO TV, Airtel Moview and others. In this partnership, if a customer is purchasing Detel Smart LED TV, he/she will get 6-month free subscription of apps.

@Technuter.com News ServiceSony India is one of the most recognized consumer electronics brand in the country, with a reputation for new age technology, digital concepts and excellent after sales service. In India, Sony

has its footprint across all major towns and cities in the country through a distribution network comprising of over 12,000 dealers and distributors, more than 250 exclusive Sony outlets and 25 branch locations. Sony India announced the rollout of the new Android 8.0 Oreo update for its Xperia R1 and R1 Plus smartphone. The roll-out is effective from 9th March, 2018.

Some of the new features include:

2x Speed booster : Get started on your favourite tasks more quickly with 2x the boot speed when powering up

Powerful System Enhancement: Android Oreo helps minimize background activity in the apps you use least; its the super power you cant even see

Autofill: With your permission, Autofill remembers your logins to get you into your favourite apps at supersonic speed

Smart text selection: Android Oreo recognizes text when you tap or select, then recommends a next logical step via a suggested app

Notification Dots: Press the notification dots to quickly see whats new, and easily clear them by swiping away

Android Instant Apps: Teleport directly into new apps right from your browser, no installation needed

Express yourself in more ways than ever: Share the feels with a fully redesigned emoji set, including over 60 new emoji

How to Install Android Oreo Update on Xperia R1 and R1 Plus

Step 1: Open the Settings from AppDrawer.

Step 2: Now click on About Phone.

Step 3: Further tap on software update and click on check for updates.

Step 4: Now download and install the Update on your device.

@Technuter.com News ServiceThis Page

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Redirection provided by Blogger to WordPress Migration ServiceABC News(AUSTIN, Texas) -- Residents of Austin, Texas, are being asked to report any suspicious packages as police investigate three explosions that took place after people handled boxes that had been delivered to their homes.



Two people have died and two others have been hospitalized with injuries from the three blasts, the first of which happened on March 2. The two other incidents were reported today.



All three blasts involved "box-type deliveries," Austin police chief Brian Manley said at a news conference today.



"We don't want to have people be overly alarmed. But it is important that people be vigilant and be aware of things that look suspicious. If you had a package at your home and you were not expecting a delivery. If the package delivered to your doorstep looks suspicious in any way. Call 911 and report it. We will respond," Manley said.



Manley would not go into the specific details about the boxes because of the ongoing investigation but said that "they're an average-size delivery box. They're not exceptionally large."



Police do not believe that the packages are being delivered by "any of the official mail services" including the U.S. Postal Service, FedEx, UPS or DHL, Manley said.



The suspect (or suspects) is not ringing the doorbell with the delivery, Manley said, so it is unclear how long the packages were on the victims' porches before they saw and moved them.



"What we know is when the victims have seen these packages on the front porch, they have gone out and handled them in some way or another and have had the explosions occur," Manley said.



There was "significant damage" to the porch involved in the March 2 blast as well as at least one of the blasts this morning, Manley said.



"These devices can explode in many ways, either by being moved or being opened so thats why I want to reiterate the importance that if you see something thats out of place, do not handle it, do not move it, do not touch it. Call us," Manley said.



Copyright  2018, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.As the Crown Prince of the head-chopping House of Saud continues to charm Her Majesty's Government with his automotive feminism and appetite for British wog-bombing wherewithal, Tin-Pot Tessie and her mean little God will doubtless be gratified at the latest demonstration that British values are still finding favour among Britain's best-beloved Islamic fundamentalists. Besides showing Yemen the benefits of British arms and training, the head-chopping House of Saud is deporting Yemeni workers from Saudi Arabia into the war zone, in a manner that would do credit to the British Home Office. Since many of the workers have families in Yemen who depend on the wages they send back, the deportations will mean even less money to go round. There are even rumours among the uneducated and unenlightened that the head-chopping House of Saud is somehow in cahoots with Britain, the USA and Israel, rather than with Allah as generally advertised; so there will be no immediate shortage of angry young men to keep all those British toys from being wasted.Khaleda finally gets bail for four months

The High Court (HC) finally granted a four-month bail to BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia in Zia Orphanage Trust graft case.



The HC bench of Justice M Enayetur Rahim and Justice Shahidul Karim passed the order after a hearing on a bail petition in the case.



On Sunday, the High Court deferred until today (Monday) the passing of its order on Khaleda's bail petition in the case in which she was sentenced to five years' imprisonment.



The HC was scheduled to pass an order on her petition on Sunday but deferred it as the documents relating to the lower court verdict in the graft case did not reach the department concerned of the HC in time.



However, the documents later reached the department concerned of the High Court on Sunday.



On February 22, BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia filed the petition with the High Court seeking bail in the Zia Orphanage Trust graft case.



Barrister Nowshad Jamir and Barrister Kaiser Kamal, on behalf of the BNP chief, submitted the 880-page bail petition showing 31 grounds for granting her bail.



On February 25, Khaleda Zia failed to secure bail in the case as the High Court says it will pass an order on her bail petition upon receiving all the documents relating to the judgment from the lower court.



Earlier, the HC asked the lower court to submit all the relevant documents within 15 days.



On February 8, the Dhaka Special Court-5 convicted the former Prime Minister and BNP chairperson and sentenced her to five years' imprisonment in the Zia Orphanage Trust graft case. She was then sent to old central jail at Nazimuddin Road in the city.



The court read out a 632-page summarised version of the verdict on that day and it released the full 1174-page copy of the verdict on February 19. --Dhaka, UNB





Govt to preserve oral history of Liberation War of 1971

The government has a plan to preserve the oral history of the Liberation War of 1971 by recording wartime experience of the living freedom fighters .

"We have taken a programme titled 'Beerer Konthe Beergatha' to preserve the oral history of the Liberation War after recording statements of all the living freedom fighters with a view to letting people particularly the young generation know the true history of the war," Liberation War Affairs Minister AKM Mozammel Haque told media on Monday. "Upon successful completion of the programme, the country will get a complete and true history of the Liberation War, as the history of the entire country's war will come up through statements of the freedom fighters," he added saying this will end distortion of the history. When asked about the number of living freedom fighters, he confirmed, "The number of living freedom fighters is 1.31 lakh as per their names who receive allowances at present."

"A proposal to this purpose has already been sent to the Finance Ministry a week ago for its final approval," Md. Mominur Rahman, assistant chief, Ministry of Liberation War Affairs told.

The ministry has a target to complete the programme within one year from July 2018 while Taka seven crore has been earmarked as expenses for completing the projects, he added.

While talking to media noted historian Prof Dr Muntassir Mamoon welcomed the government move to preserve oral history of the Liberation War likewise different other countries of the globe aimed at letting people particularly the young generation know the true history of the 1971 liberation war. He, however, has proposed to do this in a greater canvas involving all the people such as freedom fighters, the historians, local forces, people who extended supports to them, and the commoners of the besieged country during the Liberation War, to get a complete and true history of the Liberation War. Expressing gratitude to India for its tremendous support extended by its people and government in 1971, the historian also proposed to record the statements of the allied force to get a complete history of the Liberation War.

Mamoon posed a question about accuracy of the list of freedom fighters, saying, "The government should find out the real freedom fighters to make the massive work of recording statements of freedom fighters flawless." Talking to media, former Vice-Chancellor of Dhaka University Prof Dr AAMS Arefin Siddique also hailed the government for taking such initiative, saying, "It is a great initiative as many freedom fighters has been forgetting their memories of the Liberation War. The unknown incidents of the Liberation War will be unveiled through recording statements of the living freedom fighters."Growing threat to public health from air pollution

NO wonder why Dhaka is the most polluted city in the world. We have repeatedly penned on the capital's increased air pollution, and now it has been learnt that airborne ultra-fine dust has been added in the list to pose a serious threat to public health in the capital.



Heavy presence of ultrafine dusts also called particulate matters in the air is attributed to the capital's poor dust management system. However, people in the capital have no option but to breathe the heavily polluted air full of dusts.



The Air Quality Index of Department of Environment's (DoE) Clean Air and Sustainable Environment Project has clearly stated a month ago - that the capital and the nearby industrial cities of Gazipur and Narayanganj are exposed to between 'extremely unhealthy' and 'very unhealthy' air conditions. The situation is turning worst when heath parishioners are warning since last year that children would be the worst victims of the capital's air pollution with intense dust pollution unless the authorities were sensitized to address the issue immediately. And what is more, brick-kilns, unplanned digging and construction works, pollution caused by heavy industries and unfit automobiles; which are routinely adding to air-pollution have been left at their will to continue polluting city air without respite.



By now, the number of patients suffering from asthma, bronchitis and COPD diseases have increased many times at our public and private hospitals. Rather terrifyingly, there has been no credible authority to address the capital's air pollution and serious public health issue as of now. If the concerned government's authorities are unable to address the predicament - it's time they admit their failure and weaknesses other than sidetracking their responsibility. People can't be left highly vulnerable to heavily dust infected air. If necessary, they should immediately seek support from international organisations and firms to effectively deal with air pollution. Most importantly, it's time for public involvement to combat air pollution in our cities. Citizens forum must take the issue at various level to create pressure and force remedial measures to protect public health.



The capital of nearly 20 million people now need quick protective measures instead of leaving them to helplessly read more horrifying revelations. Health authorities should immediately take these findings with due diligence, and, if necessary, seek international cooperation in taking urgent action. This alarming rise in health hazard should not continue to cause greater risk to public health.Dhaka seeks Beijing's support to resolve Rohingya crisis

Bangladesh on Monday sought understanding of the government of China about the political dimension of the protracted Rohingya crisis and requested political support of China for a durable solution over the crisis.

Bangladesh also appreciated Chinese humanitarian assistance for the displaced

people of Rakhine State.

State Minister for Foreign Affairs M Shahriar Alam raised the issue when newly appointed Ambassador of China to Bangladesh Zhang Zuo met him at the Foreign Ministry.

Shahriar requested support of China to respond positively to the international appeal that has been generated over the crisis, said the Foreign Ministry here.

Chinese Ambassador replied that both Myanmar and Bangladesh is friendly neighbours of China and China takes an impartial position on the issue.

He expressed happiness at the progress achieved between Bangladesh and Myanmar through bilateral engagement.

While State Minister expressed his concern at the provocative action of Myanmar on the border to destabilise the repatriation process as was agreed by bilateral instruments, Ambassador Zuo said that China is in communication with Myanmar and persuading them to act sincerely for repatriation of the displaced people of Rakhine State.

It was Ambassador's first official meeting at political level after presentation of his credential to President of Bangladesh held on March 7.

Ambassador Zhang Zuo recalled Chinese President Xi Jinping's milestone visit to Bangladesh in October 2016 when bilateral relationship was elevated to "Strategic Partnership of Cooperation" and consensus was reached to expand bilateral cooperation in a number of key areas.

He expressed his commitment to work with the government of Bangladesh to promote bilateral relations to a greater height through implementation of the decisions reached through consensus between two leaders of China and Bangladesh during President of China Xi Jinping's visit to Bangladesh.

Shahriar underlined the importance of close bilateral engagement between China and Bangladesh on political front along with the economic partnership between the two countries.

State Minister appreciated China's deep interest in and continued support for the socio-economic progress of Bangladesh.

He sought intervention of Chinese Ambassador for speedy implementation of infrastructure projects financed by China, especially he mentioned about two projects: Padma Bridge Rail Link and Expansion and Strengthening of Power System Network under Dhaka Power Distribution Company (DPDC) Area Project.

The State Minister expressed optimism that development cooperation between Bangladesh and China will be driven by China's Belt and Road and Initiative.

He recalled that Bangladesh is a founding member of China initiated Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB).Khaleda shown arrested in Chouddagram PS case

Staff Reporter :

BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia has been shown arrested in a case filed for arson attack in Comilla during the anti-government movement by BNP-led 20-party alliance in 2015.

Senior Judicial Magistrate Mustain Billah passed the order after ending hearing of the case on Monday, Comilla Police Super Md Shah Abid Hossain, told the journalists.

The court also asked the jail authority to produce the BNP chief before it on March 28, he said.

On February 3, 2015, a case was filed with Chauddagram Police Station in Comilla after seven people were killed and 25 others were injured in a petrol bomb attack on a bus. The law enforcers submitted the charge-sheet of the case to a Comilla court accusing Khaleda and the others on March 2 last year.

The court issued the order hours after Khaleda Zia secured four-month bail in the Zia Orphanage Trust corruption case.

Khaleda finally gets bail for 4 months

ACC to appeal against HC order

Staff Reporter :

The High Court (HC) on Monday granted bail to BNP Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia for four months in Zia Orphanage Trust case.

The HC Bench comprising Justice M Enayetur Rahim and Justice Shahidul Karim passed the order after hearing the bail petition.

Khaleda Zia's lawyer Barrister A M Mahbub Uddin Khokan said after the bail order that there is no legal bar to release her from jail.

But there is uncertainty whether she can walk out of jail today (Tuesday) or face challenge to move out of jail.

She is already shown arrest in another case filed with Chowddagram Police Station in connection with an arson attack during blockade programme in 2014.

Khaleda Zia was sentenced to jail for five years on February 8 in connection with Zia Orphanage Trust case filed by Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) in 2008.

The High Court considered some grounds to grant her bail. The court said

before passing the bail order that Khaleda Zia's sentence was shorter than other convicts of the case, the case records reached to the High Court, she did not misused the bail granted from the trial court and she is an aged woman.

The court also directed the concern section of the High Court to prepare the paper-book of the case within the next four months for hearing the appeal petition filed by Khaleda Zia against her conviction in the case.

"Anyone of the plaintiff and the defendant can mention the case for appeal hearing after preparation of the paper-book," the court also said in the order.

However, the Anti-Corruption Commission will seek stay on Khaleda Zia's bail in the Chamber Court of the Appellate Division. ACC lawyer Khurshed Alam Khan said, "We will file appeal petition tomorrow (Tuesday) morning against the High Court order."

Attorney General Mahbubey Alam said, they will also file separate appeal petition against the HC order.

At 2.00 pm yesterday, the two judges of the Bench took seats in the courtroom. The presiding judge M Enayetur Rahim asked Khaleda Zia's lawyer Advocate Zainul Abedin if he had anything to say. Then Advocate Zainul said, bail hearing was completed and they were waiting for an order.

Then the Attorney General said, "It is a sensitive case. The orphan's money was embezzled here. The trial court sentenced her shorter than other convicts considering her age and social status. So, the decision can be made after the appeal hearing."

After hearing both side the court passed the order.

After the bail order, the Attorney General instantly sought stay on the HC order for two days. But the HC did not consider this prayer.

Barrister Khokan said, "We are trying to get certified copy of the bail order by today (Monday). Then we will move to the trial court tomorrow (Tuesday) morning for the bail bond."

Meanwhile, hundreds of BNP activists were waiting in the court corridor for the HC order. After hearing the order in favour they expressed joys.

Khaleda Zia filed the appeal petition on February 20 challenging the trial court verdict.

On February 22, 2018, the HC accepted the appeal petition for hearing and stayed the lower court fine of Tk 2.10 crore on Khaleda Zia and asked the lower court to forward the case records in the High Court within 15 days.

The HC on February 25 said that it would deliver an order on her bail prayer after getting the case records from the lower court. As per the HC order, the trial court sent the case documents on March 11. Assistant Sub-Inspector Manju Miah of Kotwali Police Station reached the High Court at 12.54 pm on March 11 with the case documents in a big tank. Section Officer of the High Court Division Farukh Hossain received the documents.

On the same day the High Court Bench rescheduled at 2.00 pm on Monday for passing the order on Khaleda Zia's bail petition. Judge of the Special Court-5 of Dhaka, Dr Md Akhtaruzzaman, sentenced former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia to five years imprisonment in Zia Orphanage Trust case filed by the Anti-Corruption Commission.

The special court also sentenced Khaleda Zia's eldest son and BNP Senior Vice-Chairman Tarique Rahman, and four others to 10 years' rigorous imprisonment and slapped a fine of Tk 2.10 crore each.

Advocate Zainul Abedin, Advocate A J Mohammad Ali, Advocate Khandker Mahbub Hossain, Barrister A M Mahbub Uddin Khokan, Barrister Moudud Ahmed, Advocate Nitay Roy Chowdhury, Barrister Kayser Kamal, Advocate Sagir Hossain, Barrister A K M Ehsanur Rahman were present in the court for Khaleda Zia.

BNP's senior leaders Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain, Abdul Moin Khan, Mirza Abbas, Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury, Jainal Abdeen Faruq and Abdul Awal Mintoo were also present in the court during the hearing.North Korea silence speaks volumes on US talks

North Korea has maintained a deafening silence since President Trump agreed to meet its leader Kim Jong Un.

AFP :

Pyongyang has maintained a deafening silence as news that US President Donald Trump will meet its leader Kim Jong Un made global headlines-and analysts say the nuclear-armed North is keeping its powder dry, retaining room to manoeuvre.

Trump last week agreed to meet with Kim by the end of May to discuss Pyongyang's denuclearisation-which it put on the table in exchange for security guarantees-and predicted the talks would be a "tremendous success". But the unorthodox announcement was made on the White House lawn by a South Korean envoy, with no American officials in attendance, and only confirmed by Washington afterwards.

More than 72 hours later, there has been no comment by the North, and nothing on the subject in its official media.

"It was a unilateral statement by Trump," said Koh Yu-hwan, a professor at Dongguk University. "Kim Jong Un just sent him a verbal message" through Seoul's intermediaries.

"To North Korea, it's not an official agreement," he told AFP. "Nothing's for sure yet. For them, an official announcement has to be based on a government-level agreement that includes the agenda and location."

The same applied to the North's summit with the South that Seoul announced for April, he added.

In addition, Pyongyang would not want to give the South credit for brokering the talks with Washington, he said, and would hold off on any announcement until its own direct contacts with the US.

In stark contrast, the US president has been itching to share his prospective meeting.

Trump has given himself a pat on the back for bringing the isolated regime to the negotiating table, showing confidence that the North was "looking to de-nuke" and that its leaders were ready to "make peace".

But analysts warn that Pyongyang's silence gives it "maximum optionality" on its next move.

"It's not tying its own hands or making any commitments," said Van Jackson, a defence expert at the Victoria University of Wellington. "We should be wary about believing anything we're told in private-whether by North or South Korea." The stunning turnaround comes after a year of high tensions over the North's nuclear and missile programmes during which Trump and Kim traded personal insults and threats of war.

The summit-if it materialises-will be the first between a sitting US president and a North Korean leader and they will have to navigate through decades of mistrust.

Possible locations mooted in the media include the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) that divides the two Koreas, the South's Jeju Island, Switzerland-where Kim studied as a teenager-Sweden, and even Washington DC.

But critics warn that the talks, entered into by an impulsive, inexperienced US president, carry high risks and could create more rumbles in an already volatile region.

They are scheduled to take place without the months of groundwork that usually precedes such meetings, and reports say Trump accepted Kim's summit invitation without consulting his top national security advisers.

"Diplomacy without a plan, process, or supporting technical expertise isn't diplomacy-it's egoism," Jackson told AFP. "Believing in diplomacy under those conditions is believing in magic," he added.

Analysts say Trump is giving Kim what Pyongyang wants most-joint billing with the US-without extracting meaningful concessions in return, and should allow his diplomats to prepare the ground first.

"The administration needs to catch up fast," said Joel Wit and Susan DiMaggio, two US analysts who have been involved in informal talks with North Korea.

"Knowing how they operate, the North Koreans probably have planned their strategy meticulously and looked out over months with 'Options A, B, C and D'," they wrote in Politico magazine.

Meanwhile Trump should remain "disciplined" and "patient", they added, urging him to refrain from "hot rhetoric and taunting tweets".

Others say Pyongyang may have been caught off-guard by the speed of the US president's acceptance.

"I think North Korea did not expect an answer to come this fast," Cho Sung-ryul of the South's Institute for National Security Strategy told local radio station CBS.

The risk is that a hastily-put-together meeting could end in failure and have wider, more dangerous repercussions, experts warn.

"Diplomacy by the wrong people in the wrong way with the wrong preparation will be a poison pill," said Jackson. And he pointed out that Trump met the hawkish former UN ambassador John Bolton for an hour the previous day. "If high-wire diplomacy fails, then it strengthens the case for war."



Mystery shrouds climbing on HT power line in Ctg !

Chittagong Bureau :

One youth aged about 25 years surprisingly climbed upon top of a high power transmission line (1.32 lakh volts) in the port city.

The miracle incident was occurred at shah amanat bridge connecting road under Bakalia thana in the port city on Sunday afternoon.

Police and other eye witnesses sources said the mentally crippled youthNasir climbed on top of HT power transmission line . Hundreds of people assembled beneath the tower and police, fire brigade personnels requested him to come down but he declined their requests .

Finally a elder women impersonating herself as Mother , requested him to get down from the tower and according to her fervent appeal, Nasir came down where the fire brigade men took him from the tower stair senseless condiction. He was immediately rushed to Chittagong Medical College Hospital where now under treatment.

Hospital sources said he is now free from danger. Local sources of Raozan Noapara area, Nasir earlier climbed in HT power line twice in last two month.

Robber killed in gunfight

Chittagong Bureau :

A suspected robber also a terrorist, known as Kalu Dakat, 42, was killed in a gunfight between robbers and Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) in a jungle of Salimpur under Sitakund police station. The gunfight took place around 12am Monday (March 12).

RAB-7 Lieutenant Commander Ashikur Rahman told that on secret information, they were patrolling in the jungle. Kalu became critically injured as robbers began firing.

He was pronounced dead by the physicians after being taken to Chittagong Medical College Hospital (CMCH).

A foreign pistol, magazines, 13 local arms, rocket players and huge amounts of bullets were seized from the spot.Kalu was accused in seven cases of murder, robbery, and arms cases lodged with different police stations.RU accords reception to freshers

Campus Report :

The authorities of Rajshahi University (RU) on Tuesday accorded reception to the freshers, first year students of 2017-2018 academic session, amid much enthusiasm and festivity. RU Vice-Chancellor Prof M Abdus Sobhan addressed the reception programme held at Kazi Nazrul Islam auditorium as the chief guest while pro Vice-Chancellor Prof Ananda Kumar Saha was in the chair. Student's adviser Prof Zannatul Ferdous delivered a welcome speech at the beginning of the programme while registrar Prof MA Bari moderated it. Among others, public relation office administrator Prof Probhash Kumar Karmakar, proctor Prof Lutfor Rahman and treasurer Prof AKM Mustafizur Rahman were present at the programme.

On behalf of the freshers, Shuvo Biswas of Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology department and Quantum Koiborto of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology department spoke at the programme.All need to realise importance of independent judiciary: Dr Kamal

In the wake of the High Court's bail to BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia, eminent jurist Dr Kamal Hossain on Monday urged all to realise the importance of an independent judiciary.

He made the call in a statement issued following High Court's bail to Khaleda. "The High Court granted bail to former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia. Though it got delayed for some days to get the order in this case (Khaleda's case), bail should be given regularly in such cases," Dr Kamal said in the statement.

Where there is rule of law, he said, the independent judiciary ensure the neutral enforcement of law. "All must realise the importance of the independent judiciary for the betterment of the country and its people."

Earlier, in the day, the High Court granted a four-month interim bail to BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia in Zia Orphanage Trust graft case.

The HC bench of Justice M Enayetur Rahim and Justice Shahidul Karim passed the order after a hearing on a bail petition in the case.

Meanwhile, Krishak Sramik Janata League president Abdul Kader Siddique voiced satisfaction over the HC bail to Khaleda.

In a statement, he also congratulated the apex court and the BNP chief.

"I think people's confidence in the apex court will be increased through giving bail to Begum Zia," he added.



JCD leader Zakir dies in custody following torture: BNP

Relatives of Zakir Hossain Milan (inset), Vice-President of Dhaka North City Chhatra Dal and acting President of Tejgaon thana unit wailing as he died at DMCH while in police custody on Monday.

UNB, Dhaka :

BNP on Monday alleged that Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal (JCD) Dhaka north city unit vice president Zakir Hossain Milon died in custody early Monday due to 'brutal torture' on him during police remand.

In a statement, BNP secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir said Milon was subjected to the government's political vengeance as it is out to protect its despotic rule by eliminating the existence of the opposition parties.

He said police arrested Milon, also the acting

president of Tejgaon thana unit JCD, on March 6. The BNP secretary general said the members of Ramna Police Station produced him before a court the following day and took him on a three-day remand on March 8. Later, he was taken to the headquarters of the Detective Branch (DB) of police and sent to jail on Sunday.

"Zakir was injured seriously during the three consecutive day's remand and met a tragic end of his life in jail on Monday morning. He was pushed towards death without ensuring treatment for him in jail. We strongly condemn and protest the inhuman incident."

The BNP leader also expressed deep shock at his premature death caused by lack of treatment after torture by police.

He also prayed for salvation of the departed soul and conveyed his sympathy to the bereaved family members.

Fakhrul said the government is continuously arresting their party leaders and inflicting brutal torture on them during remand, making them physically and mentally ill.

The Undead Archives

I have finally salvaged my pre-Blogger TDR archives and added them into Blogger. They are almost totally in the form of one giant post for each month. And the formatting strayed from the originals. Sorry. But historians everywhere can rejoice that this treasure trove of my thoughts is restored to the world.Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily!

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Ireland Uruguay, Eastern Republic of Uzbekistan Vanuatu Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of Viet Nam, Socialist Republic of Wallis and Futuna Islands Western Sahara Yemen Zambia, Republic of ZimbabweThe Mena construction market is expected to be worth $336 billion by 2020, up from $235 billion in 2016, a net growth of 43 per cent, said the organiser of the upcoming Hardware + Tools Middle East, citing a BMI Research report.



More than 160 exhibitors are expected to take part in the 19th edition of Hardware + Tools Middle East, the Middle Easts only dedicated trade fair for tools, hardware, materials, and machinery, next month in Dubai, UAE.



The event takes place from April 2  4 at the Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre.



According to the exhibitions organiser Messe Frankfurt Middle East, many exhibitors are returning this year, while a number of newcomers have entered the fray to present their solutions to a wide cross-section of potential regional trade buyers and end-users.



Were optimistic about the renewed positive sentiment that prevails in the regional hardware and tools market, and this is borne out by not only a resurgent construction sector, but also by Dubais position as a key trading partner for this segment with global economic powerhouses such as USA, China, Italy, Germany, and India, said Ahmed Pauwels, CEO of Messe Frankfurt Middle East.



According to Dubai Customs, the emirate imported, exported, and re-exported Dh5.07 billion ($1.38 billion) worth of hardware and tools in 2016, and the total trade with these countries comprised 52 per cent of that figure.

Hardware + Tools Middle East not only provides exhibitors comprehensive access to a wide spectrum of the most influential buyers from this burgeoning region, but also gives them a snapshot of the trends and requirements that are unique to this market, Pauwels added.

Among the key returning exhibitors to Hardware + Tools Middle East in 2018 include Middle East Fuji, the Middle East distributor for the Nitto Kohki Power Tool range from Japan and Knipex pliers from Germany; and Dar Al Mas, the exclusive UAE distributor for German hand tool manufacturer Wiha.



Newcomers in 2018 include Junco Trading, a UAE supplier of international brands such as 3M, Cibo, Dynabrade and Loeser; and Narex, a regional distributor of industrial fabrication machinery including steel fabrication equipment and CNC cutting and welding machines.



Junco has been a leading distributor of industrial products in the UAE for the past 23 years, said Shyam Sunder, general manager of Junco Trading. Were the authorised channel partners in the UAE for some of the worlds leading brands such as 3M (industrial tapes, adhesives, abrasives and power tools), Dynabrade (pneumatic tools), Cibo (tools and abrasives), and Loeser (grinding and polishing machines).



Our purpose of participating at Hardware + Tools Middle East 2018 is to showcase these products to visitors and show them the solutions we can offer in a variety of different industries such as marine, aerospace, architectural metal and wood-working industries, to name just a few. With our team of professional sales engineers, we provide solutions to our customers, adding value by reducing production cost, increasing productivity and providing superior finish concurrently, added Sunder.



Wiha too has big plans in the wider Middle East and African market through its participation at Hardware + Tools Middle East 2018, as it looks to build on its existing partnership with Dar Al Mas that was initiated at the exhibition several years ago.



Wiha will return to Hardware + Tools Middle East in 2018 to offer professional workers in the UAE and wider Middle East a range of high-quality premium tools, characterised by their use of the latest manufacturing technologies, application-oriented innovations, top quality, absolute reliability and long service life, said Ronny Lindskog, chief sales officer at Wiha.



We also plan to announce at the show a revolutionary invention in the field of fastening tools which will truly represent a quantum leap in the history of hand tools. Users can expect greater efficiency and better health with Wiha solutions thanks to maximum ergonomic standards and perfect safety in their everyday professional use.



Hardware + Tools Middle 2018 will return with the immensely popular Tool It! Challenge, where the UAEs finest tool operators go head-to-head in a live competition, testing skill, speed and smarts across metal working and wood working categories.



Leading brands will also deliver live demonstrations at the three-day events Expert Zone, a dedicated area showcasing the latest innovative solutions and machine tools shaping the future of all types of industries, from fabrication and metal working to oil & gas and outdoor landscaping.



Hardware + Tools Middle East will feature country pavilions from China, Thailand and Taiwan, and will host more than 160 exhibitors from 12 countries representing over 200 brands.  TradeArabia News ServiceA leading professional advisor will shed light on how managing complications is key to completing a mega build as well as risk management at The Big 5 Heavy, set to run at Dubai World Trade Centre from March 26 to 28.



Mega projects are in fact defined by their level of complexity, not only by their value. They involve substantial ground work, large labour force, longer duration, design challenges etc. Many factors could impact the progress and profits of a development so stakeholders are always managing risk in order to reach that deadline, explained Ramadurai Venket.



The show will offer free talks on project management, mining and quarrying, as well as a Geotechnical and Foundations Summit, where visitors will gain CPD (Continuing Professional Development) points.



Senior quantity surveyor at C-Quest division of KEO International Consultants, and speaker on BIM (building information modelling) at The Big 5 Heavy, Nicky Dobreanu pointed out how BIM processes add a layer of unprecedented insight:



Essentially, the use of BIM results in faster and more accurate delivery of projects. The large pools of data generated by BIM allow decision makers to enhance and better manage the design, construction, operation and maintenance factors of their built environment.



Mining section head at Narjan Cement Company, Mohamed Saleh, reinforced that innovation in technology and regulation is a major growth driver at the core of our construction industry: Applying new technology and easy-to-enforce regulation encourages industry development; also taking into account the growing GCC construction activity, mining specifically is set to open new international markets for export.



As well as a separate workshop series by the American Concrete Institute (ACI), mining, cement, and concrete solutions will be covered further throughout a range of technical seminars at The Big 5 Heavy.



Large developments will continue to make headlines in 2018 with Makkahs Grand Mosque expansion ($21.3 billion) to be complete later this year, as well as Subiya Bridge in Kuwait  one of the longest causeways in the world at 36 km, said event director for The Big 5 Heavy, Richard Pavitt.



Aside from revealing what enables the GCC mega build culture, the Big 5 Heavy will offer a wealth of equipment from 300 exhibitors, representing 27 exhibiting countries. There will be a visually stunning outdoor demonstration area and Grill & Chill spot where visitors can refresh and network, he concluded.



The Big 5 Heavy is organised by dmg events Middle East, Asia & Africa, is free to attend, and supported by Caltex (Lubricant Sponsor), the Deep Foundations Institute (Geotech Knowledge Partner), Total Foundations Solutions (Geotechnical Sponsor), Deewan (Concrete Equipment Sponsor), Hard Precast (Precast Sponsor), and Stevin Rock (Mining & Quarrying Sponsor).  TradeArabia News ServiceBinSina, fully owned by Al Khayyat Investments Group and the UAEs first licensed pharmacy, plans to open 15 new outlets in the country offering a wide range of pharma, skincare, beauty, lifestyle, supplements and vitamins solutions.



The award-winning pharmacy is set to launch its new pharmacy outlets across Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Ras Al Khaimah, and Sharjah with the rollout expected to begin in key locations, offering customers an exceptional shopping experience, personalized advice, and expertise.



BinSina Pharmacy, a household name in the UAE, currently operates over 100 stores in prime malls, communities and high street locations across the UAE. The expansion comes against a backdrop of a growing healthcare industry, which has largely been driven by a surging population and evolving consumer needs.



BinSina Pharmacy is proud to announce its expansion to areas and communities that have for a long time yearned for its personalized services. The new upcoming outlets will not just be your ordinary pharmacies, they will be partners that can be trusted and relied upon offering health, beauty and lifestyle products to cater to varying customer needs, said Saleema Shurrab, general manager BinSina Pharmacy.



The new outlets come hot on the heels of the pharmacy's 2017 expansion phase, which saw the company unveil 10 stores. The 2018 immediate expansion plans will see new BinSina Pharmacy outlets open in West Zone Mizhar, Rimal Rotana and Amwaj Rotana in JBR, Manazil Al Khor, Avenue Mall in Motor City and The Springs community in Dubai.



The pharmacys expansion plans will continue throughout 2018 to witness new outlets in United Square, New Al Khalidiya and Rawdat Alkhair in Abu Dhabi and Marina Gate, City Land Mall, IBN Battuta, and Zabeel in Dubai. Others will include Kalba Mall and Al Zahiya City Centre in Sharjah, and Grove Village in Ras Al Khaimah.



In line with the UAEs vision to offer world-class healthcare, we are also fully committed to offering convenience and excellence to consumers looking for quality health and beauty products. said Shurrab.



With the UAE unveiling plans to position itself as a pharmaceutical hub by 2021, BinSinas expansion is seen as a boost to the industry whose market value for drugs, skincare, healthy lifestyle, beauty, supplements and vitamins is expected to reach Dh13 billion ($3.5 billion) by 2020 and further hit Dh21 billion by 2025.  TradeArabia News ServiceDubai Air Navigation Services (dans) has reported a 25 per cent growth in the number of skilled Emirati job applications it has received in the last three years, ahead of its participation in the 18th edition of Careers UAE, to be held in Dubai.



Careers UAE is the leading platform offering opportunities for UAE graduates, encouraging young professionals to launch their careers. The process of recruitment and application requirements at Careers UAE are straight-forward which plays a key role in facilitating public and private Emiratisation employment initiatives.



Opening tomorrow (March 13) and running until March 15 at Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC), the event will bring together hundreds of local, regional and international organisations with vacancies for UAE Nationals, and dans believe that the continuous increase in applications underlines the commitment of Emiratis to secure unique career opportunities.



Ibrahim Ahli, deputy CEO at dans, said: Our business has been witnessing a continuous rise in the total number of applicants from 900 in 2015, 1100 in 2016, and 1200 in 2017, with the majority of candidates applying for a place on the National Development Program; a unique career development programme that trains UAE nationals to become licensed air traffic control officers (ATCO) and air traffic engineers.



Applications have also been fiercely contested by both males and females, with the number of female applicants growing steadily, he said.



A leading provider of air navigation services, dans is known for its implementation of unique air traffic management solutions, and will highlight the key requirements of its National Development Program (NDP) for Air Traffic Control Officers and Air Traffic Engineers during the event.



Ahli added: Our participation at the career fair is in line with the organisations strategic objectives of providing ultimate support to initiatives launched by HRH Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, in addition to enhancing its Emiratisation programmes.



The increasing popularity of our company over the years amongst skilled job seekers in the UAE, and the effectiveness of Careers UAE as a recruitment platform is reiterated with the steady growth in the number of applicants since 2015, he said.



Among the exhibitor line-up at Careers UAE is DMCC (Dubai Multi Commodities Centre), the worlds leading free zone for commodities trade and enterprise.



In May 2016, DMCC launched the Emirati Graduate Development Programme (Almas) Designed to complement the Emirates plans, 12-month programme targets talented and highly ambitious Emiratis seeking to become the nations business leaders.



Suzanne Gandy, director - talent management, DMCC, said: Careers UAE provides the ideal platform for DMCC to meet passionate and dedicated young individuals who will help shape the future of our business.



Young Emirati talent brings fresh ideas and innovative solutions to the organisation, in line with the vision of HH Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of UAE and Ruler of Dubai, she said.



DMCCs greatest asset is its people. Attracting, developing and inspiring the very best talent in our industry is critical to meeting the evolving needs of our clients and growing our business. We welcome the opportunity to meet passionate and dedicated young individuals who will help shape the future of our business, she added.





Held under the patronage of HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, the event educates visitors on how their skills and qualifications are best suited for different professions in the public and private sectors through three days of conferences, interviews and an insight into new employment opportunities.



Careers UAE returns with support from strategic government partner: Dubai Government Human Resources Department, Bank Sponsor Commercial Bank of Dubai; Partners: the Ministry of Human Resources & Emiratisation, Zayed University and the Higher Colleges of Technology; and Academic Partner: United Arab Emirates University.  TradeArabia News ServiceInvestment opportunities in Kuwait for local, regional and international investors will be put on focus at the Kuwait Investment Forum 2018 (KIF 2018), to be held later this month in Kuwait.



The event will take place on March 20 and 21 in Kuwait City.



Being held under the patronage of HH the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber, KIF 2018 is co-organised by the Kuwait Direct Investment Promotion Authority (KDIPA), and the Kuwait Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) at Bayan Palace and the Jaber Al-Ahmad Cultural Centre (JACC).



The event will be attended by ministers and high-ranking Kuwaiti government officials, representatives of diplomatic missions in Kuwait, local and foreign investors, industry leaders and executives, consultants and financial institutions, said a statement.



With the goal of driving inward investments to Kuwait by highlighting the economic competitiveness of the country, KIF 2018 will highlight the governments focus to strengthen several sectors and promote economic diversification  goals outlined by Kuwait Vision 2035, the strategic roadmap for long-term growth.



Ali Al Ghanim, chairman of the Kuwait Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI), said: The chamber supports the investment-friendly environment of Kuwait through various programmes and initiatives, such as e-services.



We also supervise the Kuwait Commercial Arbitration Centre and system that promotes transparency and contributes to solving any commercial disputes efficiently in accordance with international best practices. In addition, we organise regional and foreign economic delegations to present Kuwaits investment environment globally, he said.



The private sector is the cornerstone of the future economy, and through KIF 2018, we are underlining the opportunities and returns that Kuwait assures investors, he added.



KIF 2018 is being hosted on the backdrop of the significant growth in foreign direct investment (FDI) reported by the country, said Sheikh Dr Meshaal Jaber Al Ahmad Al Sabah, director general for Kuwait Direct Investment Promotion Authority (KDIPA).



FDI to Kuwait has increased to over $2.3 billion in the past two years, and we are confident that KIF 2018 will lend further momentum to the inward inflows. With our investor-friendly laws, a world-class business environment, strategic location and the robust growth in our telecom, information technology and financial sector, Kuwait offers incredible value for Arab, GCC and international investors, especially in building their business footprint in the region.



He added: The Kuwait Investment Forum is a significant platform that showcases the investment landscape of our country as well as the tremendous opportunities offered to Arab, GCC and international investors in a number of high-growth areas. It complements the strategic vision of HH the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber to transforming Kuwait as a dynamic hub for business, he continued.



Among the key topics to be discussed at the event include investment in Future Kuwait; Trade Facilitation  A Driver for Development; Investment Opportunities- Lucrative Options in Dynamic Sectors, Financing for Sustainable Developments and Dialogue on Kuwait Development Path: The Vision & the Determination. Details on the expert speakers and panel discussions at the event has already been announced on KIF 2018 website.



Special feature: An Update on New Kuwait will also be taking place at KIF 2018 will include various ministers, and will highlight the progress and outlook on Kuwait Vision 2035. This exclusive session will be the first public event since the vision's launch in January 2017 and will shed light on the progress to date on each of the programmes seven pillars.



Marking the support of Kuwaits national businesses to KIF 2018, Kuwait Finance House, National Bank of Kuwait, United Steel Industrial Company (Kuwait Steel), Zain Telecommunications, Ali Alghanim & Sons Group are extending support as Diamond Sponsors, while Kuwait Foundation for the Advancement of Sciences (KFAS), Kuwait Petroleum Corporation (KPC) and Al Markaz are the Platinum Sponsors. In addition to New Kuwait as a Strategic Partner and Kuwait Airways as the official Carrier, it stated.  TradeArabia News ServiceThe blackbox of the Turkish private jet that crashed in southwestern Iran on Sunday night was found, deputy governor of Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari Province said on Monday.

The business jet carrying eight passengers and three crew members crashed into a mountain in central Iran on Sunday, killing all on board.

The plane was flying back to Istanbul from Sharjah, UAE. It was reportedly owned by Basaran Holding, a company active in construction and building luxury yachts.

There were no UAE nationals on board, a statement from the Sharjah Civil Aviation Department (SCAD) was quoted as saying by Khaleej Times newspaper.

According to SCAD, the private 604 Pompadier Turkish TCTRB took off at 5.16 pm local time from Sharjah International Airport en route to Istanbul Ataturk Airport and disappeared from the radar after leaving the UAE at 7.30 pm.

At the time of its departure, the plane had eight passengers (six Turkish and two Spanish) and three crew members on board.

Shahr-e Kord is some 370 km south of the capital, Tehran.

Representatives from Turkey together with relatives of the victims are scheduled to arrive at Shahr-e Kord airport within hours, Jafar Mardani told the Islamic Republic News Agency (Irna).

The blackbox will be delivered to the officials for further investigation, he said.

"The 10 identified dead bodies will be transported by helicopter to Shahr-e Kord Airport," he added.Saudi Railway Company (SAR) will soon float tenders for its Riyadh-Dammam and the Land Bridge railway projects, it was revealed at the Middle East Rail 2018 event in Dubai, UAE.

Speaking at the 12th edition of the Middle East Rail, Khalid Al Sultan, vice president - infrastructure, SAR provided details of the companys railway development plans.

The Riyadh-Dammam project consists of a 449-km passenger line connecting Dammam and Riyadh passing through Al Ahsa and Abqaiq, a 546-km freight line connecting King Abdulaziz Port in Dammam with Riyadh passing through Al Ahsa, Abqaiq, Al Kharj, Haradh and Al Tawdhiyah and a 400-km sub-line connecting industrial, agricultural and military sites with export ports and residential areas.

The Land Bridge extends from Jeddah to Riyadh with a total length of approximately 1,000 km of double track. It also connects to the proposed GCC railway network.

He said railway will play a major role in three aspects of development: a cost-efficient means of moving goods and freight; a means of moving people; and connecting of major ports and entry points to ensure seamless infrastructural connectivity.

He explained in great detail the length and depth of coverage of the countrys three major railway lines including the Riyadh-Dammam line, North-South Project (connecting major heavy industry hubs for freight projects) and the 453-km-long Haramain High-Speed Railway (HHR) project linking the holy cities of Makkah and Madinah.

Al Sultan also expressed SARs keen interest in working with the private sector to collaborate and partner in achieving success in multiple new projects.

Of note were the public-private partnership (PPP) opportunities for the 340-km double-track Yanbu to Jeddah connection (via King Abdullah Port) and the 40-km double-track in Riyadh connecting to a new dry port (linking SAR and SRO networks in Riyadh and a new dry port to be situated outside of Riyadh).  TradeArabia News ServiceRetaj Hotels & Hospitality, a subsidiary of Retaj Group, has signed an agreement with Mozoon Real Estate Company to manage and operate a hotel and residences project in Mozoon Towers in the Dafna area of Doha in Qatar.

Retaj Suites & Residences West Bay, considered to be Mozoons largest hotel projects in Qatar. It will be one of the largest hotels in Mozoon Towers project, which consists of four towers comprising hotels and hotel apartments in addition to commercial space.

Retaj Hotels & Hospitality will manage tower C, one of the four towers, in the expansive real estate project.

The property will feature 39 floors in addition to a ground floor and two mezzanine levels and will offer 460 suites and apartments, offering studios and apartments with one or two rooms. It will also include two restaurants, a coffee shop, indoor and outdoor swimming pools, a spa centre, fitness rooms, a separate Turkish bath for men and women, a childrens playroom and meeting and banqueting halls equipped with the latest audiovisual equipment.

The contract was signed by Sheikh Nasser Bin Ali Bin Saud Al Thani, chairman and managing director of Qatar General Insurance & Reinsurance Group - owner of Mozoon Real Estate Company - and Sheikh Ahmed Bin Eid Al Thani, chairman of Retaj Group, in the presence of Dr Mohamed Bin Johar Al-Mohamad, vice-chairman and managing director of Retaj Group, and Ghazi Abu Nahl, CEO of Qatar General Insurance & Reinsurance Group, and many leaders and officials from both sides.

Commenting on the agreement, Sheikh Nasser Bin Ali Bin Saud Al Thani said: "The reputation of Retaj Group in the hospitality sector and its success in providing traditional Arabian hospitality model and spreading its culture locally and internationally is the main motive for choosing it to manage the new hotel."

He added: "The tourism sector in Qatar is witnessing growth in the number of inbound tourists and a further increase in this number is expected during the coming period following the rollout of various government incentives and decisions to revitalise and support the tourism and hospitality sector."

Retaj Group chairman Sheikh Ahmed Bin Eid Al Thani said: "The partnership between Retaj Group and the Qatari General Insurance & Reinsurance Group, the owner of Mozoon Real Estate, clearly reflects the constructive cooperation between the two national companies in the country, which is a key part of development and investment, especially in vital sectors such as hospitality."

He added that the new hotel will offer a wide range of distinguished services. "Retaj Group is keen to meet its hotels guests expectations," he said.

Ghazi Abu Nahl said: "Our partnership with Retaj Group, with its extensive experience in managing and operating hotels inside and outside Qatar, is in line with Qatar National Vision 2030 and underscores the importance of constructive partnerships that support the national economy. We are very proud as we celebrate the signing of this partnership agreement with Retaj, to operate and manage a hotel in tower C. We would like to take this opportunity to highlight one of Qatar Generals major projects, Bab Ezzouar in Algeria, which is close to completion and is expected to open in 2018.

Dr Mohamed Bin Johar Al-Mohamad said: Retaj Hotels is very popular with Gulf and Arab families as it maintains its identity, steeped in Arabian customs and traditions. Retaj Hotels has established itself as one of the first 100 per cent Qatari hotel brands to operate inside and outside of Qatar, including in Asia, Africa and Europe. With this successful expansion, we are providing the highest standards of service and hospitality, inspired by authentic Arabian heritage.

The management and operation of this new hotel comes as part of the groups expansion plan to meet the needs of the domestic tourism sector. Qatar's hosting of the World Cup 2022, and issuance of tourist visas for more than 80 nationalities from Hamad International Airport, are expected to increase tourist numbers to Qatar.

Retaj Hotels & Hospitality has recently signed some memorandums of understanding for the management of hotels in Turkey and the Far East. The company aims to provide its brand of authentic Arabian hospitality to Qatari and Arab tourists around the world, concluded Al-Mohamad.  TradeArabia News ServiceRotana, one of the leading hotel management companies in the region, has officially inaugurated two new hotels on the north shore of Dubai Creek.



Boasting a prime waterfront outlook, the modern, architecturally-striking five-star hotel Al Bandar Rotana, and the luxurious hotel apartment complex Al Bandar Arjaan by Rotana will be managed by Rotana on behalf of Al Ain Ahlia Insurance Company, one of the region's largest insurers.



Mohammed Al Badie Bin Youan Al Dhaeri, chairman of Al Ain Ahlia Insurance Company, said: With its solid business growth and strong portfolio, Rotana has established its name as the bellwether of the regions hospitality industry and it gives us immense pleasure to partner with the company. We believe this is a major milestone in our growth journey and a unique addition to our diverse investment portfolio. This partnership will benefit our shareholders and the local economy and strengthen our position in the domestic and international markets. We look forward to further collaboration with Rotana in the future to achieve our shared vision of contributing to the sustainable growth of the UAE while thriving in our business.



Strategically located in Dubais booming business and leisure hub on Baniyas Road, and in close proximity to major attractions and landmarks in the city, including the Dubai International Airport, and the Dubai World Trade Centre, the two connecting towers offer a range of world-class facilities that suit the distinct needs of modern day travellers, families and corporate visitors.



Nasser Al Nowais, chairman of Rotana, said: With the ever-growing number of properties, Rotana has been playing a major role in driving the sustainable development of the tourism and hospitality sector thereby contributing to the economic and employment growth in markets where we operate. The new hotels are reflective of our continued success and a testament to the robustness of our long-term growth strategy. We are thankful to the Board of Directors and the top management of Al Ain Ahlia Insurance Company for the unmatched support we have received from them during the pre-opening phase, and for their trust and confidence in our abilities to manage these stunning properties.



Combining luxury and comfort with contemporary design, Al Bandar Rotana features 190 uniquely-designed rooms and suites in addition to Club Rotana rooms with additional benefits including an Executive Lounge and personalised services. Designed to suit the needs of long-stay visitors, Al Bandar Arjaan by Rotana offers 90 fully-furnished studios and apartments with options ranging from spacious studios to three-bedroom apartments.



The spacious and luxurious rooms, suites and apartments, which offer expansive views of the creek, the thriving waterway that runs through the heart of the city, and Burj Khalifa, the tallest building in the world, are all equipped with modern technology and home comforts. In addition to a Business Centre, the properties offer six state-of-the-art meeting and conference facilities equipped with the latest audio-visual equipment to cater to a wide range of occasions, from board meetings, workshops and seminars to conferences and social gatherings.



Guests staying at the hotels will be spoilt for choice with two signature restaurants and three casual dining outlets in addition to an extensive in-room dining menu, featuring a wide choice of dining options to suit every taste and occasion, day and night.



The unique dining venues include Salt & Pepper, an all-day dining restaurant offering an international buffet; Gusto Italian Restaurant, which offers a wide range of authentic Italian delicacies, with stunning views of Dubai Creek; Vanilla Lobby Lounge, an ideal spot for formal and informal gatherings over coffee and light snacks; Morgans Gastropub, the only gastropub in the area, and The Deck, an attractive pool lounge for tropical cocktails and delicious snacks.



Al Bandar Rotana and Al Bandar Arjaan by Rotana also house Bodylines Fitness & Wellness Club, which features a fully-equipped gymnasium, outdoor swimming pool and sauna, steam and massage rooms.



Making a significant addition to Rotanas inventory in Dubai, the two new properties have added 280 keys to 3142-strong operational rooms across nine hotels in the city. As part of its global expansion, the company has planned an additional 2888 rooms currently under various stages of development in the emirate.



With its vibrant economy and thriving tourism sector, Dubai has always been a highly favourable market for the hospitality sector to flourish and it still promises a brighter future for the sector with occupied room nights forecasted to reach 35.5 million annually in 2019 by advancing at a solid compound annual growth rate (CAGR) over the next 24 months. Similarly, the anticipated growth in the number of visitors to the city presents new opportunities for investors and hotel operators. In 2017 alone, the emirate welcomed 15.8 million travellers and it expects to attract 20 million visitors per year by 2020. With these solid credentials, Dubai remains our key focus market for expansion to contribute towards Dubais Tourism Vision 2020, said Guy Hutchinson, chief operating officer of Rotana.



The opening of Al Bandar Rotana and Al Bandar Arjaan by Rotana is a remarkable achievement and we remain on track to achieve our goal of operating 100 hotels by 2020, Hutchinson added. - TradeArabia News ServiceThe International Travel & Tourism Awards, a prestigious new awards scheme which celebrates the best of travel and tourism around the world, has opened nominations for its categories.



Presented by WTM London, the awards are a first-of-its-kind event that will recognise the success of national, regional and city tourist boards as well as outstanding private sector companies and individuals.



The awards will feature 13 categories, with 12 judged by an independent panel of leading experts and senior figures in each sector. The final award for outstanding contribution to the industry nominated by WTM London Media Partners will be the ultimate finale, which will take place at a glittering awards ceremony in London on November 6.



The illustrious awards scheme is being officially unveiled on March 22 at Awards partner London & Partners' headquarters, with an invited audience of senior travel and tourism professionals.



More than 500 senior industry executives, including government ministers, will attend the impressive awards ceremony at Tobacco Dock, a few stops on the Docklands Light Railway from WTM Londons ExCeL venue. Busses will also transport WTM London delegates to the awards ceremony.



The awards will be co-chaired by UNWTO Sandra Carvao, chief of communications and publications and Reed Travel Exhibitions director Nick Pilbeam. Judges will be from top tourism and industry bodies and organisations including Euromonitor International and public relations body PRCA.



UNWTO is pleased to partner with WTM in this new initiative. An award is a recognition of value and an incentive to do better and we trust the International Travel & Tourism Awards will inspire the tourism sector to aim higher in order to become ever more competitive and sustainable, said Carvao.



Steve Miller, Membership & Partnerships director from PRCA & ICCO, added: The PRCA is proud to support the inaugural International Travel and Tourism Awards, particularly as PR has its own category to recognise excellence in this field.



Different categories will be judged by experts in those sectors, such as the Global Wellness Institute, World Food Travel Association and Out Now Consulting.



International Travel & Tourism Awards, co-founder, Paul Nelson said: We are delighted to officially open nominations for the new International Travel & Tourism Awards, presented by WTM.



With such a distinguished independent panel of respected judges, the winners will know they truly represent the best in their class.

Entries and nominations will come from right across the world, so the honours will be a definitive global guide to the top professionals in every sector.



International Travel & Tourism Awards, co-founder, Charlotte Alderslade, added: The ITTAs offer an unrivalled marketing and PR opportunity as part of the week of WTM London.



The awards will quickly become a fixture in the industry calendar and a stamp of excellence for the trade and holidaymakers alike.



Categories include:

Best national tourism board campaign/DMO campaign

Best tourism marketing agency

Best regional/city campaign

Outstanding contribution to the industry

Best food destination

Most innovative use of technology within a destination

Best digital campaign in tourism

Best digital influencer in the industry

Best wellness destination

Best responsible tourism destination

Best adventure tourism destination

Best LGBT destination

Best PR campaign. - TradeArabia News Service

Gender Nation is a bi-weekly column by Gwendolyn Ann Smith, the founder of the Transgender Day of Remembrance, reviewing news affecting the trans, intersex, and genderqueer community.

An Oscar Win

The Academy Awards, which has been beset with calls for greater diversity in recent years, was nevertheless the site of a landmark victory for a transgender Chilean as the movie A Fantastic Woman won for best foreign language film. The movie is the first to feature a transgender story and a transgender actor in a lead role.

The movie stars Daniela Vega, a 28-year-old actress from Chile. In it, Vega plays Marina, a waitress whose relationship with a divorcee turns tragic, leaving the police to probe her involvement in his death.

Daniela Vega also was the first openly transgender person to present at the event, introducing Sufjan Stevens performance of Mystery of Love. The song was featured in the movie Call Me By Your Name. It won in the Best Adapted Screenplay category.

Also nominated this year was black trans man Yance Ford for directing the documentary Strong Island.

In recent years, the award ceremony has come under fire due to a lack of representation of people of color and women in films, and this year was no exception. While the ceremony has made some steps to be more inclusive, issues were still raised over screeners response to Get Out, a film by Jordan Peele, not being Oscar-worthy. Additionally, recent issues with sexism in Hollywood, most notably disgraced producer, and accused sexual predator Harvey Weinstein, were a notable sidebar to the evening.

This would not be the first Academy Award winner to explore transgender themes. While not a transgender storyline, Some Like It Hot was nominated for six academy awards and won one in 1960 for its tale of a pair of men who escaped the St. Valentines Day Massacre by joining an all-female musician troupe, inadvertently creating the fodder for decades of cross-dressing to deceive storylines that helped lay the groundwork for any number of stereotypes around transgender people. Tootsie, which continued this man dressed as a woman to deceive trope continued to be an Oscar favorite in 1993, with seven nominations and one victory in 1983, followed by a Best Makeup win for 1993s Mrs. Doubtfire. None of these three films truly explore transgender characters, treating the subject as little more than a gag.

In more recent years, storylines featuring actual transgender characters took to the forefront, including Hilary Swanks best actress win in 2000 for portraying transgender male Brandon Teena, Jared Letos 2014 best-supporting-actor Oscar for his portrayal of a trans woman named Rayon in Dallas Buyers Club, and Eddie Redmaynes 2016 nomination for Best Actor for The Danish Girl, a highly fictionalized retelling of the life story of Lili Elbe. None of the above featured were transgender actors, with Leto in particular criticized for his insensitivity towards transgender people. The win for A Fantastic Woman also follows the 2016 loss for Tangerine, which featured black trans woman Mya Taylor in the lead role, portraying a trans woman.

RuPaul Fails

The eponymous host of RuPauls Drag Race once again showed a startling insensitivity towards transgender people in a recent interview featured in The Guardian. In it, RuPaul was asked about whether women should be a part of Drag Race, with RuPaul put off by the idea, replying, Drag loses its sense of danger and its sense of irony once its not men doing it, because at its core its a social statement and a big f-you to male-dominated culture. So, for men to do it, its really punk rock, because its a real rejection of masculinity.

When pressed about having transgender contestants on Drag Race, RuPaul remained reluctant, saying, You can identify as a woman and say youre transitioning, but it changes once you start changing your body. It takes on a different thing. It changes the whole concept of what were doing. Weve had some girls whove had some injections in the face and maybe a little bit in the butt here and there, but they havent transitioned.

Facing criticism, RuPaul doubled down on Twitter, comparing trans women competing on the show with Olympic athletes who use performance-enhancing drugs. This plus the initial comments led to an outcry, including from past Drag Race contestants. In the shows run, five contestants have come out as transgender, including two  Monica Beverly Hillz and Peppermint  during the show itself.

In response to the continued controversy, RuPaul finally backed down, posting on Twitter, Each morning I pray to set aside everything I THINK I know, so I may have an open mind and a new experience. I understand and regret the hurt I have caused. The trans community are heroes of our shared LGBTQ movement. You are my teachers. He then followed it with a second tweet, saying, In the 10 years weve been casting Drag Race, the only thing weve ever screened for is charisma uniqueness nerve and talent. And that will never change. The latter tweet was accompanied by an image later noted as Train Landscape, a painting by Ellsworth Kelly, perhaps chosen by accident when attempting to find a trans-specific image to accompany the message.

This is not the first time RuPaul has shown to be critical of transgender people. In 2014 RuPaul was under fire for having a Female or Shemale game on Drag Race, as well as using Youve Got She-Mail as a recurring catchphrase on the show. The term Shemale is widely viewed as a slur within the transgender community. RuPaul had also defended the use of another term, tranny, saying that fringe people were upset over the use of the term, and were looking for story lines to strengthen their identity as victims. The term has caused a lot of consternation in trans circles, with many considering it a slur. The term was also dropped from use on Drag Race. It remains to be seen if this current apology will lead to real change for RuPaul, or if we will once again see further issues down the line. Only time will tell.

What does "transphobia" mean to you? As with "hydro phobic " substances, the phobia refers to the strong rejection of trans people, causes, & concerns.

As with "claustro phobic " people, the phobia refers to the strong fear of trans people, causes, & concerns.

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Submit articles for publication on the TransAdvocate here.Overview Barbados has roughly the population of Toledo, Ohio, and occupies about three times as much space as Washington, D.C. But the tiny island nation does a big tourism business. Tourism accounts for much of the nation's $6.5 billion gross domestic product. It has made this once poor sugar-producing nation into a major Caribbean destination and afforded its guests a clean, modern and generally safe place to travel.

Protect Yourself Barbados is generally safe, with the majority of crime committed by petty thieves and pickpockets, according to the U.S. Department of State. Violent attacks, including rape, have been reported, however, so tourists should avoid isolated beaches such as Long Beach, Christ Church Beach, Maycocks Beach and St. Lucy Beach. Tourists have reported daylight attacks on those beaches. When walking on a beach at night, use caution and travel in large numbers. Leave valuables at home or in your hotel's safe.

Use Safe Transportation Avoid driving in Barbados. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which also tracks information about injuries, car crashes rank among the greatest dangers to tourists in Barbados. The CDC recommends hiring a local driver whenever possible; drivers in Barbados use the left side of the road, a difference that can trip up even the most experienced motorist. Registered taxis and public buses generally are safe, but private vans may have too many passengers and erratic drivers. Pedestrians should use caution while crossing roads, according to the State Department, as drivers may not slow to allow them to pass.

Check Cell Phone Service Check with your cell-phone carrier to see whether your phone will work in Barbados, whether roaming charges apply, and if so, how much they will cost. If you find the cost prohibitively high, rent a cell phone -- especially if you plan on making lots of local calls. According to Fodor's, cell phone rentals may cost as little as $5 a day (with a minimum one-week rental), and prepaid cards can be purchased throughout the island. According to the Barbados Tourism Encyclopedia, cell phone rentals are available through the companies Cable and Wireless Cellular, Cellular Telephone Rentals and Global Business Centre.On art, music, books, movies, politics, life - sometimes with astrology thrown in.By TwoCircles.net Staff Reporter

Srinagar: The association of Parents of Disappeared Persons (APDP) staged a silent sit-in at Pratap Park here on Saturday, March 10, against what it termed as state and union governments negligent approach towards tracing out their family members, subjected to enforced disappearance since 1989 across the state.

The family members of the disappeared youth, mostly females, during their silent-sit in castigated the successive governments for being indifferent towards their pain and agony.

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The family members alleged that their dear ones have been subjected to enforced disappearances by the Indian forces and their related agencies from their homes, streets and even roads.

The members carrying placards and banners reading, Where are our loved ones, stop crime against humanity, what lies beneath? And pictures of the victims sought answers from the government over the enforced disappearances.

They vowed to continue their struggle till both the state and the central governments accepted their demand of impartial probe into the enforced disappearances and custodial killings.

We have been fighting since last 28 years and we wont stop until we get answers as to where the forces have kept those who were picked up by them, said Parveena Ahangar, Chairman APDP.

According to conservative estimates, there are around 8,000-10,000 cases of involuntary and enforced disappearances in Kashmir mainly attributed to being the work of Indian security establishments since the onset of militancy.

After Kashmir erupted against the rigged elections of 1987, many Kashmiris picked up guns to fight against the Indian establishment. The Indian government too decided to deal with an iron fist against the uprising to put a curb on Kashmiris joining militancy. As the crackdown on militants started in the early 90s, jails and torture centres of different Indian security agencies in Kashmir became occupied with alleged militants and thousands of sympathisers picked up on mere suspicion of whom thousands are missing since then.

Mothers lost their sons, wives lost their husbands, sisters lost their brothers, and continue to remain in a dilemma over whether their loved ones are dead or alive.

No one can understand the pain we are going through. Sometimes, we feel that our loved ones are alive and sometimes, we fear the worst. This feeling kills us every time we think about our dear ones who have been disappeared by the security forces, said Parveena.

In 2011, APDP filed a petition at SHRC regarding investigations into disappearances of 132 persons of Banihal district. Recently, the government has admitted that 112 out of 132 of these men are missing.Mumbai (IANS): The gruelling 200-km, six-day long Long March by over 35,000 farmers ended on a positive note, with the Maharashtra government conceding most demands on Mondayevening.

The decision was announced at a rally addressed by state ministers along with farmers leaders at Azad Maidan where the peasants arrived at dawn on Monday, following which the All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS) leaders announced that the agitation was withdrawn.

We held very cordial discussions and have conceded most of the demands of the tribals, labourers and farmers who took part in the march, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis announced here.

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According to a Kisan Sabha leader, the main demands pertained to complete implementation of the loan waiver scheme announced last year, implementation of the Forest Rights Act, 2006, and compensation for victims of damage to cotton crops following bollworm infestation and the unseasonal rains and hailstorm.

On implementing the Forest Rights Act, Fadnavis said that all pending claims/appeals shall be cleared in six months.

About the farm loans waiver, the government said it had already distributed funds to banks for 46.52 lakh farmers and 35.51 lakh farmers had been disbursed their loan waiver amounts.

On the implementation of the M.S. Swaminathan Commission report, he said the government would pursue it with the centre.

Additionally, farmers who were not entitled to the loan waiver scheme of 2008 shall be brought under the ambit of the current Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Shetkari Sanman Yojana, and farmers from 2001 onwards would now get the benefits.

Similar satisfactory outcome was reported for other demands including water projects, the Sanjay Gandhi Niradhar Yojana, Indira Gandhi Old Age Pension Scheme, fixing of milk rates and pending issues with ration cards to enable farmers and poor get ration at fair price shops.

Kisan Sabha leaders including Ajit Nawale expressed satisfaction over the outcome.

Earlier, top political leaders including NCP President Sharad Pawar, Congress leader Ashok Chavan, Samajwadi Party leader Abu Asim Azmi, CPI-M General Secretary Sitaram Yechury and social crusader Anna Hazare attacked the government for ignoring the case of the farmers.

Any party which ignores the cause of farmers will not survive, thundered Yechury.

Today, if the farmers demands are not conceded, they will shake up the state and the Centre, and install a government of their choice, he said.

The 35,000-plus farmers, including men, women and youths, who halted under the scorching sun at the historic Azad Maidan since dawn will prepare to return to their homes later tonight.

Marching under the AIKS banner, the farmers wing of the CPI-M, many sported red caps and carried red party flags or banners, their lunch wrapped in newspapers. They walked almost 200 km for nearly 150 hours since March 6 and reached Mumbai late on Sunday night.

Some had swollen eyes and blistered feet and wore torn clothes.

All major political parties supported the agitation, with Congress President Rahul Gandhi terming it an unprecedented show of strength and urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Fadnavis to shed their ego and concede the farmers legitimate demands.ABC News(WASHINGTON) -- A military parade ordered by President Donald Trump will take place on Veterans Day, according to a memo for Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Joseph Dunford.



The memo directs the use of period uniforms and a lot of aircraft, but says there will be no tanks so as to "minimize damage to local infrastructure."



"This parade will focus on the contributions of our veterans throughout our history of the U.S. military, starting from the Revolutionary War and the War of 1812, to today, with an emphasis on the price of freedom," the memo said.



It was sent to the Joint Chiefs chairman from Navy Capt. Hallock Mohler, executive secretary in the office of the Secretary of Defense.



President Trump first mentioned the idea of a grand parade after attending France's Bastille Day parade last summer. Then, in February, he asked the Pentagon to begin planning for such a parade to take place in the U.S.



The memo states that there will be no tanks used in the parade, only wheeled vehicles in order to "minimize damage to local infrastructure." There is also a request to "include a heavy air component at the end of the parade, to include older aircraft as available."



The parade, which will go from the White House to the Capitol, will also be integrated with the annual Washington, D.C. Veterans Day parade on Nov. 11 and will include the Medal of Honor Association and other veterans service organizations.



Last month, White House budget director Mick Mulvaney gave a preliminary estimate of the parade's cost to the House Budget Committee of between $10 to $30 million.

Copyright  2018, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.By: Will Dere, MD | Mar 12, 2018 11:30 AM

Will Dere, MD

In 2016, National Institutes of Health director Francis Collins predicted that precision medicine is going to change everything about how we understand health and disease. Two years later, it is still unclear whether this hope will become a reality.

Precision medicine, the White House states, is health care tailored for you. At its most fundamental level, this approach seeks to optimize treatments based on an individuals characteristics, such as the ability to respond to certain drugs based on differences in genes, environments, and lifestyles. But even as the initiative has gained momentum, questions have arisen of whether precision medicine focuses on too few at the expense of the broader population.

The future of precision medicine will be the focus of the upcoming symposium Frontiers in Precision Medicine III: Will Precision Medicine Improve Population Health? to be held at the University of Utah on March 16.

We are delighted to host three keynote speakers: Muin Khoury, MD, PhD, Sara Van Driest, MD, PhD, and Erika Check Hayden, PhD. As founding director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Office of Public Health Genomics, Khoury is a leading voice in translating genetic discoveries into health care and disease prevention. Van Driest, assistant professor in the Department of Pediatrics at Vanderbilt University, is an expert in both clinical pharmacology, pharmacogenetics, and the use of big data in electronic health records. Hayden, journalist and director of Science Communication at University of California at Santa Cruz, is well known for her articles addressing the race for cures for ultra-rare childhood diseases and the publics perspective on controversial technologies such as gene editing.

The four intervening sessions will feature short presentations followed by interactive panel discussions on genetics in cancer; the role of big data to advance precision medicine and population health; health disparities; and the role of direct-to-consumer genetics in population health.

Thoughtful Application of Precision Medicine and Population Health with Limited Resources

Finding ways to improve our nations health by blending the best aspects of both approaches is one of the greatest challenges facing medicine today and is sure to incite lively debate at the symposium.

There is no question that lives have been saved by precision medicine preventions. For example, genetic screening has proven effective for individuals who have a family history of breast and ovarian cancer for the gene BRCA1. By the same token, mandates for large population health strategies in which groups undergo childhood vaccinations or governments add fluoride to public water have also undeniably improved our nations health. In a time when health care costs are approaching a fifth of the US economy and policymakers and administrators are incentivizing fewer expenditures, can we as a nation afford to explore both strategies simultaneously?

When it comes to improving health through precision medicine and/or population health, it is much simpler and cheaper to take a single approach. And yet the danger of trimming health care programs in an attempt to streamline costs is an oversimplification that disregards the nuance of care delivery.

A Delicate Balancing Act

The complexity of human biology demands that we as biomedical researchers employ the breadth of our capabilities and insights to personalize our medical interventions where necessary and possible, while ensuring that our resources benefit the broader population. Innovations like precision medicine and population health have a delicate balancing act to executeone that weighs an immediate need for efficacy with a long-term investment in delivering hyper-specific preventions and treatments.

I hope you will join me in whats sure to be an enlightening day as experts and thought leaders from the University of Utah and across the nation wrestle with these difficult issues. If you cannot attend the symposium in person, I invite you to watch the live stream of the event online.

Will Dere, MD Guest Blogger Will Dere, MD, is a professor of Internal Medicine, Executive Director of the Program in Personalized Health, and Co-director of the Center for Clinical and Translational Science.

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Registration Number: 130349 Registration Number: 130349 Etcetera Coffee House





The Etcetera Coffee House first opened its doors to the public in 2006. Owned and operated by Allan and Johanna Rhodes, the coffeehouse has grown from just a little coffee shop into a neighborhood staple. There are now actually two coffee shops owned by the couple, the Etcetera Coffee House on North 6th Street and Etcetera Squared in downtown Paducah on 2nd Street. Etcetera was founded upon the principles of great coffee, responsible business practices, and community involvement. The coffee shop is the place for fair-trade and organic brews in Paducah. The shop also offers bubble tea in addition to its range of coffees.

320 North 6th St, Paducah, KY 42001, Phone: 270-443-7760

You are reading "12 Best Things to Do in Paducah, Kentucky" Back to TopNews that President Trump has accepted an invitation for the first meeting between a U.S. president and a North Korean leader has provoked a range of reactions, from optimism that North Korea might actually curb its nuclear weapons program to concern that such a meeting will only legitimize its brutal regime.

As Axios writes in an article "How a Kim-Trump summit could help save the Iran deal", for those working to keep the U.S. in the Iran nuclear deal, however, a Kim-Trump encounter  assuming it comes off  would be encouraging. Under the terms of the Iran deal, Trump has until May 12 to renew waivers for nuclear-related sanctions against Iran. Should he fail to do so  which would effectively remove the U.S. from the deal  negotiating a new non-proliferation agreement with North Korea would prove immensely difficult.

While Iran has said it will stick with the deal as long as Europe, Russia and China do, Tehran would be tempted to push its boundaries in increments  such as testing more advanced centrifuges or increasing its stockpile of low-enriched uranium  if the U.S. pulls out.

A U.S. decision to withdraw from the Iran deal would thus antagonize an international community whose cooperation Washington needs to maintain  and possibly augment  economic sanctions against North Korea. China, North Koreas economic lifeline and a party to the Iran deal, would be particularly incensed.

If the U.S. wants the international community's support  and particularly China's  going into a North Korea nuclear summit, it will be in the Trump administration's best interests to keep its commitments under the Iran deal.President Nursultan Nazarbayev has run Kazakhstan since 1989. Kazakhstan is one of the few Soviet republics, where the level of production exceeded the Soviet level, and hence the income of the population. Kazakhstan is neck and neck with Russia. While, for example, Ukraine's economy with per capita income, which in Soviet times was stronger than Russia's one, fell threefold from the Soviet level. Kazakhstan is our reliable partner in the Eurasian Economic Union, in the SCO and other joint projects. Recently I was in Astana and interviewed Nursultan Nazarbayev. We talked about relations with Russia, the forthcoming presidential elections and about Nazarbayev's relations with Putin.

V. Fadeev: Nursultan Abishevich, the first question will be about the Eurasian Economic Union. You already have got a lot of experience of work in this union. President Putin has taken the initiative to create a common electricity, oil, and petroleum products market. What were the advantages of Kazakhstan joining this union?

N. Nazarbayev: At first, we thought about it, as a close economic connection between Russia, Kazakhstan, and Belarus. Before that, there was a hope that Ukraine would be with us. It would be great. Unfortunately, it did not happen. Trade between the EEU member states is growing: for the past year, for example, by about 30%, with Kazakhstan by 29%, with Russia it has grown by more than 30%. We have created a common commodity market, a common capital market, a common labor market. As for the main points of integration of energy and oil: since 2019 we plan to have a common electric power market,since 2025 - a common oil and gas market. But, in fact, it is slowly developing already now. The absolute need for these conditions in such integration associations is obvious.

V. Fadeev: Astana talks on the Syrian issue. Kazakhstan has shown that it is deeply and seriously involved in world politics. How well does your vision correspond with Vladimir Putin's vision?

N. Nazarbayev: For all these years, Kazakhstan has proven itself to be a peaceful state, trusted by all the states. In this regard, Vladimir Vladimirovich, together with the presidents of Iran and Turkey, appealed to turn Astana into a venue for negotiating between the government delegation and the Syrian opposition. And we provided them this opportunity. As you know, there have been 8 rounds. They were highly appreciated, because they were attended by those who did not participate in the Geneva talks. It was these talks that led to the de-escalation of conflicts, the cessation of the war in some places and the possibility of holding the Sochi forum. That is, Putin says that the decision must be diplomatic, and that's exactly what is being done. The whole point is that, unfortunately, the key players of world politics today cannot find a common language, there is no consensus, no trust between them. But in the future it should be restored. The world cannot live peacefully without it, without it there can be no agreements that we all need. The diversity of the world and the consideration of the opinions of many - I think this is the future.

V. Fadeyev: But in order to do it, one who considers himself to be one pole must recognize multipolarity.

N. Nazarbayev: That's what I'm talking about. But whether they admit it or not, they will have to come to this. It would be good if it happened sooner.

V. Fadeev: You have said many times that your personal relations with Vladimir Putin are very important. This is very interesting, how the relations between politicians cause the development of relations between countries.

N. Nazarbayev: Relations between the leaders of states are very important. As a rule, trust among leaders leads to trust between states. Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin was elected president in 2000, and from the first days we have had very good relations, which, I make no secret, turned into real friendship. Why? First, I've seen his work. A person who did not have experience as vast as I have under the Soviet Union and with the new policy came to this policy at the most difficult time for Russia.

Recall a recent situation, when the whole Russia actually disorganized the vertical of power, each region worked on its own. We are neighbors with Russia, we see that the regions stopped paying taxes to the center, everyone named his own salary, take all you want, there was a war in the Caucasus, and both the international and the domestic economic situation was truly awful. And he improved it, mastered all this under the most difficult conditions. Russia was ignored, not allowed to solve major world problems.

Russia cannot be pushed aside, it's a huge country with nuclear and missile capabilities, which plays a big role in world politics. That is, it was short-sighted to try to push Russia aside. But now Putin has put Russia in place, where it belongs. What a decision was made, the participation in this conflict at the request of the Syrian government. In fact, Russia participated in suppressing the world evil in the form of extremism and terrorism there.

V. Fadeev: And the risks were extremely high.

N. Nazarbayev: The risks were very high, indeed. And he had to decide. In the end, this participation was successful. That's who Putin is. In addition, I want to say about his human qualities. I dare say that, probably, I know it better then others. He is a man of his word. You know, Nikolo Machiavelli in his book 'The Prince' advises the princes how to work, there is a point in the book that the sovereign has the right to take this word back if it is in the interests of the state and this leader. Putin is not like that. If he said something, he says it after thinking it through, never changes this word, even if it is already unprofitable when one must do it. One can work with such a person and respect such a person. Russia is choosing its president. I think the people of Russia will choose the right person, who is needed for the prestige of Russia, for the future of Russia.A knife-wielding man was shot dead outside the Iranian ambassador's residence in Vienna Sunday night, following an attack on a guard, police said.

The 26-year-old Austrian "died on the street from his gunshot wounds" police spokesman Harald Soros said, adding that the guard initially used pepper spray against the assailant.

The attack, which occurred at around 11:35 p.m. local time, began after the man confronted the guard on duty. "They started a fight because the aggressor was too close and the soldier shot him at least four times with his handgun," CNN cited Soros as saying.

The unnamed soldier is in his early 20s and received non-life-threatening injuries to his left upper arm, said Soros. "He is in shock and in the hospital," he said.

The residence, which is guarded around the clock by a soldier from the Austrian army, had security cameras, but it is unknown if the incident was captured on video, said Soros.

It is not known whether Iranian Ambassador Ebadollah Molaei was inside the residence at the time of the attack.

Following the incident, Vienna police stepped up security in other diplomatic missions throughout the city. "We don't know if this is the only aggressor or if there are other people involved," Soros added.

Earlier this month, four people were stabbed in two separate knife attacks in the Austrian capital.Azerbaijan's President Ilham Aliyev and Georgian Prime Minister Giorgi Kvirikashvili held a meeting in Baku.

President Aliyev stressed the importance of the Georgian prime ministers visit to Azerbaijan, noting that relations between the two countries are developing at a high level.

Ilham Aliyev stated that the trade turnover between Georgia and Azerbaijan is increasing year after year, and Azerbaijan is Georgias top investor country.

"Im sure that your visit to Azerbaijan will contribute to the further development of relations between the two countries. We successfully cooperate in various fields. Im glad that the trade turnover between the two countries continues to grow. Azerbaijan has Georgias top investor country since 2012, which indicates that the investment climate in your country is one of the best. This also shows that bilateral relations stand at a high level," Ilham Aliyev noted.

The Azerbaijani president also touched on the projects of global importance, joined by Azerbaijan and Georgia.

"One of these projects is the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway, which was commissioned in October 2017. The implementation of the Southern Gas Corridor and TANAP projects will help raise our cooperation to a higher level," he added.

The president said that cooperation between Azerbaijan and Georgia is successful not only in the region, but also on a global level.

"Our cooperation further strengthens our friendship and fraternity. Im convinced that these warm relations will serve the well-being of our peoples in the future," Ilham Aliyev noted.Azerbaijans Foreign Ministry has handed a noted of protest to US State Department, the spokesman for Azerbaijans Foreign Ministry Hikmat Hajiyev said.

He stressed that Ambassador US Ambassador to the country Robert Cekuta received a note of protest in connection with the US visit of Bako Sahakyan, who calls himself the "president" of the illegal regime created in the occupied Azerbaijani territories, and the event promoting the fictitious regime in the US Congress,

According to the spokesman for Azerbaijans Foreign Ministry, the note reads that the fact that Bako Sahakyan, a resident of Khankendi town of Azerbaijans Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, has obtained a visa to enter the US territory by presenting false information with an Armenian passport and has been given a permit to hold events in corresponding US institutions aimed at promoting the illegal regime and raising funds in the US in order to aid the occupation of Azerbaijani territories runs contrary to the norms and principles of international law, the UN Security Council resolutions, bilateral documents signed between Azerbaijan and the US, and the US official position.

At the same time, this step by the US is regarded as an activity against the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Azerbaijan. "The note also says that the US must fulfill its commitments in compliance with the norms and principles of international law and prevent any action in its territory aimed against the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Azerbaijan," Report.az cited Hikmat Hajiyev as saying.

"On the one hand the US calls for a negotiated settlement of the conflict, and on the other hand, promotes the separatist regime and ignores illegal actions in Azerbaijans territories. All this raises serious questions about the impartiality and objectivity of the US," he added.

"This step of the US seriously undermines the negotiation process, serves to increase tensions in the region and seriously harms the efforts to ensure lasting peace and security. In response to this step of the US, Azerbaijan will adequately rely on the principle of reciprocity," the note says.Iranian authorities have recovered the 'black box' from a Turkish private jet that crashed in Iran while traveling from the United Arab Emirates to Istanbul, killing all 11 people onboard.

Officials also have recovered 10 bodies so far from the crash in the Zagros Mountains outside of the city of Shahr-e Kord, some 370 kilometers south of Tehran, IRNA news agency reported.

The flight took off Sunday from Sharjah in the UAE.

Sharjah civil aviation authorities say the planes eight passengers were six Turks and two Spaniards. Three others were the flight crew.Early voting in the Russian presidential election ended in the United States on Sunday. Russian nationals living in San Francisco, San Jose and Los Angeles were the last to cast their ballots, according to Russias Consulate General in Seattle, whose staff members organized the vote.

"There were no incidents in the first two cities. Everything went smoothly. In Los Angeles, everything was within reasonable bounds," TASS cited the Consulate General as saying.

Polling stations were arranged in ten US cities. Russian citizens were earlier able to vote in Boston (Massachusetts), Albany (New York), Philadelphia (Pennsylvania), Miami (Florida), Atlanta (Georgia), Chicago (Illinois) and Minneapolis (Minnesota).

To conduct voting in the United States on March 18, polling stations will open in the Russian diplomatic missions - in the Embassy in Washington, DC, the Consulates General in New York, Seattle (Washington) and Houston (Texas).

Russia's presidential election will be held on March 18.The European Union has officially prolonged restrictive measures against 150 persons and 38 entities from the Russian Federation for a further six months, until 15 September 2018, the EU Council said in a statement.

"On 12 March 2018, the Council prolonged the restrictive measures over actions undermining or threatening the territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of Ukraine for a further six months, until 15 September 2018. The measures consist of asset freezes and travel restrictions. They continue to apply to 150 persons and 38 entities," TASS cited the statement as saying.

The Council added that legal acts will be available in the EU Official Journal of 13 March 2018.

The political decision on extension of the current set of sanctions, which expires on March 15, was taken by ambassadors of 28 EU member-states on February 2.Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) have thwarted a twin suicide attack near the Pakistan border, killing both would-be bombers.

The assailants tried to attack a border outpost belonging to the Guard on Sunday night, one was using an explosive-laden truck and the other had a suicide belt, according to Sepahnews.com.

It says both assailants were killed. The explosions also wounded two Iranian forces at the Saravan border crossing in the southeastern Sistan-Baluchistan province.

The report didn't say whether the assailants had crossed into Iran from Pakistan.Groups of militants in Eastern Ghouta started an open confrontation after demanding that the opposition group Faylaq al-Rahman break ties with the internationally-condemned terrorist organization Jabhat al-Nusra, a representative of the Russian Center for Syrian Reconciliation, Maj. Gen. Vladimir Zolotukhin said.

"After the Center for Reconciliation demanded the immediate disengagement of the Faylaq al-Rahman group from the terrorist organization Jabhat al Nusra to discuss their further withdrawal from the region, the confrontation between the groups began. In the streets there are open battles between members of illegal armed formations; civilians are forced to seek shelter in order not to become victims of hostilities," Sputnik cited Zolotukhin as saying.

Earlier, representatives of the reconciliation center held negotiations with the leaders of the illegal armed group Faylaq al-Rahman, where they made the demand. The parties discussed issues related to withdrawal of the Jabhat al Nusra formations from Eastern Ghouta to Idlib as well as further destiny of the Faylaq al-Rahman group's members.The dependence of the ruble exchange rate on energy prices has declined, there are no grounds for expecting sharp fluctuations in the ruble exchange rate, Russia's Finance Minister Anton Siluanov said in an interview with the NTV channel.

"If our policy continues, no changes are expected," he predicted. "While there is no reason to talk about a sharp change in the ruble exchange rate," TASS cited the minister as saying.

If the Russian government does not send all of the additional oil and gas revenues to the budget, but put part of it in the National Welfare Fund, the volatility of the ruble will continue to decline, Siluanov said. The ruble exchange rate is stable, despite the fact that it is floating and the Bank of Russia does not interfere in trading on the currency exchange, he said. "Now the main increase in gold and foreign currency reserves is due to the Ministry of Finance's purchases at the expense of oil and gas revenues," the head of the department said. "We will continue such a policy," Siluanov concluded.

Recently, the ministry said it would decrease its daily purchases of foreign currency to the equivalent of 192.5 billion rubles ($3.37 billion) between March 7 and April 5, from 298.1 billion rubles purchased in the preceding period. In the preceding period, between Feb. 7 and March 6, the finance ministry's plan envisaged record-high purchases of foreign currency in amount of 298.1 billion rubles ($5.22 billion).

The head of the Financial Market Research Laboratory of the Gaidar Institute for Economic Policy, Mikhail Khromov, speaking to Vestnik Kavkaza, noted that the decline in the ruble exchange rate's dependence on oil prices was caused by the policy of the Ministry of Finance on sterilization of foreign exchange earnings.

"The dependence of the nominal exchange rate of the ruble on oil prices was clearly visible in the Urals average monthly data and the ruble/dollar exchange rate. It was the first time for a long time in 2017, when this dependence almost completely lost and oil price fluctuations during the year almost had no statistical effect on the ruble exchange rate. In my opinion, the main contribution to the termination of this dependence was made by the operations of the Ministry of Finance, which sterilized the surplus receipts of currency income, buying dollars for them, thereby negating the contribution of rising oil prices to strengthening of the ruble," he explained.

Siluanov's words about filling the National Welfare Fund with dollars pursued the same goal. "If now, against the backdrop of rising oil prices, the surplus of revenues is transformed through the operations of the Ministry of Finance into the demand for foreign currency, then if oil prices decline sharply, there will be a reverse movement, and then the Ministry of Finance will most likely not interfere with the weakening of the ruble. The Ministry of Finance's goals are preserving and filling of the budget with incomes that depend on the ruble exchange rate, which means that any strengthening of the ruble is against the revenue side of the budget," Mikhail Khromov emphasized.

The head of the department of stock markets and financial engineering of the Faculty of Finance and the Banking Business of RANEPA, Konstantin Korischenko, in turn, explained the decline in the ruble's dependence on oil by other factors. "In 2014-2015, fluctuations in the exchange rate were largely due to capital movements that created volatility in the ruble market. But now we have much less capital outflow, which has a positive effect on the ruble exchange rate. In addition, the current level of oil prices, which is consistently higher than $60 per barrel, is quite comfortable for the Russian budget," he said.

The transfer of funds to the National Welfare Fund is necessary to protect against the repetition of the 2014-2015 situation. "Plus, the National Welfare Fund influences the stabilization of the budget, thereby reducing the impact of the ruble's volatility on the overall macroeconomic situation," Konstantin Korishchenko concluded.Russia will open a special service center in Iran offering after sale assistance for air defence systems, Presidential Aide for Military Cooperation Vladimir Kozhin said.

"We are creating a special service center in Iran, where we supplied our air defense equipment ," he said, noting that the military technical cooperation to create Russian service centers "will be definitely developed."

In 2016, Russia supplied Iran with a S-300 defensive anti-aircraft missile system on a previously signed contract, RIA Novosti recalls.A wealthy Turkish socialite and her friends were among the 11 people killed on Sunday when a private plane bringing them home from a Dubai bachelorette party crashed into an Iranian mountainside.

The plane was owned by the private holding company of Turkish businessman Huseyin Basaran, and carried eight passengers and three crew, an official for Turkeys transport ministry said. Those on board included Basarans daughter Mina and seven of her friends, all flying back from a party ahead of her planned wedding next month.

"The wreck of the jet and the bodies are found. They will be carried down from the mountain when sun comes up. My condolences to those who lost their loved ones," the head of the Turkish Red Crescent, Kerem Kinik, said on Twitter, citing his Iranian sister organisation.

Kinik had earlier said there was "no chance" of any survivors, given the aircraft was a jet and it was flying in snowy weather, although he was unable to officially confirm fatalities, Reuters reported.United States will withdraw from the Iran nuclear deal if Germany, France and the United Kingdom do not meet its demands, US President Donald Trump told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during their White House meeting .

The president told Netanyahu that the three nations have only proposed "cosmetic changes" that dont go far enough, the Axios news outlet reported.

Trump is demanding "significant changes" to the Iran deal, not just additional agreements between the US and the European nations, and said he would pull out of the deal if those changes aren't made, Israeli officials told Axios.

Trump set May 12 as the deadline for reaching an agreement on how to change the Iran deal with the three European countries. If no consensus is reached by that date, Trump is expected to withdraw the US from the deal.HCM CITY  Sixty three per cent of businesses in Viet Nam believe the newly-signed Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) trade agreement will have a positive impact on their operations, according to an HSBC Group survey.

The survey, conducted between December 2017 and January 2018 by market research group Kantar TNS on behalf of HSBC of key decision makers at 6,033 eligible companies, sampled 26 markets around the globe, including six member countries of the CPTPP - Australia, Canada, Malaysia, Mexico, Singapore and Viet Nam.

Of around 1,000 firms based in these six markets, including 200 firms in Viet Nam, 46 per cent anticipate positive benefits from the trade agreement.

Winfield Wong, country head of Wholesale Banking, HSBC Viet Nam, said CPTPP is a big, ambitious deal for Viet Nam and it will greatly impact future growth, jobs and living standards.

Now is the time for both firms and the Government to focus on implementing the agreement to achieve its full potential. Its encouraging that many businesses are already expecting to see benefits.

The revised version of the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade agreement was signed on March 8 in Chile without the US after President Donald Trump withdrew from the deal in November 2017.

The pact now includes Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore and Viet Nam.

Across the 11 economies involved, recent estimates from the Peterson Institute for International Economics (PIIE) suggest trade flows will be boosted by 6 per cent to 2030, with members enjoying total real income gains of US$157 billion every year, HSBC noted.  VNSHA NOI  Viet Nams benchmark VN Index is forecast to struggle due to uncertain market sentiment this week, with eyes on the two exchange-traded funds (ETFs) set to finish reviewing their portfolios on March 16.

The benchmark index may struggle to surpass its short-term peak of 1,130 points, which has remained the intraday trading high for the index since January 2018.

The VN Index on the HCM Stock Exchange ended down 0.07 per cent on Friday to finish last week at 1,123.41 points. The benchmark index scored weekly growth of only 0.2 per cent after five up-and-down sessions.

The minor HNX Index on the Ha Noi Stock Exchange gained 1.14 per cent to close last week at 127.58 points, posting a 0.5 per cent decline after one trading week.

The UPCOM Index on the Unlisted Public Company Market (UPCoM) added 0.88 per cent to end Friday at 61.37 points, up 2 per cent week on week.

The volatile conditions of the market last week underlined uncertain investor confidence as investors were looking toward ETFs to announce their decision on portfolio reviews.

That created short rising waves for the benchmark index as it was pulled by strong investors demand within the trading sessions then fell back to the reference levels at the end of the days.

Large-cap stocks were mixed with property developer Vingroup (VIC), budget carrier Vietjet Air (VJC), dairy producer Vinamilk (VNM) and private-equity firm Masan (MSN) among the gainers.

Those stocks advanced total 9.5 per cent, 3.4 per cent, 4.3 per cent and 2.8 per cent respectively after a week while leading stocks in the banking-finance, energy and securities industries also rebounded.

Bao Viet Securities Company (BVSC) said the indices rebounded on Friday but still moved sideways, with trading volume below the moderate level and falling slightly in bullish sessions.

On average, more than 304.3 million shares were traded on Vietnamese stock market last week, worth VN8.5 trillion (US$378.2 million). The figures were up slightly from the previous week.

The trading conditions reflected the hesitation of investors as they increased profit-taking actions, especially when the VN Index retested its short-term peak in January, BVSC said.

The market is predicted to continue to move sideways with alternate ups and downs and cash inflows are likely to keep running into mid-cap and penny stocks in the next sessions, the brokerage firm said in its weekly report.

According to BIDV Securities Company (BSC), the benchmark VN Index may trade sideways in the coming week as investors still eye the ETFs portfolio reviews, which will end on March 16, and re-direct cash from large-cap stocks to mid- and small-cap shares.

The VNM ETF would add 8.7 million shares of Vincom Retail (VRE) to its investment portfolio. Vincom Retail shares will account for 5 per cent of the total volume of the investment fund.

The recent volatility also came as the market was lacking both macroeconomic and corporate news, with the market outlook set to remain unchanged until the end of April, Nguyen Hong Khanh, head of market analysis at Sacombank Securities Company, told tinnhanhchungkhoan.vn.

At the moment, there is not much positive news to lift the market, therefore, the benchmark index will settle at its current level for the next few weeks and will improve strongly based on leading corporates first-quarter earnings, he said.

Sai Gon-Ha Noi Securities Company (SHS) warned that investors should be careful given current risky conditions in both domestic and international markets.  VNSPrime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc speaks at the 10th annual meeting of investors conference in Nghe An on Saturday. VNA/VNS Photo Thong Nhat

NGHE AN  Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has asked the central province of Nghe An to work harder to double its economic revenues by 2025, to ensure its becoming a locality generating high incomes throughout the region.

The Government leader made the request while addressing the 10th annual meeting of investors conference in Nghe An on Saturday, which drew a large number of domestic firms and foreign businesses from various countries, including Thailand, Japan, the Republic of Korea and Australia.

Lauding the local governments efforts and strong determination to attract investment, the Prime Minister said that Nghe Ans experience is also helpful for other localities in promoting investments.

He noted that the determination of both the local government and investors has made Nghe An an attractive destination for businesses with large projects, showing the positive combination between domestic and foreign-invested capital resources.

The PM noted that Nghe An has a number of favourable qualities encouraging development in all fields, including its location as a transit point for the northern and southern economic regions, as well as having a population of nearly four million.

The province ranked 25th out of 63 localities in the 2016 provincial competitiveness index, seven positions higher than 2015, he noted, adding that many other indications, including those on market engagement and labour training, also increased.

However, the provinces performance in unofficial costs and land use remained modest, he noted, asking the locality to continue improving its investment and business environment, in a bid to lure more investors.

The PM also urged Nghe An Province to continue building a dynamic, action-oriented and dialogue-willing government with better services for investors, while fully implementing commitments with investors and remaining prepared to respond to their requests.

Nghe An should join neighbouring Thanh Hoa and Ha Tinh provinces to create growth with modern industry and smart agriculture, and play the role of the driving force for the inclusive growth of the northern central region and, in the near future, for the country as a whole.

He underlined that the province needs to tap its advantages in location to draw more investment, technology and high quality human resources, while encouraging and creating favourable conditions for the growth of support industries and other related sectors.

Although industry and services play a more important role in the economy, Nghe An Province should comprehensively develop agriculture, with the focus on biological, organic and hi-tech agriculture, considering it a strength and a firm basis for the locality to grow sustainably, PM Phuc said.

Further, the locality should pay attention to early upgrading of the Thanh Thuy border gate and Vinh airport, to offer international flights, to attract investment from the private sector, especially in the infrastructure of industrial zones, seaports and airports, and work to hasten the progress of a highway project that will help reduce the travel time from Ha Noi to Nghe An to 2.5 hours.

The Government leader stressed the need for the province to improve the quality of education and carry out policies to draw investment in high-quality universities and vocational schools in the fields of information technology, bio-technology, and manufacturing technology, as well as encourage the involvement of both domestic and foreign intellectuals in economic development.

He also requested ministries to study and submit to the Government appropriate policies and mechanisms to connect the north central and central economic regions, along with Nghe An, in particular, to mobilise the maximum resources and improve the business and investment environment in order to help Nghe An and neighbouring Ha Tinh Province to grow stronger in the future.

He also asked investors to realise their commitments, combine economic development with environmental protection, and ensure the interests of labourers.

This years conference continued to attract numerous large investment projects in Nghe An. The province granted investment licences to nine projects, and signed 16 memoranda of understanding on investment cooperation, with a total registered capital of VN13.1 trillion (US$576.4 million).

The Bank for Investment and Development of Viet Nam (BIDV) and the Sai Gon-Ha Noi Commercial Joint Stock Bank (SHB) handed over three agreements providing credits worth VN800 billion.

On the same day, the Government leader offered incentives at the ong Loc T-junction Relic Site to commemorate the then female youth volunteers who died while on duty at the T-junction during wartime in Can Loc District, Ha Tinh Province.

He also paid tribute to late President Ho Chi Minh at the Nghe Ans Kim Lien historical site.  VNS

In box

Work starts on $1-billion industrial zone in Nghe An

Deputy Prime Minister Vuong inh Hue attended a groundbreaking ceremony for the WHA Hemaraj Nghe An Industrial Zone project in the central province on Saturday.

This is an important project for attracting investment in the province, marking the success of co-operation between the province and Hemaraj Group, as well as Thai enterprises.

The project has a total investment of some VN22 trillion (nearly US$1 billion), covering an area of over 3,200ha in Nghi Loc and Dien Chau districts.

The first phase of the project has an investment of $92.2 million and an area of 498ha, aiming to build a synchronised and modern infrastructure, and prepare empty land to attract investors inside and outside the country.

Once operational, the industrial zone is expected to create more jobs and improve incomes for locals, and help shift the local economic structure and increase the proportion of industrial production in Nghe An.  VNSHA NOI  HCM Stock Exchange has announced the results of registration for the shares auction of Viet Nam Southern Food Corporation (Vinafood 2).

Up to 114,831,000 shares will be put up for sale for the first time in the run-up to the initial public offering (IPO), at a starting price of VN10,100 (44 US cents) per share. The IPO is scheduled to take place at 9am on March 14.

Forty one investors registered to take part in the auction, including 31 domestic investors and 10 foreign investors.

The total registered volume was 115,603,300 shares, of which 115,096,500 shares were from domestic investors.

According to the equitisation plan of Vinafood 2, the charter capital after equitisation will be VN5 trillion, of which the State will hold 255 million shares, representing 51 per cent of the charter capital.

The number of shares offered in the IPO is over 114.8 million, representing 22.97 per cent of the charter capital. Nearly five million shares will be sold to employees, equivalent to 0.99 per cent of the charter capital. The stake sold to the trade union organisation at the enterprise is 200,000 shares, representing 0.04 per cent of the charter capital.  VNSAfter stopping car exports to Viet Nam for more than a month, Japanese auto giant Honda Motor suddenly decided to import around 2,000 vehicles from Thailand in early March.  Photo tuoitre.vn

Complied by Thien Ly

After stopping car exports to Viet Nam for more than a month, Japanese auto giant Honda Motor suddenly decided to import around 2,000 vehicles from Thailand in early March.

This is the first batch of automobiles exempt from import tax under the ASEAN Trade in Goods Agreement (ATIGA) to be imported into Viet Nam.

ASEAN groups Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Viet Nam.

Ly Thanh Binh, head of customs at HCM Citys Hiep Phuoc Port, confirmed that Honda cars including Jazz, Accord, CR-V and Civic were unloaded at the port on March 1. The vehicles will be sold in one or two months after they undergo several mandatory tests as part of the customs clearance process.

In January, Toyota Motor and Honda decided to suspend exports to Viet Nam saying they are unable to meet Viet Nams stringent checks of imported vehicles under the new Decree 116.

The decree on the production, assembly, import and warranty of automobiles was issued just as Viet Nam eliminated tariffs on automobiles imported from ASEAN members.

It requires all models of imported vehicles to obtain a Vehicle Type Approval certificate from authorities in the exporting countries.

The new rule also requires emission and safety tests to be done on every batch of automobiles imported. In the past, only the first shipment of a model was tested.

Many auto giants from Japan and the US have expressed concern, saying it would be difficult to meet the requirements.

Some also said the new requirements would cause a huge waste of time and money for importers since one emission test could take two months and cost up to US$10,000.

The decree is aimed at strengthening quality checks and protecting the local industry.

The fact that Honda resumed exports to Viet Nam proves that car importers can remove the biggest obstacles like the above-said things that they were facing as they want to import the vehicles under the new regulations.

Honda had Vehicle Type Approval certificates granted by Thailand where the cars were produced.

Analysts said Hondas decision to resume exports to Viet Nam should be considered a big factor for the Vietnamese auto market. This was because after Honda, other companies would also be able to receive similar certificates like Honda to bring their cars back to Viet Nam.

Because of this, car imports from other countries such as Indonesia and Malaysia are also expected to soon come to Viet Nam.

The return of Honda and other companies including Ford and Toyota in the near future is expected to drag prices significantly lower, thus fulfilling Vietnamese consumers dream of buying cars at lower prices.

According to an official announcement from Honda Vietnam, its compact SUV Honda CR-V is now listed at VN958 million ($42,076) to VN1.068 billion ($46,907), depending on the model and specifications.

Compared to their earlier prices, when a 30 per cent tax was in place, the 1.5E and 1.5G models are cheaper by VN178 million ($7,818) and VN188 million ($8,257).

However, market observers said though tariffs on automobiles imported from ASEAN were eliminated over two months ago, car prices have shown no signs of coming down.

Some have even seen their prices rise.

They blamed this on not only a shortage of vehicles on the market but also the increasing cost of importing cars under the new rules.

The shortage is understandable since only Honda of those that do not assemble in the country have gone through the new import rigmarole. Meanwhile, the number of assembled cars has also decreased because of lack of components imported from abroad, meaning supply has been unable to meet demand.

Truong Hai Auto Joint Stock Company has hiked the prices of many models after making some cuts before Tet (Vietnam Lunar New Year) in mid-February.

Consequently, the prices of its Mazda cars are up by VN30-50 million. The Nissan Navara saw its prices cut by VN10-20 million before Tet, but is now back to its earlier rates.

Housing allure remains for overseas Vietnamese

According to statistics from the World Bank, overseas remittances to the country last year were worth at $13.8 billion, up 20 per cent from 2016.

This year, they are expected to go up by 5-7 per cent.

Analysts said overseas remittances would continue to provide a vital impetus to the economy, especially to the property sector.

The State Bank of Viet Nam said around 71 per cent of remittances went into business, and 21-22 per cent into the real estate sector.

This means that on average every year, the sector gets an infusion of around $2.5 billion.

Experts said the remittances are a reliable and steady source of foreign currency, and help keep foreign reserves buoyant.

An executive at Savills Vietnams international residential sales department pointed out that by nature remittances are a one-way source of funding and could match or exceed foreign direct investment and foreign portfolio investment.

Now they play an important role in economic growth. There are millions of Vietnamese living in the US, Europe and Asia, and a growing number of them are finding their way home to work, invest or retire.

A thriving economy, constantly improving business environment and laws that allow overseas Vietnamese to own houses in Viet Nam are the reasons why they are investing in the housing sector.

Experts said the housing market now offers favourable conditions for overseas Vietnamese to make profits.

It has a wide range of products of high quality and reasonable prices, meeting overseas Vietnamese investors every demand, whether investment, settling down in the country or working.

According to Savills Vietnam, safety, security and after-sales services are also factors that overseas Vietnamese and other foreign customers consider when buying a house in addition to location, price, convenience, architecture and design.

It is undeniable that the attractiveness of the housing market has contributed to increasing remittances to Viet Nam in the last few years.

According to the State Bank of Viet Nams HCM City branch, around 50 per cent of remittances to Viet Nam are to the southern metropolis.

Around 22 per cent of the remittances to the city of $5.2 billion went into the housing market.

Experts said to stabilise the flow of remittances into the country and into the real estate sector, the Government should offer incentives like low fees.

They also stressed the need to make the housing market more transparent and efficiently provide market information to overseas Vietnamese.

They wanted the Government to have tough measures to prevent the frequent occurrence of price fever in the housing market.

They also called on real estate developers to carefully study overseas Vietnamese and foreigners housing needs and improve the quality of their products and services.  VNS

QUANG NAM  A local resident in central Quang Nam Provinces ong Giang District has handed over a red-shanked douc langur (pygathrix nemaeus) to the districts forest management unit, according to local authorities.

Co Lau Deo, from A Ting Commune, bought the primate from a local person last month. The primate looked weak, so he brought it home to take care of it, according to inh Viet Khanh, head of the forest management unit.

After the primates health improved, Deo decided to hand it over to the local authorities for better care.

The primate is still small and has got used to living with humans, so it will face problems if it is immediately released in the forest. Therefore, local forest rangers will continue raising it for a short period before releasing it in the wild, Khanh told VnExpress online newspaper.

The primate is listed in the IIB group as endangered in the Red Book of Viet Nam and is on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN)s Red List of Threatened Species.

It can also be found in Laos and Cambodia, according to IUCN.

Hunting is a major threat to the species, most often used for subsistence and traditional medicines. It is also sold in the international pet trade. Destruction of its natural habitat is another threat to the species, according to IUCN.  VNSNGHE AN  A series of cultural festivities are being held across the central coastal province of Nghe An during the first month of the lunar new year, of which the fish-worshipping festival at Con Temple in Quynh Luu District is one of the highlights.

Con Temple is believed to be the most beautiful place where the fish-worshipping festival is held, including many sacred traditions, local residents and authority officials have said.

The Con Temple fish-worshipping festival is a very special cultural and historical event in Nghe An, which has been preserved by local people and fishermen in Hoang Mai Town for hundreds of years with the hope of welcoming a new year of prosperity and safe fishing at sea, as well as health and happiness.

Currently, Hoang Mai Town has nearly 500 fishing boats, more than 5,000 sea fishermen and thousands of other local people performing inland work such as purchasing and processing fish products.

This year, Hoang Mai authorities organised the two-day temple festival on January 20-21 of the lunar calendar, or March 7-8 of the solar calendar, with many activities featuring the life and work of fishermen in the coastal countryside of Nghe An Province.

The festival begins in the very early morning with crowds of people gathering at the main temple to perform the feast. They offered incense and prayed for their fishing ancestors to support them in the coming fishing season. After that, they began marching to the beach adjacent to the two communes of Quynh Lien and Quynh Phuong to focus on the major activities of fish-worship.

Attendees banged gongs and drums, accompanied by young people cheering and carrying a palanquin towards the sea.

Nothing fishy: As part of the Con Temple fish-worshipping festival, young people carry a palanquin towards the sea.  VNA/VNS Photo Ta Chuyen

The young, most of whom are the strongest fishermen, tossed the palanquin over the high waves and chanted local slogans. The noise contributed to a sense of excitement for the participants.

When people were marching towards the beach close to the temple, a team of fishermen conducted ritual praying for good weather, safety and luck.

The ritual praying ended after a group of young fishermen tried to plunder the worship items and distribute them to others.

This act was traditionally meant to show the fishermens desire for fortune, health and prosperity in the new year.

In parallel with the inland march, eight fishing boats decorated by the fishermen were also dispatching sailing towards the sea under the direction of the president of the fishermens union. The boats were sailing at a distance of 50 metres from each other, from the main temple to the sea and back again.

Bui Van Chinh, 70, an old fisherman from Quynh Phuong Ward said he and his relatives participated in the festival every year as it was a very important spiritual activity in their profession.

The festival at Con Temple is one of the most important ritual activities for my family and others because it strengthens our belief in our ancestors support for our career. said Chinh.

To Huy Hung, vice chairman of Hoang Mai Towns Peoples Committee and chief organiser of the festival, said Con Temple was one of the most sacred shrines in Nghe An Province thus it attracted thousands of visitors.

The visitors also joined in with locals at the festival, Hung said.

They offered incense and admired the traditional fishing culture of the people of coastal Hoang Mai Town, he added.

Con Temple, honouring the four thanh nuong (goddesses), was built in the 12th century under the Tran Dynasty, and was developed in the Le period, before undergoing significant restoration under the Nguyen Dynasty.

The cultural authorities of Hoang Mai Town are actively promoting local people to preserve the traditional culture of the Con Temple festival, at the same time making it central to tourism development, according to a local authority official.  VNSPARIS  A leading Paris gallery has thrown prudishness to the winds by announcing it will welcome nudist visitors in May.

The Palais de Tokyo, a contemporary art centre situated across the Seine river from the Eiffel Tower, has teamed up with the Paris Naturists Association to organise a free tour on May 5.

The guided tour will take place in the morning before the centre opens to the general public.

"When the doors open the Palais will be clothed again," Dolores Gonzales, the gallerys spokeswoman said on Friday, adding that the event aimed to showcase the centres "openness".

The places were snapped up in under two days, revealing the growing appetite for naturism in the French capital.

Last year, Parisian nudists got their own designated patch in the Bois de Vincennes park as well as their own restaurant, named Onaturel. AFPHA NOI  Well-known Vietnamese designer Le Thanh Hoa will transform a 50m-long luxurious cruiser into a ramp for his upcoming fashion show.

The event, which will be held on April 20 in Ha Long Bay in the northern province of QuangNinh, will introduce to fashionistas Hoas Spring-Summer 2018 Collection and is touted to be the designers best fashion show of the year.

Hoa said he had nurtured the idea of organising a show in the backdrop of the worlds natural heritage for a long time.

I would love to contemplate the models displaying my designs in the vast open sea, among the imposing and poetic landscape, Hoa said. All of his designs, worn by 15 models, will manifest the liberating and strong yet romantic elements of nature.

At the end of the show, visitors can enjoy dinner and spend the night on the luxury cruiser. The producers of the show expect to offer the visitors a new experience, combining fashion show, holiday and tourism.

Hoa said there would only be 100 exclusive invitees to the show, including renowned Vietnamese models - Miss Vietnam 2016 o My Linh, Miss Universe Viet Nam HHen Nie and first runner-up of Miss Viet Nam 2014 Nguyen Tran Huyen My, all of whom have adorned Hoas designs in recent years.

The 33-year-old designer graduated with top marks from the Industrial Arts Department of the University of Architecture, Ho Chi Minh City. He entered the fashion world after winning the third prize in First Collection contest, organised by Muc Tim newspaper, and the first prize in Pure Fashion Design contest in 2009.

Hoa has participated in major Vietnamese fashion shows, including ep Fashion Show, Elle Show or Viet Nam International Fashion Week.

The ball gown worn by the newly-crowned Miss International Queen 2018, Vietnamese transwoman Huong Giang, is one of Hoas designs.  VNSVu Anh Minh, chairman of the Viet Nam Railways Corporation.  Photo vneconomy.vn

Vu Anh Minh, chairman of the Viet Nam Railways Corporation speaks to the Thoi bao kinh te Viet Nam (Viet Nam Economic Times) about how to attract private investment into the national railway sector

Could you tell us about the corporations restructuring during 2017-20?

The corporation has already finished the first phase of its restructure plan by downsizing the manufacturing side of the corporation, focusing on improving commodities transportation and cutting the ratio of charter capital in its companies. The charter capital it holds in railway companies will be reduced to 51 per cent. This is believed to offer more of a chance for the private sector to participate in the railway sector.

By 2020, as scheduled, the corporation will continue its second-phase restructuring by concentrating on improving labour productivity and merging companies. For example, the corporation schedules to merge two transport companies currently based in Ha Noi and Sai Gon into one company. The corporation also projects calling on the private sector to invest in order to raise the quality of stations, platforms and carriages.

The corporation has proposed to the Ministry of Transport to allow private investment in Sai Gon Railway Station. Is there an investor currently?

Actually, the Southern Airports Services Joint Stock Company has asked to work with the corporation to upgrade both the first and second floors of the Sai Gon Railway Station to better sever the increasing demand of passengers. Services, including convenience stores, coffee shops, restaurants and the lounge will be improved. The company will pay an amount to the corporation each year so that it could run the service at the train station over a five-year term. The contract will be extended every five years.

The corporation is calling upon other investors, especially investors that prove good management capacity, to reach the long-term target of improving customer service at the station. The long-term target is to offer passengers a space where they can go shopping as well as spend time before and after travelling by train.

The corporation has recently inaugurated six high-quality trains. Thus, we also need equally high customer service for passengers.

Previously, the railway sector also attempted to attract private investment to a Nang Railway Station but failed because the amount of investment capital was too high and the potential profit did not prove attractive to investors.

The railway sector has attempted to call upon private investment in Yen Vien Train Stations inland container depot (ICD) for two years and has shown initial success. Could you name some other ICDs targeted for private investment?

The railway sector has submitted to the Ministry of Transport a plan to construct some inland container depots in train stations of Song Than in Binh Duong Province; Dieu Tri in Binh inh Province; ong ang in Lang Son Province; ong Anh in Ha Noi. Other ICDs could be constructed in localities of Ha Nam, Thanh Hoa, Lao Cai and Vinh in the future.

[ICDs are dry ports equipped for handling and temporary storage of container cargo.]

The corporation is planning to work with investors to effectively run the ICDs and then create a reliable logistics service. It is not hard to call on investment to build ICDs. The hard thing is how to attract more goods containers to deposit at the ICDs. It will help bring additional profit to the railway sector. Sai Gon Newport Corporation is believed to be the best option for the railway sector to provide good logistical services in the near future.  VNSHCM CITY  Inviting all Vietnamese citizens to experience the different flavours of Indian culture, cuisine and nature was the theme of a tourism-promotion event that was held by the Consulate General of India in HCM City.

The event, named Visit India in 2018, was organised in the city last Friday, attended by representatives of the citys Department of Tourism, Vietnamese and Indian tourism enterprises, and other relevant agencies.

It called on the travel industries from both sides to boost the bilateral people-to-people exchange in line with the guidance given by the leaders of the two countries.

Speaking at the event, Indian Consul General K. Srikar Reddy in Viet Nam highlighted the historical and civilisational links between two countries. He said:Viet Nam is a strong pillar of Indias Act-East Policy.

The longstanding India-Viet Nam ties are based on strong mutual trust, understanding and a convergence of views on various regional and international issues.

Over the years, there has been regular exchanges of high level visits between the two countries.

The leaders of both countries have agreed to intensify cooperation in the fields of culture, tourism and people-to-people exchange while widening and deepening cultural and historical ties.

Tourism has been identified as a priority area for cooperation.

Last year, foreign tourist arrivals in India were 10.17 million, an increase of 15.6 per cent compared to 2016.

Meanwhile, the number of Vietnamese visiting India has increased 60 per cent during the last five years.

Nguyen Thi Anh Hoa, deputy director of the HCM Citys Department of Tourism, said the city welcomed about 57,000 Indian visitors last year, an increase of 10.4 per cent over 2016.

India is renowned for its cultural, historical, religious and natural heritage, and offers unique experiences unparalleled by any other country in the world.

The country attracts tourists thanks to its diverse traditions, life styles, colorful fairs and festivals, geographical diversity, attractive beaches, 36 World Heritage sites and 25-bio-geographic zones.

According to World Travel and Tourism Councils research, the worlds 10 fastest growing destinations for leisure-travel spending in the period of 2016-26 will be India, followed by Viet Nam, China, Thailand and other countries.  VNSHA NOI  Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc together with his spouse and a high-level delegation left Ha Noi on March 11 to visit New Zealand from March 11-14 at the invitation of New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern.

The Vietnamese PM will also visit Australia and attend the ASEAN-Australia Special Summit in Sydney from March 14-18 at the invitation of Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull.

PM Phuc will be accompanied by several high-ranking Government officials, including Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh, National Assembly Vice Chairman Uong Chu Luu, Minister-Chairman of the Government Office Mai Tien Dung, Minister of Planning and Investment Nguyen Chi Dung, Minister of Trade and Industry Tran Tuan Anh, Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Nguyen Xuan Cuong, Minister of Science and Technology Chu Ngoc Anh and Minister of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs ao Ngoc Dung, among others.

Viet Nam and New Zealand established diplomatic relations in 1975. Viet Nam is New Zealands 16th largest trade partner with the two-way trade hitting US$1.2 billion in 2017. The two nations hope to raise bilateral trade to $1.7 billion by 2020.

Viet Nam and Australia celebrated the 45th anniversary of their diplomatic ties early this year.

The two nations enjoy sound bilateral trade with average annual growth standing at 12.5 per cent and trade value exceeding $9 billion in 2017. Australia has 378 projects valued at $1.7 billion in Viet Nam, focusing on industry and construction, services, education, processing industry and agro-forestry-fisheries.

Viet Nam and Australia are expected to elevate their relationship to a strategic partnership during Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phucs visit.  VNSThe HCM City Department of Health has instructed health divisions in districts to soon create a comprehensive system to prevent accidents and related injuries even as the city reported 45 people died in accidents last year. Photo thanhnien.vn

HCM CITY  The HCM City Department of Health has instructed health divisions in districts to soon create a comprehensive system to prevent accidents and related injuries even as the city reported 45 people died in accidents last year.

A total of 86,885 people had faced all kinds of accidents, according to the department which heads a programme for the prevention of injuries and accidents.

It is the first time the department, which recently began using IT for this purpose, has released this figure.

Traffic accidents topped the list of accidents with 29,789 cases followed by falls with 28,802, and workplace accidents with 9,973.

Traffic accidents, drowning and choking remain the leading causes of injuries to children.

Speaking at a meeting to review the programme to prevent accidents in HCM City last week, Dr Nguyen Huu Hung, the departments deputy head, ordered all hospitals and clinics in the city to work with media to publish the exact number of accidents as a warning to the public.

The programme board should work with local authorities to enhance public training in emergency aid, he said.

It should pay particular attention to preventing accidents among old people, who are in the high-risk group for falls, he said.

The programme staff should provide guidance on how to take care of seniors in the community, he said.

They should also teach parents with young children first aid because kids are prone to choking on foods and swallowing dangerous items, he said.

In such cases, timely first aid to clear the airway could save lives, he said.

In January, a seven-year-old girl in Binh Tan District died after choking on fried fish balls. The girl was not provided with proper first aid when she choked, according to doctors at the Paediatrics Hospital 1.

The programme on prevention of accidents is part of a national community plan for prevention of accidents, which educates people in preventive methods, reports accidents, and is developing a prevention network.

The plan envisages making Viet Nam a safe destination by 2020.  VNSAN GIANG  Despite ups and downs throughout history, many artisans in the Mekong Delta province of An Giangs Thoai Son District have spared no effort in promoting the arts of stone carving, which has been handed down over many generations.

The districts craft of carving stone into ornate figures and shapes dates back hundreds of years, stemming from the exploitation of stone for construction and making household goods.

Local artisans gradually moved to more artistic endeavors, including products such as mortars, censers, tombstones, statues and other decorative items. With their high skills, the craftsmen would transform lifeless stone into exquisite items full of abstract and lively images.

Le Trong Son, from Thoai Giang Commune, told the Thanh nien (Young People) newspaper that his family has lived from the craft of stone carving for three generations.

My father used to make tombstones and mortars. But I have moved to carve stone more artistically, he said.

Before 2000, 80 per cent of local people living around Sap Mountain in Thoai Son District made a living from the exploitation and carving of stone. However, local authorities banned the exploitation of stone in 2001 to protect the mountain from collapse due to over-exploitation. Hundreds of thousands of tonnes of stone were exploited each year.

Since that decision, many people were forced to change their line of work.

Son was one of the few local artisans in the district who tried to continue promoting the craft.

Son, along with seven other artisans from his group, often makes stone products following customers orders, producing stone carvings ranging from simple to sophisticated designs.

They also carve stone products for decoration and display such as statues. Through their talented and skillful hands, inanimate stones are turned into lively works of art.

My products are not always for sale. Sometimes I just try to create unique products for display or simply to satisfy my passion for this craft, he said.

I have visited many craft villages in different localities to learn from other stone carving artisans, he added.

His groups products have gradually earned the admiration of customers around the country. Many customers place orders for stone products, including decorative items such as ornamental plant pots, stone sculptures and water fountains, as well as spiritual ones like Buddha statues and objects for worship.

Finding stone

Finding stone to make products is not easy, according to oan Trung Tinh, another artisan in Thoai Son District.

It is necessary to carefully check the stone when you find one, particularly its veins and colour as well as its structure to see whether it could change colour or not. If not, a big stone can become useless, he told the newspaper.

Local artisans have also had to go to other localities to find acceptable stone for their products. Tinh is carving a statue from a 15-tonne stone which he said he bought from southern Kien Giang Province.

Stone quality is very important, it determines the value of each product, he said.

Tinh recalled that he used to make simple stone products such as tables and chairs. He then gradually learned from others to make more intricate and complex designs.

However, not many people in the district still stick to the craft like Son and Tinh due to the shortage and increasing cost of stones.

Stone carving is hard but I still try to keep the craft alive, Son said.  VNSQUANG NAM  We convey our apology to the Vietnamese people. Please, forgive us, even if our apology is not sufficient for all Vietnamese people and residents of Ha My Village.

The president of the Korea-Vietnam Peace Foundation, Kang U-Il, gave an emotional speech at an event marking 50 years since a massacre committed by South Korean soldiers in Ha My Tay Village, in the central province of Quang Nam, on Sunday.

A group of 41 members from the foundation, a member of the Korean National Assembly, Korean writers, organisations, local residents and relatives of victims attended a ceremony and visited the monument dedicated to the massacre in the village.

The killings occurred on the 24th of the first lunar month, 1968, in Ha My Village, when South Korean soldiers attacked and killed 135 unarmed civilians including the elderly and new born babies. The monument records the oldest victim as being 88 years old, while the youngest was just a few months.

The massacre happened 50 years ago and Vietnamese people have had the chance to heal their wounds. Many Korean people still do not know the truth of the massacre in the village and central Viet Nam. Our hearts break when recalling the killings of Ha My villagers 50 years ago, Kang U-Il said.

Il, who is a Catholic priest, said he and members of the foundation will tell all Korean people the truth of the massacre, and call for an apology from the Korean people to Viet Nam and villagers of Ha My.

A group of 41 members of the Korea-Vietnam Peace Foundation express their apologies to Vietnamese people and Ha My Village in Quang Nam Province on the 50th anniversary of a massacre committed by South Korean soldiers in the village. 135 unarmed civilians were killed.  VNS Photo Cong Thanh

Kim Hyun Kwon, a member of the Korea National Assembly, also expressed his emotions when he joined the commemoration for the first time.

We were anxious and fearful with thought of facing the true story of the massacre. But we want to bravely say sorry to the Vietnamese people and victims of Ha My for the killing, Kim told the media (through an interpreter) in an interview at the ceremony.

I think that the Korean Government should issue an official apology to the Vietnamese people, and they (Korean Government) need to come to victims of the massacre and say sorry to them, he said.

Kim said he had spent a year preparing and arranging to visit the village.

He said that as a member of the national assembly of Korea, he would call on the Korean Government to apologise to the Vietnamese people.

He said many Korean people asked me to send their apologies to the Vietnamese people before visiting Viet Nam.

Twenty-six wreaths from Korean organisations and individuals, as well as veteran Jeong Gyu Tae, were sent to commemorate the massacre.

Hoang Thi Thu, 86, a rare survivor of the massacre recalled how she and her two children (one boy and one girl) were attacked by Korean soldiers.

Thus left leg was injured by shrapnel from a grenade launched by Korean soldiers during the mass killing on that day.

It was a bloody day. A peaceful village was shaken by explosions, gunfire and frightened screams. Many villagers were still celebrating after Tet (Lunar New Year) holiday, and they gathered at relatives houses, but its really a devastating morning for all of us, Thu recalled in tears.

That day is still memorialised as an annual anniversary of the deaths of 135 villagers.

Hoang Thi Thu, 88, and Korean Yeo Eun-jong join the commemoration of the 50th anniversary of a massacre in Ha My Vilage.  VNS Photo Cong Thanh

Nguyen Coi, 74, who managed to escape the massacre by hiding in a tunnel, recalled he heard gunfire and the screams of villagers.

I could hear gunfire and explosions very clearly from the tunnel. I could not leave my shelter to save relatives as I would have been killed by gunfire, Coi recalled.

He said he left the tunnel to find his mother and young brother and sister when everything was quiet later in the evening.

My mother, my younger brother (seven years old) and aunt were found dead, while my younger sister, Nguyen Thi Thanh (11 years old) was seriously wounded, the old man said.

Thanh, who is now 61, managed to recover from her injuries.

Thanh was invited by the Korea-Vietnam Peace Foundation to talk as a victim of the massacre in Korea this April.

An Geon-mo, who joined the commemoration, said his older brother joined the war in Viet Nam as a soldier stationed in HCM City.

He told me that a group of Korean soldiers (who took part in the massacre) had talked about it. They (Korean soldiers) said they had killed many Vietnamese, but were not sure if they were Vietnamese soldiers or civilians, An Geon-mo said.

Yeo Eun-jong, who is a university graduate, said she has visited Viet Nam three times, and learned about the massacre during her trips.

I did not know about the killings by Korean soldiers in Viet Nam, but I paid more visits to join the commemorations in central Viet Nam. I will tell the truth of the killings to Korean people, Yeo said.

The Korea-Vietnam Peace Foundation, which was established in 1999, aimed to begin a Sorry to Vietnamese people campaign among Koreans, and ask for an official apology.

Thousands of people were killed in a series of massacres by Korean soldiers during the war in central provinces of Viet Nam between 1966 and 1971.

In 2015, the Korea-Vietnam Peace Foundation donated 52 items and the Viet Nam Pieta statue to a Nang Citys museum.

The statue commemorated 41 years since the end of the Viet Nam War, and was created to call on the South Korean government to take responsibility for massacres of Vietnamese civilians by South Korean troops during the American War in Viet Nam.  VNSHA NOI  In two years time, a national land database will be completed and information on land from the smallest administrative unit to the central level would be available.

The public will also be able to access the database, said the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MONRE) during a conference on the model and software for operating the national land information system held last week in Ha Noi.

The moving of land records from paper to digital format is part of the Viet Nams e-Government programme, signifying the Vietnamese Governments latest attempt to catch up with the digital age and the advent of the fourth industrial revolution.

The land database is not just an archive of information, it will also serve as a crucial tool for State management and satisfy the demands to access land information as well as land policies of all organisations, businesses and the public in a transparent, objective and convenient manner.

The land database would also serve to make sure that efforts to reform administrative procedures by various ministries and State agencies  especially between the environment ministry, tax and customs bureaus  will be conducted in sync with each other.

Therefore, aside from consolidating land-related policies and legal frameworks, as well as planning and financial tools, the modernisation of the cadastral document system, as well as building the land database and national land information system are top priorities on the ministrys upcoming agenda, said minister Tran Hong Ha from the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment.

Minister Ha said that in addition to initial investment from the State, in order to speed up the process, all resources from society  including both foreign and domestic tech companies working in service and IT infrastructure fields  will be mobilised under various models including Build-Transfer (BT) and Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT) to make sure that the database can cover all areas and be accessed with ease from everywhere in the country, as the ministry aims towards effective socialisation of the currently State-managed land information provision service.

At the conference, experts and businesses discussed optimal ways to build the land database, with user experience remaining among the top concerns  how to make the information portal such that even those without advanced knowledge of IT could easily browse the portal and make use of the service.

ao Trung Chinh, deputy director general of the General Department of Land Administration (GDLA) under MONRE, said that the Government and the ministry itself has issued several legal frameworks providing details on the building of national land database and land information system. In addition, the ministry is submitting to the Government for review two decrees on land e-transactions and on regulations for the building, operating, and use of the land information system, as well as other accompanying circulars to help clarify the decrees.

According to Chinh, the deployment of the land information system must be consistent across all 63 municipalities and provinces in the country. The technology must also be transferred to land registration offices in these localities to ensure full exploitation of the product, he added.  VNSONG NAI  The Peoples Committee of southern ong Nai Province on Sunday decided to spend VN1.4 billion (US$61,500) from its budget to pay for the social insurance of workers of a garment company.

The director of KL Texwell Vina has fled to South Korea.

Nguyen Hoa Hiep, vice chairwoman of the committee, said the payment aimed to make the workers eligible for unemployment insurance benefits.

KL Texwell Vina is a fully owned South Korean company. It registered with Vietnamese authorities in December 2015 with a charter capital of VN100 billion ($4.4 billion) and hired 1,928 employees.

Aside from the late payment of salary, the company has also reportedly failed to pay social insurance to its employees since August last year, which amounts to more than VN17.5 billion ($771,700).

Last month, the Peoples Committee of ong Nai Province decided to use VN7 billion from its own budget to pay for the salary of 2,000 workers so that they could use the money to go home for Tet (Vietnamese Lunar New Year).

On February 12, each worker received 50 per cent of their January salary that KL Texwell Vina owed. They also received another VN600,000 ($26.4) as support from the Viet Nam General Labour Confederation, the provincial labour confederation and the Fatherland Front Committee.

On February 26, the workers resumed work after the Tet holidays, but the company director reportedly did not return.

Many workers, especially pregnant employees, became worried as they were unable to get social insurance benefits since the company did not pay social insurance to the insurance agency.

Last week, a dialogue was held between a working group of the Peoples Committee and hundreds of workers of the company to arrive at solutions to their problems.

Nguyen Thi Nhu Y, vice chairwoman of ong Nai Provinces Federation of Labour, said the workers of KL Texwell Vina were facing a lot of difficulties.

She said the federation was keeping a count of the number of pregnant and old workers and was trying to convince enterprises in the province to take them in. So far, 15 enterprises have agreed to employ the workers with a stable income, she said.

Earlier too, the working group had visited the company to solve the problems of the employees.

The group asked the workers to compile designation letters and gave advice on how to terminate labour contracts and close social insurance books.

The Trade Union Legal Consultancy Centre, under the ong Nai Provinces Labour Federation, has initiated proceedings to file lawsuits against KL Texwell Vina so that its machinery and other assets could be sold off to pay for the workers salaries and bonuses.  VNSHCM CITY  An intensive training course for French teachers and managers, chiefs and communication specialists at French teaching centres and universities in 12 countries in the Asia-Pacific began yesterday at the HCM City University of Paedagogy.

The five-day BELC (Bureau pour lEnseignement de la Langue et de la Civilisation Francaises) programme will train them in advanced methodology to improve the French language teaching quality.

The attendees will also be updated on management methodologies.

The programme is being run by the French Ministry of National Education, Higher Education and Researchs Centre International dEtudes Pedagogiques (CIEP).

This is the first time Viet Nam is hosting the programme, CIEPs Juliette Salabert said.

The BELC programme would also focus on development of communication based on the set of quality criteria, and French faculties in various countries, she added.

The French consul general in HCM City, Vincent Floreani, said the programme is among the activities to mark the 45th anniversary of Viet Nam-France diplomatic relations. VNSVALPARAISO, Chile  Conservative billionaire Sebastian Pinera was sworn in Sunday to his second term as president of Chile, replacing socialist Michelle Bachelet in the office for the second time in eight years.

An emotional Bachelet helped Pinera put on the sash of office, gave him a kiss and then left Congress with members of her government.

Pinera, who was president from 2010-2014, has promised to stimulate growth and create jobs.

He made a strong call for national unity in his first speech, delivered from a balcony of the La Moneda presidential palace late Sunday, promising a healthy culture of dialogue, agreements and collaboration.

We are committed to being a government of progress and solidarity, which will allow us, within eight years, to transform Chile into a developed country without poverty, said Pinera, joined on the balcony by his wife Cecilia Morel.

The 68-year-old communications magnate is assuming the presidency just as Chiles economy is showing signs of rebounding from a period of sluggish growth due to low prices for copper, the countrys biggest export.

The good times are coming, his supporters chanted after he was sworn in.

Bachelet was cheered by supporters as she capped a second term in office in which she saw through an ambitious package of reforms aimed at eliminating the institutional legacy of the 1973-1990 dictatorship of Augusto Pinochet.

Leaders from neighboring Latin American countries, including Argentina, Bolivia, Mexico and Peru -- as well as the former king of Spain Juan Carlos -- attended the inauguration ceremony at the congress in the coastal city of Valparaiso.

Later, the billionaire president chose a shelter for at-risk children in a depressed district of Santiago to announce his first measures as president, the reform of state protection for vulnerable children.

The new president called for a national agreement on the care of children, and said his new cabinet would for the first time include a minister for children.

He said some 1,313 minors had died in centers run by the National Service for Minors over the last decade. More than half the young people who pass through the state centers later become delinquents, according to Pinera.

The new president pledged to increase resources and subsidies to help tackle the problem.

In his speech at La Moneda, he also highlighted as a priority his quest for peace in the tense southern La Araucania region, the epicentre of a conflict with Mapuche indigenous communities.

Every time we have divided, we have reaped our most bitter and painful defeats, he said.

In a Facebook message, Bachelet said she was profoundly proud of the transformation that we pushed these years and said she was convinced Chile today is more just, equitable and free.

She was Latin Americas last sitting chief of state who is a woman.

Implementing the changes she made will now be up to Pinera, who says he wants to reform the Pinochet-era pension system and supports the free education system instituted by Bachelet.

I feel I now have more experience, more maturity, more awareness of the importance of uniting Chileans; greater humility to listen, with eyes and ears that are more attentive, he said this week.

Pinera -- whose fortune has been estimated by Forbes at $2.7 billion  has promised to transform Chile into a developed economy in eight years.

The economy has grown at an average pace of two percent over the past four years, but surged 3.9 per cent in January. Analysts are predicting 3.5 per cent growth this year.  AFPHAVANA  Cubans voted on Sunday to ratify a new National Assembly, a key step in a process leading to the elevation of a new president, the first in nearly 60 years from outside the Castro family.

The new members of the National Assembly will be tasked with choosing a successor to 86-year-old President Raul Castro when he steps down next month.

The next president may not have that surname, but he will undoubtedly be a son of the Revolution, the Foreign Ministry said on Twitter.

Castro voted in the southeastern province of Santiago de Cuba while his first vice president and likely successor, Miguel Diaz-Canel, cast his ballot in the central Santa Clara province.

The triumphal march of the revolution will continue, Diaz-Canel said after voting, promising peace, liberty, independence and the sovereignty of the people will endure.

Raul Castro took over in 2006 from his brother Fidel, who had governed since the 1959 revolution.

Eight million Cubans were expected to turn out to ratify 605 candidates for an equal number of seats in the Assembly.

Theyre the most important elections of recent years, because we are going to vote for new people who will govern from then on, daycare center guardian Ramon Perez said.

Sundays general election is the first since the 2016 death of Fidel Castro, and marks the beginning of major change at the top in Cuba.

The change will be a challenge but its the natural law of life. We get old and have to retire, said retired lieutenant colonel Rigoberto Celorio, 82.

This is the right moment, he added. Raul will stay on as first secretary of the Communist Party, so whoever comes out of the process will be well oriented.

Candidates may be either members of the Cuban Communist Party or not, and may also belong to trade unions or be students.

The designation of candidates is based on merit, abilities and the commitment of the people, Raul Castro said when he announced the elections last year.

Succession

More than half of the candidates, 322, are women.

The new National Assembly selects a 31-member Council of State, whose head is automatically president of the country.

Castro had already announced that he would not be seeking a new term, although he is expected to remain head of the Party until 2021.

Diaz-Canel, 57, is widely expected to succeed him and is committed to guaranteeing continuity.

Born after the revolution, the engineer slowly climbed to the top rungs of Cubas hierarchy over a three-decade career under Rauls mentorship.

Diaz-Canel is a person known to us. I sincerely wish it will be him, said Xiomara Gonzalez, after voting in Diaz-Canels home town of Santa Clara.

Julio Cesar Guanche, a professor of law and history, said on the OnCuba website that the legitimacy of the countrys next president would come more from institutional performance than personal history such as involvement in the 1959 revolution.

Turnout for the election is expected to be around 90 per cent. The final results will be announced on Monday.  AFPWASHINGTON  Donald Trumps administration will step up aid to states that want to arm school employees, officials said Sunday under a plan to increase campus safety after the killing of 17 people in Florida.

The controversial idea to put weapons in schools, which has drawn little support from educators, is part of a pragmatic plan to dramatically increase school safety and to take steps to do so right away, Education Secretary Betsy DeVos said in a conference call with reporters.

Among other steps, DeVos said she will chair a federal commission on school safety.

President Trump is also urging Congress to pass legislation that will strengthen background checks and implement violence prevention programs.

The Trump administration will provide technical assistance to states preparing temporary risk protection orders that allow for guns to be removed from certain individuals, and there will be a focus on mental health care, said Andrew Bremberg, a presidential assistant who heads the Domestic Policy Council.

The measures come during a reignited national gun control debate revived by survivors of last months massacre at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, where 14 students and three staff were gunned down by a man with a semi-automatic rifle.

The administration will be working with states to provide rigorous firearms training to specifically qualified volunteer school personnel, Bremberg said.

Lily Eskelsen Garcia, president of the National Education Association (NEA), the largest professional union in the United States, has said that parents and educators overwhelmingly reject the idea of arming school staff.  AFPTEHRAN  A private Turkish plane with 11 people on board, all women, crashed in Iran on Sunday while taking the daughter of a top businessman and her friends back home to Turkey from a celebration in the United Arab Emirates.

Turkish and Iranian officials said there were eight passengers and three crew aboard the plane which crashed in the south of Iran while flying from Sharjah to Istanbul.

Media reports in Turkey said the eight passengers were Mina Basaran, the daughter of a leading Turkish businessman, and her seven friends who had spent the past days in the UAE to celebrate her marriage.

The crew, including the two pilots, were also all female, the reports said.

The reports, carried by the Hurriyet daily and several Turkish TV channels, said the Bombardier Challenger 604 private plane belonged to the Basaran Holding company of Minas father Huseyin.

The Istanbul-based Basaran is active in the energy, construction and tourism sectors. It also owns hotels.

Reports said that just a day before, the eight young women had posted a picture of themselves smiling and relaxing in Dubai on social media.

Mina Basaran had also posted a picture on social media of her boarding the same Bombardier plane before it left Istanbul for the UAE, the reports added.

She had become engaged in October and the UAE trip was a traditional farewell to her friends before marriage.

The 28-year-old had become a board member of her fathers company already in 2013, Turkish reports said.

Iranian media said the plane went down in remote mountains in the snow-capped Zagros range during bad weather.

The plane had left from the emirate of Sharjah and crashed near the city of Shahr-e Kord, about 400 kilometres (250 miles) south of Tehran, Iranian state television reported.

Sharjah Civil Aviation Department said in a statement that the plane "did not apply for maintenance procedures while on the ground at the airport."

The plane took off at 17:16 local time (13:16 GMT) and disappeared from the radar screen at 15:30 GMT, said the statement carried by the state WAM news agency.

The cause of the crash was not immediately clear.

Tasnim news agency quoted an ICAO official as saying: The plane is on fire. After the pilot asked to lower altitude, it disappeared from the radar.

Iranian media reported that rescuers had been dispatched by land to the crash site, which is located in a relatively isolated area of Helens Mountain -- a protected area in the Zagros range.

Some reports said the plane went down during heavy rain.

The head of Irans Red Crescent, Morteza Salimi, told state television that two helicopters would fly to the area on Monday morning to search for the planes debris and bodies -- indicating there could be no survivors.  AFPThe RAAFA Aviation Heritage Museum  An Overview

by Phil Buckley

The Aviation Heritage Museum, maintained by the Royal Australian Air Force Association at Bull Creek near Perth in Western Australia, has an important collection of historically significant and rare aircraft associated with RAAF history, along with many other aviation-related artifacts gathered over the past six decades.

The collection is owned and operated by the Western Australian Division of the RAAF Association. The idea for the museum goes back to 1929 when the group formed which became the genesis for the RAAF Association. The Association acquired the Kalgoolie Biplane as a exhibit. Sadly, this historic aircraft (the first aircraft built in Western Australia) was later donated to the Perth Museum, where it fell under neglect, and was eventually scrapped soon after the end of WWII. The Associations next aircraft was Supermarine Spitfire Mk.22 PK481, which they acquired in August, 1958 from their sister organization, the RAF Association in Shoreham, England. It was almost another year before the Spitfire arrived in Perth, Australia. It became a centerpiece for the RAAFA club house, mounted outside on a pole at Adelaide Terrace. This development soon saw more aircraft acquired, and just three years later the association acquired an Avro Lancaster B.VII from the French Navy. By 1968, with a growing collection of items, the RAAFA realized that they needed a museum building, so they set up a fund to finance it. The 1960s and 1970s witnessed further expansion at the museum as they gathered more artifacts, ranging from whole aircraft, to aircraft parts and engines, books, photographs and other ephemera.

In 1971 the RAAFA formalized their plans for a museum building, and founded the Aviation Historical Group to help support it. The new group comprised members of the RAAFA, but also included private collectors and aircraft restorers from around Perth. Tied in with this development, the Association, catering to its older members, also envisaged a retirement village and larger club house. By the late 1970s the museum received a AU$100,000 donation from a Western Australian government-sponsored fund for construction of the first museum building (now referred to as the South Wing). The new museum opened on November 17th, 1979. This first structure held all of the collections smaller aircraft and artifacts, however, larger exhibits such as the Lancaster and Douglas Dakota were too large, and remained outdoors.

As the museum grew, the state government again donated money to enable construction of the museums second building (North Wing). This opened on December 17th, 1983. Finally, the Lancaster, Dakota and Catalina could come safely undercover. Since then the museum has added further facilities, including a walk way inside the North Wing, three portable buildings (prefabs) which house the museums library, photographic archive, a model aeroplane group and the accessioning offices. A new workshop went up behind the South Wing after the old one was demolished to make way for the Associations Mirage Apartments retirement facility.

Restoration Projects:

While most of the museums aircraft are fully restored and already on display, the restoration team are currently working on a pair of interesting flight simulators, including a WWII-era Link Trainer and a much more unusual Cold War-era F-111F simulator.

F-111F Simulator at RAAFA Bull Creek

As many readers will know, the Royal Australian Air Force was the only export customer to field the mighty General Dynamics F-111 Aardvark. In all, 28 F-111Cs, supplemented by a further 15 second-hand F-111Gs, served in the RAAF prior to their retirement in December, 2010. While the museum does not have an F-111 on display, they do have a crew capsule from a former RAAF F-111C. They also have an F-111 systems trainer which is owned by museum volunteer Geoff Brueder. Acquired in the USA in 2012, Brueder is restoring the simulator, which is essentially an adapted F-111F crew capsule. Once it is complete, Brueder will connect it to a flight simulator with a video screen so that the museum can make a little extra money from discerning visitors who wish to experience the cockpit up close and personal. The F-111 simulator will also receive the appropriate markings for an Australian-operated aircraft.

WW2 era Link trainer

Also in the workshop during WarbirdsNews visit was another flight simulator, this one being a WWII-era Link D2 trainer. This device is crude in nature, but was designed to provide blind-flying training for nascent pilots, so they could gain some experience flying solely on instruments in the safe environs of the flight school hangar. Designed in the late 1920s by Edwin Link in the USA, the Link Trainer enjoyed world-wide success in its various forms, and greatly contributed to the Allied war effort during WWII. The RAAF received 140 of them for training their pilots, and continued using them into the 1970s, which resulted in quite a number of them surviving long enough to be preserved. The one in the museums workshop is undergoing restoration to operable status, and will hopefully allow the chance for museum visitors to experience what it was like in one of these primitive, though effective flight training aids.MEXICO CITY  An organization named W.I.T.C.H. CDMX is hosting a public action in Mexico City, March 17. The events reported purpose is to bring women together to toss off the strains of oppression, abuse, and harassment. As written on the Facebook event page, WITCH summons all our sisters to a night of spells, to the contemplation of fire, and to free ourselves, strengthen us and altar, in a symbolic act, reality. The scheduled action has been named Icendario and is being a labeled a revolution.

W.I.T.C.H. reports that it is a nonprofit organization that is interested in art, magic, feminism, disruption. It appears to be taking its cue from the 1969 organization of the same name, and the more recent incarnation in Chicago. The scheduled ritual burning will take place March 17 at 6 p.m. in Mexico City in the Plaza de la Republica. The organizers write: Let the spirit of the harpy eagle accompany us in each of our struggles, let us not let the illusion of limitation prevent us from flying together . . . . We will make the earth tremble. We will continue to follow this story.

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IOWA  A new group has formed to create community and host a new Pagan pride event in 2019. Cedar Valley Iowa Pagan Pride is being planned for 2019. The organizers say that the area hasnt had actual place for Pagans to gather . . . . for a long time. The event will be held in Waterloo on the first weekend in September, 2019.

Involved in this venture is Earl Williams, the founder of Iowa Pagan News radio and the Praire Land Pagan Radio Network. Williams writes, We are wanting people to be a part of the planning committee, fundraising, organizing the event and more. The fledgling organization currently has a Facebook community group and a Twitter account through which the organizers can be contacted.

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BARNEVELD, Wis.  On March 28, Circle Sanctuary will be hosting an afternoon of Pagan military service ribbon award ceremonies. Debuting in 2011, Circles military ribbon program was created to recognize and express appreciation for Pagans who have served and are serving in the U.S. armed forces. To date, the organization has presented more than 300 ribbons to Pagans all around the world, either in person or during online radio programming.

Circle Sanctuary has announced that it will be expanding the ribbon program by offering a call-in event at the Circle Sanctuary office. This will be the first time offering such direct support to our Pagan military community, and we are excited to offer this opportunity to any armed forces veterans who identify as Pagan, said Gretchen Lirtzman, communication coordinator. On March 28, interested parties will be able to call in to receive their recognition through a ceremony during a private phone call with Rev. Selena Fox. Participants may call the Circle Sanctuary office at 608/924-2216 [from] 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. [Central time], said Lirtzman, adding that ribbons awarded that day will be mailed out by Apr. 4 to the address on file for each applicant who participates in this award ceremony.

In other news

Paganicon made local news this week in an article titled The Twin Cities  aka Paganistanwill host a world gathering of Witches. The article, which was focused on the upcoming Paganicon conference, upset a few Pagans due to the off-handed remarks to flying monkeys and sharing potions. However, the local Pagan community appeared excited by the publicity and unfazed by any kitschy references as they ready for their big event next week.

Saskatoon Witches are holding Wicca 101 classes, reports the Calgary Herald. While the start of a Wicca 101 class is not news to Pagan communities worldwide, it is rare for mainstream media to report on them. In a video report, journalists interviewed Ryan Giesinger of Practical Magik and Curio Shoppe. Giesinger says the class is for people interested in practicing the religion as well as family members or friends who are curious about their loved ones spiritual path. The store recorded the Wicca 101 classes and has posted them to Facebook.

A new volume of the Pomegranate is available online. Vol 19 no. 2, published in 2017, has been uploaded to the journals site for digital reading. As always, book reviews are free to all readers, but the other articles themselves are locked and available for purchase.

Magical sigils have been a popular subject for Pagans and Witches working magic over the past few years. A new book on that subject is being produced by author and artist Gina Leslie. Titled The Art of Sigils, the new book is being self-published by Leslie, and she describes it as an illustrated guide to using sigils to unlock your hidden creativity and manifest prosperity. Leslie has launched an Indeigogo campaign to help finance the production of the book she says she didnt know she wanted to write.

Finally, another mainstream article caught the attention of the Pagans and Witches around the world this week. This one was published by Out magazine and featured a new line of witchcraft items being sold by the famous Olsen twins. The article which touts their $395 altars and $79 ritual candles had some modern Witches shaking their heads in horror and disbelief. The article is actual a satire written by comedian Greg Mania, who jokingly tweeted that he might be turned into a voodoo doll for writing it. The Olsens are not pushing an expensive line of Wiccan magical items, and that includes the amulet that summons Enya and sage stick for cleansing Old Navy. Interestingly and as a side note, Mania does admittedly have experience with magical practice and summoning. In 2017, he reported that he accidentally summoned a demon at IKEA by trying to pronounce the names of the furniture.

Weekly tarot with Star Bustamonte

Deck: Medieval Cat Tarot by Lawrence Teng and Gina M. Pace, published by U.S. Games Systems, Inc.

Card: five (5) of swords

The five (5) of swords can often be reflective of unfairness. This week is liable to offer up opportunities where we must determine and decide which side of a line we stand on. It is possible to be on the right side of an issue, even a winning one, and still end up losing personally. Discernment and being able to view long-term effects of actions are key this week.

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warned of the risk of fraud in hundreds of municipalities, reported considerable problems.

Polls have now closed in Colombia's legislative and primary elections, but major irregularities have been reported throughout the country.

The National Civil Registry said ballots had run out in Medellin, Cucuta and Manizales, but voters could use photocopies: "An agreement was reached with the political parties and movements, due to the budget restriction and they authorized the continuation of the procedure with photocopies," said Juan Carlos Galindo.

Videos circulated on social media apparently showing an official hiding ballot papers, as well as possible evidence of vote-buying in several locations.

The Electoral Observer Mission (OEM), which had warned of the risk of fraud in hundreds of municipalities, also reported considerable problems.

Colombians are electing 102 senators and 166 members of the chamber of representatives.

According to an ABC News report, the center-right will comfortably win about 60 percent of the seats, while the Revolutionary Alternative Force for the Commons (FARC) will struggle to gain ground.

"The FARC are in a tough position," Leon Valencia from the Peace and Reconciliation Foundation said.

"If they get a low turnout, as is expected, their congressmen will be shunned: they will not be seen as true representatives of the people," Valencia explained, referring to the 10 congressional seats guaranteed to FARC under the terms of the peace deal.

President Juan Manuel Santos noted the participation of the newly formed political party, which was formerly a guerrilla movement, as being significant in the electoral process. The government and former rebel movement had engaged in a 50-year civil war.

The Colombian Ministry of Defense announced the deployment of more than 100,000 military and police officials to monitor the elections.

The parliamentary election is a precursor to the upcoming presidential elections in May. The FARC suffered a minor setback resulting in the organization's withdrawal from the presidential elections after candidate Rodrigo 'Timochenko' Londono had to undergo heart surgery last week.

Santos claims the legislative elections will be the safest in the recent history of the country, citing the ceasefire agreement with the FARC.

Live Updates

4:00 p.m.

Election officials confirm that polls are closed.

#ElDato Cerradas las urnas en elecciones Congreso de la Republica #EleccionesColombia #Elecciones2018 Sigue los resultados en la App "Elecciones Colombia 2018" y https://t.co/VWUns8Zr9s  Registraduria (@Registraduria) March 11, 2018

3:30 p.m.

National Civil Registry head Juan Carlos Galindo says the issue with paper ballots has been resolved.

Quiero darle un parte de tranquilidad al pais, las dificultades con las tarjetas electorales de las consultas interpartidistas que se presentaron en alrededor de 20 puestos de votacion en Medellin, Bogota, Bucaramanga y Cali fueron superadas. pic.twitter.com/jjMT2mDi3w  Juan Carlos Galindo (@jcgalindovacha) March 11, 2018

2:30 p.m.

Con fotocopias y con datos mandados por telefono sin rastro digital. Esa es la @Registraduria de Colombia. Santos se inclino por el fraude y la falta de transparencia electoral.  Gustavo Petro (@petrogustavo) March 11, 2018

12:20 p.m.

The Mission of Electoral Observance says that 40 percent of the observed voting stations have electoral propaganda, which is forbidden on election day.

12:10 p.m.

Gustavo Petro, leftist leading presidential candidate, cast his vote. He also denounced the lack of electoral guarantees.

Progresista @petrogustavo acaba de ejercer su derecho ciudadano a votar.Denuncia falta de garantias electorales a ciudadania @JuanManSantos pic.twitter.com/56RBYF0mTE  IndiraVegaP. (@IndiraVegaP) March 11, 2018

12:00 p.m.

Gustavo Petro, leftist leading presidential candidate, warned of election irregularities.

.@LHoyosteleSUR : The presidential candidate @petrogustavo denounces serious irregularities in the votes of the interparty consultation of the left coalition #ColombiaDecide pic.twitter.com/XcTms1puLW  teleSUR English (@telesurenglish) March 11, 2018

11:20 a.m.

Tatiana Pineros, a transwoman running for the senate, voted for the first time as a woman.

11:04 a.m.

The independent group Mission of Electoral Observance published a list of 141 municipalities with more voters than actual inhabitants.

10:30 a.m.

Several FARC members say they have not been able to vote because their names don't appear on the lists.

Han sido diversos los casos en que candidatos de la fuerza del comun no han podido ejercer su derecho al voto. Cedulas que no aparecen y puestos que han sido cambiados son los mayores casos. @Registraduria pic.twitter.com/91m5GI24zG  FARC (@FARC_EPueblo) 11 de marzo de 2018

9:20 a.m.

Colombia's former president Alvaro Uribe and his presidential candidate Ivan Duque voted in Bogota.

8:45 a.m.

Senior FARC offcial Ivan Marquez, who is also a candidate for the assembly, cast his vote.

Ya vote por la esperanza, ya vote por el futuro, ya vote por la Rosa Roja  de la Fuerza Alternativa Revolucionaria del Comun. #YoSoyDelComun #VotoPorLaRosa  pic.twitter.com/tKcvJ1rJiF  Ivan Marquez (@IvanMarquezFARC) March 11, 2018

8:35 a.m.

Pablo Catatumbo, former FARC commander and now a member of the newly-formed party's national direction, voted for the first time in his life.

Dia historico para nuestra Colombia! En mis 64 anos de vida es la primera vez que ejerzo mi derecho al voto y me siento muy contento y conmovido de haberlo hecho por la paz y reconciliacion de nuestro pueblo. #VotoPorLaRosa pic.twitter.com/fnZLsnQ6o3  Pablo Catatumbo (@PCatatumbo_FARC) March 11, 2018

8:16 a.m.

Juan Manuel Santos, the president of Colombia, exercised his right to vote in the Plaza Bolivar, downtown Bogota.Peru's opposition Broad Front (FA) party submitted a motion to Congress in February calling for the U.S. president to be banned from the summit.

U.S. President Donald Trump will undertake his first visit to Latin America in April: traveling first to the Summit of the Americas in Peru before visiting Colombia, the White House has announced.

The Republican leader will meet with Peruvian President Pedro Pablo Kuczynski and with Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos during his tour.

"This trip demonstrates the president's determination to deepen our historical ties with our partners in the region and to strengthen our joint commitment to improve the security and prosperity of the peoples of the Americas," the White House said in a statement on Saturday.

The visit to Colombia will begin immediately after the Summit of the Americas, on April 15, Reuters reports. Colombian Foreign Minister Maria Angela Holguin said Trump's tour will address issues related to bilateral trade, but she did not reveal which city the US president will arrive in.

This year's summit, due to held April 13 and 14 in Lima, has already caused controversy: last month, the Peruvian government retracted its invitation to Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro.

Maduro rejected the move immediately, saying he is determined to attend come "rain, shine or lightning. By air, land or sea, I will get to the Summit of the Americas to tell the truth of this country," he vowed at a news conference for international journalists.

The decision to rescind his invitation was announced after a meeting by the Lima Group, an ad-hoc alliance created in August 2017 to "monitor" Venezuela until the country "returns to democracy."

In response, Venezuela released a statement pointing out that being a host country for the summit does not give Peru the power to decide whether a head of state is allowed to take part.

"In the current regulations there are no attributions in any way to the Republic of Peru, or any other state, giving it the power to decide on the participation of a Member State and founder in any of the meetings of the Summits of the Americas," Venezuela's Foreign Ministry said.

Peru's opposition Broad Front (FA) party also submitted a motion to Congress calling for Trump to be banned from the 8th Summit of the Americas.

The party requested that the government declare him "persona non grata," insisting that his policies are "contrary to human rights" and encourage "xenophobic practices against millions of migrants," and that his foreign policy "breaks diplomatic channels."iStock/Thinkstock(LONDON) -- As British authorities work to establish who was behind the poisoning of a former Russian double agent with a nerve agent last week, suspicion has quickly fallen on Russia.



Britains government has said it is too early to assign blame for the attack in the small town of Salisbury that left Sergey Skripal and his daughter, Yulia, 33, in critical condition.



But officials have implied Russia is currently their prime suspect.



If its as bad as it looks, it is another crime in the litany of crimes that we can lay at Russias door, Britain's foreign secretary Boris Johnson told the country's parliament, adding that if Russia is involved, it will face a "robust" response.



Those suspicions are being fueled by a long history of Kremlin opponents suffering mysterious poisonings -- a list that stretches from the Soviet era all the way to the present.



The best-known case and one that has drawn obvious comparisons with Skripals poisoning is that of Alexander Litvinenko. A former intelligence officer from Russias Federal Security Service, or FSB, Litvinenko had become a vocal opponent of President Vladimir Putin before he was murdered with radioactive poison that slipped into his tea at a London hotel in 2006.



The attack used polonium 210, a rare metal that can be produced at only a handful of state facilities. As in the Skripal attack, the poison was dangerous to bystanders, leaving a radioactive trail across London.



A British public inquiry found there was a strong probability that two Russian men identified as the killers acted on Putins personal order to murder Litvinenko, who had been cooperating with Britains MI6 intelligence agency.



Russia blocked British efforts to question the men and the incident caused relations between the two countries to deteriorate.



Litvinenkos death suggested that the Kremlin under Putin was continuing a Soviet practice of assassinations using poisons. A KGB general's memoir in 1994 described a secret facility -- "Lab X" -- which specialized in producing hard-to-detect poisons.



The weapon used in the most famous of Soviet-era assassinations also reportedly came from "Lab X" -- when Bulgarian dissident Georgia Markov was killed with a ricin-tipped umbrella in London in 1978.



Ukrainian politician Viktor Yushenko was also poisoned. While running for president in 2004 against a Kremlin-favored candidate, Yushenko's face was left severely disfigured after someone slipped him dioxin.



There have been more recent cases since. Vladimir Kara-Murza, a prominent activist working for the anti-Putin campaign group, Open Russia, was almost fatally poisoned twice in two years.



In 2015 and again in 2017, Kara-Murza became suddenly ill and within hours most of his organs began shutting down. Doctors were unable to identify the poison or even a trace of it besides Kara-Murza's inexplicable physical collapse.



Kara-Murza, who survived, has linked the attacks to his work promoting the Magnitsky Act, legislation that allowed for U.S. sanctions against Russian officials. He lobbied Congress to pass the bill, which is named after the lawyer, Sergey Magnitsky, who was killed for uncovering a $230 million tax fraud involving Russian officials.



The Act infuriated the Kremlin, which has launched a concerted campaign against it and sought to jail some of those who promoted it.



Suspicions of poisoning have arisen in another mysterious death linked to the Magnitsky affair. Sergey Perepilichnyy, a businessman who had supplied documents in the case, died outside his home in England in 2012 while jogging.



Two autopsies were inconclusive, but one expert who testified during the inquest found traces of a rare poisonous plant in Perepilichnyys stomach.



Some of Perepilichnyys colleagues have insisted they believe he was murdered, despite police investigations that rejected that.



The suspected poisonings have accompanied a series of other murders and strange deaths among Kremlin opponents in recent years. In 2015 opposition leader, Boris Nemtsov was shot dead yards from the Kremlin; last March, Denis Voronenko, a former MP from Putins ruling United Russia party who had defected to Ukraine was gunned down by a hitman in central Kiev; and in 2016, a Kremlin insider, Mikhail Lesin, was found dead in his Washington hotel room having suffered blunt force injuries.



A coroner found Lesins death was accidental but did not explain how he had received the injuries.



Lesin's death was one of 14 Russian deaths that have attracted renewed suspicion in some quarters recently after Buzzfeed reported last year that U.S. intelligence suspected they were Kremlin hits.



Yvette Cooper, the chairwoman of Britains parliamentary Home Affairs committee, this week called for police to reexamine the 14 deaths in light of Skripals poisoning.



Russia has denounced the allegations as hysteria. Foreign Minister Sergey Larvov this week said suggestions of Russian involvement were pure propaganda. But a news anchor on Russian state television has raised eyebrows when he issued a mocking warning to traitors to avoid Britain.



Linking poisonings to the Kremlin, however, has been difficult, and experts have cautioned against assuming Putin ordered the attack on Skripal. Leads in other cases have sometimes pointed to Putin allies, but it is hard to judge whether they might have been operating on their own.



Evidence in the Nemtsov murder, for instance, has led toward figures around Ramzan Kadyrov, Chechnya's president, whom Putin installed and who has been accused of running deaths squads.



Sir Andrew Wood, the British ambassador to Russia from 1995 to 2000, told the Guardian newspaper that he had no doubt the attack on Skripal had been sanctioned from within Russia, but probably not directly by Putin.



British police have described the poison used against Skripal as a "very rare" nerve agent, suggesting to experts that the state was involved. Security experts, though, have noted that killing Skripal would violate usual codes of conduct in espionage, given that the former military intelligence officer had been pardoned when he was traded for Russian spies in 2010.



A number of other Russian political exiles living in England have expressed doubts that the Kremlin would have ordered the killing now. Valery Morozov, a businessman who fled Russia in 2014, told ABC News, the focus on Putin sometimes provided cover for organized crime.



Putin, himself a former spy, has previously expressed antipathy toward those he considers traitors. The Kremlin seemed to sound that note again.



In an interview in a new documentary released by Russia's state-controlled Channel 1, Putin was asked what is the one thing he cannot forgive.



"Treason," he replies.

Copyright  2018, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.Mar 12, 2018 | By Tess

New Zealands Printable Scenery has released yet another amazing set of 3D printable terrain for taking RPGs and other table-top games to the next level. Its latest series, enticingly called The Lost Islands, is being featured in a Kickstarter crowdfunding campaign.

The Lost Islands, as you may have already guessed, takes gamers to a world of hardened pirates, salty sea water, and exotic islands. The set pieces include a range of 28 mm scale 3D printable table-top models which are sure to have you saying Arrrr.

The first bundle in the Lost Islands series is the Lost Ships, which consists of two beautifully designed pirate ships. The vessels are amazingly detailed, with cannons, swivel guns, rigging clips, and even longboats and rowboats included. Printable Scenerys designers have even designed separate below-deck layouts so your RPG characters can explore all parts of the ship.

When the ships need to resupply after a long voyage, theyll be welcomed at Port Winterdale, which the startup describes as a rowdy ramshackle town of merchants and magic. This gaming set includes a Lighthouse, Warehouse, Port Merchant, and Port Houseall of which have a distinctive medieval feel.

Finally, there is the Lost Tribes series of 3D printable set pieces, which includes a Tribal Tower, Bone House, and a set of Tribal Ramparts which are modular and OpenLOCK-compatible.

Seeing as the crowdfunding campaign has already raised well over its goal (so far it has racked up over $36K in pledges), backers will receive at least one free stretch goal model for each gaming set.

Like Printable Scenerys previous RPG sets, the idea is that its team of talented designer create 3D printable RPG models which are then delivered to backers as STL files to be printed at home. This means that gamers have the added task (or pleasure, depending on how you see it!) of painting and finishing their own set pieces.

Pledges begin at about $51 for each gaming set. For $87 you will receive the STL files for two of the pledge groups, while for $110 youll receive the whole set: including The Lost Ships, Port Winterfale, the Lost Tribes, and all of the unlocked stretch goal models. The expected delivery for backer rewards is May 2018.

The Lost Islands is Printable Scenerys latest RPG and wargaming set collection, adding to its already rich and popular 3D printable models. Last summer the New Zealand company released its Rampage Gothic buildings, while almost exactly a year ago it got RPGamers excited with its three-part release of The Rampage Castle, Time Warp: Europe, and Time Warp: The Americas.

Printable Scenery was founded in 2013 by New Zealander Matt Barker. Since then, it has consistently delivered beautiful, highly detailed, and authentic 3D printable models for role playing, wargaming, and other table-top gaming purposes. Check out its latest Kickstarter here.

Posted in Fun with 3D Printing

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by Thomas R. Wells

The statistics are shocking. A Russian troll farm created false anti-Clinton stories and distributed them on platforms like Facebook and Twitter. As many as 126 million Facebook users may have encountered at least one piece of Russian propaganda; Russian tweets received as many as 288 million views. The Russians, just like Trumps campaign itself, leveraged the adtech infrastructure developed by social media companies like Facebook, Google, and Twitter to identify and target those most receptive to their lies and provocations.

What is going on? Is this something new? Does it matter?

I. Do People Believe Fake News?

One popular interpretation of what is going on is that social media and its associated adtech have isolated us in filter bubbles and made us newly vulnerable to politically or commercially motivated lies. The bubble is a controlled information environment based on what we want to hear and what adbuyers want people like us to believe. Organisations that know how to use this  whether a Russian troll farm or the company hired by the Brexit campaign  can exercise enormous power over the information we are exposed to and thus our beliefs about the world.

I disagree. I think very few people actually believe fake news. Rather, they indulge in believing that they believe it. Peoples relationship to such beliefs is much more like the way they relate to icecream than the enlightenment idea of respecting objective truth. Consider Pizzagate, a recent very famous example of fake news.

At the end of October 2016 an anti-Clinton conspiracy theory started circulating on fringe rightist social media and fake news websites like Infowars. Russian troll accounts seem to have been among those helping the story spread. Over the next month, millions of Americans heard or read that top members of the Democratic Party were running a child sexual slavery ring from the basement of a pizza restaurant in Washington DC.

Infowars talkshow host Alex Jones talked about it repeatedly:

When I think about all the children Hillary Clinton has personally murdered and chopped up and raped, I have zero fear standing up against her.Yeah, you heard me right. Hillary Clinton has personally murdered children. I just cant hold back the truth anymore. (In a since-deleted Youtube video quoted by the Washington Post)

According to Public Policy Pollings survey on December 6-7,

Q28. Do you think that Hillary Clinton is or is not connected to a child sex ring being run out of a pizzeria in Washington DC?

9% Think Hillary Clinton is connected to a child sex ring being run out of a pizzeria in Washington DC [14% of Trump supporters]

72% Dont think Hillary Clinton is connected to a child sex ring being run out of a pizzeria in Washington DC [54% of Trump supporters]

Not sure 19% [32% of Trump supporters]

Extrapolating from the survey percentages, there were millions of Americans who heard the story and would claim to believe it if you asked. But how many really believed?

The problem is that survey questions like this dont get at how much people believe something. Talk is cheap. The test of whether someone really believes something is whether they will pay a price to act on it.

The social media response to the pedophile ring claims did produce lots of cyber harassment and nasty phone calls: concerned citizens reached out to the owners and staff of the pizza restaurant and other businesses on the block with hatemail, death threats and by doxxing them to encourage offline in-person harassment. But that kind of thing is so easy these days that it hardly demonstrates commitment.

Out of all the millions of people who believed that they believed that a child sex slavery conspiracy was going on, only one bothered to drive to Washington DC with a gun to save the children. Only one person acted as if it was real.

This example demonstrates that fake news does not work in the way we might naively suppose. Exposure to it does not brainwash people into believing things that arent true. People arent that dumb. Rather, we are choosing make-believe stories to read, share, and talk about because those are the stories we enjoy. Hence the popularity of conspiracy theories, which make the world seem more intelligible and exciting than it really is.

Love of conspiracies isnt limited to the populist right. The stories about Russian spy trolls stealing the US election are doing so well because they are fun for non-Republicans to believe in. They make losing the election more bearable by allowing us to pretend that it never really happened  the other side cheated! We get to feel outraged and indignant, which is much more pleasant than feeling like a loser. The details of the spy troll story may be true (unlike Pizzagate), but the overall story is wrong. Russia may have messed with Americans Facebook feeds but Russia couldnt make them believe anything they didnt want to.

There is a deeper pathology at work here than any conspiracy: Consumerism. The point of facts is that they are objective. Their truth can be discovered by us but is independent of our wishes. The point of consumerism is that value is entirely subjective, bestowed by the individual according to whatever standards he pleases. Facts are out, likes are in. According to the consumerist view of truth, all these claims are of the same kind, and equally legitimate.

I like chocolate icecream best. I like that photo best. I like to believe that Hillary Clinton rapes and chops up children.

II. Is This New?

People consume fake news because it is more fun. This is not a new phenomenon. It is how gossip works. We had already industrialised the gossip approach to news with the tabloid press, like the Daily Mail and Fox News. Yet some things have changed with the arrival of social media.

There are high fixed costs to setting up and running a TV station or newspaper. The business logic of mainstream media requires long-term investment for long-term returns. Therefore there was an enduring institution that could be held accountable to society for the truth and decency of its output. Some people even prefer to consume their news rich in facts, and some media companies invested in a reputation for truth to serve that niche.

Social media provides a distribution system, and, via adtech, a targeting and payment system, that frees publishers from even minimal accountability to society. Falsehoods spread as fast as people want to hear them, thanks to social media and search engine algorithms designed to give you what you like to hear so you will spend longer on the platform and see more ads. Corrections travel much slower, thanks to those same algorithms protecting you from facts you find inconvenient or boring. Checking sources is difficult. For example the way Facebook was presenting stories on its NewsFeed make emphasised the headline rather than the  so even those media companies that have invested in truth brand cannot be distinguished from the babble.

Yet I dont pin all the blame on social media. I think we have been heading down this road for some time. TV has been getting better, they say. But what it seems to have gotten better at is immersive pseudoreality, at getting us used to living in worlds that are more fun than the real one (full of magic and conspiracies). Advertisers have always tried to pull us away from the reality we have and point us towards the reality we deserve to have . Since their propaganda often funded the officially factual news, viewers had to constantly toggle between the two. Institutions that are supposed to hold the line between wishful thinking and truth have failed. Pharmacists, for example, have always stocked Fake Meds next to real ones. And the most common way for people to find out about outrageous claims being made on social media is still via the mainstream news  when they report on the controversy, i.e. read out whatever is trending on Twitter.

III. Does Fake News Matter?

People are increasingly unable to explain the difference between fact and make-believe. But, as the response to Pizzagate shows, in practise we are more sensible.

Once real, personal consequences are involved most ridiculous beliefs are revealed to be what economists call cheap talk. Lots of people claim to believe in god. Very few would pass the test god inflicted on Abraham to murder his child to prove his faith. (Which is a good thing!) Likewise, lots of people claim to believe in homeopathy and other Fake Meds. But when they or their loved ones are seriously ill, nearly all go to a real hospital. Republican politicians from red states deny climate change in public, but the state governments they run are still basing their coastal infrastructure planning on real climate science.

Few people are willing to pay a price for their belief in fake news. So one might suppose it is harmless. Actually it is a great threat to democracy because voters pay no personal price for their mistakes.

From the individual perspective the important thing about fake news is that, like celebrity gossip, it just doesnt matter. There is no cost to believing that a movie star is secretly gay, or a lizard monster from space. You are very unlikely to ever face a situation in which believing such silly things would cause you trouble. So if it makes you feel better in some way to believe it, why not?

Likewise, almost everything you hear about in the news is too far away to matter to your life. Political news is the most irrelevant of all  and it makes sense that false stories about politics seem to spread the fastest. Since your vote has no chance of shifting an election (the error rate in counting votes being greater than one) there is no practical reason for voting as a way to achieve something you want. Therefore there is no practical reason to bother to find out the facts about the different candidates and their positions, or even to learn how the political system works in the first place. There is no mechanism by which being well or badly informed will come back to personally affect you, and so no reason not to vote according to whatever facts you feel like believing in.

Unfortunately what is rational from the perspective of the individual is less so from the perspective of a democratic society as a whole. An authoritarian regime like Putins is happy for its people to believe whatever drivel they like. It stops them from ever thinking straight or thinking together about how Russia should be governed. But a democracy depends on the ability of society to think together about its problems, to govern itself. That requires a shared understanding of how the world works and a less self-indulgent attitude to facts than we take to icecream.

* * *

Thomas R. Wells is a philosopher at Tilburg University in the Netherlands. He blogs on philosophy, politics, and economics at The Philosophers Beard.by Chris Knight

Students protesting against military research at MIT in 1969.

Noam Chomsky is the worlds most prominent anti-militarist campaigner and, wearing a different hat, the acknowledged founder of modern scientific linguistics. Any attempt to understand Chomskys huge influence on modern thought must appreciate the connection between these two roles. And to do this we must begin with a paradoxical fact: Chomsky has spent his career in the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, working in what was originally a military lab. As he himself says about MIT in the 1960s:

[It] was about 90 per cent Pentagon funded at that time. And I personally was right in the middle of it. I was in a military lab. If you take a look at my early publications, they all say something about Air Force, Navy, and so on, because I was in a military lab, the Research Lab for Electronics [RLE].

The Pentagon showed a keen interested in linguistics during this period. Colonel Gaines of the US Air Force recalled why during an interview in 1971. Having referred to the militarys computerised systems of command and control, both for defense against nuclear missiles and for use in Vietnam, he complained about the difficulties of teaching computer languages to military personnel. We sponsored linguistic research, he explained, in order to learn how to build command and control systems that could understand English queries directly.

If Chomskys linguistics was being funded for this purpose, it seems all the more remarkable that Chomsky ended up publicly opposing the Vietnam War and denouncing the very military institutions that were sponsoring his research.

Modestly, Chomsky has always downplayed any moral dilemmas, suggesting that the military had no interest in his work. But I have recently come across restricted-access documents which refer to Chomsky as a consultant to a project funded by the Air Force in order to establish natural language as an operational language for command and control.

The militarys direct interest in Chomsky is recalled by former Air Force Colonel Anthony Debons, writing in 1971:

Much of the research conducted at MIT by Chomsky and his colleagues [has] direct application to the efforts undertaken by military scientists to develop  languages for computer operations in military command and control systems.

In a 1965 article, another Air Force officer, Jay Keyser, expressed his hope that the militarys artificial computer languages might be replaced by an English command and control language based on Chomskys ground-breaking theories. Keyser illustrated his article with aircraft, missile and similar words plus sample sentences such as The bomber the fighter attacked landed safely.

One of Chomskys students working on this Air Force-sponsored project was Barbara Partee. She has confirmed to me that Chomsky was involved until at least 1965. According to her testimony, the head of the project, Donald Walker, convinced the military to hire Chomskys students on the basis that in the event of a nuclear war, the generals would be underground with some computers trying to manage things, and that it would probably be easier to teach computers to understand English than to teach the generals to program.

In the end, the Air Force never succeeded in making Chomskys theories work. Barbara Partee hints that such uselessness may have been intentional  an instance of benign subversion of the military-industrial complex. Clearly, notions of that kind may have helped soothe her and her colleagues consciences. What we can say is that from then on, Chomsky never again worked directly on a military project. Indeed, from 1965, he threw himself into political activism, campaigning tirelessly against the Vietnam War.

At one point, Chomsky considered resigning from MIT, which he said was more than any other university associated with the activities of the Department of Defense. But MIT had been always very supportive of his linguistic research, enabling him to become the most influential linguist of his generation. So Chomsky remained at the university. To really appreciate his situation there, we need to understand the nature of MIT during this period.

The Cognitive Revolution

MITs Jerome Wiesner, Defense Secretary Robert McNamara and Vice-President Lyndon Johnson in the White House, 1961.

Chomsky had originally been hired to work at MIT in 1955 by Jerome Wiesner, an influential military scientist who was proud of the fact that his laboratory had made major scientific and technical contributions to the continuing and growing military technology of the United States. He was also proud to have helped get the United States ballistic missile program established in the face of strong opposition. Wiesner later became a nuclear strategy adviser to both Presidents Eisenhower and Kennedy. Then, during the Vietnam War, he brought together dozens of scientists from MIT and elsewhere in a huge project to deploy sensors, mines and cluster bombs along the border between North and South Vietnam.

As MITs provost and president, Wiesner was, in effect, Chomskys boss for over 20 years. He also played a crucial role in setting up MITs linguistics program. As Chomsky says: Modern linguistics developed as part of whats sometimes called the cognitive revolution of the 1950s, actually to a large extent here in [RLEs] Building 20, thanks initially to Jerry Wiesners initiatives.

Although fans of Chomskys anti-militarist politics tend to be unaware of this, his status among academics stems from his crucial contribution to this cognitive revolution, which was essentially the reflection in psychology and philosophy of the impact of digital computers. Without Chomsky, the stock-in-trade of computer engineering  all that stuff about software versus hardware, inputs and outputs  would have languished unseen within the fields of electronics and telecommunications. It was Chomsky who convinced people that a digital computer  he called it the Language Acquisition Device  existed inside the human brain. Children, he said, are able to quickly acquire the grammar of their first language because inside each mind is a digital computer module wired up from the outset in the necessary way.

Chomsky thereby removed linguistics from its former home within the social sciences and repositioned it firmly within intellectual territory familiar to computer engineers. It was not long before this intellectual revolution spread like wildfire across the human sciences until not one discipline was left untouched.

To grasp why the cognitive revolution seemed so seductive, we need to understand the unique quality of digital communication. We are all familiar with the idea that if you make a photocopy and then copy that photocopy, it degrades with each step until the image gets completely lost. However, from a digital original you can make a million copies of copies of copies, each as perfect as the first. That is because each digital signal is either fully on or fully off, without intermediate positions and therefore impossible to degrade.

Digital information is autonomous with respect to the material in which it is encoded. Or you could say that information now floats free of its material embodiment. When philosophers in the United States discussed the implications, they imagined that science had now solved the problem that philosophers had been struggling with since the ancient Greeks: how such an intangible thing as the soul can possibly exert influence over the material body. They imagined they now had the solution to the mystery. If mind can be seen as software and the body as hardware, all was now clear. It even meant that we might be able in the future to discard our hardware  our bodies  while still remaining who we really are.

Among the most famous of the scientists running with these ideas was Marvin Minsky  brilliant co-founder in 1959 of MITs Artificial Intelligence laboratory. Chomsky had been the first to claim with any credibility that a digital device really does operate inside the human brain, and it was in large measure this exciting claim which enabled Minsky to fly so high.

If the mind really is a digital computer, concluded Minsky, then our bodies no longer really matter. Our arms, legs and brain cells are all just imperfect and perishable hardware, essentially irrelevant to the weightless and immortal software  the information  that constitutes who we really are. Minsky even dreamed of banishing death by downloading consciousness into a computer. As he put it:

The most important thing about each person is the data, and the programs in the data that are in the brain. And some day you will be able to take all that data, and put it on a little disk, and store it for a thousand years, and then turn it on again and you will be alive in the fourth millennium.

Now, these ideas would have been of interest only to technicians and engineers had it not been for Chomsky. It was Chomsky who connected all this with what it means to be human, doing so by persuading an awed intellectual community that the mind itself  and in particular the human language faculty  is best understood as a digital device.

Specialists in the structure of the human brain are today united in saying that the human mind is emphatically not a digital computer, but works on entirely different principles. Our minds are far from being just information or software, running on any old hardware. Emotional intelligence matters. We breathe, think and live in our bodies, and do so through our relationships with one another, not simply in our heads.

But ideas about emotions, bodies and relationships were of limited interest to the military in the 1960s. The Pentagon wanted new ways to coordinate and program their computer-controlled weaponry. Hence their enthusiasm for Chomskys work.

At first, this enthusiasm may have appeared relatively harmless. After all, Chomsky was originally employed by Jerome Wiesner to work on machine translation. Although this project was of considerable interest both to the military and to the CIA, it was not directly concerned with weapons command and control. But, once Chomsky found himself working for an Air Force sponsored project of direct military use, it must have been impossible to ignore the moral and political implications. Other scientists may have been able to ignore their consciences and continue to do research designed to kill people. But Chomsky was too principled for this. He had to do something and, if leaving MIT was not an option, he would have to find another way to stop his linguistics from being used for military purposes.

Chomskys Choice

From the beginning of his career at MIT, Chomsky had always felt most comfortable with concepts of language so abstract and formal that linguistics had come to resemble mathematics. Typically, colleagues and students would try to tinker with his latest theory to make it more realistic. That is what his students were doing on that Air Force sponsored command and control project. Chomsky seems to have gone along with this for a while, but then resolved to retreat back to pure abstractions. At all times, his preferred choice was to satisfy his moral conscience by treating language as something so utterly abstract and other-worldly  so completely removed from social usage or any practical application  that no matter what insights he came up with, nothing could possibly be used to kill anyone.

Chomsky succeeded in the sense that none of his research was ever found workable or useful by the US military, despite their best efforts. Unfortunately, Chomskys insistence on keeping faith with classical Greek philosophy  with pure, eternal and therefore harmless abstract forms  also meant that, in the view of most contemporary linguists, half a century of theorizing failed to make any genuine intellectual breakthrough.

In order to disconnect language from dubious social usage or politics, Chomsky pushed individualism and genetic determinism to unprecedented extremes. To give one example involving my own specialism, language origins: Chomsky claims that language did not gradually evolve but suddenly appeared in the head of one single individual. Once equipped with language, this individual then talked to itself. He goes on to claim that the concepts we put together in sentences  for example book or carburettor  became specified in the human genome when our species first evolved, many thousands of years before such things had been invented.

Chomskys polemical skills allow him to make these arguments seem credible at first sight, but on reflection they make no sense. But there has to be a reason why Chomsky so passionately espouses them. I am not claiming any privileged access to Chomskys psychology but what I can say is that such strange ideas categorically remove linguistics from all contact with the real world, situating the entire field in a realm of eternal abstractions. This successfully removes linguistic theory from any dubious military use but it also means, as he himself readily admits, that his theoretical models have nothing to say about how sentences are really used by people, how words are able to refer to things in the external world or how languages change over historical time.

For anyone who admires Chomsky as I do, it feels risky to say things that can so easily be misunderstood. No part of my account can detract from Chomskys record as a tireless anti-militarist campaigner. Neither can it detract from his persistence in withstanding the institutional pressures that he must have endured at MIT. Had he resigned in disgust in 1967, when he was thinking of doing so, he might never have gained the platform he needed to signal his dissidence across the world. There are times when all of us have to make compromises, some more costly than others. My argument is that it was Chomskys science, rather than his politics, that bore the brunt of those damaging pressures and costs.

* * *

Chris Knight is currently Senior Research Fellow in the Department of Anthropology at University College London, exploring what it means to be human by focusing on the evolutionary emergence of language and symbolic culture. His latest book is Decoding Chomsky: Science and revolutionary politics (Yale University Press 2018). His website is www.scienceandrevolution.org.

Operational Update

Brisbane, Mar 12, 2018 AEST (ABN Newswire) - Brisbane-based conventional gas developer State Gas Limited ( ASX:GAS ) is pleased to provide an operational update on its PL 231 Reid's Dome - Cattle Creek conventional gas project located South West of Rolleston in the Bowen Basin in Central Queensland.HIGHLIGHTS- Completed Phase 1 (Northern Area) of seismic reprocessing.- Identified new potential gas pool target in the north-west of PL 231 from seismic reprocessing.- Reviewed flow-test results and well inspections from December 2017 together with new seismic interpretation.- Commenced Phase 2 (Southern Area) seismic data reprocessing.- Commenced desktop review of Reid's Dome (deeper) gas and oil targets within PL 231.The Company has received the results of the Phase 1 (Northern Area) seismic reprocessing. The Phase 1 reprocessing was calibrated to known gas sands from existing wells and is providing more advanced geophysical information that includes the Central North gas pool (centred on Primero-1) and other areas further to the north-west, where existing seismic data was available.The interpretation results from the reprocessed seismic in the Northern Area of PL 231 have been considered by the Company in the context of the flow-testing results and well inspections conducted in December 2017.With the flow-testing and well inspections data, it appears that there are two-to-three existing wells currently in place that will be sufficient to produce from the Central North Gas Pool.The Phase 1 reprocessing also identified a new potential gas pool located in the north-west of PL 231 (North-West Gas Prospect). The North-West Gas Prospect appears to be hosted within the Cattle Creek Gas Sands and is anticipated to occur at a depth of approximately 220 metres in this area of the Permit.Work is now underway to better define the scope of the North-West Gas Prospect and assess appropriate exploration and drilling options.In order to optimise drilling costs and related exploration activities for the 2018 program, the Phase 2 (Southern Area) seismic reprocessing has been commissioned. Seismic data in the Southern Area is available but is more limited than that available for the Northern Area. It is anticipated that the results of Phase 2 will be available within the next three-to-four months.The Company is now investigating options for monetising the known Cattle Creek Formation gas in the Central North gas pool centred on Primero-1.A review of the Reid's Dome (deeper) gas and oil targets within PL 231 has also been commenced, with certain historical exploration reports recently uncovered that were previously unavailable.To view figures, please visit:About State Gas Limited

State Gas Limited (ASX:GAS) is a Queensland-based developer of the Reid's Dome gas field, originally discovered during drilling in 1955, located in the Bowen Basin in Central Queensland. State Gas is 100%-owner of the Reid's Dome Gas Project (PL-231) a CSG and conventional gas play, which is well-located 30 kilometres southwest of Rolleston, approximately 50 kilometres from the Queensland Gas Pipeline and interconnected east coast gas network.

Permian coal measures within the Reid's Dome Beds are extensive across the entire permit but the area had not been explored for coal seam gas prior to State Gas' ownership. In late 2018 State Gas drilled the first coal seam gas well in the region (Nyanda-4) into the Reid's Dome Beds and established the potential for a significant coal seam gas project in PL 231. The extension of the coal measures into the northern and central areas of the permit was confirmed in late 2019 by the Company's drilling of Aldinga East-1A (12 km north) and Serocold-1 (6 km to the north of Nyanda-4).

State Gas is also the 100% holder Authority to Prospect 2062 ("Rolleston-West"), a 1,414 km2 permit (eight times larger than PL 231) that is contiguous with the Reid's Dome Gas Project. Rolleston-West contains highly prospective targets for both coal seam gas (CSG) and known conventional gas within the permit area. It is not restricted by domestic gas reservation requirements.

The contiguous areas (Reid's Dome and Rolleston-West), under sole ownership by State Gas, enable integration of activities and a unified super-gasfield development, providing economies of scale, efficient operations, and optionality in marketing.

State Gas is implementing its strategic plan to bring gas to market from Reid's Dome and Rolleston-West to meet near term forecast shortfalls in the east coast domestic gas market. The strategy involves progressing a phased appraisal program in parallel with permitting for an export pipeline and development facilities to facilitate the fastest possible delivery of gas to market. State Gas' current focus has been to confirm the producibility of the gas through production testing of the wells.

Bottle Creek VB Pit Targets

Canberra, Mar 12, 2018 AEST (ABN Newswire) - Alt Resources Ltd ( ASX:ARS ) (Alt or 'the Company') is pleased to provide the outcomes of an ongoing review of historical drilling data from the Bottle Creek Gold Mine in WA. The Company is continuing to compile and digitise the extensive historical dataset for the area. Alt's immediate focus is on un-mined gold mineralisation such as at Emu (see Note 1 below), Southwark (see Note 2 below) and the un-mined ore shoots beneath the existing VB and Boags pits.HIGHLIGHTS:- Historical drilling shows untested high grade ore shoots extending beneath the previously mined VB Pit- Historical drilling does not extend deeper than 35 m below the current pit- Grades up to 21.2 g/t Au, 810 g/t Ag remaining in-ground- Significant historical intercepts from beneath the mined VB Pit include:o 7.2m @ 6.3 g/t Au, 183.3 g/t Ago 6m @ 6.7 g/t Au, 18.3 g/t Ago 10m @ 4.1 g/t Au, 65.1 g/t Ago 12m @ 3.1 g/t Au, 3.6 g/t Ago 3m @ 4.0 g/t Au, 179.5 g/t Ago 9m @ 3.2 g/t Au, 31.8 g/t Ago 2m @ 1.6 g/t Au, 89.5 g/t Ag (EOH)- Ore shoots are open at depth and represent immediate drilling targets- Existing pits only mined to 50m depth with significant remnant ore beneath both VB and Boags pitsBroad, untested, high grade ore shoots at these deposits present immediate walk-up targets for exploration drilling and further resource development at Bottle Creek. Grades up to 21.2 g/t Au and 810 g/t Ag are reported from historical drilling beneath the VB Pit, alongside broad, consistently graded intercepts such as 12m @ 3.1 g/t Au.Alt CEO, James Anderson, commented; "Consistent with the Company's strategy to develop Bottle Creek to production, it's very encouraging to see these untested ore shoots that are open at depth coming from the continued review of the Bottle Creek dataset. There is a massive amount of historical data and reporting to go through, with many gems hidden in the history of this project."Alt executed a binding Option to Purchase Agreement for the Bottle Creek Gold Mine on the 3rd November, 2017 (see Note 3 below). Drilling is scheduled to commence in March 2018 to validate historical drilling and progressively bring the Bottle Creek resource into JORC compliance. The Company will undertake a minimum of 8,000m of reverse circulation (RC) drilling, with a focus on the un-mined Emu, Southwark and XXXX deposits, north of the VB and Boags pits (see link below). Drilling will also include extensions to high grade shoots below the mined pits as the project moves towards a development phase.Regional Setting and Exploration HistoryThe Bottle Creek gold mine lies 100 km north east of Menzies in the Mt Ida gold belt (see Figure 1 in link below). The gold mine is located on the northern extremity of the Mt Ida-Ularring greenstone belt extending from Davyhurst to Mt Alexander (see Figure 1 in link below). The Ularring greenstone belt forms the western part of the Norseman-Wiluna Province of the Yilgarn Craton. The location of mineralisation and local geology, is shown in Figure 2 (see link below).Bottle Creek was discovered by Electrolytic Zinc Company of Australasia (EZ) in 1983, who passed management of the project to Norgold Limited (Norgold) in 1985. Norgold managed the project through to production. Ore was treated onsite in a CIP Circuit, producing 90,000 oz Au over an 18 month period from 1988-1989 from two open pits (Boags and VB; see Figure 3 in link below). Significant drilling was undertaken by EZ and later by Norgold along a 9.8 km strike length from 1984 to 1989. RC drill fences at 100m spacing were carried out, with infill drill line spacing at 50m and 25m at various locations. The majority of drilling targeted oxide mineralisation and reached no deeper than 80m vertically below surface.VB Historical DrillingThe Bottle Creek gold mine included production from the VB and Boags pits between 1988 and 1989. The VB pit itself saw historical production of 615,000 tonnes @ 3.29 g/t Au for approximately 65,000 oz Au. Mining occurred to a depth of 50m below surface.Extensive drilling undertaken by EZ and Norgold resulted in the delineation of historical resources at VB, Boags, Emu and XXXX (see Figure 3 in link below). Drilling was to a nominal depth of around 80m, and targeted oxide mineralisation. A small number of drillholes targeted sulphide mineralisation at depth (e.g. VB-281-DD, described below).A review of the historical data reveals promising gold and silver intercepts remaining in-ground below the mined surface at the southern and northern ends of the VB deposit. Historical drilling reaches no deeper than 35m below the current depth of the VB pit. Several drillholes ended in mineralisation (e.g VB-128-RC; see Table 1 in link below). Drilling did not test the extent of the ore shoots at depth. These remain open and represent a clear target for ongoing exploration. Significant intercepts from beneath the VB Pit include:- 7.2m @ 6.3 g/t Au, 183.3 g/t Ag from 85.2mo including 2.3m @ 11.5 g/t Au, 301.7 g/t Ag from 85.2m- 6m @ 6.7 g/t Au, 18.3 g/t Ag from 63m- 10m @ 4.1 g/t Au, 65.1 g/t Ag from 69mo including 1m @ 10.2 g/t Au, 55 g/t Ag from 71m- 3m @ 4.0 g/t Au, 179.5 g/t Ag from 56m- 9m @ 3.2 g/t Au, 31.8 g/t Ag from 65m- 2m @ 1.6 g/t Au, 89.5 g/t Ag (EOH)In addition, a zone of shallow un-mined mineralisation (detected 10-20m below surface) exists immediately east of the existing pit (shown in Figure 4 in link below). The spacing of drill fences outside of the pit area is approximately 100m, compared with 25m spacing within the mined zone. Significant potential therefore exists to expand the known volume of mineralisation both along strike to the north and south, and potentially to include a parallel zone to the east. A representative intercept from this eastern zone gives 12m @ 3.1 g/t Au, 3.6 g/t Ag from 11m.Figure 6 (see link below) shows the distribution of historical drillholes across the VB deposit, between 12000 and 13200N on the local Bottle Creek grid. The local grid is oriented north-west of magnetic north. The cross-sections in Figure 4 and Figure 5 (see link below) are oriented along the local grid eastings, as labelled.Alt Resources is commencing RC drilling at Bottle Creek this week, pursuant to the terms contained in the Option to Purchase Agreement for Bottle Creek (see Note 3 below). Drilling will aim to confirm historical intercepts and increase the current confidence in historical data. The data is considered to be reliable, however insufficient QAQC measures were included in the historical drilling, sampling and analytical procedures to be able to bring the deposit to a modern JORC compliant resource. Alt's drilling program will then aim to infill the existing drill sections to further increase confidence in the resource estimate.Significant intercepts for below the VB pit, which will form the basis of further exploration by Alt, are listed in Table 1 (see link below). The significant intercepts described in this release are representative, and do not include all of the significant intercepts included in historical data from beneath the mined VB pit deposit. In this release, the Company is attempting to illustrate to shareholders the gold grades present below the current mined surface, and their continuity between drill sections. The Company considers the historical work by EZ and Norgold to be of generally high standard and reliability, and an excellent starting point on which to base modern exploration and develop a growth strategy for Bottle Creek.Notes:1 See ARS announcement, 22nd November, 2017; http://abnnewswire.net/lnk/D5NQHG4E 2 See ARS announcement, 7th December, 2017; http://abnnewswire.net/lnk/0ZOLOJ8K 3 See ARS announcement, 8th November, 2017: http://abnnewswire.net/lnk/QCE95126 To view tables and figures, please visit:About Aurenne Alt Resources Pty Ltd

Aurenne Alt Resources Pty Ltd is an Australian based mineral exploration company that aims to become a gold producer by exploiting historical and new gold prospects across quality assets and to build value for shareholders.Despite continuing United States Forest Service (USFS) budget issues, contracts recently awarded for the 2018 fire season show that the BAE Systems-built and supported BAe 146/Avro RJ Airtanker will be the most numerous aircraft to be deployed on these demanding missions.





Above: A BAe-146.

By sirtravelalot / Shutterstock.com



The USFS is cutting the number of large Airtankers on Exclusive Use contracts this year from 20 to 13. Of these aircraft, eight BAe 146/Avro RJs (over 61%) are nominated with four each being provided by Conair/Aero Flite Inc. and Neptune Aviation.



The USFS has also signed up a further 11 aircraft on Call When Needed contracts. Of these a further eight BAe 146/Avro RJs are earmarked (nearly 73%) with four aircraft each again being provided by Conair/Aero Flite Inc. and Neptune Aviation.



Conair of Abbotsford, Canada, and its US subsidiary Aero Flite Inc. have a total of eight RJ85 Airtankers in operation  combating both United States and Canadian wildfires. One aircraft has also been in Australia fighting wildfires under contract to the State of Victoria. Conair will display an RJ85 and a CL-415 waterbomber at Sacramento.



Neptune Aviation, of Missoula, Montana has nine BAe 146-200 Airtankers available for service and has recently acquired an Avro RJ100 to pursue a research and development project. In addition to fighting fires in the USA between February and December 2017 Neptune Aviation also had one of their BAe 146 Airtankers in Chile during February March 2017 supporting wildland firefighting efforts in that country.



A third Airtanker operator/converter is Air Spray whose first converted BAe 146-200 will make its debut at Sacramento and demonstrate an aerial drop with its new iRADS (Internal Retardant Delivery System) aircraft tank. This aircraft will commence drop tests over the USFS qualifying grid in April. Air Spray is well underway with the conversion of a second BAe 146 with three more to follow.



The location of the Aerial Firefighting Conference in Sacramento is particularly poignant given the devastating wildfires that ravaged the State during late 2017, making it the most destructive wildfire season on record. According to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection a total of 9,133 fires burned 1,381,405 acres, causing the deaths of one firefighter and 45 civilians, with a further 12 firefighters and 199 civilians injured.



Raging from the Oregon border to the north down as far south as San Diego, the fires included the massive Thomas Fire in Ventura County which became Californians largest modern wildfire, engulfing an area larger than the Washington D.C. metropolitan conurbation.



At the end of January it was reported that 45,000 insurance claims totalling US$11.8 billion resulting from these fires had been recorded. The California Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones stated that the state-wide fires had destroyed 32,000 homes, 4,300 businesses and more than 8,200 vehicles, boats and farm vehicles and other equipment.



Combating these fires was a massive task for the fire-fighting community with aerial firefighters playing a prominent role. One of Neptune Aviations BAe 146s was on exclusive contract with CALFIRE and during 2017 it flew over 226 hours (435 cycles), performed 343 missions and dropped 1,029,000 gallons of retardant.



Such was the scale of the late 2017 California fires that from the period between October 10 and January 12, 2018 Neptune sent its entire BAe 146 fleet to respond, racking up an additional 158.8 hours, flying a further 187 missions and dropping an extra 561,000 gallons of retardant. Neptune also mobilised two of its venerable and recently retired P-2V Neptune Airtankers to help with this unprecedented effort.



Overall BAe 146 operations across the USA and Chile during 2017 totalled 3192 missions, accumulating 2371 hours, and delivering 9,524,550 gallons of retardant (36,050,422 litres).



Conair/Aero Flite Inc.s RJ85 Airtankers were similarly busy helping to fight the Californian wildfires with both RJ85 Airtankers and CL-415 waterbombers in action. Overall operations across the USA in 2017 totalled 4,265 missions, and delivering 60,843,000 litres of retardant. In Canada 150 missions were flown, accumulating 195 hours and delivering 658,590 litres of retardant.



As the Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) for the BAe 146/Avro RJ BAE Systems Regional Aircraft has collaborated with all these Airtanker operators and converters in various ways to provide specialist technical design and engineering assistance as well as a full spares provision operation  a vital and continuing service to support these demanding applications.







European airport trade association, ACI EUROPE, today released its traffic report for January 2018  the first indication of air traffic performance in Europe for this year  showing passengers numbers up 7.4% and freight up 8.4%.





Average passenger traffic in geographical Europe grew by +7.4% during January, compared with the same period last year.



As in previous months, the non-EU market led the growth dynamic at +14.6%, on the back of Turkish airports increasing their passenger traffic by an impressive +28.1%. While Russian airports grew at a slower pace (+7.7%), airports in Georgia, Ukraine, Belarus, Moldova, Israel, Iceland as well as in the smaller markets of Albania, Bosnia Herzegovina, FYROM and Montenegro, all recorded double digit increases.



Passenger traffic growth in the EU market moderated to +5.2% when compared to 2017 (+7.7%). This mainly reflects the lasting impact of the bankruptcies of Air Berlin and Monarch, which resulted in traffic decreases at airports in Germany, Austria, Denmark and the UK  as well as the decision of Ryanair to take 25 aircraft out of its fleet this winter, to address crew rostering issues. The fact that January 2017 had seen a very strong increase (+10%) also contributed to the lower performance.



The Eastern part of the EU market continued to drive the growth dynamic, with airports in the Baltic States, Poland, Hungary, Slovakia, Slovenia, Croatia, and Bulgaria posting double digit increases  along with airports in Portugal, Malta, Luxemburg and Finland.



The Majors (top 5 European airports) saw passenger traffic growing by +9.3%. This performance was primarily influenced by a +30.3% increase at Istanbul-Ataturk, which propelled the airport to the second position amongst the league, behind London-Heathrow (+1.1%) and just above Paris-CDG (+4.9%). Amsterdam-Schiphol and Frankfurt also contributed to the performance of the top 5 - both increasing their passenger traffic by +7.6%.



Olivier Jankovec, Director General of ACI EUROPE said: If you put aside the persisting negative impact of last years airlines bankruptcies, 2018 is off to a good start for air traffic at Europes airports. The main driver for that is continued and robust economic expansion across our continent and beyond. While oil price volatility is more of concern in the medium-term, geopolitical tensions remain at the very top of our risk cards for the coming months.



Freight traffic continued its recent upward trend during January at +8.4% replicating its growth rate this time last year. Aircraft movements were up +4.3% - increasing by +3.3% in the EU market and by +7.8% in the non-EU bloc.



During the month of January, airports welcoming more than 25 million passengers per year (Group 1), airports welcoming between 10 and 25 million passengers (Group 2), airports welcoming between 5 and 10 million passengers (Group 3) and airports welcoming less than 5 million passengers per year (Group 4) reported an average adjustment +6.8%, +6.6%, +8.3% and +10.1%.



The airports which reported the highest increases in passenger traffic during January 2018 (compared with January 2017) are as follows:



GROUP 1: Istanbul IST (+30.3%), Istanbul SAW (+25.3%), Lisbon (+15.2%), Antalya (+14.3%) and Moscow SVO (+12.6%)



GROUP 2: Ankara (+47.8%), Izmir (+20.8%), Budapest (+16.7%), Warsaw WAW (+16.4%) and Tel Aviv (+14.6%)



GROUP 3: Naples (+52%), Sevilla (+32.5%), Heraklion (+28.1%), Valencia (+27.9%) and Krakow (+20.1%)



GROUP 4: Foggia (+500%), Batumi (+110%), Varna (+107.7%), Craiova (+70.8%) and Kos (+61.1%)



The 'ACI EUROPE Airport Traffic Report  January 2018 includes 241 airports in total representing more than 88% of European air passenger traffic. ACI EUROPE Airport Traffic Reports are unique in that they are the only ones to include all types of airline passenger flights to, from and within Europe: full service, low cost, charter and others.

London Stansted has reached another significant milestone as it welcomed over 26 million passengers to the airport in the last year.





The airports busiest ever February, boosted by the half-term getaway, saw over 1.7 million passengers pass through the terminal, an increase of 79,000 or 4.8 per cent over the same month in 2017, the previous record for February.



Popular countries for those passengers wanting to hit the slopes included France, Italy, Switzerland and Austria while those heading for some winter sun jetted off to the Canary Islands, Turkey and the Spanish mainland. Countries reporting the largest year-on-year growth were Denmark and the Czech Republic.



The rolling 12-month total of 26 million passengers is an increase of nearly 1.7 million over the previous year or 6.8 per cent, and the highest annual total recorded at Stansted.



The volume of cargo handled at Stansted in February was up 2.1 per cent on the same month in 2017, with 19,477 tonnes passing through the airport.



Ken OToole, CEO of London Stansted, said: To pass another significant passenger milestone is a clear indication of Stansteds continuing success in growing our route network and providing passengers from London and the East of England with even more choice.



We expect Stansted to be the fastest growing airport in the UK this year with new long-haul services launching to Dubai, USA and Canada in the coming months in addition to continued growth from our existing airlines. Its vital we now plan ahead to consider how we best meet this growing demand in the most responsible and sustainable way.



We recently submitted a planning to seek permission to grow the number of passengers we serve by an additional eight million a year but with a commitment to do so within our existing flight and noise approvals. This is crucial in supporting international connectivity over the next decade as Stansted is the only London airport with significant available runway capacity.



We also remain focused on ensuring our facilities and service levels keep pace with growing passenger numbers to provide the best airport experience. As part of our 600 million investment programme we are now in the process of identifying the contractors to build our new 130 million arrivals terminal plus the 200 million revamp of our existing terminal building.







The premises of the former Target store on Maloney Boulevard will soon be hosting Adonis which is now affiliated with Metro. Like Farm Boy, Adonis has sought to pride itself on its fresh produce section. This new Adonis store appears to be almost ready to open with workers there on schedule for a timely opening.



Adonis offers a unique grocery shopping experience. The first one I checked out was in Longeuil around Montreal. A girlfriend kept tell me that she wanted to show me this place on a weekend in the morning.



It was quite early on a Saturday when I arrived with her to a very full parking lot. However, I had no idea what awaited me inside. Half asleep it was like I walked into a supermarket version of a "fun circus mad house". This place was jam packed and loud with both francophone and many immigrant; and what's was that in the distance? Some kind of glass enclosure with workers frantically putting together stuff on a conveyor belt?



Adnois seems to be an attempt to create some kind of "Old World" crazy open market atmosphere. If you're not even particularly interested in shopping, there's plenty of people watching and unexpected stuff you might find.



When I was in Scarborough as soon as I saw an Adonis I immediately stop just to look for "the unexpected" I might see. This experience did not disappoint. As soon as I stopped I saw two "New Canadians" fighting over a parking spot as loud as you can be in their mother tongues and full of hand gesticulations.



Now, how many times do you ever see that at a Farm Boy, Loblaws, Sobeys or your typical Metro?



Last March, the company had reportedly signed a 20-year lease (with renewal options) to establish a business in these vacant premises since Target closed stores in Canada.



The project is in the plans for some time since the negotiations would have ended last November between Metro and the owners of the local.



In addition to Metro itself, the company has several banners such as Super C and Brunet pharmacies and in Ontario, Food Basics among others.



Montreal's upscale Premiere Moisson bakery chain, belonging to the same group, has also been setting up at the same location.Qatar Airways has extended its contract with Worldwide Flight Services (WFS), which already provides cargo handling services to the airline at Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport.

WFS is now also responsible for ramp transportation on behalf of Qatar, transferring cargo between aircraft and warehouse for the carriers three daily flights linking Paris and Doha.

The handler also recently won a similar extension to its contract for EVA Airs daily services between Paris and Taipei.

Stephane Scholving, WFS director of cargo sales Europe, said: It is always especially pleasing when major airline customers decide [to] award you responsibility for their whole chain from acceptance of cargo to delivery to the aircraft side.

Qatar Airways and EVA Air have shown this commitment to WFS in Paris and by taking control of their end-to-end services, we are confident of delivering important service quality benefits to both airlines and their customers.

Elsewhere in Europe, WFS is starting to handle cargo for Egyptair in Brussels and Amsterdam this month, as reported by Air Cargo News on January 23.

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https://www.aish.com/jw/id/Saving-Lives-through-Israeli-Innovation.html

Eli Beer of United Hatzalah has transformed emergency medical care.

As a 16-year-old yeshiva student in Jerusalem, Eli Beer dreamed of being an EMT. He volunteered on an ambulance service, and one day received a call about a 7-year-old child choking on a hot dog. By the time the ambulance arrived 20 minutes later, the child was dead. When Eli found out that a doctor had been just a block away, he realized that the emergency medical system was in desperate need of disruption.

Summoning Israeli chutzpah, Eli convinced his parents to buy him a police scanner in order to monitor emergency medical calls. Soon after, he heard a call about an auto accident just one block away. Eli raced to the scene by foot.

"An elderly man had blood gushing out of his neck," Eli tells Aish.com. "I had no medical equipment, so I removed my kippah and used it to apply pressure to stop the bleeding. I later found out the man was taking blood thinners and would have been dead in two minutes. The ambulance only arrived 15 minutes later. I had saved a life!"

At that moment, Eli knew his life mission: to reduce the wait-time for emergency medical care.

Eli heard about a group of Orthodox Jews in Brooklyn, New York, who had formed a local rapid-response team, and he decided to organize something similar in his own Jerusalem neighborhood of Bayit Vegan. Together with 15 friends  all EMTs  Eli bucked bureaucracy, legal tangles and resistance from existing emergency services to get launch his organization.

Now, nearly 30 years later, United Hatzalah is a nationwide network of 4,000 trained volunteers, headquartered in a state-of-the-art dispatch center near Jerusalem's central bus station. United Hatzalah has treated over 2.5 million emergencies, an estimated 20% which are life-threatening  heart attacks, strokes, auto accidents, terror attacks. In many locales, Hatzalah has achieved its stated goal of 90-second response time; the nationwide average is three minutes.

Hatzalah's secret? The "ambucycle," a motorcycle equipped with oxygen kit, heart defibrillator, burn wraps, maternity kit, glucometer, trauma kit, and communication gear. Today, 700 ambucycles  painted in distinctive Hatzalah orange  dot the Israeli landscape. In conjunction with Israel's 70th birthday, another 70 ambucycles will begin service in May.

"Our primary objective is to get to there fast and administer treatment before the ambulance arrives," Eli explains. "Because these ambucycles are small and mobile, they're not held up by traffic jams or narrow streets. If necessary, they even go on the sidewalk."

Receiving treatment within the first minutes of a medical emergency often spells the difference between life and death. In the case of cardiac arrest, for example, the lack of defibrillation and life support reduces chances of survival by nearly 10%  every minute.

"With stroke and choking as well, the earlier the victim receives oxygen, the less damage," Eli explains. "Just today we got a call about a woman not breathing. Our dispatcher told her son what to do. One minute later, Hatzalah volunteers arrived and performed CPR. The ambulance arrived four minutes after that. Did we save her life? We never know exactly. But for every minute saved, we decrease the damage and risk of death."

Israeli Innovation

Israel, the "start-up nation" with trailblazing technology in agriculture, security and medicine, is now seeing that same innovative spirit applied to saving lives. United Hatzalah's LifeCompass system is the world's first application of advanced GPS tracking technology to emergency medical care.

When an emergency call comes in (United Hatzalah responds to a thousand each day), LifeCompass automatically alerts the phones of the five best-positioned volunteers  based on geographic proximity to the scene, and accounting for equipment and training best suited to this specific emergency. The system then automatically transfers the volunteer to a mapping app that guides them on the fastest route.

Uber, meet emergency medicine.

Whether at work, school or home, Hatzalah's 4,000 volunteers carry their rescue bags everywhere they go. "A few years ago I was driving down the coastal road and received an alert that a child was drowning on a kibbutz," Eli says. "I wasn't familiar with this kibbutz, but our system immediately recognized me as one minute away. I arrived and treated the child. The ambulance came 40 minutes later. That day I saved a life."

In response to the 2014 kidnapping of three Israeli teens, Hatzalah developed an SOS app which allows anyone to send a one-touch distress signal to the 24/7 dispatch center, which transmits the GPS coordinates to law enforcement officials.

Expanding Across Israel

Beyond saving innumerable lives, Hatzalah has emerged as a force for positive change in Israeli society, where the divide between religious and secular, Jew and Arab, is often painfully felt.

"We've always responded to anyone who needs help, yet we began with mostly religious volunteers," Eli explains. "Then one day I got a call from a non-religious man in Herzilya. He said that in his city, people would frequently wait 15-20 minutes for an ambulance. He noticed our ambucycles operating in religious neighborhoods and wanted to bring Hatzalah to his own city."

Eli saw this as a great opportunity, and received full encouragement from the great Torah sage Rabbi Chaim Kanievsky. This saved lives and generated positive interactions between religious and non-religious Jews.

In addition, United Hatzalah instituted a course in the laws of Shabbat, so that every volunteer, regardless of background or observance, can appreciate how saving lives overrides other Torah laws.

"When it comes to saving lives, we do everything we can, in every way," Eli says. "The same Jew who wouldn't accept a million dollars to drive on Shabbat, will rush out at the holiest time of year  in the middle of Yom Kippur prayers  to save a 98-year-old stranger. This value on human life is the beauty of Judaism, and it's a great Kiddush Hashem (sanctification of God's name)."

United Hatzalah continues to expand, with an annual budget of $20 million and thousands of angels in orange  Jews, Arabs, Druze, Bedouins, and Christians  regular citizens willing to put everything else aside and rush to save a human life, anytime, anywhere.

Hatzalah's fleet now includes 4-wheel drive "Ambutractors" that perform rescues in rugged terrain such as forests, deserts, beaches and mountains. Hatzalah also has a rescue boat and jet skis stationed at the Sea of Galilee (Kinneret), Israels biggest lake.

Eli's own family is, in his words, "addicted to Hatzalah." His wife Gitty has opened a division for religious women to treat other women, and his three daughters have joined.

Jerusalem Unity Project

Another significant breakthrough came when Eli was visited by two Muslim Arabs living in east Jerusalem. One of them, Mohammed Asli, explained that a week earlier, his middle-aged father had suffered cardiac arrest and died while waiting 55 minutes for the ambulance to arrive.

Mohammed told Eli: "Nobody was there to help my father. He died right in front of my eyes. Let us form Hatzalah in east Jerusalem, and we promise to protect anyone who needs help."

Seeing this as a unique opportunity to foster good relations in Jerusalem  as well as saving lives  Hatzalah trained 30 Arab volunteers, many with prior medical experience. This partnership proved fruitful and came full circle one year later when Eli's father suffered a heart attack on Shabbat. He describes:

"I heard the call on the radio. I was two buildings away and immediately ran over. Yet when I saw my father lying there, unconscious, I started crying like a child. I've saved many lives with my own hands, but at that moment I simply froze up."

One minute later, another Hatzalah volunteer arrived and began administering CPR. Then 20 seconds after that, another volunteer arrived with a much-needed defibrillator. Eli's father regained his breathing and woke up.

With Divine justice, that medic with the defibrillator was none other than Mohammed Asli, the same Arab who originally asked to join Hatzalah. "I gave Mohammed a big hug," Eli says.

With Hatzalah's sterling record of Jewish-Muslim cooperation, in 2013, Eli Beer and Murad Alyan  another key initiator of Hatzalah's east Jerusalem squad  shared a prestigious Middle East Peace Prize.

This reputation extends to the Arab world as well. Al Jazeera aired a documentary on United Hatzalah's work. Eli met with the ruler of Dubai, and visited Jordan to receive an award from Queen Rania. "Being of Palestinian origin, she is not typically friendly toward Israel," Eli says. "But when she heard what we do and how we have Jewish and Arab volunteers working together, it touched her very much."

International Impact

Many people associate Israel with conflict and strife. Hatzalah is helping to change that perception. The video of Eli's 2013 Ted Talk has been viewed more than one million times. He has received numerous international accolades, including Social Entrepreneur of the Year Award by the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. "The CEO of the biggest Saudi oil company approached me and said he'd never met an Israeli before," Eli says. "Then he gave me a big hug."

Beyond Israel's borders, Hatzalah has expanded into disaster relief, sending top medical responders and a psychotrauma unit everywhere from the earthquake in Nepal to the flood in Houston.

Eli is also working to replicate his rapid-response model around the globe, envisioning a world where orange ambucycles with flashing red strobes represent Israel's "light unto the nations." United Hatzalah has trained volunteers in Ukraine, England, India, Lithuania, Brazil, and dozens of other locales. Last month, Eli received an award in Panama for improving that country's emergency medical system.

Eli also worked with the mayor of Jersey City, New Jersey. Though there aren't many Jews in Jersey City, one chassidic man goes out to three calls a day, in what Eli calls "a true Kiddush Hashem."

Eli's big vision for the future? "Hatzalah is all about bringing people of different backgrounds and communities together, putting differences aside, and sharing the mission of saving lives. I would love to scale our system as a global lifesaving network, where a volunteer from any country can respond to a call, wherever he may be. "

This is a long way for Eli Beer who, as a 6-year-old, saw a bus blow up in front of his eyes while walking home from school. "I saw the fire and the chaos of injured people running from the scene," he recalls. "I didn't exactly understand what was happening, but I knew that people needed help. An old man was yelling and crying for help. I was so scared that I ran away."

Six people died and scores were injured in that attack. Till today, that memory propels Eli Beer to repair the world, again and again  90 seconds at a time.Sixteenth Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, the site of a 1963 bombing that killed four girls, has been undergoing renovation thanks to a federal grant.

The National Park Service last year announced that the church was the recipient of a $500,000 grant for preservation of the historic site, a National Historic Landmark. That will pay for phase two, which is going on now. The church got another $500,000 federal grant for phase three of its restoration project, announced March 12. Work on phase three will begin this fall.

Renovation work began in November and includes restoration of the pews and stained-glass windows, said the Rev. Arthur Price, pastor since 2002. It should be done by May, he said.

"We need to do this so we can continue to be ambassadors for the city," said Price.

A previous renovation effort in 2007 raised $3.7 million in pledges, which paid for phase one.

The main goal of that effort was stabilizing the foundation, repairing cracks, re-roofing the building and creating a new drainage system to stop water leaks into the church basement.

Some cracks repaired in the project that ended in 2007 were the result of the 1963 bombing.

After the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute opened across the street in 1992, the church underwent an extensive renovation of its sanctuary and exterior.

With the building more than 110 years old and having withstood a destructive bomb attack, it requires frequent attention to preservation. "With an aging building, there are always problems," Price said.

"Through the African-American Civil Rights Grant Program, we're helping our public and private partners tell unique and powerful stories of the African- American struggle for equality in the 20th Century," National Park Service Acting Director Michael Reynolds said last year when the grant was announced.

Congress appropriated funding for the National Park Service African American Civil Rights Grant Program in 2016 through the Historic Preservation Fund.

The City of Birmingham is expected to approve $50,000 in matching funds for capital improvements to the church to preserve, repair and restore the structure.

The Birmingham Civil Rights District, including the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church, was declared a national monument in 2017.

The church served as a key meeting place for civil rights rallies led by the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. and as a starting point and headquarters for civil rights marches and rallies in the early 1960s.

The church receives anywhere from 50,000 to 100,000 visitors a year.Fairfield wants its money back--even though the money, well, doesn't really belong to the financially beleaguered city.

Last Friday, the city (or more specifically, Fairfield's City Council) filed legal actions in Jefferson County Circuit Court seeking the return of more than $450,000 paid to the Birmingham Jefferson County Transit Authority this year from Fairfield's ad valorem taxes collected by the county tax collector as a portion of the monies it has long owed the agency for transit service.

Fairfield, which was sued by the BJCTA in 2016 after two years of missed payments, filed a cross-complaint against county tax collector J.T. Smallwood and a motion requested a temporary restraining order to prevent Smallwood from making any further payments to the agency.

The city still owes the BJCTA about $101,371.22.

Fairfield contends payments made directly to the BJCTA--rather than sent to the city for disbursement--are "in direct violation of Title 11 of the Alabama Code."

The tax collector, the claim contends, "may only make a 'direct payment to the BJCTA pursuant to a resolution or contract between the parties'. [Fairfield] has determined that no such agreement nor supporting resolution for the direct payment...exists."

That payments went directly to the BJCTA, according to the court papers, left the Fairfield "without funds to meet its financial obligations to its bondholders" and put it "at risk of default."

The city "faces further immediate and irreparable harm should" the tax collector send further payments to the transit agency, according to the TRO.

The moves were just the latest actions in the city's four-year-old dispute with the transit authority--and may also be yet another reflection of the on-going power struggle between the Fairfield City Council and major Edward May II.

After filing suit against Fairfield in 2016, the BJCTA suspended service to the city. Executive director Barbara Murdock revealed at last month's board meeting that in January, the county tax collector informed her that the agency would be receiving partial payment and subsequently sent $450,118.50 from 2018 ad valorem taxes collected.

Based on the news, the board voted unanimously to restore service to Fairfield after it receives the remaining monies owed.

At that meeting, May said, "It's a great blessing for us to work out an agreement with BJCTA. We are excited to have the bus service restored for the elderly residents and students who no longer have to walk to Midfield to get on the bus."

Citing pending litigation, the BJCTA and county tax collector's office would not address Fairfield's actions. Attorneys for both entities are preparing their respective responses to the litigation.

Fairfield attorney Lucien Blankenship did not return a telephone call seeking comment. Efforts to reach mayor May and city council president Eddie Penny were also unavailing.

Last month, however, in an email sent from Penny's email address, he said he was "blindsided" by news of the BJCTA payment and losing the funds "is going to be devastating" to the city. The ad valorem tax monies were slated to cover bond debt, salaries, utilities and other expenses.

"All I know is that the council did not pass a resolution to transfer funds," the email said. "We had been waiting for revenue to make February's huge bond payment and now we know why it has not been received."

Roy S. Johnson's column appears in The Birmingham News, the Huntsville Times, the Mobile Register and AL.com. Hit me up at rjohnson@al.com or/and follow me at twitter.com/roysj.An Alabama death row inmate who is set to be executed this week says he is ready to die, but his federal public defenders have asked the nation's highest court to halt his execution.

Michael Wayne Eggers is set to die by lethal injection on Thursday at 6 p.m. at Holman Correctional Facility in Atmore. On Monday John Palombi, Assistant Federal Defender and one of Eggers' former attorneys, filed to the U.S. Supreme Court a writ of certiorari (a request for the justices to review the case) and a petition for a stay of execution.

"Michael Eggers is severely mentally ill," one of the filings states. "His testimony and filings are strong evidence of the irrationality of his reasons for wanting to terminate present counsel and to abandon his appeals."

Last year Eggers, who asked the circuit court judge at his 2002 trial to sentence him to death, asked in a handwritten motion that the Alabama Supreme expedite his execution date. Eggers also asked that his lawyers since 2014 from the Federal Public Defenders' Office for the Middle District of Alabama be terminated, and waived all appeals.

After a 2016 hearing, a federal judge ruled him competent to give up his rights to appeal, and the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals agreed.

Palombi states in Monday's motion that Eggers' true intent is not necessarily to be put to death, but to represent himself.

"Mr. Eggers has always wanted to represent himself, or at minimum, dictate to counsel exactly what issues should be raised and how they should be raised. When denied that opportunity, he falls back on an old standby, requesting to be executed," the petition says. "The hundreds of pleadings Mr. Eggers filed since [a] 2003 request indicate that his desire to be executed is not based on anything other than an attempt to get attention for his real request - self-representation."

"The truth is that Mr. Eggers wants to litigate his case, but wants to do so in a way to prove that his delusions are not delusions, but reality. When counsel refuse to litigate the case the way he wants it litigated, he asks to be executed. Prior to this present ruling, these requests were ignored. Now however, we have a mentally ill death-sentenced inmate using Alabama's system as his method of suicide because he cannot get anyone to believe that his delusions are not delusions," the petition states.

Eggers was convicted of two counts of capital murder in connection with the Dec. 30, 2000 murder of Bennie Francis Murray, of Talladega, during the course of a kidnapping and robbery. Her body was found in a wooded area in Walker County days after she disappeared.

Court records state that after killing Murray, Eggers took her car and debit card and fled to Kentucky, and later to Florida.

The filings also detail Eggers' history of mental health issues. Among other things, records state Eggers has heard voices and believes that "bikers" and members of the "Mexican Mafia" are trying to kill him. Eggers served as an informant in California in 1985, and he thinks since that time the government has conspired against him.

Eggers' condition has worsened in prison, and he often has claimed that both officials and inmates are attacking him or that his food is being poisioned, records state.The Alabama Attorney General's Office and the attorney for a death row inmate--who the state attempted to execute last month--are discussing "likely" settlement options.

According to court records, the state and Doyle Lee Hamm's attorney Bernard Harcourt are in "substantial and very serious settlement discussions, and believe that this case can be settled in the near future."

Whether the proposed settlement would include a ban on setting another execution date for Hamm was unclear. Both the AG's Office and Harcourt declined to comment for this story.

Hamm, 61, was set to be executed Feb. 22 by lethal injection, after Harcourt argued for months that Hamm's medical condition impaired his veins to the point where an intravenous injection procedure wouldn't work, and would cause extreme pain. The state disagreed, and a federal judge eventually ordered the execution could go on, but said the Alabama Department of Corrections could only use peripheral veins in Hamm's lower extremities.

Around 9 p.m. on Feb. 22, after a three-hour delay waiting on the U.S. Supreme Court to give the go ahead on the execution, medical personnel tried for over two hours to prepare Hamm for the execution. Harcourt said, and court records stated, the staff couldn't find a vein on either leg or either ankle. After those attempts failed, medical personnel moved on to try a central venous line in Hamm's right groin--where, days earlier, an independent doctor who evaluated Hamm said there were abnormal lymph nodes.

The execution was called off around 11:30 p.m., before the death warrant expired at midnight. Alabama Department of Corrections Commissioner Jeff Dunn announced that the execution wouldn't happen on the set night, but didn't specify exactly what the problem was.

Harcourt said Hamm likely suffered internal damage from the execution attempt.

Assistant AGs and Harcourt attended a telephone conference today with U.S. Chief District Judge Karon O Bowdre. A document filed by Harcourt Monday morning showed a proposed timeline for court proceedings, if the case were to go to trial. In that timeline, Harcourt says both sides should be prepared for trial by October 31, 2018, and the trial would take probably three to five days.

"The parties anticipate that the case will be settled," the filing states.

Hamm has been on death row for over 30 years, after being convicted in the slaying of Patrick Cunningham. Cunningham was killed in 1987 by a gunshot to the head while working the overnight shift at Anderson's Motel in Cullman.Doug Jones may be a U.S. senator representing Alabama but, to U.S. Rep. Mo Brooks, Jones is ultimately a Democrat.

And that's bad not only for Alabama but for the country as well, said Brooks, a Republican from Huntsville.

During a speech Monday to about 750 business and community leaders at a Huntsville-Madison County Chamber of Commerce luncheon, Brooks said that Jones' victory in the U.S. Senate special election last year "was a major loss to our country."

In a statement to AL.com, Jones said Brooks' comments were "disappointing."

In speaking with reporters afterward, Brooks stood by that statement and explained why.

"I'm a Republican and I have a certain belief system that goes with that," Brooks said off-stage. "Doug Jones is a Democrat and he has a different belief system. I happen to believe that conservative principles that made America a great nation are the ones that will continue to make us a great nation. He has a different set of principles.

"So nationally, given from where I come, Doug Jones was a major loss to the country. Although if you happen to have his belief system - as a lot of people do in America - they would consider it a great victory. That is the beauty of America and our being a republic. We can have our different ideologies but, ultimately, it's the voters who decide."

Those voters chose Jones over Republican Roy Moore in a narrow race in which the number of write-in votes exceeded the margin of Jones' victory over Moore. Jones won the race by less than 2 percent of the more than 1.3 million votes that were cast.

Jones is completing the term of U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions, which will be up for election again in 2020.

Brooks finished third in the Republican primary in the special Senate election. He is seeking re-election to Congress for a fifth term later this year.

"My entire campaign was about reaching across the aisle," Jones said in a statement to AL.com. "As senator, I've made a point of working with folks who may not always agree with me. Congressman Brooks' comments today are disappointing, and they're the exact opposite of what the people of Alabama are looking for in their elected representatives."

As Brooks described his viewpoint that Republican policies were what "made America a great nation," he was asked if Jones' victory was more a loss for the GOP than for the country as a whole.

Brooks said that was not the case.

"I'm talking about deficits and debt, I'm talking about socialism versus free enterprise, I'm talking about border security versus open borders," Brooks said. "I'm talking about abortion on demand even for babies when they are due to be born versus some kind of restraint and protection, preservation of life. Those are values that are important to our country.

"Now, as a Republican, I happen to carry solutions with respect to each of those issues, values with respect to each of those issues that I think are in the best interest of our country. Doug Jones is on the opposite side."

Updated today, March 12, 2018, at 4:32 p.m. with Jones' response to Brooks' comments.Monday is the 25th anniversary of the Blizzard of 93. The National Weather Service called it the "Superstorm of 1993" while Wikipedia calls it "The Storm of the Century."

The storm that formed over the Gulf of Mexico and hit Alabama March 12-13, 1993, was a monster storm. It was as strong as a category 3 hurricane but with the cold temperatures all the rain turned to snow. At its height it stretched from Central America to Eastern Canada.

In forecasting the storm, a spokesperson for the National Weather Service in Huntsville stated "We're not crying wolf this time." The Huntsville Times reported "Lightning flashed and thunder roared across the snow-draped land in an eerie display of nature's power. Many residents watched the storm in darkened, cold houses as power lines snapped from falling limbs."

It was one of the very rare times when all 67 counties in Alabama reported snow cover. The storm dumped several inches of snow each hour on Birmingham, which ended up with officially 13 inches of snow.

Due to the high winds some parts of Birmingham reported drifts 5 to 6 feet deep. One state trooper reported that the roads were in the worst shape he had ever seen. "People can't tell what's road and what's not."

Low temperatures during the storm were in the 5-to-10 degree range on that Sunday. Monday temperatures rose to the 40s and by Tuesday into the 60s. Jerral Miller with the Huntsville National Weather Service told The Huntsville Times, "But that's the Tennessee Valley. We are going from the worst sort of winter weather to spring, all in one week."

Alabama snowfall totals March 13, 1993

20 inches at Walnut Grove

17 inches at Valley Head

16 inches in Oneonta and Bessemer

13 inches at Anniston, Talladega, Pinson, Birmingham

12 inches at Thomasville, Childersburg, Scottsboro

11 inches at Sylacauga

10 inches at Cullman, Clanton and Heflin

9 inches in Thorsby

8 inches in Ashland, Centreville, Moulton and Guntersville

7 inches in Alexander City, Huntsville and Whatley

6 inches in Camden, Evergreen, Jasper, Livingston, Andalusia, Haleyville and Highland Home

5 inches in Auburn, Winfield, Muscle Shoals and Chatom

4 inches in Montgomery, Union Springs, Vernon, Tuscaloosa, Demopolis, Frisco City, Greenville, Troy

3 inches at Brewton, Hamilton, Bay Minette, Mobile Airport

2 inches at Atmore and Robertsdale

Trace at Fairhope and CodenA state representative who has worked for more than a year to bring church-affiliated child care centers under state regulations expects her bill to finally win approval on Tuesday.

"The votes are there to pass it," Rep. Pebblin Warren, D-Tuskegee, said today.

Warren and advocates for her proposal say it would help close a glaring gap in state law. The Alabama Department of Human Resources licenses child care centers and requires them to meet an extensive set of minimum standards on staffing levels, staff training, building safety, transportation and in many other areas.

Centers that claim an affiliation with a church, however, are exempt from licensing and the minimum standards. Almost half of the state's roughly 1,900 child care centers claim the exemption.

Warren's bill, called the Child Care Safety Act, is a compromise measure that would require licensing for church-affiliated centers that accept children who receive federal subsidies.

Other church-affiliated centers would remain exempt from licensing but would be under some new regulations, including a requirement to report employees' names and criminal histories to DHR every year.

DHR could inspect license-exempt centers if it suspects a safety risk or if the center is not meeting all its requirements. New license-exempt centers would be inspected by DHR before opening.

Warren's bill appears to have strong bipartisan support. It passed the House by a vote of 86-5 on Feb. 1. But the bill also appeared to have bipartisan support last year, when it died in the Senate on the last day of the legislative session.

Sen. Gerald Dial, R-Lineville, who is handling the bill in the Senate, said today he has heard concerns from a few people but believes there is broad agreement.

"It's been worked about as hard as any bill I've seen," the longtime lawmaker said.

Dial said there has been some concern about how the new rules would affect centers in rural counties with few child care center options.

The Senate was scheduled to consider the bill on Thursday but Dial agreed to delay it until this week at the request of Sen. Shay Shelnutt, R-Trusville.

Shelnutt could not be reached for comment today about what changes he would like to see in the bill.

Warren said she expects the bill to pass without any changes.

A 5-year-old boy who attended an unlicensed child care center in Mobile died last August after being left in a van by a driver for the center. The driver, who had a criminal records, was charged with manslaughter.

In 2015, 86 children from an unlicensed center in Montgomery received hospital treatment for food poisoning caused by staph bacteria.

The Legislature resumes its session on Tuesday. The House of Representatives is expected to approve the General Fund budget and related bills, including a 3 percent raise for state employees, their first cost-of-living raise in 10 years.

The Senate Finance and Taxation Education Committee is scheduled to consider the education budget on Tuesday.

Legislative leaders have said they hope to pass both budgets and wrap up the annual session by the end of this month so lawmakers can return to their districts and campaign for the June 5 primaries.A Mobile middle school student was arrested Monday after making a threat on social media.

The unnamed student, who attends Phillips Preparatory School in west Mobile, made the threat on social networking app Snapchat, according to Principal Brenda Hartzog.

"This morning we received information regarding a threat that was posted on Snap Chat," wrote Hartzog in a email to parents. "The police and MCPSS security officers have been involved and have resolved the situation. We have school as usual."

"Please speak to your children about posting statements that may be alarming or threatening in any way," she added.

A Mobile County Public Schools spokesperson said that the situation was now resolved.Auburn Police have identified two men involved in an Auburn Mall shooting on March 9.

Deion S. Brooks, 23, from Waldrof, Md. and Michael R. Trimble, 21, from Montgomery both sustained gunshot wounds after the Friday shooting in the mall parking lot.

Both men were air lifted to Piedmont Midtown Medical Center in Columbus, Ga., where they remain hospitalized, in stable condition with non-life threatening injuries.

According to Auburn Police, a conflict between the men escalated and led to Brooks and Trimble exchanging gunfire, which resulted in both being injured.

Police recovered a handgun near one of the men.

Criminal charges are pending, including but not limited to discharging a firearm in the city limits, reckless endangerment and assault.

The case remains under investigation. Anyone with information can call Auburn police at 334-501-3140 or the anonymous tip line at 334-246-1391.An Alabama man was arrested during a routine traffic stop in Florida Friday that could have ended in murder had it not been for God, according to a deputy's report.

James Melvin Long, who was arrested because there was a warrant out for his arrest connected with a robbery in Dothan, told the deputy that pulled him over he had planned to kill him but that God told him not to.

"He asked me if I woke up this morning thinking it may be my last day on earth," the deputy wrote in his report.

Long was initially pulled over because the plates on his Green 1996 Jeep Cherokee were from a 2007 Hyundai Sonata. The Jeep had been reported stolen, while Long didn't have a valid license in Florida. A check showed that Long had been charged with driving under the influence and driving while suspended. Long's Alabama licence, which he used during the stop, was revoked in 1994.

Long was transported to the Walton County Jail without incident. He is charged with driving while license suspended/revoked with knowledge and being a fugitive from justice.Civil engineer. Mechanical engineer. Chemical engineer.

Those are all familiar terms. Engineering fellow? Not so much. But that's what Jennie Horne is at Raytheon in Huntsville, a title given to less than 2 percent of those at the defense and engineering giant.

Horne has been with Raytheon for more than 20 years, joining the company after earning her bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering from Georgia Tech. She went on to earn a master's degree and PhD at the University of Arizona while working at Raytheon. For the next eight years she worked on the same program - Standard Missile-3 - the missile that now is produced at Raytheon's facility on Redstone Arsenal.

When Horne started on the project, it was known as SM-X.

"We were in on the ground floor," she said. "We were trying to prove you could do this - you could hit the object with an object."

Horne has continued to work on missile defense since that time. She now carries the title "Engineering Fellow," a senior position with a technical focus that works to mentor young engineers in the company.

She credits her growth in the company in part to early mentors. Two of her first supervisors were female engineers, she said, providing inspiration for the now-mother of two teens. The main source of inspiration, however, is the important role the defense networks play in protecting the war fighter.

"I do step back and think how we are defending our nation and then I think how can we inspire the next generation of engineers to continue that?" she said.Montgomery Public Schools has received $1.4 million from the state Department of Education as reimbursement for money that the department wrongly sent to the Pike Road school system in 2016, the Alabama Education Association announced.

"We are happy that these funds will finally be where they were supposed to go in the first place - Montgomery Public Schools," AEA Associate Executive Director Theron Stokes said in the press release.

Montgomery Public Schools Interim Superintendent Ann Roy Moore picked up a check for the amount today, the AEA said. Moore said the funds have already been deposited.

The misdirected money was mentioned in a lawsuit that the AEA filed last month against Interim Superintendent Ed Richardson to block the sale of Georgia Washington Middle School to the Pike Road system. Pike Road Mayor Gordon Stone was also named as a defendant.

Richardson is overseeing an intervention of Montgomery Public Schools by the state for financial and academic reasons.

As part of the intervention, Richardson announced plans to sell Georgia Washington Middle School to Pike Road to help shore up finances for the Montgomery system. The plan also included closing Chisholm, Dozier and Floyd elementary schools, selling unused property, eliminating 17 central office positions and other steps.

The Montgomery County Board of Education opposes the sale of Georgia Washington, an historic school named after an African-American educator.

Richardson's plan called for selling the school to Pike Road for $9.75 million plus a $1.5 million reimbursement for the misdirected money.

The AEA's Stokes said the issues of the school sale and the misdirected money should be kept separate.

Stokes said Montgomery Public Schools received the $1.4 million through mediation in the lawsuit. He said no other issues are being mediated at this point.

Michael Sibley, spokesman for the Department of Education, said the judge handling mediation in the lawsuit, Judge Charles Price, suggested that the department reimburse Montgomery Public Schools and keep the issue separate from the sale of Georgia Washington. Sibley said Pike Road will reimburse the Department of Education.

Sibley said Richardson's plan to sell Georgia Washington came after the Montgomery County BOE initially voted to sell the school. But the Montgomery board changed course after determining that it would strain the capacity of the remaining middle schools.

Robert Porterfield, chairman of the Montgomery County Board of Education, said the repayment was "long overdue" and called it a great day for Montgomery schools.

In the AEA lawsuit, filed on behalf of three Montgomery school employees, the AEA claimed that Richardson had no authority to sell the school and was not acting in the best interests of Montgomery schools, noting that he had worked as a consultant for Pike Road when it separated from the Montgomery system.

In response, Richardson said his goal was was to address what he described as "dismal student achievement" in Montgomery's non-magnet schools.

In January, 11 Montgomery schools were listed among the state's "failing" schools, including all five of Montgomery's traditional public high schools.

Updated at 5:39 p.m. to add comments from Michael Sibley of the Department of Education.New York City has decided to halt an operation that sent train loads of partially treated sewage material to a landfill in Alabama.

Six wastewater treatment plants from New York City and one from New Jersey had been sending their biosolids -- the solid material left over from wastewater treatment processes -- to the Big Sky Environmental, LLC landfill in Adamsville for more than a year.

The operation sparked complaints over smells, flies and health issues at multiple locations in Jefferson and Walker Counties.

"As a precaution and to better understand local concern, we have discontinued utilizing the [Big Sky] facility," Edward Timbers, a spokesman for the New York City Department of Environmental Protection, said in an email to AL.com.

A representative of the Big Sky landfill said the company would not make any statement or answer questions about the sewage sludge operation on advice of the company's attorneys.

In December 2016, Big Sky received approval from the Alabama Department of Environmental Management to begin using the biosolids, or sewage sludge, as alternative cover at the landfill.

The application included documents from seven wastewater treatment plants in the greater New York City area, seeking approval to send as much as 398,000 tons of sewage sludge to the landfill each year.

The first wave of complaints came from residents in and around the town of West Jefferson, near a rail yard that was used to offload the cargo containers from trains onto trucks for transport to the landfill.

The town filed a lawsuit against Big Sky, alleging that trucks spilled the sludge material onto roadways during transit to the landfill, and that the smells from the operation was detrimental to their quality of life.

Meanwhile, Jefferson County determined the rail yard Big Sky was using for the unloading was not zoned for that activity and a judge allowed them to enforce that zoning ordinance over objections from the company that owns the rail yard.

The unloading then moved to a rail yard further away in the Walker County town of Parrish, which decided at a special town council meeting in February that the landfill did not have the proper business license to operate at the rail yard and gave them three weeks to remove the dozens of rail cars that had been parked on the tracks, waiting for transport to the landfill.

The city of Birmingham complained to Norfolk Southern railroad when several dozen of the sludge cars were left on tracks in north Birmingham for at least a week, leading to complaints from residents near Finley Boulevard and 29th Avenue North.

The cars were moved from that location by the next day.

It is unclear at this point whether the sludge transfer operation is stopped for good or paused for the time being, or whether sludge trains will continue to enter Alabama from New Jersey or other states.

Charles Nix, mayor of West Jefferson, said New York City's decision to stop sending the sludge to Alabama was a welcome development.

"We've been trying to get the word out that Alabama doesn't need this," Nix said. "Hopefully this is a step in getting this out of the state of Alabama."

Heather Hall, mayor of Parrish, said she was "relieved and excited," that the trains might be rolling to a stop, at least from one source.

"I'm really hoping that Big Sky is seeing what an adverse reaction they're getting from all the municipalities that they've had to deal with so far and have realized that this is a bad business decision on their end," Hall said. "The public outcry is just immense about having this material down here, especially in a populated area.

"This just doesn't need to be around people."Deborah Wesson Gibson, one of the women who said failed Senate candidate Roy Moore pursued her romantically as a teenager, won't be running as Democrat for a seat in the Florida House.

Gibson told the Palm Beach Post she has abandoned plans to run as a Democrat due to state election laws that require a primary candidate to have been a member of the party they seek to represent for at least one year before the qualifying period. Gibson, a former registered Republican, officially changed her party affiliation on Feb. 18, 2018, WPTV reported.

The rule prompted Gibson to change to "unaffiliated" in the race for the 89th District Seat in the Florida House, a move that means she won't be on the August primary ballot but will compete in the November general election.

"The past five months have crystallized what's been coming to me for a decade more gradually-- the Republican Party is no longer the right fit for me; I have officially changed parties too recently to run at this time with a party affiliation in accordance with Florida's Statute 106, so although I am allowed to remain a Democrat, I am required to run with "no party affiliation/NPA" at this time," Gibson said in a statement posted to fundraising site Crowdpac.

Gibson said she decided to continue her campaign because "we need to move forward on the moment in history last fall where the societal shift began away from patriarchy toward more gender equality and diversity inclusion."

Incumbent Republican Rep. Bill Hager is prevented from seeking reelection due to term limits. Democrat Jim Bonfiglio has qualified to run.

Gibson, an Alabama native who now owns a sign language firm in Delray Beach, Florida, was propelled to the national stage last year when she was among the women who said Moore pursued her romantically as a teenager. The dating relationship between the two reportedly began when Moore, then with the Etowah County District Attorney's Office, spoke at Wesson's high school. Wesson did not accuse Moore of molesting her, saying their relationship consisted only of consensual kissing.

At least two other women have accused Moore of touching them sexually when they were teens. Moore, who lost to Democrat Doug Jones in the December 2017 Senate election, denies the allegations.Alabama and Mississippi are the only two states left in the country without a statewide equal pay law.

One state lawmaker wants the Legislature to change that before the 2018 session concludes.

State Rep. Adline Clarke, D-Mobile, is sponsoring HB368, the "Gender Pay Gap" bill, which would prohibit employers from paying employees of the opposite sex lower wages for the same work and responsibility. Employers can be sued, under the proposal, if an employee was fired based on sex discrimination.

"Nearly every state has a law prohibiting employers differently based solely on gender," Clarke said during a news conference Monday at the Mobile County Democratic headquarters.

Clarke added: "I'm disappointed. I would have thought we would have passed a long long before now."

Indeed, Alabama is one of the last remaining states to pass an equal pay law that defines, through law, a means to eliminate pay differentials based on sex. And it could be the last to do so: Mississippi lawmakers have debated their own equal pay law this spring, with Republicans questioning the need for a state law arguing that federal law offers enough protections.

In Alabama, Clarke said a lack of state law is magnified given that famed equal pay advocate Lilly Ledbetter is a native of Jacksonville in Calhoun County.

Ledbetter's eight-year legal odyssey against Goodyear Tire, her former employer, eventually led to former President Barack Obama signing the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act of 2009. The law expands the statute of limitations for filing an equal-pay lawsuit.

Clarke said she hopes to have Ledbetter in Montgomery when the legislation surfaces before Alabama House State Government Committee on March 21.

The committee's chairman, State Rep. Mark Tuggle, R-Alexander City, said he plans to have Clarke's proposal on the group's agenda next week. The proposal, filed on Feb. 1, has 27 co-sponsors, both Republicans and Democrats.

Clarke might have political momentum on her side. The #MeToo movement has become a nationwide slogan of the anti-sexual harassment movement, and a record-number of women are running for political office in 2018.

"I think those are important factors and they will help to get this bill out of the committee and passed," Clarke said. "Timing is everything because of those factors, and the excitement and enthusiasm and the eye-opening experiences of information from the #MeToo movement will help us finally get legislation like this in the state of Alabama."

Leevones Fisher, president of the Alabama chapter of the American Association of University Women - a nonprofit agency that fights for equity for women and girls - said she's hopeful the legislation can pass and lead to ideas surfacing in Alabama "that chips away" at the gender pay gap.

AAUW statistics show that in 2016, women working full-time in the U.S. typically were paid just 80 percent of what men were paid. Alabama ranks 44th in the gender pay gap, with women paid 74 percent of what men are paid, statistics show.By Howard K. Vincent, President and Chief Executive Officer, Pheasants Forever, Inc., & Quail Forever

I have been working with Pheasants Forever, Inc., & Quail Forever for more than three decades with one goal in mind: the conservation and restoration of pheasants, quail and other wildlife through habitat improvements, public awareness, education and land management policies and programs.

Our Minnesota-based organization was formed in 1982 and now has locally based volunteer chapters in 42 states, including our newest chapter formed during an eventful visit the last week of February to the Alabama Black Belt. The Black Belt chapter will be the sixth Quail Forever group in the state.

We were fortunate to be invited to visit the Black Belt for the first time by the Alabama Black Belt Adventures Association (ALBBAA), an organization that holds the same values as Quail Forever. The ALBBAA is dedicated to wildlife habitat conservation and economic development of the beautiful rural areas in the 23 counties that make up the Black Belt. The marketing organization, founded in 2009, relies on the plentiful opportunities for hunting, fishing, camping and many other outdoors attractions to spur tourism. Thanks to the major role Raycom Media plays in supporting this effort by providing advertising on its many television stations across the country, visitors are increasingly finding their outdoor adventures in the Black Belt - and quail hunting is a growing pursuit.

We came to the Black Belt with modest goals, hoping to capture some fresh photography, videography and content for our Quail Forever Journal, Quail Forever website and social media platforms. We also brought along friends from Realtree, Browning firearms and apparel, The Flush television program on Outdoor Channel, LandLeader TV on RFD, Covey Rise magazine and Shooting Sportsman magazine. These partners were also on the trip to learn about southern Alabama quail culture and to generate content for their own media entities. Our goals were certainly surpassed.

In Alabama, we learned that Southern hospitality is no cliche - it's the absolute truth. We enjoyed a sunset dinner at Shenandoah Plantation in Union Springs hosted by Tom and Sue Ellen Lanier. We savored breakfast at Rex and Jacque Clark's High Log Creek Farm and Hunting Preserve near Hurtsboro. At High Log Creek, we saddled up horses and wagons to explore the habitat in search of quail behind the preserve's fine array of pointing dogs. Acclaimed chef and Food Network Iron Chef winner David Bancroft of Auburn's Acre restaurant prepared a dinnertime offering of Alabama seafood and wild game at Rex Pritchett's Great Southern Outdoors Plantation back in Union Springs. And speaking of quality Southern food, Chris Hastings of Birmingham's Hot and Hot Fish Club prepared a lunch featuring quail on Thursday at host Thomas Harris' Gusto plantation in Lowndes County that showed why he is a nationally renowned chef. We also had the pleasure of enjoying a magnificent final quail hunt at Gusto that allowed participants to not only enjoy the work of gorgeous pointers that weaved through the loblolly and longleaf pines, but also to see the kind of habitat that should be the goal of all quail lovers. Internationally known trainer Mike Stewart of Wildrose Kennels of Oxford, Miss., wrapped up the day by sharing some of his expertise with four of his British Labradors working with unbelievable precision.

Perhaps the highlight of our Alabama adventure occurred at a gathering sponsored by Caliber at the Alabama Wildlife Federation's NaturePlex in Millbrook where Dr. Bill Palmer of Tall Timbers Research Station in Tallahassee, Fla., addressed a crowd of 100, excited to hear his quail expertise. I was energized by the group's enthusiasm for quail and quail habitat. It was at that event that the Black Belt Quail Forever chapter was announced.

Unique among conservation organizations, Quail Forever chapters retain 100 percent decision-making control over the funds they raise locally. The group represents 140,000 bird-hunting conservationists who have been responsible for 15 million acres of habitat accomplishments while also earning Charity Navigator's top rating for six consecutive years. Lovers of quail in the entire state have already been partners with ALBBAA through the Alabama Quail Trail, which can only be enhanced by more Quail Forever chapters.

The newly created Quail Forever chapter will work with the local community and landowners to improve the area's habitat for quail. Ultimately, these habitat efforts will benefit all wildlife in the Black Belt, water quality, and the area's recreational-based economy. We were proud to witness the many ways ALBBAA is already promoting quail hunting adventures in the region through media channels of Quail Forever, the country's largest collection of bird-hunting conservationists. This an exciting new direction for Alabama, its Black Belt region and its people.If you asked me in the early months of 2016 what it meant to be a Republican, I could have answered fairly easily. I could have also given a serviceable description of a Democrat. In a little over a year, President Donald Trump has blown apart the political landscape, and many Americans are trying to figure out where they've landed.

Let's get one thing out of the way. The charges for the demolition of our American political infrastructure have been primed for quite some time. Over the last few decades, Americans have become increasingly disgusted with plastic politicians and manicured talking points. The pundits on cable news provoked outrage, and the political class responded by mainlining fear into the hearts and minds of Americans who felt they were being left behind.

Trump set off those charges with his presidential campaign.

Americans didn't put Trump in the White House to shake hands and kiss babies. Many of his voters wanted him to break things, and he's done that. No political ideologies are safe. It doesn't matter if you're a staunch conservative or progressive liberal. Political labels don't mean much right now.

The executive branch has had far too much power for decades. Now my friends on the political left seem to be agreeing. In truth, they're actually starting to sound like federalists--especially when it comes to removing marijuana from the Controlled Substances Act and letting the states decide the issue. With the Attorney General more stridently enforcing federal laws, many Democrats are reconsidering the Washington-knows-best attitude.

But when it comes to legislative ideas like the REINS Act that would seriously curtail executive power, they're conspicuously silent. Nine Democrats willing to vote on the REINS Act could force Republicans to put up or shut up about addressing the need for better checks and balances in our Federal Government. Don't count on that happening.

Trump has also disoriented the political right's moral majority. From the Family Research Council's Tony Perkins to Franklin Graham, I've watched one religious leader after another contort themselves to either accommodate or applaud Trump's behavior. Where was this gracious manner over the last several decades? If a pro-choice Democrat had Trump's history and demonstrated conduct, the religious right would be falling over each other to condemn it.

Evangelicals sold out everything for a president who has pledged to nominate pro-life judges.

When it comes to trade policy, the ideological factions are equally scattered. Trump's aluminum and steel tariffs are right out of an Iron Belt Democrat's playbook. It's bad policy, and President George W. Bush already tried tariffs in 2002. According to the Trade Partnership, an economic consulting firm, Bush's steel tariffs cost the nation about 200,000 jobs and $4 billion in wages. For every steel or aluminum job Trump saves, he's going to lose many more and damage America's economic productivity.

Ironically, President Obama supported free trade at the end of his administration with the Trans-Pacific Partnership. Now Trump is making Republicans into trade protectionists, and Democrats can't decide whether open international trade policy is worse than agreeing with him.

If you're still not convinced we're living in strange political times, look what's happening between Trump and Attorney General Jeff Sessions. Trump borrowed heavily from Sessions's conservative credentials during his primary run. Now he's openly attacking him as "Disgraceful." Democrats are coming to the defense of Sessions for his steady hand at the Department of Justice, and Republicans are increasingly calling on the Attorney General to step down. That was unfathomable only a few years ago.

Whether we like it or not, Trump is creating new political alignments. Conservatives are struggling to hold the president accountable because he's a Republican in the White House. Democrats should be able to find common ideological ground with him except for the fact they can't stand him. Meanwhile Trump is speaking directly to politically disaffected Americans and making the old political elites sound like sore losers.

There is a silver lining to our new "normal." We have the blueprint for a better path forward. It demands leaders who pick up the different factions from Trump's political demolition and build diverse and changing alliances instead of the current "us" versus "them" alignment.

This isn't a new concept.

In "Federalist Paper Number 10," James Madison rejected the idea of permanent minorities and majorities in the American Republic. Instead, Madison believed our nation would be best protected when our naturally occurring factions regularly form new coalitions through compromise.

When the dust settles from Trump's political demolition efforts, hopefully we'll have learned something about how we work together to progress as a nation rather than simply staring at a pile of political rubble.

Cameron Smith is a regular columnist for AL.com and vice president for the R Street Institute, a think tank in Washington, D.C.Two facts. First, last week Gov. Rick Scott signed a bill raising the minimum age for purchasing rifles in Florida from 18 to 21. The bill also expanded the handgun waiting period to cover long guns, ban bump stocks and create a program allowing some school personnel to carry guns (I guess we cant have it all).

Second, the National Rifle Association has already sued the Florida government to stop what it considers an unconstitutional law.

What does this tell us? Well, for starters, Scott can only make a good decision if he pairs it with a bad one. Also, if this wasnt obvious before, the NRA doesnt care about your safety, my safety, childrens safety, teachers safety  All the NRA cares about is selling more guns.

Its not all bad news, though. My biggest takeaway from last weeks decisions is this: Student-led activism works. If we listen when young people talk, our legislature can make progress toward common-sense gun control laws. We can enhance the safety of our schools and other public spaces. Education can nurture activism, and activism can nurture education.

This conclusion, however, comes with a few important caveats. We must add our voices to those who call on our elected officials to take action, through email, social media, phone calls and  arguably, most impactfully  our votes. The midterm elections are not as far away as they seem. The election isnt until Nov. 6, but its never too early to ensure youre registered to vote in your state and up-to-date on the issues at hand. Apathy and complacency helped get us where we are today, and I for one cannot stand to see our government led in part by an organization as conniving and ill-intentioned as the NRA. Can you?

We must also make certain we do not ignore the messages of other activists in our efforts to support some of them. For example, last week in Baltimore, Mayor Catherine Pugh announced the city would spend up to $100,000 funding transportation for local students to attend the March For Our Lives protest for gun control in Washington, D.C.

Why? Because Baltimore students have been rallying against gun violence for much longer than news organizations have paid attention. The public often neglects the outcry from people in areas of lower socioeconomic status and students of minority backgrounds. This needs to change if we are going to enact real policy shifts to protect more people from gun violence.

Its not just Baltimore, either. Take a look at Chicago, where students have yet to receive the same kind of media spotlight and still experience tragedy after tragedy when it comes to gun violence. We need to hear their voices, too, at the Washington, D.C., rally and beyond.

The students of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School have amplified the gun safety movement, forcing the public and our politicians to confront an issue long pushed aside in the name of thoughts and prayers. Parkland activists have organized a protest around which other students can rally and express themselves. As supporters and listeners, we cannot forget about the students in places like Baltimore, Chicago and beyond who have been calling for this change for years.

Education can help inspire and fortify activism. But without activism, it seems as though we cannot have safe places for our education. At the end of the day, if our children, our students, our parents, our teachers and our friends arent safe  if we arent safe  what are we really doing here?

Mia Gettenberg is a UF criminology and philosophy senior. Her column focuses on education.

Enjoy what you're reading? Get content from The Alligator delivered to your inbox Subscribe NowAs you scrolled through social media Thursday, you probably noticed a post here and there about someones mother, sister or best friend. The post likely acknowledged their strength, beauty or any of their characteristics.

That's because March 8 marked International Womens Day. Although many discovered this holiday the day of, the celebration dates back to 1908 with the Womens Labour Movement. Back then, 15,000 women marched through the streets of New York City demanding shorter working hours, higher wages and the right to vote. One year later, the day was established as a national holiday and declared an international holiday a few years after.

International Womens Day is rooted in a movement for womens rights. Although the title declares itself to be all-inclusive, women of color continuously accuse feminist movements of leaving them out. When women try to rectify the situation and ask how to be better inclusive of women of color in feminist movements, they fail to realize they are asking the wrong question.

Feminism for women of color is more complex because there are more intersections and they face different situations of gender oppression due to their race. Rather than focusing on inclusivity, women should be focusing on centering the movements on all types of women. Women of color should not be included as an afterthought but integrated into the conversation from the very beginning.

In addition to International Womens Day, the recent #MeToo movement has allowed women all across the spectrum to unite. The #MeToo movement started in an effort to create solidarity among young women against sexual assault. Despite the increased unity, women of color are still being blindsided.

Women of color must fight twice as hard for their rights because of the extra obstacles they face due to race and can be left behind. Time magazine published an issue on the #MeToo movement and displayed some of its silence breakers on the cover but left out their black founder, Tarana Burke. Burke founded the campaign 10 years ago, but it did not go viral until Alyssa Milano tweeted about it recently.

Women of color have been facing exclusion from feminism for years. It is not a new issue. The earliest feminist movements acknowledged by society did not include women of color in the slightest. The Suffrage Movement fought for womens right to vote but did not try to include women of color; this led to Sojourner Truth to take the podium and give her famous Aint I a Woman speech. Truths speech reminded the women of the Suffrage Movement to save her a seat at the table and to not exclude black women from their fight for equal rights. Her words still resonate today and inspire women of color to remain steadfast in their fight for gender equality. Women of color are fundamental to feminism and have been fighting for womens values before society even conceptualized feminism.

Many women are still wary to declare themselves feminists and hold back in fear of a loaded word. They fear being associated with radical actions such as burning your bra or being labeled a man hater. Regardless of race, to declare yourself a feminist takes courage and perseverance. Many people still believe in traditional gender roles, and see nothing wrong with gender dynamics as they now are. Yet feminist movements have made great strides and have started the conversation for gender equality. But, there is still more work to be done. Feminism is a movement started by women, for women, and all women should feel equally included.

Madisyn Jones is a UF accounting sophomore. Her column focuses on black culture.

Enjoy what you're reading? Get content from The Alligator delivered to your inbox Subscribe NowAustralia will be exempt from the Trump administrations Section 232 tariffs on steel and aluminium imported into the United States.

What we have achieved is a commitment from [US President Donald Trump] that the tariffs on steel and aluminum will not apply to exports from Australia, Australian Prime Minister 25% duties on foreign steel and 10% duties on foreign aluminium that Trumped signed into law on Thursday March 8. At the time of the signing, Trump had included exemptions only for US North American Free Trade Agreement partners Canada and Mexico.



[Turnbull] is committed to having a very fair and reciprocal military and trade relationship, Steelscape relies on that imported feedstock to make coated and painted flat-rolled products for customers west of the Rocky Mountains.



The West Coast has few mills that melt steel, largely because of environmental restrictions, so it relies on facilities that process imports or convert slabs.



Despite its importance to the West Coast steel market, Australia was not among the top foreign steel suppliers to the United States in 2017. That country shipped only 366,900 tonnes of steel to US ports last year, or about 1% of the 36.87-million-tonne import total for 2017, according to US Commerce Department figures. The bulk of that material was cold-rolled, hot-rolled, and coated flat-rolled steel.



Prior to the 232, Australia was already subject to US trade duties. Hot-rolled coil from Bluescope, for example, already faces anti-dumping duties of 29.58%. Section 232 tariffs would have come on top of that amount.



On the aluminium side, the US is not traditionally a destination for Australian shipments of the light metal. But Australia's exemption could see its aluminium output go to the US, should US aluminium premiums rise enough as a result of the 232 to justify such deals.





ROME - The ministerial level meeting "Lebanon, building trust: a viable security for the country and the region" will be held on Thursday, March 15 at the Italian foreign ministry for support of Lebanese security forces. Opening remarks at the conference will be made by Italian foreign minister Angelino Alfano, followed by speeches by Prime Minister Paolo Gentiloni, Lebanese prime minister Saad Hariri and UN chief Antonio Guterres. Alfano said that 40 countries will take part in the meeting - announced in October during Hariri's last visit to Rome and mentioned in a joint statement adopted on the sidelines of the International Support Group (ISG) for Lebanon meeting in Lebanon on December 8 - and that it ''will constitute a chance to show broad international support for the process started by the Lebanese government to strengthen the skills and effectiveness of security forces in order to support the country's sovereignty and independence and its institutions.'' He added that the conference is part of a ''roadmap of three events on Lebanon (in Rome, Paris and Brussels) planned by ISG to accompany the country along a path of stability and grow, as part of a concrete and lasting dissociation from regional crises.''ROME - Members of the Federation of Evangelical Churches in Italy (FCEI) are on the boats of NGOs tasked with rescuing migrants in danger at sea in the Mediterranean. Onboard the Opens Arms boat of the Proactiva Open Arms NGO are workers from the FCEI's refugees and migrants program Mediterranean Hope, who for 15 days will be taking part in rescue operations for refugees seeking to reach Italy. Weekend rescues at sea Over the weekend, two Mediterranean Hope workers were involved in various rescue at sea actions conducted by the Open Arms ship. The first rescue, which happened on Friday night, involved three Libyan siblings who had departed from Libya on a small dinghy in an attempt to reach a port where the youngest - a teenager suffering from leukemia - could be treated. A few hours later, Open Arms intercepted a group of 106 refugees of several different nationalities that were subsequently transferred on a ship under the SOS Mediterranee NGO. Open Arms continued its rescue operations and on late Sunday morning, March 11, intercepted another dinghy with 95 refugees onboard. During the mission, one of the Mediterranean Hope workers cooked for the crew and migrants. The other, Francesco Piobbichi, took part in the rescue actions and drew the key moments of the mission. Many of his drawings have been collected in the book "Disegni dalla Frontiera".



FCEI broadens migrant activities ''Through this humanitarian act, the FCEI is extending its range of activities in the migration sector,'' said Mediterranean Hope coordinator Paolo Naso, ''and and is expressing concrete support to those working to save human lives.'' FCEI noted that that, in this latest mission, Proactiva Open Arms rescued over 600 refugees and in the previous one over a thousand, though two children died. ''This is proof of the professionalism of the workers of an NGO that we chose in part for the transparency of the management and the relations built up previously with our Osservatorio di Lampedusa,'' Naso added. ''Proactiva signed the operating protocol for legal management of the interventions, fighting against human trafficking.''ENI in UAE offshore but sells 10% reserve to Egypt Gentiloni attends, exchange worth 10 bn dollars

(ANSAmed) - ROME, MARCH 12 - Italian energy giant Eni is entering in the United Arab Emirates and ''in exchange'' is giving Abu Dhabi a majority stake in the Egyptian Zohr gas field. The company obtained two long-term concessions in the UAE offshore worth 875 million dollars. It also sold for 934 million dollars 10% of the giant gas field off the coast of Egypt to UAE investment group Mubdala.



The deal enabled the Italian group, on the one hand, to reach its aim of going down to 50% of its stake in Zohr, maintaining the relative majority compared to other partners (Rosneft and Bp), and on the other hand to step for the first time into a country with one of the most significant reserves of hydrocarbons in the world, explained the CEO Claudio Descalzi, to widen the group's presence in the Middle East, ''in line with its ''expansion strategy''.



And in Abu Dhabi, Descalzi signed with the CEO of State-run company ADNOC, Ahmed al Jaber, two 40-year-long 'concession agreements' to enter the Gulf's offshore with a 5% stake in the Lower Zakum oil reserve and with a 10% stake in the oi and gas fields Umm Shaif and Nasr. The production target of the first block is of 450,000 oil barrels a day, while for Umm Shaif and Nasr the objective is 460,000 oil barrels a day. Premier Paolo Gentiloni travelled to the Gulf to attend the signature which also took place at the presence of Abu Dhabi's Prince Heir Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan.



As far as Zohr, the agreement provides for Mubadala Petroleum, which is part of the Mubadala Investment Company, an investment arm of the Emirati government, to buy a 10% stake in the concession of Shorouk, in which the large field is situated.



Production, which has a potential of resources of 850 cubic meters of gas was started last December, 28 months after its initial discovery, a record time according to Eni, and reached the gross production of over 11 million of cubic meters of gas a day. The production will gradually increase to reach its plateau by the end of 2019. The perforation of 20 fields is scheduled by the same year. (ANSAmed)Small, medium-sized firms together for more synergy,services Oiviero (Can), common strategy for EU economy next 20 years

(ANSAmed) - NAPLES, MARCH 12 - Giving new impulse to the cooperation between companies and operational synergies and partnership programs to promote the access of small companies to cooperation efforts in the Mediterranean were the objectives of two days of meetings with European small and medium-sized companies in Athens on Thursday and Friday. The conference was attended by the CAN, the confederation representing artisans and small firms and European counterparts including APCMA (France), EVEA (Esthonia), PIMEC (Spain) and GSEVEE(Greece) members of UEAPME, the European association of small and medium-sized craftsmen.



The exchange of practices and local and regional development policies was discussed during the conference to promote exchanges between small and medium firms to share new digital expertise in their different contexts.



The vice president of CAN and Ueapme, Giuseppe Oliviero, said that ''turning the Europe of diversity into a Europe of multiple resources is our duty, that of the many producers who deal with the market on a daily basis. It is from our countries that we must build an inclusive policy in Europe''. He stressed the need to build ''a strategy that designs Europe over the next 20 years, starting from the safeguard of workers by cutting salary gaps and taxes on workers, impacting investments before the reduction of costs with the current policies that paralyze whole countries; the sharing and parametrization of the public debt of single countries, the single currency, one parametrized debt, unified GDP''.



During the meeting, the results of a study carried out by the European academy PMI of Avignon were presented, promoted by CNA and GSEVEE, in cooperation with Ueapme and presented at the presence of the president of the economic and social committee on the new challenges set by European policies for small and medium-sized firms.



The president of GSEVEE Giorgios Kavvathas, representing some 100,000 small and medium-sized companies, stressed the necessity of ''efficient networks of cooperation between organizations that represent European small and medium firms, which are an example of a still-unexpressed potential domestic market: with over one million associates, a network of services of support is possible''. (ANSAmed).



Evangelical churches on migrant rescue ships Italian federation with Proactiva Open Arms at sea

(ANSAmed) - ROME, MARCH 12 - Members of the Federation of Evangelical Churches in Italy (FCEI) are on the boats of NGOs tasked with rescuing migrants in danger at sea in the Mediterranean. Onboard the Opens Arms boat of the Proactiva Open Arms NGO are workers from the FCEI's refugees and migrants program Mediterranean Hope, who for 15 days will be taking part in rescue operations for refugees seeking to reach Italy. Weekend rescues at sea Over the weekend, two Mediterranean Hope workers were involved in various rescue at sea actions conducted by the Open Arms ship. The first rescue, which happened on Friday night, involved three Libyan siblings who had departed from Libya on a small dinghy in an attempt to reach a port where the youngest - a teenager suffering from leukemia - could be treated. A few hours later, Open Arms intercepted a group of 106 refugees of several different nationalities that were subsequently transferred on a ship under the SOS Mediterranee NGO. Open Arms continued its rescue operations and on late Sunday morning, March 11, intercepted another dinghy with 95 refugees onboard. During the mission, one of the Mediterranean Hope workers cooked for the crew and migrants. The other, Francesco Piobbichi, took part in the rescue actions and drew the key moments of the mission. Many of his drawings have been collected in the book "Disegni dalla Frontiera".



FCEI broadens migrant activities ''Through this humanitarian act, the FCEI is extending its range of activities in the migration sector,'' said Mediterranean Hope coordinator Paolo Naso, ''and and is expressing concrete support to those working to save human lives.'' FCEI noted that that, in this latest mission, Proactiva Open Arms rescued over 600 refugees and in the previous one over a thousand, though two children died. ''This is proof of the professionalism of the workers of an NGO that we chose in part for the transparency of the management and the relations built up previously with our Osservatorio di Lampedusa,'' Naso added. ''Proactiva signed the operating protocol for legal management of the interventions, fighting against human trafficking.''Migrants: over 5,000 apprehended in Turkey in 7 days Ankara, '389 intercepted at sea, 136 traffickers arrested'

(ANSAmed) - ISTANBUL, MARCH 12 - Turkish authorities have apprehended over the past week a total of 5,371 migrants and refugees who were trying to illegally cross the borders with the European Union or to enter the country, the Turkish interior ministry has said. They included 389 who were intercepted at sea, it said.



The ministry also said that 136 suspected human traffickers were arrested.



Since a deal between the EU and Turkey two years ago, the number of migrants and refugees reaching EU countries, mainly Greece, from Turkey has sharply declined by a few thousands for a daily average of just a few dozens. (ANSAmed).



BEIRUT - A group of civilians including children left Eastern Ghouta on Monday, an opposition-held area near Damascus that has been besieged since 2013 and has come under heavy attack from government forces in recent weeks.



The regime ground offensive was preceded by a massive bombing campaign that the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) reports killed some 1,100 civilians since February 18.



The UN estimates that there are about 400,000 living in the besieged area. Government media reported the evacuations, noting that they were from Madyara, just retaken by regime troops. They did not specify how many civilians left.



They added that the civilians had been evacuated from the area through a security corridor set up by government forces. Russian military sources said that 52 others were evacuated on Sunday. The largest opposition group in the region, Jaish al-Islam, said that it had reached an agreement with the Russians for the evacuation of the injured but did not specify whether this pertained to militants or civilians. Syrian state-run news agency SANA said that another two civilians had been killed by rockets launched by rebels on the Al-Kabbas area of Damascus. Government forces have managed to retake over 50% of the territory of Eastern Ghouta, splitting it into two parts. The cities of Douma and Harasta, the main ones in the traditionally agricultural area near the capital, are thus now cut off from the rest of the territory.ISTANBUL - Thousands of people are fleeing the Syrian Kurdish enclave of Afrin, which has been under attack from Turkish-backed troops for over 50 days. The civilian population is headed towards area under Syrian government control in the Aleppo province, according to a spokesman for the Kurdish PYD, whose armed wing, the YPG, controls the center of Afrin.



The spokesman accused Ankara of 'war crimes'. Turkish media report that those fleeing are headed for Manbej and other areas under Kurdish control in northeastern Syria. In recent hours, the Turkish army and local militias allied with it have reported arrived 1.5 km from the urban center and have cut off some power and water supply lines. The advance is continuing from the southern front, where the offensive has reportedly arrived 3.5 kilometers from the city in which tens of thousands of civilians live.

Turkish armed forces say that a total of 1,110 square kilometers have been taken in Afrin from the YPG, closely tied to the PKK, which is considered a terrorist organization by Turkey, the US and the EU. They added that they had ''neutralized'' (killing, injuring or capturing) over 3,300 YPG and Islamic State (ISIS) ''terrorists''. The figures are not able to be independently verified on the ground.ISTANBUL - Turkish authorities over the past few week have ordered the arrest of 1,107 people across the country on terrorism charges, the Turkish interior ministry has said.

Most of the suspects (740) are accused of ties with the alleged network of exiled imam Fethullah Gulen blamed by Ankara for the failed coup in 2016. Another 95 people suspected of being ISIS affiliates and 10 alleged members of banned left-wing groups were also arrested.

Ever since the failed coup in July 2016, some 90,000 people have reportedly been arrested in Turkey.

Jordan king meets Abbas, 'support for Palestinian state' Abdullah, 'comprehensive peace only way to end conflict'

(ANSAmed) - AMMAN, MARCH 12 - Jordan king Abdullah on Monday met Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas in Amman and discussed means of re-starting peace talks between the Palestinians and Israel, the official news agency Petra said.



The Jordanian monarch stressed that Jordan supports the Palestinians in their quest to establish an independent Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital.



"Reaching comprehensive peace is the only way of ending the Palestinian Israeli conflict,' the Jordanian king was quoted as saying. The pro-west Abdulah also said that his country 'rejects' unilateral measures by Israel in occupied areas in Jerusalem including Muslim and Christian sites, stressing that the Hashemite family has the custodianship rights over these places.



The meeting comes as pressure is mounting on Abbas in the aftermath of US decision to move its embassy to east Jerusalem, amid calls for his resignation and dissolving the Palestinian authority. Palestinian officials say the US decision is counter productive as they called for international pressure on Washington to revoke its decision. Abbas has recently stepped up his diplomatic movement to secure additional sponsors for the peace talks after Washington decision, as he held talks with Russian president Vladimiar Putin to seek international pressure on Washington. Meanwhile, the meeting between Abdullah and Abbas comes amid increasing worry about health of the Palestinian president, who has been quoted as telling members of Fateh central committee that his health has deteriorated in the past months.



Lebanese PM and UN chief at international meeting in Rome 40 countries on 15/3 to support sovereignty and security

(ANSAmed) - ROME, MARCH 12 - The ministerial level meeting "Lebanon, building trust: a viable security for the country and the region" will be held on Thursday, March 15 at the Italian foreign ministry for support of Lebanese security forces. Opening remarks at the conference will be made by Italian foreign minister Angelino Alfano, followed by speeches by Prime Minister Paolo Gentiloni, Lebanese prime minister Saad Hariri and UN chief Antonio Guterres. Alfano said that 40 countries will take part in the meeting - announced in October during Hariri's last visit to Rome and mentioned in a joint statement adopted on the sidelines of the International Support Group (ISG) for Lebanon meeting in Lebanon on December 8 - and that it ''will constitute a chance to show broad international support for the process started by the Lebanese government to strengthen the skills and effectiveness of security forces in order to support the country's sovereignty and independence and its institutions.'' He added that the conference is part of a ''roadmap of three events on Lebanon (in Rome, Paris and Brussels) planned by ISG to accompany the country along a path of stability and grow, as part of a concrete and lasting dissociation from regional crises.'' (ANSAmed).



A Turkish heiress and social media personality, seven of her friends, and three crew have been killed as their plane crashed at Zagros Mountains in western Iran.

Mina Basaran, 28-year-old daughter of Turkish billionaire businessman Huseyin Basaran, and her female friends were flying back on a Bombardier CL604 to Istanbul after celebrating Basaran's bachelorette party in Dubai.

While investigators have found the black box, the cause of the crash is still unknown.

Basaran was due to marry next month.Oman Air has introduced a range of product and services for guests flying on many of its flights.

The redesigned kits were launched in February and are offered on all longhaul day and night flights, were created especially by internationally renowned brand Amouage. Both First and Business class bags comes with an Amouage branded bag in rich warm tones and modern shapes, with subtle embossed accents and trims. First class male and female guests will be esepcially complemented with an exclusive his and her set, whilst Business Class comes in an elegant unisex bag designed especially for Oman Air premium guests.

All guests will be pampered with a set of luxurious Amouage essentials in a range of generous sizes such as hand and body moisturiser, face cream and lip balm. Included are also a complete set of individually wrapped colgate dental kit and mouthwash. These are sure to keep the demanding traveller revitalised throughout their flight. Both First Class male and Business unisex sets comes with an individually packed shaving kit; whilst exclusively for the First Class female traveller, a handy vanity set is also included.

For guests travelling on shorter sectors, a new comfort set is now offered with complementary eyeshades, hairbrush set and colgate dental kit. These added services are to ensure that guests maximise their rest and comfort during all flights on Oman Air.Kingdom of Saudi Arabias largest travel trade event showcasing more than 270 exhibitors, national pavilions and seminars set to welcome an anticipated 30,000 visitors.

Riyadh Travel Fair (RTF) 2018, Saudi Arabias leading travel industry showcase, will open its doors for the tenth consecutive year, with the 2018 edition to be located at the Al Faisaliah Hotel, Riyadh from 10th 13th April 2018. The four day event will become the focus of business networking opportunities, insightful seminar sessions, ministerial discussions and the recognition of twelve months of the tourism industrys achievements.

The 2018 edition will be the largest on record with an increase in both the number of exhibitors and expected visitor arrivals. More than 270 exhibitors will be present representing more than 50 countries. Over 50 national and regional pavilions will have a prominent presence with the show floor space also increased by 10% compared to the 2017 event.

Last year the Riyadh Travel Fair featured 270 exhibitors with visitor attendance at 27,329. That was an increase of 30% compared to the 2016 edition. This year will continue our year-on-year growth as exhibitors hit over 270 and expected visitors numbers over 30,000, said Mr. Bander' Al Gryni General Manager ASAS Exhibitions  organizer of Riyadh Travel Fair.

Al Gryni continued: Year after year, we have seen a consistent positive growth on the number of participants, exhibitors and attendees at RTF. With Saudi nationals increasingly travelling both domestically and overseas, the opportunities that the Riyadh Travel Fair provides for domestic and overseas destinations, hospitality service providers and other tourism related businesses, to directly meet with the kingdoms leading travel professionals and travellers has never been more significant.

Exhibitors from Asia, Oceania, Europe and North Africa will also be present, along with hotels, airlines, travel agencies, online booking sites, car rental and tourism companies.The recent partnership between Royal Jordanian and Tanasuk Technologies is based on producing performance-based enhancement on RJs site.

Tanasuk is the first Sitecore Partner in the region specialising in digital transformation and tech execution strategy.

Phase 1, which lasted for 10 weeks, saw a complete migration from Royal Jordanians previous content management system to the new and improved Sitecore Experience Platform. This exceptionally sophisticated platform makes it possible for RJ to satisfy its customers with many flexible online touch-points. Additionally, it integrates extremely well with RJs marketing and digital tools, enabling customers to access a much faster and more advanced website.

So far, the Tanasuk team migrated over 200 pages across 6 different languages on RJs website.

The next phase will consist of a complete data migration process, whereby all of RJs historical data from various sources and platforms will be consolidated and migrated using different Sitecore omnichannel experiences.

RJ President/CEO Stefan Pichler said: We are glad to work with Tanasuk Technologies which provides us with this highly customizable platform that helps RJ achieve its short- and long-term future plans to adopt a dynamic Content Management System, while integrating powerful tools, being in sync with IATAs standards and systems.

He added: This cooperation will ultimately lead to bringing in a new experience for our guests who are accessing our online channels.

Heath Arensen, Tanasuks Founder, said: RJ has demonstrated their strong vision in leveraging technology to drive customer engagement. As the first Jordanian entity to implement Sitecore, RJ is leading the way in digital transformation.

He added: Working closely with the RJ team just confirmed to us how committed they are to their customersbeing one of them myself! Were honored to support them on their journey towards a comprehensive and integrated omnichannel digital strategy that truly positions RJ as one of the most forward-thinking companies in the region.Royal Jordanian is offering Jordanian businessmen, families and customers cheaper fares from Jordan to Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates and Kuwait, and from these Gulf states to all RJ network destinations via Amman.

The low fares are part of the new sales promo A Jordanian Offer Like No Other, which runs between March 11 and 15, 2018, for travel that takes place between April 1 and June 7, 2018.

As part of the five-day promo, passengers can travel for JD199 from Amman to KSA, UAE and Kuwait. Highly attractive fares are also available through all RJ sales channels, for customers wishing to travel from the mentioned Gulf countries to Amman and/or any of RJ destinations around the world.

President/CEO Stefan Pichler said: We want every Jordanian to travel on board RJ, the national carrier of Jordan. With this objective in mind, we are offering competitive fares to enable people to visit their families and conduct businesses. We also encourage our customers in the Gulf to take advantage of these great fares.For a decade, Sudan Airways has struggled to maintain services in the face of US sanctions against the African nation. Those sanctions have now been eased, but the airline still faces problems, as deputy general manager, Yasir Timo, explained to Alan Dron.

It has been a long, hard road for Sudans national airline.

After the country was placed on a US sanctions list in 2006 for war crimes against its own people and support for known terrorists, the company found it difficult to source new aircraft, spare parts and all the other services that are required to allow an airline to function.

Struggling to maintain services, it was forced to acquire aircraft wherever possible, with its current fleet consisting of just one Airbus A300-600 and a smaller A320.

Those aircraft fly seven international routes  to Riyadh, Jeddah, Cairo, NDjamena, Kano, Juba and Asmara  as well as four domestic destinations.

The October 2017 decision to ease sanctions allowed US companies to trade with the African nation once again. However, Sudan remains on the US list of state sponsors of terrorism, which means the airlines equipment situation is unlikely to improve in the near future, explained deputy general manager, Yasir Timo.

The US Government must still grant licences for companies wishing to export a wide range of goods to Sudan.

Its not easy at all to buy spare parts. Its very difficult, very costly and always takes us a long time to find somebody who can provide us with them, said Timo.

We still cannot buy aircraft at the moment. This will be the case until we are removed from the list of states sponsoring terrorism.

In the past, the company has used aircraft on operating leases from other Sudanese and foreign companies to maintain services. Today, aircraft are sometimes leased from Sudanese operators such as Badr Airlines and Tarco Air.

There are glimmers of light on the horizon. After these sanctions have been partly removed we are starting to have contacts with aircraft manufacturers such as Boeing and we hope that we will find a way to get a licence to get new aircraft, said Timo.

We are doing this through the US embassy in Sudan. We need to come up with a practical lease plan that shows that we are trying to get aircraft only for civil use. The Americans are always afraid of things that can have a dual use, civil and military.

Well try to come up with a business plan that they can monitor, so they can be assured that [the aircraft] are for civil use.

The airline is receiving assistance from the US Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) in the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC). BIS ensures that exporters have the information they need to comply with US export control requirements on commercial goods. They are trying to help the vendors apply, said Timo.

One possible means of easing the process of finding new aircraft is through aid from Saudi Arabia. Riyadh has offered funding to help improve Sudans transport sector as a whole and it may provide easy funding terms for Sudan Airways to acquire aircraft, or even donate them. But this route remains unclear and Saudi Arabia would still have to receive a US licence, even to donate aircraft.

When these problems are finally resolved, Sudan Airways is looking at two classes of narrow-body aircraft to renew its fleet  one in the 120 to 140-seat category and a slightly larger type in the 180 to 220-seat bracket. Various models from the Airbus A320 and Boeing 737 families are obvious contenders.

The airline also has an eye to longer-range routes in the future and hopes that the role of Khartoum Airport can be enhanced. We used to fly to London before and we can connect traffic from northern to southern Africa using Khartoum as a transit point, said Timo.

Like many of the regions carriers, Sudan Airways also foresees a role in carrying pilgrims to Saudi Arabias holy sites. A Boeing 737-900, for example, would be capable of flying direct from points in west Africa, such as the Malian capital, Bamako, to Jeddah.

For the moment, however, those glimmers of light on the horizon are still rather faint.

On the night of March 12, 1968, TV audiences saw an American presidency of monumental proportions begin to crumble before their eyes.





The occasion was the New Hampshire presidential preference primary, the "first in the nation" primary that has long been a tradition in the Granite State.





There have been other dramatic outcomes in New Hampshire, both before and since, scuttling careers and altering the political landscape. But none has shaken the earth like the results of 1968.





Lyndon Baines Johnson was the president, having assumed the job when President John F. Kennedy was assassinated in November of 1963. Johnson had then won a term in his own right in 1964 with one of the biggest popular-vote landslides in U.S. history.





Johnson had strong-armed Congress to pass the Civil Rights Act and the Voting Rights Act, as well as the Great Society programs such as Medicare. When New Hampshire held its primary in 1968, Johnson was the prohibitive favorite to win the Democratic nomination for another term.





But Johnson was also the president who had dramatically escalated the U.S. commitment to war in Vietnam, after saying he would not "send American boys to do what Asian boys should be doing."





On this day, in this New England state, he would pay the price for that decision. He would end the evening with his political fate in free fall. - Read More



PODCAST 38: How one African airline is preparing for return of tourism

PODCAST 39: Optimism as Africa and Middle East sees positive growth for 2021

PODCAST 37: How Qatar rode the storm and Dassaults new Falcon

PODCAST 35: Change abounds at IATA and new cargo boost while ATM has a new approach

PODCAST 34 : Why India is vital to Middle East aviation recoveryThe V International Exhibition of Weapons Systems and Military Equipment KADEX-2018 will be held in Astana, the capital city of Kazakhstan from May 23 to May 26, 2018. For the first time in history, this year exhibition is held under the auspices of the Ministry of Defense and Aerospace Industry of the Republic of Kazakhstan. Ministry of Defense of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Kazakhstan Engineering National Company, RSE Kazspecexport and Astana-Expo KS Exhibition Company are amongst the co-organizers of the event.



The V International Exhibition of Weapons Systems and Military Equipment KADEX 2018, will take place from the 23 to 26 May 2018 in Astana, Kazakhstan. (Picture source Army Recognition)

Over 300 Kazakhstani and foreign companies of the military-industrial complex and space industry, as well as leading engineering bureaus and research institutes will take part in the exhibition. Traditionally, alongside with the largest European corporations like Airbus, Leonardo, Thales, Nexter, Elbit Systems etc., leading Russian, Turkish and Chinese developers such as Almaz-Antey, Uralvagonzavod, UAC, Aselsan, TAI, Otokar, Poly Technologies, CATIC and Norinco will be represented by country pavilions.



Over the years of exhibitions, KADEX rightfully became one of the worlds leading display cases for armaments, military and specialized hardware, information security technologies.



Exhibition guests and participants will be able to get acquainted with the current achievements and latest research developments of military-industrial complex and space industry companies. Special focus of the exhibition will be on the development of the electronic systems, command, control and communications systems as well as latest solutions in the area of information security.



Over 150 invitations have been sent by the organizers to foreign defense ministries, defense and aerospace industries institutions as well as national information security agencies. At least 50 official delegations headed by chief executive officers or deputy chief officers are expected to participate. Visit to KADEX is included in official program of Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) meeting events scheduled to take place from May, 23 to May, 25 2018 with participation of Secretaries of Security Councils and Ministers of Defense of the member countries.



This years ambitious scientific and business program will grab the focused attention of the specialists. Inaugural International Forum Space Days in Kazakhstan will be held on the sidelines as one of the main dialog platforms of the exhibition, as well as Advanced Def Tech Research and Application Conference and Cyber and Digital Security conference. The scope of the events will allow experts to exchange their ideas on the current issues of defense and security, international development of space science and also to discuss latest information safety and security arrangements.



As a result of all aforementioned events, agreements and memorandums should be executed, thus effectively assisting the development of the partnership relations in the areas of military-industrial cooperation, cybersecurity and space exploration.



For more detailed information, please visit the official website of the exhibition www.kadex.kz39 trekkers were trapped in Sundays raging forest fire deep in Kurangani hills reserve near Theni in Tamil Nadu.

The fire broke out in Tamil Nadu's Theni district while a Chennai-based trekking club, which had 25 women and 3 children, had organised the expedition from Kurangani to Bodi in the Western Ghats. (Photo: ANI)

Theni: Ten of the 39 trekkers who were trapped in Sundays raging forest fire deep in Kurangani hills reserve near Theni in Tamil Nadu have died.

The people who died in the fire includes four women, four men and a child. Out of 27 people who have been rescued 10 of them have minor injuries, while 8 of them have serious injuries.

Thirty of the trekkers, mostly students, have been rescued and were rushed to a government hospital. The nine trekkers died of burn injuries. Search and rescue operations for the other missing trekkers are on.

The fire broke out in Tamil Nadu's Theni district while a Chennai-based trekking club, which had 25 women and 3 children, had organised the expedition from Kurangani to Bodi in the Western Ghats. The group was trapped in the raging fire on their way back on Sunday.

The trekkers  that included a group of 27 people from Chennai and a batch of 12 from Erode and Tirupur - were on their way back from a trek to the Kurangani hills, when they got caught in the fire.

Also read: 15 trekkers rescued from forest fire in Tamil Nadu

The groups started the trek on Friday night and reached the Kerala side of the forest by Saturday. They started the trek from Kurangani on the Tamil Nadu border on Sunday morning. They were supposed to reach Bodi by evening and travel back to Chennai from Theni.

However, by afternoon the trekkers, mostly from Chennai, Tirupur and Erode, were caught in the forest fire.

The Air Force has been pressed into service for rescue operations.

With little or no communication facilities in the remote woods, due to lack of mobile phone towers, information was hard to get. However, tribals and some local villagers rushing in to volunteer help have been providing invaluable support to the rescue teams that took time to reach the spot braving the fire.

First reports, obtained from video shots from mobiles used by some local rescuers, showed the victims, many of them girls, in great pain and crying for water. Some of them had their dresses in tatters and burnt, bodies badly burnt and bruised. They were terrible visuals.

"Forest officials could be at fault. They should have either stopped these people from going in, considering there have been sporadic and widespread forest fire during the last few days in the region," said an official involved in the tough rescue operation, requesting anonymity.

The thick smoke, heat from the high flames and poor visibility post-sunset made the rescue operations difficult even as more help was expected, thanks to the instructions from Defence Minister Nirmala Sitaraman to the IAF and also the steps taken by Chief Minister K Palanisamy.

"15 people have been rescued from the fire so far. All rescued have been admitted to Bodinayyakanur government hospital for treatment. Special medical teams have been sent to Bodinayyakanur hospital," Health Minister C Vijayabhaskar wrote on his official Twitter page.

Sources said some of the rescued have suffered serious burn injuries.

The news broke a little after 5 pm on Sunday when Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman took to Twitter to announce that IAF helicopters will join the operations to rescue those caught in the fire.

State fire services sources said they got information from one of the trekking members at around 3 pm and they pressed several teams into rescue mission immediately.

Videos and photos shared on social networking sites showed how tough it would have been for the rescuers to bring the people, stuck amid the difficult hillside and the raging flames, to safety due to the tough terrain.

The videos also narrated the harrowing tales of those rescued and brought to hospitals. Since the fire took place in an area where the mobile network is not good, getting information proved to be very tough for both the officials and media.

A senior district forest official said personnel from the Forest Department were assisting the rescue team in saving the people from the spot.

Medical staff that waited in ambulances on foothills administered first aid to the girls rescued from forest fire before shifting them to near-by hospitals. Theni collector Mariam Pallavi Baldev visited the rescued women at hospitals and assured them of all help.

Police said the students from Coimbatore and Erode were taking training in Kurangai-Kozhuku Hill area when the fire suddenly broke out around noon. District Superintendent of Police V Baskaran and revenue and forest officials were taking steps to rescue the students from the trapped site.

Officials said the Defence Minister told the District collector to expedite the rescue operations in coordination with the other department officials including, the Air Force. Sources said it is the forest fire season in the dry Western Ghats, especially in the Theni and Palani hills and the forest department does not allow any trekking anywhere along the ghats.Naidu cautioned that if the trend continued, the people would lose their trust in legislators and the political class.

New Delhi: Lamenting frequent disruptions in parliamentary proceedings, Rajya Sabha Chairman M. Venkaiah Naidu on Sunday warned that if this trend continued, the people would lose trust in politicians.

He also expressed concern over lack of quorum in the House and said that he had to press the quorum bell on several occasions.

The responsibility of having a quorum lay with the government as well as the opposition, Mr Naidu said at the concluding session of a two-day conference of MPs and MLAs in the Central Hall of Parliament.

All is not well that ends up in the Well (of the House), he said referring to the washout of the first week of the second part of the Budget Session due to disruptions.

He cautioned that if the trend continued, the people would lose their trust in legislators and the political class.

The vice-president said if the legislatures do not provide a solution to the problems faced by the people, then they would be failing in their duty.

Noting that issues cannot be settled on the basis of numbers alone, he said the Opposition should have its say and the government should have its way. This is the only way forward, he said. He was also of the view that talk out or walk out should be the only options available in a legislature.

He urged the governments to increase the number of days legislatures meet in a year. Presenting the closing remarks, Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan said that development should be sustainable and we should have a continuous dialogue with all stakeholders.Hindu Yuva Sene's Naveen was arrested and named as one of the accused in the case on March 9.

Gauri, the editor of the Gauri Lankesh Patrike - a tabloid known for 'anti-establishment' views, was shot dead by unknown assailants outside her residence in Bengaluru on September 5, in 2017. (Photo: File)

Bengaluru: The special investigation team probing the murder of journalist and activist Gauri Lankesh will conduct a narcoanalysis test on accused K T Naveen Kumar.

Hindu Yuva Sene's Naveen was arrested and named as one of the accused in the case on March 9.

Earlier on March 5, five days SIT custody was granted to Naveen by the Bengaluru Magistrate Court regarding the same.

On March 3, the Karnataka Police had taken Naveen into police custody for questioning.

Naveen was caught by the crime wing of the state police's central crime branch on February 18.

Gauri, the editor of the Gauri Lankesh Patrike - a tabloid known for "anti-establishment" views, was shot dead by unknown assailants outside her residence in Bengaluru on September 5, in 2017.

Following her murder, several protests, across the country and especially in prominent parts of Karnataka, had taken place.Over ten other female employees also fainted during the protest and had to be rushed to the nearby Ram Manohar Lohia hospital.

employees alleged that they have not received their salaries for the last four months but when they protested against it, they were beaten up and locked in a room in the Cyber Tower office in Vibhuti Khand. (Photo: File)

New Delhi: Women staff of Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath's 1076 helpline claimed they were locked up and tortured on Friday for protesting against non-payment of salaries.

According to media reports, employees alleged that they have not received their salaries for the last four months but when they protested against it, they were beaten up and locked in a room in the Cyber Tower office in Vibhuti Khand.

A member of the staff informed the media that when they arrived in office on Friday, they were not allowed to punch their cards but were instead asked to mark their attendance on a piece of paper.

The employees did not agree to this and retaliated demanding immediate payment of pending salary, after which they would leave.

They were then taken into a room for negotiation, but were locked in.

Over ten other female employees also fainted during the protest and had to be rushed to the nearby Ram Manohar Lohia hospital.

The police informed that they received a call around 7:30 am that around 100 employees were locked up and some had even consumed a substance.

Reports in the media did not clarify what the substance was.

The Station House Officer (SHO) of Vibhuti Kand, Satyendra Kumar Rai said that after rushing to the spot they found that one Shalu Yadav had fainted, while Shama, Shalini and Shivani had vomited.

They were then taken to the RML Hospital.

CCTV footage from the facility is currently being investigated, Rai said.

Dr DS Negi of RML hospital however said that none of the patients had consumed any toxic substance.

Dhruv Mishra, project head of the call centre, denied all allegations and said that salaries were deposited to employees' bank accounts on February 8.

He told the media that, We have 1,200 employees working in three shifts. Only some have problems because of bank issues.

The call centre was set up in December with the help of an NGO to channelise the complaints of the people of the state and for offering quick redressal, say reports.It may be recalled that New Delhi had recently allowed investment in Indian Rupees in Iran.

Visiting Venezuelan Foreign Minister Jorge Arreaza said in New Delhi on Monday that Venezuela wants trade with India in oil and other commodities such as food and medicines to be conducted in Indian Rupees and not in US Dollars. (Representational image)

New Delhi: South American oil-rich nation Venezuela has requested India for an Iran-style arrangement wherein bilateral trade can be permitted in Indian Rupees instead of the US Dollar.

Visiting Venezuelan Foreign Minister Jorge Arreaza said in New Delhi on Monday that Venezuela wants trade with India in oil and other commodities such as food and medicines to be conducted in Indian Rupees and not in US Dollars. Venezuela has been facing economic sanctions imposed by the United States.

He said that in his interaction with senior Indian ministers during his visit, he had kept in mind that India had granted this facility recently to Iran. We did seek it (a similar decision from India regarding Venezuela), Mr Arreaza told reporters but pointed out that Venezuela even now trades with China, Russia and Turkey in currencies other than the US Dollar.

Venezuela wants to be able to do the same with India as well, said Mr. Arreaza, adding that he is awaiting a decision on this matter by the Indian Finance Ministry.

If such a decision is taken, we will open accounts in banks here (in India), he said.

It may be recalled that New Delhi had recently allowed investment in Indian Rupees in Iran. Till then, India had allowed this facility only in neighbouring Nepal and Bhutan.According to the LinkedIn research, young people are feeling the pressure as they put too much importance on finding their dream career.

According to new research, the quarter-life crisis is now the next big thing. The study shows youngsters around 25 year mark are showing unprecedented levels of anxiety as they stress about their future and life.

According to the LinkedIn research, young people are feeling the pressure as they put too much importance on finding their dream career.

Furthermore, the study finds, social media is also adding another layer of stress as it dominates young peoples lives, allowing them to compare their success to others.

According to the research, almost two thirds of 25 to 33-year-olds are more anxious about their careers than personal relationships and many millennials admit to feeling the pressure to succeed before 30.

Study says that the reason young people are so anxious about their careers is because of the uncertainty surrounding them, as well as the fear of missing out on what else life has to offer.

According to the LinkedIn findings, while there isn't one simple solution to getting over a quarter-life crisis, getting advice from people that have had similar experiences can help people when they are at a crossroad in their career.

Clinical social worker Debbi Carberry told The New Daily that social media is creating emotionally fragile young adults, adding that having 1000 friends of social media amounts to nothing and having three friends in real life is more beneficial.12 demands accepted, panel formed on use of forest land.

Mumbai: Reeling under pressure from all sides  farmers protest, Opposition and ally Shiv Sena slamming the governments agrarian policies, the BJP-led Maharashtra government on Monday accepted 100% demands of the agitating farmers, following which the peasants ended their mammoth protest in Mumbai.

The government sought six months time to fulfil the farmers demands, including right to till forestland, as thousands of agriculturists converged here in a sea of red.

The main demand was the transfer of forestland titles in the farmers name, for which the government sought time to check proofs.

The Communist Party of India (Marxist)s All India Kisan Sabha, which had organised the 180-km Nashik-Mumbai protest march, claimed victory at the governments acceptance of all its demands in writing, including the implementation of the Forest Rights Act.

Leaders of the Kisan Sabha showed the written reply by chief secretary and three senior ministers at Azad Maidan. Almost 30,000 farmers had assembled at Azad Maidan when the ministers accepted their demands.

A delegation of farmers leaders had met chief minister Devendra Fadnavis in the afternoon. The government agreed to a few demands and asked for some time. The main demand was about transferring forest land titles to their names. We have agreed to expedite the process but it takes time to verify the proofs. We have sought six months to clear the claims and also the pending appeals. So far, the government has completed 50 land transfers, said tribal welfare minister Vishnu Savara.

MLA Jiva Gavit expressed victory of the farmers protest. We walked for six days. Something like this had never happened here. The government has accepted our main demand of forestland rights. The CM will make a statement in the Assembly on Tuesday, said Mr Gavit.

The written assurance given by the government includes renewal of rations cards of the tribal since many are denied grains in ration shops as their rations cards are in bad shape. Another demand was about diverting water from Nar-Par, Damanganga, Wagh and Pinjal to Maharashtra so that it does not go to Gujarat.

A project in this regard has been prepared by the National Water Development Authority. A MoU has also been signed which the government will implement, the agreement said.

All India Kisan Sabhas leader Ashok Dhavale said the government has agreed to complete irrigation work in the next five years. The tribals will get benefits of the projects, said Mr Dhavale.

However, the government did not give any assurance on the demand for complete loan waiver to the farmers and giving 1.5 times the market price to agriculture produce. In the state, 35.51 lakh farmers have received loan waiver of Rs 13,826 so far. The government will pursue the demand of 1.5 times price to agriculture produce with the Centre, the agreement said.

Farmers leader Ajit Navale said that earlier there was a criteria that allowed only one person to get benefits of the loan waiver. This is now changed. Any number of accounts from a single family will get the loan waiver. The limit of money will be Rs 1.5 lakh. This demand has been accepted, Mr Navale said.

On increasing aid of various government schemes like Sanjay Gandhi Niradhara Yojana, Shravanbal Indira Gandhi Vrudhhapkal Yojana to Rs 2000, the government said it would positively look into the matter. On compensation of Rs 40,000 per acre for pink bollworm and hailstorm, the government said that a decision has already been taken. There was also a demand for transferring class-III temple land, benami land, gairan land on the tribal name if they are cultivating it.The Bombay high court had asked her to approach the Maharashtra Administrative Tribunal (MAT).

Mumbai: Maharashtra police female constable from Beed district, Lalita Salve, had sought the departments permission to seek leave to undergo a gender reassignment operation,.

The Bombay high court had asked her to approach the Maharashtra Administrative Tribunal (MAT).

Lalita Salve is still waiting to get posted as a male constable. The government is yet to sanction her request.

The application of Lalita had been forwarded to the CP (Commissioner of Police) office but we are still awaiting a response.

Lalita is still working as lady constable in Beed, said Arjun Ujgare, a relative of Salve.

Speaking to The Asian Age, advocate Asim Sarode said, Currently there is no governance for the third gender. Therefore on the administration level, giving Salve the post of a male constable would create complications.

Harish Iyer, a social rights activist, said, Awareness about transgenders is very low, due to which legal procedures get stuck. Not all lawyers know what a transgender is, so it is difficult to even get an affidavit for a change in legal documents. Lack of awareness creates challenges more than the lack of procedures.Some lessons appear to have been learned. India is now going all out to address Chinas sensitivities.

Consider the past and you shall know the future, says a Chinese proverb. That is something the Narendra Modi government did not keep in mind when it embarked on its ill-considered move to confront the Chinese on the Doklam border row last year. An aggressive stance as India knows to its cost since the bruising 1962 war has never helped it to get the better of China.

But the past was ignored by the BJP regime which has thoughtlessly needled the Chinese over the past three years. The nadir was reached with Doklam. China began building a huge military complex in mid-January, close to the site where Indian troops had been despatched rather impetuously to stop the construction of a road in July 2017. Beijing asked India not to interfere in legitimate infrastructure development in its sovereign territory.

Some lessons appear to have been learned. India is now going all out to address Chinas sensitivities. Institutional frameworks that were given short shrift earlier are back at the centre of a more realistic policy that is being pieced together by the ministry of external affairs.

The architect of the salvage mission is new foreign secretary Vijay Gokhale, a seasoned China hand, who appears to be well regarded by the authorities in Beijing. Last month, Mr Gokhales meetings with top Chinese officials resulted in a decision by the two sides to initiate a sustained level of dialogue which will include external affairs minister Sushma Swarajs visit to China. It is hoped that by the time Mr Modi meets Chinese President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit in June in Qingdao, relations between the two countries would have been set on a firmer footing. The question is how willing Modi supporters and the BJPs ideological mentor, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, are to accept the new reality. Convinced of their latent superiority, the saffron brigade of Hindu supremacists believes China is a competitor that needs to be contained and that India and the US are natural allies in such a project. Besides, there is the deep-rooted yearning to avenge the defeat of 1962.

The MEA is taking a more pragmatic view of geopolitical realities. The official release on Mr Gokhales talks in Beijing notes the need to build on the convergences between India and China and address differences on the basis of mutual respect and sensitivity to each others concerns, interests and aspirations. That explains why MEA was able to persuade the government to issue a circular asking senior officials not to attend functions marking the 60th anniversary of the Dalai Lamas exile in India. With ties to all its neighbours in tatters and allies turning hostile, Mr Modi is staring at a largely blank balance sheet. Disillusionment with Mr Trump is ineluctable as the US pushes an aggressive America first policy and warns of trade war against India (and China).

The reset in relations with China is likely to have an impact on Delhis dealings with Islamabad, too. The more remarkable development has been the unexpectedly public criticism by the Army brass of New Delhis policies and of their chiefs hawkish stance on neighbours. Gen. Rawats claim last June that the Indian Army was ready for a two-and-a-half-front war was dismissed recently by the chief of the western command who said it was not a smart idea at all. He suggested that India should improve ties with China because it would also help in resolving the Pakistan problem. The frustration with the governments inability to deal with the volatile Pakistan border prompted another general to state that restoring ceasefire requires statesmanship, not brinkmanship. Both generals were speaking at an open conference and they were clearly sending a message to Mr Modi: reset foreign policy to meet Indias goals.

By arrangement with DawnThe French foreign minister was in India on an official visit during Indias May 1998 nuclear tests.

Long before the two decade-old strategic partnership between India and France that visiting President Emmanuel Macron, on his first trip to this country that ended Monday has promised to widen and deepen, the relationship between the two nations had salience. India  and particularly the Francophile Prime Minister Indira Gandhi  saw France as a nonaligned European nation, hovering between formal membership of Western alliances and Gaullist self-assertion.

The French foreign minister was in India on an official visit during Indias May 1998 nuclear tests. France reacted with equanimity, compared to the United States and the rest the Western alliance. The strategic engagement began then, and the Macron visit commemorates two decades of that. The two nations were also co-hosting the first International Solar Alliance (ISA), attended by some 30 countries, including two dozen heads of state.

Mr Macrons swipe at US President Donald Trump was not surprising as the Paris Agreement on climate change was hobbled when Mr Trump withdrew American support. Prime Minister Narendra Modis stepping in, besides Chinese support, saved the accord and the ISA was born. Developing nations sought when supporting adaptation and mitigation measures to curb climate change, a bargain at the root of the Paris Agreement, finance and cheaper technologies. Otherwise climate change evangelism could become a new debt trap for developing countries. The ISA addresses both issues, having become the first UN agency to be headquartered in India, aiming to raise $1 trillion by 2030 to make solar energy the affordable panacea for energy deficiency developing nations.

The Indo-French joint statement addresses significant issues like nuclear energy, defence cooperation, space and strategic convergence in the Indian Ocean region. The nuclear issue rests on the 2008 framework agreement under which six EPR nuclear power reactors are planned at Jaitapur to produce 10 gigawatt of power. The National Nuclear Power Corporation (NPCIL) and the French company EDF signed an Industrial Way Forward Agreement. The deal has remained stuck over economic viability and technical soundness of the EPR design as under-construction projects in Europe and Asia have faced cost and timeline problems.

Moreover, after the 2011 Japanese Fukushima nuclear disaster and the fall in gas and renewal energy costs, the future of nuclear energy has been reassessed globally. France itself is reducing its dependence on nuclear power from 75 per cent to 50 per cent over the next decade. Nuclear project costs must include the heavy decommissioning expenditure, which for Fukushima alone will exceed $20 billion, besides $100 billion for the cleanup. In a heavily-populated nation like India, while nuclear power must play some role as a baseload provider in the energy mix, the debate on indigenous design versus expensive and untested French technology will persist.

Defence cooperation remains the mainstay of the bilateral engagement. India has bought French equipment since the 1950s. The signing of another agreement on Reciprocal Protection of Classified or Protected Information, the previous one having lapsed, needs scrutiny. Today technology-denial regimes like the Nuclear Suppliers Group or Missile Technology Control Regime no longer apply to India so why is an omnibus measure needed to treat every defence purchase opaquely, even precluding parliamentary scrutiny? The governments reluctance to explain the Rafale plane purchase numbers and costs defies logic. If the French had given India a great discount below their global quote, then France should be seeking secrecy. On the contrary, it is India which is advocating silence. The globally-renowned Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (Sipri) argues that in 45 years, through open and non-official sources, they, as indeed the intelligence services of Indias other defence suppliers, could ferret out most details of defence sales globally. Transparency is necessary for controlling military spending, which the Narendra Modi government treats as seditious to question. It also generates trust and confidence between rival states. Pakistan and China must not be left guessing Indian capabilities for better deterrence. France is erring by subscribing to the Modi governments approach, given the past lack of probity and corruption at the highest levels of French governments. A successor government in India may reopen the deal and, in any case, it will be publicly bandied in the campaign for the coming elections.

An agreement on reciprocal logistics allowing the use of each others defence facilities boosts Indo-French convergence in the Indian Ocean. It counters the growing Chinese access to ports or even potential bases like Djibouti and Gwadar. Joint military exercises, with a naval exercise Varun likely next month, are to increase. The French adoption of three cities  Chandigarh, Nagpur and Puducherry  for Smart City conversion deserves praise. The first has its French-Swiss architect Le Corbusier as the driving force and the last was Frances final colony in India, from which it departed peacefully, unlike Portugal, which was forcefully evicted from Goa.

While France joins India in condemning terrorism and naming Pakistan-based groups targeting India, its focus is more on the terrorists of North African or Arab descent. Both nations support the Joint Common Programme of Action (JCPOA), the P5+1 Iran nuclear deal. This balances President Donald Trumps Iran-baiting. President Macron plays both sides on the Chinese Belt and Road Initiative, but as the clear co-leader with Germanys Angela Merkel of the European Union, he may be beginning like Germany to see China as a predator of European intellectual property and not a benign free-trader.

With the Italian election mandate fractured between the right-wing League and populist 5-Star Party, Italys Aam Aadmi Party, and Britain distracted by Brexit, for India the Franco-German leadership of the EU assumes greater importance. Mr Macron wants a stronger EU, more centralised fiscal control and a common military force. Europe may be beginning to emerge as a pole, independent of the US. That matches the Indian vision of a multipolar world. Charlemagne in The Economist writes that Franco-German tandem does not work if the passengers are veering off in different directions. Nor will the Indo-French bonhomie if there is opaqueness and secrecy in defence deals.North Korea is also the obvious and only target of the annual joint military exercises between the US and South Korea.

Two of the worlds most dangerously flamboyant showmen are planning to meet some time before the end of May. If the meeting does take place, Donald Trump and Kim Jong-un will pirouette on a diplomatic catwalk in a calculated game of international one-upmanship.

Since China has welcomed the move to restore Asias political equilibrium and remove a threat to global peace, one expects it also to persuade Xi Jinping, now crowned emperor for life, not to rock regional stability with adventurist claims.

The West sees the Korean crisis, a lingering relic of the Cold War, as a clash between good and evil. North Koreas tubby little Kim, Mr Trumps derisive Little Rocket Man, is a natural target of fun, mocked by the Western media for his physique, hairdo, strutting walk and bombastic pronouncements. Ridicule is a way of demolishing an adversary. If North Korea is mocked into oblivion, then South Korea must be the triumphant repository of all virtue. Sadly, no one who has read James Camerons Point of Departure can accept that simplistic division. Cameron was a distinguished British journalist who was responsible in a way for my own entry into the profession. As is well-known, his reporting of the Korean War resulted in an epic fallout with the owner of the The Picture Post, the magazine which sent him. Not only did the latter refuse to print Camerons blisteringly honest account of atrocities that the South Koreans carried out on political prisoners under United Nations protection, but he also sacked his editor who supported Cameron.

South Korea was  and is  the United States sacred cow. Long before Mr Trump began trading schoolboy insults with Mr Kim, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, and Barack Obama relentlessly demonised the North as a rogue state run by a dynasty of brutal tyrants determined to destroy Western civilisation. They cited this presumed menace to justify the US garrison of some 35,000 troops in South Korea 65 years after the Korean War ended and more than a quarter-century since the end of the Cold War. This is in addition to the permanent aircraft-carrier of Guam, naval bases and seaborne troops dotted all over the Indo-Pacific region, and approximately 50,000 military personnel in Japan with 40,000 dependents, and another 5,500 civilian employees of the US defence department.

North Korea is also the obvious and only target of the annual joint military exercises between the US and South Korea.

Jim Mattis, Mr Trumps defence secretary, says: The only way to locate and destroy  with complete certainty  all components of North Koreas nuclear weapons programmes is through a ground invasion. No wonder the North views the Washington-Seoul axis with profound suspicion. The US justified its earlier refusal to take up Mr Kims offer to negotiate by saying there could be no trust until North Korea first gave up its nukes. Mr Kim responded by pointing to Libyas ill-fated Muammar el-Gaddafi who was attacked after he had stopped building the bomb. Mr Kim might also have mentioned the late Saddam Hussein, and retorted: Even if I do give up my nuclear ambitions, you will manufacture false evidence to condemn me, flaunting it at the United Nations as Colin Powell did, to justify an invasion!

Not that North Koreans are lily white innocents. I remember the stir in Colombo during the 1976 Nonaligned Nations Conference, which I was covering for The Observer in London, as unofficial reports circulated of North Korean soldiers axing to death two US Army officers engaged in a routine operation to cut down trees and clear a portion of the demilitarised zone at Panmunjom. (Panmunjom was where the Norths representatives at the postwar peace talks dragged out higher and higher stools so that they did not lose face by being dwarfed by the South Koreans and Americans, recalling the Kings Your head is higher than mine! in Anna and the King of Siam.) Kim Jong-il, son of North Koreas Kim Il-sung, who was attending the conference, presented the incident as an example of American aggression. His version was accepted and the conference adopted a resolution calling on the US to withdraw from South Korea.

Typically, the Americans have already started to gloat over the proposed talks as a tremendous victory.

The North Koreans are coming to the table despite the US making zero concessions, crowed US vice-president Mike Pence. Our policy remains the same: all sanctions remain in place and the maximum pressure campaign will continue until North Korea takes concrete, permanent and verifiable steps to end their nuclear programme.

What was not predictable and has always intrigued me is why several American soldiers defected to North Korea after the war. A South Koreans defection might have been explicable in personal and historical terms even though those who have visited the country know that Seoul is as modern and glitzy as Tokyo or Singapore.

But what makes a white American give up everything that millions of Indians would die for? Only one, Charles Jenkins, a sergeant, left North Korea to be court-martialled, demoted to private and discharged dishonourably with a 30-day jail sentence after pleading guilty to desertion and aiding the enemy, but only because he wanted to live in Japan with his Japanese wife.

A documentary film, Crossing the Line, showed the last of them, James Dresnok, who died last year, saying he would not leave North Korea if you put a billion damn dollars of gold on the table. It probably wouldnt occur to Mr Trump to wonder why. But that is no reason for not hoping that the talks do take place, and that a Washington-Pyongyang detente reduces tension in the entire region and persuades China to be less assertive in the South China Sea and elsewhere.The attackers raised slogans in favour of Mumtaz Qadri, the killer of Punjab Governor Salman Taseer, before fainting as the crowd jostled him.

Pakistani security personnel and organiser hold a student after he hurled a shoe at former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif in Lahore. (Photo: AFP)

Islamabad: Two Pakistani clerics on Sunday attacked former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif with shoes, one hitting him. The incident took place at Jamia Naeemia madrasa (religious seminary) in Lahore.

Mr Sharif had gone to the religious seminary to participate in a ceremony. When he reached the rostrum to address the gathering, two bearded men threw shoes at him and raised slogans.

The event caused immediate commotion in the hall as others attending the gathering grabbed hold of one man and started beating him.

The attackers raised slogans in favour of Mumtaz Qadri, the killer of Punjab Governor Salman Taseer, before fainting as the crowd jostled him. The Punjab Police also arrested the other suspect.

On Saturday, a man was taken into police custody after he threw ink at foreign minister Khawaja Asif during his speech at the ruling Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) workers convention in Sialkot. Mr Asif, however, directed the concerned authorities to release the suspect, saying he did not have any personal enmity with him, adding that the man must have carried out the act on behest of someone in return for some money.

The man who threw ink on foreign minister Khawaja Asif said that his act was driven by PML-N attempt to amend the Khatm-e-Nabuwat (finality of the Prophethood) clause in the Elections Act 2017.

Meanwhile, police have released the local leader of Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf (PTI) Youth Wing in a case pertaining to hurling abuses at Pakistan Peoples Party leader Asif Zardari on social media.

Sajjad Haleepoto was arrested by the police for misuse of social media under cybercrime law. According to police, he was freed on Sunday after assurances that he would not commit this act again.Oli has consolidated his position by securing more than two thirds majority votes, the officials said.

Kathmandu: Nepals newly-elected Prime Minister K.P. Oli on Sunday won a historic vote of confidence with two-thirds majority in the countrys Lower House of Parliament.

Mr Oli, who was appointed to the post on February 15, secured 208 votes out of total 268 Parliament members present in the House of Representatives, officials said.

The 66-year-old Oli received the backing of all political parties, except the main Opposition, the Nepali Congress and some fringe parties who voted against him.

He received 121 votes from CPN-UML, 52 from CPN (Maoist Centre), 16 each from Rastriya Janta Party Nepal and Federal Socialist Forum Nepal and one each from Rastriya Janamorcha, Rastriya Prajatantra Party, Nepal Workers Peasants Party and an independent lawmaker, the officials said.

Mr Oli has consolidated his position by securing more than two thirds majority votes, the officials said. Speaker of the Parliament Krishna Bahadur Mahara has announced next session of the Parliament on Friday.

Earlier, Mr Oli had called on all political parties to support the government. The Nepali Congress had said it would not support Mr Oli and play the role of an effective opposition.

According to the new Constitution, the Prime Minister needs to win a confidence motion in Parliament within six months after his appointment.A day ago, Basaran posted a picture with seven smiling friends from a Dubai resort.

The plane took off late Sunday afternoon and climbed to a cruising altitude of just over 35,000 feet. A little over an hour later, it rapidly gained altitude and then dropped drastically within minutes. (Representational Image/ Pixabay)

Tehran: The daughter of a business tycoon and bride-to-be Mina Basaran, along with her seven friends, were onboard a Turkish private jet flying from the United Arab Emirates to Istanbul, which crashed Sunday in heavy rain in a mountainous region of Iran, killing all 11 people on board, authorities said.

Iranian state television quoted a spokesman for the countrys emergency management organization as saying the plane hit a mountain near Shahr-e Kord and burst into flames.

Shahr-e Kord is nearly 370 km (230 miles) south of the capital, Tehran.

The spokesman, Mojtaba Khaledi, later told a website associated with state TV that local villagers had reached the site in the Zagros Mountains and found only badly burned bodies and no survivors. He said DNA tests would be needed to identify the dead.

Villagers said they saw flames coming from the planes engine before the crash, according to a report by Irans state-run judiciary news agency Mizan.

The plane took off late Sunday afternoon and climbed to a cruising altitude of just over 35,000 feet. A little over an hour later, it rapidly gained altitude and then dropped drastically within minutes, according to FlightRadar24, a flight-tracking website.

The flight took off from Sharjah International Airport, according to the General Civil Aviation Authority in the UAE.

A private company that handles public relations for the Sharjah airfield, the home of low-cost airline Air Arabia, declined to comment. Sharjah is a neighbouring emirate of Dubai.

Turkeys private Dogan News Agency identified the plane as a Bombardier CL604, tail number TC-TRB. Turkeys Transport Ministry said the aircraft belonged to a company named Basaran Holding, which The Associated Press could not immediately reach.

Basaran Investment Holding is active in the food, finance, energy, construction, tourism and travel industries, according to the companys website.

Mina Basaran, the 28-year-old daughter of Basarans chairman who is part of the companys board of managers and is in line to run the business, recently posted photographs on Instagram of what appeared to be her bachelorette party in Dubai.

Among those photographs was an image of the plane posted three days ago. In it, Basaran posed on the tarmac carrying flowers, wearing a denim jacket reading Mrs. Bride and the hashtag #bettertogether. In another picture, she holds heart-shaped balloons inside the plane.

A day ago, Basaran posted a picture with seven smiling friends from a Dubai resort. The last videos posted to her account showed her enjoying a concert by the British pop star Rita Ora at a popular Dubai nightclub.

Turkey's Haber Turk website stated that Mina was to marry businessman Murat Gezer on April 14 in a grand ceremony at Istanbul's Cirali Palace.

According to the Khaleej Times, besides the eight friends, three female crew members were onboard the plane.

Sundays crash comes less than a month after an Iranian ATR-72, a twin-engine turboprop used for short regional flights, crashed in southern Iran, killing all 65 people aboard.The regime used the revolt as an excuse to unleash an anti-Semitic campaign to settle scores.

Warsaw: In March 1968, a student revolt crushed by Polands baton-wielding police was used as a pretext for an anti-Semitic purge by the communist regime. It began when the communists banned the 19th-century play Forefathers Eve by poet Adam Mickiewicz claiming it had anti-Russian elements. Two students who contested the ban were expelled from the University of Warsaw, prompting their peers to stage a demonstration on March 8. Backed by other civil groups, particularly workers unhappy with daily life under communism, the pro-democracy protests spread to other cities.

The regime used the student revolt as an excuse to unleash an anti-Semitic campaign that was rooted in a settling of scores inside the Communist Party, which was split into two camps. There was the older generation of communists, many of them Jewish, who had left Poland for Moscow during World War II and only returned in 1945. Meanwhile, a younger generation of communists had stayed put during the war and fought against Germanys Nazis. Interior minister Mieczyslaw Moczar wanted to rid the party of high-ranking members who had returned from Moscow, so he convinced party leader Wladyslaw Gomulka that the student revolt had been led by children of prominent Jews. Thousands of Polish Jews lost their party membership, and thus their jobs, and had to leave the country. Fifty years on, four individuals involved in the upheaval were interviewed. Here are key excerpts.

Adam Michnik, 71-year-old communist-era dissident and historian was one of the two students expelled from the University of Warsaw. He was also arrested. Today he is the editor-in-chief of Polands leading liberal daily Gazeta Wyborcza. I didnt expect the frustration of my generation to be so extreme as to generate student protests in every university across Poland, he said. What was essential for me in March 1968 was the intellectuals revolt against the dictatorship... In Poland to ban Mickiewicz is like banning Shakespeare in Britain, the influential editor added. It was a definitive end to every illusion around this political system. Mr Michnik said the regime chose the dirtiest weapon, anti-Semitism, in a bid to legitimise itself.

And that was in Poland, a country that saw the Jewish Holocaust and was governed by the communists for whom a rejection of fascism and anti-Semitism was a central tenet.

The riot police entered the university by bus via the main entrance and by the back door and attacked the student gathering I was attending, Antoni Macierewicz said. The historian and former anti-communist dissident, now 69, went on to become a conservative politician and serve as defence minister from late 2015 until January 2018. But you have to realise that March 1968 wasnt a local event, nor did it only concern students. Most of the people taking part in the anti-communist demonstrations were workers, he said. What we saw in March was a continuation of what happened in 1966, during the celebration of 1,000 years of Christianity in Poland. That year millions of Poles took to the streets and felt free.

Poland was in crisis at the time. There was an economic crisis, there were supply problems, there were long queues outside stores, Jozef Tejchma said. The 90-year-old was a top member of the central committee of Polands communist party in 1968. The social climate was favourable towards protests against the regime. It only took one incident to set it all off: the banning of Forefathers Eve.

The regime saw an anti-Russian element in its staging, he said. Moczar wanted to remove those who had been in power for a long time. It wasnt just Jews but those who had another vision for Poland.

I left Poland on December 10, 1968, for two reasons. There was the anti-Semitic campaign. My father lost his job at the age of 58 and my parents were left penniless. But what convinced me once and for all was the invasion of Czechoslovakia, Adam Ringer said. I understood that there was no hope for change, that an iron fist would come down to prevent it. Now 69, Mr Ringer emigrated to Sweden as a student but returned to Poland in 1994. In Poland I took part in the student revolt that was inspired by socialism with a human face. he added.

It was like being a virgin again, returning to the roots of socialism, which had been distorted by the governing party, he said.

The regional leaders of Solidarity, the organisers of the strikes of August 1980 were often former students chased out of university, Mr Ringer said.by Melani Manel Perera

The bishop of Galle makes an appeal during Lent to the faithful not [to] confine ourselves only to external rituals. Stronger ties of brotherhood can lead to peace in society. Tamils and Sinhalese share religious ethnic traits. People must overcome the desire to find culprits. A new mindset is needed.

Katchatheevu (AsiaNews)  Mgr Raymond Wickramasinghe, bishop of Galle, a diocese in southwestern Sri Lanka, spoke out about what is happening in the country at the recent celebrations at the shrine of Saint Anthony of Padua on Katchatheevu, an uninhabited island that lies between Indian and Sri Lanka.

"It is really important that all citizens perceive that they have equal opportunities and equal capacity to contribute to building the nation, he said on that occasion.

His remarks about what is happening in the country, where fresh sectarian violence has raised fears about another civil war, is that more important given the experience of 30 years of civil war between the government and the Tamil Tigers.

"Everyone, he noted, regardless of ethnicity or language must feel that they are equal partners with equal rights, he said.

In this holy season of Lent, let us not confine ourselves only to external rituals. Let us build close and deep bonds with our Lord, who will surely tell us to mend mutual relations as individuals, family and nation.

"Despite the violence of recent decades, there is a large reservoir of goodwill in our country, among people of all communities. This is made possible by the teachings of the four great religions of the world, which are to pursue peace, compassion and brotherhood."

Speaking about the celebrations of Saint Anthony, one of the few that that brings together Sri Lankans and Indians, Mgr Wickramasinghe stressed the common features of the two countries separated by a narrow strip of sea.

"We share history. We have many similarities in religious beliefs, customs and traditions, in language as in culture, in dance as in cinema," the prelate said.

"The same situation exists between Tamils and Sinhalese in Sri Lanka. We share religious and ethnic traits from time immemorial. There are many more than things that unite us than divide us."

According to the bishop, politicians and leaders of both communities "have admitted the great mistakes of the past. Such awareness represents the ground on which today we can gradually build the pillars of a new nation that guarantees and upholds the rights of all and allows the creation of an inclusive society."

For the prelate, in order to rebuild a nation torn apart by civil war, at risk once again of drifting towards ethnic and religious violence, "we must overcome our fears. We must change the mindset that leads us to think 'who did what, to whom and when. We must go beyond hatred and the feeling of revenge."

"Forgetting, he noted, is not possible. Human memory, even if it wants to, cannot let go. Nonetheless, human beings develop the ability to overcome errors, fears, anger and revenge, and act with compassion, humanity and wisdom.

Therefore, "All of us, as citizens, must take concrete actions to share faith and friendship in everyday life. Mother Teresa often repeated: 'Peace begins with a smile'."A young man and a family of three have been killed in the capital in the past few weeks. The Iraqi Church has urged people to pin a black ribbon on their chest as a sign of mourning. She has also appealed to the authorities to punish the culprits. For the speaker of Iraqs parliament, attacks on Christians are a threat to "national unity". This afternoon, a memorial Mass will be held in St Josephs Church in Baghdad.

Baghdad (AsiaNews)  The Chaldean Patriarchate today declared a day of mourning and prayer in all of Baghdads churches to honour the memory of the latest victims of anti-Christian violence in the country.

In just over two weeks, two targeted killings have taken place, involving a young worker and an entire family, both in the capital, as tensions rise ahead of the upcoming parliamentary elections in May.

"As we condemn the continuous shedding of Iraqi blood we ask all our children to wear a sign of mourning by pinning a black ribbon on their chest, the Patriarchate said in a statement posted on its website.

Last Thursday evening, the members of a Christian family were stabbed to death by a group of men in Baghdads al-Mashtal neighbourhood.

The victims are Hisham Shafiq al-Maskuni, a 61-year-old doctor native of Baghdad, his wife Shaza Malik, and her mother Khairiya Dawood.

Government sources have reported the arrest of the attackers over the weekend.

Saad Maan, a spokesperson for Iraq's Interior Ministry, said Saturday evening that they had "arrested a band, also responsible for other crimes and acts of violence in the past.

According to some reports, the family was killed during a robbery that went horribly wrong. In addition to killing the victims, the assailants stole money and some precious items from their home.

For now, there is no official confirmation about the motive behind the crime. However, Church sources in the capital note that this was not an isolated incident. On the morning of 25 February, another Christian, Samer Jajjo, was also murdered in Baghdad, in cold blood by a group of armed men in front of his home.

The young Christian man, a married father of two, had just left home for work in a paint shop near the Shorja market.

Various Iraqi civic and religious Sunni and Shia leaders have expressed solidarity and closeness to the Christian community, including the Speaker of Iraqs Parliament Salim Jubouri, who stressed that "targeting Christians" means striking at "national unity".

For the political leader, this is a "serious threat" and "must be approached in every way and by all means" in order to prevent the country from being emptied of "its original components".

Yesterday Chaldean Patriarch Mar Louis Raphael Sako, accompanied by the patriarchal vicar Mgr Shlemon Warduni, priests, believers and representatives of civil society groups, visited (pictured) the house of the slain family, where he laid a candle and led the funeral prayer.

Security Ministry officials and police forces also joined the brief prayer meeting.

The leaders of the Chaldean Church have called for the punishment of the authors of this act of violence, so as to show that the blood of innocent people cannot be shed in vain.

Such "cold-blooded" murders, often due to money issues, show the "lack of security" in the country.

At the same time, it is becoming increasingly urgent "to promote a culture of peace, life, respect for others and coexistence."

This afternoon at 5.30 the Chaldean Patriarchate will hold a Mass in St Josephs Church in Baghdad, where the latest victims of anti-Christian violence will be remembered.The Global Times yesterday gave the news of the participation of a group of Chinese scholars in a meeting on organ trafficking, adding that this "also creates a good impulse to expand contacts beyond the health sector towards cultural and other social areas ".

Rome (AsiaNews) - The Global Time has given great emphasis to news that Chinese scholars are taking part in a conference on organ trafficking held in the Vatican today and tomorrow, organized by the Pontifical Academy of Sciences.

The Party newspaper headlined on "exchanges that promote mutual respect" and recalled that this is the second time that China has been invited by the Pontifical Academy to take part in a meeting.

China "will present its efforts to fight organ trafficking and progress in organ donation and transplantation at the Vatican meeting, said Wang Haibo, head of China's official organs distribution system, COTRS (China Organ Transplant Response System) ".

China, he said, "will call on joint efforts to eradicate organ trafficking, as it's a global challenge ". " China also expects to share its experience on promoting ethical and sustainable organ donation and transplants in countries along the Belt and Road initiative with a global task force proposed to the World Health Organization last year. More than 40 countries expressed interest and support for the effort".

Wang told the Global Times on Sunday that the exchanges between China and the Vatican reached beyond the health sector, and contact in cultural and scientific fields have brought the two sides closer. The Vatican's passion and respect for Chinese culture could be strongly felt during the trips, he said. "Relations between Beijing and the Vatican authorities are moving forward, so are relations between the two peoples," said Huang Jiefu, former Chinese vice-minister of health and current head of the National Human Organ Donation and Transplant Committee. Huang also attended the February meeting at the Vatican, where he shared information about China's reforms that included a ban on the use of organs from executed prisoners in 2015.

"The exchanges have helped address global challenges such as organ trafficking and climate change, said Wang. "The exchanges are beneficial to world peace and are also beneficial to people from the two sides. It also creates good momentum to expand contact beyond the health sector to cultural and other areas ".

China and the Vatican do not have diplomatic relations. Recent rumours spoke of the possibility of an imminent agreement on the nomination of bishops in China, which some observe as a positive sign to improve relations between Beijing and the Vatican".Elections for four of the six seats left vacant by the expulsion of pan-democrats. Down by one seat. The turnout is only 40% compared to 58.3% in 2016.

Hong Kong (AsiaNews / Agencies) - For the first time in years, the Hong Kong pan-democratic movement in the elections has lost its veto power. Elections for four of the six seats left vacant by the expulsion of pan-democrats in Hong Kong after six pro-democracy legislators were expelled because of "irregularities" in their reading the oath.

The Democrats managed to win only two of the four vacant seats, one less than those necessary for the opposition to block the proposals put forward in the legislative chamber of 70 seats.

The blockade had based its election campaign on the protest against the disqualification of its parliamentarians, framing the elections in a "referendum" framework, which however did not have the result they had hoped for.

The fact had triggered immediate reactions, but did not seem to bear any weight in yesterday's elections, which recorded a low turnout, of just over 40%, compared to 58.3% in the general elections.

The defeat raises the activists doubts and concerns for the future of the struggle for democracy and the autonomy of the region with special status. The opposition could still raise its position in the next extraordinary elections which will assign the last two seats. However, the date for the vote has not yet been decided.The series of operations conducted last week in the south of the country has also led to the recovery of a dozen rifles, improvised explosive devices (IED) and a black flag. The rebel spokesman declares minimum losses. At least 2,500 local residents in the evacuation centers of the cities of Mamasapano, Datu Salibo and Shariff Aguak.

Manila (AsiaNews / Agencies) - At least 44 Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (Biff - photo) have been killed in a series of airborne and offensive attacks by the Manila Armed Forces in the city of Datu Saudi Ampatuan, in the province of Maguindanao (autonomous region of Muslim Mindanao), starting from last March 8.

The military leaders also say that a soldier was mortally wounded by a grenade at the weekend, after 25 alleged Maoist rebels from the New People's Army (NPA) attacked the military detachment of the city of Balbalan, in the province of Kalinga (region of Cordillera).

According to the officer in charge of the Sixth Infantry Division, Gen. Arnel dela Vega, the series of operations conducted last week in the south of the country has also led to the recovery of a dozen rifles, improvised explosive devices (IED) and a black flag similar to that used by the Islamic State (IS). Hostilities broke out when the Second Mechanized Infantry Battalion, commanded by the Lieutenant Colonel Alvin Iyog, intercepted the commander Peni Biff unit in Sitio Lapitos, near Datu Saudita Ampatuan.

Gen. dela Vega reports that the number of deaths among Biff's ranks has been confirmed by the residents of the neighborhoods affected by the clashes, especially those who have been evacuated.

Spokesman for the rebels, Abu Misri Mama, said the losses were lower than the figure communicated by the army. Since yesterday, tension has remained high in the city of Datu Saudi and in neighboring villages such as Datu Unsay, where Manila's soldiers have been deployed. At least 2,500 residents who have fled from the affected villages have not yet returned home and are now in the evacuation centers of the cities of Mamasapano, Datu Salibo and Shariff Aguak.Graces and miracles are just the beginning says Francis, who asks what Jesus would think of many Christians who stop there, who do not look beyond instead who behave like someone at a restaurant is content with the appetizer and returns at home, not knowing that the best is yet to come.

Vatican City (AsiaNews) - The true Christian "risks", goes beyond, does not stop at the first grace received because he seeks the joy of being with the Lord, said Pope Francis at Mass this morning at Casa Santa Marta. He was commenting on the passage from today's Gospel (Jn 4.43-54) in which Jesus, saying "if you do not see signs and wonders, you do not believe", reproaches an official of the king who meets him in Galilee to ask him to heal his sick child.

Pope Francis said Jesus seems to lose patience because it seems the only thing that matters to people where the miracles he had done. Where is your faith? Seeing a miracle, a wonder, and saying, You have power, you are God. Yes, it is an act of faith, but so small. Because it is evident that this man has a strong power; but faith begins there, but then it has to go forward. Where is your desire for God? Because this is the faith: to have the desire to find God, to encounter Him, to be with Him, to be happy with Him.

But what is the great miracle the Lord accomplishes? The first reading, taken from the book of the Prophet Isaiah, explains it for us, the Pope said. For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth be glad and rejoice for ever in that which I create. The Lord attracts our desire to the joy of being with Him: When the Lord passes into our life and performs a miracle in each of us, and each of us knows what the Lord has done in our life, it does not end there: this is the invitation to go forward, to continue on the journey, seeking the face of God, the Psalm says; seeking this joy.

Miracles, then, are only the beginning, the Pope said. He asked what Jesus would think of so many Christians who stay put after they first grace they have received, who do not continue on the journey. He compared them to someone who would go to a restaurant and be content with an appetizer, and who would then return home, not realizing that the main course would be even better: Because there are so many Christians who are stopped, who dont continue on the journey; Christians who have run aground on the concerns of daily life  good things in themselves!  but they dont grow, they remain small. Parked Christians: theyve parked. Caged Christians who dont know how to fly with the dream to this beautiful thing to which the Lord calls us.

Pope Francis said we can all ask ourselves the question, What do I really desire? Do I really desire God, and seek to be with Him? Or am I afraid? Am I mediocre? What is the measure of my desire? Am I satisfied with the appetizer, or do I desire the banquet that is set before me? The Holy Father concluded his reflection by encouraging those present to maintain their desire, to not be content with where they are. Go forward a little bit, take risks, he said. The true Christian takes risks, he goes out of his comfort zone."Between 10 and 15 per cent of Chinese coffee shops closed in 2017. Thousands of migrants, who went home for Chinese New Year, did not come back. The authorities have made their return harder and now small businesses are unable to meet customer demand.

Kuala Lumpur (AsiaNews/Agencies)  Some 2,000 Chinese coffee shops and 400 Indian-Muslim and banana leaf restaurants ceased operations in 2017, says a joint committee representing the owners. The latter attribute the closures to the lack of manpower, including foreign workers.

The Malaysia-Singapore Coffee Shop Proprietors General Association (MSCP), Malaysian Indian Restaurant Owners Association (Primas) and Malaysian Indian-Muslim Restaurant Owners Association (Presma), have sent a joint memorandum to the government urging it to look into their predicament immediately.

MSCP president Ho Su Mong said 10 to 15 per cent of its 20,000 members throughout the country closed shop in 2017.

He noted the situation could get worse as thousands of foreign workers who returned to their home countries for Chinese New Year New Year have not returned.

"This means we are looking at more businesses closing down as the procedure for rehiring has been made complicated and more stringent," Ho Su Mong said on Sunday.

Primas secretary-general T. Thanabalan said many banana leaf rice restaurants are expected to close down this year because they are forced to replace their foreign workers.

"The problem of getting approval for foreign workers has been unresolved for three years," he explained.

"The system of getting replacements has been made very stringent and there is no way small players can meet all the conditions required by the government."

"Hence, the cleanliness of restaurants has also been compromised (as a result of the worker shortage) and this resulted in more issues, such as summonses from local councils," he explained.

Mr Thanabalan said the joint memorandum to the government was sent in the hope that the prime minister and deputy prime minister would intervene to resolve the problem.

"We are in dire straits and the only way out is to cease operations. At the end of the day, traditional eateries may no longer exist in the country," he lamented.Hi, My son who is 9 months old is on his tourist visa 600 in Australia. He has got 6months at a stretch and single entry visa .

However his application for 457 dependent applied through my employer back in India is still in petition filed status.

With this June, he will have expired the 6month stretch. Is there any Bridging Visa he is qualified for so that he can stay here until a decision on 457 is made.



Or is it mandatory to go back to India and apply a fresh tourist visa ?! Please advise.A Bakersfield woman is accused of using Facebook to lure men to locations where gang members then kidnapped and robbed them.Every now and then comes a story about our criminal justice system so mind boggling that it's hard to believe it could have happened. But sadlThree men charged with the murder of a juvenile in 2017 are set to be sentenced on Wednesday after being found guilty by a jury in March.THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW: Community hopes for speedy recovery as former police dog comes out of surgeryUnfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism.Authorities in Hillsborough County said a man faces more than 30 charges as part of a sex-with-minors investigation.

Timothy Tuttle, 26, arrested by Sheriff's Office

Deputies say Tuttle admitted to relationships with juveniles

Spectrum Bay News 9's Dave Jordan will have more during evening newscasts



Timothy Tuttle, 26, of Valrico, was taken into custody Friday, the Sheriff's Office said Monday.

Deputies said he was charged with 38 different crimes related to "inappropriate sexual contact with two fourteen-year-old minors."

At the time of the offenses, according to investigators, Tuttle was 25. The investigation came to light in January.

"After having met the victims on Facebook, Tuttle maintained romantic and sexual relationships with both juveniles while he requested, received and transmitted erotic photographs over Facebook Messenger," the Sheriff's Office said in a news release.

According to the Sheriff's Office, Tuttle admitted to having a sexual relationship with both juveniles throughout 2016.

He was charged 30 counts of lewd or lascivious battery and three counts of transmission of harmful material to a minor, among other charges.

Spectrum Bay News 9's Dave Jordan will have more during this evening's newscasts.A pedestrian has died after being struck by two vehicles near 4th Street North and 114th Street in St. Petersburg, according to authorities.

The crash happened at about 6:15 a.m., the St. Petersburg Police Department said.



Traffic alert: please avoid the area of 4th St., North and 1 114th Ave. N. Vehicle hit a pedestrian. All southbound lanes are closed for the investigation.  St. Pete Police (@StPetePD) March 12, 2018

The victim was later identified as Humberto Sella, 86. Police said he was using a walker and trying to cross 4th Street and 112th Avenue North.

Both drivers stopped and cooperated with the investigation, police said.

There is a traffic signal at the intersection, but investigators are trying to determine if the light was red or green at the time.

The accident closed southbound lanes for hours.

The Florida legislative session ended over the weekend with the passage of a nearly $88 billion budget. But local leaders are still frustrated by growing attempts from state lawmakers to take away their ability to govern.

Winter Park, other cities angry about bills stripping home rule

Say state legislature working in last 2 years to take power from local cities

Cities say residents need to get involved

Rarely do you see things get better with more government involved, so they want to insert themselves into the process," said Mayor Steve Leary of Winter Park. We have the truest sense of whats important to the residents of Winter Park.

Leary said that several bills before the state legislature pre-empted home rule, or local governments decisions.

In recent weeks, Winter Park officials sent a letter to residents, railing against the application of what they deemed one-size-fits-all statewide rules.



The letter focused on bills allowing short-term rentals despite local ordinances against them, regulating local Community Redevelopment Agencies, and even telling cities what they can do with their trees.

Weve spent tens of millions of dollars maintaining our canopy in Winter Park. To have someone at the state level say, now you have to follow rules everyone else has to follow, doesnt seem really justified," Leary said.

He also bemoaned that the bill is allegedly born out of one legislator's frustrations about where he lives.

Its a little bit scary, to be quite honest, that someone who has got a bone to pick with his local municipality would think about imposing statewide legislation," he said. If you talk to any of the state legislators, theyll tell you they hate when Washington gets involved in their business. And yet, this session and last session especially, under current leadership, it seems like its something theyve taken pride in doing to us.

All three bills in Winter Park's letter died in the legislative session.

But, its not just Winter Park crying foul.

In Maitland, City Council just approved sending a letter to neighbors about home rule, reading, Who do you want making decisions about your neighborhood, about your community?

The city called the same bills highlighted by Winter Park an assault on home rule.

And one Orange County commissioner tried to fight a bill regarding state universities.

People need to know whats really happening," said District 5 Commissioner Emily Bonilla.

Bonilla said that she took issue with an amendment to HB 883, which stated that state universities need room to expand and areas within three miles around would be classified as urban not rural.

In earlier versions, Orange Countys University of Central Florida would be potentially affected.

In Gainesville, thats probably fine, but here we have the Econ River within that three-mile radius," said Bonilla.

Bonilla knows all about that fight, joining east Orange County neighbors over the last two years to rally against their rural land seeing big developments.

A lot of the people invested in here because they wanted a rural lifestyle, such as myself," she said.

HB 883 also never made it out of the legislative. It included other provisions that would have regulated local governments.

According to the commissioner, this is bigger than one amendment or bill.

If people pay attention, they can call their elected officials and let them know how they feel. If they dont, these things get passed, and were affected," said Bonilla.

Its about going on the record, saying 'hey, we elected you. We sent you to Tallahassee to represent us. Dont get lost in leadership, dont get lost in party, dont get lost in lobbyists,'" said Mayor Leary. We need to make sure all of our residents and constituents stay involved, stay aware of this and let their legislators know.

News 13 spoke on the phone with a State Rep. Barbara Watson, a Democrat who sits on the Government Accountability Committee and saw amendment after amendment proposed relating to HB 883.

I think when you take the ability for local governments... and give that power to legislators in Tallahassee, I think youre infringing on local governments ability to regulate their areas," she said.Three cases alleging a former Tampa Bay Rays doctor inappropriately touched women have been reopened.

Cases against Dr. Michael Reilly had been considered closed

Redacted reports show allegations from three accusers

Reilly has not been charged

EXCLUSIVE: More allegations against former Rays team doctor surface



The cases against St. Petersburg Dr. Michael Reilly were considered closed but have been reopened, police said, because of new evidence.

"One of the victims came forward with more information regarding their case in that situation, and we opened the case back up and we started investigating again," said Samantha Williams of the St. Petersburg Police Department.

Heavily-redacted reports show allegations from three accusers.

One - a patient- told detectives the doctor slapped her on the backside.

Another - a former employee of his medical practice - told detectives Reilly rubbed her back and thrusted his pelvis toward her.

The reports detail three cases totaling four charges: One sexual battery charge and three simple battery charges.

Reilly has not been charged.

Spectrum Bay News 9 talked exclusively last week with the first accuser to come forward.

Brianna Holzerland says she posted what she called a sexual abuse awareness video on YouTube.

In response to Monday's developments, Holzerland said Reilly should be held accountable for the allegations against him. She said she is glad more people feel comfortable coming forward.

Reilly issued the following statement through his attorney in response to investigators re-opening the cases:

"I am surprised and saddened by the claims made against me, and I deny the allegations of inappropriate conduct. I have reviewed the police reports recommending closing the matters. Outside of Ms. Holzerlands claims, the St. Petersburg Police Department has not contacted me or my lawyers about any closed or newly-opened investigations. It is unfortunate that this matter is playing out in the public eye, and I ask that you allow my family and me our privacy during this process."

In a previous statement, Reilly denied Holzerman's sexual abuse allegations but did admit to a consensual relationship when she was an adult.The races have been over for hours but the cleanup is still underway in downtown St. Petersburg.

Grand Prix over, but cleanup will take days

Officials hope to have all roads reopened Friday



This weekend's Firestone Grand Prix drew tens of thousands to the city. Organizers are hoping to have all streets reopened by Friday.

Crews want to get access to businesses and condos back to normal first. It may be a few weeks before everything is cleaned up.

"Obviously the superstructure, the stands, they take a little bit longer," said Kevin Savoree, president of Green Savoree Racing Promotions. "At least at that point we'll be out of everybody's way, get the airport reopen. Then St. Pete is St. Pete again for 51 weeks."

Some businesses are back to normal hours. The Dali Museum, for example, is open Monday.

Other businesses plan to wait a few days before they reopen.

Nicholas Gordon, the former boyfriend of Bobbi Kristina Brown was arrested Saturday in Florida on a domestic violence charge, according to the Seminole County Sheriffs Office.

Nick Gordon arrested for domestic violence again

Gordon is the former boyfriend of Bobbi Kristina Brown

RELATED: Bobbi Kristina Brown's former boyfriend Nick Gordon arrested in Sanford

Gordon, 29, faces a charge of batterytouch or strike.

Deputies were called to a residence on Coral Vine Lane in unincorporated Winter Park for a possible domestic disturbance.

Gordon told deputies his girlfriend, Laura Leal, ripped his shirt and threw a bottle at him.

Leal told deputies that Gordon hit her in the face multiple times while she was driving him back from a Sanford bar. He also pulled her hair and threatened to crash the vehicle they were in, according to an arrest report.

When the couple returned home, a verbal altercation ensued.

Deputies said Gordons girlfriends bottom lip was slightly swollen, but she refused medical treatment.

This is the second time Gordon has been charged with domestic violence in the past year. In June 2017, Gordon was arrested for hitting his girlfriend and refusing to let her leave his home.

The charges associated with that arrest were later dropped.

Gordon, who posted a $500 bail, is due in court on April 6.Central Oregon Coast Spring Preview: Lincoln City Events in March, April

Published 03/11/2018 at 8:35 PM PDT

By Oregon Coast Beach Connection Staff





(Lincoln City, Oregon)  Early spring and spring break bring massive amounts of fun and frivolity to the central Oregon coast town of Lincoln City. You can't walk its streets without bumping into something to do. Beachcombing clinics, vintage films, food classes and even a week-long magic festival are some of the highlights. Not to mention it all coincides with the Spring Beach Cleanup and the sheer awe of Whale Watching Week.

March 16 is another Beachcombing Clinic. Unearth treasures from the sand and sea. Learn how to hunt for agates, gemstones, fossils, jasper and petrified wood from a local expert. The clinics are free. 2 p.m. Meet at the SW 33rd Street Beach Access (pictured above) in Lincoln City, Oregon. 541-996-1274. Website and info.

March 16  17 brings a massive St. Patrick's Day Celebration & Dinner. Dinner of corned beef and cabbage with seating at 6 p.m, show only seating at 6:45 p.m. Pipedance will lead this celebration of St. Patrick's Day with guest musicians and dancers. Advance tickets: $30 for dinner and the show, $16 for just the show. Lincoln City Cultural Center. Highway 101, Lincoln City, Oregon. 541-994-9994.

Hit the Lincoln City Cultural Center on March 18 for a Coffee Concert. Local musicians perform in a casual Sunday matinee concert, with complimentary pastries and java by Cape Foulweather Coffee. Admission by donation, with all proceeds going to the LCCC. 2 p.m.

March 24 is the SOLVE Spring Beach Cleanup. Help keep Oregon coast beaches clean. In Lincoln City, cleanup sites include D River Wayside, SW 51st Street, Chinook Winds Resort, Road's End State Park, and Gleneden Beach. 10 a.m. - 1 p.m. Lincoln City, Oregon. 503-844-9571 x332 or visit solveoregon.org.

March 24-31. Spring Whale Watch Week. Whale watch interpreters stationed at numerous spots on the Oregon coast. 10 a.m. - 1 p.m. www.whalespoken.org.

From March 24 through April 8 there will be the famed Special Glass Drop for Spring Break. 300 glass art pieces will be hidden along the 7-1/2 miles of public beach in Lincoln City, from the Roads End area to Siletz Bay. 541-996-1274.

March 24 and 27 feature the Saturday Morning Matinee: Sometimes a Great Notion (1970)  a movie filmed right here on the central Oregon coast. A family of fiercely independent Oregon loggers struggle to keep the family business alive amidst changing times. Free admission for anyone who drops a card from a Lincoln City business. General admission for all others will be $2. 11 a.m. Bijou Theatre. Lincoln City, Oregon. 541-994-8255.

From March 25 through April 5 the Festival of Illusions fills the cultural center with wonder. Join the magic and mayhem in Lincoln City this Spring Break with magic-minded day camps for the kids and evening magic performances for the whole family. Website and info.

Look for the Easter Egg Hunt in the Pool on March 30. There will be separate egg hunts for different ages, in both the small and big pool. Find eggs and win prizes. Free and it starts at 1:30 p.m. Lincoln City Community Center. Lincoln City, Oregon. 541-994-2131.

Comedy on the Coast brings James Johann, John Hilder and Jill Maragos to the casino on March 30 to 31. There's a no host bar and the doors open at 7 p.m. for the 8 p.m. show. Tickets are $15. Chinook Winds Casino Resort. 888-MAIN ACT (888-624-6228).

On March 30 and 31 there's the Spring Craft Boutique & Rummage Sale, starting at 9 a.m. at the Lincoln City Church of the Nazarene. 1462 NW 19th Street. 541-994-2981.

March 31 brings another Beachcombing Clinic at 2 p.m., at the SW 33rd Street Beach Access in Lincoln City. Unearth treasures from the sand and sea. Learn how to hunt for agates, gemstones, fossils, jasper and petrified wood from a local expert. The clinics are free. 541-996-1274. Website and info.

There's a Hands-On Asian Cooking Class in town on March 31. Come and learn how to turn your kitchen into the best Asian restaurant in town. $75 per person at 11 a.m., taking place at the Culinary Center in Lincoln City, Oregon. Website and info.

April 3 is PoetryMusic live. Come and celebrate National Poetry Month with this eclectic chamber jazz duo. PoetryMusic is dedicated to performing poetry that has been set to music, music composed to poetry and poetry as a catalyst for free improvisation. 6 p.m. Driftwood Public Library. 541-996-1242.

Brazilian Violin Trio performs live at the Lincoln City Cultural Center at 7 p.m. on April 7. Enjoy three of the most innovative instrumentalists on the contemporary Brazilian musical scene. Website and info.

Another Coffee Concert happens on April 8. Local musicians perform in a casual Sunday matinee concert, with complimentary pastries and java by Cape Foulweather Coffee. Admission by donation, with all proceeds going to the LCCC. 2 p.m. Website and info.

April 14 sees another fabulous installment of the Beachcombing Clinic at 1 p.m. Meet at the SW 33rd Street Beach Access in Lincoln City. Unearth treasures from the sand and sea. Learn how to hunt for agates, gemstones, fossils, jasper and petrified wood from a local expert. The clinics are free. Website and info.

On April 14, solo pianist David Nevue performs at the Lincoln City Cultural Center at 7 p.m. Nevue is an award-winning, internationally recognized pianist, composer and recording artist and his most recent album went to number one on Amazon.com's Hot New Releases music sales charts. Call 541-994-9994.

Also that day, April 14, there's a Hands-On Pasta Class at the Culinary Center in Lincoln City from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Join Chef Pati and Culinary Manager, Donna Riani, for this spring inspired pasta class. They are $75 per person. Website and info.- Lincoln City Hotels/Lodgings for this event - Where to eat - Map and Virtual Tour













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All Content, unless otherwise attributed, copyright BeachConnection.net Unauthorized use or publication is not permittedThe pope, the leader of the Catholic Church, is perhaps one of the most well-known figures in the world. He is the bishop of Rome. The name derives from a Greek word pappas meaning father, and Romes bishop is seen as the father figure of the early church because of the link with St. Peter. Jesus is believed to have appointed Peter as the rock on which the church will be built; and Peter is believed to have been martyred in Rome. As the capital of the empire, Rome is also a natural center for the growing church.

Rome can put at least a name to every bishop in an unbroken link back to the 1st century of the Christian era and to St. Peter himself as the first pope. The papacy, though not recognized as such until later centuries, has impressive credentials. Interested in learning more about the history of the papacy? Here are 10 fascinating facts you didnt know about the pope.

1. Some Were Martyred

Many popes in the first three centuries of the Christian era are obscure figures. Several suffered martyrdom along with members of their flock in periods of persecution. Some of these popes have been recognized as saints, including 48 out of the first 50 consecutive popes, and others are in the sainthood process. Arguably, the most recognizable of these was Saint Peter, traditionally martyred by crucifixion.

2. The Vatican Has Been an Important Place For the Papacy

Since the very first pope, St. Peter, the Vatican has been an important place for the papacy. St. Peter was crucified upside-down and his bones were laid to rest at the Vatican hill. You can literally say that there has been a papal presence in the Vatican since the founding of the Church in the 1st century. But there was a time when the living pope did not reign from there.

3. When a Pope Dies, There is No Pope

When a pope dies  or abdicates  there is no pope. No committee of cardinals or bishops takes his place. There is simply no pope. This is called sede vacante  the see is vacant and a period known as the interregnum (the time between popes) is entered Regardless of how long it takes to name a successor, the throne remains. Certain superiors in the Church have powers to maintain the legal aspects of the church but they cannot make doctrinal decisions and the power is very limited.

4. Only Cardinals Can Vote

Only cardinals (bishops in charge of churches within Rome) can vote. Only cardinals under eighty can vote. Pope John II changed the rules and allowed a fifty percent majority plus one to elect the pope. Pope Benedict XVI reversed this rule so the pope elected would require a two thirds majority.

5. He Could be a Teenager

To be elected pope you must be over the age of reason  generally accepted as seven years old  you must be males, and you must be baptized. The cardinals do not have to vote for one of their members: all male Catholics are eligible even if they are not priests. The youngest pope to be elected in Vatican history is Pope John XII, who is believed to have been 18 years old when he ascended to the papacy in 955. More recently, Pope Clement X, is the oldest. He was nearly 8- when he became pontiff in 1679 and he served for six years.

6. He Has to be Multilingual

Latin is the language of the Catholic Church, and the pope must be fluent in order to conduct official business. Day-to-day correspondences are conducted in modern languages. As the pope is also the Bishop of Rome, he is required to know Italian as well.

7. There Were Corrupt Popes

Popes of the Middles Ages and the Renaissance left behind a shady legacy, to put it mildly. One example was Pope Benedict IX (r. 1032-1048) sold the papacy to his godfather. Another example was Pope Alexander VI (r. 1492-1503), who among many questionable practices, established new cardinal positions in exchange for money when Church funds ran low. His blatant abuses of the papacy are considered to be partly responsible for the Protestant Reformation.

8. Pope Francis is a Pope of Many Firsts

The pontiff is the first of his chosen name, Francis, in the entire history of the papacy in the Catholic Church. He is also the first Latin American and Argentine pope, and the first of the Jesuits to lead the Vatican. Pope Francis chose his name in honor of Saint Francis of Assisi, who lived a simple life and shunned luxury. Following his footsteps, Pope Francis led a modest lifestyle that he took with him to the Vatican. He wears simple priest robes, drives a 20-year-old car gifted to him, and lives in an ordinary hotel instead of the official papal quarters.

9. He Has a Bank to Worry About

The Institute for Religious Works (IOR), also known as the Vatican Bank, is a privately-held institution within Vatican City responsible for financing the Churchs work around the world. The banks head, appointed by the pope, answers to a committee of cardinals and is ultimately accountable to the pope himself.

10. He is Only Infallible Sometimes

The concept of papal infallibility is widely misunderstood. The pope himself is not infallible (he is human, after all); he is only infallible when issuing decrees about faith and morals as the head of the Catholic Church.

The papacy is the oldest living institution in the Western world. Since its start, the popes have been key players in virtually all the great dramas of the western world in the last two thousand years and the papacy is still incredibly influential today.The resurrection is the central tenet of Christian theology. Not only does the resurrection witness to the immense power of Jesus Christ, the resurrection also proves to us that Jesus was who He claimed to be, the Son of God and Messiah. Jesus said, I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die (John 11:25). In that statement, Jesus also claimed to be the source of both. Apart from Christ, there is no resurrection and apart from Christ, there is no eternal life. The amazing thing about the power of Jesus is that He does more than give life, He is life, and thats why death has no dominion over Him. In resurrecting from the grave, God reminds us of His absolute sovereignty over life and death. Here are seven historical facts about the resurrection of Jesus most scholars agree upon.

Jesus Died By Crucifixion

A central statement in traditional Christian creeds is that Jesus was crucified under Pontius Pilate. But the majority of Christians have only the vaguest sense of what the phrase represents, and most non-Christians probably cant imagine why its such an integral part of the Christian faith. Crucified under Pontius Pilate provides Jesus with its most obvious link to larger history. Pilate was a historical figure, the Roman procurator of Judea; he was referred to in other sources of the time and even mentioned in an inscription found at the site of ancient Caesarea in Israel. Linking Jesus death with Pilate represents the insistence that Jesus was a real person, not merely a figure of myth or legend. More than this, the phrase also communicates concisely some pretty important specifics of that historical event.

For one thing, the statement assets that Jesus didnt simply die; He was killed. This was a young mans death in pain and public humiliation, not a peaceful end to a long life. Also, this wasnt a mob action. Jesus is said to have been executed, not lynched, and by the duly appointed governmental authority of Roman Judea. There was a hearing, and the official responsible for civil order and Roman peace and justice condemned Jesus. This means that Pilate found something so serious as to warrant the death penalty.

Jesus Was Buried

New Testament scholars agree that the burial story is one of the best established facts about Jesus. One reason for this is because of the inclusion of Joseph of Arimathea as the one who buried Christ. Joseph was a member of the Jewish Sanhedrin, a sort of Jewish supreme court. People on the ruling class were simply too well known for fictitious stories about them to be pulled off in this way. This would expose the Christians as frauds. So they couldnt have circulated a story about him burying Jesus unless it was true. Also, if the burial account was legendary, one would expect to find conflicting traditions  which we dont have.

The Tomb Was Empty

The burial account and empty tomb account have grammatical and linguistic ties, indicated threat they are one continuous account. Therefore is the burial account is accurate, the empty tomb is likely to be accurate as well. Therefore, if the burial account is accurate then everyone knew where Jesus was buried. This would have been decisive evidence to refute the early Christians who were preaching the resurrection  for if the tomb had not been empty, it would have been evident to all and the disciples would have been exposed as frauds at worst, or insane at best.

Jesus Death Caused the Disciples to Despair and Lose Hope

Jesus death caused the disciple to despair and lose hope, believing that his life had ended. One of the most perplexing things about the Easter story is that Jesus own disciples didnt get it. All the way up to (and even beyond) Jesus resurrection, His disciples  who had traveled, studied and ministered under Jesus for most of His public ministry  seemed remarkably confused about whats happening. Even after the resurrection, Jesus disciples were unclear about what had happened until Jesus explained it to them.

The Disciples Had Experiences Which They Believed Were Literal Appearances of the Risen Jesus

One key argument to the resurrection comes from the New Testament writing known as First Corinthians, written by the Apostle Paul to a group of Christians in Corinth to address controversies that had arisen in their community. Paul is thought to have written this letter around the year 52, about 20 years after Jesus death. In 1 Corinthians 15:3-8, Paul gives a list of people to whom the risen Jesus appeared. These witnesses to the resurrected Jesus include the Apostle Peter, James the brother of Jesus, and, most intriguingly, a group of more than 500 people at the same time. Many scholars believe that Paul here is quoting from a much earlier Christian creed, which perhaps originated only a few years after Jesus death. This passage helps to demonstrate that the belief that Jesus was raised from the dead originated extremely early in the history of Christianity.

The Disciples Preached the Message of Jesus Resurrection in Jerusalem

The disciples believed so much in the resurrection that they gave their lives to sharing the news. The first to die was James the brother of John, who was killed by the sword upon the order of King Herod (Acts 12:1-2). Church tradition holds that John miraculously survived being put into a cauldron of boiling water, then later was exiled to the island of Patmos. Peter was crucified in Rome upside down; Matthew was slain by a sword in a distant city in Ethiopia; James the son of Alphaeus was thrown from a pinnacle of the temple, then beaten to death with a blacksmiths tool; Philip was hanged against a pillar at Hierapolis in Phrygia; Bartholomew was skinned alive; Andrew was bound to a cross  and preached to his persecutors until he died; Thomas was run through with a lance in the East Indies; Jude was shot to death with arrows; Matthias was first stoned and then beheaded; Mark died in Alexandria in Egypt after being cruelly dragged through the city.

The Disciples Were Transformed From Doubters to Bold Proclaimers

No one will argue that the resurrection didnt cause some dramatic changes in the lives of Jesus followers. Its undeniable. One of those changes, which might not appear significant to many, is how the disciples changed the day of worship from Saturday to Sunday. The Sabbath day was Saturday, the day God rested after six days of creation. Honoring the Sabbath was a part of Mosaic Law, the fourth of the Ten Commandments: Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy. Six days and you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh is the Sabbath of the Lord your God (Exodus 20:8-10). And yet Sunday, rather than Saturday, became the Sabbath for the early church.

Perhaps the greatest change caused by the resurrection was in the character of the disciples. They had previously been timid, afraid and depressed after witnessing the arrest and suffering of Jesus. But after His resurrection they became bold, aggressive and full of joy. Peter is a prime example. He was the one who had earlier denied the Lord to a lowly servant girl. But after the resurrection, he stood in the temple courts defying the very men who put Jesus on the cross (Acts 4:20).

The resurrection ended the separation between us and God that sin had created. As Christians, we believe that Jesus will come again and those who have died in the faith are now with the Lord and those of us who are alive will join our Heavenly King and be a part of the kingdom that has no end.Many people observe Saint Patricks Day and see it as a fun way to celebrate Irish culture. However there is actually much more to the holiday than people realize. Before the parades, green beer and leprechauns, there was a man named Saint Patrick who was lighting a fire in pagan 5th century Ireland. A man who was willing to stand the gap for Jesus Christ and usher in Christianity into the country.

Misconceptions About St. Patrick

First, there are some misconceptions about Patrick that many are unaware of. Patrick is not really a Saint with a capital S, as he never was officially canonized by Rome. Patrick was also not the first evangelist to arrive in Ireland. Saint Palladius actually takes that role, arriving in Ireland in 431 about five years before Patrick did. Patrick is also not Irish, but actually from what is now known as Dumbarton, Scotland which is just northwest of Glasgow.

History of St. Patrick

Patrick was only 16 when he was captured in a raid and became a slave in Ireland. Ireland in the year 405 was radically pagan and hadnt been very accepting of Christian beliefs. Patrick clung to the Christian faith during this time, despite having largely ignored it in his earlier teen years. His grandfather was a priest and his father was a town councilor, however Patrick admitted that he had yet to really know God. In fact, he even considered himself an atheist at one point.

But while being forced into slavery and having to tend to his masters sheep, he spent the majority of his free time in prayer. Patrick felt that he was being punished by God for not being a believer. Patrick recounts his time as a slave in his memoir titled The Confession.

In the memoir Patrick writes: I prayed a hundred times in the day and almost as many at night.

After a dream suggested he escape, he left Ireland and returned home. He had written in his memoir, "I heard in my sleep a voice saying to me: 'It is well that you fast. Soon you will go to your own country.' And again, after a short while, I heard a voice saying to me: 'See, your ship is ready.' "

Once home, Patrick became much more involved in ministry. He struggled deeply trying to understand if he should go back to Ireland and minister to those who had enslaved him. He turned to God in prayer and received an answer in a dream. Patrick knew he had to return, and convinced the church to send him on s small ship back to the island.

Patrick didnt return to Ireland until his mid-40s. At the time, Ireland had been plagued with war, violence, and death. The place had become much worse than the last time Patrick was there.

Saint Palladius had not been very successful in his mission to bring Christianity over, and the returning of Patrick replaced his efforts. Patrick, having spent more time intimately with the people of Ireland, was able to build a more effective strategy. Patrick was familiar with the Irish clan system because his former master, Milchu, had been a chieftain. Patrick began to convert the chiefs first, who would then convert their clans through their influence. Milchu was reportedly one of the earliest converts.

Patrick would preach the gospel, baptize converts, confirm them and help appoint clergy. His ministry lasted 29 years, and he baptized over 120,000 Irishmen and planted 300 churches. Patrick helped Ireland became known as one of Europes Christian centers. Though Patrick didnt convert the island all by himself, his missionary journeys improved the rate of converts.

History of St. Patricks Day as a Holiday

St. Patricks Day started as a religious celebration in the 17th century to commemorate the life of Saint Patrick and the arrival of Christianity to Ireland. Also known as Feast Day, it always took place on the anniversary of Patricks death. In the early 18th century, Irish immigrants brought the tradition over to the American colonies, and it was there that Saint Patrick started to become the symbol of Irish heritage and culture that he is today.

By the mid-19th century, the United States saw a massive influx of Irish immigrants that were hoping to escape the Great Famine. This transformed the relatively small-scale Feast Day observance into a full-blown celebration that people wanted to be a part of whether they were Irish or not. In 1903, Feast Day became a national holiday in Ireland, and over time it transformed into what is now called St. Patricks Day. The holiday has since been celebrated all over the world in countries like the United States, Great Britain, Canada, Argentina, and Australia. Its so popular, its thought to be celebrated in more countries than any other holiday.

It began as a fairly relaxing holiday of going to mass, watching a parade and eating a hearty meal with family but quickly transformed into one of the biggest parties in the world. If it wasnt for St. Patricks dedication to bringing his faith to the new country, we wouldnt have such a great reason to celebrate.In this case, she's able to draw out and sensationalize the story of a man with a cracked car windshield being chased at high speed by a...For Immediate Release, March 12, 2018 Contacts: Jeff Miller, Center for Biological Diversity, (707) 604-7739, jmiller@biologicaldiversity.org

George Sexton, KS Wild, (541) 778-8120, gs@kswild.org

Josh Laughlin, Cascadia Wildlands, (541) 844-8182, jlaughlin@cascwild.org Endangered Species Protection Sought for California, Oregon Salamander Threatened by Logging ASHLAND, Ore. Conservation groups filed a federal petition for Endangered Species Act protection today for the Siskiyou Mountains salamander, a rare terrestrial salamander that lives in old-growth forests in the Klamath-Siskiyou region of southern Oregon and Northern California. The salamander is threatened by federal land-agency plans to ramp up logging in southern Oregon. This highly specialized animal cant adapt to logging, so it will be pushed to the brink of extinction without Endangered Species Act protection, said Jeff Miller with the Center for Biological Diversity. The salamander is a unique indicator species of forest health in the Siskiyou Mountains. It deserves immediate protection in the face of accelerated logging. By eliminating the survey and manage program that required timber planners to look for salamanders before logging their habitat, the Bureau of Land Management has put this rare species in further peril, said George Sexton with KS Wild. Increased logging of mature forests in the Applegate Valley could jeopardize the very survival of the salamander. The Siskiyou Mountains salamander (Plethodon stormi) is a long-bodied, short-limbed terrestrial salamander, brown in color with a sprinkling of white flecks. The species only lives in the Klamath-Siskiyou region of southern Oregon and Northern California; it has the second-smallest range of any western Plethodontid salamander. Its best habitat is stabilized rock talus in old-growth forest, especially areas covered with thick moss. Mature forest canopy helps maintain a cool and stable moist microclimate. We have to ensure this unique salamander doesnt blink out of existence, said Josh Laughlin with Cascadia Wildlands. In addition to playing an important ecological role by contributing to nutrient flow and soil health, the Siskiyou Mountains salamander is a distinct part of this regions natural heritage. Todays petition was filed by the Center for Biological Diversity, Klamath Siskiyou Wildlands Center, Environmental Protection Information Center and Cascadia Wildlands.

Background

There are two distinct populations of the Siskiyou Mountains salamander separated by the Siskiyou Mountains crest  a larger northern population in the Applegate River drainage in Oregon and a small southern population in Californias Klamath River drainage. Most known Siskiyou Mountains salamander locations are on U.S. Forest Service and U.S. Bureau of Land Management lands. Conservation groups first petitioned for protection of the salamander under the Endangered Species Act in 2004. To prevent the species listing, the Bureau of Land Management and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service signed a conservation agreement in 2007, intended to protect habitat for 110 high-priority salamander sites on federal lands in the Applegate River watershed. In 2008 the Fish and Wildlife Service denied protection for the salamander based on this conservation agreement and old-growth forest protections provided by the Northwest Forest Plan. Under the Northwest Forest Plan, the Bureau of Land Management and Forest Service were required to survey for rare species such as the Siskiyou Mountains salamander and designate protected buffers from logging where salamanders were found. But the Western Oregon Plan Revision adopted by the BLM in 2016 will substantially increase logging in western Oregon and undermine the habitat protections of the salamander conservation agreement.For Immediate Release, March 12, 2018 Contacts: Robert Ukeiley, Center for Biological Diversity, (720) 496-8568, rukeiley@biologicaldiversity.org

Brian Willis, Sierra Club, 202.675.2386, brian.willis@sierraclub.org

Caroline Cox, Center for Environmental Health, (510) 655-3900 x 308, caroline@ceh.org Lawsuit Launched to Fight Trump EPA's Illegal Delay in Reducing Asthma-causing Air Pollution in Midwest, Florida WASHINGTON Three conservation and public-health groups filed a formal notice of intent today to sue the Environmental Protection Agency for failing to ensure that Detroit, Indianapolis and other cities and counties that are home to millions of people have valid plans for cleaning up dangerous sulfur dioxide air pollution. Todays notice letter points out that the EPA already determined that these 20 areas in nine states  ranging from the Midwest to West Virginia and Florida  have sulfur dioxide pollution at levels high enough to trigger asthma attacks and cause other human health and ecological problems. But despite those findings, the Scott Pruitt-led agency has failed to make sure the localities are taking legally required steps to plan for cleaning up the pollutants, which are produced primarily by coal-burning power plants. The head of the EPA is failing to protect millions of Americans from a deadly pollutant that can steal the breath out of their lungs, said Robert Ukeiley, a senior attorney at the Center for Biological Diversity. The Clean Air Act can saves lives and clean sulfur dioxide out of our skies, but it only works when the EPA holds polluters accountable. The Clean Air Act requires the EPA to identify and set national ambient air-quality standards to protect human health and public welfare from pollutants like sulfur oxides, which are produced from the extraction and burning of fossil fuels like coal and oil. Once the agency determines an areas air pollution exceeds the national standard, the law provides deadlines for ensuring there is a plan to clean up that pollution. In this case the EPA has missed those deadlines by anywhere from five months to 26 years. The law required that Scott Pruitt and the Trump administration to have long since acted to cut dangerous sulfur dioxide pollution from the air we breathe, but they have ignored those deadlines for protecting the public and are instead turning a blind eye to corporate polluters, said Sierra Club Attorney Zachary Fabish. Kids and families in some of our countrys most vulnerable communities are getting sick while Pruitt violates the law by not acting, so we are taking him to court so that the safeguards that protect the public are enforced. Measured as sulfur dioxide, sulfur pollution causes a range of public-health and environmental problems. Sulfur oxides contribute to heart and lung diseases and are particularly threatening to children and the elderly. The EPAs updated scientific studies show a link between sulfur oxides developmental effects in children. Sulfur oxides also contribute to acid rain and haze, damaging lakes, streams and ecosystems throughout the United States and decreasing visibility in national parks. The Trump administrations refusal to reduce dangerous air pollution illegally jeopardizes the health and well-being of millions of Americans, said Caroline Cox, senior scientist at the Center for Environmental Health. Breathing air filled with toxic chemicals poses a particular threat to the long-term health of childrens lungs, because their bodies are still developing, they are more active and they spend more time outside. The areas where the EPA has failed to make sure air-pollution plans are in place include: Detroit, Lemont, Ill., Pekin, Ill., Indianapolis, Indianas Morgan County, Parts of Daviess and Pike Counties, Ind., Terre Haute, Ind., Muscatine, Iowa, Missouris Jackson and Jefferson counties, Lake County, Ohio, Muskingum River, Ohio, the Ohio and West Virginia portions of the Steubenville area, Rhinelander, Wis., and Floridas Hillsborough and Nassau counties.Mainly Jem's Birding & Ringing Exploits in the Eastern Province & Ringing Trips to BahrainMTN's ride-hailing app in Iran facilitated about 850,000 trips a day in December, which would rank it among Uber's biggest markets globally, management said recently.

 miro kovacevicvia 123RF

SOUTH AFRICA How ride-hailing apps are benefitting female drivers

The telecoms company has an effective stake of about 40% in Iranian ride-hailing business Snapp and food delivery business Snappfood, among other internet interests in the country.Snapp, which operates mainly in Tehran, was launched in 2014 as Iran's answer to Uber, which is banned in Iran."We've seen the whole internet business in Iran grow tenfold in one year [2017] and a big part of that has been Snapp," MTN chief financial officer Ralph Mupita said.MTN has other ride-hailing interests in the Middle East, including a platform called Easy Taxi. The company's internet business in Africa was also growing quickly, Mupita said.MTN wanted to build the African business in a similar way, although Mupita declined to speculate if they would launch ride-hailing apps in Africa, saying that the region was more segmented than the Middle East."In some [African] markets, food delivery, for example, won't make sense " It's a market-by-market approach."This company article has been removed.Storytelling in branding is not a new concept. It is something that brands have mastered and failed at, left impressions and created legacies through. The best campaigns have been identified through their storytelling and connecting with their consumers.

1. Make it real

Stories are a communal currency of humanity.  Tahir Shah

2. Make it meaningful

We are all storytellers. We all live in a network of stories. There isnt a stronger connection between people than storytelling.- Jimmy Neil Smith

3. Make it impactful

Storytelling is the most powerful way to put ideas into the world today.  Robert McKee

4. Make it last

Purposeful storytelling isnt show business, its good business.- Peter Guber

5. Make it matter

People think that stories are shaped by people. In fact, its the other way around   Terry Pratchett

However, with the surge and importance of digital marketing as part of a companys branding campaign, we need to understand how can we take this tried and tested marketing tool and amplify it through our digital channels to reach our intended audience.Below are some top tips on how to tell your brands story through the ever-changing world of digital marketing.Today, more than ever, consumers are in touch and constantly monitoring what brands are doing in real time through digital channels. It is for this reason that your story must be genuine, otherwise, consumers will see right through you. It must be an extension of your companys values and missions. Authenticity is your greatest asset when it comes to digital storytelling. Consumers are engaging with brands through digital marketing channels 24/7, they dont want to be bothered by traditional marketing techniques constantly pushing out their latest specials, they want to hear your story. As we in the marketing world would say,."Consumers want to support a brand that tells their story. In the digital world where brands are constantly competing for consumers attention, it is important that brands stop trying to disrupt consumers stories with their own narratives. Understand your consumers story, embrace it and let it synthesize into a perfect synergy between your brand and your consumer. Through digital marketing techniques, it is easier than ever to analyse consumer behaviour and interests. Use this data to create and portray your story.Consumers, particularly South African consumers, want to know how your brand is contributing to the growth and development of their communities. I am not talking about large-scale donations or one-stop CSI initiatives. Your impact on the community must be an integral part of your story. Your story will shape your brands personality in the minds of your consumers. Through digital media and real-time reporting, brands are held to a higher standard than before. Brands are integrated into consumers lifestyles and they must represent the good that society has to offer.Your brands story must be consistent across all digital channels. There must be a seamless transition between your brands core values and the story you tell. This allows your brands story to grow with your brand. It creates a clear positioning in the minds of your consumers. A disjointed story from one campaign to another will create confusion among your consumer base and your story will begin to fade away. Digital media channels allow brands and consumers to constantly interact in real time making consistency even more significant. Consistency is always key!The most important element of your brands story is that it matters. Your story must reach the intended audience. You will attract your audience through the story you tell. With every brand having a growing social media presence, it is those brands with stories that have reached their consumers that thrive in the digital sphere. This is done through an array of digital marketing techniques such as media buying, social media management and keyword research that facilitates direct consumer targeting as well as creating online spaces that resonate with your consumer.South African baby and parenting expo, MamaMagic, announced the winners of its New Product Awards for 2017 at a breakfast ceremony late last month. The awards shine a spotlight on new, outstanding products that were released into the parenting market in the last year.

New Product Awards winners

MamaMagic New Product Award 2017 winners list

Special awards

This year, the BabyWombWorld Portable Mesh Nebuliser Kit took the top spot as winner in the Baby Essentials category as well as the Overall Winner for the event.Throughout 2017, companies exhibiting at the MamaMagic expos were encouraged to enter any product that they launched into the South African parenting market in the last 12 months into the New Product Awards 2017 to be judged by a panel of experts and parents. The products selected as the winners in the different categories received the highest scores in their respective categories.- A nebuliser that uses a vibrating mesh which changes medication from a liquid into a fine mesh, making inhaling medication easier for small children.- These snack bowls that allow young children to reach in through the helicopter flaps and retrieve a snack but reduces mess and spills by keeping the snack inside if dropped or thrown.- This shawl is ideal shawl for breastfeeding, pregnancy or just a new wardrobe addition.- This keepsake takes one's baby's unique heartbeat from one's antenatal scan and turns it into a beautiful canvas.- A video monitor for peace of mind when one's baby is left with the nanny, or to keep an eye on one's baby using any smartphone device.- This strong but lightweight travel cot is designed to be set up and taken down in seconds.- A digital thermometer with infrared technology and dual modes for forehead and ear measuring.There were also two special awards handed out that recognised products that displayed excellence in the green and local categories:- The onesie made from soft quilted fabric and is trimmed with little pleather dino spikes down the hoodie. The inside is made from soft black 100% cotton.- The baby massage and bath oil can be used to massage one's baby and a few pumps can be added into the bath to lock in moisture.The abrupt and devastating wipe-out of 80% market value in the multi-national retailer, Steinhoff, has without any doubt brought about more questions than answers in the area of corporate law. Naturally, the question on investors' lips was whether Steinhoff can be held accountable for the massive damages they suffered. The mutual sentiment shared between individual and institutional investors alike, naturally leads one's thoughts to the possibility of instituting a class action lawsuit in which all parties can claim their damages against a single scapegoat.

Stephan Haynes

Locus standi in the case of Steinhoff:

Application to the case of Steinhoff:

Stephan Haynes, of Gillan and Veldhuizen Attorneys, explains: In basic terms, a class action is merely multi-party litigation which can also be referred to as a collective lawsuit. A class action concerns a group or class of persons who share a sufficient common right or interest that is being infringed by a common perpetrator. By grouping these individual interests, one has a single lawsuit on the same merits.The dramatized class action which we have become accustomed to thanks to Hollywood seems far-fetched and is not intrinsic to our Common Law. According to our South African case law, a party or parties have standing (loci standi) if the matter relates to a direct and substantive interest in the right of a person or persons who institute legal proceedings that concern the subject matter and outcome of litigation. Despite our common law following a rather restricted approach to locus standi, enter the Constitution. Section 38(c) relaxed the position by giving anyone, including a group or class, standing in instances concerning the infringement of a right set out in the Bill of Rights. It must, however, be noted that this acknowledgement of class action is confined to circumstances in which Constitutional rights are infringed.Haynes suggests that one must first establish whether the recent developments regarding Steinhoff influenced or infringed either (i) a direct or substantive right or sufficient interest, or (ii) a right as provided for in the Bill of Rights. The latter seems to be unlikely, at face value, even in the most generous terms. Therefore, we would need to look at The Companies Act*, The Consumer Protection Act* and Common Law* for Clarity.Since Steinhoff is a multi-national company registered in South Africa, has its primary listing in Frankfurt, and registered office in Amsterdam, its liability is not restricted to a single jurisdiction. Consequentially, class action has been initiated in the Netherlands for the recovery of damages caused by Steinhoffs actions misleading investors by providing incomplete market information.Recent reports have pointed to South African investors approaching European law firms in the hope of joining their class action suits. Given the unestablished status of class action law suits in South Africa, this option might be preferable to testing the willingness of our courts to firstly allow such action and secondly award large-scale damages on such grounds.Summing up the plausibility of a successful class action, Haynes says: The information currently available to the public leaves one to speculate and consider far-reaching legal remedies. It is important to be mindful of the fact that the actions of the free-market trade caused share prices and investor values to plummet. It is therefore difficult to determine the significance of the damage that was truly caused by the actions of Steinhoff. As stocks are still trading, investors so-called damages may be temporary. It is important to consider that a company cannot be held liable for harm suffered by investors who sold their shareholding at a reduced price, as that is how the exchange works.It nevertheless seems evident that Steinhoff has committed corporate governance contraventions, specifically with regard to its accounting practices, and may have contravened the Companies Act in various ways. These causes of action will indeed provide legal standing against the company or its directors, and could very well be dealt with by means of collective litigation.E-commerce may be where the retail industry is seeing growth, but the physical store is not dead. In fact, it may be more important than ever, according to Samantha Starmer, vice president: global digital experiences for US luxury fashion brand Ralph Lauren.

A post shared by Samantha Starmer (@samanthastarmer) on Mar 6, 2018 at 8:31am PST

A new way of working

1. Start with your customer

2. Stay integrated

3. Use technology wisely

4. Focus on the experience

Speaking at the Seamless Africa conference in Cape Town last week, Starmer said that retailers are needing to adapt to a new retail ecosystem  a combination of physical, digital, and complimentary service offerings.The physical store is a key component of this new eco-system, and concept stores and pop-ups are clearly demonstrating that thinking around the traditional concept of retail is changing.Starmer noted that where physical retail reigns supreme is providing consumers with that serendipitous moment of I had no idea I needed that, but I have to have it.The online experience often has a hard time with that serendipity, and so thinking about how the digital and the physical can be integrated is really the future of retail, she said.The value of brick and mortar has been recognised by former online-only brands too, leading many of them to open their own physical stores. SA retailer Yuppiechef began its omnichannel journey last year. Abroad, Amazon  which Starmer calls the father of e-commerce  built its own physical Amazon Go store and has also delved into physical-to-digital partnerships, as witnessed in the Whole Foods acquisition Tackling the question of whether staffless shops like Amazon Go or MobyMart provides the answer to what store 4.0 looks like, Starmer said, I don't think we know. I think that's the point. With all these different technologies, we don't necessarily know where they're all leading. And I don't think one of them, or even all of them combined, are the answer.What I do know is that store 4.0 needs to be an attitude. A way of working. It's how you think about providing for the customer of the future.She shared a number of pillars that retailers  regardless of channel, company size, market or region  should focus on to provide a seamless and serendipitous shopping experience.The customer should be the starting point of your retail strategy, and understanding who they are and what they want requires thorough research.Map out their journey. Take an archetype of your typical customer and analyse how they shop across the different channels.She also emphasised the value of co-creating ideas and products with your customers and employees. Lego and Ikea were highlighted as leaders in this area.Starmer said its important to stay integrated across channels. If you're a multichannel brand, you don't necessarily know where your customer is seeing your product. You not only need to think about where all these channels are connected, but also where and how your internal processes are connected.Is your business planning team working with the fulfilment team, as well as the call centre, IT and in-store staff? Does everybody understand the strategic direction you're focusing on? How well is everybody working together?Break out of your silo, regardless of what team you're on. Walk around and work together across groups. Get everybody connected and get feedback, whether it be from IT or the receptionist.She also advised enabling integration by using customer journey maps  a tool that helps businesses understand all touchpoints, from the moment the customer becomes aware of the brand, to seeing an item in the store, right up to purchase.With an influx of technology available, from artificial intelligence to beacon technology, its easy to feel overwhelmed and become misguided. Starmer warned to not use technology simply for the sake of using it; it needs to enhance your strategy and, most importantly, it needs to actually serve the customer.Technology needs to support the customer experience, not lead it, she said.Interesting experiences and complementary services are playing an increasingly important role in the retail offering. As an example, Starmer mentioned Petsmart, an American pet product retailer that introduced grooming serves into its stores to positive public reception.When strategizing customer experience, she said examining trouble spots is key. Find out where the drop-off is so that you know where to focus your efforts on improving the experience.Build a framework and think about your strategy in your tactical way. How does it connect to the larger company strategy, and how does your customer experience strategy connect to your new features and initiatives?And finally, dont ever stop looking for ways to surprise and delight your customers.A new feature published on the University of Pretoria's (UP) Research Matters website focuses on the work by a team of researchers led by Professor Lise Korsten, who leads the food safety research programme at the DST-NRF Centre of Excellence in Food Security (CoE), which is co-hosted by UP and the University of the Western Cape.

Photo by Arturo Rivera on Unsplash

Is fresh produce sold by informal traders safe to eat?

Together with her team of emerging and established researchers, Korsten - who is also co-director of the CoE - is investigating broad food safety-related concerns including how regulators can ensure that fruit and vegetables are free of potentially harmful pesticides, other agricultural chemicals and human and plant pathogens; how farmers can prevent contamination and reduce losses due to polluted water or human error; and, whether fresh produce from formal markets like retail stores are safer than fresh produce bought from informal traders.In an ideal world, a farmer might sell a harvest of fresh produce to families nearby, who would eat that produce within the week. The more common reality in South Africa and the world, however, is that it can take up to three months or even more for food to travel from the farm to table. The longer this supply chain, the less control you have over the product and the harder it is to maintain quality and safety, says Prof Lise Korsten.Our research helps ensure that fresh produce stays safe along that journey for as long as possible. Korsten explains that many complex factors must be studied so that farmers, sellers, consumers, government and everyone in between have access to the best information available to make sure that food is safe to eat, wholesome and nutritious.Other research in Korstens programmes considers postharvest spoilage or contamination of fresh produce that might make food unfit for human consumption, and how this could be prevented by best practices and more effectively regulated by authorities. Weve been trained to recognise spoilage and it can look disgusting, says Korsten. She warns, however that unsafe food is not always easy to recognise - it could, for example, be contaminated by pathogens that are not visible, like Escherichia coli or Salmonella species.Another important focus of food safety research at UP is fresh produce sold informally, for instance from the back of a bakkie directly after harvest, or by informal traders who may have acquired produce not acceptable for formal markets.Dr Stacey Duvenage, a postdoctoral researcher working with Korsten - and funded by the CoE - says preliminary research shows that at the point of sale, theres not much difference in safety between fresh produce sold formally and informally - although more research along the supply chain is needed, this is good news for the millions of South Africans who rely on either.KINSHASA - DR Congo President Joseph Kabila has promised to have "constructive dialogue" with mining companies worried over plans to hike taxes on so-called strategic metals, a category expected to include the booming market for cobalt and copper.

President of the DRC, Dr Joseph Kabila

Kabila held more than seven hours of talks with leading players in the Democratic Republic of Congo's mining sector over plans to change the country's 2002 mining code."The president reassures mining operators that they are economic partners in the DRC and that their concerns will be taken into account through a constructive dialgoue with the government after the new mining law is approved, with a view to finding compromise," Kabila's office said in a statement released late Wednesday.In the meeting, Kabila and the mining firms agreed to deal with problems on a "case-by-case" basis, officials said.Mining Minister Martin Kabwelulu said there would be "implementation measures" that would "ease the toughness of the law."The mining executives arrived "worried" but "left calm," he said.The government last year signalled its intention to reform its 2002 mining code, which it considered to favour foreign investors at the expense of the economy.A first version of the draft law -- examined by the lower house, the National Assembly, in December, and then by the Senate in January -- envisaged a tax takes on "strategic metals" of five percent.This has been revised upward to 10 percent, under a new draft approved by a joint commission of the Senate and National Assembly on January 27.At present, the state levies a tax of two percent on non-ferrous metals -- copper and cobalt -- which is based on the value of sales, from which some costs are deducted.The draft law, which is now in Kabila's hands, would also scrap a clause in the 2002 code that gives a 10-year guarantee of no change to the terms of mining contracts.There would also be a tax of 50 percent on windfall profits -- so-called super-profits that occur when prices go at least 25 percent above a given benchmark.Shareholders in big mining corporations with interests in DRC, including Glencore and Rangold, had written to Kabila to express their concern, sources in the sector said ahead of the meeting.The global boom for smartphones and electric cars has pushed up the price of cobalt to more than $80,000 (almost 63,000 euros) a tonne, compared with less than $23,000 a tonne two years ago.DR Congo is also the top African producer of copper, which last year recovered from a slump that hit in 2014. Copper is currently trading at more than $6,800 a tonne, around 50 percent higher than at the trough of the downturn in February 2017.According to the specialist firm Darton Commodities, the DRC exports around $10 billion in cobalt and copper each year.With March being Intellectual Disability Awareness Month, employment equity company Progression is urging corporates to gain a better understanding of what persons with intellectual disabilities experience and help create job opportunities for them.

 Karel Joseph Noppe Brooks  123RF.com

What is intellectual disability?

Increased risk in South Africa

Addressing stereotypes

Disability expert at the company Justene Smith says one in every 1,000 people in South Africa has an IQ of between 50 and 80. Even so, we know very little about intellectual disability. This is why the month of March is dedicated to raising awareness on the topic and addressing stereotypes and misconceptions.Smith unpacks intellectual disability, the common stereotypes surrounding the topic and the importance of early childhood development in stimulating children intellectually from an early age.Intellectual disability is characterised by a low IQ level, significant limitations in intellectual functioning such as reasoning, learning and problem solving, as well as the ability to adapt or relate to the surrounding world to the same extent as others. It is usually diagnosed before the age of 18 and is lifelong.Smith says there are various causes of intellectual disability, however, doctors find a specific reason in only 25% of cases. Some of these causes include chromosomal abnormalities, such as down syndrome, trauma that occurs before, during or after birth, malnutrition and various childhood diseases such as whooping cough, chicken pox and measles, which can lead to meningitis and encephalitis, potentially damaging the brain.Children growing up in poverty are at higher risk of malnutrition, childhood diseases, exposure to environmental health hazards and often receive inadequate health care. These factors increase the risk of intellectual disability. This is very concerning, given that 55% of the South African population lives in poverty.In addition to inadequate health care, South Africa lacks high quality educational facilities. This year alone, over 40,000 children in Gauteng and the Western Cape were rejected from grade one due to space limitations in public schools. The number of children not attending school is even higher in the rural areas. Research suggests that such under-stimulation can result in irreversible damage, causing intellectual disability, notes Smith.She says the importance of early childhood development (ECD) cannot be stressed enough. Although ECD cant cure intellectual disabilities, it provides children with intellectual disabilities with the ability to learn. Stimulating children with intellectual disabilities is very important as it encourages learning and affords them better prospects for the future.Unfortunately, 47% of children aged zero to six years do not receive early childhood learning, according to the statistician-general report.Smith says Progression has partnered with Siyakwazi, an NPO that provides ECD programmes to communities in the Ugu district in KwaZulu-Natal. Siyakwazis mission is to give support to children in the Ugu district  no matter what their disability, learning problem or circumstances  and help them in unlocking their full potential and overcoming barriers that prevent success.The first stereotype that needs addressing is the assumption that learning disabilities and intellectual disabilities are the same thing, says Smith. This is not true. In short, learning disabilities are normally more specific to a certain area of learning, for example a person with dyslexia will have trouble when it comes to letters. On the other hand, people with intellectual disabilities have difficulty understanding and learning in its entirety.Secondly, many wrongly believe that people with intellectual disabilities are not able to contribute or play a meaningful role in an organisation. In South Africa, only 1.2% of the workforce are people with disabilities, according to the 16th Commission for Employment Equity Annual Report. Sadly, this is less than South Africas employment equity target of 2% for the employment of persons with disabilities. People with intellectual disabilities are among this group, who experience extreme exclusion from the open labour market, says Smith.Gaining a matric qualification for people with intellectual disabilities can be very difficult. This limits them in terms of work opportunities even further as a matric qualification is an entry level requirement for most organisations.There are, however, various tasks that people with intellectual disabilities can successfully carry out, says Smith. People with intellectual disabilities would be successful in production, warehousing, manufacturing and even hospitality, where tasks are mostly practical and straightforward. Roles that are structured, routine orientated and practical are ideal for people with intellectual disabilities.She says many of these roles and tasks do not require a matric qualification. We encourage corporate South Africa to prioritise job creation for persons with intellectual disabilities and create an open labour market that is inclusive and accessible to all South Africans.South Africa has extensive exchange control rules that govern the inflow and outflow of capital, as well as some stringent legal requirements pertaining to credit and financial assistance, which are pivotal to the success of lending transactions involving a non-South African lender and a South African corporate borrower.

Exchange control regulations

National Credit Act

Companies Act

Immediately after providing the financial assistance, the company would satisfy the solvency and liquidity test stipulated by the Companies Act.

The terms proposed or the financial assistance should be fair and reasonable to the company. Any financial assistance provided in contravention of section 45 is void and can attract personal liability for a director votes for or fails to vote against a financial assistance resolution knowing that this is inconsistent with section 45. Financial assistance includes lending money and guaranteeing a loan or other obligation, as well as the security of any debt or obligation.

When a foreign lender advances a loan to a South African borrower (or its group members), the countrys exchange control regulations, the National Credit Act and the financial assistance section of the Companies Act are of key relevance.The exchange control regulations apply to any cross-border lending transaction pertaining to a South African borrower, as well as to the taking of security for such a transaction. No South African borrower is permitted to borrow any foreign currency from any person who is not an authorised dealer, unless that borrower has prior approval from the Financial Surveillance Department (FSD) of the South African Reserve Bank.The onus of obtaining exchange control approval rests on the South African borrower, not the foreign lender. Even so, it is prudent for a foreign lender to confirm that the borrower has properly and timeously obtained the requisite approval.We recommend including appropriate representations and warranties in the transaction documentation. Generally, once the FSD has approved a loan, the interest payable and loan repayments are freely transferable from South Africa. Where a loan was made without exchange control approval, the foreign lenders claim against the South African borrower could be at risk; the FSD has the authority to prevent repayment or enforcement and could declare the loan invalid. The most recent case law on this issue confirms that although a lack of exchange control approval does not render an agreement void, it could be declared invalid for contravening the regulations. While the FSD may retrospectively grant exchange control approval, it can also impose certain penalties on the South African borrower.The National Credit Act (NCA) regulates the provision of credit in South Africa and applies to all credit agreements made in or having an effect within the country.In other words, the NCA applies even if the credit provider has its principal place of business outside South Africa. This means the provisions of the Act have general application to foreign lenders extending loans to South African borrowers. Lenders whose credit agreements fall under the NCA must register as credit providers with the National Credit Regulator (NCR).The NCR takes various factors into account in determining whether a credit or loan agreement has an effect within South Africa. These include whether or not the proceeds of a loan from an offshore credit provider to an offshore credit receiver will be remitted to South Africa; whether or not the credit facility will be utilised in South Africa, and whether or not any security for the loan or credit is situated or located in South Africa.There are certain exemptions to the application of the NCA. Unless exempted, a foreign credit provider must have NCR approval as a credit provider to lawfully extend loans or credit (or to market these) in South Africa. When a lender should be, but is not, registered with the NCR, it will not be able to enforce a credit agreement against a South African borrower, as the credit agreement will be void in terms of the NCA. The registration requirements with the NCR are triggered where credit is made available to a corporate borrower in South Africa with a net asset value or annual turnover of less than R1m.Section 45 of the Companies Act provides that a company may not provide direct or indirect financial assistance to a related or inter-related company or corporation unless certain conditions are met. One is that the financial assistance must be made pursuant to an employee share scheme or a special shareholders resolution adopted within the previous two years.The other is that the board of the company providing the financial assistance (typically in the form of security in favour of the lender) should be satisfied on two counts.Under certain circumstances, a South African company providing security may on a practical level not be able to pass the solvency and liquidity test required by section 45.Specifically, this could happen when the financial assistance sought from the South African security provider is intended to support the entire indebtedness arising under a (multi-jurisdictional) loan, but the balance sheet of the South African security provider is less than the aggregate indebtedness. For the success of the funding transaction, it is vital that the auditors of the company providing the financial assistance adequately advise its directors, who must satisfy themselves that the financial assistance sought is adequate to cover the indebtedness arising under the loan.Notably, the Companies Act provides no guidance on what constitutes fair and reasonable terms to the company granting the financial assistance. Similarly, South African case law is silent on the matter given that the Act is still relatively new. It seems, though, that in determining whether the terms are fair and reasonable, the financial wellbeing of the South African company providing the financial assistance should be the most important factor for the directors.Conversely, they should not place paramount importance on the financial health of the group to which the company belongs, to the detriment of the company. Also, not to be overlooked is whether the company satisfies the solvency and liquidity test immediately after providing the financial assistance to the boards satisfaction. This introduces subjectivity in the directors analysis and should be carefully considered by the board.It's an old cliche that if you owe a bank R1m, you're in trouble; but if you owe plenty of billions and your weakness spells trouble for the entire property sector, it's the banks who are in trouble.

By this logic, there must be some very nervous bankers in town, considering that the Resilient Property Group, whose share prices have nearly halved in the past eight weeks, owes SA's banks more than R20bn.It's been a grim few weeks for Des de Beer who founded the company in 2002. Resilient owns many second-tier shopping centres such as the Jabulani Mall in Soweto, properties in far-flung places like Romania as well as a healthy chunk of SA's industrial real estate.This year, however, Resilient's stock has plunged 59%. In addition, that of Fortress "B" has fallen 61%, Nepi Rockcastle's has shed 45% and Greenbay's is down 50%. The sharp sell-off is due partly to concerns over a labyrinthine cross-shareholding structure that critics say has masked the true values of the companies: Resilient owns 16% of Fortress and 17% of Greenbay, while Fortress holds 6% of Resilient, 24% of Nepi Rockcastle and 25% of Greenbay.The concern, as Sanlam's Glacier put it crisply last month, is that the group "[continually] raises equity capital and [the companies] subscribe to each other's shares, which means too much value stems from financial engineering instead of the underlying bricks-and-mortar assets".Investment company 36One goes further, saying the "premium valuation of the [Resilient] companies did not arise from normal market activities, but from deliberate and frequently concealed actions by some of the influential owners". Those are pretty serious allegations - serious enough to have caused the JSE to launch its own investigation into the share trading in the companies.Last week, two exhaustive research reports were released that reveal that the bank with the most to worry about is Nedbank, which had lent R3.7bn to Resilient and Fortress by June last year.Though Nedbank is owed less than Standard Bank (R8.1bn) and Rand Merchant Bank (R6.3bn), it is worrying that its loans are backed mostly by shares, which have taken a hammering in recent weeks.In one of the reports, Avior Capital Markets says it is concerned that "82% of Nedbank's collateral relates to investment securities - we assume Fortress and Resilient's stock was used".Another analyst points out that if Nedbank were to try to sell those shares, this "would likely cause a material fall in the share prices".But Mike Brown, the veteran CEO of Nedbank, told thehe's not worried in the slightest."The amount we lent to Resilient and Fortress is backed by full recourse to their balance sheets and, in addition, they also pledged shares to us. Only if those companies defaulted would we have to rely on those shares and other security pledged to us," he says.Brown says Resilient's market value is R26bn and its net asset value in December was R42.8bn."Even if you ascribe zero value to its shares in Fortress, Greenbay and Nepi as well as its BEE loans, it would still have a net asset value of above R10bn thanks to the equity in its properties and consolidated loan-to-value covenants - even after repaying all its debt," he says.Of course, Brown isn't saying what extra steps Nedbank has taken to cover its exposure to the Resilient group in recent weeks, since the share rout began."We can't disclose details of our lending to individual clients or changes in the make-up of our security," he says.However, Resilient's most recent annual report, for the year to June 2017, shows it had a number of covenants in place that would have been triggered when the share prices began falling. This suggests the banks had been renegotiating their facilities.At that stage, Nedbank was owed R1.58bn by Resilient, of which only R866m was backed by physical property, while the bank had collateral of R1.7bn in shares. If those shares were worth zero, Nedbank's loan-to-value ratio would spike to 183%. (It may, of course, have been given extra collateral since.)Equally, Nedbank's R2.15bn loan to Fortress was backed by R624m in physical property and R4.8bn in shares. If those shares fell to zero, the loan-to-value ratio would be 346%.All the other banks have physical property as collateral for their debt, except for Sanlam, which has lent R500m to Fortress with only R1.1bn in shares as collateral.But Avior says: "We are less concerned about Standard Bank, FirstRand and Barclays Africa's exposure to physical property as collateral, in a positive SA environment. Nedbank's collateral is probably exposed to the share prices of Resilient and Fortress."When contacted, De Beer would say only that he had "no concern about the banks".De Beer, who qualified as a lawyer, has strong links to Nedbank. After an early stint at Barclays, he worked as the head of property finance at the bank before founding the property group in 2002.A profile of De Beer inmagazine says he "first began investing in his own properties in the 1990s, after obtaining consent from the bank to avoid conflicts of interest". When he quit to start Resilient in 2002, the bank chose to be his partner.Today, Brown says, Nedbank has only a client relationship with De Beer: "I've met Des only about six or seven times. We don't have any special relationship with him."While some analysts have said Nedbank may have to set aside R450m as extra provision for bad debts on its Resilient exposure, Brown is adamant that there's no need."We disagree. That would assume our recourse to the balance sheet of Resilient is worth zero and that we're overly reliant on the shares without having taken any additional security since June 2017, which is not the case," he says.Brown reiterates that Resilient had a net asset value (NAV) of R42.8bn at December - which suggests there's no reason for the banks to worry.That calculation, of course, goes to the heart of the issues around Resilient. Its critics argue that NAV is inflated because a large part of it relates to its holding in other group companies, which are similarly inflated.In a research report last month, Dubai-based Arqaam Capital said: "We estimate that the true net asset values of Resilient and Fortress are 32% and 21% below their [disclosed] net asset values."(Nedbank would presumably argue that even if you discounted Resilient's NAV by 32%, that would still put its value at around R29bn.)But there are other problems: last year, part of the revenue of Resilient and Fortress came from loans being repaid by their own empowerment shareholder, the Siyakha Education Trust, at prime plus 2%.Last year, Resilient was paid R317m in "interest" by the Siyakha trust, while Fortress was paid R269m. This cash was then used to make up part of the dividend paid to investors.Arqaam warned that this revenue is "likely not sustainable", raising questions over whether its distributions to investors might fall. Distributions are a key attraction for real estate investment trusts like Resilient. At the moment, Resilient and Fortress own 49% of Siyakha, but they may have to consolidate it into the company's accounts.But Resilient finance director Nick Hanekom told thea few weeks ago that consolidating it "wouldn't even matter . our dividend won't change".That remains to be seen, however.Two weeks ago, Resilient said that it had "commenced negotiations" with the trust, to renegotiate the loans. "The outcome of the negotiations may [affect] the distributable earnings of Resilient," it warned.Though Brown may be confident of its partnership with De Beer's group, other lenders seem less so.Investec Bank, for example, is now skittish about taking shares in the Resilient group companies as collateral for its loans.Ursula Nobrega, speaking for the bank, says: "[To] some of our wealth and investment clients, who wanted to borrow money and put up shares as collateral, [we said we would not] be taking shares in the Resilient companies to cover these loans."For investors, it's been a roller-coaster ride, with the stock soaring one day then plummeting the next. The cloud over the group will probably continue to hover until the results of an internal probe as well as those of the JSE investigation are released.For some investment funds that have taken big bets on De Beer, such as Absa's Property Equity Fund and Stanlib, it's been a bruising start to the year.Photo by sandro mattei on Unsplash

Data deficit

Debunking myths

Solutions

Sadly, few contributions to the public debate are informed by the available evidence. And poorly informed commentators often misrepresent the issues. Compounding this is a serious problem  the absence of reliable national data on many aspects of the land issue.Land policy, at the centre of the storm, is flailing around in the dark. South Africas land policy is based on three main pillars: restitution, redistribution and tenure reform.Restitution involves people claiming back land taken away from them after June 1913, or compensation for their loss. Land redistribution involves acquiring and transferring land from white farmers to black farmers, for a variety of purposes, including farming and settlement. Tenure reform aims to secure the land rights of those whose rights are insecure as a result of past discrimination.Land reform has been slow , with government reporting that, so far, around 9% of commercial farmland has been transferred through restitution and redistribution. Tenure reform has been remarkably ineffective, with many poor people as insecure as they ever were.But, in reality, there is only the haziest of understandings of how well or how badly land reform is doing, and why.The woeful record keeping of national and local government departments is partly to blame. But they are not the sole culprits. The last census of commercial farming conducted in 2007 underestimates the true numbers of farm owners as it only reports on farms that are registered for VAT  currently those with a minimum turnover of R1m. And StatsSA agricultural reports dont distinguish farms by size or value of output. Also, official survey data on smallholder farming are also thin and even less useful.In general, the lack of accurate information on land reform and the rural economy allows much of the public debate to be misinformed and is a serious constraint on policymaking.Nobody knows precisely how much agricultural land has been privately purchased by black farmers and how much has been acquired via land reform.Consider two national land audits released in recent months, one by the agricultural lobby group AgriSA and the other by the government. Both are based on analysis of information derived from title deeds in the national registry.The AgriSA land audit of 2017 argues that the initial target of transferring 30% of agricultural land via land reform is close to being met. It concludes that the market is much more effective at transferring land than the state.But the market is not redistributing land to black people to the extent AgriSA claims. Its methodology and most of its conclusions are fundamentally flawed. For example, much of the 4.3 million hectares of land it says were acquired through private purchases by previously disadvantaged individuals include transfers of land as a result of land reform. In these cases, the government has provided funds and served as an intermediary in the transaction. So they were not private transactions.The governments latest land audit is also not particularly useful. It provides some evidence of continuing patterns of racial inequality in land ownership. But it cant identify the racial, gender and national identity of the 320 000 companies, trust and community-based organisations that own 61% of all privately owned land.Neither of these audits is able to identify zones of need and opportunity for land reform. Information of this kind, crucial for well-planned redistribution, simply doesnt exist.There is almost zero information on how many people have actually benefited from land reform, patterns of land use after transfer, and levels of production and income.A few reports on these issues have been published, but they arent a substitute for systematic data collection. Similarly, case studies by academics cant serve the wider purposes of guiding planning for land reform at scale.In relation to deeds registry data, there are vast discrepancies between official records for black land owners, both rural and urban, and realities on the ground. In our 2017 book , Untitled. Securing land tenure in urban and rural South Africa, we estimate that close to 60% of all South Africans hold land or housing outside the formal system, and the deeds registry can tell us little or nothing about these realities.Official data, although inadequate, does allow common misrepresentations of land reform to be refuted. For example, one widely held view is that the great majority of land restitution claimants have chosen cash compensation rather than restoration of their land. This is nonsense. Around 87% of land claims lodged by the cutoff date in 1998 was to urban properties, and in most cases claimants were offered (and accepted) a standard cash settlement because restoration was clearly impracticable. But the great majority of rural claims, involving a great many more people since most are group claims, have opted for restoration.Another misconception is that land reform can involve the redistribution of state-owned land. The reality is that most state land in rural areas comprises densely settled communal land which obviously isnt available for redistribution. The recent government land audit confirms this and shows that state land comprises only 18% of the total.In urban areas, however, state-owned land can be used for low-cost housing if it is in appropriate locations close to economic opportunities.The single most misleading fact endlessly repeated in the media is the assertion by former minister Gugile Nkwinti that 90% of land reform projects have failed. This has no foundation in any research evidence  a fact that he himself later admitted.Empirical evidence suggests that around 50% of the projects have improved the livelihoods of beneficiaries to a degree.This is not to say that these land reform projects have been highly productive. The real potential of rural land reform and agricultural development, as well as urban land reform, to reduce poverty and inequality has not been realised in South Africa to date.How to acquire and transfer land, the focus of much current debate is the least difficult aspect of land reform. It simply requires increasing the tiny budget and paying just and equitable compensation in line with the constitution.Larger challenges involve targeting beneficiaries, identifying well-located land, ensuring that water is reallocated along with land, effective district based planning, and enabling small-scale economic activity in both rural and urban spaces.And new legislation that secures the rights of people in the social tenures found in communal areas, farm dweller communities and informal settlements is also an urgent requirement.Much of the current commentary on land policy is ill-informed and fails to identify these challenges. More important, the lack of robust official data on land and agriculture is a key problem that must surely be high on the agenda of the new president.This article was originally published on The Conversation . Read the original articleThe National Home Builders Registration Council (NHBRC) has warned the public not to conduct business with Modulus Civils and Construction, which is conducting its business in and around Tshwane, Gauteng.

According to NHBRC, Modulus Civils and Construction is fraudulently carrying on the business of building homes without having registered and non-enrolment of homes with the NHBRC.This is in contravention of the Housing Consumers Protection Measures Act 95 of 1998 (HCPMA) which requires everyone in the business of building homes to register with the NHBRC, and that all new homes must be enrolled (or registered) with the NHBRC 15 days prior to construction. Such a contravention is a criminal offence which carries a heavy fine or imprisonment, the council said.The NHBRC has advised consumers who have conducted business with Modulus Civils and Construction to open a criminal case against the entity and its owner.Consumers who wish to build or buy a new home are advised to verify beforehand with the NHBRC the status of their builder on either councils toll free number 0800200824 or go to www.nhbrc.org.za to check whether or not a company or person is a registered home builder.Tracking is rare

Filling the gaps

Alumni pledges sometimes give money to their alma mater annually. Others use their influence in particular industries or business circles to convince others to donate.The situation is very different in African countries. A recent study by the Consortium for Advanced Research Training in Africa (CARTA) paints a gloomy picture of the state of alumni and career tracking in Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda, Nigeria and Malawi. CARTA aims to build a vibrant, productive African academy and a critical mass of effective researchers.Our study found that universities in these countries have a dearth of consistent, systematic mechanisms for tracking their graduates. They dont know where their graduates go, what theyre doing or how theyre using their training and skills. Nor do they know what advice their alumni might have to improve their alma maters. They have limited knowledge about who might be in a position to fundraise or mobilise others to donate.These findings and feedback from African universities that are tracking their graduates suggest that theres an important gap to be filled. If universities create large, comprehensive alumni databases, these could be mined to improve individual institutions work and decision making. It could also feed into higher education policies at national level.We obtained data from 57 higher education officers in 15 universities in Africa; 139 alumni, funding agencies and national education regulatory bodies were also part of this study.Using questionnaires and interviews, we discovered that fewer than half the universities we surveyed tracked their graduates. Overall, only 27% of alumni we interviewed said they were being tracked and contacted by their alma mater. In most cases, the tracking was being done by universities theyd attended outside the continent where many had pursued postgraduate studies.Whats especially important to note here is that nearly two-thirds of the alumni we surveyed said they were willing to be tracked by their alma maters. This suggests that a lot of willing participants who might provide useful data are being neglected by universities.Those universities which do keep up with their graduates tend not to be using very sophisticated systems. A lot of this tracking is paper-based: questionnaires are sent via physical mail. Of course, not everyone responds; things get lost in the mail or people move houses. This leaves huge gaps.Still, the universities that said they tracked alumni underscored the importance of the exercise. They said alumni provided invaluable feedback about developing or revising curricula; they were also able to help institutions measure their impact in society.And they helped to mobilise resources through personal contributions, linking universities with corporate entities, and organising or participating in funding raising events. This last point might be especially useful as government funding to higher education dwindles in several African countries. Student tuition alone cannot fill the gaps left by under-funding; alternative revenue streams are crucial.So how can universities harness the power of their alumni? For starters, universities need to understand what works  and what doesnt  when establishing contact with graduates.In our study, alumni said they were most likely to reply to questions and requests for assistance sent to them online. Mobile phones were the most popular form of communication followed by emails, and then paper-based surveys. Text messages and social media platforms like Facebook would also be useful.Theres also an opportunity for an organisation  not a university or even necessarily a company in the higher education space  to establish a centralised alumni and career tracker. The university employees we spoke to said theyd prefer to subscribe to a common provider rather than developing individual institutional databases.Whatever approach is chosen, the evidence from our study is clear: Africas universities must start connecting and working with their alumni rather than losing track of these genuinely valuable human resources.This article was originally published on The Conversation . Read the original articleThe academic programme at the University of Venda (UNIVEN) is expected to be back to normal on Monday, 12 March, following its forced closure last week, university management announced.

Students at the university's Thohoyandou Campus have been protesting against delays in payment of food and book allowances by the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS).Whilst respecting students right to protest, the university management said it was disappointed with the behaviour of rogue elements amongst the protesting students, who engaged in violent and destructive action.Their actions caused damage not only to municipal and campus infrastructure, but also to our universitys reputation. While ostensibly protesting for the right of the black child to free quality education, these rogue elements have seen it fit to disrupt the education of learners at schools in Thohoyandou and of our own students on campus, the university said.The management said it was concerned that the forced closure of the campus has disrupted the academic programme, which includes not only teaching and learning, but also some world-class research undertaken in science laboratories.Its [closure] further stalled the progress with recovery projects on amongst others, student residences, as contractors were unable to access the campus. Ironically, it is primarily our students themselves who will suffer the negative impact of the current protests.The university announced that the management was able to work extensively with NSFAS to ensure that all qualifying students were paid their outstanding allowances. NSFAS is still waiting for a few students to update their details.The World Youth and Student Educational (WYSE) Travel Confederation delivered insights from the Horizons Survey at the 2018 ITB Berlin and showed what the youth travel market is really about - experiential and immersive travel for key players in tourism for development.

...youth travellers are willing to go beyond tourism hotspots, live like locals, and be immersed...

Tapping into a valuable travel market

Youth accounted for at least 23% of the 1.3 billion international arrivals in 2017. Since WYSE Travel Confederation first conducted the New Horizons Survey in 2002, average youth trip spend has more than doubled. According to WYSE Travel Confederation estimates, youth travellers generated about $280bn in tourism receipts in 2016.Young travellers tend to stay longer and spend more than a typical, traditional tourist. While in the destination, they prefer visiting cafes and restaurants, historical sites, and shopping. The concept of living like a local also surged ahead from 2012, with more than half of respondents (51%) now indicating this is a desired activity.While the top destinations benefiting from Millennial and GenZ travel spend havent changed much in recent years, the New Horizons Survey has revealed some significant shifts. The United States is still at the top of the list for young travellers, but it has lost some of its share of the pie. Spain is now the second leading destination and Australia moved back into the top 10 for the first time since 2007."We have worked closely with our destination members as theyve tapped into this valuable travel market - one which stays longer, spends more, and are the most likely to return to the country later in life, with family and friends, said WYSE Travel Confederation Director General David Chapman.WYSE Travel Confederation member Failte Ireland is one destination that has used WYSEs youth traveller insights to develop their destination marketing, capitalise on their existing assets, and influence young travellers to experience Ireland beyond the city centres. We knew from New Horizons research that youth travellers are willing to go beyond tourism hotspots, live like locals, and be immersed in Irelands culture, said Amanda Horan, business development Officer for Failte Ireland. The research has helped us to fully realise the interests and motivations of each segment of the youth travel industry. That was instrumental in developing our brands.The New Horizons Survey has consistently found that top motivations to travel for young people are to explore other cultures, experience everyday life in other places, and increase their knowledge. Millennial and GenZ travellers are not only lucrative for destinations, but theyre also the market that is ready, and willing, to fully embrace sustainable travel.Youth are pioneers and trendsetters. They attract others to new destinations and places that are off the beaten track. Destinations that arent tapping into the power of youth travel are simply missing out, said Chapman.Waymo self-driving trucks to start hauling cargo this week

Waymo has clocked up millions of self-driving miles since starting Google's autonomous vehicle project in 2009, celebrating five million of them by recently releasing a 360-degree video to demonstrate how its cars see the world around them. Now the company is shifting gear by moving into cargo hauling.

Waymo's self-driving trucks are ready to haul cargo to Google's data centers in Atlanta, Georgia (Credit: Waymo) After road-testing its self-driving trucks in California and Arizona over the past 12 months, Waymo's fleet of autonomous big rigs is due to start hauling cargo to Google's data centres in Atlanta, Georgia, from next week.



Partnering with Google's logistics team, the pilot trucks will make use of the same kind of custom sensors used in Waymo's autonomous Pacifica minivan, and leverage the same software.



Continue reading the full article on New Atlas. After road-testing its self-driving trucks in California and Arizona over the past 12 months, Waymo's fleet of autonomous big rigs is due to start hauling cargo to Google's data centres in Atlanta, Georgia, from next week.Partnering with Google's logistics team, the pilot trucks will make use of the same kind of custom sensors used in Waymo's autonomous Pacifica minivan, and leverage the same software.

SOURCE New Atlas

New Atlas is about the amazing potential of human endeavour. From DNA-scanning smartphones to the latest advances in autonomous transport, New Atlas examines how new discoveries, products and technological innovations affect our ability to interact with and understand the people around us and the world we share.

Go to: New Atlas is about the amazing potential of human endeavour. From DNA-scanning smartphones to the latest advances in autonomous transport, New Atlas examines how new discoveries, products and technological innovations affect our ability to interact with and understand the people around us and the world we share.Go to: https://newatlas.com/Buses could be history sooner than you think - here's why

In 1890, no one foresaw the rise of the internal combustion engine: horses were the fastest means of transport, and a status symbol. Today, society stands at a similar tipping point. No one can really predict how transport will be used in the coming century, or if people will even need to travel as much as they do today. But some of the most commonly used modes of public transport may be closer to extinction than previously thought.After pulling the plug on its mobile money business in SA in 2016, MTN wanted to have another crack at financial services in its home market, CEO Rob Shuter said on Thursday, 8 March.

Due to high banking penetration rates in SA, mobile money "has been tried quite a few times here" without success, and the model was also not suited to Iran - MTN's third-largest market - for similar reasons."But we're building quite a lot of new features around that: loan products, investment products, insurance. It's different across the different markets, but [advanced financial services] is a big focus of ours." The group was looking at "all markets".MTN had 22-million mobile money customers in 14 markets at the end of 2017. It wanted to add to this base, enter new markets and expand the range of services. "We need to have a proper strategy for the three large ones [SA, Nigeria and Iran]."The group introduced mobile money services in Sudan in 2017 through a partnership, but may look to transfer the service to its own platform. "And we're looking at two of the other Middle Eastern markets to launch [mobile money] during the course of 2018."MTN would be able to rapidly scale its Nigerian mobile money business, which has 2-million customers, if the government allowed for full licensing of these services. Currently, users need to have bank accounts.The group was in talks with Nigerian authorities on the matter, Shuter said.MTN has a small financial services business in SA in the form of a micro-insurance partnership with MMI. MTN group chief financial officer Ralph Mupita said the group would consider similar tie-ups.Rival operator Vodacom offers insurance products in SA, including handset insurance and funeral cover.MTN's share price closed 10.1% up at R135 on Thursday after the company's new dividend policy and 2017 earnings numbers boosted sentiment. While the group said it would rebase its dividend to R5 per share in 2018, from R7 for 2017, the market had expected a bigger cut, according to Investec Asset Management portfolio manager Samantha Hartard.Management's guidance that the dividend could grow 10%-20% a year over the medium term was also a surprise on the upside and showed that MTN was confident about its growth prospects, Hartard said.Further, investors were encouraged by a "solid" earnings result for 2017, while the bump in the share price may also have been due to more bearish hedge funds closing their short positions as the stock climbed.MTN returned to profit in the year ended December 2017. It reported a profit after tax of R4.5bn from a loss of R3.1bn in 2016, when earnings were dented by a $1.5bn fine in Nigeria for failing to disconnect unregistered SIM cards.Bright Khumalo, portfolio manager at Vestact, said the result "shows that in this business, if you do spend on improving the quality of your service, you can get all of those subscribers back". He was referring to MTN's customer losses in key markets several years ago due in part to a lack of capital expenditure. But the company invested as much as R31.5bn in 2017. Management forecast that capital expenditure would reduce to R27.7bn in 2018 as MTN reduced debt.Mupita said MTN was "fighting to stay" in Benin, where authorities had demanded exorbitant frequency fees."We remain engaged with the authorities there to try and find an amicable solution [but] that amicable solution needs to make economic sense for us."MTN's CEO in Benin, Stephen Blewett, has been out of the country since November on the instruction of the state. This came after authorities demanded that MTN pay frequency fees for 2016 and 2017 worth $213m. MTN has since made a counter offer.Hartard said while Benin was a small market it would "not be ideal to just drop the keys and walk away. But the other side of it is that you can't buckle to very big demands on payments because then you set the precedent [for other tax authorities]".MTN raised its contingent liabilities to R9.8bn in 2017 from R8.1bn the year before."Legal and regulatory matters" made up R1.2bn of the 2017 number. This showed "they are fighting fires", Hartard said.The proportion of women represented in the C-suite has declined, while female workers in SA are not fairing well, according to two studies released on Thursday, 8 March.

In SA, thereport shows that "almost one third (29%) of senior roles ... are filled by women, [however], one in five local businesses (20%) still have no women in senior positions"."Businesses with all-male leadership need to act fast if they are to stay competitive," warned Lee-Anne Bac, a director at Grant Thornton Johannesburg on Thursday, which was International Women's Day.University of the Witwatersrand political sciences professor Sheila Meintjes blamed a lack of political will for the worsening labour market trends in SA.Grant Thornton International'sreport showed that the female proportion in senior management teams had declined one percentage point from 25% to 24% internationally, while an International Labour Organisation (ILO) report found that entrenched gender roles and labour market discrimination continued to hamper women's access to decent jobs.In addition, women who participated in the labour force were still unlikely to find employment, the ILO study showed. The ILO is an agency of the UN.Meintjes said the recent appointment of the beleaguered Bathabile Dlamini as minister in the presidency for women pointed to a lack of seriousness in addressing the challenges faced by women in the country, while good policy was not being implemented to change disparities faced by women."The big problem in SA is that we have good policy and just don't implement it. There is also a lack of will in broader politics. We are in a situation where at one point we were all proudly saying SA is a woman-friendly state, I just don't think we can say that anymore," said Meintjes. "Part of the reason is to do with the demobilisation of the women's movement. It packed its bags thinking the new democracy is on our side," she said.A needed to ready itself for the fourth industrial revolution if it is to stay competitive, Standard Bank CEO Sim Tshabalala said.

Sim Tshabalala, CEO: Standard Bank. Photo: Martin Rhodes

"In a country like SA, for us to be competitive we have to be able to use [such advancements] as Big Data," Tshabalala said."What do business, labour, civil society and government do to make SA competitive in this fourth industrial revolution?"Tshabalala's comments came after the release of the bank's results for the year to December 2017. These showed that 1.6-billion transactions in the bank's South African personal and business bank sector came from digital channels " mostly mobile devices - compared with just 30-billion from face-to-face interactions.In the Africa Regions, the bank's operations outside SA, 209-million transactions were conducted through digital channels compared with 39-million from personal interactions. This helped deliver R30.4bn in income to the transactional products line, the personal and business bank's largest line, clocking R4.1bn in headline earnings.Headline earnings from the personal and business bank rose 10% to R14bn, and still accounts for the largest share of the group's R26.3bn in total earnings, although the corporate and investment bank sector grew faster at 11% to R11.5bn. Tshabalala attributed the 14% growth in group earnings,which was faster than that of rivals Barclays Africa, Nedbank, and FirstRand, to patiently sticking to the group's strategy, investment in its core banking and digital platforms, and efficient cost controls.The fourth industrial revolution did not necessarily have to lead to large-scale job cuts, Tshabalala said."Staff has to be skilled in a different way," he said. "When you write a will, for example, you will still have to see someone " We're going to need staff, but with a different set of skills."Still, the SA personal and business bank's staff complement fell 1% to 28,125 employees during the financial year as the bank increasingly goes digital, while the branch network declined 3% to 375,000m.Rahima Cassim, a fund manager at Ashburton Investments, said people were once worried that ATM machines would cut jobs but that did not happen."While Sim is correct that we need to understand how to remain competitive, we have to do it in the context of the reality of the country where education and opportunities are limited for many people," Cassim said."In this regard, mobile banking is brilliant as it makes it convenient for people in rural areas to transact " From the perspective that we have a workforce that needs to remain employed, while innovation is important, it should also be used responsibly, otherwise you can't fix unemployment."ABIDJAN, Ivory Coast - Africa is projected to have over 840 million youth by 2050, with the continent having the youngest population on earth. The African Development Bank and its East and North African Governors have stressed the need for urgent measures to match the continent's growing population and youth unemployment.

African Development Bank and its East and North African Governors.

Financing development

Impact

Projects

The African Development Bank and its East and North African Governors have stressed the need for urgent measures to match the continents growing population and youth unemployment, which they likened to a ticking time bomb.The meeting described the continents growing young population as a potential growth engine for the world. The good news is that the solution is within our reach and will require investments, said Akinwumi Adesina, President of the African Development Bank.At the end of a two-day consultation at the headquarters of the Bank in Abidjan, COte dIvoire, the Bank and the Governors discussed strategies for closing Africas $170 billion infrastructure investment gap.To bridge the investment gap, ensure inclusive growth, and create employment for the continents population, the meeting endorsed the African Development Bank-led African Investment Forum and described it as a timely opportunity to catalyse investments into projects and attract social impact financing to Africa.Tanzanias Minister for Finance and Planning, Isdor Mpango, called for closer involvement of the private sector in financing development on the continent.The African Development Bank is well positioned to advise and assist Governments and the private sector to come up with bankable projects, Mpango said, calling for direct resources to provide budget support and investment opportunities.Through the African Investment Forum, scheduled for November 7-9, 2018 in Johannesburg, South Africa, the Bank and its partners intend to showcase bankable projects, attract financing, and provide platforms for investing across Africa. The forum will bring together the African Development Bank and other global multilateral financial institutions to de-risk investments at scale.A uniqueness of the African Investment Forum is that there will be no speeches. The only speeches will be transactions, said President Adesina.Rwandas Minister of Finance and Economic Planning, Claver Gatete, said: The African Development Bank has already discussed the concept of the African Investment Forum with us. The Rwandan Government takes this Forum very seriously.Jobs will come from industrialisation. The new approach using the African Investment Forum to de-risk the sector and attract investors is the way to go, said Kiplagat Rotich, Kenyan Finance Minister.An estimated 13% of the worlds population lives in Sub-Saharan Africa today. That number is projected to more than double by 2050. Four billion (or 36% of the worlds population) could live in the region by 2100, according to the UN Population Division. Africa is projected to have over 840 million youth by 2050 with the continent having the youngest population on earth.According to Adesina, We have 12 years left to the SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals). It is an alarm bell because if Africa does not achieve the SDGs, the world wont achieve them. The African Development Bank is accelerating development across Africa through the High 5s. We are deepening our reforms. We deepened our disbursements to the highest levels ever last year and we are leveraging more resources for Africa.Tunisias Finance Minister Zied Ladhari recalled how the Banks 11-year temporary relocation to his country helped strengthen the bonds between them. We share the Banks vision. Africa is the continent of the future. This is a great Africa moment with the Bank at the centre. Unleashing the potential of African economies is a task which the Bank must accomplish.As part of the Banks High 5 agenda, 13 million African women have benefitted from new electricity connections and 23 million from improvements in agriculture. Also, 10 million African women have benefited from investor projects.An analysis of the African Development Banks impact from 2010-2017, indicates that 27 million Africans gained access to new electricity connections. 899,000 small businesses were provided with financial services. 35 million have benefitted from improved access to water and sanitation.With the Banks support, Somalia has evolved from a failed to a fragile state, asserted Somalias Finance Minister, Abdirahman Beileh. The African Development Bank has been with us throughout. Together we can reach the bright light at the end of the tunnel.Algerias Finance Minister, Abderahmane Raouia, said: "The biggest challenge for Africa today is job creation. It is a stake of stability and a lever to pull economic growth upwards. We must offer job opportunities for young people to convince them to stay here on the continent."According to Simon Mizrahi, director, delivery, performance management and results, the Bank needs to move from billions to trillions in its funding and leveraging effect.Egypts Ambassador to Cote dIvoire, Mohamed El-Hamzawi, who represented the Finance Minister, said the country has seen two revolutions in 2011 and 2014. He thanked the Bank for supporting the countrys macroeconomic stabilisation, financial reforms, infrastructure, and energy projects, among others.Moroccos Economy and Finance Minister, Mohammed Boussaid, praised the Banks ambition for Africa, and underscored its support for energy, agriculture and infrastructure projects. He said, a capital increase today is not a choice, it is a necessity. Today, the leading export sector in Morocco no longer belongs to traditional sectors, such as phosphates, but to the automotive industry. This generates jobs and adds value for sustainable and robust growth.With a substantive capital increase, the African Development will be able to execute its robust pipeline of operations (15bn in 2018 alone), including infrastructure and regional integration projects.The prospects for 2018-2020 are bright, with 50.3 million people benefitting from improved access to transport compared to 14 million in 2017. Also, more than 35 million people are expected to benefit from new or improved electricity connections, in contrast to 4.4 million delivered in 2017.This job expired on 11 May 2018.This job expired on 8 May 2018.This job expired on 9 May 2018.BORDERLAND BEAT

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A file photo.

CHENNAI (PTI): The ISRO on Sunday said it is aiming for an April launch of the Chandrayaan-2 satellite to the moon, this time it plans to send a rover to explore the lunar surface.



If the April launch of the Chandrayaan-2, the country's second mission to the Moon, is not possible, then the ISRO will aim for a launch by October.



"We are aiming for the launch of Chandrayaan-2 in April. In case we are unable to do so, then we will try for a launch by October," Indian Space Research Organisation chairman K Sivan told reporters here.



The Chandrayaan-2 satellite would comprise an orbiter, lander and six-wheeled rover which would move around the landing site and instruments on it would send back data that would be useful in analysing the lunar soil.



After reaching the lunar orbit, the Lander housing the rover will separate from the orbiter. After a controlled descent, the lander will soft land on the lunar surface at a specified site and deploy the rover.



Sivan said scientists were also gearing up for the launch of communication satellite GSAT-6 on-board GSLV-F08, scheduled later this month.



"Our immediate plan is a GSLV flight. We are planning to launch it by the end of this month. After that we plan to launch navigation satellite IRNSS-1I," he said.



The GSAT-6A is a communication satellite which will provide a platform for developing technologies. It would be useful in satellite based mobile communication applications.



The IRNSS-1I is the eighth satellite to join the NavIC Navigation satellite constellation, which would be sent to a Sub-Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit on-board PSLV as the previous IRNSS-1H launched on August 31, 2017 had become an "unsuccessful" mission.



On asking, Sivan said the ISRO was working on developing a mobile application for the benefit of fishermen.



"We are working on the app (application). It will inform fishermen where large quantities of fish are available. It will also give them messages about the conditions of the sea. It is in production mode (currently)," he said.



In January, the ISRO successfully launched PSLV-C40 carrying Cartosat-2 Series satellite from the spaceport of Sriharikota about 110 km from here.

'The Trials of Richard Goldstone': A Q&A with Daniel Terris

Photo/Mike Lovett Richard Goldstone speaks during an event at Brandeis in 2009.

On the 20th anniversary of the International Center for Ethics, Justice and Public Life, BrandeisNOW sat down with director Daniel Terris P08, P11, P12, P15, to discuss his forthcoming book, The Trials of Richard Goldstone, (Rutgers University Press, Fall 2018).

Goldstone, a South African-born judge and human-rights lawyer, has served on the Centers International Advisory Board since its founding. He was the chief prosecutor at the United Nations tribunals that tried leaders of Rwanda and the former Yugoslavia for war crimes.

He also authored a controversial report on violations of international law during the 2008-09 conflict in Gaza between the Israelis and Palestinians. Two years later, Goldstone retracted a claim in the report that Israel intentionally targeted civilians as a matter of policy.

BNOW: How does your book fit into the Ethics Centers overall mission?

Terris: The Center is very much focused on issues of human rights and international justice. We do a lot of work with international courts, trying to further their work and the work of judges who sit on those courts. Telling Goldstones story is a way of advancing knowledge of this whole field, introducing scholars, students and the general public to the complexities of international justice through one individuals compelling story.

BNOW: What interested you about Goldstone?

Terris: Before the Rwanda and former Yugoslavia war crime tribunals, there was really no mechanism for holding leaders responsible for mass atrocities committed on their watch. In successfully prosecuting most of these cases, Goldstone brought about a sea change in the way the world thinks about atrocity. He also played a leading role in the transition to democracy in South Africa, setting the stage for the later Truth and Reconciliation Commission.

BNOW: How do you assess what happened with Goldstone's report on the Gaza War?

Terris: Goldstone and his fact-finding mission did an excellent job of gathering evidence and describing the impact of the conflict on civilians in both Gaza and Israel. But from the very beginning, the government of Israel did not cooperate, so the members of the fact-finding mission had to draw their analysis and conclusions based on evidence from Palestinian sources, public documents, and from a small number of unofficial Israeli sources. One big piece of the puzzle was missing. As a result, the members of the fact-finding mission had to fill in some gaps through induction and a certain amount of guesswork that made the report vulnerable to outside criticisms.

BNOW: You've known him for more than 20 years and interviewed him for more than 35 hours for the book. What's he like?

Terris: Richard Goldstone is a soft-spoken, authoritative and confident commentator on his own life and the events of his era. He is justifiably proud of the role he has played in applying international justice throughout the world. The book draws on his insights, but the analysis and the conclusions are entirely my own. It is a tribute to Goldstones character that he was willing to cooperate with my research, without any assurance that the end result would reflect the way that he sees himself.Norbord is celebrating achieving gold in the Structural Timber Association's new Assure accreditation programme.

STA Assure offers three different levels of accreditation - gold, silver and bronze - to provide customer assurance.

And Norbord, which is a member of the STA, says achieving gold means that its position in the timber frame industry as the manufacturer of SterlingOSB has been "acknowledged".

The STA Assure membership and quality standards scheme aims to benefit both customers and members, promoting the different specialisms, accreditations and quality standards held by STA members.

The accreditation levels highlight the differing levels of in-house quality procedures, management systems and product performance as well as external accreditations held by STA members, offering clients complete transparency.

David Connacher, Norbords Marketing Manager, said: We are obviously pleased to have been awarded with STA Assure Level Gold, which enables us to further demonstrate our high quality standards to the market and provide complete reassurance for our customers.Epicor is sponsoring the very first Builders' Merchant Award for Excellence supporting outstanding women in the industry, explains Nick Hull, BisTrack customer account manager, at Epicor Software.

As a global company, Epicor supports opportunity and business growth. The Epicor BisTrack software solution is used by around 40% of the trailblazer fastest growing merchants. We recently announced our sponsorship of a special Builders Merchant Award for Excellence, which we hope will encourage the professional growth of those women already in the industry, as well as the businesses with the foresight to employ them.

Its important the issue is raised. The recent Considerate Constructors Schemes industry survey has revealed that more needs to be done to change perceptions and encourage more women into the construction industry.

The research, called Spotlight onwomen in construction, pulls together the latest and greatest examples of best practice, case studies from women working across the construction industry, legal requirements, and links to useful organisations encouraging women to work in construction.

The survey findings revealed that:

94% of respondents agreed that the industry would benefit from employing more women

76% said there are no construction jobs that only men can do

74% said there should not be quotas for hiring women into construction

It is clear from this survey that although some results are encouraging, there is still a huge amount to be done and that applies to the builders merchant industry too. The construction industry as a whole needs 35,000 new workers per year to meet its skills shortage, and not to appeal to 51% of the UK population would be to diminish the talent pool open to it significantly.

We wish all the nominees the very best of luck! Look out for winner of the award in late 2018 in Builders' Merchants News.Burnham-On-Seas Mayor has praised a devoted Burnham-On-Sea dog owner after her rescue dog won a coveted top award at Crufts yesterday (Sunday).

Vanessa Holbrow  known to many in Burnham as Ness  and her re-homed Border Terrier, called Sir Jack Spratticus, won the Crufts 2018 Friends for Life award, which shines a light on rescue dogs who play a leading role in helping people battle adversity.

Pop star and Spice Girl Geri Horner (formerly Halliwell) announced Sir Jack as the winner, leading to emotional scenes as Ness tearfully accepted the award.

The dog is credited with saving Ness life after helping her overcome various mental health problems.

Sir Jack was crowned the proud winner after attracting the most votes in a public poll across the UK that attracted over 22,000 votes in total. Ness thanked all those who supported her and Jack, saying it means a tremendous amount to her.

Ness added: I am in absolute disbelief and am so proud of Jack. He had such a bad start in life and it took me a year to train him, but this just shows what love and patience can do.

He is training to be an official assistance dog, he helps to raise awareness of mental health issues and he is my family. I dont know what I would do without him.

Burnham and Highbridges Mayor Bill Hancock told Burnham-On-Sea.com: Its fantastic that she and Jack have won, I am incredibly pleased and so chuffed for her.

Their story is such an emotional one, given what theyve gone through, and I know it really touches everyone in the area. They are so deserving of this Crufts win  I think their story should be made into a film.

Ness, as winner, receives 5,000 from the Kennel Club Charitable Trust for the dog charity of their choice, and other finalists have also received 1,000 towards their own canine charities.

Ness told Burnham-On-Sea.com: Jack has been a Godsend for me and has had a huge impact on my life.

Jack helped her recover from Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD), Complex Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (CPTSD), Dissociative Disorders (DD) and an eating disorder.

Geri Horner, formally Halliwell, said: Before Vanessa, people had given up on Jack, but Vanessa never did, and Jack never gave up on Vanessa, which makes this such a beautiful partnership. This competition epitomises what Crufts is about  we care for dogs, and they care for us as well.

Caroline Kisko, Kennel Club secretary, said: Huge congratulations to Vanessa and Jack for their incredible win  their story is so moving and inspiring, it really shows how dogs can transform the lives of their owners.

We have had some amazing finalists for this years Friends for Life competition, and they all should be extremely proud to have got through to the final five.

Each finalist has helped to change and improve the quality of their owners life, showing unwavering loyalty and they are a great example of the incredible difference that dogs can make to peoples lives.

Speaking before Sundays win, she added: Jack deserves to be at Crufts  his journey from a rescue dog is extraordinary. I rehomed him at 13 months and I was his fourth home. He was a considerable challenge initially because of his agressive behaviour.

We spent many weeks in dog training classes and we even had to go in a broom cupboard initially during lessons because of Jacks terrible behaviour. He had a lot to learn.

Since then, hes become a wonderful pet and an incredibly special loving companion for me.

Hes had to cope with long breaks away from me while I have been in hospital, but he has been there to help me recover. Hes taught me what love is.

Hes such a wonderully friendly dog whos loved by a lot of people in Burnham-On-Sea.

We found Canine Generated Independence last year and hes now training to be my assistance dog.

Jack is among five rescue dogs who were up for the Crufts 2018 Friends for Life award, which shines a light on VIP dogs who play a leading role in helping people battle adversity.

Selected from over 300 applicants by judges from The Kennel Club, each of the finalists was chosen from five distinct categories before being entered for an all-important public vote to name the top dog at an awards ceremony.

Kennel Club Secretary Caroline Kisko said: Friends For Life is an opportunity to celebrate these dogs that quietly go about changing peoples lives in their own unique and special way.

Pictured: The emotional scenes at the show in Birmingham on Sunday (Photos: Crufts / Kennel Club / Flick.digital / Burnham-On-Sea.com)Following the designers Grand Showcase at Virgin Australia Melbourne Fashion Festival, Buro 24/7 chatted to Alexandra and Genevieve Smart on the changing nature of fashion design

The word 'sustainable' isn't a particularly new one. People have been carrying reusable shopping bags and drinking from eco-friendly coffee cups for years now. In fashion, the idea of using environmentally sustainable and socially responsible processes is a growing design philosophy - with new technologies and processes being implemented by designers and brands alike to ensure that the world and its resources are stabilised. This conscious mindset was a key theme at this year's Virgin Australia Melbourne Fashion Festival, which celebrated fashion innovation and social sustainability, calling upon Aussie label Ginger & Smart to present their A/W '18 collection at The Virgin Australia Grand Showcase.

"Ginger & Smart is committed to socially responsible business initiatives all along the supply chain," VAMFF CEO Graeme Lewsey explained in a statement. "This focus on responsible innovation is a key theme of The Festival in 2018; innovation that is sympathetic to our humanity and our environment yet still tolerant of speed-to-market necessities and the economics of a global stage."

With all things sustainable in mind, Buro 24/7 chatted to Genevieve and Alexandra Smart from Ginger & Smart about the importance of educating the consumer and new innovative technologies that are changing the landscape of fashion for the better.

What processes do Ginger & Smart use to ensure the brand remains sustainable?

There are so many moving parts in our business from design to manufacturing and retail. We focus on trying to make the best conscious and sustainable decision at every stage of development and encourage our team to also think and plan ahead. We're always researching sustainable practices and incorporating them into our business from sourcing materials to our energy consumption and store fit outs.

How is technology changing fashion for the better?

Technology in fabric is advancing rapidly. At Premiere Vision in Paris there's a growing focus on sustainability with some exciting developments. Designers are now able to access fabrics manufactured with minimal waste and reduced chemical use more easily than ever. The concept of forever pieces in customer's wardrobes encourages considered quality purchasing to ensure longevity. Perhaps consumers will look for fashion that celebrates their individual style rather than following generic trends with disposable fashion.

Why is it so important to educate customers and consumers about sustainable fashion practices?

The advancement in technology is in part due to designers working with fabric suppliers to develop sustainable fabrics in response to consumer demands. The customer has the power to influence great change every time they purchase, so it's critical that they make an informed decision and use their purchasing power for good.

Do you think fast fashion will soon be a thing of the past?

There is already a shift to quality over quantity... but there will always be some elements of fashion that have a shorter life span. We hope that the fast fashion manufacturers become leaders in sustainable practices.Dear Reader,

Business Standard has always strived hard to provide up-to-date information and commentary on developments that are of interest to you and have wider political and economic implications for the country and the world. Your encouragement and constant feedback on how to improve our offering have only made our resolve and commitment to these ideals stronger. Even during these difficult times arising out of Covid-19, we continue to remain committed to keeping you informed and updated with credible news, authoritative views and incisive commentary on topical issues of relevance.

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Digital EditorWhile the latter has asked the Registrar of Companies to provide a report, the former would examine the case on a reference from the Prime Ministers Office. None of the parties to the dispute were willing to confirm the developments, which have pushed another corporate bad loan into a case for the investigative agencies, instead of remaining an outright commercial ...

Dear Reader,

Business Standard has always strived hard to provide up-to-date information and commentary on developments that are of interest to you and have wider political and economic implications for the country and the world. Your encouragement and constant feedback on how to improve our offering have only made our resolve and commitment to these ideals stronger. Even during these difficult times arising out of Covid-19, we continue to remain committed to keeping you informed and updated with credible news, authoritative views and incisive commentary on topical issues of relevance.

We, however, have a request.



As we battle the economic impact of the pandemic, we need your support even more, so that we can continue to offer you more quality content. Our subscription model has seen an encouraging response from many of you, who have subscribed to our online content. More subscription to our online content can only help us achieve the goals of offering you even better and more relevant content. We believe in free, fair and credible journalism. Your support through more subscriptions can help us practise the journalism to which we are committed.



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Digital EditorHomegrown ride-hailing major Ola has launched its operations in Sydney, its second market in Australia, as it looks to tap more developed markets to build a profit base to take on rival Uber at home. Ola had kicked off its service in Perth last month after signing up over 7,000 drivers on its platform there.

The company is now looking to expand into more cities in the country which is said to have among the most open regulations for ride-hailing services globally. As part of its launch in Sydney, Ola said that it has hired a local team which will support its driver partners. It ...The private equity industry has long been dominated by the Wall Street elite: firms like the Blackstone Group, Kohlberg Kravis Roberts and Carlyle. Now SoftBank, a Japanese conglomerate best known in the United States for its ownership of Sprint, is looking to muscle in on this lucrative business. Under Masayoshi Son, the founder who still leads it, SoftBank has been a relentless deal maker for decades, shaking up industries and most recently unleashing a $100 billion investment fund focused on technology. Despite Sons reputation  he is sometimes compared to Warren E. Buffett ...It has taken only one announcement to change the outlook for sugar companies. The forecast of a 13 per cent increase in production, compared to previous estimates, has panicked the market, eroding prices of the commodity and the stock price of manufacturers.

In sum, after a year of record profit and a second reasonably good one, top sugar companies again seem on the verge of an extended downturn. And, given the current environment in banking, a number of companies might not be able to swim through. Companies have not been able to repair their balance sheet in two years of recovery. ...Mizoram Chief Minister Lal Thanhawla on Monday wrote to Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh seeking his intervention in the so that peace is restored at the earliest, an official said.

Lal Thanhawla asked Singh to intervene for the resumption of the boundary at the earliest, Press Advisor to the Chief Minister L R Sailo said.

The Mizoram chief minister in the letter described the alleged firing by the Assam Police on Mizo youths as "unfortunate and uncalled for", Sailo said.

Lal Thanhawla said that there had been border disputes with Assam like other such instances with neighbouring states which sometimes culminated into violent clashes causing hardships especially to those in the fringe areas.

Chief Secretaries of the two states had held talks on the border dispute in 1995-96 and it was then decided that the talks should be taken up at the chief ministers' level, he said.

"Unfortunately, the chief minister of Assam declined," Lal Thanhawla said.

The Mizoram Congress legislature party last night passed a resolution to send state police personnel to occupy the land at Zophai area near the Mizoram-Assam border town of Bairabi, a party leader said.

Protestors from the Mizoram had clashed with the Assam Police in Bairabi, he said.

Members of the meeting chaired by Lal Thanhawla, who is also the CLP leader, felt that the Mizo Zirlai Pawl (MZP) or Mizo Students Federation should be allowed to build a guest house on the land belonging to the first chief minister of Mizoram Ch Chhunga, the Congress leader said.

The land was donated to the student organisation by his widow, he said.

The Mizoram Police had alleged on Saturday that a Mizo student was injured in firing by the Assam Police at Zopui in Kolasib district.

The Assam Police had denied the charge and claimed that the Mizo students were pushed back when they tried to intrude into the state.

The administration of Hailakandi in Assam had clamped prohibitory orders under section 144 of CrPC on March 7 in certain pockets of the district apprehending encroachment attempts from the Mizoram side.

Meanwhile, the Mizo Zirlai Pawl (MZP), the apex Mizo student body and other student organisations today organised rallies across Mizoram to protest the alleged firing and lathi-charge by Assam Police on the students, a MZP leader said.

In Aizawl, the protesters demanded the resignation of the state government accusing Lal Thanhawla of ''sleeping'' while the Assam government was ''encroaching on Mizo territory in Kolasib near Hailakandi district by constructing schools and police outposts''.

MZP leaders and activists have been camping in the area to construct a rest house to be called 'Zofate Chawlhbuk' on the land donated by Ch Chhunga's widow to the student organisation, the leader said.Top honchos of public sector banks have come under the scanner of the CBI in connection with alleged Rs 3.21 billion loan default case registered against billionaire jeweller Nirav Modi, officials said today.

The CBI today questioned Ravi Shankar Gupta, the chief financial officer of Modi's company Firestar Diamonds International Limited in Mumbai, who is accused in the agency FIR in connection with the case, an official said.

The agency is grilling him to know how the loans were granted and how the diversion of funds happened besides the involvement of senior executives of the PSU banks.

The loans were given by two consortium of banks to the companies of Modi --Firestar International Pvt Ltd where Punjab Bank is the lead bank and Firestar Diamonds International Pvt Ltd where Union Bank of India is the lead bank.

"There is a difference between the earlier case against Nirav Modi in which Letters of Undertaking were issued in fraudulent manner and this case where credit limits were sanctioned. In the case of LoUs, one can assume that it was handiwork of lower rung of employees but credit facilities are monitored by various senior-level officials," the official said.

The agency would call for questioning senior officials of the lending public sector banks to understand how monitoring was being done and what steps were taken to prevent the diversion of funds, the official said.

The CBI has named Modi, then president (finance) of his company Firestar Diamonds International Limited Vipul Ambani, Gupta, other directors and officials of the company, and unidentified public servants of the bank, they said.

In its complaint, now part of the FIR, the bank alleged that it came to its notice that credit facilities were not used for the purpose -- packing credit, guarantees etc -- for which they were given.

The head office of bank had declared the accounts of Firestar Diamonds and Firestar International as fraud and reported it to the Reserve Bank of India on March 4, it said.

The bank alleged that during its internal investigation, it spotted "circular transactions" between Modi promoted partnership firms -- Solar Exports, Stellar diamonds and Diamond R Us -- and Firestar group of companies, also promoted by him.

The bank said a criminal conspiracy was hatched by the accused causing a loss of Rs 3.21 billion which remained outstanding to the public sector bank.

Modi is already facing an FIR pertaining to over Rs 62 billion of alleged fraudulent letters of undertaking (LoUs) and letters of credit (LCs) issued to his company by the PNB.

The diamond merchant and his uncle Mehul Choski, promoter of Gitanjali group, are accused in the issuance of LoUs and LCs worth USD 2 billion (approximately Rs 126.36 bn).Defence Minsiter on Monday confirmed that she will be visiting neighbouring China soon, months after a period of tension where troops from the two nuclear-capable nations were involved in a standoff near the border in Sikkim sector.

"Yes, it's going to be probably in late April," Sitharaman said in response to questions from media persons on the sidelines of a seminar here.

She, however, added that the agenda is yet to be finalised.

The Defence Ministry had last week denied that the Minister was going to visit China.

China tried to build a road in a territory claimed by Bhutan in June last year, and was stopped by India, resulting in a 73-day standoff at the Sino-Indian border in Sikkim sector.

The standoff started on June 16 and both sides announced disengagement on August 28.

The standoff had led to tension between the two nuclear-armed nations, and during a meeting between External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and her Chinese counterpart Wang Yi in December, India had stressed that peace along the India-China border is a pre-requisite for strong bilateral relations.

Wang had also admitted that the standoff had put a "severe" strain on bilateral ties.

In December, Indian National Security Adviser Ajit Doval and Chinese State Councillor and Member of Central Committee of Politburo of the Communist Party of China Yang Jiechi held the 20th Meeting of Special Representatives of India and China on border issues.

The two sides later called the talks "positive and focused" and also agreed to seek "mutually acceptable resolutions of their differences with due respect for each other's sensitivities, concerns and aspirations".French President Emmanuel Macron on Monday enjoyed a boat ride with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the Ganga with a glimpse of the rich cultural heritage of the temple city.

Macron, who had spent time at the Taj Mahal with his wife Brigitte on Sunday, was given a traditional welcome with showering of flower petals, a Shehnai recital and chanting of mantras before he took a decked-up boat which ferried him, Modi and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath between Assi and Dashwamedh ghats.

People and school-leaders gathered in large numbers along the ghats waving flags of India and France while artistes enacted scenes from Ramleela and the episode of first sermon by Lord Buddha to his five disciples.

Right from the open auditorium of the Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Trade Facilitation Centre to the ghats, artistes put up an impressive show before Macron and Modi who walked hand in hand.

After reaching the DDU centre from the LBS International Airport, Macron visited the handloom and handicraft exhibition at the textile museum and enjoyed 'Chitrakoot', a play based on Hindu scripture Ramcharitmanas which was staged in the open auditorium. It showcased the life of Lord Ram during his 14-year exile.

Arriving to the welcome tune of a 'shahnai' at the Deendayal Hastkala Sankul in Badalalpur, the French president evinced a keen interest in handicrafts and heritage of the culturally-rich the city.

Taking a round of the sankul, which was inaugurated last year and is considered a one-stop destination of the handicrafts of the area, he was given a live demonstration of the craftsmanship which has earned the city global recognition.

Accompanied by Modi who explained to his guest the various craft forms, he was also shown as to how the world-renowned Banarsi sarees were weaved.

The carpets of Bhadohi, which form another major industry of the region, also caught the interest the visiting dignitary. The two leaders also sat down briefly for a cultural troupe's display before leaving for their next destination.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi with French President Emmanuel Macron and Chief minister Yogi Adityanath take a boat ride on the Ganga river from Assi ghat to the Dashashwamedh ghat in Varanasi on Monday| Photo: PTI

On reaching Assi Ghat, Macron was given a traditional welcome with showering of petals, a Shehnai recital and chanting of 'Shukla Yajurveda' mantras. He was shown the 'Pushpak Viman' as sounds of 'shankh' (conch shell) and 'damru' (pellet drum), and chants of 'Har Har Mahadev' reverberated through the air.

After boarding 'Bajra' boat for a 20-minute ride with the PM, Macron watched the episodes of Ramleela and recital of Ramcharitmanas by artistes while passing through Tulsi Ghat. At Prabhu and Chetsingh ghats, the episode of the first sermon by Lord Buddha to his five disciples was enacted.

Naga Sadhus with 'Bhasmi Shringar' were present at Akhada Sri Niranjini Ghat. Recital of Sant Kabir's poetries were done at Mansarovar Ghat and Banaras Gharanas' Kathak and classical instrumental music were performed at Pandey and Chausatti ghats.

The folk music and dance performances were appreciated by Macron before the end of his boat ride at Dashaswamedh Ghat.

A 50-feet high cutout of Modi and Macron by local artists was put up at the Tulsi Ghat and posters dotted the city showing the two leaders waving, with Eiffel Tower and Varanasi ghat in the background. They carried the tagline 'welcome to the cultural capital of India'.

Paintings of Ganga ghats on the stairs leading to them were put up along with massive 'alpanas' (colourful motifs) using flowers and colours, prepared by the students of Kashi Vidyapeeth. Through the 'alpanas', an effort was made to project symbols of development works and the friendship between two countries.

Between Assi ghat and Dashwamedh ghat where the boat ride culminated, cultural troupes showcased glimpses of Varanasi's cultural heritage.

A group of Buddhist monks offered prayers at Prabhu ghat and sadhus gave discourses at Chet Singh ghat while a group of seers chanted mantras at Niranjan ghat.



The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Monday produced Karti Chidambaram, former Union minister P Chidambaram's son, in a Delhi court after his three-day police custody in the INX Media corruption case expired and sought 15 days judicial custody.



was produced in the court of Special Judge Sunil Rana, before whom CBI counsel V K Sharma moved an application for judicial custody of the senior Congress leader's son.



However, Karti Chidambaram's counsel moved the court to hear his bail plea today itself which was otherwise listed for March 15.He also sought a separate cell in case was sent to judicial custody.

Karti Chidambaram's father P Chidambaram was also present in the courtroom.



He was remanded in CBI custody for three days after the investigative agency claimed it had recovered some incriminating documents and CD from the Chennai office of Advantage Strategic, a company linked to him.



has been in CBI custody for questioning since his arrest from Chennai Airport on February 28.



He was arrested on his return from the United Kingdom in connection with the FIR lodged on May 15 last year. It alleged irregularities in the Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) clearance to INX Media for receiving overseas funds of about Rs 3 billion (Rs 305 crore) in 2007 when his father was Union finance minister.

The CBI had initially alleged that Karti Chidambaram received Rs 1 million (Rs 10 lakh) as a bribe for the FIPB clearance. It, however, later revised the figure to $1 million (about Rs 6.50 crore at the current exchange rate and Rs 4.50 crore in 2007).



The fresh evidence in the case, which triggered Karti Chidambaram's arrest, was based on the statement of Indrani Mukerjea, former director of INX Media (P) Ltd, who recorded it under section 164 of CrPC before a magistrate on February 17.Kashmiri separatist leaders Yasin Malik and Mirwaiz Umar Farooq have been placed under house arrest after three militants were killed in Anantnag on Monday morning, according to a local daily. People have turned up in large numbers to attend the last rites of one of the slain militants. Also, train services have been suspended.

Authorities in Srinagar have ordered that schools and colleges remain shut as there are fears of protests in the city later in the day. Board exams scheduled during the day have been postponed, according to a local daily. The official Twitter account of ...Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Monday urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis to shed their egos and accept the "just demands" of the thousands of farmers and tribals protesting in Mumbai.

The mammoth farmers march to Mumbai is a "stunning example of people's power", Gandhi said on Twitter.

The Congress, he added, stands with the farmers and tribals marching to protest against the apathy of the central and state governments.

"I appeal to PM Modi and the CM to not stand on ego and to accept their just demands," Gandhi tweeted.

Fadnavis said his government was "sensitive and positive" towards the demands of farmers and tribals, who have marched from Nashik to Mumbai to draw the administration's attention towards their problems.

Maharashtra farmers protesting in Mumbai | Photo: Kamlesh D Pednekar

Fadnavis was responding to a discussion in the Assembly, initiated by Leader of Opposition Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil, who lauded the farmers for their peaceful protest.

The Azad Maidan in South Mumbai turned into a sea of red this morning as thousands of farmers, carrying red flags, converged here after walking around 180 km from neighbouring Nashik district over the last six days.

The farmers plan to surround the Assembly complex to press for their demands of an unconditional loan waiver, and transfer of forest land to tribal farmers who have been tilling it for years.

The CPI(M)-affiliated All India Kisan Sabha is spearheading the protest.

The Shiv Sena has also lent its support to the farmers stir.The decision was announced at a rally addressed by state ministers along with farmers' leaders at Azad Maidan where the peasants arrived at dawn on Monday, following which the All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS) leaders announced that the agitation was withdrawn. "We held very cordial discussions and have conceded most of the demands of the tribals, labourers and farmers who took part in the ...

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Business Standard has always strived hard to provide up-to-date information and commentary on developments that are of interest to you and have wider political and economic implications for the country and the world. Your encouragement and constant feedback on how to improve our offering have only made our resolve and commitment to these ideals stronger. Even during these difficult times arising out of Covid-19, we continue to remain committed to keeping you informed and updated with credible news, authoritative views and incisive commentary on topical issues of relevance.

We, however, have a request.



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Digital EditorThe famed 'dabbawalas' of Mumbai and the city residents came out to help the thousands of farmers, who walked for six days to reach here from Nashik to raise their various demands, by providing them food and water.



The farmers walked upto the Azad Maidan in South Mumbai early this morning as a part of their 'long march' for raising demands, including implementation of the Maharashtra government's loan waiver scheme.



Maharashtra farmers protesting in Mumbai | Photo: Kamlesh D Pednekar

Subhash Talekar, the spokesperson of Mumbai Dabbawala Association, said, "We thought about helping the farmers with food as they are our food-providers and have come from remote parts of the state.""We asked our men working between Dadar (in Central Mumbai) and Colaba (South Mumnbai) to collect food and deliver it to our farmer brothers at the Azad Maidan," he said.

Dabbawalas, the tiffin-carriers known for their efficient delivery service, provided food to the protesters as a part of their 'roti-bank' initiative.



According to Talekar, the Mumbai roti-bank, of which the dabbawalas are an integral part, deploys GPS-tracked vans to collect excess food from eateries, hotels, public functions and households, so that it can be distributed to the poor and hungry people.



Meanwhile, city residents were also seen offering 'Vada-pav' (a popular street snack), other food items and water to farmers last night.



A Mumbai resident also posted on social media a picture of food and water being distributed to farmers.



Several political parties like the Congress, the NCP, the Shiv Sena and the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena have extended their support to the protesting farmers.A Google model based on Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) that helped discover two exoplanets, is now available for researchers to process data from Kepler Space Telescope.

The "TensorFlow" model decoded massive sets of data from NASA's Kepler Space Telescope to discover two exoplanets last year, including one that has the first known eight-planet system like ours.

One of the two newly-discovered planets is Kepler-90i -- a sizzling hot, rocky planet that orbits its star once every 14.4 days. This marked the discovery of an eighth planet circling Kepler-90, a Sun-like star 2,545 light-years from Earth - making it the first known eight-planet system outside of our own.

"We're excited to release our code for processing the Kepler data, training our neural network model and making predictions about new candidate signals," Chris Shallue, Senior Software Engineer, Google Brain Team, said in a blog post.

Google hopes the open-sourced code will prove a useful starting point for developing similar models for other missions, like K2 (Kepler's second mission) and the upcoming "Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite" mission.

To search for planets in Kepler data, scientists used automated software to detect signals that might be caused by planets and then manually followed up to decide whether each signal is a planet or a false positive.

"We've only searched 670 stars out of 200,000 observed by Kepler a" who knows what we might find when we turn our technique to the entire dataset. We hope this release will prove a useful starting point for developing similar models," Google said.

Kepler-90i is 30 per cent larger than Earth and has a surface temperature of approximately 800 degree F (426.6 degrees Celsius).

It also orbits its star every 14 days.

The discovery came after Shallue and Andrew Vanderburg at Google AI trained a computer to learn how to identify exoplanets in the light readings recorded by Kepler -- the minuscule change in brightness captured when a planet passed in front of, or transited, a star.

Inspired by the way neurons connect in the human brain, this artificial "neural network" sifted through Kepler data and found weak transit signals from a previously-missed eighth planet orbiting Kepler-90, in the constellation Draco.

While machine learning has previously been used in searches of the Kepler database, the new research demonstrated that neural networks are a promising tool in finding some of the weakest signals of distant worlds.As many as 1,765 members of Parliament and state legislative Assemblies (MPs and MLAs)  or 36 per cent of all lawmakers in the country  are at present facing criminal trial in 3,045 cases, an affidavit by the Centre has informed the Supreme Court. The number of criminal cases against them is almost twice as much as 1,581 in 2014.

The Supreme Court had in 2017 asked the government to collect data of cases against legislators and set up 12 special courts to deal with such cases. Now, with the number of cases almost doubling from 2014, the government might have to increase ...The International Monetary Fund has said banking reforms like insolvency code and recapitalisation will be ineffective unless governance standards are improved.

"Reforms like the IBC Code, bank recapitalisation have taken place. However, for a lasting impact, these efforts are not enough and should be accompanied by governance reforms particularly for public sector banks," the multilateral body's deputy managing director Tao Zhang said at an event at the NSE here this evening.

There is a need to look at the "deeper issue" of governance at the banks, he told reporters later.

Without naming the Punjab Bank, he said the scam has "revealed the necessities and urgencies to improve the internal controls", which is crucial not only for improving banks but also "financial stability".

Banks should continue working on improving their balance sheets on a priority basis, he said, stressing that the asset quality situation of the domestic banks has deteriorated compared to their peers elsewhere.

He said the financial regulators in India should focus on monitoring and regulating services instead of only institutions.

The Rs 126 billion PNB scam, allegedly perpetrated by diamond trader Nirav Modi and his uncle Mehul Choksi in collusion with a few officials of a branch of the state-run bank came to light last month, wherein the duo is alleged to have used a key loophole on the international trade finance front (SWIFT) to defraud the bank.

The duo and thier officials allegedly got letters of undertaking from the Brady House branch of PNB without having the required securities and also proper trades records in place for many years.

The Fund official also spoke about financial technology firms, saying capital invested in the over 1,500 firms in the country is expected to go up by 1.7 times by the turn of 2020.

India should focus on rapidly developing the sector so that efficiencies get enhanced but also safeguard against risks and also fight misconduct, he added.Its 6.30 p.m. A woman whom we shall call Nirmala brings out a plate and a blunt knife from her kitchen. It is time for the experiment.

Nirmala divides some uncooked rice, Mysore pak (a sugary sweet, considered a luxury in regional households) and an apple among her family of five. When asked what order she would serve these items in, she says she would serve her husband first, then her son, then grandson, then herself, and finally, her daughter-in-law. The portions follow the same orderthe largest is reserved for the husband and the smallest for the ...The Finance Ministry is unlikely to disband the Banks Board Bureau (BBB) that has been set up to advise the government on top-level appointments at public sector lenders.

"The BBB mechanism for board level appointment would continue and there is no proposal at the moment to dissolve it," a top finance ministry official said.

The recommendations of the BBB are important for making a decision on appointment at the board level and this mechanism is help in putting a check on political and government influence at the top level appointments, the official said.

Asked if there is any decision on giving extension to existing chairman Vinod Rai, the official said, the government is yet to take a call on the issue.

The BBB was set up in 2016 to advise the government on top-level appointments at state-owned banks and ways to address the bad loans problem, among other issues.

Besides Rai, ICICI Bank's former Joint Managing Director H N Sinor and Bank of Baroda's former CMD Anil K Khandelwal were appointed members for a period of two years.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi approved the proposal for the constitution of BBB as a body of eminent professionals and officials, which will replace the Appointments Board for appointment of Whole-time Directors as well as non-Executive Chairman of PSBs.

They were also given the task of engaging with the Board of Directors of all the public sector banks to formulate appropriate strategies for their growth and development.

It is also be responsible for selection of non-executive chairman and non-official directors on the boards. Besides, the body will also steer strategy discussion on consolidation based on the requirement.

The government wanted to encourage bank boards to restructure their business strategy and also suggest way forward for their consolidation and merger with other banks.In the run-up to assess the cream of current literary waves, the Man Booker prize announced its ambitious longlist on Monday. Two previous winners compete once more in a list that is dominated by similar heavyweight writers for the 50,000 pound award.

Korean novelist and 2016 winner of this very prize, Han Kang is long listed once more for "The White Book". Competing in the race will also be "The World Goes On" by Laszlo Krasznahorkai, who is frequently tipped as a contender for the Nobel prize for literature. Krasznahorkai is also the winner of the Man Booker in 2015.

The judging panel is chaired by author Lisa Appignanesi, and together with poet Michael Hofmann, authors Hari Kunzru and Helen Oyeyemi, and journalist Tim Martin, she considered a total of 108 books. The lonnglist of 13 books that will go ahead in the race are a rare display of fictional identities and themes.

"It's a cornucopia of a list -- greats people will recognise and some newcomers," said Appignanesi. She said that judging the award was "exhilarating" for her.

"Every time you pick up a book you're not only in a different geographical location but in a different form of cultural imagination with a whole different set of traditions to take on board and that in itself is exhilarating," she said.

Two known figures from Spain -- Javier Cercas and Antonio MuAoz Molina -- have also made it to the longlist, alongside fellow Spanish writer Gabriela Ybarra for her debut, "The Dinner Guest".

Prominent German writer Jenny Erpenbeck is nominated for her novel about African asylum seekers "Go, Went, Gone" while French novelist Laurent Binet is going to be in the race with "The 7th Function of Language".

Appignanesi went on to praise the strong representation from independent publishers on this year's 13-book longlist: independent presses accounted for more than half of the nominated titles.

"I think we have to raise our hats to independent publishers. It does cost money to translate, it's harder to publish, harder to sell. But I think the readership for foreign fiction is growing and growing and that can only be a good thing. We've always been an island that looks out to the world, and here's the world coming to us in an extraordinary range of ways. That's terrific.

"Tastes have shifted in Britain and there's a great hunger for seeing things afresh, for fresh uses of the novel, fresh work. (Translated fiction) not only opens our minds but it opens our hearts as well. You are living with people as you read," Appignanesi said.

The longlist also features Argentine author Ariana Harwicz's "Die, My Love," Austrian Christoph Ransmayr's "The Flying Mountain" and Polish writer Olga Tokarczuk's "Flights".

The Man Booker prize aims to celebrate the "finest works of translated fiction from around the world". The prize is divided equally between the author and the translator of the winning entry.

The shortlist for the award will be announced on April 12 while the winner will be revealed on May 22.British officials have been informed by their Saudi counterparts that oil giant Saudi Aramco's initial public offering is likely to be delayed until 2019, the Financial Times reported. The Saudi government had targeted a market listing by the second half of 2018, but preparedness for the offering and also willingness for a simultaneous or sequential flotation on a foreign exchange had been questioned, the FT reported, citing sources. London still had a good chance to secure the listing, which would value the company at $2 trillion, but a foreign flotation would likely happen ...China's Sinochem Group has invited banks to pitch for roles in a proposed Hong Kong listing of its key oil assets, which could raise about $2 billion, IFR reported on Monday, citing three people with knowledge of the matter. The planned IPO for the state-owned group's energy unit will likely include its oil refining, oil trading, storage and logistics, as well as distribution and retail businesses, said IFR, a Thomson Reuters publication. A valuation for the energy unit was not immediately available. The float comes amid a push by Beijing to inject new life into ...Germany denounced moves by President Donald Trump to impose tariffs on US metal imports, saying Europe needed a united response to the threat and echoing criticism from China that it risked undermining the global trade system. Trump set import tariffs on Thursday of 25 per cent on steel and 10 per cent on aluminium, to come into force in 15 days, though Washington opened the way to some exemptions the following day after pressure from allies. "Trump's policies are putting the order of a free global economy at risk," German Economy Minister Brigitte Zypries told ...British Prime Minister Theresa May today said it was highly likely that Russia was behind the poisoning of a Russian spy with a deadly nerve agent last week.

May today chaired a meeting of the National Security Council (NSC) to assess the intelligence around the poisoning, BBC reported.

A former Russian spy and his daughter were poisoned by a military-grade nerve agent of a type developed by Russia, Theresa May has told MPs, the report said.

The prime minister said the government had concluded it was "highly likely" that Russia was responsible for the attack on Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia in Salisbury on March 4.

She said Russia's ambassador in London had been summoned to explain whether it was "a direct action by the Russian state" or the result of it "losing control" of its stock of nerve agents.The black box of a private Turkish plane flying from the United Arab Emirates to Istanbul that crashed on Sunday in the south of Iran with 11 people on board has been found, Iranian state television reported.

Turkish media reports said that eight of the passengers were Mina Basaran, the 28-year old daughter of a leading Turkish businessman, and seven of her friends who had spent the past days in the United Arab Emirates to celebrate her bachelorette trip.

Mina Basaran was an Instagram star with more than 69,100 followers on her page. She kept on posting photos during the trip.

Other Iranian media said the plane went down in a remote mountain in the snow-capped Zagros range during bad weather.

The plane had left from the emirate of Sharjah and went down near the city of Shahr-e Kord, about 400 kilometres south of Tehran, state television reported.

The aircraft was a Canadian-made Bombardier, according to the Iranian news agency Tasnim.

It had eight passengers and three crew members on board, said Reza Jafarzadeh, head of the Iran Civil Aviation Organisation.

The cause of the crash was not immediately clear.

Tasnim quoted an ICAO official as saying: "The plane is on fire. After the pilot asked to lower altitude, it disappeared from the radar."



Turkey's NTV channel, quoting the Turkish transport ministry, said the plane belonged to the Istanbul-based Basaran Holding Company which is active in the energy, construction and tourism sectors.

Iranian media reported that rescuers had been dispatched by land to the crash site, which is located in a relatively isolated area Helen's Mountain -- a protected area in the Zagros range.

Some reports said the plane went down during heavy rain.

The head of Iran's Red Crescent, Morteza Salimi, told state television that two helicopters would fly to the area on Monday morning "to search for the plane's debris and bodies" -- indicating there could be no survivors.

The Zagros range was the scene of another aviation tragedy in February, when an ATR-72 twin engine passenger plane of Iran's Aseman Airlines crashed there killing all 66 people on board.

The plane had disappeared from radar after taking off from Tehran on a domestic flight as a snowstorm battered the mountains.

Rescue teams had to battle bad weather for days before they were able to recover the black boxes of that aircraft and had to interrupt their operation several times because of bad weather.

The last videos posted to her account showed her and friends enjoying a concert by the British pop star Rita Ora at a popular Dubai nightclub. There was no further activity on her account after that.

They are still working on bringing the remains of those killed down the valley from the crash site which lies at a height of about 4,000 metres.A Turkish private jet flying from the United Arab Emirates to Istanbul carrying a group of young women crashed tonight in a mountainous region of Iran during a heavy rain, killing all 11 people on board, authorities said.

The doomed aircraft days earlier carried a bachelorette party bound for Dubai.

Iranian state television quoted Mojtaba Khaledi, the spokesman of the country's emergency management organisation, as saying the plane hit a mountain near Shahr-e Kord and burst into flames.

Shahr-e Kord is some 370 kilometres south of the capital, Tehran.

Khaledi later told a website associated with state TV that local villagers had reached the site in the Zagros Mountains and found 11 badly burned bodies in the wreckage. He said DNA tests would be needed to identify the dead.

Villagers near the crash earlier said they saw flames coming from the plane's engine before the crash, according to a report by Iran's state-run judiciary news agency Mizan.

The plane took off around 4:41 p.m today and reached a cruising altitude of just over 35,000 feet, according to FlightRadar24, a flight-tracking website.

At around 6:01 p.m something appears to have gone wrong with the flight as it rapidly gained altitude and then dropped drastically within minutes, data published by the website showed.

Iranian officials said the plane took off from Sharjah Airport on its way to Istanbul. A private company that handles public relations for the Sharjah airfield, the home of low-cost airline Air Arabia, declined to immediately comment.

Sharjah is a neighboring emirate of Dubai.

Turkey's private Dogan News Agency identified the plane as a Bombardier CL604, tail number TC-TRB. Turkey's Transport Ministry said the plane belongs to a company named Basaran Holding, which The Associated Press could not immediately reach.

Basaran Investment Holding is active in the food, finance, energy, construction, tourism and travel industries, according to the company's website.

Mina Basaran, the 28-year-old daughter of Basaran's chairman who is part of the company's board of managers and is in line to run the business, posted photographs on Instagram of what appeared to be her bachelorette party in Dubai. Among those photographs was an image of the crashed plane posted three days ago.

The last videos posted to her account showed her and friends enjoying a concert by the British pop star Rita Ora at a popular Dubai nightclub. There was no further activity on her account after that.

It wasn't clear who was on the plane at the time of the crash, though Iranian emergency management officials described all the passengers as being young women, according to IRNA.

Sunday's crash comes after an Iranian ATR-72, a twin-engine turboprop used for short-distance regional flying, crashed in southern Iran, killing all 65 people on board in February.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)China's national legislature incorporated President Xi Jinping's thought on 'Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era,' in the country's constitution on Sunday.

The inclusion of the Chinese President's political philosophy, along with the removal of presidential term limits, were the major constitutional amendments made by the 12th National People's Congress.

"As an important content of the amendment, the inclusion of Xi's thought into the country's fundamental law reflects the common aspiration of the entire party (Communist Party) and all Chinese people of various ethnic groups," said Shen Chunyao, the chairman of the Commission for Legislative Affairs of the 12th NPC Standing Committee, as reported by Xinhua.

"President Xi's thought is the latest achievement in adapting Marxism to the Chinese context and encapsulates the practical experience and collective wisdom of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and the people, he added.

Shen stressed that the inclusion of the Chinese President's political philosophy in the constitution was due to the "historic" achievements achieved by the CPC in recent times.

"The addition of Xi's thought and the scientific outlook on development has ensured the country's guiding theories to advance with the times", Shen explained.

The Thought is a 14-point basic policy that allows for harmonious development and upholding the core values of "socialism with Chinese characteristics".

China passed a historic constitutional amendment on Sunday formally removing term limits to enable President Xi to stay on as the Chinese president beyond 2023.

The Chinese legislature gave a near-unanimous approval to the sweeping changes, with 2,958 votes in favour, and only two votes against, according to South China Morning Post. This revision was the biggest change to the Chinese constitution after 36 years.

The two-term limit on the presidency was introduced by former Chinese President Deng Xiaoping in 1982.

In addition to removing the term limits, the new constitution also paved the way for the establishment of a new anti-graft super agency in China, called the National Supervisory Commission.

The overarching body will extend the powers of the party's graft watchdog to police all public employees, from officials and managers of state-owned enterprises to teachers, doctors and journalists.

President Xi has consolidated power since taking office as the General Secretary of the CPC in 2012.

The 64-year-old leader would have had to give up the presidency after the end of his second term in 2023, but he would now push his vision of making China a global powerhouse with a "world-class" military.The UN's political chief on Sunday condemned anti-Muslim violence that has targeted mosques and businesses in Sri Lanka as he wrapped up a three-day visit to the Indian Ocean island-nation.

Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs Jeffrey Feltman urged the government to bring the perpetrators of the violence and hate speech to justice.

Feltman, who met with Muslim leaders to show solidarity during his visit, "condemned the breakdown in law and order and the attacks against Muslims and their property," a UN statement said.

Sri Lanka has been rocked by a week of violent riots by Sinhalese mobs who have attacked 11 mosques and at least 200 Muslim-owned businesses, prompting the government to declare a state of emergency.

Three people have been killed and 20 wounded in the anti-Muslim attacks. Today, a Muslim-owned restaurant was targeted in the town of Anamaduwa, north of the capital Colombo.

Feltman "urged swift and full implementation of the government's commitment to bring the perpetrators of the violence and hate speech to justice, to take measures to prevent recurrence, and to enforce non-discriminatory rule of law."

Sri Lankan police have been accused of failing to protect the island's minority.

Muslims make up 10 per cent of Sri Lanka's 21 million people. The majority are Sinhalese, a largely Buddhist ethnic group.

President Maithripala Sirisena announced yesterday that he will appoint a three-member panel of retired judges to investigate the unrest.

A curfew was lifted in the central district of Kandy, the epicentre of the violence, but soldiers remained on the streets.

Feltman met with Sirisena, the prime minister, civil society and human rights representatives during the three-day visit that was scheduled before the outbreak of violence.

The envoy expressed hope that an office of missing persons will be set up soon to determine the fate of those unaccounted for from the brutal 25-year war against Tamil Tiger rebels.

"He expressed concern that many elements of the government's visionary 2015 program seem stalled, despite their importance to sustainable peace, security and prosperity in Sri Lanka," said the statement.

Feltman said he received assurances from government leaders that they are moving forward with democratic reforms.US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un will ultimately decide what arrangements are acceptable for their meeting, America's top spymaster said on Sunday but asserted that the US will make no concessions to the dictator for the talks.

CIA Director Mike Pompeo suggested that Pyongyang is buckling under the pressure of US-led sanctions.

Never before have we had the North Koreans in a position where their economy was at such risk, and where their leadership was under such pressure that they would begin conversations on the terms that Kim Jong Un has conceded to, Pompeo told Fox News.

"Make no mistake: while these negotiations are going on, there will be no concessions made," he said.

"This first meeting is between Trump and the leader of North Korea, the two people who are the decision-makers, who will ultimately decide what arrangements are acceptable, Pompeo said.

CIA, he said has an important role to play in this and keep the president well informed.

"The CIA has an important role as these conversations take place. We need to make sure that we can inform the president of the history of deceit of this regime, where they have committed to things in the agreed framework and that subsequently, we need to make sure that we go into this discussion understanding those risks, he said.

The nature of Kim Jong-un himself, he's still a very young leader, but clearly in charge of his country. Those are the kinds of things that we can share publicly about him and Trump is now committed to having at least a first conversation, Pompeo said in response to a question.

"We know a fair amount about him. We know that he is rational in the sense of the response to stimulus. We have seen this. We've watched this at administration apply pressure and now, we've watched him come to the negotiating table, the CIA head said.

Pompeo said he briefs the president nearly every day.

We have shared with the president every bit of information we have about the country, about its economy, about its missile systems, about how Kim Jong-un might react and how North Korea might respond, how the globe might respond. And the president has built an enormous coalition aimed at the singular outcome, which is the denuclearisation of the peninsula, he said.

Trump, he said, is doing this not for theater, but to solve the problem.

"The location of the meeting will determine the exact timing of the meeting. The president and the team will figure out. But what's most important is what's discussed and the clarity and the strength and resolve of this president and this administration to achieve the outcomes that America so desperately deserves, the CIA director said.

White House principal deputy secretary Raj Shah today said no arrangement for the between Trump and Kim was being "ruled out," including having the dictator visit the White House.

"It is going to be a time and a place to be decided. We don't have an announcement right now, but we have accepted this offer and we hope that it can be the part of an important breakthrough, Shah told ABC news.

When asked whether Trump would consider travelling to Pyongyang, he said, "I don't think that that's highly likely but again, I'm not going to rule anything out."



Shah clarified that no additional preconditions had been imposed on the meeting should North Korea keep its promise not to conduct missile and nuclear tests, nor publicly oppose planned military exercises between the US and South Korea.

Shah said when Trump took office a little over a year ago, inherited a policy that was not working for the previous eight years.

He adopted a policy of a maximum pressure on the North Korean regime. Over the last year, we've seen a lot of success, he said.

"We've seen China dramatically reduce trade with North Korea. We've seen the UN impose some of the toughest sanctions on the North Korean regime. It's been increasingly isolated both diplomatically and economically, with dozens of countries chipping in," he said.



On fundamentals, the prospects for Bandhan Bank (Bandhan), which is coming out with its initial public offering (IPO) on March 15, remain robust -- it has a strong asset quality, high profitability as well as growth rates. However, the asking rate is on the higher side, say most analysts, who believe that there is nothing left on the table from the short-term perspective.

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Digital EditorAt least 28 Taliban militants were killed and more than 15 others were injured in airstrikes carried out by the Afghan air forces in Uruzgan Province in Afghanistan, local military officials said on Monday.

According to an Afghan military source, the airstrikes were carried out in the last 24 hours in Khas Uruzgan and Chora districts of the province, reported The Khaama Press.

Meanwhile, counter-terrorism operations are underway in other restive districts of Uruzgan Province to crack down on anti-government armed forces.

Last week, 15 Taliban militants were killed and 16 others were injured in a series of airstrikes in Khas Uruzgan district, Afghanistan's Ministry of Defence (MoD) had said in a statement.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)A 32-year-old man was shot at in Jamia Nagar late on Monday night, while he was going back to his home with his brother.

The Police received information of firing at 11: 40 p.m. following which they rushed to the spot.

The victim identified as Mohammed Afshan received a bullet injury on the right side of his chest and is undergoing treatment in a hospital, said the police.

As per the brother of the victim, a person named Danish fired on his brother, but he did not state any reason behind this attack.

A case was registered under sections 307/34 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) in Jamia Nagar Police Station in this matter.

Meanwhile, the accused Danish, who is admitted to hospital following head injuries, has also filed a complaint stating that Afshan, along with four other people thrashed him with iron rods.

The Police is further investigating the matter.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Afghanistan's Chief Executive Officer Abdullah Abdullah on Monday expressed his disappointment over Taliban militant group not responding to Kabul peace offer.

In the Council of Ministers meeting, the CEO said the National Unity Government made an offer to the Taliban that could ensure lasting peace and stability in the country, but the group did not respond to it.

"Those who reject the message of peace and betray the country and those who committed a crime in Kabul on Friday will have a dark place in Afghanistan's history," said Abdullah.

The CEO said political tension in Afghanistan needed to be resolved in order to achieve lasting peace. He said the chances of peace could increase with political unity.

"Resolving political tensions for peace is important. Peace will be guaranteed if unity is in place. Issues relating to Balkh province are being resolved," said Abdullah.

The CEO was referring to the ongoing dispute between ousted Balkh Governor Atta Mohammad Noor and the presidential palace.

Afghan President Ashraf Ghani two weeks ago extended a new peace offer to the militant group.

Ghani said that if the Taliban comes to the negotiations table, the government will allow them to open an office in Afghanistan, even in Kabul if so desired. He also said the government would declare them a political group.

Other suggestions by Ghani included issuing passports and possibly freeing Taliban prisoners.

Ghani in his offer also emphasised the government was ready to reconcile and make peace with the insurgent group.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)A group of Taliban militants attacked Anar Dara province situated in Afghanistan on the intervening night of Sunday and Monday.

"Taliban militants took control of the district (Anar Dara) late on Sunday night", Khama Press quoted the head of Afghan provincial council Farid Bakhtawar.

In the meantime, as per certain government sources, Taliban militants launched a coordinated attack on the district leading to loss of various security personnel.

Further Taliban spokesperson Zabiullah Mujahid confirmed to take control of the Anar Dara district.

"Militants of the group have fully taken control of the district and heavy casualties have been inflicted upon the security personnel during the clash," Khama Press quotes Mujahid as saying.

Off late, the anti-government forces have increased their terror activities in the remote districts of Farah province.

Earlier there had been two separate incidents of militant attacks recorded on February 20 and 24 at Bala Bolok district in Farah causing the death of at least 28 Afghan soldiers.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)After recent Anantnag encounter, the schools and colleges will be closed on Monday in Jammu and Kashmir's Srinagar, fearing protests in the city.

The Jammu and Kashmir Police on Monday said that restrictions have also been imposed in old Srinagar city and high speed internet will also be down.

"Fearing protests in Srinagar city as one of the killed militant belongs to Soura of Srinagar city. The authorities have ordered closure of all schools and colleges for today. Restrictions have been imposed in old Srinagar city and high speed internet is also down," police said in its statement.

According to the police, three terrorists, who were gunned down in an encounter with the security forces in Anantnag, also included one involved in a recent attack on a police guard post at Soura in the Valley.

"It is pertinent to mention that among the killed terrorists, one was involved in a recent attack on a police guard post at Soura in which one police constable had attained martyrdom," police said.

Police have also identified two terrorists, while the identity of one is being ascertained.

"Three terrorists were killed which include Eesa Fazli of Srinagar, Syed Owais of Kokernag and a third terrorist whose identity is being ascertained. In the process arms and ammunition which include AK 47 rifles ,pistols ,hand grenades etc. were recovered from the encounter site," police said.

Police have also made it clear that during the encounter, no collateral damage has taken place.

Three terrorists were killed in a brief encounter with the security forces in Anantnag.

The encounter broke out between security forces and terrorists in Anantnag's Hakura in the early hours of Monday.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)A mechanical engineer from Arrah, and a teacher from Canada have embarked on a unique journey to cover the distance from Pune to Scotland with the vision of 'Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam'- one world one family.

Arrah's Prashant Kumar met Ben Reid-Howells at an art workshop in Pune last year.

With the wish to help people, the duo decided to take a bike ride and carry out a series of projects under "Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam".

Talking to ANI, Ben said that he believes that the world is one and expressed happiness over the support their initiatives have received.

"We are from different countries still we are brothers. We meet in Pune, we were under different projects for peace and education. Right now we are going from Bihar to Nepal. We got a lot of support of the people," Ben said.

Prashant said that as a human everyone has right to move around freely in the world, keeping that in mind they have undertaken this bike ride.

"We thought this would send a better message and decided to carry it forward. This trip is of two years. This is the project driven motorcycle ride," he said.

They will ride to Nepal, and then move to Tibet, China, Central Asia and Europe before finally ending their journey at Edinburgh, Scotland, in January 2019.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The Supreme Court on Monday asked the Gujarat government to respond within six weeks to the plea of 2002 Gujarat gang-rape victim, Bilkis Bano, who had sought enhancement of compensation.

The direction came after a three-judge bench of the apex court, headed by Chief Justice of India (CJI) Dipak Misra, heard the submissions of Bano's lawyer.

Earlier, the victim also submitted in the court that she wanted enhancement of compensation. To this, the apex court directed her to file a Special Leave Petition (SLP).

In March 2002, Bano was gang-raped and left to die alongside 14 members of her family, including her 3-year-old daughter, during the Gujarat riots. She was then five months pregnant, when rioters attacked her in Vadodara.

She had approached the local police station to register a case against the assailants. However, the police dismissed her case and threatened her of dire consequences if she proceeded with the matter.

She then approached the Human Rights Commission and filed a petition in the apex court.

The matter was later shifted to the Bombay High Court following which charges were filed against 19 men, including six police officers and a government doctor.

In January 2008, 11 of them were sentenced to life imprisonment for gang-rape and murder.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The daughter of a business tycoon and bride-to-be Mina Basaran, along with her seven friends, were onboard the Turkish private jet which crashed in a mountainous region of Iran on Sunday.

The plane, which was reportedly travelling from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to Istanbul, was flying the 28-year-old heiress of businessman Huseyin Basaran back from her hen party.

The group had been celebrating in Dubai ahead of her wedding, scheduled for next month.

Turkey's Haber Turk website stated that Mina was to marry businessman Murat Gezer on April 14 in a grand ceremony at Istanbul's Cirali Palace.

According to the Khaleej Times, besides the eight friends, three female crew members were onboard the plane.

The jet is reported to have encountered heavy, rainy weather, crashed into a mountain and burst into flames.

The plane hit a mountain near Shahr-e Kord and burst into flames, Iranian state television quoted Mojtaba Khaledi, the spokesman of the country's emergency management organization, as saying.

Shahr-e Kord is some 370 kilometers (230 miles) south of the capital, Tehran.

A day ago, Mina posted a picture on her Instagram account, which shows her surrounded by smiling friends in sunglasses and dressing gowns.

The photograph has been hashtagged #minasbachelorette and #bettertogether.

The crashed jet - a Bombardier Challenger C600 series - belonged to Mina's father, Huseyin Basaran, of the Basaran Yatirim Holding business conglomerate in Turkey, with interests in construction, tourism, aviation, hotels, food, energy and more, the report said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Pakistan's Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has reportedly registered a case against former envoy to the United States (US) Husain Haqqani.

The case was registered in the Anti-corruption circle by the FIA in connection with the Memogate scandal, Geo News reported, citing sources as saying.

The Memogate scandal erupted in 2011 when Pakistani-American businessman Mansoor Ijaz claimed to have received an 'anti-army' memo from Haqqani for the then-US joint chiefs chairman Admiral Mike Mullen.

Furthermore, Husain is accused of embezzlement in the secret fund worth $7.2 million, the report said.

On February 15, Pakistan's apex court issued an arrest warrant against Haqqani and directed him to appear in the Memogate case.

However, Haqqani failed to comply with the court orders.

The FIA had asked Interpol to issue a red warrant for Haqqani, Additional Attorney General Rana Waqar told the top court but Interpol asked what, if any, criminal case had been filed against Haqqani.

In late February, Pakistan's Supreme Court was informed that Interpol had not issued any warrant against the former ambassador to the US in response to a request by the Pakistan government and had raised certain queries instead.

Responding to reports of the warrants, Haqqani stated on Twitter that it was "sad that highest court of Pakistan persists with such antics for local TV news coverage. Such political 'warrants' have not been honored abroad in the past, won't work now.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)A delegation of farmers from All India Kisan Sabha on Monday reached the Maharashtra Assembly for the meeting with the state government formed committee to discuss their demands.

Talking to ANI, Maharashtra Minister Girish Mahajan assured to give solutions for farmers issue.

"There will be a meeting with farmers at 1 pm. I think we will give solutions for 80-90 percent of their issues. We are serious about the demands including loan waiver and will come up with best decisions. Written assurance will be given for accepted demands," Mahajan said.

The protest march, led by over 30, 000 farmers, reached Mumbai's Azad Maidan, after walking with blistered feet for about 180 km in the sun over the last five days.

The protest, which is held to demand a complete farm loan waiver among other things, commenced on March 5 from the CBS Chowk in central Nashik.

The farmers of the state have been demanding an unconditional waiver of loans and electricity bills; implementation of the Swaminathan Commission recommendations; announcement of minimum support price for agriculture produce; and a pension scheme for farmers.

Last year, the Maharashtra government announced a loan waiver of Rs 4,000 crore under the first phase of the farm loan waiver scheme.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Federal Bank on Monday said that it has entered into a strategic partnership with two new broking partners, M/s Celebrus Capital Ltd and M/s Fortune Wealth Management Co India Pvt. Ltd, for providing Portfolio Investment Scheme (PIS) services to Non-resident Indians (NRIs).

A formal agreement was executed at Federal Towers, Marine Drive, and Ernakulam.

On the occasion, EVP and Head - Retail Business, Federal Bank, Jose K Mathew, and DVP - Retail Business, Federal Bank, Ravi Ranjit, exchanged the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Managing Director, Celebrus Capital Ltd, Giby Mathew, and Managing Director, Fortune Wealth Management Co. India Pvt. Ltd, Jose C Abraham, respectively.

With the introduction of these two new arrangements, the bank has partnered with nine broking companies, through which the bank facilitates NRI clients to invest in shares of Indian companies, in the secondary market for purchase/sale of shares or convertible debentures on the repatriable and non-repatriable basis.

"Together we will facilitate NRI investment in India's vibrant equity markets through the 'Portfolio Investment Scheme' of Reserve Bank of India," said Jose C Abraham.

He believes that this tie-up between the two institutions will emerge as a very customer friendly and hassle-free mechanism for Indians living abroad to invest in Indian equities without losing the NRI status of their savings.

Giby Mathew mentioned that the tie-up with Federal Bank will immensely help Celebrus Capital to offer the available investment opportunities in the Indian capital market for NRI investors in a transparent manner through Portfolio Investment Scheme.

On the occasion, Jose K Mathew added that the bank is competent to cater to all the needs of NRI clients to invest in Indian stock market and offers PIS services with best in class service at extremely competitive rates.

He also added that the bank is in the process of doubling the PIS in terms of a number of accounts and total volume.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Former US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on Sunday arrived at Ahilya Fort in Madhya Pradesh's Maheshwar town in Khargone district.

Clinton, who is on a three-day private visit to the state from March 11-13, arrived in Indore earlier in the day.

Reportedly, Clinton may visit nearby tourist places during her visit.

The former US Secretary of State is in Maheshwar at the invitation of Richard Holkar, scion of the erstwhile Holkar kingdom, according to the reports.

In 2016 United States presidential elections, Clinton, who was the Democratic presidential nominee, was defeated by Republican rival Donald Trump.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Former US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who is on a three-day visit to Madhya Pradesh, visited the Jahaz Mahal in Dhar's Mandu on Monday.

Clinton is on a visit to the state from 11-13 March. She landed at Devi Ahilya Bai Holkar Airport on Sunday in a private plane, amidst tight security.

According to reports, Clinton will start off her first day by visiting Mandu.

Next, she would return to Maheshwar in the evening and interact with children of a local school before halting for the night at the holy town.

She will also visit the place where the famous Maheshwari sarees are weaved, followed by a boat ride on the Narmada.

The former US Secretary of State is in Maheshwar at the invitation of Richard Holkar, scion of the erstwhile Holkar kingdom.

According to reports, elaborate security arrangements have been made during the former first lady's visit.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)India has won the "Best Exhibitor Award" at ITB - Berlin on its last day. 'ITB -Berlin World Tourist Meet' was convened at Berlin, Germany from 7th March to 10th March, 2018.

India was represented by the Minister of State (Independent charge) for Tourism K. J. Alphons along with couple of Tourism Ministry officials.

More than 100 countries participated in the ITB - Berlin meet with their respective Tourism Ministers.

India's Incredible India (Ministry of Tourism) presented a short film named "Yogi of the Racetrack" in the meet. The said short film has got 7.2 million hits and counting.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The Central Bureau of Investigation on Monday sought 15-day judicial custody of Karti Chidambaram, who is an accused in the INX media case.

In the application submitted in Patiala House Court, the CBI has mentioned that Karti during the police custody had been evasive and non-cooperative.

"During the entire period of police custody remand, Karti Chidambaram was evasive and non-cooperative. Hence, CBI is conducting an investigation of the case without the co-operation of the accused. Therefore, under the circumstances when there is sufficient material clearly implicating the accused in this serious economic offence, it is absolutely necessary that the accused be remanded to the judicial custody," the CBI has stated.

Meanwhile, the bail plea of Karti, son of senior Congress leader P Chidambaram, was rejected today as the court did not find merit in his plea.

Earlier on March 10, the Delhi High Court restrained the Enforcement Directorate (ED) from arresting Karti Chidambaram till March 20.

In May 2017, the ED registered a money laundering case against Karti for allegedly facilitating Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) clearance for INX Media Ltd and Peter and Indrani Mukerjea when his father was the finance minister in the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Bangladesh Nationalist Party Chairperson Khaleda Zia, convicted in a corruption case, was granted bail on Monday.

BNP leader Zia secured a four-month bail in the Zia Orphanage Trust corruption case in which she was handed five years of imprisonment by a Bangladesh court.

"Now, there is no legal bar to let Khaleda walk out of prison on bail," Bangladesh Daily Star quoted BNP Advocate Sagir Hossain Leon as saying.

Earlier today, a bench of Justice M Enayetur Rahim and Justice Shahidul Karim passed the bail order in response to a petition moved by Khaleda before a high court back in February.

Her bail was considered on four grounds, including her health condition.

Further, the high court directed the concerned authority to prepare the paper book of the case within the next four months for hearing the appeal she filed against her conviction in the case.

The high court sentenced Zia's eldest son and Bangladesh Nationalist Party's (BNP) Vice-Chairman Tarique Rahman and four others for at least 10 years with a fine of 2.10 crore Bangladeshi takas (Tk).

The Anti-Corruption Commission had earlier filed a case in 2008 with Ramna Police Station, accusing six persons including Khaleda and her son Tarique.

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. May 10, 1984.

Since the last three decades, Bangladeshi politics have been dominated by Zia and current Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Monday said he is extremely positive in fulfilling the demands of labours and adivasi, after a delegation of farmers from All India Kisan Sabha reached the Maharashtra Assembly to meet the state government formed committee.

According to the Chief Minister, his government has been trying since day one of the march to discuss various issues with the farmers.

"Minister Girish Mahajan was in touch from day one even before they started. But they were firm on taking out the march. We have invited them for discussion at 12.30p.m.," the Chief Minister said in the assembly.

Talking to ANI, Maharashtra Minister Girish Mahajan assured to resolve the farmers' issues.

"There will be a meeting with farmers at 1 pm. I think we will give solutions for 80-90 percent of their issues. We are serious about the demands including loan waiver and will come up with best decisions. Written assurance will be given for accepted demands," Mahajan said.

The march, led by over 30, 000 farmers, reached Mumbai's Azad Maidan after walking with blistered feet for about 180 km in the sun over the last five days.

The protest, which is held to demand a complete farm loan waiver among others, commenced on March 5 from the CBS Chowk in Nashik.

The farmers of the state have been demanding an unconditional waiver of loans and electricity bills; implementation of the Swaminathan Commission recommendations; announcement of minimum support price for agriculture produce; and a pension scheme for farmers.

The Maharashtra government last year announced a loan waiver of Rs 4,000 crore under the first phase of the farm loan waiver scheme.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Myanmar is allegedly building military bases on the top of razed Rohingya villages, where the Rohingyas once lived before their persecution by the country's security forces in August last year.

The development has raised questions over the safety of hundreds of thousands of persecuted Rohingyas due to be repatriated from neighbouring Bangladesh to Myanmar.

According to detailed satellite images published by Amnesty International on Monday, it appeared to show "new security infrastructure" replacing the burnt homes of the refugees, after Myanmarese forces launched a brutal campaign against the Rohingyas, which the United Nations has described the violence as "ethnic cleansing".

Tirana Hassan, Amnesty's crisis response director, said, "The remaking of Rakhine State (in Myanmar) is taking place in a shroud of secrecy. The authorities cannot be allowed to continue their campaign of ethnic cleansing in the name of 'development'."

Amnesty's analysis of new satellite imagery appears to prove that at least three new security bases have been built in Rakhine since January, while more were found to be under construction, The Telegraph reported.

Hassan added, "What we are seeing is a land grab by the military on a dramatic scale. New bases are being erected to house the very same security forces that have committed crimes against humanity against Rohingyas."

The images also show new refugee reception centres surrounded by the new security fences and a heavy presence of military forces, raising concerns that Myanmar is preparing to restrict the freedom of the Rohingya refugees returning home to safety.

In January, Bangladesh and Myanmar have agreed on a two-year timeframe for the repatriation of hundreds of thousands of Rohingya refugees.

An estimated 7,00,000 Rohingyas have fled the country in an attempt to escape the atrocities committed by Myanmar's military forces against the minority community.

The process, which was supposed to start from January 22 was delayed as some critics of the deal voiced concerns over the lack of security guarantees for those who would return.

Despite the ongoing preparations for repatriation, more than 2,500 Rohingyas have crossed into Bangladesh this year.

According to Bangladesh government's statistics, an average of 75 Rohingya refugees fled their villages in Myanmar every day between January 1 and February 15.

Rohingyas are a Muslim minority ethnic group in Myanmar. They have been regarded by many majority Buddhists as illegal migrants from Bangladesh.

There are more than 3,00,000 Rohingyas living in Bangladesh, who fled in earlier waves of violence from Myanmar since the last three decades.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)South Korean President Moon Jae-in on Monday called for all-out efforts to successfully hold rare dialogue with North Korea over the next two months, calling it an important and very difficult chance to achieve what the has failed to do so far.

"We now have a very precious chance to denuclearise the Korean Peninsula, establish a permanent peace regime and build a path of joint prosperity for South and North Korea," Yonhap news agency quoted the president as telling his aides in a meeting at his office Cheong Wa Dae.

"There will be important changes as a South-North Korea summit and a US-North Korea summit will be held. Should we succeed, there will be dramatic changes in history, and the Republic of Korea will have played the leading role," he said.

Moon's remarks came about a week after his special envoys held monumental talks with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un while traveling to Pyongyang.

The North Korean leader in the meeting agreed to hold a third inter-Korean summit late next month.

Kim also told the South Korean envoys that he wished to hold talks with US President Donald Trump.

Kim's message was earlier delivered to Trump by Moon's chief envoy and top security adviser Chung Eui-yong. Trump said he will meet the North Korean leader by May.

"Now the is paying attention to our ability. The fate of the Republic of Korea and the Korean Peninsula depends on whether we successfully seize this opportunity," the president said.

The president also mentioned the opportunity may still bear no fruit even with the country's best efforts.

"What we hope to achieve in such a short period of time of about two months is a great transition that the world has failed to realise so far. And that is why we may not be optimistic about the outcome and must remain careful in the process," he said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Following a successful launch in Perth, Indian ridesharing platform Ola announced the official launch of its operations in Sydney, and has hired a local team to build partnerships and support driver-partners.

Sydney riders can experience the new service at an introductory offer for free rides from today; customers can download the Ola app from the Android or Apple App Store, register for an Ola account and begin booking rides. Rides can also be booked to and from Sydney Airport, for drop off and pick up in the designated ridesharing area.

Ola's focus is on investing in driver-partners and supporting them with new technology, training, and ways to increase earnings. Since its launch in Perth, the service has received a strong response from driver-partners with over 7,000 registrations. By enabling driver-partners to provide the best experience possible, customers, in turn, will have a high-quality ride at an affordable price.

"We are excited to officially start operating on the east coast with the launch in Sydney. We've been very pleased with how the service has been received by customers, driver-partners and the community in Perth, and can't wait to continue building on these experiences and learnings for our second city launch," said Chandra Nath, Vice President, Head of International, Ola.

In the coming weeks, Ola will continue to roll out a number of new initiatives for both customers and driver-partners. For customers, the company will provide new promotions, clear ways to share feedback, and a higher-quality ride, while for driver-partners; Ola will introduce new earnings programs, community town-halls, fuel offers and other vehicle services.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Prominent American talk show host Oprah Winfrey has some pearls of wisdom for the 2020 US presidential candidates.

In an interview with CNN's Van Jones on "The Van Jones Show," airing on Sunday at 8 p.m. ET, she stated, "I will say to whoever is going to run for office, do not give your energy to the other side."

"Do not spend all your time talking about your opponents. Do not give your energy to that which you really don't believe in. Do not spend an ounce of your time on that," she added.

Winfrey, who has ruled out running for office in 2020, also took the occasion to underscore that "the noise about running for president moved me so humbly and deeply," adding that "It means that you have somewhere in the work gained the people's trust."

According to media reports, earlier in January, Winfrey fans lit up Twitter with calls for her to run for president in 2020 against US President Donald Trump after she gave an inspiring speech at the Golden Globe awards show in support of those who have exposed sexual misconduct.

She put a full stop to any queries emerging about a potential 2020 bid for the presidency, saying with the conviction that she was "definitely not running".

Appearing on Jimmy Kimmel Live, Winfrey in response to host Kimmel's question about whether she would run had said, "Where do I look into the camera? I am definitely not running for president.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Experts and political analysts on Monday censured Pakistan for crushing dissent and sheltering terrorists in the country, including Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK) and Gilgit Baltistan.

While speaking to ANI on the sidelines of the 37th Session of UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) Session in Geneva, Pakistani journalist Arif Tauqeer, who now lives in exile in Germany, said that media in Pakistan is not free to report reality.

"The national security in Pakistan is defined by the military itself. Some of the minorities are facing persecution, killings, and abductions in Balochistan, Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa , and PoK. The human rights violations in Pakistan are not reported in mainstream media and that is very disturbing," he said.

The journalist said that Pakistani authorities have been threatening the family members of the dissidents to muzzle their voice.

"We are human beings and we too have weaknesses. Our weaknesses are easily being exploited by security forces. Our personal messages are being checked. It's very hard. When you receive messages from your family that 'we are not safe because of you', I don't think it is very easy to speak about human rights violations," Atif said.

The event was attended by political activists from Sindh, Balochistan, and PoK.

Shaukat Ali Kashmiri, Chairman of United Kashmir People's National Party, said "We don't have freedom of expression for the past 70 years. This has been forced on us constitutionally. The interim constitution of PoK says that a political party is not allowed to speak against Pakistan, whereas, constitutionally, we are not part of Pakistan. This area is part of the erstwhile state of Jammu of Kashmir. We are forced to be a part of Pakistan and loyal to it. However, Pakistan is using our territory for terror activities".

"As per UN resolution, we have a right not to be answerable to Pakistan" added Kashmiri.

Other speakers highlighted the apathy of media in Pakistan occupied Kashmir, Gilgit Baltistan where there is no freedom for newspapers to report against Pakistan and its military.

Another Pakistani journalist, Taha Siddiqui, who now lives in exile in France, said, "Pakistani media looks vibrant, but if you scratch the surface, they don't speak against military and religious fundamentalist. There are no-go areas in Pakistan like Balochistan and Pakistan occupied Kashmir.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Prime Minister Narendra Modi and French President Emmanuel Macron visited the Deendayal Hastkala Sankul, a trade facilitation centre for handicrafts at Bada Lalpur area here on Monday.

The two leaders interacted with artisans and viewed a live demonstration of their crafts.

President Macron also signed the visitor's book at the trade facilitation centre.

The Finance Minister Arun Jaitley had announced in the 2014-15 union budget by setting up of a trade facilitation centre and a crafts museum to develop and promote handlooms, handicrafts and silk products of Varanasi and to provide necessary help to weavers, artisans and entrepreneurs of the city.

It would help in strengthening their marketing activities in domestic as well as international markets and in carrying forward the rich tradition of handlooms at Varanasi. Moreover, it will give a thrust to domestic and international tourism.

The centre was inaugurated by Prime Minister Modi in September last year.

Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Modi and President Macron jointly inaugurated the 100 MW solar power plant in Mirzapur district of Uttar Pradesh.

The solar plant has been built at a cost of around Rs. 500 crore by French firm Engie. It will generate 15.6 crore units of electricity annually, which is about 1.30 crore units per month.

Prime Minister Modi arrived in Varanasi and received President Macron at the Lal Bahadur Shastri International Airport here today.

For the welcome of the French President, the Ganga Ghat of Varanasi has been decorated with flowers. The operation of the boats in the Ganga Ghat has been completely closed to the public.

Prime Minister Modi and President Macron will then arrive at the famous Assi Ghat in Varanasi, where they will board a boat for a ride along the Ghats of the Ganga, culminating at the historic Dashashwamedh Ghat.

Assi Ghat is the place where Prime Minister Modi officially began the 'Swachh Bharat Abhiyaan' campaign in 2014.

The Prime Minister will also host a lunch in honour of President Macron.

In the afternoon, the Prime Minister will flag off a train between Maduadih Railway Station in Varanasi and Patna. He will launch various development projects and address a public meeting at the DLW Grounds in Varanasi.

President Macron arrived in India on Thursday for a four-day visit.

The last visit of President Macron to India was in January 2016, when he was the chief guest at the Republic Day celebrations.

Prime Minister Modi had visited France in June last year.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday reached Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh and will attend multiple events in the city.

The Prime Minister also received French President Emmanuel Macron in Varanasi.

The security has been beefed-up in the city for their visit.

The two leaders will then leave for Mirzapur, where they will inaugurate a solar power plant, before returning to Varanasi.

In Varanasi, the two leaders will visit the Deen Dayal Hastkala Sankul and will interact with artisans and view a live demonstration of their crafts.

Prime Minister Modi and President Macron will then arrive at the famous Assi Ghat in Varanasi, where they will board a boat for a ride along the Ghats of the Ganga, culminating at the historic Dashashwamedh Ghat.

The Prime Minister will also host a lunch in honour of the French President.

In the afternoon, the Prime Minister will flag off a train between Maduadih Railway Station in Varanasi, and Patna. He will launch various development projects and address a public meeting at the DLW Grounds in Varanasi.

President Macron arrived in India on Thursday for a four-day visit.

The last visit of President Macron to India was in January 2016, when he was the chief guest at the Republic Day celebrations.

Prime Minister Modi had visited France in June last year.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Subramanian Swamy on Monday claimed that the act of Congress Party President Rahul Gandhi forgiving the killers of his father, Rajiv Gandhi, raised suspicion of "supari killing" or a plotted murder for financial gains.

Speaking to ANI, Swamy urged that a probe be conducted into the death of the former Prime Minister.

"The reason given by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) for the assassination was that the Indian Army was sent to Sri Lanka to fight them. However, he (Rajiv Gandhi) was only acting upon a motion passed in Parliament stating that Sri Lanka had asked for assistance to fight the LTTE, as they could not do so alone," he said.

The Congress President in an earlier interaction with Indian Institute of Management (IIM) alumni in Singapore had reportedly stated that he and his sister, Priyanka Gandhi, have "completely forgiven" his father's killers, as they found it difficult to hate people, although the assassination had deeply angered and hurt them for several years.

In this regard, Swamy, while launching a scathing attack at Rahul Gandhi, alleged that the leniency given to the killers of Rajiv Gandhi gave rise to suspicions about the latter's assassination, and added that the Congress President's statement on forgiving the accused lacked patriotism.

"He (Rajiv) was a true nationalist, and those responsible for killing him in the prime of his life should be shown no leniency. Initially, Nalini, one of the killers, was awarded a death sentence, but this was reduced to life imprisonment. I fail to understand why we should be lenient towards someone who collaborated with foreigners to kill our former Prime Minister. Rahul's statement lack patriotism; he should understand that the punishment was awarded to the killers of the former Prime Minister, not his father," he said.

The senior BJP leader further alleged that there was some "understanding" with the LTTE, and therefore, urged a probe into the matter.

"Why did Priyanka (Gandhi) visit the convicts in jail; only the relatives of convicts are allowed to visit them, which she is not. Furthermore, Sonia (Gandhi) took care of Nalini's daughter's education in England. Nalini was also awarded a scholarship to study computer science in the Indira Gandhi University. I don't understand why they are showing such sympathy. I suspect there is something wrong," he added.

For the unversed, Rajiv Gandhi was assassinated by a suspected LTTE suicide bomber, during an election rally in Tamil Nadu's Sriperumbudur in May 1991.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Raman Singh on Monday inspected various development programs in Dantewada at the third phase of 'Lok Suraj Abhiyan'.

Forest minister Mahesh Gagda, Director General of Police, AN Upadhyay and Chief Secretary Aman Kumar Singh also accompanied the Chief Minister to Dantewada.

Expressing his happiness over the developments, Raman Singh said to ANI, "It makes me really happy to see this district develop at this pace."

Lok Suraj Abhiyan, which was started in 2005, involves government officials visiting each gram panchayat to collect suggestions and listening to local-level problems.

This is followed by a problem-solving exercise, with the Chief Minister and other ministers visiting different parts of the state.

The event that had begun on March 11, will end on March 31.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Reporting on military and religion is a taboo in Pakistan and defying the convention can make things worse for a person, said a Pakistani journalist.

Journalist Taha Siddiqui, who has been living in exile in France, told ANI, "From an outsider's point of view, you can see that the Pakistani media talks a lot about their politicians, social issues, women rights and that seems as if the media is very vibrant, but when it comes to military and religion, you cannot talk about them and if you do so, you immediately become a target. "

"These topics are a taboo in the country," he added.

Siddiqui, who has been critical of the military establishment, himself escaped his abduction on January 10 this year, when he was on his way to the airport in Islamabad.

Talking about the incident, he said, "Eight to ten armed men, who were well dressed and English speaking, tried to stop my taxi in a broad daylight at 8:30 am, they tried to take me away. Somehow, I miraculously escaped from them and then went to a police station, registered a police case."

"I have been receiving threats for a long time from the Pakistani military, my friends in journalism and family members have also received such messages, that I should stop being critical of the Pakistani military and its policies," he added.

He further said that had the armed men been successful in their mission, he would have joined the list of people who go missing for indefinite periods.

"But fortunately, I got out of it and escaped then. Later on, I was told that they might come back as this time they failed in their mission and couldn't complete their assignment," said Siddiqui. "It was best for me to get out of the country and currently, I'm living in exile in Europe."

The Pakistani journalist further said that the attack on media in Pakistan has been intensified in past two-three years.

"You know journalism has been under attack for a long time in Pakistan, the nature of the attack and intensity has increased, especially in the last two-three years," Siddiqui said.

"We have seen that there has been a massive crackdown against freedom of speech in the country and you know mainstream media's narrative was very controlled, the print media and the electronic media, especially the regional media and Urdu media, all are very controlled," he added.

The exiled journalist went on to say that there's a lot of self-censorships people exercise because of the environment of fear and intimidation. Even financial obligations and financial squeezing happen for the mainstream media. But we have seen in last two-three years that they have come down on social media now.

"I, myself, am very vocal sort of person on social media. I use social media as a tool for my journalism and I have seen that now they have been picking up on people, those are active on social media," he said, adding, "last year they picked-up five bloggers.

He mentioned one of such incidents happened this year when activist Raza Khan, who was doing 'Aaghaz-e-Dosti', the youth-led voluntary initiative for India-Pakistan friendship, was abducted and he is still missing. He was very active on social media.

"Similarly, with my case and other cases, you know, we were very active on social media and we have received calls from the military establishment that too, from serving officers in the military saying 'you tweeted this and you put this on Facebook, you should remove'," he said. "They call us to their offices and tell us 'you know that the trend, the trajectory of Pakistani freedom of speech and freedom of expression is going towards much more controlled sort of environment, where you can talk about certain things'."

According to a report published by the United Nation's Press Freedom Index, Pakistan is consistently ranked low in the index. It is currently ranked 139 out of 180 countries.

The country has seen enforced disappearances of journalists in the recent days.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)South Korean President Moon Jae-in's special envoys headed to China and Japan on Monday to brief their leaders on the outcome of their historic visit to North Korea.

Chung Eui-yong, President Moon's top security advisor, returned from Washington D.C. on Sunday after completing a successful two-day visit to the US capital. He will now embark on a two-day trip to Beijing in China, where he is likely to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping.

South Korea's National Intelligence Service chief Suh Hoon, will also visit Japan later on Monday, where he is scheduled to meet Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Tuesday.

In a major breakthrough, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and the South Korean envoys agreed to hold an inter-Korean summit late next month, in exchange with the former's willingness to abandon nuclear weapons for a security guarantee last week, according to Chung.

The North Korean leader hosted a special welcome dinner for the envoys at the headquarters of the ruling Worker's Party in Pyongyang. It was also the first time that a leader from North Korea met with South Korean dignitaries till date.

The US-North Korea took a dramatic turn on Friday when Kim invited US President Donald Trump for a meeting, and the latter duly accepted to meet by May.

However, President Trump stated that sanctions on North Korea would remain in place until the Communist country achieved denuclearisation in the Korean Peninsula.

A senior US official said North Korea offered to suspend their nuclear missile testing alongside their invitation for talks. The official also said that there were no plans to suspend the upcoming planned military exercises with South Korea.

"We have been able to reach an agreement for a South-North summit in late April, thanks to our people's support, and it appears a summit meeting between the United States and North Korea may be held as well," Chung was quoted by Yonhap as saying after returning from the US.

"I wish to express my respect to President Moon Jae-in and President Trump and their firm determination to denuclearise the Korean Peninsula at an early date and establish peace," he added.

Chung is also scheduled to visit Russia on Tuesday. He is likely to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin to brief him on the outcome of the North Korea trip, according to officials of the South Korean presidential house, Cheong Wa Dae or Blue House.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Former Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's daughter Maryam Nawaz on Monday said that the recent shoe hurling incident on her father would make him even "more popular".

In a veiled jibe to the attackers in the incident, Maryam called them "cowards" and asked those responsible for it to come to the public.

"Don't attack under the veil. Nawaz Sharif will not get afraid of such a cowardly act. Lions do not fear jackals. Those who get defeats use such tactics. People will avenge those who are behind this act by voting in favour of Nawaz Sharif in the general election," she asserted.

While addressing a rally in Rawalpindi, Sharif's daughter removed the bullet-proof screen from the stage and challenged the crowd to "attack her if they have courage".

She then lambasted at Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman Imran Khan, alleging that he had been promoting a culture of intolerance in the society and use of foul language in politics, The Dawn reported.

"Do you think, just one message of condemnation (of the shoe-hurling incident) is enough? You (Imran Khan) promoted the culture of abusive language over the last five years in sit-ins and public meetings. Haven't you talked about dragging opponents by their neck from Prime Minister House?" she asked.

Maryam also criticised the Joint Investigation Team (JIT) on the handling of the Panama Papers case and said that it found "nothing despite spending millions of Pakistani rupees".

"The JIT head gave millions of rupees to his (Imran's) relatives in the name of investigations," she alleged.

A miscreant hurled a shoe at Sharif when he was about to address a gathering at the Jamia Naeemia mosque in Lahore on Sunday.

Sharif went to the mosque marking the death anniversary of a cleric Mufti Mohammad Hussain Naeemi.

This incident has added to the series of such attacks targeting various leaders across Pakistan in the recent days.

However, Sharif went ahead with his address, although reportedly shortening his speech, only to thank the organisers and saying words of prayer for the deceased cleric. The accused was caught and later thrashed by the audience before handing him to the security agencies present at the venue.

Earlier on Saturday, a miscreant smeared ink on the face of Pakistan Foreign Minister Khawaja Asif at a Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) convention.

Prior to that on February 24, Interior and Minister for Planning, Development, and Reforms, Ahsan Iqbal was also attacked by a shoe while delivering a public address.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)A 22-year-old Sikh student in the UK was recently allegedly dragged out of a bar because he was wearing a turban.

Amrik Singh, a law student at Nottingham Trent University, was told to leave Rush Late Bar in Mansfield, Nottinghamshire, as he was wearing 'headgear' and this was not allowed, reports Metro.

Singh, who felt 'victimised' by the bouncer, recorded the whole incident where he can be heard asking the doorman the reason why he had to leave.

The door supervisor then replied 'that's just our policy'. When Singh said the turban was a religious requirement, he was told, "I didn't think you were allowed to come in a pub and drink anyway."

"I'm heartbroken. The reason why I was removed was because I refused to remove my turban," he wrote on Facebook - a post which has now been deleted.

"The bouncer insisted I take it off. I refused and was subsequently dragged away from my friends," he added.

Post the incident, Singh, who 'received thousands of supportive messages from people from all backgrounds and countries', took to social media to thank everyone for their 'love and support'.

.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Congress MLAs disrupted Governor E.S.L. Narasimhan's speech in the Telengana Assembly on Monday.

Congress MLAs threw papers at the governor while he was trying to address the joint session of the Telangana Legislative Assembly and Council.

During the disruption, they tossed their papers at him too after tearing them and even threw their headphones; one of them thrown by MLA Komatireddy Venkat hit Swamy Goud, the council chairman.

Congress leader Komatireddy Venkat Reddy, while talking to ANI about the protest in the assembly, said, "It is our right to protest and raise slogans in the assembly. I have been an MLA for the last 20 years but have never seen such a condition where the MLAs are not allowed to protest".

He alleged that "the governor was making false statements in the assembly and therefore we had to raise our voice by holding placards. It is correct that we threw papers but as far as I believe papers wouldn't hurt a person so much. I didn't beat anyone with headphones and it is just a drama arranged by Harish Rao to get us suspended".

He added that "it was very unfair that there were 50 police men who came to stop us and were and pushing us as we were protesting. My leg got a mild fracture as a result of this, but I can't blame anyone for this incident. The main intention of opposition party is to suspend us and that is the reason they are showing all these"

Deputy Speaker M. Padma Devender Reddy, after visiting Swamy Goud in hospital, said, "It was an unexpected thing, what happened in the assembly. I just checked the condition of Swamy Goud. His right eye is completely swollen and the dressing has been done to his eye. Doctors asked to admit him in hospital for observation of his condition. We haven't filed any complaint against this".

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)New age content is surely the mantra that everyone swears by today, Keeping in mind the current trend, HRH Film Productions is set to break the market with a new trend with the first ever English - Telugu cross over film "Friends-in-law".

Shot extensively in Bangkok and Hyderabad, the film boasts of a never seen before subject and an untold story of an orthodox south Indian lady landing up in Bangkok, having to spend time with her gay son's partner.

A light-hearted and a slice of life film, this venture has been directed by Ace Photographer Amit Khanna, under the banner of HRH Film productions and Produced by Swati Sanghi, Shreedevi Chowdary and Amit Khanna, The film stars a blend of international as well as Indian actors, Shreedevi Chowdary and Ashlin Harris will be seen in the lead roles along with a strong supporting cast.

Producer Swati Sanghi from HRH Film Production quotes, "Evolution of mind happens with acceptance of relationships in turn results in peace and happiness".

Actor producer Shreedevi Chowdary said, "I am proud to be associated with such a universal subject who can bring about a revolution in the world." She further adds, "Though it's my first stint as an actor I am happy and confident about the film hitting the bull's eye."

Director Amit Khanna said, "It's an honor to work in the south with great technicians, the film is the first of its kind and we are hoping it leaves a mark internationally as well as in India. The film is all set to travel across the globe with its universal subject and will be seen at the major international and Indian film festivals before its commercial release.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)16 commandos of the Garud Commando Force and four choppers from the Indian Air Force (IAF), with one of them at standby, arrived here on Monday morning to commence the search and rescue operation of those stuck in the Kurangani forest fire.

As many as 15 people were rescued from the fire that broke out in Kurangani hills here on Sunday.

However, Theni District Collector Pallavi Baldev clarified that she had not received any information on the casualty of the blaze.

Baldev further informed that around 37 people in two separate groups reached Kolukkumalai for trekking. They camped in an estate and were returning when the fire broke out in the forest.

The Indian Air Force (IAF) was pressed into action by Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman after Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami sought help on the matter, and rescued nearly 15 students.

Meanwhile, actor-turned-politician Kamal Haasan conveyed his wishes to those recovering from the "heart-rending" forest fire.

"Kurangani forest fire and its victims is heart-rending. Those with burn injuries should heal fast. I wish them all the best for recovery and rehabilitation. To those bereaved families, my deepest sympathy," he tweeted.

Kurangani forest fire and its victims is heart rending. Those with burn injuries should heal fast. I wish them all the best for recovery and rehabilitation. To those bereived families my deepest sympathy.  Kamal Haasan (@ikamalhaasan) March 12, 2018

Rescue operations are underway, and further details are awaited.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The Trump administration on Sunday confirmed that there will be no additional conditions imposed on North Korea before a first-ever meeting of the leaders of the two nations.

"This potential meeting has been agreed to, there are no additional conditions being stipulated," White House Principal Deputy Press Secretary Raj Shah said.

"...but, again they - they cannot engage in missile testing, they cannot engage in nuclear testing and they can't publicly object to the U.S.-South Korea planned military exercises," he added.

The officials' comments followed the surprise announcement last week that President Donald Trump has agreed to meet the North Korea's Kim Jong-un by May, reported Canada's CBC News.

The US-North Korea made a breakthrough on Friday when Kim Jong invited Trump for a meeting, and the latter duly accepted to meet by May.

A senior US official said North Korea offered to suspend their nuclear missile testing alongside their invitation for talks. The official also said there are no plans to suspend the upcoming planned military exercises with South Korea.

The administration officials credited toughened economic sanctions imposed by the United Nations, and pushed by the United States, with helping bring Kim to the brink of negotiations, according to the report.

Trump believes that the upcoming groundbreaking talks with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un will be a "tremendous success" and also expressed confidence in Pyongyang's "promise" to suspend missile tests.

"The promise is they wouldn't be shooting off missiles in the meantime, and they're looking to de-nuke. So that'd be great," the US president said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)At least two persons were killed when a helicopter went down in New York's East River on Sunday, authorities said.

Three others remain in critical condition and the pilot was rescued after the Eurocopter AS350 went upside-down and submerged when emergency responders reached it, CNN News quoted the Fire Department of the City of New York (FDNY) Commissioner Daniel Nigro as saying.

The pilot was rushed to the hospital for observation.

"One of the most difficult parts of the rescue was that five people were tightly harnessed," Nigro said. "People had to be cut out."

According to New York Police Department Commissioner James O'Neill, the Liberty Helicopters chopper was chartered for a private photo shoot.

Liberty Helicopters describes itself as "the largest and most experienced helicopter sightseeing and charter service in New York City".

The company has "a fleet of 10 states of the art Airbus Helicopters (formerly American Eurcopter)", according to its website. "We have been in business and flying safely for over 30 years," the website says.

The Federal Aviation Administration earlier on Twitter said the chopper went down in the river near Roosevelt Island at 7 p.m., adding that the National Transportation Safety Board would determine the probable cause of the incident.

According to police, the chopper is in the water around 23rd Street and it has put in a request for a barge with a crane to pull it out.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The Centre is working to introduce cyber security in the school curriculum to educate students about the cybercrime threats in the digital world, a top official from Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) said at an ASSOCHAM event.

We are already working on a project whereby we have created content for CBSE (Central Board of Secondary Education) schools and we are closely interacting with Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD), we have already prepared the content and given it to them, said Mr Vinod K Chauhan, scientist 'C', Cyber Security Group, MeitY.

He also said that MeitY was in process of notifying a policy for public procurement preference to Make in India to promote domestic cyber security industry. We will come up with a list of cyber security tools which will be procured through government procurement and before notifying those cyber security tools we will go through with all testing and necessary specifications for those tools.

Mr Jagmohan Veerbhan, COO, Shreetron India Ltd., Department of IT & Electronics, Government of Uttar Pradesh (UP) informed that UP government is designing a state-specific cyber security policy.

Shreetron India Ltd. has entered into a partnership with Gujarat-based Raksha Shakti University and ECS Infotech Pvt. Ltd. for imparting cyber security training and awareness, said Mr Jagmohan. The policy is in the drafting phase.

He also said that ECS Infotech Ltd. has further technical collaboration with Israel based HackerU. Shreetron India Ltd. has set up center of excellence named 'Skilltron' at their Sahibabad campus for imparting the skilling programs.

He added that UP Police Department was very serious to impart cyber security training to cops and senior level officers in the police department.

Stressing upon the need for promoting awareness about cyber security, Mr Prem K. Gautam, IPS, Superintendent of Police, CBI said, People have to be made more and more aware of pitfalls of technology and even cutting-edge police officials are required to be made aware of various technology crime types.

He added, If we follow a three-pronged strategy of educate, empower and eradicate, we can fight the war against cybercrime and win it.

Mr Gautam further said that there is need to empower all stakeholders be it law enforcement, judiciary, private sector, academia, researchers and others through joint efforts.

Renowned cyber security expert, Mr Rakshit Tandon in his address at the ASSOCHAM event said, There is an urgent need to harness the capacity building of youth in cyber security in collaboration with industry and academia, understanding of basics Cyber Laws to every Individual to be a Law Abiding digital citizens and and to provide us a Safer Digital India.

He added, Industry and academia must collaborate and have Cyber Research Centres in University to enable student to expose to latest development with future skills like AI /Machine Learning and Blockchain.

Mr Tandon further said that research labs must be set up across the country which can assist Law Enforcement to solve online crimes.

Ms Meenu Chandra, senior attorney, Microsoft said, One of the biggest threats IT users face today is tech support fraud.

While enforcement authorities are cracking down scamsters, the scale and scope of tech support fraud requires an all-hands-on-deck approach.

Microsoft's Digital Crimes Unit (DCU) leverages our global team to investigate fraud and combat cybercrime around the globe, including in India. The DCU is combatting cybercrime by (1) using a data-driven approach to investigate tech support fraud networks and refer cases to law enforcement as appropriate, (2) strengthening our technology to better protect consumers from various fraudulent tactics, and (3) educating them about how to stay safe online, said Ms Chandra.

We have trained more than 385 law enforcement officers and over 400 prosecutors in India on cybercrime in the past year, she added. We are currently playing a key role in the government's Cyber Surakshit Bharat program, and remain committed partnering the government in fighting this menace.

Mr Ashutosh Chadha, group director, Govt. Affairs Public Policy, Microsoft India and an ASSOCHAM member said, Recent industry research shows that Indian enterprises are at the forefront in recognizing AI as a disruptive force and are fast adopting Artificial Intelligence (AI) to reinvent their business models. This, combined with the government's vision that AI should be 'Made in India' and 'Made to Work for India', we believe we have the opportunity to emerge as a leading force worldwide in IT innovation.

He also said, AI systems that concern people will need data about people to function, and in a data-pervasive world, security and privacy will be of supreme importance. At Microsoft, trust and cybersecurity are our no. 1 priority and we have been working closely the industry and government bodies relentlessly towards this. We are committed to MeitY's Cyber Surakshit Bharat Program, which is a significant initiative towards increasing awareness and building capacity among CISOs and frontline IT users in the public sector.

ASSOCHAM's Cybersuraksha Youth Awareness Campaign is the next logical step in this and aims to make cyber-hygiene a habit among the country's youth and we are extremely proud to support it, he further said.

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)NCLT dismisses matter under Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code

Honeywell Automation India has concluded and signed a Settlement Agreement dated 28 February 2018, with Premier Power Products (Calcutta), towards full and final settlement of the disputed claim, and an in principle agreement to withdraw the petition filed against the Company under Section 9 of the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, 2016, by Premier Power Products (Calcutta) before the Mumbai Bench of the National Company Law Tribunal.

The said matter was listed on 12 March 2018 before the Mumbai Bench of National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT). The Advocates for the parties informed the Ld. NCLT Bench that the parties had arrived at a settlement of their disputes and had entered into settlement terms. The Ld. NCLT Bench was accordingly pleased to dismiss the matter as withdrawn and has passed an order in terms thereof.

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of India (IBBI) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) today with the Reserve Bank of India (RBI). The MoU was signed by Mr. Sudarshan Sen, Executive Director of the RBI and Dr. (Ms.) Mamta Suri, Executive Director of the IBBI in the august presence of Mr. Injeti Srinivas, Secretary to Government of India, Ministry of Corporate Affairs; Dr. M.

S. Sahoo, Chairperson, IBBI and other distinguished Members of the Insolvency Law Committee (ILC) on the side-lines of the 4th meeting of the ILC at New Delhi.

The Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, 2016 (Code) provides for reorganisation and insolvency resolution of corporate persons, partnership firms and individuals in a time bound manner for maximization of the value of assets of such persons, to promote entrepreneurship, availability of credit and balance the interests of all the stakeholders and, for this purpose, has established an institutional infrastructure comprising of Adjudicating Authorities, the IBBI, insolvency professionals, insolvency professional agencies and information utilities. The IBBI exercises regulatory oversight over the Insolvency Professionals, Insolvency Professional Agencies and Information Utilities. It writes and enforces rules for processes, namely, corporate insolvency resolution, corporate liquidation, individual insolvency resolution and individual bankruptcy under the Code.

Both the RBI and the IBBI are interested in the effective implementation of the Code and its allied rules and regulations, through a quick and efficient resolution process. Therefore, they have agreed under the MoU to assist and co-operate with each other for the effective implementation of the Code, subject to limitations imposed by the applicable laws.

The MoU provides for: (a) sharing of information between the two parties, subject to the limitations imposed by the applicable laws; (b) sharing of resources available with each other to the extent feasible and legally permissible; (c) periodic meetings to discuss matters of mutual interest, including regulatory requirements that impact each party's responsibilities, enforcement cases, research and data analysis, information technology and data sharing, or any other matter that the parties believe would be of interest to each other in fulfilling their respective statutory obligations; (d) cross-training of staff in order to enhance each party's understanding of the other's mission for effective utilisation of collective resources; (e) capacity building of insolvency professionals and financial creditors; (f) joint efforts towards enhancing the level of awareness among financial creditors about the importance and necessity of swift insolvency resolution process of various types of borrowers in distress under the provisions of the Code, etc.

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Shares of three companies related to shrimp production fell by 1.36% to 3.3% at 12:01 IST on BSE after the United States hiked anti-dumping duty on Indian shrimp exports to 2.34% from earlier 0.84%.

Avanti Feeds (down 3.3%), Waterbase (down 3.3%) and Apex Frozen Foods (down 1.36%), edged lower.

The S&P BSE Sensex was up 309.46 points, or 0.93% at 33,616.60.

The United States of America, the largest market for Indian seafood, has enhanced the anti-dumping duty on the shrimps to 2.34% from 0.84%. The Department of Commerce (DoC) has preliminarily determined that certain frozen warmwater shrimp from India is being sold in the United States at less than normal value during the period of review (POR) 1 February 2016 to 31 January 2017.

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Seven civilians, including two women and three children, were killed when Taliban militants hit their vehicle with a rocket in Afghanistan's Nangarhar province, officials said on Monday.

Two people were also wounded in the attack which occurred at around 8.30 p.m. on Sunday in Nabi Khil locality of Bati Kot district, a government official told Xinhua news agency, adding one of the injured remained in critical condition.

Provincial Governor Mohammad Gulab Mangal condemned the attack.

More than 3,430 civilians were killed and over 7,000 others injured in conflict-related incidents in 2017, according to figures released by the UN mission in the country.

The mission has attributed 65 per cent of the civilian casualties to the Taliban and other insurgent groups, 20 per cent to security forces over the period while 11 per cent were attributed to both sides during clashes and the remaining 4 per cent were due to other reasons.

--IANS

soni/bg

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Nine trekkers have died in a forest fire on the Kurangani Hills in Tamil Nadu, the District Collector said on Monday.

A rescue operation with the help of the Indian Air Force (IAF) helicopters has been underway since Sunday. A total of 27 trekkers were rescued from the fire in picturesque Theni district, some 520 km from here.

The trekking group of eight men, 25 women and three children had camped at a place up in the hills on Saturday night. They were supposed to return on Sunday.

Earlier, in a tweet, Union Minister of State for Finance and Shipping Pon Radhakrishnan expressed grief and shock at the loss of life of those who were caught up in the blaze.

The Minister said he was praying for the fast recovery of those who were injured. He also thanked Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman for deploying the IAF team in the rescue effort.

According to a Tamil Nadu Fire and Rescue Services official, the operation was expected to be over by Monday afternoon.

Speaking to IANS, District Collector Pallavi Baldev said the operations were continuing and the trekkers were being brought down by the rescue team members.

A temporary helipad has been set up at the Bodi foot hills. The injured have been admitted in hospitals in Madurai and Theni, she said.

The night climate was generally chilly while efforts were afoot to reach the stranded trekkers caught up in the blaze, the fire official added.

State Health Secretary J.Radhakrishnan said six of the rescued admitted in a Madurai hospital have suffered serious burn injuries.

The IAF commando team had flown in from the Sulur Air Base near Coimbatore late on Sunday and climbed up the hills.

Sitharaman had confirmed on Sunday that the commandos deployed in the rescue mission would carry medicines and provide medical assistance on spot.

Having access to advanced communication facilities, the IAF team was also deputed to check the landing facility for helicopter.

They decided on the best ways to evacuate those stuck on the hill, including the injured.

Speaking to the media on Sunday, Baldev had said that 24 trekkers from the Chennai Trekking Club and 12 from Erode and Tiruppur had gone up the Kurangani Hills.

The adventure was part of the Woman's Day activity that was celebrated on Thursday.

A Tamil Nadu Forest Department official had said that the organisers had not obtained any permission for the trekking mission.

--IANS

vj/in

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Bollywood actor Upen Patel has described bilingual film "Boomerang" as a "perfect project" for him in the southern movie industry.

At the Expandables Awards here on Sunday, Upen spoke about his experience in the southern film industry and his upcoming entertainer "Boomerang", directed by R Kannan.

"It feels really exciting. I feel very lucky to have been a part of Shankar's 'I' as my debut into the south film industry. I had many offers after it but I wanted to experience working with another big director with a great vision. So, I was waiting for the right project, and 'Boomerang' was the perfect film," Upen said.

He describes the film as a "thriller with a great script and a great story".

"The makers were looking for an actor who wasn't a typical villain. They wanted an antagonist who could match up to the hero's persona," said the actor, who began shooting for the movie last month.

Asked if it's the co-actors, the director or the script that makes him want to do a film, the "36 China Town" actor said: "More than actors, it is actually the storytellers that I like to work with. For me, it's about the director's vision and the story.

"I have always done movies that I believe in. If you look at Hindi cinema or my work in south, I have always had a gap of one year before I do another movie. I try my best to look for the right script and role. I want to work in films that I would enjoy shooting and the audience would like to watch."

"Boomerang" features Atharvaa Murali in a prominent role, with Megha Akash, Sathish, RJ Balaji, and Suhasini Maniratnam as co-stars.

--IANS

iv/rb/bg

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The opposition Congress had some anxious moments after former Union Minister Naransinh Rathwa and party spokesperson Amee Yagnik on Monday filed their nominations as its candidates for two of the four Rajya Sabha seats from Gujarat.

The opposition party is backing independent candidate P.K. Valera, a former bureaucrat, who threw his hat in the ring at the last minute due to technical hitches with Rathwa's candidature.

Indian Premier League Chairman and Congress leader Rajeev Shukla, party sources said in Delhi, was ready at the eleventh hour to fly to Gandhinagar in a chartered flight to ensure the Congress did not lose a sure seat if Rathwa's papers were rejected.

But the airport authorities refused permission since re-carpeting was in progress.

However, Rathwa managed to show evidence about his valid vote in his hometown Chhotaudepur.

The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party has fielded three candidates, including two sitting Rajya Sabha members.

Besides Union Minister of State Parshottam Rupala and Mansukh Mandavia, the ruling BJP has fielded senior leader Kiritsinh Rana, stating there could be cross-voting due to Valera's nomination as a third candidate backed by the Congress.

All four seats are currently represented by the BJP, including one by Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, who has been moved to Uttar Pradesh since the party does not have adequate numbers to win all four seats this time.

With 99 MLAs in a 182-member Assembly, the BJP can easily win two seats.

The Congress with 77 legislators, besides the four Independents and one Bharatiya Tribal Party member, also has the numbers this time to send two members to the Upper House.

--IANS

desai/tsb/bg

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Domestic passengers carriers -- mainly led by low-cost carriers (LCCs) -- have an order book of more than 1,000 aircraft as a result of increased air connectivity and cheap air fares, leading to more Indians from small towns to travel for work and vacations by air, new Civil Aviation Minister Suresh Prabhu said on Monday.

"Aviation is one of the fastest growing sectors of the Indian economy," the Minister of Commerce and Industry Prabhu said while assuming additional charge of the Ministry of Civil Aviation.

Speaking on the occasion, Prabhu said the "Open Skies Policy" was leading to tremendous growth in the aviation sector and the benefits of this growth would be seen in increased employment generation.

Open Skies is an international policy concept that calls for the liberalisation of the rules and regulations of the international aviation industry, especially commercial aviation, in order to create a free-market environment for the airline industry.

President Ram Nath Kovind on Saturday appointed Suresh Prabhu as Civil Aviation Minister, two days after P. Ashok Gajapathi Raju stepped down as the Telugu Desam Party quit the Modi government.

--IANS

ppg/nir/mr

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP R.K. Sinha from Bihar on Monday said prohibition has failed in the state and called for a review of the much-hyped policy, which is currently in effect in the state.

The BJP is a ruling ally of Nitish Kumar-led government in the state.

Sinha, a Rajya Sabha member of BJP said in chaste Hindi: "Sharabbandi ke lagu karne ke tarikon par purnvichar ki avashyakta hai (There's a need to review the way prohibition policy has been imposed)."

Speaking in Sasaram, the district headquarters of Rohtas, he said that Nitish Kumar's intention behind implementing prohibition in the state was good and society had also benefited, but loopholes in its implementation had provided opportunity to liquor mafia and officials to mint money.

Sinha said that there was a need for reform in the implementation of prohibition policy in the state. "Prohibition has hit hard tourism sector and hotel business in the state. Big companies and MNCs are hosting their meetings and other functions in neighbouring West Bengal."

It is first time that the ally of ruling Janata Dal-United (JD-U) has raised questions over prohibition in Bihar, after the party joined hands with Nitish Kumar and formed the government in July last year.

More than 1.29 lakh persons have been arrested for violating the prohibition imposed by the Nitish government in Bihar about two years ago.

--IANS

ik/nir

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)CPI-M General Secretary Sitaram Yechury on Monday said all opposition parties would come together to defeat the BJP's plot of "birodhimukt Bharat" (opposition-free India).

"BJP hatched a plot to make "birodhimukt Bharat". It would never be achieved. All opposition secular parties are getting organised to defeat the BJP plot," Yechury told media persons before leaving here for Maharashtra where he would join the farmers agitation.

The Left leader said that this time the opposition alliance would be on the strength of "niti" (policy) and not on the basis of "neta" (leader).

He said: "After the BJP won the Tripura assembly elections, their cadres unleashed a reign of terror over the past one week across the state to turn Tripura "birodhimukt" as part of their larger plan of "opposition-free India".

The Left leader refused to accept that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) was on the rise in India as, according to him, the saffron party lost many elections in the BJP-ruled states.

During the past four days, the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) General Secretary, accompanied by former Chief Minister Manik Sarkar and other party leaders and MPs, visited many post-poll violence-hit areas of Tripura and spoke to those affected by the incidents.

"The BJP can destroy the party offices, attack people and their assets, but they cannot annihilate an ideology. The CPI-M might win or lose the elections, but it would continue to be the champion of people's cause."

He claimed that a huge number of CPI-M and other Left parties' offices were set on fire, ransacked and vandalised; hundreds of houses, shops and other assets owned by Left leaders and supporters were either burnt down or destroyed by BJP members and thousands of people driven out from their homes and villages.

"Thousands of people apprehending fresh attack are unable to join their work places. Large-scale extortion of money and intimidation are continuing," Yechury told reporters.

Yechury demanded an end to the violence in the state.

The CPI-M General Secretary urged the newly formed BJP government to give proper compensations to those affected -- to bear the treatment cost of the hundreds of injured, provide security to the fear-stricken lot, and return of the hundreds of party offices forcibly occupied to their rightful owners.

He said the issue of violent incidents in Tripura would be raised in Parliament and the matter would be discussed with all opposition parties as well.

"The incidents of violence and related issues would be taken up with the Centre. In this hour of distress, Tripura would not remain alone... the entire country is with the people of the state," the CPI-M leader said.

--IANS

sc/in/dg

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)British Prime Minister Theresa May on Monday said it was "highly likely" that Moscow was responsible for the poisoning of a former Russian spy who was attacked with a nerve agent near his home in southern England last week.

May said it was clear that Sergei Skripal and his daughter were poisoned with a military-grade nerve agent of a type developed by Russia. She also warned of possible reprisals.

"The government has concluded that it is highly likely that Russia was responsible for the act against Sergei and Yulia Skripal," the New York Times quoted May as saying.

She asked the Russian ambassador to explain whetehr the poisoning was "direct action" by Russia against Britain or due to it "losing control" of its nerve agent stock.

"Should there be no credible response, we will conclude that this action amounts to an unlawful use of force by the Russian state against the United Kingdom," she said.

Sixty-six-year-old retired military intelligence officer Skripal and his 33-year-old daughter were found unconscious on a bench in Salisbury city centre on March 5.

On Monday the Kremlin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov denied Russia involvement into the "poisoning attack".

Meanwhile, Russian Foreign Ministry's spokeswoman Maria Zakharova called May's statement about the alleged Russian trace in the attack a "circus".

"It is a circus in the British parliament. The conclusion is obvious: it is another informational and political campaign based on a provocation," Zakharova said.

Skripal, who is a retired Russian military intelligence officer, was jailed for 13 years by Russia in 2006 for spying for Britain.

He was convicted of passing the identities of Russian intelligence agents working undercover in Europe to the UK's Secret Intelligence Service, MI6.

Russia said Skripal had been paid $100,000 for the information, which he had been supplying from the 1990s.

Skripal and the woman are both presently in intensive care at the Salisbury District Hospital.

--IANS

qd/

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The CBI on Monday told the Supreme Court that the plea by Rajiv Gandhi assassination conspiracy convict A.G. Perarivalan for recall of the 1999 judgment should be dismissed as it seeks to re-open the entire issue that has attained finality after a gap of 17 years and also because it was devoid of both merit and law.

The top court had upheld the conviction of Perarivalan and others on May 11, 1998 and their review plea was dismissed on October 8, 1999.

Perarivalan is one of the seven convicts undergoing life imprisonment for his role in the conspiracy leading to the assassination of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi. He was convicted for supplying two 9 Volts batteries that were used in the 1991 killing.

Perarivalan has sought the recall of the 1999 judgement after Superintendent of Police V. Thiyagarajan, who recorded his confessional statement under TADA, said in an affidavit that the investigating agency suppressed the part of Perarivalan's statement that he was not aware the conspiracy and the purpose for which two 9 Volts batteries supplied by him would be used.

"... The investigation on the role of the petitioner (Perarivalan) was scrutinised at various levels of judiciary, legislative and executive authority and no fault was noticed on the investigation," the CBI told the top court on Monday.

The agency also told the court that the response was being filed by the Multi Disciplinary Monitoring Agency - looking into the larger conspiracy angle - as the Special Investigating Team that had probed the Rajiv Gandhi assassination had ceased to exist.

The top court had on January 24 sought the CBI's response on a plea seeking the recall of its 1998 and 1999 judgement upholding the conviction of seven accused in the case.

The CBI argued that the application by Perarivalan was not maintainable and warrants "rejection on merits as well as law".

Gandhi was killed by a suicide bomber at an election rally at Sriperumbudur near Chennai on May 21, 1991. The now vanquished Tamil Tigers of Sri Lanka were blamed for the killing.

--IANS

pk/mr

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)A civilian was killed in an explosion on Monday near a firing range of the Army in Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama district.

Police sources said Ashiq Hussain of Tral town was killed near the Awantipora firing range.

"The exact details as to how the explosion occurred are being ascertained," a police source said.

--IANS

sq/mr

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)A court on Monday granted bail to photojournalist Kamran Yousuf, accused of stone pelting in the Kashmir Valley.

Additional Sessions Judge Tarun Sherawat allowed the bail plea of Yousuf, asking him to furnish two sureties of Rs 50,000.

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on September 5 arrested Yousuf along with Javed Ahmad Bhat.

Opposing the bail plea, the NIA said some witnesses had confirmed that Yousuf was shouting "anti-national slogans" and was seen "stone pelting".

Defence counsel Warisha Farasat claimed that Yousuf was innocent.

--IANS

akk/mr/ahm

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Digital Domain India (DDI) on Monday announced the winners of "DDI VR Hackathon" where three techies walked away with cash prizes of Rs 50,000 each.

The company also awarded 50 positions to prospective candidates after the finale with an offer to join DDI Virtual Reality (VR), software development and pipeline team, the company said in a statement.

"We have identified high-quality talent whom, we believe, will help realise the goal of building our world-class VR and VFX software and pipeline team in India. This is our first big step as we move forward to meet the talent acquisition target in our Indian studio," said Amit Chopra, Executive Director and Chief Operating Officer, Digital Domain.

US-based Digital Domain is a pioneer in several fields including visual effects, livestreaming events in 360-degree Virtual Reality (VR) and creating "virtual humans" for use in films, among others.

A total of 102 coders from India reached the final round of the competition at WaveRock studio in Hyderabad.

Shaik Sohail Yunus won the "Core Software" award, Jaganathan Muthuram was declared winner for "Backend" contest and the "Unity" contest was won by Subham Chakravarthy and Bhimraj.

"Our aim through this Hackathon was to give them a platform to present their skills and be part of the Virtual Reality revolution that we intend to create from our studio in India," added Sudhir Reddy, Vice President and Head of Digital Studio India.

The studio in Hyderabad is Digital Domain's fifth global studio and first facility in the country that began production in November 2017.

--IANS

sku/na/dg

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Warning the ruling BJP, Communist Party of India-Marxist General Secretary Sitaram Yechury on Monday said that farmers can "uproot governments at the Centre and in Maharashtra" if they failed to concede their just demands.

Reaching Mumbai to address a rally of farmers' after their six-day Long March, he said the farmers were the "new soldiers of India" and like the jawans who protect the country's borders the peasantry produces food for the people.

"Any party which ignores the cause of farmers will not survive. Last year, for the first time in the country, Maharashtra farmers had gone on 'strike' which resulted in the announcement of a farm loan waiver package. But after 10 months, it remains unimplemented," Yechury said.

Drawing parallels with the historic Dandi Yatra, he said that on (March 12) on this day 88 years ago, Mahatma Gandhi succeeded in shaking the very foundation of the British Empire which culminated in freedom for India.

"Today, if the farmers' demands are not conceded, they will shake up the state and the Centre and remove the government and install a government of their choice which will stand by the farmers' cause," Yechury said.

He pointed out how the huge loans of industrialists and businessmen were being written off and how people like Lalit Modi, Vijay Mallya and Nirava Modi cheated banks and escaped the country with impunity.

"For writing off the entire debt burden of the farmers, the government needs barely Rs 1 lakh crore, which they don't have. But much more has been lost by banks and they are busy writing off loans by the big corporates," Yechury said.

--IANS

qn/mr

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)For the second time in 10 months, Maharashtra farmers cracked the whip on the government to turn spotlight on the grave agrarian crises gripping the state by completing a long march to the Legislature, here on Monday.

More than an estimated 35,000 peasants -- men, women, youth and even seniors -- with lines of worry collectively writ on their weary faces, determinedly completed the 180-km long march over six days.

Organised by the All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS), the farmers wing of Communist Party of India-Marxist, the farmers sporting red caps, red flags, beating drums and cymbals and the tribal blowing instrument --'tarpa', marched in disciplined unity as the Bharatiya Janata Party-Shiv Sena braced itself for the political fallout of the peasant power.

In a considerate gesture, the farmers abandoned their night's rest, to march from the Somaiya Grounds, Vidyavihar starting 2 a.m. (Monday) to reach the historic Azad Maidan at dawn, to avoid inconveniencing students appearing for the ongoing board examinations.

Wary of the potential ramifications as the farmers prepared to lay 'seige' on the Maharashtra Legislature on Monday afternoon, the state government hurriedly formed a high-powered six-member Ministerial Committee to discuss all issues with the peasants.

Farmers leader Ajit Nawale said that among the major demands are implementation of the farm loans waiver announced in June 2017, (after farmers in the state went on a 'strike'), then make the farmers completely debt-free, besides other demands.

"Considering the tremendous response we have evoked from across the state, the government cannot dismiss us lightly. If it continues to dilly-dally on the farm loans waiver or try to take us for a ride, it will face the consequences," Nawale told reporters late on Sunday.

AIKS Maharashtra President Ashok Dhavale pointed out that the crisis in the farmlands is very severe with "over 400,000 farmers committing suicides in the past 25 years".

"Agrarian distress is linked to malnutrition... The farming community is feeling betrayed by the Bharatiya Janata Party-led governments in Maharashtra and at the Centre," Dhavale said.

Congress leaders including state chief Ashok Chavan, Radhakrishna Vikhe-Patil and Prithviraj Chavan, and the Nationalist Congress Party's President Sharad Pawar and Dhananjay Munde and Jitendra Awhad declared support to the marchers.

Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief Raj Thackeray and Yuva Sena President Aditya Uddhav Thackeray turned up personally to welcome the farmers on Sunday evening.

Many of the marchers, braving the early summer heat, were seen reaching Mumbai with red and swollen eyes, broken or temporarily mended footwear, dusty, torn clothes, having barely managed a square meal or a proper bath during the past week as they started in Nashik on Wednesday.

However, they hoped that justice might be finally done to their cause.

--IANS

qn/in

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Former union agriculture minister Sharad Pawar and social crusader Anna Hazare on Monday strongly criticized the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) at the Centre and in Maharashtra for letting down the farmers.

Speaking to the media in Mumbai and Ralegan-Siddhi (Ahmednagar), the two senior leaders asked why over 30,000 farmers were compelled to march nearly 200 km from Nashik to Mumbai for six days if the government was serious about accepting their demands.

"Why could the state government not depute a team to Nashik to discuss the grievances of the farmers and resolve it? Its four years since Prime Minister Narendra Modi came to power, but the promises of minimum support price for farm produce has not been implemented," Pawar said.

"The farmers' demands are just and the government must take immediate steps to resolve them. It is condemnable that farmers in an agrarian economy like India were forced to resort to a Long March for redressal of their demands," Hazare said.

Pawar warned that if the demands were not conceded, "the fire of the farmers' ire will spread from all over Maharashtra to all over India," while Hazare said "wait and see how many people come for my agitation in Delhi from March 23."

In a related development, a 12-member delegation of farmers leaders went to meet Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and others in the Maharashtra Legislature.

"If nothing fruitful emerges from the discussions, the farmers will display their strength We shall lay siege to the legislature, sit wherever we are stopped and shall launch a hunger strike," said farmers' leader Ajit Navale.

He said the farmers want a "time-bound programme and a concrete proposal on how it will be implemented" before they return to their fields.

"After the outcome of the discussions, we shall plan our next course of action, we shall only accept everything in writing, we have no faith in the speeches by Fadnavis," Navale remarked.

Meanwhile, several thousands of farmers, men, women and youth, parked themselves under the scorching sun at the historic Azad Maidan in south Mumbai, around three km from the legislature where the budget session is currently on.

The farmers, tribals and labourers, under the banner of All India Kisan Sabha, the farmers wing of the Communist Party of India (M), had marched nearly 200 km since March 6 and reached Mumbai late on Sunday, and to Azad Maidan at dawn on Monday.

With swollen eyes, blistered feet, broken nails and torn clothes, the farmers sporting red caps and CPI(M) flags marched peacefully for nearly 150 hours to press their demands.

All political parties have supported the farmers' Long March, with Congress President Rahul Gandhi coming out in favour of the peasantry, terming it as "an unprecedented show of strength" and urged Modi and Fadnavis to shed their egos and concede the farmers' legitimate demands.

Leaders of various parties individually and in groups met the farmers in Mumbai and even addressed them at Azad Maidan as their leaders were closeted in talks with the government.

--IANS

qn/ahm/bg

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)At least five people were killed when a helicopter plunged into New York City's East River, authorities said on Monday.

The pilot of the helicopter was the sole survivor of the crash that took place near Roosevelt Island on Sunday night, CNN quoted Fire Department New York (FDNY) Commissioner Daniel Nigro as saying on Monday.

Two passengers died on the spot and three others succumbed to critical injuries in hospital, according to Nigro.

"One of the most difficult parts of the rescue was that five people were tightly harnessed," he said.

"People had to be cut out."

In an audio recording of a Mayday call to LaGuardia Airport, the pilot, who was able to free himself and was later rescued, could be heard saying that the helicopter was experiencing engine failure.

The Liberty Helicopters chopper had been chartered for a private photo shoot, the authorities said.

Liberty Helicopters describes itself as "the largest and most experienced helicopter sightseeing and charter service in New York City", CNN reported.

This is the company's third crash in 11 years, according to New York-based TV station WABC.

In August 2009, nine people were killed when a helicopter and a small private plane collided over the Hudson river.

Investigators said the helicopter was flying too high.

Two years before that, in July 2007, a Liberty sightseeing chopper carrying eight people dropped into the Hudson river. An off-duty paramedic on board helped everyone escape, according to WABC.

--IANS

ksk/dg

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The Lodhi Colony area of Delhi which was transformed into Indias very first open public art district as part of the St+art Festival in 2015 was graced by the French First Lady Brigitte Macron on Monday.

St+art senior architect Pierre Guyot, who conducted the special tour for Macron walked with her for an hour and a half across the Art District. Macron was very impressed by the diversity of techniques used by artists, St+art India Foundation said in a statement.

She was particularly impressed by the creation of an open air art museum that offers art to all in the most relatable and engaging manner.

"It was a great honour for the organisation to receive the first lady of France at the Lodhi Art District for a special curated tour. Mrs Macron's momentous visit reaffirms St+art's strong partnership with the French Government in India and we hope to continue this partnership for many years to come," said Arjun Bahl, co-founder and director St+art India Foundation.

The visit also highlights the collaboration between St+art India Foundation and the French institutions in India (Embassy of France, Institute Francaise, Alliance Francaise), which recently culminated in 4 projects across Mumbai, Hyderabad, Calcutta and Chandigarh as part of the Bonjour India project.

--IANS

ss/vm

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Indian film "Friends-in-law", which is in English and Telugu, is set to enthrall cinema lovers with the story of an orthodox south Indian lady landing up in Bangkok, having to spend time with her gay sons partner.

The cast of the film, shot in Bangkok and Hyderabad, is a blend of Indian and international cast featuring Shreedevi Chowdary and Ashlin Harris.

Directed by ace Photographer Amit Khanna under the banner of HRH Film productions, the film has been co-produced by him, Chowdary and Swati Sanghi.

Chowdary said in a statement: "I am proud to be associated with such a universal subject which can bring about a revolution in the world. Though it's my first stint as an actor, I am happy and confident about the film hitting the bull's eye".

Hoping that the film leaves a mark across the globe, Khanna said "Friends-in-law" will travel to film festivals in India and abroad before its commercial release.

--IANS

ks/rb/bg

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Former Tourism Minister Francisco alias Mickky Pacheco found himself in a controversy after a clipping of him driving an SUV on a South Goa beach and allegedly threatening and assaulting a person went viral on social media on Monday.

Pacheco, on the other hand, insisted he had only gone to pick an ailing friend at nearby Utorda beach village and denied assaulting water sport operator Melroy Da Silva, who uploaded the video clipping about their confrontation on the social media.

The post, which accompanies the video clipping on Facebook, claims that Pacheco ran over a parachute owned by Da Silva's company at Betalbatim beach on Sunday. He alleged that as Da Silva confronted Pacheco at a shack at an adjoining beach at Utorda soon after, the latter and his three friends attempted assault on Da Silva, with the former Minister repeatedly showing him the middle finger.

"... Mickky and his three companions tried to assault me. Mickky even tried to run his vehicle over me," Da Silva said in his Facebook post.

Pacheco told IANS on Monday that he is innocent.

"I was driving my jeep only to pick up a sick friend at Utorda. The jeep is four-wheel drive. Ambulances cannot be driven on beaches. Anyways, if I have broken a law by driving on the beach, I am ready to pay the fine. Why should this man confront me and point a camera at me?" Pacheco said.

The video clipping shows Pacheco sitting along with male companions at the beach shack, with alcoholic drinks on the table and then getting into an altercation with Da Silva. At one point, the former Minister even falls as he tries to fling a glass at Da Silva.

Mickky denied assault charge and said he would file a complaint against Da Silva on Tuesday.

Pacheco is no stranger to controversies, earlier wearing bandanas to work at the State Secretariat as a Minister, getting booked in criminal cases, including for alleged assault, assault on government servants, extortion.

He was also sentenced to six-month imprisonment in 2015 for assaulting a Junior Engineer of Electricity Department.

--IANS

maya/tsb

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)India on Monday condoled the loss of lives in a Bangladesh airline's crash in Nepal's capital Kathmandu and offered any assistance required.

"External Affairs Minister spoke to her Bangladesh counterpart and expressed deepest condolences and sympathies for the loss of lives in the crash of the US-Bangla Airlines in Kathmandu," Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Raveesh Kumar tweeted.

Kumar said Sushma Swaraj "offered any assistance required in Kathmandu, and shared thoughts and prayers for those injured".

As many as 49 persons were killed and 22 injured when a passenger plane of the US-Bangla Airlines, flying to Kathmandu from Dhaka, with 71 on board crash-landed and exploded into a ball of flame at Nepal's main airport on Monday.

Nepal Police spokesperson Manoj Neupane confirmed the death toll.

The 78-seater Bombardier Dash 8 aircraft caught fire after it skidded off the runway at the Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA) while landing and crashed onto a field apparently due to technical glitches.

Of the 71 people, four were crew members, 33 were Nepalis, 32 Bangladeshis, one Chinese and one Maldivian national, said TIA spokesperson Prem Nath Thakur.

--IANS

ab/nir

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Iranian authorities on Monday located the two black boxes from a Turkish private jet that crashed with no survivors in southwestern Iran. The bodies of all 11 people on board were also recovered.

The jet crashed into a mountain side in central Iran on Sunday night while carrying the daughter of Turkish businessman Huseyin Basaran, along with seven of her friends and three crew members as they were returning to Turkey from the girl's bachelorette party in the United Arab Emirates.

The plane's two black boxes had been found and delivered to military officials, the state-run IRNA news agency reported.

The Turkish state-owned news agency Anadolu said the Canadair CL604 business jet crashed shortly after calling to report an unspecified "technical failure", according to the Turkish Ministry of Transport.

A local Iranian Red Crescent official, Reza Zaheri, told IRNA that three of the bodies were unrecognizable and that the remains of all 11 of the deceased were to be delivered to the coroner for identification.

The families of the victims had arrived at the nearby Shahr-e Kord airport along with a Turkish diplomat, said deputy governor of Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari province, Jafar Mardani.

Two of the deceased held dual Turkish-Spanish nationality, which they had obtained through a law that recognizes Sephardic origins in Spain, Efe news agency reported citing diplomatic sources.

--IANS

soni/bg

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif on Monday vowed to increase his country's trade with Pakistan to $5 billion by 2021, as the current trade volume is around $1.16 billion between the two neighbours.

Zarif made the remarks during his meeting with Pakistani Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi here, said a statement by the Prime Minister's Office. Efforts for strengthening of bilateral relations and issues related to peace and security in the region were also discussed.

The Iranian Foreign Minister, leading a 30-member delegation, arrived in Pakistan late on Sunday on a three-day official visit for talks on regional issues and literal matters.

He said that mutual efforts of the two countries have resulted into enhanced economic and people-to-people interaction, which should be further strengthened.

For his part, Abbasi expressed Pakistan's desire to enhance mutually beneficial economic cooperation with Iran including bilateral trade, investments and commercial interaction, according to the statement.

Abbasi also emphasized the need to deepen connectivity to harness benefits from regional economic integration.

The Prime Minister also expressed his commitment to work to resolve the issues in implementation of Iran-Pakistan Gas Pipeline Project, including the financing of pipeline infrastructure and the scope of snap back clause.

The Iranian foreign minister is visiting Pakistan for bilateral consultations and during this visit, he is also expected to interact with relevant Pakistani ministers and senior civil and military officials.

--IANS

ahm/nir

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif has arrived in Pakistan on a three-day visit for talks on regional issues, officials said here on Monday.

Zarif is scheduled to hold official talks with his Pakistani counterpart Khawaja Asif later on Monday on key issues, focusing on anti-terror cooperation, border security and economic issues, reports Xinhua news agency.

Both Foreign Ministers are expected to speak at a joint press conference.

Cooperation for the Afghan peace and reconciliation and against the Islamic State terror group will be a part of the discussions.

Zarif is also expected to meet Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi and military chief Gen. Qamar Javed Bajwa, a diplomatic source told Xinhua.

The Foreign Minister is accompanied by a 30-member delegation, including representatives from the business sector. He will also address a Pakistan-Iran business conference.

Last week, Pakistan's Foreign Ministry spokesman Mohammed Faisal had said Zarif's visit is part of the regular bilateral political consultations between both sides.

"Pakistan and Iran remain actively engaged in enhancing cooperation in all areas of mutual interest," he said at his weekly briefing. The Iranian minister will participate in the Iran-Pakistan Joint Economic Forum.

After Islamabad, Zarif will travel to Karachi.

--IANS

ksk/dg

(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 on Monday decided to sack senior PDP leader and Finance Minister Haseeb Drabu from her Council of Ministers over his controversial remarks about the state.

The Chief Minister sent a letter to Governor N.N. Vohra informing that she had decided to remove Drabu, sources close to Mehbooba Mufti told IANS.

Drabu had sparked a storm by stating that Jammu and Kashmir was not a political problem or a conflict state.

The Peoples Democratic Party had on Sunday asked Drabu to explain his position since the statement he made, at an event organised by the PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry in New Delhi on March 9, was a negation of the stated position of the party.

Both mainstream and separatist parties had criticised the PDP for Drabua's remarks asserting that the statement was proof of the "political sellout made by the party to remain in power".

The PDP, however, on Sunday said that it recognises the state as a political issue and ever since its advent the party has relentlessly been pursuing its resolution through reconciliation and dialogue, both at internal and external levels.

Interestingly, Drabu was the PDP's pointsman who worked out the draft of the agenda of alliance the BJP.

It was after signing the agenda of alliance with the BJP that the PDP came to power after the 2014 assembly elections.

--IANS

sq/ahm/dg

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)In a move that has irked the jute industry, the Centre has approved the use of 258,000 bales of poly bags for the rabi marketing season 2018-19 after the Department of Food and Public Distribution (DFPD) raised "concerns" over the shortage of jute bags for packaging foodgrain.

The DFPD had been peeved over the projected supply of only 1,564,000 bales of jute bags by March 2018, which prompted the ministry to propose dilution in the mandatory use of jute bags. This has paved the way for using poly bags to meet the shortfall.

"On the basis of consultations with the industry and recommendation of Jute Commissioner, Ministry of Textiles, has conveyed their approval for using 258,000 bales of HDPE/PP (High-density polyethylene/Polypropylene) bags for the rabi marketing season 2018-19," an official told IANS citing a communication from the DFPD to state officials and the industry.

Dismissing the ministry's concern, jute millers, however, claimed the industry was equipped to deliver the entire requirement of jute bags but charged that the orders on government account were placed "late" and "not according to plan".

Jute millers would request the Textile Ministry to reconsider its decision, an official of the Indian Jute Mills Association (IJMA) said.

Deputy Jute Commissioner Dipankar Mahto recently wrote to the jute mills about plans to review their capabilities of manufacturing jute bags during the remaining period of the current rabi marketing season.

"In view of the concerns expressed by (Union) Ministry of Food over the supply of the planned quantity of 1,564,000 bales within March, this office will be reviewing the mill-wise supply performance," Mahto said in the letter.

Terming the Food Ministry's concern as "unfortunate", IJMA Chairman Manish Poddar told IANS: "Their concern does not seem correct. The industry is equipped to deliver whatever order they get provided the order comes at the right time and according to plan."

The industry has been clamouring from the first week of November for placing orders according to plan but the orders were placed late, he added.

"We would be dealing with the Textiles Ministry to reconsider its decision of diluting the norms and using poly bags," Poddar said.

"Initial advanced planning for rabi marketing season 2018-19 was done October-end wherein states were required to place indents in November of 271,000 bales, in December for 338,000 bales and in January for 308,000 bales, totalling 917,000 bales. But the actual indents placed for the corresponding months have been 190,000 bales, 276,000 bales and 301,000 bales totalling only 767,000 bales," an IJMA committee member said on condition of anonymity.

"The jute industry cannot be blamed for late placement of indents by procuring states, leading to bunching of orders that create an artificial shortage on availability of jute bags," the committee member told IANS.

According to estimates, the Jute Commissioner's office has already issued Production Control-cum-Supply Orders (PCSOs) for 1,059,000 bales up to March 13, 2018. Against the ordered quantity, jute mills have supplied 700,000 bales as on February 12 leaving a backlog of around 359,000 bales (33.8 per cent).

After the approval for use of poly bags, the revised plan suggests that 1,435,000 bales of jute bags are required for the kharif marketing season 2017-18 and rabi marketing season 2018-19.

The Centre asked mills to "gear up their manufacturing capacity" and "accord top priority" to manufacture and supply of jute bags on government account.

"Reports have been received that a number of jute mills are selling jute sacking bags in the private market to realise a higher price at the cost of government supply by violating the order. This has primarily caused such large backlog on government account," Mahto said in a letter to jute mills.

Citing sustainability of demand for jute products and extending support to 370,000 workers and four million farmers in the sector, the central government had allowed packaging of 90 per cent of foodgrain and 20 per cent of sugar products in jute bags for the current year under the mandatory packaging norms of the Jute Packaging Material Act, 1987.

(Bappaditya Chatterjee can be contacted at bappaditya.c@ians.in)

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)City Mayor and West Bengal Minister Sovan Chatterjee, engaged in a bitter legal battle with his wife, on Monday said he was feeling "insecure" and filed a complaint with the police to seek security.

Chatteree, whose marital discord has isolated him in the Trinamool Congress, with party supremo Mamata Banerjee said to be "very unhappy" with him, filed the complaint at the Rabindra Sarobar police station.

There has been intense speculation that he may lose the Mayor's post as the Trinamool leadership felt his much-publicised marital feud was denting the party's public image. His security has been downgraded from Z Plus to Z category.

However, Chatterjee has ruled out relinquishing the post, and scotched speculation that he wanted to leave Trinamool and join the Bharatiya Janata Party.

"Whatever speculation is going on, I am not responsible. I am very much in Trinamool. And there is no question of stepping down as Mayor. Yes, I am going through tough times in my personal life, because of the bitter relations with my wife. I have given her right to reside in my ancestral house, and myself shifted to a flat in south Kolkata. But my wife wants to take possession of this house also. And I have learnt about this from sources," he said.

The Mayor, who is facing divorce proceedings from his wife, had earlier filed another case against her and three others. But all four have got anticipatory bail.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)French President Emanuel Macron and Prime Minister Narendra Modi took a boat ride on the Ganga here on Monday, animatedly talking on the flower-decked double-decker vessel.

Modi, who represents Varanasi in the Lok Sabha, briefed Macron about the history and significance of various ghats along the holy Ganga.

Macron asked him some questions and Modi promptly responded. The two walked to the Assi Ghat after visiting the Deendayal Handicraft Museum.

The Prime Minister told the French President about various handicrafts on display at the stalls. They briefly halted to hear the locals playing shehnaai. The two retired for lunch at the Nadesar five-star hotel, belonging to the Taj Group.

While Macron stayed back at the hotel to rest, Modi drove to keep his other engagements.

Earlier, Modi and Macron flew to Dadarkala in neighbouring Mirzapur district to inaugurate the biggest solar plant in Uttar Pradesh. As soon as they landed, they were gifted a bright red "chunri" of Goddess Vindhyavasini, the presiding deity of Mirzapur.

The 100 MW plant will produce 75 MW electricity for now. Holding hands off and on, Modi and Macron unveiled the inaugural plaque in the presence of Union Minister Anupriya Patel, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and French First Lady Brigitte Macron.

The power plant has been built at Dadarkala at a cost of Rs 650 crore over a stretch of 380 acre in the Vindhyan mountain range.

The plant has 1.18 lakh solar panels and the power produced from here will be transmitted to the Jigna Power Sub-station of the Power Corp.

The electricity produced will be divided into two "A" and "B" sections of Mirzapur and the remaining electricity will be supplied to Allahabad.

Officials told Modi and Macron that the generation of power will begin with the first sun rays and the plant will shut down with sunset.

The plant has 318,650 solar plates, with each plate having a generation capacity of 315 watt. The plant was completed in 18 months, an official told IANS. This power plant can feed power to 1.5 lakh households every day.

The French President reached the Lal Bahadur Shastri International Airport here in the morning by a special plane and was received by Modi, Uttar Pradesh Governor Ram Naik and Chief Minister Adityanath.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)US Defence Secretary James Mattis has warned Syria against using chemical weapons, implying it would prompt military consequences, as it did last year when President Donald Trump ordered a strike on a Syrian air base, the media reported.

"I just want to reiterate it would be very unwise for them to use weaponised gas," CNN quoted Mattis as saying on Sunday while en route to Oman.

"And I think President Trump made that very clear early in his administration."

Mattis blamed Russia for Syria's chemical weapons stockpile, which Moscow said it would help eliminate as part of an agreement in 2013, but which the US and international observers said Syria used on civilians last year.

"Russia was the framework guarantor that (Syrian President Bashar al Assad) would get rid of all of it.

"Again, either Russia is incompetent or in cahoots with Assad," he said.

Mattis also expressed scepticism at the much vaunted roll-out of supposedly new, high tech Russian missiles, which Russian President Vladimir Putin has claimed are "invincible" and have unlimited range, CNN reported.

"I get paid to make strategic assessments... And I would just tell you that I saw no change to the Russian military capability and each of these systems (Putin) is taking about that are still years away," said the Defence Secretary.

Mattis said likewise that the announced Russian weapons did not change the "military balance" or create a need for the US to change its posture.

"They did not impact any need on our side, for a change in our deterrent posture."

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to inaugurate the Science Congress in the Manipur University (MU) campus on March 16, government sources said on Monday.

An official told IANS that at least 5,000 delegates from all over the country will take part in the three-day congress which will be held for the first time in the state.

Chief Minister N. Biren Singh visited the MU campus on Monday to inspect the preparations in progress.

He said: "I have instructed all officials and contractors to speed up the construction works. Nothing should go wrong and everything should be ready at least one day ahead.

"Out of 5,000 delegates, there are 2,000 scientists," he said.

Police in and around Imphal city have been carrying out raids and search operations everyday.

Certain villages and residential areas are cordoned off shortly after midnight and all people are checked and verified in the morning.

Persons without proper identification documents are singled out for further verifications.

A police officer said that some militants had been picked up from different parts of the state. However, no firearm has been seized.

The police plans to round up the armed insurgents ahead of Modi's visit.

N. Biren Singh has instructed the state and central forces to ensure law and order during the visit by the Prime minister.

Additional police personnel and paramilitary forces have been deployed near the MU campus and hotels where the delegates shall stay during the congress.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The NIA has summoned former Nagaland Chief Minister T.R. Zeliang for questioning in connection with an alleged "tax collection and terror funding" case, an official said on Monday.

The case pertains to alleged extortion by groups such as NSCN(K), NSCN(IM) and Naga National Council from at least 14 government departments.

Zeliang has been asked to appear at the National Investigation Agency headquarters here on Tuesday with relevant documents.

Ahead of the Assembly election in the state, the NIA had summoned Zeliang's Officer on Special Duty and two of his office staff for questioning in connection with the alleged terror funding case.

On January 18, 2017, the NIA had conducted searches in various government departments in Nagaland and seized receipts that showed payments to the tune of Rs 2 crore.

The agency had said that these seizures prima facie indicate the connivance of these government organisations in funding various underground organisations operating in Nagaland.

According to sources, these departments include the Directorate of Information Technology, Directorate of Soil and Water Conservation, Directorate of Irrigation, Directorate of Rural Development, Directorate of Urban Development, PWD, Roads and Buildings, and Directorate of Information and Public Relations.

S. Khetoshe Sumi, a senior cadre of NSCN(K), was apprehended by the Assam Rifles in Dimapur on July 31, 2016, according to the NIA.

Sumi reportedly revealed that he was the organisation's "in-charge of finance" and his key responsibility was to collect funds through illegal taxation of various government departments, the NIA said.

The NIA probe into government workers and underground funding is a sensitive subject in Nagaland.

In November 2017, massive protests rocked Kohima after seven government officials were reportedly arrested for funding underground groups, called Naga National Political Groups, through taxation.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Nine trekkers have died in a massive forest fire on the Kurangani Hills here in Tamil Nadu, an official said on Monday. Chief Minister K. Palaniswami ordered a probe into the incident.

A total of 27 trekkers were rescued from the blaze in Theni, some 520 km from here.

"Of the 27 rescued, 10 persons did not suffer any injuries and others suffered burn injuries," Theni District Collector Pallavi Baldev told reporters.

Health Secretary J. Radhakrishnan said of the 17 rescued, eight admitted to a Madurai hospital have suffered serious burn injuries.

The remaining are warded in the Government Hospital in Theni and in a private hospital at the request of the injured.

Indian Air Force (IAF) helicopters brought the remains of eight of the killed from the hills. The remains of one more person was earlier brought down by road.

The bodies have been sent for identification and they would be handed over to the relatives after autopsy.

Speaking to reporters, Palaniswami said the trekking expedition had been done without getting the necessary permission from the Forest Department.

He said a detailed probe will be held into the accident.

The IAF had mounted a search and rescue operation since Sunday. Apart from its 15 commandos, the IAF pressed three of its helicopters in the rescue mission.

The commandos flew from the Sulur Air Base near Coimbatore late on Sunday and climbed the hills.

What had started as an adventure trip for the trekking group of eight men, 25 women and three children turned into a nightmare on Sunday afternoon as they were caught up in the massive blaze.

The group had camped at a place up in the hills on Saturday night. They were supposed to return on Sunday.

Speaking to the media on Sunday, Baldev had said more than 20 trekkers were from the Chennai Trekking Club (CTC) and the others from Erode and Tiruppur.

The adventure was part of the Woman's Day activity that was celebrated on Thursday. The trekking expedition was organised by the CTC, an online group of over 40,000 members.

The CTC website does not have any name or number of the persons who are in-charge of the trekking expeditions.

According to the website, the CTC is a non-profit, volunteer group which organises outdoor sports, environmental conservation and social activities throughout the year on weekends and weekday mornings.

"Founded in 2008 the group has grown to one of the most active and largest in South India with over 40,000 members and hundreds of activities throughout the year.

"All activities are free -- expenses are shared equally among participants," says the website www.chennaitrekkers.org

An official of Tamil Nadu Fire and Rescue Services department told IANS that the terrain was tough and the approach to the accident spot was not motorable.

DMK leader M.K. Stalin expressed grief over the death of the trekkers.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Trekkers caught up in a forest fire at Kurangani Hills in Theni district in Tamil Nadu are being rescued and brought to the plains, said the District Collector on Monday.

Speaking to IANS, Pallavi Baldev said the rescue operations were continuing and the trekkers were being brought down by the rescue team members.

According to her, three of the injured have been admitted in a Madurai hospital with minor injuries.

A commando team from Indian Air Force (IAF) has joined the search and rescue operations.

The IAF commando team flew in from Sulur air base near Coimbatore on Sunday late night and climbed up the hills.

Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Sunday said the commandos will be deployed in rescue mission. They will carry medicines and provide medical assistance.

The commandos, having access to advanced communication facilities, will also check about the landing facility for the helicopter on Monday morning or decide on other ways of evacuating those stuck on the spot, including the injured, Sitharaman added.

Baldev said 15 persons had been rescued and search was on for others. The rescued trekkers have been admitted to nearby hospital.

She said 24 trekkers from Chennai Trekking Club and 12 from Erode and Tiruppur had gone to the Kurangani Hills.

The trekking group consisted of eight men, 25 women and three children who had camped at a place up in the hills on Saturday night and they decided to return on Sunday.

It was later gleaned that the trekking team, majority of them women, had embarked on trekking as part of Woman's Day activity.

However, Tamil Nadu Forest Department official said that trekking organisers had not obtained any permission.

--IANS

vj/qd

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Over 230 people have been arrested over the communal clashes in Sri Lanka's Kandy district, including those who were caught for spreading hate speech on social media platforms, police said on Monday.

A police official told Xinhua news agency that while the situation in Kandy had returned to normal, tight security would remain for a few more days across the district to maintain law and order.

He said further arrests were expected over the next few days and a special desk had been set up at the police headquarters for the public to lodge complaints about violent incidents.

Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe visited Kandy over the weekend to meet the victims affected by the violence and assessed the extent of damages.

He promised the government would pay full compensation for those whose businesses, homes, mosques and temples had been destroyed in the clash.

The Prime Minister also said the clashes had created new challenges for the government at the local and international levels and it was a blow to the country's tourism and economy.

"We have been expecting a boom in the tourism industry but in the wake of disturbances in Kandy we don't know whether we can achieve it as expected."

Wickremesinghe was informed that nearly 465 houses, business establishments and vehicles were destroyed and damaged in the violence. Many mosques and temples were also destroyed.

Wickremesinghe said "an organised group was behind the communal clashes in Kandy" and the police had already received vital information about it.

Over the weekend, President Maithripala Sirisena appointed a three-member committee to investigate the violence.

Meanwhile, all government-run schools which had remained closed in the Kandy district since the clashes erupted on March 4 re-opened.

Three people were killed and several others injured in the communal clashes.

President Sirisena declared a week-long state of Emergency last week to prevent violations from spreading to other areas, the first of its kind after the country ended a 30-year civil war in 2009.

The latest clash was triggered after a 41-year-old Buddhist succumbed to his injuries after being attacked by a group of Muslim men on February 22.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Over 80 per cent of the 36,793 electors cast their votes on Monday in the Charilam Assembly constituency in western Tripura, an official said.

According to the Returning Officer, no untoward incident was reported from anywhere in the constituency.

"In all, 36,793 voters, including 17,880 women, were eligible to cast votes. Around 1,000 voters were still awaiting their turn at the end of scheduled polling time at 4 p.m.," Returning Officer Samit Roy Chowdhury told IANS.

Elections were held in 59 of the 60 Assembly constituencies in Tripura on February 18. Balloting in Charilam (Reserved-Scheduled Tribe) was deferred after Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) nominee Ramendra Narayan Debbarma died on February 11 due to a cardiac arrest.

Five candidates, including Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) nominee and Deputy Chief Minister Jishnu Debbarma and Communist Party of India-Marxist's Palash Debbarma are in the fray in Charilam.

However, on the last day of campaigning on March 10, the CPI-M-led Left Front withdrew its candidate citing "extremely terrible situation" in the tribal-dominated areas of Tripura "due to massive reign of terror unleashed by the BJP".

Tribal outfit Indigenous People's Front of Tripura is an ally of BJP.

Director General of Police Akhil Kumar Shukla said that since March 7, no post-poll incident was reported from anywhere in the state.

"We had earlier received little over 100 complaints of attacks and arson. Police took immediate action in all cases," he told media persons.

CPI-M delegations led by party General Secretary Sitaram Yechury and former Chief Minister Manik Sarkar visited many areas hit by violence in the state after the polls.

Yechury, who left the state on Monday after a four-day visit to the trouble-torn areas, said the Election Commission should keep intact the people's trust and confidence besides ensuring free and fair elections.

"The situation in Charilam is horrifically bad due to excessive reign of terror since the BJP got a majority in the Assembly elections on Saturday."

Yechury said a party delegation met Chief Election Commissioner Om Prakash Rawat and two Election Commissioners in Delhi on March 8 to urge them to postpone Charilam election till peace and normalcy was restored in the state.

Another party delegation met state Chief Electoral Officer Sriram Taranikanti and raised similar demand.

"Specific instances of attacks on party offices, houses of party members and physical assaults on over 20 party leaders and members along with photographs and videos were submitted to the poll authorities but they did nothing."

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Irate guardians staged a noisy protest on Monday after authorities of a Kolkata girls school levelled allegations of lesbianism against 10 of its students.

Accusing the management of Kamala Girls School in south Kolkata of having forcibly obtained in writing admission of indulging in lesbianism from their wards, the guardians stormed the room of the acting headmistress and engaged in a verbal duel with her.

"Some students had complained against 10 students of indulging in such behaviour. We called those students and they admitted it. Considering the sensitive nature of the issue, I asked them to admit it in writing. I have got written admissions from all 10 students," said the acting headmistress.

"Today we called the guardians to apprise them of the issue. Our aim was to discuss the matter with them so that we can bring these girls on the right course through efforts both at home and in school," she said.

The guardians, however, rubbished the allegations. "If two persons hold hands, or put an arm on each other shoulders, that does not mean they are lesbians," said a guardian.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)A Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) flight steward has been detained by French authorities after information given by another employee of the flag carrier who was allegedly caught with drugs in Paris, the media reported on Monday.

The rest of the crew members of the Islamabad-Paris flight PK-749 returned to Pakistan on Sunday, reports Dawn news.

Four packets of drugs were recovered from hidden pockets of Tanveer Gulzar's coat during his body search on Saturday, according to French officials.

"Though drugs have been recovered from the possession of the cabin crew member, the PIA management has not been informed about the kind and quantity of drugs," PIA spokesman Mashood Tajwar told Dawn.

"Tanveer Gulzar, the PIA steward who was caught with drugs by the French customs while going to a hotel for rest, has been suspended by the management and will be terminated from service in the light of outcome of the investigation conducted by the French authorities."

Tajwar said another steward of the same flight, Amir Moeen, had been detained by the French authorities though he had not been charged so far.

He has been detained for interrogation in the light of Tanveer's statement.

"Amir Moeen will also be suspended and will be sacked if his involvement in drug smuggling is proven by the French authorities," the spokesman told Dawn news.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)An aircraft of the US-Bangla Airlines with 67 passengers and four members on board crash-landed at the Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA) here on Monday, leaving casualties and injuring 17 people.

TIA spokesperson Prem Nath Thakur said 25 people were rescued and sent to hospitals, out of which eight were pronounced dead on arrival. The death toll was likely to increase as rescue operations were continuing.

Thakur said the 78-seater Bombardier Dash 8 aircraft veered off the runway while landing at 2.20 p.m. and crashed into the ground near the airport, catching fire, the Kathmandu Post reported.

A thick plume of smoke rose into the sky. Authorities immediately ordered the airport shut.

Director General of Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal Sanjiv Gautam said the plane lost control when it attempted to land on the runway.

"The aircraft was permitted to land from the southern side of the runway flying over Koteshwor but it landed from the northern side," said Gautam, adding that the aircraft might have sustained some technical glitches.

"We are yet to ascertain the reason behind the unusual landing," he said.

Photos and videos posted on social media showed smoke rising from the airport runway. Witnesses said the plane crashed when trying to take a sharp turn on the runway, My Republica reported.

"I saw the plane make a sharp turn over the terminal back towards south and then disappeared towards the runway. Then immediately a large plume of smoke was seen," said Arnico Pandey, adding that the plane was flying very low, just enough to be above the control tower.

At least 33 Nepali passengers were on board the plane, according to officials. All flights in and out of Tribhuvan International Airport were cancelled.

The US-Bangla Airlines is a privately-owned Bangladeshi airline headquartered in Dhaka. This is a major air crash at the TIA airport after a Turkish Airlines flight crash-landed in March 2015.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Services at London's King's Cross and Manchester Piccadilly ground came to a halt amid demonstrations against Turkey's military offensive in northern Syria on Sunday, media report said.

Waving flags in support of a number of Kurdish organisations, the demonstrators disrupted transport networks for a number of hours, Xinhua reported.

At the time of Manchester Piccadilly's closure, British Transport Police superintendent Mark Cleland said the force appreciated and respected "the right to peaceful protest".

However, "Those involved in this afternoon's incident will be subject to intense investigation with a view to arrest and prosecution," Cleland said.

Hours later, the sudden protest in London King's Cross also forced that station to close.

King's Cross station was temporarily closed as police stopped protesters from accessing the tracks, British Transport Police said.

They then moved outside the station, blocking Euston Road briefly before heading towards Russell Square.

National Rail said Kings Cross station has fully re-opened but trains to and from there may still be delayed or revised as the service recovers, according to BBC.

The demonstrations in Britain and other parts of Europe followed several months of conflict between Kurdish groups and Turkish forces in Afrin, northern Syria.

The Kurds' supporters are angered by Turkey's assault on Afrin, which it launched on January 20 with the stated aim of dislodging the People's Protection Units (YPG), a U.S.-back Kurdish militia that Ankara considers a terrorist group.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Russian President has revealed that he ordered the downing of a "hijacked" plane that threatened 40,000 spectators who came to witness the opening ceremony of the 2014 Sochi Olympic Games, the media reported.

The President made the revelations on Sunday in a two-hour documentary film titled "Putin" directed by Andrey Kondrashov, a state television filmmaker, which was shared on local social media on Sunday, reports RT news.

Putin recalled that on February 7, 2014, just as he was setting off for Sochi's Fisht Stadium, where the spectators, thousands of sportspersons and dozens of world leaders awaited the start of the ceremony, he had received a call from the official responsible for the safety of the Olympics.

The caller told the Russian President that passengers on a plane heading from Ukraine to Turkey had hijacked it, claiming they had a bomb on board and demanded that their flight be diverted to Sochi.

The hijackers stated no other conditions.

According to FSB chief Aleksandr Bortnikov, also interviewed for the film, fighter jets were immediately scrambled, but the final decision was to be taken by Putin, RT news reported.

Putin asked the security official: "What do you suggest we do?"

"The answer was as expected: 'Follow the plan. Shoot down the aircraft'. I said to them, 'Then act in accordance with your plan'," Putin told Kondrashov.

Finally, a second call came.

"The same official. He tells me that this was drunken antics from the passengers. And that the plane would soon land in Istanbul as expected," RT quoted Putin as saying in the documentary.

When asked by his interviewer what he experienced between the two phone calls, Putin replied that "this is something I would prefer not to talk about".

In the documentary, Putin also said that returning Crimea to Ukraine was impossible under whatever circumstances, reports TASS news agency.

"What are you talking about? Such circumstances do not exist and never will," he asserted.Rabat, March 12 (IANS/MAP) Qatari Prime Minister and Interior Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa Al-Thani is in Morocco for a working visit that aims to cement bilateral ties.

Upon his arrival at Rabat Airport on Sunday, the Qatari Prime Minister was greeted by his Moroccan counterpart Saad Eddine El Othmani.

The two leaders were expected to co-chair the seventh session of the High Joint Commission of the Moroccan-Qatari Cooperation.

The Qatari leader was also expected to meet top Moroccan officials.

Morocco maintains close ties with all Gulf countries. The North African Kingdom has not taken any side in the ongoing dispute between Qatar and its Gulf neighbours and performed as a mediator in the crisis.

--IANS/MAP

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Congress President Rahul Gandhi met French President on Sunday and said they discussed issues common to both democracies including fake news and looked forward to collaborating with him on climate change.

"Yesterday, I met Macron. We discussed a range of issues common to our liberal democracies, including fake news. I look forward to building on this meeting and to collaborating with him on global challenges such as Climate Change," Gandhi tweeted attaching a picture with former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Macron.

Asked if Gandhi raised the issue of Rafale deal with the French president, Congress spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala said: "Congress Presidents always meet the visiting heads of states, for the Congress party has a long history of maintaining a relationship with visiting heads of the states in interest."

"As far as Rafale deal is concerned, it has six serious flaws which goes to the root of the matter and is pointing towards a brewing scam in procurement of aircraft and compromise of security," he added.

Surjewala pointed out: "First, Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman says I cannot disclose price for it is a matter of security. Dassault Aviation, in its Annual Report of 2016 as also of 2017, says that they sold 36 Rafale aircraft for $ 7.5 billion or Rs 1,670 crore per aircraft."

"However, they had sold the same aircraft 11 months earlier in 2015 to Egypt and Qatar at Rs 1,319 crore per aircraft. There is a clear-cut loss of Rs 12,632 crore to the state exchequer.

"The Rafale deal which was signed after an international bidding which opened finally on December 12, 2012, the UPA price as per information in public domain was about Rs 526 crore," he added.

Surjewala asked: "Why did you (the government) buy Rs 526 crore aircraft for Rs 1,670 crore - over 300 per cent extra? The loss to exchequer if calculated notionally would be Rs 41,000 crore.

"Why did the Prime Minister bypass the Defence Procurement Procedure which looks at price discovery through contract negotiation committee and price negotiation committee and nobody in this country can violate that principle.

"Why did the Prime Minister bypass that Cabinet Committee on Security and not take its prior approval? Why did the Prime Minister deny to India transfer of technology for manufacture of twin-engine Rafale fighter aircraft?" he said.

Surjewala said these are questions to which the Prime Minister and the Defence Minister have adopted a complete silence. "I dare them to answer these in public."In a first of its kind honour, Kalypso Adventure (KA), an adventure tour company based here, is going to feature in the upcoming RREC (Rolls Royce Enthusiasts Club) publication "In Pursuit of Excellence", to be released in London later this month.

They are the only company from India to feature in the publication, which is owned by the owners of Rolls Royce and Bentley.

Kalypso Adventure was started here in 2000 by two former Indian Navy officers -- Cdr. Thomas Zacharias and Cdr. Sam T Samuel.

Speaking to IANS, Samuel, a former naval pilot, said it was in 2016 that they were contacted by a representative of St. James's Publication house, London and was told that they were shortlisted for feature inclusion in an RREC publication named "In Pursuit of Excellence", due to come out by end 2017/ early 2018.

Zacharias said the selection was done on the request of RREC, which was looking for a local experiential travel company from across the globe.

"Over the last year or so, we were interviewed, data collected and finally a two-page article was written about us that has been included in the RREC publication which is being launched on March 23, 2018 at the Goodwood House, Chichester, UK," said Zacharias, an electronics engineer.

The former naval officers had, after taking voluntary retirement from the Indian Navy, launched KA and they were the first to introduce adventure tourism in Kerala at a time when adventure in India was restricted to the Himalayas.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Former Chief Minister Donkupar Roy of the ruling Meghalaya Democratic Alliance (MDA) government was on Monday elected Speaker of the Meghalaya Assembly.

Roy, the longest serving legislator and senior-most member of the Assembly, has been elected for the seventh consecutive term.

He is also the President of the United Democratic Party, a key partner in the National People's Party-led Meghalaya Democratic Alliance coalition.

Of the 56 members who voted, Roy got 35 votes while Winnerson polled 20 votes. One vote was rejected, Protem Speaker Timothy Dalbot Shira announced.

Khun HynAiewtrep National Awakening Movement (KHNAM) legislator Adelbert Nongrum was conspicuous by his absence.

Chief Minister Conrad Sangma couldn't vote as he is not an elected member of the Assembly. Leader of Opposition Mukul Sangma, who won from both Ampati and Songsak, voted from Ampati seat.

"I will try my best to perform my duty as the Speaker. I will be a neutral speaker as all of you expect me to be," Roy said.

The soft-spoken economist was first elected from Shella constituency along the India-Bangladesh border as an Independent in 1988 with the ardent support of the then Alliance Reconstruction of Meghalaya State, a political body of the Khasi Students Union.

Congratulating Roy for being elected as Speaker, Chief Minister Conrad Sangma said: "The ruling side will miss you in the government. We look upto you as our fatherly figure but we will not guide your guidance in the government."

Praising Roy, former Chief Minister Mukul Sangma said: "The post is occupied by a person who is infallible."

--IANS

rrk/mr

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The Union Ministry of Tribal Affairs on Monday said it has released Rs 231.5 crore in last six years for strengthening education among Scheduled Tribes (STs) in 54 low-literacy districts.

The funds were released between 2012-13 and 2017-18 under the scheme "Strengthening Education among ST Girls in Low Literacy Districts", Minister of State for Tribal Affairs Jaswantsinh Bhabhor told the Lok Sabha in a written reply, a release said.

The scheme aims at bridging the gap in literacy levels between the general female population and tribal women. Reducing drop-outs at the elementary level by creating the required ambiance for education is among the objectives of the scheme.

It covers 72 blocks of 54 districts in 12 states and one Union Territory, where the ST population is 25 per cent or more and ST female literacy rate is below 35 per cent.

According to the census data, ST female literacy rate increased from 34.8 per cent in 2001 to 49.4 per cent in 2011.

The Minister said about 10.3 million adult non-literates belonging to ST communities had been certified as literates under "Basic Literacy Assessment Test", as on March 7, 2018.

He also said that the government had released Rs 1,943.59 crore to 27 states in the last five years to set up Eklavya Model Residential Schools.

--IANS

spk/nir

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The Rajya Sabha was adjourned till 2 p.m. on Monday after National Democratic Alliance constituent Telegu Desam Party and some opposition parties created ruckus in the House while pressing their demands.

As soon as the listed papers were laid on the table of the House, Chairman M. Venkaiah Naidu, taking up Zero Hour, asked YSR Congress leader Vijay Sai Reddy to raise his issue.

But within no time, the TDP members trooped near the Chairman's podium holding placards in support of their demand for special status to Andhra Pradesh.

The Congress and the AIADMK members were also on their feet. The Congress has been demanding discussion over bank fraud cases, including the PNB scam, while the AIADMK has been pressing the Cauvery water issue.

Naidu urged the agitated members to go back to their seats and allow the House to conduct the Zero Hour.

"This is too much. I am allowing every issue to be raised and find no reason to disturb the proceedings. It's very bad and sending wrong message outside," Naidu said as he adjourned the House till 2 p.m.

Earlier, Naidu expressed his anguish over the absence of some Ministers and laying down of papers by others without taking the Chair's consent.

"Statements have to be made by the concerned Ministers only. I hope Parliamentary Affairs Minister will take note of it," he said.

--IANS

bns/in/dg

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Seven directors of different companies were booked for duping thousands of persons across the country of nearly Rs 300 crore while one person has been arrested in this connection, police said on Monday.

Chairmen of Shree Ram Real Estate, Business Solution Ltd, Ananya Group of Companies, Herbal Fleet, Sai Ram Buildtech, Shree Ram Multi Private Ltd, and Samariya Group, were booked for duping people on the pretext of doubling their money over a short period of time and assuring them of handsome assured returns on their investments.

The police said the directors of the seven companies were booked under the Indian Penal Code at Gurugram's City police station.

Those booked are Deepak Kumar and Hansraj from Gurugram's Sohna; Rajesh Kumar from Manesar; Mohsin Hussain, Talib Hussain and Mushid Khan from Haryana's Nuh district; and Ashwinder Singh from Karoli area of Rajasthan.

"A case was registered against unknown persons for fraud and cheating at the city police station on August 1, 2017, on the complainant of Dr Chandar Pal Saini, a resident of Haryana's Faridabad," police officer Ravinder Kumar told IANS.

"Later, the case was transferred to the Economic Offences Wing (EOW) and after a thorough investigation, the case was registered against them," Kumar said.

He said many more FIRs against the accused firms stood registered in various cities of the country.

"Sanjay Mewada, the main accused, was arrested by Gurugram police from Bhopal. He was presented in the court on Monday and sent in seven-day police remand. We are interrogating him. The rest of the accused will be arrested soon," the officer added.

--IANS

pradeep/nir/tsb/vm

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Under-Secretary-General Jeffrey Feltman has condemned the violence against Muslims in Sri Lanka and urged the government to bring those behind the attacks and hate speech to justice.

During the three-day visit, "he met Muslim political and civil society leaders to express concern and show solidarity", according to a UN statement issued on Sunday.

While in the island nation, Feltman, who is in charge of political affairs for the UN, also met President Maithripala Sirisena, Prime Minister Ranil Wickramasinghe, Parliament Speaker Karu Jayasuriya and Foreign Minister Tilak Marapana.

He "appreciated the reassurances from government leaders of their intention to move forward" with initiatives for reconciliation and sustainable peace although Feltman expressed concern that many elements of the government's "visionary" plan anounced in 2015 for national unity seemed to have stalled, the statement said.

He lauded the recent appointment of commissioners to the Office of Missing Persons to probe the disappearances of people during civil conflicts and "expressed hope" that the panel "will soon be fully operational to help answer questions that haunt too many families from all across Sri Lanka about their missing loved ones".

Senior lawyer Saliya Peiris is to head the seven-member panel that includes two Tamils and a retired major general. In 2016, the government said that about 65,000 people were reported missing since 1994.

Feltman praised the adoption of the Bill for the Protection Against Enforced Disappearances by Parliament and called it "an important element of the Sri Lankan government's commitment to its citizens".

Three people were killed, 11 mosques damaged and scores of Muslim-owned businesses destroyed in the riots in Kandy district earlier this month.

A curfew was imposed and the military and police were deployed to quell the riots.

On Saturday, Sirisena announced that a panel of three retired judges will investigate the riots.

Meanwhile, the Association of Sri Lankan Muslims in North America has announced a protest outside the UN on Wednesday to protest last week's anti-Muslim riots.

(Arul Louis can be reached at arul.l@ians.in)

--IANS

al/ksk

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The Supreme Court on Monday said it will get auctioned the unencumbered properties of real estate major Unitech, including personal assets of Managing Director Sanjay Chandra, in order to pay back home buyers seeking refund of their money.

"We will auction... We will proceed with the auction," said a bench of Chief Justice Dipak Misra, Justice A.M. Khanwilkar, and Justice D.Y. Chandrachud.

The bench was told that Unitech has prepared a list of unencumbered properties but it was incomplete.

On March 5, the apex court had directed Unitech to submit a list of its unencumbered properties.

"... the competent authority of Unitech Limited shall file an affidavit mentioning the details of its properties and its subsidiaries, situated in India as well as outside, which are free from encumbrances," the court's March 5 order said.

The court asked senior counsel Ranjit Kumar, appearing for Unitech, to file the incomplete list along with an affidavit. However, the real estate major will complete the list before the next date of hearing.

Pressing for Chandra's bail, Kumar cited the instance of Sahara Group chief Subrata Roy's bail.

"Here (there are) actual home buyers. They feel cheated and deceived," Chief Justice Misra said, apparently indicating that in the case of Sahara, the investors, as of now, were yet to be ascertained.

In a related development, the court imposed a Rs 25-lakh fine on Chennai-based JM Financial Asset Restructuring Company Limited and dismissed its intervention application.

JM Financial Asset Restructuring Company Limited had picked up the loan obligation of Unitech towards the HDFC bank and rescheduled its repayments.

Besides, it had advanced further loan for the completion of 17 projects in Chennai, Bengaluru, Kolkata and Gurugram, the court was told.

Describing the action of JM Financial Asset Restructuring Company Limited as a "diversion" from the main issue, the apex court said that during an earlier hearing of the matter an impression was created that JM Finance services was there to help the home buyers.

The court said that senior counsel Guru Krishna Kumar, appearing for the finance company, had urged it to reconsider the fine on the company.

Sanjay Chandra and his brother Ajay were arrested in April last year after investors, who did not get apartments in the company projects as promised, filed complaints of cheating against them.

They were sent in judicial custody after the trial court refused to extend the three- month interim bail granted to them in April.

The Delhi High Court too refused to extend the interim bail that ended on August 10 last year.

--IANS

pk/tsb/dg

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Cauvery and Cape Town  one a river flowing through agricultural fields and booming cities in south India and the other a modern and prosperous city in South Africa  have much in common. Lets make the connection.

Cape Town in on notice that the day when its water will run out is very close. Already, the city is reeling under a water emergency, with politicians asking citizens not to flush or water plants. The question that Cape Town is facing is how will it manage its water more prudently  how will it ensure that the water is supplied to all and the sewage that ...Elections to 58-Rajya Sabha seats are scheduled for March 23, but saw much drama across the political spectrum on the last day of filing of nominations on Monday. Samajwadi Party (SP) leader Naresh Agarwal joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Monday.

He was upset that the SP didn't re-nominate him to the Rajya Sabha. Agarwal said his son, an SP legislator, would vote for the BJP. In comments that came for criticism from within the BJP, Agarwal said at the press conference at the BJP headquarters in the afternoon that the SP rejected his re-nomination to ...Neither of the two Houses of Parliament could transact any business on Monday, with the government introducing two Bills in the Lok Sabha, including the Fugitive Economic Offenders Bill, 2018. With little likelihood of the two Houses taking up any business in the rest of the week, the government could push for the passage of the Finance Bill amid the din in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has issued a whip to its members for Tuesday. The Finance Bill 2018 and the Appropriation Bill 2018 were listed as part of legislative business in the revised list of ...Karti Chidambaram was today sent to 13-day judicial custody in the INX Media corruption case by a Delhi court which also dismissed his plea to provide him a separate cell in Tihar Jail due to his threat perception.

The court dismissed his appeal for an urgent hearing on his bail plea as also his threat perception as his father P Chidambaram who, as a union minister in the previous UPA government, had handled several sensitive issues.

Karti was produced on expiry of his three-day police remand before special judge Sunil Rana who sent him to Tihar Jail, after the CBI, in whose custody he was quizzed continuously for 12 days since his arrest on February 28 from Chennai, said he was no longer required for further custodial interrogation.

"In view of the fact that no more police custody remand of accused is sought by CBI, accused Karti Chidambaram is remanded to judicial custody. He be produced on March 24," the special judge said.

The court, which refused Karti's plea for a separate cell in the jail in view of threat perception as during his father's tenure as Union Home Minister several terrorists were kept in Tihar jail, said the social status of the Chidambaram family cannot be ignored but he cannot be treated differently from the other accused persons.

"The apprehension raised by the senior counsel for accused cannot be ignored keeping in view the social status of accused and his family, more specifically, his father, who is a former union minister.

"However, only keeping in view the fact of social status of accused and his father, he cannot be treated different from other accused persons and cannot be allowed to be kept in separate prison. However, lock up in-charge and jail superintendent are directed to provide and ensure proper security and safety to accused during judicial custody, as per rules," the court said.

The court noted the submission of Karti's counsel that he was the son of former union finance and home minister P Chidambaram, currently a member of Rajya Sabha who had dealt with various stringent penal laws such as TADA, MCOCA, UAPA and NDPS.

It also noted the submission that various undertrials facing prosecution under these laws are lodged in Tihar Jail, where Karti will also be lodged in judicial custody and hence a grave threat to the safety and security of the accused in judicial custody was apprehended.

The court allowed Karti to carry spectacles and medicines as per prescription subject to examination and approval by the jail doctor, but denied his request to carry toiletries, books, clothes and home food.

It also said his bail plea would be heard on March 15 as scheduled.

"The hearing of the bail application of accused (Karti) was earlier raised before this court on March 9, (when) the CBI had sought time to file reply to the bail application and in the presence of the counsel for accused, the bail application was put up for consideration on March 15 with the direction to the CBI to supple advance copy to defence.

"Since the bail application is already fixed for filing of reply/consideration on March 15, the present application is dismissed," the court said.

Meanwhile, Karti's chartered accountant S Bhaskararaman, who is currently in jail in a case filed by the Enforcement Directorate (ED), has moved the court for anticipatory bail in the CBI case of INX Media. The court is likely to take up Bhaskararaman's plea later today.

Karti was arrested on his return from the United Kingdom in connection with the FIR lodged on May 15 last year. It alleged irregularities in the Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) clearance to INX Media for receiving overseas funds of about Rs 305 crore in 2007 when his father was Union finance minister.

The CBI had initially alleged that Karti Chidambaram received Rs 10 lakh as bribe for facilitating Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) clearance to INX Media. It, however, later revised the figure to USD 1 million (about Rs 6.50 crore at the current exchange rate and Rs 4.50 crore in 2007).

The fresh evidence in the case, which triggered Karti's arrest, was based on the statement of Indrani Mukerjea, former director of INX Media (P) Ltd who had recorded it under section 164 of the CrPC before a magistrate on February 17.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The US is bolstering its military presence in Afghanistan, more than 16 years after the war started.

Is anyone paying attention? Consider this: At a Senate hearing this past week on top U.S. security threats, the word "Afghanistan" was spoken exactly four times, each during introductory remarks.

In the ensuing two hours of questions for intelligence agency witnesses, no senator asked about Afghanistan, suggesting little interest in a war with nearly 15,000 U.S. troops supporting combat against the Taliban.

It's not as if the war's end is in sight.

Just last month the bulk of an Army training brigade of about 800 soldiers arrived to improve the advising of Afghan forces. Since January, attack planes and other aircraft have been added to U.S. forces in Afghanistan.

But it's not clear that the war, which began in October 2001, is going as well as the U.S. had hoped seven months after President Donald Trump announced a new, more aggressive strategy.

The picture may be clearer once the traditionally most intensive fighting season begins in April or May. Over the winter, American and Afghan warplanes have focused on attacking illicit drug facilities that are a source of Taliban revenue.

One of Washington's closest watchers of the Afghanistan conflict, Anthony Cordesman of the Center for Strategic and International Studies, wrote last month that the administration has made major improvements in military tactics and plans for developing Afghan forces but has "done nothing to deal with civil and political stability."



That challenge is expected to come into clearer focus with the approach of parliamentary elections planned for July. The administration "not only faces a deteriorating security situation, it has no clear political, governance, or economic strategy to produce Afghan stability," Cordesman said. In his view, the U.S. military has been assigned a "mission impossible" in Afghanistan.

The weak central government in Kabul and the resilient Taliban insurgency are not the U.S. military's only problems there. It also faces what Gen. Joseph Votel, the top U.S. general overseeing the war, calls interference by Russia. He told a congressional panel last month that Moscow is seeking to undermine U.S. and NATO influence in Afghanistan by exaggerating the presence of Islamic State fighters there and portraying this as a US failure.

When Trump announced in August that he was ordering a new approach to the war, he said he realized "the American people are weary of war without victory."



He said his instinct was to pull out, but that after consulting with aides, he decided to seek "an honorable and enduring outcome." He said that meant committing more resources to the war, giving commanders in the field more authority and staying in Afghanistan for as long as it takes.

Stephen Biddle, a professor of political science and international affairs at George Washington University, said Americans' relative lack of interest in the war gives Trump political maneuver room to conduct the war as he wishes, but that dynamic is not necessarily a good one.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Three militants were killed in an encounter with security forces in Anantnag district of Jammu and Kashmir today, the army said.

An anti-militancy operation was launched in Hakura area of Anantnag district late last night following information about the presence of militants in the area, an army official said.

He said three militants were killed in the pre-dawn encounter with security forces.

A police spokesman said two of the slain militants were identified as Eesa Fazli of Srinagar and Syed Owais of Kokernag in Anantnag. The identity of the third militant was being ascertained.

"In the process, arms and ammunition which include AK 47 rifles, pistols, hand-grenades, etc. were recovered from the encounter site. There was no collateral damage during the operation, " the spokesman said.

He said one of the slain militants was involved in a recent attack on a police guard post at Soura in the city, in which one police constable had been killed.

Meanwhile, authorities ordered closure of schools and other educational institutions as a precautionary measure. A senior official of the administration said the schools and colleges have been closed to maintain law and order.

Kashmir University has suspended classes for the day and postponed examinations as well. A spokesperson of the university said the revised date for examinations scheduled for today will be announced later.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Nine people, who were part of a trekking expedition, have been killed in a forest fire in the Western Ghats, the Tamil Nadu government said today.

"Nine persons are dead, while 17 of the rescued have been hospitalised and 10 did not require hospitalisation," Commissioner of Revenue Administration K Sathyagopal told reporters.

Among the dead, six were from Chennai and three from Erode, local police said.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister K Palaniswami is rushing to Theni to oversee rescue operations.

A 36-member team -- 24 people from Chennai and 12 from Tiruppur and Erode districts -- on a trekking expedition reached Kurangani hills on March 10. The team included 25 women and three children, according to Theni District Collector Mariam Pallavi Baldev.

Four helicopters of the IAF and their 10 commandos are involved in the rescue operation, according to a tweet by Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman.

Health Secretary J Radhakrishnan said rescue teams comprising officials and health department personnel were camping in the hills.

Besides the IAF which has deployed four choppers from its Sulur Air base in Coimbatore, personnel drawn from fire and rescue and forest departments, police, and local officials are involved in the rescue operations assisted by local tribals and employees of nearby tea estates.

According to Pallavi Baldev, the trekkers after staying overnight at an estate in Kozhukumalai started their return journey to the plains yesterday morning when they heard about the sudden forest fire and got separated while attempting to find a safe way.

Kurangani-Kozhukumalai hills in the Western Ghats are located near Bodinayakanur, about 40 kms from here.

State health minister C Vijayabhaskar said the injured trekkers were received at Kurangani by a medical team.

"There is a medical team. Nine patients have already been shifted to Government Hospital in Bodi and they are all stable," he told reporters.

The minister said one of the injured identified as Anu Nithya sustained 90 per cent burns injury, while other two Ilakiya and Sabitha have got 15-20 per cent burn injuries.

Madurai District Collector Veeraraghava Rao said medical teams comprising plastic surgeons have been deployed to provide treatment at the Madurai Government Rajaji Hospital.

A defence press note said 16 Garud commandos were in action from the morning.

Eight commandos had already reached the top and had started dousing the fire, it said.

One helicopter completed the first round of action and continuing it, the release said, the fire was still razing.

Four choppers had been pressed into service.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Afghan security forces recaptured a district headquarters in western Farah province today, just hours after the Taliban overrun the police and administrative offices, killing eight policemen, a spokesman said.

The development came as insurgent attacks against security forces have stepped up across Afghanistan, including in Farah province.

In today's assault, the Taliban launched a multi-pronged attack and stormed the district headquarters in Anardara, which they were able to hold on to for a few hours before Afghan reinforcements arrived.

Nasrat Rahimi, deputy spokesman for the Interior Ministry, says that along with the eight killed in the assault, 10 security forces were wounded in the morning attack.

"Right now the district headquarters and the area around it are under control of the Afghan security forces," Rahimi said, adding that "fighting is ongoing in three different parts of the district" as Afghan forces pursue the Taliban.

The Afghan forces also carried out heavy airstrikes during the day in Anardara and more than 50 Taliban fighters were report killed so far, he added.

Fared Bakhtawer, the head of provincial council in Farah, confirmed the developments and said the Taliban have been surrounded in other parts of the district.

"The Afghan forces have warned the Taliban either to surrender or die on the battle field," said Bakhtawer.

The Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack shortly after it began, according to a media statement from Qari Yusouf Ahmadi, a Taliban spokesman.

The Anardara attack followed a weekend assault in Bala Buluk district that killed 15 Afghan forces seven army commandos and eight policemen.

In a separate report, seven civilians including three children and two women were killed last night in eastern Nangarhar province when their vehicle was hit by a grenade, said Attahullah Khogyani, spokesman for the provincial governor.

Khogyani said two other people in the vehicle were wounded in the attack in Bati Kot district. The victims are all members of a single family, he added.

No group immediately claimed responsibility for the attack but both the Taliban and the Islamic State group are active in eastern Afghanistan, particularly in Nangarhar province.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Arunachal Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Chowna Mein today presented the state Budget for the fiscal 2018-19, with a projected deficit of Rs 546 crore and a total outlay of Rs 19,261 crore.

The Budget put thrust on seven key areas including education, skill development, health, governance reforms, IT and infrastructure, he said.

"In the Budget, we are projecting a revenue receipt of Rs 17,590.30 crore and a capital receipt of Rs 1,671 crore... Our share of central taxes has been pegged at a level of Rs 10,798.47 crore as per the Union Budget 2018-19," Mein, who also holds the finance portfolio, said.

The minister said the state Budget also focuses on agrarian economy and empowerment of farmers.

"The deputy commissioners have been given a huge responsibility for decentralised assistance to farmers. A large number of schemes have been launched to revitalise the agriculture and allied sectors, with a focus on agricultural entrepreneurship, farm credit, agriculture extension, marketing and providing quality planting materials," he said.

In order to augment the resources available for financing new interventions in the health and sector, a 10 per cent cess on liquor would be imposed from April 1 this year, Mein said.

The minister said regular talent hunts, focused mentoring of teachers and smart class room programs are some of the key features for the sector in the Budget.

The Budget proposed schemes in the health sector for providing support to patients suffering from renal diseases, where the state government has assured support of up to Rs 10 lakh per patient.

"A district health society in each district has been mooted, under which funds would be placed for decentralised procurement of medicines, emergency repairs and replacement of dysfunctional equipments," Mein said.

The minister said the Budget also proposed several initiatives for women empowerment including establishment of women helpline, women police stations, amendment of IPC for rape of minors and strengthening of Arunachal Pradesh Women Commission, among others.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The Assam Budget for 2018-19 today proposed new schemes for women, including scholarships for girl children belonging to minority communities and improving women's health and safeguard.

Assam Finance Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, presenting the state's first e-Budget in the Assembly here, said, "I would like to announce a scheme that proposes to support all girls belonging to minority community, to further aid and incentivise them to keep pursuing higher education."



He said toward this end, an annual scholarship of Rs 2,000, Rs 4,000, Rs 6,000 and Rs 10,000 is proposed for girl students belonging to minority communities studying in class 10, 11, 12, graduation and post-graduation, respectively.

The minister said that nine new women colleges will be established predominantly in minority areas such as Sonai, Chenga, Batadraba, Jaleswar, Golakganj, Bilasipara, Mangaldai, Hailakandi and Karimganj.

Sarma, who holds the Health portfolio as well, said the Budget also has a proposal for monthly stipend for purchase of sanitary napkins.

In terms of the education sector, the Assam Budget proposed to establish new institutes, he said.

A new medical college will be established in Karimganj district and construction of Kokrajhar, Tinsukia and Nalbari medical colleges will commence from this year.

Besides, 10 new government law colleges will be set up, while as many new B.Ed colleges will come up in different districts, Sarma said.

"To promote skill development in the state, we are setting up a Mega Skill City in partnership with ITEES Singapore to provide globally relevant employment skills to the youths of Assam. I have earmarked Rs 18 crore separately for the setting up of the Mega Skill City.

"We have also envisaged the setting up of a 'State Institute of Public Finance' to provide top class capacity building of the officials and all stakeholders. Further, we will also set up a State Labour Training and Research Institute," he said.

The minister said that University Grants Commission (UGC) pay-scales will be applicable for teachers across degree colleges, universities and technical and medical institutions.

Sarma added that the state government is working on bringing out a legislation for regulating "malpractices" in private educational institutions.

The legislation is aimed at "curbing the increase in the practice of charging exorbitant fees by private schools and undue profiteering by some educational institutions".

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The White House today condemned the chemical attack on a former Russian spy in Britain as "an outrage," breaking a week-long silence.

"The use of a highly lethal nerve agent against UK citizens on UK soil is an outrage," said press secretary Sarah Sanders. "The attack was reckless, indiscriminate and irresponsible."



Sanders stopped short of pointing the finger of blame at Moscow, as British Prime Minister Theresa May did earlier in parliament.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Two package bomb blasts a few miles apart killed a teenager and wounded two women in Austin, less than two weeks after a similar attack left a man dead in another part of the city.

Investigators said yesterday's bombings are probably connected, and they are looking into whether race was a factor because all of the victims were minorities.

The attacks unfolded just as the Texas capital was swelling with visitors to the South By Southwest music festival.

The first of yesterday's attacks killed a 17-year-old boy and wounded a 40-year-old woman, both of them black. As Police Chief Brian Manley held a conference to discuss that blast, authorities were called to the scene of another explosion that injured a 75-year-old Hispanic woman. She was taken to a hospital with potentially life-threatening wounds.

Authorities suspect that both of yesterday's blasts were linked to a March 2 attack that killed a 39-year-old black man, and they urged the public to call police if they receive any unexpected packages.

The police chief first suggested that the blasts could constitute a hate crime after yesterday's first bombing. Following the second explosion hours later, he said authorities had not settled on a motive and could not rule anything out.

The explosions happened far from the main events of the huge festival, which brings about 400,000 visitors to Austin each year.

In a tweet, organizers said, "SXSW is heartbroken by the explosions in Austin," and they urged visitors to stay safe and alert police if they see any suspicious activity.

Four years ago, a driver plowed through a barricade and into festival-goers, killing four people and injuring many others. Additional security measures were taken in the aftermath, including additional policing, tougher security checks and brighter street lighting, among others.

The three explosions occurred in different parts of east Austin. Yesterday's first explosion happened at a home in a neighborhood known as Springdale Hills and about 20 kilometers from the home where the March 2 package bomb killed 39-year-old Anthony Stephan House.

His death was initially investigated as suspicious but is now viewed as a homicide.

Yesterday's second explosion happened in the Montopolis neighborhood, near the airport and about 5 miles south of the day's first blast.

In both the March 2 attack and yesterday's first explosion, the packages were left overnight on the victims' doorsteps and were not mailed or sent by a delivery service, Manley said.

Neither the Postal Service nor private carriers such as UPS or FedEx have any record of delivering the package to the home where yesterday's explosion occurred.

"There are similarities that we cannot rule out that these two items are, in fact, related," Manley said.

Investigators said it was possible that the victims were targeted because of their race.

"We don't know what the motive behind these may be," Manley said. "We do know that both of the homes that were the recipients of these packages belong to African-Americans, so we cannot rule out that hate crime is at the core of this."



Special Agent Michelle Lee, a San Antonio-based spokesman for the FBI, said the agency responded to both events and was assisting Austin police, who were leading the local investigation. She said the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives was leading the federal investigation.

A second package was discovered near the site of the initial yesterday's explosion and that some residents and media members were evacuated or pushed farther from the blast site as authorities determined whether it was a bomb, Manley said.

None of the latest victims' names were immediately released.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Police have arrested a 25-year-old autorickshaw driver for allegedly killing a man and raping his girlfriend near a village here last week.

The interrogation of Siddharth Naravade (25) revealed he was also involved in an attack on a couple in the same area last year, a police official said.

Addressing a conference at the Thane District Rural Police HQ, Superintendent of Police Mahesh Patil said with the arrest of Naravade yesterday, they have cracked the March 5 murder and rape case and also recovered the weapon used in the crime.

Naravade originally hailed from Abad in Jalna district and had been staying in a lodge in Ulhasnagar township for the last seven months, he said.

He was driving an autorickshaw owned by someone else for a living, Patil said.

Naravade allegedly shot dead a 20-year-old man, who was accompanied by his girlfriend, when he resisted his robbery attempt. The couple was on a motorcycle, he said.

The accused demanded the money he was carrying and also the key of his motorbike. When the man protested the robbery bid, he fired four rounds at him from point-blank range, killing him on the spot, the police officer said.

Naravade then dragged the deceased's girlfriend (30) to nearby bushes and raped her. The incident took place near village Nalimbi, he said.

After filing a case of murder and rape based on a complaint lodged by the woman, police officials swung into action and raided the lodge where the accused had been staying, the officer said.

They recovered a German-made revolver and three live cartridges from his room, he said.

Prashant Kadam, Additional Superintendent of Police (Thane Rural), who was also present at the conference, said Naravade was invovled in a robbery and firing case which took place in July 2017 in Ambernath.

He had then robbed a couple at an isolated spot and also fired at them, injuring the man, Kadam said.

The Thane Police commissioner has announced a cash reward of Rs 50,000 for the team that arrested Naravade, an official said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Retired Lt General D P Vats, who was chosen by the BJP as its nominee for the lone Rajya Sabha seat in Haryana, today filed his nomination papers.

The seat is being vacated by Congress member Shadi Lal Batra.

While filing his nomination, 67-year-old Vats was accompanied by Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar, many Cabinet colleagues including Ram Bilas Sharma and Abhimanyu, and BJP legislators from the state.

The ruling BJP has 47 MLAs in the 90-member House and it is set to win the seat comfortably. The INLD has 19 members, the Congress 17, the BSP and the SAD one each. There are 5 Independents.

Vats, who hailed from Hisar, had also served as director and commandant of the prestigious Armed Forces Medical College, Pune.

He served as chairman of the Haryana Public Service Commission between May 2011 and April 2012 during the Bhupinder Singh Hooda-led Congress government in the state.

Before Vats' name was announced for the seat, the names of party's senior leader from the state Ganeshi Lal, former Mahendragarh MP Sudha Yadav and BJP's media in-charge Rajiv Jain were doing rounds.

The biennial elections would be held on March 23 and today was the last date for filing nominations.

"By training and conviction, a soldier is a nationalist," Vats told reporters before filing his papers and added that a nation where a soldier was respected remained safe and secure.

Once elected, he said, he would raise issues of national importance and never indulge in any kind of petty Vats said that he belonged to a family of farmers and had even played a role in "creating modern outlook of the Khaps (or caste councils)".

He appealed to the people to strengthen the hands of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who, he said, was leading the nation on the path of progress.

"I also appeal to all to strengthen the hands of the BJP which is a symbol of the country's development, and give majority to the party in next elections as well to help maintain the momentum of growth," he said.

Earlier, Vats thanked Modi, BJP chief Amit Shah and Khattar for reposing faith and confidence in him.

Haryana's Education Minister Ram Bilas Sharma thanked his party's senior leadership in nominating Vats on the occasion. He said former Army chief General V K Singh who was given a Cabinet berth in the Modi cabinet also belonged to the state.

Sharma said Haryana constituted just 2 per cent of the country's land mass, but formed nearly 11 per cent of the nation's armed forces strength.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Retired Lt General D P Vats, who was chosen by the BJP as its nominee for the lone Rajya Sabha seat in Haryana, today filed his nomination papers and is set to enter the Upper House unopposed.

The seat is being vacated by Congress member Shadi Lal Batra.

While filing his nomination, 67-year-old Vats was accompanied by Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar, many Cabinet colleagues including Ram Bilas Sharma and Abhimanyu, and BJP legislators from the state.

Later, when Vats was present in the visitors' gallery of the state Assembly for a brief period to watch the proceedings of the Budget Session, Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar informed the House that only one nomination was filed today, the last day of filing papers.

Khattar said once the results are declared, Vats was set to be elected to the Rajya Sabha unopposed. No other candidate had filed the nomination papers for the seat.

The ruling BJP has 47 MLAs in the 90-member House and it is set to win the seat comfortably. The INLD has 19 members, the Congress 17, the BSP and the SAD one each. There are 5 Independents.

Vats, who hails from Hisar, had also served as the director and commandant of the prestigious Armed Forces Medical College, Pune.

He served as the chairman of the Haryana Public Service Commission between May 2011 and April 2012 during the Bhupinder Singh Hooda-led Congress government in the state.

Before Vats' name was announced for the seat, the names of party's senior leader from the state Ganeshi Lal, former Mahendragarh MP Sudha Yadav and BJP's media in-charge Rajiv Jain were doing rounds.

Talking to reporters here, Vats said that he belonged to a family of farmers and had even played a role in "creating modern outlook of the khaps (or caste councils)".

"By training and conviction, a soldier is a nationalist," Vats said before filing his papers and added that a nation where a soldier was respected remained safe and secure.

Once elected, he said, he would raise issues of national importance and never indulge in any kind of petty



He appealed to the people to strengthen the hands of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who, he said, was leading the nation on the path of progress.

"I also appeal to all to strengthen the hands of the BJP which is a symbol of the country's development, and give majority to the party in next elections as well to help maintain the momentum of growth," he said.

Earlier, Vats thanked the PM, BJP chief Amit Shah and Khattar for reposing faith and confidence in him.

Haryana's Education Minister Ram Bilas Sharma thanked his party's senior leadership for nominating Vats. He said former Army chief General V K Singh who was given a Cabinet berth in the Modi cabinet also belonged to the state.

Sharma said Haryana constituted just 2 per cent of the country's land mass, but formed nearly 11 per cent of the nation's armed forces strength.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The BJP today decided to boycott an all-party meet called by Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal tomorrow to find a solution to problems being faced by traders because of an ongoing sealing drive in the city, even as the AAP slammed state BJP chief Manoj Tiwari for touring abroad at a time when city traders were facing problems.

Delhi BJP general secretary Ravinder Gupta said the party would not attend the meeting, adding that after the incident at the CM's residence on January 30, where a delegation of saffron party was "misbehaved with", it was proved that the AAP does not believe in a "political dialogue".

"It would have been better had the chief minister met the Supreme Court-appointed Monitoring Committee and registered his protest for carrying out a sealing drive without any notice.

"The government should appoint prominent lawyers as the chief minister has appointed for his personal litigation," BJP said in a letter to Kejriwal.

In a statement, the party said, "the Delhi BJP feels there is no objective of such a meeting as the intentions of the government of Delhi are not clear on the matter."



However, Delhi Congress president Ajay Maken will attend the all party-meeting to be held at the chief minister's residence tomorrow.

Kejriwal had yesterday written to Maken and Tiwari, inviting them for the meeting at his residence on Tuesday, saying, "We should rise above and come together to find a solution to the problems that have risen due to sealing."



The Delhi BJP said Tiwari was abroad as part of a delegation accompanying President Ram Nath Kovind and would be back by March 15.

Taking a dig at Tiwari, senior AAP leader Saurabh Bharadwaj tweeted, "Whole Delhi desperately seeking solution for Sealing. Where is BJP Delhi Chief and Member of Parliament?"



Attacking the BJP-led Centre, AAP Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh said, "The central government passed four ordinances to amend the Land Acquisition Act and took the same route to allow Jallikattu in Tamil Nadu after the Supreme Court ban. What prevents it from passing an ordinance or a bill to provide some relief to businessmen here."



In January, Leader of Opposition Vijender Gupta had alleged that the Aam Aadmi Party leaders and workers "misbehaved" with members of a BJP delegation at Kejriwal's residence when they had gone there to discuss about relief to traders hit by the sealing drive.

A case was registered in the matter and some AAP MLAs were booked.

The sealing drive was undertaken by the municipal corporations of the national capital on the directions of a Supreme Court-appointed committee in December last year.

Under the drive, hundreds of commercial establishments have been sealed so far for non-payment of conversion charges and violation of the Delhi Master Plan.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) had cleared the Rs 58,000 crore Rafale deal in August, 2016, nearly 16 months after the announcement of its procurement was made by Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his visit to France in April 2015, according to details provided by the government in Parliament today.

Minister of State for Defence Subhash Bhamre said the cost of each Rafale aircraft is approximately Rs 670 crore but did not give details of prices of associated equipment, weapons and services. A similar response was given by him in November 2016 on the cost of each jet.

"The inter-governmental agreement (IGA) for procurement of 36 Rafale aircraft with the French government was accorded approval by the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) on August 24, 2016 and signed on December 23, 2016," Bhamre said in a reply in the Rajya Sabha.

The minister's written response came to a question by Congress MP Vivek Tankha who specifically asked whether the CCS approval was sought at the time of announcement of the deal in France.

A joint statement issued on April 10, 2015 after Modi's talks with the then French President Franois Hollande had said India conveyed to the government of France that in view of the critical operational necessity for multirole combat aircraft for the Indian Air Force, Government of India would like to acquire 36 Rafale jets in fly-away condition as quickly as possible.

"The two leaders agreed to conclude an Inter- Governmental Agreement for supply of the aircraft on terms that would be better than conveyed by Dassault Aviation as part of a separate process underway," the statement said.

It also said associated systems and weapons would be delivered on the same configuration as had been tested and approved by the Indian Air Force, and with a longer maintenance responsibility by France.

The Congress has been demanding details of the deal including cost of equipment and weapons, alleging that the deal negotiated under its rule was much cheaper than the contract signed by the Modi government.

On many occasions, the Congress had asked the government whether the CCS clearance was taken before the PM announced about the procurement of the jets during his visit to Paris in April 2015.

Last week, quoting from the annual report of Dassault Aviation, the makers of the fighter aircraft, the Congress said while 36 Rafale jets were sold to India at 7.5 billion Euros in 2016, 48 jets were sold to Qatar and Egypt at 7.9 billion Euros in 2015.

According to the Congress, this amounted to Rs 1,670.70 crore per aircraft to India and Rs 1,319.80 crore to Egypt as well as Qatar. There was a difference of Rs 351 crore for each aircraft, the party claimed.

The government has been refusing to give an item-wise cost and other details about the deal in Parliament citing confidentiality provisions of a 2008 Indo-France pact.

Bhamre also said it was not correct to say that there was an "upward price escalation" in the deal, insisting that no price was finalised during negotiations for the original proposal to procure 126 Rafale jets by the UPA regime.

He said this to a question on why there has been an escalation of prices from Rs 526 crore per jet as negotiated by the previous government against the cost of Rs 1,570 crore per Rafale jet.

"It had not been possible to finalise the terms and conditions for acquiring 126 aircraft even after protracted process from the period of issue of Request for Proposal in 2007 to unsuccessful commercial negotiations up to 2014," said Bhamre.

He was asked whether it is a fact that the previous government had negotiated a USD 10.2 billion deal for the 126 jets whereas the current regime finalised purchase of 36 Rafale aircraft for USD 8.7 billion without the provision of transfer of technology.

The then UPA government had floated a tender in 2007 for purchase of 126 medium multi-role combat aircraft (MMRCA) for the Indian Air Force and post negotiations, Dassault Aviation's Rafale and EADS's Eurofighter Typhoon remained in the reckoning. However, the deal could not be finalised by the UPA regime.

"As such, the terms and conditions between the earlier exercise to procure 126 aircraft and procurement of 36 Rafale in direct fly-away condition including cost per aircraft cannot be compared," said Bhamre.

He said acquiring transfer of technology for only 36 aircraft would not have been cost effective.

Asked whether it is a fact that a joint venture agreement regarding Rafale jet was signed between Dassault Aviation and Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd was subsequently annulled, Bhamre said "no".

He said due to inability of the (previous) government to conclude the contract, there was no such agreement between Dassault Aviation and the HAL.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The Central University of Himachal Pradesh will function from Dehra and Dharamsala in Kangra district, Minister Suresh Bhardwaj today informed state Assembly.

Replying to a question of Rakesh Singha (CPIM), he said the state government has transferred land in the name of the Central University at Dehra.

In Dharamsala, the government had earmarked land for the university, but the same has to be transferred yet.

He said the issue of location of main campus of the Central University had been pending for long, but the government will now settle the issue and lay the foundation stone for the Central University in this year.

He asked the members not raise any controversy and let the government set up the Central University.

In reply to another question Rakesh Pathania(BJP) regarding illegal stone crushers in Chakki khad in Kangra district, Industries minister, Bikram Singh said the government was committed to check illegal mining across the state.

The minister said the government will ensure that the blood relations of the defaulters were not be given permission for stone crushers.

He informed the House that 40 stone crushers were running on Chakki Khud in Nurpur and Indora sub divisions and 20 units have been closed.

Earlier, raising the question, Pathania said there was a trend that if one stone crusher of any person is declared illegal, his brother gets the permission to run it in some other name.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)China today welcomed as "positive" India's willingness to work with it to enhance political mutual trust and discuss differences on the basis of mutual respect and sensitivity to each other's interests.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang's remarks came after India said it was willing to work with China to develop relations based on commonalities, while dealing with differences on the basis of mutual respect and sensitivity to each other's interests.

"We have noted such positive remarks by the Indian side," Lu told a media briefing here answering a question on India's response to Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi's recent comments on bilateral ties.

"We wish to work with the Indian side to take the important consensus between the two leaderships as guidance to improve our political mutual trust, enhance mutual beneficial cooperation, manage our differences and ensure the correct track of our relations' development," Lu said.

He said Wang elaborated on China's basic position on its relations with India.

Wang in his annual press conference had said that India and China should shed suspicion and manage differences by meeting halfway, suggesting toning down of tough Chinese posture against New Delhi after the tense Dokalam standoff.

During the meeting between Prime Minister Modi and President Xi Jinping in Xiamen in September last year, the two leaders had agreed that sound development of relations between India and China was a factor of stability amidst today's global uncertainties, and that the two countries should not allow their differences to become disputes, he noted.

Asked how China views relations with India this year after turbulence in ties in 2017 due to a number of issues including the Dokalam standoff, Wang in his annual press conference had called for both the countries to shed confrontationist stance on issues of differences.

India-China relations underwent turbulence in 2017 amid growing discord over a host issues including the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, China blocking efforts at the UN to list Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammed chief Masood Azhar as a global terrorist as well as India's entry into the Nuclear Suppliers Group.

Beijing is also pressing New Delhi not to allow the exiled Tibetan Buddhist leader, the Dalai Lama to engage in high-profile activities aimed at "splitting" Tibet from China.

"The Chinese dragon and Indian elephant must not fight each other but dance with each other," the Chinese foriegn minister had said, adding "if China and India are united, one plus one is not equal to two but eleven".

"Despite some tests and difficulties, the China-India relationship continues to grow," Wang said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The Mizoram Congress Legislature Party has passed a resolution to send state police personnel to occupy the land at Zophai area near the Mizoram-Assam border town of Bairabi where protestors from the state had clashed with Assam Police, a party leader said today.

The meeting, which was chaired by Chief Minister and CLP leader Lal Thanhawla yesterday night, felt that the Mizo Zirlai Pawl (MZP) or Mizo Students Federation should be allowed to erect a guest house on the land belonging to the first Mizoram chief minister Ch Chhunga which was donated to the student organisation by his widow, he said.

The CLP also felt that the state police personnel should be sent immediately to the disputed border area.

The governments of Assam and Mizoram are engaged in a dialogue to resolve the border dispute. Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal held telephonic discussions with his Mizoram counterpart Lal Thanhawla on Saturday.

Mizoram police had alleged on Saturday that a Mizo student was injured in firing by the Assam police at Zopui in Kolasib district. Assam police denied the charge and claimed that the Mizoram students were pushed back when they tried to intrude into the state.

The MZP leaders and activists have been camping in the area to construct a rest house at Zophai to be called 'Zofate Chawlhbuk' on the land belonging to Ch Chhunga.

The administration of Hailakandi in Assam had clamped prohibitory orders under section 144 of CrPC on March 7 in certain pockets of the district apprehending encroachment attempts from the Mizoram side.

The following day members of several organisations of Mizoram allegedly attempted to intrude into a disputed area of Hailakandi district of Assam and the police had stopped them.

Assam and Mizoram have a long-standing boundary dispute and there had been tension in the Hailakandi-Kolasib region several times in the past too. The ministry of home affairs had sought reports from both states.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Colombians cast their votes to elect a new Congress with a resurgent right, bitterly opposed to a peace deal that allows leftist former rebels to participate, expected to poll strongly.

The election yesterday was the calmest in half a century of conflict in Colombia, with the former rebel movement FARC spurning jungle warfare for politics, and the ELN -- the country's last active rebel group -- observing a ceasefire.

President Juan Manuel Santos said the polls were "the safest, most transparent elections" in the country's recent history shortly before polls closed 4:00 pm (2:30 am IST) after eight hours of peaceful voting.

"This is the first time in more than half a century that the FARC, instead of sabotaging the elections, are taking part in it," he said, adding that the ELN had "respected" their ceasefire.

Without giving figures, Santos also hailed "massive participation" in the election, in a country where abstentionism traditionally runs at around 60 per cent.

Full results are expected today.

However, by late yesterday voters had already chosen the candidates from the right-wing and leftist coalitions who will contest the presidential election in May, following primaries held in parallel to the legislative vote.

Ivan Duque of the Centro Democratico party headed by senator and former president Alvaro Uribe, won the right-wing primary with more than 2.7 million votes, or 67 per cent of the poll, and will spearhead hardline opposition to the peace deal.

Gustavo Petro, a former Bogota mayor who is seeking to become conservative Colombia's first leftist president, will oppose him after winning nearly two million votes, 85 per cent of the poll, in his primary.

Meanwhile, the public prosecutor's office said it would open an investigation into why electoral officials ran out of ballot papers for the party primaries.

The peace accord with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) guarantees their new political party 10 of the 280 seats in the new Congress.

The party uses the same Spanish acronym, which now stands for the Common Alternative Revolutionary Force, and replaced its crossed-rifles insignia with a red rose.

"It's the first time in my life that I've voted and I do it for peace," said Pablo Catatumbo, a former FARC commander who is assured a senate seat.

Opinion polls give the FARC little chance of adding to its 10 free seats, following a disastrous campaign during which its rebels-turned-politicians were largely drowned out by a tide of public revulsion over crimes committed during the conflict.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The Supreme Court today set a deadline of six months for CBI and ED to complete the probe in the 2G spectrum allocation cases and the alleged irregularities in FIPB approval to the Aircel-Maxis deal in which former finance minister P Chidambaram and his son Karti Chidambaram have been questioned by the agencies.

The issue of FIPB clearance in the the Aircel-Maxis deal had surfaced during the probe into the 2G spectrum related cases.

The top court said it is "very unfortunate" that investigation in the 2G cases has not been completed yet and "people of this country cannot be kept in dark in a serious and sensitive case like this".

A bench of Justices Arun Mishra and Navin Sinha, who were annoyed by the delay in completion of probe in the 2G spectrum cases, which started in 2010, said it will "haul every officer involved the case if investigation is not completed within next six months".

"Why is there so much delay in completing the investigation in the 2G spectrum and ancilliary cases. Investigation was ordered by this court in 2010 and since then several orders have been passed but nothing has happened so far. Tell us, how much investigation is pending and why have you not been able to complete the probe yet," the bench said.

The apex court questioned the Centre "whether there was any invisible hand" which was delaying the investigation of the case and directed that "investigation in all aspects has to be completed in the cases by next six months".

"This a very serious and sensitive case. You book everybody responsible in the case and investigation has to be completed in all aspects. We are unhappy the way things are going on as the investigation has not seen light of the day. This case is becoming like 'touch me not'," the bench said.

Attorney General K K Venuopal said that in the main 2G spectrum case involving the former telecom minister, the special court has acquitted all the accused and similarly in other related cases, the accused were either acquitted or discharged.

"Only in one case, investigation is still pending and this case relates to Aircel-Maxis case involving Malaysian business tycoon T Ananda Krishnan against whom letter rogatory have been issued but being an influential person in that country, we have not been able to bring him to India to face trial," Venugopal said.

He said Krishnan was not cooperating with the investigation in the case and no documents have been supplied by Malaysian government.

The bench said it was not concerned about the individuals or personalities involved in the case and the Centre should file a status report in two weeks with regard to investigation done so far.

The AG said the Centre will file the status report as per the court's direction and if the bench wants, then it will file the document without sealed cover notwithstanding the relationship with Malayasia government.

BJP leader Subramaniam Swamy said the court had in the last hearing directed CBI and ED to file the status report with regard to investigation done in Aircel-Maxis deal case. "This status report which was to be filed in the court was unfortunately in the bedroom of one of the accused in the case," Swamy alleged, without taking any name.

The court also allowed a plea of senior advocate Anand Grover seeking to be relieved from his post as special public prosecutor in a case related to 2G spectrum case after recording words of appreciation for his efforts in the case.

It put a stamp of approval on the government's decision to appoint Additional Solicitor General Tushar Mehta as special public prosecutor in place of Grover for prosecution, appeals and revision of 2G related cases and dismissed a contempt plea filed by an NGO Centre for Public Interest Litigation.

On January 4 this year, the apex court had directed the Centre to file a status report on the probe being conducted in the Aircel-Maxis deal case. P Chidambaram was questioned by the CBI in the case on December 6, 2014, while Karti was questioned on November 19, 2014.

The CBI had said in its charge sheet in the Aircel-Maxis case that Chidambaram had granted FIPB approval in March 2006 to Mauritius-based M/s Global Communication Services Holdings Ltd, a subsidiary of Maxis, owned by Ananda Krishnan, who is also an accused in the case.

The CBI had claimed that M/s Global Communication Services Holdings Ltd had sought Foreign Investement Promotion Board (FIPB) approval for 800 million USD for which only the CCEA was competent, but Chidambaram had given approval to the firm in March 2006.

However, the CBI and ED cases in the Aircel-Maxis deal could not withhold judicial scrutiny as the special 2G court had in February last year discharged Dayanidhi Maran, his industrialist brother Kalanithi Maran and others saying the alleged charges were based on "misreading of official files", speculation and surmises of the complainant.

Though the court has discharged Marans and others in the case, further probe by CBI regarding FIPB approval is still going on. Similarly, the ED is carrying out separate probe in the Aircel-Maxis deal.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)A compromise aimed at saving Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's coalition advanced Monday as speculation built over whether the premier wants early elections to bolster his standing ahead of a potential indictment for bribery.

Defence Minister Avigdor Lieberman also provided the government with some breathing space by announcing he did not intend to quit for now -- even though he opposes the legislation upon which the compromise deal is based.

While the coalition crisis building in recent days was still not definitively resolved, Monday's moves could lessen the chances for elections for the time being.

Netanyahu has repeatedly said he wants the coalition to last its entire term, which ends in November 2019, but some coalition members suspect him of allowing a "fake" crisis to worsen to give him the option of forcing elections.

Polls suggest Netanyahu could remain prime minister in fresh elections despite the corruption allegations.

Some Israeli political commentators accuse Lieberman and Netanyahu of working together to preserve the option of fresh polls for the prime minister. Both men deny it.

"If there are elections, we shall take part and we shall win," Netanyahu told parliament on Monday evening. "But we are not there."



Though Netanyahu's legal woes hang over the discussions, the dispute within the coalition centres on a separate issue entirely: legislation to exempt young ultra-Orthodox Jewish men from military conscription.

Ultra-Orthodox political parties have said they would not support a budget for 2019 unless the bill is approved.

Their demand has run up against Finance Minister Moshe Kahlon's requirement that the budget is passed before the end of parliament's current term on March 18.

Lieberman meanwhile opposes the conscription legislation and wants to see the ultra-Orthodox serve in the military like their secular counterparts.

A compromise in the works would at least postpone the crisis, if not outright resolve it.

In a meeting late Sunday, ultra-Orthodox factions told Netanyahu they would agree to support the budget if the military conscription bill passed a ministerial committee and an initial parliamentary reading, postponing a final vote until the summer session.

Today, the ministerial committee gave approval to the bill.

Lieberman later told lawmakers from his Yisrael Beitenu party that he would continue to oppose the legislation, but would remain in the government for now and could resign later.

"We shall not volunteer to leave the government," Lieberman said.

"For as long as it has not passed its third (and final) reading, we shall fight from inside."



He added that "there is no more interesting post than the post of defence minister. I do not know of anyone who would volunteer to leave the job."Netanyahu separately called on all coalition partners -- "first and foremost Defence Minister Avigdor Lieberman" -- to remain in the government.

Should Lieberman and his party quit, Netanyahu's coalition could in theory continue with a one-seat majority in parliament.

Netanyahu however says that he does not want to do so, calling it unsustainable.

The 68-year-old premier could soon face charges in at least two separate corruption affairs, while investigations are continuing into two others.

Three of his former associates have signed state witness deals with police.

Police recommended his indictment for bribery in the first two cases in February and the attorney general is considering how to proceed, a process expected to take months.

In one case, Netanyahu and his family are accused of accepting expensive gifts from wealthy supporters in exchange for financial benefits or favours.

The other alleges he sought a secret deal with the publisher of a top-selling newspaper for favourable coverage.

Netanyahu has been prime minister for a total of 12 years, from 1996-1999 and again since 2009.

He is not required to step down if indicted -- only after he is convicted with all appeals exhausted -- though political pressure would surely mount.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)All four missing crew members, including an Indian national, of container liner 'Maersk Honam' are presumed dead in last week's fire, taking the toll to five, Global shipping firm Maersk Line announced today.

The company said the remains of three unidentified crew members were discovered on board the vessel which continues to be on fire in the Arabian Sea.

"Given the time passed and the severe fire damage of the vessel, we must conclude by now that we have lost all four colleagues who have been missing since the fire," the Copenhagen-headquartered company said in a statement.

"Our most heartfelt condolences go out to the families of our deceased colleagues. We share their sorrow and do our utmost to support them in this devastating time," said Chief Operating Officer Soren Toft.

While a search continued on board the 330-metre long vessel to locate the remains of the missing crew members, the company said the active search and rescue mission at sea would be brought to a halt.

'Maersk Honam' caught fire around 390 nautical miles off the Agatti island in Lakshadweep last Tuesday while sailing from Singapore to Suez. It had a crew of 27, who decided to abandon the ship after failing to contain the blaze.

While 23 crew members were rescued immediately by passing merchant vessels, fate of the remaining four was unknown till now.

Inability to find them at sea after exhaustive searches had resulted the Indian Coast Guard, which was coordinating both the fire fighting and search and rescue operations, to speculate that the four would have been stuck on board.

A Thai national, who was among the 23 rescued crew members, died while being taken to Colombo. After his death, the evacuating vessel was diverted to the nearby Kochi port.

The missing Indian national is identified as Sadik Hegde, a cook.

"Our colleagues who were evacuated to local hospitals in varying conditions of health are improving and we are now preparing to bring them back to their families as (and when) their condition allows," said Chief Technical Officer Palle Laursen.

A majority of the crew members were released from hospitals in Kerala, while the rest were moved to general wards from intensive care units due to improvement in their condition, as per the statement.

Investigating agencies in India were conducting a detailed probe into the incident and would be recording statements of the crew members.

The vessel, with a capacity to carry 15,000 standard 20-footer containers, was carrying over 12,000 20-footer equivalent cargo, some of which were earmarked as "dangerous".

While the exact cause for the fire was still unknown, the company confirmed that the blaze originated in the cargo near the sailors' quarters.

The company said on-board firefighting efforts were progressing with specialised vessels being engaged in the operation.

The company said it would conduct a full investigation to determine the "cause of the fire and the impact to the vessel and cargo.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Tibetan spiritual leader Dalai Lama will not attend the Indian Science Congress which opens in Manipur later this week, a conference organiser said today.

The Nobel Laureate's decision not to attend the congress assumes significance in view of the cancellation of a recent event here where the Dalai Lama was expected to be present.

The event, which was slated to have been held at Rajghat to commemorate the Buddhist monk's 60th year in exile in India, was later moved to Dharamshala in Himachal Pradesh, and will now be held at the end of the month.

The Indian Science Congress is an annual science event inaugurated by the prime minister.

The general president of the Indian Science Congress Association (INSA), Achyuta Samanta, said the Tibetan leader had been invited to the conference, but said he would not be able to attend it.

"We were also told that he had visited Manipur two months ago," Samanta said.

The Indian Science Congress website, however, still lists the Dalai Lama as one of the chief guests among other Nobel laureates expected to be present.

Samanta said nearly ten Nobel Prize winners had earlier confirmed their participation in the congress but most dropped out after the event was postponed.

The ISC, which is held usually in the first week of January, was postponed in view of a perceived law and order problem at its earlier venue, the Central University in Hyderabad.

Muhammad Yunus, the founder of Grameen Bank in Bangladesh, would be the only Nobel Laureate at the event, Samanta said.

The development also comes in the backdrop of a media report about an Indian government directive to senior functionaries at the Centre and in the states to skip events being organised by Tibetans.

Earlier this month, the Indian Express had reported that following a communication by Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale, Cabinet Secretary PK Sinha had sent out a note to senior functionaries of the Central and state governments asking them to avoid events being organised by Tibetans.

Following the report, the Ministry of External Affairs had said the Dalai Lama was a revered religious leader and deeply respected by the people of India, and added that there was no change in that position.

"Government of India's position on His Holiness the Dalai Lama is clear and consistent. He is a revered religious leader and is deeply respected by the people of India. There is no change in that position," MEA Spokesperson Raveesh Kumar had said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The Delhi Police questioned AAP MLA Ajay Dutt for nearly five hours on Monday in connection with the alleged assault on Chief Secretary Anshu Prakash even as another legislator Sanjeev Jha has been called for questioning on Tuesday.

Dutt was summoned for questioning last week but he could not turn up since he was in Bangalore.

The Ambedkar Nagar MLA arrived at the Civil Lines police station at around 4 pm and was questioned till 9 pm, Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police (North) Harendra Kumar Singh said.

The officer also said they have called Burari MLA Sanjeev Jha for questioning on Tuesday. He was sent a notice on Sunday.

The role of both the MLAs in the case is under investigation as they were present at Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's residence, when the alleged assault took place on the night of February 19.

Last week AAP MLAs Nitin Tyagi and Praveen Kumar were questioned in the matter. AAP legislator Rajesh Rishi has also been questioned.

Eleven MLAs, apart from Kejriwal, his adviser V K Jain and Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, were present during the meeting when Prakash was allegedly attacked.

On February 23, a police team examined the CCTV surveillance system installed at the chief minister's residence in Civil Lines area and seized the hard disc; the forensic report is still awaited.

Two other AAP MLAs - Amanatullah Khan and Prakash Jarwal - were arrested in the case.

Jain was also questioned in connection with the case.

The alleged assault on the chief secretary has triggered a bitter tussle between the Delhi government and its bureaucracy.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The Delhi High Court today voiced concern over sale of refrigerated water through unlicensed water trolleys, and directed the municipal corporations along with the city police to stop the illegal activity at the earliest.

A bench of acting Chief Justice Gita Mittal and Justice C Hari Shankar asked the police to provide requisite assistance to the all the municipal corporations in removing such unauthorised trolleys.

"The dirty water is a health hazard which can cause jaundice and diarrhoea. These people don't even wash their hands. You go to ITO and see the people who sell fruit juice. They keep the ice on the pavements on which people have urinated. The water which is being used for ice formation is dirty," the bench observed.

During the hearing, the lawyer appearing for the petitioner society argued that though the municipal corporations were taking action against the water trolleys, the police were not providing due cooperation in the drive.

The high court was hearing a plea filed by Refrigerated Water Licensees Association and others seeking action against illegal water trolleys selling refrigerated water.

The plea had claimed that the polluted water containing chemicals was being sold and the people were forced to drink contaminated water resulting in various water borne diseases.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)A 30-year-old man was killed allegedly by three employees of an eatery following an argument after he complained about the quality of food he was served, police said today.

The incident was reported yesterday from east Delhi's Preet Vihar.

The victim, Pawan, himself owns an eatery in Mandawli. He had gone to Kamal Dhaba to have food. He complained about the quality of food he was served there.

Three employees of the eatery -- Sachin Govind and Karan, allegedly attacked him with a broken ladle on his lower back, the police said. Pawan was hit multiple times with the ladle.

Pawan was rushed to a hospital where he succumbed during treatment. The accused were arrested.

Out of 462 cases of murder reported last year, killings over trivial issues accounted for 18 per cent of the cases, according to the Delhi Police.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)East Delhi Mayor Neema Bhagat and other leaders of the area's BJP-led civic body today staged a protest at the Delhi Secretariat, demanding funds as per the recommendations of Fourth Delhi Finance Commission, to overcome its financial crisis, the EDMC said.

She said due to "apathy and party politics" of the AAP-led Delhi government towards the municipal corporations, the financial position of the EDMC has gone from "bad to worse", affecting the development, maintenance of regular services and social work.

Besides Bhagat, Standing Committee Chairman Pravesh Sharma, Leader of House, Santosh Pal and various BJP councillors, staged the protest and "demanded funds worth Rs 9,125 crore as per the recommendations of 4th Delhi Finance Commission (DFC) and implementation of 5th DFC report", the EDMC said in a statement.

Bhagat said that EDMC requires Rs 1,800 crore annually for payment of salaries, pension and other dues.

"Apart from this, Rs 1,500 crore is pending on EDMC towards its employees," the mayor said, adding, "the EDMC since July 2015 has not released full terminal benefits to its retired employees, due to shortage of funds".

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)An elderly NRI couple died today after being hit by a train near the Ambala City railway station, the railway police said.

The deceased were identified as Sohan Lal (84) and Seeta (80), police said.

The couple was residing with their son in New Zealand and had come to India a fortnight back to attend a wedding of their relative scheduled for March 24, they said.

Railway police officials said when the couple were crossing the railway crossing near the Ambala City railway station in the afternoon they were hit by the train, police said.

The couple were hit as they failed to notice the approaching train and died on the spot, they said.

The relatives of the deceased couple were informed, police said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)A mid-air engine failure forced an IndiGo flight bound for Lucknow to return to Ahmedabad, where it made an emergency landing this morning, an official said.



The Airbus A320 Neo plane, which had 186 passengers on board, landed safely, Ahmedabad Airport director Manoj Gangal said.



The aircraft, powered by Pratt & Whitney Neo engines, returned to Ahmedabad after being airborne for over 40 minutes, he said."At around 9.38 am...the pilot of the aircraft reported failure of the second engine and requested for returning the flight to the Ahmedabad airport," Gangal said.Subsequently, a full emergency was declared to enable the aircraft to land safely, he said.There were 186 passengers on board, he added.A response on the incident was awaited from IndiGo.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The EU's top trade official today said Europe would stand up to intimidation by protectionists, as a row with US President Donald Trump over controversial steel and aluminium tariffs heated up.

"In some places trade has been to blame for the pains of globalisation or they used it as a scapegoat or they think we can live behind walls and borders," European Trade Commissioner Cecilia Malmstroem said at a conference in Brussels.

"Recently we have seen how it is used as a weapon to threaten and intimidate us. But we are not afraid, we will stand up to the bullies," Malmstroem said.

Trump has singled out Europe in the billowing trade row, threatening to tax German cars if the European Union doesn't lower barriers to US products.

The tycoon's threat is part of a dispute over an announcement of tariffs on steel and aluminium imports, although the Trump administration has said it will consider exceptions and has already spared Mexico and Canada.

The announcement of duties of 25 per cent on imported steel and 10 per cent on aluminium has stung the EU and other major partners, coming as a surprise to allied countries and to many in Washington.

Malmstroem fired back at Trump after holding fruitless talks in Brussels on Saturday with US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer aimed at defusing the row and avoiding an all-out trade war.

Those efforts are expected to continue this week, though no details for further negotiations have yet been announced.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The EU's top trade official today said Europe was not afraid to stand up to intimidation by protectionists, as a row with US President Donald Trump over metals tariffs heated up.

"Recently we have seen how (protectionism) is used as a weapon to threaten and intimidate us. But we are not afraid, we will stand up to the bullies," European Trade Commissioner Cecilia Malmstroem said at a conference in Brussels.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Bangladesh's ex-prime minister Khaleda Zia today received a temporary relief after a top court granted the opposition BNP chief a four-month bail in a corruption case, a month after she was sentenced to five years in jail.

Zia, 72, was sentenced to five years in jail 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 High Court in Dhaka today granted the chairperson of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) a four-month interim bail.

"The bench granted her bail for four months and simultaneously ordered authorities to prepare arguments on her appeal against the conviction and imprisonment," a court official said.

The bench of Justice M Enayetur Rahim and Justice Shahidul Karim said it considered Zia's age factor as one of the reasons for granting the bail, the official said.

Court officials said the bail was granted after reviewing the case documents received from the trial court.

The court said it was granting the former prime minister interim bail considering four grounds after hearing both parties.

The four grounds are the lower term of her sentence, the paper book has not been prepared yet, she appeared before the court and did not abuse her bail during trial, and her age and health condition.

The bench, however, stayed the fine of Taka 2.10 crore slapped on Zia.

On February 8, the court had also sentenced five other accused, including Khaleda's son and BNP's acting chairperson Tarique Rahman, to 10 years' imprisonment and fined them Tk2.1 crore each. Tarique, who is in the UK now, and Mominur Rahman, nephew of late president Ziaur Rahman, are still shown as fugitives in the case documents.

Attorney General Mahbubey Alam, who represented the state, said they would appeal against Khaleda's bail order.

We have already started the process to file the appeal. Hopefully, we will be able to file it tomorrow (Tuesday), he told reporters at his Supreme Court office after today's ruling.

The verdict against Zia had jolted the country's political scenario ahead of this year's general elections.

The BNP has claimed that the cases are politically-motivated to keep its party chief out of the national elections.

Law Minister Anisul Huq told newsmen that the High Court order today proved the government had no interference in the case.

The corruption case is one of dozens pending against Zia, who has been a rival of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina for decades.

The charges against her had already led to her boycotting polls in 2014, which triggered widespread protests at the time.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Bangladesh's ex-premier and opposition BNP chief was today granted a four month bail in a corruption case, paving the way for her release from the jail.

Zia, 72, was sentenced to five years in jail on February 8 in connection with the embezzlement of 21 million taka (about $250,000) in foreign donations meant for the Zia Orphanage Trust, named after her late husband Ziaur Rahman, a military ruler-turned-politician.

The High Court today granted her a four-month interim bail.

The bench of Justice M Enayetur Rahim and Justice Shahidul Karim issued the decision after receiving the case documents from the trial court yesterday.

Zia and three of her aides were accused of syphoning off 31.5 million taka from the Zia Charitable Trust alone. She is also accused of leading a group of five people, including her eldest son, in embezzling another 21.5 million taka ($277,000) funds.Bangladesh's ex-premier and opposition BNP chief Khaleda Zia today received a temporary relief after a top court granted her a four month bail in a corruption case, a month after being sentenced to five years in jail.

Zia, 72, was sentenced to five years in jail 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 High Court in Dhaka today granted her a four-month interim bail.

"The bench granted her bail for four months and simultaneously ordered authorities to prepare arguments on her appeal against the conviction and imprisonment," a court official said.

The bench of Justice M Enayetur Rahim and Justice Shahidul Karim said it considered Zia's age factor as one of the reasons for granting the bail, the official said.

Court officials said the bail was granted after reviewing the case documents received from the trial court.

The bench, however, stayed the fine of Taka 2.10 crore slapped on Zia.

The February 8 verdict against Zia shook the country's political scenario ahead of this year's general elections.

The BNP has claimed that the cases are politically-motivated to keep its party chief out of the national elections.

Law Minister Anisul Huq told newsmen that the High Court order today proved the government had no interference in the case.

The corruption case is one of dozens pending against Zia, who has been a rival of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina for decades.

The charges against her had already led to her boycotting polls in 2014, which triggered widespread protests at the time.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Four persons, all hailing from Odisha, were arrested today for allegedly possessing over 30 kg drugs from suburban Mulund.

Acting on a tip-off, police apprehended the four in the Indira Nagar area. They were found in possession of 26.2 kg ganja worth Rs 2.62 lakh, a senior police official said.

The accused have been identified as Maheshwar Kumar, Chinmay Sahani, Bhata Krishna Sawai and Divya Jyoti.

A case under relevant sections of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act has been registered, the officer said, adding other drugs weighing 5.35 kg worth Rs 53,500 were also found in their possession.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Bangladesh's ex-prime minister Khaleda Zia was today granted bail in a corruption case but her plans to walk free were thwarted as a fresh warrant was issued against her in another case.

Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) chief Zia, 72, was sentenced to five years in jail on February 8 in connection with the embezzlement of Taka 21 million (about USD 250,000) in foreign donations meant for the Zia Orphanage Trust, named after her late husband, military ruler-turned-politician Ziaur Rahman.

"The bench granted her bail for four months and simultaneously ordered authorities to prepare arguments on her appeal against the conviction and imprisonment," a court official said.

But hours after the high court order, she was "shown arrested" in another criminal case under a separate arrest warrant, officials said.

A court in central Comilla district in January had ordered Zia's arrest for instigating a series of clandestine arson attacks while she faces several identical charges in different courts for spearheading a protracted violent anti-government campaign three years ago.

"The warrant today reached the Central Jail ordering her appearance before the judge in Comilla," an official said on condition of anonymity.

Earlier, the high court bench of Justice M Enayetur Rahim and Justice Shahidul Karim said it considered Zia's age as one of the reasons for granting her bail.

Court officials said the bail was granted after reviewing the case documents received from the trial court.

The court said it was granting the former premier interim bail considering four grounds after hearing both parties.

The four grounds are the lower term of her sentence, the paper book has not been prepared yet, she appeared before the court and did not abuse her bail during trial, and her age and health condition.

The bench, however, stayed the fine of Taka 2.10 crore slapped on Zia.

On February 8, the court had also sentenced five other accused, including Zia's son and BNP acting chairperson Tarique Rahman, to 10 years' imprisonment and fined them Tk 2.1 crore each.

Tarique, who is in the UK now, and Mominur Rahman, nephew of late president Ziaur Rahman, are still shown as fugitives in the case documents.

Attorney General Mahbubey Alam, who represented the state, said they would appeal against Zia's bail order.

"We have already started the process to file the appeal. Hopefully, we will be able to file it tomorrow (Tuesday)," he told media at his Supreme Court office after today's ruling.

The verdict against Zia had jolted the country's political scenario ahead of this year's general elections.

The BNP has claimed that the cases are politically-motivated to keep its party chief out of the national elections.

Law Minister Anisul Huq said that the high court order today proved the government had no interference in the case.

The corruption case is one of dozens pending against Zia, who has been a rival of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina for decades.

The charges against her had already led to her boycotting polls in 2014, which triggered widespread protests at the time.

Zia, however, appears to be seeking to contest the next polls set for December this year.

BNP's secretary general Mirza Falhrul Islam Alamgir earlier said the party would not take part in the polls discarding Zia and "no national election will be held without BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia".

But Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said her government could not do anything if the BNP again decides to boycott the polls, but that elections would be held in due time whether or not the BNP takes part.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Tweaking its previous order, the Goa Mines and Geology department today allowed lease-owners to continue extracting iron ore from different mining leases till March 15 on their request, an official said.

In a notification issued earlier in the wake of a Supreme Court order, the department had sought closure of tapping fresh minerals from March 13 onwards.

In its order dated February 7, the apex court quashed 88 mining leases in Goa and asked them to stop extraction of ore from March 15 onwards.

In the wake of the SC order, the Mines and Geology department had directed the mining leases to stop extraction from March 13.

However, the department today stated the lease holders can continue extraction of ore till 7 PM of March 15.

Director of Mines Prasanna Acharya said lease-holders had met him and requested the extraction of ore be allowed till March 15 as per the SC order.

"Modifying earlier instructions, the lease holders are now allowed to continue their mining operations of extraction till March 15 under the supervision of Regional Controller of Mines, Indian Bureau of Mines, Margao," as per the latest order.

The state government will allow transportation of ore from the mining leases till 7 PM of March 15, it stated.

"As far as the mining machinery and other movable and immovable properties of lease-holders are concerned, the same shall be dealt with in accordance with the provisions of the Mines and Minerals Development and Regulation Act 1957, and Rules made thereunder, hence earlier instructions stand modified," Acharya said.

The apex court had said it was giving time till March 15 to mining lease holders, who have been granted a second renewal in violation of its previous directions, to manage their affairs.

Goa is staring at a revenue loss of Rs 3,500 crore annually and downscaling of nearly two lakh jobs following the SC order.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Online travel firm Goibibo today said it has been signed up as principal sponsor of the IPL team Mumbai Indians for one year.



The 11th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) is scheduled to begin on April 7 and continue till May 27, 2018.



As part of this partnership, brand Goibibo will be sported on the back of the Mumbai Indians team jersey this season, the company said in a statement.The matches will be played at nine venues, across 51 days."The association with Mumbai Indians presents a consumer-focused brand like ours a unique opportunity to deepen our engagement with customers in a truly innovative manner," MakeMyTrip Group CMO Saujanya Shrivastava said.Goibibo is a part of MakeMyTrip.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The government has neither given any proposal to the Prasar Bharati to hire two senior journalists nor did the public broadcaster veto a proposal from the Information and Broadcasting ministry to terminate the services of all contractual employees, Parliament was informed today.

Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting Rajyavardhan Rathore simply said No Sir in a written reply to a query whether Prasar Bharati had vetoed a proposal in the form of a resolution by government to terminate the services of all contractual employees of the public broadcaster.

He did not elaborate and it was not clear whether he was only denying the veto, or was also denying that there was any resolution by the government on the termination of contractual employees.

To another query that whether Prasar Bharati has also turned down government's proposal to hire two senior journalists on grounds of exorbitant emolument packages, Rathore said, Government has not given any such proposal to Prasar Bharati to hire two senior journalists.

The remarks come in the backdrop of media reports quoting sources as saying the Prasar Bharati board in its meeting on February 15 dropped a resolution regarding the appointment of two senior journalists as head of Doordarshan and Chief Editor of Prasar Bharati Service (AIR) on the grounds of high costs.

The reports also said some of the board members took objection to the "ministry's directive" regarding termination of contractual employees of the Prasar Bharati.

To a separate question on measures taken to address issues of financial and administrative autonomy of Prasar Bharati as per the recommendations of Sam Pitroda Committee, Rathore said the ministry has been providing grants to the Prasar Bharati for creation of capital assets, grants in-aid for Kisan Channel and grants-in-aid for salaries.

Besides, Internal and Extra Budgetary Resources (IEBR) of the Prasar Bharati were being utilised by the public broadcaster as per their own priorities exercising their autonomy.

website 'The Wire' had quoted Prasar Bharati Chairman A Surya Prakash as saying that the public broadcaster had to pay staff salary for January and February out of its contingency funds as the ministry had not released the funds.

The Prasar Bharati is an autonomous body that runs the Doordarshan (DD) and All India Radio (AIR) and receives grant from the Information and Broadcasting (I&B) ministry.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The "infighting" in the Congress came to the fore on the last day of filing of nominations for the Rajya Sabha elections today, with party leader P K Valera staking claim as an Independent while the BJP fielding former MLA Kiritsinh Rana as a "third candidate".

Seven candidates, including Valera and Rana, have filed nominations for four seats falling vacant from the state, for which elections will be held on March 23.

Three out of the seven candidates filed their nomination papers in the last 30 minutes before the 3-PM deadline today.

Union ministers Purshottam Rupala and Mansukh Mandavia are the nominees of the BJP while the Congress has fielded Amiben Yagnik and tribal leader Naran Rathwa.

However, the entry of Valera, a former IAS officer and current general secretary of the Gujarat Congress, has made the elections interesting.

He filed his nomination papers as an independent with the support of some Congress MLAs, after two official candidates of the party filed their forms.

A source close to Valera said 10 MLAs of the Congress have signed his nomination papers.

As Rupala, Mandavia, and Yagnik submitted their forms, Rathwa delayed filing his nomination, giving rise to speculations on the second candidate of the Congress, with name of Rajeev Shukla started doing the rounds.

A short while after 2:30 PM, nearly half an hour before the 3-PM deadline for filing of papers, Rathwa turned up along with state Congress leaders at the office of Returning Officer here and submitted his papers.

Later, BJP's Rana also filed his nomination as a third candidate for the party.

The nominations of Rathwa, Valera, and Rana were filed with the deadline half an hour away.

A person called Paresh Mulani also filed his nomination as an Independent. However, leaders of both the BJP and the Congress denied that Mulani was associated with them.

According to sources, Mulani's nomination is likely to be rejected during the scrutiny of forms tomorrow as he has not taken the mandatory support of 10 MLAs, which is required as per norms.

The last date for withdrawal of candidature is March 15.

In the 182-member House, the ruling BJP has 99 MLAs while the opposition Congress 77. Both the parties are in a position to send two candidates each to the Rajya Sabha, as the minimum number of votes required per candidate is 38.

The BJP said the delay in filing of nomination by Rathwa and the entry of Valera as an Independent show there was an intense "infighting" within the party.

"Today's episode has brought to the fore tremendous infighting in the Congress camp. One of its leaders P K Valera has filed his nomination as an independent candidate with the support of some Congress MLAs. This might split the votes of Congress MLAs," Gujarat Deputy Chief Minister Nitin Patel said.

"The delay in filing of nomination forms by Rathwa was also a result of infighting," he said.

Patel said the BJP fielded Rana, former MLA of Limbdi, as a third nominee to take advantage of infighting in the Congress.

When asked about the delay, Rathwa told reporters that he had to obtain one of the papers required for filing his nomination.

Gujarat Congress president Bharatsinh Solanki expressed confidence that both their official candidates would win the RS polls.

In August last year, senior Congress leader Ahmed Patel struggled but managed to to retain his Rajya Sabha seat against the backdrop of resignation and cross-voting by some Congress MLAs.

On rest two seats up for grabs then, BJP president Amit Shah and Union minister Smriti Irani won comfortably.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The Haryana Vidhan Sabha today passed seven Bills including the Haryana Private Universities (Amendment) Bill, 2018 paving the way for setting up of IILM University atGurgaon.

As many as 21 private Universities, nine of them in Gurgaon, have already been set up under the Act and after the amendment, IILM University would be the 22nd such varsity, the House was informed.

The Haryana Assemblypassed six more bills in the absence of opposition INLD and Congress MLAs, who were suspended by the Speaker for remainder of the day's proceedings today for creating ruckus in the House.

The Haryana Clinical Establishments (Registration and Regulation) Adoption Bill, 2018, would be applicable on clinical establishments having more than 50 beds and for providing quality health care.

The Motor Vehicles (Haryana Amendment) Bill, 2018 was passed so that State Transport Undertaking may operate on any route as stage carriage under any permit issued to such undertaking or any vehicle placed at its disposal, the House was informed.

The Haryana Civil Services (Executive Branch) and Allied Services and Other Services Common/Combined Examination (Amendment) Bill, 2018 was passed to include the post of Naib Tehsildar in Haryana Civil Services (Executive Branch) and Allied Services and Other Services Common/Combined Examination Act, 2002.

The Haryana Motor Vehicles Taxation (Amendment) Bill, 2018, was passed to rationalize the rate of interest charged under the Haryana Motor Vehicles Taxation Act, 2016 and to reduce it from one and half per cent per month to one per cent per month that is twelve per cent per annum.

The Haryana Appropriation (No.1) Bill, 2018 was passed to provide for the appropriation out of the Consolidated Fund of the state of the sums required to meet the supplementary grants made by the Legislative Assembly for expenditure for the financial year 2017-18.

The Haryana Development and Regulation of Urban Areas (Amendment) Bill, 2018, was also passed.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The Delhi High Court today dubbed as "mischievous" certain tweets by the editor of a Chennai-based Tamil language weekly magazine in connection with its decision granting interim protection from arrest to Karti Chidambaram, son of senior Congress leader P Chidambaram, till March 20 in the INX Media money laundering case.

A bench of Justices S Muralidhar and I S Mehta said the "mischievous innuendo", posted by Swaminathan Gurumurthy, the editor of 'Thuglak'magazine, within a few hours of the court's March 9 order in the INX media case, immediately invited responses which "spread the misinformation in the innuendo several times over, not sparing the judge presiding over the matter,nor the judiciary".

The high court, which took up the issue on its own after judges from Tamil Nadu forwarded the tweets made by the editor to it, said one of the two tweets by the senior scribe was "directly attacking the Supreme Court".

The bench also noted that despite tweets by others in response to the innuendo and clarifying the correct position, "he (editor) cared not to withdraw the mischievous and false tweet".

The editor had posed a question as to whether Justice Muralidhar, who was part of the bench which had passed the order granting protection to Karti Chidambaram, was a junior of former UPA minister and senior advocate P Chidambaram.

The bench said it was not issuing any contempt of court notice to the editor now and asked the Centre, represented by Additional Solicitor General (ASG) Tushar Mehta and its standing counsel Amit Mahajan, to consider whether such tweets have the tendency to scandalise the legal profession and what appropriate remedial action was required in the instant case.

The court, which took suo motu cognisance of the issue, said while it was conscious that such tweets were "ill informed" and "are best ignored", but since the person in question was an editor of a popular magazine having over 259,000 followers, it considered it appropriate to place the correct information.

During the brief hearing, ASG Mehta said that posts on social media should be ignored as they are irresponsible and the courts would not be able to function if they take cognisance of such things.

Senior advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for Karti, said even he has been subjected to abuses and threats on the twitter for which there has been often no recourse. He said such social media activity should not be ignored but a stern message sent.

In its March 9 order, the high court had also made it clear that if the special court granted Karti bail in the corruption case registered by the CBI, the ED will not arrest him till the next hearing before the high court on March 20.

Karti is under the custody of the CBI which produced him today before a special court here which sent him to judicial custody till March 24 in the INX Media corruption case and dismissed his plea that he be put in a separate cell in Tihar Jail in view of a threat perception.

The court also dismissed his appeal for an urgent hearing on his bail plea after which he moved the high court seeking bail. He was being quizzed by the CBI for the last 12 days since his arrest on February 28. His bail plea will be heard tomorrow by the high court.

He had moved the high court after the Supreme Court had allowed him to withdraw his writ petition against the ED summons with a liberty to take urgent redressal before the high court.

He had approached the apex court seeking directions to declare that the ED has no jurisdiction to conduct any investigation unrelated to the allegations in the FIR lodged by the CBI on May 15, 2017.

He had also sought the quashing of summons and all the proceedings initiated by the ED, terming it "unreasonable, without jurisdiction, without authority of law, in colourable exercise of power and vitiated by malafides".

Karti was arrested on February 28 at the Chennai airport on his return from the UK, in connection with the FIR lodged on May 15 last year alleging irregularities in the Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) clearance to INX Media for receiving overseas funds to the tune of about Rs 305 crore in 2007 when his father was the Union finance minister.

The ED had registered a case against him and others in May last year.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The Delhi High Court today granted bail to AAP MLA Amanatullah Khan in the Chief Secretary Anshu Prakash assault case.



Justice Mukta Gupta granted relief to the Okhla MLA, who was arrested on February 21, with certain conditions as imposed on AAP legislator Prakash Jarwal earlier.



"The petitioner (Khan) has served an incarceration of more than 20 days and no further custodial interrogation is required. So the petitioner is released on bail," the court said.During the hearing, the Delhi Police counsel submitted a status report stating that Khan was named in 12 criminal cases, out of which he has been discharged in three cases.The court had on March 9 granted bail to AAP MLA Prakash Jarwal in the chief secretary assault case with a warning that any such illegal activity in future would lead to the cancellation of his bail.Deoli legislator Jarwal was arrested on February 20 for allegedly assaulting the chief secretary during a meeting at Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's residence on the midnight of February 19.A magisterial court had earlier denied bail to the two legislators, saying the matter cannot be treated in "a casual and routine manner" while dubbing them as "history-sheeters".

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The Madras High Court today posted to tomorrow a plea filed by Karti Chidambaram, who is now in judicial custody in the INX Media corruption case, challenging the lookout circular issued against him in the case filed by the CBI.

Earlier, Karti was today sent to judicial custody till March 24 in the case by a Delhi court which also dismissed his plea to provide him a separate cell in the Tihar Jail due to his threat perception.

The CBI has alleged irregularities in the Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) clearance to INX Media for receiving overseas funds of about Rs 305 crore in 2007 when his father P Chidambaram was Union finance minister.

The first bench of the Madras High Court, comprising Chief Justice Indira Banerjee and Justice Abdul Quddhose, which heard oral arguments submitted on the plea, posted the matter for submission of written arguments to March 13.

When the matter came up, senior counsel for Karti, Gopal Subramaniam, submitted that the CBI ought not to have arrested Karti at the Chennai airport on February 28 at the time of his return from London to India, in compliance with a court condition.

The agency should have obtained the leave of the high court before arresting Karti," he said.

The counsel submitted that the CBI has failed to mention the reasons for issuing such a circular.

Denying the contention, Additional Solicitor General G Rajagopalan submitted that the high court in its order has not stated anything about his arrest while permitting him to travel abroad.

Moreover, it is up to the the investigating agency to decide whom to arrest and where, he submitted.

Karti's failure to appear before the investigating officer despite the directions of the Supreme Court led to the issuance of a lookout notice, he said.

he agency apprehended that he might abscond to a foreign country to evade investigation, Rajagopalan added.

The bench recorded the submissions and posted the plea toMarch 13for the parties to submit their respective written arguments.

On February 16, the high court permitted Karti to travel abroad with certain conditions.

The CBI FIR, lodged on May 15 last year, had alleged irregularities in the FIPB clearance to INX Media. The lookout circular was issued in connection with the FIR.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The Mumbai police is leaving no stone unturned to maintain law and order as thousands of farmers converged at the Azad Maidan here after walking around 180 km from Nashik to press for their various demands.



More than 35,000 farmers from across Maharashtra, who embarked on a 'Long March' last Tuesday, reached the Azad Maidan early today, after camping at the K J Somaiya Ground in Sion area.



"Some more farmers are expected to join the march from neighbouring districts. The police personnel are on their toes and prepared enough to maintain law and order," Deven Bharti, the joint-commissioner of police (crime), told PTI."The march has came all the way peacefully to the country's financial capital," Bharti said, adding that the police hope to disperse the protesters also in a peaceful manner.As a huge number of protesters have gathered in the city, the police is keeping a tab to ward off any possible anti-social elements from taking advantage of the situation, another official said.Since the farmers entered the city limits yesterday, heavy security was deployed all along their route, he said.The cultivators had earlier planned to move to their destination in the morning, but they reached the Azad Maidan in the early hours, so that students appearing for their board exams were not hassled due to traffic jams, said Ashok Dhawale, president of the Left-affiliated All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS), which has organised the protest."We expect all our demands to be fulfilled, including loan waiver and others," AIKS member and CPI(M) MLA Jiva Pandu Gavit said."We will not leave the city, and gherao the Vidhan Bhawan, until the state government does not fulfil our demands," Gavit added.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)British Prime Minister Theresa May today said it was "highly likely" that Russia was behind the poisoning of a former Russian spy and his daughter with a deadly "military-grade" nerve agent last week, further deteriorating bilateral ties with Moscow.

Former Russian spy Sergei Skripal, 66 and his daughter Yulia, 33 were found collapsed after being poisoned last Sunday. Skripal and Yulia remain in a serious condition along with a police officer who came in contact with the same substance.

In a statement before the House of Commons, May revealed that the UK's security forces have now confirmed that the poison used in the attack on Skripal was a "military-grade" nerve agent of the type developed by Russia.

She described the incident in Salisbury last Sunday as a "reckless and despicable act", which will attract a "credible response" from the UK.

"It is now clear that Skripal and his daughter were poisoned with a military-grade nerve agent of a type developed by Russia. This is part of a group of nerve agents known as Novichok'," May said in her statement.

"Based on the positive identification of this chemical agent by the world-leading experts, our knowledge that Russia has previously produced this agent and would still be capable of doing so," she said.

Russia's record of conducting "state-sponsored assassinations and our assessment that Russia views some defectors as legitimate targets for assassinations; the government has concluded that it is highly likely that Russia was responsible for the act against Sergei and Yulia Skripal, she said.

She said Russia's ambassador in London had been summoned to explain whether it was "a direct action by the Russian state" or the result of it "losing control" of its stock of nerve agents.

The British prime minister said Russia's response would be assessed in detail on Wednesday to determine further action.

Should there be no credible response, we will conclude that this action amounts to an unlawful use of force by the Russian State against the United Kingdom," she said



"This attempted murder using a weapons-grade nerve agent in a British town was not just a crime against the Skripals. It was an indiscriminate and reckless act against the United Kingdom, putting the lives of innocent civilians at risk," May said.

"And we will not tolerate such a brazen attempt to murder innocent civilians on our soil," she added.

In her Parliament statement, May made a specific reference to the use of radiological substances in the "barbaric assault" on Alexander Litvenenko another Russian spy murdered 11 years ago in London.

Following Litvinenko's death, the UK had expelled Russian diplomats, suspended security cooperation, broke off bilateral plans on visas, froze the assets of the suspects and put them on international extradition lists. May told Parliament that those measures remain in place.

We must now stand ready to take much more extensive measures, she added.

In her hard-hitting statement against Russian aggression, May highlighted that during a recent State of the Union address, President Vladimir Putin showed video graphics of missile launches, flight trajectories and explosions, including the modelling of attacks on the US with a series of warheads impacting in Florida.

The country's "illegal annexation" of Crimea was the first time since the Second World War that one sovereign nation has forcibly taken territory from another in Europe, she said.

However, her statement reiterated that while the poisoning of the Skripals had caused considerable concern in the local community of Salisbury, the risk to public health remains low.

Reacting sharply to May's comments, Russia said her statement was "a circus show in the British parliament".

"The statement was part of an information and political campaign based on provocation," said Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova.

Colonel Skripal was convicted of treason in 2006 and jailed for 13 years for selling secrets to MI6, which had recruited him in the 1990s. The senior intelligence officer with Russian military intelligence GRU, was pardoned in a spy swap in 2010 and settled in Salisbury, Wiltshire.

The attack on Skripal is being compared to former KGB agent Litvenenko's murder who ingested the rare and highly radioactive polonium 210 in London 11 years ago.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Former US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton today visited Jahaz Mahal and other monuments in the ancient Mandu city near here.

Clinton, who is on a three-day visit to western Madhya Pradesh, took about two hours to go around some of the historical sites in Mandu, located 35 km away from the district headquarters.

Sporting a hat and sunglasses, she came out of Jahaz Mahal, built during the rule of Mandu Sultan Ghiyas-ud-din Khilji, and told reporters that she enjoyed visiting the historical sites.

"Well, today I'm just enjoying the magnificent archaeological site and learning a lot of the Indian history because of this beautiful palace ground. I am very excited about being here and everything that I have seen," she said.

The magnificent Jahaz Mahal was built in second-half of the 15th century to accommodate women belonging to the royal harem. It is located inside the walled Mandu fort.

Clinton had lunch prepared by cooks who were brought from the Maheshwar town under a tent.

She also visited other historical buildings in the vicinity, including the Hindola Mahal (swinging palace), Hoshang Shah's Maqbara (mausoleum) and Jama Masjid.

She later left for Maheshwar town in Khargone district, where she will be staying tonight.

Clinton, who was the Democratic Party's candidate for the 2016 US presidential polls, was scheduled to interact with children of a local school in the evening.

She would also see the world renowned Maheshwari saree being weaved, an art started by Queen Ahilya Bai to help the downtrodden.

Maheshwar was the capital of the erstwhile Malwa Holkar kingdom till January 6, 1818. After this, Indore was designated as the capital under the reign of Malhar Rao Holkar III.

Clinton is visiting Maheshwar on an invitation of Richard Holkar, the scion of the erstwhile Holkar kingdom.

She would also go for a boat ride in the Narmada river, Khargone Collector Ashok Kumar Verma said.

Tomorrow morning, she would leave for Indore from where she would fly to Jodhpur.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Veteran actor Michael Caine has joined the list of Woody Allen film alums who have vowed to never work with the director again in the wake of the allegations levelled against him by daughter Dylan Farrow.



Caine, who won an Academy Award in 1987 for Allen's film "Hannah and Her Sisters" told The Guardian, "I am so stunned. I'm a patron of the NSPCC (National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children) and have very strong views about paedophilia."



The 84-year-old actor said that while he did not "regret working" with Allen when he did, he would not do so again."I can't come to terms with it, because I loved Woody and had a wonderful time with him. I even introduced him to Mia (Farrow). I don't regret working with him, which I did in complete innocence; but I wouldn't work with him again, no," he said.Allen has long denied the allegations made by daughter Dylan, who is one of the star's three children with ex Mia Farrow. Dylan publicly claimed in 2014 that Allen molested her as a child.A number of celebrities have recently come out and expressed regret for working with the "Annie Hall" director, including Colin Firth, Timothee Chalamet, Mira Sorvino and Peter Sarsgaard.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Since a former Russian double agent and his daughter were poisoned in Britain a week ago, suspicions about Russia's possible handiwork have run high except in major Russian outlets, where fingers point in the other direction.

Sergei Skripal, a former officer in Russia's military intelligence service GRU who was convicted in Russia of spying for Britain, and his adult daughter were found comatose on March 4 in the English town of Salisbury, where he lived after being freed in a 2010 spy swap.

"If you think about it, well, the only ones for whom the poisoning of the ex-GRU colonel is advantageous are the British," Dimtry Kiselev, one of Russia's most powerful media figures, said during his Sunday program.

The British motive? "Simply in order to feed their Russophobia," Kiselev posited.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Independent Rajya Sabha MP Rajeev Chandrasekhar today joined the BJP, a day after being made the party's Rajya Sabha candidate for the biennial election to the upper house from Karnataka.

Chandrasekhar joined BJP in the presence of state party President B S Yeddyurappa and other senior leaders, including Jagadish Shettar and Shobha Karandlaje,



He told PTI that his primary goal would be to strengthen the political momentum to replace the Congress government with BJP rule in the coming assembly polls in Karnataka.

Chandrasekhar alleged that the present rule "is the darkestperiod" in Karnataka's modern political history.

His victory in the March 23 Rajya Sabha polls is a certainty with the BJP having 43 MLAs and the additional required support in the 224 member assembly.

Chandrasekhar said if the present government in the state continues for next five years, Karnataka and Bengaluru would reach "a point of no-return."



To a query, Chandrasekhar said the natural alliance and relationship with BJP for many years was one of the reasons for him to join the saffron party.

"I have been a quasi-BJP MP because things that my belief in giving clean government and better governance, besides providing opportunities for all are more closely aligned with BJP than any other political party," he added.

Citing reasons for joining BJP, Chandrasekhar said he had a limitation an independent MP had, unlike being a Parliamentarian representing a political party, which carries a lot of weight in the public domain.

He also said he wants to complete the work he had taken up as an independent Parliamentarian.

"It was a pleasant surprise... BJP offered me the opportunity to serve Karnataka and Bengaluru in the Rajya Sabha," he added.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)India today announced a new Line of Credit of USD 100 million for defence procurement by Mauritius as the two sides signed many agreements on the second day of President Ram Nath Kovind's visit here.

The agreements were signed after President Kovind held delegation-level talks with Mauritius Prime Minister Pravind Jugnauth and members of his Cabinet.

"India and Mauritius share common security concerns in the Indian Ocean Region...I am happy to announce today that India will supply a Multi-Purpose Offshore Patrol Vessel to Mauritius under a Line of Credit," President Kovind said.

The other agreements/MoUs signed between the two sides include an MoU on cooperation between Nalanda University in Bihar and Mauritius; an MoU on the establishment of an Ayurveda Chair at the University of Mauritius; an MoU between the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) in India and the Public Service Commission of Mauritius; and an agreement to facilitate cultural exchanges between the two countries.

Mauritius President Ameenah Gurib-Fakim hosted a lunch in honour of President Kovind, who congratulated Mauritius on the 50th anniversary of the country's independence from colonial rule.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)India's second largest software services firm today announced its intention to voluntarily delist its American Depositary Shares (ADS) from Euronext Paris and Euronext London exchanges.

The ADS of the Bengaluru-based firm will continue to be listed on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE).

It said the primary reason for seeking the proposed delisting is the "low average daily trading volume of ADS on these exchanges, which is not commensurate with the related administrative requirements".

During the five-year period of the company's listing on Euronext Paris and Euronext London, the average daily trading volume of the company's ADS was significantly lower than its average daily trading volume on NYSE, said in a BSE filing.

It began trading on these exchanges in February 2013.

The proposed delisting is subject to approval from Euronext Paris SA and Euronext London Ltd, it added.

There will be no change to the Infosys share/ADS count, capital structure and float, as a result of the proposed delisting from the above exchanges, it said.

Infosys said subject to the approval, a sales facility will be provided by the company to the holders of ADS trading on the said exchanges. Those who opt for the sales facility will be able to sell their ADS on NYSE in accordance with Euronext Paris and Euronext London rules.

ADS holders who do not opt for the sales facility can continue to keep their ADS and will be able to trade their ADS on NYSE.

Until the completion of the proposed delisting, the ADS holders can continue to trade their ADS on the Euronext Paris and Euronext London exchanges, Infosys said.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)A Delhi court today sent Karti Chidambaram to judicial custody till March 24 in the INX Media corruption case, while dismissing his plea for early hearing of his bail application.

Special judge Sunil Rana pronounced the order after the CBI said that he was not required for custodial interrogation.

On his plea seeking separate cell and protection in Tihar Jail, the court said the jail manual would be followed.

It also said that his bail plea would be heard on March 15 as scheduled.

The court denied Karti's request for home food in the jail.

Meanwhile, Karti's CA S Bhaskararaman, who is currently in jail in a case filed by the Enforcement Directorate (ED), has moved the court for anticipatory bail in the CBI case of INX Media.

Karti, the son of senior Congress leader P Chidambaram, was produced before special judge on expiry of his three-day police custody.

Karti has already spent 12 days in police custody since his arrest on February 28 from Chennai airport.

Karti Chidambaram's father P Chidambaram was also present in the courtroom.

He was arrested on his return from the United Kingdom in connection with the FIR lodged on May 15 last year. It alleged irregularities in the Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) clearance to INX Media for receiving overseas funds of about Rs 3.05 billion in 2007 when his father was Union finance minister.

The CBI had initially alleged that Karti Chidambaram received Rs 1 million as bribe for facilitating Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) clearance to INX Media. It, however, later revised the figure to $1 million (about Rs 65 million at the current exchange rate and Rs 45 million in 2007).

The fresh evidence in the case, which triggered Karti Chidambaram's arrest, was based on the statement of Indrani Mukerjea, former director of INX Media (P) Ltd, who recorded it under section 164 of the CrPC before a magistrate on February 17.Karti Chidambaram was today sent to judicial custody till March 24 in the INX Media corruption case by a Delhi court which also dismissed his plea to provide him a separate cell in Tihar Jail due to his threat perception.

While rejecting Karti's plea for separate cell and bathroom, Special Judge Sunil Rana said he cannot be treated differently from other accused persons just because of his and his father, former union minister P Chidambaram's social status.

"The apprehension raised by the senior counsel for accused cannot be ignored keeping in view the social status of accused and his family, more specifically, his father who is a former union minister.

"However, only keeping in view the fact of social status of accused and his father, he cannot be treated different from other accused persons and cannot be allowed to be kept in separate prison. However, lock up in-charge and jail superintendent are directed to provide and ensure proper security and safety to accused during judicial custody, as per rules," the court said.

Karti, who was produced on the expiry of his three-day police remand before the court, had sought proper security and separate prison claiming there was threat to his life as his father P Chidambaram, who as a union minister in the previous UPA government had handled several sensitive issues.

The court sent him to Tihar Jail, after the CBI, in whose custody he was quizzed continuously for 12 days since his arrest on February 28 in Chennai, said he was no longer required for further custodial interrogation.

"In view of the fact that no more police custody remand of accused is sought by CBI, accused Karti Chidambaram is remanded to judicial custody. He be produced on March 24," the special judge said.

During the hearing, senior advocate Dayan Krishnan, appearing for Karti, moved the application seeking adequate security and that he should not be kept with other prisoners, while maintaining that there was a clear threat perception as several terrorists had been prosecuted during P Chidambaram's tenure as the union home minister



"He is the son of former union home minister. Many terrorists have been prosecuted during his tenure and there is a clear threat perception in the matter to the petitioner (Karti). His father P Chidambaram has dealt with stringent penal laws including TADA, MCOCA, UAPA and NDPS posing a huge security threat to Karti," Krishnan said, adding that Karti cannot be exposed to criminals.

CBI counsel V K Sharma opposed the application for a separate cell and bathroom saying there was no threat to Karti.

To this, Krishnan said it was shocking that the investigating agency was objecting to Karti's security in jail and such objection also enhanced the threat perception.

CBI opposing a separate prison, gives me further apprehension and shows political motive and enhances my threat perception. The organisation investigating me should be concerned about my security. I am appalled. There is a mala fide intent in opposing it. I'm shocked that CBI can oppose my plea for security. Can it be denied, he asked.

The court, however, allowed Karti to carry spectacles and medicines as per prescription subject to examination and approval by the jail doctor, but denied his request to carry toiletries, books, clothes and home food. It also said his bail plea would be heard on March 15 as scheduled.

"The hearing of the bail application of accused (Karti) was earlier raised before this court on March 9, (when) the CBI had sought time to file reply to the bail application and in the presence of the counsel for accused, the bail application was put up for consideration on March 15 with the direction to the CBI to supple advance copy to defence.

"Since the bail application is already fixed for filing of reply/consideration on March 15, the present application is dismissed," the court said.

Meanwhile, Karti's chartered accountant S Bhaskararaman, who is currently in jail in a case filed by the Enforcement Directorate (ED), has moved the court for anticipatory bail in the CBI case of INX Media. The court is likely to hear the CBI matter on March 19.

The court is also likely to pronounce order on Bhaskararaman's bail plea in the ED case tomorrow.

Karti was arrested by CBI on his return from the United Kingdom in connection with the FIR lodged on May 15 last year.

The agency alleged irregularities in the Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) clearance to INX Media for receiving overseas funds of about Rs 305 crore in 2007 when his father was Union finance minister. The CBI had initially alleged that Karti Chidambaram received Rs 10 lakh as bribe for facilitating Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) clearance to INX Media.

It, however, later revised the figure to USD 1 million (about Rs 6.50 crore at the current exchange rate and Rs 4.50 crore in 2007). The fresh evidence in the case, which triggered Karti's arrest, was based on the statement of Indrani Mukerjea, former director of INX Media (P) Ltd who had recorded it under section 164 of the CrPC before a magistrate on February 17.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Traffic was affected on several stretches in the city today owing to VVIP movement, police said today.

The heads of states, who were here for the International Solar Alliance Summit (ISA), were today travelling to the airport from their hotels, which led to traffic chaos, said a senior police officer.

To ensure smooth passage to the VVIPs cavalcade, the traffic was restricted on certain roads.

"Traffic was slow near Dhaula Kuan and this had a cascading effect on other routes too. Commuters had to face delays while commuting on Feroze Shah Road, Janpath, Akbar Road, Teen Murti, Shanti Path, Sardar Patel Marg, Dwarka Road," said the officer.

Traffic woes for commuters started from the morning and are likely to continue till late in the evening.

Many commuters took to Twitter to apprise the Delhi Traffic Police of the situation.

A twitter user Anshul sharma tweeted, "@dtptraffic please inform in advance if there is a VIP movement. Stuck in Delhi Cantonment for more than an hour. Wasting my btech degree stuck up in traffic. #pathetic. (Sic)"



Another user posted on Twitter, "@dtptraffic massive traffic at delhi cant ring rd to daula kauan (sic)."



The summit, attended by heads of many nations and several ministerial representatives of different countries, focused on various aspects of promoting solar energy, such as credit mechanism, crowd funding and sharing of technological breakthroughs.

It was co-hosted by India and France.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The Indian Women's Press Corps (IWPC) has demanded suitable and time-bound action against the police personnel allegedly involved in the beating up of journalists during a protest by Mizo students near the Assam-Mizoram border area in Kachurthal.

Taking serious note of the incident, the women journalists' body has written to Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal urging him to ensure an atmosphere enabling journalists to carry out their responsibilities free of intimidation and fear.

According to accounts of the injured journalists, the police kept on beating them despite knowing that they were not protesters, the IWPC said in its letter, stressing the Fourth estate in the Indian Republic has a responsibility to report on a range of issues that include covering protests as well.

"The action by the Assam Police therefore was unwarranted and uncalled for. Several journalists, including a woman journalist with a television channel, sustained injuries in the lathi charge by the police.

"We demand that suitable and time-bound action be taken to identify the police personnel involved in the incident. We hope that your office will look into the matter with the seriousness it deserves so that journalists are able to conduct their responsibilities in an atmosphere free of intimidation and fear," the body said in its letter.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Karti Chidambaram, the arrested son of former Union minister P Chidambaram, today moved the Delhi High Court seeking bail, hours after a court sent him to judicial custody till March 24.

A bench of Acting Chief Justice Gita Mittal and Justice C Hari Shankar said the matter would be heard tomorrow by an appropriate bench after the counsel for Karti, senior advocate Dayan Krishnan, moved the court seeking bail.

A special court had earlier in the day sent Karti to judicial custody in the INX Media corruption case and dismissed his plea that he be put in a separate cell in Tihar Jail in view of a threat perception.

The court also dismissed his appeal for an urgent hearing on his bail plea and the threat perception due to the fact that his father, as a Union minister in the previous UPA government, had handled several sensitive issues.

Karti was produced before the trial court on the expiry of his three-day police remand. The court sent him to Tihar Jail after the CBI, in whose custody he was quizzed for 12 days in a row after his arrest on February 28 from Chennai, said he was no longer required for further custodial interrogation.

The court said his bail plea would be heard on March 15 as scheduled.

Karti was arrested on his return from the United Kingdom in connection with an FIR lodged on May 15 last year. It alleged irregularities in a Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) clearance given to a media house, INX Media, for receiving funds of about Rs 305 crore from overseas in 2007 when his father was the Union finance minister.

The CBI had initially alleged that Karti Chidambaram received Rs 10 lakh as a bribe for facilitating the FIPB clearance to INX Media. It, however, later revised the figure to USD 1 million (about Rs 6.50 crore at the current exchange rate and Rs 4.50 crore in 2007).

The fresh evidence in the case, which triggered Karti's arrest, was based on a statement of Indrani Mukerjea, former director of INX Media (P) Ltd, who recorded it under Section 164 of the CrPC before a magistrate on February 17.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)A trial court will pronounce its order on CBI's plea to sent Karti Chidambaram to judicial custody in the INX Media corruption case later today.



The court will also pass order on Karti's plea seeking a separate cell in Tihar Jail and urgent hearing of his bail plea today itself.



Karti, the son of senior Congress leader P Chidambaram, was produced before special judge Sunil Rana on expiry of his three-day police custody.The CBI did not seek any further custodial interrogation of Karti, who has already spent 12 days in its custody since his arrest on February 28 from Chennai airport.The CBI has sought 15-day judicial custody of Karti who in turn has asked the court to hear his bail plea today itself instead of scheduled March 15.Karti Chidambaram's father P Chidambaram was also present in the courtroom.Senior advocate Dayan Krishnan, appearing for Karti, pressed for hearing on he bail application today itself in case the court was considering sending him to judicial custody.He also moved another application seeking a separate prison cell for Karti if he is sent to judicial custody saying that "he is the son of former union home minister and many terrorists have been prosecuted during his (P Chidambaram) tenure and there is a clear threat perception to Karti"."His (Karti) father P Chidambaram has dealt with stringent penal laws including TADA and MCOCA, posing a huge security threat to Karti," the senior advocate said, adding that he needs to be secured in a separate prison and be given a separate bathroom."He cannot be exposed to any of these criminals," his advocate said."There is a threat. Petitioner (Karti) himself is the member of Congress. The threat exists, I hope the court to protect us. We have contemplated a situation and brought it to the court's notice. I cannot be sent to a common bathroom. And adequate security must be given," Krishnan submitted.When the CBI opposed the plea for separate cell on the ground that if at all there was any threat, it was to P Chidambaram and not his son, Krishnan expressed shock and said the CBI's objection has enhanced the threat perception.CBI opposing a separate prison, gives me further apprehension and shows political motive and enhances my threat perception. Organisation investigating me should be concerned about my security. Mala fide intent is there. I'm shocked that CBI can oppose my plea for security. Can it be denied? Karti's counsel said.He was remanded in CBI custody for three days after the investigative agency claimed it had recovered some incriminating documents and CD from the Chennai office of Advantage Strategic Pvt Ltd., a company linked to him.Karti Chidambaram has been in CBI custody for questioning since his arrest from Chennai Airport on February 28.He was arrested on his return from the United Kingdom in connection with the FIR lodged on May 15 last year. It alleged irregularities in the Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) clearance to INX Media for receiving overseas funds of about Rs 305 crore in 2007 when his father was Union finance minister.The CBI had initially alleged that Karti Chidambaram received Rs 10 lakh as bribe for facilitating Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) clearance to INX Media. It, however, later revised the figure to USD 1 million (about Rs 6.50 crore at the current exchange rate and Rs 4.50 crore in 2007).The fresh evidence in the case, which triggered Karti Chidambaram's arrest, was based on the statement of Indrani Mukerjea, former director of INX Media (P) Ltd, who recorded it under section 164 of the CrPC before a magistrate on February 17.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The Kerala government today moved the high court against a single judge bench order for a CBI probe into the recent killing of a Youth Congress worker in Kannur district, allegedly by ruling CPI(M) workers.

In its appeal, the government contended that the order was passed without taking note of the speedy forensic and fair investigation carried out by the state police and without giving them an opportunity to file a counter.

Justice B Kemal Pasha gave the direction for a CBI probe on March 7 while considering a plea filed by the parents of the Youth Congress worker seeking a probe by the central agency into the killing.

The parents also submittedthat since the prime accused, Akash, was close with those in the power, it was necessary to have a free-and-fair investigation in the case by the CBI.

Observing that there should be an impartial and independent investigation into the killing, the judge also directed the state police to hand over the probe to the CBI, besides the case diary and other materials to the agency's Thiruvananthapuram unit.

The government contended that the judgement was passed within three weeks of the incident (where the accused were unknown at the time of filing of the FIR).

The appeal further said the Special Investigation Team, set up to probe the killing, has later arrested 11 persons involved in the attack and recovered the weapons and vehicles which were used in the commission of offence, it said.

No materials were there before the single judge apart from newspaper reports and FIR produced along with the writ petition, it said.

The single bench order violated the principle of natural justice and the principles settled by the Supreme Court, the government submitted.

Youth Congress worker Shuhaib, 29, was hacked to death at a tea stall allegedly by CPI(M) workers on February 12.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The Kerala government today sounded an alert along its coast in view of a well marked low pressure over the Indian Ocean, asking officials to ensure return of fishermen engaged in deep-sea fishing.

The decision to issue the alert was taken at a meeting chaired by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan here, an official release said.

The low pressure was likely to intensify into a depression, the Met office said.

The state government alert comes in the backdrop of Ochki cyclone that hit the coasts of the state, neighbouring Tamil Nadu and union territory of Lakshadweep in November-December last year, claiming the lives of several fishermen and leaving many missing.

The Kerala government had then faced the ire of fishermen community over the handling of the situation. The BJP had also accused the LDF government of failure to protect its fishermen "despite early warning" about the cyclone.

The meeting today expressed satisfaction over the steps taken so far to face any situation in the event of any disaster, a release from the Chief Minister's Office said.

Vijayan directed the concerned authorities to ensure that fishermen from deep sea were brought back to shore.

Officials said services of the Navy and Coast Guard had been sought to bring back the fishermen from deep sea.

According to the India Meteorological department, yesterdays low pressure area over equatorial Indian Ocean and adjoining southwest Bay of Bengal and south Sri Lanka coast now lies as a well marked low pressure area over Equatorial Indian Ocean and adjoining south Sri Lanka and Maldives-Comorin area.

It is very likely to move initially west-northwestwards and then northwestwards and concentrate into a depression over the southeast Arabian Sea (Maldives area) during the next 36 hours.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The Kerala government today temporarily banned trekking in state forest areas in the backdrop of the fire at Kurangani hills in neighbouring Tamil Nadu, in which nine people were killed.



A decision to this effect was taken by the Kerala State Disaster Management Authority, a statement issued by the chief minister's office said.



As many as nine people, who were part of a trekking expedition were killed in the forest fire at Kurngani hills near Theni district, about 500 km from Chennai, yesterday.The State Forest Department has been directed to take all necessary precautions to prevent forest fires, the statement quoted Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan as saying. He added that the Authority was closely monitoring the situation.The Idukki district collector and police superintendent were given instructions to assist the rescue operations undertaken by Tamil Nadu officials immediately when it was known that the fire had broken out in Theni district on the Kerala-Tamil Nadu border, Vijayan said.Personnel of Kerala Fire Force, state police and the forest department took part in the rescue and relief operations, he added.A 36-member team -- 24 people from Chennai and 12 from Tirupur and Erode districts -- on a trekking expedition had reached Kurangani hills on March 10. Nine died in the forest fire that raged on the hills while 17 were hospitalised with injuries and 10 did not require hospitalisation.Vijayan expressed grief over the tragedy.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The Supreme Court today set aside two orders of the erstwhile Bhupinder Singh Hooda government in connection with land acquisitions in adjoining areas of Gurgaon in Haryana terming the decisions "nothing but fraud on power".

The apex court verdict came on plea which related to the land acquisition done by the Haryana government by its August 27, 2004 notification, for acquiring lands measuring about 912 Acres from three villages namely, Manesar, Lakhnoula and Naurangpur of Gurgaon district for setting up Chaudhari Devi Lal Industrial Township.

On February 26, 2005, 224 acres of land was released from acquisition by the government but builders approached the farmers for purchase of their land at throwaway prices.

Just two days before the pronouncement of award for the land acquired by the government on August 26, 2007, an order was passed on August 24, 2007 dropping the acquisition.

The builders who had purchased the land from farmers later approached the government for licence to build housing societies and they were subsequently granted the approvals.

The top court said the "inescapable conclusion" was that there was an "unholy nexus" between the government machinery and the builders and private entities in devising a modality to deprive the "innocent and gullible landholders" of their land holdings and jeopardise the public interest, which the acquisition was intended to achieve.

A bench of Justices Adarsh Kumar Goel and U U Lalit said two decisions taken on August 24, 2007 and January 29, 2010 with regard to dropping of acquisition and closing of proceedings respectively were taken to "confer advantages and benefits upon the builders/private entities rather than to carry out or effectuate public purpose".

"The record indicates that various entities including certain 'middlemen' cornered unnatural gains and walked away with huge profits taking the entire process of acquisition for a ride. Substantial sums have exchanged hands in the form of settlement money," Justice Lalit, who penned down a 97-page verdict for the bench, said.

The bench said all the steps and stages show that builders and private entities were well aware that acquisition would not go through but the landholders were confronted with "smoke screen" of acquisition and were cornered and persuaded in entering into transactions with the builders and private entities.

"The transactions so entered into between the landholders and the concerned builders/ private entities could not be said to be voluntary and free from any influence. The unnatural and unreasonable bargain was forced upon the landholders by creating faade of impending acquisition," it said.

The top court said that the public interest was not the underlying concern or objective behind those decisions dated August 24, 2007 and January 29, 2010 but the motive was to confer undue advantage on the builders/private entities.

"It is clear that considerations other than those which were required to be bestowed, guided the exercise of power in arriving at decisions dated August 24, 2007 and January 29, 2010.

"The inescapable conclusion, therefore, is that there was an unholy nexus between the government machinery and the builders/private entities in devising a modality to deprive the innocent and gullible landholders of their holdings and jeopardise public interest which the acquisition was intended to achieve," it said.

The top court passed various directions including in connection with the transactions entered into between landholders and the builders and private entities concerned in the present case were not voluntary and were brought about by fraudulent influence.

"Certain 'middlemen' and builders enriched themselves at the expense of the landholders and public interest which was to be achieved by acquisition," it said.

The court said that the decisions dated August 24, 2007 and January 29, 2010 as well as entertaining of applications for grant of licence for building housing societies from those who had bought the lands after the acquisition was initiated, were not bonafide exercise of power by the state machinery.

"The exercise of power under the Act was guided by considerations extraneous to the provisions of the Act and as a matter of fact, was designed to enrich the builders/private entities. These decisions were nothing but fraud on power," it said.

The bench said wherever there has been fraud on power, the duty of the court was not only to set aside such exercise of power but to see that there was no unjust enrichment directly or indirectly as a result thereof and there was full and substantial restoration.

The apex court passed slew of directions granting relief to the farmers whose land were acquired and later taken by the builders.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)An 18-year-old school student who was arrested for allegedly spreading false information on social media with an aim to incite communal violence in riot -hit Kandy, was sent to 14-day police custody today.

Lawyers of the suspect, a student of a leading school here, had moved a bail application but Colombo Chief Magistrate Lal Ranasinghe Bandara rejected the plea and sent him to police remand till March 26, the DailyMirror reported.

The suspect was arrested yesterday.

A total of 230 people -- 169 of them from Kandy and 61 of them from other areas -- have been arrested since the violence began on March 4.

During the hearing, the CID informed the judge that a magistrate's court cannot grant bail to an accused held under the Computer Act and Reconciliation Act.

Yesterday, fresh violence erupted when a Muslim-owned restaurant was attacked in an alleged hate crime in Puttalam district's Anamaduwa city, 130 kilometres from Colombo.

Communal violence broke out in the Sri Lanka's scenic Kandy district following the death of a man from the mainly Buddhist Sinhalese majority, resulting in the death of two persons and damage to several homes, businesses and mosques.

President Maithripala Sirisena has appointed a three-member commission to probe the communal clashes in Kandy.

He had declared a nationwide state of emergency on Tuesday last and deployed the police and military to prevent escalation of violence after clashes between majority Sinhala Buddhists and minority Muslims erupted in other areas of central Sri Lanka's riot-hit district.

Tensions remain high across the country following which all schools in the riot-affected Kandy town were closed on the direction of the Education department.

After remaining closed for six days, all schools in the Kandy town opened today.

Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe had said last Saturday that according to latest statistics, 465 places of worship, houses, vehicles, business places and other institutions had suffered damage during these incidents. Of them, 87 had suffered total damage and 196 partially damaged, while another 182 suffered minor damage.

Meanwhile, Minister of Fisheries and State Minister of Mahaweli Mahinda Amaraweera said that the government was considering the introduction of laws and regulations to impose certain restrictions on social media.

Today social media including Facebook are being used in spreading information defaming the President and many others and also tainting their character, he was quoted as saying in the DailyMirror.

"Therefore, the government is considering to introduce laws and regulations to impose some restriction on use of social media, further," he said, adding strict procedures for the social media would be adopted after the President returns from his visit to India and Japan.

UN Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs Jeffrey Feltman, who concluded a three-day visit to the island yesterday, urged the government to swiftly and fully implement the law to bring perpetrators to the justice.

During his visit amidst the communal violence, Feltman met with the President, the Prime Minister, Speaker of Parliament Karu Jayasuriya, Foreign Minister Tilak Marapana among others.

Muslims make up 10 per cent of Sri Lanka's total 21 million population. Sinhalese are a largely Buddhist ethnic group.

Tensions between Muslim groups and the majority Sinhalese Buddhist community in the country have escalated since the end of the civil war in May 2009.

In 2014, violence directed against Muslim minority groups broke out in the southwestern town of Aluthgama, following a rally by hardline Buddhist nationalist monks, resulting in the death of at least three Muslims.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)BJP general secretary Ram Madhav today described the CPI(M)'s decision to not contest an Assembly seat in Tripura due to alleged violence as a lame attempt to "hide its defeat and its inability to reach out to people".

Madhav, the BJP's pointsman for the northeast states, who is seen as a key architect for its win in Tripura and Nagaland, also dismissed the Left party's claim of violence in the state following the saffron party's emphatic win in the Assembly polls as nothing but an attempt to create a victimhood syndrome.

The state has been completely peaceful since the BJP government took charge, he said.

"The CPI (M)'s candidate withdrawal and its claim that it was due to violence is all bogus. It's a lame excuse for their inability to reach out to the people anymore in Tripura. Their candidate had already decided that he will not contest. Now they are using this to create a kind of victimhood syndrome," Madhav told PTI.

It is an attempt to hide their defeat, he said.

Rejecting the CPI (M)'s allegations of rising violence in the state, Madhav said, "Our government came to power on the ninth of this month. In the last three days, the state has been absolutely peaceful."



The BJP had fought the Tripura state Assembly elections in alliance with the IPFT, a regional party, and their alliance won 43 out of 59 seats, ending the 25-year-long reign of the Left.

The Charilam (ST) Assembly seat, where election was cancelled following the death of the CPI (M) candidate, went to the polls today and the state's Deputy Chief Minister Jishnu Dev Varma is the BJP candidate from there.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The overwhelming response to the farmers' 'long march' has once again brought to the fore the agrarian crisis currently on in the country, Kishor Tiwari, farm activist and chairman of the Vasantrao Naik Sheti Swavalamban Mission said today.

In a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, he urged the government to have a relook at its agrarian programmes in order to mitigate the distress of farmers.

Drawing attention to what he called disturbing facts, Tiwari stated that despite schemes like loan waiver, farm credit, irrigation and electricity supply to pump sets, an "unaccountable and hostile" bureaucracy was failing to provide relief to farmers.

He said that stringent norms introduced by the bureaucracy was keeping eligible farmers out of the relief network.

Faulty policies of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) and other financial institutions had also failed to keep to the deadline laid down by the government for these schemes, he said.

He said in the letter that these factors were creating an atmosphere of no-confidence among farmers.

He said that despite the government's announcement of relief to five million cotton cultivators whose crops had been damaged by pink bollworms, it was being denied by agencies like the NDRF as well as seed and crop insurance firms.

"This year the state has implemented a mega agricultural debt waiver and debt relief scheme for the benefit of around 6 million farmers but as the state has no direct control over the functioning of PSU banks, it failed to give timely and sufficient credit to debt-ridden farmers," said Tiwari.

He stated that all major crops, like cotton, soyabean, pulses and paddy were being sold at prices lower than the stipulated Minimum Support Price due to stringent norms laid down by the National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India (NAFED)and the Cotton Corporation of India.

He said the government's intervention in this matter was "poor".

Tiwari asked the government to give attention to the holistic national policy for farmers recommended in the Swaminathan Commission report.

The report had listed the unfinished agenda of land reforms, quantity and quality of water, technology fatigue, institutional credit and marketing as major causes for the agrarian crisis.

The report has also suggested shifting agriculture into the Concurrent List as policy and developmental decisions on it were taken by both the Centre and the states.

Tiwari said, in the letter, that Maharashtra had started working aggressively on core issues raised in the report related to land, water, bio-resources, credit and insurance, technology, knowledge management and markets.

He pointed out that the ground reality was that these programmes had not reached the small and needy farmers.

"Farming is largely an unorganised sector. No systematic institutional and organisational planning is involved in cultivation, irrigation, harvesting etc. Institutional finance is not adequately available and minimum purchase price fixed by the government does not reach the poorest farmer," he said.

"Exploitation by traders and middlemen denies the farmer the best price for his produce. There is a need to promote farmers market where they can directly sell their produce at reasonable prices to the consumers," Tiwari said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Basanta Bohora, a Nepalese and one of the few passengers to escape with injuries in the deadly plane crash here today said he is lucky to be alive.

At least 50 people were killed when a Bangladeshi plane crashed and burst into flames while landing at Kathmandu airport. Officials said there were 71 people on board the US-Bangla Airlines plane coming from Dhaka.

Bohora, an employee of Raswita International Travels and Tours, recalled that the take-off was normal from Dhaka but when the plane approached the Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA) for landing in Kathmandu, the aircraft began to behave strangely.

"There were 16 Nepalese from various travel agencies onboard the airplane," he was quoted as saying by Kathmandu Post.

All the 16 had gone to Bangladesh for training, he said.

"All of a sudden the plane shook violently and there was a loud bang afterwards," he said.

"I was seated near the window and was able to break out of the window," he said.

"I have received injuries to my head and legs but I am fortunate that I survived the ordeal," he said.

He is currently receiving treatment at Thapathali-based Norvic Hospital.

"I have no recollection after I got out of the plane, someone took me to Sinamangal hospital and from there my friends brought me to Norvic," he said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front chairman Mohammad Yasin Malik was today taken into preventive custody from his residence here, after three militants were killed in a encounter by the security forces in Anantnag district.

Early this morning, police cordoned off Malik's residence and arrested him, a JKLF spokesperson said.

The JKLF chairman was taken to Kothi Bagh police station. When JKLF zonal president Noor Muhammad Kalwal went to see him at the police station, Kalwal was also arrested and lodged along with Malik, the spokesperson added.

The outfit has condemned the police action.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)A 22-year-old man allegedly shot at a relative of his to-be wife in southeast Delhi's Shaheen Bagh, the police said today.

The incident took place yesterday. Police were informed about a man, Mohd Afshan, who had sustained gunshot injury on the right side of chest, they said.

Mohd Seejan, Afshan's brother, told police that Danish had fired on his brother while they were on their way home along with one Ryan alias Mona, the police said.

A case was registered in the matter.

Danish, who is admitted to a private hospital, alleged that he was beaten by Afshan and some others with iron rods.

Police are probing the allegations from both the sides. The reason for the incident is not clear yet.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The Supreme Court today provided a four-point blueprint to the CBI's SIT and directed it to expedite the probe into alleged extra-judicial killings and fake encounters by the Army, Assam Rifles and police in Manipur which had come under the scanner of the NHRC, Gauhati High Court and some commissions of inquiry.

The apex court said the special investigation team (SIT) should first complete the ongoing probe in 13 cases of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), followed by the matters related to judicial inquiry and those on which the high court had given its findings.

Thereafter, the SIT should take up the matters which were earlier dealt with by the a commission headed by former Supreme Court judge Justice Santosh Hegde and then the matters relating to commissions of inquiry should be probed, a bench comprising Justices Madan B Lokur and U U Lalit said.

"We require the SIT to complete the investigation with regard to cases of NHRC and file report under section 173 CrPC," the bench said while making it clear that it does not mean that investigation in other cases would not be expedited.

"We have asked the Joint Director of the SIT (who is in charge) to expedite the cases related to NHRC," the bench said, adding "thereafter the SIT will look into the cases of judicial inquiries and high court followed by cases of the Justice Hegde commission and finally SIT will look into the commission of inquiry cases".

It also allowed CBI's plea to add five more officers in the SIT to probe these cases and asked Manipur's standing counsel to request the high court there to give the documents and records of the cases dealt with by it earlier to the SIT so that they could proceed with the investigation.

The top court, which posted the matter for further hearing on April 16, asked the Manipur government and its police to make available the records of these cases to the SIT.

Regarding the SIT's submission about delay in getting response from the central forensic science laboratory (CFSL), the bench asked its director to expedite the process.

Additional Solicitor General (ASG) Maninder Singh, who was appearing for the CBI, told the bench that progress has been made by the SIT in the ongoing probe in these cases.

He said there was a problem regarding interpreters since there were various languages in Manipur and SIT officials were having difficulty in recording the statements of witnesses there. He said some policemen from Manipur were sent to interpret the language.

However, the counsel appearing for Manipur told the bench that they would provide interpreters from general public, government departments other than police and universities to the SIT for carrying out the work.

The ASG also told the bench that SIT has found the whereabouts and identity of all the security personnel whose names have figured in these matters and some of them have also been examined during the probe.

He said that witnesses related to these cases were being examined by the SIT and each official has been assigned with investigation of two cases.

When the counsel appearing for one of the petitioners raised the issue of lodging of FIRs related to cases of judicial inquiry and commission of inquiry, the bench observed that SIT has so far lodged 42 FIRs and were in the process of conducting the probe.

"Rest assured, we will not allow them to leave anything out," the bench said, adding the apex court had associated NHRC with the SIT in the matter so that the process of investigation could be fast tracked. "We will take up these cases one by one in a phased manner," the court said.

Senior advocate Colin Gonsalves, appearing for the petitioners, told the bench that the FIRs have been lodged against "unknown persons" despite the fact that names of Army and police personnel were there in the records.

The bench, however, said that not naming these officials in the FIRs does not mean that they have been given clean chit since probe into these cases were going on.

The apex court had on February 12 expressed its displeasure over the progress of CBI's SIT in probing these cases and had observed that something was "terribly wrong". It had asked the NHRC to depute three persons to associate with the SIT to carry out investigations in 17 of the 42 cases lodged by the SIT.

It had on January 16 pulled up the CBI's SIT for not registering the required number of FIRs as directed by it earlier.

The court, which is hearing a PIL seeking a probe into as many as 1,528 cases of extra-judicial killings in Manipur, had on July 14 last year constituted the SIT comprising five CBI officers and ordered registration of FIRs and probe into the alleged extra-judicial killings in Manipur.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The would-be wife of Britain's Prince Harry, American actress Meghan Markle, today attended her first official engagement with Queen Elizabeth II to mark Commonwealth Day.

The 36-year-old arrived with her fianc alongside Prince William and Kate Middleton to attend the annual Commonwealth Day service at Westminster Abbey in London, also attended by Prince Charles, Camilla - Duchess of Cornwall, and British Prime Minister Theresa May.

In her customary Commonwealth Day message, the 91-year-old monarch said she looked forward to welcoming world leaders to the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM), to be attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi next month, at her "homes in London and Windsor".

She said: "There is a very special value in the insights we gain through the Commonwealth connection; shared inheritances help us overcome difference so that diversity is a cause for celebration rather than division".

"We shall see this in action at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting which takes place in the United Kingdom next month, bringing together young people, business and civil society from across the Commonwealth."



The Queen described CHOGM as a fine example of how "consensus and commitment" can help create a future that is fairer, more secure, more prosperous and sustainable.

Her husband, the Duke of Edinburgh, who retired from public duties last year, did not attend the service.

Markle, who is to become a British citizen on her wedding to Prince Harry on May 19, sang the British national anthem after taking her seat behind the Queen and Prince of Wales. After the service, she joined the other royals at a private reception.

Prince Harry is expected to take on an active role within the Commonwealth during CHOGM next month.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Muslim women today took out a silent protest march against the instant triple talaq bill in Rajasthan's Sikar district.

The women took out the march from Idgah Chowk to the district collectorate, holding placards demanding withdrawal of The Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill.

After the protest march, a delegation of Muslim women handed over a representation to additional district collector Jaiprakash Chaudhary, addressed to the President and Prime Minister.

The office bearers of the All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) have been demanding withdrawal of the bill, alleging that it was a defective bill that would lead to destruction of families and increase the sufferings of the women.

"We reject the bill and appeal to take it back as it is against the Constitution of India, women's rights and gender justice," Yasmeen Farooqui, a board member, had said during a similar protest in Jaipur last February.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The National Cadet Corps (NCC) is setting up an academy in the city at a cost of Rs 36 crore, an official said today.

It will be first such academy in the Saurashtra region of the state - and the second in Gujarat - and its foundation will be laid on March 15, the official said.

"The NCC has decided to set up its first academy in Rajkot. This would be the second such academy in the state after Rajpipla in Narmada district," Brigadier Ajit Singh, Group Commander, NCC Rajkot, said here.

"Major General S C Sharan, Additional Director General of NCC Gujarat, will attend the foundation stone laying ceremony," he said.

The academy will be set up in association with the local civic body, Singh said.

"The new academy is planned to be set up in the Mavdi Road area of the city. It would be developed in a phased manner," said the Brigadier.

"The state government has allocated 14 acres of land and also released necessary funds of Rs 20 lakh for the first phase," he said, adding the entire project would cost around Rs 36 crore.

The NCC would organise its "C" certificate convocation function at Bhavnagar on March 14, Singh added.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The NIA today filed a chargesheet against an alleged ISI operative for blackmailing a lady army officer of circulating her morphed pictures on social networking site.

The agency, which registered a case in September last year, filed the chargesheet against Mohammed Parvez before a designated NIA court.

The allegations are that accused had sent obscene and morphed WhatsApp images and messages from a mobile phone and Facebook ID with a veiled threat to circulate them on social media, to the complainant, thereby causing mental harassment to her as well as threatening to ruin her reputation.

"This was done in pursuance of a deep-rooted conspiracy hatched by Pakistani Intelligence officials and the arrested accused (Parvez) with a view to compromise an officer of the Indian Army into divulging national security secrets," an NIA spokesman said here.

The chargesheet has been filed against accused 43-year-old Pervez, a resident of walled Delhi, under various sections of Indian Penal Code, Information Technology Act and anti-terror law UAPA.

Parvez was arrested on September 13, 2017 by the local police but after it was found that he had visited Pakistan a few times, the matter was transferred to the Special Cell for probe. The NIA took over the case later.

A woman colonel filed a police complaint in Dwarka, alleging that she had been receiving morphed and obscene pictures through WhatsApp from two unknown numbers.

She was threatened that if she did not speak to the sender of the messages, the pictures would be circulated on the Internet, the police said.

After she blocked the two numbers, the woman colonel's daughter started receiving morphed pictures and messages from the Facebook profile of a woman, they said.

The person sending the pictures and messages asked the woman's daughter to speak to the sender and threatened her with uploading the pictures on social media.

The woman colonel approached the police and a case was registered. On the basis of the information gained through the Facebook profile and the records of the two numbers, Parvez was arrested.

During his interrogation, it emerged that he had visited Pakistan and had made SIM cards available to some Pakistani nationals. It was suspected that he is linked with the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI).

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The NIA today raided the central jail here and seized over two dozen mobile phones, jihadi literature and a Pakistani flag apart from data hardware, official spokesman said.

At least 20 teams of the central probe agency, with commandos of the NSG and drones in tow, searched the barracks and open ground of the high-security prison that houses some of the most wanted and dreaded terrorists, including those from Pakistan.

The searches, the spokesman said, were carried out in connection with an investigation over the arrest of two youths in Kupwara -- Danish Ghulam Lone and Sohail Ahmed Bhat.

The two youths had claimed that the fresh recruits of Al-Badr, a proscribed terrorist organisation, were being sent across for arms training in furtherance of a conspiracy hatched from inside the Central Jail, Srinagar.

The searches started early morning and continued till late afternoon during which all the barracks and the open ground were thoroughly searched with the help of well-trained teams and deep search metal detectors.

A close watch was kept on the entire operation with the help of drones, the spokesman said.

During the search, 25 mobile phones, some SIM cards, 5 secure digital cards, 5 pen drives, one iPod and large number of documents and articles, including a poster of Hizbul Mujahideen, a Pakistani flag besides jihadi literature, were seized, he said.

The agency is also probing the escape of dreaded Lashker-e-Taiba terrorist Mohammed Naveed Jhatt on February 6 from a busy hospital in Srinagar. It is believed that the conspiracy of his escape was hatched in the Srinagar central jail.

The spokesman said that the teams was accompanied by magistrates, witnesses and doctors.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has summoned former Nagaland chief minister T R Zeliang on March 17 for questioning in connection with the alleged funding of banned outfits through state government departments, his close aide said today.

The notice was sent by NIA Deputy Superintendent of Police Yogesh Rathore, Zeliang's aide Azeu Namcyn Hau said in a statement today.

The former chief minister was asked to appear before the NIA investigating officer on March 17 at 10 am in New Delhi "along with documents relevant to the payments received from the government department for the purpose of answering certain questions relating to investigation of the case without fail," the letter said.

The NIA had earlier summoned him to appear before it by tomorrow. Considering that the session of the new state assembly would begin tomorrow, the NIA accepted his request for time and postponed the appearance date.

Hau said the NIA's summon to Zelaing for tomorrow was received last midnight through fax. The former chief minister had then written to the NIA expressing his inability to comply at such a short notice and also because of the assembly session which he was required to attend as the leader of opposition.

"The NIA has been investigating extortion cases in Nagaland since August 2016 and Zeliang, as a law abiding citizen of the country, is ready to cooperate with any investigating agency including the NIA," the statement said.

On February 13 three officials of the Nagaland Chief Minister's office (CMO) were summoned by the NIA for interrogation on February 15.

The three officials - Ruokuovizo Chupuo, OSD to the CM, and Karaibo Chawang and Kueirang, media officers -- were summoned to appear before the NIA deputy superintendent of police and chief investigating officer, Jasveer Singh, on February 15 in Guwahati.

On March 1, two days before the announcement of the Nagaland Assembly election result, an officer of the Zeliang-led government was again summoned and interrogated for 5 days from March 3 at the NIA headquarter in New Delhi.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Kerala-based Hadiya, an alleged victim of love jihad, today said she was grateful to the Supreme Court for allowing her to reunite with her husband.

Days after the apex court set aside a Kerala High Court order annulling her marriage with a Muslim man, Hadiya told reporters that the order was one that gave freedom to her to stand by a faith which she believed was right.

No other person in the country should experience the pain and suffering like the one she underwent, Hadiya said.

Flanked by her husband Shafin Jahan, Hadiya said she got freedom and justice from the apex court and thanked all those who stood by her during the legal battle.

"There should be no more controversies over me," she said.

The apex court had on March 8 set aside a Kerala High Court order annulling her marriage to Jahan.

Hadiya is pursuing her mandatory house surgeon internship at the Sivaraj Homeopathic Medical College and Research Institute in Tamil Nadu's Salem district for completing her Bachelor in Homoepathy Medicine and Surgery (BHMS) course.

The apex court had in August last year asked the National Investigation Agency to probe the case of conversion and marriage of Hadiya, as the agency claimed a "pattern" was emerging in Kerala.

The matter came to the fore when Jahan had challenged a Kerala High Court order annulling his marriage with her and sending the woman to her parents' custody.

On November 27 last, the supreme court had freed Hadiya from her parents' custody and sent her to college to pursue her studies, even as she had pleaded that she should be allowed to go with her husband.

The high court had in May last year annulled the marriage terming it as an instance of 'love jihad', following which Jahan had approached the apex court.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The Kerala high court today observed that there was no reason to delay trial in the case of an attack on a noted south Indian actress, in which popular Malayalam actor Dileep was an accused.

Justice Sunil Thomas made the observation while hearing a petition filed by Dileep seeking a copy of digital evidence of the alleged attack on the actress by a gang of men in a moving car here in February last year.

The high court posted the case for hearing on March 21.

In his plea filed in the high court last week, Dileep said he was denied the rights of a defendant by a trial court in Angamaly.

He moved the high court when the trial court was set to commence trial proceedings at the Ernakulam Principal Sessions Court this week.

Last month, the Angamaly Judicial First Class Magistrate Court dismissed a plea by Dileep seeking copies of visuals of the alleged sexual assault committed on the actress by the gang.

The magistrate court had accepted the argument of the prosecution that the clippings could be misused by Dileep, affecting the privacy of the actress.

Dileep is eighth among the 12 accused in the case. He secured bail nearly three months after his arrest on July 10 last year.

The key accused in the case, Pulsar Suni, has been in jail since his arrest early last year.

The actress, who has worked in Tamil and Telugu films, was abducted and allegedly molested inside her car for two hours by Suni and his accomplices, who had forced their way into the vehicle on the night of February 17 last year and later escaped.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Oil PSUs want Andhra Pradesh government to provide viability gap funding for them to set up a Rs 32,901-crore petrochemical complex in the state, Oil Minister Dharmendra Pradhan said today.

Hindustan Petroleum Corp Ltd (HPCL) and gas utility GAIL India had in January last year signed an MoU with Andhra Pradesh for setting up a petrochemical complex at Kakinada, he said in a written reply in Lok Sabha.

"Feasibility study has been carried out for the petrochemical complex. Oil PSUs have indicated to the Government of Andhra Pradesh that viability gap funding is necessary to make the project viable," he said.

He however did not give details of how much support have HPCL-GAIL combine asked for.

The petrochemical complex at Kakinada was among the projects envisaged in the special package announced in 2014 to boost economy of Andhra Pradesh after Telangana was carved out of it.

The state government had previously asked the Centre to meet the viability gap of Rs 5,000 crore for the project.

Last week, TDP chief and Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu withdrew his ministers from the Narendra Modi government, saying the Centre has failed to respect the sentiments of the people of Andhra Pradesh by not granting the Special Category Status.

Pradhan said Indian Oil Corp (IOC), Bharat Petroleum Corp Ltd (BPCL) and HPCL have formed a joint venture, Ratnagiri Refinery Petrochemicals, for setting up a 60 million tonne per annum grassroot refinery cum petrochemical complex in Maharashtra at an estimated cost of Rs 3.5 lakh crore.

"Refinery sector has been delicensed in 1998. Post de-licensing, any public sector or private sector entity can set up a refinery depending upon techno-commercial viability of the project," he added.

India has 23 refineries with a total capacity of 247.566 million tonne per annum.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Indian cab hailing firm Ola on Monday said it has started operations in Sydney, expanding its services in the Australian market.

Last month, the company had kick-started its services in Australia with Perth. In January, the SoftBank-backed company had announced its plans to foray into the Australian market.

Ola is now officially operating in Sydney and has hired a local team to build partnerships and support driver-partners, it said in a statement.

"Ola's focus is on investing in driver-partners and supporting them with new technology, training, and ways to increase earnings," it added.

Uber is Ola's main competitor in the Australian market. Interestingly, SoftBank is also an investor in Uber.

Uber launched its operations in Australia in 2012 and currently operates in 19 Australian cities including the major cities of Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide, Perth and Canberra.

The are already locked in an intense battle for leadership in the Indian market. They compete not only in the ride-sharing space in India but also food delivery, with Ola acquiring Foodpanda's India business. US-based Uber, which is one of the world's most valued startups, runs on-demand food delivery app UberEATs in select Indian cities.

Ola said, since the launch in Perth, the service has received over 7,000 registrations from driver-partners.

We are excited to officially start operating on the east coast with the launch in Sydney. We've been very pleased with how the service has been received by customers, driver-partners and the community in Perth, and can't wait to continue building on these experiences and learnings for our second city launch," Ola Vice President, Head of International Chandra Nath said.

The Bengaluru-based company said in the coming weeks, it will continue to roll out a number of new initiatives for both customers and driver-partners in Sydney, including promotions, earnings programme and feedback sharing.Congress-led opposition UDF members today staged a walkout from the Kerala assembly over the government's alleged failure to resolve the problems faced by over 2.50 lakh workers in the cashew sector.

The UDF sought to move an adjournment motion on the issue, saying most cashew units in public and private sector remained closed, pushing workers into virtual poverty.

However, with Speaker P Sreeramakrishnan disallowing the motion after Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan's reply rejecting the opposition's charge, the UDF members trooped out of the house.

Earlier, Vijayan said efforts were on to reopen the closed private cashew units.

During the 2017-18, factories under the Kerala State Cashew Corporation and Kerala State Cashew Workers Apex Industrial Co-operative Society(APEX) provided jobs for 228 and 178 days respectively, he added.

Vijayan rejected the opposition's charge that the workers were not getting medical treatment benefits of Employees State Insurance Corporation and said 82,000 workers under ESI were getting the benefits.

Steps have also been taken to expand cashew cultivation in the state to increase productivity, he said.

On the problems faced by small and medium scale private cashew factory owners, Vijayan said a meeting of stakeholders, including banks and RBI representatives, had decided to keep in abeyance all revenue recovery proceedings by banks on non-repayment of loans.

"A comprehensive revival package for cashew sector is under preparation. Government is confident that it can usher a new atmosphere in the sector," Vijayan added.

However, disputing the government claims, Leader of the Opposition in the assembly Ramesh Chennithala alleged that government had failed miserably in tackling the crisis in the cashew sector.

Of 820 cashew units, only 50 big factories in the private sector were now functioning, he said and demanded government immediately announce an interim relief of Rs 10,000 to cashew workers.

Chennithala alleged that even as workers in the sector were facing problems, both the government-run KSCDC and CAPEX had spent money for purchasing new cars.

He alleged that the Kerala Cashew Board, set up by the government, with a mandate to ensure adequate procurement of raw nuts for the industry, has become a 'white elephant.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The proceedings in both Houses of Parliament were stalled for the sixth day today with no let up in protests by opposition parties and NDA ally TDP over various issues including the banking scam, special status to Andhra Pradesh and the Cauvery water dispute.

The Aam Aadmi Party too joined the protests in Rajya Sabha, demanding an end to the sealing drive in Delhi.

Amid the din in Lok Sabha, Minister of State for Finance Shiv Pratap Shukla introduced The Fugitive Economic Offenders Bill 2018, that seeks to confiscate all assets of absconding fraudsters and loan defaulters for recovering dues from them.

The Bill was introduced in the backdrop protests over the nearly Rs 12,700 crore fraud at Punjab National Bank in which businessman Nirav Modi is allegedly involved.

The proposed law will apply to defaulters who have an outstanding of Rs 100 crore or more and have escaped from the country.

The Minister also introduced the The Chit Funds (Amendment) Bill 2018.

Not much business has been carried out since the second leg of the Budget Session of Parliament began on March 5, with the noisy protests stalling proceedings every day, barring for one hour on March 8 when members participated in a discussion to mark the International Women's Day in the upper house

Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan adjourned the House immediately after the Question Hour started today as the TRS, TDP, AIADMK and YSR Congress members stormed the Well carrying placards and raised slogans in support of their demands.

When the House met again at noon, the protests continued but the Speaker went ahead with the proceedings, including introduction of the two bills by Shukla.

Bhartruhari Mahtab of the BJD opposed the introduction of The Fugitive Economic Offenders Bill, saying its provisions violated the citizens' fundamental rights and that it is based on the premise of "guilty till proven innocent" and not the other way round.

He questioned the provision of seizing assets of an accused before he was proved guilty.

However, Shukla said these provisions can be debated during the discussion on the bill and introduced the bill. Soon after this, the House was adjourned.

The two houses have been witnessing bedlam since March 5.

The TDP, which remains a member of the ruling NDA though it has pulled out of the central government, is demanding special status for Andhra Pradesh.

The TRS members are seeking enhanced reservation in Telangana, while the AIADMK is pressing for constitution of the Cauvery river board to settle Tamil Nadu's water dispute with neighbours. The Congress and the TMC have been raising the issue of bank frauds.

Similar scenes were witnessed in the Rajya Sabha, where the House was first adjourned till 2 pm and later for the day due to unrelenting protests by members on these issues.

After the papers were laid in the House, members of TDP, YSRC, TMC, AIADMK and AAP were up on their feet seeking to raise a point of order.

As Chairman Venkaiah Naidu tried to pacify the members and conduct the Zero Hour, protesting members trooped into the Well holding placards and shouting slogans. The only Congress member protesting in the Well was K V P Ramachandra Rao from Andhra Pradesh.

"When there is no order, how can there be a point of order? This is too much," Naidu said asking members to go back to their seats.

"I don't find any reason to come to the Well of House," the Chairman said adding that he is allowing discussion on all subjects.

With members continuing their protest, the Chair was forced to adjourn the House till 2 pm.

Earlier, Naidu said ministers can lay papers on behalf of other ministers but they should seek prior permission from the chair.

"Proper advance notice should be given," Naidu said.

When Minister of Parliamentary Affairs Vijay Goel rose to make a statement on behalf of Minister of State for Drinking Water and Sanitation S S Ahluwalia, Naidu said, "Statement has to be made by the minister concerned."

Ahluwalia was to make a statement regarding status of implementation of recommendations of the 35th report of Parliamentary Standing Committee on rural development.

The protests continued as the House met again at 2 pm. Trinamool Congress (TMC) member Sukhendu Sekhar Roy stood up seeking the Chair's permission to raise a point of order.

However, Deputy Chairman of the Rajya Sabha P J Kurien, who was in the Chair, said the House needs to be in order first.

Unrelenting members from TDP stormed the Well carrying placards demanding special status for Andhra Pradesh while the AIADMK demanded setting up of Cauvery water management board.

Joining them, Aam Aadmi Party members shouted slogans seeking an end to the sealing drive in Delhi, whereas the Congress and the TMC raised the bank fraud issue.

Amid the noisy protests, Ahluwalia laid on the table of the House the statement regarding the status of implementation of recommendations contained in the 35th report of the Department-related Parliamentary Standing Committee on Rural Development on Demands for Grants (2017-18).

However, as the pandemonium continued, Kurien adjourned the proceedings of the House for the day after barely a couple of minutes.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Various political parties, including opposition DMK, today expressed concern over the death of nine persons, part of a trekking expedition, in a forest fire in Tamil Nadu and called for steps to streamline the activity.

DMK Working President M K Stalin, AIADMK leader T T V Dhinakaran and PMK founder S Ramadoss, among others, condoled the death of nine trekkers in the Kurangani Hills fire.

Stalin, also the leader of the opposition in the state Assembly, said he was "shocked and anguished" over the loss of lives and expressed his sympathies with the families of the victims.

"Such fires are often happening in the Kurangani forest. If the district administration and forest department had ensured adequate guidance and arrangements for those who had gone on the trekking expedition, the loss of lives could have been certainly avoided," he said in a statement.

In future, officials should ensure that adequate steps are in place for the safety of the trekkers, he added.

AIADMK leader and RK Nagar MLA Dhinakaran also condoled the death of the victims.

In a series of tweets, he blamed the forest department's 'laxity' for 'not preventing the victims from undertaking the trekking expedition as the reason for the tragedy.

The fires were raging for the past 15 days, but the forest department had also not issued any alerts, he alleged.

"The forest department not issuing alerts and not preventing them (trekkers) from undertaking the expedition is the reason for the loss of lives," he said.

In future, relevant rules and regulations regarding trekking should be duly followed, he said.

CPI state unit secretary R Mutharasan demanded a probe into the matter. He expressed sympathies with the families of the victims.

PMK leader Ramadoss wondered if all the rules were duly followed by the authorities concerned and the company that arranged for the trekking expedition.

He called for streamlining of trekking and increased monitoring in the area.

Makkal Needhi Mayyam founder-president Kamal Haasan also condoled the death of the nine persons and said the government should take concrete steps to prevent recurrence of such incidents.

A 36-member team -- 24 people from Chennai and 12 from Tiruppur and Erode districts -- on a trekking expedition reached the Kurangani hills on March 10.

The team included 25 women and three children.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)UK-based PG Paper Company Ltd today urged the government not to impose anti-dumping duty on coated paper.

Imposition of the duty would impact American and European paper suppliers to India that are producing the product in an environmentally friendly way, the company said.

Coated paper is primarily used for printing of magazines, catalogues, books and manuals, calendars, brochures, labels and flexible packaging.

"It seems unfair to punish the manufactures by imposing a further levy on top of the 10 per cent import duty that is already in place on coated papers. Lightweight coated paper is currently not manufactured in India at all and is no threat to the local manufacturing industry," Poonam Gupta, the CEO of PG Paper Company, said in a statement.

She also said that the paper industry competes on natural resources like water and forestry which is already scarce in India.

The company would be soon be writing to Finance Minister Arun Jaitely and Commerce and Industry Minister Suresh Prabhu requesting not to impose any restrictive duty on the imports of coated paper from the US and Europe.

The Directorate General of Anti-dumping and Allied Duties (DGAD), under the commerce ministry, is undertaking an anti- dumping investigation on imports of coated paper from China, the EU and the US to protect domestic industry from cheap imports.

Gupta said that Indian economy is growing at a fast pace and environmentally sustainable growth in the paper industry would further boost the country's economic growth.

Countries carry out anti-dumping probe to determine whether their domestic industries have been hurt because of a surge in cheap imports.

As a counter measure, they impose duties under the multilateral regime of WTO.

The duty is aimed at ensuring fair trading practises and creating a level-playing field for domestic producers with regard to foreign producers and exporters.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Two flight steward of cash-strapped Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) have been detained by the French authorities after one of them was allegedly caught with drugs in Paris, according to a media report.



Four packets of drugs were recovered from hidden pockets of Tanveer Gulzar's coat during his body search, French officials were quoted as saying by the Dawn



However, they have not disclosed whether it was heroin, cocaine or hashish.The rest of the crew members of the Islamabad-Paris flight PK-749 returned to Pakistan yesterday."Though, drugs have been recovered from the possession of the cabin crew member, the PIA management has not been informed about the kind and quantity of drugs," PIA spokesman Mashood Tajwar said."Tanveer Gulzar, the PIA steward who was caught with drugs by the French customs while going to a hotel for rest, has been suspended by the management and will be terminated from service in the light of outcome of the investigation conducted by the French authorities," he said.It is uncertain whether the flight steward will be punished in France or will be deported, he added.Tajwar said another steward of the same flight, Amir Moeen, had been detained by the French authorities though he had not been charged so far. He has been detained for interrogation in the light of Tanveer's statement, the report said."Amir Moeen will also be suspended and will be sacked if his involvement in drug smuggling is proven by the French authorities," the spokesman said.Such an incident is not a novelty for PIA, which is already plagued by financial woes.PIA has been suffering huge losses and administration is trying to improve the situation but the airline is frequently facing embarrassment.In May 2017, a PIA plane flying to Heathrow Airport was thoroughly searched and its 14 member crew detained by British authorities after landing in London over information that there were narcotics on board the flight.The 14 crew members were kept in detention for five hours and, according to UK Border Agency (UKBA) sources.According to the information, there was suspicion that the crew might be involved and the narcotics were hidden in different panels and areas of the plane, the report said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)With Lok Sabha elections just in a year's time, Prime Minister on Tuesday launched a slew of schemes for poor and emphasised on harnessing solar energy for cooking.

The PM also flagged off a new train -- Kanshi-Patna Jan Shatabdi Express -- between Varanasi and Patna on the demand of the people from the area.

Overwhlemed by the massive response from the people of his Lok Sabha constituency during his visit, during which he was accompanied by French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife Brigitte, Modi said people have given them a wonderful welcome and thanked them for it.

"Seeing this, every household in France will enquire where is Varanasi which gave such a rousing welcome to our President," he said.

He was addressing a public meeting at the DLW Grounds here after winding up his visit to adjoining Mirzapur, where Modi and Macron dedicated a 75-MW solar power plant. Modi also inaugurated or laid the foundation stone of various development projects worth over Rs 8 billion.

He also handed over the keys, cheques and certificates to beneficiaries of various schemes.

The prime minister announced "Ayushman (blessed with long life) Bharat" scheme to ensure better health care facilities for the poor and said it would go a long way in helping the downtrodden foot hospital bills.

The scheme will be implemented with the help of insurance companies and the poor who can't afford costly treatment will be able to get help up to Rs 500,000 annually. This will create a network of hospitals and employment opportunity in the healthcare sector, he said.

"If one member of a family of a poor man falls ill, the entire family gets disturbed, and his financial position is affected badly," he said.

Modi also announced Pradhan Mantri Poshan Mission Yojana (PMPM scheme) to ensure nutrition to children, especially girls.

"If girls in their teens, who are likely to become mothers in another few years, are weak, how can their offsprings be strong and healthy?" he posed.

The prime minister, who had earlier launched the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana to safeguard the health of women and children by providing clean cooking fuel, today stressed on the use of solar energy for making food.

"This is an effort to bring a change in the lifestyle in the countryside. I urge youths and IITians to promote clean cooking by harnessing solar energy in an innovative manner," he said.

He also lauded the concept of "kachra (waste) mahotsav" to highlight the use of waste products and make wealth out of the useless articles.

Modi took a dig at his political rivals, saying he was sure that they would poke fun at him for his novel idea.

"I was impressed by the music generated by youths using discarded utensils," Modi, who took a round of 'kachara se jugaad' exhibition, said.

Earlier, Modi thanked the people of his constituency for the "warmth" shown by them towards him and the visiting French dignitary.

"I would like to thank the residents of Varanasi...Today Varanasi has done wonders. The way Varanasi welcomed the French president, and honoured him, people in every house in France will ask where is Varanasi where a grand welcome and honour was accorded to him (the French president)," he said.

Stressing on the need for cleanliness in Varanasi, he said "our ancestors have done wonders" for the city and its cleanliness has to be ensured so that people from the entire world come here.

Terming the DLW as his second home and also the industrial identity of Varanasi, he said the government was working towards its development and expansion so that more employment opportunities could be created.

The Prime Minister praised Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath terming him as a popular and dedicated leader who is working on a mission mode to implement government schemes like the Pradhan Mantri Avas Yojna.The ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) suffered a major setback today when its candidate for Senate chairmanship was defeated by an independent candidate supported by the opposition parties.

Polling to elect the new chairman and his deputy was held in the parliament building.

Presiding Officer Sardar Yaqoob Khan Nasar announced the result of contest for chairman after all senators had cast their vote.

Muhammad Sadiq Sanjrani got 57 votes against Raja Zafarul Haq (of PML-N) and has been elected as chairman, said Nasar.

Sanjrani from Balochistan province was supported by the Joint Opposition, including Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P), Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf and independents from Balochistan and the Federally Administered Tribal Areas.

Nasar also administered oath to Sanjrani who immediately took the seat and announced to conduct the elections of deputy chairman.

The process to elect the deputy chairman was going on. Tough competition is expected between Saleem Mandviwalls of PPP, who is supported by opposition and Usman Kakar of Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party's (PkMAP), an ally of the ruling party.

Earlier, 51 newly elected senators took oath to become member of the Senates.

Only former Finance Minister Ishaq Dar was not present to take the oath as he was away in London due to poor health.

Krishna Kumari Kolhi today scripted history when she was sworn-in as Pakistan's first-ever Hindu Dalit woman Senator. Her arrival was a spectacle as she reached the parliament house with her family in traditional Thari dress, a trademark of Tharparker district of Sindh province.

She told the media that she would work to improve the healthcare and water shortage issues along with efforts to resolve problems faced by the women of Tharparkar.

The strength of the house reduced to 103 from 104 due to absence of PML-N senator-elect Ishaq Dar, who is in London for medical treatment. Hence, winner needs 52 votes.

Initial surveys, media reports and announcement by the PML-N leaders suggested that Haq will win by thin margin but in the end he lost by a big margin.

The political parties were scrambling till last minute to get the upper hand through election of chairman.

The ruling PML-N and allies after final consultation in the morning nominated veteran politician from Rawalpindi, Senator Raja Zafarul Haq, as chairman and Usman Kakar from Balochistan as deputy chairman, according PML-N Senator Mushahidullah Khan.

Earlier, PPP chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari announced to support independent Sadiq Sanjrai, while fielding Mandiviwalla as deputy chairman.

Earlier, Presiding Officer Sardar Yaqoob Khan Nasar said the election for chairman and deputy chairman would take be held at 4pm in the parliament house.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)PNB Housing Finance, a subsidiary of Punjab National Bank, is mulling a proposal to raise up to Rs 80 billion in one or more tranches by issuing debt securities.

The decision will be taken at the company's board meeting scheduled on Thursday. "Board meeting to consider the proposal of fund raising by way of debt issue," the company said in a regulatory filing.

The board will consider issuance of "secured and unsecured non-convertible debentures aggregating up to an amount of Rs 80 billion in one or multiple tranches," it said.

The company had conducted a non-deal road show for debt investors on March 5-6 in Hong Kong and on March 7 in Singapore.

PNB Housing Finance is the fifth largest firm in the housing finance business in the country.

The promoter PNB owns 33 per cent in the company, 37.3 per cent is the quality investment holdings, 17.1 per cent by foreign institutional investors, 6.5 per cent by mutual funds, 4.3 per cent by public and others while the rest is owned by financial institutions and corporate bodies.

PNB Housing Finance shares closed at Rs 1,119.35 on BSE, up 1.88 per cent from previous close.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Police today registered a case against Syro-Malabar Church head Cardinal George Alencherry and three others on a complaint alleging irregularities in land deals in the Ernakulam-Angamaly Archdiocese.

The FIR was registered nearly a week after the Kerala High Court ordered the police to do so against the cardinal, priests Joshy Puthuva and Sebastian Vadakkumpadan, and middleman Saju Varghese on a petition filed by Shine Varghese from Cherthala.

Shine had moved the high court, saying that the Ernakulam Central Police had not registered an FIR on his complaint against the cardinal and others over the land deals.

They were named in the complaint alleging criminal conspiracy, criminal breach of trust and cheating in sale of over three acres of land, worth crores of rupees, belonging to the Ernakulam-Angamaly Archdiocese.

Alencherry, who is also the major archbishop of the archdiocese, is the first accused in the case, police said.

They have been charged under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), including sections 120b (criminal conspiracy), 405 and 406 (criminal breach of trust),and 420 (cheating and dishonestly inducing delivery of property), police said.

Police have registered the FIR after a section of the Syro-Malabar Church faithful questioned the delay in filing it and threatened to move the Kerala High Court on the matter.

Police also secured legal advice before registering the FIR.

The cardinal and the other accused moved separate appeals in the high court, submitting that the order of the single judge and the conclusions arrived at by him were unsustainable in law and facts.

Earlier, a six member church committee, which probed the alleged irregularities, said it had found numerous instances of violation of canon and civil laws.

It had recommended necessary action against those responsible.

The committee also said the cardinal "seems to have fully known and involved" in alienation and purchase of lands by the archdiocese between April 1,2015 and November 30, 2017.

The panel, comprising priests, was appointed by Alencherry.

A group of priests of the Ernakulam-Angamaly Archdiocese had took to streets last week, urging Alencherry to keep off all responsibilities of the archdiocese in view of the high court order to launch a police probe on alleged irregularities in a land deal involving him.

A meeting of over 200 priests had also urged police to commence a probe after registering an FIR against Alencherry and others on the complaint over the alleged irregularities.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Polling is underway in the Charilam (ST) Assembly constituency in Tripura, which was postponed due to the death of the CPI(M) candidate a week before the February 18 election.



Newly-appointed Deputy Chief Minister and state BJP vice-president Jishnu Deb Burman is contesting from the seat.



He is pitted against Arjun Debbarma of the Congress, Uma Shankar Debbarma of the Indigenous Nationalist Party of Tripura (INPT) and Independent contestant Jyotilal Debbarma.Additional Chief electoral Officer Tapas Ray said, 35.45 per cent of votes were cast till 11 am and no untoward incident was reported.After the death of Ramendra Narayan Debbarma on February 11, the CPI(M) had fielded Palash Debbarma from the seat. However, on Friday, the party withdrew his candidature alleging large-scale post-poll violence in the constituency.Overthrowing the 25-year-long CPI(M)-led Left Front government, the BJP and the Indigenous People's Front of Tripura (IPFT) combine swept to power in the state winning 43 out of the 59 seats for which elections were held. The BJP had won 35 and IPFT eight seats. The CPI(M) got 16 seats.IG (Law and Order) K V Sreejesh told reporters that adequate security personnel were deployed in the constituency.Counting would be held on March 15.The deputy chief minister, a member of Tripura's royal family, was sworn in by Governor Tathagata Roy on March 9, along with Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb and others. Prime Minister Narendra Modi was present on the occasion.Election in 59 seats for the 60-member Assembly was held on February 18.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)State-owned Power Grid Corp said today that it has entered into an agreement with State Bank of India for Rs 5,000 crore term loan for meeting its capital expenditure.

In a BSE filing it said the company has entered into a Term Loan facility agreement for Rs 50 billion with SBI yesterday for meeting "capital expenditure for expansion/ renovation and setting up various undergoing and new transmission and other projects in the company and in identified SPVs/JVs (special purpose vehicles/joint ventures) of the Company".

Power Grid has planned a capital expenditure of Rs 250 billion in the next fiscal. Its budgeted capital expenditure for the current fiscal is also Rs 250 billion.

The company is mainly into power transmission and is a central transmission utility of the country.The CBI has sought dismissal of a plea filed in the Supreme Court by one of the convicts in the former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi assassination case seeking recall of the May 1999 verdict upholding his conviction, saying it was not "maintainable" and his role in the conspiracy was "clearly established".

The agency's affidavit came into the public domain today, a day after Congress President Rahul Gandhi said in Singapore that he and his sister Priyanka have "completely forgiven" his father Rajiv Gandhi's killers as they found it "difficult to hate people".

In its affidavit filed in the apex court, the CBI's Multi Disciplinary Monitoring Agency (MDMA), which is probing the larger conspiracy aspect behind Gandhi's assassination, has said that the application filed by convict A G Perarivalan was "devoid of merit" and liable to be dismissed at the threshold with heavy cost.

It said the "role of the applicant (Perarivalan) herein in the conspiracy resulting in the assassination of Rajiv Gandhi and others has been upheld by the apex court and overt act has been clearly established by the law".

"Hence, the claim of the applicant that he is innocent and did not have the knowledge about the conspiracy to assassinate Rajiv Gandhi is neither acceptable nor maintainable," the agency said.

The MDMA claimed that Perarivalan's role was not limited to procuring nine-volt batteries alone, which were allegedly used in the improvised explosive device (IED) that had killed Gandhi, since he had visited Jaffna in Sri Lanka in the first week of June 1990, besides attending a public meeting along with other conspirators which was addressed by former Prime Minister V P Singh on May 7, 1991 in Tamil Nadu.

It alleged that Singh's public meeting was a "dry run" to access the security arrangements provided to a former Prime Minister and Perarivalan's "active participation" in Gandhi's assassination was established.

"It is submitted before this court that the application seeks to reopen the whole matter on merits which would not be permissible in application for recall of order. Thus, it is respectfully submitted that the application deserves to be dismissed at the threshold," it said, adding that his review petition was already dismissed by the top court.

"It is humbly submitted that the present application would be an abuse of the process of the court as it seeks to camouflage an application for a second review as an application for recall of order," it said.

The agency told the court that the matter has already attained finality and 45-year-old Perarivalan's death sentence was earlier commuted to life only on the ground of inordinate delay in deciding the mercy petition.

It said investigation regarding the aspect of improvised explosive device used in the belt bomb used by the assassin to kill Gandhi was going on and they have sent letters rogatory to Sri Lanka in this regard.

The MDMA also referred to an affidavit by former CBI official V Thiagarajan, who had recorded confessional statement of Perarivalan under the Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act.

Thiagarajan has claimed that the convict had expressly stated that at the time of purchase of batteries, he had absolutely no idea for what purpose these were going to be used.

The MDMA's affidavit said that these issues have already been dealt with earlier.

The affidavit was filed in pursuance of the apex court's January 24 direction asking CBI to respond to Perarivalan's plea seeking recall of the May 11, 1999 order upholding his conviction.

The court had earlier termed as "serious" and "debatable" the questions raised by Perarivalan who has sought recall of the apex court's order saying he was not aware of the conspiracy.

Former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi was assassinated on the night of May 21, 1991 at Sriperumbudur in Tamil Nadu by a woman suicide bomber, identified as Dhanu, at a poll rally. Fourteen others, including Dhanu herself, were also killed.

Gandhi's assassination was perhaps the first case of suicide bombing which had claimed the life of a high-profile leader.

In its May 1999 order, the top court had upheld the death sentence of four convicts -- Perarivalan, Murugan, Santham and Nalini -- in the assassination case.

In April 2000, the Tamil Nadu governor had commuted the death sentence of Nalini on the basis of state government's recommendation and an appeal by former Congress president and Rajiv Gandhi's widow Sonia Gandhi.

On February 18, 2014, the top court had commuted the death sentence of Perarivalan to life imprisonment, along with that of two other prisoners - Santhan and Murugan - on grounds of a delay of 11 years in deciding their mercy pleas by the Centre.

While hearing Perarivalan's plea earlier, the top court had observed that the probe by CBI's MDMA in the larger conspiracy aspect behind Gandhi's assassination did not appear to have achieved "much headway" and could be "endless".

The MDMA, set up in 1998 on the recommendations of Justice M C Jain Commission of Inquiry which had probed the conspiracy aspect of Gandhi's assassination, is headed by a CBI official and comprises officers from IB, RAW and Revenue Intelligence and other agencies.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The newly elected Neiphiu Rio government in Nagaland will face a trust vote in the assembly tomorrow when it meets for its first session, an Assembly official said today.

Election of the new Speaker too will be held tomorrow. After the election, the Rio government will move the trust vote in the House, Nagaland Lesgislative Assembly commissioner and secretary, N Benjamin Newmai said.

Nagaland Governor P B Acharya had appointed Rio as the new chief minister on March 6 and had asked him to prove his majority in the floor of the house on or before March 16.

The ruling Peoples Democratic Alliance (PDA) has 34 MLAs in the 60-member house. Its partners NDPP has 18, BJP - 12, JD(U)-1, NPP - 2 MLAs besides an Independent.

The PDA has nominated third-time MLA Vikho-o Yhoshu as its speaker candidate.

The opposition Naga People's Front(NPF) which has 26 MLAs has fielded former speaker Imtiwapang Aier for the post.

Newmai said as per programme the 14-day long session will witness administering of oath to the newly elected members.

The Assembly will have a long break from March 14 to 21 and on resumption see presentation and passage of budget on March 22.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Railway unions are organising a protest march to Parliament tomorrow, demanding the withdrawal of the National Pension System (NPS) and improvement of minimum wages, the All India Railwaymen's Federation (AIRF) said today.

In a press meet organised by the AIRF, its general secretary Shiv Gopal Mishra said while social security to retired government employees was achieved after a prolonged struggle, it was virtually withdrawn with the introduction of the NPS from January 2004.

"Under the NPS, the defined minimum pension or family pension is no more guaranteed for those employees who came in government service on or after 2004, although they are regularly contributing 10 per cent of their wages every month towards this scheme," Mishra alleged.

The demand to scrap the NPS was one of the main demands made by the central government employees last year. A three-member committee of ministers headed by Home Minister Rajnath Singh was formed to discuss the grievances but there was no progress.

Mishra said around 40,000-50,000 railway employees from across the country were expected to join the march tomorrow to Parliament.

"There is anger and anguish not just among railwaymen, but also among bureaucrats, over this. We have been assured again and again that our demands will be met, but nothing has happened so far. If they do not relent, then we will have to stick together and the next step could well be disruptive," Mishra said.

The AIRF, however, said that this time, they had ensured that rail services would not be disrupted by the presence of rail employees in Delhi.

"We have given instructions that no trains will be stopped or delayed because of our march. However, there will be a lot of absentees. Most of those affected are youngsters and they are very upset and angry," Mishra said, adding that all the state rail federations would join in the protest.

Mishra also said they were not happy with the minimum pay of Rs 18,000 that was approved and wanted it to be hiked to Rs 26,000.

In February 2016, the AIRF had conducted a secret ballot for its members to decide the future course of action if its demands weren't met. Ninety-five per cent of the 9,00,000 railwaymen who voted supported a strike. These employees included railway men from across the country, including 17 zones and seven production units of the Indian Railways.

In 1974, railway employees demanding a wage increase staged a strike that crippled life in the country for almost three weeks.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)BJP's Rajya Sabha nominee Rajeev Chandrasekhar today hit out at senior Congress leader P Chidambaram for "blatant attempt" to rewrite the history of the UPA government after failing to act on CAG reports on coal and 2G scams.

"It is a blatant attempt to rewrite his (Chidambaram) government's history, which was plagued by several scams including 2G and Common Wealth Games scams, besides coal scam," he told PTI here.

Chandrasekhar, who was an independent Rajya Sabha member, today joined the BJP, a day after the party nominated him as its candidate for the March 23 polls to fill four seats to the Upper House of Parliament from Karnataka.

At the launch of his book 'Speaking Truth To Power' here yesterday, Chidambaram had said the CAG report on telecom was a "gross exaggeration" and people failed to treat "a business problem as a business problem and find business solution."



Chidambaram was wrong in trying to make people believe that it was a private dispute, Chandrasekhar said.

As long as it involves public money and assets, it does not amount to a business dispute, he said.

Chandrasekhar said Chidambaram and his "elite company," including Montek Singh Ahluwalia and Kapil Sibal, tried to spin different kinds of theories and yarns about 2G and coal scams, but the Supreme Court had intervened and cancelled all licenses.

To call the then CAG Vinod Rai, who was appointed during the tenure of UPA government, as someone bad, cannot be digested, the Rajya Sabha MP said.

"If they (UPA) think Mr Vinod Rai is such a bad person, then how did they appoint him as CAG? How did they appoint him as finance (banking) secretary under Chidambaram's dispensation," he asked.

Chidambaram also had said telecom and power sectors have contributed to NPA problem more than anything else due to the malicious twist given to UPA governments' policies governing them.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)An RTI activist was today arrested for allegedly accepting a bribe from a school principal for withdrawing his case from the RTI Commission.

Chief Information Commissioner (CIC), Punjab, S S Channy today handed over Gurdev Singh, a resident of Bathinda, to the police for allegedly taking Rs 10,000 as bribe from a respondent to withdraw his case, an official release said.

During court proceeding of the State Information Commissioner Preety Chawla here, Gurdev told the court that the case may be closed.

During the hearing, respondent Pritam Singh, lecturer and in-charge Principal of Government Girls' Senior Secondary School, Mandi Kalan in Bathinda, said he paid bribe to Gurdev in the commission premises to withdraw the case.

He also said he took a photo copy of the currency notes before paying them to the appellant.

When questioned by the court, Gurdev confessed to have accepted money from the principal.

Subsequently, Chawla brought the whole episode to the notice of the CIC.

Taking cognisance of the matter, Channy wrote to SSP, Chandigarh, for taking action in this regard. On the directions of SSP, both principal and activist were handed over to the police, the release said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The Supreme Court today sought the response of the Bar Council of India (BCI) on a plea seeking ban on lawmakers from practising as advocates.

A bench comprising Chief Justice Dipak Misra and Justices A M Khanwilkar and D Y Chandrachud issued notice to the BCI on the plea which alleged that parliamentarians and legislators, practising as lawyers, posed a "conflict of interest" and violated the provisions of the Advocates Act and the Bar Council of India Rules.

Attorney General K K Venugopal, whose assistance was sought by the apex court on February 17, referred to an earlier judgement in a similar case and sought dismissal of the PIL.

The top court, however, did not agree with the contention of Venugopal saying "this is sightly different" and asked the counsel for the petitioner which rules have been violated.

"Let the copy of this petition be served on parties. Issue notice to BCI," the bench said and fixed the matter for further hearing on April 23.

The petition, filed by BJP Delhi spokesperson Ashwini Kumar Upadhyay, said while a public servant cannot practice as an advocate, legislators are practising in various courts which was a violation of Article 14 of the Constitution.

"Legislators take fee from litigant and salary from the public exchequer, which is professional misconduct," the plea said.

The plea said the issue is a matter of concern to both the judiciary and the legislature as most of the lawmaker-advocates are involved in active practice of law, despite receiving salaries and other perquisites drawn on the public exchequer.

"They (MPs and MLAs) also utilise their position as MPs/MLAs to be visible in public domain, including on television where they give interviews or participate in shows. This essentially amounts to advertising as their brand is promoted among the public, many of whom are potential litigants," the plea said.

It said that the MPs have the power of voting on the impeachment of judges of the Supreme Court and high courts.

"Therefore, allowing them to practice as an advocate in the Supreme Court and high courts is a very serious 'conflict of interest' because it may allow the judges to feel beholden to them and to oblige them," the petition said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The South Delhi Municipal Corporation today extended the ambit of an amnesty scheme to provide substantial relief in property tax to residents of all types of colonies, officials said.

The scheme, proposed late last year, earlier applied to only property-owners in unauthorised colonies.

Under the scheme, residents will become entitled to 100 per cent remission of the amount relating to interest and penalty, on making the payment of the amount due by March 31, the SDMC said in a statement.

The SDMC has "extended the benefit of 100 per cent waiver of interest and 100 per cent penalty under amnesty scheme to all type of properties, in all type of colonies, providing substantial relief to the residential property tax assesses," it said.

The extended scheme will include the owners of all those properties, who have not submitted tax return from April 1, 2004, or not submitted return on a regular basis or the owners whose assessment has not been done from 2004 and ahead, or the owners whose assessment has not been done from 2004 and ahead or dues pending for the prior to 2004, Chairman of the SDMC Standing Committee Bhupender Gupta was quoted as saying in the statement.

Further, all properties where the matter is pending before the MTT (Municipal Tax Tribunal) or other courts will also get benefit under the scheme, he said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The Shiv Sena today threw its weight behind the thousands of farmers who marched from Nashik to Mumbai to highlight their problems and said the party would back them regardless of their red flags.



The saffron party also said the role of leaders with communist ideology -- a red flag usually symbolises communism -- in the agitation for a separate Maharashtra cannot be forgotten.



The CPI(M)-affiliated All India Kisan Sabha is spearheading the protest that turned south Mumbai's Azad Maidan into a sea of red today as thousands of farmers carrying red flags converged there after walking around 180 km from neighbouring Nashik district.The farmers plan to surround the state Assembly complex to press for their demands of an unconditional loan waiver and transfer of forest land to tribal farmers who have been tilling it for years."It is possible that the government may talk of assurances to farmers and even deploy some of its ministers to temporarily confuse them," the Sena, an ally of the ruling BJP in Maharashtra and at the Centre, said in an editorial in its mouthpiece 'Saamana'."However, seeing their persistence it can be gauged that farmers will not fall prey to any of the tactics," it said.The Sena added that it would not give importance to what thoughts, organisation and colour the agitation represents."They do not have any caste, religion or political ideology...Farmers have red flags in their hands. How can the Sena support them is the question?" it said."We may have differences... however, their active participation in the state's agitation, especially for Mumbai, cannot be forgotten...those who do (forget), should be considered enemies of the state," the Sena said.It noted that Shreepad Amrut Dange, Ahilya Rangnekar and Shahir Annabhau Sathe were leaders with communist ideologies."Mill workers and farmers were ready to spill their blood for the Maharashtra movement (held in the 1960s for creation of a separate Marathi-speaking state). Today, they are despondent and committing suicide," the Sena lamented.Lakhs of farmers are yet to get benefits of the loan waiver scheme, the Sena said, alleging that the government only indulged in advertisements for political benefits."Today, thousands of 'Dharma Patils' have come to Mantralaya (the state secretariat) chanting the slogans of 'Jai Kisan'. Their anger and pain will burn the government," it said.Dharma Patil, a farmer hailing from Dhule district, consumed poison at the state secretariat here last month and died in hospital a few days later.His family alleged that their land was acquired by the government at a low price for a thermal power plant in Dondaicha, while neighbouring farmers got higher compensation.He approached authorities many times with his grievance, but in vain, the family alleged.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The show of opposition unity would not stop at Congress leader Sonia Gandhi's dinner tomorrow, but would continue at NCP chief Sharad Pawar's residence at the end of this month, senior NCP leaders have said.

According to top NCP sources, Sharad Pawar has called a meet of all opposition leaders, including the Congress, to discuss a strategy for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.

NCP leader Praful Patel has already met Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee in Kolkata and invited her to attend the meet.

After the meeting with Banerjee last week, Patel had told reporters that the idea of having a federal front in the future was discussed between them.

According to TMC sources, Banerjee, who would not be able to attend Gandhi's dinner due to prior commitments, has confirmed her attendance at Pawar's meeting.

Even though Banerjee had been advocating a non-BJP non-Congress front, Pawar has invited the Congress as well, NCP sources said.

Mamata Banerjee had recently spoken to several key regional party leaders to renew the focus on efforts at forming a non-BJP platform.

"The NCP and Pawar feel that without the Congress, there can not be any opposition front against the BJP. So even the Congress has been invited for the meet," a top NCP leader told reporters.

The meeting is likely to be held on either March 27 or 28.

Though attendance of various other opposition party heads are yet to be confirmed, it is known that the NCP president is likely to invite TRS chief K Chandrasekhar Rao for the meet.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The Congress today put its weight behind farmers and tribals protesting in Mumbai, as party president Rahul Gandhi urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis "not to stand on ego" but to accept the demonstrators' "just demands".

The massive farmers' march to Mumbai was a "stunning example of people's power", Gandhi said on Twitter.

The Congress, he added, stood with farmers and tribals marching in protest against the "apathy" of the Central and state governments.

"I appeal to PM Modi and the CM to not stand on ego and to accept their just demands," Gandhi tweeted.

At the AICC briefing, Congress communications in-charge Randeep Surjewala and party spokesperson RPN Singh alleged that the peasant community in every state was agitating against the Modi Government and that farmers' suicides had risen by 41.7 per cent under the Modi regime.

Accusing the BJP governments of countering farmers with "lathis" (sticks) and "bullets", the party said this was not the first instance of their anti-farmer attitude and showed the "real face" of the saffron party.

"This government is forcing farmers to commit suicide and befooling them on farm loan waivers," Surjewala told reporters.

There has been a 41.7 per cent rise in farmer suicides under the Modi Government and Maharashtra tops the list of such deaths, Surjewala said, quoting National Crime Records Bureau data.

On an average, 47 farmers committed suicide every day in 2017, he claimed.

From January 1 to October 31, 2017, there were 2,414 farmer suicides in Maharashtra alone, he added.

"While on the one hand the Central government is waiving thousands of crores of rupees in loans taken by their industrialist friends, it is apathetic to the demands of farmers for loan waivers. Consequently, around 50,000 farmers are marching in protest in Mumbai to gherao the Maharashtra Assembly," Surjewala said.

The Modi government was shedding "crocodile tears" for farmers and had inflicted a "double whammy" on farmers, with agri-exports reducing and imports rising, he said, citing figures.

He also alleged that the government had imported 57.5 lakh tonnes of wheat and 606 lakh tonnes of pulses, despite enough domestic production to cater to demands.

"The Modi government is anti-farmer, and that is the slogan resonating among farmers across the country," Singh added.

Chief minister Fadnavis said today his government was "sensitive and positive" towards the demands of farmers and tribals, who marched from Nashik to Mumbai to draw the administration's attention towards their problems.

Fadnavis was responding to a discussion in the Assembly, initiated by Leader of Opposition Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil, who lauded the farmers for their peaceful protest.

The Azad Maidan in South Mumbai turned into a sea of red this morning as thousands of farmers, carrying red flags, converged there after walking around 180km from neighbouring Nashik district over the last six days.

The farmers demand an unconditional loan waiver and transfer of forest land to tribal farmers who have been tilling it for years.

The CPI(M)-affiliated All India Kisan Sabha is spearheading the protest.

The Shiv Sena has also lent its support to the farmers' stir.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Filmmaker Shoojit Sircar on Monday requested fans and media not to speculate about Irrfan Khan's health, saying the actor is "fine now" and will issue another statement soon.

In a Twitter post, Irrfan had said he was suffering from "a rare disease." The actor said he and his family were jolted by the knowledge of his illness.

Shoojit, who worked with the actor in his last directorial "Piku", said Irrfan is extremely close to him.

"I think Irrfan has already issued a press statement and asked not to speculate (about his health). He is the only actor who is actually called a Hollywood star in our country, who has worked with the top of the line directors," he said.

"I've met him two three times, he is going to issue a statement again. All your questions will be answered. He is a wonderful human being, I am very close to him. Please don't worry. He is fine now, and he will issue a statement again. But please, I fold my hands, don't speculate," the director added.

On February 21, the actor's spokesperson had released a statement, saying he has been diagnosed with a "severe case of jaundice".

Shoojit was speaking at the trailer launch of his next, "October" starring Varun Dhawan.Rajya Sabha MP Naresh Agrawal on Monday created a furore in the BJP minutes after joining it with comments belittling actor-politician Jaya Bachchan as someone "who used to dance in films", remarks dubbed "unacceptable" by party leader Sushma Swaraj.

Agrawal, who lost out to Bachchan in the race for re-nomination to the upper house to Jaya Bachchan, today quit the Samajwadi Party and joined the BJP.

"I have been reduced to somebody working in films. For somebody who used to dance in films, act in films, I was denied a ticket (for Rajya Sabha). I did not find it appropriate," Agrawal said while joining the BJP at its headquarters.

He was flanked by several BJP leaders, including Union minister Piyush Goyal, who welcomed him into the party.

BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra distanced his party from Agrawal's remarks, saying it respects people from all fields and welcomed them in

A couple of hours later, senior BJP leader and its most prominent woman face Sushma Swaraj took to Twitter to criticise Agrawal's comments.

"Naresh Agrawal has joined Bhartiya Janata Party. He is welcome. However, his comments regarding Jaya Bachhan ji are improper and unacceptable," the external affairs minister tweeted.

Agrawal, who was in the Congress earlier, is not new to controversy. Last year, the BJP was up in arms over his remarks in the Upper House mocking Hindu gods.

His term as Rajya Sabha member ends on April 2. The SP has again nominated Bachchan to the Upper House.

He expressed his affection for SP patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav and his cousin Ram Gopal Yadav, saying he could never leave them. Apparently criticising SP president Akhilesh Yadav, he added that it was losing strength in Uttar Pradesh due to its decision to ally with other parties.

Agrawal said he was joining the BJP unconditionally, and asserted that his MLA son would support the saffron party in the Rajya Sabha elections in the state.

He expressed his admiration for Prime Minister Narendra Modi and UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.

Welcoming him into the party, Goyal said he would strengthen it.Rajya Sabha MP Naresh Agrawal today created a furore in the BJP minutes after joining it with comments belittling actor-politician Jaya Bachchan as someone "who used to dance in films", remarks dubbed "unacceptable" by party leader Sushma Swaraj.

Agrawal, who lost out to Bachchan in the race for re-nomination to the upper house, today quit the Samajwadi Party and joined the BJP.

"I have been reduced to somebody working in films. For somebody who used to dance in films, act in films, I was denied a ticket (for Rajya Sabha). I did not find it appropriate," Agrawal said while joining the BJP at its headquarters.

He was flanked by several BJP leaders, including Union minister Piyush Goyal, who welcomed him into the party.

BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra distanced his party from Agrawal's remarks, saying it respects people from all fields and welcomed them in



A couple of hours later, senior BJP leader and its most prominent woman face Sushma Swaraj took to Twitter to criticise Agrawal's comments.

"Naresh Agrawal has joined Bhartiya Janata Party. He is welcome. However, his comments regarding Jaya Bachhan ji are improper and unacceptable," the external affairs minister tweeted.

Agrawal, who was in the Congress earlier, is not new to controversy. Last year, the BJP was up in arms over his remarks in the Upper House mocking Hindu gods.

His term as Rajya Sabha member ends on April 2. The SP has again nominated Bachchan to the Upper House.

He expressed his affection for SP patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav and his cousin Ram Gopal Yadav, saying he could never leave them. Apparently criticising SP president Akhilesh Yadav, he added that it was losing strength in Uttar Pradesh due to its decision to ally with other parties.

Agrawal said he was joining the BJP unconditionally, and asserted that his MLA son would support the saffron party in the Rajya Sabha elections in the state.

He expressed his admiration for Prime Minister Narendra Modi and UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.

Welcoming him into the party, Goyal said he would strengthen it.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Indian Youth Congress (IYC) members today staged protests in several areas of the city in support of students who are sitting on a strike against the alleged paper leak of a Staff Selection Commission (SSC) exam.

The Congress' youth wing also supported the demand of the agitating students for a CBI probe into the alleged paper leak.

According to the Indian Youth Congress (IYC), protests were held by its members in Lajpat Nagar, Piragadhi, Bardarpur Boarder, ITO and other areas.

"It has been more than 14 days that the young students have camped outside the SSC office complex seeking justice from the government... However, Indian Youth Congress stands by all those students who have been affected by this scam," IYC's spokesperson Amrish Ranjan Pandey said in a statement.

Students have been protesting outside the Staff Selection Commission's office at Lodi Road for around two weeks against alleged paper leak of SSC exam.

Hitting out the Centre, Pandey in the statement said, "The government has stooped to such low levels that in order to stop these students from protesting, they have taken away all basic necessities from around the place where the protest is going on.

"The rest rooms for females have been removed, yet these petty obstructions are not going to hold back the youth of India," he said.

Here is what a former SSC chair has to say about protest against #SSCScam pic.twitter.com/r2ckuxjEOq  Yogendra Yadav (@_YogendraYadav) March 4, 2018

The statement also stated, "The Indian Youth Congress in its protest want to lend a sympathetic hand to these aspirants and also want to convert that 'we are with you in this fight for justice'.The budget session of the Telangana legislature today began on an unpleasant note with the Council presiding officer being hit in the eye by an object thrown after sloganeering by main opposition Congress members.

Legislative Council Chairman K Swamy Goud said he was hit by the object thrown at the podium during the playing of national anthem after Governor E S L Narasimhan's customary address to the joint session of legislature.

Goud, who was seen with a plaster over his right eye after receiving treatment at a hospital, told reporters that a headphone hit him in the eye.

Earlier, the address was marred by slogan-shouting Congress members who accused the TRS government of being "anti-farmer".

Some of them tore papers and flung them in the air.

The Governor, however, continued his address highlighting various welfare and development programmes of the government.

Opposition BJP members walked out of the house during the address.

The Congress members were stopped at the Well of the House by marshalls. A few of them held placards and some members also tore papers and flung them in the air.

Goud said that during the Governor's address itself broken head phones were thrown which fell near the Governor without hitting (anyone).

When they stood up for the national anthem after the Governor's address, "another headphone came and directly hit my eye...," the Chairman said.

Since the national anthem had started, "I stood bearing the pain," he said, adding after coming out and seeing off the Governor, the Chief Minister suggested he go to the hospital.

Condemning the incident, state Home Minister Nayani Narasimha Reddy said the Assembly Speaker should take it up seriously as he hit out at the Congress over it.

TRS MLC P Rajeswara Reddy alleged the Congress members indulged in "physical attack" by throwing objects, and demanded a probe into the incident.

Talking to reporters, state Congress president and MLA N Uttam Kumar Reddy alleged that the government deployed about 50 "police" personnel inside the House though there were only 12-13 Congress MLAs.

"When there is a right to express protest by going into the well even in Parliament, the temple of democracy, about 50 police personnel were deployed in Telangana Assembly as per the Chief Minister's orders," he alleged.

Slamming the Congress, state Legislative Affairs Minister T Harish Rao alleged that the behaviour of the main opposition members amounted to an attack on the Governor.

Later in the day, other parties also condemned the incident at the Business Advisory Committee (BAC) meeting of the legislature, he said.

The Speaker had been urged to hand out a very tough punishment by going through the video footage and other details of the incident, Rao said.

Meanwhile, BJP members told reporters that they "came out" of the House during the Governor's address, as the government "repeated its false claims" in the speech.

The Governor, in his address, said the state had clocked an average annual growth of 8.6 per cent of GSDP in the three-year period 2014-15 to 2016-17 which was much higher than the national average of 7.5 per cent.

The state created a new record of supplying 24 hours 'quality' electricity, free of cost to about 23 lakh agriculture pump sets and also to the lift irrigation schemes since January 1, this year, the Governor said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Physical, sexual and emotional abuse in childhood may lead to severe hallucinations in schizophrenia, say scientists who found that symptoms of childhood trauma and psychotic disorders can be managed with similar therapies.

Researcher including those from University of Melbourne in Australia and University Hospital of Gran Canaria in Spain established a link between childhood trauma and some of schizophrenia's most common symptoms.

People with schizophrenia may now benefit from more effective, tailored treatments and greater self-empowerment, researchers said.

The study's strongest finding was that hallucinations in those with psychotic disorders were associated with all types of childhood trauma, said Sarah Bendall, head of trauma research at Orygen, a mental health service in Australia.

"This means there's something about childhood trauma that leads some people to develop hallucinations," Bendall said.

The meta-analysis, which analysed 29 studies on childhood trauma and psychotic symptoms, also found that childhood sexual abuse was associated with delusions.

The study, published in the journal Schizophrenia Bulletin, provides the missing link for clinicians who have long theorised about the association between childhood trauma and hallucinations and delusions.

Bendall said providing this evidence was a crucial first step in developing tailored, sensitive and effective treatments for trauma-based psychotic symptoms.

Around one in every 100 people will experience a psychotic disorder in their lives, with the majority developing symptoms at 18-25 years old.

Psychotic symptoms can include detachment from reality, hallucinations, delusions, disorganised thinking, and lack of motivation or emotion.

Until now, treatments for trauma in psychosis have focused on post-traumatic stress disorder rather than specific symptoms such as hallucinations and delusions.

Bendall said the new research would not only help refine treatments for patients with psychotic disorders but may also help to empower young patients.

"When young people come to youth mental health services, we should be assessing for trauma and for emerging psychotic symptoms, and treating them as soon as they emerge," Bendall said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The trekkers who were caught in a forest fire in the Western Ghat's Kurangani Hill ranges did not have permission for an expedition, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister K Palaniswami said today.

Nine people, who were part of a 36-member trekking team, were killed in the incident on Saturday.

Three men and six women were among the deceased, a senior official told PTI.

"Without permission, they embarked on a trekking expedition. Trekkers should climb hills only after taking the government's nod," the chief minister said here.

Stern action would be taken in the future against trekkers who undertake such expeditions without the state's permission, he said.

During the summer months of March, April and May permission to trek is not given as the high forest ranges are dry with the possibility of forest fires spreading fast, he said.

The chief minister told reporters that a probe had been ordered to ascertain the cause of the fire and how it spread along the Kurangani hill ranges in Theni district.

Out of the 17 people getting treatment in hospitals, five are in Theni and the rest in Madurai, he said, adding he will visit the injured at Madurai this evening.

The team comprised 24 people from Chennai and 12 from Tiruppur and Erode districts.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)British Prime Minister Theresa May will chair a meeting of her national security team today after weekend confirmation that traces of a nerve agent used in the attempted murder of a Russian former double agent were found in a pub and a restaurant he visited.

May and senior ministers will receive an update on the investigation into the March 4 attack on Sergei Skripal, 66, and his 33-year-old daughter Yulia, as pressure mounts in Britain for answers over the incident.

The Times reported that the prime minister is on the brink of publicly declaring Russia's involvement, possibly following the national security council meeting.

She is considering a raft of "hard line" responses, with diplomatic expulsions and rescinding the visas of Kremlin-linked residents among the possible measures, the paper said.

The Russian pair were found slumped on a bench in Salisbury, southwest England, and remain in a critical but stable condition in hospital. Authorities have yet to confirm the precise substance involved in the attack.

Sally Davies, England's chief medical officer, revealed Sunday that up to 500 people who may have come into minimal contact with the nerve agent should wash their clothes and belongings as a precaution.

The advice was aimed at locals who visited The Mill pub and Zizzi's restaurant that the targeted duo visited prior to falling ill.

"There has been some trace contamination by the nerve agent," Davies said. "I am confident this has not harmed the health of anyone who was in The Mill pub or Zizzi's."



The BBC reported a table at the restaurant was so contaminated that it had to be destroyed.

Davies added that pub and restaurant-goers last Sunday or Monday should wash clothing in the washing machine, while dry clean-only clothes should be put inside two tied plastic bags and safely stored while awaiting further advice.

She also gave detailed instructions for cleaning items such as mobile phones, handbags, jewellery and eyeglasses.

The advice, given a week after the incident, surprised residents repeatedly reassured they were in no danger.

Steve Cooper, who was in the pub around the same time as Skripal, told the BBC he was "concerned".

The risk to public health remained low and the advice was precautionary, Public Health England said.

"It is possible, but unlikely, that any of the substance which has come into contact with clothing or belongings could still be present in minute amounts," PHE said in a statement.

"Over time, repeated skin contact with contaminated items may pose a small risk to health."



Nick Bailey, one of the first police officers on the scene after Skripal and his daughter fell ill, is in hospital but conscious, local police have said.

Alastair Hay, an environmental toxicology professor at Leeds University, said the advice on cleaning clothes and possessions would provide an "extra guarantee of safety".

"If no one has had physical symptoms suggestive of nerve agent contact by now it is unlikely that they are a risk," he said.

"Nerve agents vary in their rate of environmental breakdown. Sarin is one of those that degrades more rapidly whereas VX is more persistent."



Meanwhile, Britain's armed forces are expected to continue assisting police in the probe today.

Around 180 troops, including chemical warfare experts, have been deployed in Salisbury after investigators requested expert assistance.

Interior Minister Amber Rudd has said police were examining more than 200 pieces of evidence, had identified more than 240 witnesses, and were ploughing through security camera footage.

The Telegraph reported that experts were testing the substance to ascertain if it was produced in Russia.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Russia's embassy in London accused the British government Monday of playing a "dangerous game" by failing to dampen speculation linking an attack on a former spy to Moscow, warning it risks harming bilateral relations.

"Current policy of the UK government towards Russia is a very dangerous game played with the British public opinion, which not only sends the investigation upon an unhelpful political track but also bears the risk of more serious long-term consequences for our relations," the mission's press secretary said in a statement.

The comments came amid speculation that British Prime Minister Theresa May could publicly blame Moscow for the nerve agent attack earlier this month on Russian double agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia.

May is due to address parliament later on Monday, following a meeting with the government's national security council.

Britain's probe into the March 4 attack in the south-western English city of Salisbury "is being concluded in a non-transparent manner", the embassy statement said.

It said that from the first reports of the poisoning, the embassy had requested from Britain's foreign ministry information about Skripal and his daughter, and the investigation.

"British officials don't provide any additional information and don't distance themselves from the media campaign," it said.

It added: "We would like to stress once again that we are outraged by the anti-Russian media campaign, condoned by the government, that influences the investigation and has a psychological effect on British residents.

"Our compatriots and British nationals of Russian origin are worried about their future in this country.

"UK-based Russian journalists are receiving threats," it said, without elaborating.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)British Prime Minister Theresa May will chair a meeting of the National Security Council (NSC) to assess the intelligence around the poisoning of a Russian spy with a deadly nerve agent last week.



The meeting of the country's security chiefs has been called to update the British PM on the investigation and whether the source of the poisoning of Sergei Skripal is any clearer.



Senior ministers, intelligence and military chiefs will decide if there is enough evidence to take action against the perpetrators, amid wide-spread speculation that the Russian state was behind the attack.'The Times' newspaper claims that senior government sources have said police and security services have established enough evidence to link Moscow to the attempted killings.There is speculation that a UK government announcement after the meeting today could result with action against Russia, including expelling Russian diplomats and fresh financial sanctions.Yesterday, Britain's public health authorities had asked nearly 500 people who were at a restaurant and pub linked with the poisoning of the Russian spy to clean up their possessions to remove any traces of the deadly nerve agent used against the targets.Trace amounts of the substance used to poison Sergei Skripal and his daughter, Yulia, were found at the Mill pub and Zizzi Italian restaurant in Salisbury, where the duo had been before they were found collapsed on a bench at The Maltings shopping centre in the city."The risk to the general public remains low and I am confident none of these customers or staff will have suffered harm," said Prof Dame Sally Davies, the chief medical officer for England.People who were at either the pub or the Italian restaurant before they were shut down last Monday have been advised to wash their clothes, ideally in a washing machine.Skripal, 66, and his daughter Yulia, 33, both remain critically ill but in a stable condition in hospital after being discovered on Sunday.Detective Sergeant Nick Bailey, who was the first police officer to come in contact with the circumstances, remains seriously ill in hospital but has been talking to his family.Russia has continued to deny any Kremlin involvement, but the attack has been compared to the murder of former KGB agent Alexander Litvinenko, who ingested the rare and highly radioactive polonium 210 in London 11 years ago.Colonel Skripal was convicted of treason in 2006 and jailed for 13 years for selling secrets to MI6, which had recruited him in the 1990s. The senior intelligence officer with Russian military intelligence GRU, was pardoned in a spy swap in 2010 and settled in Salisbury, Wiltshire.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)A top UN official has condemned the recent attacks on Muslims in Sri Lanka, calling on the island nation's government to bring the perpetrators of the communal violence and hate speech to justice.

UN Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs Jeffrey Feltman concluded a three-day visit to Sri Lanka on March 11. His trip was planned as part of the ongoing strong engagement between the government of Sri Lanka and the world body.

According to a statement issued by the world body, the Under-Secretary-General condemned the breakdown in law and order and the attacks against Muslims and their properties, offering condolences to those affected.

"In that context, he met with Muslim political and civil society leaders to express concern and show solidarity," the statement said.

Feltman urged swift and full implementation of the Sri Lankan government's "commitment to bring the perpetrators of the violence and hate speech to justice, to take measures to prevent recurrence, and to enforce non-discriminatory rule of law."



Recently, a Muslim-owned restaurant was attacked in the north western province, a day after President Maithripala Sirisena appointed a commission to probe a spate of anti-Muslim riots in the violence-hit Kandy district that prompted him to impose a nationwide state of emergency.

During his visit, Feltman met with Sirisena, Prime Minister Ranil Wickramasinghe, Speaker of Parliament Karu Jayasuriya, Foreign Minister Tilak Marapana, as well as other political leaders and cabinet and government officials.

Noting the recent appointment of Commissioners, Feltman expressed hope that the Office of Missing Persons will soon be fully operational to "help answer questions that haunt too many families from all across Sri Lanka about their missing loved ones."



He also commended the Parliament's recent adoption of the Bill for the Protection Against Enforced Disappearances as an important element of the Sri Lankan government's commitment to its citizens.

He underscored the importance of accelerating momentum on other initiatives, including regarding the constitution, truth and reconciliation, reparations, and counter-terrorism, in line with the Government's promise to strengthen the country's democratic principles and practices.

He, however, expressed concern that many elements of the government's visionary 2015 program seem stalled, despite their importance to sustainable peace, security and prosperity in Sri Lanka, and he appreciated the reassurances from government leaders of their intention to move forward.

The UN official also encouraged the government to communicate their actions and timelines for reforms to the Sri Lankan people.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)US President Donald Trump's decision to hike duties on steel and aluminium could result in retaliatory action from EU and China, triggering a trade war and hurting global economic growth, S&P Global Ratings said on Monday.

It said the overall economic impact of the tariffs on the United States in the near term is likely to be minimal, with a mixed impact on corporate sectors.

"Posing a greater threat is the risk of retaliatory action by major US trade partners such as the European Union (EU) and China triggering a trade war, hurting American exporters, global trade, and global economic growth," S&P said.

The US had last week raised import duties on steel and aluminium products to 25 per cent and 10 per cent, respectively.

According to trade experts, the decision is unlikely to impact exports of these items to America. However, they have expressed fear that such protectionist measures would impact global trade.

In a report titled, 'Global Trade at a Crossroad: US Steel and Aluminium Countries raise risk of retaliatory spiral', S&P said the direct or first-round macroeconomic impact of these tariffs is likely to be negligible, the overall impact is less certain.

It would depend on the response of other major US trading partners; namely, the EU, China, and South Korea. Many US trading partners have already signalled their concern at the announcement and have stated that they are prepared to retaliate with their own tariffs on goods imported from the US, the rating agency added.

"More important are the potential second-round effects on consumer and business confidence and spending, which would ultimately drag down GDP," S&P said.

"Although we don't expect a full-scale trade war, such an outcome is not assured. The initial could lead to an escalation of punitive, retaliatory tariffs by trading partners despite the known welfare damaging effects," S&P Global Ratings economist Paul Gruenwald said.

The tariff hike will encourage US production of steel and aluminum, raise utilisation rates, and keep domestic prices elevated over the next 2-3 years.Trump administration officials say there will be no more conditions imposed on North Korea before a first-ever meeting of the two nation's leaders beyond the North's promise not to resume nuclear testing and missile flights or publicly criticize US-South Korean military exercises.



The officials' comments yesterday followed the surprise announcement last week that President Donald Trump has agreed to meet the North's Kim Jong Un by May.



"This potential meeting has been agreed to, there are no additional conditions being stipulated, but, again they they cannot engage in missile testing, they cannot engage in nuclear testing and they can't publicly object to the U.S.-South Korea planned military exercises," deputy White House spokesman Raj Shah said.Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said the summit would give Trump a chance "to sit down and see if he can cut a deal" with Kim over the North's nuclear program."The president has been very clear in what the objective is here. And that is to get rid of nuclear weapons on the (Korean) peninsula," Mnuchin said.The administration officials credited toughened economic sanctions imposed by the United Nations, and pushed by the United States, with helping bring Kim to the brink of negotiations."Our policy is pressure, is pressure from our partners and allies around the world, pressure to the United Nations, pressure through China, these have had an impact. It's impacted Kim Jong Un's behavior. It's impacted his conduct," Shah said.But some members of Congress said they worry that Trump acted impulsively in agreeing to meet with Kim, before negotiators for both countries had a chance to set some goals the leaders could agree to."But the important thing is the diplomatic work that has to go in before such a meeting. A meeting like that would be kind of an afterthought after things are negotiated. Here it looks as if, you know, that's kind of the opening gambit. And that's a little worrisome," said Sen Jeff Flake, R-Ariz., a frequent Trump critic.The US and South Korea hold military maneuvers every year. They were postponed during the recent Winter Olympics in South Korea.They are expected to be held in April, but no official announcement has been made about when they will take place. In an interview en route to the Middle East, Defense Secretary Jim Mattis declined to discuss the timing and scale of the exercises.Mattis wouldn't talk at all about the diplomatic push over North Korea's nuclear program. "When you get in a position like this, the potential for misunderstanding remains very high," he said.Mattis was among the advisers in the White House on Thursday when Trump decided to accept Kim's offer to meet. The offer was relayed to Trump by a South Korean government delegation that briefed the president on their meeting with Kim last week in North Korea's capital.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)America will make no concessions to North Korean leader Kim Jong Un for his talks with President Donald Trump over the reclusive nation's nuclear programme, CIA Director Mike Pompeo has said and insisted that Pyongyang was buckling under the pressure of US-led sanctions.



Amid suggestions the US president is entering the potentially risky talks without properly considering the potential consequences, Pompeo said Trump understood the dangers.



Pompeo's remarks came days after Trump agreed to accept an invitation from the North Korean leader to meet by May after months of escalating tensions over Pyongyang's advancing nuclear and missile programmes.Never before have we had the North Koreans in a position where their economy was at such risk, and where their leadership was under such pressure that they would begin conversations on the terms that Kim Jong Un has conceded to, Pompeo told Fox News."Make no mistake: while these negotiations are going on, there will be no concessions made," he said."This first meeting is between Trump and the leader of North Korea, the two people who are the decision-makers, who will ultimately decide what arrangements are acceptable, Pompeo said.Pompeo said that Trump "isn't doing this for theater.""He's going to solve a problem," Pompeo said. He also insisted that Kim be prepared to talk about "complete, verifiable, irreversible denuclearization" if the meeting is to be held.CIA, he said has an important role to play in this and keep the president well informed."The CIA has an important role as these conversations take place. We need to make sure that we can inform the president of the history of deceit of this regime, where they have committed to things in the agreed framework and that subsequently, we need to make sure that we go into this discussion understanding those risks, he said.The nature of Kim Jong-un himself, he's still a very young leader, but clearly in charge of his country. Those are the kinds of things that we can share publicly about him and Trump is now committed to having at least a first conversation, Pompeo said in response to a question.Trump would be the first sitting US president to meet with a North Korean leader."The location of the meeting will determine the exact timing of the meeting. The president and the team will figure out. But what's most important is what's discussed and the clarity and the strength and resolve of this president and this administration to achieve the outcomes that America so desperately deserves, the CIA director said.Kim's desire for a meeting with Trump was made public on Thursday, amid North Korea's continued testing of a nuclear warhead and ballistic missiles, which has resulted in heated exchanges between the world leaders.Trump has called Kim rocket man and a "maniac," while the North Korean leader has called the president mentally deranged".Pompeo said Sunday that he continuously briefs the president on the North Korea matter and that the CIA knows how Kim responds to certain messages, suggesting that Trump's Twitter attacks on the leader might have been more calculated that impulsive.When asked whether Trump would consider travelling to Pyongyang, White House principal deputy secretary Raj Shah said, "I don't think that that's highly likely but again, I'm not going to rule anything out.""It is going to be a time and a place to be decided. We don't have an announcement right now, but we have accepted this offer and we hope that it can be the part of an important breakthrough, Shah told ABC news.Telecom service provider Vodafone today indicated of launching the Voice over LTE (VoLTE) service in Tamil Nadu during this year, according to a top official.

Asked whether roll out of VoLTE service would happen this year, Vodafone, Tamil Nadu, Business-Head, S Murali said, "(we) should be (launching it)".

"You will get to know (once we launch VoLTE service). We have launched it (VoLTE service) in many parts of the country", he said declining to elaborate.

Some of the cities Vodafone offers VoLTE services include Mumbai, Gujarat, Delhi, Karnataka and Kolkata.

The VoLTE services technology offers more clarity on voice through high definition calling, using the same network used for data.

Mukesh Ambani led-Reliance Jio and Bharti Airtel are the other operators that offer VoLTE services in the country.

Responding to a query, Murali said, the company has made investments of about Rs 600 crore in Tamil Nadu and Chennai during the current financial year.

According to him, the company has 7,234 sites during the period January 2017 and 2018 with more than 1,700 equipped with double carrier facility which offer "double the speed" for customers.

"(The company) invested Rs 7,300 crore till date. Invested over Rs 450 crore in current financial year (in Tamil Nadu)", he said, adding the company holds a market share of 21.8 per cent with 16 million customers.

In Chennai, the company, has 2,539 sites launched between January 2017 and 2018. "Invested Rs 3,000 crore till date and during the current financial year invested Rs 150 crore", he said.

Murali said the company offers SuperNet 4G services in more than 1,800 towns in Tamil Nadu.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Tripura DGP Akhil Kumar Shukla today said police would soon launch a crackdown on absconding criminals in the state.

Shukla said police would initiate an operation to nab 4,800 such criminals, whose names were recently published in a list.

"We have now declared war against criminals and anti-social elements and no illegal activity will be tolerated," he told a press conference here.

On allegations of post-poll violence in Tripura, the DGP said 35 people were arrested after the elections, and legal action were initiated against them.

Punitive measures would be taken against police officers in case they are found to be reluctant in taking measures against criminal elements, he said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Chinese President Xi Jinping may have been allowed to rule indefinitely, perhaps for life, but posters against him have surfaced in several foreign varsities, including in the US, UK and Australia, according to media reports.

China's rubber-stamp parliament yesterday allowed 64-year-old Xi to rule indefinitely as it ratified a contentious constitutional amendment to abolish the two-term presidential limit, making him the most powerful leader since Chairman Mao Zedong.

The posters, written in Chinese and English, have featured phrases such as "not my president" and "I disagree".

They began appearing on some US university campuses last week, and were later reported in countries, including the UK, France, the Netherlands, Australia and Canada, the BBC reported.

A Twitter account @StopXiJinping has been posting links to the posters for download, and encouraging to join what it calls "our campaign", it added.

Someone operating the account was quoted as saying by the report that it was being run by Chinese university students and graduates who were living abroad but wished to remain anonymous.

"We spoke up as we genuinely believe that Chinese citizens, overseas or at home, have the right to express opinions free from fear," the account tweeted on Friday.

Wu Lebao, an Australian National University student, said he had put up the posters to raise awareness among his peers.

"By posting those bills, I want to impress on them that there is a significant change occurring in China," Wu said.

He said Xi performed as a dictator for years since he went into power, but the move would give him more absolute power.

Students at universities in Hong Kong, the UK, the Netherlands and Canada have also followed their US counterparts in registering their dissent by putting up the campaign's posters on their campuses



"We were even more furious that the government think it's ok to hush the people up, while promoting this propaganda that Xi's staying in power was Chinese people's wish'," the campaign organisers were quoted as saying by SBS News.

"So we started this campaign as a response to that: there are still social media that you can't censor, and it's definitely not our wish that an unelected authoritarian become a de facto lifetime dictator."



China heavily censors social media domestically and tolerates very little in the way of political dissent.

David Brophy, a lecturer in Chinese history at University of Sydney, said he was surprised to see such a public display of dissent from the overseas students.

"There is a strong sense among some students that it's best to raise criticism within their community, rather than air them more publicly to a Western audience," he told the BBC.

Such discretion is fuelled by concerns about whether students abroad are being monitored by China.

"For anyone who plans to go back to China in the future, they do incur a risk by being visible as politically active," Brophy said.

The Twitter campaign has advised students to put up posters only at night, and to wear face masks.

The Constitutional amendment to give Xi an indefinite term effectively ended the collective leadership system followed by the ruling Communist Party of China (CPC) to avert a dictatorship from emerging in an otherwise one-party state akin to the era of Mao which witnessed the most brutal events like Cultural Revolution resulting in the killings of millions of people.

Set for his second five-year term as president this month, Xi, the most powerful leader in recent decades heading the CPC and the military, will now be the first Chinese leader after founder Chairman Mao to remain in power lifelong.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)A youth is said to have committed suicide in Uttar Pradesh after the family of a girl, with whom he was in love with, rejected their marriage, the police said today.



Pawan Kumar (26) jumped before a train near a railway station in Shamli district yesterday. According to his suicide note, Kumar, has taken the step after the girl's family rejected their marriage, said circle officer Ashok Kumar.



The deceased's body has been sent for post-mortem, he added.In the second incident, a youth apparently tried to commit suicide by shooting himself over a dispute with his wife in Muzaffarnagar district, a police official said.Amar Deep was rushed to a hospital in a serious condition, the official said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Deutsche Bank set the price range for the planned initial public offering of its asset management unit on Sunday, valuing the division at up to 7.2 billion euros ($8.86 billion). In what is expected to be one of Germany's biggest listings this year, Deutsche Bank plans to sell up to 25 per cent of the business, or a maximum of 50 million shares at a price range of between 30 euros and 36 euros each, it said on Sunday. That would raise proceeds of between 1.5 billion and 1.8 billion euros, less than the maximum the bank had initially hoped for. Going into the deal, the IPO had ...(Reuters) - Eicher Motors Ltd said on Monday it is shutting down its joint venture with U.S.'s Polaris Industries Inc effective immediately, after it failed to sustain its initial success."The initial interest could not be sustained and subsequent sales performance was significantly slower than the company's expectations," Eicher Motors, maker of the Royal Enfield motorcycles, said in a statement. http://bit.ly/2Ijc2zZ (Reporting by Vishal Sridhar in Bengaluru; Editing by Subhranshu Sahu)(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)FRANKFURT (Reuters) - A German cartel office spokesman on Monday said it was too early to comment on possible hurdles for the planned asset swap deal that utilities E.ON and RWE plan around their sector peer Innogy.The proposed mega deal that rocked the energy and utilities markets at the weekend after a surprise announcement is expected to involve German and European antitrust authorities. (Reporting by Anneli Palmen, writing by Vera Eckert, editing by Emma Thomasson)(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)LONDON (Reuters) - Thomson Reuters Corp is to track and analyse chatter about bitcoin on hundreds of news and social media websites to help investors looking for an edge in trading the world's biggest cryptocurrency, the company said on Monday.A new version of its MarketPsych Indices, which it runs in conjunction with MarketPsych Data LLC, a behavioural economics research firm, will scan over 400 websites, many specific to cryptocurrencies, to capture market-moving sentiment and themes, Thomson Reuters said in a statement.Digging through market chatter and analysing online sentiment has long ...BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP)  A group of American scientists who were stranded in an ice-bound island off the northeastern tip of the Antarctic Peninsula were rescued Sunday by an Argentine icebreaker, U.S. and Argentine authorities said Monday.

The four scientists and a support staff member, who were conducting research at Joinville Island, were airlifted by helicopter to the Almirante Irizar icebreaker.

Argentinas Foreign Ministry said that the U.S. icebreaker Laurence M. Gould was unable to carry out the evacuation because the ice barrier was too dense on the Weddell Sea in front of the island that is south of the Argentine mainland. The U.S. Antarctic Program then requested assistance from Argentina.

Argentinas armed forces said that the five are in good health and will be transferred to the U.S. vessel when weather conditions improve.

The U.S. National Science Foundations Office of Polar Programs said the scientists are led by Alexander R. Simms, an associate professor of earth sciences at the University of California, Santa Barbara. The support staff member is an employee of the NSFs Colorado-based Antarctic support contractor.

The U.S. Antarctic Program expresses its gratitude to their Argentine colleagues for their willingness to help, it said.ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP)  Participants in a 1968 Los Angeles high school walkout to protest dropout rates and paddle beatings for speaking Spanish that ended up prompting a wave of Mexican-American youth activism say they hear echoes of their demonstrations in the voices of outraged students at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, where 17 people died in a mass shooting.

Just like we did, the students are taking a stand for their own humanity and they wont be stopped, said Yoli Rios, 67, who walked out of class 50 years ago.

Parkland students have held rallies, confronted elected officials and are promising to mobilize eligible youth to register to vote, all in an effort to push lawmakers for tougher gun-control laws. A national demonstration is planned Wednesday, when organizers have called for a 17-minute school walkout in memory of those who died last month.

Its amazing. They have that spirit we did 50 years ago, said Bobby Lee Verdugo, 67, who is married to Rios.

The East Los Angeles protests began when Mexican-American students from different schools started speaking to each other about poor school conditions they all faced. Eventually, after school administrators refused to listen to their concerns, students at different high schools staged collective walkouts at the same time.

A national outcry ensued after police beat peaceful student protesters with clubs and threw them on the ground before corralling the bloody teens on buses. Latino students in New Mexico and Texas followed with their own walkouts that historians say helped create the Chicano Movement and encouraged Mexican-Americans throughout the Southwest to run for public office and push for change.

A lot of us were nervous. And scared, said Carlos Munoz, Jr., a student protester and now professor emeritus of Chicano Studies at the University of California, Berkeley. People were not used to being part of mass protests and things like that.

Munoz was one of the 13 activists charged with disrupting the schools and faced 66 years in prison until the California State Appellate Court ruled that the charges against them violated their free speech rights.

Guadalupe San Miguel, Jr., a history professor at the University of Houston and author of Let All of Them Take Heed: Mexican Americans and the Quest for Educational Equality, said both the East Los Angeles and the Parkland movements were sparked by a feeling of desperation by students who felt no one was listening.

At some pointthe students realized their efforts had been in vain and they needed to take more radical steps, San Miguel said.

San Miguel said the East Los Angeles protests galvanized Mexican-American communities and stimulated youth activism against police brutality, discrimination and the Vietnam War.

East Los Angeles students and those in other walkouts succeeded in convincing school districts to hire more Hispanic teachers, introduce bilingual and ethnic studies classes and end public swatting for speaking Spanish in class.

Its unclear if the Parkland movement also will result in broad changes on gun control reforms, San Miguel said.

Like with the Los Angeles walkouts, Rios said she sees parallels with how some have tried to discredit the Parkland students by calling their crisis actors or plants.

I remember someone going on TV and calling us Communists and said we were influenced by some little red book, Rios said, referring to Chinese Communist leader Mao Zedongs writings. I had no idea what that was so I went down to Chinatown and got myself a copy out of curiosity.

Munoz said social media is helping the Parkland effort in ways the students in East Los Angeles never could have imagined.

With all due respect to my generation back in the 60s, the kids today are much more articulate, Munoz said. My God, I was so impressed by these young people that were confronting people like (U.S. Sen. Marco) Rubio on television and in public places and confronting the president of this country  (the) voice is strong, its vibrant and Im very optimistic.

One Parkland student, Emma Gonzalez, has catapulted into the national spotlight for her passionate and strident appeal for change.

After Verdugo saw Gonzalez on television at a Florida rally angrily criticizing politicians who take campaign contributions from the National Rifle Association, he posted her photo on Facebook next to a picture of his wife as 17-year-old.

She has the same energy of Yoli, Verdugo said. Nothing stopped Yoli, and nothing will stop Emma. I cant wait to see what comes next.



Associated Press reporter Noreen Nasir contributed to this story from Washington, D.C.



Associated Press writers Russell Contreras and Noreen Nasir are members of the APs race and ethnicity team. Follow Contreras on Twitter at <a target=blank href=http://twitter.com/russcontreras>http://twitter.com/russcontreras</a>WAYNESBURG, Pa. (AP)  Democrat Conor Lamb went to Pennsylvanias coal country for help in the final days before the first congressional election of 2018, telling union members Sunday that he wont forget their support in a close race widely viewed as a key test of support for Republicans ahead of Novembers midterms.

Lambs race against Republican Rick Saccone has crystallized the debate over whether a younger, charismatic Democrat appealing to win back traditionally Democratic voters can overcome a veteran Republican counting on party loyalty to carry him to victory in a GOP-leaning district at a time when President Donald Trump is pushing hard for the Republican, but remains a divisive figure.

Lamb, wearing muddy work boots, jeans and a green fleece top, told those inside a packed cinderblock building on the fairgrounds that keeping promises to fully fund labor union pensions, Medicare and Social Security is non-negotiable. He attacked Republicans as forgetting what it means to honor a promise.

People have paid into these programs over the course of a lifetime, Lamb told more than 300 retired coal miners and Democratic activists in Waynesburg, 40 miles south of Pittsburgh. I do not believe, as (House Speaker) Paul Ryan does, that these are entitlements or another form of welfare.

Trump has visited the district twice  including a rally Saturday night  in an effort to buoy Republican Saccone in a southwestern Pennsylvania district Trump won by nearly 20 percentage points over Democrat Hillary Clinton in 2016. Republican groups have heavily outspent Democratic groups on the race, a sign of the GOPs fear of losing.

Polls suggest the race is effectively tied and will come down to the last-days scramble to get voters out in Tuesdays election in a one-time Democratic bastion with a long history of coal mining and steel-making. Democrats need to flip 24 GOP-held seats this year to regain a House majority, and a Lamb victory would boost those prospects.

The seat is open after eight-term Republican incumbent Rep. Tim Murphy resigned amid the revelation that the strongly anti-abortion lawmaker had urged a woman with whom he was having an affair to get an abortion when they thought she might be pregnant.

A key difference between Murphy and Saccone: Murphy tended to have labor union support. Saccone does not.

Lamb, a 33-year-old Marine veteran and former federal prosecutor, thanked labor unions for their support and said it has helped overcome the dark money and negative campaign tactics helping Saccone.

You have been the heart and soul of this campaign, Lamb told the crowd. Our volunteers are literally running into men and women from the labor unions in our streets, sometimes at the same doorstep.  I will never forget what youve done for me.

For Saccone, the closing argument is aimed squarely at the districts heavily Republican leanings, framing the race as a way to boost Trump and prevent national Democrats like House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi from gaining traction.

Saccone had no previously announced events Sunday, opting instead for the local media afterglow of his Saturday night rally with Trump, who warned Pennsylvania Republicans not to be conned by this guy Lamb and his pitch as an independent-minded Democrat.

Despite Saccones low profile, the national Republican machine backing him remained in full force, with ads still blanketing television screens. The Republican National Committee and the Ryan-allied super PAC  the Congressional Leadership Fund  has had staff and volunteers on the ground for weeks knocking on doors and manning phone banks.

In one heavily GOP neighborhood in Westmoreland County, east of Pittsburgh, campaign materials from the RNC and CLF hung on nearly every door Sunday.

Its a little scary as tight as it is, but Republicans are still enthusiastic to keep this seat, said Carol Heinecke, a 57-year-old engineer. Heinecke said shes drawn to Saccones wide-ranging resume  he is a state legislator and retired Air Force counterintelligence officer  but added that his most important pitch may be his support for the president.

What Trump is doing is good for the country, she said, and Ricks going to support everything hes doing.

And for Republicans who arent full-throated Trump supporters, Saccone hews closely to GOP orthodoxy and is leaning on party loyalty. Jeffrey Snelling, a 54-year-old Republican who works in finance, says hes still skeptical of Trumps ability to govern and doesnt know a lot about Saccone. But, as he holds a CLF campaign push card that urges him to Stop Hillary and Stop Pelosi, he adds, Im not voting for a liberal.

At Sundays Lamb rally, Cecil Roberts, the president of the United Mineworkers of America, delivered a rousing endorsement of Lamb, a noteworthy endorsement since the union sat out the 2016 election rather than back Clinton.

Roberts said Lamb would help miners efforts to win federal funding for pension and benefit funds depleted by coal company bankruptcies.

You elect this man to Congress and you wont have to lobby him one minute, Roberts shouted, raising Lambs hand in his. This is a yes vote!

None of the retired coal miners and family members attending Sundays rally said they foresaw the dying industry turning around, as Trump has pledged to do. Rather, they were focused on the pension legislation and said Lamb will be helped by his opposition to gun restrictions.

I think the Democrats are losing touch with the working guys, said Bill Leskosky, a 59-year-old state transportation department employee who attended the rally with his father-in-law, a retired coal miner. The gun issue for one thing is the most common thing around here.



Barrow reported from Murrysville and Trafford.CALEXICO, Calif. (AP)  The daily commute from Mexico to California farms is the same as it was before Donald Trump became president. Hundreds of Mexicans cross the border and line the sidewalks of Calexicos tiny downtown by 4 a.m., napping on cardboard sheets and blankets or sipping coffee from a 24-hour doughnut shop until buses leave for the fields.

For decades, cross-border commuters have picked lettuce, carrots, broccoli, onions, cauliflower and other vegetables that make Californias Imperial Valley Americas Salad Bowl from December through March. As Trump visits the border Tuesday, the harvest is a reminder of how little has changed despite heated immigration rhetoric in Washington.

Trump will inspect eight prototypes for a future 30-foot border wall that were built in San Diego last fall. He made a big, beautiful wall a centerpiece of his campaign and said Mexico would pay for it.

But border barriers extend the same 654 miles (1,046 kilometers) they did under President Barack Obama and so far Trump hasnt gotten Mexico or Congress to pay for a new wall.

Trump also pledged to expand the Border Patrol by 5,000 agents, but staffing fell during his first year in office farther below a congressional mandate because the government has been unable to keep pace with attrition and retirements. There were 19,437 agents at the end of September, down from 19,828 a year earlier.

In Tijuana, tens of thousands of commuters still line up weekday mornings for San Diego at the nations busiest border crossing, some for jobs in landscaping, housekeeping, hotel maids and shipyard maintenance. The vast majority are U.S. citizens and legal residents or holders of border crossing cards that are given to millions of Mexicans in border areas for short visits. The border crossing cards do not include work authorization but some break the rules.

Even concern about Trumps threat to end the North American Free Trade Agreement is tempered by awareness that border economies have been integrated for decades. Mexican maquiladora plants, which assemble duty-free raw materials for export to the U.S., have made televisions, medical supplies and other goods since the 1960s.

How do you separate twins that are joined at the hip? said Paola Avila, chairwoman of the Border Trade Alliance, a group that includes local governments and business chambers. Our business relationships will continue to grow regardless of what happens with NAFTA.

Workers in the Mexicali area rise about 1 a.m., carpool to the border crossing and wait about an hour to reach Calexicos portico-covered sidewalks by 4 a.m. Some beat the border bottleneck by crossing at midnight to sleep in their cars in Calexico, a city of 40,000 about 120 miles (192 kilometers) east of San Diego.

Fewer workers make the trek now than 20 and 30 years ago. But not because of Trump.

Steve Scaroni, one of Imperial Valleys largest labor contractors, blames the drop on lack of interest among younger Mexicans, which has forced him to rely increasingly on short-term farmworker visas known as H-2As.

We have a saying that no one is raising their kids to be farmworkers, said Scaroni, 55, a third-generation grower and one of Imperial Valleys largest labor contractors. Last week, he had two or three buses of workers leaving Calexico before dawn, compared to 15 to 20 buses during the 1980s and 1990s.

Crop pickers at Scaronis Fresh Harvest Inc. make $13.18 an hour but H-2As bring his cost to $20 to $30 an hour because he must pay for round-trip transportation, sometimes to southern Mexico, and housing. The daily border commuters from Mexicali cost only $16 to $18 after overhead.

Scaronis main objective is to expand the H-2A visa program, which covered about 165,000 workers in 2016. On his annual visit to Washington in February to meet members of Congress and other officials, he decided within two hours that nothing changed under Trump.

Washington is not going to fix anything, he said. Youve got too many people  lobbyists, politicians, attorneys  who make money off the dysfunction. They make money off of not solving problems. They just keep talking about it.

Jose Angel Valenzuela, who owns a house in Mexicali and is working his second harvest in Imperial Valley, earns more picking cabbage in an hour than he did in a day at a factory in Mexico. He doesnt pay much attention to news and isnt following developments on the border wall.

Were doing very well, he said as workers passed around beef tacos during a break. We havent seen any noticeable change.

Jack Vessey, whose family farms about 10,000 acres in Imperial Valley, relies on border commuters for about half of his workforce. Imperial has only 175,000 people and Mexicali has about 1 million, making Mexico an obvious labor pool.

Vessey, 42, said he has seen no change on the border and doesnt expect much. He figures 10 percent of Congress embraces open immigration policies, another 10 percent oppose them and the other 80 percent dont want to touch it because their voters are too divided.

Its like banging your head against the wall, he said.BOSTON (AP)  Winter-weary New Englanders are preparing for blizzard conditions, more than a foot of snow and high winds as the third major noreaster in two weeks bears down on the Northeast.

The National Weather Service on Monday issued a blizzard warning for much of the Massachusetts coast, a winter storm warning for most of New England and a winter weather advisory for portions of New York, Pennsylvania and New Jersey.

The storm is expected to hit late Monday and last through most of the day Tuesday, with snow accumulating at a rate of 2 inches per hour during the Tuesday morning commute, disrupting road and air travel. American Airlines announced that it had suspended all flight operations from Boston Logan International Airport on Tuesday because of the storm. The airline said arrivals and departures from Bangor, Maine, Burlington, Vermont, Manchester, New Hampshire and New Haven, Connecticut also will be shut down.

Amtrak said it is suspending service from Boston to New Yorks Penn Station on Tuesday until 11 a.m.

While the first two storms of the month brought coastal flooding and hundreds of thousands of power outages, this winter monster is a little bit different.

This ones main impact is going to be snow, said Kim Buttrick, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service office in Taunton, Massachusetts.

More power outages are possible, but they are not expected to be as widespread as last week. Only minor coastal flooding is possible.

The blizzard warning means sustained winds of greater than 35 mph (56 kph), along with visibility of less than a quarter mile for prolonged periods, according to the weather service. Wind gusts as high as 65 mph (104 kph) are forecast in coastal areas.

Boston and eastern Massachusetts, as well as Rhode Island, could get a foot and a half of snow, with less to the west of the city.

Officials said Boston and Providence schools will be closed on Tuesday.

Maine also is bracing for a hard hit. The Portland International Jetport has had 75.5 inches (1.9 meters) of snow, far above the normal for the date of 51.8 inches (1.3 meters) with another 12 to 18 inches is on the way, said James Brown, of the National Weather Service.

In New Hampshire, where as much as 14 inches of snow is forecast, the storm is wreaking havoc with the age-old town meeting tradition. But Secretary of State William Gardner and Attorney General Gordon MacDonald said under state law, town meeting elections must go on.

In New York, heavy, wet snow is forecast for Long Island, which could get 5 to 10 inches of accumulation, while 2 to 4 inches are possible in New York City.

In New Jersey, the storm is expected to start out as light rain before changing over to all snow by early Tuesday, leaving behind up to 4 inches.

The Northeast isnt the only area of the country dealing with winter weather. As much as 15 inches of snow has fallen in a narrow band stretching from central Kentucky through southern West Virginia.

Most of North Carolina also is gearing up for snow, with spring a little more than a week away. Forecasters say up to 6 inches of snow is possible around Boone in the northern mountains, while other areas of the state should get only about 2 inches.

Hopefully this will be the final punch of the winter, Buttrick said.LOS ANGELES (AP)  Donald Trump is coming  at last  to the state he loves to hate, setting foot in California for his first time as president.

This is turf he lost to Democrat Hillary Clinton by more than 4 million votes in 2016. He has mocked its judges for blocking his agenda, sued over its lax enforcement of immigration laws and threatened to pull out federal agents.

But theres something hes dying to see here: the prototypes for his long-promised wall on the U.S.-Mexico border. And theres something hes eager to do here: raise cash from the Beverly Hills crowd.

Trumps arrival Tuesday will come just days after his Justice Department sued to block a trio of state laws designed to protect people living in the U.S. illegally. Democratic Gov. Jerry Brown likened it to an act of war with Trumps administration.

The State of California is sheltering dangerous criminals in a brazen and lawless attack on our Constitutional system of government, Trump complained in his weekly address, accusing Californias leaders of being in open defiance of federal law.

They dont care about crime. They dont care about death and killings. They dont care about robberies, he said, calling on Congress to block the states federal funds.

Last week, Oaklands mayor warned residents of an impending immigration raid  a move that Trump called disgraceful and said put law enforcement officers at risk.

The state has also joined lawsuits aimed at stopping construction of Trumps stalled border wall. And its judges have repeatedly ruled against policies Trump has tried to enact.

In recent months, Trump and other administration officials have threatened both to flood the state with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents and to pull ICE out of the state completely.

I mean, frankly, if I wanted to pull our people from California, you would have a crying mess like youve never seen in California, Trump said last month, predicting crime like nobody has ever seen crime in this country.

Meanwhile, Trumps acting ICE director has repeatedly threatened to increase its enforcement footprint in the state in retaliation for its limited cooperation with federal immigration authorities  and he appears to be making good on his promise.

California better hold on tight. Theyre about to see a lot more special agents, a lot more deportation officers, Thomas Homan said on Fox earlier this year before his agency conducted a series of raids.

White House officials said the trip has been in the works for months and the timing so close to recent flare-ups was coincidental.

When asked if Trump planned to play nice on the trip, White House spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders said, Look, I think if anybody is stepping out of bounds here, it would be someone who is refusing to follow federal law, which is certainly not the president. And were going for what we hope to be an incredibly positive trip.

Trumps overnight visit will include a stop in San Diego to inspect eight sample designs for the wall hes been raring to build. He will also be speaking with members of the military and traveling to Los Angeles for a splashy Beverly Hills fundraiser, where attendees will pay up to $250,000 per person.

Trumps appearances in the left-leaning state during the 2016 campaign were marked by sometimes-violent clashes between his supporters and opposition groups. In some cases, protesters blocked traffic and threw rocks and beer bottles. Protests are expected during this trip.

Trumps more than yearlong absence from the nations most populous state  home to 1 in 8 Americans and, by itself, the worlds sixth-largest economy  has been conspicuous but not surprising. Trump country, its not.

As a candidate, Trump suggested he could win California, a state that hasnt supported a Republican for the White House in three decades.

Since his election, Sacramento has emerged as a vanguard in the so-called Trump resistance. Democratic state Attorney General Xavier Becerra has filed over a dozen lawsuits to block administration proposals.

California was the home of Richard Nixon and Ronald Reagan, but Republican influence here has been fading for years as a surge in immigrants transformed the state and its voting patterns. The number of Hispanics, blacks and Asians combined has outnumbered whites since 1998. Meanwhile, the states new voters, largely Latinos and Asians, lean Democratic, and Democrats hold every statewide office and control both chambers of the Legislature by hefty margins.

Polls have found Trump deeply unpopular in the state, with most residents opposed to policies hes championed, such as expanding offshore drilling.

Jessica Hayes, chairwoman of the San Diego County Democratic Party, said Trumps anti-immigration rhetoric plays especially poorly in a state with close trade and tourism connections with Mexico.

These are our neighbors. These are our friends, she said.

Trump has repeatedly floated the idea of flying in to pick the winning design for the border wall, telling rally-goers last year in Alabama: Im going to go out and look at them personally and pick the right one.

The Department of Homeland Security has said theres nothing to stop Trump from turning the wall design contest into a Miss Universe-style pageant.

But the department also says it doesnt anticipate that a single prototype will be selected. Instead, the samples are expected to inform future border wall design standards, said spokesman Tyler Houlton.



Colvin reported from Washington.



Follow Blood and Colvin on Twitter at https://twitter.com/MichaelRBloodAP and https://twitter.com/colvinj.YOUNTVILLE, Calif. (AP)  The Latest on the triple killing at a California veterans home (all times local):

4:45 p.m.

A Northern California sheriffs office says it did not receive any reports of a troubled combat veteran from mental health professionals before he killed three of them at a veterans home.

Napa County Sheriffs Capt. Steve Blower said Monday that the law enforcement agency would be a point of contact for counselors at The Pathway Home if they were concerned a patient showed signs they were a danger to themselves or others.

A sheriffs deputy responded Friday morning to reports of shots fired by 36-year-old Albert Wong. The sheriffs office says a responding deputy exchanged gunfire before Wong retreated to a room and slammed shut the door.

No further shots were heard throughout a seven-hour siege police treated as a hostage situation.

Blower says its now apparent the victims were shot shortly after they were taken because no other shots were heard.

The bodies of the three women and Wong were found about 6 p.m.



This item has been corrected to say that the deputy was initially responding to a report of shots fired, not hostages taken.



12:10 p.m.

A California agency says the former Army rifleman who killed three mental health workers at a California veterans home where he once received treatment lost his state licenses to be an armed security guard for failing to pay the fees.

Californias Bureau of Security and Investigative Services said Monday that 36-year-old Albert Wong received permits to carry a 9-millimeter gun and to be a security guard on Oct. 21, 2008.

Bureau spokesman Matt Woodcheke said Wong lost his licenses after failing to pay the annual fees.

The bureaus license database lists Wongs two permits as expired on Oct. 31. Its unclear if thats the date when the bureau canceled the permits for nonpayment.



12:01 a.m.

Authorities have so far been tight-lipped about why a former Army rifleman might have killed three women at a Northern California veterans home.

Albert Wong had been enrolled in the veteran treatment program at The Pathway Home after several years of struggling following his deployment in Afghanistan.

The 36-year-old was recently expelled from Pathway Home, but authorities have not said why.

Officials did not return repeated messages from The Associated Press on Sunday and they have not answered questions about whether concerns about Wong were reported to authorities.

Police said Wong went Friday to the veterans home in Yountville, about 50 miles north of San Francisco, and slipped into a going-away party for two employees.

Police say Wong eventually killed three women.

Wong was found dead after an hours-long standoff.CHICAGO (AP)  The 2018 campaign for Illinois governor could be one of the most expensive races in the nation with several wealthy candidates spending freely to win votes.

Gov. Bruce Rauner, a wealthy private equity firm founder and the only Republican holding a statewide office in left-leaning Illinois, is considered one of the most vulnerable incumbents in the country.

Democrats have their own well-heeled candidates who hope to take Rauner down in J.B. Pritzker, listed by Forbes as having a net worth of $3.5 billion from his familys hotel and investments conglomerate, and Chris Kennedy, son of the late U.S. Sen. Robert Kennedy. A third leading contender of more modest means is state Sen. Daniel Biss.

They have tangled in the run-up to the Illinois primary on March 20. Pritzker has put more than $60 million in his campaign fund and says hes best positioned to beat Rauner. Kennedy has criticized the Democratic establishment, while Biss styles himself the middle-class candidate.

Some of their recent comments merit a closer look. Heres a look at remarks each made at a recent debate in Chicago:



CHRIS KENNEDY: Asked about incentives to lure Amazons second headquarters to Chicago, he said hed ask Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos why he hasnt matched the restrictions that Dicks has done on gun sales at Amazon, which I think Jeff Bezos should do and he should do this week.

THE FACTS: Amazon doesnt sell guns such as those Dicks Sporting Goods restricted.

Dicks said it would no longer sell assault-style rifles at its Field & Stream stores or sell guns to anyone under 21. (The company stopped selling assault-style rifles at its more than 700 Dicks stores in 2012).

Amazon does sells accessories such as holsters, targets and gun racks, but the online retailer doesnt sell assault rifles, and it already prohibits sales of most other guns.

Company policy states the only guns that may be sold are items such as airsoft guns, century-old replicas that arent capable of firing ammunition, some BB, pellet and paintball guns and toy guns  though those sales are subject to geographic restrictions.

Chicago is bidding for Amazons second headquarters and is among 20 cities that made the first cut.



J.B. PRITZKER: Asked what hed do to make schools safer in the wake of the Florida shooting, Pritzker took a jab at the states crime record under Rauners administration. Take note that during the three years of Bruce Rauners leadership of the state that the number of violent crimes on the street has gone up substantially, particularly violence with guns.

THE FACTS: It is mostly true that the violent crime rate has gone up statewide in recent years. But it is questionable how much impact a governor can have on crime in a short period, especially when most of the crime is in Chicago, where city officials hold more sway.

Pritzkers campaign said he was basing his claim on FBI crime statistics showing Illinois violent crime rate rose between 2014 and 2016, the most recent year for which data are available. Illinois reported 370.9 violent crimes per 100,000 people in 2014, according to the FBI. The rate was 387.5 in 2015 and 436.3 in 2016.

But Rauner didnt take office until 2015, so the year 2014 should not have been used.

The FBI hasnt released statewide 2017 data yet. But FBI data for the first half of 2017 from Illinois cities with population over 100,000 shows a slight uptick, with most of that accounted for by Chicago.

Criminologists caution that changes in the crime rate  up or down  are the result of many factors. Rauners tenure in Illinois has been a difficult time for state government though. He deadlocked with Democrats in the Legislature and the state went without a budget for more than two years. That brought sharp cuts to social services, mental health and after-school programs. Rauner also froze state funding in 2015 for CeaseFire, which deployed former gang members and felons to intervene in feuds and try to prevent shootings.



STATE SEN. DANIEL BISS: Our financial sector has grown and grown and grown and the rest of the economy has shrunk and the rest of us are being overtaxed because we havent figured out how to tax the financial sector, Biss said. To say that we cant tax the financial sector is to say that we will continue overtaxing middle-class families and that I will never accept.

THE FACTS: Taxing financial transactions would be difficult to enforce in Chicago, the worlds biggest center of trading in agricultural and financial futures and options.

Biss wants to impose a new tax on the buying and selling of commodities and financial contracts traded on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange and other exchanges, which he says could generate $10 billion to $12 billion annually. Kennedy and Pritzker say it isnt feasible.

Trading experts say imposing it would drive the hyper-competitive markets out of Illinois, something traders could do easily because most of the transactions are done electronically and the markets are global.

That point is underscored by what happened in 2011, when the CME Group Inc., which operates the Chicago Mercantile Exchange and other businesses, threatened to move from Illinois and got a tax break from the Legislature. Biss voted for the tax break as a state representative, which was estimated to have saved the exchanges about $85 million a year.

Biss says he supported the measure because, as part of the deal, the Legislature that same day approved a second measure that provided about $110 million in tax breaks for families, including an increase in Illinois earned income tax credit.



Find AP Fact Checks at <a target=blank href=https://apnews.com/tag/APFactCheck>https://apnews.com/tag/APFactCheck</a>

Follow @APFactCheck on Twitter: <a target=blank href=https://twitter.com/APFactCheck>https://twitter.com/APFactCheck</a>NEW YORK (AP)  The Latest on a helicopter crash in the East River off New York City (all times local):

5:15 p.m.

Federal investigators say theyll examine everything from flotation devices to passengers harnesses to photos that might be on their cameras as they determine why a tour helicopter crashed and sank in New York Citys East River.

National Transportation Safety Board member Bella Dinh-Zarr said Monday it will be some time before that finding is made.

Sundays crash killed all five passengers aboard. Pilot Richard Vance survived.

Dinh-Zarr said the helicopters floats inflated, but investigators will look at whether they deployed properly.

A federal official told The Associated Press the pilot told authorities he believed a passengers bag might have hit an emergency fuel shutoff switch. The official was briefed on the investigation but was not authorized to speak publicly about it and spoke Monday on condition of anonymity.

3:15 p.m.

A federal official tells The Associated Press that the pilot who survived a deadly helicopter crash in New York Citys East River told investigators he believed a passengers bag might have hit an emergency fuel shutoff switch in the moments before the chopper went down.

The official also says the National Transportation Safety Board is looking closely at why an emergency flotation device on the helicopter apparently did not deploy properly. The floats are supposed allow a helicopter to stay upright, rather than overturning and submerging.

The official was briefed on the investigation but was not authorized to speak publicly about it and spoke Monday on condition of anonymity.

Sundays crash killed all five passengers. Pilot Richard Vance was able to free himself and was rescued.

 By Michael Balsamo in Los Angeles

2:15 p.m.

New Yorks U.S. Sen. Chuck Schumer says federal regulators should temporarily halt flights by the owner of a helicopter that went down in New York Citys East River, killing five passengers.

The Democrat is calling on the Federal Aviation Administration to suspend Liberty Helicopters operating license until the facts of the crash are known.

Schumer said Monday the tour and charter company shouldnt fly until officials get to the bottom of this.

The FAA hasnt commented on Schumers suggestion.

Liberty Helicopters is referring all inquiries about Sundays crash to federal authorities.



1:15 p.m.

A video journalist who had worked at a business news site was among the five passengers killed when a helicopter went down in New York Citys East River.

Business Insider says Trevor Cadigan was smart, talented, and ambitious and made a big contribution during an internship there. It ended a few weeks ago.

His profile on the site says he was originally from Dallas. So was one of the other passengers, Dallas Fire-Rescue Officer Brian McDaniel.

An Argentine woman, Carla Vallejos Blanco, was also one of the victims.

Helicopter owner Liberty Helicopters is referring all inquiries to investigators.

The cause of the crash Sunday hasnt been determined. The pilot was heard on an emergency radio transmission saying there was an engine failure.

The pilot was able to free himself and was rescued by a tugboat. All five passengers died.



12:15 p.m.

A Dallas firefighter and an Argentine woman were among the five passengers killed when a helicopter went down in New York Citys East River.

Argentinas New York consulate said Monday that Carla Vallejos Blanco was one of the victims in the crash Sunday night.

The Dallas Fire-Rescue Department confirmed that Fire-Rescue Officer Brian McDaniel also died. The 26-year-old firefighter had been with the department since May 2016.

New York officials said the charter helicopter was hired for a photo shoot. Owner Liberty Helicopters is referring all inquiries to investigators.

The pilot was heard on an emergency radio transmission saying there was an engine failure.

The pilot was able to free himself and was rescued by a tugboat.



11:30 a.m.

The company that owns a helicopter that went down in New York Citys East River, killing five passengers, says in a statement that its focused on supporting the victims families and cooperating with federal investigators.

Liberty Helicopters is referring inquiries about the crash Sunday night to investigators. The National Transportation Safety Board dispatched a team on Monday.

The pilot was heard on an emergency radio transmission saying there was an engine failure.

The pilot freed himself and was rescued by a tugboat. Emergency divers had to remove the passengers from tight harnesses while they were upside down.

The charter helicopter was hired for a photo shoot. Liberty Helicopters offers both private charters and sightseeing tours popular with tourists.



10 a.m.

A pilot whose helicopter went down in Manhattans East River, killing five passengers, says in an emergency radio transmission that he had engine failure.

The pilot is heard saying Mayday, mayday, mayday during the crash on Sunday night.

The person at the other end of the transmission had trouble making out what the pilot was saying.

The pilot reported an engine failure over the East River and referenced a hotel.

The National Transportation Safety Board dispatched investigators on Monday.

The charter helicopter was hired for a photo shoot.

The pilot freed himself and was rescued by a tugboat. Emergency divers had to remove the passengers from tight harnesses while they were upside down.TEHRAN, Iran (AP)  Investigators on Monday found the black box from a Turkish private jet that crashed in an Iranian mountain range on its way from the United Arab Emirates to Istanbul, killing all 11 people on board that included a Turkish bride-to-be and her bachelorette party.

Authorities recovered all the dead from the crash site in the Zagros Mountains outside of the city of Shahr-e Kord, some 370 kilometers (230 miles) south of Irans capital, Tehran, according to a report by the state-run IRNA news agency.

Officials have so far identified eight bodies, including that of Mina Basaran, the 28-year-old daughter of the chairman of Turkeys Basaran Investment Holding, the semi-official Mehr news agency reported Monday.

Heavy rains and wind in the mountain range since the crash Sunday made it impossible for helicopters to land in the area, though officials hoped to bring the bodies down from the mountain later in the day, IRNA said.

Families of the victims arrived Monday in Shahr-e Kord, accompanied by Turkish diplomats, IRNA reported.

The flight took off Sunday from Sharjah International Airport in the UAE, home to the low-cost carrier Air Arabia. A little over an hour into the flight, the aircraft rapidly gained altitude and then dropped drastically within minutes, according to FlightRadar24, a flight-tracking website.

It remains unclear what caused the crash, though a witness told state television the Bombardier CL604 was on fire before it hit the mountain.

Finding the aircrafts black box will help investigators trying to piece together what happened. That equipment, typically painted in a bright color to allow searchers to easily find it, records cockpit conversations and radio transmissions, as well as other data from a flight.

Sharjah civil aviation authorities said in a statement late Sunday night that the planes eight passengers were six Turks and two Spaniards. Three others were the flight crew.

The plane did not apply for maintenance procedures while on the ground of the airport, their statement said.

Turkeys Hurriyet newspaper and other media reports said the planes three crew members  two pilots and one flight attendant  were all women as well.

Basaran and her friends had celebrated her bachelorette party in nearby Dubai. Turkeys Transport Ministry said the aircraft belonged to Basaran Investment Holding, which The Associated Press has not been able to reach since the crash.

Basaran recently posted photographs on the photo-sharing app Instagram of what appeared to be her bachelorette party, which included eight women. Iranian authorities previously said the flights passengers were all young women.

Among those photographs was an image of the plane posted three days ago. In it, Basaran posed on the tarmac carrying flowers, wearing a denim jacket reading Mrs. Bride and the hashtag #bettertogether. In another picture, she holds heart-shaped balloons inside the plane.

On Saturday, Basaran posted a picture with seven smiling friends from a Dubai resort. The last videos posted to her account showed her enjoying a concert by the British pop star Rita Ora at a popular Dubai nightclub.

Other victims included 28-year-old architect Zeynep Coskun, who also recently was engaged and would have married in the summer, Turkeys private Dogan news agency said.

Melike Kuvvet, the planes co-pilot, was a former Turkish air force captain who was dismissed from the military but was hoping to be re-instated in May, Dogan reported.

Sundays crash came less than a month after an Iranian ATR-72, a twin-engine turboprop used for short regional flights, crashed in southern Iran, killing all 65 people onboard.



Associated Press writers Jon Gambrell in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, and Suzan Fraser in Ankara, Turkey, contributed to this report.BEIRUT (AP)  The Latest on the developments in Syria (all times local):

11:30 p.m.

Syrian opposition member Hadi al-Bahra is urging countries to threaten and if necessary take military action to deter all violations of the cease-fire demanded by the U.N. Security Council throughout Syria  not only for using chemical weapons.

He told an informal meeting of the Security Council on Monday: It is feasible. It is necessary. And it is overdue.

Al-Bahra is a member of the Syrian Negotiation Commission. He spoke to the council after U.S. Ambassador Nikki Haley warned that the United States is prepared to take military action again for chemical attacks that are killing and injuring Syrian civilians.

Al-Bahra said that if Syrian ally Russia blocks the Security Council from taking measures under Chapter 7 of the U.N. Charter, action should be taken outside the council to enforce its resolutions.



10:10 p.m.

The United States is urging the U.N. Security Council to adopt a resolution ordering an immediate 30-day cease-fire in the Syrian capital Damascus and the suburbs of eastern Ghouta.

The draft resolution, circulated Monday and obtained by The Associated Press, expresses outrage at the lack of implementation of a resolution adopted Feb. 24 demanding a cease-fire throughout Syria without delay for at least 30 days to deliver humanitarian aid and evacuate the wounded and critically ill.

The U.S. draft would eliminate what U.S. Ambassador Nikki Haley called a loophole in the Feb. 24 resolution that allows military operations against al-Qaida and Islamist State extremist groups.

Haley accused Syria and its Russian allies of exploiting this loophole to continue starving and pummeling hundreds of thousands of innocent Syrian civilians.

The draft resolution orders all parties immediately after its adoption to allow safe, unimpeded and sustained access for humanitarian convoys and for medical evacuations.

It stresses that any movement of civilians must be voluntary and to appropriate final destinations of their choice. And it asks U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to urgently develop proposals to monitor a cease-fire and civilian movements from eastern Ghouta.



8:30 p.m.

Russias U.N. ambassador says an immediate cease-fire in Syria would have been utopian and that Moscow prefers a preliminary agreement ahead of sustained de-escalation in all areas, not just the suburbs of Damascus.

Vassily Nebenzia told the U.N. Security Council on Monday that this is the only realistic way forward, and that it was part of a cease-fire adopted by the council last month. He said Russia is trying to implement that cease-fire, which has done little to stop the heavy fighting in eastern Ghouta, outside the capital.

He defended Syrian and Russian military operations there, saying the suburbs of Damascus cannot remain a hotbed of terrorism. He accused militants, including those linked to al-Qaida, of undermining the cease-fire.

The Russian ambassador also warned of a disinformation campaign aimed at blaming Syrian authorities for chemical attacks, saying al-Qaida-linked militants were behind a March 5 chlorine attack in eastern Ghouta.

He said such allegations are aimed at preparing the ground for the unilateral use of force against sovereign Syria, alluding to earlier remarks by U.S. Ambassador Nikki Haley, who warned of another military response if the gas attacks continue.



7:15 p.m.

The U.S. ambassador to the United Nations is warning Syria that the United States is prepared to take military action again for chemical attacks that are killing and wounding Syrian civilians.

Nikki Haley said that since the Security Council adopted a resolution 15 days ago demanding a cease-fire throughout Syria without delay there have been three allegations of chlorine gas attacks during a stepped up military campaign against rebels.

This is no cease-fire, she told the council on Monday. The cease-fire has failed.

She recalled the U.S. warning after last years sarin gas attack on Khan Sheikhoun, which an expert panel blamed on President Bashar Assads government, that it would take action if the council didnt.

The Security Council failed to act and the United States successfully struck the air base from which Assad had launched this chemical attack, Haley said. We repeat that warning today  the United States is prepared to act if we must.

She accused Syria, Russia and Iran of using a loophole in the cease-fire resolution allowing military actions against al-Qaida and Islamic State militants to bomb and shell schools, hospitals and continue starving and pummeling hundreds of thousands of innocent Syrian civilians.

Haley said the U.S. is circulating a new resolution eliminating that loophole and demanding an immediate cease-fire in Damascus and the suburbs of eastern Ghouta to deliver humanitarian aid and evacuate the wounded and critically ill.



6:15 p.m.

The U.N. secretary-general says attacks on the Damascus suburbs of eastern Ghouta have intensified since the adoption of a U.N. resolution demanding a cease-fire, with Syrian government forces driving rebels from more than 60 percent of the area.

Antonio Guterres said Monday that the eastern Ghouta enclave is now split into three separate pockets.

Guterres was briefing the Security Council on implementation of the resolution 15 days after its unanimous adoption. It demanded a cease-fire without delay for at least 30 days to deliver desperately needed humanitarian aid and evacuate the wounded and critically ill.

He noted that the Syrian conflict enters its eighth year on Thursday, saying there has been no cessation of hostilities and the humanitarian and human rights situation is becoming more desperate by the day.

Guterres said only one aid convoy has entered eastern Ghouta  making two separate deliveries  and to our knowledge not one critically sick or wounded person has yet been evacuated.



5:40 p.m.

French President Emmanuel Macron says France is the most active country in the diplomatic field regarding Syria, after his predecessor called for no-fly zones.

At a news conference during a visit to Varanasi, India, on Monday, Macron said his countrys actions at the United Nations are unprecedented. He said theres no other country as active as us to get diplomatic results.

Former French President Francois Hollande called Monday for no-fly zones over Syrias Kurdish-held area of Afrin and the eastern Ghouta enclave. Hollande said Macron should keep supporting Syrian Kurdish fighters in Syria and put pressure on Russia through potential sanctions.

Macron is pushing for the full implementation of a cease-fire adopted by the U.N. Security Council last month to allow the entry of humanitarian aid to besieged areas and the evacuation of the injured and sick.



2:10 p.m.

A Syrian Kurdish official says thousands of people are fleeing the northern town of Afrin as Turkish troops and Turkey-backed opposition fighters get closer to the besieged Syrian town.

Ebrahim Ebrahim, a Europe-based spokesman for the largest Kurdish group in Syria, the Democratic Union Party, or PYD, says those fleeing are heading toward government-controlled areas.

He said on Monday that people are fleeing out of fear that Turkish troops and Turkey-backed Syrian opposition fighters might commit atrocities against the Kurds and minorities in the town.

Ebrahim described Turkey-backed fighters as extremist groups.

He says Turkish troops have destroyed water and power stations that supply the town of Afrin, making it difficult for people to stay.

Ebrahim blamed Russia and Turkey for what he called war crimes that are being committed in Afrin.

Turkeys Hurriyet newspaper reported that civilians are leaving the town of Afrin, heading to government-controlled areas and the town of Manbij, which is held by the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces.



1:55 p.m.

Frances former president Francois Hollande is calling for no-fly zones over Syrias Kurdish-held area of Afrin and the eastern Ghouta enclave.

Hollande said in an interview to Le Monde newspaper that its not possible to celebrate the liberation of some parts of Syria and let whole populations die.

He suggested that his successor, Emmanuel Macron, keep supporting Syrian Kurdish fighters in Syria and put pressure on Russia through potential sanctions.

Hollande criticized Russia and Turkey for contributing to Syrias crisis.

Turkey launched a solo military offensive against the Syrian Kurdish militia known as YPG to clear them from the enclave of Afrin. Ankara considers the YPG a terror organization linked to its own Kurdish insurgency, but France backs the fighters in the war against the Islamic State group.

Syrian government forces, supported by Russia, are leading an offensive on the rebel-held eastern Ghouta.



12:30 p.m.

The largest rebel group in Syrias eastern Ghouta region, just outside the capital of Damascus, says it has agreed with Russian forces to have wounded people evacuated from the enclave.

The Army of Islam said in a statement on Monday that the agreement with the Russians was reached through the United Nations.

It says the wounded will be evacuated in stages but makes no mention if they are rebel fighters or civilians. The group also did not say when the evacuations would begin or where the wounded would be taken.

Eastern Ghouta has been under a ferocious government offensive since Feb. 18, leaving more than 1,000 civilians dead.



12:25 p.m.

Syrian TV says another group of civilians has left the rebel-held enclave of eastern Ghouta outside Damascus through a corridor established by the Syrian army

The state-run TV broadcast footage showing a small group of men, women and children it says left the town of Madyara on Monday. The town was captured by Syrian troops on Sunday.

Syrian government forces split eastern Ghouta in two amid rapid weekend advances, dealing a major setback to the rebels and threatening to exacerbate an already dire humanitarian situation at the doorstep of the countrys capital.

The advances also cut off key towns of Douma and Harasta from the rest of the enclave, further squeezing the residents inside them.

The U.N. estimates nearly 400,000 civilians are living under a crippling siege in eastern Ghouta.SAO PAULO (AP)  Elisangela Santos doesnt understand why everyone in her neighborhood on the outskirts of Sao Paulo is being told to get vaccinated for yellow fever this year. Yellow fever has long been endemic in parts of Brazil, and she smells a rat.

Every year, its something else, the 44-year-old school custodian said as she waiting recently outside a health post in the Jardim Miriam district. They invent another thing to make Brazilians spend money.

The vaccine is free at public health posts around the country, but Santos suspicion that someone must be profiting somewhere is typical of the current high levels of mistrust Brazilians hold for officialdom. Flagging faith in Brazils institutions amid a series of corruption scandals, a chaotic communications campaign promoting the vaccine, and the countrys decision to give partial doses to stretch supplies are contributing to rumors that the vaccine is a scam, weak or even dangerous.

That misinformation is scaring people away from the campaign that is trying to vaccinate more than 23 million people in areas of Rio de Janeiro, Sao Paulo and Bahia states that until recently were not considered at risk for yellow fever. Nearly six weeks into the campaign, the Health Ministry says 76 percent of the target population has been vaccinated  far off its goal of 95 percent.

The current atmosphere of uncertainty and rumors around the vaccine is likely to make the last 20 percent very difficult to reach, hampering the efforts of Latin Americas biggest nation to contain its largest yellow fever outbreak in more than three decades.

The reticence could even lead to a sustained outbreak in Brazils megacities. Brazil hasnt had an urban outbreak since 1942.

If we have a higher number of infected people with yellow fever and the Aedes aegypti mosquito starts to become infected and transmit yellow fever, it could become urban, said Luiz Antonio Teixeira Jr., Rio de Janeiro states health secretary. Everything were doing is to ensure we dont have urban yellow fever.

Yellow fever has long been endemic in large swaths of Brazil, but it has been advancing in recent years and this is the second outbreak in two years in places where vaccinations for the disease were not routine. During the 2016-2017 outbreak, more than 770 people were infected after nearly a decade during which Brazil saw fewer than 10 cases each year. In the current outbreak, there have already been 846 cases confirmed, of which 260 have died. The outbreak is stressing the health system just a few years after a major outbreak of Zika, which was linked to severe birth defects in babies born to infected mothers.

While rumors have sometimes swirled around past vaccination campaigns, the rise of the WhatsApp messaging service is amplifying misinformation like never before, said Igor Sacramento, a researcher at Fiocruz, Brazils premier public research institute.

WhatsApp is a fundamental characteristic of the way we circulate information, news, etc., said Sacramento, who works in the institutes health communications lab. Since WhatsApp messages come from people known by the recipients, they place a high value on the information shared there, and that means people often accept it without checking it, Sacramento said.

One rumor making the rounds on WhastApp, for instance, says a mutation in the yellow fever virus has rendered the vaccine ineffective, even citing a study published by Fiocruz. That is not true, and the institute put out a statement saying that mutations in the disease have no impact on the vaccines effectiveness.

Misinformation has even been circulating among health professionals, some of whom have resisted giving partial-dose vaccines, said Ana Goretti, the interim coordinator of the immunization program at the Health Ministry. In response, the ministry and all of Brazils medical associations are preparing a statement that reiterates the safety and effectiveness of the partial dose.

The vaccination efforts have also been chaotic. Earlier this year, Brazilians encountered hours-long waits at some health posts before turnout fell precipitously. Many people outside a health post in Jardim Miriam complained that the first post they went to was out of the vaccine. Another woman said her son got vaccinated without presenting a vaccination card but her daughter was turned away for not having it.

Overcoming concerns about the vaccine is particularly important because yellow fever does not appear to be shrinking back to its usual habitat in Brazils wilder interior. The Health Ministry is even considering extending routine vaccination to all Brazilians, and it has already decided to offer vaccination to all children starting later this year, Goretti said.

The ministry and state health departments are using Twitter and Facebook to promote the vaccination campaign and to share links to information about the vaccine and the disease. Members of the ministrys social media team have also responded to some concerns on the ministrys Facebook page. But they have not been systematically using social media networks or WhatsApp to combat the rumors circulating there. Instead, officials say they are primarily relying on interviews with the local press to explain that the vaccine is safe, effective and necessary. Health workers in Sao Paulo and Rio have also gone door to door to encourage people to get vaccinated.

The rumors have scared off Manoel da Silvas family. The 57-year-old retiree said his adult children and his wife are refusing to get vaccinated, citing stories of people who were sickened by the vaccine and concerns about the partial doses.

There are lots of things on the internet, said da Silva, who lives on Sao Paulos southern outskirts. They think its a fraud because its fractional.

Scientists have expressed confidence that the one-fifth dose works and the World Health Organization has said it can be used in emergencies. Its still unclear how long the protection lasts. Brazilian officials say they have data  which will soon be published  that shows the vaccine is good for at least eight years, but others have been more cautious, and more studies on its long-term effectiveness are expected.

The yellow fever vaccine, like all vaccines that use live virus, can cause adverse reactions or even make you sick with a disease similar to yellow fever. Susan McLellan, who is a professor of infectious diseases at the University of Texas Medical Branch, says the yellow fever vaccine may even cause more vaccine-linked disease than other live virus vaccines.

But in an epidemic setting, in a high risk setting, youre a lot safer with the vaccine than the disease, said McLellan, who until recently was the director of Tulane Universitys Travel Clinic.

Da Silva, whose family is resisting getting vaccinated, said he, too, had concerns but opted to get it in the end.

I heard about people getting sick from the vaccine, he said of his initial reticence. But if a mosquito bites me, Im already at risk.



Associated Press producer Yesica Fisch in Rio de Janeiro contributed to this report.



Sarah DiLorenzo on Twitter: www.twitter.com/sdilorenzoBANGKOK (AP)  Myanmars military is building installations on land in villages that had been occupied by Muslim Rohingya who fled to neighboring Bangladesh after their homes were burned down in what analysts charge was a campaign of ethnic cleansing by the authorities, Amnesty International said Monday.

The London-based rights group said in a report that eyewitness testimony and analysis of satellite images established that Myanmars Rakhine state is being militarized at an alarming pace with the construction of army bases, helipads and roads built in villages that had been burned and bulldozed.

Rights groups and the United Nations charge that about 700,000 Rohingya Muslims who fled to Bangladesh were forced out by a scorched earth campaign by Myanmar security forces that began last August after a Rohingya insurgent group carried out attacks on about 30 security outposts and other targets.

What we are seeing in Rakhine state is a land grab by the military on a dramatic scale, said Tirana Hassan, Amnesty Internationals Crisis Response Director. New bases are being erected to house the very same security forces that have committed crimes against humanity against Rohingya.

Myanmar government spokesman Zaw Htay told The Associated Press that the bulldozing is mainly to prepare burned areas for resettlement and reconstruction, and only covers areas where structures had already been burned down. The government has denied burning down villages to drive out the Rohingya.

We are going to build new villages and new homes and resettle people there according to the village planning, Zaw Htay said by phone. He denied separate allegations that the bulldozing was to destroy evidence of human rights abuses by the army, a major concern of human rights groups.

The bulldozing of entire villages is incredibly worrying, said Hassan. Myanmars authorities are erasing evidence of crimes against humanity, making any future attempts to hold those responsible to account extremely difficult.

The operation has raised concerns among rights groups that the authorities are destroying evidence of crimes against the Rohingya, which could hinder future investigations.

Zaw Htay also rebutted the charges that the construction amounted to militarization.

Its not true that the army is building bases in the region, he said. There are only police posts for regional security and law enforcement reasons.

Myanmars government has pledged to accept back the Rohingya who fled, and it has been constructing shelters, including dozens at a large transit camp in northern Rakhine state near the Bangladesh border. But Amnesty International said the flattening of Rohingya villages and the new construction could make the voluntary, safe and dignified return of Rohingya refugees a distant prospect.

The military is not only building security force bases and roads but also bulldozing everything including house, trees, landmarks and even graveyards, said Mohammad Ali, a Rohingya resident of Buthidaung town in northern Rakhine.HONG KONG (AP)  Hong Kong pro-democracy candidates won back only two of four seats in a crucial by-election in the semiautonomous Chinese region, final results showed Monday.

The opposition wasnt able to recapture all its territory, losing some to formidably resourced pro-Beijing rivals and falling short of the number needed to veto most bills in the citys semi-democratic Legislative Council.

The four seats were among six left empty when a group of lawmakers were expelled following a 2016 controversy over their oaths, which they used to defy China.

Little-known activist and neighborhood councilor Au Nok-hin won a key battleground after being enlisted at the last minute. He stepped in after election officials rejected the pro-democracy camps marquee candidate, 21-year-old Agnes Chow, over her partys platform advocating self-determination for the former British colony, which she slammed as political screening.

The disqualifications of lawmakers and candidates have raised fears among activists and international groups that Hong Kongs Beijing-backed government is taking an increasingly hard line on dissent.

I wont say the result today is a victory, Au said after his results were announced. I would say its only a hollow victory, because weve paid a rather high price for it. The democracy camp has faced huge suppressions due to the political turmoil over these years.

Au had called the vote a referendum on democracy in Hong Kong, but the prospect of democratic development looks increasingly distant after Chinas rubber-stamp parliament voted Sunday to abolish presidential term limits, allowing President Xi Jinping to stay in power indefinitely.

Under the one country, two systems framework, Beijing promised to let Hong Kong maintain wide autonomy and civil liberties following its 1997 handover from Britain, but fears are rising that Chinas communist leaders are backtracking.

Hong Kongs pro-democracy camp now holds 26 seats in the 70-seat Legislative Council. Two remaining empty seats will be decided later because theyre the subject of ongoing legal action.

About 43 percent of 2.1 million eligible voters cast ballots for three geographical seats, lower than the 58.3 percent in 2016s citywide vote.

It is significant that we didnt mobilize the people to vote. This is a serious challenge for 2020, when the next round of elections is scheduled, said Joseph Cheng, a retired political science professor, who added that residents seem to be apathetic.

Edward Yiu, who was the only one of the disqualified lawmakers to compete again, narrowly lost to a pro-Beijing rival after a nail-biting recount. A third pro-democracy candidate, Gary Fan, won his constituency.

In a fourth race, architects and surveyors elected a pro-Beijing candidate over Dutch native Paul Zimmerman. About half of the councils seats are chosen by mainly pro-Beijing business and trade groups.



Associated Press journalists Josie Wong and Rafael Wober contributed to this report.| BY Ricki Green |

Global brand experience agency Huge has appointed Aussie expat Wayne Deakin as executive creative director to head up its EMEA offering. At Huge, Deakin will work alongside managing director Mark Manning across the full client base and will be responsible for delivering the creative vision for the agency in the region.

Originally from Australia, Deakin is a past AWARD student who has held leadership positions in Australia, US, Europe and the UK. He joins the IPG owned agency from AKQA where he was the ECD for its London office.

Says Mark Manning, managing director, Huge London: Creating truly unified brand experiences that seamlessly connect the physical world and digital world has become the number one priority for our clients both in the UK and across Europe. Wayne brings an outstanding track record across digital, innovation and communications, and crucially his understanding of how to harness creativity to connect and elevate experiences made him the perfect addition to spearhead the next phase of Huges European growth.

Says Deakin: Ive long admired Huge, its work and its success. It is a very modern agency that values solving business problems with creativity and craft. It boldly creates products, services and experiences people love and puts consumers at the heart of everything it does  that aligns with how I think and how successful brands work today. I am thrilled to be joining the team at a very exciting time of growth.

Deakin is a highly awarded and innovative creative who previously served as ECD for AKQA London and helped the agency win numerous titles and awards.. Prior to AKQA he was the joint ECD for the Engine Group and creative founder of Jam.| BY Kim Shaw |

Due to numerous requests the FINAL Call for Entries to The Work 2018 has been extended to this THURSDAY 29th MARCH, 2018.

Now in its 16th year, The Work features the very best advertising of the year from Australia, New Zealand and Asia. Published by Campaign Brief, The Work is recognised as a true record of creativity for the entire region.

There are three things that differentiate The Work 2018 from traditional award shows:

Firstly, entries are FREE.

Secondly, we are selective  to qualify for entry the ad or campaign must have already passed the test and been a finalist or winner at an awards show.

Thirdly, there are no wasted entry fees  only entries that are accepted into The Work incur an acceptance fee.

All entries are uploaded online: Judging will take place mid March and notifications of acceptances will be sent out early April 2018. Accepted work will be featured on The Work 2018 website.

STEP 1. The first step is to register and then log in here. Then follow the upload instructions.

Read this bit: EVERY entry to The Work 2018 must have already passed the test and been a WINNER or a FINALIST at a recognised city, national, regional or international awards show between January 1st, 2017 and January 31st, 2018.

Entries are open to all agencies, production companies, individuals and suppliers who are based in Asia, Australia and New Zealand.

Ads that have already been entered in The Work in previous years can not be entered again.

Entry is FREE. This is not another awards show. The Work is all about recording and recognising the best ads from our region. If your entry is accepted into The Work there will be an ACCEPTANCE FEE of AUD$200 for each single entry and AUD$350 for campaign entries.

In this way there are no wasted entry fees! If none of your entries are selected to appear in The Work there is no fee to be paid. Similarly if your budget this year only stretch to 2 or 3 acceptances  just enter your best 2 or 3 pieces of work.

Entry deadline is Thursday March 29, 2018.

STEP BY STEP GUIDE TO UPLOADING ENTRIES TO THE WORK

Step 1  Register

Fill in your details/password and register. You will immediately receive an email from The Work asking you to confirm your registration. Click on the link emailed to you to confirm. (If you do not get it within 2 minutes look in your spam folder).

Once you have registered you only need to use the log in area when you return to update your entries or add more entries.

Step 2  In the My entries area start your entry: select Country; select Category; and fill in Client Brand and Title of Entry using a dash (-) between the two. I.E: Burger King  McWhopper. Then click Save + Next button.

Step 3  Fill in the Details & Credits area. These credits appear with the entry if it is accepted into The Work so please include all agency and production credits. Then click Save + Next button.

Step 4  Fill in the Awards Won area. List all major awards the ad/campaign has won. Then click Save + Next button.

Step 5  Add campaign/single attachments and any case study or commercial here. For print Ads/Campaigns click Add Attachments and upload file with the entry title. For multiple entries in the campaign click Add Attachments to upload the 2nd, 3rd, 4th etc etc ad in the campaign with each entry title. If you are entering a Film category or a category that is using a case study video then click Add Attachments to upload a key still from the Film or Case Study video then click on Add URL Link and upload the URL link to the Film or Case Study (YouTube or Vimeo links preferred). If you are entering a campaign then upload a key still; different title and a different YouTube or Vimeo link for each part of the campaign.

Step 6  Does your campaign have a website as part of the campaign? If so add the link here.

Step 7  Once you have completed everything click Submit Entry and your entry is uploaded and submitted for judging. If you click Save + Close this saves the entry but DOES NOT finalise and submit the entry for judging. You must click Submit Entry to finalise the process.

All your entries and the status of each can be seen at the bottom of your My Entries page.| BY Ricki Green |

Specialist digital marketing and media consultancy, Mindbox, has bolstered its client roster after being appointed as the preferred digital services agency for the New South Wales (NSW) governments insurance and care organisation, icare.

Following a successful partnership in late 2017, Mindbox will see its remit dialled up to include all digital media and data strategy across the brands six service lines. icare is one of the largest insurance providers in Australia with $32 billion in assets. It insures more than 296,000 NSW employers and their 3.7 million employees; homeowners, builders and motorists, as well as some of the worlds most iconic assets like the Opera House and Sydney Harbour Bridge.

Mindbox has been tasked with driving awareness and reach, through digital media and data, to ensure icare platforms are reaching relevant audiences while amassing in-depth analytics to produce digestible consumer insights. The implementation of the new digital media and data strategy will ensure icare are better able to make informed business decisions, to deliver world-class insurance and care services to their diverse customer base.

Says Nic Halley, founder and CEO, Mindbox: We are driven by big thinking, coupled with collaboration and transparency, and have found the perfect pairing working with the icare team. Having kicked off with a project late last year, weve been able to swiftly pivot to become an agency of record, working to inform the digital strategy and scale up data analytics across the organisation.

icare are passionate about creating the best possible outcome for every person and organisation they work with, delivered through a fair, respectful and empathetic experience that focuses on the individual. Our focus is on ensuring that data is an essential resource for business strategy  a source of truth and intelligence to support robust decision making and help bring this vision to life.

Says Andrew Branwhite, head of brand, customer strategy and integrated marketing, icare: As the one of the largest general insurers in Australia, we are passionate about changing the way people think about insurance and care. For us, data is key to gaining richer customer insights and strengthens how we provide delivery of cover, treatment and support. Our collaboration with Mindbox ensures were working with a NSW based partner who can mirror our business objectives and drive aid for the people of NSW.

The new partnership follows a raft of successes for Mindbox in 2017, which saw the consultancy partner with DHL Express across the ANZ region and continue its work with HCF, Players Voice, Air Canada, Teachers Health and Puffling.| BY Ricki Green |

The Core Agency has launched a new creative campaign for its client, Pet Circle. The brand is Australias largest online pet supplies company selling everything from pet food to treats and medication, through its website petcircle.com.au.

The campaign leverages the brands new Nourish them core idea created by the agency. It includes 30 sec and 15 sec TVCs, outdoor and digital executions.

Pet Circle is amongst a growing list of clients at The Core Agency including QBE Insurance, Sydney Airport, Key Pharmaceuticals, NSW Government, Cook Islands Tourism, RSVP and The Fred Hollows Foundation.

Says Christian Finucane, founder and creative partner, The Core Agency: Were really pleased with this new work for Pet Circle  its simple message will help power the growth of our client. Its always a bit nerve-wracking filming animals, but the guys at Photoplay did an amazing job on the day.

This latest campaign launch comes after The Core Agency announced last month it had won the Elders Insurance account. The agency is tasked with creating and rolling out a new Core Idea for the customer-focused insurance brand.

Client: Pet Circle

Marketing Director: Juvita Janto

Agency: The Core Agency

Creative Partners: Christian Finucane & Jon Skinner

Strategy Director: Simon Rich

Senior Copywriter: Dave Glen

Senior Art Director: Simone Parravicini

Junior Art Director: Valeria Camin

Managing Director: Jane Callister

Account Manager: Max Whitehouse

Agency Senior Producer: Bill Doig

Production Company: Photoplay

Director: Gary John

Producer: Bonnie Fay

Post Production: The Editors| BY Ricki Green |

Clemenger Group Australia and New Zealand has sent a cross-disciplined crack-team to SXSW 2018 in Austin, Texas. Together, theyre bringing daily updates for Campaign Brief readers, featuring only the very best of the conference.

The reinvention of stores: Innovate to survive

Physical retail is not dying. Boring retail is. So says Emily Wengert, Group VP User Experience at Huge.

Simply doing whats expected isnt enough anymore. In her talk, Wengert argues that in-store tech has the power to enhance the retail experience by addressing retails worst traits  long queues, poorly trained staff, challenges of finding things. All the while,supporting the best ones  the community, discovery and tactility.

With the world of tech at our fingertips, to reinvent the store environment, brands need to be a part of the experience economy. Providing a memorable, unexpected and just for me experience for loyal and new customers alike.

Whether its a boutiques or adepartment store, brick and mortar isnt going anywhere. But in order to survive, its going to have to transform. A lot.

Designing cashless cities

Chinese design and tech principles and practices are leading the world, but are often overlooked.

Opening with this quote from John Maedas 2018 Design in Technology Report, Shanying Leung used his session to showcase how payments in China have rapidly evolved  even beyond phones.

Thanks to his work on AliPay Chinas main mobile payments platform of >500 million usersyou can navigate the public transport system without a wallet, using biometric voice security and facial recognition for purchase.

He also scoffed at the western view that the QR code is dead when AliPay is enabling peer-to-peer payments via personal QR codes.

Australia and New Zealand has high rates of contactless payments, sure. But it seems like, if you really want to see what the future has in store, look to China.

VR for empathy training in trauma

See one, do one, teach one. Thats the current approach to learning emergency trauma surgery; diving into the deep end. But when that deep end is life and death, its no wonder 40% of trauma surgeons have PTSD.

In Amanda Sammanns undeniably passionate presentation, she argues that pre-exposure through VR is our best weapon against burnouts, mental breakdowns and panicked decision making in trauma wards.

By quite literally putting you in someone elses shoes, VR could help surgeons be more empathetic toward their patients, coworkers and even themselves  from first response all the way through to rehab.

Sammanns states this isnt just cool tech, its human lives. As advertisers, we often flippantly mention that were, in fact, not saving lives. But what if we could help?

Death and legacy in the digital age

The digital afterlife is not talked about a lot. But Rebecca Blum, Senior Strategist at frogSF, certainly got us thinking.

Maybe its slightly morbid, or maybe tech has advanced so quickly we havent had the chance to think about it, but weve had a glimpse in to the future through the likes ofBlack Mirror, Minority Report, Westworld etc., and we know that the tech is catching up to those views of the future. But how much of it is already here?

Well, were creepily close.

In early 2016, Eugenia Kuyda created Roman Bot out of texts from her best friend so they could keep talking after her passing. And last year the Illinois Holocaust Museum and Education Centre revealed the interactive 3D hologram of survivor Adina Sella. Thats only two examples.

With 428 Facebook users dying every hour, what should be the fate of our social accounts? Our emails, texts and voicemails? Should we give someone our password? Cancel the accounts? Curate them? Or immortalise our digital selves?

Theres a lot of questions that need to be answered.

A conversational future: Making technology adapt to us

Were (obviously) at an exciting point in the UX field. With a shift from flat interfaces to gestures and voice, the way we interact with tech is changing.

Both Laura Granka (Experience Research) and Hector Ouilhet (Design) have been at Google for over 10 years, and are currently leading their respective disciplines for Google Search. They presented on the relationship between people and technology and how it evolves and expandsor disappearsover time.

For Google, this new era of UX begins with a shift in focus from promoting features (i.e. maps) to journeys. Journey-based UX means that predictive technology will be able to pre-empt customers questions and deliver real-world solutions  all in real-time.

This shift for Google, and the UX discipline, elevates products, services and utilities to a higher order  helping people solve problems before they even pop up.

As marketers it means a whole new world of adaptable messaging for the individual. One where we may even be able to predict their next interaction. Kinda cool and an opportunity for us to be highly contextual and highly creative.| BY Lynchy |

The long-awaited Campaign Brief Legendary Lunch for 100 of Melbournes top creatives ~ and some key agency producers and production company producers ~ will be held today, Thursday 15 March, generously sponsored by The Producers.

NOTE: this is an invitation-only event but if youre a top creative and havent yet got your invite, email Lynchy.| BY Lynchy |

AdFest has unveiled its final four sessions, which complete this years Craft@ADFEST (21  22 March) and Creative@ADFEST (23  24 March) programs. ADFEST 2018 takes place at the Royal Cliff Hotels Group in Pattaya, Thailand, and the full program can be viewed here.

A.I.DEA  Riding the Wave of Chinas Tech Revolution, presented by Adams Fan, Founder & CCO of F5 in Shanghai

Wednesday 21 March, 3:15 pm

One of Chinas most awarded creative leaders is coming to AdFest 2018 to explain why China will play a leading role in the AI revolution. AI relies on machine learning, which is fed by data. There are 750 million mobile users in China, and tech companies are heavily investing in R&D. As a result, China will match the West in three years when it comes to AI, explains Fan, who is Founder and CCO of F5, Shanghai. Showcasing uniquely Chinese case studies from Alibaba, Tencent and Baidu, Fan will explain how Chinese brands are using tech to push creative boundaries. Fans creative credentials are impressive: he was the most awarded Chinese creative leader at the 2017 Cannes Lions awards, winning three Lions for Baidus Know You Again campaign.

Hacking Mobile Storytelling, presented by Rafael Guida, Head of Facebook Creative Shop, Southeast Asia

Thursday 22 March, 10:45 am

The mobile format is nothing new, but it hasnt been cracked when it comes to storytelling  at least, thats the view of Facebooks Rafael Guida, who is presenting a session at AdFest 2018 in which hell explain why the mobile format is such a tricky platform for storytellers. For decades, radio, print and TV changed minimally, allowing advertisers to master storytelling on those platforms. Mobile on the other hand, changes constantly  on Facebook we have had hundreds of different formats since inception, which makes the medium difficult to master. You need to understand the user behavior and craft towards that, instead of a specific format, he explains.

Originally from Brazil, Guida graduated in Digital Design and has worked across advertising agencies in Sao Paulo, Dubai, Kuala Lumpur and Hong Kong for the past 13 years. In the process, hes won over 100 international accolades, including Cannes, D&AD, Clios, One Show and Effies.

The Craft of Joseph Kahn  a conversation with Korean-American filmmaker, Joseph Kahn, hosted by Julie Thomas-Toda, Creative Producer at AOI Pro. Inc. in Tokyo

Thursday 22 March, 4.45 pm

AOI Pro. Inc.s Julie Thomas-Toda will chat to Joseph Kahn about his explosive success as one of the worlds most influential filmmakers of pop culture today. Based in Los Angeles, Kahn will discuss his personal obsession with creating visual connections and his uncanny ability to keep a pulse on pop culture, while shifting creative gears and genres between music videos, commercials and feature films. He has worked with some of the worlds biggest artists such as U2, Katy Perry, Lady Gaga, Justin Timberlake and Beyonce, to name a few, and recently collected his eighth MTV VMA Video of the Year Award for Taylor Swifts Bad Blood. He has also directed ads for clients including Samsung, Adidas, Johnny Walker, BMW, Mercedes, Budweiser and Bacardi. Born in Hawaii, Thomas-Toda joined AOI Pro. Inc in 1991 where her passion for film craft has led the company to become a leader in collaborating with international creative professionals and filmmakers.

Breaking Bad. How to Transform a Brand Without Destroying its Legacy, presented by Dominique Touchaud, and Vidya Murthy, Associate Brand Directors at Procter & Gamble Asia

Friday 23 March, 10:45 am| BY Lynchy |

The Asia Pacific Tambuli Awards has appointed Coca Cola Phils. President & General Manager Winn Everhart (pictured) to the 2018 Overall Executive Jury, chaired this year by Malcolm Poynton, Global Chief Creative Officer, Cheil Worldwide.

Evaluating entries at the APAC Tambuli awards happens at two levels: the executive juries for creative, media & digital, and humanity & culture categories evaluate entries and determine the bronze, silver, and gold winners. All gold winners are then evaluated by the Overall Executive jury to determine which among them deserve to be elevated to grand prix. From among the grand prix, the platinum winner is chosen.

The pioneer award show globally that honors meaningful brands that do good and do well, the APAC Tambuli Awards celebrates brands that show the seamless integration of creativity + human good + results. Case study entries must demonstrate how brands uplift society, create positive change, and correlate purpose with purchase.

The APAC Tambuli Awards is not an award on charity, advocacy, pro bono, or CSR advertising, even if those campaigns are welcome and encouraged to enter. The award, however, focuses on mainstream brand campaigns that celebrate humanity, inspire purpose, and deliver results.| BY Lynchy |

GOVT Singapore has added two seasoned creative leaders to its growing agency.

Creative Director Pradeep DSouza (pictured right) joined from DDB Singapore late last year, bringing with him a wealth of leadership experience, having worked on accounts such as RSAF, Manulife, KeppelLand, the Breast Cancer Foundation Singapore and more in an illustrious, award-winning career spanning over 17 years.

DSouza leads the charge on accounts such as The National Gallery, Virgin Active and Unilever amongst others in the agency.

Steve Kyriakou (pictured above left) also joins GOVT as Creative Director. Previously Creative Director on Singtel at Ogilvy, Kyriakou brings with him a depth of experience working on and winning awards for blue-chip brands such as UOB, DBS, Qatar Airways, IKEA, Great Eastern Life Insurance and more.

Kyriakou immediately takes on the remit of leading the creative department on the OCBC Bank account, alongside Executive Creative Director Tim Chan.Notice for the Postmedia Network

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A controversial film that shines a light on Australia's love-hate relationship with kangaroos will premiere in Canberra on Thursday. The confronting first minutes of the documentary, called Kangaroo, show the native icon being gunned down in the dark. Those images are juxtaposed with shots of Australia's stunning outback scenery, and kangaroos bounding across open plains. ACT environment minister Mick Gentlemen has described the film as "one-sided and sensationalist" despite admitting he hadn't seen it, while ACT Greens spokesman for the environment Shane Rattenbury said he would consider going to see the documentary when it comes to Dendy Canberra. The documentary premiered in America in January to rave reviews. Film co-director Mick McIntyre said throughout the movie they explore the idea that while Australians cheer on the Wallabies, have the kangaroo on the Coat of Arms and it is the symbol of the national airline, there is an underlying notion of hatred among some Australians towards the macropod. "We uncovered some things that we think are worthy of a national discussion, like the animal cruelty and the hygiene of kangaroo meat." He said people had been eating kangaroo meat thinking it's clean and environmentally-friendly. "What we discovered was that it's not. It's unavoidable how some carcasses get contaminated with E.coli and Salmonella. It's clearly not the meat it's been made out to be." Mr McIntyre said he wasn't an animal activist. He said he and co-director Kate McIntyre Clere were in the market for a good story, predominantly for the American market, and there was clear international appeal in the kangaroo. The film was four years in the making. "We thought it was an interesting story, but what we uncovered was not what we were expecting," Mr McIntyre said. "We're happy to celebrate this great icon when it suits us, but it now appears we also turn a blind eye to the treatment of the kangaroo." Initial thoughts on the film in Australia have resulted in "name calling and shouting", which Mr McIntyre said wasn't surprising. "It's uncomfortable, and I make no apologies for that, because it's what is going on. We can either turn a blind eye to it or we can have a mature discussion about it." He said the most poignant issue to him was that what started as culling kangaroos to protect property and livestock has become a commercial industry. "It has changed to industry exploitation," Mr McIntyre said. "What started out as farmers needing to be helped to control kangaroos, has now turned into an industry to kill kangaroos to keep the industry going." The trailer for the film has one man saying how "wonderful", "fuzzy" and "maternal" kangaroos are, and in the same sentence saying the native animal is a pest and should be "eliminated wholesale". Another voice in the film's trailer says they thought the kangaroo was "like the American Bald Eagle, a national symbol'", and another says Australians have been "hoodwinked into believing it was ok to kill our national icon". "As documentary makers, we believe it is our role to show what's going on," Mr McIntyre said. He said while the film didn't delve into state-specifics, the ACT was a "microcosm of what's going on around the country". "The issues we bring up in the film very much apply to the ACT." Mr Gentleman said "by all indications" the film contained dubious claims. "It is also not relevant to the ACT context as we do not have a commercial kangaroo industry," he said. "Small-scale culling is conducted in the ACT to protect the environment from overgrazing which can threaten other native flora and fauna, including threatened species. This culling is undertaken according to a strict national code of practice." He said the ACT was the only jurisdiction to limit culling to a season between March and July to reduce the likelihood of orphaning joeys. Mr Gentleman said while the ACT had undertaken kangaroo culls annually since 2009, no decision had been made on whether a cull would take place in 2018. Mr Rattenbury said he couldn't comment on the film as he hadn't seen it, but said the ACT Greens - against calls from their NSW counterparts - would continue to support the cull of kangaroos in Canberra "on the basis that it is necessary to protect endangered ecosystems". "This view is based on rigorous evidence and has no commercial basis. We support the regular review of the practice and the evidence to ensure it only occurs out of environmental necessity," Mr Rattenbury said.

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A referendum should be held at the next federal election to change the section of the constitution forbidding dual citizens being elected to parliament, one of Australia's leading constitutional lawyers has said. George Williams, a Dean of Law at the University of New South Wales, said a referendum should be held to alter section 44 of the Constitution to allow for parliament to determine the criteria that MPs are disqualified if they are dual citizens. The calls for change were laid out in a recent submission to a parliamentary inquiry on the constitutional section that caused multiple MPs to resign or be removed from federal parliament in 2017. In the submission, Professor Williams said the phrase "until the Parliament otherwise provides" should be inserted at the beginning of section 44 following a successful referendum, removing ambiguity as to how MPs can be kicked out of office. "This would leave the existing disqualification criteria in place, as a transitional measure, but would enable parliament to tweak these criteria as required through the passage of legislation," the submission said. "It would also allow parliament freedom to amend the disqualification criteria as needed, while leaving a constitutional standard in place where no changes have been made." Professor Williams said a referendum on the matter should be held concurrently with the next federal election in order to minimise costs. "This would allow adequate time to build a public case for change, and would be significantly cheaper than a standalone referendum," he said. Among the reasons for the constitutional change laid out in the submission, Professor Williams said section 44 was an "increasingly maladapted mechanism" for dealing with disqualifications from parliament. He said the purpose of section 44, to ensure that parliamentarians are "singularly loyal to Australia" does not require an MP to step down if they are unknowingly a dual citizen. In a separate submission to the inquiry constitutional law professor at the University of Sydney, Anne Twomey, said the Australian Electoral Commission should publish a checklist for candidates and parties as to what needed to be done before the nomination process was completed. "It could, for example, advise candidates to identify the birth places of themselves, their parents and grandparents and any foreign nationality that might have been held by any of them, including by marriage, place of birth or descent," Professor Twomey said. The professor said in her submission that she was "sceptical" that legislation could be changed to avoid MPs breaching section 44. The submissions to the inquiry come as the High Court is reviewing the case of ACT Labor senator Katy Gallagher, who was a British citizen until more than a month after the 2016 election. The senator said she took all reasonable steps to renounce her citizenship before the federal election, despite the UK Home Office demanding extra documents to confirm her renunciation. Professor Williams said in his submission that Senator Gallagher's case could potentially clarify whether a candidate taking all reasonable steps would be enough for a candidate to divest themselves of foreign citizenship. "It is unlikely to do so comprehensively, as what constitutes 'reasonable steps' may vary from country to country, and depending on broader circumstances," he said. "We believe that an adequate long-term solution to this issue requires the implementation of clear rules that accord with community standards and that operate in a manner that is readily ascertainable by prospective candidates. "This can only be achieved through constitutional change following a successful referendum." The inquiry is set to report the findings to parliament by March 23.

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The federal government is still deciding whether to heritage list or demolish the former CSIRO headquarters on Limestone Avenue, a year after an "emergency" heritage application was first lodged. As the decision drags on, the empty buildings have become increasingly dilapidated - and the target of looters and vandals. Concerning footage has also emerged of hooded teens breaking into abandoned buildings around Canberra, including the old CSIRO site, their feet dangling over the edge of rooftops or balancing on walkways. Some videos feature close escapes from authorities or "overnight challenges" where trespassers try to outsmart security on site. A spokeswoman for the Department of Environment and Energy confirmed last Monday the decision to heritage list the CSIRO site was still under assessment and would take "as long as it takes" but there was no normal timeframe for such decisions. Property developer Doma Group owns both the CSIRO site and the abandoned Alexander and Albemarle towers in Woden, which have also become a playground for young "urban explorers" in recent years. Doma, which pays for security at the sites, plans to knock down the office blocks to make way for apartments and townhouses. But Eric Martin of the National Trust said Doma's own report of the CSIRO site found it had heritage value, both for its architecture and the endangered flora and fauna on Mount Ainslie. While the question of a listing hung over the site, those values were being destroyed by vandalism and looting, he said. "The longer it drags on, it just frustrates everybody, it's not good for the company, it's not good for the community," Mr Martin said. "A [decision] doesn't normally take this long...especially given...the proposal is there, the reports are there, it should be a relatively simple process. "These decisions needs to be made so people understand where the situation stands." Doma managing director Jure Domazet said he was waiting on the heritage process, which was quite complex, and he did not know when to expect a decision. But, as the site continues to sit empty, some residents have also raised concerns about "organised looting" and "school age children" at the old buildings. Similar problems have plagued the Woden towers, and Department of Health staff in the building across have long complained of people trespassing at the site, smashing windows, or else "jumping from roof to roof". Several expressed fears "someone might be killed" after teens were spotted on the roof of the buildings last year. A spokesman for ACT Policing said officers were concerned about all criminal activity but "by nature, identifying offenders in relation to abandoned buildings is very difficult". In the past year, he said police had attended the former CSIRO site 18 times, including over trespassing offences, and the Alexander and Albermarle buildings in Woden at least four times. "[Those] statistics do not capture pro-active police patrols where no offences or offenders were identified," the spokesman said. While the government's lease variation charge made redeveloping the Woden blocks as offices unviable, Doma is currently preparing a new development application to turn the towers into apartments instead.

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Camilla Franks, well-known for her high-end kaftans, is turning her hand to philanthropy after a successful foray into fundraising. Franks, who recently welcomed her first child, last year designed and sold a silk scarf made from surplus cut-off fabric that netted about $50,000 in eight weeks. Bouyed by the response, she chose to donate 100 per cent of the profits from sales of the $149 item, and launched her own charitable project. She has now joined forces with The Hunger Project Australia's Butterfly Effect, an initiative that champions women-centred strategies to eradicate poverty. Franks hopes that by forging an official partnership with the organisation she will be able to raise $120,000 over the next year which will go toward funding the education of 1000 young women in India's Bihar region. "During a trip to India a few years ago, I witnessed first-hand how some young women are mistreated and I now understand that with every dollar, guidance, education and support we can help turn their lives around," Franks told Fairfax Media. "My dream for my label is bigger than fashion. Its about a full vision that helps empower girls and women by providing them with skills, education, purpose and a safe community." Franks, who takes annual "inspiration trips" abroad to places like India, Japan and South America, said she was shocked to learn that nearly half of the girls in the Bihar community were married before the age of 18 and less than 20 per cent of the young female population received an education. "Were excited that Camilla is bringing a new level of leadership for teenage girls living in rural India," The Hunger Project Australia chief executive Melanie Noden said. "They are one of the most vulnerable groups to the harsh cycle of poverty and this initiative will have a sustainable impact for the girls and their families, now and for many generations to come." Franks has now designed a special capsule collection that will feature a unique print and go on sale on March 14. It will sit within the label's upcoming autumn-winter collection which is dedicated to India. "My second home," the Woollahra-based designer said. Franks will donate 10 per cent of its sales to her Butterfly Effect program.

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The ludicrously, luridly credible stories in Michael Wooff's expose of Donald Trump's presidency, Fire and Fury, have worn us all out. We have given up laughing and crying too quickly. Not only is there more we need to read in Woolf, his book also scatters plenty of clues about what Trump himself needs to read. The usual anthologies of Woolf anecdotes graphically depict a post-literate President, one who supposedly makes every issue personal, misunderstands cause and effect, has a limited attention span and believes "all news was manipulated and designed, planned and planted". A few of those shortcomings may be evident in other leaders, too, particularly ones who rarely bother to listen and to learn. Such vices are, however, not often exaggerated  as they are said to be with Trump  to the tipping point of pathology. Surely other leaders have also proved hard to control or manage, to tutor or lecture. Without doubt, many have demanded that their staff "bring me big". Other minders have not always responded with what Woolf deliciously calls "throw-it-against-the-wall style", trying to guess what their boss might want, then give him credit for any ideas they have thought up themselves. In fairness to Woolf, he does balance Trump's narcissistic traits against three Trump assets: flashes of intuition, deft flattery and a shrewd capacity to play on others' weaknesses. None of those virtues, so to speak, is necessarily common, while each possesses a certain mercenary utility. Although Woolf might have put Trump off reading any more books, students of governance must persevere. Allocating half an hour each evening for a quiet read would cut into Trump's nightly schedule but, according to Woolf, those nocturnal habits are so atrocious they should be disrupted. Fire and Fury has it that Trump changes at dinner time into his pyjamas, eats hamburgers, turns on four televisions, yells at the screens, then rings up his mates for a whinge. A good book would provide welcome respite from that routine. For Trump, an easy way into books would be the diaries of Tony Blair's amanuensis, alter ego, eminence grise and spokesman, Alastair Campbell. Campbell was the sort of senior staff member for whom Trump seems to yearn. He is plainly resourceful, resilient, well-connected, foul-mouthed  a thinking man's Steve Bannon. Trump would surely revel in Campbell's dexterity in spinning, twisting and manipulating any controversy. Campbell's relentless denigration of his adversaries would also resonate. Author and reader might part company when Campbell emphasised the bedrock importance of discipline and focus, or when he confessed himself bluffed by the top-level jealousies tainting the Blair governments. Along the way, after a few diary entries, Trump would surely ask himself whether to co-exist with an adviser ready to answer back, impervious to intimidation, who knew his own mind. After Campbell's English fire and fury, Trump might be tricked into studying a more sedate, subtle portrait of power. We could throw the switch to whimsy, and offer Trump some more palatable fare. My first pick would be the character of Stiva Oblonsky in Tolstoy's Anna Karenina. Oblonsky is the anti-Campbell, his personality the antithesis of Trump's. Tolstoy's creation decided early on in his career "not to raise any objections, not to be envious, not to quarrel, and not to take offence". So far, Trump seems to sustain himself by indulging that quartet of vices. In Oblonsky's senior position, as head of a government board in Moscow, he evinced "extreme leniency, founded on a consciousness of his own defects". Showing "complete indifference to the business", Oblonsky was "never carried away by enthusiasm and never made mistakes". As for recreation, he "loved his paper as he loved his after-dinner cigar, for the slight mistiness it produced in his brain". Those habits seem essentially benign, even genteel. US Vice President Mike Pence sometimes pretends to aspire to the Oblonsky role. If Trump were to take lessons from Oblonsky, as 1920s US president Calvin Coolidge appeared to have done, we would all sleep easier. Coolidge used to awake from his afternoon nap to ask his security service whether the world was still there. Asked about any hobbies, Coolidge noted: "I hold office." Were Oblonsky and Campbell too esoteric or obscure for Trump, he could turn for guidance to a British prime minister, not through more hackneyed Churchill quotes yet again but through Anthony Trollope's fictional creation (in The Prime Minister, still in print in Penguin). Trollope's prime minister actually prepared for the job. "I have put myself in a groove, and ground myself in a mould, and clipped and pared and pinched myself all round." The net effect of all that grinding, clipping, paring and pinching is wisdom, defined here as the ability to see through the pretensions and ambitions of "men who knew everything" (or presumed they did). Trollope's is the Eisenhower model of leadership, one which ensured that advisers would never say "neither awkward things nor impertinent things", that zeal was deplored on principle, and that nuance was all. Instead of four televisions, Trump might emulate the past British prime minister who liked to go to bed with a Trollope. All those books might prove too long, with too many big words, too much to remember and too few wins for the hero. If Trump were "drifting softly, now at the gate of dreams", then he could open Homer's The Odyssey. Trump might cast himself as Ulysses: a man wily, strong, implacable, "who knew the world by heart". In his bedtime read, Trump might imagine himself, like Ulysses, assailed by monsters, distracted by women, deserted by his mates, concerned about his wife. He would do better to learn to pay attention to Homer's supporting players, folk with hearts "aswirl with evil", others "deaf to justice, blind to law", or even "the shambling, shiftless dead". All still stand ready to hand. Abraham Lincoln would have known how to read such an exacting, unsparing morality play. Although other presidents might have lacked that skill, all Lincoln's successors, including Trump, could profitably have heeded Lincoln's challenge to them: "We shall nobly save, or meanly lose, the last, best hope of earth." Mark Thomas is a Canberra-based writer. Fire and Fury, by Michael Wolff, is published by Little Brown (January 2018).

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On January 28, then deputy prime minister Barnaby Joyce told Sky News that a federal independent anti-corruption watchdog was unnecessary because the Senate already performed that function. Only days later, the scandal that ultimately claimed Joyce's career once again brought the conduct of our public officials into the limelight. Yet the Senate's response to revelations that Joyce accepted rent-free accommodation from a prominent Armidale businessman and might have had a part in moving his then-not-partner between ministerial offices left one wondering whether comparing the Senate to a lapdog is more apt than a watchdog. First, we witnessed Joyce's Senate colleagues falling over each other to pledge their support for the embattled leader  before the full story had emerged. We then witnessed the Senate pass a resolution calling for Joyce's resignation without undertaking any investigation whatsoever. The final curtain on Joyce's ministerial career only fell after allegations of sexual harassment were raised. Now, following his resignation, it seems unlikely that allegations of ministerial misconduct will be investigated. I'm not about to (nor would it be appropriate for me to) add my voice to the already cacophonous commentary on Joyce. And let me be clear: I don't think Joyce's personal relationships are a matter of public concern. But sensible allegations that ministerial codes were breached should be investigated and, currently, the very body nominated by Joyce to perform that function seems unable or unwilling to do so. It's therefore unsurprising that the topic of a federal anti-corruption watchdog (let's call it a federal ICAC) has re-entered the national discussion. Last month, the Informant published an articulate analysis by Professor Richard Mulgan suggesting that arguments for a federal ICAC have been overstated. Nevertheless, with about 4900 public servants reporting that they witnessed corrupt conduct (in the 2017 State of the Service Report), perhaps the time for a federal ICAC has well and truly come. And in the wake of Joyce's recent scandal, perhaps a federal ICAC is now inevitable. But what would the watchdog look like? The examples provided by the various state anti-corruption bodies are a useful start. At one end of the spectrum, the NSW ICAC has broad powers to compel witnesses and conduct public hearings. This has led to accusations it is akin to a Star Chamber. At the other end of the spectrum, and shrouded in strict secrecy, is the South Australian ICAC. In fact, it was reported that commissioner Bruce Lander himself requested that the state government amend its legislation to allow him to conduct limited public hearings. While I'm not in a position to predict what model is likely to be chosen, most recent discussions suggest a federal ICAC would fall somewhere between the NSW and South Australian models  where Victoria's Independent Broad-based Anti-corruption Commission sits. If this is the case, it's likely a federal ICAC would have jurisdiction to investigate serious and systematic corruption among public officials and, in some limited circumstances, private individuals. It also seems likely that hearings would predominantly be conducted in private, unless the particular circumstances of the case call for a public hearing. So what would this mean for the Australian Public Service? First, what we won't see is a federal ICAC investigating allegations that a public servant has been treating the stationary cupboard like an all-you-can-eat buffet. In fact, it's likely that for the vast majority of public servants in the vast majority of cases, there will be no change to the disciplinary processes that apply to their APS employment. Nor, for that matter, should there be. The APS accountability system generally works well and disrupting that balance with a federal ICAC would be unfortunate, to put it mildly. Howeverthe introduction of a federal ICAC could offer public servants a powerful new whistleblowing mechanism. Presently, internal disclosures are the most common way public servants report corrupt conduct within the APS, and usually this is very effective. Nevertheless, problems can arise in a number of circumstances  not least of which when the employee who committed the misconduct is the employee responsible for investigating misconduct allegations. It's also my experience that some public servants are reluctant to report misconduct due to a fear of reprisals (whether or not that fear is justified). While anonymous complaint mechanisms go a long way to remedying this, it is the federal Public Interest Disclosure Act that offers the primary protection to public servants who fear reprisals. However, notwithstanding the Commonwealth Ombudsman's oversight of the disclosures scheme, responsibility to investigate allegations of corruption still rests predominantly with the agencies themselves. Although there is no question that the agencies undertake this responsibility with the upmost professionalism, their investigative capacity is limited. For example, agencies cannot compel potential witnesses to give evidence. Furthermore, the findings of internal departmental investigations are rarely made public, a powerful mechanism for transparency in government administration. By addressing these shortcomings, a federal ICAC could become an effective whistleblowing tool for public servants reporting corruption in the APS. However, it's these same two features of independent anti-corruption watchdogs that most concern opponents to a federal ICAC: the capacity to compel witnesses and the ability to conduct all or some proceedings publically. It is often suggested, not unreasonably, that watchdogs with these powers can besmirch reputations without good reason. This is of particular concern given a history of state ICAC investigations sometimes taking on a life of their own (I need only mention the name Margaret Cunneen). Finally, if there's one thing the Joyce saga has demonstrated, it is that allegations of misconduct rarely only affect the accused individual. In particular, their families often end up bearing much of the burden. It's essential that any federal ICAC contain appropriate protections lest more families find themselves at the centre of a national controversy they never asked to be part of. While a federal ICAC has the potential to be a powerful whistleblowing tool for public servants reporting corruption, we must make sure that our enthusiasm for accountability does not take us out of the pan and into the fire. John Wilson is the managing legal director at BAL Lawyers and an accredited specialist in industrial relations and employment law. He thanks his colleague Robert Allen for his help in preparing this article. john.wilson@ballawyers.com.au

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Its great to find new things. Today, Im sharing two new-to-me tips and one oldie but goodie. Make Wikipedia look good, control your trackpad, and stay safer.

Wikiwand makes Wikipedia look good

Wikipedia is a wonderful resource, with more than 35 million articles. Why does it feel so  clunky?

Its been around for close to 15 years, and the interface looks like it. Wikipedia also looks awful on some mobile phones and tablets. But theres good news! A browser extension and iPhone app called Wikiwand make Wikipedia more appealing and much easier to read.

You can get browser extensions for Firefox, Chrome, and Safari, and an app for iPhones. An Android app is in the testing phase.

To get started with Wikiwand, visit the site, click on the word Wikiwand in the top left corner, and download and install the version you need. After that, any time you click on a Wikipedia link, the content displays in the extension/app. And it looks great.

Im using it in Firefox, and besides looking good right out of the gate, you can further customize Wikiwands fonts and justifications.

Its really very nice. If any of you are using it on your iPhone, Id love to know how you like it. Im waiting to test it on my Android.

Windows 10 contains a built-in way to disable touchpads

When youre typing messages or documents on a laptop, do you ever lose track of the cursor and discover its jumped up a line or two? Now that beautifully crafted prose is word salad.

Most of the time this behaviour is caused by accidentally touching the touchpad/trackpad on the laptop. Unless you hold your hands like a concert pianist, your wrists tap on that trackpad and the mouse cursor moves as if you clicked on a mouse button.

Well, yes. Thats what trackpads are for. But we only want that behaviour when we intentionally tap.

In Windows 7 we relied on utilities like TouchFreeze to automagically disable the touchpad while we were typing. But Windows 10 has that feature built in. We just need to enable it:

Open Settings (Pressing the WindowsKey and the I simultaneously is one way to do this)

In the Search box at the top, start typing touchpad

Click on Choose whether to have a touchpad delay

Under Touchpad sensitivity, choose your delay.

The delay were tweaking here is the time between when you tap the trackpad and the time it reacts like youre clicking a mouse button. If you strike a key in the delay, Windows 10 knows you dont mean a mouse click and ignores that tap on the trackpad.

If youre a fast typist, you can get by with a short delay. If you type slowly, youll want to set a longer delay. If you dont know, start with Medium, and then tweak again if you want more delay or less delay.

Check a file or a website with VirusTotal

Customers, friends, family, and readers often ask me how they can tell whether a link or a file is safe before they download it. One way is to check it with VirusTotal.

When you visit the VirusTotal website, youll see a very clear explanation of the sites purpose:

"VirusTotal is a free service that analyzes suspicious files and URLs and facilitates the quick detection of viruses, worms, trojans, and all kinds of malware."

Not only that, it does it quickly, efficiently, and with a high degree of accuracy. VirusTotal aggregates information from 50 or so antivirus engines and checks files, URLs, and IP addresses.

When you search on any of those, VirusTotal returns a result that shows how many of the AV engines return a positive result. You can then decide if the file/site is likely to be harmful.

Its dead easy to use, but if you need help, check the excellent documentation here.

Remember, you can also check a file youve already downloaded before you open or run it.

Right-click on the file and click on Scan with Windows Defender or Scan with your antivirus product. It only takes a minute (or less!) to scan a file. Its not like running a full scan.

And its well worth it.



Spring is coming! Enjoy Daylight Saving Time! And please consider sponsoring my ride: https://goo.gl/WnnSd3.Photo: Contributed

British Columbia's public insurer says it has spent $789,375 in damage claims for a Ferrari that crashed into a pole.

The Insurance Corp. of B.C. is embroiled in a court battle over the claims and repairs, which it says could cost more than $982,000 in total.

According to documents filed in B.C. Supreme Court, the plaintiff accidentally drove the 1990 Ferrari F40 into a utility pole on Sept. 9, 2012, leaving it badly damaged. The repairs have not yet been completed.

The driver is arguing that ICBC has breached an implied duty to process his claim and carry out the repairs in good faith and a timely manner.

"He alleges further that ICBC acted in bad faith in refusing, at least for a time, to approve and arrange the needed repair work and that delay has caused him various kinds of harm," a judgment in the case reads.

Following an investigation, ICBC eventually admitted coverage and has agreed to cover most of the cost of repairs. But it says it has already paid enough toward the claim, since its payments exceed the cash value of the car  which an arbitrator pinned at $696,061 in 2014.

The case is ongoing.

Last week, the province introduced an online survey on major shifts being considered to modernize ICBC.

The provincial budget forecast a $1.3-billion deficit at the Crown corporation this year and Attorney General David Eby has described the situation as a "dumpster fire" he says he inherited by the former Liberal government.

An Ernst and Young report commissioned by the Liberals last year suggested charging higher rates for luxury vehicles, among a suite of options for reducing losses at ICBC.Photo: The Canadian Press

Seven years after the Fukushima nuclear accident in Japan released radioactive elements into the environment, researchers say those elements pose minimal risk to human or salmon health along British Columbia's coast.

A team of researchers at Simon Fraser University's nuclear science lab collected soil and salmon samples from the Quesnel and Harrison rivers and used a high-resolution gamma-ray spectroscopy to search for signs of radioactive isotopes.

The isotopes  Cesium 134 and 137  are fission fragments that do not exist in nature and, therefore, can be directly attributed to nuclear reactions.

Lead chemist Krzysztof Starosta says that while they found evidence of the isotopes in both soil and salmon, the levels measured were very low. The team believes some of the lingering isotopes date back to 1960s nuclear weapons testing and the 1986 Chernobyl explosion.

"The levels found in both the salmon and soil samples remained below Canada's safety guidelines, posing minimal risk to B.C.'s salmon and human populations," Starosta said in a release.

He said it has been a relief to know the effects on the region have been so small, even if that was expected given Western Canada's distance from Japan.

"Proximity to a nuclear disaster is critical, but wind and weather patterns that carry airborne radioisotopes should also be of concerns. Wherever these radioisotopes land, they will eventually decay and release some degree of radiation," he said.

The team's findings were published in the Canadian Journal of Chemistry.

The Fukushima disaster occurred March 11, 2011, when a tsunami knocked out power at the seaside Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant, causing partial meltdowns in three reactors.

Japan marked the anniversary Sunday with an official ceremony in Tokyo. More than 18,000 people died in the tsunami and 70,000 are still displaced from their homes.Photo: Contributed Rogers Pass during a controlled avalanche.

UPDATE: 7 p.m.

Highway 1 has reopened in both directions in the previously closed area.

ORIGINAL: 3:30 p.m.

Highway 1 is closed in both directions 3 kilometres east of Golden for avalanche control.

DriveBC indicates the closure is due to a high risk of avalanches in the area.

The restricted area spans 14 kilometres.

There is no estimated time of opening, but an update is expected at 6 p.m.Contributed @jjmagers

UPDATE 8:10 a.m.

A pilot who survived when his helicopter went down in Manhattan's East River, killing five passengers, said in an emergency radio transmission that he had engine failure.

The pilot is heard saying "Mayday, mayday, mayday" during the crash on Sunday night. The pilot reported "an engine failure over the East River" and referenced a hotel, while the person at the other end of the transmission had trouble making out what the pilot was saying.

The pilot freed himself and was rescued by a tugboat, but emergency divers had to remove the passengers on the charter helicopter being used for a photo shoot from tight safety harnesses while they were upside down, Fire Commissioner Daniel Nigro said.

"It took a while for the divers to get these people out. They worked very quickly as fast as they could," Nigro said. "It was a great tragedy that we had here."

The National Transportation Safety Board dispatched investigators on Monday.

Video taken by a bystander and posted on Twitter shows the red helicopter land hard in the water and then capsize, its rotors slapping at the water.

UPDATE 5:27 a.m.

A helicopter crashed into New York City's East River Sunday night and flipped upside down in the water, killing all five passengers aboard, officials said.

A spokesman for the NYPD confirmed the deaths to The Associated Press early Monday.

Video taken by a bystander and posted on Twitter shows the red helicopter land hard in the water and then capsize, its rotors slapping at the water.

The helicopter, a private charter hired for a photo shoot, went down near Gracie Mansion, the mayoral residence. One person, the pilot, freed himself and was rescued by a tugboat, officials said.

The passengers were recovered by police and fire department divers, who had to remove them from tight harnesses while they were upside down, Fire Commissioner Daniel Nigro said.

"It took awhile for the drivers to get these people out. They worked very quickly as fast as they could," Nigro said. "It was a great tragedy that we had here."

Witnesses on a waterfront esplanade near where the aircraft went down said the helicopter was flying noisily, then suddenly dropped into the water and quickly submerged. But the pilot appeared on the surface, holding onto a flotation device as a tugboat and then police boats approached.

ORIGINAL 6:17 a.m.

A helicopter has crashed into New York City's East River, killing at least two people.

A spokesman for the mayor's office, Eric Phillips, confirmed the fatalities on Twitter Sunday night. He says at least one person has been rescued.

The helicopter, a model used by tourist companies, went down near Gracie Mansion, the mayoral residence. A small armada of rescue boats searched for survivors.

Video posted on Twitter shows a red helicopter land hard in the water and then flip on its side as its rotors beat the water.

News stations showed video of rescue boats at the spot where the helicopter crashed.

A Federal Aviation Administration spokeswoman says the Eurocopter AS350 went down just after 7 p.m.

It was not immediately known how many people were aboard the aircraft.Photo: The Canadian Press

A Canadian company has been chosen by Elon Musk's SpaceX to provide special creeper seats designed to help workers inspect its Falcon 9 rockets.

Creepex designed the so-called "under rocket mobility seats" after being contacted by a SpaceX engineer.

The seats allow engineers to work comfortably under the belly of the rockets.

They have a powered back rest that can recline to a flat position and places to hold tools.

Creepex was founded in 2011. The Quebec City company designs, manufactures and distributes creepers for garage mechanics.

SpaceX marked the 50th launch of a Falcon 9 rocket earlier this month.Photo: The Canadian Press

UPDATE: 1:08 p.m.

Bad weather in southwestern Alaska has delayed the air search for a British Columbia man and his climbing companion near Juneau.

Twenty-four-year old Marc-Andre Leclerc of Squamish and his 34-year-old climbing partner Ryan Johnson of Juneau were climbing the Mendenhall Towers.

A search began last week when the pair of experienced climbers didn't return by Wednesday, the same day a significant snowstorm battered the area.

Megan Peters, a spokeswoman for the Alaska State Troopers, says if the weather allows, a helicopter would try to reach the north side of the Mendenhall Towers some time on Monday.

Poor weather on Friday and Saturday hampered the air search, but a helicopter crew was able to fly over the south side of the towers on Sunday before the weather closed in again.

ORIGINAL: 5:15 a.m.

An accomplished B.C. alpinist spent 10 years training for the Alaskan mountain range where he disappeared last week, a family friend said.

Marc-Andre Leclerc, 24, of Squamish, B.C., and his climbing partner Ryan Johnson, 34, of Juneau, Alaska, have been missing for nearly a week.

Treya Klassen, a close friend of Leclerc's father, said the young man has had his eye on climbing Mendenhall Towers for years.

"He's seasoned to do this. He's trained to be able to survive a lot. He trained, so hopefully he's holed up in a cave, waiting out a storm," she said.

On Wednesday morning Alaska State Troopers were alerted that Leclerc and Johnson had not returned from climbing the mountains, which are located in the Mendenhall Ice Field north of Juneau.

They had been dropped off near the moutain ridge on March 4. Leclerc posted an Instagram photo from near the summit of th 2,100-metre main tower the following day, but officials said he hasn't been heard from since, even though they were supposed to hike and ski back to Juneau by Wednesday evening.

There was a significant snow storm in the region on Wednesday and neither of the men were equipped with a satellite phone or emergency beacon.

Some of the men's gear has been found, but the search for the men is ongoing.

Klassen said helicopters scoured the area Sunday, but had to call off the search later in the day because there was too much cloud cover. She said a K-9 unit will hit the ground Monday.

A chartered Coastal Helicopter with Juneau Mountain Rescue personnel and the U.S. Coast Guard are assisting in the search.

Outside magazine has called Leclerc "one of the best young alpinists in the world," and his biography on sponsor Arc'Teryx's website said Leclerc completed several ascents in Canada and Patagonia.

"He's a powerful human being. It takes something to do these endeavours," said Klassen, who set up a fundraising page in his name to help the family travel to Alaska to participate in the search.

"He's an amazing human being and he comes from an amazing family."Photo: CTV

At least one Vancouver city councillor wants to take back Robson square. The area has been dominated by an open-air cannabis market which has caused security and safety issues.

Now, councillor Melissa De Genova says it's time for the traffic barricades to come down so the roadway can be re-opened for other uses. De Genova is putting the motion forward this week.

CTV News reported a series of stories on confrontations and arrests as well as vendors allegedly selling pot to minors. Ultimately, police moved in and cleared out the illegal marijuana sellers after an investigation called Project Apprentice.

De Genova argues an open-air marijuana market wasn't what the public space was intended to be used for when it closed Robson Square to traffic in 2016.

"The public square model has failed here," she told CTV News. "The idea was to have this vibrant public plaza and I feel like it's lacked that leadership and programming."

De Genova has also heard from families who say they don't feel comfortable bringing their children through the square while cannabis vendors were there.

-with files from CTVPhoto: The Canadian Press

The White House on Sunday pledged to help states pay for firearms training for teachers and reiterated its call to improve the background check system as part of a new plan to prevent school shootings.

But in a move sure to please the gun lobby, the plan does not include a push to increase the minimum age for purchasing assault weapons to 21, which President Donald Trump had repeatedly championed.

Instead, a new federal commission on school safety will examine the age issue, as well as a long list of others topics, as part of a longer-term look at school safety and violence.

The plan forgoes an endorsement of comprehensive background checks for gun purchases, which the president, at times, seemed to embrace.

In a call with reporters Sunday evening, administration officials described the plan as a fulfilment of Trump's call for action in the wake of the school shooting in Parkland, Florida, last month that left 17 dead.

"Today we are announcing meaningful actions, steps that can be taken right away to help protect students," said Education Secretary Betsy DeVos, who will chair the commission.

DeVos said that "far too often, the focus" after such tragedies "has been only on the most contentious fights, the things that have divided people and sent them into their entrenched corners." She described the plan as "pragmatic."

The plan was immediately panned by gun control advocates, including the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence. "Americans expecting real leadership to prevent gun violence will be disappointed and troubled by President Trump's dangerous retreat from his promise," said Avery Gardiner, the group's co-president.

Sen. Bob Casey, D-Pa., called the plan "weak on security and an insult to the victims of gun violence." In a statement, he added, "When it comes to keeping our families safe, it's clear that President Trump and Congressional Republicans are all talk and no action."

The plan is less ambitious than the changes Trump advocated in a series of listening sessions in the weeks after the massacre. In televised meetings with lawmakers, survivors of recent school shootings and the families of victims, Trump made a strong case for arming teachers, but also increasing the age for purchasing long guns.

"I mean, so they buy a revolver  a handgun  they buy at the age of 21. And yet, these other weapons that we talk about ... they're allowed to buy them at 18. So how does that make sense?" he told school officials last month. "We're going to work on getting the age up to 21 instead of 18."Photo: Contributed

Authorities in Northern California have so far been tight-lipped about why a former Army rifleman may have killed three women after a daylong siege at a veterans home in Napa County wine country.

Albert Wong, 36, slipped into a going-away party for two employees of The Pathway Home on the campus of the Yountville veterans home campus about 50 miles (85 kilometres) north of San Francisco on Friday, then let some people leave, but kept the three women.

Wong, whose military records show he served in Afghanistan from April 2011 to March 2012, was enrolled in The Pathway Home's veteran treatment program until he was recently expelled, according to a relative of one of the women.

Law enforcement officials did not respond to questions throughout the weekend about what led to Wong being dismissed from the program or whether officials had alerted police or others to any concerns about his mental health after he was removed from the program. Records also show a state-issued security permit Wong had for a 9mm firearm was cancelled in October, but state officials could not immediately say why.

Executive Director Christine Loeber, 48; Clinical Director Jennifer Golick, 42; and Jennifer Gonzales Shushereba, 32, a clinical psychologist with the San Francisco Department of Veterans Affairs Healthcare System were remembered as immensely talented women who cared deeply about veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress.

Gonzales Shushereba was seven months pregnant. She was married a year ago and was supposed to travel to Washington, D.C., with her husband this weekend to celebrate their anniversary.

"Jennifer and her colleagues died doing the work they were so passionate about  helping those in critical need," her husband, T.J. Shushereba said in a statement.

Directors of the veterans program are beginning an exhaustive review of security protocols, said The Pathway Home spokesman Larry Kamer. It may never reopen, he said.Photo: Contributed

Spring-like temperatures and conditions across the Okanagan are causing some residents to worry about flood levels in the region.

Brent Hunt leases property on the east side of Okanagan Lake and he's been on pins and needles for more than a month now. "We just don't want to see it, when all they have to do is let some water out now."

Hunt says fighting last years floods almost killed him and he's worried if the same thing happens this year he might not make it, "we got hit really hard last year. We're in our mid-sixties and we were the youngest people at the sand pile. Thank god for the forestry guys who showed up to help last year, but it's not enough."

The BC River Forecast Centre says snowpack levels in the Okanagan and Similkameen are well above what would be considered concerning in any year.

As of March 1, the Okanagan snowpack was at 141 per cent of normal, which is only exceeded by the Similkameen at 144 per cent.

Seeing these kinds of numbers, above 120 per cent for us is where we start to get more concerned about elevated flood risk in the spring, and we are well above those numbers right now, said forecast centre spokesman Dave Campbell.

Campbell notes that doesn't guarantee flooding this year but the risk is elevated.

Brent Hunt hopes the powers that be are paying attention and minding the lake levels, he's now worried about his health, "it was a tough go (last year) and we just want to keep on top of it, if I have another one of those I think I'll have a heart attack."

Dave Campbell, speaking to Castanet says in a La Nina year, like this one, more precipitation will likely fall as spring arrives.

During a typical La Nina year, the snowpack grows by about five per cent between March and April 1.

-with files from Colin DacrePhoto: The Canadian Press

French couturier Hubert de Givenchy, a pioneer of ready-to-wear who designed Audrey Hepburn's little black dress in "Breakfast at Tiffany's," has died at the age of 91.

The house of Givenchy paid homage to its founder in a statement as "a major personality of the world of French haute couture and a gentleman who symbolized Parisian chic and elegance for more than half a century."

"He revolutionized international fashion with the timelessly stylish looks he created for Audrey Hepburn, his great friend and muse for over 40 years," the house of Givenchy said. "His work remains as relevant today as it was then."

Givenchy was part of the elite cadre of Paris-based designers, including Christian Dior and Yves Saint Laurent, who redefined fashion after World War II.

A towering man with impeccable manners, he forged close friendships with his famous clients, among them Liz Taylor, Jackie Kennedy and Princess Grace of Monaco.

He was born into an aristocratic family in the provincial city of Beauvais on Feb. 21, 1927, and founded his label in 1952, selling it to luxury conglomerate LVMH in 1988. He retired several years later.

Claire Waight Keller, who has been at the helm of the brand since last year, said on her official Instagram account she is "deeply saddened by the loss of a great man and artist I have had the honour to meet."

"Not only was he one of the most influential fashion figures of our time, whose legacy still influences modern day dressing, but he also was one of the chicest most charming men I have ever met," she wrote.

Bernard Arnault, CEO of LVMH, said he is "deeply saddened" by Givenchy's death.

"He was among those designers who placed Paris firmly at the heart of world fashion post 1950 while creating a unique personality for his own fashion label," according to a statement released by LVMH.Photo: The Canadian Press International Trade Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne

International Trade Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne is rolling out a new investment agency designed to promote Canada as a destination for investors.

He has named two top businessmen to run it.

He says Invest in Canada will be led by Mitch Garber as board chair and Ian McKay as CEO.

Garber is a business executive and philanthropist who is a co-investor and chairperson of Cirque du Soleil.

McKay is a businessman and a former political adviser to federal Liberal cabinet ministers.

Champagne says Invest in Canada and its dedicated team of trade commissioners will help investors navigate the ins and outs of investing here.

The federal government has earmarked $218 million over five years for the agency.

While the new body will be based in Ottawa, Champagne said it will work across the country.

"We are going after investment and that means we need to be represented from coast to coast to coast," the minister said "To that end, I will work with senior leadership to determine locations for these regional offices."

Champagne says he considers himself to be Canada's chief marketing officer, a sort of salesperson in chief.

"It is my job to create the opportunities for more Canadians to get into the export game."Photo: The Canadian Press

UPDATE: 11:45 a.m.

Air Canada says it has restored its computer systems after a morning outage led to delays across the airline's operations.

The company says it expects some continued flight delays as it works to clear the backlog caused by a disruption of its airport systems, check-in and customer service centres.

Airports in Toronto and Vancouver had reported disrupted flight schedules because of the technical issues along with congested terminals.

Air Canada customers in Canada and abroad took to Twitter to complain of long lines, flight delays and other travel disruptions because of the computer problems.

The company apologized for the inconvenience and thanked customers for their patience.

The disruption came two weeks after the airline had a computer issue that disrupted web and mobile check-ins and call centre operations and delayed boarding on some flights.

ORIGINAL: 10:40 a.m.

Air Canada has confirmed a system outage is leading to service interruptions as angry passengers take to Twitter to complain about long lines and flight delays during the March break travel rush.

The airline tweeted that it was "experiencing an interruption" at its contact centres and website and is working to restore service as soon as possible.

The Vancouver International Airport says there is congestion in the terminal because of Air Canada technical issues that are affecting flights nationwide.

Toronto Pearson International Airport has also confirmed that the Air Canada system issue is affecting flight schedules.

Air Canada customers in foreign airports have also been raising concerns about long lines and check-in delays.

The disruption comes two weeks after the airline had a computer issue that disrupted web and mobile check-ins and call centre operations and temporarily delayed boarding on some flights.Photo: The Canadian Press

Since a former Russian double agent and his daughter were poisoned in Britain a week ago, suspicions about Russia's possible handiwork have run high  except in major Russian news outlets, where fingers point in the other direction.

Sergei Skripal, a former officer in Russia's military intelligence service GRU who was convicted in Russia of spying for Britain, and his adult daughter were found comatose on March 4 in the English town of Salisbury, where he lived after being freed in a 2010 spy swap.

While in the West, suspicions about who could be responsible have landed on Russia, in that country the response has been very different.

"If you think about it, well, the only ones for whom the poisoning of the ex-GRU colonel is advantageous are the British," Dimtry Kiselev, one of Russia's most powerful media figures, said during his Sunday news program.

The British motive? "Simply in order to feed their Russophobia," Kiselev posited.

Kiselev's weekly show on state-owned TV channel Rossiya-1, a mixture of admiring coverage of President Vladimir Putin and insinuations of Western deviousness and incompetence, is regarded here primarily as a voice of the Kremlin.

His segment about Skripal was in sync with a reflexive response of Russian officials to attribute nearly all criticism from the West to anti-Russia bias. The sense of Russia as the target of prejudice that unscrupulous politicians work to cultivate is a key element of Putin's popularity as he seeks a fourth term in a March 4 election.

Former special services agent Mikhail Lyubimov was quoted in Komsomolskaya Pravda, one of Russia's most popular newspapers, as suggesting Skripal wouldn't have been worth the trouble of a hit.

"Skripal was sent to the West in a swap; that means he's absolutely uninteresting to us. He's a small-fry," Lyubimov said.

Komsomolskaya Pravda struck an almost facetious tone in the story.

"In Foggy Albion, the latest spy scandal with anti-Russian tones has ripened," it began. The article included a colorful Russian idiom for unfair accusations in a line that read, "It's obvious that, following the old tradition, all dogs will be hung on Moscow."

Russian media aimed at foreign readers have adopted the same tone of resentment and mockery as news outlets for domestic audiences.

"The British are well-known for their dramatic flair when it comes to stories of Cold War espionage and murder mystery. Think Ian Fleming, John Le Carre and Agatha Christie," said a commentary on Sputnik News, a state-run English-language news site.

"But this week's episode of a former Russian spy being poisoned on a public park bench in a quaint English town has suspiciously a tad too much drama about it."Photo: The Canadian Press

Canadians' collective household debt has climbed to $1.8 trillion as an international financial group sounds an early warning that the country's banking system is at risk from rising debt levels.

Equifax Canada says consumers now owe $1.821 trillion including mortgages as of the fourth-quarter of 2017, marking a six per cent increase from a year earlier.

Although nearly half of Canadians reduced their personal liabilities, roughly 37 per cent added to their debt to push the average amount up 3.3 per cent to $22,837 per person, not including mortgages.

The fresh numbers come as an international financial group owned by the world's central banks says Canada's credit-to-gross-domestic-product and debt-service ratios show early warning signs of potential risk to the banking system in the coming years.

The latest report by the Bank of International Settlements says Canada's credit-to-GDP gap and debt-service ratios have surpassed critical thresholds and are signalling red, pointing to vulnerabilities.

The group, however, cautions that these indicators should not be treated as a formal stress test, but as a first step in a broader analysis.Photo: The Canadian Press

Prince Harry's bride-to-be has made her first public appearance with Queen Elizabeth II.

Meghan Markle joined the queen and other senior royals Monday at the Commonwealth Day service at London's Westminster Abbey.

It marked another milestone in Markle's path to joining the British monarch's family. The American actress is set to marry Harry on the grounds of Windsor Castle on May 19.

Harry and Markle were greeted with screams and shouts from some members of the public when they arrived at the venerable abbey.

They were joined by Prince William and his wife, Kate, Prince Charles, and other royals.Photo: Texture

Apple Inc. is buying the Texture digital magazine service created by a group of publishers that includes Rogers Media.

The California-based technology giant didn't say how much it will pay to acquire Texture from Next Issue Media LLC, which has offices in Menlo Park, Calif., and New York.

Texture was launched in 2010.

The service provides unlimited digital access to more than 200 magazines for a monthly fee.

Among the current Next Issue partners is Rogers Communications Inc., one of Canada's largest magazine publishers.

Its other founding partners include Time Inc., News Corp., Hearst, and Conde Nast, which publishes Vanity Fair, Vogue and other titles.Photo: Twitter/Austin Fire Info

Investigators believe a package bomb that killed a teenager and wounded a woman in Austin on Monday is linked to a similar bombing that killed a man elsewhere in the city this month, and they're considering whether race was a factor because all of the victims were black.

Shortly after police Chief Brian Manley held a news conference in which he linked the Monday morning attack that killed a 17-year-old boy and injured a woman with a March 2 attack that killed a 39-year-old man, authorities rushed to the scene of another blast that badly injured a woman.

Authorities haven't said whether the most recent blast was also caused by a package bomb or if the victim, like those killed or injured in the two confirmed bombings, is black. Austin-Travis County EMS tweeted that the woman is in her 70s and was taken to Dell Seton Medical Center with potentially life-threatening injuries.

The explosions happened with hundreds of thousands of visitors in the city for the South by Southwest music, film and technology festival, and authorities urged the public to call the police if they receive any packages they aren't expecting. The explosions happened far from the festival's events, and there was no immediate word from organizers about additional safety precautions they were taking.

The three explosions occurred in different parts of east Austin. Monday's first explosion happened at a home near the city's Windsor Park neighbourhood and about 12 miles (20 kilometres) from the home where the March 2 package bomb killed 39-year-old Anthony Stephan House. The March 2 blast was initially investigated as a suspicious death, but is now viewed as a homicide.

Monday's second explosion  the cause of which was still being investigated  happened in the Montopolis neighbourhood, which is west of the airport and about five miles south of the day's first blast.

Manley said investigators believe the March 2 and Monday's first attack are related. In both cases, the packages were left overnight on the victims' doorsteps and were not mailed or sent by a delivery service. He said the U.S. Postal Service doesn't have a record of delivering the package to the home where Monday's explosion occurred, and that private carriers like UPS and FedEx also indicated that they had none, either.

"There are similarities that we cannot rule out that these two items are, in fact, related," Manley said.

Manley said investigators haven't determined a motive for the attacks, but it is possible that the victims could have been targeted because they are black.

"We don't know what the motive behind these may be," Manley said. "We do know that both of the homes that were the recipients of these packages belong to African-Americans, so we cannot rule out that hate crime is at the core of this. But we're not saying that that's the cause as well."

Special Agent Michelle Lee, a San Antonio-based spokesman for the FBI, said the agency "responded to both events" and was assisting Austin police, who were taking the lead on investigating. She said the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives was taking the lead on the federal investigation.

Manley said that a second package was discovered near the site of the initial Monday explosion and that some residents and media members were evacuated or pushed farther from the blast site as authorities determined whether it was a bomb.

Police didn't immediately identify the teenager killed Monday. Manley said the woman who was injured in that attack is a 40-year-old woman who remains hospitalized.Photo: Contributed

When a slimmed-down version of Matthew Foerster entered B.C. Supreme Court in Vernon, he didn't glance around.

If he did, his eyes would have undoubtedly met those of the Van Diest family.

Foerster was in court to enter a guilty plea to second-degree murder in connection with the death of Taylor Van Diest in 2011.

Foerster stared ahead while the judge asked him several questions including whether or not Foerster understood that by entering a guilty plea he was admitting the essential elements of second-degree murder  the essential elements being that he was the one who committed the offence.

To those questions, Foerster answered "I have," and "yes."

There was no movement from the family when Foerster spoke. They have been here before and are tired and nearly broken from the process.

"It makes you want to throw up a little when you do set eyes on him again," said Marie Van Diest, Taylor's mother.

Foerster was sentenced to life in jail with no eligibility of parole for 25 years; however, he successfully appealed that conviction and a new trial was ordered.

Instead of going through a new trial, Foerster elected to enter a guilty plea to the lesser charge of second-degree murder.

"Our sentence doesn't change," said Marie Van Deist. "We're in this forever, and I'm hoping that during sentencing the judge is not at all lenient... here's hoping the judge does the right thing and gives him the maximum."

According to Van Diest, Crown will be seeking a 17 to 20-year sentence, but she holds on to hope that the judge finds even that inadequate and bumps it up.

"I'm kind of relieved it is ending here," she says. "All we can do is hope for the best and hope the judge gives him (Foerster) an adequate sentence for what he has done."

During the first trial, Foerster admitted he was responsible for killing Van Diest, but contended he was only guilty of manslaughter or second-degree murder.

"Matthew knows what he did. He knows the steps he went through," says Taylor's father, Raymond Van Diest. "How can you leave somebody on a railroad track with that kind of damage?"

"Whatever happens to him is not enough. He needs to feel the pain and loss."

A sentencing hearing for Foerster is scheduled for April 9 to 11 in Vernon.Lena Chang Sheeran peacefully passed away in the early hours of August 13th at home surrounded by her loving family. Far more than an award-winning actuary and co-founder of both CURE and NJ PURE,...Mrs. Charlotte Keelin Jordan was born on March 15, 1909 in Chattanooga. She was married to the late James Jordan for 60 plus years.

She was a teacher for the Hamilton County School System for 45 years and taught at Summit, Harrison and Ooltewah Elementary Schools. She is a member of Tennessee Teachers Association. Mrs. Jordan matriculated at St. Elmo Elementary, Howard High School in 1928. She is the oldest living graduate of Howard High School. She received her bachelors degree from Tennessee State University.



She has one daughter, Norma (Mack) Roland and two grandsons, Thomas Roland and Bobby (Kelly) Brooks.



Mrs. Jordan is the oldest member of Fields Chapel Church in Summit. She is a former Sunday school teacher and served on the Missionary Society. She is still known for her patience and expertise as a teacher, has an outstanding personality and continues to exhibit care and concern for others.





Thomas the Tank Engine invites little engineers to join him for a day of adventures and memories at Day Out with Thomas: Big Adventures Tour 2018. Children everywhere can spend a day with their friend Thomas when the #1 Engine pulls into Chattanooga on April 28, 29, May 5, 6 and 12. Day Out with Thomas: Big Adventures Tour 2018 is presented by Mattel."Day Out with Thomas is a fun-filled event that provides children of all ages the opportunity to climb aboard and take a ride with Thomas as well as participate in Thomas & Friends themed activities. The tour, now in its 23rd year, will make 42 stops across the U.S.and Canada, and is expected to welcome nearly one million passengers in 2018. For 3 back-to-back weekends, little engineers and their families are invited to take a 25-minute ride on their favorite engine, meet Sir Topham Hatt, Controller of the Railway, and enjoy a day of Thomas & Friends fun with crafts, photo ops, and more. Children who attend Day Out With Thomas in 2018 will also receive a Passport to Adventures booklet to track their journey at the event, along with a special prize upon completion," officials said.Thomas the Tank Engine rides depart every hour, rain or shine. Departure times begin at 10 a.m. on Saturdays through 5:30 p.m. and Sundays 9 a.m.-4:30 pm. Tickets for Day Out with Thomas start at $21 plus tax for ages two and up.Tickets are on sale now and can be purchased at www.ticketweb.com/dowt or by calling toll-free 866-468-7630. For more information and directions, contact the Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum at 423-894-8028 or www.tvrail.comHigh school teams from across North Georgia converged on the Dalton Convention Center March 9 to take part in the FIRST Robotics Peachtree District Qualifier. Georgia Northwestern Technical College and other educational and business leaders across the region were on hand showing their support.You represent some of the best and brightest young minds in our region, said Georgia Northwestern Technical College Executive Vice President Dr. Heidi Popham. So, whether you are helping with the programming, electronics, welding, design or the marketing of these projects, we at Georgia Northwestern are very impressed by your drive and determination and hope to see many of you on campus in the future. Dr.Popham addressed the teams during the opening ceremonies.From the Northwest Georgia College and Career Academy Fighting Mongooses to the Dalton Cata-bots, competitors from dozens of Georgia high schools were competing for top honors at the regional competition. East Cobb, Dunwoody and North Gwinnett High Schools were the top three winners at the event. North Murray High School was a finalist in the event. Dalton High School was recognized as the best performing rookie team. NWGCCA won the competitions Entrepreneurship Award.Two years ago, NWGCCA took its Fighting Mongooses to the International FIRST Robotics competition in its very first year of competition. The team competed against more than 180 teams from around the world."The FIRST Robotics program began 25 years ago in New Hampshire with 28 teams in a single high school gymnasium. Today, FIRST has grown to reach more than 400,000 students throughout the United States each year. More than 80-percent of competitors say they are more likely to take more advanced STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) courses as a result of competing in the robotics competition," officials said.FIRST stands for For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology. For more information on taking part as a school, sponsor, or volunteer in Georgia, visit GeorgiaFIRST Robotics at www.gafirst.orgTennessee Missionary Baptist and Educational Convention will host the Adjourned Session April 9-12.

The event will be held at First Baptist Church, 290 East Winchester St. in Gallatin, Tn. where Rev. Derrick Jackson is the host pastor.

Rev. Breonus Mitchell, Sr. will speak Monday at 7 p.m. Rev. Dr. Edward Parker, Jr. will speak Tuesday at 6:15 p.m. Rev. Dr. Harold Middlebrook, Sr. will speak Wednesday at 6:15 p.m. and Elder Dr. Joe Maddox, president, will speak Thursday at 6:15 p.m.

For more information call 615-254-3115.Jody Morriss side will travel to the Midlands to take on Birmingham City on Wednesday 4 April, kick-off 7pm. Tickets can be purchased on the night at the stadium, priced at just 1 for adults and concessions. A date for the second leg at Stamford Bridge will be confirmed shortly.

The last-four tie is our ninth successive appearance in the semi-finals as the Chelsea Academy aims for a record-equalling fifth consecutive Youth Cup triumph this term. It is the second season in a row we have faced Birmingham in the competition; a hat-trick from Mason Mount alongside goals from Cole Dasilva and Reece James helped Morriss men to a 5-0 win in the fourth round last January.

Birmingham have beaten Bristol City, Sheffield United, Bury and Norwich City on the way to a first appearance in the semi-finals since 2009. The winners of the two-legged tie will face either Arsenal or Blackpool in the final.Global Bioenergies and German carmaker Audi announced that a key milestone was reached in their multi-year agreement. Renewable gasoline components were produced and shipped to Audi.

Using its Leuna Demo plant, Global Bioenergies has produced high-purity renewable isobutene, which was further converted by the Fraunhofer Institute into high-performance gasoline additives including isooctane, ETBE and isododecane. These e-fuels will be used in engine testing by Audi, in complement to those already performed by Global Bioenergies.

Currently, a small part of Global Bioenergies' ton scale isobutene production is directed toward e-fuels, using Fraunhofer's lab scale conversion unit. From the e-fuel produced, a batch of 60 litres was delivered to Audi. The e-fuel production capacity will be significantly increased in 2019 with the addition to the Leuna Demo plant of a dedicated fuel production unit, which will allow the production of renewable gasoline batches.

Marc Delcourt, CEO of Global Bioenergies declares: "We are proud to have met this milestone based on renewable isobutene-derived gasoline. Audi brings to our technology development a clear path to market perspective."

Reiner Mangold, Head of sustainable product development at Audi declares: "The objective of the partnership with Global Bioenergies is to develop sustainable e-benzin to our customers, as a voluntary contribution of Audi to reduce the automotive carbon footprint. We are very pleased with the progress and team work with Global Bioenergies."Supervisors, School Board pitch SRP fix, new schools Five years after a $99 million hole in the county school systems supplemental retirement plan touched off a financial tug-of-war between Chesterfields Board of Supervisors and School Board, an unexpected...

Local groups rally support for Afghan refugees Tens of thousands of Afghan civilians abandoned their homes, families and belongings to flee Taliban rule in Kabul as U.S. troops withdrew from Afghanistan last month. Under Operation Allies Welcome,...

GRTC offers direct bus line from Richmond to Chester Chesterfield County announced Monday that the GRTC Transit System is merging bus Route 111 with Route 3B, which will provide continuous bus service along U.S. Route 1 in Chesterfield to..."The intention is to open verification to everyone," CEO Jack Dorsey said during a live-stream chat Thursday, "and to do it in a way that is scalable, where we're not in the way and people can verify more facts about themselves, and we don't have to be the judge and imply any bias on our part."The Illinois Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act requires employers with at least 75 workers to notify the state 60 days in advance of a plant closing or mass layoff, which is defined as one that affects at least a third of its workforce, or at least 250 workers at a company of any size.The unemployment rate counts only people who are not working but are looking for a job, so it does not take into account those who are sitting out the job market. A fuller accounting of the states unemployment situation, called the U-6 rate, includes those discouraged workers as well as people who are working part-time jobs because they cant find full-time jobs. Illinois U-6 rate declined to 9.2 percent in 2017, from 11 percent the year before, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.A: It comes down to product innovation, technology and team-based selling. They all contribute almost equally. The new products give our sales team the opportunity to put forth something that the competition doesnt have. You can just imagine how energizing and motivating that is for the sales team. Theres an almost an unquantifiable impact; the sales team is just more motivated. But more than that, these products are typically on trend, and are all about saving labor costs.For better or worse, Cyrano remains Cyrano. And here is where the contemporized elements do let us think about what that means for our own time. (And of course, Rostands original, written in 1897, was a nostalgic plea for romance in the age of realism.) If a man never changes his outlook, never tempers his opinions, never veers from doing it his own way  is that admirable, or foolish? Crucially, Woods lets us see that the fear of rejection by Roxane because of his outsized schnozz is the one foe he cannot conquer, by word or sword.Someone with more than one family member who has had colon cancer is three to 12 times more likely to develop the disease than the average person, said Dr. Walter Koltun. He is chief of colon and rectal surgery at Penn State Health Medical Center.Other major tour operators, such as On the Go Tours and Intrepid Travel, have not canceled any upcoming departures or altered their itineraries. Most trips fan out around the country and visit such popular spots as Colombo, the commercial capital; Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte, the official capital; the ancient city of Anuradhapura; and the beaches of Unawatuna - all of which remain safe. The companies said they will continue to track developments through their in-country experts and official government organizations.But they lift a blanket ban issued this week for the city that had covered several all-inclusive resorts. The embassy said employee travel is now permitted "to resort areas in Riviera Maya including those near Playa del Carmen that are outside the restricted neighborhoods."The sculpture was used as a stand-in for former President Barack Obama in the ad, which was widely criticized at the time of its release in April. The ad paints a nightmarish vision of modern city life and states that the only way to save our country, the only way to fight this violence of lies is with the clenched fist of truth.The couple moved to Bloomington in 2016 to be with Strouts mother, Toby Strout, who ran a shelter for victims of domestic and sexual violence. When his mother-in-law died last year, Eisenberg said, we heard a lot of really nice words about her and one of the things was that Daniel Biss was inspired by her work on issues of domestic violence to kind of give back.We need to have a good conversation about how do we keep our citizens safer, how do we protect our students, our children, our families, he said recently when asked whether he would sign the legislation. And this should be done on a bipartisan basis. I believe we need to come together and we can come together to do a number of things.Mary, can you help me get Metra to move their late night train schedule from a 10:30 (p.m.) train to 11:00? This would allow theater patrons like me to get to Union Station and Ogilvie in time to make the train, and not have to wait until 12:30, which is way too late. Currently I am forced to drive in at rush hour, which can take up to 1.5 hours. If Metra moved their 10:30 trains back, lots of people would switch from driving. ... The collateral benefit would be the Loop restaurants and taxis that would get patronized.  Howard Kirschner, Morton GroveThe Chicago Defender is a longtime voice in this community and it is imperative that we maintain the highest level of integrity and credibility. As we continue to produce great content for the black community, it is important that we adhere to ethical standards, which cannot be compromised. After more than 100 years, the Chicago Defender continues to be an iconic and relevant brand dedicated to maintaining the trust of our readers and clients. Any conduct and behavior contrary to our companys values is taken very seriously.Township Officials of Illinois President Danny Hanning conceded that while some changes may be necessary, different areas of the state may have different needs. In a letter to members, he urged them to convince the public that the agency closest to them is also the most responsive.Nehemiah Clements said he is just one year younger than his sister, and they were close as children. Both attended Elgin High School, and Decynthia lived most of her life in the Elgin area other than for short times during which she lived in Florida and Las Vegas, he said. He didnt know if his sister was employed, he said.In a story Sunday, the Tribune said Legghette was scheduled to go on trial in 2009 on felony gun and drug charges after serving about eight years in prison for armed robbery when prosecutors suddenly agreed to a deal in which he pleaded guilty to the least serious charge in return for a three-year prison sentence. Since he had already spent 15 months in custody on those charges, Legghette was released a few weeks later.Soon after Logan left, the brothers and several others also left in a rental car, but Logan called one of the people who was with the brothers because he was particularly angry about the brothers not helping him or doing anything to stop the beating, according to prosecutors."From what I've seen from the speaker and his staff is they're taking it seriously too. We've met several times in caucus to talk about this issue," she said. "He's been upfront with the complaints that have been made, both on the campaign side and in the legislative state side, and he's shown me that he's serious about addressing the issue."Newman is trying to both capitalize on that energy and avoid being defined by it. Its good to get support and money from high-profile national figures, but she needs to appeal to Democratic voters in places like La Grange, Hickory Hills and the Garfield Ridge neighborhood west of Midway Airport who might not take kindly to what they see as dictates from far-flung liberals.According to the clinic's website, its fees for egg freezing are $8,345 for the initial cycle and $6,995 for each subsequent round. Herbert said, for patients still eager to use their eggs or embryos to try to become pregnant, the physicians and other staff will first thaw them to find out whether they are viable. If they are not, he said, "we are going to make our patients happy one way or another.""There has been a lot of tough talk over the years and almost no action to protect our national security and integrity," he said. "We have sent mixed signals to Russia. We have talked tough by calling it names and expressing our dislike of the regime, but at the same time we have been very much open for business with Russia, of any kind.""Now, this is not a popular thing to say, in terms of the NRA. But I'm saying it anyway," Trump said in a Feb. 28 meeting with lawmakers. "You can buy a handgun - you can't buy one; you have to wait until you're 21. But you can buy the kind of weapon used in the school shooting at 18. I think it's something you have to think about."The weirdest part comes when they stand and wait for you to agree. Boys are fantastic, I usually say, moving right along. Alas, not everyone thinks so. Its tempting to believe that boys are not hardwired to care about feelings or friendship, notes a recent New York magazine piece, part of a larger and questionable chin-stroking series called How to raise a boy. Really? Who finds this belief tempting, and has that person ever interacted with a real live boy? Further in the piece, we are told that boys need forced female friendship to curb their aggressive instincts, and that by the end of elementary school, boys are starting to sexually objectify girls. In other words, by going through puberty, theyre automatically oppressing women. Ah. OK. The power white American boys have been taught to seize for generations comes from the already powerless, women, people of color, everyone who isnt us, notes another piece in the How to raise a boy series, written by a man. Which is why, in a macro sense, the lessening power of men (straight and white particularly) is an unquestioned societal good. When others rise, we must fall. I could point out that this is an almost flawless example of economist Milton Friedmans fixed-pie fallacy  the mistaken assumption that one party can gain only at the expense of another. Ideally, we should work together to grow the proverbial pie and lift all proverbial pie-stocked ships, but hey, why bother? Thats apparently no fun at all.It will be tempting for them to discount the proposal as an unworkable civilian takeover of the Chicago Police Department and its oversight apparatus. Heres what it really is: An unambiguous vote of no confidence in politicians stewardship of those institutions. A reminder that theyve promised to overhaul the police accountability system, and that the job isnt finished. A challenge, maybe even a dare: Heres our plan. Can you do better?Thankfully, there are voices  a lot of voices  speaking out against the plan. Especially hopping mad are at least 38 members of the South Suburban Mayors and Managers Association, who warn that this proposal would destroy their efforts at economic recovery. Come to the south suburbs, Park Forest Mayor John Ostenburg told commissioners at a recent hearing. Well get the bus and well take you around from empty building to empty building, and then you tell us that we dont need viable incentives that help us get more business.Weve established that hypocrisy is a no-no. So theres no way Trump-loving evangelicals are going to be hypocritical. And in order for them to not be hypocritical, Trump cant be a sinner (remember, they despise sin), and in order for Trump to not be a sinner, his alleged sexual relationship with Stormy Daniels could not have been out of wedlock.Your recent article about South Carolina teen Jesse Osborne and his desire to commit the largest school shooting ever mentions that his motivation was fame. Guess what the Tribune put at the top of the article? His photo! It confirmed my belief that one of the reasons people shoot innocent kids is that they have so little in their lives, they want to be notorious rather than anonymous.I have been in a relationship for about four months now, and I believe things are going great. We have sex almost every single time we see each other. Not just once, but two or three times. The thing is that whenever we have sex, he is very into it, but he never ends up ejaculating. His excuse is that he has a lot of endurance/stamina. He then later changes it up, saying that he is exhausted, or he does not want to come all over my stomach. He says I shouldn't have to worry about this. It has nothing to do with finding me attractive. I give him blow jobs and they are great, but again, he doesn't come. Once, he claimed that he ejaculated twice, but I didn't get anything in my mouth. Should it worry me that he has yet to ejaculate with me? Could it be that he is not attracted to me, or is there a medical condition for this type of thing? Wondering MindsWhen it comes to summer barbecues, a rack of ribs sizzling on the grill is a must. But how much do you really know about ribs other than, well, that theyre delicious? Theres more to ribs than you may think. There are different styles of pork ribs, including baby back ribs, spare ribs, St. Louis ribs and more  though some may be more popular than others depending on the region. When buying ribs, make sure the meat is fresh and you have enough to feed everyone at your cookout. The way you cook ribs can vary so if you dont have a grill, you can still make juicy ribs in your oven, slow cooker and more. Here's everything you need to know about choosing and cooking prok ribs along with some of our favorite rib recipes to get you started.The deal explicitly did not require Arias to register as a sex offender, though it did put him on sex offender probation for 24 months and stipulated he'd have to comply with a sex offender evaluation and treatment, if so ordered. He was also to pay $410 in costs and have no contact with either victim or their immediate family members.He said GRNE also has to submit an application for grants for funding. He said the solar field is expected to be ready by the end of the year or the beginning of 2019, providing the grants the company wants are approved.The Oswego Planning Commission also denied the variance for the fence last year. The advisory group did approve the variance when it was presented on Feb. 8. However, a vote on a special use permit on the condition that a portion of the property be left as open space and to install a path failed by a lack of a second. A 2-2 vote from the group on the special use for a cemetery means the matter was sent on to the Village Board with no recommendation, according to village officials.Falkos, who was represented by a public defender, must serve at least 85 percent of his sentence, according to Illinois law. If released from prison, Falkos would have to register for life as a child sex offender and complete a term of mandatory supervised release. Falkos' DeKalb County case is still pending, with a status hearing set for Wednesday, and any sentence would add to his Kendall County time.As an 11-year-old in June 2013, Fath was among four boys, including his older brother Colin, who helped rescue two rafters trapped in the churning waters of a dam on the Vermilion River near Oglesby. Two Aurora police sergeants also aided in the rescue."They all felt that I was very determined," Ryan said of her therapists. "It depends on your age and your outlook. So, I think you have to put something into it with physical therapy and that's what they count on  that you're going to work hard. I didn't want it to be the end of my mobility and my ability to keep navigating. I've got a husband I want to keep up with, and he's in better shape than I am."For many, much of the fun of the parade is people watching along the sidelines as kids, many in Irish-themed costumes, scramble to collect candy and other goodies passed out, or thrown, by the passing parade.Her father, Harold Bogigian, has lived on the west side of the tollway, on the 900 block of Harding Road in Hinsdale for 47 years. He is not sure if he will be able to attend, but he sent the tollway an email about his concerns.Officials don't seem in much of a hurry to deal with Asian carp, despite seeing the damage from what other invasive species, such as zebra mussels, have done to Lake Michigan. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has a February 2019 deadline on what direction to take to upgrade a lock and dam on the Des Plaines River near Joliet to stop Asian carp from finding their way into Lake Michigan.I just heard that Joe Biden was in Chicago. I would like to remind people about this extraordinary person. He's the most outstanding human being that's ever run for office. He must be considered to be president of our USA in the next election, regardless of his age. He's in very good health. He has the spirit, the charisma, the experience, the knowledge in working with leaders of other countries. He shows genuine concern about people. He has worked with Congress in a bipartisan way. He is stable, honest, trustworthy, has good morals and values, and all the qualities that would make him an ideal candidate and the best person to hold the office and to unite America again. He's well respected by both parities, as well as world leaders, and I pray that he will consider running because our country desperately needs him. Is there anyone out there who agrees with me?In Lake Station, a 24-year-old man was shot in an alley around 3 p.m. Sunday between the 2700 blocks of Dekalb and Elkhart streets, Commander Brian Williams said. The man was taken to a local hospital with injuries that were not life threatening, he said.Police describe three of the females as being in their 20s or early 30s, while the fourth is believed to be in her 40s or early 50s, Kellogg said.At the fire department table, Wedel explained that with the new Lucas 3 machine, a member of the department begins doing manual CPR on a person in full arrest, then slides a back brace under the person's back and the machine above them. The machine then takes over the compressions, set to American Heart Association standards.Much of the debate between the defense and prosecution leading up to trial centered around a journal kept by the victim in the case and how much of it should be presented to jurors. Cappas had the victim turn the journal over to the court so he could review it.Those, along with seven years of business records, computers and paperwork, were lost in the fire, but Zellers said the business would continue as it was when it first started out, responding to calls for service on the road, until she and her brother can rebuild.I think all elected officials should be required to take an ethics and financial literacy test before taking office. If unable to pass the test, they should be required to take classes to educate themselves prior to being responsible for tax payers money. There is a fiduciary responsibility and I am not sure they are being set up to succeed.Comanche power plant shutdowns prompt civil lawsuit

A rural electric association alleges it had to pay more than $20 million to get replacement power during Pueblo Comanche power plant's shutdowns.By I-Ting Shelly Lin

On February 28, the Financial Secretary of Hong Kong released the 2018-2019 Budget, confirming the governments new fiscal policy and budget strategies for the coming financial year. Hong Kong authorities say the budgets primary goals are to create a more diversified economy, invest for the future, and address the needs of the people.

The budget featured four main themes: a diversified economy, caring and sharing, enhancing livability, and manpower training. Critics, however, point to the insufficient attention given to quality of life issues, such as housing affordability and income inequality, and the overall effort to transform the citys economy. Many observers have said the budget lacked ambition.

A diversified economy

Stimulating the economy and supporting pillar industries

The government proposed measures to stimulate the economy and support pillar industries, highlighting Hong Kongs ambition to consolidate its status as Asias international trade and investment hub.

These measures include aiding SMEs to extend the scope of their business to mainland China and ASEAN along the Belt & Road and Greater Bay Area, injecting HK$1 billion (US$127.54 million) to strengthen the creative industry by training youth and helping startups, promoting green business, and launching a three-year pilot bond scheme to attract local, mainland, and overseas enterprises to issue bonds in Hong Kong.

For the information technology (IT) industry, the budget sets aside HK$50 billion (US$6.37 billion) to encourage R&D investments in biotechnology, artificial intelligence, smart city, and fintech. This is much more than last years HK$10 billion (US$1.27 billion), implying that the sector is a key priority for the government.

Tax incentives and reductions

The government agreed to provide additional tax deductions for local R&D spending, saying that the first HK$2 million (US$255,000) invested for R&D in a business can be deducted by 300 percent, with the balance able to be deducted by 200 percent. For businesses more generally, there were no significant tax incentives or reductions.

International cooperation

The budget states that Hong Kong is actively seeking opportunities to sign free trade agreements, investment treaties, and comprehensive double taxation avoidance agreements with other economies, including those along the Belt & Road Initiative.

Some analysts believe that the government should provide clearer guidance for taxpayers and consider more tax incentives to develop R&D in Hong Kong. Analysts also suggest providing concessionary tax exemptions to attract foreign talent.

RELATED: Hong Kongs Transfer Pricing Regime

Caring and sharing

Relieving individual tax burdens and social welfare

A number of tax measures targeted at relieving tax burdens of middle-income families are proposed in the budget, all of which require legislative amendments before implementation.

Regarding the profits tax, the salaries tax, and tax under personal assessment, one-off reduction measures offer 75 percent reduction up to a maximum of HK$30,000 (US$3,827) for 2017/18, with reductions reflecting in the final tax for the year of assessment 2017-18, which will generally ease the burden of doing business in Hong Kong.

The budget widens the salaries tax band from the current HK$45,000 to HK$50,000 (US$5,740 to US$6,378) and changes the number of tax bands from four to five, with marginal tax rates adjusted to two percent, six percent, 10 percent, 14 percent, and 17 percent, respectively.

Child, parent, and grandparent allowances have been increased, and range from HK$20,000 to HK$40,000 (US$2,551 to US$5,102). Rates are waived for each ratable property for the four quarters of 2018-19, capping at $2,500 (US$318) per quarter. The Financial Secretary further described measures to improve support for the unemployed, elderly, youth, and minorities.

While the government has made an effort to reduce long-term tax burdens on individuals, and respond to problems arising from an aging population, some recommend a broader range of solutions to combat these issues.

Enhancing livability

Environmental challenges

The government will continue its effort to manage environmental problems. Enterprises investing in eligible energy efficient building installations and renewable energy devices can have their capital expenditures fully deducted within one year, for which the Environment Bureau will provide more details.

In addition, to promote the use of electric vehicles, the one-for-one replacement scheme allows tax concessions up to HK$250,000 (US$31,888) when traditional car owners purchase new private electric vehicles.

Responding to land and healthcare problems

Long-term land and housing problems, along with public healthcare issues, are also addressed in the budget. The budget commits to an estimated 100,000 new public housing supply units in five years.

The government is also promising to release industrial and commercial resources for up to 530,000 square meters of floor area. As for healthcare, HK$71.2 billion (US$9.08 billion) will be injected, a 13 percent increase compared with last year.

Despite these measures, analysts argue that this budget does not have adequate measures to cool market prices or help people into home ownership.

Manpower training

Continuing education and youth development

The budget allocated HK$5 billion (US$637.73 million) on a regular basis to education, along with an expenditure increase of another HK$2 billion (US$255.09 million). The government injected an additional HK$8.5 billion (US$1.08 billion) in the continuing education fund, which is estimated to benefit 610,000 people. The government also earmarked HK$2 billion (US$255.09 million) to promote youth development.

Pre-Investment, Market Entry Strategy Advisory Services from Dezan Shira & Associates

A safe budget

Hong Kongs 2018-19 budget shows the governments determination to maintain local sustainability while seizing opportunities overseas. Of the estimated surplus of HK$138 billion (US$17.63 billion) in 2017-18, 40 percent is shared with the public, with the remaining 60 percent invested for the future.

The Financial Secretary estimates three to four percent GDP growth in this year, similar to last year, and that the revenue and expenditure of the government  over the next five years  will record a surplus.

Paul Dwyer, Director for International Tax and Transfer Pricing at Dezan Shira & Associates, said, It was a safe budget. The biggest winner is the IT industry; the government is keen to develop this industry. The government also set aside HK$500 million (US$63.77 million) for the development of the financial services industry.

In terms of the challenges and opportunities going forward, Dwyer said that extremely high costs and poor infrastructure have translated into a low quality of life for most people. Alberto Vettoretti, Managing Partner at Dezan Shira & Associates, elaborated, The budget has not really addressed the biggest issues: keeping runaway real estate costs under control and attracting foreign professionals to the city.

Vettoretti said, High real estate costs are very welcome by the Hong Kong government, as real estate is its biggest source of income. Further, Vettoretti argued that compared to competing economies like Singapore, Hong Kong has not done enough to attract foreign professionals.

To improve these conditions, Dwyer recommends that Hong Kong must become an easier and more attractive place to do business. Hong Kong must become more international and should start to attract new investment from a variety of overseas sources in industries, other than financial services, and take significant steps to attract and retain international workers.You are here: China

The total area of new forests created in China stood at 7.36 million hectares last year, up 8.46 percent, a report showed Sunday.

The growth was partly attributed to public participation in voluntary tree planting, according to the report from the National Afforestation Committee.

Last year, the committee approved internet-based tree planting in Beijing, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, Anhui and Shaanxi provinces to allow easy participation in the greening process based on information technology.

Local governments have also sought new ways to encourage public participation, including the creation of themed or memorial forests.

China has raised "ecological construction" to an unprecedented level over the past few years, with afforestation one of its important projects in this regard.

The country aims to expand its forest coverage ratio to more than 23 percent by 2020 to combat climate change and soil erosion, up from 21.7 percent in 2015.

China will mark its 40th Tree Planting Day, also known as Arbor Day, Monday.Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, joins a panel discussion with deputies from Shandong Province at the first session of the 13th National People's Congress in Beijing, capital of China, March 8, 2018. (Xinhua/Sheng Jiapeng)





It's the "two sessions" time  the high point of China's important political gatherings, comprisng of th National People's Congress (NPC), China's top legislative body, and the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), China's top advisory body.





Every year's two sessions witness senior state leaders take part in panel discussions with deputies of the NPC and members of the CPPCC National Committee. These panel discussions offer an opportunity for the Chinese central leadership to listen to opinions of grassroots deputies and then express their own thoughts in a face-to-face manner.





Ever since President Xi Jinping took office in 2013, he has put great emphasis on socialist democracy which features politial consultation, participation in the deliberation of state affairs, and democratic supervision.





This year Xi's panel discussions with the deputies touched upon an array of topics, including poverty alleviation, rural vitalization strategy, social governance, the people's livelihood, ecological environment, industrial optimization, innovation and employment, as well as the amending of the Constitution. It is anticipated that all these issues will be finalized during the ongoing two sessions and will contribute to Xi's pledge to build a "beautiful China."





The eradication of poverty is one of the key areas of Xi's panel discussions with the deputies from Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. President Xi called on officials to make greater efforts to help poverty-stricken people get out of the poverty. He said that "the focus of high-quality economic development should be placed on transforming and upgrading industries. Efforts should be made to strengthen and improve the real economy."





It should be noted here that the Communist Party of China has made a solemn promise to lift all remaining poverty-stricken people out of that status by the end of 2020. The impoverished population has been declining from more than 80 million in 2013 to about 30 million in 2017.





While joining a panel discussion with the delegation from south China's Guangdong province on March 7, Xi stressed economic restructuring, scientific innovation, opening-up and better governance. Guangdong has been at the frontline of China's reform and opening-up drive since the policy was introduced forty years ago. The southern province has become a dynamic innovation hub that has given birth to many Chinese high-tech giants, such as Tencent and Huawei.





While attending discussions with NPC deputies from east China's Shandong province on March 8, President Xi re-emphasized the importance of revitalizing rural areas in order to build a moderately-prosperous society. It is anticipated that China should embark upon modernization of the agricultural and rural areas and will balance growth between urban and rural areas.





Overall, in China, democracy means "the people are the masters of the country." In China's political framework, the NPC system, the system of multi-party cooperation and political consultation led by CPC and a national minority's regional autonomy system, etc. are all democratic forms with Chinese characteristics. In this perspective, Xi's panel discussion with the deputies has surely enunciated the vigor and vitality of the people's democracy in 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.



 Flash





Green





The iconic French planes were first introduced to the former French concession in Shanghai by immigrants from France in the early 20th century as a means of relieving homesickness. The trees gradually became ubiquitous in the city, which is often dubbed the "Paris of the East". Apart from being aesthetically pleasing, the plane trees also serve a practical purpose - they create a thick canopy that shelters people from the summer heat. Residents armed with fans used to seek reprieve from the scorching sun under these trees before the mid-1990s when air conditioners were still uncommon.





Some famous boulevards featuring French planes include Hengshan Road, which is located at the heart of the former French concession. Fuxing Road, which is home to a large number of old Shanghai-style alleys, as well as Shaoxing Road, where people can find several publishing houses that are more than eight decades old.





Another popular destination to view these trees is Xinhua Road as it also offers charming views of daily local life and old town houses of different architectural styles which reflect the city's heritage and diversity. The road is also a storied location as it used to be where government officials welcomed State guests who arrived in Shanghai from Hongqiao International Airport in the 1970s and 80s.





Red





Shanghai's affinity with red can be traced to its status as the birthplace of the Communist Party of China (CPC). The first national congress of the CPC was held in Shanghai in July 1921, and subsequent sessions were held here in 1922 and 1925. The sites of the historic congress sessions in Shanghai are still standing and are well-preserved.





Xu Jiangang, director of the Party History Research Office of the Shanghai Municipal Committee of the CPC, said there are 42 verified sites that are related to the early activities of the CPC Central Committee. They include 23 spaces reserved for conferences, five fixed residences for core CPC leaders and 14 news and publicity facilities, such as the publishing house of The Communist, CPC's first monthly journal for CPC members.





Last November, General Secretary Xi Jinping and six other members of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee visited the Memorial for the Site of the First National Congress of the Communist Party of China, and this incident triggered a surge in visitor numbers to the site. According to official statistics, the site had a record high of 835,000 visits last year. Flash

French far-right leader Marine Le Pen on Sunday said she wanted to change the name of the National Front Party (FN) to the "National Rally" in a bid to give a new start to the anti-immigrant party which she said must be opened to alliances to be "a ruling party".



"At a time when France is experiencing a political re-composition, (the new name) must, and this is perhaps the most important, express a desire to gather," Le Pen said.

"The name must be more than a project -- it must be a rallying cry, a call to join us, to all those who have France at heart," she added.

The 49-year-old eurosceptic leader argued that the National Front party her father created on 1972 had been "for many French people a psychological obstacle", associated with anti-Semitism and homophobia image.

Le Pen brought anti-establishment FN party into the country's political mainstream during France's presidential election last year.

She lost the race against the centrist and pro-market Emmanuel Macron with 33.9 percent of the vote, or more than 11 million voters who cast ballots for her. This record score mirrored a growing public support for the anti-immigrant party.

However, her disappointing TV debate before the presidential race on May 2017 and lower-than-expected elected lawmakers offset the far-rightists' stunning record.

At the party's congress in Lille, north France, Le Pen told the gathering that FN, mired in internal rifts, was recovered and gained a foothold despite the ceiling glass that had dashed far-rightists' hope to snatch the first place in the race to Elysee Palace.

Relying on her project to renew the FN, she told the party cardholders "our goal is clear: power".

"We were originally a protest party. There should be no doubt now that we can be a ruling party," she added, reiterating her stance against immigration and globalization.

According to the party's figures, 52 percent of its members supported their leader's proposal to change the party's name. They are called to vote on the new name by post. The result would be unveiled next month.

In 2011, Le Pen succeeded his father Jean-Marie Le Pen to head the National Front party. She has been working to softening the party's image by targeting widespread support of young public and workers.

At this week's congress, unopposed, she was reelected to lead the party. Flash

Businessman-turned politician Sebastian Pinera was sworn in as Chile's president on Sunday, beginning what will be his second term in office after a four-year absence.



At a brief ceremony before members of the national congress gathered in the central port city of Valparaiso, Pinera received the presidential sash from outgoing center-left President Michelle Bachelet for the second time, since she had turned over the reins to Pinera in 2010. Since 2006, the two have alternated in office.

Pinera, 68, was reelected in last November elections, promising to lower taxes and boost investment, and will serve until 2022.

According to Forbes magazine, Pinera is the fourth wealthiest man in Chile, with an estimated fortune of US$2.8 billion.

Following the ceremony, Bachelet and her cabinet left the venue to rounds of applause. Neither Bachelet nor Pinera made a speech.You are here: World

 Flash

At least 14 people were killed and around 140 others injured when a church was hit by lightning in southern Rwanda on Saturday, sources said on Sunday.

Some of the injured were in critical condition, Francois Habitegeko, mayor of Nyaruguru District, Southern Province, told a media briefing on Saturday.

The death toll of the tragedy remains at 14 on Sunday, Governor of Southern Province Marie Rose Mureshyankwano confirmed to Xinhua.

Volunteers and Rwanda Red Cross staff have been helping the affected families in burying the victims, said a Red Cross official who requested anonymity.

Some 70 of the injured were admitted to Munini hospital, and 58 of them have been discharged, said Innocent Ndebeyaho, director of the hospital, on Sunday.

One of them was referred to University Teaching Hospital of Butare, a national referral hospital, he said.

About 70 others were taken to other health facilities and have been discharged, he added.

The lightning hit through the open back door of the church, affected those sat behind and killed all people who had phones with them, Ndebeyaho quoted survivors as saying.

The lightning also damaged the back wall of the church, said the director.

Southern Province is prone to lightning, according to governor Mureshyankwano.

Two more people were reportedly killed by lightning on Sunday in separate cases in the districts of Gisagara and Huye in the province, the governor said.

In another lightning strike on Friday, two people, including a primary school pupil, were killed and 16 others injured in Nyaruguru District, bringing to 18 the total number of people killed in the province in the past three days. Flash

All 11 people on board the Turkish plane crashed in Iran on Sunday are dead, Iran's Emergency Organization announced.

The locals reached the wreckage of crashed plane late evening on Sunday and encountered the corps which are not identifiable and need DNA examination, the spokesman for the organization said.

A Turkish jet with 11 on board crashed in the suburban of western Shahr-e Kord city of Iran's Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari Province at 18:35 local time (1505 GMT) on Sunday, the Aviation Organization of Iran (OVA) confirmed.

The plane was seen caught fire in the air, and then it crashed into the heights of Helen Mountain near Dorak Anari village.

There were three crew members and eight passengers in the plane, according to Public Relations of the OVA.

The plane was flying from Sharjah of the UAE to Istanbul which disappeared from the radar, the state IRINN TV said.

Iranian Red Crescent operators have been dispatched to the area, but due to the rainy air and mountainous geography of the region, the operators should walk four hours to the accident location, according to spokesman of the Emergency Organization of Iran.

Rezaee Far, the chief of Accidents Bureau of the OVA, said that based on the preliminary reports, the crashed plane type was Bombardier CL604. Flash

The Syrian army on Sunday effectively split the rebel-held areas in the Eastern Ghouta countryside of Damascus into three sectors, laying a siege on a major rebel bastion, according to the War Media, the media wing of the Syrian army.



Following days of intense battles, the Syrian army tightened the noose on the rebels inside Eastern Ghouta, storming the town of Medyara on Sunday, the only link to be taken for the Syrian forces advancing from the east to reach the army units in the city of Harasta in the western part of Ghouta.

With this progress, the Eastern Ghouta is sliced into three sectors, the city of Harasta in the west is besieged, and the Douma district, the major rebel bastion in the northern part of Eastern Ghouta, has also become besieged from all directions.

In the south, several towns and areas are surrounded.

The Syrian army has captured 52 percent of Eastern Ghouta in recent days, as part of an ongoing wide-scale offensive to dislodge the rebels from that key area on the eastern rim of Damascus.

Eastern Ghouta, a 105-square-km agricultural region consisting of several towns and farmlands, poses the last threat to the capital due to its proximity to government-controlled neighborhoods east of Damascus and ongoing mortar attacks that target residential areas in the capital, pushing people over the edge.

Four major rebel groups are currently positioned inside Eastern Ghouta, namely the Islam Army, Failaq al-Rahman, Ahrar al-Sham, and the Levant Liberation Committee, known as the al-Qaida-linked Nusra Front.

The UN humanitarian agencies have sounded the alarm about the worsening humanitarian situation for 400,000 people in that region, where activists said around 1,000 people have been killed since late last month by the heavy bombardment and military showdown in areas of Eastern Ghouta. Flash

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned Sunday of a nuclear arms race in the Middle East if the nuclear deal to limit Iran's nuclear program would not be changed or revoked.



During remarks at the beginning of the weekly cabinet meeting, Netanyahu said his discussions with United States President Donald Trump and other officials in Washington last week focused mainly on Iran.

"I said that the nuclear agreement with Iran contains within it many dangers for the world, including the special danger of the nuclearization of the Middle East," Netanyahu said, according to a statement released on his behalf.

"Many countries in the Middle East are saying that they are also allowed to enrich uranium if Iran is allowed to do so; therefore, the way to prevent this danger, the nuclearization of the Middle East, is to either thoroughly correct the agreement or abrogate it," he said.

Netanyahu reportedly referred to Saudi Arabia, which is in talks to buy nuclear reactors from the United States.

"Moreover, I remind you that Iran declares, on an almost daily basis, its intention to wipe out the State of Israel. It is hardly worth saying that we will not allow this, to put it mildly," he added.

Netanyahu has been a vocal opponent of the nuclear deal signed in 2015 between Iran and the six world powers in order to limit the Islamic republic's nuclear plan and prevent it from achieving atomic weapons.

In January, Trump announced that he will waive sanctions against Iran and extend the nuclear deal after he disavowed the deal three months earlier.

Israel is widely believed to hold hundreds of nuclear warheads, which the country has never officially acknowledged to exist.



 Flash

Colombians went to the polls on Sunday to elect members of Congress in what President Juan Manuel Santos touted as "the most peaceful elections" in decades thanks to peace talks with the country's guerrilla groups.



The former Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) are now the Revolutionary Alternative Common Force, a leftist political party that has candidates running for congressional seats.

Meanwhile, Colombia's second-largest guerrilla force, the National Liberation Army (ELN), declared a unilateral three-day truce to allow voting to proceed without incident.

"These elections will be the most tranquil, the most peaceful that we Colombians have had in a long time, in recent history," Santos said, adding "not a single voting station had to be moved for security reasons."

Santos, who cast his vote near the presidential headquarters in Bogota just past 8 a.m., also celebrated the FARC's participation in the electoral process.

"These elections are very special: it is the first time in half a century that the FARC, instead of sabotaging the elections, is participating in the elections ... It is very important for our democracy, and that is what the peace process was about," said Santos.

The FARC's Jorge Torres Victoria, who fought under the name "Pablo Catatumbo," was voting for the first time in his life, and hoping to win a Senate seat.

"In my 64 years, this is the first time I am exercising my right to vote, and I am very happy and very moved to do so for the reconciliation of our country," Torres said via Twitter.

The FARC, which signed a peace pact with the government 15 months ago, is assured 10 congressional seats, five in the Senate and five in the Chamber of Representatives, as part of its peace agreement with the government, but could garner more depending on the number of votes the party gets.

More than 36 million Colombians are eligible to vote for the 166 representatives and 102 senators of Congress, which begins sessions on July 20. Flash

China welcomes the positive news on direct dialogue released by the United States and the DPRK, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson said on Friday.

It is reported that U.S. President Donald Trump has agreed to meet Kim Jong Un, top leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), by May at Kim's invitation.

Spokesperson Geng Shuang said it is a step in the right direction for the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue, and China fully commends and supports the efforts made by the parties concerned to solve the issue through dialogue and consultation.

To return the peninsula to peace and stability and the nuclear issue to the track of dialogue, these initial steps must be followed up with corresponding and concerted efforts by the parties, Geng said.

He repeated the call by Foreign Minister Wang Yi that peace must be earned and opportunities must be seized.

"We hope that all parties will demonstrate political courage and make a political decision to expeditiously carry out all necessary and useful engagements, both bilateral and multilateral, and to do their best to restart dialogue and negotiation for the peaceful settlement of the peninsula nuclear issue," Geng said.

"China will continue to make unremitting efforts toward this outcome," the spokesperson said. Flash





The Republic of Korea (ROK)'s top diplomat will visit Washington this week to meet with U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and discuss ways on the cooperation in the agreed-upon talks between the ROK and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) and between the United States and the DPRK.

Seoul's Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Monday that Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha will visit Washington from Thursday to Saturday and have a meeting with Tillerson during her three-day stay.

During the meeting, Kang and Tillerson will share the assessment of situations on the Korean Peninsula, which made a rapid progress recently.

The two diplomats will make an in-depth discussion on ways to closely cooperate between Seoul and Washington, regarding issues on the agreed talks between Seoul and Pyongyang and between Washington and Pyongyang, as well as the denuclearized Korean Peninsula.

Special envoys of ROK President Moon Jae-in met U.S. President Donald Trump in Washington last week to brief Trump on their DPRK visit and convey top DPRK leader Kim Jong Un's eagerness to meet the U.S. president.

Trump told the envoys that he would meet the DPRK leader by May to achieve a permanent denuclearization.

The leaders of the two Koreas had agreed to hold a summit in late April at Peace House, a ROK building in truce village of Panmunjom.

Kang and Tillerson will also talk about trade issues, including the recent U.S. protectionist moves. The United States planned to impose heavy tariffs on steel imports, including those from the ROK. Flash

A Russian fighter jet carried out a training and combat launch of the hypersonic missile of Kinzhal, and the missile hit the target, the Russian Ministry of Defense said Sunday.



The firing was conducted by "a MiG-31 fighter crew of the Russian Aerospace Forces" in a predetermined area, said the ministry, adding that the test went smoothly.

According to the ministry, the tactical and technical characteristics and timing indicators of the Kinzhal high-precision airborne missile system were confirmed during the launch.

Crews of the Kinzhal air system, which includes a MiG-31 interceptor and an advanced hypersonic missile, have carried out 250 flights this year, and have been trained "in full scope day and night in various weather conditions," said the ministry.

The Kinzhal system, developed on the basis of the modernized MiG-31 jet, is designed to hit land and sea targets at a range of more than 2,000 km without ever entering the enemy's air defense zone, Russian news agency TASS said in a report.

Due to the high performance of the MiG-31 aircraft and the hypersonic missile with low radar visibility and high maneuverability, Kinzhal has no known peer-rivals in any other country, according to the TASS report. Flash

Russia is ready to begin producing the latest intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) system Sarmat, a senior Russian military official said Monday.

"With regard to the readiness of Sarmat, I can say that all the practical, scientific, technical and production problems have been overcome. The production facilities that are necessary for the required number of missiles ordered by the Defense Ministry have been ready," Russian Deputy Defense Minister Yuri Borisov told Krasnaya Zvezda newspaper in an interview.

Borisov said that the Russian military will soon start the disposal of ICBM R-36M2 "Voevoda".

In his annual address to the Federal Assembly on March 1, President Vladimir Putin said Russia has begun testing Sarmat which has "practically no range limits" and can penetrate any missile shield.



 Flash

South Korea's top diplomat will visit Washington this week to meet with U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and discuss ways on the cooperation in the agreed-upon talks between South Korea and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) and between the United States and the DPRK.

Seoul's Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Monday that Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha will visit Washington from Thursday to Saturday and have a meeting with Tillerson during her three-day stay.

During the meeting, Kang and Tillerson will share the assessment of situations on the Korean Peninsula, which made a rapid progress recently.

The two diplomats will make an in-depth discussion on ways to closely cooperate between Seoul and Washington, regarding issues on the agreed talks between Seoul and Pyongyang and between Washington and Pyongyang, as well as the denuclearized Korean Peninsula.

Special envoys of South Korean President Moon Jae-in met U.S. President Donald Trump in Washington last week to brief Trump on their DPRK visit and convey top DPRK leader Kim Jong Un's eagerness to meet the U.S. president.

Trump told the envoys that he would meet the DPRK leader by May to achieve a permanent denuclearization.

The leaders of the two Koreas had agreed to hold a summit in late April at Peace House, a South Korean building in truce village of Panmunjom.

Kang and Tillerson will also talk about trade issues, including the recent U.S. protectionist moves. The United States planned to impose heavy tariffs on steel imports, including those from South Korea. Flash

More than 100 people including middle school students demonstrated Sunday in Oakland, a major U.S. West Coast port city, to speak out against the dangers of social isolation, organizers said.

Beyond Differences, a nonprofit organization established in 2010 to promote inclusiveness among students, organized the event.

Participants marched along a lake in downtown Oakland, the largest city in the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area, carrying signs that advocate diversity and inclusion.

"If #BeyondDifferences lives its mission, millions of young people will become the generation that completely transforms this nation," Lateefah Simon, who is on the Board of Directors of Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) public transportation system in the San Francisco Bay Area, told the rally.

Local media said the rally was staged to encourage middle school students to embrace their differences and help students who are socially isolated in schools.

The participating students were encouraged to interact during the Sunday event with people they didn't know, and learned to break through and be themselves. EnditemBy Jorgelina Do Rosario, Carolina Millan, Bloomberg News | Mar. 09, 2018

Low-cost international flying is coming to Brazil.

Norwegian Air Shuttle ASA plans to fly to Brazil from Argentina and London to boost its month-old operations in South America, Chief Executive Officer Bjorn Kjos said in an interview in Buenos Aires. The Scandinavian company has already received authorization from the Argentine government to operate flights to 13 Brazilian cities. Norwegian is evaluating flying in other Latin American nations, Kjos said, declining to give more details.

"We serve a lot of places in the U.S. and in Europe, but South America is our focus in 2018," said Kjos, 71, on Wednesday. "There are other countries with priority in South America that are not that well served."

The airline is entering a busy market, and will need to push its low-cost flights to stand out. Those flying to Europe already include Latam Airlines Group SA, TAP-Transportes Aereos Portugueses SGPS and Air France-KLM, the latter two of which are backed by local operators Azul SA and Gol Linha Aereas Inteligentes SA, respectively.

Argentine Challenges

Norwegian is one of several low-cost carriers jumping into Argentina amid President Mauricio Macri's push to open routes to new players and lower consumer costs in Argentina. It began flying from Buenos Aires to London in February. In December, Norwegian Air got the go-ahead from Argentinian authorities to operate up to 72 domestic and as many as 80 international routes.

Kjos said challenges remain. The Argentine government maintains a floor on prices -- an impediment to carriers looking to sell flights at bargain prices. And airport fees remain higher than elsewhere in the region.

"We can be profitable with the airport fees and the minimum fare," Kjos said. But changes "are important for the country's ability to compete."

The company will begin selling tickets for domestic flights in May and hopes to begin flying in August. It has no short-term plans to get a local air operator certificate (AOC) for domestic flights in Brazil.

Season Benefit

Norwegian's Latin America push also opens new opportunities to use the company fleet more efficiently, as demand varies by season. To Kjos, using part of its fleet on one side of the world for part of the year and the rest in the other is "an ideal scenario."

He envisions planes, pilots and crew that operate in Argentina working a couple of months in Europe's high season, and the other way around during Latin America's summer. This plan would need to be approved by European and Argentine authorities.By Jonathan Stearns, Benjamin D Katz, Bloomberg News | Mar. 11, 2018

At an aviation summit in Brussels this past week, Europe's main airlines put on a display of unity over the challenges ahead. But the industry's chief executive officers were divided when it came to the biggest issue of all: Brexit.

The U.K.'s scheduled departure from the European Union in March 2019 has provoked widely varying reactions from carriers in the 28-nation bloc. At one extreme are dire flight-cancellation warnings by Ryanair Holdings Plc CEO Michael O'Leary and at the other is nonchalance by his counterpart at British Airways owner IAG SA, fellow Irishman Willie Walsh.

The airline industry differs from others such as energy and chemicals where, from London to Lisbon, companies uniformly say that the U.K.'s departure is a major headache. The dissonance suggests some carriers sense the possibility of a Brexit accord that would prevent hassles for tens of millions air travelers while ushering Britain, home of Europe's busiest airport, out of the European single aviation market.

"It's about jockeying for position in the market and potentially gaining an advantage over competitors as the future relationship between the U.K. and the EU is worked out," said Michael Tscherny, who advises companies on European policies including aviation at GPlus Europe in Brussels. "On the basic question of whether flights will stop the day after Brexit, nobody has an interest in planes not flying between the U.K. and the rest of Europe."

Aviation Rules

No industry in the Brexit process has a more direct link to citizens than aviation, which carries 1 billion travelers a year within the EU. The U.K. plays an outsized role, accounting for a quarter of the total, making it the third-biggest aviation market behind the U.S. and China.

This economic reality confronts the Brexit negotiators, who must untwine the U.K. from decades of European aviation rules that have expanded traffic and ownership rights and streamlined certification and safety procedures. Letting this regulatory framework lapse in the U.K. without a substitute arrangement would end EU flight rights for Britain and vice versa the day after Brexit.

"I am determined to avoid that particularly absurd consequence of Brexit," EU President Donald Tusk said in Luxembourg on March 7, when the U.K.'s partners in the bloc produced a blueprint for future economic ties with Britain. "To do so, we must start discussions on this issue as soon as possible."

Back in Brussels the day before, O'Leary of Ryanair said a stalemate in the Brexit negotiations points to serious disruptions for airlines. He cited two particular challenges: keeping planes flying between the U.K. and the EU and preventing the bloc's 49 percent limit on foreign ownership of carriers from affecting operators in Europe including IAG, which also owns Aer Lingus in Ireland and Spain-based Iberia and Vueling.

'Over the Cliff'

"We see no progress toward a solution that will address either the flight rights or the ownership rules," O'Leary, a staunch opponent of Brexit, said in an interview. "The first industry over the cliff will be flights. And I think maybe that's the way you bring about the crisis that gets everybody in Britain to say 'well, maybe let's look at this again."'

He spoke during a CEO conference organized by Airlines for Europe, the main EU industry lobby group, which campaigns on issues like aviation taxes and air-traffic control but has no position on Brexit.

The opening lineup of chief executives at the event -- also on stage were Carsten Spohr of Deutsche Lufthansa AG, Jean-Marc Janaillac of Air France-KLM Group and Johan Lundgren of EasyJet Plc -- presented a common front on such matters as airport fees (too high) and security checks on travelers (too burdensome) while steering clear of the elephant in the room that is Brexit.

Level Playing Field

They were less coy about that uncertainty when approached afterward.

"There's a common interest," IAG's Walsh said. "I am completely relaxed. I am confident that we'll be able to comply with whatever regulations are put in place."

Janaillac said letting U.K.-based carriers fly in the EU after Brexit must be conditional on subjecting them to the same range of European aviation legislation applied to operators based in the bloc.

"Seems fair, same rights means same obligations: the rules toward consumers, the rules toward safety," he said. "We must have a level playing field."

The European Commission, the Brexit negotiator for the U.K.'s 27 EU partners, says Britain faces three options for long-term aviation relations with the bloc and, based on the British government's red lines, the most likely result would offer no more access than the U.S. has.

Lufthansa's Spohr said the industry is at the mercy of politicians on both sides of the English Channel.

"Brexit is a very complicated topic," he said. "Aviation is a central negotiating element for the countries concerned."By PTI, Bloomberg News | Mar. 11, 2018

A consortium of Jet Airways, Air France-KLM and Delta Airlines is understood to have expressed interest in the disinvestment of national carrier Air India, according to sources.

Moving ahead with the strategic disinvestment of loss-making Air India, the government is expected to soon invite Expression of Interest (EoI) from the bidders. Against this backdrop, sources said a consortium of three full services, including Jet Airways, are keen to put in their bid for the national carrier.

Jet Airways along with Air France-KLM and Delta Air Lines are interested in participating in the Air India disinvestment, sources told PTI. When contacted, a Jet Airways spokesperson said the airline would not like to comment on speculations. Queries sent to Air France-KLM and Delta remained unanswered.

Jet Airways' possible bid for Air India by way of a consortium also comes less than four months after the Naresh Goyal-led airline enhanced cooperation agreement with the Air France-KLM Group. Jet Airways CEO Vinay Dube had a decade-long career at Delta Air Lines before joining the Indian carrier last year. Immediately before coming to Jet Airways, he was Senior Vice President (Asia Pacific) at the American airline. Air France-KLM and its partners Delta and Alitalia operate the largest Trans-Atlantic joint-venture with over 270 daily flights.

Though Air India is saddled with huge debt, acquiring the airline can help boost the acquirer in terms of foot print and bilateral rights. While a group of ministers are still in the process of finalising the contours of Air India stake sale, the civil aviation ministry has so far said that officially it has received expression of interest from at least no-frills carrier IndiGo and an unidentified foreign airline.

The enhanced partnership between Jet Airways and Air France-KLM Group, announced in November, would help in boosting connectivity between 106 European cities and 44 domestic destinations.

At that time, Naresh Goyal had said he would speak to the group chairmen of Air France-KLM and Delta to explore the possibility of deepening this cooperation through joint purchase of fuel and closer tie-ups in engineering and maintenance all of which would be revenue accretive.

The government expects to complete the privatisation of Air India this year and is likely to put up for sale as four different entities. Last month, Minister of State for Civil Aviation Jayant Sinha had said he had many discussions with many different players for Air India as well as various different entities that belong to the Air India group.

Air India, its low-cost arm Air India Express and subsidiary AISATS are likely to be offered as one entity, while regional arm Alliance Air would be a separate entity. Besides, Air India Air Transport Services Ltd (AIATSL) and Air India Engineering Services Ltd (AIESL) will be sold separately. AISATS is a 50:50 joint venture between Air India and Singapore Airlines' group entity SATS Ltd. Last year, aviation services provider Bird Group had expressed interest in acquiring Air India's ground handling subsidiary AIATSL.

On March 6, the Civil aviation ministry had said Air India has been showing "considerable improvement" in operational and financial parameters. In June 2017, the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) gave its in-principle nod to the strategic disinvestment of the airline, which has a debt burden of over Rs 50,000 crore.

Subsequent to the decision, the Air India Specific Alternative Mechanism (AISAM), headed by Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, was set up to decide on specific issues. The national carrier is staying on taxpayers' money under the turnaround plan approved by the previous UPA government in 2012. Under the plan, the airline is to get Rs 30,231 crore up to 2021, subject to achieving certain milestones. So far, the government has infused Rs 26,545.21 crore into the carrier.Kenya stability good for region security, say experts

By Lucie Morangi in Nairobi, Kenya | China Daily | Updated: 2018-03-12 07:23

The move by Kenya's President Uhuru Kenyatta and opposition leader Raila Odinga to bury the hatchet and work together toward national reconciliation has been welcomed by experts who believe it is good for regional stability.

The two announced the move on Friday after a short meeting that saw them commit to begin the reconciliation process. They agreed to institute reforms and fight corruption.

It was their first meeting since a fallout following August general election and the subsequent October repeat presidential poll that Odinga boycotted. Uhuru was sworn in as president in November while Odinga held a mock swearing-in ceremony in January.

"We have to be cognizant that any instability in Kenya reverberates regionally," said David Kikaya, a former ambassador. "Besides Kenya being the regional hub for trade and finance, the country is a beacon of stability in a region mired by conflict and has been driving peace in epicenters such as Somalia and South Sudan. It was therefore crucial for the two leaders to reach an agreement," he said.

"Moreover, as the biggest economy in the region, Kenya plays a key role in regional economic growth. Investors want certainty that their products will be delivered safely and on time," said Kikaya who now heads a Kenya-based think tank, Research Institute of Peace, Policy and International Affairs.

He said the two leaders should avoid isolating themselves if they aim at building national consensus. "All other political party leaders need to be looped in to ensure that no one feels disenfranchised."

Kioko Ireri, an associate professor of journalism and mass communication at United States International University-Africa, said the two are paramount to the development of the country and the prolonged tension had had serious implications both socially and economically. "The move would most likely restore foreign investor's confidence into the country," he said. "We cannot however predict how things will unfold in the near future but I believe investors were eager to see a more stable country," said the scholar.

The announcement coincided with the visit by the United States Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, who jetted into the country soon afterward and commended the new developments.

Despite believing that this may have played some part in urging the leaders toward dialogue, Ireri said contractors from the country may start angling for a bigger piece of the construction sector pie.

Commenting on Tillerson's and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov's ongoing visits in Africa, Kikaya said that Africa remains a priority area for these countries because of trade, resources and markets.

"In addition, together with China, Russia has been keen on reforming the United Nations Security Council. Africa plays a critical role in this," he said, forecasting that the continent will soon host leaders from central Europe.

According to Martin Nguru, a lecturer at the University of Nairobi School of Diplomacy and International relations, the commitment by the two leaders to fight corruption will enable investors get better returns.

Edith Mutethya contributed to this story.

lucymorangi@chinadaily.com.cn

(China Daily 03/12/2018 page11)Guizhou on the way to improve people's life through ecological environment lift

Updated: 2018-03-09

The 2018 National People's Congress (NPC) and Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) Annual Legislative and Political Advisory Sessions will be in session in Beijing from Mar 3 to 20. An open press conference with Southwest China's Guizhou NPC deputies was held on March 8.

Guizhou NPC deputies hold an open press conference on March 8, as the 2018 NPC and CPPCC Annual Legislative and Political Advisory Sessions get underway in Beijing. [Photo/todayguizhou.com]

Shen Yiqin, NPC deputy and governor of Guizhou, stated that the province has consistently prioritized improvement of the ecological environment in recent years and is devising plans to bring more benefits to its people.

The transformation of Guizhou's ecological environment has been visible in recent years, Shen pointed out, as is evidenced through the development of big data, high passenger traffic in the province, and high levels of public satisfaction.

In fact, Guizhou's development has skyrocketed, with its growth rate ranking in the top two for the past five years. Forest coverage rate has risen to 55.3 percent and the quality of drinking water for residents has been raised significantly.

Thanks to its natural resources, mild climate and fresh mountain air, Guizhou has managed to promote tourism through the development of health industries, summer resorts, and hot springs. Water quality in the Wujiang River has also been effectively improved.

Shen Yiqin, governor of Guizhou province, gave a speech at the open press conference on March 8. [Photo/todayguizhou.com]

Shen said that Guizhou is now promoting the construction of a national ecological trial base and a green financial reform and innovation trial zone and is strengthening the legal procedure for ecological environment protection.

With the improvement of its ecological environment, the province aims to develop itself into a hot spot for investors and visitors as well as a comfortable living area for locals, she added.This past weekend, millions of moviegoers saw A Wrinkle in Time and joined a group of tessering travelers as they warped through higher dimensions in pursuit of the heroines missing father. The film is, of course, based on the classic Newbery Awardwinning childrens novel written by Madeleine LEngle, a committed Christian who drew heavily on her personal study of modern physics as inspiration for the book.

In a 1979 interview with Christianity Today, LEngle spoke of the mystical nature of contemporary physics and how science should help us enlarge our vision: never change it, never diminish it, but enlarge it. This can be said most of all about the science of higher dimensions upon which A Wrinkle in Time is based.

Nearly 100 years ago, the first scientific evidence for higher dimensions emerged. Since that time, the science community has reached a broad consensus that the universe contains at least five dimensions and perhaps many more. For some, conceptualizing multiple dimensions bears resemblance to Christian thinking on a spiritual world. N. T. Wright has gone so far as to say that Heaven is the extra dimension, the God-dimension, of all our present reality.

But the higher dimensions described by science are not merely spiritual, they are physical. Therefore they can be explored and even measured through science. In fact, today physicists at the worlds largest particle accelerator, the Large Hadron Collider, are conducting experiments that would allow them to detect and measure properties of these higher dimensions. This begs the uncomfortable question, Can heaven be detected by a particle accelerator?

To some, this may feel like yet one more encroachment of science into matters of faith. But I would like to offer an alternate interpretation: Could the physics of higher dimensions allow us to integrate the physical and spiritual worlds into a common framework, where they are no longer seen as separate disconnected realities but rather as a single cohesive creation? To see this vision, though, we will first need a quick primer on the physics of higher dimensions.

In 1919, the physicist Theodor Kaluza wrote a letter to Albert Einstein which contained a mathematical proof demonstrating how Einsteins equations for gravity, when written in five dimensions, can also explain the behavior of electricity and magnetism. This was a truly shocking discovery that led Einstein himself to admit that it would never have dawned on me. The insight was so elegant and profound that it led to an entire branch of theoretical physics called string theory, which remains an area of active research to this day.

What exactly do we mean by five dimensions? Well, there are the three dimensions of space we are accustomed to (depth, width, and height), one dimension of time, and at least one additional dimension of space. It turns out that any time we add an extra dimension of space, our conception of what is possible expands dramatically.

Take, for example, the move from one dimension to two dimensions. In one dimension, all we have is length. The only creatures in such a world would be lines, and these lines could never move past one another. They are confined to sliding back and forth, bumping into one another like beads on a wire. When we add a second dimension, however, a whole new world of possibility is openedup and down! Suddenly lines can move above or below one another, they can spin around and point in new directions, and they can even bend to take on new a form, like a circle.

The move from two dimensions to three dimensions is equally transformative. Consider the 1884 novel Flatland by Edwin Abbott, which follows the life of a square who lives in an entirely two-dimensional world. One day, he is visited by a mysterious creature who calls himself a sphere. To the square, the sphere appears only as a circle, but it seems to possess supernatural powers. As it moves above, below, and through the flat two-dimensional world, the sphere appears, disappears, and continuously changes size. It can mysteriously manifest inside a locked room simply by going over the wall, an idea that is entirely inconceivable to the square until he visits the three-dimensional Spaceland and sees the true nature of his mysterious visitor.

Article continues below

By natural extension, adding a single dimension of space to our three-dimensional experience has profound implications. Our entire universe, then, becomes just one layer in an infinite stack. Moving into this higher dimension, even if only a millimeter above or below our fingertips, we can find other planes of reality that are completely unseen and untouched by humanity. Modern physics suggests that belief in such an unseen reality is not only rational but scientific. It takes only a small leap of imagination, then, to wonder whether Jesus had access to such higher dimensions. Could he have tessered through space and time?

Scripture contains many beautiful yet bizarre stories of the spiritual world intersecting the physical world. These are challenging storiesthe parting of the Red Sea, the chariots of fire, or the hand writing on the wall. How do we make sense of these stories in modern times? Do we look for naturalistic explanations? Or do we throw up our hands and simply say that they are miraculous events that cannot be explained?

What Christians label as miraculous can be misinterpreted as magical fairy tales by a culture that is steeped in a scientific worldview rooted in the philosophy of materialism. What if, as for LEngle, physics could stoke a broader vision among would-be believers? Perhaps there is a pathway in the dialogue between faith and science that demonstrates how each illuminates rather than contradicts the other.

Modern physics opens the door to the possibility that the spiritual reality described in Scripture can be understood through the mind-bending logic of higher dimensions. For example, a locked upper room is no barrier for a risen Christ with access to higher dimensions, a fiery furnace cannot consume three friends when they are safely stowed away in a hidden dimension of space, and a hyper-dimensional kingdom of heaven can be simultaneously in our midst and yet not fully accessible.

This is not to diminish the importance of faithin fact, just the opposite is true. The author of Hebrews 11:1 tells us that faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. The scientific community is continuously giving us even more assurance that our belief in an unseen reality is justified and rational.

Of all the characters in A Wrinkle in Time, my personal favorite is Aunt Beast. A creature without eyes or vision, Aunt Beast explains that her kind, do not know what things look like. We know what things are like. It must be a very limiting thing, this seeing. I tend to agree. Our sight can often blind us to the true nature of things. (Needless to say, Aunt Beast does not appear in the film adaptation, which begs the question of whether Hollywood can really handle the spiritual themes of A Wrinkle in Time.)

But, as LEngle suggests, the physics of higher dimensions can enlarge our vision, enabling us to see through our physical worldthis broken layer of a much larger realityand to imagine that the physical and spiritual worlds are not separate and disconnected but rather that they are a single cohesive creation that waits in eager anticipation for the restoration of all things.

And as we wait, we take great comfort in knowing that the deposit on this restoration has already been made. Through Christs ascension, our human flesh resides in heaven, and in return, Christ has sent his Spirit to live among us. The reunion of physical and spiritual has already begun.

Andrew Vanden Heuvel is a professor of physics and astronomy at several community colleges across the country. He works from his home office near Grand Haven, Michigan.Patriarch Ignatius Mor Aphrem II to Speak at WCC Conference on World Mission and Evangelism

His Holiness Ignatius Mor Aphrem II, Patriarch of the Syriac Orthodox Church, arrived Sunday afternoon at the Conference on World Mission and Evangelism (CWME) being held in Arusha, Tanzania from 8-13 March.

Contact: World Council of Churches Media Office, +41 79 507 6363, www.oikoumene.org/press

GENEVE, March 12, 2018 / Christian Newswire / -- Patriarch Mor Aphrem will be the keynote speaker at the plenary on 13 March, reflecting on the theme "Equipped Disciples: Embracing the Cross". His keynote address will be titled "Embracing the Cross Today in the Context of the Middle East."

Photo: Ignatius Mor Aphrem II, Patriarch of the Syriac Orthodox Church (2nd from the left) welcomed at CWME. Credit Albin Hillert/WCC

Patriarch Mor Aphrem was welcomed by Archbishop Vicken Aykazian, World Council of Churches (WCC) deputy general secretary Prof. Dr Fr Ioan Sauca and the moderator of the WCC Commission on World Mission and Evangelism (CWME), Metropolitan Dr Mor Geevarghese Coorilos.

Sauca said: "It's a great honour and we are very grateful to His Holiness for being present at the Conference on World Mission and Evangelism in Arusha."

Sauca said that the plenary on 13 March "aims to provide the participants with essential missiological aspects of the theology of the cross and its focus on life-giving, hope, and resurrection, and also highlight the links between embracing the cross as equipped disciples and the call to transforming discipleship."

The World Council of Churches promotes Christian unity in faith, witness and service for a just and peaceful world. An ecumenical fellowship of churches founded in 1948, today the WCC brings together 348 Protestant, Orthodox, Anglican and other churches representing more than 550 million Christians in over 120 countries and works cooperatively with the Roman Catholic Church. The WCC general secretary is the Rev. Dr Olav Fykse Tveit, from the [Lutheran] Church of Norway.We're always interested in hearing about news in our community. Let us know what's going on!

Go to formWe attempted to send a notification to your email address but we were unable to verify that you provided a valid email address. Please click here to update your email address if you wish to receive notifications. Otherwise, you may click here to disable notifications and hide this message.Administratorii portalului nu poarta raspundere pentru continutul postarilor si materialelor plasate de utilizatorii site-ului. Utilizati informatia din acest articol pe propriul risc.AVON LAKE, Ohio - "Not one more" read one of the signs held by an Avon Lake High School student at a pupil-led walkout March 9.

About 50 students stood in the cold -- silently, unmoving -- as four classmates spoke from a small podium. Some held up other small signs for the gathered media to see: "With Florida" was one. "Never Again" was another. And one listed other school shootings, such as Chardon and Sandy Hook, overlaid by "No More."

The four students who spoke included Olivia Mercil and Alison Yellets, both juniors; Daniel Gray, a sophomore; and Grace Osoteo, a freshman.

The names of the 17 students and staff murdered in Parkland, Florida -- and some commentary from their friends and people who knew them -- were read.

With great composure, Yellets included in her comments: "We have the power to take action. As a community, we have the ability to change things.

"We don't know what a person is going through. Abolish the stigma on mental illness. We can stand together and take action," she said.

Gray, in a forceful voice, asked the students to raise their hands if they want to be known for something. All raised their hands. Then he asked for hands to be raised by people who knew several names he listed, that turned out to be students who have died in school shootings around the country.

Very few raised their hands.

When asked to respond when he named another list, about half acknowledged knowing who they were. They were, he said, those who "murdered those innocent children."

He continued, "It's sad we know the names of the perpetrators, but we forget the names of the innocent victims ... those students became a statistic."

He went on to note, "There is nothing much scarier than walking into school and knowing that someone may have the intent to harm you, rather than school being a place to be gaining knowledge and to be building a future."

Osoteo, with tears in her eyes, said: "We are all scared. But the adults don't get it. They have failed us. We are not going to let it go out of the news. Movements like this all over the country have got to do something. Enough is enough. Nothing will change if we don't change it ourselves."

The solemnity of the occasion was reflected in teary eyes in the whole group. A sign was held up with the phone numbers of legislative representatives to contact.

On seeing the tears, Mercil said: "Don't let those emotions die. Take those emotions and do something. Do something to evoke change."

Ending the walkout, the group shouted together, "Not one more."AVON LAKE, Ohio - Rudy Breglia, a school bus seatbelt activist since a Chattanooga school bus accident killed six children in 2016, said the Avon Lake City School District "is 100 percent committed to a pilot program where at least one new replacement bus will be equipped with lap-shoulder safety belts."

Breglia met with Superintendent Robert Scott and school board President Charles Froehlich recently. He had presented his proposal to Avon Lake City Council in early 2017.

The bus for the pilot program would be used for travel, going on the highway for sporting events and field trips, Breglia said.

The district will not be buying any new buses until spring 2019, when the school board is expected to vote to purchase at least one bus, "maybe more," Breglia said. "It depends on how the trial goes. We will be looking at safety and behavior."

Breglia noted that reports from other states maintain that there is more than a safety benefit to the seatbelts.

"There is improvement in behavior because the child is stationary. There is diminished bullying and a more orderly atmosphere that even helps to maintain driver retention," he said.

But a danger to school districts without safety belts, said Breglia, is that "Ohio state law allows unlimited compensatory damages for every student in a crash. Schools are risking the safety of their students without seatbelts, but they are also risking enormous litigation awards."

Breglia is dedicated to the cause of children's safety on school buses and has given an array of presentations to school districts, city councils and other organizations, including the Ohio Department of Education.

He has presentations coming up at the Westlake Porter Library at 7 p.m. April 5, as well as at 7 p.m. April 16 at the Avon Lake Library. He will also share a booth with Kristen LePrevost, the leader of "March for Our Lives," at 3 p.m. March 24 at Avon Lake High School.

Breglia can be contacted at 440-930-0251 or rudybreglia@gmail.com.BROOKLYN, Ohio - City Council is expected to vote next month on a $22,500 job creation grant that could bring Hopebridge to Brooklyn.

"The city of Brooklyn looks forward to welcoming Hopebridge to our community and the services they can provide the autistic children in our community," Mayor Katie Gallagher said.

The Indiana-based pediatric outpatient services company is interested in taking over 8,000 square feet of a vacant Northcliff Avenue office space. Hopebridge would create 35 new clinical analyst and administrative jobs, resulting in an estimated payroll of $1.575 million, along with $25,000 in tenant improvements.

"We were getting concerned that this area was kind of losing its tendency for medical development," said Andi Udris, director of the city's Department of Economic Development.

"When this opportunity came up, and they were asking for an incentive, we thought it made a lot of sense. These are going to be licensed and trained therapists that help autistic kids, for the most part," Udris said.

Hopebridge provides one-on-one, personalized therapy for children and their families touched by behavioral, physical, social, communication and sensory challenges.

The city of Brooklyn's three-year job creation grant represents 30 percent of the income taxes Hopebridge is expected to generate the first year, 20 percent the second year and 10 percent the last year.

"We're projecting those numbers based on the income that they said they were going to generate in new payroll," Udris said. "It's a major coup for us, because those jobs weren't in the Cleveland area. Also, the incentives are to cover their relocation cost."

While Hopebridge is still negotiating a lease, Udris said the company's interest in the economic grant has him optimistic the project will come to fruition this spring.

Attracting attention in the area is the current construction of the nearby Brooklyn Pointe Assisted Living Facility, which is located on Idlewood Drive and near the Ridge Park Square Shopping Center.

The proposed 68,000-square-foot senior living facility will consist of 58 assisted living apartments and 22 memory care apartments, along with common areas. Once completed, the building is expected to employ 35 full-time employees and 18 part-time employees.

"That project is halfway done," Udris said. "I expect the assisted living facility to be finished by September. This just shows there's new investment happening.

"Eventually, we're now going to focus on (Ridgepark Medical Center) because we feel we need more medical office support for the region. We just need to find a new landlord and a new operation there that make sense."CLEVELAND, Ohio- Cuyahoga County has hired a digital forensics and cybersecurity firm to verify that all information sought in subpoenas from public corruption investigators is being provided.

The county's Board of Control on Monday agreed to pay $11,650 to Vestige Ltd. for computer forensic services for March 12-30.

According to the contract, Vestige "will review and identify all relevant data sources, review the information requests and county responses to information requested." The primary goal is to make sure the county "appropriately responded to information requests."

The request indicates that there will be another phase of work and additional costs once the initial review is completed.

According to its website, the Medina company's staff "are electronic evidence experts specializing in digital forensics and cybersecurity. Our digital forensic investigators use expertise that is applied in civil litigation and criminal proceedings as well as internal investigations to discover, investigate and protect against the good, the bad and the ugly -- so that stakeholders can make the best educated decisions for their situation."

The request to hire Vestige came from two independent county officials - Inspector General Mark Griffin and Internal Auditor Corey Swaisgood.

The contract was awarded several weeks after public-corruption investigators from the county Prosecutor's Office subpoenaed County Executive Armond Budish's administration for records involving top officials in the department of information services and contracts involving Westlake-based Hyland Software.

The subpoena asked for all emails between Scot Rourke, the county's chief transformation officer and information officer, and Hyland Software. The subpoena also asked for emails between the county's IT general counsel and director of special initiatives, Emily McNeeley, and Hyland Software.

The prosecutor's office also asked in the subpoena for "any and all paper or electronic records of access by Scot Rourke and Emily McNeeley to documents related to any contract between Cuyahoga County and the following entities: OneCommunity, OneCleveland, Everstream, DigitalC and Hyland.Software, including, but not limited to server access logs."

Budish placed Rourke and McNeeley on leave on Feb. 21. At that time he said that his office "will be immediately hiring an independent forensic investigator to make sure that all information sought in this investigation is fully secured and provided promptly to the prosecutor."

Investigators later served more subpoenas requesting records that include audit logs and deleted emails from 10 administrators in addition to Rourke and McNeeley.

Budish said on Feb. 19 that he asked Griffin to coordinate with authorities to the "fullest extent possible."

On March 6, Budish asked Swaisgood to examine the county's current process of identifying potential conflicts of interest.

This assessment by the internal auditor's office, with assistance from Griffin, could result in a thorough review of county contracts to look for any indications of fraud, conflicts of interest, self-dealing or other wrongdoing, the county said.

Griffin and Swaisgood asked the Board of Control, which includes Budish, department heads and County Council members, to award the contract without bidding.CLEVELAND, Ohio - County County's top administrators, who generally aren't permitted to speak to the media, will receive professional media training.

"It is important for them to understand and prepare for the media," said county spokeswoman Mary Louise Madigan, who generally provides all county responses for information. She said directors sometimes respond to media requests and may have to speak at press conferences or before community groups.

The training is part of County Executive Armond Budish's 2018 strategic plan, she said.

"They have to understand their obligation and responsibility and how to speak to the media if necessary," Madigan said.

Walter Parfejewiec, interim director of the Department of Health and Human Services, was the first to undergo training. He received training from Dix & Eaton on Feb. 27 at a cost of $3,000, according to a requisition for payment submitted to the county's Board of Control on Monday.

Parfejewiec, management services manager at the agency, was appointed interim director last October, following the resignation of director Thomas Pristow.

The department has eight divisions, 2,298 employees and a $366 million annual budget.

Parfejewiec's fee was covered by the county's health and human services levy.

The $3,000 was in addition to $8,000 paid to Dix & Eaton for media training from the county's general fund. That funding was approved by the Board of Control in December.

Madigan said Dix & Eaton was chosen following a request for informal bids.

Next in line for media training are administrators in human resources and information technology because they have "outward facing issues," Madigan said.

Chief Talent Officer Douglas Dykes has been grilled by County Council regarding Budish's proposed revisions to the county's employee handbook that included incentive pay and overtime pay to salaried employees.

Chief Transformation Officer Scot Rourke was placed on paid administrative leave by Budish after public-corruption investigators from the county Prosecutor's Office subpoenaed his administration for records involving top officials in the department of information services and contracts involving Westlake-based Hyland Software.

Madigan said the county is saving on the cost of media training by providing video training in-house.

"There is a guy with a camera who can play it back," she said. "It could have been more expensive."CLEVELAND, Ohio - Suddenly, Taylor Swift has a rival for the biggest concert of 2018.

Jay-Z and Beyonce have announced the dates for their "OTR II Tour" (That stands for On The Run") and a Cleveland show is on the schedule.

The dream couple will play FirstEnergy Stadium on July 25. Tickets for the show go on sale March 19. Prices start at $110.

This actually isn't the first time Jay and Bae have hit the stage together in Cleveland. They joined forces for a Hillary Clinton campaign rally in 2016.

The concert is the second announced for FirstEnergy Stadium this summer. T-Swift will perform at the venue on July 17.CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Calling the egg and embryo freezer malfunction at University Hospitals "gross negligence," a Bay Village couple has filed a proposed class action lawsuit asking for at least $25,000 in damages.

A possible second proposed

, according to

Peiffer Rosca Wolf Abdullah Carr & Kane

law firm.

In the first suit, Amber and Elliott Ash, said they lost two embryos stored in a freezer at University Hospitals Ahuja Medical Center in Beachwood. The lawsuit was filed Sunday in Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court. It asks for damages for the Ash couple and others harmed by the freezer malfunction. The Ashes are represented by the law firm DiCello Levitt & Casey.

"In what can only be characterized as gross negligence and an utter breach of trust, decency, and responsible stewardship, Defendants destroyed the hopes, dreams, and futures of hundreds, if not thousands, of prospective Ohio parents and families," the lawsuit reads.

The proposed class action lawsuit was filed on behalf of the plaintiffs and others who have been harmed. It also reveals that the hospital is notifying some patients about whether their frozen eggs and embryos are still viable. In some cases, couples are learning that their hopes for a pregnancy are lost.

UH officials stated that the hospital does not comment on litigation. "

Any lawsuits being filed will have no bearing on the independent review being conducted or our determination to help patients who have suffered this loss," officials said.

The hospital announced last week that about 2,000 eggs and embryos stored in a large liquid nitrogen freezer at the Ahuja Medical Center may have been damaged when the temperature rose in a storage tank. About 700 patients were notified about the incident, and the eggs and embryos have been moved to a different storage tank, UH said.

Amber and Elliott Ash were informed Saturday, March 10, that their embryo specimens had been destroyed as a result of the malfunction, according to the lawsuit.

After their son was born in 2015, doctors told Amber Ash that she should not undergo another pregnancy, so she and her husband froze embryos in the hopes of conceiving a child through a surrogate pregnancy.

"We had gone through in vitro fertilization," Amber Ash said an interview on WKYC. "We were fortunate to have one son that we conceived through IVF, but we've been told that the two remaining embryos did not survive."

It will be up to a judge to decide if the two lawsuits will be combined, said Robert DiCello of DiCello Levitt & Casey, the firm handling the Ash family lawsuit. Both lawsuits will be heard in Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court.

The $25,000 in damages listed in the proposed class action lawsuit filed by DiCello Levitt & Casey is a minimum required by the court. The actual amount will probably be higher, but DiCello declined to give a specific amount.

His law firm is hearing from families who were hurt by the UH freezer malfunction and want to join the proposed class action lawsuit. "We are extremely busy," he said.

DiCello said he had not heard of previous lawsuits regarding freezer malfunctions in fertility clinics. He did know about other class action lawsuits regarding other aspects of fertility treatment, such as medical devices and medications. He did not have information on the damages or outcomes of those cases.

He criticized UH for the way in which it informed patients about the problem. Affected families first heard in the media about the possibility that their eggs and embryos had been damaged, before they received a letter from the hospital, DiCello said. "(The letter) didn't give a clear explanation," he said.

When the Ash family called the help line listed on the letter, they heard a recorded message talking about family planning options. DiCello characterized the recorded message as "insensitive."

Later, the Ash family received a call from two UH doctors who informed them that their embryos were no longer viable. The family is wondering what criteria was used to make that determination, DiCello said.

Moving forward, UH needs to be transparent about its investigation, and allow lawsuits to move quickly through the legal system, he said.

"Transparency is absolutely critical in restoring the community's faith in them," DiCello said.

UH's fertility clinic offers embryo cryopreservation, which freezes excess embryos for implantation at a later date, and egg freezing, which allows a patient to freeze eggs for future use. This can be used by women who want to delay childbearing, or fear their may lose their fertility due to cancer treatments.

On Friday, the hospital said it had increased security at the Ahuja Medical Center Fertility Center in Beachwood. It is asking independent experts to investigate the cause of the accident, UH said.

Another fertility clinic, this one in San Francisco, recently reported that a faulty storage tank may have ruined some frozen eggs and embryos. The Pacific Fertility Center said a piece of equipment in its cyro-storage laboratory "lost liquid nitrogen for a brief period of time" on March 4, according to CNN.

Patients with questions about the UH freezer malfunction should contact the hospital call center at 216-286-9740, Monday through Friday 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. and on Saturday 8 a.m to 1 p.m.

More stories about the UH freezer accident:CLEVELAND, Ohio -- A lawsuit has been filed against University Hospitals, just days after it was revealed a freezer malfunction might have damaged about 2,000 frozen eggs and embryos, and the lawyers who filed will seek to have it become a class-action suit.

DiCello Levitt & Casey filed the lawsuit on Sunday, according to a news release from the law firm. WEWS Channel 5 reports the lawsuit was filed on behalf of Amber and Elliott Ash of Bay Village, who had two embryos stored in the UH freezer.

"Our clients are absolutely devastated, as I'm sure countless families across Ohio are in the wake of this catastrophic failure by University Hospitals," lawyer Mark DiCello says in the news release. "Let's not forget those affected are grieving the loss of thousands of potential daughters and sons.

"They are in a state of confusion, anger and sorrow, with too many unanswered questions. With this lawsuit, we will get answers and stop this from happening again."

The lawsuit, posted on WKYC Channel 3, was filed in Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court, is seeking damages in "excess of $25,000." A judge would have to declare it a class-action suit, meaning that that a whole group represented at once.

Attempts to reach UH officials late Sunday night were not successful.

The hospital system revealed last week that a problem in one of two large freezers preserving specimens at the UH Fertility Center housed at the Ahuja Medical Center in Beachwood was discovered on the morning of March 4. It occurred some time after staff left the previous afternoon, according to Patti DePompei, president of UH Rainbow Babies & Children's Hospital and MacDonald Women's Hospital.

The liquid nitrogen freezer held about 2,000 egg and embryo specimens, according to Dr. James Liu, chairman of the department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at UH Cleveland Medical Center. Some patients had more than one sample stored, and some of the samples were provided as long ago as the 1980s.

In a statement to media, hospital officials said "we are incredibly sorry this happened." DePompei also expressed regret in a video posted on Facebook.

According to WEWS, Amber Ash says she and her husband were notified of the freezer malfunction on Friday and told their embryos are no longer viable. The couple has a 2-year-old son, who was conceived through in-vitro fertilization at the hospital system.

"It's heartbreaking. Just heartbreaking," Amber Ash tells WEWS. "The medical community calls it tissue, I like to think of it as my children. My frozen children."

If you'd like to comment on this post, please visit the cleveland.com crime and courts comments section.CLEVELAND, Ohio - Though Gov. John Kasich wants to run the Ohio Department of Education, it's unclear if he has ever met with the man who has that job now, State Superintendent Paolo DeMaria.

Both DeMaria and Kasich spokesman Jon Keeling declined Monday to directly answer questions from The Plain Dealer and state school board members about if, and how often, they have met since DeMaria was named superintendent in 2016.

DeMaria cut off questions from state school board member Stephanie Dodd when she pressed him on the topic Monday at a state school board meeting in Columbus.

Communication between the governor and the Ohio Department of Education is at the center of debate in Columbus, as legislators debate House Bill 512, a proposal to place the department under gubernatorial control.

Supporters say the bill would allow better communication between the education department and Ohio's workforce development and higher education departments. But critics say Kasich has ignored basic steps to make that happen.

Those include not naming DeMaria to his own workforce board and not naming workforce experts as any of the eight state school board members he is allowed to appoint.

Keeling has declined to say why those actions have not occurred.

"We're reviewing it," he said.

The latest concern? Questions about whether Kasich has never met with DeMaria since he was named superintendent in 2016. He replaced former Kasich aide Richard Ross, who retired after a year of controversy over charter schools.

Dodd, who is also a Democratic candidate for Lt. Governor, pressed DeMaria on that question.

DeMaria deflected her questions, saying that the governor's voice matters and that he is always aware of the goals of the governor and his staff.

"Have you ever spoken to the governor?" asked Dodd,

"I'd like to proceed to the next question," DeMaria said.

Department spokesperson Brittany Halpin said DeMaria "regularly attends the Governor's Cabinet meetings, and he and other ODE staff regularly meet with the Governor's staff."

Keeling also said while DeMaria is not an official member of the cabinet, he is invited to cabinet meetings. "We meet with him and his staff regularly and have a good working relationship with them,'' Keeling said.

She added that DeMaria also meets in person with Ryan Burgess, the head of Kasich's Workforce Transformation department that would be merged with ODE under HB 512.

"Superintendent DeMaria regularly meets with him, and ODE staff consistently work with (Workforce Transformation) staff," Halpin said.

State school board member Nick Owens, a Georgetown Republican, who is asking other board members to oppose 512, said DeMaria's silence was a clear sign the two have not met.

"Being in a meeting is one thing," Owens said. "Actually meeting with the governor one on one is another thing."

He called Kasich's calls for cooperation coupled with his own lack of communication "hypocrisy at its finest."

Dodd also took issue with Kasich.

"It is ironic that the governor is pushing for legislation like HB 512 and trying to say there is a lack of collaboration when he, apparently, hasn't bothered to speak to the head of Ohio's K-12 system."

Other board members, who will debate Owens' resolution tomorrow, made no comment.UNIVERSITY HEIGHTS, Ohio - John Carroll University has received a $221,500 grant from the Burton D. Morgan Foundation to join an entrepreneurship network.

The university will collaborate with NEOLaunchNet schools to provide entrepreneurship experiences for students as they experiment with startup ideas, the foundation said.

The other schools are Baldwin Wallace University, Case Western Reserve University, Kent State University and Lorain County Community College.

"NEOLaunchNET is a great example of the connectivity that characterizes our region's higher education entrepreneurial ecosystem," Deborah Hoover, Morgan Foundation President, said in a statement. "Northeast Ohio colleges and universities consistently work together to advance entrepreneurship programming through efforts like the Entrepreneurship Education Consortium and Northeast Ohio Student Venture Fund, also awarded grants in this round."

The two-year grant will allow John Carroll to offer more opportunities for students to engage in entrepreneurial thinking and to develop and implement their ideas, interim president Jeanne Colleran said in a statement.

John Carroll has also received a five-year, $640,000 grant from the National Science Foundation to recruit, retain and provide scholarship support for students working toward degrees in science, technology, engineering or math.

The goal of the grant is to increase the enrollment and graduation rates of academically high-performing students who have demonstrated financial need, particularly among first generation college students and underrepresented minorities.

John Carroll will offer the scholarship program to eligible incoming first-year students beginning this fall and eligible transfer students in fall 2020.

The five-year grant will support 32 undergraduate students who will receive annually renewable $4,000 scholarships as long they meet academic standards in a STEM-related major.

Scholarship recipients will also benefit from a summer bridge program, peer mentoring, research fellowships, scientific conferences and career development opportunities.

"This grant furthers John Carroll University's dedication to our mission by enhancing access and support for more young people, and it advances our commitment to provide excellent preparation for students pursuing emerging careers in our region, including health care and biotechnology," Margaret Farrar, dean of the university's College of Arts and Sciences, said in a statement.CLEVELAND, Ohio - Schools shouldn't be just about test scores in math and English, the state school board says.

They should also be about emotional health, critical reasoning and how to be an "engaged, culturally aware and contributing member of society."

And they should help prepare students for jobs, as much as they do for college.

After a year of debate with education groups across the state, the board and Ohio Department of Education released late Wednesday a proposed "strategic plan" they hope will guide education decisions for Ohio over the next several years.

It's won't bring any immediate changes to classrooms and isn't even an immediate call for the legislature to approve any changes. But it offers a vision" for what Ohio's high school graduates should look like, an "overarching goal" to help students reach career success, and calls for several shifts in how the state will approach some tough issues going forward.

Among them: Treating job training as equally valid as going to college, considering technology skills as basic and foundational to success as English and math, and also making the ability to reason critically or have social and emotional skills equal as well.

"Foundational skills" like reading and math are just one quarter of the picture under this plan. Other classes like social studies and science make up another quarter, but the plan elevates two new "domains" of learning to an equal level:

Reasoning: problem-solving, design thinking, creativity, information analytics

Social-Emotional: growth mindset, perseverance, self-awareness, team work, collaboration

"Meeting the needs of the whole child, including the development of social-emotional skills, is essential for preparing students for success in the classroom and to navigate the rapidly changing future of work," the plan states. "In addition to the academic knowledge and skills necessary to future success, students must be equipped to set goals, show empathy, maintain positive relationships and make responsible decisions."

Don't expect a handy grade on state report cards for these new areas, at least not yet.

"The research is clear that the acquisition of social-emotional skills cannot necessarily be tested," the plan states. "But the skills, when demonstrated by students, can be observed by caring adults and mentors who are trained to do so."

See a full draft of the plan below.

"Its really a big shift in the idea of what we're doing to help students in the future," said board member Pat Bruns, a former Cincinnati teacher.

Though representatives of education groups across the state - teachers unions, philanthropy, colleges, job training programs, the Ohio PTA - have all participated in crafting the plan, the board and ODE want public input. It will hold 11 feedback sessions across the state over the rest of this month.

The hearing for Cuyahoga County will be from 6 to 8 p.m., Tuesday, March 27 and the Educational Service Center of Cuyahoga County, 6393 Oak Tree Blvd., Independence. Click here to register or for more information.

"It is a way for the board and Department of Education to clearly communicate the vision and purpose we want," said board member Linda Haycock of Lima, who was a major player in creating the plan. "Hopefully this plan will be used to drive any legislation, any policy, any rules that pertain to education."

Though the plan makes no immediate changes to what students see in the classroom, board member Kara Morgan of Dublin said agreement on goals can let educators move toward them instead of just reacting to problems.

"We aim to have all the people and organizations who are involved in education in Ohio moving in the same direction - including not only the Board and ODE but also districts, schools, sponsors, community (charter) schools, and community partners including non-profits, other funders, and businesses," Morgan said. " It is meant to identify the priorities ... and also identify measures that can be used to evaluate our progress towards achieving those priorities."

Those priorities include one that centers on a major controversy surrounding the board in recent weeks - how well schools prepare students to enter the workforce. A bill proposed last month would merge the Ohio Department of Education with the state's Higher Education and Workforce departments in hopes of better helping students gain skills for work.

Click here for how hearings on that bill are going.

The plan does not make immediate changes to job training, but adjusts philosophy to make it a priority.

"Over the last decade, Ohio largely emphasized college for all," it reads. "While college is a meaningful path for many students, some benefit from other pathways," including career training.

The proposed vision for graduates leaves other paths than college open: "Each graduate is prepared with the knowledge, skills and disposition to pursue his or her chosen post-high school path and become a lifelong learner who is an engaged, culturally aware and contributing member of society."

And the "over-arching goal" holds job skills as equal to college:

"Annually increase the percentage of Ohio's high school graduates who, within one year of graduation, are:

* Enrolled and succeeding in a post-high school learning experience, including an adult career technical education program, an apprenticeship and/or a two-year or four-year college program (15 semester hours); or

* Serving in a military branch; or

* Earning a living wage."

Making critical reasoning and social/emotional skills on par with traditional ones, board members say, will also give students basic skills to adapt as the economy changes around them..

"Technological advances are rapidly changing the skills students need for the jobs of tomorrow," the plan notes. "Forty-seven percent of today's jobs could be phased out in the coming years due to technological advances, and 65 percent of secondary students are predicted to work in jobs that do not yet exist."

Here are all the public feedback sessions scheduled for the plan:CLEVELAND, Ohio - Ohio schools need to do more to help students prepare for work after graduation, state and school officials agree, but they differ sharply on a proposal to carry that out - merging the Ohio Department of Education with the state's Higher Education and Workforce Transformation Departments.

A bill to create that merger, which would also wipe out about 80 percent of the power of the state school board and give it to the governor, has drawn some support but also a backlash from educators and the public.

A hearing on the bill drew an overflow crowd Wednesday and has brought a flood of emails to legislators - reportedly mostly negative. Two thirds of those giving testimony to the House Committee hearing the bill have opposed it, saying the new "mega-agency" would take away a voice of voters.

"How dare you consider stripping policy making authority from our elected State Board of Education?" asked Eric Resnick, vice chairman of the Canton school board. "Ohio's citizens, regardless of politics, will feel ever farther from one of their most important institutions, public education."

Rep. Bill Reineke, a Tiffin Republican, proposed House Bill 512 last month to merge the three departments into a new Department of Learning and Achievement in the name of better aligning efforts to prepare students for jobs and college.

Backers of the plan say combining the three will give students a smoother path to learning skills they need for jobs and a promising future. By eliminating the "silos" of the three departments, they say, the state can lessen an ongoing problem of graduates lacking the right skills for available jobs and employers struggling to find people with those changing skills.

"We need to change the way we deliver our education and training services to keep up with the type and speed of change in our economy," Ryan Burgess, director of Workforce Transformation, said at the bill's first hearing last week.

"A unified and consistent voice from the State of Ohio, instead of multiple differing voices, will empower local communities to address their talent challenges," he added.

But a wave of opponents say that placing the combined departments under control of the governor, who would appoint the head of the new department, would take away the voice of voters to guide education policy. Voters now elect 11 of the 19 members of the state school board, which in turn hires the state superintendent.

Though the board would remain in place, as mandated by the state constitution, it would lose policy-making power, the ability to hold hearings on changes and the right to make department officials answer questions publicly about their work.

They also say that there are simpler ways to improve cooperation - like appointing ODE people to the governor's workforce panel or workforce officials to the state school board - that Gov. John Kasich could take, but hasn't.

"(The proposal) would move decisions about important topics, such as setting the state's learning standards, graduation requirements for students and school district report cards to a politically appointed staff as opposed to the current process that includes many opportunities for public input," Jennifer Hogue of the Ohio School Boards Association wrote to the committee, urging the bill to be rejected.

The state school board itself has not taken any official position yet - a resolution in opposition to the bill has been proposed for vote at the board's meeting next week -- but Sarah Fowler, an elected member representing parts of Ashtabula, Geauga, Lake, Trumbull and Summit counties, opposed the plan.

"(It) undermines our constitutional separation of powers, transparency of the rule making process, and accountability to the voters for regulations created by the proposed mega-agency," Fowler told the House committee.

She said that things like teacher/student ratios, teacher/principal evaluation systems, report cards, state academic standards, state assessments for students, assessments for teacher licensure, proficiency levels, and licensing requirements all have public discussions through the board.

"These functions would become non-transparent through the transfer of authority to an unelected, unaccountable AGENCY rather than the current State Board of Education," Fowler said. "

And State Superintendent Paolo DeMaria noted in a Feb. 27 letter to Kasich that the panel the governor created himself to improve job training and placement, the Governor's Executive Workforce Board, has more than 25 business, higher education and legislative members, including the chancellor of higher education, but not him.

"I believe more can be done immediately to further collaboration," DeMaria wrote on Feb. 27. "I respectfully request your prompt consideration to appoint the Superintendent of Public Instruction to the Governor's Executive Workforce Board."

Kasich has not responded publicly to that letter.

Others like Melissa Cropper, head of the Ohio Federation of Teachers, one of two large teachers unions in the state, say the governor can appoint workforce experts to the board in one of the eight appointments he receives on the 19-member board.

"I agree with the concept that there should be better alignment, but I'm not sure they can't have better alignment with the structure they have now," she said.

Rep. Bill Reineke, the bill's sponsor, disputed Fowler's stance at a hearing Wednesday. He objected to claims that the board is the "voice of the people."

"Aren't we the voice of the people as well?" he asked, referring to legislators.

Fowler said legislators represent the people, just like the board. But she said districts are increasingly partnering with business on mentorships and internships for students, "without the state needing to take an overarching approach."

Joining Burgess and Chancellor of Higher Education John Carey in backing the bill have been several leaders of career training schools in the state.

"Often times career centers feel as though they are overlooked by the state and are not 'brought to the table' when the state crafts education policy," Mary Beth Freeman, superintendent of the Delaware Area Career Center, told the committee Wednesday.

She said the bill would make sure all three departments work together to identify needs and challenges to matching students and workforce needs, then fixing them.

Jeremy Pelzer of Cleveland.com contributed to this report.CLEVELAND, Ohio -- An 89-year-old woman was one of two people found dead Sunday inside a Cleveland home where a possible gas leak was reported.

The Cuyahoga County Medical Examiner's Office has not yet determined how Jonnie Watts died.

Police dispatch logs identifed the second person who died as Watts' 73-year-old son, but medical examiners have not released his identity or cause of death.

Cleveland police Det. Reginald Lanton said that homicide detectives are now investigating the deaths per department protocol. Officers found no signs of foul play at the home, and a Cleveland police report lists the deaths as "probable accidental."

Watts' granddaughter told police that she went to Watts' Lenacrave Avenue home about 11:30 a.m. Sunday to check on her. The granddaughter backed out of the house and called police after finding the door unlocked and a "strong odor of gas," according to a Cleveland police report.

Investigators entered the home and found Watts dead on the floor of her basement, which was flooded, the report says.

The 73-year-old man was found dead on a bed in an upstairs bedroom, the report says.

Police said a strong smell of gas was still inside the home on Sunday as they conducted their investigation.

Cleveland fire spokesman Mike Norman said that firefighters did go to the home to handle a possible gas leak, but was unable to say if a leak was found. Staff from Dominion Energy and the water department were also called to the scene, the report says.

A Dominion Energy spokesman said that company officials were called to the scene and cut off gas to the house without entering it. The spokesman said they are willing to assist Cleveland police investigators, but have not been contacted by department officials as of 4:30 p.m. Monday.

To comment on this story, please visit Monday's crime and courts comments page.COLUMBUS, Ohio -- A restaurant collecting cash to donate to the families of two Westerville police officers who were killed last month while on the job says a thief made off with most of the money.

Columbus police are now investigating after surveillance video shows a woman appear to take money from the donation box at Average Joe's Pub and Grill and spend it on nearby lottery machines, Fox 28 reports.

"She looked at the box, made it look like she was reading, and made it look like she was putting money in, and then she flipped it over to see if she could get inside the box and couldn't and then goes away, and come back with something to pull the money out, probably tweezers" Average Joe's manager Briana Braver tells Fox 28.

Braver says the woman had been in the restaurant earlier, left, then returned, "So, she thought about it."

It's estimated there was a few hundred dollars in the donation box before the theft.

The donation box has been moved behind the bar so people who contributions can be given to an employee, who will then put the money in the box, according to WCMH Channel 4.

Westerville officers Eric Joering, 39, and Anthony Morelli, 54, were shot and killed after responding to a 911 hang-up call on Feb. 10 at the home of the suspect. Quentin Smith, 30, is charged with aggravated murder.

If you'd like to comment on this post, please visit the cleveland.com crime and courts comments section.OLMSTED FALLS, Ohio - School safety is a topic on many minds recently due to the latest shooting tragedy in Florida.

The Olmsted Falls City School District will sponsor a school safety/security forum for the community at 7 p.m. March 21 in the Olmsted Falls High School auditorium. Parents, staff and residents of the school district are invited.

On his latest Update, Lloyd wrote that after each "destructive" school episode, the district has gathered with first responders to review "processes and procedures" so that "protocols" are updated.

The informal meeting will involve district and building administrators and Olmsted Falls and Olmsted Township safety officials. They will discuss school safety/security measures and practices.

Lloyd also wrote about his "moderate" approach in supporting student walkouts that will emphasize keeping students safe and maintaining an orderly instructional environment. He wrote that the student protest issue is a "legal" one, on which federal and Supreme courts have ruled on the students' First Amendment Rights. His thorough explanation is found on his ofcssuper.wordpress.com Update . I encourage you to go there and read it.

Quite a few years ago, I attended a practice exercise at one of the district's buildings involving an "active" shooter. It was quite an eye opener then. Techniques have changed, and it appears the district continues to review and update better practice measures.

If you have concerns about school security or just want to know the district's practices, attend the meeting.

Senior Health Fair - The city of Olmsted Falls, Jenkins Place Senior Center and Southwest General Health Center will host a Senior Health and Welfare Fair March 23 at - The city of Olmsted Falls, Jenkins Place Senior Center and Southwest General Health Center will host a Senior Health and Welfare Fair March 23 at Olmsted Falls City Hall

The educational - and fun - fair will run from noon to 2 p.m. It will include more that 25 health-care professionals and senior service providers who will share information, give quick checkups and answer questions. Those attending will receive a light lunch and be entered into a raffle, with several prizes available.

The fair is free and open to those 55 years and older living in Olmsted Falls, Olmsted Township and surrounding communities. Why not stop by during the two-hour event? If you have questions, call 440-427-2519.

Pancake Breakfast - The Olmsted Falls Kiwanis Club will sponsor its annual Palm Sunday Pancake Breakfast from 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. March 25 in the Olmsted Falls Intermediate School cafeteria. Please note the change of location due to construction at the high school.



The menu includes all-you-can-eat pancakes and French toast, sausage, juice, milk or coffee. The cost is $6, free to kids 3 and under. Besides the pancakes, the second highlight of the event is pictures with the Easter Bunny. You may also enjoy door prizes and Chinese raffle prizes.

Tickets are available at the event or from any Kiwanian.

This "Sterns" Road sign on Bagley Road west of the intersection needs a quick spellcheck.

Road signs - The consensus on the reconstructed Bagley Road's west end is Cuyahoga County did a great job. I think we all agree and appreciate the work and early exit. The road signs -- well, one of them -- are another matter.

How many times have you driven eastbound on Bagley and seen the "Sterns" Road sign in front of the driving range? Yep. Someone spelled it incorrectly, although its counterpart sign east of that intersection heading west is spelled "Stearns Road" -- the correct spelling. I know, someone just made a mistake.

The Stearns Road sign east of the intersection is spelled correctly.

With three of the four signs at that intersection spelled correctly, let's make the fourth match the others. Thanks to those who will fix this.

Pierogies - You have only two more Saturdays for the Pierogi Sale at St. Innocent Orthodox Church on Usher Road. The sale includes potato/cheese, potato/onion and sauerkraut pierogies at the cost of $6 a dozen. They are frozen and ready to cook.

Stop by the church, located at 8526 Usher Road, from noon to 3 p.m. this Saturday and March 24 for pick-up. Quantities are limited. For more details, go to saintinnocent.org or call 440-503-0188.

Neighboring news - Lecturer David Onysko will present a program on the - Lecturer David Onysko will present a program on the Shroud of Turin at Grace Church in Middleburg Heights this Wedneday through Friday. An extensive exhibit may be viewed - free - from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday, 3 to 9 p.m. Thursday and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday. He also will have a formal discussion from 7 to 9 p.m. Friday, with a $10 admission fee that will go toward Cleveland Right to Life and others. Grace Church is at 7393 Pearl Road.

Reminder: Seniors are invited to Friday's St. Patty's Day activities at the Olmsted Community Center. Irish dancing begins at 10:30 a.m., followed by an Irish party from noon to 2 p.m. Call 440-427-2519 or email : Seniors are invited to Friday's St. Patty's Day activities at the Olmsted Community Center. Irish dancing begins at 10:30 a.m., followed by an Irish party from noon to 2 p.m. Call 440-427-2519 or email jenkinsplace@olmstedfalls.org to register.CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Bride Rose Sweeney will remain on the ballot as she tries to replace her father, Martin J. Sweeney, in the Ohio legislature.

The Cuyahoga County Board of Elections on Monday dismissed a residency challenge filed by Rick Raley, one of Bride Rose Sweeney's Democratic primary opponents. They said Raley did not meet the legal standard -- offering "clear and convincing evidence" that Sweeney did not intend to return to Cleveland as she worked in Columbus.

Raley had submitted evidence -- including a now-deleted Facebook post in which Sweeney wrote she had moved to Columbus -- that he said showed she did not live in Cleveland as she held a series of Columbus jobs over three years. Sweeney said even though she worked for the Ohio legislature and the Franklin County Recorder's Office, she returned to her family home in Cleveland on the weekends, and always intended to move back as soon as she could. She remained registered to vote there, and kept most of her important personal belongings there, such as her social security card and birth certificate.

She told board members she now is a "full-time candidate," and no longer works in Columbus.

Sweeney, 25, said after studying political science at John Carroll University, she decided she wanted to pursue a career in politics. She was told that working in either Washington, D.C. or Columbus would help her achieve that end.

"It always has been my intent," to move back to Cleveland, Sweeney told elections board members. "Any boss that I worked for could attest to this."

Raley, a Summit County assistant prosecutor, pointed out that Sweeney did not submit evidence that showed she paid Cleveland taxes, even though she supposedly lived there. In response to a question from Raley, Sweeney conceded her paychecks were sent to the apartment in Columbus that she shared with a roommate.

"I think if someone has a bedroom at their parents' house after they move out, pretty much all of us may be living with our parents still," Raley joked. "My parents' house has a bedroom that basically is a shrine to myself in the 1990s, but I'm not living there."

Raley, Sweeney, activist Steve Holecko and Brook Park City Councilman Carl Burgio all are running as Democrats to represent Ohio's 14th House District. Martin J. Sweeney, the former Cleveland city council president who currently holds the seat, is running for the state senate.CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Elections officials believe former Cleveland Councilman TJ Dow broke the law in November 2017 by voting at one address days after he said he moved to another to establish residency for an eventual run for the state legislature.

The Cuyahoga County Board of Elections on Monday referred Dow's case to the Cuyahoga County Prosecutor's Office for further investigation, as well as to the Ohio Secretary of State's Office as an instance of potential voter fraud.

Board of Elections Director Pat McDonald told cleveland.com elections officials believe Dow may have committed a crime. Violating the section of law an elections official cited during Monday's Board of Elections meeting is a fourth-degree felony.

"The Board of Elections takes voting irregularities very seriously, and today's referral to the prosecutor's office is an example of how we do not tolerate any potential voter fraud in Cuyahoga County," McDonald said.

In a phone interview, Dow, who is running to represent Ohio's 10th House District, said he believes he is being unfairly singled out. He said Ohio elections law allows candidates to maintain multiple residences, as long as they intend to return to their original address. He said he maintained the possibility of moving back to his former address until he finalized a deal to lease it out, which he thinks allowed him to vote the way he did.

"People do this all the time," Dow said. "I don't understand why there's a double standard my way."

The issue first came to the elections board's attention last month when Dow, while successfully defending himself against a residency challenge to his eligibility to run for the state representative seat, described voting at his old address instead of voting provisionally at his new one.

In November 2017, Dow was running for re-election to his Cleveland council seat. With an eye toward running for state representative the following year -- Ohio law requires state representative candidates to live in the district they hope to represent for at least a year before Election Day -- he moved to a new address on East 12th Street on Nov. 1.

On Nov. 7, Dow voted at the precinct for his old address, a house on Decker Avenue that is not in the state House district Dow ended up running for. He ended up losing the council election.

Dow could have voted provisionally, causing his vote to be counted several days later after elections officials verified his new address. But Dow said last month while he realized it would have been "better per se" to vote provisionally, he did not feel comfortable doing so, citing in part the delay in counting the vote. He said he had received legal guidance that it was allowable for him to do so.

The board met Monday to discuss Dow's case after elections staff investigated the laws surrounding illegal voting.

Betty Edwards, a manger in the elections board's registration department, told board members on Monday that Dow voted "in a precinct in which he was not a legally qualified elector," while knowing he had the option to vote provisionally, a method that allows elections officials extra days to verify someone's new address. She cited an Ohio law dealing with illegal voting -- violating that law is a fourth-degree felony.

Public records show that assistant county prosecutor Brendan Doyle, who represents the elections board, reviewed Edwards' prepared remarks before she delivered them.

In an interview, Dow said he believes establishing residency at the East 12th Street address for the purposes of running for the state representative seat didn't mean he had to vote there. (Here is the legal citation he provided to cleveland.com.)

"I was transitioning out of my house, so all my bills, my gas and all of that were in my name at Decker," Dow said. "All I'm doing is establishing residency. I'm not doing any more or any less than that, because [the law] says I have to reside in the district. I had not vacated my house."

He added: "I can have two residences and whichever one I choose to vote out of, that's the one I choose to vote out of. And you can be consistent with Ohio law. How are all these other politicians allowed to have these other residences but me?"

Dow is one of five candidates running in the Democratic primary for Ohio's 10th House District. Incumbent State Rep. Bill Patmon is term-limited and unable to run for re-election.CLEVELAND, Ohio - A second member of Congress who represents Cleveland endorsed former federal consumer watchdog Richard Cordray on Monday in his run for governor.

U.S. Rep. Marcy Kaptur, a Democrat from Toledo who represents parts of Cleveland, announced her support for Cordray, according to a press release from the Cordray campaign. Kaptur previously supported former U.S. Rep. Betty Sutton, who is now Cordray's running mate.

"From helping to stabilize and champion our vital auto manufacturing industry to reining in the abuses of Wall Street, this team has the experience to move Ohio forward and win in November," Kaptur said in a statement.

Cordray has received the endorsement from two of the four Democratic U.S. representatives in Ohio. U.S. Rep. Marcia Fudge, a Democrat from Warrensville Heights, has also backed Cordray after supporting Sutton.PARMA, Ohio - After holding a similar event last year, the city has announced that its next Public Safety Forum, "The Growing Opioid Epidemic and How it Affects Our Community," will take place at 7 p.m. March 21 at the Cuyahoga County Public Library's Parma Branch.

"Last year's forum was the most well attended," Mayor Tim DeGeeter said. "Obviously, there's a crisis out there. We thought this would be good timing. This year, we have the police and fire departments making presentations, as well as representatives from University Hospitals Parma Medical Center and MetroHealth."

Parma Director of Public Safety Thomas Weinreich said the city holds quarterly forums, which over the last year have also covered fire prevention around the holidays and personal safety.

"For this upcoming forum, we'll have the Parma police and fire departments speak from their perspectives: What they're seeing and what the impact is on our community," Weinreich said. "We've also invited the hospitals, because we've got different partnerships with both.

"They'll be speaking about what they're seeing from the hospitals' perspectives, because obviously it's a health-care crisis, as well."

DeGeeter said the opioid crisis has been devastating to the city, which in 2012 didn't have any recorded overdoses. That figure jumped last year to 213 overdoses and 13 deaths.

"You can see how this has progressed in the wrong way, so it's trying to be proactive in our community, getting knowledge out there and sharing information from different points of view," DeGeeter said.

"There's no family that's immune to this. We encourage families to bring their high school students and anyone who has been touched by it or lost someone."

Added Weinreich: "This is not something that's going to go away overnight. It's just sharing information and shining additional light on this problem. We'll have to continue to have these dialogues in the future."

The upcoming forum will also include a discussion about Parma rolling out its drug intervention teams this spring. Last year, the city received an $87,500 grant through the Ohio Attorney General's Office.

The money will be used to create quick-response teams comprised of a police officer, paramedic and social worker supplied by MetroHealth. The teams will meet weekly to screen those individuals who overdosed the previous week and to visit the residences of potential candidates for treatment.

The teams will offer resources to individuals and family members and provide a list of addiction services for assessment and treatment.

DeGeeter also noted that he's a member of the Ohio Mayors Alliance, which has been in contact with Gov. John Kasich and his Cabinet Opioid Action Team about Ohio's ongoing opioid crisis. In addition, Parma is part of a lawsuit suing opioid manufacturers.

"We're not sitting back in the Police Department or at City Hall," DeGeeter said. "We're trying to make real proactive attempts."PARMA, Ohio - Nikki Yeager didn't set out to be an entrepreneur pushing boundaries in the world of non-gendered infant and toddler clothing with her relatively new business, Every Bean.

However, the Parma resident, who also splits her time in New York City, felt compelled to use her background in sales, marketing, public relations and freelance writing to address an issue that was negatively affecting her toddler son.

"Basically, he started getting a lot of comments on things we'd choose to dress him in or his long hair," Yeager said. "I woke up in that moment and was like, 'Oh, this is a bigger problem.' This is impacting his happiness and things that people are allowing him to do based on the gender that he is.

"I know I can't change everyone's opinion in the world how we treat children, but the easiest place I can start was the clothing. That's the most visible representation of gender and gender identity. I decided to start there and to see if I could get a conversation going about it."

The result is Every Bean, an online children's clothing line that isn't gender specific. Since late 2016, the company has been selling what Yeager calls homegrown products, such as onesies, headbands and tutus.

Every Bean expanded last December to include an Every Brand section featuring fun leggings from Southeast Asia that Yeager said are more child-friendly than similar items carried stateside.

"We have our first T-shirt coming out in the next month," Yeager said. "As far as homegrown designs, we've been working on leggings that have storybook patterns on them, but those won't be out next fall. Also, each season we'll bring in three to five products from abroad."

Even though Every Bean was created to cater to her son's interests, that won't always be the case. While he'll soon turn 3 and inevitably turn his attention to Elmo, Bubble Guppies and the like, Yeager said the company won't necessarily follow suit.

"We don't want licensed characters," Yeager said. "It's very expensive, but also everybody does that. We want to provide something unique that's appealing to both parents and children. We want to keep them different."

That uniqueness is what led Every Bean to attract plenty of media attention over the last year, which led to comment section backlash.

"While the amount of negative feedback may look discouraging on the surface, the people sending those comments are being forced to consider something they never thought about before: how gendering impacts children," Yeager said.

"They may not agree with what we're saying, but the fact they even thought about it for a split second to me is a success, because they're having a conversation. There's room for growth and room for both sides to understand each other and maybe create a more loving environment for all of our children in the future."ROCKY RIVER, Ohio - Ever wonder what a taser feels like when you see those videos online? The current Citizen Police Academy class in Rocky River was asked for volunteers to have the experience.

Two students volunteered: Nancy Kelly and Renee Tyler.

Prior to the demonstration, Police Sgt. Kurt Bunner showed the class several different tasers. As they were passed around, it was surprising how lightweight they were.

The taser is an electronic control device designed to incapacitate a subject without causing serious injury, Bunner said. It delivers up to 50,000 volts at very low amperage and, he noted, is designed to jam the nervous system.

One of two volunteers, Renee Tyler grimaces as she gets hit by a taser.

The taser is valuable to officers because there is no hands-on contact with a subject and it reduces the officers' risk of injury with violent subjects and prevents the subjects from trying to grab an officer's handgun or other weapons.

When the subject goes down, there is only a five-second window to get the prisoner under control or to cuff the prisoner because they recover quickly.

Kelly and Tyler were the only two in the class to volunteer. The other volunteer project was going to be an experience with pepper spray, but it was canceled due to the "clean-up" time for the volunteer to recover.

After the disabling experience, both Kelly and Tyler described the sensation as something they could "feel in my bones."

The taser experiment was just one more interesting evening in the Citizen Police Academy. The academy is designed to give interested residents a look into the real life of a police officer.SEVEN HILLS, Ohio - Former City Council President Matt Trafis was recently charged with attempted dereliction of duty stemming from an Oct. 25 public records request.

The misdemeanor charges pertain to then City Council President Trafis asking the city's Finance Department about a potential tax delinquency notice sent to Pat Elliott, who at the time was a political opponent seeking a seat on City Council.

In November, Elliott was elected to City Council as a councilman at-large, while Trafis was voted out of office. When contacted by cleveland.com, Elliott declined to comment.

Representing Trafis is attorney Adam M. VanHo, who said his client initially discussed the matter with Seven Hills Law Director Richard Pignatiello and Assistant Law Director Patrick DiChiro.

"The question was whether or not one of the people who was running for City Council had received a delinquency notice with regards to taxes," VanHo said. "As a general rule, tax information is not considered to be a public record, but there was a question whether or not a delinquency notice would be public record.

"My client received information from the law director and the assistant law director that it could be considered to be a public record."

VanHo said at that time, Trafis went to the Finance Department and made a public records request as a resident, not in his official capacity, regarding a tax delinquency notice. Trafis recorded the entire request process.

"They indicated that they didn't have photocopies or copies of the tax delinquency notices that were sent out, so all that was provided to him was essentially a blank form they use," VanHo said.

"That was kind of the end of it. The issue died. In February, Matt was contacted by the Seven Hills Police Department because they were going to file attempted dereliction of duty charges. The statute absolutely does not fit. There is no violation of the revised code for filing an improper public records request, either. I see this as a political hatchet job," VanHo said.

cleveland.com contacted Pignatiello and the Seven Hills Police Department. Neither immediately responded with a statement. VanHo said the city has requested a special prosecutor to take the case.

Regarding why Trafis was seeking out Elliott's tax-paying history, VanHo said: "I think it was just a general request that he had heard this letter had gone out. I don't think he determined what he was going to do use it for or if he was going to use it. At that point, it was a curiosity.

"Even if it was confidential, the remedy or the next step is that you're denied the record. That's what the fix is, not filing criminal charges. That's my issue with it. I don't like the idea they're essentially trying to criminally punish somebody for filing a public records request."

Trafis, who turned himself in, has a March 21 summons to appear in Parma Municipal Court.STRONGSVILLE, Ohio - The city may join ongoing litigation against drug manufacturers and distributors over the nation's opioid epidemic.

Under a proposed ordinance, which City Council placed on first reading last week, the city would hire Climaco, Wilcox, Peca & Garofoli Co. LPA, a Cleveland law firm, and Napoli Shkolnik PLLC in New York City to represent Strongsville in the legal action.

"This is something we've been looking at," Strongsville Law Director Neal Jamison said. "Manufacturers, distributors and marketers of opioids have created a public nuisance for our community by putting out these highly addictive painkillers, and it has cost the city money and resources."

If council approves the ordinance, Strongsville would follow in the footsteps of Broadview Heights, which earlier this year hired Climaco Wilcox and Napoli Shkolnik to represent that city in the opioid litigation.

John Climaco, of Climaco Wilcox, said he filed a lawsuit on behalf of Broadview Heights earlier this month in Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court. He expects the lawsuit, like other opioid cases, to be moved to federal court.

U.S. District Judge Dan Polster is presiding over more than 200 lawsuits - filed by governmental entities in Alabama, California, Illinois, Ohio, Washington and West Virginia - blaming drug manufacturers and distributors for the opioid crisis.

The lawsuits say that drug makers overstated the benefits and downplayed the risks of using opioids, and that distributors failed to monitor suspicious orders of prescription opiates. Their actions have led to overdose deaths across the country, the lawsuit says.

The lawsuits ask the courts to make drug manufacturers and distributors pay governments for costs associated with the opioid epidemic and to punish the companies for creating a public nuisance.

The amount of money governments are seeking has not been determined, but one lawsuit estimated that the opioid crisis has cost them "tens of millions" of dollars. Polster is urging all parties to settle.

According to the National Institute of Drug Abuse, more than 90 Americans die each day after overdosing on opioids, including prescription pain relievers, heroin and synthetic opioids such as fentanyl.

But at least one opioid manufacturer has said the lawsuits fail to identify even one physician who prescribed an opioid medication when it was medically unnecessary, or who prescribed such a medication due to misleading marketing or promotional materials.

Meanwhile, pharmaceutical industry lawyers have stated that the federal government has determined their painkillers are safe and effective when used property.

Jamison said opioid overdoses have cost Strongsville's safety forces money in increased emergency runs by paramedics.

In August, the Strongsville Police Department was one of 130 law enforcement agencies in Ohio that received grant money to create and maintain drug abuse awareness and prevention programs, including D.A.R.E., PALS (Prevention through Alternative Learning Styles), Too Good for Drugs and Stay on Track. Strongsville's grant amount was $32,839.

"Police Chief (Mark) Fender and the Safety Director (Charles Goss) have set up a special detail to help people who overdose and get them on the right path," Jamison said.

Strongsville, under its contract with Climaco Wilcox and Napoli Shkolnik, would not pay a legal fee unless it wins a monetary award. The city would give attorneys 10 percent of any amount awarded before the complaint is filed; 20 percent to 25 percent after legal briefings are submitted; 33 percent after a final pretrial, if the lawsuit reaches that point; and 40 percent once a trial begins.

Other local municipalities, including Parma, Lorain and Elyria, have already filed lawsuits, and those cases have been consolidated in Polster's courtroom. Cleveland and Brunswick filed lawsuits March 6 and last month, respectively.

Also in February, the state of Ohio sued four opioid distributors, accusing them of unsafe practices. Cuyahoga County filed a lawsuit last year.

in early March filed a "statement of interest" in the opioid lawsuits being heard in Cleveland, but hasn't decided whether to intervene.STRONGSVILLE, Ohio - The city will pay Denes Concrete Inc. in Wellington $1.1 million to rebuild four residential streets later this year.

City Council unanimously approved the contract last week. Three of the streets - Homestead Park Drive, Pheasant Run Place and Park View Circle - are in the northern part of Strongsville, in the area of Pearl and Whitney roads. The fourth street, Walnut Drive, is in the southwest quadrant of town.

"The scope of the work is to remove and replace concrete slabs and joints as necessary," said Ken Mikula, the city's engineer. "In some cases, most or all of the concrete will be removed and replaced."

Six other firms bid on the project. The companies and their bids were Konstruction King Inc. in Brunswick, $1.18 million; Fabrizi Trucking & Paving Co. Inc. in Middleburg Heights, $1.2 million; Fechko Excavating Inc. in Medina, $1.27 million; Tri Mor Corp. in Twinsburg, $1.3 million; Karvo Cos. in Stow, $1.4 million; and Lockhart Concrete Co. in Akron, $1.42 million.

Mikula said the engineer's estimate for the pavement reconstruction project was $1.3 million.

In November 2015, Strongsville voters rejected a new tax that would have been dedicated to improving roads. At the time, then-Councilman Scott Maloney said the city had 15 miles of streets in poor to fair condition.Questo comunicato e stato pubblicato piu di 1 anno fa. Le informazioni su questa pagina potrebbero non essere attendibili.

Europe Gynaecological Devices Market:

By Product (Surgical Devices (Endometrial Ablation Devices, Female Sterilization and Contraceptive Devices, Gynaecological Endoscopy Devices, Fluid Management Systems) Hand Instruments (Tenaculum, Vaginal Speculum, Curettes, Biopsy Forceps, Trocars, Others) Diagnostic Imaging Systems (Ultrasound, Mammography) By Application (Intrauterine Device Insertion, Vaginal and Abdominal Hysterectomy, Delivery Sets, Dilation and curettage sets, Laparotomy, Mastectomy, Vaginal Examination, Caesarean Sections) By End-User ( Super Speciality Hospitals, Gynaecology Clinics, Clinical Labs) By Country (Germany, France, UK, Italy, Spain, Russia, Poland, Rest of Europe)  Market Estimation, Dynamics, Regional Share, Trends, Competitor Analysis 2012 to 2016 and Forecast 2017 to 2023

Market Outline: Europe Gynaecological Devices Market

Gynaecology is a branch of science, which deals with maintenance of women health and diseases associated with reproductive system. Embryo scissors, hooks, ayres spatula, Oldhams perforator, cranioclast, upper long straight hemostatic forceps, budines cannula are used in various aspects of obstetric and gynecological surgeries.

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Market Dynamics: Europe Gynaecological Devices Market

The rise in prevalence of gynecological disorders is expected to witness growth in the Europe gynecological devices market. Furthermore, rising lifestyle related diseases like obesity, smoking multiple sex partners, growing acceptance of minimally invasive procedures, rise in healthcare expenditure are expected to have positive impact on Europe gynecological devices market. However, delay in regulatory approvals expected to hamper Europe gynecological devices markets.

Country Analysis: Europe Gynaecological Devices Market

Europe Gynaecological Devices Market is segmented as Germany, France, UK, Italy, Spain, Russia, Poland, and Rest of Europe. Europe Gynaecological Devices Market is dominated by UK, Germany, Russia and France owing to high technological advancements and awareness regarding women health. Prevalence of gynaecological disorders and increase in child births are witness to fuel Europe gynaecological devices market. According to Office for National Statistics, in 2016, 696271 child births were reported I n England and Wales. As per to the Cancer Research UK, around 3224 new cervical cancer cases were diagnosed in UK in 2014.

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Market Scope: Europe Gynaecological Devices Market

The Europe gynaecological devices market is classified on the basis of product, aapplication, end user and country.

Based on Product, Europe Gynaecological Devices Market is segmented as

 Surgical Devices

 Endometrial Ablation Devices

 Female Sterilization And Contraceptive Devices

 Gynaecological Endoscopy Devices

 Fluid Management Systems

 Hand Instruments

 Biopsy Forceps

 Tenaculum

 Vaginal Speculum

 Trocars

 Curettes

 Diagnostic Imaging Systems

 Ultrasound

 Mammography

Based on Application, Europe Gynaecological Devices Market is segmented as

 Intrauterine Device Insertion

 Vaginal and Abdominal Hysterectomy

 Delivery Sets

 Dilation and Curettage Sets

 Laparotomy

 Mastectomy

 Vaginal Examination

 Caesarean Sections

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Based on the End user, Europe Gynaecological Devices Market is segmented as

 Super Specialty Hospitals

 Gynaecology Clinic

 Clinical Labs

Market participants: Europe Gynaecological Devices Market

Some of the players in Europe Gynaecological Devices Market

 Boston Scientific Corporation (U.S.)

 Olympus Corporation (Japan)

 Johnson and Johnson (U.S.)

 KARL STORZ GmbH & Co. KG (Germany)

 Braun Melsungen AG (Germany)

 Cooper Surgical Inc. (U.S.)

 Richard Wolf GmbH (Germany)

 Medtronic Inc. (Ireland)

 Bayer AG (Germany)

 CooSklar Surgical Instruments (U.S.)

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Global Next Generation IV Infusion Pumps Market: By Product Type (Syringe infusion pumps, Large Volumetric Infusion Pumps, Implantable Infusion Systems, Patient Controlled Analgesia Pumps, Disposable Elastomeric Infusion Systems, Others), By Application (Analgesia, Oncology, Hematology, Diabetes, Neonatology, Neurological Disorders, Gastroenterology, Others), By End-User (Hospitals, Clinics, Ambulatory Surgical Centres) and Geography  Market Estimation, Dynamics, Regional Share, Trends, Competitor Analysis 2012-2016 and Forecast 2017-2023

Market Outline: Next Generation IV Infusion Pumps Market

Next generation IV infusion pumps are the combination of intuitive user interface, simplicity, and state of art information technology. Next generation IV infusion pumps are inclined with the advanced pumping systems to improve the patient safety and work efficiency. A user interface is designed for next generation IV infusion pumps to diminish the programming errors to save the time and reduce in pump interactions. Next generation IV infusion pumps are frequently adopted by healthcare professionals to improve the patient safety. The other advantages with next generation IV infusion pumps include affordability, flexibility, and ease of use, scalability, targeted delivering, and safer operability among others.

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Market Dynamics: Next Generation IV Infusion Pumps Market

Increase in the prevalence and incidence of diabetes, malnutrition, neurological disorders, cancers, technological advancements in the devices, and ease of usage with more safety are anticipated to fuel the next generation IV infusion pumps market. Moreover, government support for start-ups, favorable regulatory policies, and expansion in production capacity are anticipated to boost the next generation IV infusion pumps market over the forecast period. However, product recalls, medicine dispensing errors, lack of skilled professionals, and lack of standard guidelines for product usage are anticipated to hinder the growth of next generation IV infusion pumps market over the forecast years.

Market Scope: Next Generation IV Infusion Pumps Market

Next generation IV infusion pumps market is segmented on the basis of product type, application, and end user

Based on product type, the market is segmented into the following:

 Syringe Infusion Pumps

 Large Volumetric Infusion Pumps

 Implantable Infusion Systems

 Patient Controlled Analgesia Pumps

 Disposable Elastomeric Infusion Systems

 Others

Based on the application, the market is segmented into the following:

 Analgesia

 Oncology

 Hematology

 Diabetes

 Neonatology

 Neurological Disorders

 Gastroenterology

 Others

Based on the end user, next generation IV infusion pumps market is segmented into the following:

 Hospitals

 Clinics

 Ambulatory Surgical Centers

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Market Summary: Next Generation IV Infusion Pumps Market

Next generation IV infusion pumps market growth driven by innovation of newer pumps with modern technologies. Majority of the market players are developing newer technologies such as wearable insulin pumps, smartphone connected insulin pumps, and implantable insulin pumps among others, which are anticipated to fuel the market. Moreover, advantages with next generation pumps such as ease of using, patient safety, and accurate dosage also expected to bolster the market. Furthermore, acquisitions and mergers, product approvals, and product launchings are the strategies followed by market players for increasing their revenue share in next generation IV infusion pumps market. For instance, in May 2016, Hospira launched LifeCare PCA 7.0 next generation infusion system for patient controlled analgesia which enables auto-programming and streamline documentation of infusion data to improve the efficacy and safety of pain management medication administration.

Regional Analysis: Next Generation IV Infusion Pumps Market

Geographically, next generation IV infusion pumps market is segmented into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, and Middle East and Africa. North America next generation IV infusion pumps market is growing due to advances in healthcare infrastructure, presence of key market players and skilled professionals in the region. Europe next generation IV infusion pumps market is projected to grow at a significant rate owing to adoption of newer technologies, rise in R&D activities for the innovation of newer products, and collaboration between companies for distribution and development of newer products. Asia Pacific next generation IV infusion pumps market expected to garner significant share due to increase in prevalence of chronic diseases such as diabetes, cancer, and neurological disorders, developing healthcare infrastructure, and increase in awareness about next generation IV infusion pumps among key stakeholders in the region.

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Competition Assessment: Next Generation IV Infusion Pumps Market

Some of the players in the global next generation IV infusion pumps market include:

 Braun Melsungen AG (Germany)

 Johnson & Johnson Services, inc. (U.S.)

 Hoffmann-la Roche Ltd. (Switzerland)

 Baxter International, Inc. (U.S.)

 Zyno medical (U.S.)

 Smiths Medical (U.S.)

 Ivenix, Inc (U.S.)

 Hospira (Pfizer, Inc.) (U.S.)

 Becton, Dickinson, and Company (U.S.)

 Terumo Corporation (Japan)

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Thermal sprays are used in a wide range of application sectors. It is extensively used in the aerospace, automobile and pharmaceutical industries. Durability, Corrosive Strength, and Enhancement of the Oil and Gas and Aerospace Industry Market.

The Global Thermal Spray Market is being driven by a range of application in the various end-use industries such as transportation, printing, pharmaceuticals, and oil & gas among others. Moreover, it is estimated that the aerospace industry is set to witness the highest growth due to the growing consumption in applications such as turbine blades, liners and others.

Market Segmentation

The Global Thermal Spray Market is segmented into product, application, and technology. On the basis of the product type, the market is segregated into metals, ceramics, intermetallic, polymers, carbides, abradable and others. The market by technology is further categorized into cold spray, flame spray, plasma spray, HVOF, electric arc spray, and others. On the basis of application, the market is segregated into aerospace, industrial gas turbine, automotive, medical, printing, oil & gas, steel, pulp & paper and others.

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Market Scenario

The ceramic followed by metal product segment are anticipated to observe the highest CAGR during the forecast period. Ceramics are anticipated to show a CAGR of over 6 % on account of the growing need for high performance ceramic coatings in wide range of application sectors such as environment protection, energy, optic communications, aerospace & defense and others. Metals is forecasted to account for a market share of over 20% during the accessed years.

Competitive Analysis

Some of the prominent players operating in the Global Thermal Spray Market are A & A Thermal Spray Coatings (U.S.), Flame Spray Coating Company (U.S.), General Magnaplate Corporation (U.S.), Praxair Surface Technologies, Inc. (U.S.), Oerlikon Metco (Switzerland), Plasma-Tec, Inc. (U.S.), Surface Technology inc (U.K.), H.C. Starck GmbH (Germany), and ASB Industries, Inc. (U.S.), among others.

Regional Analysis

The Global Thermal Spray Market is spanned across five key regions: North America, Latin America, Asia Pacific Europe, Latin America, and the Middle East & Africa. CAGR during the forecast years, among these, Asia is the fastest growing market in 2016. The growing industrialization has resulted in the development of the industrial sector in turn, and is fueling the demand for the Thermal Spray In the region. Moreover, the growing oil and gas industry, mainly in India and China, is also expected to contribute to the market growth.

Aerospace and automobile industry The European region is witness to a significant growth in the countries. The increasing use of thermal in engines, transmissions, suspensions, steering wheels, and landing gear among others is augmented the demand. The North American Thermal Spray Market is mainly driven by the United States and the United States. The presence of the end-user industries such as automotive and aerospace coupled with the increasing rate is contributing significantly to the growth of the market. Moreover, the growing investment in the oil and gas sector is also expected to add to the growth of the market.

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North America Gynaecological Devices Market:

By Product (Surgical Devices (Endometrial Ablation Devices, Female Sterilization and Contraceptive Devices, Gynaecological Endoscopy Devices, Fluid Management Systems) Hand Instruments (Tenaculum, Vaginal Speculum, Curettes, Biopsy Forceps, Trocars, Others) Diagnostic Imaging Systems (Ultrasound, Mammography) By Application (Intrauterine Device Insertion, Vaginal and Abdominal Hysterectomy, Delivery Sets, Dilation and curettage sets, Laparotomy, Mastectomy, Vaginal Examination, Caesarean Sections) By End-User ( Super Speciality Hospitals, Gynaecology Clinics, Clinical Labs) By Country (U.S., Canada)  Market Estimation, Dynamics, Regional Share, Trends, Competitor Analysis 2012 to 2016 and Forecast 2017 to 2023

Market Outline: North America Gynaecological Devices Market

Gynaecology is a branch of science that deals with maintenance of women health and diseases especially the reproductive system. There are various types of devices used in gynecology such as embryo scissors, hooks, ayres spatula, Oldhams perforator, cranioclast, upper long straight hemostatic forceps, budines cannula etc. These are the devices which are designed for usage in various aspects of obstetric and gynecological surgeries.

A sample of this report is available upon request @

https://www.precisionbusinessinsights.com/market-reports/north-america-gynaecological-devices-market/#ulp-4H8Z4LpNMLEuOnnx

Market Dynamics: North America Gynaecological Devices Market

The rise in prevalence of gynecological disorders around the world is the major factor that is boosting the growth of the North America gynecological devices market. Furthermore, rising lifestyle-related diseases like obesity, smoking multiple gender partners, growing acceptance of minimally invasive procedures, the rise in the healthcare expenditure are the other factors which are propelling the growth of the North America gynecological devices market. However, lack of awareness, delay in regulatory approvals are the factors which hamper the growth of the North America gynecological devices markets.

Country Analysis: North America Gynaecological Devices Market

North America Gynaecological Devices Market is segmented as U.S. and Canada. As per to the 2015 report of Centre for Disease Control and Prevention about 7.5 Mn obstetrical procedures were performed in the US. Moreover, growing incidence and prevalence of STDs is also propelling the growth of the global gynecological devices market. As per to the CDC reports, in the U.S. about 39% people are diagnosed with chlamydia and 33% of people diagnosed with Gonorrhoea under the age of 20-24years. As per to the statistics of American Cancer Society, in 2012, 22,280 cases of ovarian cancer were diagnosed in U.S.

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Market Scope: North America Gynaecological Devices Market

The North America Gynaecological Devices Market is classified on the basis of mode, technology, end user and country.

Based on Product, North America Gynaecological Devices Market is segmented as

 Surgical Devices

 Endometrial Ablation Devices

 Female Sterilization And Contraceptive Devices

 Gynaecological Endoscopy Devices

 Fluid Management Systems

 Hand Instruments

 Biopsy Forceps

 Tenaculum

 Vaginal Speculum

 Trocars

 Curettes

 Diagnostic Imaging Systems

 Ultrasound

 Mammography

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Based on Application, North America Gynaecological Devices Market is segmented as

 Intrauterine device insertion

 Vaginal and abdominal hysterectomy

 Delivery sets

 Dilation and curettage sets

 Laparotomy

 Mastectomy

 Vaginal examination

 Caesarean sections

Based on the End-user, North America Gynaecological Devices Market is segmented as

 Super Specialty Hospitals

 Gynaecology clinic

 Clinical Labs

Market participants: North America Gynaecological Devices Market

Some of the players in North America Gynaecological Devices Market

 Boston Scientific Corporation (U.S.)

 Olympus Corporation (Japan)

 Johnson and Johnson (U.S.)

 KARL STORZ GmbH & Co. KG (Germany)

 Braun Melsungen AG (Germany)

 Cooper Surgical Inc. (U.S.)

 Richard Wolf GmbH (Germany)

 Medtronic Inc. (Ireland)

 Bayer AG (Germany)

 CooSklar Surgical Instruments (U.S.)

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Todays Highlights In History Today is Monday, Sept. 20, the 263rd day of 2021. In 1519, Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan and his crew set out from Spain on five ships to find a western...

Do Just One Thing To keep bread fresh, the refrigerator is both the best and the worst place for storage. For fresh sourdough bread you make yourself, the last place you should store it...When, as it appears, Vladimir Putin (pictured in Moscow on March 8) commissions a nerve agent attack on the streets of Salisbury, we become fixated by the notion of Russian power, writes Dominic Lawson

Russia is, by land mass, the biggest country in the world, so naturally it looms large in our minds.

And when, as it appears, the countrys leader  an ex-KGB officer by the name of Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin  commissions a nerve agent attack on the streets of our most beautiful cathedral city, Salisbury, we become fixated by the notion of Russian power.

Such anxiety is natural. But we should put this incident in its proper context. Which is that it is a reckless act indicating not strength but weakness.

This Sunday, Russia goes to the polls to elect its President. And while the process has been rigged to exclude the only candidate who might have presented a threat to the existing order (the anti-corruption campaigner Alexei Navalny), Putin is worried that his inevitable victory will be on a derisory turnout.

It is not unduly cynical to see the whacking of a Russian-turned-British intelligence officer previously denounced by Putin as a traitorwho will kick the bucket as a grotesque election stunt.

After all, when he addressed the countrys Federal Assembly on March 1, Putin made the alleged might of the nations weaponry, and what it could do to its enemies, as his principal case for re-election.

He said almost nothing about the state of the Russian economy (the normal battleground for elections). This was for the simple reason that it is in a ruinous condition, and Putin has no coherent plan regarding what to do about it.

Miserable

Russia is an undeniably great nation and people. But its gross domestic product is no larger than that of Italy and far smaller than the UKs.

Those outline figures do not do justice to the appalling inefficiency of Russias economy, mired in corruption which would disgrace any tin-pot sub-Saharan dictatorship.

The result, as one might expect, is extreme levels of inequality and poverty.

Such anxiety is natural. But we should put this incident in its proper context. Which is that it is a reckless act indicating not strength but weakness. Pictured: Military personnel in Salisbury on March 11

A rare British expose of what life is like in the Russian heartland was provided by the Sunday Times reporter Matthew Campbell in January, when he travelled to the southern Urals:

I have only witnessed impoverishment like this before when reporting civil wars in West Africa and Latin America.

Here, the miserable conditions are intensified by industrial squalor and the brutal Russian winter. Even in the tumultuous years after the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991 I did not see poverty like this.

Putin  with remarkable success, it has to be said  distracts and deflects public anger by blaming everything on the Wests sanctions, which were implemented after Moscow annexed Crimea and poured troops across the border into Ukraine.

But those military escapades were themselves designed by the Kremlin to shore up popular support at a time when the colossal corruption and inequalities stemming from it had led many thousands to demonstrate against the Putin regime.

Last month, there was an incident which combined both these elements. A 500-strong force of largely Russian mercenaries in Syria attempted to seize one of the countrys oilfields  and was all but obliterated by the U.S. Air Force.

The Kremlin attempted to cover up this debacle, but the mother of one of the slaughtered Russian mercenaries told the TV network Current Time that her only son, Ruslan, had joined the military campaign because of poverty, because there are no jobs.

Putin made much, in his main election address, of the modernisation of the countrys armed forces. But his claim that he had led it to a state of world leadership in technological capability, with the development of nuclear-powered cruise missiles, engendered mirth rather than admiration among military analysts.

Despair among the Russian population is most apparent in the country's alcohol addiction. In December 2016, 78 people in the Siberian city of Irkutsk died from methanol poisoning. Pictured are some of the victims in hospital

Despite the flashy graphics that Putin showed the Russian Federal Assembly, not a single such missile has even been built by Moscow, let alone tested.

In fact, during the Cold War (which ended more than 25 years ago) the U.S. explored similar technology, but discovered that such a missile would emit radioactive waste from the moment it was fired and would almost certainly blow up long before it reached its target.

In other words, it would present an acute danger to the nation that it was supposed to protect. Meanwhile, in the real world, Russias solitary aircraft carrier, the Soviet-era Admiral Kuznetsov, is so unreliable that it never sets to sea without an ocean-going tug in case it breaks down and needs to be hauled back for yet more repairs.

We should not be too surprised about this. After all, how many products can Russia make of a quality that could sell internationally? None that I know of. For export revenues, it has been over-whelmingly reliant on oil and gas.

The collapse in prices of those commodities (less than half what they were six years ago) has exposed the rottenness at the heart of the Russian industrial economy, just as their explosive rise during the early years of Putins rule made him seem like a miracle-worker, rather than the accidental political beneficiary of geology.

Exodus

No organisation has produced a clearer and more comprehensive analysis of Russias deep crisis than the Carnegie Moscow Centre.

Its most recent (2017) report is devastating: A substantial part of Russias production capacity  more than 40 per cent by some estimates  is both technologically and functionally obsolete and cannot produce competitive and marketable products.

For example Russias machine stock has shrunk by over half in the last ten years. Over the next few years we can expect a decline in investment . . . this downward spiral will eventually lead the country to economic collapse.

This is one reason why capital has been flooding out of the country: the oligarch class want to take out as much of their money as possible, while they can.

And the exodus is human as well as financial. Russia is thought to have lost up to 4.5 million people through emigration since the start of the 1990s  many of the best and brightest among them.

They at least represent hope, rather than despair  a despair which is most obvious in the countrys alcohol addiction (admittedly a perennial problem, long pre-dating President Putin).

The most horrific illustration of this was the deaths, in December 2016, of 78 people in the Siberian city of Irkutsk from methanol poisoning. They had all drunk from bottles of bath lotion  increasingly favoured by Russians who now find even the cheapest vodka too pricey.

This image shows London apartments worth over 11m owned by the Russian first deputy Prime Minister, Igor Shuvalov. The front of the apartments are shown in red

In the past, this particular brand of bath lotion had contained drinkable ethanol, but the fatal batch had substituted that chemical with methanol  cheaper even than ethanol but poisonous to humans.

The 78 victims were by no means all deadbeats. The majority were described as having steady if low-paying jobs and included a doctor, teachers and nurses.

Stench

It is a far cry from the Belgravia mansions and yachts of the Kremlin-favoured elite, such as Putins First Deputy Prime Minister Igor Shuvalov, who, according to Transparency International, is the owner of two vast London flats overlooking the Thames, worth more than 11 million.

Or Mrs Shuvalov, who according to the banned anti-corruption candidate Alexei Navalny, used a private jet to fly her corgis around Europe for competitions.

As for Putins own wealth, who knows? A whiff of it emerged through the so-called Panama Papers leak, which revealed an old musician friend incongruously linked to a number of offshore companies with cash flows of up to $2 billion.

This friend, a cellist called Sergei Roldugin, eventually denied he was a front for Putins hidden wealth and insisted these funds were charitable donations for the purchase of rare musical instruments  a slight improvement on his first statement: I am not ready to give comments. These are delicate issues.

Indeed they are. With this rich stench in the background, and the growth of extreme poverty becoming more evident daily, it does not seem quite so strange that President Putin, just ahead of the national ballot, might seek to impress and distract his people with a story of how traitors to the motherland meet justice.

But even if it impresses his own electorate, we should not be similarly awestruck. The Russian bear may be a physical colossus, but its teeth are rotten. It is much weaker than it appears.While around 95 per cent of dreams are banished from memory before we've even got out of bed, the ones that stick tend to haunt us for the rest of the day.

A dream - random thoughts, images and sensations during sleep - may only last around five to 20 minutes but they could offer insight into deeper issues.

According to a survey of 2,000 people across the UK commissioned by leading jobs board Totaljobs, a staggering 50 per cent of Brits have faltering sleep over work pressures - with nightmares a frequent occurrence.

Some of the most common - and unnerving - dreams, according to psychologist and dream expert Dr Ian Wallace, include losing your teeth, being chased and not being able to find a loo in time.

Femail spoke to psychologist and dream expert Dr Ian Wallace about what your reoccurring dreams mean, following reports that 50 per cent of Brits are losing 9 hours of sleep a week

Reassuringly, no matter how terrifying a middle-of-the-night pursuit might seem, it could actually be a good sign, as it can signify striving for your goals.

Femail asked Dr Wallace to explain just what those reoccurring dreams mean and how, even with technology constantly around us, you can still get a better night's rest.

TOP FIVE DREAMS DECODED

1. Being chased

If you have nightmares about being chased this could signify that there is an issue in your waking life that you want to confront but are unsure how to do so. This issue is often a great opportunity for you to pursue a particular personal ambition.

Although they may seem scary, your pursuers are actually bringing your attention to your unrealised talents in your own pursuit of fulfillment.

'If you keep dreaming you are being chased then there is an issue in your waking life that you want to confront but are unsure how to do so', Dr Wallace says

2. Teeth falling out

Your teeth symbolise how confident and powerful you feel, so some situation is causing your confidence to crumble in waking life.

Rather than seeing this situation as something that will leave you powerless, just try calmly chewing over the facts and relish it as a challenge that you can really get your teeth into.

'Your teeth symbolise how confident and powerful you feel, so some situation is causing your confidence to crumble in waking life', Dr Wallace reveals of dreams you are losing your teeth

3. Unable to find a toilet

Toilets are what we use to cleanly respond to some of our most fundamental needs, so there is an issue in your waking life where you are finding it a challenge to clearly express your own needs.

This can often occur if you always spend your time looking after the needs of other people, rather than your own needs.

'Toilets are what we use to cleanly respond to some of our most fundamental needs, so there is an issue where you are finding it a challenge to clearly express your own needs', he says

4. Naked in public

We choose our clothes to present a particular image to the people around us, so being naked in public suggests that there is a situation in waking life that is making you feel vulnerable and exposed.

Although it might be potentially embarrassing, sometimes you just have to open up to others so they can see your real talents.

If you are dreaming about being naked a lot you could be feeling vulnerable in your waking life

5. Unprepared for an exam

Exams are how we judge our ability to perform, so this indicates that you are critically examining your own performance in waking life.

Rather than immersing yourself in endless self-examination, the real test of your character is being able to accept your talents by celebrating your knowledge and achievements, instead of constantly judging them.

'This indicates that you are critically examining your own performance in waking life', Dr Wallace advises to stop judging yourself so harshly if you're dreaming of exams

Why we have nightmares and how you can stop them

Nightmares may be scary but they are among the most useful dreams that you create as they alert you to opportunities in your waking life where you can make powerful choices to increase your sense of well-being and levels of fulfillment.

A nightmare is just a particular type of dream experience where your emotions are heightened and a situation feels out of control.

Although the nightmare may seem uncontrollable, you are creating it, and so you can also take steps to resolve it.

The reason that you create a nightmare isnt to scare or upset yourself but to make yourself aware that something is out of balance in your waking life. If you try to ignore this imbalance, your unconscious awareness will begin to increase the emotional content of the dream and make it apparently scarier and scarier until you start to consciously pay attention.

'As you start paying attention to the issues, the nightmare will fade', Dr Wallace explains

The most disturbing aspect of a nightmare can be the feeling that you have no control over it. You may often feel terrified as your unconscious self illuminates some of your frustrated intentions and unresolved tensions from waking life.

Although this can be a nightmarish experience, you are trying to tell yourself something of vital importance and as soon as you start paying attention to this issue, the nightmare will fade.

It can seem easier to avoid scary dreams but the gift of the nightmare is that it will help you to specifically identify powerful solutions to the frustrations and anxieties you may be experiencing in everyday life.

Dr. Ian Wallace was speaking on behalf of online jobs board totaljobs as part of their campaign to highlight how the 'always-on' culture is disrupting employee sleep patterns and well-being.Plenty of young royals have been considered heartthrobs in their time, but few have actually joined the ranks of professional models.

Prince Nikolai of Denmark, who turned 18 in August of last year, recently signed a modeling contract with Scoop Models in Denmark, and he's already embarking on a career many models would kill for.

Last month, he walked in Burberry designer Christopher Bailey's last show for the fashion house, joining Cara Delevingne on the catwalk and strutting his stuff before a front row that included Kate Moss, Naomi Campbell, Michelle Dockery, Naomi Watts, Zendaya, and Idris Elba.

Eligible: Prince Nikolai of Denmark (pictured) is a professional model

Catwalk: Recently, he walked the runway for Burberry at London Fashion Week

Big break: He also signed with Scoop Models in Denmark last month

Scoop Models revealed the signing on Instagram on February 26, posting several photos of the teen posing with messy brown hair and pouty lips.

'The decision was made a while ago with both his parents' support and encouragement. He has signed up with Scoop Models Denmark, and they were the agency which proposed Prince Nikolai,' Scoop Models Agency Director Bente Lundquist told InStyle in a statement.

Just days before, he'd hit the runway at the Burberry show at London Fashion Week, modeling a plaid dress shirt and a navy coat.

'HH Prince Nikolai was offered a unique opportunity to participate on the catwalk in the last fashion show by the chief creative officer Christopher Bailey for the House of Burberry,' Lundquist added.

Despite his now public career, Nikolai has not made a show of being in the public eye

Burberry, meanwhile, said it was 'delighted to have Prince Nikolai of Denmark walking in today's runway show, which marks a special moment in time for the brand.'

While Nikolai's position as prince and model is a unique one, it make sense that he's branching off on his own.

As 7th in line to the Danish throne, he doesn't collect an income from the Crown or have a title or land. He also has not been required by his father, Prince Joachim, to perform any official duties.

'He must not be forced into anything. Nikolai's life must take place entirely after his own plan. I want to help him on my way and try to inspire him,' Prince Joachim told Billed-Bladet.

Cut off: Nikolai is seventh in line for the throne and does not get a salary for his position

Of age: He had a big birthday party on a royal ship in Denmark in August to celebrate turning 18

Family: He is the son of Prince Joachim (left) and Alexandra, Countess of Frederiksborg (right)

Flashback: Nikolai pictured with his parents before their 2004 divorce

Pictured: His grandparents, Queen Margrethe II of Denmark and Prince Henrik of Denmark

Family: Nikolai's uncle, Frederik, Crown Prince of Denmark, is the next in line to the throne. A former playboy, he is pictured with his wife Princess Mary

Nikolai is also the son of Alexandra, Countess of Frederiksborg. The couple had another child together, 15-year-old Prince Felix, before announcing their divorce in 2004 after nine years of marriage.

While is mother remarried in 2007  to Martin Jrgensen, a cinematographer 13 years her junior  the two also divorced in 2015. Nikolai's father, Prince Joachim, married Princess Marie in 2008 and had two more children: eight-year-old Henrik and six-year-old Athena.

Nikolai is also the the grandson of Queen Margrethe II. His uncle, Frederik, Crown Prince of Denmark, is the next in line to the throne.

Frederik, 49, had a bit of a playboy reputation before saying 'I do' to Princess Mary in 2004. He dated a string of lingerie models including Malou Aamund and Katja Storkholm, to whom he allegedly proposed.

Now with his own admirers, Nikolai may have the opportunity to follow in his footsteps. Though he just came of age last summer, the teen already has plenty of fans. In fact, he has several Instagram accounts dedicate to him, where admirers call him 'handsome AF.'

Luxe life: Princess Olympia of Greece (pictured) also works sometimes as a model

Livin' it up: She has walked in two Dolce & Gabbana runway shows to date

Never be royals... Lady Amelia Windsor, 22  whose parents are George Windsor, Earl of St. Andrews, and Sylvana Tomaselli  has also walked for Dolce & Gabbana

Makin' money: Thirty-sixth in line to the British throne, she's signed to Storm Management, just like Olympia

While the royal-turned-model story is unique, Nikolai isn't actually the first to live it  he's not even the only youngster with royal blood currently posing for a living.

Princess Olympia of Greece, 21, has also taken on modeling as side gig as she attends college. The daughter of Marie-Chantal, Crown Princess of Greece, and Pavlos, Crown Prince of Greece, has posed for several magazines, including Tatler, Vanity Fair Italy, and W.

Signed to Storm Management, she's also taken the runway for two Dolce & Gabbana shows and appeared in a campaign for the brand. The fashion house recently began focusing on courting millennials by casting socialites and Instagram models.

Lady Amelia Windsor, 22  whose parents are George Windsor, Earl of St. Andrews, and Sylvana Tomaselli  has also walked for Dolce & Gabbana.

Thirty-sixth in line to the British throne, she's signed to Storm Management as well.It's no secret that maths is not always popular at school, with a recent UNICEF report finding that Australian kids are falling behind in the subject.

But excuses like 'the dog ate my homework' could soon become a thing of the past, with the launch of the Australian app 'Mathspace' that pays kids to do their homework.

In June 2010, Founder and CEO of 'Mathspace', Mohamad Jebara, 34, left his high powered job as a derivatives trader to pursue his passion for mathematics education.

Australian app 'Mathspace' pays kids pocket money for completing maths exercises (stock image)

A self confessed 'maths geek', Mohamad finished his high school maths studies a year early with a score of 99 out of 100 in ATAR Extension Mathematics 2.

He told FEMAIL: 'Part of the motivation behind Mathspace is to try and get students engaged in mathematics the same way I was when I was in school'.

After studying actuarial science, Mohamad spent four years as a derivatives trader at the firm Optiver, where he rapidly advanced to partner ranking in his mid twenties.

The new app 'Mathspace' lets kids work through maths problems on electronic devices (stock image)

In June 2010, after reaching these heights, Mohamad wanted to give back to the community.

He told FEMAIL: 'I worked four years as a derivatives trader, I really enjoyed the work itself, really got to exercise the mathematics, the logic part of the brain, particularly the probability and statistics side, in a trading role.

'I did that for four years, I did really well actually, I ended up being named a partner just a couple of months before I decided to leave, actually. I would have been around 25 or 26.

'But it came to be that I wanted to do something where I added more value.'

Mohamad Jebara, Founder and CEO of 'Mathspace' wants Aussie kids to be excited about maths (stock image)

Planning to become a maths teacher, he joined forces with Optiver colleague Chris Velis and technical maestro Alvin Savoy to develop an app that would make maths fun.

Initially self-funded and then aided by angel investors, the twenty-something trio worked in a 15 square metre office for two years, launching their app in 2012.

Since then, 'Mathspace' has grown to 40 Australian staff, including a team of 15 engineers and 10 maths teachers.

Children are using tablets as part of their maths education (stock image)

So how does 'Mathspace' work?

'There's a big difference between our app and any other kind of online maths educational tool in that it asks students to input their step by step answers to every question,' Mohamad said.

'So rather than just the right or wrong at the end of the question, we can actually give them feedback and mark every step along the way. And if they're stuck at any point, they can ask for a hint.'

Children are combining technology with traditional maths education (stock image)

'Mathspace' has a database of 40,000 questions which cover the Grade 3 to Year 12 curriculum across Australia.

Kids are assigned three exercises a week, which is about an hour of work, to complete on their computer, tablet or mobile device.

Mohamad explains how the program works:

'There is a free one week trial and anybody can just find it and explore it for a week. If they like what they see, then they subscribe for $10 a week.'

Parents pay a weekly $10 subscription fee which is refunded to children if they complete 3 maths exercises a week (stock image)

'After they've subscribed, they add the child's Westpac bank account, so it lets you create a Westpac bank account if they don't already have one and they'll actually get... if they're new to Westpac, Westpac is also going to get them started with $20 into their bank acount, just as a reward'

'Then, the $10 subscription fee, if they do three exercises on that week, then that $10 subscription fee gets transferred directly into the student's bank account.

So every Sunday night, they've done their three exercises by the Sunday night, then on the Monday they get the $10 gets into the child's bank account- pocket money for the week'.

Pocket money is an effective way to encourage kids to do their homework (stock image)

'Mathspace' exercises are pitched at the child's educational level, and include step by step feedback of their progress through a maths problem.

Currently, children on 'Mathspace' complete 75 per cent of their homework, so it seems that the method is working.

The app has gone global and has paired with educational Provider 'Pearson' to use the technology in community colleges in the United States.

In the future, Mohamad wants every Australian student to use 'Mathspace' and plans on selling the app to schools, expanding from the individual student and parent level.When you think of sex education classes, you might remember a sheepish-looking teacher, lots of awkward giggles and something about a condom and a banana.

What you might not remember is lots of the facts about genitalia and their functions - which is something two women are out to change.

Medical academics, Dr Nina Brochmann and Ellen Stkken Dahl, are the co-authors of the bestselling book, The Wonder Down Under - which arrives in Australia this month.

Two women are on a mission to bust many of the myths associated with the vagina - like the fact that the G-spot doesn't exist and the Pill won't make you gain weight (stock image)

Medical academics, Dr Nina Brochmann and Ellen Stkken Dahl (both pictured) aim to explain everything you wanted to know about the vagina, but didn't dare ask

Their book, The Wonder Down Under (pictured), arrives in Australia this month

The Wonder Down Under aims to explain everything you ever wanted to know about the vagina but didn't dare ask, from the truth about the clitoris' inner life to whether the elusive G spot really exists.

'One new hypothesis is that the G-spot is not a separate physical thing at all, but simply a deep-lying inner part of the clitoris that's stimulated during sex,' Dr Nina and Ellen wrote for FEMAIL earlier this month.

'Hold on, you might say. The inner part of the clitoris? What inner part? And this brings us to perhaps the biggest myth we discovered in our research,' they continued.

'We've been brought up to believe the clitoris, the site of all female sexual pleasure, is roughly the size of a raisin.

'But the truth is this little button is just the tip of an iceberg, a small part of a large and extraordinarily sensitive organ that extends deep into a woman's pelvis.'

'We've been brought up to believe the clitoris, the site of all female sexual pleasure, is roughly the size of a raisin,' they said - but in fact, it's not (stock image)

It's not just the G spot that's exposed, either.

The academics reveal that there is no 'absolute physical 'seal' that acts as a proof of virginity', rather just an 'anatomical structure which has caused the misunderstanding'.

They also found that the pill does not in fact controversially make you gain weight.

'Actually, the real cause of putting on the pounds could be that a lot of women put on a bit of weight when they find a partner, which is also likely to be the time they start taking the Pill,' they wrote.

The pair (pictured) first started writing a blog on sex education for adults, before they later began to work on The Wonder Down Under book

Similarly, the missionary position doesn't have to be seen as boring. Instead, if you try the coital alignment technique, or CAT, it can prove the best position for the female orgasm.

To find this, instead of resting on his hands, your partner should rest on his lower arms and keep his body in contact with yours.

Then, instead of thrusting, he should slide his body up along yours horizontally.

The academics found that, controversially, the Pill doesn't make you gain weight - but rather, finding a partner might be the cause (stock image)

The Norwegian pair behind the book met in 2011, when in their first year of medicine at the University of Oslo, they decided to start teaching free sex education classes to a mix of school students, refugees and other people.

They soon realised that there is a wealth of confusion and misinformation around women and sexual health - and so started looking into the myths and misconceptions about female anatomy.

After starting a blog in 2015 called Underlivit (or 'The Genitals'), they later went on to write The Wonder Down Under, which was first published in January 2017.

Since then, the best-selling book has gone on to be translated around the world - arriving in Australia this month.

For more information, please click here.With living costs increasing, parents are trying to find new ways to help minimise their household expenses.

But using reusable nappies could be the answer.

A survey by consumer group Choice showed that 95 per cent of Australian parents use disposable diapers, despite the fact they could save up to $2,000 by using cloth alternatives.

Although having to wash nappies takes more time, doing so could save parents thousands every year.

A survey by consumer group Choice shows 95 per cent of parents use disposable nappies despite the fact they would save up to $2,000 by using cloth alternatives

A newborn baby will have an average of 6,500 nappy changes from birth to toilet training, with the toilet trained age ranging from 18 months to three years.

Choice explained that this means a family will spend on average between $1,900 and $3,000 on disposable nappies by this time.

This is compared to less than $1,000 parents if they were to switch to cloth options.

Although single-use diapers are more convenient and easy to use, they are not environmentally-friendly.

A newborn baby will have an average of 6,500 nappy changes from birth to toilet training, with the toilet trained age ranging from 18 months to three years

THE CLOTH NAPPIES AVAILABLE - All-in-ones: a moisture-resistant outer layer sewn together with an absorbent inner to form the nappy  they can take a little while to dry. - All-in-twos: made of a lined waterproof outer layer and absorbent inner layers, which come together with press studs. They are able to be taken apart for laundering and dry faster than all-in-ones. - Pocket nappies: a waterproof outer layer sewn together with a soft inner lining. Between these two layers there's a pocket for the absorbent inserts. These are removed for washing then replaced and dry quickly. Source: Choice Advertisement

Unfortunately because they are not disposable, they take years to decompose and use more energy in their manufacturing process compared to cloth nappies.

Luckily, reusable nappies are becoming easier to purchase as they are growing in popularity.

At the moment there are more than 200 brands available, a lot of which are made by work-at-home mums who are selling them online.

One such business is Booty Toots, a small online store selling modern cloth nappies for babies and toddlers.

Other companies doing the same are brands such as Ecocubs, Bambooty and Cushie Tushies.

Although the reduced cost will appeal to many, the time it takes to use reusable nappies may not appeal to everyone.

Reusable nappies are becoming easier to purchase as they are growing in popularity and are more environmentally-friendly than the disposable kind

According to Baby Beehinds, using them requires about three extra loads of washing a week and another 10 to 15 minutes to hang them on the line to dry.

Although the upfront cost of reusable nappies is quite high, they are cheaper in the long-run.

With a startling 3.75 million disposable nappies currently being used each day in Australia and New Zealand, reusable versions could be the better alternative.Q I am in my 80s and my eyebrows have started to thin out.

I pencil them in each day, but could you suggest some other means to repair the loss?

An anonymous reader asked for advice on repairing their thin eyebrows (file image)

A I think you should consider microblading  its a new-ish trend, but dont let that stop you! A technician will insert pigment under the skin with an ultra-fine blade, drawing hair-like strokes.

The beauty is, the pigment wont bleed into one block colour, as can happen with semi-permanent tattooing, but retains its hair-like effect.

Inge van Lotringen (pictured) advised the reader to try microblading

Numbing cream makes the process bearable. Results are really natural and last up to three years depending on your skin type and age. You can intensify the colour and shape at will with brow make-up.

London brow queen Vaishaly Patel recommends finding a specialist with plenty of before-and-after photographs (there will be a little blood, so look for afters shown post-healing).

They should also offer a proper consultation that involves discussing and carefully drawing the shape of the brow, plus determining the right colour before pushing ahead with the blading.

Thats what you get at the Vaishaly Clinic, where the two-and-a-half hour process plus follow-up costs 400, or 650 with Vaishaly herself.

Around the country, expect prices from 150.Theres so much to organise before a holiday that it can feel not worth the hassle. You need someone to feed the cat, you must cancel the papers . . . and, of course, theres the sourdough sitter.

Oh, you dont have one on speed dial? Darling, in the world of artisan bread that would make you something of an outcast. Thankfully, in the normal world, it makes you, well, normal.

You cant have failed to notice how ridiculously pretentious bread has become. In some circles, admitting you have a soft spot for sliced white will provoke the same reaction had you just confessed to loving the occasional bit of cocaine.

Claudia Connell questions the increased popularity of sourdough and the cost (file image)

Most revered of all breads is the sourdough, selling for up to 6 a loaf. Grown women will fight over the last one in the supermarket, your avocado will be served on it in a trendy cafe and it has even found its way into pizza bases. Waitrose reports sourdough sales are up a third in the past year.

Due to the long fermenting process, sourdough is said to be easier to digest and is naturally low in gluten, making it popular with clean-eating millennials.

It has three ingredients: flour, salt and water. If you bake it at home, it is made over days, or even weeks. As yeast is not used, the dough must be nurtured, fed and watered like a prize orchid.

Its for this reason that home bakers either source sitters or, as they do in Sweden, check their bucket of gloop into a sourdough hotel where trained staff attend to its every need.

Sourdough starters (the culture needed to start a loaf) change hands for up to 50, with recipes passed down through generations.

Call me a philistine, but I dont want to spend more on a loaf than I do on a lipstick. And no one can convince me that the worlds best sandwich  cheese and pickle  should be made using anything other than ordinary sliced white.The millennial pink colour is still on-trend and now it has even reached our movie theatres.

Australian chain, Palace Cinema, has a movie house in Sydney that features pink hued interiors and serves dumplings, desserts and other nibbles to your seat.

The establishment houses 10 theatres, a platinum area with three additional premium screens for avid moviegoers and multiple lounge and bar areas.

The theatre resides in the Sydney urban renewal project, Central Park, and was built to the tune of $10 million

The theatre resides in the Sydney urban renewal project, Central Park, and was built to the tune of $10 million.

The in-cinema dining menu includes share plates, charcuterie boards and ciabattas as well as options from surrounding restaurants Sushizilla, Ribs and Burgers and Ding Tai Fung.

Choc tops are of course, handmade, and you can have your selection of drool-worthy meals delivered to your ergonomic leather chairs, hand-built in Barcelona.

The complex also has floor-to-ceiling windows in the lounge areas so customers can take in the incredible view Central Park has to offer while unwinding with a glass of bubbly.

Australian chain, Palace Cinema, has a movie house in Chippendale that features pink hues in its interior

The in-cinema dining menu includes options from surrounding restaurants Sushizilla, Ribs and Burgers and Ding Tai Fung

They've also put in a beer hall with local and international craft beer, a champagne bar and a temperature-controlled wine wall.

'We have a passion for developing new opportunities within the cinema industry which allow us to engage with local communities throughout Australia,' Palace's CEO Benjamin Zeccola, told Concrete Playground.

'For some time now, I've felt there was a need for a superb, boutique cinema experience in central Sydney.'

The complex also has floor-to-ceiling windows so customers can take in the incredible view Central Park has to offer while unwinding with a glass of bubbly

'I'm incredibly passionate about this project, it gives me great satisfaction to offer the best cinema in the world. Palace Central is my gift to the city of Sydney,' he continued.

Tickets have proven to be affordable to, with the price of an adult costing $10 and $8 for a student on Monday's, when tickets are heavily discounted.

On any regular day tickets will set you back $19 if you are an adult and $16 for a student.

Unfortunately if you want to go platinum, tickets will are more expensive at $32 per person.

Palace Central Sydney quietly opened at the end of last year on Level 3 of Central Park Mall.It's a brave man that tells a woman how to drive.

But Prince Harry is having to do just that to help Meghan Markle get to grips with motoring on the left side of the road.

With the help of her fiance and his police protection officers, the 36-year-old is also learning to drive a manual vehicle, after years of using an automatic in Canada and the US.

Driving Miss Markle: Harry with his fiancee Meghan Markle as she learns to drive in the UK

She will also be taught evasive driving techniques as part of a general programme of security training.

Insiders say Miss Markle is in the process of applying for a British provisional licence. Visitors to the UK from outside the EU are eligible to drive a small vehicle for up to 12 months from the time they first become resident, providing that they have a full, valid driving licence from their home country, which Meghan does.

If they wish to carry on driving in the UK after that, however, they need to get a British provisional driving licence and pass a theory and practical driving test.

The insider said Miss Markle has been seen brushing up on her skills inside the grounds at Kensington Palace, where she lives with Harry, 33, as she is said to be keen to drive herself around in the future.

Although all royalty protection vehicles are now automatics, it is important, say sources, that Miss Markle is able to drive a manual as well should she need to in an emergency.

Bride-to-be's daily meditation HER love of yoga is well-documented, and it seems Meghan Markle also has another way of dealing with the stresses of life  two sessions of meditation every day. Instructor Light Watkins, who claims he helped Miss Markle perfect her technique, says meditation is key to her down-to-earth demeanour. He believes the actress is using it to cope with the demands of fame and her upcoming wedding. Los Angeles-based Mr Watkins, 44, said: She came by my home studio and we did four sessions over four days she had wonderful experiences. He told US website In Style: I didnt get the sense she was overly stressed, she just saw meditation as another tool. I think it ended up being a lot more profound than she originally thought. Mr Watkins said Miss Markle later got back in touch to tell him: Im meditating every day, twice a day  its wonderful. Once in the morning for 20 minutes, once in the afternoon. Advertisement

Sources say that, like most North Americans, Miss Markle has always used a left-hand drive automatic vehicle, hence learning to master a right-hand drive manual as a back-up. Last year the Mail revealed that she had unexpectedly handed back her car in Canada  a 40,000 Audi Q5 SUV  several months before its lease was due to expire because she planned to spend more time in the UK from November. She had held the VIP contract with Audi North America for at least four years.

Miss Markle duly moved to the UK that month and she and Harry announced their engagement a few weeks later. Like many car firms, Audi has long-standing links with various celebrities and VIPs, who act as ambassadors for the brand. The Mail understands that Miss Markle will secure another Audi vehicle in the UK, also at a preferential rate.

Many members of the Royal Family drive Audis and have established close links to the German car company.

The revelations about her driving lessons came as it emerged Miss Markle has taken part in a mock kidnap by SAS troops as part of her preparation for joining the Royal Family. Soldiers used live ammunition and the actress was put through her paces in a series of gruelling exercises as part of the two-day course.

It was devised to ensure she is prepared for all possible emergencies, including being taken hostage in a terror attack. One former SAS officer told the Sunday Express the course at the SAS HQ in Herefordshire had been devised to frighten the life out of anyone.

Kensington Palace declined to comment on Miss Markles driving lessons.We've all heard of the mid-life crisis, but did you know the quarter-life crisis is now the next big thing?

Australians aged around the 25 year mark are showing unprecedented levels of anxiety as they stress about their future.

According to research conducted by LinkedIn, young people are feeling the pressure as they put too much importance on finding their dream career.

Social media is also adding another layer of stress as it dominates young people's lives, allowing them to compare their success to others.

According to research by LinkedIn young people are feeling the pressure as they are putting too much importance on finding their dream career (stock image)

The research states that almost two thirds of 25 to 33-year-olds are more anxious about their careers than personal relationships.

On top of this, as many as 80 per cent of Australian millennials say they feel the pressure to succeed before they reach the age of 30.

29 per cent of young Australians feel like they have wasted time working in the wrong job and one in four have already taken a 'career break' due to stress.

The same age group also claim to be overwhelmed by having 'too many choices'.

The research states that almost two thirds of 25 to 33-year-olds are more anxious about their careers than personal relationships (stock image)

29 per cent of young Australians feel like they have wasted time working in the wrong job and one in four have already taken a 'career break' due to stress

The reason that young people are so anxious about their careers is because of the uncertainty surrounding them, as well as the fear of missing out on what else life has to offer.

'While there isn't one simple solution to getting over a quarter-life crisis, getting advice from people that have had similar experiences can help when you're at a crossroad in your career,' the LinkedIn findings say.

'Our research found that people are looking for advice, but are unsure of where to turn.'

Social media is also adding another layer of stress as it dominates young people's lives, allowing them to compare their success to others

Although 28 per cent of 25 to 33-year-olds know what their dream job is, they're also unsure how they should approach a career move.

Clinical social worker Debbi Carberry told The New Daily that social media is creating emotionally fragile young adults.

'They are the most connected electronically and disconnected emotionally,' Debbi said.

'The thing is, 1,000 friends on Facebook actually means nothing. It's more important to have three friends that you can count on.'Debbie McGee has admitted she's struggled to get to sleep since losing her husband Paul Daniels, who died of a brain tumour two years ago this month.

Speaking on ITV's Lorraine on Monday, Debbie, 59, said she was surviving on just two hours of sleep a night, and described how her grief had been 'climbing on top of her'.

Magician Paul married Debbie, his long-time assistant, in April 1988, and since his death the former ballerina admitted to drinking up to three glasses of wine a night in an attempt to help her nod off.

Widow Debbie, who was a runner up on Strictly Come Dancing last year, said the gruelling schedule of rehearsals and performances had also impacted on her ability to sleep, in addition to the pain of losing her husband.

Debbie, who reached out to ITV medical experts Dr Chatterjee and Dr Hilary for help, said 10 days of implementing their advice - which included cutting back on caffeine and avoiding electronics before bed - had already seen her energy return.

Debbie McGee, 59, said she has only been getting two hours of sleep a night since her husband Paul Daniels died

Paul, who was married to Debbie for 28 years, passed away in 2016 from a brain tumour

Debbie said on the show she would try taking half a sleeping pill or drinking up to three glasses of wine a night to help her drift off, but would find herself waking at three in the morning even if she did manage to get to sleep.

She blamed her lack of sleep on losing Paul and the impact that had on her life, as well as working a lot more.

Debbie explained: ' What I've found in the last two years since I lost Paul is that when he was ill and then he died my sleep pattern changed. I don't think I've got back into a proper sleep pattern since then.'

She continued: 'I've been really busy for six months and it's been both mental and physical, and now I've stopped and I feel like my brain and my body just don't want to slow down.'

Dr Chatterjee and Dr Hilary gave Debbie tips and tricks to get a better night sleep on Lorraine today

How do you get a good night's sleep? Dr Hilary and Dr Chatterjee advised Debbie McGee on how to get a good night's sleep after she said grief has stopped her from sleeping. They advised her to cut out caffeine, revealing that if you drink a cup of coffee at midday, half of the caffeine content is still in your body at midnight. This includes cutting down on chocolate, which also has caffeine in it. Exercising can help tire you out but this should be done outside of a gym to expose you to natural light. Don't use electronics like phones or tablets before bed as they stop you from switching off. Going to bed an hour earlier than when you want to fall asleep gives you time to drift off. Advertisement

She consulted Dr Hilary and Dr Chaterjee, who gave her several tips on how to get a better night sleep.

They said turning off electronics before bed, not drinking caffeine, exercising and spraying the pillow with lavender oil can all aid a good night's sleep.

Dr Chatterjee said the stress of losing Paul would have a huge impact on Debbie's body and the quality of her sleep.

He explained: 'Losing Paul a couple of years ago is a huge stress on the body and [it means] you're really near your threshold now. That's why you could get away with caffeine and working too hard in the past, but you've got to really optimise them now because your much nearer your threshold and that's why doing these things has a big impact.'

After trying the tips for just 10 days, Debbie said she was already seeing a difference.

She said her grief was 'climbing on top of me', but she is now 'dealing with it'.

Debbie explained: 'I just feel back to normal. What people don't realise when you get really overtired you start to get anxious and you got to bed you think I'm never going to get to sleep so you start getting worried about everything in your life. That's gone away.

The doctors told Debbie that turning off electronics before bed, not drinking caffeine, exercising and spraying the pillow with lavender oil can aid a good night's sleep

'I can see that everything is slotting back into place of how it was before. My energy definitely is back.'

Debbie recently revealed she is almost ready to find love again after losing Paul in 2016.

She said nobody has asked her out yet but she is open to offers.

She told Hello: 'I don't want to be on my own for the rest of my life. I love male company, am full of energy and don't want to be stuck at home alone.

'Although I have male friends that take me out for lunches and dinners, I wouldn't describe them as dates. Nobody has actually asked me out yet, but when they do, I'll go.'Princess Madeleine of Sweden has announced her three-day-old baby daughter's name on Instagram.

The mother-of-three has just joined the photo sharing site and made sure her first posts were memorable by revealing this morning that the little princess has been named Adrienne.

She also shared a sweet snap of her older children Princess Leonore and Prince Nicholas bonding with the newest member of the family.

And after uploading her first snap last night, she has already attracted more than 40,000 followers.

The little princess' name was also officially announced by her grandfather King Carl XVI Gustaf in a Council of State meeting, who revealed she will be known as Adrienne Josephine Alice, the Duchess of Blekinge.

Princess Madeleine, 35, and her husband Chris O'Neill chose Adrienne as it's a name they love.

Josephine is a traditional moniker in Madeleine's family and is also her fourth name, while Alice is the name of Adrienne's great-grandmother, Alice Sommerlath, the mother of Queen Silvia.

Princess Madeleine of Sweden has celebrated joining Instagram by sharing an adorable snap of her children Princess Leonore and Prince Nicholas bonding with their newborn sister

It was announced this morning that the new arrival has been named Adrienne Josephine Alice, Duchess of Blekinge

Princess Adrienne was the third royal baby to arrive in the space of two weeks, when she was born at Danderyd Hospital in Stockholm in the early hours of Friday morning.

In a statement, the Swedish Royal Court described the newborn as 'a healthy child' and said that 'mother and baby are doing well'.

'We are delighted with the new addition to our family,' Chris, 43, said in a statement.

'Leonore and Nicolas have their long-awaited sibling. They can't wait to meet their new baby sister.'

Chris O'Neill speaks to the media outside Danderyd Hospital in Stockholm, where his wife Princess Madeleine gave birth to a baby girl in the early hours of this morning

The couple's new arrival is a sibling for Princess Leonore, four, and Prince Nicolas, two

The proud dad said that mother and baby are doing well, but no name has been announced yet

The new baby, whose name has not yet been revealed, is a sibling for Princess Leonore, four, and Prince Nicolas, two, and is the latest in a spate of royal births.

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.

And last week Prince Philip and Princess Danica of Serbia welcomed their first son, Prince Stefan.

Meanwhile, the Duchess of Cambridge is looking forward to the birth of her third child, expected to arrive in late April.

Prince Philip and Princess Danica of Serbia welcomed newborn son Stefan into the world last week

Prince Ernst August Jr of Hanover, 34, welcomed their first child - a daughter, Elisabeth - on 22 February at the Henriettenstifts hospital in Hanover

The Duchess of Cambridge is weeks away from giving birth to her third child

Princess Madeleine met her husband after fleeing to the US in 2010 with a broken heart.

She crossed the Atlantic following the breakdown of her first engagement to Swedish attorney Jonas Bergstrom amid speculation that he had cheated on her.

Madeleine became known as Sweden's party princess during her early 20s, when she was frequently spotted at Stockholm's high-end nightclubs.

Countless column inches were also devoted to Madeleine's stylish wardrobe and glamorous lifestyle, but she now focuses on royal duties and raising her children.She was recently baptised ahead of the wedding in May, and it appears that Meghan is already wearing a symbol of her new faith.

The royal bride-to-be, 36, was spotted wearing a new diamond cross bracelet on her wrist, which is believed to have been custom made.

Meghan paired the piece with a $925 (668) silver bracelet by Birks, a Canadian brand that she has previously worn.

Her new cross bracelet is also believed to be by the same brand, designed to mark her recent baptism.

Meghan wore a new diamond cross bracelet as a symbol of her recent baptism in Birmingham last week

The bespoke piece is believed to be by Birks, a Canadian brand she's previously worn

A similar cross pendant is on sale at Birks for $2,495 (1,800), the blog What Meghan Wore reported.

The accessory is also a mark of respect to the Queen, as Meghan prepares to make her first official appearance with the 91-year-old monarch at the Commonwealth Day service today.

Meghan was baptised by the Archbishop of Canterbury at the Chapel Royal at St James's Palace last week, the Daily Mail revealed.

Commenting on her choice of bracelet, royal expert Grant Harrold explained: 'As far as wearing something to mark [her baptism], this would be a personal choice for Meghan.'

Meghan paired the diamond cross bracelet with a $925 (668) diamond horizontal bar bracelet by the same brand

He added: 'Princess Diana famously wore an Elizabethan styled evening dress with a diamond set cross at a gala evening at Garrards in London's West End.

'Members of the royal family have been wearing jewellery with both personal or religious connections for centuries.'

It was not necessary for Meghan to become an Anglican to marry Harry, 33, at St George's Chapel in May.

However, the former Suits actress made it clear on getting engaged to the royal that she wanted to be baptised and confirmed out of respect for the Queens role as the head of the Church of England.

A diamond cross pendant, similar to the one on Meghan's bracelet, is on sale at Birks for $2,495 (1,800)

The intimate 45-minute service was conducted by the Archbishop of Canterbury, with Prince Harry, Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall in attendance.

Meghan had a multi-faith upbringing, with her father being Episcopalian, the main US offshoot of the Anglican Church, and her mother belonging to another Protestant denomination.

The royal bride-to-be also attended a Roman Catholic high school in Los Angeles, although she was not Catholic.

Meghan is set to make her first appearance alongside the Queen and other senior royals at the Commonwealth Day service today at Westminster Abbey.

The service will also be attended by the Prince of Wales, Duchess of Cornwall, Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, Prince Harry and the Prime Minister.

Meghan was seen wearing her new bracelets while in Birmingham with Harry on ThursdayFrom Jacqueline Kennedy to Princess Grace of Monaco, Hubert Givenchy made a name for himself dressing some of the world's most elegant women.

But it was the late designer's close relationship with actress Audrey Hepburn for which he will be best remembered.

Givenchy, who died on Saturday at the age of 91, first met Hepburn in 1953 when the Hollywood star turned up at his Paris studio to discuss the possibility of designing the costumes for the film she was shooting, Sabrina.

Hepburn was immediately taken by the work of the designer, who had founded his fashion house just two years earlier at the age of 25, and went on to wear his designs in the film.

1953 Academy Awards: Hepburn wears one of Hubert Givenchy's designs publicly for the first time when she receives the Best Actress Oscar at the 1953 awards ceremony

1954 film Sabrina: Hepburn wears Givenchy for the first time on screen, a year after meeting

1969 wedding: Hepburn in Givenchy at her wedding to her second husband, Andrea Dotti

The following year the actress wore one of his creations when she accepted her Best Actress Oscar for Roman Holiday.

Their relationship, both personal and professional, lasted until Hepburn's death from colon cancer in 1993. Speaking to the Daily Telegraph in 2015, Givenchy described it as 'a kind of marriage'.

It is of little surprise, therefore, that Hepburn relied on Givenchy to create her looks for some of the biggest events in her life, including her 1969 wedding to Andrea Dotti.

Here, FEMAIL looks back at some of the stand-out collaborations between the designer and his Hollywood muse...

1956 Best Dressed List: The actress holds a coat by Givenchy as she is named on the list of the World's Best Dressed Women by the Couture Group of the New York Dress Institute

1957, Funny Face: Hepburn makes an entrance in a stunning Givenchy gown in the film

1957, Love In The Afternoon: A feminine midi-dress by Givenchy for Hepburn's character

1961 Breakfast At Tiffany's: Givenchy's little black dress for Hepburn's most famous film role

1966, How To Steal A Million: Hepburn in Givenchy with Peter O'Toole in the heist comedy

1966, How To Steal A Million: Givenchy gave Hepburn's character costumes in chic silhouettesWhen the contraceptive pill was launched in 1960, it revolutionized the way women approached sex.

By 1967, nearly 12 million women worldwide were on it and by the 1980s that number increased to 80 million.

However, in a survey conducted by Cosmopolitan, 70 per cent of American women under the age of 36 who used the pill in the past have decided to stop taking it.

New age: In a survey of 2,000 American women conducted by Cosmopolitan, it found 70 per cent of millennials do not take the pill

Teaming up with Power to Decide, a national campaign to prevent unplanned pregnancies, the survey of 2,000 women also detailed that 25 per cent of those women stopped taking the pill because they wanted to try a different kind of contraceptive like an IUD.

Speaking to Cosmopolitan, Dr Andrea Chisholm who works as an OB/GYN in Cody, Wyoming explained that she has seen a change in attitude towards contraception over the past few years.

Millennials are looking for more convenience, she suggested.

Other forms of contraception gaining momentum with millennials include the patch, implant or shot.

Apart from convenience, the survey also highlighted how cost is a huge factor when it comes to choosing contraception.

With the Trump administration threatening to remove birth-control coverage from insurance, if an IUD is installed for free now, it will last for the next five years.

Trial and error: Other forms of contraception gaining momentum with millennials include IUDs, the patch, implant or shot

Planned Parenthood reported a 900 per cent spike in IUD interest after the 2016 election, and Dr Chisholm also shared that more of her patients have been asking about longer-term methods since then.

Health reasons have also played a part in the decline of the pills popularity the survey found, with 26 per cent of women admitting they have switched to condoms to avoid taking synthetic hormones, especially if they arent currently sexually active.

And 25 per cent of women surveyed reported side effects including weight gain, mood swings and loss of sex drive as contributing factors when deciding to abandon the pill.

The survey also found that fertility apps are becoming more common as women use them to track periods and also avoid intercourse on fertile days, despite 37 women using Natural Cycles, an app that the European Union has approved as legit birth control, becoming pregnant.Queen Maxima of the Netherlands offered a cheery wave as she arrived to attend a financial meeting in The Hague this morning.

The Dutch royal, 46, worked business chic in a grey ensemble, injecting a stylish splash of colour with matching brown accessories.

The mother-of-three was seen arriving at performing arts theatre Koninklijke Schouwburg for the start of the National Week of Money and Global Money Week in the city.

Queen Maxima of the Netherlands offered a wave as she attended a financial meeting in The Hague on Monday

Global Money Week encourages a greater public understanding of finances, and sees primary schools highlight money matters, livelihoods and entrepreneurship.

Arriving at the venue, Maxima opted for tailored dress attire, slipping into a grey knee-length shift dress.

The fitted piece was cinched in at the waist, and embellished with a mustard feathered collar.

Coordinating her look, Maxima teamed it with a pair of suede brown pumps and a matching envelope clutch.

The Dutch royal, 46, worked business chic in a grey ensemble, injecting a stylish splash of colour with matching brown accessories

Wearing her blonde hair in a sleek side parting around her face, she opted for a touch of bronzer and statement dark eyeliner.

Walking the blue carpet that was laid out for her arrival, Maxima gave fans a friendly wave before disappearing inside the building.

Once inside the venue, the royal took to the stage to kick off National Week of Money and the Global Money Week in front of students.

The mother-of-three looked in great spirits as she arrived at the performing arts theatre Koninklijke Schouwburg for the start of the National Week of Money and Global Money Week

Global Money Week encourages a greater public understanding of finances, and sees primary schools highlight money matters, livelihoods and entrepreneurship

An international financier by training, Maxima was born in Argentina and married into the Dutch royal family in 2002, three years after meeting her husband-to-be in Seville, Spain.

The King and Queen are parents to three daughters; Catharina-Amalia, 14, Alexia, 12, and Ariane, 10.

Despite reportedly having no inkling that Willem-Alexander was heir to the throne when the pair first met, she eventually became Queen consort when her husband ascended to the throne.

Willem-Alexander became king after his mother, Beatrix, abdicated in April 2013 after 33 years as reigning monarch.Sweden's Crown Princess Victoria was presented with flowers outside Stockholm's Royal Palace today, in honour of her name day.

In Sweden many names are associated with certain dates on the calendar - March 12 in the case of the name Victoria - and Swedes often mark their name day just like they would a birthday.

Victoria, the eldest child of King Carl XVI Gustaf and heir apparent to the Swedish throne, beamed for the cameras as she posed alongside her husband Prince Daniel and their six-year-old daughter, Estelle.

The royal, 40, opted for a stylish black fur-trimmed trench coat embellished with gold buttons for the occasion.

Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden celebrated her name day on Monday, greeting crowds outside Stockholm Royal Palace

Victoria, who is heir to the Swedish throne, and the eldest child of King Carl XVI Gustaf, looked delighted as she was joined by husband Daniel Westerling and their daughter Estelle, six

Continuing her wintry theme, Victoria teamed the coat with a pair of leather gloves and added height to her frame with knee high boots.

Victoria, who was not joined by two-year-old son Oscar, injected a splash of colour with her purple blouse visible beneath her coat.

The royal looked delighted as she accepted flowers from wellwishers, joined by her dapper husband, a former personal trainer.

Little Estelle looked adorable in a smart coat with a fur collar to match her mother's.

Putting on a stylish display, the royal, 40, opted for a stylish black military trench coat embellished with gold buttons for the occasion

The elegant coat fell to her ankles, and was adorned with a faux fur collar and wide west belt

Continuing her wintry theme, Victoria teamed it with a pair of leather gloves and added height to her frame with knee high boots

Victoria, who is also mother to two-year-old Oscar, injected a splash of colour with a lilac scarf, wearing her hair in a sleek bun

Victoria, who is also mother to two-year-old Oscar, injected a splash of colour with a lilac scarf, wearing her hair in a sleek bun

The royal looked delighted as she accepted flowers from adoring crowds, joined by her dapper husband, a former personal trainer

What is a Name Day? Marking a name day is a tradition in some countries - including Sweden - and sees people celebrate on a calendar date associated with their given name. Many Swedes mark their name day as they would a birthday. In the 18th century names used by the royal family were introduced to the Swedish list of name days, as well as other common names. Advertisement

As well as posing for pictures, the family admired the military marches performed by the Kings Guards in celebration of the day dedicated to her name.

The eldest of two children, Victoria married former personal trainer Daniel Westerling in 2010 after a long-term relationship, and they are now parents to Oscar, two, and Estelle, six.

Last year Victoria opened up about the eating disorder she suffered as a 20-year-old model in 1997.

Speaking to People, in a milestone interview ahead of her 40th birthday last July, she said: 'I wanted all the time to do and be so much more than I realistically could do, or could be,' she said.

'I needed time to sort things out and get my balance back again.

'I needed to get to know myself, discover where my limits were, not constantly push myself too much.'

Little Estelle put on a stylish display in a navy coat and matching tights, ensuring she kept cosy in fur lined ankle boots

Accessorising with a velvet blue hat and gloves, she showed off her impressive skills as a royal in the makingThey are not yet sisters-in-law, but the Duchess of Cambridge and Meghan Markle are already falling into step with each other when it comes to their style choices.

Kate and Meghan, both 36, were spotted wearing very similar blue suede shoes as they joined Prince William, 35, and Prince Harry, 33, and other senior royals for the Commonwealth Day service at Westminster Abbey on Monday.

Kate, who is pregnant with her third child, sported a favourite pair of 425 heeled pumps by Rupert Sanderson, while Meghan chose a 450 style by Manolo Blahnik.

Two of a kind: Kate and Meghan were spotted wearing very similar suede heels they joined Prince William and Prince Harry for the Commonwealth Day service at Westminster Abbey

Meghan: Meghan, who will tie the knot with Prince Harry at Windsor Castle in May, chose a pair of 450 'BB pumps' by Manolo Blahnik, one of her favourite designers

Kate: The Duchess has worn her 425 'Malory' pumps by Rupert Sanderson on at least 10 different occasions over the last two years

The styles are remarkably alike, with both featuring a 4in heel and elegant pointed toe.

However Meghan's shoes feature a slightly more slender heel and there is smallest variation in the shades of navy suede.

Kate has worn her 'Malory' pumps on at least 10 different occasions over the last two years, including to a dinner with the Obamas at Kensington Palace in 2016.

Meanwhile Meghan, who will tie the knot with Prince Harry at Windsor Castle in May, chose a pair of 'BB pumps' by Manolo Blahnik, one of her favourite designers.

Meghan Markle, 36, today looked chic in navy and white as she stepped out in Amanda Wakeley for her first Commonwealth Day service

The Duchess of Cambridge continued with her fondness for blue, wearing a navy coat and dress by Beulah London

Meghan paired her navy dress and heels with a sculpted tailored Crombie coat

Happy couple! Meghan and Harry are set to become husband and wife in just two months

Kate completed her look with a navy Lock and Co hat and coordinating clutch bag

Meghan also opted for a navy theme, while adding a white coat and matching beret

It is the second time in a week that she has worn this style of shoe, opting for the black suede version when she joined Prince Harry on an engagement in Birmingham last week.

Meghan and Kate, who also complemented each other in cream and navy outfits, joined the Queen and other senior royals for the event in London.

It comes as the sisters-in-law to be both opted to wear blue for their first official appearance together at the Royal Foundation Forum last month.

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, who are expecting their third child to be born next month, leave the service today

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle leave following the Commonwealth Day service at Westminster Abbey this afternoon

Meghan talks to excited-looking children as she leaves the Commonwealth Day service at Westminster Abbey today

Meghan gave a subtle tribute to her fiance's late mother Diana by her choice of outfit

The Duchess of Cambridge shakes the hand of a smiling child as Prince Williams talks to others outside the Abbey today

Meghan smiles (right) as the couple leave the Commonwealth Day service at Westminster Abbey this afternoon

Prince Harry shakes the hand of a little girl outside the Commonwealth Day service at Westminster Abbey in London

The Royals were seated together towards the front of the Commonwealth Day service

Queen Elizabeth II smiles as she leaves the Commonwealth Day service, along with her grandson and his bride-to-be

Celebrity stylist Rochelle White suggested that the pair already seem to be planning their outfits around each other.

She told FEMAIL at the time: 'I think it is lovely to see how they seem to simply complement each other in their fashion choices.

'It seems that they carefully plan their outfits around each other.

'I feel they are very aware that all eyes are on them, so they take turns to have a stand out moment.

Kate previously wore her Rupert Sanderson pumps in January, while visiting Reach Academy Feltham in west LondonA new collection of scented candles is inspired by the top national parks in the United States of America.

Good and Well Supply Company created a range of candles that smell like 12 different national park: Yosemite, Yellowstone, Sequoia, Rainier, North Cascades, Olympic, Acadia, Glacier, Crater Lake, Grand Canyon, Great Smokies, and Saguaro.

Priced at $24 each, the candles are sure to arouse interest among outdoorsy types  and they also benefit environmental causes.

Nature: Good and Well Supply Company has created a range of candles inspired by America's national parks

Smell that? Each candle is $24, with 10 per cent of proceeds going to protect parks across America

Parks: Yellowstone has scents of vetiver, pine needle, and sandalwood while Yosemite has cedarwood, amber, orange, and spice

Inspired: Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming has the famous Old Faithful Geyser, which is seen erupting in this photo

Parks: The view of the El Capitan rock formation at Yosemite National Park in California

Mountains: El Capitan in Yosemite National Park is one of its most famous landmarks and reaches 3,000 feet

The candles all pay homage to parks in the US with their labels and fragrances  but they give back to them, too.

In an effort to help protect America's national parks, Good and Well Supply Company donates 10 per cent of profits from each purchase to Washington's National Park Fund and the National Park Foundation.

The brand first launched National Park scented candles back in December but only released six: Yosemite, Yellowstone, Sequoia, Rainier, North Cascades, and Olympic.

Most of the original candles have strong fall and winter aromas, such as the cedarwood and spice of California's Yosemite Park in the Sierra Nevada mountains.

Newer additions have lighter scents, like the earthy blend of red maple, laurel, and sandalwood found in the candle dedicated to America's most-visited national park, the Great Smoky Mountains along the Tennessee and North Carolina border.

Scents: The Rainier park candle has aromas of balsam fir, pine needle, and citrus while the Crater Lake candle has wild lavender, cedar, and camphor

Delicious: Sequoia smells of fir needle, cedarwood, and smoky tobacco, while Glacier has lighter notes of huckleberry, bergamot, balsam fir, and vanilla

Smoky: Acadia has sweet scents of sea salt, dunes, and driftwood, while Olympic has an earthy blend of red cedar, oakmoss, earth, and spice

Creator: Megan McLaughlin, founder and candlemaker of Good and Well Supply Company, has lived in a tent in many national parks all across the U.S., which is where she found inspiration

Megan McLaughlin, founder and candlemaker of Good and Well Supply Company, previously owned a handmade soap business, but chose to leave it behind to go explore the landscape of America.

She has lived in a tent in many national parks all across the U.S. and has experienced the smells, scents, and sights of the parks that many people have been inhaling for years.

She created the candles based on the scents and experiences she had during her travels, and said she wants to bring those same experiences to people's homes.

What's more, each of the 100 per cent soy candles is also vegan, eco-friendly, recyclable, lead and GMO-free, and ethically sourced and produced in the USA.Queen Mathilde made a statement in a vibrant red ensemble as the Belgian royals continued their state visit to Canada.

In a nod to the nation's flag, Mathilde, 45, sported a red hat, cape and dress for her first full day of engagements - finishing the look with a gold maple leaf brooch.

After the stylish welcoming ceremony the Belgian royals tried sampled a local delicacy of maple taffy as they learnt more about the culture.

Mathilde and husband King Phillipe arrived in Ottowa yesterday to kick off the six-day tour, the first state visit by a Belgian royal in 40 years.

Vibrant: Queen Mathilde of Belgium wore a vibrant red ensemble as she joined husband King Philippe, pictured, for their first full day of engagements in Canada

Sticking to the theme: The queen was seen sporting a gold maple leaf brooch, pictured, as the couple attended a welcoming ceremony on Parliament Hill in Ottowa, Ontario

The Belgian royals appeared in high spirits as they tried local delicacies after the welcoming ceremony

They were greeted off the plane by Canadian mounted police and a small delegation of officials.

Today the couple's busy day of engagements included a visit to Rideau Hall, the official residence of Canadian Governor General Julie Payette.

The royals posed for photos outside the grand residence before Mathilde took part in a tree planting ceremony.

Showing no sign of jet lag after arriving on Sunday, Mathilde looked elegant in a red top hat and statement long cape coat.

Poignant moment: Mathilde was then seen signing a book of condolences after Phillipe paid his respects by laying a wreath of white flowers on the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier

Getting stuck in: Mathilde swapped her heels for brown boots as she took part in a tree planting ceremony

Getting stuck in: Mathilde swapped her heels for brown boots as she took part in a tree planting ceremony

Reflection: The Belgian royals visited the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at the National War Memorial in Ottawa

Remembered: King Philippe laid a wreath of white flowers at the memorial while Mathilde looked on

Never forget: The royal had help placing the wreath, which featured a sash in the colour of the Belgian flag

The piece reached just below Mathilde's knees, and she teamed it with a pair of leather gloves and a velvet clutch.

Adding height to her frame, Mathilde opted for a pair of suede cut-out high heels, completing her look with gold earrings and a splash of red lipstick.

The queen swapped the heels for more practical boots when digging the hole for the tree planting ceremony.

Meanwhile King Phillipe, 57, looked smart in a black trench coat and matching trousers.

Following their meeting with government representatives, the pair went to lay a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at the city's National War Memorial.

Momentous: Canada's Governor General Julie Payette shakes hands with Philippe and Mathilde outside Rideau Hall, her official residence. The diplomat invited the royal couple

Royal welcome: Well-wishers waited to catch a glimpse of the royals as they toured Ottowa

Engaged: Mathilde takes part in a meeting with Canadian politicians at Rideau Hall, Ottowa

Mathilde was then seen signing a book of condolences after Phillipe paid his respects by laying a wreath of white flowers.

In the afternoon the royals swapped their bold business looks for comfortable outdoors wear as they stepped out for a stroll and taffy tasting.

As part of their second day on the state visit the Belgian royals were treated to local delicacies including freshly made maple taffy from the local Sugar Shack.

Belgian royals, Queen Mathilde and King Phillipe visited Richelieu Park in Ottawa Ontario as part of their second day on tour in Canada

Queen Mathilde appeared startled after tasting the areas local maple taffy

Queen Mathilde and King Philippe were given the opportunity to witness the sweet treat being made by the program director for the Richelieu Park Sugar Shack, Emilie Brenning.

Emilie poured the fresh maple taffy on snow as part of the preparation process before offering the royals a chance to try.

They appeared to be in high spirits as they sampled the natural sweet.

Emilie Brenning (pictured left) hammers in a spoil in the tree as the royals watch

Emilie demonstrated how the taffy is poured on to snow as part of the process

Queen Mathilde wore a classic fur trim coat as they sampled maple taffy in the snow filled park

Queen Mathilde and King Philippe samples some maple sap straight from the treeTwo dads have shared their heartbreak after their miracle twin babies were mowed down in their stroller by a man who had allegedly taken painkillers before getting behind the wheel.

Mariano Trench, 41, and his husband Gonzalo Neris, 44, were enjoying a walk with his mother, Ofelia Colla, 78, and their newborn daughter and son when they were knocked over 'like bowling pins' in the horror smash.

The tragedy unfolded in Miami, Florida, leaving their babies Francisca and Nikolas Neris-Trench fighting for their lives less than a month after they were born via a surrogate on January 10.

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Devastating: Mariano Trench (left), his husband Gonzalo Neris (right), and their newborn twins Nikolas and Francisca were mowed down by a driver in Miami on February 4

Heartbreaking: Mariano's 78-year-old mother Ofelia Colla (pictured) was also injured in the horrific crash that left their twins fighting for their lives

Mariano, a lawyer, and Gonzalo, a compliance officer, had flown to the U.S. from Buenos Aires, Argentina, to start their dream family as their children's surrogate mother lives in Miami.

'Having the twins was the best experience ever,' Mariano said. 'We were together holding our surrogate's hands in the delivery room, and it was a very emotional moment for all of us to finally get to see the babies after waiting for so long.

'It was the happiest moment of our lives.'

On February 4, the new dads were out for a walk and pushing the twins in their stroller when a black Mercedes mounted the pavement and plowed into them.

Devestating: Little Nikolas (left) and Francisca (right) both suffered fractured skulls and bleeding on the brain

Recovery: Mariano had to undergo emergency surgery to repair lacerations to his liver, intestine and colon. He is pictured holding Nikolas after the accident

'The accident day, we were celebrating getting the news that the babies' passports were going to be ready to go home to Argentina on Friday,' Mariano explained.

'That day I went for a walk with my mom, my husband Gonzalo and the two babies so they could get fresh air. We didn't see it coming at all.

'From one moment to the next one I was flying in the air and fell to the ground really hard,' he continued. 'When I tried to get up, I couldn't, but I saw a black car coming to a stop right in front of me.

'My 78-year-old mom was lying next to me, the baby stroller was knocked down and I could see Gonzalo rise from behind a parked car with his face covered in blood.

'We had all been thrown on our backs like bowling pins.'

Life-changing moment: On the day of the accident, the two men and Mariano's mother took the twins out for a walk in their stroller

Suspect: Driver Matthew Miller, 29, of Daytona Beach, Florida, was arrested following the horrific crash in South Beach last month

Horrific: Although a report states that Miller refused to provide a sample of blood for testing, the driver confessed that he had taken Percocet before the crash (pictured)

Little Francisca and Nikolas both suffered fractured skulls and bleeding on the brain and were admitted to the ICU at Holtz Children's Hospital in Miami.

Doctors fought to reduce the swelling, but the long-term impact of the injuries remains unclear and the tots may be left permanently brain damaged.

While Gonzalo was not seriously hurt, Mariano had to undergo emergency surgery to repair lacerations to his liver, intestine and colon.

His mom Ofelia, who was also hit, suffered a serious concussion.

Suspected drug driver Matthew Miller, 29, of Daytona Beach, Florida, was arrested following the horrific crash in South Beach last month.

Unknown: The long-term impact of the injuries remains unclear, and the twins may be left permanently brain damaged

Unbelievable: The accident occurred less than a week before they turned one month old

Francisca and Nikolas were discharged from hospital two and a half weeks after the crash, but they require ongoing care

Miami Beach Police Department said his behavior was consistent with 'that of a person who is under the influence of alcohol or drugs,' according to a report.

Although the report states that Miller refused to provide a sample of blood for testing, the driver confessed that he had taken Percocet, a powerful opiate pain reliever.

He was charged with reckless driving with serious bodily injury and driving with a suspended license on February 5, and Judge Mindy Glazer set his bond at $250,000.

Miller remains in custody Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center in Miami, Florida.

'Our one-month-old babies didn't deserve to have gone through this terrible experience,' Mariano said. 'It's just so unfair to them and to us. We took so much care of them and then someone else comes and hits them so hard.

Happy day: Francisca and Nikolas were born via a surrogate on January 10

Truth: 'We can't help but feel so much anger, but things could have gone much worse. Any of us could have died there, if not all of us,' Mariano said

Needing help: The family has set up a GoFundMe account to help fund vital medical care for the twins

'We can't help but feel so much anger, but things could have gone much worse. Any of us could have died there, if not all of us.

'We are going to circle our life around them and do all that takes to heal them.'

Francisca and Nikolas were discharged from hospital two and a half weeks after the crash, but they require ongoing care. For now, they must remain in Miami because they are not well enough to make the 10-hour trip to Argentina.

Though the family had travel insurance, they have hit the coverage limit already.

Mariano said they 'wanted to take care of everything' themselves but are struggling to cover the costs because they are not permitted to work in the U.S.

They have set up a GoFundMe account to help fund vital medical care for the twins as they continue their recovery.

Their goal is to earn $100,000 for their twins medical coverage, and people have donated nearly $35,000 in the past 25 days.

'It's going to be a long run while they develop and grow in the years to come, and I'm afraid many years of doctors and therapy await us,' Mariano said.

'We're determined to give them the happy life we always intended for them, even before they were born.'Cincinnati's famed hippo Fiona has found her first public suitor in her counterpart at San Antonio Zoo in Texas, a two-year-old hippopotamus named Timothy.

The San Antonio Zoo took to Twitter to send a message on behalf of Timothy, indicating that he has taken quite a liking to Fiona, the one-year-old hippo who has become a bona fide celebrity at her Ohio facility.

'Dear Fiona, My name is Timothy,' the message reads. 'I have seen you on the internet at the @CincinnatiZoo& you are the most beautiful hippo I have ever seen! Perhaps we can meet someday and be boyfriend and girlfriend?'

Declaration: San Antonio Zoo in Texas sent a tweet on behalf of Timothy, its two-year-old hippo, asking out Fiona, the one-year-old star hippopotamus from Cincinnati Zoo in Ohio

The message has since gone viral, garnering 45,127 likes and 11,275 retweets over the past few days.

But while Timothy's tweet indicates he is 'single and available', the breeding age for hippos is five, meaning Timothy and Fiona might have to delay their romance.

Cincinti Zoo has replied to Timothy's appeal, pointing out that there are a few criteria a hippo will need to meet in order to become Fiona's paramour.

Among other things, Fiona's other half will be expected to live in her shadow, since she is the star of her own zoo.

Smitten: Timothy (left) apparently thinks Fiona (right) is 'the most beautiful hippo' he has ever seen, and asked her whether she would consider becoming his girlfriend

Selective: Cincinnati Zoo has replied to Timothy's appeal, pointing out that there are a few criteria a hippo will need to meet in order to become Fiona's paramour

'Fiona thinks youre cute too, but its whats on the inside that counts!' the response reads.

'Your DNA will decide if youre the one for our little diva. Any potential mate would have to be ok w/ taking a back seat. Are you ok w/paparazzi?

'Most importantly, are you willing to relocate to Cincinnati?'

Timothy seemed over the moon and slightly nervous after receiving the response, with San Antonio Zoo tweeting: 'OMG! Fiona from @CincinnatiZoo wrote me back! What do I say now? I am FREAKING OUT!'

Many Twitter users are strongly in favor of the romance and loved Timothy's message.

'What type of Hippo is Timothy?' someone asked, only for another person to reply: 'A confident one.'

'This Hippo is out here getting a girl, and I cant even get a text back,' a Twitter user wrote.

Excited: Timothy seemed over the moon and slightly nervous after receiving the response

Cute: Many Twitter users are strongly in favor of the romance and loved Timothy's message

'This is the cutest thing I have ever seen. Rooting for yall 100%,' someone else added, with the hashtags #TeamFiona and #TeamTimothy.

Fiona quickly won over the hearts of her fans after she was born prematurely in 2017.

In her first year old life, Fiona, who turned one in January, grew from a dangerously low 29 pounds at premature birth to nearly 700 pounds after battling early health complications.

While her curators were focusing on helping her learn typical zoo routines and become a 'full-time hippo', the zoo's publicists were sorting through a continuing onslaught of potential tie-ins at the time of her first birthday.

Fiona-themed T-shirts, books, ornaments and even beer brought in an estimated half-million dollars last year while the zoo's attendance spiked 15 per cent and its social media blew up.Scientists have today developed an interactive tool that calculates your risk of the most deadly form of skin cancer.

Users have to answer just 14 questions to determine the likelihood of having to battle melanoma in the next three-and-a-half years.

Australian researchers have created the quiz to try and boost early detection of melanoma. If it isn't spotted, it can spread quickly and prove fatal.

Melanoma is the fifth most common cancer in the UK. Figures suggest it kills nearly 2,500 people across the home nations each year.

The interesting tool, published online this morning, uses data from nearly 42,000 adults to calculate someones risk of melanoma.

Developed by experts at the QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, it asks about where someone lives, their age and gender.

Adults over the age of 40 are also asked about how easily they tan, if they have many moles and about their family history of melanoma.

Those seeing their risk are also quizzed about how many times in the past three years they have had their skin checked by a doctor.

Five possible answers are colour-coded, from pale yellow signalling very much below average, to a dark red highlighting the opposite.

The overall risk is then compared to someone of the same gender in the same age bracket. However, it is only a prediction.

Dr Juber Hafiji, consultant dermatologist and British Skin Foundation spokesperson, welcomed the publication of the melanoma tool.

Melanoma is the fifth most common cancer in the UK. Figures suggest it kills nearly 2,500 people across the home nations each year

Five possible answers are colour-coded, from pale yellow signalling very much below average, to a dark red highlighting the opposite

He told MailOnline: There are many different algorithms and new technologies that are available which help predict the likelihood of developing melanoma.

This is yet another interesting tool that may help people to predict an individuals risk of developing melanoma but should be treated with caution.

Dr Hafiji added: Tools like these should never be used as a substitute for advice from a consultant dermatologist or a doctor.

Professor David Whiteman, who created the tool, said: It's up to individuals to talk to their doctors about whether they need regular skin checks.

This online risk predictor will help identify those people with the highest likelihood of developing melanoma so that they and their doctors can decide how to best manage their risk.

Incidence rates of melanoma have more than doubled since the 1990s, as more Britons have taken to going on sunshine holidays abroad.

Experts estimate that by 2035, rates will rise by seven per cent to make melanoma one of the major forms of cancer.

There were 15,900 new diagnoses of melanoma skin cancer in 2015 in the UK. The figure is closer to the 95,000 mark in the US.Ten million Britons alive today can expect to reach 100, Government figures reveal.

Ministers will inject more than 300million into researching old age in order to support the ageing population.

They say we need to revolutionise the way people get older  ensuring they remain healthy and independent for longer.

Unveiling the cash boost, Business Secretary Greg Clark will pledge to help make the countrys scientists world leaders in understanding ageing. The funding will support a research hub looking at dementia as well as a major project looking at the prevention and treatment of disease, involving more than 500,000 patients.

Ten million Britons alive today can expect to reach 100, Government figures reveal

Figures show more than ten million people in the UK today can expect to see their 100th birthday, while there are just 15,000 centenarians at present.

Under the plans set out by Mr Clark, a 210million competitive fund will be established to invest in the development of innovative diagnostic tools, medical products and treatments.

It will include the creation of a series of regional centres across the UK to improve the diagnosis of patients using technologies such as artificial intelligence.

The fund will also invest in genome sequencing to develop tools for early diagnosis of illness and disease and a new wave of therapies. A further 98million will be invested in a healthy ageing programme to develop products and services to help people to live in their homes for longer.

In addition, 40million will go to the UK Dementia Research Institute, in partnership with University College London, to create a hub in which 350 leading scientists will research treatments for the condition.

Business Secretary Greg Clark will pledge to help make the countrys scientists world leaders in understanding ageing

An estimated 850,000 people in the UK are living with the disease.

Mr Clark said: Through our Industrial Strategy we will not only boost innovation and productivity across the UK, but we will also ensure that this Government changes peoples lives for the better.

We are over 300million into developing the treatments of the future, in new technologies that will revolutionise the way we age and provide everyone with the best possible chance to grow old with dignity in their own home.

By 2020 we want to be the best country in the world for dementia care and research.

Care minister Caroline Dinenage added: As a society we are living longer  a child born today can expect to live to 100 years  but now we must seize the opportunity to improve the quality of lives lived longer.

Care minister Caroline Dinenage added: As a society we are living longer  a child born today can expect to live to 100 years'

These investments will ... provide a revolutionary vital boost to develop and scale up products and services of the future, ensuring everyone can age well and live more independently throughout their lives.

The figures about our increased longevity come after it emerged last month that the number of women working in their 50s and 60s had hit a record high. The state pension age for men and women will rise to 66 by 2020, and Government actuaries believe it will reach 70 in the 2050s and 71 in the 2060s.A 23-year-old left paralysed after she contracted meningitis is walking for the first time in nearly five years.

Jemma Pressman, from Eastleigh, Hampshire, has described her 'emotional' journey back to mobility as 'like being reborn'.

Miss Pressman spent more than a year in rehabilitation at a hospital in Southampton and had to learn everything, from the 'little things to the massive things'.

And moving video footage, released to give fellow victims hope, shows her using a metal walking frame to help her take a few steps.

She said: 'Mum was so pleased when she saw me walking, she whipped out her camera and started filming it was very emotional. She just couldnt believe it.'

Miss Pressman fell victim to meningitis - which can strike with similar symptoms as 'fresher's flu' - and encephalitis, swelling of the brain, in September 2013 while studying at Leicester University.

The law student, who was getting ready for her second year, developed a fever and vomiting - but the then 19-year-old wasn't concerned.

Jemma Pressman, from Eastleigh, Hampshire, has described her 'emotional' journey back to mobility as 'like being reborn'

Her journey to walking again

Miss Pressman, who had to give up studying, spent a year relearning how to walk in Western Community Hospital, Southampton.

Speaking for the first time about her ordeal, she said: 'I couldnt walk at this stage. I had to learn how to speak, eat, brush my hair  all sorts.'

And when she was finally discharged, in October 2014, going back to live with her mother, she realised her mental health had been affected by her ordeal.

Miss Pressman added: 'When you're in hospital, you dont feel different. But when you get home, it reminds you how life once was.

'I was so, so scared to go out. I felt like I couldnt. I was stuck in a wheelchair.

'On top of this, all my muscles wasted away, I had to build them up again, it was like being reborn.'

Then, after intensive rehabilitation, a short while ago Miss Pressman started walking. At first slowly, she gradually built up her steps.

Now, with the aid of a metal walking frame, she can move about her home.

Miss Pressman fell victim to meningitis - which can strike with similar symptoms as 'fresher's flu' - in September 2013 while studying at Leicester University (pictured in an induced coma)

Miss Pressman said: 'Im feeling a lot more confident. Initially, I didnt realise how awkward I looked, walking about.

'I was scared I would fall, but I'm not anymore.

'I am positive about the future. I can walk around indoors. One of my goals is to be functional and get things out the fridge. It's what I aim for.

'You always get moments where you think, "Why did it happen to me? My life was fine before, I was doing everything right." But you cant let that hold you back.'

Recalling the night she fell ill

Miss Pressman, who now hopes to train on the job to become a lawyer, remembers how she started feeling sick on the night of September 13, 2013.

Her mother, Shev, thought it was mumps and drove 130 miles to collect her and take her back to Hampshire to look after her.

The law student, who was getting ready for her second year, developed a fever and vomiting - but the then 19-year-old wasn't concerned (pictured in hospital)

Miss Pressman said: 'I had a stiff neck, I ached, I was vomiting and felt generally unwell.

'Concerned, literally the minute she finished work, Mum drove straight up to collect me.

'I thought I was feeling better, but in the early hours of the Saturday morning, I started being sick.

'I had a really bad headache, I couldn't stand light and I ached so much.'

Her mother, 51, dialled the NHS non-emergency number, 111, and was told to take her straight to casualty at the Royal Hampshire County Hospital in Winchester.

'Things went downhill quickly'

Miss Pressman added: 'The last thing I remember is speaking to the triage nurse at the hospital. But, after that, things went downhill quickly.'

Placed in an induced coma, Jemma was taken for a CT scan. There, doctors realised something was drastically wrong.

Miss Pressman said: 'Medics realised there was swelling in my brain and they rushed me in an ambulance from Hampshire County Hospital to the bigger Southampton General Hospital.

Miss Pressman, who also had to relearn how to speak, eat and brush her hair, now recalls her horrific ordeal at universities across the UK

Miss Pressman, who now hopes to train on the job to become a lawyer, remembers how she started feeling sick on the night of September 13, 2013 (pictured with her twin sister, Leah)

'They put a drain in my brain to reduce the pressure, leaving it in for about three weeks. Afterwards, when I was taken out of sedation, they realised I had meningitis and encephalitis.

'I dont know if the two illnesses were linked. Maybe because I was run down, it was easier to catch two infections.'

So she could be closer to her mother, Miss Pressman was transferred back to Winchester, spending nearly four months in intensive care, reliant on a ventilator.

She added: 'This period of my life is very hazy. I was deeply confused and didnt understand why I was in a hospital bed.

'Initially paralysed by the infection, when the feeling came back in my right side, after a few weeks I had to learn to swallow, make sounds and even blink again.'

Encouraging students to get the jab

She now recalls her horrific ordeal at universities across the UK to try and encourage other students to get the MenACWY vaccine, available on the NHS.

Older teenagers and university students are encouraged to get the vaccine to protect themselves against the deadly bacteria.

This group is thought to be at a higher risk of infection because they mix closely with lots of new people - some of whom may unknowingly carry the meningococcal bacteria at the back of their noses and throats.

For more information about meningitis, visit Meningitis Now - who Miss Pressman is an ambassador for.

Speaking for the first time about her battle with meningitis, she said: 'I had a stiff neck, I ached, I was vomiting and felt generally unwell'

Moving video footage, released to give fellow victims hope, shows her using a metal walking frame to help her take a few steps

Miss Pressman said: 'Im feeling a lot more confident. Initially, I didnt realise how awkward I looked, walking about'

Her mother, Shev, (pictured together) 51, dialled the NHS non-emergency number, 111, and was told to take her straight to casualty at the Royal Hampshire County Hospital in Winchester when she picked her up

Older teenagers and university students are encouraged to get the jab to protect themselves against the deadly bacteria (pictured on her 18th birthday with her sister and a friend)

For more information about meningitis, visit Meningitis Now - who Miss Pressman is an ambassador forHeart attack patients are less likely to die if leading cardiologists are away, research suggests.

Scientists discovered survival rates at hospitals are higher when top heart doctors are attending medical conferences.

Harvard Medical School researchers have now warned that doctors who go to large gatherings use more intensive procedures.

The findings, dubbed an 'unfortunate paradox', raise questions about the type of care some cardiologists provide patients.

Scientists discovered survival rates at hospitals are higher when top heart doctors are attending medical conferences

Lead author, Dr Anupam Jenner, said: 'Which doctor treats you does matter.

'The types of doctors who attend these meetings seem to provide different care, at least for a subgroup of patients.

'This is an unfortunate paradox given that professional conferences are designed to actually makes us better physicians and improve the care we deliver.'

ARE HEALTHY DIETS OR MEDICATION MORE EFFECTIVE AT LOWERING BLOOD PRESSURE? Low-salt diets packed with fruit and vegetables lower blood pressure more than medication after just four weeks, a Harvard University study suggested in November 2017. Cutting out salt and eating lots of fruit, vegetables and low-fat dairy, reduces people with high blood pressure's results by an average of 21 mm Hg, the research adds. To put that into context, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the US' drug-approving body, will not accept anti-hypertension medications unless they lower blood pressure by at least 3-4 mm Hg. Most medications typically reduce hypertension readings by between 10 and 15 mm Hg, but come with side effects including fatigue, dizziness and headache. Study author Dr Lawrence Appel said: 'What we're observing from the combined dietary intervention is a reduction in systolic blood pressure as high as, if not greater than, that achieved with prescription drugs. 'It's an important message to patients that they can get a lot of mileage out of adhering to a healthy and low-sodium diet.' Around 32 percent of adults in the US, and one in four in the UK, have high blood pressure, which puts them at risk of heart disease and stroke. The researchers analyzed 412 people with early-stage hypertension who were not taking high blood pressure medication. Some of the study's participants were fed a 'DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) diet', which includes lots of fruit, vegetables and low-fat dairy products, with minimal saturated fat. The remaining participants ate a typical American diet. All of the participants were fed different sodium levels equaling around 0.5, one or two teaspoons of salt a day over four weeks with five-day breaks in between. Advertisement

Researchers examined 30-day survival rates from scores of patients to make the conclusion.

They were admitted to hospital while their doctors were at last year's Transcatheter Cardiovascular Therapeutics meeting in Denver.

An analysis revealed 16.7 per cent of patients died within 30 days of admission when the cardiologist was at hospital.

In contrast, when the specialist was away death rates dropped down to just 15.3 per cent.

An even bigger difference was noted for patients whose heart attack did not require immediate stenting - to widen arteries.

Some 19.5 per cent died when they received care on non-meeting dates, compared to the 16.9 per cent when cardiologists were away.

The findings, published in the Journal of the American Heart Association, suggest that certain cardiologists that attend the large gathering each year provide different care.

Researchers claim those cardiologists attending the conference are more likely to skip on open-heart surgery in favour of minimally invasive procedures.

And Dr Jena claimed they are worse at providing non-procedural care.

He said: 'If doctors focus their attention on a particular kind of procedure, they might not develop other clinical skills that are as important to influencing outcomes as is knowledge of a specific procedure.

'Treating a cardiac patient isn't just about cardiac issues - it's about other factors that the patient brings to the hospital.'

'Many medical interventions deliver no mortality benefit, and the fact that mortality actually falls for heart attack patients during these conference dates raises important questions about how care might differ during these periods.

The study also back-ups an earlier study, also led by Dr Jena.

She found in 2013 that cardiac arrest and heart failure patients fared better on the dates of two large meetings for cardiologists.

The difference in survival was also blamed on the fact that cardiologists who attend the gatherings are more likely to use intensive interventions.Smoking cannabis just five times as a teenager raises the risk of psychosis, new research suggests.

Scientists have today uncovered further evidence the drug, commonly smoked by youngsters, leads to poor mental health.

The findings, led by Finnish researchers, back-up an array of evidence that shows cannabis can drive some to the point of suicide.

University of Oulo scientists revealed the earlier someone begins smoking the drug, the more likely they are to develop psychosis.

It comes amid prominent warnings by campaigners that super-strength skunk has flooded Britain's illegal market at a worrying rate.

Scientists have today uncovered further evidence cannabis, commonly smoked by youngsters, leads to poor mental health

Skunk, the potent form of the drug, is responsible for a quarter of new cases of psychotic mental illness, a landmark study two years ago declared.

And the new research, published in The British Journal of Psychiatry, provides a further link between cannabis and psychosis.

How was the study carried out?

More than 6,000 volunteers were tracked from their 15th birthday until they turned 30 to assess their risk of the condition.

Figures estimate that around one per cent of the population suffer from psychosis, which can cause delusions, such as hearing voices, and lead to severe distress.

An analysis, which involved PhD student Antti Mustonen, showed a link between smoking cannabis and going on to develop psychosis.

DOES CANNABIS INCREASE THE RISK OF PSYCHOSIS? Going from being an occasional marijuana user to indulging every day increases the risk of psychosis by up to 159 percent, research revealed in July 2017. Marijuana is thought to cause psychosis-like experiences by increasing a user's risk of depression, a study found. The two mental health conditions have previously been linked. Frequently abusing the substance also significantly reduces a user's ability to resist socially unacceptable behavior when provoked, the research adds. Study author Josiane Bourque from the University of Montreal, said: 'Our findings confirm that becoming a more regular marijuana user during adolescence is, indeed, associated with a risk of psychotic symptoms. '[Psychosis symptoms] may be infrequent and thus not problematic for the adolescent, when these experiences are reported continuously, year after year, then there's an increased risk of a first psychotic episode or another psychiatric condition.' The researchers, from the University of Montreal, analyzed around 4,000 13-year-olds from 31 high schools in the surrounding area. Every year for four years, the study's participants completed questionnaires about any substance abuse and psychotic experiences. Psychotic symptoms included perceptual aberration - for example feeling that something external is part of their body - and thinking they have been unjustly badly treated. The participants also completed cognitive tasks that allowed the researchers to assess their IQ, memory and stimuli response. Advertisement

What did the researchers say?

He said: 'We found that young people who had used cannabis at least five times had a heightened risk of psychoses during the follow-up.

'Our findings are in line with current views of heavy cannabis use, particularly when begun at an early age, being linked to an increased risk of psychosis.

'Based on our results, its very important that we take notice of cannabis-using young people who report symptoms of psychosis.'

Mr Mustonen, who worked alongside Cambridge and Queensland experts, added: 'If possible, we should strive to prevent early-stage cannabis use.'

Cigarettes linked to psychosis

A separate study, published in Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica, delved into the link between smoking cigarettes and psychosis.

An analysis of the same participants revealed teenagers who smoke 10 cigarettes face a higher risk of suffering from psychosis.

The risk is also raised if the smoking starts before the age of 13, according to the research, led by Professor Jouko Miettunen.

He explained the findings were true even when accounting for other factors that raise the risk, including a family history of psychosis.

'Based on the results, prevention of adolescent smoking is likely to have positive effects on the mental health of the population in later life,' he said.

'Worrying' findings

Ian Hamilton, a lecturer in mental health at York University, told MailOnline that it was 'worrying'. He added: 'People with mental health problems are more likely to smoke.

'This study suggests this is no accident as smoking appears to increase the risk of developing serious mental health problems such as psychosis.

'We need to do much more to encourage people with mental health problems to think about quitting and provide them with the help to do this.

'Smoking is one of the main reasons that people with severe mental health problems die decades before those who don't, something that we can potentially improve.'A one-year-old girl who was once a conjoined twin has been discharged after spending 428 days in the hospital, while her sister recuperates from the grueling seven-hour surgery.

Anna Grace was successfully separated from her sister Hope Richards on January 13 after sharing a liver, diaphragm, and parts of their hearts for almost two years.

The girls, of North Texas, were born attached at the chest and abdomen on December 29, 2016.

Anna was released from the hospital on March 2, her sister Hope is expected to be released in the near future.

For the past year, they have been cared for by a team of specialists in the level IV and level II neonatal intensive care units.

Anna Grace Richards was discharged from the hospital last week, two months after being separated from her sister Hope

Conjoined twin girls Hope and Anna Richards were successfully separated in January

Jill Richards held her conjoined twin girls, Anna and Hope, just before their surgery. Doctors used a tissue expander to make sure they would have enough skin to cover their soon-to-be-separate bodies

The twins' parents, Jill and Michael knew long before their daughters were born that they would be conjoined.

An ultrasound revealed that their daughters were thoraco-omphalopagus twins, meaning they shared large portions of their torsos.

The family could not be certain until after their birth that their daughters could ever live life apart.

After Anna and Hope were delivered by cesarean-section at over 35 weeks, weighing a combined nine lbs 12 oz, they were kept at the hospital to assess their strengths and what vital organs they shared.

Nurses in the neonatal intensive care unit prepare Hope and Anna for surgery

Anna and Hope spend their final moments conjoined as they are wheeled into surgery

A team of 75 doctors and nurses operated for seven hours to separate Anna and Hope

About one in every 200,000 live births in the world are conjoined twins. Though there are far more hospitals and surgeons equipped to separate them now than in decades past, about 35 percent of these babies only live a day after their birth.

Conjoined twins are very rare, making the causes behind the condition difficult to study and as-of-yet unclear.

Twins form when a single fertilized egg splits early in embryonic development.

But this process is not instantaneous, and on the rare occasions when the egg does not fully split, the two fetuses become conjoined, growing shared organs and body structures.

Their bodies may be linked at nearly any point, though thoraco-omphalopagus twins, like Anna and Hope, are the most most common form, making up about 28 percent of all conjoined twins.

Doctors are unsure why, but conjoined twins are usually girls - about 70 percent of the time - and tend to have better survival rates than boys do after birth.

Anna spent 428 days in the hospital, her sister Hope is expected to be released in the near future

WHAT ARE CONJOINED TWINS? Conjoined twins occur when siblings have their skin or internal organs fused together. It affects around one in 200,000 live births. Conjoined twins are caused by a fertilised egg beginning to split into two embryos a few weeks after conception, but the process stops before it is complete. The most common type is twins joined at the chest or abdomen. Separation surgery success depends on where the twins are joined. Doctors can only tell which organs the siblings share, and therefore plan surgery, after they are born. At least one twin survives 75 per cent of the time. Source: University of Maryland Medical Center Advertisement

Twin girls also tend to be more resilient to the stresses of separation surgeries, and now, at least one twin survives separation about 75 percent of the time, though rates vary depending on what organs and structures the babies' share.

Success rates for separating twins joined at the spine, for example, are estimated to be as high as 68 percent.

The first separation surgeries were performed in the 1950s, but the operation remains a steep challenge to even the most experienced surgeons.

For many sets of conjoined twins, separation is simply not an option because they share too many essential organs and blood vessel connections.

For still other families, separation may cost one twin their life, but give the other a better chance at survival and a more viable future.

Fortunately for the Richards family, both Anna and Hope had good chances of surviving the surgery, so doctors went to work preparing the pair of babies from the first days of their lives.

The process of separating Anna and Hope would take nearly another two agonizing years after their birth.

In November, surgeons operated on the baby girls to place tissue expanders in preparation for their separation.

Jill (left), Micheal (center), and Collin and Seth Richards marvel at Anna, resting in her own bed for the first time alongside one of the surgeons that operated on the twins, Dr Oluyinka Olutoye

Hope Richards rests, able to sleep on her back for the first time after being separated from her twin sister

Soon, Hope will be able to rejoin their parents, Jill (center) and Michael (right), and older brothers Seth and Collin (left) at home in North Texas

Finally, after a year of round the clock care from three teams of nurses and neonatal specialists, the girls' tiny bodies were ready.

A team of 75 surgeons, specialists and nurses that had been practicing the delicately coordinated operation for months performed a surgery to separate their heart, diaphragm and liver, and to give separate blood sources to the newly-formed two hearts.

Anna and Hope's surgery required cardiologists to split the parts of their hearts they shared, plastic surgeons to carefully place the once shared tissue over the newly-individual bodies.

Among the steepest challenges of a separation surgery is the rerouting of blood vessels to make sure that neither twin loses too much blood in surgery, and that all of their organs have consistent supply throughout their new lives apart.

This was particularly true for Anna and Hope, who shared a large blood vessel connecting their partially-conjoined heart.

'Through simulations and countless planning meetings, we were able to prepare for situations that could arise during the separation,' said Dr Larry Hollier, the surgeon-in-chief and chief of plastic surgery at Texas Children's Hospital.

'We are thrilled with the outcome and look forward to continuing to care for Anna and Hope as they recover,' he added.Clever people live longer due to so-called 'intelligence genes' that promote old age, new research suggests.

More than 500 genes linked to people having greater IQs have been identified by scientists, which is 10 times higher than previously thought.

It raises the possibility of testing for intelligence using simple saliva DNA tests.

Past research suggests intelligence genes boost the transmission of signals between different regions of the brain, as well as protecting against dementia and premature death.

Study author Dr David Hill from Edinburgh University said: 'Intelligence is a heritable trait with estimates indicating between 50 and 80 per cent of differences in intelligence can be explained by genetic factors.

'People with a higher level of cognitive function have been observed to have better physical and mental health, and to have longer lives.'

Alzheimer's disease, the most common form of dementia, affects around 850,000 people in the UK.

Clever people live longer due to so-called 'intelligence genes' that promote old age (stock)

DOES EATING FISH BOOST CHILDREN'S INTELLIGENCE? Children who eat fish just once a week have higher IQs and sleep better, research suggested in December 2017. Consuming seafood at least once every seven days improves youngsters' IQ scores by 4.8 points compared to those who never eat it, a study found. Frequently eating fish also makes children less likely to wake in the night, be tired during the day and resist going to bed, the research adds. Study author Professor Adrian Raine from the University of Pennsylvania, said: 'If fish improves sleep, great. If it also improves cognitive performance - like we've seen here - even better. It's a double hit.' Previous research suggests certain types of fish contain omega-3 fatty acids, which play a role in the growth and development of nerve tissue, and may therefore boost intelligence. These fatty acids are also involved in the production of the hormone melatonin, which regulates sleep and wakefulness. The researchers analysed 541 Chinese students aged 12 years old. Their fish consumption when they were between nine and 11 was determined via a questionnaire that asked the children how often they ate fish in a typical month. The questionnaire did not specify types of seafood. The children's sleep was measured by their parents completing a questionnaire that asked about the youngsters' hours of sleep a night, resistance at bedtime, sleep anxiety, night-time waking and daytime tiredness. Their IQ was investigated by assessing their arithmetic, vocabulary and understanding of information, as well as their ability to arrange images and sort codes. Advertisement

'A large number of genes are linked to intelligence'

Results further suggest 538 genes play a role in intelligence, while 187 regions of the human genome are associated with thinking skills.

Dr Hill said: 'Our study identified a large number of genes linked to intelligence.

'First, we found 187 independent associations for intelligence and highlighted the role of 538 genes being involved - a substantial advance.

'We used our data to predict almost seven per cent of the variation in intelligence in one of three independent samples.

'Previous estimates of prediction have been around five per cent at most.'

The findings were published in the journal Molecular Psychiatry.

Earlier this year a study of more than 78,000 individuals suggested just 52 genes are linked to intelligence.

People who express such genes in childhood are less likely to suffer from Alzheimer's disease, depression, schizophrenia and obesity in later life, the trial implied.

How the research was carried out

The researchers analysed DNA variations in more than 240,000 people from around the world.

Gene samples were taken from the UK Biobank, which assesses the role of genes in health and disease.

The researchers then compared people's DNA against their IQ scores on verbal and numerical tests.

Dancing makes people more intelligent

This comes after TV doctor Michael Mosley claimed last month dancing makes people more intelligent.

A single salsa class boosts people's understanding of new information by eight per cent, focus by 13 per cent and memories by 18 per cent, according to a study broadcast on the BBC's The Truth About Getting Fit.

Lead author Professor Michael Duncan from Coventry University, who has never seen such a response from any other kind of exercise, believes salsa is particularly challenging for the brain to process.

The Cuban style of dance forces people to learn and remember new steps to different patterns of music while staying in time with the beat, which means they cannot lose their concentration, according to Professor Duncan.

Although many may use their hectic lifestyles as an excuse not to exercise, Dr Mosley argues dancing appears to make people more focused and therefore could help them become more productive with the time they have.Your stress can rub off on others, researchers have concluded.

Trials suggest being around stressed people can alter the brain in the same way as when you are overloaded at work.

Canadian scientists have branded the results, which were derived from experiments on mice, as 'remarkable'.

And they have suggested that the findings could prove true for humans, who can communicate their stress 'without knowing it'.

Trials suggest being around stressed people can alter the brain in the same way as when you are overloaded at work

University of Calgary researchers, led by Dr Toni-Lee Sterley, studied the effects of stress in pairs of male or female mice.

They removed one mouse from each pair and exposed it to a mild stress before returning it to its partner.

They then examined the responses of a specific cells, CRH neurons, which control the brain's response to stress, in each mouse.

Networks in the brains of both the stressed mouse and their partner were altered in the same way, tests revealed.

Dr Sterley said: 'What was remarkable was that CRH neurons from the partners, who were not themselves exposed to an actual stress, showed changes that were identical to those we measured in the stressed mice.'

Professor Jaideep Bains, co-author, said: 'We readily communicate our stress to others, sometimes without even knowing it.

'There is even evidence that some symptoms of stress can persist in family and loved ones of individuals who suffer from PTSD.

WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF MEDITATION? Meditation can be traced back to as early as 5000 BC. It is associated with some philosophies and religions but is practiced as a secular, stress-relieving activity more and more. A recent study revealed that meditation can reduce one's risk of heart disease by decreasing risk factors that can lead to the illness. Specifically, it found that the practices can lower one's blood pressure and their anxiety and depression levels. It can also help people quit smoking, which can lead to a fatal heart attack. Experts are warning that healthy lifestyle changes such as being more physically active are still the surest way to ward off the disease, but adding that meditation can also decrease one's chances. Advertisement

'On the flip side, the ability to sense another's emotional state is a key part of creating and building social bonds.'

He added: 'Brain changes associated with stress underpin many mental illnesses including PTSD, anxiety disorders and depression.

'Recent studies indicate that stress and emotions can be 'contagious'. Whether this has lasting consequences for the brain is not known.'

Scientists further analysed the mice by engineering the neurons so that they could either turn them on or off with light.

When the team silenced these neurons during stress, they prevented changes in the brain that would normally take place after stress.

And when they silenced the neurons in the partner during its interaction with a stressed individual, the stress did not transfer to the partner.

But when they activated these neurons using light in one mouse, even in the absence of stress, their brains were changed just as they would be after a real stress.

The team discovered that the activation of these CRH neurons causes the release of a chemical signal, an 'alarm pheromone', from the mouse that alerts the partner.

The partner who detects the signal can in turn alert additional members of the group, researchers concluded.

The study found the effects of stress on the brain are reversed in female mice following a social interaction, but not in males.

The research, published in Nature Neuroscience, indicates that stress and social interactions are intricately linked.

The consequences of these interactions can be long-lasting, and may influence behaviours at a later time, the team concluded.Few couples gauge when their partner is sad unless they shed a tear or state it obviously, a new study has found.

While most are good at picking up on each other's happiness, researchers found it takes a lot more for a partner to respond to subtle signs of sadness or loneliness.

The team at the Southern Methodist University in Dallas interviewed a diverse range of couples of different ages, races and relationship lengths, asking them to keep diaries about their mood and their partner's mood every night for a week.

They found that, across the board, most interpreted their partner's sadness as something else, or didn't pick up on it at all.

The lead author, psychology professor Chrystyna Kouros, said the findings should spur all couples to think more carefully about how their partner expresses themselves and to watch out for tell-tale signs they may not be spotting.

Researchers said couples need to stop assuming they know what their partner is feeling, to pay more attention, and to communicate more - even if (or especially if) they have been together for a long time

'We found that when it comes to the normal ebb and flow of daily emotions, couples aren't picking up on those occasional changes in "soft negative" emotions like sadness or feeling down,' Kouros said.

'They might be missing important emotional clues.'

Some people are better at this process of 'empathic accuracy', picking up on their partner's emotions, than others, she said - but it's generally rare.

While it may not warrant therapy, even a negative mood that isn't related to the relationship can be harmful to its future, Kouros warned.

The study involved 51 couples, who completed daily diaries about their mood and the mood of their partners for seven consecutive nights.

This differed from usual approaches to the topic, which have relied on interviewing couples in a lab setting about feelings related to conflicts in their relationship.

Professor Kouros said this field of research is particularly important since partners are usually the primary source of social support for one another.

She added: 'Failing to pick up on negative feelings one or two days is not a big deal.

'But if this accumulates, then down the road it could become a problem for the relationship.

'It's these missed opportunities to be offering support or talking it out that can compound over time to negatively affect a relationship.'

She said the finding, published in the journal Family Process, is consistent with earlier research that shows couples tend to assume their partner feels the same way they are, or thinks the same way they do.

But she added: 'With empathic accuracy you're relying on clues from your partner to figure out their mood.

'Assumed similarity, on the other hand, is when you just assume your partner feels the same way you do.

'Sometimes you might be right, because the two of you actually do feel the same, but not because you were really in tune with your partner.'

The best approach, Professor Kouros said, is for couples to stop assuming they know what their partner is feeling, to pay more attention, and to communicate more - even if (or especially if) they have been together for a long time.

'I suggest couples put a little more effort into paying attention to their partner - be more mindful and in the moment when you are with your partner,' Kouros said.

But she cautions against becoming annoying by constantly asking how the other is feeling, or if something is wrong.

She said: 'Obviously you could take it too far. If you sense that your partner's mood is a little different than usual, you can just simply ask how their day was, or maybe you don't even bring it up, you just say instead "let me pick up dinner tonight" or "I'll put the kids to bed tonight".'

Even so, partners shouldn't assume their spouse is a mind-reader, expecting them to pick up on their emotions.

Professor Kouros said: 'If there's something you want to talk about, then communicate that. It's a two-way street.

'It's not just your partner's responsibility.'Asked to picture a hospital ward, you would probably imagine a line of beds occupied by patients wearing pyjamas or nightdresses.

But now, Englands chief nurse, Professor Jane Cummings, wants to change all that  she is leading a new campaign against a threat to the health of patients, particularly older patients, which she has called pyjama paralysis.

In essence, this is the idea that wearing pyjamas reinforces the feeling of being unwell and slows down patients recovery.

Psychology? The idea is that wearing pyjamas reinforces feelings of illness, slowing recovery

Professor Cummings wants NHS nurses to get patients up and about and dressed in their own clothes as soon as is possible.

Last week, she issued nurses with a 70-day challenge, setting them a target of cutting bed rest by the equivalent of one million patient days between April 17 and June 26.

Her scheme exhorts nurses to identify patients who are ready to move out of bed and encourage them to change out of their pyjamas and get up and about.

To many, this might seem counterintuitive; bed rest has been a staple of nursing care since the days of Florence Nightingale. However, research increasingly suggests that it can have negative effects.

A report by the National Audit Office (NAO) in 2016, for example, found that just ten days spent in bed can effectively age your body by the equivalent of ten years.

This is due to a phenomenon called deconditioning, whereby a sustained lack of activity causes a sudden plunge in fitness levels.

Ten days of inactivity withers bed-resting patients leg and muscle strength by at least 10 per cent, says the NAO report. Meanwhile their heart and lung fitness  measured as aerobic capacity  drops by around 12 per cent. Furthermore, wearing pyjamas reinforces feeling unwell and can prevent a speedy recovery, argues Professor Cummings. Making the move to day clothes can shift a patients self-image from Im sick to Im getting better.

Obviously, each patients condition needs to be taken into consideration and this idea cannot apply to everyone, she adds, but for many, its a matter of nurses enabling them to get up, get dressed and get moving.

Test: A pilot in the East of England showed getting patients dressed reduced hospital stays by 92,000 days

The initiative has been pioneered by Ann-Marie Riley, a nurse at Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust. We know that if patients stay in their pyjamas for longer than they need to, they lose mobility, fitness and strength, and stay in hospital longer, she says.

U npublished research by the trust has found multiple benefits, particularly among older patients. We have found that getting patients up and about earlier is linked with a 37 per cent reduction in falls and 86 per cent fewer pressure sores, says Ann-Marie.

She adds that studies suggest as many as three in five immobile older patients actually have no medical need for bed rest  and that doubling their walking levels can significantly cut the length of their hospital stays.

A recent pilot project to get patients up and dressed at nine trusts in the East of England reduced stays by nearly 92,000 days.

This approach may be long overdue, as the problems caused by prolonged bed rest have been known for decades.

In the British Medical Journal in 1947, Dr Richard Asher, a British endocrinologist (actress Jane Ashers father), cited a study of 100 patients asked either to sit and walk the day after surgery, or to lie in bed for up to 15 days.

Those on bed rest took around nine weeks to return to work, while the walkers were back at work in an average of five weeks. They also suffered far fewer complications.

Some argue that the fight against pyjama paralysis is simply the revival of a common-sense policy the NHS has somehow forgotten.

As one person told the Nursing Standard: I trained as a nurse in the late Eighties and getting people dressed was a fundamental part of our education.

But the policy is being spread further than before. A campaign called #Fit2Sit is also being rolled out by ambulance staff and emergency departments.

This urges the staff to put an end to patients lying down on trolleys and stretchers if they are well enough to sit or stand, in the hope that the patients will feel more confident about the state of their health and recover more quickly.

Cynics might say this could prove a handy way for the Government to stop headlines about patients being left on trolleys, by instead leaving them propped up against walls. But, as research shows, curtailing excess bed rest could save millions of people from suffering unnecessary complications after surgery.

Its also a new way for patients to stand up for themselves  and the NHS.Any kind of light past bedtime - from a gap in the curtains to a flash of your smartphone - could pave the way to depression, new research warns.

Researchers found even the smallest hint of light exposure in the bedroom during the night could cause depressive symptoms by confusing your body clock.

Previous studies have linked nocturnal light exposure to a disruption in the body's sleep-wake cycle, but have struggled to explain how this impacts depression.

While the new study by researchers at Nara Medical University does not solve the mystery, it provides some of the clearest evidence to date that the link is stronger than most realize.

Exposure to light at light may cause depressive symptoms, according to a new study

Researchers led by Dr Kenji Obayashi recruited 863 elderly adults, with the average age of 72 years, who did not have depressive symptoms - anxiety or a persistent feeling of sadness - at the start of the two-year study.

They measured light levels in their room by placing light meters at the heads of everyone's bed to determine the amount of light their subjects would see while going to sleep. About 710 participants slept in a completely dark room, while the rest of the subjects were exposed to light at night.

The participants were also asked to keep sleep diaries and completed surveys that monitored the development of depressive symptoms.

Researchers found that compared to the dark group, people exposed to more than 5 lumens of light at night had a significantly higher risk of developing depressive symptoms.

This isn't the first study to link nocturnal light exposure to the mood disorder.

Research published in a 2009 issue of Behavioral Brain Research found mice that were put in a room that was lit 24 hours a day had more depressive symptoms than those that had a normal light-dark cycle.

It's well known that exposure to light at night can lead to sleep deprivation - research published last week in the journal Physiological Reports revealed exposure to bright light before bedtime can shut down the production of melatonin, a sleep-promoting hormone.

However, there's mixed research on whether or not sleep deprivation can cause depression.

For instance, research published in the Journal of Behaviour Therapy and Experimental Psychiatry found people who sleep less than eight hours a night are more likely to suffer from anxiety and depression.

However, research conducted by researchers at the University of Pennsylvania in 2017 found lack of sleep can actually improve depression symptoms within 24 hours.

Researchers of the current study said it's not clear how light at night is linked to depressive symptoms.

However, Dr Obayashi said the reduction of melatonin due to light exposure may have psychological consequences.Testing times: Vicki Searle and her son Henry, who was diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumour when he was 19

We tend to associate breakthrough treatments with new  and often unaffordable  drugs.

But it seems a remarkable improvement in the survival time of patients with brain cancer has been achieved using a combination of four old drugs (a statin, a diabetes pill, an antibiotic tablet and a dewormer) that cost just 400 a year.

Results from an ongoing trial run by the private Care Oncology Clinic in London suggest that giving this new combination treatment doubled the average survival time.

Survival rates for brain tumours have remained unchanged for at least 20 years, when the brain cancer drug temozolomide came on to the market. Around 15 per cent of adult patients survive for more than five years after diagnosis. For glioblastoma, the most aggressive type of brain cancer, the figure is between 6 and 10 per cent.

The new study involved nearly 100 patients with glioblastoma  the fast-growing type of brain cancer affecting politician Tessa Jowell  treated at the clinic over three years with the combination treatment, as well as radiotherapy and chemotherapy.

The average survival time for glioblastoma is estimated to be between eight and 14 months  the average survival time for the patients given the new combination treatment was 27.1 months.

Earlier this year Tessa Jowell spoke movingly in the House of Lords to highlight the lack of funding for research into brain cancer  she suggested that the survival rates reflected the fact that less than 2 per cent of UK cancer research funding goes to this area.

Developing a new cancer drug can take ten years, and the cost for treating one patient can be deemed prohibitive  one of the latest cancer drugs, pembrolizumab, used for advanced melanoma and lung cancer, costs nearly 100,000 a year. The drug cocktail used at the Care Oncology Clinic is available now and costs only a few hundred pounds.

One of those whos been treated with it is Henry Searle who was diagnosed with glioblastoma just over three years ago at the age of 19.

It was discovered too late for surgery, and even with chemotherapy and radiation therapy, he was expected to live for only 14 months.

Alarmed by these odds, Henrys parents  Vicki, who works in the tourism industry and Jonathan, a chiropodist  were determined to give him every chance, and despite objections from his oncologist, they got him started on the drug cocktail which had just become available at the clinic.

Defiant: His oncology team told him that even with the 'gold standard' treatment (chemotherapy and radiotherapy) he was only expected to live for 14 months

Two years after Henrys diagnosis, his NHS consultant wrote to the family to say that while they needed to keep an eye on him, there was no evidence of active disease and that Henry didnt need further cancer treatment via the NHS. (His family continue to seek alternative treatment for him outside the NHS to stop the cancer returning).

Henry is still on the drug cocktail (the last time he had chemotherapy was in 2015) and today his scans show the tumour is no longer growing. And the cost of this life-changing treatment? Between 200 and 400 a year plus 1,000 for four consultations.

It involves four old  therefore cheap  drugs long used for other conditions and so considered safe. Two are among the best-selling medications in the world: atorvastatin, a type of statin, and the diabetes drug metformin.

The other two are an antibiotic, doxycycline, used for dental infections and acne, and mebendazole, a deworming pill. So how could this apparently random combination of drugs reduce tumours?

What links them is that in various ways they interfere with a tumours ability to absorb or use the resources they need to grow. The way the body controls energy is known as metabolism. The metabolism of cancer cells is different from the one that powers healthy cells.

Cancer cells need much greater amounts of glucose, the form of sugar our bodies use for energy. So making it less available, which metformin in particular does, means that the drug combination is effectively starving the cancer cells.

Weakened by the energy drop they become more vulnerable to attack by the chemotherapy and radiotherapy routinely used to treat cancer.

Miracle: Two years after Henrys diagnosis, his NHS consultant wrote to the family to say there was no evidence of active disease and that Henry didnt need further cancer treatment

The idea behind this approach to cancer is known as the metabolic theory  meaning it deals with the use of energy in the body. Because the drug cocktail targets the way cancer cells get their growth factors and raw material for making energy, it has the potential to be effective for a variety of cancer types.

The drug cocktail was put together by the Care Oncology Clinics co-founder Dr Robin Bannister, a research scientist, from a list compiled by the clinics researchers trawling through thousands of studies on licenced drugs that were also shown to have anti-cancer properties.

The normal route for testing a new treatment is whats called a randomised controlled trial, where it is compared against an alternative, often a placebo. As the patents on the drugs in the new cocktail have run out, there is no incentive for the drug companies to do these (expensive) trials.

Instead, the results were based on whats known as a service evaluation, where data is gathered from patients in a real-world setting as approved by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency  the UK drug watchdog.

The clinic plans to use this data to supply NICE with the evidence it needs to make the treatment available on the NHS. Giving these safe drugs to patients in a real-world trial allows us to gather valuable information on how they impact on cancer, says Robin Bannister.

One of the clinics physicians, Dr Padman Vamadevan, who has previously worked in the NHS, says the results are slowly changing the attitudes among consultants whose patients attend the clinic.

When we started, not many oncologists were familiar with treating the metabolic features of cancer, so they were sceptical, he says. But now patients report that their doctors are genuinely interested in this research as they see the apparent benefits.

Combination: Because the drug cocktail targets the way cancer cells get their growth factors and raw material for energy, it has the potential to be effective for a variety of cancer types

Dr Lucinda Melcher, a clinical oncologist at the North Middlesex University Hospital in Edmon- ton, admits that she was not initially convinced.

Her husband Adam Blain, a 48-year-old lawyer, has glioblastoma and having had all the NHS had to offer, he began treatment at the clinic over three years ago.

I was sceptical at first because their drug regimen was then not backed up by any evidence but the team there was obviously professional and committed and the treatment is scientifically plausible, says Dr Melcher.

Adam, a father of three, who is still on the drug cocktail, has had to stop working but has a good quality of life, although his short-term memory is poor, says his wife.

But while Dr Melcher is delighted her husband has beaten the odds, she is not convinced that it was due to the drug combination.

It could still be chance, she says. Its possible that Adam is one of the 10 per cent of these patients who survive five years on the standard treatment, especially since his tumour was completely removed which improves your chances.

Robin Bannister points out that: Every oncologist has their own list of miracles; people who have lived far longer and better than was expected.

And that is why we need to conduct studies with enough patients to make sure the chance element can be accounted for.

The hundred people treated in this trial makes it one of the larger studies ever done with glioblastoma. (This compares with one of the trials for temozolomide, which involved over 500 patients.)

The study is continuing. The next step is to compare the results of the nearly 100 glioblastoma patients treated at the clinic with a closely matched group of NHS patients who only received the standard treatment of radiotherapy and chemotherapy.

The results will make the findings of the trial more reliable and are expected to be published in a journal later this year.

For more information, visit: careoncologyclinic.comWe round up the Sunday newspaper share tips. This week, FirstGroup, Tesco and TI.

Tesco is finally back on analysts' radars, after a torrid few years, says Midas

Questor, Sunday Telegraph - TI

How can a company built on the combustion engine cope as the industry switches to clear greener alternatives, asks James Ashton in the Sunday Telegraphs Questor.

That, he says, is the question facing TI, which supplies all of the major car makers.

The company believes it is well placed. Electric cars still need cooling, heating and braking.

But Questor says that worrying what is lacking is orders and revenues from the new-wave stuff. The company will signal the direction of travel with its full-year figures on March 20.

The shares are not particularly expensive, it adds.

There could be a decent growth story here but doubts remain whether TI has emerged from the hands of successive financial owners best placed to exploit it. Sell, it says.

Midas, Mail on Sunday - Tesco

Tesco has had a torrid few years, but it is finally back on analysts radars after its 3.7billion merger with cash and carry group Booker, says the Mail on Sundays Midas.

Barclays, for example, reinstated an overweight rating on Tesco shares with a target price of 225p - they are currently 212 3/4p.

The retail giant reinstated a dividend and the end of last year, a sign that it is confident enough about cashflow to start giving money back to shareholders once again.

UK sales were up 2.1 per cent in the 19 weeks to January 6, it said in a buoyant update at the start of the year.

While it still faces challenges, including a slow down in spending, it is responding by overhauling its value ranges, cutting costs and improving margins.

The Booker deal should also help, since the new, enormous business will have even greater power than Tesco had alone. Cost synergies should also boost profits, and Tescos access to restaurant chains and corner shops.

Midas verdict: Hold  analysts seem optimistic about the potential for this new behemoth and those who already hold shares are now being rewarded for their patience with a dividend. Anyone not already in may want to hold off until the dust settles on the Booker deal.

> Read the full Midas column

Inside the City, The Sunday Times - FirstGroup

FirstGroup has still not paid a dividend since it begged shareholders for 615million of cash almost five years ago, says John Collingridge in The Sunday Times Inside the City.

Debt to the tune of 1.2billion was still outstanding as of September.

Trading is hardly helping, and shares are wallowing at 85.4p.

Firsts UK rail operations are seeing revenues grow, but not fast enough.

Luckily it has the lucrative Great Western franchise and First may be handed a new deal until 2024 without competition.

It won the TransPennine franchise in 2016 and has a 70 per cent share in the South Western Railway operation, but neither route is growing as fast as hoped, says Inside the City.

Sell, it says.At least four restaurants are disappearing from the High Street every day as food chains battle to stay afloat.

Restaurant chains Jamies Italian, Prezzo, Byron and Strada have all been forced to announce closures over recent weeks with more considering restructuring.

Around 1,000 restaurants were closed in 2017, an increase of 20 per cent on a year earlier, according to government data.

At least 200 restaurants have been shut or marked for closure since the start of the year with no signs of pressure on the sector letting up.

Kitchen nightmares: celebrity chef Jamie Oliver (pictured) is closing 12 of his 37 Jamies Italian sites

Pizza chain Prezzo is being forced to shut 94 restaurants, costing 1,000 jobs, while celebrity chef Jamie Oliver is closing 12 of his 37 Jamies Italian sites.

Burger chain Byron is expected to axe 20 of its stores and pasta restaurant Strada has already called time on 11 of its outlets.

Sandwich chain Eat and Italian eatery Carluccios are facing restructuring.

The restaurant sector is dealing with a perfect storm of a rising minimum wage, tighter consumer spending and business rate hikes.

A group of restaurant bosses have written to Chancellor Philip Hammond ahead of Tuesdays spring statement calling for an urgent reform of business rates.

It urged the Government to take action to avoid damaging closures and job losses.

The letter has been signed by 15 bosses including the chief executive of Bills and the chairman of pub chain Mitchells and Butlers.

It follows recent findings from accountant UHY Hacker Young that 35 of the UKs top 100 restaurant groups are now loss-making  up 75 per cent since last year.

The restaurant sectors woes have been further compounded by fierce competition from takeaway firms like Deliveroo and Just Eat which are taking advantage of peoples changing eating habits.

Dominos Pizza sold a pizza every three seconds in the UK last year, as sales soared to exceed 1billion for the first time.

Chief executive David Wild said the rise of TV subscription services like Netflix and Amazon Prime was encouraging more people to save money by buying a bottle of wine at the supermarket and ordering a pizza at home.

Frankie & Bennys owner The Restaurant Group is even trialling its own delivery service as it tries to cash in on the growing food delivery market.

But some restaurant chains are bucking the gloomy trend as they continue to lure hungry customers.

Asian-inspired Wagamama has just opened a flagship restaurant in Dubai and ethically sourced fast food chain Leon is preparing to expand into Europe and open an Asian spin-off in the UK later this year.

Sarah Humphreys, lead partner for casual dining at Deloitte, said the restaurants that were doing better were those with a more unique offering. I wouldnt be surprised if we see more restaurants struggling this year, she added.CASH BID Outsourcer Capita is planning to sell off up to six or seven of its businesses in a bid to raise cash and prevent a collapse similar to Carillion.

More than 1billion was wiped off Capitas value in January after it issued a profit warning and boss Jonathan Lewis said it needed a major overhaul.

SHARE SALE Investment firm AJ Bell is considering a 500million listing on the London Stock Exchange, giving its 172,000 customers the chance to buy shares and cash in on the float.

The listing is expected later this year in a bid to raise the 23-year-old companys profile.

BUILDER BOOM Northern housebuilder Avant Homes is aiming to double the number of homes it builds to 4,000 per year by 2023.

In a trading update the builder said it was on track to increase full-year revenues by 25 per cent ahead of annual results for the year to April 27.

LENDER LISTING Peer-to-peer lending firm Funding Circle has hired four banks to help with plans to float on the London Stock Exchange.

Merrill Lynch, Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley and Numis are said to be leading the listing worth 2billion.

REVERSE BET Hedge Funds are shorting the AA after a share price crash of 70 per cent over the past year, making it the second-most shorted stock on the London Stock Exchange.

Short-sellers hoping to make a killing are betting its shares will sink further.

VIRTUAL FLOAT Virtual reality firm VR Education Holdings will join AIM today after raising 6million to develop its virtual reality learning scheme for the education sector.

It has already partnered with Oxford University and the BBC to provide its training programmes.

CHIP TAKEOVER Silicon Valley giant Intel is eyeing a 72.2billion bid for rival microchip firm Broadcom as it fights to become the dominant player in the smartphone market.

The plans come after chip maker Qualcomm rejected an 84billion bid from Broadcom.Love it or loathe it, social media usage has rocketed in the last decade and with it, privacy has flown out of the window like a (Twitter) bird.

Many spill their guts on a number of social media websites, the most popular being Facebook, Instagram and Twitter  and the favourite of the working professional, LinkedIn.

However, the comments, photographs and statements you make about yourself online, or others post about you, can portray you in a certain light which may not be what a potential employer is looking for.

In short, it could deter them altogether.

Bad light: Your social media accounts are likely to be checked by future employers and questionable posts or photographs could cost you a potential job

Drunk photographs of yourself from your university days, strong views about controversial subjects and even the blurb in your profile could be analysed.

This means that if you are on the job hunt, perhaps to move role or fresh out of school or university, what your social media says is being increasingly used by potential employers to weed out those they don't like the look or sound of before the interview stage.

So what should you do? The latest in the This is Money interview cheat sheet series questions whether you should delete all of your accounts, make them private or just leave them open.

We spoke to Pam Lindsay-Dunn, regional managing director at Hays and James Innes, who offers CV services and has written a number of books on all aspects of the employment search.

SET THEM TO PRIVATE

According to a recent survey, seven in 10 potential employers use social media to nose on candidates before interviewing and hiring.

Despite this, only a third of candidates believe it will be checked.

Pam believes that setting accounts to private is the best course of action.

She says: 'Due to the proliferation of social media, employers are quite likely to conduct a quick search of your social media profiles before or after the initial interview.

'There's no need to delete your social media profiles, but you should make them as private as possible and follow the advice that you shouldn't be posting anything that you wouldn't want current or prospective employers to see.'

Private: If in doubt, it is worth setting your social media profiles onto private while on a job search - unless they show you in a completely positive light

SOCIAL MEDIA SHOULD BE SEEN AS A POSITIVE

Pam adds that social media should be seen as a positive  especially the favourite for professionals, LinkedIn.

She said: 'Social media should be seen as a positive asset for job seekers if used correctly.

'LinkedIn is a great way to showcase passion for your industry by joining relevant groups, posting frequently and updating your profile regularly.

'For LinkedIn in particular make sure that your CV matches up to what your profile says in terms of employment dates and experience.

'Even if the discrepancy is a genuine mistake rather that covering it up, it could indicate poor attention to detail.'

CAN HIGHLIGHT DROP IN PRODUCTIVITY

Furthermore, a sudden increase of activity on social media during working hours could be a sign that you have clocked off from your current role, Pam warns.

She adds: 'Hiring managers will know if you are currently employed or not  so any social content you create or post during office hours should be work related otherwise you risk looking like your productivity has dropped and you've lost your focus.'

DO YOU NEED A 'SOCIAL SCRUB'?

James says that your LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter and Google+ accounts are all scrutinised by prospective employers the second you send in your CV.

He adds: 'Have you given much thought to how much of your past can be revealed using a quick Google search?

'What does your social media profile say about you?

'Your e-mail address and name will be pasted into search engines and everything you have ever put on the internet will be right in front of them.

'It would be a shame if you lost the job because of that drunk photo you took during your holidays.

'Or that controversial post you made on a forum five years ago.'

It has become such a key area of the interview and job hunt process that experts at his firm offer a social scrub service.

This gives a report on your social profiles and search engine results, and how to increase the privacy of this content and polish everything else in order to impress.

DIY AUDIT

If you don't wish to set your social media settings to private, it is worth conducting your own clean-up before an interview.

Much of your social media content might show you in a positive light with interesting opinions and thoughtful content - but it is worth going through with a fine-tooth comb to find questionable posts and photographs.

Delete them or un-tag yourself, no matter how old they may be.

Make sure your profile photo is professional and any posts moaning about your current or past jobs are binned.It was a glimpse of paradise: pristine white sands, a cloudless blue sky and the morning sunshine shimmering on the blissfully calm Caribbean waters.

Turning to his wife, a beautiful, fiercely-intelligent anesthesiologist 23 years his junior, Brian Melito could not help feeling he was the luckiest man in the world.

Brian and 39-year-old Jessica Colker had been married just over a year, were trying for their first child together and Jessica was about to start an ambitious yoga and dance business.

Deeply in love and with a shared passion for travel, they had visited Costa Rica, Belize and Italy's Amalfi Coast, before settling on their latest adventure: the tiny Caribbean island of Grenada.

But Brian and Jessica's dreams will forever remain what-might-have-beens thanks to a brutal, chance encounter with evil.

The two American tourists were enjoying a romantic stroll on one of the islands' most secluded beaches when a convicted rapist and career criminal named Dave Benjamin emerged from the jungle wielding a machete.

The 6ft 2in, powerfully-built man pressed the blade to Jessica's throat, growled 'come with me', and led her deep into the undergrowth. By the time Brian had found his wife's body she had been sexually assaulted, strangled and clubbed to death.

'He took one of most angelic people from this earth,' said Brian, 64, speaking about his wife's murder for the first time in an exclusive interview with DailyMailTV.

Scroll down for video

Jessica Colker, 39, from Atlanta, Georgia, was murdered while on vacation in Grenada in the Caribbean in January 2016. The anesthesiologist was on holiday with her husband Brian Melito when a tattooed gang member wielded a machete and forced her to come with him. Pictured: The couple on a vacation to Costa Rica

When Brian found his wife's body she had been sexually assaulted, strangled and clubbed to death. She was killed on a remote beach 15 minutes from the hotel where she was staying. The murder scene was just to the right in the mangrove undergrowth

David Benjamin, 29, a tattooed gang member who went by the street name of 'giant', denied his guilt for two years before changing his plea in January; He was sentenced to life in prison

Melito now lives alone in Lambertville, New Jersey, with his rescue dog Dexter. Speaking of his wife's death, the 64-year-old said: 'In one moment pretty much all of my dreams and aspirations disappeared'

'Jessica and I had a relationship that was somewhat magical - the kind of relationship that even some of our best friends who had been married much, much longer were envious of.

'He [the murderer] has no idea that he has caused a lifetime of sorrow and grief for Jessica's mother, her brother and for me. He took something away that can never be replaced, ever.'

Jessica's murder on January 24, 2016, made international headlines and sent shockwaves through Grenada, which depends heavily on tourists, mainly American, and is known as one of the safest destinations in the Caribbean.

David Benjamin, 29, a tattooed gang member with previous convictions for violence and the rape of a teenage girl, was arrested just a day later.

Known by the street name 'Giant', he denied his guilt for two years before dramatically changing his plea on the eve of a murder trial in January.

A judge ordered the 250lb brute to spend the rest of his life behind bars.

'He never once showed anything that looked like sadness, remorse or regret  nothing,' said Brian.

'He's too deranged and dangerous a person to ever be trusted among people.'

A hospitalist doctor and a divorced father-of-three, Brian had been single for the best part of a decade when he first laid eyes on Jessica at a week-long dance workshop in Costa Rica.

'There's this lovely women with piercing green eyes who just walked right up to me and said, ''hi I'm Jess'',' Brian recalled of their February 2013 meeting. 'That was how it began.

'We just developed an amazing friendship from the start. By the end of the workshop it was very difficult to leave each other.'

Jessica's murder on January 24, 2016, made international headlines and sent shockwaves through Grenada, which depends heavily on tourists, mainly American, and is known as one of the safest destinations in the Caribbean

In a 17-day trip to Italy's picturesque Amalfi Coast in the spring of 2014, their engagement became official. They would waste no time, either, setting a wedding date for November 2014

'He took one of most angelic people from this earth,' said Brian, 64, speaking about his wife's murder for the first time in an exclusive interview with DailyMailTV

Benjamin had put a knife to Colker's throat and forced her to come with him. Brian followed behind, trying to offer him money. Brian recalled: 'At some point Jess just turned to me and said ''run.'' I hadn't thought of that. Getting more people to help me was probably my only chance'

When Brian found his wife's body she had been sexually assaulted, strangled and clubbed to death. Pictured: The murder scene where Colker was found

However, after Brian alerted police, it was too late for Colker. The widower said: 'I'm just forever regretting actually that that's the course I took. But I followed her instruction and said I'll be back.' Pictured: Shoes Jessica kicked off before going off on a walk

Jessica was working as a physician's assistant anesthetist at a children's hospital in Atlanta while Brian was based in Spring Township, Pennsylvania.

They would take off on spontaneous weekend getaways, Jessica having a knack for finding weird and wonderful places to stay, from a log cabin in the Blue Ridge Mountains to a houseboat moored two miles off Key West, Florida.

Within a few short months Brian was convinced he had met the love of his life.

Soon talk was turning to marriage and the possibility that Brian would consider reversing his vasectomy and having another child with Jessica, her first.

'It meant that I would be graduating a kid from high school in my 80s. I realized that would be a unique situation but she was with me, and I was with her on it, 100 percent,' he said.

'Jessica was one of the most intelligent people I had ever met, possibly the most intelligent.'

On a 17-day trip to Italy's picturesque Amalfi Coast in the spring of 2014, their engagement became official. They would waste no time, either, setting a wedding date for November 1 of that year.

'It just seemed the sort of place that would have an Italian jeweler who would have ''the'' ring,' said Brian.

'And as it turned out they did, it took us quite a bit of asking and looking but we found exactly what we wanted.

'We put together exactly the wedding we dreamed of. It was intimate, it was beautiful.'

It was roughly one year later that Jessica picked out their latest getaway, Grenada, on a 'whim'.

Benjamin had only been freed the previous December after serving seven years for raping a teenage girl. An occasional landscaper and mechanic, he had three teardrops tattooed under his left eye that in gang culture means he has killed or is prepared to kill. Pictured: The murderer at court in November 2017

Investigators piecing together Benjamin's savage crime agreed that Brian would in all likelihood have been murdered had he ignored his wife's command to run. Pictured: The criminal leaving the police station in Grenada in January 2016

On the day of Jessica's murder, a handful of witnesses had seen Benjamin, who lived with his father a 10-minute walk from the La Sagesse beach, carrying a 'cutlass' and heading towards the beach around the time of the slaying. Pictured: The bar Benjamin's father owns

The former British dependency is home to around 107,000 people and is considered one of the safest places in the Caribbean, known for its powder-white beaches and crystal-clear waters.

Their plan was to spend the first few days at the luxurious La Sagesse Hotel in the rural parish of Saint David before touring the island, staying at farms and plantations.

On the afternoon of January 23, 2016, Brian and Jessica arrived in Grenada and checked into their hotel. Jessica enjoyed a refreshing evening swim in the bay before they went to bed, ready for a busy day of hiking and sightseeing.

The next sunrise they would share together was to be their very last.

'We got up that morning ready to start exploring Grenada, we had a nice early morning together and a beautiful breakfast and Mike the hotel owner then showed us an area where we could take a little walk,' Brian said.

'There was a nice beach to see. We gathered a few things and put our swimsuits on and took off.'

The couple passed the beautiful La Sagesse beach before deciding to take a trail leading through dense mangrove to another secluded, crescent-shaped beach, known as Las Pierre.

They wanted to swim and eat their lunch but amid the sound of the Caribbean waves gently lapping the sand, Brian suddenly heard his wife yell his name.

'I turned and she was being held by a man who was extremely large and dressed all in white,' recalled Brian.

'Only his eyes and his hands were showing. He was brandishing a butcher's knife and said come with me.

'I'm standing in a bathing suit and bare feet, I had nothing. We followed him, he was pulling her along into the jungle.'

The happy couple tied the knot in November of 2014 in Atlanta, Georgia. Brian said: 'We put together exactly the wedding we dreamed of. It was intimate, it was beautiful'

Melito looking at his wedding album in his Lanbertville, New Jersey home in March. He broke his silence on his wife's murder for the first time in an exclusive interview with DailyMailTV

As the pair were lured deeper into the undergrowth Brian reasoned that Jessica was being seized as a hostage and her towering abductor would eventually demand a ransom. Pictured: The murder scene

Brief stay: Brian Melito and Jessica Colker had only planned to stay at La Sagesse hotel for two nights when she was brutally attacked

Death in paradise: Grenada is one of the more southern Caribbean islands and the La Sagesse Hotel is marked on the map in relation to the capital, St George's

Brain continued: 'With each step it got darker and more closed in. My mind was racing, where are we going? It felt like a trap.

'The white outfit really threw me off: who would be dressed like this? Is this a group of bandits? Is it some sort of terrorist outfit that's working in Grenada that I don't know about?

'The whole thing seemed bizarre. And he wouldn't talk to us. I had a little bit of cash with me and he just ignored it.

'I could not get through to him, nor could Jessica. His look was cold as if he was without a soul.'

As the pair were lured deeper into the undergrowth Brian reasoned that Jessica was being seized as a hostage and her towering abductor would eventually demand a ransom.

He looked around in vain for a rock or stick he could use as a weapon but feared their tormentor would kill them both if he failed to strike him down with a single blow.

Eventually, spurred on by Jessica, he would choose a course of action that he says haunts him to this day.

'At some point Jess just turned to me and said ''run''. I guess I hadn't thought of that. I realized just in that moment that, my god he didn't have me, he's got her,' Brian explained.

'Getting more people to help me was probably my only chance. There weren't even rocks or stones, I was watching for anything I can use as a weapon. I had nothing.

'So I took about two seconds to think about what she had said and she usually thinks through things faster than me and comes up with the right answer.

'But this is one answer I wish I had ignored. I'm just forever regretting actually that that's the course I took. But I followed her instruction and said I'll be back.'

Brian said: 'My life is defined by one half when I felt that I was one of the luckiest people in the world and then ever since January 24, 2016 when I've suddenly become one of the unluckiest people in the world.' Pictured: Jessica on her wedding day in 2014

On the day of her death, Brian said they 'got up that morning ready to start exploring Grenada, we had a nice early morning together and a beautiful breakfast and Mike the hotel owner then showed us an area where we could take a little walk.' Pictured: Jessica in New Jersey

A hospitalist doctor and a divorced father-of-three, Brian had been single for the best part of a decade when he first laid eyes on Jessica at a week-long dance workshop in Costa Rica

'There's this lovely women with piercing green eyes who just walked right up to me and said, ''hi I'm Jess'',' Brian recalled of their February 2013 meeting. 'That was how it began. 'We just developed an amazing friendship from the start. By the end of the workshop it was very difficult to leave each other.' Pictured: Brian looking at the couple's wedding album

Brian sprinted back to La Sagesse to alert hotel staff who called the police and raced to Las Pierre to search for Jessica. They arrived to find her lifeless body partially naked and face-down next to a pond.

'It was clear to the first men that had arrived at the scene that this was a really, really brutal crime,' Brian said.

'It was fairly obvious that she had been sexually assaulted. She had been struck in the head hard enough to kill her as well as evidence she had been strangled at the same time.

'Whatever happened it was exceedingly violent and brutal. It was as nasty a crime as you could ever picture.'

The hunt for Jessica's killer was mercifully swift.

A handful of witnesses had seen Benjamin, who lived with his father a 10-minute walk from La Sagesse, carrying a 'cutlass' and heading towards the beach around the time of the slaying.

It soon emerged he had tried to rob another man minutes earlier, a retired British holidaymaker named Andrew Hancock.

Hancock, who was more than 6ft himself and considerably larger than Brian, stood his ground before Benjamin thought better of taking him on and slipped back into the jungle.

A day after the murder Benjamin walked into a police station to turn himself in and Hancock was able to pick him out of a lineup.

In the days that followed, it was revealed Benjamin had only been freed the previous December after serving seven years for raping a teenage girl.

An occasional landscaper and mechanic, he had three teardrops tattooed under his left eye that in gang culture means he has killed or is prepared to kill.

Investigators piecing together Benjamin's savage crime agreed that Brian would in all likelihood have been murdered had he ignored his wife's command to run.

A photo of the Atlanta anesthesiologist dated from 2014 when she took a vacation to Italy with her new husband

Brian now lives alone in an apartment in Lambertville, New Jersey, with his dog Dexter - a rescue picked out by Jessica

They saw Jessica's plea as the 'ultimate act of love', sacrificing herself knowing it was the only way to save her husband.

Benjamin himself has never explained why he took Jessica or why he refused money to release her. He pleaded guilty to non-capital murder at the eleventh hour to try and secure a reduced prison sentence but a judge handed him the most severe 'whole life' term possible.

The death penalty is still on the statute books in Grenada, had authorities pursued the more serious charge of capital murder, but no prisoner has been hanged there since 1978.

Brian traveled back to Grenada and observed Benjamin in court but never saw the slightest flicker of remorse.

'He is a very sad individual,' he told DailyMailTV. 'From what I know about him, he spent a good deal of his life in prison and had spent a good deal of it in prison just before we came upon him.

'At one point the judge made him look through the graphic photos that had been taken at the scene.

'She was looking for any sign of a human reaction or response. He showed absolutely nothing, he was kind of dead inside.'

Brian now lives alone in an apartment in Lambertville, New Jersey, with his dog Dexter - a rescue picked out by Jessica.

Father to daughters Julia, 21, Nina, 27, and a son Greg, 30, Brian has spent the past two years trying to come to terms with the loss of his best friend and perfect marriage, a task he admits is beyond him.

'My life is defined by one half when I felt that I was one of the luckiest people in the world and then ever since January 24, 2016 when I've suddenly become one of the unluckiest people in the world,' he said.

'In one moment pretty much all of my dreams and aspirations disappeared.'



One of the Arab world's top spies and a shadowy conduit to Vladimir Putin's Kremlin were present at a meeting in the Seychelles being probed by Robert Mueller's Russia investigation, DailyMail.com can disclose.

The meeting between Erik Prince, the Trump donor and billionaire Blackwater founder whose sister is education secretary Betsy DeVos, and Kirill Dmitriev, a Russian banker close to the Kremlin, was convened by the crown prince of Abu Dhabi, Mohamed bin Zayed, who is the de factor joint ruler of the United Arab Emirates.

But DailyMail.com can disclose that also present were bin Zayed's spy chief and a Palestinian seen as the crown prince's personal conduit to Putin's Kremlin.

The two men - Hamad al Mazroie, the de facto head of the UAE intelligence service, and Mohammed Dahlan, a bin Zayed adviser who is fluent in Russian - were never named by Prince when he testified to the House intelligence committee about the meeting.

It emerged last month that George Nader, a Lebanese-American businessman and Middle East expert with ties to the Trump administration was present.

Strange meeting: Billionaire Blackwater founder Erik Prince (left) - whose sister is Education Secretary Betsy DeVos - has testified that he met a Russian oligarch in the Seychelles. Now DailyMail.com discloses that he did not tell Congress that also present were the United Arab Emirates' top spy Hamad al Mazroie (right)

Details: Erik Prince has already said that he went to the Seychelles to meet Mohamed bin Zayed, the crown prince of Abu Dhabi, then had an encounter with Kirill Dmitriev, an oligarch close to Vladimir Putin

New details: DailyMail.com can reveal that also present was Mohammed Dahlan (left), a bin Zayed adviser who is fluent in Russian who is known as the UAE's conduit to Putin. And it can also be revealed that George Nader, who is co-operating with the Robert Mueller probe, was involved in a massive arms deal between Russia and Iraq

Venue: Despite Erik Prince having a home in the UAE, he was invited to meet the crown prince of Abu Dhabi at the Four Seasons in the Seychelles. The Abu Dhabi crown prince is seen as the de facto joint ruler of the United Arab Emirates

Nader is now co-operating with Mueller after being stopped as he entered the U.S. in January and being served with a subpoena.

The identities of the two newly-named attendees at the meeting were confirmed to DailyMail.com by a source close to bin Zayed, and a Kuwaiti lawmaker with access to intelligence on the UAE.

The source close to bin Zayed said: 'Hamad supervises all these things. Those guys supervise major secret operations.'

Their presence adds a new dimension to the now notorious meeting in the Seychelles.

The meeting, which took place in January 2017, was disclosed in April last year in a Washington Post report.

It was said to be an attempt by the UAE to create a back channel of communication between the incoming Trump administration and the Kremlin.

Prince donated $250,000 to the Trump campaign and was known to be close to Steve Bannon, who become Trump's senior adviser in the White House.

Prince testified that he first met the crown prince - known by his initials MBZ - at the Four Seasons resort on the tropical islands, and was then introduced to Dmitriev, a Russian oligarch and friend of Putin.

The Blackwater founder told the House Intelligence Committee under oath that the prince had invited him to discuss 'business opportunities' and that 'some of his brothers' were present as well as an 'entourage'.

The prince is one of 19 sons born through his late father's seven marriages.

Prince told the intelligence committee that he met with Dmitriev only because the Emiratis said that they should and that the two discussed US-Russia relations, including trade but did not even exchange business cards after the discussion over a beer.

Prince has denied representing the Trump transition during the meeting, which he characterized as a chance encounter in the hotel bar over a beer that lasted no more than 30 minutes.

However Prince never mentioned the presence of al Mazroie or Dahlan.

According to sources close to the UAE leadership, al Mazroie acts as bin Zayed's right hand man and informal head of intelligence, giving him access to the country's advanced surveillance technology.

The sources say he is at the center of an Emirati plan to exert influence on both western democracies and its neighboring Gulf states.

Focus: George Nader has co-operated with special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation

Spy: Hamad al Mazroie, the de facto head of the UAE intelligence service - see outside London department store Harrods - can be revealed to have been at Erik Prince's meeting with a Russian oligarch in the Seychelles

Leaked text messages have claimed to show the spymaster threatening to release naked photos of Kuwaiti politicians in an attempt to influence the country's parliamentary elections.

Abdullah al Saleh, a Kuwaiti activist in London who is opposed to the Saudi regime, tweeted a copy of the texts, claiming: 'Hamad al Mazroie leaked this picture to social media outlets to blackmail and influence the Kuwaiti elections.'

A Qatari news anchor for state broadcaster al Jazeera also launched a lawsuit against al Mazroie claiming that the spymaster threatened to release fabricated sex tapes of the anchor.

On Twitter, anchor Jamal Rayyan wrote: 'I am amazed how Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed al-Nahyan, the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, and Sheiks of the #UAE would accept such acts done by Hamad al Mazroie and his partners. They used Emirati cell phones and sent photoshoped/fake sexual photos along with video and audio insults to my WhatsApp.'

Dahlan is a former leader of the Fatah party in the Gaza Strip and was exiled in 2011 and fled to the UAE amid allegations he may have murdered Yasser Arafat.

There he became a security adviser to bin Zayed, according to the Emirati source, and began working as an informal UAE emissary to the Kremlin, helping coordinate the UAE's military action to cooperate with Russian interests.

'Were entering Dahlan's ninth year there now. He became closer and closer to MBZ and more powerful in the UAE.

'His assignments changed from just giving advice to going on secret missions, meeting at the Kremlin on behalf of MBZ,' said the source.

The source added that Dahlan worked closely with both Prince and Nader.

The sources claimed that the Seychelles meeting, which is being investigated by special counsel Robert Mueller as part of his probe into Russian meddling in the US election, is the tip of the iceberg.

Family: Erik Prince is the brother of Betsy DeVos, Trump's education secretary

The source close to bin Zayed claims that 'Dahlan met with Erik Prince and the Russians several times' in the Maldives - a second island archipelago.

Prince has never disclosed further meetings and told the House intel committee that he had not met Russians in any form after the Seychelles encounter.

He also never told members of Congress that Nader was present.

A spokesman for Prince declined to comment. DailyMail.com has reached out to the UAE's embassy in Washington for comment but has yet to receive any.

DailyMail.com can disclose that Nader is not just a Lebanese-American businessman but has played a part in brokering a multi-billion dollar arms deal with Russia.

Former Iraqi officials told Arab news site Al-Monitor that Nader helped broker a controversial $4.2bn arms deal between Russia and Iraq in 2012.

One official told the site that Nader travelled to Moscow and met with Russian officials, saying he represented Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki.

Another who was involved in the deal said he saw Nader discuss the deal with Maliki in a Moscow hotel at the time.

Nader is cooperating with special counsel Robert Mueller for his investigation into the Trump campaign, according to the New York Times.

Nader gave testimony to a grand jury convened in Mueller's investigation of the Trump campaign last week, two sources told The Times last Tuesday.

DailyMail.com understands Nader spoke to the Trump administration on Middle East strategy, while being paid by the UAE as an adviser to its leadership.

He is a well-connected expert on the Middle East who is rumored to have links with intelligence agencies.

White House sources say that Nader became a friend of former chief Trump strategist Steve Bannon while he was still working for the president.

It is understood that Nader met several times with Bannon and at least once with Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner.

A source close to MBZ said of Nader: 'The world doesn't hear a lot about George Nader, but he is a key player.

'This guy flies under the radar but he has the strongest ties with Trump and his team.

'He worked with Kushner and Steve Bannon, they are friends.

'But Nader goes to Abu Dhabi more than he goes to his [own] house. MBZ [Mohammed bin Zayed] runs his show. And he sends him on secret missions.

Friends: George Nader represented himself as a friend of both Steve Bannon and Jared Kushner

'He went to Abu Dhabi last month. He goes to Abu Dhabi a lot.

Nader's testimony to Mueller was reported by the Wall Street Journal to have contradicted Prince's evidence to the House intel committee.

In particular, the Journal reported, Nader had said that the Emiratis did not introduce Prince and Dmitriev, and that they were under the impression that Prince was attending as a surrogate for the Trump transition - while the Russian was representing Putin.

The Washington Post reported last week that Mueller had gathered evidence that the meeting was an attempt to establish a back channel between the Kremlin and the Trump transition.

Nader's role in both the meeting and the wider Trump administration has come under growing scrutiny.

Earlier this month emails leaked to the New York Times showed Nader was fed a detailed memo of a private meeting in the Oval Office by a top Trump donor.

Elliott Broidy, who was a major financial backer to the president's electoral campaign, sent Nader the memo after meeting Trump in the White House, according to the report.

Broidy, whose private security company Circinus has contracts with the UAE worth hundreds of millions of dollars, lobbied Trump to back the UAE's military action in the Gulf during the meeting, according to the memo.

Despite humble beginnings, Nader has been close to leaders across the Gulf region for decades, as well as other US presidents.

He moved from Lebanon to the US with scant English aged just 15 and five years later while studying at Cleveland State University Nader founded a magazine called Middle East Insight in 1980.

Though his magazine was put together in his basement and had a small circulation of a few thousand, Nader had a surprising level of access to leaders in the US and the Middle East, even interviewing Presidents Bill Clinton and George H.W. Bush while they were in office.

Mueller is investigating whether the Trump campaign colluded with Moscow's interference in the 2016 election.

In February the special counsel indicted 13 Russians for operating a campaign of 'information warfare' against the US stretching back to 2014.Rika Shimizu, 36, was indicted on five counts of second-degree sexual assault and four counts of fourth-degree sexual assault

A woman from Oahu, Hawaii was charged on Thursday with sexually assaulting a 16-year-old Japanese exchange student.

Rika Shimizu, 36, was indicted on five counts of second-degree sexual assault and four counts of fourth-degree sexual assault.

Shimizu operated a boarding home for Japanese students who were attending school in Honolulu.

Apparently Shimizu who is originally from Japan is in Hawaii on a visa, authorities said.

She allegedly assaulted the boarder from October to February while the boy was bedridden due to a head injury.

Honolulu police arrested Shimizu on Tuesday after the boy reported the assaults. Her bail was set at $600,000.

State Public Defender Jack Tonaki, whose office represented Shimizu on Thursday, declined to comment.

The boy told police that Shimizu assaulted him at least 10 times, according to court documents. The boy's injury had left him incapacitated, unable to go to the bathroom alone, prepare meals or change clothes.

The victim claims he repeatedly asked her to stop and threatened to report her during the assaults.

He said Shimizu told him she would cry rape if he reported the assaults, according to the court documents. She also threatened to get him expelled from school and the exchange program.

Micky Yamatani, the boy's attorney, told the Honolulu Star-Advertiser that the teen reported the assaults to his mother. She then contacted a friend, and the boy was taken out of the boarding house.

'This is a case of sheer betrayal of the trust this victim and his family endowed on this woman,' Yamatani said.

'Instead of providing a healthy and nurturing environment, the defendant engaged in sexual assaults of this minor child.'

'He has been greatly betrayed by this woman, injured by this woman, been traumatized by this experience, and he looks forward to the day where our American justice system would set forth the truth and punish the person who harmed, hurt, and injured him,' she said.

Second-degree assault is a class B felony that carries penalties of up to 10 years in prison. Fourth-degree assault is a misdemeanor that carries penalties of up to a year in jail.Harriet Tubman earned a place in history after she escaped slavery and became an Underground Railroad conductor

A space at a Baltimore park that had long honored two Confederate generals has been rededicated to abolitionist Harriet Tubman.

Hundreds of people gathered on Saturday at Wyman Park Dell near Johns Hopkins University for the ceremony, which took place just feet from the now-empty pedestal where a large statue of Confederate Generals Robert E. Lee and Stonewall Jackson once stood.

The Confederate statue was removed overnight in August after a violent white nationalist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, reignited the national debate over what to do with symbols of the Confederacy.

A monument honoring Confederate women and another of Supreme Court justice Roger B. Taney, were also taken down along with the statue.

Hundreds of people gathered on Saturday at Wyman Park Dell in Baltimore for a ceremony to rededicate a former Confederate Site to Tubman

The ceremony took place just feet from the now-empty pedestal where a large statue of Confederate Generals Robert E. Lee and Stonewall Jackson (pictured) once stood

Taney wrote the 1857 opinion on the Dred Scott v. Sandford, which dictated that a slave who had lived in a free state was not entitled to his freedom and that African Americans could never be citizens of the Unite States.

Last month the city approved the re-purposing of the space, which will now be known as the Harriet Tubman Grove.

On Saturday, the 105th anniversary of Tubman's death, the space was renamed Harriet Tubman Grove.

Last month the city approved the re-purposing of the space, which will now be known as the Harriet Tubman Grove

The ceremony honoring Tubman took place on the 105th anniversary of her death

'It helps bring the community values to important places and helps to weave together the community,' Baltimore Councilwoman Mary Pat Clarke said, according to local outlet WJZ.

'This place is really interesting. Since the statues were removed, it has become a gathering place.'

Tubman was born a slave on Maryland's Eastern Shore and earned a place in history after she escaped and became an Underground Railroad conductor.

'This place is really interesting. Since the statues were removed, it has become a gathering place,' said Baltimore Councilwoman Mary Pat Clarke. Pictured is Saturday's ceremonyA pregnant porpoise that washed up in Boston during the recent noreaster storm has died.

The animal became stuck in the Dorchester neighborhood near the Harbor Point and the New England Aquarium Rescue Team responded immediately.

An aquarium spokesman says the animal died just before rescuers arrived at the scene near the storm's height.

Volunteers Teresa Padvaiskas and Julian Kabawat from New England Aquarium are pictured preparing the porpoise for a necropsy after it was stranded in Boston on Friday

Harbor porpoises are the smallest species of dolphin that live in New England waters and they hunt fish in Boston Harbor in winter and spring.

The aquarium spokesman says the presence of porpoises near Boston is a 'dividend of the Boston Harbor clean-up.'

Biologists with the aquarium say a necropsy showed the porpoise had a nearly full-term fetus and couldn't survive trauma suffered in the stranding.

The porpoises usually measure 4.5 feet to 6 feet and weigh less than 200 pounds, The Boston Globe reported.

The Northeast is bracing for its third nor'easter in less than two weeks, while some people are still feeling the effects of the last storm that dumped more than 2 feet of snow in some areas.

The storm caused some of the worst coastal flooding the East has seen, making the waters too rough for the animals.

Pictured here is the New England Aquarium in Boston, Massachusetts

A southern storm is expected to make its way up the coast, causing more snowfall this week, the National Weather Service said on Sunday.

The Boston area is expected to get up to a foot, while southern Maine could see almost 18 inches by Wednesday.

New York could get 4 to 6 inches of snow and Philadelphia could see a few inches by Tuesday's morning commute.

Eight inches could fall in West Virginia and 4 inches is expected in Kentucky.

A winter storm watch is in effect for most of New England, parts of New York and Virginia.Authorities identified the body of a woman found floating in Georgia's Yellow River as being that of Shanequa Quanee Sullivan, 23, who had gone missing a month before, on February 4

A body discovered in a Georgia river has been identified as a woman with autism who went missing from Atlanta Airport a month ago.

The Newton County Sheriff's Office said Friday on its Facebook page that the body belonged to 23-year-old Shanequa Quanee Sullivan of Atlanta, Georgia.

Her body was spotted in the Yellow River, in Newton County, Georgia, on March 3.

Pat Campbell made the grizzly discovery while he was fishing for white bass.

'I motored over it, and I saw the heel of a person, and initially thought it was a mannequin. I got downwind of it and could tell it wasn't a mannequin and that's when I said it's time to call 911,' Campbell told WSBTV.

Authorities recovered Sullivan's body the next day, but were unable to ascertain her identity until after an autopsy was performed.

It was not yet clear how Sullivan died and an investigation is ongoing, police said.

Sullivan disappeared four weeks earlier, on February 4, at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, where she had worked for the past year in janitorial services.

Sullivan's grandmother, Celeste Seabrum, told FOX5 Atlanta that surveillance cameras at the airport's rapid transit stop captured her trying to get on the train, but her transit card was out of credits. That was the last time Sullivan was seen.

Family and friends had been searching for Sullivan near the airport for weeks, but Sullivan was found about 40 miles away from there.

Sullivan's body was discovered floating in the Yellow River, 40 miles away from where she was last seen, on March 3. A fisherman saw her body and called authorities

Fisherman Pat Campbell made the grizzly discovery. He initially thought he saw a mannequin floating in the river, but closer inspection revealed that it was actually Sullivan's body

Sullivan was last seen leaving the airport where she worked in janitorial services on February 4. Her family said that she was autistic and had the mental capacity of a 10 year old

Surveillance cameras at the airport's rapid transit stop captures Sullivan trying to board a train after her shift. It was the last time she was seen alive

Sullivan had autism, which left her with the mental capacity of a 10-year-old, but she had been making enough progress to hold down her job at the airport, her family told 11 Alive.

Seabrum, said her granddaughter 'wouldn't hurt a fly' and was 'the sweetest person.'

'She would befriend anybody and I had warned her about that. But I don't think it kind of clicked in her head,' Seabrum told 11 Alive.

Tragedy previously struck Sullivan's family in 2006, when her mother was murdered. Sullivan was 11 years old at the time.A North Carolina congressional candidate claims a Russian bought a web domain she used when campaigning for another office two years ago.

Democrat Linda Coleman said her staff learned about the meddling last week after searching for her name on Google and coming across the website.

When a staffer clicked on the link it goes directly to another page promoting male performance enhancement drugs in a foreign language.

Ivan Gusev, who lists his address as a Moscow apartment, bought the web address in January, which she used when she ran for lieutenant governor in 2016, according to the News & Observer.

Democrat Linda Coleman claims a Russian bought a web domain she used when campaigning for another office two years ago

Coleman said her staff learned about the meddling last week after searching for her name on Google and coming across the website. When a staffer clicked on the link it goes directly to another page promoting male performance enhancement drugs in a foreign language

The newspaper said the phone number tied to the account's owner doesn't work and emails weren't returned.

Coleman said she didn't know why the Russian-based website was created and urged other political candidates "to be vigilant."

'We all need to be wary and protect ourselves from similar attempts to deceive our voters and the general public,' she told the paper.

'Underhanded and deceptive strategies like this one only thrive when people choose not to speak out about what they see before them.'

Her campaign has contacted the FBI, the state Board of Elections and Ethics Enforcement, and state Attorney General Josh Stein's office about the matter.

Coleman is seeking her party's nomination to challenge incumbent Republican George Holding in North Carolina's 2nd Congressional District in the Raleigh area

The state elections board told the News and Observer it has contacted the US Department of Homeland Security by phone and email.

'We obviously take the security of North Carolina elections very seriously,' spokesman Patrick Gannon told the paper.

'To that end, we are in frequent contact with staff at the Department of Homeland Security to strengthen our defenses against issues like those flagged by the Coleman campaign today.'

Stein's office said it has been in touch with Coleman's campaign, but said it is ultimately up to federal authorities to investigate.

Coleman said she didn't renew her old domain name when she decided to run for the House of Representatives because the campaign is for a different office.

At the bottom of Coleman's page is a MVAR Media logo - but the company told WTVD it doesn't manage the website.

Coleman is seeking her party's nomination to challenge incumbent Republican George Holding in North Carolina's 2nd Congressional District in the Raleigh area.Graves including those of Polish war heroes who battled Adolf Hitler's Nazi regime have been destroyed at a cemetery in Glouestershire.

Initially, it was thought the wreckage at Blockley Station Road Cemetery near Cheltenham was due to vandalism, but it has since transpired a fallen tree was behind the destruction.

Headstones were left smashed by the tree, which is thought to have fallen due to a storm, but signs urging the public to respect the facility were also defaced.

After vandalism was ruled out as a cause of the ruin, a British-Polish campaign group who circulated the photographs said it was a 'relief' and that they hoped the graves would be restored as quickly as possible.

Four headstones can be seen smashed in the Blockley Station Road Cemetery in Blockley, Gloucestershire

A destroyed gravestone lies in pieces on the ground at the resting place for Poles and Polish soldiers

A sign at Blockley Cemetery erected by the Parish Council is defaced, showing the words 'respect the memorials' scratched out

The cemetery is the resting place of 122 Second World War Polish nationals who lived in the nearby disused army camps of Springhill and Northwick Park.

Among them were soldiers who fought in the war alongside British troops.

British Poles, a project aimed at increasing the British-Polish voice within UK politics, tweeted pictures of the damage to the graves, calling it a 'sad day for the community'.

As the news broke, Nigel Huddlestone, MP for nearby Mid Worcestershire, said: 'I am absolutely sickened by this destruction of graves.

'Poles were our allies in the Second World War and are our friends and neighbours today.

'I hope the perpetrators are quickly brought to justice.'

Upon finding out the real reason, he said: 'I am relieved to hear reports that the destruction of Polish graves in Blockley Cemetery was caused by trees, not by a deliberate act of vandalism as initially suggested.'

On Saturday at 10am, a group of Polish and British volunteers will gather at the cemetery to help with repairs.

Pictures of the tree cut up into pieces ready to be taken from the cemetery emerged today.

British Poles, a project aimed at increasing the British-Polish voice within UK politics, tweeted pictures of the damage to the graves, calling it a 'sad day for the community'.

As the new evidence emerged, the British Poles initiative issued a statement, which read: 'We are enormously grateful to the British and Polish communities for finding the cause of of the tragic destruction of the Polish part of the Blockley Cemetery.

'Yesterday, we received pictures from reliable and respected sources in the local Polish community in Evesham portraying the destruction of the Polish graves.

'It was factually proven that only the Polish graves were destroyed and that somebody crossed out the text "respect the memorials" with a black marker.

'Despite these suggestions, it was clearly stated in our reports that the cause and perpetrators of these damages are "unknown".

'It was an incredible relief to receive further pictures and evidence from a local proving that a storm and trees falling on the graves caused the damage.'

A spokeswoman at the Gloucestershire Constabulary told MailOnline: 'This morning, Monday 12 March, police attended a cemetery in Blockley following pictures posted on social media of damaged graves.

'On arrival damaged graves were discovered, however inquiries established the damage is believed to have been caused due to trees which had fallen during a storm earlier this year.'

Dana Delap, vicar at the Blockley Church, St Peter and St Paul, confirmed the damage had been caused by the tree.

She said: 'A large branch from a scotch pine came down on the graves in recent bad weather and caused the damage to the stone crosses which mark the Polish graves.

'Blockley Parish Council has already removed the tree and is actively exploring how to repair the grave markers appropriately.'Advertisement

Rare documents and stories revealing what life was like serving on board HMS Belfast are being shared to mark the 80th anniversary of the historic warship's launch.

Among one of the peculiar stories to be retold include the first 'certificate for wounds and hurts' issued on the warship, which has been revealed by the Imperial War Museums, who own and run the vessel as a museum near Tower Bridge on the River Thames in London.

The document cites the 'accidental traumatic amputation' of Boy John Campbell's 'first two phalanges' while carrying out a gun-drill on HMS Belfast. The incident is dated August 18, 1939 - the same month the warship was commissioned by the Royal Navy.

Visitors will have the chance to meet some of the surviving veterans from HMS Belfast next weekend to mark the 80th anniversary and to explore the ship.

HMS Belfast is moored on the Thames in London in 2016. Rare documents and stories revealing what life was like serving on board HMS Belfast are being shared to mark the 80th anniversary of the historic warship's launch

Great British Bake Off winner from 2017 and serving army officer, Sophie Faldo, has also designed a nine-tiered cake to celebrate the occasion which punters can enjoy.

John Harrison, the oldest surviving World War Two veteran who served on HMS Belfast, described the dangers of serving at sea, facing German magnetic mines and treacherous Arctic conditions.

Mr Harrison described HMS Belfast as 'a lovely ship, there's some ships that are warm, and that was, it was a lovely ship, it still is'.

The 104-year-old served as an ordinance artificer on HMS Belfast in the Second World War. He recalled some of the dangerous conditions he and his crew had to endure in the Arctic, including narrowly avoiding being swept overboard while trying to get to his gun turret.

An Imperial War Museum handout photograph dated 16/05/1950 of HMS Belfast arriving at Kure, Japan. To mark the 80th anniversary, the oldest surviving World War Two veteran who served on HMS Belfast, described the dangers of serving at sea, facing German magnetic mines and treacherous Arctic conditions

HMS Belfast encountering heavy seas off Iceland in February 1943 during the Arctic Convoys, as stories and rare documents revealing life aboard HMS Belfast are being shared ahead of the 80th anniversary weekend of the historic warship's launch on March 17-18

Imperial War Museum handout photo dated 17/03/38 of HMS Belfast's launch ceremony. To mark the 80th anniversary of the ship's launch, visitors will have the chance to meet some of the surviving veterans from HMS Belfast next weekend

The war hero said: 'I came to these big waves coming over, and I dashed to my turret, grabbed the turret door.

'Another one came over, my legs went up with the water, and my hand was actually frozen onto the the turret handle, otherwise I'd have gone over the side with it.

'I had to massage my hand when the wave's gone to get my hand off it, open the turret door and get in. That was a scary moment.'

Mr Harrison also recalled the near-death experience when the ship was hit by a German magnetic mine. He said that it felt as if his head was squashed down into his shoulders and that the air bottle he was working in had blown up and might kill him.

He added: 'The deck stopped bouncing, but it was very very still and very, very dark.

'I found my way out and up, as I opened the hatch, water came pouring in and I thought "my God, we've sunk", but one of the fire hoses had been distorted with the explosion and had directed right down my poor old hatch.'

Undated handout photo issued by the Imperial War Museum of HMS Belfast sailing under Tower Bridge to take up its permanent mooring in the Pool of London

Undated handout photo issued by the Imperial War Museum of HMS Belfast firing a six inch salvo against enemy troop concentrations on the west coast of Korea

HMS Belfast was involved in the Arctic convoys between the Allies and the Soviet Union and played a pivotal role in D-Day and helping to liberate internment camps in the Far East in 1945, and was in the Korean War.

The ship was on the verge of being scrapped in 1971 but was saved the Belfast Trust and docked in London for the public to view. In 1978, the Imperial War Museum took over its running.

Ian Kikuchi, senior curator at the IWM said HMS Belfast was an 'unique witness' to 20th century conflict.

'During this anniversary weekend visitors can come on board and experience the ship's life and adventures by walking the same decks, ducking through the same hatches and climbing up and down the same ladders as the crew who served on board,' he said.

An undated photograph of British children, liberated from Japanese internment camps in Shanghai, China, being entertained aboard HMS Belfast in October 1945

HMS Belfast leaving Scapa Flow in Scotland for the Normandy beaches in June 1944. The ship played a vital role in D-Day and helping to liberate internment camps in the Far East in 1945, and was in the Korean War

An undated photograph of HMS Belfast after the visit of King George VI. The ship was on the verge of being scrapped in 1971 but was saved the Belfast Trust and docked in London for the public to view. In 1978, the Imperial War Museum took over its runningA bride and her entire hens party has been killed after her private plane crash landed on return from a bachelorette party in Dubai.

Turkish bride-to-be Mina Basaran, 28, was celebrating her impending marriage to Murat Gezer when her plane burst into flames and crashed in the south of Iran on Sunday.

All 11 passengers and crew members on board the flight from Sharjah to Istanbul were killed, authorities confirmed on Monday.

Just one day before her tragic death, Miss Basaran posted a photo alongside her bridesmaids celebrating the ill-fated hens trip

A spokesman for Iran's emergency management organisation, Mojtaba Khaledi, said local villagers discovered the wreckage.

'[They] found only badly burned bodies and no survivors,' he said.

Mr Khaledi said they would require DNA tests to formerly identify those on board.

Just one day before her tragic death, Miss Basaran posted a photo alongside her bridesmaids celebrating the ill-fated hens trip.

Holding a bouquet of flowers, Miss Basaran posed in front of the private plane wearing a denim jacket embroidered with the words 'Mrs Bride' and 'better together'

The young businesswoman was also pictured inside the plane, carrying a string of love-heart shaped balloons

Turkish bride-to-be Mina Basaran, 28, was celebrating her impending marriage to Murat Gezer when her plane burst into flames and crashed in the south of Iran on Sunday (pictured)

Miss Basaran was pictured in a white dressing gown, while her seven bridesmaids were in pink.

Two days earlier, Miss Basaran shared a photo of herself in front of the private plane, which is believed to be owned by her wealthy father, Huseyin Basaran.

Holding a bouquet of flowers, Miss Basaran wore a denim jacket embroidered with the words 'Mrs Bride' and 'better together'.

The young businesswoman was also pictured inside the plane, carrying a string of love-heart shaped balloons.

Miss Basaran had spent the past few days celebrating in the United Arab Emirates with seven of her closest friends.

Miss Basaran had spent the past few days celebrating in the United Arab Emirates with seven of her closest friends

There were seven passengers and three crew members on the private plane (pictured), which is believed to be owned by her wealthy father, Huseyin Basaran

The trip was a traditional 'farewell' to her friends before her marriage. She became engaged to her fiance in October.

Miss Basaran was due to marry her fiance Murat Gezer on April 14.

The 28-year-old was also in line to take over her father's business, Basaran Investment Holding.

The Istanbul-based Basaran is active in the energy, construction and tourism sectors. It also owns hotels.

Miss Basaran had become a board member of her father's company already in 2013, Turkish reports said.

Miss Basaran had become a board member of her father's company already in 2013, Turkish reports said

Iranian media said the plane went down in remote mountains in the snow-capped Zagros range during bad weather.

The aircraft was a Canadian-made Bombardier, according to the Iranian news agency Tasnim.

'The plane is on fire. After the pilot asked to lower altitude, it disappeared from the radar,' Tasnim quoted an ICAO official as saying.

'The wreck of the jet and the bodies are found. They will be carried down from the mountain when sun comes up. My condolences to those who lost their loved ones,' the head of the Turkish Red Crescent, Kerem Kinik, said on Twitter.

Sharjah Civil Aviation Department said in a statement that the plane 'did not apply for maintenance procedures while on the ground at the airport.'

The plane took off at 17:16 local time (13:16 GMT) and disappeared from the radar screen at 15:30 GMT, said the statement carried by the state WAM news agency.

The eight passengers on board were six Turks and two Spaniards. It did not give the nationality of the three crew members.

Reza Jafarzadeh, head of the Iran Civil Aviation Organisation, confirmed the plane had eight passengers and three crew members on board.

Miss Basaran was due to marry her fiance Murat Gezer on April 14 (pictured together)

Mina Basaran is pictured at a Chanel Show during Paris Fashion Week

The cause of the crash was not immediately clear.

Hurriyet said the plane had two female pilots and a crew member, meaning all those on board were women.

One formerly flew Turkish army fighter jets as one of Turkey's first female pilots, it said. The other had worked in the past for flag carrier Turkish Airlines.

Tasnim news agency quoted an ICAO official as saying: 'The plane is on fire. After the pilot asked to lower altitude, it disappeared from the radar.'

Iranian media reported that rescuers had been dispatched by land to the crash site, which is located in a relatively isolated area of Helen's Mountain - a protected area in the Zagros range.

Some reports said the plane went down during heavy rain.

The head of Iran's Red Crescent, Morteza Salimi, told state television that two helicopters would fly to the area on Monday morning 'to search for the plane's debris and bodies' -- indicating there could be no survivors.

Mr Khaledi said they would require DNA tests to formerly identify those on board, including bride-to-be Mina Basaran (pictured)

The Zagros range was the scene of another aviation tragedy in February, when an ATR-72 twin engine passenger plane of Iran's Aseman Airlines crashed there killing all 66 people on board.

The plane had disappeared from radar after taking off from Tehran on a domestic flight as a snowstorm battered the mountains.

Rescue teams had to battle bad weather before they were able to recover the black boxes of that aircraft and had to interrupt their operation several times because of bad weather.

They are still working on bringing the remains of those killed down the valley from the crash site which lies at a height of about 4,000 metres (13,000 feet).The Church of Scientology is about to get its own television channel starting Monday.

A Twitter handle, website and app for Scientology TV appeared Sunday posting updates to hype the network's availability on DIRECTV, AppleTV, Roku, fireTV, Chromecast, iTunes and Google Play.

A tweet Sunday from the ScientologyTV account says, 'It's time for us to tell our story.'

Scientology is about to get its own television channel starting Monday, March 11

A historic five-acre motion picture and television studio has been transformed into a fully integrated digital media production center

The church say the new media center has been designed for global communication across every conceivable media channel and that there is simply no other facility like it on Earth

Scientology has been the subject of a handful of high-profile projects investigating its alleged abuses of former members including Leah Remini's A&E docuseries 'Scientology and the Aftermath' and Alex Gibney's Emmy-winning documentary, 'Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief.'

The website scientology.tv says the Scientology Network will debut on at 8 p.m. eastern on Monday although it was not made clear what kind of programming the network will feature.

'The only thing more interesting than what you've heard is what you haven't,' claims the video produced by the controversial religion, which counts such high-profile celebrities as Tom Cruise, John Travolta and Elizabeth Moss among its ranks.

Scientology has been at the center of ongoing scandals related to what its members can and cannot do, as well as how it deals with former devotees like Leah Remini, who has been highly critical of the Church since leaving it.

The Church set up a Twitter account for their TV network promoting their new venture

The Church of Scientology Building is shown here at 4810 Sunset Blvd in Los Angeles

'We're focused on one purpose, which is to preserve the purpose of Dianetics and Scientology,' says a man featured in the announcement video. 'It's actually making a difference in the world. That's what it's all about,' adds a woman.

A Scientology channel has been rumored since the organization purchased a nearly five-acre studio in Los Angeles' Los Feliz neighborhood for $42 million from public TV station KCET.

Millions of dollars were spent refurbishing the rundown studios and reopening them as Scientology Media Productions.

Scientology leader David Miscavige called the studio an 'uncorrupted communication line to the billions' in a press release.

'If you don't write your own story, someone else will. So, yes, we're now going to be writing our story, like no other religion in history. And it's all going to happen right here from Scientology Media Productions.'

Celebrities including Tom Cruise and John Travolta are prominent members of the Church

The Church of Scientology International Building is shown here in Hollywood

According to the organization, 'Scientology Media Productions [is] capable of producing multiple television programs at the same time  whether it be live news broadcasts or pre-recorded programs featuring aspects of Scientology technology, or Church-sponsored humanitarian initiatives. This wide range of programming is the anchor content for the Church's 24/7 television network.'

In the age of streaming it should not be considered unusual that Scientology would want to launch their own on-demand service and TV channel.

Roku offers thousands of channels (including dozens of Christian networks) which allows virtually every interest, belief, hobby and organization their own platform.

While it's a significant investment for the group, this is not the first time Scientology has used TV as a recruitment tool. The church annually drops millions on a 30-second commercial during the Super Bowl, something it ran for the sixth consecutive year last month.

Scientology was founded in the 1950s by writer Ron L. Hubbard.

The organization has suffered a series of public relations mishaps over the years, including being accused of spying on and harassing its members. It has also faced scrutiny over its rejection of mainstream mental health treatments.Jack Fletcher was suspended when he refused to cut his long, red hair (stock)

A high school student has been suspended for failing to meet dress standards after he refused to cut his long hair.

Year 11 student Jack Fletcher was suspended on Monday from Haileybury Rendall School, a private high school in Darwin, after he refused to chop his long, red locks.

With the help of his mother Karen Fletcher, the 15-year-old took his suspension to the anti-discrimination commission.

Ms Fletcher argued the rule was 'archaic' and did not prepare students for the real world.

Despite winning the complaint, the high-school student decided to move to Darwin High School, where his hair did not breach the rules.

Ms Fletcher backed her son's decision 100 per cent.

Ms Fletcher resigned from her position as a representative on the school's parent board, saying she was unimpressed with how the school handled the situation.

She argued her son's education should be prioritised ahead of his hair length.

Year 11 student Jack Fletcher was suspended on Monday from Haileybury Rendall School (pictured), a private high school in Darwin, after he refused to chop his long, red locks

'I don't believe the students' education is the prime objective of the school,' she told the NT News.

She also claimed there were no official school forms which stated boys' hair should be cut short.

In a letter addressed to school parents and friends, Ms Fletcher said she was 'totally disillusioned with Haileybury Rendall school management'.

She said she did not want her children educated by 'some archaic system that does not prepare them for life beyond school'.

Ms Fletcher admitted teachers spoke to her son directly warning him he would be suspended if he didn't cut his hair.

The high-school student decided to move to Darwin High School (pictured), where his hair did not breach the rules

'My son Jack replied that he would not cut his hair. Mr Lee replied that the school did not like open defiance and that it would not be tolerated. The school did not contact either myself or my husband,' she said.

Ms Fletcher stood by her son's decision to ignore the warning.

Haileybury Rendall Principal Craig Glass said the school was unable to comment due to confidentiality.The Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) has been able to bypass anti-discrimination laws in order to advertise for a female spy.

ICAC posted an advertisement for a woman surveillance officer to 'provide physical surveillance services and participate in covert field operations'.

The successful applicant will be given a remuneration package worth $127,627 a year.

An advertisement (pictured) was posted for a woman officer to 'provide physical surveillance service and participate in covert field operations'. The successful applicant's remuneration package is valued at $127,627 a year (stock picture)

It is illegal to advertise specifically for a female or male in New South Wales unless it is an 'essential requirement' of the position.

On the organisation's website, the job description states under the provisions of 'section 126 of the Anti-Discrimination Act 1977' that an exemption has been granted 'from sections 25 and 51, of the Anti-Discrimination Act 1977' to the NSW ICAC, to designate and recruit a surveillance operative position for women.

The agency would not specify why a man was not able to carry out the same duties however anti-corruption expert Professor Adam Graycar told the Daily Telegraph there was likely a legitimate reason the ICAC has been gender specific.

'There may well be occasions in female-only or female-dominated activities where some activity of interest to ICAC is taking place ... this could be in a school, a performing arts activity or a sporting activity, for example,' he said on Sunday.

Security expert and Homeland Security Asia/Pacific chief executive Roger Henning explained the field was dominated by males.

'It makes sense to waive the rules requiring positions to be open to all. It saves human resources time and the expense of having to turn down hundreds of unsuitable male applicants for a role requiring a female,' he said.

Security expert and Homeland Security Asia/Pacific chief executive Roger Henning (pictured) explained the field was dominated by males

'Women are very dedicated, observant, ultra-fast first responders who are not easily distracted from a high-level protection task.'

Mr Henning said in his experience women are stronger candidates at undertaking covert surveillance of women as a man is more likely to stand out.

Skills required for the listing include 'knowledge of covert physical surveillance methodologies' and 'well developed decision making and prioritisation skills'.

Applications for the position close on March 18.More than one hundred Virgin passengers have kicked up a stink after being stranded at Perth airport when a 'strange smell' forced their flight to turn around.

The flight took off from Perth on Saturday afternoon and was just over an hour into the flight to Adelaide, when crew reported a strange smell at the back of the plane.

A cautious captain made the call to turn the flight around for the safety of crew and passengers.

A Virgin flight carrying about 100 passengers was forced to turn back after crew reported a smell at the back of the plane

A Virgin Australia spokesman told Daily Mail Australia the 2.50pm flight from Perth to Adelaide was meant to be a two hour and 50 minute trip.

'The aircraft turned back as a precautionary measure,' he said.

'The engineers have inspected the aircraft and its back in service today.'

Two-thirds of the passengers were left stranded with only a third of the passengers managing to get on another flight.

Perth Airport told Daily Mail Australia they can't comment on the incident.Political commentator Andrew Bolt has slammed politicians for quickly reacting to the home invasion of a Melbourne celebrity but ignoring regular residents

Political commentator Andrew Bolt has slammed Victorian politicians for rushing to the aid of a radio star whose home was broken into in Melbourne last week.

Bolt argued in a column written for the Herald Sun that media personality Kate Langbroek only had her concerns heard because of her high profile - putting her in a class he dubbed 'People Like Us'.

The commentator further noted thousands of other regular people, who did not enjoy a similar status, had made similar complaints which had fallen on deaf ears.

Bolt suggested the 'instant success' of the radio presenter's campaign for change proved politicians moved faster for people of a higher status with a large following than they did for regular residents, who faced similar or worse problems on a daily basis.

'If only FM radio stars like Kate Langbroek lived out in suburbs where African gangs invaded homes or Lebanese gunmen shot them up,' he wrote.

Ms Langbroek had called for the nearby Regal rooming house, where residents are generally unable to afford to rent privately, to be shut down after a man charged through her front door.

She and her husband Peter had been putting their children to bed when their babysitter ran back to the home, claiming a man had tried to get into her car. The couple went outside to investigate, and were allegedly set upon by the man.

'He was on us, like violent, raving, tried to open the front gate and I was behind the gate, Peter was out on the street and so we got into this tussle over the gate,' Langbroek told the Today Show almost a week after the incident.

Melbourne radio host Kate Langbroek (pictured) suffered severe bruising after a 'crazed' person attempted to break into her family home last Friday evening

She used her extensive social media reach to request her local MP call her about the issue and take action. He called the same day

On March 6, the radio host tweeted: 'Following a crazed, violent, terrifying attack on our family home on Friday night, I would like to speak with [local MP] Martin Foley about his plans to stop the degradation of St Kilda Hill. Thank you.'

Just one day later, Langbroek had returned to Twitter, this time to thank the MP for calling her on the same day she initially asked for help.

On March 8, two days after the popular radio host had reached out to her local MP, it was announced the Regal rooming house would be shut down.

Police were called while the frightening incident was taking place outside Langbroek's home, and a 38-year-old man was arrested at the scene and charged with burglary and trespass.

Bolt said many were living in areas where a small population of people taken in from countries facing military conflict had become responsible for a disproportionate level of crime.

Just two days later, it was announced nearby public housing unit Regal rooming house would be shut down promptly

Just after midnight on Wednesday, a 77-year-old woman was woken by a noise and found a man ransacking her Carlingford Street home in Caulfield.

She called 3AW on Thursday and said she was so terrified she would now be sleeping with a hammer under her bed.

Police confirmed it was the second home invasion within an hour in suburban Melbourne that night.

On Saturday morning, a man on a disability pension living in a public housing unit was brutally attacked with a timber plank.

Four young men of African appearance stormed into the home around 3am through an open back door while one repeatedly struck the man on the head and torso with a wooden plank, Nine News reported.

In January, Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull weighed in on the problem, telling reporters his government was 'very concerned at the growing gang violence and lawlessness in Victoria, in particular in Melbourne.'

Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton has also previously weighed in on the situation, noting many of the young offenders had moved to Australia from overseas.

'Frankly, they don't belong in Australian society,' Mr Dutton told Sydney radio station 2GB in early January.

'If people haven't integrated, if they're not abiding by our laws, if they're not adhering to our culture, then they're not welcome here.'

Bolt says politicians are quick to fob off locals with lesser profiles, and said Ms Langbroek received a prompt response because of her status as a celebrity

While these residents were often heard or seen complaining and pleading for government assistance in dealing with the problems of an immense population growth, they were often ignored.

The commentator acknowledged the negative impact of immigration was caused by only a small population of the minority, but also noted many 'People Like Us' were not personally impacted by rising crime rates or over populated areas.

'We should not forget how easy it is to dismiss the trouble when its not your own house being smashed into, and not your own relatives waking up to find armed thieves standing over their bed,' he wrote.

'We certainly mustnt forget how easily our politicians play down that trouble when theres no Kate Langbroek showing the world her bruises.'A man is in hospital with serious head injuries resulting from crashing his car into a tree after being involved in an alleged street race in western Sydney.

A second man has been charged in relation to the street race and crash which occurred about 6:40pm Sunday evening in Carnes Hill.

The 40-year-old man, driving a black Mazda RX-7, crossed over onto the wrong side of the road and hit a tree during the alleged race with a 22-year-old man.

The Metropolitan Crash Investigation Unit established a crime scene and forensic investigation.

The second man, who was behind the wheel of a white Toyota 86 coupe, fled the scene, however, later returned to the crash site and was arrested by police.

He underwent mandatory blood and urine tests at Liverpool Hospital before being taken to Liverpool police station.

The Toyota coupe was located at an address in Prestons following inquiries and seized for forensic analysis.

The Mazda driver was trapped in the vehicle for some time before being pulled out

The driver has been charged with dangerous driving and organising and promoting the race and was granted conditional bail to appear at Liverpool Local Court on Wednesday 4 April 2018.

The Mazda driver was trapped in the vehicle for some time before being pulled out by emergency services and taken by ambulance to Liverpool Hospital in a critical condition.

The man remains in a critical, although stable, condition as of Monday morning.A second fertility clinic says thousands of frozen eggs and embryos may have been jeopardized from a freezer failure.

Pacific Fertility Clinic in San Francisco, California, confirmed that there was a liquid nitrogen failure in a storage tank in the facility.

Dr Carl Herbert, president of Pacific Fertility Clinic, told the Washington Post on Sunday that officials have informed some 400 patients of the failure that occurred March 4.

Herbert says the clinic's staff thawed a few eggs and found they remain viable, but they have not checked any of the embryos.

Scroll down for video

Pacific Fertility Clinic (pictured) in San Francisco, California, confirmed there was a freezer failure that impacted 400 patients in the facility

The clinic said there was a liquid nitrogen problem in the tank and it impacted 15 percent of the facility's total egg and embryo population (stock photo)

On Saturday night, doctors with the clinic called some of the 400 patients who had their embryos and eggs stored in the damaged tank.

Herbert told the Post his discussions with patients were emotional.

'Anger is a big part of the phone call,' he said. 'Our goal is to provide all the patients we see with some kind of a family.  We need to think: If this tissue doesn't work, what are the next steps, and have you not feel defeated.'

The clinic also sent out emails to two other groups of patients about the failure - an estimated 100 patients who had tissue in the problematic tank and another tank, and then a second group whose embryos and eggs remained undamaged.

Dr Carl Herbert, president of the facility, said doctors called patients on Saturday to inform them of the failure. He claims the staff tested some of the eggs and found them still viable

A spokesperson with the clinic said that an estimated 15 per cent of the clinic's total number of eggs and embryos were in the damaged tank.

It's the second such failure at a US clinic in a matter of days.

Last week, an Ohio hospital said more than 2,000 frozen eggs and embryos may have been damaged due to a refrigerator malfunction.

The University Hospital Fertility Center in Cleveland has a long-term storage tank containing liquid nitrogen that suffered equipment failure.

The failure caused the temperature to rise, ultimately making the eggs and embryos at the facility lose their viability. Some of these have been stored for decades.

Approximately 500 to 600 families were affected by the Ohio fertility clinic tank failure.

The hospital started contacting each of the families last week to determine how they would like to proceed with their eggs and embryos.

Amber and Elliott Nash were one couple devastated by the faulty storage tank in the Ohio hospital.

Amber and Elliott Ash may have lost their embryos after a malfunction at the fertility center in Ohio where they were being held which saw temperatures rise and the eggs start to thaw out

Amber told of her grief at losing two embryos. She expects compensation for the mistake

'My heart just sank and I felt physically ill,' Amber Ash said to CBS News.

'I felt just sick to my stomach. The world of infertility is just very isolating world.'

The couple, who have one child together, had the IVF procedure after Elliot was diagnosed with cancer to give them option if they wanted to have a family one day.

But after Amber's first pregnancy, doctors told her she should not carry another child because of complications.

Their embryos were saved for them to have an option of using a surrogate in the future.

The hospital sent letters to the affected families, but Amber told the news station that she heard the news from a family member who saw it on TV.

The couple is hoping for compensation after the error that potentially damaged two of their embryos.

Katelynn Gurbach said her 'deepest nightmares' had come true after her eggs were lost

Katelynn Gurbach also lost her eggs and with them any chances of being a mother.

'The unthinkable, the unimaginable, the unbelievable has happened. My worst fears and deepest nightmares made a reality,' she wrote in a moving post on Facebook.

When Katelynn was 23 years old, she was diagnosed with ovarian cancer and underwent fertility treatment at University Hospitals to harvest her eggs.

There were 10 eggs and four embryos in total, but she has now been told that any chances of having a child are lost.

'I always though that they would be there waiting for me. I used to tell them that we were coming for them. That was my whole life. I wanted nothing more than to be a mom,' she told WKYC.

The hospital said it's conferring with experts about why the storage tank malfunctioned.

In order to check viability, the eggs and embryos have to be thawed and then implanted.

All of them have been moved to a working tank and the facility said it would not destroy any of them unless authorized to by the individual.

Egg freezing has grown in popularity, with an estimated 20,000 US women who have had the procedure, according to the Society for Assisted Reproductive Technology.

The procedure can cost between $10,000 to $15,000 depending on the clinic.Theresa May dramatically pointed the finger at Vladimir Putin tonight over the nerve gas attack on a former spy.

The Prime Minister said the facts increasingly suggested Russia was behind the apparent 'hit' on double-agent Sergei Skripal in Salisbury.

Branding the attack a 'reckless and despicable act', Mrs May said the substance used was a 'military grade' agent Moscow has produced.

Together with Russia's previous actions and tactics, including the killing of Alexander Litvinenko, the UK authorities had concluded it was 'highly likely' to be involved in the episode.

In a tough statement updating MPs after a meeting of the National Security Council, Mrs May raised the prospect of significant retaliation - making clear that the UK is already consulting Nato and other allies.

'It is now clear that Mr Skripal and his daughter were poisoned with military grade nerve agent of a type developed by Russia,' Mrs May said.

'This is part of a group of nerve agents known as novichok.'

Russia's ambassador was summoned to the Foreign Office at 3.45 for a 'cool but firm' meeting with Boris Johnson. There was no handshake between the politicians as Mr Johnson outlined the 'outrage' felt by the British people.

Branding the attack a 'reckless and despicable act' this evening, Mrs May said the substance used was a 'military grade' nerve agent Russia has produced

Sergei Skripal (left) and his daughter Yulia (right) have been in a critical condition since they were found unconscious on a bench outside a shopping centre in Salisbury on March 4

Mrs May, who was flanked by (from right) Boris Johnson, security minister Ben Wallace and Home Secretary Amber Rudd for her statement this evening, said she would unveil retaliatory measures on Wednesday after giving Russian time to respond to the evidence

She added: 'Based on the positive identification of this chemical agent by world leading experts at the laboratory at Port Down, our knowledge that Russia has previously produced this agent and would still be cap able of doing so, Russia's record of conducting state sponsored assassinations, and our assessment that Russia views defectors as a legitimate target for assassination the government has concluded that it is highly likely Russia was responsible for the act against Sergei and Yulia Skripal.'

Mrs May said Boris Johnson had summoned the Russian ambassador in London this afternoon and informed him of the findings.

The Kremlin has been given a deadline of tomorrow night to respond to the evidence and the government could outline its 'detailed' retaliation on Wednesday.

'Should there be no credible response we will conclude that his action amounts to an unlawful use of force by the Russian state against the United Kingdom, and I will come back to this House and set out the full range of measures that we will take in response,' she said.

Mrs May said the government would not accept such an attempt to 'murder innocent civilians on our soil'.

'This attempted murder using a weapons-grade nerve agent on a British town was not just a crime against the Skripals, it was an indiscriminate ad reckless act against the United Kingdom, putting the lives of innocent civilians at risk,' she said.

'And we will not tolerate such a brazen attempt to murder innocent civilians on our soil.'

What action could Britain take against Russia if the Kremlin is shown to be behind the poison spy plot? Expel diplomats: Britain could expel Russia's ambassador and other diplomats based at the embassy in Kensington Palace Gardens - round the corner from where Prince William and Kate live. If MI5 have tabs on a Russian spy ring in the UK, Britain could take this poison plot as a reason to expel them. Impose sanctions: Britain already has an extensive range of sanctions against Russia as a result of the invasion of Crimea and eastern Ukraine, but we could extend them. The UK could also impose sanctions on named individuals if they are linked to the murder attempt. Britain could pass the 'Magnitsky List' mirroring US laws imposing travel bans on senior Kremlin officials responsible for the death of Russian accountant Sergei Magnitsky in a prison in 2009. Britain could enact the Magnitsky amendment, imposed conditions on Putin's cronies. The act is named after Sergei Magnitsky, a lawyer who died in custody after exposing corruption World Cup boycott Official representation could be withdrawn from the World Cup in Russia if Kremlin links are proven. Prime Minister Theresa May told MPs last week that the Government would look at whether ministers and other dignitaries should attend the tournament in that event. The Duke of Cambridge has already said he has no plans to attend. There have been calls for the England team to boycott the tournament but their withdrawal would probably have little impact. A coordinated protest, involving the withdrawal of multiple countries, would be far more effective in damaging Vladimir Putins showcase international event. However, experts say the nerve agent poisoning is unlikely to create enough international momentum to trigger a wider boycott. Statement of condemnation Britain may call on the support its closest allies if there is evidence of a Russian murder attempt on UK soil. A joint statement of international condemnation could be issued from leaders including French President Emmanuel Macron and Germanys Angela Merkel, warning Russia that such actions will not be tolerated. Advertisement

But the Russian Russian Foreign Ministry showed little sign of readiness to explain itself, immediately deriding Mrs Mays remarks as a circus show.

Counter-terrorism police and intelligence officers are thought to have presented compelling evidence at the NSC meeting that Moscow ordered the hit in Salisbury over a week ago.

MPs from across parties voiced support for Mrs May's robust reaction to the outrage on UK soil.

But Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn drew shouts and jeers as he criticised the government for failing to 'talk' to the Kremlim and complained about Tory donations from Russian business figures.

'We need to continue seeking a robust dialogue with Russia on all the issues dividing our countries, both domestic and international - rather than simply cutting off contact and simply letting tensions and divisions get worse, and potentially even more dangerous,' Mr Corbyn said.

He faced shouts of 'shame' and 'disgrace' from Conservative MPs as he told the Commons: 'We're all familiar with the way huge fortunes, often acquired in the most dubious circumstances in Russia, sometimes connected with criminal elements, have ended up sheltering in London and trying to buy political influence in British party politics.

'Meddling in elections, as the Prime Minister put it, and there has been over 800,000 worth of donations to the Conservative Party from Russian oligarchs and their associates.'

Former Tory leader Iain Duncan Smith branded Russia a 'rogue state' and demanded the 'most severe' response.

He said: 'If we appease a country like this, then we should expect even worse.'

Commons Foreign Affairs Committee chair Tom Tugendhat said the use of nerve gas was a 'war like act'.

Home Affairs Committee chair Yvette Cooper said a cross-party stand was needed against Russian aggression.

In an interview with the Evening Standard earlier, Home Secretary Amber Rudd pointed out that Mr Putin had jibed in a Russian TV interview about not being able to forgive 'betrayal'.

She said: 'I'm not going to enter into a kind of great big tit-for-tat with them, which is what they are longing I'm sure for us to do.

'Because when attribution comes we have to be absolutely cool-headed about it. Other people can carry on making their comments.

'I think that the general public are wise enough to take a dim view of that kind of childish joshing.'

Mrs May hinted that the prospect of pulling the England team out of the football World Cup was not being considered.

Asked about the team, she suggested officials could boycott the event but did not go further.

What is the Novichok nerve agent used against the Skripals? The Novichok nerve agent used against former Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia is among the most deadly poisons ever created. They were secretly developed by the Soviet Union during the height of the Cold war in the 1970s and 1980s. Communist scientists developed the poison so it would not be able to be detected by Nato's chemical detection equipment. They come in the form of a ultra-fine powder, Novichok is up to eight times more potent than the deadly VX gas. Victims who are poisoned by the powder suffer muscle spasms, breathing problems and then cardiac arrest. There is a known antidote to the nerve agent - atropine can block the poison. But doctors find it very tricky to administer the antidote because the dose would have to be so high it could prove fatal for the person. Novichok poisons are highly dangerous to handle, requiring the expertise of skilled scientists in a sophisticated lab. Dr Vil Mirzayanov, former Chief of the Foreign Technical Counterintelligence Department at Russias premiere, was among the team of scientists who helped develop the agent. Advertisement

The dramatic moment in the House of Commons came after Public Health England stepped up their response by warning members of the public in Salisbury to wash their clothing and possessions  seven days after Mr Skripal and his daughter Yulia fell ill.

Three Cabinet ministers - including Boris Johnson - are understood to have been be privately pushing the PM to respond with 'tough action' after claims Britain's response to the 2006 murder of Russian ex-spy Alexander Litvinenko had not been enough.

Ministers, spy chiefs, police and the head of the military were at the talks today on the progress made in the investigation.

Military scientists at the Porton Down research unit expect to be able to say beyond doubt that the rare nerve toxin was devised in a laboratory in Moscow.

The PM is thought to have canvassed views from Foreign Office officials and Air Chief Marshal Sir Stuart Peach on the appropriate response if the evidence proves conclusive.

Possibilities include 'full spectrum' retaliation across diplomatic, economic and military fronts such as the immediate expulsion of senior Russian diplomats and spies, potentially cancelling Kremlin-linked oligarchs' visas, and asset freezes and travel bans.

The Government is also expected to meet MPs 'half way' on implementing a British version of the US's 'Magnitsky Act' which lists Russians involved in corruption and human rights abuses who are banned from entering America.

Senior Whitehall sources said the Government could also plan long-term consequences such as boosting Britain's military deployments in eastern Europe.

Further options include covert consequences for Moscow that will never be revealed such as an offensive cyber-attack.

Marina Litvinenko, whose husband Alexander died in London after being poisoned, said the Government had promised her such a crime would not be repeated.

'Unfortunately, it happened again. It means something was not done,' she said.

The PMs spokesman said senior British officials have been speaking with top officials from Britains Nato allies and further talks are expected in the coming days.

Asked specifically if she was using Nato or UN language in her statement, he added: That is not an Article 5 type statement.

Vladimir Putin said in a Russia TV interview he could forgive nearly everything, but not 'betrayal'

He also signalled that the Government could back amendments being tabled by MPs to a Bill going through Parliament to beef up the power to impose sanctions on cronies of Putin using dirty money to love the high life in London.

A group of backbench MPs want the Government to bring in a Magnitsky Law, which has already been introduced in other countries including the US.

The PM's spokesman said the Government has already passed legislation to beef up the sanctions regime.

But he added that Mrs May 'is looking to build the broadest possible consensus and conversations will take place with those who have tabled the amendment'.

Home Secretary Amber Rudd and Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson were both at the National Security Council meeting in Downing Street today

Air Chief Marshall Sir Stuart Peach (left) and Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson arrived together for the NCS meeting today

Shouts of 'shame' as Corbyn complains that Britain is not listening to Russia enough Jeremy Corbyn drew shouts and jeers from MPs today as he criticised the government for failing to 'talk' to the Kremlin. The Labour leader was also accused of petty point-scoring after using the occasion to complain about Tory donations from Russian business figures. The comments came as Mr Corbyn responded to Theresa May's statement in the House of Commons condemning Russia for involvement in the attempted murder of a Russian agent on UK soil. After Mrs May said it was 'highly likely' that Moscow had ordered the use of a 'military grade' nerve agent, Mr Corbyn replied: 'We need to continue seeking a robust dialogue with Russia on all the issues dividing our countries, both domestic and international - rather than simply cutting off contact and simply letting tensions and divisions get worse, and potentially even more dangerous.' The Labour leader was accused of petty point-scoring tonight after using the occasion to complain about Tory donations from Russian business figures He faced shouts of 'shame' and 'disgrace' from Conservative MPs as he told the Commons: 'We're all familiar with the way huge fortunes, often acquired in the most dubious circumstances in Russia, sometimes connected with criminal elements, have ended up sheltering in London and trying to buy political influence in British party politics. 'Meddling in elections, as the Prime Minister put it, and there has been over 800,000 worth of donations to the Conservative Party from Russian oligarchs and their associates.' By contrast, a series of MPs from all parties stood to welcome Mrs May's strong reply to the apparent assassination attempt. Home Affairs Committee chair Yvette Cooper said a cross-party stand was needed against Russian aggression. Former Tory leader Iain Duncan Smith branded Russia a 'rogue state' and demanded the 'most severe' response. He said: 'If we appease a country like this, then we should expect even worse.' AdvertisementSecret parties filed with sex, beer and drugs are being held at a public war memorial in South Australia.

It's not known who is throwing the events, which take place at the Salisbury war memorial, but it's thought they range from casual beers to large parties.

Labeling the behavior as disgraceful, the Salisbury RSL have called on the local council to install CCTV cameras at the site, The Advertiser has reported.

Don Pider, the president of the RSL says the parties at the memorial disgraceful and wants council and the state government to put in CCTV cameras

The Salisbury war memorial has become the unlikely venue for wild parties

RSL members have regularly found beer bottles, used condoms and even wee on the Orange Ave memorial.

Now the members have had enough. They're working with the Salisbury council and state government so that for CCTV cameras to be placed in the area.

Don Pider, the president of the RSL said the extra security was urgently needed to deter and catch offenders.

'They sit down there on the walls, drink, urinate and all sorts of other stuff,' Mr Prider said.

He said it had happened on several occasions but the worst was in January where there was a massive party held at the memorial. The next morning, the members of the RSL had to send out a clean up crew for the piles of rubbish left there.

Mr Prider said while he thought the behavior was completely disgraceful, he also understood the party goers were most likely not being malicious.

Mr Prider also said hat he understood the party goers weren't being malicious, they just didn't understand that it is a sacred site for many people

The rubbish found at the site has included beer bottles, used condoms and evidence of urination of the memorial

'They most likely don't understand the importance of the memorial and what it means to people in Australia,' he said.

Mick Lennon, an ex-president and member of the RSL, told Daily Mail Australia that after every morning clean up the volunteers reported back to him.

'Its been bad for the last, six to eight months. They took the brass plate of the monument, they tried to take the rifles from the top of it,' he said.

'There have been many disputes down there, some disruptions and it's disgraceful.'

'Some members of our community just don't have the same respect as we do and it's caused a lot of problems.'

The local council is in the process of preparing a funding application to the State Attorney-General's Department for a CCTV grant which would cover the entire memorial area and beyond.

The proposal may be at risk of getting wedged between the two organisations as council have demanded every dollar they put in is matched by the state government.

Blair Boyer, Labor's candidate for the seat of Wright, which the memorial sits in, has said the state government was looking at setting $18,000 aside before they entered the state election, which ends on the 17th of March.

The council says other measures had been taken to try and stop the parties being held at the memorial. They included reporting to the police, engaging the crime-prevention team to liaise with people using the site and an after hours security patrol.Dementia detection is so poor that half of patients in some areas of England have not been diagnosed, figures suggest.

Patients are being sent away by GPs numerous times and told they are depressed, over-tired or just growing old.

Some wait up to five years before being diagnosed, during which time they are denied vital drugs and support, according to research. The figures were obtained by the Alzheimer's Society which warned many family doctors were unaware of the early signs of dementia.

But leading GPs admitted they were sometimes reluctant to diagnose the condition for fear of giving patients a 'label'.

The estimate takes into account the size and age of the population as well as other factors such as household income and ethnicity (stock image)

The diagnosis rates were lowest in West Somerset where only 42.6 per cent of patients with dementia have had the illness confirmed. The figures were only marginally better in South Hams, in Devon, at 47.2 per cent and in West Dorset, at 49.6 per cent.

I had to wait for 5 years Joy Watson waited more than five years to be diagnosed with dementia after first noticing symptoms. She was told by doctors her confusion was down to depression, stress and even the menopause. The former nurse, who lives in Salford with her husband and full-time carer Tony, realised something was wrong when she was 49. But it was not until she turned 55 that she was diagnosed. Even then it was only as a result of her own persistence. Joy Watson (pictured) waited more than five years to be diagnosed with dementia after first noticing symptoms Mrs Watson, now 59, said: I went backwards and forwards to my GP, backwards and forwards to have memory tests of which I failed all of them. But it just wasnt accepted that at 49 I could have dementia. After failing yet another memory test she insisted on further investigations and was offered a brain scan which confirmed she had dementia. Despite being devastated by the news, she said: A diagnosis is a good thing as you are given access to a lot of support. It also gives you peace of mind. Advertisement

While it is impossible to ascertain exactly how many patients go undiagnosed, the figures from NHS Digital are based on the most accurate estimate of adults expected to have dementia in a particular area.

The estimate takes into account the size and age of the population as well as other factors such as household income and ethnicity. And the figures showed how dementia patients in some areas of England were twice as likely to be diagnosed as elsewhere.

An estimated 91.2 per cent have been diagnosed in Stockton-on-Tees, County Durham, and in Islington, North London, the figure was 89 per cent.

The overall diagnosis rate for England in January, at 67.9 per cent, was the lowest for the six months that the data had been published.

This suggests there are currently 207,000 patients with dementia who have not been diagnosed and are being denied treatment and care. Jeremy Hughes, chief executive of the Alzheimer's Society said many patients were waiting years to be diagnosed and making 'multiple visits' to their GP.

Mr Hughes said: 'I just don't think it's good enough. Why should one third of people not get a diagnosis?

'You would expect [a timely diagnosis] with any other disease and the fact that people with dementia don't get it is denying their right to know what's wrong with them.'

He added: 'There's a false assumption that this is about ageing, rather than a disease.'

He said one female patient  who happened to be a former GP  was dismissed by doctors at her own surgery 'umpteen times'.

'They kept misdiagnosing her, saying, 'You're too young to have dementia... oh it could not possibly be dementia, go away and have some antidepressants'.

'There's still this enormous variation and people can take years to get a proper diagnosis, particularly younger people.'

The overall diagnosis rate for England in January, at 67.9 per cent, was the lowest for the six months that the data had been published (stock image)

Mr Hughes said these patients in particular 'found it difficult to be taken seriously' and were often diagnosed with 'depression, stress or tiredness'. At least 850,000 adults in the UK have dementia  although it could be as high as one million. This includes 42,000 who have 'early onset' dementia, when it occurs before the age of 65.

Professor Helen Stokes-Lampard, chairman of the Royal College of GPs, said: 'Dementia is a progressively debilitating condition which can have a terrible impact on the lives of patients, their families, and their carers.

'However, there may be some situations where GPs might validly consider it in the best interest of the patient to delay seeking a formal diagnosis, especially in the early stages... where patients do not want to be labelled.'

A spokesman for NHS England said: 'We should be proud that the NHS has dramatically increased the number of people receiving a formal diagnosis as there are approximately 150,000 more people now able to access dementia help and support.'Michael Hand was arrested at his home in Troutman, North Carolina on Friday by state troopers and police for the October 1986 murder of Tracy Gilpin, WCVB reported

A North Carolina man has been arrested in connection with the murder of a teenage girl who was found dead in the woods in Massachusetts in 1986.

Michael Hand was arrested at his home in Troutman, North Carolina on Friday by state troopers and police for the October 1986 murder of Tracy Gilpin, WCVB reported.

The 15-year-old from Kingston, Massachusetts, was reported missing by her family members after she disappeared on October 1.

Three weeks later her body was found in Myles Standish Park in Plymouth, and her death was ruled a massive skull fracture by a homicide by the chief medical examiner.

The 61-year-old is currently in custody in North Carolina and will be brought back to Massachusetts to be prosecuted for Tracy's murder.

The 15-year-old from Kingston, Massachusetts, was reported missing by her family members after she disappeared on October 1

Three weeks later her body was found in Myles Standish Park in Plymouth, and her death was ruled a massive skull fracture by a homicide by the chief medical examiner

He is expected to be arraigned at Plymouth District Court as soon as Monday.

Tracy's sister, Massachusetts State Police Colonel Kerry Gilpin, issued a statement after the arrest was made public to thank the Plymouth County District Attorney and Plymouth County State Police Detective Unit.

'For the past three decades, we have remained hopeful that Tracys murderer would be identified,' the statement read.

'The much-welcomed news of an arrest in the case leaves us cautiously optimistic that justice for Tracy is within reach. My thoughts today are not just with my own family, but also with all the families who have lost loved ones to violence.

'We will continue to work tirelessly to find justice for all murder victims.'

Tracy's sister, Massachusetts State Police Colonel Kerry Gilpin, issued a statement after the arrest was made public to thank the Plymouth County District Attorney and Plymouth County State Police Detective Unit. Kerry, who was 16 when Tracy died, told the Boston Globe last year she went into law enforcement because of her sister's murder

Kerry, who was 16 at the time of Tracy's death, told the Boston Globe last year she decided to go into law enforcement because of her sister's unsolved murder.

Tracy's story received a renewed attention in 2017 when her family offered a $25,000 reward for any new information that could help police track down the teen's killer.

'It's been 30 years, I know it's solvable,' Kerry told the Globe.

'In my heart of hearts, I know that that person is out there.'

The case left a 'hole in the heart of her entire family,' the Massachusetts Police Department said last year.The murderer beat his daughter with wooden bed slats, ties filled with ball bearings and an electrical cord

An African migrant who tortured his step-daughter for three days 'until she couldn't take it anymore' and died has admitted he is 'all things evil' in an 'extraordinary' letter.

The killer, originally from Malawi, was jailed for a minimum of 28 years over the barbaric 2015 murder of the 12-year-old in New South Wales' Hunter Region.

The sickening details of the man's crimes - involving wooden bed slats and ties filled with ball bearings - have been described as among the most horrific 'ever'.

The Supreme Court Justice who condemned the man to jail said the murderer had sent a letter of the likes he had 'never seen' which forbid his lawyers from defending him.

In the handwritten note, obtained in full by Daily Mail Australia, the man said was reversing his 'not guilty' plea as he had to 'face up' to his crimes.

'The shame and guilt ... slowly eats me inside,' he wrote.

'(I) am in a world of grief.

'My constant thoughts are a well of regret.

Victim: The young girl, who cannot be identified, was found dead by her mother

Forensics police seen at the family's home in the NSW Hunter Region after the murder in 2015

'My eyes have become waterfalls of remorse.

'A living and breathing testimony of Jeremiah 20:12 (a biblical passage about being 'cursed since the day I was born)' is what I am.

'Bu(t) nothing I have been through plus things yet to come; none compares to the horror (my wife) and the kids face by my hand.'

The murderer said he could not ask for leniency because of what he had caused.

'My grief is only a tiny fraction of the world.

'It's of this reason specifically I wish not be considered any leniency in the my proceedings.

'How could I possibly ask for a break from the courts after ... taking my daughter from this world and from my family ...

'So (I) am pleading guilty and I hereby wave any considerations by the courts for mercy.

'My sin(s) are the ground I walk on, but my final judgment is not of this world.'

In sentencing, Justice Peter Hamill said he never seen a letter quite like it.

Tragic: The 12-year-old girl (left) cannot be identified for legal reasons

'This was not a letter to a Judge asking for leniency but rather a heartfelt and sincere explanation to his lawyers as to the offenders reasons for deciding to plead guilty and forbidding his solicitors from pursuing any defence that may be available to him,' he said.

He agreed with the Crown Prosecutor that his remorse came quite late.

Extract from the killer's four-page handwritten letter to his lawyer, dated 20 November 2017

The man beat his little girls on a weekly basis, the court head.

He struck the sister he eventually killed with electrical cords and at one point pushed her against the wall with such force it damaged the gyprock.

The girls were kept out of school 'to allow the obvious injuries they suffered (time) to heal,' Judge Hamill said in sentencing.

The father would sometimes rub heat rub and then 'salt and vinegar' into the wounds to cause the girls pain.

'Am in the world of grief. My constant thoughts are a well of regret. My eyes have become waterfalls of remorse' - more from the man's letter

'You've put me through pain, so now you can see how it feels,' he told the younger girl.

An agreed statement of facts put to the court said the beatings that resulted in one sister's death occurred between September 20 and September 22, 2015.

The court document revealed the man bound and little girl to the bed and beat her with leather belts and wooden slats and stomping on her.

The girl's mother returned home from playing pokie machines to find her partner wiping vomit from her mouth.

The girl was found dead by her mother after 5am the next morning.Dodgy migration agents are taking advantage of vulnerable visa applicants, with many losing their licences for inappropriate conduct.

Agents in Sydney and Melbourne have been caught forging documents, inventing fake jobs and charging thousands of dollars for applications they knew would fail.

One registered migration agent went as far as employing an applicant with no visa in his restaurant after misleading her, then harassed her and refused to pay her wages.

Dodgy migration agents are taking advantage of vulnerable visa applicants, with many losing their licences for inappropriate conduct (stock image)

Ravinder Singh, former owner of Punjabi Tandoori Corner in Melbourne, had his registration cancelled by the Home Affairs Department, The Daily Telegraph reported.

Mr Singh was 'not a person of integrity, nor a fit and proper person to provide immigration assistance', the Home Affairs department found in January.

Bei Zheng, a migration agent operating in Sydney, had her licence cancelled by the Tribunal after allegedly lodging at least nine plagiarised protection visa claims.

She was found to have wasted the time of immigration authorities and the Administrative Appeals Tribunal.

Liberal MP Jason Falinski (pictured) said unscrupulous agents must be stopped, and the federal government may be prepared to act soon

Ms Zheng claimed her licence was cancelled for different reasons and said another person prepared the false statements.

Another Sydney agent, Hoan Trang Nguyen, was found by Home Affairs in December to have submitted fake documents and engaged in fraud.

Nguyen 'demonstrated a blatant disregard, or significant degree of indifference, for the law', it was found.

Another agent allegedly submitted 20 false refugee applications, some of which were plagiarised from speeches by Malaysian MPs.

There have been total of 23 misconduct findings since January 2017, and additional allegations include claims of forged signatures and fabricated documents.

Other agents have allegedly invented fake jobs from home addresses for applicants, and make failing court appeals in order to charge their customers more fees.

Another agent allegedly told authorities a house fire destroyed an applicant's documents, but charged thousands of dollars in fees for the doomed application.

Liberal MP Jason Falinski said unscrupulous agents must be stopped, and the federal government may be prepared to act soon.

'There are people out there who are giving others false hope,' said Mr Falinski, Member for Mackellar.Spaceships headed for Mars could be ready as soon as the first half of next year, the man behind their creation, Elon Musk, has announced.

The Tesla and SpaceX founder, 46, sat down for a surprise question and answer session at the South by Southwest technology and culture festival in Austin, Texas, on Sunday, and updated the excited audience on his quest to get humans to the Red Planet.

'We are building the first Mars, or interplanetary ship, and I think well be able to do short trips, short up and down flights, by first half of next year,' Musk told Westworld co-creator Jonathan Nolan, who was moderating the talk.

Ready for take-off: SpaceX founder Elon Musk said on Sunday Mars spaceships could be ready by the first half of next year

The 46-year-old billionaire sat down with Westworld co-creator Jonathan Nolan for a surprise question and answer session at the South by Southwest festival in Austin, Texas, on Sunday

However, he admitted this deadline may be a little optimistic, adding: 'Although sometimes, my timelines are a little, you know...'

Musk announced last year that his private company SpaceX is working to send a cargo mission to Mars by 2022. He hopes this venture helps jumpstart human colonization of the planet.

He said he believes once the hard part is over - building the spaceship - others will jump at the opportunity of doing it themselves.

'I think once we build it we'll have a point of proof something that other companies and countries can go and do. They certainly don't think it's possible, but if we do they'll up their game.'

When someone asked Musk how regular folk can help his mission of getting to Mars, he said right now is all about general support and encouragement.

Musk announced last year that his private company SpaceX is working to send a cargo mission to Mars by 2022. Pictured is the Falcon Heavy launch on February 2018

Musk admitted the first humans to dare make the trip will be risking a lot: 'It will be far more dangerous - difficult, dangerous, good chance you will die,' he conceded

And although getting to Mars sounds expensive, the billionaire inventor said a flight in the BFR rocket will actually cost less than the initial Falcon 1 flights, which were around $5 to $6million, according to Musk.

Still, Musk admitted the first humans to dare make the trip will be risking a lot.

'It will be far more dangerous - difficult, dangerous, good chance you will die,' he conceded.

Once Musk figures out how to get to Mars, the real work will begin, as humans will have to build everything they need to survive in the planet.

A genius' inspiration: Musk told the audience he's inspired by rapper Kanye West (left) and iconic performer Fred Astaire (right)

'I think mars should have really have great bars... Mars bars,' Musk joked.

As to what inspired him to begin looking into Mars exploration, Musk said it was the simple fact that no one else seemed to be doing it.

'Where are the space hotels that were promised in 2001 the movie?' he asked. 'It just wasn't happening, year after year. It was getting me down.'

But doing things no one has done before is not his only incentive, he also mentioned some unlikely sources of inspiration: Fred Astaire and Kanye West.The crisis is expected to hit millions of Britons after wholesale energy prices went from a record low last May because of a lack of demand due to global lockdowns to the highest rates since the 1990s. Scott Byrom, Chief Executive Officer of TheEnergyShop.com, told MailOnline the 650,000 customers at the five energy companies to have folded in the past month were likely to be paying around 850-a-year for their energy because of the deals on offer in 2019 and 2020. But could immediately face a hike to 1,277 from October 1 due to the energy cap rise and may be paying as much as 1,500 by next April when they are moved to a new provider. There are concerns that millions more people could be in the same situation after energy consultants Baringa predicted that the number of UK energy companies could fall from 49 to 10 in the next 12 months if wholesale prices remain the same. Experts have said that many of the companies that have gone bust brought in customers on 'dirt cheap' fixed deals on the back of low prices last year - but now have no hope of making any money so either folded or are seeking a Government bailout. Ofgem will automatically move customers of Hub Energy, PfP, MoneyPlus, Utility Point, People's Energy to a new supplier in the coming days with British Gas taking 350,000 of them today and EDF 220,000 last week. Seven firms have collapsed in 2021 in total and many have only been in existence for five years. But energy market rules demand that customers whose supplier goes bust must be offered a fair deal by the new supplier - not the same one they had - meaning they are likely to pay significantly more. Stacey Stothard was one of 220,000 customer at Dorset-based Utility Point, which has gone bust. She believes her bill will now go up by up to 300 or more.A woman who worked as a script supervisor has come forward claiming that Stranger Things creators the Duffer Brothers were abusive to women on set.

Lori Grabowski, who worked on both seasons of the Netflix series, revealed on Instagram on Saturday that she was a victim of the verbal abuse at the hands of showrunners Matt and Ross Duffer.

Her announcement follows that of show grip Peyton Brown who revealed that she had witnessed the brothers' behavior.

Writer-directors Matt Duffer (left) and his brother, Ross (right), the creators of the popular Netflix show Stranger Things, are being accused of verbally abusing women on set

Lori Grabowski, who worked on set for two seasons as a script supervisor, shared this Instagram post on Saturday to claim that she witnessed and experienced the abuse first hand

Grabowski, pictured left and right, worked on the set for two seasons and said she couldn't keep silent after people called Peyton Brown, the first woman to announce the Duffer's abuse towards women, a liar

Grabowski shared an image with the poignant message: 'Sometimes you face difficulties not because youre doing something wrong, but because youre doing something right' on Instagram.

In the photo's caption she backed Brown's claim of witnessing verbal abuse by the Duffer brothers and said that she, along with other women, are willing to share their stories.

'I am one of those women Peyton referenced. It was very real not only to me, but other women on the set that also want to share their story. Peyton Brown witnessed not only my experience, but the similar experiences of others,' she said.

'I dont know Ms. Brown very well, but what I do know is there is absolutely nothing false about her statement. Myself and other women who are willing to share their stories of our experiences on the set of Stranger Things, are living proof,' she added, defending the grip.

'I was the Script Supervisor of the show for nearly two full seasons. I just could not stand by and let Peyton be called a liar, because what she said is unfortunately, very true. I had no interest in sharing my personal story from working on Stranger Things until I saw so many people accusing Ms. Brown of being a liar. I just cant stay silent,' she said.

Brown - who worked as a grip technician in filmmaking and video production - shared her abuse on Instagram on National Women's Day on March 8.

She claimed that the brothers created a hostile environment on set for women.

Peyton Brown, a grip who worked on the show for its first two seasons, was the first to reveal the hostile environment created by the Duffer brothers in an Instagram post on Thursday

When another Instagram user asked Brown specifically about the Duffer brothers, she responded: There was yelling, there were insults, there were threats and people were even fired or forced to quit because of them. The comments section was later deleted

Peyton Brown (left) is seen above with Millie Bobby Brown (no relation), one of the stars of Stranger Things. Peyton Brown has accused the Duffer brothers of targeting women on set for verbal abuse

'I guess theres no better day than #nationalwomensday to say #timesup and announce that I will not be a part of the filming of Season 3 of Stranger Things,' she wrote.

'Why, you ask? Because I stand with my sisters. I personally witnessed two men in high positions of power on that set seek out and verbally abuse multiple women,' she added.

'I promised myself that if I were ever in a situation to say something that I would. I have 11.5 thousand followers who can hear me say this, TIME IS UP. Women in the film industry are POWERFUL,' she said.

She later detailed the abuse in response to one follower.

'There was yelling, there were insults, there were threats and people were even fired or forced to quit because of them.'

Brown's statement stirred a social media storm against the two brothers after she originally posted the Instagram naming the pair, but then deleted and reposted dubbing them 'two men in high positions of power'.

A hairstylist on set, Sarah Hindsgaul, rose in defense of the Duffers.

On her own Instagram account, she wrote on Friday: 'Thank you Matt and Ross Duffer for being the sweetest most lovely directors I ever worked with.

'I am so proud and overjoyed to be part of the wonderful Stranger Things family.

'Never have I been treated better.'

She also seems to be romantically linked to Matt Duffer as she posted several images with him including on February 15 with the caption: 'I love you Matt Duffer sweet valentine.'

She also posted an image of Matt Duffer dining in what appears to be a beach resort in the Maldives.

'Happy b day Matt,' the caption read. 'I miss you and wish I could spend this special day whit you but you got work to do on the other side of the country so instead I will post a picture of one of the best days of my life and I spent it whit [sic] you.

'You are the most amazing being I have ever meet.'

Speaking to the Hollywood Reporter on Saturday the Duffers issued a public apology saying: 'Due to the high-stress nature of production, tempers occasionally get frayed, and for that, we apologize.'

'However, we think it is important not to mischaracterize our set, where we believe strongly in treating everyone fairly regardless of gender, orientation, race, religion, or anything else.'

Stranger Things is a science fiction drama that has been praised by critics. Two of its stars, David Harbour (left) and Millie Bobby Brown (right), are pictured above in a scene of the show during its second season

I promised myself that if I were ever in a situation to say something that I would,' she wrote. I have 11.5 thousand followers who can hear me say this, TIME IS UP.

Peyton Brown is seen in another photo with Millie Bobby Brown

Peyton Brown is seen right with another star of Stranger Things, Gaten Matarazzo

'We remain totally committed to providing a safe and collaborative working environment for everyone on our productions.'

Netflix added: 'We looked into the concern that was raised when we heard of the allegation on Friday, and found no wrongdoing. Maintaining a safe, respectful atmosphere on set is important to us, and we know it is to the Duffer Brothers as well.'

Brown reiterated to Dailymail.com that she stands behind her post. Grabowski's statement support her claims as well.

'I stand behind my original post. I personally witnessed the Duffer brothers verbally abuse women on multiple occasions. I do not want to be a part of that atmosphere,' she said to Dailymail.com

'Two women have already come out publicly to say that they experienced abuse and there will be more. Netflix's "investigation" could not have been very thorough. They did not follow up with either woman whos names I gave them before releasing their statement,' she added.

Stranger Things is a science fiction drama that has been praised by critics. In its two seasons, it has amassed a sizeable audience as well.

The show, a series produced by Netflix, stars Winona Ryder, David Harbour, and Millie Bobby Brown.

It also features other big-name actors in lesser roles, including Paul Reiser, Sean Astin, and Matthew Modine.

Since revelations about alleged sexual harassment by Harvey Weinstein surfaced in October, scores of prominent figures in show business have been accused of crimes against women.

Allegations have ranged from unwanted advances to harassment and rape.

Sarah Hindsgaul, a hair stylist who works on the set of Stranger Things, came to the Duffers defense

On her own Instagram account, she wrote on Friday: Thank you Matt and Ross Duffer for being the sweetest most lovely directors I ever worked with'

Hindsgaul and Matt Duffer appear to be an item, judging by her Instagram account. On February 15, she posted an image of Matt Duffer with the caption: 'I love you Matt Duffer sweet valentine'

That same day, she posted an image of Matt Duffer dining in what appears to be a beach resort in the MaldivesThe bloodlines of the city's two most notorious families - the Ibrahims and Mehajers - are set to become one.

Aisha Mehajer, sister of Salim, and Sam Sayour, nephew of Kings Cross legend John, are expecting their first child less than four months after their whirlwind wedding.

The pair's marriage last November was marred by a drive-by shooting that saw John's long-time bodyguard and best friend, Semi 'Tongan Sam' Ngata, shot in the back.

But their baby shower was seemingly a far less dangerous affair, with the parents-to-be celebrating the news they are expecting a baby boy alongside family and friends on Sunday night.

The King of Sydney? Aisha Mehajer, sister of Salim, and Sam Sayour, nephew of Kings Cross identity John Ibrahim, have announced they are expecting a child - a baby boy

The pair married last November (pictured) in a ceremony marred by a drive-by shooting that saw John Ibrahim's long-time bodyguard, Semi 'Tongan Sam' Ngata, shot in the back

Aisha's younger sister Sanaa, who herself briefly 'married' John Ibrahim's bikie cousin Moudi Tajjour last year, posted photos from inside the private event to Instagram.

A blue cake decorated with the words 'Baby Sayour' was central to the party as Aisha and Sam announced the latest addition to their family.

Sanaa also posed for a picture with Kings Cross enforcer 'Tongan Sam', who made a defiant appearance after being shot when the families last came together.

The second youngest Mehajer then moved on to snap a selfie with Maha Sayour, the unborn child's grandmother and John Ibrahim's sister.

Ms Sayour, who also goes by the name Jazz Dior, ditched the dreadlocks she showed in court last year when she narrowly avoided prison on a firearms charge.

The 48-year-old also escaped jail in 2011 after being found not-guilty of hiding $2.86 million worth of proceeds of crime in the ceiling of her western Sydney home.

Hassan 'Sam' Sayour is the nephew of Kings Cross identity and nightclub owner John Ibrahim (pictured)

Aisha's high-profile brother Salim (pictured) is currently behind bars on charges he perverted the course of justice when he allegedly staged car crash on his way to court in October

Sanaa Mehajer (right), who herself briefly 'married' John Ibrahim's bikie cousin Moudi Tajjour last year, posted photos from inside the private event to Instagram

She also posed for a photo with giant Kings Cross enforcer 'Tongan Sam', who made a defiant appearance after being shot when the families last came together

A judge decided it was 'highly suspicious' the money had ended up in the ceiling of the nightclub owner's sister, but said there was a chance others had put it there.

But 'grandma' won't be the only colourful character in the unborn child's life, with an array of relatives on both sides having been convicted of crimes.

His father Hassan, better known as Sam, was shot in the groin twice in 2011 when 19. It's believed the attack may have been linked to a drive-by shooting earlier that day.

His highest-profile relative is known as 'Teflon John' having not been convicted of an offence since he was a teenager, despite numerous allegations over the years.

Sanaa (left) then moved on to snap a selfie with the unborn child's grandmother, and John Ibrahim's sister, Maha Sayour (right)

Mother-to-be: Aysha tied the knot with Sayour in a low key ceremony last November at the home of John Ibrahim's mother

The unborn child will be surrounded by a number of colourful characters on both sides, with a number of relatives convicted of crimes. (L to R: Semi 'Tongan Sam' Ngata, Fadi Ibrahim, Salim Mehajer and Hassan 'Sam' Sayour

By contrast, a number of his relatives and business associates have been jailed for a range of crimes.

His brothers Fadi and Michael are currently behind bars over their alleged links to an international drug smuggling syndicate said to be worth $810 million.

'Uncle Salim' Mehajer is currently behind bars prison over charges he perverted the course of justice when he allegedly staged car crash on his way to court in October.

The disgraced property developer has also faced charges including assaulting a TV journalist, stalking his ex-wife Aysha and numerous civil claims over unpaid debts.

Another link between the two families came last year, when Sanaa Mehajer began dating John Ibrahim's (right) cousin Moudi Tajjour (left), after meeting at Aisha and Sam's wedding

Tajjour (left) and his brother Sleiman Simon Tajjour (right) were convicted of manslaughter in 2006 over the death of Robin Nassour  the brother of Fat Pizza actor George Nassour

Mehajer first made headlines for his incredibly lavish marriage to wife Aysha (left). After their split the disgraced property developer had an AVO taken out against him by his ex-wife

His aunty Fatima Mehajer and her husband Jamal Elkheir have also been embroiled in trouble, with the pair currently facing prison over electoral fraud charges.

Fatima has pleaded guilty to 77 charges relating to electoral fraud at a 2012 election for Auburn Council which saw Salim elected to the role of deputy mayor.

Another link between the two families came last year when Sanaa Mehajer began to date Ibrahim's cousin Moudi Tajjour, after meeting at the wedding of Aisha and Sam.

Ms Mehajer and Tajjour, a Nomads bikie enforcer and convicted killer, tied the knot soon after in an Islamic ceremony, before recently calling time on their romance.University lecturers are being asked to attend workshops to help them understand how their whiteness makes them unwittingly racist (above: transgender woman Munroe Bergdorf who was sacked by L'Oreal Paris for saying all white people are racist)

University lecturers are being asked to attend workshops to help them understand how their whiteness makes them unwittingly racist.

Classes at UK universities are telling lecturers to acknowledge their white privilege and examine the idea that white people enjoy advantages in life simply because of the colour of their skin.

Posters for the seminars say that black staff and students are discriminated against regularly.

A session at Bristol University, hosted by the Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic Staff Advisory Group, said it would ask lecturers to examine and acknowledge the destructive role of whiteness.

Flyers for the event, called Walking On The White Side Of The Street, said: We will look at it as a day-to-day reality of white privilege that causes daily aggressions towards people of colour.

We discuss why white people accrue advantages and benefits simply due to the colour of their skin and how whiteness as a discriminatory force is as prevalent today as it was 400 years ago.

A workshop at Anglia Ruskin University in East Anglia, entitled Privilege: The Truth We Dont Tell Ourselves, asked participants to face our privilege in an honest manner and understand exactly how we benefit from a racist system.

It warns staff and students that the seminar seeks to expose the truth about the privileges we unknowingly carry with us in everyday life... the ideas presented might make you feel uncomfortable.

York St John University held a masterclass for staff called Learning And Unlearning Whiteness in November.

Figures have shown that black and ethnic minority students are more likely to quit university but are less likely to be awarded a top degree than white classmates.

Just 85 of 15,905 professors in the UK are black, according to a 2015 report by the Runnymede Trust, a race equality think-tank.

Similar workshops about white privilege on US campuses prompted students to put up posters saying: Its OK to be white.

Sociologist Frank Furedi warned that the concept in effect labelled every white person as racist.

Posters for the seminars say that black staff and students are discriminated against regularly

Whiteness is the equivalent of original sin, and white racism inescapable, he told the Sunday Times.

It comes as Britains first black university vice-chancellor backed students who demanded the removal of a Cecil Rhodes statue at Oxford University.

Baroness Amos, head of Soas, University of London, said students were within their rights to raise questions about the role some people have had in our history.

The Rhodes Must Fall campaign lobbied university officials to dismantle a statue of the Victorian imperialist at Oriel College.

Baroness Amos said: I dont think theres anything that says because you put a monument up to somebody many hundreds of years ago it has to stay like that permanently.When is a political party not a political party? When it is Ukip, it seems.

Despite the fact it is defending 163 council seats in the local elections in May, HM Revenue and Customs is trying to prove Ukip is not a proper registered party.

Arron Banks, who gave Ukip 1million ahead of the 2015 General Election, spent two days in court last week challenging HMRC which wants him to pay 300,000 tax on that donation.

Arron Banks (pictured with Nigel Farage) gave Ukip 1million ahead of the 2015 General Election

The current Treasury definition of a political party is one that has secured at least 150,000 votes and has one or two MPs elected to the Commons in a General Election.

While Ukip has indeed had three MPs  Bob Spink, Douglas Carswell and Mark Reckless  all have been defectors from the Tory Party, so Ukip has never been able to boast an MP who was elected at a General Election.

HMRC sent a team of five barristers to do battle with Banks, who has come out fighting, arguing Ukip won the European elections in 2014 with 27.5 per cent of the vote, producing 23 MEPs.

I think it will come as a shock not just to Nigel Farage, who led Ukip, but to the millions of people who voted for Ukip that they were not voting for a political party, he told me.

Ironically, Banks expects to win his case not in London but at the European Court of Human Rights  which, of course, is loathed by Brexiteers.

Bercow, who is under huge pressure over bullying allegations, is indicating that he will carry on as Speak

Bercow's saviour?

When he became Speaker, the insufferably pompous John Bercow pledged he would serve nine years then stand down. Bercow, who is under huge pressure over bullying allegations, is now indicating that he will carry on. Loathed by most Tory MPs, they should be careful what they wish for. A dark horse to replace Bercow is the Labour veteran and high priestess of political correctness Harriet Harman. It may yet be the even more awful prospect of Speaker Harman that saves Bercow from the exit lounge.

Lord Kerr, the former British Ambassador in Brussels, is displaying a worrying absent-mindedness  or perhaps hes still in denial. If we decide to leave the European Union, we will not have a seat in any of the councils of the EU, he said last week.

Er... memo to Kerr: we voted to leave the EU on June 23, 2016.

Labour MP Chris Williamson regularly urges his followers on twitter to boycott Rupert Murdoch and his Sun newspaper. Oddly, his distaste doesnt stop him appearing on the tycoons radio station, Talk UK, or taking 300 for doing so, according to the new MPs register of interests.

A word of caution from former Lib Dem leader Lord Steel. Always sit in the back row at a funeral, he told readers of The Oldie magazine. I went along to the [Scottish] Borders Crematorium to attend a neighbours funeral, Steel, 79 explained. But on looking at the order of service, I realised that Id got the date wrong. Luckily, I was sitting in the back row. So I was able to slip out without too much fuss.

Tory MP Zac Goldsmith confesses in Dogs Today that hes still haunted by the behaviour of his first rescue mongrel, Tashi. We went everywhere together, says Zac. Tashi was extremely greedy. She once climbed on to a neighbouring table at a restaurant and consumed an entire pizza before I had time to intervene. The customers werent impressed.

Javid wasn't so house-proud

Housing and Local Government Secretary Sajid Javid launched a new initiative to stimulate house building this week

Housing and Local Government Secretary Sajid Javid launched a new initiative to stimulate house building in the Tory shires last week  and he didnt pull his punches.

Weve got a housing crisis. Weve got no time for anyone who is just anti-development for the sake of it. We need to change our attitude, he declared.

Can this be the same Javid who, as a backbench MP in June 2016, slammed his local Bromsgrove council over plans for 1,300 homes on the Green Belt: While I understand this land was designated for housing, there is significant concern about the implications such a large-scale development would have on local infrastructure, facilities and environment.

What a difference promotion makes...A young bull rider has been gored in the head during a rodeo event in regional NSW.

Danny Worth, 20, was thrown from a bucking bull at the Wingham Rodeo on Saturday.

The bull thrashed at Mr Worth knocking off his helmet and leaving him with severe lacerations to his head.

Scroll down for video

Danny Worth, 20, was thrown from a bucking bull at the Wingham Rodeo on Saturday

He was rushed to John Hunter Hospital with head injuries, but in a stable condition

The bull thrashed at Mr Worth knocking off his helmet and leaving him with severe lacerations to his head

He was rushed to John Hunter Hospital with head injuries, but in a stable condition.

Mr Worth took to Facebook to share the story of his miraculous escape.

'Yes on Saturday night I suffered two blows from a bulls horn to the head where the first one ripped my helmet clean off my head and the second gave me a gash along the top of my head,' he wrote.

'I was then rushed to John Hunter hospital with suspected spinal as well as the cut.

'Once in John Hunter I stayed overnight where I got seven staples put in the wound.'

Event organisers posted an update of Mr Worth's condition to Facebook.

Mr Worth took to Facebook to share the story of his miraculous escape

A young bull rider has been gored in the head during a rodeo event in regional NSW

'Our young bull rider that was injured on Saturday night, was lucky. Wearing the proper headgear saved him from more serious injury.

'The Wingham Show committee has kept in touch with the rider, and pleased to announce that he is recovering well in John Hunter Hospital.

'Good news that the injury is not as serious as first thought, and the medical teams swung into action immediately to get him the best care.'Elizabeth Hurley's model nephew is recovering at her 6million country mansion after he was chased down by a gang and stabbed.

Miles Hurley, 21, was taken to his aunt's home in Herefordshire after being released from hospital following the vicious attack in Wandsworth, South West London.

Mr Hurley and a friend were both knifed last Thursday after they had overtaken a car minutes earlier, according to a source close to the police investigation.

Elizabeth Hurley said her nephew Miles (pictured together) was set upon by four 'animals'

Mr Hurley (pictured with his aunt) has now been released from hospital following the attack

Mr Hurley and his friend fled and hid behind a van at the scene (pictured) while waiting for the emergency services to arrive in Wandsworth, South West London

Miss Hurley said her nephew, who was treated at St George's Hospital in Tooting, lost more than four pints of blood, and a blade very nearly severed his spine.

A gang of at least four men chased Mr Hurley, a model for Dolce & Gabbana, and his friend in their car until they pulled over.

When the pair got out of their vehicle, they were set upon by the men, who repeatedly stabbed them.

Over the weekend Miss Hurley, 52, spoke about the 'brutal attack' and said it had been an 'appalling time' for their family. Mr Hurley is now recovering at her home, reported The Sun.

Mr Hurley and his friend fled and hid behind a van while waiting for the emergency services to arrive after the horrific incident on Thursday at 9pm.

Miss Hurley is said to be close to Miles, the son of her sister Kate Curran, 54. The actress rushed back from a promotional tour in the US to be by his bedside.

Mr Hurley's mother is Miss Hurley's older sister, Kate Curran, 54, and the aunt is close to him

Miss Hurley was pictured on Friday morning at about 9am arriving at London Heathrow Airport

Last night she wrote on Twitter: 'My 21-year-old nephew was repeatedly stabbed in a brutal attack in London. The police and hospital are being fantastic. Thank you for all your messages. It is an appalling time for him and our family.'

She added: 'He lost more than four pints of blood. A policeman was patrolling close by and administered first aid until the ambulance arrived.

'The deepest wound just missed severing his spine. By some miracle, no vital organs were damaged. We are praying that these animals are caught before they maim, or even kill, someone else. These are sad days.'

The actress also 'liked' a tweet calling on London Mayor Sadiq Khan and Home Secretary Amber Rudd to do more to tackle knife crime.

In the past two months there have been 16 fatal knife attacks in London, many of them believed to be connected to gangs.

Eighty people were stabbed to death in the capital last year and knife crime is up 23 per cent since 2012.

Mr Hurley (right) is pictured with his cousin Damian, the son of Miss Hurley

Miss Hurley appealed on Twitter for help in catching the thug who stabbed her nephew

It has been rising as the use of stop-and-search has been declining. More than 80,000 people were stopped and searched in London ten years ago, but that figure fell to fewer than 20,000 in 2016-17.

A source close to the investigation said: 'We believe the two groups of men did not know each other before this incident. It was a road rage incident, and nothing to do with drugs or gangs.'

The victims have given police information about their attackers, but have so far not given formal statements.

Another source said: 'Miles's family feared the worst. Fortunately, it seems the knife missed his vital organs.'

A 70-year-old resident, who did not want to be named, said: 'We saw one man being taken away on a stretcher into an ambulance.

'I saw another man, who had his shirt off, and a white bandage around his waist. Then I saw them putting a gas mask on him and he was taken into an ambulance as well.'

Mr Hurley at the Dolce & Gabbana Unexpected Show at Milan Men's Fashion Week in January

Mr Hurley began modelling at the age of 13 when a scout spotted him working on a stall in London's Camden Market and signed him to Next Model Management.

The model took Miss Hurley's surname after launching his career. On the day of the attack he had paid tribute to her in a post celebrating International Women's Day, writing: 'Love and appreciation for all the strong, happy and independent women around me.'

A Scotland Yard spokesman said: 'Officers attended with the London Ambulance Service. A 21-year-old man was discovered with stab wounds to his back.

'Another man, also believed to be aged 21, was also found suffering from stab wounds.

'They are believed to have been attacked by a group of males who got out of a vehicle and assaulted them before fleeing the scene.

'A crime scene was put in place. There have been no arrests.'A Rebels bikie who stomped on his friend's head and pressed a gun against the man's neck has been jailed for 10 years over multiple crimes.

Michael James Koukoutsis, 31, accused the man of giving out his address to someone who was after him, before attacking him in his home in Beelair, Perth.

He was arrested the next day after he jumped out of a slow-moving car which contained a loaded handgun, a sawn-off double-barrelled shotgun, ammunition, cash and 132g of methylamphetamine, The West Australian reported.

Rebels bikie Michael James Koukoutsis, 31, has been jailed for 10 years after stomping on his friend's head and pressing a gun to his neck

The West Australia District Court heard Koukoutsis pressed the gun to the victim's knee and neck, before threatening to kill him.

'I should kill you for telling people where I live,' he said.

Judge Hylton Quail said the attack would have caused a great amount of pain and trauma for the victim, calling it a 'horrifying experience', before jailing Koukoutsis for 10 years.

He pleaded guilty to eight charges, including assault, threatening to kill, possessing unlicensed guns and possessing meth

Judge Quail told the father-of-two should be rethinking his association with the Rebels a this 'crossroads moment in his life'.

His lawyer Terry Dobson told the court Koukoutsis knew his five-month-old son would grow up with an absent father if he were to continue on this path, The West Australian Reported.

Koukoutsis pleaded guilty to eight charges, including assault, threatening to kill, possessing unlicensed guns and possessing meth.MPs said there were question marks over whether RT, founded by Vladimir Putin in 2005, was a genuine news outlet or a mouthpiece for an authoritarian state'

The television watchdog should consider revoking the licence of the Kremlin-backed Russia Today over its coverage of the poisoning of the double-agent, senior MPs said yesterday.

MPs said there were question marks over whether RT, founded by Vladimir Putin in 2005, was a genuine news outlet or a mouthpiece for an authoritarian state.

Their calls for Ofcom to review whether the broadcaster had breached its licence conditions came as Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell told Labour MPs they should boycott the channel  just hours after his deputy appeared on it.

On Friday, RT accused the British Press of spreading fanciful theories about the poisoning of Sergei Skripal, saying it actually made for a pretty boring story.

Tom Tugendhat, chairman of the foreign affairs select committee, said: I think the time has come to crack down on RT.

Ofcom needs to look at whether it is a genuine news network when it is considering whether it should hold a licence or not.

Last week he told BBC Radio 5 Live: I see no reason why we should allow information warfare to be carried out on UK soil by hostile agents.

Tory MP Bob Seely, who lived for four years in the former Soviet Union, said: When it comes to Russia Today, I think we have to ask some serious questions.

If the purpose is to create genuine news then fine, but if they are a mouthpiece for an authoritarian state that seeks to do us harm then it raises the question of whether we should kick them out or not.

But former culture secretary John Whittingdale said that while it was essentially a propaganda channel, there were concerns that if the UK shut RT then Russia would retaliate.

He said: There is a concern it would likely give them an excuse to retaliate by closing down the BBC [in Russia].

'Thats a very strong weapon in our armoury in what is a disinformation war going on.

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn reacts with Richard Leonard after giving his keynote speech to the Scottish Labour Party Conference at the Caird Hall on March 9, 2018 in Dundee,Scotland. The three day conference will also feature speeches from Scottish party leader Richard Leonard and Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell. (Photo by Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images)

Yesterday Mr McDonnell said he would no longer appear on RT because it goes beyond objective journalism.

His comments came just hours after Peter Dowd, Mr McDonnells deputy as shadow chief secretary to the Treasury, went on the channel to speak about Brexit.

Mr McDonnell said that following the Salisbury attack, he would not appear on RT and there would be a discussion on whether others in the party should follow suit.

He told the BBCs Andrew Marr Show: What we are seeing from Russia Today sometimes goes beyond objective journalism.

I have been looking at some of whats happening in terms of the change in coverage on Russian television in particular and I think we have to step back now.

He said he had appeared on RT in the past, sometimes to challenge some of the issues internationally.

Yesterday Mr McDonnell said he would no longer appear on RT because it goes beyond objective journalism

He appeared to be at loggerheads with his party, with a Labour spokesman saying the approach to the broadcaster would merely be kept under review.

Mr Dowd said he had appeared on RT a number of times, including at the start of last week.

He told Skys Sunday with Paterson: In light of the events of this week, of course we will undertake a review of what we do, as you will always do in these sorts of circumstances.

But I have to emphasise that what I try to do is to come on to television programmes like this and answer the questions that are put to me.

Its not for me to ask the questions. Its for other people to ask the questions and if I can answer them to the best of my ability, I will.

A spokesman for media watchdog Ofcom said: 'The Russian news channel RT broadcasts in the UK under licences issued by Ofcom as the broadcasting regulator.

'Ofcom has an ongoing duty to be satisfied that all broadcast licensees are fit and proper to hold a licence.

'We have heard the Prime Minister's statement in the House of Commons this afternoon and we await her further statement on Wednesday. We will then consider the implications for RT's broadcast licences.'

A spokesman for RT said: Its regrettable that some see baseless attacks on RT as a way to score easy PR points, but those attacks betray not just the highest principles of the British society ... but the British public at large.Advertisement

Anti-terror police in decontamination suits and Army chemical weapons experts converged on a small Wiltshire village today in the latest move of the ever-expanding clear-up operation following the poisoning of a Russian spy.

An Army transporter truck, a unit of soldiers in breathing apparatus, police vans and ambulances flooded the narrow streets of Winterslow, which is eight miles from Salisbury and has a population of less than 2,000 people.

Locals say the military is removing a potentially contaminated recovery vehicle which may have towed former spy Sergei Skripal's car from a car park after he was attacked with nerve gas in the city centre.

Police have yet to comment on what is happening but a car park in Salisbury was also closed off today as the investigation continues to expand. It is understood the Army are removing a police car from behind the city's Sainsbury's.

It comes as Theresa May told the Commons this afternoon that analysis of the nerve agent used in the attack on Sergei Skripal and his daughter in Salisbury shows that it was from a group known as novichok.

Following a meeting of the Government's National Security Council, Mrs May told MPs: 'It is now clear that Mr Skripal and his daughter were poisoned with a military-grade nerve agent of a type developed by Russia.'

The White House has thrown its support behind Westminster, calling the attack 'an outrage', and the announcement coincided with the Italian restaurant Zizzi where the had been dining breaking their silence on the issue.

A statement from the chain stated they were 'shocked and saddened' by the events of the past week and that their thoughts were with everyone affected.

Soldiers in breathing apparatus and chemical warfare uniforms converged on a small village in Wiltshire today

Locals have said chemical weapons experts are removing a potentially contaminated vehicle from a local business

Soldiers in decontamination suits were seen walking through the village. It is thought a vehicle is being removed

Soldiers, police and paramedics flooded a village near Salisbury today in the latest development in the spy poisoning probe

Winterslow became the latest location shut down by the huge force of anti-terror officers and soldiers investigating the case

Anti-terror police also took over a Sainsbury's car park in Salisbury as part of the rapidly expanding chemical attack probe

Police sealed off the entrance to the supermarket's car park in the shadow of the Wiltshire city's famous cathedral

Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia (pictured in Zizzi in 2016) left a trail of nerve agent in the restaurant after their poisoning

Bella Thomas, owner of Winterslow Central Stores, described the scenes in the village as 'like the Twilight Zone'. She told Mailonline: 'Two roads are shut off. Police and army are down there. They are wearing Hazmat suits. I've heard they are removing a vehicle.

'Because of our proximity to Salisbury and we obviously all know what's been going on there. It's the gossip of the village. It's all anyone is talking about in the shop today.'

It came as the former Chief Medical Officer for England said authorities have not done enough to reassure people in the area who may have been contaminated by a nerve agent attack on a Russian spy.

Zizzi's statement in full We are shocked and saddened by the events in Salisbury this past week. Our thoughts are with the victims, their friends and family, and everyone in the Salisbury community who has been affected by this attack, as well as the police and emergency services who have been working tirelessly across the last seven days. Zizzi Salisbury remains closed as part of the ongoing police investigation. Our priority is to ensure the wellbeing of our team and support our Zizzi Salisbury customers, as well as continuing to do everything we can to help the police. Public Health England have issued precautionary advice for those who visited Zizzi in Salisbury between 1.30pm on Sunday March 4 and closing time at 9pm on Monday, March 5. The full guidance document issued by Public Health England can be downloaded as a pdf below. The risk to the general public from this substance has not changed and remains low. The actions being advised are purely precautionary but will eliminate any possible risk. Public Health England have also said that you do not need to seek advice from a health professional unless you are experiencing symptoms. Zizzi Salisbury customers affected and wishing to speak to a Zizzi representative can call us on 0345 6022698. Additionally, we are fully supporting our Zizzi team members, and our team will continue to receive full payment while the Salisbury restaurant is closed. Advertisement

Professor Sir Liam Donaldson said health chiefs and emergency services should have set up an emergency health centre and a helpline in Salisbury after a trail of poison was left behind Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia.

A week on from the attack, police had still not revealed what nerve agent was used in the attack or what symptoms those who came in to contact with it could experience.

But Prime Minister Theresa May said today the substance was 'part of a group of nerve agents known as novichok'.

She added: 'Based on the positive identification of this chemical agent by world-leading experts at the Defence, Science and Technology Laboratory at Porton Down, our knowledge that Russia has previously produced this agent and would still be capable of doing so, Russia's record of conducting state-sponsored assassinations and our assessment that Russia views some defectors as legitimate targets for assassinations, the Government has concluded that it is highly likely that Russia was responsible for the act against Sergei and Yulia Skripal.'

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn said: 'We need to continue seeking a robust dialogue with Russia on all the issues dividing our countries, both domestic and international - rather than simply cutting off contact and simply letting tensions and divisions get worse, and potentially even more dangerous.'

He faced shouts of 'shame' and 'disgrace' from Conservative MPs as he told the Commons: 'We're all familiar with the way huge fortunes, often acquired in the most dubious circumstances in Russia, sometimes connected with criminal elements, have ended up sheltering in London and trying to buy political influence in British party politics.

'Meddling in elections, as the Prime Minister put it, and there has been over 800,000 worth of donations to the Conservative Party from Russian oligarchs and their associates.'

Mr Corbyn went on: 'If that is the evidence before the Government, even before the investigation in Salisbury is complete, the Government could be taking action to introduce new financial sanctions powers.

'But instead they're currently resisting Labour's amendments to the Sanctions and Anti-Money Laundering Bill, which could introduce the so-called Magnitsky powers - so will the Prime Minister agree today to back those amendments to the Sanctions and Anti-Money Laundering Bill?"

Speaker John Bercow had to intervene to calm MPs, with several on the Conservative benches shouting loudly at Mr Corbyn for his remarks.

Moscow on rejected Theresa May's statement, calling it a part of an 'information and political campaign based on provocation'.

Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakarova said: 'This is a circus show in the British parliament," she added.

'Rather than think up new fairytales, maybe someone in the kingdom could explain how the previous ones ended up - about Litvinenko, Berezovsky, Perepilichnyy and many others who have mysteriously died on British soil.'

Former spy Alexander Litvinenko, oligarch Boris Berezovsky and whistleblower Alexander Perepilichnyy all died in the UK in recent years.

The investigation into the poisoning has led to a series of locations around Salisbury being sealed off and decontaminated

A police officer stands guard in front of a fence with a plastic sheet pulled over it, sealing off a part of Sainsbury's in Salisbury

Military and ambulance forces work in Winterslow, England, on Monday, March 12, 2018. One man in a hazmat suit can be seen climbing into the back of an emergency services truck

Police closed off a road in the quiet village but have yet to comment on what is going on or why the area has been closed off

Furious Salisbury residents have hit out at the authorities' 'diabolical' public health response to the poisoning of Russian spy Sergei Skripal in their city a week ago

Former Chief Medical Officer for England Sir Liam Donaldson today criticised the lack of information released to the public. The chairman of Foreign Affairs committee, Tom Tugendhat, said he feared for England fans travelling to Russia this summer

There are fears tensions between Russia and Britain could lead to attacks on England fans in at the World Cup in Russia this summer. Supporters from the two countries previously clashed at the European Championships in France in 2016 (pictured)

Earlier today Sir Liam, who was England's chief medical adviser from 1998 to 2010, told Radio 4's World at One: 'There's been quite a long delay and I'm sure the public in Salisbury will be making the connection that the first responders were very heavily supervised and their clothes were decontaminated, yet, we now hear that there might be a substantial number of people in proximity to a table in a restaurant that had to be destroyed itself.'

He said people needed more specific information about what they need to do rather than 'general reassurances' over possible risks.

Sir Liam said he was sure the investigation was 'high quality', but too little specific information was being communicated to the public.

Former spy Mr Skripal, 66, and his daughter Yulia, 33, are still in a 'critical condition' in hospital after being deliberately targeted last Sunday in attack many are blaming on Russia.

Earlier this morning, the chairman of Whitehall's Foreign Affairs committee has now told of his fears the renewed friction between the two countries could lead to violence against England fans travelling to the World Cup.

Tom Tugendhat told Radio 4's Today programme: 'We do need to be very, very careful for British fans who are travelling there that they are not in any way caught up in the politics of this.

'And, I'm afraid the danger of Russia responding to British fans for actions taken by their government is all too real.'

He told of his fears after angry Salisbury residents hit out at the authorities' 'diabolical' public health response to the poisoning in their city.

On Wednesday public health boss Dame Sally Davies assured locals they were at 'low risk' - but yesterday officials told anyone who went to the pub and restaurant where the Skripals were before they were found unconscious to 'wash their possessions' as a precaution.

Wiltshire Police's Detective Sergeant Nick Bailey, 38, is in a 'serious but stable condition' after becoming infected as he investigated the attempted murders.

Mr Tugendhat said today that he would be surprised if Theresa May, who is chairing crunch talks on the Salisbury nerve agent attack, did not blame the Kremlin.

He added: 'It's a bit too early to be absolutely certain of that but we are expecting to see the Prime Minister make an announcement soon. And, frankly, I would be surprised if she did not point the finger at the Kremlin.'

Vladimir Putin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov today insisted the attack is in 'no way' an issue for Moscow.

He told journalists: 'The Russian citizen you mention... worked for one of Britain's special services, the incident took place on British territory, and it is in no way an issue for Russia, let alone for the Russian leadership.'

Now anyone who was in The Mill pub (pictured) or Zizzi from 1.30pm on Sunday, March 4 until they were blocked off is subject to an official public health warning, instructing them to 'wash their clothes'

Angry residents has insisted they should be given more information about something which could affect their health

Forensic experts have followed the 'trail of poison' around Salisbury and are finally pictured searching The Mill pub (pictured) where the Skripals were drinking before they were found unconscious last Sunday afternoon

The Russian president himself was asked about the issue today.

On a visit to a grain centre, he told the BBC: 'We're dealing with agriculture here ... and you talk to me about some tragedies. Get to the bottom of things there, then we'll discuss this.'

Angry locals have slammed the decision to issue a health warning almost a week after they decided to cordon off The Mill pub and Zizzi restaurant for traces of the fatal substance.

Kathleen Townsend, 28, a deputy manager of a shoe shop in Salisbury said: 'The way the public has been kept in the dark is diabolical.

'They knew on Tuesday that it was serious enough to shut those places down yet they didn't give a warning about washing your clothes until a week later.

'What are the authorities going to say to the parents of a young child who is contaminated with nerve gas because they were in Zizzi or The Mill last Sunday?'

Officers protected by Hazmat suits have sealed off five sites around Salisbury. But angry locals have slammed the decision to issue a health warning almost a week after they decided to cordon off The Mill pub and Zizzi restaurant for traces of the fatal substance

Military personnel are pictured in hazmat suits as investigators search The Mill pub and Zizzi restaurant in Salisbury where Sergei and Yulia Skripal ate and drank before being found in a 'catatonic state' on a nearby bench last Sunday

Soldiers in Hazmat suits yesterday loaded up and removed an ambulance believed to have taken Miss Skripal to hospital

Salisbury resident Alexandra Boyd wrote on Facebook: 'I am confused, if there is no health risk to the public then WHY is everything being quarantined? Also what will washing your clothes do if the ambulances are being either disposed of or quarantined?????'

Dan Munday posted: 'Enough of this cloak and dagger stuff, let the public know what's going on, it is our city after all!'

Sharon Said commented: 'A little too late I think.. personal belongings would of gone everywhere with u, in other people's house, shops, schools etc. If this is the case, everyone in Salisbury could be affected by now.'

Liz Cannings launched a furious tirade on social media, saying: 'We the people of Salisbury need to know more.

'All we have seen is authorities in anti chemical gear and gas masks , and we are told low risk. And then 7 whole days later being told to wash our clothes and use baby wipes!

'How an earth do you expect us to feel ?? We are not idiots !'

What action can Britain take if Russia is behind attack? Britain could enact the Magnitsky amendment, imposed conditions on Putin's cronies. The act is named after Sergei Magnitsky, a lawyer who died in custody after exposing corruption Expel diplomats: Britain could expel Russia's ambassador and other diplomats based at the embassy in Kensington Palace Gardens - round the corner from where Prince William and Kate live. If MI5 have tabs on a Russian spy ring in the UK, Britain could take this poison plot as a reason to expel them. Impose sanctions: Britain already has an extensive range of sanctions against Russia as a result of the invasion of crime and eastern Ukraine, but we could extend them. The UK could also impose sanctions on named individuals if they are linked to the murder attempt. Britain could pass the 'Magnitsky List' mirroring US laws imposing travel bans on senior Kremlin officials responsible for the death of Russian accountant Sergei Magnitsky in a prison in 2009. World Cup boycott: Official representation could be withdrawn from the World Cup in Russia if Kremlin links are proven. Prime Minister Theresa May told MPs last week that the Government would 'look at whether ministers and other dignitaries should attend' the tournament in that event. The Duke of Cambridge has already said he has no plans to attend. There have been calls for the England team to boycott the tournament but their withdrawal would probably have little impact. A coordinated protest, involving the withdrawal of multiple countries, would be far more effective in damaging Vladimir Putin's showcase international event. However, experts say the nerve agent poisoning is unlikely to create enough international momentum to trigger a wider boycott. Some have called for England to boycott the World Cup if Russia is found to be behind the nerve agent attack in Salisbury Statement of condemnation: Britain may call on the support its closest allies if there is evidence of a Russian murder attempt on UK soil. A joint statement of international condemnation could be issued from leaders including French President Emmanuel Macron and Germany's Angela Merkel, warning Russia that such actions will not be tolerated. Advertisement

A police car was loaded up to be removed yesterday as the Army and emergency services continue the clean-up operation

Around 180 troops from a number of regiments were drafted in last week as the scale of the poison trail fully emerged

Investigators at the graves of Mr Skripal's wife, Liudmila, and his son, Alexander, last week as the investigation expanded

The joint press conference, which involved Wiltshire Police Chief constable Kier Pritchard, South Western Ambulance Service, Dorset & Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service, the chief executive of Salisbury District Hospital and Public Health England, refused to answer questions on why it had taken days to issue a health warning.

Home Secretary Amber Rudd said she would not yet point the finger of blame for the 'outrageous and horrific' attack in the Wiltshire city on March 4 but she directly accused Moscow of trying to provoke Britain into a slanging match.

Timeline of Sergei Skripal's poisoning Sunday - 4.15pm: Wiltshire Police find a man and woman unconscious on a bench at the The Maltings shopping centre in Salisbury and cordon off the area Monday - 11am: Salisbury District Hospital, where the pair were taken, declares a major incident and its A&E department is closed. 8pm: Police officers are first seen outside Mr Skripal's home in Salisbury 10pm: Police close a Zizzi restaurant near the shopping centre. Tuesday - 11.30am: Police also cordon off the Bishop's Mill pub in Salisbury, where Mr Skripal and his daughter may have gone after leaving Zizzi. 9pm: Firefighters in Hazmat suits are sent to an ambulance base in Amesbury, eight miles away from the scene where they were found. Wednesday - 3:30pm: Cordon around Mr Skripal's house is extended to the top of the cul-de-sac. Thursday - 2pm: Police were revealed to have cordoned off the graves of Mr Skripal's wife and son in Salisbury. 2pm: Police also extend the cordon around Mr Skripal's home from 50 yards to 150 yards and around the corner. 7.30pm: Police in protective gear go to Ashley Wood Recovery in Salisbury to examine a maroon BMW-3 series, the same car driven by the former spy. Friday -10am: Military convoy of 180 troops arrives in Salisbury, including chemical weapons experts, to join the investigation. 3pm: Detectives in Hazmat suits descend on Salisbury cemetery and removed items from Mrs Skripal and her son's grave. Sunday - The army remove police cars and ambulances thought to have been contaminated. Advertisement

Last week, as Mr Skripal, 66, and his daughter Yulia, 33, lay critically ill in hospital, a Russian state TV presenter jibed that 'traitors' were not safe in England, where 'people get hanged, poisoned, they die in helicopter crashes and fall out of windows in industrial quantities'.

Yury Filatov, a diplomat, said the UK was 'very dangerous for certain types of people who are under the jurisdiction of the British government'.

Ms Rudd said: 'I'm not going to enter into a kind of great big tit-for-tat with them, which is what they are longing I'm sure for us to do.

'Because when attribution comes we have to be absolutely cool-headed about it. Other people can carry on making their comments. I think that the general public are wise enough to take a dim view of that kind of childish joshing.'

She said that the NSC would consider strong measures if 'a hostile state' were found guilty of the poisoning.

'If you can attribute this, then you would have to have a response. And when you attribute it, you need to have a plan,' she said.

Any sanctions would take into account 'other diplomatic relations, other equities that people have in different countries and the response to the response'.

Reports at the weekend suggested that the Prime Minister was under pressure from senior ministers including Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson and Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson to take a tougher line on Russia.

Zizzi was cordoned off by investigators at 10pm last Monday and The Mill pub was sealed off at 11.30am on Tuesday.

On Wednesday, Chief Medical Officer Dame Sally insisted: 'My message to the public is that this event poses a low risk to us, the public, on the evidence we have.'

She also advised locals that all the sites the pair were known to have visited had been 'secured'.

Now anyone who was in either building from 1.30pm on Sunday, March 4 until they were blocked off is subject to an official public health warning, instructing them to 'wash their clothes'.

Clothes which cannot be washed, for example if they need dry cleaning, should be double bagged in plastic until further notice.

Mobile phones, handbags and other electronic items should be wiped with baby wipes, which should be bagged in plastic and placed in a bin. Other items such as jewellery and glasses should be washed with warm water and detergent.

Five sites across the Cathedral city have been sealed off as part of a huge-scale, military-backed operation. Extensive searches have been carried out at the former Russian spy's home and the cemetery where his wife and son are buried.

What if I want to destroy my items? Public Health England gives advice to people in the pub or restaurant - one week after the incident 1. What should I do with the cloths and screen wipes used to clean any items? Place them in a plastic bag and put in the household bin (ordinary domestic waste). 2. I don't own a washing machine can I use a launderette? Yes. 3. What should I do if the clothes I was wearing are dry clean only clothing? Store these clothes in two plastic bags tied at the top safely in your own home. We are currently reviewing the best way of cleaning these clothes and will provide further advice on our website. 4. What should I do with my shoes? Shoes can initially be wiped clean with a damp cloth and subsequently dried or polished as normal. The cloth should be disposed of in a plastic bag in the household bin (ordinary domestic waste). 5. What should I do if I live in the same household as someone who was at the Zizzi restaurant or Mill pub? These actions are only advised for individuals who were in Zizzi restaurant or The Mill Pub within the specified timeframes. The advice relates only to clothes they had on and the personal items they were carrying during the visit. The advice does not apply to members of the same household who did not visit in person, or their belongings. 6. Should I clean the whole house? No, additional specific cleaning is necessary only for clothes you were wearing or items you had with you when you visited Zizzi restaurant or The Mill pub within the specified timeframe. 7. What if I want to destroy my items? It should not be necessary to destroy items, the cleaning procedures outlined above should be sufficient to remove any substances. However, if you do wish to destroy your items, place them in two plastic bags tied at the top and dispose of them in the household bin. 8. Why are you only telling me this now? This is precautionary advice, the immediate risk to the wider public of direct injury has not changed and remains low, however there may be a very small health risk associated with repeated contact with items or belongings that may have been contaminated by this substance. The actions we advise are purely precautionary but will eliminate any possible risk. AdvertisementFormer pensions minister Baroness Ros Altmann said: Thats hundreds of thousands of people who appear not to have been treated as fairly'

Up to 500,000 victims of Britains biggest mis-selling scandal may have been cheated out of compensation by the financial ombudsman, it emerged last night.

An undercover probe has found staff at the Financial Ombudsman Service were placed under enormous pressure to process a huge backlog of complaints about payment protection insurance (PPI).

Employees admitted making decisions without investigating properly in order to hit targets.

Threatened with losing pay rises and promotion if they did not meet their goals, staff said they leaned towards rejecting complaints as this was quicker than challenging the banks.

The probe by Channel 4s Dispatches found that some employees were so inexperienced or poorly trained that they had to Google the name of the financial products they were investigating.

And it has exposed the ruthless approach taken by some staff, with one customer not allowed to complain because he had missed the deadline - even though he had earlier fallen into a coma.

The ombudsman has rejected 496,000 complaints and upheld 924,000 in customers favour since banks lost a crucial high court challenge on PPI in April 2010.

Last night ministers were urged investigate whether the ombudsman has failed to protect consumers across Britain.

Former pensions minister Baroness Ros Altmann said: Thats hundreds of thousands of people who appear not to have been treated as fairly as you would wish from the ombudsmen service. I think the government should urgently look at and ask for the management of the Financial Ombudsman Service to justify some of the evidence that weve seen here.

Banks have been forced to set aside almost 30billion to compensate around 12 million customers who were mis-sold PPI.

Sold alongside personal loans and credit cards it was meant to provide a safety net if people lost their jobs or became too sick to work.

James Daley, founder of consumer campaign website Fairer Finance, said: I think its a toxic combination isnt it the combination of a lack of training at the same time as piling pressure on adjudicators to get through cases.

But in many cases it was completely worthless, with people unable to claim on the policy or unaware they had been sold it.

Banks continue to reject legitimate complaints, forcing customers to take their case to the independent financial ombudsman.

The investigation was launched following damning testimony from three whistleblowers - all former investigators at the Ombudsman.

Channel 4s Dispatches then sent an undercover reporter to work for the ombudsman, which is based near Londons Canary Wharf.

The whistleblowers reveal that at one stage the ombudsman was grappling with backlog of 11,000 PPI cases.

But instead of recruiting more staff, it upped staff targets meaning that they had less time to investigate cases.

One whistleblower said 11,000 fell into a black hole, with many not looked at for two years.

There were cases saying Im going to lose my house. Im not proud to admit it but Ive done it myself - just taken a chance and just slung it through with any old decision. Another whistleblower added: Theres been real pressure on staff. If you cant meet your target, you have to stay late. Its inevitable you take a hit on quality. I have done it - had cases where Ive not made full thorough checks. Rushing can lead to leaning in favour of the bank. The accusations were backed up by current staff who spoke to the undercover reporter while she was completing a six month training programme.

At one stage she shadowed an investigator, who told her that she was more likely to meet targets if he didnt uphold claims.

The FOS has also been accused of trying to cover up its chaotic organisation, deliberately misleading the Treasury Select Committee by rehearsing cases before a visit by MP Rushanara Ali in 2015 at the height of the PPI backlog

The upholds arent very good for closures, the investigator said. You just need to make one call to the consumer rather than trying to persuade the business. Thats usually actually a lot harder. In one training session a manager talks about a colleagues case when a customer missed the six month deadline to complain after falling into a coma.

Customers are given longer to complain if there are exceptional circumstances.

But the manager explained: Exceptional circumstances is a very high bar. Sounds really harsh, but what we need to decide would he ever basically have referred that complaint in six months?Was it the fact he slipped into a coma that prevented him? And you need to make a judgment call there.

James Daley, founder of consumer campaign website Fairer Finance, said: I think its a toxic combination isnt it the combination of a lack of training at the same time as piling pressure on adjudicators to get through cases.

The FOS has also been accused of trying to cover up its chaotic organisation, deliberately misleading the Treasury Select Committee by rehearsing cases before a visit by MP Rushanara Ali in 2015 at the height of the PPI backlog.

One whistleblower said: We managed the visit to make the service look better than it was, one of the whistleblowers said. There was a fake case handling session and it was to show that the adjudicators and ombudsman were working together. Ali said:If they tried to pre-cook or rehearse or inappropriately to mislead me or any other visitor, Id be very disappointed and would expect them to explain themselves.

She added:They are accountable to parliament, they are accountable to the public and theyll need to explain themselves. I would hope that our committee can call them back in and, if necessary, conduct an inquiry into these allegations.

A spokesperson for the Financial Ombudsman said: We have resolved over 1.4 million PPI complaints - and we have upheld two thirds of these in favour of consumers, finding against the banks. We havent seen the programme yet, but we will of course consider any concerns it raises.

Dispatches: Whos Policing Your Bank? Is screened on Channel 4 tonight at 8pm.Liz Hurley was at her nephews bedside yesterday after the 21-year-old was stabbed by a gang in a road rage attack.

Miles Hurley was set upon by thugs and knifed in the back multiple times after overtaking their car moments earlier, leading to a minor collision, police said last night.

The model and a friend, also 21, were chased until they pulled over on a road behind Battersea Power Station in south-west London.

Four men then got out of their car and stabbed the pair several times.

One wound narrowly missed severing Mr Hurleys spine. He remains in hospital, but police said the victims injuries were not life-threatening or life-changing.

Miss Hurley, 52, flew back from a promotional tour in the US to be by his side. In an emotional Instagram post on Saturday, the actress branded his attackers animals.

Elizabeth Hurley (right) and Miles Hurley attend the DSQUARED2 celebration of London Flagship Opening on April 21, 2015

My 21 year old nephew @mileshurley1 was brutally attacked by four men in London on Thursday night, she said. He was repeatedly stabbed and lost more than four pints of blood.

The deepest wound just missed severing his spine. By some miracle no vital organs were damaged.

We are praying that these animals are caught before they maim, or even kill, someone else.

Mr Hurley, who is the son of Miss Hurleys older sister Kate Curran, is very close to his aunt.

The model, who was scouted at 13 and has done shoots for Dolce & Gabbana, took Miss Hurleys surname after launching his career.

On the day of the attack he had paid tribute to her in a post celebrating International Womens Day, writing: Love & appreciation for all the strong, happy and independent women around me.

The attack comes as London faces a stabbing epidemic, with knife crime rising 27 per cent in the past year.

Last night the Metropolitan Police confirmed that road rage was a line of inquiry.

A spokesman said the stabbing occurred after the victims became involved in a verbal altercation with the occupants of another car following a minor collision.The Queensland floods have brought a number of animals out into the world, particularly in areas that they wouldn't normally be seen.

Now the Queensland Environment Department have issued a warning for those caught in the danger zone.

The warning, shared on Facebook, read: 'Crocodiles and snakes may turn up in unexpected places as a result of the heavy rainfall and flooding in parts of North Queensland.'

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The Queensland Environment Department have issued a warning about floods bringing crocodiles and snakes out

'Crocodiles can move further upstream during very high tides and periods of flooding', reads Crocwise

Crocodile country normally runs from north of the Boyne River and extends west to the border between Queensland and the Northern Territory along the coast.

But the Department of Environment and Science (DES), formerly known as the Department of Environment and Heritage Protection, warns that: 'Crocodiles can move further upstream during very high tides and periods of flooding and may move into new areas where crocodiles had not been seen before.'

Warning signs are in areas that crocodiles are known to frequent but that people should expect that the animal could be in all north Queensland waterways.

The Crocwise page also warns that just because you can't see a crocodile it doesn't mean there isn't one nearby.

'Crocodiles can be very patient, and can stay underwater and unseen for up to four hours without even a breath,' writes the page.

DES Northern Wildlife Operations Manager Dr Matt Brien, in a press release, said: 'Snakes are good swimmers and they too may turn up in unexpected places.

'If you see a snake, dont attempt to catch or remove it. Contact a local licensed snake removalist if you need assistance.'

Crocodiles and snakes aren't the only animals that have shown themselves during the floods.

Crocodile country extends from north of the Boyne river and continues west along the coastline. The flooded area is marked on the map above on green

Warning signs are in areas that crocodiles are known to frequent but that people should expect that the animal could be in all north Queensland waterways

Video footage emerged of a Australian Tarantula that had been flushed out of its burrow.

The spider needed to be rescued from the raging flood waters with being forced out of it's burrow leaving the animal vulnerable.

People are being urged to report all crocodile sightings to CrocWatch on 1300 130 372.A young family can now rest easy after a deadly intruder was finally removed from their Queensland home.

It took two hours of jackhammering a concrete slab to find the 1.3 metre long Eastern brown snake that had been calling the Helensvale property home for the last six months and captured the moment on video.

Tony Harrison from Gold Coast and Brisbane Snake Catcher told Daily Mail Australia he was first called out to the property more than six months ago by previous owner but was unable to find the snake.

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The Eastern brown snake wasn't too impressed about being removed from the Gold Coast property it has called home for the last six months

It took two hours of jackhammering to finally find the sneaky predator

Tony Harrison from Gold Coast and Brisbane Snake Catcher told Daily Mail Australia he was first called out to the home more than six months ago by the then owner but was unable to find the snake.

He's had several calls regarding the sneaky intruder but realised something had to happen when the new residents called for his help on Saturday when it was spotted again.

"With two kids running around, they didn't want to take their chances anymore and I don't blame them,' Mr Harrison told Daily Mail Australia.

The snake was captured from the rubble and released nearby.

Residents are urged to continue to be vigilant for Eastern brown snakes in early autumn as hatching season reaches its peak

'Like any snake, it wasn't happy to be interrupted,' Mr Harrison said.

'The family were absolutely thrilled that they can sleep easy now.'

Kristy McDiarmid, her husband and their two young children have been living at the property near the Gold Coast since January.

'We heard from the neighbours that the previous owner had seen it a few times least year, but was never able to capture it,' Ms McDiarmid told Yahoo7.

'The snake catcher advised us to just gravel and pave as snakes don't like that. We were pretty much advised if our kids would get bitten it would be fatal for them, especially for our two-year-old daughter, so we had no choice.'

Residents are urged to continue to be vigilant for Eastern brown snakes in early autumn as hatching season reaches its peak.

The brown snake is considered the world's second-most venomous land snake and is responsible for around 60 per cent of snake bite deaths in Australia.

"If you see a snake, take a photo of it and text it to a snake catcher, who will then decide wthether you need to panic,' Mr Harrison said.

He has been bitten once by an Eastern brown snake once in his career, which spans almost 25 years.

'It nearly killed me,' Mr Harrison said.

The brown snake is considered the world's second-most venomous land snake and is responsible for around 60 per cent of snake bite deaths in AustraliaFormer senator Jacqui Lambie offended an academic and an indigenous actress by suggesting women could stand up for themselves against workplace sexual harassment.

The Tasmanian firebrand also described the 'Me Too' movement as a victimhood campaign.

'If you have a big woman who stands up to them and speaks straight down the line to them like their bloody mothers would, I can tell you now these men would move away pretty quickly,' she told ABC-TV's The Drum last week.

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Former senator Jacqui Lambie offended an academic and an indigenous actress by suggesting women could stand up for themselves against male sexual predators

Ms Lambie grunted 'ugh' after Macquarie University research fellow Randa Abdel-Fattah argued refugee women couldn't stand up for themselves in a workplace

Ms Lambie then grunted 'ugh' after Macquarie University research fellow Randa Abdel-Fattah argued refugee women couldn't stand up for themselves in a workplace.

'We're still talking about this from a white women's perspective,' Dr Abdel-Fattah said. 'Don't "ugh" me.'

Indigenous actress Nakkiah Lui weighed in, accusing Ms Lambie of excusing the culture of sexual harassment at work.

'When we bring it back to the women, when we say, "You're not strong enough, you need to be more resilient", you're making the actual problem invisible and that is a culture of entitlement,' she said.

Indigenous actress Nakkiah Lui weighed in, accusing Ms Lambie of excusing the culture of sexual harassment at work

Ms Lambie fired up after Randa Abdel-Fattah accused her of having no empathy for women who had been sexually harassed: 'So we should run around like a victim, should we?'.

'That's a value system that this whole issue stems from which is sexism, which is people having less equality.'

Ms Lambie, 47, fired up after Dr Abdel-Fattah accused her of having no empathy for women who had been sexually harassed.

'I'm just simply saying my coping mechanisms don't go to"victim",' she said.

'They stand up and fight. 'So we should run around like a victim, should we?

'That's going the help the situation, girlfriend? I'm sorry.'Advertisement

A Long Island mansion built to resemble the famed Palace of Versailles in France has hit the market for $60million.

Hpnotiq liquor owner Raphael Yakoby (above) bought the property back in 2003

The ultra-lavish manor, named Maison des Jardins, was listed up for sale Thursday, Mansion Global reported.

Hpnotiq liquor entrepreneur Raphael Yakoby sold his company back in 2003, when he invested in the property that has since been revamped for more than $3.25million.

The mansion has been listed under New York-based real estate company Douglas Elliman.

The property had previously been listed for $100million back in 2016, before now again being put back on the market.

The lavish Long Island mansion, Maison des Jardins, is pictured above. The property is currently on the market for $60million

The palatial house was built to resemble the famed Palace of Versailles in France

The chic 8.4-acre property includes 'eight bedrooms, 15 bathrooms, a grand ballroom, several other entertaining spaces and staff quarters'

The kitchen includes a marble counter top with a marble wall behind the stove and neutral color tones

Real estate agent Eloise Halpern told Mansion Global the palace, carefully modeled on the Palace of Versailles, has been a longtime 'dream' for Yakoby.

Halpern is currently working alongside agent Patricia Bischoff to sell the property.

The chic 8.4-acre space includes 'eight bedrooms, 15 bathrooms, a grand ballroom, several other entertaining spaces and staff quarters,' the luxury real estate listings site reports.

The spacious living room is 22 square feet and and is embellished with Baccarat crystal chandeliers, marble fireplaces and exquisite furniture.

Real estate agent, Eloise Halpern, told Mansion Global the palace, carefully modeled after the Palace of Versailles, has been a longtime 'dream' for Yakoby

The bright white walls are splashed with cool tones of green, light pink and blue

The mansion is is embellished with Baccarat crystal chandeliers and marble fireplaces and exquisite furniture

A decked-out dining space is pictured above with exquisite chandeliers and decor

'Almost everything, down to the silk flowers, is imported... The tremendous undertaking justifies the price,' Halpern said

The bright white walls are splashed in cool tones of green and light pink. The palatial home also includes a spacious wine storage room.

Halpern complimented her Yakoby's sense of taste, saying: 'He's very creative and has a natural knack for colors, as you can see from the interior design of the home.

'Almost everything, down to the silk flowers, is imported... The tremendous undertaking justifies the price.'

Owner Raphael Yakoby developed a love for everything French when he started his business there

While the home has a modernistic touch, 'when you walk inside, you are immediately transported to another era'

The palatial house also includes a spacious wine storage room (as seen above in photos)

The pricey property was initially listed for $100million in 2017 before Thursday's listing

And while the home has a modernistic touch, 'when you walk inside, you are immediately transported to another era,' the agent added.

Outside, a 22-foot-high iron gate surrounds the mansion, as well as a quarter-mile driveway.

'There is an anticipation as you go down the driveway, and when you see "the castle", it's really awe-inspiring,' Halpern concluded.

The pricey property was initially listed for $100million in 2017 before it went up for sale on Thursday.

A red carpet has been set in the courtyard of the Versailles Palace on May 29, 2017 near Paris, ahead of the arrival of Russia's president for a meeting with his French counterpart

This picture taken on March 6, 2017 shows a view of the galerie des Glaces (Hall of Mirrors) painted by French artist Charles Le Brun (1619-1690) at the Versailles Castle, west of ParisThe Clark County Sheriff's Office the pilot as 65-year-old Mary H. Rosenblum (pictured) from Canby, Oregon

A pilot who crashed into a field in Clark County, Washington on Sunday afternoon died following the accident.

The Clark County Sheriff's Office identified the pilot as 65-year-old Mary H. Rosenblum from Canby, Oregon.

According to a tweet by KGWN news reporter Mike Benner, Rosenblum was on 'the states aviation board [and is] an award-winning author.'

Authorities said that they received a report from a witness about the accident at around 1pm Sunday at the 4100 block of Northeast J.A. Moore Road.

The crash site was located in Daybreak Field, located between La Center and Battle Ground, where authorities pronounced Rosenblum dead at the scene.

Rosenblum had been flying a two-seat, single-engine plane called a Piper Super Cub, according to The Oregonian.

Rosenblum had been flying a two-seat, single-engine plane called a Piper Super Cub, according to The Oregonian

A friend of Rosenblum's was flying a separate aircraft alongside the 65-year-old, who told Clark County Sheriffs that they were unaware of the crash.

The two pilots had been flying around the area earlier in the day and planned on making a stop at the field, according to local police.

Federal Aviation Agency said they have opened an investigation into the cause of the incident.

Rosenblum, born Mary Freeman in 1952, grew up in Levittown, New York and attended Reed College in Oregon.

She is also the author of at least nine science-fiction books which include titles such as 1993's 'Chimera' and the 2006 novel 'Water Rites.'

Before her death on Sunday, Rosenblum was one of the only 10% of female pilots in the state of Oregon.The iHeartRadio Music awards used the show as an opportunity to speak out about gun violence on Sunday night.

One of the survivors of last month's massacre at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, Alex Moscou, gave an impassioned call-to-action during the event, which was held at The Forum in Inglewood, California.

Moscou was introduced by Big Sean, and then spent two minutes urging viewers to join him and other students at the 'March For Our Lives' rally in Washington on the 24th.

He also lashed out at politicians who 'send their thoughts and prayers' but 'do nothing to make the necessary changes to prevent this tragedy from happening again.'

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One of the survivors of last month's massacre at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, Alex Moscou, gave an impassioned call-to-action during the event, which was held at The Forum in Inglewood, California. He is pictured with Big Sean

Moscou was introduced by Big Sean, and then spent two minutes urging viewers to join him and other students at the 'March For Our Lives' rally in Washington on the 24th. He is pictured at the event with Khalid and Hailey Baldwin

'School is a place where we should feel safe and if those elected to represent us won't do what's right - keep us safe - then we're going to be too loud for them to ignore,' he said.

'We're marching in Washington Dc on March 24th for all of our fellow students and for the victims and survivors of gun violence in every community, from New Orleans to Chicago, Baltimore or Detroit.

'Wherever you are we. hope you will join us.'

Moscou also noted there will be more than 600 marches being held in cities across the country and in other parts of the world - in case anyone who wants to participate cannot make it to Washington.

'I'll be marching in Washington, DC, representing Shine MSD. This will be a March for Our Lives, we are MSD Strong,' he concluded, before helping Big Sean introduce Eminem.

Eminem also issued a statement about gun control, adding a new verse into his song 'Nowhere Fast,' which he performed with Kehlani

Model and co-host Hailey Baldwin also made a statement at the event - showing up to the red carpet in a 'Stoneman Douglas High' t-shirt

The 21-year-old made the silent support for the Parkland shooting, but has previously been more vocal about the topic. She shared the website for March For Our Lives, and has reposted multiple interviews with parents of shooting victims

The rapper, who has been vocal about his view on politics and dislike of President Donald Trump in recent months, came to stage and performed 'Nowhere Fast' with Kehlani.

But he added a new verse into the Revial song, focusing on gun control.

'Gun owners clutching their loaded weapons, they love their guns more than our children,' he rapped.

Model and co-host Hailey Baldwin also made a statement at the event - showing up to the red carpet in a 'Stoneman Douglas High' t-shirt.

The 21-year-old made the silent support for the Parkland shooting, but has previously been more vocal about the topic. She shared the website for March For Our Lives, and has reposted multiple interviews with parents of shooting victims.

The White House has announced plans to arm teachers but has backtracked on President Donald Trump's previous calls to raise the minimum age to purchase certain firearms to 21

The president is establishing a Federal Commission on School Safety that will be headed by Education Secretary Betsy DeVos (pictured)

Sunday's award show came just after the White House unveiled gun and school safety proposals that include arming teachers but backtrack on President Donald Trump's previous calls to raise the minimum age to purchase certain firearms to 21.

The new proposals vow to provide 'rigorous firearms training' to 'specially qualified' teachers on a voluntary basis. This includes assistance from the Department of Justice which will offer firearm training to school staff through their local agencies.

Sunday night's announcements also included news the president is establishing a Federal Commission on School Safety that will be headed by Education Secretary Betsy DeVos.

The commission will largely focus on mental health and strengthening school security, but will also explore other solutions such as raising the age requirements for gun purchases, according to the White House.

Sunday's announcements did not say when the commission's findings will be released, but an official said it would be within a year.Actor Joey Lawrence, who has worked professionally since he was six, fell into such severe debt that he and his wife sold the clothes off their backs in an effort to make ends meet.

His latest TV stint on Melissa & Joey ended in 2015, after which his finances steeped into decline and he was left over $355,000 in the red.

Lawrence, 41, and his family sold their furniture, purses, wallets and even clothes in a last ditch attempt to pay off bills before he and wife Chandie Yawn-Nelson filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy in July.

Blossom's Joey Lawrence has filed for bankruptcy after falling $355k into the red following the end of Melissa & Joey; he is pictured with his wife Chandie in 2013

It's over: With Melissa Joan Hart on the set of Melissa & Joey, which was cancelled in 2015

Hustle: The actor sold $4,000 in clothes in a last-minute effort to pay their mounting bills

While Lawrence's assets totaled $43,907.32, he owed a whopping $355,517.27 in taxes, rent and credit card bills.

The couple hustled for cash wherever they could, from selling furniture to a consignment store for $1,836.70 and selling their clothes to a second hand store for $4,325.10, according to court documents obtained by The Blast

The couple even posted items on eBay.

However this did little to help, with Lawrence bringing home just $6,966 a month in earnings and residuals, but facing $25,505.35 in expenses.

His bankruptcy is an eerie echo to his Melissa & Joey character - which lasted for five seasons - where he played a former commodities trader who lost everything and also became steeped in financial woes.

Their documents reveal that the couple, who have two children, were in the red $18,000 a month.

The family encountered financial difficulties after Melissa & Joey ended.

Family: The couple, seen in 2010, have two children together

Child star: The actor as Joey Russo on the set of Blossom; he has been working professionally since he was six

On the show he received a reported income of $534,000 in 2015.

The following year it was $58,000.

The shortage of income was not enough to meet their family's $13,500 monthly rent payments.

Lawrence and Yawn-Nelson owe $88,000 in back taxes, $132,000 in credit card bills, $32,000 on an unpaid loan, $100,000 for their cars and $54,000 in unpaid rent, according to the filings.

The couple reportedly turned to bankruptcy after they fell behind on their rent payments and their three cars - including a Bentley and a BMW - were repossessed.

In January of this year court documents were filed stating that Lawrences company, Veritas Inc had sold at auction for $56,000, giving the buyer the rights to all royalties and residuals for his work prior to the bankruptcy filing.

The debt was discharged by the court, although the bankruptcy remains pending.Six-year-old Ellie Butler's death came 11 months after she was returned to her parents following a custody battle

Ellie Butler's mother kept a second child secret from the authorities after the youngster had been taken out of her care, an inquest heard today.

The six-year-old was murdered by her violent father Ben Butler in Sutton, South London, in 2013. She had suffered 'catastrophic' head injuries.

An inquest into her death, which began on Monday, has heard that her mother Jennie Gray hid the birth of a second child born after Ellie while she was in the care of her grandparents.

Gray initially said there were potentially three fathers of the sibling, who was younger than Ellie and referred to as 'Child C' - but it was established through DNA testing Butler was the dad, the inquest heard.

Adam Wiseman QC said: 'The existence of 'Child C' was only discovered after Jennie Gray had been caught shoplifting.

'A baby at the time, Jennie Gray attempted to evade children's services by claiming that she'd relocated to Liverpool, but was located on March 21, 2010, in Sussex.

'Concerns were raised about Child C as they were found in filthy clothes which has suggested neglect.

'As a result the child was removed from her care and placed with foster carers.'

Gray had also lied about continuing to have a relationship with Butler, the inquest heard.

An inquest into her death, which began on Monday, has heard that her mother Jennie Gray (above) hid the birth of a second child born after Ellie while she was in the care of her grandparents

Mr Wiseman added: 'The father had caused non-accidental injuries to Ellie and the mother had not been open and honest and lied about the continuation of their relationship.

'This included the nature of her birth and the identity of the father. She had failed to protect the child from the father.'

A court previously heard that the inquest into Ellie's death will not review the High Court decision to allow her father to look after her again.

The probe into the circumstances of her tragic death will instead focus on the role of various agencies - including social services, her school and the police, the hearing was told.

In January 2008 at Croydon County Court Judge Atkin ruled Ellie's father caused burns to her when she was a baby either 'deliberately, recklessly or negligently'.

He was convicted in 2009 of shaking her as a baby but this was quashed after an appeal.

Ellie went to live with her grandparents but Butler and Gray won a High Court judgment which meant she was returned to their care.

Eleven months later, in October 2013, Butler murdered his daughter at the family home after subjecting her and her mother to months of abuse.

Butler, who had a history of violence, was jailed for life in 2016 to serve a minimum term of 23 years for Ellie's murder.

Ellie was murdered by her violent father Ben Butler in Sutton, South London, in 2013. She had suffered 'catastrophic' head injuries

Gray got a 42-month jail sentence for child cruelty and perverting the course of justice for her part in what the judge called a 'cynical cover-up'.

Last month Gray, 38, lost her bid to overturn her convictions and is still serving a three-and-a-half year jail term.

Croydon Coroner's Court heard today that the inquest would not review the decision of the High Court in exonerating Butler and Gray.

Adam Wiseman QC, counsel for the inquest, said the hearing would look at if Ellie's Article 2 'right to life' of the European Convention on Human Rights was breached in the lead up to her death.

He said: 'The inquest into the death of Ellie engages Article 2 of the European Convention on Human Rights, which means the inquest will consider both how and in what circumstances the deceased come about their death.

'A full and fearless investigation will take place and that is precisely what is about to take place. The scope of the inquest will be between a specific time period - July 6, 2012, and October 28, 2013.

Ben Butler pictured with his daughter Ellie, who was battered to death at the family home

Gray (left) had also lied about continuing to have a relationship with Butler (centre), the inquest heard

'Prior to July 2012 Ellie was safely in the care of her maternal grandparents when on July 6 Justice Hogg exonerated Mr Butler and Ms Gray in respect of all allegations of physical abuse to Ellie.

'Mrs Justice Hogg determined neither parent posed a physical risk to Ellie or her sibling. This inquest will not consider the judgment of the family court. Mrs Justice Hogg is not on trial and nor is her judgment.

'A Coroner's Court is not the appropriate forum to review or question any decision of the High Court, nor would it ever be appropriate as a lower court.'

Ellie's grandfather Neal Gray, 72, brought her up until he last 11 months of her life.

The court heard the inquest will investigate whether the organisations such as social services, her school and the police, carried out their duties and if they exchanged information correctly or missed any important details around Ellie's welfare.

Butler and Gray appeared via video link from prison to hear the proceedings.



Butler and Ellie's mother, Jennie Gray (pictured together), won a High Court judgment which meant Ellie was returned to their care

The court also heard Gray was still appealing against her convictions.

The court heard abuse of Ellie began when she was just five-and-half-weeks old after the first time her father looked after her when her fingers and head were discovered to be burnt.

After she was taken to hospital, Gray claimed the baby had rolled over and burnt herself on a radiator.

Gray initially said there were potentially three fathers of the sibling, who was younger than Ellie and referred to as 'Child C' - but it was established through DNA testing Butler was the dad, the inquest heard

In January 2008 at Croydon County Court Judge Atkin ruled Ellie's father (above) caused burns to her when she was a baby either 'deliberately, recklessly or negligently'

The youngster was then admitted to hospital with life-threatening injuries but after being charged with GBH, Ben Butler was then cleared by the High Court.

After being handed back to the parents' care she began to miss school and suffered various injuries.

Mr Wiseman QC told the hearing her school, Beddington Infants and Avenue Primary School, as well as the police were told her injuries were caused by chasing the family dog and there was not enough evidence to launch safeguarding procedures.

The day before Ellie's death on October 28 2013, her grandparents noticed bruising to her face which was being hidden by face paint.

Mr Wiseman said: 'Ellie had facial injuries high, which had been in concealed with face paint.

Ellie's grandfather Neal Gray, pictured, brought her up until the last 11 months of her life

'The grandparents weren't allowed to speak to the children alone and this was the last time the grandparents saw Ellie alive.'

The cause of death was given as an 'impact head injury'.

Gray hid the existence of the second child until 2009 when she was caught shoplifting in Worthing, West Sussex, and the child was wearing filthy clothes as was taken into care, the court heard.

The Old Bailey trial heard that in October 2013 Butler battered his daughter to death in a momentary but volcanic loss of temper.

The parents claimed the death was the result of an accident.

Butler's defence was that Ellie may had fallen while jumping on her bed while imitating cartoon character Peppa Pig.

The couple angrily protested their innocence when jurors returned guilty verdicts.

Gray told them they had made a 'big mistake', while Butler shouted that he would 'fight forever' in the appeal courts.

The inquest is being held at South London Coroner's Court in Croydon and it expected to last about two weeks.A loving father is so devoted to the health of his two daughters that he is risking a jail sentence after juicing cannabis in an effort to combat their debilitating Crohn's disease.

New South Wales father Stephen Taylor had turned to a number of doctors pleading for them to help him and his family, but none would step up.

To gain a prescription for medical marijuana in Australia a patient must first find a doctor that is either an 'authorised prescriber' or one that would be willing to submit the application to the Therapeutic Goods Administration.

Unfortunately Mr Taylor was never able to find such a doctor.

'A couple of times I have carried Morgan into hospital weighing around 32 kilos,' Mr Taylor told ABC's 730 on Monday night.

'Actually carrying her in my arms crying. No parent should have to do this. At any stage.'

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A loving father is so devoted to the health of his two daughters that he is risking a jail sentence after juicing cannabis in an effort to combat their debilitating Crohn's disease

Ariel (left) and Morgan Taylor (right) both suffer from the auto-immune condition

So Mr Taylor stepped up and took drastic measures to help his beloved daughters and started to cultivate his own cannabis.

'We wanted to start using the leaves for juicing,' he said.

Mr Taylor said it was only a matter of weeks before he could see a visible turnaround in his daughters, saying he truly believed his daughter Morgan, 21, went into remission.

'She was starting to put on weight, she was starting to eat healthy food and we said 'fantastic',' he said.

Mr Taylor set up a growing operation in his back yard and began the process of cultivating and then juicing cannabis.

However he was raided by police who confiscated all the cannabis he had grown and charged him with with cultivation and possession of cannabis.

Mr Taylor could face a number of years in jail and a large fine if he is found guilty of the charges.

No parent should have to do this. At any stage,' a heartbroken Mr Taylor told the program

His older daughter Morgan spoke to ABC News about how using cannabis oil had positively impacted her quality of life right away.

She said that it was within one month that she was no longer bedridden, was able to start eating healthy and even exercising.

'I gained weight, I got up to 50 kilos, I was able to work,' she said.

Medical marijuana was made legal in Australia 18 months ago after the Narcotics Amendment Bill 2016 was passed.

However the red tape and application process required to gain permission for its use has proven a big hurdle for many.

Just 519 patients have been approved for the treatment.

However some medical professionals have said that up to 100,000 Australians are in need of the medical marijuana, but at this stage they are forced to go through illegal channels to get it.

Medical marijuana was made legal in Australia 18 months ago after the Narcotics Amendment Bill 2016 was passed and is still undergoing clinical trials in every state

Mr Taylor turned to illegal cultivation of cannabis because he felt he had no other choice.

His daughters were, and still are, in and out of hospital and dropping to dangerously low weights which constantly impacts their quality of life.

'The government have to do something about this, it's ridiculous,' he said.

He said all they had to do was listen and they would hear that parents and average people are crying out for medical marijuana.

The government has claimed it wants to eliminate the red tape and make it easier for patients to gain access however the results aren't reflecting that.

Another problem is that many doctors can't reach a consensus on medical marijuana and whether it would help their patients and as a result are hesitant to submit applications.

Just 519 patients have been approved for the treatment, however some medical professionals have said that up to 100,000 Australians are in need of the medical marijuana

Clinical trials are still underway across all Australian states, New South Wales is currently testing its effects on terminal cancer and paediatric epilepsy.

A medical marijuana educational seminar is being held in Sydney on March 14 at the University of Sydney from 6.30pm.

Crohn's disease is a life long chronic disease which causes inflammation in the gastrointestinal tract, or gut, and was first discovered in 1932 by Dr Burrill B. Crohn whom the disease is named after.

Symptoms vary greatly from patient to patient, including unintended weight loss and loss of appetite which both Taylor sisters were suffering, among others.

The inflammation can also stop the body from being able to process and adsorb nutrients correctly, causing slow and stunted growth.Queensland schoolgirls will be able to wear shorts instead of skirts with the government set to bring the state's uniform policy into the modern age.

Education Minister Grace Grace said she would change the policy to formally allow girls who attended state schools to wear shorts and pants, as well as skirts and dresses.

'In today's day and age, there should be no reason why shorts and pants aren't made part of the school formal uniform,' the minister told ABC radio on Monday.

Queensland schoolgirls will now be able to wear shorts instead of skirts (stock picture)

Ms Grace said the change was about giving girls a choice.

'Everyone should be entitled to be able to choose shorts and pants.'

In January outraged parents shamed Queensland schools for having 'ridiculous' uniform policies after several children received detentions for not wearing the correct shoes.

Students from the Gold Coast's Upper Coomera State High copped all-day detentions for wearing non-leather black shoes, while children at nearby Helensvale State High were forced to borrow the correct footwear.

In Brisbane, Karen Bishop's daughter was handed a detention for wearing a pair of black, leather Vans - reducing her to tears.

'It's ridiculous to give school children detention for a pair of shoes,' the Brisbane mother said at the time.

The government is bringing the state's uniform policy into the modern age (stock picture)

The move follows the decision in September which declared girls at all Victoria state schools will no longer be forced to wear dresses and skirts, and instead will be given the choice of shorts or pants as well.

Education Minister James Merlino said at the time the changes made 'common sense' and that schools had to provide options 'as far as practicable'.

'It's a relatively minor change to ensure that our expectation is that every school does provide the option of shorts and pants for girls,' Merlino told 3AW on Wednesday.

Merlino said that he was considering options to 'ensure' that girls at all government schools would be provided the freedom to choose.

'While the vast majority of schools already offer the option of female students wearing shorts or pants, it is something I would expect all government schools to do,' he told the Herald Sun.

Merlino added that all schools 'must adhere to human rights and anti-discrimination requirements'.Binghamton University senior nursing student, Haley Anderson, 22, was found dead off campus Friday

A 22-year-old Binghamton University nursing student was found dead Friday and an ex-lover has been named a person of interest.

Haley Anderson, a senior at the public research university, was a few months away from graduation before she was found dead at a residence located on Oak Street during a welfare check, police in Binghamton said.

The beautiful blonde student was originally from Westbury, New York, her Facebook page reads.

Anderson is pictured on social media smiling brightly next to friends and colleagues.

Her co-worker, Athena Anadnostakos, who worked with her for years at Jazzman's Cafe on campus, spoke highly of the late student in a statement to Fox 40.

'She was a very good girl. She was friendly, joked around... we had a good time together,' Anadnostakos told the news station.

'Everybody is sad... a lot of students came to New York together and they cried today. They were all so close,' she said, in tears.

Anderson was a few months away from graduation before she was found dead at a residence located on Oak Street, police in Binghamton said

The beautiful, bright blonde is pictured in Facebook photos smiling. She was found dead on Friday

The death of Anderson, pictured second from left, has been ruled a homicide. One of Anderson's former romantic partners has been named a person of interest. He has not been identified, but since fled the country, police said

One of Anderson's ex-lovers, who has not yet been named, fled the country before police found the student's body Friday.

The man was also said to be a nursing student at Binghamton University. Anderson told Anadnostakos she decided to stay at school for spring break. That was the last time Anadnostakos saw her.

Anderson's Facebook profile states she was currently 'single'. She last publicly listed she was in a relationship in 2016.

On Friday night, the university shared a lengthy condolence message to their page.

One of Anderson's co-workers, Athena Anadnostakos, pictured, cried as she spoke about the late student she called a 'very good girl'

Anderson worked at Jazzman's Brew & Bakery for three years before she died just before graduation

Binghamton University is pictured above. Anderson was a senior nursing student. She was preparing to graduate in May

The Binghamton University student found dead Friday afternoon at a home on Oak Street (street pictured above on Google Maps)

'The Binghamton University community is deeply saddened to learn of the death of senior nursing student Haley Anderson, whose death is being investigated by the Binghamton Police Department,' the post read in part.

'There is no threat to public safety at this time. The investigation is continuing at this hour. Anyone with information can contact the Binghamton Police Detective Division at 607-772-7080 or 607-772-7082.'

The message said further: 'Our entire University community extends our deepest condolences to Haleys family and friends, both here in Binghamton and in her hometown of Westbury, N.Y.'

The university is also offering counseling services to students and faculty during this trying time.

Further investigation is currently underway. Police have ruled Anderson's death a homicide.

'This incident and the circumstances of the death was not a random act or involving the conduct of a stranger,' police confirmed in a news release.

Anderson's co-worker said the student stayed at the college for spring break, around the time she diedThe mother of a Western Australian man who disappeared two years ago has issued an emotional plea for information regarding his mysterious death.

Damien Turia, 41, was last seen riding a blue Yamaha Grizzly quadbike in the Wedgefield industrial area near South Hedland in the state's Pilbara region on February 29, 2016.

His remains found in mangroves in Lumsden Point at Port Hedland in August 2017.

More remains found nearby in February this year.

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Damien Turia, 41, was known in the Port Hedland area as 'Black Cat'. He was last seen alive on February 29, 2016

Sharon Turia wants to know what happened to her son Damien. 'He's not only my son, he was also a brother, an uncle, a cousin and a friend,' she said

Homicide Squad detectives are treating his death as suspicious and have appealed for public assistance.

'Damien's always been an easy going sort of guy,' his mother Sharon Turia said in a heartfelt video message shared by Western Australia Police on Monday.

'He has a little bit of a warped sense of humour, loved his fishing, loved being outdoors and didn't like the city at all. That's why he moved to WA. We all adored him.'

Mr Turia was known in the Port Hedland area as 'Black Cat'.

'He's not only my son, he was also a brother, an uncle, a cousin and a friend,' Mrs Turia said.

'Everybody out there, I'm sure, have all these relationship with their own people that they love. So, to know that somebody has been missing or has been harmed, it's hurtful to all of us and I'm sure you can all feel our pain. Any help that you can give to us to find out what happened to my son would be much appreciated.'

Police believe the Yamaha Grizzly quadbike Mr Turia was last seen riding was advertised many months after his disappearance and sold locally.

Damien Turia was last seen riding a blue Yamaha Grizzly quadbike in the Wedgefield industrial area near South Hedland on February 29, 2016

'Damien lived an itinerant lifestyle and had limited contact with his family prior to his death,' Detective Senior Sergeant Tom Mills said.

'Notwithstanding that, his family are distressed by his death and are keen for answers as to what happened to him. He was sleeping rough in the weeks prior to his last known sighting in Wedgefield.'

Anyone with information regarding Damien's movements in late February 2016, or regarding the whereabouts of the quadbike, is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.

Detective Senior Sergeant Tom Mills said police are treating Damien Turia's death as suspiuciousFirefighters battling a hellish inferno have battled through nightmarish conditions as strong winds spread the fire, which has been burning since Saturday.

The sky was filled with smoke as tall as trees and a wall of purple flames engulfed the area making it hard for residents and firefighters to see and breathe.

Hundreds have already evacuated their homes in Bunbury, south of Perth, as more than 80 firefighters continue to battle the inferno.

Firefighters battling a hellish inferno have experienced terrifying conditions as strong winds spread the fire which has been burning since Saturday

Hundreds have been told to evacuate their homes in the face of wild bushfires. Pictured: The blaze creates a huge cloud of smoke over houses

As many as 70,000 live in the Great Bunbury area. Pictured: Cars parked underneath clouds of smoke

The fire, which began around 1.30pm on Saturday burnt out 168 hectares of bushland threatening lives and homes. Pictured: A cloud of smoke engulfs a main road

More than 80 firefighters are battling an enormous blaze in Bunbury, south of Perth. Pictured: A map showing the danger area

Dramatic pictures show the city's buildings and roads smothered in clouds of thick smoke

The fire, which began around 1.30pm on Saturday, quickly moved west and north across the city, and burnt out 168 hectares of bushland threatening lives and homes.

Dramatic pictures show the city's buildings and roads smothered in clouds of thick smoke, and the blaze taller than the trees just metres away from front doors.

As many as 70,000 live in the Great Bunbury area.

A Department of Fire and Emergency Service spokeswoman told Daily Mail Australia the blaze has since been contained and controlled.

A 23-year-old man has been charged over the fire after he allegedly threw his cigarette butt into bushland.

He is charged with Breach Duty of Care  Duty to a Person in Control of Ignition Source of Fire and is due to appear at Bunbury Magistrates Court on Monday.

Smoke rises over a house in Bunbury as residents are told to evacuated the area immediately

Smoke rises over the city of Bunbury as firefighters battle an enormous blaze

Shocked residents posted pictures of the rising smoke on social media on FridayThe White House flatly rejected accusations on Monday that President Donald Trump flipped his position on age minimums for certain firearms purchases because it goes against the position of the nation's most powerful gun group.

Sarah Sanders, the White House press secretary, said a commission the president is establishing would review the proposition that's opposed by the National Rifle Association and determine the best way to handle the politically tricky issue.

'He hasn't backed away from these things at all,' she said, 'but he can't make them happen with a broad stroke of the pen.'

President Trump said Monday that it will be up to states to decide whether teens should be able to buy semi-automatic rifles for now as he defended his decision to drop the proposal from a list of recommendations he's making to Congress.

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President Donald Trump said Monday that it will be up to states to decide whether teens should be able to buy semi-automatic rifles for now as he defended his decision to drop a proposal to raise the age minimum for such purchases from his school safety plan

Trump said he'll be watching what happens in the courts before acting.

'Things are moving rapidly on this, but not much political support (to put it mildly),' the president said.

Sanders said later, in her daily news conference, that Trump was tabling the issue for now in order to keep gun legislation that's supported by a wide array of legislators from being weighed down.

'Right now, the presidents primary focus is on pushing through things that we know have broad bipartisan support or things that we can do from an administrative perspective that we can do immediately,' she said, 'but we haven't let go of some of those other things.'

In a series of tweets this morning the president outlined a set of proposals to prevent gun violence in schools, including concealed carry for teachers, that his administration put forward on Sunday evening.

He proclaimed gun free zones to be an 'open invitation' to deranged killers and said that 'highly trained expert teachers will be allowed to conceal carry' if their state laws allow it.

'Very strong improvement and strengthening of background checks will be fully backed by White House. Legislation moving forward. Bump Stocks will soon be out. Highly trained expert teachers will be allowed to conceal carry, subject to State Law. Armed guards OK, deterrent!' he said.

Sarah Sanders, the White House press secretary, said a commission the president is establishing would review the 21 age limit proposition that's opposed by the National Rifle Association and determine the best way to handle the politically tricky issue

The White House plan to prevent school shootings that the administration unveiled Sunday evening left out a mandate for comprehensive background check legislation that the president had suggested he supported in addition to the age limit for certain types of firearms.

A federal commission on school safety was established to study those issues instead that Education Secretary Betsy DeVos will head.

'No student, no family, no teacher, and no school should have to live the horror of Parkland or Sandy Hook or Columbine again,' she said Sunday as the administration formally announced its plan to prevent school shootings.

On a call with reporters a White House official would not commit to a timeframe for the commission to finish its work but said, 'We will certainly see responses in under a year.'

'This is an urgent priority and she is known to act quickly and aggressively in all of this,' the official said of DeVos, 'which we have every confidence that she will, and we will coordinate with her chairing this commission along with other members of the Cabinet.'

The National Rifle Association had vocally opposed the proposition to raise the legal limit for purchasing certain types of firearms from 18 to 21.

Trump said at a Feb. 28 meeting where he chided GOP senators for being 'afraid' of the NRA that he was giving the age limit policy 'very serious consideration.'

'I'm the one bringing it up, and a lot of people don't even want to bring it up because they're afraid to bring it up,' he informed a bipartisan group of lawmakers.

The president offered to give Republican lawmakers political cover against groups like the NRA that are against the law change.

'Some people aren't going to like that, but you're going to have to look at that very seriously,' he said. 'And I will sign it, and I will call whoever you want me to if I like what you're doing, and I think I like what you're doing already, but you can add to it. '

After the pronouncement, Trump seemed to back off the stance following several calls and meetings with the NRA. His White House spokeswoman insisted that was not the case -- and chaffed at suggestions that the gun group was shaping his positions.

And yet, it was missing on Sunday from his gun violence prevention proposals.

The White House says the commission its establishing will take the matter under advisement.

In a Monday morning appearance on NBC where she was pressed on the age limit and guns in schools, DeVos reiterated that 'everything is on the table.'

Trump said in a tweet later in the morning that he would be 'watching court cases and rulings before acting.'

'States are making this decision,' he added.

Trump's expectations for gun-toting teachers and the commission remained vague even after DeVos' interview on 'Today.'

She said it would not be 'appropriate' for there to be an armed teacher in every class room or in every grade as she was pressed on the matter and that it would be up to local authorities to decide if teachers should openly carry their firearms like police officers.

'This is an issue that is best decided by local communities and by states,' she said. 'It's not going to be appropriate in every location but it is going to be appropriate in some places.'

Democrats immediately bashed Trump's plan as toothless and a capitulation to the NRA.

'The White House has taken tiny baby steps designed not to upset the NRA, when the gun violence epidemic in this country demands that giant steps be taken. Democrats in the Senate will push to go further including passing universal background checks, actual federal legislation on protection orders, and a debate on banning assault weapons,' Sen. Chuck Schumer, the top Democrat in the upper chamber, stated.

The Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence also slammed the White House plan.

'Americans expecting real leadership to prevent gun violence will be disappointed and troubled by President Trump's dangerous retreat from his promise,' said co-president Avery Gardiner.

In this Feb. 14, 2018 file photo, students hold their hands in the air as they are evacuated by police from Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla., after a shooter opened fire on the campus. The 19-year-old shooter wielded an AR-15

In his meetings with lawmakers and officials, it was Trump who had demanded that congressional legislation include an age limit and stricter background checks.

He said his administration would be looking at both issues very strongly.

'You have to be very, very powerful on background checks - don't be shy - very strong on mentally ill, you have to be very very strong on that,' he told legislators.

That was before the NRA said it would sue the state of Florida over its new gun laws. The gun group that backed Trump in his election is taking Republican Gov. Rick Scott to court in response to state legislation he signed that outlaws the purchase of all firearms by anyone under the age of 21.

Trump's plan calls for 'rigorous firearms training to specifically qualified volunteer school personnel' and Risk Protection Orders that authorize police to confiscate guns, following due process, from persons who are determined to be mentally ill and potentially violent.

Although Trump yanked his support for a universal background check bill, the president is still supporting to pieces of legislation, one of which would fix the National Instant Criminal Background Check. The other would provide funding for teacher training in schools.The Irish gypsies who scammed small businesses and trashed apartments have left after tormenting the country, it has been claimed.

The travellers are en route to Hawaii after Queensland police ran them out of the country on Saturday, a travel agent said on Monday.

An anonymous Facebook message from the worker told Brisbane's Hit radio station a group of men came in and booked for seven adults and six children including infants to fly out that evening.

The Irish travellers accused of stealing their way through Brisbane have left Australia, it has been claimed

The Irish travellers were accused of scamming and stealing their way around Brisbane allegedly used their children to steal designer shoes, police revealed

The men all said to the travel agent that it was a surprise for their wives.

The same agent also said another man came in later and asked to get on the same flight to Hawaii but couldn't be fit in to that evening flight.

He then went to another agency to and booked a flight with his family to the U.K and left the next morning.

The agent said the men intended to travel from Hawaii.

The travel agent said in the message the customers did look suspicious but they didn't intend to fraud her so she processed the tickets.

She later found out authorities had allegedly planned to deport them and not charge the group for any damages for the small businesses and properties.

The group of Irish 'gypsy' tourists (pictured) accused of scamming restaurants across Brisbane

The alleged crime is among 12 complaints Queensland Police reportedly have received about the same group of Irish tourists since January. Pictured: Images released by police

Another woman called Carrie phoned in to the radio show confirming the Irish Travellers had left the country on Saturday.

According to her friend 'that is in the authorities' there were no issues for the travellers when they were leaving and they weren't detained at the airport.

'They usually go in groups so i'm sure they all left today, ' the caller said.

Detective Fleming said he believes he knows who the alleged culprits are and that the Australian Border Force is trying to track down a group nine ' disrespectful' men and women. Pictured: Images released by police

The Irish travellers were accused of stealing their way through Brisbane after they left a vile message for a property manager they allegedly scammed.

The at least four women, accompanied by several men, are accused of stealing groceries from supermarkets and scamming restaurants for free meals by claiming they found glass or hair in their food.

Property manager Clara Carmichael spoke publicly about the group allegedly destroying four brand new apartments in Brisbane, one of the men left her a vile and abusive message.

The group allegedly left the apartments badly damaged, with dents in the walls (pictured)

'You won't be able to get any more payouts on your big plastic lips or your big plastic rubber face. You're a dirty, smelly Australian slapper. Bye now,' he said.

Ms Carmichael shared the message on Monday after the group trashed a number of rental apartments.

She claimed they left a trail of destruction when they fled the apartments in the middle of the night.

Photos show carpet badly stained with black marks, walls dented and sink basins smashed in.

Ms Carmichael claimed they also left a toilet clogged with potatoes.

'It was a little bit disturbing,' she told the Today show on Monday.

The rental apartment in Brisbane (pictured) was allegedly trashed by the travelling group, with dents in the walls and badly stained carpet

Ms Carmichael claimed the group was violent towards each other and neighbours.

'They terrorised the other tenants in the building. People were scared to come in and out,' she told Seven News.

Ms Carmichael said the group of travellers made a good first impression when they applied to rent the apartments.

The women are believed to be accompanied in the country by several men. Police released these images of the men they believe are linked to the women

Police say the men solicit for work offering discounted repairs on driveways and roofing whilst providing sub-standard services or failing to complete the work or to even turn up. Police released these images of the men they believe are linked to the women

'Our buildings are close to quite a big church and they said they wanted to live there because they liked to attend church regularly,' she said.

She said it wasn't long before their behaviour turned 'threatening' and they allegedly stopped paying rent.

Ms Carmichael said they were forced to remove some members from the building, while others fled in the middle of the night.

Detectives are trying to assemble enough evidence to have them deported as soon as possible, Detective Superintendent Tony Fleming said in a press conference

'Someone has to say something to stop the reign of terror they're unleashing on the community,' she said.

'People work hard in their businesses and to be scammed like this on such a big level, it's just not fair. It needs to be stopped.'

The property damage is just the most recent in a string of crimes the group of Irish travellers is allegedly behind.

Police said: 'Another incident involved four men claiming to have found hair in their food at a Brisbane restaurant and then leaving without paying'. Police released these images of the men they believe are linked to the women

Police said: 'With all the attention they've got ... I would suspect they would go mobile very quickly either elsewhere in Queensland or interstate.' Police released these images of the men they believe are linked to the women

Previously, the group has allegedly used their children to swipe designer shoes, police revealed today as they released new pictures of the suspects.

One mother distracted a shop worker while her toddler allegedly pilfered a pair of Chanel shoes, worth hundreds of dollars, and placed them in a pram.

The alleged crime is among 12 complaints Queensland Police have received about the same group of Irish tourists since January.

The owner of a Gold Coast grocery store claims the Irish mothers accused of scamming businesses across Queensland had wads of $50 stuffed in their bras

The women are believed to be accompanied in the country by several men.

Police say the men solicit for work offering discounted repairs on driveways and roofing before doing a botched job or failing to even turn up.

'There's a bit of an art and craft to this, they generally remain highly mobile and they don't stay in one place too long and my experience tells me they are generally alert to the practices of police,' Fleming said.

The supermarket owner alleges the 'attractive' women stole $100 worth of groceries, the man identified as 'Nash' told Hit 105

The three mothers and their children (pictured) have been accused by dozens of businesses in Queensland of planting glass shards in their meals to get a free feed

'Based on the CCTV they don't seem to be concerned in any way shape or form about being seen or detected, that either means they've done nothing wrong or they're incredibly brazen and they have no respect for the law and more importantly have no respect for the people in our community.

The group of Irish mothers (pictured) are accused of demanding a lunch worth $20 for free

CCTV footage appeared to show at least two women filling their bags at Brisbane's Chevron Island supermarket before allegedly making off with stolen shopping.

The CCTV footage show how a staff member approaches the group before the blonde woman appears to frantically unload the goods from her handbag into her basket, revealing the items she allegedly planned to steal.

Shocking footage also shows one of the women allegedly swiping a stack of meat trays from the shop floor.

Police said: 'Some of these people have been working in groups targeting retail stores stealing goods and money, and obtaining free food and beverages from restaurants claiming foreign objects, such as glass, are in their food.' Police released these images of the men they believe are linked to the women

Queensland police told Daily Mail Australia: 'Police are aware of the incident and are making follow up inquiries.'

Police are now investigating if the mothers are linked to an Irish fraudster who was recently arrested in Broadbeach but failed to show up at court, reported Seven News.

Several small business owners across Brisbane claim they have been scammed by the same women, who have been spotted around the city with two prams and at least four children.

Managers of several restaurants claim the women have been planting shards of glass in their meals before refusing to pay.

In another recent scam, the Irish travellers allegedly ordered sandwiches at a coffee shop but when the manager asked for payment, the women claimed they had been given the wrong food the day before and wanted their meals - worth $20 - for free.

The manager said he had worked the previous day and hadn't seen the women at all.

Pictured is a shard of glass an Irish mother claimed to have found in her meal at Bird's Nest Restaurant

'They started getting aggressive and so then I eventually just gave them three of the sandwiches that they said they ordered and then they asked for another one,' he told the Brisbane Times.

Staff at the International Hotel also claimed the same women came into their venue, asking for free drinks and cigarettes because the cigarette machine wasn't working.

'At the end they complained the steak wasn't cooked properly so obviously we gave them a free meal,' Nikki Watts of the International Hotel told Seven News.

Photos show carpet badly stained with black marks, walls dented and sink basins smashed in

One canny restaurant manager convinced the women to leave their details with him after sensing he was being scammed by the infamous glass trick.

Mido Nassif, who works at Wilson's seafood restaurant, asked the women for their contact details on the pretense of wanting to later check if they were OK.

One woman then wrote a note with the name 'Jenny' above a UK address and phone number.

The note said they were staying 'In Birisborin' (Brisbane) at a 'Hilton Hotel'.

The manager said the two women - who were dressed like they were 'going to a nightclub' - left without paying their $260 bill.

The Irish travellers first came to public attention when the owner of Bird's Nest restaurant Marie Yokoyama shared her experience of the glass scam on Facebook and warned other owners to watch out.A man and a woman were shot during a block party for a rapper's birthday in northeast Houston on Sunday evening, police have said.

The shooting happened at about 8.15pm at rapper J Prince Jr's birthday party at The Fifth Ward on the 3400 block of Liberty Road, KHOU reported.

The man was shot several times and taken to the hospital in critical condition.

A 15-year-old woman was grazed by a bullet on her neck and is being treated at the hospital, where she is said to be in stable condition.

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A man and a woman were shot during a block party for rapper J Prince Jr on Sunday evening

Aman was shot several times and taken to the hospital in critical condition. He is pictured being taken into an ambulance on a stretcher

A 15-year-old woman was grazed by a bullet on her neck and is being treated at the hospital, where she is said to be in stable condition. Neither she nor the man, pictured, have been identified

Neither of the victims have been identified.

Police said several shots were fired, but did not release any information about the potential motive.

There were no other injuries during the incident, and it's not clear exactly how many shots were fired.

So far no one has been arrested and police are looking for additional eyewitnesses to talk to them about what they saw happen at the party.

The suspect is currently still at large, and officers said at a press conference Sunday night they do not have a description of the suspect.

Police said several shots were fired, but did not release any information about the potential motive. So far no one has been arrested and police are looking for additional eyewitnesses to talk to them about what they saw happen at the party

Earlier in the evening another local rapper Slim Thug, who apparently attended the party, posted a video of the streets earlier in the evening.

In the video hundreds of people can be seen in the streets as loud music plays in the background.

Sunday's shooting comes three years after a similar incident at another of J Prince Jr's birthday parties. In 2015 two people were also sent to the hospital when someone opened fire at his celebration.

Earlier in the evening another local rapper Slim Thug, who apparently attended the party, posted a video of the streets earlier in the eveningA violent, overseas outlaw group with a history of child rape, kidnapping and public brawling has recruited bikies in Australia.

The Mongrel Mob has dominated New Zealand's criminal scene since they sprouted up in 1962, with its members often distinguishing themselves with facial tattoos and wearing red.

Now the gang are in Australia, recruiting for chapters in Perth, Melbourne, the Gold Coast and Darwin - sometimes sending members from New Zealand or interstate to make up the numbers.

The Mongrel Mob has dominated New Zealand's criminal scene since they sprouted up in 1962, with its members often distinguishing themselves with facial tattoos and wearing red

Now the gang are in Australia, recruiting for chapters in Perth, Melbourne, the Gold Coast and Darwin - sometimes sending members from New Zealand or interstate to make up the numbers

Across the Tasman, the gang has a long violent history, from brawling with Hells Angels during the 1970s to multiple rape charges in the 80s.

One member, Sam Te Hei, was jailed after raping and murdering a 16-year-old girl in June 1987, Stuff reported.

Just a year later, the Mongrel Mob kidnapped a woman and took her to a gang convention, where she was raped by more than 15 men, a New Zealand Government encyclopedia entry says.

In 2003, more than 40 members of one New Zealand-based chapter were arrested and charged with more than 70 offences, including methamphetamine distribution.

Across the Tasman, the gang has a long violent history, from brawling with Hells Angels during the 1970s to multiple rape charges in the 80s

Within three months of the Darwin chapter opening, police sources say they knew of four assaults directly linked to members

Seven years later, they launched a rehabilitation program for methamphetamine addicts with the help of the Salvation Army.

The Mongrel Mob are sometimes fond of flaunting their wealth - with some posing with flashy cars.

Others pose with their muscular pit bulls.

In 2003, more than 40 members of one New Zealand-based chapter were arrested and charged with more than 70 offences

The Mongrel Mob are sometimes fond of flaunting their wealth - with some posing with flashy cars

One member, Sam Te Hei, was jailed after raping and murdering a 16-year-old girl in June 1987

Within three months of the Mongrel Mob's Darwin chapter opening, police sources told the NT News they knew of four assaults directly linked to members that had gone unreported.

They also claimed one incident was a brawl between a member of the Mongrel Mob and a member of the Hells Angels.

In Perth, police are actively looking to deport members of the Mongrel Mob who misbehave, keeping a close watch on those who have moved from New Zealand.A two kilometre quarantine zone has been set up in central Queensland over fears of toxic contamination after a tyre on a truck carrying an extremely hazardous chemical caught alight.

Emergency Services were called to the incident on Leichhardt Hwy at Wowan about 12.15pm after reports a truck tyre was on fire, the Courier Mail reported.

The driver was able to escape injuries after pulling the truck over to the side of the road.

Emergency Services were called to the incident on Leichhardt Hwy at Wowan (pictured)

A tyre on a truck carrying an extremely hazardous chemical caught alight (stock image)

The truck was carrying ammonium nitrate, according to a Queensland Police spokesperson.

An exclusion zone has been set up by authorities until the blaze has been extinguished.

Troys Rd at Charlton, west of Brisbane, is reported to be blocked in both directions after a truck carrying a bulldozer rolled.

In Queensland approximately 99% of ammonium nitrate is used as an explosive in mining operations and the remainder is used for making fertiliser, the Work Cover Queensland website states.

Police say that delays are to be expected.Donald Trump's lawyers are reportedly preparing a legal action to block Stormy Daniels' silence-breaking interview with '60 Minutes' from airing next Sunday.

On Thursday anticipation was raised for Daniels' tell-all interview, as announced by her lawyer Michael Avenatti on Twitter.

However Trumps lawyers are supposedly filing a legal injunction to prevent the interview from airing in an effort to enforce Daniels' nondisclosure agreement.

TICK TOCK: Stormy Daniels' lawyer, Michael Avenatti, tweeted out an image of his client flanked by himself and Anderson Cooper

In this Feb. 11, 2007 file photo, Stormy Daniels arrives for the 49th Annual Grammy Awards in Los Angeles

CNN's Anderson Cooper also reports for 60 Minutes under his contract

'We understand from well-placed sources they are preparing to file for a legal injunction to prevent it from airing,' BuzzFeed News reported on Saturday from a source informed of the preparations.

The injunction may seek to silence Daniels in agreement with the nondisclosure agreement she signed in regards to her alleged affair with Trump and in which she accepted a $130,000 payment from Trump's right-hand lawyer Michael Cohen.

However Daniels is arguing that the NDA is void as Trump never signed it.

Daniels sat down for an interview with the CBS storied investigative program - famous for its deep-digging pieces - last week, in which she may detail the intimate relationship she claims to have shared with the president.

When the news outlet reached Trumps famous right-hand attorney Michael Cohen for comment, he referred the questions to his own attorney who did not confirm the legal action reports.

When asked about her response to Trump's threat of legal action to cancel the interview, Daniels said 'All I can say is it was never going to air tonight and I guess we will see what happens' to the Washington Post on Sunday.

On Thursday Avenatti took to Twitter to announce the Daniels interview with Anderson Cooper.

The tweet included four Twitter account addresses: @mavenatti, @StormyDaniels, @andersoncooper, and @60Minutes.

The news follows Cohen's announcement that he himself paid Daniels $130,000 as a part of a nondisclosure agreement, and claims that the transaction had nothing to do with Trump or his organization.

However the transaction is shrouded in scandal as the payment was linked to his Trump e-mail account.

MUST-SEE TV: The interview is expected to appear in the coming weeks, but not this Sunday

Donald Trump and porn Stormy Daniels aka Stephanie Clifford pose together in 2006; the White House says he already won a case in arbitration against her and that he's denied the accusations of an affair

Daniels told CNN that she has been in greater demand for her services. 'Now, yes, I'm more in demand,' she said. She is seen above doing a striptease in Pompano Beach, Florida on Friday

Porn actress Stormy Daniels' lawyer confirmed Wednesday that 'yes,' his client had a sexual relationship with Donald Trump a decade ago

Cohen also obtained a temporary restraining order against Daniels last week in an effort to prevent her from divulging information on her alleged affair with Trump.

Daniels - whose real name is Stephanie Clifford - claimed she had an 'intimate' relationship with Trump from 2006 to 2007 that began shortly after Melania gave birth to their only son Barron.

It was not immediately known how the interview might intersect with a gag order ordered by an arbitrator.

It was revealed this week that Trump's personal attorney, Michael Cohen, obtained a secret restraining order in a private arbitration proceeding barring Daniels from disclosing 'confidential information' related to a nondisclosure agreement she signed in October 2016.

Her lawyer, Avenatti, revealed the text of the NDA when he filed a lawsuit in California arguing that the agreement was no longer operative because Trump never signed it and because, he argued, Cohen violated it by confirming its existence.

White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders brought up the arbitration at a press briefing Wednesday.

'I can share you that the arbitration was won in the president's favor and I would refer you to the president's outside counsel on any details beyond that,' the press secretary said.

Asked whether Trump knew about the $130,000 to Daniels by his lawyer, Sanders responded: 'Not that I'm aware of.'

That line prompted the question of whether the press secretary had directly asked the president if he knew about the payment.

'Yeah, I've had conversations with the president about this,' she replied, before giving the more direct answer that Trump had 'no knowledge' of the monetary exchange.

President Trump's personal lawyer Michael Cohen (pictured) obtained a secret restraining order in a private arbitration proceeding barring porn star Stormy Daniels from disclosing 'confidential information'

White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said Wednesday that President Trump had won in arbitration against Stormy Daniels - which her lawyer denies - and that he's denied having an affair with the porn star and had 'no knowledge' she was being paid off

Michael Avenatti said on the 'Today' show what his client had been coy about for months

Avenatti has argued that the NDA should be considered 'null and void,' and has blasted Cohen for 'threats' and intimidation of his client.

After Sanders made the statement that Trump had 'won' in arbitration, Avenatti shot back: 'Yeah, and he won the popular vote.'

He told NBC: 'President Trump hasn't won anything relating to Ms. Clifford.'

'First of all, it does not appear as if he was even a party to the arbitration Ms. Sanders was referring to. How can you win something you're not even a part of?' the lawyer asked. 'Secondly, claiming that Mr. Trump "won" at arbitration when there has been no hearing, no notice to Ms. Clifford, no opportunity given to her to respond, and no decision on the merits, is completely bogus.'

During a Wednesday interview with NBC's 'Today' Show, Avenatti confirmed that his client had a sexual relationship with the president years ago.

'Yes,' Avenatti said when asked the question point-blank.A Queensland woman is lucky to be alive after her car plummeted 15 metres off a cliff at a popular beach on the Sunshine Coast.

Emergency services were called to Point Arkwright on David Lowe Way at Yaroomba near Coolum just after 12.30pm on Sunday to find the car at the bottom of the cliff.

It's understood the sedan crashed through a fence and plunged down the cliff.

Emergency services were called to Point Arkwright on David Lowe Way near Coolum on Sunday after a car plummeted 15 metres off a cliff

'Crews worked quick to beat the tide recovering a car that crashed off a cliff near Coolum,' Clayton's Towing posted on its Facebook page

It's understood the sedan crashed through a fence and plunged down the cliff

The crash occurred near the Jubilee Esplanade picnic and lookout area.

'Crews worked quick to beat the tide recovering a car that crashed off a cliff near Coolum,' Clayton's Towing posted on its Facebook page.

'Emergency services had the delicate task to start with, rescuing the occupant who has been reported to have escaped with non life threatening injuries.'

The motorist aged in her 50s suffered minor head injuries and was taken to Sunshine Coast University Hospital in a stable condition

Three crews from Queensland Fire and Emergency Services were at the scene for almost an an hour as they assisted Queensland Ambulance with rescuing the female sole occupant of the car and transporting her to the top of the cliff.

An ambulance spokeswoman told Daily Mail Australia that the woman aged in her 50s suffered minor head injuries and was taken to Sunshine Coast University Hospital in a stable condition.

The car has been inspected to see if a mechanical fault caused the incident and police are investigating the cause of the crash.

The crash occurred near the Jubilee Esplanade picnic and lookout areaA teenage gang member has spoken out about life inside the new street gang known as the Reds.

The 16-year-old said the Reds and their rivals the Blues are now spread throughout Melbourne, inspired by the notorious American gangs the Bloods and Crips.

The new gang - which has members of a variety of ethnic backgrounds - has been causing havoc in the city's south-east, prompting a police crackdown.

A teenage gang member has spoken out about life inside the new street gang known as the Reds (pictured are local youths wearing red clothing)

The 16-year-old said the Reds and their rivals the Blues are now spread throughout Melbourne, inspired by the notorious American gangs the Bloods and Crips (pictured is a local youth)

'If you're Red you're Red, if you're Blue you're Blue - our colours don't mix,' the teenage thug said.

'We might not always be rivals but that doesn't mean we get along.

'We're all races, Islanders, Sudanese, other Africans, Caucasians, Asians, it's not a race thing, we don't hate each other over any colours.'

Asked about the recent spate of brutal bashings and robberies in the City of Casey, the young gang member said outsiders may be partly to blame.

The new gang - which has members of a variety of ethnic backgrounds - has been causing havoc in the city's south-east, prompting a police crackdown (pictured are local youths)

'If you're Red you're Red, if you're Blue you're Blue - our colours don't mix,' the teenage thug said (pictured are local youths)

'We heard about a guy being spat on by the Reds, that's not us, we don't disrespect,' he said.

'The worst gangs are near the CBD [central business district], but they come and go, people move from different areas and bring their colours.'

The Reds have been linked to a series of alleged assaults, robberies and thefts and are loosely connected to the Bloods and Crips which originated in Los Angeles.

The Reds have become known for allegedly terrorising residents around shopping centres and elsewhere in the Endeavour Hills suburb and hide themselves with red hoods, bandanas and hats.

The Reds have been linked to a series of alleged assaults, robberies and thefts and are loosely connected to the Bloods and Crips which originated in Los Angeles (pictured are pictures of blue and red bandanas posted by local youths on social media)

Police have ramped up patrols in the City of Casey area of Melbourne's south eastern suburbs (pictured are local youths)

Daily Mail Australia has obtained photographs of local teenagers posing with their heads bowed wearing red garments and making hand signals.

There is no suggestion the youths in the photographs are involved in any wrongdoing or criminal activity.

A local resident who asked to remain anonymous said: 'It is a problem though these wannabe gangsters - the Crips and Bloods. [They are] watching too many movies but causing havoc in the schools at the moment.'

It comes as traders at the nearby Endeavour Hills Shopping Centre warned they were being terrorised and had seen the teens threatening customers and stealing from shops.

Locals have claimed the groups are trying to replicate American street gangs like the Crips and Bloods (pictured are local youths posing with a red bandana)

One said he wanted increased security at the centre and was left disgusted by the group's behaviour - which included one member allegedly spitting at a customer.

'They think they're full-on gangsters and parade around the centre wearing red and play loud music through a big speaker,' Amrif Rustemovski told The Herald Sun.

He said traders and customers no longer felt safe doing their shopping.

The centre manager, Leigh Regan, claims security teams they employ will 'continue to work with police'.

Police believe they caught some of the 'wannabe gang members' in relation to a aggravated burglary in January.

Traders and customers no longer felt safe doing their shopping according to business owners (pictured is a local youth)

Acting Sergeant Matt McCormack was also quoted by the Herald Sun as saying three teens aged 15, 16 and 17 will appear in court on March 23 'in relation to a series of offences'.

They were arrested seven days after the alleged incident on January 10 and are accused of stealing from The Reject Shop at the centre.

Acting Sergeant McCormack added local patrols had been stepped up around the centre 'to target hotspots'.

Meanwhile, a New Year's Eve attack where a man was allegedly attacked, bashed in the head and left semi-conscious on the footpath is still being investigated.

The victim said at the time he had been approached by four to six teenagers of Pacific Islander appearance in red shirts and bandannas.

The Endeavour Hills Shopping Centre (pictured) has been targeted by groups of youths leading to upped police patrols

The city's problems with gangs has been widely documented and reported over the summer.

A series of crimes believed to be linked to African gangs came to a head in January.

Some Sudanese youths are accused of stealing cars, invading homes and businesses, and theft.

The crime spree has even prompted some residents to fork out $10,000 on security systems for their homes.

The Menace To Society gang, whose presence emerged after the earlier exploits of the more prominent Apex gang, are believed to be linked to several crimes in the Tarneit area, 25km west of Melbourne.

One woman was reportedly hit across the face when 14 men ransacked her home in Hillside, in the city's far north west.

Alleged Apex gang kingpin Mahmoud Taha, 21, was jailed last week for organising three armed heists.The body of a 14-year-old autistic boy who went missing on Thursday has reportedly been found.

The body, which matches Trevyan Rowe's description, was recovered from the Genesee River late Sunday, police revealed in a press conference.

The teen was last seen exiting the school bus Thursday morning. He did not enter James PB Duffy School Number 12 in Rochester for classes that day.

Rowe had not been seen or heard from since. Family, police, community officials and members began a frantic search afterward.

Police reportedly found the body of missing Rochester teen Trevyan Rowe (pictured) in the Genesee River late Sunday

Rowe was last seen leaving the bus that arrived to School Number 12 in Rochester. He did not go in the school Thursday morning

'I'm just asking... bring my baby back home,' Trevyan's sobbing mother, Carrie Huston, said in a press conference late last week.

Some locals informed police they sighted the teen at the Frederick DouglassSusan B. Anthony Memorial Bridge, where the body had been found, 13 ABC reported.

Rochester Mayor Lovely Warren said thousands of people provided information and help in the search for the teen.

'I am very very sad by this news, which is every parent's worst fear... my heart and my prayers go out to Trevyan's family and friends,' Warren said in a press conference.

'I'm just asking... bring my baby back home,' Trevyan's sobbing mother, Carrie Huston, said in a press conference

Trevyan, an autistic teen (pictured in both photos above) vanished on Thursday. Trevyan's uncle, Kent Handy, has blamed the school district for failing to report him missing from school

'Trevyan is a very special little boy who was loved. He captured the hearts of our entire community,' the mayor went on to say.

'I want to thank the thousands of Rochester citizens who took to the streets in the snow and cold to look for Trevyan.'

Family, friends and locals who kept hope in their hearts to bring Trevyan home safe are now left feeling the devastation.

Trevyan's uncle, Kent Handy, is placing the blame on the school district for failing to report the teen missing from school early Thursday.

Thousands of people provided information or help in the search for the missing teen

A body matching the description of Trevyan was found in the Genesee River Sunday evening

Police say there are no signs of foul play. An independent investigator has been called to determine more details

'They definitely dropped the ball... If they would have just called I don't think we would be having this conversation right now,' Handy said, according to 13 ABC.

'We followed up on every tip and every lead that we received,' Rochester Police Chief Michael Ciminelli added in the conference.

'In a case like this, with a missing person, we are trying to find the child as quickly as possible.'

Police say there are no signs of foul play in the case.

An independent investigator has been called to determine more specific details, Rochester City School District Superintendent Barbara Deane Williams said.The widow of a police officer who was killed by an apparent Black Nationalist has shared a heartbreaking photo of the son he never got to meet clutching his badge.

On Friday, exactly one month after 26-year-old Officer Chase Maddox was gunned down while serving a warrant in Locust Grove, Georgia, his widow Alex posted the photos of baby son Bodie.

Along with the photo she shared the lyrics of the Elvis Presley song You'll Never Walk Alone: 'When you walk through a storm hold your head up high and don't be afraid of the dark... Walk on, walk on with hope in your heart and you'll never walk alone.'

Bodie was born just four days after a suspect fatally shot Maddox in the head.

Meanwhile, two deputies who were injured in the incident are recovering, and fresh details have emerged about the shooter, who was killed at the scene.

Widow Alex Maddox posted these photos of newborn son Bodie on Friday. He was born just four days after his police officer father was shot

Bodie was born just four days after a suspect fatally shot Maddox in the head

Police officer Chase Maddox, 26, (pictured with his pregnant wife, Alex, before she gave birth on Tuesday to their second child) was killed by the suspect on February 9

Michael Corley, one of the deputies wounded in the shooting, was cleared by his doctor and planned to return to desk duty on Monday, family members told WTSP.

The second deputy injured in the shooting, Ralph 'Sid' Callaway, had to undergo several surgeries after a bullet lodged into his back. He is still in recovery.

The shooting occurred about 40 miles southeast of Atlanta on the morning of February 9, as the officers were serving an arrest warrant on 39-year-old Tierra Guthrie.

The charge was related to a failure to appear in municipal court.

The deputies spoke with Guthrie for about 10 minutes and called for backup when he appeared to be uncooperative, police said.

Maddox had worked for the police department for four years and was hired straight out of school

Sheriff's Deputies Michael Corley (left) Ralph Sidwell Callaway (right) were both injured in the shooting and are recovering

Further details have emerged about Guthrie (pictured) in the weeks since the shooting

Maddox responded to the backup call and a firefight ensued.

Maddox was struck three times, including in the head. Guthrie was also killed in the exchange of gunfire.

Further details have emerged about Guthrie in the weeks since the shooting.

He is a former Marine and a father, whose young sons were in the residence with him at the time of the shooting, the Atlanta Journal Constitution reported.

He also posted a number of Black Nationalist memes on his Facebook page.

Guthrie wrote that 'some of my posts may offend you' and yet he often wrote about feeling blessed.

Guthrie moved to Georgia just two years from Connecticut and was a self-employed freight truck driver.A 32-year-old man has suffered serious burns to his face after an LPG gas cylinder exploded in his home just south of Adelaide.

The man had been carrying the cylinder in his hands when he slipped, dropping the bottle on the ground where it cracked open and exploded, Nine News reported.

Neighbours of the Woodcroft home on Equestrian drive heard a loud bang at 8.30 on Monday morning and rushed outside to find the man's garage on fire.

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A 32-year-old man has suffered serious burns to his face after an LPG gas cylinder exploded in his home just south of Adelaide

'The house was shaking ... there was a big blanket of smoke everywhere,' Jacinta Annich told 7 News.

'It was quite a shock seeing him come out and go into the gurney. He's such a lovely young man,' another neighbour Sue Ramsey said.

The fire started in the garage of the home but South Australian Fire Services stopped the blaze spreading to the rest of the house.

'We do believe it was potentially a leak from the LPG cylinder,' Mike Patterson of the South Australia Fire Services said.

Neighbours of the Woodcroft home on Equestrian drive heard a loud bang at 8.30 on Monday morning and rushed outside to find the man's garage on fire

Emergency services treated the man at the scene before he was rushed to hospital and taken to the burns unit.

'He suffered significant facial burns and burns to his hands,' rescue paramedic Clinton Daniels said.

The fire caused extensive damage to the garage and around $40,000 in damage.

The man's injuries are not life-threatening and Fire Services said the exact cause of the fire is still undetermined.A Victorian father is lucky to be alive after he was mowed down by a group of thieves who invaded his home and stole thousands of dollars in belongings.

Jeff Brooks, 52, had just returned to his property in rural Connewarre outside of Geelong, Victoria, when unbeknownst to him, thieves were already there.

Soon after reaching his front door, Jeff noticed an unknown vehicle with its lights on charging towards the property's gate which he had locked moments earlier.

Father-of-three Jeff Brooks was mowed down by a group of thieves after they robbed his home near Geelong in Victoria

Jeff was thrown on the bonnet of the car as it drove over 50 metres at high speed

Feeling suspicious, the father-of-three ran after the car in an attempt to discover the number plate but the vehicle actually accelerated towards him.

The brazen driver then struck Jeff so hard he was flung on the car's bonnet as it was driven over 50 metres.

'They could have gone around me easily. They intentionally targeted me,' he told 9NEWS this morning.

'There was no way in the world they were going to stop and if I'd gone under, the car would've gone over the top of me.'

The group eventually fled by driving through hundreds of metres of local fields after leaving their victim bloodied and bruised in his driveway.

In addition to the injuries given to Jeff, the thieves also stole several new power tools and a vintage billy cart worth several thousand dollars.

The group eventually fled by driving through hundreds of metres of local fields after leaving Jeff bloodied and bruised in his driveway (pictured)

CCTV footage captured the car, with three thieves inside, as it charged down the driveway of the property

Most frighteningly, Jeff's young daughters were just ten metres away from the perpetrators at the time of the invasion, but luckily were unaware it was going on.

'They knew there were people present, they knew there were children present,' Jeff said to 9NEWS.

Despite the violent nature of the crime, police initially classified it as a burglary but it has since been changed after Victoria Police said they noticed the error.

So far, no one has been charged with the crime.A man who allegedly masturbated in his car while filming a woman in a shopping centre car park has been arrested and charged.

The 39-year-old allegedly filmed the woman with a handheld video recorder as she packed her car with shopping in Byford, Perth on Sunday morning.

He was arrested at the scene and later charged with committing obscene acts in public.

The 39-year-old allegedly filmed the woman with a handheld video recorder from his car at a shopping centre (pictured) in Byford, Perth on Sunday morning

The alleged pervert is due to appear before the Armadale Magistrates Court on 23 March 2018.

A WA Police spokesman said: 'Armadale Detectives have charged a 39 year old man after an incident yesterday, Sunday 11 March 2018.

'Around 11:55am, the man was sitting in a parked vehicle at a shopping centre located on Abernethy Road in Byford.

'It will be alleged the man used a handheld video recorder to film a woman entering and exiting the shopping centre and loading her shopping into her car.

'It is further alleged during the filming he committed an obscene act in his vehicle. He was arrested at the scene.

'Further analysis of electronic storage devices owned by the man is ongoing and detectives urge anyone with any information regarding this matter to call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.'An Austrian attacker was shot dead outside the Iranian ambassador's residence in Vienna by a guard he stabbed, police said.

The guard was wounded in the arm before he shot the 26-year-old attacker dead shortly before midnight on Sunday.

Police said the guard, a 23-year-old Austrian soldier, first tried to deter the assailant with pepper spray.

After the attacker - a Vienna resident - stabbed him, he fired several shots.

An Austrian attacker was shot dead outside the Iranian ambassador's residence (pictured) in Vienna by a guard he stabbed

A member of the Austrian armed forces stands in front of the Iranian ambassador's residence

The assailant 'died on the spot' after the soldier opened fire, police spokesman Harald Soeros said.

'He initially used pepper spray' against the assailant, Soeros said, before opening fire.

He was believed to have fired his weapon at least four times.

The soldier sustained cuts to his right arm but was protected from more serious injuries by his stab-proof jacket.

Austrian soldiers stand in front of the Iranian ambassador's residence after Sunday's attack

Police prepare a tent near the Iranian ambassador's residence after Sunday night's incident

Police stand in front of the Iranian ambassador's residence after a soldier shot and killed an assailant who stabbed him

Soros added that the soldier, who is from the Tyrol region of Austria, has been treated in hospital.

According to early indications he 'acted within the rules', a ministry of defence spokesman said, according to the APA agency.

The motive for the attack is not yet known, police said.

A 26-year-old Austrian was shot dead outside the Iranian ambassador's residence in Vienna after he attacked a guard with a knife

A police car blocks a street in front of the Iranian ambassador's residence in Vienna, Austria

On Monday, Austrian police the assailant's motives are 'completely unclear' and the local branch of the domestic intelligence and anti-terror agency is looking into the case.

Police have ordered reinforcements around all diplomatic missions in the Austrian capital, which is also home to many international organisations.

The incident comes just days after two knife attacks in Vienna, including one that left a couple and their 17-year-old daughter with severe injuries.

A 23-year-old Afghan national confessed to those assaults but denied any political motive.A university academic hanged herself after she was left haunted by a brutal assault she suffered while on holiday in Spain.

Dr Lisa Procter, 36, was said to have been attacked abroad in 'the most appalling of circumstances' when she was in her 20s.

But despite being referred to a charity which helps rape victims Dr Procter suffered bouts of paranoia and she turned to alcohol to cope with memories of her ordeal.

An inquest in Bolton was told the lecturer in Early Childhood Learning hanged herself at a quayside apartment in Salford, Greater Manchester, last November.

Dr Lisa Procter, 36, was said to have been attacked abroad in 'the most appalling of circumstances' when she was in her 20s

On November 10 Dr Procter, described as a 'first class high achiever', drank two bottles of wine then made an 2am SOS call to a friend saying she was scared people were 'after her.'

After being advised to go to bed, she said: 'you're no help', before ending the call.

The following day Dr Procter was found hanged by an estate agent at her apartment in Salford, Greater Manchester, after the friend received no reply to a text.

A hearing in Bolton was told Dr Procter, originally from Sheffield, worked at Manchester Metropolitan University and was described as 'intelligent and articulate.'

Her mother Pamela Procter said: 'She was a star, a first class high achiever. She studied architecture at university for seven years.

'She showed real dedication and obtained a PHD in philosophy at Sheffield.

'She was a respected academic, lecturer and researcher at Sheffield and followed her career into teaching and education.

'She became a lecturer and researcher at Manchester Met. She had been working there for 14 months before she died.

'She was a talented artist, painter and sketcher and kept herself fit by walking, running and swimming.

On November 10 Dr Procter, described as a 'first class high achiever', drank two bottles of wine then made an 2am SOS call to a friend saying she was scared people were 'after her'

'She was extremely accomplished in every division in her life. A high achiever.

'She decided to move to Manchester after she found the commute from the Pennines to be too long.

'She did have a history of mental health issues and I know she did self harm.

'Whilst on holiday in Spain she was assaulted in the most appalling of circumstances. At that stage I wasn't aware of any mental health issues but I think with hindsight this could have been a contributory factor.

'I know she had medication from her GP but although she wasn't an alcoholic she used alcohol as a coping strategy.

'She had a tightly knit support network of close friends but I believe she wanted to protect me and her siblings from her troubles and her anguish.

'She did make plans for the future. She wanted to keep her house in Sheffield and buy a flat in Manchester and rent it out so that she could pay her mortgage off. She wasn't putting her affairs in order, she was making plans for the future.

'We were planning on going to the theatre that weekend. The Wednesday before, we arranged to go to the theatre she appeared elated and happy, she was excited to show me her apartment.'

Henry Brunskill, a friend of Dr Procter, said: 'I was one of the last people she had contact with. Whenever she was feeling low she would get on the phone to me and we would talk through her problems.

A hearing in Bolton was told Dr Procter, originally from Sheffield, worked at Manchester Metropolitan University and was described as 'intelligent and articulate'

'In the early hours of Friday 10th November I had a call come through at 2.30am. She sounded like she was out of sorts. She was very distressed and darting around the conversation.

'I was making attempts to calm her down but She was paranoid and agitated.

'She said she was scared people were after her. She told me she consumed two bottles of wine and taken some prescribed Valium.

'I had a similar call from her earlier in the week when she was completely sober that time.

'She wanted me to speak to her for longer or go round but I refused because it was an unreasonable hour and she wasn't expressing any signs of self harm. She said 'you're no help' or words to that effect.

'I sent her a text message the next day but when I didn't hear back from her I tried to call her. I called the estate agent and notified them that I couldn't get in touch with her and they went round to the flat.

'Whenever she self harmed it was superficial. I wouldn't say they were a cry for help, they were an internal coping mechanism.

'In January 2017 she was in a dark period. She expressed that she wanted to take her own life and wanted to end her life by hanging herself. A lot of our conversations at that time centred around that.

'I am aware she started receiving professional support.'

Despite being referred to a charity which helps rape victims Dr Procter suffered bouts of paranoia and she turned to alcohol to cope with memories of her ordeal

Dr Helen Williamson, of the Sheffield Health and Social care team added: 'In early 2017 Lisa was showing signs of increasing anxiety and hopelessness.

'She had a recurrent depressive disorder but she never expressed any suicidal ideation in our conversations at that time.

'She was prescribed diazepam and zopliclone to which she self medicated and she was signposted to the Independent Sexual Violence survivor group.'

The hearing was told Dr Procter was advised to visit her allotment and get more involved with her artistic projects to motivate her. She was given various anti-depressants in the months leading up to her death.

Tests showed Dr Procter had 190 milligrams of alcohol per 100 millilitres of blood in her system. A senior detective investigated the tragedy but there were no suspicious circumstances.

Recording a narrative conclusion, Coroner Timothy Brennand said: 'Since early 2005 she suffered with an element of mental disfunction and had a history of recurrent depressive disorder.

'Whilst I am satisfied that this was a deliberate act, her intentions remain unclear. I want to offer my profound condolences to her loving and supportive family and friends who have shown nothing but dignity today.'

For confidential support call the Samaritans on 116123 or visit a local Samaritans branch, see samaritans.org for details.This is the dramatic moment police shot and killed a shotgun-wielding man who was high on meth in front of a three-year-old girl.

George Randall Newman, 26, died from two gunshot wounds to the chest in the early hours of October 1 last year at an America's Best Value Inn in Colorado.

Police had been called to the motel by a guest in the room below Newman who said a shot had been fired through his ceiling.

George Randall Newman, 26, died from two gunshot wounds to the chest after he opened a motel room door while holding a sawn-off shotgun and ignored police orders to drop it

Video of the shooting shows officers knocking twice on the motel room door then opening fire on Newman as he answered holding the weapon

George Randall Newman (pictured left and right), who answered police with a sawn-off shotgun in his right hand

The Fort Collins Police Department has just released bodycam footage of the shooting, which has already been ruled as justified.

The video shows Sgt. Justin Gallimore and at least two other officers responding to the motel on the night of the shooting.

Footage shows Gallimore, who has served with Fort Collins police since 2009, and his colleagues speaking to a woman in the parking lot.

The woman can be heard saying that she was in the room with Newman and that she left her three-year-old daughter there in order to go home and get her laptop.

Officers move the woman away before attempting to call the room where Newman is staying and get him to come out, but receive no response.

Gallimore can then be seen walking up to the second floor with his service rifle drawn in order to knock on the door.

After knocking twice, the door opens and Newman can be seen standing there with a sawn-off shotgun held in his right hand.

Gallimore can be heard telling him to show his hands before asking him twice to drop the weapon, which Newman does not do.

Justin Gallimore (right), pictured with his twin brother Jason, who is a firefighter

For Collins Police Department released footage of the shooting which has already been ruled as justified by the District Attorney

Gallimore then fires two shots which strike Newman in the chest, sending him tumbling to the floor as the young girl can be heard crying.

Officers then take the child out of the room before calling for medical assistance to treat Newman, who can be heard moaning on the floor. He later died from his injuries.

After the shooting police linked Newman to the murder of 66-year-old Sherri Allman who was stabbed to death in her home.

Allman's body was discovered three days after Newman was killed by officers conducting a welfare check. It is believed she had laid dead for almost a week.

Police accuse Newman of killing Allman and then attempting to burn her body. They say the shotgun he is holding in the footage was stolen from her.

Gallimore was placed on administrative leave after the shooting as per department protocol while the District Attorney investigated the shooting.

It was later ruled justified, with the DA writing the 'deadly physical force was legally justifiable and immediately necessary'.Livia was 27 years old when she married 36-year-old Firth in a romantic hilltop ceremony at a 13th-century church set among forests and vineyards near her home in Citta della Pieve in June 1997

Colin Firth wrote a sympathetic letter in reply to his wife's ex-lover turned 'stalker' telling him 'I know you're suffering too', it has been claimed.

Film producer and environmental consultant Livia Giuggioli made headlines when she alleged that 55-year-old Marco Brancaccia had left her living in fear after threatening her via telephone calls and texts.

The Italian journalist was also accused of emailing photographs of Livia to 57-year-old Firth which prompted the actor to take legal action through the Italian courts.

But in an astonishing twist an outraged Brancaccia himself stepped into the fray, publicly refuting claims that he was a stalker and, in effect, forcing 48-year-old Livia to admit that they had embarked on an affair in 2015.

Indeed, Brancaccia told the Daily Mail exclusively of the 'magic sparkle' he shared with Livia during what he claims was a passionate 11-month affair.

And now it has been claimed that when Brancaccia sent details of the affair to Firth, the award-winning actor replied:' You have made me suffer but I know you are suffering too.'

The Sun reports Brancaccia allegedly emailed the King's Speech actor a picture of him with his wife.

Brancaccia told the Daily Mail their relationship began after a family party at the Firths' home in Umbria, Northern Italy, in the summer of 2015 and that at the time Livia had wanted to divorce her famous Oscar-winning husband.

Brancaccia himself stepped into the fray, publicly refuting claims that he was a stalker and, in effect, forcing 48-year-old Livia to admit that they had embarked on an affair in 2015

'I fell in love completely with Livia. I felt she was the woman of my life. I loved her very much, very much,' he said, adding that accusations of stalking are 'rubbish' and that the real story is that of 'a famous couple trying to cover up her love affair'.

Livia and Brancaccia have known each other since she was a teenager. Brancaccia told the Mail that in the past he has even celebrated New Year with the Firths at their home in Umbria.

Firth met his future wife in Colombia in 1995 during filming of a BBC adaptation of Joseph Conrad's novel Nostromo.

Livia was working as a production assistant on set during filming.

At the time, Firth was an international heart-throb with millions of swooning female fans, thanks to his mean and moody portrayal of Mr Darcy in the BBC's Pride And Prejudice.

More than two decades on, the Firth's marriage was, until this week, widely regarded as one of the strongest in showbiz

He already had a son  Will Firth, who was born in 1990 and is now an actor in his own right  after a five-year relationship with actress Meg Tilly.

Colin and Meg lived for several years in a log cabin deep in the woods of rural Canada before Firth's career took him back to London. Their eventual separation was amicable.

Firth later described meeting Livia as 'like meeting somebody that you just feel you're the other half to'.

Livia was 27 years old when she married 36-year-old Firth in a romantic hilltop ceremony at a 13th-century church set among forests and vineyards near her home in Citta della Pieve in June 1997.

A spokesman for the couple said: 'This is an ongoing criminal prosecution and it would be inappropriate to comment in this circumstance'

A picnic reception was held in an olive grove on a nearby estate owned by Livia's parents.

More than two decades on, the Firth's marriage was, until last week, widely regarded as one of the strongest in showbiz.

The couple have two sons, Luca, 16 and Matteo, 13, and have homes in Chiswick, West London and in Umbria. They also share a passion for environmental causes and global charity work.

'Stronger than ever': Livia and Colin Firth

On Thursday night, as the drama surrounding the stalking allegations unfolded, a spokesman for the couple released an extraordinarily frank statement.

'A few years ago Colin and Livia privately made the decision to separate. During that time Livia briefly became involved with former friend Mr Brancaccia.

'The Firths have since reunited. Subsequently, Mr Brancaccia carried out a frightening campaign of harassment over several months, much of which is documented.

'For obvious reasons, the Firths have never had any desire to make this matter public.'

Brancaccia's alleged campaign of harassment is said to have extended from September 2016 to April 2017. He claims, however, that during that period he sent only two WhatsApp messages to Livia and a single email to Colin.

Details of the police investigation first appeared in the Italian newspaper La Repubblica.

Brancaccia insists, meanwhile, that all the claims being made about him are 'absolutely untrue.'

'It's a completely different story,' he says. 'It's a mess, and in the end somebody will have to pay for this. I'm shocked. It's very sad. It's a horrible story.'

A spokesman for the couple said: 'This is an ongoing criminal prosecution and it would be inappropriate to comment in this circumstance.'North Korea has yet to respond over the possibility of a summit with US President Donald Trump, Seoul has revealed.

Trump agreed on Friday to meet with Kim Jong-un by the end of May and the two Koreas are due to hold their own summit by the end of April.

However, there has been no word from the secretive state on the potential for a meeting with the US, South Korea's Ministry of Unification said on Monday.

'We have not seen nor received an official response from the North Korean regime regarding the North Korea-U.S. summit,' said Baik Tae-hyun, spokesman for the ministry, in a regular press conference.

North Korea has yet to respond over the possibility of a summit betweet Kim Jong-un (pictured) and US President Donald Trump, Seoul has revealed

Trump (pictured) agreed on Friday to meet with Kim Jong-un by the end of May and the two Koreas are due to hold their own summit by the end of April

'I feel they're approaching this matter with caution and they need time to organise their stance.'

North Korean media noted a visit by a senior delegation from South Korea last week but no coverage has been seen of Kim Jong Un's invitation to meet U.S. President Donald Trump or South Korean President Moon Jae-in to discuss the future of Pyongyang's nuclear weapons programme.

The South Korean officials who carried Kim's invitation to Washington are visiting China and Japan this week to update state heads on the talks.

South Korea's National Security Office chief Chung Eui-yong who led the delegation will head to Russia on Tuesday after meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping on Monday, the Blue House said.

There has been no word from the secretive state on the potential for a meeting with the US, South Korea's Ministry of Unification said on Monday

Trump agreed to meet with Kim Jong Un by the end of May and the two Koreas will hold a summit by end-April.

A location has not been decided for the North Korea-U.S. summit while Kim Jong Un and Moon will meet at the truce village of Panmunjom straddling the border between the two Koreas.

North and South Korea agreed to hold working talks to hammer out the details of the inter-Korean summit, but the two Koreas have not officially spoken since the South Korean delegation returned from the North last week, Baik said.

The North's official news agency has been lauding efforts between the North and South to thaw relations, but state media has continued to warn the United States and Japan against war-mongering.

Rhetoric in the North's state media has been tame, however, compared to previous threats last year that went as far as saying Pyongyang would fire missiles to the vicinity of the U.S. territory of Guam if provoked.A Saudi general died of a broken neck after being tortured at a hotel during an 'anti-corruption' crackdown, a report has claimed.

Princes, tycoons and ministers were held in early November at Riyadh's luxury Ritz-Carlton as Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman looked to consolidate his grip on power.

It has now been claimed that at least 17 detainees were hospitalised after facing abuse, while a Saudi general later died in custody with what witnesses said appeared to be a broken neck.

Many of the 381 suspects remain under military surveillance and some have been forced to wear ankle bracelets that track their movements, The New York Times said.

The government has rejected the abuse claims as 'completely untrue'.

In November, a source told DailyMail.com that detainees were being strung up by their feet and beaten by a firm of American mercenaries named as 'Blackwater', which now no longer exists. The company's successor strongly denied even being in Saudi Arabia and says it does not engage in torture.

Princes, tycoons and ministers were held in early November Riyadh's luxury Ritz-Carlton hotel as Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (pictured) looked to consolidate his grip on power

Imprisoned in luxury: Saudi authorities detained hundreds of top businessmen and royals in November and held them for several months at the Riyadh Ritz-Carlton in a sweeping anti-corruption probe.

The latest revelations came ahead of a high-profile visit to the United States by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

Saudi officials did not immediately respond to AFP's request for comment, but the New York Times quoted the government rejecting the abuse claims as 'completely untrue'.

Officials have said they are in the process of recovering $107 billion (87 billion euros) seized in the crackdown, in the form of property, securities and cash, handed over by the suspects in exchange for their freedom.

The detainees included billionaire Prince Al-Waleed bin Talal, former National Guard chief Prince Miteb bin Abdullah, construction magnate Bakr bin Laden and media mogul Waleed al-Ibrahim of the regional MBC cable network.

Some of those held at the Ritz-Carlton hotel were deprived of sleep, roughed up, interrogated with their heads covered and pressured to hand over large assets, the report said, citing relatives and associates of detainees.

Major General Ali al-Qahtani, a top aide to a son of the late King Abdullah, was among those held.

Some of those held at the Ritz-Carlton hotel were deprived of sleep, roughed up, interrogated with their heads covered and pressured to hand over large assets, the New York Times report said, citing relatives and associates of detainees

He later died in custody, his corpse bearing signs of torture, according to witnesses quoted by the newspaper.

Critics have labelled Prince Mohammed's campaign a shakedown and power grab, but authorities insist the purge targeted endemic corruption as the country prepares for a post-oil era.

The government on Sunday said Saudi King Salman had ordered the creation of specialised anti-corruption units in the public prosecutor's office to investigate and prosecute graft cases.

Officials have not made public the charges against suspects detained at the Ritz-Carlton.

Prince Mohammed is set to visit the US next week for the first time since becoming heir to the throne last June.

The tour is aimed partly at courting foreign investors.There 44 ground-based missile interceptors at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California and Fort Greely in Alaska. Pictured: A rocket launching from Vandenberg last year

Military experts have warned that the US's missile defense system is years out of date and ineffective against North Korea's nuclear-armed ballistic missiles.

The warnings come after President Donald Trump and North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un agreed to have face-to-face talks by the end of May.

According to the White House, Kim has pledged to denuclearize and stop missile testing.

The unprecedented meeting and the concessions made by North Korea in the build-up to it have led President Trump to boast of US strength - but experts have warned of a 'gap' between American defense and its enemies' missiles.

One, former assistant secretary of defense Philip Coyle, told BuzzFeed News that the US's primary missile defense system is simply 'not effective'.

He was referring to the 44 ground-based missile interceptors at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California and Fort Greely in Alaska.

Forty are at Fort Greely and four at Vandenberg, but there is a plan to deploy 20 more in Alaska by 2023.

The unprecedented meeting and the concessions made by North Korea in the build-up to it have led President Trump to boast of US strength - but experts have warned of a 'gap' between American defense and its enemies' missiles. Pictured: Defensive missiles being tested at Vandenberg base in August last year

Forty ground-based missile interceptors are at Fort Greely (pictured) and four at Vandenberg, but there is a plan to deploy 20 more in Alaska by 2023

The warnings come after President Donald Trump and North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un agreed to have face-to-face talks by the end of May

Coyle, however, told BuzzFeed that such a strategy is 'really just throwing good money after bad' given that the system is incapable of guaranteeing US safety.

Defense officials have previously said that destroying incoming missiles by hitting them with other missiles is like trying to 'hit a bullet with another bullet'.

Since 1999, the ground-based missile interception system has knocked out 10 of 18 ballistic targets in testing - despite costing $40 billion.

President Trump has asked for a $2 billion boost to spending on the system, but the wisdom of this move has been called into question given its effectiveness.

Retired Air Force Lt Gen Dan Leaf said the US 'ought not to declare victory' after securing a meeting with Kim.

'The US should seize the moment, and be very aggressive about making progress, he added.

North Korea's leader Kim Jong-un dwarfed by the newly developed intercontinental ballistic rocket Hwasong-15

But none of the improvements to American missile defense is expected to be finished until midway through the next decade - which is particularly bad news given the rapid development of North Korea's technology.

Riki Ellison, of the Missile Defense Advocacy Alliance, said: 'They thought they'd have time to contain that threat until the new systems kicked in around 2023, so there's absolutely a gap there now.'

But Lt Gen Leaf said: 'You can't bet everything on missile defense', and stressed that the US is 'not going to achieve perfection'.

Retired Air Force Lt Gen Dan Leaf said the US 'ought not to declare victory' after securing a meeting with Kim

Other considerations include diplomacy - and whether or not the enemy's missile would actually work.

'Combine all those probabilities and you've got a pretty good bet on countering such an attack,' Lt Gen Leaf said, adding that the probability of defending against an attack is not 100 per cent - but is at a level he is 'pretty comfortable' with.

Meanwhile, the UN said any progress in the nuclear and security dialogue with North Korea must be accompanied by discussions on human rights violation.

'Today, we witness what appears to be a potential for rapid progress on the political and security front, with communication channels steadily building up between the two Koreas as well as the United States of America, and historical summits plans for the future,' Tomas Ojea Quintana, UN special rapporteur on human rights in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), told the world body's Human Rights Council.

But he added: 'Let me urge the DPRK to consolidate this rapprochement with a parallel opening to human rights review. My main message today is that any advancement on the security dialogue should be accompanied by a parallel expansion on the human rights dialogue.'One victims, 16-year-old Lucy Lowe, was killed by her abuser in a house fire. She gave birth to his child when she was just 14

A pair of whistleblowers who raised fears over the Telford child sex abuse scandal which affected up to 1,000 girls were both punished and silenced, it emerged today.

The brutal sex gang targeted the innocent girls over a 40-year period in what may be Britain's 'worst ever' child abuse scandal.

Girls in the town of Telford in Shropshire were drugged, beaten and raped at the hands of the violent groom gang which was active since the 1980s.

Three people were murdered and two others died following incidents linked to the sickening scandal.

And it has now been revealed that two whitstleblowers who wanted to raise their concerns about the crimes were hushed and one woman even lost her job.

According to the Mirror, police chaplain Keith Osmund-Smith was suspended after he passed papers to the newspaper and a report commissioned by the council revealed social workers knew of the sex crimes before the turn of the millennium.

Meanwhile, a woman who was hired by sex abuse charity Axis Counselling, based in Shrewsbury, was forced to leave her role after she tried to speak up.

The newspaper reports that officials feared funding would be cut if she continued to criticise the police and council by suggesting they had not done enough and was forced out of the organisation.

Telford's Conservative MP, Lucy Allan, has previously called for a Rotherham-style inquiry into the allegations and called the latest reports 'extremely serious and shocking'.

Police chaplain Keith Osmund-Smith (pictured) was suspended after he passed papers to the newspaper

Vicky Round was just 20 when she died of a suspected overdose. She had been forced into crack cocaine and heroin addiction by her abusers

Becky Watson suffered two years of sex abuse at the hands of a grooming gang, which began when she was 11

'There must now be an independent inquiry into child sexual exploitation in Telford so that our community can have absolute confidence in the authorities,' she told the paper.

Lucy Lowe, 16, died alongside her mother and sister after the man who had been abusing her, 26-year-old Azhar Ali Mehmood, set fire to their house.

The taxi-driver first targeted Lucy in 1997. She gave birth to his child when she was just 14.

Mehmood was jailed for murdering Lucy, her mother Eileen and her sister Sarah, 17.

However, he was never arrested or charged with any sex abuse crimes over his involvement with the young girl.

Another victim, who was drugged and gang raped by nine men two years later, said that Lucy's death was used as a warning to other girls who might speak out.

The schoolgirl, who remains anonymous, said she was driven to try to kill herself.

She told the Sunday Mirror: 'I was scared my family would die like Lucy's. I thought they'd only be safe if I killed myself.'

In 2002 another schoolgirl was killed in an unexplained car accident in Telford.

The burned out remains of the Lowe's family home, where Lucy, Eileen and Sarah Lowe died in a fire started by Lucy's abuser, 26-year-old Azhar Ali Mehmood

Mubarek Ali, 34, (left) and his brother Ahdel Ali, 27, (right) from Telford were both jailed year after sexually abusing young girls in a child sex abuse ring

Becky Watson, 13, was killed after a car she was in crashed. At the time the incident was reported as a 'prank'.

However, it was revealed she had suffered two years of sex abuse at the hands of a grooming gang, which began when she was 11.

In tragic diary entries she told of how she was forced to 'sleep around'.

Her mother, Torron Watson, went to the police on a number of occasion and even handed them a list of suspects. But nothing was done.

Telford sex scandal: Timeline of abuse 1980s Girls in Telford are targeted by groups of mainly Asian men 1996 A resident goes to police with information about a key abuser selling underage girls for sex Late 1990s Social workers learn of the problem but do little to help 2000 Lucy Lowe, 16, is killed alongside her mother and sister in an arson attack by abuser Azhar Ali Mehmood 2002 Abuse victim Becky Watson, 13, is killed in a road accident described as a 'prank' 2010-2012 Police probe Operation Chalice identifies potential 200 abusers but only nine are jailed 2016 MP Lucy Allan calls for public inquiry but police and council officials in Telford write to Home Secretary Amber Rudd saying this isn't necessary March 2018 As many as 1,000 victims are believed to have been abused Advertisement

She said: 'Girls like Becky were treated like criminals. I was crying out for help but it felt like I had nowhere to turn. If Becky's abuse had been properly investigated by the authorities more girls could have been saved from going through this hell.'

Vicky Round, a friend of Becky's, was abused by the same gang.

They forced her into a crack cocaine addiction aged 12. By the age of 14 she was taking heroine regularly.

She died aged 20 after a suspected drug overdose.

In Rotherham around 1,400 girls, many of them under-age, were sexually abused over a 16-year period at the hands of men from the town's Pakistani community.

An estimate of the number of victims in Telford was calculated with the help of Professor Liz Kelly, from the Child and Woman Abuse Studies Unit at London Metropolitan University, who reviewed the Mirror's figures.

Dino Nocivelli, a specialist child abuse solicitor, said: 'These children were treated as sexual commodities by men who inflicted despicable acts of abuse. The survivors deserve an inquiry.

'They need to know how abuse took place for so long and why so many perpetrators have never been brought to justice.'

Seven men were jailed in 2013 following Operation Chalice, a police inquiry into child prostitution in the Telford area.

Mubarek Ali, 34, sold teenage girls, some as young as 13, for sex above an Indian restaurant in Telford, Shropshire, after grooming them.

His brother Ahdel Ali, 27, was handed a 26-year sentence after the pair sexually abused, trafficked, prostituted or tried to prostitute four teenagers.

Telford's Conservative MP, Lucy Allan (pictured), has called for a Rotherham-style inquiry

Mubarek Ali, 34, sold teenage girls for sex above an Indian restaurant in Telford after grooming them. He was sentenced at Stafford Crown Court (pictured)

The paper says authorities were warned of the abuse a decade before Operation Chalice.

One victim, who was targeted by paedophiles and forced to sleep with dozens of men, said: 'The police have betrayed the children of this town for a second time.

'I dread to think how many victims there have been over the years  it wouldn't surprise me if the offending was on the same scale as Rotherham.

'It has been going on for at least two decades. When will it stop?'

West Mercia Police have admitted errors were made in the way detailed reports had from street pastors on night patrol had been handled by police.

Some of the street pastors had witnessed teenagers being sold drugs at under-age parties and gangs of men grooming intoxicated children.

Telford (pictured) has a population of 155,000 and is about 13 miles east of Shrewsbury

Arshid Hussain (in a wheelchair, being pushed by a relative) arriving at his trial at Crown Court. Hussain, one of the ringleaders of the Rotherham abuse scandal, was jailed for 35 years in 2016

'It has been going on for at least two decades. When will it stop?'

A spokesperson for Telford and Wrekin Council told the paper: 'Child sexual exploitation (CSE) is a vile, evil crime. It's an issue right across the UK and has been for a long time.

'Telford will be covered by the national CSE review. We welcome this. All agencies continue to work very closely together and this remains our top priority.'

Police said 100 girls could have become victims in Telford between 2007 and 2009.

Supt Tom Harding, of West Mercia Police, said communication had improved dramatically in recent years.

He added: 'Incidents identified by pastors point to potential signs of child sexual exploitation and we use this as intelligence to target individuals who may need to be investigated.'Supporters of a California couple accused of child abuse after they were found living in a plywood shack have bought the pair a house.

Daniel Panico, 73, and Mona Kirk, 51, were arrested last month in Joshua Tree and their three children placed in foster care after the family were found living in a makeshift shack on a trash-strewn plot of land.

But the couple are now proud owners of a two-bedroom home around eight miles from the shack after kindhearted strangers managed to raise $50,000 in a week using a GoFundMe page.

Jackie Klear, who organized the fundraising, says she has known the family for 10 years and that Panico and Kirk are not abusive parents, only poor.

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Supporters of Daniel Panico, 73, and Mona Kirk, 51, have bought the couple a house using $50,000 of donations after the couple were arrested when they were found living in a shack

Panico and Kirk are due in court on Tuesday when their children could be returned. Supporters hope that having a house will convince authorities they are responsible parents

This photo provided by the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Office shows a ramshackle structure where authorities say Kirk and Panico, their three children and dozens of cats were living in filthy conditions in Southern California's Mojave Desert

Volunteers from a local scout group which all three of the couple's children attended spent the weekend cleaning the previously vacant property for them to move in.

They even began extending the home to provide a third bedroom for two of the children, who are aged 11, 13 and 14.

The aim was to have the house ready before a hearing on Tuesday when Panico and Kirk could be given custody of their children back.

'We want to show (Child Protective Services) that the family has an actual home to go to,' Klear told the Desert Sun.

Klear says she will continue raising funds and the remaining amount will be spent on property taxes and utilities.

Kirk's attorney, Elizabeth Crabtree, said she and Panico's attorney will argue that the couple deserves to be reunited with their children.

Eventually they will argue for the charges to be dropped.

This aerial photo from video provided by KABC-TV shows the family's filthy desert shack

Not criminals: Attorneys for Kirk (left) and Panico (right) plan to in court that the low-income couple deserve to be reunited with their children, ages 11, 13 and 14

'I don't think there's anything at this point that substantiates abuse,' Crabtree said, adding that the couple should never have been arrested.

At the time of the couple's arrest last week, the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department said their children had been living in the shack without running water, bathrooms or electricity for four years near Joshua Tree, about 125 miles east of Los Angeles.

The makeshift shelter, measuring about four feet high and 10 feet wide, was cobbled together with plywood and plastic sheeting, and chairs were used to hold up a tarp ceiling, Several holes on the property were filled with feces, the sheriff's office said.

Sheriff's spokeswoman Cindy Bachman said last week that the children didn't appear to have any obvious injuries and showed no outward signs of malnutrition but 'it was apparent they had not bathed in days.'

The family had been living without running water, bathrooms or electricity for four years

Piles of trash and debris, mixed in with old furniture, are seen on the family's property in the California desert

A friend said the couple are poor but they are not criminals and did nothing to harm their kids

The children were not enrolled in public school and there was no evidence they were being educated, Bachman said.

Dozens of people rallied in support of the couple outside their court hearing on Tuesday, holding signs that read 'Being homeless is not a crime.'

In a jailhouse interview with The Los Angeles Times, Panico said his family has been torn apart and that he and his wife did nothing wrong.

Mona Kirk is pictured in an undated photo that was shared on a GoFundMe page started by her friend to help raise money for the family

'We are just minding our own business, trying to raise our three kids on little money,' he said.

Crabtree said that rather than arrest the couple, deputies should have called Children and Family Services and allowed the matter to proceed through dependency court, rather than criminal court.

'Miss Kirk misses her children very much,' Crabtree said. 'But she's keeping her head up knowing she's going to see them again.'

Panico and Kirk had planned to build a home on five acres of land they owned, but 'as time went by, they had used all the money they had for living expenses,' wrote Jackie Klear, the family friend who started the fundraiser.

'Any money they got from side jobs and such was spent on their kids. Food and the basic necessities,' she wrote. 'The kids were fed, healthy and were part of just about any activity or group that was available to the community.'

Klear, who is the leader of the Phoenix Scouts scouting group in Joshua Tree, told the LA Times that Kirk, who had operated a Mommy and Me class for babies and toddlers, home-schooled her three children, and she described the kids as extremely well-read and educated.

She went on to say that Panico was a genius and that his eldest son was the smartest child she has ever encountered.Ahmed Hassan, 18, allegedly told a charity worker his father was killed in Iraq and the Americans were to blame

Footage has emerged of experiments allegedly carried out by an Iraqi asylum seeker who said it 'was his duty to hate Britain' before detonating an explosive on a London Underground train.

A video released by Scotland Yard today showed alleged Parsons Green bomber Ahmed Hassan carrying out experiments to destroy a mobile phone.

The Old Bailey has heard that Hassan told a charity worker his father was killed in Iraq and the Americans were to blame.

The 18-year-old arrived in Britain in October 2015, two years before he allegedly left 400g of TATP on a Tube train, which partially exploded.

Barnardo's worker Youseff Habibi told jurors he caught Hassan listening to an Arabic song on YouTube along the lines of 'coming to the slaughter in your own home' when he was living in a children's home in Surrey.

Meanwhile lecturer and mentor Katie Cable got to know Hassan at Brooklands College in Weybridge, Surrey, from April 2016.

The video begins with this clip of what appear to be a series of household toiletries

Footage has emerged of experiments allegedly carried out by Ahmed Hassan on a phone

Hassan can allegedly be seen putting chemicals over the phone during the experiment

Hassan is also allegedly seen bashing the phone with a hammer after wrapping it in foil

While there, he studied media and was placed with foster parents in Sunbury, the court heard.

Ms Cable told jurors that Hassan had said his parents had been killed. She said: 'I believe Ahmed said his father was blown up and his mother had been shot.'

Ms Cable said he had talked about Tony Blair and expressed 'anger' at events in Iraq. I believe the anger was very clear. He referred to being angry several times.'

He allegedly told her 'the British' were responsible for his parents' death.

She told jurors: 'When he first arrived he was probably in the worst state I had ever seen any of our students.

'Incredibly conflicted, frightened, confused, plagued by boredom. Snapping pens, leaving the classroom.'

Hassan can allegedly be seen drilling into the phone during attempts to destroy it

The phone can also allegedly be seen being placed into the oven on a baking tray

Hassan can allegedly be seen holding the phone during the experiments that were filmed

The phone is seen in the video being dropped into the toilet having been destroyed

But he improved after he was given foster care and by 2017 was doing 'really well', she said. In August 2016, Ms Cable discussed events in Iraq with Hassan in a park.

She said she saw a message on his WhatsApp that caused her concern, stating 'IS has accepted your donation', the court heard.

On the same occasion, he allegedly told her: 'It's my duty to hate Britain.'

On September 7 2017, Ms Cable saw Hassan at a restaurant in Kingston, South West London, and he allegedly told her it was better to be in Iraq.

She told jurors she was 'becoming really concerned about his mental state'.

The day before the bombing, he came to see her bearing presents for children, which she found 'strange'.

This image of Hassan with a knife taken in his bedroom was also released by Scotland Yard

The lounge at Hassan's home address is seen in this image issued by the Metropolitan Police

A sofa the in conservatory behind which a bag containing a trace of TATP was discovered

A bag containing a trace of TATP was found in the conservatory at his home, laid out separately

The conservatory at Hassan's home is pictured in this Metropolitan Police handout image

These jugs and pots were found in Hassan's kitchen by investigators

Ms Cable told jurors he was 'very clever'. Prosecutor Alison Morgan asked: 'Did you think he was straight with you?'

She replied: 'I don't know. If you had asked me in September I would have said yes.'

Under cross-examination, Ms Cable told how she arranged a placement for Hassan on a national citizenship scheme in the summer of 2016.

She told jurors he was 'very' enthusiastic about working at a charity shop in Weybridge.

As far as Ms Cable was concerned, he was not a supporter of Isis.

Cross-examining, Tim Moloney QC said: 'Everything you saw of him during 2016 and 2017, he desperately wanted to stay in this country.' Ms Cable said: 'It seemed so.'

Being away from college in the summer holidays was a 'huge factor' in his depression, she said. She told jurors he told her of 'flashbacks', 'bad dreams' and 'sleeplessness'.

These knives were found at Hassan's home address - similar to those found in the device

A rucksack and contents in Hassan's possession upon his arrest at the Port of Dover in Kent

A bedroom wardrobe with a container with traces of hydrogen peroxide found on top (left) and the door to Hassan's bedroom (right)

Pictured are packs of partially empty drill bits which were used as shrapnel in the device

A blue vase similar to one found in the device outside by the conservatory at Hassan's home

A container found in the bedroom wardrobe with traces of hyrdrogen peroxide found on top

Bag containing trace of TATP which were found in the conservatory at his home address

Ms Cable told jurors she was so concerned about the WhatsApp message appearing to be Isis that she contacted a civilian worker at Prevent.

She said: 'It seems such a strange thing. I was worried he might be being scammed.' The witness told jurors Hassan could be 'very secretive'.

Ms Cable said: 'He would very often receive a text or phone call and then just leave without giving a reason.'

Jurors also heard how Hassan was a 'shy young man' who chatted to college friends about Godzilla, Trainspotting and his love of horror films.

If he had any close friends, they remained a mystery to college classmates and it was 'impossible to know about his life', the court heard.

Reece Allingham worked with the 18-year-old Iraqi asylum-seeker on a 'superheroes' film project which was marked with 'distinction'.

He said in a statement that Hassan was 'quite shy' but they would joke about 'silly stuff' like Godzilla, and fake blood and watched Trainspotting together.

Following the Manchester Arena bombing last year, he said Hassan told him it was 'sad people had been killed and hurt'.

The only 'odd' thing he noticed about the horror film fanatic was one occasion when he found him sitting in a dark room on his own at college.

Lecturer Sue Pattinson said in a statement that Hassan was 'traumatised, on edge and not very trusting' and spoke very little English when he first went to Brooklands College.

Moving in with foster parents Ron and Penny Jones 'invigorated' him, she said.

Ms Pattinson said he was not a chatty boy, but he would talk about his love of sport and football rather than political or religious issues.

Yayha Farroukh got to know Hassan because they were both alone in Britain and Arabic speakers.

He helped Hassan find a foster home with the Jones family, but soon discovered they had little in common, he said.

In a statement read to court, he said Hassan had told him he came to Britain from Iraq via Turkey, Italy and France.

He wanted to be 'safe' and told him he had been detained by terrorists for one and a half months.

Mr Farroukh said Mr and Mrs Jones were 'extremely kind people' who had put him up before Hassan took over his room.

A photograph of the smoke-ridden District line carriage shortly after the device exploded

He said: 'I thought it would be nice for Ahmed. When I moved out of Penny and Ron's I stayed in touch with them and have been close to them ever since.

'I have retained contact with Ahmed more out of necessity than choice as we see each other at college and when I see Penny and Ron.

'Although we initially had things in common such as language and lack of family in the UK, I would not describe him as a close friend.

'We are very different people with very different outlooks on life. Ahmed has never really spoken to me about his friends, although he is constantly on the phone to them.

'If he was away for four or five days, he would be staying with them. Ahmed has his own life.

'It was impossible for anybody to know about his life because he was so private. The only people I ever heard him speak to were his uncle and Penny.'

Mr Farroukh visited the Jones's home in Sunbury, Surrey, on September 3 last year.

He found Hassan's bedroom door was broken and had the word 'bored' scrawled over it.

Hassan allegedly packed a bucket with TATP explosives and shrapnel and left it on the train

Ahmed Hassan is pictured waiting at the Port of Dover in Kent after arriving there by train

Hassan is pictured on board a Southern train to Brighton after the incident on the Tube

Hassan explained to him he was 'tired and bored' at home, while his foster parents were on holiday in Blackpool.

The witness also saw two vases in the room which Hassan said he 'needed', but did not explain why.

He told authorities: 'I do not know what bomb-making material looks like so I would not have recognised it if I had seen it at Ahmed's house.'

Hassan has denied attempted murder and using the chemical compound TATP to cause an explosion that was likely to endanger life.

Earlier, on the defendant's dealings with Isis, Mr Habibi told jurors: 'He did say that he had been taken by force and they threatened if he did not go to the mosque his family would be killed.

'He used to spend a lot of time in the mosque studying and sometimes he trained with them to fight.'

Asked about Hassan's background, Mr Habibi said: 'His father was a taxi driver and one morning he went to work and a bomb fell on him and he died.

'And his mum died when he was much younger. He said 'I don't remember my mum'.'

Prosecutor Alison Morgan asked: 'Did Mr Hassan ever say who he blamed for that?'

Mr Habibi replied: 'America.' He said it was American soldiers and American army bombing.

The witness told jurors that Hassan said he had not been tortured by IS but he hated the group and they killed and tortured people.

Barnardo's care home worker Zoe Spencer accompanied Hassan to an immigration interview at Lunar House in Croydon in January 2016.

Miss Spencer told jurors that when Hassan arrived in Britain he could speak little English but was keen to learn.

The kitchen timer used as an initiator mechanism, in addition to a battery and a halogen bulb

Hassan allegedly took the largest Tupperware container, pictured above, from his foster parents' kitchen to store the 300g of TATP which made up the main charge for the device

The contents of the 'Mother of Satan' bomb allegedly prepared by Hassan then put on the Tube

In addition to nuts and bolts, he is accused of placing knives inside the device to be shrapnel

Hassan, who was living with foster parents at the time, is pictured using a cash machine

She said for a then 16-year-old he appeared 'very mature' for his age.

She said: 'He told me he fled the country, that his uncle paid someone to get him in a lorry and his parents were involved in a car crash.'

Miss Spencer said Hassan was 'agitated, worried and quiet' before the immigration interview.

Officials asked Hassan: 'Have you previously or are you any part of a terrorist group, for example, Isis?'

He replied: 'Yes I was recruited by Isis for three months.'

Miss Spencer told the court Hassan had never mentioned anything like that before to her.

Shrapnel would be 'ejected at high speed' to 'increase the potential for harm' the jury was told

Other items Hassan is said to have piled into the explosive included screwdrivers

The device 'has the potential to cause damage to property and or serious harm', the jury heard

The scene of devastation was left behind after the device partially detonated on the train

Asked how she felt about it, she said: 'Disheartened, sickened, as if he did not understand the question so I stopped the interview.'

During a second interview with an interpreter, Hassan added that he had been 'forced' to go with Isis.

He said: 'I was forced to train with them on how to kill and they would teach us about the religion and what Allah believes is right.'

Hassan said he was trained with about 1,000 people and spent three or four hours in the mosque daily.

He got away when Iraqi soldiers came into Isis territory and told everyone to go, and some children stayed and some went back to their families, he said.

He denied he had been sent to Europe to work for Isis.

Miss Spencer said Hassan was 'very nervous' afterwards and told her he was not okay, adding the man at the interview was 'no good'.

Hassan is said to have gone to a Sports Direct in Ashford where bought a backpack and clothes

Hassan had not dried out the bomb-making chemicals before use, an expert said

The suspected bomber is pictured in Dover in September after travelling from London by train

CCTV cameras caught the moment the Hassan was arrested at the Port of Dover in Kent

The suspected bomber was captured as he was placed in the back of a waiting police van

About a week later, Miss Spencer saw Hassan looking at a picture of people in balaclavas with guns and the black flag of Isis.

Tim Moloney QC, defending, suggested Miss Spencer might have mistaken Hassan with another resident with a phone, but she denied it.

Hassan, now 18, allegedly packed a bucket with TATP explosives and shrapnel and left it on the District Line train on September 15 last year.

It partially exploded causing a fireball to rip through a carriage during the morning rush hour, the Old Bailey has heard.

When Hassan was picked up by police at the port of Dover the next day, he admitted he had made the bomb, the jury was told.

Hassan, who was living with foster parents in Sunbury at the time, has denied attempted murder and using the chemical compound TATP to cause an explosion that was likely to endanger life. The trial continues.University of Bath vice chancellor Dame Glynis Breakwell, who earns 434,000 a year

University bosses are earning hundreds of thousands of pounds more than leaders of councils and health trusts, it has been revealed.

Vice chancellor's wages across a number of UK institutions are up to three times that of other chief executives in the same cities, figures show.

In Bath, university chancellor Dame Glynis Breakwell, on of Britain's top earning bosses, earns 434,000.

It dwarfs the 150,000 salary for the chief executive of Bath and North East Somerset Council.

And it far outstrips the 195,000 paid to the boss of the Royal United Hospitals Bath NHS Trust, analysis for The Guardian has shown.

Her huge income sparked student protests and forced her to promise to step down later this year.

In Birmingham, university chancellor Sir David Eastwood pockets 378,000, almost double the 182,500 pay of the chief executive of Birmingham City Council - the largest local authority in Europe with a budget of 3 million.

It was also over 100,000 more than the pay for the boss of the local NHS Trust in the city.

Eastwood also pockets another 90,000 for being the Universities Superannuation Scheme, and is a board member of the Universities UK group, at the heart of the dispute over staff pensions that has sparked strikes in more than 60 universities.

Sir David Eastwood (left) who earns 378,000 and Sir Christopher Snowden (right) who is on 423,000

University bosses pay has been put under the spotlight in recent weeks with growing concern over spiralling salary hikes, with MPs demanding action.

It has emerged that average vice-chancellor pay last year including pensions and benefits was more than 280,000, with their pay rising by just over 10,000 on average in 2016/17.

At the same time, student fees, which fund institutions and are paid for by taxpayer-provided loans, rose again to 9,250 a year.

Sally Hunt, general secretary of the University College Union, which represents university staff, said: 'It is time for proper scrutiny of vice chancellors' pay and perks, and some explanation for why there are such huge differences in the salaries and pay rises they are awarded.'

Shadow higher education minister, Gordon Marsden, added: 'Vice chancellors simply cannot justify the fact they are paid many times more than their local council and NHS Trust chief executives.'

Other examples include Southampton University boss Sir Christopher Snowden, who is on 423,000, compared to the 195,000 salary of the NHS Trust boss and 166,786 salary for the council chief in the city.

Sir Keith Burnett (left) who earns 385,000 a year and now retired Sir Leszek Borysiewicz, who is on 345,000.

In Sheffield, Sir Keith Burnett earns 385,000, compared to 245,000 for the NHS Trust in the city and 166,786 for the council.

Another London based vice chancellor, Professor Alice Gast of Imperial College London, is on 353,000, compared to 300,000 for the NHS trust boss head at the 186,000 for the council leader.

Oxford and Cambridge bosses are also earning considerably more than other public sector leaders.

Professor Louise Richardson is on 345,000 as vice chancellor of Oxford, compared to the 275,000 for the local NHS Trust and 175,000 for the council.

And in Cambridge, Sir Leszek Borysiewicz earned 345,000 before he retired, that was far more than the 255,000 for the local NHS Trust and the 175,382 wage for the council boss.

Sir Andrew Likierman, vice chancellor at London Business School is on 442,000, and Alice Gast, vice chancellor at Imperial College London, who is on 353,000.

Universities minister Sam Gyimah said that vice-chancellor salaries "must be justifiable and should not be excessive".

He told the Guardian: "Universities are autonomous institutions but they receive significant amounts of public funding, so are rightly subject to public scrutiny.

"That's why we have taken concrete action to address this. Our new regulator, the Office for Students, will require universities to publish the justification for salaries of their most senior staff - and we have given it powers to tackle this issue if universities do not take action."A tiger terrorised a Siberian village roaming the streets and killing fierce guard dogs before dragging them away to feed her hungry cubs.

Parents were afraid to let their children out of the house even to go to school on dark mornings as she 'was not afraid of street lights, or people shouting'.

Rangers sedated and captured the endangered animal amid fears locals in the village of Aleksey-Nikolskoye, north of Vladivostok, would shoot her.

The tiger (pictured in captivity after it was caught) terrorised a Siberian village roaming the streets and killing fierce guard dogs before dragging them away to feed her hungry cubs

Parents were afraid to let their children out of the house even to go to school on dark mornings as she 'was not afraid of street lights, or people shouting'

Rangers sedated and captured the endangered animal amid fears locals in the village of Aleksey-Nikolskoye, north of Vladivostok, would shoot her

They were puzzled by the big cat's behaviour in entering a village to kill chained up dogs instead of hunting prey in the wild, as they are usually wary of humans.

A search immediately started for her cubs and two females, aged six or seven months old, were found and reunited with their mother.

Now they have been reunited in a large fenced compound, and the mother is being encouraged to hunt deer to prepare her to return to the wild with her offspring.

The tiger is reunited with its cubs after both were caught and taken to an enclosure

They were puzzled by the big cat's behaviour in entering a village to kill chained up dogs instead of hunting prey in the wild, as they are usually wary of humans

The plan is to release the animals into a more remote area of the Primorye region in the Russian far east, well away from villages and dogs

She is being 'retrained' at the PRNCO Tiger Centre to understand deer, elk and boars are more her thing than dogs.

The plan is to release the animals into a more remote area of the Primorye region in the Russian far east, well away from villages and dogs.

'Rangers believe she can revert to being a wild tigress, not creeping into villages for her next lunch,' they said.

The tiger and hwer cubs were reunited, and the mother is being encouraged to hunt deer to prepare her to return to the wild with her offspring

Siberian or Amur tigers are the world's largest species of cat, numbering only 550 in the wild.

Rangers rode on horseback to track down the cubs after catching their mother

'It is the first time such an operation has been mounted.'

Siberian or Amur tigers are the world's largest species of cat, numbering only 550 in the wild.

Their future was thrown into doubt by poaching but Vladimir Putin led efforts to save them.A woman managed to escape life threatening injuries after being hit by a bus outside Romford train station.

CCTV footage has emerged of the incident that happened on the 1st February showing the woman wearing a hooded parka crossing the road without looking and being struck by the 252 bus.

The accident happened at around 10.30am on South street, Romford and paramedics were immediately called to the scene.

The woman was taken to hospital but her injuries are said to be 'not life threatening'.

Emergency services arrived at the scene in under three minutes and treated her for arm and leg injuries.

A London Ambulance Service spokesman said she was taken to a trauma unit as a priority.

The woman wearing a parka is seen on CCTV crossing the street outside Romford train station without seeming to look

The bus seemed to strike her side as she crossed. Emergency services are understood to have treated her for arm and leg injuries

Claire Mann, TfL's Director of Bus Operations, said: 'We were sorry to learn of the incident in South Street, Romford where a pedestrian was injured following a collision with a route 252 bus.

'The emergency services attended the scene and there will be a full investigation into this incident.'

Anyone affected by serious incidents on the TfL network can contact the Sarah Hope Line. The service is run by dedicated TfL staff to provide practical, financial and emotional help and can also make referrals for counselling and specialised support. The contact details for the Sarah Hope Line are 0343 222 5678 or incidentsupport@tfl.gov.uk.Sir Ken Dodd faced a possible fall from grace nearly 30 years ago when he was accused of an 800,000 tax fraud.

The allegations came to light in 1989 and related to activity by the Liverpudlian - spanning more than 15 years - and he was forced to stand trial.

Dodd, who died yesterday, aged 90, even had his passport seized due to fears that he was going to flee the country.

The comedian was later acquitted, but the court was told about his eccentricity, including hiding wads of cash in wardrobes, cupboards and under his stairs.

The allegations came to light in 1989 and related to activity by the Liverpudlian - spanning more than 15 years. Pictured: Dodd at Liverpool Crown Court

The comedian was later acquitted, but the court was told about his eccentricity, including hiding wads of cash in wardrobes, cupboards and under his stairs

Sir Ken married Anne Jones, his partner of 40 years, on Friday at their house in Liverpool, which was also the one he was born in (pictured together)

The self-styled Squire of Knotty Ash, Merseyside, faced 27 charges dating back many years, and Inland Revenue chiefs said the case was 'much more serious than originally believed'. He was said to owe the taxman nearly 1million.

Dodd, 60 at the time, arrived at Liverpool Magistrates' Court in a jaunty mood but his good humour soon evaporated as the Inland Revenue's chief investigator David Hartnett outlined the criminal charges against him. '

Dodd has overseas assets,' said Hartnett, 'but only he knows what these are. He told me in 1986 that he would make a full disclosure of all financial matters, but he did not. I also have confidential information that he might not attend any trial which might take place.'

The accusations were refuted by the bucktoothed comic's barrister, Susan Conlan.

Dodd, she declared, 'was born and bred in this area and has put Knotty Ash on the map. He has no property abroad. He has been fully co-operative and has no intention of becoming a fugitive'.

She said Dodd needed his passport because ill health required him to holiday in a warm climate to prepare for winter shows.

The legendary comic at the Daily Mail-sponsored International Caravan Exhibition

Consequently, he was allowed to retain his passport for three weeks in November.

His drawn-out battle with the taxman ended a year later, when he was cleared of all charges.

But the case brought out humiliating revelations in court about his ventricular tachycardia  irregular heartbeatand his unsuccessful attempts to conceive a child with Anne Jones.

The case enthralled the nation who had long embraced Dodd as one of its favourite jokers.

During the trial, Dodd even had the judge in hysterics, when the prosecutor confronted the comedian with an apparently damning affidavit from an accountant.

'But sir, this man is dead,' said Dodd.

'What matters is his evidence,' bellowed the prosecutor. 'Whether he's alive or dead is entirely irrelevant.'

'It's very relevant to him, sir,' Dodd replied, leaving the judge in a fit of laughter.

Afterwards Dodd claimed the ordeal had brought him closer to God: 'Every day I carried a little cross into court and prayed.'

He said people expected him to jet off to a sunny beach somewhere once the trial was over, but that was not his plan.

'Liverpool is my home, Britain is my country, and this is where I'm happiest.'

The star died aged 90 just days after being released from hospital following weeks of treatment for a chest infection (pictured right)

Dodd died yesterday aged 90 - having secretly married his lover of 40 years just two days earlier.

The funnyman, famous through his decades-long career for his lengthy stand-up shows as well as his Diddy Men and tickling stick, wedded his long-term partner Anne Jones at the home in Liverpool's Knotty Ash that he lived in his entire life.

Sir Ken with one of his famous Diddy Men characters in 1994

Their wedding came after Sir Ken was discharged from Liverpool Heart and Chest hospital less than a fortnight ago following six weeks of treatment for a severe chest infection.

Speaking on Good Morning Britain today, his publicist Robert Holmes said: 'It's a wonderful love story. They had been together for 40 years and on Friday he suddenly asked her to marry him and she was delighted obviously.

'She got hold of the local vicar and organised the registrar to come to the house and they got married. And two days later he's passed away.

'It's not like it's a surprise he's been very ill for a long time. He's a man who was born in Liverpool, never moved from the house he was born and his last concert was at the Echo Arena in Liverpool.

'It's remarkable (how poignant the marriage was). I'm so delighted for Anne. He waited a lifetime to be knighted. Only last year I was at Buckingham Palace watching him be knighted.

He added: 'With Ken gone, the lights have been turned out in the world of variety. He was a comedy legend and genius.'A Dallas-bound plane has made an emergency landing in Albuquerque after smoke filled up the cabin.

Southwest flight 3562 took off from Phoenix on Sunday night and was heading for Dallas Love Field Airport, according to KRQE-TV.

The plane was forced to land at Albuquerque International Sunport after what might have been an electrical fire.

The plane was forced to land at Albuquerque International Sunport after what might have been an electrical fire. Pictured: The scene on the ground after the landing

The Albuquerque Fire Department tweeted that two people were taken to local hospitals.

The extent of their injuries was not immediately known.

Several emergency vehicles could be seen on the runway after the plane landed.

Passengers were later placed on another flight to their original destination.

A Dallas Police officer aboard the flight tweeted that Dallas-based Southwest's flight attendants 'did a great job!'Animal-lovers have lashed out at the organisers of a music and arts festival for showering the audience with bird feathers during a performance.

Adelaide's annual WOMADelaide four-day music, art and dance festival, included a heavily criticised aerial highwire ballet performance.

'With dance and movement that evokes aerial poetry, Place des Anges ... create(s) a truly unique high-altitude aerial spectacle,' the event description reads.

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Animal-lovers have lashed out at WOMADelaide organisers for showering the audience with bird feathers in a performance that looked like a 'hen slaughter house'

Many complained about the event's disregard for animal welfare, accusing the organisers of 'showering the crowds with innocently slaughtered birds' in a performance that 'felt like I was walking on dead bodies'

'You might as well have sprayed us with blood WOMAD ... what were you thinking?' Lea McBride said. She took this photo '16 hours after the performance ended'

But some audience members were less impressed and complained about the event's apparent disregard for animal welfare.

'You might as well have sprayed us with blood WOMAD ... what were you thinking?' Lea McBride asked.

Others accused the organisers of 'showering the crowds with innocently slaughtered birds' in a performance that 'felt like I was walking on dead bodies'.

'The birds didn't die for the show, they were killed for other purposes before they took the feathers,' one attendee said.

'I am against animal torture but these animals would have been killed for human consumption not for this show,' another added in agreement.

'It was like thousands of ducks being slaughtered and thrown at us from the sky,' one woman claimed.

However, many others at the show were quick to jump to the defence of organisers, arguing that the 'the performance was advertised well in advance.'

'It was like thousands of ducks being slaughtered and thrown at us from the sky,' Angela Randall described

'If washed and sterilised duck feathers cause you issues, you had ample opportunity to make arrangements to deal with the fact, or simply not attend,' one man rebutted.

Others suggested the feathers were an essential artistic feature.

'Maybe that was part of the point?' a female attendee asked.

'Im vegetarian and struggled a bit with the idea of dead birds ... Art generally is beautiful, yet also confronting'.

However, WOMADelaide released a statement saying no animals were killed in the making of the show.

'The duck feathers used in Place des Anges are sourced from farms that meet strict European regulations regarding animal welfare which humanely farm the birds for the production of meat - the feathers being a by-product,' the statement on the event's website read.

'The feathers used for the show come from suppliers of down used for the manufacture of winter clothing, natural quilts and duvets.

'Feathers are not taken from animals for the purposes of the show  they are feathers which were already destined for use in manufactured clothing, mattresses, pillows and duvet materials'.

Festival director Ian Scobie said 'people love to have something to react against'.

WOMADelaide released a statement saying no animals were killed in the making of the show. 'The feathers used for the show come from suppliers of down used for the manufacture of winter clothing, natural quilts and duvets,' a statement said

'Let's be clear, Place des Anges is a work of art, it's a statement from artists and that is always provocative,' Festival director Ian Scobie told Adelaide Now

'Let's be clear, Place des Anges is a work of art, it's a statement from artists and that is always provocative,' he told Adelaide Now.

'You can never do anything and expect 100 per cent approval from everybody but I think generally the detractors are in a minority, but they're perfectly able to have their view.'

Gratte Ciel, the company behind the performance, has also defended their use of feathers.

'Our vocabulary is acrobatic and our stage is the sky. The feather is undoubtedly the most pertinent object to engulf the public in this joyful gentleness that we defend.

'It is essential to echo the dehumanisation of modern society, creating a real poetic shock,' Gratte Ciel said in a statement.

The 32 French cast members of Place des Anges travelled to Australia to perform in WOMADelaide, having previously performed in London, Buenos Aires, Stockholm, and Montreal.Doctors in east China were shocked to pull out a five-inch-long tapeworm from a woman's breast while performing a breast lump removal operation last week.

The 59-year-old woman, surnamed Yao, ate three live frogs five years ago while following a folk remedy, a relative told a local reporter.

Ms Yao believed that the remedy was the only way to cure her body pain, but it caused her to suffer from a serious parasite infection.

Doctors pull out a five-inch-long tapeworm from a woman's breast during surgery in China

According to Hangzhou News, Ms Yao was sent to Jiaxing's Tongxiang Second People's Hospital, Zhejiang Province, for breast lump removal surgery on March 7.

Dr Zhang Yun told the reporter: 'I found an object that resembled a worm's head in her breast. I tried to clip it out, and then pull out a 13-centimetre-long (five inches) tapeworm.'

Ms Yao explained to the doctors that she has been suffering rheumatism, a long-term condition that causes pain in body joints and connective tissues.

Five years ago, she found a folk remedy to cure the pain, which was to eat three live frogs and not telling anyone about it.

It's said that Ms Yao's relatives found out about the fact that Ms Yao had eaten live frogs when she was hospitalised with a parasitic infection in the past.

Ms Yao, 59, ate three live frogs in a bid to cure her pain affecting her joints (file photo)

Dr Zhang Yun worried parasite larvae could spread throughout Ms Yao's body (file photo)

A few months after swallowing the frogs live, Ms Yao was taken to a Shanghai hospital with stomach pain, and doctors diagnosed her with a parasite-induced intestinal obstruction.

Her symptoms seemed to have disappeared until she discovered the lump in her right breast.

Ms Yao is now recovering after undergoing the surgery last week.

It remains unsure if she would suffer any further infection as parasite larvae could spread quickly throughout the human body, said Ms Yao's doctor.Slovakia's deputy prime minister has stepped down after mass protests demanded his resignation following the murder of a reporter and his fiancee.

Jan Kuciak and Martina Kusnirova, both 27, were found shot dead on February 26 as Kuciak was investigating Italian mafia ties to the country's government.

Interior Minister Robert Kalinak on Monday quit his post under pressure both from the public and figures within the ruling coalition government.

Jan Kuciak and Martina Kusnirova, both 27, were found shot dead on February 26 as Kuciak was investigating Italian mafia ties to the Slovakian government

Interior Minister Robert Kalinak on Monday quit his post under pressure both from the public and figures within the ruling coalition government over the murders

'It's important for stability to be maintained, therefore I decided to resign the post of deputy prime minister and interior minister,' he said.

'I think I will do more for the investigators not to be disturbed in their work if I resign.'

The coalition's junior partner, Most-Hid, demanded Prime Minister Robert Fico sack him or it would leave the government.

Leadership of Most-Hid, which mostly represents ethnic Hungarians, planned to meet later on Monday to discuss whether Mr Kalinak's resignation was enough.

'The national council always decides... In such cases it has the final word,' its leader Bela Bugar said.

More than 50,000 protesters flooded the streets of the capital Bratislava on Friday in the biggest demonstration since the Velvet Revolution.

The mafia were believed to be behind Kuciak's murder as police said his death was 'most likely' related to his investigation

An unfinished summary of his investigation for Aktuality.SK was published after his death, with an international team assembled to finish his work

Ms Kusnirova was found next to him, shot once in the head, likely collateral damage in the hit on her fiance

Protesters chanted 'enough of Fico' and jangled keys just like in the marches that toppled the communist regime in 1989.

They demanded a new government and a thorough investigation of Kuciak's murder and didn't believe Mr Kalinak could oversee it impartially.

'We don't trust them to guarantee an independent investigation. They have failed to investigate all previous scandals,' protester Maria Kuliovska, a 30-year-old mother on maternity leave, said.

Mr Kalinak was the second minister from the ruling Smer party to resign since the assassinations, following Culture Minister Marek Madaric.

The mafia were believed to be behind Kuciak's murder as police said his death was 'most likely' related to his investigation.

An unfinished summary of his investigation for Aktuality.SK was published after his death, with an international team assembled to finish his work.

The first lead in Kuciak's story was Prime Minister Robert Fico (pictured) hiring Maria Troskova, a then-27-year-old former topless model and Miss Universe contestant as an assistant

More than 50,000 protesters flooded the streets of the capital Bratislava on Friday in the biggest demonstration since the Velvet Revolution.

Protesters chanted 'enough of Fico' and jangled keys just like in the marches that toppled the communist regime in 1989

The first lead was Mr Fico hiring Maria Troskova, a then-27-year-old former topless model and Miss Universe contestant as an assistant.

Her appointment was despite any relevant job experience, and Mr Fico refused to divulge her job description or how she got a security clearance.

Kuciak then discovered she used to be a business partner of Italian man Antonino Vadala, 42, who founded GIA Management in Slovakia.

Vadala allegedly had close ties to the mafia and in 2001 Italian police issued a warrant for his arrest after he was caught discussing a fugitive drug trafficker and killer in his home in Calabria.

They demanded a new government and a thorough investigation of Kuciak's murder and didn't believe Mr Kalinak could oversee it impartially

'We don't trust them to guarantee an independent investigation. They have failed to investigate all previous scandals,' one protester said

The coalition's junior partner, Most-Hid, demanded Prime Minister Robert Fico sack his deputy or it would leave the government

The charges were dropped after he left Italy for Slovakia and the killer Domenico 'Mico' Ventura was sentenced to life in prison.

Other reporters on the investigation told The Guardian mafia members 'entered into business with regional politicians' to form a syndicate.

Reporters were just have to start confront the major players in the story when Kuciak and Ms Kusnirova were shot in their brand new home in Vel'ka Maca.



Kuciak had investigated the mafia before in stories probing stolen EU funds diverted to eastern Slovakia by the mafia.

He also wrote about a real estate developer investigated for tax fraud who had business ties to Kalinak, both of whom denied any wrongdoing.

Mr Fico responded to comments by opposition MPs insinuating he had something to do with the reporter's murder by calling them 'political abuse of a tragedy'.

'Do not link innocent people without any evidence to a double homicide. It's crossing the line. It's no longer funny,' he said on Tuesday.

Mr Fico offered a 1 million reward for information about the murders, posing with his lieutenants beside a stack of banknotes totaling the reward sum.

Mr Kalinak was the second minister from the ruling Smer party to resign amid public pressure since the assassinations, following Culture Minister Marek MadaricThis might be the most romantic gift anyone could give to their grandparents: a set of nuptial pictures to help realise their biggest wish.

A 25-year-old woman from China has recently posed for a series of touching pictures with her grandfather while wearing a wedding dress because he has always wanted to see her become a bride.

Fu Xuewei said she doesn't plan to get married any time soon because of her career, but she is not sure if her 87-year-old grandfather, who is seriously ill, would live long enough to see her tying the knot with someone.

'I want him to see me become a bride': Fu Xuewei poses with her grandfather while wearing a bridal gown. She said her grandfather is ill, and his biggest wish is to see her getting married

Special moment: The 25-year-old from China let her grandfather walk her down the aisle

Therefore, Ms Fu decided to put on the wedding dress for her grandfather, Fu Qiquan, and had the emotional moments captured by camera.

Ms Fu also walked down the aisle in a small church with her grandfather.

She told MailOnline: 'My grandfather would be the one to give me away on my wedding.

'Because I don't know if he could live long enough to see that, I wanted to make sure he could do that now.'

The 25-year-old turns into a beautiful bride as her grandfather walks her down the aisle in a church (left). Ms Fu had this idea after seeing her grandfather falling ill last September (right)

Ms Fu was put under her grandparents' care after her parents divorced when she was about 10. In the picture, she hugs her grandfather as they undergo the groom-less ceremony

The 87-year-old grandfather, Fu Qiquan, smiles as he looks at his grand-daughter in the eyes

Ms Fu, who is a young entrepreneur from Chengdu, grew up with his grandparents after her parents separated when she was around 10 years old.

She was looked after by them until she left China for university in Switzerland and Singapore at the age of 18.

She formed a deep bond with her grandmother and grandfather and has always treated them as close friends. She talks about her study progress, her travels and her relationship problems with them. She takes them on holidays abroad and even to night clubs.

Mr Fu has an IV drip set on his right hand (left) when he is taking these wedding photos. Ms Fu had kept the arrangement a secret and only told him when they were at a hospital for checkup

Ms Fu insists on taking care of her grandfather until he gets better (left). She has also had her grandfather's image tattooed onto her arm as a reminder for her and her friends (right)

Ms Fu said her grandfather is a 'macho man', but he has always spoilt her.

However, everything changed last September when her grandfather fell seriously ill. Doctors told Ms Fu her grandfather's condition was critical and he could pass away any time.

The news changed Ms Fu's perspective on life and family. She said she decided to cherish every single moment with her grandfather.

As such, she spent 3,000 yuan (341) to have the set of pictures taken with her grandfather hoping it could in some way realise his wish of seeing her become a bride.

Ms Fu had kept her plan as a secret until one day when she took him to the hospital for a checkup.

During the checkup, she casually told her grandmother 'we're actually going to take some pictures today', and he said okay.

She spends most of the time with her grandparents and has even taken them to night clubs

Her grandfather had a cerebral stroke two years ago and also suffers from a heart disease

Ms Fu is pictured feeding her grandfather in the hospital. Ms Fu's perspective on life and family was changed after her grandfather fell seriously ill last year

Ms Fu's grandfather was still receiving an IV drip when he arrived at the photo studio, and Ms Fu chose a maroon suit for his grandfather before putting on her 'bridal gown'.

Ms Fu said she didn't want to reveal what condition her grandfather has now.

But according to Chengdu Business Daily, the elderly man had a cerebral stroke two years ago. At the time, Mr Fu couldn't move his body and had to stay in the hospital for three months.

The 87-year-old also had a history of heart diseases, said Ms Fu.

Apart from the pictures, Ms Fu has had her grandfather's image tattooed onto her arm.

'I had my grandfather's portrait tattooed on my arm in January because I want my new friends and my children to be able to know what he looks like in the future,' she said.

The pictures of Ms Fu and her grandfather have gone viral since the woman shared them on Chinese social media.A former KGB agent claims he was warned by the Russian Secret Service that spy Sergei Skripal would be poisoned.

Boris Karpichkov, said he was on an eight-man hitlist which included Mr Skripal, 66, who was attacked with a nerve agent last week in Salisbury.

Mr Skripal and his daughter Yulia, 33, are in a critical condition in hospital following the incident, with Prime Minister Theresa May under increasing pressure to publicly point the blame at the Kremlin.

And ex-KGB major, Mr Karpichkov, who claims two have suffered two chemical attacks, said he was told about the plot in a threatening 'burning telephone' call.

Appearing on Good Morning Britain today, he said: 'First time, when I was communicated, (it) was (a) chilling message. I took it as a joke because I didn't believe (it).

Boris Karpichkov, said he was on an eight-man hitlist which included Mr Skripal, 66, who was attacked with a nerve agent last week in Salisbury

Sergei Skripal (left) and his daughter Yulia (right) have been in a critical condition since they were found unconscious on a bench outside a shopping centre in Salisbury on March 4

Mr Skripal and his daughter Yulia, 33, are in a critical condition in hospital following the incident, with Prime Minister Theresa May under increasing pressure to publicly point the blame at the Kremlin

Former Russian intelligence officer Sergei Skripal, and his daughter Yulia were found unconscious after they had been exposed to an unknown substance in Salisbury

'It was exactly on the date of my birthday which was 12th February, so it was about three weeks ago. (The) message (said) that something bad is going to happen with me and some other people, including Mr (Sergei) Skripal who I had no idea who this person is.

'Yes (there was a warning). From (a) very reliable source who is a senior operative field officer of certain Russian security service.'

Mr Karpichkov said he received the message 'by burning telephone' and added: 'No (I did not report it). I didn't regard it to be serious. Such warnings, threats, passed on to me, it's happened before, I'm still alive.

'I was shocked (by the poisoning of Skripal), not surprised. Not now.'

Asked whom he believes is responsible Mr Karpichkov said: 'The Russian Secret Service, FSB specifically.'

Boris Karpichkov served in Russian intelligence for more than a decade, reaching the rank of KGB major

On whether the order came from Putin he said: 'I wouldn't be so specific, because I don't know whether or not it came directly from Mr Putin, but it came from a very, very senior level close to Mr Putin.'

Host Piers Morgan said: 'We've obviously been unable to independently verify what you're telling us, but your life as a double agent is well documented, you wrote a book about it, you've now made the extraordinary claim you received a call from Russian intelligence agencies warning you that your life and Sergei Skripal's life and others' lives were in danger three weeks before this hit, which raises all sorts of important questions.

'I imagine the authorities will want to speak to you as a matter of urgency.'

Mr Karpichkov lives in constant fear for his life. He lives under a new identity with a British passport after fleeing to the UK following a fall-out with his Kremlin bosses.

He served in Russian intelligence for more than a decade, reaching the rank of KGB major and, as such, was privy to Kremlin secrets at the very highest level. He spent much of his career in the then Soviet republic of Latvia, where he specialised in counter-intelligence for the KGB.

When the Soviet empire collapsed in 1991, Mr Karpichkov stayed in newly independent Latvia, where he joined the countrys intelligence services. But he also remained on the books of the Kremlin, supplying information back to his old bosses.

However, he was jailed for two months on trumped-up weapons charges after a row over payments he claimed were owed to him by the KGB. Released and placed under house arrest in Latvia, he escaped via several countries to Britain, using one of several false passports he had been supplied with during his time as a spy.

Theresa May is under growing pressure to go public with suspicions the Kremlin is to blame for the assassination attempt on the 66-year-old and his daughter, 33. Pictured: Military personnel wearing protective suits investigate at the scene on Sunday

Military personnel wearing protective suits remove a police car and other vehicles from a public car park as they continue investigations into the poisoning of Sergei Skripal yesterday

The investigation into the poisoning has led to a series of locations around Salisbury being sealed off and decontaminated

Mr Karpichkov claims he suffered the first of two chemical attacks in November 2006  the week defector Alexander Litvinenko was poisoned in London by polonium in a cup of tea.

Theresa May is expected to point the finger at the Kremlin for the poisoning of double-agent Mr Skripal and unveil a package of tough sanctions as early as today.

The Prime Minister is chairing a meeting of the National Security Council where she will be updated on the investigation into the attempted nerve agent assassination of the former Russian spy.

Counter-terrorism police and intelligence officers are understood to be preparing to present evidence that Moscow ordered the hit in Salisbury over a week ago.

This will include evidence that the nerve agent used to poison Mr Skripal and his daughter Yulia had to have been developed in a Russian laboratory, along with other high-value intelligence.

What action can Britain take if Russia is behind attack? Britain could enact the Magnitsky amendment, imposed conditions on Putin's cronies. The act is named after Sergei Magnitsky, a lawyer who died in custody after exposing corruption Expel diplomats: Britain could expel Russia's ambassador and other diplomats based at the embassy in Kensington Palace Gardens - round the corner from where Prince William and Kate live. If MI5 have tabs on a Russian spy ring in the UK, Britain could take this poison plot as a reason to expel them. Impose sanctions: Britain already has an extensive range of sanctions against Russia as a result of the invasion of crime and eastern Ukraine, but we could extend them. The UK could also impose sanctions on named individuals if they are linked to the murder attempt. Britain could pass the 'Magnitsky List' mirroring US laws imposing travel bans on senior Kremlin officials responsible for the death of Russian accountant Sergei Magnitsky in a prison in 2009. World Cup boycott: Official representation could be withdrawn from the World Cup in Russia if Kremlin links are proven. Prime Minister Theresa May told MPs last week that the Government would 'look at whether ministers and other dignitaries should attend' the tournament in that event. The Duke of Cambridge has already said he has no plans to attend. There have been calls for the England team to boycott the tournament but their withdrawal would probably have little impact. A coordinated protest, involving the withdrawal of multiple countries, would be far more effective in damaging Vladimir Putin's showcase international event. However, experts say the nerve agent poisoning is unlikely to create enough international momentum to trigger a wider boycott. Some have called for England to boycott the World Cup if Russia is found to be behind the nerve agent attack in Salisbury Statement of condemnation: Britain may call on the support its closest allies if there is evidence of a Russian murder attempt on UK soil. A joint statement of international condemnation could be issued from leaders including French President Emmanuel Macron and Germany's Angela Merkel, warning Russia that such actions will not be tolerated. AdvertisementA Mexican man who lied about his nationality and claimed to be a US citizen worked for the border force for six years before being found out.

Marco Antonio De la Garza Jr, an officer in southern Arizona, faces criminal charges for allegedly telling US Customs and Border Protection and others in the government that he was born in Texas.

Employment requirements for Customs and Border Protection include providing proof of US citizenship.

It is unclear how De la Garza was able to get his job despite not being an American citizen.

Marco Antonio De la Garza Jr, an officer in southern Arizona, faces criminal charges for allegedly telling US Customs and Border Protection and others in the government that he was born in Texas. Pictured: The border near Douglas, Arizona

An indictment filed Wednesday in Tucson said De la Garza lied about his citizenship in October during a background check update tied to his job.

The 37-year-old officer also is accused of making false statements about his birth country last year when he sought a US passport.

The agency hired him in April 2012, spokeswoman Teresa Small confirmed. She did not provide further comment.

Cosme Lopez, a spokesman for the US attorney's office, declined to comment how the officer's true citizenship had been missed when he was hired.

Customs and Border Protection issued a statement saying De la Garza was arrested on February 22 in Douglas, Arizona.

The agency's statement, however, didn't reveal De la Garza's job status or explain how the agency came to hire a Mexican citizen as an officer.

Over the years, the federal government has been criticized for not performing adequate background checks on people seeking jobs as border agents.

The criticism usually crops up when the government considers adding a large number of officers at the United States' southern border.

An indictment filed Wednesday in Tucson said De la Garza lied about his citizenship in October during a background check update tied to his job. Pictured: The US-Mexico border

Matthew H Green, a Tucson attorney who represents De la Garza, declined to comment.

Authorities said in court records that De la Garza claimed he was born in Brownsville, Texas, when he was actually born across the Rio Grande three miles away in Matamoros, Mexico.

Investigators said the midwife who claimed De la Garza was born in Texas had a conviction for conspiring to make false statements on birth certificates in 1984.

They also said De la Garza's records from Mexico confirmed that he was registered for school using a Mexican birth record, according to court records.

He is scheduled to be arraigned on March 23.A father obsessed with medieval re-enactments allegedly beat his daughter to death during an exorcism ritual.

The 50-year-old, named only as Klaus S., is accused of killing 25-year-old Vanessa W. in the town of Wagenhausen believing she had been possessed by a demon.

He is on trial in the city of Frauenfeld, capital of the Swiss canton of Thurgau, and faces 14 years in prison for 'murder with conditional intent, desecration and disturbing the dead'.

A father obsessed with medieval re-enactments allegedly beat his daughter to death during an exorcism ritual. The 50-year-old, named only as Klaus S. (pictured), is accused of killing 25-year-old daughter Vanessa W. believing she had been possessed by a demon

Vanessa and her German father were reportedly celebrating the New Year in January 2016 at the flat of Vanessa's boyfriend Kurt R., who was not present at the time. All three were medieval re-enactment enthusiasts.

Vanessa only met her father two years prior to her death, because her mother, who was separated from him, refused to reveal his identity while she was growing up.

It was not clear how she eventually found him but they are said to have got on well.

But according to the indictment, the unemployed father and his daughter had been in a major row days before the incident over the fact that Vanessa and her boyfriend Kurt wanted to have children.

The indictment further said that he perceived her as aggressive, believed a demon had possessed her, and that he decided to perform an exorcism.

He started by bracing her against a bookshelf and massaging her with his bare foot, it is reported, starting with her back and then turning her so he could massage her front.

Vanessa died aged 25 on January 2, 2016 in the town of Wagenhausen, also in Thurgau

But he then started pressing even harder and, when she protested, is said to have punched and kicked her in the abdomen.

The woman was later found to have sustained torn intestines, a smashed liver, internal bleeding and extensive bruising.

Despite her injuries, she went to have a shower following the 'exorcism' but collapsed.

Her father then allegedly prised open her jaw with a wooden spear in an apparent attempt to help her breathe.

Klaus R. told the court: 'I only did a massage with Vanessa. It was not intentional to harm her - just an oversight. I did not think I could hurt her like that.'

Bereaved boyfriend Kurt said: 'I wasn't at home when it happened - suddenly I got a weird text message from her father.

'I couldn't believe what I saw. Vanessa was lying there with blue lips and pale skin. When he managed to call the emergency services, it was already too late to save her.'

The trial continues.A white former Connecticut university student accused of smearing body fluids on her black roommate's belongings is set to go before a judge for a hearing on her request for a probation program.

The hearing on 18-year-old Brianna Brochu's request for accelerated rehabilitation is scheduled for Monday in Hartford Superior Court. The program could result in misdemeanor charges being erased from her record.

It comes after prosecutors decided not to file additional charges of hate crime against Brochu, of Harwinton.

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Brianna Brochu, the former University of Hartford student accused of smearing body fluids on her roommate's belongings

Brochu, 18, was arrested in October for misdemeanor criminal mischief and breach of the peace after being expelled from The University of Hartford in Connecticut over her abusive treatment of her roommate, whom she dubbed a 'Jamaican Barbie.'

Each crime carries a maximum sentence of six months in jail. The harshest hate crimes in Connecticut carry a maximum sentence of 10 years imprisonment.

The pair shared a dormitory together but Brochu was determined to get Rowe to move out.

During a previous court appearance, Brochu's defense lawyer argued that the pair simply did not get along. He said Rowe triggered Brochu's response by posting an 'unflattering' Snapchat video of her snoring.

Brochu, 18, appeared in court in Hartford, Connecticut, in November, facing criminal mischief charges for tormenting her college roommate last year

To prompt her departure, Brochu smeared blood from her own used tampons on Rowe's backpack, spat in her 'coconut oil', put 'clam dip' in her body lotion and put her toothbrush 'where the sun don't shine'.

Brochu boasted about her efforts on Instagram where she also referred to her as 'Jamaican Barbie' after Rowe requested a different room.

Her lawyer said the name - which some considered proof of Brochu's racist views towards her roommate - was how Rowe described herself online.

Upon seeing the post, Rowe contacted the university and also told the police about how she had been torturing her.

She said she did not know why Brochu was so unkind and that she'd started off trying to befriend her.

'She lives in Connecticut and she would go home every weekend. I would always feed her fish.

Brochu was trying to force her roommate Chennell 'Jazzy' Rowe out of their shared dorm. She is pictured right in her mugshot

Brochu boasted about how she tormented her roommate on Instagram after she moved out and referred to her as 'Jamaican Barbie'

Brochu was expelled from the university after being arrested. Her lawyer said on Thursday that the abuse was not racially motivated

'I don't understand why, which is why I think it's a whole racial/hate issue,' she said in a Facebook video detailing the abuse.

The teenager said she believes Brochu's efforts made her sick and that she consistently suffered a sore throat.

'I'm spending my own money that my parents give me for food and groceries, the health center on campus is not free  in fact they're expensive,' she complained.

Rowe (above documenting how Brochu tormented her in a Facebook video) is accused of starting the feud by posting a video of Brochu snoring on Snapchat

Brochu's lawyer said the case was one of two young students simply not getting along after being randomly placed together

'This was two students who were placed together, I think randomly  who didn't like each other, like has been happening since kids went to school and became roommates,' Stevens said.

'There was a tipping point that caused my clients to do whatever she did and it was when Ms. Rowe took some unflattering videotape of her and posted it.'

Brochu's family have not commented on her arrest.

The freshman had been admitted to the university on an art scholarship.An Ohio family has filed a class action lawsuit against the hospital where officials estimate about 2,000 frozen eggs and embryos may have been damaged by a storage tank malfunction.

Amber and Elliott Ash, of Bay Village, say they had two embryos stored at University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center's suburban fertility clinic after Elliott's cancer diagnosis in 2003. The couple has a two-year-old son, Ethan, conceived through in-vitro fertilization, and hoped to bring him a genetic sibling.

'You put so much faith into the physicians and the medical team, and like I said, to have this taken away  your hopes and dreams destroyed. Its a tremendous loss,' Amber said in an interview with News 5 Cleveland.

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Amber and Elliott Ash, of Bay Village, Ohio are the first to file a lawsuit against University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center's suburban fertility clinic

The hospital lost about 2,000 frozen eggs and embryos due to a storage tank malfunction earlier this month

The couple had their first child together, two-year-old Ethan, through in-vitro fertizliation in 2015. The family of three pictured above

She added: 'Its heartbreaking. Just heartbreaking. The medical community calls it tissue, I like to think of it as my children. My frozen children.'

Elliott says they first found out about the failure on the news, and the fertility clinic later called them to confirm that their embryos were no longer viable. The couple was paying $400 a year to store the embryos at the clinic.

In a previous interview with CBS News, Amber said she felt 'physically ill' when she heard the news.

The couple hoped to have more biological children in the future through the two embryos they had stored at the clinic. Above, an egg being fertilized with sperm in the in-vitro process

'I felt just sick to my stomach. The world of infertility is just very isolating world, it's very lonely it's complete loss of control,' Amber said.

The Ash's had gone through the IVF process but were advised not to carry another pregnancy so were hoping to use one of their embryos through a surrogate.

'I'm not sure what to do next,' Elliott said. 'I know that when I had cancer we saved my sperm and we thought well maybe we'll go back for another retrieval and do another embryo implantation.'

The hospital issued an apology after the unexplained malfunction caused temperatures inside the storage tank to rise. It's still unclear if it was a human or computer error that caused the malfunction.

The couple relied on in-vitro because Elliott is a cancer survivor, and cancer treatment usually impacts a man's ability to create viable sperm. The couple pictured above with their son Ethan

The couple is suing the hospital for unspecified damages. Amber pictured above with her son on the day he was born in October 2015

'I find it very hard to believe that in this day and age, there are not better safeguard and practices that could be put in place,' Amber added.

The Ash family is seeking an undisclosed amount in damages.

UH officials say the lawsuit will not affect an ongoing independent review into the malfunction.

Other attorneys in the area have expressed intent to file similar lawsuits against the clinic.The man who killed three women at a veterans home in California after a ten-hour siege had his firearms permit canceled in October.

Albert Wong, 36, who slipped into a going-away party for two employees of The Pathway Home on the campus of the Yountville veterans home campus on Friday, was also recently expelled from the home, according to a victim's relative.

Authorities in Northern California have been tight-lipped about why the former Army rifleman killed the women after the siege in Napa County.

When he raided the home, he let some people leave - but kept the three women.

Albert Wong, 36, (pictured) has been identified as the suspect who stormed the largest veterans home in the US and shooting dead three women before killing himself on Friday

Albert Wong, 36, (circled right) had been receiving treatment at The Pathway Home in California before being asked to leave its PTSD program. On Friday he raided a going-away party held at the home, where he shot the women including executive director Christine Loeber, 48, (circled left) before turning the gun on himself

Pathway Home clinical director Dr Jennifer Golick (left) , a victim of the veterans home shooting; Right: Jennifer Gonzales, another victim who was seven months pregnant

Executive director Christine Loeber, 48, who was killed during the attack on The Pathway Home

Police said that more than 30 shots were fired at officials and the facility was in lockdown for nearly ten hours before he killed his hostages.

Wong, who was wearing a bulletproof vest, then killed himself.

His military records show he served in Afghanistan from April 2011 to March 2012 and was enrolled in The Pathway Home's veteran treatment program until he was recently expelled, according to a relative of one of the women.

Law enforcement officials did not respond to questions throughout the weekend about what led to Wong being dismissed from the program or whether officials had alerted police or others to any concerns about his mental health after he was removed from the program.

Executive director Christine Loeber, 48, clinical director Jennifer Golick, 42, and Jennifer Gonzales Shushereba, 32, a clinical psychologist with the San Francisco Department of Veterans Affairs Healthcare System, were remembered as immensely talented women who cared deeply about veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress.

Gonzales Shushereba was seven-months pregnant. She was married a year ago and was supposed to travel to Washington DC with her husband this weekend to celebrate their anniversary.

'Every aspect of Jenns life was dedicated to others and her caring and kind spirit was evident to everyone she met. Jenn leaves behind her best friend, husband, and father of her unborn child, TJ,' a crowdfunding page for Gonzales said.

Resident Tom Parkinson places flowers on a sign at the Veterans Home of California, the morning after a hostage situation in Yountville

Fernando Juarez, 36, of Napa, center, embraces his 22-year-old sister Vanessa Flores, right, at the Veterans Home of California on Friday. She is a caregiver at the facility and exchanged texts with family while sheltering in place when Wong took over the building

Authorities said the gunman was armed and wearing a bulletproof vest when he slipped into the facility, which is the largest veterans home in the US

Gunfire was first reported at 10.20 am after the 36-year-old man stormed a going-away party being held at the Yountville Veterans Home in Napa, California

'Jennifer and her colleagues died doing the work they were so passionate about - helping those in critical need,' her husband, TJ Shushereba, said in a statement.

Just earlier this week victim Jen Golick had reportedly asked Wong to leave the program, according to her father-in-law Bob Golick.

The reason for the expulsion is not clear.

Directors of the veterans program are beginning an exhaustive review of security protocols, said The Pathway Home spokesman Larry Kamer.

It may never reopen, he said.

The six residents have been moved to other facilities while officials discuss the future of the program, Kamer told the San Francisco Chronicle.

The facility's board members are scrutinizing building security, emergency protocols and what kind of screenings are in place for incoming patients.

Cissy Sherr, of Milbrae, said in an interview with The Associated Press that she and her husband became Wong's guardians after his father died and his mother developed health problems.

When Wong became a teenager and Sherr and her husband worked full-time, they decided to put him in foster care.

'He always had a great smile on his face,' she said. 'He didn't have a traditional upbringing but still he just became a fine young man. I can't imagine what happened. It doesn't make any sense to me.'This is the shocking moment a 16-year-old thug's 72-minute acid attack spree came to an end after he crashed his stolen moped into the back of a lorry.

Derryck John, now 17, was jailed today for 10-and-a-half years for throwing acid into the face of six moped riders across north and east London.

The attacks, which happened in just over an hour and left driver with life-changing injuries, only came to an end when John attempted to overtake a car but ended up crashing into the back of a Greggs lorry.

In the clip he is seen trying to get back on his moped before giving up and limping away.

Derryck John (pictured left and right) has been jailed over a spate of moped acid attacks

Moped mugger John was caught on CCTV at a petrol station in Hackney, East London

John was eventually caught on CCTV at a petrol station in Hackney, east London.

He used an Evian bottle to spray acid in the face of his victims around ten times during his spree between 9.20pm and 11.28pm on July 13.

The teenager claims he was urged on by an older accomplice who he looked up to in a gang who offered him what his parents could not, Wood Green Crown Court heard.

John, now 17, of Croydon, South London, admitted six counts of throwing a corrosive liquid with intent to 'disable, burn, maim, disfigure or cause grievous bodily harm', two counts of robbery and four counts of attempted robbery.

Jailing John for ten years and six months Judge Noel Lucas QC said: 'Your actions were both despicable and callous.

Social media footage from the scene of one of the attacks shows people trying to help one victim by dousing him with water

ACID ATTACKS: THE LAW IN THE UK Between November 2016 and April 2017 there were 408 attacks, of which about 21% were committed by under-18s. Earlier this month it was announced that acid would be defined as a 'highly dangerous weapon' for the first time so tougher prison sentences could be imposed. Anyone caught carrying acid can be charged with possession of an offensive weapon under the Prevention of Crime Act, which carries a maximum penalty of four years in jail. However those carrying out attacks can be charged with GBH with intent which carries a maximum life sentence. Home Secretary Amber Rudd said she intended to ban the sales of corrosive substances to under-18s. If a person is caught twice with acid, they would serve a minimum six-month sentence if over the age of 18, under new government guidelines. Under-18s will be handed a four-month detention and training order. Advertisement

'You and your accomplice chose to attack members of the public who were going about their lawful business.

'These were grave crimes and you attacked members of the public with acid of what appears to be on the strongest end of the scale.

'You have not revealed the name of your accomplice, or the liquid that was used or where you obtained it.'

John's mother and brother held their heads in their hands as they sat in the public gallery.

Father-of-one Jabed Hussain, 32, was the first person to be targeted at the Hackney Road junction with Queensbridge Road at about 10.30pm.

He screamed for help as the flesh-burning liquid singed his skin, while the suspects made off with his moped.

Footage shows him being doused with water by police to wash the acid out of his eyes. The acid used ranged from PH levels one and two - the strongest available.

The second attack was just 20 minutes later when another victim was sprayed with acid on the Upper Street junction with Highbury Corner in Islington.

At about 11.05pm a third attack took place on Shoreditch High Street, followed by another within fifteen minutes on Cazenove Road, leaving the man with 'life-changing' injuries.

The scene on St Paul's Road in Islington, North London (left), after an attack by John (right)

John (left) is pictured at the petrol station in Hackney, East London, on July 13 at 11.25pm

Another victim was targeted as he sat in traffic on Chatsworth Road at about 11.30pm, with the attackers fleeing the scene on the man's moped.

Judge Noel Lucas QC Judge Lucas is known among staff at Wood Green Crown Court as the 'acid king' after he jailed notorious attacker Arthur Collins last year. He said: 'The carrying and use of corrosive liquids is now a significant and growing problem in London and in particular east of London. 'It is clear to me that the carrying and use of corrosive fluids is rapidly becoming a serious and growing problem in London and in particular this part of London, so too are crimes using scooters. 'That said the facts of this case are in themselves so serious that it is not necessary to increase the sentence I pass on Mr John in order to convey to the wider community the abhorrence the court feels in respect of such offences.' Advertisement

Speaking at an earlier hearing prosecutor Saira Nisar said: 'These are a series of serious attacks moped and motorcycle riders that took place on July 13 over a very short period of time - approximately two hours.

'The modus operandi over all of the offences is identical - the attacker strikes when the moped rider is at a red light.

'The corrosive liquid is then sprayed directly over the face of the rider.

'As the rider is struggling with the pain and disorientation of being sprayed with this noxious substance, the riders who have done this steal or attempt to steal the vehicle.'

John was already on bail for six offences including theft and possession of drugs and has a conviction of arson.

DS James Leeks from Hackney CID said: Derryck John did not think twice about using a life changing and even potentially life-threatening substance against those who resisted his robbery attempts.

'Acid attacks ruin lives and have no place in our society. It beggars belief that anyone would be prepared to scar someone for life and leave them to live with life-changing injuries for the sake of a phone or a moped.

We are working hard to keep the public safe and make the streets hostile territory for criminals who steal scooters and use them to snatch valuables from members of the public.

We have a particular focus on the small number of criminals prepared to use corrosive substances to do so.

The teenager admitted six counts of throwing a corrosive liquid with intent, two counts of robbery and four counts of attempted robbery.

The scene of one of the attacks at the Hackney Road junction with Queensbridge Road in East London shows a police cordon and food delivery drivers who rushed to the aid of a victimChina has built an assembly line to mass produce cutting-edge 'super materials' that can perform the previously impossible, according to the Chinese state broadcaster.

So far, the assembly line located in a lab in Shenzhen has manufactured different types of materials, including one that renders objects invisible, reported China Central Television Station in a documentary released last week.

Although the station didn't explain what the invisibility cloak 'metamaterial' would be used for, according to Chinese news portal Sina, it is likely to be used on the country's warplanes, particularly the J-20.

Chinese scientists have managed to produce an 'invisibility cloak' metamaterial in bulk, said China's state broadcaster. The team reportedly work in a laboratory (pictured) in Shenzhen

The programme, aired on China Central Television Station, shows workers making the base material (pictured) for different metamaterials, which the Chinese call 'super materials'

What the Chinese refer to as 'super materials' are generally known as metamaterials, which are a new class of finely-engineered surfaces that could have properties unachievable with conventional materials.

Some metamaterials can bend infrared radiation such as visible light, which means they could be used to create invisibility cloaks.

And according to the Chinese Central Television Station, the Chinese scientists have managed to make such invisibility materials in bulk.

WHAT ARE METAMATERIALS? Metamaterials are a new class of surfaces which have been engineered on the nanoscale, as small as a billionth of a metre wide. The materials used to construct them are arranged in certain patterns or shapes, designed to perform specific tasks. Most are created on computers and 3D-printed as plastic blocks or slabs, although metals and other materials can also be used. One such task is to bend electromagnetic radiation around an object. The first examples only worked with long-wavelength radiation, such as microwaves, while others altered the path of near-infrared radiation. Some can bend sound waves to focus them for medical purposes or to create speakers which direct sound to a specific spot. Some scientists have claimed there is nothing stopping them from scaling their inventions up to hide objects from visible light. So far, however, this has proved more of a challenge. When light is shone upon an object it is either reflected or absorbed, dictating how it appears to a human eye. Using metamaterials, the interaction of particles with light can be changed so that the object appears invisible, or as something completely different. Advertisement

The report took the viewers inside the mysterious lab where Jin Xi, a doctor of Materials Science, and his team were busy feeding pieces of material from one machine to another.

Each piece, 80cm long and 60cm wide, is said to be the plated with bronze and would be used as the base material for the Chinese 'super material'.

A layer of special film, which could show some 20,000 patterns once exposed to light, will be added to this base material.

Sina, a Chinese news site, suggested the invisible material is likely to be used on fighter jets, in particular J-20 (pictured), which is China's latest warplane armed with long-range missiles

China's J-20 has been compared to America's F-22 Raptor in terms of combat capabilities

The patterns, as tiny as 0.2 square millimetres, are said to contain thousands of micro-structures invisible to the human eye.

These micro-structures are used to control the properties of metamaterials.

The report didn't mention what type of 'super material' the workers were making, but it claimed that Chinese scientists have developed metamaterials to help develop the country's aviation industry.

A report from Sina, one of China's largest news portals, claimed on March 11 that the lab in question is the State Key Laboratory of Metamaterial Electromagnetic Modulation Technology in Shenzhen, a state-funded lab established in 2011.

CHINA'S J-20 Top speed: 1,305 mph Range: 2,113 mi Length: 67 Wingspan: 42 0 Weight: 43,000 lbs Engine Type: Xian WS-15 turbofan engines Cost: $110m Manufacturer: Chengdu Aircraft Industry Group Advertisement

AMERICA'S F-22 Top speed: 1,498 mph Range: 1,839 mi Length: 62 Wingspan: 44 0 Weight: 43,430 lbs Engine type: Pratt & Whitney F119 Cost: $130m Manufacturers: Boeing Defense, Space & Security, Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Advertisement

The Sina report also suggested that the metamaterials would be used for military purposes.

It also indicated that the invisibility material is likely to be used on J-20 fighter jets because the jet's chief engineer Yang Wei is also a member on the laboratory's academic board.

China's latest J-20 stealth fighter jets were commissioned into military service last year and are operated by the Chinese Air Force.

China's fourth-generation fighter jet, the J-20 made its maiden flight in 2011.

According to a 2017 report from China Central Television Station, the J-20 is capable of carrying multiple types of air-to-air missiles.

It's said to be powered by a made-in-China engine and has similar combat capabilities to those of America's F-22 Raptor.A thief has seduced a shop cashier into handing over $100 in cash by tricking her at a fruit shop counter.

Wollongong Police are investigating what they describe as a 'fraud incident' at Papa Joe's Fruit Market on Monday in Wollongong, New South Wales.

A man was captured on CCTV footage buying half a pumpkin and handing over a $100 note to pay.

A man was captured on CCTV footage tricking a girl with coins to distract her as she worked out the change

As the girl at the cashier hands him change including a $50 note, he hands her some coins to distract her and pockets the cash.

The customer then claims he's been denied $50 and scams more money before retaining more notes as he outwitting the cashier once again.

At this point, the girl realises his game and rejects his request for yet more notes.

He pockets extra notes and then further disputes the change, convincing the girl to give him yet more money

The man then walks out of the shop and throws away the pumpkin.

Store owner George Akary told the Illawarra Mercury her staff member thought she'd only be scammed $2.70 but it ended up being more.

'She was really shook up. She just didn't know what to do or how to react.

Store owner of Papa Joe's Fruit Market George Akary said her staff member was shook up and confused

'I've got the rule that if anyone's got an issue, that they can come back and speak to the manager, but he just managed to confuse her.

'He's like a magician because, even watching (the footage) it confused me.'

Police released a CCTV image of the incident in the hope of finding the man.Advertisement

Walking arm-in-arm and posing at sunset, these photos show Emmanuel Macron and his wife Brigitte enjoying a romantic visit to India's 'monument to love'.

Brigitte, 64, could be seen playfully adjusting her 40-year-old husband's tie as they stood before the Taj Mahal, a few hours from the Indian capital, New Delhi.

The couple then enjoyed a guided tour of one of the wonders of the world, which Brigitte described as an 'idea of beauty and perfection'.

Their appearance at the 17th Century mausoleum, during a three-day state visit, comes after a somewhat misstep-laden trip to India by Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau. Both he and Macron are often compared internationally because of their broadly similar political views, as well as youth and good looks.

But Trudeau's visit hit a series of embarrassing bumps and he received a fairly cool reception during his stay in India. Trudeau was pilloried on social media and in the Canadian press for donning traditional Indian clothing at every opportunity.

Arm-in-arm and posing at sunset, Emmanuel Macron and his wife Brigitte are pictured enjoying a romantic visit to India's 'monument to love. Brigitte, 64, could be seen playfully adjusting her 40-year-old husband's tie as they stood before the Taj Mahal, a few hours drive from the Indian capital, New Delhi

The couple enjoyed a guided tour of one of the wonders of the world, which Brigitte described as an 'idea of beauty and perfection'

Their appearance at the 17th Century mausoleum, during a three-day state visit, comes after a somewhat misstep-laden trip to India by Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau

Macron said that Taj Mahal, built by Emperor Shah Jahan, 'says a lot about the human soul, great pains, a civilization that has spread from India to Mongolia, from China to Turkey'

Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau was widely mocked for his traditional outfit choices while in the country, with many suggesting it looked as if he had been attending a wedding

And there were red faces when it emerged a former Sikh militant was invited to a dinner with him in Mumbai. Macron has so far opted for more sober and predictable dress - a dark suit.

Macron said that Taj Mahal, built by Emperor Shah Jahan, 'says a lot about the human soul, great pains, a civilization that has spread from India to Mongolia, from China to Turkey'.

Marvelling at the monument to love is a near-mandatory stop for visiting leaders, with Israel's Benjamin Netanyahu also touring the Mughal-era marble wonder during a tour of India this year.

Macron on Sunday pledged hundreds of millions of dollars for solar projects in developing countries, as world leaders met in India to promote greater investment in renewable energy.

Macron, who in December warned that the global shift to a green energy future was too slow, said France would extend an extra 700 million euros ($861.5 million) through loans and donations by 2022 for solar projects in emerging economies.

Marvelling at the monument to love is a near-mandatory stop for visiting leaders, with Israel's Benjamin Netanyahu also touring the Mughal-era marble wonder during a tour of India this year

Macron has so far opted for more sober and predictable dress - a dark suit - during his three-day state visit to India

France had already committed $300 million euros to the initiative when it co-founded with India a global alliance in 2015 to unlock new cash for solar projects in sunny yet poor nations.

'We need to remove all obstacles and scale up,' Macron said at the launch of the International Solar Alliance in New Delhi on Sunday.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi - who has committed to reducing India's sizeable carbon footprint through a massive scale-up in renewable energy - said it was vital that nations were not priced out.

'We have to make sure that a better and cost-effective solar technology is available to all,' Modi told the gathering of investors and world leaders from about 20 mainly African nations. 'We will have to increase solar in our energy mix.'

India, the world's third-largest polluter, is undergoing spectacular growth in its solar sector and is on track to become one of the world's largest clean energy markets.

It pledged at the Paris climate summit in 2015 to source at least 40 per cent of its energy from renewables by 2030, mainly via solar.

Macron on Sunday pledged hundreds of millions of dollars for solar projects in developing countries, as world leaders met in India to promote greater investment in renewable energy

French President Emmanuel Macron (right) and his wife Brigitte Macron (left) visit the Taj Mahal complex in the Indian city of Agra

France's 40-year-old president and his wife Brigitte on Sunday visited the Taj Mahal, a few hours drive from the Indian capital and enjoyed a guided tour

The energy-hungry giant of 1.25 billion people is banking on solar to electrify homes for hundreds of millions of its poorest citizens without adding to its considerable emissions output.

Macron and Modi hope the alliance will spur $1 trillion in new solar spending by 2030 in 121 countries lacking investment in the sector.

These countries have 'the paradox of being the sunniest in the world while enjoying the least solar energy,' said Segolene Royal, a former French minister in India as a special envoy for the alliance.

Macron told world leaders in Paris in December that 'we are losing the battle' against climate change and urged faster action to combat global warming.

The French leader called on private sector attendees in New Delhi to engage more actively because 'solar investments are becoming more profitable'.

Energy and investment has been a focus of Macron's three-day visit to India.

He and Modi will open a new 100-megawatt solar plant near the holy city of Varanasi on Monday built by the French company Engie.

India and France also signed a technical agreement Saturday on the French-assisted nuclear power project at Jaitapur in western Maharashtra state.

But the two leaders have also struck a key defence accord for the Indian Ocean. Under the deal, India and France will open their naval bases to each other's warships, a move seen as an attempt to undermine China's territorial ambitions.

Modi, who welcomed Macron with a bear hug on his arrival Friday, said the accord was crucial as the Indian Ocean region would play a 'very significant role' in the days to come.Billionaire Mohamed Hadid is fighting back in court against a model who accused him of 'date rape' - branding her a 'pathological liar' who plotted to extort him, according to legal papers obtained by DailyMail.com.

In a lawsuit filed in Los Angeles, Hadid, father of supermodels Bella and Gigi Hadid, claims 23-year-old Miranda 'Vee' Vasquez helped extort him out of a large sum of money following a consensual 40-minute hook up with the model.

According to the court documents Hadid says he has proof Vasquez is lying about being raped, including sexually charged text messages saying he had a 'juicy' penis (depicted with an eggplant emoji) sent to him after the encounter.

'I miss your soft lips & juicy (followed by an eggplant emoji and two lip-licking emojis),' read the text to Hadid, who has been engaged to 36-year-old Shiva Safai since 2014.

In a lawsuit filed in Los Angeles, billionaire Mohamed Hadid, fights back against 23-year-old model Miranda 'Vee' Vasquez, who accused him of date rape

Hadid, father of supermodels Bella and Gigi Hadid, claims Vasquez helped extort him out of a large sum of money following a consensual 40-minute hook up with the model

Hadid is father to supermodels Gigi Hadid (left) and Bella Hadid (right). The trio is pictured above at Victoria's Secret After Party at the Grand Palais on November 30, 2016 in Paris

According to the court documents Hadid says he has proof Vasquez is lying about being raped, including text messages where she called him 'very sweet' and showed him where she left his keys in his apartment. In other sexually charged text messages sent after the encounter, she said Hadid had a 'juicy' penis (depicted with an eggplant emoji)

In other texts, Vasquez flooded Hadid's phone with photos of her wearing lingerie and a bikini

In other texts after the meet up Vasquez said Hadid was 'sweet' and 'nice' and she also flooded the property developer's phone with sexy photos of herself, including shots of her exposing her lingerie and wearing a bikini.

Hadid, protesting his innocence, also claims in the paperwork that he's a victim of libel, slander, and defamation by Vasquez.

He claims that during his 2017 hook-up with Vasquez there was no 'sexual intercourse'.

The 69-year-old property tycoon charges that Vasquez was paid $8,000 for her part in a plot with two mystery men to extort him into paying out a large sum of money 'demanded' by Vasquez who threatened to go to the police with her date rape claim if he didn't pay up.

Hadid paid up, he admits in the legal papers - but it didn't stop Vasquez from going public anyway, using Instagram last month to post her accusation against him and another against Guess boss and fashion designer Paul Marciano whom she said 'sexually harassed' her.

In response to an Instagram post by model Kate Upton about the #MeToo movement, on February 1 Vasquez wrote: 'Thank you @kateupton it is time people like @paulmarciano & @mohamedhadid get exposed for who they really are!

'I met with paul at his @guess headquarters that actually is an apartment where he sexually harassed me & after that he passed me on to his friend mohamed who was going to meet me for 'coffee.' I thought it was a professional meeting but it was just me, him and champagne where he date raped me in an apartment.

Hadid, protesting his innocence, also claims in the paperwork that he's a victim of libel, slander, and defamation by Vasquez

Hadid claims that his interactions with Vasquez ahead of his meeting here 'nicities' and there was no mention of 'coffee'. Hadid says that Vasquez did not request coffee, but said that 'she preferred rose wine'

Hadid claims in the legal filings that during his 2017 hook-up with Vasquez there was no 'sexual intercourse'

Hadid claims that Vasquez 'puposefully lied to the public and the media' in order to extort money from him. He says Vasquez was paid $8,000 for her role in the extortion

Hadid calls Vasquez a 'pathological liar', saying there was no 'rape or any other type of sexual assault' when they met on March 25

'All to get a test shoot for Guess. Last year when I tried to speak out about it they found out and made me sign a non-disclosure agreement & I only agreed to sign because paul threatened me & said he would get me disappeared if I ever say anything. TIMES UP. Why should we have to stay quiet because they have the power? #METOO.'

Hadid's lawyers say the wealthy developer brought his civil action because of Vasquez's attempt to extort money out of Hadid, who is entirely innocent, by making false accusations and falsely reporting to the police and other media outlets that he 'date raped' her.

'Vasquez is a pathological liar who acted with actual malice and her intentional wrongful defamatory actions constitute libel, slander and extortion,' the documents state.

While describing Hadid as a 'loving father of four daughters' and a man who 'respects all women and believes strongly in the empowerment of all women, not just his daughters,' the newly-filed court papers claim he and Vasquez only met once, on March 25, 2017 for a 'short, 40-minute consensual get together, at the invitation of (Vasquez)'.

Noting that as a property developer he had 'no need or interest in hiring a model', Hadid disputes Vasquez's Instagram claim that she thought her rendezvous with him was going to be a 'professional meeting'.

And he points to a series of 'friendly' text message exchanges between him and Vasquez on March 24 - the day before they met up - and including several 'sexually charged photos' that she allegedly sent him 'of herself in bikinis and other scantily clad outfits'.

Messages attached to Hadid's legal filings show Vasquez allegedly saying that the property developer was 'very very nice' and asked to get together again. Other messages show she allegedly sent Hadid selfies on the

Text message exchanges between him and Vasquez on March 24 - the day before they met up - feature several 'sexually charged photos' that Vasquez allegedly sent him 'of herself in bikinis and other scantily clad outfits'.

Hadid insists in legal documents that he was 'respectful' of Vasquez and 'in complete control' during their meeting

Hadid's lawsuit includes exhibits of these photos, some of which show buxom Vasquez in sexy, figure-revealing clothes.

'None of the text messages between Hadid and Vasquez leading up to their 40-minute consensual interaction mention having 'coffee,' say the court papers.

'None of the text messagesmention a professional meeting...None of the text messages hint or suggest that either Hadid or Vasquez thought their preplanned get together had anything to do with a potential business opportunity or any other professional venture.'

Hadid says that Vasquez did not request coffee, but said that 'she preferred rose wine'.

He insists that he was 'respectful' of Vasquez and 'in complete control' during their meeting.

'Their consensual get together was short, approximately 40 minutes in total from start to finish and did not include any sexual intercourse,' the legal documents say, adding that Vasquez was 'sexually aggressive' during their short fling.

The papers added that the encounter was 'purely consensual and pleasurable' to Vasquez, that she was 'very complimentary' towards Hadid afterwards and thought he was a 'gentlemen'.

This is backed up, the papers claim, by the text messages asking to see Hadid again.

At the end of their hook-up, Hadid had to leave the apartment.

Hadid, who has been engaged to Shiva Safai (above) since 2014, described Vee's claims as 'totally untrue'

Vasquez used Instagram last month to post her accusation against him and another against Guess boss and fashion designer Paul Marciano whom she said 'sexually harassed' her

Vasquez asked to stay a while longer and Hadid agreed, asking her to leave the apartment keys on a shelf on her way out.

And that, according to the court documents, was the last time he saw her.

A year later, after Vasquez's Instagram 'date rape' post, Hadid produced text messages Vasquez sent him a few hours after their meeting, and the following day which - say the legal docs - 'expose Vasquez as an extortionate pathological liar and show no such rape or any other type of sexual assault occurred on March 25, 2017 or at any other time'.

Those text messages - are another part of the legal arsenal Hadid is using to try to clear his name.

In one, sent at 5.41pm on March 25, says the lawsuit, Vasquez sent a photo of his apartment keys, followed by a text saying, 'Hi love. I left the keys on the left side of the fire'.

An hour later she texted, 'Your very sweet Mohamed'.

The following morning, March 26, 2017, the papers add, Vasquez sent three more texts saying, 'Well you were very very nice, more than I expected. & very courteous which is a turn onIf you can tomorrow we can get together before your trip..I miss your soft lips and juicy (followed by an eggplant emoji and two liplicking emojis)'.

These texts, sent after Hadid's meeting with Vasquez demonstrate, say his lawyers, that Hadid did not 'date rape' Vasquez nor did he sexually assault her in any way, 'she knowingly and purposefully lied to the public and the media when she claimed that Hadid date raped her,' the papers state.

In response to an Instagram post by model Kate Upton about the #MeToo movement, on February 1 Vasquez wrote about the alleged sexual assault she faced

In her initial Instagram post, Vasquez included messages that she had allegedly received from Hadid

Vasquez claimed that she was supposed to meet Hadid for 'coffee' and a 'professional meeting', but says she was instead 'date raped in a apartment (sic)'

The lawsuit goes on to accuse Vasquez of being in league with other unnamed defendants who are 'in the business of extorting money from public figures, including Hadid', who believes that Vasquez 'made the false, extortionate and defamatory statements against him, in conjunction with a team of two men solely for the purpose of extorting money.

Hadid adds that he believes Vasquez 'was paid $8,000 for her role in this extortion'.

In his lawsuit filed at LA Superior Court, Hadid claims that in addition to her 'fake' date-rape claims, Vasquez also 'published false statements about Hadid's daughter, which were never mentioned or discussed at their 40-minute meeting'.

Hadid lashes out at the 'extreme and outrageous conduct' of Vasquez and her unnamed co-defendants saying he has 'suffered loss to his business reputation, as well as shame, mortification and anxiety.

'Hadid has suffered extreme emotional and physical distress, includingnervousness, sleeplessness, anxiety, worry, shock, humiliation and indignity.'

The high-rolling real estate magnate concludes his 23-page complaint by charging that Vasquez 'threatened to report Hadid to criminal authorities by making up a false story that he had date-raped her'.

And Vasquez demanded that Hadid pay her a sum of money so that she would no report the false story of date rape.'

Hadid - who is seeking damages and a jury trial - claims that he did give in to the alleged threat and paid off Vasquez.

'In order to avoid dealing with the public fallout of a 'date rape' allegation, albeit one he knew was completely false and fabricated by a pathological liar, Hadid caused Vasquez to be paid monies so that Vasquez would not report the fake 'date rape' claim.'Two high school sweethearts from New Jersey have married in the high school hallway where they first met nearly three decades ago.

Chris Gash and Jenn Sudol, who met when they were freshmen at Clifton High School in 1989, wed Saturday at their old high school.

The ceremony was small with just family members, and was officiated by Clifton Mayor James Anzaldi, who says he came out of retirement for this ceremony after retiring from wedding officiating a few years ago.

Chris Gash and Jenn Sudol from New Jersey got married in their high school hallway where they first met nearly three decades ago over the weekend

Jenn's brother, Mark; his fiancee, Christine Wright; her cousin, Michelle Painter; her aunt, Marie Robles; and their four kids, Lucy, Sammy, Wes and Thomas attended the nuptials.

The couple say they dated briefly in high school, but went their separate ways before dating again in 2016.

Gash's daughter, Lucy, says the wedding reminded her of romantic comedy movies she loves to watch.

They met when they were freshmen at Clifton High School in 1989 and just wed on Saturday at their old high school

The ceremony was small with just family members, and it was officiated by Clifton Mayor James Anzaldi

Speaking about their relationship Lucy said: 'It was always the wrong place at the wrong time. Now it is the right place.'

They held the ceremony on the first floor of the North Wing of Clifton High School as their lockers were located across the hall from one another, Northjersey.com reported.

After dating briefly at school the duo went on to start their own families, which ultimately didn't work out.

It was only at the concert Beach Slang in Brooklyn in 2016 that the pair reunited.

Chris told Jenn that she was going to marry him and a year later they bought their wedding bands.

The couple say they dated briefly in high school, but went their separate ways before dating again in 2016

On Valentine's Day this year Jenn bought the silver fox brooch that Chris wore on his wedding suit. 'He's my silver fox,' Jenn explained.

'That's how she makes me feel better about getting grey hair,' Chris said.

'We planned for something small,' Jenn said, however word spread quickly.

Chris got a message from a high school friend 'Hippie' Mike Marette.

'He sent me a text "I don't ever hear from you. I have to read about (your wedding) in the paper?'" Chris said.

It was only at the concert Beach Slang in Brooklyn in 2016 that the pair reunitedA woman murdered by her ex-boyfriend who then killed himself had sought a restraining order against him but it was never served.

Bethany Noelle Schuch, 35, and David Cote, 34, were found dead outside a home in West Linn, Oregon on Wednesday.

Police believe Cote shot his ex-girlfriend Schuh dead before turning the gun on himself.

Now it's emerged that Schuch had taken out a restraining order against Cote just a few months before, because she feared he was violent and wanted to kill her.

David Cote, 34, (left) shot ex-girlfriend Bethany Noelle Schuch, 35, (right) and then turned the gun on himself outside a home in West Linn, Oregon on Wednesday, police believe

But Clackamas County Sheriff's Office said they never served the order against him, because they weren't able to find him after Cote moved to an unknown location, Oregon Live reports.

In the restraining order, Schuch described how she was terrified of her ex, who had access to a gun and 'fixated on my life, family (and) business.'

'He knows where I live and work', she said.

Schuch, who filed the petition in November, said that Cote claimed some of his friends 'had gotten out of control' and wanted to kill her, and he 'couldn't stop them' because he was angry with her.

She said Cote, who had previous convictions for stalking and menacing another woman, had tried to force her to leave the state because she was no longer safe.

Schuch had taken out a restraining order against Cote just a few months previously in fear he wanted to harm her.

In the restraining order, Schuch described how she was terrified of her ex, who had access to a gun and 'fixated on my life, family (and) business'

Schuch also wrote that Cote said people 'would come to my first date with a new guy (and) blow his head off'

'He stated I should move to California because Oregon was ruined for me now (and) I would not be safe living here,' she wrote.

Schuch also wrote that Cote said people 'would come to my first date with a new guy (and) blow his head of.'

It's not clear when the couple broke up although records state they were together for about a year, and lived together at one point.

Schuch's restraining order was granted by a judge in mid-November, but a document was filed late that month, stating Clackamas County Sheriff's Office wasn't able to find Cote despite 'due and diligent search and inquiry.'

Cote suffered from cystic fibrosis - a genetic disease that affects the lungs and limits their ability to breathe over time. Sufferers generally only live to about 40. Cote was 34 at the time of his death.

His family are now left to deal with both the loss of their son and coming to terms with his final actions.

His mother, Janet Cote, said more than anything she just wanted to share her sympathy with Schuch's family.

'We are so devastated for them,' she told The Oregonian/OregonLive.

'There are no words but we are so very sorry for their loss!

The only thing more devastating than losing a child, is knowing that your child took an innocent life.'

Friends and family of Schuch have since paid tribute to the victim who they say had a smile that would light up any room.

Friends and family of Schuch have paid tribute to the 35-year-old who was a huge animal lover and had four dogs, who she'd refer to as her 'fur babies'

'She was always smiling and full of life and generosity,' Rachel Steinman, a friend of Schuch's for 20 years, said Saturday.

'She gave everything she had, and more. The world is a darker place without her bright blue eyes and her smile.'

Crystal Anoushiravani, who had known Schuch since high school, said her friend had stayed with Cote longer than she should have, and then even let him stay at her house after the break up because she was worried about him.

Anoushiravani said that last year Cote threatened Schuch and her four beloved dogs, who she'd refer to as her 'fur babies', which prompted Schuch to seek the restraining order.

Anoushiravani said more should have been done to locate Cote and protect her friend after the threats were made.A group of tourists from Ireland are believed to have fled Australia after going on a crime rampage from Brisbane to the Gold Coast scamming small businesses and the elderly.

Queensland police released images of a number of people  all tourists from Ireland  as they investigated reports of scams and thefts.

Detectives said they are aware of 12 offences since January involving the group.

Their investigations indicate that a number of people connected to the group have left the country, but they are appealing for information to locate some of them.

Scroll down for video

A group of travellers from Ireland are believed to have fled Australia after going on a crime rampage from Brisbane to the Gold Coast

Police said they work in groups to target stores and steal goods and cash.

Some have been accused of stealing groceries from supermarkets and scamming restaurants for free meals by claiming they found glass or hair in their food.

One woman used her children to swipe designer shoes worth hundreds of dollars, allegedly distracting a shop worker while her toddler snuck a pair of Chanel shoes into a pram.

CCTV footage showed at least two women filling their bags at Chevron Island supermarket.

The clip shows them frantically unload goods from a handbag into a basket after being approached by a staff member.

One group of women, accompanied by numerous small children  including some in prams  use aggressive and disruptive behaviour to distract or intimidate staff

CCTV footage showed one of the women allegedly stealing from a supermarket

It also shows one of the women allegedly stealing a stack of meat trays from the shop floor.

One group of women, accompanied by numerous small children  including some in prams  use aggressive and disruptive behaviour to distract or intimidate staff, police said.

They then use large handbags to conceal stolen goods.

In another incident, four men claimed to have found hair in their food at a Brisbane restaurant and then left without paying.

Another group involves several men who solicit for work offering discounted repairs on bitumen driveways and roofing.

They then provided sub-standard services, failed to complete the work or to even turn up.

Police said the Irish travellers work in groups to target stores and steal goods and cash

Some have been accused of stealing groceries from supermarkets and scamming restaurants for free meals by claiming they found glass or hair in their food

Meanwhile, a number of small business owners have come forward to say they've been scammed.

A number of restaurant owners claimed the women had been planting shards of glass in their meals then refusing to pay.

Mido Nassif, who works at Wilson's seafood restaurant, asked the women for their contact details under the pretence of wanting to check on them later.

One woman then wrote a note with the name 'Jenny' above a UK address and phone number and said they were staying 'In Birisborin' (Brisbane) at a 'Hilton Hotel'.

The manager said the two women - who were dressed like they were 'going to a nightclub' - left without paying their $260 bill.

Marie Yokoyama, the owner of Bird's Nest restaurant, shared her experience of the glass scam on Facebook and warned other owners to be wary.

Queensland police released images of a number of people  all tourists from Ireland  as they investigated reports of scams and thefts

Property manager Clara Carmichael claims the group destroyed four brand new apartments in Brisbane and that one of the men left her an abusive message.

According to a travel agent who anonymously posted on Facebook, some of the group are on their way to Hawaii.

She told Brisbane's Hit radio station that a group of men came into her agency and booked tickets for seven adults and six children.

Detective Superintendent Tony Fleming described the group as 'incredibly brazen' and 'disrespectful.'

'They are good at creating diversions and distractions/disruptions to either steal goods or demand goods and services for free,' he said.

'They are aggressive and usually work in groups of two or more.'

Another group involves several men who solicit for work offering discounted repairs on bitumen driveways and roofing

They then provided sub-standard services, failed to complete the work or to even turn up

He added: 'I again urge homeowners to say no to anyone offering door to door home repairs until you are able to make an informed decision and know that this is a legitimate offer.'

At a press conference last week, he said: 'Based on the CCTV they don't seem to be concerned in any way shape or form about being seen or detected.'

He added: 'It's one thing to make a mistake but what we've got before us appears to be a group of people who are incredibly brazen, disrespectful and they're likely to continue to offend.'Education Secretary Betsy DeVos split with the president on Monday over his derogatory reference to NBC host Chuck Todd as a 'son of a b**ch.'

DeVos told Todd's colleague Savannah Guthrie during an appearance on 'Today' that everyone, including President Donald Trump, needs to be mindful that children are looking to them as role models.

'I would probably use different language myself, and I think we all have an opportunity and a responsibility to be examples to our kids,' she said, adding when asked if she meant Trump, too, 'That would include the president, as well.'

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Education Secretary Betsy DeVos split with the president on Monday over his derogatory reference to NBC host Chuck Todd as a 'son of a b**ch'

Todd, who hosts 'Meet the Press' on Sunday mornings, complained yesterday that 'vulgarities' in Trump's language are making it difficult for parents to raise their children.

The president had lashed out at Todd on Saturday night during a political rally near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, recalling a time in 1999 when he appeared on the NBC News program  which he called 'a show now headed by sleepy-eyes Chuck Todd.'

He's a 'sleeping son of a b**ch, I'll tell you,' Trump said

At the end of an interview Sunday with Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin, the journalist touched on the issue, asking the Cabinet secretary what people like him are supposed to tell their kids when the President of the United States 'uses vulgarity to talk about individuals?'

'Ill be with my kids this morning, and Ill be focused on them on what the president is doing to protect the United States, its citizens, and more importantly its economy,' Mnuchin replied.

Todd said that Mnuchin was basically saying 'dont worry about his values, dont worry about him as a role model.'

'I never said that whatsoever. So I dont know why youre putting these words in, in what Im trying to say. Okay. So again, I am very comfortable with what were doing. Ok. And again I think youre trying to take this out of perspective, and implying something Im not saying,' Mnuchin told him.

The 'Meet the Press' host said that's 'fair enough,' but the question of Trump's conduct and what parents should tell their children about it remains.

'Again, I think you should be focused on what the policies are. Hes using these vulgarities in the context of a campaign rally and obviously there were a lot of funny moments on, on, on that rally,' the Cabinet secretary said.

Todd, told him.'Yea, they were hilarious.'

Before anchoring his show on Sunday, Todd spoke with NBC4, his network's affiliate in Washington, DC, saying that no one in his family would ever use profanity when talking about Trump.

Trump took aim at NBC's Chuck Todd, calling him a 'sleepy-eyes son of a b**ch', as he stood before a teeming throng in Moon Township, Pennsylvania on Saturday night

The president was recalling a 'Meet the Press' interview in 1999 and complained that Todd was now the show's host  but the newsman pushed back as dad, not as a journalist

'I bring my kids up to respect the office of the presidency and the president,' Todd declared. 'I don't allow them to say anything negative, ever, about the president.'

'I sort of have the military rule in my house: You don't speak ill of a sitting president.'

He said Trump's use of colorful, child-inappropriate language on national television 'creates a challenge to all parents, when he uses vulgarities like that.'

But Todd acknowledged that the the president has remade the presidency in his own image, and he's not likely to change.

'I think yesterday's rally is a reminder, he's feeling great. This is the presidency he always wanted,' he said.

Todd recalled that Trump pledged 'to do things differently, disrupt Washington, make the establishment crazy, make the media angry'  which is 'why he went after his favorite targets in the media.'

But he invited the president to appear on his show  as unlikely as that may be  'any Sunday he wants.'

Former NBC anchor Tom Brokaw also complained about Trump's blue streak on Saturday night.

Todd said no one in his family would ever use profanity when talking about Trump  and his kids must respect both the office and the man

Todd had turned the moment into a promo for his show, encouraging viewers to set their DVRs 'before your eyes get too sleepy'

Todd recalled that Trump pledged 'to do things differently, disrupt Washington, make the establishment crazy, make the media angry'  which is 'why he went after his favorite targets in the media'

Former NBC anchor Tom Brokaw also complained about Trump's mini-blue streak

'Pres Trump at a Penn rally calls my colleague and friend Chuck Todd a "sleeping SON OF A B***H". Really classy,' Brokaw tweeted.

'Explain that to your children,' he added.

As the rally wore on, Todd turned Trump's rhetorical body slam into a tweeted promo for his show, combined with a reminder about Daylight Savings Time.

'Don't miss @MeetThePress tomorrow! I know folks may be tired in the morning due to springing forward, so set those clocks and DVRs now before your eyes get too sleepy,' he tweeted.

Trump, it appears, was already embroiled in a Twitter spat with Todd before he flew to Pennsylvania.

Earlier on Saturday Trump had claimed that the 'fake' news had changed their response to his newly announced meeting with North Korea

Todd, who responded four hours before the rally, said Trump's critique had 'no basis in fact'

'In the first hours after hearing that North Korea's leader wanted to meet with me to talk denuclearization and that missile launches will end, the press was startled and amazed,' the president had tweeted earlier in the day.

'They couldn't believe it. But by the following morning the news became FAKE. They said so what, who cares!'

Todd tweeted back at him that his criticism had 'no basis in fact.'

'Even using the loose set of parameters he sometimes uses to call something a "fact" or "fake" doesn't apply on this,' he wrote.

'Now if he replaced "press" with "some West Wing staff," there'd be some truth in this.'An elderly couple have become the latest alleged victims of Irish gypsy scammers after reportedly handing over nearly $30,000 for roofing work.

The group of tradesman have now reportedly gone to ground and may have fled the country, police in Queensland said.

The couple in their 80s from the Gold Coast, were approached by a group of three men knocking doors and looking for business, it is claimed.

Footage captured of some of the men who fled before a police operation could close in working at a house on the Gold Coast

Neighbour Bob Holmes (pictured) grew suspicious of the tradesman and tried to set up a police sting

But neighbours said they were suspicious of the work after fencing was not put up and the workers only used tape.

One also told A Current Affair he was concerned about the scaffolding structure but they were wearing PPE clothing.



Bob Holmes, one local who tried to set up a police sting after suspecting a scam, said: 'He said they were just breaking it up and throwing it off the roof into a skip. That started alarm bells ringing.'

But when the group grew suspicious themselves of what was going on, they left the house before police arrived.

Mr Holmes, 75, gave them a barrage as they left the site saying he would 'shoot your kneecaps out' if he had a gun.

Journalists for ACA received a phonecall where a man with an Irish accent refers to their ancestors as 'thieves, whores, prostitutes, murderers and robbers'.

Mr Holmes said he grew suspicious of the asbestos removal work when he said he saw them 'throwing bits into a skip'

Police released these images of the men they believe are linked to women thought to be running scams and thefts

Police say the men solicit for work offering discounted repairs on driveways and roofing whilst providing sub-standard services or failing to complete the work or to even turn up. Police released these images of the men they believe are linked

According to the Channel 9 program the number which called their office is linked to a Facebook profile belonging to a man named Jimmy Quinn.

Mr Quinn has recently shared links to media articles about a spate of scams and thefts across Brisbane and other videos of roofing and building work.

Daily Mail Australia is not suggesting Mr Quinn is responsible or involved with any alleged scams.

According to Channel 9 program the number which called their office is linked to a Facebook profile belonging to a man named Jimmy Quinn (pictured)

Daily Mail Australia is not suggesting Mr Quinn is responsible or involved with any alleged scams

Queensland Police have linked several alleged thefts and scams to a group of Irish travellers.

The force said 'a number of people' are understood to have left Australia 'in the last 18 hours'.

Detective Superintendent Tony Fleming said he believes there is enough proof 'beyond reasonable doubt' to bring a case before the courts for four people who remain.

'What's particularly concerning is that it's elderly people who are victims of this,' Detective Superintendent Fleming added.

He said news of their departure from Australia was 'very good for the future prevention of crime'.

Detectives are trying to assemble enough evidence to have them deported as soon as possible, Detective Superintendent Tony Fleming said in a press conference

A statement for the Australian Border Force said it would be working closely with domestic and international law enforcement to share information.

Police issued a warning to Queenslanders on Friday to be vigilant of a group of potential scammers warning them about offering roofing and bitumen driveway works.

Officers now believe the group of four people who have not left the country may have travelled interstate from Queensland.

A travel agent said on Monday that a group of Irish gypsies have left the country after she booked tickets for seven adults, six children and infants.

An anonymous Facebook message from the worker told Brisbane's Hit radio station a group of men came in booking tickets to fly out to Hawaii on Saturday evening.

The Irish travellers accused of stealing their way through Brisbane have left Australia, it has been claimed

The Irish travellers were accused of scamming and stealing their way around Brisbane allegedly used their children to steal designer shoes, police revealed

The men all said to the travel agent that it was a surprise for their wives.

The same agent also said another man came in later and asked to get on the same flight to Hawaii but couldn't be fit in to that evening flight.

He then went to another agency to and booked a flight with his family to the U.K and left the next morning.

The agent said the men intended to travel from Hawaii.

The travel agent said in the message the customers did look suspicious but they didn't intend to fraud her so she processed the tickets.

She later found out authorities had allegedly planned to deport them and not charge the group for any damages for the small businesses and properties.

The group of Irish 'gypsy' tourists (pictured) accused of scamming restaurants across Brisbane

The alleged crime is among 12 complaints Queensland Police reportedly have received about the same group of Irish tourists since January. Pictured: Images released by police

Another woman called Carrie phoned in to the radio show confirming the Irish Travellers had left the country on Saturday.

According to her friend 'that is in the authorities' there were no issues for the travellers when they were leaving and they weren't detained at the airport.

'They usually go in groups so i'm sure they all left today, ' the caller said.

Detective Fleming said he believes he knows who the alleged culprits are and that the Australian Border Force is trying to track down a group nine ' disrespectful' men and women. Pictured: Images released by police

The Irish travellers were accused of stealing their way through Brisbane after they left a vile message for a property manager they allegedly scammed.

The at least four women, accompanied by several men, are accused of stealing groceries from supermarkets and scamming restaurants for free meals by claiming they found glass or hair in their food.

Property manager Clara Carmichael spoke publicly about the group allegedly destroying four brand new apartments in Brisbane, one of the men left her a vile and abusive message.

The group allegedly left the apartments badly damaged, with dents in the walls (pictured)

'You won't be able to get any more payouts on your big plastic lips or your big plastic rubber face. You're a dirty, smelly Australian slapper. Bye now,' he said.

Ms Carmichael shared the message on Monday after the group trashed a number of rental apartments.

She claimed they left a trail of destruction when they fled the apartments in the middle of the night.

Photos show carpet badly stained with black marks, walls dented and sink basins smashed in.

Ms Carmichael claimed they also left a toilet clogged with potatoes.

'It was a little bit disturbing,' she told the Today show on Monday.

The rental apartment in Brisbane (pictured) was allegedly trashed by the travelling group, with dents in the walls and badly stained carpet

Ms Carmichael claimed the group was violent towards each other and neighbours.

'They terrorised the other tenants in the building. People were scared to come in and out,' she told Seven News.

Ms Carmichael said the group of travellers made a good first impression when they applied to rent the apartments.

'Our buildings are close to quite a big church and they said they wanted to live there because they liked to attend church regularly,' she said.

She said it wasn't long before their behaviour turned 'threatening' and they allegedly stopped paying rent.

Ms Carmichael said they were forced to remove some members from the building, while others fled in the middle of the night.

'Someone has to say something to stop the reign of terror they're unleashing on the community,' she said.

'People work hard in their businesses and to be scammed like this on such a big level, it's just not fair. It needs to be stopped.'

The property damage is just the most recent in a string of crimes the group of Irish travellers is allegedly behind.

Police said: 'Another incident involved four men claiming to have found hair in their food at a Brisbane restaurant and then leaving without paying'. Police released these images of the men they believe are linked to the women

Police said: 'With all the attention they've got ... I would suspect they would go mobile very quickly either elsewhere in Queensland or interstate.' Police released these images of the men they believe are linked to the women

Previously, the group has allegedly used their children to swipe designer shoes, police revealed today as they released new pictures of the suspects.

One mother distracted a shop worker while her toddler allegedly pilfered a pair of Chanel shoes, worth hundreds of dollars, and placed them in a pram.

The alleged crime is among 12 complaints Queensland Police have received about the same group of Irish tourists since January.

The owner of a Gold Coast grocery store claims the Irish mothers accused of scamming businesses across Queensland had wads of $50 stuffed in their bras

The women are believed to be accompanied in the country by several men.

Police say the men solicit for work offering discounted repairs on driveways and roofing before doing a botched job or failing to even turn up.

'There's a bit of an art and craft to this, they generally remain highly mobile and they don't stay in one place too long and my experience tells me they are generally alert to the practices of police,' Fleming said.

The supermarket owner alleges the 'attractive' women stole $100 worth of groceries, the man identified as 'Nash' told Hit 105

The three mothers and their children (pictured) have been accused by dozens of businesses in Queensland of planting glass shards in their meals to get a free feed

'Based on the CCTV they don't seem to be concerned in any way shape or form about being seen or detected, that either means they've done nothing wrong or they're incredibly brazen and they have no respect for the law and more importantly have no respect for the people in our community.

The group of Irish mothers (pictured) are accused of demanding a lunch worth $20 for free

CCTV footage appeared to show at least two women filling their bags at Brisbane's Chevron Island supermarket before allegedly making off with stolen shopping.

The CCTV footage show how a staff member approaches the group before the blonde woman appears to frantically unload the goods from her handbag into her basket, revealing the items she allegedly planned to steal.

Shocking footage also shows one of the women allegedly swiping a stack of meat trays from the shop floor.

Police said: 'Some of these people have been working in groups targeting retail stores stealing goods and money, and obtaining free food and beverages from restaurants claiming foreign objects, such as glass, are in their food.' Police released these images of the men they believe are linked to the women

Queensland police told Daily Mail Australia: 'Police are aware of the incident and are making follow up inquiries.'

Police are now investigating if the mothers are linked to an Irish fraudster who was recently arrested in Broadbeach but failed to show up at court, reported Seven News.

Several small business owners across Brisbane claim they have been scammed by the same women, who have been spotted around the city with two prams and at least four children.

Managers of several restaurants claim the women have been planting shards of glass in their meals before refusing to pay.

In another recent scam, the Irish travellers allegedly ordered sandwiches at a coffee shop but when the manager asked for payment, the women claimed they had been given the wrong food the day before and wanted their meals - worth $20 - for free.

The manager said he had worked the previous day and hadn't seen the women at all.

Pictured is a shard of glass an Irish mother claimed to have found in her meal at Bird's Nest Restaurant

'They started getting aggressive and so then I eventually just gave them three of the sandwiches that they said they ordered and then they asked for another one,' he told the Brisbane Times.

Staff at the International Hotel also claimed the same women came into their venue, asking for free drinks and cigarettes because the cigarette machine wasn't working.

'At the end they complained the steak wasn't cooked properly so obviously we gave them a free meal,' Nikki Watts of the International Hotel told Seven News.

Photos show carpet badly stained with black marks, walls dented and sink basins smashed in

One canny restaurant manager convinced the women to leave their details with him after sensing he was being scammed by the infamous glass trick.

Mido Nassif, who works at Wilson's seafood restaurant, asked the women for their contact details on the pretense of wanting to later check if they were OK.

One woman then wrote a note with the name 'Jenny' above a UK address and phone number.

The note said they were staying 'In Birisborin' (Brisbane) at a 'Hilton Hotel'.

The manager said the two women - who were dressed like they were 'going to a nightclub' - left without paying their $260 bill.

The Irish travellers first came to public attention when the owner of Bird's Nest restaurant Marie Yokoyama shared her experience of the glass scam on Facebook and warned other owners to watch out.Donald Trump said Monday that Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross will soon talk to the European Union about import tariffs that the president argues have been unfair to the United States.

Ross 'will be speaking with representatives of the European Union about eliminating the large Tariffs and Barriers they use against the U.S.A.,' Trump tweeted.

'Not fair to our farmers and manufacturers.'

The president announced last week that the United States would impose heavy tariffs on imported steel and aluminum, with Canada, Mexico and potentially other countries exempted.

President Donald Trump tweeted on Monday that the commerce secretary, Wilbur Ross, will soon speak to the European Union about trade imbalances and tariffs on steel

Trump said non-reciprocal import tariffs on American goods going into Europe are 'not fair to our farmers and manufacturers'

Ross (right) doesn't have any set meetings scheduled yet, according to the European Commission

Amid fears of a global trade war, the European Union is among those seeking loopholes.

Over the weekend, Trump argued that the U.S. has been abused economically by the EU, saying they were 'wonderful countries who treat the U.S. very badly on trade.'

'If they drop their horrific barriers & tariffs on U.S. products going in, we will likewise drop ours,' he pledged in a tweet.

Ross's meeting with the EU notwithstanding, the European Commission said no formal talks were scheduled with the U.S. to address the steel and aluminum tariffs that go into effect on March 23.

EUROPE'S TARIFFS ON IMPORTS The European Union has its own system of tariffs on imported goods, including those from the U.S. The Department of Commerce's International Trade Administration reports that 'U.S. exports to the European Union enjoy an average tariff of just three percent.' Here's a sample of the 2017 rates on individual market sectors, according to the World Trade Organization. Animal products: 16.2%

Dairy products: 37.4%

Fruit, vegetables, plants: 11.3%

Coffee, tea: 6.1%

Cereals & preparations: 15.9%

Oilseeds, fats & oils: 5.8%

Sugars & confectionary: 24.6%

Beverages & tobacco: 19.0%

Cotton: 0.0%

Other agricultural products: 4.8%

Fish % fish products: 11.4%

Minerals & metals: 1.9%

Petroleum: 3.1%

Chemicals: 4.5%

Wood, paper, etc.: 0.9%

Textiles: 6.6%

Clothing: 11.5%

Leather, footwear, etc. 4.2%

Non-electrical machinery: 1.7%

Electrical machinery: 2.4%

Transport equipment: 4.1%

Manufacturers, not elsewhere specified: 2.4% Advertisement

'No meetings as such are planned at the moment between U.S. and EU authorities,' an EC spokesman told reporters during a regularly scheduled news conference.

'But we expect contacts to take place at several levels during the week.'

The EU and Japan urged the United States on Saturday to grant them exemptions from metal import tariffs, with Tokyo calling for 'calm-headed behavior.'

Trump signed tariffs of 25 percent on steel and 10 percent on aluminum imports on Thursday.

Germany is the only EU nation that ranks in the top 10 sources of U.S. steel imports, coming in in ninth place, according to IHS Global Trade Atlas data cited by CNBC for the first nine months of 2017. Canada ranks first and Mexico fourth, the data showed.

But taken as a trading bloc, Europe is the biggest exporter of steel to the United States, accounting for nearly 5 million tons out of 35 million.

European Commissioner for Trade Cecilia Malmstroem, right, speaks with U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer on Saturday in Brussels, where the EU is seeking clarity about whether the 28-nation bloc will be exempt from the new steel and aluminum tariffs

Brussels has warned Trump that it will impose countermeasures if he forces them to pay his new tariffs.

European Competition Commissioner Margrethe Vestager told the German newspaper Bild am Sonntag that EC nations 'have been building a global trading system for decades.'

'European prosperity and millions of jobs depend on it  and Europe will not stand idly by if someone puts the order of free world trade at risk.'Stormy Daniels searches on Pornhub hit new heights in March 2018, according to the pornographic website's insights section.

Recently the porn star revealed she is suing President Donald Trump to allow her discuss their alleged sexual encounter.

However, people may be more interested in where the spikes happened, with Pornhub Insights revealing that in the US, Red states are 12 percent more likely to search for Stormy Daniels videos compared to Blue states.

This is the second major political Pornhub story in as many weeks, after the porn site first published, and ultimately pulled, cannabis candidate Benjamin Thomas Wolfs congress campaign ads over abuse claims.

Stormy Daniels first alleged that she had a sexual encounter with Donald Trump back in 2011

Trump and Stormy Danielss Pornhub history

Searches for Stormy Daniels, real name Stephanie Clifford, initially spiked after allegations of the sexual encounter were reported by the Wall Street Journal in January 2018.

The report claimed that Trump paid $130,000 to Stormy to not discuss their alleged romance. Subsequently, global searches for Stormy on Pornhub soared by 375 percent in the time since January 2014.

The data revealed how searches for Stormy Daniels averaged around 2,500 a week before the scandal. Five days after the WJS article, that number shot to two million.

Pornhub Insights revealed that searches for Stormy Daniels hit a record high in March 2018

The second spike happened on January 30, 2018, when Stormy Daniels appeared on Jimmy Kimmel Live! and confirmed that she did sign a non-disclosure agreement.

After Trumps lawyer, Michael Cohen, admitted on February 13, that it was he who paid the hush money, Pornhub searches for Stormy saw a 250 percent spike over Valentines Day.

In March 2018, Pornhub revealed that Stormy Daniels searches soared to a new high, both globally and in the US, after the pornstar said she is suing Trump to get the gagging agreement she signed invalidated. In the US, searches were up by 536 percent and 489 percent globally.

And it looks like the search may spike again when Stormy Danielss 60 Minutes interview with Anderson Cooper is broadcast.

On March 9, Stormys lawyer Michael Avenatti tweeted an image of him, Stormy and Cooper and tagged the 60 Minutes Twitter page.

Who is Stormy Daniels?

Stormy Daniels, real name Stephanie Gregory Clifford, is an American porn actress who has featured in numerous adult films including Good Will Humping and Heat.

In 2010, Stormy formed an exploratory committee to run for Senate in the state of Louisiana. She declared herself as a Republican.

Allegations of an affair with the now President of the United States first surfaced in 2011, after the porn star did an interview with In Touch magazine in 2011 and said she had sex with Trump and was in a year-long affair with him.

Red states are red hot for Stormy Daniels

According to Pornhubs research, its the Red states that are more interested in Stormy Daniels; 12 percent more likely to search than Blue states.

According to Pornhubs research, its the Red states that are more interested in Stormy Daniels

Pornhub says that, on average in 2018, Vermont, Connecticut, New Hampshire, Virginia, Massachusetts and Washington DC are the states most interested in Stormy searches, while the likes of Hawaii, Nevada and Arkansas represent a smaller proportion.

Our statisticians found that Red states were more likely to have increased searches for Stormy Daniels compared to their left-leaning counterparts.

Pornhub research found that states like Vermont and Virginia were most interested in Stormy

Stormys a big hit with older men

Pornhub says, perhaps unsurprisingly, that men are 132 percent more likely to search for Stormy Daniels.

However, what is surprising is the fact that millennials, people aged 18-35 are far less likely to search for the actress than visitors over 35.

Proportionately, the demographic most likely to search for Stormy Daniels is men over the age of 65.She is using her platform to raise awareness for the hospital where she received treatment

When Georgia McLennan was in such severe pain she found herself at the doctor several times a week, she knew something was seriously wrong.

But nothing could prepare the 24-year-old, from Queensland's Gold Coast, for the harrowing diagnosis she was about to receive.

And when Georgia was told she had cancer, the worst news was still to come.

Georgia McLennan was diagnosed with Burkitt's lymphoma after months of debilitating pain

The 24-year-old Gold Coast local said doctors were shocked at her diagnosis saying: 'they couldn't believe how healthy I looked given what they found inside me'

'I had the best day even though it was a little bit scary. I'm so grateful to have such amazing friends and family and feel so lucky to receive my treatment,' Georgia has maintained a positive attitude throughout her diagnosis

'I found out later they thought I was going to die that weekend', the young woman told the Gold Coast Bulletin.

Georgia, 24, was diagnosed with Burkitt's lymphoma, and it came after three months of pain, doubt, and one doctor's suggestion 'it was all in her head'.

Georgia's PET scan revealed her diagnosis was much worse than originally thought

'When I saw the scan I realised this is very bad,' Georgia said.

Her body was riddled with cancer from her lungs, to tumours on her liver.

At the time her stomach had become so swollen she said she looked six months pregnant and finally a PET scan revealed just how much the cancer had spread.

'They couldn't believe how healthy I looked given what they found inside me.'

An aggressive course of chemotherapy followed along with spinal injections every week. So far the treatments have been successful with Georgia's cancer currently in remission.

On the Instagram account where she documents much of her life and journey, Georgia continually showcases how her positive attitude has helped her throughout the diagnosis.

'I had the best day even though it was a little bit scary. I'm so grateful to have such amazing friends and family and feel so lucky to receive my treatment,' she said in one post in response to starting a new treatment.

Georgia's Instagram showcases her positive attitude towards her treatment and life afterward

After aggressive rounds of chemotherapy and spinal injections, Georgia is currently in remission

In light of the huge odds she has overcome, Georgia is using her journey as a platform for the Gold Coast Hospital Foundation Care for Cancer lunch so other patients can have a similar experience with their treatment as she did

Another reads: 'Feeling so so good after 5 blood transfusions, grateful for people who donate blood.'

In light of the huge odds she has overcome, Georgia is using her journey as a platform for the Gold Coast Hospital Foundation Care for Cancer lunch.

The lunch raises money for the patient transport service and chemotherapy chairs at the hospital where she received treatment and Georgia knows first hand the impact the little things can have on patients, saying:

'You don't realise how much you appreciate a comfortable chair until you are forced to spend some of your most difficult hours in them.'Scott Peschmann, 41 (pictured), of Merton, Wisconsin, was forced to call police when sex workers he had hired on March 4 allegedly stole his cell phone.

A Wisconsin man was charged after he called police when sex workers he had hired allegedly stole his phone.

The man, 41-year-old Scott Peschmann, and the two workers - Victoria Pena, 24, and Maria Lebron, 27 - were charged with prostitution after meeting at Peschmann's home for sex. Lebron is also facing one count of misdemeanor theft.

According to the criminal complaint, Peschmann called officers after three women stole his cell phone and $400 in cash.

Peschmann had met Pena on the website backpage.com and the three women arrived at Peschmann's home in Merton on March 4.

He told police the group agreed on the $400 fee then Lebron and Pena, both Milwaukee residents, engaged in oral sex with him. The third woman did not participate, the complaint said.

Lebron reportedly left to get a condom for her car. But she and the other two women never returned, which led to Peschmann realizing his work cell phone was missing.

The women were later stopped after officers spotted their vehicle and Peschman's phone was found in Lebron's purse.

According to court records obtained by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Peschmann pleaded guilty in 1999 to second-degree sexual assault of child. He was ordered to register as a lifetime sex offender as part of his sentence.

As part of his sentence, a Waukesha County judge ordered him to become a lifetime sex offender registrant.

Victoria Pena, 24 (left), and Maria Lebron, 27 (right), were charged with prostitution after meeting at Peschmann's home for sex. Lebron is also facing one count of misdemeanor theft after Peschmann's work cell phone was found in her purse

The three women met at Peschmann's home (pictured) and they agreed on $400. Pena and Lebron engaged in oral sex with him but the third did not participate. Lebron reportedly left to get a condom for her car but she and the other two women never returned

If convicted of prostitution, Peschmann could face up to nine months in prison and $10,000 in fines.

The penalties would be the same for Pena and Lebron, but Lebron could face additional punishment on the theft charge.

The Sentinel reported that Peschmann is free on a $2,500 signature bond and is due in court for a hearing on April 9. No information about future court activity for Lebron and Pena was immediately available.Michael Bielinski, 28, has been charged with making a false bomb threat after he began acting erratically on a flight at O'Hare Airport

A Chicago truck driver has been arrested on board an aircraft after allegedly telling passengers 'we're all going to die' and 'the plane is going to explode'.

Michael Bielinski, 28, was sitting on an American Airlines flight at O'Hare Airport on Friday when he made the remarks to a woman sitting near him around 5.20pm.

Bielinski is also said to have held the woman's carry-on bag in the air before saying: 'I should give this to them in case its a bomb.'

He then added 'maybe its a good time to cut out the bomb material', according to the Chicago Sun-Times.

The woman also saw Bielinski take a pipe filled with liquid from his pocket and put a battery inside it.

She alerted flight attendants, saying that Bielinski had a strong smell of gasoline.

The flight, which was due to depart for Sacramento, was ordered to head back to the gate where officers boarded and arrested Bielinski.

Bielinski allegedly tapped a woman on the shoulder and told her 'we're all going to die' and 'the plane is going to explode' while smelling strongly of gasoline

The arrest report says police found Bielinski was carrying a battery-powered vape, four batteries and a charger for the device.

Officers also noted he had a 'strong smell of kerosene' and was in possession of 10mg of THC - the active ingredient in marijuana.

He was charged with making a false bomb threat, which is a felony offense.

Bielinski appeared in bond court on Sunday and is next due to appear on Friday.Education Secretary Betsy DeVos struggled her way through an interview with '60 Minutes' as she tried to pitch her school choice positions and admitted she hadn't deliberately visited underperforming schools.

Her halting answers prompted questions about the interview at Monday's White House press briefing.

'I'm not sure if he saw the whole thing or not,' said White House press secretary Sarah Sanders, when asked if Trump had seen it.

Asked if he had seen it, Sanders focused on DeVos' answers about gun policy, then said: 'That's the focus of the president, not one or two interviews but on actual policy.'

The controversial cabinet member from Michigan had trouble explaining poor school performance in her home state despite her own multi-million contributions to programs that support vouchers for public as well as private and religious schools.

SCHOOLED: Education Secretary Betsy DeVos struggled on '60 Minutes' to answer questions about low-performing schools in her home state of Michigan

At one point she even admitted to correspondent Leslie Stahl that ''I have not intentionally visited schools that are underperforming.'

'Have the public schools in Michigan gotten better?' Stahl asked her during one exchange.

'I dont know. Overall, I, I cant say overall that they have all gotten better,' DeVos responded.

'The whole state is not doing well,' said Stahl, speaking to DeVos in her home state.

'Well, there are certainly lots of pockets where this, the students are doing well,' she responded.

'I hesitate to talk about all schools in general because schools are made up of individual students attending them,' Stahl said at one point, notwithstanding her agency's mission of improving education nationally.

STAHL TACTICS: Host Leslie Stahl repeatedly pressed DeVos about what happens to students left in low-performing public schools

'Michigan schools need to do better. There is no doubt about it,' she said.

'Have you seen the really bad schools? Maybe try to figure out what theyre doing?' Stahl asked, continuing to press her.

'I have not, I have not, I have not intentionally visited schools that are underperforming,' she said.

Scroll down for video

'I have not intentionally visited schools that are underperforming," DeVos told CBS's Leslie Stahl,' in her most damaging answer

'Maybe you should,' volunteered Stahl.

'Maybe I should. Yes,' DeVos responded.

Her performance got panned in multiple media outlets.

Stahl also got asked about administration changes to Title IX rules that make it harder for accusers to prove accusations charging sexual assault, the Washington Post noted.

'I'm not sure if he saw the whole thing or not,' said White House press secretary Sarah Sanders, when asked if Trump had seen the interview

Betsy DeVos sat down with 60 minutes for the March 11, 2018 program

'Are you in any way, do you think, suggesting that the number of false accusations are as high as the number of actual rapes or assaults?' Stahl asked.

'Well, one sexual assault is one too many, and one falsely accused individual is one too many,' DeVos responded.

'Yeah, but are they the same?' the interviewer pressed.

'I dont know. I dont know. But Im committed to a process thats fair for everyone involved,' said DeVos.

Asked about the Trump administration's proposal to let teachers carry concealed weapons, she responded:

'That should be an option for states and communities to consider. And I hesitate to think of, like, my first-grade teacher, Mrs. Zorhoff, I couldn't ever imagine her having a gun and being trained in that way,' DeVos said.

'But for those who are-- who are capable, this is one solution that can and should be considered. But no one size fits all. Every state and every community is going to address this issue in a different way,' she added.

in another appearance on NBC's 'Today' show, DeVos got asked about school safety.

Although the new White House proposal that came out today pointedly does not include an idea pitched by President Trump to raise the minimum age to buy certain guns, DeVos said 'everything is on the table.'

'The plan is a first step in a more lengthy process,' she said.

'I don't think assault weapons carried in schools carried by any school personnel is the appropriate thing,' she said, asked whether teachers should be allowed to carry assault weapons.

'But again, I think this is an issue that is best decided at the local level by communities and by states,' said DeVos, who is chairing a school safety commission.

The president has called for giving teachers concealed carry permits, but not necessarily assault weapons.A driver from Georgia was shot dead in front of his family on Saturday in a road rage incident after exchanging gunfire with another motorist, who police say will not be facing charges.

The armed confrontation took place at around 2pm at the intersection of Highway 42 and Lake Harbin Road in Clayton County, Georgia.

According to police and witnesses, 34-year-old Everett Zachery, from Rex, and another driver stopped at a red light and became engaged in a heated verbal dispute.

Senseless death: Everett Zachery, 34 (left and right) was shot and killed in Georgia on Saturday during a road rage confrontation with another driver

Zachery got out of his car and he and the motorist continued arguing. At one point, the 34-year-old man pulled out a gun and opened fire on the other driver, who was also armed and returned fire, police said.

Zachery sustained at least one gunshot wound before he made it back to his car.

Paramedics and police who were summoned to the scene by the shooter found Zachery sitting unresponsive in his vehicle.

Zachery was taken to Southern Regional Medical Center, where he died from his injuries, reported WBRC.

A spokesperson for the Clayton Police Department stated that the gunman, who has not been named, will not face criminal charges in Zachery's killing because it was determined the person was acting in self-defense.

Police say Zachery pulled a gun on the other driver and opened fire, prompting that person to answer in kind, shooting the father-of-two to death

Happier times: Zachery was killed just one day after he and his wife celebrated their fifth wedding anniversary (pictured on their wedding day in March 2015)

A witness told Fox 5 Atlanta Zachery's father was in a car directly behind his son's and saw the shooting.

According to social media posts, Zachery was a married father of two young children, a boy and a girl.

The deadly road rage incident took place a day after Zachery and his wife celebrated their fifth wedding anniversary.Coward.

That was the word President Trump chose to describe a security guard who failed to stop Americas most recent school shooting atrocity.

He said the inaction by the guard, Scot Peterson, was frankly disgusting and he either didnt react properly under pressure or he didnt have the courage.

Trump concluded: He certainly did a poor job.

I thought of this devastating critique when I heard today that Trump had abandoned all his headline-grabbing gun control plans in the wake of last months massacre at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida.

Scot Peterson (above left) did not go into the school by saying that he thought the shots were coming from outside. Trump labelled him a coward who 'did a poor job'. I thought of that when I heard the news Trump has abandoned his gun control plans

The White House has announced there will be NO increase in the minimum age to purchase guns, from 18-21 - as Trump had said he wanted.

So unhinged kids like the Florida school shooter will still be prohibited from buying a beer until they are 21 but are free to carry on arming themselves like Rambo from the age of 18.

There will also be NO ban on bump stocks, which convert semi-automatic rifles to automatic rifles - as Trump had also said he wanted.

So unhinged men like the Las Vegas mass shooter can continue to easily and legally convert their weapons from legal guns to illegal guns.

Trump has followed through on one gun measure, though: his insane plan to arm teachers.

So thousands of people whose job it is to educate children will now be trained to fire guns in schools, and be equipped with guns to fire.

Of course, this means thousands of new gun sales, which means thousands of new dollars to Americas gun manufacturers, who will then use a chunk of that money to donate to the lobby group that fights for its rights.

So the real, in fact ONLY winner from the Florida school shooting is. the NRA!

It would be comical if it wasnt so deadly serious, wouldnt it?

Im not in the mood for laughter, though.

No, all Im feeling is that cold, shuddering feeling of sickening betrayal.

After three of Americas worst ever mass shootings happened on his watch, President Trump promised to take on the NRA.

Remember all the tough talk?

Dont worry about the NRA, Trump said at a meeting of Americas governors after the Florida massacre.

You guys, half of you are so afraid of the NRA, he scoffed. Theres nothing to be afraid of we have to fight them every once in a while.

I was stunned to hear this from a man who had sucked up to the NRA with such embarrassing enthusiasm during his election campaign in return for their noisy support.

But then Donald Trump is a man of many surprises.

Perhaps, I hoped, he really had been so moved by the senseless decimation of so many young schoolchildren that he was ready to put kids lives before NRA support?

My hopes were increased when he met with those powerfully motivated and eloquent students from Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, listened to their stories of heartbreak and courage, and vowed to take firm action to prevent this happening again.

And my hopes soared even higher when Trump told a bi-partisan meeting at the White House: Take the guns first, go through due process second.

It really did seem like the President had finally seen the light on guns and realised something big had to be done.

How stupid of me.

In fact, Trumps just rolled over like the worst kind of weak, spineless stooge and caved to pressure from NRA President Wayne LaPierre and his vile leadership cohorts.

Despite weeks of strong words about standing up to the NRA, Trump has rolled over like a weak, spineless stooge and caved to pressure from NRA President Wayne LaPierre

Why has he surrendered in such a pitiful way?

Simple.

President Trumps got his first, notoriously tricky mid-term elections coming up in few months and the NRA has a long ignominious track record of massively influencing conservative votes, especially against any candidates who support gun control measures.

In their meeting, LaPierre will have threatened Trump that if he proceeded with any proposals that restrict the sale of firearms, then the NRA would go to electoral war.

A president as strong as Trump claims to be would have told the NRA to go **** itself at being bullied in this manner.

But instead, for all his bullish rhetoric, he promptly threw in the towel.

As a result, the only consequence of the Florida school massacre will be teachers getting armed and gun manufacturer sales rising.

This will give the gun trade a very helpful boost after a recent decline in sales, due, with heavy irony, to Trumps presidency; people no longer fear he will ban guns as Obama tried to do, so theyre not rushing out to panic buy them.

There are 3.2 million teachers in America. Arming even a tiny fraction of them will see the gun business roar again.

See how this vicious NRA circle of hell works?

Repulsive, right?

It gets worse.

Trump announced he has set up a Federal Commission on School Safety to organise all this.

And whom has he put in charge?

Why, his Education Secretary Betsy DeVos, a woman widely regarded as the dumbest person ever to occupy a US government cabinet post.

Her first public comments on this issue were almost beyond parody for their lack of intelligence or comprehension of the issues.

Personally, I wouldnt trust Ms DeVos to run a hotdog cart, let alone safeguard millions of schoolchildren.

Trump announced he has set up a Federal Commission on School Safety and put Education Secretary Betsy DeVos in charge. She is widely regarded as the dumbest person ever to occupy a US government cabinet post and I wouldnt trust Ms DeVos to run a hotdog cart

By absurd irony, at the precise moment he was signing off on this announcement, Trump was mocking this very kind of commission as a way of solving Americas opioid drug epidemic.

Do you think the drug dealers who kill thousands of people during their lifetime care whos on a blue-ribbon committee? he yelled at a political rally in Pennsylvania on Saturday night. The only way to solve the drug problem is through toughness.

This toughness included Trump suggesting the death penalty for drug dealers.

What he didnt suggest was arming everyone else with drugs to combat drug dealers  because that would obviously be ridiculous.

No, President Trump believes the way to tackle drug abuse is to execute dealers and do everything possible to stop drugs getting into the hands of civilians.

But the same President Trump believes the way to tackle gun violence is to arm many more people and do absolutely nothing to stop assault weapons getting into the hands of civilians.

Confused? To quote the buzz phrase of the moment: Me too.

Today, we discovered just how fearless Trump is prepared to be when it comes to the NRA.

And the answer is about as fearless as that security guard he branded a disgusting coward.The Culture Secretary today said he 'trembles at the thought' of the media being regulated by Government.

Matt Hancock said a free press was vital at a time of 'malevolent forces in politics' and 'critical to a healthy democracy'.

In a speech today, Mr Hancock also confirmed details of a Government review into the sustainability of the press business.

The Cabinet minister has been under fire from critics since announcing earlier this month he was cancelling the second part of the Leveson Inquiry into phone hacking.

Mr Hancock insisted the state of journalism had changed since the scandal first broke and the probe was no longer necessary.

Culture Secretary Matt Hancock (pictured today at the Oxford Media Convention) said he 'trembles at the thought' of the media being regulated by Government

Speaking at the Oxford Media Convention today, Mr Hancock said: 'Sustaining high quality journalism is a vital public policy goal. The scrutiny, the accountability, the uncovering of wrongs and the fuelling of debate is mission critical to a healthy democracy.

'After all, journalists helped bring Stephen Lawrences killers to justice and have given their lives reporting from places where many of us would fear to go.

'And while Ive not always enjoyed every article written about me, thats not what its there for.

'I tremble at the thought of a media regulated by the state in a time of malevolent forces in politics. Get this wrong and I fear for the future of our liberal democracy. We must get this right.'

Mr Hancock said the Government's job was to provide a 'framework' for a working media market without imposing state regulation.

He announced today Dame Frances Cairncross would lead a review into the 'sustainability' of journalism and new business models.

Matt Hancock announced today Dame Frances Cairncross would lead a review into the 'sustainability' of journalism and new business models

Mr Hancock said: 'Frances will bring her experience as a journalist, in business and in academia to bear on the thorny and complex questions at the heart of press sustainability.

'This is not about Government regulating the media, and nor is it about propping up old business models that have stopped being viable.

'Rather, it is about making sure that we dont wake up in five years time to find that high quality journalism has been decimated and our democracy damaged as a result.

'It may be that the market will create new, viable business models for high quality journalism, and indeed some of those new models have already started to appear.'Two far-right figures say they have been deported from Britain after being detained when trying to enter the country.

Austrian Martin Sellner of the Generation Identity group and American commentator Brittany Pettibone tweeted Monday that they were denied entry into Britain.

Sellner said in a video posted on Twitter they were detained for three days and then deported.

Martin Sellner of the Generation Identity group and American commentator Brittany Pettibone say they were denied entry to Britain

Sellner said on the video that both of them were handcuffed. He said he planned to give a speech at Speakers' Corner in London's Hyde Park - 'that was my crime.'

Sellner said on the video that both of them were handcuffed. He said he planned to give a speech at Speakers' Corner in London's Hyde Park - 'that was my crime.'

Pettibone said that she was denied entry because she planned to interview far-right leader Tommy Robinson.

She said from Austria: 'It felt like they were saying,"you're right-wing, that's not allowed".'

Their entry was supposedly denied a day after his group claimed he and Pettibone were detained at the border and then turned away.

Sellner said in a video posted on Twitter they were detained for three days and then deported

A supporter of Martin Sellner is pictured with a lighted flare that was thrown at the group at Speakers' Corner as the Austrian far-right activist said he would address a crowd, but now won't be able to

Demonstrators have taken to London's Hyde Park after far-right Austrian activist Martin Sellner said he was planning to speak there on Sunday

The Home Office said the department would not comment on whether Mr Sellner or his girlfriend had been detained, the Evening Standard reported on Sunday.

British officials didn't immediately confirm the deportations on Monday either.

demonstrators took to Hyde Park after Sellner said he was planning to speak there on Sunday.

Mr Sellner said that 'security risks' and 'left wing threats' forced him to cancel an earlier planned event with UKIP's youth wing Young Independence.

Pictures on Sunday showed demonstrators turning out on both sides as supporters of Mr Sellner clashed with anti-fascist protesters.

Pictures today showed demonstrators turning out on both sides as supporters of Mr Sellner clashed with anti-fascist protesters

A supporter of Martin Sellner holds a lighted flare that was thrown at protesters

Supporters of Martin Sellner and Brittany Pettibone at Speakers Corner were confronted by members of London Anifacists

'This massive immigration is changing the face of our streets, of our cities, and soon the people who have been living here for thousands of years will be an endangered minority,' Sellner said last year.

He tweeted last Tuesday: 'My speech for the Young Independence conference was cancelled for the 2nd time, due to security risks caused by left wing threats.

'But we won't be silenced. On Sunday the 11th I will give my speech on Speakers' Corner and I invite everybody who had a ticket for the conference to come!'

Hope Not Hate said Generation Identity had been handing out leaflets near Hyde Park before the planned speech.

Supporters of the Austrian activist held up placards saying 'Free Sellner' amid claims he and his girlfriend had been refused entry at the UK border

The demonstration broke out at Hyde Park after Mr Sellner said he would speak there following the cancellation of an event with UKIP's youth wing

A police officer stands next to signs supporting right-wing Austrian activist Martin SellnerActivists threw bottles of pills, chanted and staged a die-in at New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art to protest against donations from the Sackler family.

The protest began in the Sackler Wing of the gallery just after 4pm on Saturday.

It is named after brothers Arthur, Mortimer and Raymond Sackler, who donated $3.5 million for the wing in the 1970s.

Mortimer and Raymond Sackler also owned Purdue Pharma, the company that developed OxyContin, a widely prescribed and widely abused painkiller.

The protest - which included a die-in (left) and the scattering of pill bottles in the water (right) began in the Sackler Wing of the gallery just after 4pm on Saturday

The protest was led by photographer Nan Goldin (pictured), whose work has been exhibited at many museums - including the Met

Purdue Pharma pleaded guilty in 2007 to misleading the public about OxyContin's risk of addiction and agreed to pay $600 million in fines and other payments.

The protest was led by photographer Nan Goldin, whose work has been exhibited at many museums - including the Met.

Goldin started an anti-opioid group called Prescription Addiction Intervention Now, or PAIN, after being addicted to OxyContin from 2014 to 2017.

She shouted: 'We are artists, activists, addicts. We are fed up.'

She also chanted: 'Sacklers lie, people die'.

The protesters threw pill bottles with labels that read 'OxyContin' and 'prescribed to you by the Sacklers' into the wing's reflecting pool.

A spokesman for the museum declined to comment, and a spokeswoman for the Sackler family and a Purdue spokesman did not respond immediately to requests for comment.

The protesters threw pill bottles with labels that read 'OxyContin' and 'prescribed to you by the Sacklers' into the wing's reflecting pool

Goldin started an anti-opioid group called Prescription Addiction Intervention Now, or PAIN, after being addicted to OxyContin from 2014 to 2017

Officials at Purdue have previously said they would welcome a discussion with Goldin. The company has also said it has taken steps to limit the abuse of opioids, such as paying for prescription-drug monitoring programs.

Mortimer and Raymond Sackler have all died, but their descendants are principle owners of Purdue Pharma, which continues to sell opioids.

Foundations run by Mortimer and Raymond Sackler have given tens of millions of dollars to museums including the Guggenheim in New York and the Victoria and Albert Museum in London.

The protesters called for cultural institutions to reject money from the family.Lovequawn Matthew Shaire Scott, 22, was arrested and charged with four counts of murder after allegedly fatally beating four of his relatives, including his parents

A South Carolina man is accused of beating his grandparents, an aunt and a cousin to death and was arrested by officers who found blood on his clothes and shoes when they arrived.

Lovequawn Matthew Shaire Scott, 22, of Mount Pleasant, South Carolina, was arrested and charged with four counts of murder after authorities found him outside his grandparents' home, which he also lived in, on Saturday.

Scott's grandfather, Joseph Manigault, 72; his grandmother, Rose Manigault, 69; his aunt, Kenya Manigault, 42; and his cousin, Faith Manigault, 15, were all found dead Saturday at the Mount Pleasant, South Carolina.

The coroner's office said it appeared all four victims were beaten to death, but they ordered autopsies to get more information.

A witness called 911 at about 11.30am on Saturday, after finding Joseph and a female victims' bodies in the Manigaults' garage, according to sworn statements by police. The other two female victims were found in a bedroom, according to WPED.

Scott was at the scene with an injured hand and blood on his clothes, shoes and hands, affidavits said. He was arrested by the deputies who answered the 911 call.

Scott's grandmother, Rose Manigault, 69, and his grandfather, Joseph Manigault, 72, were found beaten to death inside their home in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina

Scott's aunt, Kenya Manigault, 42 (left) and his cousin, Faith Manigault, 15, were also found beaten to death in the home. They were visiting the elderly couple at the time of their deaths

Relatives told The Post and Courier that Joseph and Rose had raised Scott and put him through college at both The Citadel, a military college, and Coastal Carolina University.

His time at both school was reported to have been abbreviated, due to drug-related arrests. His arrest records are said to have included alleged drug violations and property crimes.

Scott's first court date on the murder charges was scheduled for Sunday at 10am, but he refused to sign papers and appear before a magistrate, upsetting the family of the victims.

'I'm angered that he had the audacity to refuse to come down and face us,' Valerie Gilliard-Anthony, a niece of Scott's grandparents, said.

Rose Manigault (left, with Faith) and her husband, Joseph, were said to have raised Scott when he was a baby. They they send him off to college at The Citadel and Coastal Carolina University

A witness called police to report finding two murder victims inside the garage of this home. Police then found the other two victims inside a bedroom in the home

Charleston County deputies have not released a motive for the killing, and family members at Scott's court hearing Sunday said they aren't sure either why Scott would attack his family.

'They took that boy from a baby, a few days old - a few days after he was born - and they raised him,' said Estelle Manigault Grant, a sister of Joseph Manigault.

'And he had the nerve to do something to some good people like them. What he did a dog or a cat doesn't deserve it.'

Dozens of family members packed the magistrate's courtroom, where a television screen where Scott would have appeared showed a blank wall. His lawyer said Scott decided not to appear because the magistrate could not set bond.

The four Manigault deaths represent one of the deadliest incidents of domestic violence in nearly 12 years in the Lowcountry, reported The Post and Courier.Incredible vintage photographs that illustrate the journey of the forgotten WW2 Battle of Britain hero-pilot have been unveiled in a new book chronicling his triumphs during the fierce aerial fighting that saved our nation from Nazi invasion.

Pat Hughes was an Australian fighter ace of World War II and served with the Royal Air Force in the UK and was credited with as many as 17 victories during the Battle of Britain, before being killed in action on September 7, 1940.

A dramatic landscape shot from the book reveals the horrific consequences of the blaze set on the London docks, which was followed by an alert, after anticipating the German invasion, which thankfully turned out to be a false alarm.

Intimate pictures of hero Pat include his sisters; Majorie and Constance and another with his parents; Caroline Christina and Paterson Clarence 'Percy' Hughes.

Pat Hughes is pictured at Point Cook, near Melbourne in Australia, which was the birthplace of the Royal Australian Air Force. He served with the British Royal Air Force during World War II, until he died when his Spitfire crashed in a field between Sundridge and Bessels Green in Kent

Australian flying ace Pat Hughes is pictured with Butch, his canine flying companion who he would take with him on his journeys. When the Battle of Britain started in July 1940, he joined in No. 234 Squadron's first official aerial victories

Pat Hughes (right) is pictured with pilots of 64 Squadron, which was involved in covering the evacuation of Dunkirk and then fought during the Battle of Britain later that year

Other photos include him standing next to three 64 Squadron pilots. An endearing shot shows him with his canine flying companion Butch, who he would take with him on his journeys and a cheery shot of him smiling while having a picnic at St Eval in August 1940.

The stunning pictures are part of a book called A Spitfire Pilot's Story - Pat Hughes: Battle of Britain Top Gun by an aviation journalist, Dennis Newton. The book is published by Amberley Publishing.

'It was in America that the flying phenomenon took off. The tactical importance of aircraft was obvious by the time the US entered the war in 1917, and the hard-pressed French and British sought more planes and pilots from their new ally,' Dennis said.

'Most of the Australians wanted to be categorised for bombers or seaplanes with the object of taking up careers in civil aviation in the future, but not Pat Hughes.

'He knew all about the great fighting aces of the First World War like the great Irishman Mick Mannock, the Canadian Billy Bishop, James McCudden, Harry Cobby, the Australian Flying Corp's top ace; and even the legendary Germans: the Red Baron Manfred von Richthofen, Boelcke, Immellmann and Voss. Fighters were what Pat wanted!'

A dramatic landscape shot from the book, showing Tower Bridge, reveals the horrific consequences of the blaze set on the London docks on September 7, 1940. A German invasion was feared and an alert raised but it thankfully turned out to be a false alarm

Pat Hughes with his sisters Marjorie (left) and Constance. He was credited with as many as 17 victories during the Battle of Britain, before being killed in action on September 7, 1940

This picture was taken by Pat Hughes, showing a Hawker Hurricane prototype K5083, pictured at Martlesham Heath, where a Royal Air Force station operated betweeen 1917 and 1963

When the Battle of Britain started in July 1940, he joined in No. 234 Squadron's first official aerial victories. He ranked sixth in the 'ace of aces' of the aerial campaign of summer 1940 and shot down at least 14 enemy aircraft.

He was killed in action on September 7, 1940, after his Spitfire crashed in a field between Sundridge and Bessels Green in Kent, even though he apparently bailed out, his parachute failed to open.

'Patrolling over Tangmere, the twelve Spitfires from 234 Squadron led by Pat Hughes had spiralled up to 15,000 feet by 1:20pm. Down below on the airfield, the Hurricanes of 601 Squadron were taking off,' Dennis said.

'Pat spotted two groups of German aircraft. About fifty twin-engine Me 110s were coming in over the coast while fifteen others were already circling over Haslemere lower down.

Another picture taken by Pat Hughes, this time at sea. Pictured are comrades Desmond Sheen (right) and Bob Cosgrove in the swimming pool on the RMS Narkunda, which was requisitioned as a troopship by the Admiralty during World War II, but sunk in 1942

Pictured left is Pat Hughes's wife Kay, whom he married in August 1940; right are Pat Hughes's parents, Caroline Christina (nee Vennel) and Peterson Clarence 'Percy' Hughes.

Pat is pictured at a picnic at St Eval in North Cornwall in August 1940. Pat led 234 into some of the heaviest fighting of the Battle of Britain until he was killed in September that year

'Detailing Red, Yellow and Green Sections to attack the larger formation, he led Blue Section down after those over Haslemere. As soon as the Spitfires were sighted the 110s formed their usual defensive circle.

'Pat attacked the leading Messerschmitt head on, firing two short bursts. His aim was deadly.'

The Battle of Britain was a military campaign of WWII, when the RAF defended the UK against large-scale attacks by the German Air Force (Luftwaffe).

It began from July 10 to October 31, 1940, when over 1,700 Luftwaffe planes were destroyed and over 40,000 civilians were killed.

It was the first major campaign to be fought entirely by air forces and was also the largest and most sustained aerial bombing campaign to that date.

The stunning pictures are part of a book called A Spitfire Pilot's Story - Pat Hughes: Battle of Britain Top Gun by an aviation journalist, Dennis NewtonJared Kushner's younger brother Josh has donated $50,000 towards the national march against gun violence.

Josh Kushner, a 'lifelong Democrat' who voted against Donald Trump in the 2016 election, made the donation to March for Our Lives - a rally organized by survivors of the Florida high school shooting, Axios reports.

It is not clear when the 32-year-old investor, who founded venture capital firm Thrive Capital and health insurance company Oscar, made the generous donation.

His representatives did not return reporters' requests for comment.

Jared Kushner's (left) younger brother Josh (right) has donated $50,000 towards the national march against gun violence

Kusner's brother Jared's father-in-law is President Donald Trump, who has previously showed strong support for the NRA.

But after 17 students and teachers were killed in the mass shooting at Marjory Douglas Stoneman High School, in Parkland, Florida, recently, Trump appeared to show some support for gun control.

The president, who criticized members of his own party for being scared of the NRA, even suggested an age restriction on automatic weapons such as the AR-15 - the same gun used in the Parkland shooting and countless other mass shootings.

March for Our Lives is a rally organized by survivors of the Florida high school shooting (pictured, are students at an anti-gun rally in February)

Students hold their hands in the air as they are evacuated by police from Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland after a shooter opened fire on the campus

However, today he seems to be backpedaling on those promises.

He tweeted that he would be 'watching court cases and rulings before acting' on age limits, adding that he would leave it up to individual states to move on them for now.

His idea to combat high school shootings is to arm and train teachers - despite the fact that an armed, trained security guard was on site at the Florida high school shooting, and never even entered the building.

The new proposals vow to provide 'rigorous firearms training' to 'specially qualified' teachers on a voluntary basis.

This includes assistance from the Department of Justice which will offer firearm training to school staff through their local agencies.

Sunday night's announcements also included news the president was establishing a Federal Commission on School Safety that will be headed by Education Secretary Betsy DeVos.

The White House has announced plans to arm teachers but has backtracked on President Donald Trump's previous calls to raise the minimum age to purchase certain firearms to 21

Victims of the shooting have demanded better gun controls to prevent a similar tragedy occurring in the future.

Teens, some of whom watched their best friends die when Nikolas Cruz opened fire, organized a local rally to call for gun control.

They have also organized a national march on Washington DC on March 24, against gun violence.

One of the survivors of last month's massacre at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, Alex Moscou, gave an impassioned call-to-action during a recent event, the iHeartRadio Music awards, held at The Forum in Inglewood, California.

Moscou was introduced by Big Sean, and then spent two minutes urging viewers to join him and other students at the 'March For Our Lives' rally in Washington on the 24th.

He also lashed out at politicians who 'send their thoughts and prayers' but 'do nothing to make the necessary changes to prevent this tragedy from happening again.'

Josh Kushner, a 'lifelong Democrat' who voted against Donald Trump in the 2016 election, made the donation to March for Our Lives - a rally organized by survivors of the Florida high school shooting (pictured with Ivanka Trump and Jared)

'School is a place where we should feel safe and if those elected to represent us won't do what's right - keep us safe - then we're going to be too loud for them to ignore,' he said.

'We're marching in Washington Dc on March 24th for all of our fellow students and for the victims and survivors of gun violence in every community, from New Orleans to Chicago, Baltimore or Detroit.

'Wherever you are we. hope you will join us.'

Moscou also noted there will be more than 600 marches being held in cities across the country and in other parts of the world - in case anyone who wants to participate cannot make it to Washington.

'I'll be marching in Washington, DC, representing Shine MSD. This will be a March for Our Lives, we are MSD Strong,' he concluded, before helping Big Sean introduce Eminem.The mother of a missing 16-year-old Pennsylvania girl, who is believed to have disappeared with a 45-year-old, is begging for her daughter to return.

Amy Yu has not been seen since March 5 when she is believed to have disappeared with Kevin Esterly, the father of one of her friends, from Allentown.

Police say Esterly signed Yu out of school at least 10 times between November 13 and February 9 without her mother's permission or knowledge.

Her mother, Mui Luu, said she feels betrayed. Esterly and Yu had gotten so close she often went on his family's vacations and Esterly had gone to Luu's home for meals.

Luu says she also found text messages suggesting Esterly and her daughter where in a romantic relationship.

'I want to tell her: 'Amy, can you come back to me? I love you. I just hope you come back',' she told CBS News.

Amy Yu (left) has not been seen since March 5 when she is believed to have disappeared with Kevin Esterly, 45 (right), the father of one of her friends, from Allentown, Pennsylvania

Her mother, Mui Luu, (pictured, left, with Yu) dropped her daughter off at the bus stop the day she disappeared and is now begging for her daughter to return

Yu's brother, John (pictured), said it seemed Esterly wanted to help his sister. 'We never knew. Now I think he's a very bad guy and Amy's not hanging out with the right person,' he said

The girl had altered her student records to list Esterly as her stepfather, said Gary Hammer, of the Colonial Regional Police

When Yu's mother came to pick her daughter up from school on February 9, the school said her stepfather had already signed her out.

'The mom explained she is a single mother,' Hammer told ABC News. 'There is no stepfather.'

Esterly was subsequently warned to stay away from the teen.

Yu and Esterly were in a 'secretive relationship' which was laid bare in text messages between them which her mother discovered on her phone.

It is not clear if she found them before or after they went missing together.

On March 5, the pair are believed to have left Allentown in a 1999 Red Honda Accord with Pennsylvania plates.

Amy was last seen by her brother, John, who said she fled after being dropped off with him by their mother at their school bus stop.

Esterly had signed Yu out of Lehigh Valley Academy school 10 times between November and February 9 after she changed school records to say he is her stepfather

Esterly and his wife Stacey befriended Yu's family through the church they both attend. She is friends with one of his daughters, seen with him above

Stacey told police that her husband withdrew $4,000 in cash from their accounts before he vanished with Amy on March 5

He told CBS's Meg Oliver he was upset: 'Why would a 45-year-old man and a 16-year-old girl  like, that's disgusting!'

Before fleeing, Esterly withdrew $4,000 from his bank accounts, his wife Stacey told police.

Luu discovered after her daughter vanished that she had taken some of jewelry, her passport and cash.

She said that the family met the Esterly family through church.

Luu discovered after her daughter vanished that she had taken some of jewelry, her passport and cash (Pictured, Esterly with Yu and his children)

Prosecutors have charged Esterly with interference of custody of children. Yu's charter school has also banned him from school grounds since last month (Pictured, Esterly with Yu and his children)

They had them over for dinner at least once and Yu's brother said it seemed the man wanted to help his sister.

'We never knew. Now I think he's a very bad guy and Amy's not hanging out with the right person,' John told WFMZ.

'We need her to come back.'

Prosecutors have charged Esterly with interference of custody of children. Yu's charter school has also banned him from school grounds since last month.A drunken father-of-three has been jailed for 16 weeks after launching a foul-mouthed rant at police guarding the scene where a former Russian double agent and his daughter were discovered critically ill.

Jamie Knight, who bit and spat at a police officer, faced magistrates to plead guilty to four offences committed at The Maltings in Salisbury, Wiltshire on the evening of March 9.

Swindon Magistrates' Court heard that Knight, a scaffolder, breached the cordon around the bench at The Maltings where Sergei Skripal, 66, and his 33-year-old daughter Yulia were found.

Jamie Knight launched a foul-mouthed rant at police guarding the scene where a former Russian double agent and his daughter were discovered critically ill

The court heard that Knight, a scaffolder, breached the cordon around the bench at The Maltings where Sergei Skripal, 66, and his 33-year-old daughter Yulia were found

The site has been of particular interest to detectives investigating the incident as father and daughter remain critically ill in hospital.

Michelle Hewitt, prosecuting, said Pc Jamie Ball  fearing he was risking his life by entering the cordon  chased after Knight and apprehended him.

Security guard John King, who saw the officer was struggling to detain Knight, went to assist and the defendant bit both of them on the hand and spat at them during the struggle.

The 30-year-old, who bit and spat at a policeman and a security guard, faced magistrates to plead guilty to four offences committed at The Maltings in Salisbury, Wiltshire on the evening of March 9

He shouted at them: 'Go and catch the c*** that killed the Russian, dirty doggy pigs, I hope he dies and his kids die too, go and tell the f****** Russian to f****** die, I hate the Russians.'

Knight, who had been out in Salisbury celebrating a friend's birthday, also called another police officer a 'n*****' and said that 'Russians should not be allowed in the country'.

During the arrest he shouted out: 'Nonce, nonce, I am being raped by the police. You are all going to die f******.'

Ms Hewitt said: 'There were many members of the public watching just 20 metres away.'

Knight shouted: 'Go and catch the c*** that killed the Russian, dirty doggy pigs, I hope he dies and his kids die too, go and tell the f****** Russian to f****** die, I hate the Russians'

After being arrested Knight was placed in the rear of a police van where he continued to kick out, spit and headbutt the cage  leaving a trail of his blood inside the vehicle.

In a statement read to the court, Pc Ball said he had undergone checks in hospital for possible contamination by a nerve agent.

'In 15 years as a police officer I have never been involved in an incident such as this,' he said.

'The defendant was so violent and if John King had not assisted me I could have been seriously injured.

'By spitting in my face and biting me on the hand serious illnesses could have been passed on and could have been fatal.'

In a statement read to the court, Pc Ball said he had undergone checks in hospital for possible contamination by a nerve agent (pictured: Jamie Knight)

Knight, of Fairview Road, Wilton, Salisbury, Wiltshire pleaded guilty to assaulting Pc Ball in the execution of his duty, assaulting Mr King by beating, criminal damage to a Wiltshire Police prisoner van valued under 5,000 and racially aggravated public disorder.

Nick Redhead, defending Knight, said: 'Mr Knight really can't account for why he used words against Russians. He has never met one.

'He had been drinking and he was very drunk and his memory of what took place is very dim. He has had a weekend in the cells and finds himself rather shamefaced.'

Mr Redhead added: 'It has been quite a week for people in Salisbury with the ongoing investigation into what took place the previous Sunday.

Knight was also ordered to pay 250 compensation to both Pc Ball and Mr King, 85 court costs and 115 victim surcharge

'The overriding emotion of people in Salisbury is of embarrassment as the local police station has been shut and this case is being conducted out of the local council offices.

'I do not think Mr Knight was aware of the escalation of the situation over the course of the week with the army being called in with that site being examined and the possible contamination of other sites other than The Maltings.'

Diane Crockett, chairwoman of the bench, said: 'We have noted that you have a record of similar offences and we have heard on occasions you have failed to fully comply with the Probation Service.

A policeman next to a cordon in Salisbury, as police and the armed forces probed the suspected nerve agent attack

'For the public order offence you will go to custody for 12 weeks and for the racially aggravated element you will go to custody for a further eight weeks on top. That is a total of 20 weeks. With your guilty plea we will reduce that to 16 weeks.

'This was a sustained incident in full view of members of the public who would have been alarmed or distressed by your behaviour.'

Knight was also ordered to pay 250 compensation to both Pc Ball and Mr King, 85 court costs and 115 victim surcharge.The taxpayer has funded $500,000 of legal aid for an alleged paedophile on trial for murdering children, human trafficking and rape, it has been revealed.

Disgraced former Melbourne businessman Peter Scully is accused of several serious offences in The Philippines where he is currently being held.

Scully denies all the allegations against him as it emerged public money has been spent defending him since 2015.

Disgraced former Melbourne businessman Peter Scully is standing trial in the Philippines

The taxpayer has funded $500,000 of legal aid for Mr Scully's defence against 75 charges

Scully being arrested in the Philippines (pictured) is accused of an array of offences against children

The legal aid is funded through a government controlled support scheme for Australians abroad facing prosecution.

The Serious Overseas Criminal Matters Scheme aims to assist defendants who could be sentenced to the death penalty or jail terms of more than 20 years.

But the scheme is under review by Attorney-General, Christian Porter, The Australian reports.

He told the publication: 'There are circumstances where such support is absolutely appropriate.

'However, determinations in this case [Scully's] were made prior to my becoming Attorney-General.

Scully's alleged victims will have to present evidence at the trial after he denied all the counts against him

Police in the Philippines allege Scully murdered and raped a girl and produced and distributed child pornography on the dark web

'I had already asked my department for information on the scheme, including this particular case, with a view to considering changes.'

Mr Porter said alterations to the scheme could include circumstances 'similar to Mr Scully' or those with a history of sex offending and other 'relevant' previous convictions.

Figures published by The Australian said in 2016-17 there was more than $1.1 million paid out to Australian citizens.

The total number of defendants facing charges overseas using the funds was not disclosed.

Scully fled Australia in 2011 pending charges relating to fraud after an investigation by authorities in Victoria

Scully fled Australia in 2011 pending charges relating to fraud for his alleged involvement in a home buyer scheme.

He is now accused of producing and distributing several pornographic on the dark web involving children.

One such film, called Daisy's Destruction, caused prosecutors to break down in tears after they discovered it and linked it to Scully.

The video is alleged to show a baby girl being tied upside down by her feet, sexually assaulted and bashed repeatedly.

Scully is also accused of raping a 12-year-old girl before strangling her and burying the body in a grave underneath a property

The little girl was aged around 18-months at the time but survived and is said to still suffer physical and mental torment from the ordeal.

Police in the Philippines claim Scully sold videos over the internet for $10,000 each.

But Scully, who is facing multiple life terms if convicted, has denied 75 charges relating to extreme pornography and other suspected offences.

He is also accused of raping a 12-year-old girl before strangling her and burying the body in a grave underneath a property in Surigao in the south of the country.

Attorney-General Christian Porter said a review of the government scheme was under way

In separate charges, Scully is also accused of tying up two teenage girls and leaving them naked at an apartment he rented.

As a result of Scully denying the charges against him, his alleged victims will have to give evidence in court.

It was previously reported Scully's lawyer quit after saying his client was treating prison like a hotel and demanded 5kg of beef, a mobile phone and two visits per week.

Other people who have received money from the government's scheme include terror sympathiser David Hicks, drug smuggler Cassie Sainsbury and Bali Nine runners Myuran Sukumaran and Andrew Chan who were executed in Indonesia after receiving funds.Two people were taken to hospital as a precaution as police investigated after a suspicious package was set to an MP today.

Police were called into the parliamentary estate today where after the letter was sent to a politician, believed to be Mohammad Yasin the Labour MP for Bedford.

Tory MP Michael Fabricant said politicians fear the letter was linked to the 'Punish a Muslim day' hate letters, which have been distributed to homes throughout the UK.

The shocking letter encourages people to harm and commit crimes against Muslims on April 3 and publishes a sickening point-scoring system of punishments.

Raising today's package in Parliament today, Mr Fabricant said: 'Can I ask the House to think of the office for the MP for Bedford.

An ambulance is pictured at the Norman Shaw Buildings on the parliamentary estate, where police investigated reports of a suspicious package today

'There was an incident in this place earlier today in Norman Shaw North involving him and his staff which may or may not be connected, but we think it might be, with this letter

'And we must pull together and ensure that this does not happen  not only here but also throughout the country.'

Police officers examined the package, which was later found to be harmless.

Asked about the possible link with the 'Punish a Muslim day', Scotland Yard said 'all lines of inquiry are being investigated' and they will not rule anything in or out at this early stage.

The Punish a Muslim letters claims Europe is being 'overrun' and incits its readers to be find a Muslim to attack.

It dishes out points according to how big the attack is - from 10 points if you 'verbally abuse a Muslim' to 2500 points if you 'Nuke Mecca'.

Other sickening acts include 50 points for throwing acid in a Muslim's face and 1000 points for bombing or burning a mosque.

Counter terrorism police have been called in to investigate the hate-filled anti-Muslim letters.

And today MPs queued up to condemn the horrific letters which they said has no pace on Britain's streets.

Tory MP Michael Fabricant (pictured in Parliament today) said politicians fear the letter was linked to the 'Punish a Muslim day' hate letters, which have been distributed to homes throughout the UK

Tory former minister Anna Soubry said: 'This isn't really a hate crime. This is actually an act of blatant incitement to terrorism.

'The time has now come for a proper legal definition of Islamophobia.'

A parliamentary spokesperson said: 'Today a suspicious substance was investigated by the Met Police and was found not to be hazardous.

'The affected area was temporarily cordoned off but no evacuation was necessary.

'Two people attended hospital as a precaution.'

Police said specialist officers assessed the suspicious package on Monday.

'London Ambulance Service attended and two people, a man and a woman, have been taken to hospital as a precaution.'A historic African-American site in Nantucket, Massachusetts, has been defaced with offensive graffiti and racist slurs.

Vandals last night descended on the 19th century African Meeting House, which houses the Museum of African History, spray painting it with sexually explicit language.

The House - a school, church and gathering spot - played a major role in the day-to-day lives of Nantucket's black minority population during the 1800s.

The African Meeting House (pictured) was daubed with racist graffiti last night

As many as 20 community members scrubbed and sanded paint off the front door of the building this morning.

Charity-Grace Mofsen, the African Meeting House's manager, reported being overcome after seeing the words 'N**** Leave' and a phallic symbol painted on the front of the 29 York Street building.

Speaking after, she said: 'I broke down, I was hysterical'.

'Nantucket has such a rich history, it's what brought me to the island. Seeing how whites and blacks and natives were able to figure out how to live and work together so early on,' she told Nantucket's Inquirer and Mirror.

'So to see that once again we have people coming together when they see that something is wrong and hateful, we get together and say 'this is not what we stand for, this is not what our island is about.

'I think it is good to see people come out and show their support.'

She added on Facebook, along with a picture of the offending graffiti: 'NO. Not here. Not now. If you're one of those who think this stuff doesn't happen, open your eyes!

'Speak up when you see and hear hate. This island is my home too!'

After the cleanup: Volunteers gathered to clean the building's facade. By 10am the House (pictured) was clean, and flowers had been placed in front of the entrance

Broke down: Charity Grace Mofsen, the African Meeting House's manager (pictured with her husband), said she was devastated to find the graffiti

A spokesperson for Nantucket Police Department said the House had 'touched the lives of escaped slaves, Native Americans, Cape Verdeans, Quakers, educators and abolitionists over its history.'

Police are asking for members of the public with more information involving the vandalism to come forward.A babysitter from Ohio has been charged with assault for allegedly beating and shaking a three-year-old girl whose family says the child was left brain dead.

The Butler County Sheriffs Office says 35-year-old Lindsay Partin was arrested on Friday in Hamilton and jailed on counts of felonious assault and endangering children.

She was arraigned on Monday morning and had her bond set at $30,000.

Babysitter arrested: Lindsay Partin (left) has been charged with assaulting three-year-old Hannah Wesche (right) and inflicting a brain injury on the toddler

Clinging to life: This photo taken at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center shows Hannah hooked up to monitors and machines

The victim, Hannah Wesche, on Thursday was taken from her caretaker's home in Hanover Township to Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, where he family said she was listed in critical condition.

Court records allege that Partin struck and shook the toddler, causing 'serious physical harm,' but there is no word on what might have provoked the alleged attack.

Hannahs father, Jason Wesche, told WXIX-TV that doctors concluded the toddler was brain dead.

He said that he had been taking the girl to Partins home for months.

The girl's family say she is now brain dead. They are preparing to say their goodbyes

The single father-of-three said he knew Partin through a friend and she had all the necessary credentials to look after his youngest daughter.

According to Wesche, he got a frantic call from Partin a short time after dropping off his daughter at her house. When he rushed to the woman's residence, he found the toddler unconscious and with a black eye.

When interviewed by police, the babysitter allegedly admitted to shaking Hannah and claimed the toddler had fallen and hit her head against a concrete garage floor the previous day.

Hannah's family say doctors have removed a portion of the girl's skull to relieve the swelling on her brain, but she is not expected to recover from her injuries.

'We have to sit here and look at our dead little Hannah and just wait for these exams to tell us what we already know,' Hannah''s aunt Megan Latham tells WLWT.

Short life: Hannah is pictured left grasping her father's hand on the day of her birth. Jason Wesche is seen on the right holding Hannah as a toddler

The babysitter allegedly admitted to shaking Hannah and claimed the toddler had fallen and hit her head the day before

Mr Wesche has launched a GoFundMe campaign to help pay for his daughter's medical expenses. The page features a heartbreaking image taken at the hospital that show the little girl hooked up to monitors and other equipment, with stuffed animals in her bed.

The victim's eldest sister, Kaitlyn Wesche, has been posting messages on Facebook asking for prayers.

'Everyone just pray for her that she is comfortable and finds peace,' she wrote on Sunday night. 'Pray that she isnt in pain and is at ease.'Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has claimed losing 30 Newspolls will not be a test of his leadership, despite Tony Abbott's call for him to explain his performance.

The Federal Government has lost 28 Newspolls in a row and is currently polling 47 per cent of the vote, compared to Labor's 53 per cent.

Mr Turnbull said the vote of his party room would be the test of his leadership, not Mr Abbott.

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull (pictured) claimed losing 30 newspolls will not be a test of his leadership

Mr Turnbull (pictured) said the vote of his party room would be the test of his leadership, not Mr Abbott

'As far as the leadership of the Liberal Party is concerned it is, as John Howard always said, in the gift of the party room. That's the test,' he told ABC's 7.30 on Monday.

'It [Liberal party leadership] is not determined by Newspoll, it's not determined by the 7.30 Report, it's determined by the party room.'

This is despite the Prime Minister using the 30-poll milestone to justify his September 2015 challenge to Tony Abbott's leadership.

Mr Abbott last week called for Malcolm Turnbull to explain the 30 newspolls, since 'he set the test'.

Mr Abbott last week told 2GB radio Mr Turnbull set the test, and therefore he will need to explain.

Poll Should Malcolm Turnbull step down if he loses 30 Newspolls in a row? Yes No I don't know Should Malcolm Turnbull step down if he loses 30 Newspolls in a row? Yes 346 votes

No 18 votes

I don't know 6 votes Now share your opinion





'It will be up to him to tell us why the test doesn't apply in his case,' he told 2GB radio.

'I never made the polls the be-all and the end-all, I never turned the polls into the ultimate test of leadership, it was someone else who did that.'

Mr Turnbull evaded questions on whether he would stand down or open a leadership spill, but said when he challenged Mr Abbott the polls were just one factor he identified.

'The country, the government needed new economic leadership, right? And it needed a return to traditional cabinet government,' he said.

'I have delivered both.'President Rodrigo Duterte has said that United Nations humans rights investigators should be fed to crocodiles.

The Filipino premier made the remarks in response to comments last week by the United Nations' human rights chief, who claimed Duterte needed a 'psychiatric evaluation'.

'If these fools come here, are there crocodiles here? The ones that eat people? Throw those sons of b****** to them,' he told soldiers during a meeting in Zamboanga City on Saturday.

President Rodrigo Duterte (pictured) said last week: 'If these fools come here, are there crocodiles here? The ones that eat people? Throw those sons of b****** to them'

The President, whose brutal war on drugs has drawn international condemnation, told the nation's law enforcement to stay silent if they were confronted by inspectors.

He later claimed his order is allowed under the Constitution.

'You know, they say they are investigating us. My God, you fools! If you are investigating us, the rule in criminal law is, any statement or answer that you give may incriminate you,' he reportedly said in the meeting.

'If you answer their questions, it will be freewheeling, it is recorded.

'If you are called there, you are bound by whatever you say. So the best way is to just keep silent. Just tell them: 'We have a Commander-in-Chief.' Haven't I told you? I take full responsibility,' reported the Phil Star.

It comes after UN human rights chief Zeid Ra'ad al-Hussein said the firebrand leader 'needs to submit himself to some sort of psychiatric evaluation' over his 'unacceptable' remarks about some top human rights defenders.

He demanded the Human Rights Council, which counts the Philippines among its 47 member countries, 'take a strong position' on the issue, and insisted 'these attacks cannot go unanswered.'

Zeid Ra'ad al-Hussein has become increasingly outspoken as his time as United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights comes to an end

Speaking to reporters in Geneva, the rights chief referred to a court petition filed last month by Duterte's government accusing the UN rapporteur on indigenous peoples, Victoria Tauli-Corpuz, and others of being members of a key communist rebel group.

Human Rights Watch says the allegations, which Tauli-Corpuz has denied, have put her and some 600 other people in danger.

The Filipino leader also has repeatedly insulted the UN expert on extrajudicial killings, Agnes Callamard, lashing out at her for raising alarm over the thousands of suspects killed under his anti-drug crackdown.

He has also taken aim at International Criminal Court prosecutor Fatou Bensouda, who announced last month that she was opening a preliminary examination into alleged extrajudicial drug killings.

In a speech Wednesday, Duterte insulted the international court's justices as 'dumb' and 'evil,' and said Callamard was 'thin' and 'undernourished.'

Using an expletive, he warned, 'Don't [mess] with me, girls.'

Philippine Foreign Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano blasted Zeid's remarks as 'irresponsible and disrespectful' and said the 'unmeasured outburst' demeaned the Philippine president and should not be repeated.

Rodrigo Duterte has overseen a drug war marked by thousands of killings of mostly poor suspects

He said Tauli-Corpuz and the others were named in the court petition 'because of their membership in or association with the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People's Army as reported over the years' by the Philippine police and military. If they are innocent, it is a chance to prove their innocence in court, he added.

'The world actually needs more Dutertes,' Cayetano said, describing the Philippine president as a leader with empathy who's ready to sacrifice his life to protect the people.

International rights groups and local critics have accused Duterte of drifting toward authoritarianism after declaring martial law in the south during a major attack by pro-Islamic State group militants last year.

He has overseen a drug war marked by thousands of killings of mostly poor suspects.

Referring specifically to Duterte's comments about Callamard, Zeid said: 'This is absolutely disgraceful that the president of a country could speak in this way, using the foulest of language, against a rapporteur that is highly respected.'

'Really it makes one believe that the president of the Philippines needs to submit himself to some sort of psychiatric evaluation,' he said.

Zeid, a Jordanian prince who goes by his first name, has become increasingly outspoken after announcing plans not to seek a new term after his current one ends in August.The article comes after Nikolas Cruz (pictured), 19, was accused of murdering 17 people at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Florida on Valentine's Day

A student newspaper in Indiana has published an editorial attacking masculinity and focusing on the gender of mass shooters in the wake of the Florida high school slaughter.

The Indiana Daily Student picked out a series of male mass murderers - including Stephen Paddock, Adam Lanza, Dylann Roof and Omar Mateen - before asking: 'What do these American mass shooters have in common?'

It goes on to point out that men are statistically more likely to commit almost all acts of serious violence in the US.

The piece - titled 'Toxic masculinity has an effect on gun culture' - ultimately goes on to suggest that 'part of the solution to our country's gun violence epidemic' is a 'cultural shift'.

It adds: 'We need to make comprehensive efforts to avoid reproducing the same masculinity in the next generation of boys that increases the likelihood of these atrocities.

'Boys need to be taught how to express their anger appropriately and healthily. Additionally, boys shouldnt be socialized to pursue dominance over others as a way of affirming their masculinity.

The piece - titled ' Toxic masculinity has an effect on gun culture' - ultimately goes on to suggest that 'part of the solution to our country's gun violence epidemic' is a 'cultural shift' in masculinity. Pictured: Cruz in court

The Indiana Daily Student picked out a series of male mass murderers - including Stephen Paddock (right), Adam Lanza, Dylann Roof and Omar Mateen (left) - before asking: 'What do these American mass shooters have in common?'

'The role masculinity plays in mass shootings must not be overlooked.'

The article comes after Nikolas Cruz, 19, was accused of murdering 17 people at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Florida on Valentine's Day.

In the editorial, the student paper - which serves Indiana University - said Cruz's gender, alongside the gender of many other mass shooters, means it is time to focus on men.

It explained: 'When such a pattern emerges from decades of data, it's time to have a conversation about masculinity and male violence.'

The piece also claimed that 'thousands of years of patriarchy' have created a world where 'males are conditioned to have a need for dominance', while it downplays biological differences between men and women.

Testosterone is not to blame, it argues, but rather 'social and historical factors'.

In the editorial, the student paper - which serves Indiana University - said Cruz's gender, alongside the gender of many other mass shooters, means it is time to focus on men. Pictured: Students at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High nearly a month after the shooting

A young school child holds a sign 'Protect Children NOT Guns' at Stoneman Douglas High School

The piece also claimed that 'thousands of years of patriarchy' has created a world where 'males are conditioned to have a need for dominance' while downplaying biological differences between men and women. Pictured: Students leave Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School after attending their classes for the first time since the shooting

But the paper's article received an overwhelmingly negative response in the comments section.

One commenter branded the term 'toxic masculinity' a 'slur', adding: 'This op-ed is just another attempt to demonize men and is sexist to the core.'

Another wrote: 'Is the [Indiana Daily Student's] answer to everything always leftist newspeak?'Nikolas Cruz revealed his gory fantasies to his therapists years before the Parkland massacre, leaving them so concerned they urged his family to remove 'all sharp objects from the home.'

Cruz, who opened fire at a Parkland, Florida, high school last month, told his therapist in 2014 he'd dreamed of murdering people 'covered in their blood', according to files obtained by the Miami Herald.

A Broward County school's psychiatric file, dated May 3, 2014, stated that Cruz: 'reported [a dream] last week of him killing people and covered in blood.'

'He smiled and told the therapist that sometimes he says things for shock value.'

Nikolas Cruz revealed his gory fantasies to his therapists years before the Parkland massacre

The therapists' reports paint a picture of someone obsessed with the military, with serious anger issues

His school therapist was so concerned after the admission, they created a 'safety plan' which included removing 'all sharp objects from the home' and encouraging him to 'verbalize what the problem is' to protect both Cruz and those around him.

The therapist files, which cover his weekly sessions from February 2014 to December 2015, when Cruz was aged 15 to 17, paint a picture of an angry, paranoid young man with poor temper control and a violent streak.

His psychiatric file also revealed that his therapist was concerned about 'his obsession with guns/military and his poor anger control.'

They appeared to be worried that he might 'deploy aggressive behaviors at home.'

In one case, his mental health professionals shared concerns that a hatchet, which Cruz sometimes used at home to chop wood, seemed to have disappeared.

A harrowing image of students with their arms raised being evacuated by police was taken on the day of the horrific shooting

'Nikolas has a hatchet that he uses to chop up a dead tree in his backyard. Mom has not been able to locate that hatchet as of lately,' the health worker wrote.

In 2014, his school therapist and psychiatrist jointly wrote a letter to another of his psychiatrists about his violent tendencies.

'At home, he continues to be aggressive and destructive with minimal provocation,' the letter said.

'For instance, he destroyed his television after losing a video game that he was playing.

The Herald states that the authorities were warned repeatedly about Cruz's anger issues and violent rages but ignored the warnings.

Law enforcement were also alerted that Cruz might be dangerous after he brought a backpack with bullets to class.

This is just one of the many warning signs that the authorities missed before Cruz went on a rampage at Marjory Douglas Stoneman High School in Parkland Florida, on February 14, killed 17 and leaving 15 injured.

Emergency services tended to a victim outside of the shooting that took 17 lives

Cruz, who had a troubled past, was a member of a white nationalist group, and had bought the AR-15 rifle in the past year.

He had also recently suffered the loss of his adoptive mother.

Stoneman Douglas students revealed they were scared of the gun obsessed 19-year-old who would boast about hurting animals and would take knives and bullets into school.

His former classmates say they always suspected he was capable of carrying out such a heinous crime.

It also appears that the FBI missed out on an opportunity to intervene before the shooting, when a bail bondsman in Mississippi last year alerted the feds about an alarming online message Cruz wrote saying he was 'going to be a professional school shooter'.

Cruz was eventually expelled after fighting with his ex-girlfriend's new boyfriend. Students say the gunman had also been abusive to his girlfriend, the student said, while a teacher said the teenager once become obsessed with a girl to the point of 'stalking her'.

Friend and neighbors of the family also say they saw Cruz attempting to kill or torture animals on a number of occasions.

Police received three separate 911 calls about Cruz, warning he might commit a school shooting.

On February 5, 2016, a neighbor's son alerted officers to an Instagram post that showed Cruz, then a juvenile, holding guns and threatening to shoot up the school.

The deputy who responded noted that Cruz, who was 17 at the time, had BB guns and knives but did not write up a report, choosing instead to notify the school.

Nothing was done at all however in November when a caller informed police that the teenager was 'collecting guns and knives,' adding: 'Cruz will kill himself one day and believes he could be a school shooter in the making.'

The officers who responded to those two calls are now under internal investigation, but not the deputy who responded to a report on November 1 that Cruz was gathering up an arsenal of weapons but refused to take away any of the young man's guns after a 'family friend' said she would keep them in her possession.

That friend, based on the address to which police reported, appears to be Rocxanne Deschamps.

A Florida Department of Family Services worker also called police in September 2016 to report that Cruz had been speaking about purchasing a gun shortly after he was in a fight at school.

'Im afraid if he comes back, and he has a lot of weapons,' Roxanne Deschamps said during the call.

'He has a weapon that he is going to get, it at Dick's [a sporting goods store] right now, because he purchased it.

'He put the gun to the head of his brother before. This is not the first time, and he did that to his mom, and his mom died.

'It is not the first time that he put a gun on somebodys head,' said Dechamps.

Family held each other in panic and grief in wake of the news of the deadly shooting

Cruz's therapists' reports show that his behavior swung wildly from good to periods of severe paranoia and threatening behavior.

Records show he was also obsessed with the military and would visit YouTube to research 'military material and terrorist topics.'

His mother Lynda Cruz, who died recently of pneumonia, told his therapist at the time that his obsession stemmed from video games.

School administrators spoke with his parents about concerns over Cruz's desire to buy a gun and take shooting lessons.

One therapist suggested that Lynda allow her son to buy a gun by earning it in good behavior but his school therapist advised against it.

'Parent advised to restrict access to any weapon,' a report stated.

His therapists also revealed that he was very destructive at home, smashing his television after losing a video games, punching holes in the walls, and cutting up the upholstery on furniture.

Another report, dated May 2014, stated he'd made worrying comments to a teacher that made the school 'fear that he may act out and harm others.'

The therapist reported that Cruz liked to make his teacher feel uncomfortable and they scheduled a treatment plan 'to keep client and others safe.'

Cruz also shared his fantasy of the 'perfect summer' - months full of guns and shooting - and opened up about his loneliness and fear he'd always be alone.

A billboard on Interstate 65 in Louisville, Kentucky was overtaken by 17 crosses last night, each bearing the name of one of the victims of the Parkland, Florida shooting last month

'I will never be happy with my life I have no money or [sic] freinds,' he wrote.

However, by April 2015, his therapists note that they were much happier with his progress.

They were so happy they decided to move him from Cross Creek, an educational center servicing Emotionally Behaviorally Disturbed (EBD) students, to Marjory Douglas Stoneman High School.

Records show his behavior was less erratic and he was able to 'control' his behavior, and was less aggressive.

He was discouraged from becoming a cadet: 'Interested in ROTC?' the report said. 'Not advised,' it added.

Cruz did join the ROTC but was kicked out after joining the high school.

The teen joined Stoneman Douglas part-time by October of 2015 and was due to go full-time in January.

In his last session the therapist noted he'd do well at his new school.

Three years later, Cruz took an Uber to his former high school, armed with an AR-15 and magazines of ammunition and went on a murderous rampage.A furious councillor was filmed calling a group of hunt saboteurs 'f****** stupid' after they used horns to confuse hounds during a legal drag event.

North Wales Hunt Saboteurs posted a video of Flintshire community councillor Ed Lloyd-Ellis during an angry confrontation at the Flint and Denbigh hunt in Wales.

He claimed that the group were using electric horns to try and puzzle the dogs and said they were 'interrupting' the 'lawful activity'.

Mr Lloyd-Ellis, 41, said the hunt - which involves laying a scent that the pack of hounds then search for - has been harassed by demonstrators for four years.

A furious councillor was filmed calling a group of hunt saboteurs 'f****** stupid' after they used horns to confuse hounds during a legal drag event

He could be heard shouting: 'You're f****** stupid! Do not call them, you're interrupting a lawful activity. Do not call the hounds.

'They've already f***** off once because of you. You're just f****** ignorant.'

One male member of the saboteurs accused him of not laying trails and a woman told him: 'Do not chase foxes and do not hunt illegally'.

But Mr Lloyd-Ellis added: 'Do not call the hounds. You're bloody sending them all over the place. We are not chasing foxes. Keep quiet and it'll be all right.'

He added: 'You d******* are calling them. It's a lawful activity and you lot are interrupting it. You are harassing us.

'It f****** is lawful. You lot are ignorant, do your homework, find out the facts and then you can speak about it.'

Speaking after the video, the farmer added: 'The so-called incidents the saboteurs have posted recently which involves me happened in two separate incidents in autumn 2016 and last year.

North Wales Hunt Saboteurs posted a video of Flintshire community councillor Ed Lloyd-Ellis during an angry confrontation at the Flint and Denbigh hunt in Wales

He claimed that the group were using electric horns to try and puzzle the dogs and said they were 'interrupting' the 'lawful activity'

'It is true I did lose my temper and swear in one of the videos, but it was because the saboteurs had blown their own electrical horn to draw the hounds away from the huntsmen.

'This meant the dogs were all over the road, and they blocked the road with a car so we couldn't get to them.'

He continued: 'It was by a main road, so yes I lost my temper as I felt they were just playing a game, it's a power trip for them.'

Mr Lloyd-Ellis, a liaison officer for the hunt, also rejected claims he had spat at the protestors.

He added: 'The alleged spitting was actually a screen shot from one of the sabs' videos.

Mr Lloyd-Ellis, 41, said the hunt - which involves laying a scent that the pack of hounds then search for - has been harassed by demonstrators for four years

He could be heard shouting: 'You're f****** stupid! Do not call them, you're interrupting a lawful activity. Do not call the hounds

One male member of the saboteurs accused him of not laying trails and a woman told him: 'Do not chase foxes and do not hunt illegally'

'If they had shown the full video you would see me being punched to the right cheek, before spitting out a little blood with saliva, which was directed away from anyone.'

He added: 'We do not kill animals, we adhere to the law. I honestly think this whole thing is about a class war, but what the saboteurs need to realise that members of the hunt come from all walks of life, we have a doctor, a welder and quite a few farmers in our ranks.'

Fox hunting was made illegal in 2004 but drag and trail hunting is still permitted across the UK.

Hounds are allowed to follow a scent but aren't able to chase foxes.

North Wales Hunt Saboteurs for comment told MailOnline: We've often wondered why Ed Lloyd-Ellis keeps getting away with his behaviour.

'We are currently gathering all evidence to forward to the ombudsman of Wales. The irony that he should 'call it "class wars" when clearly he shows no class.

'It has nothing to do with class it's about animal abuse.'Two bra bandits were arrested for allegedly stealing more than $11,000 worth of bras from a Victoria's Secret in California.

Blanca Thalia Quintero, 22, and Antanae Lastar Welch, 19, were taken into custody by officers from the Folsom Police Department Friday night.

Authorities said they received a call just before 8pm for help from the Victoria's Secret in the area after an employee confronted the women, who were allegedly carrying several large bags of clothing.

Blanca Thalia Quintero (left), 22, and Antanae Lastar Welch (right), 19, were arrested for allegedly stealing more than $11,000 worth of bras from a Victoria's Secret in California

Authorities said they received a call just before 8pm for help from the Victoria's Secret an employee confronted the women who were allegedly carrying several large bags of clothing, including the bras above

Police said Quintero tried to spray the employee with pepper spray in order for them to escape.

The employee, who wasn't injured, was able to give a description of their getaway car, which was passed on to officers in the area.

As the women tried to make their escape, an officer spotted them and stopped the car.

The officer found the stolen clothing, along with packs of pepper spray, and took Quintero and Welch into custody.

They were both charged with robbery and conspiracy.

Quintero was also charged with using tear gas to commit a crime, and unlawful possession of tear gas, according to police.

She also had an outstanding arrest warrant from San Mateo County for theft.

Welch was booked for possession of a counterfeit $100 bill, which was found during the investigation. Both women were booked into the Sacramento County Jail.

As the women tried to make their escape, an officer spotted them and stopped the car. The officer found the stolen clothing, along with packs of pepper spray (pictured), and took Quintero and Welch into custodyA Utah woman convicted of trying to hire a hit man to kill her ex-husband for insurance money was charged on the same day in another failed murder-for-hire plot.

A jury on Friday found 70-year-old Linda Gillman guilty of one count of criminal solicitation to commit murder while acquitting her of a second count accusing Gillman of trying to arrange to have her ex-husbands wife killed.

On the same day, prosecutors charged Gillman with two more counts, accusing her of trying to hire another hit man to kill the first would-be assassin and a lawyer while she was in jail.

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Persistent: Linda Gillman, 70, was convicted Friday in Utah of trying to have her ex-husband, Duane Gillman, killed. The same day, she was charged in a third suspected murder-for-hire plot

Guilty and innocent: A jury convicted Gillman (pictured in court Friday) of one count of criminal solicitation to commit murder and acquitted her of a second count

Gillman, of Herriman, was arrested in December 2016 for allegedly trying to hire her employee to kill her former spouse, prominent bankruptcy attorney Duane Gillman, and his new wife.

Gillman denied the charges, but police say they have her on tape discussing the murder-for-hire plot with an informant.

In the meeting, Gillman talked about how the hitman could make their deaths 'look like a break-in that went wrong'.

The informant told police that he was approached by Gillman, who was looking 'to hire someone to kill [her ex-husband] and make it look like an accident or natural death'.

Gillman reportedly gave the informant $5,000 as a down payment, but planned to add a $7,000 diamond ring, as well as $18,000 from her husband's life insurance policy after he died.

The informant came to police when Gillman started getting impatient.

Hell hath no fury: Prosecutors say while Gillman was behind bars, she tried to hire a second hit man to kill the first who turned on her and became and informant

After coming to the police, authorities set up two meetings between the informant and Gillman on December 20 and December 26.

During the meetings, Gillman 'talks about the murder of [her ex-husband]. She is then overheard talking about including [her ex-husband's] current wife for an additional $10,000. Linda sums up the payment as #25,000 total.'

After the meetings, authorities had enough evidence 'directly linking' Gillman to the murder-for-hire plot and she was arrested.

While she was in the Salt Lake County Jail, Mrs Gillman was charged with attempted obstruction of justice for allegedly approaching another inmate she thought was part of a white supremacist gang to act as a go-between to set up the assassination of the first would-be hitman, reported KSL.com.

She told the inmate that if the whistleblower ended up dead or disappeared, she would 'walk out a free woman' and that 'it would make all her dreams come true.'

Prosecutors ultimately dropped the obstruction of justice charge against her, citing problems with witnesses.

Driven by greed: Prosecutor say Linda wanted to have Mr Gillman, a veteran bankruptcy attorney, killed along with his new wife to get her hands on his insurance money

Gillman went to trial on criminal solicitation targeting her ex-husband and his new wife last week, and on Friday the jury began deliberating the verdict.

In a stunning turn of events, that same day the Salt Lake County District Attorneys Office announced that the 70-year-old defendant had allegedly tried to hire a third hit man from behind bars as recently as three weeks ago.

This latest alleged plot targeted the original hitman-turned-informant and an attorney who won a civil case against her.

The 70-year-old defendant allegedly offered $155,000 to have the two men killed, reported Good4Utah, but the female inmate whom Gillman had befriended and whom she tried to use as a go-between turned on her after jail officials intercepted a letter containing a check for the six-figure sum, addressed to a would-be killer 'M.K.'

Gillman was charged on Friday with two more counts of criminal solicitation and two counts of obstructing justice. Bail for her latest charges was set at $2.5million.

Gillman faces a potential prison term of up to life when she is sentenced April 23 in District Court.Students have donned brown armbands to protest the sacking of their beloved deputy principal for cutting a boy's hair.

Rohan Brown, nicknamed Brownie, was dismissed from his position at prestigious private boy's school Trinity Grammar in Melbourne's east last week.

He was sacked after video surfaced of him trimming a student's hair with scissors before school photo day at the beginning of term.

The decision to let Mr Brown go outraged parents and students, who have started an online petition and wore brown armbands on Tuesday in protest.

Students have donned brown armbands to protest the sacking of their beloved deputy principal for cutting a boy's hair (pictured are three student protesters)

Rohan Brown, nicknamed Brownie, was dismissed from his position at prestigious private boy's school Trinity Grammar in Melbourne's east last week (pictured is Mr Brown cutting a student's hair)

'He is a pretty integral part of this school. We all really love him, he is such a big presence at the school and he will be sorely missed,' a student told the Today show.

'He was only upholding the school rules and the school values, which he loves and cares about so much,' said another.

'A lot of the boys are planning to have a protest at the school and everyone is wearing brown arm bands for Mr Brown and we all think that the punishment clearly does not fit the crime,' said a third student.

The armband protest comes after hundreds of angry parents and former students challenged the decision at a special meeting on Friday night.

'A lot of the boys are planning to have a protest at the school and everyone is wearing brown arm bands for Mr Brown and we all think that the punishment clearly does not fit the crime,' said a student (pictured)

Meanwhile, more than 5,000 people have signed an online petition urging the school to 'Bring Brownie Back.'

Trinity Grammar will now appoint an independent expert to review its procedures, ABC News reports.

On Monday, the school's headmaster Dr Michael Davies issued a statement saying students, staff and other stakeholders will be consulted about the review

He added the school 'takes seriously its duty of care to students, staff and the wider community.'

A prestigious private school will appoint an independent expert to review its procedures after deputy headmaster Rohan Brown (pictured) was sacked for cutting a student's hair

Dr Davies said: 'We have reached out regularly to the boy involved in the February incident, over the past few days.

'We have also been in touch with Rohan Brown over the weekend.'

Also on Monday, 50 former school captains and co-captains signed an open letter protesting the dismissal of Mr Brown, who started working at the independent Anglican school in 1987.

The students, from the past 17 years, said they had lost confidence in the school's leadership.A father punished his ten-year-old daughter by recruiting someone to perform female genital mutilation on her with a razor blade, the Old Bailey heard today.

The 50-year-old father of four, who cannot be named, invited someone to their south London home to cut the girl on two separate occasions.

It is alleged that the ordeal went on for ten minutes and the girl would cry out in pain, but her father only 'egged on' the cutter.

Prosecutor Mark Heywood told the court: 'This was not apparently done out of any cultural or family reason but more in the way of punishment.

A father punished his ten-year-old daughter by recruiting someone to perform female genital mutilation on her with a razor blade, the Old Bailey heard today

'On two occasions he had someone come to the house and, using a sharp implement - she thought a razor blade - had her cut repeatedly in a series of deliberate actions causing serious injury to her small body.'

'The type of thing that went well beyond the bounds of the corrective or the disciplinary actions of a kind that might be used by a normal, loving father.'

Another daughter had been subjected to name-calling by her father, including 'bastard' and 'slut', while a son had been hit with a stick, the jury was told.

Mr Heywood added: 'At times his dealings were harsh and cruel.

'His style of control led him to resort to shouting, belittling, name-calling and violent chastisement, well beyond the bounds of the corrective or disciplinary actions of a kind that might be used by a normal and loving father.'

The father 'singled out' the oldest daughter but also punished a younger boy and girl, it is claimed.

The 50-year-old father of four, who cannot be named, invited someone to their south London home to cut the girl on two separate occasions

'This was no light tap or gentle reminder to step back into line.

'He shouted his message at them and reinforced it by beating them, at times forcefully using a stick or slipper to inflict pain.'

The father suggests that his children are making up the allegations to 'get at him' and denies he is responsible for cutting them.

Mr Heywood, said: 'The events with which you are concerned happened over a period of seven or so years from about 2009 up to 2016, and before that marriage finally broke down.

'During those years there were many occasions on which the defendant was in sole charge of the children, or one or more of the children.

The suspect, from south London, denies two counts of female genital mutilation, two alternative counts of wounding with intent and three counts of cruelty to a child.

The trial continues.A school that was deemed one of the worst in Britain has been given an 'outstanding' rating after its new headteacher banned pupils from shrugging, sighing and rolling their eyes.

Harris Academy Battersea, in Wandsworth, London, was plagued by some of the poorest exam rates in the country and it had a deep rooted problem with discipline.

In 2003 just three percent of pupils achieved five GCSE passes - in one year no pupils did at all - and in 1995 500 pupils rioted.

A complete turnaround: Dave Moody, head of Head of Harris academy in Battersea, pictured with pupils

But when Dave Moody was hired as headteacher in 2014 he brought in with him a strict new approach to discipline.

He revealed he welled up when he saw the most recent Ofsted report, published on the secondary school's website today, after four years trying to raise standards.

Mr Moody was hired in 2014 and implemented stringent new rules on discipline

'We have some of the poorest children in London and we meet them with a private-school set of expectations,' he told the Evening Standard.

'They are sanctioned if they roll their eyes, shrug, sigh or do anything that says they are not ready to learn.'

Formerly known as Battersea Park School and Battersea Technology College, the school had to become a Harris Academy in 2014 after it was deemed inadequate.

In one year no pupils gained five or more GCSE passes. In 1995 500 pupils rioted in the streets.

The key was a new approach to discipline. When a child misbehaves, he or she is taken by a senior staff member to a room to write down their version of events and is not allowed to return to class all day.

Mr Moody decides on the punishment.

Four years ago there were 69 pupils in year seven, whereas this September 195 are due to start

At first about 50 students a day were sent to the interview room. Now it is two or three.

In 2003 three per cent of children left with five A*-C GCSEs. Last year it was 83 per cent. Four years ago there were 69 pupils in year seven. This September 195 are due to start and the school is oversubscribed.

Today's Ofsted report, the first since the school became an academy, praised his 'uncompromising determination'. It said teachers were proud to work there, morale was high and pupils of all abilities make 'very strong progress'.A 22-year-old nursing student at Binghamton University who has been named as a person of interest in the killing of his former girlfriend and schoolmate is facing an indictment after escaping to Nicaragua.

According to investigators, Orlando Tercero, a US citizen, fled the country before the body of 22-year-old Haley Anderson was discovered at an off-campus house on Friday.

Anderson, a senior at the public research university, was a few months away from graduation before she was found dead at a residence located on Oak Street during a welfare check, police in Binghamton said.

Fugitive: Orlando Tercero, 22 (left), has been named a person of interest in the killing of Binghamton University senior nursing student Haley Anderson, also 22 (right)

Broome County District Attorney Steve Cornwell said on Monday that his office plans to seek an indictment against Tercero from a grand jury, after which a warrant will be issued, clearing the way for an extradition request that will be presented to the government of Nicaragua, reported PressConnects.com.

An autopsy performed on Anderson has determined the the cause of death was a homicide. the manner of death has not been revealed.

Police said Tercero 'had a previous domestic/romantic relationship' with the victim.

The FBI is assisting the Binghamton police Department with this case, along with a half-dozen other agencies.

Tercero's Facebook posts indicate that he has ties to Nicaragua and had last visited the country in July 2017. His final status update, dated December 21, 2017, consisted of a video promoting travel in Nicaragua.

His account further reveals that he grew up and attended high school in Miami, at one point attended a religious college in Bogota, Columbia, and enrolled at Binghamton University in 2016.

Tercero's Facebook posts indicate that he has ties to Nicaragua and had last visited the country in July 2017 (left). Tercero grew up in Miami and entering the nursing program in 2016

Anderson was originally from Westbury, New York, according to her Facebook page.

Anderson is pictured on social media smiling brightly next to friends and colleagues.

Her co-worker, Athena Anadnostakos, who worked with her for years at Jazzman's Cafe on campus, spoke highly of the late student in a statement to Fox 40.

'She was a very good girl. She was friendly, joked around... we had a good time together,' Anadnostakos told the news station.

'Everybody is sad... a lot of students came to New York together and they cried today. They were all so close, she said, in tears.

Anderson was a few months away from graduation before she was found dead at a residence located on Oak Street, police in Binghamton said

The beautiful, bright blonde is pictured in Facebook photos smiling. She was found dead on Friday. The person of interest is a fellow nursing student (right)

The death of Anderson, pictured second from right, has been ruled a homicide. One of Anderson's former romantic partners has been named a person of interest

Tercero has been described as an ex-lover of Anderson's. He is also a nursing student at Binghamton University.

Anderson told Anadnostakos she decided to stay at school for spring break. That was the last time Anadnostakos saw her.

Anderson's Facebook profile states she was currently 'single'. She last publicly listed she was in a relationship in 2016.

On Friday night, the university shared a lengthy condolence message to their page.

One of Anderson's co-workers, Athena Anadnostakos, pictured, cried as she spoke about the late student she called a 'very good girl'

Anderson worked at Jazzman's Brew & Bakery for three years before she died just before graduation

Binghamton University is pictured above. Anderson was a senior nursing student. She was preparing to graduate in May

The Binghamton University student found dead Friday afternoon at a home on Oak Street (street pictured above on Google Maps)

'The Binghamton University community is deeply saddened to learn of the death of senior nursing student Haley Anderson, whose death is being investigated by the Binghamton Police Department,' the post read in part.

'There is no threat to public safety at this time. The investigation is continuing at this hour. Anyone with information can contact the Binghamton Police Detective Division at 607-772-7080 or 607-772-7082.'

The message said further: 'Our entire University community extends our deepest condolences to Haleys family and friends, both here in Binghamton and in her hometown of Westbury, N.Y.'

The university is also offering counseling services to students and faculty during this trying time.

Further investigation into the homicide case is currently underway.

'This incident and the circumstances of the death was not a random act or involving the conduct of a stranger,' police confirmed in a news release.

Anderson's co-worker said the student stayed at the college for spring break, around the time she diedThe 'Bookkeeper of Auschwitz' has died aged 96 before beginning a prison sentence for his involvement in the killing hundreds of thousands of Jews.

In July 2015 Oskar Groening became one of the last people to be convicted for crimes in the Nazi genocide during World War Two.

He was sentenced to four years for his role as an accessory to the murder of 300,000 people at the Auschwitz concentration camp in Poland. He was in hospital when he died and had yet to begin his sentence.

Oskar Groening known as the 'bookkeeper of Auschwitz' who in 2015 became one of the last people to be convicted for crimes in the Nazi genocide has died aged 96

Groening (pictured left in the German army and right at trial in 2015) was in hospital when he died and had yet to begin his sentence.

Earlier this month his lawyers made a fresh bid to avoid Groening serving his sentence after a previous one was rejected in January.

German magazine Der Spiegel said Groening died on Friday but prison authorities had yet to receive a death certificate.

He did not take part in any killings himself but was dubbed 'The Bookmaker' because his job was to count cash taken from victims on their arrival at the camp.

Groening's court battle was seen as one of the last major trials related to the Holocaust, during which some six million Jews were murdered by Adolf Hitler's regime.

His lawyer tried to get the former Nazi SS guard off on grounds of his age and ill health

As many as 1.1 million people were murdered between 1940 and 1945 in the Auschwitz-Birkenau camp where Groening worked

Despite his conviction, the start of his sentence was delayed by legal wrangling and his ill health.

He came to attention in 2005 after giving interviews about his work in the camp in an attempt to persuade Holocaust deniers that the genocide had taken place at a time when most Holocaust prosecutions still focused on leaders rather than rank-and-file perpetrators.

Groening admitted he was morally guilty for the work he carried out at Auschwitz, which included sending bank notes he found in Jews' luggage to SS offices in Berlin, where they helped to fund the Nazi war effort.Jeremy Corbyn was branded 'shameful' today for launching a party political attack on Theresa May after she accused Russia over a nerve agent attack on UK soil.

The Labour leader condemned the assassination attempt on Sergei Skripal but not before lashing the Prime Minister over Russia-linked donations to the Tories.

Mr Corbyn was slammed by MPs on all sides of the Commons and his speech was greeted by jeers of 'shame' as he advocated 'robust' talks with the Kremlin.

He insisted the Government's response to the 'shocking' attack must focus on 'reducing tensions'.

Other party leaders, including the SNP's Ian Blackford, fell in behind Mrs May as she outlined her belief in an 'unlawful use of force' against the British state.

Jeremy Corbyn (pictured today in the Commons) was branded 'shameful' for launching a party political attack on Theresa May after she accused Russia over a nerve agent attack on UK soil

Sergei Skripal (left) and his daughter Yulia (right) have been in a critical condition since they were found unconscious on a bench outside a shopping centre in Salisbury on March 4

Mr Corbyn was slammed by MPs on all sides of the Commons and his speech was greeted by jeers of 'shame' as he advocated 'robust' talks with Vladimir Putin's Kremlin

After Mrs May said it was 'highly likely' that Moscow had ordered the use of a 'military grade' nerve agent, Mr Corbyn replied: 'We need to continue seeking a robust dialogue with Russia on all the issues dividing our countries, both domestic and international - rather than simply cutting off contact and simply letting tensions and divisions get worse, and potentially even more dangerous.'

He faced shouts of 'shame' and 'disgrace' from Conservative MPs as he told the Commons: 'We're all familiar with the way huge fortunes, often acquired in the most dubious circumstances in Russia, sometimes connected with criminal elements, have ended up sheltering in London and trying to buy political influence in British party politics.

'Meddling in elections, as the Prime Minister put it, and there has been over 800,000 worth of donations to the Conservative Party from Russian oligarchs and their associates.'

Mr Corbyn said the investigation into the 'shocking' events in Salisbury must 'reach its conclusion', adding: 'We need to see both the evidence and a full account from the Russian authorities in light of emerging evidence that the Prime Minister has just referred to.

'The action the Government takes once the facts are clear needs to be both decisive and proportionate and focused on reducing conflicts and tensions rather than increasing them.'

Mrs May responded: 'In relation to Russia, we have a very simple approach to Russia, which is engage but beware.

'I think this shows how right it is that this Government has been cautious in relation to its relations with Russia.

'We must all be very well aware of the various ways in which Russia is affecting activity across the continent and elsewhere, there can be no question of business as usual.'

The Labour leader condemned the assassination attempt on Sergei Skripal but not before lashing the Prime Minister (pictured making her statement) over Russia-linked donations to the Tories

By contrast, a series of MPs from all parties stood to welcome Mrs May's strong reply to the apparent assassination attempt.

Home Affairs Committee chair Yvette Cooper said a cross-party stand was needed against Russian aggression.

Former shadow chancellor Chris Leslie said: 'There should be unity across the House.

'There are certain circumstances where we take party political differences of opinion but when country is potentially under attack that is just not appropriate.'

Labour MP John Woodcock launched another jibe at Mr Corbyn as he warned: 'It would put our national security at significant risk if we were led by anyone who did not understand the gravity of the threat Russia poses to this nation. '

Former Tory leader Iain Duncan Smith branded Russia a 'rogue state' and demanded the 'most severe' response.

He said: 'If we appease a country like this, then we should expect even worse.'

Conservative MP Johnny Mercer addressed Mr Corbyn directly from the backbenches to tell him: 'I think I've just seen the most shameful moment I've seen in the House of Commons in my time to date.'Brain-damaged Alfie Evans' ventilator could be turned off by the end of the week after his parents lost their bid to overturn a ruling that doctors could switch off their son's life support.

The 22-month-old has an undiagnosed brain condition and is being kept alive in Alder Hey Children's Hospital in Liverpool.

In an emotional Facebook post his father Tom Evans claimed doctors could switch off his machine by Friday.

Alfie Evans (pictured with his father) is being kept alive in Alder Hey Children's Hospital in Liverpool, but his life support could be turned off this week

In an emotional Facebook post his father Tom Evans claimed doctors could switch off the toddler's ventilator by Friday

Parents Tom and Kate James lodged an application on Thursday to be able to appeal to the Supreme Court against a ruling that allows doctors to switch the life support off.

A spokesman for the The Court of Appeal this morning said 'permission had been refused and the parties had been informed'.

The parents will now appeal directly to The Supreme Court, in a bid to overturn a decision made by the High Court, that Alder Hey should withdraw life support.

If refused by the Supreme Court - which hears cases of the greatest public or constitutional importance affecting the whole population - their last chance is to go to the European Court of Human Rights.

Mr Evans called the decision to turn off his son's machine 'sick, vile and disgusting'

A deadline was not set by the High Court for when Alfie's ventilation would be withdrawn.

Judges at the Court of Appeal ruled that end of life arrangements would be made in a discussion between both the family and the hospital.

However, in a post on Alfie's Army Official Facebook page, father Tom claimed Alder Hey have requested to meet him today, to discuss removing his son's ventilator on Friday.

His post read: 'On to the legal side of things our appeal to Supreme will be going in tomorrow, Alder Hey have requested me to a meeting tomorrow so they can discuss removing Alfie's machine on Friday.

Alfie's parents Tom Evans, 21, and Kate James, 20, claim their son has been 'sentenced to the death penalty'

'How sick, knowing we are going through enough and know we still are fighting with Alfie and are going all the way to human rights!!

'They also know I sat in a meeting on Thursday with the medical director and a Claire House (children's hospice) nurse speaking about the most hardest, unimaginable conversation anyone would think about!

'Discussing how they would take him to Claire House in Birkenhead 40-50 mins away give me and Kate a day with him then at a set time remove his machine. Absolutely vile, disgusting actions!!!'

'Alfie is by far NOWHERE NEAR THAT STAGE YET!!!! AND NEITHER ARE WE!!!'

Kate James and Tom Evans, parents of 21 month old Alfie Evans, are fighting tooth and nail to keep their son aliveMark Bruce, 32, met 20-year-old Chloe Miazek at a bus stop in the early hours of the morning on November 3 last year

A killer who strangled a woman to death while they had sex is facing years behind bars.

Mark Bruce, 32, met 20-year-old Chloe Miazek at a bus stop in the early hours of the morning on November 3 last year.

They had been on separate nights out in Aberdeen.

Just two hours later he choked her to death while they had sex at his flat in the city's Rosemount Viaduct.

Chloe, of Kemnay, Aberdeenshire, had been drinking with friends in the city before being thrown out of a nightclub because she was so intoxicated.

She walked to a bus stop where Bruce, who had also been drinking heavily, arrived just moments later after leaving a nearby pub.

The pair struck up a conversation before heading to his flat.

The High Court in Aberdeen was told that the pair had a 'shared interest' in 'erotic asphyxiation' and that Chloe had died in 'seconds' after he had seized her neck during sex.

Hours later, Bruce was seen on CCTV leaving his flat and wandering the streets for over an hour before walking to Rosemount Police Station.

There he buzzed an intercom and said: 'I've done something terrible.'

Advocate depute Jo McDonald said an officer asked him to clarify what he meant, and that Bruce had said: 'I've killed someone. There's a female in my bed.'

Just two hours later he choked her to death while they had sex at her flat in the city's Rosemount Viaduct (above: Chloe)

Ms McDonald said: 'His explanation is he placed his hands around her neck during sexual intercourse and the evidence is consistent with that.

'The evidence suggests death is likely to have been quick - seconds rather than minutes.

'The extent of the injuries suggested not much force being used.

'During a medical examination the accused indicated to the doctor they had had intercourse around 3.30am and the forensic findings confirm that.'

Bruce, a prisoner at HMP Barlinnie in Glasgow, had originally faced a charge of murder.

On Monday he pleaded guilty to a charge of culpable homicide.

Defence advocate Brian McConnachie QC said: 'Evidence has been disclosed to the defence from a previous partner that sexual asphyxiation was something Miss Miazek was interesed in.

'Her former partner always declined.

'I don't wish to sound like I'm suggesting she was the author of her own misfortunate but it is a significant factor.

'The accused can't recall the specifics of what went on but it seems that they had something of a shared interest in that particular practice.

'He recalls that all of a sudden it changed from everything being alright to her being dead.

'It is accepted by the Crown that there was no intention to kill and no wicked recklessness to suggest a murderous purpose.'

Judge Lord Kinclaven remanded Bruce in custody at HMP Barlinnie in Glasgow (above) ahead of sentencing

In a statement released after Chloe's death, her parents Bob and Theresa said their daughter's killing was 'difficult to comprehend'.

They said: 'We are absolutely devastated following the death of our beautiful daughter and sister, Chloe.

'She was in the prime of her life and had so much to look forward to and it is difficult for us to comprehend that she is not here with us today.

'Chloe was a loving daughter to Bob and Theresa, sister to Nathan and friend to many, including at her work at Tesco in Inverurie.

'She will be sorely missed and we ask for privacy as we try to come to terms with her untimely death.'

Judge Lord Kinclaven remanded Bruce in custody ahead of sentencing on April 5 at the High Court in Edinburgh.A Michigan man had just asked his girlfriend's family for permission to marry her when he was killed after a giant wave swept him away in the Bahamas.

Jonathan Brussow, 19, of Rockford, Michigan, was on vacation with the family of his girlfriend, Athena Williams, 20. The two met at a bonfire in the eighth grade and began dating a year later.

'When we started dating he always told me, he said: "Since the first time I saw you, I knew I was gonna marry you",' Williams told FOX 17.

'We had everything planned out already. He had our whole wedding planned out too, and we weren't even engaged or anything.'

After asking her parents' permission, and before the sun rose, Brussow and Williams's brother, Eric, went hiking up a nearby cliff.

Jonathan Brussow, 19 (right), of Rockford, Michigan, had just asked the parents of his girlfriend, Athena Williams, 20 (left) for permission to marry her when he was killed after a giant wave swept him away in the Bahamas

On March 5, Brussow (right, with Williams) hiked up a nearby cliff with Williams's brother, Eric. While sitting on the cliff, a wave swept the two men into the sea

'When they were there, Jonathan also asked Eric if it was okay if he could marry me,' Williams told the news station.

'I know that, and the one thing Eric did tell me that Jonathan said was: "Come have a seat with me, buddy", and then it just kind of happened, I guess.'

Suddenly, a huge wave came crashing down on the cliff and the two men were swept into the water.

Eric, despite broken ribs and a gash on his back, was able to cling onto a rock and make it to shore. He ran one mile to seek help for Jonathan, who was still in the water.

Eric, despite broken ribs and a gash on his back, was able to cling onto a rock and make it to shore. He ran one mile to seek help for Jonathan, who was still in the water (Pictured, Williams and Brussow)

Williams said that the family worked with multiple agencies for help in finding Brussow (left and right). Brussow's body was found on March 9 atop a cliff several hundred yards down from where he was sitting where he was swept away

Williams said that the family worked with every agency possible, including the US Embassy, the Nassau Coast Guard, the US Coast Guard, and local police, for help in finding Brussow.

Brussow's parents also flew to the island to assist in the search. Williams told FOX 17 that the locals helped them search for Brussow. She credits the Bahamians for their ability to continue the search despite a tropical storm that interfered.

Unfortunately, Brussow's body was found on March 9 atop a cliff several hundred yards down from where he was sitting where he was swept away.

Despite his death, Williams says she plans to keep his memory alive.

The Williams and Brussow families have set up a GoFundMe to cover funeral expenses and to install a safety device on the Glass Window Bridge, near where Brussow entered the water (Pictured, Williams and Brussow)

'He absolutely loved his life. He had no regrets. He had no complaints,' Williams said.

'I've never, ever experienced or seen anybody love somebody so genuinely like he actually loved me. It just blows me away, the person he was. The person he still is.'

The Williams and Brussow families have set up a GoFundMe to cover funeral expenses and to install a safety device on the Glass Window Bridge, near where Brussow entered the water.

So far, more than $19,300 has been raised out of a $30,000 goal.

Williams also hopes to get the local hospital get new equipment, like a much-needed mammogram machine.Video shows the shocking moment that a bystander got a sledge hammer from his van and started smashing the windows of an SUV as the driver was trying to flee the scene of a multi-car wreck.

The incident happened Sunday morning, when the driver of a Nissan Infiniti crossed into oncoming traffic on Biscayne Boulevard and crashed into three cars at Northeast 36th Street.

The video starts just after the crash, showing the significant damage to the front grille and side panel of the SUV.

Video shows the moment that a man used a sledge hammer to try and stop a driver from fleeing the scene of a multi-car wreck in Miami on Sunday

The video starts with the driver of a Nissan Infiniti trying to flee the scene

A group forms a barrier around the car in an attempt to keep it from moving

But the driver keeps driving and finds a way through two cars to drive down a nearby street

He only makes it a few feet before being stopped by another car blocking his way

At this moment, a man gets out of a white van wielding a sledge hammer

That man then starts bashing out the windows of the SUV to try and stop the driver from fleeing

The man smashes out several windows as the driver continues to drive

The driver makes his way between two vehicles and then flees the scene

The video ends with a few other cars giving chase to the driver

Suddenly, the man behind the wheel starts to reverse the car, causing a few people who had gotten out of their cars to crowd around the vehicle to try and stop it from leaving.

The driver weaves around the group and other cars trying to block him in and turns onto Northeast 36th street.

It's there that the car comes to a stop again when another SUV blocks the lane.

One man tries to open the passenger-side door of the car, but breaks off the handle.

The driver of the SUV, 25-year-old Maxwell Oleg Lagutenko, was later taken into custody

It's around this time that a man waiting in a white van at the light gets out of his vehicle carrying a sledge hammer. He then starts bashing in the windows of the car, starting at the driver's side and working his way around the entire vehicle.

As glass hits the ground, the driver starts to force his way through the group and between the cars trying to block his way.

The clip ends with the SUV driving off, being pursued by some of the other cars that were at the scene.

Not long after, a police officer tried to pull the car over because the driver was driving recklessly and he or she noticed the damage.

But the driver would not pull over, so the cop backed off because of the Miami PD's no-chase policy for non-violent crimes.

The driver was later taken into custody though, at which point a cop remarked that he looked 'to be high on narcotics'.

The driver has been identified as 25-year-old Maxwell Oleg Lagutenko of Aventura.

He was charged with reckless driving, leaving the scene of an accident and fleeing or eluding police.

He was ordered held on $6,000 during a court appearance on Monday when he appeared shaky.

No one was injured in the multi-car wreck.

Cops said it appeared Lagutenko was high on narcotics when they arrested him. He's pictured above during his court hearingNick Gordon broke down in hysterics after calling 911 in the early morning hours of Saturday, telling authorities that he was the victim of abuse.

DailyMail.com has obtained the two calls placed by Gordon just before he was arrested by police for battery on his girlfriend Laura Leal, who he punched multiple times in the face and chest according to an arrest report from the Seminole County Sheriff's Office.

Leal was left with a bloody lip after the attack, while Gordon, 29, had no visible injuries save for a small cut on his thumb.

Gordon, who was in a relationship with Bobbi Kristina Brown up until her death in 2015, was booked at 1:28am on Saturday, despite the fact that Leal refused to press charges.

Gordon was eventually released at 4:37pm on Sunday after posting $500 bond.

Scroll down for video

Crybaby: Nick Gordon called 911 in the early morning hours of Saturday demanding that the Seminole County Sheriff's Office remove his girlfriend Laura Leal (Gordon and Leal above)

'My girlfriend is acting insane,' said Gordon in his first 911 call, which lasted more than two minutes.

He seemed to have trouble speaking as he drew out his words, and there were a handful of long silent pauses.

Gordon also said at one point: 'She grabbed my penis.'

He then tried to recount what had happened that night but struggled to put together sentences and could not tell the dispatcher his address.

The entire time, Leal could be heard yelling in the background, stating at one point that Gordon was at her residence as he ordered police come and remove her from the property.

Leal also went after Gordon at one point as he could heard gasping in disbelief before he said: 'Oh my god, she ripped my shirt.'

The line went dead soon after but Gordon called back, this team speaking with authorities for over three minutes.

'I feel so lame cause I'm getting beat up by a woman,' said Gordon, who began sobbing less than a minute into the call.

Those histrionics got worse after Leal threw a bottle at Gordon.

'I feel so horrible,' Gordon sobbed over the phone.

'I feel so lame dude.'

Once police did arrive on the scene it was Gordon who found himself in handcuffs.

'Gordon stated that he just wanted Leal to leave his residence due to her ripping his shirt and throwing a bottle at him,' read the police report.

'Gordon stated that she attacked him for no reason and that she is "crazy." Gordon stated that he did not want to pursue any charges against [her] and again stated that he just wanted her to leave his residence. Gordon stated that he was not struck by the bottle but, did have a small cut on his left thumb.'

The focus quickly shifted however when the responding officers saw Leal, and her bloody lip.

'Leal stated that she was driving and Gordon then struck her in the right side of her cheek area several times,' stated the police report.

'Leal stated that he also pulled her hair and stated to her that he should make her wreck the vehicle. Leal stated that they then returned to his home and got into a verbal altercation.'

Gordon meanwhile said the same thing before, during and after his arrest.

'I didn`t hit her. She attacked me and ripped my shirt. She also threw a bottle at me. I just want her to leave my house,' Gordon told authorities.

He was handcuffed and taken to the John E. Polk Correctional Facility despite that claim, with the responding officers determining that Leal's bloody lip gave them probable cause in the case.

Gordon was previously arrested in June for battery and false imprisonment after Leal told police he pinned her to a bed and began to punch her while the two were living at his mother's home.

Leal later dropped those charges and told DailyMail.com that she was the aggressor in an exclusive interview.

Mugs: Gordon was booked at 1:28am on Saturday (left) and previously arrested for battery against Leal in June (mugshot right)

Notifying authorities: There were two calls placed by Gordon, who told the dispatcher that Leal (above) 'grabbed his penis' and 'ripped his shirt'

Gordon still owes over $36 million after he was found liable in a wrongful death lawsuit filed against him by Bobbi Kristina's estate back in 2016.

That ruling came after he failed to appear for a mandatory court appearance in Atlanta, despite the fact that he had no legal counsel and was representing himself in the civil case.

He also failed to appear in court when the damages in the case were handed down by Judge T. Jackson Bedford, Jr.

The estate had been asking for $50million in their lawsuit, which they broke down into different counts.

Judge Bedford awarded the estate damages of $1,575,041 on the count of conversion, considerably less than the $10million the lawsuit demanded after claiming that Gordon had transferred bank funds from Bobbi Kristina's account while she was in a coma and taken one of her rings.

The estate had also requested $10million for pain and suffering in the lawsuit, and got that and then some, with Judge Bedford awarding $13,800,000 on that count.

Additional punitive damages of $4,200,000 were also added to that on account of the fact that Gordon was determined to be under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs.

The biggest award however was the $15,056,000 for loss of life. All those, combined with the $1,375,877 on the count of assault and battery as it relates to Bobbi Kristina's medical costs, came out to a grand total of $36,256,918.

It is one of the largest awards that has ever been handed down by a judge, beating out the $33.5million OJ Simpson was ordered to pay in his civil suit following the deaths of Nicole Brown and Ron Goldman.

Simpson still has yet to pay that judgment.

Famous ex: Gordon, 29, was dating Bobbi Kristina Brown at the time of her death (Gordon and Bobbi Kristina in 2014)

Bobbi Kristina, the daughter of Bobby Brown and the late Whitney Houston, passed away at the age of 22 on July 26, 2015.

She spent the final six months of her life in a medically induced coma after being found unresponsive in a bathtub at her Georgia home.

Bobbi Kristina's body was found in her bathtub almost three years to the date that her mother Whitney was pronounced dead after suffering a similar fate while staying at the Beverly Hilton prior to the 2012 Grammy Awards.

It was Gordon who found and tried to resuscitate Houston in that incident as well, after he discovered her unresponsive in her bathtub just hours before she was due to attend Clive Davis' annual Grammy party.

Eight months after her mother's tragic passing, Bobbi Kristina announced she was engaged to Gordon, who was raised at times during his childhood by Houston and who many considered to be a brother-like figure to Bobbi Kristina.

The pair later claimed they had been married in early 2014, but Bobby Brown shot down those statements, saying the two had yet to wed.

Houston was pronounced dead on the scene after being discovered in the bathtub of her suite at the hotel, with accidental drowning, heart disease and cocaine use later cited as the causes of death.

The estate claims in their lawsuit that Bobbi Kristina's death happened after Gordon had been 'out all-night on a cocaine and drinking binge.'

Bobbi Kristina and Gordon argued after he returned home at around 6am on January 31 according to the lawsuit, with the two having it out for approximately 30 minutes while two other individuals - Danyela Bradley and Max Lomas - were at the home.

The estate claims in court papers that Gordon then 'gave Bobbi Kristina a toxic cocktail rendering her unconscious and then put her face down in a tub of cold water causing her to suffer brain damage.'

Bobbi Kristina's autopsy report showed that her face being immersed in water, along with drug intoxication, led to her death.

She was found to have morphine, cocaine, alcohol and prescription drugs in her body at the time her body was found in the tub.

The medical examiner could not determine whether her death was an accident, suicide or murder however, and ruled it 'undetermined.'

In an interview with DailyMail.com after the release of Bobbi Kristina's autopsy, a happy and smiling Gordon said; 'I'm glad that s*** is all over.'

He then added; 'I just want to wish my girl a Happy Birthday. I can't say any more but it's good.'

Hargrove first filed a lawsuit against Gordon in June of 2015, while Bobbi Kristina was still in a coma.

In that initial filing, which would later become the wrongful death suit, Hargrove claimed Gordon was physically abusive on multiple occasions and stole money from Bobbi Kristina's bank accounts while she was in a coma.

It was also alleged that his actions on the day Bobbi Kristina was found unresponsive in the tub were the result of him learning that she was leaving him.

Bobbi Kristina's estate, which had been bequeathed to her through her mother Whitney's will when she died in 2012, was worth approximately $20million at the time of her death.A couple accused of waterboarding their 12-year-old daughter as a form of punishment have been sentenced to five to seven years probation after entering a plea agreement.

Dion Stevens, 34, and Malisa Stevens, 41, were charged last year with aggravated assault after an anonymous tipster informed the police about possible abuse of their daughter.

Police went to the family home in Aliquippa, Pennsylvania, and were told by the 12-year-old daughter about a time in April where she was dragged into the basement and waterboarded by her parents.

The couple went on the run in May after the police were informed, but they turned themselves in months later in October to face their charges.

Dion Stevens, 34, (left) and Malisa Stevens, 41, (right) were charged last year with aggravated assault after being accused of waterboarding their daughter, 12. They entered into a plea agreement on Wednesday for five to seven years probation without jail time

The 12-year-old described to cops how she was bound into a chair with packing tape.

Then, the girl said, a wet towel was placed over her face and her chair was tilted backward as a bucket of cold water was poured onto her, preventing her from breathing.

The police report said the couple 'openly admitted' that they tried to 'waterboard' the child 'because they were punishing her'.

The couple told police they learned about waterboarding 'through a movie'.

The shocking abuse allegedly took place in the basement of this Pennsylvania home (pictured) in April 2017. The couple allegedly dragged their daughter down there and waterboarded her

The man and woman were both charged with strangulation, aggravated assault, unlawful restraint, child endangerment and reckless endangerment.

But their attorney reported this week that they have entered into a plea agreement with the district attorney's office.

'We have entered into a tentative plea agreement with the district attorney's office,' said defense attorney Lee Rothman to KDKA Pittsburgh.

'It's my hope that the agreement will be upheld. It's an agreement that is geared toward family unification.'

The parents would then face no jail time for their alleged abuse of their daughter.

It is unclear who their daughter has been staying with during the court proceedings.JAMES COMEY

Clinton is furious that Comey, then the FBI director, publicly revealed the re-opening of the secret email server investigation just before election day - and has said so time after time after time.

THE FBI

Comey's entire organization does not escape her wrath.

'The FBI wasn't the Federal Bureau of Ifs or Innuendoes. Its job was to find out the facts,' she writes in What Happened.

VLADIMIR PUTIN

'There's no doubt in my mind that Putin wanted me to lose and wanted Trump to win,' she told USA Today in September last year while promoting What Happened.

It was hardly a new theme. As early as December the New York Times obtained audio in which she told her donors: 'Putin publicly blamed me for the outpouring of outrage by his own people, and that is the direct line between what he said back then and what he did in this election.'

THE RUSSIANS

Putin's entire apparatus gets a name-check. In May she told the Codecon convention how '1,000 Russian agents' had filled Facebook with 'fake news'.

She told NPR 'my path toward November was being disrupted with Russians'.

WIKILEAKS

The 'transparency website' is consistently ranked along with Comey by Clinton at the top of her blame list.

She told NPR : 'Unfortunately the Comey letter, aided to great measure by the Russian WikiLeaks, raised all those doubts again.'

And she writes of its founder Julian Assange in What Happened: 'In my view, Assange is a hypocrite who deserves to be held accountable for his actions.'

LOW INFORMATION VOTERS

'You put yourself in the position of a low information voter, and all of a sudden your Facebook feed, your Twitter account is saying, "Oh my gosh, Hillary Clinton is running a child trafficking operation in Washington with John Podesta.",' she told the Codecon convention in May.

'Well you don't believe it but this has been such an unbelievable election, you kind of go, 'Oh maybe I better look into that.''

THE ELECTORAL COLLEGE

'We have an electoral college problem. It's an anachronism,' she told Vox.

ANTI-AMERICAN FORCES

'I think it's important that we learn the real lessons from this last campaign because the forces that we are up against are not just interested in influencing our elections and our politics, they're going after our economy and they're going after our unity as a nation,' she told Codecon in May.

'What is hard for people to really accept - although now after the election there's greater understanding - is that there are forces in our country - put the Russians to one side - who have been fighting rear guard actions for as long as I've been alive because my life coincided with the Civil Rights movement, with the women's rights movement, with anti-war protesting, with the impeachment.

EVERYONE WHO ASSUMED SHE WOULD WIN

'I was the victim of a very broad assumption that I was going to win,' she told the Codecon convention.

BAD POLLING NUMBERS

Clinton says polls in key states did not serve her.

'I think polling is going to have to undergo some revisions in how they actually measure people,' she told the Codecon convention.

'How they reach people. The best assessments as of right now are that the polling was not that inaccurate, but it was predominantly national polling and I won nationally.'

BARACK OBAMA

Clinton has two beefs with Obama: one of them being that he won two terms. Clinton says that succeeding an incumbent is almost impossible for a Democrat.

'No non-incumbent Democrat had run successfully to succeed another two-termer since Vice President Martin Van Buren won in 1836,' she writes in What Happened.

But she also says his response to the Russian campaign of interference wasn't enough.

'I do wonder sometimes about what would have happened if President Obama had made a televised address to the nation in the fall of 2016 warning that our democracy was under attack,' she writes in What Happened.

WHITE WOMEN

'I believe absent Comey, I might've picked up 1 or 2 points among white women,' she told Vox in September.

'White woman... are really quite politically dependent on their view of their own security and their own position in society what works and doesn't work for them.'

'What happened in my election is I was on the way to winning white women until former director of the FBI Jim Comey dropped that very ill-advised letter on Oct. the 28th and my numbers just went down,' she said in a March 2018 speech in India.

'All of a sudden white women who were going to vote for me, and frankly standing up to the men in their lives and the men in their work places were being told, "She's going to jail, you don't want to vote for her. It's going to be terrible you can't vote for that." It stopped my momentum and it decreased my vote enough. Because I was ahead and I was winning and I thought I had fought my way back. '

THE NEW YORK TIMES

The newspaper was blamed as early as May at the Codecon conference in Rancho Palos Verde, California.

She singled out its managing editor Dean Baquet - the paper's most senior editor - and said of coverage of her email issue under his direction: 'They covered it like it was Pearl Harbor.'

JOE BIDEN

Biden could have run against her and didn't. But Clinton writes: 'Joe Biden said the Democratic Party in 2016 'did not talk about what it always stood forand that was how to maintain a burgeoning middle class.'

'I find this fairly remarkable, considering that Joe himself campaigned for me all over the Midwest and talked plenty about the middle class.'

BERNIE SANDERS

'His attacks caused lasting damage, making it harder to unify progressives in the general election and paving the way for Trump's 'Crooked Hillary' campaign,' she writes in What Happened.

'I don't know if that bothered Bernie or not.'

BERNIE BROS

'Some of his supporters, the so-called Bernie Bros, took to harassing my supporters online. It got ugly and more than a little sexist,' she writes in What Happened.

PEOPLE WANTING CHANGE

'I thought, at end of day, people would say, look, we do want change, and we want the right kind of change, and we want change that is realistic and is going to make difference in my life and my family's life and my paycheck,' she told Vox.

'That's what I was offering. And I didn't in any way want to feed into this, not just radical political argument that was being made on other side, but very negative cultural argument about who we are as Americans.'

MISOGYNISTS

Asked by CNN's Christine Amanpour at the Women for Women International event in new York in May if misogyny was to blame she said: 'Yes, I do think it played a role.'

TELEVISION EXECUTIVES

'When you have a presidential campaign and the total number of minutes on TV news, which is still how most people get their information, covering all of our policies, climate change, anything else was 32 minutes, I don't blame voters,' she told The View.

'They don't get a broad base of information to make decision on. The more outrageous you are, the more inflammatory you are, the higher the ratings are.'

NETFLIX

Hillary does not do Netflix and chill - or if she does, she doesn't find it very relaxing.

'Eight of the top 10 political documentaries on Netflix were screeds against President Obama and me,' she claimed at the Codecon convention.

FACEBOOK

'If you look at Facebook the vast majority of the news items posted were fake. They were connected to as we now know the 1,000 Russian agents who were involved in delivering those messages,' she told Codecon.

TWITTER

Usually mentioned in the same breath as Facebook, the micro-blogging site is seen by Clinton as one of the reasons for her loss.

She told the Codecon convention in may that Trump had a method in his tweets.

'They want to influence your reality. That to me is what we're up against, and we can't let that go unanswered,' she said.

CONTENT FARMS IN MACEDONIA

'Through content farms, through an enormous investment in falsehoods, fake news, call it what you will - lies, that's a good word too - the other side was using content that was flat out false,' she told the Codecon convention in May.

'They were conveying this weaponized information and the content of it, and they were running, y'know there's all these stories, about y'know, and you know I've seen them now, and you sit there and it looks like you know sort of low level CNN operation, or a fake newspaper.'

CAMPAIGN FINANCE

'You had Citizens United come to its full fruition.' she told Codecon in May.

'So unaccountable money flowing in against me, against other Democrats, in a way that we hadn't seen and then attached to this weaponized information war.

THE MEDIA

'American journalists who eagerly and uncritically repeated whatever WikiLeaks dished out during the campaign could learn from the responsible way the French press handled the hack of Macron,' she writes in What Happened.

Now-president Macron had a massive tranche of his emails hacked and released shortly before the French voted. Many outlets did not report on their contents.

STEVE BANNON AND BREITBART

'Provided the untrue stories,' she told the Codecon convention in May.

THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY

'I set up my campaign and we have our own data operation. I get the nomination. So I'm now the nominee of the Democratic Party. I inherit nothing from the Democratic Party,' Clinton said told the Codecon convention in May.

'I mean, it was bankrupt. It was on the verge of insolvency. Its data was mediocre to poor, nonexistent, wrong. I had to inject money into it.'

THE REPUBLICAN PARTY

The Republicans were far better prepared for a campaign than the Democrats she claimed, when it came to money and data, telling the Codecon convention: 'So Trump becomes the nominee and he is basically handed this tried and true, effective foundation.'

CAMBRIDGE ANALYTICA

The data-targeting firm ultimately owned by Robert Mercer, the billionaire Breitbart backer, and his family, is said to have targeted voters to drive them away from Clinton.

'They ultimately added something and I think again we'd better understand that. The Mercers did not invest all that money for their own amusement,' she told the Codecon convention.

WOMEN PROTESTERS

The massive demonstrations in Washington and other cities in the wake of the election were organized as an immediate response to Clinton's shock defeat.

But that did not stop Clinton from writing in What Happened: 'I couldn't help but ask where those feelings of solidarity, outrage and passion had been during the election.'

MATT LAUER

The NBC Today show anchor quizzed both candidates at a 'commander-in-chief forum' on board Intrepid in New York.

But Clinton - who went first in the back-to-back interviews, complained about Lauer focusing on her secret server and whether it raised questions over her trustworthiness.

'Lauer had turned what should have been a serious discussion into a pointless ambush. What a waste of time,' she writes in What Happened. She later delighted in his firing for sexual misconduct, saying in December: 'Every day I believe more in karma.'

WHITE VOTERS

'White voters have been fleeing the Democratic party ever since Lyndon Johnson predicted they would,' she told Vox.

DEMOCRATIC DOCUMENTARY MAKERS

'We're not making the documentaries that we're going to get onto Netflix,' she told Codecon.

She was asked by the interviewer: 'This is because Hollywood isn't liberal enough?'

'No, it's because Democrats aren't putting their money there,' she replied.

BENGHAZI INVESTIGATORS

The attacks on the U.S. diplomatic compound in the Libyan city of Benghazi on September 11, 2012, happened when Clinton was Secretary of State. It claimed four American lives, and was the focus of intense investigation by Congress.

Clinton told the Today show: 'Take the Benghazi tragedy - you know, I have one of the top Republicans, Kevin McCarthy, admitting we're going to take that tragedy - because, you know, we've lost people, unfortunately, going back to the Reagan administration, if you talk about recent times, in diplomatic attacks.

'But boy, it was turned into a political football. And it was aimed at undermining my credibility, my record, my accomplishments.'

VOTER SUPPRESSION

Suppressing her voters was named by Clinton as one of the major factors in her defeat in her interview on the Today show when she rattled off her laundry list. 'What was at work here?' she said.

'In addition to the mistakes that I made, which I recount in the book, what about endemic sexism and misogyny, not just in politics but in our society, what about the unprecedented action of the FBI director, what about the interference of an adversary nation, what about voter suppression?'

It was a return to a theme - she suggested it was a problem in Wisconsin in an interview in May with New York magazine.

'I would have won had I not been subjected to the unprecedented attacks by Comey and the Russians, aided and abetted by the suppression of the vote, particularly in Wisconsin,' she said.

'Republicans learned that if you suppress votes you win.'

MITCH McCONNELL

The Senate majority leader is accused of stopping the Obama administration from revealing what Clinton says the Russians were up to, helping tip the balance against her because he did not want a third successive Democratic term in the White House.

'Mitch McConnell, in what I think of as a not only unpatriotic but despicable act of partisan politics, made it clear that if the Obama Administration spoke publicly about what they knew [on Russia], he would accuse them of partisan politics, of trying to tip the balance toward me,' she told the New Yorker.

THE SUPREME COURT

Clinton claims the Supreme Court watered down the Voting Rights Act at the Codecon convention.

'You had effective suppression of votes,' she said.

'I was in the senate when we voted 98-0 under a Republican president, George W Bush, to extend the Voting Rights Act and the Supreme Court says 'oh we don't need it any more' , throws it out, and Republican governors and legislatures began doing everything they could to suppress the votes.'

Clinton appears to be referring to Second 4(b) of the Act being ruled unconstitutional by the court in 2013, because it relied on out of date data which meant it was not in line with the 15th Amendment.

FATHERS, HUSBANDS, BOYFRIENDS, AND MALE BOSSES

Clinton says that James Comey's actions in re-opening the FBI investigation allowed men to influence their wives or girlfriends.

'Women will have no empathy for you because they will be under tremendous pressure - and I'm talking principally about white women - they will be under tremendous pressure from fathers, and husbands, and boyfriends and male employers, not to vote for 'the girl',' she told NPR.

THE INVISIBLE STATE

Named by her confidante Lanny Davis as the reason she lost at a reading of his book while Hillary nodded along in approval.

PIZZAGATE

The claim that members of the Democratic party and particularly the Clinton campaign were running a pedophile child trafficking ring out of the basement of a Washington D.C. pizza restaurant first surfaced before the 2016 election. She told an address to a women-only club in New York in April 2018: 'It spread like wildfire. You look and that and think, that's ridiculous. But you have no idea how many people will believe things that are presented as news.'

'MANY FUNNY THINGS'

Clinton said in September 2019 that 'many funny things' including Russian interference helped Trump win.Advertisement

The King's Troop Royal Horse Artillery received its annual inspection at the Royal Artillery Barracks in Woolwich, London, today.

Major General Ben Bathurst, General Officer Commanding The Household Division, carried out an in-depth review covering everything from uniforms to military knowledge to decide whether the unit was fit to perform ceremonial duties on behalf of the nation for the next 12 months.

The Troop, which moved to Woolwich from St John's Wood in 2012, formed up in the Parade Ground in front of the 18th century barracks this morning.

The Royal Artillery Band provided the musical backdrop to the colourful event while rows of six horses drew 1.5-tonne-each World War One field guns behind them.

The huge weapons have no brakes and combined with the team of six horses are approximately 54 feet long.

After passing the inspection and impressing with their routines the Royal Horse Artillery was 'declared fit to represent the nation'.

The Troop moved on to Barrack Field and performed their most testing demonstration of equine prowess, the famous Musical Drive.

Many members in the unit wouldn't have ridden a horse before joining the King's Troop, but within months after signing up they are capable of the advanced equestrian skills needed for the display. The unit is responsible for firing Royal and ceremonial salutes.

The King's Troop Royal Horse Artillery received its annual inspection at the Royal Artillery Barracks in Woolwich, London, today. The unit, on horseback, drew 1.5tonne World War One field guns during their strict routines

Many members in the unit wouldn't have ridden a horse before joining the King's Troop, but within months after signing up they are capable of the advanced equestrian skills needed for the nation's ceremonial displays

Game faces! The Troop, which moved to Woolwich from St John's Wood in 2012, formed up in the Parade Ground in front of the 18th century barracks this morning and were inspected by Major General Ben Bathurst, who decides if they are fit to perform ceremonial duties on behalf of the nation for the next 12 months

Major General Ben Bathurst (pictured) conducted the in-depth review on the boggy Barrack Field and declared the unit fit to represent the country

The huge artillery weapons have no brakes and combined with the team of six horses are approximately 54 feet long, which makes some of their intricate routines like the 'Musical Drive' all the more impressive

Attention! The unit's duties include the firing of royal salutes on royal anniversaries and state occasions, and providing a gun carriage and team of black horses for state and military funerals. The unit is most often seen providing gun salutes on state occasions in Hyde Park and Green Park

The King's Troop Royal Horse Artillery performed their Musical Drive at every Royal Tournament from its formation in 1947 to the final Royal Tournament on 2 August 1999. The Musical Drive can be seen at shows around the United Kingdom and always at the Royal Windsor Horse Show in May every year

Many of the manoeuvres of the Musical Drive have remained unchanged since it was first performed in 1897. The start, known as the Big Drive, features the Scissors, where the whole team criss-cross at gallop, displaying choreography, teamwork and discipline

After the Second World War, King George VI decided that a troop of horse artillery should be retained to take part in the great ceremonies of state

Because of the greater distance from central London, the troop can no longer ride their horses to every ceremony. Nowadays the horses are transported by vehicle to stables in central London for appearances at Hyde Park, Buckingham Palace and elsewhere

Although the King's Troop is primarily a ceremonial unit it has an operational role as part of the territorial defence of the UK

The Queen was involved in inspections last year at Hyde Park to mark 70 years since the unit was established

Before World War Two, Royal Artillery recruits were required to be at least 5 feet 4 inches tall. There were 960 artillery regiments during WWII with over one million men

The Royal Artillery Band provided musical backdrop to the colourful event earlier today while the servicemen on horseback were reviewed

Major Erica Bridge was the first female officer to command the King's Troop. The Regiment has sub-units, or batteries, which can be deployed independently and move around regiments. It is able to perform many different roles within a single regiment

They can be deployed anywhere around the world and are present at royal occasions like weddings, funerals and birthdays

Women were first admitted to the King's Troop in 1996, and today they made up one-third of the display team. Major Erica Bridge was the first female officer to command the King's Troop. The Regiment has sub-units, or batteries, which can be deployed independently and move around regiments. It is able to perform many different roles within a single regiment

The Troop carried Princess Diana's coffin and performed ceremonial duties at her public funeral in September 1997

The King's Troop Royal Horse Artillery is sometimes known as the Gunners. The regiment's motto is 'Ubique' which means 'Everywhere'guest column

Zimbabwe, the country, was not expelled from the Commonwealth. It was former President Robert Mugabe who took the decision to leave.

The people of Zimbabwe themselves never chose to leave. The bond between the people of Zimbabwe and the Commonwealth is close, spanning nearly a century. We should reunite sooner rather than later.

A cautious British Foreign Office position to wait until after "free and fair elections in July" is wrong. It would be a missed opportunity.

A meeting of Commonwealth Heads of Government in London in April will likely be the British Queen's last full gathering as its head, and every single nation in the grouping has said it will be attending. Certainly, it would have been ideal for Zimbabwe to hold an election before the country returned to the commonwealth fold. But this is a time-limited opportunity to celebrate both Gambia's return after dictatorship and the welcome transition towards democratic elections in Zimbabwe.

What we need from the UK government is a bold offer - not a list of requests of the incoming Zimbabwe administration. Attaching conditions such as free and fair elections, open trade, reduction in corruption, improvement in the ease of doing business and in human rights carries too much of a whiff of post-colonialism. There is a real danger the United Kingdom loses its influence by asking for too much, publicly.

Zimbabwe is a proud nation. President Emmerson Mnangagwa naturally does not want to be boxed in nor to be seen to go cap-in-hand to the old colonial power asking for re-entry. This explains his recent statement that he needs to consult the African Union or to consult people in all the regions of Zimbabwe ahead of deciding whether to push for re-entry. He does not want to look weak.

A strong president can be bolder and go into the election in the knowledge that acting like former Russian President Mikhail Gorbachev and making the change will be electorally successful as well as being the right thing to do. The opposition to Zanu-PF consists of fragmented opponents of Mugabe prepared to back Mnangagwa, despite his chequered past as a security chief for Zanu-PF.

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When I was appointed as a Foreign Office Minister in 2014, a sage told me there were no easy decisions, just the best decisions. Early entry to the Commonwealth is a great prize for Zimbabwe, but it's a gain also for the UK, who should look to displace Chinese, Russian and Israeli influence.

Zimbabwe has massive potential. It could develop into a leader of sub-Saharan Africa and could facilitate the elimination of poverty in surrounding countries.

Being close to Zimbabwe is the right thing and the most financially beneficial approach to a UK government that would be wise to look to Africa as a long-term growth market in a Brexit world. With its wildlife, its status as net exporter and its solid infrastructure up to the 1990s, there is good reason the country was once called the bread basket of Africa.

The winds of change are blowing in Southern Africa, as Mugabe and Zuma move on. Democracy is rising. The UK needs to make a bold and broad and unconditional offer to our old friends in the Commonwealth.

James Duddridge is a Member of Parliament of the United Kingdom and served as its Minister for Africa from 2014 to 2016Arnold Schwarzenegger has claimed that he has plans to sue big oil companies for allegedly killing people.

The former California governor said in an interview with Politico's Off Message podcast that he is speaking with private law firms over the matter.

'This is no different from the smoking issue. The tobacco industry knew for years and years and years and decades that smoking would kill people, would harm people and create cancer, and were hiding that fact from the people and denied it,' he said.

Arnold Schwarzenegger (pictured at the SXSW festival in Texas) has claimed that he has plans to sue big oil companies for allegedly killing people

Schwarzenegger, who went from the Terminator to a global environmental activist, continued: 'Then eventually they were taken to court and had to pay hundreds of millions of dollars because of that.'

The former actor claims that oil companies 'knew from 1959 on, they did their own study that there would be global warming happening because of fossil fuels, and on top of it that it would be risky for people's lives, that it would kill'.

'It's absolutely irresponsible to know that your product is killing people and not have a warning label on it, like tobacco,' he told Politico.

'Every gas station on it, every car should have a warning label on it, every product that has fossil fuels should have a warning label on it.'

Schwarzenegger accused of the oil companies of first-degree murder.

Schwarzenegger, who went from the Terminator to a global environmental activist, said he's not sure when the suit will be filed but he's been speaking with private firms

'If you walk into a room and you know you're going to kill someone, it's first-degree murder. I think it's the same thing with the oil companies.'

Schwarzenegger said he's not sure when the lawsuit will be filed but the news comes as he prepares to help host an environmental conference in May in Vienna.

The actor was attending the SXSW in Texas when he made the comments.

During the interview, Schwarzenegger also addressed President Donald Trump.

'I never know really why the Russians make him say certain things,' Schwarzenegger said.

'It's beyond me. Why do you think he says those things? He's supposed to be very busy,' he added.

Schwarzenegger has often been critical of Trump, who has also mocked the actor for being fired over his 'pathetic ratings' in The Apprentice last year.

He even cracked a joke during his interview while he was talking about his return to the big screen for Terminator 6.

'The T-800 model that I play, hes traveling back in time to 2019 to get Trump out of prison,' Schwarzenegger joked.

Schwarzenegger is set to begin filming for Terminator 6 in June. The movie will hit theaters next year.The White House broke a week-long silence to condemn the chemical attack on a former Russian spy in an English town, but refused to even mention Moscow.

Prime Minister Theresa May told the Commons this afternoon that analysis of the nerve agent used in the attack on Sergei Skripal and his daughter in Salisbury shows that it was from a group known as novichok.

Following a meeting of the Government's National Security Council, Mrs May told MPs: 'It is now clear that Mr Skripal and his daughter were poisoned with a military-grade nerve agent of a type developed by Russia.'

But after being pressed by reporters, Donald Trump's press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders repeatedly refused to be drawn on Russian involvement.

White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders walks off of the stage at the end of the daily briefing at the White House in Washington, Monday, March 12, 2018. She refused to say Russia was behind the attack in Salisbury

Prime Minister Theresa May told the Commons this afternoon that analysis of the nerve agent used in the attack on Sergei Skripal and his daughter in Salisbury shows that it was from a group known as novichok

Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia (pictured in Zizzi in 2016) left a trail of nerve agent in the restaurant after their poisoning

Sanders described the attack 'an outrage', and said: 'The use of a highly lethal nerve agent against UK citizens on UK soil is an outrage.

'The attack was reckless, indiscriminate and irresponsible.'

Sanders stopped short of pointing the finger of blame at Moscow, as Theresa May did earlier in parliament.

When asked by a reporter, 'So, you're not saying Russia was behind this?', Trump's spokeswoman said: 'Right not we're standing with our UK allies.'

Brian Klass, a fellow at the The Department of Government at the London School of Economics and Political Science, slammed the White House for its soft stance.

He said Trump had criticised Meryl Streep more than Putin during his Presidency.

Mr Klass said: 'Trump has praised Putin repeatedly.

'On the other hand, he attacked the Mayor of London in the aftermath of a terror attack, retweeted British neo-fascists who are now in prison, and plans to impose tariffs on Britain. He has stood with Americas adversaries, not our allies.

President Vladimir Putin in a greenhouse at Pavel Lukyanenko National Centre for Grain. Theresa May did not hold any punches when she blasted Moscow's involvement

'Absolutely sickening to think of how much Britain has sacrificed to have Americas back in global affairs only to be treated like this, while the White House continues to block sanctions on Russia and Trump acts as Putins Apologist-in-Chief.

'America is far weaker without allies.

'There just isnt a credible and innocent explanation as to why Trumps White House defends Putin consistently and refuses to critique the Kremlin even when Russia attacks American democracy and attacks our allies.

'The long-term consequences of this will be severe.'

US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson was far more committal.

Having talked to Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson yesterday, Tillerson said: 'We have full confidence in the UK's investigation and its assessment that Russia was likely responsible for the nerve agent attack that took place in Salisbury last week.

'There is never a justification for this type of attack - the attempted murder of a private citizen on the soil of a sovereign nation - and we are outraged that Russia appears to have again engaged in such behaviour.

'From Ukraine to Syria - and now the UK - Russia continues to be an irresponsible force of instability in the world, acting with open disregard for the sovereignty of other states and the life of their citizens.

'We agree that those responsible - both those who committed the crime and those who ordered it - must face appropriately serious consequences.

'We stand in solidarity with our allies in the United Kingdom and will continue to coordinate closely our responses.'

Prime Minister Theresa May was also far more bullish in the Houses of Commons today, and said the substance was 'part of a group of nerve agents known as novichok'.

She added: 'Based on the positive identification of this chemical agent by world-leading experts at the Defence, Science and Technology Laboratory at Porton Down, our knowledge that Russia has previously produced this agent and would still be capable of doing so, Russia's record of conducting state-sponsored assassinations and our assessment that Russia views some defectors as legitimate targets for assassinations, the Government has concluded that it is highly likely that Russia was responsible for the act against Sergei and Yulia Skripal.

'This attempted murder using a weapons-grade nerve agent in a British town was not just a crime against the Skripals.

'It was an indiscriminate and reckless act against the United Kingdom, putting the lives of innocent civilians at risk.

'And we will not tolerate such a brazen attempt to murder innocent civilians on our soil.'

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn said: 'We need to continue seeking a robust dialogue with Russia on all the issues dividing our countries, both domestic and international - rather than simply cutting off contact and simply letting tensions and divisions get worse, and potentially even more dangerous.'

He faced shouts of 'shame' and 'disgrace' from Conservative MPs as he told the Commons: 'We're all familiar with the way huge fortunes, often acquired in the most dubious circumstances in Russia, sometimes connected with criminal elements, have ended up sheltering in London and trying to buy political influence in British party politics.

'Meddling in elections, as the Prime Minister put it, and there has been over 800,000 worth of donations to the Conservative Party from Russian oligarchs and their associates.'

Home Secretary Amber Rudd is to chair a meeting of the Governments Cobra emergencies committee in Whitehall at 11.30am on Tuesday to discuss the latest developments in the Salisbury nerve agent investigation.

Locals have said chemical weapons experts are removing a potentially contaminated vehicle from a local business

The investigation into the poisoning has led to a series of locations around Salisbury being sealed off and decontaminated

Mr Corbyn went on: 'If that is the evidence before the Government, even before the investigation in Salisbury is complete, the Government could be taking action to introduce new financial sanctions powers.

'But instead they're currently resisting Labour's amendments to the Sanctions and Anti-Money Laundering Bill, which could introduce the so-called Magnitsky powers - so will the Prime Minister agree today to back those amendments to the Sanctions and Anti-Money Laundering Bill?"

Speaker John Bercow had to intervene to calm MPs, with several on the Conservative benches shouting loudly at Mr Corbyn for his remarks.

Moscow on rejected Theresa May's statement, calling it a part of an 'information and political campaign based on provocation'.

Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakarova said: 'This is a circus show in the British parliament," she added.

'Rather than think up new fairytales, maybe someone in the kingdom could explain how the previous ones ended up - about Litvinenko, Berezovsky, Perepilichnyy and many others who have mysteriously died on British soil.'

Former spy Alexander Litvinenko, oligarch Boris Berezovsky and whistleblower Alexander Perepilichnyy all died in the UK in recent years.

The Kremlin has long rejected any involvement in their deaths, despite a British judge concluding Russian President Vladimir Putin likely approved Litvinenko's killing.

May on Monday pointed the finger at Russia for trying to kill Sergei Skripal, who sold secrets to Britain and later moved there in a 2010 spy swap.

But she stopped short of announcing retaliatory measures against Moscow and instead gave the Kremlin until the end of Tuesday to explain a nerve agents programme allegedly involved.Tory MP James Cleverly has slammed supermarket Tesco for 'cynical' packaging.

The MP for Braintree in Essex shared a photo on Twitter of a packet of beef short ribs from the grocery giant.

He wrote 'Hey @Tesco I think this packaging is a bit cynical. If there is a good reason for that big gap I'm happy to hear it' and shared a picture where a label covered a gap between two pieces of meat.

Tory MP James Cleverly has slammed supermarket Tesco for 'cynical' packaging

The MP for Braintree shared a photo on Twitter of his beef short rib from the grocery giant

The supermarket chain replied to the tweet saying 'The price and weight of a product are always clearly labelled on the packaging. With this product, there needs to be a gap between each piece to ensure that a proper seal occurs to guarantee freshness and quality.'

They added they were aiming to make 'all packaging recyclable or compostable by 2025'.

However, the Conservative Deputy Chairman questioned another product, a cod loin, that also had a label covering a section where some would assume more food would appear.

He responded saying 'Keep up the work to remove single use plastics from you packaging, happy to support moves in this direction.

But you definitely need to rethink your label placement policy.'

Some social media users replied to the politician telling him to visit a local butcher instead of a multi-nation chain.

The Conservative Deputy Chair criticised the supermarket chain for 'cynical' packaging

He also shared pictures of cod loin with deceptive packaging

He also shared pictures of cod loin with deceptive packaging with a label covering no fish

A Tesco spokesperson told MailOnline: 'The price and weight of a product are always clearly labelled on the packaging.

'With this product, due to the thickness of the ribs, there needs to be a gap between each piece to ensure that a proper seal occurs to guarantee freshness and quality.

'However, we have contacted our supplier partners and will review the approach, including placing the label on the left in the future.'

The chain is not the first supermarket to come under fire for excessive packaging.

In January, Marks & Spencer stopped selling its controversial 'cauliflower steak' after attracting ridicule from consumers who called it 'wasteful' and 'ridiculous'.

In the same month, Iceland became the first supermarket in the world to pledge to remove plastic packaging from all of its own-label products.A Texas doctor who was arrested on murder charges for shooting dead a couple in front of their three children told police he believed the victims were Russian mobsters who were planning to kill his mother as payback for his financial sleuthing.

Dr Robert Fadal II, 56, was arrested on February 25 at his gated family compound Seguin after reportedly declaring to emergency responders that 'he had killed two innocent people,' identified as 27-year-old Anthony and his wife, 30-year-old Tiffany Strait.

The couple were helping Fadal's mother, who was their neighbor, move some furniture in their GMC Sierra when police said her son shot the husband and wife from a balcony as their sons, ages 7, 9 and 10, looked on.

Conspiracy theory: A Texas doctor charged with murder for shooting dead Anthony and Tiffany Strait (pictured) said he believed the pair were Russian mobsters

Dr. Robert Fadal II told police he feared for his life, having cracked a global financial conspiracy. Police suspected he was high on drugs

According to Fadal, the Straits had arrived at his mother's home on February 25 planning to kill her as payback for his financial sleuthing

According to an arrest affidavit cited by the San Antonio Express-News, when it came time for questioning, Dr Fadal seemed paranoid and refused to speak in the presence of any radios, internet-equipped devices and even clocks.

He stated that he was in fear for his life, having infiltrated an international monetary conspiracy, according to the affidavit.

When the conversation turned to the killings, Fadal said he believed the people in the 2005 GMC Sierra had arrived at his mother's home to kill her in retaliation for his infiltration.

Fadal told police he had been receiving threats online since he had investigated manipulations of the stock market.

Anthony's family believe Fadal has concocted the wild tale hoping to eventually mount an insanity defense

The deputy who composed the affidavit wrote: 'Based on my training and experience, people who commit this kind of act for no apparent reason are under the influence of some sort of substance.'

Investigators speculated that Fadal was possibly high on methamphetamine or prescription pills at the time of the shootings. A blood sample was taken from the suspect, but the results of the test have not been made public.

A search of the Fadal home yielded a shotgun, two pistols and a rifle that was the suspected murder weapon. Police also recovered computers, a handwritten note and a notebook.

Anthony Strait's mother, Xiomara Strait, and his stepfather have dismissed Fadal's talk of Russian mafia and global conspiracies as a ploy to avoid taking legal responsibility for a double murder.

Hes trying to pull an insanity defense, said the mothers husband, Fred Zajonczkoski.

The slain couples family said Fadal was familiar with Anthony and Tiffanys vehicle because they had visited the familys property on many occasions.

Anthony died at the scene while his wife was rushed to Guadalupe Regional Medical Center, where she later died.

Fadal was taken into custody on a charge of capital murder of multiple persons. He is being held on $2million bail at the Guadalupe County Jail.

Investigators still don't know what prompted the double murder.

'At this time, there are no indications there was a feud, disturbance, or anything precipitating or justifying the shooting,' Lt. Craig Jones, Guadalupe County Sheriff's Office spokesman, told MySanAntonio.com.

Jones said police had been called to the Fadal family's gated compound, where Dr. Fadal also has his general medical practice, before but never for 'serious' crimes.

A sign outside the compound reads: 'Peace, love, health and happiness to all who enter here.'

The couple were helping Fadal's mother on the family's gated compound around 11:40am when they were shot dead

The Strait's three sons were present and witnessed the whole thing. They are now in the care of family members

A sign outside the Fadal's gated family compound reads: 'Peace, love, health and happiness to all who enter here.'

'In cases like this, where we don't always understand the why of what goes on in our communities, it's a reminder that evil exists out there,' Jones said.

The Straits and the Fadals had lived in the neighborhood for years and knew each other well.

'These people are friends of the family,' Anthony's brother James Strait told KSAT. 'I mean, they're not people that are violent or angry toward us. We've done stuff for these people. I mean, I'm not angry at these people.'

James said he was baffled as to why Fadal would want to kill his brother and his sister-in-law.

'If he sees this, I mean, I want to know. Just tell me. I just want to know why,' James said.

James said his brother and Tiffany married about a year ago after several years of dating. She had three sons from a previous relationship and her new husband was raising them as his own.

A joint Facebook page for the couple shows they ran Strait 'A' Landscaping together.

According to HealthGrades.com, Fadal has been practicing family medicine for 28 years and is a graduate of the University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio. his license was temporarily suspended on March 1.

He is divorced with two daughters. His past record included traffic violations.

A GoFundMe has been started to raise money for the couple's orphaned children, who are now living with family.A Virginia minister was badly beaten and his wife killed by two masked intruders during a robbery and home invasion-turned-arson.

John Alford  a pastor at Sanford Memorial Baptist Church in Brodnax, Virginia  and his wife, Nancy, arrived at their Littlefield, North Carolina home on Friday at about 9am, to find masked intruders inside, according to authorities.

One of the intruders forced Nancy, 76, a Sunday school teacher, to exit the house and then drove her to the bank, where he then made her withdraw about $1,000 from the ATM, police told WNCN.

Nancy Alford, 76, was killed in a home invasion-turned-arson attack. Her husband, John, was badly beaten, but managed to escape from the home while the house was on fire

Upon their return to the Alfords' home, the intruders then beat up John, tying husband and wife together before setting the house on fire and leaving the scene.

John was able to escape from the burning house. Neighbors who found him had to forcibly prevent him from going back inside to attempt to rescue Nancy.

'He was all swollen up. He was bleeding from his nose,' Shelley Thompson told WRAL.

Police were alerted to the scene about an hour and a half after the home invasion began.

Nancy and John arrived home on Friday morning and were surprised by masked intruders. They forced Nancy to withdraw money from an ATM, before beating John up and tying them together. They then set the house on fire, before stealing the couple's car

The Alfords' home, which they lived in for 40 years, was completely destroyed in the fire

John was airlifted to a hospital for treatment, but Nancy died in the blaze, which burned their home to the ground.

John was said to be in stable condition on Sunday, but would need skin grafts due to the second-degree burns, sustained in the fire, church officials told WRAL.

Police said the Alfords' grey 2010 Mercedes-Benz was stolen by the intruders. It has not yet been located.

Descriptions of the suspects have not been released yet.

Nancy had taught Sunday school for the past 17 years and the couple was said to have lived in the home for 40 years.This is the shocking moment a gang of thugs push a helpless cyclist into a ditch.

Footage shows the three men pull up alongside the bike before one leans out of the window and shoves him sideways, knocking him off balance.

As the cyclist loses control and disappears into a hedge, the driver and his passengers can be heard laughing hysterically.

The video appears to be filmed by a passenger sitting in the back of the car.

Since being posted to Facebook it has been viewed more than 4,000 times.

The footage was captured on a country lane, but it is not clear exactly where in the UK.

At the beginning of the clip, the car speeds along the road and the engine can be heard revving.

This is the shocking moment a gang of thugs push a helpless cyclist into a ditch on a country lane in the UK

Footage shows the three men pull up alongside the bike before one leans out of the window and shoves him sideways, knocking him off balance

The passenger then says: 'Get close to him and I'll knock him right in the hedge. Slow down to his speed.'

Zooming up beside the passenger, the car comes dangerously close to knocking him down with the wing mirror.

As the cyclist loses control and disappears into a hedge, the driver and his passengers can be heard laughing hysterically

It is then that the passenger wrenches himself through the window and uses both hands to push the cyclist.

Unprepared for the shocking assault, the rider ends up veering off the road.A white former Connecticut university student accused of smearing body fluids on her black roommate's belongings has been allowed into a probation program.

A state judge in Hartford on Monday granted 18-year-old Brianna Brochu's request for accelerated rehabilitation that could result in criminal charges being erased from her record.

Misdemeanor criminal mischief and breach of peace charges will be erased if she successfully completes two years of probation and 200 hours of community service.

Police said the former University of Hartford student wrote on Instagram in October about rubbing used tampons on her roommate's backpack and putting her roommate's toothbrush 'where the sun doesn't shine.'

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Brianna Brochu, the former University of Hartford student accused of harassing her roommate by smearing bodily fluid on the roommate's backpack and tampering with other items, cries in court Monday, March 12, 2018 in Hartford

Chennel 'Jazzy' Rowe, Brochu's former college roommate, speaks at Brochu's hearing in Superior Court in Hartford on Monday

Rowe said that she did not oppose Brochu's request for accelerated rehabilitation. She is seen above leading the courtroom

Outside of Superior Court in Hartford, Rowe (at center left) joins a prayer circle with local clergy and NAACP members following Brochu's hearing, where Brochu received accelerated rehabilitation

She also called her roommate 'Jamaican Barbie,' and wrote that she put moldy clam dip in her roommate's lotions and spit in her coconut oil, police said.

Her roommate, Chennel Rowe, said she developed throat pain.

Rowe attended the court hearing and did not oppose the probation program request Monday, saying she hoped Brochu would 'change her ways.'

Civil rights advocates called for hate crime charges. State NAACP President Scot X. Esdaile called it 'blatant racism,' but Hartford State's Attorney Gail Hardy said there was no evidence of hate crimes.

Brochu (right) had been trying to force her roommate Rowe (left) out of their shared dorm

Brochu boasted about how she tormented her roommate on Instagram after she moved out and referred to her as 'Jamaican Barbie'

Brochu was expelled from the university after being arrested. Her lawyer has said that the abuse was not racially motivated

Brochu's attorney, Tom Stevens, has said Brochu and Rowe had a falling out and Brochu's actions were not racially motivated.

Both women had asked school officials for a change in roommates.

Stevens apologized on Brochu's behalf Monday. He said Brochu wanted to apologize sooner, but he advised her not to because of a potential civil lawsuit.

Brochu, of Harwinton, had told police her actions were in retaliation for Rowe's 'rude behavior' and Rowe posting videos of her sleeping and making fun of her snoring.

Brochu also told authorities that she did put tampon blood on Rowe's backpack and licked Rowe's plate, fork and spoon, but denied doing anything else.

She said she lied in the Instagram post in an attempt to 'appear funny,' a police report said.

Rowe (above documenting how Brochu tormented her in a Facebook video) is accused of starting the feud by posting a video of Brochu snoring on SnapchatA sixth grade boy has committed suicide after enduring years of bullying.

Andrew Michael Leach, 12, left a suicide note and hung himself last Tuesday at his family's home in Southaven, Mississippi, a suburb of Memphis that is just over the state line from Tennessee.

His 16-year-old brother found the body, family members said.

Andrew's mother Cheryl Hudson told WREG that bullying was rampant at Andrew's school, Southaven Middle, where she said both sons had been cruelly tormented.

Andrew Michael Leach, 12,committed suicide last Tuesday in Southaven, Mississippi

The 12-year-old boy had endured years of bullying from his classmates at school, family said

'From what we are hearing, there was a group of kids that would go around calling him fat, ugly and worthless,' the grieving mother said.

Asked if she'd ever approached school administrators about the bullying issue, Hudson told the station: 'I only spoke with the school's 6th grade principal. I didn't know how to handle it. His dad did talk to a teacher one time.'

She said it was not the first such instance at the school.

'A few years ago there was a young girl who hung herself from a water tower due to bullying,' she said. 'There have been several attempts since then with other kids.'

A memorial display for Andrew is seen at his funeral over the weekend

Family and friends gathered to mourn as the Mississippi boy was buried over the weekend

A GoFundMe campaign to fund funeral expenses for Andrew has already raised over $9,000.

Between one quarter and one third of US students say they have been victims of bullying.

Suicide is the third leading cause of death for Americans ages 10 to 14, and the second leading cause among those 15 to 24.

For confidential support call the National Suicide Prevention Line: 1-800-273-8255The Russian whistleblower who exposed the country's secret chemical weapons programme has revealed the horrific torturous effect of the Novichok nerve agents on their victims.

Vil Mirzayanov described the use of the lethal toxins as a 'brazen' attack by Vladimir Putin, who 'thinks he can use everything to kill enemies'.

Mr Mirzayanov says a large dose of Novichok 'paralyses' victims before 'it causes convulsions, you can't breathe and after that you die'.

The exiled scientist shocked the world in 1992 when he revealed that promises by the Soviet Union to reduce its chemical weapon stockpiles were hollow.

He worked in the top-secret Moscow laboratory where a new generation of even more potent poisons was being perfected.

These gruesome chemical weapons, named 'Novichok' after the Russian for 'newcomer', were designed to be even more lethal than VX or sarin.

Vil Mirzayanov (pictured) described the use of the lethal toxins as a 'brazen' attack by Vladimir Putin, who 'thinks he can use everything to kill enemies'

Soldiers wearing protective suits work at a site in Winterslow, near Salisbury, where a former Russian spy was attacked with a nerve agent

The investigation into the poisoning has led to a series of locations around Salisbury being sealed off and decontaminated

At the time, one former top Soviet military adviser described them as 'political weapons', adding: 'They have a powerful moral and psychological effect.'

Shockingly, they can be created from common, unrestricted and undetectable industrial and agricultural chemicals available worldwide.

As a result, weapons inspectors fear other rogue nations, including Syria and North Korea, could have their own lethal stockpiles of the powerful nerve agents.

Speaking from his home in New Jersey last night, Mr Mirzayanov, 83, described the top-secret laboratory as a 'criminal enterprise'.

Vil Mirzayanov described the use of the lethal toxins as a 'brazen' attack by Vladimir Putin (pictured), who 'thinks he can use everything to kill enemies'

'It's a brazen attack,' he said. 'Putin thinks he can use everything to kill enemies. They don't tolerate any opponents.

'They should be punished. It's an open demonstration of this Russian terrorism.

'The Russian government is telling people who are thinking about revealing more secrets that they can expect the same fate.'

Asked how the nerve agent works, he added: 'It's for paralysing people, it causes you convulsions and you can't breathe and after that you die. If you get enough of a dose of it.

'It's real torture, it's impossible to imagine. Even in low doses the pain can go on for weeks. You cannot imagine the horror, it's so bad.'

The Novichok family of nerve agents were secretly developed over two decades at a research facility 50 miles outside the Russian capital.

Many times more potent than other better known chemical weapons, Novichok agents can render gas masks and protective equipment useless.

Sometimes described as 'gases' they are in fact liquid, intended to be delivered as a fine spray.

A series of poisons, known as Novichok 5, 7, 8 and 9 to identify them, were produced amid conditions of complete secrecy.

They all kill the same way. By inhibiting enzymes that control nerve receptors in the brain.

One expert said victims simply 'forget to breathe'. A tiny drop, almost undetectable, placed on the skin or inhaled can cause death within minutes.

Describing his work, Mr Mirzayanov said: 'They were normal laboratories, they were not underground or anything. They were testing and developing.

'There were around 1,000 people working on this, it was a big deal. You have to test it on animals and after that you have to study the chemical properties... so many laboratories were involved.'

In 1987, one physicist at the laboratory was saved despite being exposed to the chemical when a ventilator stopped working. Witnesses described how he staggered out of the room, describing seeing bright hallucinations before collapsing and being rushed to hospital by the KGB. He was left with permanent injuries after being critically ill for ten days and unable to walk for six months.

Anti-terror police also took over a Sainsbury's car park in Salisbury as part of the rapidly expanding chemical attack probe

Last night experts described nerve agents such as Novichok as second only to the 'atom bomb' as the most deadly weapons ever made. They said that because the ingredients were so common, the poison was ideal for use in an assassination, as well as a weapon of mass destruction.

Pharmacology expert Professor Gary Stephens said: 'This is a more dangerous and sophisticated agent than sarin or VX and is harder to identify. It causes a slowing of the heart and restriction of the airways, leading to death by asphyxiation.

'One of the main reasons these agents are developed is because their component parts are not on the banned list. It means the chemicals that are mixed to create it are much easier to deliver with no risk to the health of the courier.'

Professor Robert Stockman, of the University of Nottingham, said traces of nerve agents did not linger. He added: 'These agents react with water to degrade, including moisture in the air, and so in the UK they would have a very limited lifetime. This is presumably why the street in Salisbury was being hosed down as a precaution  it would effectively destroy the agent.'

Russia went into denial early today, with a former FSB chief claiming scientists at Porton Down had poisoned ex-spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia.

A top Moscow chemical weapons expert echoed the charge while also alleging nerve agent novichok did not exist.

Moscow was scrambling today to respond to Theresa May's demand for an explanation for the Salisbury attack by midnight.

In an extraordinary blast, Vladimir Putin's predecessor as FSB secret service chief Nikolay Kovalyov claimed Porton Down government laboratory - which identified Russian-made novichok as the agent that poisoned the Skripals - was likely to have been behind the attack.

'There is a laboratory (near Salisbury), which is famous all over the world,' he dismissively told Britain.

'Check if anything leaked from there.'

Sergei Skripal (left) and his daughter Yulia (right) have been in a critical condition since they were found unconscious on a bench outside a shopping centre in Salisbury on March 4

Meanwhile, chemical weapons scientist Dr Anton Utkin - a former UN inspector in Iraq - denied the existence of novichok, and echoed the claim that Britain maybe responsible for the poisoning.

He led the destruction of chemical weapons in Russia.

'I was dealing with elimination of Russian chemical weapons and with all the responsibility I can say that we have never had a weapon under this name,' he said.

Actually, it is very strange that British experts have found out the formula of this 'super secret' poison nobody knows about.

'It is not clear either how they managed to determine that it was produced in Russia.

'If you know the technology, it is not possible to find out who made a chemical weapon  if the method is the same, the formulas of the substances will be identical.

'So this news only provokes more questions.'

Utkin said the West had earlier made a 'toxic noise' about Russia's alleged use of chemical weapons in Syria.

'And now right in the heart of Great Britain this traitor is killed with a neuroparalytic substance.

'All this happens at a very convenient time  before the Russian presidential election and World Cup.

'If I were British, I would not blame Russians but check my own security systems first.

'Something strange is happening there  it is not the first time when criminals are walking around the country with highly toxic and radioactive substances and the secret services have no idea about it.'

Branding the attack a 'reckless and despicable act' last night, Mrs May said the substance used was a 'military grade' nerve agent Russia has produced

Dr Utkin has worked for the State Scientific Research Institute of Organic Chemistry and Technology which is suspected of being behind the development of novichik starting in 1973.

Kovalyov, now an MP, said the accusations by May were a 'provocation' against Russia.

There was no sense for Russia seek to kill a spy convicted 12 years ago when the publicity would damage the campaign for the presidential election, he said.

'Just be logical. There is no logic here,' he said.

'England is turning into a dangerous country,' he said.

'If I were to speak for the Ministry for Foreign affairs, I would have issued a statement that would not recommend our spies and traitors to live there because it is dangerous to these citizens,' he said.

'The chain is already rather long.'

He complained that Britain along with the US and Ukraine see Russian as 'guilty a priori - the Russophobic mood is extreme, all politicians are pursuing their careers with the help of these tendencies.'

The incident was timed to harm Putin in Sunday's election - 'this is the purpose of this provocation', he said.

Skripal 'was not dangerous for Russia.

'He could have told about methods of recruiting but those were from 20 years ago.

'Just look, by the way, how England treats people who gambled everything they had in order to work (for the British).

Skirpal 'lived in some tiny rustic town, with no good job, no proper accommodation.

'Everything around him is so poor, and they threw him a bone from time to time. Nothing to envy.

'And finally, the risk of being killed, poisoned, hanged.

'To imagine that a group of Russian spies is walking around and poisoning traitors at in England, is ridiculous.

'In all other countries they live happily.'

Kovalyev headed the FSB until he was succeeded by Putin in 1998.Theresa May could order a cyber attack against Russia in retaliation for the attack after examining her diplomatic, economic and military options.

She will decide on a range of sanctions over the next 24 hours after urgent talks with Nato, the United Nations, EU and US.

The Prime Minister will also draw up a secret package of measures against Russia which will never be revealed.

This could include targeting the Kremlins propaganda machine. Whitehall sources said yesterday they were accelerating their offensive cyber programme and could hit select targets for a specific effect.

Theresa May could order a cyber attack against Russia in retaliation for the attack after examining her diplomatic, economic and military options

It is understood this could see a specialist cyber unit deployed in the UK to attack Kremlin computer networks spewing Russian propaganda and trolling factories spreading fake news.

Last night it also emerged that high-level talks were underway in the Ministry of Defence amid an urgent review of Britains ability to respond to chemical and biological attacks.

Other options for Mrs May include unilateral action, such as expelling diplomats, to collective longer-term moves like beefing up Nato defences on its eastern flank.

The UN could accuse Russia of breaching international law, which would shame Vladimir Putin in front of the world.

Ofcom could also revoke the broadcasting licence of RT (formerly Russia Today), which critics accuse of acting as a mouthpiece for the Putin regime.

Last night the media watchdog said it would consider the implications after the Prime Ministers update tomorrow.

Britain could also cancel visas for Kremlin-linked oligarchs and freeze assets.

Ofcom could also revoke the broadcasting licence of RT (formerly Russia Today), which critics accuse of acting as a mouthpiece for the Putin regime

Another option is for the Government to implement a British version of the USs Magnitsky Act, which lists Russians involved in corruption and human rights abuses, banning them from entering the country. There could be fresh sanctions against senior figures in the Putin regime, either with the EU or unilaterally.

General Sir Chris Deverell, commander of Joint Forces Command, has revealed how the UK has a specialist unit which is dedicated to offensive cyber run jointly by the MoD and GCHQ.

So far it has worked on Islamic State but this could be expanded towards Russia.

In an interview with the Mail last week, he said the military could hit back at disinformation spread by Russian trolling factories. He said: There are two ways you could respond. One is putting your own messages out to compete with the messages that actors like that are sending. And the other is with a cyber-attack.

Whether or not you could use cyber as a weapon would depend upon the specific circumstances and the law. He said that there was a specific capability in which troops tackle mistruths spread by enemies.Kim Dong Chul, a Korean-American missionary formerly of Fairfax, Virginia and thought to be 62, was sentenced in March 2016 to 10 years of hard labor for subversion.

He admitted to committing 'unpardonable espionage' under the direction of the U.S. and South Korean governments and deeply apologized for his crimes, the Norths KCNA news agency said.

Other Americans taken captive by North Korea have said after their release they were forced into making confessions.

In an interview with CNN conducted in Pyongyang in January 2016, Kim said he was arrested in October 2015 after spying on behalf of what he called 'South Korean conservative elements' who approached him while he was working at a trading business in Rason, a city in northern North Korea near the Chinese border.

A North Korean defector later said she had met Kim in the United States and that he had told church gatherings he was a missionary helping North Koreans.

Kim Sang-duk, also known as Tony Kim, spent a month teaching accounting at the foreign-funded Pyongyang University of Science and Technology (PUST) before he was detained at Pyongyang International Airport in April 2017 while trying to leave the country.

The university's chancellor said the arrest was not connected to PUST and that Kim, 59, had been involved with other activities, including helping an orphanage.

North Korean state media reported that he was arrested for committing 'hostile acts' against the government.

Kim Hak Song, thought to be 55, also taught at PUST, which was founded by evangelical Christians and opened in 2010.

The university's co-founder said that Kim, who managed the school's experimental farm at the college of agriculture and life sciences, was detained in May while traveling on a train from Pyongyang to the Chinese border town of Dandong.

In February 2015, Kim wrote in a fundraising post on the website of a Korean-Brazilian church that he was a Christian missionary devoted to helping North Korea's people learn to be self-sufficient. North Korean state media said he also was arrested on suspicion of committing 'hostile acts' against the government.Scientists have uncovered how a small band of early modern humans survived the eruption of an apocalyptic supervolcano that nearly wiped out our species 74,000 years ago.

Shards of glass left by the Toba volcano - which plunged Earth into a decade-long volcanic winter - show humans sought shelter along the coast of southern Africa.

These food-rich areas averted the destruction, with the ocean providing a refuge that allowed humans to thrive, researchers found.

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Scientists have uncovered how a small band of early humans survived the eruption of an apocalyptic supervolcano 74,000 years ago. Tiny shards of glass (pictured) left by the Toba volcano show humans sought shelter along the coast of southern Africa

The scientists, from Arizona State University in Tempe, said that while 'terrestrial' groups further in-land were hit hard by the supervolcano, those in coastal areas were not.

Study lead author Professor Curtis Marean told MailOnline: 'These were early modern humans using a hunting and gathering lifestyle.

'A typical social group would be 20-30 people. Population size is tough to estimate but maybe a few hundred on the coast spread widely.

'Our analysis shows that human occupation continued through the eruption event, and actually intensified in one region.

'We suggest terrestrial resources may have been adversely affected by the eruption, while coastal resources were not, making [southern Africa] a coastal refuge.'

The Toba super-eruption was the biggest volcanic blast on Earth within the past 2.5 million years when it blew its top on what is now the Indonesian island of Sumatra.

Researchers excavating ancient glass shards from rock in South Africa (pictured) suggest the food-rich areas of the country's southern coast averted the destruction of the Toba eruption, with the ocean providing a refuge that allowed humans to thrive

The Toba super-eruption (yellow dot, right) spread hot ash around the globe. This solidified into glass as it cooled in the atmosphere (white dots show shard sites of previous studied, sites PP5-6 and VVB show shards found in new study)

WHAT WAS THE TOBA CATASTROPHE? The Toba super-eruption was the biggest volcanic blast on Earth within the past 2.5 million years. It blew its top on what is now the Indonesian island of Sumatra around 74,000 years ago. The volcano fired out some 720 cubic miles (3,000 cubic km) of rock and ash which spread across the globe. Some scientists believe the eruption blotted out the sky, bringing with it a volcanic winter that lasted a decade. The event was so massive all that is left of the mountain is the enormous Lake Toba (pictured), which stretches 62 miles (100 kilometres) long, 19 miles (30 km) wide, and up to 1,657 feet (505 metres) deep An eruption a hundred times smaller than Mount Toba - that of Mount Tambora, also in Indonesia, in 1815 - is thought to have brought a year without summer in 1816. Toba's eruption devastated life on Earth because its thick cloud of ash blocked out the sun, killing off much of the planet's plantlife. The event was so massive all that is left of the mountain is the enormous Lake Toba, which stretches 62 miles (100 kilometres) long, 19 miles (30 km) wide, and up to 1,657 feet (505 metres) deep. Advertisement

The volcano fired out some 720 cubic miles (3,000 cubic km) of rock and ash which spread across the globe, bringing with it a volcanic winter that lasted a decade.

Toba's eruption 74,000 years ago devastated life on Earth because its thick cloud of ash blocked out the sun, killing off much of the planet's plantlife.

To investigate how the event affected humans, the Arizona State researchers studied two early archaeological sites on South Africa's southern coast.

The team found that sediments at two sites contain microscopic glass deposits left by an ancient volcanic eruption

The sites, Vleesbaai and Pinnacle Point, have been dated to the time of the Toba eruption and represent an open-air activity site and a home-base rock shelter respectively.

Professor Marean told MailOnline: 'Rockshelters and caves are sites where people slept, cooked their meals, and told stories around the fire. They are their home.

'Open air sites are where they collected plant foods, killed animals, and found raw materials to make their tools. We want to see both ends of their lifeways.'

The team found that sediments at both sites contain microscopic glass deposits left by an ancient volcanic eruption.

The team found that sediments at both sites contain microscopic glass deposits left by Toba. They used laser beam-based analysis to measure their chemical signatures. Glass shards from Mount Toba were discovered at the PP5-6 location (pictured)

They used laser beam-based analysis to measure their chemical signature, finding that the so-called 'cryptotephra' shards were created in the Toba eruption.

This is the first time such deposits have been successfully identified so far from their source volcano, in this case 5,600 miles (9,000 km) away.

By matching the shards with archaeological evidence of humans activity in different areas, the researchers were able to assess how the eruption affected early man.

This is the first time such deposits have been successfully identified so far from their source volcano, in this case 5,600 miles (9,000 km) away (stock image)

At the Pinnacle Point rock shelter, the appearance of the shards in the sediment record accompanies an increase in the intensity of human occupation.

This was measured by the findings of bones, complex stone tools and evidence of human fires.

In the second site, humans did not appear to thrive, but did not decline after the event either, the researchers found.

Two archaeological sites in South Africa, Vleesbaai and Pinnacle Point, have been dated to the time of the Toba eruption and represent an open-air activity site and a home-base rock shelter respectively

The study shows that along the food-rich coastline of southern Africa, people thrived through Toba's mega-eruption, perhaps because of the coastline's rich food regime.

Professor Marean told MailOnline: 'The rich coastal resources would be less susceptible to destruction from this event.

'It is very possible that the sea provided a refuge.'

The team hopes other research teams will apply their methods to sites elsewhere in Africa so researchers can see if this was the only population that made it through the devastating volcanic event.If men sometimes seem a little thoughtless, then its tempting to blame biology. They were made like that  so its not really their fault.

However, the largest ever study looking at the link between empathy and genetics has found nothing in mens DNA to suggest they should be less caring than women.

In fact, women may show greater empathy simply because of their upbringing, life experience and social differences.

The largest ever study looking at the link between empathy and genetics has found nothing in mens DNA to suggest women are more caring than men

Researchers from the University of Cambridge, working with genetics company 23andMe, used saliva samples from 46,861 men and women to sequence their DNA.

Participants were asked 60 questions, such as how far they agreed with the statements I am quick to spot when someone in a group is feeling awkward or uncomfortable and If anyone asked me if I liked their haircut, I would reply truthfully, even if I didnt like it.

Their responses were used to find out which genetic variations were linked to empathy.

The results showed 10 per cent of differences in empathy are determined by genes  but there was no link to the participants sex.

Women nonetheless scored 50.4 out of 80 in the empathy test, compared with 41.9 for men. This backs up previous research which has found women are more likely than men to copy contagious yawns, mirror facial expressions, and simply look at other peoples faces, even as babies.

These signs of empathy had previously been put down to biological differences  but the latest study suggests otherwise.

Conventional thinking would have you believe women are biologically more inclined to be empathetic than men. But scientists think women may show greater empathy simply because of their upbringing, life experience and social differences

Lead author Varun Warrier, from the University of Cambridge, said: We have not yet found any genetic evidence to explain a difference in empathy between men and women.

It could also be caused by upbringing, the social differences in how boys and girls are brought up and life experience.

Further research could still find a genetic difference between the sexes, while male and female hormones may also play a role.

The Cambridge study will, however, prove more enlightening for autism researchers, as it also found that genetic variants linked with lower empathy are associated with a higher risk of autism.

Co-author Professor Simon Baron-Cohen, of the Autism Research Centre at Cambridge, said the findings could help explain why those with autism may lack cognitive empathy  the ability to recognise others feelings.

The study, also involving the Pasteur Institute in France, appears in Translational Psychiatry.Sir Tim Berners-Lee, inventor of the internet, has warned that large technology firms must be better regulated to prevent the web from being 'weaponised at scale'.

The 62-year-old computer scientist from London made the warning in an open letter on the 29th birthday of the internet.

Berners-Lee has accused technology giants of spreading misinformation, helping run questionable political advertising campaigns, and causing people to lose control of their personal data.

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British computer scientist Tim Berners-Lee, the inventor of the World Wide Web, says the internet's biggest companies should be regulated to prevent the web from being 'weaponised at scale' (file photo)

'In recent years, we've seen conspiracy theories trend on social media platforms, fake Twitter and Facebook accounts stoke social tensions, external actors interfere in elections, and criminals steal troves of personal data,' Berners-Lee wrote in an open letter marking the 29th anniversary of his invention.

The concentration of power among a small number of platforms - including Twitter, Facebook and Google - has caused these problems to get worse, he said.

These companies 'control which ideas and opinions are seen and shared'.

'What was once a rich selection of blogs and websites has been compressed under the powerful weight of a few dominant platforms,' Berners-Lee wrote.

The internet's biggest firms consolidate their power by buying up new innovations and poaching the industry's top talents, making it difficult for others to compete.

'A legal or regulatory framework that accounts for social objectives may help ease those tensions,' he said.

Berners-Lee added that attempting to coordinate the incentives of the technology sector and the wider-public will require consultations with a diverse group of people from civil society, academia, business, government and the arts.

Large technology firms such as Google, Twitter and Facebook have become too dominant, according to Sir Tim Berners-Lee (stock image)

The computer scientist, who in 1980 described the concept of a globally-connected system through which scientists could share information that would go on to form the basis of the world wide web, warned of 'two myths' that 'limit our collective imagination' when attempting to solve problems with the internet.

'The myth that advertising is the only possible business model for online companies, and the myth that it's too late to change the way platforms operate. On both points we need to be a little more creative,' he said.

'I want the web to reflect our hopes and fulfil our dreams, rather than magnify our fears and deepen our divisions.'

Berners-Lee is widely considered as one of the founding fathers of the internet.

In 1989 he published his landmark paper, 'Information Management: A Proposal', built the first WWW server and web browser 'WorldWideWeb.app'.

When he first dreamt up his information sharing model, the British computer scientist envisioned it as a free platform for collaboration and the exchange of ideas.

'In recent years, we've seen conspiracy theories trend on social media platforms, fake Twitter and Facebook accounts stoke social tensions, external actors interfere in elections, and criminals steal troves of personal data,' Berners-Lee wrote in an open letter (stock image)

Since the mid-90s Berners-Lee has used his platform to fight for greater internet accessibility worldwide and to challenge what he perceives as obstacles to his original vision for the web.

In November 2017, the 62-year-old warned 'the system is failing' when it comes to the internet, and that the future of open online communication is under threat.

In an in-depth interview with The Guardian, Berners-Lee explained that he feels his creation is being used to spread misinformation and to polarise debate.

Advertising platforms and AI algorithms used by big firms like Facebook and Google can be used by third parties with ulterior motives to spread propaganda, for political or financial gain.

High profile cases have included attempts by Russian operatives to influence the outcome of elections in the US, and a group of Macedonian teenagers who spread political clickbait fake news on Facebook to cash in on Google's AdSense revenues.

Speaking to The Guardian, he said: 'The system is failing. The way ad revenue works with clickbait is not fulfilling the goal of helping humanity promote truth and democracy, so I am concerned.

The internet's biggest firms consolidate their power by buying up new innovations and poaching the industry's top talents, making it difficult for others to compete, Berners-Lee said

'People are being distorted by very finely trained AIs that figure out how to distract them.

'We are so used to these systems being manipulated that people just think that's how the internet works. We need to think about what it should be like.'

Also under fire are attempts to remove net neutrality protections.

Net neutrality is the principle that all internet traffic should be be treated equally.

Whether you're trying to buy a necklace on Etsy, stream a series on Netflix, or upload a photo to Facebook, your internet service provider has to load all of those websites equally quickly.

If net neutrality is lost, internet service providers (ISPs) could create special 'fast lanes' for content providers willing to pay more.

HOW DID TIM BERNERS-LEE CREATE THE INTERNET? The World Wide Web was created by Sir Tim Berners-Lee, a British computer scientist born on June 8, 1955. Having studied physics at Queen's College Oxford, graduating in 1976, he started as an engineer in the telecommunications and microprocessor software industry. In 1980, while working as an independent contractor at CERN, Berners-Lee described the concept of a global system based on using hypertext to share information between researchers. Tim Berners-Lee wrote (pictured) the blueprint for what would become the World Wide Web, and said he is alarmed at what has happened to it in the last year He built a prototype system called Enquire, which formed the conceptual basis for the World Wide Web. In 1989 he published his landmark paper, 'Information Management: A Proposal', built the first WWW server and web browser 'WorldWideWeb.app'. In 1994, he founded the World Wide Web Consortium, the main international standards organisation for the internet. Advertisement

Customers of streaming services like Netflix could see their subscription fees rise if the company chooses to pay more.

More than 170 internet giants including Netflix, Amazon, Facebook, Google and PornHub, have protested against plans by US officials to remove rules protecting net neutrality.

The US communications regulator, the FCC, earlier this year voted to remove a 2015 ruling that put net neutrality into law by preventing the 'throttling' of data by ISPs.

Giving powerful gatekeepers the ability to select who has priority access to the internet threatens to stifle innovation and free speech, Berners Lee believes.

He feels that ISPs should be treated more like utilities companies.

'Gas is a utility, so is clean water, and connectivity should be too,' he added. 'It's part of life and shouldn't have an attitude about what you use it for  just like water.'Scientists may have found our best chance for finding alien life.

Astronomers have discovered 15 new planets orbiting small, cool stars dubbed red dwarfs 'near' our solar system.

Among these new planets is a potentially habitable 'super-Earth' that could have liquid oceans like our own.

The planet, known as K2-155d, is 1.6 times the size of Earth and is in the host star's habitable zone 200 light years away.

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One of the brightest red dwarfs is around 200 light years away from Earth and has three transiting super-Earths which are slightly bigger than our own planet (stock image, artist's impression)

The discovery was made by researchers led by Teruyuki Hirano of Tokyo Institute of Technology's Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences.

For a long time, scientists ruled out searching around red dwarfs because habitable zones around the stars are small.

Any planets orbiting them would be so close that one side would be constantly facing the star, making one side of the planet very hot and the other quite cold and dark.

The stars could be really useful for researchers looking at how planets form and evolve, according to the findings based on data from Nasa Kepler spacecraft's second mission, K2.

Based on climate simulations, researchers say the new Earth-like planet, K2-155d, could have liquid water on the surface.

Scientists won't know for certain whether the planet is habitable until they can more accurately work out its star's size and temperature.

They would need further studies to do this, researchers say.

'In our simulations, the atmosphere and the composition of the planet were assumed to be Earth-like, and there's no guarantee that this is the case', said Dr Hirano.

Although we could not travel there with today's technology, future generations of super-fast space craft could conceivably reach the planet.

Currently on the fastest spacecraft - New Horizons, which travels at 32,000pmh (51,500kmh) - it would take more than 4 million years to get to K2-155d.

A key outcome from the current studies was that planets orbiting red dwarfs may have remarkably similar characteristics to planets orbiting solar-type stars.

A red dwarf is a small and relatively cool star and is by far the most common type of star in the Milky Way.

The outermost planet which has a radius 1.6 times that of Earth could be within the host star's habitable zone. Based on climate simulations, researchers say the planet K2-155d could have liquid water on the surface (artist's impression)

Surface temperatures were studied in relation to incoming stellar radiation (incident flux). When the exposure to the sun's rays exceeds 1.5, a so-called runaway greenhouse effect occurs, signalling a cut-off point for life-friendly temperatures

Due to their low luminosity, they are often not observed and from Earth not one is visible with the naked eye.

Proxima Centauri, the nearest star to the sun, is a red dwarf as are 50 of the nearest 60 stars.

'It's important to note that the number of planets around red dwarfs is much smaller than the number around solar-type stars,' said Dr Hirano.

'Red dwarf systems, especially coolest red dwarfs, are just beginning to be investigated, so they are very exciting targets for future exoplanet research.'

With the planned launch of Nasa's Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) in April 2018, Dr Hirano is hopeful that even more planets will be discovered.

TESS (pictured) will use four wide-field cameras to scan nearly the entire sky, monitoring the nearest and brightest stars for temporary dips in the light they emit that may indicate a planet passing in front - an event known as a transit

Nasa's TESS, shown here in a conceptual illustration, will identify exoplanets orbiting the brightest stars just outside our solar system

'TESS is expected to find many candidate planets around bright stars closer to Earth,' he said.

'This will greatly facilitate follow-up observations, including investigation of planetary atmospheres and determining the precise orbit of the planets.'

TESS will use four wide-field cameras to scan nearly the entire sky, monitoring the nearest and brightest stars for temporary dips in the light they emit that may indicate a planet passing in front - an event known as a transit.

Developed at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology's (MIT) Kavli Institute for Astrophysics and Space Research and Lincoln Laboratory, the TESS cameras will use their wide field of view to monitor more than 200,000 stars for transits.A giant sculpture of a tattooed man known as 'Zombie Boy' is to greet visitors to new galleries at the Science Museum in London.

Zombie Boy is model Rick Genest, who covered 90 per cent of his body with tattoos of bones and flesh following a life-saving brain tumour operation aged 15.

Now a British artist is to build a 3.5-metre (11.5-foot) statue of the 32-year-old Canadian that will stand in new medicine galleries at the museum.

Marc Quinn, best known for freezing ten pints of his own blood in a bust of his head, said Genest is a 'brilliant crossing point between street culture, science and art'.

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British artist Marc Quinn is to build a 3.5-metre (11.5-foot) statue of 'Zombie Boy' that will stand in new medicine galleries at London's Science Museum. Quinn first made a 'Zombie Boy' sculpture in 2010 as part of an ongoing series titled 'Body Alteration' (pictured)

Genest, born in Quebec, Canada, has developed a cult following thanks to his appearing in Lady Gaga's Born This Way video, as well as on the renowned fashion designer Thierry Mugler's catwalk.

His likeness will be the first thing that greets visitors to the Science Museum's new 24 million ($33 million) medicine galleries from Autumn 2019.

Speaking to the Guardian about the commission, Quinn said: 'I don't find him scary at all. I find him rather amazing.

'He is an artist. His artwork is himself and let's face it, he does look pretty cool.

Quinn said Genest was a suitable fit for the galleries because he had 'literalised' a quest to understand his own body.

The model and artist has more than 90 per cent of his body covered in tattoos, spending four years and at least 5,000 ($7,000) slowly inking his body after he was diagnosed with a life-threatening brain tumour aged 15.

Zombie boy is Canadian model Rick Genest, who covered himself head to foot with tattoos of the inside of his body following a life-threatening illness

The model and artist has more than 90 per cent of his body covered in tattoos, spending four years and at least 5,000 ($7,000) slowly inking his body after he was diagnosed with a life-threatening brain tumour aged 15

WHO IS RICK GENEST AKA 'ZOMBIE BOY'? Canadian artist and model Rick Genest is covered head to foot with tattoos of the inside of his body Canadian artist and model Rick Genest has covered himself head to foot with tattoos of the inside of his body. The model and artist has more than 90 per cent of his body covered in tattoos, spending four years and at least 5,000 ($7,000) slowly inking his body after he was diagnosed with a life-threatening brain tumour aged 15. In 2006, he told Bizarre magazine his tattoos were 'about the human body as a decomposing corpse  the art of a rotting cadaver. It's also a tribute to horror movies, which I love.' Genest shot to fame aged 25 after he appeared in Lady Gaga's Born This Way video in 2011. Now 32, has 900,000 fans on his Facebook page - where Gaga's stylist first found him - and is a popular figure Quebec city's underground scene. He grew up and went to school in Chateauguay, a Montreal suburb, and left home at 17 after he finished high school. His mother Catheryne has described her son as a 'quiet, loving boy', who waited until he was 16 to have his first tattoo out of respect for his parents. Most of his designs were inked by Montreal tattoo artist Frank Lewis, who said Genest first came to him when he was 21. They work through the designs together, then Mr Lewis traces an outline in marker and fills it in free-hand. Each session takes between two and four hours. Despite his unconventional lifestyle, Genest's mother told MailOnline in a previous interview she is proud of her son - and he always replies to her text messages. Advertisement

In 2006, he told Bizarre magazine his tattoos were 'about the human body as a decomposing corpse  the art of a rotting cadaver. It's also a tribute to horror movies, which I love.'

Quinn first made a 'Zombie Boy' sculpture in 2010, part of an ongoing series titled 'Body Alteration' in which Quinn made sculptures of people who had made extreme changes to their bodies.

Speaking on the new statue, the artist said said: 'It is extreme, but there has not been an eyelid batted here about having him in the Science Museum - in the anatomy gallery where there will be lots of children and young people.

Marc Quinn, best known for freezing ten pints of his own blood in a bust of his head, said Genest is a 'brilliant crossing point between street culture, science and art'. Pictured is Quinn with a statue of Genest he built in 2010

'It is completely fine. As it should be. It wouldn't have happened 10 years ago, I don't think.'

Ian Blatchford, director of the Science Museum, said the Zombie Boy sculpture made total sense for the new galleries.

'You may say "why would a man do this to his body?" I say to people, just remember, for all that medicine does to cure us it is still our body,' he said.

'If he chooses to celebrate his survival there is something noble and interesting about that.'

Genest shot to fame aged 25 after he appeared in Lady Gaga's Born This Way video in 2011 (pictured). Gaga's stylist Nicola Formichetti first found him via his Facebook page, which has more than 900,000 fans

Genest shot to fame after he appeared in Lady Gaga's Born This Way video in 2011.

He has 900,000 fans on his Facebook page - where Gaga's stylist Nicola Formichetti first found him - and is a popular figure Quebec city's underground scene.

He grew up and went to school in Chateauguay, a Montreal suburb, and left home at 17 after he finished high school.

His mother Catheryne has described her son as a 'quiet, loving boy', who waited until he was 16 to have his first tattoo out of respect for his parents.

Genest (left) grew up and went to school in Chateauguay, a Montreal suburb, and left home at 17 after he finished high school. His mother Catheryne has described her son as a 'quiet, loving boy', who waited until he was 16 to have his first tattoo out of respect for his parents

Most of his designs were inked by Montreal tattoo artist Frank Lewis, who said Genest first came to him when he was 21.

They work through the designs together, then Mr Lewis traces an outline in marker and fills it in free-hand. Each session takes between two and four hours.

According to Mr Lewis, when Genest first asked him to tattoo his face, he said no - but then he went to another artist and Mr Lewis had to fix it for him.

Despite his unconventional lifestyle, Genest's mother told MailOnline in a previous interview she is proud of her son - and he always replies to her text messages.Advertisement

A complex of doomsday bunkers in South Dakota that can house 10,000 people is being hailed as the 'back up plan for mankind'.

Equipped with survival gear and custom-made interiors, the city-sized complex could save thousands in case of an asteroid strike or nuclear war, the creator claims.

Although the structures look imposing from the outside they have all the home comforts, including sofas, a coffee table and paintings hanging on the walls.

They even include 'virtual windows' with LEDs to simulate the different views of the outside world.

Vivos, the company building the doomsday bunkers, is developing 18 square miles (29 square kilometres) of military space in South Dakota.

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Equipped with survival gear and custom-made interiors (pictured), this city-sized complex could save thousands in case of an asteroid strike or nuclear war, the creator claims. The bunkers even include 'virtual windows' with LEDs to simulate the different views of the outside world

The bunkers (pictured, prior to development) are built with super reinforced concrete and steel walls and doors just in case the bombs they stored blew up. The company bought the old military space in South Dakota in 2016

Although the structures look imposing from the outside they have all the home comforts, including sofas, a coffee table and paintings hanging on the walls (concept image)

The bunkers are about 26 feet wide and up to 80 feet long (8 metres by 24 metres) and have enough room to keep supplies for 12 months.

Each one can house between 10 to 20 people.

California-based company Vivos is one of the world's leaders in bunker construction.

The company's latest offering, the XPoint, is advertised as the largest 'prepper' community on Earth.

'The base is 18 squares miles, so about three quarters the size of Manhatten', said Robery Vicino, founder and CEO of Vivos.

'To not have this and to have a back up plan for mankind to have an insurance policy is crazy.

'At the cost we're able to do this - $25,000 [18,000] per bunker its nothing, so it's crazy not to.

'It's nothing more than life assurance', he said.

Sales of underground bunkers have increased in some instances by 300 per cent since Trump's election win, according to Gary Lynch, general manager of Rising S', another prominent bunker company. Pictured is an artist's impression of one of the bunkers, which cost $25,000 [18,000] each to do up

A vast complex of doomsday bunkers that is three quarters the size of Manhattan could save 10,000 people from extermination. Pictured is a view of the area

California-based company Vivos is one of the world's leaders in bunker construction. Pictured is one of their designs. The bunkers come equipped with a 'Power room' and have enough supplies to last 12 months

The bunkers look imposing from the outside but inside they have all the luxuries of modern life (pictured)

The bunkers were originally used by the Army in 1942 and can withstand a 500,000-ton blast.

They are built with super reinforced concrete and steel walls and doors just in case the bombs they stored blew up.

The company bought the space in 2016 and the first bunkers are due to be ready for move-in this summer.

'This project will accommodate somewhere between six and ten thousand people when it's completed', Mr Vivino said.

The company building the doomsday bunkers is developing 18 square miles (29 square kilometres) of military space in South Dakota

The bunkers are about 26 feet wide and up to 80 feet long (8 metres by 24 metres) and have room to keep supplies for 12 months in case of a doomsday scenario, such as nuclear war

California-based company Vivos is one of the world's leaders in bunker construction. The bunkers were originally used by the Army in 1942 and can withstand a 500,000-ton blast

'The based is 18 squares miles, so about three quarters the size of Manhattan', said Robery Vicino, founder and CEO of Vivos, who bought the space in South Dakota near Edgemont

'It's going to be the largest survival community on the planet'.

Sales of underground bunkers have increased in some instances by 300 per cent since Trump's election win, according to Gary Lynch, general manager of Rising S', another prominent bunker company.

'Everyone has gut level feelings and they're all concerned something is about to happen', said Mr Vivino.

'Our buyers are not paranoid, they're aware, they're well educated'.

Inside, all upright frames are bolted to the floor. Pictured are designs for the doomsday shelters which used to be used by the US army before being bought by Vivos

The company's latest offering, the XPoint, is advertised as the largest 'prepper' community on Earth. Pictured is a man looking into a bunker before it is developed

'At the cost we're able to do this - $25,000 [18,000] per bunker its nothing, so it's crazy not to', said Mr Vicino. Pictured is the kitchen (left) and living room (right) in one of the bunkers

'Everyone has gut level feelings and they're all concerned something is about to happen', said Mr Vivino, who created the bunkers (pictured)

'Our buyers are not paranoid, they're aware, they're well educated', said Mr Vivino. Pictured (left and right) are interiors of the lavish bunkers that sell upwards of $25,000 (18,000)

Pictured is a bedroom in one of the bunkers. Another of the most well-known American bunkers are the 'Survival Condos' in Kansas (not pictured)

Another of the most well-known American bunkers are the 'Survival Condos' in Kansas.

Larry Hall is the brainchild behind the developments, which were originally built by the US Army Corps of Engineers in the 1960s during the Cold War for the Atlas F missile, and there were 72 of them around the country.

It was revealed last year that all the apartments in the first complex sold out, and people now have the option to buy a flat in the second silo.

The Czech Republic is currently home to what has been dubbed 'the largest billionaire bunker in the world' - known as 'The Oppidum'.

The massive 77,500 square foot underground bunker in the heart of the European country is designed for just one owner.

It is it the largest private shelter in the world and features a private helipad, luxury underground living rooms and a secret corridor connecting the buildings above with those below, allowing its residents to quickly access safety when they feel threatened.

Even its location was strategically chosen in central Europe, in an undisclosed rural area close to Prague and less than two hours from both London and Moscow by private jet.Expectant parents can now get a 3D printed model of their unborn child.

Ultrasound images can be used to build a three dimensional view of a foetus and recreate its features in stunning detail.

The model can be used to give parents an early glimpse at their baby or it can be used to look for signs of physical abnormalities.

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Ultrasound images are used to build a three dimensional view of the foetus and recreate the features of the baby in stunning detail. Parents can now get a model of their baby before it is born

Ivan Gridin, Founder of Russian firm Embryo 3D, initially created the technology to help a friend during her pregnancy.

Video footage shows expectant mother Yuliana Recu undergoing an ultrasound scan in the city of Ufa, from which a 3D printed model is replicated.

Mr Gridin added that the models can now be modified to create a metal-plated version.

'I have a friend (who) was worried about the health of her child and wanted to see it,' he said.

'She had an ultrasound several times, but it wasn't enough. I was fond of new technologies at that time and 3D-printing. And I said "let's print it".'

'Earlier we printed only from plastic, but now we are able to make plaster models and cover them with precious metals.'

The modelling process focuses mostly on details such as the shape and formation of the fingers and toes and even facial features.

Ultrasound images are brought together to create a computer image which is then 3D printed to create a detailed model of the unborn child

Ms Recu told International Business Times: 'We ordered a 3D model of our child, which is in my belly now.

'It is a weird feeling, the child hasn't been born yet and but you can touch it and feel it as it is.'

Physical, tangible models are the next step on from complex and detailed 3D imaging techniques that advanced from the original, blurry Polaroid photos.

Brazilian scientists developed 3D imaging technology in 2016 that allowed parents to view realistic images of their unborn children.

They used the Oculus Rift virtual reality headset to bring magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and ultrasound scans to life.

Parents could then view sharp and realistic images of the foetus instead of the traditionally blurred polaroids.

The modelling process focuses mostly on details such as the shape and formation of the fingers and toes and even facial features

The Russian firm can 3D print the images of the ultrasound and even apply a thin layer of precious metal over the plastic model to produce a gold or silver plated foetus

3D PRINTING TECHNOLOGY MAKES OBJECTS BY DEPOSITING MATERIALS ONE LAYER AT A TIME First invented in the 1980s by Chuck Hull, an engineer and physicist, 3D printing technology  also called additive manufacturing  is the process of making an object by depositing material, one layer at a time. Similarly to how an inkjet printer adds individual dots of ink to form an image, a 3D printer adds material where it is needed, based on a digital file. Many conventional manufacturing processes involved cutting away excess materials to make a part, and this can lead to wastage of up to 30 pounds (13.6 kilograms) for every one pound of useful material, according to the Energy Departments Oak Ridge National Laboratory in Tennessee. By contrast, with some 3D printing processes about 98 per cent of the raw material is used in the finished part, and the method can be used to make small components using plastics and metal powders, with some experimenting with chocolate and other food, as well as biomaterials similar to human cells. 3D printers have been used to manufacture everything from prosthetic limbs to robots, and the process follows these basic steps:  Creating a 3D blueprint using computer-aided design (CAD) software  Preparing the printer, including refilling the raw materials such as plastics, metal powders and binding solutions.  Initiating the printing process via the machine, which builds the object.  3D printing processes can vary, but material extrusion is the most common, and it works like a glue gun: the printing material is heated until it liquefies and is extruded through the print nozzle  Using information from the digital file, the design is split into two-dimensional cross-sections so the printers knows where to put the material  The nozzle deposits the polymer in thin layers, often 0.1 millimetre (0.004 inches) thick.  The polymer rapidly solidifies, bonding to the layer below before the build platform lowers and the print head adds another layer (depending on the object, the entire process can take anywhere from minutes to days.)  After the printing is finished, every object requires some post-processing, ranging from unsticking the object from the build platform to removing support, to removing excess powders. Advertisement

The technology layers MRI scans to create an accurate model.

Using the headset, the expectant parents can see their unborn child from outside the womb.

Virtual reality models are incredibly lifelike, and recreate the entire internal structure of the foetus.

Images of the respiratory tract and other developments within the body of a foetus can be observed, which can aid doctors in assessing abnormalities.

The model can be used to give parents an early glimpse at their baby or it can be used to look for signs of physical abnormalities

Previously, VR and Oculus Rift headsets have been combined to produce accurate and lifelike models of unborn children. This physical, tangible model can be used to detect birth defects

VR images are more useful for diagnosing any conditions the foetus may have, but the physical model is more intimate for soon-to-be parents.

Oculus Rift 2 technology can place the user in a virtual world that includes the heartbeat of the baby.

In the immersive world, parents can turn their head and see the baby in incredible detail, as long as they are wearing the headset.

Study co-author Dr Heron Werner Jr from the Clinica de Diagnostico por Imagem in Brazil, said at the time the study was published: 'The experience with the Oculus Rift has been wonderful.

'It provides fetal images that are sharper and clearer than ultrasound and MR images viewed on a traditional display.'A University education is chosen by many in the hope of a better job, big house and fancy car in later life.

But graduating may mean becoming a better person as well as gaining a degree.

A study has found people who go to university are more cooperative and extroverted for every year they are there.

It is not the teachings of Aristotle or the works of Shakespeare which build character, experts believe, but university life itself.

People exposed to hundreds of students they have never met, and communicating with academic staff every day, gain people skills.

They also do so through extra-curricular clubs and societies and social functions

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People who went to university develop better social and life skills than those who didn't attend higher education. The impact is also larger for people from a poor background

A study by Oxford University Press and Monash University in looked at 575 Australian adolescents over eight years of their life.

Participants involved in the study were from a variety of different backgrounds.

Researchers looked at five different personality traits to see how going to university affected different people: openness to experience, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness, and neuroticism.

These traits were picked because they are widely considered to accurately describe differences in a persons character.

The researchers found that university education has a positive effect on certain non-cognitive personality traits.

'We see quite clearly that students' personalities change when they go to university,' said the paper's lead researcher, Sonja Kassenboehmer.

'Universities provide an intensive new learning and social environment for adolescents, so it is not surprising that this experience could impact on students' personality.

'It is good news that universities not only seem to teach subject-specific skills, but also seem to succeed in shaping skills valued by employers and society.'

University lifestyle is more useful in developing these traits than the educational process of getting a degree and being surrounded by education-orientated people drives improved non-cognitive skills

University education coincides with the transition from adolescence into young adulthood and this pivotal time in a persons development normally leads to increasing levels of agreeableness, conscientiousness, and emotional stability.

Although non-university going adults may be more aware as they age, they also become more closed and less outgoing.

Theoretically, university can boost, weaken, or even reverse this trend.

People that go to university are exposed to hundreds of students they have never met, and communicating with academic staff every day, gain people skills.

They also do so through extra-curricular clubs and societies and social functions.

Higher education alters this process, and the effect is even greater on people from a poor background.

University does this by providing young people with exposure to a variety of new activities and options.

HOW DOES UNIVERSITY CHANGE A PERSONS PERSONALITY? University often occurs at a time when people are maturing from adolescence into early adulthood. This period of time is pivotal in the formation of personality traits in students. People at this age tend to become less outgoing and extroversion decreases as people enter adulthood. Research has found that those who attend university become more extroverted as an adult. As well as this, the graduates become more agreeable and conscientious. According to research, the longer a person stays in education the greater these traits are amplified. Advertisement

University improves these traits by providing young people with exposure to a variety of new activities and options. The longer spent at university, the more this trend continues

The results also show that the longer spent at university, the more this trend continues.

Every additional year spent at university is associated with increases in extraversion and agreeableness for youth from low socioeconomic backgrounds.

In addition, university education is associated with higher levels of agreeableness for both male and female students from low socioeconomic backgrounds.

The study states: 'We suggest that the likely mechanism through which university education shapes outward orientation is through exposure to university life and less so through quality and what is being taught in class.

'University education may foster these tendencies because it encourages participation in club activities, social functions, and communication with fellow students and academic staff on a continuous basis.

The research was published in Oxford University Press.An astronomer managed to capture China's out-of-control space station as it hurtles closer to hitting the earth's surface.

The stunning image shows the Tiangong-1 station crossing in front of some of the brightest known constellations earlier this month.

Astronomer Gianluca Masi, who is part of the Virtual Telescope Project, shot the photo of the spacecraft in Rome on March 9.

Scroll down for video

The stunning image shows the Tiangong-1 station (circled in red) crossing in front of some of the brightest known constellations. Astronomer Gianluca Masi managed to capture Tiangong, along with the Orion, Auriga, and Taurus constellations

Tiangong-1 can be seen as a long, white streak of light on the right side of the photo.

It passes in front of a sparkling backdrop of stars and the Orion, Auriga and Taurus constellations, according to Masi.

The space station was approximately '74 degrees above the horizon, safe from huge light pollution contamination, and placing the spaceship in a very interesting spot of the sky,' he said.

'At some point, as expected, the Tiangong-1 disappeared, jumping into the shadow of the earth,' Masi explained.

If you missed Tiangong-1's surprise cameo in the night sky, you're in luck.

As Masi pointed out, the station will be visible in certain areas on March 18, 19 and 20.

It will appear brightest for a fleeting moment on March 18 at 7:29pm (EST), before disappearing just after 7:30pm (EST).

The Tiangong-1 space station (artist's impression), which is hurtling towards Earth carrying a 'highly toxic chemical', will likely hit sometime between March 29 and April 9

Website Satflare has calculated odds of re-entry in March (20 per cent), in April (60 per cent) and in May 2018 (20 per cent)

Experts from the European Space Agency (ESA), based in Paris, are among those tracking Tiangong-1, which means 'heavenly place.'

It is believed that Tiangong-1 will come crashing back to the planet around April 3, according to experts.

The exact window of reentry is expected to be between March 17 and April 21, which is narrower than previous estimates of between March 24 and April 19.

Exactly where it will hit is slightly harder to predict, although experts agree it will be somewhere between latitudes of 43 north and 43 south.

US research organization Aerospace Corporation revealed that parts of southern Lower Michigan are among the regions that have the highest probability of being hit by falling debris.

WHAT IS THE TIANGONG-1 SPACE STATION? The vehicle is 10.4 metres long and has a main diameter of 3.35 metres. It has a liftoff mass of 8,506 kilograms and provides 15 cubic metres of pressurised volume Tiangong-1 is China's first Space Station Module. The vehicle was the nation's first step towards its ultimate goal of developing, building, and operating a large Space Station as a permanent human presence in Low Earth Orbit. The module was launched on September 29, 2012. Tiangong-1 features flight-proven components of Chinese Shenzhou Spacecraft as well as new technology. The module consists of three sections: the aft service module, a transition section and the habitable orbital module. The vehicle is 10.4 metres long and has a main diameter of 3.35 metres. It has a liftoff mass of 8,506 kilograms and provides 15 cubic metres of pressurized volume. Advertisement

Northern China, central Italy, northern Spain, the Middle East, New Zealand, Tasmania, South America, southern Africa, and northern states in the US have been identified as the regions with higher chances.

However, agencies will only know the exact date, location and degree to which Tiangong-1's debris will impact earth during the final weeks of its decline.

Masi said he hopes the Tiangong-1 spacecraft will be destroyed completely before reentering earth's atmosphere.

Until then, he noted that we will only have a few more chances to see the station as it continues on a collision course with earth.

'The Tiangong-1 Chinese space station is moving along a decaying orbit,' Masi explained.

The Chinese space agency has been tracking the space station (pictured before it was launched in 2011), and vowed to issue warnings if there are any potential collisions imminent. But not everyone is convinced by this

'It should re-enter our atmosphere in the next few weeks, so we have just a few more chances to observe it'

'Some surviving debris could fall to earth's surface, with large uncertainties as for the exact location' he added.

The 8.5-ton craft, which has been headed towards earth since control was lost in 2016, is believed to contain a rocket fuel called hydrazine and is pretty dense, according to the Verge.

'It's got a lot of heavy equipment, so it's not like a rocket stage that's a big empty tank,' Jonathan McDowell, an astrophysicist at Harvard and spaceflight expert, told the Verge.

'People are worried more [about if] it might reach the ground,' he added.

McDowell also pointed out that it's not uncommon for space debris to come crashing down to earth, noting that fragmented from a similar-sized rocket landed in Peru in January.Japan is answering the problem of too many wild boars creatively: by scaring them off with robotic wolves.

The wolves, which have fangs, fur and red eyes, are being implemented to help farmers protect their crops from the growing wild boar population, Earther reports.

The wolves were tested last summer, and the product will now be produced and available all over Japan.

The 'animals' are 20 inches tall, and they howl when another creature approaches them.

The wild boar population in Japan's northern regions has been increasing. Farmers have turned to unlikely heroes to save their crops from the animals: robotic wolves

Sometimes called the 'Super Monster Wolf', the invention runs on batteries that are solar-rechargeable, and its range is greater than half a mile.

The wolves are $5,000 each, and they can produce a variety of howls, which serve to confuse wild boars and keep them away from farmers' crops.

Japan's wild boar problem is growing, and the animals are now negatively affecting the country's northern regions.

The wild boars are native to all regions of the country except the North.

The species was not known to be able to survive winters there, but they have multiplied in the area because climate change has allowed them to thrive there.

The wolves can produce a variety of cries to confuse wild boars, and they automatically make a noise when another animal approaches them

An official from a northern region in Japan told The Asahi Shimbun newspaper that the animals are moving north 'largely because global warming has reduced snowfall, making it easier for them to survive winter'.

The boars eat rice and potatoes among other crops, and, according to Earther, the Japanese government said the animals caused more than $46 million in agricultural damage in 2015.

There are around one million of the animals across Japan, and the monetary damage they cause makes up more than one-third of all agricultural damage inflicted by animals.

Higher numbers of wild boars in Northern Japan are blamed at least partially on the country's shifting demographics.

The wild boar population in Japan's northern regions has shot up since the 2011 earthquake and tsunami. At this time, farmers left northern Japan and did not return for years. The decrease in human activity in the area made wild boars more able to thrive

Additionally, climate change is allowing wild boars to multiply. Warmer temperatures at higher latitudes make it easier for the animals to survive traditionally colder regions

The robotic wolf was tested last summer, and the $5,000 machines will now be available all over Japan

Young Japanese people are living more and more in the country's southern urban regions.

Additionally, a number of people fled the country's northern areas after the 2011 earthquake and tsunami.

At that time, many farmers abandoned their posts, and when they returned years later they found many more wild boars than were there before.

The decrease in human activity had allowed the animals to take over while the farmers were gone.

Tamotsu Baba, the mayor of a coastal town called Namie, said: 'It is not really clear now which is the master of the town, people or wild boars. If we don't get rid of them and turn this into a human-led town, the situation will get even wilder and uninhabitable.'Canadian artist and model Rick Genest is covered head to foot with tattoos of the inside of his body

Canadian artist and model Rick Genest has covered himself head to foot with tattoos of the inside of his body.

The model and artist has more than 90 per cent of his body covered in tattoos, spending four years and at least 5,000 ($7,000) slowly inking his body after he was diagnosed with a life-threatening brain tumour aged 15.

In 2006, he told Bizarre magazine his tattoos were 'about the human body as a decomposing corpse  the art of a rotting cadaver. It's also a tribute to horror movies, which I love.'

Genest shot to fame aged 25 after he appeared in Lady Gaga's Born This Way video in 2011.

Now 32, has 900,000 fans on his Facebook page - where Gaga's stylist first found him - and is a popular figure Quebec city's underground scene.

He grew up and went to school in Chateauguay, a Montreal suburb, and left home at 17 after he finished high school.

His mother Catheryne has described her son as a 'quiet, loving boy', who waited until he was 16 to have his first tattoo out of respect for his parents.

Most of his designs were inked by Montreal tattoo artist Frank Lewis, who said Genest first came to him when he was 21.

They work through the designs together, then Mr Lewis traces an outline in marker and fills it in free-hand. Each session takes between two and four hours.

Despite his unconventional lifestyle, Genest's mother told MailOnline in a previous interview she is proud of her son - and he always replies to her text messages.Ive suffered from back trouble since I was 63. Then, at 72, it was diagnosed as central canal stenosis. At the time, I was told a caudal epidural might be beneficial but I didnt pursue it. I am now 77 and my balance is worse. Should I have the epidural?

Tony Woodward, Bingham, Notts.

Caudal epidural is another name for a steroid injection into the spinal canal, the channel through which the spinal cord runs.

The treatment is used to ease lower back or lumbar problems such as radiculopathy (when a disc ruptures and presses on a nerve supplying the leg), or osteoarthritis in one of the facet joints (those that sit on either side of the vertebrae), which causes swelling and compression of a nerve.

Another cause of lower back pain is spinal stenosis, which is what you have. With this condition the spinal canal becomes narrowed, typically as a result of osteoarthritis  the wear and tear of age. Its more common in people over 60, with genetic factors and obesity playing a part.

As we age, the discs between the vertebrae deteriorate and bulge, and this in turn may alter the way the spine carries body weight, putting greater pressure on the facet joints, the buttresses that support either side of the spine.

Back to basics: Caudal epidural is another name for a steroid injection into the spinal canal, the channel through which the spinal cord runs

In response, the bodys repair mechanisms switch on, forming new bone, osteophytes, on the joints.

These boney lumps, together with the discs and the thickening of soft tissues, can encroach on nerves as they emerge from the spine. (The spinal cord ends at about the level of your lower ribs  below this it is known as the cauda equina  and then branches to the left and right outside the spinal canal, forming the sciatic nerve, the main nerve supply to each leg.)

The result is pain. This is the most common symptom (affecting 90 per cent of patients) either from compression of the nerves directly, or the same effect caused by an increase in pressure in the canal, reducing blood flow.

There may be other neurological symptoms, too, including numbness or tingling affecting one or both legs (60 per cent of patients) and weakness (40 per cent of patients).

Common: Hundreds of thousands of people suffer which back pain from compressed nerves

The symptoms may be worsened by walking or standing and are relieved by sitting or reclining. Balance can also be affected, mainly because the legs are weakened.

Spinal stenosis usually progresses slowly  your ten-year experience illustrates this  and, in general, surgical treatment to remove the osteophytes, for instance, is only necessary in the most serious progressive cases where the symptoms become intolerable.

With a caudal epidural, a steroid is injected into the lowest part of the spinal canal, through a space called the sacral hiatus, to help reduce the tissue swelling. However, potential hazards include the chance of infection.

Other treatments include simple painkillers, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs in short courses and physiotherapy. But there are few, if any, large studies supporting any of these options.

However, despite this, I would opt for the epidural as it might make a considerable difference, and in good hands, the potential risk of infection is minimised.

I would like to have the flu jab, but when I was 20 (I am now 66) I reacted badly to it and fainted or collapsed, ending up in hospital for a day. I do not know if this was to do with my general health  I was very thin and hadnt eaten on the day  or some form of anaphylactic shock. I believe that an egg-based chemical may have been in use at the time, and my system is intolerant to food containing gluten, wheat, milk, eggs and yeast. Symptoms include bloating, discomfort and poor sleep. How can I check to see if the current vaccine will give me a similar reaction to that experienced nearly 50 years ago? Or should I just have it anyway?

Robert Harris, Knebworth, Herts.

You are quite right to ask this question. Even today, flu vaccines are manufactured using an egg-based process  every dose is developed in an egg and contains traces of egg protein.

For this reason they may not be safe if administered to a person with an egg allergy. The worst case scenario is acute anaphylaxis, a life-threatening allergic response.

The difficulty here is that we dont know for certain what caused your collapse at the time. If it was accompanied by urticaria (or hives), a widespread itchy skin rash, it was probably an allergic reaction. Other signs of a more severe reaction would be swelling of the mouth and throat, and difficulty breathing.

Risk? Even today, flu vaccines are manufactured using an egg-based process  every dose is developed in an egg and contains traces of egg protein

However, you would probably remember if youd had these symptoms (your food intolerances are not necessarily a confirmation of an allergy).

I suspect the most likely cause of your collapse  given that you dont recall the reactions I describe  was a genuine fainting episode. Such events are not uncommon when people are given injections and are not due to an allergy.

For reasons that arent entirely clear, signals are sent from the brain down the vagus nerve to the heart, causing a sudden slowing of the heartbeat, followed by a drop in blood pressure.

Write to Dr Scurr To contact Dr Scurr with a health query, write to him at Good Health Daily Mail, 2 Derry Street, London W8 5TT or email drmartin@dailymail.co.uk  including contact details. Dr Scurr cannot enter into personal correspondence. His replies cannot apply to individual cases and should be taken in a general context. Always consult your own GP with any health worries. Advertisement

Nevertheless, we should be cautious (not least because we shouldnt rely on the memory of an event that happened more than 40 years ago).

It would be wise for you to check for egg allergy with both a skin test (in which a tiny amount of egg protein is put on the skin to observe for a localised reaction) and a blood test (to check for antibodies to fight egg protein).

This should be carried out at an allergy clinic  your GP could refer you.

If the tests are negative, Id suggest having a flu vaccination in October, but taking an antihistamine tablet (for example, 4mg chlorpheniramine) one hour before the injection.

You should also remain at the GP surgery for 30 minutes following the injection.

If your allergy tests prove to be positive, then follow the advice of the allergy specialist.

It might be possible still to receive the flu vaccine, but possibly with more potent allergy suppressant cover, such as a short-course of an oral corticosteroid (for example, prednisolone).

IN MY VIEW...A SOLUTION TO THE GP CRISIS

Just ten per cent of junior doctors want to become GPs, a new survey for the British Medical Association has found.

As the Government has said it wants half of medical graduates to go into general practice, this presents a worrying shortfall  not least with general practice losing almost 3,000 partners in the past few years. (Until relatively recently, most GPs wanted to be partners  essentially contractors who run their surgeries as independent small businesses.)

General practice used to be an attractive option. When I completed my postgraduate training, there were more than 50 applicants for every GP partnership post. It was intensely competitive and becoming a partner was seen as a commitment for life.

But young doctors today clearly are not drawn to it, perhaps because of the added risks and uncertainties of the business on top of all the admin, as well as the annual appraisals that all doctors must go through. The doctoring bit we all joined up to do is becoming increasingly squeezed.

Half of those who do opt for general practice prefer salaried posts with a promise of a better work-life balance.

Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt has said the Government is doing what [it] can to reinvigorate the partnership model, but to me, this simply implies it is out of touch with why doctors are rejecting that model.

In fact, I think a shift towards salaried GPs is inevitable and a good thing, as the salaried doctor is able to concentrate on what matters: caring for patients. They, too, will gain from a doctor who is only doctoring.

It might be just what is needed to entice more young doctors into general practice. Putting all GPs on a salary could also deal with the problem of out-of-hours care.

Instead of trying to revitalise the moribund partnership, its time for an intelligent rethink.Tickets for flights to the Lake District Airport went on sale today, with Loganair announced as the airline partner.

The Scottish airline will operate eight flights per day across the working week and a total of 12 at weekends, connecting Cumbria and the Lake District, which receives 45 million visitors per year, to London Southend Airport, Belfast City Airport and Dublin Airport.

Services will commence on June 4 and will be the first passenger flights to Carlisle Lake District Airport since 1993.

Tickets for flights to the Lake District Airport, pictured, went on sale today, with Loganair announced as the airline partner

Kate Willard, head of corporate projects at Stobart Group, which owns Carlisle Lake District and London Southend airports, said: 'Stobart Group is committed to delivering a brilliant air travel experience across the UK and Ireland.

'We are therefore delighted to be announcing flights with Loganair connecting London, Belfast and Dublin with Carlisle and the Lake District.

'There is huge demand from London, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland to visit Carlisle, which is home to major businesses and serves as a gateway to the Lake District, two Unesco World Heritage Sites and south Scotland.'

The airport pointed out that anyone flying from it to the USA via Dublin will be able to clear US immigration checks in Dublin's Terminal 2  meaning they will land State side as a 'hassle-free domestic passenger'.

Jonathan Hinkles, managing director of Loganair, said: 'We're delighted to become the first operator at the new Carlisle Lake District Airport, and will be opening up Loganair's services to a whole new range of customers.

Loganair will operate eight flights per-day across the working week and a total of 12 at weekends, connecting Cumbria and the Lake District, which receives 45 million visitors per year, to London Southend Airport, Belfast City Airport and Dublin Airport

'With frequent services on each of the three routes, we have every confidence that these new flights will transform access to and from the Lake District for many thousands of customers each year.'

Gill Haigh, managing director of Cumbria Tourism, said: 'The new flights from Carlisle Lake District Airport will be a major boost for Cumbria's connectivity and our 2.72billion tourism industry.

'We welcomed 45 million visitors to the county last year, but a large proportion were day trippers to the Lakes. Our marketing strategy has a key focus on encouraging visitors to stay in the county as a whole.

'New flights though Carlisle will create alternative travel options and Cumbria Tourism is working in partnership with the airport to encourage new and existing visitors to enjoy more of our iconic landscapes and world-class experiences.'

Fares from Carlisle Lake District to Dublin and to London Southend start at 44.99 one way.Since his split from Fergie back in September, Josh Duhamel has once again become one of Hollywood's most eligible bachelors.

Despite rumors of his blossoming relationship with actress Eiza Gonzalez, the 45-year-old actor was spotted flying solo for his appearance at the Human Rights Campaign dinner in Los Angeles on Saturday night.

Josh, who has a long history of activism, looked dapper in a tailored blue tux and black suede shoes for the charity event.

Dapper dude! Josh Duhamel was spotted flying solo for his appearance at the Human Rights Campaign dinner in Los Angeles on Saturday night

Duhamel arrived with a five o-clock shadow to the dinner at the Ritz-Carlton in downtown Los Angeles.

Sporting a bow tie, the Las Vegas star was all smiles as he posed on the red carpet.

Josh and Eiza reportedly met in in early February after Jennifer Lopez's pre-Super Bowl concert, according to US Weekly.

'They drank and partied together until very late,' an insider said. 'After, Josh reached out to a mutual friend and asked for Eiza's number.'

The new couple have apparently been secretly dating ever since and tried to keep it 'on the down-low.'

New boo? Rumors are swirling about his blossoming relationship with actress Eiza Gonzalez after his split with wife Fergie

Giving back! Josh, who has a long history of activism, looked dapper in a tailored blue tux and black suede shoes for the charity event

The Human Rights Campaign is America's largest civil rights organization. Their mission is to protect LGBT rights and create an inclusive culture across the world.

The star studded guest list included Modern Family's Jess Tyler Ferguson, who brought along his husband Justin Mikita, and America's Next Top Model's Nyle DiMarco.

The recently engaged Gigi Gorgeous, who looked stunning in a sheer gown, was also in attendance with her fiance Nats Getty.

While Orange Is The New Black's Lea DeLaria looked nothing but cool in a plaid suit jacket and blue platform shoes.

Cute couple alert! The star studded guest list included Modern Family's Jess Tyler Ferguson who brought along his husband Justin Mikita (right)

Va-va-voom! The recently engaged Gigi Gorgeous, who looked stunning in a sheer gown, was also in attendance with her fiance Nats Getty

Fame is the game! Orange Is The New Black's Lea DeLaria looked nothing but cool in a plaid suit jacket and blue platform shoes while America's Next Top Model's Nyle DiMarco wowed in a purple, floral patterned suit

Adam Rippon, the Olympic figure skater, was joined on the red carpet by friend and fellow skater Ashley Wagner.

The openly gay bronze medalist, was honored with HRC's Visibility Award on Saturday night.

And the band Portugal gave a booming performance for all the dinner guests.

Famous friends! Adam Rippon, the Olympic figure skater, was joined on the red carpet by friend and fellow skater Ashley Wagner

Awesome! Adam shared a sweet snap with Sally Field's sonShe welcomed her mini-me daughter Ella Rose Herbert in 2015.

But Charlotte Hawkins admitted that it hasn't all been plain sailing as she discussed becoming a mum with The Mirror on Sunday.

The 42-year-old Good Morning Britain anchor gave birth to Ella when she was 39 and described the process of trying to conceive with husband Mark Herbert as a 'stressful time'.

'It just wasn't happening': Charlotte Hawkins, 42, admits to struggling to conceive daughter Ella Rose after trying for 'a few years' for a baby while chatting to The Mirror on Sunday

The TV veteran spoke candidly about trying for a baby later in life, and how she was 'amazed' she brought her daughter into the world.

Charlotte - who married husband Mark in 2008 - explained: 'We tried for a few years, and I'd got to the stage where I was worried because it just wasn't happening.

'It was a stressful time but I still look at her now and am amazed at the fact that we created this little being, but it still sometimes scares me thinking how different our life would have been if we hadn't had her.'

Charlotte has always been open about her 'tough' early morning schedule, with a 4am start for her day, but the journalist has found a positive spin on her eye-watering wake-up time.

Difficulties: The TV veteran spoke candidly about trying for a baby later in life, and how she was 'amazed' she brought her daughter into the world

The former Strictly Come Dancing star concedes that her early starts are 'tough', but also feels that she has an advantage over other working mums.

'Although the early mornings are tough' Charlotte continued, 'I love being able to spend the daytime with Ella Rose. A lot of my friends go back to work and don't get to spend enough time with their kids.'

Ella Rose has most definitely followed in her mum's footsteps, having taken interest in baby yoga.

Mini-me: Charlotte, pictured here with Strictly partner Brendan Cole, explained: 'We tried for a few years, and I'd got to the stage where I was worried because it just wasn't happening

Alongside her mum's fitness routines, young Ella Rose may already have caught the TV bug while still in the womb.

Charlotte explained: 'I took Ella Rose into the studio at 10 weeks old and was terrified she'd cry, but she wasn't fazed by the lights and the studio environment, maybe because she'd spent so long in my tummy here!'

The presenter has been candid about her struggle with fertility in the past, chatting to stand-in GMB co-host Richard Madeley about the pressures older women get about having children - or choosing not to have children.

'Amazed': Charlotte finally found out she was pregnant in 2014, but called the emtional years of struggling to convince as 'a stressful time but I still look at her now and am amazed'

She confided: 'Because I was an older woman and I faced years of people saying 'Oh when are you going to have a baby?' And actually, for us, we were trying and we couldn't so it was a really sensitive issue.

'I think it's really intrusive and I don't think it's anybody's business and I think it's upsetting' Charlotte concluded.

In 2014, Charlotte confessed that she and husband Mark almost went down the route of IVF treatment when she found out she was pregnant.

'It took a long while for it to sink in I was pregnant because we'd been trying for quite some time,' she said.The Bachelorette's James Trethewie revealed to Daily Mail Australia in January that he's dating business consultant Alice Summers.

But in Monday's NW magazine, it's been claimed there may be trouble in paradise between the couple, with the pair reportedly getting into a 'massive fight' at a Sydney bar earlier this month.

A partygoer was alleged to have told the publication that things became very 'heated' between the duo.

Trouble in paradise? The Bachelorette's James Trethewie has had a 'massive fight' with girlfriend Alice Summers at a Bondi bar

'Alice was p***ed off, and when one girl asked how things between she and James were going, she huffed "Awful!"' the source was alleged to have told NW.

'They had a massive fight in front of everyone!'

When approached for comment however, James, 33, told Daily Mail Australia that like every couple they are 'only human' and are 'always learning' but are both 'really happy.'

Claims: 'Alice was p***ed off, and when one girl asked how things between she and James were going, she huffed "Awful!"' a source was alleged to have told NW magazine

James exclusively revealed to Daily Mail Australia in January that he was off the market following his stint on Sophie Monk's season of The Bachelorette.

He confirmed his relationship with Alice, joking that he's glad he had found someone 'more accustomed to a pie chart than I am.'

'She's such a caring and beautiful person inside and out, so lovely, and we're both really happy together,' James told Daily Mail Australia at the time.

All good: However when approached for comment on Monday, James told Daily Mail Australia that like every couple they are 'only human' and are 'always learning' but are both 'really happy'

He revealed the two had met in a totally 'random and unexpected' way not related to his appearance on The Bachelorette.

'I think they say things happen or you meet that special someone when you're least expecting it and that's definitely been the case here,' he explained.

'Also think I've finally found someone more accustomed to a pie chart than I am... and it's cool we can both share that bit of being a little nerdy together.'

James was a favourite of fans, praised online for his 'sweet' and 'nice guy' treatment of Sophie, 38.

Forced to busk during his single date with the former pop star, the two shared a passionate kiss as their one-on-one time progressed.

Popular: The Sydney-based financial advisor was a favourite of fans, praised online for his 'sweet' and 'nice guy' treatment of Sophie

Sadly Sophie didn't see a future with James, sending him packing after he made it to the top five of the competition.

His surprise booting saw fans slam Sophie online, the blonde bombshell later breaking in tears during an interview with the Kyle and Jackie O Show.

Revealing the criticism had gotten to her, she sobbed: 'I'm sensitive and I want to keep everyone happy, and I know everyone says James is the perfect guy...but he's not the perfect guy for me.'

James later revealed he had known it wasn't going to work out between him and Sophie prior to his elimination.

'I think it was the group date and listening to the eHarmony guy telling [Sophie] that we're not compatible because of this, this and this  that, to me, was the start of when the cracks started to form,' he told Mamamia.

Booted: Sadly Sophie didn't see a future with James, sending him packing after he made it to the top five of the competitionShe's known for her stylish appearance in Made in Chelsea.

And now former reality star Georgia 'Toff' Toffolo is looking stunning in a new clothing collection for Very.

The 23-year-old showed off her slender frame in a series of beautiful outfits, with her long legs emphasised in a cream mini-suit paired with candy pink stiletto heels.

Stunning: Georgia Toffolo showed off her slender frame in a series of beautiful outfits, with her long legs emphasised in a cream mini-suit paired with candy pink stiletto heel

Relaxed: In a second shot, the I'm a Celeb queen goes for a more laid back style, donning a pair of pale blue skinny jeans with white heels and a simple t-shirt with the slogan 'coco'

Georgia appeared completely at ease as she posed, with her golden blonde tresses teased into laid back waves.

In a second shot, the I'm a Celeb queen goes for a more laid back style, donning a pair of pale blue skinny jeans with white heels and a simple t-shirt with the slogan 'coco'.

Her accessories do the talking, with a pair of large gold hooped earrings with black tassles dangling from her ears as she perches on a wooden stool.

In the spring inspired shoot, Georgia wore a stunning pink dress, complete with a rose pattern. Resting on the floor, she looked completely relaxed in the long-sleeved outfit.

Ready for the sunshine: The 23-year-old wore a stunning pink dress, complete with a rose pattern

Toughening up the prettiness of the ensemble was a black leather jacket, draped over her shoulder, paired with a pair of black suede mules with silver block heels.

Georgia rose to prominence on Made In Chelsea, but shot to the heights of fame last year after winning I'm A Celebrity, Get Me Out Of Here!

The star bagged a whopping 71% of votes in the final against runner-up Jamie Lomas, after delighting viewers with her kind-hearted nature and witty sense of humour.

Fashionista: Made in Chelsea star Georgia split from James Middleton before she headed into the jungle

Last week, the blonde was spotted with a mystery man at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London.

The Made In Chelsea star split from James Middleton, ahead of her appearance on the jungle-based show.

She gave insight into the end of their romance during a chat with Vanessa White in camp, which heard her reveal of her New Year's plans: 'I was meant to be going to South Africa with my ex-boyfriend but we broke up... I wanted to use this time to get my confidence back up.

'I thought Im going to be away for so long no phone or anything and I want my confidence to come back I want to be exactly who I was before.'She was at her sister Khloe's star-studded baby shower on Saturday.

But Kim Kardashian seemed in a more pensive mood on Instagram this Sunday.

The 37-year-old reality TV icon played up her famous derriere in tiny black underwear as she gazed meditatively through a floor-to-ceiling window.

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When you got it: On Instagram this Sunday, Kim Kardashian played up her famous derriere in tiny black underwear as she gazed meditatively through a floor-to-ceiling window

Sitting on her knees and modeling a full-sleeved pale blue crop top, the pink-haired mother of three rested her hands gently on her legs.

The indefatigable self-promoter captioned: 'Thinking about all of the giveaways were about to do! Follow @kkwfragrance to win my sold out candy hearts & crystal perfumes! Follow @kkwbeauty to win some free Ultra Light Beams sets, contour & new concealer kits! We will be announcing the giveaways soon on both socials!'

Kim, who has copped to having injections in her rear but insisted the point of them was to treat psoriasis, has a rapidly expanding family.

She and her third husband Kanye West, a couple affectionately dubbed 'Kimye,' welcomed their daughter Chicago via surrogacy in January.

En famille: On Saturday Kim (third from right) joined (from left) Kris Jenner, Kendall Jenner, Khloe Kardashian, Kourtney Kardashian and Kylie Jenner at Khloe's baby shower

Kim and Kanye, who married in 2014 a year after her previous divorce was finalized, also share four-year-old daughter North and two-year-old son Saint.

Meanwhile, Kim's younger sister Khloe is currently expecting a baby by her Cleveland Cavalier beau Tristan Thompson, whom she now lives with in Ohio.

Near the end of 2016, Tristan welcomed his firstborn child, a son called Prince, with his model ex-girlfriend Jordan Craig.

New addition: She and her third husband Kanye West, a couple affectionately dubbed 'Kimye,' welcomed their daughter Chicago via surrogacy in January

Hours after her own celebrity-strewn baby shower this Saturday, Khloe threw an extravagant birthday party for Tristan, who turns 27 on Tuesday.

Kim and Khloe's 38-year-old elder sister Kourtney has three children by her on-off flame Scott Disick - Mason, eight, Penelope, five, and Reign, three.

Their 30-year-old little brother Rob has a one-year-old daughter called Dream by his ex-fiancee, the erstwhile stripper Blac Chyna.

The Kardashian siblings' half-sister Kylie Jenner, 20, welcomed a daughter called Stormi last month with her 25-year-old rapper boyfriend Travis Scott.He was banished from the NRL after he was photographed urinating into his own mouth at Cronulla pub Northies in 2014.

And almost four years on, Todd Carney appears to be looking for love on a dating app.

According to Woman's Day, the 31-year-old's profile has been spotted on Bumble.

'He's hoping to make his mark': NRL bad boy Todd Carney 'is looking for love on Bumble' according to Woman's Day

The publication claimed on Monday that Todd is 'making his mark on the social scene' by joining Bumble.

Bumble is one of many dating apps looking to pair like-minded people, whether for casual hook-ups or something more serious.

When reached out for comment, Todd neither confirmed or denied the claims.

The publication claimed that Todd is 'making his mark on the social scene' by joining Bumble

The alleged Bumble sighting comes almost four years after Todd was seen urinating in his own mouth at a pub in Sydney's South back in 2014.

A photo was leaked on social media at the time of Todd performing an act known as 'bubbling', which led to his contract with the Cronulla Sharks being terminated.

Following his dismissal, the tattooed lad moved to France to play the 2015 season with Catalans Dragons before joining the Salford Red Devils a year later.

Todd has recently made a declaration that he wishes to return to the NRL by joining the North Queensland Cowboys.

Infamous: He was banished from the NRL after he was photographed urinating into his own mouth at Cronulla pub Northies in 2014

However the Goulburn-born athlete will have to prove himself before putting on the jersey.

An NRL spokesman told the Sydney Morning Herald over the weekend: 'Our approach with serious offences or recidivists is to require them to demonstrate over a long period of time that they are committed to change.

'It's not just a commitment to change, which is mere words, but a demonstration of change,' they added.Patti Newton recently stumbled upon a horrific secret whilst looking into her family history for the SBS series Who Do You Think You Are?

And the bubbly wife of Bert Newton has been left feeling 'betrayed' by her dark discovery.

On Monday, a source close to the 73-year-old spoke with New Idea claiming she feels like her family 'have been living a lie'.

'She feels like they've been living a lie': According to New Idea, Patti Newton has been left feeling 'betrayed' after recently discovering a shocking family secret whilst filming the SBS series Who Do You Think You Are?

Who Do You Think You Are? traces the ancestry of celebrities and the full history of Patti's clan will be detailed in an episode set to air next month.

In the show, the veteran entertainer will come across a dark secret whilst looking into her father's family tree.

On Patti's paternal line, the death of an infant baby several generations back was the subject of a high-profile media storm and subsequent criminal trial.

'She's prided herself on being a true matriarch': Patti has been left reeling by news of the family secret (pictured with her husband Bert)

'Patti feels betrayed,' the source told New Idea, adding: 'She's such a family person. She's prided herself on being a true matriarch, proud of her family - and knowing there are all these deep secrets lurking has had an effect on her.

'She's really struggling to work out why no-one in her past would have told her before, and why it's been kept such a secret'.

Last week, the giddy grandmother broke down crying when talking of her scandalous lineage with The Daily Telegraph.

A secret from the past: In the show, the veteran entertainer will come across a dark secret whilst looking into the family history of her father (right)

'I had no idea it would be so dramatic,' she told the publication.

The full details of the incident will be shared in the show's upcoming episode.

The series will also feature the family histories of stars including Dr Charlie Teo and Noni Hazelhurst.Sarah Hyland walked the red carpet as she arrived for the 2018 iHeartRadio Music Awards at the Forum in Los Angeles Sunday.

The Modern Family actress, 27, flashed legs and cleavage in a shiny little black dress.

The long-sleeved number featured a plunging neckline and an asymmetrical hem starting at the top of her thigh at the front.

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Glamorous: Sarah Hyland walked the red carpet as she arrived for the 2018 iHeartRadio Music Awards at the Forum in Los Angeles Sunday.

Sarah added black and silver sandal heels to complete her ensemble.

She wore her brunette hair tied back from her face with a couple of tendrils left loose to soften the look.

Her lashes were thickened with black mascara and her cheeks were dusted with rosy blush.

She added glossy pale pink color to her lips.

Dared to bare: The Modern Family actress, 27, flashed legs and cleavage in a shiny little black dress.

On trend: The long-sleeved number featured a plunging neckline and an asymmetrical hem starting at the top of her thigh at the front

Leggy: Sarah added black and silver sandal heels to complete her ensemble. She wore her brunette hair tied back form her face with a couple of tendrils left loose to soften the look

The awards show is co-hosted by DJ Khaled and Hailey Baldwin with scheduled live performances by Ed Sheeran, Camila Cabello, Cardi B, Charlie Puth, Maroon 5, Bon Jovi and G-Eazy.

Taylor Swift was also reported to premiere the video for her new single Delicate.

Luis Fonsi and Daddy Yankee lead the pack with seven nominations while Camila Cabello, Justin Bieber and The Chainsmokers have six nominations each.

Glammed up: Sarah's lashes were thickened with black mascara and her cheeks were dusted with rosy blush. She added glossy pale pink color to her lips.

Red carpet ready: The awards show is co-hosted by DJ Khaled and Hailey Baldwin with performances by Ed Sheeran, Camila Cabello, Charlie Puth, Maroon 5, Bon Jovi and G-Eazy

Nominated for female artist of the year are Alessia Cara, Halsey, Pink, Rihanna and Taylor Swift.

Male artist of the year nominees include Bruno Mars, Shawn Mendes, Charlie Puth, Ed Sheeran and The Weeknd.

Chance the Rapper is set to receive the 2018 innovator award and while Camila Cabello will be presented with the fangirls award presented by LOreal Paris and iHeartRadio.

Awards show: Nominated for female artist of the year are Alessia Cara, Halsey, Pink, Rihanna and Taylor Swift. Male artist of the year nominees include Bruno Mars, Shawn Mendes, Charlie Puth, Ed Sheeran and The Weeknd

Sarah walked through fans at the Forum in Los Angeles for her on stage appearance during the awards show

She sported large black-framed spectacles and a big grinEllen Pompeo threatened to 'quit Twitter' after several online disputes on Sunday.

The Grey's Anatomy star has been embroiled in social media drama after a Deadline report blamed her high salary for two actresses being fired from the hit show.

But after defending Sarah Drew and Jessica Capshaw, the actress, 48, was accused of 'not helping the situation' in which she responded: 'Please don't accuse me of being disrespectful it doesn't matter what I say nothing I say is ok so I won't say anything at all anymore.'

Heated: Ellen Pompeo, 48, threatened to 'quit Twitter' after several online disputes on Sunday

Ellen's response came after online critics continued to slam her, the show, and even the two departing actresses after the showrunner Krista Vernoff insisting that the decision to cut the two actresses was purely a creative one.

'We R grateful all of you are so passionate but if you knew these two women the way I know them they would not approve of all this nastiness,' Ellen wrote.

'They both are super shiny happy people. I know you're angry but you're representation couldn't be further from who these women actually are,' she added.

Twitter user Damon Faulkner responded: 'Aren't we allowed to be angry at this injustice, though? Going to be two impossible holes to fill.'

Accusation: The Grey's Anatomy star has been embroiled in social media drama after a Deadline report blamed her high salary for two actresses being fired from the hit show

Nastiness: Ellen's response came after online critics continued to slam her, the show, and even the two departing actresses after the showrunner Krista Vernoff insisting that the decision to cut the two actresses was purely a creative one

'You are but spreading acceptance and love is our message with Greys and what all of the actors try to do with our performances on this show,' Ellen replied.

But follower Heleinir prompted Ellen's threat of silence when she posted: I really respect you and your work, Ellen, but I think your statements are coming a little late and are not helping the situation, even less so with you referring to them as "these women". People are unhappy and justifiably so. @sarahdrew & @JessicaCapshaw deserve some respect.'

Deadline reported on Thursday morning that longtime Grey's Anatomy stars Capshaw and Drew will be exiting the show at the end of the current season.

The article explains that the decision not to bring back the two stars 'comes on the heels of the blockbuster new Pompeo pact that gave her a significant salary increase, paying her as much as $20 million a year, including signing bonus, producing fees, ownership in the show and other extras.'

Saying goodbye: Sarah Drew and Jessica Capshaw will be exiting the show at the end of the current season 14

Unfortunate: The 48-year-old actress took to Twitter on Thursday after a Deadline report suggested her $20million paycheck is the reason Sarah Drew and Jessica Capshaw are being let go

Drew was the first to speak out about the news on Twitter and revealed surprisingly that she only found out herself less than two days ago.

'Thank you for all of the love,' the 37-year-old wrote. 'I know you're sad. I'm sad too. I haven't really had the time to process this information. I've been with it for less than 48 hours, so I'm not ready to say my thank yous and give an all encompassing statement about my 9 years here.

Drew joined the show in season six as trauma surgeon April Kepner, a transfer from Mercy West, later being upped to series regular in season seven.

Later in the day Capshaw, 41, who joined the medical drama in 2008 for season five as pediatric surgeon Arizona Robbins, responded to the news with a heartfelt statement.

'For the past 10 years, I have had the rare privilege of not only playing Arizona Robbins, but also being madly in love with playing her,' she wrote.

Pompeo is now the highest-paid actress on a prime time drama, getting $575,000 per episode on Grey's Anatomy, which comes to over $20 million per year.They're known for completely adoring each other.

And Olivia Buckland and Alex Bowen showed no sign of stopping as they puckered up in Barbados' international airport.

The reality TV couple were snapped laden down with bags and travel pillows as the arrived in the holiday paradise.

Loved up: Olivia Buckland and Alex Bowen weren't afraid of PDA as they puckered up in Barbados' international airport

Glamorous Olivia, 24, looked chic and comfortable in white ripped skinny jeans with an over-sized striped sweatshirt, and had popped on white Fila trainers to complete the ensemble.

She also added cat-eye sunglasses in preparation for the bright Barbadian sunshine, while keeping her golden blonde tresses tied back off her face.

Her fiance Alex had also dressed comfortably for their arrival, and looked casual in fitted black jogging trousers paired with a grey Patagonia t-shirt.

Delighted: Both of the former islanders beamed as they strolled through the airport, revealing their perfect pearly whites

Ready to dance: The cute couple didn't seem to be suffering from fatigue after their flight, with Olivia posing with people working at the airport

Couple's getaway: The pair had matching suitcases in tow, and looked loved-up at the airport

Olivia had gone makeup free for the flight, and looked stunning as she made her way through arrivals with her bare skin glowing.

The blonde beauty had clearly tried to keep hydrated as she was clutching a water bottle in her hand.

Both her and Alex appeared to be having a whale of a time as they posed next to people in the airport, with the couple bursting into laughter.

All smiles! Despite the long flight to Barbados, they both looked refreshed and ready for a good time

Fresh-faced: Olivia had gone makeup free for the flight, and looked stunning as she made her way through arrivals with her bare skin glowing

Glowing: The blonde beauty clutched a water bottle as she moved through the airport

In high spirits: Olivia looked delighted and was seen laughing and joking around despite the long flight

The pair had booked the holiday away from the UK last minute, and appeared to be incredibly excited to have a break.

Alex wrote on Twitter last month: 'Last minute trip to Barbados booked then @OliviaDBuck give me tan now'.

His fiancee posted on the site on Sunday morning: 'Bye bye England off to barbs'.

Whale of a time: The duo couldn't stop smiling as they posed with a woman working at the airport

Happy: Olivia looked excited for the holiday, which was booked last minute a few weeks ago

Laden down: The couple did not seem to be struggling with the mountain of bags they were carrying

The cute couple didn't seem to be suffering from fatigue after their flight, with Olivia posing with people working at the airport.

Both of the former islanders beamed as they strolled through the airport, revealing their perfect pearly whites.

Alex and Olivia met on Love Island in 2016 and embarked on a whirlwind romance, which saw them get engaged in New York City just five months later.

Stunner: Glamorous Olivia, 24, looked chic and comfortable in white ripped skinny jeans with an over-sized striped sweatshirt

Ready for the sun: The pair had arrived in Barbados for a holiday in the sunshine

Luggage: The reality TV couple were snapped laden down with bags and travel pillows as the arrived in the holiday paradise

In love: Alex and Olivia met on Love Island in 2016 and embarked on a whirlwind romance, which saw them get engaged in New York City just five months later

Romantic retreat: The pair had booked the holiday away from the UK last minute, and appeared to be incredibly excited to have a break

The couple readily admit that making their relationship work after the ITV2 show was 'hard work'- but credit their long-lasting romance to the fact they put in the effort to see each other every day after their stint in the villa.

Alex said last year: 'If Olivia has a job I'll go with her, if I have a job she'll come with me. I had a lot of PAs when I first came out. But I would spend every night in my own bed.

'It was such hard work but we made it work, and we're really happy together.

Putting the effort in: The couple readily admit that making their relationship work after the ITV2 show was 'hard work'- but credit their long-lasting romance to the fact they put in the effort to see each other every day after their stint in the villa

Devoted: Alex said last year, 'If Olivia has a job I'll go with her, if I have a job she'll come with me. I had a lot of PAs when I first came out. But I would spend every night in my own bed'

Time to relax: The couple were seen talking to staff at Barbados' international airport

Jetsetters: Alex wrote on Twitter last month, 'Last minute trip to Barbados booked then @OliviaDBuck give me tan now'

See you later! His fiancee posted on the site on Sunday morning: 'Bye bye England off to barbs'It seems as if Caitlyn Jenner is having buyer's remorse about her past support of now-President Donald Trump.

The 68-year-old reality star, who voted for Trump, attended his presidential inauguration - and called him 'very much behind the LGBT community' during his 2016 campaign - now says that Trump and his administration have 'been the worst ever' in terms of issues impacting the transgender community.

'Theyve set our community back 20 years, easily,' Jenner told Newsweek on Thursday in New York City appearing at Champions of Jewish Values International Awards Gala. 'Its going to be hard to change, but weve been through these types of things before and well continue to fight it.'

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Critic: Caitlyn Jenner (L) said on Thursday that President Donald Trump (R) and his administration have 'been the worst ever' in terms of issues impacting the transgender community

The Olympic gold medalist, an avowed Republican, told the publication that the president has 'do a better job when it comes to equality.'

'Were all Americans,' she said. 'I think of it this way: We have diversity in mankind, humankind. We have diversity all over the place, diversity in the way people look, diversity in religion, diversity in skin color. Wouldnt it be a dull world if everybody was the same?'

Caitlyn's comments did not play well on Twitter, where users called her out for her naivety to believe Trump would be a friend to the transgender community; and her non-acknowledgement of other Trump controversies.

Jenner's complaints came less than two years after she told the medical news outlet Spotlight Health that while then-President Barack Obama and his administration had been 'very good' toward the transgender community, she had high hopes for Trump, based on his track record with women and LGBT issues.

On the town: Jenner made the remarks in NYC Thursday at the Champions of Jewish Values International Awards Gala

Promises, promises: Jenner said that Trump was 'very much' for women and the LGBT community during the 2016 campaign, but has been frustrated amid a number of policy decisions he and his administration have made

'Everybody looks at the Democrats as being better with these issues,' she said. 'But Trump seems to be very much for women.

'He seems very much behind the LGBT community ... he backed the LGBT community,' she said in reference to Trump's 2016 opposition of a North Carolina bill that forced transgender people to use bathrooms in government buildings that corresponded to the gender on their birth certificate.

'In Trumps case, theres a lot more unknowns,' she said. 'With Hillary, you pretty much know what youre gonna get with the LGBT community.'

Celebration: Caitlyn was one of the few Hollywood celebrities that celebrated Trump's inauguration last year in the nation's capital, as other famous faces at the proceedings included Dog The Bounty Hunter and Scott Baio

Feedback: Caitlyn's new comments did not play well on Twitter, where users called her out for her naivety to believe Trump would be a friend to the transgender community; and her non-acknowledgement of other Trump controversies

In February 2017, Trump's departments of Justice and Education nixed Obama era legislation that allowed transgender students to use school bathrooms that match their gender identity.

Caitlyn then took to social media and said, 'I have a message for President Trump from, well, one Republican to another - this is a disaster! And you can still fix it. You made a promise to protect the LGBTQ community - call me.'

Trump further had Caitlyn second-guessing her vote when he announced he planned to ban transgender soldiers from the American military last July.

She took to Twitter to tell Trump, 'There are 15,000 patriotic transgender Americans in the US military fighting for all of us. What happened to your promise to fight for them?'

Caitlyn's past support of Trump has called her credibility into question within the transgender community, as she was called 'a f***ing fraud' in a moment caught on camera at an event in Los Angeles last year by transgender activist Ashlee Marie Preston.

'Its really f***ed up that you continue to support somebody ... thats erasing our f***ing community,' Preston told Jenner, who responded, 'You don't know me.'

Preston called on Jenner to apologize to the transgender community for her backing of Trump, telling the Huffington Post that Caitlyn's past public support of Trump has made it difficult for 'people who arent afforded the same protections and privilege as she has.'She's known for flaunting her killer curves on social media.

And Chantel Jeffries certainly made heads turn as she sauntered down the red carpet of the iHeartRadio Awards at The Forum in Inglewood, Calif. on Sunday afternoon.

The 24-year-old siren appeared to go bra-less underneath a sweeping golden gown with a supremely deep neckline and thigh-grazing slit.

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Golden girl: Chantel Jeffries certainly made heads turn as she sauntered down the red carpet of the iHeartRadio Awards at The Forum in Inglewood, Calif. on Sunday afternoon

Her ample assets were on full display in the clingy dress which featured thick, ruffled sleeves.

A plunging neckline dipped down to her svelte waistline where roughing further accentuated her curvy hips.

The starlet - who boasts nearly four million followers on Instagram alone - revealed peeks of her tanned and toned legs through a thigh-grazing slit.

Sparkling: The 24-year-old siren appeared to go bra-less underneath a sweeping golden gown with a supremely deep neckline and thigh-grazing slit

Adding even more golden to her metallic ensemble, her strappy golden shoes peered out from underneath the sweeping hem of her full skirt.

Chantel opted to keep accessories at a minimum, sporting just a few sparkling diamond rings across her fingers.

Her long raven-colored hair was worn back with sultry tendrils cascading down to her shoulders.

Glamour: Adding even more golden to her metallic ensemble, her strappy golden shoes peered out from underneath the sweeping hem of her full skirt

Chantel, from Jacksonville, N.C., was arrested in 2011 at the tender age of 17 for misdemeanor assault with a deadly weapon although the charges were later dropped.

The gorgeous model has put the drama behind her as she has gone onto carve a successful career in modelling.

She maintains a strong presence on social media with 3,500,000 Instagram followers and she treats fans to body makeovers and her tidbits on her home on her YouTube channel.

Sweet: The starlet - who boasts nearly four million followers on Instagram alone - revealed peeks of her tanned and toned legs through a thigh-grazing slitShe was a trailblazer for keeping pet chihuahuas by one's side at all times.

And Paris Hilton proved on trend as she was joined onstage by her puppy Diamond Baby at the iHeartRadio Music Awards in Los Angeles on Sunday.

The adorable duo commanded attention as they presented the Cutest Musician's Pet trophy - voted by fans - to Ariana Grande's pooch Toulouse.

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Dog days: Paris Hilton, 37, was joined onstage by her puppy Diamond Baby at the iHeart Music Awards in Los Angeles on Sunday

'She's a little nervous,' said the 37-year-old heiress and socialite as they took to the microphone at the The Forum.

The Simple Life star dared to impress in a red couture dress that boasted heart shapes embroidered throughout the lace.

Her gorgeous gams were thrust on center stage as the beautiful one-of-a-kind gown cut just above the knee.

She accessorized the daring look with a set of bright red high heels and a pair of huge sparkling diamond solitaire earrings.

What a pair: The adorable duo commanded attention as they presented the Cutest Musician's Pet trophy - voted by fans - to Ariana Grande's pooch Toulouse

Stage fright: 'She's a little nervous,' said the 37-year-old heiress and socialite as they took to the microphone at the The Forum

Paris' trademark golden tresses were left long and loose as they cascaded over her petite shoulders.

The California stunner painted her gorgeous face with smokey eye and dab of pink on her lips.

Diamond Baby would not be outdone as the precious pooch rocked a gold sequined crown and a purple Chanel coat.

Loved up: Paris graced the red carpet for the star-studded event as she was joined by her fiance Chris Zylka, 30

Dapper: He paired the fashion forward look with a set of ripped black jeans and bright white high tops

Handsome: The handsome actor cut a dapper figure in a black jacket and dark tee underneath

Earlier, Paris graced the red carpet for the star-studded event as she was joined by her fiance Chris Zylka, 30.

The handsome actor cut a dapper figure in a black jacket and dark tee underneath.

He paired the fashion forward look with a set of ripped black jeans and bright white velcro high tops.

Pretty petal: The Simple Life star dared to impress in a red couture dress that boasted heart shapes embroidered throughout the lace

Additions: She accessorized the daring look with a set of bright red high heels and a pair of huge sparkling diamond solitaire earrings

Legs for days: Her gorgeous gams were thrust on center stage as the beautiful one-of-a-kind gown cut just above the knee

The exquisite couple looked every inch in love as Chris planted a smooch on his soon-to-be-wife's cheek.

Meanwhile, Ariana posted an Instagram story of her sweet canine friend watching the program from home with the caption: 'He's ready to collect'

The other nominees for the new animal category included Demi Lovato's Batman, Bebe Rexha's Bear Rexha, Katy Perry's Nugget, Taylor Swift's Olivia, and Miley Cyrus' Pig Pig.

Pooch style: Diamond Baby would not be outdone as the precious pooch rocked a gold sequined crown and a purple Chanel coat

Her beau: The star decorated her fiance with heart designs

The awards show is hosted by Hailey Baldwin and DJ Khaled and features performances by Camila Cabello, Ed Sheeran, Charlie Puth and N.E.R.D.

Bon Jovi and Maroon 5 will also hit the stage at the annual awards show.

Chance The Rapper will also be the recipient of the Innovator Award.

The show will also feature an exclusive world premiere of Taylor Swift's newest single, Delicate, from her Reputation album.

Superstar: Meanwhile, Ariana posted an Instagram story of her sweet canine friend watching the program from home with the caption: 'He's ready to collect

Glued to TV: Ariana and Toulouse watched the show togetherWalking down the aisle to wed a complete stranger wasn't the first time Married At First Sight's Gabrielle Bartlett had appeared on the small screen.

But according to this week's New Idea magazine, the reality TV stint may just been Gabrielle Bartlett's big break.

The 44-year-old is said to have impressed Channel Nine executives at a recent industry event, which could result in a new gig for the aspiring actress.

Channel Nine's new leading lady? According to Monday's Woman's Day, Married At First Sight's Gabrielle Bartlett (pictured) has been tipped to score a TV gig after impressing the network's executives

The magazine claimed that since Lisa Wilkinson sensationally quit her role on Today before scoring a new gig on Network Ten's The Project, the network has been struggling to attract women over 40 as viewers.

With the network reportedly looking to secure more of the demographic, an 'insider' told the magazine: 'They believe Gab may just be able to do that'.

The source added: 'People like how she has handled herself on the show.'

New Idea also published photos of Gabrielle speaking closely to Nine's head of content Adrian Swift at a recent event at Sydney's Hilton Hotel, adding to the speculation.

Turning things around? The magazine claimed Gabrielle would be perfect to win back women over 40, who stopped watching after the beloved Lisa Wilkinson left the network

Gabrielle shot to fame appearing on high-rating dating show Married At First Sight this season where she was matched with Nasser Sultan.

The 'marriage' didn't last, with both Gabrielle and Nasser opting to leave at Sunday's commitment ceremony.

However, the single mum won fans over with her no-holds-barred attitude and by dramatically telling 'husband' Nasser 'bad luck Donald Duck' when he wanted to leave.

Unlucky-in-love Gabrielle shot to fame appearing on high-rating dating show Married At First Sight this season where she was matched with Nasser Sultan but unfortunately it wasn't to be

The unlucky-in-love reality star has a handful of minor acting roles under her belt already, having appeared in a EuroBed informercial.

She also has several IMDB credits to her name, including a role in low-budget crime thriller Irreversible Choices, in which she portrays 'Company Director 2'

Daily Mail Australia has reached out to Channel Nine for comment.

Aspiring actress: Gabrielle has had a number of small acting roles in the pastShe's never been shy in flaunting her figure in an array of steamy ensembles.

And Kayleigh Morris, 29, was back to her old style tricks as she stepped out on Saturday in a plunging mini dress for a night out on the tiles at London eatery STK.

The Ex On The Beach star was sure to command attention as she put on an eye-popping display in her racy look, which boasted skin-flashing cutouts on the side.

Eye-popping: Kayleigh Morris, 29, was back to her old style tricks as she stepped out on Saturday in a plunging mini dress for a night out on the tiles at London eatery STK

The reality star's choice of garment hugged her hourglass curves and highlighted her slender pins as she made her way to the hotspot.

Kayleigh's perilously low-cut dress complemented her strappy heels as she teetered inside the venue while sporting a glamorous beauty look.

The Big Brother alum worked her glossy tresses into a voluminous curl which cascaded down her shoulder and offset her dramatic eye make-up.

Kayleigh appeared to be enjoying her night out, after enjoying a winter getaway in Tenerife with pal Holly Rickwood.

Skin-flashing: The Ex On The Beach star was sure to command attention as she put on an eye-popping display in her racy look, which boasted skin-flashing cutouts on the side

The duo first met when they made their TV debuts on the third season of Ex On The Beach in 2015.

However, the pair embarked on a string of fierce rows, and did not become friends again until the fifth season last year.

Meanwhile Kayleigh also recently underwent the plastic surgery, after famously clashing with Jemma Lucy during series five of EOTB, when the tattooed model 'made a dig' about the beauty's 'wonky' nose.

The pair were at loggerheads during the entire series, with Kayleigh's ex Ashley Cain at the root of the tensions.

Picture perfect: The reality star's choice of garment hugged her hourglass curves and highlighted her slender pins as she made her way to the hotspot

Their vicious cat fights escalated to Jemma reportedly grabbing Kayleigh's throat - leading to her being axed from the programme.

Only adding to her drama-filled summer, Kayleigh was then kicked out of the Big Brother house herself, after getting into furious rows with Chanelle McCleary and Ellie Young.

Big Brother bosses cited her 'threats of actual violence' and 'unacceptable behaviour' as reason for her removal.

Glam: Kayleigh's perilously low-cut dress complemented her strappy heels as she teetered inside the venue while sporting a glamorous beauty look

Since her exit, Kayleigh has defended her actions and insisted that she had been edited unfairly during her time on the show.

She claimed: 'Too many people are quick to judge an outspoken individual.

'It's also really frustrating as I had so many happy times in the house, but only the bad parts were aired.'Ryan Gallagher was left humiliated and blindsided after his wife Davina Rankin began an 'affair' with Dean Wells on Married At First Sight.

But it appears Ryan and Dean have managed to repair their friendship in the months after filming the social experiment.

The MAFS husbands were spotted looking friendly while greeting fans at Little Jack Horner restaurant and bar in Coogee, Sydney on Sunday night.

Burying the hatchet? It appears Married At First Sight love rivals Ryan Gallagher (right) and Dean Wells (left) have managed to repair their friendship, as they were spotted at a Coogee restaurant and bar on Sunday night

In a photo obtained by Daily Mail Australia, Ryan and Dean are seen smiling while posing with a female fan.

Despite their troubled relationship on the show, it would appear the former love rivals have since buried the hatchet.

After a lacklustre wedding, Ryan and Davina's marriage went from bad to worse on MAFS and it didn't take her long to start looking for a husband elsewhere.

Friends again? The MAFS husbands were spotted together while greeting fans at Little Jack Horner in Coogee, Sydney on Sunday night

After the first group dinner party, she set her sights on 40-year-old Dean - who had been matched with single mother Tracey Jewel - and they agreed to begin an 'affair'.

Their betrayal resulted in heartbreak for everyone involved, after Dean promised to leave Tracey for Davina only to change his mind at the last minute.

Tracey, 35, eventually forgave Dean and they worked on rebuilding their relationship.

The 'affair': After a lacklustre wedding, Ryan and Davina's marriage went from bad to worse on MAFS and it didn't take her long to start looking for a husband elsewhere

Meanwhile, Ryan was forced to endure another week as Davina's 'husband' after learning she had cheated on him with another man.

Eventually, Ryan and Davina both 'voted' to leave the experiment and have since moved on.

Married At First Sight continues Monday at 7:30pm on Channel NineNeNe Leakes raised questions and eyebrows about her relationship with Sheree Whitfield's boyfriend as she vehemently denied they ever dated.

The 50-year-old reality star made the strong denial on Sunday's episode of The Real Housewives Of Atlanta even though no one ever speculated they were romantically involved.

She said: 'I'm going to be very clear with you guys so you can never ask me again. I have been married for over 20 years. I'm very much in love with my husband.

Strong denial: NeNe Leakes strongly denied ever dating Sheree Whitfield's incarcerated boyfriend during Sunday's episode of The Real Housewives Of Atlanta

'Sheree and Tyrone, I'm happy for them, but I've never been out with Tyrone. That's Sheree's man. He's not my man, he's not my friend, he's not my cousin, he's not my neighbor.

She added: 'Whenever you bring up the name Tyrone, direct it to Sheree Whitfield.'

A confused Kandi Burruss told the camera: 'I didn't even say that you dated Tyrone. Now you're telling on yourself. What did you do girl?'

The episode titled Let There Be Light and Love followed the women on their group vacation to Barcelona, Spain.

Her side: Sheree meanwhile said that her boyfriend Tyrone revealed that NeNe used to have a thing for him

Short conversation: Eva Marcille asked NeNe about her relationship with Sheree and Tyrone

Good point: Kandi Burruss noted that no one was claiming that NeNe and Tyrone dated

The group was one member down after NeNe revealed that Porsha Williams had decided to fly home early.

Sheree commented: 'Only Porsha knows what's going on within herself and maybe she's leaving before she gets to a breaking point. We all know the girl likes to fight.

Nene added: 'It's not about saying the words ''I'm sorry''. These girls need to feel that she's really remorseful.'

Really remorseful: NeNe said that the women need to feel that Porsha Williams was really remorseful

The women checked out of their villa and into the Hotel Arts, where they decided to dress Sheree up for an impromptu sexy photoshoot, with a view to sending the photographs to jailed Tyrone.

As a reluctant Sheree donned a skintight black dress and leopard print stockings donated by Marlo Hampton, she said: 'The outfit that Marlo picked out for me would probably be amazing on her. For me, it's looking like Elvira.'

NeNe laughed: 'I'm really trying not to make eye contact with Sheree, because if I look at her I may have to go save her.'

Sexy photoshoot: Sheree was styled for an impromptu photoshoot for imprisoned Tyrone

Sheree added: 'Tyrone will probably like them. He likes everything I do. He is all into all of this. However, he ain't ever gonna see these photos.'

The following morning, Kandi told Sheree that NeNe had been suspiciously defensive about the nature of her relationship with Tyrone.

Sheree revealed: 'Tyrone admitted to me that NeNe had a thing for him back in the day. She might not know that I know, because I've never brought it up.'

Relationship talk: Kandi Burruss told Sheree that NeNe was suspiciously defensive about her relationship with Tyrone

Show newcomer: Eva joined the show this season and was trying to figure out the drama

She told the camera: 'The way she responded to Kandi last night, it just confirms it.'

Sheree told her fellow Housewives about her rocky friendship with NeNe and admitted they had previously fallen out over Tyrone  and then didn't see one another for four years.

She asked: 'I don't know where NeNe and I stand. Are we really cool? Are we really on a good page? I'm kind of second guessing that right now.

Second guessing: Sheree admitted that she was second-guessing her relationship with NeNe

'NeNe acted like we made up, but while the face may have changed the rotten personality didn't.'

NeNe, meanwhile, remained defensive and told the women to stop asking her about Tyrone yet again over dinner.

She insisted: 'If you want to talk to me about a man, talk to me about Gregg Leakes because I am Mrs. Gregg Leakes and I have been for over 20 years. Don't ask me about somebody else's man.'

Big letters: NeNe wanted to make it clear that she knew Tyrone before Sheree met him

Tourist attraction: The ladies checked out a jamon shop in Barcelona

Local delicacy: NeNe reluctantly sampled the local delicacy

She added: 'I don't know nothing about this fool. I have no desire to speak on anything seven years, 10 years, five years ago.'

Cynthia also took the women on a road trip to perform a spiritual cleansing ceremony, which saw them light candles by the ocean and say positive things about one another.

Sheree joked: 'There's not enough holy water in the world to cleanse some of these b******.'

Love and light: Cynthia Bailey took the ladies out for a spiritual cleansins ceremony

Kind words: The women took turns saying positive things about each other

NeNe, meanwhile, was more on board and spoke about absent pal Porsha.

She said: 'Wherever you are Porsha, I hope that you find peace in your heart and I want you to know no matter what happens in your life we are all truly your sisters and your friends.

'We are here to forgive you. None of us are perfect and we all make mistakes.'

After Cynthia waded into the ocean and doused herself in water, Kandi quipped: 'This doesn't seem like a baptism to me. This just seems like a ho bath.'

The Real Housewives Of Atlanta returns next week on Bravo.Advertisement

It's the reality series that sees teams transform modest properties in just seven days.

And realestate.com.au revealed on Monday that one of the House Rules fixer uppers is a two-bedroom home in Sydney's southeast.

The Rosebery estate has been given an epic transformation, increasing its market value from $1.25 million to $1.6 million.

SPOILER ALERT: House Rules stars made over a modest two-bedroom home [L] in just SEVEN days and increase its market value to $1.6 million. Pictured on the right is the newly-built property in Sydney's Rosebery

The original property, purchased by Channel Seven in September last year, took on a modest feel, with a white exterior, dated brown tiles and a brick fence.

A moderately-sized kitchen featured a retro green bench-top, simplistic carpentry and vinyl floors.

Wooden slats led out onto a concrete space, boasting just a clothes line and corrugated iron shack.

Drab: The prior kitchen featured a retro green bench-top, simple carpentry, dated tiles and a vinyl floor

Domestic haven: The new property's kitchen takes on a very modern feel, complete with a marble island, back stools, glossy tiles and state-of-the-art appliances

However fast forward seven months, and the property has been bulldozed and replaced with a two-storey, four-bedroom, two-bathroom abode.

The new exterior takes on a grey and black colour palette with polished timber and a stylish pergola.

Those with a passion for all things domestic, can make use of a modern kitchen, containing state-of-the-art appliances, a marble island, glossy tiles and black stools.

Simplistic: The former home's living area took on a pastel colour palette with retro-style couches

Chic: The renovated pad allows for the ultimate in entertaining, featuring wooden floorboards, stylish furniture, soft textiles and statement art

While those who are keen to entertain can marvel over the spacious outdoor area, manicured lawns and statement water fountain.

The renovated abode currently sits at a market value of $1.6 million.

Last year's season of House Rules saw Gold Coast-based parents Aaron and Daniella take home the hefty cash prize of $200,000.

Dated: The previous home's bathroom took on a dated feel, with brown tiles, simple carpentry and metal railings

Statement style: While the latter property features white-washed brick walls, black and white abstract tiles and sleek finishes

Following their victory, the lucky couple described their win as 'surreal' in an interview with news.com.au.

'Even at two o'clock this morning, I woke Aaron up and said, "Do you know we've just won?",' an elated Daniella recalled to the publication.

Referencing their increased bank balance, Aaron added: 'To think this morning we've got another 200,000 reasons to be a bit happier, it's unreal.'

House Rules is set to premiere on the Seven Network this autumn

Far from impressive: Before the House Rules contestants got to work, the outdoor area featured just concrete, rusty wooden slats, a clothes line and corrugated iron shackAdvertisement

It's the highly anticipated Bachelor spin-off series - hosted by Osher Gunsberg - that will feature some of the most familiar faces from previous seasons.

And before Bachelor In Paradise debuts on Sunday March 25, the first aerial shots of the show's filming location, Fiji's Mango Bay Resort, have emerged.

The snaps released on Monday show the luxurious, sprawling location where unlucky-in-love contestants such as Jarrod Woodgate, Leah de Costa, Tara Pavlovic and Davey Lloyd will search for romance for the second time on TV.

It's almost here! Ahead of the debut of Bachelor in Paradise on Sunday March 25, revealing shots of the luxurious filming location have emerged

The birds-eye view images show a spacious resort, complete with a sizeable pool - perfect for making a splash and attracting attention from fellow genetically blessed co-stars.

Palm trees and lush greenery encompass the idyllic paradise that the contestants called home for several weeks at the tail-end of last year.

There is also plenty of room to soak up the sunshine, with sun-loungers and various chairs littering the outdoor space.

What a location! The birds-eye view images show a spacious resort, complete with a sizeable pool - perfect for making a splash when it comes to attracting the attention of co-stars

Lounging around: A relaxing-looking hammock could be seen hanging from two palm trees

Perfect for alone time! Would-be couples might enjoy an intimate chat on a private beachside cabana

If the singletons require more relaxation or a place to privately strike up a conversation, the resort caters for that as well.

A gorgeous beachside cabana featuring colourful cushions and white curtains is perfect for an intimate chat between two reality stars hoping to get to know one another a bit better.

Elsewhere, a hammock hanging from two palm trees is ideal for getting up close and personal or simply relaxing solo.

Paradise! Contestants can soak up the sun by the pool on one of the numerous sun-loungers available

Spacious: There seems to be plenty of room for romances to heat up at the sprawling resort

Bottoms up! The venue also appears to feature a bar, where the reality stars will get to know each other better

There is also a bar with ample seating, which will come in handy for sipping a few beverages as the men and women attempt to strike up friendships, romances or create enemies.

Thatched roofs add to the tropical island paradise atmosphere for the stars' Fijian getaway.

Meanwhile outdoor lights strung up over the azure pool will no doubt add a romantic ambience for those who might be feeling a spark.

Beautiful: Thatched roofs add to the tropical island paradise atmosphere for the stars' Fijian getaway

Location, location! The resort is situated is beside a beautiful beach with breathtaking views

Convenient: Villas, which are likely where the contestants will sleep, are located close to one another

Idyllic: The isolated location is second to none, with the resort scraping the edge of the ocean and a deserted pristine beach begging to be explored

The isolated location is second to none, with the resort scraping the edge of the ocean and a deserted pristine beach begging to be explored.

Several small villas with thatched roofs - likely where the Bachelor in Paradise stars will sleep - indicate the guys and girls will be housed within close quarters.

It is yet to be seen whether the convenient location will be taken advantage of once the romances start heating up.

Who will fall in love? Former stars of The Bachelor and Bachelorette will have their second shot at romance

Close by: It remains to be seen whether the convenient locations of the villas will be taken advantaged of

Getting away from the crowd: There appears to ample opportunity for the singletons to whisk dates away for some privacy

Romantic getaway: Spin-off Bachelor in Paradise was filmed in beautiful Fiji

If the contestants - which will also include Apollo Jackson, Keira Maguire, Michael Turnbull and Lisa Hyde - were keen to work up a sweat while in Fiji, they would not have been disappointed.

The extensive grass area is the perfect spot for fitting in a workout, as photos feature mystery men and women exercising on mats depict.

Other images display how easily the camera crew must have navigated the Bachelor in Paradise set, with two men who appeared to be crew members blending in the environment seamlessly.

Action! Two men, who appeared to be crew members, blend in the surrounding environment seamlesslyThey grew up working in their parents' Chinese restaurant.

And My Kitchen Rules stars Georgie and Alicia's cooking skills were put to the test during Monday's food challenge, which was based on their specialty: Asian cuisine.

The 'perfectionist' sisters were shockingly berated by the show's judges Pete Evans and Colin Fassnidge for their dish, with Colin telling them they 'dropped the ball'.

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Tough lesson: My Kitchen Rules stars Georgie and Alicia's cooking skills were put to the test during Monday's food challenge, which was based on their specialty of Asian cuisine

Tasked with cooking Asian delicacies in Sydney's Spice Alley district, Georgie and Alicia opted to make Fried Chicken with Noodle Salad.

'If we lose and go to Elimination House on the Asian challenge, we'll never be able to face our parents again!' Alicia announced.

Having grown up in their parents' restaurant in Coffs Harbour, the sisters were visibly confident going into the challenge.

'If we lose and go to Elimination House on the Asian challenge, we'll never be able to face our parents again!' Alicia announced

'We could have put out something authentically Chinese with a Georgie and Alicia twist, but we decided to go all over Asia,' Alicia said.

'We love Thai, Vietnamese, Malaysian, so what we want to do is actually a bit of all of what we've learned into one dish,' she explained of their original offering.

Peter asked the siblings if their meal was a 'family favourite' to which Georgie responded: 'Not at all.'

This left Peter 'confused' as the majority of teams decided to stick to one particular cuisine from a variety of Asian nations.

'We love Thai, Vietnamese, Malaysian, so what we want to do is actually a bit of all of what we've learned into one dish,' she explained of their original offering

'We could have put out something authentically Chinese with a Georgie and Alicia twist, but we decided to go all over Asia,' Alicia (pictured) said

'Ours is from a little bit of everything, which is how we learned how to cook. Dad doesn't cook just Chinese and that's how we learned our flavours,' Georgie attempted to explain.

'Let's hope it works out for you ladies,' Pete replied, later telling Colin he was concerned about their tactic.

As the judges tried the dish, Pete was disappointed in the chicken coming out 'super salty' and Colin was visibly disappointed, saying: 'I expected more from these two!'

'Georgie and Alicia, of all challenges, I thought they would excel at this one. There's no story to this dish,' Pete added.

Let down: As the judges tried the dish, Pete was disappointed in the chicken coming out 'super salty' and Colin (pictured) was visibly disappointed, saying, 'I expected more from these two!'

Different: Tasked with cooking Asian delicacies in Sydney's Spice Alley district, Georgie and Alicia opted to make Fried Chicken with Noodle Salad

During the judging segment, Pete and Colin were even tougher on the sisters.

Colin criticised the meal and told the girls he 'was expecting to be blown away' and that they had 'really dropped the ball on this one'.

Originally tipped to win the challenge, the sisters narrowly avoided being sent to the next Elimination House, while competitors Dan and Gemma fell in the bottom two.

Cutting it close: Tipped to win the challenge, the sisters narrowly avoided being sent to the next Elimination House and instead competitors Dan and Gemma fell in the bottom two

Unhappy: Colin (pictured right) criticised the meal and told the girls he 'was expecting to be blown away' and that they 'really dropped the ball on this one'

The brother and sister-in-law from South Australia disappointed the judges with their Chinese Pork and Chive Dumplings with Bok Choy and Garlic and Soy Sauce.

'This one hurts more than any others because we weren't the worst dish. Davide and Marco were the worst dish by a long shot,' Gemma announced.

'The dumplings were dry, they were so small as far as the filling goes, it was basically all wrapper,' answered Pete.On Monday NW magazine claimed that Married At First Sight's Tracey Jewel was expecting a child with her 'husband' Dean Wells.

But the 35-year-old bride has now hit back, denying the report.

Taking to Instagram Stories, Tracey did so by flaunting her incredible washboard abs in a hot pink activewear ensemble.

'Do I look pregnant?' Married At First Sight's Tracey Jewel responds to magazine's claims she is 'expecting a baby with husband Dean Wells'

'Do I look pregnant?' she captioned the image.

Speaking to Daily Mail Australia regarding the article, Tracey confirmed the story was false.

'Not true,' she said. 'I do want more kids in my future but not right now.'

Not true! Speaking to Daily Mail Australia regarding the article, Tracey confirmed the story was false

Also speaking to TV Week about the mix-up, the brunette beauty added that even her eight-year-old daughter Grace from a previous marriage is getting confused.

'I was in Coles the other day and I was on the cover of some of the magazine,' she recalled.

'And she's [Grace] pointing at them, yelling at the top of her voice, "There's you Mum! There's you!"

Read all about it! On Monday, NW reported that the reality star and her on-screen husband were getting ready to welcome their first child together

On Monday, NW reported that the reality star and her on-screen husband were getting ready to welcome their first child together.

Tracey reportedly told the publication: 'I loved being pregnant the first time and I can't wait to experience it again.'

The report came after Tracey was pictured in Sydney displaying what NW described as a 'rather prominent bump'.

'Dean has made so many leaps and bounds': Tracey reportedly told the publication: 'I loved being pregnant the first time and I can't wait to experience it again'

Tracey apparently told the publication her desire for a second child helped her to forgive Dean for his bad behaviour on Married At First Sight.

'Dean is such a wild card. I reckon he'd be a fun dad one minute and super strict the next,' she said.

The creative director, 40, previously embarked on an 'affair' with fellow contestant Davina Rankin and made 'disrespectful' comments about Tracey during a boys' night.

'Dean has made so many leaps and bounds since the cheating, and I wasn't willing to give up,' Tracey added, hinting the couple's problems are now behind them.

Throughout this season of Married At First Sight, Tracey and Dean's rocky romance has kept fans guessing.

Dean had planned to leave his wife for bikini model Davina Rankin, but changed his mind at the last minute during a tense commitment ceremony.

And while attending a recent boys' night, he jokingly 'offered up' Tracey to the other husbands during a bawdy discussion about wife swapping.

The mother-of-one has openly discussed her doubts about Dean on the show, but decided to 'stay' at the final commitment ceremony on Sunday night.

Married At First Sight continues Monday at 7:30pm on Channel NineHe has been a favourite with the ladies since making his My Kitchen Rules debut.

And truffle farmer Henry Terry became the object of affection for siblings Emma and Jess during Monday's episode of the cooking show.

The 26-year-old blushed his way through the food challenge as the sisters offered up their sexual innuendo, the latest of his female co-stars to shower him with attention.

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Starry-eyed: Truffle farmer Henry Terry became the object of affection for siblings Emma and Jess during Monday's episode of My Kitchen Rules

Henry and his sister Anna opted to make a Thai Green Chicken Curry for the episode's Asian challenge, marveling at the size of the wok they had to cook with.

As the duo were hard at work, Sydney sisters Jess and Emma stopped by their kitchen and instantly began flirting with a bashful Henry.

'How's the heat in the kitchen?' Emma suggestively queried him.

Forward: As the duo were hard at work, Sydney sisters Jess and Emma stopped by their kitchen and instantly began flirting with a bashful Henry

'It's hot, it's really hot. Have you seen the size of our wok?' he innocently asked.

'It's a big work you've got there!' Emma observed with a sly laugh.

'It's an enormous wok,' the truffle farmer confirmed, then giggled before muttering his answer again under his breath.

'It's an enormous wok,' the truffle farmer confirmed, then giggled before muttering his answer again under his breath

'Have you ever cooked with a wok that size before?' Jess asked the red-faced chef.

'No, I've never cooked with a wok before,' he admitted.

'So you're not used to using big equipment like that?' she prodded.

'How am I supposed to respond to that?' Henry said, blushing even more.

'How am I supposed to respond to that?' Henry said, blushing even more as he cooked

'It's hot, it's really hot. Have you seen the size of our wok?' he innocently asked the sisters

Emma then shifted the conversation to his sister and asked: 'Anna, how are you going with that big wok, darling?'

'We just won't talk about that! It's pretty hectic,' she acknowledged.

'But you're giving it a go, that's all that matters,' Jess laughed.

Henry and Anna avoided being sent to the next Elimination House, which went to their South Australian rivals Dan and Gemma for making 'flavourless dumplings'.Elle Fanning arrived at LAX on Sunday, standing out from the crowd in a fuchsia sweatsuit.

The actress, 19, flew back to Los Angeles from Austin, Texas, where she'd made an appearance at SXSW.

Elle looked lovely in her choice of outfit that was perfect for staying comfy on a flight.

Back in Tinseltown: Elle Fanning arrived at LAX on Sunday, standing out from the crowd in a fuchsia sweatsuit and carrying a very large black tote on one arm

She wore the top with the zipper done up to the neck and the pants were suitably baggy.

Elle added white sneakers and rocked red-framed sunglasses.

Her long blonde hair was loose with a center parting and she carried a very large black tote over one arm.

Casual style: The actress, 19, rocked red-framed sunglasses and her long blonde hair was loose with a center parting

Comfy: She wore the top with the zipper done up to the neck and the pants were suitably baggy. She added a pair of white trainers

Celebrated actress: Elle flew back to Los Angeles from Austin, Texas, where she'd made an appearance at SXSW

On Saturday, the younger sister of actress Dakota Fanning had walked the red carpet at the SXSW Film Festival for the premiere of her movie Galveston.

She wore a pinstripe suit for the occasion.

In Galveston, she stars with Ben Foster and Lili Reinhart in a film noir about a dying hitman who returns to his Gulf coast hometown where he plots revenge.

The movie is based on the novel of the same name by Nic Pizzolatto, who created and wrote the HBO hit series True Detective.

On trend: On Saturday, the younger sister of actress Dakota Fanning wore a pinstripe suit as she walked the red carpet at the SXSW Film Festival for the premiere of her movie Galveston

Elle is on the cover of April's Glamour magazine along with Camila Cabello and Aha Naomi King.

Inside the magazine's Beauty Issue, Elle spoke about what beauty means to her.

'Well, beauty is not just what you look like from the outside,' the Maleficent star said. 'Ive certainly experienced not feeling super confident.'

She went on to talk about how she was home-schooled until the fourth grade and was 'freaked out' to be in a classroom with children her age.

She explained: 'My hair is actually really curly, so I got it blown out straight, and I wore contactsmy eyes are terribleand this one boy came to me on the playground and said, "Youre so beautiful. Im going to marry you!" Whatever.'

'Then the next day I washed my hair, so it was curly, and wore my glasses. And he told me, "Im not going to marry you anymore." Im like, What? All because of physical appearance? Heartbreaking.'

Cover girl: 'Beauty is not just what you look like from the outside,' the Maleficent star said for a profile in the April issue of Glamour magazineBindi Irwin has denied recent reports made by Woman's Day that she has an 'uncomfortable' and 'tense' relationship with the family of her boyfriend Chandler Powell.

Speaking to Yahoo Be on Monday, a representative for Bindi totally denied the allegations insisting they were not true.

This week, Woman's Day , reported that Bindi 'seemed uncomfortable' and 'stressed at Chandler's brother's wedding in Florida on March 3.

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What a croc! Bindi Irwin has denied recent reports made by Woman's Day that she has an 'uncomfortable' and 'tense' relationship with the family of her boyfriend Chandler Powell

According to an unnamed source, 'Bindi didn't mingle with his family at all,' during the wedding.

Furthermore the source claimed the Australian TV personality tried to keep herself 'busy' at the nuptials, in an attempt to alleviate the apparent tension between her and Chandler's parents.

'She seemed uncomfortable around his parents and tried to keep herself busy by helping other guests bring gifts from their cars,' the source told the publication.

Paper shuffling: The source claimed the Australian TV personality tried to keep herself 'busy' at the nuptials in an attempt to alleviate the apparent tension between her and Chandler's parents

According to the source, Bindi and Chandler spent little time with the family, despite the fact that the pair had travelled from Brisbane to be at the destination wedding.

They went on to speculate that the reason behind the so-called 'tension' had something to do with the fact that Chandler had relocated from the US to Australia 'about one year ago', so that he could be closer to Bindi.

'It's like they've lost him to the Irwins, which is becoming a sore point and could very well be why things seemed tense between Bindi and the Powells,' they reportedly told the publication.

Claims: According to the source, Bindi and Chandler spent little time with the family, despite the fact that the pair had travelled from Brisbane to be at the destination wedding

These allegations come after Bindi and Chandler once again sparked rumours they're engaged.

Taking to Instagram in January, Bindi shared a snap of herself cuddling up to Chandler as they holidayed in Europe.

'The love of my life,' Bindi captioned the sweet black and white snap, sending fans into overdrive.

'Seriously Chandler, all of us actual normal folk are dying to hear you've proposed. She is worth it and then some,' one fan commented.

Another added: 'When is the wedding haha.'

While one fan said: 'When are y'all getting married? Lol.'

The post gained thousands of likes within minutes.

Over the 2017 festive break, Chandler and Bindi have enjoyed traveling around Europe, and have visited romantic destinations, including France and Italy.

In January 2018, Woman's Day once again claimed Bindi and Chandler were set to tie the knot.

Holidays: Over the festive break, Chandler and Bindi have enjoyed traveling around Europe, and have visited places including France and Italy

Just weeks after Bindi's rep dismissed engagement rumours as 'false,' the bizarre new report alleged that the couple got engaged during a whirlwind proposal in Paris.

'If they're engaged, they'll be enjoying this private time and keeping the news to themselves for a little while,' an unnamed source told the publication.

'It's a precious time in their lives and one [Bindi] would want to share with just her family for now.'

An Australia Zoo spokeswoman once again confirmed to Daily Mail Australia in January, that the engagement rumours are false.She began fighting another legal battle this month - to have majority of her $1.5 million legal costs from successfully suing Bauer Media for defamation last year to be repaid by the publisher.

And despite the stressful situation ahead, Rebel Wilson looked as happy and carefree as ever as she stepped out in California on Sunday night.

The Hollywood star, 38, looked classically chic in an all-black ensemble as she headed to dinner at Craig's on Melrose Avenue after the iHeartRadio awards.

A spring in her step! Actress Rebel Wilson is all smiles as she heads out in West Hollywood for dinner in a chic all-black ensemble on Sunday Night

The funnywoman couldn't contain her joyous appearance, grinning from ear-to-ear as she approached the venue.

Rebel flattered her figure in a high-waisted black skirt and matching black blouse.

It is unclear whether the outfit was from her Rebel Wilson X Angel range of clothing.

She kept her look minimal without any accessories, and highlighting her exposed trims with elegant black heels.

Is it from her label? Rebel flattered her figure in a high-waisted black skirt and matching black blouse. The Australian star owns clothing company, Rebel Wilson X Angel

The Pitch Perfect star held a small clutch in her hand, along with a set of keys.

Rebel wore her blonde locks down in a sleek-straight look, with her fringe falling across her forehead.

Her shiny pink lip-gloss gleamed as she smiled for the cameras, while the rest of her makeup accentuated her cheekbones and porcelain complexion.

Blonde beauty! Her shiny pink lipgloss was evident as she smiled for the cameras

Rebel was last year awarded $4.5 million in the highest defamation payout in Australian history when she sued Bauer Media for defamation.

It was revealed in the Supreme Court of Victoria on Thursday that she spent a seven-figure sum over the 22-day trial, including her barrister Matthew Collins' fees of $9,900 a day, including tax.

The Bridesmaids star now wants the majority of her costs repaid by Bauer, which defamed her in a series of magazine articles published in 2015.

News of her fight to reclaim the legal fees came after she posted an Instagram post with the words: 'Girls just want to have funds.'She's the former Miss Universe Australia who is often spotted looking flawless while fronting advertising campaigns.

But Laura Dundovic has proven she's got plenty of personality, with the 30-year-old model revealing her deepest fears and pet peeves on Monday.

Taking to her Instagram Story, the busty blonde revealed she suffers from trypophobia, the fear of irregular patterns or cluster of small holes or bumps.

Holy moly! Former Miss Universe Australia Laura Dundovic, 30, has revealed she suffers from trypophobia, the fear of irregular patterns or cluster of small holes or bumps

In a series of 'about me Q+A' snaps shared to the social media platform, Laura shared a number tidbits about herself, including that she 'hates fish.'

The former 'I'm A Celebrity, Get Me Out Of Here' camp-mate listing her pet peeve as the far more common annoyance of people 'chewing loudly,' along with people who don't understand how roundabouts work.

Making light of herself, the vivacious blonde listed a nickname of 'Dunye West' and added her favourite place was Croatia and the place she wants to go the most is idyllic The Maldives.

Quiet please! Laura admitted she doesn't like people who chew loudly

On the bad habits, the blonde beauty said she 'skips songs after the chorus,' and added that she gets 'mean,' if she hasn't had breakfast.

In January, Laura revealed she had completed the renovations on her Bulimba property in Brisbane with her hunky rugby playing boyfriend, Quade Cooper.

Taking to Instagram at the time, Laura shared a snap of her and Quade standing in their newly renovated kitchen.

Pet peeves! She's also not a fan of people who don't understand how roundabouts work

The television personality cut a casual figure in a yellow T-shirt tucked into distressed Daisy Dukes, as she gazed fondly at her athlete partner.

Quade, 29, perched on the countertop, wore a khaki tank that showed off his bulging biceps, teamed with black workout shorts and a green cap.

The newly renovated kitchen features a colour palette of matte black and ice white, with mahogany wood carpentry and state-of-the-art appliances.

The places you'll go! Proving to be well traveled, Laura said she wants to go to the The Maldives, adding she thought the country with the best food was Italy

Laura captioned the image: 'RENOVATIONS FINISHED. Now time to furnish @quadecooper. After months of living in one room through our renovations with no kitchen, or lounge and only takeout and movies on the laptop we are finally done!

'Loved it so much and wanting to do it all over again now! Still obsessing over our Silestone Lagoon Suede benchtops.'

The Courier Mail reported early last year that renovations on the home, purchased for $1.845 million in 2015, would include a new facade, observation deck and pool.

All finished! It comes after Laura and rugby player Quade Cooper finished the renovations to their Bulimba property, near Brisbane

Laura and Quade went public with their relationship in 2015, after signing up to take part in the Network Ten reality show I'm A Celebrity...Get Me Out Of Here!

Keeping coy on specifics, the former Miss Universe Australia told The Daily Telegraph in 2016: 'I've travelled to the most amazing places and met incredible people and none of it could have been planned or predicted.'

'I always say to people, you never know what life has in store for you so just enjoy the ride,' Laura added.He's the Australian TV presenter whose growing collection of ink is often hidden under a long-sleeved business shirt.

But, on Sunday night's episode of The Project Tommy Little didn't let clothes get in the way of revealing one of his prized pieces of body art on live television.

In front of a packed studio audience, the Hit Network radio host lifted up his white button-up shirt to unveil a tic-tac-toe game tattoo, located under his left peck.

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Tic-tac-tattoo! The bizarre moment comedian Tommy Little lifts up his shirt to reveal his extremely unusual chest ink during The Project

The bizarre moment happened during an interview with Northern Irish comic Jimeoin, who found Tommy's tattoo very entertaining.

During the segment, the pair were seen playing tic-tac-toe on a piece of paper, before Tommy suddenly declared: 'You know I have experience with this!'

At this point, Tommy rolled up his shirt and flaunted his pencil and paper game ink to the panel shows audience.

Interesting ink: In front of a packed studio audience, the Hit Network radio host lifted up his white button-up shirt to unveil the ink, located under his left peck

The stand-up comedian made sure the live studio audience didn't miss an eye-full of his tattoo, as he confidently rotated his body from side to side.

After Tommy's rather revealing stunt, The Project Host Lisa Wilkinson was seen covering her mouth as she burst into fits of laughter.

Meanwhile her fellow panelist, Hamish McDonald said, 'He's [Tommy] been waiting for years to get his rig out on the television.'

Don't mess with the king! During the segment, the pair were seen playing tic-tac-toe on a piece of paper, before Tommy suddenly declared: 'You know I have experience with this!'

Laugh-out-loud moment: After Tommy's rather revealing stunt, The Project Host, Lisa Wilkinson was seen covering her mouth as she burst into fits of laughter

Tommy debuted his board-game inspired body art back in 2015 via Instagram.

The radio presenter revealed in the post, the tattoo was the result of a joke he shared with his former Nova 100 breakfast show co-host, Meshel Laurie.

'Here's my new tattoo and permanent reminder that I'm smarter than Meshel Laurie. Thanks to Levi Barnett for his patience with our stupidity' he wrote in the caption of his Instagram post.She is known for her hourglass figure, and openly aims to change the fashion industry's perceptions on beauty and size.

And Iskra Lawrence was certainly the picture of confidence on Sunday, as she made a head-turning arrival at an Aerie event in Miami Beach.

The model, 27, gave a glimpse of her stomach in a skimpy palm print bralet and white jeans, as she beamed widely for cameras in-store.

Leading lady: Iskra Lawrence was the picture of confidence on Sunday, as she showed off her envy-inducing figure at the Aerie event in Miami Beach

Looking incredible: Iskra also shared this picture of herself on the beach, while wearing a swimsuit on Instagram on Monday

The Worcester-born beauty was not afraid to display her figure in the blue and pink crop top, which cut off just below her bust to flash plenty of skin to all.

Teaming the bralet with low-rise white jeans, which hugged her legs all the way down, Iskra let her toned stomach take centre stage as she posed.

Keeping the look casual but still cool, the blonde tied her look together with a preppy denim jacket and dusty pink sliders.

Skimpy: The Worcester-born beauty was not afraid to display her figure in a blue and pink crop bralet, which cut off just below her bust to flash her toned stomach to all

Abs-olutely fabulous: Teaming the top with low-rise white jeans, which hugged her legs all the way down, Iskra let her toned stomach take centre stage as she posed at the bash

She accessorised with a smattering of gold jewellery and swept her hair into a loose half up-do, to draw attention to her clear and glowing complexion as she beamed for cameras.

First posing alone, she later joined Olympic gymnast Aly Raisman for a few snaps - clad in a quirky pair of ripped dungarees and white slogan T-shirt.

Iskra is well-known in the industry for being an advocate of body confidence and embracing your body, whatever its size.

She has also refused to label herself as a plus-size model throughout her career, and has protested against the lack of diversity on the London Fashion Week catwalk.

Glowing: She accessorised with a smattering of gold jewellery and swept her hair into a loose half up-do, to draw attention to her clear and glowing complexion as she beamed for cameras

Say cheese! First posing alone, she later joined Olympic gymnast Aly Raisman for a few snaps - clad in a quirky pair of ripped dungarees and white slogan T-shirt

The beauty, who is a size 14, recently revealed how she battles with cruel trolls online who brand her overweight.

Speaking to Harper's Bazaar in January, she said: 'I get comments like 'fat pig' and I just think 'whatever', but sometimes it's good to make something positive from it.

'I deal with it in two ways. I either just block and delete because I know that it's not personal.

'There are people out there that unfortunately, usually because they're hurting, like to hurt other people  it's for attention or whatever. Other times I like to do something positive with it.'She was awarded supermodel status by fashion bible V Magazine in 2011.

And on Sunday, runway model turned actress Abbey Lee Kershaw, 30, channeled new-school cool when she attended the SXSW Festival in the Texas city of Austin.

The high-fashion model, who has previously walked exclusively for Gucci and Chanel, cut a pensive figure in the portrait gallery at the art and culture festival.

New school cool! Australian model turned actress Abbey Lee Kershaw, 30, has channeled new school cool in tan leather pants at the SXSW Festival in Austin on Sunday

For the shoot, the model sat on a steel stool surrounded by piles of vintage-looking books at the event, which was for the SXSW Film Festival.

Later she stopped by the Pizza Hut lounge to refuel at SXSW and even picked up Pizza Hut 'Pie Top' sneakers.

Actors Carla Gugino and Abbey Lee Kershaw from the film "Elizabeth Harvest" at the Pizza Hut Lounge at the 2018 SXSW Film Festival on March 11, 2018

Abbey, who is currently trying her luck in Hollywood, appeared fashion forward in the shoot, opting for retro tan leather pants that appeared to be 70s inspired.

Channeling new school cool, Melbourne-born Abbey completed her statement bootleg pants with a metallic green top with spaghetti straps, flaunting her slender shoulders and toned arms.

Modern flowerchild! The 30-year-old model looked angelic as she posed in a metallic green top and wore her hair in a subdued crown braid

Abbey wore half of her hair in braids framing her face, with the remainder of her luscious locks flowing near her bust.

Colour-coding the fashion-forward outfit, the stunning model opted for pattern green socks which matched her top and a pair of high-shine heeled riding boots.

Accessories wise, the blonde beauty opted by a dainty necklace silver necklace which had a cross.

hippie-esque! Abbey, who shot to fame as a high-fashion model, appeared to re-create a modern hippie-inspired look

For her make-up, Abbey opted for a natural palette to complement her already glowing skin and high cheekbones.

In January, the model turned actress spoke candidly about gender inequality in Hollywood, claiming there is still 'one female to every 10 men,' getting roles.

'For every script I get, a male actor friend will get five,' she said on Sunday.

'A huge problem worldwide': Last month, Abbey spoke out about the issue of gender inequality in Hollywood

'Every script with a female, there's one female to every 10 men. On top of that, there's the gender pay gap issue that's a huge problem worldwide.'

'In my workplace, I get paid less purely for that fact I am a female,' she continued.

Abbey's acting career has gone from strength-to-strength in recent years as she steps back from modelling work.

Sexism is still an issue: 'For every script I get, a male actor friend will get five,' Abbey told The Sun-Herald in January

She has also began using 'Abbey Lee' professionally, telling The Daily Telegraph she ditched her family name so it sounds 'sexier'.

'It's short and sweet,' she explained.

With a growing list of films under her belt, including 2015's Mad Max: Fury Road, she already has three more projects set for release later this year.

Rising star: With a growing list of films under her belt, including 2015's Mad Max: Fury Road (pictured), she already has three more projects set for release later this year

Abbey rose to fame after winning the Girlfriend Model Search in 2004 and later moved to Sydney to pursue a runway career.

She has appeared in Vogue Australia and has posed in editorial campaigns for the likes of Anna Sui, Chanel, Gucci and Calvin Klein.She recently clashed with MAFS star Dean Wells, calling out his inappropriate and disrespectful 'wife swap' chat during the show's boozy boys' night.

And on Monday, during a couple-swap date organised by the show's relationship experts, Charlene and Dean were paired to chat one-on-one.

The reality stars quickly launched into a heated debate, with Charlene expressing: 'I saw you with Tracey and then you went with Davina, so I went, "Boom, player".'

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'It's not a swingers party- go home!': MAFS Charlene slams 'alpha male' Dean Wells in private chat as he claims he NEVER slept with Davina Rankin

'I'm not here to make friends. There is no-one that he can sit there and pamper to at the table this time or walk off having little private conversations,' Charlene said as she prepared for the solo meeting.

Charlene had previously promised another showdown between the pair, and she delivered.

At first, she appeared genuinely interested in how he was tracking with 'wife' Tracey Jewel, but quickly questioned: 'What happened with the Davina thing?'

Huffing before answering the question, he said: 'I've said this to Tracey, I've admitted to everyone, I was attracted to Davina. But I didn't sleep with Davina. We didn't actually do anything physical.'

'I was attracted to Davina. But I didn't sleep with Davina. We didn't actually do anything physical': Dean betrayed 'wife' Tracey Jewel when he initial s secret relationship and texting scandal with co-star Davina Rankin

'People actually have affairs and have sex and all that kind of stuff all the time': Dean seemingly defended his situation by saying couples overcome bigger obstacles than what he and Tracey have been through, as she suggested they are fine now following the incident

Charlene quipped: 'But the physical is just the physical. You know, it's the emotional.'

Dean seemingly defended his situation: 'Couples overcome bigger obstacles than that. People actually have affairs and have sex and all that kind of stuff all the time.'

'The whole point was to come and be matched with one person, not to, like, duck off to a bar and pick up someone 'cause you weren't really sure that your wife was the right one,' Charlene pointed out at his sneaking around with Davina on the show behind 'wife' Tracey's back.

'Davina went for me': Charlene claimed he was being 'dismissive' and refusing to take accountability when he discussed the 'affair'

'It doesn't matter, it takes two to tango': Charlene did not let Dean off the hook and suggested he had 'hit on' a quarter of the women on the show

Charlene claimed he was being 'dismissive' and refusing to take accountability when he suggested 'Davina went for me'.

Firm on her stance, Charlene added: 'It doesn't matter, it takes two to tango. We came here to be matched. If you don't get matched, it's not a swingers party - go home.'

In a shocking revelation she also suggesting: 'he's hit on a quarter of the women here!'

Charlene warned Dean: 'If you screw her (Tracey) over again, I will lose my mind!'

Final warning: Charlene claimed, 'If you screw her (Tracey) over again, I will lose my mind!'



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He splashed out $20million on a luxury California condo last summer.

And after moving into his new abode, Matthew Perry is getting rid of his west coast property portfolio, selling his Hollywood Hills house for $12.5million.

The stunning 1960s residence was put up for sale at $13.5million last year, but the sale has been finally been made, for a million less, in a deal made off market.

Sold! Matthew Perry is getting rid of his west coast property portfolio, selling his stylish Hollywood Hills house for $12.5million after listing the stunning three bedroom, four bathroom property last summer

Matthew's house, located in the Bird Streets of Hollywood Hills West, comprises of a stunning 3,821 square feet of living space with three bedrooms and 4.5 bathrooms.

Built in 1962, the pad was originally purchased by the Friends star in August 2011 for $8.5 million, according to property records seen by Variety.

The main draw of the stylish property are the dazzling downtown skyline views with the Pacific Ocean in the distance.

Making a deal: The stunning 1960s residence was put up for sale at a whopping $13.5million last year, but the sale has been finally been made, for a million less, in a deal made off market

Laid out in an open plan style, the living/dining space is entered through a gated courtyard and a statement glass door. Cosy nooks have been created with a living area fireplace and built-in bookshelves.

The stunning kitchen meanwhile features hard to miss acid green countertops and matching chairs around a ten seater dining table.

Floor to ceiling glass doors open out on to the gorgeous backyard which is perfect for entertaining with numerous fire pits dotted around, a reflecting pool, lawn area with sun loungers and an outdoor living and dining room.

Perfect for Friends! The 1962 built home features stunning views of downtown Los Angeles and the Pacific Ocean in the distance, with plenty of outdoor entertaining space and an enviable infinity pool

Quite the feature! The pool also provides the view for the unusual subterranean screening room, which is hidden under the master suite with two-inch thick windows that look into the depths of the pool

Bringing the outside in: Floor to ceiling glass doors open out on to the gorgeous backyard which is perfect for entertaining with numerous fire pits dotted around, a reflecting pool, lawn area with sun loungers and an outdoor living and dining room

Take in the view: On a clear day the Pacific can be glimpsed in the distance, past the glittering lights of Los Angeles

The real highlight of the outside space though is the jaw-dropping LED-lit infinity edge swimming pool. The pool also provides the view for the unusual subterranean screening room, which is hidden under the master suite with two-inch thick windows that look into the depths of the pool.

The sleek interiors continue into the bedrooms and bathroom, with the master bath featuring a huge walk-in shower, free-standing bath next to a TV and windows looking out onto lush greenery in the courtyard.

The master bedroom makes the most of the stunning views over the city, with three glass walls surrounding the luxury kingsize bed.

Fancy a soak: The sleek interiors continue into the bedrooms and bathroom, with the master bath featuring a huge walk-in shower, free-standing bath next to a TV and windows looking out onto lush greenery in the courtyard

Slumber room: The master bedroom makes the most of the stunning views over the city, with three glass walls surrounding the luxury kingsize bed

Greenery: The house includes a lush green courtyard which provides the entrance way to the gorgeous house

Home sweet home: Matthew's house, located in the Bird Streets of Hollywood Hills West, comprises of a stunning 3,821 square feet of living space with three bedrooms and 4.5 bathrooms

Matthew's sale comes after he snapped up a luxurious penthouse condo in Century City's famed Century Tower last summer.

He paid $20million for the the swish wholefloor apartment which is a far cry from Chandler's West Village digs, as it comes with seven bathrooms, two fireplaces and a 25 guest dining room in place of the foosball table/dinner table in Friends.

The luxury living quarters also include four bedrooms, floor-to-ceiling windows, a powder room and a huge centre-island kitchen.

The property's panoramic views take in stunning sights including downtown Los Angeles, the Santa Monica mountains and the ocean with the master bedroom in prime position for the morning sunrise.

Requires green fingers: The lush vegetation in the courtyard had been well maintained by the Friends star and his staff

Moving on: Built in 1962, the pad was originally purchased by the actor, who earned $1million per episode in his Friends' heyday, in August 2011 for $8.5 million, according to property records seen by Variety

Time for a movie: The screening room looks out into the pool, while cosy sofas and armchairs are perfect for relaxing in front of a movie, or an episode or two of Friends on the big screen

Bit of style: The pad was built as a modern homage to the 1940s Case Study Houses - experiments in American residential architecture which commissioned major architects of the day to design and build inexpensive model homes for the US residential housing boom caused by the end of World War II and the return of millions of soldiers

Welcome home: Matthew's sale comes after he snapped up a luxurious penthouse condo in Century City's famed Century Tower last summer, moving into the city after enjoying the quiet life up in the Hollywood HillsShe's been on a trip to Uganda to Sport Relief to highlight the importance of contraception.

And Stacey Solomon told Lorraine on Monday that she's sick of the airbrushing culture in the UK as it's 'ridiculous' when people in Africa are 'struggling to survive.'

The 28-year-old said: 'It is ridiculous, I feel very passionately about it. When you go to Africa, people just struggling to survive, our struggles are so menial.

'I worry about the next generation': Stacey Solomon slammed the shallow airbrushing culture on Lorraine on Monday following trip to Uganda where people are 'struggling to survive'

Before and after: Stacey was shown both unairbrushed and airbrushed pictures of herself in a bikini and she said she favoured the natural version of herself

'I worry about the next generation of girls and boys and how they feel inside.

'Airbrushing is everywhere. It feels like CGI - a cartoon world, I cant tell the difference between what is real and what isnt.'

Stacey was shown both unairbrushed and airbrushed pictures of herself in a bikini and she said she favoured the natural version of herself.

She said: 'Airbrushing is everywhere. It feels like CGI - a cartoon world, I cant tell the difference between what is real and what isnt'

She continued: 'I worry about the next generation of girls and boys and how they feel inside'

Pointing to a small pocket of skin on her back, she said: 'Everybodys got those, I love the bits at the back of the bikini.

'Also, look at the picture of the right... you see that constantly, you dont see any creases in the body, youll think whats wrong with me? You have to be authentic.'

Stacey also touched upon her work with spreading awareness about contraception in Uganda and said that she feels 'privileged' to go out there and see what Sport Relief are doing.

Doing her thing: Stacey has been sharing pictures from her time in Uganda

She said: 'They dont get to choose whether they have children. I just couldnt get over the fact that some people dont even know what contraception is.

'It was just so incredible, so many people responded in an amazing way to it.

'I often feel very lucky and privileged Im in a position to provide for my two boys. I had a child very young, I always had a choice, whether to go through with it.

'All the way through the pregnancy, I had family and friends support all the way through, to think there is people around who dont have a choice is a difficult thing to acknowledge.'

Special time: Stacey also touched upon her work with spreading awareness about contraception in Uganda and said that she feels 'privileged' to see what Sport Relief are doing

Working it: Stacey looked beautiful as she posed backstage wearing a white crocheted top and skinny jeans

Stacey also talked about how happy she is with her boyfriend, former EastEnders star Joe Swash, 36, who she has been dating since 2015.

She said: 'Were really good, you know me Lorraine, I joke about this all the time, Id love to get married one day, were happy as we are.

'Hes wonderful, weve both got children, want to make sure everyone is happy before we move forward.He's best known for his clean-shaven look as police consultant Patrick Jane on U.S. mystery-drama The Mentalist.

But Simon Baker looked in his element on Sunday when he was spotted riding waves off Sydney's Bronte Beach.

The Australian actor, 48, looked buff in a wetsuit top as he hit the water for a leisurely surf in his native country.

Surf's up! Simon Baker displays muscular physique in wetsuit top and board shorts as he rides waves off Sydney's Bronte Beach on Sunday

Bronte beach, where he chose to surf, is a short walk from the $6.5 million home Simon bought in 2015 with wife Rebecca Rigg.

The handsome star's wet clothes clung to his muscular frame as he emerged from the water.

The avid surfer strapped his board's leash to his right foot - which would suggest a regular, rather than goofy-footed stance.

Later, Simon put on an impressive surfing display while keeping balance and catching several waves.

Looking good! The avid surfer strapped his board's leash to his right foot - which would suggest a regular, rather than goofy-footed stance

Focus! Later, Simon put on an impressive surfing display while keeping balance and catching several waves

Steady! The Tasmanian-born hunk showcased a face of deep concentration as he maneuvered the conditions

The Tasmanian-born hunk showcased a face of deep concentration as he maneuvered the conditions.

Simon, from Launceston, protected his facial features with sunscreen and zinc.

Looking like the quintessential Australian beach boy, his blond locks were pushed back away from his face and he appeared carefree and completely relaxed.

The ex-Home and Away actor tugged at his rising boardshorts as he headed for the soft sand with his board by his side.

No wipe-out in sight! Simon looked in his element on Sunday when he was spotted riding waves off Sydney's Bronte Beach

What a hunk! Simon, from Launceston, protected his facial features with sunscreen and zinc

Buff! The Australian actor's muscular physique was highlighted in the wetsuit top and boardshorts that clung to his athletic frame

Beach babe! Looking like the quintessential Australian beach boy, his blond locks were pushed back away from his face and he appeared carefree and completely relaxed

The Devil Wears Prada showed off his surfing skills in his flick, Breath, released last December.

Simon made his directorial debut while creating the surfing thriller film.

The film is based off Tim Winton's bestselling novel Breath and follows a pair of thrill-seeking young surfers in Western Australia who meet ex-pro surfer Sando - played by Simon - who leads them to new levels of recklessness.

On-screen surf legend: The Devil Wears Prada star acted as ex-pro surfer Sando in surfing thriller flick, Breath, which was released in December

Heading home? Despite living in Los Angeles, Simon and actress wife Rebecca Rigg bought a three-bedroom house in the beachside suburb of Bronte in 2015

Despite living in Los Angeles, Simon and actress wife Rebecca Rigg bought a three-bedroom house in the beachside suburb of Bronte in 2015, The Daily Telegraph reported at the time.

The couple - who married in 1998 after five years together - are now understood to own three luxurious properties across the country, including a Bondi Beach apartment and a quaint farm in Byron Bay.

They first moved to the U.S. in the mid-90s, having already started a family together - which Simon has claimed put pressure on him to succeed as an actor in Hollywood.

Simon is the father to daughter Stella Breeze Baker, 24, and sons Claude Blue Baker, 18, and Harry Friday Baker, 16.

Family man: They first moved to the U.S. in the mid-90s, having already started a family together - which Simon has claimed put pressure on him to succeed as an actor in HollywoodShe's the comedian who was odds-on favourite to win I'm A Celebrity...Get Me Out Of Here!

And Fiona O'Loughlin's popularity with the country was evident on Monday when she was crowned the winner of the hit reality show- leaving Shannon Noll in second place.

Fiona was beside herself upon taking out the $100,000 grand prize, and her place on the I'm A Celebrity throne.

Congratulations: Fiona O'Loughlin's popularity with the country was evident on Monday when she was crowned the winner of I'm A Celebrity...Get Me Out Of Here!

The comedian danced for joy and hugged fellow campmates as news of the win sunk in.

Before the grand final, betting outlet Sportsbet had placed Fiona as the clear favourite at $1.36, with rocker Shannon Noll coming in second at $4.00 while Danny Green sat at $8.00.

Fiona was playing for the charity Angel Flight which assists people living in remote and rural areas of Australia to access specialist medical treatment.

Chuffed: The comedian danced for joy and hugged fellow campmates as news of the win sunk in

Fiona quickly became a fan favourite on the show for her candid approach, often pulling no punches when it came to talking about her personal life.

Revealing to her campmates that she went to rehab for alcohol addiction, Fiona also admitted that she had attempted suicide.

'[I found] myself at the age of 52 with nothing, literally nothing, not a penny in the bank, no home,' the now 54-year-old told Steve Price in his jungle radio segment.

Favourite: Before the grand final, betting outlet Sportsbet had placed Fiona as the clear favourite at $1.36, with rocker Shannon Noll coming in second at $4.00 while Danny Green sat at $8.00

Detailing her lowest point, the reality star went on to say: 'There was a time when I would [find it very hard] to put my makeup on, I would try to do it with blurred eyes, because you couldn't look at myself. I attempted suicide a couple of times.

She also pulled no punches when it came to controversial One Nation co-founder David Oldfield who she dubbed a 'racist pig' during a particularly heated exchange.

After David claimed that Australia's indigenous population did nothing to contribute to society, Fiona did not temper her invective.

Good cause: Fiona was playing for the charity Angel Flight which assists people living in remote and rural areas of Australia to access specialist medical treatment.

'You are hideous to me. Hideous. You make my skin crawl,' Fiona shouted before taking her leave, but not before issuing a loud 'f**k you' to David.

The funnywoman also received some great news during her jungle stint, learning that she was going to become a grandmother

After receiving a letter from her daughter, the comedian fought back tears as she announced the happy news.She reportedly enjoyed a 'flirty' date with actor Sean Penn at the Sunset Tower Bar in Los Angeles on Saturday.

And Amber Heard, 31, looked deep in thought when she was pictured at the Silverlake Farmers' Market the morning after.

Sporting tousled hair, it was the first sighting of the actress since she shared a bottle of red with Madonna's ex.

Penn-y for your thoughts! Amber Heard, 31, looked pensive at the Silverlake Farmers' Market on Sunday, a day after she was reportedly spotted on "flirty" date with actor Sean, 57

Moving on? She reportedly enjoyed an 'intimate' date with actor Sean Penn at the Sunset Tower Bar in Los Angeles on Saturday

Amber looked incredible in her casual get-up on Sunday, wearing a tan coloured cropped suede jacket and cropped jeans.

She wore one of her trademark cowboy hats and hid her eyes behind a pair of round-lens sunglasses.

Completing her look with a pair of black Alias Mae ankle boots, the ex-wife of Johnny Depp also carried a small black leather bag on one shoulder.

What a woman: Amber looked incredible in her casual get-up on Sunday, wearing a tan coloured cropped suede jacket, cropped jeans, and Alias Mae ankle boots

Clutching her phone in her hand, perhaps she was waiting for a message from Sean as she enjoyed her solo day out.

She broke up with Tesla billionaire Elon Musk for the second time in February.

A source told Page Six after her date with Sean: 'They looked like they were on a date. They shared a bottle of red wine and were flirty and intimate.

All over: Amber broke up with Tesla billionaire Elon Musk for the second time in February

'They were at times in deep conversation and at times laughing,' added the insider.

The source continued that Amber showed up to the A-list haunt after gracing the WME pre-Oscar party where ex Elon was attending as well.

'Amber showed up in the same dress she wore to the WME party for her date with Sean. She looked beautiful and seemed happy, even if she may have avoided a run-in with Elon earlier in the night,' the source noted.

The ex-wife of Johnny Depp and the tech mogul originally started dating in 2016 but broke up after a year in an acrimonious split.She is known for her show-stopping sense of style, both on and off the red carpet.

But Sarah Hyland suffered a wardrobe malfunction on Sunday night, when she headed out to party with a male friend after the iHeartRadio Awards in Los Angeles.

The Modern Family star, 27, showed off her envy-inducing figure in a plunging sequin LBD - but accidentally flashed her nipple from under its daring neckline, as she arrived at the swanky Delilah club.

Bit nippy! Sarah Hyland suffered a wardrobe malfunction on Sunday night, when she headed out to party with a male friend after the iHeartRadio Awards in Los Angeles

Not bothered: The Modern Family star, 27, showed off her envy-inducing figure in a plunging sequin LBD as she recovered from the mishap, and headed to Delilah with a pal

The actress truly dazzled in the wrap-around mini dress, formed entirely of black sequins.

The frock plunged into a low V at the chest, to give a sexy glimpse of her cleavage to all, before cutting off high at the thigh to leave her long and slender legs on show.

However, going braless in the number, Sarah suffered a fashion blunder when the neckline slipped too far down, and accidentally revealed her nipple underneath.

Stunning: The actress truly dazzled in the wrap-around mini dress, formed entirely of black sequins

Saucy: The frock plunged into a low V at the chest, to give a sexy glimpse of her cleavage to all, before cutting off high at the thigh to leave her long and slender legs on show

Oops: However, going braless in the number, Sarah suffered a fashion blunder when the neckline slipped too far down, and accidentally revealed her nipple underneath

Best foot forward: Yet in her usual effortless style, the beauty soon recovered from the incident - and continued into the club in her sky-high glittering silver heels

Yet in her usual effortless style, the beauty soon recovered from the incident - and continued into the club in her sky-high glittering silver heels.

The New Yorker tied her look together with a matching black handbag, slung over one shoulder on a chain, and opted to forgo jewellery, to keep all eyes on her frock.

Her loose up-do had come slightly loose from her red carpet appearance, but she drew attention to her stunning features with large black spectacles, in a trendy finishing touch.

Funny guy: The star shared a joke with her companion as they left Delilah

Simple: The New Yorker tied her look together with a matching black handbag, slung over one shoulder on a chain, and opted to forgo jewellery, to keep all eyes on her frock

Clearly delighted to be catching up with her friend, Sarah was seen throwing her head back with laughter as the pair chatted on their way out of the venue.

Sarah appeared to be in good spirits as she headed out with her pal - with new beau Wells Adam nowhere to be seen.

The pair went public as a couple in October, but Sarah was a fan of Wells when she saw him vying for another womans heart on The Bachelorette in 2016.

Gorgeous: Her loose up-do had come slightly loose from her red carpet appearance, but she drew attention to her stunning features with large black spectacles

Just the two of us: Sarah was happily chatting and joking with her pal as the pair made their way out of the venue

Last July, the two began exchanging witty banter on Twitter and their flirty relationship soon blossomed into romance.

Sarah split from actor Dominic Sherwood in August after two years of dating, whilst Wells parted ways with Bachelor In Paradise co-star, Danielle Maltby.

Sarah has played Haley Dunphy in ABC sitcom Modern Family since 2009 and is set to appear in Season 10.She became a household name after presenting the likes of the O-Zone, Tomorrow's World and Robot Wars.

But Philippa Forrester, 49, appeared on This Morning on Monday, where she broke down while talking about her son's horrific brain tumour battle in which she was told he would die.

Philippa previously also wrote on The Brain Tumour charity website: 'On my husband's birthday in 2016 we were told that it was likely that our fifteen year old son Fred would die. A moment that will live in my heart forever.

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'The doctor said I was going to lose him': Emotional TV host Philippa Forrester, 49, broke down as she revealed teenage son Fred's brain tumour battle

Philippa told Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield on Monday that she moved to Wyoming two years ago, with her husband and three sons - her son Fred was aged 15 at the time.

She said: ' He was finding school difficult and we hoped a new school would give him a whole new lease of life. He was struggling to concentrate and organise himself.

'His teachers were saying "Hes a nice person, hes got a good attitude." But he was tired all the time. People were putting it down to the fact hes a 15 year old boy.'

Sad: Philippa previously also wrote on The Brain Tumour charity website: 'On my husband's birthday in 2016 we were told that it was likely that our fifteen year old son Fred would die. A moment that will live in my heart forever' (pictured)

On the mend: Fred, now 17, is fighting fit - pictured recently with his mother

But it seemed as if something more serious was going on as Fred's symptoms kept recurring.

She said: 'He kept getting migraines. He kept coming out of the bedroom early in the morning saying his head hurt and once he walked out and vomited.

'Thats quite extreme for a migraine. Doctors thought it was a migraine, and he said his eyes were blurry.

'We took him to the opticians he said the optic nerves were swollen and said he needed an MRI scan.

She said: 'The doctor said: "Your boy is really sick." If you look at this pic of his brain, it was really obvious; it was massive'

'Next day in the MRI, he came out looking white as a sheet, and went into first seizure at that point. He had a code blue, IV, and anti seizure medication.'

Philippa said that's when she received the devastating news.

She said: 'The doctor said: "Your boy is really sick." If you look at this pic of his brain, it was really obvious; it was massive.

'I said, "Are we gonna lose him?" And he said, "I think you are".

'We were flown to Salt Lake City by emergency jet, not knowing what was going to happen. We were trying to make him laugh.'

Success: Fred doctor managed to remove the tumour. Philippa said: 'It could recur, but its unlikely. It was a super slow grower and now he will have regular scans'

Holding back the years: Philippa looked incredibly youthful as she posed backstage after her emotional interview

Important cause: She is doing all she can to raise awareness of brain tumours

Philippa said it was only after Fred went into surgery that she allowed herself to become emotional.

She said: 'The door closed and I just broke down. Youve handed your baby over.

'We had a four hour wait, which was hell on earth. We wondered if we would ever get Fred back. Will he be the same person? Will it all come out? What are they gonna find?

'I hadnt slept for 48 hours and we went for a walk and I fell asleep on Charlies shoulders. Then the surgeon told us they were able to take it all out.

'It could recur, but its unlikely. It was a super slow grower and now he will have regular scans. He probably had it for years.

'Hes better and better all the time now.'

Philippa appeared on Loose Women on Monday to talk about Brain Tumour Awareness month.She has been relishing in the sunny climes of Thailand, after jetting to the tropical country with her boyfriend Jeremy Parisi.

And Kelly Brook seemed to be having the time of her life as she cheekily posed with a pair of pineapples during a shopping trip with socialite Hofit Golan on Friday.

The busty model, 38, put on a sizzling display as she paraded her jaw-dropping curves in a hot-pink floral crop top and striking maxi-skirt, while taking some time out from her luxury break at Phuket's Trisara Resort.

Killer curves: Kelly Brook seemed to be relishing in the sunny climes as she cheekily posed with two pineapples during a shopping trip with socialite Hofit Golan in Phuket

Kelly ensured plenty of cleavage was on display in her latest get-up, as she layered the tie-style cropped kimono atop of a white balcony bikini top.

She paired the look with a full-length skirt which teased a glimpse of her tremendous pins with a sultry thigh-split, while flaunting her toned stomach with it's mid-rise waistline.

The English beauty looked naturally sun-kissed, styling her brunette tresses in loosely tousled waves and complemented her sizzling ensemble with deftly touches of make-up.

Jaw-dropping curves: The busty model has been keeping her fans updated during her idyllic getaway with a slew of sizzling snaps

Hourglass figure: The television personality put on a sizzling display as she paraded her jaw-dropping curves in a hot pink floral crop top and maxi-skirt

Working all angles: Kelly ensured plenty of cleavage was on display in her latest get-up, as she layered the tie-style cropped pink kimono atop of a white balcony bikini

Bunch of bananas: The English beauty sat in the boot of a car for one snap, posing with a handful of bananas

Stunning: She paired the look with a full-length skirt which teased a glimpse of her tremendous pins with a sultry thigh-split while flaunting her toned stomach

Opting for comfort, the Piranha 3D actress paired the look with jeweled sandals and toted a blue wicker beach bag.

Kelly, who has been keeping her fans updated during her idyllic getaway with a slew of sizzling snaps, appeared in high spirits as she browsed a food stall with her pal, Hofit before the duo stopped to take photos of each other.

The starlet, who has been dating hunky Jeremy Parisi for two and a half years, discussed her figure with Now Magazine earlier this month: 'I feel I look the best I have for a while and I did say to my boyfriend: "Oh my God, all the running has paid off!"

Striking: The English beauty looked naturally sun-kissed, styling her brunette tresses in loosely tousled waves and complemented her sizzling ensemble with deftly touches of make-up

The snaps that didn't make Instagram: The busty brunette appeared in high spirits as she browsed a food stall with her pal, Hofit, before the duo stopped to take photos of each other

'I dont really notice a difference, but he does. He drags me out all the time to go running, and hes really good at motivating me. But in some nice afternoon light, standing on a beach in a bikini, I dont think I look too bad for a girl whos nearly 40!...

'I liked my body when I was younger and I do look at old pictures and wish for that body back! I like being curvier, I think thats fun, but I actually feel the same.

'Regardless of my weight, I always feel the same and I think thats quite important. Im a happy person! I dont really think about it too much  if it wasnt for my boyfriend motivating me, Id probably be a lot bigger than I am!'

Snap happy: Hofit emulated the star, as she later posed with a pair of pineapples while Kelly played photographer

Despite many women fantasising about having Kelly's voluptuous body, back in 2014 the model insisted she is far from perfect while discussing her fantastic curves.

Speaking to Cosmopolitan Body, Cosmopolitans Health and Fitness magazine, Kelly admitted: 'Im not a super-skinny girl and I do love food.

'For me its not about doing 1,000 sit-ups before a photo shoot; its about feeling fresh Ive got rolls and boobs and I dont ever want to change.'She is the former 'It Girl' known on party circuits across the globe.

And Lady Victoria Hervey turned heads as she stepped out in a quirky newspaper-print mini-dress in Los Angeles on Sunday.

The socialite, 41, showed off her long legs in the skintight garment as she soaked up the Californian sunshine.

Read all about it! Lady Victoria Hervey turned heads as she stepped out in a quirky newspaper-print mini-dress in Los Angeles on Sunday

The unique sleeveless dress cut high above her knee, and featured an array of newspaper clippings from the Los Angeles Times that made her instantly stand out.

Victoria's toned legs looked sensational as she walked out in a pair of off-white ballerina pumps, which were held together by several straps that ran up her ankle.

The blonde bombshell styled her tresses so they fell straight behind her shoulder, and she completed her look with an array of silver jewellery and a matching handbag.

Girl about town: The socialite, 41, showed off her long legs in the skintight garment as she soaked up the Californian sunshine

Legs for days: The unique sleeveless dress cut high above her knee, and featured an array of newspaper clippings from the Los Angeles Times that made her instantly stand out

The ageless beauty made sure her chiselled features were highlighted by her natural make-up.

Lady Victoria recently spoke out about her plans to become at mother after realising her desperation for a baby.

She revealed to the Mail on Sunday that she began freezing her eggs before Christmas in a fertility clinic.

Leggy lady: Victoria's toned legs looked sensational as she walked out in a pair of off-white ballerina pumps, which were held together by several straps that ran up her ankle

Blonde ambition: . The blonde bombshell styled her tresses so they fell straight behind her shoulder, and she completed her look with an array of jewellery and a matching handbag

The model confessed that she let years of partying slip away and is now relying on science to stop the clock in time for her to find a father for her babies.

The former Christian Dior model first hit the scenes as a high profile socialite in the late Nineties.

Victoria commanded attention with more than her outfits when she returned to the small screen on Celebrity Showmance and reality series Living With Lady Victoria.

Looking ahead: The ageless beauty made sure her chiselled features were highlighted by her natural make-up

In April last year, she came to prominence again after news emerged that she had a threesome with Mel B and her estranged husband Stephen.

The television sensation was said to be terrified that their antics had been recorded by Stephen and it would be leaked to the media during their messy divorce.

'She is absolutely mortified that her sex life could become public property,' a close friend told DailyMail.com in an exclusive interview.

'The last thing she wants is to star in a sordid sex tape or to have horrible details of her private life dragged through the divorce courts.'TV host and model Hofit Golan looked incredible as she posed in some very sexy swimwear while on holiday in Phuket, Thailand.

The 32-year-old is currently away with Kelly Brook, 38, and showed off some serious sideboob in a berry coloured one-piece which suited her perfectly.

Hofit was photographed for Aniiiqa Swimwear by celebrity photographer Alan Strutt at Trisara Villas and Residences.

Wow thing: Kelly Brook's BFF Hofit Golan showed off some incredible sideboob in very skimpy swimwear as she emerged from the water on a swimwear shoot in Thailand

Doing her thing: Hofit was photographed for Aniiiqa Swimwear by celebrity photographer Alan Strutt at Trisara Villas and Residences

With her blonde locks styled into pretty loose curls, she looked body confident as she posed in the water for her big moment.

A second look saw her posing on the sand wearing a cut-out bandeau one-piece which flattered her frame.

Balancing her sunglasses on her head, Hofit looked stunning in the stunning which had a graphic print running throughout.

Making waves: With her blonde locks styled into pretty loose curls, she looked body confident as she posed in the water for her big moment

Hofit is currently away with one of her best friends, Kelly Brook, who has also been sharing pictures of herself wearing a bikini while away on social media.

A couple of days ago, Hofit and Kelly were pictured heading out together wearing bright summery ensembles.

Kelly was wearing a pink floral crop top co-ord over a stunning white bikini, which drew attention top her assets.

Mixing it up: A second look saw her posing on the sand wearing a cut-out bandeau one-piece which flattered her frame

Pass her a towel: She lay down in the surf for yet more glam shots

She's done this before: Hofit looked incredible from every angle

Heading to a market stall, the cheeky fellow model picked up two giant pineapples while Hofit snapped away on her camera.

Hofit wore a floral kimono cover-up over a black one-piece for the outing.

Kelly, who has been dating hunky Jeremy Parisi for two and a half years, discussed her figure with Now Magazine earlier this month: 'I feel I look the best I have for a while and I did say to my boyfriend: "Oh my God, all the running has paid off!"

'I dont really notice a difference, but he does. He drags me out all the time to go running, and hes really good at motivating me. But in some nice afternoon light, standing on a beach in a bikini, I dont think I look too bad for a girl whos nearly 40!...

Nice pineapples: A couple of days ago, Hofit and Kelly were pictured heading out together wearing bright summery ensemblesShe's the Married At First Sight star who chastised 'husband' Patrick Miller for not being a 'man' on Monday's episode.

And Charlene Perera was forced to apologise for her use of words, admitting that she came across as an 'insensitive moll'.

Charlene retreated on her statements just when she was called out on Instagram by television journalist Rosie Waterland, who took issue with Charlene's attack.

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Charlene Perera was forced to apologise for telling 'husband Patrick Miller to 'be a man' on Monday's episode of Married At First Sight, admitting that she came across as an 'insensitive moll'

Rosie took to Instagram to chastise Charlene, sharing an Image of an earlier Tweet she wrote.

'Hoo boy... kiiiinda problematic that the only woman calling out toxic masculinity on this show is also the woman telling her partner to stop talking about his feelings and be a man, which is an example of... TOXIC MASCULINITY,'Rosie's tweet read.

Harsh: Charlene's backtrack was issued after she was called out on Instagram by television journalist Rosie Waterland who took issue with Charlene's attack.

Toxic? In captioning an Instagram post In captioning the post, Rosie, went further adding that Charlene's comment was just as problematic as fellow contestant Dean Wells' 'mysogony'

In captioning the post, Rosie, went further adding that Charlene's comment was just as problematic as fellow contestant Dean Wells' 'mysogony.'

'Seriously though a man being open about his feelings does not have a problem with being a man, and insinuating that he does is just as problematic as Deans open and proud misogyny. ITS ALL PART OF THE TOXIC MASCULINITY PYRAMID PEOPLE.'

The comment drew a lot of chatter, not least of which from Charlene herself, who evidently saw the error of her ways revealing that she was 'disappointed in herself.'

Unhappy: The comment drew a lot of chatter, not least of which from Charlene herself, who evidently saw the error of her ways revealing that she was 'disappointed in herself.'

Foot in mouth: 'A very BAD choice of words!' Charlene responded to the post. 'Terrible. I'm beyond disappointed with the words chosen. So much more to our relationship than anyone has actually seen. Full apologies for coming across like an incentive mole [sic]. Not at all who I am.'

'A very BAD choice of words!' Charlene responded to the post. 'Terrible. I'm beyond disappointed with the words chosen.'

Charlene continued: 'So much more to our relationship than anyone has actually seen. Full apologies for coming across like an incentive mole [sic]. Not at all who I am.'

After Patrick told Charlene that he was 'scared' about divulging his true feelings during a dinner date on Monday's episode, Charlene appeared to have had enough with his indecision.

Man up: After Patrick told Charlene that he was 'scared' about divulging his true feelings during a dinner date on Monday's episode, Charlene appeared to have had enough with his indecision.

' I feel like you're scared,'Charlene sad to Patrick over dinner.' I honestly feel like, half the time with you and the emotional stuff, like you're scared to come near me.'

When Patrick agreed with a succinct: 'sometimes' Charlene had clearly had enough.

'Dude, be a fricking man,' She declared, exasperated.She courted attention when she was accused of enjoying a brief fling with MAFS star Dean Wells, despite both parties getting married on the show to other people.

Now Davina Rankin, 26, has discussed overcoming anxiety for the first time on Monday as she moves on from the Married At First Sight cheating scandal.

The Brisbane socialite laid bare the harrowing time when she found it difficult to leave her own home and keep up her everyday routines.

'I didn't want to go outside': Davina Rankin documented her battle with overcoming anxiety on Monday as she moved on from MAFS cheating scandal

'I didn't want to go outside, it was a really weird time for me,' she candidly confessed in her video blog.

Davina added: 'I've suffered from really bad anxiety... The last few months I haven't had the motivation to go out and do things I usually would. Instead of going out and doing things, I would retreat and spend time inside.'

But vivacious Davina, who has been working as a personal trainer for eight years, revealed she has begun to 'feel' like herself again.

Spotlight: She courted attention when she was accused of enjoying a brief fling with MAFS star Dean Wells (pictured with his wife Tracey Jewel)

'Really starting to feel like myself again. I have been so unmotivated recently. Slowly but surely I've began to find my feet again,' she explained.

'Anxiety is massive and I didn't realise how much it could take over your life. Routine is key for combating anxiety. So finally today, I'm feeling better.'

Davina secured fame on Married At First Sight where she tied the knot with her TV husband Ryan Gallagher.

Despite being the picture of happiness, rumours were swirling that the new bride had an affair with MAFS star Dean Wells during the show.

The Channel Nine boss shot down rumours that Davina and Dean were paid to have an affair together.

During a heated row with Charlene, Dean shot down claims that he had slept with the stunning bikini model Davina.

Charlene challenged him: 'What happened with the Davina thing?' Dean responded: 'I've said this to Tracey, I've admitted to everyone, I was attracted to Davina. But I didn't sleep with Davina. We didn't actually do anything physical.'

Meanwhile, Davina told ABC news she had become the target of online trolls as she dismissed rumours she had an affair with the MAFS star.

What's the truth? Despite being the picture of happiness, rumours were swirling that the new bride had an affair with MAFS star Dean Wells during the show

She explained: 'I've been called every slander word you can imagine. They genuinely believe I had an affair on my husband. This was a guy I'd only known for a week, we're not boyfriend and girlfriend, let alone husband and wife.'

The couple made a secret pact to leave their respective partners but Dean had cold feet last minute during a tense commitment ceremony.

Throughout this season of Married At First Sight, Tracey and Dean's rocky romance has kept viewers at home on their toes.

On a recent boys' night, he jokingly 'offered up' Tracey to the other husbands during a bawdy discussion about wife swapping.She was completely cut off from the rest of the world during her time in I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here!

But Georgia 'Toff' Toffolo let slip a bizarre secret during her appearance on This Morning on Monday, joined by her Made In Chelsea co-stars Jamie Laing, Louise Thompson and Alex Mytton.

The reigning Queen of Jungle revealed that despite living in a secluded site in the remote Australian jungle, she could hear her Chelsea pal Jamie laughing - from the camp's toilet.

Spilling the beans: Georgia 'Toff' Toffolo let slip a bizarre secret during her appearance on This Morning on Monday, joined by her Made In Chelsea co-stars Jamie Laing, Louise Thompson and Alex Mytton

Quizzed by TV hosts Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield whether she had let her E4 castmates know about taking part in the reality show, Toff giggled.

She said: 'I did call [Jamie] to say I was leaving, and he said, "I'm doing the After Camp [spin-off]".

'It's really difficult in there because you don't have a watch and we don't know what day it is.

On the dunny: The reigning Queen of Jungle revealed that despite living in a secluded site in the remote Australian jungle, she could hear her Chelsea pal Jamie (second from left) laughing - from the camp's toilet

Animated: Quizzed by TV hosts Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield whether she had let her E4 castmates know about taking part in the reality show, Toff giggled

Reigning Queen Of The Jungle: The bubbly blonde won over the hearts of the nation

'I was counting down the days and I got it into my head J was there and I would sit on the dunny and I could hear him laughing!

'The dunny was close to their studio. It was so comforting - I tried to get Ant and Dec to say hi from me and I think they did.'

Toff was looking lovely in a high necked, sleeveless top, teamed with wide legged lavender flares.

She said: 'I was counting down the days and I got it into my head J was there and I would sit on the dunny and I could hear him laughing!

Chatting about the new series: Louise Thompson upped the glamour in a sheer, star embellished blouse as she joined Alex Mytton on the sofa

The star was her usual bubbly self as she took pride of place on the sofa beside Jamie.

Louise upped the glamour in a sheer, star embellished blouse and leather trousers, setting off her look with studded ankle boots.

The starlet recently told MailOnline that she will always recognise where she started out.

Vibrant: The star was her usual bubbly self as she took pride of place on the sofa beside Jamie

'Made In Chelsea is my home,' the ever-amiable blonde, 23, said. 'I would not have been able to go into the jungle without it. I'm very mindful of that.'

She went on: 'I enjoy it! These people [in the show] are genuinely my friends. I still live on the King's Road. Nothings changed except I had five weeks in Australia.

'It would have been a travesty for people who voted for me in the jungle, who might have been looking forward to seeing me back on MIC [if I didn't come back].'

The new trailer for the 15th season of MIC has made a playful nod to returning star Toff, after she took the I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here! crown at Christmas.

Always the Chelsea girl: The starlet recently told MailOnline that she will always recognise where she started out

Of her time in the jungle, the reality star - who has since taken on a multitude of other projects on the side since winning the show - explained that she 'made a pact with herself to be herself'.

'I am known for being on MIC, which some people think means Im up my own a**e, which Im not,' she said. 'The more time I spent in the jungle I thought to myself "God Georgia, just be yourself, if they dont like you who cares?

'I was so worried I would come back and people would say "you were really different". I was having a bit of an identity crisis, and was like "who am I?"

'So thank god I made that decision to be me. Being me is good.'He has previously been romantically linked to reality star Sam Faiers, model Amy Willerton, Made In Chelsea's Stephanie Pratt, and most recently stylist Georgie Purves.

But it seems that Joey Essex is calling it quits on relationships for at least the next two years, as he revealed on Loose Women on Monday that he'd rather focus on his career and will now 'put [himself] on a ban' from dating.

The former TOWIE star, 27, said he felt 'like Ive been in relationships for the past four years, pretty much all my life really'.

'Im putting myself on a ban!': Joey Essex revealed on Loose Women on Monday that he won't get into a relationship for the next TWO years so that he can focus on his career

Being honest about his decision, and his single status, with the panel, Joey said: 'I just feel like I need to step back and focus on my career.'

When asked if he would be going celibate the reality star was quick to make his feelings it clear that wasn't the case.

'Whats that? When you dont do that with someone?' he asked, while poking a finger into his hand to simulate sex.

'Its like saying Im going to stop drinking!'

Revelations: Being honest about his decision, and his single status, with the panel, Joey said: 'I just feel like I need to step back and focus on my career'

Past flames: The reality star, 27, has previously been romantically linked to reality star Sam Faiers, model Amy Willerton, Made In Chelsea's Stephanie Pratt, and stylist Georgie Purves

Celibacy: He asked 'Whats that? When you dont do that with someone?' while poking a finger into his hand to simulate sex. 'Its like saying Im going to stop drinking!'

Joey stars in the E4 reality show Five Star Hotel where he claimed he didn't sleep with any of the guests.

And speaking about the programme on Loose Women, he elaborated: 'I done really well, I didnt go near the girls. I did kiss someone.'

He added: 'They said to me youre gonna go to a hotel and enjoy yourself, it was false, I still enjoyed it.'

New TV show: Joey stars in the E4 reality show Five Star Hotel  where he claimed he didn't sleep with any of the guests

No sleeping around: Speaking about the programme on Loose Women, he elaborated: 'I done really well, I didnt go near the girls. I did kiss someone.'

Well known for his charming ways, it may come as a surprise that the former TOWIE star didn't have sex with any of the guests while filming Five Star Hotel.

Despite claiming he had at least five advances, the hunk insisted he didn't want to 'annoy' the other beauties by taking up one of the offers.

He added: 'There were five girls who all wanted to get with me but if I got off with one of them, it would annoy the other four.'

New adventures: Joey also recently revealed that he has his eyes set on America after filming his latest TV venture because he wants to be able to walk down the street again

Reality star worlds collide on Five Star Hotel when a whole galaxy of celebrities run a luxury resort together in Ios, Greece which will air on E4 shortly.

Joey joins Made In Chelsea's Spencer Matthews, Geordie Shore's Holly Hagan and Ex On The Beach's Ashley Cain as well as TOWIE's Lydia Bright.

When asked about the show, and his time with Spencer, Joey added: 'We did clash were from different areas, they run a really posh hotel, he tried to lord it over me and I put him in his place.

'We were good friends, we come out as mates,' he added.

New begginings: Of his desire for a fresh start, Joey said: 'I'm going to America to meet agents, I've been offered presenting but I don't feel like me, all I want to do is be Joey Essex'

Talking heads: Joey spoke animatedly with Ruth Langsford (left) and Coleen Nolan (centre) as they discussed his decision to swear of relationships for the foreseeable future

Joey recently revealed that he has his eyes set on America after filming his latest TV venture.

The former TOWIE star explained to The Sun that he wants to make the move to the states because he can't walk down the street without being noticed on home turf.

Joey told the publication: 'In England I can't walk down the street without a hat on. I want a fresh start in America.

'I'm going to America soon to meet agents. I've been offered presenting but I don't feel like me when I do it, all I want to do is be Joey Essex.'Ricky Gervais is back with a new Netflix comedy special called Humanity. The special is a recording of one of the shows Gervais did during his three-week residency at the Eventim Apollo in London in 2017.

It's my favourite, and I believe best, stand-up tour ever and I can't wait to air it and start on my next one, Gervais said on his website in November 2017.

Humanity is Gervaiss fifth UK stand-up tour following Science, Fame, Politics and Animals.

Ricky Gervais is probably most famous for classic British shows such as The Office and Extras

Here is all the information on Ricky Gervaiss Netflix special, Humanity, including its release date and what is it about.

Ricky Gervaiss Humanity Netflix special release date?

Netflix will release Humanity on its platform on Tuesday, March 13. It is Gervaiss first stand-up tour in seven years, following Science.

Gervais said he sold the show for the highest fee ever paid for a UK stand-up special.

What is Humanity about?

Welcome to my new show Humanity. I dont know why Ive called it that - Im not a big fan, Gervais jokes during the standup.

Humanity looks cover a wide range of topics including Caitlyn Jenner, Donald Trump and Twitter.

Its funny, because I had the name before this last year happened, Gervais told the Independent.

The joke of having these academic titles was that I was a pompous comedian. But Humanity became accidentally a little bit relevant and zeitgeist-y and  dare I say it  more seriously than my other stuff. When Brexit and Donald Trump first happened I was halfway through warm-ups.

The special looks to feature Gervaiss classic blend of everyman superstar. In one instance, Gervais compares himself to Jesus: Im just an ordinary guy going around talking to people.

Sort of like Jesus but better. Well, Ive actually turned up.

Where is Humanity released?

On his Facebook page, Gervais revealed that the special will be streaming worldwide from March 13.

Ricky Gervais talks to Jimmy Fallon about stand up on The Tonight Show in October 2017

Who is Ricky Gervais?

Ricky Gervais is an actor, writer, producer and comedian who has created and starred in classic British shows such as The Office and Extras.

He has done five stand-up tours and hosted the Golden Globe Awards in 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2016.

Gervais also produced shows such as An Idiot Abroad, and wrote and directed films such as The Invention of Lying and Cemetery Junction.

Gervais has been with his girlfriend, Jane Fallon, since 1982.They suffered a setback after the infamous boys night last week.

But Married At First Sight's goofy groom Troy Delmege, 35, and his Brisbane-based flight attendant 'wife' Ashley Irvin, 28, might be ready to tie the knot... for real!

In the latest teaser for Nine's reality show, IT manager Troy is shown on bended knee while the couple enjoy a romantic date at the beach.

Will he propose? Married At First Sight's goofy groom Troy Delmege shocks 'wife' Ashley Irvin by getting down on one knee on romantic date

'I would like to deliver something to you,' Sydney-based Troy says to a shocked Ashley as he appears to retrieve something from his pocket.

The bubbly TV bride immediately gasps and responds, 'oh my god!' to the gesture.

Ashley, looking in a state of absolute shock and surprise, appears to place her hands over her mouth before cupping her hands in her face while grinning uncontrollably.

'Oh my god!' In the trailer, Brisbane-based bride Ashley appears taken by surprise, cupping her face with her hands briefly with a smile

Be mine? Meanwhile, groom Troy was dressed to impress as he appeared chuffed on the date while he retrieved something from his pocket to present to Ashley

Troy, who is dressed suave for the seemingly special occasion, looks chuffed with his actions on the romantic date.

In a second clip for an upcoming episode, Troy also says: 'I'll go all out to make sure she has a fantastic day,' as he lifts bikini-clad Ashley in the ocean.

Meanwhile, the other couples on the show appear to be struggling with keeping their spark alive, with Melissa pictured crying in hopes her pairing doesn't 'fail'.

'Do you want this to work?' the blonde journalist asks her 'husband' John, to which he throws up his hands in response.

Matrimonial bliss? The pair appear close on the date, with Troy looking to make the blonde beauty his wife outside of the 'social experiment'

'I can't be in denial anymore,' Perth-based published author Tracey says to 'alpha male' husband Dean on a day out on a boat.

Dean has struggled to maintain Tracey's trust after his inappropriate and vulgar 'wife-swap' conversation at boys' night was revealed at the recent dinner party by Charlene.

Novice rapper Dean can be seen shaking his head and defending his 'affair' with co-star Davina on the show, saying, 'I didn't really cheat,' to which Tracey can be seen replying: 'It's called emotional cheating!'

Married At First Sight continues on Channel Nine on Tuesday at 7.30pmThe Australian model often turns heads in elegant ensembles when she attends the hottest and most sought-after VIP events overseas.

And on Saturday, Jessica Hart painted the town red... pink, green, yellow and orange, as she participated in the Holi Saloni celebrations in Udaipur, India.

The 31-year-old beauty appeared in high spirits as her pristine white ensemble was given a colourful alteration in the secret gardens of the Raas Devigarh Palace.

Holi moly! Model Jessica Hart celebrates Indian festival in pristine white ensemble and bejewelled bindi as she is pelted with colourful powder

Raising her hands in the air for a joyous dance with fellow festival goers, Jessica exposed her taut stomach.

Wearing a matching crochet-style shirt and skirt, the model was pelted with colourful powder as she danced within the crowds.

Jessica wore a bejewelled bindi across her face, while keeping the remaining of her makeup application minimal.

Party! Wearing a matching crochet-style shirt and skirt, the model was pelted with colourful powder as she danced within the crowds

Protecting her locks? The head wrap, while stylish, may have also helped protect Jessica from dying her light tresses from the strong-pigmented powder and water used at the event

Embracing the colourful festival, she wore bright hoop earrings and a stylish head wrap.

The wrap may have also helped protect Jessica from dying her light tresses with the strong-pigmented powder and water used at the event.

She later slipped into an impressive two-piece ensemble that showcased her svelte frame and taut abs.

Taut-al babe! The model later slipped into an impressive two-piece ensemble that showcased her svelte frame and flat stomach

Jessica's hair was styled in a voluminous quiff, adding extra drama to her look with large silver statement earrings.

Marking the start of Spring, the Hindu festival of Holi continues to be celebrated around the world with people gathering around bonfires and having water fights in the streets.

Holi, or the Festival of Colour, celebrates the triumph of good over evil as well as love, fertility and colour, which is why the two-day religious event is most commonly known for throwing coloured powder, or gulal.

Jessica was attending the celebrations hosted by designer Saloni Lodha - who organised a black-tie dinner, a Holi festival and a pool party for some of the biggest names in fashion, and kitted them out in custom dresses.She has welcomed her son Miller into the world nine months ago.

But Lauren Brant took a night off mummy duties when she headed out into the rain for a spot of dinner, in Australia on Sunday.

The Australian television actress , 29, was in her element as she displayed her impressive cleavage in the scooped neckline of her peach top.

Sensational looks: Lauren Brant displayed her incredible cleavage in a plunging peach top as she took a night off mummy duties for dinner date in Australia on Sunday

The former Hi-5 star highlighted her petite waistline as she brought her loose-fitted trousers in at the waist with a belt.

Glamorous Lauren showcased her pretty features, enhanced with deftly touches of make-up, as she scraped her brunette tresses into a bun.

On arrival, the mother-of-one wrote: 'Ive said it all before... girls just wanna have fun.' (sic)

Earlier on, she penned on social media: 'In my peachy element at dinner last night, the rain isnt going to stop us from heading out.'

She's so stylish: The former Hi-5 star highlighted her petite waistline as she brought her loose-fitted trousers in at the waist with a belt

The mother-of-one has swapped entertaining kids on Hi-5, for nurturing her own bundle of joy that she welcomed into the world in May 2017 with partner Barry Hall.

Lauren recently enjoyed a sun-drenched trip to Fiji with her older lover, 41, and their nine-month-old son Miller.

In late January, the mum displayed her amazing body transformation as she compared her body at 39 weeks pregnant to her body 39 weeks post-partum.

Different life: The mother-of-one has swapped entertaining kids on Hi-5, for nurturing her own bundle of joy that she welcomed into the world in May 2017 with partner Barry Hall

She explained on social media: 'That is what these pictures are about. While carrying Miller, I learnt the immense importance of fueling my body with a beautiful range of nutrition to help him grow and balance my hormones.

'That then carried through to ensuring I was at my healthiest and strongest for the tough task of delivering him.'

However, the brunette beauty landed herself in hot water back in May when she shared an image of herself clad in a bikini just one week after giving birth.

Before and after! The mum shared a series of Instagram photos on Tuesday, in which she compared her body at 39 weeks pregnant to her body 39 weeks post-partum

After receiving backlash for the self-appreciating snap, the star penned a letter to Mamamia defending her decision to flaunt her post-baby body online.

'The reason I posted a pic of my body one WEEK post partum (and chose to put it only on my story for those mums who have actively followed my pregnancy), is so that other women who are trying to exercise and eat healthy throughout their pregnancy, but are feeling un-motivated, can see that it's worth it in the end,' she wrote in part.

Addressing those who are jealous of her fabulous figure, Lauren said: 'I have to make it clear that I support and encourage other women and the last thing I would ever do is make another women feel bad about herself.'The shock announcement that his marriage to Jennifer Aniston was ending was made only last month.

But on Monday, Justin Theroux, 46, was seen grinning as he arrived back in New York after a trip to Paris Fashion Week.

This comes after the blonde Friends vet, 49, was seen partying in Los Angeles on Saturday with several high-profile pals.

Moving on: Justin Theroux, 46, arrived back in New York on Monday after a trip to Paris Fashion Week following his shock split last month

He likes fashion: The Leftovers star wore an Army green jacket over a black hoodie for the flight. He sported a matching Supreme cap, black jeans and tan suede boots as he strolled through JFK international airport

The Leftovers star wore an Army green jacket over a black hoodie for the flight.

He sported a matching Supreme cap, black jeans and tan suede boots as he strolled through JFK international airport.

The Mulholland Drive actor accessorized with a Louis Vuitton backpack and dark aviator shades.

Aniston, 49, looked pretty in a black silk camisole as she attended the 40th birthday party for her pal Molly McNearney, who is wed to talk show host Jimmy Kimmel.

His ex: This comes after the blonde Friends vet, 49, was seen partying in Los Angeles on Saturday with several high-profile pals

A closeup: The Along Came Polly actress is seen here with two ladies

Around her were birthday girl Molly, Jennifer's talent manager Aleen Keshishian (whose clients also include Selena Gomez and Orlando Bloom), jewelry designer Jennifer Meyer (who used to be married to Tobey Maguire) and Jason Bateman's wife of 17 years Amanda Anka.

The event took place on Saturday in Los Angeles.

Also there were Kimmel, Bateman and Kristen Bell and her husband, Dax Shepard.

But there was no sign of Justin.

Sad: The Marley & Me star became engaged to the Leftovers actor in August 2012, and they married in a surprise ceremony at their LA home on August 5, 2015; seen in April 2017

On Saturday In Touch reported that he had reached an arrangement regarding the joint custody of their four dogs he shares with Aniston.

The famous actors publicly announced their heartbreaking split in the middle of February and will still see each other from time to time as they reportedly made arrangements for visitation of their beloved animals.

The longtime animal lovers share four dogs across two coasts, with Justin taking care of a pitbull in New York.

Jennifer will reportedly keep the pair's other three dogs - Dolly, Clyde and Sophie - on the West Coast at one of her many homes.

'They've always referred to them as their children, and it looks like Jen will keep the LA dogs with her and Justin will keep the pit bull in NYC,' a source told the publication.

Fetch! The famous actors publicly announced their heartbreaking split in the middle of February and will still see each other from time to time as they reportedly made arrangements for visitation of their beloved animals; seen in 2015

Walk it out: The longtime animal lovers share four dogs across two coasts, with Justin taking care of a pitbull in New York; seen in February

'But it was the biggest bone of contention in the split.'

While the dogs may now be separated by thousands of miles, they won't have to say goodbye forever.

'They've made an arrangement for visitation,' an insider said.

The Along Came Polly star became engaged to the Leftovers actor in August 2012, and they married in a surprise ceremony at their LA home on August 5, 2015.

While the separation is still somewhat fresh, it was claimed the pair had taken a crucial step to protect their multi-million dollar fortunes, with an 'iron-clad' pre-nup signed before their August 2015 wedding, reported US Weekly.

A source told the website: 'Jennifer has an iron-clad prenup with Justin. It would be very hard for Justin to contest it. The prenup talks before the marriage were long and intense'.

Over: A source told the website: 'Jennifer has an iron-clad prenup with Justin. It would be very hard for Justin to contest it. The prenup talks before the marriage were long and intense'; seen in February 2017

.He is the proud father of two daughters.

And over the weekend, Jamie Dornan, 35, sweetly carried his eldest child, Dulcie, at the airport in Los Angeles.

The former Once Upon A Time star's little one held on tight to her father's chest, with the Irish actor looking equally devoted to his child.

Dad's got her! Over the weekend, Jamie Dornan, 35, sweetly carried his eldest child, Dulcie, four, while at LAX

Jamie wore a simple white T-shirt and dark trousers, hems rolled at the bottom.

The Private War star added to his trendy style with a pair of brown boots, a matching watch and shades.

Little Dulcie, four, wore a printed, pink dress with bell sleeves and Converse sneakers.

A family affair: Also along for the arrival was Jamie's wife of nearly five years, Amelia Warner, and youngest child, Elva, two

Also along for the arrival was Jamie's wife of nearly five years, Amelia Warner.

The duo will celebrate their mini-milestone anniversary in April, having married in 2013.

In November of that year, the couple welcomed Dulcie, followed by second daughter Elva, two, in February 2016.

Coming soon! The duo will celebrate their mini-milestone anniversary in April, having married in 2013

Jamie has five films in the works.

The UK-born actor will appear in Borderland, A Private War, Untogether, A Private War, My Dinner With Herve, and Robin Hood.

His role as Will Scarlett, a member of Robin Hood's Merry Men, will have him returning to the world of storybook fantasy. In 2011, the handsome father-of-two had a starring role on the popular fairy tale drama, Once Upon A Time.They have been dating for three years, and have publicly discussed the prospect of marriage in the future.

But Stormzy set tongues wagging on Monday, when it was revealed he has unfollowed girlfriend Maya Jama on Instagram.

The musician, 24, no longer appears on his girlfriend's list of followers, and he last posted about the beauty two months ago, to commemorate their third anniversary.

Not a fan: Stormzy set tongues wagging on Monday, when it was revealed he had unfollowed girlfriend Maya Jama on Instagram (pictured together in December 2017)

Maya still follows her beau on the photo-sharing app, and he most recently appeared on her page in early February when she shared a video from their trip to Los Angeles.

Meanwhile Stormzy has not posted about Maya since January, when he uploaded a sweet selfie to honour the pair's anniversary, captioned: '3 years with the love of my life.'

The pair were last seen together at the BRIT Awards in February, where Maya supported her beau as he picked up the British Male Solo Artist and British Album of the Year gongs.

MailOnline has contacted representatives of both Stormzy and Maya for comment.

Date night: The pair were last seen together at the BRIT Awards in February (above)

'The love of my life': Stormzy last posted about Maya in January when he honoured their third anniversary with a sweet selfie (above). Maya still follows her beau on the photo-sharing app

Maya has been dating Stormzy for three years - with the pair first choosing to keep their relationship private, before going public as an item in 2016.

The beauty went on to appear in his music video for Big For Your Boots, and the musician even dedicated his track Birthday Girl to Maya on her 22nd birthday - a gift she gushed would 'last forever'.

Proving the couple to be the real deal, the Shut Up star even admitted he was keen to marry the model in the future.

He told the Sunday Mirror in February: 'I'm still so young but I want to propose, it's going to happen and I will do it right. She is so sick, she is the best.'

Keeping quiet: Maya have been dating Stormzy for three years - with the pair first choosing to keep their relationship private, and going public in 2016 (pictured in June 2017)

Meanwhile Maya recently praised Stormzy for being everything 'a father should be' -with her own dad being in jail for most of her life.

She told the Daily Star: 'The man I look at will always be someone who is supportive and will give a sense of what a father should be a protective, kind, loving person.'

However, she added that she prefers to keep her love life away from the public eye, which is why the couple were reluctant to go public for so long.

'I never wanted my name to be overshadowed by a relationship,' she added. 'I try to keep it as low-key as possible, but what can you do? He's doing amazingly well.'

Stormzy is one of the biggest grime artists of the moment, with his debut Gang Signs & Prayer becoming first grime record to ever top the UK Album Chart back in February 2017.

Meanwhile Maya made her fame as a presenter, formerly appearing on MTV - where she first met her beau - and going on to front ITV game show Cannonball.Tim McGraw has been seen for the first time since collapsing onstage Sunday night during a performance in Dublin, Ireland.

The 50-year-old country music icon flashed a thumb's up and appeared to be in good health as he left a building in London on Monday morning.

By his side was wife of 22 years, Faith Hill, who was seen smiling.

A-OK: Tim McGraw has been seen for the first time since collapsing onstage Sunday night during a performance in Dublin, Ireland

Happy to be all right: The country music icon flashed a thumb's up and appeared to be in good health as he left a building in London on Monday morning

Top support system: By his side was wife of 22 years, Faith Hill, who was seen smiling

The hitmaker wore a blue shiny jacket and torn jeans with black sneakers.

He looked to be in fine health as he wore stubble on his face and covered his head with a grey knit beanie.

In front of him was wife Hill who was put together with a black raincoat over a black turtleneck and faded blue jeans. She too had on a hat - hers a baseball cap - as she wore her blonde locks in a ponytail.

His look: The hitmaker wore a blue shiny jacket and torn jeans with black sneakers. He looked to be in fine health as he wore stubble on his face and covered his head with a grey beanie

Her look: In front of him was wife Hill who was put together with a black raincoat over a black turtleneck and jeans. She too had on a hat as she wore her blonde locks in a ponytail

McGraw had just got to the end of his number one hit Humble & Kind when he suddenly dropped to his knees and sat down.

Hill addressed the crowd to inform them about her husband's condition.

'He's been super dehydrated. I apologize, but I made the decision that he cannot come back out onstage,' she said as she told the crowd he would not be performing for the rest of the show.

Tanned and trim: McGraw has been slender for several years now after getting into intense workout sessions

McGraw was performing in Dublin after appearing at the Country to Country festival in the UK.

'Tim McGraw was suffering from dehydration in Dublin this evening at the C2C show.

'He was attended to by local medical staff on-site and will be fine. He and Faith thank everyone for their love and support and look forward to seeing their Irish fans again soon,' a rep said in a statement to fans.

Tim McGraw collapsed onstage Sunday night during a performance in Dublin according to his wife Faith Hill. McGraw reportedly suffered from dehydration while singing his Humble & Kind

Tim McGraw's wife, Faith Hill, addressed the crowd to inform them that her husband would not be coming back on stage

According to Rolling Stone McGraw had performed Friday night in London as part of C2C, a three-day, three-city country-music festival.

The country music superstars were the headliners on the opening night of Country To Country music festival at London's O2 arena.

McGraw kissed Hill's hand as they walked out on stage for the first performance of their Soul2Soul tour outside the US and later introduced her to the crowd as 'my wife, Mrs McGraw'.

McGraw's performance was a part of a three-day, three-city country-music festival

His next scheduled concert is May 31 in Richmond, Virginia, as part of the Soul2Soul Tour with Hill.

Recently, McGraw made headlines as being one of the few mainstream country artists to speak up in support of gun control.

On March 3, he tweeted praise for the decision by sporting-goods chain Dick's to raise the minimum age for a firearm purchase to 21.

Five days later Tim looked slender as he was seen with Hill leaving the BBC Radio Two Studios in London.

Covered up: On March 8, Tim was wearing designer duds as Hill lead him out of the BBC Radio Two Studios in LondonBlac Chyna held hands with her 18-year-old toyboy YBN Almighty Jay while out and about in Los Angeles on Sunday.

The 29-year-old mother-of-two (born Angela White) and her Texan beau (born Jay Bradley) confirmed they were in a relationship on February 28 telling TMZ: 'Yeah we're, like, dating.'

The Lashed salon owner showcased her surgically-enhanced 5ft2in figure in striped co-ords featuring black ruffle trim on the sides and black pumps.

11-year age gap: Blac Chyna held hands with her 18-year-old toyboy YBN Almighty Jay while out and about in Los Angeles on Sunday

Blac wore a platinum blonde wig with blue ends by Kellon Deryck while Jay rocked a Rockstar-brand black sweatsuit with matching sneakers.

The Takin Off rapper later shared a snap of the pair strolling into the Sheraton Grand hotel in downtown Los Angeles captioned: 'Happy Ending?'

Chyna and the Chopsticks YouTuber were first spotted together February 26 on a date to Pinz Bowling Alley in Studio City.

'How did I meet Blac Chyna? I was searching on Christian Mingle and s*** and I seen her profile pop up and I'm like, "This b**** fire,"' Jay revealed to No Jumper last Wednesday.

The 29-year-old mother-of-two (born Angela White) and her Texan beau (born Jay Bradley) confirmed they were in a relationship on February 28 telling TMZ: 'Yeah we're, like, dating'

Bare midriff: The Lashed salon owner showcased her surgically-enhanced 5ft2in figure in striped co-ords featuring black ruffle trim on the sides and black pumps

Inseparable: Blac wore a platinum blonde wig with blue ends by Kellon Deryck while Jay rocked a Rockstar-brand black sweatsuit with matching sneakers

The Takin Off rapper later shared a snap of the pair strolling into the Sheraton Grand hotel in downtown Los Angeles captioned: 'Happy Ending?'

United front: Chyna and the Chopsticks YouTuber were first spotted together February 26 on a date to Pinz Bowling Alley in Studio City

Jay revealed to No Jumper last Wednesday: 'How did I meet Blac Chyna? I was searching on Christian Mingle and s*** and I seen her profile pop up and I'm like, "This b**** fire"'

'So I slid in her Christian Mingle messages and s*** and she responded to my email so then we had linked up and s***.'

To put it mildly, YBN ('Young Boss N****s') does not believe in practicing safe sex since he wouldn't sleep with a woman he wouldn't want to get pregnant.

'I don't wear a condom!' ranted the hip-hop up-and-comer.

'If Chyna got pregnant, I would keep that s*** like, "Daddy loves you. I love your a**."'

'I don't wear a condom!' To put it mildly, YBN ('Young Boss N****s') does not believe in practicing safe sex since he wouldn't sleep with a woman he wouldn't want to get pregnant

A day after she was spotted with her new love interest, Blac Chyna took to social media to share snaps of her daughter, Dream Kardashian.

Her video on Snapchat showed Robert Kardashian Jr.'s daughter riding a few of her scooters.

The star let the video do all the talking and kept the caption brief by simply writing, 'lol.'

She also posted a close-up of Dream on Instagram and wrote, 'Good morning.'

'Lol': A day after she was spotted with her new love interest, Blac Chyna took to social media to share snaps of her daughter, Dream Kardashian

Out for a ride: Her video on Snapchat showed Robert Kardashian Jr.'s daughter riding a small black and red scooter

'Good morning': The model also posted an adorable close-up of Dream on Instagram

Sweet tooth: Robert Kardashian Jr.'s daughter appeared to be enjoying a small donut and a warm drink

On Saturday, the Glass Blunt Store spokesmodel was in Miami Beach enjoying a luxury shopping spree at stores like Fendi inside Bal Harbour Shops.

The Black Card Revoked contestant - sporting a curly platinum wig - wore sensible white sneakers for her outing along with a nude cleavage-boosting pencil dress.

Before her fling with Jay, Blac previously dated 21-year-old rapper Playboi Carti and 24-year-old rapper Mechie.

Retail therapy: On Saturday, the Glass Blunt Store spokesmodel was in Miami Beach enjoying a luxury shopping spree at stores like Fendi inside Bal Harbour Shops

Sensible flats: The Black Card Revoked contestant - sporting a curly platinum wig - wore white sneakers for her outing along with a nude cleavage-boosting pencil dress

Trying on scarves: Before her fling with Jay, Blac previously dated 21-year-old rapper Playboi Carti and 24-year-old rapper Mechie

Foursome: Chyna was joined at the Florida mall by two guys and a woman, who were likely part of her styling team

Chyna was joined at the Florida mall by two guys and a woman, who were likely part of her styling team.

According to TMZ, the KUWTK guest star receives $20K a month in child support from her ex-fiance #2 Rob Kardashian for their 16-month-old daughter Dream Renee.

The Calabasas socialite is also mother to five-year-old son King Cairo Stevenson with her ex-fiance #1 Tyga, who famously dated Rob's half-sister Kylie Jenner for three years.

Still suing him for revenge porn? The KUWTK guest star reportedly receives $20K a month in child support from her ex-fiance #2 Rob Kardashian for their 16-month-old daughter Dream Renee (pictured February 17)Kim Kardashian feared for her life when masked men broke into a private Paris residence in October 2015, leaving her bound and gagged as they escaped with $10million worth of jewellery.

And reality star Aisleyne Horgan-Wallace has now reveled she suffered an ordeal similar to the one endured by the American beauty, which saw her targeted after she boasted about her wealth and designer accessories online.

The former Big Brother star was left terrified as three armed robbers burst into her flat earlier this month, demanding she hand over her jewellery, designer bags and cash - and even feared she might be raped.

Armed robbery: Aisleyne Horgan-Wallace believes she was targeted by armed robbers after she boasted about her wealth and designer accessories online

She told The Sun: 'I started screaming and three men barged into my corridor and crowded around me. They were asking for money and my watches.

'I was terrified and only wearing thin pyjamas so I thought they were going to rape me.'

Aisleyne revealed the thieves eventually got spooked by her incessant screaming and fled the scene of the crime, leaving her shaken.

The star believes she was personally targeted by the robbers after boasting about her wealth on her social media account.

One image shared with her 152,000 Instagram followers showed a sizable wad of cash, accompanied by the caption,'I take so much offence when 'men' on Instagram say I'm a gold digger. It's ALL MY OWN!'

Similar experiences: Aisleyne likened her experience to Kim Kardashian's - when masked men broke into a private Paris residence in October 2015, leaving her bound and gagged as they escaped with $10million worth of jewellery

'Never a gold digger': One image shared with her 152,000 Instagram followers showed a sizable wad of cash, accompanied by the caption,'I take so much offence when 'men' on Instagram say I'm a gold digger. It's ALL MY OWN!'

She then posed in diamond encrusted sunglasses with the money stuffed behind the lenses, adding the message, 'Sorry honey... can't see the haters!'

Aisleyne regularly shares snaps of herself near her property - including one of herself posing on the bonnet of her Range Rover - images she now regrets putting into the public domain.

Likening her ordeal to that of Keeping Up With The Kardashians megastar Kim, she revealed: 'It must have been how Kim Kardashian felt when she was held at gun point in Paris two years ago at her hotel.'

Aisleyne revealed she was going to be 'more careful' about what she posts online in future.

'Can't see the haters': She then posed in diamond encrusted sunglasses with the money stuffed behind the lenses, adding the message, 'Sorry honey... can't see the haters!'

Flaunt it: Aisleyne regularly shares snaps of herself near her property - including one of herself posing on the bonnet of her Range Rover - images she now regrets putting on social media

No filter: The star believes she was personally targeted by the robbers after boasting about her wealth on her social media account

A police spokesman said: 'Police in Enfield are investigating an allegation of aggravated burglary after a group of men forced entry to a residential property.

'One of the men involved is suspected of being armed with a firearm. The incident took place at 23:25hrs on Monday, 5 March. The victim was shaken but unharmed. No arrests have been made. Enquiries continue.'

MailOnline has contacted Aisleyne's representatives for comment.

The star has shared a number cryptic posts hinting at her distress of late, including an array of busty selfies complete with emotional captions.

Alongside one melancholic image, she wrote: 'Take my soul because Im tired of trying. Take it all coz I done with crying. Empty my heart because Im tired of feeling. Take me away. Im done'.She didn't have to spend hours in make-up when she turned up to film The Goldfinch in Park Avenue, Manhattan, on Monday.

In recent days, Nicole Kidman has been seen playing an older version of her character, wealthy socialite Mrs Barbour, complete with wrinkles and graying hair.

This time she looked, if anything, younger than her actual age of 50 as she walked around the outdoor set.

Scroll down for video

Casual chic: Nicole Kidman was up bright and early on Monday as she arrived at the outdoor set of The Goldfinch in Manhattan

The Australian actress arrived wearing a khaki jacket that she slipped off her shoulders to reveal a beige knitted Aran sweater, cropped dark brown pants, socks and flat, lace-up shoes.

She changed into a smart grey coat that she wore over a white dress, teamed with grey court shoes.

In between takes, Nicole donned the Canada Goose parka she was seen wearing last week and her warm Ugg boots.

In character: Nicole plays socialite Mrs Barbour, who takes in Theo Decker, played as a child by Oakes Fegley, 11, who survived the Metropolitan Museum of Art bombing that killed his mother

Doting mom: She leaned in to give the youngster a kiss

Let's hear it: A boom mic got up close and personal

Speeding up time: Last week Nicole played an older version of the wealthy Mrs Barbour

 Slide me  Quite a difference: Nicole as the ageing wealthy socialite with wrinkles and gray hair and Young Mrs Barbour with fresh skin and chestnut tresses

In one scene she gently guided 11-year-old Oakes Fegley out of an apartment building.

Oakes plays young Theo Decker, with Ansel Elgort as the character's older self.

Ansel, who turns 24 on Wednesday, wasn't seen on set, but Luke Wilson, 46, as Theo's deadbeat father Larry, and Sarah Paulson, 43, who plays his dad's girlfriend, Xandra, did turn up.

Smiling star: Nicole donned a gray coat that she wore over a white dress as she left a building in character

Heating up: In between takes, Nicole donned the cozy Canada Goose parka jacket she was seen wearing last week to stay warm

Boots on the ground: The actress added Ugg boots to keep her feet warm on the cold day

Based on the 2013 Pulitzer-winning book by Donna Tartt, The Goldfinch revolves around Theo, who miraculously survives a bombing at the Metropolitan Museum of Art that killed his mother when he was a child.

In the confused aftermath of the atrocity, Theo pocketed his mom's favorite painting, The Goldfinch.

Nicole plays Mrs Barbour, a wealthy socialite who takes in Theo after he is seemingly orphaned.

Walkabout: Nicole strolled along Park Avenue, which had been closed off for filming

On his way: Luke Wilson, who plays Theo's deadbeat dad, arrived on set carrying his shoes and a coffee

Hanging around: Nicole, Luke and other cast members waited for filming to begin

Dad: Wilson was seen chatting to the boy

Meanwhile there were lots of public displays of affection on set on Monday.

At one point, Nicole bent down to kiss a young actor on the cheek, likely Oakes.

The lad was smartly dressed in a dark gray blazer, white shirt and cream pants like a couple of other boys, so he may have been on his way to school.

Maternal instinct: A chilly Oakes put on a blue coat over his outfit as Nicole put her arm around his shoulder

Cameras rolling: The Oscar winner bent down to talk to the young actor as a sound boom caught her voice

Cute PDA: It looked like Oakes was playing Theo on his first day at school as she gently kissed him on his cheek

In another show, she stands next to the youngster with her hand around his shoulder.

She also bent down to lavish love on a gorgeous dog with a very curly coat who belonged to a member of the crew.

Meanwhile, Sarah Paulson, 43, was seen getting out of one the city's iconic yellow taxi cabs when she turned up on set.

More kisses: She also bent down to lavish love on a gorgeous dog with a very curly coat

Lucky dog: It turns out that the cute pooch belonged to a member of the crew

Dabbing: The star had her make-up retouched between takes

Arms folded: The Aussie beauty looked a bit standoffish when confronted

The actress was dressed in a black and white zebra stripe jacket with a hood and fur trim that she teamed with a cropped yellow knitted top, flashing her tummy, and button up skinny jeans.

The beautiful blonde seemed to be having trouble with her perilously high platform shoes and she fiddled with them as she got out of the cab.

Directed by Brooklyn helmer John Crowley, The Goldfinch is scheduled for release on October 11, 2019.

Trashy chic: Sarah Paulson who plays Larry's plays girlfriend Xandra, was also on set

Animal magic: The 43-year-old wore a zebra stripe jacket with a hood and fur trim that she teamed with a cropped yellow knitted top, flashing her tummyThey became household names back in 2003 when they took a chance on a then-unknown reality TV show called The Block.

And 15 years later, season one fan favourites Gavin Atkins and Warren Sonin - better known as Gav and Waz - have walked down the aisle.

The couple married in an intimate ceremony in Queensland on Friday, according to The Daily Telegraph.

Wedding bells! The Block season one fan favourites Gav and Waz tie the knot in 'intimate, laid-back ceremony'... 15 years after shooting to fame on the renovation reality show

'We wanted our wedding to be a private, intimate laid-back ceremony on our secluded property 15 minutes outside of the resort town Noosa Heads,' the couple told the publication.

Gav and Waz, who were joined by friends and family for the special occasion, said they wanted the breathtaking natural surroundings to play a role in their nuptials.

'The sound of Beauty Falls that borders our property provided the perfect background sounds for our wedding,' they explained.

'We wanted our wedding to be a private, intimate laid-back ceremony,' the couple were joined by friends and family on the special day and told The Daily Telegraph their secluded property was the perfect backdrop for their nuptials

The couple renovated a property in Sydney's Bondi for the inaugural season of The Block, which eventually became one of Australia's most popular TV franchises.

They placed third after their efforts and became fan favourites, in part because of Waz's distinctive laugh.

Selling their renovated flat for $670,000 at auction, they made a tidy profit of $75,000 at the time.

The originals! Gav and Waz (pictured right) were on the first season of The Block in 2003, which was then hosted by Jamie Durie

More recently, Gav and Waz sold their Sydney abode in 2016 and purchased a $2.7million home which overlooks Cooroy Mountain, just outside of Noosa.

'I've always said to Warren I feel as though we belong back in the country somewhere,' Gav previously told Daily Mail Australia.

'We've bought and sold in Sydney and they've been beautiful apartments, but for some reason I wasn't exactly happy there.

'As soon as we walked through the door, we thought, "Oh my God, I think we've found home"' .Mischa Barton is denying she ever crashed a U-Haul truck into the West Hollywood condo Park Wellington's carport on February 11 of last year despite strong evidence to the contrary.

The troubled 32-year-old just filed legal documents on Monday denying she was the driver despite saying so in the police report - according to TMZ.

Park Wellington homeowners' association sued the London-born, Manhattan-raised actress for $26,991.55 of damages in October after the insurance claim against U-Haul renter and Barton ex-boyfriend Adam Spaw was denied.

Scroll down for video

More legal woes: Mischa Barton is denying she ever crashed a U-Haul truck into the West Hollywood condo Park Wellington's carport on February 11 of last year despite strong evidence to the contrary (pictured February 13)

In the incriminating video shot at the scene, Mischa stepped in front of the truck and gasped: 'The whole things looks like it's going to fall.'

'Oh my god, this is really bad,' the O.C. alum admitted.

'Oh wait, and everything I own is in that U-Haul. Wait a second. What are we even going to do about this?'

The expensive collision came 17 days before the Turn It Off video vixen was voluntarily escorted to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center by police for a mental health evaluation.

Sued for $27K in damages: The troubled 32-year-old just filed legal documents on Monday denying she was the driver despite saying so in the police report

'Everything I own is in that U-Haul!' In the incriminating video shot at the scene, Mischa stepped in front of the truck and gasped, 'the whole things looks like it's going to fall'

Bad month: The expensive collision came 17 days before the Turn It Off video vixen was voluntarily escorted to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center by police for a mental health evaluation

Mischa was out of her mind in the video shot by neighbors of her screaming about being a conduit and repteatedly calling her estranged momager Nuala Quinn-Barton 'a witch.'

'On the evening of the 25th, I went out with a group of friends to celebrate my birthday. While having drinks, I realized that something was not right as my behavior was becoming erratic and continued to intensify over the next several hours,' Barton later said in the statement to People.

'I voluntarily went to get professional help, and I was informed by their staff that I had been given GHB. After an overnight stay, I am home and doing well...This is a lesson to all young women out there, be aware of your surroundings.'

The Executor star has certainly been working a lot with her next role as Katie Parker in Lionsgate's kids flick Monsters at Large, which will be released on DVD/VOD this Tuesday.Rebel Wilson just landed an exciting role in Disney's Beauty and the Beast in Concert.

She'll be joining Zooey Deschanel, Jane Krakowski, Taye Diggs and more on stage at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles on May 25, 2018 and May 26, 2018. The venue released a statement on Monday revealing that Rebel, 38, will sing as LeFou in the concert-style Beauty and the Beast.

The role was played by Josh Gad in the live-action Beauty and the Beast released by Disney in 2017.

Rebel Wilson just landed a part in Disney's Beauty and the Best in Concert singing as LeFou

Zooey has been cast as Belle, Jane as Mrs. Potts and Taye as Gaston. Kelsey Grammer will be featured in Disney's Beauty and the Beast in Concert also, singing Be Our Guest as Lumiere, as well as Anthony Evans singing Evermore as Beast.

During the performance, the actors will appear on stage while Beauty and the Beast plays on the Hollywood Bowl's massive movie screen behind them. They'll sing the much-beloved songs from the Disney classic accompanied by a live orchestra.

So what is Rebel Wilson's net worth?

Who is Rebel Wilson?

Rebel Wilson was born March 2, 1980 in Sydney, Australia. Her mother is a dog handler and raised Rebel in the suburbs.

After completing high school, she attended the University of New South Wales, graduating in 2009 with a bachelor of arts degree in theater and performance studies and a bachelor of law degree. Once she was finished with her studies, she went to South Africa for a year as a Rotary International Youth Ambassador.

During her stay there she said she contracted malaria. While battling the ailment she suffered hallucinations, one of which showed her winning an Oscar. This is how Rebel decided to pursue acting.

Her career started in Australia, where she studied at the Australian Theater for Young People (ATYP). She moved to New York in 2003 after she was awarded the ATYP International Scholarship. She returned to Australia where she became famous for playing Toula on Pizza and her many roles on The Wedge.

Wilson made the move to the United States for good in 2011. Shortly after arriving in Los Angeles, California, she landed a role in Judd Apatow's Bridesmaids. This led to several other parts in TV and film and served as a launching point for her career.

In 2012 she got the part of Fat Amy in Pitch Perfect. She would eventually reprise this role several more times before the film franchise came to an end in 2017's Pitch Perfect 3.

Before being cast as LeFou in Disney's Beauty and the Beast in Concert, Revel played Ursula the sea witch in a similar presentation of The Little Mermaid at the Hollywood Bowl in 2016.

Rebel Wilson net worth

According to Celebrity Net Worth, Rebel Wilson's net worth is $16 million (11.5m).

Rebel Wilson defamation suit

Rebel Wilson's public legal battle began in 2015 when Woman's Day published a story claiming she'd mislead the public about her real name, age and how she was raised. Wilson claimed that she was raised in a more downtrodden area in Sydney, spent a year in Zimbabwe, Africa, where she contracted malaria and was involved in a shoot-out, among other things.

The publication questioned these elements of Rebel's life in a story that was picked up by other outlets.

close to $5 mil actually (with awarded interest, costs to come 2018). I am planning on giving the entirety of my winnings to charity or to create scholarships/jobs in the Australian entertainment industry.  Rebel Wilson (@RebelWilson) March 8, 2018

Nearly a year later, Rebel claimed the articles made her out to be a liar. She filed a defamation lawsuit against them with the Supreme Court of Victoria in Australia, in which she stated that her reputation had suffered as a result of the accusations against her.

She also sued for several thousand dollars in damages, which she was awarded in 2017. Rebel later tweeted that she was donating all of the money to good causes in Australia.

Rebel Wilson weigh loss

In 2011, Rebel Wilson became a spokesperson for Jenny Craig Australia. By the following year, she told the Daily Telegraph she was down 22 lbs.

Her weight loss efforts were thwarted during Pitch Perfect filming, during which she claimed she was contractually obligated to stay a certain size.

How to attend Disney's Beauty and the Beast in Concert

Disney's Beauty and the Beast in Concert is open to the public while tickets last. Those in attendance will get to see the actors performing while Beauty and the Beast plays behind them.

The Hollywood Bowl will have live scenery projected onto the facade to create that magical feel all Disney productions require. Attendees are also being urged to come dressed in costume, as there will be a prize for best dressed.

Disney's Beauty and the Beast in Concert tickets

Tickets for Disney's Beauty and the Best in Concert go on sale March 16, 2018 at 1pm ET on Ticketmaster.The Only Way Is Essex cast have jetted off to Barcelona as they film scenes for series 22.

And Lauren Pope oozed effortless glamour while flashing her toned abs in the city's Placa Reial square on Monday afternoon.

The reality star, 35, ensured all eyes were on her as she slipped her svelte frame into a plunging white crop top, teamed with a chic pair of high-waisted jeans.

Wow-factor! Lauren Pope oozed effortless glamour while flashing her toned abs as she filmed scenes for TOWIE's latest series in Barcelona's Placa Reial square on Monday afternoon

The television personality adhered to her signature sense of style as she tied in her trendy attire with a pair of heeled sandals.

Looking every inch the vixen, Lauren accessorised with a sophisticated baker boy hat while toting a beige cross body bag.

The beauty entrepreneur added a stunning contrast to her crystal blue eyes as she wore a smokey brown shade on her lids, completed with a matte nude lip.

Glamorous: The reality star, 35, ensured all eyes were on her as she slipped her svelte frame into a plunging white crop top, teamed with a chic pair of high-waisted jeans

Standing tall: The television personality adhered to her signature sense of style as she tied in her trendy attire with a pair of heeled sandals

Beaming: The beauty entrepreneur added a stunning contrast to her crystal blue eyes with a smokey brown shade on her lids, completed with a matte nude lip

The Mile High star upped the ante with a pair of oversized silver hoops while strolling along the Spanish streets with co-stars Bobby Norris, Chloe Lewis and Georgia Kousoulou.

Chloe, 27, also put on a stylish display as she sported a cropped cardigan with wide-leg panelled trousers.

Commanding attention in her own right, Georgia, 26, accentuated her slender figure in a pair of form-fitting ankle grazers.

Walk this way: The Mile High star upped the ante with a pair of oversized silver hoops while strolling along the Spanish streets with co-stars Bobby Norris, Chloe Lewis and Georgia Kousoulou

Pals: The former glamour model appeared in high spirits as she engaged in conversation with her castmate Bobby

Svelte: Chloe, 27, also put on a stylish display as she sported a cropped cardigan with wide-leg panelled trousers

Stylish: Commanding attention in her own right, Georgia, 26, accentuated her slender frame in a pair of form-fitting ankle grazers

Bobby, 31, also shared the spotlight with his female friends as he donned a crisp black shirt and grey jeans, while carrying a sleek clutch by Louis Vuitton.

Lauren is known for her impressively toned physique, and has previously admitted to working out four to five times a week in the gym.

However, the Devon native has always remained adamant that she would never reveal her biggest hang-ups or insecurities, as she accepts her body with all its flaws.

Fabulous: Bobby, 31, also shared the spotlight with his female friends as he donned a crisp black shirt and grey jeans, while carrying a sleek clutch by Louis Vuitton

She told the Daily Star last year: 'I never tell people the parts I don't like about me as thats just noting out your flaws, I've learnt how to work with what I've got and accentuate the good parts, lets put it that way.'

First famed for her showcasing her busty bosoms in glamour shoots, Lauren choose to remove her E cup implants - the result of a second boob job - last summer.

Speaking to MailOnline at the time, she said of the move: 'I'm back to small boobies! I've thought about it for a long time.

Gym bunny: Lauren is known for her impressively toned physique, and has previously admitted to working out four to five times a week

Brave: The Devon native has always remained adamant that she would never reveal her biggest hang-ups or insecurities, as she accepts her body with all its flaws

Change: First famed for her showcasing her busty bosoms in glamour shoots, Lauren choose to remove her E cup implants - the result of a second boob job - last summer

'It's really hard to explain but it's not a big dramatic decision. It's just I feel like I am taken seriously now in the world of business.'

Lauren emerged on the scene as a glamour model and embarked on a career as a DJ over a decade ago, but became a series regular on TOWIE in 2010 when she started dating show original Kirk Norcross.

She has since gone on to launch her successful extension line Hair Rehab London.He surprised Married At First Sight fans by revealing his passions for skateboarding and hip hop earlier this season.

But Dean Wells, aka Visionz, proved last month that skating is a dangerous game for a man in his forties.

The self-described 'alpha male feminist' took a nasty tumble at a vert ramp near his home in Manly, Sydney two weeks ago.

That looks painful! Married At First Sight's Dean Wells proved last month that skating is a dangerous game for a man in his forties

Ouch! The 'alpha male feminist' took a nasty tumble at a ramp near his home in Manly, Sydney

Call the doctor! The creative director, 40, appeared to injure his wrist in the fall

Dean, 40, appeared to injure his wrist in the fall and was seen buying a cold drink from a local store to ease the pain.

He even fought back tears while surrounded by younger, more nimble skaters.

It would appear the creative director sought medical assistance after the accident.

Oh, no! Dean appeared to be in considerable pain after falling off his skateboard

Daddy, daddy cool! Dean appeared to be one of the older skaters at the park

Gnarly: It would seem that Dean hurt his wrist after slipping from his board on the vert ramp

Urban style: Dean wore a youthful ensemble, including skinny jeans, sneakers and a plaid shirt

Hello darkness, my old friend: Dean fought back tears while surrounded by younger skaters

'Tracey... help!' While at the skate park, Dean appeared to make a phone call to someone

On Sunday, he was spotted wearing a wrist guard at the Little Jack Horner restaurant and bar in Coogee.

It comes after bizarre reports Dean and his on-screen wife Tracey Jewel were expecting a child together.

NW magazine claimed in a front page 'exclusive' on Monday that the turbulent couple had happy news to share with their fans.

The dream of the '90s is alive in Manly: It would appear Dean has kept up his teenage hobby well into adulthood

Here goes! Dean left MAFS viewers surprised after he revealed he was a keen skateboarder

Be careful! Dean appeared to lose his balance just before taking a nasty tumble

Said see you later boy! At one point, Dean appeared to forget where his skateboard was

The moment it all went wrong: Unfortunately, Dean lost his footing and fell down the ramp

But Tracey, who has a daughter from a previous marriage, later confirmed that the story was false and she is not pregnant.

Last week, OK! magazine reported that it was 'common knowledge' Tracey and Dean were no longer together.

Married At First Sight continues Tuesday at 7:30pm on Channel Nine

First aid: Dean was spotted buying a cold drink from a local store to ease the pain

He was a skater boy: Dean may need to take time off the ramp following his wrist injury

Medical assistance: On Sunday, Dean was seen wearing a wrist guard at a bar in Coogee

Will the real Dean please stand up? Dean is known for his suited-and-booted 'alpha male' persona on Married At First Sight

Life goes on: Dean looked more relaxed after enjoying a soft drink from the convenience store

Splitsville? It has been reported that Dean has broken up with on-screen wife Tracey JewelShe's best known for her often creepy turns in American Horror Story.

But on Monday, Sarah Paulson, 43, appeared to be playing a very different type of character as she appeared on the set of The Goldfinch.

The People Vs. O.J Simpson actress showed off her toned tummy in jeans and a crop top for the scene that was filmed in the Upper East Side of New York City.

Against type: Sarah Paulson, 43, appeared to be playing a very different type of character than her frequent American Horror Story turns as she appeared on the set of The Goldfinch

The 12 Years A Slave actress paired the tight blue jeans and skimpy yellow top with a zebra print jacket.

Paulson teetered on pink stripper heels for the scene and wore large hoop earrings.

The Emmy Award winning actress wore a straight blonde wig for the scene in which she exited a New York cab and was greeted by Luke Wilson, 46, (who plays the boyfriend of her character, Xandra) and Nicole Kidman, 50.

Also on set was Thelma & Louise actress Susan Sarandon, 71.

Wild thing! The 12 Years A Slave actress paired the tight blue jeans and skimpy yellow top with a zebra print jacket

Lauded: The actress won the Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Miniseries or Movie for her work on Season 1 of American Crime Story

Before and after: Paulson in December 2017 [L]; and in character on the set of The Goldfinch on Monday

Based on the 2013 Pulitzer-winning book by Donna Tartt, The Goldfinch revolves around Theo, who miraculously survives a bombing at the Metropolitan Museum of Art that killed his mother when he was a child.

In the confused aftermath of the atrocity, Theo pocketed his mom's favorite painting, The Goldfinch.

Nicole plays Mrs Barbour, a wealthy socialite who takes in Theo after he is seemingly orphaned.

Directed by Brooklyn helmer John Crowley, The Goldfinch is scheduled for release on October 11, 2019.

Well heeled: Paulson teetered on pink stripper heels for the scene and wore large hoop earrings

Spooky specialist: The actress began her TV career in the 1990s with the TV drama American Gothic

It's Louise! Also on set was Thelma & Louise actress Susan Sarandon, 71She commanded attention at the Spanish premiere for her new flick Loving Pablo in a glittering Balmain gown.

And Penelope Cruz continued to wow the style brigade in a shimmering strapless metallic number as she arrived for the Actors and Actresses Union Awards Gala at Circo Price Theatre in Madrid, Spain on Monday.

The 43-year-old Oscar winner showcased her sculpted legs through her gown's thigh slit, sitting beside her husband and Loving Pablo co-star Javier Bardem.

Hot couple: Penelope Cruz showcased her legs as she sat beside her husband and Finding Pablo co-star Javier Bardem at Monday's Actors And Actresses Union Awards Gala in Madrid

Married since 2010, the duo still seemed the picture of wedded bliss, grinning broadly as they shared a chat at the awards ceremony.

Penelope slipped into the striking glittering gown which hugged her petite frame and accentuated her bust as she posed for photos on the red carpet.

The strapless haute couture gown featured tiered ruffles which cascaded from her thighs down to the ground in dramatic fashion.

Still going strong: Married since 2010, the duo seemed the picture of wedded bliss, grinning broadly as they shared a chat at the awards ceremony

Pedigree: Both of them are Academy Award winners

Mixing business with pleasure: He plays infamous druglord Pablo Escobar and she plays journalist Virginia Vallejo in the new film Loving Pablo

Penelope's red carpet number showcased her slender pins and matching metallic heels which added inches to her diminutive height.

The Spanish actress, who is nominated for Best Leading Actress in a Movie for her turn in Loving Pablo, combated the cooler temperatures in her homeland by wrapping a matching shawl around her shoulders.

She complemented her look by working her brunette tresses into a soft tousled style which offset her natural make-up.

Striking: Penelope continued to wow the style brigade in a shimmering strapless metallic number as she arrived for the ceremony's red carpet at Circo Price Theatre

All that glitters: The 43-year-old Oscar winner slipped into the striking glittering gown which hugged her petite frame and accentuated her bust as she posed for photos on the red carpet

Fashion: The strapless haute couture gown featured tiered ruffles which cascaded from her thighs down to the ground in dramatic fashion

Walk this way: Penelope's red carpet number showcased her slender pins and matching metallic heels which added inches to her diminutive height

Style savvy: She looked incredible in her designer look

Although she posed on the carpet by herself, Penelope's husband Javier also attended the Spanish awards. The Academy Award winner is also nominated for Best Leading Actor in a Movie for his role in Loving Pablo.

Penelope previously spoke out about working with her husband in the film, admitting they had to 'protect one another' from their unpredictable characters off-screen in a candid interview with Porter Edit.

She said: 'The characters were very difficult, and they had lots of dark, uncomfortable scenes where this woman is having emotional and psychological terror inflicted on her by her partner.

'I never like to bring my characters home with me, but it was especially important in this case for us to protect one another.'

Diamonds are a girls best friend: She showcased her statement drop earrings

All in the details: She accessorised her look with a matching glittering clutch

Picture perfect: She happily posed for photos on the carpet

Wrapped up: The Spanish actress, who is nominated for Best Leading Actress in a Movie for her turn in Loving Pablo , combated the cooler temperatures in her homeland by wrapping a matching shawl around her shoulders

Natural: She complemented her look by working her brunette tresses into a soft tousled style which offset her natural make-up

Together: Although arriving on the carpet by herself, Penelope's husband Javier Bardem also attended the Spanish awards

In attendance: The Academy Award winner is also nominated for Best Leading Actor in a Movie for his role in Loving Pablo

Loving Pablo tells the controversial true romance of married drug lord Pablo Escobar (Javier) and journalist Virginia Vallejo (Penelope).

As for their own romance story, the couple fell madly in love with each other when they starred in the Woody Allen-directed Vicky Cristina Barcelona in 2008.

Penelope scooped an Academy Award for playing Javier's emotionally unstable love interest in the movie.

The married lovers tied the knot during the summer of 2010 in a private ceremony at a friend's home in the Bahamas. They are the proud parents to daughter Luna, four, and son Leo, seven.We've seen Jack Nicholson, Heath Ledger and Jared Leto in the role.

On Monday, Tommy Wiseau tried his hand as The Joker in an audition for the next Batman film directed by Todd Phillips.

Wiseau belted out a number of classic catchphrases popularized by the late Ledger in The Dark Knight, in the clip posted by Nerdist.

Scroll below for video

Wait till they get a load of me: Tommy Wiseau, 62, tried his hand as The Joker in an audition for the next Batman film directed by Todd Phillips that was posted on Nerdist Monday

'As huge fans, we at Nerdist give him a chance to show the world what he can bring to this legendary role!' the outlet said.

The enigmatic actor-director was in full costume, sporting white face paint, a long stringy green mane, a purple suit with green vest and black leather gloves, announcing, 'Let me introduce you to the new Joker!'

'What doesn't kill you make you stranger!' said the 62-year-old, who was portrayed by James Franco in The Disaster Artist.

The Poznan, Poland-born entertainer continued his audition, putting his own twist on lines from the Caped Crusader's chief enemy.

Before and after: Wiseau was fully decked out as the devious rival of the Caped Crusader

Scary: Wiseau in his audition belted out, 'What doesn't kill you make you stranger!'

'Have you ever danced with the devil in the pale moonlight?' he said. 'Did you? No. But I did. And I did like the devil.'

Wiseau continued with his dramatic interpretation of The Joker: 'I am not the monster, no, I am just ahead of the curve! Yes, come to me, c'mon ... Why so serious? Why so serious? Why so serious? let's put a smile on this face! ... Jingle Bells, Batman smells!'

Giving his all: The Poland-born entertainer held nothing back in the tryout for the role

Familiar face: Tommy received a helping hand from Greg Sestero, his co-star in 2003's The Room, playing Batman to his Joker

Rise to relevance: Wiseau's career capers were chronicled by James Franco in The Disaster Artist

Call me maybe: Wiseau threw his name in the hat for the role last month via Twitter

Wiseau, who joined James Franco on the stage at the Golden Globes in January, also received a helping hand from Greg Sestero, his co-star in 2003's The Room, a cult classic hailed by some as the worst motion picture in history.

Sestero played Batman to his The Joker in the clip, though was woefully under-costumed in a Batman mask and leather jacket.

Last month, Wisewau responded to reports that Joaquin Phoenix was in talks with Phillips to commandeer the role with a Tweet to Phillips, stating, 'Todd. DM me.'The NSW government is defending its proposed changes to gambling laws after the Greens said the reforms could actually boost pokies' profits by $80 million a year.

Greens MP Justin Field says the coalition's legislation would essentially stop pokies being forfeited and instead see them leased meaning there'd be a slowdown in the reduction of machines.

He argues allowing pokies to be leased would also see them moved from country to metropolitan areas resulting in more cash flowing to the industry.

Mr Field says profits will increase by at least $80 million a year "and possibly double that".

"(Under the changes) there'd be absolutely no reason for venues that were thinking of getting out of the machines ... to use the current forfeiture arrangement," the Greens MP told AAP on Monday.

"They would lease them."

Mr Field expects there'd be almost 1200 more machines in NSW by 2020 than would be the case if the forfeiture system remained in place.

But NSW Racing Minister Paul Toole says the Greens are wrong.

The minister insists the total number of machines in the highest risk areas of the state can't rise.

"About 20 per cent of the state will now become a 'no go' zone for additional machines," Mr Toole said in a statement.

"The total number of machines in these areas can't increase through either trading or the leasing scheme we announced last week."

At present when poker machine entitlements are transferred from one venue to another a percentage must be handed back to the government.

That's seen a reduction from more than 100,000 machines in 2010 to just over 95,000 in 2017, according to the Greens.

Mr Field wants the proposed laws subject to a parliamentary inquiry and on Monday called on Labor to back the move.Kelly Slater says he had to resist temptation to return to World Surf League action too soon, pulling out of the Gold Coast season opener as he recovers from foot surgery.

Slater missed a much-hyped first round Quiksilver Pro match-up with Mick Fanning on Sunday then announced his withdrawal on Monday ahead of his elimination second round heat.

His place was taken by South Africa's Michael February, with Slater joking he deserves a 10 per cent caddy fee if February goes on to win the Gold Coast event.

The 11-time world champion has been back surfing recently since foot surgery but accepted he needed to wait longer to return to competition.

"The looming excitement about a new year starting, my foot sort of magically allowing me to surf the past couple of days and a number of other factors had me talking myself back into jumping in as soon as possible against my better judgment," Slater said in a statement.

The 46-year-old Slater said he'd taken something from hearing retirement-bound Fanning speak on Sunday of his desire to leave his "comfort zone" on the tour after 17 years and explore new horizons, saying it had resonated with him too.

"Hearing Mick talk about his choice yesterday rang true for me also around doing things that make you uncomfortable.

"Competing is a natural environment for us both and it's the easy route for me.

"I feel I've had a couple of half-hearted attempts these past couple of years fighting injury and desire," he said.

"The foot injury symbolises a lot at this point in my career both as an ending and as a beginning."Toxic sludge and heavy construction noise are likely to pollute inner western Sydney as work on the Western Harbour Tunnel gets underway, leaked government documents suggest.

The "cabinet in confidence" documents reveal dredging for the $14 billion tollway project will disturb contaminated sediment resulting in toxic plumes on the harbour around White Bay.

Residents in Balmain, Rozelle and Pyrmont could also be subjected to noise pollution, Fairfax Media and the ABC reported on Monday, with a huge casting plant to be built at White Bay near the Anzac Bridge.

It will make concrete sections of the harbour tunnel which will then be shipped on barges to worksites.

Greens NSW Transport spokesperson Mehreen Faruqi says dumping thousands of tonnes of contaminated soil into White Bay and also parks across Sydney will be a disaster.

"With this plan to dump contaminated soil on to parks and playgrounds, this Liberal-National government has literally hit rock bottom for transport and environmental planning in NSW," Ms Faruqi said in a statement on Monday.

Roads Minister Melinda Pavey declined to comment when contacted by AAP, but her office stated it would be irresponsible to publicly discuss confidential documents.

The leaked study was prepared for the NSW government before it announced the best route for the $14 billion project which is due to be completed in 2024.

The Western Harbour Tunnel will connect Rozelle in the inner west to North Sydney and the Beaches Link from Warringah to Balgowlah.Adelaide's disused Port Stanvac oil refinery site will be remediated and redeveloped with housing, parks and commercial precincts under a plan outlined by Nick Xenophon ahead of the South Australian election.

Mr Xenophon says he'll push for the work to be conducted at Lonsdale if his party holds the balance of power after the March 17 poll.

He said the plan would create much-needed jobs in the south and make available vital land for housing.

"The vast 230 hectare refinery site has been a virtual wasteland since being closed by Exon Mobil 15 years ago," Mr Xenophon said.

"Under a shameful deal, the Labor government negotiated with the global oil and gas giant to remediate the site to industrial quality only."Upgrades to Queensland's only hospital unit to treat cystic fibrosis have been delayed because a new facility is being built, the state government insists.

News Corp has published a letter it obtained from the government in 2015 acknowledging a cross-infection risk from patients sharing bathrooms at the hospital, but did not allocate funds for upgrades.

Health Minister Steven Miles says the Metro North health service had delayed upgrades to the ward because a new ward was planned as part of the overall hospital upgrade master plan.A Sydney woman made a whining sound in the middle of the night before her terrified nanny found her dead on the bathroom floor, a murder trial has been told.

Lai Chan Chor said she had been woken by a shuttering sound before she heard Rita Caleo "make a whining sound in a very faint voice" which made her scared.

The nanny's 1990 statement was read out in the NSW Supreme Court on Monday at the trial of Mark Caleo, 55, who has pleaded not guilty to soliciting his wife's murder that year and soliciting the 1989 murder of her brother Dr Michael Chye.

Alani Afu, 50, has denied murdering Rita Caleo.Stephanie Gilmore will lead Australia in a new team-based surfing contest at Kelly Slater's artificial Surf Ranch later this year.

Full teams were announced for the inaugural Founders' Cup of Surfing on Tuesday, with Australia to meet USA, Brazil, Europe and World outfits in May.

Eleven-time world champion Slater, defending men's world champion John John Florence and retiring Australian great Mick Fanning will all feature while South African powerhouse Jordy Smith will captain the World team.

Six-time world champion Gilmore, who progressed to the Roxy Pro quarter-finals on the Gold Coast on Tuesday, will captain the Australian side that includes Fanning, Matt Wilkinson, Julian Wilson and two-time defending world champion Tyler Wright.

The teams will be made up of three men and two women from each region and compete against each at the two-day event in front of a packed stadium in what will signal a new chapter for the sport.

"It's something new for surfing, but I think it will be a lot of fun and exciting to see how the world's best surfers perform in this kind of a format," WSL commissioner Kieren Perrow said.

The Cup will give participants valuable time in the wave pool ahead of its WSL debut later in the year.

The sport is also preparing for its Olympic debut in 2020, with a decision on whether natural or man made waves are used yet to be made.Barnaby Joyce insists he's happy on the backbench while batting away questions about a political conspiracy to dump him from the Nationals leadership.

WA Nationals leader Mia Davies last week denied there was a strategy to remove Mr Joyce after a leaked report suggested she was involved in a sexual harassment claim being sent to the Nationals federal executive.

Asked if the WA Nationals had engaged in a conspiracy against him, Mr Joyce said: "That is a question for them."

The former deputy prime minister was adamant he wanted to stay away from the issue.

"I am really happy being a backbencher and being fired up and ready to look after the people of New England," Mr Joyce told reporters in Armidale on Monday.

"I'll let the other commentary deal with itself."

Mr Joyce was speaking at the announcement of the location of two sites for the federal government's pesticides agency, which is controversially being moved from Canberra to his NSW electorate.

He said Australia was built on projects that were contentious at first but proved to be successful.

"If we look at our Aboriginal heritage... there were a lot of naysayers about setting up a colony at Botany Bay, they said it wasn't going to work," Mr Joyce said.A man allegedly linked to a boys home pedophile ring that terrorised vulnerable children at a Western Sydney school has been brought before the courts - and police are circling dozens of other offenders.

The 67-year-old Queensland man allegedly molested boys at the now-defunct Daruk Training School at Berkshire Park in the 1970s but AAP understands he was not a member of staff.

The school was tasked with taking care of young offenders and troubled teens but detectives found 80 of the boys - mostly aged 10 to 14 - endured "significant sexual abuse".

Police are urging others who lived in Daruk from 1965 to 1985 to come forward.

"We need to reach out to these victims," Detective Superintendent Brett McFadden told reporters in Sydney on Monday.

"The number that have come forward have described their accounts as what can only be considered horrific experiences."Local workers in the NSW steel manufacturing hub of Port Kembla are pleased Australia has been exempted from controversial US steel tariffs but concerned the local market could be flooded with cheap imports.

While Canberra negotiated its way out of the 25 per cent tariff on steel sold to the US, some Wollongong workers are now worried other countries will dump their previously American-bound metal in Australia.

"We don't want the cheap steel, we need to keep our own industry buzzing along, we don't want our own market flooded," Port Kembla business owner Renay Horton told AAP on Monday.

"It does open up the case of cheap steel being dumped here. That may be an issue and we may need to keep an eye on that."

Speaking in the coastal town earlier in the day, Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull said his government was working to prevent countries from dumping their steel into Australia.

"We are very vigilant to ensure that there is a level playing field," the Liberal leader told reporters at the gates of BlueScope Steel.

"We've given our Anti-Dumping Commission stronger powers, we've given them more money to ensure that they are able to protect Australian industry from unfair practices."

Australia imposed steel tariffs on Greece, Thailand, Indonesia, Spain and Taiwan last week.

Mr Turnbull said he saw no contradiction in championing free trade on the world stage while imposing price-hikes on steel imports at home.

"We are passionately committed to free trade, but it's got to be fair, that's the key," Mr Turnbull said.

"This is not about protectionism, this is not about putting up trade barriers, this is simply ensuring that the trade is fair."

BlueScope chief executive Mark Vassella thanked Mr Turnbull and the government for their work lobbying US President Donald Trump for the steel exemptions.

"In recent times on the back of a strong economy and strong markets, we've been in a position to employ more people which is a great outcome for this region," Mr Vassella told reporters.The level of empathy a person feels towards others is partly influenced by their genes not just upbringing, a UK study has found.

Scientists at the University of Cambridge teamed up with genetics company 23andMe to conduct a genetic study of empathy.

All 46,000 participants completed the Empathy Quotient (EQ) questionnaire, a self-report measure of empathy, and provided a saliva sample for genetic analysis.

Published in the journal Translational Psychiatry, the study found 10 per cent of individual differences in empathy were a result of genetics, although the specific genes involved were not identified.

"This is an important step towards understanding the small but important role that genetics plays in empathy. But keep in mind that only a tenth of individual differences in empathy in the population are due to genetics," said lead investigator Varun Warrier, a Cambridge PhD student.

"It will be equally important to understand the non-genetic factors that explain the other 90 per cent," he added.

Women on average were found to be more empathetic than men. However, this difference was not due to their DNA as there were no differences in the genes that contribute to empathy in men and women.

The study also found that genetic variants associated with lower empathy were linked to a higher risk for autism.

Co-author Professor Simon Baron-Cohen - Director of the Autism Research Centre at Cambridge University hopes the research can be used to improve understanding of the life-long developmental disorder.

"Finding that even a fraction of why we differ in empathy is due to genetic factors helps us understand people such as those with autism who struggle to imagine another person's thoughts and feelings. This can give rise to disability no less challenging than other kinds of disability, such as dyslexia or visual impairment," said Professor Baron-Cohen.A couple and a baby girl have allegedly been shot at inside their outback NSW home, in what police say is a "neighbour dispute".

Two men had argued on Sunday morning at a home in Warren when a 38-year-old man later returned with a shotgun firing at a 35-year-old man, a 26-year-old woman and an eight-month-old girl.

The infant escaped uninjured but pair was taken to the local hospital with minor injuries and later released.

The 38-year-old was arrested after police pursuit in which he allegedly drove 120km/h in a 50km/h zone in the town.

The man faced Dubbo Local Court on Monday charged with nine offences and was refused bail until his next court appearance in May.Two white supremacists have been convicted of murdering a 42-year-old man by bludgeoning him to death with a hammer at his home in Perth almost two years ago.

Alan Taylor was killed in April 2016 at the Girrawheen house he shared with his partner Melony Jane Attwood, 37, who led the neo-Nazi group Aryan Girls.

Attwood and her 22-year-old live-in lover and Aryan Nations president Robert Edhouse were convicted of murder by a WA Supreme Court jury on Monday after about four days of deliberating.

Corey Joshua Dymock, 21, was acquitted of murder but was found guilty of being an accessory.

All three offenders will face a sentencing hearing in May.

A fourth person, who cannot be identified, pleaded guilty to murder and was given a reduced sentence for testifying.Mitch Marsh is the latest player embroiled in controversy during the spiteful Test series between Australia and South Africa, having given Kagiso Rabada a foul-mouthed spray after the spearhead dismissed him on day four in Port Elizabeth.

Marsh appeared to swear at Rabada after he played on to the express paceman, who has rocked the tourists in both of their innings during the second Test.

The four-Test series has been plagued by a series of ugly incidents, including two send-offs from Rabada at St George's Park.

Rabada's poor record means he is facing a series ban for making physical contact with Steve Smith on day one of the contest.

Match referee Jeff Crowe conducted a hearing on Sunday night but is yet to reveal his verdict.

Rabada also gave David Warner a send-off on day three, screaming in the batsman's face.

Warner, Quinton de Kock and Nathan Lyon were all charged after an acrimonious first Test in Durban, which Australia won by 118 runs.

The 22-year-old Rabada has dominated Australia, claiming the fourth 10-wicket haul of his 28-Test career.

To put those numbers in perspective, the only Australians with more 10-wicket Test hauls are Clarrie Grimmett (seven), Dennis Lillee (seven) and Shane Warne (10).Michael Brack was just 16 when he was fatally stabbed in the neck during a botched drug deal on the Gold Coast in November 2015.

The man he had planned to sell 14 grams of marijuana to for $160 is now on trial charged with his murder.

Ryan John Howes pleaded not guilty to killing the teen on the opening day of his Brisbane Supreme Court case on Monday.

The jury heard he'd been drinking during the afternoon and night of Saturday, November 14, before arranging to meet Mr Brack at a nearby shopping centre.

Mr Brack's friend Reece Rowe told the court they had been waiting for about 30 minutes and were about to leave when Howes arrived.

Mr Rowe claimed Howes asked if he could have a lift to his house because he had forgotten his money, but Mr Brack refused and said they were going.

"Ryan didn't like that I guess and sort of flipped," he said.

Mr Rowe said he saw Howes drag Mr Brack from the car and throw what appeared to be a punch.

"At the time I could see something in his hand, but I didn't know what it was," he said.

Crown prosecutor Glenn Cash said the jury would hear evidence Mr Brack was stabbed in the neck with a 10cm knife.

It went about 8cm into his body, almost severing an artery.

Mr Cash said he collapsed in front of a nearby home and bled to death a short time later.

Howes' former girlfriend Kyah Gallegos told the jury she woke up to the sound of him and his brother returning home.

"He walked in with a knife in his hand which had blood on it," she said.

Ms Gallegos said she didn't talk to him about what happened the next day, but on Monday she turned on the television and saw news of the stabbing.

"He put his hands behind his head and said 'we need to get the f*** out of here'," she recalled him saying.

Mr Cash said the jury would hear Howes was found inside the roof of his grandparents home, where he had been living.

The court also heard there would be evidence Howes heard "two clicks" of what he believed to be a gun before he stabbed Mr Brack.

Mr Cash said it would be for the jury to decide if he was acting in self-defence or if he intended to cause grievous bodily harm or death to the teen.

The trial will continue on Tuesday.An Israeli rabbi has withdrawn his support for former Melbourne school principal and accused child abuser Malka Leifer to be released on house arrest under his supervision.

Victorian police are seeking the extradition of the 54-year-old, who was arrested in Israel in February, to Australia to face 74 charges of child sexual abuse.

Rabbi Yitzchak Dovid Grossman had offered to take care of Leifer if she's granted home detention by Israel's Supreme Court.

"Last night, I notified the courts that I am completely withdrawing my involvement in the case of Malka Leifer, and my recommendation that she be placed under house arrest with my supervision," Rabbi Grossman said in a statement released on Monday.A man has fallen about 20 metres to the ground in a hang gliding crash in the NSW Illawarra region.

The 52-year-old man was planning to hang glide from Bald Hill to Stanwell Park Beach on Monday afternoon when he stalled and then clipped trees about 30 to 40 metres high before crashing at Stanwell Park Beach, police said.

Paramedics and lifeguards treated the man at the scene for suspected head, jaw and lung injuries.

He was airlifted to St George Hospital in a serious condition.Today's Birthday, March 13: British-born Australian broadcaster and journalist Mark Colvin (1952-2017).

Respected ABC journalist Mark Colvin characteristically had the final word before his death at age 65 last year.

"It's all been bloody marvellous," read a sign-off message on his popular Twitter account hours after news broke of the veteran reporter's death in May.

Colvin, who had been battled a rare auto-immune illness for more than 20 years, left behind a legacy of unflinching reportage from some major world events, covering genocide, hostage crises and the end of the Cold War.

Born in London, England in 1952, Colvin's childhood was anything but conventional with his British diplomat father secretly serving as a Cold War-era spy for MI6.

After completing an English honours degree at Oxford University, the gifted youngster moved to Australia in 1974 and joined the ABC as a cadet.

Colvin soon became one of the founding members of 2JJ, now triple J, after a short newsroom stint.

His 40-year affiliation with the public broadcaster took him all over the world, first as the ABC's London correspondent and then as European correspondent in Belgium in the 1980s.

During that time he covered the American hostage crisis in Tehran and reported on the negotiations between Mikhail Gorbachev and Ronald Reagan that led to the end of the Cold War.

Colvin returned to Australia to work on current affairs show Four Corners between 1988 and 1992, but was re-posted to London for five years to report for Foreign Correspondent, The 7.30 Report and Lateline.

It was while on assignment covering the Rwandan genocide in 1994 that he contracted the rare autoimmune illness which led to kidney failure.

Colvin managed the disease after returning to Australia in 1997 to present ABC radio's current affairs program PM.

In a strange turn of events, he received a kidney transplant in 2012 from Mary-Ellen Field, an Australian business consultant who worked for model Elle Macpherson.

Colvin had previously interviewed Field while investigating the News of the World phone-hacking scandal and the pair struck up a friendship.

The transplant story was later made into a stage play written by Tommy Murphy, Mark Colvin's Kidney, which recently ran at Sydney's Belvoir Theatre.

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull and Opposition Leader Bill Shorten led tributes for the elegant, erudite, gentleman of journalism.The South Australian Labor government has continued with its series of big spending commitments just days away from detailing how it plans to fund its election promises.

Labor opened the campaign three weeks ago with a $2 billion infrastructure commitment for works on level crossings around Adelaide.

It's followed that up with a string of other announcements, including new tramlines, and on Monday pledged $150 million to replace 600 old public housing properties.

Premier Jay Weatherill says the government will detail how it plans to fund all its promises on Thursday, two days out from Saturday's poll.

"You'll see how we account for all our promises after all of our election commitments are rolled out," he said.

On Sunday, Labor targeted aspiring home owners and those who rely on public housing.

Mr Weatherill said replacing 600 old and outdated public housing properties would create 500 jobs and a pipeline of work for the building industry.

By building two homes on many of the blocks, the program would also free up about 400 allotments to be sold off to the private housing market.

Opposition Leader Steven Marshall also focused on jobs in his latest promise to move quickly to deregulate shopping hours if the Liberals win on Saturday.

He said that would be a major boost for retailers, workers and consumers.Some clever foresight has late replacement Michael February well prepared to take the World Surf League chance offered to him in the wake of Kelly Slater's withdrawal.

The South African learnt of his injection into Gold Coast's Quiksilver Pro second round after Slater officially pulled the pin on Monday morning.

The 11-time world champion had skipped his first round heat on Sunday and, despite having the option of surfing in round two, resisted the temptation of competition as he continues his recovery from foot surgery.

His absence allows February an early chance on the tour, with the Cape Town talent set to replace Mick Fanning on tour once he retires at Bells Beach later this month.

But the 24-year-old hasn't been caught out by his premature promotion, revealing an impromptu trip to Coolangatta earlier this year had him well prepared for a sudden death second round clash with Australian Matt Wilkinson.

"I came for the last really good swell (in late January), spent a bit of time and in the back of my mind I knew there was a slight chance I could get into this event so mentally I was semi-preparing for it," he said.

"It's not a nice thing (replacing an injured surfer), you don't hope for it but it's going to happen and you try and just look at the opportunity instead of the injury."

With surfing likely to go ahead on Tuesday, two-time defending world champion John John Florence will open proceedings against Mikey Wright in the first heat.

Australian veteran Joel Parkinson and Brazilian duo Gabriel Medina and Adriano de Souza will also be in sudden death heats after losing their round one contests on Sunday.Sydney could become a city full of high rise towers if a cap isn't put on Australia's migrant intake, the NSW opposition leader says.

Sydney's pull as the largest city and a job magnet has contributed to one third of the nation's migrants coming to the city, Luke Foley says.

One year out from a state election Mr Foley has called for a set number to be placed on Australia's migrant intake - to be made in consultation with all states and territories and the federal government.

"Sydney full of towers is the inevitable consequence of the current very large migrant intake," Mr Foley told 2GB radio.

It follows similar calls by former prime minister Tony Abbott to cut migration rates.

The comments come as Australia's population is expected to tick over 25 million this year - a figure the nation wasn't meant to reach for decades.

Former NSW premier Bob Carr told ABC TV's Four Corners program the consequences could mean restricting access to recreational spaces by erecting fences and turnstiles around Sydney's beaches.

Australian businessman Dick Smith, who last year launched a $1 million TV campaign calling for a limit to the number of immigrants, sees disaster for the Australian way of life.

He told Four Corners the Australian dream of owning a family home was no longer possible.An Israeli rabbi says he no longer wants former Melbourne school principal and accused child abuser Malka Leifer to be released under his supervision while she awaits an extradition outcome.

Victorian police want to bring Leifer, 54, back to Australia to face 74 charges of child sexual abuse.

She was arrested in February and a lower court had released Leifer on home detention, with Rabbi Yitzchak Dovid Grossman offering to take care of her.

But while Israel's Supreme Court mulls over the prosecution's appeal of the release decision, Rabbi Grossman changed his mind.

"Last night, I notified the courts that I am completely withdrawing my involvement in the case of Malka Leifer, and my recommendation that she be placed under house arrest with my supervision," Rabbi Grossman said in a statement released on Monday.

Leifer has been ordered to stay in police custody in a medical facility while the Supreme Court considers the prosecution's appeal.

Her extradition is the subject of a separate court case.

Israeli prosecutors say she is feigning mental illness to avoid extradition.

Manny Waks, an advocate for Kol v'Oz, a Jewish organisation combating child sex abuse, said Rabbi Grossman should also apologise to Leifer's alleged victims "for compounding their pain and suffering as a direct result of his words and actions".The family of Melbourne woman whose decomposing body was found in her bathtub eight months after she was allegedly murdered will make a public appeal to help catch those who killed her.

The body of 40-year-old Sarah Gatt was discovered in a Kensington unit on January 3 this year, with police saying she died between April 20-24 2017.

Forensic evidence indicates a violent assault took place and investigators believe efforts were made to conceal the mother of four's fate and fool people into thinking she was still alive.

Three men and two women were questioned in January about the death but weren't charged and remain persons of interest.

Ms Gatt's father will on Tuesday join with Victoria Police to make an appeal for information on anyone seen coming and going from the unit after April 20 last year.

"It's disturbing and concerning to investigators that it appears someone has deliberately attempted to make it look as though Sarah was still alive," Homicide Squad Detective Inspector Tim Day said.

"There are people out there who know what happened to Sarah and we are urging them to come forward and speak to police."

None of Ms Gatt's children were living at the property.Congestion on the National Broadband Network has shrunk from almost five hours to just 12 minutes, while the number of homes and business connected has jumped by more than one-and-a-half million.

The latest monthly report from NBN Co shows a major improvement for broadband consumers, largely thanks to retailers providing more bandwidth than before.

Average network bandwidth congestion has plummeted from 290 minutes to 12 minutes since February 2017, and just 0.119 per cent homes now experience slow speeds, NBN Co said in its report on Tuesday.

The number of homes and businesses on a 50Mbps plan or higher had risen from 16 to 25 per cent.

The improved speeds came despite a massive take-up of the NBN, with the number of homes and businesses connected rising from 1.9 million to 3.6 million during the past year.

The number of homes and business ready to connect had increased from 4.2 million to 6.3 million.

The company also said the percentage of faults resolved within agreed timeframes had improved, up from 72 to 85 per cent.

"Significant progress has been made to improve the speeds delivered during peak hours, with internet and phone providers now provisioning more bandwidth on the network than before we announced our new wholesale pricing options," NBN head of residential customers Brad Whitcomb said.

"This has helped to relieve bandwidth congestion on the network from an average of around four hours to 12 minutes per week."Three men are behind bars after breaking into a car lover's Sydney home and stealing three vehicles, including a 1971 red Chevy which is still missing.

Police say a 42-year-old car enthusiast was woken in the early hours of Tuesday by a gang breaking into his West Pennant Hills garage and driving off in his 1971 red Chevrolet Chevelle SS coupe, a black Jaguar sedan and a Range Rover.

The trio was arrested a short time later after crashing the Range Rover into a nearby M2 motorway on-ramp.

But others remain on the run in the Chevrolet, which has the NSW registration YRMUM, and the black Jaguar with its licence plate CXS 56J.NSW police will have greater powers in Sydney this weekend because of the elevated terror level threat posed by the ASEAN summit in the harbour city.

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull will host southeast Asian leaders on Saturday and Sunday for a special summit to discuss regional security, economic ties and counter-terrorism measures.

NSW Police Minister Troy Grant said "certain locations" would be blocked off this weekend and police would have the power to remove vehicles in certain areas as well as being able to stop drones in airspace.

The raised security was "because of the terror level threat", Mr Grant told 2GB Radio on Tuesday.

"The visible presence will be a lot higher than what people normally expect on their weekend."

Mr Grant did not provide details as to where the police will be focusing their efforts, although it's understood it would include the harbourside suburb of Kirribilli, where the prime minister often hosts events at Kirribilli House.

He said the laws were waiting for final approval and would be introduced on Wednesday.

Leaders expected to come include Indonesian President Joko Widodo; Myanmar defacto leader Aung San Suu Kyi; Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak; Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong; Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha; Laos Prime Minister Thongloun Sisoulith; Vietnam Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc; Brunei's Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah; and Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen.James Segeyaro would consider being one of the first players to sign for a Papua New Guinean club side if they are admitted to the NRL.

New ARL Commission chairman Peter Beattie has put expansion firmly back on the table, with any new teams most likely to be added in 2022 at the conclusion of the current TV rights deal.

Beattie also told AAP last month that he was in talks with Cairns City Council about a possible team coming from the region, which would form an unprecedented joint bid with PNG.

Segeyaro, who would be 31 if a PNG team was admitted in 2022, has plans of returning to the country after his NRL career to to continue his late father's work in community rugby league.

But, if an NRL team was admitted, the Cronulla bench hooker says he would consider moving back earlier to play.

"I wouldn't rule it out at all," Segeyaro said.

"I've played for my country and I would love anything to do with helping the country.

"If you're from PNG, playing for the Kumuls is one of the biggest honours you could have as Papua New Guinean to play for them. So I would love to do my part for the country as it is."

Segeyaro is a proponent of NRL expansion into his homeland, but said sustained success from Queensland Cup premiers the PNG Hunters was a crucial first component.

The Hunters have played in each of the past three finals series since narrowly missing the play-offs in 2014, their first season.

"I don't think any other country would get behind an NRL team as much as Papua New Guinea. It's a national sport and there's so much support in and around it," Segeyaro said.

"You have to go somewhere where you can attract the most crowds plus sponsorship, plus TV ratings and everything plays a part.

"That's the rugby league environment. I would love for a team to come in in the next five years."

Regardless, Segeyaro said he was determined to do his bit post-retirement to strengthen the country's bid if no team came to fruition during his career.

"If you look at big junior academies like Penrith and Parramatta in the west, there are so many teams and they are so strong every year," he said.

"They keep the flowing and the cycle comes through and they develop into good NRL teams.

"There is that set-up in PNG but I would like to strengthen it and have input on things they need to do to make that and it will make that bid more dominant and for us to be competitive."President Xi is a Communist "princeling" who is re-making China in his own image

Xi Jinping has joined the pantheon of Chinese leadership two decades after bursting onto the scene as a graft-fighting governor who went on to earn comparisons with Mao Zedong in his quest for unrestricted power.

The rubber-stamp parliament further enhanced Xi's considerable power on Sunday when it approved a constitutional amendment abolishing presidential term limits.

The move allows the 64-year-old Xi to remain in power for as long as he wishes, 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.

President Xi has amassed power and adulation unseen since Communist China's founder Mao Zedong

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.

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.

Fighting graft and upholding party leadership were already central to him when he spoke to AFP in 2000.

At the time, Xi vowed to root out corruption following a $10 billion smuggling scandal, but ruled out political reform to confront the problem, saying he would work within the one-party structure and system of political consultation and "supervision by the masses".

"The people's government must never forget the word the 'people' and we must do everything we can to serve the people, but to get all the government officials to do this is not easy, in some places this is not done very well and in other places it is done very badly," Xi told AFP.

- 'Chairman of everything' -

Xi's face now 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".

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, 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 image -- 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.Former Pakistani PM Nawaz Sharif appeared visibly shocked as the shoe hit his shoulder

An Islamic seminary student hurled a shoe at Pakistan's former prime minister on Sunday, an act considered a major insult in the Muslim country.

Nawaz Sharif, who was ousted last year over graft charges, appeared visibly shocked as the shoe hit his shoulder while he was addressing a gathering at a seminary in Lahore.

The incident came a day after an individual hurled ink at Foreign Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif, a member of the ruling party and a close Sharif aide, while he was speaking at a party rally in eastern Pakistan.

The shoe hurling was broadcast live on Pakistani TV channels. In the Muslim world, such a gesture is considered particularly insulting.

The perpetrator then jumped on stage where Sharif was standing and began chanting before he was overpowered by the crowd and handed over to the police.

According to police officials, the man is a student at the seminary.

Minutes later, Imran Khan, leader of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf opposition party and an arch rival of Sharif who has frequently criticised the former prime minister, condemned the incident.

"This is not the way to express yourself and I condemn whoever did it," Khan said.

Sharif, a three-time prime minister, was ousted by the judiciary in July 2017 over corruption charges which he is currently facing in Pakistani courts.Saudi Arabia -- which is waging a war against Shiite Houthi rebels like these pictured in 2016 -- is the world's second largest importer of arms after India, the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute

Weapons imports to the Middle East and Asia have boomed over the past five years, fuelled by war and tensions in those regions, a new study showed on Monday.

In the period between 2013 and 2017, arms imports to the conflict-ridden Middle East more than doubled, jumping by 103 percent compared with the previous five-year period, the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) calculated.

And the Middle East accounted for 32 percent of all arms imports worldwide.

SIPRI, an independent institute, monitors arms deliveries by volume over periods of five years in order to iron out short-term fluctuations.

Saudi Arabia -- which is waging a war against Shiite Houthi rebels backed by its regional rival Iran -- is the world's second largest importer of arms after India, SIPRI said.

The United States accounts for 61 percent of arms imports to Saudi Arabia and Britain for 23 percent.

On Friday, Britain signed a preliminary multi-billion-pound order from Saudi Arabia for 48 Eurofighter Typhoon fighter jets, military equipment maker BAE Systems announced.

The deal sparked heated debate and protests in the UK where the NGO, Save the Children, placed a life-size statue of a child near parliament "to draw attention to the violence that is being fuelled, in part, by British-made bombs."

"Widespread violent conflict in the Middle East and concerns about human rights have led to political debate in Western Europe and North America about restricting arms sales," said senior SIPRI researcher Pieter Wezeman.

"Yet the US and European states remain the main arms exporters to the region and supplied over 98 percent of weapons imported by Saudi Arabia."

- Growing demand in India -

Nevertheless, Asia and Oceania was the biggest region for arms imports, accounting for 42 percent of the global total between 2013 and 2017, the institute calculated.

And India was the world's largest weapons importer, with Russia its main supplier accounting for 62 percent of its imports.

At the same time, arms deliveries to India from the US, the world's top weapons exporter, increased more than six-fold in the five-year period, SIPRI calculated.

"The tensions between India, on the one side, and Pakistan and China, on the other, are fuelling India's growing demand for major weapons, which it remains unable to produce itself," another SIPRI researcher Siemon Wezeman said.

"China, by contrast, is becoming increasingly capable of producing its own weapons and continues to strengthen its relations with Pakistan, Bangladesh and Myanmar through arms supplies," he added.

Beijing, whose weapons exports rose by 38 percent in the five-year period, is the main arms supplier for Myanmar, accounting for 68 percent of imports.

It also accounted for 71 percent of weapons imports to Bangladesh and for 70 percent of imports to India's nuclear-armed rival, Pakistan.

Myanmar's violence against the Rohingya Muslim minority has caused some 700,000 of the people to flee over the border to Bangladesh since August, taking with them horrifying testimony of murder, rape and arson by soldiers and vigilante mobs.

The atrocities have triggered international condemnations, including EU and US sanctions, against Myanmar.US Education Secretary Betsy DeVos said she will chair a federal commission on school safety

Donald Trump's administration will step up aid to states that want to arm school employees, officials said Sunday under a plan to increase campus safety after the killing of 17 people in Florida.

The controversial idea to put weapons in schools, which has drawn little support from educators, is part of a "pragmatic plan to dramatically increase school safety and to take steps to do so right away," Education Secretary Betsy DeVos said in a conference call with reporters.

Among other steps, DeVos said she will chair a federal commission on school safety.

President Trump is also urging Congress to pass legislation that will strengthen background checks and implement violence prevention programs.

The Trump administration will provide technical assistance to states preparing temporary "risk protection orders" that allow for guns to be removed from certain individuals, and there will be a focus on mental health care, said Andrew Bremberg, a presidential assistant who heads the Domestic Policy Council.

The measures come during a reignited national gun control debate revived by survivors of last month's massacre at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, where 14 students and three staff were gunned down by a man with a semi-automatic rifle.

"The administration will be working with states to provide rigorous firearms training to specifically qualified volunteer school personnel," Bremberg said.

Lily Eskelsen Garcia, president of the National Education Association (NEA), the largest professional union in the United States, has said that parents and educators "overwhelmingly reject the idea of arming school staff."Before and after photographs released by Amnesty International and DigitalGlobe taken on September 6, 2017 and February 5, 2018 of new structures and helipads being built over agricultural fields in Myanmar's Rakhine State

Myanmar is building security installations on top of razed Rohingya villages, Amnesty International said Monday, casting doubt on plans to repatriate hundreds of thousands of refugees.

Nearly 700,000 Rohingya Muslims have fled northern Rakhine state to Bangladesh since Myanmar launched a brutal crackdown on insurgents six months ago that the US and UN have called ethnic cleansing.

Myanmar rejects that term, saying it was responding to attacks by the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army in late August.

But critics accuse the military of using the insurgent attacks to launch disproportionate, scorched-earth "clearance operations" as a pretext to push out the loathed minority.

The new Amnesty report, "Remaking Rakhine State", uses satellite imagery and interviews to point to a rapid increase in military infrastructure and other construction since the start of the year that researchers say amounts to a "land grab".

Before and after photographs released by Amnesty International and DigitalGlobe taken on October 25, 2017 and February 27, 2018 of new structures and fencing built over the previously burnt village of Kan Kya in Myanmar's Rakhine State

"The new evidence and the rebuilding that Amnesty has documented in our latest research shows that the Myanmar authorities are building over the top of the very places the Rohingya need to return to," Tirana Hassan, Amnesty's crisis response director, told AFP ahead of the report's release on Monday.

"In some instances there has been the destruction of existing homes."

Though admitting the images only paint a partial picture, the rights group says structures for security forces, helipads and even roads have been built in and around torched Rohingya properties.

Satellite imagery of one village called Kan Kya on the outskirts of Rakhine's Maungdaw town taken two months after the August attacks shows a settlement scarred by fire.

But by early March buildings could be seen on the revamped land. Amnesty believes they are part of a new base for security forces.

Similar building activity was also detected in Inn Din village, where Myanmar has admitted that its security forces took part in the killings of 10 Rohingya residents in September.

Rakhine state has been largely sealed off from rights groups, the media and UN investigators.

Myanmar

Myanmar and Bangladesh were supposed to start repatriating Rohingya refugees in late January but many are reluctant to return to a place without guarantees of basic rights and safety.

The report also highlights concerns that abandoned Rohingya land will be set aside for ethnic Rakhine Buddhists and other non-Muslim groups in the area, and that alterations to the landscape will erase evidence of alleged atrocities by the military.

Zaw Htay, a government spokesman, rejected the claims, and said the government was not basing military forces in residential areas but that police stations were part of village construction plans.

"It's not true that we are deploying the military among houses and among villages," he said, adding that bulldozing is necessary to work on burned land. "As this region is behind in development, we are rebuilding systematically."Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Finance Minister Taro Aso are under pressure over the scandal

Japan's finance ministry is poised Monday to admit to doctoring key documents related to a favouritism scandal dogging Shinzo Abe, as a new poll suggested the affair is hitting the prime minister's popularity.

Abe and his finance minister Taro Aso face mounting pressure over the scandal, which has resurfaced in recent days with allegations that officials altered key evidence to parliament.

The scandal emerged last year and concerns the sale of land to a close friend of Abe at a price said to be around one tenth of its normal value.

Opposition politicians have alleged the buyer of the land -- a right-wing operator of private schools -- was able to clinch the sale at such a favourable price because of his ties to the Abe family.

Abe appeared to have ridden out the storm but the scandal has hit the headlines again, with the finance ministry expected to admit some key passages in the land sale documents were removed before being presented to MPs.

The original documents included the names of several politicians, which were deleted before being submitted to lawmakers, mass circulation Yomiuri Shimbun and other media reported Monday.

The Mainichi Shimbun has reported the documents were doctored to be "coherent" with a speech made in parliament by the head of the tax agency Nobuhisa Sagawa, who stepped down on Friday over the scandal.

"It is possible that Sagawa ordered the alterations," the newspaper said, citing government sources.

Aso is also under fire over the scandal although the finance ministry insisted on Friday he had no plans to resign.

Adding to the pressure, a finance ministry official linked to the scandal was found dead on Friday, although it is not clear if the reported suicide is linked to the affair.

Abe has consistently denied any wrongdoing and vowed to resign if he was found to be involved in the land deal.

But a poll released published Monday in the Yomiuri Shimbun showed his support dropping by six percentage points from last month to 48 percent, the first reading under 50 percent since winning re-election in October.

Eight out of 10 voters said the government was not responding appropriately to the allegations, according to the survey conducted over the weekend among 1,036 voters.

The allegations have also paralysed parliament in recent days, with some opposition lawmakers boycotting debates.Unusually large rallies have taken place with protesters called on Abe to step down

Japan's prime minister is battling multiple domestic scandals that have hammered his popularity and led some to suggest he may step down as head of the world's third-largest economy.

Here are some key questions about the scandals that come just months before Shinzo Abe seeks re-election as head of his party, which would clear the way for him to become Japan's longest-serving premier.

- What are the scandals? -

Two cronyism scandals, a cover-up, and a more recent sexual harassment case in the finance ministry are making daily headlines, putting Abe under unfamiliar pressure.

The opposition alleges Abe used his influence to secure a bargain price for a plot of land so an ultra-nationalist friend of his wife could build a kindergarten on the plot.

This scandal deepened when it emerged that finance ministry officials had erased references to Abe, his wife Akie and the minister in documents relating to the sale.

More recently, Abe is accused of intervening on behalf of an ally who wanted to open a veterinary school, after an official document was uncovered describing the school as "an issue that involves the prime minister".

His defence ministry also is under fire over missing logs related to the deployment of peacekeepers in Iraq and South Sudan.

And in recent days, media attention has swung to an alleged sexual harassment case involving the top bureaucrat in the finance ministry.

- What impact are they having? -

Abe denies any involvement in the cronyism scandals and the finance ministry bureaucrat has denied sexual harassment and threatened to sue the magazine that broke the story.

Nevertheless, the daily dose of political scandal has seen Abe's popularity ratings steadily declining.

Regular anti-Abe rallies are also increasing in scope and frequency, with the latest demonstrations drawing thousands onto the streets -- an unusually large number in Japan.

- Will Abe survive? -

Rumours are swirling that Abe could step down before he is due to stand for re-election as head of his party in September, or even that he could call another snap election -- only six months after sweeping back to power.

Opposition to Abe and his right-wing Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) remains extremely weak and there is no obvious candidate to replace him.

However, some analysts believe Abe could throw in the towel.

"As public support continues to tumble amid the ongoing scandals, there is a growing risk Abe will resign even before the internal Liberal Democratic Party leadership election takes place in September 2018," said Chua Han Teng, head of Asia country risk at BMI Research.

"Even if he does not resign, he may abandon plans to seek a further term in the upcoming leadership election."

- What happens next? -

The next key date in Japan's political calendar is the LDP election in early September.

Before these scandals erupted, Abe seemed to be a shoo-in to be re-elected for a fresh three-year term, paving the way for him to be Japan's longest-serving premier.

However, this now looks less clear, said Tetsuro Kato, professor emeritus of Hitotsubashi University in Tokyo.

"It probably will not be possible for him to recover public support like he did in the October elections," Kato told AFP.

"The possibility of Abe getting re-elected as party leader for the third time is (seemingly) disappearing," he added.

Other analysts say Abe could step down before the election rather than suffer the humiliation of being jettisoned by his own party.

- Who could take over? -

Two names often mentioned in the local media are Shigeru Ishiba, who ran against Abe in the 2012 leadership election, and Shinjiro Koizumi, son of the popular former PM Junichiro Koizumi.

Other names in the mix include current Foreign Minister Taro Kono and Finance Minister Taro Aso.

However, no clear candidate has yet come forward and surveys show Abe would still be a strong contender if he stands.

"The question is who, inside the ruling party LDP, will spearhead the move to stand up against Abe," noted Kato.The Zambian government has launched a crackdown on sex dolls, calling them "very unnatural" and threatening offenders with heavy jail terms

No one sells them openly, no one admits to owning one, and no one has been arrested -- but Zambia is waging a fierce campaign against sex dolls.

The government launched the crackdown on the sex toys last month, threatening offenders with heavy jail terms over the dolls which, it says, are "very unnatural".

The action has propelled the issue of sex dolls to the top of the news agenda and made them a hot topic of conversation and debate on social media, dividing opinion in the largely conservative southern African country.

"Being a Christian nation, obviously we are anchored in Christian principles and one of the values is morality and ethics," Minister of National Guidance and Religious Affairs Godfridah Sumaili told AFP.

Selling or using a sex doll is against Zambian law, she said, vowing to ensure they are not bought on the internet and imported.

"The use of sex dolls is definitely in contradiction to our natural heritage and our principles," Sumaili added.

"The law actually forbids anybody to trade (in) and to use such objects -- and so this is why we are saying for Zambians that this is a very unnatural thing."

- 'A lifeless object' -

The minister said the ban was necessary after media reports emerged of sex dolls being imported into Zambia, apparently from Asia. Police are investigating, she added.

In recent months, Zambia's independent and semi-official press have devoted many column inches to reports of sex shops popping up around the capital Lusaka selling sex dolls, as well as chronicling the backlash.

"God created man and woman for sexual satisfaction -- but for a man or woman to use a lifeless object is immoral," Sumaili said.

"Let's not import foreign beliefs and experiences. Let us just believe in what we are."

- 'Help combat AIDS' -

The manufacture of sex dolls has become increasingly sophisticated, with China developing custom-made "smart" dolls that can talk, play music and turn on dishwashers.

Sex dolls' inventors say they can cure loneliness and help elderly men who lack female companionship.

In Zambia, the dolls made of silicone were reportedly in a variety of shapes and shades, but an AFP reporter failed to find any shops selling them.

The Patriots for Economic Progress (PEP) -- a fringe liberal party in Zambia -- claims the government's attitude to sex dolls reflects its increasingly authoritarian tendencies under President Edgar Lungu.

"The argument that the Bible does not allow the use of any objects is wrong," said PEP party chief Sean Tembo.

"The same Bible encourages free will and it will be wrong to send someone to prison for choosing to use sex dolls. Some men have low self-esteem and cannot propose love."

Tembo said sex dolls could even tackle the spread of HIV/AIDS -- in a country with a 12.4 percent adult infection rate.

"Men can use sex dolls and this will help reduce the cases of AIDS," he said, contesting the minister's claim they were illegal.

"There is no law that bans the importation or use of sex dolls and there is no law that criminalises masturbation. The use of sex dolls will be in private, in one's bedroom and not in a public place."

- Privacy violation? -

Zambia is a largely conservative nation, where homosexuality is illegal and anyone in an intimate same-sex relationship faces up to 14 years in jail.

Officials say that sex dolls fall under a constitutional law against making, owning, importing, selling or displaying "obscene matters or things" -- punishable with a maximum prison term of five years.

No shops openly sell them in Zambia, though they are available from international internet suppliers.

The state-owned Zambia Daily Mail reported Sumaili's campaign under the headline "No toying with sex dolls", and later ran a feature on how the policy was a constant talking point on public minibuses.

"I would order a sex doll without hesitation," the newspaper quoted one unidentified male passenger as saying.

"I am assured of a disease-free relationship because a sex doll will not cheat on me. They are not materialistic and will forever remain faithful.

"Government is now violating our privacy as citizens," he said.

Lusaka resident, Jane Kaluba, 25, told AFP that sex dolls were a test of how best to balance morality with individual rights.

"I don't support the use of sex dolls but I still feel that one should be free to choose what one wants," she said.PNG Prime Minister Peter O'Neill comforting villagers last week

Aid is finally reaching remote communities cut-off by a major earthquake that hit Papua New Guinea's highlands two weeks ago as the relief chief on Monday described devastating scenes of buried homes and collapsed mountains.

Rescue workers have had to grapple with landslides, blocked roads and downed power and communications to reach isolated villages after the 7.5-magnitude quake struck on February 26 in the Pacific nation's mountainous interior.

More than 100 people were killed, many more remain missing and thousands were injured, Prime Minister Peter O'Neill said, while survivors have had to endure strong aftershocks.

He added late Sunday that food and water were being airlifted to remote areas via Australian Defence Force C130 aircraft and Chinook helicopters.

"This is an unprecedented disaster affecting a vast area with many remote communities," the PNG leader said in a statement.

The influx of supplies came as the nation's emergency controller, Bill Hamblin, who is leading the government's relief effort, described emotional scenes as aid workers flew above destroyed communities in the Southern and Hela provinces.

"You can see mile after mile of ridges that have collapsed," Hamblin told PNG's Post-Courier newspaper.

"Anybody or anything that was down the valley was taken away and in fact one valley we saw a village that was left with one tin shed and the rest were buried."

Hamblin said 31 people were reportedly buried in the area, with only a few survivors left in that village.

He spoke of the fear that would have gripped villagers living on top of ridges as mountains slid away, and of others at the bottom of slopes with "nowhere to run" as avalanches came down.

"These things make you cry when you look at it but look we can't keep crying ... we have to get in and help the people survive as much as we can," he said.

Hamblin said the relief team were being helped by logistics experts from the United Nations who had coordinated similar efforts in Africa and the Middle East.

The region is a hub for oil and gas production, and the impoverished country's biggest-ever development -- the US$19 billion PNG LNG project operated by US energy giant ExxonMobil -- has been shut down for several weeks of repairs.Three's a crowd? China has long considered itself central to any negotiations on North Korea's nuclear weapons, but the sudden decision by Donald Trump to meet Kim Jong Un leaves Xi Jinping on the sidelines

When China called on the United States to engage in direct talks with North Korea, it probably never imagined it would be absent from the table.

Beijing, which chaired failed international talks on North Korea that collapsed a decade ago, has long seen itself as central to the negotiations to end Pyongyang's nuclear programme.

But when US President Donald Trump agreed last week to hold a historic meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un at a yet-to-be-decided day and place, China was nowhere to be seen.

Chinese President Xi Jinping has not even met Kim since the young North Korean autocrat took power following his father's death in 2011.

While China remains North Korea's only ally and main economic lifeline, relations between the two neighbours have soured as Xi, under pressure from Trump, has backed a slew of UN sanctions to punish Pyongyang for its nuclear and missile tests.

In a Friday phone call with Trump, Xi praised the US leader's "positive" move, saying he hoped the US and North Korea would start talking as soon as possible and that China was devoted to solving the nuclear issue through dialogue.

But not everyone was so happy: China's top-selling nationalist tabloid the Global Times dashed out an editorial aimed at soothing the jangled nerves of Chinese patriots afraid that the country would be sidelined by a Trump-Kim love-in.

"Chinese people should stay calm and remain poised, and avoid the mentality that China is being marginalised," it said.

"China's prime interest on the Korean peninsula is its denuclearisation and peace, both of which are more important than China's relations with North and South Korea and power politics."

- Nuclear fears -

Seoul sent its national security adviser to brief Xi on the recent breakthrough and thank him for his help

Trump's surprise agreement to meet Kim appears to have shocked many in China, who wonder if the Asian giant -- which is increasingly trying to put itself at the centre of global diplomacy -- has been cut out of the loop by Pyongyang.

"Given that parts of Trump's own national security team were not informed of this major change in policy, I'm doubtful that President Trump informed the Chinese, and definitely not with any significant lead time," said Oriana Skylar Mastro, an expert on China, North Korea relations at Georgetown University and the American Enterprise Institute.

While Washington is happy to use China to squeeze North Korea economically, it is not as interested in involving Beijing in the more delicate work of negotiations.

"The Trump administration sees China as primarily an obstacle to the peaceful resolution of the DPRK nuclear issue and not so much as a critical diplomatic interlocutor," Skylar Mastro said.

But Seoul, which has sought to improve its strained ties with Beijing, sent its national security adviser Chung Eui-yong to brief Xi on the recent breakthrough on Monday and thank him for his help.

Xi's leadership has played "a big role" in these "positive changes", Chung told the Chinese president, adding that Seoul expects China to continue to play an "active and leading role".

It is natural that Beijing would have reservations about what a Kim-Trump meeting could mean for its own interests in the region, said Zhang Liangui, a professor of the International Strategic Academy of the Party School of the Central Committee of the Communist Party.

"As a neighbour, if North Korea continues to develop nuclear weapons, China could be the biggest casualty," he told AFP. "So you could say, China is the most important party involved."

Those concerns came sharply into focus when North Korea literally shook China with an underground nuclear test that produced an earthquake felt over the border.

Beijing also worries that Kim's weapons could trigger an arms race in the region, leading its historical rival Japan and perhaps even South Korea to seek nuclear weapons.

- Six parties -

China's President Xi Jinping has met Donald Trump and spoken to him several times in the last year, but is not known ever to have met Kim Jong Un

While China has long pushed for US-North Korean dialogue, it always saw it as a first step towards returning to the long-dormant Six-Party Talks, which grouped China, the US, Japan, Russia and the two Koreas.

North Korea abruptly quit the forum in 2009.

"Beijing would be most comfortable to play the mediating role," said Wenran Jiang, senior fellow at the Institute of Asian Research of the University of British Columbia.

China "still believes" that all six parties must be part of the denuclearisation process, he said.

Xi and his "very experienced foreign policy team seem to have displayed a high level of confidence that China is too big and too important to be left out of the negotiations."

"They are waiting patiently for the right opportunity and they are quite certain relevant parties will knock on China's door soon."

Bonnie Glaser, senior adviser for Asia at Washington's Center for Strategic and International Studies, said China may offer to host the Trump-Kim meeting, which would "at least increase the possibility that they will be heard."

"The Chinese traditionally have always worried about the US and North Korea cutting a deal at their expense," she said, adding that "people in the US have always laughed at those concerns."A 26-year-old Austrian was shot dead outside the Iranian ambassador's residence in Vienna after he attacked a guard with a knife

A 26-year-old Austrian was shot dead outside the Iranian ambassador's residence in Vienna on Sunday night after he attacked a guard with a knife, police said.

The assailant "died on the spot" after the soldier opened fire, police spokesman Harald Soeros told AFP, adding that the attack took place just before midnight local time.

The motive for the attack is not yet known, police said.

The soldier, who was standing guard outside the building, suffered a wound to his upper arm in the attack.

"He initially used pepper spray" against the assailant, Soeros said, before opening fire. He was believed to have fired his weapon at least four times.

According to early indications he "acted within the rules", said a spokesman from the ministry of defence quoted by the APA agency.

The official added that the soldier, who is from the Tyrol region of Austria, has been treated in hospital.

Police have ordered reinforcements around all diplomatic missions in the city.

The incident comes just days after two knife attacks in Vienna, including one that left a couple and their 17-year-old daughter with severe injuries.

A 23-year-old Afghan national confessed to those assaults but denied any political motive.Political novice Conor Lamb (C), the Democratic candidate in a special US congressional election in Pennsylvania's 18th District, seeks an upset that Democrats hope will translate into major gains in November's mid-term elections

In a Pennsylvania district Donald Trump swept in 2016, the unfathomable has become the possible: a Democrat could win Tuesday's special election, sparking fears among Republicans about their ability to keep control of Congress with hugely consequential races in November.

With anti-Trump fervor simmering, voters troop to the polls in the closely watched 18th congressional district, the working-class corner of southwestern Pennsylvania, to replace a Republican ousted by scandal.

It is coal country, and steel country too. Its recent reliably red status had diminished the drama about local elections.

Suddenly it's under a political microscope, with the battle between culturally conservative Trump-backed state representative Rick Saccone, 60, and Democratic newcomer Conor Lamb, a 33-year-old former prosecutor and US Marine lawyer, taking on national implications.

"If the Democrats are able to come close, or win this, it will send shock waves across the political world," Kevan Yenerall, a political science professor at Clarion University, said in an interview in the town of Mount Lebanon.

"It'll mean the Democrats will likely pick up in fundraising and recruitment, and give them momentum going into the mid-term elections."

Republicans control both the Senate and the House of Representatives. Analysts say that if White House chaos continues and Democratic field action surges, Democrats have a chance of flipping both chambers in November.

Such is the potential significance of the latest race that the president himself stumped on Saturday for Saccone in District 18, which Trump won by 22 percent in 2016.

- 'Vote like crazy' -

"He has a tough race," Trump acknowledged to thousands at a raucous rally in Moon Township.

"The whole world, remember that, they're all watching," he said.

"Go out on Tuesday and just vote like crazy."

A president's endorsement and powers of persuasion can be valuable assets for a congressional candidate.

But Lamb's surprisingly strong performance -- polls show him tied or within the margin of error against Saccone -- has boiled down to Trump's polarizing presidency, according to Democratic Congressman Michael Doyle.

"Lo and behold, they're fighting for their lives here," Doyle told AFP, referring to Republicans.

"I think what's happening is, there's some buyer's remorse going on."

Trump's fiery populism, which included pledges to curb immigration, re-open shuttered factories, and strengthen the military, helped win the White House.

But after a contentious -- even toxic -- first year, the Trump political brand is being tested.

"Make no mistake: This race is a referendum on Trump's presidency," the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, the national group that works to elect Democrats to the House, said Sunday.

US Republican congressional candidate Rick Saccone (L) is facing an uexpectedly tough battle for a House seat that is being seen as a referendum on Donald Trump's presidency

Republicans have pumped millions of outside dollars into the race, overwhelming the Democrats by seven to one, Yenerall said.

But Lamb's local campaign has pulled in more money than Saccone's, and is riding a tide of grassroots enthusiasm that has brought Lamb within striking distance of his more experienced opponent.

His army of volunteers has fanned out knocking on doors, pressing into areas once considered so conservative that a Democrat could have little hope of breaking through.

But Lamb has resonated with voters, including some centrist Republicans.

The new face of a blue-collar family with political roots, Lamb is socially conservative and economically moderate, and backs the tariffs that Trump announced he is slapping on steel and aluminum imports.

At a recent rally at the United Steelworkers union, which has endorsed Lamb, he was restrained and soft-spoken.

"In a time when they are trying to divide us, when our country is so divided already, we are united in this district for the first time in a long time," Lamb told the steelworkers.

Saccone sounded more fervent as he stood alongside Trump at their rally.

"This is the time to close the deal," Saccone implored to supporters. "We've got two days left."

- 'Snowball' effect? -

Colleen Wooten, a Steelworkers staff representative, said Lamb has connected with the region's working class.

"We're not out trying to get rich. We're just trying to have the American dream, and I think Mr. Lamb understands that and is going to bring our message forward," she said.

"And if we can win big in our state, we can start a snowball effect."

Democrats could be forgiven for fretting about Tuesday's outcome.

Their candidates made strong showings last year in special congressional elections in Georgia, Kansas and Montana, but ultimately fell short in those Republican strongholds.

Democrats nonetheless take heart that those candidates performed better in their districts than Hillary Clinton did against Trump in 2016.

And several successes in state legislature races across the country, notably Virginia, have hinted at the potential for a blue wave.

Some local Republicans suggested Democratic exuberance might be misplaced once again.

Armand Castelli, a 58-year-old insurance agent from Pittsburgh, gave Democrat Lamb credit for having "a fairly decent resume," but suggested it would not be enough to upset Saccone, or to trigger a national political shift.

"Let's see what happens on Tuesday," Castelli said.North Korea has maintained a deafening silence since President Trump agreed to meet its leader Kim Jong Un

Pyongyang has maintained a deafening silence as news that US President Donald Trump will meet its leader Kim Jong Un made global headlines -- and analysts say the nuclear-armed North is keeping its powder dry, retaining room to manoeuvre.

Trump last week agreed to meet with Kim by the end of May to discuss Pyongyang's denuclearisation -- which it put on the table in exchange for security guarantees -- and predicted the talks would be a "tremendous success".

But the unorthodox announcement was made on the White House lawn by a South Korean envoy, with no American officials in attendance, and only confirmed by Washington afterwards.

More than 72 hours later, there has been no comment by the North, and nothing on the subject in its official media.

"It was a unilateral statement by Trump," said Koh Yu-hwan, a professor at Dongguk University. "Kim Jong Un just sent him a verbal message" through Seoul's intermediaries.

"To North Korea, it's not an official agreement," he told AFP. "Nothing's for sure yet. For them, an official announcement has to be based on a government-level agreement that includes the agenda and location."

The same applied to the North's summit with the South that Seoul announced for April, he added.

In addition, Pyongyang would not want to give the South credit for brokering the talks with Washington, he said, and would hold off on any announcement until its own direct contacts with the US.

In stark contrast, the US president has been itching to share his prospective meeting.

Trump has given himself a pat on the back for bringing the isolated regime to the negotiating table, showing confidence that the North was "looking to de-nuke" and that its leaders were ready to "make peace".

But analysts warn that Pyongyang's silence gives it "maximum optionality" on its next move.

"It's not tying its own hands or making any commitments," said Van Jackson, a defence expert at the Victoria University of Wellington.

"We should be wary about believing anything we're told in private -- whether by North or South Korea."

- Options A, B, C and D -

The stunning turnaround has come after a year of high tensions over the North's nuclear and missile programmes

The stunning turnaround comes after a year of high tensions over the North's nuclear and missile programmes during which Trump and Kim traded personal insults and threats of war.

The summit -- if it materialises -- will be the first between a sitting US president and a North Korean leader and they will have to navigate through decades of mistrust.

Possible locations mooted in the media include the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) that divides the two Koreas, the South's Jeju Island, Switzerland -- where Kim studied as a teenager -- Sweden, and even Washington DC.

But critics warn that the talks, entered into by an impulsive, inexperienced US president, carry high risks and could create more rumbles in an already volatile region.

They are scheduled to take place without the months of groundwork that usually precedes such meetings, and reports say Trump accepted Kim's summit invitation without consulting his top national security advisers.

"Diplomacy without a plan, process, or supporting technical expertise isn't diplomacy -- it's egoism," Jackson told AFP.

"Believing in diplomacy under those conditions is believing in magic," he added.

Analysts say Trump is giving Kim what Pyongyang wants most -- joint billing with the US -- without extracting meaningful concessions in return, and should allow his diplomats to prepare the ground first.

"The administration needs to catch up fast," said Joel Wit and Susan DiMaggio, two US analysts who have been involved in informal talks with North Korea.

"Knowing how they operate, the North Koreans probably have planned their strategy meticulously and looked out over months with 'Options A, B, C and D'," they wrote in Politico magazine.

Meanwhile Trump should remain "disciplined" and "patient", they added, urging him to refrain from "hot rhetoric and taunting tweets".

Others say Pyongyang may have been caught off-guard by the speed of the US president's acceptance.

"I think North Korea did not expect an answer to come this fast," Cho Sung-ryul of the South's Institute for National Security Strategy told local radio station CBS.

The risk is that a hastily-put-together meeting could end in failure and have wider, more dangerous repercussions, experts warn.

"Diplomacy by the wrong people in the wrong way with the wrong preparation will be a poison pill," said Jackson.

And he pointed out that Trump met the hawkish former UN ambassador John Bolton for an hour the previous day.

"If high-wire diplomacy fails, then it strengthens the case for war."South Korea's national security advisor Chung Eui-yong (L) said President Xi Jinping played a 'big role' in the process that has set up a summit between Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un

South Korea's national security adviser on Monday thanked Chinese President Xi Jinping for his "big role" in the diplomatic process that has set up a historic summit between Donald Trump and Kim Jong Un.

Just days after he stood outside the White House and announced the planned meet between the US president and the North Korean leader, Chung Eui-yong was in Beijing to brief Xi and China's top diplomats on the fast-moving efforts to address the nuclear standoff.

Trump and Kim have agreed to meet by the end of May, although they have yet to confirm a date or time.

"The situation on the Korean peninsula has recently undergone very positive changes. President Moon Jae-in believes that the leadership of the Chinese government, especially the leadership ability of President Xi has played a big role in this," Chung told Xi at the Great Hall of the People.

Chung said Xi's "unwavering" commitment to the denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula and a peaceful settlement played a "significant" part in the recent developments.

"We are very grateful to China for its consistent position," he said.

"Once again, we expect that China will continue to play an active and leading role and the South Korean government will continue to coordinate closely with China."

Chung renewed Moon's invitation for Xi to visit Seoul. The South Korean leader visited Beijing in December on a trip aimed at thawing tense bilateral relations strained over Seoul's decision to host a US missile defence system that Beijing sees as a threat to its own security.

Xi said Chung had achieved "positive results" in his visits to North Korea and the United States last week, which led to the diplomatic breakthrough.

Xi did not say more about the North Korean nuclear crisis, but he said China's relations with South Korea have "maintained a good momentum of improvement".

Earlier, China's top diplomat Yang Jiechi told Chung that Beijing "will continue to realise the goal of denuclearisation, uphold the peaceful unification of the peninsula, and solve problems through dialogue and consultation".

China, which has repeatedly pressed the US and North Korea to hold talks, has urged Xi and Kim to hold their meeting as soon as possible.

Beijing has played a key role in implementing UN sanctions on the North, which are believed to have put immense pressure on the country's fragile economy.

China is North Korea's only diplomatic ally and its most important trade partner.

Still, some in China are afraid the country, which hosted failed six-nation talks on the nuclear issue a decade ago, could be cut out of negotiations on denuclearising the Korean peninsula.

South Korea also sent its spy chief Suh Hoon to Tokyo to brief the Japanese leadership on the North Korea situation.

Japan has welcomed the Trump-Kim meeting announcement, but stressed that Pyongyang must take "concrete actions" for talks to be meaningful.

"The recent change by North Korea is the result of the maximum pressure that Japan, the US and South Korea have imposed in cooperation," Japanese foreign minister Taro Kono said Monday after his meeting with Suh.

"(We) agreed that we will not repeat our past mistakes and continue putting maximum pressure to realise the abandonment (of Pyongyang's) nuclear and missile programme."A Syrian child lies in a clinic after having his hand amputated in the Syrian rebel enclave of Eastern Ghouta on March 1, 2018 following reported Syrian regime air strikes

Children are at more risk than ever in Syria's devastating conflict, the United Nations said Monday as the war approached its eighth year.

The UN children's agency UNICEF reported a 50 percent increase in the number of children killed in the conflict last year compared to the previous year.

"In 2017, extreme and indiscriminate violence killed the highest ever number of children -- 50 percent more than 2016," it said, adding that 2018 was off to an even worse start.

More than 200 children have been killed in bombardment of the rebel-held enclave of Eastern Ghouta by Syrian regime and allied forces since February, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

The monitoring group says children account for around a fifth of all civilian victims of the assault.

The UN agency quoted a child from southern Syria named Sami, who is now a refugee in Jordan.

"I went outside to play in the snow with my cousins. A bomb hit. I saw my cousin's hands flying in front of me. I lost both my legs," he said.

Disabled children "face a very real risk of being neglected and stigmatised as the unrelenting conflict continues," said UNICEF regional director Geert Cappelaere.

According to the UN agency, an estimated 3.3 million children are exposed to explosive hazards across the war-torn country. Dozens of schools were hit in 2017 alone.Israeli Defence Minister Avigdor Lieberman attends a weekly cabinet meeting in Jerusalem on February 4, 2018

Israel's defence minister said Monday he would remain in the government for now, leaving Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's coalition intact after intensifying speculation over whether the country is headed for early polls.

The crisis within Netanyahu's right-wing coalition follows speculation over whether the premier wants early polls to bolster his political standing ahead of his possible indictment for bribery in the coming months.

Defence Minister Avigdor Lieberman's announcement does not bring an end to the coalition crisis and came with a warning that he still could resign later.

But progress has been made on a compromise that could lessen the chances of elections for the time being.

"We shall not volunteer to leave the government," Lieberman told a meeting of lawmakers from his Yisrael Beitenu party.

"There is no more interesting post than the post of defence minister. I do not know of anyone who would volunteer to leave the job. We are all as one here."

Netanyahu separately called on Lieberman and all other coalition partners to remain in the government.

He has repeatedly said he wants the coalition to last its entire term, which ends in November 2019, but some members of his coalition suspect him of allowing the crisis to worsen to expedite elections.

Earlier Monday, Israeli ministers gave initial approval to a bill exempting young ultra-Orthodox men from military service, the first concrete step towards resolving the crisis.

Lieberman does not support the bill, but his comments on Monday left the government with some room for manoeuvre in the coming weeks.

The coalition has been at loggerheads since ultra-Orthodox parties said they would not support next year's budget unless a law is passed to exempt religious students from military service.

Finance Minister Moshe Kahlon said he would resign if the budget does not pass in the Knesset's winter session, which ends on March 18.

But in a late meeting Sunday, ultra-Orthodox factions told Netanyahu they would agree to support the budget if the military conscription bill passed the ministerial committee and an initial parliamentary reading, postponing a final vote until the summer session.

Netanyahu, 68, could soon face charges in at least two separate corruption affairs. He has been prime minister for a total of 12 years, from 1996-1999 and again since 2009.Police officers remove bodies from the scene of a helicopter crash in Manhattan's East River that left five people dead

Five people have died after a helicopter owned by a tour group plunged into Manhattan's East River, police said on Monday.

The red chopper, which is owned by tourism group Liberty, was carrying six people including the pilot when it crashed into the river near the upscale Upper East Side neighborhood shortly after 7:00 pm (2300 GMT) on Sunday.

"Five people are deceased," a New York Police Department spokesperson told AFP, saying the dead were all passengers on the helicopter.

Following the crash, "the pilot freed himself, the other five did not," Fire Commissioner Daniel Nigro told reporters during an earlier press conference.

Divers rushed to the scene and freed the passengers, two of whom were pronounced dead, while three others were taken to hospital in critical condition, Nigro said.

"We are told the five people were all tied tightly in harnesses that had to be cut and removed," he said.

Liberty organizes aerial tours of America's financial capital. Police chief James O'Neill said the aircraft had been leased by photographers.

The cause of the accident was not immediately clear, but local media indicated the pilot had sent a distress signal that mentioned an engine problem shortly before the crash.

The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating the incident.The two suspects Hood Abdullah (L) and Jimmy Bla (R) have denied involvement in terrorist activities

Philippine police have arrested a suspected Islamist militant who allegedly helped guard a group of tourists kidnapped in 2001 including an American missionary who was later killed, the justice department said Monday.

Hood Abdullah is accused of guarding hostages including US citizen Martin Burnham, who was killed and his wife wounded in the crossfire during a botched military rescue attempt in June 2002.

Abdullah was a member of Abu Sayyaf, an Al-Qaeda-linked group blamed for the archipelago's deadliest bombings, ransom kidnappings and beheadings in recent decades, Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre said.

"Burnham, an American hostage, was always handcuffed to Abdullah... especially on the move," Aguirre told reporters.

Burnham died 13 months after Abu Sayyaf gunmen kidnapped a group of 20 tourists at an upscale western Philippine resort, including the Burnhams and another American, who was later beheaded.

The gunmen took their victims to their southern island stronghold of Basilan, authorities said.

While Abdullah did not take part in the resort raid, he guarded the Burnhams when several groups of hostages including the missionary couple were put together in one detention area, Aguirre said.

The other hostages were plantation workers and members of the Jehovah's Witness religious sect -- two of whom were rescued and helped to identify Abdullah, the justice secretary added.

Abdullah was arrested on February 27 in the southern port city of Zamboanga, where Aguirre said he was believed to be scouting for fresh victims while working as a motel security guard.

On February 28, authorities arrested a second Abu Sayyaf suspect, Jimmy Bla, elsewhere in Zamboanga, Aguirre said.

Bla owns several powerful motorboats and is believed to have been providing "fast sea transport" to kidnappers, the justice department added.

The two suspects have denied involvement in terrorist activities.Members of Iran's Revolutionary Guard secure an area outside the Iranian parliament on June 7, 2017, after an attack on the complex in the capital Tehran

Four "terrorists" were killed after infiltrating Iran and attacking a military checkpoint in a southeastern border area, officials said on Monday.

The attack took place on Sunday near the city of Saravan, about 50 kilometres (30 miles) from the Pakistani border, in the province of Sistan-Baluchistan, the Islamic Republic's elite Revolutionary Guards said in a statement.

Revolutionary Guard troops fought off the attack, it said, saying one of the attackers was killed after detonating an explosive vest.

Two members of the Basiji paramilitary force affiliated with the Guards were wounded in the fight, during which one of the attackers was killed after detonating an explosive vest.

The Guards statement said three assailants had been killed but ground forces commander Brigadier General Mohammad Marani later updated the figure to four dead.

He said on state television that the assailants had mounted their attack from "the soil of a neighbouring country" but did not name the country.

In the past, Iran has accused Pakistan of supporting Jaish al-Adl, a jihadist group accused by Tehran of links to Al-Qaeda, which has carried out numerous attacks in Sistan-Baluchistan.

Iranian media regularly reports armed clashes between security forces and criminal groups or "terrorists" in the border province, whose residents are mostly Sunni members of the Baluchi ethnic minority.

Iran's population is 90 percent Shiite and predominantly Persian.

From 2005 to 2010, Sistan-Baluchistan was destabilised by a rebellion led by a Sunni Baloch group Jundallah, "Soldiers of Allah", whose activities virtually ceased after the execution of its leader in mid-2010.PSA also has investment projects in Algeria, Ethiopia and Iran

French car giant PSA announced Monday it would start assembling Peugeot and Opel brands in Namibia in the second half of 2018.

Under an investment agreement with the Namibian government, PSA -- whose brands also include Citroen, DS and Vauxhall -- will reach output capacity of 5,000 vehicles per year at the plant in the port town of Walvis Bay by 2020, it said in a statement.

The initial models will be two 4x4s, the Opel Grandland X and Peugeot 3008, but "other products will follow to meet customer demand," PSA said in a statement.

The deal, in which Peugeot will form a joint enterprise with the state-owned Namibia Development Corporation, aims at the expanding market in the Southern African Customs Union, which comprises Botswana, Lesotho, Namibia, South Africa and Swaziland.

The investment is part of the "long-term strategy of Groupe PSA to increase its sales in Africa and the Middle East, consistent with our target to sell one million vehicles in 2025," said the executive vice president for those regions, Jean-Christophe Quemard.

Other investments, existing or planned, are in Algeria, Ethiopia, Iran, Kenya, Morocco, Tunisia and Nigeria.

In 2017, the group sold 592,000 vehicles in Africa and the Middle East, a surge of 54.5 percent, as sales in Asia plummeted.

Global sales were 3.632 million, a figure that includes figures for the newly-acquired Opel and Vauxhaull brands, from August 1.Sunan Kalijaga State Islamic University said the now-cancelled rule was aimed at countering religious extremism

An Indonesian university whose ban on niqab face veils made global headlines has reversed the policy following criticism that it trampled on personal choice.

Sunan Kalijaga State Islamic University in Indonesia's cultural capital Yogyakarta issued the edict last week to more than three dozen niqab-wearing students -- and warned they could be expelled for non-compliance.

The school, which has about 10,000 students, had said the now-cancelled rule was aimed at countering religious extremism in the world's biggest Muslim majority country.

"The guidance concerning students using a face veil will be revoked in order to maintain an academic climate that is conducive to fairness," said a statement issued by the university at the weekend.

Backers of the new rules said wearing the full veil with a small slit for the eyes was not a religious obligation, but critics saw the anti-niqab appeal as impinging on individual rights.

Another school in Yogyakarta, Ahmad Dahlan University, has also urged students not to wear the niqab -- without penalty for non-compliance -- while several Indonesian universities have issued niqab bans in the past.

Although niqabs are common in ultra-conservative Saudi Arabia and some other Gulf states, they're rare in secular Indonesia, where around 90 percent of its 260 million people have traditionally followed a moderate form of Islam, and are often seen as an unwelcome Arab export.

Indonesia's reputation as a bastion of progressiveness and religious tolerance has recently been tested by a government push to outlaw gay and pre-marital sex.

The conservative lurch comes as once-fringe Islamic political parties move into the mainstream.

The niqab has been at the centre of a heated global debate over religious freedom and women's rights, with France the first European country to ban it in public spaces.Since coming to power in 2012, Xi has presided over sweeping reforms intended to modernise the Chinese military

A day after he won the mandate to rule for life, President Xi Jinping called on China's military to follow the country's newly-amended constitution in which his political thought is now enshrined.

"The whole army must strengthen its constitutional awareness, promote the constitutional spirit and be a loyal admirer, conscientious follower and staunch defender of the constitution," Xi told military officials on Monday.

China's rubber-stamp parliament on Sunday endorsed Xi's move to abolish rules limiting heads of state to 10 years in power.

The amendment also added the leader's eponymous political philosophy into the constitution: "Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era."

It was the first constitutional amendment in 14 years and reversed the era of "collective leadership" and orderly succession that was promoted by late paramount leader Deng Xiaoping.

Xi, who is also head of the military, was speaking during a meeting of the People's Liberation Army and armed police at the ongoing annual session of the National People's Congress.

He sat at the head of a table dressed in a traditional Mao suit as officials diligently took notes.

Unlike most countries, China's armed forces are permanently under the control of the ruling Communist Party, rather than the state.

Since coming to power in 2012, Xi has presided over sweeping reforms intended to transform the country's military from a rusty Soviet-era relic into a modern fighting force.

In his speech, he referred to the "revolutionary restructuring" of the military's organisational structure in recent years.

The changes have included the replacement of top military brass with Xi loyalists and the sacking of top generals for corruption.

Former chief of joint staff Fang Fenghui is facing prosecution for bribery, state media reports said in January. Former Central Military Commission vice-chairman Guo Boxiong was jailed for life in 2016.

Earlier this year, the party took control of China's paramilitary force, a move analysts said could have arisen from anxiety over the potential use of the police to stage a coup.The initial public offering of Saudi oil giant Aramco may be delay until 2019, according to the Financial Times

The initial public offering of oil giant Saudi Aramco may be delayed until 2019 at the earliest, the Financial Times reported, citing British officials briefed on the matter.

The IPO, potentially the largest stock sale ever, had been scheduled for the second half of 2018, amid efforts to select an international venue for its listing.

FT on Sunday cited several officials as saying they were "warned by their Saudi counterparts" of the delay.

The newspaper said the delay came as the company struggled to arrive at a $2 trillion valuation sought by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

The powerful crown prince, who has consolidated his grip on various sectors in Saudi Arabia since his appointment in June, is overseeing the kingdom's plan to sell under five percent of the state-owned oil giant.

Aramco neither confirmed nor denied the FT report.

"In addition to listing on Tadawul -- the home exchange -- a range of international options are being held under active review," an Aramco spokesman told AFP.

"Appropriate decisions will be made in due course."

Saudi Arabia had laid out plans for Aramco's dual listing on the Saudi stock market and an international exchange, with markets in New York, London and Hong Kong vying for the offering.

The FT report said London had a "good chance" of securing the listing, citing insiders briefed on the negotiations.

Saudi Energy Minister Khalid al-Falih told CNN last week that "litigation and liability are a big concern in the US".

"Saudi Aramco is too big and too important for the kingdom to be subjected to that kind of risk," the minister added.

Experts had predicted the IPO delay, given the complexity of the transaction. Research firm Capital Economics has said it was unlikely to significantly impact the kingdom's near-term economic outlook.

The IPO forms the cornerstone of the petro-state's reform programme to wean the economy off its reliance on oil revenues.

Until 2014, oil income made up more than 90 percent of public revenues in Saudi Arabia.

But following a protracted global oil slump, the kingdom is seeking to diversify its economy and privatise some state assets alongside new measures such as a value-added tax.Nearly 700,000 Rohingya Muslims have fled northern Rakhine state to Bangladesh since Myanmar launched a brutal crackdown on insurgents six months ago

A top UN rights expert warned Monday that the crackdown on Myanmar's Rohingya minority bears "the hallmarks of genocide" and insisted the government should be held accountable.

Nearly 700,000 Rohingya Muslims have fled northern Rakhine state to Bangladesh since Myanmar launched a brutal crackdown on insurgents six months ago amid accounts of arson, murder and rape at the hands of soldiers and vigilante mobs in the mainly Buddhist country.

Myanmar has vehemently denied US and UN allegations of ethnic cleansing, insisting it was responding to attacks by the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army in late August.

But on Monday, UN special rapporteur to Myanmar Yanghee Lee suggested that term was not strong enough.

"I am becoming more convinced that crimes committed... bear the hallmarks of genocide, and call in the strongest terms for accountability," she told the UN Human Rights Council.

The South Korean academic, who has been barred from visiting Myanmar, voiced alarm at "credible reports" of widespread indiscriminate killings, including by burning people alive.

She pointed to "conservative estimates" that at least 6,700 Rohingya, including at least 730 children under the age of five, were killed in the first month of violence alone.

Lee echoed a call from UN human rights chief Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein last week for the creation of a new international probe tasked with preparing criminal indictments over atrocities committed in Myanmar.

She said the UN-backed investigation should be based out of Bangladesh and should work for three years to "collect, consolidate, map, analyse and maintain evidence of human rights violations and abuses".

The quest for accountability, she said, "must be aimed at the individuals who gave the orders and carried out violations against individuals and entire ethnic and religious groups."

"The government leadership who did nothing to intervene, stop or condemn these acts must also be held accountable," she added.

Myanmar's civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi has been the target of global vitriol for a perceived failure to stand up for the stateless minority.

"Complicity is a very serious issue," Lee told reporters, adding though that she still had "a little element of hope that she will put her foot down and say once and for all let's stop this."

- 'Land grabbing' -

On Monday, Myanmar Ambassador Htin Lynn stressed to the rights council that Suu Kyi, a Nobel Peace Prize laureate, was committed to human rights.

"It is unreasonable to assert that our leadership, whose mission has human rights at its core, remains indifferent to the allegations of grave human rights violations," he said, insisting that the government was "ready to take action where there is clear evidence."

He meanwhile slammed Lee for presenting "sweeping allegations and unverified information," and insisted "there is a clear need to replace her".

Lee also called Monday for a "comprehensive review" of actions taken by the UN before, during and after the latest crackdowns on Rohingya in Myanmar.

"The violence and suffering calls not just for accountability but also for self-reflection by the UN, and the question: Could we have prevented this?" she said.

Her comments came after Amnesty International accused Myanmar of building security installations on top of razed Rohingya villages, casting doubt on plans to repatriate hundreds of thousands of refugees.

Lee also warned of "extensive bulldozing of former Rohingya villages with huge redevelopment projects already underway in some areas".

She pointed to a 2013 law that automatically gives the Myanmar government control over all burned or abandoned land.

The head of a UN-backed fact-finding mission into violations in Myanmar, Marzuki Darusman, meanwhile told reporters that "the incidents of land grabbing have been quite widespread."

And he told the council that at least 319 villages had been burned since August.

"We have seen unsettling photographs and satellite images of Rohingya villages flattened to the ground by bulldozers," he said.Black barbershops, like Mason's Hair Gallery in Washington DC, may be good places to encourage men to get their high blood pressure under control

Black barbershops are known as places to gather, socialize and get a haircut. But a study Monday said they can also help encourage men to get their high blood pressure under control.

When a trained pharmacist met men regularly at their local Los Angeles barbershop, clients were able to significantly lower their blood pressure, said the findings released at the American College of Cardiology conference in Orlando, Florida.

If employed on a broad scale, the approach could make major inroads in treating African-American men, a population that is more likely than other races to have high blood pressure --- a leading risk factor for heart disease and stroke -- and less likely to be in a doctor's care, researchers said.

"By bringing state-of-the-art medicine directly to the people who need it on their home turf, in this case in a barbershop, and making it both convenient and rigorous, blood pressure can be controlled just as well in African-American men as in other groups," said lead author Ronald Victor, associate director of the Smidt Heart Institute at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center.

"If this model was scaled up and sustained, millions of lives could be saved, and many heart attacks and strokes could be prevented."

For the study, 319 men were recruited at 52 Los Angeles County barbershops.

All the men had high blood pressure, defined as a systolic blood pressure over 140 mm Hg based on multiple measurements taken on two different days.

Their ages ranged from 35 to 71. They tended to be long-time regulars at their barbershops and went about twice a month for a haircut.

Some men were randomly assigned to meet with a trained pharmacist at each barbershop visit. The rest were given advice and encouragement on healthy lifestyle choices from their barber, who urged them to see a doctor for follow up.

Those who met with the pharmacist monthly in their barbershop lowered their systolic blood pressure by 21 mm Hg more, on average, compared with the other men, said the report published in the New England Journal of Medicine.

"On average, men who interacted only with their barber and were referred to their own doctor saw their systolic blood pressure drop from 155 mm Hg at the start of the study to 145 mm Hg after six months," said the report.

"By contrast, men who interacted with their barber and a pharmacist saw their systolic blood pressure drop from 153 mm Hg at the start of the study to 126 mm Hg after six months."

Previous studies have shown that barbers who give health advice could encourage better lifestyle choices.

"High blood pressure is a chronic illness that requires a lifetime commitment to medication and lifestyle modification," Victor said.

"It is often a challenge to get people who need blood pressure medication to take them, even as the costs and side effects have gone down over the years. With this program, we have been able to overcome that barrier."No caption

Exiled Congolese opposition leader Moise Katumbi launched a campaign Monday to be elected president in polls scheduled for December, unveiling his new "Together for Change" party in South Africa.

"We will fight the battle to take power -- and we will win," said Katumbi at a meeting of several hundred supporters at a hotel outside Johannesburg.

"This fight and the successful transfer of power are national issues... so we have decided to establish a political movement known as 'Together for Change'."

Democratic Republic of Congo's election was originally scheduled for late 2016, but has been twice delayed, leading to unrest in the vast mineral-rich country.

Western powers have accepted the delay with reluctance, hoping it will avoid bloodshed.

But Katumbi faces an outstanding sentence of three years imprisonment over a property deal and has spent three years in exile in Belgium as a result.

Congolese authorities have vowed to arrest him if he returns.

Katumbi did not discuss how he planned to return to his native country.

Katumbi's new grouping received the backing of more than a dozen small opposition parties, which had sent delegates to the gathering in South Africa.

The elections in the troubled central African country could theoretically pave the way to a historic transfer of power.

But President Joseph Kabila, who took over from his father Laurent after he was assassinated in 2001, has not yet clearly stated whether he will step aside.

Kabila was due to stand down from office in December 2016, ending his second elected term.

But he controversially stayed on under laws enabling him to retain power until his successor is elected.

Anti-government protests have turned deadly in recent months, raising international concern that the country could slide into all-out violence as it heads to the elections.

The violence has pitted Kinshasa authorities against the Catholic church, which has backed the demonstrations that have denounced Kabila's government as corrupt.Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu attends a session of the Knesset, the Israeli parliament in Jerusalem, on March 12, 2018

A compromise aimed at saving Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's coalition advanced Monday as speculation built over whether the premier wants early elections to bolster his standing ahead of a potential indictment for bribery.

Defence Minister Avigdor Lieberman also provided the government with some breathing space by announcing he did not intend to quit for now -- even though he opposes the legislation upon which the compromise deal is based.

While the coalition crisis building in recent days was still not definitively resolved, Monday's moves could lessen the chances for elections for the time being.

Netanyahu has repeatedly said he wants the coalition to last its entire term, which ends in November 2019, but some coalition members suspect him of allowing a "fake" crisis to worsen to give him the option of forcing elections.

Polls suggest Netanyahu could remain prime minister in fresh elections despite the corruption allegations.

Some Israeli political commentators accuse Lieberman and Netanyahu of working together to preserve the option of fresh polls for the prime minister. Both men deny it.

"If there are elections, we shall take part and we shall win," Netanyahu told parliament on Monday evening. "But we are not there."

Though Netanyahu's legal woes hang over the discussions, the dispute within the coalition centres on a separate issue entirely: legislation to exempt young ultra-Orthodox Jewish men from military conscription.

Lieberman opposes the legislation and wants to see the ultra-Orthodox serve in the military like their secular counterparts.

Ultra-Orthodox political parties have said they would not support a national budget for 2019 unless the bill is approved.

- Postponing crisis -

A compromise in the works would at least postpone the crisis, if not outright resolve it.

In a meeting late Sunday, ultra-Orthodox factions told Netanyahu they would agree to support the budget if the military conscription bill passed a ministerial committee and an initial parliamentary reading, postponing a final vote until the summer session.

On Monday, the ministerial committee gave approval to the bill.

Late in the evening the parliamentary finance committee approved the budget draft for the second and third readings needed to pass it into law, with committee chairman Moshe Gafni, of the ultra-Orthodox United Torah Judaism party voting in its favour, the parliamentary website said.

The budget was expected to put to its final vote on Tuesday or Wednesday, it added.

Israeli Defence Minister Avigdor Lieberman told lawmakers from his Yisrael Beitenu party on March 12, 2018: "We shall not volunteer to leave the government"

Lieberman later told lawmakers from his Yisrael Beitenu party that he would continue to oppose the legislation, but would remain in the government for now and could resign later.

"We shall not volunteer to leave the government," Lieberman said.

"For as long as it has not passed its third (and final) reading, we shall fight from inside."

He added that "there is no more interesting post than the post of defence minister. I do not know of anyone who would volunteer to leave the job."

Netanyahu separately called on all coalition partners -- "first and foremost Defence Minister Avigdor Lieberman" -- to remain in the government.

Should Lieberman and his party quit, Netanyahu's coalition could in theory continue with a one-seat majority in parliament.

Netanyahu however says that he does not want to do so, calling it unsustainable.

The 68-year-old premier could soon face charges in at least two separate corruption affairs, while investigations are continuing into two others.

Three of his former associates have signed state witness deals with police.

Police recommended his indictment for bribery in the first two cases in February and the attorney general is considering how to proceed, a process expected to take months.

In one case, Netanyahu and his family are accused of accepting expensive gifts from wealthy supporters in exchange for financial benefits or favours.

The other alleges he sought a secret deal with the publisher of a top-selling newspaper for favourable coverage.

Netanyahu has been prime minister for a total of 12 years, from 1996-1999 and again since 2009.

He is not required to step down if indicted -- only after he is convicted with all appeals exhausted -- though political pressure would surely mount.A protest last week in Mayotte's biggest town, Mamoudzou

The French government attempted Monday to end weeks of unrest on the French Indian Ocean island of Mayotte, with a visiting minister promising action against insecurity and an influx of migrants from neighbouring African islands that has severely strained public services.

Mayotte, an island of 250,000 people that is geographically part of the Comoros archipelago off southeast Africa, has been in turmoil since mid-February.

Violent clashes between rival gangs at a school acted as a touchstone for anger over spiralling crime which many residents blame on migrants from non-French Comoran islands.

Over the past three weeks the island, which voted to become an integral part of France in 2009, has been plagued by strikes, demonstrations and road blocks aimed at drawing the attention of the government in Paris to the situation.

Minister for overseas territories Annick Girardin was loudly booed by protesters on her arrival on the main island of Grande-Terre, where she announced police reinforcements and more migration patrols.

Ahead of her visit the government promised to tackle the phenomenon of pregnant women arriving by boat from nearby islands to give birth on French soil, as a way of obtaining French and EU citizenship for their child.

The Comoros, one of the world's poorest countries, was a French colony until 1975 when it declared independence.

Mayotte however opted to remain part of France, first as an "overseas collectivity", then later as a full "department".

Around 70 percent of the 10,000 babies born in the maternity hospital of Mayotte's biggest town Mamoudzou are born to illegal migrants, mainly from the nearby Comoran islands of Anjouan, Moheli and Grande Comore, according to official statistics.

Mayotte is not the only overseas French territory that has become a magnet for migrants while itself trying to play catch-up with mainland France on health, housing and education.

French Guiana, situated between Brazil and Surinam in South America, has experienced a surge of arrivals from Haiti and neighbouring countries in recent years that has also put pressure on under-resourced hospitals and schools.

The government has said it is considering giving Mayotte's maternity hospital special "extra-territorial" status so that children born there do not automatically qualify for citizenship by birth.Porn star Stormy Daniels is offering to return the $130,000 she received in exchange for not speaking about her alleged 2006-7 affair with Donald Trump

Porn star Stormy Daniels, who claims to have had a sexual relationship with Donald Trump over a decade ago, offered on Monday to return the $130,000 she received in exchange for agreeing not to discuss the affair, The New York Times reported.

The newspaper said the offer to return the money was made in a letter from Daniels' lawyer, Michael Avenatti, to Trump's personal lawyer, Michael Cohen.

Avenatti filed a lawsuit on behalf of Daniels last week seeking to toss out the confidential settlement she signed just days before the November 2016 election.

The lawsuit alleges that Daniels, whose real name is Stephanie Clifford, began an "intimate relationship" with Trump in the summer of 2006 and that it continued well into 2007.

In Monday's letter, Avenatti said that once Daniels returned the money the "hush agreement" would be deemed "null and void" and she could "speak openly and freely about her prior relationship with the President and the attempts to silence her."

Daniels would also be allowed to "publish any text messages, photos and/or videos relating to the President that she may have in her possession, all without fear of retribution and legal liability for damages," it said.

Avenatti said Daniels would wire the money into an account of Trump's choosing by Friday, the Times said.

Cohen, Trump's lawyer, was given until noon (1600 GMT) Tuesday to respond.

Avenatti said last week that Daniels "believes it's important that the public learn the truth about what happened.

"I think it's time for her to tell her story and for the public to decide who's telling the truth," he said.

Asked about the allegations last week, White House spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders noted that Trump has denied them. "The president has denied the allegations against him," Sanders said.

As part of the lawsuit filed with a California court seeking to declare the non-disclosure agreement null and void, Avenatti released a copy of the settlement.

It shows that Daniels received a $130,000 payment from a company known as Essential Consultants LLC in return for her silence.

Using the pseudonyms Peggy Peterson and David Dennison, Daniels and Trump were to sign the agreement, along with Essential Consultants.

But Trump never signed it, providing the basis for Avenatti's attempt to have it thrown out and release Daniels from her obligations.

The watchdog group Common Cause filed a federal complaint in January arguing that the payout to Daniels may have violated campaign finance rules.Nigeria's Olukunle Bamgbose (C) welcomes US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson as he arrives in Abuja, Nigeria

Secretary of State Rex Tillerson brought his truncated maiden Africa trip to a close on Monday, promising the full backing of the United States to two countries on the frontline of the war on terror.

Washington's top diplomat has been on a five-country tour of east and west Africa but was forced to cut short his visit "due to demands in (his) schedule", the State Department said.

After stops in Ethiopia, Djibouti and Kenya, which were overshadowed by US President Donald Trump's surprise announcement on talks with North Korea, he squeezed visits to Chad and Nigeria into just one day.

Before returning to Washington, Tillerson notably promised Nigeria support ranging from equipment to intelligence to help secure the swift release of 110 schoolgirls kidnapped last month by Boko Haram jihadists.

The students were taken from their state-run school in Dapchi, in the northeastern state of Yobe, on February 19. Nothing has been heard from them since.

The abduction brought back painful memories of the kidnapping of 276 girls from Chibok in April 2014 that sparked global outrage and calls for their release, led by then-first lady Michelle Obama.

The Dapchi abduction has yet to garner such support.

Tillerson called it "heartbreaking" and added: "Nigeria has the United States' full support and we are actively working with our partners in what we can to assist you in this fight."

Washington was already "very engaged" with Nigeria and its neighbours "in supporting, equipping and training" as well as advising and providing information.

"I think that's the best way we can help the government of Nigeria secure the release these girls, which we hope will be done in a peaceful manner," he added.

"We hope something can be worked out and they (Boko Haram) can be persuaded to release these girls quickly. That's what we pray."

- Talks not force -

Nigeria's President Muhammadu Buhari benefitted at the polls in 2015 from his predecessor's handling of the aftermath of Chibok.

But Dapchi and persistent suicide bombings and raids in the northeast have raised questions about the extent of his repeated claim the jihadists are on the verge of defeat.

The United States has agreed to sell Nigeria 12 Super Tucano A-29 ground attack aircraft in a $593 million deal, which the country's foreign minister Geoffrey Onyeama said on Monday would be a "game-changer".

The Obama administration blocked the sale on human rights grounds.

Buhari's office said the president asked Tillerson for further support in terms of training and equipment, without elaborating.

It also said in a statement that Buhari had "chosen negotiation" to secure the return of the Dapchi schoolgirls rather than the use of military force.

"We are trying to be careful. It is better to get our daughters back alive," he was quoted as saying.

Buhari is expected to visit Yobe state this week.

- Travel ban -

Tillerson arrived in Abuja from N'Djamena, where he said Washington supported the fight by the so-called G5 Sahel countries against jihadists in the volatile Saharan region.

Chad was an "important partner" in fighting terrorism, Tillerson told a news conference.

Chad last year was stunned to find itself on one of six Muslim-majority countries whose countries are affected by President Donald Trump's travel ban.

The US military has a drone unit at the N'Djamena airport, Washington backs a multinational force fighting Boko Haram jihadists, helps train Chadian troops and provides military equipment to its armed forces, according to a Chadian military official.

Tillerson said he wanted "to ensure that the people of Chad understand they are welcome in the United States" and argued the country's inclusion on the list "has never harmed in any way whatsoever the cooperation between our two countries."

Progress had been made with dealing with what has been cited as the reason for including Chad on the list -- problems with its passports, which are not biometric.

He said steps were being taken "to allow us to begin to normalise the travel relationship with Chad".Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Canada already has "significant barriers" to prevent low-cost steel and aluminum from being dumped in this country, and is prepared to work with Washington

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau accused China of flooding global markets with cheap steel Monday, saying Canada has already taken steps to prevent "dumping."

"We are very concerned about the actions taken by China and the dumping of steel and aluminum on the global market," Trudeau said following a tour of an aluminum plant in Quebec.

His comments came amid rising global trade tensions in the wake of a US decision to impose steep tariffs on imported steel and aluminum.

Canada, the top supplier of steel and aluminum to the US market, and Mexico have been temporarily exempted from the tariffs until trilateral continental trade talks conclude.

Trudeau, who is expected to travel to three other Canadian steel cities to reassure workers in the coming days, said Canada already has "significant barriers" in place to prevent low-cost steel and aluminum from being dumped there, and is prepared to work with Washington to "do even more."

"There is a global overcapacity issue and we are very pleased to work with our allies and friends to continue to counter that problem," he said.

When Trump announced last week 10 percent tariffs on aluminum and 25 percent on steel, he said Canada and Mexico could be exempted permanently if the ongoing renegotiation of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) is successful.

But both Mexico and Canada rejected Trump's linkage of the levies to the ongoing NAFTA talks.

Canada's Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland termed the two things "separate issues," while Mexico's economy ministry said "the negotiation of the NAFTA should not be subject to conditions outside the process."

"We will continue working toward securing a definite and permanent exemption from those tariffs," Trudeau said.

China is Canada's second-largest trading partner after the United States.

Trudeau's dumping accusations against Beijing, which echoed Trump's own message, come after exploratory talks with China failed to advance to Canada-China free trade negotiations.

Instead, Ottawa signed onto the 11-nation Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP), which excludes both China and the United States, and entered into talks last week to join a South American trading bloc as part of a concerted push to diversify its trading relationships.

A Canada-EU free trade accord, meanwhile, entered into force last September.British military personnel use a fork-lift to lift a car onto a low-loader military vehicle as investigations into the nerve agent attack in Salisbury continue

The White House on Monday condemned the chemical attack on a former Russian spy in Britain as "an outrage," breaking a week-long silence.

"The use of a highly lethal nerve agent against UK citizens on UK soil is an outrage," said press secretary Sarah Sanders. "The attack was reckless, indiscriminate and irresponsible."

Sanders stopped short of pointing the finger of blame at Moscow, as British Prime Minister Theresa May did earlier in parliament.

When asked whether Russia was to blame, Sanders demurred: "We stand by our ally and fully support them."

The United States and Britain have a long-standing intelligence-sharing agreement.

A British government spokesperson told AFP: "There have been conversations between senior US and UK officials. There will be more contact over the coming days."

For a week, the White House had refused to comment on the attempt to kill Sergei Skripal, who sold secrets to Britain and later moved there in a 2010 spy swap with Russia.

May said Monday that the nerve agent was military-grade and developed by Russia.

Moscow has repeatedly denied any involvement, and earlier warned London that in attributing blame, it was playing a "dangerous game" that risked harming bilateral ties.A court had ordered the closure of AAA, an agribusiness owned by Marc Ravalomanana, over violation of certain standards

The Madagascar government on Monday summoned the US ambassador after the embassy commented on a court decision that left dairy cows belonging to ex-president Marc Ravalomanana unattended and without food.

A court had ordered the closure of AAA, an agribusiness owned by Ravalomanana, over violation of certain standards.

Last week the company's gates were sealed, preventing workers from entering the farm to feed the cattle.

Two cows reportedly died, triggering the US embassy's fury.

On Friday the US embassy posted on its Facebook page that it was following "closely" the situation at the farm and appealed for an "immediate solution" to end the "misery and unjustified harm" to the livestock.

Foreign Affairs Minister Henry Rabary-Njaka told reporters that the US envoy Robert Yamate had been summoned to explain himself.

"We are a sovereign country, it is inadmissible for a representative of a large country to challenge a Madagascar court".

"After an explanation, he (the envoy) apologised," said the minister.

Following the meeting, the US embassy said in a fresh Facebook post that it welcomed "the decision taken on Friday to authorise the feeding and care of AAA Companys cattle."

"We are highly appreciative to the responsible authorities for resolving this specific issue. This situation demonstrates how positive results can come when all parties take into consideration the health and well-being of defenceless animals," it said.

Ravalomanana was ousted in the 2009 coup, which ushered in years of turmoil in the Indian Ocean archipelago.

He is one of the possible contenders to challenge President Hery Rajaonarimampianina in elections due at the end of this year.Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has wooed the West by promising a more open society, one which allows women to drive and relaxes rules on music

US President Donald Trump will host Saudi Arabia's powerful Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on March 20, the White House said Monday.

"The president looks forward to discussing ways to strengthen ties between the United States and Saudi Arabia," spokeswoman Sarah Sanders said in announcing the meeting.

The hugely influential Saudi prince is visiting Egypt, Britain and the United States as part of a long foreign trip, his first as crown prince.

He has a close relationship with Trump and his son-in-law aide Jared Kushner, who is seen as having given the green light for Prince Mohammed's rush to consolidate power in recent months.

Critics have labelled the crown prince's campaign a shakedown and power grab, although authorities insist the purge targeted endemic corruption as the country prepares for a post-oil era.

According to a New York Times investigation published Monday, prominent Saudis held as part of the crackdown were subjected to coercion and physical abuse -- allegations rejected by the Saudi government as "completely untrue."

The crown prince has wooed the West by promising a more open society, one which allows women to drive and relaxes rules on music.The White House will hold a conference on the humanitarian situation in Gaza on Tuesday, but it is unclear whether any Palestinian officials will attend

The White House will hold a conference on the humanitarian situation in Gaza on Tuesday, but it is unclear whether any Palestinian officials will attend.

President Donald Trump's "administration believes that deteriorating humanitarian conditions in Gaza require immediate attention," US special envoy Jason Greenblatt said in a statement announcing the conference.

The meeting is expected to include top White House aide Jared Kushner, National Security Council staff and "many of the relevant parties," according to Greenblatt.

It is unclear whether Palestinians officials will break their de facto boycott of US officials to attend.

The Palestinians were enraged by President Donald Trump's decision to break with long-standing US policy by recognizing Jerusalem as Israel's capital.

"We are pleased with the committed list of attendees, which includes many of the relevant parties and anticipate a robust dialogue," said Greenblatt.

"The challenge will be determining which ideas can be realistically implemented in light of the fact that the Palestinians of Gaza continue to suffer under the authoritarian rule of Hamas."

A decade-long Israeli blockade and a dispute between Gaza's Islamist rulers and the West Bank-based Palestinian Authorities have brought the coastal territory's economy to its knees.

Israel has maintained a blockade of Gaza since 2007, which it says is necessary to isolate Hamas. The two sides have fought three wars since 2008.

Rights groups and UN officials say the blockade amounts to collective punishment and strangles the economy in the enclave, where unemployment is around 40 percent.TORONTO (AP) - The new leader of Ontario's conservative party is the brother of late Toronto Mayor Rob Ford, who became famous for smoking crack cocaine.

The Progressive Conservatives elected Doug Ford as its new leader Saturday ahead of the June election in Canada's most populous province.

Doug Ford is a former city councilor and was his brother's most aggressive defender. Rob's Ford's tenure as mayor of the country's largest city was marred by revelations about his illegal drug use. He was repeatedly videotaped while intoxicated in public. Rob Ford died of cancer in 2016.

Doug Ford has himself been the subject of drug allegations. The Globe and Mail newspaper reported in 2013 that he sold hashish for several years in the 1980s. He denied the allegations.An Idaho state lawmaker urges her constituents to submit entries for her "fake news awards." The Kentucky governor tweets #FAKENEWS to dismiss questions about his purchase of a home from a supporter. An aide to the Texas land commissioner uses the phrase to downplay the significance of his boss receiving donations from employees of a company that landed a multimillion-dollar contract.

President Donald Trump's campaign to discredit the news media has spread to officials at all levels of government, who are echoing his use of the term "fake news" as a weapon against unflattering stories.

It's become ubiquitous as a signal to a politician's supporters to ignore legitimate reporting and hard questions, as a smear of the beleaguered and dwindling local press corps, and as a way for conservatives to push back against what they call biased stories.

FILE - In this Feb. 13, 2018, file photo, Gov. Paul LePage delivers the State of the State address to the Legislature at the State House in Augusta, Maine. President Trump's campaign to discredit the news media has spread to state and local officials, who are echoing his use of the term "fake news" as a weapon against unflattering stories and information that can tarnish their images. LePage, the vice chairman of Trump's now-disbanded voter fraud commission, a New Mexico congressional candidate and the Georgia secretary of state are among the many politicians who have used the term in recent months in response to news reporting. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty, File)

"When Trump announced he was going to do his fake news awards, a group of us conservative legislators said, 'We need to do that, too,'" said Idaho state Rep. Priscilla Giddings, who has urged supporters to send examples of "biased, misleading and fake news" and plans to announce her awards March 18. "We need people to wake up to the fact that just because it's on the front page of the Boise newspaper doesn't mean it's 100 percent true."

The winners of the contest, it turns out, will be announced at the end of Sunshine Week, an annual focus by the nation's news media on government transparency and the importance of a free press.

Rhonda Prast, editor of the Idaho Statesman in Boise, said it was ridiculous for anyone to assert that it would publish a story it knew contained falsehoods.

"The Statesman has a longstanding reputation as a reliable paper of record - going back 154 years - and our standards for accuracy and fairness have never changed," she said in a statement. "The allegations of 'fake news' are unjust attacks on a free press."

Giddings used the term herself last year to dismiss a report from another newspaper suggesting she may have been unqualified to run for office because she was claiming a homeowner's exemption outside of her district. She said she is submitting paperwork to prove the break was legitimate.

Experts on the press and democracy say the cries of "fake news" could do long-term damage by sowing confusion and contempt for journalists and by undermining the media's role as a watchdog on government and politicians. They say it's already exacerbated the lack of trust in media by conservatives and contributed to hostility that sometimes turns violent.

In the last year, at least three political figures have been implicated in physical assaults on reporters asking questions, while journalists have been attacked in dozens of other incidents by protesters, according to the U.S. Press Freedom Tracker.

"I worry about the ongoing attack on the legitimacy of the media by President Trump and some of his supporters. The press is hardly perfect, of course, but it is also an important mechanism of accountability for people in power," said Brendan Nyhan, a professor of government at Dartmouth College. "This kind of rhetoric is potentially corrosive to trust in the media and to people's willingness to accept information that is critical of politicians they support."

Nyhan was among the authors of a recent study for the Poynter Institute that found partisan divisions in the public's attitudes toward the press. More Democrats now have more faith in the press, while Republicans have far more negative views and are "more likely to endorse extreme claims about media fabrication, to describe journalists as an enemy of the people, and to support restrictions on press freedom," the study found.

The routine labeling of factual reporting as "fake news" comes as actual fake news proliferates on the internet.

Media researcher Craig Silverman helped popularize the term in 2014 as a label for completely fabricated stories written and spread by individuals seeking profit. Now the news media editor at BuzzFeed, he wrote recently that he cringes when he hears anyone use the term, which he said became a partisan weapon after Trump's election in 2016.

Silverman wrote that political figures are manipulating social media to "literally brand real things as fake" and manufacture reality for their followers.

The governor of Maine, the vice chairman of Trump's now-disbanded voter fraud commission, a New Mexico congressional candidate and the Georgia secretary of state are among the many politicians who have used the term in recent months in response to news reporting. A California school board president repeatedly used the term to attack a journalist investigating the area's high rate of teenage pregnancy and its sex education policies.

The cries of "fake news" create a quandary for reporters, who want to defend their stories while also not giving credence to the charge.

"Our members, many of whom work for small news outlets, are bearing the brunt of these unwarranted attacks, and it's completely unfair. These are people who are serving the community," said Rebecca Baker, president of the Society of Professional Journalists. "Some are just ignoring it, and some are fighting back."

Baker suggests that journalists respond to the attacks by showing their work as much as possible - by sharing the audio, video and documents that back up their stories. She wonders whether the term is starting to lose its clout from overuse, but also worries that whichever party controls the White House, Congress and state governments in the future will continue to use the tactic.

"This is part and parcel of the polarization of our politics right now," she said.

___

Follow Foley on Twitter at https://twitter.com/rjfoley

FILE - In this July 19, 2017, file photo, President Donald Trump, with Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach, left, and Vice President Mike Pence, right, speaks at a meeting of the Presidential Advisory Commission on Election Integrity in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building on the White House complex in Washington. Trump's campaign to discredit the news media has spread to state and local officials, who are echoing his use of the term "fake news" as a weapon against unflattering stories and information that can tarnish their images. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais, File)

In this Thursday, March 1, 2018 photo, Idaho Republican state Rep. Priscilla Giddings sits at the Capitol in Boise. The Idaho lawmaker urges her constituents to send in submissions for her "fake news awards" during the legislative session. Officials at all levels of government are now using the term "fake news" as a weapon against unflattering stories and information that can tarnish their images. Experts on the press and democracy say the cries of "fake news" could do long-term damage by sowing confusion and contempt for journalists, and by undermining the media's role as a watchdog on government and politicians. (AP Photo/Kimberlee Kruesi)BEIJING (AP) - When American scholar Orville Schell first visited China in 1975, Mao Zedong was leading the country through the tumultuous Cultural Revolution, when Chinese were being shamed, beaten and even killed for perceived political mistakes.

Four years later, Schell returned to a nation transformed. Mao was dead, and the country was pulling itself together under reformist Deng Xiaoping. Some Chinese people even plastered posters on a wall in central Beijing, criticizing past excesses and advocating democracy.

"China had suddenly gone from being this implacable enemy that was closed to any contact to being quite open and receptive to interacting," recalled Schell, now the director of the Center on U.S.-China Relations at the New York-based Asia Society.

In this March 1, 2018, photo, a women takes a picture as a couple looks at posters featuring drawings of Chinese President Xi Jinping and late communist leader Mao Zedong with their quotes, on display for sale at a market in Beijing. Many Western scholars who studied China believed that the opening to the outside world engineered by reformer Deng Xiaoping in the early 1980s would pave the way for corresponding political freedoms. That vision has been categorically shattered under President Xi Jinping, who many once thought would be the next great reformer. In just five years, Xi has consolidated more power than any Chinese leader since Mao Zedong and is now primed to rule as president-for-life. (AP Photo/Andy Wong)

That opening, followed by Deng's market-style economic reforms in 1979, ignited Western hopes that - despite the ruling Communist Party's insistence that it would never share power - China was destined to become a democracy.

Those hopes are quickly dissipating with the rise of party leader Xi Jinping, who many once thought would be the next great reformer. Xi is now poised to rule indefinitely after China's rubber-stamp legislature voted Sunday to eliminate presidential term limits.

A small but growing number of Western academics and government analysts who spent decades looking for signs that China was becoming a democracy now say those perceived markers may have been no more than a mirage.

"In the past, both sides presumed China was trying to become more democratic," Schell said. "What Xi marks so clearly is that there is no longer the pretension. You cannot believe the pretension that China is becoming more democratic and open."

Kurt M. Campbell, a former U.S. assistant secretary of state for East Asia, and Ely Ratner, a former deputy national security adviser, wrote in the journal Foreign Affairs in February that events in the last decade have "dashed even modest hopes for political liberalization."

China is now Washington's most formidable competitor in modern history, they wrote: "Getting this challenge right will require doing away with the hopeful thinking that has long characterized the United States' approach to China."

Under Deng, the ruling party began to allow small-scale free enterprise and eased social controls. To ensure the party's survival, communist leaders embarked on a bold experiment in the 1990s to create the Marxist-Leninist world's first formal system of succession. The Chinese public still had no voice in picking their government, but leaders would share power and step down after fixed terms.

Even that has been swept aside by the rise of Xi, who is now poised to rule for as long as he wants as China's most powerful leader since Mao. The move to scrap presidential limits revives the specter of one-man rule that Deng tried to ward off when he abolished lifetime tenure in 1982 in favor of a more collegial system.

Critics accuse the Communist Party of "making a U-turn," returning China to the tumultuous Mao era and ignoring the lessons of history.

But Sidney Rittenberg, 96, one of the few Americans to have personally known Mao, says China will never return to that era of isolation and violent political struggle. He cited the economy's dependence on openness to the world, Beijing's rising global status and greater awareness among average Chinese citizens.

Today's Communist Party is different from the way it was during both the Mao and Deng eras, Rittenberg said.

"The control of public opinion in China right now is much looser than it was in Mao's day, but it's much tighter than it was under Deng Xiaoping," he said. "It's not so easy to turn the clock back just by changing the constitution."

Rittenberg, who joined the Chinese Communist Party, was at first impressed by Mao but later experienced firsthand the excesses of absolute power, which he said transformed Mao's personality.

While working as an English teacher and translator in China, Rittenberg first met Mao at a ball in the communist stronghold of Yan'an. At Mao's request, he spent a day with him just talking about life in America.

"He was very, very anxious to hear what you had to say," Rittenberg said. "That impressed me. It was one of the qualities he lost after coming to power."

According to Rittenberg, becoming China's ruler resulted in a "very clear" change in Mao's personality. Rittenberg endured the shift, painfully, when he was accused of being part of a foreign spy ring. He spent 16 years in prison, much of it in solitary confinement.

It is precisely a repetition of that history that some still fear.

"My generation has lived through Mao," said Li Datong, a former editor for the state-run China Youth Daily. "That era is over. How can we possibly go back to that?"

Even if today's China remains far removed from the chaos of Mao's time, it is likewise distant from the massive student-led protests of 1989, when the country had its closest brush with a shift to greater democracy. The demonstrations, centered on Beijing's Tiananmen Square, gave voice to pent-up frustrations about corruption and a stifling political system. Deng ordered a violent crackdown that killed hundreds, and possibly thousands, of people.

But even after the crackdown, the party eased controls on travel and the economy began to pick up speed. Reformists remained optimistic that political liberalization might follow.

Hopes rose ahead of Beijing's triumphant 2008 Summer Olympics, cast by the party as a coming-out for a confident, modern China.

"One of the things people hoped for in the run-up to the Olympics was that the exposure to the outside would help to convince more Chinese people and lawmakers that the way things are done outside China isn't necessarily scary or dangerous," said Jeremiah Jenne, a writer and Chinese history teacher in Beijing.

Instead, the global financial crisis that year prompted the leadership to "rethink the extent to which China should be open to the world," Jenne said.

Foreign advocates of democracy had hoped the internet, cellphones and other emerging technologies would erode party control. Instead, Chinese leaders invested heavily in developing web filters and using the internet and video surveillance networks to strengthen their ability to keep tabs on the public.

Since assuming the party leadership in 2012, Xi has overseen a further diminishment of civil society, jailing or otherwise silencing writers, activists and human rights lawyers. Online discussion of the elimination of term limits has been heavily censored.

Perry Link, a Chinese literature scholar who has long been banned from China for his research on the Tiananmen protests, sees Xi's campaign against critics as a sign of insecurity rather than strength.

"Mao was confident in himself. I think Xi on the inside feels not as confident, and that's why he has to push his change and knock down his rivals, shut up all the lawyers and the journalists," Link said.

Despite that, Link remains among the optimists.

"Even if it takes a hundred years and it is the last country in the world to do so, China will turn democratic," he said.

Beijing, however, has long argued that Western-style democracy is not appropriate for China. It cites political and bureaucratic logjams in Washington and elsewhere as evidence of the superiority of its Marxist-Leninist rule.

"Some key parts of the Western value system are collapsing," said an editorial in the Global Times, a Communist Party newspaper. "Democracy, which has been explored and practiced by Western societies for hundreds of years, is ulcerating."

Many Western analysts have likewise ceased envisioning a democratic China.

"We see now that history is not ineluctably moving toward democracy," said Schell, the American scholar. "History is just moving where it moves."

___

Follow Yanan Wang on Twitter at https://twitter.com/yananw

In this Nov. 16, 2017, photo, women walk by a TV screen showing a documentary footage of Chinese President Xi Jinping visiting a villager's house with a picture of late communist leader Mao Zedong, at the Beijing railway station in Beijing. Many Western scholars who studied China believed that the opening to the outside world engineered by reformer Deng Xiaoping in the early 1980s would pave the way for corresponding political freedoms. That vision has been categorically shattered under President Xi Jinping, who many once thought would be the next great reformer. In just five years, Xi has consolidated more power than any Chinese leader since Mao Zedong and is now primed to rule as president-for-life. (AP Photo/Andy Wong)SAO PAULO (AP) - Misinformation about Brazil's yellow fever vaccine is scaring people away from a campaign that is trying to vaccinate more than 20 million people in areas of Rio de Janeiro, Sao Paulo and Bahia states that were not considered at risk for the disease until recently.

Flagging faith in Brazil's institutions, a chaotic communications campaign and the country's decision to give partial doses to stretch supplies are contributing to rumors that the vaccine is a weak or dangerous.

Nearly six weeks into the campaign, Brazil's Health Ministry says 76 percent of the target population has been vaccinated - but that is far below its goal of 95 percent.

In this March 3, 2018 photo, residents stand in line to receive a free vaccine against yellow fever on the outskirts of Sao Paulo, Brazil. The Public Health Ministry and state health departments are using Twitter and Facebook to promote the vaccination campaign and to share links to information about the vaccine and the disease. (AP Photo/Andre Penner)

The last 20 percent will likely be very difficult to reach, hampering efforts to contain Brazil's biggest yellow fever outbreak in three decades.LOS ANGELES (AP) - President Donald Trump's first visit to California since taking office more than a year ago comes as relations between the president and the nation's most populous state remain fraught with tension.

Trump is scheduled to arrive Tuesday as part of a fundraising effort. Last week the Justice Department sued to block state laws designed to protect people living in the U.S. illegally.

The state has gone to court with others to try to stop Trump from building a border wall with Mexico. Trump's overnight visit will include a stop in San Diego to inspect eight sample designs for the wall.

FILE - This Oct. 26, 2017, file photo shows prototypes of border walls in San Diego. President Donal Trump is heading to California on March 13, 2018, in his first visit to the state he loves to hate, since becoming president. (AP Photo/Elliott Spagat, File)

White House officials say the trip has been in the works for months and the timing so close to recent flare-ups is coincidental.LOS ANGELES (AP) - Donald Trump is coming - at last - to the state he loves to hate, setting foot in California for his first time as president.

This is turf he lost to Democrat Hillary Clinton by more than 4 million votes in 2016. He has mocked its judges for blocking his agenda, sued over its lax enforcement of immigration laws and threatened to pull out federal agents.

But there's something he's dying to see here: the prototypes for his long-promised wall on the U.S.-Mexico border. And there's something he's eager to do here: raise cash from the Beverly Hills crowd.

FILE - This Oct. 26, 2017, file photo shows prototypes of border walls in San Diego. President Donal Trump is heading to California on March 13, 2018, in his first visit to the state he loves to hate, since becoming president. (AP Photo/Elliott Spagat, File)

Trump's arrival Tuesday will come just days after his Justice Department sued to block a trio of state laws designed to protect people living in the U.S. illegally. Democratic Gov. Jerry Brown likened it to "an act of war" with Trump's administration.

"The State of California is sheltering dangerous criminals in a brazen and lawless attack on our Constitutional system of government," Trump complained in his weekly address, accusing California's leaders of being "in open defiance of federal law."

"They don't care about crime. They don't care about death and killings. They don't care about robberies," he said, calling on Congress to block the state's federal funds.

Last week, Oakland's mayor warned residents of an impending immigration raid - a move that Trump called disgraceful and said put law enforcement officers at risk.

The state has also joined lawsuits aimed at stopping construction of Trump's stalled border wall. And its judges have repeatedly ruled against policies Trump has tried to enact.

In recent months, Trump and other administration officials have threatened both to flood the state with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents and to pull ICE out of the state completely.

"I mean, frankly, if I wanted to pull our people from California, you would have a crying mess like you've never seen in California," Trump said last month, predicting "crime like nobody has ever seen crime in this country."

Meanwhile, Trump's acting ICE director has repeatedly threatened to increase its enforcement footprint in the state in retaliation for its limited cooperation with federal immigration authorities - and he appears to be making good on his promise.

"California better hold on tight. They're about to see a lot more special agents, a lot more deportation officers," Thomas Homan said on Fox earlier this year before his agency conducted a series of raids.

White House officials said the trip has been in the works for months and the timing so close to recent flare-ups was coincidental.

When asked if Trump planned to play nice on the trip, White House spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders said, "Look, I think if anybody is stepping out of bounds here, it would be someone who is refusing to follow federal law, which is certainly not the president. And we're going for what we hope to be an incredibly positive trip."

Trump's overnight visit will include a stop in San Diego to inspect eight sample designs for the wall he's been raring to build. He will also be speaking with members of the military and traveling to Los Angeles for a splashy Beverly Hills fundraiser, where attendees will pay up to $250,000 per person.

Trump's appearances in the left-leaning state during the 2016 campaign were marked by sometimes-violent clashes between his supporters and opposition groups. In some cases, protesters blocked traffic and threw rocks and beer bottles. Protests are expected during this trip.

Trump's more than yearlong absence from the nation's most populous state - home to 1 in 8 Americans and, by itself, the world's sixth-largest economy - has been conspicuous but not surprising. Trump country, it's not.

As a candidate, Trump suggested he could win California, a state that hasn't supported a Republican for the White House in three decades.

Since his election, Sacramento has emerged as a vanguard in the so-called Trump resistance. Democratic state Attorney General Xavier Becerra has filed over a dozen lawsuits to block administration proposals.

California was the home of Richard Nixon and Ronald Reagan, but Republican influence here has been fading for years as a surge in immigrants transformed the state and its voting patterns. The number of Hispanics, blacks and Asians combined has outnumbered whites since 1998. Meanwhile, the state's new voters, largely Latinos and Asians, lean Democratic, and Democrats hold every statewide office and control both chambers of the Legislature by hefty margins.

Polls have found Trump deeply unpopular in the state, with most residents opposed to policies he's championed, such as expanding offshore drilling.

Jessica Hayes, chairwoman of the San Diego County Democratic Party, said Trump's anti-immigration rhetoric plays especially poorly in a state with close trade and tourism connections with Mexico.

"These are our neighbors. These are our friends," she said.

Trump has repeatedly floated the idea of flying in to pick the winning design for the border wall, telling rally-goers last year in Alabama: "I'm going to go out and look at them personally and pick the right one."

The Department of Homeland Security has said there's nothing to stop Trump from turning the wall design contest into a Miss Universe-style pageant.

But the department also says it doesn't anticipate that a single prototype will be selected. Instead, the samples are expected "to inform future border wall design standards," said spokesman Tyler Houlton.

___

Colvin reported from Washington.

___

Follow Blood and Colvin on Twitter at https://twitter.com/MichaelRBloodAP and https://twitter.com/colvinj.ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) - A Dallas-bound flight made an emergency landing at Albuquerque International Sunport, sending panicked passengers leaping from a wing onto the tarmac after crew members screamed at them to get away from the aircraft, passengers and officials said.

Southwest Flight 3562 took off from Phoenix on Sunday night and was headed for Dallas Love Field. About an hour later, the crew noticed an unusual smell in the cabin, the airline said in a statement.

Passengers said they could feel heat from the vents shortly before the crew said the plane was going to make an emergency landing. Passengers were told to brace as the plane landed.

In this Sunday, March 11, 2018 photo, Southwest aircraft flight 3562 sits on the tarmac after making an emergency landing at Albuquerque International Sunport in Albuquerque, Ariz. The Dallas-bound flight made an emergency landing at the Albuquerque airport, sending panicked passengers leaping from a wing onto the tarmac after crew members screamed at them to get away from the aircraft, passengers and officials said.(David Fleck via AP)

"I sent a couple texts out to loved ones that you just don't really want to have to send out," Brandon Cox said.

He said it was an 8-foot (2.44-meter) jump to the tarmac from the wing.

"I hit the ground really hard and was just shell-shocked that I just had to jump off the wing of an airplane," he said.

Video he posted on Twitter showed people using a slide connected to another emergency exit. A crewmember can be heard shouting, "Move away from the aircraft now!"

Passenger David Fleck said he was surprised to discover there were no emergency slides near the exit door over the wing.

"It felt wrong when you're up there. It was dark, cold and rainy," he said. "It was disorienting. (You think), 'Do I really just jump down?'"

The Albuquerque Fire Department tweeted that two people were taken to hospitals. The extent of their injuries was not immediately known.

A Dallas police officer aboard the flight tweeted that flight attendants "did a great job!"

Southwest said it worked to get passengers onboard another flight to Dallas, and aircraft will remain in Albuquerque where mechanics will inspect it.TEHRAN, Iran (AP) - An Iranian news website says Revolutionary Guard troops have thwarted a twin suicide attack near the Pakistan border, killing both would-be bombers.

Monday's report by Sepahnews.com says the assailants tried to attack a border outpost belonging to the Guard on Sunday night, one was using an explosive-laden truck and the other had a suicide belt.

It says both assailants were killed. The explosions also wounded two Iranian forces at the Saravan border crossing in the southeastern Sistan-Baluchistan province.

The report didn't say whether the assailants had crossed into Iran from Pakistan.

The area has been the scene of occasional clashes between Baluch militants and Iranian forces.

Security forces also frequently clash with drug traffickers in the province, which lies on a major smuggling route for Afghan opium and heroin.LEESBURG, Va. (AP) - A judge on Monday refused to dismiss a drug-possession charge against actress Rose McGowan after prosecutors said they have additional evidence to bring forward.

McGowan's lawyers have suggested the drugs may have been planted by agents hired by disgraced Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein to discredit her for making sex assault accusations against him. She was charged with felony drug possession after authorities said cocaine was found in a wallet she left behind on a flight to Dulles International Airport in January 2017.

McGowan's lawyer said in court papers that the drugs could have been planted before the wallet was found by a cleaning crew. More than five hours passed between the time McGowan left the plane and the time the wallet was found.

FILE- In this Oct. 27, 2017, file photo, actress Rose McGowan speaks at the inaugural Women's Convention in Detroit. A judge is scheduled to hear arguments Monday, March 12, 2018, on a request from McGowan to dismiss a charge of cocaine possession she faces in Virginia. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya, File)

At a hearing Monday in Loudoun County General District Court, McGowan's lawyers argued for dismissal of the charges, saying that even if what prosecutors have alleged thus far is true, it is insufficient to sustain a conviction. In addition to the question of whether the drugs could have been planted during the time the wallet was unaccounted for, they have also argued that jurisdiction for a crime occurring on an airplane is only appropriate in federal court.

Prosecutor Rebecca Thatcher, though, said prosecutors have evidence beyond what has been cited so far in the charging documents.

Judge Deborah Welsh denied the motion to dismiss as premature. She said the issues are better addressed at a preliminary hearing scheduled for March 21, at which live testimony can be presented.

After the hearing, Prince William Commonwealth's Attorney Paul Ebert, who has been appointed to the case as a special prosecutor, declined comment on what additional evidence exists.

Prosecutors are not the only ones seeking additional evidence. Defense attorneys are trying to subpoena information from Instagram about the owner of an account who sent a message to McGowan after her wallet went missing, and before any charges against her had been made public, saying "You left your wallet on your Saturday flight with your 2 bags of coke."

Defense attorneys have suggested the message may have been part of a harassment campaign by Weinstein. The attorneys declined comment after Monday's hearing on whether they have received any information yet about the Instagram account.

McGowan did not attend Monday's hearing.NEWARK, N.J. (AP) - Rapper Juelz Santana will remain jailed pending a hearing on weapons charges stemming from a gun found in a bag at New Jersey's Newark Liberty International Airport.

Santana made an initial court appearance Monday in federal court in Newark. He had turned himself in to authorities earlier Monday, three days after security personnel at the airport found a loaded .38-caliber handgun in a carry-on bag containing his identification.

Authorities say Santana had fled the area, leaving two bags behind.

FILE - In this Oct. 2, 2008 file photo, Juelz Santana arrives at the VH1 Hip Hop Honors in New York. Authorities say Juelz Santana turned himself into Port Authority Police early Monday after a gun was found in a carry-on bag containing his identification at a New York City area airport last week. He is due to appear in U.S. District Court in Newark later in the day. (AP Photo/Jason DeCrow, File)

A judge has ordered Santana to remain in custody until a preliminary hearing scheduled for March 26.

Santana is a 36-year-old New York City-born rapper who lives in Totowa, New Jersey. His real name is LaRon James.

An attorney representing Santana hasn't returned a message seeking comment.SKOPJE, Macedonia (AP) - Macedonia is holding a second day of commemorative events to mark the 75th anniversary of the deportation of almost all of the country's Jewish population to a Nazi death camp.

A total of 7,144 Jews from the capital, Skopje, and cities of Bitola and Stip were confined to ghettos in March 1943 before being deported to the Treblinka death camp in German-occupied Poland.

Ninety-eight percent of them died there.

A Jew puts his arms on a freight wagon, during a commemoration for the victims of the Holocaust at the railway station in Bitola, southern Macedonia, on Sunday, March 11, 2018. Thousands of people have joined a march in southern Macedonian town of Bitola, commemorating 75 years of deportation and destruction of almost entire country's Jewish community in the Nazi extermination camp Treblinka, during World War II. (AP Photo/Boris Grdanoski)

On Monday, Prime Ministers Boyko Borissov of Bulgaria and Deniz Zvizdic of Bosnia joined a "March of the Living" rally in Skopje. Relatives of Holocaust victims traveled to Macedonia from Israel, Latin America and the United States.

Macedonia's parliament also convened for a special session dedicated to the Holocaust victims.

People lay flowers on railway tracks, during a commemoration for the victims of the Holocaust, at the railway station in Bitola, southern Macedonia, on Sunday, March 11, 2018. Thousands of people have joined a march in southern Macedonian town of Bitola, commemorating 75 years of deportation and destruction of almost entire country's Jewish community in the Nazi extermination camp Treblinka, during World War II. (AP Photo/Boris Grdanoski)

People take part in the International March of the Living, through downtown Bitola, southern Macedonia, commemorating the victims of the Holocaust, on Sunday, March 11, 2018. Thousands of people have joined a march in southern Macedonian town of Bitola, commemorating 75 years of deportation and destruction of almost entire country's Jewish community in the Nazi extermination camp Treblinka, during World War II. The banner left reads in Macedonian "11 of March 1943 - Never Again". (AP Photo/Boris Grdanoski)

A carnation is left over stones with a names written in Hebrew during a memorial for the victims of the Holocaust at the Jewish cemetery in southern Macedonia's town of Bitola, Sunday, March 11, 2018. Thousands of people have joined a march in southern Macedonian town of Bitola, commemorating 75 years of deportation and destruction of almost entire country's Jewish community in the Nazi extermination camp Treblinka, during World War II. (AP Photo/Boris Grdanoski)WASHINGTON (AP) - Education Secretary Betsy DeVos says she probably would have used language different than the vulgar phrase President Donald Trump deployed to describe an NBC News journalist.

Trump described "Meet the Press" moderator Chuck Todd as a "sleeping son of a bitch" during a free-wheeling campaign rally he held in Pennsylvania over the weekend.

Asked about Trump's comment during a "Today" show interview on Monday, DeVos said: "I would probably use different language myself, and I think we all have an opportunity and a responsibility to be examples to our kids." DeVos said that "would include the president."

DeVos was asked about the president's comment during an interview about proposals the White House announced Sunday to combat gun violence in schools.McALESTER, Okla. (AP) - A second wrongful death lawsuit has been filed over a natural gas rig explosion in Oklahoma that killed five workers.

Betty Jo Cunningham of Seminole, Oklahoma, filed the lawsuit Friday. Cunningham is the widow of Roger Cunningham, one of three Oklahoma men killed in the Jan. 22 explosion. The lawsuit names Red Mountain Energy, Red Mountain Operating, Patterson-UTI Drilling and Patterson-UTI Energy.

The widow of Parker Waldridge, also of Oklahoma, filed a similar lawsuit a week earlier.

Patterson-UTI hasn't responded to a request for comment, but previously said it's committed to preventing future accidents. An attorney for Red Mountain hasn't returned a phone request for comment.

The explosion near Quinton, about 100 miles (160 kilometers) southeast of Tulsa, also killed Matt Smith of Oklahoma, Josh Ray of Texas, and Cody Risk of Colorado.

___

This story has been corrected to show the explosion happened Jan. 22, not Jan. 23, and that the mine operator was Red Mountain Operating, not Red Mountain Operation.TALLINN, Estonia (AP) - Estonia says a Russian military cargo plane has violated its airspace near the island of Vaindloo in the Gulf of Finland.

Estonia's military said the Il-76 plane spent less than a minute in the Baltic country's airspace Monday.

It said the aircraft's transponder was switched on and a flight plan had been presented to Estonian authorities, but the plane maintained no radio contact with Estonia's air navigation service.

Estonia's foreign ministry handed Russia's ambassador a note over the incident.

It's the first air intrusion into Estonia this year by a Russian plane, in comparison to two violations in 2017 and seven in 2016.

Vaindloo is near a corridor where Russian military and cargo planes fly to get from the St. Petersburg area to the Russian Baltic Sea exclave of Kaliningrad.ATHENS, Greece (AP) - Greek police say they have arrested two Pakistani teenagers on suspicion of robbing tourists and passers-by at knifepoint near Greece's top tourist attraction, the ancient Acropolis Hill in Athens.

The arrests announced Monday come days after six men, also of Pakistani origin, were arrested on suspicion of similar robberies in the area.

Police said the teenagers, aged 16 and 19, were arrested Wednesday evening, adding they were suspected of being part of a gang and that other members were being sought.

The two were charged with participating in a criminal organization, robbery and violating weapons laws. They had allegedly been robbing people in the area of mobile phones, jewelry and cash over the past three months. Police said the investigation into the two had resulted in two robberies being solved.The Latest on proposed talks between the United States and North Korea (all times EDT):

7:10 p.m.

Secretary of State Rex Tillerson says the first meeting between President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un should take place at a "nice, neutral site."

FILE - This Aug. 29, 2017, file photo distributed on Aug. 30, 2017, by the North Korean government shows what was said to be the test launch of a Hwasong-12 intermediate range missile in Pyongyang, North Korea. U.S. President Donald Trump accepting a reported offer to meet with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is a stunning turn of events after a year that saw them engage in a heated verbal warfare that included crude insults and mutual threats of nuclear attacks. It remains to be seen whether a summit will take place or lead to a meaningful breakthrough in the nations' relationship.(Korean Central News Agency/Korea News Service via AP, File)

He's suggesting China would not be an ideal place.

Tillerson says it should be held somewhere that "both parties will feel confident." But he says that doesn't mean China won't have a role in the broader process. Tillerson says China "is going to have a stake in how this all this all turns out." He says Russia, South Korea and Japan will as well.

Tillerson says the first meeting will be about Trump and Kim "getting a sense of one another" and determining whether there is the space and will to accomplish something together on the North's nuclear weapons program.

__

12:50 p.m.

Secretary of State Rex Tillerson says the United States has "not heard anything directly back from North Korea" since President Donald Trump accepted leader Kim Jong Un's invitation for a meeting. But he says the U.S. does expect to hear directly from Pyongyang.

Tillerson says many steps must occur before the meeting between Trump and Kim. He says that it's in the "very early stages."

Tillerson says nothing has been agreed about the location for the meeting. He says it's "very important that those conservations are held quietly" between North Korea and the U.S.

He says it's time now to "remain patient and see what happens."

Tillerson spoke Monday at a news conference in Nigeria.

___

12:30 a.m.

Trump administration officials say there will be no additional conditions imposed on North Korea before a first-ever meeting of the two nation's leaders. That's beyond the North's promise not to resume nuclear testing and missile flights or publicly criticize U.S.-South Korean military exercises during that time.

The officials' comments followed the surprise announcement last week that President Donald Trump has agreed to meet the North's Kim Jong Un by May.

Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin (mih-NOO'-shin) said the summit would give Trump a chance "to sit down and see if he can cut a deal" with Kim over the North's nuclear program

People watch a TV screen showing North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and U.S. President Donald Trump, left, at the Seoul Railway Station in Seoul, South Korea, Friday, March 9, 2018. After months of trading insults and threats of nuclear annihilation, Trump agreed to meet with North Korean leader Kim Jung Un by the end of May to negotiate an end to Pyongyang's nuclear weapons program, South Korean and U.S. officials said Thursday. No sitting American president has ever met with a North Korea leader. The signs read: " Kim Jong Un understands that the routine joint military exercises between the South Korean and the United States must continue." (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)VATICAN CITY (AP) - When he appeared five years ago on the central balcony of St. Peter's Basilica in a white cassock and greeted the crowd with a casual "buonasera" - good evening in Italian - it was apparent that Pope Francis' style would be different than that of his predecessors.

The Argentine Jesuit has made humility a hallmark of his pontificate.

He adopted his name after St. Francis of Assisi, Italy's patron saint, who chose to live in poverty. Breaking with tradition, he decided to live in a two-room apartment inside the Vatican Hotel, where he often microwaves his meals, rather than the luxurious papal apartments in the Apostolic Palace.

FILE - In this Nov. 19, 2017 file photo, Pope Francis is served gnocchetti during a lunch with several hundred poor people, at the Vatican on World Day of the Poor. When Cardinal Mario Jorge Bergoglio appeared five years ago, on March 13, 2013, at the main window of St. Peter's Loggia in a white cassock and without solemnity greeted the chanting crowd in the square with a casual 'buonasera' (good evening) it was immediately apparent that Pope Francis's style would be different, folksier than that of other popes. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini, files)

Francis' down-to-earth style resonates with many Catholics, though his desire to be close to the people sometimes makes his bodyguards nervous.

FILE - In this Sept. 25, 2015 file photo, Pope Francis arrives in his car for a visit to Our Lady Queen of Angels School in the Harlem neighborhood of New York. When Cardinal Mario Jorge Bergoglio appeared five years ago, on March 13, 2013, at the main window of St. Peter's Loggia in a white cassock and without solemnity greeted the chanting crowd in the square with a casual 'buonasera' (good evening) it was immediately apparent that Pope Francis's style would be different, folksier than that of other popes. (Eric Thayer/Pool Photo via AP, files)

FILE - In this Oct. 16, 2015 file photo, Pope Francis shakes hands with a Vatican Swiss guard as he leaves after a morning session of the Synod of bishops, at the Vatican. When Cardinal Mario Jorge Bergoglio appeared five years ago, on March 13, 2013, at the main window of St. Peter's Loggia in a white cassock and without solemnity greeted the chanting crowd in the square with a casual 'buonasera' (good evening) it was immediately apparent that Pope Francis's style would be different, folksier than that of other popes. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino, file)

FILE - In this Feb. 27, 2015 file photo, Pope Francis, left, talks to Cardinal Tarciso Bertone as they sit on a bus at the end of a week of Lenten spiritual retreat in Ariccia, in the hills overlooking Rome. When Cardinal Mario Jorge Bergoglio appeared five years ago, on March 13, 2013, at the main window of St. Peter's Loggia in a white cassock and without solemnity greeted the chanting crowd in the square with a casual 'buonasera' (good evening) it was immediately apparent that Pope Francis's style would be different, folksier than that of other popes. (AP Photo/L'Osservatore Romano, Pool)

FILE - In this Oct. 24, 2015 file photo, Pope Francis carries his coat and documents as he leaves after a morning session of the last day of the Synod of bishops, at the Vatican. When Cardinal Mario Jorge Bergoglio appeared five years ago, on March 13, 2013, at the main window of St. Peter's Loggia in a white cassock and without solemnity greeted the chanting crowd in the square with a casual 'buonasera' (good evening) it was immediately apparent that Pope Francis's style would be different, folksier than that of other popes. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino, file)

FILE - In this March 17, 2013 file photo, Pope Francis, center left, waves to faithful by making an impromptu appearance to the public from a side gate of the Vatican, startling passersby and prompting cheers, at the Vatican. Pope Francis began his first Sunday as pontiff by then kept up his simple, spontaneous style by delivering a brief, off-the-cuff homily at the Vatican's tiny parish church. Dressed only in white cassock, Francis waved to the crowd in the street outside St. Anna's Gate and before entering the church, which serves Vatican City State's hundreds of residents, he shook hands of the parishioners and kissed babies. (AP Photo/Antonello Nusca, file)

FILE - In this Sept. 22, 2015, file photo, Pope Francis waves from inside a Fiat 500 as he departs Andrews Air Force Base in Md. One of the two Fiats used by Pope Francis during this visit to Philadelphia last year is going up for auction. When Cardinal Mario Jorge Bergoglio appeared five years ago, on March 13, 2013, at the main window of St. Peter's Loggia in a white cassock and without solemnity greeted the chanting crowd in the square with a casual 'buonasera' (good evening) it was immediately apparent that Pope Francis's style would be different, folksier than that of other popes (AP Photo/Susan Walsh, File)

FILE - In this Sept. 3, 2015 file photo, Pope Francis tries on a pair of spectacles in an eyeglass store in via del Babuino, in central Rome. When Cardinal Mario Jorge Bergoglio appeared five years ago, on March 13, 2013, at the main window of St. Peter's Loggia in a white cassock and without solemnity greeted the chanting crowd in the square with a casual 'buonasera' (good evening) it was immediately apparent that Pope Francis's style would be different, folksier than that of other popes. (Daniel Soehne via AP, file)WASHINGTON (AP) - A senior House Democrat asked the Trump Organization and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin on Monday to provide more information on a $151,470 donation the Trump family firm turned over in February to the government. President Donald Trump pledged last year to donate profits from foreign government patronage at his company's properties.

Rep. Elijah Cummings of Maryland, ranking member of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, asked a Trump Organization lawyer Monday to provide documents showing the company's foreign government payments and how it calculated its donation.

In the letter to George A. Sorial, the organization's executive vice president, Cummings noted that the firm has not disclosed any details behind the donation. Cummings said the firm "refused to comply" to a bipartisan request from lawmakers last April to provide documents on Trump's plan to donate his firm's foreign profits to the U.S. Treasury.

FILE - The Trump International Hotel at 1100 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, is seen Wednesday, Dec. 21, 2016 in Washington. A Trump Organization executive says the company has donated $151,470 in foreign government profits at its hotels and similar businesses in 2017 to the U.S. Treasury. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, File)

Cummings said that in a "woefully incomplete response" last May, the company provided a pamphlet explaining that it could not identify its patrons because it "would impede upon personal privacy and diminish the guest experience of the brand."

In Monday's letter, Cummings pressed for any documents identifying foreign government-sourced payments to the Trump Organization, as well as how the firm calculated its foreign payments and whether the company planned to claim its Treasury donation as "a gift for tax deduction purposes."

In a separate letter, Cummings also asked Mnuchin to turn over any documents the company provided to Treasury about the donation and a copy of the check.

Both Trump Organization and Treasury officials were not immediately available to comment on Cummings' letters.BOSTON (AP) - Winter-weary New Englanders are preparing for blizzard conditions, more than a foot of snow and high winds as the third major nor'easter in two weeks bears down on the Northeast.

The National Weather Service on Monday issued a blizzard warning for much of the Massachusetts coast, a winter storm warning for most of New England and a winter weather advisory for portions of New York, Pennsylvania and New Jersey.

The storm is expected to hit late Monday and last through most of the day Tuesday, with snow accumulating at a rate of 2 inches per hour during the Tuesday morning commute, disrupting road and air travel. American Airlines announced that it had suspended all flight operations from Boston Logan International Airport on Tuesday because of the storm, and warned of scattered cancellations and delays possible at other Northeast airports.

A resident of Duxbury, Mass., views flooding near her home, Sunday, March 11, 2018, in Duxbury. The Northeast is bracing for its third nor'easter in fewer than two weeks. The National Weather Service reports Sunday that a southern storm is expected to make its way up the coast causing more snowfall. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)

While the first two storms of the month brought coastal flooding and hundreds of thousands of power outages, this winter monster is a little bit different.

"This one's main impact is going to be snow," said Kim Buttrick, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service office in Taunton, Massachusetts.

More power outages are possible, but they are not expected to be as widespread as last week. Only minor coastal flooding is possible.

The blizzard warning means sustained winds of greater than 35 mph (56 kph), along with visibility of less than a quarter mile for prolonged periods, according to the weather service. Wind gusts as high as 65 mph (104 kph) are forecast in coastal areas.

Boston and eastern Massachusetts, as well as Rhode Island, could get a foot and a half of snow, with less to the west of the city.

Maine is also bracing for a hard hit. The Portland International Jetport has had 75.5 inches (1.9 meters) of snow, far above the normal for the date of 51.8 inches (1.3 meters) with another 12 to 18 inches is on the way, said James Brown, of the National Weather Service.

In New Hampshire, where as much as 14 inches of snow is forecast, the storm is wreaking havoc with the age-old town meeting tradition. But Secretary of State William Gardner and Attorney General Gordon MacDonald said under state law, town meeting elections must go on.

In New York, heavy, wet snow is forecast for Long Island, which could get 5 to 10 inches of accumulation, while 2 to 4 inches are possible in New York City.

In New Jersey, the storm is expected to start out as light rain before changing over to all snow by early Tuesday, leaving behind up to 4 inches.

The Northeast isn't the only area of the country dealing with winter weather. As much as 15 inches of snow has fallen in a narrow band stretching from central Kentucky through southern West Virginia.

Most of North Carolina is also gearing up for snow, with spring a little more than a week away. Forecasters say up to 6 inches of snow is possible around Boone in the northern mountains, while other areas of the state should get only about 2 inches.

"Hopefully this will be the final punch of the winter," Buttrick said.

Maureen Niland, of Marshfield, Mass., left, and Kim Varghese, of Plymouth, Mass., right, walk along a seawall near damaged beachfront homes, Sunday, March 11, 2018, in Marshfield. The Northeast is bracing for its third nor'easter in fewer than two weeks. The National Weather Service reports Sunday that a southern storm is expected to make its way up the coast causing more snowfall. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)

A passerby pauses near a pile of rocks, sand and debris near beachfront homes, Sunday, March 11, 2018, in Marshfield, Mass. The Northeast is bracing for its third nor'easter in fewer than two weeks. The National Weather Service reports Sunday that a southern storm is expected to make its way up the coast causing more snowfall. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)

Skylar, a German Shepherd Chow mix, walks in the snow at Fishburn Park in Roanoke, Va., with her owner Mark Jones of Roanoke, on Monday, March 12, 2018. (Erica Yoon/The Roanoke Times via AP)

The American Flag stands out against the fall snow in Roanoke's Fishburn Park on Monday, March 12, 2018, in Roanoke, Va. (Heather Rousseau /The Roanoke Times via AP)

Snow accumulates on trees at Fishburn Park in Roanoke, Va., on Monday, March 12, 2018. (Erica Yoon /The Roanoke Times via AP)

Road salt is mixed by a front-end loader prior to be loaded onto public works trucks, Monday, March 12, 2018, in Freeport, Maine. Much of the Northeast is bracing for blizzard conditions, a foot or more of snow and high winds as another major nor'easter bears down on the region. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)

David Osgood, crew leader of the public works dept., mixes road salt, Monday, March 12, 2018, in Freeport, Maine. Much of the Northeast is bracing for blizzard conditions, a foot or more of snow and high winds as the third major nor'easter in 10 days bears down on the region. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)

David Osgood, crew leader of the public works deptartment, mixes "Ice-B-Gone," into a pile of road salt, Monday, March 12, 2018, in Freeport, Maine. The liquid, a by-product of vodka, helps the salt stick to road. Much of the Northeast is bracing for blizzard conditions, a foot or more of snow and high winds as the third major nor'easter in 10 days bears down on the region. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)

David Osgood, crew leader of the public works dept., fills the bucket of a front-end loader with "Ice-B-Gone," Monday, March 12, 2018, in Freeport, Maine. The liquid, a by-product of vodka, is mixed with road salt stick for better adhesion to the road. Much of the Northeast is bracing for blizzard conditions, a foot or more of snow and high winds as the third major nor'easter in 10 days bears down on the region. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)SAN DIEGO (AP) - The Latest on California's reaction to President Donald Trump's visit to San Diego to see border wall prototypes and plans to protest his visit. (all times local):

5:30 p.m.

A Trump administration official is stepping up criticism of some of California's top elected officials a day before the president visits the state's border with Mexico.

FILE - In this Dec. 6, 2017 file photo, is one of the elevated sections of the high-speed rail under construction in Fresno, Calif. California Gov. Jerry Brown on Monday, March 12, 2018, invited President Donald Trump to visit the state's high-speed rail construction projects while he is in the state this week to examine prototypes of the wall he wants to build along the U.S.-Mexico border. (AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli, File)

Thomas Homan, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's acting director, said Monday that House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi's comments on a recent spate of immigration arrests in Northern California were "beyond the pale." He was responding to Pelosi's statement that the arrests were an abuse of power intended to terrorize innocent immigrant families.

Homan also took aim and U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein's comment that a federal lawsuit against the state is an attempt to score points with Trump's base. He lambasted Gov. Jerry Brown's statements defending the state's level of cooperation with federal immigration authorities.

___

12:30 p.m.

Immigrant activists, church leaders and local elected officials are calling for demonstrations to show President Donald Trump that border communities oppose his plans to build a towering wall on the California-Mexico line.

Several dozen activists held a press conference Monday at San Diego's Chicano Park to call on people to come out and peacefully protest the project.

Trump is expected to arrive Tuesday for his first visit to California as president to see the wall's prototypes.

Joining the activists at the park were San Diego city councilwoman Georgette Gomez and Democrat U.S. Rep. Juan Vargas, whose district covers the entire California-Mexico border.

Vargas told reporters "Trump is not welcome here!"

___

9 a.m.

Gov. Jerry Brown is inviting President Donald Trump to come to California's Central Valley agricultural heartland while he is in the state to view border wall prototypes this week.

Brown extended the invitation Monday in a letter saying the president should see the state's high-speed rail construction project.

The governor says California is focusing on bridges, not walls, and adds that the project has put 1,700 people to work.

Brown's letter also cites the importance of California's economy and visits by previous presidents.

Trump is expected to arrive Tuesday for his first visit to the state as president.

Trump's arrival will come just days after his Justice Department sued to block state laws designed to protect people living in the U.S. illegally.

Brown likened that as "an act of war."

A woman holds a sign during a rally against a scheduled upcoming visit to the area by President Donald Trump Monday, March 12, 2018, in San Diego. Trump is scheduled to visit San Diego Tuesday, setting foot in California for his first time as president. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)WASHINGTON (AP) - The White House says President Donald Trump will hold talks next week with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

Spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders says 32-year-old bin Salman - the heir apparent to King Salman - will visit the White House on March 20.

Sanders says Trump looks forward to discussing how to strengthen ties between the United States and Saudi Arabia, as well as how to advance common security and economic priorities.

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman conducts a meeting with Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May with other members of their delegations, inside 10 Downing Street, London, on Wednesday March 7, 2018. Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman received a royal welcome with high level political talks to begin his three day visit to Britain, although protesters criticised the visit. (Dan Kitwood/Pool via AP)

Trump visited Saudi Arabia last year on his first foreign trip as president.ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) - The Latest on the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race (all times local):

5:35 p.m.

Nic Petit had a healthy lead in the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race until he lost the trail in a coastal storm Monday.

While Petit was trying to find trail markers in a blizzard on the Bering Sea ice, he was passed by Norwegian musher Joar Ulsom who beat Petit to the checkpoint in Koyuk by over an hour.

Now Petit, Ulsom and defending champion Mitch Seavey are essentially dead even with 170 miles to go before the finish line in Nome.

Petit, a native of France now living in Alaska, battled nearly whiteout conditions when trying to find the trail again. He described it to the Iditarod website as "lots and lots of snow," before adding: "Be careful what you wish for, huh?"

All three mushers were resting their dogs in Koyuk, before taking off for the 50-mile jaunt to the next checkpoint in Elim. The winner should arrive in Nome by mid-week

___

4:20 p.m.

The Iditarod reprimanded but did not fire the head of its drug testing program Monday after a musher said Dr. Morrie Craig threatened him.

The race's board of directors said in a statement that Craig has been punished for his conversation with musher Wade Marrs shortly before the race started March 4.

Details of the reprimand weren't disclosed because they characterize it as a personnel matter.

However, Craig is a contractor for the race and not an employee. Race spokesman Chas St. George didn't immediately respond to a request seeking clarification and more information.

Marrs has said he believes he was bullied by Craig after the musher was outspoken over how officials handled the race's first-ever dog doping incident in last year's race.

Craig is also challenging his termination from Oregon State University over allegations of bullying and sexual harassment.

___

1:25 p.m.

Norwegian Joar Ulsom is the new leader of the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog race.

He was the first musher Monday afternoon to arrive at the checkpoint in Koyuk.

Nic Petit had been the race leader, but Ulsom overtook him when crossing the Bering Sea ice between the Shaktoolik and Koyuk checkpoints.

Petit is now chasing Ulsom, as is the third place musher, defending champion Mitch Seavey.

Koyuk is about 170 miles (273 kilometers) from the finish line in Nome.

___

7:03 a.m.

The Iditarod is shaping up to be a three-man race as mushers hug the frozen Bering Sea coast as they head for Nome.

Three mushers have left the checkpoint of Shaktoolik and are heading up the western coast to Koyuk, which is about 170 miles (274 kilometers) from the finish line.

In the lead is France native Nic Petit, who left Shaktoolik early Monday morning about 2  hours ahead of defending champion Mitch Seavey.

Norwegian musher Joar Ulsom left Shaktoolik about an hour after Seavey.

The winner of the nearly thousand-mile (1,610-kilometer) race across Alaska is expected in Nome in the next few days.

Sixty-seven mushers started the race March 4 in Willow.

Since then, five have quit the race including Ryan Redington, who scratched Sunday night in Kaltag.LOS ANGELES (AP) - The Latest on a lawsuit brought by a porn actress who claims she had sex with Donald Trump (all times local):

2:15 p.m.

Texas officials are investigating whether a notary properly witnessed a non-disclosure agreement signed by adult film actress Stormy Daniels related to allegations that she had sex with President Donald Trump.

The Dallas Morning News reports that the Texas Secretary of State's office has sent a letter to Dallas-area notary Erica Jackson notifying her that there was "good cause" to take action against her notary commission.

Officials say Jackson's stamp appeared on the document but she did not sign or date it, and she did not provide a certificate of whose signature she was witnessing.

Jackson told The News in a brief conversation Friday that she could not recall the document and declined to be interviewed. A complaint was lodged with the Texas department after copies of the agreement were posted online.

___

12:30 p.m.

An adult film actress who said she had sex with President Donald Trump has offered to return the $130,000 she was paid for agreeing not to discuss their alleged relationship.

An attorney for Stormy Daniels - whose real name is Stephanie Clifford - sent a letter to Trump's lawyer Monday saying she would wire the money to Trump if she could speak openly about their relationship.

The letter was sent by Clifford's lawyer to Trump's attorney, Michael Cohen and his attorney, Lawrence Rosen. Neither immediately responded to comment requests.

The letter says if the offer is accepted, the nondisclosure agreement would be "deemed null and void."

Clifford's lawyer, Michael Avenatti, said Trump and Cohen should accept the proposal and allow Clifford to tell her side of the story.OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) - Gay-rights advocates in Oklahoma launched a campaign Monday to stop a bill they say will codify the ability of religious-based adoption agencies to discriminate against same-sex couples seeking to adopt.

Faith-based groups including the Catholic Conference of Oklahoma and the Baptist General Convention of Oklahoma are among those pushing Senate Bill 1140 , which would protect child-placing agencies that block adoptive parents who do not meet the agency's religious or moral standards.

Similar laws have been passed in at least seven other states, including Alabama, South Dakota and Texas last year, and other measures are pending this year in Georgia and Kansas. A bill with similar language also has been introduced in U.S. Congress.

The religious groups say such a law is necessary to protect the religious liberty of faith-based adoption providers who may have policies to assist only heterosexual, married, Christian couples to adopt.

But Freedom Oklahoma Executive Director Troy Stevenson said the bill would deny children the right to a loving family.

"We've got 9,000 young people in the system who are looking for loving homes," Stevenson said. "We're going to keep more kids in the system and less families from adopting."

Stevenson said it would also allow agencies to discriminate against single parents, divorced people or interfaith couples. He said Freedom Oklahoma is planning to launch an "unprecedented outreach program" to fight the bill now pending in the state Senate, including phone calls, television advertising and a lobby day at the state Capitol.

Oklahoma law currently is silent on whether private adoption agencies can discriminate against potential adoptive parents, and some faith-based agencies already do not allow gay couples or single people to adopt. The bill would protect that practice from a potential lawsuit, said Sen. Greg Treat, an Oklahoma City Republican, the bill's sponsor.

"We want to build the levee before the flood," Treat said. "Right now there are no pending lawsuits, but we know they are popping up everywhere all around the country."

Last month, a same-sex couple in Texas sued the federal government and a Catholic group claiming they were disqualified from becoming foster parents because they didn't "mirror the holy family."

The state of Oklahoma and many private adoption agencies welcome same-sex couples as long as they provide a stable home for a child and meet other criteria outlined by state, including background checks, said Casey White, a spokeswoman for the Oklahoma Department of Human Services, which currently oversees 8,700 children in state custody.

"We certify foster and adoptive families who are LGBTQ all the time," White said. "Even if a private adoption agency decided not to certify someone, there are many options for families to choose from."

___

Follow Sean Murphy at www.twitter.com/apseanmurphyYour daily look at late-breaking news, upcoming events and the stories that will be talked about Tuesday:

1. WHAT'S GOOD NEWS FOR WHITE HOUSE

Republicans on the House intelligence committee complete a draft report concluding there was no collusion or coordination between Trump's presidential campaign and Russia.

FILE - In this Feb.1 1952 file photo, French fashion designer Hubert de Givenchy poses with mannequins in his shop in Paris. French couturier Hubert de Givenchy, a pioneer of ready-to-wear who designed Audrey Hepburn's little black dress in "Breakfast at Tiffany's," has died at the age of 91. (AP Photo, File)

2. CITY ON EDGE AFTER DEADLY BLASTS

Package bombs explode in Austin, Texas, killing two people and wounding two others - and police say race may be the link because at least three victims are black.

3. TRUMP STRIKES DIFFERENT TONE ON GUNS

The president backpedals from his earlier demands and bows to the realities of Washington, where there's little support for sweeping changes to gun laws.

4. WHO'S SUSPECTED IN BIZARRE ATTACK

Britain's leader says Russia is "highly likely" to blame for poisoning a former spy and his daughter with a military-grade nerve agent.

5. PRESIDENT'S SON ON CAMPAIGN TRAIL

Donald Trump Jr. travels to Pennsylvania to boost the GOP hopeful the day before votes will be cast in the state's closely watched congressional election.

6. US SINKS DEEPER IN THE RED

The government recorded a budget deficit of $215.2 billion in February, up significantly from a year ago as the impact of the GOP tax cuts began to surface.

7. AMERICAN WOMAN TRAPPED IN SYRIA

Deana Lynn, of Detroit, moved to eastern Ghouta with her Syrian husband in 2000 to be close to his elderly parents. Now the family is living under a crippling siege and deadly bombardment.

8. FOIA REQUESTS HIT WALL

The federal government censored, withheld or said it couldn't find records sought by citizens, journalists and others more often last year than at any point in the past decade, according to an AP analysis.

9. HUBERT DE GIVENCHY DIES AT 91

The French couturier was a pioneer of ready-to-wear and designed Audrey Hepburn's little black dress in "Breakfast at Tiffany's."

10. HOW MUCH BETTORS WILL PONY UP

America's gambling industry predicts $10 billion will be bet on the NCAA Tournament - nearly all of it illegally or off the books.

Donald Trump Jr., walks by a pan of chocolate candies as he tours Sarris Candies during a campaign stop for Republican Rick Saccone, Monday, March 12, 2018 in Canonsburg, Pa. Saccone is running against Democrat Conor Lamb in a special election being held on March 13 for the PA 18th Congressional District vacated by Republican Tim Murphy. (AP Photo/Keith Srakocic)Lego has been voted the UKs strongest brand as previous winner British Airways fell from the top 20 ranking entirely.

Lego beat more than 1,500 companies to pole position as it celebrates its 60th anniversary, rising from 25th place in 2014 to second position last year in the annual UK Superbrands ranking.

Gillette rose three places to take the runner-up position, while Apple placed third having risen three places from last year.

Lego has been ranked the UKs strongest brand

Marks & Spencer leapfrogged John Lewis to seventh place as the department store slipped nine to 15th position.

Google and Amazon both dropped out of the top 20 as Disney and Heathrow both re-entered the ranking for the first time since 2013, as did BP and Shell after a four and three year absence respectively.

Daily staples Andrex, Coca-Cola, Cadbury and Heinz retained top 10 places, but Kelloggs and Fairy slipped out.

The list is determined by 2,500 consumers, who are asked to rank each brand for quality, reliability and distinction on behalf of the Centre for Brand Analysis.

Superbrands chairman Stephen Cheliotis said: British Airways tumbling from top spot to outside of the top 20 should be a wake-up call for all brands.

In a world where customer expectations have rightfully risen, brands cannot afford to disappoint and need to continually deliver to retain their valuable reputations. No brand, however strong, is immune to changing consumer sentiment.

The rise of fresh, disruptive brands  particularly in terms of relevance to consumers lives  should be an added warning to more established brands.

The likes of Netflix, PurpleBricks and Zoopla may not be challenging for the top spot in the overall ranking yet, but they surely will be if they continue their current momentum and the established elite dont respond fast enough.

The overall top 20 consumer Superbrands for 2018 are:

1. Lego

2. Gillette

3. Apple

4. Andrex

5. Coca-Cola

6. Disney

7. Marks & Spencer

8. Boots

9. Heinz

10. BMW

11. Cadbury

12. Rolex

13. BP

14. Shell

15. John Lewis

16. Heathrow

17. Jaguar

18. Kleenex

19. Visa

20. Haagen-DazsThe BBC is appealing to the United Nations (UN) in Geneva to protect the human rights of its journalists and their families.

The corporations unprecedented move follows years of persecution and harassment by the Iranian authorities, which escalated in 2017.

BBC director-general Lord Tony Hall said the BBC was taking the step because our own attempts to persuade the Iranian authorities to end their harassment have been completely ignored.

The BBC World Service filed an urgent appeal to UN Special Rapporteurs David Kaye and Asma Jahangir on behalf of BBC Persian staff in October 2017 (Anthony Devlin/PA)

Lord Hall said: In fact, during the past nine years, the collective punishment of BBC Persian Service journalists and their families has worsened.

This is not just about the BBC  we are not the only media organisation to have been harassed or forced to compromise when dealing with Iran.

In truth, this story is much wider: it is a story about fundamental human rights.

We are now asking the community of nations at the UN to support the BBC and uphold the right to freedom of expression.

The BBC World Service filed an urgent appeal to UN Special Rapporteurs David Kaye and Asma Jahangir on behalf of BBC Persian staff in October 2017.

This week BBC journalists will address the Human Rights Council session to call upon member states to take action to protect BBC staff and to ensure their ability to report freely.

Working with the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ), the BBC has organised events during the 37th session of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva this week about BBC Persian, including a press conference on March 12.

Jeremy Dear, deputy general secretary of the International Federation of Journalists, said: For many years Iranian journalists have suffered; been forced into hiding, fled into exile, been arrested, jailed and subjected to routine harassment, violence and intimidation.

Iranians now increasingly turn to the international media to find out what is happening in their own country. Targeting family members in Iran in an attempt to silence journalists working in London must be stopped; the international community must act now.

BBC Persian Service journalists in London and their families in Iran have been targeted since the BBCs satellite television service was launched in 2009.

In 2017 the harassment escalated when the Iranian authorities commenced a criminal investigation, alleging BBC Persian Service journalists work was a crime against Irans national security. This was accompanied by an asset-freezing injunction citing 152 named individuals, comprising mainly of current and former BBC Persian staff, and this injunction prevented journalists and their families from buying or selling their homes and other property in Iran.

Other measures include the arbitrary arrest and detention of family members in Iran, the confiscation of passports and travel bans preventing people leaving Iran, ongoing surveillance of journalists and their families, and the spread of fake and defamatory news targeting individuals especially women journalists.

On March 12, the report from Jahangir, the late UN Special Rapporteur for Human Rights in Iran, will be tabled and discussed at the Human Rights Council.Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar has dismissed claims that people crossing the Irish border would have to pre-register after Brexit.

Speaking from the US, where he is conducting a series of St Patricks Day engagements, the Taoiseach said: No, it is not a solution that we envisage.

Mr Vardkar was responding to questions about a controversial plan reportedly being considered by No 10 which could mean people crossing the border after Brexit would have to register in advance to avoid checks and delays.

Traffic crossing the border between the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland (Brian Lawless/PA)

It has been claimed anyone without so-called fast track movement clearance would also have to use approved crossing points or risk being considered to have entered the state irregularly.

The UK Government has said there would be no hard border and no return to the borders of the past when the UK leaves the European Union.

In December, Theresa May agreed to regulatory alignment across the UK to avoid border posts and checks.

Mr Vardkar said it might be helpful if senior Cabinet officials such as Boris Johnson and David Davis visited the border to see at first hand that it was invisible.

They would certainly be very welcome to visit the border, he said. I know (Northern Ireland Secretary) Karen Bradley has already done that and a delegation of British politicians from the House of Lords and House of Commons have done that too.

I think it would be a good idea, I cant see anything negative in a British cabinet minister viewing the border, seeing what it looks like.

As is always the case and this is true for any politicians or anyone in any walk of life you can read as many briefing documents as you like sometimes you need to see things with your own eyes, and I think for that reason, they would be very welcome to visit the border and see it for themselves. And to see that it is invisible.

Speaking at the South by South West festival in Austin, Mr Varadkar said if a hard border was introduced post-Brexit it could lead to vandalism.

The reality is, I dont anticipate a return to violence, but if you do have physical infrastructure, if you do have cameras and signs and border posts then you know those things will become targets, he said.

And they will become vandalised. And then what do you do? Do you accept that or do you bring in guards to stop that?Trump administration officials have said there will be no more conditions imposed on North Korea before a meeting of the two nations leaders.

The officials comments followed the surprise announcement last week that US President Donald Trump has agreed to meet North Koreas Kim Jong Un by May.

This potential meeting has been agreed to, there are no additional conditions being stipulated, but, again they  they cannot engage in missile testing, they cannot engage in nuclear testing and they cant publicly object to the U.S.-South Korea planned military exercises, deputy White House spokesman Raj Shah said.

US President Donald Trump (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said the summit would give Mr Trump a chance to sit down and see if he can cut a deal with Kim over the Norths nuclear programme.

The president has been very clear in what the objective is here. And that is to get rid of nuclear weapons on the (Korean) peninsula, Mr Mnuchin said.

The administration officials credited toughened economic sanctions imposed by the United Nations, and pushed by the United States, with helping bring Kim to the brink of negotiations.

Our policy is pressure, is pressure from our partners and allies around the world, pressure to the United Nations, pressure through China, these have had an impact. Its impacted Kim Jong Uns behavior. Its impacted his conduct, Mr Shah said.

But some members of the US Congress said they worry that Mr Trump acted impulsively in agreeing to meet with Kim, before negotiators for both countries had a chance to set some goals the leaders could agree to.

But the important thing is the diplomatic work that has to go in before such a meeting. A meeting like that would be kind of an afterthought after things are negotiated. Here it looks as if, you know, thats kind of the opening gambit. And thats a little worrisome, said Senator Jeff Flake, a frequent Trump critic.

The US and South Korea hold military manoeuvres every year. They were postponed during the recent Winter Olympics in South Korea. They are expected to be held in April, but no official announcement has been made about when they will take place. In an interview en route to the Middle East, US defence secretary Jim Mattis declined to discuss the timing and scale of the exercises.

US defence secretary Jim Mattis (Andrew Harnik/AP)

Mr Mattis would not talk at all about the diplomatic push over North Koreas nuclear programme.

When you get in a position like this, the potential for misunderstanding remains very high, he said.

Mr Mattis was among the advisers in the White House on Thursday when Mr Trump decided to accept Kims offer to meet. The offer was relayed to Mr Trump by a South Korean government delegation that briefed the president on their meeting with Kim last week in North Koreas capital.

Mr Trump said he believes North Korea will abide by its pledge to suspend missile tests while he prepares for the summit. He noted in a tweet that North Korea has refrained from such tests since November and said Kim has promised not to do so through our meetings.

I believe they will honuor that commitment, the president said.

Later, at a political rally in Pennsylvania, when Mr Trump mentioned Kims name, the crowd booed. But Mr Trump responded: No, its very positive  no, after the meeting you may do that, but now we have to be very nice because lets see what happens, lets see what happens.A psychiatric patient is facing jail for pushing a commuter into the path of a Tube train while on temporary release.

Alain Lesjongard was seriously injured when the westbound District Line train ran over him at Bayswater Underground Station in central London on November 2 last year.

Alan Alencar, 29, approached the stranger from behind and shoved him in the back with both hands as the Tube pulled into the platform at around 5pm.

Alan Alencar has admitted attempting to murder a man by pushing him into the path of a Tube train (BTP/PA)

Despite the driver applying the brakes, the train travelled three quarters of the way down the platform.

Mr Lesjongard fell between the tracks and curled up into the foetal position allowing the train to pass over him.

The 55-year-old, who was on his way back from a job interview, managed to crawl out from underneath the carriage and was taken to hospital suffering from a broken ankle and lacerations to the neck and shoulders.

The Old Bailey heard that Alencar, of Northcote Street, Edinburgh, walked away after the incident which was captured on CCTV.

At the time of the attack Alencar was on temporary discharge from a facility where he was detained in Edinburgh, and had been to visit his mother who was also being treated in a psychiatric unit, Andrew Forsyth defending said.

At an earlier hearing, Alencar pleaded guilty to one count of attempted murder.

He will be sentenced by Judge Sarah Munro QC at the Old Bailey today.Burmas military is building installations on land in villages that had been occupied by Muslim Rohingya who fled to neighbouring Bangladesh after their homes were burned down in what analysts charge was a campaign of ethnic cleansing by the authorities, Amnesty International has said.

The London-based rights group said in a report that eyewitness evidence and analysis of satellite images established that Burmas Rakhine state is being militarised at an alarming pace with the construction of army bases, helipads and roads built in villages that had been burned and bulldozed.

Rights groups and the United Nations charge that about 700,000 Rohingya Muslims who fled to Bangladesh were forced out by a scorched earth campaign by Burmese security forces that began last August after a Rohingya insurgent group carried out attacks on about 30 security outposts and other targets.

What we are seeing in Rakhine state is a land grab by the military on a dramatic scale, said Tirana Hassan, Amnesty Internationals crisis response director.

A Rohingya refugee camp (Manish Swarup/AP)

New bases are being erected to house the very same security forces that have committed crimes against humanity against Rohingya.

Burma government spokesman Zaw Htay said the bulldozing is mainly to prepare burned areas for resettlement and reconstruction, and only covers areas where structures had already been burned down.

The government has denied burning down villages to drive out the Rohingya.

We are going to build new villages and new homes and resettle people there according to the village planning, Zaw Htay said by phone.

He denied separate allegations that the bulldozing was to destroy evidence of human rights abuses by the army, a major concern of human rights groups.

The bulldozing of entire villages is incredibly worrying, said Ms Hassan.

Burmas authorities are erasing evidence of crimes against humanity, making any future attempts to hold those responsible to account extremely difficult.

The operation has raised concerns among rights groups that the authorities are destroying evidence of crimes against the Rohingya, which could hinder future investigations.

Zaw Htay also rebutted the charges that the construction amounted to militarisation.

Its not true that the army is building bases in the region, he said.

There are only police posts for regional security and law enforcement reasons.

Burmas government has pledged to accept back the Rohingya who fled, and it has been constructing shelters, including dozens at a large transit camp in northern Rakhine state near the Bangladesh border.

But Amnesty International said the flattening of Rohingya villages and the new construction could make the voluntary, safe and dignified return of Rohingya refugees a distant prospect.

The military is not only building security force bases and roads but also bulldozing everything including houses, trees, landmarks and even graveyards, said Mohammad Ali, a Rohingya resident of Buthidaung town in northern Rakhine.Rescuers are searching for a vessel which issued a mayday in the early hours of the morning.

No trace has been found of the vessel Hanson 2, which made the call on the west coast of Scotland between Ullapool and Tobermory.

Whoever made the call at around 1am on Monday did not state the vessels exact position or how many people were on board.

Tobermory and Mallaig Lifeboats have searched the area thoroughly for six hours (PA)

Tobermory and Mallaig Lifeboats have searched the area thoroughly for six hours but have not found it.

#HMCoastguard is urgently appealing for information on a vessel called Hanson 2 (spelling unclear) after receiving a MAYDAY just before 1am today. #Mallaig and @TobermoryRNLI Lifeboats have searched the area thoroughly for 6 hours with nothing found https://t.co/riYmupPR4F pic.twitter.com/ifx56Hf0g2  Maritime and Coastguard Agency (@MCA_media) March 12, 2018

Coastguards said a number of relay broadcasts to vessels in the area have also been made with nothing seen or heard.

No other distress alerts have been received.

Coastguards are also contacting harbour masters and appealing for information from anyone who may know the vessel.

Anyone with information is asked to call 999 and ask for the Coastguard.The Parsons Green bomber told a charity worker his father was killed in Iraq and the Americans were to blame, a court heard.

Asylum seeker Ahmed Hassan, 18, arrived in Britain in October 2015, two years before he left 400g of TATP on a Tube train, which partially exploded, the Old Bailey has heard.

Barnardos worker Youseff Habibi told jurors he caught Hassan listening to an Arabic song on YouTube along the lines of coming to the slaughter in your own home when he was living in a childrens home in Surrey.

Ahmed Hassan on a train to Brighton after a device exploded on the District Line train at Parsons Green (Met Police/PA)

On the defendants dealings with Islamic State (IS), he told jurors: He did say that he had been taken by force and they threatened if he did not go to the mosque his family would be killed.

He used to spend a lot of time in the mosque studying and sometimes he trained with them to fight.

Asked about Hassans background, Mr Habibi said: His father was a taxi driver and one morning he went to work and a bomb fell on him and he died.

And his mum died when he was much younger. He said I dont remember my mum.

Prosecutor Alison Morgan asked: Did Mr Hassan ever say who he blamed for that?

Mr Habibi replied: America. He said it was American soldiers and American army bombing.

The witness told jurors that Hassan said he had not been tortured by IS but he hated the group and they killed and tortured people.

The scene at Parsons Green station on September 15 2017 (Stefan Rousseau/PA)

Barnardos care home worker Zoe Spencer accompanied Hassan to an immigration interview at Lunar House in Croydon in January 2016.

Miss Spencer told jurors that when Hassan arrived in Britain he could speak little English but was keen to learn.

She said for a then 16-year-old he appeared very mature for his age.

She said: He told me he fled the country, that his uncle paid someone to get him in a lorry and his parents were involved in a car crash.

Miss Spencer said Hassan was agitated, worried and quiet before the immigration interview.

Officials asked Hassan: Have you previously or are you any part of a terrorist group, for example, Isis?

He replied: Yes I was recruited by Isis for three months.

Miss Spencer told the court Hassan had never mentioned anything like that before to her.

Asked how she felt about it, she said: Disheartened, sickened, as if he did not understand the question so I stopped the interview.

During a second interview with an interpreter, Hassan added that he had been forced to go with IS.

He said: I was forced to train with them on how to kill and they would teach us about the religion and what Allah believes is right.

Hassan said he was trained with about 1,000 people and spent three or four hours in the mosque daily.

He got away when Iraqi soldiers came into IS territory and told everyone to go, and some children stayed and some went back to their families, he said.

He denied he had been sent to Europe to work for Islamic State.

Miss Spencer said Hassan was very nervous afterwards and told her he was not okay, adding the man at the interview was no good.

About a week later, Miss Spencer saw Hassan looking at a picture of people in balaclavas with guns and the black flag of Isis.

Tim Moloney QC, defending, suggested Miss Spencer might have mistaken Hassan with another resident with a phone, but she denied it.

Hassan, now 18, allegedly packed a bucket with TATP explosives and shrapnel and left it on the District Line train on September 15 last year.

It partially exploded causing a fireball to rip through a carriage during the morning rush hour, the Old Bailey has heard.

When Hassan was picked up by police at the port of Dover the next day, he admitted he had made the bomb.

Hassan, who was living with foster parents in Sunbury, Surrey, at the time, has denied attempted murder and using the chemical compound TATP to cause an explosion that was likely to endanger life.More than a dozen areas in Scotland with no access to 4G coverage Scotland have been identified in a 25 million project to improve mobile connectivity.

The Scottish 4G Infill programme will pay for new mobile masts in 4G notspots.

The majority of the initial 16 sites identified are in the Highlands and islands and include one each on Orkney, Shetland, Skye, and the Applecross peninsula, two in the Western Isles and one in Sutherland.

Map of initial 4G Infill sites (Scottish Government/PA)

Other notspots include at least two in Argyll and Bute, two in Aberdeenshire, one each in Dumfries and Galloway, East Lothian and the Borders.

The Scottish Government said the final sites will be agreed as part of the procurement process and around 60 to 70 locations are expected to have improved coverage by the end of the project.

An Ofcom report found Scotland lags behind the rest of the UK in 4G coverage, which covers just 17% of the country, compared to 24% in Wales, and 60% each in Northern Ireland and England.

The December report stated 86% of urban areas in Scotland can access 4G compared to 15% of rural areas.

Connectivity Secretary Fergus Ewing announced the launch of the procurement process at the Convention of the Highlands and Islands meeting in Millport.

Connectivity Secretary Fergus Ewing (Scottish Parliament/PA)

Widespread high-speed and reliable mobile coverage is just as vital as broadband, and ensures that people, communities, and businesses are able to stay connected, he said.

The Infill programme will target the areas where it can make the most difference, achieving better and cost-effective connectivity in some of our most remote and challenging areas.

The Scottish Futures Trust (SFT) has developed the programme on behalf of the government.

SFT chief executive, Peter Reekie said: After the successful bidder has been selected, SFT looks forward to working with them and the mobile network operators to identify as many 4G notspots that can be addressed within the programmes budget.

The deployment of future proofed mast infrastructure will then act as the catalyst to deliver good quality 4G coverage to those areas for the benefit of the local communities, businesses and tourists.Young workers who decide to opt out of their workplace pension scheme could potentially lose out on a pot worth 450,000 by the time they retire, an insurer has claimed.

As next month sees the first of the planned increases in pension contributions under auto-enrolment, Aegon has warned workers that the decision to opt out could cost them dearly.

The insurer has calculated that someone aged 22 who chooses not to pay into a workplace pension could miss out on a total 450,000 pension pot by the time she reaches 68.

Workplace pension: The minimum overall contribution is going up to 5% from 2% from April 6

Aegons calculation was based on minimum contributions and also made some assumptions about investment growth.

Currently, the combined minimum contribution from employees and employers is 2 per cent of qualifying earnings. But from next month this will rise to 5 per cent, with a minimum of 2 per cent from the employer and the remaining 3 per cent from the employee.

In April 2019, the rate will increase again, to 8 per cent, with a minimum of 3 per cent from the employer, leaving a 5 per cent minimum staff contribution.

Minimum contributions are gradually being increased to help encourage people save enough for a comfortable retirement  but experts have raised concerns that the number of people opting out may increase after the changes come into effect.

The landmark automatic enrolment scheme has so far been seen as a success with nine in 10 people staying in their workplace pension rather than opting out.

The Department for Work and Pensions said the current rate of opt-outs is around 9 per cent - although some analysts believe the real figure is slightly higher.

However, this is set to more than double in the next financial year to 21 per cent of employees, according to DWP estimates.

Aegon said a survey of more than 700 people had found more than half, or 53 per cent, were unaware of the imminent increase.

Kate Smith, head of pensions at Aegon, said: 'Raising awareness of the benefits of pension saving is key to the success of an employees financial future and we want to encourage employers to get across the value of workplace saving.'

She continued: 'The decision to opt out could end up costing workers up to 450,000 over their working lifetime, an enormous sum of money that would effectively be thrown away  why would anyone give up on money theyre entitled to?'

Tom McPhail, head of policy at Hargreaves Lansdown, said typically someone needs to be saving around 12 per cent to 15 per cent of their monthly income throughout their working life to avoid a significant drop in their standard of living in retirement.

He said: 'The simple message for employees is keep saving for your retirement if you possibly can and save as much as you can.'

Guy Opperman, Minister for Pensions and Financial Inclusion, said: 'Staying in your workplace pension really is one of the best financial decisions you can make. By starting early you will find yourself in a much better position when you come to retire.

'Thanks to automatic enrolment, more than nine million people are newly saving or saving more into a workplace pension. With contributions set to rise people will find themselves with an even bigger pot in later life.'Theresa May will update MPs on the investigation into the nerve agent attack on Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter amid speculation the Kremlin was behind the poisoning.

The Prime Minister was briefed by police and intelligence chiefs on the latest developments in the case at a meeting of the National Security Council (NSC) in Downing Street.

Her appearance in Parliament on Monday afternoon comes after the chairman of the Commons Foreign Affairs Committee said the incident looked like a state-sponsored murder attempt.

Tom Tugendhat said he would be surprised if Mrs May did not blame the Kremlin for the poisoning of Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia.

Ahead of the Prime Ministers statement, Downing Street said if we get to a position when we are able to attribute this attack then we will do so.

The Kremlin has denied the involvement of the Russian government in the nerve agent attack on the Skripals.

But senior Tory MP Mr Tugendhat told BBC Radio 4s Today programme the Salisbury incident was looking awfully like it was state-sponsored attempted murder.

Mr Tugendhat added that he would be surprised if Mrs May did not point the finger at the Kremlin.

In response to a request for comment from the Press Association, Vladimir Putins press secretary Dmitry Peskov said: We consider inappropriate any mention of the Russian government in the context of what happened to Sergei Skripal.

We have nothing to do with the story.

Home Secretary Amber Rudd said she would not yet point the finger of blame for the outrageous and horrific attack in the Wiltshire city on March 4 but she directly accused Moscow of trying to provoke Britain into a slanging match.

Last week, as Mr Skripal, 66, and his daughter Yulia, 33, lay critically ill in hospital, a Russian state TV presenter jibed that traitors were not safe in England, where people get hanged, poisoned, they die in helicopter crashes and fall out of windows in industrial quantities.

Yury Filatov, a diplomat, said the UK was very dangerous for certain types of people who are under the jurisdiction of the British government.

Home Secretary Amber Rudd arrives in Downing Street for the meeting of the National Security Council (Stefan Rousseau/PA)

Ms Rudd said: Im not going to enter into a kind of great big tit-for-tat with them, which is what they are longing Im sure for us to do.

Because when attribution comes we have to be absolutely cool-headed about it. Other people can carry on making their comments. I think that the general public are wise enough to take a dim view of that kind of childish joshing.

She said that the NSC would consider strong measures if a hostile state were found guilty of the poisoning.

If you can attribute this, then you would have to have a response. And when you attribute it, you need to have a plan, she said.

Any sanctions would take into account other diplomatic relations, other equities that people have in different countries and the response to the response.

Reports at the weekend suggested that the Prime Minister was under pressure from senior ministers including Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson and Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson to take a tougher line on Russia.

Detective Sergeant Nick Bailey is recovering in hospital (Wiltshire Police/PA)

But Downing Street said it did not recognise reports of a Cabinet split and said blame would be apportioned only if the evidence was clear.

The Prime Ministers official spokesman said: You have seen words from the PM, Home Secretary and Foreign Secretary and they are very clear that this is an ongoing investigation, that it is important that we allow the police to get on with their work, that we gather all the evidence and if we get to a position when we are able to attribute this attack then we will do so and the Government will deliver an appropriate response.

The meeting comes as the former spy and his daughter remain critically ill in hospital eight days after they were found collapsed on a bench in the Wiltshire city.

Detective Sergeant Nick Bailey is in a serious but stable condition in the Salisbury District Hospital, where he is said to be conscious and talking.

On Sunday, hundreds of diners and pub-goers were urged to wash clothes and other items a week after potentially coming into contact with the nerve agent.

The precautionary advice was issued after traces of the substance were found in The Mill pub and the nearby Zizzi restaurant, in Salisbury.

Military personnel in College Street car park in Salisbury (Andrew Matthews/PA)

The Tory leader of Salisbury City Council, Matthew Dean, insisted advice given to members of the public to wash their clothes if they had been to the venues Mr Skripal had visited had been issued quickly enough.

I think what I am very confident about is that consistently the advice has been that this is a very, very precautionary approach and that they are advising that people wash their clothes because they dont want people to come into prolonged contact, he told the BBC.

Downing Street also backed the handling of the situation by chief medical officer Dame Sally Davies and Public Health England.

The PMs spokesman said: She explained that they only received the latest piece of scientific analysis on Saturday and they put in place an information programme making sure they had a website ready so that the public were able to access all the information they needed early on Sunday morning.A meditation on colour which features a list of white objects has been longlisted for the Man Booker International Prize.

The 2018 prize, for a book translated into English and published in the UK, pits 13 novels against each other.

It includes The White Book by Han Kang, who won the prize in 2016 for The Vegetarian.

The author, from South Korea, has written a story in which a woman moves to a European city and is haunted by the story of her older sister, who died two hours after birth.

Han Kang, The White Book (Man Booker International Prize 2018)

Judges said the book is about mourning, rebirth and the tenacity of the human spirit.

As she (the narrator) contemplates the childs short life, she focuses on the whiteness and all it symbolises.

The White Book is a meditation on colour, beginning with a list of white things such as salt, snow and sugar cubes.

The 50,000 prize is divided equally between the author and the translator.

The shortlist is announced on April 12 and the winner on May 22.

Novelists from France, Spain, Germany, Argentina, Hungary, Austria, Iraq, Poland and Taiwan have made the longlist.A teenage asylum seeker said it was his duty to hate Britain before he planted a bomb at Parsons Green Tube station, a court has heard.

Iraqi Ahmed Hassan, 18, arrived in Britain in October 2015, two years before he left 400g of TATP on a Tube train, which partially exploded, the Old Bailey has heard.

During that time, he studied media at Brooklands College in Weybridge, Surrey, and was found a foster home with a couple in Sunbury, the court heard.

Even though Hassan had been named student of the year in June 2017, his lecturer and mentor Katie Cable became concerned about his behaviour, the court heard.

Ms Cable even alerted the Prevent team after she saw a WhatsApp message on his phone saying: IS has accepted your donation in August 2016.

He also told her he blamed Britain for the death of his parents in Iraq and said: Its my duty to hate Britain, the court heard.

Giving evidence, Ms Cable said Hassan was initially incredibly conflicted, frightened, confused, plagued by boredom.

When he first started at Brooklands in April 2016, he would snap pens and walk out of the classroom, she said.

Ms Cable told jurors: I believe Ahmed said his father was blown up and his mother had been shot.

He talked about Tony Blair and expressed anger at events in Iraq, she said: I believe the anger was very clear. He referred to being angry several times.

He allegedly told her the British were responsible for his parents death.

He would suffer flashbacks and depression, so she organised a place on the National Citizenship Scheme during the summer of 2016.

But he declined holiday offers in the 2017 break and by September 7 last year, Ms Cable said she was becoming really concerned about his mental state.

The day before the bombing, he gave her presents for children, which she found strange.

Ms Cable told jurors Hassan was very clever and made great academic progress.

Prosecutor Alison Morgan asked: Did you think he was straight with you?

She replied: I dont know. If you had asked me in September I would have said yes.

She added that he could be very secretive and once went to Wales to visit a friend without telling anyone where he was going.

He made a video for college about destroying a mobile phone, and she said: Why would anyone be so keen to erase their data?

The court heard Hassan had earlier given Barnardos workers differing accounts about his background while at a childrens hostel.

And in an immigration interview in January 2016, he told officials that IS had trained him to kill.

Court artist sketch of Ahmed Hassan (Elizabeth Cook)

Barnardos worker Youseff Habibi told jurors: His father was a taxi driver and one morning he went to work and a bomb fell on him and he died.

And his mum died when he was much younger. He said I dont remember my mum.

Ms Morgan asked: Did Mr Hassan ever say who he blamed for that?

Mr Habibi replied: America. He said it was American soldiers and American army bombing.

The scene at Parsons Green station on September 15 2017 (Stefan Rousseau/PA)

Another Barnardos worker, Zoe Spencer, accompanied Hassan to an immigration interview at Lunar House in Croydon in January 2016.

Officials asked Hassan: Have you previously or are you any part of a terrorist group, for example, Isis?

He replied: Yes, I was recruited by Isis for three months.

Asked how she felt about it, Ms Spencer said: Disheartened, sickened, as if he did not understand the question, so I stopped the interview.

During a second interview, with an interpreter, Hassan added that he had been forced to go with IS, and denied he had been sent to Europe to work for them.

Miss Spencer said Hassan was very nervous afterwards and told her he was not OK, adding the man at the interview was no good.

About a week later, Miss Spencer said she saw Hassan looking at a picture of people in balaclavas with guns and the black flag of Isis.

Hassan denies attempted murder and using the chemical compound TATP to cause an explosion that was likely to endanger life.Police investigating an attempted murder in Glasgow are examining a burnt out car linked to the attack.

The 26-year-old victim was shot at and then attacked in Dykemuir Street, Springburn, on Thursday afternoon.

He had just left his family car when he was approached by two men who narrowly missed him with a gunshot.

Police are investigating an attempted murder in Glasgow (Andrew Milligan/PA)

But they chased him along the street and attacked with other weapons, leaving him in hospital.

Detectives recovered a Volvo XC60 on Saturday near Kirklee Green Reservoir in Ayrshire which they believe may have been used by the attackers.

It was partly burnt out but police said forensic tests can still be carried out and the car has been uplifted for examination.

Detective Superintendent Kenny Graham said: Although we believe this attack was targeted, we still do not know the motive for the attempted murder. The victim remains in hospital and we continue to appeal for information.

I am encouraged by the positive response we have had since our appeal and we are following up a number of lines of enquiry from information already passed on to us.

However, Im sure there are people out there with information about the incident and the suspects who have not contacted police and I would urge them to please get in touch.

We cannot allow the use of firearms on our streets and its essential we trace those involved. Your information could prove to be the vital link in our investigation.Meal-kit firm Gousto has raised 28.5 million in fresh funding as the company aims to use artificial intelligence to further tap the multi-billion market.

The cash was raised from Hargreave Hale, Angel CoFund, MMC Ventures and BGF Ventures, bringing the total amount raised to 56.5 million.

Gousto, which was founded in 2012 by Timo Boldt, is also backed by Unilever, which did not participate in the latest funding round.

It currently delivers more than one million meals a month, with prices starting from 2.98, and by 2025 the firm wants to be serving up 400 million meals in the UK.

Mr Boldt said: Our commitment to technology has seen us create a leading value proposition, driving customer satisfaction levels 56% higher than the UKs leading supermarket.

Over the next year, well win even more of the one billion meals eaten in the UK, by prioritising investment in AI and automation to wow customers.

New funding allows us to continue transforming the grocery market and supporting the British economy with the creation of new jobs, with our headcount expected to increase two-fold over the next few years.

Feast it has raised 1 million over the past 12 months (Feast It/PA)

Street food catering platform Feast It has also whet investor appetite, having secured a further 680,000 in funding from the likes of Browns restaurants founder Jeremy Mogford and former ARM Holdings CFO and British Land director Tim Score.

The company  which allows customers to book 300 independent caterers that might usually be seen at street markets and food truck pop-ups  said it will use the cash to fuel its expansion across the UK and broaden its offerings beyond food and drink.

It brings Feast Its fundraising to 1 million over the past 12 months, during which time it grew 400% as it worked to gain a foothold in the 42.3 billion UK events industry.

Co-founder Digby Vollrath said: Its not surprising weve seen an explosion in consumer demand for the very best suppliers.

There are over 7,000 companies offering catering in the UK and with so much choice and noise in the industry, there is a clear need for a platform to make peoples lives easier.

Feast It hand-picks the best possible suppliers, big or small, with the simple aim of taking the hassle out of organising events. Weve done everything from a 20-person dinner party to a 40,000-person festival so far.

Feast It says it has worked in collaboration with the likes of Disney, Amazon and Soho House since its launch in early 2017.A man married a woman who had suffered a severe head injury when attacked and raped in a bid to improve his immigration status, a judge has concluded.

Mr Justice Baker has decided that the Islamic marriage was arranged entirely by the man and the womans father.

He said a ceremony had taken place at a time when the woman was vulnerable to influence and has ruled that the marriage is not valid under English law.

Mr Justice Baker had analysed the case at a hearing in the Court of Protection (Nick Ansell/PA)

The judge, who examined evidence at a hearing in a specialist court, also concluded that the womans father had spent her money for his own purposes with no intention of repaying her.

Mr Justice Baker had analysed the case at a hearing in the Court of Protection, where issues relating to people who lack the mental capacity to make decisions are considered, in London, and has outlined his conclusions in a written ruling.

The judge, who heard evidence from witnesses including medical specialists, a social worker, an Islamic law expert and the womans father, said the woman could not be identified.

He said she had links to London and Northampton and said the marriage, solemnised by an imam, had taken place at the Northampton Islamic Centre.

Mr Justice Baker indicated that investigations had started after one of the womans female relatives raised concerns about forced marriage.

(The mans) primary motive for marrying (the woman) was to achieve an improved immigration status, said Mr Justice Baker in his ruling.

(Her father) knew that this was his primary motive.

The judge said the womans fathers motives were more difficult to discern and added: I conclude that he acted partly to assist (the man) in his immigration application but also because he thought it would be right for (the woman), and the family as a whole, for her to be married.

He said the marriage was arranged entirely by the man and the womans father and that the woman was unquestionably married under the influence of her father.Beyonce and Jay-Z have announced they will be touring together again later this year, four years after their joint On The Run Tour.

The married couples follow-up concert series, called On the Run Part 2 (OTR II), will kick off in the UK with the first date in Cardiff on June 6.

They will then head to Glasgow on June 9, Manchester on June 13 and London on June 15.

Beyonce and Jay-Z to embark on new tour together this year (LiveNation)

Beyonce and Jay-Z will perform another 11 shows across Europe before taking their tour to North America in July, where they will play 21 concerts until October.

The news was announced with three posts on Beyonces Instagram account, with black and white photographs and a video clip of the music stars posing together.

Perhaps in retaliation to the reports about their relationship being in trouble, the song Im Still In Love with You by Alton Ellis featuring Hortense Ellis plays over the short video.

Last year Jay-Z, real name Shawn Carter, admitted he had been unfaithful to his wife in an interview with the New York Times Style Magazine, saying his rough childhood had prompted him to build up walls.

The rapper apologised to Beyonce for his unfaithfulness on his latest album 4.44.

The duo had previously been at the centre of speculation about their marriage when CCTV footage from 2014, released by US celebrity website TMZ, showed Beyonces younger sister Solange attacking Jay-Z in a New York City hotel lift following the Met Gala.

The couple married in 2008 and have three children  six-year-old daughter Blue Ivy and twins Sir and Rumi, who were born last year.

Tickets for the UK concerts will go on sale March 23.The inquest into the death of Ellie Butler will not consider the merits or wisdom of a family court ruling which returned the schoolgirl to the hands of her abusive father.

The six-year-old was placed in the care of her grandparents as a baby after dad Ben Butler was accused of shaking her.

She was returned to the care of Butler, and her mother, in 2012 after a ruling by Mrs Justice Hogg in the family division of the High Court.

Ellie was battered to death by her father at their family home in Sutton, south London, in October 2013.

Butler was convicted of her murder in June 2016 after a trial at the Old Bailey and jailed for life with a minimum term of 23 years.

Ellies mother, Jennie Gray, was given a 42-month term after being found guilty of child cruelty after the Old Bailey trial. She had admitted perverting the course of justice.

Counsel to the inquest Adam Wiseman, QC, said no one is on trial, as he opened proceedings four and a half years after Ellies death.

He said: This inquest will not consider the merits or the wisdom of the family court judgment.

Mrs Justice Hogg is not on trial and nor is her judgement.

The coroners court is not the appropriate forum to review or question any decision of the High Court, nor would it ever be appropriate for the coroner court as a inferior court of record to review the decision of the high court.

The inquests scope will cover the period from July 6 2012  the date of Mrs Justice Hoggs decision  to Ellies death on October 28 2013.

Gray and Butler will appear by video link throughout proceedings at South London Coroners Court in Croydon.

As the link went live connecting the pair from their respective prisons to the court, Butler was heard to say: Your eyes look different.

Butler and Gray do not have representation after being refused legal aid.

The Old Bailey trial heard that in October 2013 Butler battered his daughter to death at the family home in Sutton, south London, in a momentary but volcanic loss of temper after months of subjecting his partner and daughter to abuse.

The couple angrily protested their innocence when jurors returned guilty verdicts.

Gray later applied to the Court of Appeal for permission to bring challenges in relation to both child cruelty and perverting the course of justice, but the application failed.

Retired high court judge Dame Linda Dobbs is sitting as coroner for the inquest, which is expected to last two weeks.

It will examine whether there were failures on the part of the authorities with regard to Ellies murder, including the sharing of information, cooperation and communication between organisations.

Mr Wiseman said: There is a requirement to conduct a full and fearless investigation and that is precisely what is about to take place.

Proceedings will resume on Tuesday at 10.30am.A British Army trainer accused of being a member of a banned racist neo-Nazi group allegedly kept a terrorism manual written by white nationalist Anders Breivik, a court heard.

Serving soldier Lance Corporal Mikko Vehvilainen is accused of membership of National Action, along with Private Mark Barrett and a 23-year-old man who cannot be named.

All three were described at the start of their trial by prosecutors as active members of the virulently racist right-wing group, before and after its ban in December 2016.

Opening the case at Birmingham Crown Court on Monday, Duncan Atkinson QC, said: These defendants are not being prosecuted for their racist of neo-Nazi beliefs, however repulsive they may be.

But for their participation in an organisation that sought actively through fear, intimidation and the threat of violence rather than through free speech and democracy to shape society in accordance with those beliefs.

In the days before the groups ban under terrorism legislation, prosecutors alleged one of the men received an email stating the group was simply shedding one skin for another and would continue under a new name.

It continued: All genuinely revolutionary movements in the past have needed to exist partly underground.

These are exciting times.

The men are on trial at Birmingham Crown Court (Rui Vieira/PA)

Outlining what the wider organisation stood for, the prosecution barrister said National Action engaged in a campaign of virulently racist, anti-Semitic, and homophobic propaganda, through which it sought to stir up a violent race war against ethnic minorities and others it perceived as race traitors.

Mr Atkinson said: Hostile to democracy and the British state, National Action actively sought to recruit and radicalise young people through the violent imagery and hate-filled language of its social media messages, its provocative street demonstrations and intimidation of local communities.

Jurors were told the group was banned in the UK following a number of actions including their support for the murder of the MP for Batley, Jo Cox.

The men all came to the attention of West Midlands Counter Terrorism Unit and Ministry of Defence following an investigation into the organisation.

Vehvilainen, 33, and Barrett, 24, were both serving members of the British Army in the Royal Anglian Regiment, the court heard.

Barrett, based at Kendrew Army Barracks, Rutland, but arrested at Dhekalia Barracks, Cyprus, was allegedly recruited by his older colleague and had an active affiliation with the group, said Mr Atkinson.

Raids were carried out on their barracks homes, and material including mobile phones and hard drives were seized.

A document written by Anders Breivik, under an alias, was found at Vehvilainens home at the Armys Welsh HQ in Sennybridge Camp, Powys (PA)

When Vehvilainens home at the Armys Welsh HQ in Sennybridge Camp, Powys, Wales, was searched, officers found a document on a phone written by Breivik, under an alias.

The manual entitled A European Declaration of Independence, contained both ideology and methodology of his own attacks and items on funding, recruitment, training and armoury for acts of terrorism.

Vehvilainens phone contained evidence of 900 visits to a website, where he made two posts which Mr Atkinson alleged were derogatory of, and insulting to, black persons, dehumanising them and inciting hatred against them.

Married Vehvilainen has denied two charges of stirring up racial hatred, and one count of possession of a terrorism manual.

The other male is facing three counts of possession of a terrorism manual  including a copy of Breiviks pamphlet  and one count of distributing material likely to be useful to terrorists.

He is alleged to have had a mega folder on his laptop which was alleged to contain step-by-step instructions for killing people, and the manufacture of a host of explosives, detonators and bombs.

The prosecution alleged among documents in his possession was a White Resistance Manual for fun, which had entries on arson, sabotage and selective assassinations.

Mr Atkinson said: All information, therefore, of the kind likely to be useful to a white extremist committing or preparing an act of terrorism.

He is also accused of distributing a terrorist publication, called Ethnic Cleansing Operations, via Skype.

Describing its contents, Mr Atkinson said: This document is a detailed account of how to achieve the eradication of the predatory black race from the United States.

Its addressing both the white extremist rationale for doing so and techniques that can be employed for actual ethnic cleansing.

The opening continues on Tuesday.It is highly likely that Russia was behind the nerve agent attack on Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia, Theresa May told has MPs.

The Prime Minister said the substance used was a military grade nerve agent produced by Russia and there were only two possible explanations  either Moscow was behind the attack or it had lost control of its stockpile of the poison.

The Prime Minister said Russias ambassador Alexander Yakovenko had been summoned to the Foreign Office to explain what happened.

There was no handshake in the face-to-face meeting with Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson, who voiced Britains outrage over the incident and said that either explanation would be very disturbing.

Mr Johnson gave Russia until midnight on Tuesday to respond and told the ambassador that Moscow must immediately provide full and complete disclosure of its novichok nerve gas programme to the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons.

In a dramatic statement after a meeting of the National Security Council, during which she received the latest intelligence analysis and an update on the investigation, Mrs May told MPs: It is now clear that Mr Skripal and his daughter were poisoned with a military-grade nerve agent of a type developed by Russia.

She added: Based on the positive identification of this chemical agent by world-leading experts at the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory at Porton Down; our knowledge that Russia has previously produced this agent and would still be capable of doing so; Russias record of conducting state-sponsored assassinations; and our assessment that Russia views some defectors as legitimate targets for assassinations; the Government has concluded that it is highly likely that Russia was responsible for the act against Sergei and Yulia Skripal.

That meant either this was a direct act by the Russian state against our country or Vladimir Putins government had lost control of this potentially catastrophically damaging nerve agent.

( PA Graphics)

The Kremlin has denied the involvement of the Russian government in the nerve agent attack on the Skripals.

Following Mrs Mays statement, news agency Tass quoted Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova as saying: It is a circus show in the British parliament.

The conclusion is obvious, its another political information campaign, based on a provocation.

But Mrs May said: On Wednesday we will consider in detail the response from the Russian State.

Should there be no credible response, we will conclude that this action amounts to an unlawful use of force by the Russian State against the United Kingdom.

Prime Minister confirms Russia alone has means, method and intent. This is deeply threatening to the British people.  Tom Tugendhat (@TomTugendhat) March 12, 2018

That would result in Mrs May setting out the full range of measures that we will take in response.

The National Security Council is expected to meet on Wednesday to discuss the Russian response, if any, ahead of a statement by the PM.

She said: This attempted murder using a weapons-grade nerve agent in a British town was not just a crime against the Skripals.

It was an indiscriminate and reckless act against the United Kingdom, putting the lives of innocent civilians at risk.

And we will not tolerate such a brazen attempt to murder innocent civilians on our soil. 

In the US administrations first public statement on the issue, White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said the attack was reckless, indiscriminate and irresponsible.

She said: The use of a highly lethal nerve agent against UK citizens on UK soil is an outrage.

We offer the fullest condemnation and we extend our sympathy to the victims and their families and our support to the UK Government.

We stand by our closest ally and the special relationship that we have.

Mrs May used her statement to pay tribute to Wiltshire Police Detective Sergeant Nick Bailey, who is in a serious but stable condition in the Salisbury District Hospital.

Sergei Skripal in Moscow in 2006 (Misha Japaridze/AP)

Commons Foreign Affairs Committee chairman Tom Tugendhat said Russias actions were deeply threatening to the British people.

Meanwhile investigators wearing hazardous materials suits have been working in the village of Winterslow about six miles from Salisbury.

Police and Army teams were at a site where a white van was loaded onto a truck ready to be taken away.

Ahead of the Prime Ministers statement, the Russian embassy accused the UK Government of playing a very dangerous game with British public opinion and warned of the risk of serious long-term consequences.

Ambassador of the Russian Federation Alexander Yakovenko, who has been summoned by the Foreign Secretary to explain how a Russian-produced nerve agent could have been deployed in Salisbury (Victoria Jones/PA)

In a statement on the embassy website, a spokesman said: We would like to stress once again that we are outraged by the anti-Russian media campaign, condoned by the Government, that influences the investigation and has a psychological effect on British residents.

Russian President Vladimir Putin dismissed questions about his states alleged involvement in the Skripal case.

On a visit to a grain centre, he told the BBC: Were dealing with agriculture here  and you talk to me about some tragedies.

Get to the bottom of things there, then well discuss this.Investigators in hazardous material suits descended on a Wiltshire village as the inquiry into the poisoning of former Russian spy Sergei Skripal continued.

Police and Army teams worked in Winterslow, about six miles from Salisbury, on Monday afternoon, loading a white van onto a truck.

The vehicle was marked with the branding of local company Ashley Wood Recovery. A staff member declined to comment.

Postmaster Bella Thomas said: The press keep saying about sleepy Salisbury city centre, and were obviously a sleepy village, its a bit of a shock. Its like a scene from the Twilight Zone, something you would see in the movies.

She said that the massive police investigation, supported by the military, has crippled some businesses in the city centre.

I do feel for the shopkeepers. They are really suffering. Its not cheap having a business in town and it has crippled some of their businesses, she said.

Investigators in protective clothing remove a van from an address in Winterslow (Andrew Matthews/PA)

Police also sealed off the top level of the car park of a branch of Sainsburys supermarket, which is in the same shopping precinct where Mr Skripal and his daughter Yulia were found ill eight days ago.

At the weekend hundreds of diners and pub-goers who had been at the same venues as the Russian pair were urged to wash clothes and other items a week after potentially coming into contact with a Novichok nerve agent.

The precautionary advice was issued after traces of the substance were found in The Mill pub and the nearby Zizzi restaurant, in Salisbury.Dame Judi Dench, Joanna Lumley, Alesha Dixon and Ricky Gervais are among the stars who have written to Prime Minister Theresa May urging her to introduce a UK ban on animal fur imports.

Fur farming is outlawed in the UK and EU and regulations ban imports of fur from domesticated cats and dogs and from commercial seal hunts.

However, Britain still imports and sells the fur of other species including foxes, rabbits, minks, coyotes, raccoon dogs and chinchillas.

Thirty-one stars signed the open letter to show their support for the #FurFreeBritain campaign run by a group of animal charities  Humane Society International UK, the RSPCA, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (Peta), Four Paws, Animal Aid, Brian Mays Save Me Trust, Viva!, The Jane Goodall Institute UK, and Open Cages  and supported by social network Care2.

Other stars adding their names to the letter include Alison Steadman, Chris Packham, Douglas Booth, Fearne Cotton, Gabrielle Aplin, Martin Clunes, Paloma Faith, Simon Pegg and Sue Perkins.

The letter says: Mrs May, the animal fur arriving in British ports is from animals who have suffered a lifetime in tiny barren cages, often driven insane by neglect.

It is from animals who have been brutally electrocuted or gassed, and sometimes even skinned alive. It is from animals caught and left for days in barbaric leg-hold traps.

They endure all of this to then have their fur processed into a frivolous trim on a hat, coat, shoe or handbag.

We should not trade on their suffering.

The celebrity support comes as a UK Government and Parliament petition approaches its March 23 deadline and nears the target of 100,000 signatures required to trigger a Parliamentary debate on the UK fur trade.

A Fur Free Britain campaign spokesman said: We are delighted that so many of the UKs best-loved celebrities have spoken out in favour of a Fur Free Britain.

Their words echo the calls from the vast majority of the British public who want to see an end to animal fur being imported on to our shores.

The UK banned fur farming almost two decades ago because of animal suffering, but we continue to import that same cruelty from other countries such as Canada, China, Poland, and the US, where the appalling suffering continues.

We urge Theresa May and her government to put an end to this double standard.

The #FurFreeBritain campaign is calling on the Government to make the UK a fur-free zone by extending the existing bans on imports of cat, dog, and seal fur to all fur-bearing species.

As a member of the European Single Market, under rules relating to the free movement of goods, the UK is not currently at liberty to ban imports of animal fur, which is produced in several European countries.

But Brexit gives the Government the freedom to close its borders fully to the trade.Jeremy Corbyns policy to seek robust dialogue with Russia will encourage Vladimir Putin to engage in further acts of state sponsored terror, MPs have heard.

The DUPs Sammy Wilson (East Antrim) made the claim after the Labour leader was heckled and criticised for his response to the Prime Ministers statement on the attack on Sergei Skripal and his daughter in Salisbury.

Mr Corbyn said: We need to continue seeking a robust dialogue with Russia on all the issues dividing our countries, both domestic and international  rather than simply cutting off contact and simply letting tensions and divisions get worse, and potentially even more dangerous.

East Antrim MP Sammy Wilson urged `robust action against those using the UK as a battleground (Liam McBurney/PA)

He faced shouts of shame and disgrace from Conservative MPs as he told the Commons: Were all familiar with the way huge fortunes, often acquired in the most dubious circumstances in Russia, sometimes connected with criminal elements, have ended up sheltering in London and trying to buy political influence in British party politics.

Meddling in elections, as the Prime Minister put it, and there has been over 800,000 worth of donations to the Conservative Party from Russian oligarchs and their associates.

Mr Wilson later said there needed to be robust action against those using the UK as a battleground.

He asked: Does the Prime Minister agree that in the face of yet further aggression from the Russian Mafia state, that the policy of the leader of the opposition to engage in robust dialogue will only encourage Putin to engage in further acts of state sponsored terror.

Mrs May said she agreed we need to ensure we do in fact respond robustly to this matter.

But she added: We need to do so with careful consideration of the assessments that have been made and the information that is available to us and that is exactly what the Government is doing.

But I think nobody in this House should be in any doubt that there can be no suggestion of business as usual in relation to our interaction with Russia.

Tom Tugendhat, chairman of the Foreign Affairs committee, said: This, if not an act of war, was certainly a warlike act by the Russian Federation and this is not the first weve seen.

And while some in this House have stayed silent and decided to join the information warfare that that state is conducting against us and our allies, we have seen them invade countries in the East, attack allies, attempt to kill prime ministers and even now they are backing the murderous Assad regime which  nothing in gassing its own people.

And (Mr Corbyn) stays silent.

Conservative MP Johnny Mercer (Plymouth Moor View) said: I think Ive just seen  and I look at my honourable friend opposite as I say this  the most shameful moment in this House of Commons in my time to date.

Its clear this sovereign United Kingdom has come under attack from another state.

Labour former minister Chris Leslie also told MPs: There are certain circumstances, as (Mrs May) knows, that we take party political differences of opinion.

But when our country is potentially under attack, that is just not appropriate.

Mrs May, in her reply, said of matters involving what another state may have done on British soil: That should be a matter that would concern all of us and should be above party politics.

Fellow Labour MP John Woodcock (Barrow and Furness) drew cheers from the Tory benches after praising Mrs Mays response.

He said: The level of resilience voiced by the Prime Minister in the chamber today has been many years in coming but it is hugely welcome.

Indeed it would put our national security at significant risk if we were led by anyone who did not understand the gravity of the threat which Russia poses to this nation.

Mrs May responded: Can I thank him for the comments that he has made. He is absolutely right it is imperative in this country we recognise the nature of the threat and the nature of the actions that Russia has taken.

Not a single word of condemnation for Russia from Corbyn on the Salisbury attack in the Commons now, instead calling for dialogue. Instead questions Tory donations. Shouts of Are you saying this for a clip on Russia Today? #weak  Greg Hands (@GregHands) March 12, 2018

Reflecting the anger heard on the Commons benches, several Conservative MPs took to social media to criticise the Labour leaders response to the Prime Ministers statement.

International Trade Minister Greg Hands tweeted: Not a single word of condemnation for Russia from Corbyn on the Salisbury attack in the Commons now, instead calling for dialogue. Instead questions Tory donations. Shouts of Are you saying this for a clip on Russia Today?

Anna Soubry claimed: MPs on both sides of the House appalled by #Corbyn badly judged comments. He consistently not so much fails to rise to important Parliamentary occasions he invariably sinks to the bottom of the political pond.

And Johnny Mercer tweeted: I think Ive just seen my most shameful moment thus far in the House of Commons.An MP has said he is completely reassured as diners and pub-goers were told to wash clothes a week after the nerve agent attack.

Public Health England issued the warning seven days after former spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia were poisoned in Salisbury.

I have set out my latest statement on events in Salisbury over the weekend and today in a post this evening on Facebook. https://t.co/Er9XMA2tbH  John Glen MP (@JohnGlenUK) March 12, 2018

John Glen, MP for the area, said he was initially somewhat taken aback by the advice from Chief Medical Officer Professor Dame Sally Davies.

Almost a week after the incident, I was surprised that visitors to Zizzi and The Mill were now being advised to wash their clothes and possessions to avoid contamination, he said in a statement.

But after speaking with Dame Sally yesterday evening, I was completely reassured that this second statement, following the advice of low public risk last Wednesday, was issued as a precaution and the risk remains low.

Investigators in protective clothing remove a van from an address in Winterslow near Salisbury in Wiltshire (Andrew Matthews/PA)

He said the guidance was not to cause alarm and added: I know that it is disconcerting to see people dressed in hazmat suits and respirators at a number of locations across the city.

But I would encourage everyone in Salisbury and those thinking of visiting our beautiful city that there is a low risk.

The advice to wash clothing and personal items was issued after traces of the nerve agent were found in The Mill pub and the nearby Zizzi restaurant.

The health risk to residents in Salisbury remains low. We have issued a statement on the precautionary advice for those who were in The Mill pub or Zizzi restaurant in Salisbury on Sunday 4 or Monday 5 March 2018 https://t.co/Tr6KOXMnjV  Public Health England (@PHE_uk) March 11, 2018

Dame Sally said fewer than 500 people would have been at the venues last Sunday evening and Monday morning.

Mr Skripal, 66, and his daughter, Yulia, 33, were found on a bench in the Wiltshire city.

They remain in Salisbury District Hospital in a critical but stable condition.Lorenzo Moron scored twice as Real Betis secured a 3-1 win at Alaves.

His first goal was controversial, though, having got in behind the Alaves defence and rifled home from the corner of the area in the 23rd minute.

The assistant referees flag was raised to signal offside, but the referee gave the goal as the ball which put Moron through had come off an Alaves player.

Javi Garcia scored the second goal for Real Betis (John Walton/EMPICS)

Alaves went in search of an equaliser and Munir El Haddadi should have done better with a header from Ruben Duartes cross but the ball flew over the crossbar.

Instead Betis doubled the lead through Javi Garcia, who struck after Alaves failed to clear a corner.

Ruben Sobrino pulled one back for Alaves when he raced on to a through-ball from Martin Aguirregabiria in the 67th minute.

But with 12 minutes remaining Ryad Boudebouz played in Moron to wrap up the three points for the visitors.The UN's political chief on Sunday condemned anti-Muslim violence that has targeted mosques and businesses in Sri Lanka as he wrapped up a three-day visit to Sri Lanka.

Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs Jeffrey Feltman urged the government to bring the perpetrators of the violence and hate speech to justice.

Feltman, who met with Muslim leaders to show solidarity during his visit, "condemned the breakdown in law and order and the attacks against Muslims and their property," a UN statement said.

Sri Lanka has been rocked by a week of violent riots by Sinhalese mobs who have attacked 11 mosques and at least 200 Muslim-owned businesses, prompting the government to declare a state of emergency.

Three people have been killed and 20 wounded in the anti-Muslim attacks. On Sunday a Muslim-owned restaurant was targeted in the town of Anamaduwa, north of the capital Colombo.

Feltman "urged swift and full implementation of the government's commitment to bring the perpetrators of the violence and hate speech to justice, to take measures to prevent recurrence, and to enforce non-discriminatory rule of law."

Sri Lankan police have been accused of failing to protect the island's minority.

Muslims make up 10 percent of Sri Lanka's 21 million people. The majority are Sinhalese, a largely Buddhist ethnic group.

President Maithripala Sirisena announced Saturday that he will appoint a three-member panel of retired judges to investigate the unrest.

A curfew was lifted in the central district of Kandy, the epicentre of the violence, but soldiers remained on the streets.

Feltman met with Sirisena, the prime minister, civil society and human rights representatives during the three-day visit that was scheduled before the outbreak of violence.

The envoy expressed hope that an office of missing persons will be set up soon to determine the fate of those unaccounted for from the brutal 25-year war against Tamil Tiger rebels.

"He expressed concern that many elements of the government's visionary 2015 program seem stalled, despite their importance to sustainable peace, security and prosperity in Sri Lanka," said the statement.

Feltman said he received assurances from government leaders that they are moving forward with democratic reforms. (AFP)The two-seater biplane called The Jaffna was used as a fighter and a bomber where the gunner threw bombs aimed at targets below

The Jaffna Tamil community of Malaya, extended their generosity to the British Government by collecting money to pay for a fighter aeroplane. The cost was a tidy sum of 2,250 Sterling Pounds

Some years ago, I was writing a book for the Civil Aviation Authority of Sri Lanka. They were commemorating 100 years of aviation in our skies. I was collecting information from every possible source, from people who remembered and from people who had heard stories of yesteryear connected to Ceylon. Thats when I came to know of The Jaffna which sure has its own fascinating story.



The year was 1915. A group of Jaffna Tamil people who had migrated to Malaya, played the lead role to relate an unusual tale about a British Royal Flying Corps (R.F.C.) fighter plane bearing a Sri Lankan name.



Native people of countries conquered by the British Empire were called to serve in the war against Germany. Many joined and witnessed action both on land and sea. Efforts were also made to collect funds for the military treasury. Special requests were sent out to colonial communities to sponsor the cost of aeroplanes.

The Jaffna Tamil community of Malaya, extended their generosity to the British Government by collecting money to pay for a fighter aeroplane. The cost was a tidy sum of 2,250 Sterling Pounds.



Having the choice to name the plane they gifted to the war effort, the Tamil community in Malaya chose to call it The Jaffna. It was in remembrance of a birthplace in a far-away land, of which their heartstrings may have often resonated nostalgic bells.



The gift was made on the 22nd of December 1915.



The aeroplane, so paid for, was a F.E. 2b (original design by Geoffrey de Havilland) which was fitted with a 120 HP Beardmore engine. The Jaffna was a two-seater which could carry a pilot and a gunner. It was known as a pusher with the prop being fixed behind the occupants. This arrangement made the front vision great and gave the machine gun mounted in the fore nacelle wide angles of maneuverability. In this era, only the German Luftstreitkrafte operated Anthony Fokkers invention of firing through a rotating propeller. The two-seater biplane called The Jaffna was used as a fighter and a bomber where the gunner threw bombs aimed at targets below.



These aeroplanes flew against the famed squadron of German ace Max Immelman. The Jaffna too flew in that same sky.



As the world got older and aviation flourished in Sri Lanka, the locally registered aeroplanes in commercial service were named after prominent royalty and renowned cities: King Vijaya, Viharamaha Devi, City of Anuradhapura, City of Colombo, etc. All of these, plus a host of others, flew the skies, brandishing their Sri Lankan heritage with boldly-painted names. But the first gift to the sky was the little fighter plane The Jaffna, certainly lesser-known, but very much in the annals of aviation. It did fly in some war-torn sky, in formation or in dogfight. Then she went into oblivion leaving me to do the reminiscence.



What I wrote is the truth as I know it. In Melbourne, in Point Cook Air Force Museum, there is a replica of this aeroplane. I dont think the Point Cook people know about The Jaffna. I wish more light is shed by people who may know of this story. I am sure it is even possible to trace which squadron was home to this aeroplane.



(Capt Elmo Jayawardena can be reached at Elmojay1@gmail.co)DPA, 11th MARCH, 2018-The Chinese parliament on Sunday scrapped presidential term limits, paving the way for President Xi Jinping to rule indefinitely over the worlds most populous country.

Out of 2,963 delegates at the annual session of the National Peoples Congress, 2,958 voted yes to changing the constitution.



Three abstained and two voted against, the parliament announced.



The results were shown on a blue screen inside the cavernous Great Hall of the People. The delegates voted using paper ballots, which they filled out and dropped inside red ballot boxes.

We all support it, and I think no one will oppose it because its an advanced law, and its correct, said Chai Wenlong, a delegate from Heilongjiang province, minutes before voting began.



We support everything as long as it will benefit the people, added Pan Ping, a delegate from Guangxi province, who donned a blue traditional costume of the Zhuang minority, as is common for representatives of ethnic minorities. She absolutely hopes Xi can rule indefinitely, she said.



The constitutional amendment package, which was announced only two weeks ahead of Sundays voting, came as a surprise to Chinese intellectuals and observers. It marked a stark reversal in the direction of Beijing politics, which in the past 30 years has followed a collective leadership model in order to prevent the unilateral - and sometimes catastrophic - decision-making that occurred under communist Chinas founder, Mao Zedong.



The Communist Party has rotated its leadership every decade since former leader Deng Xiaoping in 1982 abolished lifelong leadership tenure.



But after Xi, 64, became president in 2013, he quickly consolidated power and swept away his opponents in a wide-ranging anti-corruption campaign.



Xis power play was also foreshadowed at the twice-a-decade Communist Party Congress last October, when the party appointed five new members of the all-powerful Politburo Standing Committee, none of whom was young enough or had the credentials to become Xis successor.Company projects at least 30% portfolio growth in the medium-term



Citizens Development Business Finance PLC (CDB) is raising up to Rs.2.0 billion via corporate bonds to fund its aggressive growth during the ensuing financial year, as the company has been seeing some handsome growth in assets and profits during recent quarters.



In a stock exchange disclosure, the licensed finance company with an asset base of Rs.68 billion said it was issuing 10 million subordinated, unsecured, redeemable and rated debentures at an issue price of Rs.100 each with an option to upsize the issue by a similar amount at the discretion of the company in the event of an oversubscription of the initial tranche.



The debentures will be listed in the Colombo Stock Exchange and the subscriptions will begin on March 20.

ICRA Lanka Limited, a group company of Moodys Investors Service last November issued a BBB rating with a Stable outlook for the instrument, following an upgrade of the issuer (CDB) from BBB to BBB+.



The instrument is issued with a rating of one notch below the issuer rating to reflect its subordination to senior unsecured debt.



The November 2017 upgrade of the issuer rating by a notch was a result of, CDBs comfortable and stable asset quality indicators with the improvement in the portfolio risk profile, growth amid competition and reasonable overall profitability indicators, ICRA Lanka said.



Asset quality of CDB remains better than systemic levels, because of its increased focus on safer asset classes and prime borrower segments; gross NPA was 3.2 percent as in September 2017 vis-a-vis 3.1 percent in March 2017 and 3.6 percent in March 2016, ICRA Lanka added.



However, during the most recent quarter ended December 31, 2017, the companys provisions against possible bad loans soared and the gross non-performing loan ratio showed some weakness.



The company provided Rs.127.2 million against profits for possible bad loans, an increase from Rs.46.4 million reported for the corresponding quarter, last year.

The gross non-performing loan ratio rose to 3.41 percent from 3.08 percent.



For the quarter ended in December 31, 2017 (3Q18), CDB reported earnings of Rs.6.03 a share or Rs.327.3 million compared to Rs.3.34 a share or Rs.181.1 million in total earnings reported for the corresponding period, last year.



The net interest income rose by a healthy 37 percent year-on-year (YoY) to Rs.983 million and the net fee and commission income jumped 90 percent Yoy to Rs.124.1 million.



Meanwhile, for the nine months ended December 31, 2017, the company reported earnings of Rs.15.84 a share or Rs.860.3 million, up 37 percent YoY.

CDB is also seeing narrowing of margins as the company has gradually been trimming its exposure to high risk asset classes such as three-wheeler financing and increasing its exposure to safer asset classes such as about cars and van leases.



The net interest margin of the company came down to 5.43 percent by end December 2017 from 5.52 percent in March 2017 and 6.9 percent in March 2016.

During the nine months, the company expanded its loan book by Rs.11.3 billion or 26.2 percent to Rs.54.5 billion.



Auto financing accounts for 90 percent of the total loans but the company is seen gradually diversifying into non-auto assets classes such as pawning, personal loans and property loans.



CDB is expecting to growth its loan portfolio at 25 to 30 percent annually during the medium term, which is aggressive given the muted credit growth in the economy.

Meanwhile, the company grew its deposits by 34.7 percent or Rs.11.3 billion to Rs.43.9 billion. Fixed deposits account for 70 percent of CDBs funding profile while debt instruments and other bank borrowings account for the balance.



As of December 31, 2017, Ceylinco Life Insurance Limited held 33.54 percent in CDB followed by Janashakthi Insurance group with a 10 percent in the company.President Maithripala Sirisena yesterday requested for assistance from Eric Solheim, the Executive Director of the UN Environment Programme, to introduce alternate technologies for Sri Lanka to eliminate the negative impact of excessive soil and sand mining in the construction industry.

The President met with Mr. Solheim on the sidelines of the International Solar Alliance Summit in New Delhi.

Mr. Solheim, a Norwegian diplomat, earlier worked as a facilitator between the Sri Lankan government and the LTTE during peace talks. He has visited the country on numerous occasions and met with officials from both the government and the LTTE sides in his role as facilitator.

A statement from the Presidents office said that Sri Lanka has planned to increase its forest cover to 32 per cent of the total landmass.

He told Mr. Solheim that surveillance was done by air in order to identify the extent of the damage caused to the forest cover recently.Fitch Ratings Lanka Chief Executive and Country Head Maninda Wickramasinghe last week said Sri Lanka has too many banks, insurance and finance companies, much more than the country needs and the proliferation of such companies has left scant scope for efficient use of the limited capital in the country.



Does Sri Lanka need 25 insurance companies, 58 finance companies and so many banks? I mean, do we really need them? he asked a gathering of professional management accountants last week at a seminar organised by the Institute of Certified Management Accountants of Sri Lanka (CMA).



Fitch Ratings Lanka rates a large number of financial institutions operating in Sri Lanka and has maintained an unblemished track record since it started operations close to two decades ago.

Wickramasinghe said Sri Lanka is a country starving for capital and consolidation would lead to efficient use of the limited capital.



He cited recent regulator-driven segregation of the composite insurance business in Sri Lanka, which led to widespread mergers and acquisitions in the general insurance industry.



Unlike life insurance, general insurance business remains a very tough business to make profits without scale and the small general insurers merged with larger and more specialized foreign general insurers.



The latest such merger was the sale of the general insurance business by Janashakthi Insurance PLC to the local unit of the German insurance giant, Allianze S.E, in a blockbuster deal valued at Rs.16.4 billion.



The economy needs capital. This is a country where you need capital. We are starved for capital. Everybody is replicating because they are like low hanging fruits. But its time that these industries consolidated.

You dont need that many institutions in all these areas and that capital can be re-deployed into far more productive areas, Wickramasinghe told the seminar titled How Important Ratings are in a Capital Market.



In the banking sector, Sri Lankas Central Bank raised the minimum capital of a bank to Rs.20 billion from the existing Rs.10 billion, which will force some of the smaller lenders to find merger partners or merge with licensed finance companies to look bigger.



In 2015, Sri Lanka abandoned a regulator-driven consolidation in the banking and finance sectors, which intended at forming five big lenders with assets over a trillion rupees and less than 20 licensed finance companies  a healthy number of financial sector firms for a country of 21 million population.The situation in Kandy shamefully took a deeper communal turn after the attacks on the religious sites and shops in the Digana and Teldeniya areas in Kandy. After 30 years of war, we, Sri Lankans, have still not learnt that we should never exploit, initiate, indulge, promote or tolerate any kind of racist, religious and nationalist divisions.



Speaking at the cabinet news briefing this week, Minister Rajitha Senaratne said certain politicians are behind the disturbances in Kandy. Shocking to say the least and acts of this nature will only continue to hold us back from realizing our full potential as a nation.



Perhaps this is why some nations like Japan, China and Singapore continue become wealthy and prosperous, while others remain stuck in poverty, wars and conflict  and also, some of those powers, from ancient Rome to modern Soviet Union, prosper for periods and then collapse.

Politics and leadership make the difference, say economists Daron Acemoglu of MIT and James Robinson of Harvard University in their book, Why Nations Fail. Countries that have what they call inclusive political governments  those extending political and property rights as broadly as possible, while enforcing laws, policy and providing stable public infrastructure  experience the greatest growth over the long run.



By contrast, Acemoglu and Robinson assert, countries with extractive political systems  in which power is wielded by a small elite and family either fail to grow broadly or wither away after short bursts of economic expansion.



Politics

Many years ago, as university students, we were taught that natural resources matter more than political leadership. Later they argued the political leadership is the key for sustainable economic performance. Some countries at that time demonstrated that good geography could trump bad politics and the best politics require a top effort to offset bad geography.



At the same time, they argued that rich countries were in the north of the globe and most poor countries are in the south but Australia and New Zealand are part of the southern hemisphere and both are doing fine. You couldnt say this of Papua New Guinea, which is the Asian country closest to Australia and New Zealand.



Later on, people like Michael Porter argued that it was not geography alone that causes wealth or poverty. A superficial view is to blame racial differences. Black Africa is the poorest and most disordered part of the world and Haiti, with an almost entirely black population, is the poorest country of the Americas. But the coincidence is accidental.



What makes some countries rich and others prone to poverty is not related to skin colour or racial factors. Many immigrants from poor nations do very well in the US and Canada, though one has to admit that both countries make immigration easy only for the best and the brightest of those who hail from the Third World countries.



It is also not the presence or lack of natural resources what makes a country rich or poor in the long run. Japan is a country with very limited natural resources but has been the richest country in Asia for a long time.

Natural resources

On the other hand, it is easy to predict that some Third World countries that currently are rich because of immense reserves of natural wealth while not being burdened with large populations will slide back when the natural resources are depleted.



While a handful of countries thanks to great leadership managed to achieve economic prosperity that has helped them to escape the perils of poverty, while many other countries fail in this respect and continue to be trapped in poverty. Was it chance? Their people? Their products and services? Their markets?



The growth experiences of countries from north to south as we all know is filled with success and a great deal of disasters, which has had huge implications for the living standards of ordinary people. Then countries with extractive political systems  in which power is wielded by a small elite  either fail to grow broadly or wither away after short bursts of economic expansion.



Drivers of prosperity

Economics has sometimes a narrow scope. It studies a nations prosperity through trade flows, monetary, fiscal and budget policies. The analysis of companies is a bit broader. It encompasses strategy, structure and finance but also less rational fields such as human resources, corporate culture or consumer behaviours.



Competitiveness provides a broader basis for analysis. It looks at all the elements that can explain the success of a nation. Industries often thrive when they are forced to overcome high labour costs or lack natural resources. When their customers wont accept inferior, outdated products, when their local competitors are murderous and when the government offers no protection from their competition and sets tough technical and regularity standards.



For instance, the Italian shoe industry is prodded by sophisticated consumer demand that encourages entry by many new firms. Many of them, family-owned, compete very jealousy. The shoemakers are compelled to spew out new models continuously and must keep improving to increase efficiency to stay competitive within Italys quirky, high-cost infrastructure.



When the home market got saturated, the Italian manufacturers went overseas and achieved international success. According to Prof. Porter, competitive advantage based on only one or two factors is unsustainable. South Koreas construction industry grew rapidly during the mid 80s simply by applying low-cost labour to projects that did not require sophisticated engineering.



It lost out when other countries that had cheap labour jumped in. Resources-based advantages too frequently suffer the same fate. Two additional variables, chance and government, have a big impact. Chance is outside the control of industries; wars and embargoes can reshape the industry structure in a country for or against it.



A government can improve or retard competitive advantage. Vigorous enforcement of antitrust laws encourages competition and stimulates innovation. For an industry to flourish, domestic rivalry is nearly always necessary. It drives companies to move beyond whatever initial advantage that led to the founding of the industry and to develop their international potential.



Strong leadership

To maintain competitive advantage, a nation must normally broaden and upgrade from their original sources of success and take it to the next level. In the early stage of economic growth many believe that a country needs a strong government that can mobilize and direct resources that are important.

Therefore, the success of poor countries, according to them, hinges critically on the quality of government leadership, i.e. its development-oriented leadership, its ability to promote good talent to head critical institutions and its approach for policy formulation with industry.



China is a case in point. On the other hand, India, even though is poor in resource, is super rich in human talent and in technology. Knowledge is perhaps the most critical competitiveness factor. As countries move up, it is knowledge that will ensure their prosperity and help them to compete in world markets.



How that knowledge is acquired and managed is each nations responsibility and will determine a nations future prosperity. But the key enabler for all this is sound political leadership. Lack of sound political leadership impedes on growth because it creates uncertainty and this discourages investment and foreign direct investment as well as affecting employment creation.

(Dinesh Weerakkody is a thought leader)The Pivithuru Hela Urumaya (PHU) today said the government was attempting to suppress anti-government sentiments by banning social media platforms and urged the government to lift the ban immediately.

Addressing a news briefing, PHU Leader MP Udaya Gammanpila said a number of users had utilized social media platforms to express their sentiments against the government during the recent past.

"The violent incidents in Kandy are no more and the curfew has been lifted. The State of Emergency would be expired on Wednesday but the ban on social media is still in effect. The government which came to power to ensure freedom of expression attempts to suppress social media today hiding behind Kandy violence. We won't allow this to succeed," he said.

He said the ban was impractical and youth population was using alternative means to access social media. When youths have logged on, the President and Prime Minister were also seen already using Facebook. They have accessed social media during the ban. If social media is acceptable to the two leaders, why not for the people? he said.

Meanwhile, he said the government skipped two hurdles during the Kandy violence last week. He said the government forcefully passed the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance (ICPAPED) Bill in Parliament, the first hurdle.

The second hurdle was UNHRC calling for UN member countries to use universal jurisdiction in Sri Lanka, he said. (Lahiru Pothmulla)

Video by SanjeewaLast week, when I wrote about the looming danger of fringe Sinhala Buddhist extremism, it was all quiet in Kandy, at least on the surface. But, those who were privy to local intelligence should have known about simmering tension in the area after the death of a Sinhalese lorry driver who succumbed to injuries after being assaulted by a group of drunken Muslim youth. The government as usual did nothing to sooth the unrest. Only after Digana was burning, and local thugs were on rampage, attacking Muslim shops, residences and mosques that it finally decided to act. Then it was too late. The damage was done. A young man was found dead inside a burnt out shop, another succumbed to injuries due to a grenade attack. Muslims had sleepless nights, ethnic relations were damaged. The government handed a propaganda coup to the Eelam lobby and their assorted accessories, which are hell bent on projecting Sinhalese as barbarians. The tourism industry is likely to take a beating. Economy will suffer. All of that is due to the incompetency of this government to meet even a peripheral threat, which could have been defeated with a single dose of political will and common sense.



Now the police have gone on an overdrive, arresting around 200 suspects. Though belated, still, it is better being late than never, because, what the country witnessed last week was only a teaser of what the Sinhala bigotry is capable of producing, if it is given space and time.



However, arresting suspects in drove and then releasing on bail would not address the problem. This is not a bar brawl. This is hate crime. Judicial measures should reflect upon the security risk these individuals pose to the peace and order. The country is better off if those folks are behind bars. When a national security and hard won peace are at stake, the laws ought to take a utilitarian perspective, rather than overly emphasizing on individual liberties.



The government should also act proactively to fight this emerging threat. The rising Sinhala Buddhist extremism is still an incipient threat. So were the JVP and Tamil separatism in the early 80s. The then governments failure to determinedly meet those challenges led to decades of carnage in the north and the south. This government seems to have not learnt lessons from the mistakes of its predecessors. In some ways, its complacency before an emerging threat is more sinister than white vans. The latter is selective in terror; this complacency is robbing the future of the nation as a whole.

Apprehending suspects in drove and then releasing on bail would not address the problem. This is not a bar brawl. This is hate crime



It is mind-boggling as to how a so called  Mahasohon Balakaya a fringe racist group could operate an office in Kandy and very publicly propagate hate against Muslims for years. Whether that is a matter of incompetency of the police alone, or whether the police had been forced by politicians and top brass to look the other way, in order to avoid confrontation with powerful individuals and monks is also a moot point. It is also worth probing what follow- up actions have been taken against the perpetrators of previous attacks. Any commission that investigate lapses into the government and police handling of violence should also dig into why bigotry had gone unchecked so long.



Incidentally, Ampitiya was also the home town of Col. Fazly Lafir, one of the founding officers of Sri Lanka Special Force, who died while leading a rescue mission after the LTTE overran the Mullaitivu military garrison in 1996. He was posthumously awarded Parama Weera Vibhushanya, the highest award for military valour. There is many an anecdote about his bravery; in the last mission, he insisted to proceed, even after the chopper pilot initially refused, knowing that it was a near dead mission.Those brave men and many thousands of youth in the South and North had to die because successive government played politics with the future of this country. Now, it is an affront to many Muslim officers who paid with their life and limb to protect this country, when these racist fanatics keep on spewing hate in public and burn down their home towns.



Recently, two young Tamil men who posted pro-LTTE propaganda in facebook were arrested and placed in remand custody. It might not have pleased the NGO captains who themselves have a twisted view on things, skewed against the Sinhalese Buddhists, however, Sri Lankas past and current security vulnerabilities warrant such measures. Same measures should also be applied against Sinhalese extremists. Anyone who considers majoritarian extremism as a sign of patriotism is a closeted bigot.



Kinetic measures alone would not help in fighting extremism. The government should foster national reconciliation and ethnic co-existence; at the same time it should actively delegitimize bigotry of all kinds. It should start with school textbooks. Sunday religious school should also be told to promote some kind of multi-religious understanding. Also, the government should also take active measures to increase the minority representation in the civil service, as well as police and security forces. And community leaders also have a responsibility to highlight the commonalities, rather than fretting about differences.



Follow @RangaJayasuriya on TwitterFahim, (c) 2018, The Washington Post Mar 10, 2018 -In an effort to repair tattered relations, the Trump administration has told Turkey it will move to rein in Kurdish fighters that have been the backbone of the U.S. campaign against the Islamic State in Syria, according to U.S. and Turkish officials.



The American pledge, if carried out, would satisfy a long-standing demand by the Turkish government. The Kurds helped to take Manbij from the Islamic State in 2016 and have been there since.



Turkey has shown no tolerance for any development that strengthens Kurdish political and military groups in Syria, especially along the lengthy border Turkey shares with Syria. Turkey accuses them of being terrorists seeking a permanent Kurdish enclave allied with separatist Kurdish militants inside Turkey, known as the Kurdistan Workers Party.



This warming of relations, however, is costing to the United States. Saying they feel let down by Washington, US-allied Kurdish forces are withdrawing from the fight against the Islamic State in southern Syria to join the battle against Turkey in the north.A group of Japanese experts say they have found the sea around Sri Lanka as most suitable for aquatic plantation, in a research conducted by them.

They have recently handed over the report on their research to the Minister of Fisheries Mahinda Amaraweera.

Aquatic plants are rich in hygienic properties and it is largely consumed by people in foreign countries. However, Sri Lankans are still not accustomed to use of the sea plant, Minister said.

Aquatic plantation is also a profitable export food variety. For the first time Sri Lanka exported 52 metric tonnes the last year and earned an income of Rs. 5.5million and it has a potential of earning huge income in the future with the expansion projects, according to the minister.

Sea strips from Galle to Hambantota, Arugam Bay to Trincomallee and Chilaw to Mannar are more suitable for aquatic plantation.

An aquatic plant tissue culture centre has been set up in Rambodagalla Kurunegala to propagate the aquatic plantations. (Dayaseeli Liyanage)By Chandeepa Wettasinghe

The Laugfs group is expecting its heavily indebted, loss-making hospitality subsidiary, Laugfs Leisure Ltd, to break even by the 2020 financial year, after going public this year.



Were hoping to break even by 2020 and thereafter we should be quite profitable, said Laugfs Gas PLC Director H.A. Ariyaratne. While hospitality analysts have noted that in Sri Lanka, for a star-class hotel to break even, it could take around six to eight years, hotels start to make profits around two years after commencing operations, as has been the case of the latest hotels company to go public- Jetwing Symphony.

However, Laugfs Leisure, which opened its first hotel four years ago in February 2014, has not been able to deliver such performance.



By end-2016 financial year, after two years of operation, Laugfs 87-room Anantaya Chilaw hotel did not seem to show any sign of posting profits, with Rs.113.4 million in losses after tax compared to Rs.162.1 million in losses after tax made in 2015 and Rs.37.3 million in losses after tax made in 2014. After the 51-room Anantaya Passikudah resort came into operation in the popular east coast destination, the 2017 financial year saw the losses after tax posted by the two hotels increasing to Rs.403.7 million. The retained losses amounted to Rs.741.5 million as at March 31, 2017.



Ariyaratne said that the losses at the Chilaw property were explained by the fact that it was a region not popular among tourists and that Laugfs had to spend a lot on marketing the destination and that tour companies are now starting to respond. Further, he said that the occupancy at the Passikudah property is now above the industry average.



Laugfs Group Chairman W.K.H. Wegapitiya added that the two hotels have won multiple awards for their hospitality.



However, none of these developments stopped the firm from posting losses after tax of Rs.324.9 million during the first nine months of the 2018 financial year ended last December, compared to the loss of Rs.265.3 million year-on-year, showing no sign of easing the momentum at which Laugfs Leisure is making losses.



There was no breakdown over the properties in Chilaw and Passikudah in the financials to determine whether Anantaya Chilaw has started to post profits, nearly four years after opening its doors.

Laugfs Leisure, which has Rs.2 billion in borrowings, is slated to go public within three months, as part of a corporate restructuring plan of the parent Laugfs Gas PLC, which is currently the only publicly listed entity of the group.



Laugfs Leisure has invested over Rs.4.5 billion in its hotel infrastructure, according to the balance sheet and the initial plans were to invest a total of Rs.9 billion in three hotels, with the third in Wadduwa expected to become the largest, with 200 rooms and a theme park to be constructed on a 15-acre land worth Rs.500 million, which is already in possession of Laugfs Leisure.



The firm even had ambitious plans to venture into the Maldives, having incorporated a subsidiary. However, it had not purchased any land in the neighbouring archipelago.



With opinions emerging now that the Maldives tourism market is too saturated for entry at the moment, Wegapitiya admitted that these plans could change, since Laugfs has not made a commitment there.



Wegapitiya, the majority owner of the Laugfs group, said that he has no intentions of divesting Laugfs Leisure.



He has been bitter over the fact that the parent Laugfs Gas has not been able to attract a higher market value and the shedding of non-core operations such as leisure is part of his plan to increase the valuation, although he admitted that the high debt in the group could be a reason for the market attributing subdued price for Laugfs shares.The Governments across the world take decisions on international relations on the basis of a wide variety of inputs and considerations. Among the ingredients is domestic political pressure.Typically, political pressure is built up by the mass media. At times, such pressure is even initiated by the media.



By their very nature, the mass media tend to see issues in black and white rather than in shades of grey. And in the sphere on foreign affairs, strong nationalistic sentiments hold sway over the media, vitiating ties with other countries. One of the victims of this is Sino-Indian relations.



Media at Work in China and India, Edited by Robin Jeffrey and Ronojoy Sen, SAGE India, 2015 brings out the role of the Indian and Chinese media in sustaining and exacerbating Sino-Indian ties through papers written by media watchers, including an Indian and a Chinese journalist with long years of experience in working in China and India respectively.



An alarming inadequacy and confusion pervades Indias media and strategic community when it comes to reporting and analysing China. Its a limitation that distorts and severely restricts the mainstream discourse that shapes perceptions in India and China, writes Ananth Krishnan, formerly of The Hindu and now of India Today.

Ananth gives the example of a briefing paper put out in 2009 by the Chennai-based Centre for China Studies on Chinese Strategic plan to break up the Indian Union.The briefing paper claimed that the above mentioned thesis reflected the official Chinese view because the forum was linked to an official think tank.



Predictably, the Indian media went to town on the threat almost derailing the Sino-Indian border talks which were to be held then. The tirade stopped only when the Times of India (ToI) reported that the online forum was not connected to any official think tank. Lack of knowledge of Chinese had resulted in the Indians claiming that the author was one Zhongguo Zhan Lue, when it was not the name of a person but a pseudonym meaning Chinese Strategist. Ignorance of the Chinese language is a major problem afflicting Indian journalists and experts writing on China, Ananth points out.



Indian journalists also assume that everything that appears in the Chinese media is officially sanctioned,while the truth is different. Ananth,who has been in China since 2009, points out that Chinas netizens not only number in millions but are as diverse in their agendas and opinions as their Indian counterparts.



Quoting news sources out of context and disingenuously adding material have also been the bane of Indian reporting from China. Giving an example, Ananth says that in 2010, Prof. Shen Dingli of Shanghais Fudan University had written that China should have military bases overseas. She did not elaborate. But the ToI promptly did a story saying:  China mulls setting up military base in Pakistan.China has signaled it wants to go the US way and set up military bases in locations that would possibly include Pakistan. The obvious purpose would be to exert pressure on India as well as counter US influence in Pakistan and Afghanistan.

Ananth, who has been in China since 2009, points out that Chinas netizens not only number in millions but are as diverse in their agendas and opinions as their Indian counterparts



Not surprisingly, the report caused a storm in India. But Ananth points out that Prof. Shen did not even mention Pakistan! And she had written the article as an academic, not as the spokesperson of the Chinese government.



A Press Trust of India (PTI) report based on a Xinhua story said that China is seeking to expand exploration for poly-metallic sulphide ore in the Indian Ocean thus straying into Indias backyard. This again was disingenuous because Xinhua never said anything of that sort. In its report on the speech given by Liu Cigui, Head of the State Oceanic Administration,there was no reference to mining rights or even the Indian Ocean. However, the next day, ToI carried a story entitled: India, China, square off for sea fight. The oceans are the new theatres of India-China competition, creating tension in the Indian and security and scientific communities.

The absence of rigorous fact checking in Indian newspapers allows such misinterpretations to remain unchecked. There is no distinction between fact and fiction making it impossible to have any meaningful and informed public debate on China. Sensationalism is undermining credibility,Ananth asserts.



Weaknesses of Chinese Media



Tang Lu of Xinhua who had studied and worked in India between 1996 and 2016 says in her paper that if the Indian media misreads China, the Chinese media also misreads India. Factual ground-based reporting is absent in both. Both rely almost entirely on secondary media sources many of which are Western and already biased.



Tang Lu decided to get out of the rut, given her training as a university researcher and experience of grassroots level work as the Vice Governor of rural Baishui county in Shaanxi province.She trudged across rural Gujarat to know ground realities.



The Chinese media are obsessed with the notion that India is aiming to be a world power and view its successes and failures from the point of view of this goal, Lu observes.



When Pakistani terrorists staged a devastating attack on Mumbai on November 26, 2008, the Chinese media went to town saying Indias dream of becoming a world power lay shattered. But Tang Lu wrote a piece saying that just as one or two achievements cannot make a country a world power, one or two terrorist attacks cannot stem Indias progress.



Likewise, when the power grid in North India collapsed in July 2012, the Chinese media claimed that over 670 million Indians were stumbling in the dark and that Indias pretentions about being a world power lay shattered. But in her dispatch Tang Lu pointed out that millions in North India had no access to electricity anyway to warrant the conclusion that plans to become a great power were shattered by the power failure.

Just as the Indian media is hostile to China, the Chinese media is also hostile to India. Both have a penchant for picking up published material which reeked of nationalistic belligerence



Comparison of the militaries of India and China is another favorite story in the media of the two countries. In February 2009, there was a popular Chinese media story about the Chinese navy forcing an Indian submarine to surface in the Gulf of Aden. To match it, the The Hindu and ToI said that an Indian submarine had followed the fleet of a certain nation for a week and simulated 39 attacks on it. But ground level investigation later revealed that the original story put out by Qindao Morning News of China was fake. The Indian and foreign media had been taken for a ride!



Just as the Indian media is hostile to China, the Chinese media is also hostile to India. Both have a penchant for picking up published material which reeked of nationalistic belligerence.



Both Indians and Chinese have the wrong notion that their media are monolithic with no diversity. The Chinese do not know that for every 100 Indians there are 101 views and Indians do not know that the Chinese media is very diverse, Tang Lu points out.



In fact, Chinese media can publish their own exclusive opinions although all media are under government regulations. The views do not represent the governments stance. It is more or less the same as the complicated Indian media, she says.A plane has crashed at Tribhuvan International Airport in Nepal's capital, Kathmandu, BBC reported.

The plane, operated by US-Bangla, a Bangladeshi airline, veered off the runway while landing on Monday afternoon, causing a blaze that firefighters have been tackling.

About 67 people were thought to be on board, officials told the BBC.

A number of people have been injured, Nepal police spokesperson Manoj Neupane told BBC News Nepali.

The plane can reportedly carry 78 passengers, local news site My Republica reported.

Photos and video posted on social media showed smoke rising from an airport runway.Speaker Karu Jayasuriya yesterday warned of a possible repercussion on the employment opportunities for Sri Lankans in Middle- East countries if the racially motivated attacks against certain communities continued.

Addressing a gathering of ministers, parliament members, religious leaders and businessmen of all three communities at the Central Province Governor's office in Kandy, Mr. Jayasuriya stated that leaders of certain countries have been hurt by the violent incidents in the Kandy District.

"A large number of Sri Lankans are working in Middle East countries. If the leaders of those countries after being hurt over a certain community here being threatened, take steps to send back the Sri Lankans, it would affect the country in a big way" the Speaker warned after inspecting the situation in the areas where attacks on Muslim houses, businesses and mosques had taken place last week .

He pointed out that the riots had already taken a heavy toll on the tourism industry while a UN official visited the country to express the concern of the world body. He lamented that the situation tarnished the image of the country seriously.

Denouncing extremism and racism as a threat to all communities, the Speaker observed that no country could progress if these social maladies are condoned. "Countries have perished due to racism and extremism. We must ensure that there won't be a recurrence of the incidents that took place in Ampara and Kandy" he asserted.

Public Administration, Law and Order Minister Ranjith Madduma Bandara who attributed the spread of the violence to the false and slanderous social media propaganda stated that stern action would be taken against those responsible for the situation that defamed the country's image.

While the Secretary of the Muslim Traders Association A.C.M. Rahuman expressed displeasure over the conduct of the authorities responsible for the security of the area, Maulavi Fasrul Rahman bemoaned his community was hurt by the insults hurled against them. "We are not importing Arab culture here" he said and urged that those responsible for the mayhem be punished while compensation must be paid for the damages. (J.A.L. Jayasinghe, Chandana Uduwawala and Sisira Kumara)The recently concluded Sri Lanka Ceramic and Glass Symposium 2018, the seventh of its kind to be held in Sri Lanka, saw a memorable and insightful keynote delivery by the renowned MAS Holdings Chairman Mahesh Amalean.



Amaleans take on the role consisted of various aspects of various industries and how they prosper through the current changing trends and challenges in a tech-savvy, digitisation and innovation-prone era and he did this by elaborating on his story, the MAS story- MAS journey.



When preparing for this address, I took time to appreciate the impact that the ceramic, glass and red clay industry has on the Sri Lankan economy and society. Your industry generates an annual turnover of Rs.43 billion, of which approximately 23 percent relates to exports, said Amalean.



He stated that the industry provides 22,000 people with direct employment opportunities, while providing 30,000 people with indirect employment. The industry has also invested a total of Rs.7 billion over the past five years for expansion purposes.



These numbers speak volumes for the contribution you have made to the country and the lives that you have touched, directly and indirectly, along the way, Amalean told the audience of veteran ceramic and glass industry proprietors, dignitaries, corporate officials and media personnel.



As a child and later as a young adult, I have always admired the craftsmanship and quality of the products that you make and have also felt a great sense of pride whenever I have seen, on the shelves of premium department stores overseas, ceramicware made in Sri Lanka.



Amalean conceded his interest to note the similarities between the challenges faced by the apparel industry (including companies such as MAS) and ceramic, glass and red clay industry in Sri Lanka.



At MAS, we see our business environment changing dramatically in three specific ways: first, the traditional channels of distribution such as retail outlets are being disrupted through the impact of digital technology and e-commerce; second, our customers are looking for speed to market and customisation, at affordable price points and third, Sri Lankas cost-competitiveness continues to be challenged by labour scarcity and increasing input costs like energy and other statutory costs.

With such dynamic changes in the marketplace, the question is how to ensure that companies and the industry as a whole are sustainable and grow to become a meaningful global player.

When I embarked on building MAS with my two brothers and a team of smart Sri Lankans, I had two clear goals: the first was to look outwards and always consider the world as our marketplace and the second was to build a world-class company. We were able to achieve this by entering a joint venture with a company called MAST Industries, the sourcing arm of The Limited, which also owns Victorias Secret



To put it more specifically in financial terms, how do you double the size of the ceramic, glass and red clay industry in the next five to 10 years  from Rs.45 billion to Rs.100 billion? It may sound like an audacious goal. However, I am certain that with the collective intelligence that we have in this room and the resource of the industry, it is an achievable one.



Amalean went on to talk about MAS journey, emphasising on the key approaches and defining the moments that have, in his perspective, helped differentiate and grow the business. He shared MAS experience with the intention of inspiring the locality to grow their businesses and the industry.



World as marketplace



When I embarked on building MAS with my two brothers and a team of smart Sri Lankans, I had two clear goals: the first was to look outwards and always consider the world as our marketplace and the second was to build a world-class company. We were able to achieve this by entering a joint venture with a company called MAST Industries, the sourcing arm of The Limited, which also owns Victorias Secret.



For me, building a world-class organisation was more than just bringing in new technology. It was also about establishing world-class business practices and gaining access to international markets. So, when we were given the opportunity to establish a joint venture with MAST Industries, we grabbed it with both hands.

The point I would like to make here is that no matter how small you are as an organisation or as an industry, always aspire to be world-class and see the world as your market and not just Sri Lanka. Today, on average, over 70 percent of your industry is focused on domestic demand and as a result, your rate of growth is determined by the growth of the Sri Lankan economy. In contrast, the apparel industry is largely export-oriented and therefore, its growth is determined by the growth of the world economy and as a result, the opportunity for growth is much higher.



After the blue-chip example, he went on to say that upon the establishment of MAS as a world-class apparel manufacturer, they realised that to ensure the sustainability and growth of their business, they needed to constantly look for opportunities, not only to add value but also to create new value.



We achieved this in many ways: first, by investing in setting up the supply chain. By 1996, manufacturing lead time started shrinking. Our suppliers were scattered around the world and it took nearly six months to process an order. We realised we needed to be more agile; having a supply chain close to our apparel manufacturing was a necessity. This was when we began investing in an integrated supply chain and decided to bring home to Sri Lanka the best-in-class technology in textiles and trims, by establishing joint ventures with companies that were world-class in their specific field. Our first investment in the supply chain was a joint venture with Charnwood Elastic to set up Stretchline  that makes elastic  in the Biyagama Free Trade Zone.



Amalean stated that over the years, they added to their supply chain ecosystem a vast array of companies that were world-class in their respective fields of the industry. For your industry, this may be less of a problem, as most of your raw materials are available within the country.



Second, by providing design and product development to our customers: While consolidating our supply chain, we felt the need to simultaneously strengthen our design function to transform MAS from a contract garment manufacturer to a design-to-delivery solutions provider. The design capability within Sri Lanka at the time wasnt the strongest, so we enhanced our teams with expertise from overseas while investing in the development of our local design talent.



Third, by continuous improvement through our lean journey: By the year 2000, we had grown to be a US $ 200 million business. But for some reason, I was feeling uncomfortable; something was not right. The business was growing but our margins were coming down and there were subtle signs of us getting fat and comfortable; productivity was plateauing and waste was creeping in.



It was during this period that I got the opportunity to visit Japan in 2002 as part of a donor conference. I took the time to visit Toyota (Nagoya), Nissan, Brother and Juki. Having spent a week visiting these plants, I was kicking myself at the end of the trip as I felt that I was 10 years too late. There was so much richness in the Japanese manufacturing industry that we could bring into our business, making a significant improvement to our manufacturing operations.



Having come back, the team piloted the operation at their best performing plant  Linea Clothing, in 2005. They did so, knowing that if they could improve the performance of their best plant, there would be no question that it would benefit all their plants across the group. Three years later, Linea Clothing was 80 percent more productive within the same footprint.



Fourth, by providing our customers with a speed to market solutions: With this continuous improvement mindset, we created an innovative business model called Rapid  bringing down the lead time from 60 to 14 days  on the platform of an integrated supply chain and manufacturing excellence.

No matter how small you are as an organisation or as an industry, always aspire to be world-class and see the world as your market and not just Sri Lanka. Today, on average, over 70 percent of your industry is focused on domestic demand and as a result, your rate of growth is determined by the growth of the Sri Lankan economy. In contrast, the apparel industry is largely export-oriented and therefore, its growth is determined by the growth of the world economy and as a result, the opportunity for growth is much higher



Mecca of innovation



Fifth, by providing our customers innovation in product and technology: With innovation in product and technology starting to play a huge part in business and our day-to-day lives, we asked ourselves, if Nagoya was the Mecca of lean, where was the Mecca of innovation? All arrows pointed towards Silicon Valley, so thats where I went to next.



The purpose of the visit to Silicon Valley was to get a better understanding on how the world-renowned organisations approached innovation and what should be done to become an innovative company. We visited companies like Google, Facebook, Microsoft, HP and Stanford University and 3M in Minnesota. Some of the most innovative companies in the world have embraced a concept called open innovation or collaborative creation.



Sixth, using automation and robotics to address two of the biggest challenges faced by our industry, which are rising labour costs and scarcity of labour: Through autonomation (intelligent automation), we are now focusing on reducing labour content and enhancing productivity within our manufacturing footprint. Last year, our organisation saved approximately US $ 9 million through our autonomation efforts and so, we ensured the sustainability of our business through value migration by focusing on the six areas, said Amalean, concluding MAS journey.



Well, what about the future? In the past, our industry was disrupted by low labour cost countries who took business away from us by offering lower prices. It was all about labour arbitrage. Today, we stand in the middle of a world where industry after industry is being disrupted by digital technology and not only that, it is also altering the way we live, work and relate to one another.



The worlds biggest hotel chain does not own a single hotel (Airbnb) and the biggest taxi company does not own a single vehicle (Uber). In the apparel world, pure play digital brands like Amazon, Alibaba, Asos and Zalando, are completely disrupting the retail landscape. While on the one side digital technology is a disrupter, it can also provide small companies and countries like Sri Lanka enormous opportunities for growth.



Digital technology also gives rise to data analytics, artificial intelligence and robotics that can be used by businesses to enhance competitive advantage in the future. MAS adoption of innovation, autonomation and digitisation is helping solve some of their biggest challenges and helping them grow their traditional business, as well as providing themselves with adjacent business opportunities for growth.



So, in conclusion I would like to take you back to the question I posed at the start of my address: How do you double the size of your industry? My experiences that I have shared with you can offer a few suggestions. Think of the world as your market and invest in becoming a world-class company. Constantly find ways to create new value for your customer. Be proactive and continuously improve to stay relevant. Leverage technology and make it a strategic differentiator.



I believe that for any business to be sustainable and successful in the long term, it is important to allocate a disproportionate amount of mind time and resources to these four areas. This is what we have done and I am confident that with the breadth and depth of knowledge as well as experience that the people in this room have, together with the opportunities that new technologies like digital have unleashed, Sri Lankas ceramic, glass and red clay industry can double its size and become a Rs.100 billion industry in the next five to 10 years.This is in reply to Dr. Nalin de Silvas interview to Kelum Bandara of Daily Mirror, dated March 6, 2018. Dr. de Silva raises various issues here, but I wish to respond to him only on two counts: Basil Rajapaksa caused Maithripala Sirisenas defection to the opposition in the run up to the presidential elections in 2015 and Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) should have been formed before the general elections in August 2015. These two seem to have a sizeable following in the un-enlightened sections of the society at large as well. Dr de Silva says, It was Basil Rajapaksa who was behind this. Most ministers were not in favour of Mahinda Rajapaksa because of Basil Rajapaksa. If anybody is responsible for the defection, it is Basil. Ask Maithripala. People do not understand this.



Dr. de Silva is unfortunately unconvinced in his own conviction, when he says ask Maithripala. He wants us to ask the plaintiff to verify his charge. But, this is more than that. De Silva, not only limits his reading of so called January 8th political dynamic that resulted in unseating Mahinda Rajapaksa to a triviality, but also gives a tacit legitimacy to the regime change project, which Dr. Silva himself laments naming it a western conspiracy.



One should not forget that, in the aftermath of President Sirisenas ascent to office and leadership of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party, there were attempts by various parties to sugar-coat Maithripalas defection to the opposition, showing it as a compulsion, not a choice. So, narratives were created to suit this. The learned professor too seem to have ignored those narratives, while making the above charge.



In fact, Basil did nothing to send Maithripala to the Opposition. It was a carefully planned political formation. Leaders in the present government itself have endorsed this view. How does Dr. Silva explain the defection of former army commander to run against his former commander-in-chief Mahinda Rajapaksa. Is it also Basil or some other for that matter? Political twists and turns, taking place from time to time should not be read that cheaply, for such events have their multi-faceted origins.

Anyhow, in this pointing of finger at Mr Basil R for this and many more, Dr. Silva is not alone. It is a shared myth. So that it warrants a careful background reading.

Let me begin. Basil Rajapaksa was the political and economic mastermind of the just passed Rajapaksa administration. Thanks to a lot of hard work of this man, Sri Lanka was able to maintain nearly a 7% economic growth rate in the country, when the entire world was going through a financial crisis and Sri Lanka herself was fighting the most ruthless terror outfit in the universe. Sri Lankas GDP grew fourfold during the Rajapaksa administration, i.e. from US$ 22 billion in 2006 to US$ 81 billion in 2015. This kind of unparalleled leap in the economic front, without doubt, reflect the unwavering commitment and dedication of Basil and his team. Had this not been there, the country wouldnt have witnessed such a boom in development and enormous change in the lives of people within a very short time.

Basil, while managing the overall economy, also helped the other organs of government, including sister ministries, with fast-tracking of their activities,so that they do not lag behind



A careful study into the inner working of Rajapaksa government reveals that Basil, while managing the overall economy, also helped the other organs of government, including sister ministries, with fast-tracking of their activities, so that they do not lag behind. Some ministers in the same cabinet might have misread this and propagated negative stories about Basil in their respective electorates. For some, he was an economic Hit man. Some weak-minded people fell victim to these stories. But, the history after the change of government has amply proved that the absence of Basil factor in the economy and politics led to total failure of two vital sectors. Being the most misunderstood man of Sri Lanka, what Basil did was only taking no rest until fulfilling what is expected from him and his brother MR. The problem of the present government is miserably missing a Basil.



Finally, I challenge anybody, let alone Dr. Nalin, to come out with tangible evidence to prove that Basil caused Maithripalas defection.



Having said that, let me move on to the next issue, Dr. de Silva raises in the lengthy interview. He opines there that MRs new Party should have been formed before the 2015 General Elections. In my view, this propositions throws light on another aspect of Dr. Silvas wrong grasp in political calculation. The time prior to 2015 general elections was not the opportune time for a new party. There are number of reasons to support this perspective. Just six months into the presidential elections, the popularity of so called good-governance government has not still faded and the people were at a loss to decide what is best for the country. And one should not forget the fate of political Parties that mushroomed in the country out of haste. In fact, one cannot float a new party and lead that into the winning mood within just two three months, specially without a countrywide organizational structure in place. What was operational at that time on the grass-root level was Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP), its electoral and rural level organizers. With the partys chairman being President Sirisena, the party hierarchy would have followed his directions during the elections, thereby leaving the Rajapaksa camp isolated and disoriented.

Basil Rajapaksa was the political and economic mastermind of the just passed Rajapaksa administration. Thanks to a lot of hard work of this man, Sri Lanka was able to maintain nearly a 7% economic growth rate in the country, when the entire world was going through a financial crisis and Sri Lanka herself was fighting the LTTE



Such a situation would have led to a 50-50 split of the entire SLFP vote base, resulting in a heavy defeat for the new Party at the hand of UNP. SLFP too would lose. But, the loss for the SLFP would not matter at all, as whatever they gained, is gained without the Mahinda factor. The biggest political player of the country is clearly defeated and cornered. Such a defeat, while gradually diminishing the Mahinda factor, would, at the same time strengthen President Sirisena and his government. Meanwhile, Mahinda contesting separately would also pave the way for the unity government to sort out its own internal crisis, for the mandate Mr Sirisena would receive would easily and indisputably be interpreted to be supportive of the unity government.

Indeed, there are two back to back wrong calculations of Maithripala after his victory in the presidential elections. First one is forcibly getting appointed to the position of SLFP leadership. Second is, on being so appointed, contesting together with Mahinda. First one made Mr Sirisena again a party man overnight, disproving his own rhetoric of staying impartial president for ever, thereby literally losing almost 90% of the so called 62 lakhs. This is the point where Maithripala Sirisena started his own political decadency. The UNPers doubted him and SLFPers felt betrayed again!



By insisting prematurely on forming a new party, Dr. de Silva is similar to those who wanted MR to rush the war on terror against the LTTE back in 2006. JVPers and Hela Urumaya leaders wanted Mahinda to immediately go to war with the terror outfit. MR wisely chose not to succumb to this urgency. He simply could not, for there was a lot to do before going all out for a war. And this is a war that a country could not afford to lose, he knew. He acted there like Russians giving in to Germanys Hitler to come inside their own territory and then mount a surprise attack on them in the most suitable time. MR allowed the LTTE to show its own brutal violations of the ceasefire agreement and, while responding with a limited aerial bombardment in the Tiger territory so that the South does not lose the patience and push him for a premature war. He knew that the LTTE does not understand his peace language. Still he kept this option alive. But, while doing so, MR did not rest. He used this period of neither war nor peace to strengthen the army in terms of both human and physical infrastructure and, on the other hand, got his brother Basil to go to India and the West to prepare them for the eventual outbreak of full war. MR also assigned to Basil the responsibility of strengthening the economic front, especially food security and cost of living, for such issues could destabilise the country. Api Wavamu Rata Nagamu (let us cultivate and develop the nation) projects are not in deed accidental. They are the foundations of humanitarian operations. Such is the vision of a true leader! Rajapaksas know when and how to act. The victory of SLPP against all odds at the last local government elections is the glaring example.

One should not forget that, in the aftermath of President Sirisenas ascent to office and leadership of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party, there were attempts by various parties to sugar-coat Maithripalas defection to the opposition, showing it as a compulsion, not a choice



Let me conclude; there is a huge disparity between walking and talking. Rajapaksas walks the talk in their own way and own time. They have the patience to do so. Unfathomable patience! Dr. Nalin de Silva knows this more than any of us!



The writer of this article is a Senior Lecturer, at the Sabaragamuwa UniversityThe ethnic violence mainly in Kandy District and sparsely in several other districts has subsided, if not ceased. But the scars will certainly remain for a long time. Now the authorities including Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe have given details of damages to the lives and the properties incurred by the violence while announcing the details of their preparations for the reparations including paying compensations to the victims who were mainly Muslims.



What a ridiculous situation! Last week people burnt hundreds of houses, shops and mosques and this week the authorities are making arrangements to pay compensation for the damages out of the public coffers. What has the country or the criminals who went on rampaging or the alleged forces, political or otherwise behind the incidents gained through this carnage?



President Maithripala Sirisena has announced that he would appoint a Presidential Commission of Inquiry (PCoI) on the incidents that took place in Kandy District, but the statement issued by the Presidential Media Unit on the matter had not included the incidents in Ampara that had happened a few days before the Kandy incidents as ones that are also to be probed.



One cannot find fault with the professed intension of appointing a Presidential commission on the Kandy carnage. City Planning and Water Supply Minister and Sri Lanka Muslim Congress leader Rauff Hakeem too had requested the President to appoint a Presidential commission. But a commission on an ethnically sensitive issue is a double- edged weapon. The proceedings could reveal the conspirators, if any, behind the incidents, as it is one of the purposes of the commission, according to the statement issued by the Presidents Media Unit. Also it would expose the weaknesses on the part of the government in quelling riots. On the other hand the proceeding can also turn into a platform for the hate mongers which could aggravate the situation.



The government should not attempt to use the commission to cover up or delay the exposure of its weakness in containing the situation. Already the members of the very government such as Parliamentarian S. M. Marikkar have accused it of timidity. Another member of the government, Parliamentarian Mujibur Rahman had said he was ashamed to be in the government. Megapolis and Western development Minister Champika Ranawaka had stated that the inaction of the authorities at the initial stages of the incidents contributed to the spread of the carnage. Minister Lakshman Kiriella accused the intelligence apparatuses for their failure in foreseeing the situation. An ardent supporter of the government and a leading member of the civil society that helped the regime change in 2015, Ven. Dambara Amila Thera called on the President to step down if he cannot handle the situation with a firm hand.



Some opine that despite the declaration of a state of emergency and imposition of curfew, the government was hesitant to take stern action against the rioters when they were running amok, for fear of further erosion of its Sinhalese vote bank which is already tilting towards the former President Mahinda Rajapaksas camp. However, the very attitude has demonstrated the weakness of the government among Sinhalese as well as the Muslims.



If there was no such political reasons for the lethargy and inaction on the part of the law enforcement authorities in quelling the racially motivated attacks, as pointed out by the very supporters of the government, should the government wait until the commission report is handed over to the President to take action against those who failed to perform their duties?



The recent local government elections proved that the government has failed in keeping its promises of eradication of corruption and economic development. The Kandy mayhem proved the governments failure in its much-touted reconciliation process as well. Leaders waxed eloquent on prevention of recurrence when the floods created havoc in the lower Kelani Valley areas in 2016 and Aranayake landslides occurred. But nothing happened. Garbage problem is yet to be addressed even after the Meetotamulla disaster.



Yet, the government has still time to address these issues and build confidence among masses. Only ingredient needed is firmness and openness in policies and speaking in one voice as a government.Oops....! We couldn't find that...

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Check the URL you entered for any mistakes and try again. Alternatively, search for whatever is missing or take a look around the rest of our site.In September 2015, the carrier decided to take delivery of the remaining three planes as per the 2006 purchase agreement.

Mumbai: Disinvestment-bound flag carrier Air India has taken delivery of its 23rd and the last Boeing 777 plane which can be used in ultra-long haul routes, and thus also completing its 68 aircraft orders placed with the US plane-maker more than a decade ago.

The last B777-300 ER, which can carry almost 300 passengers and bearing registration number VT-ALX, landed at the Indira Gandhi international airport in the Capital on Saturday, an airline source said.

Air India took the delivery of the last 777 aircraft from the Seattle facility of Boeing on Thursday and it was scheduled to arrive in New Delhi on Friday, the source added.

"But as the pilot who was to ferry the aircraft suffered a cardiac attack on board Air India's New Delhi-San Francisco flight (on which he was the co-pilot), the aircraft arrived with a one-day delay," the source said.

An Air India spokesperson confirmed the induction of the last and the 23rd 777s from the 68 orders it had placed with Boeing in 2006.

On March 5, Air India flight AI 173 from New Delhi to San Francisco carrying 215 passengers was diverted to the airport in Sapporo, which is the capital city of the northern Japanese island of Hokkaido, due to a medical emergency.

As part of its fleet upgradation and expansion plans, Air India had in 2006 placed orders with Boeing for 68 aircraft --27 Dreamliners, 15 B777-300ERs, eight B777-200 LRs and 18 B-737-800s.

Of these 50 planes were for Air India and remaining 18 (B737s) for its international budget arm Air India Express.

The national carrier had earlier inducted all but three 777-300 ERs.

Following the downturn in the global aviation sector, the delivery of three B777-300 ERs was postponed in 2010 as there was no "cancellation" clause in the original purchase agreement with Boeing.

Then, in September 2015, the carrier decided to take delivery of the remaining three planes as per the 2006 purchase agreement.

The national carrier also decided to retain only one of these three planes with it and replace its two year-old jumbo jets B747-400s, which are currently used to ferry VVIPs (the president, vice-president and the prime minister,) with the remaining new B777s, which have already been delivered to the carrier in the past two months.Chennai: Rich tributes were paid on Sunday to Indian cinema icon Sridevi by a host of stars of Kollywood, from where she took the baby steps to a glittering career.

A prayer meet was held at a city hotel for Sridevi, who passed away in Dubai on February 24, in which her husband Boney Kapoor, daughters Jhanvi and Khushi were among those who attended. The event was out of bounds for the media.

Earlier, leading actors paid their homage to Sridevi at a meet held in the office of the of South Indian Artistes Association (SIAA), popularly known as Nadigar Sangam, here.

Several prominent Tamil film stars, including Sivakumar, actor-director K Bhagyaraj, Kutti Padmini and Sripriya, who had long association with her, paid floral tributes to a photograph of Sridevi kept at the office SIAA office.

SIAA President and actor Nasser led the fellow artistes in paying tributes to Sridevi, who died aged 54.

Actor-Director Manobala also a member of SIAA, tweeted and shared a photograph of the SIAA members paying their tributes to Sridevi.

Actor Ajith, his wife and actress Shalini, director Priyadarshan and actress Meena visited the residence of Sridevi here and conveyed their condolences.

Sridevi, Indian cinemas first woman superstar, had an illustrious career spanning over four decades after making her debut as a child artist in Tamil film Thunaivan in 1969.

After making her mark in the South Indian films, she entered the Bollywood.

Sridevis body was cremated on February 28 in Mumbai. The ashes were immersed in Rameswaram sea last week.A new major study has found people who suffer infections have a very high risk of having a heart attack or stroke, the Daily Mail reported.

For the study, researchers tracked 1.2million patients suffering from pneumonia or urinary tract infection. They found these patients were at a risk of suffering a heart attack by 40% within eight years and 150% likely to have a stroke.

The research team, from Aston Medical School in Birmingham and the University of Cambridge, believe a common infection is more dangerous on heart health than obesity, which increases risk of these cardiovascular conditions by 25%.

More alarming, researchers found patients who suffered infections also have a higher risk of dying if they have a stroke or heart attack.

The reason infection has such a deeper impact is because it causes inflammation in blood vessels long-term. The team recommends patients who suffer from chest infection or bladder issues should be prescribed statins or heart pills.

"Our figures suggest that those who are admitted to hospital with a respiratory or urinary tract infection are 40% more likely to suffer a subsequent heart attack, and 2.5 times more likely to have a stroke, than patients who have had no such infection  and are considerably less likely to survive from these conditions," Cardiologist Dr Rahul Potluri, of Aston University, told the Daily Mail.

The study will be presented at the American College of Cardiology conference in Orlando.HPV is the most common sexually-transmitted infection in the US and can cause cancer of the penis in men.

According to a new study, men are four times more likely to get cancer from oral sex than women due to their weaker immune systems, a scientist claims.

Dr Ashish Deshmukh, from the University of Florida says that infected men struggle to rid their bodies of the cancer-causing human papillomavirus (HPV), which causes them to harbour the pathogen for a long time and raises their disease risk.

Earlier research has already highlighted the fact that men may be more willing to perform oral sex due to sexual norms and having fewer inhibitions between the sheets.

HPV is the most common sexually-transmitted infection in the US and can cause cancer of the penis in men.

Women can develop condition in the vulva, vagina or cervix. The infection can also cause cancer of the anus or throat in both sexes.

Speaking to the Inquirer, Dr Deshmukh said that there is good evidence that men acquire oral infections more readily than women, even if they have similar sex practices.

He added that more than the acquisition, its the persistence of the virus.

This comes after research released in December last year suggested male virgins can get HPV. They are still at risk of catching sexually-transmitted HPV if they have oral sex, according to the researchers.

According to study author Dr Alan Nyitray from The University of Texas in Houston, HPV vaccination should not be thought of only in the context of sexual behaviour.Women in the European Union earned an average of 16 percent less than their male peers in 2016, official statistics agency Eurostat said Wednesday.

"For every euro that a man earned by the hour, a woman made an average of 84 cents," Eurostat said in a press release issued ahead of International Women's Day on Thursday.

Worldwide, women earn on average 23 percent less than men. At the current pace it would take 70 years to close the gap, according to the International Labour Organization.

The gender pay gap in Europe was only slightly better than in the United States, where women are paid 20 percent less than their male peers.

Within Europe, the wage gap is particularly high in Germany and Britain, at 21 percent each.

Women in Britain earn almost 140 billion pounds ($195 billion) a year less than men, with many falling into debt or relying on charities for free food.

Men working full-time earn an average of 39,000 pounds, about a third more than Britains 15 million full-time working women, who earn almost 30,000 pounds, government data shows.

Men take up almost four times of Britains highest-paid posts as compared to women according to the government's 2018 figures.

Britain was one of the first countries to introduce a law in 2017 requiring companies with at least 250 workers - which covers almost half of Britains workforce - to report pay discrepancies between male and female employees.

The government is also investing in free childcare and introducing shared parental leave in a drive to promote gender equality in the workplace.

Romania, Italy and Luxembourg have better records, with the gap at five percent, while in France women earn 14 percent less than men.

The figures came a day before the world marks the 40th International Women's Day, in a year rocked by the #MeToo movement against sexual harassment and abuse, and a reinvigorated debate about women's rights around the globe.

The past year has also seen two million women take to the streets in support of women's rights, especially in Washington.

But the road to equality remains long, with violence against women still an everyday occurrence and gender pay gaps the global norm.

On Tuesday, 15 of the European Commission's 28 members published a declaration reaffirming gender equality as one of the EU's keystones.

In February 2018, 36 percent of leading commission positions were held by women.

Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker said he wants women to fill 40 percent of the top positions by the time his mandate ends in October 2019.It was an accidental discovery made when he was only 18 (Photo: Google)

Its hard to imagine a world without colourful clothing and bright designs today, but do we really think about how it all started? Sir William Henry Perkin is known for his contribution to the pharmaceutical and chemical industries but he discovered the synthetic dye when he was just 18.

Over a century after his death, Google is remembering the entrepreneur and chemist who went on to set up a factory for industrially manufacture synthetic dyes. The invention which changed how people would dress was an accidental one.

Sir William Henry Perkin was born on March 12, 1938 and was inquisitive since he was a child. His interest in chemistry developed at an old lab at his grandfathers house at a young age.

He got into the Royal College of Chemistry when he was just 15 and his potential was spotted by German chemist August von Hofmann who made Perkin his assistant. It was there that Perkin started trying to synthesise quinine which was used for the treatment of malaria.

Despite unsuccessful efforts at making quinine from aniline, Perkin found a mysterious dark sludge. Incorporating potassium dichromate and alcohol in it gave him a deep purple solution.

The dye was originally named Tyrian Purple but is now commonly known as mauve. Perkin patented the product and started manufacturing it in Greenford. The Perkin Medal was established in 1906 around 50 years after mauveine was discovered and is the highest honour in American industrial chemistry.Hyderabad: The names of minors who are caught driving will now be included in the chargesheets filed by the traffic police. The minors will be prosecuted in a Juvenile Court, while their parents will be prosecuted in a Magistrate Court.

The traffic police will enclose the Aadhaar details of the driver and owner of the vehicle along with the charge sheet so that the judge is informed of their violations and traffic discipline history. The judge will decide whether to send the minor to a juvenile home or ask him or her to pay a fine. Meanwhile, the minors parents will have to appear before a Magistrate and may be sent to judicial remand.

This month, in a first-of-its-kind judgement, a 14-year-old was remanded in a juvenile home for one day. A Magistrate Court sent 10 parents to prison for a day, because they had let their minor children drive.

The Court also imposed a penalty of Rs 500 on each of the parents under Section 180 of the Motor Vehicle Act.

A.V. Ranganath, the Deputy Commissioner of Police  Traffic (South Zone), said, If minors are caught driving, their parents names are mentioned in the chargesheet filed by the traffic police. Such minors are produced before a Juvenile Court, and their parents are produced before a Magistrate. While the parents or vehicle owners are sent to judicial remand, the minors are sent to juvenile home. Cops catch about 30 minor drivers in the age group of 14 to 17 years every month in Hyderabad.

The Hyderabad Traffic police are launching special drives at a number of location in the city to keep a check on minors driving.

Cops insist on aadhaar details during checks

The traffic police are recording the Aadhaar details of all those who are caught driving under the influence of alcohol in order to be able to check the drivers traffic history for any other violations. The drivers entire track record is produced in court at the time of prosecution, according to the traffic police.

Officers of the Law and Order division of the police are also recording the Aadhaar details of those named as the accused in cases, in order to be able to produce their track record in court along with the charge sheet. This allows the judge to study the accuseds history before sentencing him or her.

630 chargesheets for cases of drunk driving were filed by the Hyderabad Traffic Police between March 5 and 9. 42 persons were jailed for dangerous driving, using a cell phone while driving, driving without a license, or the non-payment of challans.

According to the Hyderabad Traffic Police records, 20,411 cases of drunk driving were booked in 2017, and 4,015 violators faced imprisonment. The department collected `2.2 crore in the form of fines for drunk driving.Three militants belonging to ISIS were killed in a firefight with the security forces in southern Anantnag district overnight. (Photo: Facebook)

Srinagar: The authorities shut schools and colleges in Srinagar district whereas security forces in riot gear were quickly fanned out to enforce security lockdown in Jammu and Kashmirs summer capital amid rising tensions following the killing of three militants allegedly owning allegiance to the Islamic State (ISIS) in an overnight encounter.

While schools and colleges were shut in Srinagar district, the class work at Kashmir University and other similar institutions was suspended and all board and university level examination scheduled for Monday deferred too.

The Cellular companies snapped high-speed mobile Internet service in Srinagar city following an order to this effect was issued by the district administration.

The mobile internet speed was reduced to 2G as soon as we got the order to do so, said an official. Security restrictions were being imposed also on parts of Anantnag including Kokernag, a report said.

An official spokesman said that these steps were taken to prevent breach of law and order in the summer capital and elsewhere.

Initial reports had said that three militants belonging to Hizb-ul-Mujahedin outfit were killed in a firefight with the security forces in southern Anantnag district overnight.

However, a file photograph of one of the slain militants Eisa Fazili which has gone viral on Facebook since shows him wearing T-shirt with the ISIS's emblem and standing near a banner of the outfit which is also known by its Arabic language acronym Daesh. The ISIS has named slain men as Abu Zarr Al-Hindi, Abu Barra Al-Kashmiri and Eisa Ruhollah Khatab Al-Kashmiri.

The police said that while Pursuing credible leads about the presence of militants, the security forces mounted a search operation in Anantnags Hakoora area late on Sunday night.

As the search was going on, the militants hiding in the area fired upon the search party. The security forces retaliated to it and in the ensuing encounter three militants were killed, said a police spokesman.

He identified two slain militants as Eisa Fazili of Srinagar and Syed Owais of Kokernag (Anantnag) and said that the identity of their third accomplice is being ascertained. The spokesman also said that AK-47 rifles, pistols and hand-grenades were found on the slain militants and that no collateral damage has taken place.

Eisas father Naeem Fazili, a college principal, wrote on his Facebook timeline As per reliable sources, my son Eisa Fazili has left for heavenly abode. Inna lillahi wa inna ilayhi raji'un (We belong to Allah and to Him we shall return).

The family sources said that Eisa, a BTech student at Baba Ghulam Shah Badshah University, Rajouri (J&K) had disappeared from his Srinagar residence a couple of months ago. Later it was known that he has joined the militants ranks. His father had through social media issued appeals to his son to return home but in vain, said the sources.

The police said that one of the slain militants was involved in a recent attack at a police guard post in Soura area of Srinagar leaving one cop dead.

The ISIS had claimed responsibility for carrying out the attack and said that the war has just begun.

A day after the February 26 attack, the ISIS had on its media website Al Amaq said, Assassinated an element of police in firing near city of Srinagar in Kashmir yesterdayA war has just begun.

The group had also placed the photograph of the service weapon of Farooq Ahmed Yatoo, the policeman killed while guarding the residence of separatist Hurriyat Conference leader Fazl ul Haqs Qureshi at Soura, on its website.

Reacting to the claim, the States Director General of Police, Shesh Paul Vaid, had said that it was still a matter of investigation and that nothing with certainty could be said about the presence of the terror organization in Kashmir.

Asked how seriously the issue was, the police chief told this newspaper, They have claimed it...they had made a similar claim in November (2017) when Mughees, a terrorist from Srinagar, was killed and our sub-inspector was martyred. But we dont see any consequent change on the ground. Yet it needs verification.

He added, It is possible some local wolf type fellow influenced by the ideology of the ISIS is playing it up exactly the way Zakir Musa (former Hizb-ul-Mujahedin commander) appears to have been swayed by the ideology of al-Qaeda.

Also Read: 'It's worrying': Police admit ISIS presence in J&K after attack on cop

In November last year, the ISIS had through 'Al Amaq' claimed the responsibility for the shootout in which police Sub-Inspector Imran Tak was also killed in Srinagars Gulab Bagh area. On that day, a police party was fired upon by three men travelling in a car. The police returned fire killing one militant Mughees Ahmed Mir.

However, the DGP Vaid had while reacting to the claim said that there was no ISIS presence in Kashmir. He had told this newspaper, I dont think the IS has any footprints here.

Union Home Minister, Rajnath Singh, had also dismissed reports about the presence of the ISIS in the State, saying the Indian Muslims would never allow such outfits to have a base in the country. He had said, Any Indian Muslim who believes in Islam would not allow any opportunity to the Islamic State to have a base in the country.

The Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) also known as Islamic State (IS) and by its Arabic language acronym Daesh gained global prominence in early 2014 when it drove Iraqi government forces out of key cities in its Western Iraq offensive. It has since been designated a terrorist organisation by the United National and by many member countries individually.

The flags of the IS and al-Qaeda had first appeared in Kashmir during protests and stone-pelting incidents in Srinagar, precisely outside the Citys historic Grand Mosque, in 2014.

Masked youth held these flags before the glare of cameras and were quickly surrounded by locals, mainly youth, apparently to ensure no harm comes to them. During one such display, the security personnel swung into action and chased them into nearby dark alleys but no serious attempt was made to capture the masked youth carrying the IS flag.

The then Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah, had shrugged these incidents off saying it was being done by some stupid youth and that IS or al-Qaeda as such has no presence in Jammu and Kashmir.

Though waving of green Islamic and Pakistans national flag is somewhat inseparable part of the street protests in Kashmir, these being replaced by IS flags at places continued for some time despite repeated pleas from even Syed Ali Shah Geelani, the widely-admired octogenarian separatist leader, that the pastime may only blemish what he insists is our own just and indigenous struggle for freedom.

An inquiry launched by local police had revealed that a local small-time cleric was involved in encouraging the IS flag waving at the protests particularly outside the Grand Mosque. A reporter with a TV news channel was also under scanner for his role in the pastime. Weve reports that he actually knows beforehand where such flags will go up, a police officer had told this newspaper. However, the activity did not last long.

The police has taken pro-independence Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front chairman Muhammad Yasin Malik in preventive custody and lodged him in Srinagar's Kothi Bagh police station where as some other separatist leaders including Mirwaiz Umar Farooq have been placed under house arrest "as a precautionary measure".

Meanwhile, hundreds of people gathered outside the house of slain Eisa Fazili in Srinagars Ahmed Nagar locality to receive his body.

A report from Anantnag said that clashes between irate crowds of youth and the security forces erupted in Kokernag, the home village of other local militant Syed Owais. About the third slain militant, it has been claimed in social media that he is Abu Zarr al-Hindu (from India).The boy, Roshan, was taken to a nearby hospital for a check-up after he was rescued from the borewell. (Photo: Screengrab | ANI)

Dewas: Thirty-five hours after he fell into a 150-feet deep borewell, Roshan, a four-year-old boy, saw light at the end of the tunnel, literally.

The boy was rescued around 10:45 pm on Sunday night, Dewas district Superintendent of Police Anshuman Singh told news agency PTI over phone from Umaria village in the district.

Roshan fell into an uncovered borewell while playing in a field in the village around 11 am on Sunday morning.

As an Army team was roped in to rescue him, a race against time began as he was stuck 30 feet below the surface.

He was given fluids through a pipe and oxygen was pumped into the borewell, the SP said, adding that throughout the operation, his parents kept talking to Roshan and he responded.

The rescuers earlier planned to pull him out by digging a parallel trench and then connecting it with the borewell through a tunnel, the police officer said.

The trench was dug, but soon they realised that the rescue in this way will take much long, which could be fatal for the boy. Then, changing the tack, a rope with a noose was dropped into the borewell, and the boy was asked to tighten the noose around his arm so that he could be pulled out.

The boy, showing remarkable composure, followed the instructions and was then pulled out successfully, the police officer said.

He was taken to a nearby hospital for a check-up, the police added.According to sources, the deputy superintendent of police (DSP) and Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) personnel rushed to the spot and recovered the body from a farm. (Photo: File | Representational)

Araria (Bihar): A policeman was shot dead by unidentified miscreants in Bihar's Araria district area during election duty on Monday.

The identity of the policeman has not been revealed yet. He was deployed on election duty in Forbesganj town.

According to sources, deputy superintendent of police (DSP) and Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) personnel rushed to the spot and recovered the body from a farm.

Police are on the lookout for the miscreants while three people have been arrested for interrogation.

A case has been registered and a probe has been launched.The country's largest border guarding force regularly conducts a confidential exercise of identifying officials with suspicious credentials or for indulging in corrupt practices but some new parameters have recently been added for creating the inglorious list of shady personnel for 2017. (Representational Image | PTI)

New Delhi: Border Security Force (BSF) officers who lead a "lavish" lifestyle or are members of costly clubs would be identified as "suspects" under a new vigilance drive initiated by the force that guards sensitive Indian borders with Pakistan and Bangladesh.

A section of officials termed these criteria as "ridiculous".

The country's largest border guarding force regularly conducts a confidential exercise of identifying officials with suspicious credentials or for indulging in corrupt practices but some new parameters have recently been added for creating the inglorious list of shady personnel for 2017.

Sources said the latest move has come in the backdrop of the arrest of a senior BSF Commanding Officer (CO) by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) for his alleged nexus with smugglers while his posting along the Indo-Bangla border in West Bengal. He was arrested by the central probe agency with Rs 45 lakh in cash as soon as he alighted a train in his hometown in Kerala.

The new vigilance drive plan initiated by the force, also accessed by news agency PTI, had asked all the field formations of the force -- especially those on the two borders-- to identify such officials and report back to the headquarters in New Delhi.

Any officer who leads a lavish lifestyle, has amassed assets disproportionate to his income or is found to be the member of a costly club will be named in the "agreed list" of suspect officers, a senior official said quoting the plan. Also, those commanders or officers who "very often throw lavish parties" or are members of "very costly clubs" will be marked as suspects, he said.

Any officer who meets people, with whom he or she has official dealings, at home or at a hotel will also be identified as that with doubtful credentials, the official said. This is an exercise that is conducted normally to identify wrongdoers or to say black sheeps in the force. However, some pointers to identify suspects have been recently added.

"Some of it looks ridiculous as a corrupt officer may cover his tracks cleverly rather than throwing lavish parties or taking the membership of a costly club," another force official said.

The vigilance plan adds that these red flags are "only indicative" and not exhaustive triggers to identify a suspect officer in the over 2.5-lakh personnel strong paramilitary force.'Today, thousands of 'Dharma Patils' have come to Mantralaya (the state secretariat) chanting slogans of 'Jai Kisan'. Their anger and pain will burn the government,' the Sena said in an editorial in its mouthpiece 'Saamana'. (Photo: DC | Mrugesh Bandiwadekar)

Mumbai: The Shiv Sena on Monday threw its weight behind the thousands of farmers who marched from Nashik to Mumbai to highlight their problems and said the party would back them regardless of their red flags.

The saffron party also said the role of leaders with communist ideology -- a red flag usually symbolises communism -- in the agitation for a separate Maharashtra cannot be forgotten.

The CPI(M)-affiliated All India Kisan Sabha is spearheading the protest that turned south Mumbai's Azad Maidan into a sea of red on Monday as thousands of farmers carrying red flags converged there after walking around 180 km from neighbouring Nashik district.

The farmers plan to surround the state Assembly complex to press for their demands of an unconditional loan waiver and transfer of forest land to tribal farmers who have been tilling it for years.

"It is possible that the government may talk of assurances to farmers and even deploy some of its ministers to temporarily confuse them," the Sena, an ally of the ruling BJP in Maharashtra and at the Centre, said in an editorial in its mouthpiece 'Saamana'.

"However, seeing their persistence it can be gauged that farmers will not fall prey to any of the tactics," it said.

The Sena added that it would not give importance to what thoughts, organisation and colour the agitation represents.

"They do not have any caste, religion or political ideology...Farmers have red flags in their hands. How can the Sena support them is the question?" it said. "We may have differences... however, their active participation in the state's agitation, especially for Mumbai, cannot be forgotten...those who do (forget), should be considered enemies of the state," the Sena said.

It noted that Shreepad Amrut Dange, Ahilya Rangnekar and Shahir Annabhau Sathe were leaders with communist ideologies.

"Mill workers and farmers were ready to spill their blood for the Maharashtra movement (held in the 1960s for creation of a separate Marathi-speaking state). Today, they are despondent and committing suicide," the Sena lamented.

Lakhs of farmers are yet to get benefits of the loan waiver scheme, the Sena said, alleging that the government only indulged in advertisements for political benefits.

"Today, thousands of 'Dharma Patils' have come to Mantralaya (the state secretariat) chanting slogans of 'Jai Kisan'. Their anger and pain will burn the government," it said.

Dharma Patil, a farmer hailing from Dhule district, consumed poison at the state secretariat in Mumbai, in February and died in hospital a few days later. His family alleged that their land was acquired by the government at a low price for a thermal power plant in Dondaicha, while neighbouring farmers got higher compensation.

He approached authorities many times with his grievance, but in vain, the family alleged.Indian government sources also said Pakistani security agencies are resorting to aggressive surveillance, violation of physical space and tailing of officers in close and dangerous proximity.

New Delhi: Another huge diplomatic spat has hit Indo-Pak relations, this time pertaining to harassment of diplomats and their families, with both sides lodging protests on the matter with each other. Indian

Government sources said, harassment is the new normal for Indian High Commission personnel in Islamabad for the past more than one year, with the Indian High Commissioner lodging a strong protest nearly a month ago on February 16 with Islamabad against multiple acts of hooliganism against Indian properties and personnel.

Sources added adding that in view of such an atmosphere of intimidation, most families have returned to India and children have been withdrawn from schools.

Sources said, Indias residential complex in Islamabad was raided by Pakistan agencies who expelled all Pakistani service providers and later disconnected power and water supply and that despite the (Pakistani) foreign secretarys assurance, the power supply was not restored for over two weeks.

Indian Government sources also said Pakistani security agencies are resorting to aggressive surveillance, violation of physical space and tailing of officers in close and dangerous proximity.TRS, TDP, AIADMK and YSR Congress members stormed the Well carrying placards and raised slogans in support of their demands. (Photo: ANI | Twitter)

New Delhi: The Lok Sabha was adjourned for the day on Monday amid continuing protests by regional parties over various issues.

It was the sixth straight day of washout of proceedings in the lower house since the second leg of the Budget Session began on March 5.

Speaker Sumitra Mahajan first adjourned the House immediately after the Question Hour started as the TRS, TDP, AIADMK and YSR Congress members stormed the Well carrying placards and raised slogans in support of their demands.

There was no let up in protests as the House met again at noon but the Speaker went ahead with the proceedings, including introduction of two bills by Minister of State for Finance Shiv Pratap Shukla, amid the din.

Bhartruhari Mahtab of the BJD opposed the introduction of The Fugitive Economic Offenders Bill, saying its provisions violated the citizens' fundamental rights and that it is based on the premise of "guilty till proven innocent" and not the other way round.

He questioned the provision of seizing assets of an accused before he was proven guilty. However, Shukla said these provisions can be debated during the discussion on the bill and introduced the bill. Soon after this, the House was adjourned.

The Lok Sabha has been witnessing similar scenes since March 5 with opposition parties besides the TDP, which remains a member of the ruling NDA though it has pulled out of the central government, raising a host of issues such as special status for Andhra Pradesh, enhanced reservation in Telangana and constitution of the Cauvery river board to settle Tamil Nadu's water dispute with neighbours.Around 35,000 farmers across Maharashtra arrive at Ramabai Nagar in Mumbai on Sunday . (Photo: Debasish Dey)

Mumbai: Around 20,000 farmers of Kisan Sabha who have come walking all the way from Nashik will protest outside Vidhan Bhavan on Monday. The farmers are protesting for their rights and agrarian crisis. Some of the demands include transfer of forestland titles, renew rations cards, 1.5 times price to agriculture products.

Except the ruling BJP, all other major political parties  Congress, NCP, Shiv Sena, RPI, Bharip Bahujan Mahasangh and MNS have lent their support to the farmers protest.

The Devendra Fadnavis-led government had requested the farmers to withdraw their protest march, but the farmers have refused to do so. The protest has embarrassed the BJP-led state government, which claimed to take various measures to tackle farmers crisis.

The tribal farmers started the long march from Nashik to Mumbai on March 6. Water resources minister and BJP leader Girish Mahajan met the leaders of Kisan Sabha and Communist Party of Marxist during the protest requesting them to withdraw the march on Vidhan Bhavan. However, the farmers refused.

Nationalist Congress Party chief Sharad Pawar and Congress state president Ashok Chavan declared their support to the protest.Jammu: Superstar Rajinikanth today reached here as part of his annual 15-day spiritual pilgrimage to Himalayas and paid obeisance at Shivkhori, a famous cave shrine devoted to Lord Shiva, in Reasi district.

It is a spiritual land and I have come here on spiritual pilgrimage, he told reporters shortly after arriving in the winter capital of Jammu and Kashmir.

Later Rajinikanth visited Shivkhori shrine and offered his prayers, officials said.

I have come here on spiritual pilgrimage. I have been to Himachal Pradesh and I have been to Kashmir and for the first time have come to Jammu, he said in his brief interaction. The Tamil superstar said he was a spiritual person. I am a spiritual person. From here, I am going to Himalayas, Rishikesh (Uttarakhand), he said adding that I have a lot of plans and I dont want to reveal it now.

Rajinikanth had on December 31 last year announced that he would enter politics. The actor, who espoused a new line of spiritual politics, had said his (yet-to-be named) party would contest all 234 seats in the next Assembly polls, due in 2021. On March 5, the 67-year-old actor, short of announcing his political party, had invoked the legacy of late AIADMK founder M G Ramachandran. He had asserted that there was a leadership vacuum in Tamil Nadu and that he entered politics to fill that space.Women show their fingers marked with indelible ink during Phulpur Lok Sabha bypoll election at a polling center in Allahabad on Sunday. (Photo: PTI)

Lucknow: Polling in bypolls of the Gorakhpur and Phulpur Lok Sabha seats was marked by a low turnout on Sunday but was largely incident free.

According to the Election Commission, Gorakhpur recorded a voter turnout of 43 per cent (till 5 pm) and Phulpur managed only 37.39 per cent voter turnout.

Despite a high voltage campaign, the low voter turnout has left political parties worried and poll pundits wondering.

After casting his vote in Gorakhpur, UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said the BJP was getting widespread support from the people.

The agenda of good governance and development will win. Bypolls will be a positive referendum on my one year of governance, the chief minister said.

The bypolls are significant since they mark the new alliance of SP and BSP which could change the complexion of politics in the state if it proves a success.

Attacking the alliance, the Chief Minister said, These parties are indulging in negative politics, politics of bargaining and politics of opportunism. The state has suffered the negative consequences of SP and BSP governments, he said.

The bypolls were necessitated after Yogi Adityanath and deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya vacated the Gorakhpur and Phulpur Lok Sabha seats, respectively, following their election to the State Legislative Council.

Gorakhpur seat is significant for the BJP as it is the bastion of the Chief Minister, who has held the seat in the Lok Sabha five times.Hyderabad: The ruling Telangana Rashtra Samiti has accused Congress MLAs of coming to the Legislative Council in an inebriated condition! TRS whip in the Legislative Council, Palla Rajeshwar Reddy, on Monday alleged that it was because some Congress MLAs were drunk that they resorted to physical attacks like throwing paper balls, headphones, and mikes at the Governor, Speaker and Council chairman on the opening day of the Budget Session of the Legislative Assembly on Monday. Mr Reddy demanded that they be arrested and criminal proceedings be initiated against them.

Congress MLA Komatireddy Venkat Reddy rubbished the allegation and dared the government to conduct alcohol tests for all MLAs, including the Chief Minister, to detect who was drunk. He said his right knee was severely injured when he was attacked by police and marshals in the House, but he did not create a drama like the TRS. He said doctors had advised him to take an x-ray and visit hospital for treatment. Mr Rajeshwar Reddy said, One Congress MLA, who was drunk, lost his balance and fell on their leader Jana Reddy, who was seated. Irked by this, Jana Reddy left his seat and from the House. We can prove that some Con-gress MLAs were drunk and came to the House in an inebriated condition due to which they resorted to physical attacks.

Mr Komatireddy countered with: Everyone in the state knows who are drunkards. All know who consumes liquor every day in farm houses, Pragati Bhavan etc. If they have guts, they should be prepared for alcohol tests, including the CM in the Assembly. We 12 Congress MLAs are ready for any tests and give samples. Referring to the incident when earphones thrown by him hit the chairman of the House Swamy Goud, Mr Komatireddy added: Everyone in the House has the right to protest. My target was the Governor, who was telling all lies in his speech. But, accidentally, it hit chairman Swamy Goud, who is a good friend of mine. Are TRS MPs, including Kavitha, not storming to the podium in Parliament every day? Were they being obstructed by marshals there? Here, KCR is behaving like a dictator and not allowing anyone to speak against the government.Mumbai: Reeling under pressure from all sides  farmers protest, Opposition and ally Shiv Sena slamming the governments agrarian policies, the BJP-led Maharashtra government on Monday accepted 100% demands of the agitating farmers, following which the peasants ended their mammoth protest in Mumbai. The government sought six months time from the farmers to fulfil their demands, including right to till forestland, as thousands of farmers converged here in a sea of red.

Under pressure from the opposition and ally Shiv Sena, the BJP-led Maharashtra government on Monday accepted the demands of agitating farmers, including their right to till forest land, as thousands of agriculturists converged here in a sea of red. In a major victory for the farmers who trekked 180 km from Nashik to here over six days under the blazing sun, some even barefooted, the states revenue minister Chandrakant patil said their all demands are being accepted. He was addressing farmers camping at Azad Maidan in south Mumbai in the presence of CPI-M general secretary Sitaram Yechury.

Talking to reporters outside Vidhan Bhawan, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said, We have agreed to set up a committee to hand over forest land used for farming, to tribals and farmers. A meeting was held with representatives of farmers and adivasis at Vidhan Bhawan on Monday. We have agreed to set up a committee to allot agricultural land to tribals provided they submit a proof of pre-2005 land cultivation. We have accepted almost all their demands, the CM said.

Earlier in the day, Fadnavis, who was under intense pressure to concede the demands of farmers, had said his government was sensitive and positive towards their issues. Around 90 to 95 per cent of the participants are poor tribals. They are fighting for forest land rights. They are landless and can't do farming. The government is sensitive and positive towards their demands, he said.Theni: Expressing grief over the trekking expedition deaths, the Chief Minister said, I am anguished to know that 10 persons were killed in the forest fire. Mr Palaniswami announced a solatium of Rs 4 lakh to each of the families of the deceased, `one lakh to the grievously injured and Rs 50,000 to those with simple injuries. While ordering the probe into the incident, Mr Palaniswami said action should be initiated against those who arranged for the trek without Forest department's permission.

On the possibility of forest fire, he explained that the scorching sun and severe drought condition and the leaves frequently falling to the ground, any small fire could spread fast leading to severe damage. During summer months of March, April and May, permission for trekking is not given, as the high forest ranges are dry with the possibility of forest fires spreading fast, he said. The CM refuted a charge that there had been laxity in undertaking rescue operations and said that it was launched immediately on war footing. "Owing to the difficult terrain and darkness, the personnel involved in the rescue operation faced lot of difficulty on Sunday night," he added.

Deputy CM O. Panneerselvam, Ministers R.B. Udayakumar, Dindigul C. Sreenivasan, C. Vijayabaskar, besides senior officials, and district collector, police and forest officials were camping in that area and overseeing the rescue operation.

A 36-member team - 24 from Chennai and 12 from Tiruppur and Erode districts had embarked on the trekking expedition and reached Kurangani hills on March 10. The team included 25 women and three children, according to Theni District Collector Mariam Pallavi Baldev. Three of them had returned to the plains without going ahead further. After staying at an estate in Kozhukumalai overnight, the trekkers started their return journey to the plains on Sunday morning when they noticed the sudden forest fire and got separated while attempting to find a safe way, collector said.Hyderabad: The Budget session of the Telangana Legislature got off to a rocky start on Monday when Legislative Council chairman Swamy Goud was injured in the eye by headphones thrown at the podium by Congress MLA Komatireddy Venkat Reddy to protest the Governors joint address to the House. The headphones struck Mr Goud who had to be rushed off to the Sarojini Devi Eye Hospital soon after the Governors speech ended. The session began on a stormy note with Congress MLAs and MLCs tearing copies of the Governors speech and throwing paper balls at him.

The House turned into a war zone with Congress MLAs/MLCs and marshals engaged in a scuffle throughout the 30-minute Governors address. As soon as the Governor began his speech, Congress MLAs tried to storm the well of the House, raising slogans against the government. They were protesting farmers suicides and the failure of the TRS government to fulfil its major poll promises in the past four years. Sensing trouble, the Speaker deployed around 50 marshals who stopped the Congress MLAs/ MLCs from proceeding towards the podium.

The Governor, meanwhile, continued his address unfazed by the protests. Soon after the Governor left, Mr Goud was rushed to hospital. Ministers, MLAs and officials present were shocked to know about the injury to Mr Goud who had remained seated in his chair till the Governor completed his speech and left the House. A minor surgery of the eye was required. Mr Goud will be kept in hospital for a day for observation and will be discharged on Tuesday.Bhopal: Ancient palaces of Mandu in Madhya Pradeshs Dhar district on Monday wowed former USA secretary of state Hillary Clinton. Ms Clinton who was on a three-day-visit to MP on a private tour was seen listening with rapt attention the narration of the romance of erstwhile royal couple of Mandu, Baz Bahadur and Rani Rupamati, by a guide, while visiting their palace.

She was elegantly dressed in casual wears. She seemed completely engrossed while listening to stories of romances of former royal couple while moving around the palace. She later enjoyed boating in Narmada river and watched the world famous Maheswar saree being weaved by the local weavers. The Maheswar saree was promoted by Queen Ahilya Bai of the erstwhile Holkar royal family to help downtrodden eke out a decent living at the time. She later returned to Ahilya Fort, a heritage hotel, in Maheswar.

Maheswar was capital of erstwhile Holkar kingdom till January six, 1818. Malhar Rao Holkar 111 later shifted the capital of their kingdom to Indore. Ms Clinto was on visit to MP on invitation of Richard Holkar, scion of the erstwhile Holkar royal family. She was scheduled to return to Jodhpur in Rajasthan on Tuesday after winding up her MP visit.The GHMC has indicated this in its action plan for implementation of trade licence which was submitted to the state government.

Hyderabad: Private schools, colleges, banks, movie theatres, and amusement parks in the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) limits are among the commercial establishments that will have to get a trade licence to operate.

The GHMC has indicated this in its action plan for implementation of trade licence which was submitted to the state government. The licence fee will be collected on par with property tax and it will depend on the area and the location.

The number of trade licences issued has increased by 43.82 per cent in 2017-18 compared to the previous year, as commercial activity in the GHMC area has increased.

The GHMC covers the districts of Hyderabad, Ranga Reddy, Medchal and partially Medak. The GHMC is also framing a policy for collection of nominal licence fee from permanent roadside shops, temporary sheds, push carts and others.

For collection of licence fee from schools, colleges, theatres etc, GHMC has proposed a new category of trades into trade license net. Rates will depend on location. For example, for schools, colleges, banks etc located on a single lane road (upto 20 ft) the rate will be Rs 3 per sq ft and the maximum ceiling will be Rs 10,000. For those located on double lane roads (between 20 and 30 ft) the rate per sq ft is Rs 4 and the maximum ceiling will be Rs 50,000 per annum.

For establishments located on roads wider than 30 ft the rate will be Rs 6 per sq ft and the ceiling will be Rs 2 lakh. In case of corporate, branded hospitals and four and five star hotels the maximum ceiling will be Rs 2.5 lakh. The GHMC has also decided to levy penalty on unauthorised constructions of commercial properties on par with property tax.HYDERABAD: Japanese food processing major ISE Foods would be setting up a processing unit near Siddipet soon. The proposed facility will also have a training centre in poultry technology. The Telangana state government has handed over all the required allotment and incentive details to the chairman of ISE Foods, Mr Nobuhiko ISE, at a meeting held in Hyderabad on Monday. An MoU with ISE Foods was inked during minister K.T. Rama Raos visit to Japan in January 2018.

ISE Foods has also decided to set up Egg Process-ing Plant near Siddipet. Also, ISE Foods enters into an MoU with Pullela Gopichand Academy to provide nutrition support to players preparing for upcoming Olympics Earlier, a Japanese busi-ness delegation, led by Mr Mitsuhiro Miyakoshi, advisor to the Japanese PM, met Telangana ministers Etela Rajender, K.T.R and P. Mahender Reddy.

in Hyderabad today.

KTR recalled that CM has already given instructions to create food processing clusters across the state, to ensure that the farmers realize more value for their harvest. Mr Mitsuhiro Miyakoshi stated that Telangana stands out among various Indian states in terms of the enthusiasm and proactive nature of the leadership here. Mitsuhiro Miyakoshi said that the state government should create a food value chain in the state to realize maximum potential of the farm produce. ISE Foods Chairman Mr Nobushiko thanked Telangana government for the speed with which the necessary background work for their upcoming Egg Processing facility near Siddipet has been completed.Kochi: The state government filed an appeal in the High Court on Monday against the single bench ordering a CBI probe into the murder of Youth Congress leader S.P. Shuhaib near Mattannur in Kannur district. The government submitted that the single bench issued the order without examining the facts connected with the investigation which was progressing correctly. The single bench had ordered a CBI probe after castigating the local police probing the murder. C.P. Mohammad and S.P. Razia, parents of Shuhaib, had filed a petition seeking a CBI probe.

The petitioners submitted that the investigation of the local police cannot be free and fair as CPM leaders were involved in the incident. Shuhaib, president of the Youth Congress Mattanur block committee, was hacked to death on February 12 by a group of alleged CPM workers. The local police has arrested 11 persons. The CPM Kannur district committee has expelled four members from the party for their involvement in the incident.Hyderabad: The TRS government is likely to take action against Congress MLA Komatireddy Venkata Reddy and some others for their unruly behaviour in the Legislative Assembly on Monday. The action may be along the lines of the Andhra Pradesh government suspending the YSR Congress MLA, R.K. Roja, from the House for a year. The matter came up for discussion in the business advisory committee (BAC) meeting and it was decided to give powers to the Speaker to take any action on this issue. Legislative affairs minister T. Harish Rao said they were examining the CCTV footage of the proceedings and also enquiring what action was taken in neighbouring states when such incidents occurred.

Assembly Speaker S. Madhusudana Chary said the House will discuss the issue on Tuesday. The TRS government was considering whether to suspend the Congress members or to expel them from the House. The Assembly secretariat said that if a member is suspended from the House s/he can continue as an MLA. Sources said the TRS government was consulting legal experts on this issue. The worst incident on Monday was the headset thrown at the Governor while he was delivering his address to the House on Monday and which hit Council chairman Swamy Goud and injured his eye.

Congress MLA Komatireddy Venkata Reddy said that his party wanted to target Governor E.S.L. Narasimhan but unfortunately Legislat-ive Council chairman Swamy Goud got injured. Mr Komatireddy said he and another Congress MLA Sampath Kumar had jointly thrown the headphones. When Congress MLCs Mohammad Ali Shabbir and Ponguleti Sudhakar Reddy went to Sarojini Devi Eye Hospital to see Mr Goud, TRS workers obstructed them but later they allowed them inside. Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao and so-me ministers also visited Mr Goud in hospital.SRINAGAR: Jammu and Kashmirs ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) while taking a tough stand on senior party leader and minister for finance Dr Haseeb A. Drabus assertion that Kashmir is not a political issue but a society with social issues has decided to drop him from the state Cabinet.

The party sources said that the PDP led by Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti, has already shot a letter to Governor N.N. Vohra, informing him about the decision. The decision, the party sources said, was taken soon after the Chief Minister came to Srinagar from Delhi and discussed the issue with her senior party leaders.

Drabu had made these remarks while speaking at a function in New Delhi at the weekend. Though he had later sought to clarify that he had said that Kashmir was not only a political issue but also a society with social issues and blamed misreporting on a cub reporter of a national news agency, the sources said that the party leadership assessed the video and audio coverage of his speech and found it contrary to his claim.Chennai: Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his condolences to the bereaved families which have lost their kin in the forest fire in the Western Ghat's Kurangani Hill ranges in Theni district of Tamil Nadu.

He also wished the trekkers who were injured when they were caught in the fire, a speedy recovery.

My condolences to the families of those who lost their lives in the Theni forest fire. I hope that those who are injured recover soon, Mr. Modi tweeted on Monday. In another tweet he said, I would like to appreciate RM @nsitharaman Ji, the Indian Air Force, the Garud Commandos and the local administration for their stupendous efforts during the rescue and relief operations in the wake of the Theni forest fire.

Meanwhile, Union Minister of State for Finance and Shipping Pon Radhakrishnan has said that he is closely monitoring the rescue of those trapped in the forest fire and was in touch with the Ministers, district collector and other top officials. He expressed his heartfelt condolences to the affected families and also wished speedy recovery for the injured.

Defence minister Nirmala Sitharaman who had promptly responded to the crisis and asked the IAF to rescue the trekkers, said on Monday that an advanced light helicopter (ALH) would be pressed into service for rescuing those trapped in the forest fire in Tamil Nadu, due to the hostile terrain.

We are also bringing in an ALH, which is a light helicopter so that the manoeuvrability will be better because this cliff is almost a vertical hillock, which goes up very sharply and there is not much not of a level ground where they can land, she said.K. Laxman, state president of the BJP, told the media recently that the TRS was unnecessarily tagging the issue of reservations to Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes with Muslim reservations.

Hyderabad: The Union home ministry has rejected the Kapu Reservation Bill of Andhra Pradesh because it disregards the Supreme Courts decision to cap reservation at 50 per cent.

The Telangana wing of the BJP is against reservation for Muslims because they say it is based on religion which is not permissible under the Constitution. K. Laxman, state president of the BJP, told the media recently that the TRS was unnecessarily tagging the issue of reservations to Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes with Muslim reservations.

He said that the demand for reservation for Muslims is based on data gathered in a most unscientific manner by the TRS government and will not be sustained before the law.

C. Damodar Reddy, who practices in the Hyderabad High Court and who appeared in the Muslim Reservation case in 2005, says that Parliament was empowered to amend the Constitution to provide reservation in view of the demands from the various state governments across the country.

He said that Article 15(4) of the Constitution empowers the Union government to make special provisions for advancement of Backward Classes. Similarly, Article 16 provides for equality of opportunity in matters of employment or appointment to any post under the State.

He said that Clause 2 of Article 16 lays down that no citizen on grounds of religion, race, caste, sex, descent, place of birth, residence or any of them be discriminated against in respect of any employment or office under the state. The issue of four per cent reservation for Muslims is already pending before a Constitutional Bench of the Supreme Court and validation of 69 per cent reservation in Tamil Nadu under Article 31(B) is also pending before the apex court for judicial review, he said.Bodies recovered by the Garud commandos of the IAF were found lying in crevices on steep rocky slopes at the Kurangani forest in Theni on Monday. (Photo: DC)

Theni: With the death toll in the forest fire in Theni district increasing to 10 on Monday, the Tamil Nadu government has ordered a full-fledged probe into the Kurangani hills forest fire tragedy to ascertain how the fire spread. Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami also assured action against those who allegedly arranged for the trekking expedition without permission.

Seven women and three men were killed in the fire at Kurangani Hill ranges in Western Ghats. While seven of the victims were from Chennai, others were from Erode district. He said 17 persons with burn injuries were admitted to the hospitals - 10 in Madurai government hospital, five in Theni GH and two in private hospitals.

The district administration and health department officials have been instructed to ensure best medical treatment to those admitted to local hospitals, he added. He also prayed for their swift recovery.

Ten persons are dead, while 17 of the rescued have been hospitalised and 10 did not require hospitalisation, Commissioner of Revenue Administration K Sathyagopal told reporters.

A 36-member team  24 people from Chennai and 12 from Tiruppur and Erode districts  on a trekking expedition reached Kurangani hills on March 10. They were said to have been joined by three others. The team included 25 women and three children, according to Theni District Collector Mariam Pallavi Baldev.

According to Pallavi Baldev, the trekkers after staying overnight at an estate in Kozhukumalai started their return journey to the plains yesterday morning when they heard about the sudden forest fire and got separated while attempting to find a safe way.

State health minister C Vijayabhaskar said the injured trekkers were received at Kurangani by a medical team. There is a medical team. Nine patients have already been shifted to Government Hospital in Bodi and they are all stable, he told reporters.Chennai: The state unit of the BJP took strong exception to Congress leader Rahul Gandhis mess with the wrong forces remark and also for saying he has completely forgiven his fathers killers, and said if the Congress really had sympathy for the Tamils during the ethnic war and expressed it then, this action could have prevented the killing of lakhs of innocent Tamils by the then Sri Lankan government.

If this feeling was expressed then, it could have prevented the killing of lakhs and lakhs of innocent Tamils by the then Sri Lankan government with the support of your Congress government then. Are you are pardoning or politicising now? she asked referring to Rahuls remark that in politics, when you mess with the wrong forces, and if you stand for something, you will die.

In Singapore, Congress president Rahul Gandhi, said he and his sister Priyanka had completely forgiven their fathers killers. For many years, we were quite upset and hurt, but somehow... (we have) completely (forgiven them), he said at a programme in Singapore.

Contending that Rahuls sudden disclosure which came at an unexpected time was surprising Dr. Tamilisai asked, why were these feelings, which did not arise during the ethic war, unexpectedly conveyed now? Had these feelings been expressed then (during the war) the lives of atleast two lakh innocent Tamils in Sri Lanka could have been saved. Why this farce now? Dr. Tamilisai asked.

Wondering why Priyanka Gandhi discreetly met Nalini convicted in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case, in prison, Dr Tamilisai claimed that only after her meeting with Nalini, the then Congress government abetted the genocide in the island nation. This also led to the killing of LTTE leader Prabhakaran. Now Rahul Gandhi says he and his sister had completely forgiven their fathers killers. Will anyone believe this? Dr. Tamilisai asked.Bengaluru: Kerala NDA vice chairman and media baron, Rajeev Chandrasekhars name has been cleared by the BJP central committee for the lone Rajya Sabha seat it can win from Karnataka. A highly placed source in the BJP defended the partys decision to field Mr Chandrasekhar saying he had been a close associate of the BJP for the last two decades and is involved in Bengaluru related issues, the most recent one being the famous Steel Flyover Beda campaign in the city which ultimately forced the ruling Congress to back off from the project.

The BJP central committee on Sunday cleared the name of Kerala NDA vice chairman and media baron, Rajeev Chandrashekhar for the lone Rajya Sabha seat it can win from Karnataka.

Speaking to Deccan Chronicle, a highly placed source in the BJP strongly defending the partys decision to field Mr Chandrashekhar saying he had been a close associate of the BJP for the last two decades and had been actively involved in Bengaluru related issues. His most recent and biggest contribution to Bengaluru is the famous Steel Flyover Beda campaign in the city which ultimately forced the ruling Congress party to back off from the project. Similarly, he has been a resident of Bengaluru for the last four decades and is a voter from the city, so the party chose him as its official candidate, the source explained.

The source added that Mr Chandrashekhars schooling and his education till graduation, was from the prestigious NIT in Mangaluru, and is enough to prove that he is a Kannadiga since childhood. Showering praise on him, the source disclosed that Mr Chandrashekhar was actively involved in flood relief work carried out during the BJPs tenure between 2008-13. Under the then CM B.S. Yeddyurappa, he helped the BJP government to monitor and successfully implement the Aasre housing scheme in north-Karnataka region where floods had wreaked havoc, the source said.Bengaluru: Holding the BJP-led NDA government at the Centre responsible for the socio-economic and political mess in the country, former Finance Minister P. Chidambaram said the government had adopted insidious ways to damage institutions considered sacrosanct only to ensure that the executive gets stronger.

Participating in a debate after launching his book, Speaking Truth to Power: My Alternate View, here on Sunday, Mr Chidambaram said liberties in the country are in danger and there was a need to ask questions loudly. At the moment, 40% of posts in the Supreme Court and High Courts are vacant and there is no one to hear petitions. In the Central University, 5,500 teaching posts are vacant. The government has failed to appoint the RBI Deputy Governor for the last eight months. Though Justice KM Joseph is the seniormost high court judge in the country, a recommendation by the SC colleagium for his elevation to the Supreme Court is pending for the last eight months, he charged.

These are attempts to capture institutions either by appointing those aligned with the ruling coalition or by leaving them vacant. When such nodal institutions do not function, the executive or government becomes stronger and there will be no checks and balances for those in power, he remarked.

Charging that the NDA was giving a political and legal twist to every issue, leading to collapse of the system, Mr Chidambaram said India had faced worse NPA(non-performing assets) problems twice earlier-once when Yashwant Sinha was finance minister and when he himself was the finance minister.

What we did was simple. Since the banks had lent the money, we asked them to recover it and they did it. Of course there were some write-offs, but still things worked our way,'' he said reminding those present that in May 2014 (just before the Congress gave up power), the countrys NPAs were around Rs 2 lakh crore and now, it had gone up to Rs 8 lakh crore.

The economic situation has not improved, exports are languishing and new jobs are not being created as no new investments are coming into the small and medium industries (SME) sector with the worst hit being the telecom and power sectors. The former FM also dismissed a suggestion that the banking sector should be totally privatised. It makes a lot of economic sense. However, nationalised banks provide a lot of educational loans as well as loans to small businessmen, creating over four lakh jobs. This is not done by private banks,'' he explained.

As a matter of fact, more than 90% jobs are created by the SME sector and only 10% jobs are created in the formal sectors. Demonetisation has forced these SMEs to shut shop, leaving people jobless. Over and above this, statements like frying pakodas is also a job(by the PM) is like adding insult to injury, he said, adding that he did not expect to see the benefits of liberalisation in his lifetime.

When asked about the PNB scam involving diamantaire Nirav Modi, which went unnoticed for so many years, Mr Chidambaram said the proof would come out one day. I don't have the proof. However, it pertains to one sector and there are two players. Both are from the same state and how he (Nirav Modi) escaped is still a puzzling question,'' he remarked. He declined to answer questions on the controversy involving his son Karti, who is now in CBI custody for questioning in the INX-Media deal.

Political discourse has become very coarse

Former Union Finance Minister P. Chidambaram released his book Speaking Truth to Power: My Alternate View in the city on Sunday.

Over the years, discourse has become very coarse in our country. Within varsities, legislatures and even the parliament not seeing much of any discourse now finding an alternate to engage with people has always been important, he said adding that the only place to do so was through the print medium, in his case.

While these written pieces (columns) are printed and then put online, thousands read it thus paving way for more discourse, he said.

For Chidambaram, writing the weekly column in a newspaper is like writing a letter to a son or a daughter living in another city. Remember Jawaharlal Nehru writing to Indira Gandhi from the prison which was later published as Letters from a Father to His Daughter, he said urging the audience to write letters at least on a weekly basis.

In a discussion held at the sidelines of the launch, Chidambaram touched upon various instances mentioned in the book and connected it to various contemporary developments across sector. The in-conversation session was handled jointly by MP Rajeev Gowda and Nitin Pai, founder of the Takshashila Institution, a think-tank.Elaborating on the power of social media, Chidambaram remarked that using the native language rather than English would help bringing more people onto the platform for discussions.Hyderabad: AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi on Sunday called Nathuram Godse, the man who assassinated Mahatma Gandhi, as the Number 1 Hindu Rashtra Terrorist.

Addressing a rally in Pune on Saturday night, Mr Owaisi said the Muslims had never tried to sell India. He said, We have been threatened for last 70 years. But now we are not going get frightened.

The Hyderabad MP further said that Indian Muslims would go to neither Syria nor Pakistan. Those who had to go to Pakistan have already gone. Our forefathers fought against the British, they raised slogans of Hindustan Zindabad, he said.

Speaking about the triple talaq Bill, Mr Owaisi said the Bill is an injustice to Muslim women and they should stand up against it.

He said it was the beauty of India that people from different faiths lived here. The Constitution allowed everyone to follow their faiths. While the BJP-led government at the Centre claimed to care about the rights of Muslim women, it had come up with the triple talaq Bill, which is an injustice against Muslim women, he said.

Mr Owaisi had slammed Sri Sri Ravi Shankar earlier for claiming India would turn into Syria. He does not believe in the Constitution. He does not believe in the law. He feels he is the law himself. He feels he is so big that everyone should listen to what he says. He is not neutral, he added.Consider the past and you shall know the future, says a Chinese proverb. That is something the Narendra Modi government did not keep in mind when it embarked on its ill-considered move to confront the Chinese on the Doklam border row last year. An aggressive stance as India knows to its cost since the bruising 1962 war has never helped it to get the better of China.

But the past was ignored by the BJP regime which has thoughtlessly needled the Chinese over the past three years. The nadir was reached with Doklam. China began building a huge military complex in mid-January, close to the site where Indian troops had been despatched rather impetuously to stop the construction of a road in July 2017. Beijing asked India not to interfere in legitimate infrastructure development in its sovereign territory.

Some lessons appear to have been learned. India is now going all out to address Chinas sensitivities. Institutional frameworks that were given short shrift earlier are back at the centre of a more realistic policy that is being pieced together by the ministry of external affairs. The architect of the salvage mission is new foreign secretary Vijay Gokhale, a seasoned China hand, who appears to be well regarded by the authorities in Beijing. Last month, Mr Gokhales meetings with top Chinese officials resulted in a decision by the two sides to initiate a sustained level of dialogue which will include external affairs minister Sushma Swarajs visit to China. It is hoped that by the time Mr Modi meets Chinese President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit in June in Qingdao, relations between the two countries would have been set on a firmer footing. The question is how willing Modi supporters and the BJPs ideological mentor, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, are to accept the new reality. Convinced of their latent superiority, the saffron brigade of Hindu supremacists believes China is a competitor that needs to be contained and that India and the US are natural allies in such a project. Besides, there is the deep-rooted yearning to avenge the defeat of 1962.

The MEA is taking a more pragmatic view of geopolitical realities. The official release on Mr Gokhales talks in Beijing notes the need to build on the convergences between India and China and address differences on the basis of mutual respect and sensitivity to each others concerns, interests and aspirations. That explains why MEA was able to persuade the government to issue a circular asking senior officials not to attend functions marking the 60th anniversary of the Dalai Lamas exile in India. With ties to all its neighbours in tatters and allies turning hostile, Mr Modi is staring at a largely blank balance sheet. The reset in relations with China is likely to have an impact on Delhis dealings with Islamabad, too. The frustration with the governments inability to deal with the volatile Pakistan border prompted a general to state that restoring ceasefire requires statesmanship, not brinkmanship.What is noteworthy about French President Emmanuel Macrons just-ended visit to India is that it underlined the value of a relationship that has evolved incrementally but impressively since the 1980s, with an accent on the totality of the strategic spectrum, as has just become evident. It had no downs along the way, only ups. When the world turned against New Delhi after the Pokhran-II nuclear test, Paris kept its composure. It also showed no hesitation in supporting Indias case for permanent membership of the UN Security Council.

There is some irony in that a Francophile leader, Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, the architect of the Indo-Soviet Treaty on Peace, Friendship and Cooperation, basically a security pact to act as a counterweight to American threats in order to bolster Pakistan, had proposed defence ties with France in the 1980s to balance this countrys wholesale reliance on the Soviet Union for defence wares. This had happened when the Cold War blocs had not dissolved.

And now, when post-Communism Russia is conceiving its strategic and tactical positions in a manner different from the past, New Delhi has just signed with Paris agreements in areas like defence, nuclear energy, strategic vision to offset potential moves by another neighbour (this time China, rather than Pakistan) in the Indian Ocean region, exchange of military logistics and supplies, and space.

In some of these fields such as a strategic vision for the Indian Ocean and military logistics, India has also reached agreements with the United States. However, the agreements with France signed during President Macrons visit have immediate relevance in two fields in particular. One, due to Frances former colonial possessions in the Indian Ocean it has naval facilities that can now be accessed by India on a reciprocal basis as a counterpoint to rampaging Chinese tactics to corner as much of the Indian Ocean region as possible to extend its military reach.

Two, the agreement on six reactors for the Jaitapur nuclear complex in Maharashtra, important for India, should face fewer practical difficulties than nuclear deals with the US over civil liability issues. President Macron called the purchase of 36 ready-to-fly Rafale fighter jets by India the heart of the strategic relationship. This suggests that military commerce matters more to France than logistics and other issues which are of no less value to this country, and Paris will work hard to sell 36 more Rafale fighters, although the first lot of purchases has run into pricing controversies in India. Mr Macron tried to assuage Congress president Rahul Gandhi on this score. Possibly, its on account of this background that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has held back from ordering a fresh lot of the French fighter. Nevertheless, 14 agreements worth $16 billion were signed, and thats good going. India has also gained by the French connection.In the last few decades millions of people have given up on organised religion. Yet for many of these dropouts  from churches, mosques, synagogues, temples and so on  spirituality is still a vital part of their lives.

In the last few decades millions of people have given up on organised religion. Yet for many of these dropouts  from churches, mosques, synagogues, temples and so on  spirituality is still a vital part of their lives. It may be no surprise that those who have started detesting organised religion have seen their appetite for spiritual values grow larger.

If you went to a place of worship looking for relief from the stress and burdens of living, you might have found more of the same, clothed as beliefs and dogmas, rules and injunctions .People go to seek God. Instead of finding God, you find priests doling out catalogues of dos and donts as onerous as the tax codes.

We are told how to believe, what to think, as well as how were supposed to live. Then, theres the debating, disagreement, and division that goes on between people , each group insisting that their beliefs are right, which by implication means that everyone elses beliefs are wrong. Were the chosen ones; youre not! Maybe those who came looking for some sanity in life are leaving organised religion to preserve what little remains of their spiritual stamina.

The greatest impact of overemphasis on organised religion has been felt by spiritualism which is actually the soul of religion. Spiritualism has been replaced by ritualism and with it all great ethical and moral values that undergird it have grown weaker . Every living being in the universe struggles consciously or unconsciously towards the goal of spiritual freedom. The basic and instinctive urge for happiness, pleasure and material success is on account of this struggle. To each of us, God extends a lifeline of reflection and repentance, provided that we keep alive within us that innate good nature. If, however, we insist on rejecting it, and crush our conscience deliberately, the moral consequences can be grave.

We must understand that every scriptural book has to be read, not only with the tongue and voice and eyes, but with the truest and purest light which our heart and conscience can provide. This is the only way we can internalize it. Spirituality springs from the soul, and and permeates the entire being .If the soul becomes barren; we will continue to practice our rituals robotically. What is the point if your prayers and fasting and your rituals cant clean your heart and enhance the quality of your character. In our religious journey we often mistake the guideposts for the final destination. At that point, prayers become mere empty words; rituals become routines and the soul becomes a slave of habit.

The scriptures have not to be just ritualized; they have to be applied to our everyday lives. What ultimately matters is the purity and chastity of the conscience and this is the primary attribute of a true servant of God. It is the most authentic barometer of our piety. When a man acts without any attachment to earthly bonds, the motivation comes not from the hearts passions, but from the souls clear light. In this perception, there is no dualism between the perceiver and the perceived and the beholder and the beholden. You cannot tell the dancer from the dance, as W.B. Yeats described it. Spiritual values are the central axis of the chariot of civilization As Woodrow Wilson emphasized, Unless our civilization is redeemed spiritually, it cannot endure materially.Two of the worlds most dangerously flamboyant showmen are planning to meet some time before the end of May. If the meeting does take place, Donald Trump and Kim Jong-un will pirouette on a diplomatic catwalk in a calculated game of international one-upmanship. Since China has welcomed the move to restore Asias political equilibrium and remove a threat to global peace, one expects it also to persuade Xi Jinping, now crowned emperor for life, not to rock regional stability with adventurist claims.

The West sees the Korean crisis, a lingering relic of the Cold War, as a clash between good and evil. North Koreas tubby little Kim, Mr Trumps derisive Little Rocket Man, is a natural target of fun, mocked by the Western media for his physique, hairdo, strutting walk and bombastic pronouncements. Ridicule is a way of demolishing an adversary. If North Korea is mocked into oblivion, then South Korea must be the triumphant repository of all virtue. Sadly, no one who has read James Camerons Point of Departure can accept that simplistic division. Cameron was a distinguished British journalist who was responsible in a way for my own entry into the profession. As is well-known, his reporting of the Korean War resulted in an epic fallout with the owner of the The Picture Post, the magazine which sent him. Not only did the latter refuse to print Camerons blisteringly honest account of atrocities that the South Koreans carried out on political prisoners under United Nations protection, but he also sacked his editor who supported Cameron.

South Korea was  and is  the United States sacred cow. Long before Mr Trump began trading schoolboy insults with Mr Kim, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, and Barack Obama relentlessly demonised the North as a rogue state run by a dynasty of brutal tyrants determined to destroy Western civilisation. They cited this presumed menace to justify the US garrison of some 35,000 troops in South Korea 65 years after the Korean War ended and more than a quarter-century since the end of the Cold War. This is in addition to the permanent aircraft-carrier of Guam, naval bases and seaborne troops dotted all over the Indo-Pacific region, and approximately 50,000 military personnel in Japan with 40,000 dependents, and another 5,500 civilian employees of the US defence department.

North Korea is also the obvious and only target of the annual joint military exercises between the US and South Korea. Jim Mattis, Mr Trumps defence secretary, says: The only way to locate and destroy  with complete certainty  all components of North Koreas nuclear weapons programmes is through a ground invasion. No wonder the North views the Washington-Seoul axis with profound suspicion. The US justified its earlier refusal to take up Mr Kims offer to negotiate by saying there could be no trust until North Korea first gave up its nukes. Mr Kim responded by pointing to Libyas ill-fated Muammar el-Gaddafi who was attacked after he had stopped building the bomb. Mr Kim might also have mentioned the late Saddam Hussein, and retorted: Even if I do give up my nuclear ambitions, you will manufacture false evidence to condemn me, flaunting it at the United Nations as Colin Powell did, to justify an invasion!

Not that North Koreans are lily white innocents. I remember the stir in Colombo during the 1976 Nonaligned Nations Conference, which I was covering for The Observer in London, as unofficial reports circulated of North Korean soldiers axing to death two US Army officers engaged in a routine operation to cut down trees and clear a portion of the demilitarised zone at Panmunjom. (Panmunjom was where the Norths representatives at the postwar peace talks dragged out higher and higher stools so that they did not lose face by being dwarfed by the South Koreans and Americans, recalling the Kings Your head is higher than mine! in Anna and the King of Siam.) Kim Jong-il, son of North Koreas Kim Il-sung, who was attending the conference, presented the incident as an example of American aggression. His version was accepted and the conference adopted a resolution calling on the US to withdraw from South Korea.

Typically, the Americans have already started to gloat over the proposed talks as a tremendous victory. The North Koreans are coming to the table despite the US making zero concessions, crowed US vice-president Mike Pence. Our policy remains the same: all sanctions remain in place and the maximum pressure campaign will continue until North Korea takes concrete, permanent and verifiable steps to end their nuclear programme. What was not predictable and has always intrigued me is why several American soldiers defected to North Korea after the war. A South Koreans defection might have been explicable in personal and historical terms even though those who have visited the country know that Seoul is as modern and glitzy as Tokyo or Singapore.

But what makes a white American give up everything that millions of Indians would die for? Only one, Charles Jenkins, a sergeant, left North Korea to be court-martialled, demoted to private and discharged dishonourably with a 30-day jail sentence after pleading guilty to desertion and aiding the enemy, but only because he wanted to live in Japan with his Japanese wife. A documentary film, Crossing the Line, showed the last of them, James Dresnok, who died last year, saying he would not leave North Korea if you put a billion damn dollars of gold on the table. It probably wouldnt occur to Mr Trump to wonder why. But that is no reason for not hoping that the talks do take place, and that a Washington-Pyongyang detente reduces tension in the entire region and persuades China to be less assertive in the South China Sea and elsewhere.The new agreement enables Punkt to bring to market a range of highly-secure products which will embed BlackBerry cybersecurity technology, be certified as BlackBerry Secure, and be shipped ready to safely and securely connect to home and enterprise networks.

BlackBerry has signed a technology and brand licensing deal for BlackBerry Secure with Swiss consumer electronics maker, Punkt Tronics AG. The new agreement enables Punkt to bring to market a range of highly-secure products which will embed BlackBerry cybersecurity technology, be certified as BlackBerry Secure, and be shipped ready to safely and securely connect to home and enterprise networks.

BlackBerry Secure is claimed to be the most secure and comprehensive platform to connect people, devices, processes and systems. A BlackBerry Secure license provides product manufacturers with a deeply embedded security solution that comprises BlackBerry's proprietary software and applications. Products built with components from the BlackBerry Secure software platform will have best-in-class security that helps safeguard end-user privacy and protects enterprises from attackers looking to exploit device vulnerabilities.

If 2017 has taught us anything it is that every device needs to be secured because any vulnerability will be found and exploited, said Alex Thurber, SVP and GM of Mobility Solutions, BlackBerry. With cybersecurity becoming a concern for every household and enterprise, savvy manufacturers like Punkt are recognising the value of protecting the integrity of their innovations and the resonance our brand has with consumers who are increasingly anxious about the security of the products they choose to bring into their homes and lives.

At Punkt were focused on using technology to help us adopt good habits for less distracted lives, and we do this with carefully designed and elegantly crafted products, said Petter Neby, CEO and founder, Punkt. By incorporating BlackBerrys security technology into our premium products, we can now offer customers the highest level of security, without compromising on the simple, modern design they love.

Click on Deccan Chronicle Technology and Science for the latest news and reviews. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter.

Click on Deccan Chronicle Technology and Science for the latest news and reviews. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter.Have you bought a mobile phone lately? If you did, you probably got recommendations from a few friends, compared brands and features online, and ordered a phone that was delivered to your home. Youd have a similar no-hassle experience if you were buying a car, a DSLR or any other big-ticket product.

Have you taken out a loan lately? If you have, youve probably had a much more painful, confusing, dispiriting and opaque experience than you had while buying almost any other big-ticket product. Prithvi Chandrasekhar, Head- Risk and Analytics, InCred says that loan applicants typically share extensive personal details with complete strangers (which, by the way, puts applicants at risk of identity theft). They spend days, or even weeks, not knowing what is happening to their loan application. They accept high-prices, or complex, opaque prices, just because theyre sick and tired of the hassle and want to just get on with their lives.

Consequently, borrowers dont identify with lenders, despite dealing with them monthly. They dont reward lenders with affection or brand loyalty. There are no relationships, just transactions.

This dysfunction is not new. Lending is a very old industry. Through most of its history sellers, lenders, have held the balance of power. As a result, customers, borrowers, just learnt to accept shabby treatment. Sort of like the way we learnt to accept standing in the sun for hours to get a US visa.

The good news is that this arrangement, this industry equilibrium, is changing fast. The balance of power is shifting towards the customer, right now, right here in India. While there are many reasons why this is happening, including demographics, regulations and technology, two of the strongest and most interesting forces driving this change are the intertwined rise of lending platforms and data-analytics.

Lending platforms are the most visible element of this emerging equilibrium. Typically, these websites allow a borrower to compare loans from different lenders and choose the best offer. There are hundreds of variations on this theme that are already operational: e.g. platforms that specialise in a demographic, like students, or BPO staff; platforms that advertise on national TV and offer all loans to all customers from all lenders; platforms that specialise in a product, like say used cars or education; platforms that specialise in a service, like helping borrowers to use their social or educational capital to get a loan. What is common to all of these platforms is that (1) they are empowering the customer, by putting more choice in her hands (2) they are working, by originating thousands of crores worth of loans this year.

Less visible, but arguably more important, are the data-analytics powering these lending platforms.

The most critical data-analytics tools are related to credit and identity management. These are used to check if the borrower is who she says she is, and if she has the wherewithal to repay the loan. This is, of course, what underwriters have been doing since time immemorial. The revolution underway is that today, with data-analytics, underwriters can do their work quicker, cheaper and better.

The tools and techniques used here are very diverse, and work in conjunction, as a suite.

An example of an important but basic tool would be a query to the credit bureau to find out if an applicant has multiple PAN numbers, a classic sign of fraud. A more advanced technique would be to present multiple products offers to an applicant, to understand the applicants mentality. For example, an applicant is shown two hypothetical loan offers, one for Rs 5 lakhs at 12 per cent p.a. and another for Rs 10 lakhs at 20 per cent per annum. An applicant who prefers the second offer clearly has a very different mind-set and would need to be treated very differently, from the one who prefers the first. An even more advanced technique would be to use artificial intelligence to train an algorithm to mimic the underwriting decisions made by an experienced expert, without necessarily understanding what the expert is doing. This is like a chess-playing algorithm that mimics a grandmasters play, without directly understanding or explicitly formulating the grandmasters method.

Taken together, these credit tools have already opened up credit access to millions of Indians. Today, if a creditworthy applicant looks for a loan on a platform, she gets credible offers from multiple lenders. This means her primary bank, who always knew she was creditworthy, has to make her more competitive offers. This is a very real power shift between borrower and lender and will continue to gather momentum.

A second area where data-analytics is having an impact is in bringing new types of customers to lending platforms. At its best, this brings in customers who dont think of themselves as borrowers, thus growing the market as a whole.

For example, it is increasingly commonplace for holidays, or surgeries, to be financed by EMIs. How fast, and how far, this trend develops depends on how adept lending platforms get at marketing - at pitching the right loan offer to the right customer at the right time. This might involve pitching an EMI-financed holiday in Bali to someone surfing the net for flights to Sri Lanka. Or, in enabling post-surgery nursing at home for an elective surgery patient, who would otherwise avoid surgery altogether. These applications lend themselves very well to analytics-led optimisation, typically in micro-targeting very specific messages to customer niches, conducting extensive A/B testing and optimizing with machine learning.

Data-analytics also plays the role of matchmaker on lending platforms. Very soon, the Indian borrower will be presented with a bewildering array of product choices. For instance, Bank Bazaar has 58 distinct credit cards listed today. That list will grow. Moneysupermarket, a successful UK marketplace, has over 400 credit cards listed on any day, way too many for anyone to comprehend. This can flip the customer from one sort of powerlessness (no choice) into another (overwhelmed by choice).

Data-analytics solves this problem neatly, by pruning this list down to 4-6 relevant choices that reflect the borrowers needs and attitudes, as well as her likelihood of being accepted. Like underwriting, this pruning process is not new. Financial advisors have long played a similar role for HNI customers, helping them navigate a maze of choices. Data-analytics brings that expertise to the mass-market.

In summary, lending platforms powered by data-analytics are here to stay. Competition is intense, and inevitably many platforms will fail. But some will emerge as winners, and collectively they would have changed the way the industry operates forever.

And when this cycle of creation and destruction has played out, what good would have emerged?

Sure, consumption - living standards  would have risen much faster than they would otherwise have. That is great. Higher living standards in India mean tangible improvements  roofs repaired, weddings celebrated, surgeries completed, tuitions attended, holidays taken. This is welcome and natural in a young, fast-growing country.

But my view is that something much more valuable can also be created. Harvard sociologist Robert Putnam has long championed the theory that the crucial difference between successful societies and failed societies is one ingredient  trust. His point, well supported by research, is that enhancing the level of trust in a society dramatically raises the trajectory of that entire society.

The highest aspiration for the industry is that it plays a key role in spreading trust through India and therefore in raising the nations trajectory. Lending platforms, powered by data-analytics, clearly have the potential to provide access to credit to large swathes of Indian society. In doing so, they should also spread trust, as every loan given out is ultimately an act of trust, and every loan repaid is an honouring of that trust.

Democratising credit should result in democratising trust, and history shows that when trust is widespread, societies thrive.

So, the aspiration for lending platforms, for data-analytics and for other members of our industry ecosystem is that we catalyse India itself, by creating and distributing the magic ingredient  trust. Paradoxically, we will create that trust not by being trusting, but by being ultra-paranoid about credit and identity risk.

Click on Deccan Chronicle Technology and Science for the latest news and reviews. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter.The death toll in the forest fire in the Theni district of Tamil Nadu rose to 10 on Monday as the state government ordered a probe.

The government also assured action against those who arranged the expedition without permission from the forest department.

Palaniswami also warned that stern action would be taken in future against trekkers who undertake such expeditions without government permission.

"Without permission, they went on a trekking expedition. Trekkers should climb hills only after obtaining the government's permission," Chief Minister K Palaniswami said.

During the summer months of March, April and May, permission to trek is not given as the high forest ranges are dry with the possibility of forest fires spreading fast, he said.

Palaniswami said 10 people, seven women and three men, were killed in the fire at Kurangani Hill range of the Western Ghats, around 500 km from Chennai, and expressed grief over the deaths.

While seven victims were from Chennai, others were from Erode district.

Deputy Chief Minister O Panneerselvam and others ministers oversaw the operations.

Revenue Minister R B Udayakumar and Health Minister C Vijayabaskar, besides some senior officials, are camping in the area.

While state rescue agencies, including the fire department, rescued 26 stranded people, the Centre also deployed defence helicopters and commando forces during the operations.Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief Raj Thackeray today came out in support of the farmers who have reached here after undertaking a 'Long March' to Mumbai from Nashik to press their various demands including full loan waiver.



"This government is incapable of doing anything," the MNS chief said, addressing thousands of farmers who rested at Somaiya Ground in Sion area after reaching the city this evening.

"I have come to greet you. You have come all the way in this heat. Give me the reins of power and I will show what can be done," the MNS chief said.

"Don't forget your bleeding feet. These people (the BJP-led Maharashtra government) have shown you dreams, but have not kept their word," Thackeray said.

"Don't fall prey to their promises. They value you only during elections. Farmer suicides haven't stopped in this state yet. Tomorrow the government will try to fob you off with some promises. But the government itself is a pauper, so what can it offer you?" Thackeray said.

The leader of Opposition in Maharashtra Assembly, Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil, also lashed out at the government and asked why it "waited so long" to understand farmers' woes.

"Govt has woken up so invited farmers for talks. Why didn't they show such understanding earlier? Come what may government has to fulfil all demands of farmers. All Congress legislators (are) with the farmers," the Congress leader said.Three militants, including one who reportedly killed a policeman in Srinagar last month, were killed in an encounter with security forces in south Kashmir's Anantnag district on Monday.



Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Anantnag Altaf Khan said security forces launched an operation in Hakoora area of Anantnag, 60 km from here, late on Sunday night, following information about the presence of militants inside a residential house.

"The hiding militants tried to break the cordon and opened fire upon the joint team. In the retaliatory action, all the three hiding militants were killed," he said, adding the deceased belonged to Hizbul militant outfit.

The slain militants include Eesa Fazli of Srinagar and Syed Owais of Kokernag, Anantnag, while the identity of third was not known immediately.

Khan said the third militant was apparently a foreigner and his identity is being ascertained.

Fazili was pursuing B. Tech at Baba Ghulam Shah Badshah University in Rajouri before joining militancy last year in August.

Police suspect he was involved in the recent killing of a police constable outside the residence of a moderate separatist leader in Soura area of Srinagar.

Fearing protests in Srinagar, authorities ordered the closure of all educational institutions in the city, while restrictions were imposed in sensitive areas.

They also suspended mobile internet services in Srinagar and south Kashmir areas, while all the board and university exams scheduled for the day have been postponed.

Reports said soon after the news about the encounter spread, civilians, mostly youths, took to the streets in some areas of Anantnag and Srinagar and started protesting.The CBI has told the Supreme Court that AG Perarivalan's plea seeking the recall of its May 1999 judgement upholding his conviction in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case should be dismissed as it was devoid of any merits.



In an affidavit filed in the apex court, the CBI's Multi-Disciplinary Monitoring Agency (MDMA), probing the larger conspiracy aspect behind Gandhi's assassination, has said that the role of convict A G Perarivalan in the conspiracy resulting in the killings of the former prime minister and others have already been upheld by the top court.



The agency said that the application seeking the recall of May 11, 1999, apex court judgement was not maintainable since it seeks to reopen the whole matter on merits which cannot be permissible.



The MDMA also said that Perarivalan's petition seeking review of the apex court's order upholding his conviction in the case has already been dismissed.



"It's, therefore, most respectfully prayed that this court may be pleased to dismiss the application for recall of judgement dated May 11, 1999, in the interest of justice and impose heavy cost 0n the applicant (Perarivalan) herein," the agency said in its affidavit.



The affidavit was filed in pursuance of the apex court's January 24 direction asking the CBI to respond to Perarivalan's plea seeking the recall of the May 1999 order upholding his conviction.



The court had termed as "serious" and "debatable" the questions raised by Perarivalan.



He has sought the recall of the apex court's order, saying he was not aware of the conspiracy.



Former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi was assassinated on the night of May 21, 1991, at Sriperumbudur in Tamil Nadu by a woman suicide bomber, identified as Dhanu, at a poll rally.



Fourteen others, including Dhanu herself, were also killed.



Gandhi's assassination was perhaps the first case of suicide bombing which had claimed the life of a high-profile leader.



In its May 1999 order, the top court had upheld the death sentence of four convicts -- Perarivalan, Murugan, Santham and Nalini -- in the assassination case.



In April 2000, the Tamil Nadu governor commuted the death sentence of Nalini on the basis of the state government's recommendation and an appeal by former Congress president and Rajiv Gandhi's widow Sonia Gandhi.



On February 18, 2014, the top court had commuted the death sentence of Perarivalan to life imprisonment, along with that of two other prisoners - Santhan and Murugan - on grounds of a delay of 11 years in deciding their mercy pleas by the Centre.



In his application, 45-year-old Perarivalan has said that he was held guilty of supplying two nine-volt batteries which were allegedly used in the improvised explosive device (IED) that killed Gandhi.



The reasons due to which his conviction was sustained by the apex court would "vanish completely" in the wake of the affidavit by V Thiagarajan, a former CBI officer, it said.



Thiagarajan, then a superintendent of police of CBI, had recorded Perarivalan's confessional statement under the Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act.



The application claimed that in his affidavit the former CBI officer had stated that Perarivalan had expressly stated in his confessional statement that at the time of purchase of the batteries, he had absolutely no idea for what purpose these were going to be used.



While hearing Perarivalan's plea earlier, the top court had observed that the probe by CBI's Multi-Disciplinary Monitoring Agency (MDMA) in the larger conspiracy aspect behind Gandhi's assassination did not appear to have achieved "much headway" and could be "endless".



The MDMA, set up in 1998 on the recommendations of Justice M C Jain Commission of Inquiry which had probed the conspiracy aspect of Gandhi's assassination, is headed by a CBI official and comprises officers from IB, RAW and Revenue Intelligence and other agencies.Eesa Fazli, a Hizbul Mujahideen militant who was killed in an encounter along with his two associates in Anantnag district on Monday, was an engineering student who left his studies in 2017 and joined militancy.



A resident of Shadab Colony near Soura in Srinagar, Eesa was a third-year engineering student when he left Baba Ghulam Shah Badshah University in Rajouri district on August 15 last year to join Ansar Ghazwat-ul-Hind.

Ansar Ghazwat-ul-Hinda is a radical outfit which calls for jihad to establish a Caliphate in Kashmir.

After knowing about his son joining militant ranks, Easa's father, Naeem Fazli, a government higher secondary school principal, had taken to Facebook to make a passionate call to his son to return home.

It was probably the first such appeal made by any parent to his militant son in Kashmir.

In his message, Naeem had appealed to his son to return, insisting that he was not on the right track.

However, the father's appeal had no impact on the son. On Monday, Naeem had to announce his son's death on social media.

"As per reliable sources my son Eisa Fazili has left for heavenly abode," he wrote on his Facebook timeline.

Easa, according to family sources, was good in studies and had been among the 31 students selected for a six-month industrial training in June last year.

A senior police officer said he was in Kashmir from June to August last year and that is when he came in contact with militants, who lured him into militancy.

"As per our sources he was the mastermind behind the killing of on-duty police constable outside the residence of separatist leader Fazal Haq Qureshi in February this year," he said.

The Islamic State had claimed the responsibility for the attack on their official channel.

"Seeing his social media posts, it is not difficult to predict that Easa had an inclination towards the global terror outfits," the officer said.

The IS claiming responsibility for the policeman's murder was the second such incident in the last four months.

In November last year, the terror outfit claimed responsibility for an attack in Zakura on the outskirts of Srinagar, in which a policeman and a militant were killed.Former finance minister P Chidambaram's son Karti was on Monday sent to judicial custody till March 24 but he will not be lodged in a separate cell as he had demanded.

He made the demand claiming there was threat to his life.

Soon after the CBI court's order allowing the plea to send him to judicial custody as it did not want custodial interrogation any more, Karti moved the Delhi High Court seeking bail, which said the matter will be heard on Tuesday.

Special CBI judge Sunil Rana allowed Karti, who was arrested in the INX Media case, to carry his medicines, after the jail doctor clears it, and his spectacles, while rejecting his plea to have home food, toiletries and books.

The judge, however, did not find reason to grant his plea for a separate cell, saying Karti cannot be treated differently from the other accused just because of his and his father's social status.

While admitting that the apprehension raised cannot be ignored keeping in view the social status of the accused and his family, the judge said, "only keeping in view the fact of social status of the accused and his father, he cannot be treated different from other accused persons and cannot be allowed to be kept in separate prison."

Jail authorities should ensure proper security and safety as per rules, he said.

"Absolutely," Karti, who is accused of demanding $1 million for arranging approval for foreign direct investment in INX Media, told reporters when asked whether he was confident of winning the case.

He has been in CBI custody since his arrest on February 28 from the Chennai airport upon his arrival from the UK.

Countering the CBI plea for sending him to 15 days' judicial custody, Karti's lawyer Dayan Krishnan moved three applications to consider bail application, special cell with attached bathroom and allowing books, own clothes, medicines, home food and spectacles.

He argued that Karti's security was in danger as his father Chidambaram as Union home minister had dealt with terror cases, including the 26/11 Mumbai attacks.

The CBI countered it saying there is threat to Chidambaram but not to his son, family or relatives and they are roaming around the country freely.

Karti's counsel said, "this gives further proof to my apprehension. Why are you so enthusiastic (against special cell)? This very fact shows that this is malafide, there is a political motive... This is pre-panned conspiracy. You cannot forget Rajan Pillai," referring to the biscuit manufacturer who was found dead in mysterious conditions in Tihar jail.There are mothers out there, and then there are mothers who do not share the same genealogy with you. These are people who expound love and caring to all ...Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman today said an advanced light helicopter (ALH) will be pressed into service due to the hostile terrain, for rescuing those trapped in the forest fire in Tamil Nadu.



Nine people, who were part of a trekking expedition, have been killed so far in the fire, that started yesterday in the state's Theni district and has engulfed long stretches of forest area. Several people are feared to be trapped inside the forest.



Citing the difficult terrain as a major hindrance in conducting operations seamlessly, Sitharaman said, "We are also bringing in an ALH, which is a light helicopter so that the manoeuvrability will be better because this cliff is almost a vertical hillock, which goes up very sharply and there is not much not of a level ground where they can land."



Therefore, the operation has to be done winching the survivor or the dead, she told reporters here.



The defence minister said 16 Garud commandos -- a special force of the Indian Air Force -- have rescued a few people in the night.



"At the moment, the report is that the garuds are trying to lift the bodies of the dead to a higher plain, from where you can have the helicopters go and carry them down. So there are two helicopters waiting to do this particular activity," Sitharaman said.



One helicopter has spent a lot of time from early dawn to contain the fire. It has also has doused the fire in that area, from where the garuds have moved the bodies, she added.Suresh Prabhu took over as the Civil Aviation Minister on Monday. Soon after taking charge, Prabhu held a meeting with senior officials from the ministry, DGCA, AAI, Air India and Pawan Hans, among others. Minister of State for Civil Aviation Minister Jayant Sinha was also present.



Prabhu, who is the Commerce and Industry Minister, has been given the additional charge of Civil Aviation Ministry following the resignation of TDP leader Ashok Gajapathi Raju from the post last week.

Speaking to reporters after taking charge, Prabhu said the aviation sector is competing with other modes of transportation. Such competition would help in bringing down the cost of logistics, he added.

The minister said a lot of work had been done in the aviation sector in the last four years.

He has assumed charge at a time when the government is in the process of finalising the modalities for strategic disinvestment of national carrier Air India.A trial court will pronounce its order on CBI's plea to sent Karti Chidambaram to judicial custody in the INX Media corruption case later today.



The court will also pass order on Karti's plea seeking a separate cell in Tihar Jail and urgent hearing of his bail plea today itself.

Karti, the son of senior Congress leader P Chidambaram, was produced before special judge Sunil Rana on expiry of his three-day police custody.

The CBI did not seek any further custodial interrogation of Karti, who has already spent 12 days in its custody since his arrest on February 28 from Chennai airport.

The CBI has sought 15-day judicial custody of Karti who in turn has asked the court to hear his bail plea today itself instead of scheduled March 15.

Karti Chidambaram's father P Chidambaram was also present in the courtroom.

Senior advocate Dayan Krishnan, appearing for Karti, pressed for hearing on he bail application today itself in case the court was considering sending him to judicial custody.

He also moved another application seeking a separate prison cell for Karti if he is sent to judicial custody saying that "he is the son of former union home minister and many terrorists have been prosecuted during his (P Chidambaram) tenure and there is a clear threat perception to Karti".

"His (Karti) father P Chidambaram has dealt with stringent penal laws including TADA and MCOCA, posing a huge security threat to Karti," the senior advocate said, adding that he needs to be secured in a separate prison and be given a separate bathroom.

"He cannot be exposed to any of these criminals," his advocate said.

"There is a threat. Petitioner (Karti) himself is the member of Congress. The threat exists, I hope the court to protect us. We have contemplated a situation and brought it to the court's notice. I cannot be sent to a common bathroom. And adequate security must be given," Krishnan submitted.

When the CBI opposed the plea for a separate cell on the ground that if at all there was any threat, it was to P Chidambaram and not his son, Krishnan expressed shock and said the CBI's objection has enhanced the threat perception.

CBI opposing a separate prison, gives me further apprehension and shows political motive and enhances my threat perception. Organisation investigating me should be concerned about my security. Mala fide intent is there. I'm shocked that CBI can oppose my plea for security. Can it be denied? Karti's counsel said.

He was remanded in CBI custody for three days after the investigative agency claimed it had recovered some incriminating documents and CD from the Chennai office of Advantage Strategic Pvt Ltd., a company linked to him.

Karti Chidambaram has been in CBI custody for questioning since his arrest from Chennai Airport on February 28.

He was arrested on his return from the United Kingdom in connection with the FIR lodged on May 15 last year. It alleged irregularities in the Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) clearance to INX Media for receiving overseas funds of about Rs 305 crore in 2007 when his father was Union finance minister.

The CBI had initially alleged that Karti Chidambaram received Rs 10 lakh as bribe for facilitating Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) clearance to INX Media. It, however, later revised the figure to USD 1 million (about Rs 6.50 crore at the current exchange rate and Rs 4.50 crore in 2007).

The fresh evidence in the case, which triggered Karti Chidambaram's arrest, was based on the statement of Indrani Mukerjea, former director of INX Media (P) Ltd, who recorded it under section 164 of the CrPC before a magistrate on February 17.Bangladeshi Opposition leader Khaleda Zia is set to be released from jail after a court on Monday granted her bail, her lawyer said.



"The court has ordered an interim bail of four months for Madam Zia," her lawyer Zainul Abedin told reporters, a month after she was imprisoned for five years for embezzlement.India remained the world's largest arms importer between 2013 and 2017, accounting for nearly 12% of the global imports whereas its arch-rival Pakistan's military purchase dropped by 36% in the same period.



Setting a new trend, China has emerged as the number one arms supplier to Pakistan, Bangladesh and Myanmar, by supplying nearly 70% of the arms used by the military in these three nations.

The Communist nation also expanded its arms sale in Algeria, Thailand and Turkmenistan.

India, on the other hand, is nowhere on the list of arms exporting nations.

"China is becoming increasingly capable of producing its own weapons and continues to strengthen its relations with Pakistan, Bangladesh and Myanmar through arms supplies," said Siemon Wezeman, a senior researcher with the SIPRI arms and military expenditure programme.

Russia continues to be India's most trusted strategic ally who supplies major military hardware to New Delhi.

But with New Delhi showing increasingly more affinity to the USA, the import from America rose by a whopping 557% between 2008-12 and 2013-17, said the latest report from Stockholm International Peace Research Institute that keeps an eye on the global arms trade.

Despite its continuing tensions with India and ongoing internal conflicts, Pakistan's weapon imports decreased by 36% between 2008-12 and 2013-17.

The sale from US arms majors, too, reduced by 76% between 2013 and 2017 compared to the previous five-year period.

In the same period, India's imports increased by 24% between 2008-12 and 2013-17.

India is followed by Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the UAE and China in the list of world's top arms importers.

Pakistan comes at the ninth spot after Australia, Algeria and Iraq.

"The tensions between India, on the one side, and Pakistan and China, on the other, are fuelling India's growing demand for major weapons, which it remains unable to produce itself," said Wezeman.

The Communist nation's arms imports fell by 19% between 2008 and 2012 and 2013-17.

Despite the decrease, it was the world's fifth-largest arms importer in 2013-17.

Russia continues to dominate the Indian arms market, supplying 62% of the hardware that New Delhi imports.

The USA is second on the list with 15% share, while Israel is at the third spot with 11%.

The five big exporters - USA, Russia, France, Germany and China -together account for 74% of all arms exports in 2013-17.

The flow of arms increased to Asia, while there was a decrease in the flow to Africa, the Americas and Europe between 2008 and 2012 and 2013-17.Rescue workers recovered badly burnt bodies from the wreckage of a Bangladeshi aircraft that crashed while coming in to land at Nepal's Kathmandu airport on Monday, a Reuters witness said.



There were 71 people on board the plane and 17 had been rescued, an airport official said earlier. The number of dead and injured was not known.

A Reuters photographer said he could see bodies covered in cloth laid out near the tarmac of the airport."If a police officer writes a letter to the chief secretary, can that be considered a rebellion of IPS officers?" Chief Minister Siddaramaiah asked scribes who quizzed him in Kudalasangama, Bagalkot district on Monday. He was conversing with reporters at the Hungund helipad.



"I have no idea what is in the letter that the officer wrote to the chief secretary. But I can assure you there is no (Congress) minister's or MLA's interference in the daily functioning of government officers," he said.

The CM offered the above explanation in light of the letter to the chief secretary sent by Karnataka IPS Officers' Association president and Additional Director General of Police R P Sharma alleging 'political interference' in the functioning of the police force.The allegations of subjecting Azerbaijani citizens Dilgam Asgarov and Shahbaz Guliyev to moral and physical tortures are nothing but a deliberate fabrication.

March 10, 2018, 13:39 Babayan: Claim of torturing Asgarov and Guliyev is intentionally trumped-up story

STEPANAKERT, MARCH 10, ARTSAKHPRESS:Davit Babayan, Head of the Central Information Department of the Office of the President of the Republic of Artsakh and Deputy Head of the NKR Presidents Office, told the aforementioned to Armenian News-NEWS.am. He noted this commenting on a respective statement by an organization called International Human Rights Defence Committee (CIPDH).

It can be assumed from the style of that statement publicized in Azerbaijani media that this organization is registered in [Azerbaijans] Sumgait [town], or [capital city] Baku, Babayan stressed. Its visible with the naked eye, too [that], the statement is false, absorbed with Azerbaijani oil or caviar.

The ICRC [International Committee of the Red Cross] conducts monitoring of the custody and health condition of the mentioned persons, and no trace of torture was found.

At the same time he recalled the numerous violations of human rights in Azerbaijan, especially toward national minorities, captives, and detainees.

Azerbaijani citizens Shahbaz Guliyev (born in 1968), Dilgam Asgarov (born in 1960), and Hasan Hasanovwho was killed by the Republic of Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh Republic/NKR) armed forces while rendering these saboteurs ineffectivehad illegally crossed the NKR state border on June 29, 2014, and they were armed with weapons and ammunition. The three had entered the territory of the Shahumyan Region of Karabakh, and as spies, to collect information and carry out espionage.

On July 4, 2014, they had kidnapped and subsequently murdered Karabakh citizen Smbat Tsakanyan, 17, whose body was found on July 15, 2014, and with gunshot wounds, in a forest at the Shahumyan Region.

In addition, on the evening of July 11, 2014, Hasanov had killed Armenia capital city Yerevan resident Sargis Abrahamyan (born in 1971), and severely wounded Armenias Dzoraghbyur village resident Karine Davtyan, on the Vardenis-Karvachar Highway. Hasanov was armed and he resisted arrest; as a result, he was neutralized by the NKR special forces. Guliyev and Asgarov, on the other hand, were detained, and they faced trial in the NKR.

Asgarov was charged with espionage; unauthorized border trespass; kidnapping and violence against a minor, committed by an organized group; murder committed by an organized group motivated by ethnic hatred; and attempt of murder of two persons, committed by an organized group, motivated by ethnic hatred.

Guliyev was charged with espionage; unauthorized border trespass; kidnapping and violence against a minor, committed by an organized group; and murder committed by an organized group motivated by ethnic hatred.

And on December 29, 2014, the First Instance General Jurisdiction Court of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic sentenced Dilgam Asgarov and Shahbaz Guliyev to life and 22 years, respectively, in prison.Nearly eight months after the Doklam crisis, Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will be travelling to China to further the bilateral relations between the two neighbouring countries that fought a battle more than 50 years ago.



"Yes, (the China visit) it is probably sometime in late April," Sitharaman told reporters on the sidelines of a seminar here. She, however, did not elaborate on the meeting's agenda.

Her predecessor Manohar Parrikar was the last Indian defence minister to travel to the communist country in March 2016.

But the Doklam crisis came in between the two ministerial visits as the border guarding troops from two sides had a 72-day face-off at Doklam a disputed site near India-China-Bhutan tri-junction between June and August, last year.

The bone of contention was the construction of a road, which would have robbed India off some of the strategic advantages that the Indian Army enjoys at the moment in that area.

While the crisis was resolved through diplomatic efforts, China continues to hold its ground and build the infrastructure at Doklam.

"People Liberation Army has undertaken construction of some infrastructure, including sentry posts, trenches and Helipads," Nirmala informed the Parliament last week.

Post-disengagement from the faceoff, troops of both sides redeployed themselves away from their respective positions at the face-off site at the Doklam, she told the lawmakers. The strengths of both sides have been reduced.King penguins are in deep trouble if nothing is done to constrain climate change, researchers say. The scientists have assessed the birds' fragmented population in the Southern Ocean and concluded that some island strongholds will become unsustainable. The problem is the continued movement away from key nesting sites of the penguins' favoured foraging grounds. And as the climate warms further, food will simply become too distant for many birds to fetch for their chicks.



"Our work shows that almost 70% of king penguins - about 1.1 million breeding pairs - will have to relocate or disappear before the end of the century because of greenhouse gas emissions," said Dr CAline Le Bohec from the French National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS) and the University of Strasbourg. Her team has just published its findings in the journal Nature Climate Change.

The group has looked at the particular requirements of king penguin and how shifts in the environment might affect the species' breeding success in the coming decades. It is a mixture of climate modelling but also uses genetics to understand population history. The second largest of the 17 penguin species, Aptenodytes patagonicus are finicky about where they base themselves, preferring sub-Antarctic islands that are free of sea-ice and that have smooth sandy or pebble beaches on which to rear chicks. But they also need a good supply of fish and squid, and in the Southern Ocean this is to be found along a feature known as the Antarctic Polar Front (APF). It is a nutrient-rich upwelling that supports abundant prey for the hungry predator.

The issue is that the APF is heading poleward, and if global temperatures continue to rise as expected, the front is likely eventually to move out of the range of many foraging king penguins, the research suggests. Seven hundred kilometres is about the limit at which the birds can travel and not expose their chicks to starvation back at the nest. "Marion and Prince Edward islands, and Crozet island will have the biggest difficulty in the next 50 years, I would say. These are major population centres," said CAline. "But if we continue with the addition of greenhouse gases then Kerguelen, Falkland and Tierra del Fuego islands will also have difficulty."

Genetic analysis

By analysing the genetics of the birds, the scientists can see that king penguins have suffered population crashes in the past, most notably about 20,000 years ago when colder conditions extended the sea-ice much further to the north than it is today. So there is evidence that the birds can bounce back, and the team's modelling indicates that they will very probably try to adapt to their changing circumstances by colonisation Bouvet Island, and by increasing their numbers on Heard and South Georgia islands, which should benefit from improved foraging conditions as the APF edges ever poleward.

"The problem is the pace of change. It is really very fast, and that will make it hard for the penguins to adapt," said CAline. Commenting on the study, Dr Norman Ratcliffe from the British Antarctic Survey confirmed that shifts in the APF were a very important factor for king penguins. Independent tracking and breeding success data from Crozet and Kerguelen showed that the birds failed to breed in those years when the front temporarily moved too far south, he added.

"Long-term projections of the type presented here are always crude caricatures but I like this study because it does take a more mechanistic approach based on the known habitat requirements of the species rather than using a more traditional and simplistic thermal envelope model," he said. "For the time-being we know king penguin populations are still increasing across their range, probably due to them recovering from hunting pressure during the sealing era. So while it is possible that reduced accessibility of foraging habitat might cause loss of northern colonies in the future, there is no evidence that we have yet reached a tipping point at which this occurs."

The New York TimesAs India and France prepare to deepen their cooperation in defence and other fields, the personal bonding between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and French President Emmanuel Macron was on display during their visit to Varanasi on Monday.



The two leaders walked hand in hand as they descended the stairs at Assi Ghat on the banks of the Ganga while proceeding for their boat ride in the river.

Modi appeared to don the role of a guide during the visit and was seen explaining to the French President about the various cultural events that were organised on different ghats along the river that the two leaders passed through.

Macron was also seen asking the prime minister about an event that he witnessed while passing through one of the ghats.

Earlier in the day, Modi was seen explaining to the French president about the artefacts that were put on display at the Deen Dayal Handicraft Centre in the town, which was visited by the two leaders before their boat ride. Macron appeared to be eager to know about the live weaving of a woollen carpet and also about the carving of a wooden idol of Lord Ganesha at the centre.

The prime minister and the French president also hugged each other at the Varanasi airport. Modi usually hugs international leaders upon meeting them.

Political analyst J P Shukla said that Modi had personal bonding with heads of several countries and that it came in handy in eliciting their support on thorny international issues.The famed 'dabbawalas' of Mumbai and the city residents came out to help the thousands of farmers, who walked for six days to reach Mumbai from Nashik to raise their various demands, by providing them food and water.



The farmers walked up to the Azad Maidan in South Mumbai early this morning as a part of their 'long march' for raising demands, including implementation of the Maharashtra government's loan waiver scheme.

Subhash Talekar, the spokesperson of Mumbai Dabbawala Association, said, "We thought about helping the farmers with food as they are our food-providers and have come from remote parts of the state."

"We asked our men working between Dadar (in Central Mumbai) and Colaba (South Mumbai) to collect food and deliver it to our farmer brothers at the Azad Maidan," he said.

Dabbawalas, the tiffin-carriers are known for their efficient delivery service, provided food to the protesters as a part of their 'roti-bank' initiative.

According to Talekar, the Mumbai roti-bank, of which the dabbawalas are an integral part, deploys GPS-tracked vans to collect excess food from eateries, hotels, public functions and households, so that it can be distributed to the poor and hungry people.

Meanwhile, city residents were also seen offering 'Vada-pav' (a popular street snack), other food items and water to farmers last night.

A Mumbai resident also posted on social media a picture of food and water being distributed to farmers.

Several political parties like the Congress, the NCP, the Shiv Sena and the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena have extended their support to the protesting farmers.The government on Monday introduced the Fugitive Economic Offenders Bill in the Lok Sabha.



The bill seeks to confiscate and sell properties of those offenders who try to evade the process of law in India by staying outside the jurisdiction of the country's courts.

The bill will be applicable for all offences where the monetary value exceeds Rs 100 crore.

According to the bill, economic offenders are those individuals who have committed a scheduled offence involving Rs 100 crore or above and absconded from India or refused to come back to avoid or face criminal prosecution.

Fugitives such as jewellery designer Nirav Modi, the face behind Rs 12,700 crore Punjab National Bank loan fraud and Kingfisher's Vijay Mallya will come under the ambit of the law.

The bill was introduced in the House by Minister of State Shiv Pratap Shukla amid opposition by BJD member Bhartuhari Mahtab.

Mahtab opposed the introduction of the bill saying it goes against the fundamental rights of the people.

He said the bill was based on the premise of "guilty till proven innocent" and objected to the provision of confiscating assets before being proven guilty.

Shukla, however, said that all the provisions can be debated during the discussion on the bill in the House.

The proposed bill will allow authorities to confiscate all the properties of a fugitive offender, including his or her benami properties.

The new law also has a provision to confiscate asset and properties of the fugitive on a foreign soil.

However, this will require international cooperation with the country concerned.

Under the proposed law, an accused person will not have any right to purse a civil claim in the case.

"There have been several instances of economic offenders fleeing the jurisdiction of Indian courts, anticipating the commencement, or during the pendency, of criminal proceedings. The absence of such offenders from Indian courts has several deleterious consequences - first, it hampers investigation in criminal cases; second, it wastes precious time of courts of law, third, it undermines the rule of law in India...," said the statement of object and reasons of the bill.

It further said that most such cases of economic offences involve non-repayment of bank loans thereby worsening the financial health of the banking sector in India.

The existing civil and criminal provisions in law are not entirely adequate to deal with the severity of the problem.

"It is, therefore, felt necessary to provide an effective, expeditious and constitutionally permissible deterrent to ensure that such actions are curbed," it said.

The non-conviction-based asset confiscation for corruption-related cases is enabled under provisions of United Nations Convention against Corruption (ratified by India in 2011). The bill adopts this principle.

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley in his Budget in 2017-18 has said that the government was considering introducing legislative changes or even a new law to confiscate the assets of such absconders till they submit to the jurisdiction of the appropriate legal forum.The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Monday raided Central Jail Srinagar and recovered more than two dozen mobile phones, incriminating documents, a Pakistani flag and jihadi literature.



Sources said the central probe agency with the help of NSG commandos searched the barracks and open grounds of the high-security prison that houses some of the most wanted and dreaded militants, including those from Pakistan. The NIA sleuths also used drones during the search to keep a close watch on the entire operation, they said.



Besides 25 mobile phones, several SIM cards, SD cards, pen drives, one iPod and a large number of incriminating documents/articles, including a poster of Hizbul Mujahideen and a Pakistani flag, were seized during the raid. The searches were carried out in the presence of magistrates, witnesses and doctors, sources said.



"The search was carried out in connection with investigation of NIA case RC 07/2018/NIA/DLI (Arrest of Danish Gulam Lone and Sohail Ahmed Bhat by Kupwara Police) in which it was found that fresh recruits of Al-Badr, a proscribed militant organisation, were being sent across for arms training in furtherance of a conspiracy hatched from inside the Central Jail Srinagar," an official spokesman said.



He said the searches started early morning and continued till late afternoon. "All the barracks and the open grounds were thoroughly searched with the help of well-trained teams and deep search metal detectors. A close watch on the entire operation was kept with the help of drones," he added.



The Srinagar Central Jail attracted the attention of the security agencies after Lashker-e-Taiba commander Naveed Jatt alias Abu Hunzullah, who was lodged there, escaped from a hospital while being taken for medical check up on February 6.



Shocking revelation

Two policemen were killed by the militants at Srinagar's S M H S Hospital when Hunzullah was freed. Months before Hunzullah escaped, Jammu and Kashmir CID had termed Srinagar Jail as a hub for recruiting militants with inmates establishing a "parallel administrative set up."



In a shocking revelation, the CID report mentioned that the role of the jail is so important that every new militant is recruited only after 'approval' from inside the prison. "The Jail has an 'Ameer-e-Zindaan' (prison chief), who is appointed by a 'Shura' (council) for a period of six months. However, as to who gives such an approval is being ascertained," the report prepared last year by former director general of prisons S K Mishra, mentions.



Immediately after Hunzullah's escape, prisoners who fall in "higher and high risk" category were shifted secretly to various prisons in Jammu region, including Udhampur, Kotbalwal and Hiranagar.



Besides the poor fiscal health of Punjab, Finance Minister Manpreet Singh Badal is just not pleased with the level of English writing skills of the state's IAS officers.



In fact, the well-read minister did not mince words publicly to criticise the bureaucrats on their 'proficiency' in the Queen's language. At a function in Chandigarh on Sunday, Manpreet Badal said, "Barring one or two, none of the IAS officers know how to write English." Badal went ahead to say they even don't know how to write official letters. The minister said he often has felt ashamed reading official letters written by state bureaucrats.

Punjabi is the official language in this border state. The minister in Capt Amarinder Singh-led Congress government is the estranged nephew of former Punjab chief minister Parkash Singh Badal.

He said he was glad that much of the correspondence in the departments take place in Punjabi. But, he said, correspondence with the union government was in English, which is where IAS officers are desired to pen the content in English. "I am surprised how they have managed to clear the civil services examination," Manpreet said from the dais.

The minister's comments haven't gone down well the state bureaucracy. Overtly though, there has been no formal or informal expression of disappointment manifested over Badal's comment, from the state bureaucrats, at least for now.

No-tea in office

Manpreet Singh Badal is well regarded for his honest functioning in the government. His comments even in the past have attracted attention. His 'no-tea in office' notice outside his office was much talked about. Some time back, he displayed a notice outside his office at the Punjab civil secretariat where the minister directly wrote; "Dear I'm really sorry for not offering tea to you in my office. But every action of governance is full of 'Tea' - transparency, efficiency, and accountability. You are an indispensable part of making Tea in this office..."At the invitation of foreign minister Margot Wallstrom of Sweden, Armenia Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian will be on an official visit to Stockholm, on Monday and Tuesday.

March 12, 2018, 10:53 Armenia FM heading to Sweden on official visitThe National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has sent notices to the Uttar Pradesh government and the Union Health Ministry over an incident in which a man's leg severed in a bus accident was reportedly used as a headrest to prop him up in a state-run hospital in Jhansi.



"It is hard to understand ... how a reasonable person could do such an unfair act," the NHRC said on Monday.

"The incident demands not only fair investigation and action against the guilty public servants but also issuance of necessary directions and guidelines to all hospitals regarding strict compliance of standard norms for the disposal of bio-medical waste and amputated organs so that such incidents do not recur in future," it said.

The incident occurred at the Maharani Laxmibai Medical College, prompting the Uttar Pradesh government to suspend four staff and order a departmental probe into it.

The Commission has issued the notices to the chief secretary, seeking a detailed report.

"Also, Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has been asked to submit a report, as to whether any instructions or guidelines on the subject have been issued to the doctors and hospitals, along with status of mechanism to monitor their implementation, across the country," the NHRC said in a statement.

Ghanshyam (28) claimed that the hospital staff put the severed leg under his head as a pillow. He had lost the leg in an accident on Saturday and was brought to the hospital in a critical condition.

As the video of the man lying on a stretcher in the hospital with the severed leg under his head went viral on social and electronic media, Sadhna Kaushik, the medical college's principal, on Sunday said strict action would be taken against those found guilty.

The NHRC has observed that the contents of the reports, if true, amount to an "unethical and negligent act done by the doctors and nurses, which is not only in violation of the medical norms, but also amounts to violation of the right to dignity of the patient, who was already undergoing trauma, due to the amputation of his leg".

Under the Bio Medical Waste (Management and Handling) Rules 2016, notified by the government's Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, on March 28, 2016, the severed leg should have been put in a "Yellow Box" meant for amputated human organs, the Commission said.

"Even if any medico-legal aspect was there in this case, it should have been immediately kept in the laboratory. The amputated leg, once detached from the body, could also be a reason for any kind of infection to the patient and others who were present in the hospital ward," it added.Two days after Jammu and Kashmir Finance Minister Haseeb Drabu's controversial statement that Kashmir is 'not a political issue' sparked a storm, Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti on Monday sacked him from the cabinet.



Sources said that after a meeting between Mehbooba and senior PDP leaders, a letter was sent to J&K Governor N N Vohra, informing him about the removal of Drabu on grounds of violation of party norms.

Late in the evening Raj Bhavan sources said the Governor approved the chief minister's proposal to drop Drabu from the council of ministers with immediate effect.

Speaking at an event themed 'Kashmir: The Way Forward' in Delhi on Saturday, Drabu had said that Kashmir should not be seen as a conflict state or a political problem but as a society with social issues. The statement drew sharp criticism not only from the Opposition parties, but also from leaders of ruling Peoples' Democratic Party (PDP), prompting the chief minister to take action.

The disciplinary committee of the PDP had sent a letter to Drabu saying: "Your statement has the potential of creating a serious dent to the image and credibility of the party. Therefore you are advised to explain as to why statement detrimental to the party interests was made."

PDP vice president and Mehbooba's uncle, Sartaj Madni while asking the minister to retract the statement immediately had said the party recognizes Jammu and Kashmir as a political issue and ever since its advent, the party has relentlessly been pursuing its resolution through reconciliation and dialogue, both at internal and external levels.

Drabu's statement came at a time when the PDP and its coalition partner, the BJP, are at loggerheads over a range of issues, with Mehbooba openly pressing for talks with Pakistan on Kashmir while the saffron party adopting a different line.

Drabu, who was a key PDP pointsman in setting the contours of its alliance with the BJP in 2015, also played an important role in the formulation of the GST last year.

Meanwhile, state BJP while endorsing Drabu's statement said that Kashmir was not a political issue and the "only issue is to get Pakistan occupied Kashmir back."

"There is no problem with what Drabu said. There is no problem in Jammu and Kashmir; the only problem is to get PoK back," BJP General Secretary (organization) Ashok Koul said.English communicative, information and communication technology, as well as an elective subject of e-publishing and e-office, will not be taught at the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) schools from this year.



The board has discontinued these three subjects from its scheme of studies for class IX with effect from the academic session of the 2018-19.

It has also discontinued the teaching of Kerala's Mohiniyattam dance, offered as a subject in class XI, from this year.

Two more subjects-multimedia and web technology, as well as English elective-CBSE, taught at Class XI, were also discontinued from this year.

"Schools are advised not to offer these subjects in classes IX and XI from the forthcoming session of 2018-19," the CBSE said in a notification on Monday.

The board, however, clarified that the students who are studying these subjects currently in class IX and XI will not be affected by its decision.

From this year, three subjects-agriculture, fashion studies and mass media studies will be offered as vocation electives in class XI, the board added.The Supreme Court on Monday concluded that certain 'middlemen' and builders got themselves enriched at the expense of landholders and public interest after the Haryana government shelved its decision to acquire land for an industrial township at Gurgaon in 2008.



A bench of Justices Adarsh Kumar Goel and U U Lalit directed the Centre, Haryana government and the CBI to unravel the truth and go into the depth of the matter as "the smokescreen" of acquisition was created and the builders and private entities made unnatural gains and huge profit by playing fraud on landholders.

The apex court also directed the Punjab and Haryana High Court to decide within two months a writ petition challenging the setting up of a Commission of Inquiry headed by former Delhi High Court judge Justice S N Dhingra. The then Congress government in Haryana had faced flak for allowing various companies, including the ones having connection with the Congress President Sonia Gandhi's son-in-law Robert Vadra, to make huge money in the process.

"There was an unholy nexus between the government machinery and the builders/private entities in devising a modality to deprive the innocent and gullible landholders of their holdings and jeopardise public interest, which the acquisition was intended to achieve," Justice Lalit said in the 97-page judgement authored by him on behalf of the bench.

In 2004, the Haryana government decided to acquire land measuring about 912 acres in three villages namely, Manesar, Lakhnoula and Naurangpur, at Gurgaon for setting up Chaudhari Devi Lal Industrial Township. As landholders were offered Rs 12.5 lakh an acre, a group of builders persuaded them to transfer their holdings at Rs 20-25 lakh an acre. Subsequently, the state government in 2008 dropped the acquisition process and approved building plans of a group of housing societies in 2009.

The court allowed appeals against HC's judgement of December 15, 2014, that had dismissed a plea by 117 landholders for the process was vitiated by fraud. The top court set aside the decision of the state government to drop the acquisition. It directed transferring the lands to Haryana Urban Development Authority and Haryana State Industrial Development Corporation, enabling the landholders to claim enhanced compensation.

"We direct the authorities of the state as well as the central government to reach the depths of such transactions and recover every single pie and make it over to the state government. A complete investigation in the transactions, including unearthing unnatural gains received by "middlemen" shall be undertaken by the CBI," the court ordered.The 8th Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate (ACMM) court, on Monday, allowed the Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing senior journalist Gauri Lankesh's murder to conduct narco-analysis tests on K T Naveen Kumar, one of the accused in the case.



The court also remanded Kumar in police custody until March 26.

The SIT had made Kumar an accused in Gauri murder case after they discovered with evidence that he had conspired to murder writer K S Bhagawan. He also had information about Gauri's killers and SIT strongly suspected that he is trying to 'protect' them, said SIT sources. Hence he will be an accused in Gauri's case for harbouring them, they added.

Earlier, the SIT, while producing Kumar before the court, had submitted an audio and video footage where Kumar is seen consenting for the tests, but when he was brought before the magistrate, he refused. The court then reserved its order for allowing the police to carry out the tests for Monday.

On Monday, when Kumar was produced, he told the magistrate that he is ready to undergo the tests and let the truth come out.

The court then permitted the police to carry out the scientific tests. Kumar, who will be in police custody until March 26, will be taken to the Ahmedabad Forensic Science Laboratory on an available date.

Kumar met his advocate on Sunday while in custody and asked him about the scientific tests. After the advocate briefed him about the tests, Kumar agreed to undergo the tests seeing it as a chance to prove his innocence, SIT sources said.The Supreme Court on Monday declined to intervene in the case related to the steel flyover at Sivananda Circle but asked the Karnataka High Court to decide expeditiously the concerns expressed by citizens over its design.



A bench of Chief Justice Dipak Misra and Justices A M Khanwilkar and D Y Chandrachud disposed of a special leave petition filed by city resident B P Mahesh and others.

Senior advocate Sajan Poovayya, along with advocate Ashok Patil, representing the petitioners, contended that the irony is that the entire flyover is being constructed without complying with the Indian Roads Congress norms with regard to vertical height and ramp gradient, though even speed-breakers can't be created without conforming with the specifications mandated by the Supreme Court earlier in case of Maharashtra.

On this, the bench asked senior advocate Shyam Divan, representing the BBMP, as to what was the stand of the civic body.

Divan, for his part, submitted that the design has once been modified as another flyover is proposed across this flyover. He also said the steel flyover is going to solve the traffic problem in the city.

Poovayya then contended that bad planning had earlier resulted in flyovers having traffic signals in Bengaluru. In the present case, the BBMP has given a complete go-by to the norms.

The bench, however, expressed its disinclination to go into details.

"How far can we go into it? You are saying one thing, he is saying another. It is appropriate to let the HC decide the matter," the bench said, after a brief hearing.

A petition filed by advocate Balaji Srinivasan, on behalf of Mahesh and other residents, challenged the Karnataka High Court's interim order of January 8, dismissing the plea to stay the construction of the flyover.

The high court had also noted the BBMP, during the pendency of the matter, had modified the design and made a sincere attempt to bring the technical specifications as near to the norms prescribed by the IRC, which has resulted in maintaining the vertical clearance of 4.50 metres and reducing the ramp gradients to 3.50% and 5.60%.

In the petition, the city residents contended the no environmental impact study has been carried out as about 30 shade-providing trees are going to be affected by the project. They submitted that the Social Impact Assessment study as required under the provisions of the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013, was not conducted.Upset with IPS officer R P Sharma for criticising the ruling party in a letter and "leaking" it to the media, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Monday directed Chief Secretary Ratna Prabha to initiate disciplinary action against the police officer.



Siddaramaiah, who held a meeting with Home Minister Ramalinga Reddy and top officials on the issue, asked Ratna Prabha to direct the Department of Personnel and Administrative Reforms (DPAR) to order an enquiry and initiate action against the officer as per the service rules.

Sharma, who is the president of the Karnataka IPS officers' association, has in a recent letter to the chief secretary taken exception to what he termed "political interference" into police duties. This has come as an embarrassment to the Congress ahead of the elections.

According to sources, Siddaramaiah was livid after the media started highlighting the development, including the contents of the letter. Siddaramaiah is learnt to have said that the officer had no authority to question the government's style of functioning.

The chief minister's office has claimed that association secretary Pronab Mohanty had clarified that Sharma's views were personal.

Following Siddaramaiah's directions, Ratna Prabha wrote to Sharma, seeking his clarification on whether it was a collective decision of the association members to write the letter, or if he had acted on his own accord.

She has sought the minutes of the association's meeting along with details on the number of signatories to the letter. Ratna Prabha also pulled up Sharma for making the letter public, especially when the elections are nearing.

She has also asked him to keep his political agenda aside and discharge his duties as a civil servant.

Sharma has been directed to reply by Tuesday.

Stating that the continued decline in the law and order situation was showing the police force in poor light, Sharma had sought Ratna Prabha to convene a meeting of IPS officers and retired policemen to discuss the issue.

Sharma had drawn attention to the recent attack on the Lokayukta, attacks on IAS officers V Rashmi and C Shikha in Mysuru, pub attack involving the son of Congress MLA N A Haris, and rising incidents of violence and hooliganism.

He had rued that police officers were being punished for merely discharging their duties.Assembly Minority Leader Brian Kolb, one of the top Republicans in the state Legislature and a former gubernatorial candidate, is supporting Dutchess County Executive Marc Molinaro for governor.

Kolb, R-Canandaigua, opted to endorse his friend and former colleague over two other candidates in the GOP field. Along with Molinaro, state Sen. John DeFrancisco and attorney Joe Holland are seeking the party's nomination.

Kolb and Molinaro served in the state Assembly together before the latter was elected Dutchess County executive.

"I can say with confidence that he is everything Albany needs, because he is everything that Albany is not," Kolb said of Molinaro. "For seven years, New York has moved down an unsustainable path, with corruption at an all-time high and public trust at an all-time low. In contrast, Marc has established himself as a proven leader who actually listens."

Kolb's support was announced along with endorsements from 24 other members of the Assembly Republican conference. The list of Molinaro supporters includes Assemblyman Bob Oaks, who represents a portion of Cayuga County and also serves as Wayne County GOP chairman.The Karnataka High Court on Monday reserved its orders with regard to Mohammed Nalapad's bail plea in the pub attack case.



The court orally observed that the videographic evidence provided in the form of CCTV footage clearly shows Nalapad assaulting Vidwath L.

Justice Sreenivas Harish Kumar was hearing the bail petition filed by Nalapad, son of Congress MLA N A Haris.

Nalapad is the prime accused in the attempt to murder case, where he along with six of his associates brutally assaulted Vidwath at an upscale pub in the central business district on February 17.

To the court's observation, the petitioner's advocate, C V Nagesh, said there was a chance that the video may have been morphed, and that the special public prosecutor (M S Shyam Sundar) is arguing on the basis of documents made available to him.

Nagesh further stated that Vidwath was assaulted with jugs and glass bottles by Nalapad's men and not with knuckle rings, which seems to be a theory floated by the victim to strengthen the case in his favour.

Also, there was a mention of a third object like the knuckle ring in the investigation report as put forth by the prosecution, he said. Asked how Haris got access to Vidwath's medical records, which the MLA later posted on his Facebook page, Nagesh said the media had acquired the confidential documents on March 5.

Haris published the same on his social media account only the following day, he added. He also said that medical records are not confidential or secret documents that cannot be shared. The court reserved the matter for orders on Wednesday.Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Council K S Eshwarappa on Monday claimed that the BJP had assured him of the ticket to contest from the Shimoga Assembly constituency.



"Issues regarding the party's official candidate from Shimoga Assembly segment have been cleared. I will stay off from Sangolli Rayanna brigade as the party has promised me the ticket,"he told reporters here.

"The Congress will bite the dust due to factionalism and infighting. Like in the past, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah will surely ensure KPCC president G Parameshwara's defeat in Koratagere," he said.

Eshwarappa termed IPS Officers' (Karnataka) Association president ADGP RP Sharma's letter to Chief Secretary K Ratna Prabha about political intervention in the investigation of key cases as the biggest insidious incident in the history of the state.

"The state government's order for an enquiry about the letter indicated Siddaramaiah's dictatorial attitude," Eshwarappa said.

"The attack on Lokayukta justice Vishwanath P Shetty, R P Sharma's letter and Mohammad Nalapad's attack on Vidwath clearly mirror the government's failure over controlling bureaucracy," he charged.The Congress on Monday targeted the BJP for nominating "non-Kannadiga" Rajeev Chandrasekhar for the Rajya Sabha polls, accusing it of "consistently acting against Karnataka's interests."



Chandrasekhar, presently an Independent member of the Rajya Sabha is originally from Kerala, has been fielded by the BJP for the polls scheduled for March 23. The Congress, on the other hand, is beating the Kannada pride drum as all three of its nominees are Kannadigas. "The BJP has repeatedly nominated and elected non-Kannadigas as Rajya Sabha representatives from Karnataka, the latest being Rajeev Chandrasekhar. Can they really represent Karnataka's best interests in Parliament? Aren't there any people from Karnataka for BJP to choose from?" the Congress asked, in a social media campaign called 'Namage Mosa - BJP Cheats Karnataka.'

Chandresekhar's nomination figures on top of a list of 10 points the Congress hurled against the BJP in a charge sheet. The charge sheet also includes failure of the prime minister to intervene in the Mahadayi issue, shifting of CRPF centre from Taralu to Uttar Pradesh, BJP leaders' criticism of Karnataka flag, etc.

Rajeev is Kannadiga: BSY

BJP state president BS Yeddyurappa defended Chandrasekhar's nomination. "He has lived in Karnataka for many years now. He is a Kannadiga. He has fought in favour of many pro-Kannada movements," he told reporters after Chandrasekhar filed his nomination papers.

"Chandrasekhar has spent 12 years in politics and has responded to the issues of Bengaluru such as protection of lakes, opposing steel bridge and so on," Yeddyurappa said.The Congress high command's choice of candidates for the upcoming Rajya Sabha polls from the state is seen as a setback to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, who had been emerging as a powerful regional leader of the party.



While giving prominence to young and loyal leaders -- Nasir Hussain, L Hanumanthaiah and G C Chandrashekhar, the high command has chosen to ignore names proposed by the chief minister. The high command's decision in this regard is also perceived as a victory to the party "loyalists" and blow to "migrants" in the state unit.

The loyalists (leaders who have been with the party for over decades) and the migrants (those who migrated from other parties in the recent years) have been at loggerheads ever since Siddaramaiah (considered a migrant) became the chief minister. The loyalists had been complaining that they were being sidelined and, hence, a section of these aggrieved leaders had kept themselves away from the campaign for the Assembly polls.

Nasir Hussain, who is the party's first candidate in the Rajya Sabha polls, is an AICC spokesperson. He hails from Ballari. L Hanumanthaiah, who is a Dalit poet, is the party's second candidate. He hails from Doddaballapur in Bengaluru Rural district. Congress leader in Lok Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge had backed their candidature.

G C Chandrashekhar, who is the third candidate, is a close follower of KPCC president

G Parameshwara. He belongs to the Vokkaliga community.

Siddaramaiah, party sources said, had proposed the name of his close aide and realtor

P R Channa Reddy as the third candidate and advised the party to field a leader from the Lingayat community, which he is trying to woo ahead of the Assembly polls. He was keen on fielding veteran leader Shamanur Shivashankarappa who has been opposing the state government's move to accord separate religion tag to the Lingayat faith.

But the high command chose to appease the Dalit left wing community (Madigas) by fielding Hanumanthaiah. The community has been upset with the ruling Congress for not providing internal reservation. Similarly, Chandrashekar was selected as the third candidate in an effort to woo Vokkaligas, who had been complaining that the party had neglected them by not given them proper representation.

Siddaramaiah's only solace is, however, is that the high command has gone by his advise not to support the JD(S) in the elections scheduled on March 23. He had warned that supporting the JD(S) would be interpreted by the Opposition parties that the ruling party is not confident of winning the coming Assembly polls on its own.Save my User ID and Password

Some subscribers prefer to save their log-in information so they do not have to enter their User ID and Password each time they visit the site. To activate this function, check the 'Save my User ID and Password' box in the log-in section. This will save the password on the computer you're using to access the site.

Note: If you choose to use the log-out feature, you will lose your saved information. This means you will be required to log-in the next time you visit our site.AUO 144Hz 4K gaming monitor panel

AUO has announced a 27-inch gaming monitor panel combining 144Hz high refresh rate and 4K resolution. The company said this high-end gaming monitor panel has been chosen by gaming brand customers and will make its debut at Computex 2016. The high refresh rate can eliminate image lag and broken pictures. AUO provides a range of 24- to 35-inch gaming monitor panels equipped with 144Hz refresh rate.Dutchess County Executive Marc Molinaro is approaching the threshold necessary to secure the Republican gubernatorial nomination to challenge Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo.

Molinaro has been endorsed by 27 GOP county chairs. His latest supporter is Courtney Greene, chairwoman of the Orange County Republican Committee.

Greene lauded Molinaro for his record of success as an elected official.

"A tax cutter, a fighter for the people, and a caring and compassionate leader, Marc will put the people of New York first," she said.

With Greene's support, Molinaro has now secured endorsements from GOP county leaders representing more than 44 percent of the weighted vote. To receive the party's gubernatorial nomination, he needs at least 50 percent of the vote at the convention.

The GOP convention will be held in May.

Molinaro's campaign began rolling out endorsements last week. Some of his earliest supporters were the chairs from Erie, Monroe and Suffolk counties, which account for more than 21 percent of the weighted vote.Subscriber content preview

OLYMPIA  The Washington State Department of Transportation wants to change its disadvantaged business enterprise program to help firms owned by African Americans.

WSDOT is asking the U.S. Department of Transportation to adjust the DBE program so that prime contractors would earn four times the DBE goal credit for including firms owned by African Americans.





. . . 6 p.m. Monday, May 14: "Democracy 101." What exactly is democracy, and do we as Americans live in one? Explore the Constitution and how democracy is practiced in the United States.

 6 p.m. Tuesday, May 29: "The Electoral College 101." Every four years, Americans participate in a seemingly strange electoral process to pick the chief executive of the country, the president. The method of selection, the Electoral College, has been both praised and vilified. Learn about the origins of the Electoral College, how it works, its history and why it is unlikely to change this session.

 6 p.m. Monday, June 11: "The Supreme Court 101." In the modern era, the Supreme Court has risen dramatically in both stature and visibility in our federal government. In this session, look at a brief history of the court and how the court actually works, and explore some recent and past cases.

Other upcoming programs that will run through the fall will include "Refugee, Asylum, and Migration," "First Amendment and Freedom of Press," "Civil Disobedience in History," "Fake News," "Local Government from a Tax Perspective," a civic film series and more.Russia claimed to have successfully test-launched a hypersonic missile, one of a range of nuclear-capable weapons announced by president Vladimir Putin earlier this month.

The Russian defence ministry released video footage, which showed the missile detaching from a fighter jet and leaving a fiery trail in its wake.

It added the missile hit the intended target.

On 1 March, Putin had said the Kinzhal missile - named after a type of dagger is "an ideal weapon".

He added it formed part of a new stockpile of "invincible" weapons.

The Kinzhal, which is said to travel at 10 times the speed of sound, is said to have a range of 2,000km (1,200 miles).

According to the defence ministry, the missile was launched from a MiG-31 jet that took off from an airfield in south-west Russia on Saturday.

"The launch went according to plan, the hypersonic missile hit its target," the ministry said, in the backdrop of Russian presidential elections, due in a week's time.

In his annual state of the nation speech on 1 March, Putin played a video graphic that appeared to show missiles raining down on the US state of Florida.

In its response the US state department said this was not "the behaviour of a responsible international player".

The US defence secretary, James Mattis, said that nothing Putin showed off changed anything from the Pentagon's perspective, while speaking to reporters as he travelled to Oman.

''I saw no change to the Russian military capability and each of these systems that he's talking about that are still years away, I do not see them changing the military balance. They do not impact any need on our side for a change in our deterrence posture.''

Among the technologies Putin showed off was a robotic torpedo capable of hitting a US port city, but Mattis said that made no difference as Russia already can target US port cities with missiles.

''It doesn't change anything other than how much money do they want to spend on something that does not change at all the strategic balance,'' he said.France's Macron takes dig at President Trump for pulling out of climate pact

French President Emmanuel Macron on Sunday took an indirect swipe at US President Donald Trump for backing out of Paris climate agreement, even as he lauded the efforts of India and other nations for making International Solar Alliance (ISA) a reality.

At the founding conference of ISA in New Delhi, Macron hailed the 'Solar Mamas', a group of women solar engineers, and referred to the countries which decided to leave the climate agreement.

Addressing the summit in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Macron said, "Mr Prime Minister, You made a dream and we did it. It was about this International Solar Alliance. It was two years ago, it was just an idea at that time and we decided all together to act very quickly and today a big change.

"Our Solar Mamas did not wait for us. They started to act and deliver complete results. They did not wait and stop because some countries (US and others) just decided to leave the floor and leave the Paris agreement. Because they (ISA nations) decided it is good for them, their children, and grandchildren, they decided to act and keep acting".

US President Trump has decided to pull out of the Paris climate agreement, which was signed by nearly 200 countries in December 2015 in an effort to curb global greenhouse gas emission and limit global warming to within 2 degrees Celsius (See: US formally announces pull-out from Paris climate pact).

In November last year, Syria signed the deal, leaving the US as the only country in the world to not support the framework deal to combat greenhouse gas emissions.

France, the co-host for the founding conference of the the ISA, which is a treaty-based international body with 121 prospective member countries, has pledged hundreds of millions of dollars for solar projects in developing countries, Macron said as world leaders met to promote greater investment in renewable energy.

Macron, who in December warned that the global shift to a green energy future was too slow, said France would extend an extra 700 million ($861.5 million) through loans and donations by 2022 for solar projects in emerging economies.

''With PM Modi, we are committed and we have same obsession-creating momentum, inspiring people and gathering them to deliver results. But we are obsessed by concrete results, so now we are creating new momentum, we take new commitment to deliver complete results for our countries and planet,'' Macron said at the launch of the ISA.

France had already committed 300 million to the initiative when it co-founded with India a global alliance in 2015 to unlock new cash for solar projects in sunny yet poor nations.

''We need to remove all obstacles and scale up,'' Macron said.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi - who has committed to reducing India's sizeable carbon footprint through a massive scale-up in renewable energy - said it was vital that nations were not priced out.

''We have to make sure that a better and cost effective solar technology is available to all,'' Modi told the gathering of investors and world leaders from about 20 mainly African nations. ''We will have to increase solar in our energy mix.''

Modi also suggested looking back to the Vedas in a bid to combat climate change.

''The Vedas consider the Sun as the soul of the world, it has been considered as a life nurturer. Today, for combating climate change, we need to look at this ancient idea to find a way,'' the PM said.

He also suggested measures to increase the consumption of solar energy.

''To promote the use of solar energy, the availability of technology and development, economic resources, reduction in prices, development of storage technology, mass manufacturing, and innovation require a complete ecosystem,'' he said.

India is the world's third-largest polluter.

As many as 60 nations have signed the agreement to join ISA, while 30 have already ratified the agreement and made it possible to make it a legal entity in December last year.

Macron said the countries at the ISA represent three-fourths of the world population. As much as 20-50 per cent of the population do not have access to power.

The heads of 23 nations and 10 ministerial representatives gathered here for alliance's first summit. The joint goal is to have 1 terawatt (TW) of solar energy by 2020 for which "we need $1,000 billion", Macron said.IREDA & European Investment Bank sign 150 loan agreement for renewable energy financing in India

European long-term lending institution European Investment Bank (EIB) and Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency (IREDA) Ltd, the financing arm of the ministry of new and renewable energy, have signed a loan agreement for a second line of credit (LoC) of 150 million on non-sovereign basis.

The line of credit is for a tenure of 15 years including a grace period of three years, and it will be used for financing Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency projects in India.

Over 1.1 million households are expected to benefit from clean energy produced through the utilisation of these funds.

R K Singh, union minister of state power, and new and renewable energy, said, ''There are villages in Ladakh and Arunachal Pradesh where you trek on foot for three to four days to reach. Our aim is to bring electricity to even these remote places . We have decided to go green, as we have a responsibility to future generations and the planet.''

Highlighting that renewable energy has now become economically viable, he said that companies bidding for RE projects are getting funds from all over the world.

"Today, many countries want us to share our experience in this field,'' Singh said.

Anand Kumar, secretary, MNRE said that two factors - efficient technology and easy finance, are important for the success of the renewable energy sector. He expressed confidence that India would exceed its target of 175 GW renewable energy by 2022.

Acording to K S Popli, chairman and manging director, IREDA, the speed with which the second line of credit was negotiated shows the mutual confidence and comfort that EIB and IREDA had developed after working with each other for last four years.

Moreover, the EIB has extended this line of credit without insisting for sovereign guarantee from government of India, which also shows their commitment and confidence in the sector, he added.

India's role in International Solar Alliance and its commitment to the Paris Climate Accord has been appreciated, said W hoyer, president, EIB . He said that with much sunlight, solar energy is evidently a solution here.

IREDA has been spearheading the growth of renewable energy in the country for over three decades. It has financed renewable and energy efficiency projects valued at over over Rs34,534.06 crore till date.

To meet the financing requirement of renewable energy projects in the country, IREDA has been raising resources from various bilateral and multilateral agencies, Masala bonds, and domestic - taxable and tax-free bondsIndia, France to expedite work on world's largest N-power plant at Jaitapur

The leaders of France and India reiterated their intention to start work by the end of this year on what could become the world's largest nuclear power plant, furthering talks that have continued for nearly a decade.

French President Emmanuel Macron and Prime Minister Narendra Modi urged Electricite de France SA and India's state-run monopoly Nuclear Power Corp to accelerate discussions on a contract and start work at the site in Jaitapur, Maharashtra by December.

''Once installed, the Jaitapur project will be the largest nuclear power plant in the world, with a total capacity of 9.6 gigawatts,'' according to a joint statement issued on Saturday by the governments during Macron's visit to India.

International equipment makers have been hesitant to move forward with projects in India because the nation's nuclear liability law exposes reactor suppliers to claims for damages during an accident. That complicates India's plans to expand its nuclear power capacity more than ninefold by 2032.

In the statement, the two leaders ''welcomed the understanding shared by the two parties on the enforcement of India's rules and regulations on Civil Liability for Nuclear Damages applicable to the Jaitapur project.''

French state-run reactor maker Areva SA signed an initial agreement in 2009 with Nuclear Power for the Jaitapur project following a civil nuclear cooperation accord between the governments. After Areva's restructuring, EDF in 2016 signed an initial pact with the Indian atomic energy producer to supply six reactors at Jaitapur, a small town on India's western coast known for its mango and coconut orchards. The project has faced considerable opposition from locals and environmentalists.

EDF will undertake all the studies and component purchases for the first two reactors. For the remaining four, some of those activities could be assigned to local companies, according to an emailed statement from the French supplier.

India's nuclear power capacity is about 6.8 gigawatts, barely 2 per cent of the country's total generation capacity.AUBURN  A nearly nine-hour standoff ended Sunday night after a suspect in an attempted armed robbery case was arrested by police.

Auburn police said Sunday that Bradley Strange, 33, of 112 Janet St., was taken into custody after he attempted to evade authorities. Strange's arrest capped off a series of events that began in the morning with the attempted armed robbery report.

At 10:50 a.m., officers responded to the area of Orchard and Washington streets and found a 75-year-old man suffering from lacerations to his hands, according to a news release. The officers obtained a description of the suspect in the attack and searched the neighborhood. Their investigation led them to 51 Orchard St.

When the officers arrived at the home and attempted to interview the residents, a white male exited an upstairs window and went onto the roof. He refused orders to come down from the roof, police said. The police established a perimeter and negotiators were called in to assist with the incident.

The white male informed officers that he was on the run from the state Division of Parole, police said. While speaking with the man, they learned he was wanted by parole. A parole officer at the scene identified the man as Strange.Business trips are supposed to be exciting. Theyre a great way to step up, meet new people, learn new skills and enhance your professional career and knowledge. However, a delayed flight or double-booked accommodation can throw a spanner in the works and prevent you from having the ideal trip. So what do you need to know about travel insurance for your next business trip?

Business travel insurance is designed to protect work travellers from anything unexpected that could interrupt their trip. Whats included in your policy depends on the level of cover you choose, but the ideal inclusions for business travellers are clear. You want to make sure your policy includes:

Protection for laptops and other key work-related devices

Cover for flight delays or cancellations

Corporate traveller family care benefits

The typical business travel insurance policy should provide cover for unforeseen events such as flight delays, loss of luggage and accommodation cancellation.

Higher levels of cover will have more comprehensive inclusions. Theyll offer cover for your personal belongings and valued items (such as a work laptop), as well as access to corporate traveller family care benefits, cover for unexpected loss of income and extra territorial workers compensation. This means that if youre badly injured while overseas, youll receive a personal liability benefit.

So do you need business travel insurance for domestic travel?

As a business traveller, its important to have insurance no matter where you go. Whether youre flying interstate for a day or overseas for a month, its better to have some form of cover than none at all.

The same applies if youre sending an employee interstate or elsewhere domestically. Especially when there are flights and accommodation involved, you dont want to end up out of pocket. And on top of this, its your responsibility as a business owner to protect the members of your team who are travelling for work.

Its important that you get the best value, so make sure you shop around online before you purchase. By comparing your options, you can get a good idea of the range of policies available and choose the one thats right for you.

About the author

Bessie Hassan is the Travel Expert at financial comparison website finder.com.au.If 2018 is the year you want to take your business to the next level, you might be considering bringing investors on board. For startups, the world of investors can be a scary but necessary for growth and success.

[Related: Lets Talk Founder/investor fit, Lets Talk Raising Capital (part 1) and Lets Talk Raising Capital (part 2)]

Camplify was born from an initial involvement with NRMAs Jumpstart program by Slingshot and angel investors. Positioning ourselves as the Airbnb for caravans, RVs and camper trailers, Camplify launched in 2015 and the product has since seen different investors help shape the success of the model. With Camplify now valued at over $20 million, our rental fleet of vans is the largest in Australia and continues to grow.

When considering an investor, it is vital startups think about the following before biting the bullet:

Make sure you fully understand your market. Investors want startups that have insights into the market they are looking to build a product in. This understanding of the market, and the problem is critical for being able to build and improve your product offering. This understand builds confidence with investors and shows your knowledge of why your product will eventually succeed.

Investors want startups that have insights into the market they are looking to build a product in. This understanding of the market, and the problem is critical for being able to build and improve your product offering. This understand builds confidence with investors and shows your knowledge of why your product will eventually succeed. Ask whether you completely understand your customers. The understanding of your customers needs, and wants is critical. It shows you have a product that people want, and their is a true need in the market. Most importantly understanding these customers inside and out will enable you in the future to get more and scale your business. In our business when a new customer comes along, we generally know every question they ask, in what order, what is important to them, and their motivations for joining us. This customer understanding helps you build better products, customer engagement, and fans or returning customers of your product or service.

The understanding of your customers needs, and wants is critical. It shows you have a product that people want, and their is a true need in the market. Most importantly understanding these customers inside and out will enable you in the future to get more and scale your business. In our business when a new customer comes along, we generally know every question they ask, in what order, what is important to them, and their motivations for joining us. This customer understanding helps you build better products, customer engagement, and fans or returning customers of your product or service. Have a plan for the future. What is your endgame? At some point investors need a return. You need to paint them a picture of how that will happen. Growth is not enough, and thereofre you need to demonstrate the potential for capital gains for your investor, while still being clear this is a speculative venture.

What is your endgame? At some point investors need a return. You need to paint them a picture of how that will happen. Growth is not enough, and thereofre you need to demonstrate the potential for capital gains for your investor, while still being clear this is a speculative venture. How much do you really need from investors? Taking investment means you are selling chunks of the company. You can only sell it once. That means your valuation needs to make sense and build along with investment over time. Do not take too much too early, and have a plan for when and why you will take the next round of investment. Hit your targets and push your valuation higher.

Taking investment means you are selling chunks of the company. You can only sell it once. That means your valuation needs to make sense and build along with investment over time. Do not take too much too early, and have a plan for when and why you will take the next round of investment. Hit your targets and push your valuation higher. People invest in people. Its the oldest line in the investor book for a reason, because it is true. Unless you have a passion, a vision, and an ability to build a team to help you, your success will be limited. Investors know this and look for leaders who can execute in an effective manner. You do not have to be able to do everything, but you need to be able to build a team who can overtime. Most successful startups have a founder with strong tech background, and a founder with an ability to sell or market.

We have all heard of business deal breakers, and when bringing investors onboard there can be some red flags when analysing whether they are the best fit for your product or service.

Steer clear of those who want too much involvement outside of their expert area. While investors are great, you need investors who will understand you need to do what is required and that you know your product. They must be willing to let go when needed. Updates are important, but over the top involvement and hand holding will only result in poor outcomes, and frustration. The best course of action is to give your investors who want involvement jobs that add value to your company that will help with the end result. This will keep them involved, but ensure the involvement is positive and delivering results for you both.

Be aware that some people may have their own motivations. Why do they want to invest? Do they have another plan? Sometimes an investor can want to invest as they see something in the business or your team that can deliver them a result. You need to agree on the goals, action points, and deliverables for that investment and deliver against that plan. Make sure you have that agreement that meets your objectives

Some may want board seats without any value. Lots of investors will want to be on your board. As a rule I say no. Board members should add significant strategic value to your business. This will not always be the case with an investor. Sometimes you will get a two for one, investment and significant value from a board member. Be careful with who you give that control of your company to.

There is also a little you should consider when aiming to sell your product to investors. How are you going to make the sell? This is why your pitch is important. You need to know what you are going to do and how to execute it. Know everything inside and out, have confidence in your responses, and be able to inspire that confidence to your audience. Create a sense of excitement in the company. Thats what gets people keen to invest.

Think about also creating a wish list. Who would you want to invest in your company that can help you grow it? Maybe they have industry knowledge, and connections? Maybe they have some skill that is going to add to your growth, Maybe they are a future acquisition position? Whichever it is, create a list of who you want to invest and why, and approach them to pitch them your idea.

Some other things that startups consider when bringing on investors are:

People or corporations who can add value to grow your business, and push you to the next valuation . You want every step of your journey to be growing your valuation. This can be from results, strategic position, or sometimes who has invested in you. Whatever it is those investors need to help you achieve valuation growth targets. You should ask yourself what can this investor give me beyond money? Once you identify these write them into you agreement with that investor for them to deliver on them. This makes it clear and there is agreement from both parties.

. You want every step of your journey to be growing your valuation. This can be from results, strategic position, or sometimes who has invested in you. Whatever it is those investors need to help you achieve valuation growth targets. You should ask yourself what can this investor give me beyond money? Once you identify these write them into you agreement with that investor for them to deliver on them. This makes it clear and there is agreement from both parties. Its a marriage. You have to like and trust your investors, you are going to be working with them for sometime. You are in this together, so make sure you have the investors you are happy to go on this journey with.

About the author

Justin Hales is the Founder and CEO of the Airbnb for caravans, RVs and camper trailers, Camplify. He is an established entrepreneur, mentor and a share economy expert from Newcastle, NSW.Chalker said he's sold a couple hundred of his own ovens, custom making each one as orders come in. Just in case, the ovens "are made to be mass produced as well." It takes Chalker about five hours to build one oven, but he said it would take six hours to build 10 ovens because of the way he's designed them to be built.

Although Chalker didn't sell any hybrid ovens this weekend, and has actually only sold a handful of his ovens in New York altogether, his ovens are in numerous states and have users stretching as far as Sweden, the Philippines and Japan.

The Home & Lifestyle show wasn't slow just for Chalker.

"A lot of vendors lost money, I think," said MaryEllen Weiskotten who had a booth selling wines from Thousand Islands Winery in Alexandria Bay. Renting a booth for the weekend cost $250-$300, and for those like Weiskotten who had to pay for a couple nights in a hotel they may not have come out in the black from the event.

Weiskotten said the indoor garage sale, vendors in the mall outside the main event space, which had the intent of drawing people into the show may have had the opposite effect as people may have not wanted to pay to enter the event when they could stroll the garage sale for free. Ariel I. Bowman, 19, 128 Cottage St., Auburn, was charged March 10 with resisting arrest.

 Dwight Edouard, 24, 86 Vananden St., Auburn, was charged March 10 with petit larceny, second-degree obstruction of governmental administration and false personation.

 Branden C. Hackett, 29, transient, was picked up March 10 on a bench warrant and charged with third-degree unauthorized use of a motor vehicle and criminal possession of a hypodermic instrument.

 Anthony C. Brown, 24, 245 Valley Drive, Elbridge, was picked up on a bench warrant March 10 and charged with seventh-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance.

 Scott A. Corey Sr., 40, 37 Washington St., Auburn, was charged March 10 with third-degree criminal possession of a weapon and second-degree menacing.

 Bradley D. Strange, 33, 112 Janet St., Auburn, was charged March 11 with first-degree attempted robbery, second-degree assault and third-degree criminal possession of a weapon.

 Joseph A.R. McGrew Jr., 27, 10601 Hulser Road, Apt. 216, Utica, was charged March 11 with first-degree rape and first-degree unlawful dealing with a child.

StateBetsy DeVos claimed last night, in her disastrous 60 Minutes interview with Lesley Stahl, that choice (in the form of vouchers and charter schools) is the solution to improving public educationspecifically, that when competition is inserted into the education marketplace it forces traditional public schools to improve.

For a deeper dive into why this assertion from Sec. DeVos is just silly, please see this excellent essay by former school principal and education activist, Carol Burris, in the Washington Post. Dr. Burris offers a beautifully constructed and well-supported, point by point refutation of this argument. Basically, she reveals that the research on this issue is poorly designed, badly implemented, and derives weak results that arent meaningful when placed in a real-world context.

Another recent research study on the status of vouchers in schools in Ohio provides even more damning evidence that Sec. DeVos doesnt know what shes talking about here. This study, from the conservative Thomas B. Fordham Foundation no less, shares the following findings:

(t)he students who use vouchers to attend private schools have fared worse academically compared to their closely matched peers attending public schools. The study finds negative effects that are greater in math than in English language arts. Such impacts also appear to persist over time, suggesting that the results are not driven simply by the setbacks that typically accompany any change of school.

Just to reiterate: the conservative, pro-charter researchers who conducted this study found that students who use vouchers to attend private schools did worse academically than their peers attending traditional public schoolsand that these differences held up over time. To their credit, the studys authors are refreshingly honest about their disappointment over these findings:

Let us acknowledge that we did not expector, frankly, wishto see these negative effects for voucher participants; but its important to report honestly on what the analysis showed and at least speculate on what may be causing these results.

So, lets just be clear: competition, whether its in the form of vouchers, charter schools, or school privatization efforts, does not improve public education. And cutting education funding by $9.2 billion, as Sec. DeVos has recommended and encouraged, does not improve education.

Sec. DeVos policies encouraging competition and choice do not improve the quality of public schools.

Sec. DeVos policies on private school vouchers do not improve the academic achievement of the children who use those vouchers to attend private schools.

Sec. DeVos policies on education are uninformed, ignorant, and designed to defund and destabilize public schools, and demoralize teachers.

Sec. DeVos policies on public education were bad for Michigan, and will be disastrous for the United States.Blog Archive June 2021 (1) May 2021 (77) April 2021 (77) March 2021 (82) February 2021 (68) January 2021 (64) December 2020 (67) November 2020 (66) October 2020 (66) September 2020 (67) August 2020 (74) July 2020 (83) June 2020 (92) May 2020 (86) April 2020 (104) March 2020 (105) February 2020 (74) January 2020 (75) December 2019 (75) November 2019 (70) October 2019 (89) September 2019 (69) August 2019 (81) July 2019 (77) June 2019 (73) May 2019 (110) April 2019 (110) March 2019 (102) February 2019 (85) January 2019 (123) December 2018 (116) November 2018 (112) October 2018 (121) September 2018 (107) August 2018 (150) July 2018 (163) June 2018 (190) May 2018 (145) April 2018 (112) March 2018 (124) February 2018 (113) January 2018 (164) December 2017 (150) November 2017 (144) October 2017 (169) September 2017 (171) August 2017 (135) July 2017 (131) June 2017 (147) May 2017 (160) April 2017 (138) March 2017 (156) February 2017 (143) January 2017 (203) December 2016 (208) November 2016 (185) October 2016 (173) September 2016 (194) August 2016 (232) July 2016 (225) June 2016 (238) May 2016 (231) April 2016 (215) March 2016 (246) February 2016 (226) January 2016 (252) December 2015 (230) November 2015 (250) October 2015 (234) September 2015 (222) August 2015 (253) July 2015 (275) June 2015 (279) May 2015 (223) April 2015 (226) March 2015 (243) February 2015 (258) January 2015 (281) December 2014 (292) November 2014 (296) October 2014 (413) September 2014 (472) August 2014 (506) July 2014 (483) June 2014 (488) May 2014 (512) April 2014 (497) March 2014 (531) February 2014 (482) January 2014 (535) December 2013 (482) November 2013 (441) October 2013 (416) September 2013 (491) August 2013 (521) July 2013 (491) June 2013 (470) May 2013 (457) April 2013 (426) March 2013 (420) February 2013 (414) January 2013 (489) December 2012 (433) November 2012 (504) October 2012 (469) September 2012 (430) August 2012 (427) July 2012 (360) June 2012 (336) May 2012 (362) April 2012 (322) March 2012 (263) February 2012 (224) January 2012 (291) December 2011 (295) November 2011 (325) October 2011 (330) September 2011 (319) August 2011 (333) July 2011 (318) June 2011 (387) May 2011 (373) April 2011 (389) March 2011 (375) February 2011 (335) January 2011 (400) December 2010 (445) November 2010 (395) October 2010 (312) September 2010 (262) August 2010 (277) July 2010 (323) June 2010 (386) May 2010 (360) April 2010 (333) March 2010 (351) February 2010 (336) January 2010 (384) December 2009 (353) November 2009 (300) October 2009 (308) September 2009 (350) August 2009 (298) July 2009 (255) June 2009 (203) May 2009 (193) April 2009 (186) March 2009 (197) February 2009 (173) January 2009 (148) December 2008 (181) November 2008 (197) October 2008 (236) September 2008 (304) August 2008 (314) July 2008 (273) June 2008 (27) May 2008 (1) April 2008 (6) October 2007 (1) May 2007 (1) April 2007 (6) March 2007 (2) February 2007 (1) October 2006 (1) September 2006 (1) August 2006 (4) July 2006 (4) June 2006 (1) July 2005 (1) May 2005 (2) March 2005 (1) June 2004 (2) May 2004 (1) April 2004 (4) March 2004 (2) February 2004 (2) July 2003 (2) June 2003 (5)Further, it is important to note there are significant differences between New Yorks laws and federal regulations.

New York State already has some of the most stringent gun ownership laws in the nation. The sale of semi-automatic firearms with military characteristics is banned, the sale or possession of magazines capable of holding more than ten rounds is banned, and all firearm sales or transfers require background checks (excepting close family members). Also, automatic weapons have been illegal in America since the 1930s.

Here are details of a few of the school safety bills that were just passed by the senate. The complete package can be found on my website, www.seward.nysenate.gov.|

Scary Putin, Bogeyman to the World, has been on full display in US newspapers this month, most conspicuously on the front page of The New York Times, in a misleading photograph suitable for the cover of a new edition of Nineteen Eight-Four. Putin Says He Has Invincible Nuclear Missile, was the headline. The hypersonic zig-zag cruise missiles and torpedoes of which he boasted might be a bluff for now, the Times noted. Fully operational, however, such weapons would travel low, stealthily, far and fast  too fast for defenders to react.

A week later, the Times reported on the attempted assassination using nerve gas of former Russian military intelligence officer Sergei Skripal, who in the 1990s had become a double agent for the British intelligence service MI6. The Brits all but charged the Russian government with making the attempt. The Russian government denied responsibility and took umbrage.

It was Russian president Dmitry Medvedev who pardoned Skripal in 2010 and swapped him for a batch of Russian spies. Former KGB officer Putin was then serving as prime minister. The business newspaper Kommersant recently reported that Russian authorities considered the damage done by Skripal comparable to that of Oleg Penkovsky, another military intelligence double agent who was caught and tried in the aftermath of the Cuban missile crisis in 1962. Penkovsky was reportedly rolled alive into a crematorium oven in 1963.

What wasnt on display last week was an analytic account of what else Putin said in what was, after all, his state of the nation address, three weeks before the election in which he is seeking a fourth presidential term. For that I turned to Alexander Baunov of the Carnegie Moscow Center. I get my Russia news from Johnsons Russia List  191 items last week, of which I read perhaps twenty-five  and from Jonathan Haslams blog, Through Russian Eyes. Haslam is Kennan professor at the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton.

Bloombergs Andrey Biryukov and Evgenia Pismennaya set the stage for Putins hour-long speech. Simon Shuster conveyed its atmospherics in Time, and Mary Dejevsky, of Londons Independent, its production values. But it was Baunov who made sense of it, in A Hi-Tech Russian Doll: Putins Fourth-Term Reboot, on the Carnegie.ru website.

Putins goal is now neither to recreate the USSR, nor to become part of the West. Rather, the ambition is to build an economic and technological West inside Russia, while continuing an aggressive posture towards the West on the outside. Putins speech depicts his vision of Russia as a kind of Matryoshka, a Russian doll. The inside of the dollthe domestic partis digital, wears hipster glasses and a short trendy jacket. The outside foreign part is dressed in military camouflage fatigues.

That sounds like something the Chinese are well on their way to achieving: to be like the West, but with a diluted version of its values. But where China has the luxury of a geographic theater with natural boundaries  the Greater East Asian Co-Prosperity Sphere, as it was envisaged by Japan  Russia faces much greater difficulties identifying and protecting the boundaries of a natural sphere of influence. Its ambivalent relationship with Western Europe is more than three centuries old and shows no signs of flagging. No wonder, then, that, the day after his speech, Putin told a press conference that he regretted the break-up of the former Soviet Union.

The problems of the Russian economy, interesting though they may be, are for the most part orthogonal to those of the US, which at the moment have to do with the prospect of trade wars with its allies. Vladimir Putin is there to stay in a way that Donald Trump probably isnt. As Princeton University professor Stephen Kotkin told The Wall Street Journal last week (subscription required), eighteen years after Yeltsin chose him as successor, Putin is no longer the arbiter over a scrum of competing interests but has become instead the leader of a single faction that controls all the power and all the wealth.

But Kotkin is simply mistaken when he says that, while Putin didnt highjack the US election itself, he high jacked American public discourse. It is the major newspapers  the Times, the Post, and at least the editorial pages of The Wall Street Journal  as well as The New Yorker magazine that are holding US Russia policy hostage to their disdain for Donald Trump. This proposition wants a separate column. I will write it soon.



Spain's pig population largest in EU

Spain has the largest pig herd in the European Union, as its pig population hit 30 million in December 2017, up 3% on the year.

Citing the latest census results published by Eurostat, AHDB Pork said the female breeding herd also rose by 3% compared with the previous year.

"It is likely that the high pig prices received for the majority of 2017 compared to 2016 encouraged Spanish pig producers towards growth", the pork division of the UK levy body Agriculture & Horticulture Development Board said.

As a result, Spanish pig meat production and exports are anticipated to increase again in 2018.

In 2017, Spanish pig meat production totalled 4.2 million tonnes, up 2% from the previous year.

Exports of fresh and frozen pork were up a further 3% in terms of volume last year, following an 18% increase in 2016.

Export volumes to the EU, which receives 65% of Spanish shipments, were up 7% year-on-year, Growth to a number of smaller EU markets, including the Czech Republic and Bulgaria, was primarily responsible for this increase.

France as main export market

Last year, France resumed its position as Spain's main export market for pork, despite exports actually remaining steady on the year due to the downturn in Chinese imports. There was also a 3% growth in shipments to the UK despite a weaker sterling.

In contrast, there was an overall 3% fall in exports to non-EU countries, as well as a change in the makeup of export destinations. Spain remained a key supplier of pig meat to China, but exports fell by 18%, reflecting the ongoing recovery in Chinese domestic production.

With Chinese import demand slowing, Japan became an important destination for Spanish pork in 2017, increasing imports by 34% year-on-year, totalling, 109,000 tonnes.

If the Chinese market becomes more difficult, Spanish exporters will likely turn to the EU, AHDB Pork said. "This could be challenging, as there are concerns the European market is reaching saturation, and so prices might experience some downward pressure".

Average pig prices in the EU as a whole were up on the year from January to October. Average unit prices in 2017 were 7% higher, in euro terms, than year-earlier levels. "This meant the value of their (Spain's) pork export market grew ahead of volume, up 11% year-on-year.The Chinese Oil Painting International Itinerant Exhibition, an event showcasing the best that Chinese oil painting has to offer, arrived in Guangzhou on March 3 with over 150 high-quality works on display.

The 11-day exhibition features works by more than 60 artists from the China National Academy of Painting. Highlights include works by Jin Shangyi, former president of the Central Academy of Fine Arts, and Zhong Han, who was selected as academician of the Royal Academy of Science, Letters and Fine Arts of Belgium in 1993. Works from famous Guangzhou-based oil painters - Guo Runwen, Lin Yongkang and Fan Bo  reaped praise as well.

A work by Jin Shangyi, the former president of the Central Academy of Fine Arts. [Photo/gd.people.com.cn]

The exhibition was originally held in Paris, France in July 2016 and caused a stir in the city's art scene, with the works receiving praise for "carrying forward and further developing the spirit of European oil painting masters".

Another important feature of the paintings, according to Zhang Zuying, vice president of the China Oil Painting Society and organizer of the exhibition, is that they not only display Chinese culture, but also the spirit of the Chinese nation and the state of contemporary Chinese society. "That is why it was able to attract so many art enthusiasts during its three-week run in Paris, with many even asking for it to be extended," said Zhang.

The exhibition is also scheduled for a month-long showing in Rome, Italy in August this year, according to Zhang. "But our partners from Vittoriano, the venue for the exhibition, offered us an additional two weeks free of charge, illustrating their excitement for the exhibition."

An oil painting of the Great Wall by Zhang Zuying, vice president of the China Oil Painting Society, is on show at the exhibition. [Photo/gd.people.com.cn]

Guangzhou is the second stop in the event's domestic tour, with the first being the Museum of Contemporary Chinese Art in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province during the Spring Festival holiday.

"We chose to hold the exhibition in Guangzhou mainly due to the city's significant role as a historical center for Chinese oil painting," added Zhang.

According to experts, Guangzhou exported large amounts of paintings (including pith paper paintings and oil paintings created by artists in Guangzhou) overseas from the mid-18th century to mid-19th century, most of which had characteristic Chinese features in the eyes of Westerners. These oil paintings with Chinese characteristics played a central role in the indigenization of oil painting in China.

Art lovers flock to admire the works on display at the oil painting exhibition. [Photo/gd.people.com.cn]



Changan Auto February sales fall 32.44%

Shanghai (Gasgoo)- Changan Automobile sold 152,526 vehicles in February, down 32.44 percent from a year earlier, according to the Chongqing-based automaker. In the first two months, Changans total sales plummeted from 516,860 units of last year to 389,308 units last month, falling 24.68 percent year on year.

SUV models remained the sales driver last month. The SUV sales totaled 59,195 units, dropping 5.56 percent from the previous year. The cumulative SUV sales in the first two months jumped 10.82 percent compared with last year to 135,269 units. The sales of the compact SUV model CS75 slumped nearly 40 percent to 12,475 units last month.

In sedan segment, both the year-to-date sales and the monthly sales of February decreased by over 25 percent compared with the previous year. This year, the automaker would give much more weight to the sedan segment. The new model ratio of sedan to SUV segment will be raised from 3:7 to 4:6. The Raeton CC has achieved a total sales volume of over 10,000 units after on sale for less than two months.

Last month, Changan handed over a total of 2,822 new energy vehicles, jumping 23.22 percent from a year earlier. The sales of this segment were up to 5,695 units in the first two months, growing 52.03 percent year on year. Changan is the first Chinese automaker which announced that it determined to ban sales of the traditional fossil-fuel powered vehicles.

By Daily Mail , Mar. 11, 2018





JANESVILLE, Wis. (AP) - Not long ago, Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker was the voice of a conservative revolution in the heartland, a Republican at the vanguard and a possible future president. Today, he's the voice of concern, warning his party - at home and nationally - that change is coming again.





In private meetings, public forums and his own policy moves, Walker has made clear he sees worrisome signs for the GOP and the hard-line conservatism that's marked his eight years in office. Wisconsin, which helped hand the White House to Republicans, is looking for something different, Walker has said, and Democrats are motivated.

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By AJC , Mar. 11, 2018





Former President Jimmy Carter said Sunday that while I dont agree with everything that President Trump has done, I think its good that hes decided to go meet with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.





If we could avoid a nuclear confrontation with North Korea, that would be a wonderful achievement, Carter, 93, told his Sunday school class at Maranatha Baptist Church in Plains. Its good were going to be talking to them.

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By Yahoo , Mar. 10, 2018





Nairobi (AFP) - US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, on his first Africa tour as Washington's top diplomat, cancelled his programme in Kenya on Saturday because he was feeling unwell.





"The secretary is not feeling well after a long couple days working on major issues back home such as North Korea and has cancelled his events for the day," said a brief statement from Undersecretary of State Steve Goldstein.

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By Newsweek , Mar. 09, 2018





The leading U.S. general in Europe has said he did not have the resources necessary to tackle a hypothetical Russian attack against the multinational coalition he commanded.





Curtis Scaparrotti, who serves as both the head of U.S. European Command and Supreme Allied Commander Europe for the NATO Western military alliance, told lawmakers of the Senate Armed Services Committee on Thursday that "U.S. and allied ground forces in Europe are outmatched by Russia," Politico reported.

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Dear @IlhanMN,



I hear you plan to go on a fact-finding tour of Israel. In fact, Israel is doing pretty well. Its, Somalia, your native country, that could truly use your formidable skills. Maybe you could use your frequent flyer miles and swing by.Ministry of Science and Technology welcomes global EV makers to enter China

Shanghai (Gasgoo)- China and U.S. have established close partnership on electric vehicle field for a long time, and China welcomes American entrepreneurs as well as global EV makers to enter China, said Wan Gang, minister of China's Ministry of Science and Technology at a press conference on how to develop China into an innovative country.

"I knew Musk years ago. I had driven his first Roadster EV at around 2008, and he drove Tesla to our Ministry the first time he came to China." said Wan Gang.

Wan Gang stated that the Ministry of Science and Technology has started to implement EV special project since 2001. Thanks to the development of EVs, especially the support of core technologies, like battery, electric motor and electronic control, China saw large-scale popularity of EVs ten years later.

According to Wan Gang, sales of NEVs reached 777,000 units and the cumulative NEV parc totaled 1,600,000 units in China, taking up 50% of the global NEV sales and global NEV parc during 2017. China develop NEVs mainly to optimize energy structure, reduce the dependence on petrol, ease air pollution and develop intelligent driving, artificial intelligence, sharing technology to relax traffic congestion.

"China and the U.S. had established the U.S.-China Clean Energy Research Center. One of its goals is developing EV technologies, including the research on trucks. China welcomes American entrepreneurs to establish companies in China. The cooperation between China and the U.S. will not be limited to EV field." Wan Gang added.

Wan Gang also believed that Chinese and American scientists and entrepreneurs as well as both governments can build up a perfect communication system. The development of Chinese EVs plays a crucial role in the upgrading and transforming process of the global automobile industry.



William Ernesto Hernandez and Bryan Alexander Garcia, both 17, disappeared on July 30, 2014. According to their relatives, they went out to get a haircut at an establishment near the San Martin market and, at noon, they were intercepted and seized by a military patrol. The capture was witnessed by several market vendors. The soldiers beat the young men and tied their hands with the laces of their shoes. Later, they were put aboard a pick-up truck and taken down to the neighborhood of Santa Maria. Since that day in 2014, their families have never seen them again, despite searching exhaustively in hospitals and mortuaries and going from police station to police station and military post to military post.





It should be emphasized that, despite the fact that the youths were captured by soldiers who regularly patrolled the Nuevo Mercado of San Martin and its surroundings, they were never delivered up to the National Civilian Police, the Attorney General's Office or the judicial authority. So their detention has been totally illegal. At this point it can be considered as a forced disappearance of person, since the last moment during which now disappeared youth were observed, was during the process of capture and arrest to which they were subjected by the soldiers and for which no reason has been given. The Chamber ordered the armed forces and the FGR to investigate the whereabouts of the young men, find their remains, or at least determine what their fate was. The Chamber ruled:





In January 2017, the Chamber handed down a similar ruling in a case involving soldiers seizing young men in the town of Armenia. In December, a court ordered a new trial for six soldiers charged with the disappearances in Armenia, overruling a prior dismissal of the charges..





Three weeks ago, in a separate incident, El Salvador's attorney general charged two colonels and a lieutenant with covering up an incident of seizing and torturing youth in the western part of the country.





These court cases help highlight the existence of gross human rights abuses arising out of the military involvement in policing and combating gang violence. Tragically, the court cases seem to be having little impact on the actual practices of El Salvador's security forces.





For a second time, the Constitutional Chamber of El Salvador's Supreme Court of Justice has ruled that security forces must deliver up what they know about young men who disappeared at the hands of the military. The case comes from the Salvadoran town of San Martin, where repressive military tactics were being used to combat gang violence.The Defense Ministry, the Armed Forces and the Attorney General of the Republic (FGR) must investigate the forced disappearance of two teenage boys according to the ruling last week by the Constitutional Chamber.Children in Afrin cheer over Turkish soldiers

Civilians got rid of terror organizations oppressions and tortures in Afrin feel joyful about Turkish soldiers coming to the region.

Operation Olive Branch was launched by Turkey on Jan. 20 to remove the PKK /YPG and Daesh terrorists from Afrin in northwestern Syria and to establish security along Turkish borders and in the region as well as to protect Syrian people from the oppression and cruelty of terrorists.

The liberation of villages and towns in Afrin from PKK-affiliated groups alleviated civilians' life in the region who were previously enforced to dig ditches and trenches, forcibly recruited by the terrorists and used as human shield.

Civilians were rescued from YPGs tortures, bless Turkish soldiers. A photograph shot in the region revealed childrens happiness.Jessica Chastain certainly knows how to turn a rather provocative comment into a positive matter as she donated money to the commenter's fertility procedure.

On Thursday, March 8, the Golden Globe awardee posted a snapshot of herself wearing a shirt printed with a "We should all be feminist" statement. The 40-year-old actress is known for her strong-willed feminist portrayals in films.

An Instagram user, who goes by the name Karin Schulz, commented that she is only for women who are pro-life.

"Yes, feminist that believe [sic] in God and stand up for The Unborn. I would be for that kind of feminist," wrote Schulz.

Chastain replied with open-mindedness and said that she respected the commenter's opinion.

"@karinhschulz Yes, you can decide what is right for you. I am pro-choice and I believe that everyone has the right to make their own decision," Chastain said.

Chastain's Instagram post was in time for the celebration of the International Women's Day on March 8.

Empathy For Women

As it turns out, there is a deeper story behind Schulz's comment on Chastain's post. Karin and husband Jeremy from Summerville, South Carolina, have been struggling to get pregnant since their marriage in June 2015.

After several attempts to conceive, the couple was advised by their doctor to consider fertility treatments. Schulz said that their insurance will not cover the treatment costs and that they are likely to go into debt if they proceed.

"It was very disheartening to hear these results. I felt like I had failed Jeremy. The idea of having us to go into debt to become pregnant made me so, so sad," Schulz wrote.

Karin and Jeremy started a GoFundMe campaign where they ask donations from people so they can afford the required treatments. Chastain picked up the story and decided to donate $2,000.

As of writing, the couple has raised $4,005 of their $5,000 goal.

As a result, Schulz thanked the actress for her words of encouragement and well wishes. She added that she, too, is a feminist and that she and Chastain can agree to disagree on their views on women power and equality.

"Thank you so much, Jessica. Thank you for believing in my dream," Karin wrote.

Chastain is known for her supported advocacies such as Planned Parenthood and Time's Up. Octavia Spencer, Chastain's friend, revealed in January that she is working with the actress to close wage gaps in Hollywood. She also said that Chastain helped her make five times of her salary on a film.Actress Sally Field proves she is the ultimate mom to beat when she scored her son a meet with his Olympic athlete crush, Adam Rippon.

A mother will do anything for her children, even if that means playing matchmaker and doing bold stuff to get what they want or need. So was the case for the 71-year-old actress, who became the perfect wingman to her son, Sam Greisman.

A far cry from the thought that moms only embarrass their children, Field boldly had to pull some strings and make her own moves just so Greisman and Rippon could meet personally. Lo and behold, her efforts reaped rewards, proving there is nothing a mom can't do for her children's happiness.

What Went Down

In a tweet, Greisman uploaded a photo of him and Rippon, and of course, credited the matchmaker mother saying, "Thanks, mom." The figure skater replied to the 30-year-old's status, praised his caption, and in turn expressed his gratitude over Field's efforts.

Rippon and Field's son met at the Human Rights Campaign Dinner in Los Angeles on Saturday. It was just in mid-February when the public had gotten a wind of Greisman's admiration of an unnamed Olympic athlete. In a tweet, he uploaded a screenshot of his conversation with Field.

The Mrs. Doubtfire star clearly found Greisman's crush good-looking, but what tickled everyone was her seemingly lukewarm piece of advice, which was for him to find a way.

"Just some really helpful advice from my mom on how to deal with my Olympic crush," Greisman wrote, without naming the athlete.

However, Field was sure she would not let her son deal with this alone, even if she had to blatantly reveal who the mystery person was. Without batting an eye, she shared Greisman's status with Rippon on Twitter.

Field revealed Greisman was surprised with her advances, but that she wishes to "to see Adam in the family." Rippon, in an interview with Buzzfeed, stressed he admired the actress and hoped to meet with Greisman someday.

Well of course, Field's attempts were fruitful for this case. However, it is still unclear whether a love story would develop entirely, or if a second meet (or date) would materialize.

Meanwhile, there were a lot of fans tuning in to this story, and a lot were asking the question that really matters: "Did you ask him on a date tho?????" as user @wryansmith would put it. Many of the fans were elated that Greisman's plan finally played out well.The Church of Scientology is set to invade every living room in America. The controversial group is reportedly getting its own television network.

Covering All Bases

The content will reportedly start rolling out on Apple TV, Roku, and DirecTV when the channel launches. There are already signs of the fledgling station on Apple's own app store, where Scientology TV is currently available for download from The Church of Scientology International.

After running the app, a placeholder announcement is revealed, stating that content will officially begin at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT. A Twitter account has also been launched to coincide with the release, which directs followers to a website that appears to still be in its initial phase of creation.

A DirecTV spokesperson confirmed that the station will launch Monday. The Church is set to occupy the satellite service's channel #320, which is currently running infomercials only.

There have been talks of a Scientology-based network for a while now, but things really started heating up in 2017 when longtime Scientology historian Tony Ortega posted about an impending launch on his website. Ortega even mentioned a Miami-based billboard, which was advertising the network at the time.

Back in 2016, it seemed like a given when the Church announced the launch of its own studio, Scientology Media Productions. There were even hints that such a channel would launch on Spectrum, but the cable company emphatically denied such an agreement existed.

The Church is no stranger to TV, either, as it routinely spends millions of Dollars on a 30-second commercial that traditionally runs during the Super Bowl. They did the same as usual this year, for the sixth time in a row, with their latest ad brandishing the typical "Curious?" tagline.

The angle of the channel is not yet clear. Likewise, there has been no confirmation yet on whether or not famous members such as John Travolta or Tom Cruise will be taking part in any content featured on same.

Thus far, the app only references live streaming and full episodes of all your favorite shows. According to a description on the iTunes store, original series including Meet A Scientologist as well as a documentary about church founder and sci-fi novelist L. Ron Hubbard will run on the channel.

Tackling Ongoing Criticism

The timing for the launch is interesting, considering the raft of public attempts to discredit the Church in recent months.

From Alex Gibney's explosive documentary Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief to actress and ex-member Leah Remini's hugely popular A&E show Scientology and the Aftermath, and Louis Theroux's My Scientology Movie, all widely accessible, there's certainly no shortage of anti-Church material out there.

The launch of its own channel may be an attempt by Scientology higher-ups to reclaim its standing with the American people, or even to expand its reach worldwide.

"The only thing more interesting than what you've heard is what you haven't," the promo for the new channel promises, hinting at the language used by prominent detractors.President Donald Trump has revealed how his wife, Melania Trump, is dealing with her life as the First Lady of the United States. The two have been in the White House for a little more than a year as Donald has been marked one of the most controversial Presidents yet.

President Trump On Melania's 'Not So Easy' Life

President Trump has never been one to hold back when it came to his thoughts on high-profile topics. His latest conversation surrounded his wife Melanias adjustment to serving as the First Lady.

You think her life is easy, folks? asked President Trump at a rally in Moon Township, Pennsylvania over the weekend. Not so easy. She is a great first lady.

He repeated multiple times that Melania is great when it comes to serving the country as his wife. This is a far cry from when he joked that Melania could be next to leave the White House earlier this month  poking fun at the record high number of turnovers for the administration.

President Trump's Latest Scandal

Interestingly enough, it comes as President Trump faces yet another allegation that he was inappropriate with another woman. In the latest, there are claims that he attempted to keep adult film star, Stormy Daniels, quiet after they had a romance in 2006. The effort was allegedly just days before he was elected President in 2016. Daniels, whose birth name is Stephanie Clifford, said that the President failed to sign a hush agreement to make her stay silent about their affair.

She also called out President Trumps lawyer, Michael Cohen, for trying to force her to stay quiet. Still, Daniels has filed a complaint that her nondisclosure agreement with Donald is invalid since Cohen first spoke about the matter, which included a $130,000 payoff for Daniels, as well as President Trumps failure to sign the document.

Michael Cohen's Side-Eye Worthy Moves

Cohen has made another move in an attempt to stop Daniels. He filed a restraining order in hopes of blocking her from filing the lawsuit, to begin with. Daniels still went forward with the lawsuit despite Cohens attempts and now arguably has a stronger case because of it.

Cohen has maintained that he is a support for the President.

Daniels said considering this, she has the right to speak about her past with Donald openly. She has already scored an interview with Anderson Cooper that is slated to air on 60 Minutes. A specific date has not been scheduled but one insider confirmed, its in the can.

Melania has yet to speak out but is no stranger to coming to her husband's defense amid sexual misconduct allegations.

Be sure to keep up with Enstars for the latest news and updates on your favorite celebrities.Lionel Richie reportedly took a break from judging the new American Idol on ABC to try to get his daughter away from Scott Disick. Disick, 34, and his romance with Sofia Richie, 19, sparked controversy because of their age difference.

Lionel Richie Is Not Here For Scott Disick

Lionel has thrown shade at his daughter's relationship with Disick in the past. This time, he apparently had a huge issue with Disick referring to Sofia as future wife material in a statement recently.

One insider said Lionel didnt waste time to confront Disick. He reportedly called him and told him that Disick will never have the green light from him to tie the knot with Sofia. He reportedly told Disick that its only a matter of time before Sofia comes to her senses and leaves Disick.

As for Sofia, she is said to be hurt that Lionel isnt supportive of her reported serious relationship with Disick. Still, Disick is said to be difficult to get rid of for good.

Word is he wants to take the next step in his relationship with Sofia. Thankfully for Lionel, its not marriage. Still, it looks like Disick wants to move in that direction. He reportedly wants to move in with Sofia for a trial marriage to see if they can really last for the long haul.

Still, Lionels perspective on their relationship reportedly only brings Disick and Sofia closer together.

Shes totally under his spell, said the source. No one would be surprised if she married Scott without her dads blessing.

Can Sofia And Scott Survive In The Spotlight?

While Sofia is new to the spotlight in this capacity, Disick has had cameras following his life for more than 10 years. Fans first met Disick in 2007 when he appeared on Keeping Up With The Kardashians. At the time, he was dating Kourtney Kardashian.

While Disick has reportedly been trying to get Richie on the show, fans have seen his ups-and-downs play out with Kardashian over the last decade. Between those moments, they welcomed three children together. Kardashians breaking point for Disick seemed to be when he struggled with substance abuse and was in-and-out of rehab. It also didnt help when he was spotted getting extra close with one of his ex-girlfriends.

As for Sofia, she was linked to famous guys like Jaden Smith and Justin Bieber before her romance with Disick became public knowledge. Considering Disick is still a star on the Kardashian and Jenner reality show, the family had mixed reactions about Disicks relationship with a woman nearly half his age. Kardashian was not a fan.

Be sure to keep up with Enstars for the latest news and updates on your favorite celebrities.Those fraudulent climate litigation shakedowns By Paul Driessen

The ultra liberal enclaves of New York City and San Francisco, Oakland, Santa Cruz, San Mateo, Marin, and Imperial Beach, California all claim to be deeply worried about manmade climate cataclysms. They detest petroleum, oppose pipelines, fracking and onshore and offshore drilling, and strongly support renewable energy and expensive electricity: already 17-18 a kilowatt-hour for families, rich and poor. They also have huge government pension fund shortfalls (NYC alone has a pension debt of some $65 billion), and are suing BP, ExxonMobil, Chevron, ConocoPhilips and Royal Dutch Shell. Theyre gunning for a collective litigation windfall of several hundred billion dollars, to help bail them out. (Theyd probably sue coal companies, too, but the Obama era war on coal drove many into bankruptcy.) Their fundamental cause of action claims greenhouse gases (primarily carbon dioxide) from burning oil and natural gas are disrupting Earths climate and weather, causing heat waves and frigid winters, floods and droughts, more frequent and intense hurricanes, melting ice packs and rising seas  costing the cities billions of dollars for repairs and adaptation. The calamities pose an existential threat to the cities, humanity and our planet. If theyre not happening already, they will within decades, the litigants assert. The oil companies have known about these risks for decades, the cities and counties continue, but hid the information from the public and failed to disclose it in annual reports, stock offerings and other documents. They are thus guilty of fraud, negligent and deliberate failure to warn, product design defects, trespass with dangerous pollutants, and being a public and private nuisance. The litigants seek compensatory damages, abatement of the alleged nuisance, attorneys fees, punitive damages and disgorgement of corporate profits. NY Mayor Bill de Blasio also wants his city to divest from fossil fuels (which generate revenues for pension funds, and invest more in wind and solar, which require subsidies) and bring the death knell to the entire oil industry. Its a classic shakedown. Nice companies ya got there. Sured be a shame if something was to happen to em. The ironies are delicious  ripe for being exploited in courtrooms, Congress and courts of public opinion. Start with the fraud allegations. Much to the chagrin of scientists who say humans are not causing climate cataclysms, these oil companies reports and press releases have frequently said fossil fuel emissions are a real concern, and the companies havent funded climate chaos skeptics for years. Wheres the fraud? Compare that to Marin County, whose court pleadings assert a 99% risk of catastrophic storm surges and flooding, because of oil and gas combustion. San Mateo County cites a 93% likelihood of climate-related surges, floods and sewer overflows. San Francisco claims an imminent risk of catastrophic storm surges. But SFs 2017 municipal bond offering downplayed the risks, saying it is unable to predict whether sea-level rise or other impacts of climate change or flooding will occur. Marin and San Mateo made similar statements to current and prospective bond investors. Ditto for other litigants and climate chaos claims. Their panicked concern about devastating climate impacts has suddenly vanished. Courts dont like forked tongues, prior inconsistent statements, duplicity or fraud. Neither do investors or SEC commissioners. Watching this lawsuit vs. bond offerings tar baby schizophrenia play out in court will be entertaining, and perhaps even one more reason to dismiss the frivolous lawsuit with prejudice. Its also ironic that the litigants claim the oil companies are causing local, state, national, international and planetary havoc  but wanted to sue in state courts, where they hoped to get friendlier judges and juries than they might in a federal venue. Boulder, Colorados city attorney also promoted that approach, in suggesting that this equally liberal town join the litigation, to propel change and put a price on carbon. However, a Federal District judge has ruled that the case must be tried in federal courts, since the claims depend on a global complex of geophysical cause and effect involving all nations of the planet. Add to that the unrelenting efforts by these cities, counties and states, climate activists and modelers, and various politicians to stifle debate, assert that 97% of scientists agree that climate change is manmade and dangerous, and even use racketeering laws and Spanish Inquisition tactics against climate chaos skeptics  while profiting handsomely from climate hysteria. But now they want to haul oil companies into court, where they must present real-world evidence, prove their case against fossil fuels, reply to weighty evidence that contradicts their assertions, and endure brutal cross-examination by defense attorneys. It will be interesting to watch them try to silence defense witnesses and keep inconvenient evidence out. Two new books, by Marc Morano and Gregory Wrightstone, offer superb laymens guides to the real science of climate change today and throughout Earths long history  and how difficult (nigh impossible) it will be for the litigants to prove their allegations: That todays climate fluctuations are unprecedented. That they pose an imminent threat to people and planet. That humans and (plant-fertilizing) carbon dioxide now control climate and weather processes, replacing the sun and other powerful natural forces that did so previously. That they can somehow separate and quantify human versus natural influences and impacts. The cities and counties also want the courts to focus only on the alleged social, environmental and economic costs of carbon-based fuels and carbon dioxide emissions. They want no mention of the enormous benefits  to the cities, counties and their citizenry: lights, heat, clothing, transportation, communication, healthcare, employment, crops, parks, forests and much more. Indeed, a comprehensive, honest analysis shows the benefits of carbon exceed their costs by at least 50:1, to as much as 500:1. The litigants demand that the targeted companies disgorge their profits. Perhaps the cities should first disgorge the trillions in benefits they received from using the companies products for the past century. In the end, the case against the oil companies rests on bald assertions, selective evidence, revised and homogenized data, an assumption that industrialization caused modern global warming  and above all, computerized climate models that have been wrong about every temperature and other prediction. This may work in the mainstream media, universities and other liberal circles. It shouldnt in a court of law. As logic of science expert David Wojick observes, climate models are basically garbage in-garbage out, or GIGO: Input the assumption that rising CO2 levels cause climate change; output increasingly disastrous climate disruption scenarios. The process also involves constant circular reasoning: If all the drivers of climate change are assumed to be human-caused, all the observed changes must also be caused by humans. That is how the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change operates  and why we have so many disaster scenarios and demands for an immediate transition to renewable energy. It helps explain why these litigants oppose drilling, fracking and pipelines within their borders  but voice few concerns about the impacts of wind and solar installations on wildlife, habitats, and metals mining and processing in distant lands  or about the land, fertilizer and water demands, and CO2 emissions, associated with biofuels. Two principles seem to guide the litigants: Whatever happens today or in the future  even if it happened many times in the past  is the oil companies fault, and its going to be catastrophic. Misrepresenting facts or failing to disclose relevant evidence violates anti-fraud laws  unless the cities and counties do it. That is absurd. A lot is riding on these baseless climate lawsuits  and not just for the oil companies. Every city, county, state, farm, manufacturer, hospital, business, worker and family whose operations, technologies, living standards, investments, pensions and hope for the future depend on the energy and petrochemicals that oil companies provide will be harmed by a court finding in favor of these litigants. Every one of them should follow this case closely  and get involved deeply and personally in this crazy lawsuit, by intervening, providing evidence and expert witnesses, submitting amicus curiae briefs, and helping citizens, journalists and elected officials understand what is really at stake here. (Hint: Its not Earths climate, which has changed often throughout history  beneficially, benignly or detrimentally.) Paul Driessen is senior policy advisor for the Committee For A Constructive Tomorrow and author of articles and books on natural resource issues. He has degrees in geology, ecology and environmental law. HomeParkland school shooting is your government at rest By Michael R. Shannon

During his nationwide Dont Blame Me Tour, Broward County Sheriff Scott Israel told the Miami Herald he was unable to arrest the Parkland school shooter prior to the attack because his deputies were legally handcuffed. Sheriff Fife should know, since he personally bought the handcuffs. Its becoming obvious as the investigation continues that rather than a random killing spree, the death toll is collateral damage resulting from Democrat efforts to introduce protected categories into the criminal justice system by ending the school to prison pipeline. Instead of the NRA with blood on its hands, we find Broward County School Superintendent Robert Runcie and Sheriff Israel directly responsible for the death of 17 innocents. Real Clear Investigations reports in 2013  the year before the shooter entered high school  the Sheriff of Noddingham voluntarily signed a collaborative agreement on school discipline. This preemptive amnesty listed a series of misdemeanors that would no longer result in arrest. The freebie offenses included vandalism, disorderly conduct, fighting, trespassing, criminal mischief, harassment, threats, alcohol infractions and possession of drug paraphernalia  all violations common to future valedictorians. The overarching goal was to reduce the number of juvenile arrests. To make sure that happened, deputies were advised, Emergency and other situations may arise that require the immediate involvement of law enforcement. In such instances, school officials and law enforcement should confer after the situation has been diffused...to ensure the most effective and least punitive means of discipline is being employed. (my emphasis) With the stroke of a pen deputies who formerly represented law enforcement, now represented selective enforcement. Currently approximately 150 school systems nationwide  including many of the largest in the US  are operating under these avoidarrestatallcost rules. And not one of the sheriffs, police chiefs, school superintendents, or elected officials told voters an important part of their plan for the next term will be not arresting the bullies who steal your childs lunch money. Instead many of the victims will be sitting beside the victimizers to work out a restorative justice solution. Its almost as if a secondary goal of the program was to intimidate witnesses. If you see something, say nothing. How does that happen? Where do public officials gain this authority to start not enforcing the law? We dont get to choose which laws to obey, where do these petty tyrants get the idea they have the right to pick and choose the laws to enforce? Sheriff Israel crowed, Were changing the culture, and what were doing is we are gonna make obsolete the term zero tolerance. The sheriff also made the term competent obsolete when used in connection with his department. Law enforcement officers as a rule consider juvenile arrests to be a big pain in the behind. Juvie collars take more time, involve more rules and require reams of paperwork. Add that to a signed agreement by the sheriff that actively discourages arrest and officers who want to stay in good graces with Israel wont be bucking the system by arresting students. Sheriff Israels lax enforcement edict worked like a charm. The Boston Globe found in the year just prior to Israels emancipation proclamation the sheriffs department recorded 1,056 schoolbased arrests. By the 201516 school year the number had plunged 63 percent. The shooters repeated infractions were part of the nonenforcement regime. Gun laws currently on the books would have been enough to prevent the shooter from buying a rifle in February 2017 had he been arrested and prosecuted even once. The multiple murderer was reported to have said he planned to shoot up the school. Thats enough to get either an arrest or an investigation in most jurisdictions. In Broward the information was turned over to school resource officer Dep. Scot Take Cover Peterson. Acting as judge, jury and exonerator, Peterson did nothing, which in his case is beginning to sound like a trend. The shooter assaulted students twice with no arrest. Made repeated threats with no arrest. And threated to kill people with no arrest. Proving Sheriff Israel really knows how to make a no arrest policy stick. The departments repeated failure to take the shooter to court meant there was no record in the NCIC system regarding his past runins with the law. Since he was a blank slate the shooter didnt even get swept into the FBIs catch and release antiterrorism program after the Bureau fielded a tip. The sheriff departments turnyourchildsothercheek policy came to fruition when the gunfire broke out. The fact is the country doesnt need sensible gun laws or rifle bans. There were plenty of laws on the books that would have stopped this latest school shooting before it began. Sheriff Israel just decided public relations and social justice was more important than childrens lives. Michael R. Shannon is a public relations and advertising consultant with corporate, government and political experience around the globe. He is a dynamic and entertaining keynote speaker. He can be reached at mandate.mmpr (at) gmail.com. He is also the author of Conservative Christian's Guidebook for Living in Secular Times (Now with added humor!). HomeOn the 170th anniversary of Marx and Engels Communist Manifesto  can Marx be re-interpreted as a critic of late modernity? (Part Three) By Mark Wegierski

It could be argued that Marxism, like most ideological systems, conveys a partial truth. In the nineteenth century, who could in good conscience support the exploitation of decent working people by various luxuriously-living overlords? Serious and reflective traditionalist thought had always been opposed to the cruel impositions of various iniquities. The arising of the labor movement in the nineteenth century was precisely what was needed to counter the monstrous power of capital. In the minds of many Western liberals, Communism became associated with "decent values." As the recently caught elderly British woman-spy said of the Soviet Communists, "They only wanted to give medicine and food to their people." Obviously, what has happened is that the idealism of nineteenth-century workers' protests has been grotesquely transferred to Stalin's regime. Interestingly enough, the Western apologists for the Soviet Union were virtually at their apogee precisely during what was later called the Stalinist period. It appears that when the Soviet Union was at its most "utopian" -- and claiming to create "a new human life" -- support for it was the strongest among Western intellectuals. After it had become more authoritarian (for example, under Brezhnev) rather than totalitarian -- it no longer excited the same degree of enthusiasm among Western intellectuals. One does see today, however, a return to aggressive defenses of Soviet Communism -- and even of Stalin -- among some Western Marxist intellectuals. In the twentieth century, Western societies have moved through various wrenching social revolutions and transformations -- whose radical nature is not always apparent to observers. In today's consumerist, consumptionist society in America and Canada, the labor struggle is usually seen as part of a broader, left-liberal coalition of rich liberals and "recognized minority leaderships." Traditionalists and members of the so-called "disaligned Left" such as Christopher Lasch would be hoping for a renewed labor struggle that could be disattached from doctrinaire left-liberalism -- and from its putative acceptance of the ruling structures of the current-day managerial-therapeutic regime. If one is looking for what might be good in Marx-inspired thought, there is clearly the aspect of social protest against exploitation. There is also the notion of comradely struggle for a better world. At the same time, persons struggling against injustice should be careful to properly identify what true injustice and victimization actually consist of, and to avoid falling into the trap of excessively-ranging ressentiment. For example, before the 1960s, the social democrats in most Western countries (such as the Co-operative Commonwealth Federation party in Canada), while ferociously fighting for equality and the betterment of the working majority, accepted most elements of traditional nation, family, and religion as simply a part of pre-political existence, which they had no desire to challenge. They were thus economically socialist, but socially conservative. The causes which animate much of today's Left (such as multiculturalism, feminism, gay rights, and cultural antinomianism) would have probably disgusted many of them. There is clearly something inappropriate happening when a wealthy, privileged left-liberal arrogantly condemns a decent, careworn, working man for the latter's supposed racism, sexism, or homophobia. It could also be argued that, in today's world, when capitalism, as exemplified by globalization, is so overwhelmingly international (or transnational) and anti-traditional, the more independent-minded and less-politically-correct Left should be re-examining the importance of nations, nationalism, and nationhood as well as various traditionalisms, as part of the possible resistance to the incipient hypermodern dystopia. Mark Wegierski is a Canadian writer and historical researcher. HomePresident Trumps squandered golden opportunity By Lester Jackson, Ph.D.

It is now nearly six weeks since President Trumps January 30 State of the Union address (SOTU). Many conservatives instantly gave the speech an A+. Rush Limbaugh called it the Best State of the Union Speech Ive Ever Seen. I briefly dissented with an A-. Events since then have prompted me to revise, update and expand my previous brief comment. The immigration issue President Trump failed to focus upon and explain the critical distinction between legal and illegal immigration. Supporters of illegal immigration routinely refer to opposition to illegal immigration as opposition to all immigration, lawful as well as unlawful. Oxymoronic advocates of legally protected law-breaking do what pro-criminal leftists always do: muddy the waters (pp. 189, 250, 253). With the largest possible national audience, President Trump missed a golden opportunity: to clarify and purify the waters muddied by those with virulent contempt for lawful behavior. Subsequent to the SOTU address, the Fake News Media (FNM) repeatedly demonstrated why this point is so crucial. After January 30, the FNM and others repeatedly have referred to opposition to immigration and to immigration opponents. On February 8, the second former President Bush welcomed all immigrants. Five days later, a tweet by far-out extreme leftist Senator Kamala Harris, elected by law-defiant Californians, referred to Trumps anti-immigrant agenda. On February 25, CNN shrieked a headline pronouncing Trump anti-immigrant.++ On March 7, the FNM Washington Post referred to Trump as a president who has championed an anti-immigration agenda. Adding to the long list of media lies amassed in 2017, the anti-immigrant mantra is an outright lie because the current president explicitly welcomes lawful immigration: I want people to come into our country. Yet those who know  or should know  better have compounded the confusion, playing into the hands of leftist advocates of law-breaking. Breitbart ran a story under this headline: Bush [43] Praises Cheap Labor Immigration. That is NOT the issue, but many people think it is. An accurate headline would have been: Bush Praises Unlawful  Immigration. Illegal immigration is the issue. This can never be emphasized enough. On three successive days in mid-February, Fox News ran headlines referring to the immigration debate (here, here and here); and Mark Krikorians Center for Immigration Studies referred to The Senate Immigration Debate. A notable exception is Laura Ingrahams Illegal immigration and the jobs we cant do. Any debate involves pro and con. Hence, immigration debate implies supporters and opponents of immigration. In fact, the current widely mislabeled debate is actually a political fight about (1) whether and how to stop mass immigration that has been illegal under current law; and

(2) whether, to stem the tide, there should be new law changing what is currently lawful. Adolph Hitlers chief propagandist, Dr. Joseph Goebbels, not only engaged in the Big Lie but also repetition of the Big Lie. Repetition, repetition and more repetition. Americas Democrat and FNM disciples of Goebbels have repeated their very own leftist Big Lie: the right opposes all immigration. Worse still, many who clearly comprehend the issue nevertheless often refer to immigration without qualification or explanation. It is misleading and unacceptable to conflate all immigration  legal and illegal. That is a major distinction and that is the issue. President Trump should stress it again, and again and yet again!! He cannot repeat the point often enough, particularly in light frequent lumping together of all immigration and leftist use of anti-immigrant. So again, the issue is not what to do about immigration, but (1) preventing currently illegal immigration; and (2) which immigration should henceforth be lawful and which should be unlawful.

I cannot resist relating a personal experience. I was infuriated two years ago when the Obama Administration ordered out of the country a sweet young lady I knew. A graduate of a top Mexican university, she came to the United States on a student visa and earned a Master of Fine Arts degree in music. She had a job and was also a concert pianist. After the appeal of her deportation order was denied, she left, voluntarily but reluctantly. She was so decent, and had such respect for this country and its law, that she rejected advice to just ignore the order and stay put. The last time I heard from her, she was teaching and performing in Mexico. So thats the bottom line of the left: Throw the best out of the country, while passionately protecting those who break the law, including murderers. Given his huge audience, the president missed a great chance to explain that to the country; referring to visa lottery and merit-based immigration is just not as clear. I thought that he did make merit-based much clearer in his February 23 address to CPAC. But that had a limited audience and not the huge audience of the January 30 SOTU address. Moreover, as noted, CNN falsely characterized the CPAC speech as anti-immigrant. Immigration and capital punishment Illegal alien murderers are, of course, a useful way to focus on illegal immigration. They are a major horror. But the lives of murder victims of home-grown American citizen savages are no less precious, and they suffer no less and are no less dead than the victims of alien murderers. Those left behind by citizen savages suffer, grieve and are tortured by judges just as much as those left behind by alien barbarians. Several times since taking office, the president has mentioned the need for capital punishment, but only in passing. I need not repeat what I posted 11 months ago. As elaborated in my recent book (pp. 142-146), my view is that all convicted intentional murderers should be executed. Immigrants who break our law by the very act of illegal entry  and who compound the affront with refusal to assimilate and contempt for our way of life  surely should not be accepted. But that is not going to do anything to stop the largest component of the American Murder Holocaust. Home grown murderers, as well as foreign-born murderers, should be executed, period. Finally, capital punishment and illegal immigration should be seen as two distinctly separate issues. Murders by illegal aliens would not take place if they were not here in the first place. But far fewer total murders would take place if swift trial and execution of all convicted murderers were the norm. Lester Jackson is author of numerous articles about capital punishment, the Supreme Court and American politics. His recent bookis Equal Justice For Victims: A Blueprint for the Rightful Restoration of Capital Punishment. Copyright  2018 by Lester Jackson, Ph.D. HomeYear 2017 rediscovered optimism in the European Union. Unity and stability made a comeback and the new vision for the future of Europe started a transition beyond the unfortunate Brexit. The elections in the Netherlands, France and Germany tamed the rise of a populism that, however, still remains a major influence and a force in expansion, especially since the formation of the new Austrian coalition government.

Yet, the new Eurobarometer shows the slow recovery of trust that has been shattered by years of political disputes and rifts. Moreover, for the first time since the economic and financial crisis, in 2007, Europeans have a positive opinion of the current state of the European economy (48%), which is higher than negative (39%). Support for the single European currency is highest since 2004 and 57% of Europeans are generally optimistic about the future.

Winds of change and recovery are blowing but there cannot be progress and restoration of that political consensus on the EU project without public trust. The first step in reforming the 27-state EU is political will and 2018 will be the year of European reform. But without results-oriented Europe and without the political will needed to implement these changes, EU transformation  not only rhetorical but in terms of perception  will make no impression. The options are already on the table. To answer the calls for reforms, Europe will need to address democratic representation, strengthen economic power and solidarity, address migratory pressures and focus on the Europe of values.

The European Union needs to strengthen its political legitimacy. EU Commission President Juncker proposed to strengthen the democratic legitimacy of the European institutions and an increased role for national parliaments in the democratic control of EU decisions. The idea of achieving one captain  steering the ship in Mr. Junckers words, is far from being realized, even though the proposal of uniting the presidencies of the Council and Commission dates back to the era of Jean-Luc Dehaene when it was number 2 on the European convention for the future of the bloc.

Another important area of focus us a union of rights, which is fundamentally an issue of values. But the union of values suffered a major blow as a result of the migrant crisis. In August 2015, Angela Merkel said: If Europe fails on the question of refugees, if this close link with universal civil rights is broken, then it wont be the Europe we wished for. But the EU has not only failed at this, it has also failed to fulfill its own commitments to the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the EU such as the right to physical integrity; protection from inhuman or degrading treatment; the right to asylum and protection from being removed, expelled or extradited to a state where there is a serious risk of being subjected to the death penalty, torture or other inhuman or degrading treatment.

Addressing migration will be also a vital part of the EUs reform and reconstruction. More than 2,200 migrants died in the Mediterranean in 2017 attempting to reach European shores and the member states did not meet the commitments to relocate refugees despite the dire humanitarian situation in the refugee camps. The EU continues to fail to comply with its international obligations on asylum and refugees that are based on a fundamental principle that views asylum as a right. The twenty-seven member states must build their internal EU reform around the migration issue as well and guarantee safer regular routes towards Europe, such as humanitarian visas and opening up legal routes for the arrival of migrants and advancing on the reform of the Dublin Convention.

Reforming the European Union in 2018: Five Proposals with Some Wishful Thinking  Op-Ed by Carme Colomina  Barcelona Centre for International Affairs / CIDOB.

(The Op-Ed can be downloaded here)The bilateral talks on the future of Western Sahara that took place last week between the UN Secretarys personal envoy for the Sahara, Horst Koehler, and a Moroccan delegation led by Moroccan Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita who described the discussions as having been conducted in an atmosphere of serenity and the debates [being] rich and fruitful. He also said that the talks were serious and marked by mutual respect, adding that this is neither a negotiation process nor a negotiation, but a meeting to discuss the developments of the Moroccan Sahara issue.

Last weeks meetings were used to take stock of the historical background and developments in the dispute over Western Sahara. The Lisbon meeting also served as a platform to discuss the situation in the Maghreb in general with an UN envoy. Both sides also highlighted the efforts by Morocco to implement a regional development model and roll out the structures by advanced regionalization. The Moroccan delegation also outlined the details of the Morocco-proposed autonomy initiative, including its legal bases, the overall context and its rich content.

The Moroccan approach to the latent conflict is guided by four established principles and terms of reference outlined by King Mohammed VI in his speech in November 2017, on which the Moroccan position on Western Sahara must based for the process to be continued. One of these guidelines is that any settlement of the dispute over Western Sahara must be conceived within the framework of Moroccos full sovereignty, territorial integrity and national unity. Another important guideline is the need to include all the stakeholders in this dispute in the whole peace-making process, which should at the same time be overseen by the United Nations without the intervention of any other regional or international organization.

The United Nations has been engaged in the peace-making process to the conflict over Western Sahara for a long time. The UNs Security Council generally emphasizes the importance of the commitment of Morocco and the Polisario, the parties to the conflict, to continue the process of negotiations while also encouraging the neighboring countries, Algeria and Mauritania, to make important contributions to this process.Austria wants to focus in its upcoming presidency of the European Union on keeping refugees outside the blocs external borders instead of resettling them within the EU. Austria is the only Western European country that has a far-right party in the government, following a parliamentary election last year that was dominated by migration agenda. Vienna is to take over the rotating six-month presidency of the European Union from Bulgaria in July.

Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borissov said earlier that he wanted his country and Austria to have a joint presidency. His Austrian counterpart Sebastian Kurz has geared his country away from calling on the Eastern European member states to accept the refugee resettlement program. Mr. Kurz is an anti-immigration hardliner who has pledged to work with the Visegrad countries  Poland, Hungary and the Czech and Slovak Republics  to bring the two sides closer. Our aim is very clear  that in Europe there should not only be a dispute over redistribution (of refugees) but also, at last, a shift of focus towards securing external borders, Mr. Kurz said.

Austrian Prime Minister also added that there was no point in arguing over the current quota system since the Visegrad countries would not agree. Instead, he was proposing a system in which migrants rescued in the Mediterranean are returned to their home countries rather than brought to Europe. He has pledged to end illegal immigration altogether. Protection (of borders) alone will not solve the migration question but the decisive question is what happens to people after their rescue  are they brought to central Europe or are they taken back to the countries of origin or other safe regions where they can be provided for? Kurz said.The European Union and Japan urged the United States to grant them waivers from metal import tariffs, urging Washington to show a calm-headed behavior to prevent the situation from escalating into a all-out trade war. US President Donald Trump set import tariffs of 25 percent on steel and 10 percent on aluminum, to come into force in two weeks. Yet, he granted Canada and Mexico an exemption and kept the possibility of excluding other allies.

Following meetings with US trade envoy Robert Lighthizer in Brussels, EU and Japanese trade officials stressed that negotiations would need to carry on. Europes Trade Commissioner Cecilia Malmstrom said that the talks with Mr. Lighthizer were frank but admitted that they had not brought clarity on the waiver procedure. Talks are continuing this week. As a close security and trade partner of the US, the EU must be excluded from the announced measures, she tweeted.

Japanese Trade Minister Hiroshige Seko had similarly expressed Japanese concern to Lighthizer and warned of a major market disruption. We call for calm-headed behavior, he said. Mr. Seko did not specify what conditions may allow Japan to evade tariffs and said that Mr. Lighthizer had not brought up the US trade deficit with Japan. He only explained the schedule and the procedures, he said. Mr. Seko also confirmed that any Japanese response would be in line with the World Trade Organization rules. If there is a violation, then we will seek consultations, he said. We will look at the impact on Japanese businesses and make a final decision.In order to maintain this blog I have to pay for its upkeep including a hosting company, support services, virus and other malicious hackers. If you appreciate what I write please make a donation.Islas Canarias

Mapa del recorrido de la lava en el volcan de La Palma por sateliteHave you checked the website for the prefecture to see what their requirements are? (Every prefecture seems to do things a little bit differently.) Normally, you can't change status except when you are renewing a residence permit. But this is the page that describes the processes according to what type of titre de sejour you are looking to renew:Normally you don't need a letter per se - if the prefecture can do this by post, you just need the dossier, plus the proper form to indicate what you are trying to do. (But this is France, there may be exceptions to this.)Cheers,BevXinhua

An artist from China's Zhejiang province performs traditional Chinese puppet at Petra tourist center in Petra, Jordan, on March 8, 2018. The Department of Culture of China's eastern province of Zhejiang held on Thursday a culture festival in Jordan's world-famous heritage site Petra. [Photo by Lin Xiaowei/Xinhua]

The Department of Culture of China's eastern province of Zhejiang held on Thursday a culture festival as well as celebration for Chinese New Year in Jordan's world-famous heritage site Petra.

The department held the event in cooperation with China's Ministry of Culture, the Chinese embassy in Jordan and the Petra Tourism Development Authority.

At the event, artists from Zhejiang performed Chinese flute, folk songs, moulding clay figures as well as Chinese puppet dancing.

A creative exhibition of traditional craft, with the theme of silk, porcelain and tea, was also displayed at the event, revealing a combination of Chinese culture and contemporary industrial designs.

Jin Xingsheng, director of the Department of Culture of Zhejiang province, introduced several cultural heritages and archaeological sites in Zhejiang.

He also reviewed the history of the province and key landmarks in the area, and highlighted the dynamic business activities in the province.

The cultural festival, first of its kind in Jordan, seeks to convey joy to the Jordanians as well as tourists from all over the world, said Jin.

Falah Abdullah al-Omoush, Chairman of the Board of Commissioners of the Petra Tourism Development Authority, voiced appreciation to China for holding such activities in Petra.

"Such kind of cultural activities will greatly help build bridges between Jordan and China and will boost tourism exchange between the two sides," the Jordanian official said.

"We are keen on attracting more Chinese tourists to Jordan and Petra in particular," he added.

Chinese Ambassador to Jordan Pan Weifang said China was keen on boosting ties with Jordan in various areas, and that there is a great potential for increased cooperation in tourism between the two countries.

Zhejiang Culture Festival is a brand project aimed at boosting culture exchange between China and other countries. It has been held in nations including the United States, Britain, France and Australia.Both farms have been placed under quarantine, depopulation may follow

By Diego Flammini

News Reporter

Farms.com

A large turkey operation in Missouri has been placed under quarantine after the discovery of a strain of bird flu on the farm.

The H7N1 strain, a low-pathogenic form, was detected on Feb. 26 on a farm in Jasper County during pre-processing testing.

The farm is home to about 20,000 birds, Dr. John Clifford, the chief trade advisor and World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) delegate with the USDA, told OIE in his report.

The discovery marks the first confirmed case of H7N1 in the U.S. this year.

So far, there hasnt been any noticeable changes in the flock but the producer may lose some of the turkeys.

There have been no clinical signs of illness or increased mortality on the premises, Dr. Clifford said in his report. The turkeys will be depopulated through controlled marketing.

Two commercial poultry farms in a six-mile area were also tested for avian flu. Those results came back negative.

Poultry producers in Missouri arent the only ones battling avian flu.

The H7N1 strain has also been confirmed on a broiler flock in Hopkins County, Texas.

Dr. Clifford alerted the OIE on March 9.

The farm is home to more than 24,000 birds. The animals have begun to show signs of illness, Dr. Clifford said in his report.

The flock exhibited a slight increase in mortality and a decrease in egg production, his report said. Depopulation of the premises is underway.

The disease detections in Texas and Missouri are the first cases of avian flu in the U.S. since a March 2017 discovery on two farms in Tennessee.

Yuri Arcurs peopleimages.com/iStock/Getty Images PlusBy Ryan McGeeney

The steady and significant rainfall experienced by much of Arkansas in late February and early March is tightening a critical window for fertilizing winter wheat in northern Arkansas counties, and delaying herbicide burndown operations in others, agricultural agents and other experts with the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture said this week.

Robert Goodson, Phillips County agricultural agent, said most of the ground in his county is currently too wet to either apply fertilizer to wheat fields or apply herbicide to other areas as part of the normal field preparation efforts associated with the approach of spring in Arkansas.

Finding dry ground to put out fertilizer was almost impossible, Goodson said. Normally, burndown applications would have been made with ground applicators. But there has been zero acres sprayed with ground rigs, and only a few acres sprayed by air. The wet and warm has really given the weeds a head start on growing.

Matthew Davis, Jackson County agricultural agent, reported similar conditions for growers in his area.

A lot of acres flooded around the Cache River, Davis said. There is some damage to beds that were hipped in the fall, and some fields will have to be reworked. We need to be burning down everyone is ready to drop into the field as soon as it is dry.

Davis said progress in Jackson County isnt behind schedule when compared to an average year, although things are currently running a bit behind 2017  although thats not necessarily a bad thing.

Id rather have the rain now than in May, he said, when heavy rains and flooding would have a much worse impact on planted acres, as it did in 2017.

Jason Kelley, wheat and feed grains agronomist for the Division of Agriculture, said the rainfall has made fertilizing winter wheat a struggle throughout the state this year.

Wheat nitrogen fertilization typically is done beginning in late January through March, with the starting and ending dates driven by crop growth stage, Kelley said. So north to south in the state, we typically see some variation in timings.

Kelley said growers typically split-apply nitrogen to help diffuse environmental risks, applying nitrogen when crops need it.

We generally apply the first application at green up which would normally be in early February, and then apply the second application three to four weeks later, he said. When the initial application of nitrogen is delayed past the jointing stage, yields decline. The jointing stage signifies that the plant is going into a rapid reproductive growth stage and has a high demand for nitrogen.

Kelley said the lack of nitrogen applications in late February has caused some concern among both growers and agronomists. Many growers are hoping to apply the fertilizer before the next wave of rain hits.

Overall, many wheat fields are yellow, likely due to a lack of nitrogen, but saturated ground and water logged conditions may be a bigger factor for yellow wheat this week, he said. Impact on yield is yet to be seen, but growth stages this year are behind where we were last year.Under an export certificate recently negotiated between the two countries, the United States now can ship pork to Paraguay. The National Pork Producers Council welcomed the news.

Paraguay wont be a huge market for U.S. pork, but given the current trade climate, the U.S. pork industry needs all the new markets it can get, said NPPC President Jim Heimerl, a pork producer from Johnstown, Ohio. This is welcome news for Americas pork producers.

While the South American country is a modest consumer of pork, there is potential for U.S. pork export growth to its nearly 6.9 million people, who have a per capita income greater than, for example, the Philippines and Vietnam, two large pork-consuming nations.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture last month concluded talks with its Paraguay counterparts on the export certificate, which will allow the shipment of U.S. fresh, frozen, processed and thermally processed/commercially sterile pork and pork products.

The U.S. pork industry is very dependent on exports, said Heimerl. Last year, were exported nearly 27 percent of our total production, and those exports added more than $53  representing almost 36 percent of the $149 average value of a hog in 2017  to the price we received for each animal marketed.

Click here to see more...OAT Tips and Tricks for 2018 were presented at the Grains Research and Development Corporations, Research Updates, Perth, last week by Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD) researcher Georgie Troup.

Last year the Oat Agronomy team at DPIRD investigated multiple issues affecting oat production, including how to increase yields in certain varieties.

Ms Troup said, the oat variety and agronomy update is designed to give advisers, agronomists and growers some tips and tricks on how they can approach 2018 with its data based on the oat agronomy trial program, supported by GRDC.

According to the update there is a three-horse race between Wandering, Williams and Bannister varieties when it came to oats, although only Bannister and Williams are eligible for OAT1, with Wandering only eligible for OAT2.

I do anticipate that this will be under review by the GIWA oat council within the next 12 months, Ms Troup said.

A new variety was released in Spring 2017 by the national oat breeding program.

Kowari is set to replace Mitika, with similar yields, structure and flowering time.

The new variety was found to yield better than Mitika in high-yielding environments, although Kowari doesnt have the grain yields of Wandering, Williams and Bannister.

Last year GRDC ran a trial for on-farm optimisation which Ms Troup said was something growers could do with wheat at CBH, but not with their oats.

So in other words we are blending the oats, with the trial testing blending at seeding time or after harvest, she said.

Some of the questions Ms Troup had to ask were

p What ratio do I need to blend with Williams?

p How much of the good quality do I need to blend with Williams to actually lift it above the line?, and

p What impact did the blend have on the grain yield and the grain quality?

The idea of Crossman was created, which is a town half way between Williams and Bannister, therefore mixing those two varieties would make Crossman.

Ms Troup said the findings were disappointing and they didnt lift Williams as much as they thought they would.

We didnt get what we expected and blending good with bad didnt give us average, it gave us below average, she said.

There was no significant difference when we blended at seeding time or harvest and Williams was a bit better but it didnt come out what we thought.

Ms Troup also tried to blend Williams with Mitika, Carolup and Durack, and as expected Durack was highest in hectolitre weight, but it didnt matter whether it was mixed seeding or harvest, it still didnt get the results.

She thought if they mixed Williams with Durack or Mitika for screenings, it would bring it back down.

It was only the blending with Mitika at seeding that actually bought the screenings below the CBH limit, she said.

The findings of Ms Troups research was that Bannister was the strongest performer eligible for OAT1 and farmers growing Bannister need to have a precautionary approach to disease management.

If you need to blend, just blend post-harvest, Ms Troup said.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.Anyone who has spent much time in China or dealt with investigations in China has probably heard of WeChat, a social media application. WeChat has over 900 million daily users, making it far and away the most ubiquitous social media platform in China.

While WeChat can be used for a variety of applications, the most relevant functions related to for investigations are messaging (individual and group chats) and money transfers.

WeChat is used very commonly in China for both personal and work-related communications and has become the most popular tools for person-to-person communications in China. In many cases, it supplements or has supplanted email for casual and sometimes business communications. In a signal of its popularity, business people in China often exchange contact information via WeChat instead of exchanging traditional business cards.

During an investigation, WeChat data can reveal discussions of interest among company employees or between company employees and non-employees. In our experience, employees are often far less guarded on WeChat or similar platforms than they would be in email, and may discuss sensitive issues more freely and openly.

We have seen numerous examples of employees using WeChat to discuss everything from collusive vendors to general fake fapiaos. (For a description of fapiaos, see our earlier series here, here, here, and here.)

WeChat also can make audio and video calls, and has a range of payment functions, including peer-to-peer money transfers and a red packet, where users can gift money to each other. As such, WeChat data can be a potential gold mine of relevant information in an investigation.

WeChat is primarily used on mobile devices (although the program can also be used on computers), creating challenges for investigations. Because many employers in China typically utilize a bring-your-own-device policy, the data on an employees mobile device cannot be directly accessed by employers without an employees consent under PRC privacy rules.

This leaves employers in a difficult position  they may know or suspect that an employees mobile device contains data directly relevant to an investigation but cannot easily access that data, like the legendary but elusive city of gold  El Dorado.

The situation for many employers in China, particularly those subject to the FCPA, is complicated by the recently issued U.S. Department of Justices FCPA Corporate Enforcement Policy (see Covingtons summary here and the Chinese version here).

As part of the requirements for full remediation to be eligible for mitigation credit in a resolution, e.g., a reduced fine or declination, the Policy requires [a]ppropriate retention of business records, and prohibiting the improper destruction or deletion of business records, including prohibiting employees from using software that generates but does not appropriately retain business records or communications.

The DOJ has not expounded on its expectations on this front, and this new policy will require companies to balance their interests in positioning themselves for mitigation credit interests in facilitating business communications in a cost-effective and secure manner. Some companies are considering prohibiting employees from using personal devices for work-related communications and from using certain well-known messaging platforms for work-related communications, unless preservation of such communications can be assured.

Companies with operations in China might consider steps to minimize problems with employees misusing WeChat:

1. Conduct a communications risk assessment. Given the prevalence of WeChat in China and other similar platforms in other countries, companies may want to conduct a communications risk assessment to understand the nature and extent that their employees use messaging platforms such as WeChat in China and in other jurisdictions. The company could then tailor its IT use policy to balance critical business priorities enabled by messaging with the need to ensure that communications can be accessed for investigative purposes, and if an outright prohibition is warranted.

2. Prohibit employees from using messaging platforms to transmit sensitive work information. Restricting employees from using WeChat or other messaging platforms for sensitive business communications could at least mitigate the risk that sensitive information might be discussed or disclosed in a way that the company cannot track. We are aware of one case where company employees in an R&D function started a group chat on a messaging platform to facilitate discussions. When an employee left the company, however, no one realized that he should have been deleted from the group chat, and he continued to receive sensitive information while working for his new employer  a direct competitor.

3. Refresh IT use and privacy policies. As described in an earlier series about China investigations here and here, companies are wise to update their IT use policy and privacy policy to account for rapidly evolving privacy and cybersecurity laws in China. These updates allow companies to access data relevant for investigations in China while minimizing the risk of blowback under local law.

4. Ask employees for their consent to review or image mobile devices, either at the time of employment or at collection. Chinese privacy laws generally frown upon employers taking and copying an employees personal mobile devices without consent. And many employees will decline to give consent. But many do give consent, and sometimes data on those devices can be useful. (Companies could also consider issuing company-issued devices for a broad swathe of employees, which would give the company more direct ability to copy the device, although this can be expensive, given that devices in China are predominantly bought out of pocket rather than subsidized by annual contracts.)

5. Check laptops for backups. Plugging in a mobile device to a company-owned computer could, in some cases, create a back-up file of logs from WeChat or other messaging platforms. That back-up file generally can be recovered from the company-owned computer with much lower risk of running afoul of privacy laws in China. Companies could also consider requiring regular back-ups of messages on company servers that would be accessed unless an investigative need presents.

6. Ask employees about use of messaging platforms during interviews. Sometimes employees are willing to share information or screenshots of key conversations on WeChat or other messaging platforms with other employees or non-employees, even if they are not willing to have their phone imaged. We have had relatively good success in teasing out useful information through this method.

___

Messaging platforms such as WeChat will not disappear in China, and employees are unlikely to stop employees overnight from using them for work-related purposes. Employers can take steps now to be able to minimize risk and best utilize available data during investigations.

______

Eric Carlson, a contributing editor of the FCPA Blog, is a Shanghai-based partner at Covington & Burling LLP specializing in anti-corruption compliance and internal investigations, with a particular focus on China and other regions in Asia. Eric Carlson speaks fluent Mandarin and Cantonese and can be contacted here.

Ping An, an associate in Covingtons Shanghai office, contributed to this post.On a sunny July afternoon in 2011 I decided to take a break from the computer and get some fresh air on the front step of our house in South London. Suddenly I looked up to see my 58 year-old husband walk up the path with the pale skin and unsteady movements of a man in his mid-eighties. I knew immediately that something was dreadfully wrong. Within an hour he was delirious, writhing and screaming in the Accident and Emergency department of St Thomas Hospital in South London like something out of The Exorcist. By the evening he was in a coma.

Bed 12

Simon was unconscious for five weeks, hooked up to every kind of life support. The doctors were pessimistic, warning me that if he ever did come round, there was a strong possibility of brain damage. But even in the worst moments I was determined not to give up. I negotiated a sabbatical from work, and spent 12 hours each day at his bedside, trying everything possible to bring him roundfrom whispering loving words in his ear to music, massage and aromatherapy. When Simon eventually emerged from his mysterious coma, I found my difficulties were far from over. Instead of being an independent feminist with a career of my own, I now had to adapt to being a housewife and carer who was joined to her husband at the hip.

Yet Simon and I are now closer and happier than weve ever been before. Here are some of the things Ive learned.

DONT SWEAT THE SMALL STUFF

Simons dramatic illness turned all my priorities on their head. Although he was intelligent and charming, tall and fit with silver-fox hair, our 17-year relationship hadnt always been smooth. We both worked long hours and didnt get enough quality time together. I was a planner, while Simon preferred spontaneity, which made sparks fly. And although he considered himself a 21st century man, I was convinced he didn't do his fair share of the housework. But when we were in crisis all that melted away  and its mostly stayed that way ever since. I learned that paying attention to the important things like love, kindness and mutual respect means that we can work the rest out.

CHERISH FAMILY AND FRIENDS

As the long days at the hospital turned into weeks, Simons brother was one of the few people I felt comfortable to ring at any time of day or night. After all, hed known my husband even longer than I had. On bad days, it was immensely comforting just to sit together, look at old photos and share memories of better times. Similarly, Ill always treasure the friends who put their lives on hold for us. Our best man, Philip, either visited the hospital or sent me a text every single day. When the going gets tough, family and friends are a priceless resource.

TAKE EACH DAY AS IT COMES

Ill never forget what it was like to lie awake in the early hours of the morning facing up to the strong possibility of becoming a widow. The only way to stay sane was by simply focusing on the day ahead and making the most of whatever it brought. Being in such close proximity to death showed me that nothing can be taken for granted, and that all we can do is make the best of what we have now. In the process, I discovered being that being relaxed, kind and warm-hearted brings me far more happiness than money, designer goods or career success ever could.

FORGIVE AND MOVE ON

When he came out of his coma, Simon needed to learn not only how to eat, drink and walk again, but also how to navigate all the demands of modern life, from using a mobile phone to managing his money (he repeatedly lost his debit card and forgot his pin number.) However there was no point getting impatient or angry. As Ralph Waldo Emerson said: For every minute you are angry you lose sixty seconds of happiness. The insight that Simon is simply doing his bestand so am Icontinues to take the sting out of almost every difficulty.

COUNT YOUR BLESSINGS

The result of our near-tragedy is that gratitude seems to have taken up permanent residence in one corner of my mind. Many research studies now indicate that being thankful is good for both mind and body, and will make us happier and less depressed. This is definitely my experience. Im grateful to the wonderful NHS staff that looked after us, to the family and friends who supported us, and  above all - that were still able to wake up each morning in each others arms.

Bed 12 by Alison Murdoch is out now, published by Hikari Press, priced at 9.99. 50% of the royalties from Bed 12 go to the Encephalitis Society.

For more information about encephalitis visit www.encephalitis.info.

Other articles you might like:There are two questions Im invariably asked when the subject of Montserrat comes up. Where the hell is it and how did you come to be there? The first answer is simple. Montserrat is a lush, green, mountainous tropical island, approximately 39 square miles (well, probably now a little larger, due to its re-awakened volcano), lying in the Eastern Caribbean chain of islands, a twenty minute hop from Antigua.

Sarah Dickinson and her husband

And the second? Like the Beatles Producer, the late Sir George Martin, my husband John, and I found the island quite by chance. We were recovering from a near-fatal car crash, from which John had saved my life.Montserrat sounded just the place to mend our broken bodies and bruised souls. And so it has proved to be, despite the fact that the volcano, which re-awoke after 400 years, put a stop to our ambitious project to complete Isles Bay Plantation, a development of luxury Caribbean style villas.

But, as they say on island  Montserrat still home, still nice, still paradise. And this is why:

CAR HORNS AND SMILES

Montserratians are warm, friendly and welcoming. When you first arrive, youll think youre driving erratically, as everyone toots their horn at you. In fact, its a form of greeting, as is goodnight, which really means hello. Youll soon get used to it.

WATER, WATER, EVERYWHERE  but it really is safe to drink.

Coming deep from volcanic springs, this is the sweetest water in the Caribbean, clean and clear. No need to waste money on bottled water, and youre saving the planet by not using plastic.

EVERY SHADE OF GREEN

Whether youre a hiker, botanist, ornithologist, or like horse riding, a trip through the tropical forests is a must. Jack & the Beanstalk vines, hundreds of different types of trees and wild mangos.

365 DAYS OF SUNSHINE

Not that blistering southern European sunshine (biased, me?). Most days the sky is broken by fleeting clouds, which sometimes thoughtfully water the ground before you get up for your first swim.

NO NEED TO BOOK A SUNLOUNGER

Montserrat is still one of natures closely guarded secrets, which means its many soft brown sand beaches are seldom crowded. You might fall into conversation with a fisherman or dig out your snorkel and flippers and swim to rocks nearby and watch the many multi-coloured striped fish.

GET UP CLOSE TO A LIVE VOLCANO

Be taken, with a Police escort, into the buried city of Plymouth  Montserrats mini-Pompeii and look up at the volcano. Or maybe go by helicopter trip and get a 3-D view right over it.

LIMIN IN THE RUM SHOPS

Theres none of that youre not welcome here, in Montserrats many tiny rum shops and bars. Just walk in and within minutes youll be one of the crowd. My favourite tipple is Mountgay rum. Go on, try it!

DANCE UNTIL YOU DROP

The best times for street-to-street dancing are either Christmas or the third week in March which celebrates St. Patricks Day on the 17th. Theres a fascinating history behind this celebration. For now, all you need to know is that you dont need a partner to dance until you drop.

SWIMMING WITH TURTLES

The female turtles start coming ashore to lay their eggs from late July, August. If youre lucky, youll see them from the shore or boat and maybe even get to swim with them. The eggs start hatching in September. As they say in America, this is truly an awesome experience.

I GO TO COME BACK

Montserratians never say goodbye, rather I go to come back, which is what youll surely do if you visit this little piece of paradise.

SARAH DICKINSONs book PLENTY MANGO  Postcards from the Caribbean, illustrated by JOHN RENTON, published by Tamarind Press, is available from Amazon.co.uk/Amazon.com in either paperback, Kindle, Audible or iTunes.Daisy Ridley is "having a break" before shooting 'Star Wars: Episode IX'.

Daisy Ridley

The 25-year-old actress stars as the Force-wielding hero Rey in the new sci-fi franchise trilogy, and after shooting to fame in 'Star Wars', Ridley has landed a number of roles including 'Murder on the Orient Express' and the upcoming 'Peter Rabbit' movie.

But Ridley has admitted she wants to relax before wielding her lightsaber on set for the ninth instalment of the 'Star Wars' franchise.

Speaking exclusively to BANG Showbiz at the UK premiere of 'Peter Rabbit' at Vue Cinema in London's Leicester Square on Sunday (11.03.18), Ridley said: "I'm having a break, I've been filming forever.

"['Star Wars'] starts later this year, I believe."

Ridley will be reprising her role in the upcoming movie alongside John Boyega as Finn, Oscar Isaac as Poe Dameron, Domhnall Gleeson as General Hux and Adam Driver as Kylo Ren.

The last movie - which is set to end the current Skywalker saga - was originally meant to feature 'Star Wars' legend Carrie Fisher reprising her role as General Leia Organa for the last time.

However, Fisher passed away back in 2016 after she finished shooting her final scenes in the eighth movie 'The Last Jedi' - which was released last year.

The new trilogy has seen the original 'Star Wars' actors Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford and Fisher all reprising their iconic roles.

And Hamill - who plays Luke Skywalker in the films - admitted he thinks the new younger cast are "spectacular."

Asked how he felt about passing on the baton to the younger cast, he said: "First of all the cast is spectacular, they are so talented in their own way.

"I used to be the orphan kid now we have Daisy, I used to be the hotshot impulsive wing fighter now we have Poe.

"I feel like a kid wanting to stop others playing with my toys! But basically I am at the age where I am happy to let the kids do the heavy lifting."Our pick of the news from Fethiye and around Turkey over the last week.

News

International Womens Day

International Womens Day (March 8) is a global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women.

It highlights key events, milestones and achievements, and aims to further promote and raise awareness of womens rights and to achieve equal opportunity status in all walks of life, globally and locally.

Gocek Yacht Club sails against violence against women

Gocek Yacht Club in cooperation with the Turkey Sailing Federation (TYF) organised a Womens Day sailing competition with the theme We sail against violence against women

12 yachts and more than 100 sailboats, each with at least one female crew member, participated in the two-day event which was held for the first time this year.

Following the races, TYF President Ozlem Akdurak said This activity is starting to raise awareness of violence towards women, I wish this activity to be an example.

Source: SonDakika

Smuggled lion cub, hundreds of exotic birds seized in Turkey

Turkish gendarmerie units seized hundreds of exotic birds and a lion cub inside a van near the border with Greece in an operation last week.

The van was stopped and searched near the Sultan village of northwestern Edirne province, located a couple of kilometres away from the Ipsala Border Gate with Greece.

A lion cub, a puppy, 123 Paradise parrots, 150 cockatiels, 120 parakeets, 24 Asian miniature goats, two snowy owls, six Amazon parrots and 42 pigeons were seized from the van.

The vans driver and another suspect were detained as part of the operation.

The animals were handed over to officials from the Nature Conservation and Directorate of National Parks in Kesan district to be transferred to the Polonezkoy Nature Park in Istanbul.

Turkish security forces often seize smuggled animals hidden inside trucks or vans coming from or going to Greece and Bulgaria.

Source: Daily Sabah

Bodrum excavations reveal rich history

Excavations carried out over the last six months in the western province of Muglas Bodrum district unearthed rock tombs from various eras, a historic figurine on a rock and artifacts from the early Bronze Age. Fifteen Pithos tombs from the early Bronze Age were unearthed in the Gumusluk neighbourhood of the Cukurbuk area. Gifts for the dead and tear bottles found in the tombs were put under protection. A Pithos tomb was a large storage container used to preserve liquid products and dry agricultural products in ancient ages. However, they were mostly used as graves in the region. Three rock tombs were also unearthed at a construction site in Bodrums Bitez neighbourhood. The tombs are believed to date back to the Hellenistic or Roman era, Bodrum Underwater Museums officials have said. Source: Hurriyet Daily News Driver pays a heavy fine for driving laying down A driver paid a heavy price after being caught literally laying down whilst driving his motorcycle at a speed of 125 kph in the Karaculha district of Fethiye on Thursday. A concerned citizen reported the incident to the police and the driver was detected when traffic cameras were later checked. The driver was convicted of dangerous driving offences and fined 4.271TL. Source: SonDakika Sport Fethiyespor Thank you to Brian Lloyd for the Fethiyespor updates. Fethiyespor lost their away match against Karagumruk on Saturday. The final score was 1-2. With all matches played last week, Fethiyespor stay at 15th position on the league table. Fethiyespor must win next weeks game or they could move into the relegation zone. The next league matches are: Saturday 17th March at home against Konya Anadolu Selcukspor. Kick off is at 15:00. Sunday 25th March another home match against Nigde Belediyespor. Kick off is at 15:00. For more information about Fethiyespor please visit Fethiyespor Yabancilar on Facebook. Turkish Money Turkish Lira (TL) exchange rates: The British Pound bought 5.27 TL by the close of business on Friday. The week before it was selling for 5.25 TL. The US Dollar bought 3.81 TL by the close of business on Friday. The week before it was selling for 3.80 TL. The Euro bought 4.69 TL by the close of business on Friday. The week before it was selling for 4.68 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HE PRESIDENT JIOJI KONROTE'S 2018 COMMONWEALTH MESSAGE





My fellow Fijians,Today we commemorate Commonwealth Day - a celebration of our membership of the unique organisation to which 53 nations belong covering 2.4 billion of the 7.5 billion people on earth.Next month, representatives of those 53 nations, including Fiji, will gather in London for the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting. The theme of that meeting -Towards a Common Future - reminds us all that we face a common destiny and must join hands to ensure sustainable development for our peoples and our planet.From Fijis perspective, the most important challenge the world currently faces is climate change. Many Commonwealth nations are highly vulnerable to its impacts, whether it is flood-prone countries such as Bangladesh, those African nations battling drought and the encroaching desert and, of course those of us in the Pacific.There are 11 Commonwealth member states in the Pacific and all of us, to a greater or lesser extent, are grappling with the extreme weather events, rising seas and changes to agriculture associated with climate change. Two of our number - Kiribati and Tuvalu - face the prospect of being submerged altogether. So climate change is a critical part of the discussions in London next month, in which Fiji intends to take a leading role as the President of COP23 - the ongoing UN climate negotiations.Our Prime Minister, the Honourable Frank Bainimarama, will assume leadership of a number of Commonwealth side events in which he will stress the importance of maximum ambition and maximum action to limit the global temperature increase to 1.5 degrees Celsius above that of the pre-industrial age. He will also be holding important bilateral meetings with a range of Commonwealth leaders including the British Prime Minister, Theresa May, and prominent Commonwealth climate campaigners such as His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales.Our Prime Minister carries the prayers and good wishes of all Fijians as he continues our COP campaign, not only at CHOGM but all the way to COP24 in Poland in December. Even when we relinquish the Presidency to Poland, Fiji will continue to partner the important Talanoa Dialogue on climate ambition - based on the Pacific concept of inclusive decision-making devoid of finger pointing - and we are urging all Commonwealth countries to join this effort. It is vitally important through the Talanoa Dialogue for all nations to examine ways in which we can accelerate climate action through more ambition in our Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) to reduce carbon emissions.Fiji is leading this effort because we know that the world must achieve zero net carbon emissions as soon as possible if we are to have any chance of averting the more extreme impacts of climate change such as Tropical Cyclone Winston.In London, we will also be stressing the inextricable link between climate change and the health of our oceans. Plus the urgent need to reduce the acidity and coral bleaching that threatens to make our reefs extinct within the lifetimes of Fijians being born today.We led the way with our Ocean Pathway at COP23 and intend to support and strengthen the Blue Charter initiative on the health of our oceans that will be a centerpiece of CHOGM.Our commitment to the Commonwealth remains strong. There is not only the sense of belonging to a great global family that we witnessed recently when Fiji hosted the Conference of Commonwealth Education Ministers in Denarau. The Commonwealth is also a powerful force for good in the world and an important vehicle for sustainable development and improving the lives of its 2.4 billion citizens and, in turn, every person on earth.Today we celebrate the importance of the Commonwealth and also give thanks to Almighty God for the unparalleled service to us all over nearly seven decades of the Head of the Commonwealth, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. The London meeting of CHOGM is likely to be the last Her Majesty presides over as she scales back her international travel. And every Fijian joins the rest of the Commonwealth family in saluting her for her achievement and sending her our love.HON.PM BAINIMARAMA AT THE INTERNATIONAL SOLAR ALLIANCE FOUNDING CONFERENCE, NEW DELHI, INDIA





Your Excellency the President of the Republic of India,Your Excellency the President of the Republic of France.The Honourable Prime Minister of India,My fellow Heads of Government and States,Distinguished GuestsBula vinaka and a very good morning/afternoon/evening to you all.We gather in this great nation that celebrates the triumph of light over darkness in the Festival of Diwali to focus on how we can better harness the power of the sun to light up the world. And I want to begin by saluting the Government of India and the Indian people for the lead you are taking on the development of clean and affordable energy. And for bringing us all together in a spirit of friendship and solidarity to help tackle the greatest challenge humanity has ever faced.At the outset, Excellencies, I want to stress that the threat posed by climate change also presents humanity with one of its greatest opportunities to pool our ingenuity and resources and tackle this challenge head on. Rather than be prophets of doom, let us carry the message to our people as leaders that by working together, we can and will prevail in the climate struggle.I warmly thank the Governments of India and France for their emphasis on innovation as the way forward. And for the global leadership they have demonstrated by establishing the International Solar Alliance. As COP23 President, I also acknowledge and thank Prime Minister Modi and President Macron for your personal leadership and the global example you are setting for decisive climate action.Excellencies, we all know that the accelerated development of alternative clean energy sources such as solar, hydro and wind is the key to meeting the most ambitious target of the Paris Agreement of 2015, which is to limit the global temperature to 1.5 degrees Celsius above that of the pre-industrial age.That is the priority I have set as President of COP23. And I urge the global community to focus more  much more - on the massive new investment in solar, hydro and wind needed to make this possible  as well as the emerging technologies such as battery storage that show so much promise of being able to power our homes and economies. And will enable us to reduce our net carbon emissions to zero as soon as possible.Along with that up-scaling of investment, we need a concerted effort to make this technology more affordable and spread it across the world. With the ISA, you are leading this effort and assisting many developing countries such as Fiji to gain that access. And in doing so, you are not only leading the fight against climate change but improving the living standards of our people.Excellencies, the adoption of these technologies is critical to achieving the maximum ambition and maximum action that I am continually stressing as COP23 President. At COP24, Fiji will be partnering with Poland to conduct a global engagement called the Talanoa Dialogue, which is designed to increase the collective ambition of our Nationally Determined Contributions, our NDCs.This Dialogue  a Pacific concept of inclusive engagement devoid of finger pointing  is critical to the success of our overall mission. Because our current NDCs are putting us on target for a global temperature increase of 3 degrees, not 1.5 degrees, and they are simply not enough.Excellencies, solar technology advances for energy, transport and industry are a critical part of the clean energy mix we need if we are to have any hope of meeting the 1.5 degree target. Which is why the focus we are placing on solar as part of an accelerated response in these deliberations is so important for the future of all 7.5 billion people on earth.Solar is already an affordable energy option for many, especially those with no existing access to power. In Fiji, we are working with the Leonardo Di Caprio Foundation of the United States on a plan to provide solar energy to communities that currently rely on fossil fuel or cannot be connected with the national grid in the medium to long term. And I salute this great actor and humanitarian for lighting up the lives of others by harnessing the sun.The economic value of solar is improving all the time. At a utility scale - on rooftops and in conjunction with batteries and electric vehicles, solar power offers a bright, sustainable future for all our people. Solar and storage is increasingly both cheaper and cleaner than diesel generators and more reliable than the grid. It can be deployed more rapidly to those who dont have access to power than by extending the grid. On present trends, it is likely to be the dominant electric power source this century. And it is a vital part of the mix if we are to meet the 1.5 degree target we set ourselves in Paris and is the signature of Fijis Presidency of COP23.Excellencies, I close by restating Fijis absolute commitment to solar and other clean power to achieve our own NDC of approaching 100 per cent renewable energy in our electricity generation by 2030. And I urge the nations of the world to commit fully to our Talanoa Dialogue to increase ambition at COP24.I also warmly thank India for partnering with Fiji to spread the benefits of solar power and supporting - with France and many other nations - our Presidency of COP23. And I again salute India and France for their inspirational leadership.Vinaka vakalevu. Thank you.CANBERA (dpa-AFX) - Australia will on Monday see January results for credit card purchases and balances, highlighting a modest day for Asia-Pacific economic activity. In December, purchases were worth A$27.9 billion and exports were at A$52.9 billion. Japan will release Q1 numbers for the BSI manufacturing index, plus preliminary February numbers for machine tool orders. In the previous three months, the large all industry index score was +6.2, while the large manufacturing index was at +9.7. Machine tool orders surged 48.8 percent on year in January. The Philippines will provide Q4 data for current account. In the third quarter, the current account surplus was $554 million, while the capital account surplus was $36 million and the financial account surplus was $855 million. Singapore will see January figures for retail sales; in December, sales fell 0.5 percent on month and climbed 3.7 percent on year. Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX

Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann.FRANKFURT (dpa-AFX) - Deutsche Bank AG's (DB) management board will seek to cut as many as 6,000 jobs at the lender's retail unit by the end of 2022, providing the first estimate for the expected staff reductions at the newly formed division, Media Reports said citing people familiar with the matter. The final target for the reductions will need to be negotiated with the bank's labor representatives and may end up being lower. The bank seeks to cut more than 1,000 jobs each year through voluntary departures and natural attrition, the reports said. Deutsche Bank Chief Executive Officer John Cryan has vowed to wring 900 million euros of costs from the unit annually after finishing the merger between the lender's old retail unit and Deutsche Bank's subsidiary Postbank, which it previously sought to sell. The job cuts at the retail unit would be in addition to the goal, set by Cryan in late 2015, to eliminate 9,000 positions at the overall group by the end of 2020. The bank has already started cutting jobs at the retail unit and it began a voluntary program late last year that aims to do away with 1,000 positions at the unit, the reports said. Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX

Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann.Joseph Hood, PR Manager Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. Email: mhi-pr@mhi.co.jp Tel: +81-(0)3-6716-2168 Fax: +81-(0)3-6716-5860

TOKYO, Mar 12, 2018 - (JCN Newswire) - The industry leading118MW H-100 gas turbine, packaged for mechanical drive applications under the partnership of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. (MHI), Mitsubishi Hitachi Power Systems, Ltd. (MHPS) and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Compressor Corporation (MCO) has achieved full qualification status by Shell's Technical team based in The Hague.In August 2017, MHPS embarked on a rigorous testing regime to validate the mechanical drive performance of their 2-shaft 118MW H-100 Gas Turbine equipped with their low NOx (single digit ppm) combustion system. After successful completion of testing protocol and a detailed technical review by their qualification team, Shell announced their official qualification of the MHPS gas turbine on December 22, 2017. This followed Shell's earlier qualification of the MHPS 108MW H-100 gas turbine in 2015. Shell has already qualified Mitsubishi Compressors by Enterprise Frame Agreement effective in 2011, clearing the way for MHPS and MCO to supply all components for future Shell LNG compression systems.Upon receiving notification from Shell, MHI President & CEO Shunichi Miyanaga commented, "This milestone in the continued development of the H-100 gas turbine underscores Mitsubishi's competitiveness as the main driver for world-scale LNG liquefaction trains and complements the H-Series strong position in the thermal power plant market. Our goal is to provide our customers with high reliability and productivity, while reducing emissions, complexity, and the overall cost of LNG production."The heavy-duty H-100 Gas Turbine also offers best in class efficiency and reliability with low-maintenance. Benefits of the two-shaft gas turbine for LNG mechanical drive applications include a broad variable-speed operating window, train restarts under settle-out pressure. H-100 gas turbine also adds the benefit such as shortened start-up time and a significantly reduced plot size.Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Group will further integrate and expand the diverse product and technology lineup of its energy and oil & gas business to meet market needs.About Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd.Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. (MHI), headquartered in Tokyo, is one of the world's leading industrial firms with 80,000 group employees and annual consolidated revenues of around 38 billion U.S. dollars. For more than 130 years, the company has channeled big thinking into innovative and integrated solutions that move the world forward. MHI owns a unique business portfolio covering land, sea, sky and even space. MHI delivers innovative and integrated solutions across a wide range of industries from commercial aviation and transportation to power plants and gas turbines, and from machinery and infrastructure to integrated defense and space systems.For more information, please visit the MHI Group website: http://www.mhi-global.com.For Technology, Trends and Tangents, visit MHI's new online media SPECTRA: http://spectra.mhi.com.Mitsubishi Hitachi Power Systems, Ltd.Mitsubishi Hitachi Power Systems, Ltd. (MHPS) was formed on February 1 2014, integrating the thermal power generation systems businesses of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. (MHI) and Hitachi, Ltd. in a quest to further enhance their social response capabilities in all respects. These include the technological strength to create new products of outstanding quality and reliability, the comprehensive strength in engineering to oversee projects in regions across the globe, and finely honed sales and after-sale servicing capabilities. MHPS aims to come out a winner in global competition and achieve a solid position as a world leader in thermal power generation systems and environmental technologies. For more information, please visit www.mhps.com.Source: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd.Mitsubishi Hitachi Power Systems, Ltd.Contact:Copyright 2018 JCN Newswire . All rights reserved.SAN FRANCISCO, March 12, 2018 /PRNewswire/ --

The globalabrasives marketsize is expected to reach USD 59.34 billion by 2025, according to a new report by Grand View Research, Inc., exhibiting a CAGR of 5.9% during the forecast period. Abrasive materials are used for grinding and polishing a substrate such as wood and metal. They are available in natural or synthetic form and possess properties such as purity, hardness, and brittleness.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160524/371361LOGO )



Synthetic products are less expensive and perform the grinding and polishing process much better and faster than the natural ones, thus reducing the overall cost. It is for this reason artificial materials are gaining an edge over the natural ones, which include garnet, corundum, and emery.

Aluminum oxide, cubic carbon nitride, and synthetic diamond are various grains used for abrasive production. Several types of minerals, glues, resins, and backings are used to produce different products. These minerals are bonded with various agents and are deposited on cloth or paper to form coated abrasives. Superabrasives are another type of products that are used when hard materials require high quality surface finish.

Leading manufacturers include Noritake Co., Inc, Saint-Gobain S.A., The 3M Company, Henan Huanghe Whirlwind Co., Ltd, and TYROLIT Schleifmittelwerke Swarovski K.G. They manufacture products to serve various end-user sectors such as aerospace, automotive, oil & gas, retail, and furniture & wood working markets.

Browse full research report with TOC on "Abrasives Market Size, Share & Trends Analysis Report, By Type (Bonded, Coated, Superabrasive), By Material (Natural, Synthetic), By End-use (Automotive, Metal Fabrication, Machinery), And Segment Forecasts, 2018 - 2025" at: https://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/abrasives-market

Further key findings from the report suggest:

The global abrasives market stood at 11.78 million tons in 2016. In terms of volume, the market is projected to expand at a CAGR of 4.5% during the forecast period.

The metal fabrication sector is estimated to register the highest CAGR of 5.2% in terms of volume during the forecast period.

In the North America and Europe regions, global manufacturers currently meet the demand for abrasives in high-end precision rolling and grinding. Rapid expansion of the market is providing lucrative opportunities for new entrants having technical expertise.

and regions, global manufacturers currently meet the demand for abrasives in high-end precision rolling and grinding. Rapid expansion of the market is providing lucrative opportunities for new entrants having technical expertise. Asia Pacific is expected to be the most promising region during the forecast period, holding over 55.0% of the total revenue by 2025. However, government norms in the region pertaining to the use of silica abrasives is likely to challenge the growth of the region.

is expected to be the most promising region during the forecast period, holding over 55.0% of the total revenue by 2025. However, government norms in the region pertaining to the use of silica abrasives is likely to challenge the growth of the region. Saint-Gobain S.A. Asahi Diamond Industrial Co. Ltd, and The 3M Company are some of the manufacturers of superabrasive products.

Browse related reports by Grand View Research:

Ceramics Market - Global ceramics market was USD 157.70 billion in 2014. The industry is expected to witness significant growth over the forecast period owing to their widespread use in the construction and medical sectors.



Global ceramics market was in 2014. The industry is expected to witness significant growth over the forecast period owing to their widespread use in the construction and medical sectors. Fireproof Ceramics Market - Global fireproof ceramics market size was estimated at USD 2.87 billion in 2014 and is expected to witness significant growth over the next seven years owing to its rising demand from various end-use industries including iron & steel, petrochemicals, ceramics & glass, aluminum, power generation.



Global fireproof ceramics market size was estimated at in 2014 and is expected to witness significant growth over the next seven years owing to its rising demand from various end-use industries including iron & steel, petrochemicals, ceramics & glass, aluminum, power generation. Bioceramics Market - Global bioceramics market size was USD 12.31 billion in 2014 and is expected to witness significant growth over the next seven years owing to increasing demand from the orthopedic and dental implants sector in various countries including the U.S., Japan , Germany , and China .



Global bioceramics market size was in 2014 and is expected to witness significant growth over the next seven years owing to increasing demand from the orthopedic and dental implants sector in various countries including the U.S., , , and . Geosynthetic Clay Liner Market - Global Geosynthetic Clay Liner Market size was 118.0 million square meters in 2014 and is expected to witness considerable growth on account of increasing awareness regarding landfill protection in construction and mining sectors.

Grand View Research has segmented the global abrasives market on the basis of type, material, end use, and region.

Abrasives Market Type Outlook (Volume, Kilotons; Revenue, USD Million, 2014 - 2025)

Bonded

Coated

Superabrasives

Abrasives Market Material Outlook (Volume, Kilotons; Revenue, USD Million, 2014 - 2025)

Natural

Synthetic

Abrasives Market End Use Outlook (Volume, Kilotons; Revenue, USD Million, 2014 - 2025)

Automotive

Machinery

Metal Fabrication

Electronic & Electrical Equipment

Others

Abrasives Market Regional Outlook (Volume, Kilotons; Revenue, USD Million, 2014 - 2025)

North America U.S.

Europe Germany U.K.

Asia Pacific China India

South & Central America Brazil

Middle East & Africa Saudi Arabia

&

Read Our Blog: https://www.grandviewresearch.com/blogs/advanced-materials

About Grand View Research

Grand View Research, Inc. is a U.S. based market research and consulting company, registered in the State of California and headquartered in San Francisco. Thecompany provides syndicated research reports, customized research reports, and consulting services. To help clients make informed business decisions, we offer market intelligence studies ensuring relevant and fact-based research across a range of industries, from technology to chemicals, materials and healthcare.

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LONDON (dpa-AFX) - Melrose Industries Plc. (MRO.L) announced the final offer for GKN Plc. (GKN.L) at 467 pence per share, valuing GKN at 8.1 billion pounds. It said it will not increase offer under any circumstances. Meanwhile, GKN Board said it continues to believe offer fundamentally undervalues GKN.



In a letter from Christopher Miller, Chairman of Melrose, to be sent to GKN Shareholders in the Final Offer Document, said Melrose is nearing the end of the customary offer timetable and it is now time for to GKN Shareholders to decide.



Melrose said, instead of 1.4 billion pounds in cash and a majority investment in a stronger combined Melrose / GKN business, it appears the GKN Board prefers a minority stake in a foreign business (Dana) with no GKN management involvement. The GKN Board is suggesting this is the best option for shareholders, employees, pensioners and other stakeholders.



Melrose sets out the terms of an increased and final offer which would give GKN Shareholders 60 per cent of the Enlarged Group and 1.4 billion pounds in cash.



Under the terms of Melrose's Final Offer, GKN shareholder will receive 81 pence in cash and 1.69 New Melrose Shares for each GKN Share.



In addition, GKN Shareholders on the register on 6 April 2018 will be entitled to receive the final dividend of 6.2 pence per GKN share as announced by the GKN Board on 27 February 2018.



Based on Melrose's Closing Price of 224.7 pence per Melrose Share on 9 March 2018 the Final Offer, together with the Announced Dividend values each GKN Share at 467 pence; values the entire issued and to be issued ordinary share capital of GKN at approximately 8.1 billion pounds; and represents an attractive immediate premium of approximately 43 per cent to the Closing Price of 326.3 pence per GKN Share on 5 January 2018.



On 9 March 2018, the GKN Board announced the proposed sale of GKN Driveline to Dana. In that announcement GKN Chairman, Mike Turner, stated that 'this is a great deal for shareholders'. Melrose believes the opposite is true.



Melrose said today that the potential transaction with Dana, if it is allowed to go ahead in the last quarter of this year, would leave GKN shareholders with a minority stake in a foreign listed group run by a Dana management team based in Ohio. Many of you may not be able to hold the shares being offered by Dana as part of the consideration as they will not be listed in the UK.



Melrose said, 'it is surprising that the GKN Board would recommend such a transaction knowing that it is likely to require a forced sale of Dana shares, a fact that will be anticipated by the US markets. Private UK shareholders should also be aware that they would be liable to income tax on the value of any new Dana shares they receive. This transaction would involve a lengthy and uncertain completion process, including anti-trust clearances in the EU, US and China, as well as Dana's shareholder approval, which is not expected until the last quarter of 2018.'



In a separate press release, GKN said that it believes that Melrose lacks experience in several critical areas and that its priorities are inappropriate for running a global technology-based business like GKN. Furthermore, Board believes Melrose's offer does not come close to reflecting the true value of your company.



GKN noted that the combination of GKN Driveline and Dana, bringing together two highly complementary businesses. GKN Board believes that the proposed combination is on highly attractive terms for our shareholders. The transaction involves Dana taking on a significant proportion of our UK pension scheme liabilities. This has allowed us to agree a deficit elimination plan with the Trustees of our UK pension schemes. Once implemented, this plan is expected to enable GKN Aerospace to operate without any UK pension deficit.



According to GKN, the Dana deal is returning up to 2.5 billion pounds in cash to shareholders over the next three years, a significant part of which is expected to be delivered in the next 12 to 18 months. This cash will primarily come from the divestment of Powder Metallurgy and other non-core businesses, together with the net cash proceeds received from the combination of GKN Driveline and Dana.



Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX

Kostenloser Wertpapierhandel auf Smartbroker.deIntroducing Teams Ready Phones, offering advanced desk/conference voice solutions for Office 365 customers using Microsoft Teams collaboration platform

XIAMEN, China, March 12, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Yealink, the global leading unified communications (UC) audio and video solution provider, is pleased to announce that Yealink deliver the enterprise-grade T56A and T58A media phones and the CP960 conference phone for Microsoft Teams.

The Teams edition desk and conference phones will come embedded with the unique Microsoft Teams user interface as well as the calling and meeting features of Microsoft Teams.

"Yealink's new phones with the Microsoft Teams application are a great addition to their existing line of phones for Skype for Business," said Ilya Bukshteyn, Partner Director, Microsoft Teams Devices. "We are excited to see Yealink's ongoing commitment to Microsoft's communications and collaboration experiences, and look forward to working together to help our joint customers realize the vision of Intelligent Communications."

The T56A and T58A Teams edition desk phones are designed for today's busy executives and professionals in various vertical markets. The T56A desk phone is ideal for personal desks while the premium T58A model is perfect for C-level and executive rooms. Both phones feature an industry-unique design paired with high-definition audio quality.

The CP960 Teams edition conference phone combines Harmon's cutting-edge acoustic engineering with Yealink's own HD voice technology. This phone is specifically designed for use in huddle rooms and mid- and large-sized meeting rooms. Customers working in a wide variety of work scenarios will find the Yealink Teams edition phones to be the perfect choice.

Because these Teams Ready voice solutions are embedded with the calling and meeting features of Microsoft Teams and the unique Teams user interface, they offer an enhanced collaboration experience for users.

"It is an honor to extend our relationship with Microsoft by working on these Microsoft Teams solutions," said Stone Lu, Yealink's co-founder and vice president of Sales and Marketing. "These devices affirm our continued commitment to the success of Microsoft's collaboration ambitions," added Mr. Stone.

Yealink has led VoIP innovation for more than a decade, delivering high-quality solutions and products that are easy to use, Yealink will continue to offer unified communications solutions for improving business efficiency for our customers.

"In the near future, we will deepen the collaboration with Microsoft, looking forward to providing a best-in-class, high-quality, feature rich, end-to-end portfolio for Microsoft Teams." said, Stone Lu, Co-founder, EVP of Sales & Marketing, Yealink.

Apart from Teams phones, Yealink solution for Microsoft also includes Microsoft certified Skype for Business endpoints in Microsoft Office 365, Yealink T4S series IP phones, and Yealink device management platform for it.

To learn more about Yealink Teams ready voice phones, visit Yealink's solutions for Microsoft Teams page.

Yealink will be exhibiting at Enterprise connect in Orlando from March 12 to 15 in booth 701, showcasing the future proofing Teams ready voice solutions (T58A, T56A, CP960).

About Yealink

Yealink, the global leading unified communication (UC) terminal solution provider, helps businesses of all sizes make the most of their UC experience and embrace the power of "Easy Collaboration." Yealink One-stop UC Terminal Solutions unify voice, video and data, and satisfy diverse customer needs and usage scenarios. The company's comprehensive product portfolio includes video conferencing systems, conference phones, desk IP phones, wireless DECT phones and accessories. Customers from more than 100 countries enjoy Yealink's reliable UC terminal solutions through its global sales and service network. For more information, please visit: www.yealink.com.

Linkedin | Facebook | Twitter

CONTACT Info:

Yanjin Lyu

86- 592-5702000- 8718

UCinfo@yealink.com

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/652968/Yealink_Teams_phone.jpg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.NEW YORK, NY / ACCESSWIRE / March 12, 2018 / Jupai Holdings Limited (NYSE: JP):

One-Time Commissions Growth Drove FY2017 Revenue Expansion

In FY2017, net revenues were RMB 1,706.2 million (USD 262.2 million), an increase of 51.3% from RMB 1,127.7 million in 2016, mainly due to increased one-time commissions rate. Net revenues from one-time commissions increased by 64% y/y to RMB 1,038.7 million (USD 159.6 million), recurring management fees increased by 39.5% y/y to RMB 363.7 million. Net revenues from other service fees were RMB198.8 million (USD 30.6 million), an increase of 79.5% from RMB110.7 million in 2016, as the related sub-advisory fees started from 3Q 2016.

Greater Economies of Scale Should Continue to Boost Profitability

In FY2017, Jupai's operating margin increased to 30.7% from 26.1% in the previous year, mainly driven by consistent revenue expansion and greater economies of scale. Net margin also increased to 24% from 18.4% in 2016. In FY2017, net income attributable to ordinary shareholders was RMB 409.5 million (USD 62.9 million), an increase of 97.3% from RMB 207.6 million in 2016.

Tightening Regulations Should Continue to Benefit Jupai

Real estate fixed income product has been the most efficient and easiest financing method for most of the real estate companies in China for years. However, the government has imposed heavy regulations in 2017 and 2018 on real estate enterprises' domestic financing platforms and channels, targeting to deleverage the market by making it highly difficult and costly for the companies to obtain bank loans and debt financing. While the heightened regulations might have restrained Jupai from designing and selling some of its real estate fixed income products, they have created opportunities for it to grow new businesses through equity product, such as preferred shares/convertible bonds, M&A funds in the relevant industries. With Jupai's effective risk control, those projects have turned into high-quality ones for the company to further diversify and expand its product offerings.

Deficient Market Capital Supply Allows Further Commission Hike

Under government's supportive policy, debenture bonds experienced a bull market in 2015 and 2016. Many companies chose to issue their debt around that time, and most of them would mature in 2018, if not already in 2017. As most of the repayment was due in 2017, net financing capital raised from debenture bonds dropped 92% to RMB 240.5 billion in 2017 from RMB 3.02 trillion in 2016. Companies have been in great need of new capital after repaying mass amount of debt these years. Real estate enterprises are also constantly in need for more financing, due to delayed cash inflows caused by the government's restraints on real estate purchase. Limited financing options have created a huge supply-demand imbalance in today's highly regulated market, meanwhile have also created advantages for Jupai. As one of the leading players that provide various financing options, Jupai should garner a much stronger bargaining power to further increase its commission rates down the road.

SOURCE: Stone Street Group LLCVancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - March 12, 2018) - Ely Gold Royalties Inc. (TSXV: ELY) (OTC Pink: ELYGF) ("Ely Gold" or the "Company") through its wholly owned subsidiary, Nevada Select Royalty, Inc ("Nevada Select") is pleased to announce that it has entered into a definitive purchase agreement with Gold Resource Corporation (NYSE MKT: GORO) "Gold Resource" whereby Gold Resource has acquired a 100% interest in the County Line Project, (the "Agreement"). The total consideration is US$300,000 and Nevada Select will retain a net smelter returns royalty of 3% on the property (the "NSR").

Jerry Baughman, President of Nevada Select commented on the Agreement, "This is the third high-quality project we have sold to Gold Resource for their Nevada Mining unit. In anticipation of receiving their final mine permit for the Isabella Pearl Project, Gold Resource has acquired long lead-time equipment including a new crushing plant as well as new radial stacking and conveying equipment. They have also placed an order of an "ADR" (absorption, desorption, regeneration) plant, which is over 95% complete and expected to be delivered in mid-2018. Ely Gold holds royalties on the key exploration and expansion claims at Isabella Pearl as well as royalties on the historic resources at Mina Gold and County Line, both within hauling distance of Isabella."

Trey Wasser, President and CEO of Ely Gold stated, "This transaction provides another excellent example of our royalty business model. County Line will help Gold Resource to reach their near-term production goals. We now have 41 properties in our royalty and option portfolios that are all being explored by majors, mid-tier producers and high quality junior explorers. These portfolios are on track to produce $2,000,000 in revenue and $1,000,000 in cash flow in 2018."

The NSR

There are no work commitments or additional expenditures required and Nevada Select will retain a 3% NSR on the Property. There is a one-mile area of interest associated with the NSR. Gold Resource will have the right to buy-down 1% of the NSR for an aggregate purchase price of $1,000,000.

About County Line

The County Line property covers an area of approximately 429 hectares (1,060 acres) consisting of 53 unpatented lode mining claims and one unpatented placer mining claim in central Nevada's Walker Lane Mineral Belt in Mineral and Nye counties, Nevada. Gold Resource staked 63 additional unpatented claims around the property to strengthen its land position and exploration potential. The total land package consists of 939 hectares (2,320 acres) (the "Property"). The property is located within close proximity, approximately 14 miles north east, of the Gold Resource's Isabella Pearl Project and becomes the fifth property in the Gold Resource's Nevada Mining Unit. Nevada Select acquired the County Line Claims through staking in 2017.

The Property is part of the Paradise Peak collection cluster of high sulfidation epithermal deposits. The district historically produced a total of 1.5 million ounces of gold and 38.9 million ounces of silver. The County Line open pit historically produced approximately 81,000 ounces of gold and 760,000 ounces silver. The Porphyry (East) Pit, located approximately 2,500 feet south east of the County Line pit, produced approximately 7,400 ounces of gold and 8,000 ounces silver. While both open pits represent exploration targets, other targets include "Newman Ridge" and the "Jackpot Zone".

Stephen Kenwood, P. Geo, is director of the Company and a Qualified Person as defined by NI 43-101. Mr. Kenwood has reviewed and approved the technical information in this press release.

About Ely Gold Royalties Inc.

Ely Gold Royalties is an emerging royalty company with interests in 71 precious metal properties primarily in Nevada. 41 of these properties are being explored by majors, producing mid-tiers and high quality junior exploration companies. 21 properties are in the Company's royalty portfolio and 20 properties are being purchased under option contracts. All the Company's option properties will produce royalties, if exercised. In 2018, the Company's property portfolio will generate over $2,000,000 in revenue and positive cash flow estimated at $1,000,000. Ely Gold is also actively purchasing existing third-party royalties. Ely Gold maintains a strong cash position and a gold stock equity portfolio. Ely Gold is well positioned with its current portfolio of 30 available properties to generate additional operating revenue through option and sale transactions. The Company has a proven track record of maximizing the value of its properties through claim consolidation and advancement using its extensive, proprietary data base.

On Behalf of the Board of Directors

Signed "Trey Wasser"

Trey Wasser, President & CEO

For further information, please contact:

Trey Wasser, President & CEO

trey@elygoldinc.com

972-803-3087

Joanne Jobin, Investor Relations Officer

jjobin@elygoldinc.com

604-488-1104

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. This news release may contain forward-looking statements including but not limited to comments regarding the timing and content of upcoming work programs, geological interpretations, receipt of property titles, potential mineral recovery processes, etc. Forward-looking statements address future events and conditions and therefore, involve inherent risks and uncertainties. Actual results may differ materially from those currently anticipated in such statements.WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - A White House spokesman has said there are no preconditions to President Donald Trump's meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. 'No,' White House deputy press secretary Raj Shah said when ABC News Chief White House Correspondent Jonathan Karl asked if there were preconditions on ABC's 'This Week' on Sunday. However, Shah noted North Korea must live up to its promises to halt missile and nuclear testing and refrain from publicly objecting to U.S.- South Korean joint military exercises. Shah also reiterated that Kim has 'stated his commitment to denuclearization' in his conversations with South Korean officials. 'Kim Jong Un is the only partner in North Korea that has any authority, that can make any decisions,' Shah said. 'So he's the only voice.' 'He is committed to -- or stated a commitment to denuclearization to South Korea, they've relayed that to us, and so we're open to this invitation,' he added. Last Thursday, White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders confirmed the president has accepted an invitation to meet with Kim at a place and time to be determined. 'We look forward to the denuclearization of North Korea,' Sanders said. 'In the meantime, all sanctions and maximum pressure must remain.' The news of the planned meeting was first revealed by South Korean National Security Advisor Chung Eui-Yong, who said the two leaders would meet by May. The meeting between Trump and Kim would be the first between a sitting U.S. president and a North Korean leader. Shah said hosting Kim at the White House has not been ruled out but indicated it is not 'highly likely' that Trump would go to North Korea. Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX

Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann.WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - Low-cost airline Norwegian Air plans to launch flights between Canada and Europe in July. The Canadian regulators say there is a 'high probability' that the airline will be issued a license by the proposed time. Norwegian Air last week applied to the Canadian Transportation Agency for an international license to operate a service between Europe and Canada. The Canadian authorities have granted the company the authority to sell tickets in advance of receiving formal government approval. 'Transport Canada advises that it expects that the applicant will be issued a [permit] in time for the proposed startup date,' the CTA said last week. 'Accordingly, the agency is satisfied that there is a high probability that the license will issue prior to the intended startup date on July 23, 2018.' 'As the world's fastest-growing airline, we are continuously reviewing new markets and applying for traffic rights,' spokesperson Anders Lindstrom said to CBC News. 'While Canada is an interesting market, it's too early to confirm any route plans and we still need full approval from the Canadian authorities to announce or launch any new service.' Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX

Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann.BUENOS AIRES (dpa-AFX) - Argentinean President Mauricio Macri spoke with his U.S. counterpart, Donald Trump, about the American duties imposed on steel (25%) and aluminum (10%) imports. Currently, Argentinean exports represent 0.6% of steel and 2.3% of aluminum imports in the United States. According to a statement released by Casa Rosada, Macri expressed to Trump his concern about the potential negative effect of the measures. In response, Trump affirmed his commitment to evaluate Argentina's exemption from any restrictive measure that affects exports of both products to the United States. The Trump administration's decision should exclude some countries, such as Canada and Mexico, pending on the conclusion of the renegotiations of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). According to the Ministry of Production, the American imports of the Argentinean 'items do not cause or contribute to the distortions that affect the world markets and the U.S.' Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX

Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann.Global organization urgently calls for safe access to deliver aid

AMMAN, Jordan, March 12,2018 /PRNewswire/ --Conditions for civilians in Syria's Eastern Ghouta region continue to deteriorate, according to the global organization Mercy Corps. Through its local partners in the Damascus suburb, Mercy Corps has reached thousands of people with clean water, food and other essential supplies since mid-February when the violence escalated again.

"We have seen nothing but carnage in response to the Security Council's resolution calling for a halt to the massacre in Eastern Ghouta," says Arnaud Quemin, Country Director for Syria. "Conditions worsen each day. People are fleeing from one shelter to another as the frontlines move."

A United Nations convoy has reached some civilians in Eastern Ghouta with emergency supplies. With some 400,000 people in need, those goods reached only a fraction of those in need and will soon run out. The supplies Mercy Corps is delivering come from existing stocks, not from the recent convoy.

"Explosions have collapsed underground shelters and buried those hiding there under rubble. Our partners tell us families are reduced to drinking unsafe water, which will only worsen their already poor health," says Quemin. "No single convoy can solve this situation; we must have safe and regular access to save lives."

In the past year, Mercy Corps has met the urgent needs of more than 950,000 people across Syria by distributing emergency cash, food and supplies, increasing access to clean water and sanitation, creating safe spaces for children and empowering people to find news ways to earn an income.

Join us and support Mercy Corps' work in Syria and elsewhere in the world.

Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/74952/mercy_corps_logo.jpgWASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - A day before voters head to the polls in a closely watched special election in Pennsylvania's 18th Congressional District, the results of a Monmouth University poll show Democrat Conor Lamb has taken a lead over Republican Rick Saccone. The poll showed Lamb with a 51 percent to 45 percent lead over Saccone if turnout yields a Democratic surge similar to voting patterns seen in other special elections over the past year. Lamb has a much narrower 49 percent to 47 percent advantage over Saccone using a historical midterm lower turnout model, while he leads 51 percent to 44 percent in a model with higher turnout overall. Monmouth noted Saccone held a small lead in all three of the models in a survey of the race conducted last month. President Donald Trump campaigned for Saccone at a rally on Saturday and reiterated his support for the Republican candidate in a post on Twitter on Monday. 'When added to a potential Democratic surge that has been building for weeks, Lamb appears to have picked off enough Republican-leaning voters to take a lead going into this contest's final weekend,' said Patrick Murray, director of the independent Monmouth University Polling Institute. He added, 'It would mark an extraordinary swing from Trump's nearly 20 point victory here in 2016 if he could hold on to win,' The poll showed Lamb with a net positive 53 percent favorable and 33 percent unfavorable rating from likely voters in the district, while opinions of Saccone are somewhat more divided at 47 percent favorable and 43 percent unfavorable. The Monmouth survey of 503 registered voters in Pennsylvania's 18th Congressional District was conducted March 8th through 11th. Results are based on the responses of 372 likely voters and have a margin of error of plus or minus 5.1 percent. Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX

Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann.President Energy announced the results of recent reactivation testing of gas wells in Argentina on Monday, noting a live gas field with potentially commercial gas flows. The AIM-traded company will reactivate its 90% owned Estancia Vieja field at the Puesto Flores/Estancia Vieja concession in Rio Negro Province after two wells at the field produced median rates of approximately 200 and 250 boepd during testing. Successful pressure recovery tests indicated a potential for good production and the ...

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.LONDON, March 13, 2018 /PRNewswire/ --

The World Architecture Festival has announced its 2018 Super-Jury, made up of the most influential names in international architecture. The 'Super-Jury' will judge the Festival's World Building of the Year award on Friday 30th November at the RAI Amsterdam.

(Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/652644/Super_Jury.jpg )



The WAF Awards, the 'Oscars of architecture', sit at the heart of the World Architecture Festival and celebrate global architectural excellence across completed buildings, future projects and landscape projects. Shortlisted entrants will compete for prizes across 33 categories on the first two days of the three-day Festival.

On the final day, category winners will present again to the Super Jury, who will choose the World Building of the Year winner, after seeing live presentations from the 18 completed building category winners.

The Super-Jury will be chaired by Nathalie de Vries, Director and Co-founder of Dutch practice MVRDV. The other jurors are Mohsen Mostafavi, Dean, Graduate School of Design, Harvard University; Li Xiaodong, Professor, School of Architecture, Tsinghua University; David Adjaye, Principal, Adjaye Associates; and Manuelle Gautrand, Principal Architect, Manuelle Gautrand Architecture.

WAF programme director Paul Finch commented: 'We are delighted to have such a diverse and talented group of super-jurors, and look forward to their comments and deliberations. With over 130 judges representing 37 countries, and with 47% being female, we are proud that WAF is able to celebrate the truly diverse nature of design and architecture.'

WAF and its sister event INSIDE World Festival of Interiors are looking forward to welcoming more than 2,000 architects and designers to the RAI Amsterdam for three days of conference programmes, awards, exhibitions and fringe events. The Festival culminates with the Gala Awards Dinner taking place in the former Amsterdam Stock Exchange building, the Beurs van Berlage, where the winners of the World Building of the Year will receive their prize.

For more details on how to enter the WAF Awards please visit http://www.worldarchitecturefestival.com

@worldarchfest WAF2018Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - March 12, 2018) - Carube Copper Corp. (TSXV: CUC) (the "Company") announces today that its current Board of Directors has proposed a slate of directors for the upcoming Special and Annual General Meeting scheduled for May 24th, 2018. The Board has also appointed Tony Houston as interim CEO and President of the company. Jeff Ackert, incumbent CEO and President will become VP of Business Development. Tony Manini will take over as Chairman.

Mr. Manini commented "We are happy to announce a slate of directors that will add considerable depth to our Board and expand our relationships within the financial community. We have high quality copper-gold exploration assets in Jamaica, and these changes allow us to move the company forward with a strengthened team."

Carube's proposed slate of directors to be voted on at the Company's AGM in May with consist the following: Tony Manini, Yale Simpson, Alar Soever, Zimi Meka, T. Sean Harvey, and Stephen Hughes. The last three directors will be new to the board. Stepping down from Carube's board in May will be Greg Leblanc, Jeff Ackert, Vern Rampton and Mark Pfau. Carube would like to thank these members of the board for their contribution to the company during its formative years.

Mr. Pfau was the nominee of Clarendon Consolidated Minerals Ltd. from whom the Bellas Gate Property was acquired. Under the acquisition agreement for the Bellas Gate Property, CMM retains a 2 % NSR royalty and has the right to nominate a Director. CCM has agreed to the nomination of Mr. Manini as its nominee.

Tony Houston, Interim President and CEO of Carube Copper stated "I look forward to taking Carube Copper through this next phase of development. I am also pleased to see the calibre of the directors on this proposed slate to be voted on at our special and annual general meeting on May 24th. The current team has laid a strong asset foundation with new copper and gold porphyry discoveries in Jamaica. I look forward to a successful future for Carube with our new board."

Zimi Meka is one of the founding directors of Ausenco Limited and was appointed as Chief Executive Officer / Managing Director in 1999. Mr. Meka's background includes senior roles in engineering and operations companies prior to the formation of Ausenco in 1991. He has over 25 years' experience in the design, construction and operation of a wide range of processing plants and infrastructure in the minerals industry in Australia and internationally. He is the Queensland University of Technology's 2008 Alumnus of the Year, was awarded the Australian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy's 2009 Institute Medal and is one of Australia's top 100 most influential engineers as awarded by Engineers Australia. He is a Fellow of Engineers Australia, a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy and a Member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.

T. Sean Harvey has over 25 years experience in the mining sector, including 10 years working in senior investment banking roles with Nesbitt Burns (BMO) and Deutsche Bank. In addition to co-founding two TSX Venture Exchange-listed companies, he was president and chief executive officer of TVX Gold at the time of its sale to Kinross Gold in 2003. Subsequently, he was president and CEO of Atlantico Gold Corp., a private company involved in the development of the Amapari project in Brazil that was sold to Wheaton River Minerals (acquired by Goldcorp). Mr. Harvey was also president and CEO of Orvana Minerals Corp. from 2005 to 2006. More recently he has held board positions with various mining companies, and is currently a director of Victoria Gold Corp., Perseus Mining Ltd., Serabi Gold PLC, Sarama Resources Inc. and Abacus Mining and Exploration. Mr. Harvey holds an honours BA degree in economics and geography from Carleton University, an MA in economics from Carleton University, an LLB from the University of Western Ontario and an MBA from the University of Toronto. He is also a member of the Law Society of Upper Canada.

Stephen Hughes is an economic geologist with over 20 years technical and management experience covering exploration, development and mine geology. Specializing in porphyry copper-gold, skarn and epithermal systems he has lead the discovery-delineation and development of more than 2 billion tonnes of copper-gold resources in the Asia-Pacific region since 1999. Steve's experience includes 12 years with PT Freeport Indonesia at the giant Grasberg mine, both in the open pit and as manager of the underground mine geology and exploration groups and 14 years as Exploration Manager - Indonesia for Oxiana Limited and VP - Exploration for Tigers Realm/Asiamet Resources where his roles have focused on managing the acquisition, exploration and development of Company making Cu-Au opportunities. Recent successes include the acquisition and development of the Beutong porphyry Cu-Au deposit and discovery and development of the BKM copper and BKZ polymetallic deposits in Indonesia, all of which are currently being advanced through resource delineation and/or feasibility studies. Stephen holds an honours degree in geology from Saint Mary's University in Nova Scotia.

Tony Houston is a geologist and senior executive with over thirty years mineral exploration, evaluation and development experience covering gold, copper-gold and polymetallic mineral systems in Australia, Asia, South and North America, Canada and Eastern Europe. Mr. Houston worked with MIM Exploration for a period of 13 years in a variety of exploration management and commercial roles predominantly in Australia, Philippines and Romania before joining Oxiana Limited as Exploration Manager for South-east Asia in 2006. At Oxiana he was responsible for securing a portfolio of mineral properties and driving all exploration activities across Laos, Thailand, Vietnam and Cambodia, including high level government and community relations. Discoveries during this period included the 1.2Moz Okvau IRG gold deposit and satellite gold discoveries adjacent to the Sepon mining operations.

Between 2009-2015 Mr. Houston was the Head of Exploration for OZ Minerals Limited responsible for exploration, evaluation and strategy. He led the team that discovered the Khamsin IOCG deposit and completed the delineation and pre-development of the world class Carrapateena IOCG deposit, both in the Gawler Craton of South Australia. Mr. Houston expanded OZ Minerals exploration activities into South America, Mexico and Canada establishing numerous joint ventures for copper-gold exploration, including the Jamaica joint venture with Carube Copper. Most recently he has been consulting to private equity companies and investment groups on evaluation of gold and copper/gold projects in Australia and Europe. Mr. Houston graduated in Geology and Marine Science at James Cook University in 1982 and is a Member of the Australian Institute of Geoscientists.

About Carube Copper

Carube is focused on the exploration and development of copper and gold projects in Jamaica and Canada. In Jamaica, Carube Copper holds a 100% interest in 11 licenses, totalling 535 square kilometres. In Canada, it holds a 100% interest in three porphyry copper-gold-molybdenum properties, totalling 492 square kilometres within the Tertiary-aged Cascade Magmatic Arc in southwestern British Columbia.

Contacts

Tony Houston, Interim CEO and President  thouston@carubecopper.com

Jeff Ackert, Vice President, Business Development  1-613-851-7699  jackert@carubecopper.com

www.carubecopper.com

Neither the TSXV nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSXV) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

DISCLAIMER & FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

This news release includes certain "forward-looking statements" which are not comprised of historical facts. Forward-looking statements are based on assumptions and address future events and conditions, and by their very nature involve inherent risks and uncertainties. Although these statements are based on currently available information, Carube Copper Corp. provides no assurance that actual results will meet management's expectations. Factors which cause results to differ materially are set out in the Company's documents filed on SEDAR. Undue reliance should not be placed on "forward looking statements".

IMPORTANT NOTICE: Carube Copper hereby incorporates the entire disclaimer set forth on its website at http://www.carubecopper.com/uploads/1/6/5/2/16521880/disclaimers-and-forward-statements.pdfTORONTO, March 12, 2018 /PRNewswire/ --BMO Financial Group (TSX: BMO) (NYSE: BMO) today announced that it has filed its 2018 Notice of Annual Meeting of Shareholders and Management Proxy Circular with applicable securities regulators and has mailed it to common shareholders of Bank of Montreal. The document is available on the Bank's website athttps://www.bmo.com/home/about/banking/investor-relations/annual-general-meeting, as well as on SEDAR atwww.sedar.comand on EDGAR atwww.sec.gov.

BMO's Annual Meeting of Shareholders will be held at the BMO Institute for Learning, in Toronto, on Thursday, April 5, 2018, at 9:30 a.m. EDT. The Management Proxy Circular contains key information for shareholders regarding the meeting and the items to be voted on, which are the election of directors,the appointment of auditors, and the advisory vote on the bank's approach to executive compensation, a detailed description of which is contained in the circular.

BMO performed well against its performance goals in 2017 with reported net income up 16% and adjusted net income up 10%. The Bank's financial performance reflects good progress against our financial and strategic objectives and the benefits of our strong and diversified businesses.

BMO's business is anchored by fundamentals that don't change - stakeholders can count on the bank to always demonstrate principled behaviour that is guided by our values and allows us to do a better job running our business.

Earlier this year, BMO was named to the Bloomberg Gender-Equality Index (GEI). The index measures gender equality across internal company statistics, employee policies, external community support and engagement, and gender-conscious product offerings.

The bank has also been recognized by the Ethisphere Institute as one of the 2018 World's Most Ethical Companies. BMO is one of only two companies in Canada and one of only four banks worldwide to have been named to the list, underscoring the bank's commitment to values-based leadership and ethical business practices.

About BMO Financial Group

Serving customers for 200 years and counting, BMO is a highly diversified financial services provider- the 8th largest bank, by assets, in North America.With total assets of$728billionas of January31, 2018, anda team of diverse and highly engaged employees, BMO provides a broad range of personal and commercial banking, wealth management and investment banking products and services to more than 12 million customers and conducts business through three operating groups: Personal and Commercial Banking, BMO Wealth Management and BMO Capital Markets.

For Media Relations Enquiries: Paul Gammal, Toronto, paul.gammal@bmo.com, (416) 867-3996; For Investor Relations Enquiries: Jill Homenuk, Toronto, jill.homenuk@bmo.com, (416) 867-4770; Christine Viau, Toronto, christine.viau@bmo.com, (416) 867-6956; Internet: www.bmo.comBCI Pharma, a Liege, Belgium-based biotechnology company developing innovative kinase inhibitor libraries, received 3.9m in funding.

It included:

 1.9M ($2.2M) in public funding from the Walloon region (DG06), and

 2M ($2.5M) from public-private investors.

The funds will be used to accelerate and finalize BCI Pharmas research projects in the fields of cancer, neuropathic pain, inflammation and neuro-inflammation. As a first step, the company created a Belgian holding company and in September 2017 opened a laboratory at the University Hospital of Liege.

The public subsidy was awarded as part of the funding program of the Operational General Directorate for the Economy, Employment and Research (DG06).

The investment and the subsidy will also enable the company to initiate proof-of-concept studies and to work towards licensing pre-clinical candidates for new therapeutic approaches, including neuropathic pain, inflammation, neuro-inflammation and immuno-oncology.

Led by Dominique Surleraux, CEO, BCI Pharma develops technology that identifies highly active and highly selective kinase inhibitors that target major pathologies and have the potential to improve current therapies as well as provide therapeutic solutions for conditions with high unmet medical need. Its Bikin kinase libraries offer both innovative inhibitors with a new chemical structure and selective kinase inhibitors.

Protein kinase inhibitors are a type of enzyme inhibitor that can block the action of protein kinases in order to inhibit the phosphorylation of a specific amino acid. Phosphorylation is believed to contribute to the growth of certain cancers and inflammatory disorders; kinase inhibitors can therefore provide a new approach for treatment.

BCI is based at two sites: Liege (Belgium, biology) and Grabels (France, medicinal chemistry). It has seven employees.

FinSMEs

12/03/2018OurCrowd, a global equity crowdfunding company, opened a new office located in Mayfair, London.

The new office will be headed by Lina White, formerly of Goldman Sachs, who will manage OurCrowds activities.

With a current membership of 25,000 global investors on its investment platform, OurCrowd expects to add thousands of new UK investors through exclusive events, increasing UK deal flow, close collaboration with venture capital funds, and helping Israeli startups penetrate the UK market.

Prior to heading OurCrowds UK operations, White was part of the Alternative Capital Markets Group within the Investment Management Division at Goldman Sachs in London. Her new role at OurCrowd will be to work closely with investors and portfolio companies in order to strengthen the relationship between Londons tech scene and the global tech ecosystem, especially Israels Startup Nation.

OurCrowd operates a global equity crowdfunding platform for accredited investors. Managed by a team of seasoned investment professionals and led by serial entrepreneur Jon Medved, OurCrowd vets and selects opportunities, invests its own capital, and brings companies to its accredited membership of global investors. OurCrowd provides post-investment support to its portfolio companies, assigns industry experts as mentors, and takes board seats. The community consists of almost 25,000 accredited investors from over 112 countries. OurCrowd has raised over $650M and invested in 145 portfolio companies and funds.

FinSMEs

12/03/2018TAE Life Sciences, a Foothill Ranch, CA-based medical technology company developing an accelerator-based platform for clinical investigation of a promising, previously inaccessible cancer treatment, raised $40m in venture capital funding.

The round was led by Artis Ventures.

TAE Life Sciences, a majority owned subsidiary of TAE Technologies, is led by Bruce Bauer, PhD, CEO. In addition, Artis Ventures co-founder and President, Stuart Peterson, serves on the board of directors, along with TAE Technologies CEO, Steven Specker; President/CTO, Michl Binderbauer; and Vice President, Artem Smirnov.

TAE Life Sciences will leverage TAE Technologies accelerator-based neutron beam technology for Boron Neutron Capture Therapy (BNCT) to bring promising treatment potential for head and neck, glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) and other cancers that are difficult to treat with traditional methods.

The company will work with clinical research partners to investigate the use of accelerator-based BNCT, become a primary supplier of neutron beams for BNCT, and speed the development of its own proprietary beam systems toward regulatory clearance allowing for routine patient treatment.

TAE is also announcing its partnership with Neuboron Medtech, Ltd., a Chinese company leading BNCT investigation in Asia.

TAE Life Sciences will deliver its neutron beam system to Neuboron for its first installation in a medical application.

The device being developed by the company is currently for investigational use only and has not been approved for sale or commercial use.

FinSMEs

12/03/2018The fact that a chief minister like Fadnavis, who dared to speak against the waiver and went against the party line, had to later bend to the pressure from the party shows the extent of influence UP's farm loan waiver has claimed across the country.

If you look at the farm loan waiver issue in Maharashtra, one should be actually sympathetic to its 47-year-old Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis. He never wanted to do it in the first place and thought of better solutions to save farmers. In April 2017, Fadnavis went on record to say farm loan waiver cannot be a lasting solution to make farmers debt-free. Instead, higher capital investments in agriculture adequately backed by water and power supplies over a long period will bring greater economic stability to small and marginal farmers, Fadnavis said, while interacting with farmers on the programme, Mee Mukhyamantri Boltoy (I am the Chief Minister speaking).

Any crop loan waiver is not a lasting solution. It helps farmers to get rid of debt but doesnt increase his repaying capacity when he goes for his next crop loan. Instead of a one-time crop loan waiver, which will certainly give us political mileage, our policies are to free farmers from the vicious cycle of debt, Fadnavis said then. Post-Fadnavis statement, many, including this writer, had expressed doubts whether the Chief Minister can, ultimately, keep his word or not. Because such was the pressure then from political circles and farmer groups after the newly elected chief minister of Uttar Pradesh, Yogi Adityanath announced a Rs 36,000 crore loan waiver for UP farmers following a poll promise made by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in April 2017.

Subsequently, the calls for loan waiver strengthened, agitations began not just in Maharashtra but in other agrarian states like Madhya Pradesh. Logically, in Maharashtra, Fadnavis failed to walk his talk. His caution against the perils of a farm loan waiver fell in deaf ears and Fadnavis was forced to follow the Yogi-way by announcing a Rs 30,000 crore loan waiver for Maharashtra farmers in June 2017. Worse, even this announcement did not calm the nerves of agitating farmers. Somehow, they werent convinced with the offer and the agitations continue even now.

Yogi's UP waiver -- the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP's) election plank and Prime Minister Modis trump card during the UP poll campaign -- was slowly but surely claiming its influence not just in MP, but also agrarian states like Punjab and Haryana to announce similar schemes. The fact that a chief minister like Fadnavis, who dared to speak against the waiver and went against the party line, had to later bend to the pressure from the party shows the extent of influence UP's farm loan waiver has claimed across the country. This was precisely what many observers feared would happen post the Yogi governments googly.

Going ahead, this will be too big a problem for other states to handle since most of the agrarian states are fiscally constrained. Even Maharashtra, which had to agree to the waiver demand, is struggling to fulfill its promise sitting as it is on a weak economy.

Right now, the CM is facing a Catch-22 situation. There is a massive farmer protest at a stones throw distance away from his office demanding a complete waiver of farm loans and electricity bills. If he agrees to that, the state will have to find the means to deliver. The exchequer is already on a weak ground after an additional Rs 20,000 crore borrowing to fulfill part of the Rs 34,000 crore farm loan waiver already announced post Yogi's announcement. Also, Fadnavis is running the risk of a situation wherein he may have to go for similar waivers in future as well whenever rains fail, which will be too big a burden on his government. If he doesnt agree to the demand, he will face a big political backlash since BJPs political fortunes can be greatly impacted as farmers constitute a huge chunk of the vote bank. This too, the CM cannot afford.

The rationale behind appointing a six-member panel to look into farmers demand could be part of delaying tactics. Of the Rs 34,000 crore waiver announced by Fadnavis, so far, just above Rs 13,580 crore has reached beneficiary accounts. Even here, there are questions about which farmer has actually benefited from the exercise. The roll-out was a mess in the first place . This is one of the reasons why farmers from across Maharashtra are marching to Mumbai demanding a total loan waiver and further support for crop losses.

Fadnavis is struggling to manage the states economy. As pointed out in an earlier article,the Economic Survey of Maharashtra 2017-18 paints a poor picture of the state. The states growth declined to 7.3 percent in financial year 2017-18, the weakest in the three years since Fadnaviss government assumed power. Remember, Maharashtra had logged a 10 percent growth rate in the previous fiscal. In financial year 2015-16, the Fadnavis government had recorded a 7.6 percent growth rate. Revenue expenditure has shot up significantly after the state had to raise an additional Rs 20,000 crore to meet the expenditure for the farm loan waiver. That takes the revenue deficit and fiscal deficit figures way beyond the Rs 4,511 crore and the Rs 38,789 crore estimated at the beginning of the year.

The big shock for the state has come from the agriculture sector, which provides employment for more than half of the states population. Growth here is estimated to have slowed to 8.3 percent contraction in 2017-18, the survey showed. Last year, the 10 percent growth in the states economy was powered by a 22.5 percent jump in agriculture and allied activities, which was made possible by good monsoons that year.

As this writer has been pointing out for long, the idea of farm loan waiver can have disastrous effect on the credit culture of a large number of people in a particular geography and makes a defaulter even out of an honest borrower. We have plenty of examples from the past. The UPA-sponsored 2008 farm loan waiver is a good case study. Sure, it does work wonders for the moment -- for the politician (who gets political mileage) and the farmer (who experiences temporary relief and a false notion of being in the good books of his lenders). The same bank manager, who waives the loan, will think twice before sanctioning a loan to the same farmer when he walks into his branch next time since his credit worthiness is now under question.

Typically, political administrations which press the loan waiver button, don't compensate banks in time. The delay inevitably weakens the balance sheets of lenders and the liability remains, at best, unstated. Banks that have a high exposure to the farming sector in the state will likely see a spurt in their NPAs or non-performing assets or bad loans almost immediately. In short, a loan waiver is toxic enough to paralyse the multiple organs of the body in one go.

Analyzing the ill-effects of loan waivers, however, is somewhat irrelevant now since this has become a hot political issue. Any politician who speaks against it will be committing political hara-kiri. In Maharashtra, Fadnavis too knew very well that he is walking into a tricky trap when he chose to follow the Yogi-path.

Follow LIVE updates on Mumbai farmers protests here

(Parts of this piece was published earlier)Network18 President says experts in diverse fields will contribute ideas, and no doubt make commitments to furthering the grand project on which India has embarked

With none other than the Prime Minister Narendra Modi as the top speaker, News18's Rising India Summit on 16-17 March promises to be a highly significant affair. The Summit, to be held in New Delhi, will be inaugurated by the Prime Minister with his keynote address. Rising India Summit is the marquee thought-leadership initiative of News18 Network, the country's largest news network. The first edition of the summit will feature a heavy-duty line-up of national and international luminaries from the fields of governance, arts, business and academia.

Right from Home Minister Rajnath Singh, Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, Minister of Railways and Coal Piyush Goel, and Minister of Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari on one hand to American economist and Nobel laureate Paul Krugman, industry honchos such as Anil Agarwal of Vedanta Group, Kumar Mangalam Birla of Aditya Birla Group and Sanjiv Goenka, chairman, RP-Sanjiv Goenka group on the other will be speaking on a variety of subjects. The President of the Republic of Gabon, Ali Bongo Ondimba will be among foreign dignitaries. The Rising India Summit is a culmination of a series of Rising Series of Network18 that had taken place in various states across the country.

We are proud to announce the News18 Rising India Summit, which is the grand culmination of Rising Series hosted by our network. The Rising Series in states like UP, Bihar, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, West Bengal, Karnataka and Kerala saw participation of all Chief Ministers and key policy makers. We believe this is the best time to conclude the series by bringing together top policy makers, corporate leaders and global visionaries to celebrate Indias journey from take-off to triumph, Avinash Kaul, President, Network18 said about Rising India Summit.

The Economic Survey has mentioned that India would re-establish itself as the world's fastest growing major economy with GDP expanding by 7-7.5 percent in 2018-19. The survey has pegged the GDP growth for the current fiscal at 6.75 percent.

The World Bank in its Ease of doing business report has ranked India at 100th position  a jump of 30 places from its previous ranking. The Rising India Summit will act as a crucible, where churning of ideas takes place as experts from diverse fields contribute on Indias growth story. Many significant announcements can be expected at the summit.

Experts in diverse fields will contribute ideas, and no doubt make commitments to furthering the grand project on which India has embarked. It will be an opportunity to applaud our successes and lay the plans for many more to come. We believe that this summit will sow the intention and pen down the direction of taking India to another level of growth in the coming years, added Kaul.Chidambaram dismissed the CAG report on telecom as a 'gross exaggeration' and said it focused on a few cases.

Bengaluru: Congress leader and former union minister P Chidambaram on Sunday said telecom and power sectors have contributed to the NPA problem more than anything else due to the malicious twist given to the UPA governments policies governing them.

"I think the CAG report on telecom was a gross exaggeration. The CAG report on coal was focused on a few cases. But then all the 212 coal mines were cancelled. I think we failed to treat a business problem as a business problem and find the business solution," he said.

Speaking at the launch of his book Speaking truth to power here, he apparently referred to the 2G spectrum and coal scam that hit UPA II. Chidambaram said that instead of dealing with a business problem and finding a business solutions, a political twist, a legal twist was given to it. The result was that today the power and telecom sectors are in a shambles," he said. "And most of the NPAs are about the two sectors, telecom and power/coal. The origin of the NPA problem is in a manner in which we treated the telecom sector and the coal/power sector.

"We had the worst NPA situation twice before -- once when Yashwant Sinha was Finance Minister and once in my first tenure as Finance Minister. There was no uproar over NPAs. Why? We simply told banks, 'You gave the loans, you recover them'". Chidambaram said that if one drilled deeper, one would find that the two sectors have contributed to the NPA problem more than anything else. "And there is consequential fallout on another sector. I will come to it. The first was telecom and second was power related to coal. It all started with a huge uproar about the telecom sector.

"Then there was a huge uproar about the coal sector. A very malicious twist was given to the telecom policies and the coal policies of the previous government," he said, adding that as a result, both those sectors went to doom. Chidambaram said it was very convenient for some parties to convert it into a political problem, give it an undeserving twist.. "the country is paying a price for that."

The Congress leader rued that new jobs were not created because there were no additional private investments. Citing Dr Arvind Subramanian's economic survey, he said jobs were not created because credit growth to industry was negative for many months. Slamming the NDA government, he said the government knows there is a job problem, but refused to speak about it.

"And when they (Prime Minister Narendra Modi) speak about it, they insult the youth of this country saying, even frying pakoda is a job. A job, he said, is defined by the International Labour Organisation (ILO) as regular, certain and reasonably secure. India has contributed many Indian words to English language. Who knows we may persuade ILO to add frying pakoda is a job, he said in a lighter vein. He alleged that there was an insidious attempt to diminish institutions by either not appointing people or by appointing those who ensured that the institutions are doomed.

Chidambaram pointed out that the post of the RBI Deputy Governor, in charge of banking supervision, has been lying vacant since 1 August, 2017 ever since S S Mundra retired. Justice K M Joseph, the seniormost among Chief Justices in India and presently Chief Justice of Uttarakhand High Court has not been elevated to the Supreme Court despite the collegium unanimously recommending his elevation, he said.The government on Monday introduced a bill in the Lok Sabha which provides for confiscation of properties of fugitive economic offenders

New Delhi: The government on Monday introduced a bill in the Lok Sabha which provides for confiscation of properties of fugitive economic offenders and also gave clearance to set up an authority to oversee auditing standards of large companies.

The Fugitive Economic Offenders Bill, 2018, comes as the second edition of the Budget Session, that resumed last week, also appeared to be turning out a complete washout, failing to transact any business amid protests by opposition members over the mutli-crore-rupee Punjab National Bank (PNB) fraud.

A fugitive economic offender is a person against whom an arrest warrant has been issued in respect of a "scheduled offence" and who has left India so as to avoid criminal prosecution or, being abroad, refuses to return to India to face criminal prosecution.

The bill was introduced by Minister of State for Finance Shiv Pratap Shukla.

However, Biju Janata Dal (BJD) MP Bhartruhari Mahtab opposed the bill, saying it would violate the fundamental rights as a person's property could be acquired by the government without the person being found guilty.

"Anyone can be prosecuted or property can be acquired without the person being found guilty. These provisions are against fundamental rights," he said.

"There is a multitude of laws to deal with white collar crime. Why do we need another law?"

Mahtab said the legislation treats one as "guilty until proven innocent".

According to government officials, the bill would help in laying down measures to deter economic offenders from remaining outside the jurisdiction of Indian courts.

Cases where the total value involved in such offences is Rs 100 crore or more will come under the purview of the legislation.

It seeks to provide "an effective, expeditious and constitutionally permissible deterrent to ensure" that offenders are booked with banks and other financial institutions achieving high recoveries.

The bill also provides for giving an application before a special court for a declaration that an individual is a fugitive economic offender.

The provisions include attachment of the offender's property in India and abroad, including benami property.

An administrator will be appointed to manage and dispose of the confiscated property under the Act.

If the offender returns to India in the course of the proceeding prior to the declaration and submits to the appropriate jurisdictional Court, proceedings under the proposed Act would cease.Nearly 30 banks are believed to have paid out funds based on LoUs issued by PNB on behalf of diamantaire Nirav Modi, Mehul Choksi and their companies

Some 30 banks are believed to have paid out funds based on letters of understandings (LoUs) issued by the Punjab National Bank (PNB) on behalf of billionaire diamantaire Nirav Modi, his uncle Mehul Choksi and their companies, a media report quoted a parliamentary report as saying.

According to The Economic Times, the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Finance, headed by Congress member M Veerappa Moily, in a report, said that "international branches of many Indian banks including State Bank of India, Union Bank of India, Allahabad Bank, Axis Bank and some foreign banks, lent money to a particular entity or many entities or companies based on these alleged fraudulent guarantees."

The committee is calling for a wider probe of the PNB scam. Modi, Choksi and their associates allegedly colluded with a few bankers to defraud PNB of Rs 12,646 crore, the country's biggest ever banking fraud.

The committee's report also said that every SWIFT message should trigger an alert at the Reserve Bank of India (RBI). The SWIFT or the Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication is a network used by financial institutions to communicate financial transactions.

Meanwhile, the RBI has initiated a special audit of state-owned lenders with a focus on trade financing activities, especially relating to the issuance of LoUs by them.

In addition, the RBI has asked all banks for details of the LoUs they had written, including the amounts outstanding, and whether the banks had pre-approved credit limits or kept enough cash on margin before issuing the guarantees.

Finance ministry asked to submit report on PNB fraud

"Extremely concerned" over the Rs 12,646 crore fraud at PNB, the committee on Friday had asked the finance ministry to institute a comprehensive enquiry encompassing systemic elements in the case and submit its report within a month.

The committee had said that it was "extremely concerned about the fraud detected in the PNB, which clearly reflected that a small group of individuals could manipulate such a gigantic bank and compromise it despite such well laid out norms, guidelines, checks and balances".

The Department of Financial Services of the Finance Ministry, it said, should "constitute a comprehensive enquiry into the matter, encompassing both human as well as systemic elements including the role of all concerned officials at each level".

The PNB fraud

Last month, PNB lodged an FIR with the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) stating that fraudulent LoUs worth Rs 280.7 crore were first issued on 16 January this year. At the time, PNB said it was digging into records to examine the magnitude of the fraud.

In the complaint, PNB named three diamond firms - Diamonds R Us, Solar Exports and Stellar Diamonds - saying they had approached it on 16 January with a request for buyers' credit for making payment to overseas suppliers. The bank sought 100 percent cash margins for issuing LoUs for raising buyers' credit, which was contested by the firms saying they had availed of the facility since 2010.

Modi, his wife Ami, brother Nishal and Choksi are partners in Diamonds R US, Solar Exports and Stellar Diamonds, which operates jewellery stores in Hong Kong, Dubai, and New York.

With inputs from PTIReporters and Media personnel covering the session will also be provided USB flash drives with details of the budget alongside a conventional printed copy.

As the state gears up for the announcement of the budget, Assam will also become the second state to present an e-budget with tablets available for legislators to interact with. The entire budget session will also be streamed live on Twitter and Facebook, which will be a first for any state in the country.

Himanta Biswa Sarma, the Finance Minister of the state, speaking to PTI stated that the legislators will be able to access the tablet provided to them during the discussions and proceedings and will also be able to cut motion on the Budget inside the House.

"The government will present the first e-Budget in the Assembly and each legislator will be provided with a tablet (computer) with details of the Budget," said Sarma.

I take the utmost pride in presenting to you E-Budget on this important day. I also express my gratefulness to Hon speaker Sir for allowing us to introduce the E-Budget through tablets to each of the Hon Members of the house #AssamBudget2018 #AssamEBudget pic.twitter.com/sCWyMRpFk6  Himanta Biswa Sarma (@himantabiswa) March 12, 2018

According to the report, the Assam finance department had called for suggestions from the public regarding Budget provisions and more than a thousand people responded with a number of suggestions. The best of these were then sorted for incorporating them in this year's Budget.

The State budget will also be available within the Google search engine for citizens, to have access to it whenever required.

Reporters and media personnel covering the session will also be provided USB flash drives with details of the budget, alongside a printed copy.China on Monday welcomed as 'positive' India's willingness to deal with differences with Beijing on the basis of mutual respect and sensitivity to each other's interests.

Beijing: China on Monday welcomed as "positive" India's willingness to deal with differences with Beijing on the basis of mutual respect and sensitivity to each other's interests.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang's remarks came after India said it was willing to work with China to develop relations based on commonalities, while dealing with differences on the basis of mutual respect and sensitivity to each other's interests.

"We have noted such positive remarks by the Indian side," Lu told a media briefing here answering a question on India's response to Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi's recent comments on bilateral ties.

"We wish to work with the Indian side to take the important consensus between the two leaderships as guidance to improve our political mutual trust, enhance mutual beneficial cooperation, manage our differences and ensure the correct track of our relations' development," Lu said.

He said Wang elaborated on China's basic position on its relations with India.

Wang in his annual press conference had said that India and China should shed suspicion and manage differences by meeting halfway, suggesting toning down of tough Chinese posture against New Delhi after the tense Doka La standoff.

During the meeting between Prime Minister Modi and President Xi Jinping in Xiamen in September last year, the two leaders had agreed that sound development of relations between India and China was a factor of stability amidst today's global uncertainties, and that the two countries should not allow their differences to become disputes, he noted.

Asked how China views relations with India this year after turbulence in ties in 2017 due to a number of issues including the Doka La standoff, Wang in his annual press conference had called for both the countries to shed confrontationist stance on issues of differences.

"The Chinese dragon and Indian elephant must not fight each other but dance together," he had said.Two college students were killed and three others were injured on Sunday night in Delhi on account of an accident due to speeding and drunken driving

Two college students were killed and three others were injured on Sunday night in Delhi after they were involved in an accident due to speeding and drunken driving, according to several media reports.

India Today reported the accident occurred at the T-point of Hudson lines in Mukherjee Nagar. The report added that five friends  three girls and two boys  were returning from a festival at Amity University in Noida when the accident occurred.

DNA reported that the incident took place around 2.45 am and that the vehicle was travelling at such speed that it overturned and slid down the road for a few metres. The report added that the two deceased were identified as Sidhartha (20), a student of Maharaja Surajmal Shiksha Sansthan and Ritesh Dahiya (21) from Venkateshwara College.

The injured were identified as Diksha Dadu, who was driving the vehicle, Joshita Mohanty from Mumbai and Rashi Sharma from Meerut, all 1st year LLB students at Amity University, Noida.

An investigating officer told Hindustan Times the damage to the car and objects it collided with indicates that the vehicle was being driven at a speed in excess of 100 kilometres per hour. The officer added that alcohol bottles and plastic disposable cups were found in the wreckage. Police said the car even brought down a traffic signal on another road divider.

The families of the students declined to comment, Hindustan Times reported. According to India Today, the driver, Diksha was booked under Section 337 (endangering life and personal safety of others) and Section 304 (a) (culpable homicide not amounting to murder) of the Indian Penal Code. All five students were admitted to the hospital by locals, where doctors declared Ritesh and Sidharth dead. The others are being treated for their injuries.

With inputs from agenciesNine trekkers have died in a forest fire on the Kurangani Hills in Tamil Nadu's Theni district, the District Collector said on Monday.

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At least nine people, four women, four men and one child, were charred to death in Kurangani area in Tamil Nadu's Theni district in a forest fire on Sunday, the Superintendent of Police told reporters.

Thirty-seven people, including 26 women, 8 men and 3 children, were part of the trek. Six of the victims hail from Chennai, while three others are from Erode. When the group was coming down the slopes of Bodinayyakanurm, they got trapped in the forest fire.

The News Minute reported that there were two groups of trekkers. One had 13 people hailing from Tirupur and Erode, and another group had 24, who hailed from Chennai. The Chennai group had started to Theni on 9 March.

According to a Tamil Nadu Fire and Rescue Services official, the operation was expected to be over by Monday afternoon. Speaking to IANS, District Collector Pallavi Baldev said the operations were continuing and the trekkers were being brought down by the rescue team members.

"16 Garuds walked up & reached there at 3 am. They rescued few people at night. At the moment, the garuds are trying to lift the dead bodies to a higher plain. 2 helicopters will bring the bodies down. One helicopter has doused the fire," says Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman.

The defence ministry tweeted that the Indian Air Force has rescued and brought back 27 of the 36 trapped students.

The Kerala government has banned all trekking activities inside the forests until further orders following the Theni fire tragedy.

The fire started in Kurangani forests next to Bodinayakkanur municipality, which is 25 kilometres away from Theni district headquarters. It spread across the bordering forests of Tamil Nadu and Kerala.

Tamil Nadu government will not allow entry of trekkers or tourists into forests till May due to extreme heat and likelihood of more forest fires.

Kerala forest minister K Raju has said that the state will close down all wildlife sanctuaries for safety audit.

The Tamil Nadu government has said that the trekking organisers had no official permission.

Chennai trekking club's representative has been taken into custody by police in Theni. The club had arranged the trekking at Kurangani Forests

Search and rescue operations in Theni have reportedly been called off. All the trekkers have been accounted for. Nine trekkers are dead and 27 have been rescued, official figures say. The three trekkers unaccounted for seem to have escaped unhurt

The Air Force choppers have been diverted from Kurangani hills to another area for dousing freshly reported forest fire, said the defence PRO.

Tamil Nadu chief minister Palaniswamy said the trekking expedition had been done without getting the necessary permission from the forest department. He said a detailed probe will be held into the accident.

The Kerala forest department has been directed to take all necessary precautions to prevent forest fires, a statement issued by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said. The chief minister added that the authority was closely monitoring the situation.

The Tamil Nadu government has said that the trekking organisers had no official permission.

Chennai trekking club's representative has been taken into custody by police in Theni. The club had arranged the trekking at Kurangani Forests

Search and rescue operations in Theni have reportedly been called off. All the trekkers have been accounted for. Nine trekkers are dead and 27 have been rescued, official figures say. The three trekkers unaccounted for seem to have escaped unhurt

The Air Force choppers have been diverted from Kurangani hills to another area for dousing freshly reported forest fire, said the defence PRO.

Tamil Nadu chief minister Palaniswamy said the trekking expedition had been done without getting the necessary permission from the forest department. He said a detailed probe will be held into the accident.

The Air Force has stated that it has completed the rescue operations. After dousing a forest fire in a nearby area, the Air Force will stop the operation only as per the request and directions from the state civil administration, The Hindu reported.

The Kerala forest department has been directed to take all necessary precautions to prevent forest fires, a statement issued by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said. The chief minister added that the authority was closely monitoring the situation.

The Kerala Police has rescued three school children from Theni forest fire from Munnar in Kerala, The News Minute reported. The police confirmed that the children were treated for minor burn injuries in the Munnar taluk hospital, the report added.

Theni Fire Updates: Tamil Nadu chief minister has ordered probe into the fire incident. He said that the trekking expedition did not have the necessary permission from the forest department.

The search and rescue operations in Theni have reportedly been called off after all the trekkers were accounted. The Tamil Nadu government has said that the trekking team had 39 members and 36 of them were caught in the mishap. The official figures say nine are dead and 27 have been rescued. The whereabouts of three are unknown.

The representative of the Chennai trekking club has been taken into custody by the police in Theni after the blaze killed nine trekkers.

The Kerala government has decided to close down all wildlife sanctuaries for a safety audit, forest minister K Raju has said. He added that the sanctuaries will open only after all safety measures are ensured.

The defence ministry said that the Indian Air Force has brought back 27 of the 36 trapped students in a coordinated search and resuce effort.

Nine trekkers have died in a forest fire on the Kurangani Hills in Tamil Nadu, the District Collector said on Monday. A rescue operation with the help of the Indian Air Force (IAF) helicopters has been underway since Sunday. A total of 27 trekkers were rescued from the fire in picturesque Theni district, some 520 kilometre from Chennai.

The trekking group of eight men, 25 women and three children had camped at a place up in the hills on Saturday night. They were supposed to return on Sunday. Earlier, in a tweet, Union Minister of State for Finance and Shipping Pon Radhakrishnan expressed grief and shock at the loss of life of those who were caught up in the blaze.

The Minister said he was praying for the fast recovery of those who were injured. He also thanked Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman for deploying the IAF team in the rescue effort. According to a Tamil Nadu Fire and Rescue Services official, the operation was expected to be over by Monday afternoon.

Speaking to IANS, District Collector Pallavi Baldev said the operations were continuing and the trekkers were being brought down by the rescue team members. A temporary helipad has been set up at the Bodi foot hills. The injured have been admitted in hospitals in Madurai and Theni, she said.

The night climate was generally chilly while efforts were afoot to reach the stranded trekkers caught up in the blaze, the fire official added. State Health Secretary J.Radhakrishnan said six of the rescued admitted in a Madurai hospital have suffered serious burn injuries.

The IAF commando team had flown in from the Sulur Air Base near Coimbatore late on Sunday and climbed up the hills. Sitharaman had confirmed on Sunday that the commandos deployed in the rescue mission would carry medicines and provide medical assistance on spot.

Having access to advanced communication facilities, the IAF team was also deputed to check the landing facility for helicopter. They decided on the best ways to evacuate those stuck on the hill, including the injured.

Speaking to the media on Sunday, Baldev had said that 24 trekkers from the Chennai Trekking Club and 12 from Erode and Tiruppur had gone up the Kurangani Hills. The adventure was part of the Woman's Day activity that was celebrated on Thursday. A Tamil Nadu Forest Department official had said that the organisers had not obtained any permission for the trekking mission.

With inputs from agenciesIn Gorakhpur parliamentary constituency, where mosquito-borne diseases have been killing thousands of children for decades now, healthcare facility was the key issue in the run-up to Sunday's bypolls

Editor's note: Voters in Phulpur and Gorakhpur Lok Sabha constituencies in Uttar Pradesh exercised their franchise in the bypolls on Sunday in what has emerged as unexpectedly low turnout. This is part of a series of ground reports covering the aspirations of the people and prospects of political parties in the two Assembly constituencies. The reports will seek to find if these by-elections are indeed litmus tests ahead of the 2019 General Elections. Click here to read more stories from the series.

Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh: In Gorakhpur parliamentary constituency, where mosquito-borne diseases have been killing thousands of children for decades now, healthcare facility was the key issue in the run-up to Sunday's bypolls.

The bypoll was necessitated after Adityanath resigned as a Member of Parliament last year following his appointment as the state's chief minister, and his election to the UP Vidhan Parishad (legislative council) thereafter.

The parliamentary constituency comprises mostly villages, bereft of development and lacking healthcare facilities, among other infrastructure. BRD Medical College in Gorakhpur was in the eye of the storm last year after dozens of rural children died there of encephalitis within a space of a few days.

The institute is the only big hospital in the region and caters to a vast population. There is a chronic shortage of doctors in Uttar Pradesh, because of which villagers rush to quacks, whose wrong diagnosis and inexperience often prove fatal.

According to a report by the Directorate of National Vector Borne Diseases Control Programme, as many as 26,686 cases of vector-borne encephalitis were reported in Uttar Pradesh between 2010 and 2017. Most of these cases were reported in Gorakhpur. The first known case was reported in 1978 but it drew attention only in 2005, when it killed 1,344 children.

Though four decades have passed since encephalitis was first reported in the state, governments have employed little to no pre-emptive measures to contain the deadly disease. Even as the administration is accused of sustained apathy, the voters who had queued up for the bypoll on Sunday were unanimous in saying that healthcare facilities remain their prime area of concern.

"Meri beti ko agar theek se doctor dekhte to sayad aaj wo jinda hoti. Aap ek baar aspataal dekho jaa kar. Wahaan kooda ki tarah bachcha log bharti hai aur doctor babu log bahut kam hai (My daughter might have lived had the doctors attended to her. You visit the hospital once. There, children are dumped like garbage and doctors are far too few)," rued Manju Devi Sharma, 40.

Manju lost her seven-year-old daughter, Pinky, to encephalitis last year. Bereaved, she has had to go for counselling to get over the grief, but to no avail. She described how they had rushed Pinky to the local primary healthcare centre (PHC) when she began running a temperature. She said that the PHC did not have any doctor so they took Pinky to a private clinic, where she was administered an injection and referred to the district hospital for proper diagnosis.

She informs that they took Pinky to the district hospital, where a doctor at the out-patient department gave her some medicines. However, her temperature shot up further and she had to be admitted to the emergency ward for two days.

Manju said that her daughter was not responding to the treatment and the doctors referred her to BRD Medical College, where she was diagnosed with encephalitis and later succumbed to it.

Manju said there is a severe shortage of doctors in government hospitals, be it PHCs, community healthcare centres (CHCs), district hospitals or even the BRD Medical College. She said she has cast her vote hoping for better healthcare facilities in the district so that nobody dies for want of medical attention.

Showing off his inked finger, Ram Ujagi, 53, of Manbela village, echoed similar thoughts.

He stated how he lost his two sons to poor healthcare. He said that one died because there was no doctor at their local CHC while the other breathed his last at BRD Medical College. Ujagi said government healthcare facilities have been deteriorating day by day while private clinics in Gorakhpur are mushrooming. All the residents of Manbela who had queued up to cast their votes agreed with this statement.

Revti Devi, a resident of Parga Basantpur, lost her seven-month-old daughter to encephalitis last year. She is now six weeks pregnant and has planned to move to her village in Bihar for her delivery. She said that the facilities there are much better than in Gorakhpur. For one, she said doctors are available round-the-clock and do not charge much.

Crucial issue

Congress candidate for Gorakhpur Lok Sabha seat, Sureeth Kamath, told Firstpost over the phone that health and infrastructure are the main issues they are focusing on for the poll. She said that roads are full of potholes, there is a shortage of doctors and the area has seen no development. She asked what Yogi Adityanath  he won every parliamentary election from Gorakhpur since 1998  has done here.

BJP candidate Upendra Dutt Shukla could not be contacted despite repeated attempts.

Manoj Kumar, the chairperson of Manav Sewa Sansthan, a non-profit organisation, said that this time, the election is based totally on the issue of health infrastructure. Since BRD Medical College gained infamy at national level owing to the children's deaths last year, he said that everyone in Gorakhpur city now talks about the need for improvement in government healthcare services.

Why situation persists

According to Dr RN Singh, a former resident doctor at BRD Medical College, the central government had launched a massive vaccination drive in 2007 but it was not enough to control this disease. He remarked that political reasons also played an important role in the handling of the disease.

"I remember that the Congress government (at Centre) had sent a helicopter in 2008 for spraying but that was stopped at Lucknow by the then chief minister Mayawati for political reasons. Later, the same was repeated by the Mulayam Singh Yadav government," he said, adding that Adityanath was the only politician to heed this disease.

He said that Adityanath visited his clinic multiple times to discuss how to contain the disease, wrote letters to the government and used his MP Local Area Development fund in this regard.

Dr Singh is known for adopting Holiya village in the district and drastically minimising the impact of encephalitis there.

Gorakhpur witnessed a voter turnout of 43 percent and the results will be declared on 14 March.

The author is a Lucknow-based freelance writer and a member of 101Reporters.com, a pan-India network of grassroots reportersThe present outbreak of violence can therefore be laid at the door of two factors. First, the fact that under the virtual rule of the Pakistan Army, intelligence agencies are being allowed full freedom to act according to their own departmental interests. This is apparent in the pettiness involved  which includes denying the ambassador membership of the Islamabad Club  which smacks of decision making at very junior levels. Second, the incidents also highlight the slow but sure fall of the countrys governance structures into a state where they find anarchical behaviour not in the least unusual or worthy of comment.

The tale is sordid in the extreme. Diplomats followed around, their residences broken into, electricity and water cut off, and successive acts of hooliganism all designed to apply severe mental stress on professionals doing their job. Unfortunately, Pakistan's aggressive tactics against Indian diplomats cant be said to have yet reached a new low: That ebb was reached years ago, when in 1992, Rajesh Mittal was beaten and tortured for days in an incident that shocked the international community. Mittal had to be repatriated back to India in a wheelchair, a mental and physical wreck. But that low could come, and worse may follow.

Incidents of diplomats being physically assaulted have surfaced regularly, whenever bilateral relations hit a road block. In January 2000 for instance, another Indian official from the High Commission was beaten up on his way to attend church. Yet another was abducted later, with Pakistani authorities refusing to heed frantic calls from the embassy. India has also retaliated to such brutality, but in New Delhi, the level of violence has been extremely restricted, though forms of aggressive surveillance have been practiced in the past, and possibly continues.

Yet, notwithstanding these incidents, there have been times when each behaved with circumspection, and even dignity. When Pakistan declared at least 8 Indian diplomats and staff members as persona non grata in late 2016 in a tit-for-tat incident, all were permitted to leave unharmed with a minimum of exposure in the press.

Notably, this occurred just a month after surgical strikes by India, which should have led to an outbreak of violence against high commission staffers and officials. That it did not, was probably due to the fact that there was a civilian government still at the helm that was in reasonable control of the situation. For all his alleged pecuniary problems, then prime minister Nawaz Sharif was more interested in stabilising his country than in exacting petty revenge.

It is undeniably true that diplomats in hostile countries often face some harassment. For example, US diplomats have complained of Soviet-era type harassment in Moscow, particularly following Russian action in Crimea. It is also tacitly accepted that all embassies have an intelligence element, often at fairly high levels. Since this is a mutual arrangement, each country pretends not to know the identity of the station chief, as the intelligence head in the embassy is known. Identifying him publicly is considered the height of impropriety in intelligence circles which have their own somewhat dark code of conduct.

Pakistan, however, regularly flouts this fundamental norm. In May 2011, it publicly named the CIA station chief, thus causing potential harm to not only the officer personally, but also the activities of the agency. In another case, Pakistan also named and shamed an Indian official in Islamabad, who had allegedly been caught in a honey trap incident. India has, however, never indulged in such tactics, respecting the Delhi Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) station chiefs identity, even as it gives him little room for his activities.

The present outbreak of violence can therefore be laid at the door of two factors. First, the fact that under the virtual rule of the Pakistan Army, intelligence agencies are being allowed full freedom to act according to their own departmental interests. This is apparent in the pettiness involved  which includes denying the ambassador membership of the Islamabad Club  which smacks of decision making at very junior levels. Second, the incidents also highlight the slow but sure fall of the countrys governance structures into a state where they find anarchical behaviour not in the least unusual or worthy of comment.

An article by Stephen M Walt in Foreign Policy outlining Ten Signs of Creeping Authoritarianism assessed President Donald Trumps performance at the White House with some alarm. When tallied against the Pakistan Army chiefs performance so far, the warning signs are likely to go off the meter. That said, a comparison is unfair, given that Pakistan has hardly ever been a democratic nation and therefore has few of the characteristics that are used routinely to assess other democracies.

However, there are two points that needs to be noted. First, the problem is not just that there are warning signs of an authoritarian regime emerging. After all, Pakistan has had dictators before. The issue is that the character of the dictator and his coterie  the Pakistan Army  is changing to one that is accustomed and comfortable with violence. That is a problem for Pakistanis themselves and it is also a problem for its neighbours.

The possibility of a rise in violence against our diplomats, both in Afghanistan and Pakistan is therefore likely to be high. Look out for more trouble in the months ahead. Second, take care not to fall into the slippery slope of tit-for-tat diplomacy. This country is just too big for that. Besides, that way lies anarchy.The recent diplomatic spat with Pakistan may not be a big setback for India, but it shows how its communication game is still stuck in the Cold War-era.

One more dubious chapter has been added to India's troubled relationship with Pakistan. The latest turn of events involving the diplomatic corps of both countries is a sad reflection of the dystopia that defines bilateral ties. These ugly fights serve no one's interests but in balance, are more damaging to India's reputation because Pakistan has none.

Easy to see why Islamabad never fears to provoke India into triggering such mud wrestles. All it wants is for India to be apportioned a fair share of the generated malfeasance so that a false equivalence is created and its perverted goal is met.

That India still cannot see through this hoary Pakistani game is frustrating. The diplomatic spat that erupted into headlines on Sunday had been a long time brewing. But for reasons best known to South Block mandarins and silk-tie brigade, India sought to resolve the issue through "quiet and persistent diplomacy", as if Rawalpindi khakis or their ISI brethren respect diplomatic norms, courtesies or protocols and take these efforts in good faith.

Pakistan has apparently issued four "note verbale" to India in protest against alleged "harassment of its diplomats". If India now appears as "bullying" more than "bullied against", it has only itself to blame. Even as Indian diplomats were regularly harassed, intimidated and threatened in Islamabad, their work interrupted and life interfered with for at least a year, India chose not to go public and apply pressure through diplomatic channels, hoping that Pakistan would see reason and eventually cease and desist.

Such innocence suits little Alice in Wonderland, not officials dealing with a failed state which relies on hatred and fear of India to survive myriad innate contradictions and existential crises. As Sandipan Deb had written in Livemint, "it is a country which defines itself in terms of India. If there was no India to feel bitter about, Pakistan would have no reason to exist."

In multiple note verbale, Pakistan feigns outrage and seeks moral high ground by accusing India of "creating an atmosphere where its diplomats are unable to work".

The Indian Express reported that among the "18 incidents of harassment and intimidation against the officers of the High Commission as well as the supporting staff over the last week," one refers to 8 March when the driver of a vehicle carrying kids of a Pakistani envoy was repeatedly harassed and threatened that this was a retaliation for what had been done to Indian diplomats in Pakistan.

While lodging a formal protest against India for these incidents which ostensibly have been going on for a week  Pakistan forgot to mention that it had been subjecting Indian diplomats to worse forms of bullying, coercion and torture for over a year.

But one can't really fault Pakistan for trying to build a narrative of self-preservation. The question is, what stopped India from publicising Pakistan's boorish behaviour? Why did New Delhi wait for Islamabad's allegations to emerge before coming out with rebuttals? Now that India is busy defending itself from charges and promising to launch "probe into the incidents", it has already lost the moral high ground.

Regardless of the veracity of its own charges and the degree of coercion that Indian envoys in Islamabad were subjected to, the narrative will now be set within the paradigm of "equivalence" and slotted into "yet another spat involving the troubled neighbours in south Asia". This is a victory of sorts for Pakistan which seeks nothing more than conformity with India.

Media reports indicate that heightened hostility and harassment of Indian envoys in Islamabad have been going on for over a year. An under-construction Indian residential complex opposite the Indian High Commission in Islamabad was raided by alleged ISI operatives on 16 February. The building's water and electricity lines were cut, vendors threatened and the main contractor intimidated.

According to The Times of India, "the main contractor, who is responsible for maintenance of the chancery, is said to have been threatened by Pakistani officials. He was told to leave the complex and also warned of action against him if he continued to do business with the Indian mission." The supplies have not yet been restored. Obstacles in the construction of the residential complex affect the safety and security of high commission staff.

Other instances of harassment include obscene phone calls, stalking of envoys and their family members, violation of physical space through persistent tailing, unauthorised entry into premises. Indian high commissioner Ajay Bisaria's car was intercepted recently and he was prevented from attending a luncheon.

According to The Indian Express, Bisaria met Pakistan's foreign secretary Tehmina Janjua on 16 February and lodged a "strong protest" against "multiple acts of hooliganism" against Indian property and personnel. The newspaper also quoted sources in reporting that "Indian High Commission in Pakistan has been facing tremendous harassment for long, particularly in the last year In one case, an officials home was broken into, and a laptop was stolen."

"Obscene phone calls and messages are constantly received on phones. Most families have returned to India and children have been withdrawn from schools This is nothing new However, Indian diplomats chose to tackle this matter with quiet and persistent diplomacy rather than by airing issues in the media," The New Indian Express quoted a senior diplomat, as saying.

So, while Pakistan is threatening to pull out its diplomats, Indian envoys have already been forced to do so. New Delhi may have responded in kind after having failed to force Islamabad to mend its behaviour. In tit-for-tat diplomacy, India perhaps hoped to insure its own envoys by proving to Pakistan that two could play this game. But it obviously didn't think that Pakistan would stoop so low as to go crying to the media.

This may not be a big setback for India, but this incident goes to show how its communication game of building narratives is still stuck in the Cold War-era. In dealing with a revisionist state such as Pakistan with seemingly bottomless capacity for deviousness, India should have been on guard, swifter and proactive. It chose old-school methods over new-age tactics and ended up being dragged into the mud. We all know who enjoys wrestling in it.A Delhi court sent Karti Chidambaram to Tihar jail for 12-day judicial custody in the INX Media corruption case, CNN-News18 reported.

A Delhi court on Monday sent Karti Chidambaram to Tihar jail for 12-day judicial custody in the INX Media corruption case, CNN-News18 reported.

Karti Chidambaram heads to Tihar Jail after court grants 12-day judicial custody; denied home food again. | @droynews18 https://t.co/AUh0zOYQ3g  News18 (@CNNnews18) March 12, 2018

The court, dismissing Karti's plea for early hearing of his bail application, sent him to judicial custody until 24 March. The CBI produced Karti, son of former Union minister P Chidambaram, in a Delhi court after his three-day police custody expired and sought 15-day judicial custody.

News18 reported that Kartis counsel Dayan Krishan moved an application in a Delhi court seeking a separate jail cell, and stated that since P Chidambaram had taken charge as a home minister "just after 26/11 Mumbai attacks and had several accused under MCOCA prosecuted, there is an indisputable threat to his life at Tihar jail". However, the CBI strongly refuted the plea stating that "there was no threat to Karti" and that he would be taken care of in accordance with jail rules, according to the report.

Karti was produced in the court of special judge Sunil Rana, before whom CBI counsel VK Sharma moved an application for judicial custody. However, Karti's counsel moved the court to hear his bail plea which was listed for 15 March on Monday. Karti's father P Chidambaram was also present in the courtroom.

Karti was earlier remanded in CBI custody for three days after the investigative agency claimed it recovered some incriminating documents and CDs from the Chennai office of Advantage Strategic Pvt Ltd., a company linked to Karti.

Karti was arrested on his return from the United Kingdom in connection with the FIR lodged on 15 May. It alleged irregularities in the Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) clearance to INX Media for receiving overseas funds of about Rs 305 crore in 2007 when his father was Union finance minister.

The CBI initially alleged that Karti received Rs 10 lakh as bribe for the FIPB clearance. It, however, later revised the figure to $1 million (about Rs 6.50 crore at the current exchange rate and Rs 4.50 crore in 2007).

The fresh evidence in the case, which triggered Karti's arrest, was based on the statement of Indrani Mukerjea, former director of INX Media (P) Ltd, who recorded it under Section 164 of Code of Criminal Procedure before a magistrate on 17 February.

With inputs from PTIJammu and Kashmir police killed three militants in an encounter in Anantnag district of south Kashmir early on Monday, including TuM operative Eesa Fazli.

Srinagar: Jammu and Kashmir police killed three militants in an encounter in Anantnag district of south Kashmir early on Monday, including a dropout engineering student Eesa Fazli, who had joined Tehreek-ul-Mujahideen (TuM) in August last year.

He was seeking to establish an Islamic State (IS) network in Kashmir and had been posting videos and messages of the global militant outfit on social networking sites, espousing their ideology.

During the late night encounter, the police gunned down three militants  including Fazli, of the Soura area of Srinagar, and Syed Owais, of Kokernag. The identity of the third militant is yet to be ascertained. Police officials said that Owais was active with the Hizbul Mujahideen (HM) outfit over the last four months.

Director general of police SP Vaid said that Fazli was associated with the TuM militant outfit, but was "ideologically inclined to IS". "He was active on social networking sites and was fanning the ideology of the militant outfit."

Vaid said that unlike Hizbul, which has a higher strength of militants, the TuM militants were only a few in number.

Police officials said that Fazli, who had dropped out of the BTech course at the Baba Ghulam Shah Badshah University (BGBSU), was active with TuM. He was from a well-to-do family of Srinagar and his father is a principal in the education department. A top police source said that TuM has a strength of only four militants and that Fazli was in touch with its commander Dawood Mir, of HMT area of Srinagar, before he joined militancy.

Of nearly 250 militants who are presently active in Kashmir, around 60 percent are associated with Hizbul, a police official said, adding that "though we have launched many successful encounters this year, the number of militants remains high due to constant recruitment."

Earlier Fazli had also released a video calling upon the people of Kashmir to "wage a war" against "infidels" and asked them not to pin hope on global organisations like the United Nations. He had also quoted chapters of the Quran in the video to state that the people of Kashmir will gain victory in their fight "of holy war"

In another video, he had referred to the condition of Muslims in Syria, Iraq and Myanmar, saying that "atrocities were committed on Muslims" there. He had also called upon the youth to join militancy.

Fazli's ideological affinity was further revealed after the IS recently claimed responsibility for an attack on the residence of top Hurriyat leader Fazal Haq Qureshi. A policeman was killed as militants attacked the residence of the separatist leader at Soura in Srinagar and snatched away his service weapon. "Assassinated an element of police in firing near the city of Srinagar in Kashmir," Amaq News Agency of the IS had claimed.

A police spokesman pointed to the involvement of Fazli in the attack on the separatist leader's house. He said that among the militants killed was also the "one involved in a recent attack on a guard post at Soura in which one police constable" was killed. "In this connection, a case has been registered and an investigation has been started under the relevant provisions of the law by the police," he added.

Senior superintendent of police (SSP) Srinagar, Imtiyaz Ismail Parray, also confirmed that Fazli was the one who had carried out the attack on the security post.

Police officials said that of the global militant outfits, only Al-Qaeda has been able to establish itself in Kashmir through its affiliate Ansar Ghazwatul Hind, which is headed by Zakir Musa. Though IS flags were hoisted in different places by the Valley youth, police officials ruled out its presence in Kashmir. They added that Fazli may have been planning to claim an association with the IS.

Officials further said that Sunday's encounter revealed that militants are working in tandem, which is unlike the situation in the 1990s when each outfit worked independently. "Though Fazli was associated with the TuM, he was also moving around with Hizbul militants," said a police official, adding that the "trend of militants now working in tandem has become more common."

Police officials said that they pursued "credible leads of the presence of militants" in Hakoora area of Anantnag district and immediately started a cordon. "While the search was going on, the hiding militants fired upon the search party. The fire was retaliated by the security forces, ensuing an encounter. In the said encounter, three militants were killed. In the process, arms and ammunition, which include AK-47 rifles, pistols, hand grenades etc were recovered from the encounter site while in the incident no collateral damage has taken place," a police official said.

Senior superintendent of police Anantnag, Altaf Ahmad Khan, said that the encounter started late in the night after forces launched a cordon by acting on specific information. "We cordoned off a house in which the militants were holed up. We had specific information about the presence of militants in a particular house and we switched on all the lights, hoping that militants would understand that they are under cordon. But they tried to break the cordon and got killed in the shootout."

He said that the firefight lasted for only 15 minutes, adding that, "We are investigating whether the house was used a permanent hideout by the militants."The Supreme Court on Thursday set aside the May 2017 Kerala High Court order annulling the marriage of Hadiya and Shafin Jahan.

The Supreme Court on 8 March set aside the May 2017 Kerala High Court order annulling the marriage of Hadiya and Shafin Jahan. The decision of the top court came as a huge relief for the 25-year-old Hadiya and her husband.

The Supreme Court had said that Hadiya was at absolute liberty to choose whom to marry. Days after the top court's decision, Hadiya addressed a press conference and told the media that the entire fuss was over her embracing Islam. "I did not convert to Islam because I wanted to get married. I converted because I believe in Islam," Hadiya said on Monday.

"The legal battle has been ongoing for the past two years and I have finally got justice. My fight started since the day they (parents) took me under house arrest. The torture I went through hasn't been discussed enough," Hadiya said.

#LIVE - I have been fighting for my freedom and that's why I had to approach nothing less than the Supreme Court: Hadiya. #LoveDefeatsJihad pic.twitter.com/00zfV9Ll9B  News18 (@CNNnews18) March 12, 2018

Hadiya said she is happy that she got freedom. "I approached Supreme Court for two things. One, I want to live as a Muslim and second, I want to live with my partner, " Hadiya said.

The 25-year-old woman said she is 100 percent sure that she did not do anything wrong and something like her being locked up in her own house should not happen to anyone. She also thanked all those who have been fighting for her saying that she was not aware of the fight during her house arrest.

She said Constitution gives you the right to chose your religion and who to marry and because it was about her freedom, she chose to directly appeal to the apex court. Hadiya further said that a lot of people told her not to behave like that with her parents but circumstances did not leave her with an option. "I love my parents a lot and I don't intend to leave them or anger them," Hadiya said.

Looking back at the two years of struggle, Hadiya said that she should have been studying those two years and she had never thought that she would be able to sit like this and speak to the media.

On 8 March, a bench of Chief Justice Dipak Misra, Justice AM Khanwilkar and Justice DY Chandrachud said: "Hadiya alias Akhila Asokan is at liberty to pursue her future endeavours according to law." but also said the National Investigation Agency (NIA) would continue its probe into the criminal dimension of the case, if any.

With inputs from agencies.Over 35,000 farmers from across Maharashtra, who embarked on a `Long March' from Nashik on 6 March to press their various demands, arrived in Mumbai on Sunday.

Over 35,000 farmers from across Maharashtra, who embarked on a 'Long March' from Nashik on 6 March to press their various demands, arrived in Mumbai on Sunday.

The government reached out to farmers, promising to meet their demands, but farmers' leaders said they will press on with Monday's protest at the Vidhan Bhavan (Legislature Complex). The farmers, led by Left-affiliated All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS), are demanding, among other things, proper implementation of the Maharashtra government's loan waiver scheme.

Braving scorching heat, they have covered around 180-kilometre on foot in six days. The protesters stayed the night at the Somaiya ground in suburban Chunabhatti in Mumbai, and set out for Vidhan Bhavan in south Mumbai, where the Budget Session is underway. Though a Bombay High Court order restricts any protests or marches near the Legislative Assembly House area, the farmers on Sunday seemed determined to carry out their march to the Vidhan Bhavan.

As the march reached suburban Vikhroli, the group of farmers  comprising both men and women  extended for almost three kilometres.

The farmers' demands

"We will gherao (lay siege to) the Vidhan Bhavan on Monday to demand a complete loan waiver, fair price for farm produce, implementation of the Swaminathan Commission's recommendations, compensation for hailstorm-affected farmers among other things," Kisan Gujar, president of the state council of AIKS, said.

"Today, our number is over 35,000. Over 20,000 farmers from other parts of the state will join on Monday," he said, adding the farmers were also protesting against land acquisition for projects such as high-speed railway and super-highways. "Though we have been approached by the government officials advising us not to stay near the Vidhan Bhavan for long, everything will depend on how the government deals with our demands," Gujar told PTI.

Complete loan waiver and profit of 1.5 times input cost for all major agriculture commodities are the major demands of the AIKS. The agitating farmers are also demanding compensation of Rs 40,000 per acre for destruction of crops due to hailstorm and pink-worm, allocation of forest land under cultivation to farmers and implementation of Forest Rights Act.

Government response

Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis has called a meeting of officials on Monday to discuss issues plaguing farmers in Maharashtra. The meeting is expected to look into the demands of the farmers. Water Resources Minister Girish Mahajan, who is also guardian minister for Nashik district, met the farmers' leaders in Mulund as the march entered Mumbai, and assured that most of their demands will be met. "The Chief Minister (Devendra Fadnavis) has sent me to meet you. Most of your demands will be met. We will take a delegation to the chief minister," Mahajan said, addressing the protesters.

Ajit Nawale of the AIKS, however, dismissed the overture. "The days of living on assurances have passed. Unless the government gives us something concrete, commits itself in writing, we will march towards the Vidhan Bhavan on Monday," he said. As a stream of people flowing in to join the march, the number of protesters will go up to 55,000- 60,000 figure when it will reach the destination, he added.

Support from various political parties

Opposition Congress, NCP, Raj Thackeray-led Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) and AAP, as well as ruling ally Shiv Sena have extended support to the farmers' march, Patidar leader from Gujarat Nikhil Sawani, who joined the march, said his community supported the protesters.

Senior Shiv Sena leder and cabinet minister Eknath Shinde and Yuva Sena (Shiv Sena's youth wing) chief Aditya Thackeray also greeted the protesters in suburban Vikhroli. Thackeray said the Shiv Sena stood "shoulder to shoulder" with farmers in their struggle. It was wrong to say that farmers were demanding loan waiver, as they are not criminals that they should need a `waiver', Aditya said, adding "farmers are fighting for `freedom from debt'." As so many farmers have marched to Mumbai despite the government's grand loan waiver, Sena leaders have demanded to see the list of actual beneficiaries of the scheme, he said.

Government in fix over farmers' demands across the country

In June 2017, similar protests had boiled over most parts of the state, forcing the Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis-led government to announce a conditional Rs 34,000 crore loan waiver, which farmers said has not been implemented properly.

Similar demands of loan waiver and 50 percent profit over the input cost have been made by farmers across the country, putting the BJP-led central government in a fix.

With inputs from agencies

Click here for LIVE updates on the farmers' marchMaharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis said that the government held discussions with farmers before they began their protest. But a key CPM leader claims otherwise.

Protesting farmers in Maharashtra have hit national headlines in the past three days, and as they took their agitation to Mumbai, the issue raised political temperatures. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, speaking in the Legislative Assembly on Monday, had said that when the protest march was about to begin, water resources minister Girish Mahajan had held discussions with the farmers. However, CPM MLA and farmer leader Jiva Pandu Gavit has refuted Fadnavis' claim, and suggests that the state government did not heed the protests in time.

Gavit, the lone CPM MLA in Maharashtra from Kalvan constituency, has been elected to the state's Legislative Assembly seven times. He has also been at the forefront of the farmers' protest. The CPM-affiliated All India Kisan Sabha has organised the protests.

Speaking to Firstpost, he said, "I got a call from Girish Mahajan on Friday (9 March), when he asked me to join him in a meeting with the chief minister to discuss the issue. The chief minister asked us what our demands are, and asked us not to take the protest march to Mumbai. This was on account of the class ten examinations which are going on. However, by then, the march was already very much on its way."

Gavit met the chief minister on 9 March, at which time he submitted a letter encapsulating the farmers' demands. It was only after this that the administration swung into action, and the chief minister's office on the same day issued a directive to the Collectors of Thane, Palghar, Ahmednagar and Nashik districts to attend a meeting at Vidhan Bhavan in Mumbai on 12 March. Firstpost has accessed documents in this regard.

The protest, which has been called by the Kisan Morcha, began its journey from Nashik  about 170 kilometres from Mumbai  on Tuesday, 6 March.

"The All India Kisan Sabha had stated earlier that it would organise a march which would start on 6 March. However, the government at that time did not listen to our demands, or attempt to get in touch with us. It was only on Friday, after the issue of agitating farmers became viral on social media, that the government asked us what our demands were," he said.

Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) supremo Sharad Pawar said, "The BJP never had a soft corner for farmers and lacks humanity in this regard, as is evident from the implementation of the loan waiver. Why is it that the government agreed to discuss the demands of the farmers only after they walked all the way from Nashik to Mumbai?"

When the march left from Nashik, it comprised of about 30,000 people. However, as it passed through the towns of Kasara, Shahpur, Bhiwandi and Thane, the numbers swelled to about 50,000. Many of them have not received the benefit of schemes intended to relieve agrarian distress, as they owned no land. Further, even if the government intends to pass a law for transfer of forest land to tillers, this law may not come through soon.

Farmer leaders Gavit, Ajit Navale and Ashok Dhawale did not want a repeat of the sequence of events of June 2017  when they were called for a meeting at the chief minister's residence 'Varsha' and an announcement about an agreement being reached was made at about 5 o'clock in the morning.

The last time Maharashtra saw a vociferous protest by farmers was in the summer of 2017. The protest was followed by the Maharashtra government's announcement of a historic farm loan waiver scheme. The waiver was expected to cost the exchequer Rs Rs 34,022 crore and benefit 89 lakh farmers. However, as Firstpost has extensively reported, the farm loan waiver scheme has been plagued by mismatches of data of beneficiaries and delays.

The protest has now drawn to a close, as farmers have received a written assurance from Fadnavis and the government agreed to look into some of their requests, while promising time-bound action on some of them. The chief minister has assured them that the issue of implementation of the Forest Rights Act will be expedited and that pending suits and appeals under the law will be disposed of within six months.

The government has also modified the farm loan waiver scheme to include farmers who had taken loans in the year 2008. Presently, the benefits of the scheme extend to farmers who had taken loans in or after 2009.

The protesters have sought a complete and unconditional loan waiver, ensure implementation of minimum support price and implementation of recommendations of the Swaminathan Commission and the Forest Rights Act 2006.It is fitting that it is Maharashtra, a state Professor K Nagaraj described in his seminal study in 2008, as the graveyard for farmers that should witness a massive outpouring of anguish and defiance from the farming community.

It is fitting that it is Maharashtra, a state Professor K Nagaraj described in his seminal study in 2008, as the graveyard for farmers that should witness a massive outpouring of anguish and defiance from the farming community. If cities and people along the way from Nashik, where this mobilisation began last week, rose to welcome the marchers, all the reports painting the tragedy of their situation have not been in vain. Going beyond the colour and mood of the march is the brutal reality of what has prompted them to walk the 180-odd kilometres to Mumbai from Nashik, a city that witnessed unprecedented protests last year by farmers who thought nothing of throwing milk on the street or leaving vegetables to rot in scorn over their deflationary pricing.

When Professor Nagarajs study analysed suicides in the farming community a decade ago, he found that the problem was particularly acute and distressing in Maharashtra. In the period 1997-2006, every fifth farm suicide in the country occurred in the state and in 2006, it was every fourth farm suicide. Figures analysed from the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) from 1995 to 2015 (the latest available) indicate that nearly 70,000 farmers have killed themselves in this state (of the over 3,00,000 in India), the highest number in the country and it is only increasing. Suicides form the tip of an unrelenting agrarian crisis, not tempered by loan waivers or other sops that the government has directed to address the problem.

The state government or the centre is not exactly unaware of the monumental neglect of the farming community and right from the Ninth five-year plan there are ominous warnings of an impending disaster. Yet the government was unwavering in its path of opening up the economy and exposing farmers to volatile global pricing and reducing the subsidies on farming. Investment in the rural sector declined and rural credit is now in a sorry state. Costs of production have spiralled while prices have not matched them and the farmer in Maharashtra, as also in other states, cannot sustain year after year of being subject to erratic monsoon, debt and poor prices.

Instead of addressing the gravity of the situation, governments have stepped in to deny farm suicides, and the NCRB too changed the criteria of farm suicide in its data of 2014 and 2015 to show shrinking number of suicides by adding new heads of data collection. After Professor Nagarajs report, the Maharashtra government appointed a committee headed by the economist Dr Narendra Jadhav to weather the storm but he too was forced to agree that the situation was indeed grim. He also said that despite the two relief packages there was no respite from suicides till 2007.

With its high per capita income, Maharashtra has been considered among the most progressive states in India, if you discount its rural sector. The crisis in agriculture in the state has been extensively studied by many and the National Commission on Farmers (NCF) in its detailed and multi-volume reports (2004-2006) had made several recommendations: one of which is the main demand of the agitating farmers in Mumbai. The NCF had recommended the minimum support price to be 50 percent above the cost of production. Some vague promise has been made by the central government in its current budget, but many of NCFs suggestions were not implemented and are gathering dust.

Everything else can wait but not agriculture, said Jawaharlal Nehru famously but it has been the longest wait for a sector which still forms the bulk of employment, and has still a modest though declining share in the Gross Domestic Product. In a 2007 report, the Ministry of Finance had already cautioned about the gradual withdrawal of the state from active participation in development activities. It spoke of the sharp decline in public investment in agricultural infrastructure in general and in agricultural science and technology in particular, leading to the deterioration of rural infrastructure, stagnation of agricultural research and development, and neglect of extension services.

Millions of main cultivators have left farming by 2011 and the total workforce (CACP 2016) in agriculture in 1999-2000 was 60 percent which declined to 49 percent in 2011-12. In absolute terms, the agricultural workforce declined by 31 million from 2004-2005 to 2011-12. The government often complains about how unviable farming has become. Of course, it has. First, you starve the rural sector of funds and then you make the farmer dependent for everything on the private sector right from seeds to fertilisers and deprive her of institutional credit. Even the terms of credit are so skewed that the maximum number of loans are given in metropolitan regions in what is described as an urbanisation of agricultural credit in a study.

The share of direct credit to agriculture from urban or metropolitan branches was 41 per cent in Maharashtra, according to Ramakumar and Chavan in 2014. For a state reeling under a severe agrarian crisis this reflects institutional apathy beyond anything else. Considering that farmers are crying hoarse for credit elsewhere and not getting it, such changes in policy only twist the knife deeper. A large number of farmers still depend on money lenders and informal systems as banks more often than not fail them.

In 2013, Maharashtra had 57.3 percent indebted households or 4,067, 200 of the total 7,097, 000 agricultural households, while the figure for all India was 51.9 percent. Average family incomes of farmers nationally were Rs 6,000 odd a month, NSSO 2014 said. In addition returns for crops in the state are also less and especially in the Vidarbha region where cotton is monocropped, the returns are among the lowest in the country. Any wonder then that farmers are killing themselves or barely managing to survive. In a situation where they are floundering without state support, they have everything to gain by a public show of strength. Since 2016, farmers protests have gained momentum all over the country and not without reason. They have endured beyond the limits of human tolerance.

Meena Menon is an independent journalist and authorNirmala Sitharaman confirmed that she will be visiting neighbouring China soon, months after a period of tension where troops from the two nuclear-capable nations were involved in a standoff near the border in Sikkim sector

New Delhi: Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Monday confirmed that she will be visiting neighbouring China soon, months after a period of tension where troops from the two nuclear-capable nations were involved in a standoff near the border in Sikkim sector.

"Yes, it's going to be probably in late April," Sitharaman said in response to questions from media persons on the sidelines of a seminar here.

She, however, added that the agenda is yet to be finalised.

The defence ministry had last week denied that the minister was going to visit China.

China tried to build a road in a territory claimed by Bhutan in June last year and was stopped by India, resulting in a 73-day standoff at the India-China border in Sikkim sector.

The standoff started on 16 June and both sides announced disengagement on 28 August.

The standoff had led to tension between the two nuclear-armed nations, and during a meeting between External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and her Chinese counterpart Wang Yi in December, India had stressed that peace along the India-China border is a pre-requisite for strong bilateral relations.

Wang had also admitted that the standoff had put a "severe" strain on bilateral ties.

In December, Indian National Security Adviser Ajit Doval and Chinese State Councillor and Member of Central Committee of Politburo of the Communist Party of China Yang Jiechi held the 20th Meeting of Special Representatives of India and China on border issues.

The two sides later called the talks "positive and focused" and also agreed to seek "mutually acceptable resolutions of their differences with due respect for each other's sensitivities, concerns and aspirations".Devendra Fadnavis said on Monday that the government is positive and sensitive towards the demands of the farmers.

The Azad Maidan in south Mumbai turned into a sea of red on Monday morning as thousands of farmers, carrying red flags, converged after walking for around 180 kilometres from Nashik district over the last six days.

Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis, making a statement on the floor of the Maharashtra Assembly, said that his government was "sensitive and positive" towards the demands of farmers and tribals.

"Around 90 to 95 percent of the participants are landless. Many of them have not been able to avail of forest land rights and thus have not been able to become farmers at all. However, problems faced by farmers are also there to a large extent. The government is sensitive and positive towards their demands," the chief minister said.

Fadnavis was responding to a discussion in the Assembly, initiated by Leader of Opposition Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil, who lauded the farmers participating in the 'Kisan Long March' for their peaceful protest while demanding a complete loan waiver and compensation for hailstorm and pink bollworm pest attack on crops.

'Urban Maoists behind protests'

Meanwhile, speaking outside the Parliament, BJP MP Poonam Mahajan stoked controversy when she said that the protests happening in Mumbai were fuelled by "urban Maoists".

Speaking to CNN-News18, Mahajan said: "They (farmers) are holding the flag of Communists, and urban Maoists are misguiding them,"

"If you have seen this march, it is a big and peaceful march, with farmers holding a communist flag. They've all come from northern Maharashtra. With respect to all this, what do all these farmers want? They have accepted the loan waiver has happened. When the chief minister sits with the farmer leaders, they'll sort out the issues," Mahajan said.

Ruckus ensued in the Maharashtra Assembly on Monday morning ahead of Fadnavis' meeting with the AIKS leaders. Security has been heightened to ensure there is no untoward incident.

In a first reaction since the farmers' protest began, Congress chief Rahul Gandhi said that the farmers' problem was not just restricted to Maharashtra, it panned across India. ANI quoted Rahul as saying: "This is not an issue of Maharashtra farmers alone but of farmers all over India."

This is not an issue of Maharashtra farmers alone but of farmers all over India: Congress President Rahul Gandhi on All India Kisan Sabha protest in #Maharashtra (file pic) pic.twitter.com/wPcdqYSct0  ANI (@ANI) March 12, 2018

"The mammoth farmers' march is an example of people's power. Congress stands with farmers protesting against government apathy," Gandhi said, while appealing to Modi and Fadnavis to accept their demands.

The mammoth #FarmersMarchToMumbai is a stunning example of peoples power. The Congress party stands with the Farmers & Tribals marching to protest against the Central & State Govts. apathy. I appeal to PM Modi and the CM to not stand on ego and to accept their just demands.  Office of RG (@OfficeOfRG) March 12, 2018

"There'll be a meeting with farmers at 1 pm. I think we'll give solutions for 80-90 percent of their issues. We're serious about the demands including loan waiver & will come up with best decisions. Written assurance will be given for accepted demands," Girish Mahajan, Maharashtra minister said.

The representatives of the Maharashtra farmers morcha led by All India Kishan Sabha (AIKS) are set to meet Chief Minister Devender Fadnavis at 2 pm. According to News18, the farmers will take a call after the meeting on whether to march towards the state Assembly or not.

Apart from opposition parties, Shiv Sena, a partner in the ruling BJP-led coalition, too has vocally supported the agitation. MNS chief Raj Thackeray and Shiv Sena leader Aaditya Thackeray met the farmers on Sunday.

'Fadnavis' statement a lie'

Farmer leader Ashok Dhawle has said that the government is trying to discredit the protest, and called Fadnavis statement that most protestors are tribals a "lie".

Even after having walked for nearly a week over 180 kilometres, farmers on Monday remained tireless in their efforts to achieve what they came for. Speaking to Hindustan Times, a farmer from Beed, Parshuram Gaikwad said, "We will not move from the state legislature building until our demands are met. There is no way anyone will back out after reaching so close to the destination. Yes, we are tired and our legs have swollen, but we will complete the walk.

The report quoted AIKS general secretary Ajit Nawale as saying: "This is not a political issue. The government must respect farmers. We have marched more than 100 kilometres and will go back only when all our demands are fulfilled.

Over 35,000 farmers from across Maharashtra, who embarked on a 'Long March' from Nashik on 6 March to press their various demands, arrived in Mumbai on Sunday. The government reached out to farmers, promising to meet their demands, but farmers' leaders said they will press on with Monday's protest at the Vidhan Bhavan (Legislature Complex).

The farmers, led by Left-affiliated All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS), are demanding, among other things, proper implementation of the Maharashtra government's loan waiver scheme.

With inputs from agencies.Protesting farmers reached Mumbai's Azad Maidan by 5.10 am on Monday morning, after walking through the night. They will set out for the state Assembly later in the day.

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The Kisan long march has entered its 6th day on Sunday. 35000 farmers have left from Thane. Around 15000 more are likely to join them on Sunday.. They will be spending the night at Somaiya ground in Chunabhatti. They plan to encircle the Assembly on Monday.

Mumbai Police has made elaborate security and traffic arrangements for Sunday as well as Monday. The march, on Saturday, caused massive snarls on roads connecting Thane and Mumbai to Nashik on Saturday, according to The Times of India .

The Shiv Sena has extended support to the farmers' 'long march' currently underway against the BJP government, organisers said on Saturday. Ajit Nawale of the All India Kisan Sabha, which has organised the march, told PTI that senior Shiv Sena leader and PWD minister Eknath Shinde met protesting long march leaders when it entered Thane on Saturday.

When the march began from Nasik - 170 km from Mumbai - the farmers participating were mainly from Nasik. As the days have progressed, the crowd has diversified with farmers from every region participating.

The demands and priorities of the farmers vary from region to region. The ones from Nasik are mainly from the tribal belt, who do not own the farmland in spite of tilling it for generations. Their land comes under forest department, they feel they're at their mercy.

Most of the farmers are wearing red caps and holding up red flags with the sickle and hammer symbol

Akhilesh Singh, Deputy Commissioner of Police told The Hindu that adequate personnel have been deployed along the Eastern Express Highway, which the farmers will be using on Sunday morning to march to Sion. The police has also asked several companies of the State Reserve Police Force and Riot Control Police to be on standby.

Some of the farmers taken to hospital after they fell unconscious

The cotton farmers from Vidarbha and Marathwada have been hit by badly bollworm. Farmers who have lost lakhs of rupees because of it have joined the march.

The Eastern Express Highway, southbound from Anandnagar toll plaza to the Somaiya ground, will remain closed on Monday for heavy and goods vehicles from 9 am to 11 pm, Mumbai Police said in its advisory. These vehicles will alternately be diverted via Kalwa, Airoli, Vashi Creek and Vitava.

Farmers cultivating horticulture have participated because of the fall in price. Overall demands remain blanket loan waiver, enforcement of Swaminathan commission and pension for farmers.

Many political parties have extended their support to the farmers' march seeing its political significance. NCP leader Dhananjay Munde is expected arrive in Mumbai on to support the long march.

Farmers have left their work behind, carried food with them and are walking on their own expenses. Several of them are senior citizens. Some of them are bare feet. Some injured themselves on their way but that hasn't stopped them.

There are cries on social media questioning the legitimacy of the march because it's organised by Akhil bharatiya Kisan Sabha, farmers' collective of the communist party of India. But the ones marching behind the Left leaders are ordinary farmers.

Protesting farmers leave work behind, participate in march on their own expenses

Some of the ministers are set to meet the leaders of the march. If the talks don't go well, it remains to be seen how Devendra Fadnavis government reacts to the march. Farmers are determined to encircle the state Assembly. Whereas police would probably be deployed to keep them away. Monday remains critical.

Even though the Bombay High Court has banned protests and morchas in the vicinity of Mantralaya, the Maharashtra government has asked Mumbai Police and law enforcement agencies to let them enter the city unhindered, according to The Tribune .

Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray will meet farmers participating in the Kisan Sabha long march on Sunday around 5 pm at Somaiyya ground. On Monday, around 9 am the farmers will start towards Azad Maidan. All major political parties, except BJP, have extended their support to the Kisan Sabha long march.

The protesting farmers are demanding transfer of forest land that they have been cultivating since generations in their name. They are also protesting against forceful acquisition of farm lands for development projects, said Xinhua . Farmers' organisations have been demanding compensation for crop damage.

Girish Mahajan, chief minister's representative and water resources and irrigation minister said on Sunday that the state government will look into the demands of the farmers. He said that the chief minister will definitely fulfil the demands. "The chief minister has called a meeting of government officials on Monday. The government will try to solve the impasse. We want this issue to be resolved," Mahajan said.

The government says it will look into the demands of the farmers

All India Kisan Sabha's protest march crosses the Thane Mulund check naka to reach Mumbai, ANI reports. Over 30,000 farmers are heading to Mumbai, demanding a complete loan waiver among other demands.

"Farmers in the state are reeling under the ripples of agrarian distress and they are under huge financial burden. The government has not done anything to provide them any relief. So they are left with no option but to express their anguish through the protest march," Nawale added.

These farmers will seek an answer from the government for the non- implementation of the demands that were promised by the government, Ajit Nawale, state general secretary of AIKS, said to IANS.

The farmers from All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS), who are participating in the march, are slated to will stage a protest outside the state legislative assembly in Mumbai on 12 March, demanding fair remuneration and loan waiver.

Maharashtra chief minister's representative Girish Mahajan spoke to AIKS state general secretary Ajit Nawale on Sunday afternoon and offered him an invitation to talk to the govt. After the talks, it has been decided that a delegation of farmers, lead by Nawale Dr Ashok Dhawale and a dozen other prominent farmers leaders will meet the govt after 10 am.

Nawale added that the agitators will halt at Somaiya Ground in Ghatkopar on Sunday night and resume protests at 9 am. Their route during the protests will take them from Ghatkopar to Sion, then to Dadar and Byculla, after which they will take the protest to JJ Flyover and end agitations at CST.

AIKS state general secretary Ajit Nawale said that the farmers' march and protests will continue on Monday even as a delegation will meet the Maharashtra government.

Protesting farmers from the CPM-led All India Kisan Sabha reached the Azad Maidan on Monday morning at 5.10 am. They had earlier arrived at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus. They are set to gherao the Vidhan Bhavan later on Monday.

The All India Kisan Sabha farmers resumed their march from the Somaiyya grounds at 2 am on Monday. "We don't want to create a problem for exam going students of 10th standard. We don't mind suffering more but we don't want our student to suffer," AIKS president Ashok Dhawale told Firstpost.

The agitating farmers are also demanding compensation of Rs 40,000 per acre for the destruction of crops due to hailstorm and pink bollworm, allocation of forest land under cultivation to farmers and implementation of Forest Rights Act.

The farmers are expected to march to the Vidhan Bhavan at 9 am on Monday to press the government to implement the recommendations of the Swaminathan Commission. According to IANS, complete loan waiver and profit of 1.5 times input cost for all major agriculture commodities are some of the other major demands of the AIKS.

According to CNN-News18, Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis will likely meet the protesting farmers at noon on Monday.

Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis appointed a six-member committee comprising BJP and Shiv Sena leaders to discuss the farmers' demands. The BJP members on the panel are Chandrakant Patil, Subhash Deshmukh, Pandurang Fundkar, Girish Mahajan, Vishnu Savra and one Shiv Sena MSRDC minister, Eknath Shinde.

Speaking to ANI, Amitesh Kumar, Joint Commissioner of Police (Traffic) said that there are no roads closed or diverted due to the ongoing farmers' protest in Mumbai. The protesting farmers are currently at Azad Maidan and set to head for the state Assembly today.

Speaking to CNN-News18, Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis' representative, Giriraj Mahajan said that nearly 80 to 90 percent of the farmers' demand will be fulfilled.

Traffic movement to be normal like any other day

Maharashtra farmers, who have now reached Azad Maidan after walking overnight from KJ Somaiyya ground in Sion, are reportedly dehydrated from travelling in the scorching sun for 30 kilometres on Sunday in Mumbai. There is a medical dispensary set up at Azad Maidan. Doctors who spoke to CNN-News18, said farmers were suffering from blood pressure and diarrhea.

The Shiv Sena said they are not going to let the state Assembly function on Monday until the farmers' demands are met.

According to NDTV , government sources said protesters will not be allowed to proceed to Vidhan Bhavan beyond Azad Maidan to meet Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis. Only a delegation of farmer leaders from the All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS) will be allowed to meet Fadnavis around noon. The Left-affiliated peasant organisation, which is leading the protests, said they are open to consider what the government offers them.

The agitating farmers are also demanding compensation of Rs 40,000 per acre for the destruction of crops due to hailstorm and pink bollworm, allocation of forest land under cultivation to farmers and implementation of Forest Rights Act.

The farmers from Maharashtra want to press the state government to implement the recommendations of the Swaminathan Commission. According to IANS, complete loan waiver and profit of 1.5 times input cost for all major agriculture commodities are some of the other major demands of the AIKS.

Security around the Vidhan Bhavan in Mumbai has been tightened as the AIKS-led farmers' march reached Azad Maidan on Monday morning, According to CNN-News18, tear gas shells have been kept ready. Though a Bombay High Court order restricts any protests or marches near the Legislative Assembly House area, the farmers on Sunday seemed determined to carry out their march to the Vidhan Bhavan.

The Mumbai civic body on Sunday stated that it will provide 20 mobile toilets at Azad Maidan, which will be increased at night time to 40 toilets. Furthermore, four water tankers will be put in place at the ground. Pay toilets near Azad Maidan and Mantralaya have been instructed to provide free services for two days.

Another group collected footwear for farmers who continued to walk in the scorching heat with blistered feet. We were shocked to see the farmers walk barefoot on the highway. Some of us removed our footwear and offered it to the women, while others decided to donate shoes the following day, said Nita Karnik, a resident who delivered 100 pairs of shoes.

As farmers, who have travelled from Nashik over 180 kilometres, reached Mumbai on Saturday, Mumbai residents did their bit to help them out. According to The Times of India , the Thane Matadata Jagran Manch provided nearly 500 kgs of food grains to peasants camped at the BMC octroi ground.

The representative of the Maharashtra farmers morcha led by All India Kishan Sabha (AIKS) will meet Maharashtra chief minister Devender Fadnavis at 11.30 am. According to News18 , the farmers will take a call after the meeting on whether to march towards the state Assembly or not.

WATCH: Sea of red at Azad Maidan with farmers interacting with their kisan leaders

Similar demands of loan waiver and 50 percent profit over the input cost have been made by farmers across the country, putting the BJP-led central government in a fix.

In June 2017, similar protests had boiled over most parts of the state, forcing the Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis-led government to announce a conditional Rs 34,000 crore loan waiver, which farmers said has not been implemented properly.

Speaking to Indian Express, poet Dharmarakshit from the group 'Yalgar' said, "Farmers are the bread-winners of the entire nation. It is time we supported their cause and show them solidarity. Our group has always supported the actions of those who have fought for what is right."

A group of 50 poets and artistes on Sunday joined the ongoing farmers' protest march in Mumbai, reported The Indian Express . Artists from groups such as 'Banned', Yalgar and Kalsangini joined the farmers at the KJ Somaiyya ground in Sion. They recited poems of popular Marathi reformers such as Anna Saheb Sathe and Vaman Dada Kardak.

Traffic police have been deployed across the city to ensure smooth movement of traffic. Amitesh Kumar, Joint Commissioner of Police (Traffic) told CNN-News18 that traffic is expected to flow normally on Monday, without any disruptions. He also added that security has been increased around the Assembly and Azad Maidan. Policemen are also on foot to ensure students attending their SSC Class 10 board exams are not inconvenienced in any way.

WATCH: Doctors talk about the problems farmers complained of in their march to Mumbai from Nashik

ANI quoted Rahul Gandhi as saying, "This is not an issue of Maharashtra farmers alone but of farmers all over India."

Not just issue for Maharashtra farmers, but farmers all over India, says Rahul Gandhi

Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis is set to meet the All India Kisan Sabha delegation at 2 pm, according to media reports. The farmers' delegation was earlier supposed to meet Fadnavis around noon on Monday morning but the meeting as been deferred due to the ongoing Assembly session.

WATCH: Farmers and protesters marching towards Azad Maidan at Kings Circle at 2 am on Monday

Speaking in the Vidhan Bhavan, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said the state is positive towards the farmers' demands. "The state is positive about demands of farmers. 95 percent of the protesters are tribals, so technically they are not farmers," he said.

As per an IndiaSpend report published in July 2017, the inflation-adjusted farm income per cultivator increased by only 0.44 percent a year in the five years leading up to 2015-16. The article, quoting a NITI Aayog report, said that since 1993-94, it rose 108.5 percent to Rs 44,207 in 2015-16.

In five years to 2015-16, real farm income per cultivator increased by 0.44% each year

Responding to Fadnavis' claim that 95 percent of the protesters are tribals and thus, not farmers technically, All India Kisan Sabha leaders said that it was an attempt on the part of the government to discredit the protests, reported CNN-News18.

Exhausted from walking from for nearly a week over 180 kilometres, farmers on Monday remained tireless in their efforts to achieve what they came for. Speaking to Hindustan Times , a farmer from Beed, Parshuram Gaikwad said, "We will not move from the state legislature building until our demands are met. There is no way anyone will back out after reaching so close to the destination. Yes, we are tired and our legs have swollen, but we will complete the walk.

'Tired, our legs swollen, but we will complete the walk,' say farmers before reaching Azad Maidan'

"If you have seen this march, a big and peaceful march, with farmers holding a communist flag and they've all come from northern Maharashtra. With respect to all this, what do all these farmers want? They have accepted the loan waiver has happened. When the chief minister sits with the farmer leaders, they'll sort out the issues," Mahajan said earlier.

Speaking to CNN-News18 outside the Parliament, BJP MP Poonam Mahajan said that the farmers' protest is fuelled by 'urban maoism'. "They (farmers) are holding the flag of Communists, and urban maoists are misguiding them," she said.

The farmers' delegation led by All India Kisan Sabha leaders reached the Maharashtra Assembly at 1 pm. They will be meeting Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis to discuss their demands and later take a call on if the protesters gathered at Azad Maidan should march to Vidhan Bhavan.

Fadnavis, who will shortly meet the representatives of farmers and tribals, assured the state assembly that the government was committed to resolving issues raised by farmers and tribals.

Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis told the Assembly that the state government was quite sensitive and positive towards the issues raised by thousands of farmers and tribals.

According to the Hindustan Times , AIKS general secretary Ajit Nawale said that there is no question of compromise. "This is not a political issue. The government must respect farmers. We have marched more than 100 kilometres and will go back only when all our demands are fulfilled.

'No question of compromise, will go back only when demands are fulfilled': Ajit Navale, Kisan leader

48-year-old protester from Ganeshgaon in Tryambak Taluka, Nathu Nivrutti Udar has a solar panel mounted on his head, to charge mobile phones, reported News18 . Father of two children, he said, "I got this panel for my house but when we decided to come here, I thought I should install this on my head, so that I can charge the panels and use it to charge farmers' phones."

According to ANI, Fadnavis said that the government has been positive in fulfilling demands. "Since the first day of the morcha, we tried to discuss various issues with them (farmers). Girish Mahajan was in touch with them from day one. But they were firm on taking out the march," he said.

Since Day 1 of morcha, tried to discuss issues with farmers, says Fadnavis

"They are farmers who need to be heard. Its unfortunate to be insensitive to those who feed us and put ideological cages on them. Im proud of my fellow Shiv Sainiks who are with them nursing their wounds, and voicing the farmers in the Assembly too, only seeing their need.," he tweeted.

Thackeray said that when he spoke to them, he did not see red flags but red blood. "Whichever the flag they carry, whoever their political hero, government has to hear them."

According to Talekar, the Mumbai roti-bank, of which the dabbawalas are an integral part, deploys GPS-tracked vans to collect excess food from eateries, hotels, public functions, and households, so that it can be distributed to the poor and hungry people.

Providing them food and water, dabbawalas between Dadar and Colabad collected food and water to deliver it to protesters as part of their 'roti bank' initiative, reported News18. Subhash Talekar, the spokesperson of Mumbai Dabbawala Association, said, "We thought about helping the farmers with food as they are our food-providers and have come from remote parts of the state. We asked our men working between Dadar (in Central Mumbai) and Colaba (South Mumnbai) to collect food and deliver it to our farmer brothers at the Azad Maidan."

The famous Dabbawalas of Mumbai and city residents came together on Monday to provide food for farmers and protesters who reached Azad Maidan on Monday.

The third factor is that it will generate a wave of sympathy from those in urban areas. A quick scan through one's Twitter feeds is enough to note that. Moreover, this agriculture crisis and the protests that follow thereafter could be a major challenge for BJP in the upcoming Assembly polls in agriculturally-dependednt Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan.

This can actually be detrimental for the Narendra Modi-led Centre and BJP government in Maharashtra, notes this Economic Times article . One of the reasons is that the issue is not manufactured out of thin air. The problem actually persists. Secondly, the report notes, it can instantly mobilise thousands into protests.

As of now, all opposition parties have thrown their weight behind the CPM-led All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS) and extended their support to the farmers' march, which reached Mumbai's Azad Maidan on Monday morning.

Farmers from Gujarat and Tamil Nadu also confirmed to News18 their plan to hold a mega rally in New Delhi.

Leaders of farmer associations across the country are planning to hold protests similar to those by Maharashtra farmers, culminating in a mega rally in April, reported News18 . The governments anti-farmer stand needs to be challenged. We will hold a rally for the same in Guwahati very soon. State farmer heads are in close collaboration and we are planning to hold a big protest in New Delhi sometime in April. Farmers from all over India will be present in that rally. ," said Akhil Gogoi, a Northeast-based farmer rights leader.

Maharashtra protest just the beginning, mega protest in New Delhi in April

The committee will comprise of Maharashtra Minister Chandrakant Patil, Agriculture Minister Pandurang Fundkar, Irrigation Minister Girish Mahajan, Tribal Development Minister Vishnu Savara, state cooperatives minister Subhash Deshmukh and Shiv Sena leader and PWD Minister Eknath Shinde.

The chief minister also announced forming a six-member ministerial committee to look into the protester's demands.

"Around 90 to 95 percent of the participants are poor tribals. They are fighting for forest land rights. They are landless and can't do farming. The government is sensitive and positive towards their demands."

Speaking in the Maharashtra Assembly over the farmers' protest, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said that a substantial number of those participating in the protests are landless tribals, whose main concern is forest rights and land rights.

According to ANI, a meeting between an all-party delegation and the farmers' leaders has started at the Vidhan Bhawan in Mumbai. The meeting is being chaired by chief minister Devendra fadnavis.

"I appeal to PM Modi and the CM to not stand on ego and to accept their just demands," Gandhi tweeted.

The Congress, he added, stands with the farmers and tribals marching to protest against the apathy of the central and state governments.

Congress president Rahul Gandhi today urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis to shed their egos and accept the "just demands" of the thousands of farmers and tribals protesting in Mumbai.

As politics over the political inclination of those protesting goes on, Mumbaikars have come out in support of the poor farmers who took a long march to reach Mumbai. City residents were seen offering 'Vada-pav' (a popular street snack), other food items and water to farmers last night. A Mumbai resident also posted on social media a picture of food and water being distributed to farmers. Reports also came that several people offered more comfortable footwear to those walking for miles in their chappals.

Right now, the CM is facing a Catch-22 situation. There is a massive farmer protest at a stones throw distance away from his office demanding a complete waiver of farm loans and electricity bills. If he agrees to that, the state will have to find the means to deliver. The exchequer is already on a weak ground after an additional Rs 20,000 crore borrowing to fulfill part of the Rs 34,000 crore farm loan waiver already announced post Yogi's announcement. Also, Fadnavis is running the risk of a situation wherein he may have to go for similar waivers in future as well whenever rains fail.

But subsequently, as the calls for loan waiver strengthened, agitations began not just in Maharashtra but in other agrarian states, Fadnavis failed to walk his talk and the chief minister failed to walk his talk as he was forced to follow the Yogi-way by announcing a Rs 30,000 crore loan waiver for Maharashtra farmers in June 2017.

If you look at the farm loan waiver issue in Maharashtra, one should be actually sympathetic to its 47-year-old Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis. He never wanted to do it in the first place and thought of better solutions to save farmers.

Devendra Fadnavis knew he was walking into political trap, there isn't easy escape now

The chief minister had faced backlash on this accord on social media as well.

Opposition leaders Vikhe Patil had said, "Why couldn't the government talk to them before the march began from Nashik on March 6. Such hardships for tribals and farmers could have been avoided."

"But they were adamant on the march. We tried to talk to them. All help was provided, like traffic management and deployment of medical vans," he said.

"When this protest march was about to begin, Girish Mahajan from the government side spoke to the farmers and tried to dissuade them from starting the protest march. The government tried to start a dialogue with the farmers but they were adamant to start a protest march," Fadnavis told the Assembly.

Reacting to criticism for 'making' farmers come this far to talk to the government and not meeting them half-way, Fadnavis said his government was in touch with the march organisers since 6 March.

Govt reached out to protesters from start, tried dissuading from march: Fadnavis on criticism over forcing farmers to take long march

One of the major demands being raised by the protesting farmers is to hasten up the already delayed roll-out of last years' farm loan package. According to a report in Livemint , as of 6 March, the state government has passed on Rs 13,782 crore as loan waivers to 35.68 lakh farmers out of a total 89 lakh farmers expected to benefit from the scheme.

Govt passed off benefits of loan waiver schemes to 35.68 lakh farmers out of a total 89 lakh eligible farmers

However, the scheme has been hobbled by technical glitches, mismatches in data and tussles in the bureaucracy.

The BJP-led government in Maharashtra announced its historic farm loan waiver scheme  titled the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Shetkari Sanman Yojana  on 22 June, 2017. The scheme was originally intended to benefit 89 lakh farmers. Chief Minister Fadnavis had estimated that the burden on the state exchequer on account of the scheme would be Rs 34,022 crore.

Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis drafted an ambitious plan to make the Rs 34,000 core farm loan waiver pilferage-proof by linking disbursal to Aadhaar numbers. However, Firstpost investigation shows how banks turned in such corrupted list of beneficiaries and their Aadhaar numbers that the entire disbursal mechanism collapsed. This caused needless delay in disbursals and put enormous pressure on the government to speed up the process, which they did by abandoning the Aadhaar-linkage.

Chief Minister Devendr Fadnavis took cognisance of the tribal people's demands for forest land rights, saying his government takes their concerns seriously. He assured the leaders that the government would try to resolve forest land related issues within six months. It also promised to form a special team headed by the chief secretary to look into the reverification of disputed or controversial land titles in tribal areas.

Ration cards in tribal areas have not been renewed or issued since years, therefore one of the demands of the protesters was to fix these concerns. The governmenr has reassured the farmers that new BPL ration cards will be issued within 6 months.

Many of the participants in the protests were either tribals, demanding implementation of Forest Land Rights Act 2006, or land tillers (not owners) who have no institutional credit to their name but suffer excruciatingly in case of a failed crop. Their demands included basic things such as new and renewed ration cards so that they can access the Public Distribution System, or imploring the government to fix data/ technical errors in the database of beneficiaries for government schemes such as Sanjay Gandhi Niradhar Yojna and Shravan Bal Yojna.

An outstanding majority of those who marched to Mumbai constituted of tribal people which brought to the fore a different edge to the agrarian crisis faced by rural Maharashtra. The agitation was less about farm loan waivers and more about drawing government attention to policy loopholes that have failed to help impoverished farmers of the state.

Central Railway will run two special trains from Mumbai's CSMT to Bhusawal at 8.50 pm and 10.00 pm on Mondya to send the agitating farmers back, ANI reported.

One of the major demands being raised by the protesting farmers is to hasten up the already delayed roll-out of last years' farm loan package. According to a report in Livemint , as of 6 March, the state government has passed on Rs 13,782 crore as loan waivers to 35.68 lakh farmers out of a total 89 lakh farmers expected to benefit from the scheme.

Govt passed off benefits of loan waiver schemes to 35.68 lakh farmers out of a total 89 lakh eligible farmers

However, the scheme has been hobbled by technical glitches, mismatches in data and tussles in the bureaucracy.

The BJP-led government in Maharashtra announced its historic farm loan waiver scheme  titled the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Shetkari Sanman Yojana  on 22 June, 2017. The scheme was originally intended to benefit 89 lakh farmers. Chief Minister Fadnavis had estimated that the burden on the state exchequer on account of the scheme would be Rs 34,022 crore.

Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis drafted an ambitious plan to make the Rs 34,000 core farm loan waiver pilferage-proof by linking disbursal to Aadhaar numbers. However, Firstpost investigation shows how banks turned in such corrupted list of beneficiaries and their Aadhaar numbers that the entire disbursal mechanism collapsed. This caused needless delay in disbursals and put enormous pressure on the government to speed up the process, which they did by abandoning the Aadhaar-linkage.

Chief Minister Devendr Fadnavis took cognisance of the tribal people's demands for forest land rights, saying his government takes their concerns seriously. He assured the leaders that the government would try to resolve forest land related issues within six months. It also promised to form a special team headed by the chief secretary to look into the reverification of disputed or controversial land titles in tribal areas.

Ration cards in tribal areas have not been renewed or issued since years, therefore one of the demands of the protesters was to fix these concerns. The governmenr has reassured the farmers that new BPL ration cards will be issued within 6 months.

We've had a positive meeting with farmers in which all their demands were discussed. They had around 12-13 demands out of which we've accepted some & will be giving them a written draft of it. I think they're satisfied with our decisions: Girish Mahajan, Maharashtra Minister pic.twitter.com/GPOksRFtuk

Many of the participants in the protests were either tribals, demanding implementation of Forest Land Rights Act 2006, or land tillers (not owners) who have no institutional credit to their name but suffer excruciatingly in case of a failed crop. Their demands included basic things such as new and renewed ration cards so that they can access the Public Distribution System, or imploring the government to fix data/ technical errors in the database of beneficiaries for government schemes such as Sanjay Gandhi Niradhar Yojna and Shravan Bal Yojna.

An outstanding majority of those who marched to Mumbai constituted of tribal people which brought to the fore a different edge to the agrarian crisis faced by rural Maharashtra. The agitation was less about farm loan waivers and more about drawing government attention to policy loopholes that have failed to help impoverished farmers of the state.

Central Railway will run two special trains from Mumbai's CSMT to Bhusawal at 8.50 pm and 10.00 pm on Mondya to send the agitating farmers back, ANI reported.

Mumbai farmers' protest latest updates: Farmers have called off the protests after written reassurance from Chief Minister Devendr Fadnavis. Fadnavis said that the government is sensitive to the issues raised by the tribal people and will try to resolve them in a time bound manner. The government is also arranging special buses to send back the protesters to their homes.

The famous Dabbawalas of Mumbai and city residents came together on Monday to provide food for farmers and protesters who reached Azad Maidan on Monday. Providing them food and water, dabbawalas between Dadar and Colabad collected food and water to deliver it to protesters as part of their 'roti bank' initiative, reported News18.

The Maharashtra Assembly witnessed ruckus on Monday as Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis addressed MLAs over the ongoing farmers' protest in Mumbai's Azad Maidan. The leaders of All India Kisan Sabha will meet Fadnavis today.

According to the Hindustan Times, AIKS general secretary Ajit Nawale said that there is no question of a compromise. "This is not a political issue. The government must respect farmers. We have marched more than 100 kilometres and will go back only when all our demands are fulfilled.

BJP MP Poonam Mahajan's attempt to call the Maharashtra farmers' protest driven by "urban maoists" resulted in angry remarks from protesters who said the BJP is disconnected from the farmers in the country.

The farmers' delegation led by All India Kisan Sabha leaders reached the Maharashtra Assembly at 1 pm. They will be meeting Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis to discuss their demands and later take a call on if the protesters gathered at Azad Maidan should march to Vidhan Bhavan.

Speaking outside the Parliament, BJP MP Poonam Mahajan stoked controversy when she said that the protests happening in Mumbai on Monday are fuelled by "urban maoists".

Speaking in the Vidhan Bhavan, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said the state is positive towards the farmers' demands. "The state is positive about demands of farmers. 95 percent of the protesters are tribals, so technically they are not farmers," he said.

Exhausted from walking from for nearly a week over 180 kilometres, farmers on Monday remained tireless in their efforts to achieve what they came for. Speaking to Hindustan Times, a farmer from Beed, Parshuram Gaikwad said, "We will not move from the state legislature building until our demands are met."

Responding to Fadnavis' claim that 95 percent of the protesters are tribals and thus, not farmers technically, All India Kisan Sabha leaders said that it was an attempt on the part of the government to discredit the protests, reported CNN-News18.

Ruckus ensued in the Maharashtra Assembly on Monday morning ahead of Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis meeting with the AIKS leaders at 1 pm. Security has been heightened to ensure there is no untoward incident.

In a first reaction since the farmers protest began, Congress chief Rahul Gandhi said that the farmers' problem was not just restricted to Maharashtra, it panned across India. ANI quoted Rahul as saying: "This is not an issue of Maharashtra farmers alone but of farmers all over India."

Speaking to Firstpost, doctors at Azad Maidan, Mumbai said that most farmers complained of vomitting, body ache, blistered feet, leg pain, after having walked for more than 180 kilometres from Nashik.

Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis is expected to meet the farmer leaders at the Vidhan Bhavan at 11.30 am on Monday. The city police has made heavy security arrangements to ensure there is no untoward incident.

The representatives of the Maharashtra farmers morcha led by All India Kishan Sabha (AIKS) are set to meet Chief Minister Devender Fadnavis at 11.30 am. According to News18, the farmers will take a call after the meeting on whether to march towards the state Assembly or not.

Security around the Vidhan Bhavan in Mumbai has been tightened as the AIKS-led farmers' march reached Azad Maidan on Monday morning, According to CNN-News18, tear gas shells have been kept ready.

Government sources said protesters will not be allowed to proceed to Vidhan Bhavan beyond Azad Maidan to meet Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis. Only a delegation of farmer leaders from the All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS) will be allowed to meet Fadnavis around noon.

Maharashtra farmers, who have now reached Azad Maidan after walking overnight from KJ Somaiyya ground in Sion, are reportedly dehydrated from travelling in the scorching sun for 30 kilometres on Sunday in Mumbai. Doctors who spoke to CNN-News18, said farmers were suffering from blood pressure and diarrhea.

Speaking to ANI, Amitesh Kumar, Joint Commissioner of Police (Traffic) said that there are no roads closed or diverted due to the ongoing farmers' protest in Mumbai. The police also cautioned travellers to not believe in rumours, on its Twitter handle.

According to CNN-News18, Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis will likely meet the protesting farmers at noon on Monday. The farmers are expected to march to the Vidhan Bhavan at 9 am on Monday to press the government to implement the recommendations of the Swaminathan Commission. According to IANS, complete loan waiver and profit of 1.5 times input cost for all major agriculture commodities are some of the other major demands of the AIKS.

Over 35,000 farmers from across Maharashtra, who embarked on a `Long March' from Nashik on 6 March to press their various demands, arrived in Mumbai on Sunday. By 5.10 am on Monday morning, they reached Azad Maidan, walking through the night.

Apart from opposition parties, Shiv Sena, a partner in the ruling BJP-led coalition, too has vocally supported the agitation.

The government reached out to farmers, promising to meet their demands, but farmers' leaders said they will press on with Monday's protest at the Vidhan Bhavan (Legislature Complex).

The farmers, led by Left-affiliated All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS), are demanding, among other things, proper implementation of the Maharashtra government's loan waiver scheme.

Braving scorching heat, they have covered around 180 kilometres on foot in six days.

The protesters halted at the Somaiya ground in suburban Chunabhatti on Sunday night, and will set out for Vidhan Bhavan in south Mumbai, where the Budget session is underway, on Monday.

"We will gherao (lay siege to) the Vidhan Bhavan (on Monday) to demand a complete loan waiver, fair price for farm produce, implementation of the Swaminathan Commission's recommendations, compensation for hailstorm-affected farmers among other things," Kisan Gujar, president of the state council of AIKS, said.

"(On Sunday) our number is over 35,000. Over 20,000 farmers from other parts of the state will join (on Monday)," he said, adding the farmers were also protesting against land acquisition for projects such as high-speed railway and super-highways.

"Though we have been approached by the government officials advising us not to stay near the Vidhan Bhavan for long, everything will depend on how the government deals with our demands," Gujar told PTI.

From the government's side, Water Resources Minister Girish Mahajan, who is also guardian minister for Nashik district, met farmers' leaders in Mulund as the march entered Mumbai, and assured that most of their demands will be met.

"The chief minister (Devendra Fadnavis) has sent me to meet you. Most of your demands will be met. We will take a delegation to the chief minister," Mahajan said, addressing the protesters.

Senior BJP leader and Finance Minister Sudhir Mungantiwar also assured that the chief minister will meet the protestors' delegation, and blamed the "apathetic" approach of past governments for the farmers' woes.

"Our government is committed to address all the grievances of farmers, which have accumulated due to the apathetic approach of the last several years...We are very sensitive towards farmers and two ministers (Tribal Development Minister Vishnu Savara and Mahajan) have already been asked to look into their demands," Mungantiwar told PTI.

Ajit Navale of the AIKS, however, dismissed the overture. "The days of living on assurances have passed. Unless the government gives us something concrete, commits itself in writing, we will march towards the Vidhan Bhavan," he said.

Senior Shiv Sena leder and cabinet minister Eknath Shinde and Yuva Sena (Shiv Sena's youth wing) chief Aditya Thackeray also greeted the protesters in suburban Vikhroli.

Thackeray said the Shiv Sena stood "shoulder to shoulder" with farmers in their struggle.

It was wrong to say that farmers were demanding loan waiver, as they are not criminals that they should need a `waiver', Aditya said, adding "farmers are fighting for `freedom from debt'."

As so many farmers have marched to Mumbai despite the government's grand loan waiver, Sena leaders have demanded to see the list of actual beneficiaries of the scheme, he said.

Opposition Congress, NCP, Raj Thackeray-led Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) and AAP, as well as ruling ally Shiv Sena have extended support to the farmers' march.

Patidar leader from Gujarat Nikhil Sawani, who joined the march, said his community supported the protesters.

As the march reached suburban Vikhroli, the phalanx of farmers  comprising both men and women  extended for almost three kilometres.

Joint Commissioner of Police (Law and Order) Deven Bharti said that adequate security arrangements had been made.

With inputs from PTIFrench President Emmanuel Macron on Monday enjoyed a boat ride with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the Ganga with a glimpse of the rich cultural heritage of the temple city of Varanasi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and French president Emmanuel Macron inaugurated the biggest solar power plant of Uttar Pradesh and took in the cultural sites and activities of Varanasi on the fourth day of Macron's visit.

The French president is on a maiden four-day visit to India, during which he held bilateral talks with Modi and called on external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj, signed a framework agreement on the Jaitapur Nuclear Power Project (JNPP), attended the founding conference of the International Solar Alliance (ISA) and visited the Taj Mahal.

Modi receives Macron in Varanasi

Modi received Macron and his wife in Varanasi on Monday, officials said. Flanked by Uttar Pradesh governor Ram Naik, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, public representatives and state government officials, Modi accorded a warm welcome to Macron as he alighted from his special Falcon aircraft at the Lal Bahadur Shastri International Airport.

Modi arrived at the airport in a special Indian Air Force (IAF) plane minutes ahead of the visiting foreign dignitary. After a while, both Modi and Macron flew in a chopper to Dadarkalan in Mirzapur, where they jointly inaugurated a solar power plant which has been built with the help of a French company.

Modi, Macron inaugurate UP's biggest solar plant

Modi and Macron then went on to inaugurate the biggest solar power plant of Uttar Pradesh in Mirzapur district. The 100 MW plant will be producing 75 MW electricity for the time being.

The two leaders unveiled the inaugural plaque in the presence of Union Minister Anupriya Patel, Adityanath and French first lady Brigitte Macron, besides others.

The power plant has been built at a cost of Rs 650 crore in Dadarkala over a stretch of 380 acres in the Vindhya mountain range. The plant has 1.18 lakh solar panels and the power produced from here will be transmitted to the Jigna Power sub-station of the power corporation.

Officials of the plant informed Modi and Macron that the generation of power will begin with the first sun rays and the plant will shut down with sunset. The plant has 3,18,650 solar plates with each plate having a generation capacity of 315 watts. The plant was completed in flat 18 months, an official told IANS. This power plant can feed 1.5 lakh households every day.

Walking the talk on green future for the world and towards fulfilling the target of 100 Gigawatt of electricity in India from solar energy by 2022 ! PM @narendramodi and President of France, @EmmanuelMacron jointly inaugurated the 100 MW Solar Power Plant at Mirzapur. pic.twitter.com/STfhmF9ewQ  Raveesh Kumar (@MEAIndia) March 12, 2018

"Walking the talk on green future for the world and towards fulfilling the target of 100 Gigawatt of electricity in India from solar energy by 2022! Narendra Modi and President of France, Emmanuel Macron jointly inaugurated the 100 MW Solar Power Plant at Mirzapur," MEA spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said after the inauguration.

French president gets a glimpse of cultural heritage in Varanasi

Macron enjoyed a boat ride with Modi on the Ganga with a glimpse of the rich cultural heritage of the temple city of Varanasi. Macron, who had spent time at the Taj Mahal with his wife Brigitte on Sunday, was given a traditional welcome with the showering of flower petals, a shehnai recital and chanting of mantras before he took a decked-up boat which ferried him, Modi and Adityanath between Assi and Dashwamedh ghats.

Le Taj Mahal appartient a lInde et a son histoire, histoire damour au cur du 17 siecle. Il dit la part des Moghols et de lislam, mais il temoigne aussi de la part duniversel qui a fait lInde et continue a le faire. Merci pour cette lecon de bonte, damour et duniversel. pic.twitter.com/jqoDJBlMQY  Emmanuel Macron (@EmmanuelMacron) March 11, 2018

People and school-leaders gathered in large numbers along the ghats waving flags of India and France while artistes enacted scenes from Ramleela and the episode of the first sermon by Lord Buddha to his five disciples.

Right from the open auditorium of the Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Trade Facilitation Centre to the ghats, artists put up an impressive show before Macron and Modi.

After reaching the DDU centre from the LBS International Airport, Macron visited the handloom and handicraft exhibition at the textile museum and enjoyed Chitrakoot, a play based on Hindu scripture Ramcharitmanas which was staged in the open auditorium. It showcased the life of Lord Ram during his 14-year exile.

Arriving to the tune of a 'shehnai' at the Deendayal Hastkala Sankul in Badalalpur, the French president evinced a keen interest in handicrafts and heritage of the culturally-rich city.

PM @narendramodi and President of France, @EmmanuelMacron at the Pt. Deen Dayal Upadhyay Hastkala Sankul - a trade facilitation centre for handicrafts in Varanasi - a platform for artisans and weavers to showcase their skills to the world. pic.twitter.com/3FZjlLdYOd  Raveesh Kumar (@MEAIndia) March 12, 2018

Accompanied by Modi, who explained to his guest the various craft forms, he was also shown as to how the world-renowned Banarsi sarees were weaved. The carpets of Bhadohi, which form another major industry of the region, also caught the interest of the visiting dignitary.

The two leaders also sat down briefly for a cultural troupe's display before leaving for their next destination. Couplets of the Ramcharitmanas were recited and Ramlila was staged at Tulsi Ghat. The Ram Rajyabhishek (anointment of Lord Ram) was performed by traditional artistes under the guidance of chief priest of Sankatmochan Temple, Vishwambhar Nath Mishra.

On reaching Assi Ghat, Macron was given a traditional welcome with the showering of petals, a shehnai recital and chanting of 'shukla yajurveda' mantras. He was shown the 'Pushpak Viman' as sounds of 'shankh' (conch shell) and 'damru' (pellet drum), and chants of 'Har Har Mahadev' reverberated through the air.

After boarding 'Bajra' boat for a 20-minute ride with the prime minister, Macron watched the episodes of Ramleela and recital of Ramcharitmanas by artistes while passing through Tulsi Ghat. At Prabhu and Chetsingh ghats, the episode of the first sermon by Lord Buddha to his five disciples was enacted.

Sailing together to a brighter future. A journey on river Ganges by PM @narendramodi and French President @EmmanuelMacron through civilizational heritage in the holy city of #Varanasi! India France dosti flows with vibrant energy. pic.twitter.com/EnXYxegmGW  Raveesh Kumar (@MEAIndia) March 12, 2018

Naga Sadhus with 'Bhasmi Shringar' were present at Akhada Sri Niranjini Ghat. Recital of Sant Kabir's poetries was done at Mansarovar Ghat and Banaras Gharanas' Kathak and classical instrumental music were performed at Pandey and Chausatti ghats. The folk music and dance performances were appreciated by Macron before the end of his boat ride at Dashaswamedh Ghat.

A 50-feet high cutout of Modi and Macron by local artists was put up at the Tulsi Ghat and posters dotted the city showing the two leaders waving, with Eiffel Tower and Varanasi ghat in the background. They carried the tagline 'welcome to the cultural capital of India'.

Paintings of Ganga ghats on the stairs leading to them were put up along with massive 'alpanas' (colourful motifs) using flowers and colours, prepared by the students of Kashi Vidyapeeth. Through the 'alpanas', an effort was made to project symbols of development works and the friendship between two countries.

Modi also flagged off a train service between Maduadih and Patna. He then held a public rally in Kashi, where he spoke of the various achievements of the Centre and the Adityanath-led Uttar Pradesh government.

"I am happy to be in Kashi and inaugurate development projects that will benefit the citizens," Modi said at the rally. " Our aim is to give homes to eight lakh families in Uttar Pradesh. The Yogi Adityanath has worked to provide houses to the poorest of the poor," he said, adding that work is happening quickly to develop Banaras as well. He also spoke of the defence manufacturing initiatives by the Centre and the UP government.

He also congratulated the state government for taking "special care" of farmers.

With inputs from agenciesFrench President Emmanuel Macron, who is on a four-day visit to India, inaugurated a solar plant in Uttar Pradesh' Mirzapur on Monday

French President Emmanuel Macron, who is on a four-day visit to India, inaugurated a solar plant in Uttar Pradesh's Mirzapur on Monday. Prime Minister Narendra Modi personally received the French president, who arrived at the Lal Bahadur Shastri International Airport in Varanasi by a special plane, earlier today.

Modi and Macron then travelled to Mirzapur where they inaugurated the 75MW solar plant on Monday.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi & French President #EmmanuelMacron inaugurate the Solar Power Plant in Mirzapur. pic.twitter.com/DVFy3BoPRa  ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) March 12, 2018

Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrives in Varanasi. He will attend multiple events in #UttarPradesh today. pic.twitter.com/5H7p1m74TH  ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) March 12, 2018

The two leaders are now expected to return to Varanasi. Macron and Modi are expected to visit the Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Trade Facilitation Centre at Bada Lalpur, where they will interact with artisans and watch a live demonstration of their crafts.

According to a report in The Indian Express, the duo is also expected to make a stop at the famous Assi Ghat, where they will enjoy a boat ride along the ghats of the Ganga, culminating at the Dashashwamedh Ghat.

The two leaders will then head to the Taj Hotel, where Modi will host a lunch for the French President, after which Macron will flag off a train between Maduadih Railway Station in Varanasi, and Patna.

Modi will also launch several development projects and address a public meeting at DLW Grounds in Varanasi, the report said. Macron is expected to return to Delhi after spending a few hours at the Taj Hotel on Monday.

Accompanied by his wife Brigitte Marie-Claude, Macron arrived in India on Friday night and was greeted by Modi at Delhis Indira Gandhi International Airport. Macron was also accompanied by his senior Cabinet ministers. Soon after Macron embarked from his plane at the Air Force Station Palam in West Delhi, Modi welcomed the French president with a warm hug.

On Saturday, the two countries announced that they would work together to ensure freedom of navigation in the Indian Ocean and inked an agreement to expedite the construction of India's Jaitapur nuclear power plant by a French company.

India and France also expanded their bilateral engagement to include talks on the issue of terrorism and decided to join hands in the fight against the menace.

"India and France have decided to work together to deal with threats of terrorism and radicalisation," Macron had said after his meeting with Modi. "Defence cooperation between the two countries now has a new significance," he added.

The French President inaugurated the International Solar Alliance (ISA) along with Prime Minister Modi on Sunday. The summit was attended by heads of 23 nations and 10 ministerial representatives.

A report in The Times of India said that Macron pledged over $860 million for solar projects in developing countries and praised India for its efforts in making the ISA a reality.

The French President lauded Indias efforts for leading the way in scaling up solar power generation capacity."India proves that it is possible. What you are in the process of succeeding in doing is being watched by the entire world," the French President was quoted as saying by The Times of India.

With inputs from PTIThe NIA on Monday raided the central jail in Srinagar and seized over two dozen mobile phones, jihadi literature and a Pakistani flag apart from data hardware, an official spokesman said

Srinagar: The NIA on Monday raided the central jail in Srinagar and seized over two dozen mobile phones, jihadi literature and a Pakistani flag apart from data hardware, an official spokesman said.

At least 20 teams of the central probe agency, with commandos of the NSG and drones in tow, searched the barracks and open ground of the high-security prison that houses some of the most wanted and dreaded terrorists, including those from Pakistan.

The searches, the spokesman said, were carried out in connection with an investigation over the arrest of two youths in Kupwara  Danish Ghulam Lone and Sohail Ahmed Bhat.

The two youths had claimed that the fresh recruits of Al-Badr, a proscribed terrorist organisation, were being sent across for arms training in furtherance of a conspiracy hatched from inside the Central Jail, Srinagar.

The searches started early morning and continued till late afternoon during which all the barracks and the open ground were thoroughly searched with the help of well-trained teams and deep search metal detectors.

A close watch was kept on the entire operation with the help of drones, the spokesman said.

During the search, 25 mobile phones, some SIM cards, five secure digital cards, five pen drives, one iPod and large number of documents and articles, including a poster of Hizbul Mujahideen, a Pakistani flag besides jihadi literature, were seized, he said.

The agency is also probing the escape of dreaded Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorist Mohammed Naveed Jhatt on 6 February from a busy hospital in Srinagar. It is believed that the conspiracy of his escape was hatched in the Srinagar central jail.

The spokesman said that the teams was accompanied by magistrates, witnesses and doctors.The government on Monday said it is enhancing military infrastructure including surveillance facilities along the borders with China and Pakistan in view of threat perception.

New Delhi: The government on Monday said it is enhancing military infrastructure including surveillance facilities along the borders with China and Pakistan in view of threat perception.

Replying to a question in Rajya Sabha, Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said a "holistic review" of the military modernisation programme has been undertaken along the borders.

"A holistic review of our infrastructural development and military modernisation programme has been undertaken along the borders, keeping the threat perception in view," she said.

The defence minister said new surveillance assets are being installed besides deploying unmanned aerial vehicles and Advanced Integrated Obstacle Systems.

"Indian government is fully seized of the military (and) security needs of the country in the border areas, and steps, as required, have been undertaken for strengthening the forces," she said.

Meanwhile, to a separate question Minister of State for Defence Subhash Bhamre said a policy for permanent commissioning of women officers in law and education and naval constructors' branch has been finalised.

"In Navy, the policy for setting up of Permanent Commission for women officers in Law and Education and Naval Constructors branch has been finalised," he said.

In sync with existing policy, he said women officers have not been inducted in direct combat role in the army. "Women officers in the Indian Navy are employed in combat, combat support and support roles. In their capacity as pilots and observers onboard maritime reconnaissance aircraft, women are being employed in a combat role," he said.

Bhamre said in case of Indian Air Force, the government had issued prospective policies for grant of permanent commission to women officers in certain branches whereas in the army, a policy for grant of permanent commission to women officers is yet to be finalised.

Asked about privatisation in defence production, he said 348 licenses to 210 Indian companies for the manufacture of various defence items were approved till February.

"Till February 2018, 70 companies covering 114 licenses have reported commencement of production," he said.

To another question on whether any corporate which has contributed to non-performing assets of the banks are being allowed in defence manufacturing sector, Bhamre said such details are "not collected and maintained".Indian Youth Congress (IYC) members on Monday staged protests in several areas of the city in support of students who are sitting on a strike against the alleged paper leak of a Staff Selection Commission (SSC) exam.

New Delhi: Indian Youth Congress (IYC) members on Monday staged protests in several areas of the city in support of students who are sitting on a strike against the alleged paper leak of a Staff Selection Commission (SSC) exam.

The Congress' youth wing also supported the demand of the agitating students for a CBI probe into the alleged paper leak.

According to the Indian Youth Congress (IYC), protests were held by its members in Lajpat Nagar, Piragadhi, Bardarpur Boarder, ITO and other areas.

"It has been more than 14 days that the young students have camped outside the SSC office complex seeking justice from the government... However, Indian Youth Congress stands by all those students who have been affected by this scam," IYC's national spokesperson Amrish Ranjan Pandey said in a statement.

Students have been protesting outside the Staff Selection Commission's office at Lodi Road for around two weeks against alleged paper leak of SSC exam.

Hitting out the Centre, Pandey in the statement said, "The government has stooped to such low levels that in order to stop these students from protesting, they have taken away all basic necessities from around the place where the protest is going on.

"The rest rooms for females have been removed, yet these petty obstructions are not going to hold back the youth of India," he said.

The statement also stated, "The Indian Youth Congress in its protest want to lend a sympathetic hand to these aspirants and also want to convert that 'we are with you in this fight for justice'."Thirty seven people, mostly students, were trapped in a forest fire while on a trekking expedition at Kurangani forest, near Bodi, in Theni district of Tamil Nadu.

Chennai: Thirty seven people, mostly students, were trapped in a forest fire while on a trekking expedition at Kurangani forest, near Bodi, in Theni district of Tamil Nadu on Sunday. Helicopters of the Indian Air Force (IAF), along with 100 others from local police and forest department, were pressed into rescue efforts after chief minister K Palaniswamy reached out to defence minister Nirmala Sitharaman for help.

According to Sitharamans latest tweets, 10 commandos who had reached Madurai via chopper by 11.30 pm were to reach the students by 3 am by road and then trek. They will stay in touch through GPS and satellite phones until four helicopters are sent to rescue those stranded. If the choppers cant land, the students will be airlifted, the defence minister tweeted.

Among those trapped in the forest fire that broke out suddenly on Sunday afternoon were 24 youngsters from Chennai Trekking Club and 13 from Erode and Tirupur.

As of midnight, 12 people were rescued (15 according to PTI) and brought to Bodi Government Hospital, according to Theni district collectorate. Collector Mariam Pallavi Baldev visited those rescued at the hospital.

Additionally, 13 people from the scattered group have been located and officials from the fire and forest departments are administering first aid to them. Air force choppers have been stationed in Madurai and will be deployed to rescue as soon as there is enough daylight for them to navigate safely. The whereabouts of eight people were unknown at the time of writing.

The attempts to locate and rescue the trekkers have been going on since 5 pm on Sunday. Tamil Nadu forest minsiter, Dindigul C Sreenivasan, and senior officials from the forest department have been rushed to the spot.

Rescue had to slow down because of nightfall. According to Bodi DSP office, the terrain is hampering communications rendering most phones and mics non-viable. To work through the night, high powered searchlights are being arranged. Some of those rescued were being brought down in a dolly and were administered first aid at the base of the hill.

Earlier on Sunday, the IAF was pressed into rescue operations on orders from the defence minister. Rescue helicopters were rushed to Madurai from Sulur Base in Coimbatore and Arakkonam Naval Air Station.

Local reports suggest that fire had been spreading over the hills near Kurangani throughout Saturday but it spread to the part trekkers were visiting only on Sunday.

Usually, attempt are not made to extinguish forest fires, but only to contain them. They are allowed to burn themselves out. It is not known what led the fire to spread despite measures being taken to control it. When forest officials were alerted that the fire was spreading to trekking district, they sent word to ask them to return, but the fire spread further before trekkers could retreat. The sudden spread of fire trapped them.

Speaking while on his way to Bodi to meet survivors at the government hospital, Deputy Chief Minister O Paneerselvam said that the task of rescuing the trekkers is being accelerated and has been happening at a fast pace.

The district collector said that the trekking group included 26 women, eight men and three children. The group reached Kollukumalai on Saturday morning and camped in an estate. They were returning when the fire engulfed that part of the forest and were scattered, she said, adding that all responsible departments have been pressed into action to expedite rescue operations.

As of now I have not got any information on deaths. A total of 15 people have been treated for burn injuries, Baldev said.

The three children in the trekking party  Neha (9), Sadhana (11) and Bhavana (12)  have been rescued and havent suffered critical injuries.

Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswamy said. It is being treated as a critical, emergency situation. Fire and ambulance are on standby. Firefighters, forest officials, police, have been called from neighbouring districts with necessary equipment. Central government was requested to provide helicopters for rescue work, he said.

The chief minister said that security cover in the forest will be heightened to prevent such incidents and an inquiry will be conducted into the incident. If necessary, we will ask the Central government for further assistance, Palaniswamy said.

Shaktikala, a yoga teacher who is among those trapped in the forest hills, had gone along with her two daughters, Sadhana and Bhavana. Her husband works in London. While the children have been rescued, Shaktikala is reportedly still trapped and may have suffered burns in the fire, her mother said.Nine people, who were part of a trekking expedition, have been killed in a forest fire in the Western Ghats, the Tamil Nadu government said on Monday.

Nine people, who were part of a trekking expedition, have been killed in a forest fire in the Western Ghats, the Tamil Nadu government said on Monday. The fire started in the Kurangani forests next to Bodinayakkanur municipality, which is 25 kilometres away from Theni district headquarters. It spread across the bordering forests of Tamil Nadu and Kerala.

Nine persons are dead, while 17 of the rescued people have been hospitalised and ten did not require hospitalisation, commissioner of revenue administration K Satyagopal told reporters.

"Of the 27 rescued, 10 persons did not suffer any injuries and others suffered burn injuries," Theni District Collector Pallavi Baldev told reporters.

Watch: Choppers rescue survivors from the Kurangani Forest/Video by Naveen Nair

Among the dead, six were from Chennai and three from Erode, local police said. A total of 27 trekkers were rescued from the blaze in Theni, some 520 kilometres from the district.

The search and rescue operations in Theni have reportedly been called off as all the trekkers were accounted for.

The Tamil Nadu government has said that the trekking team had 39 members and 36 of them were caught in the mishap. The whereabouts of three are unknown.

Meanwhile, chief minister K Palaniswami ordered a probe into the incident and rushed to Theni to oversee rescue operations.

Speaking to reporters, Palaniswami said the trekking expedition had been done without getting the necessary permission from the forest department. He said a detailed probe will be held into the accident.

The Kerala Police also rescued three school children from Munnar in Kerala from the Theni forest fire , The News Minute reported. The police confirmed that the children were treated for minor burn injuries in the Munnar taluk hospital, the report added.

Video by Naveen Nair

The Kerala government has since decided to close down all wildlife sanctuaries for a safety audit, forest minister K Raju has said. He added that the sanctuaries will open only after all safety measures are ensured.

Health Secretary J Radhakrishnan said of the 17 rescued, eight admitted to a Madurai hospital have suffered serious burn injuries.

The remaining are admitted in the Government Hospital in Theni and in a private hospital at the request of the injured.

Meanwhile, Naveen Nair of Firstpost reported that the Chennai trekking club's representative has been taken into custody by police in Theni. The Tamil Nadu government has said that the trekking organisers had no official permission.

Indian Air Force (IAF) helicopters brought the remains of eight of the killed from the hills. The remains of one more person were earlier brought down by the road.

"Sixteen Garuds walked up and reached there at 3 am. They rescued few people at night. At the moment, the Garuds are trying to lift the dead bodies to a higher plain. Two helicopters will bring the bodies down. One helicopter has doused the fire," Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman told ANI.

The bodies have been sent for identification and they would be handed over to the relatives after an autopsy.

The IAF had mounted a search and rescue operation since Sunday. Apart from its 15 commandos, the IAF pressed three of its helicopters in the rescue mission.

The commandos flew from the Sulur Air Base near Coimbatore late on Sunday and climbed the hills.

What had started as an adventure trip for the trekking group of eight men, 25 women and three children turned into a nightmare on Sunday afternoon as they were caught up in the massive blaze.

The group had camped at a place up in the hills on Saturday night. They were supposed to return on Sunday.

Speaking to the media on Sunday, Baldev had said more than 20 trekkers were from the Chennai Trekking Club (CTC) and the others from Erode and Tiruppur.

Earlier, in a tweet, Union Minister of State for Finance and Shipping Pon Radhakrishnan expressed grief and shock at the loss of life of those who were caught up in the blaze. The minister said he was praying for the fast recovery of those who were injured. He also thanked Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman for deploying the IAF team in the rescue effort.

The adventure was part of the Woman's Day activity that was celebrated on Thursday. The trekking expedition was organised by the CTC, an online group of over 40,000 members.

The CTC website does not have any name or number of the persons who are in-charge of the trekking expeditions.

According to the website, the CTC is a non-profit, volunteer group which organises outdoor sports, environmental conservation and social activities throughout the year on weekends and weekday mornings.

"Founded in 2008 the group has grown to one of the most active and largest in South India with over 40,000 members and hundreds of activities throughout the year,"

"All activities are free  expenses are shared equally among participants," says the website www.chennaitrekkers.org.

An official of Tamil Nadu Fire and Rescue Services department told IANS that the terrain was tough and the approach to the accident spot was not motorable.

DMK leader MK Stalin also expressed grief over the death of the trekkers.

With inputs from agencies.Various political parties, including opposition DMK expressed concern over the death of nine persons, part of a trekking expedition, in a forest fire in Tamil Nadu and called for steps to streamline the activity

Chennai: Various political parties, including opposition DMK, on Monday expressed concern over the death of nine persons, part of a trekking expedition, in a forest fire in Tamil Nadu and called for steps to streamline the activity.

DMK Working President MK Stalin, AIADMK leader TTV Dhinakaran (his name is also spelt as Dinakaran) and PMK founder S Ramadoss, among others, condoled the death of nine trekkers in the Kurangani Hills fire.

Stalin, also the leader of the opposition in the state Assembly, said he was "shocked and anguished" over the loss of lives and expressed his sympathies to the families of the victims.

"Such fires are often happening in the Kurangani forest. If the district administration and forest department had ensured adequate guidance and arrangements for those who had gone on the trekking expedition, the loss of lives could have been certainly avoided," he said in a statement.

In future, officials should ensure that adequate steps are in place for the safety of the trekkers, he added.

AIADMK leader and RK Nagar MLA Dhinakaran also condoled the death of the victims.

In a series of tweets, he blamed the forest department's 'laxity' for 'not preventing the victims from undertaking the trekking expedition as the reason for the tragedy.

The fires were raging for the past 15 days, but the forest department had also not issued any alerts, he alleged.

"The forest department not issuing alerts and not preventing them (trekkers) from undertaking the expedition is the reason for the loss of lives," he said.

In future, relevant rules and regulations regarding trekking should be duly followed, he said.

CPI state unit secretary R Mutharasan demanded a probe into the matter. He expressed sympathies with the families of the victims.

PMK leader Ramadoss wondered if all the rules were duly followed by the authorities concerned and the company that arranged for the trekking expedition.

He called for streamlining of trekking and increased monitoring in the area.

Makkal Needhi Mayyam founder-president Kamal Haasan also condoled the death of the nine persons and said the government should take concrete steps to prevent recurrence of such incidents.

A 36-member team  24 people from Chennai and 12 from Tiruppur and Erode districts  on a trekking expedition reached the Kurangani hills on 10 March.

The team included 25 women and three children.The Delhi High Court granted bail to Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) legislator Amanatullah Khan who was arrested for allegedly assaulting Chief Secretary Anshu Prakash last month

New Delhi: The Delhi High Court on Monday granted bail to Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) legislator Amanatullah Khan who was arrested for allegedly assaulting Delhi Chief Secretary Anshu Prakash last month.

Justice Mukta Gupta granted bail to Khan asking him to furnish a personal bond of Rs 50,000 with two sureties of the like amount.

"Petitioner (Khan) is not required for any custodial interrogation and no useful purpose shall be served by keeping them under incarceration," the bail plea moved by Khan's advocate Mohd. Irsad said.

Advocate Irsad also said that Khan is a sitting MLA who is working for the betterment of society and intends to dedicate his entire life to the service of the people

On 19 February, the chief secretary had alleged that he was beaten up by AAP legislators Prakash Jarwal and Amanatullah Khan in the presence of Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal at the chief minister's residence, where the top bureaucrat had been called for an emergency meeting.

Last week the high court granted bail to Jarwal.An alliance between Congress and Trinamool Congress in West Bengal, leading up to 2019 has the force of ineluctable logic if BJP has to be stopped in its tracks

Last July, West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee ambushed the Left by suddenly announcing her partys support for a prospective Congress Rajya Sabha candidate, who duly won. This happened while the controversy was swirling around a further term for CPM General Secretary Sitaram Yechury.

The Bengal unit of the CPM wanted Yechury or a consensus candidate supported by Congress. This deal was summarily scuppered. Now, Banerjee has done it again.

West Bengal is going to send five members to the Rajya Sabha. Banerjee announced the names of four party members, and, almost as an afterthought declared her support for senior Congress leader Abhishek Manu Singhvi. The West Bengal Congress, especially its president, Adhir Chowdhury, is not exactly ecstatic, but that really doesnt cut much ice.

This happened in a sort of reprise while the CPM was trying to identify a consensus candidate. Having failed, it has nominated senior party leader Rabin Deb, who has virtually no chance of winning.

The context in this instance is, however, substantially different. Last year, Banerjee, in what amounted to be a unilateral decision, had declined to accommodate outgoing speaker and Congress leader Meira Kumar, and Bengal leader Pradip Bhattacharya was nominated and won. This year, Banerjee had prepared a list of five party candidates but changed her mind when Congress put in a request for a seat, which apparently involved Sonia Gandhi herself.

These different circumstances, tells us something about a change in West Bengal politics, especially in the context of realignments in regional (and national) politics.

First, of course, is the fact that the Left Front has ceased to exist in the state and the region; its only tenuous base remains in Kerala. Is this a good thing or not? The answer would undoubtedly be contingent upon a persons political vantage. But it seems to this writer that the existence of a parliamentary Left would be to the nations advantage, especially if it doesnt pretend to be communist, entangling itself in arcane ideological calisthenics. This would mean rebranding itself as socialist welfare party, uniting across the board in a fair exercise  so bye bye CPI-M, CPI, RSP, et al, and welcome a new socialist formation.

The second lesson is the Congress' new perspective, exemplified by the events in West Bengal. In July last year, Congress was quite happy to play along with the state unit of CPM in the more-or-less futile pursuit of a consensus candidate, until Banerjees sudden announcement presented it with what amounted to a fait accompli, to which it capitulated. In March 2018, it approached the Trinamool Congress (from all accounts) for a Rajya Sabha nomination, which, now granted, assures Singhvi a seat in the Upper House of the Parliament.

The obvious question here is why the matter should have been played out in such a fashion. The answer is obvious: the Left has nothing to offer to an anti-BJP front, while Trinamool Congress can contribute 35-38 Lok Sabha members. And in many other senses, a Congress-Trinamool alliance offers much greater political sense (and heft) if you investigate both recent events  the last decade and a half  and a longer historical record, say, 125 years.

In other words, an alliance between Congress and Trinamool Congress leading up to the 2019 General Elections to Lok Sabha has the force of ineluctable logic if BJP has to be stopped in its tracks, especially given the formation of alliances elsewhere, such as in Uttar Pradesh. A few observations on the ruling party are in order.

Much is being made of the BJPs 'successes' in the North East. One feels that too much is being made of the victories in Nagaland and Meghalaya.

While the electoral success in Tripura was a genuine tour de force, the victories in the other two states (as in Manipur and Arunachal Pradesh earlier) demonstrate two things: first, the BJPs financial muscle and, second, 'success' in choosing the right state alliance on which to piggyback. The latter is not evidence of great political sagacity given that alliances in the northeastern states usually prefer to have the ruling dispensation on their side.

The chronic instability of North East politics could easily lead to realignments in the medium term, anyway.

Even though the possibility of BJP making any serious dent in West Bengal is close to nil be it in this year's panchayat elections or the parliamentary elections next year, it does not mean that Mamata Banerjee is not worried, or even on tenterhooks.

Predictions are very much part of the psephologists bailiwick (or that of well-heeled corporate opinion poll agencies) and this commentator would not want to muscle into that territory. But this much is certain: a few impending elections will give us some insights into what may happen in 2019.

Polling for two important by-elections in Uttar Pradesh and three in Bihar just completed. And then we have elections in Karnataka, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh later this year. The results of these elections will show us how worried Banerjee and other opposition forces need to be.Sources close to Drabu said he had no knowledge of 'why the party had taken such a tough stand against him' and he was waiting to find out more.

Jammu and Kashmir's Finance Minister Haseeb Drabu was "shell-shocked" when one of his close aides called to tell him that his party had decided to take a tough stand on his comments and remove him from the council of ministers in PDP-BJP collation government, a source close to the minister said.

At the seminar titled 'Kashmir- The Way Ahead' organised by PHD chamber of commerce and industry in the national capital, Drabu had said Kashmir was not a political issue, but a society with "social issues," sparking a political row in the state. It earned him the ire of leaders across political ideologies, including people from his own party. He was asked to explain his position on Sunday by the party leadership which, party leaders said, was in contradiction to their own stand.

A senior cabinet minister, close to Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti, was asked to draft a press release to save the Peoples Democratic Party from further humiliation, and it was issued by party vice-president Sartaj Madni who said that the "leaders should be careful in their statements and observations while commenting on the basic political philosophy and core agenda of People's Democratic Party."

The statement said the PDP recognises Jammu and Kashmir as a political issue and has relentlessly been pursuing its resolution through reconciliation and dialogue, both at internal and external levels.

Sources close to Drabu said he had no knowledge of "why the party had taken such a tough stand against him" and he was waiting to find out more. Few days back, Sajad Lone, the former separatist and the chairman of the Peoples Conference, which is an alliance partner of the BJP, had defended Drabu for his statement.

"He didn't mend his arrogant ways despite warnings. As if everything he did has some or the other intervention from BJP and Ram Madhav," a senior minister in PDP-BJP government told Firstpost from Jammu on Monday. "He never presented himself as our man in BJP, but BJP's man in PDP," he added.

At a function in New Delhi on Friday, Drabu was quoted as having said that "Kashmir should not be seen as a conflict state or a political problem but as a society with social issues". Drabu's assertions evoked sharp criticism from the opposition National Conference and separatist leader Yasin Malik.

After the statement created political furore in Kashmir, the chairman of the Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front, Malik, came down heavily on Drabu, the MLA from Rajpora constituency of Pulwama in south Kashmir. Malik claimed Drabu used to talk to him for hours before joining mainstream and while 'praising JKLF's efforts for liberation of Jammu and Kashmir from illegal occupation of India', he presented ideas and concepts for it.

"He in front of Kashmir Awareness Bureau office-bearers including the then KAB bureau chief Ghulam Muhammad Butt, who is lodged at Tihar jail in Delhi from last many years, swore that whenever he (Drabu) is in Bombay (Mumbai), he always visits the ancestral house of Quaid-e-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah and bows his head in respect for his wisdom about Hindu chauvinistic mindset, which in his words is always anti-Muslim," Malik said.

Drabu was made finance minister of Jammu and Kashmir by late Mufti Mohammed Sayeed when the PDP stitched an alliance with the BJP, in which Drabu played a pivotal role while negotiating the terms and conditions of the 'Agenda of Alliance'. The agenda, which made the BJP agree to some controversial issues, including dialogue on internal and external levels, led late Mufti Sayeed, who died in office, to remark in his first press conference that "he (Drabu) has shown us a lot of dreams, let's see if those dreams are fulfilled."

Those dreams, including the return of power projects under the control of NHPC to the state government and initiating talks with the Hurriyat leadership, were never fulfilled by the Centre. A section of party leadership had grown weary of the former chairman of J&K bank, who at one point in time of his career openly advocated secession. Many leaders of the PDP often complained to Mehbooba Mufti about the "arrogant" style and dealings of the now former finance minister, even with his own party workers. Yelling and insulting people who visited him with terse, dismissive remarks like "what do you know" had become signature style of the former finance minister.

"I am hugely relieved," a sitting MLA of the PDP told Firstpost. "His style of working and his arrogance has devastated the party in last three years, as if he was the guardian of all the wisdom in this world," said the MLA.

The 'arrogance' of the minister had led the party workers knocking the doors of Mehbooba Mufti, and two meetings followed after that, one each in Srinagar and Jammu. Sources said the party workers had complained that the former finance minister was ignoring even his own constituency.

Governor NN Vohra has approved PDPs proposal of terminating Drabu from the council of ministers, an official spokesperson said, but it is not clear where the "dream merchant", one of the best economists from J&K who reformed the state budget significantly in his last three budgets, will land on his next assignment.On 10 March, speaking at an event themed Kashmir: the way forward', Drabu asked the people to introspect over the nature and origins of the situation in the state

The Jammu & Kashmir government on Monday sacked state finance minister Haseeb Drabu for his controversial comment "Kashmir is not a political issue" and the province is not a "conflict state". Drabu who is an economist and has vast experience in financial domain had taken charge as the state finance minister on 4 March 2015.



The state government led by chief minister Mehbooba Mufti's Peoples Democratic Party has sent Drabu's sacking letter to governor Narinder Nath Vohra for a final decision. Two days ago on 10 March, Drabu had said Jammu and Kashmir should not be seen as a conflict state or a political problem, but as a society with social issues.

Speaking at an event themed Kashmir: the way forward' here last night, Drabu asked the people to introspect over the nature and origins of the situation in the state and how it can be resolved, PTI had reported on Saturday.

Former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah took to the Twitter to say that Drabu's speech at PHDCCI cost him dearly and his berth in the state cabinet.

His PHDCCI speech cost him dearly. Will be interesting to see who replaces him in the Finance Ministry. https://t.co/VB1gr2a1Sk  Omar Abdullah (@OmarAbdullah) March 12, 2018

"I am happy that a major responsibility has been given to me by the party. I will work hard to come up to the expectation and try to strength the economic structure of the State," Drabu had told PTI at the time of his appointment as Jammu and Kashmir finance minister.

Mufti-led PDP has an alliance government with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) which is ruling at the Centre with prime minister Narendra Modi at the helm. The PDP-BJP coalition government was formed after the 2015 state elections dethroned the Omar Abdullah government of the National Conference (NC).

On 10 March, speaking at an event themed Kashmir: the way forward', Drabu asked the people to introspect over the nature and origins of the situation in the state and how it can be resolved. We need to talk to ourselves before we talk to others and this must happen nationally as well, he said, according to PTI. Drabu, who has been the chief negotiator of the PDP, also held Labour, Employment and Culture Minister, apart from Finance Minister's portfolio in the Jammu and Kashmir government.

Drabu has also been chairman of the Jammu and Kashmir Bank long before he was given a seat in the state council of ministers. As J&K finance minister he was member of the all-powerful Goods and Services Tax or GST Council.The march has been organised to protest the alleged failures of the BJP government on the farm front, demanding a complete and unconditional loan waiver, ensuring implementation of minimum support price and implementation of recommendations of the Swaminathan Commission and the Forest Rights Act 2006.

Thousands of protesting farmers who had thronged streets of Mumbai have decided to call off their protests on Monday, after receiving a written reassurance from Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis. The government and protesting farmers were able to break the impasse after a three-hour-long meeting in which the government agreed to sincerely look into their requests, while promising time-bound action into some of them.

The government has also made arrangements to send back protesting farmers; Central Railway will run two special trains from Mumbai's CSMT to Bhusawal at 8.50 pm and 10.00 pm on Monday to send the agitating farmers back, ANI reported. The government had also arranged for medical vans and a team of doctors to treat those who suffered injuries along the enduring 180-kilometre-long walk.

According to Thane Civil Hospital in-charge Dr Sanjay Wathore, over 600 people were treated for complaints like feet blisters, minor injuries and dehydration, of which four remain critical. Three people have been admitted to the JJ Hospital while one person is undergoing treatment at St. George's Hospital.

Mumbai's Azad Maidan turned into a sea of red on Monday morning as over 35,000 people converged at the venue after embarking on a 'Long March' last Tuesday. The march was organised to protest the alleged failures of the BJP government on the farm front, including non-implementation of recommendations of the Swaminathan Commission and the Forest Rights Act by the CPM-affiliated All India Kisan Sabha. Senior communist party leaders such as Sitaram Yechury also came in to extend their support to the protesting farmers, while Opposition Congress and Nationalist Congress Party rounded the government over the alleged failure of its agrarian policies in the Assembly.

Government promises time-bound action on demands, says farmers satisfied after discussion

Farmers have been demanding an unconditional loan waiver scheme as opposed to the announced cap of Rs 1.5 lakh in the waiver announced in 2017. The government has said it will consider their request. However, the major breakthrough was the announcement of a special committee, headed by the chief secretary to look into the forest land rights. The government promised that the discrepancies will be resolved within six months.

The Fadnavis government also assured farmers to ensure better implementation of social welfare schemes and promised to issue new BPL ration cards to the farmers and tribals as they have not been renewed in many years. The chief minister also announced setting up a ministerial committee to review and process the farmers' demands. The committee includes revenue minister Chandrakant Patil, water resources minister Girish Mahajan, co-operation minister Subhash Deshmukh, public undertakings minister Eknath Shinde and tribal welfare minister Vishnu Savra.

What are the protesters' demands?

The march has been organised to seek a complete and unconditional loan waiver, ensure implementation of minimum support price and implementation of recommendations of the Swaminathan Commission and the Forest Rights Act 2006.

The farmers have demanded a change in the plan to link rivers in Nashik, Thane and Palghar districts so as to ensure that tribal lands are not submerged and water from the scheme be made available to these areas and other drought-prone districts. They are also protesting against the state government's land acquisition for projects such as high speed rail and super highways.

"We are demanding an increase in pension schemes for poor peasants and farm workers, compensation for losses due to pink bollworm and pest attacks and rehauling of the public distribution system," the march organisers had earlier said.

The agitating farmers are also demanding compensation of Rs 40,000 per acre for destruction of crops due to hailstorm and pink-worm, allocation of forest land under cultivation to farmers

Why farmers' demands are no longer about loan waiver

Economists, politicians and policy experts alike have been flaying state governments for announcing farm loan waivers as a measure for immediate relief. Fadnavis too had gone on record to say that he does not believe that farm loan waivers can be a lasting solution to agrarian crisis. But this time around, the host of issues raised by farmers were much more than just loan waivers.

An outstanding majority of those who marched to Mumbai constituted of tribal people which brought to the fore a different edge to the agrarian crisis faced by rural Maharashtra. The agitation was less about farm loan waivers and more about drawing the government's attention to policy loopholes that have failed to help impoverished farmers of the state.

Many of the participants in the protests were either tribals, demanding implementation of Forest Land Rights Act 2006, or land tillers (not owners) who have no institutional credit to their name but suffer excruciatingly in case of a failed crop. Their demands included basic things such as new and renewed ration cards so that they can access the Public Distribution System, which is their right; or imploring the government to fix data/ technical errors in the database of beneficiaries for social welfare schemes such as Sanjay Gandhi Niradhar Yojna and Shravan Bal Yojna.

The farmers were also demanding better irrigation facilities and better implementation of Minimum Support Prices, previously declared by the government.

Political reactions

BJP's ally in government Shiv Sena threw its weight behind the thousands of farmers and said the party would back them regardless of their red flags. "They are farmers who need to be heard. Its unfortunate to be insensitive to those who feed us and put ideological cages on them. Im proud of my fellow Shiv Sainiks who are with them nursing their wounds, and voicing the farmers in the Assembly too, only seeing their need," Aditya Thackeray tweeted.

I spoke to them yest., and before when we toured the State to hear them, help them. No I didnt see the red flags, I saw their red blood which is the same as ours. Whichever the flag they carry, whoever their political hero, govt has to hear them. Fellow citizens #Farmers (1/2) pic.twitter.com/016vWnq999  Aaditya Thackeray (@AUThackeray) March 12, 2018

Former union agriculture minister and NCP leader Sharad Pawar criticised the government for its failure and warned that if the demands were not conceded, "the fire of the farmers' ire will spread from all over Maharashtra to all over India,". Congress president Rahul Gandhi urged Fadnavis to shed his ego and accept the "just demands" of farmers.

The mammoth #FarmersMarchToMumbai is a stunning example of peoples power. The Congress party stands with the Farmers & Tribals marching to protest against the Central & State Govts. apathy. I appeal to PM Modi and the CM to not stand on ego and to accept their just demands.  Office of RG (@OfficeOfRG) March 12, 2018

The BJP's Poonam Mahajan had said that the farmers' protest is fuelled by 'urban Maoists'. "They (farmers) are holding the flag of Communists, and urban Maoists are misguiding them," she said.

"If you have seen this march, it is a big and peaceful march, with farmers holding a communist flag. They've all come from northern Maharashtra. With respect to all this, what do all these farmers want? They have accepted the loan waiver has happened. When the chief minister sits with the farmer leaders, they'll sort out the issues," Mahajan said earlier. However, the chief minister had said that the government was sensitive to their demands.

Mumbaikars helped protesting farmers, offer food, flowers, footwear

As politics over the political inclination of those protesting goes on, Mumbaikars have come out in support of the poor farmers who took a long march to reach Mumbai. City residents were seen offering 'Vada-pav', other food items and water to farmers last night. A Mumbai resident also posted on social media a picture of food and water being distributed to farmers. Reports also came that several people offered more comfortable footwear to those walking for miles in their chappals.

The famed dabbawalas of Mumbai also came out to help the protesters who had taken on to cover around 180-kilometre on foot in six days, braving scorching heat.

Subhash Talekar, the spokesperson of Mumbai Dabbawala Association, said, "We thought about helping the farmers with food as they are our food-providers and have come from remote parts of the state."

"We asked our men working between Dadar (in Central Mumbai) and Colaba (South Mumnbai) to collect food and deliver it to our farmer brothers at the Azad Maidan," he said.

Dabbawalas, the tiffin-carriers known for their efficient delivery service, provided food to the protesters as a part of their 'roti-bank' initiative.

Govt reached out to protesters from start, tried dissuading from march: Fadnavis

Reacting to criticism for 'making' farmers come this far to talk to the government and not meeting them half-way, Fadnavis said his government was in touch with the march organisers before the protest began.

"When this protest march was about to begin, Girish Mahajan from the government side spoke to the farmers and tried to dissuade them from starting the protest march. The government tried to start a dialogue with the farmers but they were adamant to start a protest march," Fadnavis told the Assembly.

"But they were adamant on the march. We tried to talk to them. All help was provided, like traffic management and deployment of medical vans," he said.

Opposition leaders Vikhe Patil had said, "Why couldn't the government talk to them before the march began from Nashik on March 6. Such hardships for tribals and farmers could have been avoided."

The chief minister had faced backlash on this accord on social media as well.

With inputs from agenciesThere are no permanent friends or enemies in politics. Naresh Agarwals inputs could be vital for the BJP while preparing for the 2019 Lok Sabha election.

In early August 2001, the then Uttar Pradesh chief minister Rajnath Singh surprised the people of the state, as also political observers outside it, by summarily dismissing Naresh Agarwal from his government.

Agarwal was then the energy minister in the government, and was the founder-leader of the Loktantrik Congress Party in the state Assembly. His party was a constituent of the ruling NDA at the Central and state level. The Rajnath Singh government in the state was critically dependent on his partys support. It was, thus, considered inconceivable that Agarwal could ever be treated in this manner, no matter how serious the provocation.

Agarwal had split the Congress, taking 22 MLAs with him to form the LCP. The party extended support to the Kalyan Singh government and subsequent BJP governments led by Ram Prakash Gupta and Rajnath Singh. By mid-2001, he had become bolder. His brazen ways of running his ministry were a talking point in political circles. Some hinted at corruption, but no complaint was ever made. He would behave like a man possessed with supreme political power and a massive social support base. He would criticise the government and not spare even the chief minister.

In August 2001, after he returned from a trip to Switzerland, he held a convention in Haridwar. There, he blamed chief minister Rajnath Singh for the deteriorating power crisis in the state.

Rajnath couldnt take it any longer and sacked Agarwal without consulting his party seniors, and without informing other colleagues in the state. That was a moment of glory for Rajnath. The then UP chief minister not only called Agarwals bluff but also ensured that almost his entire party continued to support him for the remaining term. The Loktantrik Congress Party subsequently threw Agarwal out of its fold. Rajnath was hailed as a no-nonsense leader with strong political will, someone who would put his government on the line on matters of principles, that too months before Assembly elections.

It would be interesting to know how Rajnath Singh, now Union home minister, reacted when he was informed of Agarwals induction into the BJP.

In 2017, during a debate on cow vigilantism and mob lynching in the Rajya Sabha, Agarwal had been severely criticised by the BJP for comparing Hindu gods with brands of alcohol.

The finance minister and leader of the House (Rajya Sabha) had then said, "He has linked each of the Hindu gods with a brand of alcohol. If he had made this statement outside Parliament, he would have been liable for prosecution. You have not realised the gravity of what you have said. Do you have the audacity of saying such things in relation to any other religious denomination? Would you do this?" Entire BJP benches were up in arms against Agarwal. He apologised later in the day.

But as they say, there are no permanent friends or enemies in politics.

Agarwal, at the moment, can be considered a good catch for the BJP. He had been with the Samajwadi Party for a long time and his term in the Upper House now has come to an end. He has joined the BJP with the blessings of Amit Shah at a time when the SP is cozying up to the Bahujan Samaj Party. The SP, under Akhilesh Yadav, is making desperate bids to stay relevant, by first aligning with the Congress (in the last Assembly election) and now with the BSP in the by-elections for Gorakhpur and Phulpur.

Originally a Congressman, Agarwal has also been with the Bahujan Samaj Party. He served as the partys national general secretary and also contested a parliamentary election on its ticket. He has the distinction of having been a part of all political parties that matter in UP  Congress, BSP, SP and now the BJP.

After joining the BJP in the presence of railway minister Piyush Goyal, Agrarwal said he was joining the party because he was deeply impressed by the work done by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath. He said that he could not be with a party which was on a suicidal path and did not care for its own interests and identity  as it first aligned with the Congress and now with the BSP. In any case, my community (Vaishya) has been with the BJP. I have thus joined the party where I should have been.

He, however, made some derogatory remarks against Jaya Bachchan, albeit without naming her. The BJP clearly did not like his statement about Jaya. Party spokesperson Sambit Patra stated that the BJP respected people from all domains. External affairs minister Sushma Swaraj also said that while Agarwal is welcome in the BJP, his comments about Jaya Bachchan were 'improper and unacceptable.'

Shri Naresh Agarwal has joined Bhartiya Janata Party. He is welcome. However, his comments regarding Jaya Bachhan ji are improper and unacceptable.  Sushma Swaraj (@SushmaSwaraj) March 12, 2018

Agarwal knows the internal structures of the SP and BSP very well. At a time when the SP and BSP are coming together to stay afloat in state politics, Agarwals inputs could be vital for the BJP while preparing for 2019. On his part, Agarwal knows that the BJP of 2018 is different from what the party was in 2001.Congress president Rahul Gandhi will present the party's vision document at its upcoming plenary session which will set the tone for its poll strategy in the Lok Sabha and state Assembly elections where it seeks to oust the BJP from power

New Delhi: Congress president Rahul Gandhi will present the party's vision document at its upcoming plenary session which will set the tone for its poll strategy in the Lok Sabha and state Assembly elections where it seeks to oust the BJP from power.

Gandhi, who took over the reins of the party last December, will present the Congress vision document and the political road map for the party at the plenary session to be held from 16 to 18 March, a source said.

The document will act as a "guiding light" to help party workers upstage the BJP from power at the Centre in 2019 and in some key states where elections are slated later this year, the source added.

The session will also look into future alliances that the party foresees will be needed for defeating the BJP, a Congress leader said.

The plenary meet, to be held at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium in New Delhi, will be attended by senior leaders starting from block presidents.

At the three-day brainstorming session, the party will pass four resolutions  one each on the political and economic fronts, another on foreign policy and the fourth on agriculture and unemployment.

The party's key focus would be on the issue of agriculture and unemployment, the source said.

The Congress wants to highlight the agrarian crisis in the country and joblessness among the people to help garner public support, the party leader said.

The session assumes importance as it will be the first after Gandhi's presidentship and the first to be held with a new leader in two decades.

On the opening day, top Congress leaders who are a part of the Steering Committee formed in place of the Working Committee will discuss the resolutions and chalk out the agenda for the three-day event.

During the next two days, various issues  dealing with politics, economics, foreign policy, agriculture and social justice  will be discussed at length after which the resolutions would be passed.Bhaiyyaji Joshi's continuance prevents RSS from becoming completely BJP-centric while not upsetting personal harmony between Mohan Bhagwat & Narendra Modi.

For the second time in three years, the expected 'generational change' in the top echelon of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) has been pushed back. When it was announced on Saturday, midway through the annual meeting of the three-day Akhil Bharatiya Pratinidhi Sabha  the highest collective decision-making body of RSS  that sarkaryavah or general secretary Bhaiyyaji Joshi would continue in office for an unprecedented fourth term of three years, it brought curtains to speculations over him making way for Dattatreya Hosabale, one of the joint-general secretaries or sah-sarkaryavah.

In 2015, too, presumptions were made over Hosabale  stated 'close' to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for being 'more political' than the puritanical old-guard of the Sangh machinery  taking over from Joshi to herald a subtle change in the equation between 'Big Brother' and the affiliate, BJP.

This is also the second time that someone from outside the 'shakha system' was expected to become executive head of the RSS  Hosabale rose within RSS hierarchy after being drafted in laterally from Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP). Previously, in 2000, Madan Das Devi, then sah-sarkaryavah was briefly in the running after KS Sudarshan took over from Rajju Bhaiyya as sar-sanghchalak (RSS chief).

Devi, too, earned his spurs in the 1980s when deputed to the ABVP. He lost out to the eventual chief Mohan Bhagwat because the Sangh apparatchik in Nagpur frowned on the idea of two posts being held by non-Maharashtrians. Bhaiyyaji Joshi is rooted in the shakha system and spent a major part of his career in Sewa Bharati. Having become sarkaryavah in 2009, he is 'senior' to BJP leaders who matter, most importantly, Modi and party president Amit Shah.

An unspoken factor behind the 'no-change' decision is the growing sense in the Sangh leadership that Nagpur's moral authority over BJP must be maintained in the crucial run-up to the 2019 General Elections. A comment apocryphally made by Bhagwat in 2004 after the defeat of the Vajpayee regime has haunted RSS leadership in recent months.

The chief was reported to have stated sardonically that if Vajpayee was re-elected, RSS leaders would have been rendered 'sarvodayees'. This reference to the relegation of notable Gandhians like Acharya Vinoba Bhave into the background after Jawaharlal Nehru established hegemony in independent India underscored the fear of being rendered irrelevant by the BJP.

Although relations between RSS and BJP are at their best-ever, the anxiety of being eclipsed by BJP lurks as Modi's political stranglehold grows.

Moreover, RSS leadership is guided by Bhagwat's statement after the 2014 verdict: The Sangh Parivar's brief is not to sing paeans to Modi  that job is the BJP cadre's and this separation must be maintained. The fear was that if Hosabale or another sah-sarkaryavah was elevated at this stage, the domineering presence of the Modi-Shah duo could possibly consume the new executive head.

This sentiment has to be kept as a backdrop when scrutinising Joshi's response to questions at a press conference after the three-day meeting on Sunday. He was asked about two important questions plaguing BJP and the Modi government: Farmers' distress and differing views of affiliates like Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh, Bharatiya Kisan Sangh, Swadeshi Jagran Manch and even Vishwa Hindu Parishad.

Joshi stressed on genuineness and gravity of India's agrarian crisis declaring no government could remain insensitive to farmers' woes. "It is their job to find a solution," he declared. On the question of affiliates being on tracks different from BJP or government, he  clearly exuding greater confidence than in recent months  reiterated the autonomous character of the Parivar organisations.

"Uchit bhasha mein virodh karne ka adhikar sabko hai (everyone has the right to voice disagreement in the right manner)," Joshi said indicating affiliates' autonomy shall remain a leveraging tool in hands of the Sangh leadership, to ensure BJP does not either 'stray' or become hegemonic.

A 'lakshman-rekha' on the extent of divergence, however, was drawn for the BJP's comfort: "There can be mat-bhed but no mano-bhed (difference of opinion is allowed but no ideological departure)."

Continuity of leadership while expanding the high-command showed it was decided not to disturb the arrangement when increasing RSS capacity for managing its enhanced presence. Leadership changes within RSS are preceded by months of shadowy consultations, details of which are never made public but there is little doubt that consultations were made at the top-levels including the 'Big Four' in the Parivar: Bhagwat, Modi, Joshi, Shah. The process was mainly triggered by Joshi's dodgy knees which made movement painful and hampered tours, essential in the sarkaryavah's job profile.

However, with improvement in his health after knee-replacement surgery, the pressing necessity for change receded. Thereafter, it was a matter of suitability and on this yardstick, change at the top at this juncture could be divisive because a new general secretary was sure to put together a new team of office bearers and this could ruffle feathers. Significantly, two new sah-sarkaryavahs have been added, making it a total of six joint-general secretaries.

At one plane, this is indicative of self-realisation that tasks have increased. On the other hand, the effort is to make the high command more representative in indisputably the most significant year for the Parivar in terms of establishing ideological dominance and marking nationwide political presence. The foremost message emerging from Joshi's re-election is although warring affiliates are expected to bury the hatchet, mutual respect and concern for targets and challenges of the others are indispensable.

This considerably explains Manmohan Vaidya's promotion: in the early years of Modi's chief ministership, Vaidya was prant pradhan (provincial chief) of Gujarat and the two were not on the same plane on numerous issues including personality matters. Variance in outlook was evident during the 2014 campaign, but thereafter, the two appear to have shed animosity, more openly from Vaidya's side. Yet, the former Akhil Bharatiya Prachar Pramukh's presence in the top-brass strengthens the Nagpur group.

A change in leadership at this stage, possibly making it more 'pliable' for BJP would have made the Parivar completely BJP-centric. Joshi's continuance prevents this while not upsetting personal harmony between Bhagwat and Modi. Additionally, the behemoth that is the RSS makes it difficult for a new person to take charge immediately.

The RSS has a massive superstructure built over its 93-year-old organisational history. While it is important to ensure each retains its distinctive identity, energies of these have to be funnelled to secure BJP victories during elections. This often did not happen before 2014 and even after that. Joshi's re-election kick starts this process.UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi will host a dinner on Tuesday which is likely to be attended by leaders of 17 Opposition parties, amid talk of forging a broader front against the BJP-led NDA ahead of the 2019 general elections.

New Delhi: UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi will host a dinner on Tuesday which is likely to be attended by leaders of 17 Opposition parties, amid talk of forging a broader front against the BJP-led NDA ahead of the 2019 general elections.

According to Congress sources, leaders of Andhra Pradesh's ruling Telugu Desam Party, which recently pulled out its ministers in the Modi government but continues to be a constituent of the NDA, BJD, and the TRS have not been invited. The BJD and TRS rule Odisha and Telangana respectively.

They said former chief ministers of Jharkhand Babulal Marandi of Jharkhand Vikas Morcha and Hemant Soren (JMM) will attend the dinner, along with former Bihar chief minister and Hindustani Awam Morcha chief Jitan Ram Manjhi, who recently quit the NDA and joined forces with Lalu Prasad's RJD, which is an ally of the Congress.

Lalu's son and Leader of Opposition in the Bihar Assembly Tejashwi Yadav is also likely to attend, but there was no immediate confirmation.

Trinamool Congress leader Sudip Bandyopadhyay, DMK's Kanimozhi and Ram Gopal Yadav of the Samajwadi Party are likely to be present, and so would be leaders of left parties  CPM's Sitaram Yechury and CPI's D Raja. Leaders of other parties like JD-S and Kerala Congress, Indian Union Muslim League, Revolutionary Socialist Party and RLD are also likely to attend.

Sources said while BSP has been invited, its leader Mayawati may not send a representative as her party has aligned with JD-S for the Karnataka polls likely in April/March this year.

The dinner being hosted at the 10, Janpath residence of Sonia Gandhi, is expected to set the tone for opposition unity in the run up to the next general elections.

Sonia Gandhi has called for opposition unity and said parties should set aside their minor differences to get together in the larger interest of keeping the BJP out of power in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.PTI

With ongoing consolidation, low-cost innovations and willingness to be part of the global technology landscape, India will be a "fantastic market" in the coming five years, as per Swedish telecom gear maker Ericsson.

"India is going through consolidation which other markets have seen. At the end of this consolidation, with our investment in cost innovations and India trying to participate in the global technology race, I see India becoming a fantastic market in coming 5 years for us. But these three things have to come together," Nishant Batra, head of product area network infrastructure at Ericsson told PTI.

He said that Ericsson has not performed well in India in recent times because of the tremendous change that has taken place with the entry of new telecom operator Reliance Jio, but the country still presents a unique opportunity.

"Consolidation makes an impact but it also gives you one fundamental of the market which is that market is not sustainable with 7-8 players because there is not enough margin for 7-8 players. In most countries, it would take 15-20 years, but in India Reliance came and consolidation happened much faster. Reliance consolidated the market either directly or indirectly," Batra said.

India is expected to see only five mobile service providers operators in second half of this year  Bharti Airtel, Idea-Vodafone merged entity, Reliance Jio, state-run telecom firm BSNL and MTNL.

Tata Teleservices, Telenor India and Tikona Digital are in process of merging with Airtel, while Videocon Telecom has already sold it mobile spectrum to the telecom merger.

Debt-ridden Reliance Communications has shut down it voice telephony business and signed an agreement to sell mobile business assets to Reliance Jio. Aircel has filed for bankruptcy.

"I am excited to see India with consolidated healthy operators versus 8 suffering operators. It will be a bonus for us if India starts to be a joint driver in technology because then we will get a leg-up," Batra said.

To be successful in the technology space, India will have to cooperate and collaborate with global test beds, he added.

"This industry is built on scale. Every infrastructure business, not just telecom, is built on scale.

I see few good indigenous technologies coming from India, but we also need to complement that with total cooperation and collaboration with global standards," he said.

Batra said India is a key market for the company as it is one of the four markets that can give a high scale of business.

"The way infrastructure is built and the way we make investments is that we would scale, and that comes from China, India, Japan and the US. There is practically no big market in terms of volume. In the US we are the biggest already. In Japan we have had a very good trajectory, China we have an artificial sealing to work with. So India is the country where we have no artificial sealing and still there is growth," he said.

Batra said that even after ongoing consolidation, operators in India have not stopped spending in capacities due to competition.

"Wherever consolidation happens, there is a period of cautious investments. Then there are more healthy operators at the end of it, which in turn is good for investments. Healthier operator are better customers for us eventually," he said.

He said that Ericsson will focus on cost innovation for India irrespective of the level of consolidation as even after consolidation price elasticity of the market continues to be at similar levels.

Disclaimer: Reliance Industries Ltd. is the sole beneficiary of Independent Media Trust which controls Network18 Media & Investments Ltd which publishes Firstposttech2 News Staff

The Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) has been quite active on its Twitter handle requesting people to not fall for reports which question the security of Aadhaar. Without explicitly referencing to any particular report, the UIDAI sent out close to 11 tweets on the matter.

The timing of the UIDAI tweet storm seems to almost line up after the tweet sent out by French security researcher Robert Baptiste (going by the alias Elliot Anderson), who claimed that he has found close 20k Aadhaar cards online after doing a manual search.

Baptiste, through his Twitter handle, has tweeted vulnerabilities in Aadhaar on many occasions in the past. Apart from Aadhaar Baptiste has also pointed out vulnerabilities on ISRO machines, Indian Post Office subdomain among others. Recently, he even responded to a mail where the sender was ready to buy the Aadhaar card details, to which Baptiste said no.

Yesterday, I found 20K+ #Aadhaar cards with a manual search. @UIDAI: Do I need to create a Twitter bot which is doing this work automatically and publish the result on Twitter to have a reaction from your side?  Elliot Alderson (@fs0c131y) March 11, 2018

UIDAI did not outright name which reports it was referring to, but it is safe to assume that it was in response to Baptiste's tweets. "UIDAI has dismissed the reports as irresponsible which appeared in a section of social and other media on the security of Aadhaar system being questioned on account of a few Aadhaar cards reportedly put on the internet by some unscrupulous elements," said UIDAI. Here are some of the notable tweets from the UIDAI tweetstorm.

Publication of Aadhaar cards by some people have absolutely no bearing on UIDAI and not the least on Aadhaar security. Aadhaar as an identity document by its very nature needs to be shared openly with others as and when required and asked for. 3/n  Aadhaar (@UIDAI) March 11, 2018

If anybody unauthorizedly publishes someones personal information such as Aadhaar card, passport, mobile number, bank account number, his photograph, he can be sued for civil damages by the person whose privacy right is infringed. 6/n  Aadhaar (@UIDAI) March 11, 2018

But in no way it threatens or impacts security of the system which has issued those respective IDs. For instance, publication of someone's bank a/c, PAN, or passport on the internet does not impact or threaten the security of banking, Income Tax or passport system. 7/n  Aadhaar (@UIDAI) March 11, 2018

By simply knowing someones Aadhaar, one cannot impersonate and harm him because Aadhaar alone is not sufficient to prove ones identity but it requires biometrics to authenticate ones Identity. 10/n  Aadhaar (@UIDAI) March 11, 2018

The UIDAI ended its tweetstorm with, "It is reiterated that Aadhaar remains safe and secure and there has not been a single breach from its biometric database during that last eight years of its existence."

We recently spoke to digital rights activist Nikhil Pahwa on the fundamental issues with Aadhaar and how they can be fixed.A 26-year-old Austrian was shot dead outside the Iranian ambassador's residence in Vienna on Sunday night after he attacked a guard with a knife, police said.

Vienna: A 26-year-old Austrian was shot dead outside the Iranian ambassador's residence in Vienna on Sunday night after he attacked a guard with a knife, police said.

The assailant "died on the spot" after the soldier opened fire, police spokesman Harald Soeros told AFP, adding that the attack took place just before midnight local time.

The motive for the attack is not yet known, police said.

The soldier, who was standing guard outside the building, suffered a wound to his upper arm in the attack. "He initially used pepper spray" against the assailant, Soeros said, before opening fire. He was believed to have fired his weapon at least four times.

According to early indications he "acted within the rules", said a spokesman from the ministry of defence quoted by the APA agency.

The official added that the soldier, who is from the Tyrol region of Austria, has been treated in hospital.

Police have ordered reinforcements around all diplomatic missions in the city.

The incident comes just days after two knife attacks in Vienna, including one that left a couple and their 17-year-old daughter with severe injuries. A 23-year-old Afghan national confessed to those assaults but denied any political motive.Investigators believe a package bomb that killed a teenager and wounded a woman in Austin on Monday is linked to a similar bombing that killed a man elsewhere in the city this month, and they're considering whether race was a factor because all of the victims were black.

Investigators believe a package bomb that killed a teenager and wounded a woman in Austin on Monday is linked to a similar bombing that killed a man elsewhere in the city this month, and they're considering whether race was a factor because all of the victims were black.

The explosion Monday happened inside of a home near the Windsor Park neighborhood and killed a 17-year-old boy and badly wounded a woman who is expected to survive, Austin's police Chief Brian Manley told reporters.

Shortly after the news conference ended, police were called to investigate another explosion in a different part of east Austin. Authorities haven't said whether that explosion was also caused by a bomb.

Austin-Travis County EMS tweeted that the later blast left a woman in her 70s with potentially life-threatening injuries, and that a second woman in her 80s was being treated for an unrelated medical issue. Authorities haven't said whether the injured woman is also black.

The explosions happened with hundreds of thousands of visitors in the city for the South by Southwest music, film and technology festival, and authorities urged the public to call the police if they receive any packages they aren't expecting.

The first explosion on Monday happened about 12 miles (20 kilometers) from the home where a March 2 package bombing killed 39-year-old Anthony Stephan House. The March 2 blast was initially investigated as a suspicious death, but is now viewed as a homicide.

Manley said investigators believe the deadly attacks are related, as in both cases, the packages were left overnight on the victims' doorsteps and were not mailed or sent by a delivery service. He said the U.S. Postal Service doesn't have a record of delivering the package to the East Austin home where Monday's explosion occurred, and that private carriers like UPS and FedEx also indicated that they had none, either.

"There are similarities that we cannot rule out that these two items are, in fact, related," Manley said.

Manley said investigators haven't determined a motive for the attacks, but it is possible that the victims could have been targeted because they are black.

"We don't know what the motive behind these may be," Manley said. "We do know that both of the homes that were the recipients of these packages belong to African-Americans, so we cannot rule out that hate crime is at the core of this. But we're not saying that that's the cause as well."

Special Agent Michelle Lee, a San Antonio-based spokesman for the FBI, said the agency "responded to both events" and was assisting Austin police which were taking the lead on investigating. She said the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives was taking the lead on the federal investigation.

Manley said that a second package was discovered near the site of the initial Monday explosion and that some residents and media members were evacuated or pushed farther from the blast site as authorities determined whether it was a bomb.

Police didn't immediately identify the teenager killed Monday. Manley said the woman who was injured in that attack is a 40-year-old woman who remains hospitalized.Cubans voted to ratify a new National Assembly, a key step leading to the elevation of a new president, the first in 60 years from outside the Castro family.

Havana, Cuba: Cubans voted on Sunday to ratify a new National Assembly, a key step in a process leading to the elevation of a new president, the first in nearly 60 years from outside the Castro family.

The new members of the National Assembly will be tasked with choosing a successor to 86-year-old President Raul Castro when he steps down in April. "The next president may not have that surname, but he will undoubtedly be a son of the Revolution," the Foreign Ministry said on Twitter.

Castro voted in the southeastern province of Santiago de Cuba while his first vice-president and likely successor, Miguel Diaz-Canel, cast his ballot in the central Santa Clara province. "The triumphal march of the revolution will continue," Diaz-Canel said after voting, promising "peace, liberty, independence and the sovereignty of the people will endure."

Raul Castro took over in 2006 from his ailing brother Fidel, who had governed since seizing power during the 1959 revolution.

Eight million Cubans were expected to turn out to ratify 605 candidates for an equal number of seats in the Assembly, a process shorn of suspense and unique to the Communist-run Caribbean island nation. "They're the most important elections of recent years, because we are going to vote for new people who will govern from then on," daycare centre guardian Ramon Perez told AFP.

Sunday's general election is the first since the 2016 death of Fidel Castro, and marks the beginning of major change at the top in Cuba. The change "will be a challenge but it's the natural law of life. We get old and have to retire," said retired lieutenant colonel Rigoberto Celorio, 82. "This is the right moment," he added. "Raul will stay on as first secretary of the Communist Party, so whoever comes out of the process will be well oriented."

Candidates may be either members of the Cuban Communist Party or not, and may also belong to trade unions or be students. "The designation of candidates is based on merit, abilities and the commitment of the people," Raul Castro said when he announced the elections in 2017.

The official daily Granma wrote: "Nobody exchanges promises for votes, or boasts of his abilities to get supporters... This is the true and exceptional face of what we proudly call socialist democracy."

Succession

More than half of the candidates, 322, are women. The new National Assembly selects a 31-member Council of State, whose head is automatically president of the country.

Castro had already announced that he would not be seeking a new term, although he is expected to remain head of the all-powerful Communist Party until 2021.

Diaz-Canel, 57, is widely expected to succeed him and is committed to guaranteeing continuity. Born after the revolution, the engineer slowly climbed to the top rungs of Cuba's hierarchy over a three-decade career under Raul's mentorship. "Diaz-Canel is a person known to us. I sincerely wish it will be him," said Xiomara Gonzalez, after voting in Diaz-Canel's home town of Santa Clara.

Julio Cesar Guanche, a professor of law and history, said on the OnCuba website that the legitimacy of the country's next president would come more from "institutional performance" than personal history such as involvement in the 1959 revolution.

Turnout for the election is expected to be around 90 percent. Although voting is voluntary, not voting is frowned upon. Going to the polls is considered an act of sovereignty and of "revolutionary affirmation." The final results will be announced on Monday.

Opposition criticism of the process centres around the fact that the president is not chosen in direct elections.

Cuban dissident Rosa Maria Paya, of the Cuba Decide movement, wants a referendum on modifying the island's government system and says her group will be watching for signs "of rejection of the electoral process, in which in reality we cannot elect" anyone.

US lawmakers headed by Republican Marco Rubio, who is of Cuban descent, have written to President Donald Trump urging him to ignore Castro's successor "in the absence of free, fair and multiparty elections."

Cubans who want to demonstrate opposition typically spoil their ballots. The Otro18 opposition movement is also calling for change. "The citizens do not participate in the choice or the election of the president and we think it's a decisive moment for the citizens to push a request" to change the electoral system, said Ostro18 leader Manuel Costa Morua.A helicopter has crashed into New York City's East River, killing at least two people.

New York: A helicopter has crashed into New York City's East River, killing at least two people.

A spokesman for the mayor's office, Eric Phillips, confirmed the fatalities on Twitter on Monday. He says at least one person has been rescued.

The Mayor was just briefed by the police and fire commissioners. At least one survivor, at least two fatalities. Divers are still in the water.  Eric Phillips (@EricFPhillips) March 12, 2018

The helicopter, a model used by tourist companies, went down near Gracie Mansion, the mayoral residence. A small armada of rescue boats searched for survivors.

Video posted on Twitter shows a red helicopter land hard in the water and then flip on its side as its rotors beat the water.

News stations showed video of rescue boats at the spot where the helicopter crashed.

A Federal Aviation Administration spokeswoman says the Eurocopter AS350 went down just after 7 pm (2.30 am IST).

It was not immediately known how many people were aboard the aircraft.The pilot of the US-Bangla Airlines plane that crashed at the Tribhuvan International Airport in Nepal on Monday did not obey orders from the air traffic control (ATC), the airport authority said. As many as 49 of the 71 people on board died, according to latest reports.

Kathmandu: The pilot of the US-Bangla Airlines plane that crashed at the Tribhuvan International Airport in Nepal on Monday did not obey orders from the air traffic control (ATC), the airport authority said. As many as 49 of the 71 people on board died, according to latest reports.

Raj Kumar Chhetri, general manager at Tribhuvan International Airport, said the ATC, which monitors and regulates the traffic at the airport, asked pilot of the aircraft to await landing. The flight originated from Dhaka.

The pilot did not obey orders given by ATC and landed at wrong time. Also, the plane was to land from the southern side of the runway, but the pilot tried landing from the northern side, Chhetri told Firstpost.

Manoj Nepune, the Kathmandu Police spokesperson confirmed over the phone that 14 people among the dead were of Nepalese nationality. They'd gone to Dhaka for training from different Nepal travel agencies.

An airport official confirmed that among the 67 flyers, 32 were Bangladeshis, 33 were Nepalese, one each from China and Maldives, apart from four crew members.

PS Thakur, spokesperson of Tribhuvan International Airport, said the aircraft circled the airport twice before suddenly descending on the runway without informing the ATC.

Meanwhile, Nepal prime minister KP Sharma Oli reached the airport to take stock of the situation and assured all possible help to victims of the crash.

The injured were taken to Norvic Hospital in Thapathali and to Army Hospital in Kathmandu, Chettri added.

Birendra KM is a Kathmandu-based journalist and Saurabh Sharma is a Lucknow-based journalist. Both are members of 101reporters.com, a pan-India network of grassroot reportersVladimir Putin, who is set to extend his long rule to 2024 in Russia's presidential election on Sunday, has stamped his total authority in Russia.

Moscow: Vladimir Putin, who is set to extend his long rule to 2024 in Russia's presidential election on Sunday, has stamped his total authority in Russia, silencing opposition and reasserting Moscow's lost might abroad.

The 65-year-old former KGB officer has reimposed the Kremlin's grip over society since taking power 18 years ago after a lawless but relatively free decade following the demise of the USSR.

On the international stage, he has outlasted three US presidents to become one of the globe's undisputed strongmen, thrusting Moscow into a new rivalry with the West by snatching Crimea from Ukraine and launching a pivotal intervention in Syria.

Named the world's most powerful person by Forbes for the past four years running, the judo black belt has built a macho man image helped by publicity stunts that included riding topless on horseback through the Siberian wilderness and darting an endangered tiger.

Bolstered by a slavish state media, he is projected to take around 70 percent of the vote by official pollsters, despite producing no programme and refusing to take part in televised debates.

Supporters laud him as a saviour who restored pride and traditional values to a humiliated nation.

To foes, however, Putin has dragged his homeland further from democracy, has presided over a seizure of the state by a new elite of former secret police cronies and has stoked nationalism in a bid to restore Moscow's lost empire.

'Hit first'

Putin was born into a working-class family in Leningrad  now Saint Petersburg  on 7 October, 1952, and cut his teeth in the city's rough-and-tumble neighbourhoods.

"The Leningrad streets taught me one thing: if a fight is unavoidable, you have to hit first," Putin said in 2015.

He fulfilled a childhood dream by joining the KGB intelligence service, getting posted in 1985-1990 to Dresden in what was then East Germany when Soviet power was crumbling.

His political rise began after he returned to work at Saint Petersburg city hall under his mentor, liberal mayor Anatoly Sobchak.

Two decades later, Sobchak's daughter Ksenia is challenging Putin in the election  a move that has divided Russia's already deeply-split liberal opposition.

By 1996, he was called to Moscow to work in the Kremlin under Russia's first democratically-elected president Boris Yeltsin, who in 1998 made little-known Putin head of the KGB's successor, the FSB.

Battling health and drinking problems, frail Yeltsin in August 1999 named Putin prime minister and his popularity shot up as he oversaw the launch of a second war to crush rebels in the Chechnya region.

When Yeltsin sensationally resigned on New Year's Eve 1999, Putin suddenly took over as president of the biggest country on earth.

A tsar is born

Buoyed by an influx of petrodollars that saw living standards soar, the Kremlin under Putin forged its own "sovereign democracy" in which the trappings of pluralism  such as political opposition and civil society  were subverted.

He has guarded his private life jealously and once famously told journalists to keep their "snotty noses" out of his business.

After three decades of marriage, he divorced his wife Lyudmila in 2013 but rumours of new romance  including with a former Olympic gymnast  have not been confirmed.

In line with the constitution, when Putin ended his second term in 2008, he handed power to protege Dmitry Medvedev and moved to become prime minister  but few doubted who was really in charge.

In 2012, he returned as president in the face of huge street protests.

While the demonstrations petered out after a police crackdown, the spectre of unrest spurred tough new measures to eradicate dissent.

Crimea, Ukraine, Syria

Putin, who once decried the collapse of the USSR as the "greatest geopolitical catastrophe" of the 20th century, has ferociously defended Moscow's sphere of influence and also challenged perceived US hegemony.

When crowds in Ukraine ousted Russian-backed leader Viktor Yanukovych in February 2014, the Kremlin faced losing its dominance over a key neighbour.

Within days, Putin ordered special forces to seize the strategic Crimea peninsula and  after a hasty referendum rejected internationally  in March 2014 signed off on the region's annexation.

The redrawing of Russia's border sparked the worst standoff with the West since the Cold War and unleashed a wave of nationalism at home that saw Putin's popularity soar.

Soon the Kremlin was accused of masterminding a rebellion in east Ukraine that turned into a festering conflict that has cost more than 10,000 lives.

Despite sanctions pushing his economy into recession, Putin also launched a bombing campaign in Syria to support leader Bashar al-Assad in 2015. It is widely seen as the key factor that tipped the war in Assad's favour.

Putin was then accused of spreading his tentacles much further and Moscow's old foe  the United States  found itself in the crosshairs.

After Donald Trump's shock election win, US intelligence accused Putin of ordering a hacking and influence campaign to get Trump to the White House.

"Those that lose always look to blame someone else," Putin retorted.A Turkish private jet flying a group of young women from the United Arab Emirates to Istanbul crashed on Sunday in heavy rain in a mountainous region of Iran, killing all 11 people on board, authorities said.

Tehran: A Turkish private jet flying a group of young women from the United Arab Emirates to Istanbul crashed on Sunday in heavy rain in a mountainous region of Iran, killing all 11 people on board, authorities said.

Days earlier, the doomed aircraft carried a bachelorette party bound for Dubai, although it was not clear who was on the plane when it crashed.

Iranian state television quoted a spokesman for the country's emergency management organization as saying the plane hit a mountain near Shahr-e Kord and burst into flames. Shahr-e Kord is some 370 kilometers south of the capital, Tehran.

The spokesman, Mojtaba Khaledi, later told a website associated with state TV that local villagers had reached the site in the Zagros Mountains and found only badly burned bodies and no survivors. He said DNA tests would be needed to identify the dead.

Villagers said they saw flames coming from the plane's engine before the crash, according to a report by Iran's state-run judiciary news agency Mizan.

The plane took off late Sunday afternoon and climbed to a cruising altitude of just over 35,000 feet. A little over an hour later, it rapidly gained altitude and then dropped drastically within minutes, according to FlightRadar24, a flight-tracking website.

The flight took off from Sharjah International Airport, according to the General Civil Aviation Authority in the UAE. A private company that handles public relations for the Sharjah airfield, the home of low-cost airline Air Arabia, declined to comment. Sharjah is a neighboring emirate of Dubai.

Turkey's private Dogan News Agency identified the plane as a Bombardier CL604, tail number TC-TRB. Turkey's Transport Ministry said the aircraft belonged to a company named Basaran Holding, which The Associated Press could not immediately reach.

Basaran Investment Holding is active in the food, finance, energy, construction, tourism and travel industries, according to the company's website.

Mina Basaran, the 28-year-old daughter of Basaran's chairman, who is part of the company's board of managers and is in line to run the business, recently posted photographs on Instagram of what appeared to be her bachelorette party in Dubai.

Among those photographs was an image of the plane posted three days ago. In it, Basaran posed on the tarmac carrying flowers, wearing a denim jacket reading "Mrs. Bride" and the hashtag "#bettertogether." In another picture, she holds heart-shaped balloons inside the plane.

A day ago, Basaran posted a picture with seven smiling friends from a Dubai resort. The last videos posted to her account showed her enjoying a concert by the British pop star Rita Ora at a popular Dubai nightclub.

Iranian emergency management officials said all the passengers were young women, according to state television IRNA.

Sunday's crash comes less than a month after an Iranian ATR-72, a twin-engine turboprop used for short regional flights, crashed in southern Iran, killing all 65 people aboard.         ,        .    ,   ...Working from home? Switch to the DIGITAL edition of CLICK HERE to signup now!After Mumbai, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra & Goa, Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, Karnataka,Chennai and Coimbatore, Airtel has launched its 4G VoLTE services in Kolkata. This lets Airtel customers enjoy HD quality voice calls along with faster call set up time compared to normal voice calls on their VoLTE-compatible 4G handsets.

Airtel promises seamless connectivity and in the case of non-availability of 4G, Airtel VoLTE calls will automatically fall back on 3G/2G network, said the company. It will also allow customers to continue with their data sessions at 4G speeds while the call is in progress.

Airtel says that customers with Dual-SIM handsets should insert their Airtel SIM in SIM slot 1 and network mode should be set as 4G/3G/2G (Auto) for VoLTE to work properly. The company says that the handset manufacturer need to upgrade the smartphones software to support Airtel VoLTE, even though there are hundreds of 4G smartphones in the market with VoLTE support.

You can check out the complete list of Airtel VoLTE compatible smartphones here. Airtel already said that it plans to roll out VoLTE across the country over the next few months without any time frame.

Commenting on the launch, Sameer Anjaria, CEO, West Bengal & Odisha, Bharti Airtel said:

We are delighted to extend our VoLTE footprint to Kolkata with the launch of our services today. Complementing our world class 4G network, VoLTE will add to the customer experience and our range of smartphone offerings.Gurgaon-based Staqu today has launched the AI-powered Smart Glasses with inbuilt camera in India. It comes with speech and image recognition combined. The company says that it can identify potential threats to the civil society, such as criminals, intruders or terrorists.



The Staqu AI-powered Smart Glasss built-in camera can capture input to trigger Facial Recognition, and once the face is identified within the given databases, the Smart Glass projects the results on the glass screen. The entire process will happen in real-time as the user simply glances over the vicinity.

According to the company, the Glasses will work even in wild scenarios as it fuses together speech and image recognition to utilize a hybrid identification technology and uniquely identify anyone.

The information is streamed in real-time from a centralized server, and these glasses can further be controlled from the centralized administrative portal, and specific recognition targets for each glass can be set remotely.

According to a ET report, Staqu will be starting a pilot of its smart glass platform with Punjab Police and will work very closely with them to identify to help identify criminals. It will be provided on a yearly license-based model to customers.

Commenting on the new announcement, Atul Rai, Co-Founder & CEO of Staqu said:Barry Callebaut is teaming up with vanilla supplier Prova to launch a new charter in Madagascar that will boost its vanilla sourcing credentials. The tie-up will bring... Read MoreKevin Harvick became the first NASCAR Cup driver since 2015 to win three races in a row when he took the checkered flag on Sunday at ISM Raceway outside Phoenix.

The No. 4 Stewart-Haas Ford driver held off Kyle Busch for his ninth win at the track and 40th in his NASCAR Cup career.

The win comes just days after Harvick and his team were penalized points and fined following last weekends win at Las Vegas for finishing the race with a broken rear window brace.

Harvick celebrated the Phoenix win by patting the rear window.

"I've been mad as all get out because this team does a great job," Harvick said. "This organization does a great job and we've got fast race cars. And to take that away from those guys just really (ticked) me off last week.

"To come here to a race track that is so good for us is a lot of fun and everyone was just determined this week, and we just wanted to just go stomp them. We didn't stomp them, but we won. That's all that really matters. Just proud of this team. Put a fire in our belly."

The last driver to pull off a three-peat was Joey Logano three seasons ago.

Harvick got in front of Busch on the last series of pit stops on the mile oval. Busch's team dropped the jack and had trouble with the right rear tire on his stop with 53 laps left, allowing Harvick  who pitted three laps earlier  to slip ahead en route to his 40th Cup victory.

Harvick took the lead with 22 laps left when Ryan Newman finally made his last stop on the sunny afternoon after morning rain. Busch finished 0.774 seconds back.

Chase Elliott was third, followed by Denny Hamlin, pole-sitter Martin Truex Jr., Clint Bowyer, Aric Almirola, Eric Jones and Kurt Busch.

Harvick broke a tie with Busch with 14 NASCAR national-series victories at the track, also winning an Xfinity event and four Truck races. In 31 Cup starts in Phoenix, the California driver has 15 top-five finishes.

Harvick was extra motivated following the NASCAR penalties from Las Vegas.

"Actions speak louder than any words I can come up with," Harvick said.

NASCAR said Wednesday that inspectors at its research and development center in North Carolina found the Ford violated a rule requiring rear window support braces holding the glass rigid, and another requiring the right rocker panel extension to be aluminum. Harvick was penalized the seven playoff points he earned for winning the Las Vegas race and the first two stages. He was docked 20 regular points and the team lost 20 owners' points. Crew chief Rodney Childers was fined $50,000, and car chief Robert Smith suspended two races.

Harvick regained the points lead Saturday, moving 12 ahead of Busch.

Kyle Busch won the first 75-lap stage, and brother Kurt Busch took the second in a one-lap shootout after a caution period.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.Valerie Thompson is already the fastest woman on two wheels, but now she wants to be the fastest human, period.

Americas Queen of Speed is in Australia where she and her crew are shaking down their streamlined motorcycle ahead of an world record attempt this weekend..

Thompson was the first woman to ride over 300 mph and has claimed several records during her career.

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The Scottsdale resident set the female mark with her Bub 7 motorcycle in 2016 when she hit 304.263 mph on the Bonneville Salt Flats, and will be aiming for the overall record of 376.363 mph at the Lake Gairdner World Speed Trials.

Her needle-nosed, carbon-fiber two-wheeler is powered by a 500 hp turbocharged V4 engine and boasts a barely there drag coefficient of .08. She sits in it like a car, but it only rides on two wheels. Three parachutes help bring it back down from the ludicrous speeds that its capable of.

My strategy is confidence, Thompson told Fox 10 Phoenix before she left for Australia.

From the looks of this POV video from her 304 mph, shell need it.Barack Obama appears to be going from former president to program producer and is reportedly in advanced negotiations with Netflix to create a series of new shows for the streaming giant.

The New York Times first reported Obama, 56, was in talks with Netflix and the deal would pay him and his wife, former first lady Michelle Obama, for Netflix-only exclusive content that would be available to subscribers of the digital streaming service. Netflix has about 118 million subscribers globally. It was not immediately clear how many shows or episodes would be ordered nor how much the Obamas would be paid.

However, Netflix is known for paying top dollar to big names such as David Letterman, Jerry Seinfeld and Shonda Rhimes.

Seinfeld was reportedly paid $100 million by Netflix for two comedy specials and the rights of his show Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee, Business Insider reported.

Letterman, whose new monthly interview program "My Next Guest Needs No Introduction" premiered with Obama as his first guest, is being paid $12 million for the six-episode series, according to Variety.

The company is on track to spend $8 billion on original content in 2018.

MIKE PENCE URGED ABC NEWS STAR JOY BEHAR TO APOLOGIZE TO CHRISTIANS SHE OFFENDED  SHE DIDNT LISTEN

The Obamas were reportedly paid more than $60 million in a joint book deal for their memoirs, which have not been released. Since leaving office, the former president has received hundreds of thousands of dollars to make speeches in the U.S. and around the world.



Sources told The New York Times other streaming giants Amazon and Apple also expressed interest in signing Obama to a content deal.

The former president has mostly kept out of the public eye since his presidency ended. He is active on Twitter where he has more than 101 million followers.

SEX AND THE CITY STAR CYNTHIA NIXON COULD BE NEW YORKS NEXT GOVERNOR: A LOOK AT HER POLITICAL ACTIVISM

Obama also has links to Netflixs chief content officer Ted Sarandos and Reed Hastings, the streaming companys chief executive. Hastings attended Obamas state dinners.

Eric Schultz, Obamas senior adviser, told The New York Times in a statement, President and Mrs. Obama have always believed in the power of storytelling to inspire. Throughout their lives, they have lifted up stories of people whose efforts to make a difference are quietly changing the world for the better. As they consider their future personal plans, they continue to explore new ways to help others tell and share their stories.It was finally time to figure out how the lost souls of Alexandria are faring after the Saviors forced them to go on the run. It was a night of high tension and even higher stakes on Season 8, Episode 11 of The Walking Dead.

[SPOILER ALERT]

The episode opened with a group of Saviors learning that, prior to their attack on Alexandria, Dr. Carson and Father Gabriel escaped. Theyre ordered to pull out all the stops to find them and return them to Negan. When they leave, its revealed that Daryl, Rosita and Tara overheard everything as they were leading the group of Alexandrian refugees to the Hilltop. They arent alone, as they have the newly turned Dwight.

After killing several Saviors at the Alexandria battle, Dwight has no choice but to push forward with his new faction, something Tara is not on board with. For those who dont remember, Dwight personally put an arrow through Taras girlfriend, Denise. Shes very clearly on the fence about keeping him alive. She throws walkers at him and openly asks the group about killing him now rather than later. Daryl and Rosita believe hes still got some utility left in him, but note that hes a dead man as soon as that utility is up. Despite this, Dwight seems to be willing to continue to help.

He suggests leading the group through a swamp that Negan previously deemed too dangerous. When they arrive, theres a handful of waterlogged walkers to deal with. Daryl and a handful of others make the mistake of leaving Tara alone with Dwight. He makes an even bigger mistake by taking that moment to apologize for Denise. Tara draws on him and takes her shot. Unfortunately for her, she misses.

After a brief chase, she gets him at the end of her barrel again, but they hear a group of Saviors before they can finish their tiff. They take cover and overhear that theyre planning to check the swamp. Dwight makes his presence known and pretends to still be on their side. Hes convincing enough to get them to abandon the swamp and head back to the Sanctuary.

Meanwhile, Negan seems upset with Eugene. Its unclear if he suspects him of giving Father Gabriel and Dr. Carson help in escaping, but he makes it clear hell find out the truth once they're found. In the meantime, he tells him that the time has come for him to get to work on manufacturing bullets like he promised.

As for the escapees, the audience catches up with Father Gabriel and Dr. Carson as their car breaks down. Furthermore the priests condition is dire. The fever has gotten so bad that hes on the verge of permanently losing his sight. However, despite Dr. Carsons disbelief, Gabriel feels that God is guiding his path. It becomes harder-and-harder to argue with him when they stumble upon a small abandoned radio outpost. Inside they discover antibiotics and the keys to a car - literally everything they need. Sure, the good doctor stepped in a bear trap on his way to the car, but luck still seemed to be on their side.

However, that all changes when they go to start the car and are quickly discovered by the Saviors. As theyre being loaded into a truck to go back to the Sanctuary, Dr. Carson sees an opportunity to avoid Negans iron and snags a weapon from an inattentive guard. Unfortunately, theyre too quick for him and hes quickly stabbed in the heart. Just like that, Gabriel realizes that God may not have been guiding his path after all. In an act of intimidation, Negan brings Gabriel to Eugene, but reveals that Gabriel lied and said that Carson was the one who helped him out. A completely dejected Gabriel resigns his life to sorting Negans bullets with his hands.

Despite the major gains in favor of the Saviors, the episode ends on a hopeful note as the Alexandrian refugees successfully arrive at the Hilltop, followed soon after by Rick. The community has Savior prisoners and is the last safe haven for those that defied Negan. However, its leader, Maggie, is running out of food for the prisoners as well as supplies for her people. More mouths to feed wont help, and Negan has another sinister plan.

The episode ends with him gathering the Saviors, including Dwight, and making them watch as he covers his infamous bat, Lucille, in the blood and guts of a walker. Hes clearly planning to infect the Hilltop survivors and Rick in their next attack, but its not clear yet how. It seems that, after the first two days of fighting, theyre about to engage in their second battle, and the good guys are on the ropes.Vanity Fair is hoping to shed light on what may have happened to the first lady of Scientology.

Shelly Miscavige, the wife of Church of Scientology leader David Miscavige, is the subject of a new documentary airing Monday titled Vanity Fair Confidential: Scientologys Vanished Queen.

The couple married in 1980.

The show, which is part of the Vanity Fair Confidential series, is based on the March 2014 expose by the magazine that questioned what happened to Shelly, who allegedly disappeared in 2007.

The series takes viewers deep inside the Vanity Fair vaults for a closer look into some of the esteemed publications most shocking stories, featuring exclusive interviews with those closest to each case  including insights from the Vanity Fair writers and editors who worked on the original article, reads a release sent to Fox News.

According to the magazine, sources claim church members rarely ask about her to avoid being shunned by the group. Church spokespeople have repeatedly denied Shelly is missing.

Some Scientology defectors insisted Shelly was exiled to one of several secretive and heavily guarded bases the church owns in remote western locales.

They added those who are so-called banned allegedly endure lives of isolation, menial labor and penury.

Church representatives have called Vanity Fairs questions on Shelly ludicrous and offensive.

This isnt the first time Shelly has been showcased in a television show.

Back in December 2016, former Scientology member Leah Remini raised the explosive topic of Shellys whereabouts in a special episode of her A&E series, Scientology and the Aftermath.

The former King of Queens actress left the Church of Scientology in 2013 after having been a member since childhood.

Remini, who was so alarmed by Shellys disappearance that she questioned guests at Tom Cruises 2006 wedding to Katie Holmes, reportedly outraged Scientology members.

Shelly is allegedly a close friend of Cruises, the churchs most famous member.

In 2013, Remini filed a missing report regarding Shelly with the Los Angeles Police Department. Its been reported that detectives closed the missing person case after saying they had met with Shelly in person.

Still, Remini continues to wonder about the well-being of the Scientology boss wife.

On her A&E episode, ex-Scientologist member Mike Rinder claimed that for a long time Shelly was at a property the church owned near Lake Arrowhead in California.

She was sent there when she displeased David Miscavige, claimed Rinder. Shelly was privy to everything that went on with Dave.

Remini responded, Which is why I filed my police report. Which, by the way, Im still following up on because theres still answers that I need. I do not know that she is alive. I do not know that shes not being held against her will.

"I do not know these things and so if the church produces her, by bringing her to an event  even if she went on a program and said, Hi, Leah Remini. Go fk yourself, Id be happy to know that she was alive. The police department should say, Yes, weve seen her. No, I wasnt told that. I was told that a representative saw her or spoke to her. Im going to continue to get and gather information.

As the show noted, the church has stated the police report was filed in bad faith  and Scientologists has also challenged the credibility of Remini and all the contributors to her series.

In fact, the church has said on a website it launched to slam her claims, "Leah Remini's 'reality show'.... is nothing more than a scripted, rehearsed, acted and dramatized work of fiction. She and the other anti-Scientologists in her program have been expelled from the church for unethical conduct."

Vanity Fair Confidential: Scientologys Vanished Queen airs Monday, March 12 on ID.At age 83, Jane Goodall was hesitant to appear in yet another film about how she left behind everything she knew in England to study chimpanzees in the wild of Africa in 1960. However, the pioneering British primatologist would ultimately change her mind  and she has zero regrets.

Goodall is the subject of a new documentary on the National Geographic channel titled Jane, which explores how a young woman chose to embark on a male-dominated field and tirelessly dedicated her life to animals.

Created by Oscar-nominated director Brett Morgen, who originally stirred headlines for his 2015 film Cobain: Montage of Heck, it features over 100 hours of never-before-seen footage that has been tucked away in the National Geographic archives for over 50 years and later found within a storage locker in 2014.

The rare silent footage was shot by her ex-husband, leading wildlife filmmaker Hugo van Lawick, who passed away in 2002 at age 65.

Goodall told Fox News she and Morgen needed some convincing to be on board with what seemed to be a tiresome concept. She reportedly appeared in more than 40 films and didnt think another was necessary.

Well, I wasnt interested in it at first anymore than the actual director was, said Goodall. I thought after so many films about Jane and the chimps, surely it wasnt needed. But the Jane Goodall Institute here in the U.S., they persuaded me.

"They said, Jane, we need the publicity. We need the funds. We always need funds for our programs in Africa and our programs for youth Brett Morgen, the director, he was sent some of this footage and he fell in love with it, so he agreed to do it too.

Goodall gets very candid on her personal life in the film, including how she fell in love with van Lawick in the jungle and became a mother to her only son, and she said it wasnt difficult to share the stories behind some of the happiest times of her life.

They always talk of me as an icon, a role model for girls and that sort of thing, she said. They better know I am, dont you think?

Goodall, who was 26 when she embarked on her journey, was at ease to venture into the little-known world of chimpanzees, or what she calls humankinds closest living relatives. Equipped with little more than a notebook and binoculars, she happily immersed herself within their habitat, a rarity for that time.

Jane reveals how Goodall was often scrutinized by the press at that time for her looks, as well as for just being a woman within a profession ruled by men.

First of all, I never wanted to be a scientist, she said. I just wanted to learn about the chimps And quite honestly, I didnt really care what they said, as long as I was getting funding for National Geographic. I was studying the chimps and if they didnt believe me, well, they had to because Hugo filmed it all. I didnt wish to get into the science community. It didnt really matter.

Still, Goodall insisted it's gotten better for women over the years, especially with the #MeToo movement in Hollywood shedding light on harassment in the workforce.

Many people tell me more work needs to be done, said Goodall. Certainly in developing countries. The exploitation of women is dreadful in many countries. Especially when you get the fanatic Muslim society. Not the rational, real Muslim religion.

"But when you get something like ISIS or Al-Qaeda, they treat their women terribly. And some African countries as well. But in Europe and America, I think its definitely getting easier for women. [But] it all depends on the particular line of work. So its not my subject. I havent delved into it.

Jane also highlights how Goodall was determined to balance her high-profiled work, all while being a hands-on mother. She gave birth to Hugo Eric Louis van Lawick or Grub, as she affectionally calls him, in 1967.

Knowing chimpanzees could possibly harm little Grub while they hunted for food, she built an extensive, protective cage for him and never left his side as she continued her studies.

That was when he was a very tiny baby, she clarified. Before he could walk. It was a sort of cage, which we built. But you could stand upright and walk across it. He couldnt even crawl. So it was almost like a giant cot. And he was never on his own. He was never left even for five minutes without somebody in the room with him. And I never left him one single night until he was 3 years old.

Grub, who grew up among African wildlife, was ultimately sent to England for an education and ultimately became a boat builder in Tanzania, where he still lives with his family today. Goodall said he has seen the film and revisited his unique childhood.

He really enjoyed [the new documentary], said Goodall. I was not sure how he would take to it, but he loved it. He said he didnt feel at all connected to that little baby [shown in the film].

Goodall said that despite her decades-long research, theres still plenty we can learn from chimpanzees and hopes the documentary will inspire other young girls to pursue a similar field. She revealed chimpanzees have their own fascinating behaviors and are highly adaptable to their environments.

In Gombe, they would never dream of leaving their nests at night, she explained. But in Senegal, where its really, really hot, they will forage in the full moonlight. In Uganda, theyre forced to raid crops because more and more of their forest homes are destroyed.

"They also go out at night because its safer. So were learning more and more about their capability to adapt. The more we learn about our closest living relative, the more I think it helps us to understand human evolution.

Goodall still stays busy and just as passionate. She travels around the world 300 days of the year to share her knowledge with children. Shes actively involved with Roots & Shoots, her youth service program that aims to inspire individuals to protect the environment and its people.

[I have to] give the youngsters hope that if we get in and act together, we can change the world before its too late, she said. But we have to take action. And I dont know how many years I have left. So the fewer years I have, the harder I have to work. The most important message I have for people is to remember the planet.

"We can make some kind of impact and we can choose what kind of impact we make Many people dont take action because they feel helpless and hopeless and think, Well, what can one person do? But when you look at the cumulative of billions of people making ethical choices, you start to see a better world.

"Jane" airs Monday, March 12 at 8 p.m. on National Geographic and Nat Geo Wild.Vice President Mike Pence told Fox News' Sean Hannity on Monday that ABC News star Joy Behar called him to apologize for mocking his Christian faith -- and he urged her to apologize to tens of millions of Americans who were equally offended during the conversation.

Pence spoke on a range of topics including Behars recent comments -- which have led the Media Research Center to launch a campaign to hold Behar accountable for spewing anti-Christian bigotry after she said that communicating with Jesus is a mental illness during a Feb. 13 episode of The View.

I give Joy Behar a lot of credit. She picked up the phone. She called me. She was very sincere, and she apologized and one of the things my faith teaches me is grace; forgive as you've been forgiven, Pence told Hannity.

Hannity told Pence that his faith also taught him to forgive but added, I'm not as good at it as you.

While Pence forgave Behar, he encouraged her to publically apologize.

I'm still encouraging her, to use the forum of that program or some other public forum, to apologize to tens of millions of Americans who were equally offended, Pence said.

You and I know that criticism comes with public life, Pence added. But, I felt it was important that I defend the faith of tens of millions of Americans against that kind of slander.

The vice president concluded his answer by saying that he hoped Behar "and others on the airwaves will come to appreciate the meaning and, if I could say it, the joy that comes from faith and respect that."

Behars call to Pence was undisclosed until Disney CEO Bob Iger was asked about the controversy during last weeks meeting with investors.

What do you say to the tens of millions of Christians, and President Trump supporters, that your networks have so blatantly offended and ascribed hateful labels? shareholder Justin Danhof asked Iger directly at Thursday's meeting. Specifically, do you think, like Mrs. Hostin and Mrs. Behar, that the Christian faith is akin to a dangerous mental illness?

Iger responded by saying, I dont know where I start. First of all, Joy Behar apologized to Vice President Pence directly. She made a call to him and apologized, which I thought was absolutely appropriate.

Iger told the crowd he was glad to hear Behar apologized because he takes exception to what she said. ABC insiders said executives initially wanted to keep the call between Behar and Pence, but Iger mentioned it while defending his company.

MRC President Brent Bozell issued a statement declaring that Behars private apology was not nearly enough and promised to continue his campaign against anti-Christian bigotry at the network. Bozells watchdog group is presently running a campaign on behalf of aggrieved Christians, urging that viewers contact View advertisers about Behars hateful, anti-Christian remarks.

Despite the calls for a public apology from both Pence and Bozell, ABC insiders have told Fox News that it doesnt appear that any action has taken place.

ABC is doing absolutely nothing about this, an ABC source recently told Fox News.ABC News has maintained a stony silence amid increased pressure for its star Joy Behar to apologize on-air to the "millions of Christians" who watch "The View," leaving Disney boss Bob Iger to fend for himself when an angry shareholder asked him about the brouhaha at a recent shareholder meeting.

On Feb. 13, Behar criticized Vice President Pence's faith by saying that hearing from Jesus is actually called mental illness. The resulting public outrage led scores of angry viewers to call or write ABC News demanding an apology. It wasnt until late last week that Iger, CEO of ABC parent Disney, finally revealed when questioned by a concerned shareholder that Behar had privately called the vice president to apologize.

ABC is doing absolutely nothing about this, an ABC source told Fox News.

Multiple ABC sources told Fox News that ABC -- despite tens of thousands of formal viewer complaints -- has not subjected Behars comments to review by the news divisions Editorial Standards and Practices department. The unit normally would rule on whether a public apology was required, and whether Behar and much-feared The View boss Hilary Estey McLoughlin should be subjected to discipline for Behars offensive remarks.

"ABC is doing absolutely nothing about this.  ABC source

Joy Behar apologized to Vice President Pence directly. She made a call to him and apologized, which I thought was absolutely appropriate, Iger said at the shareholder meeting. Audio reveals that Iger appeared irritated and dismissive of the shareholder, sharply cutting off the exchange.

A White House source described to Fox News the conversation between Pence and the ABC News star.

She apologized to the vice president, he accepted and said he wasnt offended by her comment for his own sake but on behalf of the millions of Christians who watch ABC and her show," the source told Fox News. "He encouraged her to make the same apology publicly on the show that she did privately to him.

But Behar has yet to publicly apologize and it appears that she has no plans to do so.

Media Research Center President Brent Bozell issued a statement declaring that Behars private apology is not nearly enough and promised to continue his campaign against anti-Christian bigotry at the network.

Bozells watchdog group is presently running a campaign on behalf of aggrieved Christians, urging that viewers contact View advertisers about Behars hateful, anti-Christian remarks. As a result, more than 30,000 calls have been placed to ABC News and the shows advertisers have received more than 10,000 calls of angry viewers complaining about the anti-Christian remarks.

Behar and ABC need to publicly apologize for the bigoted slurs on The View. The bigoted statements made about the vice president's Christian faith offended hundreds of millions of Christians across the country, the largest faith group in the United States. Their apology should therefore be as public as their insult, Bozell said.

The MRC, which bills itself as Americas media watchdog, has published the contact information of 14 advertisers of The View, including Clorox, Dove, Pampers, Downy, Oreo and Gerber.

Disney has not responded to multiple requests for comment, while ABC News pointed Fox News to an on-air comment that Behar made last month as her public statement on the matter.

I dont mean to offend people but apparently I keep doing it, she said during the non-apology. It was a joke.

A representative of ABC News declined to comment when asked directly if Behar would apologize based on the latest MRC attack on its advertisers.

An ABC source said that the news division does not expect The View to abide by the editorial standards and practices of the rest of its news programming.

Standard procedure at ABC News is that when a piece of content becomes the object of heated viewer complaints, executives in its Standards and Practices Department, which has several staffers despite ABC News small size, review it and determine a course of action. These actions can include mandating an apology or imposing some manner of discipline on personnel involved.

Recently, ABC News suspended for a month without pay its chief investigative correspondent, Brian Ross, after he broadcast an incorrect report about former National Security Adviser Michael Flynns guilty plea. Ross was later demoted to a sinecure at ABCs beleaguered Lincoln Square Productions.

In 2015, ABC News compelled George Stephanopoulos to recuse himself from moderating presidential debates after it was revealed the Good Morning America star had been secretly giving tens of thousands of dollars to the Clinton Foundation. ABC continues to pay Stephanopoulos in the range of $15 million dollars a year despite his diminished clout and social cache now that the Clintons are out of power.

Fox News contacted spokespeople for ABC News, ABC Television Network and Disney -- none of whom would comment on Behar.

Among those not commenting is ABC News Senior Vice President for Talent and Business Barbara Fedida, who is believed to have executive oversight of The View. 

According to a number of reports in the Daily Mail, ABC News and particularly Fedidas stewardship of The View has rankled producers at the longtime chat show. ABC News assumed control of The View from ABC Daytime in 2014.

Increasing incursions by the View into news territory have made the program more controversial. Only on Friday, Behar and View guest Valerie Jarrett, who is Barack and Michelle Obamas best friend, both made excuses for a co-founder of the Womens March who has ties to the anti-Semite Louis Farrakhan.

Everybody has baggage, Behar said. Unless you're in utero, you have baggage.A law student in the U.K. is considering taking legal action after being told to leave a bar because he was wearing a turban.

Amrik Singh, who attends Nottingham Trent University, was at Rush Late Bar in Nottinghamshire Friday night with his friends when trouble arose. The 22-year-old said he was initially allowed to enter the establishment, but was soon approached by an employee after about a half hour, saying he needed to remove his turban, BBC reported.

UK MOTHER'S DAY AD SPARKS OUTRAGE OVER SCONES WITH JAM ON TOP OF CREAM

"I explained that a turban isn't just headgear, but part of my religion and that I was allowed to wear a turban in public. The bouncer ignored this and said I needed to take it off, Singh told BBC. "I refused and was subsequently dragged away from my friends."

Singh asked to speak to a manager so he could explain the significance of his turban. He recorded his conversation with the bar employee, but was still told he couldn't wear it.

Isnt that a bit kind of discriminative against me? Singh can be heard asking, as the unidentified employee explains he cant be at the bar as long as he has his turban on because it was against club policy.

The student told BBC he was allowed back in the club, but told he would be banned from entering in the future.

The bar also confirmed that Singh was allowed back, but didnt address whether hed be allowed back.

"This experience ruined my night. It broke my heart. I'm very fortunate that I'm well-spoken and I am able to stand up for myself. What if it was someone who wasn't confident was told to leave? I am disgusted," he told BBC.

Rush Late Bar posted an apology on Facebook, saying that they are extremely concerned about what happened. We are treating the whole incident extremely seriously and have suspended the door supervisor involved and a thorough investigation has been launched, the post reads.

We, as a venue, welcome all customers regardless of their race, ethnicity or background. The events of last night do not reflect the venues values and upon completion of our enquiries any necessary action will swiftly be taken. We offer our sincere apologies to the gentleman involved for any upset, hurt and distress that was caused to him and anyone else.

Singh issued a statement on Facebook as well, addressing everyone who has shown him support. Ive received thousands of supportive messages from people from all backgrounds and countries which I am truly grateful for, he wrote.

Sometimes we can get carried away and label a whole community based on the actions of a small minority. However, I urge everyone that you do not fall into this trap when it comes to this incident.

FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK FOR MORE FOX LIFESTYLE NEWS

While Singh did not report the incident to the police, as he doesnt believe any laws were broken, he told BBC he is considering legal options.

He also noted that he wants the incident to raise awareness "about what is it like to be treated this way."Ree Drummond, also known as The Pioneer Woman, is always cooking up something delicious on her television show. She also shares tips and tricks when it comes to her cooking over on Instagram, and her most recent post has us drooling at our seats.

If you didnt already know, Drumond has a restaurant in Pawhuska, Oklahoma, called Mercantile. The menu alone has us wanting to take a road trip to Oklahoma immediately. Those biscuits and gravy, the chicken fried steak and that cowboy creme brulee sound absolutely divine.

With so many delicious options on the menu, it would seem almost impossible to decide on what to munch on. But Drummond seemed to make that decision for us by posting a photo of her scrumptious meal.

On a breakfast date with her husband, Ladd, Drummond took to Instagram with a photo of the migas dish. As described on their menu, Migas is a Tex-Mex favorite that will have you hooked for life! It comes with three farm-fresh eggs scrambled up with onions, bell peppers, tomatoes, cheese and corn tortilla strips. Its topped with pico de gallo, guacamole and the restaurants homemade cream. With a side of Crispy Bits potatoes, this breakfast will certainly have you licking the skillet clean.

She also snagged a few bites of her husbands breakfast, which was the Pancake Breakfast. This menu item includes a short stack of pancakes with flavored butters and infused syrups (Aged Vanilla & Cinnamon, Orange Zest & Clove, and Sea Salt Caramel), with a side of two eggs any style, bacon and sausage.

We also couldnt help but notice Drummond's homemade cinnamon rolls on the menu, for the low price of $4. Those cinnamon rolls tend to be one of the TV chef's signature holiday dishes, and we would give anything to snag a plate of those ooey-gooey creations.

If youre unable to make the trip to Pawhuska but youre craving a delicious Southwestern-style meal, we've got you covered. Start your morning off with one of these Southwest Breakfast Wraps, or for a weekend brunch dig into this Southwestern Hash with Eggs or this Southwestern Breakfast Slow Cooker Casserole.

This article originally appeared on Taste of HomeIn an effort to fight hunger in America, the Salvation Army says it is getting into the grocery business. The nonprofit is looking to open grocery stores in and around food deserts to help bring nutritious, low-cost food to people who might otherwise have difficulty accessing it. The first such grocery opened this week in Baltimore.

The Salvation Armys new grocery store is called DMG Foods, which comes from the organizations motto, Do more good. According to The Shelby Report, the grocery is open to all shoppers, regardless of income, and it has extra coupons and giveaways for customers who receive Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits.

The first store is located in a 7,000-square-foot warehouse, and it sells national brands of nonperishable items as well as a house brand called Best Yet. The store has an on-site butcher and a deli, and it sells prepared meals and salads that are reportedly being put together by the Maryland Food Bank, which will also offer cooking demonstrations.

In addition to functioning as a regular grocery store, the Salvation Army says DMG Foods will offer nutritional guidance and meal-planning, shopping education, and workforce development. DMG Foods is being called the first non-profit supermarket, and if the Baltimore location goes well, the Salvation Army hopes to open more DMG Foods stores in other food deserts all around the country. For ways an individual can help, here are 60 ways to help fight hunger in America.A young woman was looking for feedback about a dress to wear to her upcoming high school formal and decided to text her friend a photo. But instead of getting the sign-off from her peer, the student received an encouraging response from a Tennessee dad of six.

The hilarious exchange started when Sydney Uselton sent a photo of her in a dress to a number she believed to be her friend's. Instead, Tony Wood received the text and decided to boost the students confidence ... with the help of five of his six children.

TODDLERS ADORABLE REACTION TO FIRST BITE OF PIZZA GOES VIRAL

Wood replied sending a photo of his kids with the message, My wife isnt home, so I couldnt get her opinion, but the kids and I think you look stunning in your dress! You should definitely go with that one!

Society puts a lot of pressure on these young women to have a certain look and a certain body build, he later told the Daily Mail Australia. We try to teach our children to be themselves and not worry about what others think ... Even with that, my young daughters already express a desire to 'fit in' and I figured this young lady might need that reassurance.



Though the text exchange ended there, the story didnt.

The mistaken texts went viral on Instagram and Twitter after Useltons friend Mandi Miller published screenshots of the conversation on her social media accounts, bringing attention to Woods Facebook page and his 4-year-old son Kaizlers GoFundMe page.

Kaizler, who was missing in the photo, was diagnosed with Pre-B Cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia in 2015, the Facebook page explains. The GoFundMe page was set up to raise funds for his cancer treatments.

Since the story of the mistaken text went viral, the page has received hundreds of donations. As of Monday afternoon, 917 people had made contributions, bringing the amount up to $26,165  $16,165 more than the familys goal of $10K.

FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK FOR MORE FOX LIFESTYLE NEWS

Wood has been shocked at the response.

Wow. This is nuts! It's crazy! he said on his Facebook page. It's a bigger blessing than anyone could ever know.

Strangers touched by Woods initial kindness have been leaving encouraging comments along with donations.

I think the internet is going to make sure you guys can focus on what matters! Hope he recovers quickly and fully, one donor wrote.

Proof that a little act of kindness can reap bigger acts of kindness, wrote another.

Kaizler is currently in the Maintenance phase and will continue to be until the end of treatment until April 14, 2019, Wood shared on Facebook.NEW You can now listen to Fox News articles!

After Education Secretary Betsy DeVoss appearance on CBSs 60 Minutes on Sunday night, progressive media outlets and personalities mocked her performance as trainwreck saying that she stumbled, struggled, and stunk up the interview.

Although Secretary DeVos did struggle to answer some questions on the spot, the substance and tone of the criticisms are inaccurate and unfair.

None of this should be surprising. Secretary DeVos, a Christian grandmother and philanthropist who has spent her career trying to improve the quality of education for poor children, has been criticized and mocked relentlessly. And she is the only Cabinet secretary who travels with a cadre of U. S. Marshals because of death threats shes received.

So why, as 60 Minutes Lesley Stahl put it, has Secretary DeVos become the most hated Cabinet secretary?

One reasonas opinion pieces in the New York Times and Wall Street Journal have arguedis that some of the Democratic partys most deep-pocketed and powerful interest groups are teachers unions who realize that they will no longer have a near-monopoly on education.

Another reason, as the New York Times Ross Douthat argued, is that the Democratic partys upper-middle-class suburbanite constituency - who are big supporters, in theory, of public education  bristle at the idea of DeVos charters and vouchers being attractive to poor and minority families (who in their view belong in public schools) or families with ideological or religious convictions that differ from their own.

On second thought, I guess its not so hard to understand why the lefts hard-core education bureaucracy is so opposed to her. She is a serious threat to the status quo that has served them  if not students  so well.

Perhaps the most significant reason, however, is the one Secretary DeVos gave in response to Stahls question: more than anything else, she is misunderstood.

To clear up any misunderstanding caused by the lefts holy war against her, here are four things Americans should understand about Secretary DeVos educational vision:

First, as she noted in the 60 Minutes interview, Secretary DeVos wants to liberate American education from encroachment by federal bureaucracy. Under the Obama administration, the federal government functioned as a giant octopus, bypassing families, communities, and states in order to reach its tentacles into school curriculum, teacher evaluation, values conformity, and even restroom policies. Betsy DeVos signals a departure from that era. Her stated educational philosophy suggests that she will not turn Democratic encroachment into Republican encroachment; instead, she will reduce federal encroachment in order to empower families, local communities, and states.

Second, Secretary DeVos emphasizes freedom of thought. During her confirmation hearings, the media made much ado about her Dutch Calvinist religious views. But Dutch Calvinism is a rich religious tradition that emphasizes the rights and freedoms of families, communities, and religions. For that reason, it finds adherents on the right and on the left. Additionally, it places an especially high value on education, but emphasizes that a plural society should be tolerant enough to allow diverse families and communities to build their own educational institutions and choose which institution(s) their children can attend. Unfortunately, many liberal educators are quite illiberal, unwilling to tolerate any type of educational diversity that undermines the federal governments impulse toward command-and-control.

Third, she wants to empower financially-disadvantaged families to send their children to whichever school they deem best. Under the current system, the government taxes citizens in order to provide education, but then dictates and determines how the tax money can be used. The message is clear: the federal governmentrather than the family or local communityis responsible for shaping the way a child understands and interprets the world.

Under Secretary DeVos system of vouchers and charters, however, citizens will be able to exercise more influence over their own childs education. They will also be able to send their children to a wider variety of schools, including those that would have been financially prohibitive without the vouchers. This sort of system is supported by prominent intellectuals and educators such as Anthony Bradley and has been supported in the past by Democratic politicians such as Cory Booker.

Fourth, Secretary Devos does not come to her job as a career politician or an educational ideologue. She comes as a lifelong education advocate and philanthropist who has given tens of millions of dollars to public and private educational institutions.

As her 60 Minutes interview made clear, Secretary DeVos is an imperfect Secretary of Education, as all secretaries of education have been. She is neither a career politician nor a pundit.

What she is is a skilled educational advocate and a lifelong educational philanthropist whose vision for education could reduce bureaucracy, increase free thinking, and empower the financially disadvantaged, thus helping children to get the education they deserve.

On second thought, I guess its not so hard to understand why the lefts hard-core education bureaucracy is so opposed to her. She is a serious threat to the status quo that has served them  if not students  so well.

Good-thinking Americans on the left and right should reject the mainstream media narrative and pull for Secretary DeVos as she tries to reform and shake up these aspects of our nations educational system.NEW You can now listen to Fox News articles!

There he goes again. President Trump just wont listen to those who know better.

And there they go again. The smart money set is certain that this time, the sky really is falling.

Perhaps those lecturing the president over his tariff plans are right that he is making a colossal mistake and will regret losing his top economic advisor, Gary Cohn, over the decision.

If nothing else, their learned references to the awful consequences of actual trade wars and to the disaster of the Smoot-Hawley broadside in 1930 make for a coherent argument against protectionism.

Except for one thing: the critics offer no solutions for the working class Americans left behind by the bipartisan push for globalization. Their silence on the destructive impacts of the deindustrialization of America suggest they have no answers  and not much compassion for the families who pay the price of trade policies through lost jobs and hollowed-out towns.

Moreover, their failure to focus on the plight of those families and how they factor into the presidents view of the nation shows they still dont fully appreciate why Trump was elected. It was legions of frustrated working and middle-class voters in Pennsylvania, Michigan, Ohio and Wisconsin that helped him barrel through the supposedly solid blue wall of Democratic states.

Those who forget the human impact of ideology would have benefited from watching the signing ceremony of the tariff proclamation.

The dozen or so men and one woman gathered in the White House Roosevelt Room were wearing work shirts and holding hard hats, making them perfect stage props for the occasion. But when Trump invited several to speak, it became achingly clear that their pain  and now their gratitude  were genuine.

Trump is engaging in global brinkmanship on two fronts. He may fail, but his aggressive moves represent clean breaks from the stale, failed orthodoxy of both Democratic and Republican presidents.

Two talked about how their fathers had suffered when earlier plants closed because of imports. What that does to a familyyou never forget that, one said.

Im guessing theyll never forget Donald Trump sticking up for them  and their visit to the Oval Office afterwards to take pictures with him.

In many ways, the tariff tiff is playing out in similar fashion to Trumps other big announcement of last week  his agreement to meet with North Koreas Kim Jong Un. Once again, the president is accused of naivete, this time for giving away the favor of a presidential meeting without guarantees of concessions.

He is also being called arrogant for thinking he can work magic on a problem that defied the three previous presidents.

The detractors may be right that Trump is walking into a trap. If the talks fail, hell be embarrassed and left in a weaker position than now. That, in turn, might leave no option except a military strike, which could be a catastrophe.

Yet, as with tariffs, the naysayers have no answer for a problem Trump inherited from presidents Bill Clinton, George W. Bush and Barack Obama.

So why should Trump follow the paths most taken when they yielded only a more dangerous situation, now that North Korea has nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles?

Naturally, there is another dimension to both cases  we are witnessing Trumpian negotiations play out in real time. After first insisting there would be no tariff exemptions, he quickly exempted Canada and Mexico, pending the outcome of new NAFTA talks. If he gets terms he wants, the exemptions would be permanent.

Other countries are now lining up for their exemptions  presumably offering something in return.

As for North Korea, Trump has played tough since he took office, so we ought to consider the possibility that Kim wants to talk because Trump has boxed him in.

The president, through the United Nations Security Council, imposed more sanctions than existed before while overtly threatening a military strike. And he is closing the escape hatch by putting intense pressure on China to bring Kim to heel.

Indeed, Chinas votes made the UN sanctions possible, and it may comply on North Korea in hopes Trump will exempt some Chinese products from tariffs.

Trump, then, is engaging in global brinkmanship on two fronts. He may fail, but his aggressive moves represent clean breaks from the stale, failed orthodoxy of both Democratic and Republican presidents.

Thats what America desperately needed  and its what many of the current critics said they wanted. Of course, they said that before Trump ended up in the Oval Office and began doing things his way.NEW You can now listen to Fox News articles!

Picture this: thanks to a combination of diplomatic ingenuity, unique personalities and a historic willingness to see tensions in Northeast Asia disappear, President Donald J. Trump convinces North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un to do the unthinkable and give up his nuclear weapons.

While we are a long way from even a meeting between the two taking place, let alone the ending of Kims nuclear weapons program, we can stargaze a little. If the Trump administration can somehow land the ultimate of deals, the geopolitical map would instantly be reset. Americas security, and that of its allies in Asia, would be enhanced dramatically, ridding our planet of one of its greatest security risks. Not only would President Trump deserve the Nobel Prize, but his place in history would be secureforever.

And nothing would terrify China more. The reason, if you think about it, is obvious. The instability that Pyongyang brings to U.S. foreign policy presents to China a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to achieve many of its goals throughout the Indo-Pacific region. Remove the North Korea crisis from Asia and Washington has the economic, diplomatic, political and, most of all, military bandwidth to contain Beijings aspirations across Asiaand indeed, around the world.

To be clear, China has benefitted in the past from America having its diplomatic focus elsewhere. Just months before September 11, in April 2001, Washington and Beijing saw tensions spike after Chinese fighter pilots damaged a U.S. intelligence plane flying in international airspace. The so-called Hainan Island Incident caused Washington to begin to rethink its relations with Beijing, at least for a time. But after the towers fell on September 11 and America went to war against terror around the world, China was able to build its economic and military muscle while the world was focused on events elsewhere.

Just a simple spin of the globe shows Beijing would stand to lose momentum in many key areas if Washington was again able to refocus on its great-power competition with the middle kingdom, something it has set forth as a goal in the recent U.S. National Security Strategy. Best of all, America would no longer feel indebted to China for its help on the North Korea nuclear challenge.

Best of all, America would no longer feel indebted to China for its help on the North Korea nuclear challenge.

Just a short sample of the areas where Washington could finally push back on China with greater force would include:

South China Sea. America would finally be able to develop a fine-tuned approach to pushing back against Chinese aggression in the South China Sea, where Beijing has built several man-made islands that help ensure that in the next few years it would dominate that vital near-sea. With trillions of dollars of seaborne trade passing through this body of water and potentially trillions more in natural resources under the waves, America could finally challenge Chinas claims from a true position of strength.

Taiwan. Washington would also be able to fully assist Taiwana democracy of 25 million who is in constant fear of being absorbed by Chinato get the diplomatic, economic and military freedom it needs to ensure its survival. Over the last few years, Beijing has done all it can to chip away at Taipeis relations with other nations, stage dangerous military maneuvers around the island nation and constantly threaten its very existence. Being freed of the North Korea challenge, Washington would have the ability to enhance ties with Taiwan considerably, and offer it greater diplomatic and military aideall but ensuring that Taipei would preserve its unique place as the showcase of what a Chinese democracy could look like in the future.

East China Sea. America and Japan could finally push China back in the East China Sea, a region in East Asia where Beijing has been aggressively trying to dominate vital sea lanes and islands. While Washington has made it clear that any attempt by China to capture the disputed Senkaku Islands from Japan would trigger American security guarantees to Tokyo, being freed of the North Korea crisis would give that statement some major teeth. Washington could dedicate the full-power of its Asian military assets into the East China Sea in a crisisand that means big trouble for Beijing.

Trade. Americas $350 billion trade imbalance with China could also finally be addressed, as the necessary political and diplomatic bandwidth would finally be available. While some of this imbalance is indeed structural and part of a global supply change that sees cheap Chinese labor build many of the things Americans need daily, Washington would have the wiggle room to press Beijing on this issuesomething that has cost America countless jobs.

But, as they say, we cant put the cart before the horse just yet. Much needs to transpire between now and a potential meeting by the end of May. However, if President Trump can land the biggest diplomatic deal on the planet, Washington could very well knock out two big problems at the same time. And the world just might not be the same. Now that is something worth striving for.In the Orpheum Theater in downtown Phoenix, thousands of people cheered on Senator Bernie Sanders as he took the podium at his rally.

The Vermont Independent pushed a progressive platform on immigration, health care and income inequality.

We want an agenda that represents working families, Sanders said.

Sanders kept a grip on the energy and enthusiasm generated by his 2016 presidential campaign. And these supporters never stopped following his political movement.

Arizona Democrat Congressmen Raul Grijalva and Ruben Gallego also spoke to the crowd today. Gallego pointed out what Sanders presence and support in Phoenix meant.

It recognizes that Arizona is a swing state in 2020. It also recognizes that in 2018, we have some really strong races where we can really make a difference in terms of control of the House and the Senate, Gallego said.

Sanders has been speaking in multiple spots across the nation, but there is no word on him running for president in 2020. He says he is solely focusing on 2018 midterm elections.

This story originally appeared on Fox 10.The White House announced a series of recommendations Sunday night meant to stop school shootings, including a full audit and review of the FBI tip line after warnings about a student who killed 17 people at a Florida high school last month were not acted upon.

The administration did not call for immediately increasing the minimum age for buying long guns to 21, as President Trump had previously advocated. However, it did announce that Education Secretary Betsy DeVos would chair a federal commission on school safety to study the proposal.

The recommendations were announced nearly a month after the mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla.

DeVos said in a statement that the commission would look at a "wide range" of ideas in order to ensure that "no student or family should ever have to live the horror of Parkland or Sandy Hook ever again."

Administration officials said they had not set a deadline for the commission's recommendations, but expected they'd made in under a year.



In addition to creating the commission, the White House directed the Justice Department to help states partner with local law enforcement to provide "rigorous firearms training to specifically qualified volunteer school personnel," said Andrew Bremberg, director of the president's Domestic Policy Council.

The administration also reaffirmed Trump's support for a congressional measure, known as Fix NICS, that helps local officials improve efforts to enter data into the National Instant Criminal Background Check System and the congressional STOP School Violence Act to improve school security and provide some funding for such efforts.

The Republican-controlled House is expected to vote next week on the bipartisan measure.

Trump is also calling on states to pass temporary, court-issued Risk Protection Orders, which allow law enforcement to confiscate guns from individuals who pose risks to themselves and others, and temporarily prevent them from buying firearms. The president is also calling for better coordination between mental health care, school officials and law enforcement.

The plan was immediately paned by gun control advocates, including the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence. "Americans expecting real leadership to prevent gun violence will be disappointed and troubled by President Trump's dangerous retreat from his promise," said Avery Gardiner, the group's co-president.



Sen. Bob Casey, D-Pa., called the plan "weak on security and an insult to the victims of gun violence." In a statement, he added, "When it comes to keeping our families safe, it's clear that President Trump and Congressional Republicans are all talk and no action."

"The White House has taken tiny baby steps designed not to upset the NRA, when the gun violence epidemic in this country demands that giant steps be taken, said Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., in a statement of his own. "Democrats in the Senate will push to go further including passing universal background checks, actual federal legislation on protection orders, and a debate on banning assault weapons."

In the weeks since the Parkland massacre, Trump has held listening sessions with lawmakers, survivors of recent school shootings and the families of victims.

He's also met and spoken with the heads of the powerful National Rifle Association. The NRA on Friday sued Florida over a new gun law signed by Republican Gov. Rick Scott that bans the purchase of firearms by anyone under the age of 21.

During those meetings, Trump advocated arming certain teachers and school staffers, arguing that gun-free schools were "like an invitation for these very sick people" to commit murder.

"If you had a teacher who was adept at firearms, they could end the attack very quickly," he has said.

During the often free-wheeling conversations, Trump also seemed to voice support for expanded background checks, which would apply to private gun sales and those at gun shows, instead of just from licensed dealers. He also raised eyebrows by suggesting that law enforcement officials should be able to confiscate guns from those they deem a safety risk even before a court has weighed in.

"Take the guns first, go through due process second," Trump said.

Sarah Sanders, the White House press secretary, later walked back both suggestions, saying, "Universal means something different to a lot of people." She said the president wanted to expedite the court process, not circumvent it.

The NICS bill would penalize federal agencies that don't properly report required records, and reward states that comply by providing them with federal grant preferences.

The bill was written in response to a shooting last November by a gunman whose domestic violence conviction the Air Force failed to report to the National Criminal Information Center database. It has already passed the House, but as part of large bill that allows conceal-carry permits to be valid across state lines.

Fox News' John Roberts and The Associated Press contributed to this report.President Donald Trump trumpeted the House Intelligence Committee's report that it found "no evidence of collusion, coordination or conspiracy between the Trump campaign and the Russians" in an all-caps Twitter post Monday night.

"THE HOUSE INTELLIGENCE COMMITTEE HAS, AFTER A 14 MONTH LONG IN-DEPTH INVESTIGATION, FOUND NO EVIDENCE OF COLLUSION OR COORDINATION BETWEEN THE TRUMP CAMPAIGN AND RUSSIA TO INFLUENCE THE 2016 PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION," wrote Trump, reiterating the main finding from the panel's 150-page draft report.

We didn't find any evidence of collusion and I don't think [special counsel Robert Mueller] will either, Texas Republican Rep. Mike Conaway, who led the bipartisan investigation, said on Special Report.

"We have found no evidence of collusion, coordination, or conspiracy between the Trump campaign and the Russians."  House Intelligence Committee, Majority Staff

The top Democrat on the committee, California Rep. Adam Schiff, responded to Trump with tweet saying that the panel's Republicans "lack the courage to stand up to a President of their own party when the national interest necessitates it."

The committee's investigation was based on four topics: Russian active measures against the 2016 U.S. election, the U.S. government's response to the attack, links between Russians and the Trump and Clinton campaigns, and purported leaks of classified information.

We believe we've got the information necessary to answer those for the American people, Conaway said.

The report also noted that based on its investigation which lasted more than a year, the committee disagreed with the intelligence communitys assessment that Russian President Vladimir Putin had a supposed preference for then-candidate Donald Trump.

We disagree with the Intelligence Communitys position that Putin favored Trump, Conaway told Fox News. He said he had no contact with the White House during the probe.

The majority staff on the committee is expected to send the draft report to the minority staff on Tuesday. Once the draft report is adopted by committee Democrats, the report will be submitted to the intelligence community for a declassification review, and following that process, it will be released to the public, officials said, though the timeline at this point is unknown.

The reports completion will signify the closure of one chapter in the Committees robust oversight of the threat posed by Moscowwhich began well before the investigation and will continue thereafter, Conaway said.

Schiff, however, fought back. While the Majority members of our committee have indicated for some time that they have been under great pressure to end the investigation, it is nonetheless another tragic milestone for this Congress, and represents yet another capitulation to the executive branch. By ending its oversight role in the only authorized investigation in the House, the Majority has placed the interests of protecting the President over protecting the country, and history will judge its actions harshly, the Democratic lawmaker said.

The draft report included 40 other findings, including how Russians used social media to sow discord in 2015 and 2016, a lackluster pre-election response to Russian measures, how anti-Trump research made its way from Russian sources to the Clinton campaign, and problematic contacts between senior Intelligence Community officials and the media.

The report also included more than 25 recommendations for Congress and the executive branch to improve election security, U.S. government response to cyberattacks, campaign finance transparency, and counterintelligence practices related to political campaigns and unauthorized disclosures.

Campaign finance disclosures ought to be a little more wholesome, Conaway said on Special Report referring to the Clinton campaign and the Democratic National Committee's filing of payments for opposition research leading to the anti-Trump dossier as legal matters.

The report's recommendations on handling leaks are serious, according to Conaway.

Leaks of classified information are criminal," he said. Leaks can get people killed."

A committee source told Fox News that the investigation portion of the probe was complete, meaning the committee would not interview any additional witnesses as part of its effort.

Im sure [committee Democrats] will disagree with bringing the interview phase to a close, Conaway told Fox News. Im sure they will have specific folks they wanted to interview.

Conaway said that the Republicans on the committee wanted to interview former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort, but said Schiff wanted to delay us. Once Manafort was indicted in Special Counsel Robert Mueller's investigation, the committee decided not to call him for an interview.

Conaway also said that he did not anticipate pursuing contempt proceedings against former Trump campaign manager Steve Bannon or any other witnesses who did not respond favorably to the committee's questioning.

Conaway took over the probe when House Intelligence Chairman Devin Nunes, R-Calif., stepped down in April 2017 after he was accused of making unauthorized disclosures of classified information, in violation of House Rules, law regulations, or other standards of conduct, according to the House Ethics Committee which investigated the allegations. Nunes supporters at the time said that it was a clever political trick by the Democrats.

After more than a year, the Committee has finished its Russia investigation and will now work on completing our report, Nunes said in a statement Monday. Id like to thank Congressmen Trey Gowdy, Tom Rooney, and especially Mike Conaway for the excellent job theyve done leading this investigation. Id also like to recognize the hard work undertaken by our other Committee members as well as our staff. Once the Committees final report is issued, we hope our findings and recommendations will be useful for improving security and integrity for the 2018 midterm elections.

When we began our investigation into what occurred leading up to the 2016 elections, our ultimate goal was to make timely recommendations for Congress, the executive branch and for states to improve election security in advance of the 2018 election. The clock is ticking, committee member Tom Rooney, R-Fla., said. Were now nine months out, and the threat of Russian interference has not diminished. Make no mistake: this is a close to just one chapter in the threat posed by Moscow  which began well before the investigation  but our work does not stop here, and this Committees oversight over Russian threats to the U.S. will continue.

Republicans on the committee, though, have expanded their investigation of the Trump dossier, seeking answers from Obama administration officials, including a former staffer for Vice President Joe Biden. Nunes sent a questionnaire to the former Biden staffer, whose husband worked for Fusion GPS, the firm behind the dossier, seeking answers to when the administration was made aware of the dossier.

Fox News' Samuel Chamberlain contributed to this report.Kim Jong Un, the bellicose North Korean leader, hopes to sign a peace deal after the upcoming meeting with President Donald Trump, which is tentatively set for May, Bloomberg reported, citing a South Korea report.

Dong-A Ilbo, South Korea's national newspaper, spoke to an unidentified senior official from President Moon Jae-in's office, who said Kim will likely raise the possibility of the peace treaty.

The report said Kim is also likely to voice his desire to establish diplomatic relations with the U.S. and consider nuclear disarmament, the report said.

The regime wants a peace treaty to end the more than 60-year-old ceasefire between the two sides and to safeguard its sovereignty, Koh Yu-hwan, who teaches North Korean studies at Dongguk University in Seoul, told the outlet.

There were agreements between the U.S. and North Korea to open up discussion on a peace treaty, but they never materialized, Koh said. The U.S. wants a peace treaty at the end of the denuclearization process, while for the North, its the precondition for its denuclearization.

The peace treaty would need to address issues such as the U.S. militarys presence in South Korea and the continued military drills aimed at countering the Norths threat in the region.

Trump last week accepted a meeting with Kim  expected sometime in May  but the key details of the meeting are yet to be decided.

Despite speculation of possible denuclearization, it is still widely believed that Kim will insist on keeping some nuclear weapons as a deterrent  a proposal that might be too hard to swallow for the Trump administration that came out against nuclear North Korea in any shape or form.

Kim might also propose giving a full report on the Norths current nuclear weapons arsenal and allowing international verification once the denuclearization process takes hold, said Choi Kang, vice president of Seouls Asan Institute for Policy Studies.

In addition, North Korea could offer Trump to release several American citizens currently being imprisoned in the country.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.Republican congressional candidate Rick Saccone conceded the special election to Democrat Conor Lamb more than a week after the close election ended.

Lamb, who had already declared victory in the race, revealed Saccones call in a tweet on March 21. Lamb offered congratulations to his opponent for a close, hard-fought race and said he wished him the best.

Lamb won the seat by a margin of about 750 votes. Republicans considered seeking a recount request or a lawsuit to contest the result, even as vote-counting over the past week continued to pad Lamb's lead. But officials said those efforts have been dropped since Saccone conceded.

Ahead of the election, Democrats had hoped to stir up enough enthusiasm  especially among union members  to increase voter turnout and change the party representing a district that has recently been red.

The one fact that has remained the same this year  whether Democrats have won or lost [recent special elections]  is Democrats are doing better in terms of turnout and enthusiasm, Kevan Yenerall, a social sciences professor at Clarion University, told Fox News before the election.

The congressional seat opened after Republican Rep. Tim Murphy, who in public was staunchly anti-abortion, resigned in 2017 amid reports that he asked his mistress to get an abortion when he believed she was pregnant.

Here's a look at the candidates and what is unique about Pennsylvania's 18th district.

Conor Lamb

A Marine Corps captain, Conor Lamb, 33, said on his campaign website the biggest issues facing the 18th congressional district arent partisan.

My only bias is the one they taught us in the Marines: a bias for action, Lamb said on his website.

His congressional to-do list includes: battling the nations heroin epidemic, modern energy development and creating jobs.

In Pennsylvania, Lamb already worked towards ending the growing heroin crisis; as an assistant U.S. attorney, Lamb worked to make the Justice Departments Pittsburgh office a national leader in the fight, according to his campaign website.

Lamb has advocated for new leadership in the House and said he would not vote for Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., as Minority Leader again  a politically astute move that could garner him the support of more moderate or independent voters, said Yenerall.

Most Democrats in the district may not dislike Pelosi, per se, but would like to shake up the status quo, Yenerall explained.

He added that Lambs background as a veteran and U.S. attorney as well as his temperament does fit the district more so than other Democrats have.

Lamb spoke out about gun control in the wake of the Parkland, Fla., high school massacre. He said he doesnt believe additional gun laws are needed to prevent mass shootings.

"The broad agreement already is that we're not doing a good enough job keeping guns out of the hands of people with mental health conditions and with criminals," Lamb said at a campaign event.

He told the Weekly Standard he would not have voted for legislation that would have prohibited abortions after 20 weeks, adding that he doesnt label himself as pro-life because its a political term.

Former Vice President Joe Biden campaigned for Lamb a week ahead of the election, comparing the candidate to his late son Beau and praising him for his dedication to unions.

Lamb will never ever stop, will never ever play a game, Biden said, according to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Thats this guy. This guy gets it.

Rick Saccone

A longtime state representative, Rick Saccone, 60, is a conservative Republican who more embodies the policies of President Trump.

Saccone is more known for his religious conservatism as opposed to Murphy, who is a more mainstream Republican, Robert Speel, an associate professor of political science at Pennsylvania State University in Erie, told Fox News.

He was one of the lawmakers who championed Pennsylvanias Castle Doctrine, or stand your ground law, which allows law-abiding people to protect themselves, their families and others from intruders and attackers without fear of prosecution or civil action for acting in defense of themselves and others.

Saccone also sponsored a bill that would require public school buildings to bear the motto In God We Trust. Additionally, he pushed for a National Fast Day in the state to mirror President Lincolns proclamation of a national day of humiliation, fasting and prayer.

PARTY LEADERS SENDING BIG MONEY, TOP STARS TO RIGHT PENNSYLVANIA HOUSE RACE

Saccone is a retired Air Force officer with vast experience in counter-terrorism efforts, including working on task forces for two Olympic Games, according to his campaign website.

Ive got a resume that my opponent doesnt have, Saccone told Fox News.

Trump often tweeted his support of Saccone, including ahead of a January visit to the Keystone state.

Rick is a great guy. We need more Republicans to continue our already successful agenda, the president said.

Trump again traveled to western Pennsylvania the weekend before the election, urging voters to elect Saccone to advance the White House agenda.

We need our Congressman Saccone, Trump said.

Aside from Trump, Saccone also received support from Vice President Mike Pence and Ivanka, the president's daughter and adviser.

But not all Republicans were happy with Saccone, Politico reported just before the election. Strategists and national GOP officials described Saccone to the publication as deeply underwhelming as a candidate and complained about his fundraising ability. Saccone told Fox News the reported friction was nonsense peddled by his opponents.

Saccone is married with two sons. He studied in Africa, visited 75 countries, authored multiple books on North Korea and earned a Ph.D. in international affairs.

The district

Pennsylvanias 18th congressional district is located in the western part of the state near Pittsburgh. It includes parts of Allegheny, Greene, Washington and Westmoreland Counties and is made up of many rural, blue-collar voters.

There are actually more registered Democrats than Republicans in the district  a result of strong organized labor in the area.

Union workers are a key demographic for the special election, although Trump made inroads with the more than 80,000 members in the district with his candidacy, Yenerall said.

But Saccones anti-union voting record in the state legislature ultimately hurt him.

Due to redistricting in the state, both Lamb and Saccone are expected to run again later this year  in what will now be separate districts.

What shaped the election

Bellwether election: Pennsylvanias 18th district overwhelmingly voted for Trump over Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton in the 2016 election. The election shaped up as the next test of Democrats enthusiasm and GOP resilience in the Trump era and an early indicator of whether a midterm wave could be coming later this year.

Political activists are certainly looking at this race as an indicator of Pennsylvania and national trends, Speel said.

Lambs win could spell major trouble for Republicans in similar districts across the country, Yenerall said ahead of the election.

Both parties have a great deal at stake here. If a Democrat can win this type of district with the right type of candidate  it would mean the Democrats would do better than expected in the midterms," he had predicted.

Spending: This race was expensive. Lamb raised more than $3.3 million this year, compared to just $703,000 for Saccone, according to FEC records.

Ending Spending Inc., a super PAC founded by billionaire Joe Ricketts, was the first to hit the airwaves with a $1 million ad buy in support of Saccone.

The Congressional Leadership Fund, a super PAC tied to Republican House Speaker Paul Ryan, announced earlier this year that it would open two field offices in the district with 50 full-time canvassers.

In Lambs first television spot, he noted that he has refused corporate PAC money.

Tim Murphy fallout: The reasoning behind Murphys decision to leave office could have an effect on voters, some politicos in the state warned ahead of election night.

Itll be interesting to see if voters turn against the Republican Party, seeing them as hypocritical, Speel said.

Lamb has already painted Republicans as the party of hypocrisy. When he was selected as the Democrats nominee, Lamb said he planned to expose Republicans public hypocrisy fully equal to the private hypocrisy of Tim Murphy, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported in November.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy might retire from the bench as early as this summer, a GOP senator said, and if true, President Trump would be able to nominate a justice who could tilt the nations highest court well to the right for the foreseeable future.

Kennedy, the 81-year-old swing vote appointed to the court by former President Ronald Reagan, has served on the bench for 29 years.

Politico reported last week that Sen. Dean Heller, R-Nev., said "Kennedy is going to retire around sometime early summer," suggesting the potential vacancy on the court could energize the Republican base.

But Heller's office provided an official transcript of his comments, making it appear they were seemingly taken out of context by Politico.

"I believe that we're going to have another Supreme Court justice this year," Heller said. "I think that Kennedy is going to retire some time early summer. That being the case, Republicans are going to have another opportunity to put another Supreme Court justice in place, which I am hoping will get our base a little motivated."

The Supreme Court did not respond to Fox News request for comment on whether Kennedy would retire by summer.

Despite Kennedys conservative background, the justice is the crucial swing vote on the bench, tending to side with liberal colleagues on issues of gay rights and abortion rights, as well as some cases involving race and the death penalty. Kennedy has written the courts major gay-rights decisions, including the 2016 ruling that declared same-sex marriage a constitutional right nationwide.

But rumors of Kennedys retirement have been discussed since last year, prompting even the White House to release a list of potential nominees.

The White House, in November, said Trump was refreshing his list of potential Supreme Court nominees with input from respected conservative leaders.

President Trump will choose a nominee for a future Supreme Court vacancy, should one arise, from this updated list of 25 individuals, the November statement read.

On Monday, a White House official told Fox News that the list has not changed since then.

Among the 25 names are Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, who said last year that he would not say no if Trump asked him to serve on the high court.

A spokesperson for Lee told Fox News on Monday that the senator is honored to represent the people of Utah and is focused on his work in the Senate."

Other candidates on the list are Judge Amy Coney Barrett and Judge Kevin C. Newsom, who were both nominated to their current positions by Trump in May 2017. Barrett currently serves on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 7th Circuit and Newsom serves on U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit.

Also on the latest list are Justice Britt C. Grant of the Supreme Court of Georgia, Judge Brett M. Kavanaugh of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, and Justice Patrick Wyrick of the Supreme Court of Oklahoma.

The president has kept Judge William Pryor of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit and Judge Thomas Hardiman from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit in Pennsylvania on the list. Both Pryor and Hardiman were final contenders against Gorsuch for Trumps first Supreme Court pick last year.

The president has touted the appointment of Gorsuch to the high court as one of best successes in his presidency thus far. Kennedy was Gorsuchs mentor in 1993.

Fox News Bill Mears and The Associated Press contributed to this report.Adult film star Stormy Daniels has offered to return the $130,000 payment she received in 2016 in exchange for the freedom to speak about her alleged encounter with President Trump.

On Monday Daniels attorney penned a letter, obtained by Fox News, to Trumps longtime personal attorney Michael Cohen, who made the six-figure payment, and to Cohen's attorney.

Attorney Michael Avenatti promised to pay $130,000 to President Trump by wire transfer, by Friday, March 16, in exchange for a nullification of the non-disclosure agreement she signed before the 2016 presidential election.

Mr. Cohen and the president should take this deal and allow the American people to learn the truth, Avenatti told Fox News Monday.

Avenatti also wrote that if the payment was returned, no parties would be able to take any legal action aimed at preventing Ms. Cliffords recent interview with Anderson Cooper of 60 Minutes from airing publicly.

Buzzfeed News reported over the weekend that the presidents attorneys were looking at options to stop CBS News from airing the interview with Daniels.

The president has long denied claims of any relationship with Daniels.

Cohens attorney, Lawrence Rosen, told Fox News that there was a settlement agreement involving an arbitration judge, which Daniels, whose real name is Stephanie Clifford, violated by filing her lawsuit last week. Daniels was ordered by an arbitration judge not to sue the president. Cohen then reportedly obtained a temporary restraining order against Daniels, which barred her from disclosing confidential information related to the nondisclosure agreement signed in October 2016.

The settlement agreement contained an arbitration clause that permitted EC, LLC to seek an injunction in the event of a breach or threatened breach of the agreement, Rosen said in a statement to Fox News last week. The designated judge from the arbitration tribunal found that Ms. Clifford had violated the agreement and enjoined her from, among other things, filing this lawsuit.

Neither Cohen nor Rosen immediately responded to Fox News request for comment on whether they would accept Daniels offer to return the payment.

Fox News' Kristin Brown 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 is all-in for the Republican candidate in Pennsylvanias hotly contested congressional race -- personally stumping this weekend for Rick Saccone as a stream of Trump-approved surrogates also enter and exit in an attempt to keep the seat Republican in Tuesday's vote.

Trump won battleground Pennsylvania in 2016 -- snapping a nearly three-decade losing streak there for GOP presidential candidates --enroute to an upset White House victory in which he also won the Pittsburgh-area congressional district in which Saccone is running.

I love this place, Trump bellowed Saturday night as took the stage for Saccone in suburban Pittsburgh. Hello Pittsburgh.  I'm thrilled to be back in Pennsylvania.  Is there any more fun than being in a Trump rally?

But Saccone, and Trump, are facing some challenging headwinds in 2018, compared to 2016 when Trump won the district by nearly 20 points.

The party controlling the White House loses about 30 House seats in midterm elections, which has energized a Democratic base eager to perhaps finally run Congress and some of the statehouses that Republicans have controlled for years.

They also face a fully-formed opponent in Democrat Conor Lamb -- a telegenic Marine and former federal prosecutor who supports gun rights and Trumps tariffs on steel and aluminum, in the battle for the districts critical white, blue-collar worker.

The Pittsburgh Post-Gazettes editorial board on Sunday called Lamb an impressive young man with an energetic campaign but endorsed Saccone, a four-term state representative.

Saccone  has a wealth of experience and an intimate knowledge of much of the district, because he has represented a part of it in the Legislature, the board said. He is a good fit for the district and would be an effective representative for it from his first day on the job.

A Monmouth University poll released Monday shows Lamb leading for the first time in the race, 51 to 45 percent, just beyond the poll's 5.1 percent margin of error.



Trump also visited the states 18th Congressional District in January. His son, Donald Trump Jr., was to campaign there Monday. In the past several weeks Vice President Mike Pence, Trump's daughter Ivanka and White House special counsel Kellyanne Conway have all visited the district, which stretches from the affluent Pittsburgh suburbs into deep Pennsylvania steel and coal country.

The 33-year-old Lamb and his campaign have clearly decided not to attack Trump, who remains popular in the region.

Former Vice President Joe Biden never mentioned Trumps name last week in back-to-back rallies for Lamb. But Trump, the state GOP party and outside money groups have relentlessly tried to tie Lamb to the Washington establishment -- warning voters that he talks like a moderate but if elected will support top House Democrat Nancy Pelosis liberal agenda.

You cant have that, Trump said Saturday night. Lamb the sham. He is trying to act like a Republican. He won't give me one vote ... This is Trump country, right, so he has to say nice things.  Here's the problem. As soon as he gets in, he is not going to vote for us. He is going to vote the party line.

Val DiGiorgio, chairman of the Pennsylvania Republican Party, told Fox News: Theyve tried to reinvent (Lamb) to run away from their message of higher taxes, sanctuary cities and socialism. But voters know that, at the end of the day, hes going to vote with the left-leaning leadership in Washington.

Trump critics argue the president is losing sway in elections, pointing out that he backed two losing GOP candidates last year in a special Senate race in conservative Alabama.

Trump, in turn, boasted at the Saccone rally Saturday about how he helped Republican Karen Handel win a special House election last year in the Atlanta suburbs, despite Democrats spending record-breaking millions on their candidate, Jon Ossoff.

Karen was the one I wanted, Trump said. And we came after him, I brought him down in a period of four days, I got no credit for this from these guys, brought him down.

He also fired off a tweet Sunday arguing he and the entire Republican Party last year kept five GOP-held House seats in special elections, saying Hopefully, Rick Saccone will be another big win on Tuesday.

Republican campaign media strategist Rory McShane on Monday downplayed the idea that a Saccone loss will hurt Trumps campaign prowess.

I dont think he has to win every state. You cannot look at every far-and-away congressional race and say this is yes-or-no about Trump, McShane said. And a lot of Trump voters are disengaged from the political process. Theyll show up to vote when Trump tells them.

Democrats will need to win a total of 24 House races in November to control the chamber.



The race essentially dead-locking in the closing days and weeks has resulted in the outpouring of help from Trump, surrogates and others who are spending big money to bolster Saccones get-out-the-vote efforts and attack Lamb on the airways.

Teams from the Koch brothers-backed Americans For Prosperity arrived in the region this past weekend to broaden the conservative outreach.

And the Republican National Committee has spent more than $1 million on its own operation that was expected to reach 250,000 targeted voters -- either by phone or in person -- by election day, said RNC spokesman Rick Gorka.

Overall, national groups allied with the GOP have spent nearly $8 million on advertising in the race, a figure that doesn't include logistical support on the ground and is more than seven times the amount invested by national Democratic allies unaffiliated with the Lamb campaign.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.Some of the most monstrous black holes in the universe are growing faster than their host galaxies, new research suggests.

Supermassive black holes are believed to exist at the centers of most, if not all, large galaxies, where they feed on surrounding gas, dust and other material. Two new studies suggest that these massive black holes are much bigger than expected based on the rate at which surrounding stars are forming, the researchers said.

"We are trying to reconstruct a race that started billions of years ago," Guang Yang, a researcher at Penn State and lead author of one of the studies, said in a statement. "We are using extraordinary data taken from different telescopes to figure out how this cosmic competition unfolded." [Images: Black Holes of the Universe]

Using data from NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory and other telescopes, Yang's study examined the rate at which black holes grow in galaxies located 4.3 billion to 12.2 billion light-years from Earth. The researchers compared the growth rate of a black hole to the growth rate of stars in the host galaxy.

Earlier research has suggested that black holes and the stars in their host galaxies generally grow in tandem with each other. However, the new findings, which are available on arXiv.org and will be published in the April issue of the journal Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, show that the larger the galaxy, the larger the ratio between the growth rate of its black hole and its stars.

"An obvious question is, 'Why'?" Niel Brandt, a researcher at Penn State and co-author of the study, said in the same statement. "Maybe massive galaxies are more effective at feeding cold gas to their central supermassive black holes than less massive ones."

In a second study, which also used Chandra data, a team of researchers found that, in larger galaxies, black holes grow about 10 times faster than the galaxy's stars are formed.

"We found black holes that are far bigger than we expected," Mar Mezcua, lead author of the second study and a researcher at the Institute of Space Sciences in Barcelona, Spain, said in the statement. "Maybe they got a head start in this race to grow, or maybe they've had an edge in speed of growth that's lasted billions of years."

For that study, the researchers focused on black holes in some of the "brightest and most massive galaxies in the universe," according to the statement. They looked at 72 galaxies at the center of galaxy clusters located up to about 3.5 billion light-years from Earth.

Along with the Chandra X-ray Observatory, the researchers used data from the Australia Telescope Compact Array, the Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array and the Very Long Baseline Array. The researchers were able to estimate the masses of the supermassive black holes based on their associated X-ray and radio emissions. The team found that the black holes were about 10 times larger than estimated using traditional methods that assumed that black holes and their galaxies grow in tandem.

Furthermore, almost half of the black holes that the researchers studied weighed in as even bigger "ultramassive" black holes, rather than just supermassive black holes, according to the statement.

Whereas supermassive black holes are generally millions of times heavier than our sun, "ultramassive" black holes are estimated to harbor at least 10 billion solar masses.

"We know that black holes are extreme objects," J. Hlavacek-Larrondo, co-author of the second study and a researcher at the University of Montreal, said in the statement. "So it may not come as a surprise that the most extreme examples of them would break the rules we thought they should follow."

The second study was published Feb. 11 in the journal Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. The full article text is also available on arXiv.org.

Original article on Space.com.Buzz Aldrin, the second man on the Moon, once said, "Mars is there, waiting to be reached."

If Elon Musk has his way, he'll be the one to reach it, even if it's likely to be a dangerous journey that could result in the loss of human life.



Speaking at the South by South West festival in Austin, Texas, SpaceX and Tesla CEO Musk said he envisions test flights of his Mars spacecraft next year, though he cautioned early trips could end in death.

For the early people that go to Mars, it will be far more dangerous. It kind of reads like (Ernest) Shackletons ad for Antarctic explorers: Difficult, dangerous, good chance youll die," Musk said. "Excitement for those who survive.

A man known for his ability to make absurd deadlines and then failing to live up to them, Musk acknowledged that his plan to do "short flights, up and down flights [to Mars], some time in the first half of next year" was a bit optimistic. "Although sometimes, my timelines are a little, y'know..." he said to laughter, before trailing off, according to the BBC.

ELON MUSK GOES ON TWEETSTORM, SIDING WITH TRUMP OVER TARIFFS

The carrier that is expected to eventually get to the Red Planet is the BFR rocket system. According to the company's website, the BFR will have an updated design over the current Falcon 9, Falcon Heavy and Dragon, with a single system containing one booster and one ship.



During the question and answer session at Austin's SXSW, Musk even talked about the type of society he expects Mars to have in order to make it a success.

"I think most likely the form of government on Mars would be a direct democracy, where people vote directly on issues," he said, in comments obtained by the BBC. "Everyone votes on every issue and thats how it goes."

He also expects a colony on Mars to help ensure the survival of the human race, calling out issues such as another world war, saying it's "unlikely" there would not be another one.

Musk, 46, also showed excitement for industry on Mars, highlighting businesses such as pizza joints and even making a joke about people drinking at a Mars Bar.

SPACEX FALCON HEAVY ROCKET LAUNCHES SUCCESSFULLY

Plan to get to Mars

By 2022, SpaceX hopes to get the BFR to Mars, where its initial mission "will be to confirm water resources and identify hazards along with putting in place initial power, mining, and life support infrastructure."

The company has previously said a second mission, scheduled for 2024, would have "primary objectives of building a propellant depot and preparing for future crew flights," designed to eventually build a self-sustaining civilization on Mars.

The company, which raised an additional $450 million in venture funding, according to an SEC filing, is now valued at $21.5 billion, due in large part because of its advanced reusable rocket technology and its quest to get to Mars.

Musk's comments follow a string of recent successes for SpaceX, especially last month's launch of the Falcon Heavy rocket.

Follow Chris Ciaccia on Twitter @Chris_CiacciaElizabeth Bruenig, columnist for the Washington Post, yesterday published an opinion piece entitled, Lets have a good-faith argument about socialism responding to some critics of her earlier piece, Its time to give socialism a try. She accuses a number of them of responding in bad faith,

In the case of my column, this meant many interlocutors taking socialism to mean something along the lines of Soviet communism or the Venezuelan system, genocides, calamities, disasters and all. I dont think anybody actually believes Im rooting for totalitarian forms of socialism, nor for its most devastatingly ill-managed variants: I said I wasnt, after all.

As one of her critics (See my earlier pieces Gives socialism a try? Lets not. and Misreading capitalism) I find the idea that she was advocating Soviet communism strange as she was perfectly clear that she was advocating for a democratic form of socialism. It is not clear why what she calls the Venezuelan system would necessarily be off the table. I am pleased to hear that it is but cannot help but feel a bit misled.

In the comedy classic The Jerk Navin R. Johnson, the titular Jerk, is briefly employed at a carnival as a weight guesser. If he fails to guess the carnival goers weight he gives them their choice of prizes from a large shelving unit behind him,

Ah, anything in this general area, right in here. Anything, below the stereo, and on this side of the Bicentennial glasses. Anything between the ashtray, and the thimbles. Anything in this three inches. Right in here, this area, that includes the Chiclets, but not the erasers.

So in the vast array of actually existing socialism what, for Bruenig, is between the ashtray and the thimbles? Her answer is the Nordic states. She cites their generous welfare states, sovereign wealth funds, large public sectors, and large scale trade unionism,

Taken together, this means that the people of the Nordic states have come a long way toward democratizing ownership, dispersing wealth, lowering inequality and placing workers lives under their own control  in other words, the socialism of the Nordic states seems pretty close to the kind of socialism that I wrote would satisfy me.

These social democratic policies, while different from those of some other free societies, do not constitute socialism. The Human Freedom Index, put together by the Fraser Institute and the Cato Institute among others, lists Finland (6), Norway (7), Denmark (8), and Sweden (13) as among the freest societies in the world. The Heritage Foundations Index of Economic Freedom tells a similar tale describing all the Nordic nations as mostly free.

When the Cato Institute and the Heritage Foundation praise your leading examples of socialism as free or mostly free economies, something has gone terribly wrong. If Bruening and leading proponents and theorists of free markets are praising the same nations is it fair to say that she is even a socialist? While I would not say that Bruenig is arguing in bad faith I do believe she is profoundly mistaken about what capitalism and free markets actually are (Again see my earlier pieces Gives socialism a try? Lets not. and Misreading capitalism).

This now seems to me not a debate between capitalism and socialism but rather an intramural debate over prudential questions of policy between advocates of a free society. There is much to criticize in the policies of European social democracies (As Acton Director of Research Samuel Gregg has in his book Becoming Europe) and that is a debate worth having, but it is not a debate between capitalism and socialism.In just 15 years, the U.S. will be producing unlimited amounts of nearly free, completely green energy. Not only would such an energy holy grail mean the end of humanitys dependence on expensive fossil fuels, it would also be a panacea for climate change.

Amazingly, this is not a science fiction. Its actually about to become reality if a collaboration between MIT and Commonwealth Fusion Systems, a private company, is to be believed. The collaborators announced Friday in the journal Nature that they believe they are on the verge of cracking the code to nuclear fusion  and it could be commercially viable in just 15 years, according to The Guardian.

So far, fusion has been an extremely expensive laboratory experiment that requires more energy inputs than it outputs. However, the collaborators believe theyve found a way to reverse the math. Their system, built upon a new class of super high-temperature superconductors and small, ultra-powerful magnets, would, for the first time, allow for a fusion reaction that outputs more energy than it takes in.

Nuclear fusion is the be-all and end-all source of energy because, in theory, its practically unlimited and has almost no downside. It doesnt put carbon into the atmosphere like the burning of fossil fuels or generate radioactive waste like nuclear fission, which is the technology in current nuclear power plants.

During a fission reaction, radioactive atoms, like uranium, are ripped apart  producing huge amounts of energy in addition to nuclear waste.

Fusion, as the name suggests, is the exact opposite of fission. Instead of ripping atoms apart, extremely plentiful atoms like hydrogen are smashed together, giving off helium and a huge amount of energy.

The problem with fusion has always been heat. Fusion produces temperatures hotter than the center of the sun so solid materials melt, ruining any potential for a power plant.

The collaborators breakthrough came about because they were able to use a new type of superconductors to produce small, powerful magnets, a key component of fusion reactors. The magnets create a field to hold the fusion reaction in place without it touching anything solid  thus solving the meltdown problem.

In the past, it took lots of energy to power the magnets. The new magnets created by the collaborators, however, are smaller and need less energy. This means that, for the first time, their system produces more energy than it consumes.

MIT and Commonwealth Fusion Systems plan isnt pure theory  theyve raised $50 million from Italian power company Eni to actually build a reactor. Their fusion experiment, called Sparc, will produce enough energy to power a small city.

The aspiration is to have a working power plant in time to combat climate change, said Bob Mumgaard, CEO of Commonwealth Fusion Systems. We think we have the science, speed and scale to put carbon-free fusion power on the grid in 15 years.

Maria Zuber, MITs vice-president for research, added, At the heart of todays news is a big idea  a credible, viable plan to achieve net positive energy for fusion.

If we succeed, the worlds energy systems will be transformed. Were extremely excited about this.

Not everyone is as buoyantly optimistic about the discovery.

The exciting part of this is the high-field magnets, Howard Wilson, a plasma physicist at York University, told The Guardian. The higher the magnetic field, the more compactly you can squeeze that fuel.

Wilson, however, wasnt sure how MIT and Commonwealth Fusion Systems will be able to hit their 15-year timeframe.

This story originally appeared in the New York Post.

Imagine if you could detect cancer within seconds. A group of researchers from the University of Texas at Austin say theyve developed the technology to do just that. The MasSpec Pen, which is being showcased at SXSW this week, can identify cancerous tissue during surgery in real time.

The MasSpec Pen is a handheld device coupled to a mass spectrometer that can diagnose cancer during surgery in 20 seconds, said Marta Sans, graduate research assistant for the Livia Eberlin Research Group.



The pen uses touch to make a diagnosis. Its placed over tissue. A foot pedal triggers the device, and the pen releases water droplets, which extract molecules from the tissue. The water is drawn into the mass spectrometer, which then analyzes the molecular composition.

ELON MUSK PLANS MARS SPACESHIP, WARNS THERE'S A 'GOOD CHANCE' THAT EARLY PASSENGERS COULD DIE



Then, we can create a molecular fingerprint that can say if this is cancer or if its not based on the molecules of the pen, said Sans.

For doctors, the technology is groundbreaking. Determining cancerous tissue from normal tissue during surgery is sometimes difficult and waiting for results from pathologists is often time-consuming.

The doctor may take it out, may have to send it to the pathologist for a frozen section. Meanwhile, everyones waiting for a report from the pathologist to see if the margins clear, said Dr. Leonard Lichtenfeld, Deputy Chief Medical Officer for the American Cancer Society.

SADIQ KHAN: 'DERELICTION OF DUTY' BY POLICY MAKERS FOR FAILING TO REGULATE BIG TECH

Furthermore, Lichtenfeld says the failure to remove all cancerous tissue during surgery can create more complications down the road.



The real question is, if you dont get all the cancer out, does that leave a place? A sanctuary, if you would, where tumor cells can stay and come back or even migrate to other parts of the body at a later time? said Lichtenfeld.



And just because the cancer pen is fast doesnt mean its not accurate. Researchers say after analyzing 300 patient samples, they were able to diagnose four types of cancer  breast, thyroid, ovarian and lung cancer  with over 96 percent accuracy, eliminating the risks of unnecessarily removing healthy tissue.

IBM TOUTS WATSON SUPERCOMPUTER TO SPEED UP

SCIENTIFIC BREAKTHROUGHS



Its going to provide great benefits to patients and also to the health care system, said Sans.



Still, Lichtenfeld is cautiously optimistic.



We have to remember that its a long way from concept, to proving it really works, to get it used by doctors in real life. We dont know the answer to that yet and, clearly, the researchers understand that they have more work to do, he said.



The MasSpec Pen hasnt been tested on a human during surgery yet. Over the next several months, three of the devices will be installed in Texas hospitals: Dell Medical School, MD Anderson Cancer Center and Baylor College of Medicine.



The Food and Drug Administration has to approve the technology as well, and the regulatory process could take a few years.

The Northern California treatment facility where an Army veteran killed three woman and himself after a siege Friday remained shuttered over the weekend and may never reopen, the San Francisco Chronicle reported Sunday.

A spokesman for the privately run Pathway Home in Yountville told the paper that the program's six patients have been moved to various hotels in Napa County while law enforcement officials continue their investigation.

"We don't know whether that building is going to be a place that people want to live in, want to work in, after what happened Friday," Larry Kamer told the Chronicle. "It's not like people can just forget what happened there, move on, and work and have their group sessions. It's got bullet holes in it."

Investigators said 36-year-old Albert Wong, a veteran of the Afghanistan war, slipped into a going-away party for some Pathway Home employees Friday morning. He let some people leave, but made his three victims stay behind. They were later identified as Pathway Home Executive Director Christine Loeber, 48; Clinical Director Jennifer Golick, 42; and Jennifer Gonzales Shushereba, 32, a clinical psychologist with the San Francisco Department of Veterans Affairs Healthcare System.

Investigators were also looking at how Wong -- whom Golick had expelled from The Pathway Home weeks earlier -- managed to get inside the building without being noticed.

According to the Chronicle, the facility is patrolled 24 hours per day by roaming unarmed personnel and has surveillance cameras positioned at its front door and its hallways. The paper also reported that the home has a sign-in desk at the entrance to the premises.

The California Statewide Law Enforcement Association (CSLEA), the union representing security personnel, issued a statement Friday calling for armed guards at veterans homes, hospitals and other facilities.

"To date, administrators have been willing to risk public safety rather than provide trained law enforcement officers with firearms," CSLEA's statement read. "Rather than the State taking a proactive approach to adequately protect their residents, staff, and visitors, CSLEAs fears have been, and continue to be, that it will take a tragic event to force administrators to finally act."

In response, California Department of Veterans Affairs spokeswoman June Iljana told the Chronicle it would be "inappropriate to speculate until the investigation concludes and all the facts are known."

Wong served in the Army Reserve from 1998 until 2002 and then enlisted for active duty in May 2010 and was deployed to Afghanistan in April 2011, according to military records.

Wong always wanted to join the Army and serve his country and was "soft-spoken and calm," Cissy Sherr, his legal guardian when he was a child, told the Associated Press.

Sherr and her husband became Wong's guardians after his father died and his mother developed health problems, she said. He moved back in with them for a little while in 2013 after he returned from his deployment in Afghanistan and kept in touch online.

Wong thought the Pathway program would help him readjust after the Army, she said. According to her recollection, he told her: "I think I'm going to get a lot of help from this program."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Click for more from SFGate.com.At least two people were killed and three were in critical condition Sunday night after a helicopter with six people aboard crashed in New York City's East River, officials said.

The chopper's pilot managed to free himself, while two people were declared dead at the scene of the crash, NYPD Commissioner James O'Neill said at a news conference. Rescuers pulled three other people from the water and rushed them to nearby hospitals.

Two of the critical victims were sent to New York's Bellevue Hospital with no heartbeat and were not expected to survive, a source told Fox News. The third critical victim was rushed to NYU Langone Hospital.

The group, which officials said was flying as part of a Liberty Helicopters tour, was on the private Eurocopter AS350 for a photo shoot when it crashed around 7 p.m. Officials said the water Sunday night was frigid, with temperatures below 40 degrees.

It was not immediately clear what caused the crash, but the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) planned to investigate.

FDNY Commissioner Daniel Nigro said rescue divers pulled five people  who were tightly harnessed inside  from the chopper, which was "upside down and completely submerged."

One witness told the New York Post she watched the crash unfold from her apartment window and "immediately thought someone was in there and not going to live."

By the time we got out here, we couldnt see [the helicopter]," Mary Lee told the Post. "It was under water.

Another witness, Arineh Nazarian, described seeing the helicopter crash while she and others were eating dinner.

"We noticed a red helicopter going full speed towards the water," Nazarian told WABC. "It almost looked very surreal and next thing we know it's approaching the water slowly and then it just completely crashed and then sunk. Immediate reaction was to call 911."

Fox News' Bryan Llenas and Dr. Marc Siegel contributed to this report.A teenager was killed and at least two women were seriously hurt after a pair of explosions rocked homes in Austin on Monday  just two weeks after a separate blast which authorities said is believed to be linked to both of Monday's incidents.

Austin Police said they received a call about the first explosion in a neighborhood on the northeast side of the city around 6:45 a.m., after the 17-year-old resident found a package on the front step, brought it inside, and opened it in the kitchen where it exploded.

"It is very similar to the incident that occurred in Austin on March 2," Austin Police Chief Brian Manley told reporters.

AUSTIN POLICE REVEAL TIMELINE OF PACKAGE EXPLOSIONS, WARN RESIDENTS TO BE 'AWARE' OF SUSPICIOUS BOXES

The police chief said at a later news conference Monday that the department started receiving multiple calls at 11:50 a.m. regarding another explosion, in the Montopolis neighborhood, located southeast of downtown Austin.

A 75-year-old Hispanic woman, Manley said, also opened a package that she found outside her home, which detonated. The woman was "significantly injured" during the explosion and was taken to the hospital with potentially life-threatening injuries.

Manley said authorities don't believe the packages came from a delivery through the U.S. Postal Service or private mail carriers, and the placement on the home's front doorstep also indicated a similarity to the blast earlier this month. Federal law enforcement officials told Fox News the packages are made to look like mail, but at least the first one did not actually get shipped from the postal service.

"There are similarities that we cannot rule out that these two items are, in fact, related," Manley said.

The Austin-Travis County EMS tweeted that a teenage male was killed and a woman in her 40s was taken to the hospital. Manley said she had non-life-threatening injuries.

FBI agents could be seen going around the neighborhood, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) said it responded to the scene.

The Austin Police Department believes that the third incident is related to the prior two package bombings, but Manley told reporters that they have not detemined a specific ideology behind the incidents or found any motives.

All three locations are within 16 miles of each other.

Damage inside the home from the early morning blast is "significant," according to Manley, who added investigators are going to nearby homes to see if any outdoor surveillance footage exists.

Neighbor Cynthia Burdett, who has lived in the neighborhood since 1999 and close to the home where the blast took place, told FOX 7 she was in "total shock" and the whole incident was "very scary."

"I checked my house first of all to make sure nothing was on fire, I did look outside at that point and next thing I knew police were knocking at the door saying that there was a suspicious package, one had exploded and that I needed to leave the house," she told reporters.

She said her neighbors are very good neighbors, "church-going" people who are "a very good family."

Manley said the blast bore a resemblance to the March 2 explosion that killed one man.

In that incident, 39-year-old Anthony Stephan House was killed after a "device" exploded on the front porch of his home in the city's northeast Harris Ridge neighborhood, about 12 miles north of Monday's blast. Both explosions occurred in the early-morning hours.

TEXAS MAN KILLED BY 'DEVICE' AT HOME IDENTIFIED

House's death was initially called a homicide, but police last week said it was considered a suspicious death because officials hadn't ruled out the possibility the victim may have constructed and accidentally detonated the device himself. Manley said that case has now been reclassified as a homicide as of Monday.

There is no known motive at this time, but Manley said the blasts took place at homes of African-American and Hispanic residents so authorities "cannot rule out that hate crime is at the core of this."

Austin police said they've determined the device was inside a package, and are working with the ATF to reconstruct the item and learn who may have created it.

Manley said they've determined what the device was, but they aren't releasing details "to protect the integrity of the investigation."

Police are also asking residents in the Austin area if they do find a package on their doorstep that they were not expecting, to not open it and call 911 to have authorities examine it.

"We will not tolerate this in Austin," Manley said.

Manley said that a second package was discovered near the site of Monday's blast and that some residents and media members were evacuated, or pushed farther from the blast site, as authorities determined whether or not it was another explosive.

Police didn't immediately identify the teenager killed Monday. Manley said the second victim remained hospitalized.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott's office is offering a reward of up to $15,000 for information leading to any identification or arrests of those involved in the blasts.

The blasts are taking place as thousands of visitors are descending on the city for the South by Southwest music, film and technology festival.

Fox News' Jake Gibson, Nicole Darrah and Shira Bush contributed to this report.Austin police are reminding residents to remain "vigilant" after announcing a suspected "serial bomber," identified as a 24-year-old white male, died after a confrontation with police overnight Wednesday. Officials warn the suspect could have set up other explosive devices prior to his death.

Over the past three weeks, a string of package deliveries left at least two people dead and several others injured after explosions rocked their homes.



The first explosion unfolded on March 2, killing 39-year-old Anthony Stephan House after a "device" exploded on the front porch of his Austin home. The blast was investigated initially as a suspicious death, and later as a homicide.

Ten days later, a similar incident was reported just 12 miles from House's home. A 17-year-old, identified as Draylen Mason, was killed and his mother was injured after a package exploded inside their home.

Hours after the second explosion occurred, police reported a third blast, confirming that at least one elderly woman was injured.

The night of March 18, around 8:30 p.m., a fourth explosion -- possibly triggered by a trip wire -- occurred. Two men in their 20s suffered non-life threatening injuries in the blast, including one who had nails in his leg, according to KVUE-TV.

"If this explosion was the result of a bomb using trip wire technology, that is showing a different level of skill above that we were already concerned that this suspect or suspects may possess," Austin Police Chief Brian Manley told ABC's "Good Morning America" on March 19.

Another device exploded early March 20 at a FedEx ground distribution facility in Schertz, Texas, injuring one person.

Schertz Police Lt. Manny Casas told Fox San Antonio a medium-sized package, which was heading to Austin, was on the conveyor belt when it exploded. A female employee was treated for a possible sound injury and was released.

All of the explosions are believed to be linked, according to investigators, and officials said they were not ruling out any possible motives.

Here's a timeline (in Central Daylight Time) of the deadly package explosions shaking Austin -- and what police are advising residents as they continue to investigate the incidents.

March 2

6:55 a.m.

Austin police receive reports of an explosion and find a critically-injured House. The 39-year-old victim is then transported to nearby Round Rock Hospital.

7:48 a.m

House is declared dead at the hospital nearly an hour later. Authorities announce House's death is being investigated as "suspicious."

10:45 a.m.

The Austin Police Department holds a news conference in House's neighborhood.

10:50 a.m.

Austin police say they've determined the device was inside a package, and are working with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives to reconstruct the item and learn who may have created it.

Right now, we're trying to determine how did the package get there and who was the intended target? We do feel that this was targeted at somebody. We're still trying to figure out whether that was the individual who died or not, Assistant Chief Joseph Chacon with the Austin Police Department tells reporters at a news conference.

Police say it is "an isolated incident and that there is no continuing threat to the community," adding that there is no reason to believe it is terror-related.

Anytime we have a bomb go off like that and somebody dies, the first thing people think is terrorism. While we cannot completely rule it out at this point, we do not believe that terrorism is a motive in this death, said Chacon.

House had also faced previous charges in Travis County, according to Fox 7.

March 12

6:45 a.m.

Austin Police received a call about an explosion in a neighborhood on the northwest side of the city after a 17-year-old resident found a package on the front step, brought it inside and opened it in the kitchen, where it exploded.

9:30 a.m.

Authorities confirm a teenager is dead and a woman in her 40s is seriously injured after a package explodes at a home in Austin, marking the second such explosion in the city within two weeks.

Police say the teen died at the scene, while the woman was taken to a hospital with life-threatening injuries.

The FBI offers to assist Austin police with the investigation.

10:45 a.m.

The Austin Police Department holds a press briefing in the neighborhood where the second package bombing occurred.

10:50 a.m.

Authorities say they believe the package bomb that killed the teenager and wounded the woman is linked to the deadly package sent to House's home earlier this month because they were both left on the front doorstep and not delivered by a mail service.

Manley said the U.S. Postal Service does not have a record of delivering a package to the Austin home where the explosion occurred Monday.

Police reclassify House's death as a "homicide investigation," instead of a "suspicious death," as the two incidents may be related.

Manley says investigators hope to collect surveillance video and evidence from nearby homes to identify a suspect.

"We're doing a canvas of the neighborhood right now," Manley says.

11:50 a.m.

Another explosion is reported in the Montopolis neighborhood, located southeast of downtown Austin.

The Austin Police Department confirms police are reponding to an "urgent" call.

12:08 p.m.

Austin-Travis County EMS officials declare a "trauma alert," announcing they are transporting at least one patient to the hospital following a reported explosion.

12:16 p.m.

Austin-Travis County EMS confirm in a tweet that a woman in her 70s has "serious, potentially life-threatening" injuries. A second woman from that address had an unrelated medical issue and was not taken to the hospital.

2:45 p.m.

Police hold another press briefing to update reporters on a third blast in Austin.

2:50 p.m.

Police identify the victim of the third bombing as a 75-year-old Hispanic woman, who is currently in "critical, but stable condition."

Based on evidence gathered at the scene, police say they believe the third incident is related to the two previous ones involving package bombs.

"We do not have a specific victimology ... at this point, we are willing to investigate any avenue that may be involved behind these attacks," Manley says.

Manley says it's not yet clear whether these victims were "intended targets," but asks the community to be vigilant.

"We are having innocent people getting hurt across the community," he adds.

March 18

8:32 p.m.

Austin police are dispatched to a southwest Austin neighborhood after reports of a "bomb hotshot" explosion.

9:16 p.m.

Austin police confirm two males were injured after another explosion -- possibly triggered by a trip wire -- occurred in an Austin neighborhood known as Travis Country.

10:27 p.m.

Police hold a news briefing to update residents on the latest explosion, which officials believe may be related to the three others.

"Not only do not touch any packages or anything that looks like a package -- do not even go near it at this time," Manley warns.

March 19

1:33 a.m.

Austin police hold another news briefing, with Manley at the mic.

"There have been reports in the media that this device was triggered by a trip wire, and we're here to say that's a possibility," Manley says. "So that changes things."

Manley then asks community members to have an "extra level of vigilance."

4:05 a.m.

Police ask residents in the Travis Country neighborhood to remain in their homes until the area has been properly cleared.

6:43 a.m.

Emergency alerts are sent out to residents in Travis Country, asking them to stay in place until police clear their neighborhood of "any hazards."

10:00 a.m.

During a morning press conference, Manley warns residents to look for "anything that looks out of place," including suspicious bags, backpacks or packages, especially if they notice a wire poking out.

"We [are] not willing to classify this as terrorism, as hate, because we just don't know enough," Manley says.

Manley says officials have noticed a change in the method this suspect is using, which reveals a "higher level of sophistication."

However, Manley adds, there are "similarities" between all of the recent explosions.

March 20

12:30 a.m.

A device explodes at a FedEx ground distribution facility outside of San Antonio, injuring one person. The pacakage was apparently addressed to Austin and is likely linked to a string of bombings that have rocked the state's capital this month, federal officials said.

6:07 a.m.

Officials with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) confirm they are at the scene of the explosion.

March 21

4:57 a.m.

The suspect in the bombings blew himself up during the early morning of March 21, Manley said at a news conference.

Authorities had tracked down the suspect to a hotel parking lot in Round Rock, Texas  about 20 miles north of Austin. The suspect drove away from authorities before the car stopped in a ditch on the side of the road, according to the police chief. When a SWAT team approached the vehicle, the suspect then detonated an explosive device inside of the car, he said.

One officer suffered minor injuries in the blast, while a second officer fired his weapon, Manley said.

Authorities identified the suspect as a 24-year-old white male. Officials did not say if he is from Austin or reveal a motive.

ATF agent Fred Milanowski said it was hard to say if the suspect acted alone.

Manley encouraged the community to be alert -- authorities arent sure of the suspects whereabouts before his death and he could have left behind more packages.

5:28 a.m.

In a tweet, President Trump acknowledged the suspect had died and praised law enforcement officials for tracking him down.

Great job by law enforcement and all concerned! Trump said.

Police warn residents to beware of suspicious packages

Federal law enforcement officials told Fox News the packages were made to look like mail.

Police warned residents who found any suspicious packages to call 911, and to send tips to Austin Crime Stoppers at (512) 472-8477 or Texas Crime Stoppers at 1-800-252-8477.

Fox News' Nicole Darrah, Travis Fedschun, Kaitlyn Schallhorn and The Associated Press contributed to this report.A ministers wife was beaten and killed in a home invasion that badly injured her husband and terrorized the Lake Gaston community in North Carolina.

Two masked intruders entered the home Friday morning and kidnapped Nancy Alford, 76, and forced her to withdraw money at a local ATM. The second intruder stayed behind with her husband, John Alford, a minister at Sanford Memorial Baptist Church in Brodnax, Virginia.

She was driven back to the house, where the intruders beat up her husband before setting the home ablaze with the couple tied up inside, according to Sheriff Johnny Williams.

The minister, who was honored with a special song and prayer service Sunday, was able to escape and was airlifted to Duke University Hospital for treatment.

According to WRAL, the beloved couple had lived on the Lake Gaston lot for nearly 40 years. Their nephew told the local station that he spent his childhood summers at the house.

We're a small community, and for this to happen in this kind of town is unheard of, business owner Pete Richardson said.

Authorities have stopped and questioned drivers in the area to gain clues about the suspects.

By all accounts, the Alfords were upstanding members of the community and there was an outpouring of grief on the churchs Facebook page.

"Pastor John Alford is a wonderful man, and so sorry for the loss of his wife and the event that led to their nightmare... May the Lord give him healing and comfort at this time," one person wrote.

Nancy was a dedicated Sunday school teacher for 17 years. John, who was in stable condition as of Sunday, suffered second-degree burns and will need a skin graft.

They were always willing to help somebody else out versus trying to take care of themselves," Richardson said. So, it's a very, very deep loss for this community and somebody that we will so miss.

Neighbors and community members said they were in shock.

"You can't even have a home or property without someone coming in and destroying it or setting it on fire or killing you," neighbor Joyce Humphreys said.

The intruders also stole the family's car, a gray Mercedes, which has not been found.

Police have not yet released suspect descriptions.

Investigators were combing through the charred rubble where the house once stood and the State Bureau of Investigation and the State Highway Patrol were assisting as well.Modern Europe faces a future of economic stagnation and demographic decline brought on by the hollowing out of its self-confidence. These impending calamities reached the crisis point at precisely the moment the continent faces an unprecedented influx of migrants who share none of its leaders epistemological angst. Furthermore, some of the newest citizens are neither committed to co-existence nor averse to advancing their religion through taqiyya or, increasingly, jihad.

Samuel Gregg, Actons research director, recounts Douglas Murrays argument in his review of The Strange Death of Europe: Immigration, Islam, Identity  before rendering his own verdict on Europes future.

Murray defines European civilization as the culture produced by the tributaries of Judaeo-Christian culture, the ancient Greeks and Romans, and the discoveries of the Enlightenment. However, Gregg writes in Public Discourse that an exclusive emphasis on Europes (undeniable) failings, coupled with militant and assertive identity politics by segments of its Islamic population, has impoverished this once-robust concept of European values:

This translates into efforts to diminish European culture to whatever offends no one, thus stripping the sense of what it means to be European of substantive content. Hence, it is now an article of faith among many Europeans, Murray holds, that anyone can come to Europe and be European. Why? Because to be European has been reduced, in Murrays words, to respect, tolerance and (most self-abnegating of all) diversity. Europes immigration woes have exposed such cultural minimalisms corrosive effects on many Europeans ability to address real evil in their midst.

If Europe faces a diminution unto death from its religious and cultural agnosticism, a revived faith would seem to be in order. Yet Gregg continues:

[I]ts seriously questionable whether large swaths of European Christianity have anything to contribute to staving off the problems identified by Murray. In Western Europe you occasionally find tough-minded Catholic bishops or Protestant theologians who possess the requisite intellectual hardware and moral courage to speak clearly and honesty about these challenges. Its also true that in much of Eastern Europe, Christian life is generally more robust and Christians are far less naive about the effects of mass Muslim migration. Unfortunately, liberal Christianity still reigns in much of Western Europe, and it mirrors all of its secular liberal counterparts incoherence and rampant self-doubt. As Murray writes, For the Church of Sweden, the Church of England, the German Lutheran Church and many other branches of Christianity, the message of the religion has become a form of left-wing politics, diversity action, and social welfare projects. Much of German Catholicism has essentially collapsed into a tax-funded secular-leaning NGO, content to function as the welfare states vaguely religious arm while proclaiming a gospel of non-judgmentalism (except, of course, with regard to ecological issues).

Murrays book created a sensation when it was published last May. Read Greggs full essay at Public Discourse, and see if he shares Murrays pessimism.

You may also be interested in Ed Wests article discussing Murrays Strange Death of Europe, James Kirchicks The End of Europe, and Finis Germania by German historian Rolf Peter Sieferle (whose posthumous book became a bestseller shortly after his suicide) for Religion & Liberty Transatlantic.

See also Can European values prevent European suicide?

(Photo credit: bixentro. This photo has been cropped. CC BY 2.0.)Researchers are taking a controversial approach as they try to rid Florida of invasive iguanas overtaking residents' yards by bashing in their brains.

A team from the University of Florida is using a captive bolt gun that sends a bolt into the brain, similar to what's used in the livestock industry. They're also smashing the creatures' heads against solid objects to cause blunt force trauma. They've killed 249 so far.

UF wildlife biologist Jenny Ketterlin told The Sun Sentinel it's the most humane way to kill them.

Most of what were doing is blunt force trauma, Ketterlin told the paper. Hitting their head very hard against a solid object.

The theory goes that by destroying their brains is the most painless option, hence humane.

Their work is part of a research project contracted by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. Officials say iguanas are an invasive species that feed on native plants and wildlife.

Veterinarian Dr. Susan Kelleher says the head-bashing method is cruel. She suggests sedating and then euthanizing them.

Gary Fishman, who lives in Boyton Beach, uses his pellet gun to kill iguanas that enter his landscape.

The iguana does not belong here, he told the paper. They need to be annihilated. They cant be relocated. So they must be destroyed.

Fishman told the paper that bashing the iguanas heads sounds like torture. He opts for the pellet gun.

The Associated Press contributed to this reportWelcome to Fox News First. Not signed up yet? Click here.

Developing now, Monday, March 12, 2018

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un hopes to reach peace deal with President Trump at upcoming meeting, report says

A helicopter crash in New York City's East River on Sunday kills all five passengers, leaving the pilot as the sole survivor

The White House announces a series a proposals to stop school shootings but backs off calling for an increase in the minimum age for buying long guns to 21

The Northern California treatment facility where a deadly hostage crisis took place last Friday reportedly remains closed and may never reopen

Pressure is growing on 'The View's' Joy Behar to go beyond her private apology to Vice President Mike Pence and to publicly apologize for her comments about Christianity

THE LEAD STORY - KIM SEEKS PEACE?: North Korean leader Kim Jong Un hopes to sign a peace deal after the upcoming meeting with President Trump, which is tentatively set for May, Bloomberg reported, citing a South Korea report ... Dong-A Ilbo, South Korea's national newspaper, spoke to an unidentified senior official from President Moon Jae-in's office, who said Kim will likely raise the possibility of the peace treaty. The report said Kim is also likely to voice his desire to establish diplomatic relations with the U.S. and consider nuclear disarmament, the report said. The regime wants a peace treaty to end the more than 60-year-old ceasefire between the two sides and to safeguard its sovereignty, Koh Yu-hwan, who teaches North Korean studies at Dongguk University in Seoul, told the outlet.

TRAGEDY ON THE WATER: A helicopter crash in New York City's East River Sunday killed all five passengers, leaving the pilot as the only survivor, officials said ... The cause of the crash is unknown as the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) planned to investigate. The chopper's pilot managed to free himself, while two people were declared dead at the scene of the crash, NYPD Commissioner James O'Neill said at a news conference. The three other passengers died overnight at nearby hospitals. The group, which officials said was flying as part of a Liberty Helicopters tour, was on the private Eurocopter AS350 for a photo shoot when it crashed around 7 p.m.

BABY STEPS IN STOPPING SCHOOL SHOOTINGS: The White House announced a series of recommendations Sunday night meant to stop school shootings, including a full audit and review of the FBI tip line after warnings about a student who killed 17 people at a Florida high school last month were not acted upon ... But the administration did not call for immediately increasing the minimum age for buying long guns to 21, as President Trump had previously advocated. It announced that Education Secretary Betsy DeVos would chair a federal commission on school safety to study the proposal. DeVos said in a statement that the commission would look at a "wide range" of ideas in order to ensure that "no student or family should ever have to live the horror of Parkland or Sandy Hook ever again."

BULLET HOLE REMINDERS: The Northern California treatment facility where an Army veteran killed three woman and himself after a siege Friday remained shuttered over the weekend and may never reopen, the San Francisco Chronicle reported ... A spokesman for the privately run Pathway Home in Yountville told the paper that the program's six patients have been moved to various hotels in Napa County while law enforcement officials continue their investigation. "We don't know whether that building is going to be a place that people want to live in, want to work in, after what happened Friday," Larry Kamer told the Chronicle. "It's not like people can just forget what happened there, move on, and work and have their group sessions. It's got bullet holes in it." Investigators said 36-year-old Albert Wong, a veteran of the Afghanistan war, slipped into a going-away party for some Pathway Home employees Friday morning. He let some people leave, but made his three victims stay behind. Investigators were also looking at how Wong -- who had been expelled from The Pathway Home weeks earlier -- managed to get inside the building without being noticed.

JOY'S PRIVATE APOLOGY NOT ENOUGH: ABC News has maintained a stony silence amid increased pressure for its star Joy Behar to apologize on-air to the "millions of Christians" who watch "The View," leaving Disney boss Bob Iger to fend for himself when an angry shareholder asked him about the brouhaha at a recent shareholder meeting ... On Feb. 13, Behar criticized Vice President Pence's faith by saying that hearing from Jesus is actually called mental illness. The resulting public outrage led scores of angry viewers to call or write ABC News demanding an apology. It wasnt until late last week that Iger, CEO of ABC parent Disney, finally revealed when questioned by a concerned shareholder that Behar had privately called the vice president to apologize. Multiple ABC sources told Fox News that ABC -- despite tens of thousands of formal viewer complaints -- has not subjected Behars comments to review by the news divisions Editorial Standards and Practices department. The unit normally would rule on whether a public apology was required.

AS SEEN ON FOX NEWS WEEKEND

NO BUCKLING FROM TRUMP: "Kim Jong Un knows full well that he [will come] to discuss full-blown denuclearization... and he also knows he is not dealing with a Barack Obama, who buckles to dictators." Judge Jeanine Pirro, in her "Opening Statement on Justice with Judge Jeanine, arguing that President Trump's "genius" and his administration's "crippling sanctions" led North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un to consider negotiating with the United States. WATCH

'POCAHONTAS' ANSWERS HER CRITICS: "I know who I am because of what my mother and father told me. It's part of who I am and no one's ever going to take that away."  Sen. Elizabeth Warren, on Fox News Sunday, standing by her identification as someone of Native American heritage, despite criticism from President Trump and others. WATCH

THE SWAMP

Ahead of midterms, Bernie Sanders addresses fired-up crowd in downtown Phoenix.

ATF investigating after Democrat seen on video sawing AR-15 rifle apart.

Here's how the Democrats' 'impeach Trump' obsession could backfire.

MAINSTREAM MEDIA MADNESS

Chuck Todd responds to Trump's 'son of a b---h' jab: 'It creates a challenge to parents.'

Trump slams NY Times' Haberman as 'Hillary flunky'; rips paper over Russia, lawyers story.

Outrage over 'terrible' Atlantic apologist piece on Louis Farrakhan.

ACROSS THE NATION

ICE seeks illegal immigrant in Colorado fatal hit-and-run who bonded out of jail.

Arrest made in cold case murder of Massachusetts teen more than three decades ago.

Missouri's laws are the most lenient for marrying child brides, report finds.

MINDING YOUR BUSINESS

Trump considers ex-Microsoft exec as top economic adviser: Official.

Dow Chemical's Andrew Liveris to Depart; Jim Fitterling to be CEO of New Dow.

Jobs jump by 313,000 in February | Stocks point toward adding to Fridays jobs report rally.

FOX NEWS OPINION

In Pennsylvania special election, the silence of Democrat Conor Lamb speaks volumes to Trump voters.

Rep. Lamar Smith: Climate change and the scientific method - we should welcome new research, not resist it.

Steve Hilton: Hey Gov. Jerry Brown, why wont you talk to me about illegal immigration?

HOLLYWOOD SQUARED

Tim McGraw collapses during Ireland concert, reports say.

O.J. Simpson's 'hypothetical' confession sparks social media frenzy.

Did Oprah's 'A Wrinkle In Time' tame 'Black Panther'?

DID YOU HEAR ABOUT THIS?

Free-falling Chinese satellite filled with corrosive fuel could hit lower Michigan.

Military encounter with UFO revealed in 2015 footage.

High school's Chick-fil-A dance video goes viral.

STAY TUNED

On Fox News:

Fox & Friends, 6 a.m. ET: Education Secretary Betsy DeVos on new White House proposals to stop school shootings; House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy on President Trump's visit to sanctuary state California this week and upcoming meeting with Kim Jong Un; Campus Reform shines a light mandatory student fees that go to political causes; MercyMe will perform "I Can Only Imagine."

The Story with Martha MacCallum, 7 p.m. ET: Inside a new discovery that could solve one of Americas biggest mysteries: the disappearance of Amelia Earhart. Special guest: Dorothy Cochrane, curator, Aeronautics Department, the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum.

Tucker Carlson Tonight, 8 p.m. ET: Taxpayers fund Planned Parenthood, but where does that money really go? Rep. Diane Black sounds off!

Hannity, 9 p.m. ET: From Trump's upcoming Kim Jong Un meeting to Joy Behars attack on Christian faith, Vice President Mike Pence speaks out.

The Ingraham Angle, 10 p.m. ET: Whats next in the Russia probe? Whats behind the Trump White House shake-ups? Former chief of staff Reince Priebus has insight.

Fox News @ Night, 11 p.m.: State Rep. Rick Saccone joins Shannon Bream ahead of Tuesday's critical special election for the Pa. congressional seat.

On Fox Business:

Mornings with Maria, 6 a.m. ET: Martin Feldstein, former economic adviser under President Reagan; John Negroponte, former U.S. ambassador to the U.N.; Rep. Ron DeSantis.

Varney & Co., 9 a.m. ET: Andrew Pollack, father of Parkland shooting victim; Rep. Dana Rohrabacher.

Cavuto: Coast to Coast, Noon ET: State Rep. Rick Saccone, Pa. congressional candidate; former Fla. Rep. Allen West.

Lou Dobbs Tonight, 7 p.m. ET: U.S. Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross.

On Fox News Radio:

The Fox News Rundown podcast: The White House announced on Sunday that there will not be any more conditions imposed on North Korea before the meeting between President Trump and the nations leader Kim Jong Un. Gordon Chang, a Daily Beast columnist and author, weighs in. Part 1 of "Forever in Debt," a special five-part series with Fox News' Eben Brown, takes a look at the effects of massive student debt and the fight to restore bankruptcy protections. Plus, commentary by Fox News contributor Charles Hurt.

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 mainstream media continue to ignore President Trump's accomplishments; former Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels on the NCAA corruption scandal and potential impact of Trump's tariffs; former Trump campaign manager Corey Lewandowski takes an early look at 2020.

The Tom Shillue Show, 3 p.m. ET: What does President Trump need to know before his historic meeting with North Korea leader Kim Jong Un? Michael Malice, author of "Dear Reader: The Unauthorized Autobiography of Kim Jong Il," joins Tom live.

#OnThisDay

1980: Chicago jury finds John Wayne Gacy Jr. guilty of the murders of 33 men and boys. (The next day, Gacy is sentenced to death; he was executed in May 1994.)

1933: President Franklin D. Roosevelt delivers the first of his 30 radio addresses that came to be known as "fireside chats," telling Americans what was being done to deal with the nation's economic crisis.

1912: The Girl Scouts of the USA has its beginnings as Juliette Gordon Low of Savannah, Ga., founds the first American troop of the Girl Guides.

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.An illegal immigrant charged in a deadly crash avoided being detained by immigration agents and bonded out of a Colorado jail Saturday when local officials waited an hour to notify the agency.

Ivan Zamarripa-Castaneda, 26, fled the scene of an accident on Interstate 70 involving a tractor-trailer that caught on fire last week, leaving the driver to die, according to the Denver Police Department. He was arrested by local officials March 4, and was wanted by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

Based on an immigration detainer lodged on March 5, on March 10, 2018, the Denver County Sheriffs Office notified the Denver Office of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) that it would be releasing on bond Ivan Gerardo Zamarripa-Castaneda, 26, from Mexico, at an unspecified time," ICE Denver Field Office Director Jeffrey D. Lynch said in a statement to FOX31. "Less than two hours afterwards, ICE deportation officers arrived at the sheriffs office to have Zamarripa-Castaneda transferred to ICE custody, only to be told that he had already been released."

Lynch, who called Zamarripa-Castaneda an "immigration fugitive," said the agency is working with the DCSO to figure out what went wrong in the communications process.

The Denver County Sheriff's Office said in a statement the 26-year-old posted a $25,000 bond on Saturday and was released from Denvers Downtown Detention Center at 5:28 p.m.

ICE SEEKS ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT IN COLORADO FATAL HIT-AND-RUN WHO BONDED OUT OF JAIL

The law enforcement agency said although the department alerted ICE in response to a request for release notification it received, that alert did not occur until 6:33 p.m.

"This is unacceptable and the Sheriff has ordered an immediate internal review to determine why established notification processes did not take place before Zamarripa-Castaneda was released," the sheriff's office said.

The 26-year-old was able to bond out and avoid immigration officials -- at least until his next court date -- because the Denver Police Department and other state agencies stopped honoring detainer orders from ICE in 2013 after courts ruled they were illegal.

The Denver Sheriff's Department, which operates the jail, told Fox News last week that, unless ICE received a federal criminal warrant, Zamarripa-Castaneda would be able to leave detention after posting bond.

"The Denver Sheriff Department will not honor civil detainers as it is considered unconstitutional," the agency said.

ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT LINKED TO FATAL HIT-RUN NOT DETAINED IN DENVER DESPITE ICE REQUEST

ICE officials told Fox News last week they detain up to 40,000 people per day, and don't have the resources to go after every federal warrant.

"By placing retainers on these individuals, we actually help improve public safety by taking these criminal aliens off the streets and ultimately removing them to their country of origin," ICE Director of Communications Carl Rusnok told Fox News.

The deadly crash involving Zamarripa-Castaneda happened just before midnight on March 3 on Interstate 70. The wreck killed a 57-year-old tractor trailer driver who has yet to be identified by officials.

The 26-year-old Zamarripa-Castaneda then fled the scene before he was arrested at his home March 4, prosecutors said. Zamarripa-Castanedas speech was slurred and his breath had a moderate odor of unknown alcohol, according to a probable cause affidavit obtained by FOX31.

After being charged with one count of vehicular homicide-DUI and one count of leaving the scene of an accident resulting in death, Zamarripa-Castaneda appeared in court Friday before bonding out of jail. He's set to be in court April 2 when a preliminary hearing has been scheduled, according to FOX31.

Fox News' Alicia Acuna in Denver contributed to this report.An Indiana boy who raised nearly $7,000 for fallen Deputy Jacob Picketts family was captured in a touching photo saluting the officers memorial on Sunday.

Malachi Fronczak, 6, of Kokomo, spent Friday and Saturday selling hot cocoa and lemonade to help the family of Pickett, who was shot and killed in early March while attempting to apprehend a suspect. Pickett was the first officer killed in the line of duty from the Boone County Sheriff's Office since 1935.

SHERIFF'S DEPUTY FATALLY SHOT BY FLEEING SUSPECT IN INDIANA, POLICE SAY

Malachi raised nearly $7,000  $5,200 on Friday and $1,750 on Saturday  after selling the beverages for four hours, FOX59 Indianapolis reported.

"It's wonderful. Anytime your kids have a big heart, want to serve others, I think it's important as a parent to support that. It's great to see him out wanting to do that," Jason Fronczak, Malachis father, told FOX59.

Malachi and his family went to Boone County to visit a memorial set up for Pickett. At one point, Malachi was pictured saluting Picketts memorial. The photos were posted on the child's Facebook page.

The boy signed an American flag honoring Pickett and left a bottle of lemonade with the message: From: Malachis Magnificent Lemonade Stand.

Malachi also plans to sell lemonade at the Kokomo Library South Branch next Saturday.A controversial Indiana University student editorial blames the Parkland shooting that killed 17 on toxic masculinity.

The Indiana Daily Student op-ed, looking at the history of mass shootings in America since Columbine in 1999, concluded there is one thing they all have in common: gender.

COLLEGE STUDENT KICKED OUT OF CLASS FOR TELLING PROFESSOR THERE ARE ONLY TWO GENDERS

When such a pattern emerges from decades of data, its time to have a conversation about masculinity and male violence, the students argue. We need to make comprehensive efforts to avoid reproducing the same masculinity in the next generation of boys that increases the likelihood of these atrocities.

The oped concludes these mass shootings are especially linked to gender violence, using data collected by the anti-gun group, Everytown for Gun Safety.

There is some evidence for biological factors playing a role, such as a slight association between testosterone an inclination toward violence, the op-ed states.

It also argues that social and historical factors point to the disparity between men and women in connection to violence.

Thousands of years of patriarchy have led to a world in which males are conditioned to have a need for dominance, it said. The anger that drives school shooters often relates to masculinity.

PARKLAND SURVIVOR KYLE KASHUV ON MEETING TRUMP, HIS APP TO PREVENT ANOTHER SCHOOL SHOOTING

It also points to a Portland State University study that concludes school shooters were avenging actions that they perceived were a slight on their masculinity.

In light of the role of masculinity in the Parkland massacre, the Hoosiers conclude that boys need to be educated and socialized properly, in a way that doesnt affirm their masculinity.A New Hampshire woman who won a Powerball jackpot worth nearly $560 million can keep her name private, a judge ruled Monday.

In his order, Judge Charles Temple said the woman -- known as "Jane Doe" in her lawsuit against the New Hampshire Lottery Commission -- had proven that her right to privacy outweighed the public's interest in learning her name.

The judge wrote that he had "no doubts whatsoever that should Ms. Doe's identity be revealed, she will be subject to an alarming amount of harassment, solicitation, and other unwanted communications."

However, Temple added that nothing in his order could be interpreted to prevent the lottery commission or its employees from "processing, maintaining, or accessing Ms. Doe's ticket in the normal course of business."

The woman's attorney, William Shaheen, said the woman is from Merrimack, 25 miles south of the state capital, Concord. The winning ticket in the Jan. 6 market was sold at the Reeds Ferry Market in that town.

"She was jumping up and down," Shaheen said of his client's reaction to Temple's ruling. "She will be able to live her life normally."

The woman signed her ticket after the drawing, but later learned from lawyers that she could have shielded her identity by writing the name of a trust. They said she was upset after learning she was giving up her anonymity by signing the ticket  something the lottery commission acknowledged isn't spelled out on the ticket, but is detailed on its website. The woman ended up establishing the Good Karma Family Trust of 2018.

Temple found that the commission's argument that revealing her name to ensure the public she's a "bona fide" lottery participant and "real" winner was not persuasive, because a trustee claiming a prize on someone's behalf is certainly not a "bona fide" participant or a "real" winner.

"While we were expecting a different outcome and believed the state had a strong argument, we respect the court's decision," Charlie McIntyre, commission executive director, said in a statement. "That said, we will consult with the Attorney General's office to determine appropriate next steps regarding the case."

Last week, the commission handed over $264 million  the amount left after taxes were deducted  to the woman's lawyers. They said she would give $150,000 to Girls Inc. and $33,000 apiece to three chapters of End 68 Hours of Hunger in the state. It is the first of what her lawyers said would be donations over the years of between $25 million to $50 million during her lifetime.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.A Tunisian native allegedly in the U.S. illegally was charged Wednesday over an incident that involved an AR 15-style rifle with a bump stock being found outside an Indianapolis hotel before a popular women's march, The Indianapolis Star reported.

Security guards at the Hyatt Regency in downtown Indianapolis alerted police after they said they found firearms inside a truck that belonged to Ahmed Alaklouk on Jan. 20, the report said.

Security alerted police and found six handguns and the rifle that had a scope, bump stock and bipod, the report said. Alaklouk said it was his fathers, and was fully tricked out, the report said.

Police reportedly told Alaklouk to secure the weapons, and he moved the rifle to the backseat, the report said.

The Trump administration is pushing to ban bump stocks at the federal level. Several states have passed bump stock bans.

The device was brought to the public's attention during the mass shooting in Las Vegas last October.

Hotel security was reportedly concerned because the 22-year-olds hotel room overlooked the womens march that was scheduled for the day, so they were joined by Indianapolis police who escorted Alaklouk and two other men from the room.

The Star report said the U.S. Department of Homeland Security investigated and found his student visa terminated since September 2017. The report pointed out that it is a criminal offense for someone in the country illegally to possess a firearm.

The report, citing federal court documents, said police found him on two separate occasions with weapons in January.

There was another incident at his tire shop about a week later in which Alaklouk, a Saudi Arabian citizen, got into a disagreement with a customer that allegedly led to him pulling out a handgun and threatening to f---ing kill the customer.

The report said the weapon in the second incident was later identified as a pellet gun.

Alaklouk reportedly faces state charges and the federal gun charge.National Geographic acknowledged on Monday that it covered the world through a racist lens for generations, with its magazine portrayals of bare-breasted women and naive brown-skinned tribesmen as savage, unsophisticated and unintelligent.

"We had to own our story to move beyond it," editor-in-chief Susan Goldberg told The Associated Press in an interview about the yellow-bordered magazine's April issue, which is devoted to race.

National Geographic first published its magazine in 1888. An investigation conducted last fall by University of Virginia photography historian John Edwin Mason showed that until the 1970s, it virtually ignored people of color in the United States who were not domestics or laborers, and it reinforced repeatedly the idea that people of color from foreign lands were "exotics, famously and frequently unclothed, happy hunters, noble savages_every type of cliche."

For example, in a 1916 article about Australia, the caption on a photo of two Aboriginal people read: "South Australian Blackfellows: These savages rank lowest in intelligence of all human beings."

In addition, National Geographic perpetuated the cliche of native people fascinated by technology and overloaded the magazine with pictures of beautiful Pacific island women.

This examination comes as other media organizations are also casting a critical eye on their past. The New York Times recently admitted that most of its obituaries chronicled the lives of white men, and began publishing obituaries of famous women in its "Overlooked" section.

In National Geographic's April issue, Goldberg, who identified herself as National Geographic's first woman and first Jewish editor, wrote a letter titled "For Decades, Our Coverage Was Racist. To Rise Above Our Past, We Must Acknowledge It."

"I knew when we looked back there would be some storytelling that we obviously would never do today, that we don't do and we're not proud of," she told AP. "But it seemed to me if we want to credibly talk about race, we better look and see how we talked about race."

Mason said he found an intentional pattern in his review.

"People of color were often scantily clothed, people of color were usually not seen in cities, people of color were not often surrounded by technologies of automobiles, airplanes or trains or factories," he said. "People of color were often pictured as living as if their ancestors might have lived several hundreds of years ago and that's in contrast to westerners who are always fully clothed and often carrying technology."

White teenage boys "could count on every issue or two of National Geographic having some brown skin bare breasts for them to look at, and I think editors at National Geographic knew that was one of the appeals of their magazine, because women, especially Asian women from the pacific islands, were photographed in ways that were almost glamour shots."

National Geographic, which now reaches 30 million people around the world, was the way that many Americans first learned about the rest of the world, said professor Samir Husni, who heads the Magazine Innovation Center at the University of Mississippi's journalism school.

Making sure that kind of coverage never happens again should be paramount, Husni said. "Trying to integrate the magazine media with more hiring of diverse writers and minorities in the magazine field is how we apologize for the past," Husni said.

Goldberg said she is doing just that, adding that in the past, the magazine has done a better job at gender diversity than racial and ethnic diversity.

"The coverage wasn't right before because it was told from an elite, white American point of view, and I think it speaks to exactly why we needed a diversity of storytellers," Goldberg said. "So we need photographers who are African-American and Native American because they are going to capture a different truth and maybe a more accurate story."

National Geographic was one of the first advocates of using color photography in its pages, and is well known for its coverage of history, science, environmentalism and the far corners of the world. It currently can be found in 172 countries and in 43 languages every month.The Florida school shooter's gory, violent fantasies were reportedly detailed in therapy sessions nearly four years before Nikolas Cruz opened fire on Valentines Day, killing 17 people.

Cruz attended weekly therapy sessions between February 2014 and December 2015 at Cross Creek, a school in Pompano Beach that specializes in students with behavioral and emotional disorders, according to records obtained by the Miami Herald. In one session on May 3, 2014, Cruz said he had a dream of him killing people and covered in blood, the report stated.

He smiled and told the therapist that sometimes he says things for shock value, the Broward County schools psychiatric file stated.

The disturbing thoughts prompted school administrators to develop a safety plan that included removing all sharp objects from the home and encouraging Cruz to openly discuss his problems.

Therapy sessions in the following months also disclosed the 19-year-olds obsession with guns and shooting before he engaged in the massacre at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida. Cruz would talk about researching wars, military and terrorist topics on YouTube, according to the report. His mother, Lynda Cruz  who died in pneumonia in November  explained his sons obsession developed through excessive gaming.

NIKOLAS CRUZ'S MOM, TORMENTED BY HIS BEHAVIOR, WEIGHED SIGNING OVER PARENTAL RIGHTS: FAMILY SOURCE

A family source previously told Fox News that Cruzs mother often saw her son dressed in military fatigues and headdresses. At one point she told the family source: He thinks hes f---ing ISIS.

Cruzs violent fantasies continued. He wrote that his perfect summer would include him buying some type of gun and shooting at targets that I set up with large amounts of ammo just for fun for hours. He added he wanted to earn his own money to be able to pay for items himself.

I will never be happy with my life I have no money or [sic] freinds, Cruz wrote, talking about his loneliness.

The school therapist and psychiatrist at Cross Creek wrote in a letter before summer 2014 that they were concerned about Cruz's aggressive and destructive behavior at home.

At home, he continues to be aggressive and destructive with minimal provocation, the letter stated. For instance, he destroyed his television after losing a video game that he was playing. Nikolas has a hatchet that he uses to chop up a dead tree in his backyard. Mom has not been able to locate that hatchet as of lately.

It continued: When upset he punches holes in the walls and has used sharp tools to cut up the upholstery on the furniture and carve holes in the walls of the bathroom.

But by April 2015, Cruz was reportedly showing tremendous progress with his behavior, enough to be able to control his outburst at home and at school. Cruz spoke about wanting to go to a traditional school, rather than the alternate school he reportedly hated.

POLICE, PARENTS REACT TO FLORIDA SCHOOL SHOOTING 911 TAPES: 'WE FAILED IN MANY WAYS'

Cruz began attending Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School as a part-time student by October 2016. He stopped attending Cross Creek in early January 2016 to attend the high school full-time.

In psychiatric progress notes before he left Cross Creek, Cruz was advised to continue therapy, medications for mental health and social work case-management at home. But his behavioral troubles continued at the high school.

Fox News Kathleen Reuschle contributed to this report.A toddler in Ohio has suffered severe brain damage after being beaten by her babysitter, authorities said.

Three-year-old Hannah Wesche, of Hamilton Township, was on life support at a hospital.

She is not expected to survive," her father, Jason Wesche, said Monday.

Within the next couple of days, weve been told that its going to come to an end, he told a judge, according to Fox 19 Cincinnati.

The babysitter, Linda Partin, 35, of Hamilton Township, has been arrested on assault and child endangerment charges. The charges could be upgraded if Hannah is declared dead.

Wesche urged the judge to hold Partin without bail. Despite his plea, the judge set Partins bond at $30,000, the station reported. She pleaded not guilty during the court appearance.

Deputies were called after Wesche left the girl with Partin Thursday morning.

The little girl, shes three, Partin is heard telling the 911 operator, according to the Cincinnati Enquirer which obtained the 13-minute-long recording. She fell pretty bad yesterday. She was fine and then all of sudden this morning she walked in and she passed out, limp.

When detectives arrived they found Hannah unresponsive, struggling to breathe and with bruises on her head and face, Butler County Sheriff Richard Jones said Monday.

At the hospital detectives and hospital personnel noted additional bruising on the childs body.

The sheriff said Partin admitted to striking the child and stated she had fallen and struck her head on the concrete garage floor the previous day.

This little girl is hanging on by a thread, the sheriff said. Cases like this rip your heart out. I dont understand why or how anyone harms a child.Since the first successful use of vaccinations in 1796, vaccines have saved hundreds of millions of lives. The Centers for Disease Control estimates that vaccinations will prevent more than 21 million hospitalizations and 732,000 deaths among children born in the last 20 years alone. And the World Health Organization calculates that immunization currently averts about two to three million deaths every year.

A new study published in the journal Health Affairs finds that along with preventing diseases, vaccines prevent many people around the globe from falling into extreme poverty. According to the study, over the next 15 years global vaccinations will keep 24 million people out of extreme poverty:

Macroeconomic development is not the only way to address extreme poverty. International agencies and policy makers have long recognized that high out-of-pocket health expenditures were one of the main reasons for household impoverishment. In China and India, for example, out-of-pocket spending for health services was a primary factor driving families into poverty. In 2010 the World Health Organization reported that the cost of health care prevents many poor people from seeking treatment while simultaneously pushing about 150 million care seekers into poverty each year. Reducing out-of-pocket spending for health care and providing financial risk protection is critical to preventing extreme poverty. [. . .] It is well recognized that vaccines have contributed significantly to the improvement of population health in the past few decades, but their nonhealth impact has been less explored. Given the preventive nature of vaccines, they may play a role in providing financial risk protection by preventing illnesses and its high-cost treatments, and therefore averting medical impoverishment. Similarly, while poor health is strongly associated with poverty, and the World Health Organizations Global Vaccine Action Plan 20112020 listed equity as one of its six guiding principles, limited evidence assessing the distribution of health benefits of vaccines by socioeconomic strata exists.

Read more . . .A chilling Instagram video taken by one of the victims of the East River helicopter crash captures the final moments before the chopper plunged into the New York City waterway, killing five of the six people aboard.

Fox News has identified the victims as Trevor Cadigan, 26, of Dallas, Carla Vallejos-Blanco, a 29-year old visiting the city from Argentina, Brian McDaniel, a 26-year-old Dallas firefighter, Daniel Thompson, a 34-year-old from New York City, and 29-year-old Tristian Hill.

The video was taken by Cadigan, a video journalist, according to his brother-in-law Travis Howard, who spoke to the Washington Post.

One of the men in the video is seen flashing a thumbs up as the helicopter took off amidst the sunset Sunday.

The video surfaced as investigators were looking into whether one of the passengers bags may have accidentally hit the fuel shutoff button of the doomed helicopter. The helicopter was removed from the river on Monday afternoon.

Mayday, mayday, mayday, Richard Vance, the 33-year-old Liberty Helicopters pilot, called out over his radio seconds before going down in the crash a day earlier. East River engine failure!

The group of five passengers were on the private Eurocopter AS350 for a photo shoot when it crashed.

The cause of the crash is not yet known, but it is reportedly the third in the past 11 years involving Liberty Helicopters, a company based in Kearny, N.J.

"It took a while for the divers to get these people out. They worked very quickly as fast as they could," Fire Commissioner Daniel Nigro said. "It was a great tragedy that we had here."

The passengers were recovered shortly after the helicopter went into the water around 7:06 p.m. Police and fire department divers had to remove them from tight harnesses while they were upside down, Nigro added.

Three of the passengers were listed in critical condition after being rushed to nearby hospitals, where they later died. Two were declared dead at the scene and police said the pilot freed himself and was rescued by a passing tugboat.

Officials said the water Sunday night was frigid, with temperatures around 40 degrees.

Video posted on Twitter of the crash showed a red helicopter land hard in the river and then flip on its side as its rotors beat the water.

Police sources told the New York Post the helicopter was being flown by Vance, a native of Danbury, Conn.

Hes a very good pilot, his father, Anthony Vance, told the newspaper, adding Richard has flown a lot of years with a commercial pilots license.

A LinkedIn page purportedly belonging to Vance said he has been employed by Liberty Helicopters since April 2016.

"We are focused on supporting the families affected by this tragic accident and fully cooperating with the FAA and NTSB investigations," Liberty Helicopters told Fox News in a statement.

The company says on its website it has been in business since 1990 and offers unparalleled safety records and a commitment to customer service.

But Sundays crash is the third one involving Liberty Helicopters in the past 11 years, according to reports.

In 2009, a sightseeing helicopter of the same model and operated by Liberty Helicopters collided with a small, private plane over the Hudson River, killing nine people, including a group of Italian tourists, the Associated Press reported.

Two years earlier, one of the companys helicopters, carrying eight people, dropped into the Hudson River but everyone was able to escape, according to WABC.

One witness told the New York Post she watched Sundays crash unfold from her apartment window and "immediately thought someone was in there and not going to live."

By the time we got out here, we couldnt see [the helicopter]," Mary Lee said. "It was under water.

The skies over New York constantly buzz with helicopters carrying tourists, businesspeople, traffic reporters, medical teams and others. Crashes are not unheard of.

A crash in October 2011 in the East River killed a British woman visiting the city for her 40th birthday. Three other passengers were injured.

In June 2005, two helicopters crashed into the East River in the same week. One incident injured eight people, including some banking executives. The other crash hit the water shortly after takeoff on a sightseeing flight, injuring six tourists and the pilot.

Fox News Edmund DeMarche, Nicole Darrah and The Associated Press contributed to this report.The Northeast is bracing for a third nor'easter to impact the region in less than two weeks  and it is expected to bring snow and heavy winds starting Monday night.

The storm system is bringing snow and rain across the Central Appalachians, Mid-Atlantic, and Carolinas during the day on Monday and will eventually develop off the coast, according to Fox News Senior Meteorologist Janice Dean.

"Tonight through Tuesday yet another noreaster will develop off the East Coast, but unlike the last two nor'easters, this system is expected to stay farther offshore and east," Dean said Monday. "However, snow will still fall across parts of the Northeast with the highest totals across eastern New England."

Parts of eastern New England, Connecticut, and New York's Long Island may see 6 to 14 inches of snow, while areas around Philadelphia and New York City may see between 2 and 5 inches.

"Strong wind gusts and some coastal flooding is also a threat across eastern New England on Tuesday and Tuesday night," Dean said

The storm comes as parts of the region are still cleaning up from the last storm that dumped more than 2 feet of snow in some areas and left hundreds of thousands of customers without power.

THUNDERSNOW 'BOOMS' ALONG NOR'EASTER'S PATH

Alexandra Soto, of Bushkill, Pennsylvania, told the Associated Press she was not looking forward to the next storm. Her home lost power during the first nor'easter on March 2 and the lights did not come back on until Saturday, well after the second storm.

"I'm hoping they have enough crews to deal with whatever happens and that they took some proactive measures so that next time, they don't have to be reactive," Soto said. "Frankly, I'm hoping this next storm just misses us, because I don't think I could take another."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.As the Assad regime continues to defy a Feb. 24 United Nations Security Council-mandated ceasefire in the Damascus suburbs known as eastern Ghouta, at least one American citizen and her family are huddled in a small basement in the enclave, terrified of the consequences of Assads further advance.

Deana Lynn, 44, a native of Detorits northern suburbs, is now a besieged resident northeast of the Syrian capital, in a region where more than 1,000 people have been killed in the past month by air and artillerty strikes, including alleged chlorine gas attacks.



The situation is really bad, the worst ever she told Fox News, in an online conversation. The Syrian forces are coming very close. We can hear the gunfire. We are afraid of a slaughter, or torture. Throughout the conversation she suffered from a persistent cougha combination, she said, of illness and breathing the dust of frequent heavy bombardment.

Deana has been a resident of Syria since before 2000, when she left Michigan with her husband, a native of Syria, to rejoin his family in vastly more peaceful times.

For most of that time, as violence escalated, she kept a low profile, as she put itbut that has changed as the U.N.-sponsored ceasefire has proved to be an illusion, and regime attacks have increased in ferocity. Now she denounces Assads atrocities on Twitter and pleads for the international community to do more than merely denounce its barbarisms.

So far, to no avail. On Monday, March 12, U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Nikki Haley once again denounced the continuing Syrian violence, declaring that this is no ceasefire. This is the Assad regime, Iran, and Russia continuing to wage war against their political opponents.

United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres also told the Security Council that he was deeply saddened by the immense loss and cascading suffering of the Syrian people, and added that he was deeply disappointed by all those who have, year after year, by action or inaction, by design or indifference, allowed this to happen.

Aside from that, nothing that hints at relief. As Arnaud Qhemin, country director for Syria of one of the biggest U.S. based relief organizations, Mercy Corps, put it, We have seen nothing but carnage in response to the Security Councils resolution calling for a halt to the massacre in eastern Ghouta. Conditions worsen each day. People are fleeing from one shelter to another as the front lines move.

For Deana, life has become a perilous shuttle up and down stairs in her ravaged apartment building whenever bombing attacks in her neighborhood make movement possible.

Much of her time is spent in a small basement that serves as a bedroom-cum-bomb shelter where she cares for her eight childrenseven girls and a boyand two grandchildren. When conditions allow she climbs upstairs to her, where it is still possible to cook and there is water available, along with electricity, which she buys from a still-functioning generator.

We have food, she told Fox News, but we have a problem with malnutrition. Her husband is working as a communal cook in the besieged areashe did not answer other specific questions about him, possibly in fear of future retaliation.

(As Amb. Haley noted, the Assad regime has declared all resistance groups in eastern Ghouta to be terrorists, a blanket designation that provides a fig leaf for the targeting of innocent civilians, schools and hospitals.)

Medicine is another problem. A U.N. relief convoythe first allowed by Assad to the eastern Ghouta town of Douma for a monthwas able to unload 13 trucks of food supplies during visits on March 5 and March 9. But as usual, most medical supplies were removed in advance from the U.N. shipment by Assads military.

So far, Deana has been lucky: Her apartment building has been relatively unscathed, though she says a tenant of the buildings top floor was killed in one attack. Right now our children are safe, she said. At the moment.

It is painfully clear that she never expected the violence to escalate as fiercely and quickly as it did after Syrian protests began in 2011. Her U.S. passportshe sent a copy of the information page to Fox Newsexpired in 2004; those of five of her children expired in 2005. We didnt renew them, she said.

When she and her husband moved to Syria, I dont believe they planned to come back, said her brother Jamil, a mechanic who lives in Pontiac, Michigan. His parents were getting old. They had property. Once children get acclimated to a situation its hard to move them.

Then things escalated so fast that they didnt realize how bad it was getting.

While diplomats wring their hands in impotent dismay, it is getting much worse.The BBC says its journalists will appeal for the first time to the United Nations over what the British broadcaster describes as the "persecution and harassment" of those affiliated with its Persian service by Iran.

BBC director-general Tony Hall said in a statement Monday that journalists will describe the worsening "collective punishment of BBC Persian Service journalists and their families."

Hall added: "We are not the only media organization to have been harassed or forced to compromise when dealing with Iran. In truth, this story is much wider: it is a story about fundamental human rights."

Iranian state media did not immediately report on the BBC's decision.

The BBC filed a complaint in October over Iran freezing the assets of more than 150 people associated with its Persian service.Russia is highly likely to be the party responsible for poisoning a former Russian spy and his daughter last week by using a "weapons-grade nerve agent, British Prime Minister Theresa May said Monday.

May revealed to British lawmakers that Sergei Skripal and his daughter, Yulia, were exposed to a nerve agent called Novichok (Novice). The weapon was developed in the Soviet Union at the end of the Cold War.

This attempted murder using a weapons-grade nerve agent in a British town was not just a crime against the Skripals, it was an indiscriminate and reckless act against the United Kingdom, putting the lives of innocent civilians at risk, May said, according to Sky News.

She added: "We will not tolerate such a brazen attempt to murder innocent civilians on our soil."

May said it was an "reckless act" against Britain. She added that the attack was either a direct action by the Russian government or the Kremlin had lost control and allowed the chemical to end up in other peoples hands.

May said she will give Russia until the end of the day Tuesday to respond to the charges.

The Kremlin has rejected suggestions it was behind the poisoning, with officials saying Monday they have not heard any official statements of Russian involvement. Russia called May's comments a "circus show," according to Sky News.

"Should there be no credible response, we will conclude that this action amounts to an unlawful use of force by the Russia state against the United Kingdom," the prime minister said.

Tom Tugendhat, chairman of the Foreign Affairs committee, told BBC News earlier in the day that the attack against Skripal and his daughter looked "awfully like it was state-sponsored attempted murder." He also added that he wouldnt be surprised if May pointed the finger at the Kremlin.

EX-RUSSIAN SPY SERGEI SKRIPAL ALLEGEDLY POISONED: WHAT TO KNOW

Dmitry Peskov, spokesman for President Vladimir Putin, told reporters Skripal worked for British intelligence and was poisoned on British soil, and therefore the incident "has nothing to do with Russia, let alone the Russian leadership."

Skripal and his adult daughter, Yulia, remain in critical condition following the March 4 nerve agent attack in Salisbury. Both were found comatose on a bench near the city center.

The 66-year-old Skripal worked for Russian military intelligence before he was recruited to spy for Britain. He was eventually found out and imprisoned by Russia -- before being freed in a spy swap in 2010.

A police detective who also became ill from the nerve agent was still hospitalized in serious condition Monday, but is reported by British officials to be sitting up and talking.

EX-RUSSIAN SPY POISONING PROMPTS WARNING FOR HUNDREDS AFTER NERVE AGENT TRACES FOUND

British officials said the risk to the public is low but urged people on Sunday to wash their clothes if they had patronized a restaurant and a pub where the Skripals are believed to have been before falling ill.

Some officials, analysts and politicians have compared the case to the murder of former Russian spy Alexander Litvinenko, who was poisoned with radioactive tea in London in 2006. A British inquiry concluded the killing had "probably" been authorized by Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.An ex-Russian spy and his adult daughter were critically injured after they were poisoned by a nerve agent back in March  and now Russia is paying for the attack.

Sergei Skripal, 66, and his 33-year-old daughter Yulia were found unconscious March 4 on a bench in a shopping mall in Salisbury, about 90 miles west of London. The pair were released from the hospital two months later and moved to a private, secure location.

On Aug. 8, the U.S. announced it was imposing sanctions on Russia for using a chemical weapon in violation of international law, though the Kremlin repeatedly denied involvement. Following a 15-day congressional notification period, the sanctions took effect on or around Aug. 22, according to a statement from the State Department.

British Prime Minister Theresa May said days after the poisoning that it was highly likely Russia was responsible. And the U.S., Germany and France all appeared to back her.

2 RUSSIANS CHARGED OVER NOVICHOK POISONING OF EX-SPY, USED FAKE PERFUME BOTTLE, BRITISH OFFICIALS SAY

Since the March attack, a British couple with no ties to Russia have also been poisoned by the substance in Salisbury.

Dawn Sturgess, 44, died more than a week after authorities believe she was exposed to Novichok  the military-grade nerve agent also used in an attempt to assasinate Skripal. Charlie Rowley, 45, was also exposed to the agent and remains in critical but stable condition.

On Sept. 5, authorities in Britain charged two Russian men, identified as Alexander Petrov and Ruslan Boshirov, with the poisoning of Skripal and his daughter, as well as Sturgess.

The nerve agent used to poison the Skripals was smuggled to Britain in a counterfeit Nina Ricci perfume bottle and applied to the front door of their house, according to Metropolitan Police. Police believe the couple later found that same bottle, thus exposing them to the toxic nerve agent.



Heres what we know about Skripal, and the incident that nearly killed him.

His background as a spy

Skripal served with Russias military intelligence, often known by its Russian-language acronym GRU, and retired in 1999. He then worked at the Foreign Ministry until 2003, and later became involved in business.

Skripal was arrested in 2004 in Moscow and later confessed to having been recruited by British intelligence in 1995. He also said at the time that he provided information about GRU agents in Europe, receiving over $100,000 in return.

WHAT'S THE GRU, RUSSIA'S MILITARY INTELLIGENCE AGENCY? 3 THINGS TO KNOW

At the time of Skripals trial, the Russian media quoted the FSB domestic security agency as saying that the damage from his activities could be compared to harm inflicted by Oleg Penkovsky, a GRU colonel who spied for the United States and Britain. Penkovsky was executed in 1963.

In 2006, Skripal was convicted on charges of spying for Britain and sentenced to 13 years. However, he later was pardoned and released from custody in July 2010 as part of a U.S.-Russian spy swap, which followed the exposure of a ring of Russian sleeper agents in the U.S.

Skripals wife and son have both died in recent years.

Prior to his wifes death, however, she reportedly told police she feared for her husbands life, the New York Daily News reported.

How world leaders responded to the attack

On March 15, world leaders said in a joint statement they "abhor" the attack against Skripal.

"It is an assault on U.K. sovereignty and any such use by a State party is a clear violation of the Chemical Weapons Convention and a breach of international law. It threatens the security of us all, the statement, signed by British Prime Minister Theresa May, President Donald Trump, French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Angela Merkel, read.

The leaders called on Russia to "live up to its responsibilities as a member of the UN Security Council to uphold international peace and security."

May had given Russia until midnight on March 13 to respond to the charges. When Moscow failed to respond, May expelled 23 Russian diplomats from the U.K. They were given a week to pack their belongings and head back to Russia.

This will be the single biggest expulsion for over 30 years and it will reflect the fact that this is not the first time the Russian state has acted against our country," May said at the time.

The U.S. also ordered 60 Russian diplomats to leave and announced it would close the Russian consulate in Seattle. In response, Russia then said it would expel 60 U.S. diplomats and close the U.S. consulate in St. Petersburg.

Two dozen countries, including the U.S., ordered more than 150 Russian diplomats out within a one-week span in a show of solidarity with the U.K.

How Russia reacted to the allegations

On March 18, Russian President Vladimir Putin said Moscow would cooperate with the U.K. in an investigation of the poisonings, calling them a "tragedy." However, Putin said if the claims they were poisoned by the Soviet-designed nerve agent were true, the victims would've died instantly.

"Russia does not have such [nerve] agents," Putin said, according to The Guardian. "We destroyed all our chemical weapons under the supervision of international organizations and we did it first, unlike some of our partners who promised to do it, but unfortunately did not keep their promises.

Putin added that he thought "any sensible person would understand that it would be rubbish, drivel, nonsense, for Russia to embark on such an escapade on the eve of a presidential election."

Putin's remarks came after Russia earlier retaliated against the U.K.: Moscow announced March 17 that it also would expel 23 British diplomats, among other diplomatic measures.

Fox News' Travis Fedschun, Zoe Szathmary, Madeline Farber, Kathleen Joyce and The Associated Press contributed to this report.A Michigan man who was swept away by a massive wave in the Bahamas had asked his girlfriends family for permission to marry her hours before he died.

Athena Williams, 20, and her boyfriend Jonathan Brussow, 19, were vacationing in the Bahamas with her family when Brussow went missing last Monday, FOX17 reported. Brussow was hiking with Williams brother on a tall cliff when a huge wave swept them into the ocean on Eleuthera Island. His body was found on Friday.

When we started dating he always told me, he said: Since the first time I saw you, I knew I was gonna marry you,'" Williams told FOX 17. We had everything planned out already. He had our whole wedding planned out, too and we werent even engaged or anything.

Williams said Brussow had asked her family for permission to marry her hours before he went missing. While Brussow was on the hike with Williams brother, he also brought up his plans.

When they were there, Jonathan also asked Eric if it was OK if he could marry me," Williams said. "I know that and the one thing Eric did tell me that Jonathan said was, Come have a seat with me, buddy,' and then it just kind of happened, I guess.

Williams recalled her brother telling her Brussow was missing. She added that she pretty much knew her boyfriend was gone, but didnt give up hope. Local authorities helped search for Brussow in the following days.

If theres anybody who could get out of a situation like this, its Jonathan," Williams said. But the odds were absolutely against him. There was just no way he could have made it.Oskar Groening, the death camp guard known as the bookkeeper of Auschwitz, died on Friday  before he was able to start his four-year prison sentence, according to multiple reports Monday. He was 96.

Groening, a former SS sergeant, was convicted in July 2015 of being an accessory to the murder of 300,000 Jews. He was expected to start his four-year prison sentence, but died at a hospital on Friday, the Jerusalem Post reported, citing Germany's Der Spiegel.

German prosecutors deemed Groening to be fit enough to go to prison as long as there was appropriate medical care. A federal court rejected Groenings appeal in November.

The 96-year-old's lawyer had argued Groening was too frail to go to prison. He submitted a request for clemency in early March.

It was unclear when Groening would have begun his prison sentence.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.At least 50 people were killed when a Bangladeshi passenger plane crashed and burst into flames Monday as it landed at Kathmandu airport in Nepal, a police official said.

Brig. Gen. Gokul Bhandari, the Nepal army spokesman, confirmed 50 people died when the plane, operated by Bangladeshi airline US-Bangla, swerved off the runway as it was landing in Nepals capital around 2:20 p.m. local time. It was unclear how many people remained injured because of the chaos that followed after the deadly crash.

There were 67 passengers and four crew members on board, officials said. Of the 67 passengers, 32 were from Bangladesh, 33 were from Nepal, one was from China and another was from the Maldives. Its unclear what the four crewmembers nationalities where.

"It was flying so low I thought it was going to run into the mountains," Amanda Summers, an American who works in Nepal, told The Associated Press after watching the crash. "All of a sudden there was a blast and then another blast.

Summers said it was unclear if the plane had reached the runway.

"I have no other details," said an employee, who works at the US-Bangla offices. "But a bad incident has happened."

Dozens of firefighters and rescue workers responded to the site of the wreck, where scraps of the burned aircraft remained. Firefighters were able to put out the flames within minutes, however, dark smoke was seen billowing from the sky above the airport.

Flights out of the airport were canceled after the incident.

The Nepal incident comes just hours after a Turkish business jet crashed into a mountain in Iran on Sunday, killing all 13 aboard.

US-Bangla Airlines operates Boeing 737-800 and smaller Bombardier Dash 8 Q-400 planes.

The airline, part of US-Bangla Group, is based in the Bangladeshi capital, Dhaka, and flies to several domestic and international destinations. The parent company is involved in a number of industries, including real estate, education and agriculture.

Kathmandu's airport has been the site of several deadly crashes. In September 2012, a Sita Air turboprop plane carrying trekkers to Mount Everest hit a bird and crashed shortly after takeoff, killing all 19 on board.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.Russia's President Vladimir Putin said in a new film he ordered  but later pulled back  the shooting down of a passenger plane in 2014 after officials believed a man with a bomb was targeting the Winter Olympic Games in Sochi.

In the two-hour film called Putin, the Russian president said he was advised on February 7, 2014, that a plane carrying passengers from Ukraine to Turkey had been hijacked  just as the 2014 Winter Olympics Games were to be opened.

I was told: A plane en route from Ukraine to Istanbul was seized, captors demand landing in Sochi, Putin said in the film, Reuters reported.

There were 110 passengers aboard. There were reportedly 40,000 in attendance at the Opening Ceremonies.

Security officials believed the plane was taken over by a man with a bomb and changed its course to Sochi.

Putin ordered that the plane be downed as part of the emergency plan.

I told them: Act according to the plan, Putin told reporter Andrey Kondrashov, a top state TV presenter and Putin's current press secretary.

But the terrorist scare turned out to be a false alarm and the Russian leader called off the order. The passenger who caused the panic was drunk and the plane was still on its way to Turkey.

Dmitry Peskov, the Kremlin spokesman, reportedly confirmed Mr Putin's account.

Putin was also asked during the interview whether there were any conditions under which the Russian government would give back Crimea to Ukraine.

What are you talking about? Such circumstances do not exist and never will, Putin said, according to Russia's Tass news agency.

Crimea, a territory that formally belonged to Ukraine was annexed by Russia in 2014 following Russian meddling and a disputed referendum.

The film was released just a week before the presidential elections on March 18 that Putin is expected to win.

Putin faces multiple challengers, but none of them are expected to seriously challenge the incumbent. Alexei Navalny, a prominent leader of opposition, has been barred from standing in the election.Canadian right-wing journalist and activist Lauren Southern was barred from entering the United Kingdom on Monday, purportedly over a poster she distributed about Islam in February -- making her the latest international right-wing figure to be denied entry to the U.K. after criticizing the religion.

The U.K. Home Office confirmed to Fox News that Southern was refused entry to the U.K. at the border in Calais, France on the grounds that her entry was not conducive to the public good.

Border Force has the power to refuse entry to an individual if it is considered that his or her presence in the UK is not conducive to the public good, a Home Office spokesman said in a statement. The spokesman did not offer specifics as to why her entry was refused.

Southern, speaking to Fox News from France, said that she was to visit friends in the U.K., including Tommy Robinson -- the controversial founder of the right-wing English Defense League who is also known for his fiery criticism of Islam.

Southern said she was detained for six hours at the Calais border port, had her phone taken from her as she was held in a detention center and questioned for four hours in a line of interrogation she described as bizarre.

They asked me if Im a Christian extremist, asked me how I feel about running over people with cars, she told Fox News. "They asked me about Tommy Robinson, asked how I would describe myself politically, asked me how I would describe nationalism.

Southern said a notice of refusal of entry she was given cited a prior distribution of racist materials in February in Luton, which the document said represents a threat to the fundamental interests of society and to the public policy of the United Kingdom.

Both Southern and Robinson told Fox News that the material being referred to was a social experiment in which they passed around a fake LGBT for Islam UK poster that said: Allah is Gay, Allah is Trans, Allah is Lesbian, Allah is Intersex, Allah is Feminist, Allah is Queer, Allah is All of Us.

The experiment in Luton, which has a significant Islamic population, was in response to a Vice article that asked whether Jesus was gay, and was conducted to show what the Islamic reaction would be if a similar claim was made about Allah. Robinson said they were forced to take the posters down by police and told it was for their own safety. Both Robinson and Southern denied that the materials were racist, arguing that criticizing a religion is not a racist act.

Both Southern and Robinson are no strangers to controversy, particularly on the question of Islam. Robinson recently upset former CNN host Piers Morgan by brandishing a Koran and claiming it cites "murder and violence against us" in an appearance on "Good Morning Britain."

"Put that book down and show some damn respect for peoples' religious beliefs," Morgan said.

Meanwhile, the left-wing Southern Poverty Law Center slammed Southerns anti-feminist, xenophobic, Islamophobic diatribes [that] tiptoe at the precipice of outright white nationalism" and branded her the "alt-right's Canadian dog whistle."

Her latest book Barbarians: How the Baby Boomers, Immigration, and Islam Screwed My Generation includes a recommendation from U.S. commentator Ann Coulter: Buy this book before liberals ban it.

But Southern told Fox that her treatment at the U.K. border indicates that something new may be afoot.

It seems it could be marking the end of conservative speech in the U.K. or the beginning of an era of serious censorship, Southern said.

Southerns ban comes days after right-wing activists Martin Sellner and Brittany Pettibone, of the group Generation Identity, were refused entry to the U.K. when they landed at Luton Airport on Friday. According to the Home Office, they were both detained and eventually removed on Sunday after being judged that their presence was also not conducive to the public good.

The move by the U.K. government is likely to fuel long-standing claims from right-wing commentators (as well as some on the left) that Islam is given unique protection from criticism by European leaders -- who have also struggled to grapple with a wave of Islamic extremism coming in part from mass migration.

Fascinating that the U.K. Border Force allows so many illegals to slip through the cracks, but its suddenly the most competent Border Force in the world when it comes to banning two female conservative independent journalists and an Identitarian activist, Pettibone said on Twitter after her release.

The three young activists are not the first to be denied entry to the U.K. after criticizing Islam. U.S. radio talk show host Michael Savage and blogger Pamela Geller, both of whom have been outspoken in their criticisms of Islamic extremism, have also been banned from entering the UK.

President Donald Trump also has faced calls to refuse him entry to the U.K., with a number of politicians calling for Prime Minister Theresa May to cancel a planned state visit over his views and policies on immigration and Islam in particular.

After Trump canceled a February visit to the U.K., London Mayor Sadiq Khan said Trump had got the message and that Trump was not welcome here while he is pursuing such a divisive agenda.The U.S. national security adviser says President Donald Trump is optimistic about the opportunity for a diplomatic solution in North Korea  but will keep up maximum pressure until there is "real progress" toward denuclearization of the Korean peninsula.

H.R. McMaster told reporters after briefing the U.N. Security Council on Monday that members also agreed on pursuing diplomacy and maintaining maximum pressure until Kim Jong Un's words are "matched with deeds."

He said Trump approved the maximum pressure strategy about a year ago and wanted him to thank council members "for their unity and resolve" in adopting tough sanctions against North Korea.

McMaster said "it has us now to a point where we may be able to pursue a diplomatic solution to the complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula."The Trump administration has ramped up its ire against California by filing a lawsuit against three different California laws that aims to protect immigrants from the harsh effects of federal enforcement. The three laws are the Immigrant Worker Protection Act, which regulates the way private employers can respond to federal efforts to investigate workplace immigration law compliance; the California Values Act, which limits communication from state and local law enforcement with federal immigration officials and prevents them from investigating people for immigration enforcement purposes; and A.B. 103, which subjects local detention facilities to twice-yearly inspections by the Attorney Generals office.

The lawsuit, United States of America v. California, claims that the California laws render it impossible for the federal government to deport people not born in the United States who live in California. It alleges that California has obstructed the United States ability to enforce laws that Congress has created, and that the California protections violate the constitutional principle that federal immigration law is the supreme law of the land. All three laws were signed during the Trump administration. Governor Brown signed the Immigration Worker Protection Act and the California Values Act in October 2017, and A.B. 103 in June 2017.The lawsuit, which also names Governor Brown and AG Becerra as defendant, calls for a declaration that the provisions are invalid, as well as preliminary and permanent injunctions. Under the preemption doctrine, when a state law obstructs or conflicts with federal law, the state law is invalidated.

Remarkably the Trump administration has relied on Arizona v. United States, a 2012 Supreme Court decision that held that Arizona had overstepped its limits by enacting immigration laws that penalized non-citizens that undermined federal immigration law. When the Obama administration launched this lawsuit against Arizona, it was criticized by Republicans as undermining state rights, and it is thus ironic that the Trump administration is relying on Arizona v. United States to attack the laws of California that are the opposite of Arizonas, which are friendly towards immigrants.

While advocates in favor of more friendly immigration laws, including yours truly, cheered when the Supreme Court found most of Arizonas laws preempted by federal immigration law, this is not a case of double standards when the same advocates are critical of the Trump administrations latest lawsuit against California. Arizonas SB 1070 truly conflicted with federal immigration law, according to the Supreme Court, and were contrary to the federal immigration scheme that was enacted by Congress. Those laws literally usurped federal immigration law. For instance, Section 3 of SB 1070 penalized non-citizens for failure to carry registration documents even though there was a similar comprehensive federal requirement to carry registration documents. Section 5(c) criminalized unauthorized immigrants who applied for work. The federal scheme criminalized only employers, but not the individual for unauthorized work, and thus 5(c) stood as an obstacle to the objectives of Congress. Section 6 allowed Arizona police officers to make warrantless arrests based on probable cause that a non-citizen was removable from the United States. This too was preempted because under the federal scheme being removable is not a criminal offense. Still, Arizona was a mixed decision. Section 2(B), the most controversial provision of SB 1070 known as the show me your papers law, was upheld. The Supreme Court held that 2(B) was not creating a new state immigration law unlike the other provisions that were found unconstitutional; it only allowed Arizona police officers to determine if someone was unlawfully present by inquiring about persons status with DHS, and such communication and exchange of information had not been foreclosed by Congress.

Would Californias laws, even if friendly towards immigrants, be preempted under Arizona v. US? The fact that a state may pass an immigrant friendly law rather than a punitive law is not determinative in analyzing whether the law has been preempted if those laws still pose an obstacle to the enforcement of federal law or are in conflict with it.

Under the doctrine of preemption, which is based on the Supremacy Clause in the US Constitution, federal law preempts state law, even when the laws conflict. Thus, a federal court may require a state to stop certain behavior it believes interferes with, or is in conflict with, federal law. Notwithstanding the sweeping Constitutional mandate in favor federal laws being the supreme law of the country, states too possess sovereignty concurrent with the federal government. Therefore, the Intent of Congress is the key. When there is an express preemption provision in a federal statute, courts will identify the domain expressly preempted by that language.

When there is no express provision in a federal statute, a state law can also be impliedly preempted under field preemption or conflict preemption. Under field preemption, it must be demonstrated that the federal government has fully occupied the field it has chosen to regulate. In the case of conflict preemption, if there is a conflict between the state law and the federal law, it must be demonstrated that compliance with both federal and state law is a physical impossibility or that the state law stands as an obstacle to the purposes of Congress.

Relying on Arizona v. United States, the complaint in United States v. California claims that the United States has broad authority to establish immigration laws, the execution of which states cannot obstruct or discriminate against. The complaint further asserts that Congress has created laws that provide broad authority to the federal government to investigate, arrest, detain and remove non-citizens suspected to being or found to be unlawfully in the US. The complaint also states that consultation between the federal and state governments is an important feature of the immigration system, and thus a state may not prohibit its official from providing information to the DHS regarding the citizenship or immigration status of an individual. Finally, the complaint notes that Congress has enacted a comprehensive framework for combatting the employment of illegal aliens, and can penalize employers for not verifying the employment status of employees or for knowingly hiring unauthorized workers.

Although California will make extensive arguments in defending its laws, some preliminary observations can be made. The California laws have been enacted to protect the constitutional and civil rights of all people living in the state of California. While the federal government is authorized to enforce the immigration laws, there have been many instances of egregious abuses by ICE agents that violate the rights of California residents. California is not interfering in the enforcement federal immigration laws or usurping them like Arizona did, but is providing a constitutional baseline for federal agents when enforcing federal law. A state can pass laws with the objective of protecting its residents. Thus, in De Canas v. Bica, the Supreme Court held that a state law regulating non-citizens is not per se preempted as a regulation of federal immigration law, which is essentially a determination of who should or not be admitted in the country. States possess broad police powers to regulate the employment relationship and to protect workers within the state. Even if the California laws mildly frustrate federal authority, they only ensure that the civil rights of California residents subjected to heavy handed enforcement are protected. According to its website, the Civil Rights Enforcement Section in the California Attorney Generals office is committed to the strong and vigorous enforcement of federal and state civil rights laws. Thus, the California laws have been enacted to protect a legitimate state interest  the constitutional and civil rights of its residents  rather than to oust the federal government from enforcing immigration laws. Federal ICE agents are still free to enter California to enforce the immigration law in order to apprehend, detain and deport non-citizens who are not lawfully in the US.

The California Values Act prohibits state and local officials from providing information regarding a persons release, unless there is a judicial warrant or a judicial probable cause determination or the individual has been convicted of certain felonies or other serious crimes. It is well within the constitutional rights of a state to refuse to provide such information. Pursuant to Printz v. United States, 521 U.S. 898 (1997), the federal government cannot commandeer states to enact or administer a federal regulatory program under the Tenth Amendment. In that case, sheriffs challenged the federal Brady Act, which required local sheriffs to conduct background checks for gun purchasers. Some sheriffs resisted because they objected to the federal regulation of firearms. Justice Antonin Scalia, writing for the majority, held that the sheriffs, as well as states, cannot be commandeered under federal law enforcement schemes with which they disagreed. Moreover, the underpinning behind the California Values Act is to keep communities safe by ensuring that local police can function effectively within the community by not betraying the trust of immigrants who may cooperate as crime victims. If local police were required to provide information regarding non-citizens, they would not be able combat crimes effectively.

The Immigrant Worker Protection Act prevents employers from voluntarily consenting to an immigration enforcement agent form entering the workplace or providing access to the employers records, unless the agent has a judicial warrant or consent is otherwise required by federal law. The law also requires employers to notify employees within 72 hours off receiving a notice of inspection. While the Trump administration argues that preventing an employer from voluntarily consenting to an agent from entering the workplace or providing records undermines the ability of enforcement agents from enforcing the employer sanctions provisions under the Immigration and Nationality Act, what the California law does is to again set a baseline that would protect the constitutional and civil rights of California workers. The law does not prevent the federal government from enforcing federal law, it only insists that agents obtain a judicial warrant and workers be provided notice. It is well settled that ICE needs a judicial warrant under the Fourth Amendment in order to enter a private place without consent. Although the Immigrant Worker Protection Act precludes an employer from providing voluntary consent, which may be viewed as interfering with the federal scheme, a judicial warrant could still be justified as the workers may not have consented to a federal agent entering the work place even if the employer may have.

Similarly, Californias AB 103 requiring state officials to review county, local or private locked detention facilities in which noncitizens are being detained is to ensure that the detention facilities meet the constitutional standards. There have been far too many cases of non-citizens being detained for purposes of civil proceedings being abused and mistreated. Again, AB 103s motivation is not to prevent the detention of non-citizens but to ensure that their detention meets minimum constitutional standards.

Although Attorney General Sessions on behalf of the Trump administration believes that Californias laws ought to be preempted based on Arizona v. United States, they are essentially civil rights laws. A state may enact laws ensuring the civil rights of its residents, including non-citizens, whether legal or not. Civil rights flow from the US Constitution, as well as Californias Constitution, and they ought not to be preempted, especially in light of egregious abuses by ICE agents in enforcing federal immigration law. Ensuring civil rights to all is a bedrock American principle. Some believe that California may have gone too far, but it can be legitimately argued that a state law upholding civil rights should never be in conflict with a federal law or be an obstacle to federal immigration law enforcement. Civil rights must be adhered to by all government officials, including federal immigration authorities. The preemption doctrine cannot be invoked by federal authorities as an excuse for violating civil rights.BEAVERTON, Ore. - A Vigil Service and Mass of Christian Burial will be held on March 14 and 15 for Sister Sharon Kirk, SSMO, who died on March 11 at the Sisters of St. Mary of Oregon Motherhouse in Beaverton.

The Vigil Service will take place on Wednesday, March 14, at 7:00 p.m. in the Sisters of St. Mary of Oregon Motherhouse Chapel. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held on Thursday, March 15, at 4:00 p.m. in the SSMO Motherhouse Chapel. Interment will take place on Friday, March 16, at 9:00 a.m. The Sisters of St. Mary of Oregon Motherhouse is located on Murray Blvd. between TV Highway and Farmington Road in Beaverton, Oregon.

Memorial offerings may be directed to the Sisters of St. Mary of Oregon Retirement Fund.

The life and ministry of Sister Sharon Kirk

Sister Sharon (aka Sr. Shannon) Kirk was born on June 16, 1938, in Newberg, Oregon, to Lester and Loretta Kirk. Her elementary and secondary education through grade 11 took place in St. Paul, Oregon. Sr. Sharon graduated from St. Mary of the Valley High School (now Valley Catholic) in 1956. She continued her education at Marylhurst (BS in Elementary Education in 1962), Portland State University (MST in Education in 1975), and the University of San Francisco (MA in Administration in 1983).

Sister Sharon was received as a novice by the Sisters of St. Mary of Oregon on August 15, 1957, and became known as Sr. Mary Shannon. She made her perpetual profession in 1962. She taught and served as principal in various Oregon and Washington elementary schools throughout her 61 years of religious life: St. Peter in Spokane; St. Cecilia in Beaverton; Holy Trinity in Beaverton (where she served on the staff that opened the school in 1963); St. Mary of the Valley in Beaverton; St. Mary in Stayton; Sacred Heart in Tillamook; St. Matthew in Hillsboro; St. Pius X in Portland; St. Luke in Woodburn; and St. Agatha in Portland.

While serving as principal at St. Luke School in Woodburn, Sr. Sharon participated in a faculty-student volleyball game which altered the course of the rest of her life. SSMO Superior General Sister Charlene Herinckx said, "A serious hip injury that did not mend well was a cross she has bravely carried since 1992. However, a smile was never far from her lips while laughter and a quick wit never left her."

From 1995-2000, Sr. Sharon's compassionate heart shone brightly at WIAR (Women Intercommunity AIDS Resource). From 1996-2000, Sr. Sharon served as the SSMO Motherhouse Administrator. Following that, she served in the CYO office for a year before assisting in the education department at the University of Portland for a year. In 2002, Sr. Sharon returned to the Motherhouse where she helped with daily chores for as long as she was able.

Sister Sharon Kirk is survived by her Sisters in the SSMO Community; her brothers, Dick, Mike (Gloria), Butch, and Joe (Debbie); as well as many nieces, nephews, great-nieces, great-nephews, and friends. She was preceded in death by her parents and her brothers, Philip and Ron.Free Freightnet Membership

List your company in the Freightnet directory. It's Free, it's Easy and your company can be displayed in front of potential freight buyers within 24 hours.The battle for minds: Britain expands project on mental health in terrorism



NOVEMBER 7, 2017 / 5:35 AM

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-britain-security-mentalhealth/the-battle-for-minds-britain-expands-project-on-mental-health-in-terrorism-idUSKBN1D7186

LONDON (Reuters) - A project looking at links between mental health and terrorism in three English cities has been expanded nationwide after it found a significant number of people referred to counter-radicalization programs suffer some form of mental illness.

FILE PHOTO: Police officers and forensics investigators and police officers work on Westminster Bridge the morning after an attack by a man driving a car and weilding a knife left five people dead and dozens injured, in London, Britain, March 23, 2017. REUTERS/Darren Staples/File Photo

Studies have suggested the prevalence of mental health issues among militants working together on major strikes is very low but a string of killings by so-called lone wolves has fueled concerns mental illness could be a factor behind some attacks.

Authorities say some of those involved in four attacks in Britain this year blamed on Islamist militants appeared to people who had self-radicalized via the internet and whose mental state had been questioned.

To look more closely at the issue, British police launched pilot programs in April last year in Englands three biggest urban areas - London, Birmingham and Manchester - to embed mental health experts with counter-terrorism officers.

The aim was to give psychiatrists the chance to identify people referred to Britains counter-radicalization program Prevent who had mental health issues, and treat them.

Anecdotally, I am surprised that there appears to be a much higher prevalence of people with mental health problems than you would expect, said Professor Jennifer Shaw, the mental health lead for Greater Manchester Police, referring to the people her team had dealt with since the pilot was launched.

The hubs are considered so successful by the government they have been expanded nationwide, Shaw, professor of forensic psychiatry at the University of Manchester, told Reuters.

But such is the secrecy around the work of Prevent and Channel - a de-radicalization program within the overall project - there are few details about its successes or failings and Shaws work has not previously been discussed in the media.

Some psychiatrists argue that no scientific link between mental health issues and terrorist attacks has yet been established and they worry the programs risk stigmatizing people suffering from mental illnesses.

Another psychiatrist gathering data under the pilot programs told Reuters that Britains Office for Security and Counter-Terrorism had told them not to disclose any details of their findings ahead of a final report.

Those findings are expected to be among a raft of data about people referred to Prevent due to be released this week.

Britains interior ministry did not respond to requests for comment.

WE WANT THE FACTS

Dr Adrian James, registrar at Britains Royal College of Psychiatrists (RCP), said the link between mental health problems and terrorist acts had not been established.

He said a lack of evidence, partly because militant attacks were so rare, was at the heart of the problem, adding that an unnecessary level of secrecy about Prevent also meant many psychiatrists viewed the program with suspicion.

If it is true that there is a link, we need to know and then need to look at the causes of that and what we can do about them, James told Reuters. We just want the facts.

Past studies have disagreed about the significance of mental health issues among lone wolf attackers, with some academics concluding that such illnesses are blamed to try to explain often complex reasons for attacks.

British police decided to launch the pilot programs because they believed that roughly half the 7,500 people referred to Prevent each year had a broad range of mental health and psychological difficulties.

Those working on the pilot projects hope the information being gathered will now help experts assess any possible links between mental health issues and attacks.

Shaw said determining who might be a potential attacker from mental health problems alone was not really feasible and fraught with problems, but she said it might be possible to ascertain the characteristics of people most likely to be at risk and ensure they got appropriate help.

That doesnt mean you cant manage the risks. Trying to nip it in the bud, thats all you can do. But thats good if you can achieve that, its going a long way, said Shaw.

FILE PHOTO: Onlookers view floral tributes on the wall surrounding the Houses of Parliament, following the attack in Westminster earlier in the week, in central London, Britain March 25, 2017. REUTERS/Paul Hackett/File Photo

Police officers say they have struggled in the past to reach medical practitioners when they had concerns about some people and Shaw said the pilot was designed to address those worries.

According to one of Shaws case studies, a man went to a hospital saying he monitored Islamic State websites, had been walking around the city center working out how many people he could kill in a gun attack, and wanted to behead his mother.

Shaws team discovered the man had no contact with mental health services and no diagnosis of any illness. An urgent assessment concluded his anger stemmed from experiences in his childhood and safeguarding measures were put in place.

TERRORIST METHODOLOGY

British police have no doubts about the importance of the work, especially given the global shift from carefully planned spectacular attacks by militant networks to unsophisticated, strikes by individuals using cars and knives as weapons.

Mark Rowley, Britains most senior counter-terrorism officer, told the British Medical Journal in April that a disproportionate number of suspects in 13 attacks foiled by British police since 2013 had mental health issues.

If part of the terrorist methodology is to prey on the vulnerable ... then it stands to reason that there will be people with certain mental health conditions who will be ... susceptible to that, he said.

FILE PHOTO: Tributes are seen in Westminster, following the attack in Westminster earlier in the week, in London, Britain March 25, 2017. REUTERS/Paul Hackett/File Photo

Radicalizing and inciting someone who is vulnerable to go and carry out some ghastly attack seems to be part of their tactics, and that has brought in a whole load of vulnerability issues, including mental health, that we now have to wrestle with, said Rowley.

A study by University College Londons (UCL) Department of Security and Crime Science looked at 55 attacks involving 76 individuals between May 2014 and September 2016 where reports had shown the perpetrators may have been influenced by IS.

The study found 34 percent of those involved in attacks inspired by Islamic State - rather than actually directed by the militant group - had mental health issues.

Health experts estimate about one in four people will suffer some form of mental health issue and those with mental illnesses are generally less likely to commit violent crimes than the overall population.

STIGMATIZATION CONCERNS

Shaw said those with mental health issues and developmental disorders referred to her team at Prevent were more likely to be suffering from psychosis and autism, adding that people with serious mental illnesses often had tiny social networks.

They can therefore, when unwell, be influenced by messages that go out that say come and belong to our group. It can be quite compelling. The same for people with autism. The internet kind of way of getting the message out makes those people, particularly vulnerable. So I think thats a big issue.

Psychiatrists worry that all people with mental health issues could be stigmatized and considered potential militants, possibly deterring them from seeking help.

Prevent, one of the four strands of Britains counter-terrorism strategy known as Contest launched in 2003, has also been dogged by claims it is used to spy on Muslim communities.

A government edict in 2015 instructing public bodies such as schools, health workers and universities to raise any concerns they have about individuals with the authorities has exacerbated those concerns.

Shaw acknowledged more work was needed on the outcomes of their mental health interventions under the Prevent pilot programs to determine what made a difference.

Asked if people her team had treated might have committed violent acts if their conditions had not been addressed, she said: That is the obvious question. You cant say that in any kind of scientific way.

Were attempting to try and get at that. Is it completely to do with their mental illness, half to do with it, or not at all? said Shaw.

We have had cases where people have had ideologies, they have also had a mental health problem, and they are not linked at all. The last thing we need is all these bombers are nutters. We dont want that going on.A charity run held in memory of a young farmer attracted 175 tractors and raised thousands of pounds for an air ambulance service.

The Knaresborough Young Farmers Club (YFC) tractor run took place on Sunday (11 March)

Was wonderful to see the Charity Tractor Run organised by Knaresborough @YorkshireYFC coming through #PateleyBridge & @nidderdaleshow ground. Over 170 tractors helping raise money for @YorkshireAirAmb pic.twitter.com/o4D7edQh83  Pateley & Nidderdale (@nidderdaleuk) March 11, 2018

The event was held in memory of Michael Spink, a 24-year-old dairy farmer and Knaresborough YFC member, who was killed after being hit by a car in January 2017 during a spell working in New Zealand.

See also: Dairy farmers donate TV money after vegan death threats

Tractors assembled at York Place car park in Knaresborough, North Yorkshire, at about 8am.

The tractor run got under way at about 9am and passed through the villages of Burton Leonard, Markington, Bishop Thornton, Warsill, Smelthouses and Wilsill.

Hundreds of well-wishers lined the streets to support the farmers along the route. The tractor drivers arrived at the Nidderdale Showground in Pateley Bridge between 12-12.30pm.

Knaresborough YFCs Annual Tractor Run 2018 pic.twitter.com/ctcCUOYKoT  Harrogate Informer (@Harrogate_News) March 11, 2018

James Parker, a precision agriculture engineer and Knaresborough YFC member, said: Mike was a really good mate. We all miss him massively.

He had a really dry, witty sense of humour. He would sit back, take everything in and come out with some amazing one-liners.

Mike was a member of Knaresborough YFC since he was 10. Many years ago, we did some little tractor runs.

He was very interested in organising those, so as a tribute to him, we put a big tractor run on last year. This year it has got even bigger.

Mr Parker thanked the 12 local businesses that each sponsored a page in the programme, members of the Harrogate and District Farmers Clubs who cooked food for the day, and members of the public for their tremendous support.

Last years inaugural event attracted 122 tractors and raised more than 8,000 for Yorkshire Air Ambulance.

Organisers say they are hopeful this years event will have raised more than 10,000 for the same charity. Next years event will take place on Sunday, 10 March.

* To make a donation, contact organisers James Parker on 07712 704411, Tim Weatherhead (club treasurer) on 07776 301585 or Steven Brown (club Chairman) on 07920 884575.Farmers in Wales are being urged to take part in a government survey of badgers found dead to help tackle bovine TB.

The Welsh government aims to use the survey to build an accurate picture of the disease in wildlife, including where diseased wildlife are playing a part in its transmission, and where wildlife are healthy and therefore not implicated in cattle herd breakdowns.

NFU Cymru has strongly encouraged its members and the public to participate in the project, and said surveillance is essential.

See also: Farm minister explains purpose of bovine TB review

In a joint statement, Wyn Evans, NFU Cymru livestock board chairman, and Gareth Richards, NFU Cymru milk board chairman, said: Surveillance is essential in any disease control programme and bovine TB is no different. The disease continues to cause heartache for farming families across Wales.

Those who find a badger carcass should report its location by calling 08081 695 110. Ideally, a six-figure grid reference is required.

Alternatively, a road name or number can be phoned in, stating which side of the road the dead badger is on and any significant nearby landmarks.

Testing for TB

The Wales Veterinary Science Centre in Aberystwyth has been commissioned by Welsh government to test for TB in badgers.

For a badger to be suitable for testing, it needs to be intact, not distended with gas, not flattened and not covered in maggots or flies.

During a Cheshire study in 2014 at least 20% of roadkill badgers tested positive for TB.

The results suggested the county, supposedly on the edge of infection, could have a higher level of disease prevalent than originally thought.

Last month, Defra reported the number of TB-infected cattle slaughtered in Britain between November 2016 and 2017 reached 43,590, up nearly 10% from the previous year.The lives of women from former times often go unrecognised. But here at the British Library we hold a number of ancient private letters, written in Greek on papyri, that preserve glimpses of everyday life from a world long disappeared. For International Womens Day, we are taking a closer look at some of these stories, which contain the intimate voices of ancient women who would otherwise be unknown.

A girl serving drinks at a table, from an illustrated copy of The Life of Secundus, the Silent Philosopher: Egypt, 6th century (Papyrus 113 (15c))

One of the earliest British Library papyri to preserve a woman's voice is a petition from 235 BCE. A mother, Haynchis, wrote to an official, asking for assistance in a dispute involving her daughter. Although probably not written by her, but dictated to a professional scribe, the voice resonating from this document is still vivid.

Demetrios the vine dresser deceived my daughter and took her away and keeps her hidden saying that he is going to live with her without me. She was managing my store and supported me, since I am old. But he has a wife and children so he cannot live with a woman he deceived. Please help me, an old woman, to return my daughter back to me.

Haynchiss letter to Zenon to return her daughter to her: Philadelphia, Egypt, 253 BCE (Papyrus 2660)

Possibly the earliest female hand in the collection is preserved in a letter dated 168 BCE. Isias wrote to her husband, who had been away from his family on temple service, and for some reason had failed to return home.

You have not even thought about coming home, disregarding that I was in need with your child going through hard times and every extremity  I am ill-pleased and so is your mother, so please both for her sake and for ours, return to the city if nothing more pressing holds you back.

Isiass letter to her husband Hephaistion: Memphis, Egypt, 168 BCE (Papyrus 42)

At the very end of the letter, which she probably dictated to a professional scribe, Isias added in her own shaky hand: Farewell.





Isiass hand-written farewell () to her husband from her letter to Hephaistion (Papyrus 42)

One mother from around 250 CE was particularly concerned about her daughter breastfeeding her new-born, so she wrote to her son-in-law to express her views.

I hear that you are compelling my daughter to nurse. If she wants, let the infant have a nurse, for I do not permit my daughter to nurse the baby.

Unfortunately, the beginning of the papyrus is lost, but the mother's strong-willed character still emerges in the surviving lines.

Letter of a woman to her son-in-law: Egypt, second half of 3rd century (Papyrus 951 verso)

Another mother from around 150 CE addressed her henpecked son:

I know your quick temper but it is your wife who inflames you when she says all the time that I do not give you anything. When you came, I gave you a little money  but this month I could not find anything. In the margin she added one final reproach: Nobody can love you, for she shapes you to her own will.

No one can love you, for she shapes you at her own will Mothers reproach from the margin of her letter to her son Copres: Arsinoe, Egypt, 2nd century CE (Papyrus 1920)

A more formal letter written by a lady called Aureliana (nicknamed Lolliana) in 253 CE preserves a different voice. She wrote to the local authorities to apply for the legal independence granted to women with three children, in accordance with a Roman law issued by Augustus in 18 BCE. Aurelianas words still touch us today:

I enjoy the happy honour of being blessed with three children and as I am a literate woman who can write with a high degree of ease so it is with abundant confidence that I appeal to your highness by this application of mine to be enabled to accomplish without any hindrance whatever business I henceforth transact.





I am a literate woman who can write with a high degree of ease, from Aurelias application letter for independence: Oxyrhynchus, Egypt, 253 CE (Papyrus 2458)

Aurelianas application was preserved with the official archive of her city, and now it is held with other papyri at the British Library, alongside other papyri which preserve the voices of ancient women. If you'd like to find out more about our Greek collections, please visit our dedicated website.

Peter Toth

Follow us on Twitter @BLMedievalCanfield, skipper for the America's Cup conglomerate Stars + Stripes, not only won the highly coveted Crimson Blazer, he also made history as the first five-time winner of the Congressional Cup  the only World Match Racing Tour event on the West Coast.UPDATED

That was quite an eventful week Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos just had. Lets recap:

And then on Sunday, her interview with the 60 Minutes news program on CBS made waves .

The week highlighted how DeVos has attempted to use the bully pulpit and public appearances in general during her first year-plus as education secretary, following her tough confirmation fight in 2017 and federal lawmakers unwillingness to enact her top policy priorities. And DeVos told us last year that negative reactions to her public appearances, such as protests, dont really bother her.

But as we also noted last October, the bully pulpit is no easy perch, as the past week just proved. (We reached out to the U.S. Department of Education for comment, but didnt get a response.)

Keep these things in mind: None of the messages DeVos delivered in the last few days were totally new.



In official announcements approving certain states ESSA plans, shes stressed that the plans comply with the law, but that she hopes states will deliver additional innovation to education to help students. And she made it clear she had no desire to reject plans merely because she found them unimaginative, thereby maintaining her position that the federal government shouldnt pick winners and losers or exert itself on states that way.

Shes consistently criticized the lackluster learning environment for many American students in her roughly 13 months as education secretary. Remember when DeVos criticized a group of teachers as being in receive mode shortly after she was confirmed? A lot of people didnt care for that remark either.



shortly after she was confirmed? A lot of people didnt care for that remark either. And her visit to Stoneman Douglas wasnt the first time she visited a school in the wake of a shooting, although her previous visit under similar circumstances to a California school in 2017 took place under a much less intense spotlight. (A student and a teacher were killed in that school shooting.)



Read on for two very different reactions to her week.

Small and Shrinking Fan Base?

Still, DeVos past week didnt do much to showcase her ability to communicate effectively, said Patrick Riccards, an education communications strategist whos worked for both Democrats and Republicans. He said her speech to the state K-12 chiefs last week was evidence that the Trump administrations general belief in chaos theory has now spilled over into the Education Department.

Its fair to say that she does not subscribe to Dale Carnegies How to Win Friends and Influence People, said Riccards.

He added that in the case of her visit to Stoneman Douglas in particular, her staff should have done a better job preparing her for what students and the media were expecting. When you leave early, its the equivalent of checking your watch, he said. (DeVos left her press conference after making a brief statement and taking a handful of questions.) But Riccards did say she deserved credit for going into tough situations like Stoneman Douglas, where many might take out their suspicions or dislike of the Trump administration on her.

Whats continuing to hurt DeVos, Riccards argued, is that she hasnt been able to deliver many tangible accomplishments to the allies she had before she took over the department.

Although DeVos has pushed to roll back several Obama-era regulations, her attempts to get Congress to enact various school choice initiatives through the budget process has gone over like a Speedo on a hippo.

Her tribe in American education right now is very small, Riccards said. And I think its getting smaller as more people continue to look for what this administration stands for, education-wise.

Deserves a Lot of Credit

But DeVos actually hit a lot of the right notes in her speech to the Council of Chief State School Officers and effectively differentiated her approach from that of the Obama administration, said Andy Smarick, a fellow at the American Enterprise Institute who worked in President George W. Bushs Education Department.

I think she deserves a lot of credit for the strategy behind that speech, Smarick said.

In fact, according to Smarick, her speech to state chiefs was the perfect use of the bully pulpit, because she clearly distinguished her role of approving ESSA plans that comply with the law from her role as an advocate for innovative policies. And after eight years of an Obama administration that never declined a chance to push or cajole states on every education policy issue within reach, those working educators might appreciate the shift in gears, said Smarick.



Its the stark difference between the Obama era and the Trump era, he said.

Thats not to say Smarick thinks it was the perfect speech. He thinks that DeVos should have left out the Beltway narrative that state leaders mostly wait for direction from Washington before acting. Given that they have to handleso many different issues and weigh the interests of governors, state lawmakers, and others, its wrong to believe they wait for a starting gun to go off in D.C. before they get going, he stressed.



If DeVos had more top staffers who were experienced in state education leadership, Smarick offered, they probably would have read that speech in advance and said, Hold on, we need to talk about this differently. (Trumps nominee to be DeVos assistant secretary of elementary and secondary eduation, Frank Brogan, is the former state chief and lieutenant governor in Florida, among other positions. He is still awaiting confirmation.)



GIF from PBS NewsHour footage of Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos press conference after visiting Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla., on March 7.

Cant get enough of U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos? Check out some of our best coverage:The White House plans to unveil a school safety proposal Monday that centers on pushing for Congress to pass existing bipartisan legislation that would provide support for violence prevention and intervention in schools. Versions of the STOP School Violence Act have already been introduced in the House and the Senate.

The Trump adminstration will also form a school safety task force, chaired by U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos, to examine existing successful safety measures in states and districts, and it will support states that choose to arm school staff members. The administration will also review federal privacy laws to determine if there are ways to improve coordination between education, healthcare, and law enforcement sectors. And it will support a so-called Fix NICS bill that would seek to ensure more thorough records in the existing background check system for gun purchases.

The policy proposal will be the White Houses first formal response since 17 people died in a Feb. 14 school shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla. In the time since, President Trump has met with survivors of school violence and victims family members.

Some policies Trump has voiced support for in the weeks since the shooting wont be included in the White House proposal, including comprehensive background checks and raising the age for certain gun purchases to 21.

DeVos visited Stoneman Douglas High School last week.

Weve had to talk about this topic way too much over the years, and theres been a lot of talk but very little action, she told reporters Sunday.

DeVos said the task force would meet with a variety of practitioners, including teachers, and that it may provide some recommendations for policies at the state and district level. A senior administration official could not provide a specific timeline for the groups work, suggesting that a deadline might stifle the deliberative nature of its task.

Beyond a focus on gun laws, discussions after school shootings should also focus on ensuring consistent access to mental health care and effective prevention, DeVos said.

Far too often, the focus has been only on the most contentious fights, the things that have divided people and sent them into their entrenched corners, she said.

Among the items the task force may study, according to an administration official:



Age restrictions for certain firearm purchases

Potential repeal of Obama-era guidance designed to address racial disparities in school discipline (Florida Sen. Marco Rubio has called for the guidance to be reexamined, and civil rights groups have said hes misguided. More on that here .)

(Florida Sen. Marco Rubio has called for the guidance to be reexamined, and civil rights groups have said hes misguided. More on that here .) Rating systems for video games

Character education and connectedness

The effects of press coverage of mass shootings

Improved access to mental health treatment

The effectiveness and appropriateness of psychotropic medication for treatment of troubled youth

STOP School Violence Act

The STOP School Violence Act has been supported in the past by groups like Sandy Hook Promise, an organization founded by parents of children who died in the 2012 shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn. A version of the bill was introduced in the House by Rep. John Rutherford, R-Fla., before the Parkland shooting. Since that shooting, a bipartisan group of senators has introduced a similar bill in the Senate. The House plans to take up the measure this week. Read more about the House STOP legislation here .

Read more about the House bill here.

The bill would reauthorize and amend the 2001-2009 bipartisan Secure Our Schools Act to offer grants to states to implement proven, evidence-based programs and technologies that would help train students and teachers to identify risk signs for violent behavior, fund anonymous systems for reporting threats, improve coordination between schools and law enforcement, and fund risk assessment and intervention programs in schools.

The White House will also call on more states to allow for armed school staff and teachers.

Trump has called schools soft targets and hes called for states to harden them by arming some teachers and school staff members, a proposal that has been broadly panned by educator and school police groups. The White House plan will include support for such training through existing Department of Justice programs, a senior administration official said.

The White House will also call on states to adopt extreme risk protection orders that allow law enforcement to temporarily seize weapons from people deemed a threat. Such a measure was included in a gun and school safety bill Florida Gov. Rick Scott, a Republican, signed into law Friday in his state.

Hours after Scott signed Floridas bill, which did raise the age for all gun purchases to 21, the National Rifle Association challenged that provision in a lawsuit.

Photo: A memorial to victims of a school shooting outside of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. --APWin

Tell us what songs you like and you could win this week's prize!UPDATED

The largest state-run virtual school in the country revealed two major data breaches last week, the latest in a string of cybersecurity incidents affecting the nations students and teachers.

The exact nature of the breaches, which also involved the 34,000-student Leon County, Fla. school system, remain the subject of dispute.

In one of the breaches, the personal information of more than 368,000 students who have taken courses at the Florida Virtual School was left unsecured online for almost two years, exposing them to potential identity theft, the school said.

According to FLVS, unauthorized individuals also obtained data being transferred between FLVS and Floridas Leon County school district, allowing them to collect the Social Security numbers, addresses, phone numbers, spouses names, personal contact information, and emergency contacts of more than 1,800 Leon County teachers.

FLVS takes it obligation to protect the privacy of personal information very seriously and deeply regrets this incident, the school said in a notice posted to its website .

Leon County school officials, however, have taken exception with some details of FLVSs characterization of events. In a press conference Monday , superintendent Rocky Hanna said that hackers got all the data from a single server accidentally left open, and that Florida Virtual School is 100 percent responsible for this theft.

Hanna said that over 50,000 individuals connected to Leon County schools, including both students and teachers, may have been affected.

Investigations into the incidents are still underway. Both FLVS and Leon County initiated forensic cybersecurity reviews last month, after being alerted that hackers were bragging about access to the personal information in an online forum. The parties then alerted state and federal law-enforcement agencies.

Founded in 1997, the Florida Virtual School is a public school district that serves about 6,000 full-time students. Hundreds of thousands of other students in public, private, charter, and home schools take FLVSs online courses part-time.

The breaches were first brought to light by databreaches.net.

There are lessons to be learned here, but they wont be learned if theres any cover-up or attempt to spin what happened, the site reported in an update posted late Monday.

According to a spokesman for FLVS, the compromised student information was stored on a server that was left open, without appropriate password protection. Included were student names, dates of birth, parents contact information, and school-account usernames and passwords.

Cybersecurity is a rising concern for school districts and educational vendors alike. A recent survey by the Consortium for School Networking and the Education Week Research Center, for example, found that school chief technology chiefs continue to underestimate a wide range of threats , from breaches to phishing to ransomware. As a result, schools have also been slow to take the necessary steps to prevent such attacks.

FLVS is offering those who may have been impacted by the breach a year of identity-protection and fraud-monitoring services. There is no evidence that any financial information was stolen, or that anyones personal information has yet been used fraudulently, the school said.

Rather than engaging in a blame game, FLVS has focused on fixing the problem, providing protection to anyone who might have been impacted, and taking action to make sure this never happens again, spokesman Ron Hutcheson said in a statement.

This post has been updated to reflect the dispute between Florida Virtual School and the Leon County school district, including quotes from representatives of both parties and futher reaction from databreaches.net.

See also:

for the latest news on ed-tech policies, practices, and trends.60 Minutes correspondent Lesley Stahl set the tone with her introduction of a segment about the nations top education policymaker.

Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos is a devout Christian grandmother from Michigan who has spent most of her life trying to improve the quality of education for poor kids, Stahl said on Sundays edition of the top-rated CBS News magazine show. So how in the world did she become one of the most hated members of Trump cabinet?

It seems, based on the multiple interview settings (a 60 Minutes hallmark for people profiles) and the time spent with DeVos in schools, that Sundays piece was in the works for a while, but that the Feb. 14 shooting tragedy at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla., gave it a newsier angle.

[The full segment wouldnt embed, but it is available here .]

Stahl said that President Donald Trump would be naming DeVos on Monday to lead a commision on school safety. DeVos told Stahl she had sought the assignment.

The secretary also said that allowing educators to have guns at school should be an option for states and communities to consider.

I hesitate to think of, like, my 1st grade teacher, Mrs. Zorhoff ... I could never imagine her having a gun and being trained in that way, DeVos said. But those who are capable, this is one solution that can and should be considered.

Stahl quickly pivoted the segment to DeVoss advocacy for school choice, challenging the secretarys assertion that massive federal spending on K-12 education had failed to produce results.

You dont acknowledge that things have gotten better, Stahl said, to which DeVos firmly replied, But I dont think they have for too many kids. Weve stagnated.

The segment covered a lot of ground, clearly informed by a years worth of controversies involving DeVos and U.S. Department of Education policies.

Do choice schools perform better than public schools? Stahl asked in narration. Naturally, there are conflicting studies. Its complicated.

Too complicated, evidently, to dive into in this segment. Stahl soon pressed DeVos on whether the public schools in Michigan, where DeVos was active in education policy efforts for years, were getting better. Stahl implied they were not, and DeVos did not seem to effectively defend her efforts.

Stahl said DeVos was the only cabinet secretary protected by a squad of U.S. Marshals because of the threats she has received. (To nitpick, that may be technically true, though some top cabinet secretaries, such as the secretary of state, secretary of defense, and the attorney general, have long had more robust security than other department heads.)

Why have you become, people say, the most hated cabinet secretary? Stahl asked.

Without even challenging the premise, DeVos replied, Im not so sure how exactly that happened, but I think there are a lot of powerful voices aligned against change.

Interestingly, Stahl did not include any of those critical voices, nor any input from supporters of DeVos. The segment also touched on DeVos contentious confirmation hearing (root canal would probably be more pleasant, the secretary said); the withdrawal of policy guidance on transgender student restroom use in schools; and the possible coming withdrawal of Obama-era guidance on racial disparities in school discipline.

On the transgender issue, it might have been nice if Stahl had asked DeVos about reports that she initially fought the withdrawal of the guidance in favor of allowing transgender students to use restrooms conforming with their gender identity, but that she bowed to other Trump administration officials.

Stahl closed with this: Its been an unlikely journey and balancing act for grandmother Betsy DeVos. From her sheltered life in Michigan to her life now as a lightning rod in Washington.

But a few moments before that was a revealing admission from the secretary. Asked by Stahl whether the barrage of criticisms hurt, DeVos said, Sometimes it does. ... I think Im more misunderstood than anything.felicilin at 12-03-2018 12:19 PM (3 years ago) (f)

In a bid to escape a return to Nigeria, a student by the name of Uju Pious Ejikeonye plummeted to his death while attempting a logic-defying jump.

In a bid to escape a return to Nigeria, a student by the name of Uju Pious Ejikeonye plummeted to his death while attempting a logic-defying jump. The student who is said to have been from Imo State, ended his own life after jumping from the 13th floor of his condominium in an alleged bid to escape Malaysian immigration arrest.

According to reports, the incident happened yesterday, at Sri Puri Condominium Kuala Lumpur. The deceased, a student of the City University, Kuala Lumpur, was said to have heard noise from the officers and decided to flee.

He jumped from his building hoping to make a break for it, but instead died due to the fall.

A large volume of Nigerians are departing foor greener pastures and when things dont line up for them they find themselves enmeshed in criminal activity or other petty crimes like overstaying their welcome.

Malaysia has always been rather ruthless in its war on drugs, illegal immigrants and criminals. A report from August of last year puts the number of Nigerians on death row in Malaysia at 81.

As at today, 123 Nigerian students are in various detention centres after being arrested by the Royal Malaysia Police for drug trafficking, the report read.

This is out of a total of 350 foreign students in detention in Malaysia, the report added

A post shared by Instablog9ja (@instablog9ja) on Mar 12, 2018 at 1:10am PDT The student who is said to have been from Imo State, ended his own life after jumping from the 13th floor of his condominium in an alleged bid to escape Malaysian immigration arrest.According to reports, the incident happened yesterday, at Sri Puri Condominium Kuala Lumpur. The deceased, a student of the City University, Kuala Lumpur, was said to have heard noise from the officers and decided to flee.He jumped from his building hoping to make a break for it, but instead died due to the fall.A large volume of Nigerians are departing foor greener pastures and when things dont line up for them they find themselves enmeshed in criminal activity or other petty crimes like overstaying their welcome.Malaysia has always been rather ruthless in its war on drugs, illegal immigrants and criminals. A report from August of last year puts the number of Nigerians on death row in Malaysia at 81.the report added

Post Reply Posted: at 12-03-2018 12:19 PM (3 years ago) | Herofelicilin at 12-03-2018 03:16 PM (3 years ago) (f)

Some Libya returnees in Edo, on Monday, disrupted the town hall meeting organised by the State Task Force on Human Trafficking and Illegal Migration for alleged discrimination in selecting victims participating in the empowerment programme

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the protesting returnees in large numbers stormed the venue of the empowerment programme destroying some items, including the tent, chairs and six ceiling fans.

Some Libya returnees in Edo, on Monday, disrupted the town hall meeting organised by the State Task Force on Human Trafficking and Illegal Migration for alleged discrimination in selecting victims participating in the empowerment programmeThe News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the protesting returnees in large numbers stormed the venue of the empowerment programme destroying some items, including the tent, chairs and six ceiling fans. The protesting returnees accused the task force of alleged discrimination in its selective method of victims participating in the rehabilitation and reintegration programme organised for the victims of human trafficking and illegal migration by the state government.

NAN reports that it took the intervention of the men and officers of the Edo Police Command to calm the protesting returnees.

Jude Ikuenobe, who spoke on behalf of the protesting returnees, told News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that new returnees were being selected ahead of those who had returned much earlier to participate in the programme.

The protesting returnees accused the task force of alleged discrimination in its selective method of victims participating in the rehabilitation and reintegration programme organised for the victims of human trafficking and illegal migration by the state government.NAN reports that it took the intervention of the men and officers of the Edo Police Command to calm the protesting returnees.Jude Ikuenobe, who spoke on behalf of the protesting returnees, told News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that new returnees were being selected ahead of those who had returned much earlier to participate in the programme. Quote They have given some of those that just returned N1 million while those of us that came before them have are yet to get anything from the government.

We know Gov. Godwin Obaseki is trying; but we are sorry to say that members of the task force are busy enjoyment themselves with what is meant to be for us (returnees).

To make things worse, they have resulted to treating us selectively, depending on who you know.

I am aware that even those who have been trained on various aspects of agriculture are yet to get the promised grant and land by the governor.

With this in mind, how then do you rationalize the method of selecting and giving those who only arrived in December N1 million as empowerment, leaving those of us who had returned months back stranded.

While we remain grateful to the governor, however, we want the task force to be upright in its duty by doing the right thing,  he said.

Reacting to the incident, Mr Solomon Okoduwa, Senior Special Assistant (SSA) to the Governor, Human Trafficking and Illegal Migration, who condemned the protest, denied the allegation.

Okoduwa, who said there were civilized ways to ventilate ones disagreement, noted that every of the returnee, already screened, had been listed into various empowerment programmes.

He explained that the empowerment programmes were in phases, noting that those yet to benefit in the ongoing phase, would obviously benefit later.

There is no delay in the empowerment programme; the state government did not envisage the large number of returnees.

And that is why the governor has accepted it as a challenge but requires the support and collaboration of all stakeholders, he said.  he said.Reacting to the incident, Mr Solomon Okoduwa, Senior Special Assistant (SSA) to the Governor, Human Trafficking and Illegal Migration, who condemned the protest, denied the allegation.Okoduwa, who said there were civilized ways to ventilate ones disagreement, noted that every of the returnee, already screened, had been listed into various empowerment programmes.He explained that the empowerment programmes were in phases, noting that those yet to benefit in the ongoing phase, would obviously benefit later.he said.

Post Reply Posted: at 12-03-2018 03:16 PM (3 years ago) | HeroVANCOUVER, British Columbia, March 12, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Anfield Energy Inc. (TSX-V:AEC) (OTCQB:ANLDF) (FRANKFURT:0AD) (Anfield or the Company) is pleased to announce that it has entered into a term sheet with Cotter Corporation (N.S.L.) (Cotter) to acquire the Charlie ISR Uranium Project (the Charlie Project) located in the Pumpkin Buttes Uranium District in Johnson County, Wyoming. The Charlie Project consists of a 720-acre Wyoming State uranium lease which has been in development since 1969 and sits immediately adjacent to two of Uranium Ones producing mines. The transaction will be settled with the issuance of common shares of Anfield to Cotter equal to a 10% ownership interest in Anfield, with Cotter retaining a 20% interest in all yellowcake production from the project. Anfield currently has 22,508,358 shares issued and outstanding. Anfield will have access to the data from the previous exploration activities at the Charlie Project, allowing for rapid preparation of technical reports on the Project.



Anfields CEO, Corey Dias, commented: We are excited to add the Charlie Project to our portfolio of uranium properties. It is a critical component of our strategy to create a robust mine-and-mill production complex in Wyoming. We are now well-positioned for production when market conditions are right. The Charlie Project is one of the most-advanced uranium properties in the United States and Anfield has a resin processing agreement in place with nearby Uranium One to produce up to 500,000 pounds of uranium per year at its existing processing facility. Moreover, in building a significant resource pipeline we are continuing to update and delineate uranium resources at the 24 Wyoming uranium projects acquired from Uranium One in 2016. These projects complement our conventional assets, including the Shootaring Canyon Mill, allowing us to bring projects on stream optimally according to market conditions and potential contracts."

The Charlie Project

Inexco Oil began exploration drilling on the Charlie Project in 1969 and over a two year period completed 215 holes, comprising 91,000 ft. of drilling. A joint venture was formed with Uranerz USA in 1974 and an additional 715 holes were completed, including 57 core holes, totaling 283,906 ft. Cotter acquired the project from Uranerz and proceeded to evaluate it for both conventional open pit and in situ mining methods. Cotter excavated a 200 ft. test pit in 1981 on a small mineralized zone east of the main trend. Falling uranium prices in the 1980s halted further development on the project. In January, 1995 Power Resources Inc. (PRI) completed what it defined as a feasibility study for the project under an agreement with Cotter Corporation for development as an ISR mine. PRI estimated what it defined as total geologic (indicated and inferred) ore reserves for the project. The estimate was based on a data from some 1,252 exploration drill holes using an initial cutoff of 2 feet of 0.02 %eU 3 O 8 . PRI utilized both manual GT contouring and computer-aided geostatistical mineral resource estimation methods to estimate the contained pounds by blocks (42 by 42). PRI then applied economic criteria based on estimated uranium content, by ISR wellfield pattern, which resulted in range of 3.1 to 4.6 million pounds of uranium oxide total geologic ore reserve and a corresponding range of average GT of 1.64 to 2.72. PRI did not state the average thickness or grade. Anfield considers these estimates to be historical in nature and cautions that a qualified person has not done sufficient work to classify the historical estimate as current mineral resources or mineral reserves and Anfield is not treating the historical estimate as current mineral resource or mineral reserves. The term ore reserve disclosed as an historical estimate is not consistent with the requirement of the definition of a mineral reserve per CIM definitions as the economic viability and technical feasibility of the project have not been established by preparation and filing of a preliminary feasibility study or feasibility study.

As part of this study PRI completed, in 1994:

A coring program to assess disequilibrium, porosity, and to provide a composite sample for metallurgical testing;

Mineralogical studies on the core;

Bench scale leach studies;

An assessment of the local hydrology and water rights;

An outline which defined permitting and licensing requirements; and

Estimates of both CAPEX and OPEX for the development of the project as a satellite to PRIs Highland ISR Uranium Mine.

About Anfield

Anfield is a uranium and vanadium development and near-term production company that is committed to becoming a top-tier energy-related fuels supplier by creating value through sustainable, efficient growth in its assets. Anfield is a publicly-traded corporation listed on the TSX-Venture Exchange (AEC-V), the OTCQB Marketplace (ANLDF) and the Frankfurt Stock Exchange (0AD). Anfield is focused on two production centres, as summarized below:

Wyoming  Irigaray ISR Processing Plant (Resin Processing Agreement)

Anfield has also signed a Resin Processing Agreement with Uranium One whereby Anfield would process up to 500,000 pounds per annum of its mined material at Uranium Ones Irigaray processing plant in Wyoming. In addition, the Company can both buy and borrow uranium from Uranium One in order to fulfill some or all of its sales contracts.



Anfields 24 ISR mining projects are located in the Black Hills, Powder River Basin, Great Divide Basin, Laramie Basin, Shirley Basin and Wind River Basin areas in Wyoming. Anfields two projects in Wyoming for which NI 43-101 resource reports have been completed are Red Rim and Clarkson Hill.

Arizona/Utah  Shootaring Canyon Mill

A key asset in Anfields portfolio is the Shootaring Canyon Mill in Garfield County, Utah. The Shootaring Canyon Mill is strategically located within one of the historically most prolific uranium production areas in the United States, and is one of only three licensed uranium mills in the United States.

Anfields conventional uranium assets consist of mining claims and state leases in southeastern Utah and Arizona, targeting areas where past uranium mining or prospecting occurred. Anfields conventional uranium assets include the Velvet-Wood Project, the Frank M Uranium Project, as well as the Findlay Tank breccia pipe. A NI 43-101 Preliminary Economic Assessment has been completed for the Velvet-Wood Project. All conventional uranium assets are situated within a 125-mile radius of the Shootaring Mill.

About Cotter Corporation

Cotter Corporation is a General Atomics (GA) affiliate headquartered in Denver, Colorado. Originally incorporated in 1956 in New Mexico as a uranium production company, Cotter was purchased by and became a wholly owned subsidiary of Commonwealth Edison in 1975. GA acquired Cotter in early 2000. Through its various mining and milling operations, Cotter has produced uranium, vanadium, molybdenum, silver, lead, zinc, copper, selenium, nickel, cobalt, tungsten and limestone.

Douglas L. Beahm, P.E., P.G. has approved the scientific and technical disclosure in the news release. He is a Qualified Person as defined in NI 43-101.

On behalf of the Board of Directors

ANFIELD ENERGY, INC.

Corey Dias, Chief Executive Officer

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.

Contact:

Anfield Energy, Inc.

Clive Mostert

Corporate Communications

780-920-5044

contact@anfieldenergy.com

www.anfieldenergy.com



Safe Harbor Statement

THIS NEWS RELEASE CONTAINS FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS. STATEMENTS IN THIS NEWS RELEASE THAT ARE NOT PURELY HISTORICAL ARE FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS AND INCLUDE ANY STATEMENTS REGARDING BELIEFS, PLANS, EXPECTATIONS OR INTENTIONS REGARDING THE FUTURE.

EXCEPT FOR THE HISTORICAL INFORMATION PRESENTED HEREIN, MATTERS DISCUSSED IN THIS NEWS RELEASE CONTAIN FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS THAT ARE SUBJECT TO CERTAIN RISKS AND UNCERTAINTIES THAT COULD CAUSE ACTUAL RESULTS TO DIFFER MATERIALLY FROM ANY FUTURE RESULTS, PERFORMANCE OR ACHIEVEMENTS EXPRESSED OR IMPLIED BY SUCH STATEMENTS. STATEMENTS THAT ARE NOT HISTORICAL FACTS, INCLUDING STATEMENTS THAT ARE PRECEDED BY, FOLLOWED BY, OR THAT INCLUDE SUCH WORDS AS ESTIMATE, ANTICIPATE, BELIEVE, PLAN OR EXPECT OR SIMILAR STATEMENTS ARE FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS. RISKS AND UNCERTAINTIES FOR THE COMPANY INCLUDE, BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO, THE RISKS ASSOCIATED WITH MINERAL EXPLORATION AND FUNDING AS WELL AS THE RISKS SHOWN IN THE COMPANYS MOST RECENT ANNUAL AND QUARTERLY REPORTS AND FROM TIME-TO-TIME IN OTHER PUBLICLY AVAILABLE INFORMATION REGARDING THE COMPANY. OTHER RISKS INCLUDE RISKS ASSOCIATED WITH SEEKING THE CAPITAL NECESSARY TO COMPLETE THE PROPOSED TRANSACTION, THE REGULATORY APPROVAL PROCESS, COMPETITIVE COMPANIES, FUTURE CAPITAL REQUIREMENTS AND THE COMPANYS ABILITY AND LEVEL OF SUPPORT FOR ITS EXPLORATION AND DEVELOPMENT ACTIVITIES. THERE CAN BE NO ASSURANCE THAT THE COMPANY WILL BE ABLE TO COMPLETE THE PROPOSED TRANSACTION, THAT THE COMPANYS EXPLORATION EFFORTS WILL SUCCEED OR THE COMPANY WILL ULTIMATELY ACHIEVE COMMERCIAL SUCCESS. THESE FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS ARE MADE AS OF THE DATE OF THIS NEWS RELEASE, AND THE COMPANY ASSUMES NO OBLIGATION TO UPDATE THE FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS, OR TO UPDATE THE REASONS WHY ACTUAL RESULTS COULD DIFFER FROM THOSE PROJECTED IN THE FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS. ALTHOUGH THE COMPANY BELIEVES THAT THE BELIEFS, PLANS, EXPECTATIONS AND INTENTIONS CONTAINED IN THIS NEWS RELEASE ARE REASONABLE, THERE CAN BE NO ASSURANCE THOSE BELIEFS, PLANS, EXPECTATIONS OR INTENTIONS WILL PROVE TO BE ACCURATE. INVESTORS SHOULD CONSIDER ALL OF THE INFORMATION SET FORTH HEREIN AND SHOULD ALSO REFER TO THE RISK FACTORS DISCLOSED IN THE COMPANYS PERIODIC REPORTS FILED FROM TIME-TO-TIME.

THIS NEWS RELEASE HAS BEEN PREPARED BY MANAGEMENT OF THE COMPANY WHO TAKES FULL RESPONSIBILITY FOR ITS CONTENTS.UPDATED

From students crying in a counselors office to those who skip school altogether amid rumors of Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids, the fear of deportation is terrifyingly real for immigrant children and their families.

Theres the uncertainty hanging over the Obama-era Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program and the decision by the Trump administration to end temporary legal status for hundreds of thousands of Haitian and Salvadoran immigrants displaced by catastrophic earthquakes in their home countries.

For a story in Education Weeks special report on Teaching Vulnerable Students , we talked to educators in Boston, Los Angeles, and Oakland, Calif., about what theyre doing to support students and help them feel safe . More than 80 percent of educators said they have students who are concerned about immigration enforcement , according to a new national survey from the Civil Rights Project at the University of California, Los Angeles.

Selemawi Mawi Asgedom has traveled the country for years, speaking to students about his life as a refugee. The former English-language learner from Ethiopia has worked with schools in 40 states to address the social and emotional learning needs of ELL students, many of whom are immigrants. He said hes never seen students more fearful.

You have students come up and talk to you, but one of them said something to me that just kind of rocked me to my core. She said, Listen, I love all this stuff, but you got to understand, Im terrified every day that Im going to get deported. And she started crying, and its only when you look the students in the eye, and you see the deep pain, the uncertainty, the terror, and the helplessness that they feel, that sets ... It sinks home for you at that deep level, Asgedom said.

Because at some point, what gets lost in the statistics, the legislation, the big national macro things where were trying to balance the needs of the federal government with the local school districts, is these are people, one at a time, who are affected in really profound ways and who are being rocked in really profound ways.

Asgedom tries to get students to focus on what they can control, and that includes their approach to school.

That student that I saw from Haiti, that was worried about being deported to Haiti ... What I shared with her is, I said to her, Hey, listen. We dont control so many things, right? But lets focus on things we can control, like you control how you show up at school, dont you, whether you work hard and whether you do your best to pay attention in class, and whether you set yourself up to be successful long-term. You control that.

What happens is the mindset of everything is shut off ... it prevents you from seeing the opportunities that are actually there. It prevents you from seeing theres ... a lot of people who want to help you, or want to work with you.

At the Monsenor Oscar Romero Charter School in Los Angeles, the administration brought on full-time social workers to its three campuses to help address an upturn in disciplinary issues sparked by the uncertainty in their students lives.

In Boston, people who want to work with immigrant students include the Unafraid Educators , a committee within the Boston Teachers Union that supports undocumented students. The school district also has established a We Dream Together campaign , which works to make clear the rights that immigrant students have and links families to immigration-support services.

BPS Undocumented Students by corey_c_mitchell on Scribd

Plyler v. Doe, the 1982 U.S. Supreme Court ruling, declared that children are entitled to receive a free public K-12 education in the United States regardless of their immigration status. Beacuse of that, many school districts make a point to not ask questions about immigration status, in part because the threat of exposing the status of a parent or guardian could discourage parental involvement or even keep them from enrolling students in school altogether.

How do we still create a safe space for young people [when] we dont even know who they are? asked Claudia Martinez, a Boston schools counselor who founded the Unafraid Educators group. We came up with ideas around actions and initiatives that we could carry out in our schools and throughout the district that would send a message to undocumented students and to families, that they were cherished, that they were welcome in our schools, and that we were going to do what we could to support them.

Photo Credit: A sign on teacher Nora Paul-Schultzs classroom door announces her support for undocumented students at Bostons John D. OBryant School of Mathematics and Science.

--M. Scott Brauer for Education WeekA Christian teen who was raped and forced to carry the child of a Boko Haram fighter in Nigeria has shared how God redeemed her tragedy to bring about blessing.



Esther, from the West African town of Gwoza in southern Borno State, was among several young women kidnapped by the Islamic extremist group Boko Haram (which translates "non-Islamic education is a sin") in 2015.



The young woman, who was just 17 at the time of her abduction, told persecution watchdog Open Doors USA that life under the terrorist group was full of unspeakable horrors. The terrorists employed diverse tactics to coerce the kidnapped girls to renounce their faith in Christ and swear their allegiance to Allah, the Muslim God.



When enticement with privileges didn't work, the terrorists resorted to violence.



"I cannot count how many men raped me," she told Open Doors. "Every time they came back from their attacks, they would rape us... defile us...Each passing day, I hated myself more and more."



"I felt that God had forsaken me," she continued. "There were times when I was so angry with Him ... Still, I could not get myself to renounce Him. I found myself remembering His promise to never leave me or forsake me."



Eventually, Esther became pregnant at the hands of one of her rapists.



"I had no idea how on earth I would ever be able to love this child," she says, remembering how she felt when she learned she was pregnant.



In November 2016, the Nigerian military rescued Esther and the other kidnapped girls in captivity. Upon returning home, Esther hoped to support and encouragement after her harrowing experience. Instead, she was rejected and shunned by many in her community and labeled a "Boko Haram woman."



"They mocked me because I was pregnant," she says. "Even my grandparents despised me and called me names. I cried many tears. I felt so lonely."



Despite her sorrow, Esther named her daughter Rebecca, who she said gave her "joy and laughter amid sadness."



"What broke my heart, even more, was that they refused to call my daughter Rebecca," she said. "They referred to her only as 'Boko.'"



During this time, Esther connected with Open Doors. Ministry leaders encouraged her to trust God with her future and put her brokenness at the foot of the cross. To physically demonstrate this, the young woman was encouraged to write the burdens of her heart on a piece of paper and then pin that paper to a hand-carved cross in the room.



"When I pinned that piece of paper to the cross, it felt like I was handing over all of my sorrow to God," Esther said. "When the trainer later removed all the pieces of paper from the cross and burnt them to ashes, I felt like my sorrow and shame disappeared, never to come back again."



A year after her return to her village, people still struggled to accept Esther and her daughter - but the young mother said she is now at peace with herself and what happened to her.



"People have noticed a change," she says. "Some of those people who used to mock me now ask me my secret. I tell them, 'I forgave my enemies and now trust God to take vengeance in His time.'"



A 2016 report from International Alert, a peace-building group, and UNICEF found that over 2,000 women and children, both girls and boys, have been abducted by Boko Haram since 2012.



The report, titled "Bad Blood: Perceptions of children born of conflict-related sexual violence and women and girls associated with Boko Haram in northeast Nigeria," notes that while in captivity, many of the women were raped and forced to marry militants.



As military forces reclaimed land captured by the jihadist group, hundreds of women and girls have been released from captivity, said the study. However, the women often face overwhelming rejection and persecution.



"As they return, many face marginalization, discrimination and rejection by family and community members due to social and cultural norms related to sexual violence," the report says.



"There is also growing fear that some of these girls and women were radicalized in captivity. The children who have been born of sexual violence are at an even greater risk of rejection, abandonment and violence."



The report notes that some of the women who have been released are pregnant or have given birth to children whose fathers are Boko Haram fighters. Community members told researchers that the there is widespread fear the children have "bad blood" transmitted from their fathers.



Last week, Boko Haram kidnapped 110 schoolgirls in at a girls' school in the town of Dapachi.



President Muhammadu Buhari, who has declared Boko Haram defeated on a number of occasions since coming to power in 2015, described the situation as a "national disaster."



"I want the families of the girls yet unaccounted for at the Government Girls Technical College, Dapchi to know that no effort will be spared to ensure that all of them are returned safely, and the attackers arrested and made to face justice," Buhari vowed in a message on Twitter.



"The entire country stands as one with the families, and with the government and people of Yobe State. This is a national disaster. We are sorry that it happened; we share your pain," the president added.



"Let me assure that our gallant armed forces will locate and safely return all the missing girls."

This post is part of a six-week series based on new NNSTOY videos called Courageous Conversations About Race in Schools .

By David Bosso

As a White man I can recall only a few times in my life when I have been viscerally aware of the color of my skin. The first was when I visited the Bahamas with my college roommate, who had grown up there. I was uncomfortably self-conscious. Still, this was the first time it occurred to me that being perceived and treated differently along racial lines is what my roommate and friend experienced every day. Years later, I traveled to Ghana and heard little kids calling out, Obruni! Obruni! when they saw me. The term is the Twi word for foreigner, and usually is translated colloquially as White person. Although I had read that the expression is not meant derogatorily, I could not shake the feeling of being acutely cognizant of my identity. Such incidents made it starkly evident to me that I have an extremely limited understanding of the lived experiences of people of color. I never have had to deal with prejudice and discrimination in all its insidious forms. I never have been confronted with racially-charged aggressions. I have lived my life and I have spent my teaching career under a blanket of privilege.

I am used to White spaces . I teach in the same high school I attended as a student, and I live in the same insular, predominantly White, town where I grew up. As a student, I had exactly one teacher of color until college. The faculty and staff in my school district are overwhelmingly White, and at every educational event I attend, there is a noticeable lack of educators of color. 2016 Washington Teacher of the Year, Nathan Bowling, in his recent piece , rightly affirms that "[s]tudents of color need to see more people of color in positions of expertise and authority.

White students need to see more educators of color in our classrooms and schools as well. If I had teachers of color as a student, and if, during my teacher training, issues of race and privilege were explicitly addressed, perhaps I would have been more mindful of how identity as a White teacher has shaped my perceptions. I would have read Jonathan Kozols Savage Inequalities and Ralph Ellisons Invisible Man less as social discourses that seemed distant and inconceivable and more as reflections of reality. I would not have been so taken aback the first time a student addressed me as Mister without my surname, as I had learned to expect. I would have been more unequivocal in explaining why All Lives Matter is a perfunctory, misguided rebuttal to Black Lives Matter. I would have been more aware of how the hidden curriculum of our educational system inherently favors some students and marginalizes others, and I would have been more aggressive in questioning such institutional practices.

As a social studies teacher, I have always prided myself on cultivating a sense of open-mindedness, acceptance, compassion, and respect for others. I want all of my students to feel welcome and supported, and I want them to learn to ask deeper questions, understand and care about global events, and feel inspired to tackle significant social challenges.

Despite these ideals, I used to think that it was my responsibility as a teacher to remain impartial and to allow students to arrive at conclusions through their own acts of critical thinking and discovery. Last year, though, in the midst of our ongoing political and cultural tensions, I felt I needed to be more forthright. I wrote the following statement, printed it, and posted it on the door to my classroom:

American ideals are valued and practiced in this classroom. Regardless of your national origin, religious beliefs, racial identity, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, citizenship status, socioeconomic background, ability, or any other characteristic, you are welcome, safe, supported, respected, supported, and have a voice here.

Perhaps because of the tenor of our times, the sign received quite a response on social media, from colleagues, and from students. As determined and proud as I am to stand by these principles and to ensure that such beliefs are embraced and carried out in my classroom and school community, I am also dismayed to feel the need to proclaim them. Still, to simply display these words means very little if they are not supported by action: initiating discussions with students and colleagues, calling out bigotry, advocating for fair policies, and taking a stand against injustices.

I can see now that my experiences as a student and as a prospective teacher essentially prepared me to teach students who look like me. This is true for many White teachers. As professionals and moral beings, we cannot claim to carry out the ideals of education in a democratic society if teachers and schools do not provide for the academic, emotional, and social needs for all students, including students of color. The only way that we can begin to disrupt the institutional structures that prevent all students from reaching their full potential is by challenging the very norms, values, and expectations that perpetuate a cycle of disillusionment and disenfranchisement.

Among the most important first steps that White teachers can take to upend the status quo is to acknowledge the difference that difference makes, as 2012 Maryland Teacher of the Year, Josh Parker, suggests in a recent video. Parker means that, among other measures, White teachers must recognize and confront their own views and biases. Although unnerving, it is necessary if we want to move from rhetoric to action. NNSTOYs Courageous Conversations About Race in Schools provides an introspective starting point for those seeking to spark dialogue and further thinking about the role of race in our schools.

In one of the Courageous Conversations videos, Ken Patterson, a teacher in Baltimore County Public Schools, asserts that we cannot begin talking about equity if we do not have a strongly held belief that all students can achieve. As teacher and activist Jose Luis Vilson states, We have to respect the idea that we are all fully human and all fully capable.

Now is a good time to take stock of where our biases may exist. This is difficult for some of us because we have yet to realize the ways by which our experiences influence our thoughts and actions. As teachers, we must believe in the promise and potential of all of our students. As a White teacher, I am doing all of my students a disservice if I am not making efforts to examine, criticize, and transform the attitudes, policies, practices, and expectations from which I, and those like me, have benefited. Neutrality and objectivity are no longer options. Our students cannot afford for their teachers, especially White teachers, to remain quiet about such pressing issues of race and equity in our schools.



David Bosso is the 2012 Connecticut Teacher of the Year and a member of the National Network of State Teachers of the Year (NNSTOY). He teaches social studies at Berlin High School in Berlin, Conn.The marine environment is critical to Grenadas economy and closely linked to the islands income generating tourism sector. Grenadas tri-island ocean state is not just a hub of maritime activity, but also home to unique marine biodiversityThe National Rifle Association has dramatically increased its funding to schools in recent years amid a national debate over guns and school violence, an Associated Press analysis of tax records has found. But few say they plan to give up the money in the aftermath of the latest mass shooting.The AP analysis of the NRA Foundations public tax records finds that about 500 schools received more than $7.3 million from 2010 through 2016, mostly through competitive grants meant to promote shooting sports. The grants have gone to an array of school programs, including the Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps, rifle teams, hunting safety courses and agriculture clubs.In some ways, the grant distribution reflects the nations deep political divide over guns. Nearly three-quarters of the schools that received grants are in counties that voted for President Donald Trump in the 2016 election, while a quarter are in counties that voted for Democrat Hillary Clinton, according to the AP analysis. Most are in medium-sized counties or rural areas, with few near major cities.California received the most in school grants, more than $1 million, while Florida was a close second.is president and co-founder of a 37-year-old specialty concrete company, G&F Concrete Cutting Inc. Most of G&Fs work consists of providing material for public works projects in and around Orange County, Calif. Concrete has been good to Ferguson: Her company has been growing steadily over the years, with annual revenues between $5 million and $10 million. In 2016, she started looking for new, more spacious quarters for it.With several available sites that seemed reasonable, the company picked a location right off Interstate 5 in Los Angeles. The deciding factor was local preference, a rule that gives companies located in a given city, county or state an advantage in the bidding process for contract work inside that territory. Local preference gave Los Angeles an edge, Ferguson says.This idea appeals to many jurisdictions, and to many contractors as well. But there are plenty of critics who are concerned about the potential impact on the quality of the bids and the difficulties in implementing the program. Like other similar economic development efforts, including preferences for minority groups, women and the rural poor, geographic preferences are rife with trade-offs.In Los Angeles, local preference works like this: When an L.A.-based firm submits a bid for goods or services to the city, the bid is considered as if it were 8 percent cheaper (and that much more attractive) than those submitted by nonlocal competitors.The potential benefits of this idea were first set forth by John Maynard Keynes and other economists in the early 20th century. Keynes thought geographic preference helped a local economy by keeping money close to home. The national nonprofit known as NIGP: The Institute for Public Procurement recognizes that. As local dollars are spent in a local economy, the institute says, more jobs are maintained or created and income is generated for residents.One thing worth noting: The federal government does not allow any locality to use local preference on projects that depend on federal dollars for their funding. That limits the use of local preference, but it hasnt made much difference except in the field of transportation, where many roads and bridges are partially funded by the feds. Most other procurement dollars spent by cities and states do not have a federal component.In the past year, the local preference issue has been invigorated by a separate but resonant message emanating from the Trump administration, which has been pushing the notion of Buy America to persuade companies in the U.S. to procure goods and services from other firms based in this country. This past January, President Trump issued a memorandum recommending that the secretary of commerce develop a plan under which all new pipelines ... inside the borders of the United States ... use materials and equipment produced in the United States to the maximum extent possible.As public officials at all levels of government know, theres a powerful political advantage to local preference. What could be more persuasive than a policy that promises to use tax dollars to help grow hometown businesses? Mayors, in particular, want to show residents a lot of value, says Aaron Szopinski, the policy director for the city of Milwaukee. Policy-wise, theres a good case for it. Its not a hard argument to make that when we spend a lot of money, wed like to keep as much as possible in the local economy.Madeline Janis, executive director of the economic policy group Jobs to Move America, makes a similar point. The intention of local preference, she says, has always been around job creation. Cities want to get as much of the money in their region to their own bottom line.Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel is a true believer when it comes to local preference. Companies with headquarters in Chicago get a 2 percent advantage on bids they submit to the city. There is an additional 4 percent bonus if a majority of the employees actually live in Chicago. But thats not all: Companies in particularly high-poverty and low-employment parts of the city can get another 6 percent shaved off their bids. About half of Chicagos bidders are utilizing at least one of those preferences, says Chief Procurement Officer Jamie Rhee. Its creating jobs by creating local manufacturers. And its increasing our bidder pool.Most of those bidders are relatively small in size. If youre looking for a vendor for, say, helicopters or other multimillion-dollar acquisitions, its not likely that theyll be based in downtown Chicago. On the other hand, theres ample competition for manufacturers of footwear in a city thats home to the Chicago School of Shoemaking and Leather Arts.Los Angeles adopted its local preference rules back in 2011, when political leaders noticed that many large cities had local vendors who were charging 5 percent more than their competition based in neighboring states. Given the cost of rent, utilities and insurance in L.A., that didnt come as a surprise. But the city determined that it needed to throw in some benefits to create a level playing field for its hometown vendors. We needed to give those businesses a preference, says Shmel Graham, director of L.A.s Operations Innovation Team. The number of contracts signed in the city through the local preference ordinances has varied from year to year, but between 2012 and 2016, about $272 million worth of bids for city government work utilized local preference provisions.The formulas for local preference vary widely. Pasco County, the fastest-growing county in Florida, which is located in the Tampa Bay region, doesnt actually give any percentage bonus to bids made by local firms. Its approach is much simpler. In Pasco, the advantages of local preference kick in when theres a tie between two potential vendors.This effort was intended to draw bids on fleet vehicles from Ford dealers outside of Pasco County, who didnt have an advantage in bidding for county fleet purchasing contracts. But as it turned out, all the Ford dealers in the area around Pasco County had the same pricing, and Pascos tie-goes-to-the-resident rule nearly always worked to the advantage of the local bidders and the county.There are no national statistics that show the number of places offering local preference or the amount of additional tax benefits they actually bring in from a growing base of businesses. Generally speaking, the benefits of local preference rules are still mostly taken on faith. In Los Angeles, for example, we have not examined all the data to see the benefit of this yet, says Graham. We have not calculated our benefits, so we dont know what they are. But we firmly believe its a good investment.the idea of local preference may be, theres another side to the story. Notable among critics is NIGP: The Institute for Public Procurement, which says that although its members could see benefits to local preference, on the whole, the NIGP does not support the use of preference policies.Among NIGPs concerns is that a move to subsidize in-town vendors will defeat efforts to get the highest quality, which may not be available locally. Other issues it raises include increased cost to the local taxpayers and government with the acceptance of subsidized local bids; a drop-off in the number of bidders; and reduced incentive for local businesses to provide the best value.The Maine Legislature has been debating local preference laws for several years now. None has passed. One of the most significant constituencies to oppose the laws is the Associated General Contractors of Maine. The groups chief executive officer, Matt Marks, contends that if Maine insists on a strong preference for local contractors and materials, neighboring states will make a similar move. We enjoy that we can do work competitively in other states, he says. What happens when you give an advantage to in-state contracting is that other states do it, too.This has been one of the primary reasons why the Virginia General Assembly has rejected annual efforts to enact a local preference ordinance for the state. One of the big risks for us is reciprocity, says Patti Innocenti, deputy director of procurement and material management in Virginias Fairfax County. If we have local preference for Virginia contractors, particularly in Fairfax, then the state of Maryland may do the same thing back, and this will just escalate.Marks and a number of others also point out that it is difficult to determine the source of manufactured goods in order to make sure they actually qualify for a single entitys local preference ordinance. Who is making the determination of what is considered a Maine good? he asks. Is it assembled here? Is it actually manufactured here?According to NIGP, in order to have a truly functional system of local preferences, its necessary to have a defendable fair process to determine the definition of a local business including, but not limited to, geographic location requirements and management and ownership control.Raj Sharma, chair of the Public Spend Forum and a widely recognized expert on the topic of public procurement, asks what may be the crucial question: Should the procurement system in states and localities be used exclusively to get the most reasonably priced deal for every dollar spent on procurement, or should broader community benefits be considered when choosing the winner of a bidding process?One plausible answer to Sharmas question is that the use of local preference is inevitably going to be a balancing act -- albeit a complicated one. There is no reason, for example, why the quality of goods and services cant be considered as equally important to or more important than the geographic location of a vendor. By the same token, theres no genuine obstacle to formulating a clear-cut definition of the prerequisites to be considered in determining whether a bidder qualifies as local. None of the options have to be mutually exclusive.The biggest obstacle may be the fact that procurement in general is one of the least understood parts of government management, and officials dont have much to go on when weighing the pros and cons of local preference. Theres little question that it can be beneficial -- but only when its not considered in isolation. Most policymakers dont understand procurement or have a clue about the impacts of local preference programs on procurement goals, such as cost, Sharma says. They make policy decisions in isolation.The federal government has sued Ozaukee County, claiming it violated the civil rights of a worker at a county-owned nursing home when her employers made her get a flu shot in violation of her religious beliefs to continue working there.Lasata Care Center in Cedarburg required all employees to get an annual flu shot unless they could get a religious exemption. They required a written statement from their clergy leader supporting the exemption with a clear reason and explanation. Exempted employees had to wear a mask during flu season.Barnell Williams, a certified nursing assistant, worked at Lasata from December 2015 to June 2017.In the fall of 2016, Williams learned all employees had to get a flu shot by late October. She told then-Administrator Ralph Luedtke she believed her body was "a Holy Temple" and the Bible prohibited the introduction of foreign substances like a vaccine in her body.No, you cant.Thats what federal officials told Idaho regulators and the states governor late Thursday regarding the states plan to allow insurers to sell health plans that fall short of the Affordable Care Acts requirements.But the letter from the Trump administration letter did offer an alternative: Tweak your plan a bit to make them qualify as short-term policies. These alternatives  which are exempted from ACA rules, including those barring insurers from rejecting people with preexisting medical conditions  offer coverage for a limited time.On the one hand, theyre saying theyre going to enforce the ACA, said Sarah Lueck, a senior policy analyst at the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. But, the Health and Human Services Department also seems to say, if you want to roll back protections for people with preexisting conditions, we have some ideas for you, she added. And that concerns me.Idahos approach, announced in January, would have allowed insurers to offer state-based insurance plans that did not include some of the laws consumer protections. A few weeks later, Idaho Blue Cross jumped in with five Freedom Blue state-based plans it hoped to sell.Regulators in other states were watching the Idaho situation. Its move was viewed either as a brazen effort to flout federal law or an innovative attempt to stabilize the market. Regardless, it meant the Trump administration had to take position: Enforce the ACA or look away.Here are four key takeaways from the decision and how it may play elsewhere.Although the letter commended Idahos effort to address the damage caused by the ACA, it said the proposed state-based plans would violate at least eight of its provisions, including its ban on setting annual or lifetime caps, charging sick people more than those considered healthy or excluding coverage for preexisting conditions.Thursdays letter noted that if such plans were sold in Idaho, insurance carriers might face significant financial penalties. Experts said they would be surprised if insurers wanted to take that risk.Its one thing for the state to take on CMS, but quite another for carriers, said Jan Dubauskas, general counsel for the IHC Group, which sells short-term health insurance nationally. When I heard that, I thought, This is the end for state-based plans.But Idaho Gov. Butch Otter, a Republican, was upbeat, saying the letter from Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Administrator Seema Verma was not a rejection of our approach but an invitation  to continue discussing  what can and cannot be included in state-based plans.And late Friday, Idaho Blue Cross issued a statement expressing disappointment with the CMS letter, but still echoing Otters willingness to move forward.The timetable going forward is not immediately clear, although both federal regulators and state officials say they are willing to talk about alternatives. Getting new short-term plans on the market would also require insurers to consider their options, modify the plans and come up with new premium rates.Dubauskas and others said the Idaho decision could increase interest in short-term plans.Such policies have been sold for years, meant as a stopgap for people between jobs. Theyre less expensive than ACA plans, mainly because they can reject people with health conditions or exclude coverage for such conditions and have other limitations. Most of the plans dont cover mental health and substance abuse treatment, few cover maternity care, and some dont include prescription drug coverage. They generally cant be renewed, meaning consumers must reapply and answer medical questions each time their policies expire.The Obama administration, fearing that short-term plans would suck relatively healthy people out of the ACA market, limited them to 90-day terms. The Trump administration, however, has proposed allowing short-term plans to last for up to a year. These final rules arent expected for at least another two months.Ironically, Idaho Insurance Director Dean Cameron had in January promoted the more robust state-based plans  like those the Blues insurer wanted to sell  as an alternative to short-term coverage.After getting the CMS letter, he told the Idaho Statesman newspaper that short-term plans might be easier for the Trump administration to handle legally but could cause consumers more problems than what Idaho had proposed.Critics fear that consumers will buy such plans without understanding their limitations.They might think its health insurance like theyre used to, but its really not, its really very bare-bones, said Lueck.Even if the Trump administration proposal to extend short-term coverage to a full year is finalized, states can set stricter rules.A handful of states already do.New York and New Jersey require many of the same rules as the ACA, but insurers wont sell short-term plans there.Four states  Arizona, Michigan, Minnesota and Oregon  limit the length of the plans to 185 days, according to a survey by the Commonwealth Fund and researchers at Georgetown University.A small group of largely blue states have some regulation [of short-term plans], but not very many, said Sabrina Corlette, a research professor at Georgetown Universitys Health Policy Institute. Its possible that if this rule is finalized we will see more states start to step up and regulate short-term markets.Conversely, lawmakers in other states may promote short-term coverage as a lower-cost alternative to the ACA, although people with preexisting conditions may not be able to buy such plans.Politically, short-term plans have some appeal because lawmakers can say now theres a cheaper option out there, Corlette noted.Actuaries fear that short-term plans  or state-based plans like those rejected in Idaho  would help drive up costs for people who remain in more comprehensive ACA coverage.Thats because younger and healthier people might be tempted to drop their ACA coverage, leaving a remaining pool of those who are older, sicker and costlier. That, in turn, drives up premiums  affecting millions of Americans who dont receive subsidies and already struggle to pay.But just how many people will jump to new, short-term coverage?The Trump administration has estimated that about 100,000 to 200,000 people with existing ACA coverage would make the shift, while other experts suggest higher numbers.Christopher Condeluci, a benefits attorney, said its unclear which estimates are correct.The real issue to keep in mind, he said, is that an increasing number of people who dont get subsidies are already choosing to either forgo coverage or pick an alternative, such as short-term plans.People are voting with their feet, he said. That cannot be overlooked.Prompted by Equifax Breach

States Take Action

When Pennsylvania sued Uber last week for waiting more than a year to alert drivers and customers that their personal information had been hacked, the states attorney general argued that the ride-hailing company had violated a state law mandating that companies notify people affected by a data breach without unreasonable delay.Uber hid the incident for over a year, and actually paid the hackers to delete the data and stay quiet, Attorney General Josh Shapiro said in a statement.The Pennsylvania lawsuit against Uber and others filed by Los Angeles and Chicago are drawing attention to the vague language in many state laws that defines how quickly consumers must be notified once a data breach is discovered. Pennsylvanias phrase without unreasonable delay is typical of many states, as is in the most expedient time possible.The problem is that state legislators, consumers and company officials have different ideas of what is unreasonable.This kind of language is too loose and subjective, said Colorado Republican state Rep. Cole Wist, who is cosponsoring a bipartisan measure that would require that consumers be notified of a breach within 30 days if there is sufficient evidence personal information has been or is likely to be misused. Residents also would have to be given the date of the breach and a description of what was accessed.Reasonable time is not good enough, said Wist, who has been an identity theft victim. Theres a lot of harm that can be done in a short amount of time. The burden is now on consumers to right the ship. Once their data is compromised it can create years of heartache.Wist and legislators in a number of other states are trying to beef up consumer protections by clearly defining how quickly residents must be notified of a data breach and broadening the category of personal information covered under such laws. Some also seek to bar credit reporting agencies from charging consumers to freeze their credit information.But some industry groups are wary.Craig Shearman, spokesman for the National Retail Federation, said in an email that setting a fixed number of days for notification can be a problem because law enforcement and cyber experts might need to work quietly behind the scenes to catch hackers without tipping them off.And Eric J. Ellman, a senior vice president at the Consumer Data Industry Association, a trade group representing consumer reporting agencies, said it can be difficult for companies to comply with a forced, narrow timetable to notify consumers.By tightening the screws so heavily in security breach bills, he said, you have often tipped the scales to create a hammer with which to whack companies that didnt meet a tight timetable, rather than focus on getting consumers the information in the right time.Uber Chief Legal Officer Tony West said the Pennsylvania lawsuit caught him by surprise. The data breach compromised the names, email addresses and cellphone numbers of 57 million Uber riders around the world, as well as the drivers license numbers of about 600,000 drivers nationwide.We make no excuses for the previous failure to disclose the data breach, West said in a statement. Ive been up front about the fact that Uber expects to be held accountable; our only ask is that Uber be treated fairly and that any penalty reasonably fit the facts.Most of the legislation has been prompted by last years huge Equifax breach, which exposed the personal data of nearly 148 million Americans.It took Equifax six weeks to reveal the breach, and it has twice revised upward its estimate of the number of people affected, most recently last week.There is great frustration in the aftermath of the Equifax breach, and that frustration is extending to data breaches in general, said Paul Stephens, policy director for the Privacy Rights Clearinghouse, a San Diego-based nonprofit consumer advocacy group. Its something that really has gotten a lot of state legislators very upset. They are consumers, too, and theyve been impacted as well as the people they represent.Last year, there were a record 1,579 data breaches in the United States, a nearly 45 percent hike over the previous year, according to the Identity Theft Resource Center, a nonprofit that helps victims of identity theft and promotes public awareness.Forty-eight states and the District of Columbia have security breach notification laws, and most apply to the private sector and the government. But the laws vary considerably, from when affected victims must be notified to what is considered personal information.Some states also bar credit reporting agencies from charging consumers to freeze or unfreeze their credit reports. But most allow it unless the consumer is an identity theft victim. A credit freeze lets people limit who can see their credit information, making it harder for identity thieves to open new accounts in their name. Credit agencies typically charge $5 or $10 each time consumers place or lift a freeze.This year, at least 29 states are taking up consumer security breach notification bills, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. In more than a dozen states, measures would require residents to be notified within a given time, from 48 hours up to 60 days. Many of the bills also say that notification can be delayed if law enforcement determines it will interfere with a criminal investigation.Some states have already moved to toughen their data breach laws.In Nebraska, Republican Gov. Pete Ricketts signed a bill two weeks ago that would prevent credit reporting agencies from charging fees for freezing and unfreezing credit reports. Legislators in Florida and Washington state also have approved no-fee freeze bills, which are headed to the governors desks.In Oregon, a bill has been sent to the governor that would allow no-fee freezing and require that residents be notified within 45 days.In Colorado, a House committee passed Wists breach notification bill last month and it has moved to another committee. As with many of the bills being considered across the country, the measure also would expand the definition of personal information to include passwords, medical information and data from biometrics such as facial recognition and fingerprints.In North Carolina, Attorney General Josh Stein said he and state Rep. Jason Saine, a Republican, are working on a bill that would require data breach notification within 15 days and make credit freezes free for everyone.Cities may soon have a new tool in their efforts to contain the opioid epidemic: residents' own urine.Biobot Analytics, the winning startup in a pitch competition judged by mayors this weekend at the South by Southwest conference in Austin, measures the concentration of opioids in sewage to estimate levels of drug use in different neighborhoods.Everybody pees, every day, said Newsha Ghaeli, co-founder of Biobot , during her pitch to the mayors on Sunday. And this rich source of human health information aggregates in our public sewers -- an infrastructure that you own, you maintain and you manage.Too often, public officials rely on information about opioids and opiates that is reactive, such as overdoses and deaths, Ghaeli says. With wastewater, cities can collect samples and analyze the data every two weeks, allowing them to pinpoint where residents are abusing drugs and whether consumption declines after policy interventions.Since launching as a company six months ago, Biobot has already started operating in Cambridge, Mass., and will soon go live in Cary, N.C. as well. (Last month, Bloomberg Philanthropies named Cary one of 35 Champion Cities for its proposal to test Biobots opioid detection technology.)Its a very creative way to use a source of untapped data. Who thinks about measuring wastewater? said Fort Worth, Texas, Mayor Betsy Price, who was one of three mayors on a panel of judges. This is another way to use city assets that we dont think about to hit a problem like opioids or public health in general.interviewed Ghaeli before the pitch session on Sunday to learn more about her backstory and how Biobot came to focus on the opioid crisis:As the winner of the competition, Biobot receives $10,000 and the opportunity to present in front of 600 mayors at the U.S. Conference of Mayors Annual Meeting next summer. ( Watch Biobot's pitch here .)What we were most excited about, beyond the money, was the opportunity to go to the U.S. Conference of Mayors, and have even a bigger platform to talk about the work that were doing, Ghaeli said after the session.The five other good-government startups that participated in the pitch competition sought to address a wide range of problems, from simplifying the citizen naturalization process to getting better data on how citizens feel about their government.Citymart, which helps governments procure products and services that are already proven to work, won $5,000 for finishing in second place. ( Watch Citymart's pitch here .) Elucd , which uses surveys and smart phone data to measure citizen sentiment, won $2,500 for finishing third. ( Watch Elucd's pitch here .)Even teams that did not win had the benefit of exposure and may leave with influential backers. Boundless , the startup focused on streamlining the immigration process, caught the eye of Stockton Mayor Michael Tubbs, another judge at the competition. ( Watch Boundless' pitch here .)"Stockton is 35 percent foreign-born, so immigration and legalization is a huge issue, especially everything thats happening with the federal government and California, Tubbs said after the session, referring to a recent lawsuit filed by the U.S. Department of Justice against the states sanctuary laws that limit government officials ability to cooperate with federal immigration officials.Weve literally been thinking about whats the best thing we can do to help not just show support but do things that are actionable for our immigrant community, Tubbs says. Bringing in Boundless would allow us to do that.spoke with Xiao Wang of Boundless about his familys experience with the cumbersome and pricey naturalization process and how hes trying to reduce those burdens for future generations of immigrants:Description

GIS  12 March 2018: The presence of President of the Republic of India, Shri Ram Nath Kovind, during this landmark moment in the history of Mauritius bears testimony to the unique, privileged and special bond between the two countries, a bond that goes beyond government-to-government interaction, to the heart of our people who take pride in the shared heritage and ancestry.

The Prime Minister, Minister of Home Affairs, External Communications and National Development Unit, Minister of Finance and Economic Development, Mr Pravind Kumar Jugnauth, made this statement this afternoon in Port-Louis, during a joint press statement with the President of the Republic of India, Shri Ram Nath Kovind, in the context of the State visit to Mauritius on the occasion of celebrations marking the 50th anniversary of the Independence of the Republic of Mauritius.

In the spirit of a further revitalisation of the Indo-Mauritian relationship, various Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) and Agreements were exchanged. These are:

 a renewed programme for cultural cooperation for another four years, until 2021. The Agreement will ensure exchanges in the field of culture, arts, literature and languages

 an MoU between the Ministry of Ayurveda, Yoga and Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homoeopathy in India and University of Mauritius (UOM) pertaining to the establishment of an academic chair in Ayurveda. This will help UOM to undertake academic and research activities in Ayurveda in Mauritius.

 an MoU between the Public Service Commission of Mauritius and the Union Public Service Commission of India. It pertains to an exchange of experience on modern approach to public service recruitment and selection including the use of IT infrastructure for the expeditious scrutiny and speedy disposal of applications.

 an MoU for the establishment of the Nalanda University, an international institution, to be located in the Rajgir, Nalanda district in the State of Bihar. It aims at fostering regional networking and collaboration with existing centres of excellence in East Asia. It also seeks to contribute to regional peace and imparting education and capacity in the domains of philosophy, language and other areas.

In a statement to the media, Prime Minister Jugnauth highlighted that Mauritius has embarked on an ambitious development path wherein the Government is creating a modern country built on new pillars of growth namely, innovation, infrastructural advancement, and more importantly through an inclusive development.

In this respect various projects to this end have been initiated, under financial assistance and a line of credit provided by India in November 2016 and May 2017 respectively. The Metro Express, he said, is one of the pillars of that transformation poised to change the infrastructural landscape of the country and pave the way towards modernising and redefining the public transport system of Mauritius.

Mr Jugnauth recalled that the discussions he had with the Indian President were in parallel with those he had in May 2017 with Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his State visit to India. He emphasised that the highly productive outcomes of these discussions brought forth a new era of cooperation between the two countries, wherein we are now strategic partners in development and innovation and cooperation.

The Prime Minister also expressed gratitude to India for its unwavering support in the longstanding struggle of Mauritius to complete its decolonisation process so as to be able to effectively exercise its sovereignty over the entirety of its territory, including the Chagos archipelago. In regard to that, he underlined that India has presented a written statement to the International Court of Justice on the legal consequences of the dismemberment of Chagos from Mauritius in 1965.

For his part the Indian President emphasised that Mauritius and India share a longstanding strong bilateral relation that is anchored in the ancestral links that has been further cemented with the exchange of MoUs and Agreements. Based on the foundation of deep mutual trust and confidence, both countries have embarked on a new era of intensive cooperation, he added.

He underlined that more than 25 priority projects are underway in Mauritius with the Indian assistance and that the two countries are working together on key issues including climate change. The President also announced that In dia will supply a petrol vessel to Mauritius under a new line of credit.

Prior to the exchange of MoUs and agreements, the Indian President had a delegation-level meeting with Prime Minister Jugnauth at the Government House. Both leaders exchanged views on a range of global and regional issues and agreed to continue supporting each other and cooperate closely on common challenges and interest.Description

GIS  12 March 2018: In the spirit of Lame dan lame, the theme of the 50th anniversary of the Independence of your country, let me reassure you that India will walk hand in hand and in harmony with Mauritius. India is privileged to be giving Mauritius a helping hand in implementing a range of transformational projects, ranging from the Metro Express, social housing and ENT Hospital to the new World Hindi Secretariat premises and infrastructure development in Agalega.

The President of the Republic of India, Shri Ram Nath Kovind, who is the chief Guest of the Government on the occasion of celebrations marking the 50th anniversary of the Independence of the Republic of Mauritius, made this statement last night during a State Banquet hosted in his honour by the Prime Minister, Minister of Home Affairs, External Communications and National Development Unit, Minister of Finance and Economic Development, Mr Pravind Kumar Jugnauth, at the Swami Vivekananda International Convention Centre in Pailles. Several eminent personalities were present on this occasion.

In his address, Shri Kovind highlighted that from the days of supporting the Mauritian political and social emancipation in a bid to have sustained major priority projects, India has always been on Mauritiuss side to work for the development and prosperity of all sections of society. He pointed out that India-Mauritius relations are very special as both countries have ancestral and familiar links that go back in time and that are still present.

The President of the Republic of India underlined that Mauritius is a gateway to the Indian Ocean region and to Africa before adding that our island can serve as a hub for Indian companies looking to reach out the African continent. India sees in Mauritius a trusted partner in realising the share vision of stability, peace and prosperity in the Indian Ocean region, he stated. In a view to foster closer people to people ties, all Mauritians of Indian descent became eligible for Indian citizenship under specific provision under the Overseas Citizen of India card scheme since last year, he said.

For his part, Prime Minister Jugnauth underscored that what makes Mauritius unique is the creation of a rainbow nation that necessitated adjustment, tolerance and respect for different faiths and cultures. He stressed that it is therefore apt that the theme for this years celebration is Lame dan lame, as all citizens have walked and continue to walk hand in hand to build the country as one people and one nation.

The Prime Minister also acknowledged the support of the countrys development partners and the solidarity of many sister nations without whom Mauritius would not have been able to achieve all its objectives. Mauritius will continue to work actively with other friendly countries in the fight against climate change, human and drug trafficking, organised crime and corruption, and piracy, and will also pursue our advocacy on the need for a stronger presence of Africa on the Security Council and a permanent seat for India, he added.

He further underpinned that Mauritius values the heritage it has from India, which has given the country core values such as integrity, self-respect, discipline, empathy, selflessness, and respect for elders and for family. This invaluable inheritance from India also constitutes the fundamental Mauritian spirit and as our island turns towards the future, we are poised to create a still more prosperous, unified and equitable nation, he stated.

Our people will join hands to propel the country to greater heights. We have done so before and we are doing it again, concluded the Prime Minister.This blog is looking for wisdom, to have and to share. it is also looking for other rare character traits like good humor, courage, and honor. It is not an easy road, because all of us fall short. But God is love, forgiveness and grace. Those who believe in Him and repent of their sins have the promise of His Holy Spirit to guide us and show us the Way.Description

GIS  12 March 2018: Mauritius and India have a shared destiny and future as they both cherish the values of freedom, transparency, democracy and human dignity. These values have inspired both countries to a common struggle against colonial rule. Indias aspiration is for Mauritius to rise as a leading economy and a voice for peace and stability in the entire Indian Ocean Region.

The President of the Republic of India, Shri Ram Nath Kovind, made this statement yesterday at the Mahatma Gandhi Institute in Moka. He was addressing the youth of Mauritius and he also paid a tribute to the great Indian Leader Mahatma Gandhi. The Vice-Prime Minister, Minister of Local Government and Outer Islands, Mrs Fazila Jeewa-Daureeawoo, the Minister of Youth and Sports, Mr Stephan Toussaint, and other eminent personalities were present on the occasion.

President Kovind is on a four-day State Visit to Mauritius from 11 to 14 March 2018 and is leading a high-level delegation comprising, his Spouse, first lady Smt. Savita Kovind; the Minister of State in the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Shri Ashwini Kumar Choubey and other eminent officials.

In his address to the youth, the President of India said he was honoured to be in Mauritius for a milestone moment in the countrys history, which is the golden jubilee of its independence and also its 26th anniversary of the Republic. He underscored that the values that Mauritius and India share, have inspired the two countries through the ideals of Mahatma Gandhi.

The youth of a country, the President underlined, plays an integral part and contributes significantly to its progression. On this score, he called upon the Mauritian youth to strive for success so as to make their country proud and at the same time promote peace, harmony and unity among the population. He rejoiced that the citizens of diverse background of Mauritius have built this nation as a prosperous one and which stands a model for the Indian Ocean region .

Speaking of the sanitation records of Mauritius, he stated that it is a model for Indias Swacch Bharat mission which is a key programme making progress in India to achieve cleanliness coverage across the country.

With regard to bilateral journeys between both countries, he recalled the State visit of Indian Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi, in March 2015, as Chief Guest at the Mauritian National Day celebrations and also that of Prime Minister Pravind Jugnauth to India in May 2017. The participation of Mauritius at the Uttar Pradesh Investor Summit in February 2018 and at the International Solar Alliance Summit in New Delhi this week were also highlighted by the President.

Referring to the collaboration between Mauritius and India, the President pointed out that Mauritius is one of the largest participating countries in the Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation programme, with over 300 young people from Mauritius who undergo civilian and defence related training in India every year.

Under Indias Africa Scholarships programme which is part of the India Africa Forum Summit initiative, the President pointed out that every year 97 scholarships are offered to Mauritian students for higher education. In addition, some 200 students enrol in Indian universities on a self-financing basis.

President Kovind further highlighted that the laying of the foundation stones of the social housing project and the ENT hospital that will be effected during his visit and the construction of the Metro rail in the country are clear indicators of the close existing bilateral relations between Mauritius and India.

In respect of the prevailing era of connectivity and the blue economy, President Kovind said that the waters and resources of the ocean should be used intelligently and humanely for uniting cultures and people in a collaborative manner adding that institutions and platforms should be built to anticipate and prepare for common challenges, related to security or humanitarian disasters.

The President of India emphasised that Indias vision for the Indian Ocean region is to cooperate in developmental programmes that are sustainable, mutually-beneficial and which contribute to employment and well-being of the local community. Indias close relationship with Mauritius is symbolic of the shared aspirations for Africa as well as for the Indian Ocean region, added the President.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.Access to a mobile device or a high-speed Internet connection means little if a user is too intimidated by technology to have a productive experience with it.This is the reality state and local governments must deal with when creating and designing digital services. In the private sector, developers have the luxury of building sites and products aimed at certain customers. Government, however, is responsible for reaching and serving everyone.This responsibility has given rise to a new trend in governmental digital services design: simplification. Gone are the days of convoluted and labyrinthine websites constituted largely of dense pages of text. In their place is a new era in which services are more direct, easier to understand and considerate of end users who may not have much education, or who have come to the digital realm later in life.Rhode Islands state government, for example, is like many agencies increasingly concerned with digital equity. In fact, the states Office of Innovation has launched a program called ConnectRI, which works to ensure that as technology evolves, none of Rhode Islands more than 1 million residents are left behind. Like many municipal governments, Rhode Island is doing what it can to prepare for the deployment of 5G mobile tech by researching any infrastructure barriers that might interfere. The state also sees itself as a convener of digital inclusion efforts, able to partner with other groups already doing the work and help them leverage resources. One example of this is a series of literacy workshops on which the state teams with libraries and public housing agencies.Meanwhile, the states innovation office has worked to commit itself to inclusive design on all Web platforms, said Kevin Parker, the offices director of government innovation.We have a Rhode Island digital services team focused on how we design platforms and making sure the user experience on RhodeIsland.gov is friendly and intuitive, Parker said.Central to this work is doing end-user research, conducting surveys and identifying trends.This sort of design and development is also foundational to work being done by Code for America (CfA), a nonpartisan and nonprofit group that uses tech to make governmental services simpler and easier to access. This is especially true of one of its most mature projects, GetCalFresh, which helps eligible Californians apply for state food assistance programs.In designing GetCalFresh, developers learned that 40 percent of searches for info about food stamps were being conducted via mobile devices, said ST Mayer, chief program officer for CfA. GetCalFresh also takes into account that many users lack extensive data plans, so developers built in functionality that provides alerts and info via SMS text. Making the service accessible also means writing sign-up questions in a clear way, once again shaped by end-user research.Everything we have done has started with users and trying to understand what is standing between someone who is eligible for CalFresh and receiving the benefits, said Dave Guarino, a senior software engineer with CfA.This is what equitable design and development is all about.(TNS)  Last month's school shootings in Parkland, Fla., have triggered an outpouring of safety measures in the Louisiana Legislature, including controversial proposals to let teachers arm themselves.Other bills would allow students to wear bulletproof backpacks, let teachers toss students viewed as threats and provide benefits of $250,000 to the spouses of teachers and other school employees killed on the job.Those and other measures are on the education agenda for the 2018 regular session, which begins at noon on Monday. Gov. John Bel Edwards is set to address a joint session of the Legislature at 1 p.m.Efforts are also underway to overhaul the Taylor Opportunity Program for Students, subject state Superintendent of Education John White to more scrutiny and lighten teacher tenure and job evaluation rules.However, the gun debate is sure to spark heated arguments after 17 students and others were killed on Valentine's Day at a high school in south Florida.Rep. J. Rogers Pope, R-Denham Springs, is sponsoring a bill that would allow teachers and other school employees who have a concealed handgun permit to carry it at school or on school buses."Around here there are not many days that go by that there is not some kind of threat in our schools," said Pope, who was superintendent of the Livingston Parish school system for 14 years.The legislation would allow local school boards to authorize the guns on campus.Teachers would have to finish an eight-hour tactical training course yearly, and principals would have to notify parents on which teachers were authorized to carry a gun.Pope said he hopes his bill will spark a conversation."We put a lot of safeguards in there," he said. "It is really a local option."Debbie Meaux, president of the Louisiana Association of Educators, criticized the concept. "Not a wise decision to arm educators," she said in an email response to questions."Politicians should not be using educators as the first line solution to the harder decisions they need to be making in regards to gun control, keeping schools safe and tackling the larger social issues," Meaux said.Pope's measure, House Bill 332, is one of at least three on the topic.Rep. Ray Garafalo, R-Meraux, is sponsoring a similar measure, House Bill 271.Sen. John Milkovich, D-Shreveport, wants to let school boards designate employees who can carry handguns on school campuses. In addition, Milkovich's bill would let teachers remove students if they conclude the student "poses a significant threat to the safety of another person on school grounds."It is Senate Bill 298.Cynthia Posey, legislative and political director for the Louisiana Federation of Teachers, said the gun bills will spark a needed conversation on what makes schools safe. "But when you look at giving teachers guns, or requiring them to have guns, it opens up a lot of questions about safety," she said.Michael Ranatza, executive director of the Louisiana Sheriffs' Association, did not respond to messages.Pete Adams, executive director of the Louisiana District Attorneys Association, said his group will discuss the bills on March 21.The backpack proposal, Senate Bill 178, would negate the current ban on students wearing body armor.The death benefits plan, including $25,000 for each dependent child, is Senate Bill 423 by Sen. Neil Riser, R-Columbia.Another proposal, House Bill 498 by Rep. Edmond Jordan, D-Baton Rouge, would require parental notification in cases of school shootings or other violent events.Meanwhile, TOPS bills are expected to spark arguments after a House-Senate task force studied the issue for months.Among the most high-profile measures is Senate Bill 450 by Senate Education Committee Chairman Blade Morrish, R-Jennings.It would convert TOPS to a $4,000 year stipend, which would be a drop of $3,400 for some students.Another measure  House Bill 399  would protect the awards for top-scoring TOPS recipients and those with the most financial needs if the program is not fully funded, with major reductions for others.Rep. Gary Carter, D-New Orleans, sponsor of the bill, failed to get a similar plan out of its first committee in 2017.Under current rules, aid for all TOPS recipients is trimmed by the same amount if the program is not fully funded.James Caillier, executive director of the Patrick F. Taylor Foundation, which is named for the co-founder of TOPS, criticized both bills."We don't think we need to be making changes in terms of requirements or the amount of monies given to students," Caillier said.Two other bills, both backed by Edwards, will renew arguments between self-styled school reformers and teacher unions and other traditional education groups.One would make it easier for teachers to earn tenure, which is a form of job protection  House Bill 587.The other  House Bill 651  would reduce the impact of student test scores in annual teacher evaluations.Rep. Frank Hoffmann, R-West Monroe, said his tenure change would allow about 50 percent of new teachers to qualify for tenure, up from 20 percent now.Hoffmann said less reliance on the annual growth of student achievement in rating teachers makes sense because "I don't think it is a fair way to compare teachers."Other controversial proposals include Senate Bill 302, which would require White to undergo a second state Senate confirmation; legislation that would spell out guidelines for free speech on campuses and whether basic state aid for public schools remains stagnant or rises by 1 percent, $40 million.Rep. Stephanie Hilferty, R-Metairie, is sponsor of a proposed 34-member task force aimed at coordinating early childhood education, and putting a new emphasis on children from zero to age 4 through pilot projects and other steps."We have to invest in these kids on the front end of their lives," Hilferty said.2018 The Advocate, Baton Rouge, La.Visit The Advocate, Baton Rouge, La. at www.theadvocate.comDistributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.(TNS) - Last summer, tasked with helping displaced Texans find safe places to live after one of the nations worst floods, the Federal Emergency Management Agency decided to experiment.Rather than muscling up its program for short-term housing, FEMA called on the state of Texas to help find trailers, lease apartments and repair flood victims homes.But the effort, led by Texas Land Commissioner George P. Bush, has been hogtied in a web of paperwork, legal wrangling and efforts to increase staffing, a Houston Chronicle examination of local, state and federal records and interviews show. It took nearly a month for FEMA to ask for help and to work out an agreement with Bushs office. Another five months later, the state General Land Office has added 33 disaster recovery workers, after initially saying it needed 90.Thousands of Texans, meanwhile, are still waiting for help with temporary housing. Some have given up on the government.Texas now expects to spend just $1.1 billion of the more than $2.6 billion land office officials say FEMA budgeted for short-term housing programs. State officials say that the larger number was an early estimate based on maximum potential sign-ups.We cant force people to use these programs, Bush said in an interview Friday.  Constituents had ample opportunity to use these programs, and many chose to go a different path. And, look, I get it. Your house is the most important investment that you make.  And so to have a contractor come to your home in the midst of so many scams and rip off artists, leaves a lot of people without comfort. Hurricane Harveys six-month anniversary passed with fewer than 8,000 Texas families having made it into trailers, apartments or homes leased or repaired by FEMA-funded programs. That equates to roughly 2 percent of the 371,000 applicants who have qualified for federal assistance.By comparison, roughly six months after a rainstorm inundated southern Louisiana in 2016, about 18 percent of approved FEMA applicants had moved into similar federally-funded temporary housing.FEMA officials have cautioned against comparing disasters and emphasized that the agencys short-term housing programs are designed to serve only people without other options.Interviews with state and local officials, however, indicate that negotiating FEMAs intricate partnership with Texas General Land Office and local governments delayed the rollout of Harvey housing programs by weeks, and in some cases months. The arrangement continues to be plagued by communication breakdowns, they said.Weve been asking, Where are those dollars and whos getting those dollars and how many homes are being repaired? Were still having problems on that end, Mayor Sylvester Turner, an increasingly vocal critic, said Wednesday. Theres a lack of cooperation and inclusiveness, and we just need to get that worked out. Quite frankly, we just need to get that worked out yesterday.By the time Tracy Wilson got a call in mid-February to gauge her interest in a bare-bones FEMA repair program, she had already given up on getting substantial help from the agency. The 57-year-old accountant and her daughter had been living with family since Harvey flooded their southwest Houston home.After a couple of months, I kind of blew it off, because its just another government thing, Wilson recalled thinking. Its not going to happen.Government-paid contractors eventually performed short-term repairs in her home, but she still doesnt plan on moving back. Nails still stick up out of her floor, and she worries about the mold.FEMAs role in housing recovery after disasters such as Harvey is two-fold. In the storms immediate aftermath, the agency provides financial assistance to help families find safe, dry places to sleep. This can include $500 in emergency funds, a hotel room or money for a few months rent.FEMA then works with state officials to develop programs to get families with limited options into apartments, trailers or partially repaired homes on a short-term basis. This is where FEMA changed the process after Harvey.Rather than implementing most of these temporary housing programs on its own, FEMA took a hybrid approach. It maintained control over determining program eligibility, but put state and local officials in charge of tasks such as following up with families, procuring contractors and purchasing manufactured housing units.An aide to Gov. Greg Abbott said FEMA asked the governor to have the state run the short-term housing programs because the federal agency didnt have sufficient resources to do so, based on the severity of damage from Harvey.FEMA Federal Coordinating Officer Kevin Hannes cited Harveys widespread impact and Texas leadership capacity.As we came into Harvey and we were looking at how extensive the damage could be  knowing that Texas is a leader in many facets in the country  we had started those discussions, he said. How do we improve the process to make housing more tailored? Instead of top-down driven, one solution set, is there a vehicle to really improve the process, to give multiple options, to empower the states to lead their recovery effort?The new approach led to months of legal wrangling and paperwork.It wasnt until Sept. 22 that the state land office and FEMA agreed to the broad terms of their partnership. Next, the agencies had to hammer out plans for each of their temporary housing programs, which include two rental options, manufactured housing units, recreational vehicles, quick-fix home repairs and more extensive home reconstruction.State and local officials were most enthusiastic about the more comprehensive repair program, which offers homeowners up to $60,000 in repair work. They worked to get it off the ground first, leaving for last the basic, $20,000 repair program designed to convert homes into temporary shelters. This plan was finished on Nov. 30, more than three months after Harvey made landfall.The $20,000 program requires the state to provide 10 percent of the money. FEMA fully funds the other programs.Pete Phillips, the land offices senior director of community development and revitalization, said the state thought it was providing a better service to Texans by delaying the quick-hit program and urging FEMA to qualify more people for the comprehensive repair option. He added that FEMA didnt wait until negotiations were finished to begin placing mobile homes.By early March, contractors had completed repairs on just 55 homes through the $60,000 program, compared with 6,159 homes through the $20,000 program. Meanwhile, 2,160 Texas families had moved into mobile homes, and just 49 had been served by either of the rental programs the land office is partnering with FEMA to implement.Phillips said that some Texans had resources available and could take responsibility for their own recovery instead of waiting on the government for help.Texans, I think, are not like our neighbors in Louisiana, he said. We dont count on the government for our recovery.By December, renters made up more than 77,000 of the Texas families with FEMA-verified losses due to Harvey. Steven Booth, his wife Catherine, and their six children are among them.The Booths were evacuated from the house they rented for two years in Aransas Pass to an extended-stay motel in Austin.FEMA twice has denied the familys request for rental assistance and money to replace essential belongings, such as beds that were ruined when Harvey damaged the roof of their former home. Texas Rio Grande Legal Aid, a nonprofit group that provides free legal services to low-income residents, is filing appeals on the familys behalf with FEMA, which Booth contends did not adequately inspect damage.FEMA paid the bills when the Booths moved into the extended-stay motel in Austin, but that help ended in December, and the couple now is struggling to pay the $1,300 a month it costs to stay there. Booth is working as an apprentice electrician as his wife cares for their children, who range in age from 1 to 14.We are pretty much broke every month, said Booth, 41.As the programs started functioning on all three levels of government, one of them faced a personnel shortage. Its normal, experts say, for the land office to have reduced its disaster-recovery staff after winding down the work on the last few disasters, including hurricanes Ike and Dolly.And that was the case in Austin. At a legislative committee meeting in April 2017, Phillips said that under Bush, the land office had reduced its number of disaster-recovery staff from 92 to 52.Those individuals who remain at the staff are the most highly-educated and dedicated professionals, he said.But the office has struggled to staff up since Harvey. In documents provided to FEMA in October, Phillips team said it could need up to 90 more workers. It has hired 17, he says, and has transferred 16 others from other duties. He says 83 people are now working on disaster recovery, and he could add 20 more.Sadly, the job market is great, so its tough getting people to take some of these jobs, and Im not going to hire just to fill a position, he said. I want quality staff, people who are going to be passionate.By February, Wilson, whose home flooded three times in as many years, felt like she was running out of options.First, flood insurance paid less than half of her policy limit. Then the city of Houston said she couldnt rebuild without elevating her home. Nonprofits and contractors turned her away, if they responded at all.FEMAs bare-bones repair program, designed to provide a quick fix, became a last resort.Yet after the government-paid contractors finished tearing out her kitchen cabinets, replacing panels of missing drywall and installing a new toilet, she felt no closer to moving home. Wilsons shoes still stuck to the tar-covered floor when she walked. The unhooked gas line marked where her stove used to be. And then there was the mold.They put together a cookie-cutter plan, she said. And that cookie cutter doesnt fit everybody.rebecca.elliott@chron.com | twitter.com/rfelliott | james.drew@chron.com | twitter.com/jamesjdrew2018 the San Antonio Express-NewsVisit the San Antonio Express-News at www.mysanantonio.comDistributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.(TNS)  Between the Oroville Dam emergency spillway and wildfires, the past year was a learning opportunity for area emergency services officials.Though emergency response plans have long been in place, 2017 presented lessons in public trust, public notification, emergency center organization and preparedness.Officials submitted reflections on what their entities have learned about emergency response and how Yuba-Sutter is better prepared for the future.Smith traveled to Emmitsburg, Maryland Feb. 21 and 22 on behalf of Sutter County to participate in the 25th annual National Dam Safety Program Technical Seminar, at the Federal Emergency Management Agencys National Emergency Training Center.At the seminar titled, Maintaining Public Trust through Effective Emergency Management, Smith spoke about the countys relationship to the Oroville Dam prior to, during and after the emergency.I addressed how helpful it would have been to have an accurate inundation map, and why allowing the public to see inundation maps long before a situation develops might help educate them about the potential threat posed by dams (there are at least nine high hazard potential dams that would flood all or parts of Sutter County if they failed), Smith wrote in a memo to county officials, provided to the Appeal-Democrat. I also spoke about how both the dam owners/operators and the emergency management team from the county need to work more closely to develop better lines of communication.Smith said he gave the room a taste of the look and feel of when public trust is lost, playing video of comments from the March 2017 town hall meeting, and explaining some of the responsive actions since the emergency: how a downstream coalition of local governments, local businesses and residents is challenging the dams Federal Energy Regulatory Commission license; how legislation will mandate how and what frequency dams are inspected; and how lawsuits have been filed to reclaim costs from the evacuation and to compensate farmers who lost land in the river bottoms due to severe erosion.Smith also explained how Californias new law  SB 92  will require inundation maps be made available to the public (Shasta Dam will not be subject to the new law, because it is perceived as a risk to the public, a policy adopted after 9/11).It was a good opportunity for Sutter County to tell the story of all communities who live downstream from dams, Smith said. I thought it was particularly important to stress local emergency management officials have as much responsibility to go upstream as dam owners/operators have to go downstream. We need to work together to make sure everyone has what they need to do their jobs. I also thought it important to stress what it looked like when you lose the publics trust.Smith said his biggest impression was most dam owners and operators dont deal with dams the size of Oroville, and that most of the countrys dams are much smaller with a smaller inundation footprint.His other takeaway was that a lot of people are thinking about how to improve communication between the dam owners/operators and downstream communities, but it will take work.Real-time inundation map modeling will take public investment, he said.Sutter County residents can visit BePreparedSutter.org for information on how to be prepared for emergency.Brown headed to Santa Barbara in late January to assist with community outreach following that countys deadly mudslides  or debris flows as they were called officially.He said the Cascade Fire and the Montecito debris flows played out in similar fashion, in that the mudslides created dangers less like a flood and more like a wildfire; the end result being a wall of deadly force moving through neighborhoods at a high rate of speed.Warnings were issued ahead of time about dangers that could accompany such severe weather, but there was no way to predict whether a disaster would actually occur or, if it did, where it would occur, Brown said in an email Thursday. The suddenness of the emergency initially inspired the heroics of public safety teams and neighbors, who worked together to get as many people to safety as possible. Automated alert systems in both Yuba and Santa Barbara counties also played important roles to mobilize the neighborhoods.Brown said the Yuba County Office of Emergency Services is working through approval processes with federal agencies to create more opportunities to push out emergency alerts through cell phones. In December, Yuba County OES Manager Scott Bryan testified at a Legislative Joint Committee that was examining communication during all of the deadly fires that tore through Northern California in early October.We are following legislative efforts that seek to bolster emergency communications and alerts statewide, he said.Brown said theres also been discussions about the use of sirens, but the cost and effectiveness of such a system in the foothills makes it questionable as a solution. The county is working to improve communications, but for now the best defense against any disaster is to sign up for alerts, have an emergency go-bag ready at all times and to have a plan on how to get out safely. Yuba County residents can visit BePreparedYuba.org to get ready for any disaster.Howell said the Office of Emergency Management is continuing to improve the functionality of the Emergency Operations Center, while also recovering money spent during last years storm emergencies, and seeking grants to improve preparedness, response and recovery efforts for the future. The county has conducted position-specific training in the Standardized Emergency Management System, with more training scheduled and regularly held for employees.In the past eight weeks alone, more than 150 Sutter County and many city employees have received emergency management training, including more than 50 city and county employees, who took the training together, Howell said in an email Friday.Last fall, the county conducted specialized training on the role of elected officials in an emergency for the Board of Supervisors and council members from Yuba City and Live Oak.Disasters focus attention on a communitys mitigation efforts, emergency preparedness, response and recovery resiliency, therefore we must continually evaluate and improve, she said. The Office of Emergency Management has the responsibility for coordinating the full emergency management process, not only for the unincorporated areas of Sutter County, but for all jurisdictions, including the incorporated cities of Live Oak and Yuba City.The department is purchasing supplies and equipment to use in future responses and making adjustments to the layout of the operations center. Employees will be trained with the equipment they will be using during a real emergency at the desks they will be using and in the section they will be assigned, Howell said, making the county more efficient earlier in the response cycle.She said the county has recovered around $750,000 in state and federal reimbursements to date for response to the winter storms last January and February, and that it continues to pursue reimbursements. The department is seeking out grants for emergency management training, supplies and planning, with one area of focus being robust flood contingency planning products.Howell is also tasked with updating the countys emergency operations plan, as well as the Hazard Mitigation Plan, which identified potential hazards and recommends ways to mitigate those hazards before they occur.Ive been here close to a year, first as a consultant and then full time in January, Howell said. What I see are a lot of dedicated individuals in the cities and the county, committed to effective emergency planning, response and recovery.2018 the Appeal-Democrat (Marysville, Calif.)Visit the Appeal-Democrat (Marysville, Calif.) at www.appeal-democrat.comDistributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.This is the first conference event that I've seen focused on the use of drones in disasters. Check out UAS/Drones for Disaster Response Conference It is described as follows:MIAMI  Unmanned aircraft systems (UAS)  also known as drones  are beginning to reshape the way public safety officials and emergency managers tackle disasters, and a new educational conference will help frame the discussion around this amazing new technology. The UAS/Drones for Disaster Response conference will be held at the Biscayne Bay Campus of Florida International University from April 19-20 to help key stakeholders charged with responding to disasters better understand the role that UAS and other unmanned systems can play.The growing use of unmanned aircraft systems are enabling emergency managers and first responders to more quickly and safety gather visual aerial information that improves the response and recovery efforts following a disaster, says Ruben D. Almaguer, Executive Director of FIUs Academy for International Disaster Preparedness. The 2017 hurricane season showcased the increasing use of drones following the impact of the hurricanes, especially to assist in conducting timely preliminary damage assessment. We now want to drive the conversation forward and help educate all stakeholders about how UAS can best be utilized across all phases of a major disaster to help protect property, the environment, as well as save lives.UAS/Drones for Disaster Response will feature key speakers from government agencies, major universities, and private industry who have first-hand experience and knowledge in utilizing UAS during disaster operations. Workshops will focus on the various aspects of UAS deployment during the preparedness, response, and recovery phases of a major incident. Live flight demonstrations will allow solution providers to safely showcase the latest UAS technology in the skies surrounding the event.This the first time a conference will focus specifically on UAS for disaster response, says Christopher Todd, Executive Director of AIRT, Inc. a 501(c)3 non-profit organization that is co-hosting the event. UAS/Drones for Disaster Response will push the conversation beyond general public safety to educate conference participants on how to start using drones to prepare for the next big storm or major incident.Keynote speakers and workshop facilitators for UAS/Drones for Disaster Response will be announced within the coming weeks and will include experts from across all key phases of disaster response from both the public and private sectors.The UAS/Drones for Disaster Response conference cadre will include top experts with intimate knowledge of emergency UAS operations, according to Martha Donato, President of MAD Event Management, producers of the conference. Our ability to conduct live flight demonstrations over land and sea directly at the conference site will provide a new capability the differentiates UAS/Drones for Disaster Response from other UAS events.And, this is the type of commercial drone/UAS that is beginning to be made available for government and industry: Titan X8 Heavy Lift(TNS)  A bill to bring faster internet to rural areas in Georgia will limit how far electric membership corporations can spread their service. At the same time, the bill's sponsor said Thursday, those corporations will be able to partner with other internet providers.State Rep. Jay Powell, R-Camilla, told the Senate Regulated Industries & Utilities Committee that he is working to compromise with state Sen. Steve Gooch. Both lawmakers sponsored bills to expand broadband internet in the state. Both bills passed their chambers in the last two weeks, and the two sides want to come up with one solution.Powell said Gooch's bill limits how far an electric membership corporation can expand broadband. Gooch, R-Dahlonega, would restrict the EMCs' service to within a 5-mile radius of their designated service areas. Powell told the committee that he will add the same limit to his own bill.In exchange, he said, Gooch has agreed to let EMCs partner with other providers as part of their broadband expansion plans. Gooch's bill now does not allow that."We want to try to get these bills as much in harmony as possible," Powell said, "so that neither one of us has heartburn."Gooch and Powell also are discussing how to create an accurate map that shows where in the state people don't have access to high-speed internet. The FCC published such a map last month, but both state lawmakers question its reliability. The agency builds its map based on information from internet providers.The FCC's map breaks down each census block in the country, showing where people do and don't have access to broadband. But dozens of homes and businesses can sit in a single census block. And even if just one of those buildings gets broadband, the provider treats the whole area as if it has access to high-speed internet. In rural areas, where homes are stretched out, Gooch and Powell say, the FCC's map is misleading.Both lawmakers offer solutions. In Gooch's bill, the Georgia Technology Authority will create a policy to build a map. This policy will tell the authority to partner with the FCC, internet providers and local governments to figure out how to create a reliable map.Powell's bill, meanwhile, instructs the state's director of emergency management and homeland security to build a new map by June 30, 2019. Local governments will tell the director specific areas in their counties where people don't have high-speed internet. Internet providers also will tell the director what percentage of people in certain areas don't have access.On Thursday, Powell said the language in his bill is a bit more forceful."A carrot and stick might be a little bit better," he said. "Cooperation works better when there's an incentive to cooperate."Powell said he will make other changes to his bill, including a provision that allows a provider to challenge the state's map of areas not covered by broadband. After lowering the threshold for what qualifies as broadband internet, Powell will move his benchmark up, back in line with the FCC's: a download speed of 25 Megabits per second. (This is the speed Netflix says you need for "Ultra HD" video streaming.)He will also allow telephone co-ops to get into the broadband business. The bill already allows local governments to get in. State Sen. Bill Cowsert wondered about that Thursday."If a city decides to go into the business of providing broadband, will they have an exclusive ability to go in there?" he asked."There are non-discriminatory provisions all throughout this, applying to EMCs, applying to cities," Powell said. "They cannot prohibit someone else from serving that area."(TNS)  More than 1,000 households throughout Niagara County, N.Y., will be able to purchase reduced-cost satellite Internet thanks to nearly $200,000 in New NY Broadband Program funding.The program recently announced its phase III awards  the final round of funding for broadband expansion  which included $197,820 in state funds for Hughes Network Systems, LLC, a satellite Internet provider, to expand to 1,169 locations throughout the county.Combined with federal commitments and private matches, Hughes will invest $310,005.Empire State Development officials said Hughes recently launched a new satellite Internet service capable of download speeds above 25 megabytes per second. The New NY Broadband Program defines broadband as Internet download speeds above 25 Mbps in the most rural areas, and above 100 Mbps in more developed areas.Hughes satellite Internet is already available to many in the county. But according to ESD, the broadband program funds will help ensure it is affordable to those households and businesses that don't have access to broadband through fiber optic cable or other means.ESD states Hughes will be bound to install satellite Internet at no more than $49, and limit Internet billing to $60 per month, for those 1,169 locations. Hughes will also be required to reserve Internet capacity for those locations and cannot impose hard data caps.The $197,820 award covers 310 locations in the town of Wilson, 295 locations in the city of Niagara Falls, 97 locations in the town of Somerset, 136 locations in the town of Lockport, 69 locations in the town of Hartland and dozens of locations throughout other municipalities.State officials expect the service to be available this year.ESD officials say the expansion of Hughes satellite Internet at reduced cost will, eventually, provide broadband coverage to every business and household in the county.Much of the broadband expansion in Niagara County will not require state funds.In 2016, the state Public Service Commission required Spectrum Internet  formed by the Time Warner Cable-Charter Communications merger  to expand broadband to 145,000 unserved locations as a condition of the merger.In January, Spectrum reported that it had expanded broadband to 42,000 locations statewide, exceeding its commitment by 6,000. Spectrum is required to complete the expansion by May 2020.Spectrum previously said that it does not have available expansion data on a county by county basis.(TNS)  Spokane Valley is laying the groundwork for fifth generation wireless communication technology, and with it, a new stage in telecommunications.City officials are planning to enter agreements with Verizon, Mobilitie and MCI Telecom to install small cell antennas  the foundation for 5G technology  on utility poles and street lamps.Small cell antennas  which are the size of a shoe box  have a range of 500 to 1,000 feet and transmit signals to larger cell towers via fiber or radio waves.Spokane Valley currently has 4G capability through existing 150-foot cell towers that act as central reception areas, but theres a limit on the data they can transmit.Small cells use a millimeter wave spectrum that provides higher capacity rates  or the rate at which information can be sent  while transmitting signals over a shorter distance.Whenever you use 4G, you might need a couple of big stations for the area, said Deuk Heo, Frank Brands Analog Distinguished Professor at WSUs School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science. But in the case of 5G, you might need maybe 10 of them.Verizon is seeking a franchise agreement with Spokane Valley for an initial deployment of about 50 4G LTE small cells, said Heidi Flato, spokeswoman for Verizon.At this point, we do not have active 5G projects in progress in Spokane Valley, but the code update that the city is undertaking will provide the necessary rights and code to allow for future 5G deployments, she said.The race for telecommunication companies to provide 5G is burgeoning as more consumers stream video and adopt smart home technology.U.S. telecom companies since 2010 have invested $200 billion in 4G networks, and are anticipated to invest another $275 billion over the next seven years to build next-generation 5G networks, according to wireless organization CTIA.The city of Spokane likewise signed an agreement with Mobilitie last July to install small cell antennas on its utility poles.Wireless networks of the future will require more than 300,000 small cells within the next four years to support the evolution of 5G and complement existing larger cell towers, according to CTIA.Experts estimate 5G will be 100 times faster than 4G, with speeds high enough to meet consumer demand for data. That, in turn, will support smart cities, smart home technology and connected cars  a network of interlinked, communicating devices sometimes referred to as the Internet of Things.Most carriers plan to roll out 5G-capable devices in early 2019, and are aiming for nationwide 5G service by 2020.Companies such as Intel, Qualcomm and Samsung have put a lot of effort into implementing the kind of small cell technology needed to meet data requirements, said Heo.Everybody will move toward this direction, said Heo. Not only Spokane, but nationwide and worldwide. Especially in highly populated areas.Verizon estimates 30 million homes could use 5G as an alternative to fiber internet. T-Mobile plans to add 28,000 small cells to its network and implement 5G in more than 30 cities this year including New York, Las Vegas and Los Angeles.Telecom companies have faced permitting challenges with cities for small cell deployment, which can take 18 to 24 months for approval  the same timeframe for a large cell tower.Spokane Valley is aiming to streamline the process for all three carriers.We (also) have a very customer friendly attitude at the city and part of that is permit processing, so we wanted to ensure that this is something that could be done easily and facilitate the needs of the providers while balancing the needs of our citizens, said Erik Lamb, deputy city attorney for Spokane Valley.Although the city cant prohibit placement of small cells and do not plan on charging carriers for installation, they will require a franchise agreement with a separate permit per batch of 30 small cell antennas that are limited to three cubic feet each.The city will require enclosures to be installed on utility poles 250 feet apart and will not be allowed on a street or sidewalk, or in public parks.City council will vote on the first of three contracts on April 10.Prompted by Equifax Breach

States Take Action

When Pennsylvania sued Uber last week for waiting more than a year to alert drivers and customers that their personal information had been hacked, the states attorney general argued that the ride-hailing company had violated a state law mandating that companies notify people affected by a data breach without unreasonable delay.Uber hid the incident for over a year, and actually paid the hackers to delete the data and stay quiet, Attorney General Josh Shapiro said in a statement.The Pennsylvania lawsuit against Uber and others filed by Los Angeles and Chicago are drawing attention to the vague language in many state laws that defines how quickly consumers must be notified once a data breach is discovered. Pennsylvanias phrase without unreasonable delay is typical of many states, as is in the most expedient time possible.The problem is that state legislators, consumers and company officials have different ideas of what is unreasonable.This kind of language is too loose and subjective, said Colorado Republican state Rep. Cole Wist, who is cosponsoring a bipartisan measure that would require that consumers be notified of a breach within 30 days if there is sufficient evidence personal information has been or is likely to be misused. Residents also would have to be given the date of the breach and a description of what was accessed.Reasonable time is not good enough, said Wist, who has been an identity theft victim. Theres a lot of harm that can be done in a short amount of time. The burden is now on consumers to right the ship. Once their data is compromised it can create years of heartache.Wist and legislators in a number of other states are trying to beef up consumer protections by clearly defining how quickly residents must be notified of a data breach and broadening the category of personal information covered under such laws. Some also seek to bar credit reporting agencies from charging consumers to freeze their credit information.But some industry groups are wary.Craig Shearman, spokesman for the National Retail Federation, said in an email that setting a fixed number of days for notification can be a problem because law enforcement and cyber experts might need to work quietly behind the scenes to catch hackers without tipping them off.And Eric J. Ellman, a senior vice president at the Consumer Data Industry Association, a trade group representing consumer reporting agencies, said it can be difficult for companies to comply with a forced, narrow timetable to notify consumers.By tightening the screws so heavily in security breach bills, he said, you have often tipped the scales to create a hammer with which to whack companies that didnt meet a tight timetable, rather than focus on getting consumers the information in the right time.Uber Chief Legal Officer Tony West said the Pennsylvania lawsuit caught him by surprise. The data breach compromised the names, email addresses and cellphone numbers of 57 million Uber riders around the world, as well as the drivers license numbers of about 600,000 drivers nationwide.We make no excuses for the previous failure to disclose the data breach, West said in a statement. Ive been up front about the fact that Uber expects to be held accountable; our only ask is that Uber be treated fairly and that any penalty reasonably fit the facts.Most of the legislation has been prompted by last years huge Equifax breach , which exposed the personal data of nearly 148 million Americans.It took Equifax six weeks to reveal the breach, and it has twice revised upward its estimate of the number of people affected, most recently last week.There is great frustration in the aftermath of the Equifax breach, and that frustration is extending to data breaches in general, said Paul Stephens, policy director for the Privacy Rights Clearinghouse, a San Diego-based nonprofit consumer advocacy group. Its something that really has gotten a lot of state legislators very upset. They are consumers, too, and theyve been impacted as well as the people they represent.Last year, there were a record 1,579 data breaches in the United States, a nearly 45 percent hike over the previous year, according to the Identity Theft Resource Center, a nonprofit that helps victims of identity theft and promotes public awareness.Forty-eight states and the District of Columbia have security breach notification laws, and most apply to the private sector and the government. But the laws vary considerably, from when affected victims must be notified to what is considered personal information.Some states also bar credit reporting agencies from charging consumers to freeze or unfreeze their credit reports. But most allow it unless the consumer is an identity theft victim. A credit freeze lets people limit who can see their credit information, making it harder for identity thieves to open new accounts in their name. Credit agencies typically charge $5 or $10 each time consumers place or lift a freeze.This year, at least 29 states are taking up consumer security breach notification bills, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. In more than a dozen states, measures would require residents to be notified within a given time, from 48 hours up to 60 days. Many of the bills also say that notification can be delayed if law enforcement determines it will interfere with a criminal investigation.Some states have already moved to toughen their data breach laws.In Nebraska, Republican Gov. Pete Ricketts signed a bill two weeks ago that would prevent credit reporting agencies from charging fees for freezing and unfreezing credit reports. Legislators in Florida and Washington state also have approved no-fee freeze bills, which are headed to the governors desks.In Oregon, a bill has been sent to the governor that would allow no-fee freezing and require that residents be notified within 45 days.In Colorado, a House committee passed Wists breach notification bill last month and it has moved to another committee. As with many of the bills being considered across the country, the measure also would expand the definition of personal information to include passwords, medical information and data from biometrics such as facial recognition and fingerprints.In North Carolina, Attorney General Josh Stein said he and state Rep. Jason Saine, a Republican, are working on a bill that would require data breach notification within 15 days and make credit freezes free for everyone.The Equifax breach affected 2 out of 3 adults in North Carolina last year, Stein said. Thats an outrageous impact on the lives of people. And the thieves dont have to act today. They can simply bank the information and in the future, start making peoples lives hell.South Dakota and Alabama are the only states that dont have data breach notification laws, but that, too, could be changing.A South Dakota bill is headed to the governor that would require residents to be notified within 60 days.And the Alabama Senate passed legislation this month that would require notification within 45 days. The measure is now in a House committee.The hackers are getting more clever, and we cant sit back on our heels, Colorados Wist said. Its important that we, as legislators, take the initiative.Haas has emerged as a dark horse favourite to finish 'best of the rest' behind the top three teams in 2018.

Until recently, it appeared that Renault was clearly the strongest behind Mercedes, Red Bull and Ferrari.

But former F1 driver Alex Wurz told Speed Week: "Haas makes a big impression on me.

"The car looks excellent -- as good as last year's Ferrari. And everyone knows how good that worked. And the handling is really impressive on any fuel load," he added.

Haas boss Gunther Steiner admits the American team could lead the midfield in 2018.

"It seems that the middle of the grid will be very close, but I hope we manage to lead them," he said.

And Jan Magnussen, a former driver who is Haas driver Kevin Magnussen's father, told BT newspaper that it's "hard to be pessimistic" after the Barcelona testing.

"I can imagine that the test filled the whole team with confidence," said the former Stewart driver.

"Kevin said the car feels good, that it suits him well and that they've taken a step forward.

"But when comparing to the others it's just guessing. You have Toro Rosso, Haas, Williams, McLaren and Renault and it's hard to know where you are in that group.

"But the team and Kevin are optimistic," Magnussen snr added. "Now they go to Melbourne so we'll find out."

(GMM)Adrian Newey is staying at Red Bull, even though the former title-winning team has appointed a new technical director.

France's L'Equipe reported that Frenchman Pierre Wache has been appointed Red Bull's technical boss.

But Newey, one of F1's most famous and successful designers, is staying as chief technology officer.

Wache, who already had a prominent technical role, confirmed: "Adrian always focused more on aerodynamics, while I try to put the power to the road."

He said he understands that the technical director role is a high pressure one.

"I understand what this post means, and the risks. It doesn't frighten me, but I understand that results are expected. And I want to show that I can give them," Wache added.

There is no doubt that Newey, 59, has been less enamoured by and focused on F1 in the 'power unit' era.

And although he attended the Barcelona tests, he sounds unenthused about the future, including Liberty Media's plans for a budget cap.

"Mercedes is superior in every way in this engine formula," Newey told Auto Motor und Sport. "Power, consumption, driveability, energy recovery.

"You can't make up for that with a better car."

And he said Liberty's budget cap plans will be no fix.

"That's socialism. And in real life, it's only ever worked in theory," said the Briton.

Newey said a better approach would be to ban wind tunnels and limit CFD simulation, which would mean teams need less people.

And he thinks the older, louder V8 and V10 engines of the past were actually more 'green' than today's hybrids.

"In 1998, our McLaren weighed 580kg, with 45 kilos of ballast on board. Today we're at 733kg with virtually no ballast.

"We could save a lot of fuel if we weren't so heavy, but that would only be possible with the other engines," Newey said.

(GMM)Posted 3/12/18

In recognition of Vietnam Veterans Day on March 29, state Rep. Jeff Knight invites veterans to the Missouri House Chamber to be honored for their service.Veterans who contact Knight will be invited A consortium led by South Koreas POSCO and Samsung SDI, and including Chinas Sichuan Fulin Industrial Group and Chiles Molyment, has won a bid to build a cathode materials plant in Chile to support that countrys Li-ion batteries project.

POSCO and Samsung SDI will jointly invest about $54 million in the plant, which will produce 3,200 tonnes of cathode a year starting in the second half of 2021, which will be used to make lithium-ion batteries for electric vehicles.

On 27 February, POSCO announced that it had agreed to buy up to 240,000 tonnes of lithium concentrate per year from Australian miner Pilbara Minerals to secure a stable source of raw materials to manufacture electric vehicle batteries. POSCO has also acquired a 4.75% stake in the mining company.

Pilbara owns a 100% stake in lithium mine in Pilgangoora, located in Western Australia, and plans to increase its production to 800,000 tons by gradually starting production of 300,000 tons of lithium concentrate from the second half of this year.

POSCO has developed its own technology for lithium extraction from brine, PosLX. PosLX technology has been able to produce lithium in less than three months, while existing lithium extraction technology takes at least 12 months to dry brine naturally.

However, POSCOs lithium business has been delayed due to the bankruptcy of partner companies in South America, which have the Li salt reserves. POSCO has independently developed technologies to extract lithium from coal ore as well as brine, and completed the construction of a lithium carbonate commercialization plant with an annual capacity of 2,500 tons in Gwangyang in February last year.As part of its strategic development plan to take service, support, sales, training and manufacturing of its electric vehicle (EV) fast-charging solutions closer to customers around the world, Australia-based Tritium has announced the official opening of a European Headquarters in Amsterdam, Netherlands.

The facility will be the center for its sales program across the territory and also house a state-of-the-art training and accreditation unit for technical servicing and customer support. In addition, it has the capability to customise its product range to meet local market needs and specific customer requirements.

A major feature of the Amsterdam site is its in-confidence testing center, available for use by car manufacturers. As a privately-owned company with no strategic partnerships in the automotive sector, Tritium is able to offer comprehensive and confidential testing facilities for any automotive vehiclesbehind closed doors.

Tritium is developing infrastructure solutions for the EV sector globally and is already a major supplier of fast chargers to the region, having taken around 20% of the west Europe market since the launch of its Veefil 50kW DC range in 2013.

It has supplied more than 50% of the DC fast charging units operational in Norway and is looking to develop its sales further in regions such as Germany, UK, France, BeNeLux and Scandinavia, where its distinctive Veefil range is already installed on charging highways and in city centers.

Tritium is also in the process of building a network of service partners across Europe (who will receive specialist training and Tritium accreditation) as part of the companys continuing development of customer support.

Amsterdam is the second overseas facility opened by Tritium in just over a yearits first international facility in Torrance, California, US opened in 2017. Four months ago Tritium moved into a larger global HQ facility in Brisbane, which has given the company the capability to increase production seven-fold.Posted 3/11/18

Quail and Upland Wildlife Federation, headquartered in Buffalo, recently helped the state of Idaho apprehend a wildlife poacher. QUWF partnered with Cuddeback to provide game cameras for the Idaho Twenty middle school students from Dade County Middle School arrived at the Capitol on Monday, March 5, accompanied by their teachers, Dr. Tom Randolph and Ms. Pamela Stone.

Students brought either their personal business plans or a psychological study geared toward changing behavior. Both projects were shared by the students to representatives, senators or lobbyists as they moved around the Capitol on multiple floors.

Students were instructed to approach legislators and lobbyists with the results of their classroom work, asking questions and compiling results to culminate their research.The new owner says, Im not here to solve problems with Trump, or with Obama. Photo: Alyssa Schukar/The Washington Post/Getty Images

Last May, public anger was palpable over Indiana steakhouse owner Roberto Beristains deportation. Beristain had just purchased Eddies Steak Shed in the town of Granger, about two hours east of Chicago, after having worked as the head chef. As part of President Trumps crackdown on (law-abiding) undocumented immigrants, the 44-year-old native of Mexico was picked up in February, transported to a Texas detention center, then escorted across the border into Juarez. Beristain, of course, wasnt one of Trumps bad hombres bringing drugs, crime, and rape into the United States, so the move struck even some conservatives as deeply unfair. Nancy Pelosi blasted the situation as an example of why Trumps border immigration policies dont work, Anderson Cooper prepared a 60 Minutes segment, and local politicians declared it a defeat for our community.

One year later, how do the residents of Granger feel about the loss of the hardworking owner of their popular hometown eatery? The Washington Post took a field trip to find out. Ownership of the restaurant has changed hands, the name is now simply the Shed, and it seems like customers have unfortunately had to move on:

[T]here are few signs of lingering resentment. The calls threatening the restaurant stopped long ago, as did the ones in support of Beristain. A local businessman bought Eddies, gave it a new name and a new look. Beristain is now in Mexico, desperate to return. [] At The Shed, talk of the Beristains has been narrowed to quiet corners, where employees were unwilling to share their full names, fearing more threatening calls and comments like the ones that came in a year ago.

As for Beristains situation now, in July, his wife and children left Granger for Zamora de Hidalgo, Mexico. The Post says that they now run a small pancake house there, and the kids are homeschooled because their parents fear that theyll be picked on at school.

Many of the Beristains acquaintances have abandoned the steakhouse. A close friend left her server job there and moved to a restaurant down the road. Another regular says he cant go back anymore  although he remains a Trump supporter. Roberto is gone, but theres reason to be optimistic. I prefer to be optimistic, he tells the Post, adding: My taxes are down.

The government grants amnesty and work authorization to undocumented immigrants all the time, and it was shocking that they would target a business owner who employed nearly two dozen people, had three American kids and an American wife, paid his taxes, and was an otherwise upstanding citizen with no criminal record. Hed applied for a green card, but the Obama administration had given him a work permit, Social Security card, and drivers license to use in the meantime, as long as he checked in annually.Petition For South Sudan Government to Release James Gatdet Dak

Human rights defenders call on the Government of South Sudan to unconditionally and urgently Release James Gatdet Dak.

Former Status of James Gatdet Dak



James Gatdet Dak was long-serving journalist and later became spokesperson of Dr Riek Machar Teny, the former First Vice-President of South Sudan and current South Sudan rebel leader of the Sudan Peoples Liberation Movement and Army In-Opposition(SPLM/A-IO).



Death Sentence on James Gatdet Dak



James Gatdet Dak was sentenced to death by hanging and 21 year imprisonment. He was charged of treason (death sentence), incitement to violence(20 year imprisonment) and of insulting President Salva Kiir(1 year imprisonment). The verdict was passed on 12 February 2018 by the High Court in South Sudans capital, Juba. James Gatdet Dak has been critical of the government of South Sudan, condemning the massacres of civilians in Juba and since then after the outbreak of civil war in South Sudan on 15 December 2013. Due to his critical stance against human rights violations by the government of South Sudan, James Gatdet Dak became the target of South Sudans agents of national security and military intelligence.



Haiti - Politic : Distribution of 69 motorcycles to CASEC's South Department





Friday at the Administrative Center of Les Cayes, Max Rudolph Saint-Albin, the Minister of the Interior and Territorial Communities, in the presence of Fritznel Chery, President of the Association of Mayors of the South (AMSUD), Paul Andre, President of the National Federation of CASECs of Haiti (FENACAH), Jean Yves of Haiti, President of the CASEC's Association of the South, of the First Senator of Les Cayes and Vice President of the Senate, Pierre Francois Sildor and several other local authorities of the region, proceeded to the delivery of the keys of 69 motorcycles to the Boards of Communal Sections (CASEC's) in the South Department, inviting recipients to make good use of theme "while waiting the arrival of larger means of locomotion."



In his intervention Minister Saint-Albin said that other distributions will also take place in other departments of the country and urged local officials to patience, while giving them a firm guarantee, as to the other commitments of the President of the Republic to them "The attributions of my Ministry make me a Father for the Communities and my duty is to offer them the necessary supervision, until they become autonomous and able to ensure their own management."



For his part Jean Yves d'Haiti the President of the CASEC's Association of the South, complained of the lack of assistance to the Communal Sections, deploring the lack of budget for local administrations, yet promised by the Central Power. He wanted a more punctual Executive, so that the elected officials are not victims of the anger of the people who granted them a mandate in the hope of a better being.



Fritznel Chery, President of AMSUD welcomed the presence of Minister Saint-Albin and expressed his great satisfaction for this gesture, while the President of FENACAH, who recognizes that there is still much to do, spoke of a promise kept among so many others at the Federation's place.



Senator Sildor said he was aware of the problems facing the localities and invited local elected officials to trust the power in place, having no doubt about the realization of the projects envisaged for the Communities saying "Today this are the CASEC's who benefit from this donation, tomorrow it will be the turn of the other local elected officials."



Note that after this handing over of keys, Minister Saint-Albin set sail for Grand'Anse for another ceremony.



HL/ HaitiLibre





















Haiti - Diplomacy : The future American ambassador in DR ally Haitians ?





Thursday the businesswoman Robin Bernstein and personal friend of the President of the United States, Donald Trump designated by this one, for the post of Ambassador in the Dominican Republic, was interrogated by the Senator Ben Cardin of the Senate Committee of the foreign affairs, who was doing his evaluation.



The Senator asked her whether she was aware of the decree 168-13 of the Dominican Constitutional Court in 2013 https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-9742-haiti-denationalization-reaction-of-mhave-to-the-dominican-decision.html which establishes that the children of foreigners in transit do not have the Dominican nationality which has affected the descendants of Haitians, by retroactively depriving them of the Dominican nationality "What will be your approach to ensure that these people regain their nationality ?"



Bernstein replied that human rights are very important to her, especially because her Jewish family left Russia for lack of respect for these rights "If I am confirmed, I will play a very active role with the staff of the Embassy [...] and I will try to restore the nationality of these people who are stateless [...] We will work with them to obtain a passport" ensuring that she will collaborate to this end with the Ambassador in Haiti.



On Friday, responding to Ms. Bernstein's statements, Chancellor of the Dominican Republic, Miguel Vargas Maldonado, said that his country is free and sovereign and that he will not accept or accept any interference from another nation "We will wait for the arrival of the ambassador. Here we have no stateless person registered [...] our main mission is to defend our sovereignty and this is done within the framework of the Constitution and the laws. Each Nation has the right to manage its immigration status in the manner it deems most appropriate."



Asked if he thought the new US ambassador was biased, he said, "We have to wait for the new ambassador to arrive in the country, but we also have to analyze her statements in detail."



Recall that with its decree TC-168-13 making lose the Dominican nationality to thousands of Haitian descendants https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-9834-haiti-denationalization-audit-results-of-dominican-civil-state-registers.html the Dominican Republic has always defended itself for making these people stateless by recalling many times that the Haitian Constitution in its article 11 stipulates "Possesses the Haitian nationality of origin, any individual born of a Haitian father or a Haitian mother who themselves were born Haitians and had never renounced their nationality at the time of birth" rejecting responsibility on the Haitian Government, which does not issue identity documents to these citizens living in the Dominican Republic.



See also :

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-9834-haiti-denationalization-audit-results-of-dominican-civil-state-registers.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-9742-haiti-denationalization-reaction-of-mhave-to-the-dominican-decision.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-9563-haiti-social-a-resolution-with-heavy-consequences.html



SL/ HaitiLibre

















E.C. and Una Freudenberg with children Claire and Charles (father of Earl Freudenberg)

The Freudenberg Grocery long operated on North Market Street in North Chattanooga.

However, it closed in the mid 1940s due to A&P and Krogers moving up the street.

Earl Freudenberg, longtime local radio broadcaster, said his great-grandfather, George A. Freudenberg, moved to North Chattanooga in the early 1900s and opened the store.

Earl's grandfather, E.C. Freudenberg, was operating it when it closed.



Haiti - Politic : Moise visits the construction site of the dam on the Marion River





Saturday, President Jovenel Moise visited the construction works of the micro-hydroelectric plant on the Marion River, in the community of Grand Bassin, in Terrier Rouge (North-East), whose construction underway, is part of the vision of the Head of State to power the country 24/24.



In addition, a reservoir with a capacity of 10 million cubic meters, as well as a solar powered pumping station will also be installed to facilitate watering operations and guarantee the availability of water for farmers by enabling irrigation of the vast cultivable plains in Grand Bassin, Acul Samedi, Savane Carre, Malfeti etc... in order to revive agriculture definitively and boost the economy in the department of North-East.







In addition, provision is also made to facilitate access to drinking water for the entire population of the region from the completion of this dam. Treatment centers will be installed through the National Directorate for Drinking Water and Sanitation (DINEPA).



Although the Government is discreet about the power capacity of this plant, the origin of the financing or the companies involved, it can be deduced that this project stems directly or indirectly from cooperation with Cuba or had already been initiated cooperation for the construction of micro-power plant in October 2017 https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-22357-haiti-politics-towards-a-cooperation-with-cuba-in-the-construction-of-dams.html . It also very likely that Moses in his promise to provide electricity 24/24 to the whole country, is based on the Cuban model that has developed a network of micro-power plants, isolated network for the localities too far to be connected to the interconnection lines of the main transmission grids. In 2010 Cuba had 180 micro-hydro stations, which produce energy from rivers, 31 of which are connected to the main grid, plus 8,000 autonomous solar stations and 1,854 micro-diesel power plants.



See also :

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-22357-haiti-politics-towards-a-cooperation-with-cuba-in-the-construction-of-dams.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/docs/UNDP-HT-EdudeMycroHydroElectricite_Ravine-du-Sud_Saut-Mathurine-Part_1-20150201.pdf



HL/ TB/ HaitiLibre

















We are thrilled to announce even more wonderful programming for this years festival. We will be presenting some of the best films from all over the world, which will transport our audiences to different places, perspectives and stories and help...Wines of Spain unveils new Caballeros for 2018

By Lisa Riley

Wines of Spain has unveiled two new Caballeros for 2018 - Peter Dauthieu and Marisol Bueno.

The duo, which was formally invested into the Order by His Excellency D. Carlos Bastarreche, the Ambassador of Spain and Sr. D. Javier Serra, director general ICEX at the Gran Orden de Caballeros Annual Dinner, takes the total number of members to 64 from both Spain and the UK.

Established in 1984, the Gran Orden recognises those who have acted over and above the call of duty in their promotion of Spanish wines.

Having become a winemaker in 1979 when she started her first plantation of Albarino, Buenos achievements include being appointed president of the Regulatory Board for Albarino in 1986 as a recognition of her efforts and dedication to the wine.

Her broad vision of the quality and promising future of this wine led the board to change its name to Rias Baixas Regulatory Board, obtaining Denomination of Origin status in 1989.

In addition, Bueno founded her own winery in 1989, Pazo de Senorans.

Dauthier, who passed the Wine and Spirit Education Trust Diploma in 1998 and four years on obtained his Post-Graduate MBA in wine from the Bordeaux Business School, has over the years held various positions and responsibilities involved with Spanish wines, having started out as a vintage trainee in Bordeaux in 1995.

The following year he joined UK importer Ehrmanns, where he remained, in a number of roles, until 2001, when he moved to Jerez to join Ehrmanns sister company Viniberia SA from here he relocated to La Rioja, where he was the international director for CVNEs three wineries for six years.

In 2009 he returned to Viniberia Fine Wines from Spain, where he is currently managing director.

The significance for Spain of the Gran Orden and of the investiture dinner was highlighted at the event by the presence of The Spanish Ambassador, who congratulated the Orden for its sustained support of the Spanish wine industry.National symbols say a lot about the countries they represent. For example, Russias national symbol is the bear. In England, its the lion. The symbol for the United States, of course, is the American eagle.

Each of these evokes specific imagery. The bear and lion are imposing, powerful, and potentially fierce. The eagle is majestic in flight, and in pursuit of its prey, becomes a formidable, relentless predator. Fitting images for nations in which military power has held historic prominence.



Do you know the symbol of Christ followers? The animal most commonly referred to in the Bible for describing Gods people issheep. Not quite as fearsome as a bear, lion or eagle, right?



Sheep are virtually defenseless, having no claws or fangs. Male sheep  rams  may be able to butt rivals with their horns, but thats the extent of a sheeps aggression. They may be wooly, but not particularly wild. Nevertheless, we see the sheep analogy employed throughout the Bible.



For instance, Isaiah 53:6 states, All of us, like sheep, have gone astray. Anyone whos been around these animals much understands how wayward sheep can easily get into trouble. This is why Matthew 9:36 tells us Jesus, When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.



As we observe society today and its continuing drift from Judeo-Christian values, some of us within the body of Christ would prefer the imagery of the bear, the lion, or even the eagle. Some of us often harbor a desire to fight back  to take back territory thats been lost. But the idea of wandering, helpless sheep doesnt inspire mobilizing, or taking the offensive.



As sheepish as it seems, this representation wasnt an oversight on Gods part. The biblical words arent mistranslated. The Lord didnt run out of symbolic options. Calling us His sheep was deliberate and purposeful. Because sheep must rely completely on the shepherd, and He wants us as His sheep to rely totally on Him. Thats emphasized repeatedly in the Scriptures.



In the well-known shepherds psalm, which many of us have heard from childhood, were told, The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters (Psalm 23:1-2). God is our provider, our protector, our guide.



In a prophetic Old Testament passage, pointing to the coming Messiah, Isaiah declares, He will feed His flock like a shepherd; He will gather the lambs with His arm, and carry them in His bosom. This describes a kind, compassionate Shepherd, keeping diligent watch over the sheep under His eternal care.



Jesus used this metaphor to affirm He was the Messiah, the promised shepherd of Gods flock: I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep. My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me (John 10: 11-27).



Why is this important? Because the idea of self-made Christians is an oxymoron; only God can make us the people He wants us to be. When circumstances in our lives spiral out of control, as they often do, He desires that we turn to Him in faith, unwavering trust and absolute dependence. Just as flocks of sheep do with their earthly shepherds. Independence is a sure ticket to calamity.



So, sheep, if you happen to be a part of a congregation called the Church of the Good Shepherd, or Good Shepherd Chapel, theres good reason for that name. While youre there, let the Good Shepherd restore your soul.



----The last time Congress created a new state

From National Constitution Center, March 12, 2018

On March 19, 1959, Congress approved Hawaii for admission to the union as the 50th state, marking the last time statehood was subject to votes in the House and Senate.

President Dwight Eisenhower signed the Hawaii Admissions Act a week later and Hawaii officially became the 50th state on August 21, 1959 after Hawaiians voted to become a state in June 1959 under terms specified in the Admissions Act.

The Constitution grants general state-creation powers to Congress in Article IV, Section 3, under the Admissions Clause , which says that New States may be admitted by the Congress into this Union; but no new State shall be formed or erected within the Jurisdiction of any other State; nor any State be formed by the Junction of two or more States, or Parts of States, without the Consent of the Legislatures of the States concerned as well as of the Congress.

Since 1789, states have joined the union in various ways. The usual process has been for Congress to grant territorial status as a precursor, with a territory creating a local constitution for its citizens that conforms to the federal Constitution and the Declaration of Independence. In other cases, such as Texas, West Virginia, Vermont and Kentucky, the admission process differed. But since West Virginias admission to the union in 1863, the state admission process has been restricted to territories.

In the National Constitutions Interactive Constitution, Eric Biber and Thomas B. Colby describe the general evolution of the statehood process in recent times.

The Admissions Clause provides that admission of a state requires at least one Act of Congress. However, Congress has often followed a more complicated process. For many admitted states, Congress first passed an Enabling Act, which authorized the population of a territory to convene a constitutional convention to draft a constitution for the new proposed state, and to apply for admission to Congress, they explain.

Often in the Enabling Act, Congress specified a range of conditions that the proposed state had to meet in order for admission to occur.  Once the proposed state constitution was drafted, it was sent to Congress, which then decided whether to pass an additional act or resolution admitting the state. One variation in the Enabling Act process involved Congress delegating the final approval process to the President.

Efforts to add Alaska and Hawaii as states with an equal footing with the other States had picked up in their intensity after World War II when the strategic importance of both territories became more urgent. However, politics played a role in the statehood process in a divided Washington.

The admission of a state brings with it new electoral votes, and new representatives in Congress. The Democrats during the 1950s favored Alaska as the 49th state, while the Republicans wanted Hawaii admitted by itself, with both sides believing there was a political benefit to the admissions process.

President Eisenhower had publicly supported Hawaiian statehood, but he had not supported Alaskan statehood until 1958, when it became clear that both territories would need to be admitted as states to keep a political balance in Washington.

In January 1959, Alaska became the 49th state, which accelerated the Hawaii statehood process. On March 11, 1959: the Senate voted 75-15 in favor of the Admissions Act, with the House approving the same bill in a 323 to 89 vote on March 12, 1959.

During the 1940s and 1950s, there was also a serious debate about the status of Puerto Rice as a potential state, or as an independent nation. Today, the statehood debate for Puerto Rico remains controversial. A June 2017 vote on the island approved moving forward with the statehood process but the vote itself had a low voter turnout. And Puerto Rico as a state has the potential to add more Democrats to Congress  the same situation faced by Alaska and Hawaii back in the 1950s.

There is also a statehood movement in the District of Columbia that faces bigger problems. In addition to the political problem of a heavily Democratic Washington, D.C. gaining seats in Congress, there is a constitutional issue at hand.

The Founders clearly specified that the District of Columbia wasnt a state, and its citizens had limited rights. Article I, Section 8 of the Constitution gave Congress the power to create a federal district to become the Seat of the Government of the United States, and to exercise like Authority over all Places purchased by the Consent of the Legislature of the State in which the Same shall be, for the Erection of Forts, Magazines, Arsenals, dock-Yards, and other needful buildings.(Bloomberg) Hedge funds have placed record bets that Danish stocks are set to decline, in a development that has local investors sitting up and paying attention. Perhaps surprisingly, its a trend that Denmarks financial watchdog says it welcomes. The value of Danish stocks being shorted has more than tripled in the past five years, according to data from the Financial Supervisory Authority in Copenhagen. Though the regulator banned short bets against Danish banks during the financial crisis, it now regards such speculation as healthy.

To read this article:Dr. Russell Dyer, Director of Schools, will host a Community Meeting on School Safety, Tuesday, 6:00 pm at Cleveland High School. All Cleveland citizens are invited to hear a presentation on school safety and listen to a panel discussion. Panelist include Cleveland Police Chief Mark Gibson, Board of Education Chairman Dawn Robinson, and school administrators. Click here for more information.



Yates Primary PTO will host Spirit Night at Dos Bros on Tuesday. Mention Yates Primary all day and the school will receive 30% of purchases. For more information contact Mike Collier, 423-479-1723, mcollier@clevelandschools.org.



George R. Stuart Elementary hosts a Title I Parent Meeting and Open House on Tuesday. Students and their families are invited to the informative Parent Meeting at 5:00 pm, then they can visit teachers and classrooms, 5:30-7:00 pm. For more information contact Richelle Shelton, 423-476-8246, rshelton@clevelandschools.org.



Mayfield Elementary hosts ESL Night on Thursday, 5:00 pm. Students and families are invited to find out more information about the ESL program. For more information contact Randall Stephens, (423) 472-4541, rstephens@clevelandschools.org.



Yates Primary and Ross Elementary host Raider Run on Friday. Students have been running in increments of 1/4 mile, 1/2 mile, 3/4 mile, and 1 mile during PE classes this year working toward the goal of an accumulated 25.2 miles. On Friday, students will run the final mile for a total of 26.2 miles over the year. Students receive donations for each lap completed from family, friends and neighbors. All funds raised support school programs.



Arnold Memorial Players present The Wizard of Oz on Friday, 7:00 pm and Saturday, 2:00 pm in the Arnold Theatre. Admission is $3/adults and $2/students and concessions will be available for purchase. All proceeds go toward future productions. The show is made possible by a grant from the Allied Arts Council of Cleveland. Click here for more information.





Parent Teacher Conferences:(HedgeCo.Net) The Securities and Exchange Commission has charged a penny stock promoter based in Florida with defrauding investors in a pair of gold mining stocks by secretly amassing shares before touting the companies publicly. He allegedly sold the bulk of his stock and reaped more than $1.1 million in illicit profits after his promotions caused the share prices and trading volumes to skyrocket.

The SECs complaint alleges that Brian Robert Sodi, known in penny stock circles as Mailman for his pervasive participation in direct-mailed penny stock promotions, committed a fraud known as scalping. He allegedly disseminated promotions recommending the purchase of the stocks in Southern USA Resources Inc. and Goff Corporation without disclosing he owned shares and planned to sell them through a foreign bank. Sodi also allegedly hid from investors that he was being paid in stock for one of these promotions. According to the SECs complaint, Sodi proceeded to unload hundreds of thousands of his own shares to the detriment of other investors who bought in to the hype.

Everyday investors are the unwitting targets of scalping schemes, and were here to fight back for them, said Melissa Hodgman, Associate Director in the SECs Enforcement Division. As alleged in our complaint, Sodi deviously used a foreign bank account not in his name in an effort to go undetected, but he failed to hide his illicit trading from us.

Criminal charges were unsealed yesterday in a parallel action filed by the U.S. Attorneys Office for the Northern District of Alabama.

The SECs complaint filed February 26 charges Sodi and two of his publishing houses, Capital Financial Media LLC and List Data Solutions LLC, with violating Section 10(b) and Rule 10b-5 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and Sections 17(a) and (b) of the Securities Act of 1933. The complaint also charges Sodi with violating Section 13(d) of the Exchange Act and Rule 13d-1 as well as Sections 5(a) and (c) of the Securities Act. Among other things, the complaint seeks an accounting of all of Sodis and his entities sales of all U.S. penny stocks that Sodis platform promoted within the last five years.A COMMUTER group in Wargrave says Great Western Railway must improve the reliability and punctuality of its trains if the companys contract is renewed.

The Department for Transport is currently consulting passengers on plans by GWR to take up an option to extend its contract on the Henley branch line and Great Western main line until March 2020.

GWR is also negotiating with the DfT for an additional two years.

The company is proposing to split the franchise into smaller operators for different areas, introduce more electric trains and reduce journey times across its network.

Philip Meadowcroft, founder of the Wargrave User Group, said the most important thing was that trains ran regularly and on time.

He said: The overriding objective is the provision of service safety and reliability through an absolute determination to operate punctually. Slicing and dicing the existing GWR franchise is not a desirable outcome of the consultation.

Journeys across the region need to be centrally co-ordinated to enable coherent timetabling and connectivity.

Mr Meadowcroft said there should be more investment in trains, stations and facilities such as car parks as well as more staff training.

He said: Having the right number of train and maintenance crews in service and in training a matter which has been materially deficient at GWR during the past year.

Implementation needs to be driven by a visible and credible chief executive backed by a board of directors and guided by a suitably experienced and qualified chairman.

Other issues raised by Wargrave commuters include the lack of seating and the absence of toilets on the new Crossrail Elizabeth Line services.

The group also says that the ticketing system should be overhauled to prevent long queues at ticket machines and desks.

It wants the service during Henley Royal Regatta to be improved as not every service currently stops at Wargrave and Shiplake.

Mr Meadowcroft said: Theres a need for genuine and effective timetabling and ticketing collaboration between competing franchises. Will the same ticket be valid for use on both GWR and Elizabeth Line services?

There is a crucial need to establish an Oyster-style, or smartphone, ticketing facility at every station since connectivity from branch lines at mainline stations does not generally permit extended queues for tickets.

Mr Meadowcroft also welcomed the re-instatement of a 30-minute shuttle service in January.

This followed the introduction of a new half-hourly shuttle on the branch line in May last year which meant every other train did not stop at Wargrave and his group campaigned against.

GWR has also removed direct services to London from branch line stations but passengers have complained about congestion at peak times, punctuality and cancellations.

Henley MP John Howell is organising a public meeting to discuss problems on the line and Mark Hopwood, managing director of GWR, has agreed to attend.THE man who really saved Flying Scotsman for the nation has died, still very much an unsung hero.

The Hon Sir William McAlpine, who died on Sunday, rescued Flying Scotsman when her previous owner had run her for six years in America and, having gone bankrupt, had to abandon her.

Sir William said obviously she couldnt be left there and the rest is well-documented history but you have to search for it.

While Sir William brought her back, gave her a much-needed total overhaul and ran her for 23 years, during which time he brokered an agreement with British Rail, which had banned steam from the main line, to be able to run steam-hauled excursion trains on their tracks, very few people know what he did, whereas many (including the National Railway Museum) seem to credit Alan Pegler with saving Flying Scotsman rather than running her into the ground and abandoning her.

Sir William went on to take her to Australia for their bicentenary (first ensuring that she had a return ticket), where she achieved an unbroken record for the longest steam-hauled journey in the world and met up with another engine he had owned and sold to an Australian club. Pendennis Castle is now back at Didcot Railway Centre.

Sir William single-handedly did more for the preservation of railways, trains and railway artefacts and buildings than any other.

As president of the Railway Heritage Trust and the Transport Trust, chairman of the Dart Valley and Romney Hythe & Dymchurch railways and director, trustee or such of many others, it is clear that railways were in his blood.

As the great grandson of Sir Robert (often known as Concrete Bob) who built, among other railway lines, the Glenfinnan Viaduct, it is perhaps easy to see why.

Of course, as a partner in the family building company, railways could only ever be a hobby and he adored the construction industry.

He started visiting sites with his father aged four and, while at 23 he was responsible for the construction of the worlds first commercial atomic power station (at Bradwell), his favourite job was the construction of massive oil platforms for the North Sea.

He ran SONE (Supporters of Nuclear Energy), lobbying for new atomic power stations before the lights went out while Britain, having led the world in this technology, still had the expertise.

He collected traction engines, forming the Fairground Heritage Trust to conserve early fairground rides, and art.

For many years, he was on the board of the Zoological Society of London, which resulted in him giving over his estate to a sanctuary for animals that zoos and wildlife parks could not house: always regretting that he could not accommodate carnivores as the animals run free.

Conservation was in his blood. At his home he accumulated a vast array of pieces of buildings he felt should not have been torn down in the mayhem that was the Sixties, despite McAlpine, of course, benefiting hugely from the building frenzy.

The concrete flagpoles from Wembleys twin towers are safe beside the Victorian station he rescued from destruction. The estate also houses a standard gauge steam railway and vast railway museum.

Sir William was High Sheriff of Buckinghamshire, nominated as chief of the Clan McAlpine, a school governor, director of many companies, patron of umpteen charities, host of the biggest and best parties, genuine friend to possibly thousands, from roadsweepers to royalty, advisor and mentor to many.

This was a man whose generosity of spirit and desire to help others shone through everything he did.

If a charity needed funds in a hurry, they could rely on him to help. If a youngster needed guidance or help to find work, he would guide or would call in his friends. A constant stream of people and businesses sought his advice and assistance. No one was ever turned away.

He died at least 10 years too soon. As one 40-year old said: He cant go yet, he still has so much to do! Sadly, sepsis had other ideas.

By Lady McAlpine

Read our full obituary of Sir William McAlpine here.A FORMER Henley sea cadet has returned home after being seriously injured in an accident in the Falkland Islands.

Charlotte Bainbridge, from Moulsford, suffered five broken ribs, three broken fingers and a shattered shouder blade as well as as lung and liver damage when a shipping container shed taken refuge in during a storm flipped over and rolled 200m.

She spent several weeks in intensive care recovering with her parents Dawn and Andy and boyfriend Edd Hewett at her bedside.

She was finally discharged on Tuesday last week and she and Edd arrived in the UK the following day following a successful fund-raising drive to pay for their flights.

Friends and family donated more than 5,500 so that Charlotte could fly business class. She needed a reduced level of painkillers in order to fly so a conventional seat would have been unbearable.

Charlotte, a former student at The Henley College, said: Thank you so much everyone who donated. Were completely overwhelmed with the love and support weve received.

The other day I was crying my eyes out that we couldnt afford to get home, now I only have tears of gratitude. Thank you so much.

Charlotte and Edd had been camping at Cape Dolphin, a remote area in the north of the islands, when the accident happened.

Edd hiked about five miles to get help and a helicopter was scrambled.THE Hon Sir William McAlpine, sixth baronet, who rescued Flying Scotsman from America, has died at the age of 82.

A passionate rail enthusiast, he built a full-sized railway at his Fawley Hill estate, which included the original station from Somersham in Cambridgeshire, which was closed in the Sixties.

He shared his home, which he built in 1960, with his second wife Judith and since 2004 the couple have hosted the annual Hambleden Valley railway nativity.

This is a modern take on the story featuring children from the village for which the couple dressed as Father Christmas and Mrs Christmas to hand out gifts to visiting youngsters.

Sir William was born at the Dorchester Hotel in London, which his family owned, and was the oldest son ofLord (Edwin) McAlpine.

His great-grandfather was Sir Robert McAlpine, the first of the McAlpine baronets and founder of the construction and civil engineering company.

Sir William was educated at Charterhouse School in Surrey before going straight into the family business.

He started his career at the Hayes depot in Middlesex, a 30-acre site which housed the McAlpine railway locomotive and wagon fleet.

He ended up running the companys Scottish and northern business from Glasgow.

He returned to the Hayes depot to find the companys Hudswell Clarke 0-6-0ST No 31 was due to be scrapped so he bought it for 100.and moved it to his home. This marked the start of the Fawley Hill railway, a private railway which now runs to more than a mile long and features the steepest non-rack gradient in the world.

Along with the Somersham station, Sir William acquired a Midland railway signal box from Burton-on-Trent and a footbridge from the Isle of Wight, where it had spanned the Ryde Pier to Shanklin line.

He was able to further indulge his passion for locomotives when in 1985 he was invited to chair the Railway Heritage Trust at its inception.

He led the enterprise with his own special brand of enthusiasm, skill and dedication for 33 years.

Under his leadership. there has been nationwide acknowledgement of the unique place in society of railway architecture.

Sir William helped bring a sense of purpose to the restoration and re-use of the most significant railway buildings and their interiors as well as the revelation of architectural treasures within the railway estate that otherwise could have been lost.

He championed initiatives, lobbied for support, encouraged diverse and effective participation from influential people and used his personal charm to supplement it all.

In 1974 he helped save the London, Midland and Scottish Railway depot at Carnforth in Lancashire.

A group of enthusiasts had formed the Lakeside Railway Estates Company with the idea of preserving both the Lakeside branch line and Carnforth depot. The Steamtown Railway Museum was formed and included the visitor attraction Steamtown Carnforth. Sir William became a shareholder in the company, allowing Flying Scotsman to make Carnforth its home for many years.

He later acquired a controlling interest in the company in order to fund the purchase of the complete site, including the track, from British Rail.

He will be remembered best as the saviour of Flying Scotsman, buying it in 1973 after it was left stranded in America following a financially disastrous tour.

Flying Scotsman was built in Doncaster in 1923 and ran as a passenger train between London and Edinburgh. It was the first locomotive to break the 100mph barrier.

It went out of service in 1963 and was sold to entrepreneur Alan Pegler, who took it on a tour of America only for this to be cut short when he was declared bankrupt.

Alan Bloom, owner of Bressingham Steam Museum, approached Sir William with a request for him to buy the locomotive.

Sir William paid $72,500  about 25,000 then  for the locomotive, two tenders (which carried fuel) and spares and arranged for her to be shipped from San Francisco to Liverpool on board a tanker, fastened to the deck.

The locomotive then made her way to Derby, where she was given a complete overhaul.

After being christened with a bottle of champagne by the Minister of Transport Richard Marsh, Flying Scotsman spent time at Dartmouth Steam Railway in Devon and then Carnforth, where she provided day trips and excursions.

Thousands flocked to see and ride the locomotive, including the Queen Mother and the actor Kenneth More.

In 1988, Sir William allowed Flying Scotsman to tour Australia to celebrate the bicentennial of British convict ships arriving in the country.

While there, she was joined by Pendennis Castle, another locomotive which Sir William had owned before selling her in 1977.

He took Flying Scotsman apart for repairs twice while he owned her. It was during the second time in 1996 that she was sold.

At that time, the locomotive was co-owned by a consortium that included music mogul Pete Waterman, which decided to sell after receiving an offer from biotechnology entrepreneur Dr Tony Marchington.

Sir William inherited his fathers baronetcy upon his passing in 1990 and was also chief-elect of the Clan McAlpine, served as High Sheriff of Buckinghamshire in 1999 and was patron of the Henley and District Agricultural Association, which organises the Henley Show.

He remained with Sir Robert McAlpine as a director until 2007.

Sir Williams estate also serves as an animal sanctuary with a range of species including goats, deer, wallabies, rheas, emus, peacocks, alpaca, meerkats and capybaras.

It also has several architectural features, including the original Wembley Stadium flagpoles.

Sir William married his first wife Jill Benton Jones in 1959. She died in 2003. They had two children, Andrew and Lucinda.

He married his second wife, Judith, in 2004 at the restored station on his private railway.

Sir William McAlpine: January 12, 1936-March 4, 2018

Read the full story of how he saved the Flying Scotsman here.More than 80 businesses and industries will be represented during the annual Career Fair on Thursday, March 22, in the Chattanooga State Community College gymnasium.

Representatives will meet, greet and discuss employment opportunities with students, alumni and the general public interested in their companies between 10 a.m.-2 p.m.

With commencement less than two months away, spring is a time for employers to meet with upcoming graduates, and other job seekers, to fill positions in their companies.

Business and industry employers representing the fields of engineering, finance/banking, government, communications, broadcasting, tourism, automotive, non-profits, real estate, hospitality, food and beverage, human resources, energy, healthcare, manufacturing, education, insurance, transportation, marketing, management, construction, sales, law and recreation will be at the event this year.

Participants should dress for success and bring a resume.

For more information call the office of Career Services at 697-4421 or email careers@chattanoogastate.edu.

The women of the Gamma Iota Zeta Chapter of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc. will host the annual Tea with Z fundraiser, a tribute to the works of sorority member and acclaimed author, Zora Neale Hurston, on Saturday, March 24.

The annual tea this year is themed An Ode to Art. This event will showcase visual art from local artist. Art pieces will be available for purchasing.

Attendees can also participate in the annual Hattitude contest, where ladies can gracefully stroll in their hats, with a chance to win best Hattitude.

The Tea with Z will be take place at the Chattanooga Convention and Trade Center, 1150 Carter St. at 11 a.m.

Tickets for the event are $40. Proceeds will benefit Gamma Iota Zeta Chapter of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc. academic scholarship program. To purchase tickets, call Raquetta Dotley at 227-0399.





Tennessees 56 State Parks are hosting free, guided hikes statewide on Saturday, March 24 to highlight the amenities and programming available.



Our Rangers are trained to share the rich history of Tennessees public lands in a way that excites the imagination and leaves you wanting more, said Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation Deputy Commissioner Brock Hill.



"Park Rangers will lead guided hikes throughout the day that take visitors past scenic vistas, budding wildflowers and roaring waterfalls. Hikes will range from short, family-friendly walks to adventurous, all-day endeavors through a parks most remote stretches," officials said.



Other statewide hikes Tennessee State Parks offers include National Trails Day in June, National Public Lands Day in September, After Thanksgiving Hikes in November and First Day Hikes in January.



For a full list of all planned hikes on March 24, visit https://tnstateparks.com/about/special-events/spring-hikes.









Parkridge Valley West, a behavioral care facility of Parkridge Valley Hospital, now offers an "intensive outpatient program" for those needing mental health care that does not necessarily require inpatient admission.This is the first time a mental health program has been offered on an outpatient basis by a hospital in Marion County and the Sequatchie Valley region, said Parkridge Valley West Outpatient Program Coordinator Sandon Bull, LCSE, a licensed clinical social worker and Marion County native. There is a great need for mental health care in our rural areas, and this program helps address that need in an accessible and convenient way for local patients and their families.The program, located on the Parkridge West Hospital campus in Jasper, addresses the needs of adult patients experiencing mental and behavioral health issues as a result of substance abuse, depression, anxiety disorders, relationship issues and other mental health disorders.The program leverages a number of therapeutic strategies, including individual counseling and group therapy sessions, and patients have access to community resources and inpatient care, if required.Free mental health assessments are available by appointment, and Parkridge Valley West accepts most major insurances, including TennCare.According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, approximately one in five adults in the United States experience mental illness in any given year. Lack of treatment can lead to an increased risk in chronic medical conditions, family disruption and, potentially, self-harm or suicide.By offering this outpatient service close to the homes and within the community of our patients, we are able to provide professional mental health care in a confidential, safe and comfortable environment, said Melissa Arkin, CEO of Parkridge Valley Hospital.For more information about the Parkridge Valley West intensive outpatient program at Parkridge West Hospital, the facility offers a 24/7 behavioral health helpline at 423-499-2300.The 2018 Ruth Holmberg Arts Leadership Award Honoring Alice L. Smith and the late Booker T. Scruggs II will be hosted by ArtsBuild on Tuesday from 6-8 p.m. at Hunter Museum of American Art, 10 Bluff View Ave. in Chattanooga.

Speakers include ArtsBuild President Dan Bowers, ArtsBuild Board Chair, Dr. Roger Brown, Campaign Chair Bryan Kelly and Chattanooga Theatre Centre Board President Jim Kennedy, ArtsBuild board member and owner of Townsend Atelier Peggy Townsend.



Performances will be by Shane Morrow and The Ensemble, formerly known as the Booker T.





Scruggs Ensemble."This annual award was established to recognize individuals who have made significant contributions to the arts in Chattanooga and are actively engaged in the cultural life of our community. The award honors individuals who, through his or her exemplary efforts, have significantly contributed to building a stronger community through the arts," officials said.For more information, call 423-756-2787.Over that last few weeks, early morning revealed Orion higher in the sky. It started as right above the horizon, to where it is now: about 40 degrees abo...

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The account number and zip code are easily available on your most recent issue of the High Plains Journal or Midwest Ag Journal in the address fields as is shown here. Sometimes the account number has extra zero's in front of it, just ignore those.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...Subscribing to our services is a three step process. First you have to create an account and then you have to pick if you want to subscribe to digital and or print.

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If you are already a print subscriber and want online access, it is free, you simply have to create an online account and then attach your print subscription account number to the online account you create.Why Musicians Need To Care About Making Money

In the music industry, there is a false, recurring idea that music can and should be separate from money, and that once an artist starts to see financial returns from their music, it looses its purity. Here we explore why artists should care about making money off of their music.

____________________________

Guest post by Patrick McGuire from the ReverbNation Blog

For some reason, the idea that music should be completely separated from money is one that just wont die within our culture. Some musicians and fans alike hold the belief that music somehow loses its purity once it begins earning someone money. But while that idea is obviously wrong, its one that manages to persist and thwart the careers of lots of talented artists. Heres why all musicians should be invested in making money off of their hard work:

It takes a huge financial investment to become a musician

You might not realize it, but if youre a musician who releases music and plays shows, youve probably already invested thousands of dollars into your musicianship. Instruments, music lessons, and sound equipment are obvious culprits here, but things like the time spent devoted purely to learning an instrument or to writing music should be seen as significant financial investments because this is time you couldve spent earning money or looking for jobs. Musicians should care about money because it takes money to be a musician.

Music is work

Writing an album isnt work like litigating a case or constructing a building, but theres a ton of difficult, tedious work involved in making and performing music. Theres a popular idea in our culture that the music played on streaming platforms, TV commercials, and dance club sound systems just appears out of nowhere. But the truth is that theres an incredible amount of hard work involved in writing, recording, releasing, promoting, and performing all types of music. No one in their right mind would go into a restaurant, eat an amazing meal, and refuse to pay for it out of principal. Music takes equipment, special skills, and countless hours to shape and createand that process takes money.

Musicians pathy about money devalues music for everyone

The belief that money should be taken out of music discredits not only hard working musicians and songwriters but also an entire industry of people who pay the bills off of the idea that music is important and valuable. If money completely disappeared from the music industry, a hell of a lot less people would be making it. The notion that musicians or artists working in any medium have to either be completely for or against making money is immature and unrealistic. If youve worked hard over the years to become a competent musician and to make music thats meaningful to you, you have every right to want to make a living that way.

But while dogmatic views about money tainting music are problematic, so are ones on the opposite side of the spectrum, especially in a music industry transformed by music streaming. For example, artists who refuse to distribute their music to major music streaming platforms in hopes that people will start buying albums again soon are depriving themselves from huge opportunities to find new listeners. Like in any good song, a meaningful balance of ideas can help musicians figure out how to approach money in music in a healthy way.

Patrick McGuire is a musician, writer, and educator currently residing in the great city of Philadelphia. He creates music under the name Straight White Teeth, and has a great affinity for dogs and putting his hands in his pockets.

Share on:Is The Music Modernization Act Ready For Prime Time?

The higher ups are, it seems, eager to rush the Music Modernization Act through the U.S. Congress as quickly as possible, with little opportunity for public comment. Chris Castle poignantly asks, why?

___________________________

Guest post by Chris Castle of Music Technology Policy

The powers that be seem to be very, very interested in jamming the Music Modernization Act through Congress with as little public commentary as possible. Casual polling from various mailing lists is being presented as X thousand songwriters are on the bandwagon for MMA, but when you look at the various petitions that were signed by unknown persons, doubts start to surface on just how informed the consent really was.

First, if you read the actual cover letter solicitation that went to songwriters, it was rare that the information provided was more than glittering generalities strung together. At best, individual cover letters from the sending organization seeking to rally its membership narrowly emphasized the parts of the bill that affected its membership most directly, or that the particular orgs advocacy people wanted to get credit for. Then there was a 50 words or less description of the rest of the 100 page bill. I found only one organization that actually sent a link to the bill (which is understandable because most of the petition solicitations I saw were sent before a public copy of the bill was available.)

This lack of information may explain why there was a less than 3% response rate based on public estimates of membership totals. Your average Etsy newsletter probably has a higher response rate than a solicitation to have your name used to justify passing the biggest change to the Copyright Act since the DMCA.

Reading through the MMA, there are many rather obvious mistakes in drafting that one would expect in a situation where there was a lot of inbred commentary, secret drafting sessions and apparently a greater concern with getting it fast than getting it right. Lets take the collectives board of directors for an example. Now rememberthe formation of the actual collective as a non-profit organization will have to be done under state law in order to qualify to be the collective.

My read on the board of directors section of MMA is that the government can decide on how a winner must be structured in order for the government to pick the winner (which frankly is rather pre-determined in the MMA), but even so, the organization will have to comply with state business organization laws which is how it will be formed.

Heres the description of the board of directors in the MMA based on the posted draft:

The mechanical licensing collective shall have a board of directors consisting of 10 voting members and 3 nonvoting members, as follows: (I) Eight voting members shall be music publishers to which songwriters have assigned exclusive rights of reproduction and distribution of musical works

That total has changed to 14 according to news reports. So as anyone who formed a club for their treehouse can tell you, been in a band, or was a first-year corporate associate or an actual songwriter who does cowrites, having an even number of votes on anything is not a good idea and can lead to ties. Just sayin.

But the real problem is beyond the ill-advised to the potentially illegal, or at least not enforceable under state law. The 50 states have a preference for sentient beings populating boards of directors in their corporations, including and maybe especially nonprofits. According to this draft, the board consists of music publishers. I know what they probably meant, but its not what they said. Plus, board composition is something that is usually handled in bylaws or by a voting agreement.

This would be an easy fix, just say Publisher A, B, C, D, E, F, G and H (by name) are chosen by the government to be entitled to board seats, and they shall each designate a natural person (legalese for sentient being) to represent them on the board. Of course, changing those allocations would require an act of Congress, like if Pub D bought Pub H, for example.

Another inexplicable lapse is in the direction to the Register of Copyrights of which winner the Register is to select and which loser the Register is to reject for both the collective and the digital licensee coordinator (who represents Big Tech), both of whom get an antitrust exemption.

The criteria in each case is endorsed by and enjoys substantial support from [copyright owners of musical works/digital music providers] that together represent the greatest share of the [licensor/licensee] market These are rather meaningless words and are phrased in the passive voice, that Washington favorite (you know, the old standby Mistakes were made). What is this based on? All the arguments over market share that take place every year? Based on songs or revenue, etc., etc. And who gets to decide?

These are fundamental mistakes and are the kinds of screwups that smart people make when they are under pressure. I just dont understand what the big rush is to make the biggest change to the Copyright Act since the DMCA.

This legislation will affect the lives of every songwriter in the world for every song ever written or that ever will be written. The last compulsory license was created by the government in 1909, so we have every reason to believe that this legislation could last one hundred years. Or said another way, long after the Spotify IPO.

We should also be clear that if you thought that this legislation was getting the government out of the songwriter business, you need to buy a vowel. The government is more involved than ever before. We are way past broccoli now.

If it takes more thought and more time, then it should. The bill is fundamentally not ready for prime time and it really needs to be.

Share on:Pittsfield Subcommittee Continues Debate On Plastic Bag Ban

PITTSFIELD, Mass.  The proposed plastic bag ban will remain at the subcommittee level for councilors to wordsmith the ordinance and consider alternative bag options.

After two hours of conversation on Monday, the Ordinance and Rules subcommittee voted to table the five-year-old proposal. The councilors heard from GXT Green, a company which manufactures biodegradable bags, about providing an alternative bag option for retailers and the Health Department raised concerns about the enforcement policies.

The bulk of the conversation revolved around Michael Vanin, chief operating officer for GXT Green, who made a presentation regarding his bags. He said the bags do not break down the way plastics do, which provides the same environmental protections as a ban would, while giving retailers a lower cost option than paper bags.

"Not only is it good for the environment but for the consumers, and critically important for businesses," Vanin said.

Vanin hopes for language that would allow his types of bags to be allowed in the city. He said paper bags are worse for the environment "on the front end" and a ban would promote the use of that.

However, Rinaldo Del Gallo, an attorney who first proposed the ban, said he doesn't believe the bags are as environmentally friendly as Vanin presented. He is looking for the passage of the ban as written and said consideration of Vanin's technology could always come as an amendment later. He believes a debate on the science behind the bags could become a lengthy discussion.

"There is a lot of science and it is very debatable," Del Gallo said.

Del Gallo was supported in that thought by Jane Winn of the Berkshire Environmental Action Team.

A few local businesses could appreciate the lower cost option. A representative from Stop and Shop estimated that it would cost the store $120,000 more a year. She said the store uses 3.3 million plastic bags per year and that would then have to be shifted to the more expensive paper bags. Meanwhile, Berkshire Wine and Liquor suggesting the city instead adopt a mandatory 5 cent charge for plastic bags instead so the businesses don't have to should the cost of the switch.

Council Vice President John Krol, however, said the cost increase won't be nearly as dramatic. He said when bag bans are put in place most residents switch to reusable carriers.

"I don't see the degradable plastic bag as a real option and I don't necessarily see the cost to establishments as being as dramatic as $120,000," Krol said.

Krol is wary of putting too much debate into Vanin's request at this moment, saying it "muddies the waters." He said he'd rather move forward with the ban and consider adding language to support that technology later.

Councilor At Large Melissa Mazzeo, however, thinks providing alternatives is a critical discussion to have before writing an ordinance. She believes a lot more companies will be impacted by the ban than many think. Ward 5 Councilor Donna Todd Rivers said the city should be keenly aware of the impact on businesses.

Rivers was also particularly interested in the Health Department's concerns. Director Gina Armstrong said the department does not have the staff to inspect every single establishment for plastic bags. She proposes language that would make the Health Department's enforcement actions be based on complaints, not inspections.

"The Health Department will not have the opportunity to monitor implementations in all of our establishments," Armstrong said.

She also would like to get the Board of Health away from being the deciding factors on deferments. If a company wants some additional time to comply with the ban to get rid of old stock, Armstrong wants that decision to be made by a small internal committee consisting of a representative from the Green Commission, the Health Department, and one other city official.

The Ordinance and Rules Committee opted to table the issue for more discussion.Williamstown's Town Election Ballot Still Has Holes

WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass.  With just over a week left before the deadline to return papers for May's town election, there is just one contested race on the ballot, and there are two positions for which no one has pulled papers.

Town Clerk Mary Kennedy reported Thursday that the town's three-year seat on the Northern Berkshire Vocational Regional School Committee and one of the two Elementary School Committee seats up for grabs have attracted no interest to date.

There are two seats on the ballot for the Williamstown Elementary School Committee, though they will be largely pro forma elections. On July 1, the elementary school committee will cease to exist as the Mount Greylock Transition Committee formally takes overall operations for the three schools in the recently expanded district.

Incumbent Catherine Keating has taken out papers for her seat on the School Committee. The other seat up for election currently is occupied by Joe Johnson.

The McCann Tech post, a three-year seat, is currently held by Thomas Mahar. No one has taken out papers to fill the post.

Incumbent Select Board member Anne O'Connor has taken out papers and returned them to retain her three-year seat on the board, as has incumbent library trustee Charles Bonenti.

The Planning Board is the only panel to see a potential race so far. There are two seats on the ballot: a five-year seat currently held by Chris Kapiloff and the two years remaining on the seat held by Ann McCallum, who is stepping down from the board.

Both Stephanie Boyd and Michael Goodwin have taken out and returned papers to fill the seat held by Kapiloff.

Alexander Carlisle has taken out papers for McCallum's seat.

The deadline to return election papers with signatures is Tuesday, March 20.



iciHaiti - FLASH : Temporary closure of the Pedernales border market





Following the recent machete attack by two former Haitian employees, of Julio Reyes Perez owner of a ranch in Le Quemao, a rural community in Las Mercedes and his partner Neida Feliz Urbaez both dead as a result of their injuries, the Mayor of Pedernales Luis Manuel Felix Matos aka "Minguito" announced on Monday, March 12th the temporary closure of the border market.



The Mayor explained that he wanted to avoid reprisals of Dominicans against Haitians who come to trade in the market, while the two perpetrators (two brothers) of this assault are still on the run and have found refuge in Haiti.



The third brother of the two fugitives was arrested in the community of Banana-Haiti in possession of a motorcycle belonging to the owner of the ranch.



SL/ iciHaiti





















iciHaiti - DR : Migratory control operations multiply





On the instructions of the Lieutenant General, Maximo William Munoz Delgado, Director General of the Directorate General of Migration (DGM), teams composed of inspectors and agents of the DGM, with the support of the military personnel of the Army of the Republic Dominican Republic and in coordination with the public prosecutor's office of the province have been deployed for migratory control operations in different places of the Hato Mayor del Rey Province among others : La China, Los Hatillos, La Pocilga, Los Solares, Villa Vilorio, Vicentillo.



During these operations carried out after intelligence work, 327 Haitians and also some Chinese were arrested. After the purge process, 59 Haitian nationals and 3 Chinese migrants in an irregular migration situation were deported to their country of origin.



The DGM reiterates that these operations will be carried out continuously in other provinces of the national territory, to continue locating foreigners in violation of the provisions of Law 285-04 on migration.



S/ iciHaiti

















Bibi Appreciates Trump

The Fellowship | March 12, 2018

This weekend, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu sat down with Fox News Mark Levin for an interview on his relationship with the U.S. administration. The Times of Israels Eric Cortellessa reports that Netanyahu praised his bond with Donald Trump, saying they have had a direct and very positive relationship from the get-go:

Netanyahu has consistently trumpeted his close relationship with the US president, whom he met with last week in Washington, highlighting Trumps willingness to come through on a number of policy shifts, such as recognizing Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, and a seemingly coordinated stance toward Iran. On Wednesday, he said the two had never had a disagreement.

Theres a certain chemistry, Netanyahu told pro-Trump radio host Mark Levin, in an interview aired Sunday on Fox News. The president likes to cut through, I dont want to call it noise, but you know, there are two initials in English  he just cuts right through it. Its refreshing. When we talk about serious things, he gets right to the point.

Asked to describe his relationship with Trump, which Levin said seemed very unique, very personal, the Israeli premier said he had a direct and very positive relationship from the get-go with the controversial and incendiary American president.

The bilateral meeting between Netanyahu and Trump Monday at the White House was their fifth bilateral summit since the US president took office in January of 2017

Throughout his US tour, Netanyahu repeatedly thanked Trump for his decision last year to formally recognize Jerusalem as Israels capital and set in motion plans to move the US embassy there from Tel Aviv. He also praised Trumps ultimatum on the Iran nuclear deal  saying either Congress and Americas European allies would amend the accord or he would walk away from it.Imperial Valley News Center

Goal to fusion power on the fast track

Cambridge, Massachusetts - Progress toward the long-sought dream of fusion power - potentially an inexhaustible and zero-carbon source of energy - could be about to take a dramatic leap forward.

Development of this carbon-free, combustion-free source of energy is now on a faster track toward realization, thanks to a collaboration between MIT and a new private company, Commonwealth Fusion Systems. CFS will join with MIT to carry out rapid, staged research leading to a new generation of fusion experiments and power plants based on advances in high-temperature superconductors  work made possible by decades of federal government funding for basic research.

CFS is announcing today that it has attracted an investment of $50 million in support of this effort from the Italian energy company Eni. In addition, CFS continues to seek the support of additional investors. CFS will fund fusion research at MIT as part of this collaboration, with an ultimate goal of rapidly commercializing fusion energy and establishing a new industry.

This is an important historical moment: Advances in superconducting magnets have put fusion energy potentially within reach, offering the prospect of a safe, carbon-free energy future, says MIT President L. Rafael Reif. As humanity confronts the rising risks of climate disruption, I am thrilled that MIT is joining with industrial allies, both longstanding and new, to run full-speed toward this transformative vision for our shared future on Earth.

Everyone agrees on the eventual impact and the commercial potential of fusion power, but then the question is: How do you get there? adds Commonwealth Fusion Systems CEO Robert Mumgaard SM 15, PhD 15. We get there by leveraging the science thats already developed, collaborating with the right partners, and tackling the problems step by step.

MIT Vice President for Research Maria Zuber, who has written an op-ed on the importance of this news that appears in todays Boston Globe, notes that MITs collaboration with CFS required concerted effort among people and offices at MIT that support innovation: We are grateful for the MIT team that worked tirelessly to form this collaboration. Associate Provost Karen Gleasons leadership was instrumental  as was the creativity, diligence, and care of the Office of the General Counsel, the Office of Sponsored Programs, the Technology Licensing Office, and the MIT Energy Initiative. A great job by all.

Superconducting magnets are key

Fusion, the process that powers the sun and stars, involves light elements, such as hydrogen, smashing together to form heavier elements, such as helium  releasing prodigious amounts of energy in the process. This process produces net energy only at extreme temperatures of hundreds of millions of degrees Celsius, too hot for any solid material to withstand. To get around that, fusion researchers use magnetic fields to hold in place the hot plasma  a kind of gaseous soup of subatomic particles  keeping it from coming into contact with any part of the donut-shaped chamber.

The new effort aims to build a compact device capable of generating 100 million watts, or 100 megawatts (MW), of fusion power. This device will, if all goes according to plan, demonstrate key technical milestones needed to ultimately achieve a full-scale prototype of a fusion power plant that could set the world on a path to low-carbon energy. If widely disseminated, such fusion power plants could meet a substantial fraction of the worlds growing energy needs while drastically curbing the greenhouse gas emissions that are causing global climate change.

Today is a very important day for us, says Eni CEO Claudio Descalzi. Thanks to this agreement, Eni takes a significant step forward toward the development of alternative energy sources with an ever-lower environmental impact. Fusion is the true energy source of the future, as it is completely sustainable, does not release emissions or long-term waste, and is potentially inexhaustible. It is a goal that we are increasingly determined to reach quickly.

CFS will support more than $30 million of MIT research over the next three years through investments by Eni and others. This work will aim to develop the worlds most powerful large-bore superconducting electromagnets  the key component that will enable construction of a much more compact version of a fusion device called a tokamak. The magnets, based on a superconducting material that has only recently become available commercially, will produce a magnetic field four times as strong as that employed in any existing fusion experiment, enabling a more than tenfold increase in the power produced by a tokamak of a given size.

Conceived at PSFC

The project was conceived by researchers from MITs Plasma Science and Fusion Center, led by PSFC Director Dennis Whyte, Deputy Director Martin Greenwald, and a team that grew to include representatives from across MIT, involving disciplines from engineering to physics to architecture to economics. The core PSFC team included Mumgaard, Dan Brunner PhD 13, and Brandon Sorbom PhD 17  all now leading CFS  as well as Zach Hartwig PhD 14, now an assistant professor of nuclear science and engineering at MIT.

Once the superconducting electromagnets are developed by researchers at MIT and CFS  expected to occur within three years  MIT and CFS will design and build a compact and powerful fusion experiment, called SPARC, using those magnets. The experiment will be used for what is expected to be a final round of research enabling design of the worlds first commercial power-producing fusion plants.

SPARC is designed to produce about 100 MW of heat. While it will not turn that heat into electricity, it will produce, in pulses of about 10 seconds, as much power as is used by a small city. That output would be more than twice the power used to heat the plasma, achieving the ultimate technical milestone: positive net energy from fusion.

This demonstration would establish that a new power plant of about twice SPARCs diameter, capable of producing commercially viable net power output, could go ahead toward final design and construction. Such a plant would become the worlds first true fusion power plant, with a capacity of 200 MW of electricity, comparable to that of most modern commercial electric power plants. At that point, its implementation could proceed rapidly and with little risk, and such power plants could be demonstrated within 15 years, say Whyte, Greenwald, and Hartwig.

Complementary to ITER

The project is expected to complement the research planned for a large international collaboration called ITER, currently under construction as the worlds largest fusion experiment at a site in southern France. If successful, ITER is expected to begin producing fusion energy around 2035.

Fusion is way too important for only one track, says Greenwald, who is a senior research scientist at PSFC.

By using magnets made from the newly available superconducting material  a steel tape coated with a compound called yttrium-barium-copper oxide (YBCO)  SPARC is designed to produce a fusion power output about a fifth that of ITER, but in a device that is only about 1/65 the volume, Hartwig says. The ultimate benefit of the YBCO tape, he adds, is that it drastically reduces the cost, timeline, and organizational complexity required to build net fusion energy devices, enabling new players and new approaches to fusion energy at university and private company scale.

The way these high-field magnets slash the size of plants needed to achieve a given level of power has repercussions that reverberate through every aspect of the design. Components that would otherwise be so large that they would have to be manufactured on-site could instead be factory-built and trucked in; ancillary systems for cooling and other functions would all be scaled back proportionately; and the total cost and time for design and construction would be drastically reduced.

What youre looking for is power production technologies that are going to play nicely within the mix thats going to be integrated on the grid in 10 to 20 years, Hartwig says. The grid right now is moving away from these two- or three-gigawatt monolithic coal or fission power plants. The range of a large fraction of power production facilities in the U.S. is now is in the 100 to 500 megawatt range. Your technology has to be amenable with what sells to compete robustly in a brutal marketplace.

Because the magnets are the key technology for the new fusion reactor, and because their development carries the greatest uncertainties, Whyte explains, work on the magnets will be the initial three-year phase of the project  building upon the strong foundation of federally funded research conducted at MIT and elsewhere. Once the magnet technology is proven, the next step of designing the SPARC tokamak is based on a relatively straightforward evolution from existing tokamak experiments, he says.

By putting the magnet development up front, says Whyte, the Hitachi America Professor of Engineering and head of MITs Department of Nuclear Science and Engineering, we think that this gives you a really solid answer in three years, and gives you a great amount of confidence moving forward that youre giving yourself the best possible chance of answering the key question, which is: Can you make net energy from a magnetically confined plasma?

The research project aims to leverage the scientific knowledge and expertise built up over decades of government-funded research  including MITs work, from 1971 to 2016, with its Alcator C-Mod experiment, as well as its predecessors  in combination with the intensity of a well-funded startup company. Whyte, Greenwald, and Hartwig say that this approach could greatly shorten the time to bring fusion technology to the marketplace  while theres still time for fusion to make a real difference in climate change.

MITEI participation

Commonwealth Fusion Systems is a private company and will join the MIT Energy Initiative (MITEI) as part of a new university-industry partnership built to carry out this plan. The collaboration between MITEI and CFS is expected to bolster MIT research and teaching on the science of fusion, while at the same time building a strong industrial partner that ultimately could be positioned to bring fusion power to real-world use.

MITEI has created a new membership specifically for energy startups, and CFS is the first company to become a member through this new program, says MITEI Director Robert Armstrong, the Chevron Professor of Chemical Engineering at MIT. In addition to providing access to the significant resources and capabilities of the Institute, the membership is designed to expose startups to incumbent energy companies and their vast knowledge of the energy system. It was through their engagement with MITEI that Eni, one of MITEIs founding members, became aware of SPARCs tremendous potential for revolutionizing the energy system.

Energy startups often require significant research funding to further their technology to the point where new clean energy solutions can be brought to market. Traditional forms of early-stage funding are often incompatible with the long lead times and capital intensity that are well-known to energy investors.

Because of the nature of the conditions required to produce fusion reactions, you have to start at scale, Greenwald says. Thats why this kind of academic-industry collaboration was essential to enable the technology to move forward quickly. This is not like three engineers building a new app in a garage.

Most of the initial round of funding from CFS will support collaborative research and development at MIT to demonstrate the new superconducting magnets. The team is confident that the magnets can be successfully developed to meet the needs of the task. Still, Greenwald adds, that doesnt mean its a trivial task, and it will require substantial work by a large team of researchers. But, he points out, others have built magnets using this material, for other purposes, which had twice the magnetic field strength that will be required for this reactor. Though these high-field magnets were small, they do validate the basic feasibility of the concept.

In addition to its support of CFS, Eni has also announced an agreement with MITEI to fund fusion research projects run out of PSFCs Laboratory for Innovation in Fusion Technologies. The expected investment in these research projects amounts to about $2 million in the coming years.

Conservative physics

SPARC is an evolution of a tokamak design that has been studied and refined for decades. This included work at MIT that began in the 1970s, led by professors Bruno Coppi and Ron Parker, who developed the kind of high-magnetic-field fusion experiments that have been operated at MIT ever since, setting numerous fusion records.

Our strategy is to use conservative physics, based on decades of work at MIT and elsewhere, Greenwald says. If SPARC does achieve its expected performance, my sense is thats sort of a Kitty Hawk moment for fusion, by robustly demonstrating net power, in a device that scales to a real power plant.Insulator or superconductor? Physicists find graphene is both

Cambridge, Massachusetts - Its hard to believe that a single material can be described by as many superlatives as graphene can. Since its discovery in 2004, scientists have found that the lacy, honeycomb-like sheet of carbon atoms - essentially the most microscopic shaving of pencil lead you can imagine - is not just the thinnest material known in the world, but also incredibly light and flexible, hundreds of times stronger than steel, and more electrically conductive than copper.

Now physicists at MIT and Harvard University have found the wonder material can exhibit even more curious electronic properties. In two papers published today in Nature, the team reports it can tune graphene to behave at two electrical extremes: as an insulator, in which electrons are completely blocked from flowing; and as a superconductor, in which electrical current can stream through without resistance.

Researchers in the past, including this team, have been able to synthesize graphene superconductors by placing the material in contact with other superconducting metals  an arrangement that allows graphene to inherit some superconducting behaviors. This time around, the team found a way to make graphene superconduct on its own, demonstrating that superconductivity can be an intrinsic quality in the purely carbon-based material.

The physicists accomplished this by creating a superlattice of two graphene sheets stacked together  not precisely on top of each other, but rotated ever so slightly, at a magic angle of 1.1 degrees. As a result, the overlaying, hexagonal honeycomb pattern is offset slightly, creating a precise moire configuration that is predicted to induce strange, strongly correlated interactions between the electrons in the graphene sheets. In any other stacked configuration, graphene prefers to remain distinct, interacting very little, electronically or otherwise, with its neighboring layers.

The team, led by Pablo Jarillo-Herrero, an associate professor of physics at MIT, found that when rotated at the magic angle, the two sheets of graphene exhibit nonconducting behavior, similar to an exotic class of materials known as Mott insulators. When the researchers then applied voltage, adding small amounts of electrons to the graphene superlattice, they found that, at a certain level, the electrons broke out of the initial insulating state and flowed without resistance, as if through a superconductor.

We can now use graphene as a new platform for investigating unconventional superconductivity, Jarillo-Herrero says. One can also imagine making a superconducting transistor out of graphene, which you can switch on and off, from superconducting to insulating. That opens many possibilities for quantum devices.

A 30-year gap

A materials ability to conduct electricity is normally represented in terms of energy bands. A single band represents a range of energies that a materials electrons can have. There is an energy gap between bands, and when one band is filled, an electron must embody extra energy to overcome this gap, in order to occupy the next empty band.

A material is considered an insulator if the last occupied energy band is completely filled with electrons. Electrical conductors such as metals, on the other hand, exhibit partially filled energy bands, with empty energy states which the electrons can fill to freely move.

Mott insulators, however, are a class of materials that appear from their band structure to conduct electricity, but when measured, they behave as insulators. Specifically, their energy bands are half-filled, but because of strong electrostatic interactions between electrons (such as charges of equal sign repelling each other), the material does not conduct electricity. The half-filled band essentially splits into two miniature, almost-flat bands, with electrons completely occupying one band and leaving the other empty, and hence behaving as an insulator.

This means all the electrons are blocked, so its an insulator because of this strong repulsion between the electrons, so nothing can flow, Jarillo-Herrero explains. Why are Mott insulators important? It turns out the parent compound of most high-temperature superconductors is a Mott insulator.

In other words, scientists have found ways to manipulate the electronic properties of Mott insulators to turn them into superconductors, at relatively high temperatures of about 100 Kelvin. To do this, they chemically dope the material with oxygen, the atoms of which attract electrons out of the Mott insulator, leaving more room for remaining electrons to flow. When enough oxygen is added, the insulator morphs into a superconductor. How exactly this transition occurs, Jarillo-Herrero says, has been a 30-year mystery.

This is a problem that is 30 years and counting, unsolved, Jarillo-Herrero says. These high-temperature superconductors have been studied to death, and they have many interesting behaviors. But we dont know how to explain them.

A precise rotation

Jarillo-Herrero and his colleagues looked for a simpler platform to study such unconventional physics. In studying the electronic properties in graphene, the team began to play around with simple stacks of graphene sheets. The researchers created two-sheet superlattices by first exfoliating a single flake of graphene from graphite, then carefully picking up half the flake with a glass slide coated with a sticky polymer and an insulating material of boron nitride.

They then rotated the glass slide very slightly and picked up the second half of the graphene flake, adhering it to the first half. In this way, they created a superlattice with an offset pattern that is distinct from graphenes original honeycomb lattice.

The team repeated this experiment, creating several devices, or graphene superlattices, with various angles of rotation, between 0 and 3 degrees. They attached electrodes to each device and measured an electrical current passing through, then plotted the devices resistance, given the amount of the original current that passed through.

If you are off in your rotation angle by 0.2 degrees, all the physics is gone, Jarillo-Herrero says. No superconductivity or Mott insulator appears. So you have to be very precise with the alignment angle.

At 1.1 degrees  a rotation that has been predicted to be a magic angle  the researchers found the graphene superlattice electronically resembled a flat band structure, similar to a Mott insulator, in which all electrons carry the same energy regardless of their momentum.

Imagine the momentum for a car is mass times velocity, Jarillo-Herrero says. If youre driving at 30 miles per hour, you have a certain amount of kinetic energy. If you drive at 60 miles per hour, you have much higher energy, and if you crash, you could deform a much bigger object. This thing is saying, no matter if you go 30 or 60 or 100 miles per hour, they would all have the same energy.

Current for free

For electrons, this means that, even if they are occupying a half-filled energy band, one electron does not have any more energy than any other electron, to enable it to move around in that band. Therefore, even though such a half-filled band structure should act like a conductor, it instead behaves as an insulator  and more precisely, a Mott insulator.

This gave the team an idea: What if they could add electrons to these Mott-like superlattices, similar to how scientists doped Mott insulators with oxygen to turn them into superconductors? Would graphene assume superconducting qualities in turn?

To find out, they applied a small gate voltage to the magic-angle graphene superlattice, adding small amounts of electrons to the structure. As a result, individual electrons bound together with other electrons in graphene, allowing them to flow where before they could not. Throughout, the researchers continued to measure the electrical resistance of the material, and found that when they added a certain, small amount of electrons, the electrical current flowed without dissipating energy  just like a superconductor.

You can flow current for free, no energy wasted, and this is showing graphene can be a superconductor, Jarillo-Herrero says.

Perhaps more importantly, he says the researchers are able to tune graphene to behave as an insulator or a superconductor, and any phase in between, exhibiting all these diverse properties in one single device. This is in contrast to other methods, in which scientists have had to grow and manipulate hundreds of individual crystals, each of which can be made to behave in just one electronic phase.

Usually, you have to grow different classes of materials to explore each phase, Jarillo-Herrero says. Were doing this in-situ, in one shot, in a purely carbon device. We can explore all those physics in one device electrically, rather than having to make hundreds of devices. It couldnt get any simpler.

This research was supported in part by the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation and ther National Science Foundation.Assistant Secretary Mitchell to Travel to Pristina, Skopje, Belgrade, Athens, and Nicosia

Washington, DC - Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs Wess Mitchell will travel to Pristina, Kosovo; Skopje, Macedonia; Belgrade, Serbia; Athens, Greece; and Nicosia, Cyprus March 12-17.

On March 12 in Pristina, he will meet with senior Kosovo officials, including President Thaci, Prime Minister Haradinaj, and other political and civil society representatives to reaffirm the close ties between Kosovo and the United States. He will encourage the government of Kosovo to advance normalized relations with Serbia, strengthen the rule of law, foster economic growth, and overcome regional challenges in favor of stability and Western integration.

In Skopje on March 13, he will meet with Macedonian Prime Minister Zaev and Foreign Minister Dimitrov. He will reaffirm U.S. support for Macedonias Euro-Atlantic aspirations, offer support for Macedonias on-going negotiations with Greece, and urge the Macedonian government to implement reforms to enhance democratic governance, the rule of law, and a free media.

On March 14 in Belgrade, he will meet with senior Serbian officials, including President Vucic and Prime Minister Brnabic, and opposition leaders. He will reaffirm the strong relationship between Serbia and the United States, and urge the Serbian government to push forward to normalize relations with Kosovo, make the reforms needed to attain its goal of European Union membership, and actively support regional stability.

In Athens on March 15, Assistant Secretary Mitchell will meet with senior Greek officials to discuss deepening U.S.-Greek strategic ties and strengthening bilateral cooperation, including in the areas of defense, energy, trade, and investment.

Finally, in Nicosia on March 16, he will meet with senior Republic of Cyprus officials to discuss bilateral and regional issues, including the development of energy resources in the Eastern Mediterranean. He will also meet with Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot leaders, as well as with representatives of the United Nations.A list of the worlds five richest billionaires no longer features a single European.

According to Bloombergs Billionaire Index, last week French luxury magnate Bernard Arnault slipped by two places to seventh spot, meaning the top five wealthiest are now four Americans and one Mexican.

In sixth place is Armancio Ortega, the Spanish tycoon best known for cofounding Inditex, which is the parent company of brands such as Zara and Massimo Dutti. He now has a net worth of around $65.9bn (47.5bn), putting him just ahead of Mr Arnaults $65.8bn.

The Frenchman is best known for being the chief executive officer of luxury goods company LVMH.

Amazon founder Jeff Bezos continues to dominate the ranking by far, with an estimated wealth of just over $131bn. In the early 1990s, Mr Bezos founded what later became the e-commerce behemoth. Shares in Amazon surged more than 50 per cent during 2017 alone, bolstered by a series of product and service launches, helping Mr Bezos grow his wealth by an estimated $34.7bn last year.

In October, Mr Bezos leapfrogged Bill Gates to take the top spot in the Bloomberg ranking. The Microsoft cofounder, who has been a steady fixture at the top of the list for years, is still in second place with a net worth just short of $93bn.

Veteran financier Warren Buffett is in third place at $91.4bn, followed by Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg with $75.6bn.

The only non-American in the top five is Carlos Slim, with a net wealth of just under $67bn. Mr Slim controls a host of Mexican companies across sectors including telecoms, industrial, healthcare, transport, real estate, media, energy and financial services.

According to Bloomberg, Americans now make up 40 per cent of the Billionaires Index by wealth, followed by Asia at a quarter and Europe at 21 per cent. Seven of the 10 richest people on the planet are Americans.A no-deal Brexit would cost companies in the UK and the EU 58bn a year, with Britains financial services sector taking the biggest hit, according to new research.

The additional direct red-tape cost of tariff and non-tariff barriers would be 27bn to UK firms and 31bn to their EU counterparts, a report from consultancy Oliver Wyman and law firm Clifford Chance estimates.

These increased costs and uncertainty threaten to reduce profitability and pose existential threats to some businesses, the report stated.

Britains relationship with the EU would revert to World Trade Organisation rules if no deal is in place by the end of a transitional period, which is set to begin after the official Brexit deadline in March next year.

Just five sectors  finance, automotive, agriculture, food and drink, and consumer goods  would bear 70 per cent of the burden of additional costs resulting from this scenario, according to the report.

These industries are clustered in particular areas, such as financial services in London and vehicle manufacturing in Bavaria.

 Theresa May sets out trade plans for new relationship with the EU post-Brexit

If the UK remains in a comprehensive customs union with the EU that provides market access (broadly equivalent to current arrangements), the costs arising from tariffs would be avoided and some of the border costs reduced, the report stated.

But that outcome appears increasingly unlikely. In the House of Commons last month, Prime Minister Theresa May gave her fiercest denunciation yet of customs union membership, saying it would betray the vote of the people.

The Government has ruled out remaining in the customs union because it would prevent the UK from negotiating trade deals with other nations.

However, a workable solution, in which the UK leaves the customs union but avoids a hard border between Northern Ireland and the Republic, has yet to be found.

Firms can mitigate the impact of Brexit by making more use of domestic suppliers, or in some cases changing the location of final assembly, the new report suggests.

Developing better IT systems and more warehousing capacity at borders could also help to lessen the additional costs, the authors said.

The report identified the aviation and automotive sectors as having greater ability to make these kinds of savings, compared with than financial services which do not have a supply chain in the traditional sense.

Goldman Sachs and UBS said last week they had begun transferring jobs to Frankfurt in preparation for Brexit.

The Bank of England has warned that about 10,000 finance jobs may leave Britain by the end of next year because of the countrys decision to leave the EU.Labours nationalisation agenda is as serious a threat to the economy as a hard Brexit, according to the Confederation of British Industry president.

Jeremy Cobyns party campaigned on a general election manifesto last year to renationalise the water, rail, energy and postal services.

And the Shadow Chancellor, John McDonnell, has also since pledged to bring controversial private finance initiative (PFI) deals back in house if Labour comes to power.

Recommended Why City bankers are warming to Jeremy Corbyn

But Paul Drechsler, in a speech to business leaders in London, dismissed this nationalisation programme as ideology and warned it is liable to deter much-needed private investment.

So you want to nationalise energy, rail and water, and bring public services contracts back in-house? Lets see the evidence that it will deliver a better service to consumers at a lower cost, Mr Drechsler said.

The CBIs criticism will come as a blow to Labour, coming after the traditionally Tory-friendly business lobby group praised the party for its recent commitment to remaining in a customs union after Brexit.

To the alarm of many exporting UK firms, Theresa Mays Government has rejected any suggestion of staying in the customs union in the long term.

Now, there are things we can agree on with Labour. Including their backing of the CBIs customs union proposal. But their policies on nationalisation arent driven by evidence. Theyre driven by ideology, said Mr Drechsler.

The CBI president, who is also chair of the privately owned Bibby Line Group, said that Labours nationalising ideology was a significant threat alongside the real risk of a hard Brexit.

Now, some are saying: dont worry, its not going to happen. Well get a Brexit deal. And no ones going to be taking private assets into state hands. That may be. I dont make predictions. Not when it comes to politics! But the first lesson in business is, confidence is everything. And every day, Im hearing of potential investors in this country reaching for their coats, he said.

Because theyre not going to risk putting their money into an economy that soon might face export barriers to its single biggest market. Let alone invest in companies, assets and services that could soon be taken over by the state.

 Double Take: Ben Chu and Sean O'Grady on renationalisation

Opinion polls have consistently shown high public support for renationalisation of utilities such as rail services, water and energy.

And the recent collapse of Carillion, a major holder of PFI contracts, leaving the Government to pick them up, has further turned public opinion against the private provision of public services.

Yet Mr Drechsler defended the broad record of privatised industries, claiming private energy companies had helped cut the UKs carbon emissions, private water companies had successfully reduced leaks and passenger numbers had grown in the post-1994 era of privatised rail operating companies.

On the Carillion fallout, Mr Drechsler pleaded for perspective.

Most public-private partnerships work well, he said.

Over 200,000 companies deliver contracts for the public sector. They can  and do  accelerate investment in communities at a time when public services are under pressure. Whether its new ways to care for elderly people, new schools, or upgrading our infrastructure. And they can do so efficiently.

Mr Drechsler warned last March that hard Brexit would open a Pandoras box of terrible consequences for UK businesses. And in December he warned that the stalled EU negotiations meant that Rome is burning for companies here.Lego has been voted the UKs strongest consumer brand in an annual ranking, as last years leader British Airways slipped out of the top 20 altogether.

A survey of 2,500 members of the British public awarded the Danish toy manufacturer the highest honour in Superbrands 2018 consumer list, which is based on perceived quality, reliability and distinction.

Out of a longlist of more than 1,500 companies, shaving brand Gilette rose three places to score second spot, followed by technology giant Apple, toilet paper brand Andrex and Coca-Cola in fifth position.

Disney, Marks & Spencer, Boots, Heinz and BMW rounded out the top 10.

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Lego was in 25th spot back in 2014 and secured second position last year. Its victory in 2018 comes as the group celebrates its 60th anniversary.

In addition to last years winner British Airways, Google and Amazon all dropped out of the top 20, as did Kelloggs and Fairy.

Disney and Heathrow both re-entered the ranking for the first time since 2013. BP and Shell also regained a spot after a four- and three-year absence respectively.

Superbrands chairman Stephen Cheliotis said that British Airways falling out of the top 20 should be a wake-up call for all brands.

In a world where customer expectations have rightfully risen, brands cannot afford to disappoint and need to continually deliver to retain their valuable reputations. No brand, however strong, is immune to changing consumer sentiment, he said.

The rise of fresh, disruptive brands  particularly in terms of relevance to consumers lives  should be an added warning to more established brands, he added.

The likes of Netflix, PurpleBricks and Zoopla may not be challenging for the top spot in the overall ranking yet, but they surely will be if they continue their current momentum and the established elite dont respond fast enough.

Heres the full 2018 list:

1. Lego

2. Gillette

3. Apple

4. Andrex

5. Coca-Cola

6. Disney

7. Marks & Spencer

8. Boots

9. Heinz

10. BMW

11. Cadbury

12. Rolex

13. BP

14. Shell

15. John Lewis

16. Heathrow

17. Jaguar

18. Kleenex

19. Visa

20. Haagen-DazsProspective students will be able to compare university degree courses in MoneySuperMarket style rankings, the Universities Minister has announced.

Individual subjects at English universities will be given a gold, silver or bronze award through a tool that will assess teaching quality, drop-out rates, career prospects and average salary earned.

The rating system is part of the Governments drive to hold universities  which charge students up to 9,250 a year - to account on poor quality of teaching.

Speaking on BBC Radio 4s Today programme, Universities Minister Sam Gyimah said: This allows students who are making a considerable investment in their university education to identify which course, at which university, would be best for them.

He added: In almost every investment we make in our lives, outside of universities, we are able to look at data. You can go to MoneySuperMarket and do that for a whole range of things  but we cant do that for university courses and I think that is something that needs to be rectified.

The proposals, which are to be piloted with 50 universities initially, have been put out for consultation today, and if introduced, the first subject-level ratings will not be published until 2020.

Speaking today, Mr Gyimah said he hoped the tool would help students who are first in their family to consider higher education, adding that they may not know which top universities are actually coasting despite their good reputations.

It comes as a former student is taking Anglia Ruskin University to court after claiming she had been left with nothing more than a Mickey Mouse degree that has not helped her career.

The Governments move is the next phase of the Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF) - which awards individual universities a badge of gold, silver or bronze based on a range of measures.

The first university-level ratings, which were published in June last year, came under fire from a number of elite universities which did not achieve the highest score.

Of the 21 Russell Group universities that took part, just eight were given a gold rating. Meanwhile, the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), the University of Liverpool and the University of Southampton were all given a bronze rating.

Concerns were raised that the system did not fully measure quality and that potential students needed clear guidance about what the results meant and how they should be used.

Last summer, the Government also published information on graduate salaries which revealed a great disparity among students who did the same degree subject, but studied at different universities.

The data, from the Longitudinal Education Outcomes, revealed economics graduates from LSE have median salaries of 55,200 five years after leaving. Meanwhile, economics graduates from the University of East London are on average salaries of 18,100.

The Government is planning to create a series of apps that will make it easier for prospective students to access all the new information under subject-level rankings.

Prospective students deserve to know which courses deliver great teaching and great outcomes - and which ones are lagging behind, Mr Gyimah said. In the age of the student, universities will no longer be able to hide if their teaching quality is not up to the world-class standard that we expect.

Student news in pictures Show all 34 1 /34 Student news in pictures Student news in pictures South Korean policemen detain a student demonstrator during a protest against South Korean President Park Geun-Hye EPA Student news in pictures South Korean policemen detain student protestors during a protest against South Korean President Park Geun-Hye outside the National Assembly in Seoul, South Korea. The protesters demanded that the parliament takes steps to impeach President Park Geun-Hye EPA Student news in pictures Filipino demonstrators face off with anti-riot police during a protest near the US Embassy in Manila, Philippine EPA Student news in pictures Hundreds of protesters including Indigenous People, students and militant groups marched towards the US Embassy to protest against the presence of US military troops and condemning the violent dispersal which left at least forty people hurt including twenty police officers and three people who were run over by a police van EPA Student news in pictures A federal judge in Mexico has ordered that a once-fugitive police chief be held on charges of kidnapping in the disappearance of 43 students Student news in pictures A man holds up a photograph of a missing student with a caption reading 'We are missing 43,' during a meeting marking the 25-month anniversary of the disappearances of 43 students in the southern state of Guerrero, in Mexico City. A federal judge in Mexico has ordered that a once-fugitive police chief be held on charges of kidnapping in the disappearance of 43 students AP Student news in pictures Miguel Perez, an intern student from the University of Puerto Rico School of Medicine, puts away his cell phone before walking into the operating room at the Dr. Isaac Gonzalez MartInez Oncological Hospital in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Once they complete their general surgery training, many residents are moving to the United States in search of better wages, one of the main factors linked to the current shortage of specialists in the Island Student news in pictures Fewer EU students have applied to start university courses in the UK next autumn. There was a 9% fall in the numbers who had applied for courses, according to admissions service UCAS. PA wire Student news in pictures University students protest against President Nicolas Maduro, in Caracas, Venezuela. Masses of protesters jammed the streets of Venezuela's capital on the heels of a move by congress to open a political trial against Maduro, whose allies have blocked moves for a recall election AP Student news in pictures University students protest against President Nicolas Maduro, in Caracas, Venezuela AP Student news in pictures Thousands, most of them high school students, march during a demonstration in Madrid, Spain, on a one day strike to protest about the country's education law that increases the number of annual exams AP Student news in pictures Students gather on the west mall to confront the Young Conservatives of Texas student organization over a controversial bake sale on The University of Texas campus in Austin, Texas. The Young Conservatives of Texas chapter at the University of Texas-Austin sparked the protest with an affirmative action bake sale. The club encouraged students to buy a cookie and talk about the disastrous policy that is affirmative action Student news in pictures Donald Parish Jr, right, confronts Electrical and Computer Engineering senior Dewayne Perry over a controversial bake sale on The University of Texas campus in Austin, Texas. The Young Conservatives of Texas chapter at the University of Texas-Austin sparked the protest with an affirmative action bake sale. The club encouraged students to buy a cookie and talk about the disastrous policy that is affirmative action AP Student news in pictures Brigham Young University announced that students who report sexual assault will no longer be investigated for possible violations of the Mormon-owned school's strict honor code that bans such things as alcohol use AP Student news in pictures Students of secondary education march to protest against the final examinations and LOMCE (The Improvement Quality Education Law) law, after a call by trade unions, in Murcia, Spain EPA Student news in pictures South African police have used stun grenades and rubber bullets to disperse hundreds of protesters who had marched to the parliament building to call for free university education, where the finance minister was giving a budget speech AP Student news in pictures Police break up student protests outside the parliament in Cape Town, South Africa Reuters Student news in pictures South African Policemen fire rubber bullets at student protestors in Cape Town, South Africa AP Student news in pictures A student protestor is hit by a rubber bullet in Cape Town, South Africa AP Student news in pictures An injured student is helped by colleagues during protest outside the parliament during South African Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan's medium term budget speech in Cape Town, South Africa Reuters Student news in pictures Plaintiffs and bereaved families of elementary school students killed in the tsunami that followed a major earthquake in northeastern Japan in 2011, show banners that say 'victory in a suit filed with the Sendai District Court' in Sendai. A Japanese court ordered municipalities to pay $13.7 million dollars to families of school children who were swept away to their deaths by the 2011 tsunami Getty Student news in pictures A group of student at Ewha Womans University calls for a thorough investigation into those involved in years of engagement with state affairs backstage by Choi Soon-sil, a personal confidante of South Korean President Park Geun-hye, at the school's front gate in Seoul, South Korea EPA Student news in pictures Students raise placards during a strike action called by the student union, in Madrid against university entry exams Getty Student news in pictures Libyans throw a newly graduated student into a fountain as they celebrate during the graduation ceremony for students from the Faculty of Pharmacy at the Al-Arab University in the eastern Libyan city of Benghazi Getty Student news in pictures Libyans celebrate as they attend the graduation ceremony for students from the Faculty of Pharmacy at the Al-Arab University in the eastern Libyan city of Benghazi Getty Student news in pictures Libyans celebrate as they attend the graduation ceremony for students from the Faculty of Pharmacy at the Al-Arab University in the eastern Libyan city of Benghazi Getty Student news in pictures Thousands of Thai Catholic students take part in mourning tributes and in singing the Thai Royal Anthem to honour late Thai King Bhumibol Adulyadej at Saint Dominic School in Bangkok, Thailand EPA Student news in pictures Students of Silpakorn University paint portraits of the late Thai King Bhumibol Adulyadej at the university campus in Bangkok Getty Student news in pictures A student of Silpakorn University paints a portrait of the late Thai King Bhumibol Adulyadej at the university campus in Bangkok Getty Student news in pictures St Andrews University students take part in a foam fight known as Raisin Monday in the Lower College Lawn behind St Salvator's Quadrangle following the Raisin Weekend PA wire Student news in pictures St Andrews University students take part in a foam fight known as Raisin Monday in the Lower College Lawn behind St Salvator's Quadrangle following the Raisin Weekend, an annual tradition where student 'parents' inflict tasks on the unfortunate first-years they have adopted as 'children' as part of a mentoring scheme PA wire Student news in pictures Students at the Cuba's National Ballet School (ENB) in Havana, Cuba Reuters Student news in pictures Students at the Cuba's National Ballet School (ENB) take part in a practice in Havana, Cuba Reuters Student news in pictures Students at the Cuba's National Ballet School (ENB) wait in line to enter a classroom in Havana, Cuba Reuters

A spokeswoman for the Russell Group, which represents 24 leading universities, said: Our members provide an outstanding student experience where teaching is enhanced by access to world-class research and facilities.

Developing a robust TEF that is truly reflective of the UK's excellent higher education system and which provides genuinely helpful information for students in their decision-making will take time.

We look forward to engaging with this technical consultation, and to the independent review of TEF which will take place next year.Metro Manila (CNN Philippines)  March is all about women.

As the world acknowledges Women's Month, SM honors all women everywhere with a celebration designed for women, and by women in 68 malls nationwide.

In a media launch on March 8 at the SM Mall of Asia, the collaboration between SM Supermalls and SM Woman unveiled fun activities to treat, thank, and empower women with summer shopping thrills and great deals on their favorite items.

For the entire month, SM Woman is offering up to 50 percent off and buy 1 get 1 deals, as well as gifts from participating brands.

A summer fashion show featuring Coco Cabana's 2018 Summer Collection is another activity that shouldn't be missed as it will feature stylish swimwear and resort wear with hot trends fresh from the runway.

Exciting events in the malls include the much-awaited Women's Sale on all Wednesdays of March, where ladies can get up to 70 percent off on exclusive deals and fabulous finds every week of the month.

Beauty junkies can go on a spree for discounts and bundles on must-haves, and can also indulge in pampering promos from beauty and wellness stores.

There is also the Ladies' Wellness Camp for tips and hacks from style gurus on wellness, nutrition, and fitness.

SM Supermalls will also have digital promos for everyone who want to make a mark in the wonderful #WorldofWomenAtSM!

Collaborating with renowned photographer Niccolo Cosme of Headshot Clinic, this project celebrates empowered females who have made a difference in the lives of Filipinos through their chosen advocacies.

SM Supermalls is on the lookout for beautiful, strong, confident, fierce, and driven women who believe, support, and empower other women, standing tall amidst all challenges that come their way.

Women of all ages, sizes, shapes, backgrounds, and professions are encouraged to join this women empowerment movement for a chance to win amazing prizes! Plus, winners will each receive a power portrait taken by Niccolo Cosme that will be showcased through an exhibit at SM Megamall on March 22.

Visit www.smsupermalls.com to know more.

It's time to get #WhatWomenWant at SM WOMAN! March your way now to SM Supermalls because it's a #WorldOfWomenAtSM this Women's Month!A powerful Russian nerve agent has been used on a Russian opposition leader, according to the German government.

Novichok nerve agents have been described as the most deadly ever made. They came to public prominence most recently in the wake of poisonings in the UK, where the Skripals and others were attacked.

But they have returned to prominence as the German government announced it had found Novichok in samples from Russian leader Alexei Navalny, who fell sick during a flight.

Use of nerve agents of this kind is banned under international conventions, because of the potency and potential horrible effects. They are developed in secret to get around those treaties and designed to avoid detection.

Novichok was first developed in the 1970s and Eighties by what was then the Soviet Union. The name means newcomer in Russian, and indicates the fact that when it was developed it marked a major breakthrough in the power of such chemical weapons.

That new potency meant that it was by some way the most powerful nerve agent in the world, and it continues to be thought one of the most deadly weapons available.

It can only be produced by highly specialised scientists, according to the researcher who helped develop it, and can only be used with intense supervision.

Novichok became famous in the Nineties, when a Soviet scientist called Vil Mirzayanov revealed that the country had secretly developed the powerful nerve gas, which was far more potent than anything in the US. Though the Soviet Union had been developing it for some time, it didnt become known for as long as a decade after it was actually available, because it had been kept entirely secret.

It wasnt clear how much of it the Soviet Union actually developed, though Mr Mirzayanov said Novichok was developed in much smaller amounts, meaning there might only be enough to kill several hundreds of thousands of people.

According to Professor Gary Stephens, pharmacology expert at the University of Reading: This is a more dangerous and sophisticated agent than sarin or VX and is harder to identify. It causes a slowing of the heart and restriction of the airways, leading to death by asphyxiation.

One of the main reasons these agents are developed is because their component parts are not on the banned list. It means the chemicals that are mixed to create it are much easier to deliver with no risk to the health of the courier.

It works like all nerve agents, by overriding neurotransmitters in the body and shutting down the way it normally works. By forcing muscles to contract by attacking the nervous system, important parts of the body start to shut down  soon after someone comes into contact with such a nerve agent, the heart and diaphragm will shut down and death can result either through heart failure or suffocation.

Though it was developed to be as dangerous as possible when used, it was also designed so that it could be relatively easily transported. The nerve agent is made out of different precursors, which are relatively safe until they are mixed for use in a weapon.

That would presumably mean that the poison could transported relatively easily to Salisbury from Russia. Its still not clear how such a poison would be able to make its way into the country.

As far as is known, the nerve agent has stayed in Russia since it was developed, which is what gives the Government such confidence that the country either used the poison itself or has lost control of it. But the Prime Minister did not speculate on the people or group behind the attack, or how it could have been carried out.

Nerve agents were first developed by the Nazis during the Second World War, and have been called by one expert possibly some of the most dangerous things that humans have ever made, after the atom bomb.

Just a drop of them is enough to entirely shut down a body, and countries including Russia, the US and the UK have been working to make them even more powerful since they were first introduced.

Prof Robert Stockman, professor of organic chemistry, University of Nottingham, said: Fluoro phosphate-based nerve agents (such as Sarin, VX) work quickly  so in terms of half-lives within the body, this will not be very long (minutes, maybe hours).

They react in stages with the nervous system  if an antidote can be administered within the first 24-48 hours, much of the effects can be reversed. However, the longer the victim goes before the antidote is administered, the agents effect on the nervous system ages and the effects become irreversible.

Within the environment, these agents react with water to degrade, including moisture in the air, and so in the UK they would have a very limited lifetime. This is presumably why the street in Salisbury was being hosed down as a precaution  it would effectively destroy the agent.

He added: In terms of their effect on the body, they interfere with the nervous system, rendering the parts affected inoperable  thus the uncontrollable muscle spasms, the difficulty breathing  the nervous system tells these muscles when and how to move, and interfering in this causes the spasms. The effects of the nervous agent can only be removed with an antidote given in time, or irreparable damage will be done.

This article was originally published in the wake of the poisoning of the Skripals. It has been updated in the wake of the German government's announcement that it had found Novichok in samples from Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny.Pioneering British chemist Sir William Henry Perkin (1838-1907), the man who discovered the first artificial clothing dye entirely by accident, was born 180 years ago today.

The anniversary of this eminent Victorian and scion of the Industrial Revolution is commemorated in today's Google Doodle.

But who was Perkin and how did he come to make his breakthrough aged just 18?

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Perkin was raised in Shadwell in East London, the youngest of seven children born to wealthy carpenter George Perkin and his Scottish wife Sarah.

He attended the City of London School at the age of 14 and it was here that influential schoolmaster Thomas Hall first recognised his aptitude for chemistry and encouraged him to pursue its study.

A year later, William entered the Royal College of Chemistry (now part of Imperial College London) on Hall's recommendation and studied under the great German scientist August Wilhelm von Hofmann.

 Who is Gertrude Jekyll?

Aged just 18, Perkin made the discovery that would define his career. Working on an experiment to synthesise quinine to aid the treatment of malaria, he learned that alcohol could be used to extract an intense purple colour from aniline.

Having a keen interest in photography and painting, Perkin realised his finding's potential but initially kept it a secret from Hofmann as it indicated the failure of his coursework.

Collaborating on its development with his brother Thomas and friend Arthur Church from the bowels of his make-shift Cable Street laboratory, Perkin realised the substance could be mass produced and commercialised.

Trialling "mauveine" - as it was now called - as a dye for silks, the trio found it stable and Perkin duly patented the process in 1856.

At the time, all dyes for colouring cloth were derived from natural substances, a costly and labour-intensive business. Purple particularly so, having to be extracted from lichens or by overdyeing indigo.

Perkin demonstrated considerable entrepreneurial spirit and prowess in convincing Britain's then-booming textile industry to adopt mauveine, raising capital, publicising the dye to whip up demand and advising manufacturers on its application to cotton.

His cause was greatly helped when both Queen Victoria and Empress Eugenie of France wore mauveine-coloured gowns on occasions of state - and by a fashion for hooped-skirts taking off.

William spent the rest of his career controlling his business interests and working on new synthetic dyes, offering new shades such as "Britannia Violet" and "Perkin's Green".

Pop star Prince is closely identified with the colour purple (Warner Bros/Kobal/Rex/Shutterstock)

Legend has it that the Grand Union Canal near his dyeworks in Greenford, Ealing, changed colour week by week depending on what chemicals Perkin was then working with.

He was later knighted for his achievements before dying of pneumonia in 1907 after suffering a burst appendix. All three of his sons became chemists to continue the family line.

What would Prince have done without him?Two prison maintenance workers were unfairly dismissed after they raised concerns about health and safety at HMP Liverpool, an employment tribunal has ruled.

John Bromilow and Harry Wildman were fired by private contractor Amey after they blew the whistle about changes to the company's working practices.

They were concerned the new practices, which meant they would carry out repair, painting and maintenance work alone rather than in pairs, were a safety risk as tools and equipment could be stolen by prisoners.

A sign for HMP Liverpool, which holds inmates in the worst conditions inspectors have seen (PA)

While Amey claimed they had brought the company into disrepute by discussing their working practices, an employment tribunal in Liverpool ruled they were unfairly dismissed, the BBC reported.

"I see it as a bag of tools, somebody else will see it as a bag of weapons," Mr Bromilow, who works as a painter-decorator, told the broadcaster.

The two men tried to undo the new measures through an internal grievance procedure, then met the prison governor to inform him they were calling in the Health and Safety Executive.

After meeting the prison governor twice, Amey suspended and then sacked them both.

Litter at HMP Liverpool (HM Inspectorate of Prisons/PA Wire)

A recent inspection of HMP Liverpool found conditions had deteriorated to the point of being the worst the Justice Committee had ever seen.

Despite inspectors warning the prison was "not safe enough" in 2015, the inspectors found conditions had not improved.

Inspectors found "squalid" living conditions, with rats, cockroaches and "piles of rubbish" which had not been cleared by prisoners employed as cleaning orderlies.

They found a backlog of 2,000 maintenance tasks, with hundreds of broken windows left unrepaired and jagged shards of glass not removed from the frames. Many toilets were filthy, blocked or leaking, according to the report.

The Inspectorate said many cells were not fit to be used and should have been decommissioned.

The Independent has contacted Amey for comment.

The company told the BBC "nothing is more important than the safety of our employees" and it had a "robust whistleblowing policy."

"We encourage all employees to follow these protocols so we can address their concerns in the most thorough and efficient way possible."A 17-year-old boy has been jailed for 10 and a half years for carrying out a spate of despicable acid attacks one evening last summer.

Derryck John, from Croydon, south London, threw corrosive liquid through the visors of six moped riders in less than 90 minutes, trying to blind them and steal their scooters.

The attacks took place on 13 July in the north and east of the capital. John first escaped with two stolen mopeds before returning to attempt more thefts.

Judge Noel Lucas QC described John's crimes as "despicable and cowardly".

John, who appeared at Wood Green Crown Court via video link, originally denied the charges and had been due to stand trial, but changed his plea to guilty on the first day of the hearing.

Recommended Teenager pleads guilty to carrying out six acid attacks in one night

"One of the victims has lost 30 percent of his eyesight which he will never recover," said Ramesh Patel, of the Crown Prosecution Service. "Others described searing pain and burning at the time and have been forced to leave their jobs as a result of their injuries."

"Had they not been wearing helmets, all of the victims' injuries could have been much more serious," Patel added in a statement.

John was arrested at 3am the morning after the attacks after being caught on CCTV at a petrol station stepping off a stolen scooter and removing his helmet.

He pleaded guilty to six counts of throwing a corrosive liquid with intent to disable, burn, maim, disfigure or cause grievous bodily harm," two counts of robbery and four counts of attempted robbery.

Earlier reporting restrictions had banned identification of the defendant due to his age.

But judge Lucas told the court last month that there was an "overwhelming, huge public interest" in identifying the teenager after he pleaded guilty to 12 counts.

An indictment lists another unidentified person, who is believed to have been driving the moped on which John was a passenger, as also involved in the attacks.

In a note read to the court by judge Lucas, John said the guilty pleas were entered on the basis that the acid was thrown to incapacitate the victims and that the other male involved was much older than me."

I really didnt appreciate the damage that would be done, the boy added.

Im terrified of the sentence that I will receive and Im very sorry for what I did and realise I will receive a significant sentence of imprisonment.

UK news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 UK news in pictures UK news in pictures 16 September 2021 Sheikeh MOhammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, leader of Abu Dhabi, leaves Downing Street after meeting with Boris Johnson PA UK news in pictures 15 September 2021 Children pose by ice sculptures depicting people collecting water by charity Water Aid to show the fragility of water and the threat posed by climate change in London AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 14 September 2021 Heavy rain covers the A149 near Kings Lynn in Norfolk PA UK news in pictures 13 September 2021 Luke Jerram's 'Museum of the Moon' at Durham Cathedral PA UK news in pictures 12 September 2021 Inspirational young fundraiser Tobias Weller crosses the finish line, near his home in Sheffield, as he completes his latest epic feat where he swam and triked his way to the end of his awesome year-long Ironman Challenge. This is the third challenge Tobias, who has cerebral palsy and autism, has completed, raising more than 150,000 for his school and Sheffield Children Hospitals charity PA UK news in pictures 11 September 2021 British player Emma Raducanu, holds up the US Open championship trophy winning the women's singles final of the US Open in New York AP 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. 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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. 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

The substance used is thought to have had a pH of one or two  making it the strongest acid available  the court heard.

Johns guilty plea came a day after the Government announced major retailers had signed a voluntary commitment to stop selling corrosive products to under-18s in shops or online.

Figures collated by the National Police Chiefs Council (NPCC) found more than 400 acid or corrosive substance attacks were carried out in England and Wales in the six months up to April 2017.

Assistant Chief Constable Rachel Kearton, its lead on corrosive attacks, revealed last month that the UK now has one of the highest rates of acid attacks per capita in the world  and the number is rising.

Detective Sergeant James Leeks said in a police statement on the case: "Acid attacks ruin lives and have no place in our society.

"It beggars belief that anyone would be prepared to scar someone for life and leave them to live with life-changing injuries for the sake of a phone or a moped."

Additional reporting by agenciesPolice closed Londons Kings Cross station as pro-Kurdish demonstrators attempted to rally inside.

Video footage showed officers guarding the stations entrance as dozens of protesters gathered waving flags outside the doors on Sunday evening.

Hours earlier pro-Kurdish demonstrators jumped onto the tracks at Manchester Piccadilly station, forcing the station to shut.

Recommended Manchester Piccadilly station closed as protesters block train tracks

Similar rallies have been held across Europe in support of Afrin, the Syrian city which has been besieged by Turkey for weeks.

A British Transport Police (BTP) spokesman said: Officers were in attendance at London Kings Cross station where they responded to a number of protesters attempting to enter the station at around 5pm.

Colleagues from the Metropolitan Police Service assisted and protesters were prevented from accessing the tracks.

The protest caused cancellations and delays before the station reopened at about 7pm.

Protesters then moved to nearby Euston Road, bringing traffic to a standstill, and later Oxford Circus, where the London Underground station was temporarily closed at the request of police.

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

Manchester Piccadilly station was closed for more than three hours after protestors stormed the railway lines, waving flags of various Kurdish organisations.

A spokesman for the Manchester branch of the Friends of Kurdistan solidarity group said about 400 people had gathered in the city for an international day of action in defence of Afrin. Turkey launched an offensive against Syrian Kurdish militia in the city two months ago, an operation which has been described by Kurds as ethnic cleansing.

This is an international day of protest to break the silence of the international community which hasnt put any pressure on Turkey to stop what it is doing, said the spokesman. Its an attempt to break the silence and raise the issue in peoples consciousness.

Superintendent Mark Cleland, of BTP, said: While we appreciate and respect the right to peaceful protest, when this compromises the safety of the public and the protesters themselves, any offenders will attract the full investigative resources of BTP.

Those involved in this afternoons incident will be subject to intense investigation with a view to arrest and prosecution.

All protesters at Manchester Piccadilly have now been safely moved from the tracks and the station has reopened. We will continue to maintain a police presence at this station and at other stations across the rail network.A Sikh student was left heartbroken after being dragged from a bar by security because he was wearing a turban.

Amrik Singh, 22, said he was kicked out of Rush Late Bar because he refused to remove his religious headwear.

After the Nottingham Trent University law student, who recorded his conversation with staff at the bar in Mansfield, Nottingham, on Friday, said that his turban is a religious requirement, he was told: I didnt think you were allowed to come in a pub and drink anyway.

Recommended Young people who experience racism more likely to take up smoking

Mr Singh had been drinking in the bar with his friends to celebrate completion of a module on his course.

The bar released a statement on Saturday saying the door supervisor involved had been suspended and a thorough investigation launched.

Mr Singh said, in a Facebook post that has since been deleted: Im heartbroken.

I was today removed from a venue because I was wearing a turban.

Whilst drinking a glass of coke, I was removed from a venue called Rush in Mansfield, Notts.

The reason why I was removed was because I refused to remove my turban.

According to the venue, headgear is not allowed.

Initially I was allowed in  however, I was removed after around 30 minutes.

A bouncer approached me saying that I needed to remove my turban.

I explained that a turban isnt just headgear, but part of my religion and that it protected my hair  and that I was allowed to wear a turban in public.

The bouncer ignored this and said I needed to take it off.

I refused and was subsequently dragged away from my friends.

I was removed and asked to speak to someone in charge.

I decided to record the conversation as I felt victimised.

The fact that I was being removed because of my religious views really upset me.

My ancestors have fought for the British Army previously.

Furthermore, me and my parents were born in Britain and all uphold British values.

I was eventually let back into the venue but was told that I would not be allowed back in in the future because of my headwear.

This experience ruined my night.

It broke my heart.

Im very fortunate that Im well-spoken and I am able to stand up for myself.

What if it was someone who wasnt confident was told to leave?

I am disgusted.

I urge Rush take immediate action against their head of security and take a long hard look at themselves and change their approach.

He later added: I would like to, from the bottom of my heart  thank every single person who has showed me support with the recent issue at Rush.

Ive received thousands of supportive messages from people from all backgrounds and countries which I am truly grateful for.

UK news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 UK news in pictures UK news in pictures 19 September 2021 Bubbles surround Manchester Uniteds Cristiano Ronaldo before the match against West Ham at London Stadium Action Images/Reuters UK news in pictures 18 September 2021 Children take part in the Settrington Cup Pedal Car Race as motoring enthusiasts attend the Goodwood Revival, a three-day historic car racing festival in Goodwood, Chichester, Reuters UK news in pictures 17 September 2021 Hugo, 7, from London rides past a 4x7 metre rainbow arch, made entirely of recycled aluminium cans, which has been installed by recycling initiative 'Every Can Counts', in partnership with The City of London Corporation in front of St Paul's Cathedral in London, to encourage members of the public to recycle their drinks cans ahead of recycling week, which starts on 20 September PA UK news in pictures 16 September 2021 Sheikeh MOhammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, leader of Abu Dhabi, leaves Downing Street after meeting with Boris Johnson PA UK news in pictures 15 September 2021 Children pose by ice sculptures depicting people collecting water by charity Water Aid to show the fragility of water and the threat posed by climate change in London AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 14 September 2021 Heavy rain covers the A149 near Kings Lynn in Norfolk PA UK news in pictures 13 September 2021 Luke Jerram's 'Museum of the Moon' at Durham Cathedral PA UK news in pictures 12 September 2021 Inspirational young fundraiser Tobias Weller crosses the finish line, near his home in Sheffield, as he completes his latest epic feat where he swam and triked his way to the end of his awesome year-long Ironman Challenge. This is the third challenge Tobias, who has cerebral palsy and autism, has completed, raising more than 150,000 for his school and Sheffield Children Hospitals charity PA UK news in pictures 11 September 2021 British player Emma Raducanu, holds up the US Open championship trophy winning the women's singles final of the US Open in New York AP 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. 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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

Sonya Ward, leader of Mansfield District Council Labour group, called the actions of the bar staff appalling.

She tweeted: This is appalling.

I wrote to Rush Late Bar as soon as I heard about it, they have responded: Good morning, this is absolutely NOT our policy.

We are investigating this incident & the security member in question has been suspended.

The bar released a statement on Facebook which read: We are extremely concerned about the incident that occurred last night.

We are treating the whole incident extremely seriously and have suspended the door supervisor involved and a thorough investigation has been launched.

We, as a venue, welcome all customers regardless of their race, ethnicity or background.

The events of last night do not reflect the venues values and upon completion of our enquiries any necessary action will swiftly be taken.

We offer our sincere apologies to the gentleman involved for any upset, hurt and distress that was caused to him and anyone else.

Just to clarify the gentleman was invited back into the venue after this incident and was able to enjoy the rest of the evening.

The incident comes after another student at Nottingham Trent University captured racist abuse being chanted outside her room.

SWNSDame Judi Dench, Paloma Faith and Andy Murray are among more than 30 celebrities urging Theresa May to introduce a UK ban on animal fur imports after Brexit.

Fur farming has been illegal in the UK since 2000, but fur from animals such as foxes, rabbits and minks continues to be imported.

According to Humane Society International (HSI), Britain has imported over 650m-worth of fur since the ban on farming.

A letter delivered to the Prime Minister on Monday and signed by 31 high-profile British figures argues this makes no sense.

If fur is too cruel to produce in this country, its too cruel to sell in this country.

We believe that Britains responsibility to animals does not end at our borders, but extends globally, to those animals killed to be traded into our country.

A total ban on imports of animal fur is impossible as long as the UK is a member of the European Single Market, as fur products are still produced in several European countries.

But HSI hopes that Brexit will provide the chance for the government to close our borders fully to this cruel and archaic trade.

According to HSI, more than 100 million animals die each year for the fur trade, many of them reared in tiny barren cages, electrocuted, gassed or even skinned alive.

Monday's letter was written to support the #FurFreeBritain campaign, which calls on the government to extend a current ban on imports of dog and cat fur to all species and is backed by animal welfare charities including HSI, PETA, the RSPCA and Animal Aid.

Signatories include Bill Bailey, Fearne Cotton, Joanna Lumley, Ricky Gervais and Simon Amstell.

An inquiry into the fur trade was launched last week by the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee, which will examine how the industry can be made more transparent and look at post-Brexit possibilities for altering legislation around the import of fur.

The inquiry follows revelations last year that a number of major retailers including Amazon, TK Maxx, Boohoo and Groupon were selling products containing animal fur, despite advertising them as synthetic.

UK news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 UK news in pictures UK news in pictures 17 September 2021 Hugo, 7, from London rides past a 4x7 metre rainbow arch, made entirely of recycled aluminium cans, which has been installed by recycling initiative 'Every Can Counts', in partnership with The City of London Corporation in front of St Paul's Cathedral in London, to encourage members of the public to recycle their drinks cans ahead of recycling week, which starts on 20 September PA UK news in pictures 16 September 2021 Sheikeh MOhammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, leader of Abu Dhabi, leaves Downing Street after meeting with Boris Johnson PA UK news in pictures 15 September 2021 Children pose by ice sculptures depicting people collecting water by charity Water Aid to show the fragility of water and the threat posed by climate change in London AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 14 September 2021 Heavy rain covers the A149 near Kings Lynn in Norfolk PA UK news in pictures 13 September 2021 Luke Jerram's 'Museum of the Moon' at Durham Cathedral PA UK news in pictures 12 September 2021 Inspirational young fundraiser Tobias Weller crosses the finish line, near his home in Sheffield, as he completes his latest epic feat where he swam and triked his way to the end of his awesome year-long Ironman Challenge. This is the third challenge Tobias, who has cerebral palsy and autism, has completed, raising more than 150,000 for his school and Sheffield Children Hospitals charity PA UK news in pictures 11 September 2021 British player Emma Raducanu, holds up the US Open championship trophy winning the women's singles final of the US Open in New York AP 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

Caroline Lucas, co-leader of the Green Party, is one of several politicians now backing a wholesale import ban.

At the very least, we need a decent fur labelling law, she told The Independent in December.

But that will only fix the problem in the short term. The simplest, most effective thing to do would be not just to maintain the bans on cat, dog and seal fur post-Brexit, but to extend the ban to all species.

A petition calling for a ban on the sale of animal fur in the UK has over 96,000 signatures.

If it reaches 100,000, the petition will be considered for debate in parliament.The US has backed Britain in condemning the nerve agent attack on Sergei Skripal and his daughter, Yulia.

The White House dubbed it "an outrage" and said it stood by the UK.

Press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said: "We've been monitoring the incident closely, taking it very seriously.

"The use of a highly lethal nerve agent against UK citizens on UK soil is an outrage.

"The attack was reckless, indiscriminate and irresponsible.

"We offer the fullest condemnation and we extend our sympathy to the victims and their families and our support to the UK Government.

"We stand by our closest ally and the special relationship that we have."

However, White House reporters said officials repeatedly declined to echo Theresa May's view that Russia was behind or complicit in the attack.

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. 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Firefighters have brought the fire under control but they expected to keep working through the day EPA World news in pictures 15 September 2020 Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny posing for a selfie with his family at Berlin's Charite hospital. 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Thousands of asylum seekers on the island of Lesbos are now homeless AFP via Getty World news in pictures 9 September 2020 Pope Francis takes off his face mask as he arrives by car to hold a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 8 September 2020 A home is engulfed in flames during the "Creek Fire" in the Tollhouse area of California AFP via Getty World news in pictures 7 September 2020 A couple take photos along a sea wall of the waves brought by Typhoon Haishen in the eastern port city of Sokcho AFP via Getty World news in pictures 6 September 2020 Novak Djokovic and a tournament official tends to a linesperson who was struck with a ball by Djokovic during his match against Pablo Carreno Busta at the US Open USA Today Sports/Reuters World news in pictures 5 September 2020 Protesters confront police at the Shrine of Remembrance in Melbourne, Australia, during an anti-lockdown rally AFP via Getty World news in pictures 4 September 2020 A woman looks on from a rooftop as rescue workers dig through the rubble of a damaged building in Beirut. A search began for possible survivors after a scanner detected a pulse one month after the mega-blast at the adjacent port AFP via Getty World news in pictures 3 September 2020 A full moon next to the Virgen del Panecillo statue in Quito, Ecuador EPA World news in pictures 2 September 2020 A Palestinian woman reacts as Israeli forces demolish her animal shed near Hebron in the Israeli-occupied West Bank Reuters World news in pictures 1 September 2020 Students protest against presidential elections results in Minsk TUT.BY/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 31 August 2020 The pack rides during the 3rd stage of the Tour de France between Nice and Sisteron AFP via Getty World news in pictures 30 August 2020 Law enforcement officers block a street during a rally of opposition supporters protesting against presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus Reuters World news in pictures 29 August 2020 A woman holding a placard reading "Stop Censorship - Yes to the Freedom of Expression" shouts in a megaphone during a protest against the mandatory wearing of face masks in Paris. Masks, which were already compulsory on public transport, in enclosed public spaces, and outdoors in Paris in certain high-congestion areas around tourist sites, were made mandatory outdoors citywide on August 28 to fight the rising coronavirus infections AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 August 2020 Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe bows to the national flag at the start of a press conference at the prime minister official residence in Tokyo. Abe announced he will resign over health problems, in a bombshell development that kicks off a leadership contest in the world's third-largest economy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 27 August 2020 Residents take cover behind a tree trunk from rubber bullets fired by South African Police Service (SAPS) in Eldorado Park, near Johannesburg, during a protest by community members after a 16-year old boy was reported dead AFP via Getty World news in pictures 26 August 2020 People scatter rose petals on a statue of Mother Teresa marking her 110th birth anniversary in Ahmedabad AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 August 2020 An aerial view shows beach-goers standing on salt formations in the Dead Sea near Ein Bokeq, Israel Reuters World news in pictures 24 August 2020 Health workers use a fingertip pulse oximeter and check the body temperature of a fisherwoman inside the Dharavi slum during a door-to-door Covid-19 coronavirus screening in Mumbai AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 August 2020 People carry an idol of the Hindu god Ganesh, the deity of prosperity, to immerse it off the coast of the Arabian sea during the Ganesh Chaturthi festival in Mumbai, India Reuters World news in pictures 22 August 2020 Firefighters watch as flames from the LNU Lightning Complex fires approach a home in Napa County, California AP World news in pictures 21 August 2020 Members of the Israeli security forces arrest a Palestinian demonstrator during a rally to protest against Israel's plan to annex parts of the occupied West Bank AFP via Getty World news in pictures 20 August 2020 A man pushes his bicycle through a deserted road after prohibitory orders were imposed by district officials for a week to contain the spread of the Covid-19 in Kathmandu AFP via Getty World news in pictures 19 August 2020 A car burns while parked at a residence in Vacaville, California. Dozens of fires are burning out of control throughout Northern California as fire resources are spread thin AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 August 2020 Students use their mobile phones as flashlights at an anti-government rally at Mahidol University in Nakhon Pathom. Thailand has seen near-daily protests in recent weeks by students demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O-Cha AFP via Getty World news in pictures 17 August 2020 Members of the Kayapo tribe block the BR163 highway during a protest outside Novo Progresso in Para state, Brazil. Indigenous protesters blocked a major transamazonian highway to protest against the lack of governmental support during the COVID-19 novel coronavirus pandemic and illegal deforestation in and around their territories AFP via Getty World news in pictures 16 August 2020 Lightning forks over the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge as a storm passes over Oakland AP World news in pictures 15 August 2020 Belarus opposition supporters gather near the Pushkinskaya metro station where Alexander Taraikovsky, a 34-year-old protester died on August 10, during their protest rally in central Minsk AFP via Getty World news in pictures 14 August 2020 AlphaTauri's driver Daniil Kvyat takes part in the second practice session at the Circuit de Catalunya in Montmelo near Barcelona ahead of the Spanish F1 Grand Prix AFP via Getty World news in pictures 13 August 2020 Soldiers of the Brazilian Armed Forces during a disinfection of the Christ The Redeemer statue at the Corcovado mountain prior to the opening of the touristic attraction in Rio AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 August 2020 Young elephant bulls tussle playfully on World Elephant Day at the Amboseli National Park in Kenya AFP via Getty

"Sanders said repeatedly that the United States stands with its ally, Britain, but it didn't join its conclusions about Russia's involvement yet," said Aaron Blake, of The Washington Post.

Mr Skripal and his daughter are still being treated in hospital after falling ill in Salisbury.Theresa May is in danger of damaging the UKs reputation because her pledge to create a global Britain after Brexit is merely a slogan, MPs warned today.

Ministers are unable to explain what is meant by the Prime Ministers phrase for maintaining the UKs international prowess outside the EU, the highly critical report said.

To remove the confusion, MPs called on Ms May to make a landmark speech in the House of Commons to finally set out what the policy means.

All documents, speeches and policy work should be gathered in a single place  in all the worlds leading languages  to give it substance, the Commons Foreign Affairs Select Committee said.

For global Britain to be more than a worthy aspiration, the slogan must be backed by substance, its report warned.

If it comes to be perceived as a superficial branding exercise, it risks undermining UK interests by damaging our reputation overseas and eroding support for a global outlook here at home.

At present, the phrase amounts to little more than a continuation of the Foreign Offices current activities, the MPs said.

The Prime Minister first used the global Britain in her Tory party conference as long ago as October 2016, when she insisted the UK would forge an ambitious and optimistic role in the world after Brexit.

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

Boris Johnson, the Foreign Secretary, is among senior ministers who have also used the phrase in major speeches.

But Britains international leverage is in question after the withdrawal of a candidate to fill a vacancy on the International Court of Justice (ICJ) last November, due to inevitable defeat in the UN General Assembly.

Last June, EU countries helped inflict a humiliating defeat on Britain at the United Nations over the legal status of the Chagos Islands, a disputed territory in the Indian Ocean.

Before Christmas, a former UK ambassador at the UN said he expected the EU to also refuse to back Britain in any UN votes over the Falkland Islands after Brexit.

Other countries regarded the UKs loss of influence since the Leave vote as a shark would regard blood in the water, Lord Hannay warned.

And Sir Simon Fraser, a former head of the diplomatic service, accused Ms May of mushy thinking, calling her global Britain ambition just a slogan.

Other countries believe Britain has lost the plot by pursuing Brexit because it will reduce the countrys international influence, Sir Simon told the committees inquiry.

The committee announced a further inquiry into what is required to make global Britain a credible strategy and how the success of it should be assessed.

It would also explore how foreign policy such as rule of law, cultural influence and military interests should be balanced against the trade aspects of global Britain.

And it would ask which regions, countries and multilateral organisations the UK should prioritise as well as whether it has the capacity to do that.A post-Brexit trade deal with the US could raise the threat of products containing deadly asbestos entering the UK, ministers have been warned.

Britain currently has a total ban on the importation and sale of asbestos-containing products, as exposure to the toxic substance can cause mesothelioma  a form of lung cancer.

However, critics have warned that Theresa Mays wish to secure lucrative trade deals with Donald Trump could see the UK lowering standards, as American regulations allow use of products containing up to 1 per cent asbestos  such as roofing materials and certain car parts, like brake lining.

 What could the sticking points be in the Brexit trade deal?

President Trumps bullish attitude to American interests has set him on a collision course with Europe over his plans to slap punishing tariffs on steel imports, and it could also see him take a hard line on deals with the UK, a trade expert also said.

It follows a string of warnings that chlorine-washed chicken could flood UK markets as a price for positive trade deals, although Environment Secretary Michael Gove has insisted standards will not be watered down.

Green Party co-leader Caroline Lucas, a supporter of the pro-EU Open Britain campaign, said: Theresa May is desperate to sign up to a trade deal with Donald Trump.

Much of the likely cost of such a deal  like forcing chicken washed in chlorine and hormone-fed beef on to our shelves  are already known, but the risk we could see asbestos contaminated products come back on to the UK market is not.

We all know Donald Trump does not take prisoners when it comes to trade deals. If he decides that asbestos-contaminated products must be included in a deal, he will not give way.

US asbestos use has fallen dramatically, but there is still no national ban, and any asbestos poses a threat to human health.

Britain has a poor record on mesothelioma due to its industrial past, where asbestos was widely used in shipbuilding and construction.

It was completely banned in 1999 and the EU has also forced the UK to tighten its laws on handling asbestos, such as its removal from old buildings.

In the US, the Environment Protection Agency allows the use of certain products containing asbestos and while the US no longer mines the substance, it does import the raw material.

Alison Cook, director of policy at the British Lung Foundation, said: This devastating disease is preventable, and the dangers of asbestos are well known. We should do everything we can to limit our exposure to this toxic substance.

Bringing in products from the US that fall below EU standards could create complications over trade with the bloc, said Angus MacNeil, SNP chair of the International Trade Committee.

He told The Independent: To have a trade deal, if these parts were to be included, would expose us to further doors slammed shut from Europe.

Over and above the immediate health aspects, to have a door further slammed shut from Europe would be highly counterproductive.

He added: If there are things being used in the UK that are not compliant with European standards, that will cause loads of border checks, loads of slowing up and loads of problems.

These are the trade deals of political dreamers, as opposed to the trade deals of practical traders.

Dr Marc-William Palen, a trade historian from Exeter University, said Mr Trump had been true to his word on overhauling the global trade system and the Governments Global Britain plans for life after Brexit were going to be a tough sell to the US President.

We are seeing with this Trump protectionism, the way hes threatening to go after Nafta (North American Free Trade Agreement)  two of Americas closest allies and largest trading partners  you could read into that somewhat what it might mean for post-Brexit UK-US negotiations at least, he told The Independent.

I would expect a similar hard line, almost predatory approach the way that Trump has been taking to the Nafta partners as a possibility.

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

The Government has insisted that leaving the EU will not lead to standards and protections being watered down.

Last month, Brexit Secretary David Davis used a major speech to say Brexit would not result in a Mad Max-style dystopia of deregulation, which came after the European Commission told member states that the UK may reduce levels of occupational safety and health after Brexit  leading to higher exposure to chemicals and carcinogens.

A Department for International Trade (DIT) spokesperson said: While we are committed to a mutually beneficial economic trading arrangement with the US, we have been clear that the UK will maintain its own high goods and consumer protection standards in future free trade agreements.(CNN)  As tens of thousands of Americans die from prescription opioid overdoses each year, an exclusive analysis by CNN and researchers at Harvard University found that opioid manufacturers are paying physicians huge sums of money -- and the more opioids a doctor prescribes, the more money he or she makes.

In 2014 and 2015, opioid manufacturers paid hundreds of doctors across the country six-figure sums for speaking, consulting and other services. Thousands of other doctors were paid over $25,000 during that time.

Physicians who prescribed particularly large amounts of the drugs were the most likely to get paid.

"This is the first time we've seen this, and it's really important," said Dr. Andrew Kolodny, a senior scientist at the Institute for Behavioral Health at the Heller School for Social Policy and Management at Brandeis University, where he is co-director of the Opioid Policy Research Collaborative.

"It smells like doctors being bribed to sell narcotics, and that's very disturbing," said Kolodny, who is also the executive director of Physicians for Responsible Opioid Prescribing.

The Harvard researchers said it's not clear whether the payments encourage doctors to prescribe a company's drug or whether pharmaceutical companies seek out and reward doctors who are already high prescribers.

"I don't know if the money is causing the prescribing or the prescribing led to the money, but in either case, it's potentially a vicious cycle. It's cementing the idea for these physicians that prescribing this many opioids is creating value," said Dr. Michael Barnett, assistant professor of health policy and management at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.

CNN spoke with two women who've struggled with opioid addiction, and they described the sense of betrayal they felt when they learned that their doctors had received large sums of money from the manufacturers of the drugs that had created such havoc in their lives.

Carey Ballou said she trusted her doctor and figured that if he was prescribing opioids, it must be because they were the best option for her pain.

Then she learned that opioid manufacturers paid her doctor more than a million dollars over two years.

"Once I found out he was being paid, I thought, 'was it really in my best interest, or was it in his best interest?' " she said.

To do the analysis, CNN -- along with Barnett and Harvard's Dr. Anupam Jena -- examined two federal government databases. One tracks payments by drug companies to doctors, and the other tracks prescriptions that doctors write to Medicare recipients.

The CNN/Harvard analysis looked at 2014 and 2015, during which time more than 811,000 doctors wrote prescriptions to Medicare patients. Of those, nearly half wrote at least one prescription for opioids.

Fifty-four percent of those doctors -- more than 200,000 physicians -- received a payment from pharmaceutical companies that make opioids.

Doctors were more likely to get paid by drug companies if they prescribed a lot of opioids -- and they were more likely to get paid a lot of money.

Among doctors in the top 25th percentile of opioid prescribers by volume, 72% received payments. Among those in the top fifth percentile, 84% received payments. Among the very biggest prescribers -- those in the top 10th of 1% -- 95% received payments.

On average, doctors whose opioid prescription volume ranked among the top 5% nationally received twice as much money from the opioid manufacturers, compared with doctors whose prescription volume was in the median. Doctors in the top 1% of opioid prescribers received on average four times as much money as the typical doctor. Doctors in the top 10th of 1%, on average, received nine times more money than the typical doctor.

"The correlation you found is very powerful," said David Rothman, director of the Center on Medicine as a Profession at the Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons. "What's amazing about the findings is not simply that money counts but that more money counts even more."

Paying doctors for speaking, consulting and other services is legal. It's defended as a way for experts in their fields to share important experience and information about medications, but it has long been a controversial practice.

Pharmaceutical company payments to doctors are not unique to opioids. Drug companies pay doctors billions of dollars for various services. In 2015, 48% of physicians received some pharmaceutical payment.

It's illegal, however, for doctors to prescribe the drug in exchange for kickback payments from a manufacturer.

Dr. Steven Stanos, president of the American Academy of Pain Medicine, said he wasn't surprised that doctors who frequently prescribe a drug are often chosen and paid to give speeches about the drug to other doctors.

"They know those medicines, and so they're going to be more likely to prescribe those because they have a better understanding," Stanos said, adding that some of the money paid to doctors may have been to teach other doctors about new "abuse-deterrent" opioid drugs.

Stanos' group accepted nearly $1.2 million from five of the largest opioid manufacturers in the United States between 2012 and 2017, according to a recent report by the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee.

Stanos said the money was used for various projects, including courses on safe opioid prescribing.

"I would obviously hope that a physician would not prescribe based on some type of kickback or anything like that, that they'd obviously be prescribing [in] the best interest of the patient," he said.

But Dr. Daniel Carlat, former director of the Prescription Project at the Pew Charitable Trusts, said the CNN and Harvard findings are in line with other studies suggesting that money from drug companies does influence a doctor's prescribing habits.

"It's not proof positive, but it's another very significant data point in the growing evidence base that marketing payments from drug companies are not good for medicine and not good for patient care," said Carlat, a psychiatrist who blogs about conflicts of interest. "It makes me extremely concerned."

Barnett, one of the Harvard researchers who worked with CNN, said pharmaceutical companies pay doctors for a reason.

"It's not like they're spending this money and just letting it go out into the ether," he said. "They wouldn't be spending this money if it weren't effective."

According to a statement by the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America, drug companies support mandatory and ongoing training for prescribers on the appropriate treatment of pain.

"PhRMA supports a number of policies to ensure patients' legitimate medical needs are met, while establishing safeguards that prevent overprescribing," according to the statement from the group.

'I trusted my doctor'

Angela Cantone says she wishes she had known that opioid manufacturers were paying her doctor hundreds of thousands of dollars; it might have prompted her to question his judgment.

She says Dr. Aathirayen Thiyagarajah, a pain specialist in Greenville, South Carolina, prescribed her an opioid called Subsys for abdominal pain from Crohn's disease for nearly 2 years, from March 2013 through July 2015.

Subsys is an ultrapowerful form of fentanyl, which is 50 to 100 times more potent than morphine, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

"He said it would do wonders for me, and it was really simple and easy. You just spray it in your mouth," Cantone said.

She says Subsys helped her pain, but it left her in "a zombie-like" state. She couldn't be left alone with her three young children, two of whom have autism and other special needs.

"I blacked out all the time. I'd find myself on the kitchen floor or the front lawn," she said.

She says that if she missed even one day of the drug, she had uncontrollable diarrhea and vomiting.

She said she brought her concerns to Thiyagarajah, but he assured her it couldn't be the Subsys that was causing her health problems.

"I trusted him. I trusted my doctor as you trust the police officer that's directing traffic when the light is out," she said.

She says that when she eventually asked Thiyagarajah to switch her to a non-opioid medication, he became belligerent.

"He said it was Subsys or nothing," she said.

Cantone would later learn that from August 2013 through December 2016, the company that makes Subsys paid Thiyagarajah more than $200,000, according to Open Payments, the federal government database that tracks payments from pharmaceutical companies to doctors.

CNN compared the $190,000 he received from 2014 to 2015 with other prescribers nationwide in the same medical specialty and found that he received magnitudes more than the average for his peers.

Nearly all of the payments were for fees for speaking, training, education and consulting.

Cantone is now suing Thiyagarajah, accusing him of setting out to "defraud and deceive" her for "the sole purpose of increasing prescriptions, sales, and consumption of Subsys to increase ... profits."

Through his attorney, Thiyagarajah denied any wrongdoing but declined to comment on this story due to the pending litigation.

In a court filing responding to Cantone's lawsuit, Thiyagarajah denied all of the allegations against him and said that all medical care provided to Cantone was "reasonable and appropriate and in keeping with the standard of care."

His attorney, E. Brown Parkinson, said the doctor is currently practicing medicine, alternating weeks between his practices in South Carolina and New York.

Thiyagarajah might be expected to write a relatively high number of prescriptions for opioid painkillers, given that he's board-certified in physical medicine and rehabilitation with a subspecialty in pain medicine.

But he wrote an unusually high number of prescriptions for Subsys and other opioids even when compared with other doctors with the same certifications.

In 2014 and 2015, physicians with Thiyagarajah's certifications wrote an average of 3.7 opioid prescriptions per Medicare patient per year, according to the analysis by CNN and Harvard. Thiyagarajah, however, annually wrote more than seven opioid prescriptions per patient per year.

After about two years on Subsys, Cantone says, she took herself off the drug cold turkey.

According to an affidavit by an investigator for the Drug Enforcement Administration, Thiyagarajah's office was inspected by the agency in June 2015 and found to be prescribing another opioid, buprenorphine, "for non-legitimate medical need" in violation of federal law.

In March 2016, the agent conducted another inspection and seized 45 medical records related to Subsys.

The DEA did a compliance review and referred its findings to the Department of Health and Human Services, according to Robert Murphy, associate special agent in charge of the agency's Atlanta Field Division.

Cantone is also suing Insys, the company that makes Subsys. Insys denied allegations of wrongdoing in a court filing responding to Cantone's lawsuit.

Separate from Cantone's lawsuit, John Kapoor, the founder and largest shareholder of Insys, was arrested and arraigned in federal court in October on charges of bribing doctors to overprescribe the drug.

"Dr. Kapoor engaged in no wrongdoing and refutes all of the charges in the strongest possible terms," said Tom Becker, a spokesman for Kapoor. "He looks forward to being fully vindicated after having his day in court."

Kapoor resigned from the Insys board of directors in October, according to a company news release.

Several other Insys executives were arrested in connection with an alleged racketeering scheme.

Separately, Sen. Claire McCaskill, a Democrat from Missouri, is conducting an investigation into the opioid industry.

According to her investigation and the federal indictment, Insys used a combination of tactics, such as falsifying medical records, misleading insurance companies and providing kickbacks to doctors in league with the company.

Saeed Motahari, president and CEO of Insys, wrote a letter in September to McCaskill, noting that he was "concerned about certain mistakes and unacceptable actions of former Insys employees." He added that most of the field-based sales staff were no longer with the company.

"I stand with you and share the desire to address the serious national challenge related to the misuse and abuse of opioids that has led to addiction and unnecessary deaths and has caused so much pain to families and communities around the country," Motahari added.

The analysis

Sometimes, pharmaceutical companies pay doctors to do medical research. They also pay doctors for promotional work: for example, to speak with other doctors about the benefits of a drug.

Among the doctors who prescribe the highest volume of opioids, the CNN/Harvard analysis found that the largest amount of money was paid for that second category, which includes speaking fees, consulting, travel and food.

Concerns about payments to doctors by opioid manufacturers were brought to light last year in a study by researchers at Boston University.

Several studies published in medical journals in recent years have found an association between payments by pharmaceutical companies for various types of drugs and doctors' prescribing habits.

For example, researchers at the University of North Carolina examined the two government databases analyzed by CNN and Harvard and found that when doctors received payments from manufacturers of certain cancer drugs, they were more likely to prescribe those drugs to their patients.

"This study suggests that conflicts of interest with the pharmaceutical industry may influence oncologists in high-stakes treatment decisions for patients with cancer," the authors concluded.

Some studies have looked at whether the amount of money a doctor receives makes a difference. Studies by researchers at Yale University, the George Washington University Milken Institute of Public Health and Harvard Medical School have all found that the more money physicians are paid by pharmaceutical companies, the more likely they are to prescribe certain drugs.

Dr. Patrice Harris, a spokeswoman for the American Medical Association, said that the CNN and Harvard data raised "fair questions" but that such analyses show only an association between payments and prescribing habits and don't prove that one causes the other.

It's "not a cause and effect relationship," said Harris, chairwoman of the association's opioid task force, adding that more research should be done on the relationship between payments and prescriptions.

"[We] strongly oppose inappropriate, unethical interactions between physicians and industry," she added. "But we know that not all interactions are unethical or inappropriate."

Harris added that relationships between doctors and industry are ethical and appropriate if they "can help drive innovation in patient care and provide significant resources for professional medical education that ultimately benefits patients."

Stanos, the pain physician, said a doctor who gets paid by a pharmaceutical company and prescribes that company's drug might truly and legitimately believe that the drug is the best option for the patient.

"I hope physicians that do promotional talks prescribe because they think the medicine has a benefit," he said.

But Jena, one of the two Harvard researchers who collaborated on the CNN analysis, said he worries that money from opioid manufacturers -- especially large amounts of money -- could influence a doctor to prescribe opioids over less dangerous options.

"Every decision, every recommendation a physician makes, should be in the best interest of the patient and not a combination of the patient's interest and the financial interest of the doctor," said Jena, associate professor of health care policy at Harvard Medical School.

"If we lived in a different world where none of these payments to physicians occurred, how many fewer Americans would have [been prescribed] opioids, and how many fewer deaths would have occurred?" he asked.

From 1999 to 2015, more than 183,000 people in the United States died from overdoses related to prescription opioids, according to the CDC. In October, President Donald Trump declared the opioid epidemic a national public health emergency.

At least one company has decided to stop paying doctors for promotional activities such as speaking engagements.

Purdue Pharma discontinued its speakers program for the opioids OxyContin and Butrans at the end of 2016 and the program for Hysingla, another opioid, in November, according to company spokesman Robert Josephson.

"We have restructured and significantly reduced our commercial operation and will no longer be promoting opioids to prescribers," a company statement said.

More than $1 million in three years

Though Thiyagarajah's opioid prescription rates were particularly high, many other doctors who have prescribed large amounts of opioids have also been paid large amounts of money by pharmaceutical companies that make the drugs.

Several patients have filed lawsuits against these high prescribers.

From August 2013 through December 2016, Dr. Steven Simon of Overland Park, Kansas, was paid nearly $1.1 million by companies that make opioid painkillers, according to the federal Open Payments database.

Most of the payments were fees for speaking, training and education.

Ballou, one of his patients, says she remembers Simon bragging about how drug companies were flying him across the country to give lectures to other doctors.

"He said he was going to Miami, and they were going to give him a convertible, and he was going to stay in the best hotel and eat the best Cuban food he'd ever had," said Ballou, who filed a lawsuit against Simon after she says she became addicted to opioids.

Simon's lawyer, James Wyrsch, said he would not comment on pending litigation.

In court documents, he asked for the case to be dismissed, saying in part that Ballou's complaints that Simon improperly prescribed Subsys were "simply incorrect."

Bridget Patton, a spokeswoman for the FBI's Kansas City field office, said federal agents went to the office where Simon works, Mid-America PolyClinic, in July.

The clinic said in a statement that it is "fully and willingly cooperating with all investigations" and that Simon has not been employed there since July 24.

"We had a lawful presence at that facility," Patton said. She declined to say whether investigating Simon himself was the purpose of the FBI visit.

The owner of the pain clinic, Dr. Srinivas Nalamachu, told The Kansas City Star that the agents showed up with a search warrant for Simon's medical records involving fentanyl prescriptions.

Simon and his lawyer told CNN they couldn't comment due to the pending litigation.

Ballou said that when she was Simon's patient, it didn't give her pause that the same doctor who was prescribing opioids to her was also taking money from the companies that made the drugs.

But now she looks back with anger.

Cantone, the patient who went to Thiyagarajah, the pain specialist in South Carolina, looks back with sadness.

She cries as she remembers the Mother's Day card her daughter made her in preschool. The teacher asked each child what their mother liked to do and wrote it on the card.

Her card said her mother liked to sleep.

"Instead of saying 'she gives me hugs and kisses or takes me to the park,' it was the years of her finding me on the floor," Cantone said. "I feel like I failed as a parent."

She becomes angry when she thinks about the hundreds of thousands of dollars her doctor was paid by the drug company.

"The medication that was being prescribed to me was for his benefit, not my own," she said.

This story was first published on CNN.com, CNN Exclusive: The more opioids doctors prescribe, the more money they make."David Davis is yet to personally visit Brussels for Brexit talks this year, in an apparent change of approach by the British government to the EU withdrawal negotiations.

A schedule for negotiations this week published by the European Commission shows discussions will be limited to technical and coordinating meetings between officials, and that the Brexit Secretary would again not be travelling out to meet Michel Barnier during the round.

The absence has raised eyebrows because Mr Davis regularly travelled to Brussels during the early rounds of talks last year. With the first quarter of 2018 soon drawing to a close the ministers only meeting with the EUs chief negotiator so far has been in London at the start of February, despite the meat of the discussions taking place at the EUs Belgium headquarters.

 What could the sticking points be in the Brexit trade deal?

A source close to Mr Davis said the minister had spoken to Mr Barnier on the phone this year and expected to meet him before the European Council summit at the end of next week, where the two sides are hoping to strike a deal on the transition period and set the terms of discussions for the future trade relationship.

There were reports last December that Mr Davis had been sidelined on the British side of talks in favour of Oliver Robbins, the head of the Downing Street Brexit unit, and that Mr Robbins had taken to meeting with EU negotiators directly. The Department for Exiting the European Union has denied these claims as wholly inaccurate.

European Council president Donald Tusk said last week that talks would from now on be Ireland first and that as long as the UK doesnt present such a solution [to the border issue], it is very difficult to imagine substantive progress in Brexit negotiations.

He added: If in London someone assumes that the negotiations will deal with other issues first before the Irish issue, my response would be: Ireland first.

UK government officials deny the ultimatum amounts to talks being frozen at the issue until it can be resolved, but the schedule for this weeks discussions show that they will almost exclusively focus on the same separation issues that were the subject of the December agreement, including the Irish border.

On Tuesday officials will seek clarification from one-another on the issue of the financial settlement, following reports by The Independent that the longer transition period mooted by the UK could see the so-called divorce bill rise by billions.

On Wednesday the issue of citizens rights will be addressed once more, amid a dispute between the two sides about whether EU citizens who come to Britain during the transition period will have the same free movement rights as others.

Northern Ireland will also be discussed, while other talks, pointedly marked as separation issues  rather than trade or transition  have been scheduled for Thursday.

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

Only for a period on Wednesday will officials specifically devote time to discussing the transition period, the schedule says  despite the aim of striking an agreement on the transition by the end of next week.

Lib Dem MP and Best for Britain campaign supporter Tom Brake said: Another chapter of how to win friends and influence people is being written by David Davis with his notable failure to meet Mr Barnier in Brussels so far this year.

Hiding behind the Channel wont resolve self-inflicted critical conundrums like the Northern Ireland border. Mr Davis needs to meet his EU counterpart if there is going to be any chance of resolving this divorce amicably.A Labour shadow minister has denied wrongdoing following allegations he slapped a womans behind and made offensive comments about her breasts.

Karl Turner, the shadow transport minister, rejected any suggestion he had behaved in a misogynistic manner towards a party member in his constituency office in 2015.

It follows reports he had made a series of inappropriate comments towards the woman.

Two unnamed witnesses told the Financial Times they had seen the Kingston upon Hull MP slap the womans backside and then joke about the fact she had had a double mastectomy as she recovered from breast cancer, saying she shouldn't have got rid of her real tits because they were great".

Mr Turner is said to have then added: "The ones you've got now are nice enough."

After being challenged at the time about his actions, Mr Turner allegedly responded by saying something like: "I couldn't help myself.

He is said to have made similar comments on a number of other occasions and is also accused of having remarked about the woman having a nice arse.

While two witnesses described the event in question, a third person who was said to have witnessed the incident said they had not seen any inappropriate behaviour.

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This is the third challenge Tobias, who has cerebral palsy and autism, has completed, raising more than 150,000 for his school and Sheffield Children Hospitals charity PA UK news in pictures 11 September 2021 British player Emma Raducanu, holds up the US Open championship trophy winning the women's singles final of the US Open in New York AP 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. 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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. 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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

Responding to the claims, Mr Turner said: "I am aware of reports in the media about my alleged inappropriate behaviour.

"I strongly reject any suggestion that I behaved inappropriately or in a misogynistic manner."

The incident is said to have been reported to Labour by witnesses last year but party officials said they were unable to act unless the alleged victim came forward herself.

A Labour spokesperson said: "The party takes all complaints of sexual harassment, abuse and discrimination extremely seriously.

"We ask that anyone with a complaint comes forward so that allegations can be fully investigated, and any appropriate disciplinary action taken in line with the party's rule book and procedures."Two people have been taken to hospital as a precaution as police cordoned off an area of Parliament to investigate a suspicious substance.

Police and ambulance services arrived on the parliamentary estate just before 1pm and specialist officers from the Metropolitan Police assessed the package.

It was reportedly sent to the office of Mohammad Yasin, who was elected as the Labour MP for Bedford at the 2017 snap general election.

A Parliamentary spokesperson said: Today a suspicious substance was investigated by the Met Police and was found not to be hazardous.

The affected area was temporarily cordoned off but no evacuation was necessary.

UK news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 UK news in pictures UK news in pictures 20 September 2021 Florist Judith Blacklock puts the finishing touches to a floral carousel installation in Halkin Arcade, which she has designed with Neill Strain for the Belgravia in Bloom festival, running from September 20-26, in London PA UK news in pictures 19 September 2021 Bubbles surround Manchester Uniteds Cristiano Ronaldo before the match against West Ham at London Stadium Action Images/Reuters UK news in pictures 18 September 2021 Children take part in the Settrington Cup Pedal Car Race as motoring enthusiasts attend the Goodwood Revival, a three-day historic car racing festival in Goodwood, Chichester, Reuters UK news in pictures 17 September 2021 Hugo, 7, from London rides past a 4x7 metre rainbow arch, made entirely of recycled aluminium cans, which has been installed by recycling initiative 'Every Can Counts', in partnership with The City of London Corporation in front of St Paul's Cathedral in London, to encourage members of the public to recycle their drinks cans ahead of recycling week, which starts on 20 September PA UK news in pictures 16 September 2021 Sheikeh MOhammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, leader of Abu Dhabi, leaves Downing Street after meeting with Boris Johnson PA UK news in pictures 15 September 2021 Children pose by ice sculptures depicting people collecting water by charity Water Aid to show the fragility of water and the threat posed by climate change in London AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 14 September 2021 Heavy rain covers the A149 near Kings Lynn in Norfolk PA UK news in pictures 13 September 2021 Luke Jerram's 'Museum of the Moon' at Durham Cathedral PA UK news in pictures 12 September 2021 Inspirational young fundraiser Tobias Weller crosses the finish line, near his home in Sheffield, as he completes his latest epic feat where he swam and triked his way to the end of his awesome year-long Ironman Challenge. This is the third challenge Tobias, who has cerebral palsy and autism, has completed, raising more than 150,000 for his school and Sheffield Children Hospitals charity PA UK news in pictures 11 September 2021 British player Emma Raducanu, holds up the US Open championship trophy winning the women's singles final of the US Open in New York AP 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

Police added in a statement: We were called at 12.58pm to reports of a suspicious package at Norman Shaw Buildings, Victoria Embankment, Westminster.

Specialist officers attended and the package is being assessed.

London Ambulance Service attended. A man and a woman have been taken to a central London hospital as a precaution.Theresa May has said it is highly likely that Russia is responsible for the poisoning of Sergei Skripal and his daughter in Salisbury.

Updating MPs on the attack the Prime Minister said it is now clear they were poisoned by a military grade nerve agent of a type developed by the Russian state.

It comes after Ms May was briefed in Downing Street by police and intelligence chiefs on the latest developments in the case at a meeting of the National Security Council (NSC).

The Kremlin has denied involvement of the Russian government in the nerve agent attack on the Skripals but in an extraordinary statement, Ms May told MPs gathered in the Commons that Russia has previously produced this nerve agent and would still be capable of doing so.

She continued: Russias record of conducting state sponsored assassinations and our assessment that Russia views some defectors as legitimate targets for assassination, the Government has concluded that it is highly likely that Russia was responsible for the act against Sergei and Yulia Skripal.

The Prime Minister said the poison belonged to a group of nerve agents known as novichok, adding: Either this was a direct act by the Russian state against our country. Or the Russian government lost control of this potentially catastrophically damaging nerve agent and allowed to get it into the hands of others.

Recommended Britain to raise Sergei Skripal poisoning case with Nato

Ms May also described last weeks attack as an indiscriminate and reckless act against the United Kingdom that put the lives of innocent civilians at risk.

And we will not tolerate such a brazen attempt to murder innocent civilians on our soil, she added.

Responding to the Prime Ministers statement on the attack, Jeremy Corbyn faced shouts of shame and disgrace from Conservative MPs as he told the Commons: Were all familiar with the way huge fortunes, often acquired in the most dubious circumstances in Russia, sometimes connected with criminal elements, have ended up sheltering in London and trying to buy political influence in British party politics.

UK news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 UK news in pictures UK news in pictures 16 September 2021 Sheikeh MOhammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, leader of Abu Dhabi, leaves Downing Street after meeting with Boris Johnson PA UK news in pictures 15 September 2021 Children pose by ice sculptures depicting people collecting water by charity Water Aid to show the fragility of water and the threat posed by climate change in London AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 14 September 2021 Heavy rain covers the A149 near Kings Lynn in Norfolk PA UK news in pictures 13 September 2021 Luke Jerram's 'Museum of the Moon' at Durham Cathedral PA UK news in pictures 12 September 2021 Inspirational young fundraiser Tobias Weller crosses the finish line, near his home in Sheffield, as he completes his latest epic feat where he swam and triked his way to the end of his awesome year-long Ironman Challenge. This is the third challenge Tobias, who has cerebral palsy and autism, has completed, raising more than 150,000 for his school and Sheffield Children Hospitals charity PA UK news in pictures 11 September 2021 British player Emma Raducanu, holds up the US Open championship trophy winning the women's singles final of the US Open in New York AP 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

Meddling in elections, as the Prime Minister put it, and there has been over 800,000 worth of donations to the Conservative Party from Russian oligarchs and their associates.

The Labour leader added: We need to continue seeking a robust dialogue with Russia on all the issues dividing our countries, both domestic and international - rather than simply cutting off contact and simply letting tensions and divisions get worse, and potentially even more dangerous."Theresa May has given Vladimir Putin 24 hours to explain how a deadly Russian nerve agent was used in an assassination attempt on British soil, as she said it is highly likely Moscow was responsible.

She vowed Britain will pursue extensive measures unless a credible account can be given as to how military-grade Novichok was deployed, leaving an ex-spy, his daughter and a British policeman in hospital.

Retaliatory action that might be announced as early as Wednesday could potentially include a larger military presence in Eastern Europe, fresh sanctions and action at the United Nations.

Government sources told The Independent British ministers have also discussed expelling the Russian Ambassador in response to what Ms May branded a reckless and despicable act. Ms May said if there is no credible response by the end of Tuesday, then the UK would conclude there has been an unlawful use of force by Moscow.

The White House immediately backed Britain on Monday, branding the attack as reckless, indiscriminate and irresponsible, but Moscow dismissed the Prime Ministers statement as a circus.

Ms May revealed experts at Britains Porton Down defence laboratory have confirmed the Salisbury attack involved highly-specialised Novichok, first developed by the Soviet Union in the 1970s.

Updating the Commons, she explained that as a result it is highly likely that Russia was responsible for the act against ex-spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia, which also left Wiltshire Police Detective Sergeant Nick Bailey in a serious condition and parts of the medieval cathedral city off limits.

 Sergei Skripal: What we know so far

The Prime Minister went on: This attempted murder using a weapons-grade nerve agent in a British town was not just a crime against the Skripals.

It was an indiscriminate and reckless act against the United Kingdom, putting the lives of innocent civilians at risk.

This attempted murder using a weapons-grade nerve agent in a British town was not just a crime against the Skripals. It was an indiscriminate and reckless act against the United Kingdom, putting the lives of innocent civilians at risk. Prime Minister Theresa May

And we will not tolerate such a brazen attempt to murder innocent civilians on our soil.

She argued there are only two plausible explanations for the attack on 4 March  a direct act by the Russian state against our country or that Russia allowed the nerve agent to fall into the hands of others.

MPs were told that Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson called-in Russias Ambassador Alexander Yakovenko to demand answers, with sources later telling The Independent the meeting just before 4pm was only five minutes long.

Describing the tone of the face-to-face, a Foreign Office insider said it was cool but firm, and there was no handshake.

 Sergei Skripal: Forensic police inspect cemetery in Salisbury in connection with Russian spy poisoning case

The outrage felt by the British public was made clear to Mr Yakovenko, who was told his country had until midnight on Tuesday to explain itself.

Downing Street officials explained that cabinet ministers and security chiefs will discuss the Russian response at a meeting of the National Security Council on Wednesday, ahead of a potential further statement to the Commons that afternoon.

Speaking to MPs on Monday, Ms May set out a well-established pattern of Russian state aggression  including invading Crimea, fomenting overseas conflict, violating European airspace and meddling in other countrys elections.

She then went on to give a strong indication of potential avenues for action, saying the UK is committed to collective defence through NATO in the face of Russian behaviour.

She added: Indeed our armed forces have a leading role in Natos Enhanced Forward Presence with British troops leading a multinational battle group in Estonia.

Vladimir Putin's Photo ops  Russia's Man of Steel? Show all 20 1 /20 Vladimir Putin's Photo ops  Russia's Man of Steel? Vladimir Putin's Photo ops  Russia's Man of Steel? Vladimir Putin is pictured with a horse during his vacation outside the town of Kyzyl in Southern Siberia on August 3, 2009. Getty Vladimir Putin's Photo ops  Russia's Man of Steel? Vladimir Putin aims at a whale with an arbalest to take a piece of its skin for analysis on the Olga Bay, some 240 kilometres north-east of Nakhodka on August 25, 2010. Getty Vladimir Putin's Photo ops  Russia's Man of Steel? Vladimir Putin plunges into the icy waters of lake Seliger during the celebration of the Epiphany holiday in Russia's Tver region AFP/Getty Vladimir Putin's Photo ops  Russia's Man of Steel? Vladimir Putin (top) takes part in a judo training session at the "Moscow" sports complex in St. Petersburg, on December 22, 2010. Getty Vladimir Putin's Photo ops  Russia's Man of Steel? Vladimir Putin works out at a gym at the Bocharov Ruchei state residence in Sochi on August 30, 2015. Getty Vladimir Putin's Photo ops  Russia's Man of Steel? Vladimir Putin fishes in the remote Tuva region in southern Siberia. The picture taken between August 1 and 3, 2017. Getty Vladimir Putin's Photo ops  Russia's Man of Steel? Vladimir Putin (L) and the leader of the Night Wolves biker group, Alexander Zaldostanov (R), also known as the Surgeon, ride motorcycles on August 29, 2011 at a bikers' festival in the Black Sea port of Novorossiysk, Russia. Putin described leather-clad bikers as brothers and boasted of the "indivisible Russian nation" after roaring into a biking rally on a Harley Davidson. Getty Vladimir Putin's Photo ops  Russia's Man of Steel? Vladimir Putin wears glasses as he visits the Technology Park of the Novosibirsk Academic Town in Novosibirsk on February 17, 2012. Getty Vladimir Putin's Photo ops  Russia's Man of Steel? Vladimir Putin rides a horse during his vacation outside the town of Kyzyl in Southern Siberia on August 3, 2009. Getty Vladimir Putin's Photo ops  Russia's Man of Steel? Vladimir Putin holds a pistol during his visit to a newly-built headquarters of the Russian General Staff's Main Intelligence Department (GRU) in Moscow, 08 November 2006. ?Some countries are seeking to untie their hands in order to take weapons to outer space, including nuclear weapons,? Putin said at the Chief Military Intelligence Department on Wednesday. Getty Vladimir Putin's Photo ops  Russia's Man of Steel? Vladimir Putin sits inside a T-90AM tank during a visit to an arms exhibition in the Urals town of Nizhny Tagil on September 9, 2011 Getty Vladimir Putin's Photo ops  Russia's Man of Steel? Vladimir Putin wears a helmet and the uniform of the Renault Formula One team before driving a F1 race car on a special track in Leningrad region outside St. Petersburg on November 7, 2010. Getty Vladimir Putin's Photo ops  Russia's Man of Steel? Vladimir Putin guides a boat during his vacation in the remote Tuva region in southern Siberia. The picture taken between August 1 and 3, 2017. Getty Vladimir Putin's Photo ops  Russia's Man of Steel? Vladimir Putin hunts fish underwater in the remote Tuva region in southern Siberia. The picture taken between August 1 and 3, 2017. Getty Vladimir Putin's Photo ops  Russia's Man of Steel? Vladimir Putin is seen at the Russian boxing team training club after casting his vote for the Russian Presidential election, 14 March 2004 in Moscow. Putin coasted to a landslide victory with 69.0 percent of the vote in Sunday's election, according to the first exit poll aired on Russian television moments after voting ended across the country's 11 time zones. AFP/Getty Images Vladimir Putin's Photo ops  Russia's Man of Steel? Russian President Vladimir Putin poses for a picture inside the Tupolev-160 strategic bomber jet at the Moscow's Chkalovsky military airport, 16 August 2005. President Vladimir Putin took off from Moscow for a supersonic flight in a cruise-missile carrying Tupolev-160 bomber jet, the latest in the Russian leader's action-packed public appearances. After a health check, Putin donned a flight suit and took the commander's position in the strategic bomber, which was piloted by Major General Anatoly Zhikharev, with a colonel and a lieutenant colonel in charge of navigation, Russian media reported. Getty Vladimir Putin's Photo ops  Russia's Man of Steel? A picture released on March 6, 2010 shows Vladimir Putin look through binoculars in the Karatash area, near the town of Abakan, during his working trip to Khakassia, on February 25, 2010. Getty Vladimir Putin's Photo ops  Russia's Man of Steel? Vladimir Putin measuring a polar bear on the island Alexandra Land, part of the Franz Josef Land archipalego in the Arctic Ocean. Putin, better known in the West for his tough-guy image, expressed concern for the fate of Arctic polar bears threatened by climate change. "The polar bear is under threat. Their population is currently only 25,000 individuals," Putin was quoted by Russian news agencies as saying Getty Vladimir Putin's Photo ops  Russia's Man of Steel? Vladimir Putin carries a hunting rifle during his trip in Ubsunur Hollow Biosphere Reserve in Tuva Republic in this undated picture released on October 30, 2010 by RIA Novosti news agency. Getty Vladimir Putin's Photo ops  Russia's Man of Steel? Russian President Vladimir Putin pilots a motorized hang glider while flying with cranes as he takes part in a scientific experiment as part of the "Flight of Hope", which aims to preserve a rare species of - cranes on September 5, 2012. At the helm of a motorized hang glider that the birds have taken as their leader, Putin made three flights - the first to get familiar with the process, and two others with the birds. AFP/Getty

We have led the way in securing tough sanctions against the Russian economy. And we have at all stages worked closely with our allies and we will continue to do so.

We must now stand ready to take much more extensive measures.

She also signalled a push at the UN saying that the attack had been an unlawful use of force, something that would constitute a breach of Article 2 (4) of the UN Charter.

One minister told The Independent: We have already been discussing kicking the ambassador out, it had seemed too early before today. But things are different now.

 Footage of Vladimir Putin threatening 'traitors' resurfaces

Commons Foreign Affairs Committee chairman and Conservative MP Tom Tugendhat said Russias actions were deeply threatening to the British people.

While a string of Labour MPs stood to show solidarity with Ms Mays approach, their leader Jeremy Corbyn chose to make a political point about donations the Conservatives have received from Russian business people.

Mr Putin dismissed claims about his states alleged involvement on Monday, telling a BBC reporter who questioned him on a visit to a grain centre: Were dealing with agriculture here ... and you talk to me about some tragedies.

Get to the bottom of things there, then well discuss this.

The Kremlin has denied involvement, while the Russian embassy accused Britain of playing a very dangerous game and warned of serious long-term consequences and Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova branded Ms May statement a circus show in the British parliament.

Andrei Lugovoi, one of the two men accused of assassinating Alexander Litvinenko with radioactive polonium in 2006, said Britains response to events was suspiciously quick. Evidence, he said, that London was operating according to its own script.

Alexander Litvinenko, killed after being poisoned in 2006, and Andrei Lugovoi (right) accused of the murders, who said the UK was not seeking the truth in the Skripal case (Getty Images)

Any chemist or physicist will tell you that as a minimum you need some kind of serious expertise on a serious expert level to determine whether or not a country is responsible, he told the Interfax news agency. When such statements are made in the course of a few days, this speaks only of irresponsibility and the fact that they havent set out to discover the truth.

The White House response did not directly mention Russia, but said: The use of a highly lethal nerve agent against UK citizens on UK soil is an outrage.

The attack was reckless, indiscriminate and irresponsiblewe stand by our closest ally in the special relationship that we have.

Downing Street officials said discussions with other allies were taking place at the highest official level.A third explosion has been linked to two other deadly attacks at homes in Texas this month, where police are warning residents not to touch any unexpected boxes that end up on their door steps.

Austin Police Chief Brian Manley confirmed to reporters that the third blast  which followed just hours after an earlier deadly explosion Monday  is suspected of being connected to the recent explosions.

"This, again, is the third in what we believe to be related incidents that have occurred in the past 10 days," Mr Manley said. "Similar to what we have said in the earlier incidents, we want the community to be aware of what is going on."

The third blast sent a 75-year-old Hispanic woman to the hospital, while the second blast killed a 17-year-old boy and injured an adult woman who was in the room at the time of the explosion. A previous explosion on March 2 killed a 39-year-old man.

That third explosion was reported at 11.50am Monday while investigators responding to the second attack were still on scene. That second attack was reported at 6.44am on the same day after the 17-year-old boy brought a package into the kitchen from his home's front steps, detonating the device.

Mr Manley said that residents should not even touch packages that end up on their doorsteps if they are not expected, and said even picking up a package could have deadly consequences.

Officials investigating the incidents did not immediately disclose what types of explosives were used in the attacks, but said that they have not settled on any particular theories about the motivations behind the attack or who it might be. None of the packages were reportedly delivered through standard mail delivery services, Mr Manley said, suggesting that they had all been placed there in-person by the attacker.

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

"We are not ruling anything out at this point," Mr Manley said. "At this point we are willing to investigate any avenue that may be involved behind these attacks. We are imploring the community" to come forward with any information.

Officials stressed that visitors to the city  which is hosting events for the annual South by Southwest film and arts festival  should not be worried, but remain aware of their surroundings.

"It's important for those that are here for the spring festival to be aware of what's going on," he said. "Enjoy yourself, have a good time. There's no reason to believe that you're at risk other than be aware".

All of the victims involved in the three attacks so far have been minorities in the city. The first two attacks targeted households of African Americans, while the third injured a Hispanic woman.

When asked if investigators are considering a potential hate crime, the police chief reiterated that nothing had been ruled out so far.

The Austin Police Department is being helped in its investigation by the FBI, which brought in a second unit following the third attack, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and explosives.

The identities of the victims from Monday's attacks, which occurred in eastern and southeastern Austin, were not immediately clear. The first victim has been identified as Anthony Stephan House.

The two deaths are being investigated as homicides, Mr Manley said. The first explosion was considered to be a "suspicious death" before the Monday attack forced officials to reconsider the situation.A package explosion that killed a teenager in Texas may be connected to another deadly blast earlier this month, and police say residents should be wary of any unexpected packages arriving on their doorsteps.

Austin Police Chief Brian Manley told reporters that investigators believe the two incidents  one of which occurred early Monday morning  followed similar patterns. Both were delivered early in the morning, for instance, and neither were delivered by a service like the US Postal Service, he said.

The incident is very similar to the coincident that occurred in Austin back on March 2, Mr Manley said while updating the press about the Monday morning package explosion that killed a 17-year-old and severely injured an adult woman who was in the room at the time.

Soon after the Monday morning blast, police confirmed that they were responding to another explosion in the city, which they later said was related to the package explosions.

Austin-Travis County EMS tweeted to confirm that a woman in her 70s was being transported to the hospital from that third explosion, which took place in a southeast neighbourhood of the city.

The FBI and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives were both helping the Austin Police Department investigate the explosion, Mr Manley said.

The second explosion occurred just before 7 am Monday morning, about 11 miles from where the March 2 explosion occurred, according to an Austin TV station. The original call to Austin police was made at 6.44 am.

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 Monday morning explosion was being investigated as a homicide, Mr Manley said, and that the March 2  when 39-year-old Anthony Stephan House was killed  incident was now being investigated as murder as well. That case had originally been seen as a homicide, but had been labelled as a suspicious death because police were unable to determine if Mr House had constructed the bomb himself.

Monday mornings package explosion was about 11 miles from the March 2 explosion, and about 5 miles from the Austin Convention Center where the South by Southwest festival is conducting some activities.

The identification of the Monday morning victims was not immediately made public, though the Associated Press reported that the victims were both African American, as was Mr House.The White House on Sunday vowed to help provide rigorous firearms training to some school teachers and formally endorsed a bill to tighten the federal background checks system, but backed off President Donald Trumps earlier call to raise the minimum age to purchase some guns to 21 years old from 18 years old.

Responding directly to last months gun massacre at a Florida high school, the administration rolled out a series of policy proposals that focus largely on mental health and school safety initiatives. The idea of arming some teachers has been controversial and has drawn sharp opposition from the National Education Association, the countrys largest teachers lobby, among other groups.

Many of the student survivors have urged Washington to toughen restrictions on gun purchases, but such measures are fiercely opposed by the National Rifle Association and the Trump plan does not include any substantial changes to gun laws.

Rather, the President is establishing a Federal Commission on School Safety, to be chaired by education secretary Betsy DeVos, that will explore possible solutions, such as the age requirement for purchases, officials said.

Ms DeVos characterised the administrations efforts as a pragmatic plan to dramatically increase school safety.

We are committed to working quickly because theres no time to waste, Ms DeVos said on a Sunday evening conference call with reporters. Invoking past mass school shootings, she continued, no student, no family, no teacher and no school should have to live the horror of Parkland or Sandy Hook or Columbine again.

The administrations proposals come after 17 people were shot and killed last month at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, a massacre that spurred officials in Washington to re-evaluate gun laws.

Mr Trump has said he was personally moved by the shooting  and by the persistent and impassioned calls for action from some of the teenage survivors as well as parents of the victims  and elevated the issue of school safety in his administration. He has called for raising the minimum age for purchasing an AR-15 or similar-style rifles from 18 to 21 years old.

Now, this is not a popular thing to say, in terms of the NRA. But Im saying it anyway, Mr Trump said in a 28 February meeting with lawmakers. You can buy a handgun  you cant buy one; you have to wait until youre 21. But you can buy the kind of weapon used in the school shooting at 18. I think its something you have to think about.

But the White House plan released Sunday does not address the minimum age for gun purchases. Pressed by reporters about the apparent backtracking, a senior administration said the age issue was a state-based discussion right now and would be explored by DeVoss commission.

At a political rally Saturday night in Pennsylvania, Mr Trump mocked the idea of commissions to solve the nations drug epidemic.

Do you think the drug dealers who kill thousands of people during their lifetime, do you think they care whos on a blue-ribbon committee? Mr Trump said. The only way to solve the drug problem is through toughness.

Administration officials demurred Sunday night when asked why Mr Trump found commissions an inadequate response to the drug epidemic but an appropriate way to respond to gun massacres.

There are not going to be one-size-fits-all approaches and solutions and I think that that is a very cogent argument for having a commission, said a senior administration official, who would only answer questions from reporters on the condition of anonymity.

The centrepiece of the administrations plan is Mr Trumps vow to harden our schools against attack. Since almost immediately after the Parkland shooting, the President has advocated arming some teachers as a solution to stopping future massacres.

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, Mr Trump said during a 22 February listening session at the White House with teachers, students and parents.

The administration will start working with states to provide rigorous firearms training to teachers and other school personnel who volunteer to be armed, said Andrew Bremberg, director of the White House Domestic Policy Council. The White House has not proposed offering states new funding for this training.

Lily Eskelsen Garcia, president of the NEA, the teachers lobby, said last month that bringing more guns into our schools does nothing to protect our students and educators from gun violence. Our students need more books, art and music programmes, nurses and school counsellors; they do not need more guns in their classrooms.

The NRA supports the idea of allowing armed teachers in schools.

Mr Bremberg said the administration is backing two pieces of legislation: a bipartisan bill by senators John Cornyn and Chris Murphy, that is designed to improve the accuracy and effectiveness of the National Instant Criminal Background Check System; and the STOP School Violence Act, which would authorise state-based grants to implement violence prevention training for teachers and students.

The administration also is urging all states to pass risk protection orders, as Florida recently did, allowing law enforcement officers to remove firearms from individuals who are considered a threat to themselves or others and to prevent them from purchasing new guns, Mr Bremberg said.

Lastly, the administration wants to better integrate mental health, primary care and family services programmes and the President has ordered a full audit and review of the FBI tip line, he said. The FBI has said it ignored a warning that 19-year-old Nikolas Cruz might attack a school just weeks before he allegedly carried out the rampage in Parkland.

The President is determined to get to the root of the various societal issues that lead to violence in our country, Mr Bremberg said. No stone will be unturned.

At the Department of Justice, meanwhile, Attorney General Jeff Sessions on Saturday took an incremental step towards banning bump stocks, devices that can make semiautomatic weapons fire like fully automatic firearms.

Sessions submitted to the Office of Management and Budget proposed regulation on bump stocks. The proposal still requires that offices approval and once that is complete, it must be published and public comments considered before it becomes reality.

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

While some gun control advocates welcomed the move, others argued that it would still be better for Congress to pass legislation banning the devices. Federal officials had in years past concluded they could not legally regulate bump stocks and the new move to do so is likely to be met with lawsuits from manufacturers of the devices.

For its part, the NRA does not oppose regulating bump stocks under existing law, but does object to new legislation.

In Florida, governor Rick Scott, defied the NRA last Friday by signing into law a new set of gun regulations that imposes a three-day waiting period for most purchases of long guns, raises the minimum age for buying those weapons to 21 and bans the possession of bump stocks.

I am going to do what I think are common-sense solutions, Mr Scott said after the signing. I think this is the beginning. There is now going to be a real conversation about how we make our schools safe.

But the new Florida restrictions have drawn opposition from some Republicans nationally. Senator Ron Johnson, said Sunday on CNNs State of the Union that he does not support raising the age to purchase long guns, such as AR-15 rifles that have been used in many of the recent mass shootings.

We send our sons and daughters over to Afghanistan, in Iraq, at age 18, Johnson said. They defend our freedoms. I think if they do that, they ought to be able to buy a hunting rifle.

Mr Trump has vacillated in his public pronouncements about guns. He and Republican leaders in Congress have been afraid to cross the National Rifle Association ahead of the November midterm elections because the gun lobby has long been a powerful force mobilising conservative activists in elections.

At his 28 February meeting with lawmakers, Mr Trump sounded open to new restrictions on gun purchase. Take the guns first, go through due process second, he said, winning the approval of Senator Dianne Feinstein and other Democrats who have long sought to toughen gun laws and ban semiautomatic assault rifles.

But NRA leaders then met privately with Mr Trump and the President had an apparent change of heart and backed off more restrictive proposals. Last week, Mr Trump met personally in the Oval Office with Kyle Kashuv, a Stoneman Douglas student who has become one of his schools few pro-gun rights activists with his frequent appearances on Fox News Channel.

The Washington PostThe sole survivor of the helicopter flight that ended in tragedy in New Yorks East River on Sunday night radioed for help shortly before the aircraft went down.

Mayday, mayday, mayday, said the pilot, identified by police on Monday as 33-year-old Richard Vance, to air traffic controllers at La Guardia airport. Mr Vance had five passengers on board the Liberty Helicopters charter flight.

The line was poor and the dispatcher asked him to repeat his message several times.

Recommended Pilot only one to escape with life as helicopter crashes in New York

East River engine failure, Mr Vance said.

Say it one more time, the dispatcher is heard to say.

Engine failure over the East River, Lima Hotel, the pilot repeated, giving his call sign.

Apparently still misunderstanding the situation, the dispatcher asked, Do you require any assistance?

Another voice cut in: That was a mayday call, La Guardia.

Okay, got it, the dispatcher responded.

He later confirmed he had the aircrafts last reported position and the New York Police Department had been notified and had sent police boats to the scene.

A second pilot said he would do a run down the East River and look for him.

One pilot called in a short time later after reaching the scene: La Guardia, 27 Whisky Alpha is directly above the site. It appears the aircraft is inverted in the water.

He later confirmed, the aircraft is upside down and reported that a boat is pulling up on scene right now.

No details about the identity of the five passengers have yet been released.

The single-engine aircraft  described by a Federal Aviation Association spokeswoman as a Eurocopter AS350  was owned by Liberty Helicopters, a company that offers sightseeing tours and private charter flights in New York City.

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

Liberty helicopters have been involved in at least two previous crashes.

In 2009, a Liberty sightseeing helicopter of the same model collided with a small, private plane over the Hudson River, killing nine people.

A similar helicopter crashed in the Hudson two years earlier, also operated by Liberty, according to news reports at the time. All eight people on board survived.

On its website, Liberty describes itself as "the largest and most experienced helicopter sightseeing and charter service in the Northeast".

The company claims to deliver "unparalleled safety records" and to have received multiple awards for safety, including the 5 Star Diamond Award and the Annual Safety Award from the Helicopter Association International.

According to Liberty, regular pilot training and high maintenance standards coupled with our unsurpassed safety and security measures assures our passengers the safest and most pleasurable experience possible.

Liberty Helicopters could not be reached for comment.

Around 700 Airbus H125 helicopters  formally known as Eurocopter AS350  are in service worldwide, according to Airbus.

Agencies contributed to this report.The White House has said it fully expects President Donald Trump to meet with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, though the North has yet to confirm the meeting.

Mr Trump said last week that he had accepted an offer to meet with Mr Kim  an agreement that would make him the first sitting US president to meet face-to-face with a North Korean leader. The offer to meet was passed to the White House through South Korean officials.

But by Monday, Pyongyang had yet to comment on Mr Trumps announcement. Asked if the White House still expected the meeting to go forward, Press Secretary Huckabee Sanders said: We fully expect that it will.

The offer was made and weve accepted, she said. North Korea made several promises and we hope that they would stick to those promises and if so the meeting will go on as planned.

Secretary of State Rex Tillerson confirmed that the administration had not heard directly from North Korea, but said he expected to hear from them in the future. He added that discussions around the meeting are still in the very early stages and several steps will be necessary to agree on a location, according to Politico.

I know those are all questions people are anxious to have answers to. I would say remain patient, and we'll see what happens, he said.

North Korea Military Parade Show all 6 1 /6 North Korea Military Parade North Korea Military Parade AP North Korea Military Parade AFP/Getty Images North Korea Military Parade AP North Korea Military Parade AP North Korea Military Parade AP North Korea Military Parade AFP/Getty Images

A spokesman for South Korea's Ministry of Unification said the North Koreans were probably approaching this matter with caution," and that they "need time to organise their stance."

South Korean officials told the White House last week that Mr Kim was eager to meet with Mr Trump, and would even suspend Pyongyangs missile testing in order to do so. They also said Mr Kim would allow US-South Korean military exercises to continue in the months before the meeting, which was originally slated for May.

North Korean media has reported on the South Korean visit to the US, but not on details of the talks, according to Reuters.

 Donald Trump says he 'believes' North Korea leader Kim Jong Un about peace talks

Mr Trump boasted about the meeting on Twitter, writing that there was great progress being made and a meeting being planned!

But Mr Tillerson seemed somewhat surprised at the invitation, telling reporters that it was the most forward-leaning report that weve have had in terms of Kim Jong-uns  not just willingness  but his strong desire for talks.

What changed was his posture in a fairly dramatic way that, in all honesty, came as a little bit of a surprise to us, he said.Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, March 11)  Oriental Mindoro Rep. Reynaldo Umali said Sunday he wants the barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections in May postponed, so the Congress could focus on other matters.

We want to concentrate on cha-cha (charter change), on federalism, on BBL (Bangsamoro Basic Law), theres just too many things to do and we do not want to be preoccupied with local or barangay elections, Umali told CNN Philippines.

He said the House Committee on Suffrage and Electoral Reforms will discuss the matter in a hearing Monday, saying the panel's direction is to approve the postponement.

Umali, who chairs the House Justice Committee, said if the Senate does not approve of the measure, then elections will continue on May.

With only a few weeks left before both the House and Senate adjourn on March 24, he said it is never too late to approve the postponement. The two chambers will resume their sessions on May 14, the supposed day of elections.

House Bills No. 7072, 7128, 7167, and 7217 were earlier filed by Reps. Johnny Ty Pimentel, Jose Panganiban Jr., Reynaldo Umali, and Edgar Sarmiento for the postponement of the local elections.

The four bills sought to amend Republic Act No. 9164, which synchronized both the barangay and SK elections.

On February, Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said the elections will push through.

Around 42,000 barangays nationwide will vote in the upcoming polls. The barangay elections were last held in October 2013.

In 2016, President Rodrigo Duterte postponed the barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan polls from October 2016 to October 2017 after expressing fears of drug money getting into the elections.

CNN Philippines' Correspondent Makoi Popioco contributed to this report.President Donald Trump has hit back at claims he is unhappy with his legal team, amid reports that he has spoken to a lawyer who represented Bill Clinton in impeachment hearings about joining the White House.

Mr Trump tweeted that a story suggesting he was looking to add Washington lawyer Emmet T Flood to his team - as he looks to deal with Special Counsel Robert Muellers probe into Russias election meddling and any possible links to his campaign - was false.

I am VERY happy with my lawyersThey are doing a great job, Mr Trump said, saying that it was wrong that he was going to add another lawyer to help out.

The New York Times reported that Mr Flood had held discussions with Mr Trump in the White House during the last week, citing a number of people connected to the matter - although it is said that a final decision had not yet been made. The duties that Mr Flood might take up in the White House, would revolve around the day-to-day dealings with the Justice Department.

Mr Trump tweeted that his lawyers John Dowd, Ty Cobb and Jay Sekulow had shown conclusively that there was no collusion with Russia - a refrain that he has repeatedly used in recent months. Mr Trump also fell back on a number of other tropes from his campaign, alleging without presenting any evidence that the only collusion was by the DNC, the Democrats and Crooked Hillary [Clinton], his presidential opponent in 2016.

While calling the New York Times story false, Mr Trump did not directly address the question of whether he had held recent meetings with Mr Flood, with sources also telling Reuters that the meeting had taken place.

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

Attacking the newspaper as failing, another constant in his regular criticism on the media that covers him, Mr Trump called one of the reporters on the story, Maggie Haberman, as a Hillary flunky who knows nothing about me and is not given access. That is despite Ms Haberman having previously been given interviews in the Oval Office, and also being known for breaking stories about the president.

As for Mr Flood, he has previously worked in the White House Counsels office under George W Bush, represented former Vice President Dick Cheney and is said to have turned down an offer to work in the White House last year.

 'Keep America Great': Donald Trump announces new campaign slogan

It said that Mr Trump has no new concerns about Mr Muellers inquiry, any discussions about his legal team would indicate that Mr Trumps team believe that the investigation would be ending swiftly. That the investigation would end in relatively short order has been the line of Mr Cobb, who has taken the lead role in dealing with the special counsels office and advocated a co-operative approach.

Word of the discussions came as Trump's outside legal team has been negotiating with Mr Mueller over a possible interview with the president.A Chinese woman who missed out on a childhood education has reportedly signed up to go to school with her five-year-old daughter.

Shi Xiaoqin, a mother-of-two from Guizhou province in southern China, is believed to have joined a class of young new school students last month.

The 31-year-old said she was not worried what people thought of a fully grown woman going back to school, reports the South China Post.

I dont care what others think of me. Accompanying my daughter in class not only helps me to pick up new knowledge but also allows me to better teach my daughter, she said.

Once I know how to read and write, I can help my daughter learn at home, and when she grows up, she will have the chance to get a good job.

Ms Shi, who said there were a number of reasons she did not attend school as a child, said she hoped relearning later in life would provide her with greater job options.

She lives with her family in Songtao Miao - an autonomous county in northeastern Guizhou province. She and her husband have been migrant workers in the provinces of Fujian, Hainan and Guangdong but not being able to read has always impeded her prospects.

According to the paper, she said her illiteracy had stopped her from procuring any form of work at all at times. Until recently she was said to have been unable to recognise even a single character.

Her teacher Chi Mingxia said the school was pleased she had applied and she was now making strong progress.

Shi Xiaoqin studies hard. She has grasped a lot about Mandarins pinyin and recognises many characters.

"She has set a good example for the other children at our school, the teacher, who is younger than her, was quoted as saying.

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

She is able to play games with her classmates at break time but has the responsibilities of an adult. In contrast to her fellow pupils, her day ends with looking after her daughters, doing chores, and cooking food.

Ms Shi said her husband worked on construction sites far from home and the family were very poor. The couple are also believed to have a one-year-old daughter.A plane carrying 71 people from Bangladesh swerved erratically and flew dangerously low before crashing and erupting in flames as it landed in Kathmandu, Nepals capital, on Monday, killing at least 50 people, officials and witnesses said.

A top airport official said the pilot of US-Bangla Airlines flight BS211 did not follow landing instructions from the control tower, and had approached the airports one runway from the wrong direction.

The airplane was not properly aligned with the runway. The tower repeatedly asked if the pilot was OK and the reply was yes, said Raj Kumar Chetri, the airports general manager.

But a recording of the conversations between the pilot and air traffic controllers indicated confusion over which direction the plane should land.

In the recording, posted by the air traffic monitoring website liveatc.net, conversation veered repeatedly over whether the pilot should land on the airports single runway from the south or the north.

Just before landing, the pilot asked: Are we cleared to land?

Moments later, the controller came back on, using a tone rarely heard in such conversations  perhaps even panic  and told the pilot: I say again, turn!

Seconds later, the controller ordered firetrucks onto the runway.

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 exact number of dead and injured remained unclear amid the chaos of the crash and the rush of badly injured people to nearby hospitals, but Brig Gen Gokul Bhandari, the Nepal army spokesman, said it was clear that at least 50 people had died. Officials at Kathmandu Medical College, the closest hospital to the airport, said they were treating 16 survivors.

US-Bangla Airlines flight BS211 from Dhaka to Kathmandu was carrying 67 passengers and four crew members, according to an airline spokesman.

An AP journalist who arrived at the scene soon after the crash saw the twin-propeller plane broken into several large pieces, with dozens of firefighters and rescue workers clustered around the wreckage in a grassy field near the runway. Hundreds of people stood on a nearby hill, staring down at what remained of the Bombardier Dash 8 aircraft.

The plane swerved repeatedly as it prepared to land in Kathmandu, said Amanda Summers, an American working in Nepal. The crowded city sits in a valley in the Himalayan foothills.

It was flying so low I thought it was going to run into the mountains, said Ms Summers, who watched the crash from the terrace of her home office, not far from the airport. All of a sudden there was a blast and then another blast.

Nepalese rescuers stand near a passenger plane from Bangladesh that crashed at the airport in Kathmandu (AP)

Fire crews put out the flames quickly, perhaps within a minute, she said, though for a time clouds of thick, dark smoke rose into the sky above the city.

The plane had circled Tribhuvan International Airport twice as it waited for clearance to land, Mohammed Selim, the airlines manager in Kathmandu, told Dhaka-based Somoy TV by telephone. The plane was 17-years-old, company officials said.

Nitin Keyal was about to board a domestic flight when he saw the plane coming in.

It was flying very low, said Mr Keyal, a medical student. Everyone just froze looking at it. You could tell it wasnt a normal landing.

He said it landed just off the runway, broke apart and burst into flames. For a few minutes no one could believe what was happening. It was just terrible, he said.

Most of the injured were brought to Kathmandu Medical College, where relatives wept as they awaited news.

Haran Saran was at the hospital hoping for news about his nephew, a medical student.

Hes not on the list of injured people, said Mr Saran, who did not want to give his nephews name. We still have hope that there has been some mistake on the list, or he is in some other hospital.

US-Bangla spokesman Kamrul Islam said the plane was carrying 32 passengers from Bangladesh, 33 from Nepal and one each from China and the Maldives. He did not provide the nationalities of the four crewmembers.

US-Bangla operates Boeing 737-800 and smaller Bombardier Dash 8 Q-400 planes.

The full-service airline is based in the Bangladeshi capital, Dhaka, and flies to several domestic and international destinations. The parent company, part of the US-Bangla Group, is involved in sectors that include real estate, education and agriculture.

Kathmandus airport has been the site of several deadly crashes. In September 2012, a Sita Air turboprop plane carrying trekkers to Mount Everest hit a bird and crashed shortly after takeoff, killing all 19 on board.

APSlovakias Interior Minister has resigned following the biggest street protests in decades over the death of Jan Kuciak, an investigative journalist.

On Friday, an estimated 50,000 people rallied in Bratislava and thousands more in other cities to call on Slovakias Prime Minister, Robert Fico, to dismiss his closest ally, Robert Kalinak.

Its important for stability to be maintained, therefore I decided to resign the post of deputy prime minister and Interior Minister, Mr Kalinak said.

Candles are left in tribute to murdered Slovakian investigative reporter Jan Kuciak, 27, and his fiancee, Martina, 27, at Slovak National Uprising Square in Bratislava (AP)

The death of Mr Kuciak, who probed fraud cases involving politically-connected businessmen, has stoked public anger over persistent corruption allegations and pushed Mr Ficos government towards collapse.

Mr Fico is hoping to keep his coalition government together after demonstrators demanded the resignation of his cabinet and a thorough investigation into Mr Kuciaks death.

His junior partner in government, the Most-Hid (Bridge) group, had demanded he dismiss Mr Kalinak, a founding member of his Smer party, by Monday.

Critics argue Mr Kalinak, who oversees the police as Interior Minister, cannot guarantee an independent investigation into the killing of Mr Kuciak and his fiancee.

It is unclear if Mr Kalinaks resignation will satisfy the party. Its leadership is meeting later on Monday.

Mr Kuciaks last, unfinished story was about the activities of the Italian mafia in Slovakia and their ties to people close to Mr Fico, whose government is allegedly also linked to other corruption scandals.Donald Trumps former strategist Steve Bannon urged a French National Front rally to let them call you racist" and "wear it as a badge of honour.

The former Breitbart chairman was a surprise speaker at the party's conference in Lille, which saw party leader Marine Le Pen launch a proposal to rename the group to the National Rally, opening a new era after her resounding defeat in last years presidential race.

Mr Bannon told the far-right audience history is on our side as he told attendees to let them call you xenophobes, let them call you nativists.

The 64-year-old said he had come to deliver the address to learn from the Europeans.

What Ive learned is you are part of a worldwide movement that is bigger than France, bigger than Italy, bigger than Hungary, bigger than all of it, he said.

He provoked widespread cheers when he added: The opposition media  the running dogs of the global corporate elite called Trump and Bannon white supremacists... but President Trump's economic nationalism does not care about your race, your religion, your ethnicity... It cares about one thing: Are you a citizen of the United States of America?

Ms Le Pen thanked Mr Bannon for his appearance on Sunday, saying it was an honour to listen to the man who inspired Trumps 2016 election campaign.

The National Front of the past has been a political force for decades, a kingmaker in numerous elections and a key player in others, notably for the European Parliament, where it won more seats than any other French party. But Ms Le Pen herself may have credibility issues.

Mr Bannon heaped praise on the rising star of the party  Ms Le Pens conservative niece, Marion Marechal-Le Pen, who is popular with traditional catholics.

Ms Le Pen recently said she is not opposed to ceding her leadership but wants to stay on for at least three more years.

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

In a nod to the apparently large contingent of members opposed to a name change, Ms Le Pen noted that the National Front name, which the party has had since its founding in 1972, is linked to a glorious past. However, she said it serves as a psychological barrier for potential new members and voters, notably the word front, which connotes opposition.

However, she also reassured members who fear the party is moving away from its core. She defended the French identity and attacked what she painted as the dark forces that threaten it.

Globalisation and Islamisation are two ideologies that want to dominate the world, she said to cheers. In France, when you're a foreigner, you respect our laws... When you're a foreigner and a delinquent, you must get on a plane, she said, drawing cries of On est chez nous (We are in our land).

Earlier in the month, the far-right leader was charged over tweets depicting Isis propaganda and violence.

The charges were issued for distribution of violent images, the prosecutors office in the Paris suburb of Nanterre said.

If the case reaches trial and she is convicted, the 49-year-old could face three years in prison and a 75,000 (66,000) fine.

Despite her troubles, Ms Le Pen was re-elected to a new term as party president at the congress  the only candidate for the post.Investors waiting for the chance to buy a piece of Aramco, Saudi Arabias state-owned oil behemoth, will probably have to wait.

Aramco had indicate that it expected to begin trading on a public stock market this year, but, according to three people briefed on the companys planning, that is now likely to happen in 2019. The delay reflects the difficulties in arranging what would easily be the worlds biggest-ever initial public offering.

The companys potential market debut, a centrepiece of an ambitious economic overhaul of Saudi Arabia led by crown prince Mohammed bin Salman, has drawn the interest of investors around the world  and political leaders hoping to win the listing.

In November, President Donald Trump publicly courted Saudi officials to list Aramco on the New York Stock Exchange on Twitter. British Government officials met their Saudi counterparts during Mr Salmans visit to Britain last week. Shinzo Abe, the prime minister of Japan, has privately made entreaties for consideration of the Tokyo Stock Exchange as well.

Aramco is one of the giants in the world of oil production and its initial public offering is likely to be valued at a minimum of several hundred billion dollars. Saudi officials have not-so-privately indicated that they hoped the company would be valued at some $2 trillion (1.44 trillion).

But Saudi and Aramco officials, as well as their legions of advisers, have had to grapple with a host of issues. Mr Salman has also overseen a very public anti-corruption campaign in which scores of fellow royals were detained. The country has also taken an active military role in Yemens civil war.

The company has not only been the primary source of Saudi revenue (there were, until recently, no taxes), it has also historically been used to move oil prices.

But its finances have not been transparent, and both the American and London stock exchanges require both transparency and the protection of public shareholders. In addition, while some Saudi officials  reportedly including Mr Salman himself  are said to favour a listing on the New York exchange, others involved in the process have said that a presence in the United States could expose the kingdom to lawsuits.

How a listing would be structured also remains under discussion. The plan is to have Aramco trade on both the kingdoms Tadawul stock exchange and a major foreign stock market, which would provide both prestige and the investor money needed to support a multibillion-dollar listing.

A public offering abroad was meant, in part, to send a signal that the country was changing. The New York Stock Exchange, the London Stock Exchange and the Hong Kong Stock Exchange have been vying to capture the foreign market listing.

Some people in the energy industry also say that Aramco could face pressure from investors because the company has not gone through the cost-cutting that Western oil companies, like Exxon Mobil, have undertaken in recent years.

My fear is that they are not prepared for this new world, Floris Ansingh, a former head of Royal Dutch Shell in Saudi Arabia, said of Aramco. That will be forced upon them.

In an interview with Bloomberg Television last week, Saudi Arabias energy minister, Khalid al-Falih, hinted that an Aramco offering would probably come next year, asserting that the timeline would make little difference.

Between 31 December and 31 January, there is no value lost for the kingdom, Mr Al-Falih said. So I dont see this artificial deadline that you refer to as being significant.

Officials and advisers involved in the process have also explored the possibility of not taking Aramco public at all. In the region, speculation has turned to a possible sale of a stake to a sovereign wealth fund, possibly the Chinese.

The Financial Times reported earlier that Saudi officials told their British counterparts last week that a delay to 2019 was likely.

Representatives for Aramco did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

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

Aramco itself has worked to prepare itself for a listing, though all the major decisions  including when and where the company will be listed  will ultimately be made by its current shareholder, the Saudi government.

We are preparing for all areas because we dont know where we will be listed, Amin H Nasser, Aramcos chief executive, said in a recent interview at the companys headquarters in Dhahran. It makes us ready for any market the government decides.

The New York TimesAn entire hen party has been killed after a private jet carrying 11 people crashed in south-western Iran, according to state media.

The jet was carrying eight passengers, including Mina Basaran, daughter of Turkish businessman Huseyin Basaran, who was reportedly visiting the United Arab Emirates with friends to celebrate her upcoming marriage.

The aircraft had been flying from Sharjah in the UAE to Istanbul, Turkey, when it crashed in Irans Zagros Mountains.

It was unclear what caused the crash, but Irans state news agency Irna said its black boxes had been retrieved from the site.

The jet suddenly gained altitude roughly 80 minutes into the flight, and then plunged 3,050 metres, before disappearing from the radar, according to data from FlightRadar24.

The pilot had reportedly requested to fly at a lower altitude due to technical problems, according to Isan news agency.

Ms Basaran, 28, arrived in the UAE last week. She had been regularly updating her instagram, which has 65,000 followers, with photos from the hen party. The last shot showed eight women dressed in pink and white dressing gowns at a Dubai hotel.

One of the last pictures posted to Mina Basarans Instagram (Instagram)

The Iranian Red Crescent said 11 bodies had been recovered from the wreckage  eight passengers and three crew members.

Turkeys ministry of transport said it would send a team of investigators to the scene.Syrian Arab militiamen leading the Turkish attack on Afrin in northern Syria are threatening to massacre its Kurdish population unless they convert to the variant of Islam espoused by Isis and al-Qaeda. In the past such demands have preceded the mass killings of sectarian and ethnic minorities in both Syria and Iraq.

In one video a militia fighter flanked by others describes the Kurds as infidels and issues a stark warning, saying "by Allah, if you repent and come back to Allah, then know that you are our brothers. But if you refuse, then we see that your heads are ripe, and that it's time for us to pluck them." Though the Kurds in Afrin are Sunni Muslims, Isis and al-Qaeda traditionally punish those who fail to subscribe to their beliefs as heretics deserving death.

The video is 100 per cent authentic, said Rami Abdulrahman, who heads the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights which released it, in an interview with The Independent. He adds that he is very concerned about the fate of some Yazidi villages in Afrin captured by the advancing Turkish forces, saying he has seen videos taken by the militiamen themselves in one of which an elderly Yazidi man is questioned by them, asking him how many times he prays a day.

Such interrogations of Yazidis by Isis to prove that they were not Muslims often preceded the killings, rapes and the taking of Yazidi women as sex slaves when Isis seized Yazidi areas in northern Iraq in 2014. Mr Abdulrahman, who is the leading human rights monitor in Syria with a network of informants throughout the country, says he is worried that international attention is entirely focused on the Syrian army assault on Eastern Ghouta and nobody is talking about the potential slaughter of the Kurds and other minorities in Afrin.

He says that the two situations are similar since President Bashar al-Assads forces have taken 60 per cent of Ghouta and [President Recep Tayyip] Erdogans forces have taken 60 per cent of Afrin. He says that as many as one million Kurds may be threatened and adds that it is becoming extremely difficult for them to escape from Afrin because Syrian government checkpoints on the only road leading south to Aleppo are demanding bribes of up to $4,000 per family to let people through.

Mr Abdulrahman points to growing evidence drawn from videos taken by themselves of militiamen claiming to be members of the Free Syrian Army (FSA) that the units advancing ahead of regular Turkish troops are extreme jihadis. This has previously been asserted by a former Isis member in an interview published by The Independent last month who said that many of his former comrades had been recruited and retrained by the Turkish military. He said that Isis recruits had been instructed by Turkish trainers not to use their traditional tactics, such as the of extensive use of car bombs, because this would identify them as terrorists. He suspected that Isis fighters would be used as cannon fodder in Turkeys war against the Kurdish Peoples Protection Units (YPG) and then discarded.

As the Turkish army closes in on Afrin and the Syrian army penetrates deeply into the opposition stronghold of Eastern Ghouta, people in both areas fear that they will be the victims of enforced demographic change. One Kurdish observer in Iraq said that he thought Mr Erdogan, who has claimed that the majority in Afrin is not Kurdish, will bring in Turkmen and others to replace the Kurdish population."

Isis is particularly hostile to the US-backed YPG, as its most effective enemy which drove it out of a quarter of Syrian territory and captured the de facto Isis capital of Raqqa last October after a four-month siege.

As Mr Abdulrahman says, the sieges of Afrin and Eastern Ghouta have much in common, though the number of those trapped in Afrin may be larger. Motives for refusing to leave are also much the same. I will never leave Ghouta, said Haytham Bakkar, an anti-government journalist living there, speaking just as the present Syrian Army assault was getting underway. We have lived here for hundreds and thousands of years. Here our grandparents lived. Here are our houses and tombs. We were born here and we will die here. Our souls and roots are here.

Bakkar says that most people in Eastern Ghouta are convinced that their departure is part of a broader government plan to make drastic demographic changes whereby their property would be given to others. He says that even if people survived the dangerous journey out of the area, they did not want to watch TV news and see strangers living in our homes.

Kurds make a similar calculation, but it is also becoming extremely dangerous for them to try to flee. Precedents have already been set for ethnic and sectarian cleansing all over Syria since 2011 as those in control oust members of other communities.

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

The YPG is a formidable force and the YPG spokesman Nouri Mahmoud says that the group has 10,000 fighters in the enclave who would fight to the end. He says that Kurds are already being displaced and in one village alone 600 people were told to go. He said that the Kurds feared a genocide was in the making and complained that the international media focus on Eastern Ghouta has given the Turks the opportunity to step up their attack on Afrin without the rest of the world paying much attention. The Kurdish authorities are trying to publicise the sufferings of civilians in Afrin, but are so far not having much success.

In the long term  and possibly in the short term  Afrin may prove to be indefensible. It is surrounded by Turkish forces and their FSA allies who are vastly superior in numbers and heavy weapons and are able to use air power and artillery without opposition.

None of the foreign players in the Syrian crisis show any sign of intervening against Turkey. The Turks were able to invade Afrin on 20 January because Russia decided it would no longer defend its airspace as it had been doing previously. Kurdish leaders say they believe that Russia, Iran and Turkey have agreed that Turkey will get Afrin, possibly in exchange for the Turks agreeing to drop their support for the one big remaining anti-Assad enclave in Idlib.

The Turkish offensive against the Kurds in Afrin will not end when it falls, but its elimination may set the stage for further Turkish attacks against Kurdish-held territory further east. This will bring the Turks into a confrontation with the Washington which will try mediate, but, if US forces are to stay in Syria, then they will still need the Kurds as their one ally on the ground. But, if the fall of Afrin is accompanied by mass killings and ethnic cleansing, then the war in northern Syria is about to get a whole lot worse.Twenty-four hours after the fatal crash of a US-Bangla aircraft at Kathmandu airport in Nepal, the Bangladeshi airlines website still boasts Fly Fast  Fly Safe.

The Nepali authorities are investigating the cause of the ninth fatal accident in eight years in the mountainous kingdom. But it is difficult to have full confidence in the work of the Nepal Aircraft Accident Investigation Commission and the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal.

All the nations airlines are banned from the EU because safety officials do not trust the regulator.

Recommended Flight carrying 67 crashes at Nepal international airport

The European Union Air Safety List is actually a Danger List. The register comprises the airlines, mostly little-known, which fail to adhere to the applicable international safety standards.

Among the several hundred airlines banned from flying to the EU are All air carriers certified by the authorities with responsibility for regulatory oversight of Nepal.

Only one of the 17 airlines on the blacklist, Royal Nepal, has ever flown to the UK. At present it is banned, along with 16 others.

In an era where aviation in many parts of the world is becoming ever safer, crashes in Nepal continue to haunt the headlines. The tragedies tend to follow a fatal pattern, usually involving small propeller planes in poor weather.

In August 2010, 14 people lost their lives on an Agni Air domestic flight from Kathmandu to Lukla, which had turned back due to bad weather at Lukla. In 2012, a similar sequence of events killed 15 of the 21 people aboard another Agni Air flight that had been unable to land at Jomson and was returning to Pokhara.

Twenty-two more lives were lost in a Tara Air Twin Otter during a domestic flight to Kathmandu in December 2010.

In September 2011, 19 people lost their lives on the approach to Kathmandu on a Buddha Air Beechcraft 1900.

A year later, seven British passengers were among the 19 people who died aboard a Sita Air Dornier 228 that came down shortly after take off from Kathmandu, destination Lukla. They were at the start of a three-week trek organised by Explore. The crash was blamed on a combination of factors, including an overweight aircraft with too much luggage stowed on board.

The tragedies continued in 2014, when a Nepal Airways Twin Otter was lost between Pokhara and Jumla, killing all 18. And in 2016 the same plane type, operated by Tara Air, crashed en route from Pokhara to Jomsom. Twenty-three lives were lost.

Two days later, an Air Kasthamandap plane with 11 passengers on board crashed while flying between Nepalgunj and Jumla. Two members of the crew were killed.

The International Civil Aviation Organization is seeking to reduce the death toll. It says: The countrys beautiful but rugged terrain makes the safety of air operations more challenging than in other areas of the world.

To compound the risks, the countrys domestic airlines tend to use old, ill-maintained aircraft, with inadequate training in and enforcement of international aviation standards. So there is little hope that this litany of tragedy will end soon.

Travellers to the mountain kingdom must continue to weigh the risks of flying  while remaining aware that the roads are lethal, too, with an accident rate six times higher than in the UK.A millennial railcard is going on sale nationwide, entitling travellers aged between 26 and 30 to one-third off train tickets  but only if they are among the first 10,000 to apply.

The Independent estimates five million British people are eligible for the 26-30 Railcard, which means there is only one for every 500 people in the 26-30 cohort.

Plans for a 26-30 Railcard were revealed by The Independent last October. The new discount scheme broadly extends the existing 16-25 Railcard privileges. All Advance tickets and most walk-up fares are cut by 34 per cent, though Anytime and Off Peak tickets have a minimum fare of 12 between 4.30am and 10am.

The railcard costs 30 for a year. It is available only digitally, and is intended to be carried on smartphones.

A pilot programme has been running in the Greater Anglia area since December 2017, also involving 10,000 railcards. All had been sold by February.

In the Budget in November 2017, the Chancellor said: I can announce a new railcard for those aged 26 to 30, giving 4.5 million more young people a third off their rail fares.

But the rail industry wants to evaluate the test run before committing to a full roll out of the new railcard.

A spokesperson for the Rail Delivery Group, which represents the rail industry, said: The trial of the 26-30 Railcard is part of the rail industrys long-term plan to change, improve and boost communities by enabling more people to travel by train.

Research being gathered as part of the 26-30 Railcard trial expansion is being used to inform discussions with the government about a national roll out.

The chief executive of the watchdog Transport Focus, Anthony Smith, said: The nationwide trial of the 26-30 Railcard is welcome news for hard-pressed passengers and will help take some of the sting out of rising rail fares.

With less than half of passengers satisfied with the value for money of their journey and even fewer young people satisfied this will help make travelling by rail that little bit more affordable for young people.

The way that the rules work, someone who turns 31 on Wednesday will be allowed to apply on Tuesday  and get a railcard that is valid until the day before their 32nd birthday.

One of the very few people in this category is Helen Coffey, deputy head of travel at The Independent. She said: I feel exceptionally lucky that Im able to buy the new rail card  if I was born one day earlier Id be too old!

Its a great idea to create a rail card for this demographic; I often find UK rail travel hugely expensive unless I know where Ill be going months in advance. Im excited to start saving, even if Ill only be eligible for the next year.

Ms Coffey will then need to wait for almost three decades until she is 60 and qualifies for a Senior Railcard, unless the Government agrees to calls for a National Railcard open to all.

In Switzerland, where almost every rail passenger has a Halb-tax railcard, giving a 50 per cent discount, there are demands for the scheme to be scrapped and fares nationwide to be halved.Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, March 12)  Former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo does not find anything wrong with the country's pivot toward China  in fact, she said it was similar to her own policy.

"When I was president, I focused on developing closer economic and business ties with China. That is the policy of President (Rodrigo) Duterte today, similar to mine," Arroyo told CNN Philippines' The Source Monday.

Arroyo, who was president from 2001 to 2010, is now a Pampanga Representative.

She added China was not a rival but "a market, an investor, [and] a donor."

As of November 2017, China has committed to over P382 billion (US $7.3 billion) in soft loans and grants to the Philippines. This includes funding for "big-ticket" projects such as two bridges in Metro Manila, two drug rehabilitation facilities in Mindanao, and for the rehabilitation of war-torn Marawi City.

During Arroyo's term, loans from China amounted to US$2.2 billion (P91.1 billion), according to a 2008 report by the Philippine Center of Investigative Journalism.

In a 2014 publication of the University of the Philippines' "Asian Studies: Journal of Critical Perspectives on Asia," it said China became a significant contributor to the Philippines during the Arroyo administration due to China's easy loan payment scheme, infrastructure projects, and military aid.

Arroyo also oversaw the signing of the US$329 million contract between the National Broadband Network and the Chinese firm ZTE in 2007.

However, the controversial contract for a project that would have interconnected government offices nationwide through broadband technology was allegedly overpriced by more than 50 percent.

She was, however, cleared of graft charges in 2016.

The former president also entered a Joint Marine Seismic Undertaking (JMSU) with China and Vietnam for exploration in disputed South China Sea waters. The agreement was criticized for being unconstitutional, and it expired in 2008.

Arroyo's predecessor Benigno Aquino III took a harder stance against China, winning a case favoring the Philippines' claim at the arbitral tribunal in The Hague.

Under Duterte, joint exploration was again considered.

Related: PH eyeing 'joint exploration' in 2 S. China Sea areas  Palace

Duterte forged warmer relations and billions worth of deals with the eastern giant, despite the maritime row. While government officials maintain they are following a diplomatic strategy, critics and experts are concerned about continued militarization and an eventual ceding of the contested islands.

Arroyo praises Duterte

Arroyo further said Duterte "[has] done an awesome job" in the first two years of his presidency.

"His promise about peace and order, he is complying with. As far as economic policy is concerned, his tax reform complements [mine]," said Arroyo.

Duterte's tax reform program has with lowered income taxes but raised tax of fuel and sugar-sweetened beverages.

The Build, Build, Build infrastructure program was "a step in the right direction," and necessary for a good investment climate, Arroyo added.

She added she was not alarmed by concerns that the infrastructure program would put the country in debt.

"You can increase your debt in absolute numbers, but the important thing is, what is your debt ratio to your [gross domestic product]," said Arroyo. "The economic managers of President Duterte are very well aware of those ratios."

Support for charter change

Arroyo, who pushed for charter change during her term as president, has also thrown her support behind a review of the 1987 Constitution under the Duterte administration.

"[The charter] should be reviewed and all the pros and cons should come out so the people will be very well aware of the issues," said Arroyo.

"What I like personally about the federal form of government is it shifts power away from the center to the regions," said Arroyo.

She added that foreign ownership had to be reviewed. The Constitution bans full foreign ownership of businesses in the Philippines.

Duterte's administration, which is also seeking to loosen the rules on foreign ownership, is pushing for federalism. Proponents of the system said it will empower local governments, but critics fear it will empower political dynasties.

Arroyo added she was looking forward to the findings of the constitutional review committee, led by former Chief Justice Reynato Puno.

Watch the full interview with Arroyo here.Should you meet someone who, unfortunately, has developed a fever, become short of breath, whose face appears to be tinged with blue and is subject to vomiting and severe nose bleeds, you could wonder if the Spanish Flu has returned, one hundred years after it first appeared in 1917/18, near the end of the First World War. For according to Dr Jonathan Quick, we are due another visit from this terrifying disease which is said to have infected 500 million people around the world. Dr Quick is chair of the Global Health Council.

Dr Quick doesnt mince his words: The big one is coming: a global virus pandemic that could kill 33 million victims in its first 200 days. Within the ensuing two years, more than 300 million people could perish worldwide. At the extreme, with disrupted supply of food and medicines and without enough survivors to run computer or energy systems, the global economy would collapse. Starvation and looting could lay waste to parts of the world. And what is this big one. It is indeed the Spanish flu again. Dr Quick says that the most likely culprit will be a new and unprecedentedly deadly mutation of the influenza virus. The conditions are right. It could happen tomorrow.

Dr Quick explains that somewhere out there, a flu virus is boiling up in the bloodstream of a bird, bat, monkey or pig, preparing to jump to a human being. When that combination from birds and beasts finds its way into a person, the resulting new human strain can kill us more easily because it is unknown to us and our bodies have zero immunity to it.

Recommended Here is how the UK can reform its broken tax system

The scientist also argues that we have inadvertently developed a powerful way of helping influenza to kill us, 100 years on. This is our addiction to cheap chicken and pork  and the factory farm industry that supplies it. Factory farms present one of the greatest potentials for catastrophic disease because they pack animals together by the million in conditions that can be fetid incubators of disease.

The consequences of the over-crowding of troops during what was to be the final year of the First World War are indeed part of the explanations for the outbreak of Spanish flu one hundred years ago. While there is no unanimity about the location of the first examples, one influential inquiry pinpoints a major troop staging and hospital camp in Etaples, France, as being the origin of the 1918 flu pandemic.

It also was home to a live piggery; and poultry were regularly brought in from surrounding villages. A British team led by virologist John Oxford of St Bartholomew's Hospital has argued that a significant precursor virus, harboured in birds, mutated so it could migrate to pigs that were kept near the front line. In other words, it was a perfect setting for the way viruses can leap between birds and beasts and human beings.

Spanish flu begins to spread when an infected person sneezes or coughs. It is a simple as that. No doubt there was a lot of sneezing in the First World War armies. Moreover, these soldiers are likely to have been suffering from malnourishment, given the absence of proper cooking in the trenches, from the stress of combat, naturally enough, and from the chemical attacks that were first developed as a weapon of war at this time.

However, there were some oddities about the outbreak. For instance, the pandemic mostly killed young adults. The American statistics are astonishing. In 19181919, 99 per cent of pandemic influenza deaths in the US occurred in people under 65, and nearly half in young adults aged 20 to 40 years old with particularly high death rates in pregnant women. This is in sharp contrast to what one would expect  that the main sufferers would be the very young or the very old.

Another strange aspect of the outbreak was that it seemed to be at its worst in the summer and the autumn rather than in winter, its usual season. I can relate to this because, no doubt like many people, I have occasionally suffered from a cold in high summer, and when it has occurred it has generally been a bad one.

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

But the big questions are why the death toll was so massive and why were so many countries affected? The figures are astonishing. In India, as many as 17 million people died, about 5 per cent of the population. In Iran, the impact was enormous and according to an estimate, between 900,000 and 2.4 million of the total population died. Then, in descending order came the United States with 500,000 to 675,000 deaths. Brazil lost 300,000 as well as its President, Rodrigues Alves.

Then come France and Britain. In France the score was 400,000 deaths, and in Britain as many as 250,000 died. Given that the two countries have broadly similar populations, could Britains lower figure be attributed to the protection afforded by the English Channel and by the related fact that none of the fighting that took place during the First World War, mainly trench warfare with its consequences for the spread of disease, actually took place on British soil?

Consider, too, the arithmetic of the pandemic. About a third of the population of the world was infected. Of these cases an estimated 10 per cent to 20 per cent died. In turn this implies that some 3 per cent to 6 per cent of the entire global population died. These are incredible figures, even if historians calculate that the medieval Black Death was even worse. Current estimates say 50100 million people worldwide lost their lives from Spanish Flu.

It seems that a third oddity might explain the sheer size of the pandemic. There is something called a cytokine storm which turns your own immune system against you, so a healthy immune system might actually "hurt" more than it "helps". It was then postulated that the strong immune reactions of young adults ravaged the body, whereas the weaker immune systems of children and middle-aged adults resulted in fewer deaths among those groups.

A second wave of the pandemic began to develop in August 1918. It began in France, Sierra Leone and the United States. More seriously still, the virus had mutated to a much deadlier form. As a result, the thirteen weeks between September and December 1918 proved to be the costliest in lives.

We are still not done with the oddities. For this peak has been explained in almost Darwinian terms. In civilian life, natural selection favours a mild strain. For the mildly ill continue with their lives, preferentially spreading the mild strain while those who get very ill stay home. But this pattern was reversed in the trenches. Soldiers with a mild strain stayed where they were, while the severely ill were sent on crowded trains to crowded field hospitals, spreading the deadlier virus.

The final oddity is how the pandemic suddenly eased quite dramatically. We have the figures for Philadelphia in the United States. Some 4,597 people died in the week ending 16 October 1918, but by 11 November, influenza had almost disappeared from the city. It looks as if the virus may have mutated extremely rapidly to a less lethal strain. This is, apparently, a common occurrence with influenza viruses

Now there comes another forecast of a new deadly disease, which supports the dire warnings by Dr Jonathan Quick quoted above. The World Health Organisation (WHO) has put scientists and health workers around the world on alert for a new and potentially deadly pathogen, which is has named as Disease X. A pathogen is an infectious agent such as a virus or bacterium.

The WHO states that Disease X represents the knowledge that a serious international epidemic could be caused by a pathogen currently unknown to cause human disease. History tells us that it is likely the next big outbreak will be something we have not seen before. John-Arne Rottingen, a scientific advisor to the WHO commented that it might seem strange to be adding an X but the point is to make sure that we prepare and plan flexibly in terms of vaccines and diagnostic tests. Mr Rottingens chief fear is that Disease X could be sparked by a disease that jumps from animals to humans  just as the Spanish Flu of a hundred years ago seems to have done.

So what conclusions should we draw? We should consider pandemics as natural disasters like hurricanes or forest fires. We cannot prevent their occurrence. Instead we must consider how best to meet the consequences, among them sudden increase in the demand for nurses, doctors and medical specialists along with hospital facilities. If our public services can rehearse for a terror attack, as they do, they can also act out the best responses to a pandemic.There are a lot of things about Trump that scare Americans  from his tendency to tweet whatever is on his mind, to his hairstyle  but the worst is his erratic behaviour, specifically when it comes to North Korea.

After all, in a speech Trump gave in April 2016, he highlighted his approach to foreign policy, saying: We have to be unpredictable. This, of course, is the one vow Trump has followed through with. After implementing harsh travel bans and tariffs, he has practically given foreign nations whiplash.

The most recent surprise was announced on Thursday by US and South Korean officials: President Donald Trump will meet with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un this May.

 Sarah Huckabee Sanders: Trump's tweet to Kim Jong Un about having a larger nuclear button is 'not a taunt; I think its just a fact'

After successful talks took place between the North and the South, in which Kim Jong-un allegedly discussed denuclearisation and a pause on missile testing, Trump declared that a Meeting [is] being planned!. This came as a shock to Americans and the world alike  no serving US President has ever met with a North Korean leader  we dont even have diplomatic relations.

Of course, after seven years of hostility between North Korea and the US, the time to resolve our differences happens to fall under the reign of the Trump administration. Given that no other leader has met Kim Jong-un, Trump would be the man to step up to the plate.

Usually, I believe that all problems can be solved with ole fashion face-to-face conversation, but we all know this wont be a calm chit chat. The emphasis of this conversation will be on national security, more specifically Pyongyangs nuclear weapons programme  not your typical small talk.

So what will happen when two of the worlds most hyperbolic leaders are put in a room together? Well, it doesnt look good, considering their past verbal encounters. Theyve both resorted to childlike behaviour in previous disputes: Trump calling Kim Jong-un a madman, and Kim Jong-un calling the American president a dotard. Theyve even debated whose nuclear button is bigger, which was a particularly frightening point in the war of words.

Donald Trump's first year: in pictures Show all 29 1 /29 Donald Trump's first year: in pictures Donald Trump's first year: in pictures Inauguration - 20 January 2017 US President Donald Trump acknowledges the audience after taking the oath of office as his wife Melania (L) and daughter Tiffany watch during inauguration ceremonies swearing in Trump as the 45th president of the United States on the West Front of the US capital in Washington on 20 January, 2017. Photographer Jim Bourg: "This photo was shot with one of two remote cameras. The cameras were monitored and triggered remotely and the pictures were transmitted to clients worldwide within minutes of being taken." Reuters/Jim Bourg Donald Trump's first year: in pictures Obama farewell address - 10 January 2017 US President Barack Obama wipes away tears as he delivers his farewell address in Chicago on 10 January, 2017. Photographer Jonathan Ernst: "In his final days in office, Obama made a visit home to Chicago. As he spoke from the stage to his wife and daughter in the audience, he became emotional when he talked about what they had sacrificed during his time in office. I turned from photographing the Obama women embracing to find him onstage wiping away tears." Reuters/Jonathan Ernst Donald Trump's first year: in pictures Inauguration - 20 January 2017 A combination of photos shows the crowds attending the inauguration ceremonies to swear in U.S. President Donald Trump at 12:01pm (left) on January 20, 2017 and President Barack Obama sometime between 12:07pm and 12:26pm on January 20, 2009. Reuters/ Lucas Jackson/Stelios Varias Donald Trump's first year: in pictures Liberty Ball - 20 January 2017 US President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump attend the Liberty Ball in honour of his inauguration in Washington on 20 January, 2017. Photographer Jonathan Ernst: "What I see when I look at this picture is the end of a very long day, not to mention weeks and months of preparation by many photographers, editors and network experts and the beginning of everything since." Reuters/Jonathan Ernst Donald Trump's first year: in pictures Inaugural Law Enforcement Officers and First Responders Reception - 22 January 2017 US President Donald Trump greets Director of the FBI James Comey as Director of the Secret Service Joseph Clancy (L), watches during the Inaugural Law Enforcement Officers and First Responders Reception in the Blue Room of the White House on 22 January, 2017. Photographer Joshua Roberts: "I have covered the White House for 16 years and normally either the President or the pool is in position when an event starts. In this case the President was not where anyone expected him to be. In fact, he was almost blocking the door when the pool came in. We had to scramble to find a position without bumping him or the furniture as he greeted and thanked members of law enforcement for their security efforts during the inauguration. Luckily, he greeted FBI Director James Comey a few seconds after the pool had made its way into the room." Reuters/Joshua Roberts Donald Trump's first year: in pictures Private phone calls to world leaders - 28 January 2017 US President Donald Trump, is joined by his staff, as he speaks by phone with Russia's President Vladimir Putin in the Oval Office on 28 January, 2017. Photographer Jonathan Ernst: "Very early in the Trump administration, weekends were as busy as weekdays. On Trump's second Saturday the official schedule said he would be making private phone calls to a number of world leaders including Russia's Vladimir Putin. I arrived early and, before sitting down at my desk walked up to Press Secretary Sean Spicer's office. He, too, was just taking his coat off. I gingerly made the suggestion that previous administrations had sometimes allowed photos of such phone calls through the Oval Office windows on the colonnade. To my mild shock, he didn't even think about it twice. "We'll do it!" he said. In truth, I really only expected the Putin call, but we were outside the windows multiple times throughout the day as the calls went on." Reuters/Jonathan Ernst Donald Trump's first year: in pictures Senior advisor Kellyanne Conway - 27 February 2017 Senior advisor Kellyanne Conway (L) attends as US President Donald Trump welcomes the leaders of dozens of historically black colleges and universities (HBCU) in the Oval Office on 27 February, 2017. Photographer Jonathan Ernst: "We're often asked how much access we have to the Trump administration, and the answer is we have an awful lot. President Trump himself is very comfortable in the spotlight, and his aides are similarly unfazed by cameras. In this instance, senior advisor Kellyanne Conway was so comfortable in our presence she seemed not to consider the optics of kneeling on a Oval Office sofa to take pictures with her phone." Reuters/Jonathan Ernst Donald Trump's first year: in pictures Angela Merkel heads to Washington - 17 March 2017 Germany's Chancellor Angela Merkel and US President Donald Trump hold a joint news conference in the East Room of the White House on 17 March, 2017. Photographer Jonathan Ernst: "Chancellor Merkel made one of the earliest important visits of any US allies to meet Trump in his first months in office. When world leaders give joint news conferences they don't always tend to give each other their full attention - but Merkel watched Trump intently at several key moments, and here seemed particularly rapt." Reuters/Jonathan Ernst Donald Trump's first year: in pictures Trump welcomes truckers to the White House - 23 March 2017 President Trump reacts as he sits on a truck while he welcomes truckers and CEOs to attend a meeting regarding healthcare at the White House on 23 March, 2017. Photographer Carlos Barria: "The White House organised a listening session with truckers and CEO's of major American companies, regarding healthcare reform. An 18-wheeler tow truck was parked on the South Lawn of the White House and as Trump welcomed the truckers someone invited the him to come and sit in the driver's seat. Trump jumped into the cab and started yelling and pretending to drive - creating one of the most memorable pictures of the year. A lesson learned, always be prepared for the unexpected." Reuters/Carlos Barria Donald Trump's first year: in pictures Air Force One - 6 April 2017 US President Donald Trump talks to journalists members of the travel pool on board the Air Force One during his trip to Palm Beach, Florida on 6 April, 2017. Carlos Barria: "During the many trips to President Trump's residence in Florida it is usual to see the president coming to the back of the plane to chat with journalists. During one of the trips to the so called 'Winter White House', Trump had a long talk with reporters while the Air Force One entertainment system was playing one of the latest Star Wars movies. As I was listening to Trump talk I was also looking at the movie waiting for a part of the movie to frame the mood of the day. Of the many scenes, I choose the one with Darth Vader." Reuters/Carlos Barria Donald Trump's first year: in pictures 100 Days - 27 April 2017 US President Donald Trump speaks during an interview with Reuters in the Oval Office of the White House on 27 April, 2017. Photographer Carlos Barria: "A day before President Trump's hundred days in office I was part of the team that interviewed the commander-in-chief in the Oval Office. I was only allowed to photograph Trump during the last five minutes of the interview. The time was very tight so I had to move fast as I had pictures in mind that I wanted to shoot. I walked into the Oval Office and saw that the President had printed maps of the country showing areas in red where he won. I raised my hands holding my camera as high as possible to get the best view of the scene using a 16mm wide angle lens." Reuters/Carlos Barria Donald Trump's first year: in pictures 100 Days - 27 April 2017 US President Donald Trump reacts as he arrives at Harrisburg international airport, before attending a rally marking his first 100 days in office in Pennsylvania on 29 April, 2017. Photographer Carlos Barria: "President Trump travelled to Harrisburg, Pennsylvania to celebrate his hundred days in office with a victory rally. He was in friendly territory as he won with a big difference over his opponent Hillary Clinton in Pennsylvania, during the November elections. As usual when the commander-in-chief arrives local residents gather to greet him. This time a small group of military personnel attended the arrival. Surrounded by secret service agents Trump walked from the Air Force One and raised his hand in a sign of victory as the crowd cheered him on." Reuters/Carlos Barria Donald Trump's first year: in pictures White House staffers - 2 May 2017 White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer (L) and White House Chief of Staff Reince Priebus watch as US President Donald Trump presents the U.S. Air Force Academy football team with the Commander-in-Chief trophy in the Rose Garden of the White House in Washington on 2 May, 2017. Photographer Joshua Roberts: "Covering the White House does not just mean covering the President. White House staffers are an important part of the story and their relationship with the President and each other is an indicator of how things are going in the West Wing. The tendency is to focus exclusively on the President once an event starts but I always try to look around to see how people are reacting as things unfold." Reuters/Joshua Roberts Donald Trump's first year: in pictures Secret Service - 4 May 2017 Secret Service agents use a presidential limousine as cover from spraying water as US President Donald Trump lands via Marine One helicopter in New York on 4 May, 2017. Photographer Jonathan Ernst: "The best part of any trip to New York City with the sitting US President is the helicopter ride into Manhattan. The ride out at night can be stunning. Here, Secret Service agents protect themselves from the spray from the East River as Trump lands on the helipad." Reuters/Jonathan Ernst Donald Trump's first year: in pictures NATO Summit - 25 May 2017 US President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump wait the arrival of French President Emmanuel Macron (unseen) before a lunch ahead of a NATO Summit in Brussels on 25 May, 2017. Photographer Jonathan Ernst: "One of the best parts of travelling overseas for White House coverage is the chance to see the U.S. president in different environments and (literally) a different light. Here, Trump and his wife came out of the shadows to greet France's President Macron." Reuters/Jonathan Ernst Donald Trump's first year: in pictures Trump meets Putin at G20 summit - 7 July 2017 US President Donald Trump meets with Russian President Vladimir Putin during their bilateral meeting at the G20 summit in Hamburg, Germany on 7 July, 2017. Photographer Carlos Barria: "On July 7, I witnessed one of the most important meetings of President Trump's first year in office. Trump met Russian President Vladimir Putin during a bilateral meeting at the G20 summit in Germany. The world's eyes were on these two leaders after speculation about Russian interference during the 2016 US elections. We entered the room for less than two minutes, where I took dozens of pictures. But there was this very interesting moment when Trump extended his hand to Putin for a handshake. Putin paused for a second and looked at Trump's hand. That was the picture that I was looking for, a little moment that seemed to say a lot." Reuters/Carlos Barria Donald Trump's first year: in pictures First lady - 8 July 2017 First lady Melania Trump chats with US President Donald Trump during their return from Germany at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland on 8 July, 2017. Photographer Carlos Barria: "After President Trump's trip to Germany he arrived back at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland. First Lady Melania Trump said goodbye to Trump as she was heading off in a different direction that day. While chatting a breeze blew Melania's hair up in the air." Reuters/Carlos Barria Donald Trump's first year: in pictures Made in America product showcase - 17 July 2017 Vice President Mike Pence laughs as President Donald Trump holds a baseball bat as they attend a Made in America product showcase event at the White House on 17 July, 2017. Photographer Carlos Barria: "This summer the White House organized an event to showcase 'Made in America' products. All kinds of exhibitors brought their products as the President and Vice President toured the event. One of the companies was Marucci Sport, a manufacturer of baseball bats based in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. As Trump approached a table full of baseball bats, photographers at the event, including me, rushed to get a good angle hoping that he would pick up a bat. As we predicted, he did. He took one and joked around as though he was hitting something hard. The only thing closer to him right there, was the media." Reuters Donald Trump's first year: in pictures White House staffers - 25 July 2017 Former campaign manager Corey Lewandowski says hello to reporters as he and White House advisors including Communications Director Anthony Scaramucci accompany President Trump for an event celebrating veterans at AMVETS Post 44 in Ohio, July 25, 2017. Jonathan Ernst: "The most visible person in any White House is naturally the President, followed by the press secretary. But there are also the staff who support them. For those of us covering the Trump administration, there seem to be more compelling figures in the West Wing than ever before. It's crucial to know who's who and why they're important. When I raised my camera and back-pedalled ahead of the group to take this image Lewandowski gave me a hello. I liked the photo, but had no idea it would go a little bit viral, especially since Scaramucci, who was the biggest mover and shaker that week, was hidden back in the pack. But I guess the image catches a glimpse of what it's like to be a West Wing staffer on the road." Reuters/Jonathan Ernst Donald Trump's first year: in pictures Campaign rally - 3 August 2017 US President Donald Trump arrives at a rally in West Virginia on 3 August, 2017. Photographer Carlos Barria: "President Trump travelled to Huntington for one of his usual campaign rallies. While members of his family spoke to the crowd he was waiting under a black curtain to be introduced. Suddenly he walked onto the stage, one of the first frames that I took was of his hand. I set my exposure for the light on the stage hoping to create this dark background and it worked." Reuters/Carlos Barria Donald Trump's first year: in pictures Staring into the solar eclipse - 21 August 2017 Without his protective glasses on, US President Donald Trump looks up towards the solar eclipse while viewing with his wife Melania and son Barron at the White House on 21 August, 2017. Photographer Kevin Lamarque: "On a day when everyone, and I mean everyone, was told not to look at the eclipse without protective glasses, Trump, President of the United States, couldn't help himself." Reuters/Kevin Lamarque Donald Trump's first year: in pictures Hurricane Harvey - 2 September 2017 US President Donald Trump poses for a photo as he and first lady Melania Trump help volunteers hand out meals during a visit with flood survivors of Hurricane Harvey at a relief centre in Houston, Texas on 2 September, 2017. Photohrapher Kevin Lamarque: "Trump, eager to deliver the image of a hands-on response to Hurricane Harvey, made this visit to a relief centre and obliged this woman with a selfie as Melania continued to work." Reuters/Kevin Lamarque Donald Trump's first year: in pictures White House - 15 September 2017 Donald Trump welcomes 11-year-old Frank Giaccio as he cuts the Rose Garden grass at the White House on 15 September. Frank, who wrote a letter to Trump offering to mow the lawn, was invited to work for a day at the White House along the National Park Service staff. Frank was so focused on his task that he did not notice the President arrive to surprise him. He took his father jumping in to grab his attention and point Trump out. Photographer Carlos Barria said: The image of Trump shouting at a kid who is mowing his lawn might have many interpretations in today's politically polarized United States. But for me it was just a kid who loved what he was doing, to the point he almost appeared to ignore the President." Reuters/Carlos Barria Donald Trump's first year: in pictures Take a knee - 27 September 2017 A man kneels with a folded U.S. flag as the motorcade of U.S. President Donald Trump passes him after an event at the state fairgrounds in Indianapolis, Indiana, U.S., September 27, 2017. In September, soon after Trump had made comments condemning NFL players who kneel during the national anthem, he made a day trip to a rally in Indianapolis. Jonathan Ernst managed to capture a man on one knee with a tri-folded flag and was able to use a portion of the sign on the building he was kneeling in front of to track the man down and tell his story in full. US Army veteran Marvin Boatright wanted to send a message against social injustice. Reuters/Jonathan Ernst Donald Trump's first year: in pictures Hurricane Maria - 3 October 2017 President Donald Trump throws rolls of paper towels into a crowd of local residents affected by Hurricane Maria as he visits Calgary Chapel in San Juan, Puerto Rico on 3 October, 2017. Photographer Jonathan Ernst: "During an afternoon visit to Puerto Rico for President Trump to survey damage from Hurricane Maria and greet some of its victims, Trump made a stop at a church where food and supplies were being distributed. Among the items were paper towels and Trump, apparently caught up in the moment, decided to distribute some of the rolls." Reuters Donald Trump's first year: in pictures Jared Kushner - 1 November 2017 White House Senior adviser Jared Kushner sits behind President Trump during a cabinet meeting in Washington on 1 November, 2017. Photographer Kevin Lamarque: "The role of Jared Kushner has gone through a series of changes. He began front and centre as a high profile adviser, but as time has passed and issues surrounding him have surfaced, he has become more of a background figure." Reuters/Kevin Lamarque Donald Trump's first year: in pictures Trump in China - 9 November 2017 Donald Trump and China's President Xi Jinping shake hands after making joint statements at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on 9 November, 2017. Photographer Damir Sagolj: "It's one of those "how to make a better or at least different shot when two presidents shake hands several times a day, several days in row". If I'm not mistaken in calculation, presidents Xi Jinping and Donald Trump shook their hands at least six times in events I covered during Trump's recent visit to China. I would imagine there were some more handshakes I haven't seen but other photographers did. And they all look similar - two big men, smiling and heartily greeting each other until everyone gets their shot. But then there is always something that can make it special - in this case the background made of US and Chinese flags. The first time it didn't work for me. The second time I positioned myself lower and centrally, and used the longest lens I have to capture only hands reaching for a handshake." Reuters/Damir Sagolj Donald Trump's first year: in pictures Air Force One - 10 November 2017 US President Donald Trump boards Air Force One to depart for Vietnam from Beijing Airport in Beijing, China, November 10, 2017. Photographer Jonathan Ernst: "There is a Reuters photographer in the tight pool covering the US president for every appearance he makes 365 days a year. This was just one of 32 images of mine that were transmitted on the Reuters wire of President Trump visiting China and Vietnam that day. You never know when a sudden interaction, a gust of wind or a unique facial expression will lead to a striking image that grabs peoples' attention." Reuters/Jonathan Ernst Donald Trump's first year: in pictures ASEAN handshake - 13 November 2017 Donald Trump registers his surprise as he realises other leaders, including Russia's Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev, Vietnam's Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc, President of the Philippines Rodrigo Duterte and Australia's Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, are crossing their arms for the traditional "ASEAN handshake" as he participates in the opening ceremony of the summit in Manila on 13 November, 2017. Photographer Jonathan Ernst: "Having covered a few ASEAN summits, I knew to expect the ASEAN handshake. Not everyone in the room knew to expect the ASEAN handshake. A lot was written about this unscripted moment, and what deeper meaning it might have. The simple truth is that sometimes in life there are unscripted moments." Reuters/Jonathan Ernst

However, if it goes well, this conversation could be the turning point the Trump administration needs. If Trump can actually compromise with Kim Jong-un on the use of nuclear weapons, our countrys people could be put at ease  at least for a moment.

The big question to consider for the American people is: why would Kim Jong-un choose to reach out to the US now, to a president he seems to have an incomparable amount of disdain for? It almost seems as if North Korea is searching for an excuse to engage in conflict with the US. Hopefully, Trump wont take the bait.

The best case scenario is that Trump and Kim Jong-un will engage in an even-tempered and productive conversation because the stakes are high. I dont foresee this happening, but then again, I didnt see Trump being elected in the first place.

As usual, Trump will continue to surprise us.For full functionality of this site it is necessary to enable JavaScript. Here are the instructions how to enable JavaScript in your web browserDenham Springs, Louisiana resident Chad Horsley rammed his truck into The Best Stop March 3, because he believed the owners of the convenience store were Muslim. The store is owned by Indian American Sakatar Singh. Horsley has been charged with a hate crime. (Livingston Parish, Louisiana Sheriffs Department photo)Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, March 12)  Senator Leila De Lima dispelled any doubts on concerns about her health.

After a year in detention, Senator Leila De Lima was granted a reprieve Monday to undergo a medical checkup.

RELATED: Court allows De Lima to leave jail for one-day medical check-up

De Lima was upbeat and in high spirits as she greeted hospital staff on her way to the Philippine Heart Center's radiology department where she would have a CT scan.

In a statement released after her check-up De Lima said there was "nothing to worry about."

"This is part of a routine medical check-up to determine if I should go through an operation to avoid any complications," she said.

The senator had to undergo the procedure after her doctor ordered it because an impression of a mass in her liver was found after a routine medical exam last February 15 at the Philippine National Police General Hospital.

Atty. Fhillip Sawali, De Lima's chief of staff, said, "Ang sabi po sa amin ng doktor malalaman na bukas ang resulta ng CT scan. Kung may susunod pang examinasyon, hindi ko pa yan masasabi. Nakadepende yan sa pagtingin ng kanyang attending physician kung kakailangan pa ng ibang test o procedure."

[Translation: The doctor told us that we will know the results of the CT scan tomorrow. We cannot say whether there will be other examinations. It will all depend on the diagnosis of her attending physican whether other tests or procedures will be needed.]Russian Spy Poison Attack: Is Nord Stream 2 the Bigger Target?

By Finian Cunningham

March 12, 2018 " Information Clearing House " - The mysterious apparent murder bid on an ex-Russian spy in Britain has taken on a wider European dimension.

Predictably, the incident was used to whip up anti-Russian claims in the British media. But, in addition, the European Union soon came under pressure to show solidarity with Britain in the supposed Russian assault on its sovereignty.

Former British officials were reported bemoaning the lack of solidarity from EU states over the alleged Russian violation on British soil. The EU then responded with an obligatory statement of solidarity with Britain, with the tacit acceptance of Russian malfeasance at play.

The allegations of Russian state involvement in the apparent lethal poisoning of exiled Kremlin agent Sergei Skripal in England last Sunday have been leveled with deplorable disregard for due legal process.

Within hours of the incident  which saw 66-year-old Skripal and his adult daughter rushed to intensive hospital care  British media were speculating that Russian agents had carried out a revenge assassination attempt.

Skripal was exiled from Russia in 2010 after being convicted for treason as a double agent for Britains foreign intelligence service MI6. He was living in the southern English town of Salisbury, where he was found paralyzed in a public park along with his 33-year-old daughter.

British counter-terrorism officers have disclosed that the pair were victims of a toxic nerve agent attack, without identifying the chemical used. They have claimed that the attacker or attackers must have been state-sponsored to carry out such a lethal operation. British police have not yet specified any particular agency for the attack, but as noted the British media quickly jumped to reckless speculation of Russian involvement. The speculation has been fueled by government ministers like Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson using innuendo.

Russias Foreign Ministry dismissed the allegations of Moscows involvement as more irresponsible Russophobia.

The notion that Russia would carry out a risky operation on the eve of its presidential elections this month in order to avenge a disgraced former spy who had been living openly in England for the past eight years defies credibility. Its frankly absurd given the already heightened anti-Russia hysteria in the Western media that the Kremlin would even contemplate such a scheme.

Nevertheless, the evidence does point to an assassination attempt on Skripal using a military-grade chemical weapon. Senior British toxicologist Dr Alistair Hay told Radio Free Europe this week that the chemical substance used in the attack was most likely one of the organophosphate poisons, such as soman or tabun, which are related to sarin and VX. These are nerve agents that can kill from exposure of human skin to a single droplet.

Hay, who is an advisor to the British government on chemical warfare agents, cautioned against rushing to accusations against Russia. In my view, its much, much too early to point a finger at anybody at this stage, said the expert.

All that the internationally respected toxicologist would venture to say is that the nature of the attack had military capability because of the extreme lethality of the substances involved.

If we assume that Russia was not involved  which is a fair assumption given the above reasoning  then the question is: what state agency could have carried it out? For what objective?

In particular, focus is drawn here to agencies which are seeking to sabotage Europe-wide relations with Russia. As noted above, one of the ramifications from the anti-Russian allegations over the poisoning incident was prompt pressure on the EU to show a tough response towards Moscow.

Former British ambassador to Russia, Sir Tony Brenton, reportedly accused the rest of Europe of lacking in support for Britain.

The European Union will once again fail to help the UK in its fight against Russia after a former Russian spy was allegedly poisoned in Salisbury, according to former ambassador Sir Tony Brenton, reported the Daily Express.

Another former British foreign office advisor claimed that because of the EUs bitter wrangling with Britain over the Brexit the Kremlin was taking advantage of the UKs lack of allies in the US and EU, and its inability to do much about the Skripal case.

This logic implicating Russia is unhinged. But the telling aspect is the seeming intended effect of embroiling Europe in a wider antagonistic response to Moscow.

Admittedly, the following discussion here is speculative. But its worth a posit.

Last week, the US-led political campaign to scupper the Russia-EU Nord Stream 2 project was given renewed impetus.

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The $11 billion, 1,200-kilometer gas delivery pipeline is nearing completion next year.

Foreign ministers from Poland, Estonia, Lithuania and Latvia were in Washington DC to meet with US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson on the specific subject of the Nord Stream 2, and how it might be cancelled, reported Voice of America.

Poland and the Baltic states are advocating for US supply of gas to replace the traditional European source from Russia. The issue is of huge strategic importance. US President Trump has been vocal in his support for the European states switching to American gas exports, even though that would work out much more expensive for European consumers.

The Nord Stream 2 project is a partnership between Russian state-owned Gazprom and five private energy companies from Britain, Germany, France and Netherlands.

But the project has been buffeted by the political repercussions over allegations against Russia concerning Ukraine, Crimea and purported interference in US and European elections.

The German and Austrian governments are strong backers of the new gas network with Russia. Last week, Austrian President Sebastian Kurz was in Moscow where he met with Vladimir Putin and expressed his support for the Nord Stream 2.

However, apart from Poland and the Baltic states which are marked by vehement anti-Russian ideological politics, there are also elements with the EU administration which are similarly opposed to the Nord Stream supply. It is claimed, they say, that such an arrangement will give too much leverage to Moscow over European affairs. Such advocates tend to be pro-NATO and pro-Washington.

The point is that the campaign to undermine the Russian-EU gas partnership has come with renewed impetus  as seen in the delegation last week to Washington by the Polish and Baltic government ministers. Of course, they are pushing at an open door. American state interests are wedded to the objective of knocking out Russia as Europes gas supplier.

Now then, the timing of an assassination bid in England which is framed on Russia comes at a convenient moment in the strategic tussle over Europes global energy market. It seems significant that pressure is being brought to bear on the EU to get tough on Moscow over the alleged attempted murder of the exiled Russian spy. The get tough response being sought could be cancellation of the Nord Stream 2 gas project.

If that stands up as a motive for the latest attempt to cleave EU-Russian relations, then our focus on the likely perpetrators shifts to the following: American state agents, possibly working with British and Eastern European accomplices, in trying to kill Sergei Skripal and his daughter, with the purpose of blackballing Moscow.

Finian Cunningham has written extensively on international affairs, with articles published in several languages. He is a Masters graduate in Agricultural Chemistry and worked as a scientific editor for the Royal Society of Chemistry, Cambridge, England, before pursuing a career in newspaper journalism. He is also a musician and songwriter. For nearly 20 years, he worked as an editor and writer in major news media organisations, including The Mirror, Irish Times and Independent.

This article was originally published by " Strategic Culture Foundation " -

The views and opinions expressed in this article are the authors own and do not necessarily reflect those of Information Clearing House.

=====

Parliament speakers from five European countries sign letter about Nord Stream 2 threats



Join the DiscussionSyria - The Fall Of Two Cities

By Moon Of Alabama

March 12, 2018 " Information Clearing House " - The Turkish proxy Takfiris have nearly encircled the Kurdish held city of Afrin. The water supply to the city is cut off. It will fall within a few days.

This is the direct result of gigantic miscalculations by the YPG Kurds who controlled the Afrin area. They had a clear offer from the Syrian and Russian government: Hand over the administration to the legitimate Syrian government and the Syrian army will come and defend your land.

They rejected that offer multiple times. They thought they could withstand an attack by a numerical superior enemy which has abundant air and artillery support. Hizbullah can do that but the Kurds are not Hizbullah. Their defense network was mediocre with bunkers easily visible (vid) from the air and ground and without any water supply and other necessities. These medieval fortifications were built over years but fell within hours. There was apparently no second line to fall back to. The tactical military abilities the YPG Kurds have shown were rather amateurish. The announced reinforcements from east Syria made no difference. Now their 'canton' is lost to a very hostile forces. Can it ever be regained?

Meanwhile the U.S. is on the verge of giving away the Kurdish held Manbij to the Turks.

In 2016 the Kurdish PKK attempted to hold onto 'autonomous' city-centers in eastern Turkey. The Turkish army simply shelled those areas into rubble. There insurrection ended with a catastrophic loss of Kurdish fighters. The Kurdish attempts to expand their lands in Iraq by stealing the oil fields of Kirkuk were thoroughly defeated. Now Afrin is lost too.

Why does anyone believe that the Kurds deserve their own state? Their leaders are corrupt and have zero statesmanship. They hang onto illusory aims and ignore the realities of life. Will the Kurds ever learn?

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The Syrian Arab Army has split east-Ghouta next to Damascus into two and soon three parts.



Map by Peto Lucem - bigger

Some 70% of the whole east-Ghouta area that the Takfirs held for six years is now liberated. The Syrian army will continue to take the more rural parts and will then keep the upbuild areas (Harasta, Duma, Arbin, Jobar) under fire until the various Takfiri groups agree to give up or to be moved to Idleb governorate. The fall of these Saudi and Turkish proxy forces from their fake 'revolution' throne is another huge victory for the Syrian people. Negotiations about a transfers are ongoing. In Idleb they can join the ongoing Takfiri against Takfiri war between the Turkish supported head-choppers and al-Qaeda aligned hangmen.

Is there a deal between Syria, Russia, Iran and Turkey about an 'exchange' of east-Ghouta for Afrin? The parties are very tightlipped about the issue which lets me assume that something of that kind has been agreed upon.

Eliminating the east-Ghouta enclave will free the large number of Syrian soldiers that were necessary to keep the area surrounded. Those troops will likely move south to liberate Deraa city and all land up to the Jordan border. There are strong economic reasons for freeing up the Damascus-Amman highway and the border station in-between.

This article was originally published by " Moon Of Alabama " -

The views and opinions expressed in this article are the authors own and do not necessarily reflect those of Information Clearing House.

=====

UK behind poisoning of spy, says Russian state TV

Join the DiscussionTheresa May Accuses Russia of the Attempted Assassination of Double Agent

By Alexandra Ma and Kieran Corcoran



March 12, 2018 " Information Clearing House " - Britain has formally accused Russia of being behind the attempted murder of ex-spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter with nerve agent on its territory.

Prime Minister Theresa May made the claim in a statement to Parliament on Monday afternoon, in which she said Russia either ordered the attack or lost control of whoever carried it out.

She said: "Based on Russias record of doing state-sponsored assassinations and our assessment that Russia views some defectors as legitimate targets for assassinations, the government has concluded that it is highly likely that Russia was responsible for the act against Sergei and Yulia Skripal.

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"Either this was a direct act by the Russian state against our country, or the Russian government lost control of its potentially catastrophically damaging nerve agent and allowed it to get into the hands of others."

It came after a National Security Council meeting, where she took evidence from the UK's three intelligence agencies MI5, MI6, and GCHQ.

May gave Russia a deadline by which to respond to her statement. She said if they do not, she will conclude that the attack was an "unlawful use of force" by Russia against the UK.

Skripal and his daughter Yulia collapsed in a shopping centre in Salisbury on March 4 after being poisoned with nerve agent. They remain in critical condition.

Skripal was convicted of passing Russian state secrets to British intelligence in the 1990s and early 2000s.

He was pardoned and sent to the UK as part of a spy swap in 2010, in which Russia released four agents to the US and UK in exchange for ten Russian agents in the US.

The Kremlin yet to respond to May's statement.

This article was originally published by " BI " -

The views and opinions expressed in this article are the authors own and do not necessarily reflect those of Information Clearing House.

=====

UK behind poisoning of spy, says Russian state TV

Join the DiscussionDouble Agent Sergei Skripal  Theres More to This Story Than Meets the Eye

By True Publica

March 12, 2018 " Information Clearing House " - As we mentioned in our report last week  What You Are NOT being Told About Russian Spy Sergei Skripal   it should not be forgotten that Skripal is a traitor who sold the identities of dozens of Russian agents abroad to the UK, in exchange for hard cash. This may very well have caused the deaths of some of those Russian agents operating in conflict zones. Skripal is also a known double agent  or double traitor. Without doubt, Skripal had enemies, probably quite a few.

There are many permutations as to who his attempted murderer may be.

Accusations and speculation are rife, with little hard evidence being made public other than some basic details. Russia is disputing their involvement.

U.K. Home Secretary Amber Rudd said, That forensic analysis has revealed the presence of a nerve agent and the incident is therefore being treated as attempted murder.

While Britain has not accused any Russian state actors of involvement in the poisoning, Britains foreign minister, Boris Johnson, last Tuesday called Russia a malign and disruptive force and threatened new sanctions on Russia, if the Kremlin were found to have been responsible.

Johnsons comment drew a Russian rebuttal. Earlier government-linked media and politicians in Russia took a defensive stance, claiming in advance that the Russian state had nothing to do with the crime.

The Russian embassys claim that Skripal was a British spy working for MI6 rather than a Russian spy is based on the fact that he was a double agent working simultaneously for both the Russian and British intelligence services.

Here is a short bio of Skripal compiled by Reuters :

While the Russian Embassys claim about the double agent is not completely wrong, it is inaccurate to imply that Skripal was not a Russian spy, and even now there are questions surrounding Skripals allegiances.

Valery Morozov , another former Russian intelligence officer who now lives in exile in Britain, said Skripal was still working with Russian military intelligence.

 You have a Russian military intelligence officer working in the Russian diplomatic service, living after retirement in the U.K. working in cybersecurity and every month going to the [Russian] embassy to meet military intelligence officers, Morozov told Channel 4 News.

Deepening the mystery of Skripals loyalties, the Telegraph newspaper claims it has obtained information that the poisoned spy was a close confidant of Christopher Steel, the British ex-spy who compiled the so-called Trump dossier.

Steele raised the stakes in the USA by stating that Donald Trump was vulnerable to Kremlin blackmail. Steel is a former MI6 officer who then had to disappear into hiding. He was lambasted in a highly politicized memo by the House Intelligence Committees Republican chair, and been referred for a criminal probe by two top Republican senators. Both the US and Russian presidents now consider him an enemy.

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And there is Vladimir Putins infamous reaction to the 2010 exchange of a group of captured Russian illegals  undercover spies  living in the United States for a group of Russian intelligence agents accused of working for the West, including Skripal. Putin, who was then prime minister, said: Traitors will kick the bucket. Trust me. These people betrayed their friends, their brothers in arms. Whatever they got in exchange for it, those 30 pieces of silver they were given, they will choke on them. Putin was referring to the enemies that traitors like Skripal would have created.

In the meantime, the Home Secretary Amber Rudd revealed yesterday that the investigation now involved more than 250 counter terrorism police officers and more worryingly, that Britain is to raise the case with its Nato allies.

Some big questions arise, as to how do you stand up to a clandestine and sinister attack deliberately done to play havoc in our society?

This firm line appeared to be backed by the security minister Ben Wallace , who mentioned Britains powerful allies as he said the Government was ready to respond with the full force of the United Kingdoms resources

 There are lots of things that the United Kingdom can do, Mr Wallace threatened. It is a powerful country with a powerful economy, powerful allies, powerful military and powerful other capabilities  and we shall look at all those.

On Monday, hours before it became clear that Mr Skripal had even been poisoned, Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson was telling MPs: Vladimir Putin has made it quite clear that he has hostile intent towards this country. We have to wake up to that threat and we have to respond to it.

Since his appointment, Williamson as Defence Secretary has been provoking Russia. He was relentlessly mocked for famously saying in January that Russia wants to Damage (Britains) economy, rip its infrastructure apart, actually cause thousands and thousands and thousands of deaths as well wanting to create total chaos within the country.

Russia has vehemently denied involvement in the nerve agent attack and accused British politicians of engaging in pure propaganda.

British security officials, however, have said the specific chemical used would have been difficult to obtain and could only have come from a state run or state-licensed laboratory.

Nerve agents including Sarin and VX are manufactured by the British Government in Porton Down, just 8 miles from where Sergei Skripal was attacked and is the largest stock of deadly nerve agents and gases anywhere in Europe.

Craig Murray, ex British ambassador even hints at something more sinister: nor in this murky world should we overlook the fact that he must have known interesting things about his MI6 handlers. Litvinenko II is rather too pat and obvious, and could be a false flag set-up.

The Times reports that Theresa May is on the verge of publicly blaming Russia for the attempted murder of Sergei and Yulia Skripal and ordering expulsions and sanctions against President Putins regime.

One other fact that the mainstream press have not mentioned is that even after prosecutors had convicted Skripal of high treason in their own country, the Russian state gave him a full state pardon, placed him on a spy swap list and was willingly freed. Hardly the actions of a state that already had him in prison for the highest of crimes and wanting him silenced. And as Time reports the if the obvious suspects in the case are the Russian intelligence services, it would suggest a major break from the rules they are taught to follow.

Its still possible, of course, that Skripal did something to provoke retaliation from Moscow. The GRU (foreign military intelligence agency of Russia), of which Skripal reached the rank of Colonel, was recently implicated in the hacking of the U.S. elections in 2016. If Skripal was tapping his old sources to get fresh intelligence, rather than enjoying his retirement in silence, he could have turned himself into an target. But then, thats what double agents do isnt it. Theres an old saying in Britain  if you live by the sword  and Skripal lived on a double edged version of it.

One thing is for sure, Britain is playing an extremely high stakes and dangerous geo-political game  for what? A foreign traitor, despised by his own, passed on by America to be re-homed as part of a spy swap, with no perceptible allegiance to Britain.

There is more to this story than meets the eye.

This article was originally published by " True Publica " -

The views and opinions expressed in this article are the authors own and do not necessarily reflect those of Information Clearing House.

=====

Join the DiscussionTo celebrate mothers day yesterday, March 11th, Nollywood actress, Ini Edo, who comes from a family of six shared this adorable photo with her mom.



She wrote;

Your bravery, love for family,resilience and Faith in God, has made us who we are today.I love you to the moon and back.Happy mothers day Mummy.. #agingbackwards#praisetheLord

See Her Post Below:

In another news, 2Face Idibia, and his wife, Annie Idibia, took to their separate Instagram pages to celebrate their mothers on the worldwide mothering Sunday celebration.

Sharing a video of his mother, 2Face wrote;

My mother, my precious jewel.

I am taking time today #MothersDay2018 to celebrate my wonderful mum, Mrs. Rose Idibia. Words cannot express how precious you are. Thank you for your #UnconditionalLove.

Video Below:

Annie Idibia who also celebrated her own own, wrote;

Singing oh mama sweet mama I swear I will LOVE you till End .. oh mama sweet mama NO-ONE COMPARES TO U I SWEAR .

Sister (thats what we grew up calling her)

I want to thank you for selflessly raising all (4kids)of us all alone, We had Notting but that one room we all lived in was filled with so much love n care that we didnt even notice how small it was! You slaved everyday for all of us, you loved us unconditionally, you made me this hard working ,strong woman! You taught me love and patience!!! Oh yes u are the reason I am a great cook! Sista, I love you ! I will surely make u very proud ,and Yes will spoil you silly and hopefully makeup for those years u slaved for us. You Are My Everything !!! Shout out to the best Grand Ma Any kid could wish For !!! Your Prayers and Fasting Is What Has Gotten Me This Far..am blessed because of you sista! I Love u and celebrate you everyday.

#myMomIsOnIg #unconditionallove #myMamaFinePassMeooNigerian popular Instagram celeb, Roman Goddess, who had us wowed few weeks back when she married her man, Erling Carlos  we were stunned cause we didnt feel someone of her type would like to commit, honestly, it came as a shock to us  took to her page recently, to flaunt the dough she made in just a single trip to Abuja.

The Lagos based socialite, took to social media page to show off the #1million naira she made in foreign currencies in just a single trip to Abuja.

She showed off the cash in an instalive video, where she said that money is the only language she understands.. Some shots below;

The Instagram sensation who is set to hit the big screens very soon, some weeks back addressed those who are putting her matter on their heads over her displaying her bosom, had said,

Stop telling me to cover up..hubby likes it like strawberry milkshakes so who the hell are you to tell me what to do? 

The socialite boasts of over 366,000 followers on Instagram and judging by the volume of likes and comments most of her posts garners, it shows that many of her social media fans are not inorganic.

Source  GistreelThe $5,000 about ( N1.8 million) pledged by renowned musician , David Adeleke , a.k.a. Davido, to a Rwandan music school has continued to generate mixed reactions from Nigerian musicians.

Some of them commended him for the generous act in separate interviews with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Monday in Lagos.

Others, however, advised Davido to extend the gesture to music schools established by Nigerians.

They said that those with interest in music could be sponsored by Nigerian artistes in music school to curb social vices.

Nigerian flutist, Omatshola Iseli popularly known as Tee Mac, said that such an act of generosity was not supposed to be publicized.

The donor should have done it quietly without bringing it into public limelight.

Iseli said that celebrities as public figures should be more concerned about giving back to the society just as Davido had done.

They should, however, try to minimise how the members of the public sing their praises due to their generosity.

As celebrities, we need to give back to the society depending on how buoyant we are but this must be done without publicity.

And I believe such will be appreciated more by God, as Davido has tried, he said.

Folklore musician Ayo Orobiyi, popularly called Adunni Nefrettiti said that Davidos generousity was a beautiful development for the Rwandan music industry.

She said that the Rwanda music was below the acceptable standard when compared with music produced by other African countries.

She said that the school should channel the donation to the right direction for the improvement of the Rwandan music industry.

They would be able to pace up with the qualities of music produced in Nigeria and some other African countries.

This is a good development coming from one of us in Nigeria.

I believe he must have observed that Rwanda needed such help more than Nigeria because their music is nothing to be compared with ours, she said.

Nigerian reggae musician, Austin Peters, known as King Wadada urged Nigerian artistes who are financially buoyant to demonstrate such generous act to music schools in the country.

King Wadada who appreciated Davidos gesture to Rwanda said Nigerian youths could also be assisted in enrolling in Nigerian music schools.

According to him, musicians can train the less privileged Nigerian youths who are interested in becoming musicians by sponsoring them in music schools.

Wadada said that this would curb the crime rates and other atrocities engaged in by youths.

 Davido has tried so far; aside the pledge to the Rwandan music school, he has created a niche for himself and this is highly commendable.

 I will call on other Nigerian artistes to emulate him but this time such assistance must be for music schools in Nigeria.

There are many youths who will appreciate being trained in the music school as a way to further their career in singing.

Such youths can be sponsored in music schools and we will discover that crime rates and some other social vices will be minimised, he said.

Peters also advised Nigerian musicians to ensure that the contents of their music were edifying to the souls of the listeners and serve as tools for behavioural change.

Our music should be capable of achieving positive results, changing the negative behaviour of people to the positive.

Let us change the societal problems through our songs, he said.

(NAN)Punch

The Deputy President of the Senate, Ike Ekweremadu, has denied calling for military intervention in the affairs of Nigeria.

Vanguard

ABUJAOVER 350 former Niger Delta militants that embraced the amnesty programme of the Federal Government and employed after their training will start receiving salaries immediately the 2018 appropriation is passed

The Sun

Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Rivers, has said Governor Nyesom Wike is divinely sent for Rivers people, judging by the transformation the state has witnessed since 2015.

Thisday

Following fresh criticisms which have trailed the revelation that every senator receives about N13.5 million on a monthly basis, as running costs, the Senate has said there is nothing new about the disclosure as the figures have already been made public in the budget of the National Assembly.

Guardian

Leadership

In a bid to saturate the pressure mounted on it by the commander-in-chief, President Muhammadu Buhari, the Nigerian Army has given marching orders to its field commanders to immediately bring to an end the wanton killings in Benue, Taraba and Adamawa and other trouble states or face court martial.

Tribune

FOLLOWING persistent attacks on some villages in Bokkos Local Government Area of Plateau State by some gunmen suspected to be Fulani herdsmen, the death toll in the attacks, which started on Wednesday, has risen to 20.

The Authority

The death toll from the recent attacks in Josho of Daffo District in Bokkos Local Government Area and Nzharuvo community of Bassa Local Government Area has risen to 28.

The Nation

The Senate yesterday confirmed that each senator collects N13.5m monthly as running cost in addition to N750,000 monthly salary/allowances.

The HeraldMinisters have drawn up plans to build a prison in Nigeria to enable the government to transfer prisoners from Britain.

The proposed 112-bed wing, built to United Nations specifications in the Kiri Kiri prison in Lagos, is to be built as part of a compulsory prisoner transfer agreement.

It will cost just under 700,000, according to a statement submitted to Parliament by Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson on Wednesday evening.

As part of this agreement, eligible prisoners serving criminal sentences in Nigeria and the UK can be returned to complete their sentences in their respective countries, Mr Johnson said.

It follows a deal reached between the two countries signed in 2014.

But poor conditions in some prisons overseas have created a legal barrier to returning foreigners convicted in the UK.

The Government believes that wherever possible foreign nationals should serve their sentences in their own country, a Foreign Office spokesperson told Sky News.

Helping Nigeria to improve its prison conditions and increase prison capacity will enable us to transfer more prisoners to Nigeria, which will in turn free up prison places in the UK.

Deals to transfer prisoners in UK jails to their countries of origin have been made with Albania, Rwanda, Jamaica and Libya, and well as Nigeria.

In 2015 the Government pitched an ambitious 25m project to build a 1,500 bed prison in Jamaica, with the aim of sending more than 300 Jamaican inmates with sentences of more than four years there.

But the Jamaican government rejected the deal, with local media quoting ministers as saying the offer was not beneficial to Jamaica and did not cover the prisons full cost.

Mr Johnson said tenders for the planned Nigerian jail had been placed and suppliers identified, bringing the projects total cost to 695,525 including support, monitoring and evaluation.

The bill will be met by the CSSF (Conflict, Stability and Security Fund), he said.

According to House of Commons statistics there were 320 Nigerian nationals in prisons in England and Wales at the end of 2016.

Foreign nationals make up about 12% of the prison population compared to about 9% of the general population.

The annual overall cost of a prison place in England and Wales is about 38,000, according to the Ministry of Justice.Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, March 12)  Senator Francis "Chiz" Escudero finally speaks up on the issue of relaxing the rules of the Judicial and Bar Council (JBC) on the submission of the Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Net worth (SALN) of applicants for Chief Justice.

This matter was brought up in the impeachment proceedings of Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno at the House of Representatives Monday.

JBC officials testified that it was Escudero who moved to change the rule on SALNs and allowed Sereno to submit only some of her papers. Under the changed rules, "substantial compliance" on the submission of SALNs was enough.

Escudero was a JBC member from 2008 to 2013.

Based on the minutes of the JBC meetings, the senator recalled the rules were relaxed for all applicants and this was done even before Sereno applied for Chief Justice.

He said, "Kung naalala ko, narelax yung rules sa lahat ng aplikante nun, at pagkatapos nun hindi lamang kay Chief Justice Sereno. That was not even for the position of Chief Justice but ordinary Justice na inapply namin sa ibang applicants din for Justice at that time. Kung nabago ang rule, hindi ko alam. The minutes are there for everybody's perusal."

[Translation: From what I remember, the rules were relaxed for all applicants, and after that not only for Chief Justice Sereno. That was not even for the position of Chief Justice but ordinary Justice that we also applied for other applicants for Justices at the time. If the rules changed, I did not know. The minutes are there for everybody's perusal.]

Escudero added, "Kasi may ilang mga aplikante nun na nagtatrabaho sa gobyerno 20 years ago, 15 years ago, tapos sporadic  patalon-talon iba't ibang mga ahensiya na wala na silang record o hindi na nila makuha yung kopya ng kanilang SALN nung mga panahong yun. Yun ang naging basehan ng mahabang dskusyon kung pa'no nga lumabas yung substantial compliance.

[Translation: There were some applicants who worked for government 20 years ago, 15 years ago and they were sporadic  moving from one agency to the other where they had no record or they were unable to get a copy of their SALN during those times. That was the basis for the long discussion about how substantial compliance came about.]

Escudero said the decision in favor of substantial compliance was a matter of record and anyone could check it.

The senator even denied that he initiated relaxing JBC rules.

He stated, No. It was a topic already being discussed. It was a long debate and being carried on for several minutes already. The situation was there because again, Justice Abad was not able to submit all of his SALNs in the years he was in government. So that was when it was discussed.

Lawyer Larry Gadon, who filed the impeachment complaint against Sereno, earlier said Escudero could be charged for changing the JBC rules.

The JBC is a Constitutionally-created body that is tasked with recommending appointees to the Judiciary and the Office of the Ombudsman for the Presidents perusal. The council aims to enhance the quality of the search, screening, and selection process, as well as insulate the process from undue influence of any kind.Scientists report the existence of 15 new planets  including one 'super-Earth' that could harbor liquid water  orbiting small, cool stars near our solar system. These stars, known as red dwarfs[1], are of enormous interest for studies of planetary formation and evolution.

A research team led by Teruyuki Hirano of Tokyo Institute of Technology's Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences has validated 15 exoplanets[2] orbiting red dwarf systems.

One of the brightest red dwarfs, K2-155 that is around 200 light years away from Earth, has three transiting super-Earths, which are slightly bigger than our own planet. Of those three super-Earths, the outermost planet, K2-155d, with a radius 1.6 times that of Earth, could be within the host star's habitable zone[3].

The findings, published in the form of two papers in The Astronomical Journal, are based on data from NASA Kepler spacecraft's second mission, K2, and follow-up observations using ground-based telescopes, including the Subaru Telescope in Hawaii and the Nordic Optical Telescope (NOT) in Spain.

The researchers found that K2-155d could potentially have liquid water on its surface based on three-dimensional global climate simulations (see Figure 1). Hirano expresses both excitement and restraint, as he says: In our simulations, the atmosphere and the composition of the planet were assumed to be Earth-like, and there's no guarantee that this is the case.

A more precise estimate of the radius and temperature of the K2-155 star would be needed to conclude definitively whether K2-155d is habitable. Achieving such precision would require further studies, for example, using interferometric techniques.

A key outcome from the current studies was that planets orbiting red dwarfs may have remarkably similar characteristics to planets orbiting solar-type stars.

It's important to note that the number of planets around red dwarfs is much smaller than the number around solar-type stars, says Hirano. Red dwarf systems, especially coolest red dwarfs, are just beginning to be investigated, so they are very exciting targets for future exoplanet research.

For example, while the so-called radius gap[4] of planets around solar-type stars has been reported previously, this is the first time that researchers have shown a similar gap in planets around red dwarfs. (See Figure 2.) This is a unique finding, and many theoretical astronomers are now investigating what causes this gap, says Hirano.

He adds that the most likely explanation for the lack of large planets in the proximity of host stars is photoevaporation, which can strip away the envelope of the planetary atmosphere.

The researchers also investigated the relationship between planet radius and metallicity[5] of the host star. Large planets are only discovered around metal-rich stars, Hirano says, and what we found was consistent with our predictions. The few planets with a radius about three times that of Earth were found orbiting the most metal-rich red dwarfs.

The studies were conducted as part of the KESPRINT collaboration, a group formed by the merger of KEST (Kepler Exoplanet Science Team) and ESPRINT (Equipo de Seguimiento de Planetas Rocosos Intepretando sus Transitos) in 2016.

With the planned launch of NASA's Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) in April 2018, Hirano is hopeful that even more planets will be discovered. TESS is expected to find many candidate planets around bright stars closer to Earth, he says. This will greatly facilitate follow-up observations, including investigation of planetary atmospheres and determining the precise orbit of the planets.

###

Technical terms

[1] Red dwarfs: Also known as low-mass stars, red dwarfs are small, cool stars with a surface temperature of less than about 4,000 Kelvin.

[2] Exoplanets: Planets that orbit stars outside our solar system.

[3] Habitable zone: A region that is neither too hot nor too cold for liquid water, and hence life, to exist.

[4] Radius gap: Here referring to a reduced occurrence of planets that have a radius of between 1.5 to 2.0 times that of Earth.

[5] Metallicity: The amount of metal found in a star.

Related links

https:/ / educ. titech. ac. jp/ eps/ eng/

http://www. geo. titech. ac. jp/ lab/ sato/ hirano/ (Japanese only)

https:/ / tess. gsfc. nasa. govMarch 12, 2018 (Investorideas.com Newswire) Technical analyst Clive Maund reflects on how to proceed following a surge in this oil company's stock.

While there was clearly an element of luck involved, our repurchase of Jericho Oil Corp. (JCO:TSX.V; JROOF:OTC) on Monday tuned out to be very well timed, as it soared 25% higher (17% on US OTC) to a new high yesterday on huge record volume.

What is likely to happen now? Should you take profits? The answer is believed to be no. Although it could backtrack today on profit taking, perhaps to the vicinity of the January highs, the enormous record volume on this break to new highs, which was a record by a huge margin, is a sign that it is probably headed much higher. Therefore no action is required on our part and we simply wait to see how it plays out.

Jericho Oil website

Jericho Oil Corp, JCO.V, JROOF on OTC, closed at CA$1.00, $0.75 on 7nd March 18.

Clive Maund has been president of www.clivemaund.com, a successful resource sector website, since its inception in 2003. He has 30 years' experience in technical analysis and has worked for banks, commodity brokers and stockbrokers in the City of London. He holds a Diploma in Technical Analysis from the UK Society of Technical Analysts.

Disclosure:

1) Clive Maund: I, or members of my immediate household or family, own shares of the following companies mentioned in this article: None. I personally am, or members of my immediate household or family are, paid by the following companies mentioned in this article: None. My company has a financial relationship with the following companies mentioned in this article: None. CliveMaund.com disclosures below. I determined which companies would be included in this article based on my research and understanding of the sector.

2) The following companies mentioned in this article are billboard sponsors of Streetwise Reports: None. Click here for important disclosures about sponsor fees. As of the date of this article, an affiliate of Streetwise Reports has a consulting relationship with Jericho Oil.

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) This 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. As of the date of this article, officers and/or employees of Streetwise Reports LLC (including members of their household) own securities of Jericho Oil, a company mentioned in this article.

Chart provided by the author.

CliveMaund.com Disclosure:

The above represents the opinion and analysis of Mr Maund, based on data available to him, at the time of writing. Mr. Maund's opinions are his own, and are not a recommendation or an offer to buy or sell securities. Mr. Maund is an independent analyst who receives no compensation of any kind from any groups, individuals or corporations mentioned in his reports. As trading and investing in any financial markets may involve serious risk of loss, Mr. Maund recommends that you consult with a qualified investment advisor, one licensed by appropriate regulatory agencies in your legal jurisdiction and do your own due diligence and research when making any kind of a transaction with financial ramifications. Although a qualified and experienced stockmarket analyst, Clive Maund is not a Registered Securities Advisor. Therefore Mr. Maund's opinions on the market and stocks can only be construed as a solicitation to buy and sell securities when they are subject to the prior approval and endorsement of a Registered Securities Advisor operating in accordance with the appropriate regulations in your area of jurisdiction.

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Global investors must adhere to regulations of each country. Please read Investorideas.com privacy policy: https://www.investorideas.com/About/Private_Policy.aspMetro Manila (CNN Philippines, March 12)  Former Customs chief Nicanor Faeldon has been released from detention Monday.

During the Senate probe on the P6.4-billion drug shipment from China, Senator Richard Gordon asked for Faeldon's commitment that he would no longer resort to "back talking" and he would answer the Senate panel's questions directly. Faeldon responded, saying, "Yes, your honor."

"The committee chair hereby orders your release," Senate Blue Ribbon Committee Chair Gordon then said.

As the same senator who ordered the former Customs chief's arrest, Gordon warned Faeldon he may be cited in contempt once again if he breaks his commitment to the Senate.

Right after the hearing, Gordon signed Faeldon's release order and he was allowed to go home.

Faeldon has been detained since September 2017 after a verbal spat with Gordon during a hearing and was cited for contempt.

He then refused to attend the subsequent Senate hearings, saying he would gladly stay in jail until a competent court clears him.

He temporarily stayed at Senate detention facility until January 30, when he was transferred to the Pasay City Jail.

President Rodrigo Duterte appointed Faeldon in December as Deputy Administrator III of the Office of Civil Defense.Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, March 12)  A French Navy frigate "goodwill visit" in the country highlights France's call to maintain freedom of navigation in sea lanes, as outlined in international agreements.

"Our attachment to the rules-based order for example, regarding the use of the United Nations Convention for the law of navigation. This is the most important for us," said Rear Admiral Denis Bertrand of the French Navy Ship (FNS) Vendermiaire.

The 307-foot light patrol warship docked at the Manila South Harbor on Monday morning.

Bertrand, who heads the French forces in the Pacific, said France intends to sustain its strategic autonomy and "ability to cooperate with friends."

"France is the only European Union nation that has permanent forces settled here in the Pacific Ocean. We are probably the only EU nation that sends every year first rank-level units, such as destroyers, amphibious units and so on, in this region," Bertrand said.

French envoy to the Philippines Nicolas Galey said the Philippines and France held "joint cooperation talks" last week, to enhance bilateral security coordination on prevailing security threats in the region.

Among these security challenges include fighting terrorism and drug smuggling, as well as addressing the impact of climate change.

The French Navy is the third foreign naval force to make a port call in the Philippines since January.

Japan and the U.S. have also made routine deployments of their warships in Manila.

Related: U.S. nuclear-powered warship visits PH

"What it shows in my view, it is very important for these three nations, which are obviously important nations in the Pacific in the world, to show their presence in the Philippines," Galey said.

"And it shows also that Manila is a very important stop," he added.

The Philippine Navy accorded the Vendermiaire with traditional honors, including the customary practice of escorting the visiting warship from the vicinity of Corregidor Island.

"This is a very personal (visit) and (it's) great to be back in Manila, one of my first port visit when i was a cadet, a midship man in 1988," Betrand shared.

The visit of Verdermiaire, he added, "is an example of our willingness to be here side by side, with our friends of the region of the Pacific, with the view to enhance our relationship and cooperation."

The Philippine Navy said the visit will include "confidence-building engagements" along with the French Navy ship's about a hundred member crew.This Week in Review

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Subscribe or contributeMetro Manila (CNN Philippines, March 12)  Former Chief Justice Hilario Davide Jr. urged critics to respect the refusal of Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno to resign.

In a statement on Monday, he said he was alarmed over the calls of judges and Supreme Court employees for Sereno to step down from her post.

"I wish to express my deep and profound concern over the apparent politicization of the Judiciary. I refer particularly to recent calls from certain judges and court employees for the Chief Justice to resign immediately and not await for the results of the impeachment process or even the quo warranto," he said.

He called the move "condemning without evidence."

"(It is) judging before hearing....It is resort to the rule of men," he said.

Members of the Philippine Judges' Association, Philippine Assembly of Lawyer Employees, Philippine Association of Court Employees, and Sandiganbayan Employees' Association joined the Supreme Court Employees' Association on Monday in their call to urge Sereno to resign. They said the impeachment proceedings against Sereno are affecting the integrity of the Supreme Court.

Sereno is scheduled to face an impeachment trial before the Senate in May after the House Justice Committee found probable cause to impeach her on March 2.

She is also facing a quo warranto case questioning the validity of her appointment as chief magistrate.

Davide said the resignation call openly disregards due process as it applies "additional political pressure" on Sereno, when judges should instead be helping her uphold her right to a fair trial.

"If there is anything that will destroy the faith of our people in the Judiciary, it is the perception that judges themselves are unwilling to await the results of a constitutional proceeding or a statutory process," the former Chief Justice said.

Davide, who served as Chief Justice from 1998 to 2005, said the judges and Supreme Court employees should respect Sereno's rights to fairness and rule of law.

"I fully agree with her appeal that all members and employees of the Judiciary should not involve themselves in the political fray," he said.

Sereno is accused of violating the Constitution, corruption, and other high crimes which are valid grounds for impeachment under the Constitution.

The Chief Justice on Monday reiterated she will not step down.

"Out of love for the judiciary, I must continue my course. I will not resign," she said during a show of support of several civil groups.

Sereno said if she resigns, other high-ranking officials may be the next victims of those in power.

She added groups who called for her resignation only "succumbed to the pressure."

CNN Philippines' Correspondent Anjo Alimario contributed to this report.A UKSA yachting student scooped a top award at the Prince's Trust Awards in London.

Daisy McDonnell, 22, who is currently studying her yacht masters in Cowes, won the prestigious Young Achiever of the Year Award at a glittering ceremony held at The Palladium in London.

The event was hosted by Ant and Dec and attended by celebrities including former Girls Aloud star Cheryl, Olivia Colman, Thierry Henry, Breaking Bad star Bryan Cranston, Tom Hardy and Spice Girl Melanie Chisholm.

Daisy received the top award from HRH The Prince of Wales for transforming her life, after facing traumatic bereavement, depression and life on the streets.

The Princes Trust Awards recognise disadvantaged young people who have succeeded against the odds, improved their chances in life and had a positive impact on their local community, as well as those who have played a part in supporting the work of The Trust.

Before contacting The Princes Trust for support, Daisy was facing homelessness and grief, and feeling vulnerable.

"After a traumatic and harrowing bereavement, the collapse of my relationship and the reclaiming of my apartment, I began to give up hope. Trying to hold down a full time job while living on the streets proved extremely difficult.

"I felt like there were situations where I could have died," Daisy said.

Daisy enrolled on the Princes Trust Team programme and received a grant to begin an apprenticeship as an outdoor instructor working with disadvantaged children. She decided then that she wanted to progress into yachting and discovered UKSA.

"I cant believe Ive won this award. Im in a really happy place now and looking forward to making the most of the opportunities that come with UKSA. I cant thank The Princes Trust enough for all their support, I dont know where I would be without them," Daisy said.Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, March 12)  The House Committee on Suffrage and Electoral Reforms approved Monday another proposed postponement of the barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections in May.

Committee Chairman Sherwin Tugna said the panel agreed to move the elections from May 14 to October 8 because they believe the government will be able to save costs if the polls coincided with the possible referendum on charter change.

"Upang pagdating ng October 2018, doon na isasabay ang plebisito on the assumption na magkakaroon ng deliberations sa new form of government between this period up to October 2018," Tugna said.

14 congressmen voted in favor of postponing the elections, while only two voted against it.

Committee member Egay Erice, however, said the ultimate goal of the postponement is to extend the terms of congressmen.

"Maliwanag po, ang motibo nitong postponement ng barangay elections, maisabay ang plebisito, ma-postpone ang election para i-extend natin ang mga sarili nating term of office," Erice said.

In case it pushes through, this will be the third postponement. In 2016, President Rodrigo Duterte move the polls from October 2016 to October 2017 after he expressed fears drug money will fund the campaign.

The Commission on Elections (Comelec), meanwhile, said it would be better to hold the elections in May because they are already prepared to hold the elections.

It will also be difficult for the Comelec to hold the elections in October because it will be held almost simultaneous with the filing of Certificates of Candidacy for the 2019 elections, and with the preparations of the local and national elections,

On Sunday, House Justice Committee chair Reynaldo Umali told CNN Philippines he wanted the barangay and SK elections moved so Congress could concentrate on the charter change, the shift to a federal form of government, and the Bangsamoro Basic Law.

Umali also said if the Senate does not approve of the measure, then elections will continue on May 14.

With only a few weeks left before both the House and Senate adjourn on March 24, Umali said it is "never too late" to approve the postponement. The two chambers will also resume their sessions on May 14.

House Bills No. 7072, 7128, 7167, and 7217 were earlier filed by Reps. Johnny Ty Pimentel, Jose Panganiban Jr., Reynaldo Umali, and Edgar Sarmiento for the postponement of the local elections.

The four bills sought to amend Republic Act No. 9164, which synchronized both the barangay and SK elections.

On February, Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said the elections will push through.

Around 42,000 barangays nationwide will vote in the upcoming polls. The barangay elections were last held in October 2013.

CNN Philippines' Correspondent Joyce Ilas contributed to this report.Area Sales Manager Job in Zaitoon Pakistan Limited

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Note: Beware of Fraudulent Recruiting Activities. If the employer asks you to pay money for any purpose including processing to shortlisting, do not pay at all and report us using our contact us form. Apply as per instuctions & dates mentioned in official job ad. Govt jobs cannot be applied online here. Error & omissions excepted.Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, March 11)  Judges and employees of the High Court are demanding the resignation of Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno.

Members of the Philippine Judges' Association, Philippine Assembly of Lawyer Employees, Philippine Association of Court Employees, and Sandiganbayan Employees' Association joined the Supreme Court Employees' Association (SCEA) in their call to urge Sereno to go, and allow the Judiciary to move on.

"Kami po ay nananawagan para na rin po sa kapakanan ng buong sambayanang Pilipino na kayo po ay bumaba na sa pwesto at magbitiw bilang punong mahistrado o chief justice," SCEA president Erwin Jocson said during the flag-raising ceremony Monday.

(Translation: We are calling for you to step down as Chief Justice for the sake of the Filipinos.)

"The impeachment proceedings in recent months have put the Judiciary in dispute, thereby affecting the honor and integrity of each justices, judges, officials, and rank and file personnel. Court officials have been pitted against each other, resulting in a distressing atmosphere," he added.

Sereno, on Monday, reiterated she will not step down as Chief Justice.

"Out of love for the judiciary, I must continue my course. I will not resign," she said during a show of support of several civil groups.

The Chief Justice said if she resigns, other high-ranking officials may be the next victims of those in power.

Sereno said groups who called for her resignation only "succumbed to the pressure."

Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque on Monday said Sereno should listen to the calls of the groups.

"The decision to resign is one to be made by the Chief Justice alone. At most, what we are going to say is that we hope she takes into consideration the sentiments of everyone, all the stakeholders," he said in a media briefing.

While the flag-raising ceremony was ongoing, around 30 members of the group Pwersa ng Pamayanan Para sa Voluntarismo at Reporma held placards outside the Supreme Court to show support for the Chief Justice. They wore white to counter the "Red Mondays" at the SC.

READ: Sereno to 'politicians': Do not clamp down on the judiciary

Groups of women have called for a #WhiteMonday on Sunday, encouraging people to join the campaign against justices and officials of the High Court who supported her indefinite leave.

The campaign urges participants to take a photo of themselves and post it on Facebook with the hashtag, #dontresignCJ.

Nine SC justices attended today's flag ceremony, with some of them wearing red ties.

Last week, 10 justices attended the Supreme Court's first flag raising after Sereno went on an indefinite leave to prepare for the impeachment trial at the Senate.

READ: SC justices, officials attend flag-raising ceremony in red

The House Justice Committee, voting 38-2 on Thursday, said there is probable cause to impeach Sereno.

READ: Sereno on House panel vote: I knew the numbers were not in my favor

The committee's five chairpersons will draft the committee report listing the articles of impeachment to be submitted to the House plenary. Members of the committee will meet on March 14 to approve the report.

The top magistrate is accused of violating the Constitution, corruption, and other high crimes which are valid grounds for impeachment under the Constitution.

Aside from the impeachment, Solicitor General Jose Calida also filed a quo warranto case against Sereno, saying she should be ousted from office since her appointment is not valid due to noncompliance in the requirements when she applied for the position.

READ: Chief Justice Sereno 'unlawfully holding position'  SolGenMetro Manila (CNN Philippines, March 12)  Lawyer Larry Gadon on Monday filed graft complaints before the Justice Department against the staff members of Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno and other Supreme Court officials.

In a seven-page complaint, Sereno's judicial staff head Maria Lourdes Oliveros, court attorney Michael Ocampo, and informations technology consultant Helen Perez Macasaet were accused of violating anti-graft and procurement laws for hiring the IT consultant without public bidding.

"Binayaran ng napakalaking halaga si Helen Perez Macasaet nang hindi dumadaan sa bidding, at ni-renew pa ito nang six times na hindi dumadaan sa bidding. Kaya ito ay malinaw na graft and corruption case," Gadon said.

In the House impeachment hearing on February 7, Macasaet said she received a monthly fee of 250,000 as consultant from October 2013 to November 2017, for a total of over 11 million. She was hired to help out in the court's computerization program or Enterprise Information Systems Plan.

Macasaet said her pay at the Supreme Court was a lot lower than any of the salaries she received from working with big companies here and abroad in her three decades of professional experience.

Sereno's camp earlier said there was nothing irregular in Macasaet's hiring which was done through "negotiated procurement."

"Her services are highly technical in nature and, therefore, exempted from public bidding under Section 53.7 of the 2009 Revised Implementing Rules and Regulations of R.A. 9184," Jojo Lacanilao, one of Sereno's spokespersons, said.

Meanwhile, a three-page complaint accuses court attorney Jocelyn Fabian and Deputy Clerk of Court Anna-Li Papa-Gombio of violating the anti-graft law for supposedly delaying the release of survivorship benefits for the spouses of deceased magistrates.

"Namatay pa yung isang claimant na di pa niya napapakinabangan yung survivorship benefits. Ito ay maliwanag na paglabag sa batas," Gadon said.

Court Administrator Midas Marquez earlier told the House Justice Committee that a special committee created in 2015 by Sereno, with Associate Justices Antonio Carpio and Presbitero Velasco, unduly delayed decision on the pending applications of dozens of retired justices and judges or their surviving spouse.

Gadon, who filed the impeachment complaint against Sereno, earlier threatened to file cases against these court officials if Sereno didn't resign by March 1.

The Chief Justice, however, has been firm that she will not step down despite the ongoing impeachment proceedings against her.

The top magistrate is accused of violating the Constitution, corruption, and other high crimes which are valid grounds for impeachment under the Constitution.

Aside from the impeachment, Solicitor General Jose Calida also filed a quo warranto case against Sereno, saying she should be ousted from office since her appointment is not valid due to noncompliance in the requirements when she applied for the position.Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, March 12)  The Palace remains open to an investigation by the United Nations (UN) despite recent unflattering remarks by one of its high-ranking officials against President Rodrigo Duterte.

"We welcome special rapporteurs, provided they be impartial, neutral, and willing to investigate rather than those already having conclusions," Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said in a press briefing on Monday.

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra'ad Al-Hussein last week said President Rodrigo Duterte should see a psychiatrist after the government asked a Manila court to declare over 600 people as terrorists.

The list included Victoria Tauli-Corpuz, a UN special rapporteur for indigenous people's rights.

Roque, who also serves as presidential adviser on human rights, called Al-Hussein's language an insult to Filipinos and an affront to the country's sovereignty.

"It's being treated as a diplomatic affront. It's wholly unacceptable, and until now, I'm restraining myself from using similar language," he said.

Roque said the remarks came at an inappropriate time, considering that talks on a possible investigation by the UN is being discussed by the Foreign Affairs Department and the UN Secretary General.

He added that UN officials should always treat state leaders with respect.

The presidential spokesperson also took a swipe at Al-Hussein, whose home country Jordan continues to fight for a democratic system of government.

"There's a world of difference between a UN official using crude language against a sitting head of state and the president using any kind of language that he wants on a private individual, especially in this instance when the person using the crude language is himself without a democratic mandate," he pointed out.

Roque earlier said the administration is open to having a UN expert investigate the country's drug war, as long as Special Rapporteur Agnes Callamard is out of the picture. Duterte has repeatedly lashed out at Callamard for her being biased against his anti-drug campaign.

Local and international human rights groups have called on the government to allow the UN to look into the anti-drug campaign. Around 4,000 drug suspects were killed in police operations since the start of the bloody drug war in July 2016, government data show.

Critics said Duterte in his public pronouncements ordered or encouraged policemen to kill those involved in drug trafficking, resulting in thousands of alleged extrajudicial killings.

But Malacanang had repeatedly denied this, saying it would investigate policemen accused of violating the law and abusing their power.03/11/2018



JSU was recognized as the most outstanding delegation with the Speaker's Cup.

JSU students dominated at the annual YMCA Collegiate Legislature on March 1-3 in Montgomery, winning the Speakers Cup as the most outstanding delegation.

The following students served in key positions:

Hayden Clay, Lieutenant Governor

Corey Deerman, Senate Floor Leader

Ulises Herrera, Senate Clerk

Kyteria Marshall, Chief Justice

Hunter Limbaugh, Attorney General

Miranda Fairel, Media and School Representative

DeLena Harris, Chief of Staff

Kyra Watral was awarded the Statesman of the Senate Award, recognizing her as the most outstanding delegate in the Senate, while Jerod Sharp was awarded the Statesman of the House Award, recognizing him as the most outstanding delegate in the House. Hayden Clay, DeLena Harris, Hunter Limbaugh and Kyteria Marshall were recognized with honor cords for graduation, signifying over two years of involvement in the organization.

Looking ahead to 2019, JSU delegates were elected or appointed to nearly half of the major positions for next year:

Corey Deerman was elected Lieutenant Governor

Ulises Herrera was elected President Pro Tempore

Desmond Thomas was elected Speaker Pro Tempore

Mariana Alvarez was elected Senate Floor Leader

Adam McNeal was elected House Floor Leader

Hannah Leonard was appointed House Clerk

The Alabama YMCA Collegiate Legislature the states premier College Mock Legislative Conference. Delegates have the opportunity to draft, present and debate pressing, relevant bills on the floor of the Alabama House of Representatives. This hands-on learning experience provides college students with a better understanding of the legislative process in Alabama, and the elements necessary for effecting positive change through legislative procedure.UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi said [press release] Friday that the seven-year war in Syria [JURIST backgrounder] has created a colossal human tragedy that has left thousands death, millions homeless and millions seeking asylum.

According to the High Commissioner, the ongoing human rights violation committed against Syria civilians has created a continuing problem, making it hard for citizens to live. About 69 percent of civilians are living in extreme poverty. Food prices are about eight times higher than pre-crisis levels, resulting in 90 percent of families spending over half of their yearly income on food. An estimated 5.6 million people do not have basic human necessities, such as food, shelter, health access and education. About 43 percent of children who should be in school are not. And the continued conflict has made it unsafe for refugees to return to Syria.

Despite Resolution 2401 [text, PDF], adopted by the UN Security Council, which required all parties to the Syrian conflict to immediately cease hostilities for at least 30 consecutive days to enable delivery of humanitarian assistance and evacuation of the critically sick and wounded, there was been a continuous inability to get adequate assistance to Syrian civilians, Grandi urges that humanitarian access to those in need must be guaranteed. People must be allowed to leave to seek refuge and civilians and civilian infrastructure including hospitals and schools must be protected at all costs.

Grandi called for additional financial and developmental relief be provided to Syria, which is to be discussed at the upcoming international conference in Brussel.

Earlier this month UN investigators reported [JURIST report] that Russian airstrikes committed last year on a Syrian market killed more than 80 civilians. Also in March the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Raad All Hussein warned [JURIST report] Syria that airstrikes, shelling and use of toxic agents in Eastern Ghouta likely constitute war crimes. In February an UN expert reported [JURIST report] civilian violence in Syria is dramatically increasing, causing internal displacement and estimated quarter of a million civilians to flee the country.The UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) released a report [text, PDF] Monday detailing human rights violations in the aftermath of the 2017 Honduran presidential election [Reuters backgrounder]

The report documents violence committed by the government security forces towards protestors and civilians in the time period between election night on November 26 and inauguration day on January 27. According to the report, at least 1,351 people were detained during a curfew put in place during early December, and it was also reported that civilians were detained in illegal house raids. In addition, 23 people were killed and 60 were injured in post-election protests including 16 victims shot to death by security forces. There were no charges pressed for the violence.

Hondurass election was the second since the military coup in 2009 [JURIST report]. Adding to the tension, President Juan Orlando Hernandez was running for re-election after the Honduran Supreme Court removed a constitutional clause [Guardian report] preventing second terms for presidents. Given this history, the election last November was seen as volatile prior to the inconclusive election night and reported irregularities.

Hernandez was declared the winner [JURIST report] on December 17 and subsequently inaugurated on January 27. The US recognized his victory while the Organization of American States (OAS) called for new elections [CNN report].Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, March 12)  Philippine National Police Chief Director General Ronald dela Rosa promised the police won't abuse the subpoena power bestowed on them under a new law.

"Swear 'yan. I will never, never abuse this power," he said on Monday as he raised his right hand.

Republic Act (RA) 10973 - which amends RA 6975 or the Department of the Interior and Local Government Act of 1990 - grants the Philippine National Police (PNP) Chief, along with the Director and the Deputy Director for Administration of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG), the PNP's investigation arm, the authority to issue subpoenas and subpoenas duces tecum for documents.

Duterte signed RA 10973 on March 1. It will allow the three top police officials to issue an order to request for the production of documents, or a request to appear in court or other legal proceeding.

Dela Rosa assured it won't be used against administration critics.

He also said the power given to him as PNP Chief will not be used as long as the CIDG officials are there to implement it. He added that administratively, the CIDG must inform the PNP Chief if they will issue a subpoena, as part of the chain-of-command.

"Prangkahin kita. Hindi ko gagamitin. Hanggang nandiyan ang CIDG, hindi ko gagamitin yan. Baka sabihin niyo na gamitin ko yan against the political enemies of the Duterte administration? Your question leads to that? Sabihin mo sa kanila, rest assured never ko gagamitin hanggang functioning ang CIDG," he said in a media briefing.

[Translation: To tell you frankly, I will not use it as long as the CIDG is there. If you're saying I'll use it against the political enemies of the Duterte administration, I assure you I will not use the power as long as CIDG is functioning.]

The PNP Chief said it will only be used to help revive cold cases that require sufficient evidence to proceed.

Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque on Monday said the subpoena power will be only be used in "extreme circumstances."

"Because of the fact that there are limited signatories to the subpoenas, that it will be reserved for the extreme circumstance where individuals have absolutely refused to cooperate in an ongoing police investigation," he said in a media briefing.

He also stressed the subpoena power aims to bolster the PNP's investigating authority and does not grant the police any direct power to detain an individual.

"It will only be a cause of action for indirect contempt. They have to go to court, file a petition for indirect contempt before they can apprehend anyone for failure to comply with the subpoena. So under these circumstance, I think the possibility of abuse will be minimized if not remote," he said.

CIDG Director Roel Obusan said subpoenas will be issued against high-profile criminals and not those guilty of petty crimes.

The National Union of People's Lawyers will question the new law for supposedly violating the Bill of Rights.

CNN Philippines' Gerg Cahiles, Ina Andolong contributed to this report.Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, March 12)  Embattled Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno stood firm despite calls for her resignation, saying this may be a precedent to intimidate some officials.

"Kung ako ay bibitiw, mauulit na naman ito sa susunod na biktima," Sereno said in a press briefing, Monday. "Maaaring bibiktimahin ang isang huwes, o komisyuner ng mga Constitutional Commissions. Maaaring biktimahin pati ang mga pinakamataas na luklok na mga opisyales."

(Translation: If I resign, the same thing will be done to other officials. They can go after a judge, or a commissioner of the Constitutional Commissions. They can go after other high-ranking officials.)

A number of judges and court employees associations called for Sereno's resignation during the High Court's flag-raising ceremony.

READ: Judges, court employees call for Sereno's resignation

Sereno said resigning will show she does not stand by the rule of law.

"Kung magreresign po ako, ibig sabihin, hindi ko po pinaninindigan ang rule of law na ang bawat naakusahan ay may karapatang madinig at ipagtanggol ang sarili," Sereno said.

(Translation: If I step down, it will show I'm not standing by the rule of law that all accused have the right to be heard and defend themselves.)

Earlier this month, Sereno said the House Justice Committee was unfair when it did not allow her lawyers to participate in the impeachment proceedings.

READ: House Justice Committee has been 'blatantly unfair'  Sereno

She reiterated her desire to be heard before the Senate, that will sit as impeachment court.

The House Justice Committee found probable cause to impeach Sereno.

The committee's five chairpersons will draft the committee report listing the articles of impeachment to be submitted to the House plenary. Members of the committee will meet on March 14 to approve the report.

The top magistrate is accused of violating the Constitution, corruption, and other high crimes which are valid grounds for impeachment under the Constitution.

Aside from the impeachment, Solicitor General Jose Calida also filed a quo warranto case against Sereno, saying she should be ousted from office since her appointment is not valid due to noncompliance in the requirements when she applied for the position.(CNN)  The Syrian regime has taken control of several villages in the rebel-held enclave of Eastern Ghouta, official news agency SANA said Sunday, in a major turning point in a two-week offensive.

Regime forces gained control of villages on the eastern side of the besieged enclave, which it said were controlled by Al-Nusra Front, a former Al-Qaeda affiliate.

According to the SANA report, the rebel group had fired over 300 mortar shells and rockets on neighboring Damascus, killing and injuring scores of civilians.

It is the first time the Syrian regime has announced territory control of Eastern Ghouta since launching an offensive on the rebel-held enclave on the outskirts of Damascus on February 18.

The intense bombardment of Eastern Ghouta has caused thousands of residents to flee their homes and head westward where the fighting is less severe, civilians inside the suburb told CNN Sunday.

"The situation on the ground is catastrophic," surgeon Hamza Hassan, based in Irbin in Eastern Ghouta, told CNN via Whatsapp.

"There is massive internal displacement of 30,000 people from (the areas of) Beit Sawa, Otaya, the Douma villages," Hassan said.

"The regime has been hysterically bombing these areas and completely destroying towns and villages," he added.

Separately, the rebel group Jaish al-Islam said in a statement Saturday that its fighters had also retreated from two other areas in the east of Eastern Ghouta, accusing the regime of employing a "scorched earth" strategy of bombardment.

Ceasefire falls on deaf ears

The Syrian regime's foothold in Eastern Ghouta comes one week after the United Nations Security Council unanimously voted for a month-long ceasefire in the enclave, which is home to some 400,000 people.

The UN resolution provided little detail on when the ceasefire was meant to begin, how it would be enforced or even whether all the parties concerned were aware of it.

Russian President Vladimir Putin, who is a key ally of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, also ordered a daily five-hour pause in hostilities that was to have begun on Tuesday.

But both calls were ignored and rebel fighters holed up in Eastern Ghouta, as well as Syrian government forces, accused each other of breaking the truce.

Meanwhile, violence in the enclave rumbled on, including reports of chlorine gas attacks last week that were condemned by the White House.

In a Sunday statement, the White House again condemned "the ongoing military offensive that the Assad regime, backed by Russia and Iran, is perpetrating against the people of Eastern Ghouta."

White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders accused Russia of ignoring the UNSC's resolution that demanded a 30-day ceasefire to continue the offensive "under the false auspices of counterterrorism operations."

"The civilized world must not tolerate the Assad regime's continued use of chemical weapons," Sanders added.

Much-needed UN aid -- including a 45-truck convoy with enough supplies for 90,000 people in 10 locations -- was unable to enter the war-torn enclave.

In a statement released Sunday, the UN's Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said it hoped to deliver aid to parts of the area on Monday.

"We hope that the convoy may proceed as planned and will be followed by other convoys," said Ali Al-Za'tari, the UN's Syria Humanitarian Coordinator. "Our teams on the ground are ready to do all that is needed to make this happen."

In a Sunday phone call, French President Emanuel Macron asked his Iranian counterpart, Hassan Rouhani, to put pressure on the Syrian regime to end its attacks on Eastern Ghouta and allow humanitarian aid to enter the area, according to a statement released by the Elysee Palace.

Macron and Rouhani "affirmed their agreement to work together" to get aid to the civilians who need it in the coming days, the statement said.

In the week since the UN's ceasefire resolution, not only had the violence failed to stop, it has actually escalated, according to Panos Moumtzis, UN Regional Humanitarian Coordinator for the Syria Crisis.

"Instead of a much needed reprieve, we continue to see more fighting, more death, and more disturbing reports of hunger and hospitals being bombed," Moumtzis said in a statement Sunday.

"This collective punishment of civilians is simply unacceptable," he added.

Almost 600 people are believed to have been killed and over 2,000 injured, since Syrian government forces launched an air and ground offensive on the rebel-held enclave on February 18, according to the statement.

Medical charity Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF), put the civilian death toll even higher Saturday, reporting that 770 had been killed and more than 4,000 wounded just between February 18 and February 27.

At the same time, ground-based strikes and mortar shelling from Eastern Ghouta have killed and injured scores of civilians in neighboring Damascus.

What is happening in Eastern Ghouta?

Eastern Ghouta is one of the last major rebel-held areas of the country, which has been ravaged by civil war for almost seven years.

Observers fear the area could face a similar fate to eastern Aleppo, which was all but destroyed in a government offensive in December 2016.

The regime's capture of that city marked a turning point in the war, with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad taking back control of all four major cities in the country -- with the help of Russia.

Russia's intervention in the country's civil war in 2015 -- with troops and weaponry -- has helped tilt the balance in Assad's favor, with the push for Eastern Ghouta now more intense than ever.

The main rebel units actively holding territory in Eastern Ghouta are the Islamist Jaish al-Islam and Faylaq al Rahman, which have taken part in peace negotiations in the past. According to activists, there are small pockets of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, an al-Qaeda affiliate, still in the area.

This story was first published on CNN.com, Residents flee as Syrian regime takes control of villages in Eastern Ghouta."(CNN)  China's largely ceremonial parliament on Sunday overwhelmingly endorsed a controversial change to the country's constitution, paving the way for President Xi Jinping to stay in power indefinitely.

Inside Beijing's Great Hall of the People, nearly 3,000 delegates to the National People's Congress (NPC) cast their ballots on a series of proposed amendments -- including removing the restriction that had limited the presidency to two consecutive five-year terms.

Out of 2,964 ballots, just two delegates voted against the move and three abstained, suggesting minimal opposition to Xi's push to rule for life. The amendments' passage required two thirds of the vote, which was a largely symbolic exercise.

The ruling Communist Party announced the proposals on February 25 and, amid a backlash in some quarters, has justified the change as a necessity to align the presidency with Xi's two other, more powerful, posts -- heads of the party and the military -- that have no term limits.

RELATED: Beijing's propaganda explained

The 64-year-old Xi, already hailed as the most powerful Chinese leader since Mao Zedong, last week gave a ringing endorsement to the proposed constitutional changes, calling them a reflection of the "common will of the party and the people."

But some critics say the move is not only against the public interest but also makes Xi politically vulnerable in the long run.

"He just dug a huge hole for himself," said Li Datong, a former editor of the state-run China Youth Daily newspaper and one of the few voices of open opposition.

"The top leader's term limits are the biggest common denominator shared by all political forces in China," he said. "Its removal could trigger political infighting -- that's why this move is dangerous."

However, when asked about a potential power struggle, Shen Chunyao, a senior NPC official, dismissed such concerns.

"I don't think this issue exists," he said at a post-vote press conference.

Brazen step

Since the amendment to scrap presidential term limits also applies to the vice presidency, many analysts see growing signs of the hitherto ceremonial position going to one of Xi's most trusted lieutenants.

Wang Qishan, China's fearsome former anti-corruption czar, is likely to become the new vice president later this week and be given major responsibilities, allowing the two men to join hands again to rule China for years to come.

China watchers say the brazen step toward life-long tenure for Xi demonstrates his character.

"He's a bit of bulldozer -- and there's no other senior politician who could or want to stand up to him," said Duncan Innes-Ker, regional director for Asia at the Economist Intelligence Unit.

"The trouble with being the clear leader of everything is that everyone knows where the buck stops if something goes wrong."

Another major constitutional change approved Sunday was the creation of an all-powerful national anti-corruption agency, regarded by many as equally significant as the removal of term limits in its impact on Chinese politics.

The National Supervision Commission (NSC) will have a comparable status to the cabinet, the supreme court and the top prosecutor's office, consolidating existing graft-busting powers vested in various government agencies.

Although it will share office space and personnel with the party's disciplinary arm -- once headed by the 69-year-old Wang -- the NSC can target anyone who exercises public authority, instead of just Communist Party members, providing Xi with further power to crush any political disloyalty.

"It looks very much like the early stage of Putin, the accumulation of power," said Innes-Ker, the analyst. "The bigger question is whether or not this accumulation of power around Xi is positive or negative for reform."

"At the moment, we are not confident about the direction the government is going on its policy of reform."

This story was first published on CNN.com, China clears way for Xi Jinping to rule for life."World health chief stokes the panic fires by warning that a catastrophic global pandemic is imminent humanity WIPEOUT foreshadowed?

Dr. Tedros Adhanom, director-general for the World Health Organization (WHO), has said that the next outbreak that will hit us will be a terrible one, causing huge amounts of death all over the world. Fears of a pandemic have been hovering lately after the worst flu outbreak in recent years devastated Australia, France, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

More recently, the mosquito-borne Zika virus crisis, rocked 70 countries in 2016 and worried scientists the world over. The Zika virus can cause microcephaly, or an abnormally small head, in babies. It spread all over South America in 2016.

The hemorrhagic fever Ebola killed 11,000 individuals in West Africa in 2014 and 2015. It spread to various parts of the U.S. in the same time period. Ebola was officially declared over in January 2016, when Liberia was announced Ebola-free by the WHO. A group of international researchers traced the pandemic back to a two-year-old boy in Meliandou, which is about 400 miles (650 kilometers) from Conakry, the capital of Guinea. The researchers said Emile Ouamouno, who was identified as Patient Zero, probably got infected by the deadly virus by playing with bats in a hollow tree.

Around 29,000 people in Guinea, Sierra Leone, and Liberia contracted Ebola. The virus killed around 40 percent of those it struck. Deaths were also reported in Mali, Nigeria, and the U.S., although at a much smaller scale, with 15 fatalities between the three nations.

Ebola was first identified by scientists in 1976; however, the most recent outbreak is the biggest the world has ever felt so far. It can be transmitted between humans through infected blood, bodily fluids, and other secretions. (Related: Ebola outbreak may already be uncontrollable; Monsanto invests in Ebola treatment drug company as pandemic spreads.)

The power of the elements: Discover Colloidal Silver Mouthwash with quality, natural ingredients like Sangre de Drago sap, black walnut hulls, menthol crystals and more. Zero artificial sweeteners, colors or alcohol. Learn more at the Health Ranger Store and help support this news site.

This is not some future nightmare scenario. A devastating epidemic could start in any country at any time and kill millions of people because we are still not prepared. The world remains vulnerable. We do not know where and when the next global pandemic will occur, but we know it will take a terrible toll both on human life and on the economy, Dr. Tedros said.

Hidden underneath this fear mongering message of a global pandemic is a far more sinister W.H.O. agenda, warns Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, publisher of Medicine.news. The real agenda is a global push for blind, fear-based acceptance of unsafe, unproven vaccines that will be rolled out alongside the next global pandemic, Adams warns. Fear circumvents rational thinking, which is why the vaccine-pharma cartels routinely turn to irrational fear propaganda to demand absolute and unquestioning acceptance of risky medical interventions that should always be scrutinized for safety and efficacy.

According to Dr. Tedros, the flu is extremely dangerous to everyone living in the planet. This fear was also promoted by experts at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland last month.

The claims now arise exactly 100 years after the deadly 1918 Spanish flu that caused the death of 50 million individuals and killed three times as many people as World War I. The first result of such fear-mongering was the swine flu pandemic of 2009, which claimed 300,000 lives all over the world after affecting 60 countries.

Humanity is more vulnerable in the face of epidemics because we are much more connected and we travel around much more quickly than before, said WHO specialist in infectious diseases Dr. Sylvie Brand.

For more stories on the spread of viruses and pandemics, visit Outbreak.news.

Sources include:

DailyMail.co.uk

SMCYInternationalFamily.orgInternational Trade Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne is rolling out a new investment agency designed to promote Canada as a destination for investors with two top businessmen to run it. Minister of International Trade Francois-Philippe Champagne speaks to press about the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership, in Toronto on Tuesday, January 23, 2018. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Christopher KatsarovAuthorities are investigating the scene after multiple explosions in Austin on Monday, March 12, 2018. Police are responding to another explosion Monday, that badly injured a woman, hours after a package bomb killed a teenager and wounded a woman in a different part of the city. (Ricardo B. Brazziell/Austin American-Statesman via AP)/Austin American-Statesman via AP)DES MOINES, Iowa (AP)  The majority leader of the Iowa Senate resigned Monday after a website published video showing the married lawmaker kissing a statehouse lobbyist.

Sen. Bill Dix submitted a one-sentence resignation letter several hours after the liberal website Iowa Starting Line published its report about the Shell Rock Republican.

Dix did not comment on the circumstances surrounding his resignation as majority leader and as state senator, though Republican Senate President Jack Whitver alluded to the website's allegations in a statement.

"I believe he made the right decision for himself and for his district, but most importantly, I believe he made the decision in the best interest of his family," said Whitver about Dix.

Republicans in the GOP-controlled chamber plan to elect a new majority leader on Wednesday.

The resignation caps a swift response from Senate Republicans, after Iowa Starting Line posted video and photos on Monday showing Dix and a woman sitting together at a Des Moines bar. The video shows the two kiss. The website said the incident was recorded March 1.

The woman was identified as a lobbyist for Iowa League of Cities, an organization that seeks to sway legislation at the state Capitol. She did not respond to a request for comment from The Associated Press.

Robert L. Palmer, director of government affairs and legislative counsel for the organization, said in an email to AP: "We are taking what we believe are appropriate actions, but because this is a personnel matter we cannot comment further."

After Dix's resignation, GOP Gov. Kim Reynolds said in a statement: "I believe he made the right decision in stepping down ... Iowans hold their elected officials to a high standard, and as elected officials, we have an obligation to lead."

Senate Minority Leader Janet Petersen, a Des Moines Democrat, released a statement calling the video a "serious matter."

"Because this involves Senator Dix and a lobbyist, there will be questions about the impact of this relationship on legislation," she said in a statement.

Petersen also reiterated her criticism of Dix for how he handled the fallout of a recent sexual misconduct case within the chamber, which involved a former Senate GOP staffer. The ex-employee filed a lawsuit several years ago that claimed she was fired after reporting misconduct in the workplace that included the use of sexual language. The lawsuit went to trial last summer, and she was later awarded $1.75 million.

Dix has maintained the ex-staffer was fired for poor performance. An internal report later revealed senators made "sexually suggestive comments" or discussed "sexual preferences" on the chamber floor in recent years, and staff members in the Republican Senate office were unlikely to report misconduct because of fear of retaliation.

The Iowa Legislature has since hired a human resources director to oversee harassment complaints at the state Capitol.

Separately, a former Republican senator was tasked late last year with reviewing workplace culture at the Iowa Senate. The ex-lawmaker released recommendations in January that included suggesting all employees at the state Capitol  including elected lawmakers, nonpartisan staff, lobbyists and the media  receive training "regarding what constitutes inappropriate behavior."

Legislative leaders in the Republican-controlled Iowa House did not immediately comment on Dix, a 55-year-old pumpkin farmer from an area about 130 miles northeast of Des Moines. A biography online said he and his wife have three teenage children.

Dix was first elected to the Iowa House in 1996. He was later elected to the Iowa Senate in 2010, where he served as minority leader for several years. He became majority leader after GOP lawmakers took control of the chamber following the 2016 election.KOSSUTH COUNTY, Iowa  The Algona Police Department is asking the public to lock their vehicles and garages after a string of weekend thefts.

Police say from Saturday night to Sunday morning, a group of individuals went to numerous residences in Algona, entered unlocked garages and unlocked vehicles and stole bikes, tools, cash and misc. electronics.

Police are asking anyone with video surveillance from State St. to Oak St. from Thornington St. to Phillips St. to contact them at 515-295-3515.

With your cooperation, we can hopefully identify suspects and prevent future incidents like this from occurring, police said.MASON CITY, Iowa  A man is facing a litany of charges, including four felony drug charges, after an early-morning traffic stop.

Mason City police say 45-year-old Chris Bruce was pulled over for an equipment violation at 1:53 a.m. in the 500 block of S. Carolina on Monday. The stop yielded a plethora of drugs and led to the following felony charges:

- Possession of a controlled substance with intent to deliver meth.

- Possession of a controlled substance with intent to deliver marijuana.

- Possession of a controlled substance with intent to deliver cocaine.

- Possession of a controlled substance with intent to deliver mushrooms.

Bruce is also facing charges for operating while under the influence and possession of drug paraphernalia.

According to court documents, Bruce, of Swaledale, could not keep his eyes open while on the way to the Sheriffs Office, which indicated he was coming down from his high.

He is being held without bond at the Cerro Gordo County Jail.

Police say Bruce had a torch in plain view and admitted to having meth pipes in the vehicle he planned to use later. He was also found with a large amount of cash hidden.MASON CITY, Iowa  A Mason City man who pled guilty to two counts of lascivious acts with a child in Plymouth County has been arrested on a warrant after police say he gave false information about his living status.

Luke Braniff, 18, is on the official sex offender registry and said that he lived at a Mason City residence in the 1300 block of 1st ST. NW with his grandmother.

Police say it was later found out that Braniffs grandmother did not live at the residence but he was instead living his girlfriend and her minor child. He was arrested Sunday.

Braniff is being held in the Cerro Gordo County Jail on a charge for a sex offender providing false information and a violation out of Plymouth County for lascivious acts with a child-solicitation. He is being held on $25,000 cash bond.MASON CITY, Iowa  A Manly man is pleading guilty in a crash that killed a Hampton woman.

60-year-old Paul Edward Wood entered guilty pleas Monday to homicide by vehicle by reckless driving, possession of methamphetamine, and possession of marijuana. Authorities say Wood was under the influence of both drugs when he drove across the center line of Highway 65 on November 25, 2016, and smashed head on into the vehicle driven by Griselda Tello. She suffered fatal injuries in the collision.

Law enforcement says meth and pot were found in Woods vehicle and tests of his blood and urine came back positive for both drugs.

A sentencing date has been scheduled for April 30.CLEAR LAKE, Iowa  A Clear Lake landmark was demolished Monday, and it left many in North Iowa reminiscing about a location that many cherished.

The Barrel Drive-In opened for business in the 1950s and was one of Clear Lakes main dining attractions for decades.

In November, it was announced Caseys was purchasing the property.

The demolition began Monday morning, and when news spread of the construction many responded on social media about its significance.

Went there on our first date 59 years ago, married for 58 years. Good memory, Larry Degen said on KIMTs Facebook page.Operations at Newcrest Minings Cadia mine are temporarily suspended after a partial dam collapse following a series of earthquakes that hit New South Wales. Mine workers noticed the damage on Friday, Sydney Morning Herald reports, adding that the tailings dams contain byproducts of mining and can contain materials which are harmful to the environment and human health. Newcrest says it is conducting an investigation into the matter and the NSW Environmental Protection Agency is also inspecting the site. Some workers are reportedly concerned about safety, says National Secretary of the Australian Workers Union, Daniel Walton. A lot of workers are worried that the mine is not taking this activity seriously enough and they do have concerns about safety, Walton states.

By Anna Golubova of Kitco News; agolubova@kitco.com

Strikes Planned In Ghana If Gold Fields Dismisses More Than 2,000 Staff  Report

Protests and strikes are already planned by Ghanas largest mining union if the government allows Gold Fields Ltd.s local unit to fire more than 2,000 staff, Bloomberg reports. Gold Fields is in the process of employing a contractor to operate the Tarkwa location. We will send a delegation to protest at the companys next annual general meeting to let all shareholders know how their management is cheating workers, Prince William Ankrah, general secretary of the 16,000-member Ghana Mine Workers Union, tells Bloomberg in an interview. [Gold Fields is committing] acts of corporate greed aimed at amassing huge profits at the expense of Ghanaian mine workers. Gold Fields wants a contractor to take over the Tarkwa operations later this year because the sites mine life is too short to replace the aging equipment. The mine has an output of about 550,000 ounces of gold annually and could have up to six years of production left.

By Anna Golubova of Kitco News; agolubova@kitco.com(Kitco News) - Londons $6.8 trillion-a-year gold market is ready for change, according to a Reuters report, which states that the citys clearing house  the London Precious Metals Clearing Limited (LPMCL)  is making it easier for others to join.

The LPMCL operates the Londons electronic clearing system, which is responsible for clearing and settling all bullion transactions in London.

The changes implemented attempt to make the organization more transparent after a number of accusations of price manipulation.

New reforms will also make the process of joining the group easier by clarifying all the requirements.

One of the benefits of the new structure has been to make the LPMCL more accessible to new members and to clarify the entry requirements, Ruth Crowell, Chief Executive of London Bullion Market Association (LBMA), which conducts administrative services for LPMCL, told Reuters when asked about the recent restructuring.

LPMCL is managed by five banks: HSBC, ICBC Standard Bank, JPMorgan, Scotiabank and UBS. And all five had to sign off on the changes.

The newest member to the group is ICBC, which joined in 2016 and was the first banking group admitted since 2005.

Several other banks tried to join in the past few years and reportedly have failed. For example, sources at LPMCLs member banks told Reuters that Goldman Sachs application was declined.

Another four sources at the LPMCL's member banks said the company lacked transparency and adequate governance, Reuters reported.

According to the U.K.s Companies House register, new LPMCL company was set up to replace the previous one with the same name in September.

[LPMCL] has recently restructured to reflect the changing corporate and regulatory climate since the Company was incorporated in 2001, Crowell said. [The changes were] designed to improve transparency, access to join and the corporate governance of the LPMCL, as well as to provide additional safeguards to the market in the form of revised rules incorporating the latest anti-bribery and corruption provisions.

Lack of clear requirements meant that the member banks could just make up reasons to veto an application, said sources at LPMCL banks.

The new LPMCL company is guided by a charter and a list of application requirements. Connection to the LPMCLs Aurum clearing platform and access to a precious metals vault in London . . . would guarantee entry, the sources said, Reuters said.

There is also a separate category for non-shareholding members. Membership can now be categorized into User Members and Equity Members, said Crowell.MONTREAL (Reuters) - Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Monday kicked off a tour of the nation's steel and aluminum regions to reassure workers worried that the United States could still introduce tariffs on the imports of the metals.

Trudeau's first stop was the province of Quebec, the heart of Canada's aluminum industry, where he will be accompanied by Quebec Premier Philippe Couillard. He was due to meet workers at Rio Tinto Ltd's (RIO.AX) smelting plant in Alma.

U.S. President Donald Trump seeks to impose import tariffs of 25 percent on steel and 10 percent for aluminum, effective later this month.

Canada, the biggest supplier of steel and aluminum to the United States, escaped Trump's import duties along with Mexico, but the two countries could still face duties if they fail to negotiate a North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) deal.

"We know well that with this president there are moments of unpredictability and I think it's important to show that we are there to reassure the workers," Trudeau told public broadcaster Radio Canada on Monday.

"We are negotiating the NAFTA accord in good faith and we will continue to do so but I don't want the president to think he can bring tariffs on Canadian steel and aluminum without there being consequences."

Trudeau rejected calls by some Quebec union leaders to take a harder line in NAFTA talks and leave the table.

"I understand this point of view, but for me, I think Canadians in general are expecting us to work productively with the United States," Trudeau said.

U.S. tariffs on Canadian steel and aluminum would be "very harmful" for industry and workers in both countries, he added. Canada has vowed to retaliate if duties are imposed.

Later this week Trudeau is due to visit the steel town of Hamilton, where workers are on edge.

Although Trump linked the exemption of tariffs for Canada to progress at the NAFTA talks, Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland said there was no link between the two.

"These are two separate tracks and in the NAFTA negotiations Canada will not be subject to any type of pressure. This episode has not changed our NAFTA negotiating position  we are very clear on that," she told CTV television on Sunday.

Additional reporting by David Ljunggren in Ottawa; Editing by Denny Thomas and Alistair BellBRUSSELS (Reuters) - The European Commission said it expected to be in contact with the United States over steel and aluminum tariffs this week, but added that no formal talks were scheduled.

"No meetings as such are planned at the moment between U.S. and EU authorities," a spokesman for the European Commission told a regular news conference.

"But we expect contacts to take place at several levels during the week," the spokesman added, noting that the format of such contacts were still to be defined.

The EU and Japan urged the United States on Saturday to grant them exemptions from metal import tariffs, with Tokyo calling for "calm-headed behaviour".

Reporting by Robert-Jan Bartunek; Editing by Alison WilliamsGold might be range-bound lately but the metal is still holding up due to its safe-haven status, says commodities brokerage SP Angel. Stock-index futures are pointing to a higher open on Wall Street in the wake of Fridays news that the U.S. economy added 313,000 jobs last month. But while lower, gold has not sold off sharply. The precious metal still holds its haven status, remaining persistently over $1,300/oz, as uncertainties remain over President Donald Trumps meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and the impact of the trade tariffs, SP Angel says. As of 8:10 a.m. EDT, spot gold was down $5.70 to $1,317.20 an ounce. The metal has been in a trading range of roughly $1,303 to $1,341 since Feb. 20.

By Allen Sykora of Kitco News; asykora@kitco.com

MKS: Platinum Steadies Since Holding At 200-Day Average

Spot platinum has bounced since holding near the 200-day moving average last week, says Sam Laughlin, senior precious-metals trader with MKS (Switzerland) S.A. As of 8:11 a.m. EDT, spot metal was down $4.50 to $960.20 an ounce. The 200-day average has stood in the $948 area for several days in a row. The market bottomed at $947.19 last week before righting itself. A close above $1,000 will likely be required to encourage a further leg higher; however, participants should be encouraged by light positioning, currently sitting toward the lowest level since 2016, Laughlin adds.

By Allen Sykora of Kitco News; asykora@kitco.com

FXTM, U.S. CPI, Retail Sales To Be Keys For Markets

Key U.S. economic data that markets will be closely scrutinizing this week include the Consumer Price Index on Tuesday and retail sales on Wednesday, says Hussein Sayed, chief market strategist at FXTM. The CPI report comes not long before next weeks meeting of the U.S. Federal Open Market Committee. Consumer prices are expected to have cooled down last month after surging 0.5% in January, but the headline CPI is still forecasted to rise 2.2% YOY [year-on-year], from 2.1%, Sayed says. Investors are likely to give more attention to the core CPI, and if it remained steady at 1.8% [year-on-year], there would be no reason to think that the Fed will take an aggressive stance when it meets. Retail sales are expected to rebound after falling for two consecutive months. If they met the anticipated 0.3% rise, this may suggest that the tax cuts are finally encouraging consumers to save less and spend more.Thousands of students rally against gun violence at the Florida state Capitol in Tallahassee following the mass shooting that killed 17 at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla. (Trimmel Gomes)By Matthew Dieterich

www.MDieterichPhoto.com

Instagram: @mattdieterichphotography

Click on the links in the text for extra images and larger versions of those shown here.

I have been passionate about astronomy and night sky photography since 2006. Over those 12 years, I became fascinated with the most advanced telescopes in the world. During that time I found education and outreach to be an excellent medium for me to share my passion for astrophotography with the general public.

Far from cities where the night sky is pristine for studying the universe, the allure of visiting a professional observatory has been a common theme in my daydreams. I knew I had to find a way to visit one of these jaw-dropping locations for astrophotography. To this end, for three years I applied to an astronomy education program that traveled to world-renowned observatories in Chile. In 2017, my goal of joining the Astronomy in Chile Educator Ambassadors Program (ACEAP) was finally reached. As an ACEAP Ambassador, I would join a team of 8 astronomy educators from the U.S. to visit the most powerful telescopes on Earth.

Chile is the astronomy capital of the world and the U.S. has invested a lot into reaching that milestone. Our goal as ACEAP Ambassadors is to educate our communities about the science underway at these astronomical research facilities. Educating the U.S. public about the benefit of such an investment is important for increasing our nations science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields. Over the coming decade, additional groundbreaking facilities will be constructed in Chile and their discoveries will further advance our STEM capabilities as a society.

Our nine-day expedition began in Santiago, where we were briefed on how to maximize our presentations and outreach impact. With this knowledge in hand, we first visited Observatorio Astronomico Andino, which is a public observatory outside Santiago. That evening was my first experience seeing the Southern Milky Way, a view I had only in my dreams until that night (Fig. 1). To capture the view, I setup my Nikon D750 on a tripod and tossed on a 24mm lens. I set my aperture to F/1.4, shutter speed to 15 seconds, and ISO to 3200 to soak in the light of my first Southern Milky Way exposure. Needless to say, I was overwhelmed by the Southern Milky Ways beauty after viewing the Northern Hemispheres counterpart for decades.



Fig. 6: Milky Way over CTIO.



Fig. 7: Panorama of sunset over the Andes from CTIO.

After a few days in Santiago, we flew north to the coastal town of La Serena. We enjoyed presentations from knowledgeable astronomers, engineers, and educators at the Gemini Observatory Headquarters. Later that evening our team headed to another stunning public observatory, Cerro Mayu Observatory. We had time to soak in the stars and I managed to capture a panoramic view of the Milky Way (Fig. 2) over a statue on the observatory grounds. I used my Nikon D750 and 24mm F/1.4 lens to manually capture 16 images for the panorama using 15-second exposures at ISO 5000. The following day, we headed into the mountains to visit the 4.1-meter Southern Astrophysical Research (SOAR) Telescope (Fig. 3) and 8-meter Gemini Observatory (Fig. 4). Watching both of these massive instruments move as the telescope operator slewed them around the observatory was incredible!

Located on the neighboring mountain from Gemini, Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory (CTIO) was our home for the next three nights. We were fortunate enough visit with professional astronomers while they conducted their research with the 4-meter Blanco telescope (Fig 5). Afterwards, I wanted to capture a panorama of the Milky Way over CTIO (Fig. 6). The 30 mph (50 kph) winds on the mountain forced the observatory to close, but I managed to keep my tripod stable long enough to capture a 20-image panorama. I setup my Nikon D810a with a 24mm F1.4 lens and collected 15-second exposures at ISO 5000. The thrill of viewing the RAW files on the camera with the Milky Way arching over the observatory was amazing! I knew this was going to be a memorable image. The old adage of the best camera is the one thats with you rang true when I didnt have my DSLR with me at dinner and sunset erupted into a beautiful magenta filled sky. The only camera I had on me was a small Sony RX100, but the resulting images blew me away! I hand-held shot a panorama as the magenta light hit the snowcapped Andes (Fig. 7) and then quickly ran over to capture an image of the observatories backlit by the sunsets glow (Fig. 8). Thankfully, I was glad I had this small point-and-shoot camera from Sony in my pocket to capture the best sunset I have ever seen.

When I thought the trip couldnt get any better, we headed to our final location in the Atacama Desert. Unlike the previous observatories where we visited optical telescopes, we were about to tour telescopes that captured radio waves to study the universe. The Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) is the most powerful radio telescope in the world and is located in an incredibly harsh environment for a reason (Fig. 9). The benefit of building ALMA in one of the most arid deserts in the world and at an elevation of over 16,000 ft (5,000 m) means that the radio telescopes have less interference from the Earths atmosphere. Equally as impressive as the radio telescopes at 16,000 ft, the night sky in the Atacama was the best I have witnessed. I have never seen the Milky Way core brighter than during our three nights in San Pedro de Atacama. Merely a few miles outside San Pedro, I used my Nikon D750 and 24mm F/1.4 lens to capture a short 8-second photo at ISO 10,000 of the Milky Way (Fig. 10). That same evening, I captured a panorama of myself under the Milky Way (Fig. 11). I captured 8 photos with a Nikon D810a and 24mm lens using 15 second exposures at ISO 5000 to create the panoramic view.



Fig. 9: Myself standing in front of a few radio antennas at the ALMA site.

Being able to visit many of the worlds most powerful telescopes in person was nothing short of a dream come true. A fitting end to my time in Chile concluded with a photo I wanted to capture for years, the Milky Way from a plane (Fig. 12). I had the row of seats to myself, so I setup my Nikon D750 and 14mm F/2.8 lens on a tripod. To minimize movement of the planes speed, I had to shoot fast 5-second photos at max ISO, 51,200. The resulting photo of the Milky Way from 40,000 ft over Chile was an excellent way to finalize my trip.

In closing, I hope that my outreach as an ACEAP Ambassador will inspire members of the next generation to follow career paths in STEM, just as similar images of space inspired me.By Jhoo Dong-chan



Korea is considering joining the Japan-led Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), Deputy Prime Minister Kim Dong-yeon said during an economy-related ministerial meeting in Seoul, Monday.



The Pacific trade pact currently has 11 member states since the United States withdrew its membership under President Donald Trump's protectionist policies last year. The Korean government's move follows the Trump administration's hefty tariffs on the nation's steel products.



"Within the first half of the year, the government will decide whether to join, after discussion among government agencies, and will take steps for domestic procedures, if necessary," Kim said during an economy-related ministerial meeting in Seoul.



"We will closely monitor other countries' moves as well. The government will mobilize all viable options to handle the U.S. protectionist stance on steel products."



He added he sent a letter to his U.S. counterpart, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, to call for Korea's exemption from stiff steel tariffs that could seriously impact exports.



"We will continue to stress our concerns on the steel tariffs with Washington during the upcoming G20 Meeting of Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors next week in Argentina," he said.



Industry observers expect the membership to the CPTPP would provide a buffer against the possible U.S. tariffs on imported steel products that could amount to up to 25 percent. Korea is the third-largest steel exporter to the U.S. after Canada and Brazil.



The trade bloc will be fully effective once ratified by six of its 11 member states _ Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore and Vietnam _ aiming to stimulate imports and exports between them.



The combined global GDP of the 11 countries reaches about $10 trillion, accounting for 13.5 percent of the gross world product (GWP).



Korea has already signed a free trade agreement with Chile, Peru and Colombia, but has yet to reach a deal with the bloc's largest economy, Mexico.



However, possible membership to the CPTPP will help Korea ink a similar deal with Mexico.



Separate from Seoul's move to join the CPTPP, the government is also set to negotiate with Mercosur, South America's leading trade bloc composed of Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay.



The finance ministry said the bloc's combined market encompasses more than 290 million people and accounts for $2.7 trillion, or more than three-quarters of the economic activity in the southern continent.

A majority of South Koreans welcome North Korea's peace overtures, but many of them remain skeptical about whether the communist regime has any willingness to give up its nuclear program, a survey showed Monday.

The Realmeter survey of 500 adults showed that 73.1 percent welcome the recent surprise developments, such as North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's agreement to hold an inter-Korean summit in late April and his proposal to meet with U.S. President Donald Trump.

But some 63 percent of those welcoming the change in the North's attitude, or 45.7 percent of the total respondents, said they don't trust the North's stated willingness to denuclearize. The survey was conducted on Friday, when Trump accepted Kim's meeting proposal, and has a margin of error of plus or minus 4.4 percentage points.

About 27.4 percent of the total respondents said they trust the North's denuclearization commitment and welcome its peace overtures, while 18.4 percent said they neither trust the North nor welcome the recent developments.

"These results show that many people welcome the recent forward-looking change in North Korea's attitude, but they still have a high level of distrust (about the regime)," Realmeter said. (Yonhap)A man donates blood at Geumcheon-gu Office in Seoul, Feb. 28. The Korean Red Cross said the nation's fast-declining birthrate is causing a blood shortage. /Yonhap



Low birthrate blamed for worsening blood shortage



By Kim Se-jeong



Korea's fast-shrinking birthrate coupled with a fast-growing elderly population is having an unexpected consequence: a blood shortage.



According to Korean Red Cross Blood Donation Centers Monday, the national blood stock fell to 3.9 days, shorter than five days which is regarded as most desirable.

The blood stock is calculated by dividing the total number of red blood cell samples in stock by 5,236 samples which are consumed every day _ donated blood from an individual is processed into red blood cells, platelets and plasma and stored separately before being shipped to patients in need.



"This trend has been observed for about 10 years," a Red Cross official said on Monday. "Most blood donors are high school students and university students, but their population is on the decline."



According to the latest Red Cross statistics, almost 2.8 million donations were made in 2016, and among them 73 percent came from those 29 or younger.



The biggest decline was seen in North Chungcheong Province where the total number of donors shrank to roughly 89,000 in 2016 from 100,000 in 2014. Aggressive donation campaigns, according to the Red Cross official, boosted the figure to 95,000 last year but that's still far from enough.



The decline in the number of younger donors was more acute.



It fell from 83,000 donations in 2014, or 83 percent, to 72,000, or 75 percent, last year.



"Winter is particularly a challenging time when it comes to blood donation because of the winter break," another Red Cross official was quoted as saying by Yonhap.



The Red Cross said it recently raised the blood shortage warning and is reinforcing its blood supply network and awareness campaigns to boost blood donations.



The local government of North Chungcheong Province also rolled up its sleeves to fill the blood donation gap and raise awareness about the importance of blood donations. "Not enough blood stock can mean a loss of life," a North Chungcheong Province official said. "It's important that people pay more attention to it."



The blood shortage is one of many consequences of a low birthrate. President Moon Jae-in said the low birthrate could be an existential threat to Korea and vowed to put an end to it with meaningful policy measures. Yet, some scholars view that it's too late.















By Jung Min-ho







A Turkish broadcaster has apologized for using South Korean President Moon Jae-in's photo as a murder suspect.





According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Monday, Show TV issued an apology to President Moon and the people of Korea during its prime-time news program on Sunday night (local time).





"Our news program used the photo of the president falsely. It was an unintentional mistake. We apologize to President Moon and the people of our brotherhood country," the ministry quoted the news anchor as saying.





On Feb. 25, Show TV used Moon's image on a news program to represent a suspect who allegedly killed a Filipina maid in Kuwait.





It also described Moon and U.S. President Donald Trump's eldest daughter Ivanka as a "millionaire businessman and his wife," showing a photo taken during her visit to Korea for the PyeongChang Winter Olympics last month.





After the ministry complained about the error, Show TV dropped the report and issued an apology to the ministry earlier this month. But the ministry demanded a public apology.

By Kang Aa-young, Jung Min-ho







A "comfort woman" statue is expected to be erected in France to honor the victims of Japan's wartime sexual slavery.





According to Ahn Shin-kwon, director of the House of Sharing, a shelter for surviving victims in Gwangju, Gyeonggi Province, the Gwangmyeong City Government and Koreans living in France are in favor of the idea.





"We are trying to figure out if there is a way to set up a statue in public place," Ahn told The Korea Times Monday.





"We will surely face hurdles along the way just like we did during our San Francisco project. But we will keep pushing hard to make it happen."





If erected, the statue will be the first comfort woman statue in France.





"We are not expecting any support from the Korean government," Ahn said.

"We plan to raise funds here and overseas to sponsor the project, which is expected to cost about 50 million won ($46,992)."





Survivor Lee Yong-soo, 90, recently visited Paris to meet Koreans there.





"Many people shed tears during her speech and suggested setting up a statue," Ahn said.

South Korean President Moon Jae-in, left, is set to meet with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in late April. It will be the first inter-Korean summit in 11 years. / Graphic by Cho Sang-won



By Kim Bo-eun



Leaders of North and South Korea are set to meet, 11 years since the last inter-Korean summit in 2007.



In April, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and South Korean President Moon Jae-in will meet for the first time. It will be Kim's first meeting with a foreign head of state.



During the past seven years of his rule, Kim has hardly engaged in diplomacy _ he only met with delegates of states with friendly relations with North Korea, such as Cuba and China. The meetings all took place in Pyongyang _ Kim has not traveled abroad for diplomacy.



Kim and South Korean envoys to Pyongyang agreed last week for a summit to be held in late April.



It was Kim's first meeting with South Korean officials since he took power following the death of his father, former leader Kim Jong-il, in December 2011.



The third inter-Korean summit in April will take place on the South's side of the truce village of Panmunjeom, 250 meters south of the Military Demarcation Line.



It will be the first time for a North Korean leader to set foot on South Korean territory.





South Korean counterpart Kim Dae-jung, right, arrives at Pyongyang Sunan International Airport, where North Korean leader Kim Jong-il, left, greets him ahead of an inter-Korean summit, on June 13, 2000. / Yonhap



First and second summits



The Koreas became divided after the end of World War II, with the Soviet Union stationed in the North and the U.S. in the South and separate communist and anti-communist governments were established. The subsequent 1950-53 Korean War ended in a truce, leaving the Koreas still technically at war, and the North and South remain separated by the Demilitarized Zone.



Working-level discussions for an inter-Korean summit began in the 1980s. Following the end of the Cold War, North Korea's first leader Kim Il-sung proposed hosting a top-level summit in 1990. Then-South Korean President Kim Young-sam echoed the proposal, and high-level meetings were held over eight occasions. The plan for a summit, however, fell through after the North Korean leader passed away in 1994.



After South Korean President Kim Dae-jung took office in 1998, he pledged to implement an inter-Korean agreement on peace and unification reached in 1991, and proposed a summit.



The first summit since Korea became divided took place in Pyongyang on June 13, 2000, between Kim Dae-jung and Kim Jong-il, son of Kim Il-sung.



The three-day summit produced an agreement for the Koreas to pursue unification through their own efforts, to enable reunifications of family members separated by the Korean War and allow inter-Korean exchanges to take place.



Kim Dae-jung became the first Korean to receive the Nobel Peace Prize the same year, for his efforts to achieve peace on the Korean Peninsula.



The second summit took place between Kim Jong-il and South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun in Pyongyang, Oct. 2 to 4, 2007.



The agreement reached at the summit stated the Koreas transcend ideological differences and seek mutual respect and trust, and will work together to put an end to hostile relations and establish lasting peaceful relations. The North and South also agreed to cooperate for balanced economic development and co-prosperity, as well as promote social and cultural exchanges.





South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun, left, raises his glass for a toast with Kim Jong-il during an inter-Korean summit on Oct. 4, 2007. / Korea Times fileBy Lee Min-hyung







Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha will meet with United States Secretary of State Rex Tillerson this week, in a move to discuss details about their roles for the denuclearization on the Korean Peninsula.







According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Monday, Kang will have in-depth talks with Tillerson on Thursday in Washington, narrowing their differences on how to develop the ongoing peace momentum between Pyongyang and Washington.







"Both will share their stances on the unprecedented thaw of inter-Korean relations and conduct talks about how Washington and Seoul can develop a rare signal for peace from North Korea," the foreign ministry said in a statement.







The scheduled meeting will come about a week after North Korean leader Kim Jong-un sent a message for dialogue with his U.S. President Donald Trump last week.







Trump accepted the proposal under the condition of a promise for denuclearization of the regime, according to the foreign ministry.







Kang and Tillerson will review details of the definition of the regime's denuclearization ahead of the planned summit between Washington and Pyongang.







In a meeting with President Moon Jae-in's special envoys, last week, the North expressed its willingness to abandon nuclear experiments.







But nothing has been confirmed over whether the planned summit between Trump and the North Korean leader will be realized, with both parties still in the initial stages of narrowing their differences on the denuclearization in the peninsula.







Aside from the security and politics agenda, Kang is also expected to discuss a wide range of pending diplomatic issues, encompassing economics and trade between the two countries.Chung Bong-ju holds a press conference at the National Assembly, Monday, to refute a sexual harassment allegation. / Yonhap



By Choi Ha-young



Former Democratic Party of Korea lawmaker Chung Bong-ju, Monday, denied a media report he sexually harassed a woman in 2011.



Online news outlet Pressian ran a story about Chung's alleged sexual misconduct based on interviews with the alleged victim hours before Chung was supposed to hold a press conference to declare his bid for Seoul mayor last week. Chung eventually canceled the event.



His case drew keen attention amid the snowballing #MeToo movement here.



Chung claimed innocence, saying the story was "totally fabricated." He said he will take legal action over the report unless the news outlet takes proper measures.



According to the report, in 2011, the victim allegedly met Chung as a fan. Around Christmas of 2011  before Chung was imprisoned for spreading negative information about then President Lee  Chung invited her to a hotel room and tried to kiss her. The woman currently works as a local journalist.



In a press conference, Monday, Chung sternly refuted the allegation by making alibis. "Based on the report, I met her in a hotel on Yeouido, southern Seoul, about 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Dec. 23, 2011. However, at that time, I was having talks with Buddhist monk Myungjin near Hongik University. I was with the monk through the late afternoon," he said.



"In the morning of the day, I met some lawyers and rushed to a hospital after hearing that my mother collapsed. After visiting my mother I met Myungjin. Later, I went to a restaurant with my colleagues of podcast Naneun Ggomsuda," he added.



He also presented some pictures that he took with the monk that day, saying he never met the woman privately. "As far as I know, the Pressian journalist and the alleged victims are college friends," Chung said, casting doubt on reliability of the report.



The controversy around the report is likely to escalate, since Pressian said further testimonies have been prepared to prove the allegation. On Friday, the victim protested against Chung's press release via the online outlet.



"I clearly remember Chung's text messages sent to me, saying that he will be late due to his tight schedule on Dec. 23," she said. "I urge him to take legal action against me (to clarify facts.)"



The press conference came three days after Chung issued a press release to deny the allegation Friday. In the release, he backed the ongoing #MeToo campaigns. "Despite the fake report by Pressian, the #MeToo campaign should remain intact," Chung said.



Despite the spreading scandal, he said he will keep maintain his candidacy in the mayoral campaign.



Chung is an iconic figure among liberals for his outspoken remarks against former conservative President Lee Myung-bak. He and his colleagues focused on the corruption of Lee, particularly about Lee's alleged involvement in the BBK stock price manipulation scandal.



In December last year, he was reinstated by President Moon Jae-in, which qualified him to run for Seoul mayor. Since he has not yet gained membership in the ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK), Chung applied for the preliminary candidacy as an independent.

By Kim Rahn



The government has drawn up a draft of constitutional revision suggestions with an aim for President Moon Jae-in to submit the revision bill to hold a referendum on the issue in tandem with the local elections on June 13.



However, the government-led revision bill, even if submitted, can be withdrawn if ruling and opposition parties come up with a unified proposal on the constitutional change, Cheong Wa Dae officials said Monday.



This stance comes as the Presidential Commission on Policy Planning is scheduled to report the draft, which has been made under Moon's order, to the President today. Moon made the order in early February as related talks at the National Assembly were not making progress.



It was Moon's election pledge to hold a referendum on the constitutional amendment along with the local elections. According to the law, the Assembly or president can submit a constitutional revision bill, and this can be put to the referendum when two thirds of registered lawmakers agree to it.



A Cheong Wa Dae official said even after the President submits the government-led bill, the bill can be retracted if the Assembly presents its own version through agreement among rival parties.



"If the Assembly presents its proposal, it will take priority, so it is proper for the government to withdraw its own version," he said.



It is said the commission's draft will include reducing the term of president from the current five years to four and allowing a consecutive term instead.



The ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) called for the main opposition Liberty Korea Party (LKP) to more actively participate in the constitutional revision talks to meet the timeline for the referendum to be held together with the local elections in June. The LKP is opposing the June referendum idea, saying a constitutional revision requires more time and discussion and the government-led revision is "leftist and socialist."



"Before blindly denouncing (the government for drawing up its own revision suggestions), the LKP should reflect on itself: During the presidential election, all the five parties, including the LKP, pledged a referendum in tandem with the local elections," Rep. Woo Son-shik, floor leader of the DPK, said in a party meeting.



He said it is worrisome for the nation to lose the opportunity for a constitutional revision, which comes 30 years since the last amendment. "It is inappropriate for the largest opposition party to just attempt to delay the referendum without presenting its detailed ideas on the revision," Woo said.



But Rep. Kim Sung-tae, floor leader of the LKP, said the government's leading the revision shows the Moon administration's imperialistic aspect, adding its revision ideas, such as a four-year presidential term, will act as guidelines for the Assembly's talks.



Saying the members of the commission's constitutional revision taskforce are leftists, Kim said, "The revision will cater only to President Moon."



But the LKP did not say what revision suggestions it has and when the referendum should be held.

By Lee Min-hyung







South Korea ended its first round of defense cost-sharing talks with the United States, Monday, failing to reach a consensus on issues such as who should take a bigger burden on maintaining the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) anti-missile system here.







The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said both countries maintained their stances on renewing the five-year agreement, which expires at the end of this year, in Honolulu last week, but they failed to discuss details.







"We can say for sure that upcoming rounds of negotiation with the U.S. will be tough," a foreign ministry official said. "The negotiation never ends at one time."







The ministry said, however, Seoul and Washington agreed to proceed with the negotiation to tighten the bilateral security readiness and develop the alliance.







Last year, U.S. President Donald Trump called on the South to pay $1 billion for the defense cost-sharing at the next renewal. He said Seoul should remain "fairer" in taking responsibility for the costs used to station 28,500 American troops here, as part of intensifying pressure to seek his "America first" policy.

















National Security Office chief Chung Eui-yong, left, shakes hands with Chinese President Xi Jinping at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, Monday. Chung visited Xi to deliver details of his meetings last week with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and U.S. President Donald Trump. / Yonhap



By Kim Bo-eun



South Korea is seeking cooperation from neighboring states in its bid to pave the way for the summit between North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and U.S. President Donald Trump by May.



South Korean envoys who met with Kim and Trump last week are visiting heads of state in China and Japan to share details of the meetings.



After returning from Washington, National Security Council chief Chung Eui-yong headed to Beijing on Monday and National Intelligence Service director Suh Hoon headed to Tokyo, after reporting details of their meeting with Trump to South Korean President Moon Jae-in.



Chung met with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing, Monday.



Xi told Chung China supports Washington-Pyongyang dialogue, and wants to develop relations with South Korea "stably and healthily," according to Cheong Wa Dae.



In a message delivered through Chung, Moon invited Xi to visit Seoul at an early date.



Chung will head to Moscow on Tuesday. It is unclear whether he will be able to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin, due to the upcoming presidential election on Sunday, in which Putin is running.



Beijing and Moscow have welcomed Pyongyang's shift in stance. The two states also pledged to play a facilitating role in the inter-Korean summit.



Meanwhile, Suh will meet with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Tuesday. He spoke with Foreign Minister Taro Kono after arriving in Tokyo a day earlier.



Tokyo earlier attributed North Korea's peace overture to international sanctions on the nuclear state, and stressed the need to maintain maximum pressure.



In a meeting with South Korean envoys on March 5, the North's Kim stated his willingness toward denuclearization in return for ensured security. He said the regime is willing to discuss the matter of denuclearization with the U.S. and that no provocations will be made during the period of dialogue. The meeting also concluded an inter-Korean summit will be held in April.



Following the Pyongyang meeting, the envoys flew to Washington to report its outcome to the White House. President Trump accepted Kim's invitation for dialogue on Thursday, local time. The meeting is set to take place in late May, only months following hostile verbal exchanges between the leaders that raised fears of war.



Attention is growing over whether six-party talks on North Korea's denuclearization will be resumed, as South Korea seeks to work closely with member states regarding recent developments.



The talks among North and South Korea, the U.S., China, Japan and Russia began in 2003, and the last round was held in 2007. Pyongyang stated it would shut down its nuclear facilities, but in 2009, pulled out of the talks and resumed its nuclear program.



Moon is also reportedly considering holding telephone conversations with heads of state of the U.S., China, Japan and Russia.



"An invaluable opportunity to open a road to the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, lasting peace and co-prosperity has come forth," Moon said in a meeting with secretaries, Monday.



"There will be critical changes as summits between North and South Korea and the U.S. will take place in the next two months. But because what we aim to achieve, in the short time span of two months, is something the world has not succeeded in up until now, it is difficult to be optimistic about the results and we are taking caution in the process."

By Heo Mane





Springtime seems to be around us now that the PyeongChang Winter Olympics are over. Is it real springtime to bring about a thaw on the Korean Peninsula, or will it trick us with a chilly wind?



A renowned South Korean sociologist recently said he wants to see the inter-Korean thaw prompted by the Olympics to further promote reconciliation between the South and the North.



Considering unstable and unpredictable geopolitical factors surrounding the peninsula, South Koreans still have mixed feelings about the rapid pace of inter-Korean detente.



We should not be over-optimistic about Pyongyang's charm offensive and peace overtures. We need to accept our stark reality as it is  no further than this. The charm offensive may well be part of a propaganda tactic aimed at making the most of Seoul's appeasement policy.



North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has long opted for a "military power first" policy over appeasement toward Seoul and Washington. His nuclear and missile development programs have been based on this policy. It has helped Pyongyang declare itself a self-styled nuclear state, deepening conflicts with the international community.



The conflicts have even driven Pyongyang to the brink of war with Washington. The North test-fired a Hwasong-14, an intercontinental ballistic missile that flew over Japanese airspace over Hokkaido and fell into the Pacific Ocean.



The North also conducted its sixth nuclear test last September, claiming it detonated a hydrogen bomb. In addition, Kim Jong-un traded belligerent insults with U.S. President Donald Trump throughout last year.



However, the situation began to change in January when the North decided to send its delegation to the Feb. 9-25 PyeongChang Olympics. The Olympic thaw, breaking the ice of inter-Korean ties, provided momentum for detente on the peninsula.



At the opening ceremony of the Winter Games, South and North Korean athletes marched together under a unification flag. This helped raise hope for reconciliation between the two Koreas.



Last week, President Moon Jae-in's special envoys had a sincere face-to-face meeting with Kim Jong-un in Pyongyang. During the talks, the two sides agreed to hold a third inter-Korean talk at the truce village of Panmunjeom next month.



Kim also expressed his willingness to have dialogue with the U.S. to discuss the North's denuclearization. He also floated the idea of stopping his nuclear and missile tests while the talks are underway.



He also told the South's envoys that he came to understand the annual South Korea-U.S. joint military exercises, which were delayed until the Olympics and Paralympics end, would proceed as usual.



Kim might have felt that the U.S.-led U.N. Security Council sanctions imposed on the North began to bite, further strangling the crumbling economy.



Against this backdrop, he appeared to weigh in on swiftly improving inter-Korean relations as a first step and Washington-Pyongyang relations as a second.



On the other hand, Kim described the North's denuclearization as a task he inherited from his late father Kim Jong-il.



President Moon sent National Security Office chief Chung Eui-yong, who returned after meeting with Kim Jong-un, as a special envoy to the U.S. late last week. Chung had a face-to-face meeting with President Trump at the White House. He delivered Kim's message to Trump. And Trump accepted Kim's proposal for a summit.



It was unusual that Chung announced President Trump's acceptance of the proposal at the request of the U.S. President at a press conference at the White House. The sudden announcement stunned the world and was welcomed by many other countries.



It should be kept in mind that Trump still sticks to the "complete, verifiable and irreversible" denuclearization (CVID) of North Korea. This formula is clearly aimed at permanent denuclearization. It tells us that the U.S. and the North will face a very harsh road ahead for denuclearization even though Trump will hold a summit with Kim in late May.



Trump wants Pyongyang to dismantle its nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles. These weapons are horrific arms, capable of destroying world peace, as well as peace on the peninsula. Thus, the denuclearization roadmap should be a primary tool to make a breakthrough to the prolonged nuclear standoff.



In this sense, the Olympic thaw has given a boost to President Moon in taking the initiative in solving the nuclear issue through dialogue by mediating between the U.S. and the North.



There will, of course, be no more reason to worry about "Korea passing," a term depicting a potential isolation of South Korea in dealing with the North's nuclear issue.



Now President Moon has managed to take the driver's seat in improving inter-Korean ties and pushing for the North's denuclearization.



Beijing has said that it would keep playing an important role in the process of denuclearizing the peninsula. It implied that Chinese interests would not be damaged in dealing with it, in cooperation with Washington.



Tokyo also showed great interest in the North Korean matter, expressing guarded optimism for the planned Trump-Kim summit.



Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who reportedly appeared to be surprised at the U.S.'s sudden shift to dialogue with the North, stressed that Tokyo and Washington should keep maximum pressure on North Korea until Kim gives up its nuclear ambitions.



Given the rapid developments taking place on the Korean Peninsula, the Olympic thaw has contributed to South-North rapprochement and laid the groundwork for Pyongyang-Washington dialogue.



I hope all three leaders  Moon, Kim and Trump  will keep benefiting from the favorable atmosphere for detente and produce a real breakthrough in achieving denuclearization and bring peace to Northeast Asia.



They will certainly require a new strategy of peace-making, deviating from hard-line stances and hostile policies, especially the nuclear brinkmanship and other military provocations on the part of North Korea.



Lastly, it remains to be seen if the forthcoming summits will bring successful results to defuse tension on the peninsula and open the way for peace and coexistence.





Heo Mane (mane398@naver.com) is a professor emeritus and adviser of the Korea-EU Forum.



Government should let businesses create more jobs



The Moon Jae-in administration is about to announce a package of programs to create more jobs for young people Thursday. The package will come as the youth jobless rate shows no signs of going down.



The package is part of President Moon's adamant efforts to work out measures to address the unemployment problem. He called for the injection of the state budget to finance the measures.



It is quite natural and right for the government to make efforts to solve the worsening youth unemployment problem. But it still remains a question whether its policies will be effective.



Over the past decade, the government has adopted as many as 21 measures to create jobs for young people only to see the jobless rate deteriorate from 7.1 percent in 2008 to 9.9 percent last year.



The government earmarked 11.2 trillion won ($10.5 billion) from a supplementary budget to support job creation as soon as Moon took office last year. However the youth jobless rate soared despite the financial aid.



Now, the government needs to overhaul its policy of generating jobs by mobilizing taxpayer money. Critics call on the government to refrain from playing the role of a main actor to solve the jobless issue. It should be businesses that create jobs.



What the government has to do, among other things, is concentrate on supporting businesses, lest their business activities be discouraged. What stands in the way of the employers' efforts to create jobs is the government's excessive regulations and the rigid labor market.



Deregulations and reform of the labor market will certainly help increase businesses' investments and employment. The government has only to offer more unemployment benefits, support job placement services and expand the social safety network. To create jobs with taxpayer money is a soft option. Jobs made by taxes are not tenable.









Term limit elimination paves way for one-man rule



China's rubber-stamp legislature passed a constitutional amendment aimed at abolishing term limits Sunday, allowing President Xi Jinping to rule infinitely. The abolition signals a return to one-man rule, although authorities deny this.



Xi, who became Chinese president in 2012, is supposed to step down in 2022 under the Constitution. But he can extend his rule without any limits following the constitutional revision. This means he could become president for life.



Chinese authorities may argue the term limit elimination is necessary to give Xi an extended mandate so he can continue sustainable economic growth and make China strong.



Of course, the revision could help Xi exercise stronger leadership with no term restrictions. And most Chinese people may want the president to stay in power for more than 10 years.



But we have to figure out why China has so far maintained the term limits since the death of Mao Zedong. Reformist Deng Xiaoping introduced the limit in 1982 to prevent repetition of a Mao-style dictatorship. No one can deny Mao monopolized power and acted like an emperor. His dictatorship resulted in the chaotic Cultural Revolution.



China has maintained the collective leadership system for more than 35 years since Deng's rule. Jiang Zemin and Hu Jintao championed the system under which a president could not serve more than two consecutive terms for a maximum 10 years.



The scrapping of the term limits has many reasons to be seen as anachronistic because it runs counter to democratic principles. It may not be proper to tell China to follow a Western-style democratic system with separation of power or multi-party rule.



But everyone knows absolute power corrupts absolutely as seen under Mao's dictatorship. Allowing the concentration of excessive power in the hands of one ruler is dangerous. As such, enabling Xi or his successors to have unfettered power with no term limits will do more harm than good not only to China but across the globe.



The constitutional change also raises the specter of a cult of personality. Xi's personal political philosophy was put into the preamble of the Constitution. This may be designed to put Xi on par with Mao and Deng. It is worrisome to see China reviving a cult of personality in the 21st century.



There are fears that developments in China will have a negative effect on other countries. South Korea may face greater challenges arising from a more assertive China seeking regional hegemony.



Korea has already suffered damage due to China's economic retaliation over the deployment of a U.S. anti-missile battery in the South. No one knows what would happen if an emperor-like ruler were to introduce more self-serving and China-centric policies against its neighbors.



By Jun Ji-hye



KT and Hanwha Systems are set to sign a memorandum of understanding (MOU) next week to cooperate in applying internet of things (IoT) capabilities in the defense industry in a bid to keep up with the times of the Fourth Industrial Revolution.



"The signing of the MOU will take place on March 21," a source said, Monday.



KT is the nation's biggest fixed-line internet operator and its second-largest mobile carrier, while Hanwha Systems is a defense company specializing in the area of defense electronics.



"The two companies plan to expand their cooperation in pushing for relevant projects based on their MOU," the source added.



IoT, along with artificial intelligence (AI), is one of the key elements of the Fourth Industrial Revolution that connects devices and other objects through the internet. The technology helps improve efficiency and convenience across the board.



According to the Korea Institute for Industrial Economics and Trade in January, the nation's prowess in AI and IoT in the defense sector is in the early stages of development. The think tank said its assessment indicated that the defense area has yet to make full use of the advanced technologies.



Taking the signing of the MOU as an opportunity, KT and the defense arm of conglomerate Hanwha Group are expected to spur an innovation drive in defense.



IoT capabilities could be applied in developing next generation systems such as "smart soldiers" who would wear sensor-based combat uniforms and wearable computers to effectively carry out network centric warfare.



This would change the war paradigm to "softkill" from "hardkill."



Softkill measures are based on a sensor-based weapons system that can successfully paralyze the enemy's military forces and their weapons systems without physically and directly attacking them with hardkill measures.



High-tech solutions involving IoT could also be used in a "smart recruit management system," designed to comprehensively oversee health conditions.



The smart management system would operate by attaching devices to the wrists of soldiers that automatically transmit information such as location and training duration and progress, in real time to instructors.



The wearable devices could be used to evaluate the physical condition of each soldier by providing data including temperature, pulse and the amount of movement exerted in real time.



Such a system would help prevent unexpected accidents as it will help detect signs of ill health in soldiers in advance.



Hanwha Systems has been making remarkable efforts to make use of technologies of the Fourth Industrial Revolution on future battlefields.



Last month, the company, in cooperation with state-run science research university Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), launched a project to co-develop AI technologies to be applied to military weapons, joining the global competition to develop autonomous arms.



AI arms, which would search for and eliminate targets without human control, are called the third revolution on the battlefield after gunpowder and nuclear weapons.



For its part, KT is also going full swing to develop AI technologies, with its recent announcement of the development of an AI-based platform for fixed-line and wireless network operations.



The company said in January that its Neuroflow is an operations intelligence platform that collects and analyzes the ballooning volume of data collected from wired and wireless network systems.

By Park Jae-hyuk



Aero K and Fly Yangyang, the two small domestic low-cost carriers which have sought aviation licenses, will have to meet stricter standards than last year when they requested air operator's certificates from the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport.



The ministry said Monday it will tighten licensing requirements for operating budget carriers. Korea eased the related regulations in 2008 to boost the country's budget airline market.



The measure came after a committee review last December, which examined if Aero K and Fly Yangyang satisfied the requirements needed to operate flights.



"Due to restrictions on routes of low-cost carriers, there is high possibility of fierce competition. Many companies have wanted to enter the market, despite the lack of infrastructure such as airports and pilots," the committee said in a statement.



According to the land ministry, the newcomers should be capitalized at more than 30 billion won ($28 million), double the previous requirement. The ministry explained it is the minimum amount of money for a beginner to avoid financial difficulties at an early stage.



Companies not meeting the standards are highly expected to neglect their safety responsibilities and service qualities to improve their profitability, the ministry added.



In addition, the newly entering players, which had to have three aircrafts, should operate five at least from now on, so as to achieve economies of scale.



The ministry said airliners equipped with a larger number of airplanes guarantees cost reduction, on-time performances and network construction, which are necessary for competitiveness in the highly saturated domestic market.



The existing players could begin their turnarounds after having more than six aircrafts, according to the ministry.



Regardless of the new policies, Aero K and Fly Yangyang seem to be applying for operating licenses again. According to industry officials, the two airliners are ready for the new standards and will request certificates in the second half this year.



Aero K, which operates from Cheongju, North Chungcheong Province, has equipped itself with sufficient capital and aircraft, but the ministry rejected its application last year based on grounds that it may lead to further saturation in the routes it would operate on.



As for Fly Yangyang, the ministry said there is insufficient demand at its operating airport in Yangyang County, Gangwon Province.



Some observers expect the ministry will reject their request again, given that the nation has already had two big airliners and six low-cost carriers.



The land ministry pointed to the saturation of the low-cost carrier market as reasons for denying their requests last year. Currently, six domestic low-cost carriers operate flights. Air Seoul, owned by Asiana Airlines, was the latest to have obtained a license.



The airliners themselves also claimed the market has already reached saturation point, when Aero K and Fly Yangyang applied for operating licenses. The existing players have continued to take a pessimistic view on the potential of the two companies.



The newcomers, however, said the nation's budget carrier market still has sufficient demand for flights to Southeast Asia and Japan.



The transport ministry's data showed the number of passengers using the local budget carriers has continued to grow over the past five years.



The ministry said it will also tighten supervisions on existing players, so as to kick insolvent companies out of the market and dispel worries of consumers.

By Park Jae-hyuk







The nation's three leading home shopping channels  CJ O Shopping, GS Shop and Lotte Homeshopping  are likely expected to be fined for allegedly deceiving viewers by showing fake department store receipts, according to industry officials, Friday.







The Korea Communications Standards Commission will discuss whether to fine the three. The watchdog can impose up to 50 million won ($47,000) in fines upon them.







The home shopping channels have been alleged to display temporary receipts issued by department stores when they advertise Cuckoo rice cookers. The receipts were not issued for real purchases, according to the standards commission.







With the fake receipts, the three companies emphasized they sell the products for much lower prices than department stores. Also, they groundlessly said the products have gained high popularity, the commission said.







The standards commission regarded the custom as a deception that can severely damage consumers.







Lotte Homeshopping denied the claim, saying it displayed a "temporary receipt," not a "fake receipt."







The home shopping operator said prices of the rice cookers differ from seller to seller, so it used a receipt showing prices set by the manufacturer.







However, observers said the argument seems not strong enough to persuade the watchdog to reconsider the punishment.







Since the establishment of the standards commission in 2008, it has imposed a fine upon a home shopping operator only once. Lotte Homeshopping faced punishment in 2012.







Given that the expected punishment will lower the company's scores for qualification to run its home shopping channel, the Lotte Group's home shopping affiliate has been wary of the authorities' evaluation in April to determine whether to approve of the company's license.





Chinese President Xi Jinping applauds after the parliament passed a constitutional amendment lifting presidential term limits, at the third plenary session of the National People's Congress at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China on Mar. 11. / Reuters-Yonhap



By Choi Chi-yuk





Under the watch of a confident and relaxed President Xi Jinping, nearly 3,000 Chinese lawmakers were nearly unanimous in their approval on Sunday of changes to the state constitution that included removing the term limit on the presidency.

Xi, who had maintained a poker face throughout the opening day of China's parliamentary session last Monday, appeared much more at ease on Sunday. He even smiled when Wang Cheng, the vice-chairman of the National People's Congress, announced the final result of the voting. Only two of the 2,964 deputies voted against the constitutional revisions, three others abstained and one ballot was declared invalid.

This year's constitutional revisions received the highest approval rating for such a move since 1999, with the whole voting process also completed in record time. The last time China amended its constitution, in 2004, it took almost two hours. Now, thanks to technology, the lawmakers took less than an hour to pass what was considered the most ambitious revision to the country's modern constitution since its first draft in 1982.

There was no debate, no discussion and not even canvassing. The whole event was meticulously managed to the last detail. All the deputies gathered at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing at 3pm sharp. Each received a pink ballot paper the size of an A4 sheet. They were given a short briefing on how to use a specially designed pen to tick the box of their choice before putting the completed ballot papers in 28 red, electronic ballot boxes designed to immediately scan and record the results.

It was a smooth and error-free process  something many deputies say is how things in China should be run.

Against the backdrop of cheerful traditional Chinese music, Xi walked on to the stage to cast his vote amid thunderous applause. His trusted ally Wang Qishan  despite being only an ordinary party member after retiring from the party leadership in October  was also clapped loudly.











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Soon after Xi Jinping took the helm of the Communist Party in 2012, he gathered China's political elite in Beijing to mark the 30th anniversary of its modern constitution. By Jun MaiSoon after Xi Jinping took the helm of the Communist Party in 2012, he gathered China's political elite in Beijing to mark the 30th anniversary of its modern constitution.

"No individual or organisation is above the constitution," the new party chief thundered from the podium of the Great Hall of the People.

"Anyone who acts against the constitution or the law will be held accountable."

Few people attached great significance to the speech at the time. After all, Xi's predecessor Hu Jintao said something similar after becoming the party's general secretary in 2002. Some liberals even felt encouraged by it, and hoped Xi  the son of a bold reformer  would use his authority to strengthen the constitution that promises both freedom of expression and freedom of assembly.

On Sunday, as China approves the most drastic constitutional amendments in decades, there is little doubt that Xi was deadly serious  though he has not taken the direction liberals had hoped for.

With the whole world focusing on the revision to remove the president's term limit, it is easy to overlook the bigger goal of Xi's move: staying in power beyond 2023, but on his own terms.

Theoretically, Xi does not need to amend the constitution to continue as leader  the role of president carries little real power and is the least important of the three titles he holds, the other two being party secretary and chairman of the Central Military Commission.

The 21 proposed changes to the constitution all point to one objective: to strengthen the legitimacy of the party and institutionalise its rule by blurring the line between party and state.

Analysts familiar with the party's thinking said Xi believes the amendments are necessary because the challenges China faces today require not just a strong leader but also a unified and strong ruling party. These revisions will bring an end to the debate over whether the party is above the state.

Li Shuzhong, vice-president of the China University of Political Science and Law, said after the upheaval and violence of the Cultural Revolution, party elders had reflected deeply on the dynamics between the party and the state.

At first they thought the two should have a clear division of labour or even separation.

"But the result is that the party's leadership gradually became weakened. The party's administrative efficiency was compromised. He [Xi] believes the party organisation is losing its power and this, together with the corruption problem, is a big issue," said Li, who was a policy adviser on the constitutional amendments.

"[Xi] believes that to reform China, we first need to reform the party. That strengthening party rule will improve the governance of the state."

Li added that the situation during the Cultural Revolution  from 1966 to 1976  of a total overlap between party and state must be avoided.

"We worry about the same old problems," he said. "How exactly should the party lead all the affairs? There should be more regulation."

A key part of the constitutional amendments is the addition to Article 1 of a description of the party's leadership as "the most fundamental characteristic" of Chinese socialism. The reference to the party's leading role previously appeared only in the preamble that covers China's history and vision for the future, and which most legal scholars say is not legally binding.

That left room for some liberals to question the legitimacy of one-party rule. Before the revision, even among cadres there have been different views on this, and that division is seen as a threat that could fragment the party.

Gao Kai, a retired National People's Congress official and party member, was one of those who questioned the constitutional foundation of one-party rule, in an article that appeared in influential liberal magazine Yanhuang Chunqiu in 2011.

"I have reviewed the constitutions of more than a hundred countries, as instructed [by the party]," wrote Gao, who was involved in drafting China's 1982 constitution.

"Aside from a few authoritarian states, no country that claims to be democratic stipulates in its constitution that the whole nation is led by any one political party or individual."

By making this change, Xi and the party leadership hope to dispel these lingering doubts over the constitutional legitimacy of one-party rule, according to a source familiar with discussions on the matter.











Kendallville, IN (46755)

Today

Considerable cloudiness. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 66F. Winds S at 10 to 15 mph..

Tonight

Considerable cloudiness. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 66F. Winds S at 10 to 15 mph.State lawmakers are looking for new solutions to resolve problems surrounding the Missouri Public Defender system, including turning over a large portion of the cases to private attorneys.

The privatization of the public defense office in Texas County, Missouri is looking for options to fix the underfunded public defender system, but state defenders are saying privatization is not a viable option to cover the caseload or cost of proper legal defense for the entire state.

"There's not the private attorneys to take the 80,000 cases a year for an amount that even comes close to what we do it for," Michael Barrett Missouri Public Defender Director said. "We would do more, but we're up against capacity. Even if we had more money, there is not the private attorneys to take these cases."

The Missouri Public Defender System currently contracts approximately $6 million in casework to private attorney to compensate for the lack of state public defenders.

According to a local attorney if the system becomes privatized, clients run the risk of not being represented by a criminal defense attorney.

"If you are taking one criminal case a year and you primarily handle tort litigation, or some other area, that may not be your primary area of expertise in the law," Suzanne Kissock Missouri Western Legal Studies Program Director said. "The American Bar Association put out guidelines and they recommend that an attorney handle no more than 40 to 50 cases at a time. unfortunately, in Missouri our attorneys, our public defenders are exceeding 100 cases per attorney."

While funding for public defenders has increased over the years, it hasn't quite kept up with the number of cases. have increasing 16 percent in the last two years.

The increased caseload has also put a financial burden on county jails.

"if we are not well funded, then people sit in jail longer than they need to be and that causes a significant cost for the county," Barrett said.

In February, a bill was submitted to the Missouri House of Representatives calling for 90 percent of all public defender cases to be transferred to private attorneys, however that piece of legislation is still under review.

Missouri is currently ranked 49th in the nation for funding of public defenses per capita. The state only spends approximately $5.58 per person for indigent legal defense.Councilor Cakau brings the total number of women councilors in the new PVMC to six.Vatican City, March 12 - Pope Francis told a group of French lawmakers that they should never resign themselves to social injustice during an audience in the Vatican on Monday. "You are called on to always be close to others, especially people in precarious situations," the pope said, "to never resign yourselves to social inequality, the root of society's evils, but to promote an integral ecological conversion at the service of safeguarding our common home". He added that the Catholic Church has "esteem" for "political commitment when it is moved by the will to create favorable conditions to coexistence that respects differences, is attentive to precarious situations, to the most fragile people. "Political greatness is shown when, in difficult moments, one works on the basis of great principles, thinking of the long-term common good".Ancona, march 12 - An Ancona court on Monday ruled that two of the three Nigerians arrested over the murder of Pamela Mastropietro, an 18-year-old Roman woman whose dismembered body was found in two suitcases near Macerata in January, should stay in jail. The suspects are Desmond Lucky and Lucky Awelima, aged 22 and 27 respectively. They were arrested after the detention of another Nigerian, Innocent Oseghale, a 29-year-old who lived in the flat where the murder is thought to have taken place. The men are believed to have stabbed Mastropietro to death and cut up her body in the apartment in Macerata's Via Spalato. A fourth Nigerian is under investigation in relation to the murder but has not been arrested. A far-right extremist went on a racist shooting spree targeting migrants in Macerata following the Mastropietro case.Rome, March 12 - Ex-premier Matteo Renzi said Monday that the fact he is resigning as Democratic Party (PD) leader after the centre-left group's dismal election showing does not mean his political battles are over. "I'm not giving up," Renzi said in his Enews ahead of a big meeting of the PD's directorate later on Monday. "I am resigning as PD secretary, as is right after a defeat. But we are not giving up. We will never leave the future to the others. "We lost a battle, but we didn't lose our desire to fight for a more just world. "Thank you for these wonderful years of work together. The future returns, sooner or later".Turin, March 12 - Nineteen years after the death of Stanley Kubrick, auction house Aste Bolaffi has announced it will sell the most important collection of memorabilia of the iconic filmmaker's work and life. The items, which come from the collection of his former assistant Emilio D'Alessandro and wife Janette, will be auctioned on March 27 in Turin at the Sala Bolaffi. Items to go on sale include the clapperboard from Kubrick's 1999 movie Eyes Wide Shut and Jack Torrance's burgundy jacket in The Shining (1980). Other pieces to be auctioned include personal belongings and pieces from Kubrick's sets, collected by D'Alessandro, who worked for the famously reclusive director from 1971 and 1999 and became a trusted friend. D'Alessandro began working for Kubrick as a driver and established a personal relationship with him, which he also spoke about in a book. The filmmaker paid tribute to D'Alessandro in Eyes Wide Shut, giving him a cameo role and his name to a bar in New York attended by the doctor played by Tom Cruise. And from that bar comes the large banner - Caffe da Emilio - to be auctioned with a starting price of 1,000 euros. From the same set, the New York city rebuilt in Pinewood Studios, other items to go on sale include the film's original clapperboard, with a starting price of 5,000 euros, one of the coats and a watch worn by Tom Cruise during filming, to be auctioned with a starting price of 3,000 euros each. From The Shining, Kubrick's work that redefined horror movies, Bolaffi will auction one of the most iconic garments in the history of cinema - the burgundy velvet jacket worn by Jack Torrance - with a starting price 10 thousand euros. The jacket was worn by the actor Jack Nicholson during most of the film, a key feature of the character during his stay at the Overlook Hotel. Other items from the movie to go on sale include seven colored key chains with room numbers (1,000 euros) and two rugs from the Colorado Lounge, the room where the protagonist "works" on his novel (2,000 euros each). A particularly rare piece is the long segment of the original film with a scene of Wendy, Torrance's wife, carrying her son Danny in her arms. Kubrick gave the segment to D'Alessandro although he was known for burning all parts of a film once the montage was finished (3,000 euros). From Kubrick's harrowing and characteristically eccentric film about Vietnam, Full Metal Jacket (1987), cult objects to go on sale include one of Sergeant Hartman's hats, a symbol of the violent and strict Marines instructor who is the protagonist of the first part of the film (starting price 3,000 euros). Another item is the green military jacket used by Kubrick on set with his name printed on it (starting price 10,000 euros). Also on sale is a vinyl with the original soundtrack of the film composed by Kubrick's daughter and an autograph for his assistant - "To Emilio with Love, S. Kubrick" - (starting price 2,000 euros). There will also be props from the 1971 movie A Clockwork Orange (from 1,000 euros), a tricorn hat designed for Barry Lyndon by Milena Canonero, the award-winning Italian costume designer, who won her first Oscar for this film (from 1,000 euros). From the same set is a binder that contained the film's script divided by scene (starting price 2,000 euros). This auction also offers the opportunity to rediscover a real cult object: Stanley Kubrick's orange canvas bag with a black shoulder strap. The "Tenba 2" was the first camera bag with a minimalist and lightweight design (starting price 8,000 euros) and the director never parted with it. The bag is undoubtedly one of the most sought-after items of the auction and also one of the most personal items up for sale, in addition to the handwritten notes by Kubrick addressed to Emilio and Jannette. The auction's catalogue closes with one of the last signed notes left by the director to his lifelong friend: "This is the last mail pickup. I am very sad ", signed "S".Rome, march 12 - Slovak Interior Minister Robert Kalinak on Monday quit after mass protests linked to the murder of journalist Jan Kuciak who had been probing suspected links between Italy's 'Ndrangheta mafia and the business and political community. "It is important that stability be maintained, so I have decided to resign from the posts of deputy premier and interior minister," Kalinak told a press conference. Kalinak resigned after the biggest street protests in decades in Slovak cities. Premier Robert Fico is hoping to keep his coalition government together after demonstrators demanded the resignation of his cabinet and a thorough investigation into Kuciak's death. His junior partner in government, the Most-Hid (Bridge) group, had demanded he dismiss Kalinak, a founding member of his Smer party, by Monday. Critics argued Kalinak, who oversaw the police as interior minister, could not guarantee an independent investigation into the killing of Kuciak and his fiancee. Kuciak's last, unfinished story was about the activities of the Calabria-based 'Ndrantheta mafia in Slovakia and their ties to people close to Fico, whose government is allegedly also linked to other corruption scandals.Rome, March 12 - Democratic party (PD) deputy leader Maurizio Martina said Monday the anti-establishment 5-Star Movement (M5S) and the rightwing populist League, which emerged as the two winners from the March 4 general election, should try to govern Italy and the PD would remain in opposition as a minority. "Dear (M5S leader Luigi) Di Maio and (League leader Matteo) Salvini, take on your responsibilities," he said. The PD, meanwhile, would "continue to serve citizens from the opposition, in its role as parliamentary minority". Martina said he would lead the PD in a caretaker capacity after the resignation of ex-premier Matteo Renzi "with the utmost collegiality". He said Renzi, who was not present at the directorate meeting, had filed his resignation "but I think it is important that he should continue to work with me in these weeks that separate us from the party assembly". Renzi ha said his resignation will become effective when a new government is formed from Italy's hung parliament. Martina said next month's PD assembly should elect a "commission for a project for a constituent and reorganisation phase, instead of launching the congress" after its dreadful showing in the March 4 general election. Martina ended his first speech to the PD directorate after Renzi's announced resignation following the election debacle by quoting Winston Churchill on the party's hoped-for comeback. "Success is never definitive, defeat is never fatal; it's the courage to continue that counts," he said. "That's it, I ask you to continue with courage, together. Italy still needs us". The PD scored an all-time low of 19% on March 4, dropping far behind the anti-establishment 5-Star Movement (M%S) as Italy's top party. The M5S, which swept the south of Italy on vows to introduce a basic income and fight corruption and red tape, scored 32%, making it the top individual party - though the centre right coalition got 37%, becoming the top coalition. Within the centre right, the rightwing populist League surged to 18%, overtaking Silvio Berlusconi's Forza Italia (FI) party which got 14%. Also at the PD directorate meeting, Transport Minister Graziano Delrio told the directorate that the PD would remain in opposition, "serious and responsible". Delrio, a PD bigwig, said that after the general-election debacle, "we received a postcard, clear and marked, from the voters. We will be where the voters placed us: in the opposition". This opposition, he said, would be "serious, responsible and constructive". He said that when Italians realize that the winning parties' election promises are "unachievable, the voters will call them to account". Delrio added: "we are still the second Italian party, we will stay united." He said Martina had a "full mandate" to steer the party and in order to restart, the party needed "rigorous analyses" like Martina's. "We must tell the electors and the elected that the PD is still here".He has been cited by Rush Limbaugh, quoted in the New York Times, featured at Real Clear Politics and Lucianne.com and interviewed on radio, TV and in social media.





For many years he served as a Lecturer in Corporate Communication at Penn State University. A former President of the Philadelphia Public Relations Association (PPRA) he has lectured at Rowan University, Temple University, The College of New Jersey and Arcadia University. He has conducted workshops on public relations for thousands of participants throughout the nation and has taught countless others the art of public speaking. He has also advised numerous lawyers, judges, public officials and political candidates.





Cirucci is a prolific writer and his op-ed pieces have appeared in the Philadelphia Daily News, Philadelphia Inquirer, Courier-Post and other publications.



A native of Camden NJ, Cirucci is a former President of the Philadelphia chapter of the International Association of Business Communicators. Cirucci served as Associate Executive Director of the Philadelphia Bar Association for nearly 30 years. He served as Chair of Penn State University's Professional Advisory Board for the Corporate Communication major at Penn State Abington and on the Pennsylvania Bar Association's Judicial Selection Commission.



He received his MA degree from Rowan University and his BA from Villanova University. He has been named a Distinguished Alumnus of Rowan's public relations program and was inducted into the Philadelphia Public Relations Hall of Fame. He received the E. A. "Wally" Richter Leadership Award from the National Association of Bar Executives' Communications Section. The Award is the Section's highest honor. He has also been honored by numerous other local, state and national groups.









Cirucci's passions include politics, the popular culture, books and authors, art, communication, music, theatre, movies, dining and travel. In his hometown of Camden, Cirucci taught fifth grade at the Ulysses Wiggins Elementary School named for the founder of the Camden NAACP. He later served as editor of a local weekly newspaper, as Assistant to the Township Manager of Cherry Hill Township and as Associate Director of Communications at the New Jersey State Bar Association.

He's Dan Cirucci, the founder and editor-in chief of the Dan Cirucci Blog, Matt Rooney's sidekick on Save Jersey's weekly videocast and one of the most widely honored public relations professionals in his field. He's also been a public relations consultant to numerous organizations and individuals and hosted The Advocates on RVN-TV.Milan, March 12 - Several children were sent back home on Monday after a deadline for pupils to comply with a new law making vaccinations obligator for admission to schools and nurseries passed at the weekend. Four children under six were unable to enter public nursery and infants schools in Milan because they are not in compliance, city sources said. They said around 10 children were non-compliant but, of those, five or six had been absent since the end of last week due to flu. Some of the parents of the children affected said they had not had time to get the vaccinations done, sources said. A manager at a school in Sulmona, near the central city of L'Aquila, said Monday that four pupils there had been sent home because too. "They are four different cases," said Elvira Tonti of the Serafini - Di Stefano Institute. "Two are on the way to being resolved because they were caused by simple forgetfulness and will be sorted by tomorrow. "The other two, on the other hand, have refused to vaccinate their children". Several dozen" children were sent home in Sardinia for failing to comply with the new vaccination rules, sources said. The deadline for presenting certificates for 10 compulsory vaccinations passed on Saturday. "It's impossible to say exactly what the number is," Cagliari provincial schools chief Luca Cancelliere told ANSA, "but many reports are coming to school principals". In the small town of Elmas outside Cagliari alone, there were 40 children without authorisation, he said. Last week it was estimated that around 30,000 children are not in compliance with the law. Giovanni Rezza, the head of the infectious diseases department of Italy's Higher Health Institute (ISS), said Monday that the goal of the government decree making vaccinations obligatory for admission to public nurseries and schools has been achieved. "We have over 95% of children vaccinated for the six-in-one vaccine, so the threshold that makes it possible to have collected immunity has been reached," Rezza said. "We've had an increase of about 6% for the measles (vaccine) so we are close to that threshold in this case too. "The numbers show that vaccinations have increased and this was the objective of the decree, not to punish parents who fail to comply. "Vaccines, above all, are a right".Milan, March 7 - A 35-year-old Moroccan man got two years and four months in jail in Milan Wednesday for instigation to and apology of terrorism. Omar Nmiki was arrested last March for publishing a dozen videos hailing ISIS on social media. Milan assizes judges also ruled that he should be deported once he has served his time.The healthcare industry is consolidating in a series of head-snapping deals. But like many of the recent multibillion-dollar combinations, its not clear whether the just-announced $52-billion merger of Cigna Corp. and Express Scripts Holding Co. will deliver lower premiums or cheaper drugs for consumers.

On Thursday, health insurance giant Cigna announced it will buy Express Scripts, the largest pharmacy benefit manager in the country. Unless federal regulators move to block it  as they did with two recent proposed health insurance company tie-ups  the merger is expected to be complete by the end of the year.

Its just the latest sign that healthcare giants are trying to gain more control over rising costs, especially for new prescription medicines. In December, CVS Health  a pharmacy benefit manager with almost 90 million plan members  announced it would buy Aetna, which has an estimated 45 million customers.

In 2015, only 1% to 2% of the American public used specialty drugs  pharmaceuticals that cost $600 or more per month  yet they accounted for about 38% of total drug expenditures. The costs of specialty drugs that older Americans commonly take increased by an average of nearly 10% between 2014 and 2015, the biggest annual increase in more than a decade, according to AARP research.

The insurers may be anticipating outside pressure, especially from Amazon.com. Last year, the retail and technology giant was reported to be interested in entering the pharmaceuticals business. And in January, Amazon, Berkshire Hathaway Inc. and JPMorgan Chase & Co. announced a joint plan to start an independent company focused on reducing healthcare costs for their U.S. employees.

Consumers have been faced with hard choices. In a 2016 AARP survey, more than half of older Americans said they did not fill a prescription in the past two years because of cost.

Larry Levitt, senior vice president for health reform at the Kaiser Family Foundation and a former senior health policy advisor in the Clinton administration, said it is doubtful that the spate of mergers will provide relief.

As is often the case, when one company buys another, its to increase earnings  helping consumers is not foremost in their minds when constructing these deals, Levitt said. Its really shareholders that theyre trying to please.

Heres an explanation of how these companies work behind the scenes to control drug costs  and grow profits  and how that might change with mergers.

Los Angeles Times

How do pharmacy benefit managers work?

In the 1960s, as Americans started taking more prescription medicines, insurance companies needed help processing those claims and began hiring pharmacy benefit managers, or PBMs, as third-party contractors to manage pharmacy benefit claims.

Over the past few decades, the business model for pharmacy benefit managers has evolved substantially  and with it, their sales and profits have grown. Their main job now is to work essentially as brokers between pharmaceutical companies and insurance companies, self-insured employers, union health plans and government purchasers in selecting, buying and distributing prescription drugs, according to a policy brief in Health Affairs.

For example, a pharmacy benefit manager will draft a list of approved drugs, called a formulary, for an insurance company. The pharmacy benefit manager will go to a drug company and offer to include that companys drug on its list. In return, the drug company might agree to offer a rebate  say, $10 less on a $100 drug. The customer, however, would still pay $100, and doesnt see any direct benefit from the rebate, Levitt said.

Maybe down the line, that results in lower premiums  but the consumers and the employers are at the end of that line, he said.

For every $100 spent at retail pharmacies, about $17 pays for direct production costs and $41 goes to the drug manufacturer ($15 of which is net profit). Companies that are part of the distribution system  wholesalers, pharmacies, pharmacy benefit managers and insurers  get $41, splitting $8 of net profit among them, according to an analysis by USC researchers.

Drug companies set list prices for their medications, but virtually no PBM pays that price for brand-name drugs. (Someone who is uninsured very likely could pay the list price  as you could if youre insured and have a deductible that you havent met.) Whether the rebates reflect great negotiating by the benefit managers or inflated drug prices is open to debate.

Some healthcare policy experts argue that this sets up a strange incentive for the benefit manager. Because they collect part of the rebate  and do not disclose publicly how much theyre getting from rebates  benefit managers stand to gain from higher list prices.

As weve seen on many occasions, drug manufacturers, when left to their own devices, are capable of raising prices significantly, Levitt said. There needs to be some counterbalance to the drug manufacturers negotiating on behalf of consumers, and that has been pharmacy benefit managers, and they certainly do some of that. But there is a cozy relationship.

Who are PBMs helping?

There are three pharmacy benefit managers in the United States that control most of the market: CVS Caremark, part of CVS Health, which plans to buy Aetna; Optum Rx, which is part of UnitedHealth Group; and Express Scripts, soon to be part of Cigna. In 2017, Express Scripts had revenue of $100.1 billion and net income of $4.5 billion.

Pharmacy benefit managers argue that their large size gives them bargaining power to negotiate lower prices for their clients. In early February, Express Scripts announced that it helped employers reduce the rate of growth in per-person prescription drug spending to 1.5% in 2017, the lowest growth rate the company has measured since 1993.

We know many still struggle to afford their medications, and we will continue to innovate  and advocate  for those people who are challenged by their out-of-pocket costs, Express Scripts President and Chief Executive Tim Wentworth said in a statement.

But the structure and practices of PBMs make it difficult to tell how they are helping patients and insurers, noted a 2017 analysis by researchers at the USC Schaeffer Center. PBMs carefully guard information about the size of negotiated rebates and discounts, which may enhance their ability to negotiate lower prices, but also masks whether they are indeed lowering the prices paid by patients and insurers as claimed, the study said.

Currently, there is no state agency that regulates PBMs. Assemblyman Jim Wood (D-Healdsburg) has a bill that would require pharmacy benefit managers to register with the California Department of Managed Health Care.

The bill would also address contractual restrictions  dubbed by opponents as gag clauses  that pharmacy benefit managers place on pharmacists. Those clauses mandate that a pharmacist cannot tell a patient if a drug is available cheaper if they pay cash, rather than buying it through their insurance. Even if a patient asks their pharmacist if paying in cash would be less expensive, some contracts restrict what a pharmacist can say, said Jon Roth, head of the California Pharmacists Association.

The pharmacist wants to do the right thing for the patient ... but if the pharmacy benefit manager found out, theyd be kicked out the network, Roth said.

Cigna Corp. says its merger with Express Scripts will improve quality, affordability and choice for customers, and provide more healthcare coordination. Patient advocates have their doubts. Matt Rourke / Associated Press

So who wins in these combinations?

The fear among patient advocates is that as Cigna and Express Scripts save money through increased efficiency, they will not pass those savings along to patients but rather to their shareholders, said Ben Wakana, executive director of the group Patients for Affordable Drugs.

To an organization that is made up of a community of patients who share stories about how theyre cutting pills in half and skipping doses and taking out credit card debt to afford prescription drugs, this merger to us looks like a corporate merger thats more about higher profits for shareholders than it is about lower drug prices for patients, said Wakana, who previously worked as deputy assistant public affairs secretary at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services under President Obama.

For Medicare Part D enrollees, mergers could reduce their access to certain medicines. If Cigna buys Express Scripts and CVS merges with Aetna, it would give these firms an outsized role in formulary coverage decisions in Medicare Part D since there would be four plans in control of 86% of the stand-alone drug plan market, said Juliette Cubanski, a Medicare expert at Kaiser Family Foundation.

As it works, pharmaceutical companies negotiate with PBMs for greater market exposure for their products by offering steeper rebates in exchange for favorable formulary placement, Cubanski said. The alternative is that PBMs place drugs on non-preferred tiers or dont cover medications on their formulary at all. So as plans consolidate, they might gain bargaining power with pharmaceutical companies since they control more market share. But at the same time, if formulary options diminish, patients may have fewer options for finding coverage of the drugs they take.

Cigna and Express Scripts in their announcement Thursday said that the merger would improve quality, affordability and choice for customers, and provide more healthcare coordination. This combination will create significant benefit to society and differentiated shareholder value, David M. Cordani, Cigna president and CEO, said in a statement.

Cigna rejected the idea that only shareholders will benefit from its purchase of Express Scripts. We strongly believe the combination of Cigna, a health services company, and Express Scripts, a pharmacy services company, will drive greater affordability, its statement read. Both companies have proven track records of reducing healthcare costs.

Consumers probably wont see an immediate jump in drug prices or insurance premiums over what was coming anyway, said Gerald Kominski, director of the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research. But they also are unlikely to reap the mergers benefits, he said.

This deal makes sense from a business perspective, Kominski said. Its not clear it generates any noticeable improvement to consumers. I dont think its harmful per se, but I will say we also worry that with more and more consolidation on the business side of healthcare, that reduces competition, and less competition is generally not good for consumers.

Support our journalism Please consider subscribing today to support stories like this one. Get full access to our signature journalism for just 99 cents for the first four weeks. Already a subscriber? Your support makes our work possible. Thank you.

UPDATES:

For the Record: An earlier version of this story said benefit managers do not disclose to anyone, including their own clients, how much theyre getting from rebates. Express Scripts said it does disclose those amounts to its clients.Entrepreneur Elon Musk said a rocket ship that his company is building for trips to Mars could make short flights by as early as next year.

Space Exploration Technologies Corp., known as SpaceX, is making good progress on the ship and the booster, Musk said at the South by Southwest event in Austin, Texas, where he took questions from screenwriter Jonathan Nolan. I think we will be able to do short flights, short up and down flights, probably in the first half of next year. This is a very big booster and ship.

Musk, 46, whos long dreamed of creating a human colony on Mars, revealed in 2017 that he was building the new rocket ship with the code name BFR that would be capable of traveling anywhere on Earth in under an hour. The spacecraft would ultimately be able to make missions to the moon or Mars, Musk said.

At the music, film and media festival known as SXSW, Musk conceded that his forecasts on project completion times are sometimes a bit rosy: People have told me that my timelines historically have been optimistic.

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Musk spoke at length about his role as an entrepreneur with SpaceX and electric car maker Tesla Inc., his concerns about advancements in artificial intelligence (It scares the hell out of me) and the need to put a price on carbon emissions to develop a sustainable energy system.

He said that revenue from a project to launch satellites that would bring broadband internet access to the world, dubbed Starlink, would help fund the building of interplanetary spaceships.

Musk ended his appearance at SXSW by donning a black cowboy hat and singing My Little Buttercup with his brother, entrepreneur Kimbal Musk, who joined him on stage with a guitar.JavaScript is disabled. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding.Actor and former SAG President Alan Rosenberg is ready to call it quits in Santa Monica, listing his home in the area for sale at $4.495 million.

Fronted by ivy-draped gates, the 1920s Spanish-style home is entered through a rustic wood front door.

Original details throughout the roughly 3,500 square feet of living space include custom tile, wrought-iron rails, arched doorways and built-ins. The country kitchen features beamed ceilings and a center island. A breakfast nook with window-bench seating sits adjacent.

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Four bedrooms and 3.5 bathrooms complete the floor plan.

An upper level balcony looks down onto the landscaped backyard, where a large patio connects to a pool and spa surrounded by tile.

John Hathorn of Pacific Union International holds the listing.

Rosenberg, 67, is known for his roles in legal dramas such as Civil Wars and L.A. Law. His other television credits include ER, Chicago Hope and Suits.

He was president of the Screen Actors Guild from 2005-09.

jack.flemming@latimes.com

Twitter: @jflem94

MORE FROM HOT PROPERTY:

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Matthew Perry quietly sells his Hollywood Hills home for $12.5 million

Onetime Tarzana home of jazz legend Al Jarreau flips back on market

Former Angels pitcher C.J. Wilson sells Beverly Crest contemporary for $16 million

Beverly Hills home of game show host Monty Hall sells in over-asking dealThanks to its breathtaking market size and unparalleled manufacturing base, China has long held sway over U.S. technology companies.

But the Trump administrations unusual decision Monday to block a foreign hostile takeover of chipmaker Qualcomm could limit the companies ability to continue accommodating Beijing.

In an executive order, the White House rejected the bid by Singapores Broadcom because it might take action that threatens to impair the national security of the United States.

The concern was that a sale of San Diegos Qualcomm would result in the U.S. ceding ground to China in semiconductors and burgeoning 5G mobile technology, two areas crucial to national security and business profits.

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Taking a more confrontational approach with Beijing puts U.S. tech firms in a precarious position. To gain access to Chinas market, companies have had to acquiesce to Beijings demands for technology and censorship.

For years, that approach has gone largely unchallenged, creating conditions in which companies such as Apple have little choice but to submit to Chinas calls to store customer data on its soil, and IBM and Intel to share technology with Chinese partners.

But the latest protectionist move from the White House  which last week announced tariffs on imported steel and aluminum  could signal a reshaping of Americas tech relationship with China. A key driver of that change is an obscure federal committee that has been sounding warning bells about the Broadcom bid.

The Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States  made up of officials from the departments of Treasury, Justice, Homeland Security, Commerce, Defense, State and Energy  is charged with scrutinizing foreign mergers and acquisitions for national interests. The committee, better known as Cfius, ordinarily weighs in after a deal has been finalized. But the bid for Qualcomm proved too sensitive to ignore.

A bipartisan bill is under consideration that would expand Cfius powers to address Chinas competition for cutting edge technology. The U.S. trade representative is also investigating whether Chinas policies are threatening American intellectual property and innovation.

Five years ago, approving this deal would have been a no-brainer, said Jim Lewis, a senior fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. But it hit three of todays top pain points: its semiconductors, its 5G and its China.

American lawmakers are increasingly concerned that U.S. firms are helping China gain the upper hand in crucial new technologies such as artificial intelligence.

That risk is heightened now that China is sliding further back into authoritarianism by stifling all forms of dissent and eliminating term limits so that President Xi Jinping can remain in power indefinitely That gives U.S. companies little room to dictate terms in a market thats so important to their bottom lines.

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If Cfius is given broader powers by Congress, it could restrict the ability of U.S. companies to transfer technology to Chinese partners, which is often the price of entry into the worlds second-largest economy.

And if Cfius makes it harder for Chinese companies to buy U.S. technology firms, Beijing would almost certainly respond in kind when it comes to Silicon Valley companies seeking more access to the Chinese market.

That would be a blow for U.S. companies such as Apple, Microsoft and even Qualcomm, which have spent years cultivating business in China, sometimes at the expense of American standards for user privacy and security.

That was the case last year when Apple had to comply with Beijings request to remove apps that helped users circumvent Chinese censorship. It happened again in February when the iPhone maker agreed to store its iCloud keys in China, giving authorities there easier access to users accounts, including those of dissidents.

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Apple says it has not abandoned its values, but has to comply with Chinese laws. About 20% of the companys net sales last year were derived from a region it calls Greater China, composed of China, Taiwan and Hong Kong.

Google has also quietly ramped up its presence in China even though it shut down its search engine there in 2010 after taking what appeared to be a principled stand against Beijing over censorship.

Microsoft partnered with a state-owned Chinese defense company to build an exclusive version of Windows 10 for the Chinese government. IBM partnered with a high-ranking official previously charged with the cybersecurity of Chinas strategic missile arsenal to develop high-end servers and software.

And Qualcomm, the company that fought to preserve its independence from a foreign takeover, has long been a dominant player in China, where it sells its chips and licenses its technology.

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The company was chastened in 2015 when it was fined $975 million by the Chinese government, which charged the firm with unfair pricing. Qualcomm has since invested millions to help Chinese partners develop drones, supercomputers and even its bread-and-butter chips. It has also invested in a Chinese AI start-up thats developing facial-recognition software already being tested by Chinese authorities for surveillance purposes.

Given Beijings plan to make China self-sufficient in technology, experts say U.S. firms are only expediting their demise in the Chinese market by sharing valuable know-how.

These companies are on life support when it comes to operations in China, said Lewis of the Center for Strategic and International Studies. The Chinese intend to force non-Chinese suppliers out of the market. All these guys are on limited time. They know it, but they may not say it.

The tech industry isnt ready to give up. For one, theres still an expectation that China will live up to its obligations under the WTO to allow reciprocal trade if pressured the right way. Industry officials want Washington to persuade Beijing to loosen its market for cloud computing and widen access to consumer data, partly to inform AI technology.

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By building a coalition with allies such as Japan and Germany, China can be persuaded that it has to act consistent with global norms and rules they agreed to when they joined the WTO, said Dean Garfield, president of the Information Technology Industry Council, a trade group that represents the tech sector. At the same time, companies can compete globally, including in China. We can walk and chew gum at the same time.

Garfield said U.S. tech firms arent rolling over for China. Behind the scenes, theyve successfully resisted attempts to transfer top-of-the-line technology.

There are times when the Chinese ask companies to make certain concessions to engage in business and the companies do say no, Garfield said. Theyre not capitulating to every single request. And so the thought that its shortsighted for a company to compete in China because theyre undermining their success in the long term may not be true. Only history will prove that out.

david.pierson@latimes.com

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UPDATES:

5:20 p.m.: This article was updated after President Trump said he would move to halt Broadcoms attempted takeover of Qualcomm.

This article was originally published at 3:05 p.m.Where in Gods name is the medic? the dying hospital patient demands. Hes not asking for help for himself. Hes frantically trying to save a boys life. Its a scream, one of the important screams in American history, that has haunted him for 38 years.

Jonathan Bergers opera My Lai  written for the Kronos Quartet, tenor Rinde Eckert and Van-Anh Vo, a virtuoso player of traditional Vietnamese instruments  takes place during the last hallucinatory days of Hugh Thompson Jr. He was the U.S. Army helicopter pilot in the Vietnam War who flew over the massacre in My Lai. Above the fray, he could see the mass hysteria below that warped the minds of Charlie Company. Those men were infamously commanded to wipe out everything walking, crawling or growing. More than 500 civilians, mostly women, children and the elderly, were slaughtered. There was no evidence of Viet Cong activity.

The Center for the Art of Performance at UCLA brought Bergers powerful 2-year-old opera to Royce Hall on Friday night, exactly one week before the 50th anniversary of the massacre. When Thompsons whistle-blowing was finally reported in 1969, the public perception of the Vietnam War began to change.

Rather than try to express the horror  Bodies piled on bodies, Thompson recalls in Harriet Scott Chessmans penetrating libretto, like fish caught  no, not fish, just people caught  Berger places everything in Thompsons clouded mind as he tries to piece together the three helicopter landings he made trying to stop the killing. In the meanwhile, a quiz show blares away on the hospice television.

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In his dying delusion, he thinks himself a contestant on the show, which itself becomes an arena of public opinion, a show trial. It took three decades for Thompsons heroism to be rewarded by President Clinton. The pilot had been threatened with court-martial, pilloried by Congress and by Richard Nixon for testifying against the Army coverup. Dead animals were left on his porch. He suffered from PTSD throughout his life.

Rinde Eckert in My Lai. (Maria Alejandra Cardona / Los Angeles Times )

It was a brilliant stroke to illustrate the My Lai massacre through the shameful victimization of Thomson. It was another brilliant stroke to write this opera for Eckert, who is incomparable in making the mind matter in modern opera and performance art, as he did in his own compelling And God Created Whales, about a composer trying to write an opera based on Moby-Dick while losing his memory.

For Kronos, this too is essential territory. Violinist David Harrington formed Kronos for the express purpose of playing George Crumbs Black Angels, the first (and still the greatest) classical Vietnam War protest score, a ritualistic electric string quartet for amplified instruments and added percussion that is a psychedelic meditation on death. My Lai was one of Crumbs inspirations when composing it.

Like Crumb, Berger writes music with underlying sacred and folk sources but also with the vividly evocative presence of music in time of war. In My Lai, Death stalks but one man, but that man stands for all the innocents who died in the village, and they stand for the tens of thousands who died in the war.

The percussion instruments are Vos Vietnamese folk instruments. Most notable is the dan bau, a single silk string along a bamboo tube. There is no more beautiful instrument for playing lullabies, as Vo does with a profound mixture of sweetness and sadness, innocence and alarm.

For his part, Berger seamlessly combines traditional Jewish and Vietnamese melodies that seem as eternal as they are universal. Although no mention is made of this, the gongs Vo strikes are made from U.S. Army mortar shells, and the bamboo spikes she hits are Viet Cong war remnants. These onetime weapons stun with their physical as well as sonic beauty.

Vietnamese instrumentalist Van-Anh Vo plays instruments made from what used to be weapons of war. (Maria Alejandra Cardona / Los Angeles Times )

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There is more than enough method to Eckerts evocation of madness, over the operas 75 minutes, to make his performance far more than a commanding study in delusion. Thompson may no longer know what is real, but we do. During his second landing, the pilot says he had to dive, and dive and dive  into madness. The listener is right there with him.

The helicopter gunners are said to be incredulous, angelic, mortified. Eckerts own howling is the explosiveness of not being able to express the inexpressible. But he can just as convincingly turn melancholic and, ultimately, angelic, the inexpressible very much being conveyed.

And then there is Kronos. Berger makes the quartet the glue of the conveyance of mood, place, event and meaning through a rich variety of string writing. The quartet here does not call attention to itself, but its instinctual rightness makes any given moment matter.

After a half-century, it is now easy enough to memorialize the dead of My Lai and honor Thompson to assuage our collective guilt. Thats not Bergers My Lai. The work does not truck in anodyne catharsis even as it reminds us of our ability to stumble across beauty when there is otherwise no meaning, only insanity, to be found.

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Van-Anh Vo. (Maria Alejandra Cardona / Los Angeles Times )

mark.swed@latimes.com

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Terry Riley and Gloria Cheng, a piano odd couple

Yo-Yo Ma, Leonidas Kavakos and Emanuel Ax: Brahms all-stars at Disney HallWhen youve known each other nearly 80 years, you cant be expected to recall every detail.

But who can forget Arlene Dunaetzs curls back in Boyle Heights, in third grade?

Each one was pulled tight like a corkscrew, says Helen Bialeck.

I envied those curls, says Joyce Sindel.

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They were dark and she had so many of them, pipes in Charlotte Gussin-Root.

Dunaetz smiles and stresses all the combing involved.

Theyre half a dozen old friends. They meet once a month to reminisce and catch up. This time, they are eating Italian, for Jackie Watermans birthday.

But an hour after they arrive at Maggianos in Woodland Hills, they still havent gotten around to ordering, even though the waitress keeps circling.

They talk about books, politics and grandchildren. They pull heart-shaped chocolates and boxes of candies out of their purses to give one another for Valentines Day.

Armony Share has been to the movies. Have you seen `Fantastic Woman? she asks. Dunaetz is talking about her first job, when she cleaned a womans store on Saturdays. She paid me $4. Then one morning, I told her I needed $5 or I wasnt coming back.

Sometimes two or three conversations are going on at once. And sometimes they dont all see eye to eye.

We fight all the time, Waterman says, staring directly at Dunaetz. But we fight like sisters, right?

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Thats right, Dunaetz says.

They cant remember when the lunch tradition started.

Maybe 10 years ago, says Sindel.

I think its more like 14, says Share.

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Wasnt it sometime in the 1980s? asks Bialeck.

Honestly, no ones much good with dates. In all that time since elementary school, most years tend to blur.

One they know: 1932. Thats when each of the ladies was born. This year, one by one, theyre all turning 86. Waterman leads the way.

They grew up during World War II, when Boyle Heights was mostly Jewish, Jack Benny ruled the radio and the smell of sweet waffle cones wafted through the air from Curries Ice Cream down Brooklyn Avenue.

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Sindel lived on one side of Folsom Street, Share on the other. Dunaetz was a couple of houses down. Gussin-Root was around the corner, Bialeck and Waterman a few blocks away.

When they found each other at Sheridan Street Elementary  some in first grade, some in third  they all had different last names, of course.

A few went on to finish college. They all got married and had kids.

Through it all, they managed to stay in one anothers lives. It helped that they all ended up in the Valley.

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Waterman remembers sleeping over at Shares house and helping her get dressed for her first formal dance. When Share went off to France to follow her husband, who was in the Army, she wrote long letters to Sindel.

And when Sindels husband, Norby, died suddenly when she was just 31, leaving her with three babies  then 10 months, 2 and 3  Shares husband, Jack, came over to finish what Norby had not been able to: a two-story playhouse for the kids in the backyard.

We know each other. We know our histories, Sindel says. With these girls, theres never any pretense.

For years, some of the group gathered for big holidays: Fourth of July, New Years Eve. They went to the Rose Parade together. They took trips, to San Diego and San Francisco.

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Once in San Francisco during the 1970s, back when plane tickets cost $13 each way, the group lost one another in the big city.

Hours later, they all randomly walked into the same restaurant for dinner.

Can you imagine? Gussin-Root said. Thats still a mystery to me.

Today, only Bialecks husband is still alive. She and Sol were high school sweethearts. Theyll celebrate 65 years this summer.

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With snow-white hair and thick-rimmed glasses, Bialeck likes to come to lunch to talk constitutional law.

She wanted to be a lawyer, but her father could support only one child through college and it had to be her brother, she says.

So she married, took care of her husband, then her in-laws, then two kids. She worked for years as a secretary at Los Angeles Valley College.

She got her bachelors degree  finally  at age 60.

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It took me tons of years, Bialeck says. But I did it.

At lunch, she pulls out a newspaper clipping to show the girls.

It was an Ann Landers advice column, turned a warm yellow from age.

How do you keep a friendship for so long? I think this explains it nicely,  Bialeck says.

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Then she reads a bit aloud to the table.

The Ten Commandments of How to Get Along With People.

1. Keep skid chains on your tongue; always say less than you think.

2. Make promises sparingly, and keep them faithfully, no matter what it costs.

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3. Never let an opportunity pass to say a kind and encouraging word.

The ladies nod in approval.

I think youre all just nice people, Sindel says. Thats why we get along.

Theyre eating now, pasta and salad, and they skip back and forth from past to present. The waitress brings out a plate of lemon cookies topped with a tall, pink candle and they all sing happy birthday to Waterman before they get back to chatting.

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Do you remember being in senior ensemble? Gussin-Root asks.

I never was, says Share.

Were any of you ever allowed to go to that bowling alley on Brooklyn? asks Sindel.

No one recalls.

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I wasnt, she continues. But I went anyway, just to see what was there.

Their earliest memories of one another are fragmented, tiny traces from another time:

Gussin-Root used to ride down Fickett Street on her bike. Share ate radishes and spicy food. Sindel had a lot of siblings. Bialeck was so skinny. And Dunaetz, well, she had those curls.

My granddaughter says shes not going to have children until shes 30, Dunaetz says with a deep sigh.

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Yeah, says Gussin-Root. Thats what they like to do nowadays. They make you wait.

Gussin-Root folk-dances. Waterman takes a balance class. Bialeck likes to box.

Its great cardio, she tells her friends. Everything is moving.

Sindel has perfectly coiffed blond hair. Her voice is both raspy and sweet.

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A few years ago, she took up acting.

She got herself an agent, a website, business cards. Shes appeared in plays, commercials, a show similar to Judge Judy. She played an auntie in a reenactment for a documentary series called Sex Sent me to the ER.

When she saw a posting looking for an older woman with a group of longtime friends, she didnt have to think twice.

The ladies could hardly believe it when they showed up on film day to a fancy hotel near downtown, where more than 100 crew members were on hand and they were given costumes to wear.

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The ad they were in was on TV during the Golden Globes. For a second, you could see them, wearing pastels, gathered around an elegant table set for tea.

That the commercial was for Facebook didnt particularly excite them. Socializing online isnt exactly their style.

Why not just call someone by phone? Dunaetz asks.

Armony Share, 86, top left, shows Arlene Dunaetz, 85, bottom left, photographs from their high school days in 1950 during a lunch at Maggianos Little Italy restaurant in Woodland Hills. (Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times )

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esmeralda.bermudez@latimes.com

@LATBermudezAfter weeks of testing, the eight prototypes for President Trumps big, beautiful wall will share center stage on Tuesday with Trump during his first presidential visit to California.

As Trump inspects the prototypes and poses for photos along the border east of San Diego, hell be just yards away from a Tijuana slum where people have formulated their own ideas about them.

The 30-foot structures  built with varying mixes of concrete and steel tubes  draw residents, tourists and even Tijuana police officers who pose for selfies in the Rancho Escondido neighborhood. They climb atop piles of rubber tires or tiptoe on dirt mounds for a peek over the 7-foot border fence into the testing site.

The towering wall segments will offer Trump a powerful platform as he pushes to secure $25 billion for border security.

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Frankie Contreras, 45, who has lived in the neighborhood for decades, said he prefers the symbolism of another imposing piece of infrastructure that will be hard to miss when the presidential entourage shows up: overhead power lines.

They link power plants in Tijuana and San Diego. Along with a nearby underground natural gas pipeline, they provide energy for millions of people in both countries. To residents like Contreras, those are the kind of ties between the U.S. and Mexico that transcend any wall.

We need each other no matter what happens, he said.

Trump is not expected to announce which of the prototypes will be used, but he may express a preference.

Either way, the visit is expected to generate demonstrations on both sides of the border. Security has been heightened with authorities in Tijuana and San Diego working together to safeguard the area.

Whichever wall is selected, it will not likely be erected in California, where barriers already line most of the border and where replacements, planned for this year, have different designs. The wall, according to the most recent proposed budget of the U.S. Customs and Border Protection, is slated for the Texas border with Mexico.

Prototypes of border walls in San Diego. (Elliott Spagat / Associated Press )

Federal authorities chose to build the prototypes in San Diego in part because of the regions easy access for teams of agents that have been testing each of the walls.

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They have been assaulting the prototypes, using jackhammers, blow torches, ropes and other tools that test the walls capacity to repel intruders.

From Rancho Escondido, the efforts seem misspent.

Border barriers have been part of the scenery here for years. There are two fences, bolstered by cameras and lighting that make the area among the most heavily fortified along the border.

Although Trump often portrays the border as chaotic and porous, the San Diego-Tijuana border was largely tamed long ago  and has become a model for effective border enforcement.

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The double fencing lines most of the 14-mile border from the Pacific Ocean to Otay Mountain. Apprehensions of illegal crossers have dropped for years, and most smuggling organizations have moved to other, more remote areas.

Tijuana is among Mexicos most dangerous cities, but there is relatively little spillover violence. San Diego is among this countrys safest biggest cities, with 34 homicides last year. Tijuana had 1,780.

The region does remain vulnerable to drug smuggling, but most of the illicit cargo is funneled through the regions two ports of entry, inside hidden compartments of vehicles.

A wall wont do anything to stop that, said Marco Zamora, a U.S. citizen who has lived in Rancho Escondido for 20 years. Zamora crosses the border for work every day and said customs inspectors seem demoralized and overworked.

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Theyre not checking much these days, he said. They dont seem very energized.

The American and Mexican flags are carried side by side during a march for peace near the border March 11 in Tijuana, Mexico. (Mario Tama / Getty Images )

From Zamoras two-story house, the border is a two-block stretch of deeply rutted dirt roads lined with shanties and junkyards. Roosters wake the neighborhood, and ice cream vendors push their carts around garbage piles and stolen cars stripped clean of doors and seats.

But Trumps vision, they say, is excessive, not so much an enforcement tool as a symbol of hostility toward Mexico.

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Jesus Martinez, a U.S. citizen from Bakersfield who was visiting the area last week to scout warehouse locations for his furniture business, said the size of the wall prototypes were overwhelming.

He voted for Trump, but said he disagreed on the necessity of the wall. Hes not very diplomatic, Martinez said after studying the barriers through a hole in the existing border fence.

Some residents, long familiar with the tactics of smugglers, have been doing their own armchair analyses of the wall prototypes. The steel could be cut through with blow torches within 15 minutes, some said. Though a solid concrete wall would present more challenges, it would allow smugglers to operate without being seen by border agents.

And then there are always tunnels. A warehouse district just a few miles west is the busiest tunneling area on the border.

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Chapo is the one who showed us how to get across, just go under, said Contreras, referring to Joaquin El Chapo Guzman, the drug cartel crime boss, currently in custody in the U.S., who is said to have built numerous drug tunnels.

Barriers werent the only infrastructure built along this stretch of the frontier. Over the years, utility companies linked up power plants in Tijuana and San Diego, running electrical wires slung from giant towers and a natural gas pipeline.

In a debate so dominated by symbols, to many of Rancho Escondidos residents the image of two countries working to heat and light homes will always be the more potent one.

You can build a wall to the heavens, said Gilberto Alvarez, 42, but Mexico and the U.S. will always be joined together.

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richard.marosi@latimes.com

Twitter: @richmarosi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 Some people with Jewish heritage does not want to be Jewish and dislikes being Jewish. Somewhat common that someone wants to be another culture or another race because they do not like where they come from and idolize something different.



Or sometimes someone of a culture will commit vandalism or try to cause agitation within his own community to fight another group. Someone painting a Swastika on a synogogue and place blame on someone else. Called a "False Flag".The California Supreme Court, citing false evidence, decided unanimously Monday to overturn the conviction of a Delano man sent to death row more than two decades ago for murdering and sodomizing a toddler.

The action by the state high court, which upheld the mans conviction and death sentence in 2005, was extremely rare.

Lawyers for Vicente Benavides Figuero, a former farmworker who is now 68, demonstrated that medical testimony and an autopsy result used to convict him had been inaccurate.

Most of the experts who testified against him have since recanted.

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The evidence now shown to be false was extensive, pervasive and impactful, Justice Carol A. Corrigan wrote for the court.

State prosecutors had agreed the evidence presented at trial had been wrong but urged the court to simply reduce his conviction to second degree murder. The court declined.

The case will now return to Kern County, where prosecutors will have to decide whether to retry Benavides in the death of Consuelo Verdugo, 21 months.

Benavides had been babysitting Consuelo in 1991 when he said she somehow got outside the Delano apartment. Her older sister had gone out to play with a friend. Benavides said he discovered the toddler injured near a carport.

Her mother, who had just left for work and was dating Benavides, returned home immediately, and the child was seen at three different medical centers before she succumbed to her injuries.

Benavides defense lawyer argued that she might have been hit by a car when she was outside, but a forensic pathologist listed her cause of death as blunt force penetrating injury of the anus.

In his habeas corpus challenge, Benavides showed that Consuelo showed no signs of sexual assault when examined at the first hospital where she received care.

Medical experts now attribute her injuries to repeated and failed efforts to insert an adult-sized catheter into her, rectal temperature taking, a paralytic medication and physical examination.

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Nurse Anita Caraan Wafford, who helped treat Consuelo at the first hospital, declared that no one there noted any anal or vaginal trauma.

Dr. William A. Kennedy II, an expert in pediatric urology, said he believed to a high degree of medical certainty that Consuelo had not suffered anal or vaginal penetration.

Consuelos lack of rectal tone, initially attributed to a penetrating injury, was instead the likely result of paralytic medication she had been given, along with her extensive treatment and surgeries, Corrigan wrote.

Michael J. Hersek, interim director of the Habeas Corpus Resource Center, which represented Benavides, said he has consistently maintained his innocence.

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We are hopeful that the Kern County District Attorney will dismiss all charges against our client soon after the Supreme Courts decision becomes final, Hersek said.

Benavides served a total of 27 years behind bars, 24 of them on death row.

A spokeswoman for the Kern County District Attorneys office said Mondays ruling was being reviewed, and no decision has yet been made on whether to retry Benavides.

maura.dolan@latimes.com

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UPDATES:

1:30 p.m.: This article was updated with a statement from the Kern County District Attorneys office.

This article was originally published at 1:15 p.m.Sacramento police are searching for a man dubbed the Gumball Bandit after his struggle to steal a gumball machine from an animal shelter was captured in a widely shared video.

Front Street Animal Shelter shared surveillance footage of the suspect, adding their own subtitles and including the hashtag SacramentosDumbestCriminals.

The Gumball Bandit faced many trials and tribulations when he broke into our shelter and stole our fund-raising gumball machine, the shelter posted on its Facebook page last week. But dont feel too sorry for this candy crook, he did just steal from a shelter after all.

The man appears to enter the shelter through a doggie door and struggles to push the gumball machine through the same entrance, spilling gumballs everywhere and later slipping on them.

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Video subtitles note that the suspect started picking up about a dollar in quarters from the ground.

What a baller. (A gum baller), the subtitles read.

The man then tries to pry open the machines quarter compartment. The shelter pointed out that the bandit ignored a donation box filled with cash sitting a few feet away.

Suspect has a stroke of genius, realizing buildings sometimes have more than one door, another subtitle reads. The man left through another door, throwing the machine over a barbed wire fence.

The video has been shared more than 12,000 times.

The incident happened a little after 5 a.m. on March 7, according to Eddie Macaulay, a detective with the Sacramento Police Department. Police responded to the shelter after receiving a call about the theft.

There have been no arrests made, but it is an active and open investigation, Macaulay said. We encourage anybody who knows the identity of the person to contact the Police Department because wed like to speak to them.

brittny.mejia@latimes.com

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Twitter: @Brittny_MejiaProsecutors have declined to charge two Los Angeles police officers who shot and killed an unarmed man in Van Nuys after he threw a beer bottle through a window of their police car, authorities announced Monday.

Although the officers fired a combined 18 rounds at James Byrd during the 2015 shooting, prosecutors wrote, their actions were legally justified because they reasonably believed Byrd was armed with a gun and had shot at them.

No gun was ever found at the scene. Instead, authorities determined, Byrd shattered the police cars back window with the bottle  a sound the officers and witnesses believed was a gunshot, prosecutors said.

READ: Memo from prosecutors outlining their decision not to file charges against the LAPD officers who shot James Byrd 

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The fact that Byrd did not actually present a deadly threat when the officers reacted is immaterial, prosecutors wrote in an 11-page memo outlining their decision. [The officers] were entitled to respond to an apparent deadly threat with deadly force and they were entitled to engage Byrd until he no longer presented a threat.

Although some of the evidence indicated that police continued to fire at Byrd as he ran  including gunshot wounds to his back and a witness comments that Byrd was ducking from shots  prosecutors determined the officers actions were legally allowed. Because the officers reasonably believed Byrd tried to kill them, a forcible and atrocious crime, they had the legal duty to stop him and were entitled to use deadly force to do so, prosecutors wrote.

In the end, prosecutors said, they felt there was insufficient evidence to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the officers used unreasonable force.

The decision echoes another announced by L.A. County Dist. Atty. Jackie Laceys office last week, when prosecutors said they would not file charges against a now-former LAPD officer who shot and killed a 29-year-old homeless man near the Venice boardwalk.

After LAPD Chief Charlie Beck took the unprecedented step of suggesting charges be brought against the officer who shot Brendon Glenn, many wondered whether the 2015 case would become a watershed moment in L.A., where a law enforcement officer has not been charged in an on-duty shooting in nearly two decades.

Both Byrd and Glenn were unarmed and were killed during a period of intense scrutiny of shootings by police. In both cases, prosecutors said it was reasonable for the officers to perceive the men as threats.

As in Glenns death, the Police Commission  the civilian oversight panel that reviews all shootings by LAPD officers  determined the officers who shot Byrd violated the departments rules for using deadly force.

Beck believed the initial rounds fired by the officers fell within policy, but faulted them for firing an additional 11 rounds, according to a written report he sent to the commission. During the later bursts of gunfire, Beck said, it was not reasonable for the officers to believe Byrd still posed an imminent threat.

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Byrd had a history of schizophrenia, according to his autopsy report. Prosecutors revealed in their memo that he had been living at a Van Nuys care facility, which he left a day before the shooting.

The Oct. 3, 2015, shooting came during heightened tensions within the LAPD after a video had circulated on social media showing what police feared was a threat against officers: a person filming an LAPD patrol car, then flashing the camera down to show a revolver.

The officers were warned about the video at a briefing before they started their shift, which prosecutors noted in their memo. (The LAPD later determined that the video wasnt a threat against officers but a promotional clip filmed by an early 1990s rap group trying to make a comeback.)

About 4  hours after the briefing, Officers Andrew Hacoupian and Zackary Goldstein were stopped at a red light around 11:35 p.m. when the back window of their patrol car shattered. Fearing they were under fire, authorities said, they jumped out of the cruiser and shot at Byrd, who they believed was responsible. The officers rounds peppered nearby buildings.

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One officer told investigators he thought Byrd had a gun in his hand, according to a report Beck gave the Police Commission in 2016. The other said he saw Byrd holding a black object.

Comments made by the officers in the minutes following the shooting showed their actual and honest belief that Byrd shot at them, prosecutors wrote in their memo.

He has a gun, Goldstein reportedly told another officer responding to the scene, according to the memo. And when a sergeant later asked the officer if it was possible that Byrd had fired at him, Goldstein simply replied, Yes.

In the end, police determined Byrd had thrown a 40-ounce beer bottle.

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kate.mather@latimes.com

@katematherFour years ago, Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti vowed to revamp the way the city hires firefighters by introducing more women into a department that has been overwhelmingly male.

Yet despite increasingly aggressive recruitment efforts, the Fire Department has seen only modest gains. Last month, 3.1% of its firefighters were women, according to employment data prepared by the Fire Department. That figure was 2.9% in July 2013, the month Garcetti took office.

The sluggish rate of progress threatens Fire Chief Ralph M. Terrazas push to double the number of women firefighters by 2020. Once civilian employees are added to the tally, the department actually has seen a slight decrease in the overall percentage of women since Garcetti became mayor.

Deputy Mayor Jeff Gorell, who oversees public safety for Garcetti, said the mayor is still pushing to make sure 5% of the departments firefighters are women by 2020. The increase so far, he argued, is not insignificant.

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Were happy to see the increase, he said. Were happy to see the movement in the direction that we want to go, which is to get to 5%.

Garcetti halted hiring at the Fire Department in March 2014 after a series of Times reports exposed nepotism and mismanagement in hiring. At the time, the mayor condemned the citys selection methods as fatally flawed  and promised to ensure that its workforce better reflects the city.

The Fire Departments push to recruit and retain women is a focus not just of the mayor but also his wife, Amy Wakeland. Last month, Gorell and Terrazas went to Getty House, the official mayors residence, to brief Wakeland on the campaign to hire more women.

Amy Elaine Wakeland, wife of Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti, appears at an event at USC in 2017. Wakeland has taken a special interest in efforts to add more women to the ranks of the Fire Department. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times )

On Thursday, Garcetti and Wakeland will co-host a recruitment fair at Getty House for women interested in jobs at the fire and police departments.

Fire Department officials say they have launched publicity campaigns, created promotional videos and gone to colleges and universities in hopes of boosting the number of female applicants. Of the 826 invited to firefighter training since 2013, 61  or 7.4% of the total  were women.

Fire officials also say they are encouraged that the newest class of recruits has nine women and 56 men. Those trainees, who arrived last week, could boost the citys share of female firefighters to 3.3%.

Still, for that number to hold, every female recruit must successfully complete the rigorous five-month boot camp, where potential hires must pass drills while handling heavy ladders, hoses and tools. Thats been a major challenge in recent years.

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Since Garcetti restarted hiring, two classes finished with no women graduating. Last summer, the department examined six consecutive academy classes from 2014 to 2016 and found that only 57% of female recruits graduated. By comparison, 83% of male recruits finished their training successfully.

Some women left the training academy after sustaining injuries, said Fire Commission President Delia Ibarra, a Garcetti appointee. Others have left for personal reasons or because they failed to perform, she said.

We need to figure out  is there anything we can do with policies and practices that can improve our retention rate without sacrificing any of the quality, Ibarra said.

Department officials are looking for strategies to help women perform better overall in the training academy. Yet some of that research has been challenged in recent weeks by the citys firefighter union, department records show.

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On Feb. 1, Independent Assessor Sue Stengel  an in-house Fire Department watchdog  sent the fire chief a written request for documents on testing and evaluations at the fire academy. Stengel made the request, Ibarra said, to understand why women and other groups of recruits are graduating at lower rates.

Stengel asked for journal entries and grading sheets produced during recruit testing. Half an hour later, Ibarra sent an email telling Stengel she needed to first obtain permission from of United Firefighters of Los Angeles City Local 112.

Ibarra also instructed Stengel to obtain legal advice from the citys lawyers on her information request, according to the email, a copy of which was obtained by The Times.

On Feb. 27, the firefighter union sent its own letter, saying the independent assessor lacked the legal authority to obtain personnel records at the academy without the unions consent. For these reasons, [the union] demands that Ms. Stengel cease and desist from her unauthorized conduct, union president Tony Gamboa wrote.

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Neither Gamboa nor Stengel would speak with The Times. Ibarra, for her part, said she believes the assessor can conduct an audit without reviewing employee records. The Fire Department, she said, has been the subject of multiple lawsuits over the role of the independent assessor.

I dont want to get sued again and I dont want the city to get sued again, Ibarra said.

Legal costs have been a huge issue for the department, with the city spending millions to address complaints that firefighters were subjected to gender bias, racial discrimination and other forms of mistreatment.

In one incident, a black firefighter ate dog food fed to him by his colleagues  a firehouse prank that resulted in at least $4 million in legal payouts.

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In the wake of those payments, voters created the position of independent assessor in 2009 to look into the departments handling of employee misconduct. Not long after that vote, then-City Atty. Carmen Trutanich barred the departments first independent assessor from gaining access to the agencys personnel records.

The dispute between Trutanich and then-Independent Assessor Stephen E. Miller produced even more lawsuits. Three of the citys lawyers sued Miller, alleging he engaged in racial and gender discrimination as he fought to see those records. Miller filed his own lawsuit, saying he had been subjected to retaliation by those lawyers.

Garcettis appointees on the Fire Commission fired Miller in 2013.

In 2007, the Los Angeles City Council spent $1.5 million to settle a lawsuit filed by former firefighter Tennie Pierce, who sued after he was fed dog food in a firehouse prank. The council later spent $2.5 million to resolve other lawsuits stemming from that incident. (Gary Friedman / Los Angeles Times )

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Even with its ramped-up recruitment efforts, the department has struggled to ensure that new arrivals outpace the number of women resigning or retiring. The city has added 14 female firefighters since July 2013, bringing the total number to 106, according to city records. But during the same period, the department added nearly 150 male firefighters.

The result is a male-female ratio thats nearly the same as it was in 1995.

The departments struggle to recruit and retain women does not come as a surprise to retired firefighter dLisa Davies, who left in 2015 after 31 years with the department. Davies, who is African American, said a big reason for the lack of progress is that female and minority firefighters frequently experience bullying and other forms of mistreatment on the job.

Davies said that since she retired, at least three female firefighters have told her about harassment they faced from colleagues.

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The consequences for harassment  theyre minimal, she said. The person that complains is usually transferred. Theyre transferred to a station where no one wants them  and then the harassment continues.

In the decade leading up to her retirement, Davies filed a complaint with the federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, saying she experienced racial and gender discrimination during her time at the department. The city ultimately paid Davies $325,000 and agreed to have the federal government monitor the departments anti-discrimination training programs.

Last month, the fire chief issued a written warning to department employees about workplace behavior, telling firefighters they need to treat one another with respect. In his letter, Terrazas reminded department employees that they must use the title firefighter, not fireman.

david.zahniser@latimes.com

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ben.welsh@latimes.com

Twitter: @palewireHis whole career, Pomona Police Officer Greggory Casillas had worked up to this day: His last field training shift before he could finally ride solo.

The shift marked the end of his ghost phase of training, a two-week stretch when his training officer wore civilian clothes, mostly observing to make sure he was ready. Casillas told a co-worker that he could not wait to be on his own.

He was so excited, said Allison Campos, a jailer with the Pomona Police Department. He really wanted it. Ive never met someone so eager to become a police officer.

Then tragedy struck.

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During that Friday shift, a reckless driver led officers on a pursuit that ended with a crash. Casillas, 30, followed the driver into a Pomona apartment complex, where the man was barricaded in one of the units.

As Casillas approached, he was struck by bullets fired from behind a door. He was taken to a hospital, where he died. A second officer who was shot in the face trying to save him was released from the hospital and is recovering from his wounds.

The suspected shooter was arrested on suspicion of murder and attempted murder and is due in court this week.

1 / 11 People attend a vigil for fallen Pomona Police Officer Greggory Casillas at the Pomona Police Department on Sunday evening. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times) 2 / 11 Pomona Chief of Police Mike Oliveri, right, offers his condolences to Greggory Casillas Sr., father of fallen Pomona Police Officer Greggory Casillas, at the end of a vigil. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times) 3 / 11 A family member, in baseball cap, receives a hug of support at a vigil for fallen Pomona Police Officer Greggory Casillas. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times) 4 / 11 Pomona Chief of Police Mike Oliveri, right, and Pomona Police Sgt. Art Catanese pray with others at a vigil for fallen Pomona Police Officer Greggory Casillas. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times) 5 / 11 Greggory Casillas Sr., father of fallen Pomona Police Officer Greggory Casillas, mourns his sons death during a vigil in his honor. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times) 6 / 11 Family members of fallen Pomona Police Officer Greggory Casillas sit in the front row during a vigil at the Pomona Police Department pn Sunday evening. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times) 7 / 11 Officers with the Pomona Police Department stand in line at a vigil for fallen colleague Greggory Casillas. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times) 8 / 11 People attend a vigil for fallen Pomona Police Officer Greggory Casillas at the citys Police Department headquarters Sunday evening. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times) 9 / 11 Carrying flowers, Claudia Guzman, the wife of fallen Pomona Police Officer Greggory Casillas, walks with her brother Jose Guzman, second from right, before a vigil for Casillas. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times) 10 / 11 A woman leaves flowers in memory of fallen Pomona Police Officer Greggory Casillas in front of police headquarters. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times) 11 / 11 Carlota Cruz, 72, of Pomona holds a sign at a vigil for fallen Pomona Police Officer Greggory Casillas at the Pomona Police Department on Sunday evening. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)

More than 300 mourners gathered outside Pomona police headquarters Sunday night for a candlelight vigil, where officers wore black mourning bands with the number 16  Casillas badge number  over their badges.

Losing Gregg has ripped a hole in the hearts of his family and members of this department, Pomona Police Chief Michael Olivieri said at the vigil.

Colleagues remembered the 6-foot-4 Casillas as a gentle giant, a hard worker who loved to joke around with and motivate his co-workers. A father of two small children, he was just starting to build a family with his wife, they said.

He was such a go-getter, Campos said. Never let anything, anyone bring us down.

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The road to becoming an officer wasnt easy, but it was Casillas long-term goal  and he earned it, his colleagues said. He joined the Pomona department in 2014, getting his foot in the door as a records specialist before working his way up.

It was his dream to be a police officer, said Dawn Coday, a senior records specialist with the department. It was happening, his dream was just beginning.

Fallen Officer Greggory Casillas, 30, was sworn in as a police officer in September. (Pomona Police Department )

In the records department, Casillas pored over officers reports, studying how to write them, as he hoped to do someday.

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Later, he became a jailer, where he worked with Myra Williams, a seasoned jailer who has been with the agency more than 15 years.

When he was training, he would want to do everything by himself, she said, recalling him saying, Hey, Williams, how do you do this? Show me, but dont show me.

Rowdy inmates, she added, would settle down in his presence. Last week, the last time she saw him, she joked with him, knowing he was so close to achieving his goal.

Casillas, youre not done yet? she told him.

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Almost, Williams, almost, he replied.

Campos, who also worked with Casillas in the jail, said he always carried study materials: Flashcards of penal codes, books to prepare for the police officer exam. He ate healthy, bringing home-cooked chicken and rice without spices to work, and stayed in shape so hed be ready when he was accepted into the police academy.

He was willing to do what ever he had to, Campos said.

Eventually, he got the email: a conditional offer to be a Pomona police recruit. He told Campos that he hoped hed get an academy start date soon.

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And he did. He graduated from the San Bernardino County Sheriffs Academy and was sworn into the Pomona police agency in September.

He earned his spot, said Lt. Marcus Perez, whose godson completed the academy with Casillas.

As a supervisor who joined the agency 25 years ago, Perez periodically checked in with field training officers to see how trainees were doing.

When it came to Casillas, the answer was always the same: That guy learns quick, Perez recalled trainers saying.  You only need to tell him one time, and thats it  thats the kind of character he had.

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Campos, who also always dreamed of becoming a police officer, is now more motivated than ever.

He didnt get to do the job he wanted to, she said, through tears. But I hope that I can make him proud.

alene.tchekmedyian@latimes.com

Twitter: @AleneTchek

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UPDATES:

10:35 p.m.: This article was updated with a statement from the police chief at the vigil.

This article was originally published at 8:45 p.m.A man suspected of shooting two Pomona police officers, one fatally, is scheduled to appear in a Pomona courthouse Tuesday morning, records show.

Isaias De Jesus Valencia was arrested after a 15-hour standoff that began with a pursuit late Friday.

Police received a call about a reckless driver, and when the suspect refused to stop, he led police on a chase that ended when he crashed into a parked car. The man then ran into an apartment building, where he fired at officers from behind a door of a unit, police said.

He was booked on suspicion of murder and attempted murder, and is being held without bail, according to Los Angeles County Sheriffs Department jail records.

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Before the shooting, Valencia had a history of arrests in the Pomona area, according to public records.

Nearly three years ago, he was sent to state prison for illegally possessing a firearm and ammunition and discharging a gun in a school zone, as well as destruction of jail property, according to California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation press secretary Vicky Waters. He was out on probation roughly a year later.

Valencia had suffered from depression and drug addiction, according to Amos Young, an acquaintance who knew him through the Pomona church Kingdom of God Revelation Ministries.

Young also said Valencia had served in the military. Those who knew him had tried to offer him help without success, he said.

Hed say, Im fine, Im fine, Young said. No one could force him to go to Tri-City [Mental Health]. No one could force him to contact a rehab.

Detectives were still examining the crime scene Sunday afternoon on Palomares Street, where residents had been evacuated.

Later Sunday evening, hundreds of people attended a candlelight vigil outside the Pomona police headquarters for the fallen officer. Police officers wore black mourning bands with the number 16, Officer Greggory Casillas badge number, over their badges.

Casillas, a 30-year-old father who had been on the job for six months, was on his last day of field training when he was killed.

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A second officer who was shot in the face trying to save him was released from a hospital and is recovering from his wounds.

emily.alpert@latimes.com

Twitter: @AlpertReyes

alene.tchekmedyian@latimes.com

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Twitter: @AleneTchekThe Los Angeles city attorney on Monday announced charges against two parents who kept unsecured guns in their homes and whose children threatened violence against their schools and peers, officials said.

City Atty. Mike Feuer filed the charges last week against San Fernando Valley parents Robert Christy and Dazo Esguerra accusing both fathers of keeping firearms easily accessible to teenage sons who made threats in February, Feuers office said.

For goodness sake, lock up your guns. Theres no excuse not to, Feuer said Monday in a prepared statement. Locking up firearms saves lives and its the law. Incidents like these are potential school shooting tragedies waiting to happen. My office will continue taking swift, decisive action against parents who dont safely store their guns.

Christy, 59, faces three misdemeanor counts of unlawful storage of a firearm and faces up to six months in jail and a $1,000 fine for each count, officials said. Prosecutors say that on Feb. 5, Christys 16-year-old son made threats to other students that he was going to shoot up Chatsworth Charter High School and had made numerous references to his parents guns.

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On Feb. 17, three days after a gunman killed 17 people at a high school in Florida, Los Angeles School Police searched the local teens home after a parent reported his previous threats, officials said.

Investigators found two revolvers and a semi-automatic handgun unsecured in a bag behind a dresser in the homes master bedroom along with 90 rounds of ammunition. An unsecured rifle was found in the bedroom closet, authorities said.

In Esguerras case, police were following up on reports that his 17-year-old son had made threats involving a gun to a student at Granada Hills Charter High School and had made social media posts with a firearm.

Officers searched the boys home and found a loaded semi-automatic handgun in a bag in Esguerras closet along with a loaded magazine.

Esguerra, 50, faces one count each of criminal storage of a firearm and unlawful storage of a firearm and faces up to six months in jail and $1,000 in fines for each count.

Both parents are scheduled to be arraigned April 2, Feuers office said.

School safety begins at home, and so does the potential for school tragedies, City Councilmember Paul Krekorian, author of the citys safe storage mandate, said in a statement. Parents who own guns must lock them up to prevent them from falling into the wrong hands. It is intolerable for us as a government or society to allow young people to be endangered in the very places they should feel secure, which is why the City of Los Angeles is doing everything in its power to curb gun violence.

joseph.serna@latimes.com

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For breaking California news, follow @JosephSerna on Twitter.With President Trump heading to the Los Angeles area Tuesday for a high-dollar campaign fundraiser on his first White House visit to California, law enforcement will be ratcheting up in preparation for potential protests.

While details of the Trump visit remain clouded in secrecy, he is scheduled to attend an evening fundraiser for his reelection campaign when he visits California for the first time in his presidency and Los Angeles police and sheriffs officials are ready for spontaneous protests. Earlier in the day, Trump will inspect prototypes for a border wall, a key component of his campaign platform of a tough line on immigration.

His administration and the states Democratic leadership have repeatedly clashed over immigration, environmental and other policies. The visit comes on the heels of the Department of Justice suing California over state laws that offer protections for immigrants in the country illegally.

We are prepared for anything, said Los Angeles Deputy Police Chief Horace Frank, who oversees the counter-terrorism and special operations bureau. Frank said while no permitted protests in the form of marches are planned, authorities do expect to see protesters and supporters out in numbers during a presidential visit.

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At least one protest is planned in the Beverly Hills area between 4 and 8 p.m Tuesday by a Facebook group, Trump Not Welcome in LA. The LAPD is preparing for many more protests of various sizes on the Westside.

I anticipate many more once his itinerary is known, said LAPD Deputy Chief Dennis Kato, who oversees the departments West Bureau.

Trumps earlier visits to L.A. while he was a candidate did bring out demonstrators.

Some protests are also planned for the San Diego area.

The political group Union del Barrios Los Angeles chapter is organizing the Beverly Hills protest.

Ron Gochez, a political secretary with the chapter, said more than 1,000 people were following the Beverly Hills protest Facebook page even though he was still unclear about where the protest would take place.

He cannot step foot in this state and not expect an organized response to denounce him, Gochez said.

Los Angeles County Sheriff Jim McDonnell said as with all presidential visits his deputies will be involved in supporting the U.S. Secret Service and ensure public safety. McDonnell said so far there are no formal protests but he expects more spontaneous social media drive actions.

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Police officials say they will enforce laws that require protesters to stay off the streets and private property and will keep supporters and protesters from engaging in physical confrontation. In the past, large immigration marches and anti-Trump protests have seen clashes between supporters of the president and his opponents.

Officers in the event of trouble will be ready to deploy to potential protest hot spots but will seek to keep a low profile unless needed, officials said.

While the fundraiser is described as in Beverly Hills, police officials there on Friday said the president is not scheduled to visit the city. Often areas in adjacent Los Angeles are described as Beverly Hills because they use a Beverly Hills postcode. Several key Trump fundraisers who actively participated in his presidential campaign live in those areas.

Donors will contribute up to $250,000 each to Trumps campaign and various Republican National Committee accounts to attend the Tuesday evening event at an undisclosed location in Beverly Hills.

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The fundraiser is being hosted by Republican National Committee Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel, national finance chairman Todd Ricketts and deputy national finance chairman Elliott Broidy.

Whether supporters or protesters see much of the presidential motorcade remains to be seen. Exactly how Trump plans to get to the fundraiser remains under wraps as is usual for the U.S. Secret Service. President Obama, who regularly made the trip to Hollywood fundraisers, came in for criticism for repeatedly causing traffic jams on the citys Westside. On some occasions, that lead Obama to fly a helicopter into an open field nearer the venue.

Earlier in the day, Trump will inspect border wall prototypes in San Diego. There the county sheriff seeing the potential for clashes between supporters and opponents has had the county institute a ban on a possession of a variety of objects including, rocks, bottles and bats surrounding the area where the president is slated to visit Tuesday morning.

The border wall is among the most contentious issues that have seen the heavily Democratic California and its politicians repeatedly clash with the Republican president.

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To read this article in Spanish click here

richard.winton@latimes.com

Twitter: @lacrimes

UPDATES:

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10 a.m.: This post was updated with more details about protests.

This post was originally published at 8:36 a.m.A Los Angeles judge has ruled that a spouse in California is the presumptive healthcare decision maker when the partner is in a persistent vegetative state.

Ruling in the case of a San Gabriel Valley man, Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Mary Thornton House said that in the event that there is no advance directive for someone in a vegetative state, their partner can decide for them. California law, House noted in her ruling, has left a gap when it comes to this issue.

The case involves Juan Fernando Romero, who suffered a lack of oxygen to the brain in May 2015 that left him in a persistent vegetative state at a San Gabriel Valley hospital.

His wife, Ana Romero, in 2016 sought to remove his life support and feeding tube, saying he would never return from the vegetative state again. But his sister sued to gain control of the end-of-life decision from his wife.

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The sisters attorneys argued in legal papers the wife did not have the right to make the decision under the law and lawmakers in setting out the law had emphasized family consensus. Her attorneys argued that her brother did not want to die and it was against his Roman Catholic belief that life is sacred.

But House ruled the wife did have the right to make the decision for the father of their two young children, who is unresponsive to physical and psychological stimuli. As his spouse, Ana is the presumptive healthcare surrogate for Juan Fernando in light of his incapacitation, House wrote.

The case is reminiscent of the Terri Schiavo case in Florida in which her husband sought to disconnect life support and her parents fought him for years in the courts in a highly publicized and prolonged series of legal challenges.

In the Romero case, the judge noted that Juan Fernando Romero had discussed with his wife the issue of not prolonging death. Not one member of Juan Fernandos immediate family (mother, father, sisters) ever discussed with him what his wishes were if he was in a permanent vegetative state, bedridden, and unable to recover or communicate, House noted of the testimony.

His brain function, she added, was limited to subcortical and that he would never recover.

While his family insisted he was still able to give them signs including a kiss, House, based on expert testimony, found otherwise. As a result of the overwhelming evidence that Juan Fernando is incapable of any kind of conscious response, [his sister] Lilians beliefs that her brother is aware of her and communicating with her are mistaken.

House, while noting that state laws have left a gap in describing the order of who makes decisions for an unconscious patient, ruled that case law showed that Ana Romeros decision making as her husbands surrogate was in full compliance with the states Health Care Decisions Law.

Six months into the legal fight, Juan Fernando Romero died last summer. But because of the larger legal issue, the case continued. House in her ruling noted that the case reflected issues of continuing public importance.

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I am thankful for the judges ruling validating my judgment to follow my husbands preferences for end-of-life care after doctors said he would not recover, Ana Romero said in a statement. But she added the litigation prevented me from honoring my husbands preferences for his end-of-life care, so he needlessly lingered for another six months before he died.

Attorneys for Romeros sister at the Life Legal Defense Foundation did not return telephone calls for comment on the ruling.

The case, attorneys for Ana Romero said, illustrates the need for advance directives in California. The case also evolved into a struggle of politics, with right to life legal counsel for his relatives and liberal legal activists for his wife.

Ana Romero could have decided to drop this case after her husband died to focus on her role as a single mother of their two young children and sole family breadwinner, said Jonathan Patterson, one of her lawyers and staff attorney for Compassion & Choices, an end-of-life care advocacy group. But she bravely battled on to ensure Fernandos tragedy served a greater purpose to benefit others, by discouraging similar lawsuits that only cause pain and suffering for everyone involved.

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richard.winton@latimes.com

Twitter: @lacrimesAll five passengers aboard a helicopter that crashed into New Yorks East River were killed, a spokesman for the New York Police Department confirmed early Monday morning.

Police say a sixth person in the crash Sunday night, the pilot, freed himself and was rescued by a passing tugboat .

Video taken by a bystander and posted on Twitter shows the red helicopter land hard in the river and then capsize, its rotors slapping at the water.

The helicopter, a private charter hired for a photo shoot, went down near Gracie Mansion, the mayoral residence.

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The passengers were recovered by police and fire department divers, who had to remove them from tight harnesses while they were upside down, Fire Commissioner Daniel Nigro said.

Witnesses on a waterfront esplanade near where the aircraft went down said the helicopter was flying noisily, then suddenly dropped into the water and quickly submerged. But the pilot appeared on the surface, holding on to a flotation device as a tugboat and then police boats approached.

@cnn @FoxNews just witnessed a helicopter crash into the East River .. hope everyones ok. Caught it all on tape! pic.twitter.com/saHOMTLR69  JJ Magers (@JJmagers) March 11, 2018

Its cold water. It was sinking really fast, Mary Lee, 66, told the New York Post. By the time we got out here, we couldnt see it. It was underwater.

News video showed one victim being loaded into an ambulance while emergency workers gave him chest compressions.

Bystander Susan Larkin told the Associated Press that she went down to see rescue boats in the river and a police helicopter circling overhead, hovering low over the water.

You could clearly see they were searching, she said.

A Federal Aviation Administration spokeswoman said the Eurocopter AS350 went down just after 7 p.m. The aircraft was owned by Liberty Helicopters, a company that offers private charters and sightseeing tours popular with tourists. A phone message left with the company was not immediately returned.

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The skies over New York constantly buzz with helicopters carrying tourists, businesspeople, traffic reporters, medical teams and others. Crashes are not unheard of.

In 2009, a sightseeing helicopter of the same model and operated by the same company as the one in Sundays wreck collided with a small private plane over the Hudson River, killing nine people, including a group of Italian tourists.

A crash in October 2011 in the East River killed a British woman visiting the city for her 40th birthday. Three other passengers were injured.

A helicopter on a sightseeing tour of Manhattan crashed into the Hudson River in July 2007, shaking up the eight people aboard but injuring no one. In June 2005, two helicopters crashed into the East River in the same week. One injured eight people, including some banking executives. The other hit the water shortly after takeoff on a sightseeing flight, injuring six tourists and the pilot.

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Nigro and Police Commissioner James ONeill said the rescue Sunday took place in a 4-mph current in water about 50 feet deep, challenging conditions.

Officials did not immediately release the names of the pilot or passengers.

The helicopter was recovered and towed to a pier.

UPDATES:

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11:10 p.m.: This article was updated with police confirming five deaths.

This article was originally published at 7:35 p.m.So President Trump will visit our state this week. Aint that a hoot? Hes already declared war on Californias middle class with a punitive tax code, sicced Atty. Gen. Jeff Sessions on our pro-marijuana and -immigrant policies, and insulted many of our fine representatives, including Adam Schiff (D-Burbank), Nancy Pelosi (D-San Francisco) and Maxine Waters (D-Los Angeles)  but strangely enough, never Dana Rohrabacher (R-Huntington Beach), whos so pro-Russia he makes Boris Badenov look like Captain America.

We see this jaunt for what it is: The emperor wants to inspect his new lands and show the world he can make the conquered natives bend the knee. Its taken a while, though; no president has taken longer to visit California after his election since Franklin Delano Roosevelt in 1936. The reason for the delay? His Trumpness has no clothes. Hes terrified of us. He wants nothing but adulation and glory and doesnt dare meet anyone wholl offer any bit of criticism whatsoever.

Thanks to Trump, OC has turned into the GOPs graveyard.

Thats why his only two scheduled appearances so far are a fundraiser with the One Percenters in Beverly Hills and a review of prototypes for his beloved border wall. And thats why hes skipping Orange County. No rally, no fundraiser, no nada.

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Because we, of all people, dont want him here. And in other news, the New York Times had an original insight about Los Angeles.

This development is big  Big One-big. Orange County has served as the Republican Partys emotional-support animal for generations. Barry Goldwater once famously quipped that the only states he carried during his disastrous 1964 presidential run were Arizona and Orange County. Its where rising conservative stars used to test their material before party elders and wealthy donors, where angry suburban voters reliably voted GOP in the name of liberty and fewer Mexicans.

Trump did hold a raucous rally at the Pacific Amphitheatre in Costa Mesa in April 2016. He bragged to his audience that 31,000 people were there  never mind that the Amphitheatre only holds 8,500. He returned that May to a far-smaller crowd at the Anaheim Convention Center, then ignored OC and hasnt even texted since.

It seems even Trump is capable of learning. He mustve realized that this isnt the Orange County of old.

Weve been majority-minority since at least 2004. Activists have created progressive pockets from Laguna Woods to Santa Ana and beyond. GOP registration has fallen precipitously as young voters have either sided decline-to-state or Democrat. All of these changes culminated in Hillary Clinton taking OC in the general election, the first time a Democrat did so since FDR in 1936.

Of course it wasnt just activists and demographics that helped Clinton along  it was Trump. I know a lot of GOPers who despised their candidate so much that they either didnt vote for any president or wrote in someone else. Jon Fleischman of the Flash Report, a man so conservative he probably doesnt do left turns while driving, announced on social media that he voted for Vin Scully as president.

Trump did the political equivalent of USC losing to Fresno State in the Freedom Bowl. (Look that one up, sports-hating lefties.) And whats happened in Orange County ever since should give the rest of the country hope. At the positive extreme: Invigorated activists have harangued OCs congressional GOP base, pushing two long-timers, Reps. Ed Royce of Fullerton and Darrell Issa of Vista, into early retirement. In 1990, the GOP held a 22 point lead over Democrats in voter registration; at last count, it was down to 2.8 thanks to young people and Latinos.

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The media and political sharks have taken note. National correspondents from the Wall Street Journal to CNN to even Curbed have parachuted in to proclaim that this isnt John Waynes Orange County any more. (Pro tip: Even John Wayne wasnt John Wayne  all his children are half-Latinos.).

One almost feels sorry for Trump, that he cant get a heros welcome in Orange County. In 1984, Ronald Reagan kicked off his reelection campaign at Mile Square Park in Fountain Valley to an audience of 50,000, with 15,000 people turned away. This is when the Gipper told reporters the quote that local conservatives bragged about for decades: that Orange County was where all the good Republicans go to die.

Now, thanks to Trump, OC has turned into the GOPs graveyard. Enjoy the Golden State, 45, and dont let the California burritos hit you on the way out.

mexicanwithglasses@gmail.com

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Twitter: @gustavoArellano

Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinion or FacebookMass shootings dominate the headlines and seem to drive the movement to change gun policy, but reducing gun suicides could save many more lives. More than 20,000 people each year kill themselves with a gun; thats twice the number of gun homicides. The Parkland, Fla., massacre claimed 17 lives; roughly 59 people die by gun suicide each day.

An innovative new law could bring down this tragic death toll. Washington will soon become the first state in the country to enact a firearm choice law. It passed by wide margins in the state Senate and House, with support from Democrats as well as Republicans, and is now awaiting Gov. Jay Inslees signature.

Give people who believe that they may become a risk to themselves or others a way to put distance between themselves and firearms.

The idea is simple: Give people who believe that they may become a risk to themselves or others a way to put distance between themselves and firearms. Under the new law, Washington citizens can add their names to a do-not-sell list, thereby suspending their ability to buy guns from licensed dealers.

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Legislative consensus around this program was achievable because the measure is entirely voluntary. No one is taking away anyones right to bear arms.

Adding your name to the list does not have to be a permanent choice. Those who sign up can later change their minds. They need only make the request and wait seven days. The Washington law in essence gives people the right to opt in to a waiting period.

Two recent studies have shown that purchase delays are effective in reducing suicide. Waiting periods work because suicide is often impulsive. Even if someone turned away at a gun dealership attempts suicide using another method, he is much more likely to survive than if hed used a firearm. And only 10% of people who survive a suicide attempt go on to die by self-harm.

Washington will be the first to enact a firearm choice law, but legislators in California and three other states have introduced versions of it. Some would make the waiver more durable by having participants wait up to three weeks before their rescission becomes effective, or by having them convince a judge or a psychiatrist that they are not a risk to themselves or others.

The Washington law also gives participants the option of designating a third-party contact to be notified if a voluntary waiver of firearm rights is revoked. The California bill expands this option by allowing participants to list up to five electronic mail addresses with the registry to be contacted promptly if the person subsequently requests that his or her name be removed from the registry. These notification options, which were the brainchild of Washington state Sen. Jamie Pedersen, can give a registrants friends, family or healthcare providers, for example, timely warning to check in with a registrant before he regains his right to purchase a weapon.

We have conducted two surveys that suggest a substantial proportion of at-risk people would choose this method of self-defense. One study of people seeking psychiatric care at a major medical center found that 46% would restrict their future gun purchases in this way. A more recent study of internet users found that about a third of the general population, and 43% of those who had been previously diagnosed with a mental disorder, would be willing to waive the right to purchase or possess guns.

These studies show that many people who are at an elevated risk of harming themselves or others are willing during moments of clarity to figuratively tie their own hands.

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The firearm-choice idea is a natural addition to the red flag statutes that already exist in several states and are under active consideration in others. These statutes give police and private citizens the ability to bring ex parte petitions for temporary gun removal if they can convince a court that a particular person poses risk of imminent personal injury to self or others.

Although red flag statutes represent the more obvious path to preventing mass shootings, firearm choice laws could help in this area as well. Two months before the Parkland massacre, the suspected shooter, Nikolas Cruz, called 911 and told the dispatcher that he kind of got mad, and I started punching walls. Cruzs call to 911 was a cry for help. If the dispatcher had given him the option to temporarily waive his right to purchase and possess firearms, he, like hundreds of people in our studies, might have voluntarily disarmed.

The state of Washington has shown that it is possible to enhance individual liberty by giving people a new firearm choice that will reduce gun deaths. It turns out that libertarian gun control is not an oxymoron.

Ian Ayres is a law professor at Yale. Fredrick Vars is a law professor at the University of Alabama

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Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinion or FacebookTo the editor: Does anything really change because President Trumps acceptance of an invitation to meet with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un gave a propaganda victory to Pyongyang? (Whatever comes next, North Koreas Kim Jong Un can claim a win against Trump, March 9)

The fact is that this meeting, if it ever takes place, represents a historic opportunity for face-to-face discussions to address a major world threat: North Koreas nuclear weapons.

For decades, under Presidents Clinton, Bush and Obama, the United States has been gamed by North Korea, as we have totally failed to stop the development of nuclear weapons and the missiles to deliver them. The bureaucratic protocols and diplomacy of the past have not worked.

Maybe its time to try the unorthodox, direct approach favored by Trump. Lets give peace a chance.

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Glynn Morris, Playa del Rey

..

To the editor: Why does our government demonize a country that, during the Korean War, was utterly destroyed? Our Air Force went so far as to bomb dams, taking out the norths electricity supplies and ruining rice crops.

The North Koreans have very good reason to want a deterrent to protect themselves from the United States, which has invaded, intervened and destroyed countries that could not adequately defend themselves. Consider Libya, a country that gave up its nuclear program only to be bombed and its government overthrown with the help of our government.

Joseph Tillotson, Redondo Beach

..

To the editor: Kim truly is delusional if he thinks meeting with Trump will bring him recognition as a world power.

Some countries with similar leadership may appear to give him what he wants, but the rest of the world will continue to view him as an unstable dictator of a small impoverished country who has no regard for human life.

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Arline George, Reseda

..

To the editor: Times reporter Barbara Demick believes that since no other sitting United States president has had the intestinal fortitude to attempt an ice-breaking communication with a particular adversary, it is a victory for the other leader.

Is not any attempt to remove the current threat posed by a major war a good action, even though it involves Trump? The meeting between Kim and our president may never take place, but even the possibility of an opening of communications to end the Korean War deserves to be celebrated.

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I think it is time for all of us to put aside the unimportant issues of personal errors and human foibles and instead focus on the big picture.

Bob Curran, Hollywood

..

To the editor: This one-upmanship between Kim and Trump reminds me of mock world leaders Charlie Chaplin (as Hitler) and Jack Oakie (as Mussolini) battling each other by pumping their barber chairs higher in the 1940 film The Great Dictator.

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Lets hope the Trump-Kim faceoff turns out to be a comedy as well.

Terry De Wolfe, Monterey Park

Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinion and Facebook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President Trump is pushing forward with a plan to arm teachers and improve background checks for gun purchases, but has retreated from his promise to raise the age limit to buy certain kinds of weapons, a move many see as caving to the National Rifle Assn.

Trump wrote on Twitter on Monday that there is not much political support (to put it mildly) for raising the age limit from 18 to 21 to purchase powerful rifles like the one used to kill 17 people at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla., last month.

During a meeting with six students and families from the Florida high school in the White House last month, Trump pledged to be strong on increasing the age limit. A recent CNN poll found strong support for the idea, including among Republicans.

But Trump backed off that stance in recent weeks, following a White House meeting with NRA officials.

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Rather than push for the comprehensive gun legislation he urged Congress to pass just last month, Trump now wants state and local officials to take the lead in setting age limits and other issues.

States are making this decision, Trump wrote Monday, making an apparent reference to Republican Gov. Rick Scotts decision to sign a state law requiring gun buyers to be 21 and imposing a three-day waiting period on most gun purchases.

The Florida bill also allows school staff to carry firearms, an idea Trump has championed but that is opposed by the National Education Assn., the largest teachers lobby in the country, and other groups.

Highly trained expert teachers will be allowed to conceal carry, subject to State Law, Trump wrote on Monday.

The Trump administration wants to help states provide teachers with rigorous firearms training, a White House official said Sunday night during a call with reporters describing the administrations efforts to prevent school shootings. But it was unclear if that meant offering new federal funding.

The point is that schools should have this tool if they choose to use the tool, Education Secretary Betsy DeVos said on NBCs Today show. Communities should have the tools, states should have the tool, but nobody should be mandated to do it.

DeVos will lead the Federal Commission on School Safety to study ways to prevent school shootings, and make specific recommendations, the White House announced Sunday.

When asked if her commission will consider raising the age limit on guns, DeVos said the group would look at it, but was noncommittal about what may emerge.

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The commission will also look at entertainment rating systems for violent movies and video games, how the media covers mass shootings, and whether an Obama-era program to rethink school discipline should be dismantled, among other things.

Trumps creation of another commission was surprising, given his comments Saturday at a campaign rally in Pennsylvania, where he derided the usual Washington practice of creating a blue ribbon committee to talk, talk, talk about problems, rather than taking decisive action.

In addition to setting up DeVos commission, the White House is backing a bill designed to improve the federal background check system currently used for gun store purchases, and supports a separate piece of legislation to authorize grants for violence prevention training in schools.

But the White House considers a bill that raises the age limit on gun purchases to be unlikely to pass.

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The president has decided to focus first on pushing through things that have broad bipartisan support such as background checks, White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said. Age limits on guns is one of those things that will be reviewed, she said.

He hasnt backed away from these things at all, Sanders said about raising the age limit. We are focused on things we can do immediately.

The Department of Justice is pushing through new regulations to ban the sale of bump stocks that make rifles fire like automatic weapons, a product used by a gunman to kill 59 people from a window of the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino in Las Vegas last October.

Trump has also ordered the Justice Department to help local police provide firearms training for school staff, when requested, the White House said. And he wants to encourage retired law enforcement officers and military veterans to find work in schools.

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Trumps backsliding on guns echoed his seesawing on the immigration debate. Last fall, Trump told lawmakers hed take the heat on an immigration proposal that protected Dreamers from deportation. But days later, he refused to support a bipartisan compromise that paired border security spending with a legalization program for people brought to the country illegally as children.

Its also a sign that Trump, even though he has chastised others for being afraid of the NRA, isnt willing to push too hard against the politically powerful gun owners lobby.

President Trump has completely caved to the gun lobby,' said Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.).

At the White House last month, Trump needled Republican Sen. Patrick J. Toomey of Pennsylvania and Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia for being afraid of the NRA and not increasing the gun purchase age limit in their bipartisan bill to strengthen background checks on gun sales.

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Trump called the NRA great patriots in the Feb. 28 meeting, but went on to say: that doesnt mean we have to agree on everything. It doesnt make sense that I have to wait until Im 21 to get a handgun, but I can get this weapon at 18.

Very strong improvement and strengthening of background checks will be fully backed by White House. Legislation moving forward. Bump Stocks will soon be out. Highly trained expert teachers will be allowed to conceal carry, subject to State Law. Armed guards OK, deterrent!.......  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 12, 2018

....On 18 to 21 Age Limits, watching court cases and rulings before acting. States are making this decision. Things are moving rapidly on this, but not much political support (to put it mildly).  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 12, 2018

If schools are mandated to be gun free zones, violence and danger are given an open invitation to enter. Almost all school shootings are in gun free zones. Cowards will only go where there is no deterrent!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 12, 2018

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brian.bennett@latimes.com

Twitter: @ByBrianBennett

UPDATES:

1:50 p.m.: This article was updated with comments from White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders.

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This article was originally published at 11:35 a.m.Porn actress Stormy Daniels offered Monday to give President Trump $130,000 if she is released from her deal to keep quiet about the sexual relationship she says she had with him in 2006.

Daniels, who received $130,000 from a company set up by Trumps lawyer as part of the confidentiality pact, has sued Trump in an effort to void the deal.

The Trump lawyer, Michael Cohen, says the hush money came from his own home-equity credit line, but has left unclear whether the president reimbursed him. Daniels proposal to return her $130,000 to Trump, regardless of where the money originated, was part of an offer to settle a lawsuit she filed last week against Trump.

The settlement, outlined in a letter from Daniels attorney, Michael Avenatti of Newport Beach, would let Daniels talk freely about her relationship with Trump and the attempts to silence her.

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It would allow Daniels to make public any of her text messages, photos or videos that involve the president. Under the confidentiality deal, reached days before the 2016 presidential election, she was required to turn over all such material to Trump.

The settlement would bar Trump and his representatives from seeking a court order to block CBS News from airing a 60 Minutes interview that Daniels did last week with contributor Anderson Cooper.

The offer, first reported by the New York Times, expires at 9 a.m. Pacific time Tuesday.

The proposal was sent to Cohen and another Trump attorney, Lawrence Rosen. Neither responded to an email seeking comment.

Daniels lawsuit, filed March 6 in Los Angeles, accuses Cohen of using intimidation and coercive tactics to keep Daniels from going public with her story. She says Cohen surreptitiously initiated a bogus arbitration proceeding that yielded a temporary restraining order requiring Daniels to honor the confidentiality agreement. The suit argues that the deal is invalid because Trump did not sign it.

Trumps alleged pursuit of extramarital sex is causing him mounting legal troubles, starting with the hardball tactics that Daniels has used to escape the constraints of her hush-money deal. While avoiding direct public remarks about the alleged affair, Daniels is capitalizing on all the publicity with a Make America Horny Again tour of strip clubs from coast to coast.

Avenatti has been less coy, stating bluntly on national television that his client had sex with Trump.

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Common Cause, a nonpartisan ethics group, has filed complaints with the Justice Department and Federal Election Commission alleging the hush money was paid to influence the presidential election. It accuses the Trump campaign of breaking federal law by failing to disclose the payment as a campaign expense.

On Monday, Common Cause amended its complaints to accuse Trump and Cohen personally of violating federal election law.

If the allegations prove true it is hard to argue credibly that hush-money payments to cover up an affair between a presidential candidate and an adult film star, weeks before the election, were not intended to influence that election, said Paul S. Ryan, the groups vice president for policy and litigation.

Hush money may be commonplace in some businesses, but when it is spent to influence a federal election it must be disclosed  without exception.

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Cohen, who used his Trump Organization email to make bank arrangements for the $130,000 payment in October 2016, denies any campaign laws were broken.

Like Common Cause, Daniels alleges in her lawsuit that Trumps effort to silence her was meant to sway the election.

Daniels, 38, whose real name is Stephanie Clifford, says that she met Trump in 2006 at a Lake Tahoe golf tournament. In 2011, she told In Touch magazine that she had sex with Trump that weekend, which was just months after his wife, Melania, gave birth to their son, Barron. Daniels says she continued seeing him through much of 2007, including an encounter in a bungalow at the Beverly Hills Hotel.

In the closing weeks of his campaign, more than a dozen women accused Trump of sexual misconduct. Daniels says that after Trump was heard on an Access Hollywood tape boasting that he could grab women by the genitals because he was a celebrity, she wanted to speak publicly about her relationship with him. But Cohen, Trumps longtime fixer, pressured her into signing the confidentiality agreement, she says.

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Summer Zervos in New York on Dec. 5, 2017. (Mary Altaffer / Associated Press )

One of the other women, Summer Zervos, has filed a defamation suit against Trump in New York. A few weeks before the 2016 election, Zervos, a former contestant on The Apprentice, accused Trump of trying to force himself on her in 2006 in a bungalow at the Beverly Hills Hotel. After Trump called her a liar, she sued him, demanding a retraction or apology.

Trump has denied Zervos allegations.

In another case, Karen McDougal, Playboys 1998 playmate of the year, says that she too had sex with Trump during the 2006 Lake Tahoe event. In a 2016 confidentiality deal that bars her from discussing her relationship with Trump, McDougal received $150,000 from American Media Inc., publisher of the National Enquirer, which never printed her story about the alleged tryst.

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David Pecker, chairman and chief executive of American Media, is a close friend of the president. The company has denied suppressing McDougals story as a catch and kill favor to Trump.

McDougal had kept a detailed account of the alleged affair in eight pages of handwritten notes that New Yorker magazine disclosed last month.

Karen McDougal in 2004. (Cherie Steinberg / Getty Images )

michael.finnegan@latimes.com

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Twiter: @finneganLAT

UPDATES:

2:40 p.m.: This article was updated with Common Cause amending its complaint and other new details throughout.

11:50 a.m.: This article was updated with details from the lawsuit settlement proposal and background on the litigation.

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This article was originally published at 9:55 a.m.The use of bots to meddle in political elections. Algorithms that learn who people are and keep them coming back to social media platforms. The rise of autonomous vehicles and drones that could displace hundreds of thousands of workers.

The robot apocalypse that some envisioned with the rise of artificial intelligence hasnt arrived, but machine learning systems are becoming part of Californians everyday lives, tech experts told state lawmakers in Sacramento last week. As use of the technology becomes more widespread, so will the challenges for legislators who will have to grapple with how and when they should step in to protect peoples personal data.

AI might be over-hyped, but it is here to stay, said Olaf Groth, a professor at Hult International Business School. We are indeed at the threshold, at the moment, between AI being a new development that promises significant growth in the economy, and AI also causing significant disruptions in society.

The state Assembly hearing was the second this year to take on the issue of artificial intelligence. The committees chair, Assemblyman Ed Chau (D-Arcadia), said he hoped it would be one of many to open a dialogue on a force already reshaping society. Members of the Little Hoover Commission, an independent state oversight agency that reviews government operations, held a similar discussion last month.

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Lawmaker wants to force California police agencies to disclose surveillance policies >>

AI is loosely defined as the theory and development of computer systems able to perform tasks that traditionally require human intelligence. Courts use artificial intelligence to determine whether defendants are fit for release on bail, scientists are developing AI systems to match patients with treatment and at least one company is using AI to rethink how local stores deliver groceries.

Representatives with tech companies Adobe and Postmates argued during Tuesdays hearing that lawmakers should not move too quickly on developing privacy regulations.

The best thing we can do to make AI unbiased [and efficient] is to ensure [AI systems] can get trained on the broadest sets of data that are out there, said Dana Rao, vice president of intellectual property and litigation with Adobe.

But tech privacy experts countered, saying users want more control over how their personal information is shared. Patients, for example, may agree to share their medical data with one AI developer, but might not want that business to release their information to their employers or health insurance companies.

State lawmakers have started to tackle some of these issues. Legislation this year would require social companies to identify bots on their platforms. Other bills would fund independent research on the addictive qualities of social media, require manufacturers to install new security features on their internet-connect devices and force police to disclose all of their tech equipment, such as facial recognition software.

California passed a law boosting police transparency on cellphone surveillance. Heres why its not working >>

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Jonathan Feldman of the California Police Chiefs Assn. envisioned a scenario in which police will someday use AI to predict violent or criminal behavior, allowing officers to make better decisions on the job. But without better transparency laws, the public will have little knowledge of what these automated systems are collecting from everyday people and whether their predictions are accurate, said Matt Cagle, a technology lawyer with the ACLU of Northern California.

Samantha Corbin, a tech privacy lobbyist who recently co-launched the We Said Enough App to report sexual harassment, argued there should be more state protections against data misuse across all fields.

The level of information that can be aggregated, the degree of intimate knowledge that will be known about individuals  this lifetime data  is in many ways unprotected by outdated existing laws regarding privacy, security and even human research, she said.

jazmine.ulloa@latimes.com

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@jazmineulloaThis is what it looks like when the president holds a fundraiser in a gated community

Police are shutting down Mulholland in anticipation of the presidential motorcade moving. These officers are from San Pedro, including one who is practically my neighbor in Long Beach. pic.twitter.com/ynfXgGRabD  Seema (@LATSeema) March 14, 2018

President Trump has left the Beverly Park mansion of Shari and Edward Glazer after spending several hours talking to Republican donors.

The Glazer residence  a brick home painted tan with a slate-colored roof  sits at the end of a cul-de-sac. Beverly Park is a gated community east of the Beverly Glen neighborhood. Current and former residents include media magnates Sumner Redstone and Haim Saban and celebrities Denzel Washington, Sylvester Stallone, Gene Simmons and Rod Stewart. The community is part of Los Angeles but carries Beverly Hills 90210 ZIP Code.

Donors who paid a minimum of $35,000 and up to $250,000 per ticket arrived at a staging area down the hill from the house in the early evening. They were brought up to the fundraiser in golf carts, passing a row of magnolia trees along the way. Edward Glazer is co-chairman of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

A large white tent could be seen in the backyard of the house, lined with tall trees.

During the event, a faint smell of marijuana seemed to waft from a property a few doors down.

Mulholland closed at Coldwater Canyon, traffic backed up for miles. pic.twitter.com/j3yubt0d23  Seema (@LATSeema) March 13, 2018

The fundraiser and its high-profile headliner prompted many street closures, and police shut down Mulholland Drive so that the Trump motorcade could swiftly leave the area.

It also forced residents to change their daily routines.

Valerie Price Simon, 55, had to park her car down the road and hike up Beverly Glen carrying her groceries (steaks and mozzarella).

Steve Wazeji, 38, was late to relieve the nanny, who was watching his two-year-old daughter.

Wazeji said he voted for Trump in 2016 because he believed the billionaire cant be bought. Asked about the fundraiser still underway where donors were ponying up as much as a quarter million dollars to spend time with the president, Wazeji paused and then said, If its for the RNC, its okay.

Valerie Price Simon parked her car at temple and hiked up Beverly Glen carrying steaks and mozzarella only to find she couldnt make it home bc of Mulholland shutdown. Shes not pleased. We had the fire, and then we had the floods after the rains. Its a narrow little street. pic.twitter.com/NOYMB2VQjl  Seema (@LATSeema) March 14, 2018

Steve Wazeji, a Trump supporter, is frustrated because he cant get home to relieve his nanny because of Mulholland shutdown. At least give us one way to get home, he said. pic.twitter.com/m5zJ0HgUVH  Seema (@LATSeema) March 14, 2018

Simmons, the lead singer of KISS, offered a nuanced take on Trump disrupting his neighborhood as he sat down Tuesday evening for dinner with wife Shannon Tweed and other family members at an Italian restaurant in Beverly Glen.

I have a very American point of view. Im totally supportive of anyone who wants to demonstrate  thats the American way, he said. Whats being lost is civility and class. Were acting like animals on both sides of the aisle.

Whether [Trump] is the president they voted for, he won in the Electoral College, Simmons added. If you dont like reality, vote and change it.

Simmons, wearing trademark all-black with his long hair tied in a ponytail, demurred when asked who he voted for in the 2016 presidential election. Never ask a woman her age, and never ask anyone who they voted for, he said.

He wasnt too worried about the street closures, saying, The police like me.

Back at the fundraiser, expected to raise $5 million for Trumps reelection and the Republican National Committee, it was difficult to discern who was in attendance.

Glazer, 48, is the son of the late billionaire Malcolm Glazer. In addition to the Bucs, his family owns the Manchester United soccer team. Glazer is also president of First Allied Corp., the familys real estate company.

Glazer donated $98,000 to Trumps 2016 presidential campaign and $250,000 to his inauguration. But he has also supported Democrats. In 2016, he gave $5,400 to Hillary Clintons presidential campaign on the same day he donated $33,400 to the RNC.

10 p.m.: This post has been updated with additional details.I didnt begin to worry until our Boeing 777 aircraft landed at Miami International Airport.

As the aircraft door opened and the gate agent greeted deplaning passengers, a supervisor holding a clipboard announced that one of 16 crew members had been selected for random drug and alcohol screening.

That crew member turned out to be me.

Pilots and flight attendants are subject to random drug and alcohol tests at the completion of every trip sequence. This is mandated by the Federal Aviation Administrations Anti-Drug and Alcohol Misuse Regulation and has been implemented by every U.S. airline.

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The selected crew member is told to sign consent forms and report immediately to the airlines airport medical facility for testing. Failure to report and provide adequate specimens for testing or failure to cooperate in the testing process will result in termination of employment. The cause: insubordination.

My concern deepened after I signed the consent forms and walked through the bowels of the airport toward our airline medical facility. My urine sample would be tested, the documents said, for marijuana, cocaine, PCP, opioids and amphetamines.

Because I dont use drugs, my urine sample would not be cause for alarm. Instead, I worried about the Breathalyzer test for alcohol.

The FAA mandate says, Employees may not perform flight crew member [pilot], flight attendant, or air traffic controller duties within eight hours after consuming alcohol.

The night before flying from Sao Paulo, Brazil, to Miami, I dined with a crew member at a Japanese restaurant. At dinner, I drank several cups of sake, but I couldnt remember exactly how many.

They were small Japanese serving cups, not much larger than a shot glass. Surely they wouldnt be enough to raise my blood alcohol content, or BAC, to 0.04 or higher (the FAAs legal definition for intoxication).

Even so, I had taken my last sip 12 hours before reporting for duty, comfortably above the eight-hour threshold.

Although factors such as body weight may alter the process, the average person can eliminate about 0.02% BAC per hour. Thats comparable to a shot of hard liquor, a glass of wine or a single beer.

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Theoretically, if my BAC reached 0.04% after taking my final sake sip, I would need about two hours for my reading to return to zero.

My livelihood was now reduced to a mathematical formula.

How potent is sake anyway? How much alcohol does each diminutive cup contain?

I was pleasantly buzzed after leaving the restaurant, but was I intoxicated? No. Could my job be in jeopardy? Yes.

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These questions echoed in my mind as I entered the airport medical facility. I stepped into the bathroom and relieved myself in a plastic beaker provided by the specimen collector.

I was told not to flush the toilet for any reason. Doing so would negate my test and compel me to drink water until my body could create another sample.

If the sample read at an odd temperature, the specimen collector was required to accompany the employee into the bathroom while the second sample was provided.

Heres why the temperature question is important: The collector told me about a person who presented someone elses urine as his own. Because the fake sample was several degrees below normal, the person failed.

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Its rare for crew members to test positive for drugs or alcohol, but it happens.

In mid-January, a few weeks before my own drug and alcohol-testing session, a pilot was arrested on suspicion of being drunk before flying out of Londons Gatwick airport.

In March 2016, a pilot was arrested in Detroit for failing a Breathalyzer.

And in 2015, before a flight from Oslo to Crete, four of five crew members who worked for a low-cost airline serving the Baltics and Russia, among other places, tested above the legal limit and were arrested.

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The co-pilot was sentenced to six months in prison. Two flight attendants received 45- and 60-day sentences. The captain, who tested at more than twice above the legal limit, continues to argue his case.

I blew into the Breathalyzer. Crossed my fingers. Waited for the result. As is the case with many of us forced to place our future in the hands of an imperfect process, my life flashed in front of me.

The flashing intensified until two red digits, 0.0, appeared on the Breathalyzer screen.

During my next layover, maybe Ill drink soda.

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travel@latimes.com

@latimestravelThe March 12, 1928, collapse of the St. Francis Dam north of Los Angeles is, in terms of loss of life, the second-greatest disaster in California history. The worst was the San Francisco earthquake and fire of 1906. Estimates of deaths from the St. Francis Dam collapse vary from about 400 to more than 600.

Artist's depiction of the St. Francis Dam collapse published in the March 14, 1928, Los Angeles Times. Charles H. Owens / ProQuest

The St. Francis Dam before its collapse. Construction of the dam began in 1924 and finished in 1926. Los Angeles Times

Circa 1926 photo of officials at the site of the new St. Francis Dam. Dam builder William Mulholland, pointing, with water officials, from left, Fred Fischer, R.F. Del Valle, Janus Baker and Dr. John Haynes. George Watson / Los Angeles Times

In 2003, for the 75th anniversary of the St. Francis Dam collapse, Los Angeles Times writer Cecilia Rasmussen wrote this article, "An Avalanche of Water Left Death and Ruin in Its Wake." From Rasmussen's article:

From the day the St. Francis Dam opened in 1926, it leaked. The folks in the farm towns downstream used to joke that they'd see you later "if the dam don't break."

Built by William Mulholland, known as the father of Los Angeles' municipal water system, the 1,300-foot span of concrete in San Francisquito Canyon held more than 12 billion gallons  a year's supply for the entire city about 50 miles to the south. 

The dam wasn't even 2 years old when it sprang new, muddy leaks on the morning of March 12, 1928. The dam keeper, Tony Harnischfeger, summoned Mulholland and Mulholland's chief assistant, Harvey Van Norman, who inspected the dam and vouched for its safety.

Twelve hours later, Harnischfeger and his 6-year-old son, Coder, were among the first to die  followed by more than 450 others. 

It was three minutes before midnight when the dam broke, freeing a 10-story-high avalanche of water to sweep 54 miles west to the ocean. It would take 5 hours to get there, but no official warning would be sounded for considerably more than an hour after the rupture.

Water engulfed whole towns, dozens of ranches, an Edison construction camp, the Harry Carey Indian reservation and trading post, and DWP Powerhouse No. 2. It swept into Castaic Junction and along the Santa Clara River bed to Piru, Fillmore, Santa Paula, Saticoy and, finally, the sea.

It demolished 1,200 houses, washed out 10 bridges and knocked out power lines. Bodies would wash ashore as far south as San Diego.

March 1928: Remaining section of St. Francis Dam with crumbled sections at base. Los Angeles Times

March 13, 1928: Flooded area of Santa Paula following the failure of the St. Francis Dam. Los Angeles Times Archive / UCLA

March 13, 1928: Aerial view of Santa Paula after it was inundated by the collapse of the St. Francis Dam. Harry C. Anderson / Los Angeles Times

One of the first photographers on scene was The Times' George Watson. Years later, in an interview for the Watson Family Photographic Archive, he described his experience.

About a week before the collapse, Watson explained he photographed the dam while en route to visit his brother in Hughes Lake.

Then on the night of March 12, 1928, Watson was dispatched to Castaic. "There was an operator on The Times called Lucille," Watson saud. "She was a pretty wide-awake gal. She knew where every Times employee was, any time of day or night. She could get anybody on the phone. And she called me about a quarter to 12 that night."

"And she says, 'George, I think there's going to be trouble up on the San Francisquito dam.' She says, 'I've been calling the operators all over the little towns, and I can't get through. I think there's something going on,' she says." (The St. Francis Dam was sometimes referred to by the canyon name.)

Watson said he dashed out to Castaic, getting there about 1 a.m. "Water was still going out," said Watson. "We could hear people yelling, out in the stream.

But because "it was so darn dark," Watson had to wait till dawn to take photos.

"We sat around there till dawn, and [Harvey] Van Norman, chief engineer for Bill Mulholland, came up with a truck and said he'd take us up to the dam," said Watson. "So we got in this truck and went up there. We could barely see it. I put my camera on a tripod, opened up my lens wide to f4.5 and gave it 2-3 seconds exposure."

"I got pictures of the water still going out," said Watson. "Then I made some more closeups."

Watson said he stayed at the dam site for two more days, sending his film back to Los Angeles. He said rocks and pieces of the dam "washed down the valley for half a mile" and were "twice as big as a two-story house."

A version of the post was previously published on March 12, 2013.

March 13, 1928: Only the supports of the Main Highway Bridge outside Castaic survived after the St. Francis Dam collapsed. Los Angeles Times Archive / UCLA

March 13, 1928: Debris littering main highway near Castaic following the collapse of the St. Francis Dam. Los Angeles Times

March 13, 1928: Workers carry the remains of a victim of the St. Francis Dam collapse. Los Angeles Times

March 13, 1928: Railroad tracks at Castaic were left sagging and twisted after the collapse of the St. Francis Dam. Los Angeles Times Archive/UCLA

March 14. 1928: Crowds gather outside a temporary morgue set up for victims of the St. Francis Dam collapse. Los Angeles Times

March 14, 1928: Telephone operator Louise Gipe at Santa Paula warned area residents of the failure of the dam. This photo was published in the March 15, 1928, Los Angeles Times. Pacific & Atlantic Photos

March 14, 1928: Remains of homes in Santa Paula following the collapse of the St. Francis Dam. Los Angeles Times

March 14, 1928: Lawrence Boyd was one of a family of seven who were saved following the St. Francis Dam collapse. Los Angeles Times

March 14, 1928: Turbine housings are all that is left of Power House No. 2 of the St. Francis Dam. Los Angeles Times

March 1928: Victims were taken to a temporary morgue. Los Angeles Times Archive / UCLA

March 14, 1928: Residents try to reach loved ones at an emergency phone station afterthe collapse of St. Francis Dam. Los Angeles Times

March 14, 1928: A Red Cross worker helps find shoes for children forced from the homes by the collapse of St. Francis Dam. Los Angeles Times

March 1928: A Curtiss JN-4 "Jenny" biplane that was swept away by the flood resulting from the failure of the St. Francis Dam. Los Angeles Times Archive / UCLA

March 1928: Funeral procession proceeds across floodplain following the St. Francis Dam disaster. Los Angeles Times Archive / UCLA

Coffins of seven victims of the dam collapsed are prepared for burial in Santa Clara Valley. Los Angeles Times Archive /UCLA

March 1928: Children left homeless by the dam collapse sleep in dormitory. Los Angeles Times Archive / UCLA

March 1928: Child survivors at a relief camp after the failure of the St. Francis Dam. Los Angeles Times Archive / UCLA

March 1928: Two women and a child in a relief camp for flood victims following the failure of the St. Francis Dam. Los Angeles Times Archive / UCLA

March 1928: A battered piano was found in an orchard following the flood caused by the failure of the St. Francis Dam. Los Angeles Times Archive / UCLA

March 15, 1928: A giant piece of concrete from the St. Francis Dam that was carried about three-quarters of a mile downstream dwarfs a man standing at lower right. Los Angeles Times

March 25, 1928: Clearing away debris near Santa Paula following the St. Francis Dam disaster. Los Angeles Times

April 1928: Thirty-five automobiles belonging to employees were recovered at Power House No. 2. This photo was published in the April 5, 1928, Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles Times

See more from the Los Angeles Times archives hereIn less than three months, President Trump is supposed to reset history by becoming the first sitting U.S. president to meet with a North Korean leader. But theres still one key omission in this momentous undertaking: where they will meet.

Mongolia and Sweden have offered to host the president and Kim Jong Un, the 34-year-old ruler Trump calls Little Rocket Man. Seoul advocates the Peace House between North and South Korea. Beijing could get its chance as a global mediator. Theres always neutral Switzerland, where Kim attended public school. How about a ship in international waters? Why not Guam?

Lets face it: This isnt a typical situation. Kim hasnt stepped foot outside North Korea since taking power in 2011. And yet a Trump visit to isolated Pyongyang portends logistical chaos. Its difficult enough when hes in New York.

The two leaders spent recent months vowing to destroy each other; these are not men for quiet, understated events.

Both have a flair for melodrama and grand statements and big stages, said Euan Graham, director of the international security program at Sydney, Australias Lowy Institute. The whole point of this is to gain attention.

Heres a look at potential sites:

WASHINGTON

A view of the White House in Washington on Oct. 9, 2015. Susan Walsh / AP

Optics matter when it comes to planning historic events. North and South Vietnam argued about the shape of the negotiating table during the 1968 Paris Peace talks. (They settled for two square tables separated by a round one.)

Kim aspires for the world to see his country as a peer to the United States, and he may view a trip to Washington as proof.

Every North Korean leader has wanted to meet the U.S. on equal footing, and being recognized in the U.S. is the highest level of recognition, said Tong Zhao, a fellow at the Carnegie-Tsinghua Center for Global Policy in Beijing, who studies North Korea.

Trump, as a presidential candidate, did say he would consider inviting Kim to the U.S. to discuss nuclear weapons over hamburgers. But even if Kim feels safe to travel, North Korean airplanes dont cover long-haul distances. He would need to take a foreign aircraft.

I dont think Kim would want to travel too far and leave his home without its sole leader for too long, said Duyeon Kim, visiting senior research fellow at the Korean Peninsula Future Forum, a nonpartisan think tank in Seoul. But, who knows, theyre both such unconventional leaders, they might shock us all. The location is everything for optics and optics is everything for politics.

PYONGYANG

Soldiers in tanks take part in a military parade on April 15, 2017, in Pyongyang, North Korea. Wong Maye-E / AP

Former presidents Bill Clinton and Jimmy Carter both visited the North Korean capital to soothe relations, although not while in office.

A presidential visit to Pyongyang might give Kim greater legitimacy, an aspect the Trump administration aims to avoid. And presidents dont travel lightly. His security detail would need to do advance work and figure out how to secure a city few diplomats can even visit.

Can you imagine Secret Service running security in Pyongyang? said Robert Kelly, a political science professor at Pusan National University in South Korea. Can you even do that in 10 weeks?

A NEUTRAL COUNTRY IN ASIA OR EUROPE

A Swiss flag floats above the Rhone's valley in the Swiss canton of Valais on March 4. Fabrice Coffrini / AFP/Getty Images

China, North Koreas only ally, has hosted negotiations involving the reclusive country before. A meeting in Beijing would allow officials to keep tabs on decisions.

North Koreas former leader and Kims father, Kim Jong Il, visited the country on several occasions. Trump also likes President Xi Jinping, whom he calls a good man.

But China irked Kim by agreeing to United Nations sanctions and denouncing the countrys development of nuclear weapons. Xi on Monday met with South Koreas top national security advisor, not a North Korean official.

I don't believe China is eager to insert itself into a high-stakes, high-risk event that so far involves a lot of impulse decision-making and little strategic planning, said Yanmei Xie, a China policy analyst for Gavekal Dragonomics, a research firm in Beijing.

Former Mongolian President Ts Elbegdorj tweeted an offer to meet in his country, the most suitable neutral territory. Mongolia shares friendly relations with both countries, but may lack the grandeur the leaders seek for the occasion. Does anyone know where Ulan Bator is?

Some analysts are pulling for orderly Singapore, which coordinated a 2015 summit between Xi and Taiwans president at the time, Ma Ying-jeou. Its a neutral venue where both could be happy with the security, and it would be organized and run very reliably, said Graham, the Lowy expert.

Europe, a traditional meeting place for never-forget summits, offers further options. Sweden communicates with Pyongyang but also stands in as a consular office for Americans in North Korea. Neutral Switzerland is where Kim spent part of his youth.

But Kim, a man who hasnt left his country in seven years, would need to travel nearly a day to reach these locations. The southeast Russia town of Vladivostok is closer. His father, after all, was born in a Russian fishing village  one of the few other countries where the elder Kim traveled.

Expect advisors to Trump -- who is caught up in an investigation over Russian meddling in the U.S. election -- to scratch that one off the list.

NO MANS LAND

In this 2011 file photo, North Korean soldiers stand guard inside the building shared by North and South Korea at the truce village of Panmunjom. David Guttenfelder / AP

That leaves the most likely choice: the truce village of Panmunjom. Top officials from North and South Korea plan to hold their own historic talks there in April.

The Peace House, where Trump and Kim would likely meet, sits in the demilitarized zone between the two Koreas and rings with symbolism. This region, now a line of division, was the site of the 1953 armistice that halted the Korean War.

The DMZ challenge is whether the setting is grand enough for the president and Kim Jong Un, said James Kim, a research fellow for the Asan Institute for Political Studies in Seoul. Its very Spartan.

South Koreas southern resort island of Jeju is another possibility.

The dilemma over location underscores the precariousness of the summit, Kim added. People dont know the answers about how, and if they dont know, then how is it really going to happen?

Theres still Guam.

Meyers is a special correspondent.

Twitter: @jessicameyers

ALSO

Whatever comes next, North Korea's Kim Jong Un can claim a win against Trump

North Korea offers to freeze nuclear, missile tests for talks with U.S., South Korea says

Can negotiations create a nuclear-free North Korea? Don't bet on itBritish Prime Minister Theresa May said Monday that the recent poisoning of a former spy and his daughter in the city of Salisbury was highly likely tied to Russia.

May, speaking to British lawmakers, called the poisoning a reckless and despicable act and said it is highly likely that Russia was responsible for the attack.

The prime minister said the poison was a military-grade nerve agent of a type developed by Russia.

Although Mays government had been reluctant to point the finger without adequate evidence, given the myriad similarities between this case and the poisoning of former Russian spy Alexander Litvinenko in 2006, there had been rampant speculation that Moscow was responsible and that firm action needed to be taken.

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Sergei Skripal, 66, is a retired Russian military intelligence officer who was convicted and jailed for being a double agent for the British intelligence service MI6. He was released in 2010 during a prisoner swap and had been given refuge in Britain, where he reportedly kept a low profile but was not using a different identity.

Russia denies any involvement in the poisoning of Skripal and his daughter, Yulia, 33.

But May said it is clear that Skripal and his daughter were poisoned with part of a group of nerve agents known as Novichok.

She said that based on the assessment of leading experts and on our knowledge that Russia has previously produced this nerve agent and would still be capable of doing so, Russias record of conducting state-sponsored assassinations and our assessment that Russia views some defectors as legitimate targets for assassinations, the government has concluded that it is highly likely that Russia was responsible for the act against Sergei and Yulia Skripal.

May said there were two plausible explanations: Either this was a direct act by the Russian state against our country. Or the Russian government lost control of its potentially catastrophically damaging nerve agent and allowed it to get into the hands of others.

Whether Britains response would include sanctions against Russia remained unannounced Monday. May said the Russian ambassador had been called upon to answer questions on how the nerve agent ended up being used on British soil.

Russian President Vladimir Putin, meanwhile, advised Britain to get things clear with the poisoning before discussing the matter with officials from his country, Russias Tass news agency reported.

Putin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the Skripal case had nothing to do with Moscow.

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In any case, this is not our affair at all, Peskov said. The aforesaid Russian citizen had worked for one of Britains secret services. The incident occurred in British territory. By all means this is not an affair that concerns Russia, let alone Russias leadership.

White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said the U.S. condemned the use of a nerve agent in the United Kingdom. She did not acknowledge Russia as the suspected source of the attack.

The attack was reckless, indiscriminate and irresponsible, she told reporters. We offer the fullest condemnation, and we extend our sympathy to the victims and their families, and our support to the U.K. government.

Secretary of State Rex Tillerson expressed confidence in Britains investigation and its assessment that Russia was probably responsible for the poison attack.

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Russia continues to be an irresponsible force of instability in the world, acting with open disregard for the sovereignty of other states and the life of their citizens, Tillerson said in a statement.

It was unclear why it took a week for public health warnings to be issued to the approximately 500 people who visited the restaurant or the pub where the former spy and his daughter spent time March 4 before being found slumped unconscious on a bench in the quiet cathedral city of Salisbury.

On Sunday, the government issued an advisory saying any member of the public who frequented the restaurant Zizzi or the Mill pub should wash their clothes, double bag any items for dry cleaning and wipe any jewelry or cellphones with wet wipes to prevent possible contamination.

It was described as a purely precautionary measure, but residents reacted with a mixture of apathy and incredulity to the fact that authorities took a week to provide that advice.

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Why it took them so long to release that advice is really strange, said Sam Peters, 40, who lives a few miles outside the town center. Youd think something like this would trigger advice; its an obvious common-sense thing to do.

A table inside Zizzi, where Skripal and his daughter ate lunch, has been destroyed after traces of poison were found on it, officials said.

Ben Smith, manager of the Avon Brewery a short distance from the Mill, said he was not concerned and felt the investigation was being handled well.

Smith said business was noticeably down compared with the same week a year ago.

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This certainly is something that hasnt happened here before and never in a million years would you think it would happen, he said. Maybe thats why there was a slow response time.

Police are treating the case as an attempted murder. Skripal and his daughter remain in critical condition in a hospital; a police officer who first responded to the incident and subsequently became sick is now listed in stable condition and is sitting up in bed and talking, officials said.

The night before Mays comments, a leading Russian television news anchor said Britain may have planned the poisoning of Skripal and his daughter as a way to fuel more Russophobia in Britain and spark calls for a boycott of the World Cup soccer tournament. Russia is hosting that event, which starts in June.

Its the perfect special operation, Dmitry Kiselyov said on his Sunday evening program, Vesti Nedeli, on the state channel Russia 24.

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Boyle is a special correspondent. Special correspondent Sabra Ayres in Krasnodar, Russia, and Times staff writer Tracy Wilkinson in Washington contributed to this report.

UPDATES:

8:25 p.m.: This article was updated with a comment by Secretary of State Rex Tillerson.

2:15 p.m.: This article was updated with reaction from the White House.

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1:25 p.m.: This article was updated with reaction from Russian officials and additional details.

10:40 a.m.: This article was updated with Prime Minister Theresa Mays comments Monday.

This article was originally published at 10:10 a.m.The recent killings of three humanitarian aid workers in Nigeria by suspected Boko Haram militants have sent shock waves throughout the humanitarian aid community and illuminated the increasingly precarious landscape such personnel must navigate to help people in areas of conflict and instability.

But the slayings were not an anomaly.

Year on year, the number of incidents and the number of victims is, sadly, unacceptably high and steady, said Adele Harmer, a partner with Humanitarian Outcomes, a research organization based in the United Kingdom that focuses on humanitarian policy and practice and runs the Aid Worker Security Database that records major incidents of violence against humanitarian workers.

On average, 102 aid workers were killed each year from 2006 to 2016, with the highest number of fatalities, 156, recorded in 2013, according to the database. The organization is still verifying figures for 2017 and the first months of 2018, but the raw data show that since the beginning of the year, 23 aid workers have been killed on the job.

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Scores more aid workers have been injured over the last 12 years and dozens kidnapped.

Explaining the grim statistics

Jeremy Konyndyk, a senior policy fellow at the Washington-based Center for Global Development, whose research focus includes humanitarian response, said the high casualty count could partly be attributed to the growing size of the aid industry and the rising number of humanitarians working in more risky places, which increases the chances that something bad will happen, he said.

The typical aid environment is no longer an earthquake response or even a drought or famine type of response, Konyndyk said. The typical aid environment now really is providing relief in incidents of active conflict and that is an inherently more dangerous context for providing aid than a natural disaster.

The workers may be affiliated with humanitarian groups, such as the Red Cross or CARE, or participate in efforts organized or run through the United Nations.

Julien Schopp, director of humanitarian practice at InterAction, the largest alliance of U.S.-based international nongovernmental organizations, underscored that the perils were more acute for national staff in the field than expatriates.

They are more and more on the front line, Schopp said.

About 2,782 national humanitarian aid workers  those deployed in their own countries  were victims of violent incidents between 2006 and 2016. By comparison, 471 international workers  those working abroad  were victims within the same time frame, according to the aid database.

The aid workers killed in the recent assault in Nigeria were all nationals of the West African nation, the U.N. reported. At least eight other people were killed in that attack and a female nurse was feared abducted.

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A multitude of perpetrators

The majority of attacks against aid workers occur in a handful of countries.

In 2015 and 2016, South Sudan had the highest number of incidents of violence against humanitarian workers, reflecting the fracturing conflict and an atmosphere of impunity for armed actors, Humanitarian Outcomes reported. But consistently over the last four to five years, attacks have occurred in Afghanistan, Syria, Somalia, the Democratic Republic of Congo and South Sudan, Harmer said.

Its less a global phenomenon than it is a phenomenon in a set of highly insecure environments, Harmer said.

And there are a multitude of perpetrators.

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For the most part, they are national level non-state armed groups that are seeking control of the state, Harmer said. An example is Boko Haram, which is fighting to topple Nigerias government and create an Islamic state under sharia law.

But the aggressors can also be global non-state groups, such as the militant Sunni Islamist organization Al Qaeda and the jihadist terrorist group Islamic State, both of which are multinational.

In addition, aid workers working near war zones are injured or killed during military offensives. For example, aid workers were among dozens of civilians killed through airstrikes by the U.S. and Russia in Syria and Afghanistan, Harmer said.

In 2015 and 2016, 54 aid workers were killed mainly as the result of airstrikes by Russia and the U.S. in Syria and Afghanistan and an upsurge in state-sponsored violence in South Sudan, Humanitarian Outcomes reported last year.

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Displaced Syrians, who fled their homes in the city of Dair Alzour, carry boxes of humanitarian aid supplied by the United Nations Childrens Fund at a refugee camp in Syrias northeastern Hassakeh province. (Delil Souleiman / AFP/Getty Images )

Becoming victims while helping victims

Theres rarely one particular reason aid workers fall victim to attacks, aid industry analysts said.

There are times when these attacks occur to send a message, said Konyndyk. There are times when they occur because someone wants to steal something.

Motives for attacks can also include the desire to control resources and dominate populations, or to undermine a national government by trying to show its inability to protect its people, aid industry observers said. For example, warring parties often target civilian facilities, such as hospitals and schools.

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In other instances, attacks may be unrelated to a particular aid agency whose workers get caught in crossfire between local rivals, families settling scores or government forces fighting insurgents.

So while aid workers may be perceived as a soft target, theyre not always necessarily the targeted group, Harmer said.

Staying safe is tricky

Unlike embassies and businesses that operate behind high walls, post armed guards or travel in armed vehicles, aid organizations in general rely on whats called an acceptance-based approach to security, industry specialists said.

Its based on the premise that if youre going to operate in an area, youre doing so with the consent and support of the host population, said Konyndyk. Those local communities, as part of accepting [aid groups], enable and support their presence. If there is something dangerous coming down the way, the agency will often have good enough local networks. They will be able to get some advance notice ... and react accordingly.

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If an armed group is trying to win the allegiance of the local population, the group sometimes will leave aid workers alone because their efforts bolster the welfare of civilians. A happier citizenry may then be more welcoming of the armed group. But such reasoning rarely applies to virulently anti-Western aggressors, such as Islamic State and Boko Haram, that often scare local populations into submission and try to force them to reject foreign assistance, aid experts said.

The damaging impact of attacks

A high-profile attack typically prompts organizations to temporarily close down their operations to assess what happened and decide whether its safe to resume working in a particular region.

As a result, there is often an immediate decline in the quality and quantity of aid that reaches populations that are in need, Harmer said.

Somalia provides a grim example. In 2011 several aid groups pared back or shut down operations there because of stepped-up attacks by the terrorist group the Shabab. In addition, the U.S. had placed counter-terrorism sanctions on aid to Somalia for fear that some humanitarian aid was ending up in the hands of the Shabab. As a result, less aid reached those in need  and just before Somalia was hit by famine.

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Theres a good chance that the descent of a full-on famine could have been halted if aid groups were able to maintain their presence there, Konyndyk said.

Attacks can also have a chilling effect on the willingness of individual aid workers to go to certain regions, industry analysts said.

The threat of violence means that sometimes were less present in places where we should be, just because we cant guarantee sufficient security, Schopp said.

Despite the threats, dozens of humanitarians have continued to operate at full force in some of the most dangerous locales, including in Syria and Yemen, proving that the aid community does have a fairly robust tolerance for risk, Konyndyk said.

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To read this article in Spanish click here

ann.simmons@latimes.com

For more on global development news, see our Global Development Watch page, and follow me @AMSimmons1 on TwitterA passenger plane carrying 71 people from Bangladesh crashed and burst into flames as it landed Monday in Katmandu, Nepals capital, killing dozens of people, officials said.

The death toll remained unclear amid the chaos of the crash and the rush of badly injured victims to nearby hospitals. Brig. Gen. Gokul Bhandari, the Nepal army spokesman, said 50 people had died and that the fate of the others was unknown. But a police official, speaking on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to talk to the media, said at least 38 people had died, 23 had been injured and 10 were unaccounted for.

An AP journalist who arrived at the scene soon after the crash saw the US-Bangla Airlines twin-propeller plane broken into several large pieces, with dozens of firefighters and rescue workers clustered around the wreckage in a grassy field near the runway. Hundreds of people stood on a nearby hill, staring down at what remained of the Bombardier Dash 8.

The plane swerved repeatedly as it prepared to land in Katmandu, said Amanda Summers, an American working in Nepal. The crowded city sits in a valley in the Himalayan foothills.

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It was flying so low I thought it was going to run into the mountains, said Summers, who watched the crash from the terrace of her home office, not far from the airport. All of a sudden there was a blast and then another blast.

Fire crews put out the flames quickly, perhaps within a minute, she said, though for a time clouds of thick, dark smoke rose into the sky above the city.

The plane had circled the airport twice as it waited for clearance to land, Mohammed Selim, the airlines manager in Katmandu, told Dhaka-based Somoy TV station by telephone.

US-Bangla Airlines operates Boeing 737-800 and smaller Bombardier Dash 8 Q-400 planes.

The airline, part of US-Bangla Group, is based in the Bangladeshi capital, Dhaka, and flies to several domestic and international destinations.

Katmandus airport has been the site of several deadly crashes. In September 2012, a Sita Air turboprop plane carrying trekkers to Mt. Everest hit a bird and crashed shortly after takeoff, killing all 19 on board.By Devdutt Pattanaik The Economic Times

Published on 9th March, 2018, on The Economic Times.

Soon the Constitution of China will be changed and Xi Jingping will become President for life. Many people across the world will envy his power and wonder why the Chinese people, through the Peoples party, are allowing this grab of power. Perhaps it is an echo of the Mandate of Heaven, the cornerstone of Chinese myth.

In the old days every shaman approached the gods in heaven. This confused the gods and so to ensure efficiency and effectiveness, all prayers were communicated to heaven via one shaman, the Emperor, the link between heaven and earth. For thousands of years, the Chinese believed that this leader was given the Mandate of Heaven to establish heaven on earth. If he failed to do so, there would be a revolution and he would be replaced.

Xi Jingping seems to be creating heaven on earth, making China a powerhouse in geopolitics, restoring the glory of China since the infamous hundreds years of shame in the 19th century. The Communists of China will reject this suggestion. As Communists they insist they are rationalists and reject all things mythic.

In fact, over the last century, the Communist state has brutally wiped away all ancient irrational customs and practices. Ancient Chinese culture, with its gods and rituals and festivals, embedded in Taoist, Confucius and Buddhist ideals now exists only in those who long abandoned the mainland and took refuge in Taiwan, Hong Kong, Singapore and Malaysia. This explains the great divide that exists around the world between the Mainland Chinese and other Chinese.

But it is tough to wipe out mythic thinking. Mythic thinking is embedded through stories, symbols and rituals, inherited over thousands of years. Chinese culture is as old as Indian, conservatively between 3000 and 5000 years old. If you ask the Chinese they will insist their civilisation is older, oldest perhaps, with an unbroken tradition of writing that is at the heart of Chinese civilisation.

Mythologically, China sees itself as the centre of human civilisation that springs from Beijing. Here sits the emperor, on his dragon throne, who brings to earth the Mandate of Heaven. The closer you are to the seat of the power, the more cultured and aligned to heaven you are. The farther you are from the centre, the more barbaric you are.

Great walls were built along the northern frontier to keep the barbarians out. Buddhists introduced the idea that heaven exists in the West, beyond the Himalayas, in the land of India, where the Buddha once lived. But as far as imperial China is concerned, India is the land of chaos. Order springs from China alone, from Beijing, via the Emperor. As long as the earth obeys heaven, subjects obey the leader, women obey men, the young obey the old, the children obey the parents and as long as there is perfect alignment from top to bottom as in a beehive or an anthill, harmony will prevail.

Now look at China. It is clear that Chinese Communism functions because it fits into the template of the Mandate of Heaven, with the Communist Party functioning as the old Imperial order, and the President of the party functions as the emperor.

Singapore fitted Capitalism to the Mandate of Heaven model. As in Mainland China, Singapore is effectively a one-party state, with a clearly defined Emperor, to whom everyone submits. The obedience reaps rich dividends as one can see from the success of China. Modified versions of this model can be found in North Korea, South Korea and Japan. It is rooted in centralisation, hierarchy, submission to authority and a valorisation of discipline for the larger good.

Two thousand years ago, when Buddhism entered China, new ideas such as karma, renunciation, monasticism and nirvana entered China. But the Buddhism that thrived in China was customised to the Chinese mythic template, that prefers the material to the psychological, and so rather than the Buddha, the rather introspective teacher, greater value was placed on the Bodhisattva, the problem-solver. Further, this problem solver was given a female form known as Gwanyin nearly a thousand years ago, and as per one hypothesis to legitimize the rule of Chinas only female emperor during the Tang dynasty.

This obsession with central control and order is missing in India. In India, it is family that plays central role, then jati (caste), then religion, and only then allegiance to a king and nation. That is why, in its long history, relative to China, India has been fragmented, with more peripheral control than central control. While in China, obedience and submission if valorised (in which it is very similar to Catholic or Islamic faith), in Hinduism greater value is placed on freedom (mukti), hence the pleasure in breaking rules and a mockery of those who follow rules.

You can understand China by focussing on a single script that unites all Chinese. Try uniting India with a single script or language, and you will know why India is not China, and will never be China.Bethlehem wants to tweak the zoning rules governing its lucrative tax incentive zone in hopes of maximizing its possible benefits.

Back in 2013, Bethlehem was awarded one of Pennsylvania's 130-acre City Revitalization and Improvement Zones. The CRIZ allows allows property owners to use certain future state and local taxes -- including sales and liquor-- created by CRIZ projects to pay off construction loans.

The city wants to change the zoning on new CRIZ properties so the benefit only applies to the footprint of a building. This way the benefit is not wasted on parking spaces, landscaping and other land not generating increment, explained Darlene Heller, city planning director.

If enacted by city council, the change would only apply to new additions to the CRIZ. It was sparked by the Bethlehem Parking Authority's decertification of its own CRIZ properties, said Alicia Miller Karner, city director of community and economic development.

"We are not obligating this of those that are already in existence," Karner said Monday.

Although, developers could apply to retroactively have the new zoning applied to their existing CRIZ-designated projects as long as they have not yet received CRIZ dollars. This would allow a developer to then reallocate part of its CRIZ acreage to another project with approval from the board overseeing the zone and the state.

The majority of the CRIZ acreage was allocated to projects when the city won its designation. But in November of 2016, the city put out a call for new projects after the parking authority asked to remove CRIZ status from 1.3 acres it owns because its plans were no longer feasible.

Most of that available property was awarded by the Bethlehem Revitalization and Improvement Authority to two projects: the overhaul of the Wilbur Mansion and the Dempsey's Diner project at the Westgate Mall.

The parking authority is now moving ahead with plans to decertify the parking lot it owns on Long Street freeing up more CRIZ acreage. The land had been eyed for the $37 million proposed Hotel Bethlehem expansion, which was pulled from consideration in December.

When those projects were approved, the city believed it could apply the CRIZ benefit just to the building footprint, Karner explained. But further guidance from the state indicates the properties need to be subdivided to create another tax parcel, which city zoning prohibits for lots less than half an acre, necessitating the change.

"The goal is the overall community benefit," Karner said. "Are there other vacant, underutilized parcels that could see good development as a result of getting CRIZ designation? That is the question."

The Bethlehem Planning Commission backed the proposed new zoning Thursday with some changes suggested by Member Matthew Malozi. Malozi was concerned that as written the proposal took away building setbacks and other density protections on CRIZ properties.

Assistant City Solicitor Ed Healy agreed, saying Malozi raised good questions that led him to change the proposal. Healy believes the updates refined the ordinance, so it better reflects the city's intentions with the update.

The new draft zoning amendment approved Thursday would divide a CRIZ property into two tax parcels -- one with CRIZ increment, one a support lot without -- but it applies the zoning protections of the non-CRIZ land to the CRIZ property. And it links the two properties together, preventing them from being sold individually.

This preserves the type of building density currently in the city's zoning ordinance, Healy said.

"It just maximizes the CRIZ benefits for the structures you want to promote," he said. "...There is a loss of (CRIZ) benefit that could perhaps be allocated to indulge or promote redevelopment somewhere else."

The CRIZ board can reallocate CRIZ benefits to a new project with the old property owner's consent, Heller said. Any CRIZ reallocation requires state approval.

Heller said the Dempsey's Diner project represents a great example of how this change works as it is pad site where the new building is being developed on the same footprint. The CRIZ would just be applied to the footprint and not the entire mall or parking lot, she said.

But the zoning requirements on the mall would apply to Dempsey's and the diner lot could not be sold separately, she explained.

Karner noted all of this is untested, but she imagines the BRIA board would be open to reallocating CRIZ-designation to worthy projects. There are plenty of approved proposals that will have large parking components, like Martin Tower and Majestic Realty's 25 acres.

"There is a lot of parking that surrounds that (Majestic) building. We wouldn't want to use that," Karner said. "Why would we put a CRIZ designation on five acres of parking to support a manufacturing or an industrial building when that five acres could be put somewhere else?"

The proposed zoning change now goes to Bethlehem City Council for review. Council will hold a public hearing on the change and vote on it twice.

Sara K. Satullo may be reached at ssatullo@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow her on Twitter @sarasatullo and Facebook. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook.A former Wal-Mart employee is accused of conspiring to steal nearly $60,000 in a theft scheme spanning three months.

Charged is Jatmarie Merced, 36, of the 1100 block of Amplex Street, Bethlehem.

Co-defendants previously named include: Kristopher Herrera, then 19, of the 1700 block of Third Street, Bethlehem Township; and Kory Cherry, Jared Lugo, Gabriel Pozo and David Burgos, no addresses provided. Court records state just Burgos didn't work for Wal-Mart during the time of the alleged thefts.

Bethlehem Township Police Department detectives on Feb. 2, 2013 began investigating a series of thefts at the Wal-Mart, 3629 Nazareth Pike. A loss prevention officer reported Merced and the five others were stealing from the store from November 2012 to February 11, 2013.

Cherry in an interview with investigators reported witnessing Merced allegedly "under ring" televisions and other electronics, but create a "price check" instead of an actual sale.

The person would then walk away with the items, but Merced allegedly never took any money for the store and also conspired to later acquire some of the merchandise. Merced alone conspired to steal $7,240 worth of items, running the gamut from iPads and televisions to laptop computers and cellphones to gaming systems and DVDs, according to police.

Investigators on March 6, 2013 obtained additional evidence, including files, documents and video surveillance footage. Other workers in interviews with police reported seeing Merced steal merchandise by "under ringing" and pointed her out to detectives on video surveillance footage.

Police said the loss for Wal-Mart by all six individuals in the scheme totals $57,288.

Cherry in interview with police revealed Herrera allegedly approached him to tell him how he could make "easy money." Herrera would then conduct a price check on merchandise for a friend and then escort the friend out the door so that Wal-Mart greeters wouldn't inquire about a receipt, police had said.

Herrera told Cherry he would receive $100 or more in the parking lot for his part in the thefts, according to police.

Lugo told police in interviews Herrera taught him how to fraudulently scan merchandise by putting the register on price check mode and deactivating the security device, pretending to scan the items.

Merced is charged with three counts theft, organized retail theft and receiving stolen property. She was arraigned last week before District Judge Robert Hawke, who set bail at $50,000.

In lieu of bail, Merced was sent to Northampton County Prison, where she remained Sunday.

Pamela Sroka-Holzmann may be reached at pholzmann@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow her on Twitter @pamholzmann. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook.Armed security guards are being staffed at three Pen Argyl schools after a Pen Argyl Area High School student last month was arrested for making alleged terroristic threats.

District Superintendent William Haberl sent a letter to parents, dated this past Friday, stating the armed guards would be stationed at the high school, middle school and Plainfield Elementary School, effective Monday, according to a tweet by WFMZ-69 News.

Haberl did not immediately return a cellphone message and email Sunday afternoon seeking information.

Slate Belt Regional Police Chief David Mettin Sunday confirmed a letter was being sent out to parents, but didn't know specifics other than a private firm was hired and the heightened security was a result of the school shooting in Parkland, Florida.

Additionally, a 16-year-old Pen Argyl High School student Feb. 23 was in school when he made threats "shoot up the school" and claimed he had a "kill list." The student was interviewed at police headquarters, charged with terroristic threats and housed in Northampton County's Juvenile Justice Center, police had said.

A search warrant was served at the student's home, but no weapons, related writings or a "kill list" were found, police had said.

"The student appeared to make no attempt to harm any students/staff and made no substantial attempt to acquire weapons," police then said.

According to the tweet, the district hired Phillipsburg-based Camelot Security Associates, a firm already used in the past during dances, sporting events and other functions. Security would be in the place from the morning until the end of the school day.

According to the firm's website, the team includes high level law enforcement and emergency operations professionals, including retired police chiefs, operatives specializing in all phases of investigations, surveillance specialists and intelligence analysts.

"Shootings in schools have become a sad and painful reality," Haberl states in the letter. "The schools in Parkland, FL; and Sandy Hook, CT, and Columbine, CO, look just like Pen Argyl High School, Wind Gap Middle School and Plainfield Elementary School."

A Feb. 14 shooting killed 17 people and injured another 14 at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida.

Pamela Sroka-Holzmann may be reached at pholzmann@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow her on Twitter @pamholzmann. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook.Crews battled flames Monday afternoon at a house fire in Bushkill Township.

Fire crews were called at 2:25 p.m. to a home at 930 Bushkill Center Road near Virginia Drive in the township, according to emergency radio reports.

The home suffered severe damage and smoke could be seen as far away as Whitehall Township.

Crews discussed not having enough hose line to reach the building, and called for tanker trucks.

The roads near the home were shut down.

Property records indicate Franklin Fistner Jr. owns the property, which sits next to Kenneth Butz Jr. Elementary School.

Fistner said his wife, Bonnie Fistner, was home but got out safely. Their children were at school.

Bonnie Fistner said the home is 25 years old and the family has lived there 20 years.

She said the family's two Boxer dogs were home and their whereabouts are unaccounted for. Franklin Fistner said the family cat is missing too.

A GoFundMe was created to help the family, and can be found here.

Sarah Cassi may be reached at scassi@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow her on Twitter @SarahCassi. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook.KEITH CORCORAN

A Canadian judge has acquitted the former North Warren Regional School District superintendent of sexually assaulting a boy in the 1970s.

The decision Friday, March 9, comes a week after former superintendent Brian Fogelson was sentenced to house arrest for admittedly molesting a different boy in the 1970s.

In a 21-page written decision, Judge Tim Landry said Fogelson's attorneys raised reasonable doubt about his guilt.

Fogelson, 64, was described in the decision as a strong witness who offered detailed testimony. The two-day trial took place in late 2017 in Nova Scotia.

"I did not categorize the detail provided to the court as someone simply making things up or remembering specifics from a script but rather I concluded that the detailed evidence being provided by Mr. Fogelson was that of an individual who has sat down and had given careful thoughts to what took place many years ago," Landry wrote.

During the trial, Fogelson denied taking the boy to another man's house, giving him alcohol and sleeping in the same bed with him. Landry said the complainant in the case was also a strong witness.

"However, this is not a contest of witnesses. It is not a situation where the court is simply indicating that it believes one witness over the evidence of another."

Fogelson allegedly committed the crimes between January 1975 and December 1977 in the village of Kingston in Nova Scotia. An allegation of gross indecency in relation to the case was dropped by prosecutors during earlier proceedings.

The acquittal concludes legal troubles hanging over the retired music teacher since 2015.

The police investigation of Fogelson also had links to another man, who's already served prison time for indecently assaulting a teenage boy in the 1970s. That offender worked as a music teacher in the Annapolis Valley in Nova Scotia back in the 70s.

Fogelson and that individual were Princeton University choir participants and Fogelson was known to visit him at least twice a year.

Federal police in Lunenburg, Nova Scotia, received information in 2012 about allegations of sex offences dating back to the 1970s.

Fogelson, a resident of Venice, Florida, was sentenced March 2 in Nova Scotia Supreme Court in Bridgewater to 18 months house arrest for indecently assaulting a boy under the age of 16 in Lunenburg between January 1975 and December 1976. He pleaded guilty to the charge in October.

The court heard that Fogelson and the boy performed sex acts on one another after Fogelson brought up the topic of sexual relations between men and put his hand on the young victim's lap and began kissing him. Allegations of buggery and gross indecency were withdrawn by the Crown following sentencing. Fogelson was ordered to reside in Nova Scotia and surrender his passport during his sentence.

Fogelson retired as North Warren superintendent and returned to Nova Scotia in 2015, two months after the Public Prosecution Office said it was seeking extradition.

Fogelson was a teacher in Lunenburg and Mahone Bay, mainly focused on music for several years before returning to the United States where he's from. His education career has spanned four decades and he was named top superintendent in Warren County in 2015.A New Jersey power company's most recent loss in court had nothing to do with the merits of the case against the Phillipsburg EMS squad.

The case was thrown out of court because the power company, Jersey Central Power and Light, missed the deadline by one day to file its notice of intent to sue the squad.

According to the opinion filed Monday by the New Jersey Superior Court Appellate Division, a Phillipsburg ambulance struck a JCP&L utility pole on Dec. 24, 2014.

JCP&L filed a notice of intent to sue the town, the ambulance squad and the driver on March 25, 2015, to recover the costs to repair the pole. The lawsuit notice was filed one day after the 90-day statute of limitations expired, according to the three-judge panel.

Even though the crash was at 8:49 p.m. on Dec. 24, which was after the end of the business day, that date counts in the total 90-day timeline, the judges ruled.

The opinion was handed down by Appellate Court judges Jack Sabatino, Mitchell Ostrer and Lisa Rose.

Attorney Daniel Sahin, who represents Jersey Central Power and Light, said he's waiting to hear back from the utility company before commenting.

Rudy Miller may be reached at rmiller@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @RudyMillerLV. Find Easton area news on Facebook.Stock Market News

Argentine regulations usher in 'exciting new chapter' for Phoenix Resources 12-03-2018 11:29



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Europe midday: Stocks off best levels, EU's Malmstrom vows to stand-up to bullies 12-03-2018 11:41



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FTSE 100 movers: EasyJet flies higher on Credit Suisse note; SSE slips 12-03-2018 13:28



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Monday newspaper round-up: London house prices, Visa data, Help to Buy 12-03-2018 07:03



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Multi-billion pound E.ON-RWE asset swap may scupper SSE-Innogy tie-up 12-03-2018 16:01



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Oclaro surges as it agrees $1.8bn buyout with Lumentum 12-03-2018 12:45



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Petrofac awarded India EPC contract worth around $135m 12-03-2018 07:18



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President Energy to reactivate Argentine field after encouraging tests 12-03-2018 16:05



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Sector movers: Doubts after German energy mega-deal weigh 12-03-2018 14:10



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Thruvision outlines cash return plans as it refocuses its market 12-03-2018 10:33



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Report all errors to DonSurber@GMail.com





Oh, and if you see me driving my red 2010 Mustang GT convertible, please wave.

Hi, I am a retired newspaperman. I wrote 3 books on Trump and the media . I live in Poca, WV, with my wife of 43 years, Lou Ann. I grew up in Cleveland. Three kids. Grandfather.Does anyone doubt the news reports that Putin is about to "win" a landslide reelection? Of course not; he counts the votes and sets the rules. And Trump must be seething with jealousy . Last week, Annie Linskey, writing for the, reported that Senor Trumpanzee "would be able to dispatch Secret Service agents to polling places nationwide during a federal election, a vast expansion of executive authority, if a provision in a Homeland Security reauthorization bill remains intact. The rider has prompted outrage from more than a dozen top elections officials around the country, including Secretary of State William F. Galvin of Massachusetts, a Democrat, who says he is worried that it could be used to intimidate voters and said there is 'no basis' for providing Trump with this new authority. 'This is worthy of a Third World country,' said Galvin in an interview. 'Im not going to tolerate people showing up to our polling places. I would not want to have federal agents showing up in largely Hispanic areas.'"

Trump is, in fact, as David Remnick wrote in the new issue of the The Stress Test Of Liberal Democracy . Referencing a Regime obsessed with diversion and diversion from diversion, Remnick wrote that "Minute by minute the wheels are coming off the clown car that is the Trump Administration. The circus animals are deserting, wriggling through every available window and door. Last week, it was the chief economic adviser, Gary Cohn, who had countenanced the Presidents falsehoods and flights of bigotry but who finally took a stand on the question of steel and aluminum tariffs. Still others-- the Secretary of State, the national-security adviser, the chief of staff, the Chief Daughter, and the Feckless Son-in-Law-- are surely imagining either their own retirement from government service or multi-part indictments. Meanwhile, Robert Muellers investigation grows increasingly ominous for the President. Also, porn stars.

But the spectacle on Pennsylvania Avenue diverts attention from an arguably more consequential matter; namely, who now speaks for the values and the institutions of a liberal democratic country? Donald Trump did not ignite but merely joined a miserable, destabilizing trend of illiberalism that has been under way for years in Russia, Turkey, China, India, Southeast Asia, and Western, Eastern, and Central Europe. In France, Germany, Italy, Greece, the Netherlands, Sweden, and the United Kingdom, far-right parties and factions have not yet taken power, but they are contenders to do so, and they influence the debate on everything from immigration to foreign policy.





Trump is not the most extreme case. He may denounce his own Justice Department as disloyal and skeptics in the media as enemies of the people. But, at least for now, he operates within a constitutional order-- a still-standing system of laws, a separation of powers, and a civil society-- that has so far proved resilient. Yet the threat of Trumpism is unique in its scale and its influence. It is one thing for Viktor Orban to shrink the nascent liberties of post-Communist Hungary, a nation of fewer than ten million people; it is another for Trump to assume the title of leader of the free world, when he has such casual disregard for democratic freedoms and assumes control of an unimaginably powerful arsenal with no sign of recognizing the gravity of his responsibility. As President, Trump is the putative guardian of a set of political values, and, no matter how often those values have been undermined, threatened, or betrayed in the course of American history, they have served for countless millions abroad as a democratic standard, an ideal.





Trumps illiberalism-- his cockeyed expressions of admiration for such leaders as Vladimir Putin, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and Rodrigo Duterte, and his heedless detachment from American norms-- betrays that faith. It has also inspired a stream of books with titles like How Democracies Die, Can It Happen Here?, The Road to Unfreedom, Why Liberalism Failed, and Its Even Worse Than You Think. Yascha Mounk, the author of the most recent addition to this library of anxiety, The People vs. Democracy: Why Our Freedom Is in Danger & How to Save It, offers a trenchant survey from 1989, with its democratic euphoria, to the current map of autocratic striving, from Athens to Ankara.





Mounk, who teaches government at Harvard, points out that one reason for the increasing indifference to democratic rule and the rising enthusiasm for authoritarian alternatives, particularly among young people, is the widening historical distance from any direct experience of the horrors of German Fascism or Soviet Communism. Over two-thirds of older Americans believe that it is extremely important to live in a democracy; among millennials, less than one-third do, Mounk writes. In 1995, only one in sixteen believed that army rule is a good system of government; today, one in six do. Its easy to forget that we live in alarming times when you can just switch the channel to Vanderpump Rules.





Mounk emphasizes that history laughs at complacency and illusions of permanence. Athenian democracy lasted two centuries, the Republic of Venice a millennium, but both eventually faced decline and dissipation. The Trump era represents a test of sturdy-seeming American values, and the stakes are global. Just as a prosperous and self-confident American government helped rebuild Western Europe and Japan after the Second World War, and then helped protect them for decades-- through the establishment of various security, diplomatic, and economic alliances-- the Trump Administrations disdain for that legacy has left our allies feeling exposed and vulnerable. European leaders routinely tell reporters and former American officials that the U.S. government is barely recognizable to them, in rhetoric or in action. The reductions in the diplomatic corps have often left them with no one to talk to; the Administrations transactional relationships with authoritarian regimes give them the sense that the President is uninterested in any moral dimension in his foreign policy.





The next significant chapter in this stress test for liberal values will be the midterm elections of November, 2018. If the Democratic Party fails to win a majority in either the House of Representatives or the Senate, Trump will be further emboldened. His capacity for recklessness will multiply and go unrestrained. The Republican leadership, which has already proved shocking in its cowardice, will be even less inclined to challenge him.





Popular resistance to Trumpism began on the Mall the day after his Inauguration. The youthful uprising against the National Rifle Association in south Florida is the newest source of inspiration. But, for Trump and Trumpism to be rendered an unnerving but short-lived episode, history will require more than cogent critique. It will require that millions of men and women who do not ordinarily exercise their franchise-- some sixty per cent in off-year elections-- recognize the imperatives of citizenship. For those who aspire to office, it will require not merely renunciation of a President but an affirmation-- critical and thorough-- of the values and the institutions that the President has scorned and threatened. It will require an honest, complex, open-minded debate on immigration, income disparity, distrust of government, guns, race, gender, speech, social media, and the environment.





Such a debate will mean grappling with the many ways in which American values have yet to be fully realized. In the 2016 election, this territory was too often left to Trumps demagoguery and his promise of simple solutions. But, whether or not the clown car is finally pulled over by the rule of law, the restoration and the renewal of Americas democratic traditions will be achieved only by democratic means.Teacher with Guns by Nancy Ohanian



by Skip Kaltenheuser





Yes Men, you meet NRA lunacy head on with the ludicrous. If you dont know the If youre the, you meet NRA lunacy head on with the ludicrous. If you dont know the Yes Men , Jacques Servin and Igor Vamos, from their prior projects beginning in 1996, dont take no for an answer. Theyve just released a twenty minute film on YouTube that underscores how the NRAs steam is generated by fear rooted in racism. Included is a segment of their summer appearance at the Reagan Presidential Library in which the NRA reveals their Share the Safety project to match every purchase of a selection of guns with a refurbished gun donated to a vetted residence in an inner city of the purchasers choice.





Satirical impersonation is a key Yes Men tool, appropriating the identities of their targets, often corporate, providing them identity correction free of charge. In this arena, the Russians can only bow down and admit theyre not worthy. From sample projects in the Yes Man Lab , heres one working over the DNCs new progressive veneer





The following info comes from a Yes Men press release with helpful sub-links, including tracking NRA money to those profiles in courage who represent us in Congress while their canned political rhetoric redefines venality.





#WECALLBS ON THE NRA'S VERY EXISTENCE

New Yes Men film highlights fundamental racism of modern gun lobby





In the wake of the Parkland shooting and the inspiring activism of teen survivors from Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, the National Rifle Association and its Republican partners are facing intense scrutiny for their critical role in the rise of mass shootings and of homicides overall in America.





The NRAs unhinged rhetoric and utter lack of remorse have been on full display since the horrific gun massacre at Stoneman Douglas two weeks ago. Spokesperson Dana Loesch (notorious for her recent ads that seem to be mustering NRA supporters into a pro-Trump paramilitary) even seemed to blame the media for the shootings, while NRA President Wayne LaPierre spewed more of his usual "arm the teachers" lunacy (promptly parroted by the current occupant of the Oval Office).





A short Yes Men film, completed in August 2017 and launched today on YouTube, uses shock humor to remind us where the NRA's lunacy and ugliness come from: FEARspecifically, the profoundly terrified racism of the '70s. Featuring a Yes Men hoax performed June 22, 2016 at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library, the film tells:

 how Republicans--in a terrified reaction to the Black Panthers' performative activism--once promoted the first gun-control legislation;

 how, once the Black Power movement was crushed, Republicans began calling for looser gun-control legislation, presumably for (white) "defense";

 how the NRA, once a moderate organization, became a tool of racist Republican fear when it was hijacked by extremists including LaPierre, its current president; and

 how fear of a Black uprising partly morphed into the right-wing street's signature terror of "government" (which in its best form, after all, is just another word for " how fear of a Black uprising partly morphed into the right-wing street's signature terror of "government" (which in its best form, after all, is just another word for " people power ").

The film communicates how the NRA and the Republican Party, tapping into deep racist fear for their power and profit, have turned America into the most violent high-income country in the world by a truly immense margin, both overall and specifically . (We have 7 times the homicide rate , and 25 times the rate of gun deaths, of the average high-income countrymainly thanks to Republicans and the NRA.)





The film also features a comical encounter with the NRA's Dana "Paramilitary" Loesch and her sinister, truth-indifferent "debate" techniques that so spectacularly failed at CNNs Town Hall last week when she tried to use them against Parkland school shooting survivor Emma Gonzalez.





With this film, the Yes Men wish to join the students of Stoneman Douglas (and many others before them) in calling B.S. on the NRAs very existence. Please support them, and the nationwide #NeverAgain movement:

Flotsam and jetsam on the lure of guns:





Applause for the Yes Men. The more exposure the NRAs bought and paid for mental infirmities gets outside of the safe confines of CPAC and the evermore extremist wings of NRA members, the faster any remaining shreds of credibility will depart. Members who havent yet completed their transformation into pod people worshiping at the sacrificial altar of a faux 2nd Amendment might start to drift. Maybe even members of mainstream media will quit prefacing their interviews on gun topics by acknowledging their ready acceptance of recent 2nd Amendment interpretations. If they bother to study up on the 2nd Amendments throughout most of this countrys history, before the recent political hucksterism flowing over into the courts altered it, they might instead make mention of it when they interview the instant Constitutional scholars with expertise in the 2nd Amendment, carefully honed over pitchers of beer with like-minded experts who studied at the school of Wayne LaPierre.





And boy, if it pans out the NRAs fungible dark money millions funneled to the most venal of politicians had sources including not just the usual suspects like the Koch villains but foreign interests as well, Hello, Im the NRA ads may take on an international look. How delicious if the NRA goes down as a bagman.





When Gore was running for President, I hosted a forum on gun control issues at the National Press Club. The panel was to include a spokesman from the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence, a couple other experts on violence, and a spokesman from the NRA. The day of the forum, the NRA told me its representative was stuck in a snowstorm in Idaho. When I asked if they would send another person, I was told no. So, I put up an empty chair in the NRAs place and the panel had a good time working over NRA nutball mythology. Alas, eventually the NRA had the last laugh, taking as much credit as they could for Gores loss in various states including his home state of Tennessee, land of Davy Crockett.





Indeed, the NRA is prominent among groups that can claim credit for putting Americas democracy in front of a funhouse mirror. These include the finance/insurance sector, AIPAC, Big Pharma, Big Tobacco, Big Oil, etc, groups progressives shouldnt take a nickel from. The messages NRA-related groups have flooded the Internet with for years make claims of election impacts from Russian social media mischief a joke. As do many of the hot-button fundraising pleas bombarding our inbox, but gun rights crazy talk is in a divisive league of its own.





Gun Lobby by Nancy Ohanian









My personal experience with guns isnt extensive, but its adequate to know guns can be a blast. When small it was exciting to walk a family farmland with my dad, looking for quail and pheasant. I took note my dad never kept shells in the house, a practice I continued when acquiring the seldom-used shotguns. My first encounter with the NRA was safety-related, back before the NRA had been taken over by extremists in the service of the gun industry. Earning a marksmanship merit badge in Kansas on the march to Eagle had more cachet than, say, basket weaving. Occasional encounters with guns since, from skeet shooting to hunting efforts that probably still have quail telling jokes around their campfires, have been fun. Less enjoyable is the sound of distant gunshots late at night in the middle of Washington, DC, where I live.





When I was a kid every boy had a Daisy BB gun. Back before BB guns could be pumped and pressurized into serious danger, buddies would don protective goggles and wed have shootouts. Thrilling, until stung. It has me wondering how much of the attraction to guns is primal from eons of hunting for survival. But other countries, including wild and wooly Australia , have responded sensibly to gun tragedies and thus far their citizens' DNA hasnt broken apart. Norway is on track to ban semi-automatic weapons , I doubt mankinds essence will melt down there either.





Perhaps gun enthusiasm might be quenched by paintball. My uncle Jack, a Carlson Raider, was the first Marine atop Mt. Surabachi at Iwo Jima. Silver Star from Howling Mad Smith for leading the reconnaissance that enabled the assault-- scaling sheer cliffs under withering gunfire, hand to hand combat. Naturally, I figured Id be a natural. In my first paintball combat, surrounded by the jungles of St. Lucia, I was quickly dispatched by a young girl. Despite that humiliation my daughter and I both thought it a treat. Maybe a gun-buyback program with ample paintball coupons would find success.













Ive hunted big game in Africa, but I did it with a camera on travel assignments. Thrilling enough for me. In the Okavango Delta, while running backwards I shot an angry flying hippo, my photo trophy ran in Smithsonian magazine. I admit I dont mind a guide with a rifle waiting in the Land Rover in case wildlife goes wild. You dont have to go to Africa. The US has ample parks and countryside with wildlife. Take a kid shooting with a camera.





Skippo the Flying Hippo, bag him with a camera









Ive friends who are bow hunters and Ive nothing against hunters shooting for food they consume or contribute to others, particularly when deer overload the ecosystem. One lucky friend enjoys yearly duck hunts in the English countryside, with its own rituals and the camaraderie thats bedrock for many hunters.





But the idea of executing animals with military weapons and calling it sport turns the stomach.





A favorite gun escapade was outside of Williams, Arizona. Writing a travel whimsy, I was invited to join a gang on horseback to rob a train as it returned to Williams from the Grand Canyon. Its robbed every day, and still they endure! Fun as hell. Strict rules: though the pistols have no live ammo never point them at anyone, nothing offensive is said even in jest and dont accept jewelry. Eventually captured and perp-walked by the sheriff (played by the town's mayor) the length of the train, I kept my share of the loot, 27 beans. People really fork over money and robbers have turned down wedding rings. Below Im practicing for robbing the train. My life of crime may fire up after banksters and their Senate enablers wreck the economy again





Preparing to relieve train passengers of their valuables









The next day a fellow train robber took me into a mountain forest. A former LA cop and a champion quick-draw pistol marksman, he brought along a pal who was a craftsman and expert at restoring historic firearms. He brought a single shot muzzle-loaded musket, and he had earned his mountain man attire. I cant imagine them, particularly a former police officer from the streets of LA, endorsing such perils as arming teachers or loading up the public with military weapons that can fire 120 rounds a minute. The musket was a beautiful work of art and an enjoyment. It was handy to have an expert pour the gunpowder and load for me. Musket balls are like miniature cannonballs. Even just a few shots played havoc blowing a tree stump apart. Good time. I reflected on how in battles long ago, musket-balls were usually lethal even hitting a limb, shattering bone or ripping it off. Grim enough, but my how weve improved lethality since militia days.





Some from my generation who go to the mat fighting any gun restrictions have me wondering if they experienced trauma giving up their Disney coonskin caps (I had one as a kid, which I wore inside my miniature tee-pee), and fringed Annie Oakley skirts, so that part of them resides forever in Frontierland. So many gun die-hards just seem like immature kids who dont know where play ends.





Maybe some have a Red Dawn movie fantasy playing in the back of their craniums. People who really believe their assault weapon gun collections keep government in line would likely meet my definition of the mentally suspect, perhaps earning closer scrutiny for  extreme risk protection orders .





I once caught a guy breaking into my house. Im glad I didnt have a gun, because then the voice in ones head keeps muttering gun, gun, gun as the go-to response. Perhaps that voice too easily crowds out thinking in the minds of some police who are poorly trained or who shouldnt have been hired. Instead I found another solution to keep him until the police took him away. Frankly, if hed had a gun, even if I had one tucked away Id have said heres my cash. Material possessions arent worth a fatal escalation that takes anyones life.





Cracks are now widening in the cult reassurance of NRA mythology that allows people to ignore realities of where gun violence is most likely-- in the home, and not from home invaders. An Illinois gun show banned AR-15s . Sporting goods stores are revolted by the potential of blood money. Corporate NRA promotional partnerships are now toxic. Kids who survive mass shootings call adults to account. Grand Theft Auto starts to look like aversion therapy. I think more gun proponents will find their way out of their cultural echo chamber and start to wonder what the hell were they thinking. I marvel at the contrast between those inspiring students finding their voice in Florida and the political phonies dancing a public relations cha-cha with the NRA.





Train robbers! Quick, arm the tourists!





This is what I know about gun control: There is no comprehensive insurance in life but thats a poor excuse for inaction. Everything in life is a percentage game. Every improvement we can make in this world is a matter of increasing the odds for better outcomes, wherever and whenever we can. Once thats accepted, the flimsy reasons opposing gun control measures collapse. Absolutes are hard to come by, but every adjustment of the odds saves lives. As adjustments add up, the odds change in favor of survival, gun mayhem is reduced. A percentage game.





There is no right to risk lives and condemn families to grief for an unfettered right to own any gun one fancies.





Maybe one day the debate chair for the NRA representative will be empty not because of a snowstorm in Idaho but because nobody wants to listen to those mad hacks anymore."We are sorry, so sorry, about what happened, and we understand Paz Fernandez Borregos family pain [whose body was found with signs of violence last Tuesday, 6th, in Abdon dam]. If our brother is really proved to be guilty, we understand that it is unforgivable. But we ask for respect to Ledo Ovides family; and that people should understand that what a person may have done must not be paid by the rest of his family". Is the message that Javier Ledos family wants to pass on through LA NUEVA ESPANA. He is the only arrestee, so far, for Paz Fernandez Borregos violent death. The sisters of the only arrestee for the Abdon crime assure that they are going through an ordeal, "they are sinking us", they say, and claim understanding towards the family of the main suspect, "who are not involved at all in what he has or has not done". Otherwise, they appeal to justice to determine whether Javier Ledo is or is not guilty; and thank the Civil Guard their behaviour and the attention paid during these days.

His sisters are sunk, cocooning their parents in these "so difficult" days. "We feel very badly. It is unpleasant to think that a brother of yours may have committed such a barbarity. Whether he has done or not other things, is not forgivable, either. But this is too much, it the utmost that can be done in this world; and if he is guilty, for us it is unforgivable", they claim. The family does not want to speak about the process, and they trust the security forces and the courts to clear out the case. "If he is guilty, he must pay for it. And we believe that in such situation, any punishment he may have will not repair the damage he can have caused, to that girl and to all her family. That is something we perfectly understand, and we express heart in hand", they point out.

Ledos family is wide, and from their roots in Llosoiro they extend to all the county and all Asturias. They confess to be "sunk" for the situation they are going through after Javier Ledos arrest. "Under the name of Ledo Ovide there are many people, and we are honest, hard-working and we respect everybody. If one of them may have done what he did in the past or now, the rest of us must not pay for it", they point out. And they make a call so that the media and the individuals "stop to think that they are humiliating a whole family, not only to one person", they emphasize.

They refer with this to the information which have come up during the last days in different media about alleged crimes which the now arrestee would have committed in the past. "The applicable reports should have been made when that happened, but we consider it inappropriate to do it now", Ledos relatives assert, who also claim that Javier Ledos brother has been shown up again, who is at present serving a sentence in prison. "He did what he did, and now he is paying for it. His family deserves the case to be solved out".

Finally, the family announces that they will not make more statement to the media, and ask for respect at the current situation Ledos parents are going through: "There is one ill elder, and our mother feels very badly; for a mother it is a great shock, and she has enough without having to put up with all this", they warn. "You can save all the journeys to Llosoiro and the phone calls. We do not have anything else to say", they conclude.Home > Archives (2006 on) > 2018 > The Great Bank Robbery. By All

IMPRESSIONS

The funny thing about the banking fraud that is rocking the country is that no one is accountable for it. The Finance Minister remained silent at first and then blamed the supervisory agenciesas though he was but an onlooker. His Cabinet colleague, the ever-unconvincing Ravishankar Prasad, blamed the Congress for the mess. He was no doubt seeing

Indira Gandhis bank nationalisation as the reason for the mess. Being a fair man, he didnt blame the Italian grain merchants who invented banking in the Middle Ages.

The problem with the Ravishankar Prasad brand of rodomontade is the self-conviction that they convince others. It is nobodys case that there was no corruption before his partys rise to power. Unforgettable scams marked the

governments of all Congress Prime Ministers from Indira Gandhis time. Manmohan Singh, personally respected for his incorruptibility, was the Finance Minister in 1992 when Harshad Mehta triggered a Rs 4000-crore banking scam with an ingenious method of siphoning money from interbank transactions. As the Prime Minister, Singh allowed some abominably corrupt Ministers to flourish under him.

So, do the Congress scams justify the BJP scams? Only the sick can argue along those lines. There is no way the government of the day can dissociate itself from the Nirav Modi scandal. Official bank records of LoU (Letters of Understanding that facilitate loans from other banks) issued by Punjab National Bank to Nirav Modi have appeared in the media and they show that the letters were issued during 2017-18. Ravishankar Prasads contention that the jewellers appearance in a photograph with the Prime Minister in Davos was a coincidence also stands demolished. Protocol governs such occasions and nothing happens without prior clearance. No coincidence is permitted.

According to PTI, the national news agency, Finance Minister Jaitley travelled to Davos with a 100-strong Indian delegation of prominent businessmen. Among them was Nirav Modi. The attempt by apologists of the government should be not to look at this banking scandal from a politically partisan viewpoint, but from the viewpoint of national interest. Whether under the Congress or the BJP, businessmen who cheat banks are cheating the citizens and the country. They should be handled from that defining angle.

Those who have eyes to see can see that scandals of this kind cannot happen without the knowledge and/or condonation and/or participation of politicians in power. Suspicions about the Modi-style of operations had surfaced in the diamond business circles as far back as in 2015. A potential investor, who had felt cheated, had reported to the police twice, then to the CBI. Neither taking any action, the investor alerted the PMO which forwarded the matter to the Registrar of Companies who chose to close the complaint. Could this happen without the involvement of well-placed politicians and officials?

Equally relevant is the question: Could Modi have escaped from India in the nick of time without official collusion? In the immediate family he is the only one with an Indian passport. His sixth sense stirred when two senior staffers of the PNB, who had the power to issue LoUs, left India in November last year. In a measured manner thereafter he, business partner/uncle Mehul Choksi and some family members quietly and separately took flights out of the country. All that India could do was seize their assets within its borders and send look-out notices. Big deal.

What we see here is the old story of VIP offenders being helped by our law enforcers to escape from the law of the land. When the Bhopal gas tragedy, described as the worlds worst industrial disaster, killed 4000 to 8000 and maimed countless others in 1984, senior Ministers in Delhi helped Union Carbide chief Anderson escape from India. Ottavio Quattrocchi, Italian business agent, who became so close to Sonia Gandhis family that his four children, all born in India, and Sonias children grew up together, finally fell foul of the law in 1993 but was helped to escape from the country overnight, so to speak. And then we have our modern touch-me-not VIPs, Lalit Modi and Vijay Mallya, living in luxury abroad beyond the reach of Indias reluctant hands.

Nirav Modi has politely declined to cooperate with the CBI in its inquiries against him. Why not? Is Vijay Mallya cooperating with the CBI? Has anyone in our great country dared touch Lalit Modi? His pals are in high office in Rajasthan and Delhi. This is India that is Bharatand this is how it will be irrespective of which party is in power.Home > Archives (2006 on) > 2018 > Tribute: Neelabh Mishra, the Activist Journalist

National Heralds Editor-in-chief Neelabh Mishra, who had been admitted to Apollo Hospital in Chennai in February 2018, was critically ill with complications resulting from non-alcoholic liver cirrhosis. He breathed his last on February 24, surrounded by his relatives, friends and comrades. Tributes to Neelabh poured in from all quartersfrom politicians of all stripes, from journalists across the country and from Indias grassroots movements fighting for equality and social change. Such was the indelible mark left by this activist journalist on the lives of all who worked and interacted with him in a career spanning three decades.

Neelabh was born in a village in Bettiah in Bihars Paschim Champaran district, a land forever associated with Mahatma Gandhi, who launched his first satyagraha against the British from Champaran. His paternal grandparents, Prajapati Mishra and Ketaki Devi, were freedom fighters and worked closely in support of Gandhis growing movement. Neelabhs birth itself had to do with the Gandhian way of life, which favoured traditional birth. His mother, Vijay Mishra, travelled from Patna to his fathers native village of Ranipur near Bettiah before his birth. Vijay Mishra, who hailed from Gajraula in Western Uttar Pradesh, met Neelabhs father, Pramod Kumar Mishra, while both were participating in Acharya Vinoba Bhaves Bhoodan Movement, which sought voluntary transfer of land by the wealthy to landless labourers. Both generations before Neelabh were deeply interested in changing society through politics. His paternal grandfather, Prajapati Mishra, would become the first President of the Bihar Pradesh Congress Committee and a Congress MP. His paternal grandmother, Ketaki Devi, became a Congress MLA. Pramod Kumar Mishra was Education Minister in the Bihar Congress Government, till his political career was cut short when he died, when Neelabh was only 20 years old, of non-alcoholic liver cirhossis. One of Neelabhs earliest memories, at age 3, was of accompanying his father to Patna airport and seeing an aeroplane for the first time. His father had gone to receive some people who disembarked from the plane, but young Neelabh took little notice of them. He was mesmerised by the machine. One of those people was Jawaharlal Nehru.

Neelabhs primary schooling was at Notre Dame Academy in Patna, in the days when Notre Dame was co-ed till class 3. He then went to Patnas St Xaviers School. An excellent student, his laidback personaity, for which he was famous among friends, colleagues and comrades, was evident even in his early years. He was nonchalant about the fact that he always stood first, and never blew his trumpet about it. As later in life, this quiet student always had the last word, though easily winning every debate and elocution contest in school.

Like other schoolchildren in Bihar of the 1970s, Neelabh was deeply influenced by Jayaprakash Narayans Sampoorna Kranti movement, resisting the Emergency declared by then Prime Minister, Indira Gandhi. One of his school teachers, Father Philip Manthra, a liberation theologist who taught moral science at St Xaviers, introduced Neelabh and his classmates to the foundations of democracy through discussions during the Emergency. With many of his classmates and his own cousins participating in JPs rallies, the movement would be regularly discussed in class. Questioning and discussing the tyrannical ways of the government in the classroom, sowed the seeds of what would become Neelabhs life-long desire to effect change towards a more egalitarian society. But though a political career was an easy option for him, given his political lineage, he was already disillusioned with electoral politics, having seen its dark side. The debating specialist decided, in school itself, that he wanted to become a journalist and engage critically with power. He wanted to leave the legacy of party politics behind, and draw up his own career.

When his father passed away and his mother was asked to fight elections, Neelabh told her he would support her but she should not expect him to campaign. Though he was attracted to Left politics through his conversations with CPI-ML leaders in Bihar at the time, he had become very alert about the dirty side of politics. Questioning the powerful was his chosen method to effect change, which he proceeded to do so well over a career of more than three decades of committed journalism.

After graduating from Patna College with English Honours, Neelabh did his MA in English at Hindu College in Delhi University. He then returned to Patna and began his career as a reporter with Navbharat Times. At the same time, he was the Secretary of the Peoples Union for Civil Libertiesfounded by Jayaprakash Narayanin Bihar. Neelabhs lifelong association with and support to grassroots political movements always set him apart from other editors. Not for him was the editors desire for proximity to and influence over those in power. He would never dream of occupying a Rajya Sabha seat, a bauble given to the kind of editors who, to date, speak for the powerful and not the powerless. He identified himself with the struggles of the displaced, for the peoples right to information, for womens right to equality of participation. Neelabh did not see the contradiction. Neelabh did not see the contradiction between activism and journalism which editors today quote as a fig-leaf for their tacit support to the government of the day, at the expense of those communities the government oppresses. He believed in speaking truth to power, in an adversarial relationship between the media and the politically powerful, where the media amplified the voice of communities made vulnerable by state excesses. For him, there were never any sacred cows who could not be questioned about their exercise of power, and he particularly questioned those who gained power by dispossessing and demonising vulnerable communities.

He was considered as a great friend by many of Indias social movements. They always looked up to him for his advice and guidance. Among them were the Mazdoor Kisan Shakti Sangathan, National Alliance of Peoples Movements, the Right to Information Movement and India Resists. The feminist movement treated him as a dear comrade.

From Patna, Neelabh moved to Rajasthan as the Jaipur correspondent for News Time. He also set up Eenadu TV in Rajasthan in 1998. In Rajasthan, he was an active part of the womens movement collective, the RTI movement and he helped revive and give direction to the PUCL Rajasthan in December 1997. The PUCL remains one of the main bodies of the human rights movement in the country. By this time he was widely respected among both the media and peoples movements, particularly in Bihar and Rajasthan. But Neelabh began to gain real prominence when he was appointed by Vinod Mehta as the editor of Outlook Hindi in 2005. Here, he would write hard-hitting editorials in both English and Hindi. Neelabh has been hailed by many of his colleagues as a rare bilingual journalist. Neelabh, though, was not bilingual. He in fact spoke four languages. At home, he grew up speaking a West Champaran dialect of Bhojpuri. He also became fluent in Maithili, a language he picked up from his cousins.

In 2016, Mishra steered the re-launch of National Herald, the newspaper founded in 1938 by the man a three-year-old Neelabh spotted at Patna airport in the early sixtiesIndias first Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru. Neelabh relaunched National Herald as a digital news website. In 2017, Neelabh relaunched the National Herald on Sunday newspaper, and then National Heralds sister publications, Navjivan and Qaumi Awaz, as news websites. You can read some of Neelabhs editorials in National Herald.

Over more than three decades in journalism, Neelabh mentored a generation of younger journalists, whom he schooled in his inimitable style of speaking truth to power and keeping their ears to the ground. Besides being a keen observer of politics, he was a great lover of poetry and fiction. History was another passion for him. National Herald, Navjivan and Qaumi Awaz are fortunate to have a pool of journalists schooled in Neelabhs inimitable style of taking on the powerful, in defence of peoples democratic rights. It is a style that does justice to the legacy of our founder, Jawaharlal Nehru.

National Herald has pledged to always take forward it editor-in-chief, mentor, comrade and friend Neelabh Mishras unwavering commitment to speaking up in defence of Indias precious democratic freedom.

Neelabh Mishra (16-6-1960-24-2-2018) is survived by his long-time partner Kavita Srivastava, brother Shailoj Kumar, sister-in-law Sudha, and niece Nawasha.

We convey our homage to him by reproducing two pieces he wrote in 2011 and 2017, the first appeared in Outlook (January 21, 2011) and the other in National Herald (June 12, 2017).

That Old Psychotic Path

Cornered on terror, the RSS unsheaths its persecution complex

It is understandable for the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) to defend itself against allegations implicating some of its activists in acts of terror, such as the bomb blasts in Malegaon and Ajmer, at the Mecca Masjid in Hyderabad, and on the Samjhauta Express. But there is a major problem with the line that discourse has been taking, phrased as it is in the language of us and them, between Hindus and Muslims. Worse, it drags in matters irrelevant to those attacksAjmal Kasab and Afzal Guruand harps on a weakening of the case against Pakistan as a sponsor of terrorism. In the process, the parivar betrays again its narrow, divisive and sectarian worldview.

The us versus them line is strikingly evident in an editorial in the January 23 issue of Organiser, the RSS mouthpiece: More intriguing is that only the persons named in alleged Hindu radicalism seem to be making confessions. We have not heard of a Kasab, Afzal or (S.A.R.) Geelani or such other jehadi terrorists making any confession. Are they so tight-lipped or do their confessions not make headlines? Leave aside the fallacy of if person X didnt confess in a certain case, then person Bs confession in another case is not to be trusted, the piece seems to imply that it was more important for the investigating agencies to have made Kasab and Guru and Geelani confess, rather than gather evidence that stood scrutiny in court. Its another matter that Kasab and Guru have been convicted and Geelani acquitted in the cases they were charged in. And since neither the investigators nor the Sangh Parivar have ever accused these persons of involvement in the Malegaon, Ajmer or Hyderabad cases, in which Swami Aseemanand has confessed involvement, why drag them in at all?

What the editorial certainly does not address is matters germane to the issue. It does not analyse the correctness or otherwise of the Swamis confession, made before a Magistrate. If it was seeking to build a defence for the swami, the editorial could have discussed the utter confusion that now surrounds the blasts cases.

Caught on the wrong foot, the Sangh Parivar has chosen to go for a political and ideological counterattack rather than a rational and reasonable defence in the public discourse, one that the Swami, or any suspect for that matter, is anyway entitled to in a court of law. Its a counterattack carefully modulated to sharpen and feed on existing communal faultliness in our society, treading the beaten Hindutva path of nurturing a siege mentality and fear psychosis vis-a-vis the Muslim other, profiled as a dreaded terrorist.

With the earlier arrests of Lt Col Shrikant Purohit, Dayanand Pandey and Pragya Singh Thakur for bomb attacks in the service of the Hindutva ideology, the Sangh Parivar found its all Muslims are not terrorists, but all terrorists are Muslims myth punctured. But it could still claim these were either fringe elements, not directly associated with the RSS or its affiliate bodies, or ones that had left the Sangh Parivar to pursue their own maniacal vision.

However, with investigating agencies pointing at, one by one, several persons linked closely with the Sangh Parivar for involvement in four bomb blasts that killed many innocents and for which several Muslims had been arrested and tortured, the RSS had no go but to launch this blitzkrieg of obfuscation. None of its secularist opponents had ever suggested that the aam Hindu was a terrorist, but the RSS had to bring in that reference to buttress its victim Hindu plankas if disowning the fringe elements or saying theyd left the parivar wasnt enough.

Mohan Bhagwat, the RSS chief, himself thought it fit to emphasise the point in his Dussehra address: Hindu terror is an oxymoron, and the two terms can never be related to each other. This was an attempt to weaken the strength of Hindus in India and at the same time appease the Muslims. This is a dogmatic claim of moral superiority for Hindus, as opposed to people of other faiths. Dovetailed as it is with the Muslim appeasement line, it harks back to the sloganeering of the Ayodhya agitation days. It is a well-thought-out line, aimed at reviving the Ayodhya issue, to which the Allahabad High Court verdict has opened a window.

While it is for the courts to decide whether the swami and the others are guilty or not of acts of terror, the Sangh Parivar would be better advised to marshal their defence in the public discourse using logic and the facts of the case rather than lay itself open to the charge of divisive, communal mobilisation. Old habits die hard.

(Outlook, January 21, 2011)

Coping with the Brave, New World

Nindak niyare rakhiye/ Angan kuti chhavay/ Binu pani, binu savana/ Nirmal kare subhaye (Get him a cottage in your courtyard/ keep the critic close/ sans soap and water/ Its you hell purify)

That is Kabirs couplet for you, translated by this columnist. Distilled from civilisational wisdom, the words of Indias 14th century saint-poet represent the more modern Voltaire-moment. But while Voltaire would unflinchingly defend a dissenters right to freedom of speech and expression, rather every citizens right to such freedom, Kabir goes beyond this. He advocates an active courting of the critic to cleanse ones character.

These words of Indias civilisational wisdom are now lost on people who run India. Not surprising, for an intense impulse to arbitra-riness, exercise of power unfettered by questions and accountability, and unease with free speech and expression has lurked within even the most altruistic of regimes. It has reared its ugly and repressive head in moments of vulnerability or vanity, as the case may be, of rulers and reactionary societal forces. It takes little time for such regimes to graduate from killing free specch and dissent to kill people who exercise these rights, to exterminate people who may potentially exercise these rights. This could be about anybody.

All this is done in stages to prevent people from making a common cause of their victimisation by belligerent regimes. This starts with people who look in some ways culturally different and who for this reason do not conform to the idea of the nation that vain and narrow regimes seek to foster.

They play on the primal suspicion of difference to characterise minorities as fifth columnists or enemies of the nation and consolidate their base among the majority community. The list of enemies keeps growing and in the end encompasses about everybody. This process was captured beautifully in Nazi Germany by the Lutheran Pastor Martin Niemoller in a poem (First they came for the socialists/I didnt speak out/For I was not a socialist...) too well known to be quoted here in full.

The struggle for freedom of speech and expression, and the right to dissent, so essential for democracy and the advancement of human civilisation, has been arduous since the European Renaissance and the American war of indepen-dence. Sometimes ardent votaries of these rights have by convoluted logic turned into their extinguishers in the name of defending them. In the last touching sequence of Wajdas tragic 1983 French film Danton, the horror of his reign of terror that devoured his own French Revolution comes home to Robespierre. In a touching and ironic last scene, as his comrade-in-arms and co-leader of the Revolution, Danton is guillotined because of his machinations and on his orders, the well-practiced nephew of Robespierres mistress lucidly recites the Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen. No such moment of horror and shame for our regime leaders in India, who cry themselves hoarse about their fighting the suspension of fundamental rights during the 1975-76 Emergency, as they unleash lynch mobs against different lifestyle choices and freedom expression.

In the last century, large tracts of powerful Europe and Third World countries went through the horrors of authoritarianism and totalita-rianism. Struggling for her own independence, Indias national leaders like Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru, Dr Ambedkar and Sardar Patel, and public intellectuals like Tagore, were wary of such experiences. Therefore, they made non-violence and freedom of expression their articles of faith. Tilak, Gandhi, Nehru, besides their agitational activities, all brought out news and views publications and either went to jail because of them or faced bans on their publications. As poet Akbar IIahabadi put it, Jab Tope Muqabil ho Akhbar Nikaliye. (Bring out a newspaper to combat cannons.) Thats the legacy and concept that Pandit Nehru-founded National Herald has inherited.

Seen in this light, more surprising than the current regimes ill-camouflaged muzzles on dissent and free expression through contrived legal cases, denial of access to funds, blackmail and pressurising owners to get rid of inconvenient editors is the active endorsement of such a regime by large sections of the media and the people, especially the educated middle classes.

To understand this, we again have to learn from international insights. After the devas-tations caused by the marauding Nazis and Fascists, and staring at the endless spectre of Stalinist totalitarianism in the Eastern Bloc, two books made ripplesGeorge Orwells 1984 and Aldous Huxleys Brave New World. While 1984 presented a grim projection into the future of people subjugated through coercion, Brave New World, which came out in 1932 well before the aforesaid experience, depicted a dystopia wherein a technologically manipulated race of humans give willing consent to their own subjugation.

Being a person well familiar with the scientific and technological advances of his time and capable of projecting their trajectory into the future, Huxley shared his more enriched insights in a few public lectures in 1962 thirty years after Brave New World was published. This insight is what he called The Ultimate Revolution, the word Revolution used in not a utopian but a dystopian sense. The recording of one such speech at the Berkeley Language Centre in the US on March 20, 1962 is available in Berkeleys archives.

The idea put forth therein is best encapsulated by Aldous Huxleys own words from the lecture: There will be, in the next generation or so, a pharmacological method of making people love their servitude, and producing dictatorship without tears, so to speak, producing a kind of painless concentration camp for entire societies, so that people will in fact have their liberties taken away from them, but will rather enjoy it, because they will be distracted from any desire to rebel by propaganda or brainwashing, or brainwashing enhanced by pharmacological methods.

Is this what we are seeing in India today and certain other parts of the world, including the advanced West? Huxley warned against the negative use of future technologies, especially communication technologies facilitating propaganda and brainwashing. We have seen them unleashed on a devastating scale in India.

We do not know about the use of pharmacological methods in India. But in this context the alleged attempt at creation of superior humans by the RSS through its alleged Garbh Vigyan Samskara is a particular ideological imagination taking an ominous turn despite its mumbo-jumbo. You need a tech savvy imagination based on values of the Freedom Movement and the best in human civilisation to counter the sinister use of technology. This is what we will try doing in the new National Herald.

(National Herald, June 12, 2017)

Sonia Gandhis Letter

The following is a letter from Sonia Gandhi to Kavita Srivastava following the death of Neelabh Mishra.

Dear Ms Srivastava,

My thoughts have been with you since the tragic and untimely passing away of Neelabh.

Neelabh faced his last illness with the quiet courage with which he lived his lifea life of unwavering commitment to secular, liberal and democratic principles, and of deep concern and compassion for the vulnerable and voiceless. As a fearless defender of freedom of the press, who never hesitated to speak truth to power, he was admired and respected not just by fellow journalists but also across the political spectrum.

In all his writings, he upheld Pandit Nehrus vision of India as an inclusive, tolerant and humane society, ideals that were aptly reflected in the National Herald under his editorship. The new vigour and professional excellence he infused into the paper founded by Panditji were truly admirable. Neelabh will be greatly missed for his brilliance and integrity, but equally for the kind and gentle demeanour that cloaked his strong and brave heart.

I hope that you find the strength to bear your loss.

With my sincere condolences,

Sonia Gandhi

Ms Kavita Srivastava

A-45, D, 1st Floor

Munirka DDA Flats

Near JD Tytler School

New Delhi-110 067Home > Archives (2006 on) > 2018 > No Conflict between Hindi and Regional State Languages

For some time past a misguided effort is being made to castigate India for asking the General Assembly of the UN to include Hindi as one of the languages at the UN. They seem to suggest that English should be recognised as the language of India because Hindi is not understood in the whole of India, but they conveniently forget that Hindi is the language of an overwhelming number of people. Of course, it is not in any way an attempt to reduce the respect given to the other Indian languages which are of equal status with Hindi. It is a question of whether a sovereign India should have its own language just as England, France, Germany are provided at the UN. This would show Hindi in an equal position at the international fora with other foreign languages. So that the demand the country must have one language of its own at the UN international fora for this purpose cannot be objected to.

In presenting Dr Lohia as a Hindi fanatic, even against the other languages of India, is to do great injustice to his philosophy. No doubt Dr Lohia was against the exclusive small number of English-knowing people of about four per cent to represent at the UN. He treated all Indian languages on equal footing. But each country can have only one language to represent it at the international fora. So at the UN one language alone can be recognised. This is why one of the largest spoken languages, Hindi, should be at the UN fora.

Let me explain his philosophy of Angrezi Hatao in his own words:

It is now impossible to banish the public use of English without the desire of the people. The policy of removal of English gradually, which has been adopted by the Government of India, is proving more dangerous than the policy of retaining English forever. The chief problem is the removal of English and not the establishment of Hindi. This clarification is necessary, for the non-Hindi speaking States like Mysore, Bengal, Tamil Nadu should have the option not to use Hindi at all. They may use their own language but they also must remove English.

A correct language policy has been evolved. Hindi should be the language of the Central Government immediately after, the gazetted posts of the Central Government should be reserved for non-Hindi speaking areas for ten years. The Centre should correspond with States in Hindi and the States should correspond with the Centre in their regional languages until such time they learn Hindi. The medium of education up to graduate course should be the regional language and for post-graduate studies, it should be Hindi. The District Judge and Magistrate may use their regional languages whereas the High Court and Supreme Court should use Hindustani. The speeches in the Lok Sabha should generally be made in Hindustani but members who do not know Hindi may speak their own language. Although it is a correct language policy, any State or its government which may not like to adopt this policy and wishes to continue with its regional language should have the freedom to do so. It should not be objected to although it will be a regrettable situation. I believe this is a temporary difficulty. Therefore, keeping in view the pernicious propaganda and in the interest of the nation, the chief aim of our movement should be removal of English and not the establishment of Hindi. It is certain that Hindi shall be established on an all-India level in due course. But if in some States or even on the all-India level Marathi or Bengali is established, we should not mind it.

I can recall his pain when he read about the misunderstanding of his position on languages and which caused a setback to the development of national languages and a correct language policy. It happened sometime in the 1960s when I had the privilege of taking Dr Lohia to a Socialist Party programme in Chandigarh. He stayed at my residenceat that time I was the chairperson of the Socialist Party (Punjab branch).

I remember, however, a very pained Lohia when he was staying with me at Chandigarh. Next morning, news had came that anti-Hindi agitators in the South had burnt Hindi periodicals. I still see him quietly with a sad look on his face sitting in the verandah lawn of my house at Chandigarh and telling me softly: Rajindarthe movement for Hindi is deadwhen it will be revived I do not know. Dr Lohia was not a Hindi chauvinist. He was for State languageshe believed that the presence of English-knowing minority, of which even now there are only four per cent, will never let the poor become the vehicle of politics. He accepted the supremacy of Tamil and Telugu languages in the States. He was not against the English language as such. He was of the view that in no democratic peoples state, bureaucracy can effectively work for peoples policies unless the administration is carried out in the Statesin their own peoples language.

The author, a retired Chief Justice of the Delhi High Court, was the Chairperson of the Prime Ministers high-level Committee on the Status of Muslims and the UN Special Rapporteur on Housing. A former President of the Peoples Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL), he is a tireless champion of human rights. He can be contacted at e-mail: rsachar1[at]vsnl.net / rsachar23[atbol.net.inHome > Archives (2006 on) > 2018 > Lessons from the Tripura Election

Ten years ago, in 2008, I was invited to speak at a colloquium in Rome regarding the war in Afghanistan; this was organised by the think-tank affiliated with the Party of European Socialists, the platform that brings together national level social-democratic political parties in the member-countries of the European Union. The hosts were Italys Democratic Party of the Left (PDS), the successor to the former Italian Communist Party.

I carried back two precious memories from that trip to Italy and carefully stored them in the attic of my mind. One, of course, was the visit to the Sistine Chapel and the magnificent frescos of Michelangelo and the ensuing meditation over the Revelation. A long-cherished dream was fulfilled. And the second was a brilliant conversation over the dinner in my honour by the Italian hosts. Upon hearing that despite my father having been a Communist, I could be inducted into the Indian Foreign Serviceand eventually to head the most sensitive division affecting Indian foreign and security policies in the Foreign Ministry dealing with Pakistanmy host remarked that Italian Communists always envied the comrades in India for the level playing field that was available in Indias democratic system, which genuinely allowed a hundred flowers to bloom.

Thereupon, my host went into an analysis of the trauma that the Communist Parties the world over faced in the immediate aftermath of the end of Cold War and the death of communism that the disbandment of the former Soviet Union symbolised. My host said that the Italian Communist Party, although the strongest Communist Party on the European continent, with a 70-year history behind it, decided in 1991 to address the predicament by disbanding itself and taking the journey from doctrinaire communism to democratic socialism, reinven-ting itself as the Democratic Party of the Left (which eventually joined the Socialist International and the Party of European Socialists).

It was an audacious decision because in just the previous election in Italy in 1987, the Italian Communist Party had secured close to 27 per cent of the popular vote. Yet, the leadership felt the need to adjust to the spirit of the times that heralded the end of the era of Eurocommunism by re-branding or transforming themselves as a progressive Left-wing and democratic socialist party. One-third of the party faithful showed reluctance but eventually the decision proved historic. To cut the exciting story short, the newly-formed Democratic Party of the Left went on to capture power in Italy in the parlia-mentary election in 1996 polling 21 per cent of votes as part of a winning coalition known as The Olive Tree.

My host regretted that the Communist Parties in India too could have taken a similar trajectory to upgrade and be contemporaneous with the new era. He warned that it is perilous to try to remain in frozen time when the society and politics all around are evolving phenomenally.

This friendly conversation, unsurprisingly, kept surging in my troubled mind during the past two days following the fall of the Communist Government in Tripura. Indeed, electoral defeat is not new for Communists. There have been such defeats in the past in Tripura. I can vaguely recall the pervasive gloom in my student days when the Communist Government in Kerala was dismissed in 1959 and lost the ensuing electionbut then, only to rise like a Phoenix eventually from the ashes of defeat, years later.

Clearly, Narendra Modis swagger that this was an ideological victory for the BJP in Tripura is pure baloney. The plain truth is that Modi and BJP President Amit Shah control a war-chest overflowing with money that the Communists cannot possibly ever match. Nor can the Communists match the opportunistic electoral alliance of the BJP with local allies with sub-national identity, which is only possible for an ideologically bankrupt national party.

Having said that, the Tripura debacle still needs to be evaluated in existential terms, given the steady trend in the recent years that the Communist Parties in India are losing ground to other bourgeois parties. The fact of the matter is that the country is in the cusp of change and is transforming rapidly, and in a society in transition, the political partiesespecially the Communist Partiesneed to adjust themselves to the emergent realities. Relatively, the BJPs stunning success is due to its capacity to attune itself to the rising social aspirations.

On the contrary, it is precisely their inability or lack of willingnessdepending on ones point of viewto adapt to emergent shifts in the Indian society that must be counted as a major factor behind the Communist Parties steady erosion in the past decade. Put differently, although ideologically committed and relatively clean and above board in their functioning and ethos, and, most importantly, disciplined and cadre-based, the Communist Parties are losing their appeal. A disconnect is somehow developing. Principally, the finger must be pointed at the dogmas they adhere to, which, although highly principled and rooted in the profound thesis of class struggle and dialectical materialism, are becoming increasingly irrelevant to the needs and aspirations of the society.

One thing that emerges indisputably in the Tripura election results is that these needs and aspirations more or less narrow down to one little wordjobs. The Communist rule in Tripura was exceptional while it lasted for a quarter century in giving good governance. The Chief Minister himself was the paragon of virtues in his dedication in public life, his austere life-style, and his transparency, integrity and quiet dignity at a personal level. But all that still didnt add up when the BJPs dream merchants came up with their famous development agenda. The sad reality is that Tripura is at the top of the table as a State with an acute unemployment situation.

By the way, the lesson from Tripura is hugely relevant for Kerala, which today is the last bastion of the Communist Parties. The point is, in Kerala too, successive Communist govern-ments have largely acquitted themselves well in governance. But they have been found wanting in coming up with projects that create jobs in large numbers. The tendency is to take the easy road of egalitarian policies, which is possible only thanks to the money that is pouring in through remittances by expatriate Malayalis. This is not sustainable. Economic programme cannot narrow down to evenly distributing the income and ensuring social justice and support for the poorer sections of society.

A compassionate government can never become the target of public wrath and the Communist Parties got re-elected in Tripura. But the risk arose when the dream merchants appeared with their seductive productthe alluring promise of job creation. The Communist Parties can overlook only at their peril that communal polarisation is not the only card in the BJPs inventory. In the North-Eastern States with large Christian population, Hindu fundamentalism has limited appeal, but the BJP still made inroads.

Suffice to say, the lessons from Tripura are two-fold for the Communist Parties in India. First, the Communist Parties put together are hopelessly incapable of stopping the BJP juggernaut on their own steam at the national level. They desperately need allies. Given the Left ideology, the allies must also be secular, social democratic parties. Make no mistake, the Congress Party becomes their natural partner in the current situation.

The Communist Parties need to create coalition with the Congress Party. Dont quibble over it and create confusion. Time and tide wait for no man. This is one thing. The second lesson from Tripura, which is not unrelated to the above, but is from a longer perspective of the future of the Left in India, can be pithily summed up like this: Indias Communists must unabashedly borrow from Deng Xiaopings far-sighted advice to his comrades in the Chinese Communist Party, and give it the Indian characteristicsIt doesnt matter if the economic policy is neo-liberal or liberal; as long as it creates jobs, its a good policy.

Ambassador M.K. Bhadrakumar served as a career diplomat in the Indian Foreign Service for over 29 years, with postings including Indias ambassador to Uzbekistan (1995-1998) and to Turkey (1998-2001).Home > Archives (2006 on) > 2018 > Jyoti Basus Bombshell

From N.C.s Writings

We are reproducing the following piece by N.C. that appeared in this weekly in January 1997 on an interview to a national daily given by Jyoti Basu, the CPM patriuarch and former West Bengal CM, regarding the party Central Committees decision in May 1996 debarring him from becoming the Prime Minister of India heading the United Front Government at the Centre, as desired by the countrys entire political spectrum. The interview was published in the daily on January 1, 1997. This piece is being reproduced against the backdrop of the CPM and Lefts latest massive electoral defeata veritable routat the hands of the BJP in the just-concluded Tripura Assembly elections. There is no gainsaying that the party leadership, specifically the former CPM General Secretary Prakash Karat (who was instrumental in preventing Basu from becoming the PM 22 years ago), was inter alia responsible for this rout.

Jyoti Basus interview to a national daily, which appeared on the New Years Day, has by itself become a historic landmark. The veteran CPI-M leader has, on his own, criticised the decision of his partys Central Committee, taken in May last, which rejected the idea of his becoming the Prime Minister, leading the United Front Ministry.

This is unprecedented in the communist liturgy that a decision taken at a party conclave is disclosed by any of those present, the least of all by a top leader. The only exception to this rule was provided by Khrushchev, who as the First Secretary of the Soviet Communist Party, disclosed to a meeting of party workers in 1956 what he thought were the mistakes and misdeeds of Stalin as he felt them.

Forty years later has come this open attack on a party decision by the leading figure of the Communist Party of India-Marxist. The irony of it all is that this very party claims to uphold the purity of the Marxist doctrine and practice in the midst of its repudiation by a very large number of Communists all over the world.

Jyoti Basus press interview has thus become an issue of major interest and concern for the members and supporters of his own party, as also for the wider public that closely scrutinises the views and functioning of the communist movement. The question naturally to be raised in such circles would be whether Basus interview should be taken as breaking new ground on the rocky soil of communist discipline and what would be the impact of this precedent created by one of the foremost figures in the communist movement today.

Not to speak of its content, the fact of such an open interview on a subject of immediate import to his party marks a new stage in the evolution of inner-party discipline for a Communist Party. The interview itself has not only been elaborate but places a cogently argued point of view and not some snippets of passing comments sometimes indulged in by political leaders in public encounters.

Leaving aside the quantum of sensation unleashed by the interview, its content itself is a veritable political landmark. There have been instances in the communist movement when a decision once reached was taken up for review and reconsideration by the party itself, but in such cases whoever called for a reconsideration did so within the precincts of the party in the appropriate forums. In other words, this is done as a collective business, as the Communists would put it.

On this score also, the orthodox communist discipline may find fault with Basu because he had come out in the interview with his personal views on a major political decision, bypassing the normal communist practice of raising the issue in the accredited party forum. It is, therefore, obvious that this interview by one of the top Communist leaders in the country has come as a bombshell to the party ranks, apart from its very important effect on the wider public.

The question naturally arises if the interview would mark a new stage in the changing face of communist practice in the new world situation, or at least in the conditions prevailing in India. While the rigid old style political functioning might disapprove of this unique development as something undercutting discipline within a party fold, Basus press interview has to be understood as marking a rightful response to a major political issue confronting not only his party but the country as a whole. In other words, this extraordinary step on the part of Basu is a measure of his sense of urgency in dealing with an unprecedented situation in the country. In fact, the essence of the happenings in May was the offer by a United Front of diverse parties to a Communist leader to take up the reins of power of this great country.

Basus reopening of the question through a major press interview once again underlines the importance that he attaches to the issue. He did not hesitate to disclose that while the minority within the CPI-M Central Committee could mobilise 20 supporters in favour of his taking up the United Front offer to him to become the next Prime Minister, the opposition to the idea came from as many as 35 who ignored the significance of this unique political development. Borrowing a metaphor from the ancient history of the Indian National Congress, it may be said that there were 20 pro-changers and 35 no-changers within the Central Committee of the CPI-M on the issue of a Communist leading the government at the Centre.

It would be important to note the fact that a leading figure in the communist movement should disclose all these after seven long months. Obviously, a responsible leader of an important party does not comment sharply on a decision of the party after such a long gap without having good political reasons to bring it back to limelight. Although he has not spelt it out in so many words, Basu has made it obvious in the interview that the situation today has brought out the unwisdom of declining the United Front offer to him to lead the government.

The intertia of the Deve Gowda Government, the inability of the present Prime Minister to adequately handle the responsibilities foisted on him, the complexities of the present political situation with pulls and pressures from different directionsall these and many other reasons make it obvious to any responsible observer that the time has come for an urgent reconsi-deration of the old arrangement. It is clear that the United Front Government with Deve Gowda in the lead is proving it almost impossible to carry on as it has done so long. And the future ahead is beset with many more intractable difficulties which Deve Gowda will find it difficult to overcome.

Add to all these the developments inside the Congress-I, whichwith all the problems and discredit it had had to face in the last seven monthsis now trying to regroup itself and its leaders are trying to breathe down the neck of the present government with Deve Gowda running helter-skelter to ensure Congress support. The present indications are that the Congress leadership is keen on joining the government in a manner that may split or divide the United Front, but without having to face the ordeal of a general election.

All this requires a very careful handling of the situation and this can be possible only if the government team is led by leaders of wisdom and experience. As things stand today, it is only the Left that can provide it, and within the Left, it is Jyoti Basu who is the obvious choice for leadership.

Jyoti Basus interview thus underlines the historic blunder not only of the CPI-M decision to stay away from the government as he himself has put it but also an urgent call to review the critical political situation. In fact, a timely warning to the entire United Front to pay heed to the enveloping crisis that faces its government is that timely corrections could be made to save the situation. Obviously, such a review has to reopen the question of the leadership of the government since the present government has denied to itself the accretion of strength that can come to it from the CPI-M joining it and providing it with the much-needed leadership.

In short, what Jyoti Basu has tried to convey is not just the disclosure of the details of an unfortunate decision by the leadership of his own party seven months ago, but the way to rectify the mistake for its future course.

(Mainstream, January 18, 1997)Home > Archives (2006 on) > 2018 > Tripura: Time for Left to Reorient

Lenin said, practice is the criterion of truth. Tripura has forcefully underlined the need for a drastic reorientation of the tactics, even strategy, of the Left and the Communists in particular. Tripura has again emphasised what was already clear. It has proved that the democratic forces must reject a narrow-minded and sectarian approach, reorient and adopt a broad attitude.

The Tripura poll outcome shows what should be done and what not, as was in West Bengal earlier. The result there and elsewhere in India since 2014 has shown the harm done by a narrow outlook, and the necessity of the broadest possible political and civil unity/cooperation/adjustment to roll back Rightwing communalism, bring India back in the direction of democracy, and draw it back from the brink of communal-fascism.

The results are not much of a surprise, not unexpected; many in the Left were expecting these. Only the margin was beyond expectation. It was but a continuation of the process that began in West Bengal. The next is Kerala. It does not need much profound political wisdom to understand that cooperation/understanding between the Left, Congress and other democratic forces in Tripura would have prevented this result. There is not a big difference between the winners and losers. This is also true of many other places and States where elections have taken place.

At the broader all-India level, unity or cooperation of the Left, democratic and secular progressive forces is urgently called for.

It is really the time, the precise time, when the Left should take up the initiative and mobilise vast sections of the progressive and democratic forces all over the country. It is this role which the Left is refusing to play, particularly some sections of it, to the detriment of the democratic camp.

The Left and democrats must now save Kerala.

Firm Foothold for the Rightwing

The results carry serious implications for the future. It is the further spread of the Sangh Parivar to hitherto uncharted areas, putting the pregressive forces on the defensive. The fall of Tripura is the main cause for such an advance by the Right. The Rightwing, led by the BJP/RSS, have not only got a firm foothold in the North-East for the first time after independence. It has over-thrown a well-established Left in its bastion in Tripura, ruling for more than two decades, in a direct battle. They, the Rightwing, have worked systema-tically to this end. Let us give credit to them.

One wonders what exactly the Left was doing in Tripura and the North-East. It is intriguing that there was little or no participation of the Central leaders of the Left in the Tripura election campaign, while the BJP-RSS had thrown its full force and weight in the battle. Why did the Left leaders from the Centre not camp there? Why were their strength not mobilised? Obviously they thought, complacently, that they would win, even if with a reduced majority. How could such a serious miscalculation be made? That too by such experienced and mature (?) leaders? The Left has failed to understand the new developments, new forces, new generation, the youth and changes in the social composition even while it was ruling for two-and-a-half decades.

What should a Marxist and Leninist do? Go back to the basics of Marxism, and learn the Leninist tactics, use Leninist methods of analysis. See how Lenin studied the development of capitalism in Russia, how he developed and changed the tactics of the RSDLP during the Russian Revolution. The Left and Communists have learnt nothing from the 100 years of the Russian Revolution just celebrated; a pity, really.

The society in the North-East and Tripura has undergone basic socio-economic and cultural changes over time. They are part and parcel of the Indian and world society. And an important change is the emergence of new generations of youth, who are totally isolated, even alienated from the Left and democratic movement.

One feels that the communist movement and the Left has complacently given up the initiative it had, and its substantial influence. After all, the Left was and is very strong in Tripura. It is strong in Manipur, and has substantial influence in Assam and Meghalaya. The simple thing was to build upon it. Instead, they remained a silent spectator of events, they suffered from, what Lenin called, voluntarism.

It beats the political/ideological common sense that the Left did not know that the RSS and Sangh Parivar were making inroads in the North-East. It is no use blaming them (the Right); they are doing their job. But why is the Left not doing its job? Why did it not take timely steps to meet this threat and prevent the RSS-BJP spread? What is the explanation? Those claiming to be scientific socialists are proving to be far from having any scientific understanding of the political situation. There are no doubt complications of the local tribal and other separatist outfits, but that applies to other parties too.

The Left has to understand that the BJP-RSS are not Congress. Once they come to power, they will do everything to maintain themselves and not allow others to rule. They will decimate and destroy the democratic forces, and use Rightwing reactionary methods to entrench themselves. It is a gross mistake to have allowed the RSS-BJP to make inroads and get a foothold in Tripura. The Left will regret it.

Role of Left Bastions

What is and should be the role of the Left bastions and bases? What the Indian Left has done is to withdraw from its own territories and cede ground to the Rightwing reaction.

The Left and Communists had, and continue to have, powerful bases in Kerala, Bengal, Tripura, Manipur, Bihar, AP, Tamil Nadu, Punjab etc. The governments and bases certainly should have been used to spread to other States. But the Left had no all-India strategy to this end. This was a gross political mistake.

Besides, not long ago, the Left had 62 MPs, who held the decisive lever to the fate of Indian politics. The Left held the key to Indias political future. They could have used this number and position to prevent the Rightwing communal forces from coming to power, and gone ahead by establishing themselves and spreading their footprints and thus even come equal with the Congress.

But blind anti-Congressism prevented it. They decided to withdraw the support to the UPA-I on a non-issue, and thus opened the floodgates for Rightwing reaction.

Give up Blind Anti-Congressism

This is a crucial question today, the question of cooperation with the Congress and other democratic forces. There is a serious division among Left, democratic and progressive forces today. Everybody talks of unity of secular forces but will not take a single concrete step in that direction. Why? What prevents it? Some Left forces agree that there is a danger to the country from communal and Rightwing forces, they even talk of unity in this regard. Every sober and sensitive party, fully conscious of the dangers from fascistic trends, is feeling the need for unity or cooperation and understanding. What prevents them from coming together or cooperating and reaching an understanding with each other?

It is blind anti-Congressism on the part of some Left forces that prevents such an unity and thus helps the growth and spread of Rightwing reaction. This should be realised and corrected.

It has to be understood that the BJP-RSS are aiming to establish a one-party rule, wherein there will be no room for any other party. They are moving towards a highly centralised communal-fascist one-party rule, with a unified command in the armed forces; they are trying to or preparing to change the Indian Constitution in a reactionary communal manner. They are trying to eliminate or reduce in size all the Opposition parties, and thus render them incapable of fighting. They are forcing the pace of events in this direction. This applies to all the Opposition without exception. They want the 2019 poll to be held exclusively under their control and supervision. The ruling party wants to separate the various parties one by one and destroy them.

What we need today is the broadest possible front against the forces of Rightwing reaction and communal-fascism. Serious and well-thought-out policies and tactics have to be evolved.

The objective situation for the Left and democratic parties is very favourable.

The biggest hurdle in the unity of the Left, democratic and secular forces is blind anti-Congressism among a section of the Left and some regional parties. This is really strange and unfortunate. Even while agreeing that the RSS-BJP pose the main danger, and are destroying the secular fabric and democratic structure of the country, some leaders and parties refuse to reach an understanding with other bourgeois forces, in particular the Congress. They do not realise the magnitude of the harm they are doing.

The Congress is the largest and pan-Indian secular force, which was born out of the freedom struggle. Many of the progressive achievements, which are being destroyed by the reactionary forces today, and which we are fighting to save, were achieved under its rule. Of course, the people and progressive forces played a big role in it.

It goes without saying that the Congress is certainly responsible for many misdeeds and crises in the country during its long rule. It must be criticised for those and struggled against. Such a struggle is essential to further democratise the system. But that does not mean that the Congress and BJP should be put in the same bracket. They are not the same. The Congress is a secular and democratic party, while the BJP-RSS represent a communal-fascist combine, with a Rightwing communal ideology, drawing inspiration from fascistic thought. No other party has the RSS as its base or guide. Therefore, even while fighting against the wrong policies of the Congress, the political parties must adjust or cooperate with it on the question of fighting the main danger from Rightwing reaction.

The CPI has correctly said that the coming to power of the BJP is not a simple change of one party by another. It is for the first time that a Rightwing reactionary party has come to power with absolute majority. This Rightwing party displays trends of a fascist nature or is communal-fascist. From such an analysis the task flows. The CPi has also given a timely call for the formation of a broad secular, democratic and Left platform to fight the communal fascist threat.

A united front of all the progressive forces, including the Congress, is the need of the hour. They should include the regional parties and all possible forces. Mamata Bannerjis TMC has done well to stand up to the BJP, as also Laloos RJD and many other parties and forces. Even the allies of the BJP like the Shiv Sena and TDP are uneasy and have come out openly against it. There is widespread discontent against the BJP rule in the country. Even the entrepreneurial class and MSME sections are angry. The youth and middle classes are getting disillusioned.

In such a situation, the Left should discharge its historical political duty by giving a call to all the progressive and democratic forces to come together in a broad coalition with an understanding to roll back the Rightwing communal danger. This is the main task and job of Left unity. Left unity is not abstract; it is concrete. And this is its concrete duty; only then can it grow.

This does not mean that there are no differences within the proposed broad front. This also does not mean that the partners/constituents of the democratic camp should not criticise one another or should give up their respective independence. But this should not stand in the way of a democratic mobilisation by the Left.

It should be realised by everybody that the RSS-BJP combine wants to destroy the Left, Congress, regional parties, groupings etc. one by one, separately, by sowing the seeds of disunity among them. Any disunity on this question, and on the question of the defence of the Indian Constitution only helps Rightwing reaction and the corporate houses.

One hopes that the differences within the CPI-M are solved in a positive manner. That is important in the present situation. It is unfortunate that the question of understanding with, of going with, the bourgeois parties, particularly the Congress, should be a point of discussion and debate at the present juncture. The question is settled already by the objective events and situation. There is no other go for the progressive forces except to mutually adjust and cooperate, if not form a formal front. Maybe tomorrow even a broad and formal loose front will be necessary. The objective situation demands that all of them come together. Even the TMC and Shiv Sena should be asked to play their part, even if a limited one. The Left should not shirk from such an initiative. It will only help the Left to grow and play its due role in the mainstream of national politics. Without such a role you cannot hope to grow.

There is a vast experience in our country and outside on this question. Lenin did not shirk from aligning with the bourgeois forces: he said to all such forces: let us march separately but strike together (against the main enemy)! Mao gave the slogan of coalition government with precisely those forces against which he was waging an armed struggle (in 1946). Georgi Dimitrov was the greatest proponent of a united anti-fascist and anti-imperialst front (in his 1935 thesis). It was this thesis and front, formal and informal, which made it possible to defeat Nazism and fascism.

Situation Grim

India stands at a serious juncture; the situation is grim. History will not spare the democratic and Left forces if they do not come together. Very little or no time is left. The Rightwing corporate communal forces have penetrated the state, society, education, science, technology, all the institutions, universities and schools, media, and partially the minds and consciousness of the people, particularly of the youth. Communalisation, financialisation and fascistisation of the society is growing apace. Rightwing reaction has the government. Now it is penetrating the state and civil society.

The secular, democratic and Leftwing progressive forces must now come together to save the country. All other contradictions and differences are within it, not outside, and they can be fought out later.

The author is a Marxist ideologue.Home > Archives (2006 on) > 2018 > Message from the North-East

POLITICAL NOTEBOOK

The BJP has embarked on a media blitzkrieg that it has swept the North-East in the recent Assembly elections and is closer to its goal of a Congress-mukt Bharat. Do the election results confirm its claim? In Tripura, it trounced the CPI-M and ended its quarter-century-old rule. But to a large extent the CPI-M will have to thank itself for its humiliating defeat. It had failed to realise the extent of its isolation from the people. It knew that RSS workers had fanned out across the State long before the elections and were silently doing the groundwork for the BJPs electoral victory but apparently ignored the threat.

The CPI-M failed to shake off its complacence and its attitude of taking the people for granted. It failed to understand that the image of Chief Minister Manik Sarkar as a soft-spoken, unassuming and incorruptible leader, who led a Spartan life, was not enough to earn the peoples confidence again. True, resource-wise the CPI-M was no match for the BJPthose familiar with the electoral scene in Tripura claim that this time money flowed like waterbut if the party had not lost its organic links with the masses, money alone could not have dislodged it from power. The way Sarkar was heckled and booed in the counting booth by the BJP workers is an ominous portent for the CPI-M. Already, reports of CPI-M offices being attacked are coming.

In Meghalaya, the BJP won just two of the sixty seats and is playing second fiddle to Conrad Sangmas National Peoples Party which has won 19 seats. Even that does not give the combine a majority. Several smaller parties have been roped in. The Congress, which emerged as the single largest party with 21 seats and was trying to woo some of the regional parties, has been left high and dry. The Grand Old Party was once again outmanoeuvred by the BJP.

In Nagaland, the BJP won 12 seats but even here it fell behind its electoral ally, the Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party (NDPP) which won 17 seats. Together, their tally came to 29, still short of a clear majority. On the eve of the polls, the BJP broke with its old ally, the Naga Peoples Front, and helped Neiphiu Rio, a former Chief Minister who was the chairman of the NPF, to float a new outfit, the NDPP. Still the NPF has emerged as the single largest party, winning 29 seats, levelling with the BJP-NDPP combine.

In Nagaland, there was another crucial factor at play. Cutting across political lines, the Nagas demanded that the seven-decade-old Naga political problem be now solved once and for all. In August, 2015, the Prime Minister signed a framework agreement with the NSCN(IM), the major rebel outfit, but the contents of the agreement have not been made public till date. Now that the BJP-NDPP combine has won and is going to form the government, it has to spell out its stand on this vexed issue. The Nagas are no longer insisting on secession and the creation of an independent Nagaland, but they are firm in their resolve to have Nagalimor the integration of the Naga-dominated areas of Manipur, Assam and Arunachal Pradesh in a single State. But the three concerned States are equally determined not to cede a single square inch of their territory to the proposed Nagalim. How the BJP-led Centre with the help of the Nagaland Government cuts the Gordian knot remains to be seen. A dragging of feet on this issue will create problems for the Centre.

The poll results have falsified the generally held view that the BJPs aggressive Hindutva politics and its insistence on banning cow slaughter and beef-eating will alienate the tribal people. Why Hindutva and beef-eating failed to have any impact on large sections of the people of Christian-majority Meghalaya and Nagaland who voted for the BJP needs to be gone into and analysed. The people often prove wrong the a priori theories and assumptions of political pundits.

As far as the Congress is concerned, an old grievance of the Congress workers of the North-East has been that they find it very difficult to have a meeting with either Sonia Gandhi or Rahul Gandhi who has now become the party chief. They complain that often they had to wait for days and weeks in New Delhi but still failed to get an appointment with either the mother or the son. They blame the courtiers surrounding Sonia and Rahul for this. They maintain that if they were allowed to see either of them then the intra-party feuds in many States could have been resolved in time and would not have resulted in flocks of disappointed and disgusted Congressmen leaving the party and joining the BJP.

A Congress worker of Tripura said that the High Command had thought of Tripura as a State which sends only two MPs to the Lok Sabha and so it does not count for much in national politics. The party is paying the price for it. If the Congress has to emerge as a major player in the North-East, it has to give special attention to the region and give up its traditional thinking in terms of the number of seats the North-East has in Parliament. The leadership has to reach the grassroot level workers of the party and keep constantly in touch with them.

All in all, the BJPs success in the North-East this time is the result of complacence and isolation from the peopleof the CPI-M in Tripura and of the Congress by and large in the North-East. Never before has the Congress failed to open an account in the Tripura and Nagaland State Assemblies. To regain the North-East the CPI-M and Congress will have to reforge their links with the people and stop thinking in terms of the number of seats the North-East has in Parliament. To stem the tide of the BJP on the roll, the CPI-M and the Congress will have to join forces and not treat each other as untouchables.

Seen in this context, particularly unfortunate is the statement of the Kerala CPI-M leader, M. A. Baby, that the Congress should first reconstruct itself as a secular party before others align with it to fight the Sangh Parivar. The Congress is pursuing a soft Hindutva line. The election outcome attests that there is a situation everywhere in which Congressmen can join BJP. Does Comrade Baby need to be reminded that way back in 1969 it was none other than E.M.S. Namboodiripad who bifurcated the Palghat district in Kerala to create the new district of Mallapuram, keeping an eye on his partys electoral prospects? If the CPI-M does not shed its Left-sectarianism even now, it will do incalculable harm to itself and to the cause of unity of secular and democratic forces.

However, it is heartening to find former Kerala CM V.S. Achuthandan, who was known to be a hardliner, taking a much broader view of the prevailing situation and calling for the unity of all the secular forces to defeat the communal BJP on the prowl. That indeed is the message from the North-East following the outcome of the Assembly elections in the three North-Eastern States.

Meanwhile, as we go to press reports have come that in two placess in Tripura Lenins statues have been demolished by some persons shouting Bharat Mata ki Jai. This has sent shock-waves across the entire political spectrum and sparked a sense of outrage even among those who do not subscribe to the Left ideology.

March 6 B.D.G.In Ecuador, where the impact of the coronavirus has been especially severe, the government is cynically using the emergency as a cover for a swathe of attacks on the working class. But the workers and youth of the country are fighting back!There is a new Irish music scene on the rise in Western Mass and it has appropriately taken root at the Irish Cultural Center of Western New England.

Specifically, it is the weekly Irish Session that fills the center's Irish House Restaurant and Trinity Pub on Wednesday evenings, pulling a collection of the area's finest players for an in-the-round tune fest.

The Irish session or "seisiun" is part of Irish tradition and culture and features, mostly in a pub setting, an informal gathering of musicians playing traditional songs.

The Trinity Pub sessions began in April of last year just after the center moved from the Elms College to the Old Elks Club on Morgan Road in West Springfield. The music runs from 6:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. every Wednesday.

"As soon as we walked in and saw what a spectacular job they had done transforming it into an Irish Pub, we knew it was the perfect place for a weekly session," said Ellen Redman, who along with John Tabb began the sessions. "John and I had talked about how the area lacked a regular anchored or hosted session and we approached ICC president Sean Cahillane to ask him if they were interested."

While Redman points out that players have come from all over to join the circle, including a banjo player from Ireland who made the Wednesday night stop part of his travel plans, there is a group of "regulars" who hold down the fort.

There are flutists (Redman and Sally Fortini), a fiddler (Naka Ishii), bouzouki and guitar players (David Clopp, Jim Fortini, Jim Bunting), accordions (John Tabb, Lachlan Alan), Jonathan Michaels on tin whistle and Sean Burke on mandolin.

"The trad session at the Trinity Pub is one of the best in the area, and well worth the one hour drive from Eastern Connecticut," said Lachlan Alan, who resides in Storrs. "I always look forward to any opportunity to play and sing at a session led by Ellen Redman and John Tabb, two of the best trad musicians around."

The Irish House Restaurant and Trinity Pub provides a perfect setting for the players to provide an authentic Irish experience for the non-playing crowd that typically gathers for these popular sessions.

The menu, the decor, and the general welcoming feel of the venue are as Irish as sound emanating from the circle of musicians.

"Our hope was to create a welcoming, open session to anyone wanting to play traditional Irish tunes," said Redman. We'd like to hope we are on the right track."

For more information on the sessions and to learn more about the Irish Cultural Center of Western New England and its new Irish House Restaurant and Trinity Pub, visit www.irishcenterwne.orgNew England winters bring the annual crop of potholes on Western Massachusetts' roads. These photos from forty years ago show a 'renamed' road in Wilbraham.

From the March 14, 1978 edition of The Morning Union

Also, this week, residents of three Franklin county towns expressed satisfaction with the news of the Monroe State Prison Camp would close by April 30. The camp, opened in 1955 on the site of a former Civilian Conservation Corps camp, received praise from prison officials. Residents of the area were not as pleased and started calling for the camp's closure in 1958 after a few escapes were made. The 24 inmates housed at the facility would be assigned to a new pre-release center at the Framingham State Prison.

Ten years earlier, President Lyndon Johnson edged out Minnesota senator Eugene McCarthy by a 5 to 4 margin in the New Hampshire Primary. On the Republican side, Richard Nixon was the run away winner over Nelson Rockefeller with 80 percent of the vote. Rockefeller had yet to declare himself as an active candidate for the presidency and was a write-in vote in N.H.

A couple days later, Robert Kennedy made the announcement that he would seek the Democratic nomination for President. Kennedy, a U.S. Senator from New York, made the St. Patrick's Day parade in New York City his first campaign appearance.

From the March 17, 1968 edition of The Springfield Union

These are some of the headlines you'll see from Page 1 of The Republican and its predecessors over the past fifty years for the week of March 11 - March 17. Each week I'll put together a slideshow of Page 1 images from selected years over the course of that week. We're starting with a look back at one, five, thirty, forty and fifty years ago, with Page 1s from each day of the week for those years.

The slideshow for March 11 - March 17 is embedded at the top of this article.

We'll also find some humor printed out on page one over the years. In 1968 'Dennis The Menace' could be found on the bottom of page one six days a week.

From the March 12, 1968 edition of The Springfield Union

And five years ago, this week, Jorge Bergoglio was elected pope by the cardinal electors in Vatican City. He would be the first pontiff from the Americas, and the first non-European pope in over 1,000 years. He chose the name Francis after the 13th-century Italian preacher.

From the March 14, 2013 edition of The Republican

As you'll find with looking through the slideshow, that while many stories come and go, many of the issues and topics that affected lives in the past, continue to have an impact on our lives today.

Copies of these and other stories can be found in the online archives. The Historic Archive includes stories from 1824 to 1989, and the Newsbank Archive covers 1988 through the present day.HOLYOKE - A panel of speakers brought together by the Sisters of St. Joseph of Springfield will talk on "Shining a Light on Human Trafficking" April 5, 1 to 4 p.m., at the community's former Mont Marie motherhouse, 34 Lower Westfield Road.

The event is designed to help those working to stop what has been referred to as a "modern day slavery" network as well as highlight that human trafficking "exists today across the globe and across Massachusetts," according to Sister Denise Granger, organizer of the event.

Speakers include Donna Sabella, who has applied her training as psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner to help trafficked and prostituted women. She holds the Seedworks Endowed Professorship in Nursing and Social Justice at the University of Massachusetts Amherst.

Other participants include Nicole Bell, a survivor of trafficking and founder of Living In Freedom Together, a Worcester-based advocacy center for women who have been trafficked.

Massachusetts State Police Capt. Pi Downsbrough, commander of the MSP High Risk Victim Unit that focuses on trafficking of children under 18, will also speak. Downsbrough is a member of the National Advisory Committee on the Sex Trafficking of Children and Youth in the United States.

She has spoken at similar events sponsored by other Catholic organizations.

Jessica Wozniak, clinical research and development manager at Baystate Health, will also speak. Wozniak holds a doctorate in clinical psychology, and practices with Baystate Family Advocacy Center.

Coordinator of her community's Office of Justice and Peace, organizer Granger spoke recently on the topic of human trafficking at St. Michael's Cathedral Parish in Springfield.

She describes it as "the taking of someone through fraud and coercion and transporting them for reasons of sexual exploitation or forced labor. "

"It is illegal across the planet. It is illegal in the United States. It is illegal in the commonwealth," Granger said.

"Yet, it flourishes because it is so lucrative to the traffickers, and whoever hires them for forced labor. It is a $150-billion-a-year industry. This is a staggering sum."

Granger said religious women became involved in addressing the issue of human trafficking about 18 years ago after those ministering abroad noticed the frequent disappearance of women and children and alerted their congregations.

She said her community become more intensely involved, in terms of educating people about the issue and what local resources can be gathered to help people being exploited, around 2011, which is when casinos and slot parlors became legal in the state.

The April 5 event is open to the public, but seating is limited in what is still the community's chapel at Mont Marie. Registration is recommended.

Granger said many professionals in the fields of law enforcement, health care and education have been invited as well as those who work in faith communities.

Call Pam Lasante at (413) 536-0853 to register, or email pam@ssjspringfield.comSPRINGFIELD - As part of planned student walkouts Wednesday around the country to call for more restrictive gun laws, a group of students, teachers and clergy say they will demonstrate by the front gates to the Smith & Wesson plant, organizers say.

The rally, expected to last an hour, is set to begin at 3 p.m. by the front gates of the plant at 2100 Roosevelt Ave. It is expected to draw high school students from Springfield and Holyoke, and from as far away as Boston, according to organizer Tara Parrish of the Pioneer Valley Project.

Smith & Wesson is being targeted because it is the manufacturer of the type of AR-15 rifle that was used last month by the man charged with shooting up the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida.

A Smith & Wesson AR-15 was also used in the mass killings at an Aurora, Colorado movie theater in 2012 and again at an office park in San Bernadino in 2015.

Demonstrators are calling on P. James Debney, the CEO of American Outdoor Brands Corporation, the parent company for Smith & Wesson, to help find solutions to the problem of gun violence.

Scheduled speakers include Rev. Alan M. Gates, Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Massachusetts; Rt. Rev. Gayle E. Harris, Bishop Suffragan of the Episcopal Diocese of Massachusetts; and Rt. Rev. Douglas J. Fisher, Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Western Massachusetts.HATFIELD- The human body that was found burning on farmland in Hatfield this weekend was that of a male, according to authorities.

"The deceased human body found on fire by the Hatfield Police on the night of Saturday March 10 is an adult male," said a spokeswoman for Northwest District Attorney David Sullivan. "The incident remains under investigation."

State and local police descended upon the secluded byway around 9:30 p.m. Saturday night, after a call for a fire came in from that location. Upon arrival, authorities discovered that the blaze was a corpse that had been set aflame.

The road is directly adjacent to a popular walking trail that runs parallel to the Connecticut River. It's also nearby to many local homes.

The discovery has spooked the small town of just over 3,000 people.

The situation in Hatfield this weekend comes less than two weeks after Joanne Ringer's remains were recovered in a wooded area in the same town. Ringer had been missing for nearly a year.

The incident is now under investigation by State Police detectives attached to the Northwestern District Attorney's Office with assistance from the State Fire Marshall's Office and the Hatfield Police Department, said Mary Carey, spokesperson for the DA's office Sunday.

The identity of the victim has not been made public. The official cause of death will be determined by the Medical Examiner's Office, Carey said.

This is a developing story which will be updated as additional information becomes available.SPRINGFIELD -- It's been 25 years since four local communities, each facing pressure from federal regulators, agreed to stop polluting the Connecticut River.

In the early 1990s, Springfield, Chicopee, Holyoke, and Ludlow were all under EPA orders to fix their combined sewer outfalls, or CSOs. The old underground pipes, during heavy rain, were dumping stormwater and raw sewage into the river.

The municipalities in 1993 joined forces with the Pioneer Valley Planning Commission. They sought state and federal dollars to mitigate the local cost of tackling major infrastructure upgrades. With each project, water quality improved.

Since then, regional CSO discharges have since been cut in half, and 18 miles of the Chicopee River watershed are now CSO-free.

The Connecticut River Cleanup Committee is still hard at work, and on April 11, the group will celebrate "25 years of collaboration across local boundaries to protect our valley's most beloved waterway."

Massachusetts energy and environment secretary Matthew Beaton will be the keynote speaker at the breakfast event, to be held at the Pioneer Valley Riverfront Club in Springfield.

The Connecticut River flows through more than 400 miles through four New England states to Long Island Sound. The iconic river is now significantly cleaner than it was decades ago.



If you go:

What: Celebrating 25 Years of the CRCC

When: April 11, 8-10 a.m.

Where: PV Riverfront Club, 121 West St., Springfield

Tickets: RSVP by March 28 at www.crcc25.eventbrite.com

For more information, contact Emily Slotnick at eslotnick@pvpc.orgA significant historic site in Nantucket, which became a central place for the African community in the 19th century, was vandalized with racist graffiti on Sunday.

The Nantucket Police Department is investigating what it says "appears to be an act of hate directed at persons of color on the island." Shortly before 7 a.m. on Sunday, police received a call about the spray-painted message at the African Meeting House on York Street. In black paint, the message read "N***** Leave."

Police say they are interviewing neighbors who may have seen any unusual activity overnight, from Saturday afternoon into Sunday morning.

Community members in the area gathered to scrub and sand the paint off of the building Sunday morning, according to The Inquirer and Mirror.

The African Meeting House is an important piece of American history. Now a registered historical site, the building was first constructed around 1827 to serve as a church, schoolhouse and meeting place for African children. It became a welcome place for escaped slaves, Native Americans, Cape Verdeans, Quakers and others. The meeting house, "a ramshackle little building" as the Museum of African American History calls it, is the only remaining public structure in Nantucket that is historic to the African community of the 18th and 19th centuries.

Sunday evening, U.S. Sen. Ed Markey, D-Massachusetts, shared his disgust at the report of vandalism on the meeting house. "This act of racism in Nantucket is as vile as it is cowardly," he said in a tweet.

This act of racism in Nantucket is as vile as it is cowardly. The community members that came together to scrub this hate from the walls of the African Meeting House give me hope that someday we can scrub this sort of bigotry from our society altogether. https://t.co/GTOgokISRA  Ed Markey (@SenMarkey) March 11, 2018

In a statement, the Nantucket Police Department said the graffiti was "not only a senseless crime but an attack on the rich history of this very community."HOLYOKE -- Mayor Alex B. Morse is among 22 public and private-sector individuals in Massachusetts profiled in a national environmental project called "Voices for 100 percent Renewable Energy."

"Holyoke's commitment to making the transition to 100 percent renewable energy arises from our commitment to safeguard the future of the families and neighborhoods that have built our city," Morse said in a text message Friday.

Renewable energy is energy that comes from a source that is not depleted when used, such as the hydroelectric power from the dam owned by the Holyoke Gas and Electric Department, solar and wind.

Since Holyoke took ownership of the dam in 2001, the percentage of its electricity generation derived from carbon-free sources has risen to about 90 percent today. Also, improvements to municipal lighting have reduced energy consumption, he said.

"Carbon-neutral" is a term in the vocabulary of environmentally friendly energy usage that means a net release of carbon dioxide into the air is zero because such emissions are offset by actions that reduce them. In Holyoke's case, that's use of hydro- and solar-powered facilities to produce electricity.

Release of harmful levels of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere can come with use of fossil fuels like oil, natural gas and coal.

"When Holyoke's founders endeavored to construct a network of canals adjacent to the Connecticut River and to use those canals to become one of the most dynamic manufacturing centers in 19th- and 20th-century America, they did it with the spirit of optimism and self-reliance that defines New England's famous Yankee pragmatism," Morse said. "Today, we are tapping into that same spirit of self-sufficiency to generate renewable power in Holyoke for Holyoke's citizens."

Voices for 100 percent Renewable Energy is a project of Environment America, a group based in Denver, Colorado that works to protect the environment by "raising awareness, recruiting new supporters and activists, and securing funds to support our work," its website said.

The announcement about Morse being among the Voices for 100 percent Renewable Energy came in a press release from Environment Massachusetts, of Boston, "a statewide, citizen-funded advocacy group working for a cleaner, greener, healthier future."

Others featured were U.S. Sen. Ed Markey, D-Mass., President Jonathan Lash of Hampshire College in Amherst, Ainsley Brosnan-Smith, a student at the University of Massachusetts in Amherst, and Sarah Gardner of the Center for Environmental Studies at Williams College in Williamstown, the press release said.Michael Hand, who is now facing charges more than 30 years after the disappearance and death of a 15-year-old Massachusetts girl, will return to the state to face a judge.

Hand was arrested at his Troutman, North Carolina, home on Friday in connection with the 1986 killing of Tracy Gilpin, the sister of the head of the Massachusetts State Police.

The 61-year-old appeared in court in North Carolina on Monday and waived rendition, according to the office of Plymouth County District Attorney Timothy Cruz.

Authorities are in the process of bringing Hand back to Massachusetts, but a timeline of his return is unclear because of the impending nor'easter.

Once Hand is back in Massachusetts, he will be arraigned in Plymouth District Court for a charge of murder.

Tracy Gilpin went to a party a few streets away from her Kingston home in October 1986. She never came home.

Around 10:30 p.m., Tracy left the party with two friends. She separated from her friends and walked to the Cumberland Farms on Route 3A. She bought a pack of cigarettes and used the payphone.

Tracy asked the woman who threw the party for a ride home, but the woman couldn't leave. Tracy then disappeared.

Three weeks later, Tracy's badly decomposed body was found on the Plymouth side of the Myles Standish State Forest.

Authorities said Tracy suffered a massive skull fracture. The cause of Tracy's death was determined to be severe blunt force trauma to the head.

"For the past three decades, we have remained hopeful that Tracy's murderer would be identified," Massachusetts State Police Col. Kerry Gilpin wrote in a statement released Sunday. "The much-welcomed news of an arrest in the case leaves us cautiously optimistic that justice for Tracy is within reach. My thoughts today are not just with my own family, but also with all the families who have lost loved ones to violence."

During her 2017 interview with MassLive about Tracy's killing, Col. Gilpin, then a major, said she held out hope the case would be solved.

"In the last 30 years, science has gotten to the point where it is incredible," Col. Gilpin said last year. "Technology is incredible and they move forward every day. It gives my family hope."The National Weather Service is warning Massachusetts residents that Monday night's storm could bring six to twelve inches of heavy snow with the most snowfall in eastern Massachusetts and Rhode Island.

"The storm has the potential for blizzard-like conditions and a snowfall rate of one to three inches per hour. This storm could bring significant snowfall across much of the Commonwealth, although of a drier consistency than the past storm," according to the National Weather Service which has issued a Winter Storm Watch for all of Massachusetts, except Nantucket.

Snow is expected to begin late on Monday night and continue into Tuesday making the morning rush hour commute difficult. The heaviest snow should wind down early Tuesday evening, but the Tuesday evening commute may be significantly impacted.

High winds are expected along the coast, southeast and eastern portions of the state, and minor coastal flooding on east ocean-exposed shorelines. Widespread tree damage and power outages are not expected.

Northwest winds may reach gusts as high as 50-to-65 mph on Cape Cod and the Islands.SPRINGFIELD -- A 32-year-old city man on Monday testified that when Luther Lee Williams put a gun to his head and told him to "run his pockets," he thought it was a joke.

Randall Somerville said Williams shot into the air, then into the ground, then into his leg.

"I can't believe you just shot me," Somerville testified he said to Williams.

Williams is on trial before Hampden Superior Court Judge Richard J. Carey on charges of armed assault with intent to murder, assault and battery with a firearm, illegal possession of a firearm and illegal possession of ammunition.

Williams, 36, of Springfield, is accused of shooting Somerville on Thanksgiving in 2016 outside a mutual friend's Windsor Street home.

In her opening statement, Assistant District Attorney Karen J. Bell told jurors, "This, ladies and gentlemen is a classic drug deal gone bad."

Bell said as soon as police responded to the shooting, Somerville, who was on the ground in great pain, told police "Snipes" shot him.

Somerville testified that he went to Windsor Street because Ronald Miller, a friend, told him Snipes wanted to buy drugs. Somerville said he knew Williams only as Snipes, but had socialized with him multiple times at Miller's house.

Springfield Police Officer Patrick Denault testified that Somerville picked Williams out of a photo array as the man he knew as Snipes.

Defense lawyer Nicholas J. Horgan told jurors in his opening statement that they will hear how Somerville lied to police and in court hearings. He said Somerville didn't tell police he went to sell drugs to Williams that Thanksgiving night.

"The word of a liar cannot be trusted," Horgan said.

Horgan's cross-examination of Somerville dealt mostly with the fact that Somerville did not tell investigators until this past November that he had gone to Windsor Street to sell drugs to Williams. He previously said he was going to Miller's house to get a plate of food.

Somerville acknowledged he lied to investigators, and at previous hearings, about why he went to Windsor Street.

When Bell questioned Somerville again, he said he never once changed what he said about who shot him. He said he has always said that Williams shot him.

At a bail hearing in December, Bell said Williams had a 1993 conviction on his juvenile record for murder, for which he received a 10- to 15-year prison sentence. No details about that juvenile conviction were given.

In the present case, Williams is charged with the gun offenses as a person with one prior violent or drug conviction.Sara Bermudez was a homemaker with a strong faith in God. Her daughter, Madison, a "true princess;" son James, a child who loved to run around; and her youngest, Michael, "the joy and reflection of his siblings."

But the family, who enjoyed trips to Chuck E. Cheese together, had their lives cut short, after 38-year-old Sara, 8-year-old Madison, 6-year-old James and 2-year-old Michael were discovered brutally killed in their West Brookfield home earlier this month.

The mother and her children will be buried Tuesday, according to an obituary posted online.

Sara was born in El Salvador and started her family with Moses Bermudez there before moving to California, the obituary reads. The family eventually moved to the quiet Central Massachusetts community of West Brookfield.

"They moved to Massachusetts to enjoy the beauty of the country and to be surrounded by their loving family," the obituary reads.

Madison and James were students at West Brookfield Elementary School.

Police went to the family's Old Warren Road home on March 1 for a well-being check. They discovered the gruesome scene of Sara and her children dead in an upstairs bedroom. A source told MassLive the bodies were burned.

Worcester County District Attorney Joseph Early Jr. has called the deaths homicides but has released few details about the investigation.

Early previously declined to comment on the whereabouts of husband and father Moses Bermudez when the family was discovered.

No arrests have been made in the case.

Authorities have asked for the public's help as the investigation progesses, especially looking for any details about the location of a plastic yellow diesel fuel can that appeared to be missing from the home.

As of late last week, dozens of tips had come in regarding the fuel can, according to a spokesman for Early's office.

A GoFundMe campaign for the family has surpassed its goal of $10,000, raising more than $14,900 as of Monday afternoon.

Calling hours for Sara and her children will be Monday from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the Varnum Funeral Home on East Main Street in West Brookfield.

A funeral mass will be held at All Saints Church on North Street in Ware at 10 a.m. Tuesday.A major marijuana accessory company from California is looking to build a distribution center in the Worcester area, a step toward expanding its presence on the East Coast. A Boston-based consultant recently started a new business selling vaporizer equipment. Marijuana-related companies on the West Coast are beginning to seek customers in Massachusetts.

"Massachusetts at this point could be a really big state for this industry," said Kris Krane, president and co-founder of the Boston-based 4Front Ventures, which runs a cannabis consulting company and operates dispensaries. "I believe it will become the largest state market in the U.S. outside of California."

A 2016 report by Arcview Market Research estimated that the legal cannabis market in Massachusetts will be a $1.07 billion business by 2020. That does not take into account all the businesses likely to crop up outside of direct sales - from consulting to accessories to software.

At a trade show last year, people sold pipes, lighting equipment and legal services, all tied to the marijuana industry.

Kush Bottles is one example of the businesses expected to spring up around the marijuana industry once legal sales begin in Massachusetts this summer.

The company started in 2010 in Southern California selling child-resistant, food-grade packaging for marijuana products. It later expanded to sell vaporizer products and other accessories. A publicly traded company, Kush Bottles reported $8.85 million in revenue last quarter. It has 6,000 clients.

The company has distribution centers in California, Washington and Colorado. It is looking to open a hub in Massachusetts to serve the Northeast.

Nick Kovacevich, CEO of Kush Bottles, said the company is looking for a 25,000- to 35,000-square-foot distribution center in the Worcester area. It plans to hire around 15 people in sales and distribution.

"We're looking to establish ourselves as the dominant provider for auxiliary products for the cannabis industry in the Northeast," Kovacevich said.

Kovacevich said having a local distribution center will let the company offer same-day or next-day delivery or pickup, and having staff in Massachusetts will give the company better insight into the market, the regulations and the customer base.

"It's hard to be ahead of the curve in the Northeast if you're only on the West Coast," Kovacevich said.

Several business owners say Massachusetts is an appealing market because it is densely populated and has the potential for sales both to Massachusetts residents and to visitors from the surrounding states, which have not legalized recreational marijuana. Other states with legal marijuana, such as Colorado and Washington, are not as densely populated as the Northeast.

Chris Michaud, a marijuana consultant based in Boston, incorporated Be Green Supply a few weeks ago. Michaud is taking his consulting services and incorporating them into a business that also sells vaporizer equipment. Michaud, the CEO, is working with a chief financial officer and 10 outreach consultants around the country. He hopes to bring three of them on full-time as the business ramps up.

Michaud's background is as an engineer building international supply chains. He said he saw an opportunity to build up a supply chain for marijuana products on the East Coast, in an industry that is currently dominated by large West Coast companies.

He noted that in a state know for its technology companies, cannabis technology is one area where Massachusetts might be able to develop a strong share of the market.

"There's a lot of opportunity in different portions of this space," Michaud said.

Smaller local companies, however, will have to compete with established out-of-state firms, which are now starting to turn to Massachusetts for potential customers.

Alan Lien is founder and president of Solis Tek, which manufactures and sells lighting technology for cannabis growers. The company was incorporated in 2009 and is based in California with sales staff in seven states.

Lien said as states legalize marijuana, he is seeing the market change. He has shifted from small retail sales to small-scale growers to sales of hundreds or thousands of lights for a single large warehouse.

Solis Tek plans to attend Boston-area trade shows. A sales representative in Michigan is available to travel to Massachusetts, although the company does not plan to hire staff in Massachusetts. "Any licensed or legal state is an opportunity for us," Lien said.

Brett Roper, co-founder and chief operating officer of Denver-based Medicine Man Technologies, said he already has two Massachusetts clients and anticipates taking on others.

Medicine Man Technologies was established in 2014 as a consulting firm to help marijuana cultivators and dispensaries. The firm might provide design documents to a local architect or review plans for a new facility. Medicine Man provides expertise and connects clients to retailers who can sell them crop-feeding systems, lamps or other growing technology. It offers training and sends teams to help new dispensaries when they open. As of late last year, the company had 61 clients.

Roper said with a population of nearly 7 million and a robust tourist industry, Massachusetts could be a "substantial marketplace" for marijuana. He cautioned that as more states legalize marijuana, businesses will have to rely on the in-state population rather than the tourist market. But for now, Roper said, "Massachusetts will have a nice little market share for itself."BOSTON - U.S. Sen. Ed Markey, D-Massachusetts, is proposing a bill that would offer $20 million annually for five years in incentive money for states that bring their gun licensing standards in line with those in Massachusetts, which are among the strictest in the country.

"Our gun safety bills are a model for other states, and I believe for the U.S. Congress to follow," Markey said, flanked by police officials at a Monday press conference at the Boston Police Department headquarters.

Massachusetts has the lowest rate of deaths from gun violence in the country. Advocates for gun control attribute this to the state's strict gun laws, which include a ban on assault weapons and strict licensing standards.

Markey's bill would provide federal grants to states that adopt Massachusetts' licensing standards. In Massachusetts, every applicant for a gun license interviews in person with the city or town police chief or their designee. The police chief can deny a license to any applicant deemed unsuitable.

"The involvement of chiefs in the licensing process is key," Markey said. "Chiefs know the residents of their communities, know how many times police officers are called to a home, who exhibited behavior that suggests a risk to public safety."

Boston Police Commissioner William Evans said the police will deny a gun license to anyone convicted of a felony, involved in domestic violence or institutionalized for mental health problems. Someone requesting a permit to carry concealed has to provide a legitimate reason why they want to carry. Police chiefs have authority to revoke someone's gun license.

Markey's bill would also require states to apply certain standards for licensing gun dealers.

"It's not a mandate, but it provides a financial incentive for the state to take up that responsibility," Markey said.

Under Markey's bill, in order to obtain a grant, states would have to meet several criteria. All gun owners and dealers would have to hold and maintain a license. The chief of police or a designee would be the licensing authority, and licensees would have to undergo a background check, interview and be deemed suitable. First-time applicants would have to complete safety training and provide character references. The state would establish a judicial review process for someone unhappy with a license suspension.

The states would have to require gun owners and dealers to report any lost or stolen firearms and to record all sales. The states would also have to pass standards for safely storing guns.

Markey and law enforcement officials said strict state laws in one state are not sufficient, since guns are carried across state lines. They would like to see Massachusetts be a model for the rest of the country.

Evans said in a 2013 study of 3,200 guns recovered by the Boston police over six years, around a third were bought in Massachusetts, 25 percent were from other states along I-95, such as the Carolinas, Georgia and Virginia, and another 20 percent were from Maine and New Hampshire.

John Rosenthal, a gun control advocate and founder of Stop Handgun Violence, said approximately 65 percent of guns that are used in crimes in Massachusetts are from out of state.

Gun control is getting increased attention recently after a school shooting in Parkland, Florida that killed 17 people energized students from that school to advocate for gun control measures. But previous calls for gun control after mass shootings have not resulted in congressional action.

Several politicians and law enforcement officials said they hope Parkland will provide a catalyst for change. "Obviously, they don't listen to adults in Washington, hopefully they'll listen to students," Evans said.

Boston Mayor Marty Walsh said Congress needs to understand the severity of the issue. "How many more mass shootings in schools do we need to have to move this issue forward?" Walsh said. "Far too often during the days following a tragedy, the country moves on to the next story of the day. We forget. We can't let this happen any longer."

Suffolk County Sheriff Steve Tompkins said polling shows that a vast majority of voters and gun owners support background checks and policies to prevent people with mental illness from buying guns. He called Markey's bill a policy of the "common sense, no-brainer variety that should be acceptable to the most ardent protector of the Second Amendment."

Markey dubbed the bill the Making America Safe and Secure Act, or MASS act. He has not yet sought cosponsors.Winter storm watches were upgraded to warnings by the National Weather Service on Monday ahead of New England's third nor'easter storm within two weeks.

The latest storm will move into Massachusetts late Monday night, shortly before midnight and continue throughout the day on Tuesday. The winter storm warning remains in effect between 11 p.m. Monday to 8 p.m. Tuesday.

Blizzard-like conditions are possible, with strong wind gusts that may once again knock down power lines. Forecasts indicate widespread power outages are unlikely this time around. The National Weather Service said any loss of power is most likely to occur in the southeast, along Plymouth County and Cape Cod.

Wind gusts along the coast could reach as high as 65 mph, with sustained winds around 40 mph. Minor coastal flooding or splash-over around high tide is possible on Tuesday, though lower astronomical high tides mean there is a lower potential for serious flooding, according to the National Weather Service.

Like the storm last Wednesday, snow totals will vary. While last week's storm dumped the most snow in central and western Massachusetts, this time around the eastern part of the state will see the highest snow totals. Heavy, wet snow is unlikely except in areas along Plymouth County and Cape Cod.

In eastern counties, accumulations of 12-17 inches, or as high as 22 inches, are possible on Tuesday. Central Massachusetts is expected to see closer to 10-15 inches, while western Massachusetts will see closer to 7-10 inches.

The National Weather Service warns "travel will be very difficult to impossible" during the Tuesday morning and evening commutes. They also add that residents should keep extra food, water and flashlights handy in case of power loss.

Utility companies restored power to more than 350,000 customers in Massachusetts following the nor'easter on March 8, just after restoring power to more than 400,000 customers after the nor'easter on March 2. Last week, several communities waited nearly three days for power to be fully restored to their homes.Commuters traveling in and out of Bozeman have seen one of the growing pains that come with Gallatin County being one of the fastest-growing areas in the nation.

With only a couple of routes to adjacent cities like Belgrade and Livingston, traffic tends to pile up during peak times. According to a report by Prospera Business Network, about 16,600 workers employed in Bozeman live outside the city limits, and about 7,500 people who live in the city work outside its boundaries.

By Freddy Monares Chronicle Staff Writer

https://www.bozemandailychronicle.com/news/county/bozeman-headed-toward-population-for-better-or-worse/article_8891e43f-8111-5f75-9908-67dc94168263.html1) With well-over 85,000 people from around the world gathering in Anaheim, California for the Natural Products Expo West trade show, two Montana farmers featured prominently in their partnership with Annies Homegrown, a brand of General Mills. Casey Bailey of Fort Benton, and Nate Palm-Powell of Bozeman are contracting farm sales to the company and are being featured on packaging as part of a dynamic effort to highlight regenerative farm practices. In addition to visiting with these neighbors from home, Jolene and Eric pitched the farm products and agricultural processing opportunities of our region to hundreds of companies at the cutting-edge of the food industry.

2) We closed a $40,472 loan to The Good Wood Guys this week! We are excited to work with these local entrepreneurs because we recognize how much wonderful, unique businesses like these can contribute to the diversity and vibrancy of our city. If you are in the market for hardwood slabs or beautiful, custom tables, doors, bars or pretty much anything else wood-related you can imagine, please stop by and visit Chris and Susan Crocker at their shop at 816 20th Street North here in Great Falls.

14 more: http://campaign.r20.constantcontact.com/render?m=1101450799075&ca=cfc391ff-953d-4287-8279-06a7d59277f2he Great Falls International Airport launched a new tourism website on Friday and their major tourism campaign launches for the year in Chicago this week.

The new website, http://www.genuinemontana.com, is target to out-of-state visitors and hits the highlights of what Central Montana has to offer, said John Faulkner, airport director.

"It shows our region in a different light," Faulkner said.

by Jenn RowellYUVA have announced that they are giving free birthday cakes to financially and socially disadvantaged kids and seniors in the coming days.

The conditions are as follows:-

We ask that you give us as much advance notice as possible so that we have time to arrange our schedules to get ready your cake. Please understand we dont guarantee elaborately decorated cakes as you see in magazines and on TV. However, we can assure you that we will try our best to make your cake as special as possible. Generally, we accommodate children to the age of 18 and seniors from the age of 65. Most cakes serve between 10-15 people. Different colours may be accommodated. Please ask when ordering. Please inform us of any special dietary needs. We will try our best to accommodate special needs, but please be aware this may not always be possible.

The cakes can do ordered at https://yuvamauritius.com/order-free-birthday-cake/

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LinkedInUCOM prolongs the unlimited internet offer for the level up 4700 and level up 5500 subscribers

Ucom employees received recognition for their services to the homeland

Karen Vardanyan has allocated 105 million AMD to rescue the Yerevan Botanical Garden.

"The Power of One Dram" to overcome childhood cancer

Google Ad

Generation A 13  your chance to be the change

President of the Artsakh Republic Arayik Harutyunyan met with Russian Co-Chair of the OSCE Minsk Group Igor Khovayev

"uDays" special offer at Ucom: discounts for all smartphones and accessories for 2 days only

For more than 3 hours, 50 or more Azerbaijani servicemen have blocked the interstate road

Call on the international community for an adequate response against azerbaijani aggresssion

Transformation and trust are important for success in modern banking. Artak Hanesyan

UCOMS LEVEL UP 1700 REGIONAL TARIFF PLAN USERS TO RECEIVE MORE THAN THOSE IN YEREVAN

Joint statement

Statement by the Co-Chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group

Covid-19: 163 new cases in Armenia

Armenia: Remarks by Commissioner Oliver Varhelyi at the press point with Acting Deputy Prime Minister Mher Grigoryan

The United States Welcomes Azerbaijans Release of Armenian Detainees and Armenias Actions to Facilitate Demining

Google Ad

The Coronavirus-Related Situation in Armenia

International aviation: Council greenlights signing of major agreements with four countries

With UCOMs level up tariff plans subscribers have unlimited access to Netflix, Duolingo and Zoom

Armenia: Statement by the Spokesperson on the early parliamentary elections

Armenias Parliamentary Elections PRESS STATEMENT

COVID19:77 new cases

Armenias early parliamentary elections were competitive and well run, but polarized and marred by aggressive rhetoric, international observers say

International election observers to Armenias early parliamentary elections held press conference

Drop Charges Against Rights Defender Sashik Sultanyan

The Coronavirus-Related Situation in Armenia

The European Union in Armenia calls all parties to contribute to a peaceful Election Day to celebrate democracy

22 ventilators to Armenia

PACE to observe the early parliamentary elections in ArmeniaUCOM prolongs the unlimited internet offer for the level up 4700 and level up 5500 subscribers

Ucom employees received recognition for their services to the homeland

Karen Vardanyan has allocated 105 million AMD to rescue the Yerevan Botanical Garden.

"The Power of One Dram" to overcome childhood cancer

Generation A 13  your chance to be the change

President of the Artsakh Republic Arayik Harutyunyan met with Russian Co-Chair of the OSCE Minsk Group Igor Khovayev

"uDays" special offer at Ucom: discounts for all smartphones and accessories for 2 days only

For more than 3 hours, 50 or more Azerbaijani servicemen have blocked the interstate road

Call on the international community for an adequate response against azerbaijani aggresssion

Transformation and trust are important for success in modern banking. Artak Hanesyan

UCOMS LEVEL UP 1700 REGIONAL TARIFF PLAN USERS TO RECEIVE MORE THAN THOSE IN YEREVAN

Joint statement

Statement by the Co-Chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group

Covid-19: 163 new cases in Armenia

Armenia: Remarks by Commissioner Oliver Varhelyi at the press point with Acting Deputy Prime Minister Mher Grigoryan

The United States Welcomes Azerbaijans Release of Armenian Detainees and Armenias Actions to Facilitate Demining

Google Ad

The Coronavirus-Related Situation in Armenia

International aviation: Council greenlights signing of major agreements with four countries

With UCOMs level up tariff plans subscribers have unlimited access to Netflix, Duolingo and Zoom

Armenia: Statement by the Spokesperson on the early parliamentary elections

Armenias Parliamentary Elections PRESS STATEMENT

COVID19:77 new cases

Armenias early parliamentary elections were competitive and well run, but polarized and marred by aggressive rhetoric, international observers say

International election observers to Armenias early parliamentary elections held press conference

Drop Charges Against Rights Defender Sashik Sultanyan

The Coronavirus-Related Situation in Armenia

The European Union in Armenia calls all parties to contribute to a peaceful Election Day to celebrate democracy

22 ventilators to Armenia

PACE to observe the early parliamentary elections in ArmeniaThe authorities should provide financial assistance to opposition - Lyudmila Sargsyan (video)

SDHP Chairman, former MP Lyudmila Sargsyan told reporters today that she does not see the steps that can prevent the Republican Party of Armenia (RPA) nominating Serzh Sargsyan as a candidate for the prime minister. "It does not matter what is my attitude towards Serzh Sargsyan's candidacy and I cannot influence it," she says and adds that the citizen gave his vote for AMD 10,000 to the Republicans and today, expect that the people will enter into active politics is not realistic. "When the opposition says, we are fighting against the nomination of Serzh Sargsyan as a candidate for the prime minister, why they do not say whom they want to see instead. This is a very important question. If you are against a person and you do not offer the name of the person who is supposed to be from the RPA, I do not see the struggle as real." Referring to the opposition's activities, Lyudmila Sargsyan mentioned that opposition is weak in Armenia and there is no consolidation process. According to her, the authorities must support the opposition. "The authorities should provide financial assistance, otherwise the opposition will completely collapse in Armenia, "says Lyudmila Sargsyan.Film about Aram Khachatryan to be shot (video)

"Mars Media," especially Ruben Dishdishian, have taken steps to shoot a film about Aram Khachatryan. The film's application as a joint Armenian-Russian action will be presented to the Eurimages discussion. Two years ago, Armenia became the 38th member of the Eurimages and this year the largest European joint venture will hold its 150th meeting in Armenia on March 13-15. Susanna Harutyunyan, a representative of Armenia at the Eurimages, attaches importance to the fact that this is a good opportunity to recognize our country. The budget of the Eurimages is 25 million euros, up to 500 thousand euros per film project. The compulsory conditions for applying for the Eurimages are joint film production and some investments. Four times a year in any country, the Board of Governors of Eurimages assembles, debates, examines projects and makes decisions. Competition is very high. 54 films are presented only at the Armenian summit. The Eurimages also has a program of technical re-equipment of cinemas and the management of Moscow Cinema is going to submit its application.TENDER NOTICE

Extension of the deadline for tender receptions from 11 March to 18 March 2018

REF: CT / DRC / KIN / 2018-002

In accordance with the Call for tenders REF: CT / DRC / KIN / 2018-002, the deadline for submission of tenders was 11-03-2018.

Please note that this deadline is being extended to 18-03-2018 at 12 pm Kinshasa local time. If you are interested in submitting a bid, please go to the below link for further details about the TORs.

The TORs can also be requested through Save the Children office in Kinshasa(office address below) or by email at Drc.tender@savethechildren.org every day from Monday to Friday 9 am to 4 pm.

All bidders must submit their bidsby email to the following email address wcaro.tender@savethechildren.orgno later than 18/03/18 at 12 pm Kinshasa time

The submission email must clearly indicate the reference of the offer.

Heather KERR

Country Director

Cliquez ici pour telecharger le Dossier complet - format ZIP@ChicoFD/Twitter(CHICO, Calif.) -- Firefighters in northern California got a pleasant surprise on Sunday when they were reunited with a dog they rescued and resuscitated last week.



The Chico Fire and Rescue Department shared images of the heartwarming reunion on Twitter on Sunday afternoon, showing a firefighter petting and playing with the happy pup.



The department also shared an image from last week when the dog, Boo, almost died in a devastating house fire in Chico, about 90 miles north of Sacramento.



Firefighters said they entered a burning home Tuesday and found the dog unresponsive. His breathing was extremely labored, but the rescue workers managed to pull him out before he inhaled a fatal amount of smoke. Firefighters and medics worked to resuscitate him, according to the fire department.



On Sunday, the department tweeted, Great to see 'Boo' is feeling better," thanking the dogs owner, Alex Collins, for stopping by.



Residents in Chico meanwhile are hoping to raise money to assist Collins, a single mother of one, though GoFundMe.



Collins was out applying for a job last Tuesday when a neighbor called to tell her that her home was in flames, according to the campaigns organizer.



She came home to her dog on oxygen being rushed out by an ambulance, her toddler was at daycare, the organizer said. Seeing her toddler's little shoes and toys all burnt to a crisp, is crushing to us all, yet to a single mom with all her focus on raising a healthy, safe beautiful baby this is devastatingly tragic.



The campaign had raised about $3,000 toward its funding goal of $10,000 as of Monday morning.



Copyright  2018, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.National minorities dissatisfied with new bill (video)

Representatives of 9 national minorities in Armenia demand the establishment of the draft law "On National Minorities" under the Prime Minister in the RA They have addressed an open letter to the Speaker of the National Assembly and the Minister of Justice. According to them, under the new bill the status of the coordinating agency is reduced, as only the Commission of the Public Council will deal with national minorities. Not all communities' representatives today have accepted the invitation to participate in the discussion of the bill with the Deputy Justice Minister Vigen Kocharyan at the Public Council. "Vigen Kocharyan met with us at the Coordinating Council. When we presented our complaints and objections, his position was, "I am a lawyer, you read and did not understand, so I will explain to you now." What is the meaning, if we have already discussed and understood our position," says a representative of the Assyrian community. All MPs have been notified of the concerns of representatives of national minorities about the status of the coordinating council, and if their complaints are not resolved, they are ready to apply to international structures. It should be noted that the Coordinating Council was established on June 15, 2000, by the order of Robert Kocharyan. Its aim was to ensure the protection of national minorities, as well as to activate their relations with communities. By the new bill, the Coordinating Council will be abolished.High-level OSCE PA delegation in Baku emphasizes Azerbaijans potential as bridge for dialogue and co-operation

BAKU, 12 March 2018  Highlighting Azerbaijans potential as a bridge for dialogue and co-operation in the OSCE area, a high-level delegation led by OSCE Parliamentary Assembly President George Tsereteli (MP, Georgia) today discussed with Azerbaijani counterparts upcoming domestic elections, as well as democratic and economic reforms in the country. The delegation underlined the important role that Azerbaijan plays in the region of the South Caucasus, and urged further efforts at economic and security co-operation. The PA delegation noted the continuing human cost of the conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh, and urged all actors to redouble efforts at conflict resolution. Other protracted conflicts and the crisis in and around Ukraine were also discussed. Meeting with Ilham Aliyev, President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, President Tsereteli noted concern about violence on the line of contact, and the intolerable toll on civilian populations in areas affected by the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. The PA President reiterated the Assemblys support for the mediation efforts by the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs as well as the activities of the Personal Representative of the Chairperson-in-Office, Ambassador Andrzej Kasprzyk. Tsereteli welcomed the active engagement of Azerbaijan in the OSCE PA and stressed the commitment of the PA to the region. Increased exchanges and strong co-operation are key to the development and success of our countries and our people, Tsereteli said. Democratic reforms, particularly on freedom of the media and on creating conditions to maximize the contribution of civil society, should be addressed adequately. Democratic and economic reforms in Azerbaijan mean increased security in the OSCE. The PA delegation led by Tsereteli includes Nilza Sena (MP, Portugal), who serves as Chair of the Assemblys Committee on Economic Affairs, Science, Technology and Environment, and OSCE PA Secretary General Roberto Montella. The delegation met today with Ogtay Asadov, Speaker of the Milli Mejlis of the Republic of Azerbaijan; Elmar Mammadyarov, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Azerbaijan; members of Azerbaijans delegation to the OSCE PA led by Bahar A. Muradova, and with Azay Guliyev, who serves as Vice-President of the OSCE PA. Azerbaijans contribution to the OSCE PA has been active and useful, Secretary General Montella said. I particularly welcome that parliamentarians from Azerbaijan have contributed numerous times to our election observation missions across the OSCE area, including in important leadership positions. Their contribution to our collective work is very much appreciated. Nilza Sena, who has been nominated by the PA President to be the Special Co-ordinator for the OSCE short-term observer team to the early presidential election in Azerbaijan on 11 April, is meeting in Baku with a range of election stakeholders, as well as the OSCE/ODIHR election observation mission in the country. The OSCE Parliamentary Assembly expects to deploy an observer mission for the 11 April vote. I am honored to serve the OSCE in my future function as Special Co-ordinator for the upcoming presidential election. I see this visit as a useful exercise, Sena said. I look forward to lending my personal contribution and experience to Azerbaijan and to the OSCE. On Tuesday, Sena will continue her round of meetings with election stakeholders and members of the PA delegation will participate in a conference on The role of parliamentarians in boosting economic co-operation and cultural ties along the Silk Road. The conference is organized by Milli Mejlis of the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Silk Road Support Group.Trilateral Military Brigade - Response to Russias Aggression

By Khatia Kardava

Speaker of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Andriy Parubiy initiated the establishment of the tripartite Ukrainian-Moldovan-Georgian military brigade. He wants the first session to be held in Kiev, where the issue of formation of a joint military brigade will be discussed.Parubiy made the statement on March 2, during his visit to Moldova, at the parliamentary conference "Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine: Eastern Partnership and Current Security Challenges."The very format and the very fact, the symbolic significance of such a joint military formation is very positive, and I think that we can use this experience in our trilateral cooperation," the Verkhovna Rada Speaker said.He suggested (after all the three states make the decision and after formation of the trilateral assembly), holding the first meeting of the Ukraine-Moldova-Georgia tripartite assembly in Kyiv to discuss the establishment of a military brigade and set future tasks and prerogatives there."Because there are common tasks in many fields including information security, cyber security, energy security and the creation of a joint military formation, I think it would be good idea to discuss at the very first meeting," said Parubiy.In creating a new union, Parubiy suggests using the experience of the military alliance on the model of the Ukrainian-Polish-Lithuanian brigade.As a reminder, the Grand Hetman Kostiantyn Ostrogski Lithuanian-Polish-Ukrainian Military Brigade was established in 2014.It's too early to say how realistic this idea is or how it benefits Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine. As the initiative was just announced, a detailed plan or goals have not yet been elaborated.According to Ukrainian political scientist Vladimir Fesenko, the idea of creating a military alliance is quite real, but it is unlikely to be implemented in a short time. "Most likely, to begin with, Kiev, Chisinau and Tbilisi will create a common battalion. This military formation could participate in various UN peacekeeping operations. Even then, the leaders of the three countries can raise the issue of a broad military alliance. I think there will be no problems in creating a military alliance between Kiev and Tbilisi. Relations between Ukraine and Georgia improved significantly after President Poroshenko's visit to Georgia. It is possible, however, that there will be difficulties with Chisinau's position, since there is an ambiguous domestic political situation in Moldova, Fesenko said.Russias officials have not made a comment yet, but nobody doubts that they will certainly perceive a new military alliance very negatively.Regardless of external opposition, the leaders of the three countries may create a military alliance, since all three countries are united by a common external threat. - added Fesenko.Of course, without the support of the West it will be difficult to fulfill this idea. EU and US officials permanently make statements about Russias aggression. Maybe its time to act?It should be noted a powerful speech of A. Wess Mitchell, assistant Secretary, Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs made on Remarks to the Senate NATO Observers Group, on February 28, 2018:"Ten years have now passed since Russia invaded Georgia and NATO issued the Bucharest Summit Pledge to aspirant members. Four years have passed since Russia invaded Ukraine, where more than 10,000 people have now died as a result of Russian aggression. Under Vladimir Putins leadership, Russia has demonstrated its ability to not just threaten and invade neighbors but spread chaos, disinformation, and disruptive influence into the very heart of Western Societies. This, together with the ongoing challenges of terrorism and migration from Europes Southern Frontier, show that NATOs role is more relevant today than at any time since the high point of the Cold War.For some reasons, the United Nations and the international humanitarian community have been unable to exert pressure on the United States, Saudi Arabia and their junior partners to change course in the ongoing war of aggression against Yemen.

(AhlulBayt News Agency) - For some reasons, the United Nations and the international humanitarian community have been unable to exert pressure on the United States, Saudi Arabia and their junior partners to change course in the ongoing war of aggression against Yemen.

Its not a real challenge to understand why the US refuses to end its support for the Saudi-UAE coalition bombing the poorest country in the Arab world, much less invest in diplomacy to end the Yemen conflict and increase humanitarian access to the more than 20 million Yemenis who need some kind of help:

1- The Trump White House has made it clear that it wants to derail the 2015 nuclear deal in pursuit of a still a more belligerent approach towards Iran and its allies. Hence, they continue the Yemen war after allegations about (non-existent) Iranian threats. Its even more disturbing to see war-party Washington endorse more weapons sales to Riyadh and build more illegal military bases in Syria that will only exacerbate the US-supported starvation of millions of civilians in Yemen, and prolong the devastating regime-change war in Syria.

2- Three years into the 2015 Saudi-led invasion, untold thousands are dead. Northern Yemen has been through the worst cholera outbreak in human history, and civilians continue to die in bunches from US-backed, Saudi airstrikes. Yemen is in a disastrous state, with a US-Saudi naval blockade threatening to starve millions. If there is one thing Yemen has no shortage of, however, its weapons, with the US ensuring a massive supply continues to pour into the hands of Saudi and Emirati forces.

3- Thanks to the unnecessary conflict, US arms sales are themselves at a record high, in no small part because of purchases by the UAE, and particularly by the Saudis, who are dropping US bombs on northern Yemen as fast as they can buy them. And while bombs and warplanes are the big dollar amount of sales, they also include large numbers of US-made automatic rifles and small arms ammunition. Saudi Arabia and the UAE buy these small arms, both for their own direct involvement in Yemen, and for arming their allied militant factions on the ground.

4- The US sends weaponry into Yemen that is not well-documented and carefully tracked. The Pentagon regime has confirmed they cant account for the weapons that they give to the Saudis. The Saudi and UAE-bought small arms are not just being sent to Yemen either. Rather, they are also being sent to Syria to be in the hands of their allied militant factions on the ground.

5- Despite some diplomatic games at the US Congress, the conflict wont end any time soon. US arms sales are ensuring that the Saudi and coalition warplanes never run out of bombs to drop, despite those airstrikes accomplishing nothing but killing more and more civilians in the north. Report after report by the UN faults the Saudis for soaring civilian deaths, and particularly the deaths of children, saying that the efforts to prevent harm to civilians remain largely ineffective. The strikes continue to increase indiscriminately, and the Security Council is not doing anything about it.

In a nutshell, US arms sales to Saudi Arabia are a major driving force in allowing them to continue the war. Saudis use US planes and bombs, and are refueled by the US Air Force during this criminal campaign. US culpability in this humanitarian disaster and war crimes should fuel growing concern at the UN.

As much ink as has been spilled about the morass the Americans and the Saudis have stumbled into in Yemen, this war of aggression has nothing to do with trying to intensify efforts to counter Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, much less by Saudi Arabia and the UAE to take seriously their fears about spreading Iranian influence in the region. The escalation of the conflict and the Iran bashing are only designed to increase US weapons sales and justify permanent US military presence in the Persian Gulf.

That perfectly sums up the argument as to why no one in the Trump White House seems able to answer whether or not they want to distance themselves from a war that is causing so much human suffering. The US government, the Pentagon regime, and the Military-Industrial Complex are reaping the fruits of the three-year war. This should be more than enough for them to earn the enmity of the human-rights community and members of the UN concerned about growing civilian casualties.







/129President Rouhani sent a message to express condolences over the passing of the late Ayatollah Haj Sheikh Nasrallah Shahabadi.



(AhlulBayt News Agency) - President Rouhani sent a message to express condolences over the passing of the late Ayatollah Haj Sheikh Nasrallah Shahabadi.



President Hassan Rouhani's message is as follows:



In the Name of Allah, the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful



We are all from Allah and to Him we shall return (Holy Quran)



The passing of the late Ayatollah Haj Sheikh Nasrallah Shahabadi caused great grief and sorrow.



This pious mujtahid was trained by his respectful father the late Ayatollah Mohammad Ali Shahabadi and prominent ulama such as Imam Khomeini (RA) at Qom and Najaf seminaries and devoted his life to promoting and teaching religious and the Imams' (AS) teachings.



Along with his relentless scientific and religious activities, that pious cleric was always effectively present at various political and social events along with people, guiding them.



I hereby express my condolences to the seminaries, his students and followers, and especially his respectful family, and pray to the Almighty for his mercy, and his family's patience and well-being.



Hassan Rouhani



President of the Islamic Republic of Iran







.........................

/257Six Shia members of Hashd al-Shaabi fighters (Popular Mobilization Forces) were injured and one other martyred in an explosion in Kirkuk province, a security source said on Sunday.

(AhlulBayt News Agency) - Six Shia members of Hashd al-Shaabi fighters (Popular Mobilization Forces) were injured and one other martyred in an explosion in Kirkuk province, a security source said on Sunday.



A roadside Improvised Explosive Device (IED) detonated after a Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) vehicle drove by while patrolling the village of Najatiyah in Hawija city, southwestern Kirkuk Province, on Saturday, the security source told Kurdistan News Agency on condition of anonymity.



It is the latest attack on the Hashd, also known as the PMF, in Kirkuk since the bloody ambush that killed about 30 fighters in an area not far from the recent blast site.



The source added that all members of the patrol were local fighters within the Hashd al-Shaabis 56th Brigade.



So far, no group has claimed responsibility for the attack.



The attack took place shortly after a warning by Peshmerga forces claiming the so-called Islamic State (IS) was re-grouping and looking to resume its activities in and around the Kirkuk and Nineveh provinces.



IS has launched a number of attacks in the country despite Iraqs final victory over the takfiri group last year in December.



Ali al-Hamdani, a Commander within the PMF, said the Shia fighters planned to carry out significant operations to secure Kirkuk fully, but have been waiting for Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi to greenlight the operations.



As a result of the security implications in the province of Kirkuk, and the intelligence information gathered in this regard, a meeting was held between security commanders and Hashd al-Shaabi leaders, Hamdani told an Iraqi local news outlet.



He added that the PMF would inform the commander-in-chief of the armed forces, Haider al-Abadi, on progress made in the meeting, and would wait for orders to be issued as a result of the meeting.









/129The maneuvers, dubbed Friendship Military Exercises 2018, are due to continue for several days with the announced objective of boosting military ties between the two countries, Saudi state news outlet al-Arabiya reported Monday.



(AhlulBayt News Agency) - Saudi and US military forces have launched joint friendship war games in the kingdoms northern region as the Riyadh regime presses ahead with its deadly campaign against Yemen with Washingtons support.



The maneuvers, dubbed Friendship Military Exercises 2018, are due to continue for several days with the announced objective of boosting military ties between the two countries, Saudi state news outlet al-Arabiya reported Monday.



The report further cited Saudi militarys Assistant Training Director Brigadier General Mohammed bin Abdullah al-Buqmi as emphasizing the readiness of the Saudi forces taking part in the drills and equipment to carry out the exercise activities as planned.



According to the mostly pictorial report, American forces participating in the war games had arrived in Saudi Arabia days earlier with all its military personnel and technical equipment, without elaborating on the sorts of military hardware and the number of troops deployed for the drills.



Since March 2015, the Saudi regime, together with a coalition of its allies, has been striking Yemen. It has been attempting unsuccessfully to reinstall Yemens former president Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi, a staunch ally of Riyadh.



More than 13,600 people have so far been killed since the Saudi military invasion of Yemen began, turning the impoverished nation into the scene of the world's worst humanitarian crisis.



Moreover, much of the countrys infrastructure, including hospitals, schools, and factories, has been reduced to rubble in the Saudi war.



The development comes a day after Yemens Prime Minister Abdel-Aziz bin Habtour said in a Press TV interview that the Saudi regime would not be able to carry out airstrikes against the impoverished country without Washingtons active backing.



In addition to its logistical support, the US has been lavishing sophisticated weaponry upon Saudi Arabia since March 2015.



According to a new report by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), Saudi Arabia has registered a 225-percent rise in military purchases - almost all from the US and Europe  over the past five years.



The American weapon sales to Riyadh include a $110-billion deal signed last May when US President Donald Trump paid a visit to the oil-rich kingdom in his maiden foreign visit.







/257Ford revealed the new 2019 Mustang California Edition early Monday morning, March 12. The Dearborn, Michigan-based automaker says that its design includes cues from the original 1968 edition while "celebrating modern Mustang performance and style." It comes equipped with a 5.0-liter V8 engine capable of 480 horsepower and 420-pounds of torque with a top speed of 155 mph with its six-speed manual transmission.

(Images and video courtesy of Ford. Motor Co.)

By: Benjamin Raven | braven@mlive.com

Ford Motor Co. announced the return of its Mustang GT California Special trim that will return with model year 2019. The Dearborn, Michigan-based automaker announced the return of the California special early Monday morning, March 12 in news release.

The special edition Mustang is the first California trim since 2016-17, and will go on sale this summer.

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"No doubt, 2019 is an exciting year for Mustang enthusiasts, especially for fans of our California Special and Bullitt models," Corey Holter, Ford car group marketing manager, said in the release.

"This year further targets hardcore Mustang enthusiasts who want even more performance from Bullitt, while new technology including rev-matching on manual transmission equipped Mustang GTS and active valve performance exhaust on EcoBoost models means even more thrills."

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The 2019 Ford Mustang GT California Special joins the Bullitt as returning special edition Mustangs for this year. Ford says the new Mustang California takes cues from the 1968 original version "while celebrating modern Mustang performance and style."

It comes equipped with a 5.0-liter V8 engine capable of 480 horsepower and 420-pounds of torque with a top speed of 155 mph with its six-speed manual transmission.

"When that torque gets delivered to the pavement via six-speed manual and available performance package, you better hold on," Ford says in the release, "because that's where rev-matching gives Mustang drivers a leg -- or a heel and a toe -- up.

"Advanced rev-matching helps smooth our shifts by predicting shifts and then quickly matching engine RPM -- similar to the heel-and-toe methods the pros use. On downshifts, the engine RPM instantly kicks up to smooth out the transition between gears."

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The Mustang GT California Special was first released in 1967 after being inspired by the Shelby GT coupe prototype, according to the automaker.

The original version, pictured below, featured a blacked-out grille, fog lamps and self-proclaimed "over-the-top" racing stripes. The new version draws cues to the original with a blacked-out grille, racing stripe and California Special logo placed on the lid of the trunk.

"Few things are more satisfying than dropping the top on a California Special and taking a drive down the majestic Pacific Coast Highway," Mark Conforzi, Ford designer, said in the release.

"This signature design takes its cues from the original California Special while enhancing the personality of today's Mustang."

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On the inside, Ford touts the addition of the first-ever Bang & Olufsen Play audio system that is capable of 1,000 watts of power, 12-channel speaker system and SYNC 3 connectivity, according to the automaker.

The Dearborn-based automaker says the sound system is custom-tuned to mesh with the interior of the 2019 Mustang GT California Special model.

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Unlike the Bullitt special edition Mustang, the California Special will come available in three different new colors in the Velocity Blue, Need for Green and the Bullitt's Dark Highland Green.

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"These intense new colors trace back to Mustang's classic colors of the late 1960s and early 1970s," Holter, the marketing manager, added in the release.

"While colors like Shadow Black and Magnetic Gray will still be popular for those who prefer to go stealth, these new colors pack a brighter, more vibrant punch for 2019."

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The 2019 Ford Mustang Bullitt

Ford ended weeks of speculation when it reintroduced the world to the 50th anniversary Ford Mustang Bullitt special edition at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit earlier this year.

Ford Mustang Bullitt: Five neat features on the revived Steve McQueen classic

Molly McQueen, granddaughter of Steve McQueen, who starred in the 1968 thriller, hopped out of the special Mustang on stage to introduce the car from arguably one of the best car chase scenes in film history. The movie used two Mustang Bullitt GTs in 1968, and the vehicle used in the big jump scenes was found in early 2017 and brought onto the stage Sunday with Molly McQueen in Detroit.

The new limited edition Mustang comes with a 5.0-liter, V8 engine capable of generating 475 horsepower and 420-pounds of torque, not to mention a reported top speed of 163 mph.

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The 2019 Ford Mustang Bullitt

The Mustang Bullitt is due out this summer, and will come equipped with a special white cue ball shifter in a nod to the movie. It has new Black Nitro Plate exhaust tips, open air induction system and the Shelby GT350's intake manifold.

The Mustang Bullitt will come in either Shadow Black or the movie's Dark Highland Green. Other tribute features includes the grille and window design, 19-inch aluminum wheels, red Brembo brakes and other interior elements.

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Ford Mustang Shelby GT500

Later on at the same Detroit auto show, Ford announced it would bring back another classic in the near future with the Mustang Shelby GT500.

The Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 will return with a V8, projected 700 horsepower engine -- "twice as powerful as the original 1967 Mustang performance model" -- in 2019.

"Embodying Ford Performance team's motorsport expertise, this new Mustang is engineered to stand apart on roadways and racetracks, thanks to its new innovative track technologies, performance hardware, plus aggressive and functional track-tuned styling," Ford wrote in a brief news release.

Joe Hinrichs, Ford executive vice president and president of global operations, delivered some brief remarks before showing a commercial for the classic car's return. He said that the new Mustang "will be the most powerful street-legal production Ford ever."

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2019 Ford Mustang GT California Special

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2019 Ford Mustang GT California Special

See below for a collection of images honoring the 1968 original version of the California Special Mustang below:

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Don't EditANN ARBOR, MI - DTE Energy is moving ahead this spring with construction of new underground transmission lines that will pass through the Burns Park neighborhood as they go from State Street up to the University of Michigan's Central Campus.

Residents who want to find out more about the upcoming construction, which is expected to last into fall 2019, are invited to attend a community meeting next week. DTE representatives will be on hand for an open house from 5:30-7 p.m. Thursday, March 22, at the Ann Arbor Senior Center at Burns Park, 1320 Baldwin Ave.

"DTE is going to be a hot topic for the next couple years," said City Council Member Zachary Ackerman, D-3rd Ward, who helped organize the informational meeting.

"The residential neighborhoods most directly impacted by these new transmission lines will be in wards 4 and 3 -- Lower Burns Park and Burns Park," he said. "I hope that neighbors impacted by this construction will join me and my colleagues on Thursday, March 22, from 5-7 p.m. at the senior center. DTE will be out -- their project managers, their construction managers and their regional liaisons -- to discuss the project and any impacts to neighbors."

DTE regional relations managers Molly Luempert-Coy and Madelyn Williams wrote a letter to nearby DTE customers on March 8, explaining how the electric system serving Ann Arbor was built over a span of nearly 100 years, adding substations and circuits as development created increasing demand for power.

"This has resulted in a web of power lines tying one substation to another. This configuration means that a problem with a power line or piece of equipment in one area can result in a disruption for customers more than 10 miles away," they wrote. "To resolve these problems, DTE Energy has launched a series of projects to provide more reliable energy to the homes and businesses of Ann Arbor."

As part of the projects, they said, DTE plans to build a new underground sub-transmission system between State Street and the UM Central Campus, routing underground sub-transmission circuits from a new station to existing substations.

Representatives from DTE plan to give more information about the project and how it will impact electric reliability and the community at the open house next week. DTE representatives plan to meet with small groups of customers at information stations.

See route maps that were presented at a City Council work session in January in the image gallery above.

In addition to expanding an existing electrical station at 2551 S. State St., DTE is building a new electrical substation in northeast Ann Arbor off Huron Parkway south of Plymouth Road.ANN ARBOR, MI - The proposed appearance of white nationalist Richard Spencer at the University of Michigan may never happen.

After Spencer's March 5 appearance at Michigan State University turned violent, with clashes between white nationalists and antifascist protesters, Spencer says he is rethinking his approach to speaking on college campuses.

In a lengthy video he posted on YouTube Sunday, March 11 titled "College Tour Course Correction," Spencer questioned if he would be able to continue speaking in public venues on college campuses due to the escalation of violence that coincides with his events.

"The fact is, until this situation changes, we are up a creek without a paddle," Spencer said. "The college tour is not about pitched battles, it is about intellectual activity and, until something changes, I'm going to have to rethink how I do this.

"The fact is, at least for the foreseeable future, I don't think it's a good idea for me to host an event that's wide open to the public in which we name the date and the time," he added. "Because if we do that in advance, Antifa are going to do their thing, and if the campus police and the state police and local police aren't ultimately willing to open up a corridor, then I don't simply want to repeat Michigan (State)."

Spencer's appearance at Michigan State University resulted in 25 people being arrested, according to MSU police. Thirteen of the arrests were for felony charges, including resisting and obstructing police officers and carrying a concealed weapon.

Throughout the video, Spencer referred to violent clashes he claims were initiated by Antifa, who were blocking a path for his supporters to enter the MSU Pavilion for Agriculture and Livestock Education where he was scheduled to speak.

Hundreds of people turned out to protest the appearance of Spencer, a leading figure in the white nationalist movement who has been credited with coining the term "alt-right." He's advocated for an "ethno-state" that would expel minorities.

More than 100 law enforcement officers attempted to provide a path for Spencer's supporters to enter the MSU venue, but some were deterred in what he described "was effectively a riot for a period."

"The idea of the college tour was to engage with students, perhaps faculty, and for these things to be controversial and edgy, but also fun," Spencer said. "When they become violent clashes and pitched battles, they aren't fun. This isn't what the college tour is really about.

"I really hate to say this, and I definitely hesitate to say this, but Antifa is winning to the extent that they are willing to go further than anyone else," he added.

While he didn't detail any specific plans to cancel a requested appearance at UM, Spencer's remarks place doubt about if his visit to the Ann Arbor campus will happen.

UM announced in January it would not host Spencer this semester, but would continue to consider a request from his representatives to rent space to speak on campus. No potential dates are being considered before the end of the academic year on April 28.

Spencer's National Policy Institute could not be reached for comment regarding the status of the request to speak at UM. University spokesman Rick Fitzgerald said he viewed the video Sunday, describing it as "sufficiently vague on the path forward," adding that the university had nothing new to share on the status of the speaking request.

Spencer urged his supporters to be patient as he reconsiders how he'll approach future speaking engagements, suggesting he still wanted to be "doing things publicly, but doing them in a different way."

"We felt that great feeling of winning for a long time," Spencer said. "We're now in something that feels like a hard struggle and victories aren't easy to come by."YPSILANTI, MI - Eastern Michigan University's plans to privatize its parking operations have been put on hold as the Ypsilanti City Council considers the potential impact giving up operating rights might have on the university and the surrounding community.

The city council voted last week to table a motion to permit the issuance of tax-exempt private activity bonds needed for Eastern to move forward with a 35-year agreement to monetize its parking system on campus with Dallas-based Preston Hollow Capital.

City council member Pete Murdock voted in favor of tabling the decision until its April 17 meeting, citing concerns about privatization and a desire to learn more after receiving little notice about the background behind the agreement.

"It was kind of a surprise to most of us that we weren't involved in this process at all," Murdock said. "We knew EMU was contracting its parking out, but we didn't know we had a role to play in that."

Details behind the agreement are complex. Under the agreement, which would provide a $55 million up-front payment to EMU, PHC would assign rights to Provident Group-EMU Properties, an Arizona-based limited liability corporation, which is in turn owned by Provident Resources Group, a nonprofit corporation based in Georgia.

The payment to EMU would be financed by sale of the private activity bonds, which are tax exempt, by the Arizona Industrial Development Corp., requiring approval from the city council according to the federal Tax Equity and Fiscal Responsibility Act of 1982.

EMU's Board of Regents approved the agreement in December, which would relinquish operation, management and maintenance of the university's parking system, consisting of more than 1,100 parking garage spaces, 8,300 parking lot spaces and any other metered or permitted parking spaces.

EMU professor and American Association of University Professors President Judith Kullberg said the university lacked transparency regarding the details of the agreement.

"The basis of the objection to this arrangement is that there was no consultation whatsoever with any stakeholders on campus," Kullberg said. "They didn't meet with any of the unions. There was minimal discussion with students or any other employees.

"In early December we were told in a faculty senate (meeting) by a senior administrator that it didn't look like there was going to be any movement on the parking, because people were asking questions about it," she added. "A week later at the Board of Regents meeting it was announced as completed."

EMU Spokesman Geoff Larcom said a significant delay in executing the privatization the university's parking services would impact the timing of planned capital improvements on campus that were announced previously, including renovations to Sill Hall, the Rec/IM, Quirk/Sponberg Theatre building and its Science Complex.

"The upfront payment of $55 million is planned to finance those projects as well as to bolster the university's financial reserves," Larcom said in an email. "The Higher Learning Commission has mandated that Eastern implement a plan to improve our financial position. A comprehensive effort is underway to do that, with the funds from the parking agreement as the most significant portion."

The agreement between EMU and Preston Hollow Capital would cap increases in parking rates at 5 percent each year in the first five years of the agreement, decreasing to 4 percent per year for the remainder of the agreement. Comparatively, EMU Chief Financial Officer Michael Valdes noted in December that the average annual parking rate increase at EMU has been 7.2 percent over the past seven years.

Larcom noted that LAZ Parking, which would serve as parking operator for EMU, has indicated it will hire eight employees compared to the five positions the university had in its parking operations. All current staff has either hired on with LAZ or moved to other positions at EMU.

Kullberg believes the city council should exercise caution going forward with its vote, warning that privatization within a public entity can result in unfavorable outcomes.

"I think any time a university or public institution outsources essential services, it is ceding some degree of control," Kullberg said. "That means that citizens, who are the owners of these operations, lose a lot of control, so they're not able to influence what's going on with this.

"If you look at all the privatization that's occurring at public schools in Michigan, it's not leading to better outcomes for citizens," she added. "We're losing our democracy, we're losing control over our own government, over our own institutions and the quality of education is declining. So, we really see ourselves as defending our university."

Murdock said concerns expressed by a number of EMU faculty, staff and students at the public hearing prior to its vote was a major reason he voted to push the decision back.

"There were several dozen people from the university who didn't think that they were involved enough in the process with Eastern and wanted to have more input and discussion," Murdock said. "That's probably why we tabled it. We kind of left it that Eastern had to do something to address those issues."Update: Husband charged with first-degree murder, victim identified

A 39-year-old Rochester Hills man is suspected of fatally shooting his wife, whose body was discovered by her brother-in-law on a bloody couch Monday morning, Oakland County sheriff's officials say.

The brother-in-law, who found the 41-year-old woman, told deputies the couple was going through a "bad divorce."

While detectives were still on scene, the husband walked into the Oakland County Sheriff's Office Rochester Hills station "and told the front desk deputy that he just killed his wife," the sheriff's office said.

An autopsy is pending. Sheriff's officials haven't released the name of the suspect or victim.

The shooting occurred at a home on 3400 block of Emmons in Rochester Hills.DETROIT, MI -- A 16-year-old is charged with murder after investigators say he participated in the beating of a 61-year-old man, who became unconscious on Eight Mile Road in Detroit and was later run over by a hit-and-run driver and killed.

The driver is still at large and sought by police.

Deante Controll Taylor, 16, of Detroit was charged as an adult with second-degree murder on Monday, March 12, for the Feb. 18 attack on Xavier Dawn Pratcher, 61, of Southfield.

Previously charged with second-degree murder on Feb. 28 for his alleged role in the attack is 27-year-old Edjuan Darico-Donald Jackson.

"It is alleged that on Feb. 18 at 1:30 a.m., Taylor and Jackson struck and kicked the victim while he was crossing West Eight Mile Road," the Wayne County Prosecutor's Office said. "The victim lost consciousness in the roadway and was subsequently struck by a vehicle."

Police and medics were dispatched to the scene about 2:30 a.m. Pratcher was found in the road and pronounced dead at the scene.

Police have not said what sparked the attack. Jackson was on probation with the Michigan Department of Corrections at the time of Pratcher's death. He previously pleaded guilty to receiving stolen property in 2015 and illegally carrying a concealed gun in 2016.

Pratcher, who was born in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, had a wife and children, according to his obituary.FLINT, MI -- A former Flint City Councilman should not have been allowed to run for mayor during a November 2017 recall election.

The Thursday, March 8, opinion by a panel of three Michigan Court of Appeals judges comes months after Scott Kincaid lost a bid to unseat against Flint Mayor Karen Weaver.

Mayoral candidate Don Pfeiffer asked the Michigan Court of Appeals in September 2017 to reconsider Genesee County Circuit Judge Geoffrey Neithercut's ruling that allowed Kincaid to choose between running for his Ninth Ward council seat or mayor in the special recall election.

Although the ruling comes after the vote, the court's ruling said similar situations could arise in the future.

"We conclude that this matter is moot, but also conclude that this issue is one of public significance that is likely to recur and to evade appellate review," states the opinion. "Reaching the merits of this appeal, we reverse."

The matter originally appeared before Neithercut in late August after Genesee County Clerk John Gleason asked the judge to rule on whether Kincaid could take up two spots on the ballot.

The councilman had filed to run again for his Ninth Ward spot months before the recall election against current Mayor Karen Weaver was approved and could not withdraw his candidacy.

Neithercut ruled on Aug. 29 that the offices of mayor and councilperson are "incompatible" and thus Kincaid could not run for both at the same time.

However, the judge wrote that due to "the unique timing problem" of the mayoral recall race only becoming available months after the deadline to declare candidacy for city council, Kincaid may have a week to decide which seat he wants to campaign for.

Kincaid withdrew from the council race and declared his mayoral bid at a UAW Labor Day rally at Sit Downers Park on Sept. 4.

The appeals court opinion references a pair of Michigan laws stating "a public officer or employee shall not hold 2 or more incompatible offices at the same time" that deemed Kincaid's appearance on the ballot for two positions "incompatible" and that he would be disqualified from both races if he did not withdraw from one within three days after the last day for the filing of petitions or filing fees.

"In this case, defendant filed his intent to run for reelection to his city council seat, and did not withdraw from that race in the time allocated for withdrawing," the opinion says. "Meanwhile, after learning that plaintiff had certified the mayoral recall, defendant paid the filing fee and declared himself a candidate for mayor in the recall election. Defendant did not withdraw from the mayoral race in the time allocated for withdrawing."FLINT, MI -- The number of water samples with elevated levels of lead in Flint elementary schools increased in February with more tests registering above the federal action limit than did one month earlier.

New data from the state Department of Environmental Quality shows the spike in samples that tested above 15 parts per billion of lead, the threshold under the Lead and Copper Rule, and also shows stubborn problems with water persisting at Doyle Ryder Elementary, where 11 samples registered above 15 ppb.

Although the second round of school tests showed a marked increase in lead hot spots, the testing conditions changed from January, and a DEQ official said those changes could account for 28 samples registering higher than 15 ppb compared to just 20 at the nine buildings in January.

Among the changes was the decision to collect samples at every test site in each school before flushing lines for further testing. Samples that are collected before lines are flushed tend to have higher lead levels because of the time water is in contact with pipes.

Even with the increase in samples with elevated lead, the February tests would meet federal guidelines for lead if treated the same as the samples collected by a municipal water system.

"The main takeaway is that the results overall are encouraging," said George Krisztian, assistant director of the DEQ's Office of Drinking Water and Municipal Assistance. "Things have gotten better."

Flint Community Schools' students haven't used tap water in their buildings since September 2015, just months before Gov. Rick Snyder recognized a health emergency in the city because of water contamination.

Testing that same year showed elevated lead in water at three Flint elementary schools.

State officials had not tested school water since 2016, when they re-started that effort in January. They are expected to complete a third round of testing this month.

After three rounds of testing, the DEQ has said it will consider those and other water testing results before making recommendations for the state's role in Flint water going forward, including state-funded bottled water.

Mayor Karen Weaver has said state-funded bottled water should continue to be supplied until all lead and galvanized service lines in the city have been replaced.

In a statement to MLive-The Flint Journal Friday, March 9, Weaver said the city's chief public health advisor and director of public works have been meeting with DEQ representatives, public health officials and researchers who are members of the Flint Technical Advisory Council to review school sampling data.

"They are providing input and recommending changes necessary to help determine accurate lead levels as well as the source of the lead," the mayor's statement says.

"I am convinced that these test results prove additional work and investigation is needed to determine the source (or sources) of the lead, and what actions must be taken to address and resolve the problem, once and for all."

Collected in mid-February, the new results show:

Only one school -- Pierce Elementary -- had every sample test below 15 ppb of lead. Holmes, Durant and Freeman elementaries each had just one sample above the federal threshold.

A total of 589 samples were collected in February compared to 705 in the first round. Despite testing fewer samples, 28 were above 15 ppb compared to 20 in the first round.

Taken as a whole, the district's 90th percentile for lead was 6 ppb, up from 4 ppb in January testing. That means 10 percent of water samples registered 6 ppb or more for lead.

The sample with the highest level of lead -- 279 ppb -- was collected from Eisenhower Elementary. The next-highest reading also came from the school -- 91 ppb.

If a stricter threshold for lead were adopted, such as the 10 ppb supported by Gov. Rick Snyder, an additional 11 samples would have been above the limit. If the standard for bottled water -- 5 ppb -- were adopted, an additional 25 samples would have exceed it in February testing.

Krisztian said testing that's occurring in schools can't be easily compared to testing that water systems perform every six months to comply with the Lead and Copper Rule, including the use of smaller sample bottles being used in school testing.

Larger collection bottles tend to produce samples with lower levels of lead.

"We're trying to get the worst-case scenario," Krisztian said.

Clare Liening, a school district spokeswoman, did not comment on the most recent test results.GRAND RAPIDS, MI -- First came ride sharing. Then bike sharing, which Grand Rapids is studying.

What's next? Possibly car sharing.

The city's Mobile GR department is collecting some preliminary information this March from companies that provide car sharing services before it decides whether to issue a formal request for proposals for offers.

Car sharing companies like Zipcar, GM's Maven and car2go operate in cities across the country. Some can be found in Ann Arbor, Detroit, Flint and East Lansing. Enterprise CarShare has vehicles available at Grand Valley State University's Allendale campus.

"The car is owned by a company and you pay for its usage," said Josh Naramore, the city's Mobile GR manager, explaining the general premise of car sharing.

Each company has its own mode of operating and charging for use, depending on the market. In Ann Arbor, Zipcars can be rented for $8 to $10 an hour, depending on the vehicle. Maven offers hourly rates in Detroit from $6 to $12 depending on the vehicle. In Columbus, Ohio, car2go charges an hourly rate of $13.

Zipcar launched a limited trial of two vehicles at the Crowne Plaza hotel near the Gerald R. Ford International Airport in 2015 through a partnership with Southwest Airlines.

That service is no longer offered.

However, Zipcar representatives did confirm to MLive they were still interested in the Grand Rapids market and that the company has had conversations with city officials.

For the city, bringing in a car-share company to operate in Grand Rapids could be beneficial in more ways than one.

Car sharing is another alternative form of transportation that would help the city achieve its sustainability, equity and mobility goals, Naramore said. There are small businesses in downtown Grand Rapids that can't afford to foot the bill for their own motor vehicle pools, and car sharing could help them cut back on their mileage costs, Naramore said.

"There's no silver bullet for any of this stuff. We're trying to provide as many options as possible," Naramore said.

City officials are also interested in what assistance a car-sharing company could offer them in terms of managing their own fleet of city vehicles.

The city of Grand Rapids owns 153 four-door sedans that city employees use. Instead of directly owning all of those vehicles, the city could potentially contract with a car-sharing company to use its vehicles during certain hours at a reduced rate, Naramore said.ROCKFORD, MI - As Kateri Schwandt gets home after picking her boys up from school, everyone files into the house.

One son, two sons, three sons, four, more than five boys come into the home, and they take off in every direction. One runs off to play with a ball, one shows his dad a bracelet he made in school, one chomps on some licorice, one breaks pretzels with his forehead -- for some reason.

The flurry of activity is a daily occurrence in the Schwandt family home.

The Schwandts, of Rockford, have been in the national spotlight because their large family - now 13 children - consists of all boys. A genetics counselor calculated the chance of giving birth to 12 sons in a row as .02 percent. Even the family dog, Boomer, is a boy.

Related: See what Michigan family names 13th son, now 2 days old

And on April 23, the family is expecting baby No. 14.

The couple found out they were expecting back in September.

They were excited, they are always excited, Kateri said. They always love having babies around the house.

Jay Schwandt, the father, said he was excited because this is probably "it" as the couple is getting older and have adult children now.

Related: 13th baby boy just as exciting as the first, Rockford couple says

He said they are expecting a boy "because why would it be any different than the other ones," but they never know.

"Who knows? No rhyme or reason," he said. "So we figure it's a 50-50 shot each time."

The following are the names and ages of the Schwandt sons:

Tyler, 25

Zach, 22

Drew, 20

Brandon, 18

Tommy, 16

Vinny, 15

Calvin, 13

Gabe, 11

Wesley, 9

Charlie, 8

Luke, 6

Tucker, 4

Francisco, 2

To Tyler Schwandt, the oldest, it feels normal to be part of such a large family of so many boys. He said it's the life he's always known.

As the oldest in a large family, he expects and takes on lots of responsibilities.

"Having all those eyes looking up to me keeps me in check," he said.

The family currently has 10 sons living at home.

Jay, who owns his own surveying business, said their two sons attending Central Michigan University usually come home twice a month to visit or will visit the family farm in Lakeview, where they skate on a pond and do other outdoor activities.

In the house, guests are told to be careful with phones and keys, as they tend to disappear around the younger sons.

Kateri makes a chore chart each week and the family takes turns doing different chores, as some chores like doing the dishes are bigger than others.

Related: 'More boys - less boring': 13 reasons a family of 12 boys is awesome

Jay said the laundry is "never-ending." For the dishes, there are 12 to 14 sets of cups and plates for every meal.

The family does dinner together almost every night and they have to cook a lot of food to feed everyone. Once, Jay made a 20- to 30-pound shepherd's pie for dinner.

Jay said meals are "always quite a production."

"I love spaghetti night 'cause that's easy," he said. "We make like two or three pounds of pasta and some sauce and some garlic bread, and that's it."

Kateri said when it is quiet she gets suspicious. If nothing else, the noise from the pitter patter of footsteps can usually be heard.

With 13 boys, the couple said the family gets a lot of questions when they go places, including the most popular, "Are these all yours?"

The following are a few questions MLive had for the family:

Q: Did you always plan on having a big family?

A: The couple had their first baby in 1992 when the couple were students at Ferris State University, and Kateri had three by the time she graduated. They had six kids when Jay graduated from law school in 2003, while Kateri picked up a master's degree in social work along the way.

Kateri grew up in a big family as well, as one of 14. Her mom had seven sons and seven daughters.

People would ask Kateri along the way if she was trying to keep up with her mom. She said there was no way she was having that many kids.

"And here we are," she said.

Related: Boys by the dozen: Birth of 12th son makes busy Rockford home a tad busier

Q. How do you come up with names for each son?

As each new son has been born, coming up with baby names has become more difficult, and the family had a hard time deciding the youngest boy's name, Francisco.

In the past they have had the kids throw potential names into a pot. Though they said they had never gotten a name like Ultron, they did have Elmo in the mix one time.

The parents always get the final say though and always have a different potential girl name picked out, just in case.

Q. With such a big family, what are holidays and vacations like?

Holidays are a major event, because that is when the family is all together, the parents said.

The family has a gingerbread house competition every year between Christmas and New Year's Day. An older brother will pair up with a younger brother and they build gingerbread houses. Then they fight over whose is best, Jay said, followed by a laugh.

The Schwandt family tries to take a trip every summer, and last Spring Break the family went to Florida.

Going through security was a debacle, Jay said.

Related: Mom of 12 sons awaits Baby 13, says 'Every day is Mother's Day'

They were trying to do their best to keep everybody corralled and then, of course, Kateri was chosen for additional screening.

Jay said Kateri is "the glue that holds us all together," so it was chaotic while she was going for the additional screening.

There were car seats and strollers and kids running all over the place, it was crazy and a typical vacation, Jay said.

"There's always excitement, whatever we do," Jay said.IONIA, MI - Police say a potential threat at Ionia Middle School was determined to be unfounded.

School officials were told about the threat at 6:32 a.m. Monday, March 12.

At the time, buses were already picking up students so the buses were rerouted away from the school until police determined the threat to be unfounded, Ionia Public Schools said.

Police and school officials were at the middle school to provide security to students walking to school or being dropped off by parents.

"The threat was received this morning and investigated immediately. The threat was determined to not be credible," Ionia Department of Public Safety said.

The school district said in a statement: "Please know that IPS is committed to student safety and we apologize for any inconvenience you may have experienced as a result of our actions."GRAND RAPIDS, MI - Pearl McFall, a senior at Innovation Central High School, said she got teary eyed reading on Facebook about the 17 high school students and staff killed on Valentine's Day in Parkland, Fla.

"My eyes started watering because it happened again and it's really sad,'' said McFall, 17, a student in the Grand Rapids School District. "This is a problem that needs more attention.''

She said that's why she will be joining students across the region, state and country in participating in a National School Walkout on Wednesday, March 14.

At 10 a.m., students will walk out of class to various locations in and outside their schools for 17 minutes to honor the 17 victims killed at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School.

All Kent and Ottawa county school systems are anticipating some student participation, though it may take many forms.

"School is supposed to be a safe place to learn and grow,'' said Julia Sickrey, 18, a senior at Rockford High School.

Sickrey said she's concerned that Marjory Stoneman, Sandy Hook Elementary and other massacres are desensitizing people toward school shootings.

"That's why we need to keep talking about it because it is more impactful coming from students,'' said Sickrey, who pointed out that student leaders at Rockford are also planning a nonpolitical event on April 20 around school safety.

While many students in local districts want to focus on honoring the victims and promoting school safety, Women's March Youth EMPOWER called for the initiative.

The group wants to protest Congress inaction and advocate for gun legislation such as a ban on assault weapons. The hashtag #ENOUGH is being used.

Florida Gov. Rick Scott signed into law Friday, March 9, the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Public Safety Act. The measure tightens gun control in several ways, including raising the minimum age to purchase a firearm to 21 from 18 and allowing some teachers to be armed.

Some local students, like many Parkland survivors, want to see federal gun legislation passed but others have opposing views. There are also students who just don't like that the walkout has been politicized because of who initiated it.

"While students want to make this an honorary event, it is very political,'' said Conner O'Kane, a senior at Forest Hills Northern High School, who said he won't walk out Wednesday.

"I think this group is shamefully using students to push political change and that's sad. Despite what students say, it is going to be viewed as a protest.''

O'Kane said his classmates organizing Northern's walkout approached it with good intentions but he believes there are better ways to honor the Parkland victims.

For example, he said reaching out to those students who may not have a connection with others on campus and engaging them.

Suspected Parkland school shooter Nikolas Cruz, 19, had been expelled for disciplinary reasons from Marjory Stoneman and considered a loner. He was indicted on 17 attempted murder counts Wednesday, March 7.

Last week, several schools sent letters to parents explaining how they plan to handle those who wish to participate and those who don't, including the largest districts: Grand Rapids, Forest Hills, Kentwood and Rockford.

K-12 students across Grand Rapids Public Schools can walk out provided they submitted the required permission slip by Friday, March 9. Parents can also participate.

Superintendent Teresa Weatherall Neal said classroom lessons will be built around the theme "See It, Say It, Do Something About It - Stop School Violence."

"Through their voices and actions, young people desire what we all want - safe, nurturing schools that are sanctuaries for learning, kindness and joy,'' Forest Hills Superintendent Dan Behm wrote to his parents.

Behm said the district will only be accommodating middle and high school students in grades seven through 12th, who wish to participate.

"In Kentwood Public Schools, we value the instructional time in the classroom but we also know that this is a teachable moment and student advocacy regarding the safety in school is equally important," Superintendent Michael Zoerhoff told parents.

He said only one student leadership group from East Kentwood High School requested approval for the walkout.

Some parents and educators are concerned about student safety but law enforcement is engaged with participating school districts.

Officials with the Grand Rapids Police Department have reviewed GRPS' walkout plan and feel that leaders are adequately prepared for the event. Officers will be available if needed.

"We will be dedicating our school resource officers, community services officers and select patrol officers to providing a visible police presence on the campuses that we know to be participating in the National School Walkout,'' said Kent County Sheriff's Sgt. Joel Roon.

"We are allocating these resources in an effort to ensure the safety of the students as they participate. We do not anticipate any problems at this point and have been pleased with the level of planning and consideration by various school districts as they allow students to participate.''

The Ottawa County Sheriff's Office also plan heightened security. Zeeland West High School Principal Greg Eding said his school's goal is provide the most safe environment for students to express themselves.

Ramona Raffenaud, one of Zeeland's student leaders planning the walkout, said they want to keep politics out of the event and focus on the victims and school safety.

She said their plan is for students from Zeeland West and East high schools, who want to participate, to meet on the path that separates the two schools.

"I hope people see that students are trying to make a difference because they care about their classmates,'' said Raffenaud, a junior at Zeeland West.

McFall urged any student having dark thoughts, who is suffering from depression or feeling like something is wrong to think before they act and get help.

"If you talk, there are people who will actually listen to you,'' she said. "Think about how your actions will impact people.''DORR TOWNSHIP, MI - A missing Allegan County man was found dead on Monday by police.

David Lewis Amerson, 36, was reported missing out of Allegan County.(Allegan County Sheriff's Office)

David Lewis Amerson, 36, was found dead early in the afternoon on March 12 by police, according to an Allegan County Sheriff's Office press release.

Amerson was last seen at a family member's residence in the Grand Rapids area around 11 p.m. Friday, March 9, as he was leaving to head home.

Police said no foul play is suspected as the cause of Amerson's death.

Amerson was reported missing Saturday, March 10, by family members after he did not meet them for a planned event, according to a news release.

Search parties to find Amerson were organized on March 12 and his workplace, Weller Truck Parts Reman Center in Wyoming, had offered a $10,000 reward for information on his location.

The Allegan County Sheriff's Office was assisted by the Michigan State Police in Monday's search.GRAND RAPIDS, MI -- Authorities have released the identity of a 26-year-old woman found dead over the weekend in Grand Rapids.

Police said the body of Hillary Ann Schihl was located shortly after 8 a.m. Sunday, March 11, in the 500 block of Logan Street SE.

A Monday morning autopsy determined there were no signs of trauma to the victim, according to the Grand Rapids Police Department. The death is being investigated as suspicious.

Police said a cause and manner of death has not been determined, pending toxicology results.

Attempts to resuscitate Schihl were unsuccessful. She was identified by police as not a resident of the area, though they said she "may not have a permanent address."

Police ask anyone with information regarding the incident to contact the police department at 616-456-3400, or Silent Observer at 616-774-2345.Update: Bill signed by Gov. Snyder, will go into effect in July

Thousands of Michigan missing person cases are active at any given time, including about 1,300 children currently.

But the public only hears about a fraction of them.

Besides cases of an endangered person, which can trigger alerts to cell phones, missing person cases are made public only after an official missing report is filed and police submit case details to a public database, or otherwise publicize the case.

That means while some missing people are featured on posters, displayed online and shared on social media, others are shelved in a folder at a local police department.

If police departments were required to submit missing person cases to the U.S. Department of Justice's public NamUs database, it could help them solve more of them, said Michigan State Police Detective Sgt. Sarah Krebs of the MSP Missing Persons Coordination Unit.

A bill making its way through the Michigan Legislature would do just that.

Legislation that passed the House 109-0 on March 1 would require police agencies to require reporting of certain missing cases to the federal database, including all missing children, after police complete a preliminary investigation of a missing person report.

It would also require details about unidentified bodies to be submitted to the database.

"We need a more centralized database that the public can access," Krebs said. "If NamUs was state mandated for all law enforcement, this database would be incredible."

Krebs, the Amber Alert Coordinator and Missing Children's Clearinghouse Manager for the state of Michigan, testified in February before the House Committee on Law and Justice in support of the bill. She noted a few cases that could have gone differently if they had been put in the NamUs database.

In October 2014, state police were part of an operation to exhume several unidentified bodies buried decades ago in pauper's graves in Plymouth, to enter DNA information for more than 200 cases into NamUs.

Meanwhile, also in 2014, the mother of Bina Emery, a 14-year-old girl who went missing in Detroit in February 1988, attended a Missing in Michigan event to inquire about her missing daughter.

When the mother asked about the case, investigators found no record of it in the National Crime Information Center (NCIC) database, a non-public police database used to track crime information, Krebs said, even though the woman recalls specific details of making the report.

The mother provided a DNA sample to police and investigators in 2015 confirmed one of the bodies exhumed in Plymouth was Bina Emery.

Her body had been found in the Detroit River in July 1988, but she was never identified and her manner of death was "undetermined," according to state police. No dental records or DNA samples were taken from the body in 1988 when it was found, Krebs said.

"Even though the missing juvenile was reported in the same city that the body was found with the same demographics, neither case made it into either database that could associate the two," Krebs testified. "This made the mother wait 30 years to find her daughter."

Pieces of the puzzle

Michigan State Police support the legislation to require all police agencies to report missing person cases to the federal database, originally proposed by Krebs and colleague Wade Dakin, manager of the state police Missing Persons Coordination Unit, said Sgt. Matthew Williams, who serves as a legislative liaison.

"Increased use of this database will greatly increase the solvability of many of these investigations," Williams said.

State Police representatives met with state Rep. Tommy Brann, R-Wyoming, about the idea, and Brann introduced House Bill 4633.

In addition to all cases involving children less than 17 years old, the bill would require reporting to NamUs the cases of some missing adults, including people with disabilities, and people who disappeared under circumstances indicating it was not voluntary, among other circumstances.

Michigan would not be the first state to mandate use of the federal database. Todd Matthews, director of case management and communications for NamUs, worked with a legislator in Tennessee to get a bill passed to require NamUs entries there.

Tennessee, along with Connecticut, New Jersey and New York, now have laws requiring NamUs entries.

Michigan's law would be different because it would require a case to be submitted after a person is reported missing and police complete a preliminary investigation, while police in other states have 30 days before they are required to submit a case. In New York, police have 180 days to get a case into NamUs.

The database allows the public to submit information themselves, and work with NamUs officials to have it included in the entry.

The database becomes more effective as more cases are added, because it cross-references missing persons with unidentified bodies to look for a match. Entering the information could be useful years or decades later, when a body is found and dental records or DNA can be compared.

"There might not be a second piece of the puzzle right now," Matthews said. "That doesn't mean you shouldn't do everything you can."

He noted that dentists sometimes dispose of records, so it's best not to wait to obtain them for long after someone goes missing.

Tanya Zuvers is the mother of Andrew, Alexander and Tanner Skelton, who went missing in November 2010 after visiting their father for Thanksgiving, and not being returned to Zuvers the following day as expected. The boys were ages 9, 7 and 5, when they disappeared.

Zuvers entered their details into NamUs within months after they went missing, she said.

Pictured, left to right, are Tanner, Andrew and Alexander Skelton. The three boys went missing in November 2010 at ages 5, 9 and 7, respectively. (Courtesy | Tanya Zuvers)

Recently, when unidentified remains were found in Montana, and investigators thought they could belong to the missing Skelton boys, authorities took samples from the bones including dental records, comparing them to the NamUs entry.

The comparison confirmed the bones did not belong to her missing boys, Zuvers said.

She said she believes John Skelton, the father of the boys, knows where they are, but won't say. "We need him to tell the truth," she said of her ex-husband, who is in prison after being sentenced to 10 to 15 years for unlawful imprsionment in the case.

Zuvers holds onto hope that they might find her again, maybe when her oldest turns 18. "I cant allow myself to think they've been seperated because that would eat me up," she said.

Zuvers said she sees NamUs as "a huge tool" for families that could someday provide closure for missing persons and unidentified remains.

"If a body is found, having all the information in one place with Namus, it's a lot faster, I feel to be able to get results," she said.

Existing public databases are incomplete compared to actual missing person cases, Krebs said.

The NamUs database listed 530 Michigan missing person cases, including 93 people under 18, as of March 7. That compared to 4,386 current missing perseon cases in Michigan reported to police, including 1,328 involving people under 18, MSP said in early March.

The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, another public resource with its own database, listed 94 missing Michigan children as of mid-November.

Krebs runs Missing in Michigan events across the state, where police work with families, and points to the Missing in Michigan Facebook page, of which she is an administrator, as a good source for current information about cases. Members of the public are invited to join the group, which follows guidelines to ensure the cases are legitimate.

Entries in the NamUs database could help people on social media, often eager to help by sharing missing posters, by providing an official source for posters and a contact police agency for each case.

'Can't be hit or miss'

Matthews said he has heard concerns about additional time and resources it would take police to enter missing person case information into the database, but said it should typically take only about 15 minutes.

The Michigan bill would also require police to seek out dental records of people who are not found after 30 days and submit them to NamUs.

Krebs estimates that about 500 of the 1,000 children reported missing every week return home that same week, and their dental records would not have to be listed. Those cases include runaways and others, Krebs said.

She said police will have to attack the backlog of 4,000 additional cases that would have to be inputed into NamUs that aren't there currently, assuming the bill becomes law.

Brann said he believes police departments may not have to add additional positions to get the cases listed in NamUs. "I have a feeling they'll figure it out," he said.

There's likely existing appropriations to cover costs associated with the bill, according to a fiscal analysis.

Brann said the bill could save lives if more cases are added to NamUs. "It can't be hit or miss," he said.

The bill is part of an effort to increase success investigating missing cases, Krebs said. Other efforts include training Michigan police officers on how to interview a missing child who has returned home, and to ask the right questions to check for signs of trafficking and other crimes in hopes of shutting down traffickers.

"Law enforcement needs to realize that having the public's involvement in these cases (all missing persons cases, not just the juveniles) can really impact their investigations," Krebs said.

"It may be some work for them up front, with the dual entries, but having thousands of eyes out there and a direct connection to that investigator is going to find these people a whole lot faster."

Having cleared the House, the bill on March 6 was referred to the Senate Committee on Judiciary.As Education Secretary Betsy DeVos appeared Sunday on 60 Minutes, the discussion inevitably shifted to school choice and how the policy she's spent her career promoting has impacted student achievement in her home state of Michigan.

During an interview with CBS News correspondent Lesley Stahl, DeVos spoke about her efforts to give parents the power to enroll their children in the school they believe provides the best educational opportunities.

But DeVos, a West Michigan native and billionaire philanthropist, faced tough questioning from Stahl about how choice has impacted students in traditional public schools, which are left with fewer dollars and resources when children leave to go elsewhere.

Here's how the exchange played out:

DeVos: In places where there's a lot of choice that's been introduced, Florida, for example, the studies show that when there's a large number of students that opt to go to a different school or different schools, the traditional public schools actually, the results get better as well.

Stahl: Now has that happened in Michigan?

DeVos: Yes, well there's lots of great options and choices for students here in Michigan.

Stahl: Have public schools in Michigan gotten better?

DeVos: I don't know. I can't say overall that they have all gotten better.

Stahl: The whole state is not doing well.

DeVos: Well, there are certainly lots of pockets where the students are doing well.

Stahl: No, but your argument if you take funds away, that the schools will get better is not working in Michigan, where you had a huge impact and influence over the direction of the school system here.

DeVos: I hesitate to talk about all schools, in general, because schools are made up of individual students attending them.

Stahl: The public schools here are doing worse than they did.

DeVos: Michigan schools need to do better, there is no doubt about it.

Stahl: Have you seen the really bad schools, maybe try to figure out what they're doing?

DeVos: I have not intentionally visited schools that are underperforming.

Stahl: Maybe you should?

DeVos: Maybe I should, yes.

In her piece, Stahl acknowledges it's difficult to say whether choice schools outperform traditional public schools, and it's unclear what data she was referring to when she said Michigan "public schools are doing worse than they did."

Michigan implemented a new state assesment, the M-STEP, in spring 2015, replacing the more than 40-year-old MEAP test. That makes past comparissons difficult.

But data from the National Assessment of Educational Progress, given to a sample of students nationwide, shows Michigan's performance has declined over the past decade.

Michigan, for instance, ranked 41st in the nation in fourth-grade reading in 2015, according to the latest NAEP results. That's down from 38th in 2013 and 28th in 2003.

DeVos spoke about a number of other issues during her interview, including whether teachers should be allowed to carry guns in schools, rolling back Obama-era regulations, and being the frequent target of protests.

To watch DeVos' full interview, click here.Michigan's U.S. House Democrats weighed in on the upcoming race for Michigan governor Monday, coalescing around candidate Gretchen Whitmer to endorse her for the nomination.

U.S. Reps. Debbie Dingell, D-Dearborn, Dan Kildee, D-Flint Twp., Sandy Levin, D-Royal Oak, and Brenda Lawrence, D-Southfield, said at a press conference in Taylor Monday morning that they thought Whitmer was the best choice to give Democrats an edge in the November general election.

"After years and years here of one-party rule, we need a candidate who can break that year after year domination," Levin told a group of Whitmer supporters. "She has what it takes."

Kildee, who last year considered a run for governor before ultimately deciding to run for reelection in Congress, said his decision was made easier knowing that a candidate like Whitmer was in the race.

"Knowing that we have a candidate like Gretchen allows me to continue the fight in Washington with a strong ally and a person who I think will be a great governor," he said. "That obviously makes a big difference."

Other candidates in the Democratic primary include Abdul El-Sayed - who filed signatures to the Secretary of State for his candidacy last week - and Shri Thanedar, Justin Giroux and Bill Cobbs.

On the Republican side, candidates include Attorney General Bill Schuette, Lt. Gov. Brian Calley, state Sen. Patrick Colbeck and Jim Hines.

Dingell said she thinks primaries are a good thing, and that Democrats have strong options in this year's primary. But she said it felt like the right time to back Whitmer to start building momentum for November.

"I think this is a competitive race, and we know what's at stake," Dingell said. "I wouldn't be here endorsing her if I didn't think she could win."

Whitmer is a compassionate and experienced candidate who has the drive to represent Michigan well, Lawrence said at the event.

Michigan's U.S. Congressional Democrats are the latest to endorse Whitmer after intial rumblings that Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan and union leaders were searching for another candidate earlier this year.

Duggan endorsed Whitmer in February, noting that he "always thought that Senator Whitmer would be an excellent governor," but said he initially pursued Sen. Gary Peters for the race to see if someone with statewide elected experience wanted to run.

"Because of Gretchen Whitmer and her support, the street lights in the city of Detroit are back on," Duggan said at a February press conference. "I am so proud today to be endorsing the person who I think will put this government back in the right direction."

Whitmer's also earned the support of the Michigan Education Association and former Michigan Gov. James Blanchard.

Speaking to reporters after the endorsement announcement from Kildee, Levin, Lawrence and Dingell, Whitmer said she sees voters getting active and asking tough questions about the "fundamental" issues, such as road quality, education and health care. She said she appreciates the support she's gotten so far.

"This has been a long campaign already from a lot of our perspectives, but it's still very early in the race," she said. "This is really unique to have this kind of coalition this far in advance of the election."GRASS LAKE, MI - Police working to clear more than 40 cars piled up on I-94 Friday determined the crashes began with one elderly motorist who was cited for his actions.

The 92-year-old Allen Park man was cited for violating the basic speed law, March 9, after causing a 38 to 42 car pileup on westbound I-94 between Mount Hope and Race roads, Blackman-Leoni Public Safety Director Mike Jester said.

The man, driving a mid-sized pickup, was attempting to pass another vehicle when he lost control and hit several vehicles causing a chain reaction of associated crashes along the westbound lanes, Jester said.

Eastbound I-94 lanes were congested back to exit 142, per the Michigan Department of Transportation, although there was no incident in the eastbound lanes.

Six ambulances from both Jackson and Washtenaw Counties assisted with the pileup, taking three people to Henry Ford Allegiance Heath for treatment, according to a statement from Matthew Rose, public information officer for Emergent Health Partners.

The freeway was reopened after about three hours and there were no serious injuries reported in the pileup, Jester said.

Police are still working to complete crash reports from the pile up, Jester said.

The Jackson County Sheriff's Office, Michigan State Police, Blackman-Leoni Township Public Safety, Jackson Community Ambulance, Grass Lake Fire, Henrietta Fire and the Jackson County Department of Transportation assisted at the scene.HILLSDALE, MI - The Hillsdale County Sheriff's Office made two requests for an Amber Alert to be issued when 6-year-old Juston Eidenier disappeared with his father Thursday evening.

Both requests were denied.

The boy and his father, 38-year-old Juston Eidenier, were both found safe Saturday evening, March 10, at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit, two days after the boy was reported missing and endangered with his father, police said.

"We're glad the father was taken into custody without incident and the boy is safe and back in school this morning," Hillsdale County Sheriff Timothy Parker said.

The Michigan State Police, which is solely responsible for issuing Amber Alerts, denied both requests that an Amber Alert be issued in this case, stating it did not meet the criteria, Parker said.

"We've been taking a lot of heat from people who don't understand how an Amber Alert is issued. We tried to have one issued, but we don't make the decision," Parker said.

The criteria listed for issuing an Amber Alert include belief that a child has been abducted and is in imminent danger of serious bodily injury or death and if there is sufficient information available which could assist with the safe recovery of the child and or the apprehension of the suspect, according to the MSP website.

Without the use of the Amber Alert system, the sheriff's office released as much as it could by using its mobile phone application and posting on its Facebook page, Parker said.

Eidenier was to be served Friday with papers from the county severing his parental rights, Parker said. Police believed his son was with him when he could not be found at their North Adams home and attempted to have the Amber Alert issued, Parker said.

After the pair was found, Eidenier was taken into custodyt and lodged in the Hillsdale County Jail on a felonry domestic violence charge, records show.

Though police reports of the manhunt are being sent to the Hillsdale County Prosecutor's Office for review, it is unlikely Eidenier will face any additional charges for having wrongful custody of the boy, Parker said.

"Since he had not yet been served with the paperwork that terminated his parental rights Friday, legally he was unaware he was kidnapping the child," Parker said.

The boy now is in the care of the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services.BLACKMAN TWP., MI - Darren Duncan had his two grandchildren in the car Sunday afternoon when, stopped at an intersection, he saw police officers fire at a man Duncan had seen on the street.

The man had a pistol at his back. "He raised it up, and we all know what happens after that," Duncan said, standing in the driveway leading to his home on Watts Street.

Police on Sunday shot the man within about 15 minutes of an armed robbery at the nearby Dollar General on E. Michigan Avenue in Blackman Township, just east of the Jackson city limit. Authorities have not released details on either event or connected the robbery to the shooting, reported about 2:40 p.m. March 11.

The man's condition was unknown. Blackman-Leoni Township public safety Director Michael Jester said his department, the Jackson County Sheriff's Office and Jackson police would later release a statement. All three departments had officers at the scene at the time of the shooting.

Michigan State Police are handling the investigation. A lieutenant indicated he would talk Sunday evening to reporters. Several detectives were in the neighborhood, speaking to witnesses, and a Lansing forensic laboratory van is parked along the police tape.

Duncan said he clearly heard police order the man to drop the weapon. "A deaf person could hear it," he said.

People get what they deserve, said Duncan, lacking sympathy.

"They are not going to let you pull a gun on them and sit there and negotiate with you. It don't happen that way no more."

Another resident made similar statements. William Squires heard "plain as day" police command the man at least four times to put down the gun.

He saw the man take two steps toward officers and then heard about 10 shots.

"I watched them shoot him," said Squires, who lives on Tyson Street and went outside when a police vehicle sped through a stop sign, interupting his brunch. He was standing Sunday on his front porch while state police trooper asked questions across the street. "It's something I'll never forget."

He saw the man fall. "Kind of looked like a knock-out, when your knees just buckle."

Several police officers then went to the man, he said.

"You can't do that to the cops," he said. "You don't move. You don't do nothin'."

"You drop it."

Neither resident said he had previously seen the man. Duncan said he was older, big and wearing a brown hoodie. He was not in a hurry. He seemed lost or looking for a place to hide.

The man had mumbled something to Duncan, before Duncan realized he was armed, as Duncan put his grandchildren, ages 5 and 3, in the car. He saw him walk to a neighbor's house and then spotted him around the corner.

Duncan, his girlfriend and the children were headed to Indiana, but the gunfire thwarted their plans. They were at Watts and Tyson Street. Duncan froze at the stop sign. Police officers had "come from everywhere." They were flying, he said.

The children were screaming, Duncan said. Trying to protect them from the sight, he put the vehicle in reverse when he saw the shooting.

The events unfolded quickly, he said. "It happened just like that."

Police officers did "what they had to do," he said.

Squires was bothered by the violence. He has a daughter that catches the bus alone. "I'm real jacked up about this. It ain't right," he said. "This whole town is going to crap."CONSTANTINE TOWNSHIP, MI -- A St. Joseph County Transit Authority bus driver and occupants of the vehicle were taken to the hospital Monday morning after a crash with a semi-truck.

The crash happened about 7:30 a.m. on U.S. 131 at Riverside Drive in St. Joseph County's Constantine Township, according to a news release from the Michigan State Police Marshall Post - White Pigeon Detachment.

Police said the semi-truck driver, a 56-year-old man from Deltona, Fla., reported he was northbound on U.S. 131 when the trailer he was hauling was struck by a St. Joseph County Transit Authority bus.

The bus failed to stop for the stop sign on eastbound Riverside Drive. The bus driver, a 33-year-old woman from Fulton, and all the passengers on the bus were taken to area hospitals for treatment.



Police said alcohol was not a factor in the crash and seat belts were worn by both drivers involved.

The driver of the bus was cited for disregarding a stop sign, police said.



Assisting at the scene were Constantine Fire/Rescue, LifeCare Ambulance, Three Rivers Ambulance and the St. Joseph County Sheriff's Department.KALAMAZOO, MI - Saheeda Perveen Nadeem held back tears Monday as she stood before members of Kalamazoo's First Congregational Church and thanked them for supporting her.

The church on West Michigan Avenue announced March 12, the same day 62-year-old Nadeem was supposed to be deported to Pakistan, that it will shelter her while she takes sanctuary from deportation by Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE.

Rev. Nathan Dannison, a senior pastor at the church, said the congregation decided it will not allow ICE to tear apart families.

"We do these things today not for political reasons, but because we are disciples of Jesus Christ," Dannison said. "We follow a higher law. We know what He expects of us and He has high expectations.

ICE did not immediately respond to a request for comment Monday.

Nadeem's 20-year-old son Samad, a Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipient, shared with the congregation the story of how his mother came to the United States 13 years ago in hopes of finding a better life for her children.

"For most of my cognizant life, Saheeda has worked harder than any individual should have to, to ensure a better life for me and my sister," Samad said.

With the help of DACA and The Kalamazoo Promise scholarship, Samad and his sister Lareb were able to attend college at Western Michigan University.

"Words cannot describe the joy I saw on my mother's face as she watched my sister Lareb walk down the stage at the graduation ceremony," Samad said.

In a sad turn of events, Lareb died the same summer she graduated, and she is buried in Kalamazoo. One of the only things that gives Saheeda joy is visiting Lareb's grave every morning, Samad said.

Despite the sadness in her life, Samad said his mother dedicates most of her time to giving as much as she can. She is a volunteer in the Muslim community and caregiver for orphans and refugees.

"The amount of affection these individuals have for my mother is comparable only to that of family," Samad said.

He said his mother has not lived in Pakistan in about 40 years, and Kalamazoo is her true home. She would have no one to care for her in Pakistan.

"This community has done amazing things for my family and I, and I would like to ask for your support one more time," Samad said.

Beth Luppe and her daughter Emily, who are members of the church, had not met Saheeda until recently, but came to support her.

"Last night I went to bed thinking, 'I don't understand how I'm living in a country right now where someone has to hide,'" Luppe said.

She said other people should try to imagine how they would feel if someone came to their door and told them they had to leave.

"I think if people could put themselves in someone else's shoes for a couple of minutes ...(there) aren't any words to describe it," Luppe said.

The church has an apartment Saheeda will be staying in and a GoFundMe page has been created to raise money to support her.

Dannison said the church does not expect ICE to come to the church, but if it does and attempts to get in it will be filmed and put on the internet.

"Immigration and Customs Enforcement, lately, have been more aggressive, targeting the most vulnerable members of our community," Dannison said. "I think that's why churches are stepping forward and saying that this is unethical, and this is absolutely not who we are as Americans."

He said there are steps people can take, including being a informed citizens and reaching out to legislators.

"Use your voice as a voice for folks who are marginalized in our community and who are under threat," Dannison said.

Saheeda said the support she has received has made her feel that she's not alone.

"I'm worried, but I feel safe here," she said.TEXAS TOWNSHIP, MI -- The next president of Kalamazoo Valley Community College is expected to be chosen from two finalists who will interview Tuesday with the Board of Trustees.

Amy Fugate, vice president for academic affairs at Mott Community College in Flint, and Luther Marshall Washington, president of New River Community and Technical College in Beckley, West Virginia, will be interviewed March 13 after having been chosen from a pool of six candidates who came to campus in February.

"The two candidates moving forward have a depth and breadth of experience which appears to make them the best fit for KVCC's position," Sandy Bohnet, who is working with trustees on the presidential search, said in an email.

Marilyn Schlack, who has been KVCC president since 1982, announced in September that she would retire after her successor is hired.

Fugate will be first up to interview with trustees, at 9 a.m. Tuesday.

Fugate told MLive she felt KVCC has been "incredibly innovative" under the leadership of Schlack, including development of its Arcadia Commons Campus and more recently the new Culinary/Allied Health Building downtown.

Fugate said she visited KVCC "incognito" before making her public presentation to the campus community in February. She talked with students, toured campus and said she was impressed with the "commitment that is obvious everywhere to student success."

She said her experience in Flint would help her be a successful at KVCC because the communities are similar in terms of higher education. Mott Community College operates near University of Michigan-Flint and Kettering University, while KVCC is neighbors to Western Michigan University and Kalamazoo College. The necessity to work together between the trio of community college, private and public institutions is similar, she said.

Fugate said community colleges are "major fixtures in the community" that can have "major impact" on the residents.

"We are the community's college," she said. "I am highly committed to how we change lives."

Fugate, Washington and the four other candidates who came to campus last month for public presentations faced similar questions about opportunities and challenges for the college, transparent communication, school safety and diversity.

Fugate said her approach to the challenge of falling enrollment includes seeking more non-traditional student groups, such as those wanting to serve in the military or international students. She also noted the "staggering drop" between the number of students who graduate high school to the ones who graduate college.

"Without students, we don't exist," Fugate said during her presentation. "Life is the biggest challenge for our students to complete their degree."

Another avenue for increasing student enrollment was the notion of dual enrollment. She said if KVCC partners with Kalamazoo College and Western Michigan University to create transfer agreements, students will find more success. "Universities need students too and if we can provide them a pathway, the students are the real winners," she said.

Student voice incorporation was another common subject mentioned in the presentations. Fugate said she is "most proud" of the work she did to help integrate student voice into decision making at Mott. This includes having students on every faculty interview committee, because they can give "more powerful" input on student teaching demos. "Students are integral to it," Fugate said.

Both Fugate and Washington, who presented only days after the school shooting in Parkland, Florida, discussed the need for protection to prevent violence, in addition to ways to better include adjunct professors in the campus community, utilizing The Kalamazoo Promise and their love for the Kalamazoo area.

Washington is set to interview with the KVCC board at 11 a.m. Tuesday.

Washington told MLive he was "excited about the opportunity to interview and be a finalist for the position," but declined to comment further.

During his public presentation in February, he said he he saw "eroding technology," credit transfers and the use of analytical data to increase retention rates as opportunities and challenges facing the community college.

Washington said it is important for an institution to "stimulate the students from the beginning" in order to assure they will be successful. He said data can help colleges identify which students are at risk of dropping out, helping them intervene to increase retention rates. He also talked about the necessity for fostering smooth transitions from community colleges to four-year universities.

Washington discussed diversity and equity, saying the college must be reflective of the communities it serves and work with outside organizations in order to create an equitable environment for all students. During the question-and-answer portion of his presentation, he said he would continue to place a focus on part-time students.

When asked about his ability to relate to the KVCC student body, Washington said his "blue-collar" upbringing and time spent as an adjunct professor give him the ability to relate to the faculty and students. "I understand the work extends beyond the classroom," he said of professors.

Fostering unity among the campus will be achieved through open communication, "shared governance" in making decisions and a president who spends time among students and professors on campus, he said. "I believe communication must be transparent," Washington said.

As for why KVCC was a good fit for him, Washington said he is "excited about the initiatives," including the Guided Pathways program. He said he was also attracted to the reputation the faculty has among state institutions and within the nation.

The interviews of Fugate and Washington will be held in room 3365 on the Texas Township Campus, 6767 West O Ave. They are open to the public.

Jeffrey Patton, chairman of the KVCC Board of Trustees, said the board wanted an "open process" to search for the next president.

"Academic excellence with the students and faculty" was noted as the "most important" quality the board is looking for," Patton said. But, he also added that community involvement was seen as an important role of KVCC's president.

"We are part of the community," Patton said. "It's important for [the next president] to be involved in the community and economic development."KALAMAZOO, MI -- A man who confessed to committing a violent crime spree around Kalamazoo County but said he is mentally ill was sentenced to prison Monday.

Matthew Steppenwolf, 29, of Plainwell, was sentenced to 17 to 32 years in the Michigan Department of Corrections for a Jan. 24, 2017 crime spree. Steppenwolf pleaded guilty but mentally ill Thursday, Feb. 1 in Kalamazoo County Circuit Court to six felony charges: armed robbery, carjacking, second-degree arson, discharging a firearm at a building causing injury and two counts of felony firearm. In exchange for his plea, felony charges of ethnic intimidation, two counts of felony firearm and another count of second-degree arson were dismissed.

Kalamazoo County Circuit Court Judge Paul J. Bridenstine sentenced Steppenwolf to 15 to 30 years on the armed robbery and carjacking counts, which will be served following a mandatory two-year sentence for the felony firearm convictions. He also sentenced Steppenwolf to seven to 20 years on the second-degree arson count and seven to 15 years on the discharging a firearm count, which will be served concurrently to the armed robbery and carjacking sentences.

Steppenwolf's plea of guilty but mentally ill gives him the opportunity to seek mental health treatment in prison.

Steppenwolf's defense attorney, Virginia Cairns, said her client told her he "snapped" when he committed the violent crime spree. She said he loves his family above all else and experienced mental anguish when his mother was injured in a hit-and-run crash. She said he also suspected infidelity in his marriage, and his mental anguish flipped into anger and revenge.

"In short, his mental anguish turned our victims into villains in his mind," Cairns said. "They're not villains and never were."

In an interview with police, Steppenwolf admitted to robbing a gas station, trying to set two houses on fire, shooting a woman in a Kalamazoo house and carjacking a woman in a church parking lot, according a police report.

Steppenwolf admitted to robbing a Citgo gas station at East Michigan Avenue and M-96 in Comstock Township of just under $10 of gas. He told detectives he then went to a house on East G Avenue in Cooper Township and lit a container of kerosene in an attempt to burn down the house. He said he did it to "do good" and that his mother had been injured when a woman who had lived at the house struck her while she was riding a motorcycle.

Steppenwolf admitted to then firing seven shots at a house in the 2500 block of Monterey Drive in the city of Kalamazoo with his 20-gauge shotgun, the same gun he used at the gas station. He admitted he had been watching the house on different occasions, and had driven by at least five times. Neighbors told police they had seen the red minivan he was driving Jan. 24 in the neighborhood previously.

Betty Jo Brewer, the woman who was struck when Steppenwolf fired the shots into the Monterey Drive house, said in court Monday the shooting nearly killed her. She said she has flashbacks of the shooting and has been diagnosed with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. She said she was shot in the chest, "missing my heart by a thread," and said she has shrapnel clusters permanently lodged in three parts of her body. Brewer credited her husband for saving her life by applying pressure to her wound, saying she likely would have bled out without it. She said her home received $20,000 worth of damage from the bullets, and both of their family cars were riddled with bullets.

Bridenstine said Steppenwolf permanently and negatively affected not just one person but groups of people because of his behavior, including destroying the Brewers' physical home and nearly tearing away the fabric of their home.

He called the armed robbery, shooting and carjacking a horrific experience where "one thing led to another."

"I'm really surprised that no one actually died because of this," Bridenstine said.KALAMAZOO, MI -- Lois Miles was a giver, a woman who traveled internationally to help people after raising her four children and working as an occupational therapist, her daughter said.

Miles' daughter, Susanne Mains, spoke Monday, March 12 at the sentencing for Monique Sandt, who police say was high on marijuana when she crashed her vehicle into Miles' vehicle Nov. 7, 2016 on South 12th Street near West ON Avenue in Texas Township. Her vehicle crossed the center line, crashing into Miles' vehicle. Miles, 83, was taken to Bronson Methodist Hospital, where she later died.

Sandt pleaded no contest Jan. 26 to one count of operating while intoxicated causing death. On Monday, Kalamazoo County Circuit Court Judge Paul J. Bridenstine sentenced her to one year in jail with credit for four days already served, and five years of probation. She also will be required to wear an alcohol monitoring bracelet for six months after getting out of jail.

Bridenstine challenged Sandt to live a life like the woman whose death she caused.

"This lady was a wonderful, giving mother of four who gave much more back to her community than she took," Bridenstine said. "Even if you had not caused her death I would hold her up as someone whose life you should strive to be like."

Mains said she survived the call from the hospital saying her mom had been in a crash, survived the meeting with the chaplain at the hospital and the gut wrenching decision to remove her mom from life support.

"Monique, your decisions caused us to make those decisions and live with this," Mains said.

Miles was active within the First United Methodist Church in Kalamazoo. She volunteered with the American Red Cross, Loaves and Fishes and Lending Hands, and worked at orphanages in Africa and Russia on mission trips, her daughter said. Miles started a current events class at Friendship Village and drove many of the residents to appointments. Mains said she found her mother's calendar after she died, and there wasn't a day where Miles was booked to help someone.

"What I miss most about having my mom around is just picking up the phone to talk to her, to vent, to ask a question or to get advice, or just hear her voice," Mains said. "I've lost a sense of security. My mom has been there all my life to fall back on. Now I don't have that."

Sandt's defense attorney, Andis Svikis, said his client has accepted responsibility for the charge. He said she has suffered some mental health issues, some of which arose from this case. When it was her turn to speak, Sandt said she is a good person who made an "awful mistake." She said she is truly sorry.

"You have no idea how bad I feel about htis and I know saying sorry over and over again will not change the situation," Sandt said.PORTAGE, MI -- Driving her route for Kalamazoo Metro Transit, Kellie Yunginger sees many faces every day. She's constantly scanning them, looking for resemblances to people who have been reported missing.

Her mind often wanders back to the day over 27 years when she learned her 21-year-old cousin had disappeared.

About six months younger than Yunginger, who was 22 at the time, Richard Hitchcock was drinking at the Riverfront Lounge in Allegan on Dec. 22, 1990, and was asked to leave. Witnesses at the time said they saw him climb over an 8-foot-tall fence topped with barbed wire that blocked access to the Kalamazoo River. He wasn't seen again.

As police began to investigate Hitchcock's disappearance, Yunginger showed up with family members to help, though they didn't know how.

They watched as divers and crews in boats searched the river and dog teams sniffed around near the water's edge. The family themselves combed the river to Lake Allegan for three weeks.

With no sign of Hitchcock, the case went cold.

But not for Yunginger, who not only hasn't given up the search for her cousin, but has widened her focus to include other missing people in Michigan and beyond.

She's learned a lot since 1990, gathering clues in her cousin's case and studying missing persons investigations. She has joined two search and rescue organizations and has made connections in the world of missing persons investigations and law enforcement.

Yunginer, of Portage, has helped at least 30 families in their search for missing loved ones, while still always looking for answers about her cousin.

Her searches have brought her to backwoods, swamps, into yards and below basements, where she has excavated to look for clues.

A bill making its way through the Michigan Legislature would require police to submit more missing person cases to NamUs, including every case in which a child is missing. Yunginger believes it could help because it's another way to get notice out to the public about a missing person, and a way to identify bodies.

The database contains DNA, dental records and other information that could help solve a case.

If a family requests help from her, Yunginger advises them, and can help by bringing in members of two search and rescue organizations, printing fliers, contacting the media and organizing search efforts with dogs, ground penetrating radar and other resources, independent of law enforcement.

"If a family requests us, we will go," she said.

Yunginger remembers some cases when a person was found within 90 minutes, and others with people still missing years or decades later.

More recently, she became heavily involved in organizing searches for Theresa Lockhart, a schoolteacher from Portage who went missing in May 2017.

Lockhart was later found dead five months later after her husband, Christopher Lockhart, confessed in a note to killing her and told police where they could find the body, before he committed suicide. Yunginger became close with Lockhart's sister, and the tragic outcome weighed on her emotionally.

Yuninger said most of the missing person cases she gets involved in are resolved when someone is found alive and brought back home. It always takes her through many emotions, she said.

In June 2017, she was helping a family find 17-year-old Katie Lynn Jordan, who went missing in Kalamazoo after being dropped off at Borgess Medical Center.

As Yunginger exited her bus at the downtown Metro Transit station to quickly change clothes, she saw a young girl who looked like the one in the photographs on the missing posters she had been distributing.

"I let the last passengers off my bus and she walked right in front of me," she said.

Yunginger approached the girl, who confirmed she was indeed the girl who had been reported missing, last seen by family two days earlier.

Yunginger was overjoyed. She snapped a photo to send to the teen's mother.

But she also felt jealous, she said, and guilty for feeling jealous. It happens whenever she helps find someone.

She's glad she can make an impact, but said it's unfortunate what she had to experience with her cousin to become the advocate she is today.

She is often tagged on Facebook to alert her of missing cases, and will always help a family in need, she said. But she's always looking for her cousin, who would be 49 today. His case has to come first, she said.

When she's out hanging posters for others, she hangs them for Hitchcock too, and posts about his case often on social media.

'That one little piece'

While Yunginger believes Hitchcock was killed, the Allegan Police Department considers it missing person case, said officer Matt Luyk, who was a member of a multijurisdictional cold case team that spent six months looking at the case in 2010. They talked to every person who has previously been interviewed and ran down any tip they received, he said.

Police sometimes receive tips about the case, he said, but there's been no new information for about a decade.

It's always in the back of his mind, he said, and the only missing person case that the department has not been able to clear.

Police have heard theories and stories about what some people believe happen, but people implicated in those stories have been interviewed and either passed polygraphs or have a solid alibi that clears them, Luyk said.

Without a body or evidence of a homicide, the case remains a missing persons investigation, he said.

Police have limited resources to put on cold cases, he said, and Yunginger and family members have taken on a lot themselves.

"It's very admirable what she's doing. A lot of families would probably give up and live each day wondering. She's being active," Luyk said. "It does help.

"The more she's out there turning over stones, someday it might be that one little piece we've been missing."

Yunginger said she can't stay away. It's like an obsession.

She can follow up on tips when police can't as quickly, she said, because she doesn't need a warrant.

"All I have to do is knock on the door and say hey my name Kellie and my cousins been missing and can I do this?" she said. "Lots of times they tell me yes."

She has become well acquainted with the residents of a home in Allegan County, where she got permission to excavate almost the entire yard. After another tip, she gained permission about two years ago to excavate a basement bathroom at that home.

She has been denied access other times. She got a tip that he might have been buried near a large tree at another property, but could not obtain permission to search there. Years after she asked about it, the tree was removed, and she heard nothing further.

She has entered Hitchcock's case details into NamUs, the national public database for missing persons and unidentified remains.

Hitchcock was last seen wearing white Union Bay jeans with white Nike shoes with purple swoosh on them. He was wearing a black t-shirt with "Dangerous Toys" on it and a brown leather bomber jacket, or possibly a blue-striped shirt with white shirt underneath. His keys were never found. He had a clear epoxy keychain with a scorpion molded inside of it, the NamUs entry states.

She's learned everything she can about the case, but still wonders why Christmas presents were left in the trunk of Hitchcock's car, or why he did not pick up his last paycheck from work.

She has doubts that he drowned.

"It seemed odd to us, there was ice on the river in the area where they said he went into the river," she said. She doesn't know how he could have climbed the fence without leaving any clothes or DNA on the razor wire.

"It seems farfetched," she said. "A body generally comes up somewhere at some point, and he never did."

In the coming weeks, Yunginger expects to get busy organizing more search efforts as the snow melts and the ground thaws, before the weeds grow too high.

She vows not to give up the search for Hitchcock.

"He was such a cool person. He wasn't mean, he wasn't a troublemaker. He was a downhome kid with a really crazy laugh and wild hair," she said of her long-lost cousin.

"A decent human being. He didn't deserve this."MIDLAND, MI -- DowDupont Executive Chairman Andrew Liveris is following through with an announcement made two years ago that he was going to transition out of the company once the DowDuPont merger was complete.

Liveris, 63, will be transitioning out of the role as Executive Chairman, and then retiring from the Materials Science Division. The transition will take effect on April 1, 2018, according to a press release from DowDuPont.

Jeff Fettig, current co-Lead Independent Director for DowDuPont, will serve as a non-employee Executive Chairman of the Board of DowDuPont. Liveris will continue as a director of DowDuPont through his previously announced retirement from the company effective July 1, 2018.

"On behalf of the Board, we want to thank Andrew for his outstanding leadership and vision. Dow has achieved record operating results and shareholder value under Andrew's leadership, which continues as part of the DowDuPont merger," said Fettig. "Andrew is truly a global CEO in every sense of the term, and his leadership not only at Dow, but across the entire business community, will be felt for decades."

DowDuPont also announced its Board of Directors intends to appoint Jim Fitterling Chief Operating Officer for the Materials Science Division of DowDuPont, and President and Chief Operating Officer of The Dow Chemical Company, to the role of Chief Executive Officer of the intended Materials Science Company to be called Dow, as announced on Feb. 26, 2018, upon intended separation of the company, according to the release.

The company said Chief Financial Officer Howard Ungerleider will serve as Dow's President and CFO.

"Over the last 14 years, we have transformed Dow from a cyclical chemicals manufacturing company into one powered by science, driven by innovation and delivering solutions to the world. We have aggressively invested in R&D and radically transformed our portfolio of businesses while proudly maintaining our commitment to our heritage and values.

"With that transformation complete and Dow entering into its next phase of growth, now is the right time for me to effect my previously announced plan to transition and then to retire. I want to thank the 54,000 women and men of Dow around the world for their hard work and dedication - without their tireless efforts, Dow would not be where it is today," said Liveris.

Liveris has served as Dow's chief executive officer for more than a decade.

He was born in Darwin, Australia, and graduated from the University of Queensland in Brisbane with a bachelor's degree in chemical engineering.KOCHVILLE TWP, MI -- Police are investigating after shots were fired outside following a fight at a movie theater over the weekend.

Deputies from the Saginaw County Sheriff's Office and Michigan State police were dispatched at 11:39 p.m. on Friday, March 9, to the Quality 10 GDX movie theater at 3250 Kabobel to investigate a shots-fired call.

According to Lt. Mike Gomez, there was a fight outside of the theater and someone fired three to four shots in the air.

No one was injured and no one is in custody. Police are reviewing surveillance video from the scene, Gomez said.SAGINAW, MI -- The Saginaw Intermediate School District is preparing to take over management of the Saginaw School District's Career Complex, 2102 Weiss.

ISD Superintendent Kathy Stewart says all Saginaw County school districts and their vocational students will benefit from the change.

It's a decision that isn't sitting well with administrators of the Saginaw Public School District. They say Stewart isn't taking the right approach and believes that the center's Career Planning Education District is better off with the city schools, where it has been for 50 years.

Saginaw schools Superintendent Nathaniel McClain said he believes that his district is best suited to retain control over the CPED.

"Giving up decision-making authority that opens and closes programs isn't a favorable option," McClain said. "Once you hand over administrative control, you leave yourself susceptible to decisions that can be made not to the best interest of your student demographics. If they are the holder of the CPED, they control what programs open or close."

The change would allow the ISD to help reduce the cost for students throughout the county while raising revenue for school districts, Stewart said.

Stewart said that 11 of the 12 school districts under the ISD approved resolutions in February to allow the transfer of the CPED to the ISD. Saginaw Public School District took no action on the matter.

Stewart said that her plan not only helps school districts throughout the county but also benefits the Saginaw School District.

"We are not trying to take SCC," Stewart said. "We will provide support and oversight. They get to run their program and their staff is there."

McClain raised an issue with the process that was used for the transfer of the ISD.

"The important thing in this whole piece is that there isn't any legislative language that clearly identifies who the CPED authorizer should be," he said.

Stewart said that she consulted with the Michigan Department of Education throughout the process. The state department advised the ISD that it could proceed with its plan with approval of just 11 of the county's 12 districts.

According to an email Stewart received from Patti Cantu, formerly of the MDE, it is a regional decision as to which district hosts the CEPD director and the decision is made based on the history, needs, capacity and the vision for career training in the region.

Also, Cantu said, "Again, this is a local decision. If you feel this decision requires a vote of your boards for the record, then you would proceed in that fashion. If you are all comfortable with each superintendent making the decision, that is okay, too. There is no MDE policy or guidance for a CEPD transfer since this is a decision that resides within each region."

The transfer of the CPED to the ISD would take place July 1.

Reimbursements and revenue

Under the agreement, the ISD gains administrative control over the Career Center and will pursue a property tax to raise $5 million to help support Career Technical Education programs at the career center.

Stewart said she hopes to have a millage proposal on the November ballot.

The Saginaw school district could see revenues up to $1.7 million a year if the millage is successful, she said.

Currently, the Saginaw district charges other school districts half of the full-time state aid equivalent, $3,800, for the half-day students spend at the trade school.

In contrast, according to Stewart, Bay Arenac ISD Career Center operates through a countywide millage and students inside of that district attend the career center for free, while students from outside of the district are charged about $2,600, more than $1,000 lower than Saginaw's charge.

McClain said that the plan put forth by Stewart is based on assumptions and takes decision-making control away from his administration.

"It is based on assuming a millage passes," McClain said.

If the millage passes, districts that pay $3,800 per student to the Saginaw district for them to attend SCC will be reimbursed that money by the ISD, according to Stewart.

Saginaw School District will also be eligible for reimbursement, which would produce more revenue for the district, Stewart said.

The move could possibly bring Saginaw students back from the Bay Arenac ISD Career Center.

In 2015-16, SCC had about 430 students from Birch Run, Bridgeport -Spaulding, Carrollton, Chesaning, Frankenmuth, Freeland Hemlock, Merrill, Saginaw, Saginaw Township, St. Charles, Swan Valley and multiple charter, private and parochial schools, according to mischooldata.org.

During the same time, Bay Arenac's center had 1,164 students, which included some students from the Saginaw ISD area.

Allocating $5 million

If a proposal is put on the November ballot and voters approve, a 1-mil property tax would apply to all properties in Saginaw County.

Of the $5 million raised each year of the 10-year millage, Stewart said that $3 million would be to fund student participation at SCC, $500,000 to support transportation, $1 million to support infrastructure and equipment needs and $500,000 to the ISD for administration.

"We are trying to offset the cost for the districts so that we can support more students going into career technical education and skilled trades training," Stewart said.While China's free-falling 8.5-ton space station is making headlines around the world as people freak out over where it will land, a telescope caught the object shooting across the sky -- most importantly, still in the air.

The website VirtualTelescope.eu, was the same to capture Elon Musk's Tesla Roadster in space on its voyage, is responsible for the newsworthy image of Tiangong-1.

In its latest report, the Aerospace Corporation identified northern China, central Italy, northern Spain, the Middle East, New Zealand, Tasmania, South America, southern Africa and northern states in the U.S. as regions with higher chances. An Aerospace graphic shows that parts of southern Lower Michigan fall into the regions listed with the highest probability of Tiangong-1 debris landing.

Even with a higher chance than other regions, the likelihood of a piece of debris hitting someone or something is very unlikely. The interest surrounding the free-falling doomed space station is the fact that scientists and researchers truly can't nail down when and where it will enter.

--

"On 9 Mar. 2018, the Tiangong-1 was expected to cross the sky above Rome, peaking in brightness at mag. 0 (like the star Vega). It was the first day of clear skies after so many weeks of bad weather," the website reports.



"I managed to setup my imaging device, consisting in a Canon 5D mark IV DSLR body and a Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8 L USM II lens, both installed on a sturdy tripod. The place was under severe light from streetlamps."

In the Aerospace graphic below, it notes that the yellow represents regions that have a higher probability of debris landing, green labeled areas have a small chance and those in blue have zero probability of debris landing:

Aerospace, an entity funded by the U.S., reports that the Tiangong-1 space station is expected to enter Earth's atmosphere around April 3. The corporation works in two-weeks of error -- one before and one after April 3 -- in its latest estimation. CNBC notes that the European Space Agency has penciled in between March 24 and April 19 as its prediction of re-entry. So, the two aren't that far off from each other's prediction.

As noted, a majority of the spacecraft is expected to burn up upon reentry into Earth's atmosphere, but some chunks weighing as much as 220 pounds could hit the surface. Predicting where any debris could hit is next to impossible, according to Harvard University astrophysicist Jonathan McDowell.

McDowell tweeted on Wednesday, March 7 that "confusion remains widespread" in predicting Tiangong-1's reentry location, and date and time.

An error of one-hour in predicting the time of the space station's re-entry into our atmosphere could cause a 17,000-mile difference in where it was predicted to enter.

"There is a chance that a small amount of Tiangong-1 debris may survive reentry and impact the ground," Aerospace reports. "Should this happen, any surviving debris would fall within a region that is a few hundred kilometers in size and centered along a point on the Earth that the station passes over."

TIME notes that Tiangong-1 is small when it comes to space stations, and that NASA made its own uncontrolled space station entry back into Earth in 1979 with its much larger 77-ton NASA SkyLab.

Reference: here is an illustration of Tiangong-1 by the manufacturer CAST pic.twitter.com/ElrbndsWY4  Jonathan McDowell (@planet4589) March 7, 2018

Tiangong-1, known as the "Heavenly Palace," originally launched in September 2011 and was viewed as a major step for the space agency in its quest to build a space station by 2020. NASA says that when it was active Tiangong-1 largely served as a demonstration of the "vital docking technology required for a future space station."[March 12, 2018] Lucky Mobile low-cost wireless service arrives in Manitoba and Saskatchewan Prepaid plans starting at just $20 for unlimited local calling MONTREAL, March 12, 2018 /CNW Telbec/ - Bell today announced that Lucky Mobile, Canada's new low- cost prepaid wireless service, is now available to residents of Manitoba and Saskatchewan. Launched initially in Ontario, Alberta and British Columbia in December, Lucky Mobile puts budget-conscious Canadians in complete control of their mobile services with simple, no surprises prepaid plans starting at just $20 for unlimited local talk with no long-term commitment. Lucky Mobile is ideal for students, people on a fixed income or those without an established credit history who are looking for a straightforward way to access the calling, texting and data they need with no pay-per-use or surprise overage charges. Customers are always notified by text if they are about to use services not included in their prepaid monthly plan, and have the option of purchasing a $3 or $5 Service Pass valid for 30 days if they wish to continue using them. Service Passes are also an affordable and convenient way for Lucky Mobile customers to stay in touch with friends and family in more than 130 countries around the world. And with Lucky Mobile, all incoming international calls and texts are included in every plan. "Expanding the reach of Lucky Mobile to Manitoba and Saskatchewan provides even more Canadians with access to a great new low-cost wireless service option," said Blaik Kirby, President of Bell Mobility. "With no credit checks, no log term commitments and no surprises, Lucky is the always predictable and affordable way to access all the wireless services you need." Lucky Mobile offers service in 19 zones covering most major cities across the country, now including Winnipeg, Regina and Saskatoon. Unlimited in-zone local calling is priced at only $20 per month. For Lucky customers looking to add texting and data, the $40 Zone plan includes unlimited Canada-wide calls, unlimited Canada-wide and international texts, and 1 GB of data at 3G speeds. And all Lucky Mobile plans include voicemail, unlimited nationwide and international incoming calls and texts, call display, call waiting and 3-way calling. Customers can also choose from economical province-wide or Canada-wide plans if they are more likely to be using their phones out of zone. Unlimited province-wide calling with 100 Canadian and international texts is only $25 a month. For an additional $10, customers can opt for unlimited Canada-wide calling and unlimited Canada-wide and international texts. Lucky Mobile customers will receive even more value later this year with a new mobile app to let them talk and text over Wi-Fi outside of their monthly usage plan. Customers can activate a Lucky Mobile SIM card for just $10 on their own mobile device, or choose from several affordable handsets starting at only $60 from Alcatel, LG and ZTE. Lucky Mobile is available at Walmart, Wireless Wave, TBooth wireless, Wireless etc, Visions Electronics and select The Source locations or by calling 1-833-88-LUCKY. For more, please visit LuckyMobile.ca. About Bell

Bell is Canada's largest communications company, providing innovative broadband wireless, TV, Internet and business communication services to consumers and companies across the country. Bell Media is Canada's premier multimedia company with leading assets in television, radio, out of home and digital media. Founded in Montreal in 1880, Bell is wholly owned by BCE Inc. To learn more, please visit Bell.ca or BCE.ca. The Bell Let's Talk initiative promotes Canadian mental health with national awareness and anti-stigma campaigns like Bell Let's Talk Day and provides significant funding for community care and access, research and workplace initiatives. To learn more, please visit Bell.ca/LetsTalk. Media inquiries Jeremy Sawatzky

204-391-2849

jeremy.sawatzky@bellmts.ca

@Bell_News Investor inquiries Thane Fotopoulos

514-870-4619

thane.fotopoulos@bell.ca SOURCE Bell Canada

[ Back To www.mobilitytechzone.com/wimax's Homepage ]The rumour mill has gone into overdrive with reports that on-again, off-again Married At First Sight Australia couple Dean and Tracey are expecting a baby.

The couple have been one of the more controversial on the show, after Dean met up with other show contestant Davina in secret, openly plotting to leave Tracey for her.

But Dean and Tracey stayed together, and now NW reports the pair are expecting their first child together.



The Australian publication claims that Tracey, 34, who already has eight-year-old daughter Grace from her first marriage, spoke exclusively to it over her excitement at having another child.Welcome to Morningstar.co.uk!

You have been redirected here from Hemscott.com as we are merging our websites to provide you with a one-stop shop for all your investment research needs.To search for a security, type the name or ticker in the search box at the top of the page and select from the dropdown results.Registered Hemscott users can log in to Morningstar using the same login details. Similarly, if you are a Hemscott Premium user, you now have a Morningstar Premium account which you can access using the same login details.Collaborata Hires Scott Rencher to Head Global Sales

In Chicago, online MR cost-sharing platform Collaborata has appointed long-time Euromonitor exec Scott Rencher as Vice President of Sales and Business Development.



Founded in 2016 by father and son Peter and Jimmy Zollo, Collaborata brings together clients who have similar research needs to collaborate on projects. Clients post details of their projects on the site, then research suppliers, who are rated on the site by clients, bid on those projects using a bespoke software 'wizard'. Once a vendor is selected, a funding goal is established together with a timeline, and co-funding begins.



Rencher (pictured) brings twenty years' industry experience. He joined market intelligence provider Euromonitor in 1998, then spent the next seventeen years there, in a variety of roles - latterly as Director of North American Sales, having previously been Country Manager for the firm's Latin American regional strategy and business development, based in Santiago, Chile. More recently, he was Director of Sales at purchase data and survey app firm InfoScout, and in between he worked for custom research provider MarketsandMarkets as VP Business Development and Sales.



Commenting on the appointment, Jimmy Zollo said: 'We're excited that Scott is joining the team. He has a proven track record of growing marketing-research organizations and helping develop innovative solutions for clients'.



Web site: www.collaborata.com .



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.A lot of talk is expected between federal lawmakers and school leaders on Monday regarding gun proposals.

Some proposals include strengthen school security

Improved background checks for gun buyers

Commission to create proposals for school violence prevention

RELATED: Gov. Scott signs gun reform bill; NRA sues the state

The proposals come nearly four weeks after 17 people were killed in Parkland. Some of those proposals include plans to strengthen security in schools, improve background checks for gun buyers and overhaul parts of the mental health system.

The proposals also include a plan to create a commission that would recommend proposals for school violence prevention, which would be chaired by Education Secretary Betsy Devos.



There was no formal plan about increasing the age limit for buying assault weapons, which is something many Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting survivors have been pushing for.

"Regarding school safety, Trump is really pushing that and that's a step in the right direction, like I said. Making sure that schools are safe is a definite aspect of what we're pushing, but mental health and school safety is only two-thirds of what we're pushing," said survivor Jaclyn Corin. "Gun control is really what we need to focus on, especially universal background checks."

U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio was quick to show his support on Twitter.

Officials announced the administration also hopes to work with states on firearms training for certain school personnel, an idea that has been met with a lot of criticism.

In related news, the Citrus County School Board will hear arguments for additional funding for more school resource officers on its campuses, according to news partner the Citrus Chronicle.

Currently, each middle and high school has one full-time law enforcement officers and several other schools hare deputies.

It is not clear how much funding staff will ask for or how many additional resource officers will be asked for.

The school board is expected to meet on Tuesday.Pierre Henri Matisse asks Ocoee students to look closely at a piece of abstract art and says, "Do you see what I see?"

Pierre Henri Matisse is the grandson of famous artist

He visits schools and uses art to teach life lessons

Matisse: I hope kids won't have to go through what my generation did

The grandson of the world-renowned artist, Matisse says art is a big part of his life.

On Matisse's 90th birthday on Feb. 1  National Freedom Day  Matisse spent part of the day at Innovation Montessori in Ocoee, doing what he does so often: Encouraging young students.

However, his own childhood cut short when the Nazi occupied France.

"I was a teenager during World War II. One day, I found myself free, and the next day I found myself under the tyranny of the Nazis," he recalled.

Living under Nazi occupation in France is why freedom means so much to him. He and his father risked their lives as part of the resistance to liberate Europe from Nazi control.



Pierre Henri Matisse, the grandson of the world-famous artist, is himself an artist and uses those skills during visits to schools, where he talks to students about learning from history. He was a teen when the Nazis occupied France during World War II. (Spectrum News 13)

"I was on the battlefield in Normandy when they landed. I was on the German side, doing sabotage like many other French people, and then I was on no man's land between the Germans and the Allied. And after that finally I got freedom," he said.

Back at Innovation Montessori, he's hoping to keep the students' minds open to seeing the world differently.

"These gentlemen and ladies... They are going to be the people who make this nation the best that it can be. I hope that they will be free and never have to be subjected to the atrocity and the suffering that my generation went through," he said.

It is an art lesson but also a life one.Scandinavian Home has paid advertising banners and product affiliate links, which means I earn a very small amount of money if you click through and buy an item - these are stated with and asterisk and at the bottom of each post.Jeremy Wade searches for answers in the most remarkable rivers, lakes and seas on the planet to reveal the secrets of these extraordinary places.

Tuesdays from 9pm AEST.By Online Desk

Over 35,000 farmers from across Maharashtra, who embarked on a 'Long March' from Nashik on March 6 to press their various demands, arrived in Mumbai today to protest at the Vidhan Bhavan.

Currently, a meeting between the delegation of farmers and all political parties is underway at the Maharashtra Legislature Complex.

SEE PICTURES | Maharashtra farmers seek answers from Fadnavis government on loan waiver scheme

The farmers, led by Left-affiliated All India Kisan Sabha, are demanding, among other things, proper implementation of the Maharashtra government's loan waiver scheme.

Braving scorching heat, the farmers have covered around 180 km on foot in six days.

Leading the agitation are Jiva Pandu Gavit, a six-time MLA from Surgana constituency in Nashik district, and CPI (M) leader Prof Ajit Navale of the Akhil Bharatiya Kisan Sabha.

HIGHLIGHTS:

7:35 pm - BJP MP Poonam Mahajan earlier today said farmers and tribals protesting in Maharashtra were being misguided by 'urban Maoists'. However, immediately hitting out at Mahajan, CPI(M) leader MB Rajesh said, "The Kisan Sabha is leading the rally. One can see the posters, banners and flags. I am scared the BJP may also call them anti-nationals."

7:30 pm -

We are very happy. Our demands have been met. We will be getting back our land which is like mother to us: Suresh Jairam, Nashik Farmer who was participating in farmers' protest. #Mumbai pic.twitter.com/8mdCnCo8Fy  ANI (@ANI) March 12, 2018

6:40 pm - "Today, if the farmers' demands are not conceded, they will shake up the state and the Centre and remove the government and install a government of their choice which will stand by the farmers' cause," Sitaram Yechury had said while addressing the farmers' rally in Mumbai. (PTI)

6:30 pm - Central Railway to run two special trains from Mumbai's Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus to Bhusawal at 8.50 pm and 10.00 pm today to send the agitating farmers back. (ANI)

6:10 pm - "We have accepted most of their demands and have given them a written letter," says Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis. (ANI)

6:05 pm -

6:00 pm - Farmers have agreed to withdraw their protest.

5:50 pm - According to The Hindustan Times, CM Fadnavis has promised to relax some of the conditions for farm loan waiver eligibility.

5:30 pm - A committee would be set up with two representatives from Akhil Bharatiya Kisan Sabha to look into problems of loan waiver to Adivasis and farmers, reports The Indian Express.

5:15 pm - "Only promising to fulfill the demands won't work, it is now the duty of the government to work towards fulfilling what they've committed. They should think about the welfare of farmers so that they don't have to take it to the road next time," says Anna Hazare. (ANI)

4:55 pm - Tiwari pointed out that stringent norms introduced by the bureaucracy was keeping eligible farmers out of the relief network.

4:50 pm - Kishor Tiwari, farm activist has said that the overwhelming response to the farmers' 'long march' has once again brought to the fore the agrarian crisis currently on in the country. (PTI)

4:30 pm - "We've had a positive meeting with farmers in which all their demands were discussed. They had around 12-13 demands out of which we've accepted some and will be giving them a written draft of it. I think they're satisfied with our decisions," says Girish Mahajan, Maharashtra Water Resources Minister. (ANI)

4:10 pm - The famed 'dabbawalas' of Mumbai and the city residents came out to help the thousands of farmers, who marched last night, by providing them food and water.

Today early morning, large groups of civilians waited at roads to greet farmers with water, dates and biscuits, to which peasants reciprocated with loud slogans of Lal Salaam. (Twitter | AIKS)

4:00 pm - NCP president Sharad Pawar, state Congress president Ashok Chavan, Shiv Sena leader Aditya Thackeray, Maharashtra AAP and MNS chief Raj Thackeray are all supporting the cause of the farmers.

3:50 pm - It must be noted that the farmers are demanding complete and unconditional farm loan waiver, including electricity bills. Implementation of the Swaminathan Commission Report (2006), announcement of minimum support price for agriculture produce, and pension scheme for farmers are also their demands.

3:40 pm - Congress President Rahul Gandhi urged PM Modi and Maharashtra CM Fadnavis to accept the farmers' demands.

The mammoth #FarmersMarchToMumbai is a stunning example of peoples power. The Congress party stands with the Farmers & Tribals marching to protest against the Central & State Govts. apathy.



I appeal to PM Modi and the CM to not stand on ego and to accept their just demands.  Office of RG (@OfficeOfRG) March 12, 2018

3:30 pm - Earlier today, Maharashtra CM Fadnavis spoke in the state assembly on farmers' march. "We're positive towards fulfilling their demands. Since the first day of the Morcha, we tried to discuss issues with them. Water resources minister Girish Mahajan was in touch with them from day 1. But, they were firm on taking out the march," he said.

#WATCH Maharashtra CM speaks in the state assembly on farmers' march, says, 'We're positive towards fulfilling their demands.Since 1st day of Morcha we tried to discuss issues with them. Girish Mahajan was in touch with them from day 1. But they were firm on taking out the march' pic.twitter.com/zE8Ut79dRB  ANI (@ANI) March 12, 2018

3:00 pm - Meeting between delegation of farmers and all political parties begins at the Vidhan Bhawan under the chairmanship of Maharastra CM Devendra Fadnavis.By PTI

NEW DELHI: Congress President Rahul Gandhi met French President Emmanuel Macron on Sunday and discussed with him issues that affect liberal democracies including fake news.

Gandhi was accompanied by former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, when he met with the visiting French president.

The Congress chief, however, did not raise the Rafale fighter jet deal with Macron, party sources said.

The Congress has been attacking the BJP government on the defence deal, accusing Prime Minister Narendra Modi of causing loss to the state exchequer by buying the fighter jets at inflated rate.

"Yesterday, I met with French President @EmmanuelMacron.We discussed a range of issues common to our liberal democracies, including fake news.I look forward to building on this meeting and to collaborating with him on global challenges such as Climate Change," Gandhi tweeted today, posting a picture with Singh and Macron.

Asked about the meeting and why Gandhi did not raise the Rafale deal issue, Congress communications incharge Randeep Surjewala said the party presidents always meet visiting heads of state.

The Congress has a history of maintaining a relationship with visiting heads of state in national interest.

Yesterday, I met with French President @EmmanuelMacron. We discussed a range of issues common to our liberal democracies, including fake news. I look forward to building on this meeting and to collaborating with him on global challenges such as #ClimateChange. pic.twitter.com/vGVD9sgkRw  Office of RG (@OfficeOfRG) March 12, 2018

As far as the Rafale deal is concerned, it has six serious flaws which go to the root of the matter and is pointing towards a brewing scam in procurement of aircraft and compromise on national security," he alleged.

The Congress leader said Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman refused to disclose the price for the fighter jets citing threat to national security, but Dassault Aviation in its Annual Report of 2016 as also of 2017 says that they sold 36 Rafale aircraft for 7.5 Billion USD or Rs 1,670 crore per aircraft.

The same aircraft was sold to Egypt and Qatar 11 months at Rs 1,319 crore per aircraft and there is a clear cut loss of Rs 12,632 crore to the state exchequer, he said.

The Rafale deal signed after an international bidding was opened finally on December 12, 2012 and the UPA price as per information in public domain was about Rs 526 crore.

"The simple question that 132 crore people want to know is why did you buy Rs 526 crore aircraft for Rs 1,670 crore - over 300 pc extra.

The loss to exchequer if calculated notionally would be Rs 41,000 crore.

"Why did the prime minister bypass the Defence Procurement Procedure which looks at price discovery through contract negotiation committee and price negotiation committee and nobody in this country can violate that principle," he asked.

Surjewala also asked why the prime minister did not take prior approval from the Cabinet Committee on Security.

"Why did the prime minister deny to India transfer of technology for manufacture of twin engine Rafale fighter aircraft and the Defence Minister lie to the nation on February 7, 2018 when she issued a Press Release and a statement saying that as far as Rafale aircraft is concerned, no off-set partner has been chosen by the vendor, Dassault Aviation," he said.

Surjewala said, "If the Defence Minister is going to lie to the nation through her teeth, if the prime minister is going to dupe and mislead, if the PM is going to violate the Defence Procurement Procedure and CCS, if the PM is going to supersede the PSU HAL in favour of a private company, then who is going to defend India's interests?.

"We need 45 air squadrons, we only have 32 air squadrons, by the time these aircraft come we will have 23 air squadrons only.

"How will we take on the might of our neighbours who can possibly any time challenge our borders as also our air space? These are questions to which the PM and the defence minister have adopted a complete 'Maun-Vrat'.I dare them to answer these in public," Surjewala said.By PTI

MUMBAI: Over 35,000 farmers from across Maharashtra, who embarked on a `Long March' from Nashik on March 6 to press their various demands, arrived here today.

Apart from opposition parties, Shiv Sena, a partner in the ruling BJP-led coalition, too has vocally supported the agitation.

The government reached out to farmers, promising to meet their demands, but farmers' leaders said they will press on with tomorrow's protest at the Vidhan Bhavan (Legislature Complex).

The farmers, led by Left-affiliated All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS), are demanding, among other things, proper implementation of the Maharashtra government's loan waiver scheme.

READ: March of the Kisan brigade

Braving scorching heat, they have covered around 180 km on foot in six days.

The protesters will halt at the Somaiya ground in suburban Chunabhatti tonight, and set out for Vidhan Bhavan in south Mumbai, where the Budget session is underway, tomorrow.

"We will gherao (lay siege to) the Vidhan Bhavan tomorrow to demand a complete loan waiver, fair price for farm produce, implementation of the Swaminathan Commission's recommendations, compensation for hailstorm-affected farmers among other things," Kisan Gujar, president of the state council of AIKS, said.

Farmers of All Indian Kisan Sabha AIKS march from Nashik

to Mumbai to gherao Vidhan Bhawan on March 12

demanding a loan waiver in Mumbai on Sunday. | PTI

"Today, our number is over 35,000. Over 20,000 farmers from other parts of the state will join tomorrow," he said, adding the farmers were also protesting against land acquisition for projects such as high-speed railway and super-highways.

"Though we have been approached by the government officials advising us not to stay near the Vidhan Bhavan for long, everything will depend on how the government deals with our demands," Gujar told PTI.

From the government's side, Water Resources Minister Girish Mahajan, who is also guardian minister for Nashik district, met farmers' leaders in Mulund as the march entered Mumbai, and assured that most of their demands will be met.

"The Chief Minister (Devendra Fadnavis) has sent me to meet you. Most of your demands will be met. We will take a delegation to the chief minister," Mahajan said, addressing the protesters.

Senior BJP leader and Finance Minister Sudhir Mungantiwar also assured that the chief minister will meet the protestors' delegation, and blamed the "apathetic" approach of past governments for the farmers' woes.

ALSO READ: This government can't do anything for you, Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief Raj Thackeray tells farmers

"Our government is committed to address all the grievances of farmers, which have accumulated due to the apathetic approach of the last several years. We are very sensitive towards farmers and two ministers (Tribal Development Minister Vishnu Savara and Mahajan) have already been asked to look into their demands," Mungantiwar told PTI.

Farmers of All Indian Kisan Sabha AIKS march from Nashik to

Mumbai to gherao Vidhan Bhawan on March 12demanding

a loan waiver in Mumbai on Sunday. | PTI

Ajit Nawale of the AIKS, however, dismissed the overture.

"The days of living on assurances have passed. Unless the government gives us something concrete, commits itself in writing, we will march towards the Vidhan Bhavan tomorrow," he said.

Senior Shiv Sena leder and cabinet minister Eknath Shinde and Yuva Sena (Shiv Sena's youth wing) chief Aditya Thackeray also greeted the protesters in suburban Vikhroli.

Thackeray said the Shiv Sena stood "shoulder to shoulder" with farmers in their struggle.

It was wrong to say that farmers were demanding loan waiver, as they are not criminals that they should need a `waiver', Aditya said, adding "farmers are fighting for `freedom from debt'."

As so many farmers have marched to Mumbai despite the government's grand loan waiver, Sena leaders have demanded to see the list of actual beneficiaries of the scheme, he said.

Opposition Congress, NCP, Raj Thackeray-led Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) and AAP, as well as ruling ally Shiv Sena have extended support to the farmers' march.

Patidar leader from Gujarat Nikhil Sawani, who joined the march, said his community supported the protesters.

As the march reached suburban Vikhroli, the phalanx of farmers -- comprising both men and women -- extended for almost three kilometres.

Joint Commissioner of Police (Law and Order) Deven Bharti said that adequate security arrangements had been made.Express News Service

THENI: In what was a fun trip that went completely wrong, at least five of 36 students who went trekking in the Bodi forest area in this district died after they were caught in a huge forest fire on Sunday. Twenty-seven others were rescued, five of them with severe burn injuries, at the time of going to Press.

One of the injured was Anu Vidya (27), from Chennai. She sustained 50% burn injuries and was admitted to the Bodi Government Hospital from where she was later taken to the Theni Medical Hospital.

The flames that licked the forest were so intense that they went up to 10 ft over a long stretch, hampering access and rescue operations. Heavy winds contributed to their rapid spread, leaving the students scared and running in different directions.

As they cried out for help, people working in the estate they had camped at came to their aid. Later the fire and rescue services personnel, forest and police officials joined the rescue effort.

In all, there were two teams of trekkers - 12 from Tirupur, Erode and Coimbatore and 24 from Chennai.

The Chennai team included three children. Trekkers from Chennai got themselves enrolled with the Chennai Trekking Club, which had conceived the plan as part of the International Womens Day celebrations.

forest fire in Tamil Nadu's Theni

Sources said both groups reached Korangani on Friday and entered the forest on Saturday. They put up tents outside an estate in Kozhugumalai and camped there.

While beginning their return on Sunday afternoon, the students are said to have noticed smoke at a distance. A student whose mobile phone managed to catch the tower signal informed her parents about the fire. They, in turn, alerted police and forest officials in Theni.

But the fire advanced faster than anticipated. Prabhu, a resident of Erode, who is undergoing treatment at the PHC said, When we were returning on Sunday, we noticed the forest fire afar. Within a few seconds, it came near us due to the heavy wind. All trekkers ran helter-skelter. It was our guide who brought us down safely.

Four from Tirupur  Sajana (11), Mega (8), Bavana (15) and Rajasekar  sustained injuries and are undergoing treatment at the primary health centre at Korangani.

Choppers, commandos deployed

As many as 21 rescue teams have been deployed for rescue ops. Four helicopters will be deployed from Monday morning. 20 commandos will join in

READ | IAF deployed to rescue students trapped in forest fire in Tamil Nadu's Theni district

Scary day in the forest

36 students in two groups reach Bodi for forest trekking on Friday. They had two different organisers

The first group comprised 12. They were from Tirupur, Erode and Coimbatore.

24 were from Chennai, included three children, in the second group.

They stayed overnight on Saturday at in Kozhugumalai and started their return on Sunday when they noticed the forest fire at a distance.

Soon it came very close and the scared students ran helter-skelter.

READ | Theni forest fire: 21 teams move in, nine trekkers put up at O Panneerselvam guest houseWhat did crime in Portsmouth look like this summer? Here's a breakdownChampaign, IL (61820)

Today

Some clouds early with showers likely late, and a thunderstorm is possible. Low 67F. Winds S at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 100%..

Tonight

Some clouds early with showers likely late, and a thunderstorm is possible. Low 67F. Winds S at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 100%.Chief Executive Carrie Lam speaks with Irish Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs & Trade Simon Convene at the Chief Executives Office.

Chief Executive Carrie Lam met Irish Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs & Trade Simon Coveney at the Chief Executive's Office today.

Welcoming Mr Coveney's first visit to Hong Kong, Mrs Lam noted the city and Ireland have had close relations over the years, and ties will be further enhanced when direct flights between Hong Kong and Dublin start in June.

She said Hong Kong's participation in the Belt & Road Initiative and the development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Bay Area will offer the city tremendous opportunities.

She encouraged Irish companies and talent to leverage on Hong Kong's unique role to explore business development opportunities in the city and on the Mainland.

Noting Ireland is home to the headquarters of many leading multinational corporations in information technology and has vibrant creative industries, she said Hong Kong is also keen to develop these industries.

With the development of the Hong Kong-Shenzhen Innovation & Technology Park and the launch of the Hong Kong-Shenzhen Design Innovation Hub, she said she looks forward to more collaboration between Hong Kong and Ireland.

She added small and medium enterprises and startups are particularly welcome to set up businesses in Hong Kong, which has rich experience and excellent facilities to help their growth.Beaver Dam, WI (53916)

Today

Thunderstorms, some heavy this evening, then periods of rain late. A few storms may be severe. Low 56F. SSW winds shifting to WNW at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 100%..

Tonight

Thunderstorms, some heavy this evening, then periods of rain late. A few storms may be severe. Low 56F. SSW winds shifting to WNW at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 100%.THE Labour Court has ordered more than 100 former Air Zimbabwe workers to stop demonstrating at the companys premises.





In a ruling passed on Friday, labour court judges Euna Makamure and Godfrey Musariri, described the former workers industrial action as illegal.





Wherefore declared that, the job action (demonstration and trespass since November 27, 2017) carried out by the respondents (National Air Workers Union and Air Transport Union) is declared unlawful and the said action shall be terminated forthwith, read part of the ruling.





On January 15, 2018, Labour and Social Welfare minister, Petronella Kangonye challenged the industrial action by former Air Zimbabwe workers, which had forced the airline to cancel an international audit that was due.





The disgruntled ex-Air Zimbabwe workers forced the struggling airliner to cancel an International Air Transport Association operational safety audit, which was due to start, as they picketed at Robert Mugabe International Airport demanding their salaries for 2011 and 2012.





The government has pledged to assume the airlines $300 million debt, which includes the wages owed to the workers, to enable it to start on a clean slate.





The airline is currently only servicing three regional routes to Zambias Lusaka, Johannesburg in South Africa and Tanzanias Dar-es-Salaam, albeit with two aircraft. NewsdayUniversity of Zimbabwe vice chancellor Levi Nyagura has stirred fresh controversy after hiring a junior lecturer who recently obtained a doctor of philosophy (PhD) as the dean of the Law Faculty after overriding the department's committee decision to appoint the most eligible candidate.



This comes in the wake of Nyaguras February 16 arrest and release on bail for allegedly unprocedurally awarding former first lady Grace Mugabe a PhD in 2014, an allegation he has strenuously denied, instead accusing lecturers who raised the matter of ignorant of the universitys ordinances.



The UZ vice chancellor is alleged to have awarded Grace the PhD without the approval of the learning institutions Senate and Council.



He is also allegedly defying the university councils decision to go on a sabbatical pending the conclusion of his court case, with Higher Education minister Amon Murwira saying UZ Chancellor President Emmerson Mnangagwa is yet to give the leave of absence decree.



Nyaguras latest controversy centres on a process that led to the hiring of a junior lecturer, Innocent Maja, as the dean of the Law Faculty.

Maja is neither an associate nor full professor.



Nyagura offered him the position anyway, even after his administration had announced to the whole university community that only full professors would henceforth be considered for deanship.

Now, lecturers are protesting Nyaguras recommended appointment of Maja amid allegations of political considerations.



Lovemore Madhuku, a veteran law professor in the Faculty of Law, had been unanimously recommended for the post and was interviewed for the post, but a UZ panel led by Nyagura rejected his nomination.



Its not clear why Madhuku was overlooked, but there is suspicion that he is being punished for representing former Finance minister Ignatius Chombo, who was detained by the military before Robert Mugabe resigned as president, and is standing trial on corruption charges, including trying to defraud the central bank in 2004.





He is also representing ex-Zanu PF youth leader Kudzanai Chipanga standing trial for slandering Vice President Constantino Chiwenga at a press conference last year.



The decision to overlook Madhuku has received condemnation by UZ lecturers, and is being viewed as the latest action by Nyagura that will further damage Zimbabwes citadel of higher learnings academic reputation.



Lecturers fumed that Nyagura has been flouting norms, in the process putting the quality of education at the UZ in jeopardy.



The hiring of the greenhorn lecturer has added a new dimension to the already fraught situation at Zimbabwes top learning institution.



UZ registrar Noah Mutongoreni, who wrote to Madhuku on March 7 this year, advising that his application had been unsuccessful, yesterday switched off his mobile after the Daily News called inquiring about the scandal.



The Daily News understands that in November last year, the UZ flighted an advert inviting qualified and interested candidates to apply for the post of dean of the Faculty of Law.



In the ad, the UZ said it was looking for a person with an earned doctorate, a scholar of note with credibility among other academic peers, one who will offer academic leadership and a scholar with ability to plan effectively and to inspire and motivate staff in the faculty.



Nyagura is being accused of indiscriminately using his discretionary power to flout various procedures and norms in order to get a candidate who was not a scholar of note, given that Maja is neither an associate or full professor.



The overlooked Madhuku is the only full professor below retirement age in the Faculty of Law. There are two other professors  Geoff Feltoe and Julie Stewart  who are post-retirement.

Reached for comment yesterday, Madhuku declined to comment at length, but confirmed the development.



Yes, it is true. When I applied and attended the interviews, I was making an offer to be dean of the Faculty of Law. The offer was rejected. An offer may be accepted or rejected. It does not affect my teaching and research output, Madhuku told the Daily News in a terse response.

Nyagura told the Daily News yesterday that Maja was actually overqualified.



People can be appointed to be lecturers with a relevant Master of Laws degree. That is the requirement for Law, Engineering, Veterinary Science and Medical Clinicians. Those are the requirements in terms of Ordinance 51, he said.



The former dean was a holder of a Master of Laws, he said, referring to Emmanuel Magade, who is now the deputy chairperson of the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission.



Thats the dean who was there. The person who has been appointed has a PhD, so we are going up.

Asked why Madhuku was overlooked, he retorted: You have to compete. You have to demonstrate whats required, you just dont appoint because someone is called a professor. Thats not the way you hire people. We have criteria that we have.



He also denied claims that Maja was not a scholar of note because he was not an associate or full professor. The current dean has published even books, Nyagura said.



The disgruntled UZ lecturers, who preferred anonymity, argued that Madhuku was the most qualified given that he has a first class Bachelor of Laws honours degree from the UZ, a first class Master of Laws and a PhD both from the University of Cambridge in England.



Madhuku graduated with a PhD in 1998, meaning he has had a doctorate for the past 20 years. He has been a full professor of law since 2011.

The Daily News understands that to be a full professor, the UZ requires a minimum of 35 publications.



Madhuku has over 50 publications, four of which are textbooks in law.

He has also been chairperson of the Department of Public Law in the Law Faculty for the past 15 years.



Fuming lecturers at the UZ said judging from public engagements, Madhuku was clearly the most well-known member of the UZs Law Faculty. Most of the dissenting teachers objected to Nyaguras decision to engage a cub lecturer in contravention of laid down procedures.



The lecturers said this decision was not taken keeping in mind the subject expertise in a discipline and the nature of the vacant position.



How do you put up an advert in which it is clear that Madhuku is the only qualified candidate. The man is encouraged to apply. You take him through an interview. You reject his application and offer the post to a person who is not only his junior but is neither an associate nor full professor.



You are just taking an opportunity to say to Madhuku your full professorship and first class passes are nothing in the eyes of UZ. That is my honest view, said one fuming lecturer who declined to be named, fearing victimisation.



Repeated efforts to get a comment from Maja on his mobile phone were fruitless as he was unreachable. Daily NewsCracks have emerged in the Apex Council, an umbrella body for civil servants in salary negotiations, with some unions seeking the nullification of elections held last month.





The elections being contested saw Public Service Association (PSA) president Mrs Cecilia Alexander being re-elected as the councils chairperson for another two years.





Other members from the old leadership were retained, save for the vice chair post which the Progressive Teachers Union of Zimbabwe lost to the Zimbabwe Teachers Association of Zimbabwe.

PTUZ, which controls a huge chunk of civil servants together with ZIMTA, is now seeking nullification of the elections, saying they were unfairly treated.





Another union, Professional and Technical Officers Association of Zimbabwe (PROTEC) claims it was robbed of its negotiating seat during the disputed elections.





The negotiating seat went to the Government Workers Association (GWA) which PROTEC said did not have a registration certificate as it is an affiliate of PSA led by Mrs Alexander.





The latest dispute comes after President Mnangagwa has appointed Minister of State for Presidential Affairs and Monitoring Implementation of Government Programmes Simbarashe Mumbengegwi to administer the public service.





The workers had raised concerns over lack of effective communication between them and Government following the movement of the civil service to the Office of the President and Cabinet.

PTUZ said the February 22 elections were held in a shambolic manner.





The elections were stage-managed to evict PTUZ and PROTEC for allegedly undermining Mrs Alexander in every meeting Apex Council held, said the unions programmes officer, Mr Ladistous Zunde.





On the day of the elections, it was agreed that the entire committee be retained, but the plotters unashamedly went on to nominate a different candidate altogether for the post of vice-chair. There was also a serious departure from tradition where education sector and rest of civil service would alternate to chair Apex Council.





Since the outgoing chair was from the rest of civil service, the education sector was naturally supposed to take over the chairmanship. It is shameful for Mrs Alexander to cling to power when she fully knows her term of office expired and has to pass the baton to the next person.

Mr Zunde said Apex Council must reconvene and hold proper elections.





Responding on behalf of the Apex Council, the bodys secretary, Mr David Dzatsunga, said the elections were above board.





Every union was represented and on the day no one queried the process and it is difficult to think that these complaints are genuine, he said.





Elections were held only that most posts were not contested. To support this, you will see that some members were retained, but now have new posts. As for PROTEC, its official Rumbidzai Matare presided over the elections and it is surprising she is rubbishing the process.

In a letter to Mrs Alexander, PROTEC said the elections should be reversed.





Government Workers Association (GWA) is an association registered under Public Service Association (PSA) and is not an independent union, more so it does not have a registration certificate in its name, the union wrote.





Therefore, its considered a PSA affiliate and does not have the right to acquire a substantive negotiating post in Apex Council. Government Workers Association is not mandated to have a seat because in this case its already held by PSA. It is only right for PROTEC to be considered and given back the seat, which in this case was robbed from it by GWA, which serves to be a replica of PSA.

PROTEC said it would apply for a court interdict if the elections were not reversed in 48 hours.

Government has previously indicated that it will only engage a properly constituted Apex Council at the National Joint Negotiating Council (NJNC), a platform that brings the two parties together. HeraldThe Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) needs $60 million to prepare for and hold the 2018 harmonised elections due in a few months time.





The commission is looking through the voters roll to ensure there are no double entries and in preparation for the inspection of the voters roll by end of April.





Speaking to the ZBC News in Harare, ZEC Chairperson, Justice Priscillah Chigumba said the money is required voter education, the printing of ballot papers and other logistics.





We have a deficit of $60 million and we are grateful to the government for giving us $900 000. We are also grateful to our funding partners, the UNDP provided forex and we are working on training manuals where we still need support to ensure we are ready for inspection of the voters roll, Justice Chigumba said.





The commission faces a mammoth task of printing a ballot paper with names of 97 political parties.

She added that the printing of ballots should not be a challenge as strict protocols are followed in selecting the company so that the process is not compromised.





She however declined to disclose if the printing company is local or not saying it is a security issue.





She also spoke about allegations of militarisation of the electoral body, saying they are unsubstantiated accusations as only a small percentage of the employees are former military personnel.





Those complaints of militarisation of ZEC are unfounded. Former military personnel constitute less than 15 percent of the number of ZEC employees. There is no law against their getting employment in the electoral body, she said.





Justice Chigumba also clarified the challenge of polarisation of the media which makes ZEC operations difficult if they are not dealt with as some political parties accuse the independent media of being pro-opposition while the state media is pro-establishment.





The polarisation of the media is another challenge. Now there is a media monitoring committee is in place to ensure media houses comply with the law that they should be non-partisan, she said.

Meanwhile, Justice Chigumba said the visiting SADC preliminary observer group is happy that some of its recommendations were incorporated into law or rectified administratively.Vaccinated Foreigners Will

Soon Have Access to the US(Newser)  The daughter of a Turkish billionaire died along with seven friends and three crew members when the private jet bringing her home from her bachelorette party in the United Arab Emirates crashed. Mina Basaran, 28, was the daughter of Basaran Holdings chief Huseyin Basaran and was part of the company's board of managers, reports the New York Times. Posts on Basaran's Instagram page show her with her seven female friends in Dubai. Authorities say the passengers were listed as six Turkish citizens and two Spaniards. The jet, bound for Istanbul, crashed in the remote Zagros Mountains in southern Iran, authorities say. Iran's Civil Aviation Authority says the plane dropped off the radar soon after the pilot asked to fly at a lower altitude.

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All three crew members were also female, including captain Melike Kuvvet, who was one of the first female pilots in the Turkish military before she started flying private jets, the National reports. Heavy winds and rain made it impossible for helicopters to land near the crash site Sunday, though authorities say the black box has now been recovered, which will make it easier to determine why the Bombardier CL604 crashed, the AP reports. A witness told Iranian state TV that the jet appeared to be on fire before it slammed into a mountain. According to Turkish media, Basaran, whose company operates in the construction, food, energy, and finance sectors, has now traveled to Iran along with Turkish diplomats. (Read more plane crash stories.)(Newser)  The third time was (thankfully for all involved) not a charm for a Utah woman accused of trying to hire hit men on multiple occasions to take out various people. Per KSL, Linda Tracy Gillman, 70, was convicted Friday of felony criminal solicitation for trying to have her ex-husband and his new wife murdered, but, as the Washington Post notes, from there "it gets complicated." Gillman was first arrested in December 2016 and accused of giving her condo's handyman, Christian Olsen, $5,000with the promise of $100,000 moreto find someone to off her ex and his wife so Gillman could collect on his life insurance. Olsen went to the cops instead, but while in jail awaiting trial, Gillman allegedly approached an inmate in early 2017, called herself "the bank," and asked if the inmate could have Olsen killed (those obstruction of justice charges against Gillman were dismissed due to witness issues).

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The third set of charges was announced Friday, the same day she was found guilty in the case involving her ex. Gillman now is accused of approaching yet another inmate just a few weeks ago, allegedly trying once more to have Olsen killed, as well as an attorney who'd won a civil action against her. The Salt Lake Tribune lays out more details, including Gillman's defense that she was an elderly woman taken advantage of by Olsen, and that her ex had tried to poison her food and toothpaste, which apparently didn't sway the jury. Added to Gillman's list of charges Friday: two more counts of criminal solicitation and two more counts of obstruction of justice. Bail on the new charges has been set at $2.5 million; a sentencing hearing for Gillman is set for April 23, with five years to life in prison on the table. "I've never seen anything like it," Salt Lake City DA Sim Gill says, per KSL. (A New Hampshire woman is accused of a gruesome body-disposal plan.)(Newser)  A helicopter crashed into New York City's East River on Sunday night and flipped upside down in the water, killing five of the six people aboard, officials say. Video taken by a bystander and posted on Twitter shows the red helicopter land hard in the water and then capsize, its rotors slapping at the water. The helicopter, a private charter hired for a photo shoot, went down near Gracie Mansion, the mayoral residence, the AP reports. One person, the pilot, freed himself and was rescued by a tugboat, officials say. The passengers were recovered by police and fire department divers, who had to remove them from tight harnesses while they were upside down, Fire Commissioner Daniel Nigro says.

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"It was a great tragedy that we had here," Nigro says. Witnesses on a waterfront esplanade near where the aircraft went down said the helicopter was flying noisily, then suddenly dropped into the water and quickly submerged. But the pilot appeared on the surface, holding onto a flotation device as a tugboat and then police boats approached. An FAA spokeswoman says the Eurocopter AS350 went down just after 7pm. The aircraft is owned by Liberty Helicopters, a company that offers both private charters and sightseeing tours. In 2009, a sightseeing helicopter of the same model and operated by the same company collided with a small plane over the Hudson River, killing nine people.

(Read more helicopter crash stories.)(Newser)  The Miami Herald has obtained Parkland shooter Nikolas Cruz's school psychiatric file, and it contains disturbing details of his talks with mental health professionals. Nikolas Cruz, who has admitted to gunning down 17 at Florida's Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School last month, attended an alternative school before being mainstreamed into Stoneman Douglas; the Washington Post notes he had disciplinary issues at middle school and left in eighth grade. Many of the files deal with his weekly meetings with his therapist at Cross Creek School, whose students have emotional or behavioral problems, from the time he was 15 to 17 years old. In 2014, for example, he told that therapist he'd had a dream about killing people and being covered in blood; administrators, in response, came up with a "safety plan" for him over the summer that involved removing "all sharp objects from the home."

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Cruz, formally charged last week with 17 counts of premeditated murder and 17 counts of attempted murder, also told his therapist he went on YouTube to "research wars, military material, and terrorist topics," and he wrote a paper about his fantasy of a "perfect summer" that would involve him buying a gun and target-shooting until he got bored or ran out of ammo. The therapist and school psychiatrist describe troubling behavior from Cruz in the files, including aggressive and destructive behavior at home, threatening behavior at school, an obsession with guns and the military, and paranoia. The school therapist advised against Cruz being given the pellet gun he desired, and it was recommended he not be allowed to become an ROTC cadet. Toward the end of the file, "tremendous progress" is noted, and he was allowed to move to Stoneman Douglas by January 2016. See the Herald for more. (Read more Parkland school shooting stories.)(Newser)  Greta Lindecrantz was sent to jail due to her religious convictions, and now, after two weeks behind bars, those religious convictions, as well as a "dramatic change in circumstance," will apparently set her free. Lindecrantz, a criminal defense investigator, was held in contempt of court Feb. 26 for refusing to testify for the prosecution in a Colorado death penalty case. As a Mennonite, Lindecrantz opposes all violence and feared testifying might help send Robert Ray, whose defense team she worked on, to his death. Now, however, the 67-year-old has had a change of heart and will testify, her lawyer says in a statement, per the Denver Post. But it's not because the prosecution swayed herit's because Lindecrantz got wind that Ray's defense team thinks her not testifying will hurt his appeal.

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"Ms. Lindecrantz must take them at their word and reevaluate her position," reads the statement, which the AP notes was filed on Saturday. "Based on this dramatic change in circumstance, she has concluded that her religious principles honoring human life now compel that she must testify." Ray, convicted in 2009 of killing two people and sentenced to death, now has a new defense team, and its appeal case is partly resting on the claim that his original legal team (which included Lindecrantz) was incompetent. Prosecutors had hoped to nullify that claim by showing how competent Lindecrantz is through her testimony. But possibly putting Ray's life on the line by not testifying "changes everything," her lawyer's statement reads. On Friday, Lindecrantz's emergency motion to be released had been denied, per NBC News. It's unclear when she could now be set free to testify. (Read more Mennonites stories.)(Newser)  It's a battle over an inheritance that goes well beyond the normal family drama: The New York Times takes a deep dive into Saudi Arabia's sweeping November roundup of businessmen and elites accused of wrongdoing, who were held at the Riyadh Ritz-Carlton until reportedly settling with the government to the tune of a collective $106 billion. It traces one target: King Abdullah's children. He was the monarch that preceded his half-brother, King Salman, and the Times explains his Abdullah Foundation is thought to have paid out $340 million to each of his sons and $200 million to each of his daughters upon his 2015 death; he had more than 30 children. Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, "the architect of the crackdown," wanted the money backand the allegation is now that physical abuse was used to get it.

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The Times' sources say at least 17 businessmen kept at the Ritz were hospitalized due to the alleged abuse, which the government in an email denies having taken place, saying all detainees had "access to ... medical care to address pre-existing, chronic conditions." The most extreme alleged example involves Maj. Gen. Ali al-Qahtani, a Saudi military officer who is said to have died while being held. A source who saw his body describes his neck as being unnaturally twisted and his body as bloated and bruised. The Times notes Qahtani was not a wealthy man, but it does lay out this connection: The administrator of the Abdullah Foundation is one of the late king's sons, Prince Turki, who was detained; Qahtani was one of Turki's top aides. The article also details an allegedly shady situation around the transfer of the Arab world's biggest private media company. (Read more Saudi Arabia stories.)(Newser)  Like Big Tobacco, Big Oil has been complicit in "knowingly killing people all over the world," due to the global warming caused by fossil fuels, and they're about to be held accountable for it, per one of California's most high-profile ex-governors. Arnold Schwarzenegger recorded a live podcast for Politico Sunday at SXSW, and he railed against the oil industry, warning he and the law firms he's talking to plan to take some of the biggest oil companies to court. "It's absolutely irresponsible to know that your product is killing people and not have a warning label on it," he said in the podcast, asserting that the oil companies have known since at least the late '50s that fossil fuels would lead to climate change that would put people's lives at risk. And he has harsh words for a company that would do something like that.

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"If you walk into a room and you know you're going to kill someone, it's first-degree murder," he said. Schwarzenegger, who hasn't laid out a timetable for when he'll take official action, is set to host in May the Austrian World Summit, where "action heroes" will meet to discuss environmental issues. The former Terminator-Gubernator also touched on President Trump, who said at a Saturday rally in Pennsylvania that Schwarzenegger had "failed" during his turn hosting The Apprentice. "I never know really why the Russians make him say certain things," Schwarzenegger riffed. He got more serious when talking about the #MeToo movement; he himself has been accused of groping and other inappropriate behavior. "I think it's fantastic," he said of the push toward accountability. "You've got to look at it and say, 'I made mistakes. And I have to apologize.'" (Read more Arnold Schwarzenegger stories.)(Newser)  A plane carrying 71 people from Bangladesh swerved erratically and flew dangerously low before crashing and erupting in flames as it landed Monday in the Nepalese capital of Kathmandu, killing at least 50 people. The exact number of dead and injured remained unclear amid the chaos of the crash and the rush of badly injured people to nearby hospitals, but Brig. Gen. Gokul Bhandari, a Nepal army spokesman, said it was clear that at least 50 people had died. US-Bangla Airlines Flight BS211 from Dhaka to Kathmandu was carrying 67 passengers and four crew members, per the AP.

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The plane swerved repeatedly as it prepared to land, said Amanda Summers, an American working in Nepal. The crowded city sits in a valley in the Himalayan foothills. "It was flying so low I thought it was going to run into the mountains," said Summers, who watched the crash from the terrace of her home office, not far from the airport. "All of a sudden there was a blast and then another blast." The plane had circled Tribhuvan International Airport twice as it waited for clearance to land, the airline's manager in Kathmandu told Dhaka-based Somoy TV station by telephone. (A plane crash elsewhere appears to have killed a bachelorette party.)(Newser)  Authorities are warning Austin residents to be wary of suspicious packages left outside their home after three explosions in the past two weeks left two people dead and two others injured. On Monday morning, a 17-year-old boy was killed and a woman in her 40s injured after the teen brought a package into the home, the Austin American-Statesman reports. Later the same morning, another 75-year-old woman was injured by a package bomb, the AP reports. On March 2, 39-year-old Anthony Stephan House was killed when a suspicious package exploded at his home; authorities are now investigating whether the incidents might be related.

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In at least the first two incidents, the packages were not sent through the US Postal Service, UPS, or FedEx, indicating someone left them on the doorsteps. Both of the fatal incidents occurred at similar times (6:44am and 6:55am), indicating the packages were left overnight, CBS News reports; both are being investigated as homicides. The victims in both of those incidents were African-American and the 75-year-old woman is Hispanic; authorities say they are not ruling out the possibility that these are hate crimes. The women in Monday's incidents are both said to have suffered potentially life-threatening injuries. Austin residents are instructed to call 911 if they see an unexpected package outside their home. (Read more suspicious package stories.)(Newser)  The Russian ex-spy poisoned in England was exposed to a military-grade nerve agent of a type produced by Russia, says British Prime Minister Theresa May. May told lawmakers during an address in parliament on Monday it was "highly likely' Russia was responsible for poisoning Sergei Skripal, the former Russian military intelligence officer who was convicted of spying for Britain, reports the AP. May says Russia's ambassador to the UK has been summoned to explain how a Russian nerve agent turned up in Salisbury, the English city where Skripal and his adult daughter were sickened.

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The BBC indicates May suggests Russian culpability: for either being behind the poisoning or "losing control" of a dose of nerve agent. The British prime minister says if Moscow is proven to be behind the poisoning, her government will consider it an "unlawful use of force" by Russia. Hours earlier, President Vladimir Putin had been asked by a British reporter in southern Russia if Russia was behind the poisoning. His response: "You first get to the bottom of things over there, and after that we can discuss it." Skripal and his daughter remain in critical condition following the March 4 nerve agent attack in England. Authorities still haven't specified which nerve agent was used.

(Read more Sergei Skripal stories.)Sorry!

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Send letters to the editor by mail (P.O. Box 70710, Fairbanks AK 99707), by fax (907-452-7917) or via email (letters@newsminer.com). Writers are limited to one letter every two weeks (14 days.) All letters must contain no more than 350 words and include a full name (no abbreviation), daytime and evening phone numbers and physical address. (If no phone, then provide a mailing address or email address.) The Daily News-Miner reserves the right to edit or reject letters without consulting the writer.New Delhi:

The class 10 students appeared for their second board examination conducted by the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) on Monday. The students appeared for the English language examination.

The students appearing for the exam were completely confused because of a small mistake by the board authorities in the English question paper. The CBSE had prescribed two novels this year, the schools having a right to choose whichever novel they wanted to teach.

The prearranged novels that the schools had to select from were Diary of a Young Girl (Anne Frank) or Story of My Life (Helen Keller).

The students had to attempt a 10 marks question within 200-250 words given in the novel section of the question paper from the prescribed novel that the school chose to teach.

Part-a of the novel section contained two questions from Helen Kellers novel, while part-b contained two questions from Anne Franks novel. However, while printing the question paper, the word or was missing between the parts of both the questions given, which led to panic among the examinees and confusion among the students.

The same type of question given in the CBSE sample question paper had differentiated between both the questions from the novels, whereas the board question paper did not quite clearly differentiate between them.

Also Read| CBSE Boards 2018: Keep in mind these small tips, last minute checklists before going to exam

A student said, There was no problem in the questions. There were two questions from each novel. We had to select one from the novel we studied. However, the choice between both sets was missing. Also, they were marked as part a) and b) due to which we thought we have to attempt questions from both novels. This led to confusion and some students over attempted the paper. Even as we had no idea about what the second novel is all about, students wrote whatever they could.

A CBSE English teacher from Ludhiana said, In some centres, students were told by invigilators to attempt just one question of the four and not get confused as it was a printing error. But since the question weightage is 10 marks, students were in a panic. But in centres where no English teacher was available, there was no one to clear their confusion. Now, the board needs to instruct teachers that during checking, they should ignore if students have over attempted. They should consider the one which they have answered the best. Students are nowhere at fault.

Over 16 lakh students have registered for the class 10 examination, and the students will sit for their next examination, Science, on March 16. The exams of class 10 will end on April 4 and the class 12 examinations will end on April 13.New Delhi:

Speculations had been rife about the health condition of Bollywood actor Irrfan Khan ever since he had shared a post on Twitter stating that he was suffering from 'a rare disease'. Fans are finding it hard to make themselves relax despite Irrfan and his family requesting people to not indulge in it.

Amidst this wide-spread speculation filmmaker Shoojit Sircar on Monday requested fans and media not to speculate about the same, saying the actor is fine now and will issue another statement soon.

In his Twitter post, Irrfan had said he and his family were jolted by the knowledge of his illness.

Shoojit, who worked with the actor in his last directorial Piku, said Irrfan is extremely close to him.

"I think Irrfan has already issued a press statement and asked not to speculate (about his health). He is the only actor who is actually called a Hollywood star in our country, who has worked with the top of the line directors," he said.

Also Read | October trailer: Varun Dhawan, Banita Sandhu's unconventional love story is intriguing

"I've met him two three times, he is going to issue a statement again. All your questions will be answered. He is a wonderful human being, I am very close to him. Please don't worry. He is fine now, and he will issue a statement again. But please, I fold my hands, don't speculate," the director added.

Earlier, on March 10, Irrfans wife Sutapa Sikdar took to social media platform Facebook to issue a statement about her husbands health. Sikdar thanked the fans for their wishes, prayers and concern and also requested them not to speculate further.

On February 21, the actor's spokesperson had released a statement, saying he has been diagnosed with a severe case of jaundice.

Shoojit was speaking at the trailer launch of his next romantic drama October.

Also Read: Azam Khan takes a dig at Jaya Prada over Khilji remark, terms her 'naachne gaane waali'

Starring Varun Dhawan and debutant actress Banita Sandhu in the lead, the unconventional love story will hit the theatres on April 13, 2018.









For all the Latest Entertainment News, Bollywood News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.New Delhi:

Janhvi Kapoor, who is still struggling with the loss of her mother Sridevi, created a buzz in the town when she returned to the sets of her debut movie Dhadak.

The actress, who has been quite close to her mother, is now seen giving her best to the big Bollywood debut opposite Ishaan Khattar and the Dhadak team can't stop lauding her professional approach towards work.

Talking about Janhvi's return on the sets, several people touted the young actress as "professional, brave and amazing."

"It was not easy for Janhvi to even think that she would start facing the camera, memorise the lines and give apt shots so soon after her mother's death. Full marks to her for giving justice to her assignment so that the producer (Karan Johar) is not hard-pressed," a source told Spotboye.

Notably, Sridevi was quite ecstatic about Janhvi's Bollywood debut and made sure she gave it her best shot.

In fact, Kapoor chose to miss cousin Mohit Marwah's Dubai wedding owing to her busy shooting schedule.

Unfortunately, the veteran actress had breathed her last post Mohit's wedding in Dubai and Janhvi couldn't make it to be with her mother during her last moments.

While Janhvi is trying her best to give her best efforts to Dhadak, it will be interesting to see if she can be the next superstar like her mother Sridevi.

Produced by Karan Johar, Dhadak happens to be the Hindi remake of Marathi movie Sairat and is likely to hit the screens in July this year.

For all the Latest Entertainment News, Bollywood News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.New Delhi:

The Centre has informed the Supreme Court that 1,765 MPs and MLAs, or 36% of parliamentarians and state assembly members and Union Territories are facing criminal trial in 3,045 cases. Moreover, the total strength of Parliament and assemblies is 4,896.

The government gathered details of the cases against lawmakers for the first time to put them The special courts are currently being set up in 11 states including Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Kerala, Bihar, Delhi, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh and West Bengal, the law ministry said.

While 12 states are yet to set up such courts, the status report from states like Assam, Nagaland, Mizoram, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur and Goa was still awaited, it added.

The Ministry of Law and Justice has told the top court that information with respect to criminal cases pending against MPs and MLAs had been sought from High Courts, state and UT Legislative Assemblies and the state and UT governments for compiling the cases.

The Law Ministry said that it had sought information from the chief secretaries of the states, secretaries of state legislatures and also from all high courts.

NN Exclusive: Know game plan behind Aircel-Maxis deal which could potentially be India's biggest banking scam

According to the basis of figures provided by NGO 'Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR)' which had alleged that 1,581 cases were pending against the lawmakers after the 2014 elections.

The Centre has also proposed to set up these courts in pursuance of the top court's November 1, 2017, order and has earmarked Rs.7.8 crore to 11 states under the scheme.

While Uttar Pradesh tops the list with a total of 565 cases against 248 lawmakers, Kerala follows with 533 cases against 114 members of Parliament and state assemblies.

The details were stated in an affidavit in pursuance to a plea filed by advocate Ashwini Kumar Upadhyay seeking to declare the provisions of the Representation of the People (RP) Act, which bars convicted politician from contesting elections for six years after serving the jail term, as ultra vires.

The Election Commission had supported the plea seeking life ban on politicians convicted in criminal cases and said they have already made recommendations on this to the Centre.

With PTI Input

For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.Bhubaneswar:

After Mumbai, it was the turn of the Odisha Assembly to face protests by farmers as thousands of them launched a dharna in front of it on Monday.

The farmers are demanding a hike in the minimum support price (MSP) of paddy to Rs 5,000 per quintal. They are also seeking a pension of Rs 5,000 per month for the state's 36 lakh farmers. There is no pension for farmers at present in the state.

The farmers, who came from different districts of the state under the banner of Navnirman Krushak Sangathan (NKS), demanded that they be paid pension on attaining 60 years of age.

"The agitation will intensify and reach the grass-root level if the state government fails to fulfil our demands," NKS convenor Akshay Kumar said.

Its adviser, Soumya Ranjan Patnaik, has recently joined the ruling Biju Janata Dal and has filed his nomination for the Rajya Sabha elections. Earlier, Patnaik had led rallies in various parts of Odisha to press for farmers' demands.

A In Mumbai, under pressure from the Opposition and ally Shiv Sena, the BJP-led Maharashtra government today accepted the demands of agitating farmers, including their right to till forest land, as thousands of them converged here in a sea of red.

A In a major victory for the farmers, who trekked 180 km from Nashik to here over six days under the blazing sun, some even barefooted, the state's revenue minister, Chandrakant Patil, said their "all demands" were being accepted.

For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.New Delhi:

The Supreme Court on Monday set a deadline of six months for CBI and ED to complete the probe in the 2G spectrum allocation cases and the alleged irregularities in FIPB approval to the Aircel-Maxis deal in which former finance minister P Chidambaram and his son Karti Chidambaram have been questioned by the agencies.

The issue of FIPB clearance in the the Aircel-Maxis deal had surfaced during the probe into the 2G spectrum related cases.

The top court said it is "very unfortunate" that investigation in the 2G cases has not been completed yet and "people of this country cannot be kept in dark in a serious and sensitive case like this".

A bench of Justices Arun Mishra and Navin Sinha, who were annoyed by the delay in completion of probe in the 2G spectrum cases, which started in 2010, said it will "haul every officer involved the case if investigation is not completed within next six months".

Also read : NN Exclusive: Know game plan behind Aircel-Maxis deal which could potentially be India's biggest banking scam



"Why is there so much delay in completing the investigation in the 2G spectrum and ancilliary cases. Investigation was ordered by this court in 2010 and since then several orders have been passed but nothing has happened so far. Tell us, how much investigation is pending and why have you not been able to complete the probe yet," the bench said.

The apex court questioned the Centre "whether there was any invisible hand" which was delaying the investigation of the case and directed that "investigation in all aspects has to be completed in the cases by next six months".

"This a very serious and sensitive case. You book everybody responsible in the case and investigation has to be completed in all aspects. We are unhappy the way things are going on as the investigation has not seen light of the day. This case is becoming like 'touch me not'," the bench said.

Attorney General K K Venuopal said that in the main 2G spectrum case involving the former telecom minister, the special court has acquitted all the accused and similarly in other related cases, the accused were either acquitted or discharged.

"Only in one case, investigation is still pending and this case relates to Aircel-Maxis case involving Malaysian business tycoon T Ananda Krishnan against whom letter rogatory have been issued but being an influential person in that country, we have not been able to bring him to India to face trial," Venugopal said.

He said Krishnan was not cooperating with the investigation in the case and no documents have been supplied by Malaysian government.

The bench said it was not concerned about the individuals or personalities involved in the case and the Centre should file a status report in two weeks with regard to investigation done so far.

The AG said the Centre will file the status report as per the court's direction and if the bench wants, then it will file the document without sealed cover notwithstanding the relationship with Malayasia government.

BJP leader Subramaniam Swamy said the court had in the last hearing directed CBI and ED to file the status report with regard to investigation done in Aircel-Maxis deal case.

"This status report which was to be filed in the court was unfortunately in the bedroom of one of the accused in the case," Swamy alleged, without taking any name.

The court also allowed a plea of senior advocate Anand Grover seeking to be relieved from his post as special public prosecutor in a case related to 2G spectrum case after recording words of appreciation for his efforts in the case.

It put a stamp of approval on the government's decision to appoint Additional Solicitor General Tushar Mehta as special public prosecutor in place of Grover for prosecution, appeals and revision of 2G related cases and dismissed a contempt plea filed by an NGO Centre for Public Interest Litigation.

On January 4 this year, the apex court had directed the Centre to file a status report on the probe being conducted in the Aircel-Maxis deal case. P Chidambaram was questioned by the CBI in the case on December 6, 2014, while Karti was questioned on November 19, 2014.

The CBI had said in its charge sheet in the Aircel-Maxis case that Chidambaram had granted FIPB approval in March 2006 to Mauritius-based M/s Global Communication Services Holdings Ltd, a subsidiary of Maxis, owned by Ananda Krishnan, who is also an accused in the case.

The CBI had claimed that M/s Global Communication Services Holdings Ltd had sought Foreign Investement Promotion Board (FIPB) approval for 800 million USD for which only the CCEA was competent, but Chidambaram had given approval to the firm in March 2006.

However, the CBI and ED cases in the Aircel-Maxis deal could not withhold judicial scrutiny as the special 2G court had in February last year discharged Dayanidhi Maran, his industrialist brother Kalanithi Maran and others saying the alleged charges were based on "misreading of official files", speculation and surmises of the complainant.

Though the court has discharged Marans and others in the case, further probe by CBI regarding FIPB approval is still going on. Similarly, the ED is carrying out separate probe in the Aircel-Maxis deal.

For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.New Delhi:

A 30-year man was allegedly beaten to death by three men at a food joint in New Delhias Preet Vihar after he complained about the food quality.

As per Police, the victim Pawan Kumar, a 30-year old daily wage employee, went to Preet Viharas Kamal Dhaba to have food on Sunday evening. The argument began after Pawan Kumar complained over the food quality which has served to him. After the conversation took an ugly route, Pawan was attacked by one of the three employees of the Dhaba with whom he was having the heated argument.

ALSO READ: Live Updates | Nidahas Trophy 2018: India vs Sri Lanka

The police further added that Pawan was hit multiple times due to which he had deep injuries.

After getting the information, Police rushed to the scene and Pawan was hurried to the hospital, where he took his last breath.

Preet Vihar police have arrested all three accused by the names of Sachin, Govind and Karan, under section 307 (attempt to murder) and section 302 (murder) of Indian Penal Code (IPC).

According to Delhi Police, 18 percent out of 462 murder cases were killings over trivial issues in 2017.

For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.Theni:

At least nine people including four women and a child died after being trapped in a massive fire that broke out in the jungles of Kurangani hill in Theri district of southern Tamil Nadu.

Twenty seven out of the total 36 trekkers trapped in the fire have being rescued by the joing efforts of Indian Army and Garud Commando Force.

A massive forest fire broke out suddenly in the hills of Kurangani in Tamil Nadu on Sunday trapping 36 trekkers, most of them women.

Rescue operations were being taken up by the fire and forest department officials with the Indian Airforce sending two helicopters on the directives of Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman after she was approached for help by Chief Minister K Palaniswami.

The helicopters undertook a survey of the area and returned to neighbouring Madurai. They were expected to join the rescue operation later, Theni District Collector Mariam Pallavi Baldev said tonight.

State Health Minister C Vijayabaskar, in a tweet, said 15 of those trapped in the Kurangani hills had been rescued and were being treated for injuries at the government hospital in Bodinayakanur in the district in southern Tamil Nadu.

Baldev said: I have got calls from people that some are in unconscious state due to fire. So far there is no confirmation about casualties (death), she said to a question from reporters on whether there was any death.

Also Read | Mumbai Farmers protest LIVE Updates: Maharashtra CM Fadnavis likely to meet protesters at noon

The rescue operation had been affected as night had fallen and wild animals had also started leaving the area where the fire was raging in a vast stretch, officials said.

While initial reports said those trapped were students, officials later said the victims, belonging to two groups, were young women and men and three children who were on a mountain climbing/trekking training.

The fire situation looked very serious but could be controlled, an official told PTI on condition of anonymity.

He also said the trekkers had not taken the permission or security for going to the deep forest area.

As the enormity of the situation unfolded, Palaniswami tonight said rescue operations were underway on a war footing and the state had sought two helicopters from the Defence Ministry.

His deputy O Panneerselvem, Forest Minister Dindigul C Srinivasan and top officials were overseeing the operations, on his request, he told reporters in Salem.

Stating that the cause of the fire was not known, he said efforts would be taken to strengthen the forest area security further.

Sitharaman remained in touch with the District Collector and directed the Indian Airforce to co-ordinate in the rescue operations.

In a series of tweets, she said two helicopters of the Indian Air Force from its Sulur base near Coimbatore were being sent to assist in the rescue operations.

Responding to the request from the Hon @CMOTamilNadu on the forest -fire related issue -20 students are caught in Kurangani, Theni district. Instructed @IAF_MCC to help in rescue and evacuation. The Southern Command is in touch with the Collector of Theni, she said in a tweet.

In another tweet around 7 pm, Sitharaman said she spoke to the Theni District Collector who informed her that 10-15 students were making their way to the foothills.

A medical team had been sent to the spot and employees of a nearby private tea estate were also assisting in the rescue operations, she said quoting the collector.

Baldev, who met the rescued persons and spoke to them, later told reporters that a 12-member group from Tiruppur and Erode and another comprising 24 people from Chennai, on a trekking camp, reached Kurangani hills yesterday. They included 25 women and three children.

After staying overnight at an estate in Kozhukumalai, they started their return journey to the plains today when they heard about the sudden forest fire and got separated while attempting to find a safe way.

Kurangani-Kozhukumalai hills are located near Bodinayakanur, about 40 km from here,

Officials of Forest, Fire, Police, medical and rescue teams had gone to the spot and were being assisted by the local tribals and employees of nearby tea estates, Baldev said adding the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) personnel were also engaged in the operations.

It is dark, it is a hilly place and it is not a motorable road. After a particular distance we have to go by walk and there is a situation were we need to lift and carry the injured physically. It will definitely take time, she said when asked about the time-frame for rescuing all.

District Superintendent of Police V Baskaran and revenue and forest officials were also overseeing the operations.

Earlier, a report from Coimbatore, quoting police, said two IAF Sarang helicopters from Sulur have left for Kurangani forest.

For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.New Delhi:

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and French President Emmanuel Macron, who is on a four-day India visit, will inaugurate a 75-megawatt solar plant in Uttar Pradeshas Mirzapur district on Monday.

After the inauguration, PM Modi and President Macron will also visit the Trade Facilitation Centre in Varanasias Badalalpur.

Prime Minister Modi will receive the French President, who will arrive by a special plane at the Lal Bahadur Shastri International airport.

Both the leaders will also visit the Assi ghat, where they will enjoy a boat ride from Assi to Dashashwamedh ghat.

The Prime Minister will also address a public meeting in his home constituency Varanasi and host a dinner for the visiting French President.

Here are the highlights:

# I would like to appreciate efforts being made by Yogi Adityanath-ledA Uttar Pradesh government in the housing sector to ensure that more people get access to housing facilities.

# I am happy to be in Kashi and inaugrate projects that will benefit all.



PM Modi addresses public rally in Varanasi



#A Varanasi: PM Narendra Modi and French President Emmanuel Macron on a boat ride at the Assi Ghat.

#A PM Narendra Modi and French President Emmanuel Macron at Deen Dayal Upadhyay Hastkala Sankul in Bada Lalpur, Varanasi.A

PM Narendra Modi and French President #EmmanuelMacron at Deen Dayal Upadhyay Hastkala Sankul in Bada Lalpur, Varanasi. pic.twitter.com/yBjw3lXGNw a ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) March 12, 2018

#A Prime Minister Narendra Modi & French President Emmanuel Macron inaugurate the Solar Power Plant in Mirzapur.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi & French President #EmmanuelMacron inaugurate the Solar Power Plant in Mirzapur. pic.twitter.com/DVFy3BoPRa a ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) March 12, 2018

#A Prime Minister Narendra Modi & French President Emmanuel Macron arrive at Mirzapur toA inaugurate a Solar Power Plant.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi & French President #EmmanuelMacron arrive at #Mirzapur. They will inaugurate a Solar Power Plant here. pic.twitter.com/rTK3XpiLSr a ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) March 12, 2018

#A Prime Minister Narendra Modi receives French President Emmanuel Macron in Varanasi. They will attend multiple events in Uttar Pradesh today

Prime Minister Narendra Modi receives French President #EmmanuelMacron in Varanasi. They will attend multiple events in Uttar Pradesh today. pic.twitter.com/AwghdUg55z a ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) March 12, 2018

# Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrives in Varanasi. He will attend multiple events in Uttar Pradesh today.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrive in Varanasi. pic.twitter.com/ETYhoVAT6P a ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) March 12, 2018

# Visuals of preparations from Varanasi where Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address a public gathering later today.

Visuals of preparations from Varanasi where Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address a public gathering later today. pic.twitter.com/pP7iOkdkhw a ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) March 12, 2018

# Mirzapur: Visuals from the Solar Power Plant which will be inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President of France Emmanuel Macron today

Mirzapur: Visuals from the Solar Power Plant which will be inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President of France #EmmanuelMacron today. #UttarPradesh pic.twitter.com/mcW04O8JMi a ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) March 12, 2018

For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.New Delhi:

India and Pakistan are in the middle of serious diplomatic spat as both the sides are accusing each other of harrasing, even intimidating, diplomats.

A day after the Pakistan High Commission has complained of diplomats being harrased in India, India has also alleged that several Indian mission staffers in Islamabad have been severely harassed and intimidated.

While Pakistan has issued a demarche to India saying it was becoming difficult for its diplomats to function in Delhi, sources here said the present round of hostility was initiated by an ISI raid on a residential complex under construction for Indian diplomats in Islamabad.

India makes all efforts to provide a safe, secure and hospitable environment for diplomats to work in. Unfortunately, this cannot be said of Islamabad. The Indian High Commission in Pakistan has been facing tremendous harassment for long, particularly in the last year, the source.

The sources further said that on February 16, the High Commissioner of India had met the Foreign Secretary of Pakistan, to lodge a strong protest against multiple acts of hooliganism against Indian properties and personnel.

It is said that over 7-8 men raided the residential complex last month and disconnected water supply and electricity to the property owned by India. Indian high commissioner Ajay Bisra met the Pakistan foreign secretary on Feb 16 to protest such astc of hooliganism against Indian staff and property.

Even after the strong protest by Bisaria, the power supply wasnt restored for over two weeks. Bisarias car was intercepted recently in the middle of the road as he was prevented from attending an event, sources here said.

Pakistans interior ministry is yet to issue the no-objection certificate required for the membership given to Indian diplomats. Harassment is the new normal for Indian high commission personnel in Islamabad, said a source here.

Indias residential complex in Islamabad was raided by Pakistan agencies who expelled all Pakistani service providers and later disconnected power and water supply. Despite the Foreign Secretarys assurance, the power supply was not restored for over two weeks.

The Pakistan High Commission faces no such disruptions (in India), the sources said.

More troublingly, over the last few months, several High Commission staff have been severely harassed and intimidated. In one of the cases, one officials home was broken into and a laptop was stolen, they added.

Sharing another incident, the sources said that recently the High Commissioner was stopped by the Pakistani agencies in the middle of a busy road to prevent him from attending an event.

Aggressive surveillance, violation of physical space and tailing of officers in close and dangerous proximity is a perennial issue. Agency personnel keep shooting videos of the officers thrusting phones on their faces. Obscene phone calls and messages are constantly received on phones, the sources said. In view of such an atmosphere of intimidation, most families have returned to India and children have been withdrawn from schools.

India has repeatedly requested Pakistan to mutually ensure that the High Commissions should be allowed to do their job in an atmosphere free of harassment and intimidation.

Sharing another incident, the sources said that recently the High Commissioner was stopped by the Pakistani agencies in the middle of a busy road to prevent him from attending an event.

Aggressive surveillance, violation of physical space and tailing of officers in close and dangerous proximity is a perennial issue. Agency personnel keep shooting videos of the officers thrusting phones on their faces. Obscene phone calls and messages are constantly received on phones, the sources said. In view of such an atmosphere of intimidation, most families have returned to India and children have been withdrawn from schools.

India has repeatedly requested Pakistan to mutually ensure that the High Commissions should be allowed to do their job in an atmosphere free of harassment and intimidation.

With ANI Inputs.

For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.New Delhi:

A trial court will pronounce its order on CBIs plea to send Karti Chidambaram to judicial custody in the INX Media corruption case on Monday.

The court will also pass order on Kartis plea seeking a separate cell in Tihar Jail and urgent hearing of his bail plea itself.

Karti, the son of senior Congress leader P Chidambaram, was produced before special judge Sunil Rana on expiry of his three-day police custody.

The CBI did not seek any further custodial interrogation of Karti, who has already spent 12 days in its custody since his arrest on February 28 from Chennai airport.

The CBI has sought 15-day judicial custody of Karti who in turn has asked the court to hear his bail plea today itself instead of scheduled March 15.

Karti Chidambarams father P Chidambaram was also present in the courtroom.

Senior advocate Dayan Krishnan, appearing for Karti, pressed for hearing on he bail application today itself in case the court was considering sending him to judicial custody.

He also moved another application seeking a separate prison cell for Karti if he is sent to judicial custody saying that he is the son of former union home minister and many terrorists have been prosecuted during his (P Chidambaram) tenure and there is a clear threat perception to Karti.

His (Karti) father P Chidambaram has dealt with stringent penal laws including TADA and MCOCA, posing a huge security threat to Karti, the senior advocate said, adding that he needs to be secured in a separate prison and be given a separate bathroom.

He cannot be exposed to any of these criminals, his advocate said.

Also Read | PNB Scam accused paid large retainer to Arun Jaitleys daughter: Rahul Gandhi

There is a threat. Petitioner (Karti) himself is the member of Congress. The threat exists, I hope the court to protect us. We have contemplated a situation and brought it to the courts notice. I cannot be sent to a common bathroom. And adequate security must be given, Krishnan submitted.

When the CBI opposed the plea for separate cell on the ground that if at all there was any threat, it was to P Chidambaram and not his son, Krishnan expressed shock and said the CBIs objection has enhanced the threat perception.

?CBI opposing a separate prison, gives me further apprehension and shows political motive and enhances my threat perception. Organisation investigating me should be concerned about my security. Mala fide intent is there. Im shocked that CBI can oppose my plea for security. Can it be denied?? Kartis counsel said.

He was remanded in CBI custody for three days after the investigative agency claimed it had recovered some incriminating documents and CD from the Chennai office of Advantage Strategic Pvt Ltd., a company linked to him.

Karti Chidambaram has been in CBI custody for questioning since his arrest from Chennai Airport on February 28.

He was arrested on his return from the United Kingdom in connection with the FIR lodged on May 15 last year. It alleged irregularities in the Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) clearance to INX Media for receiving overseas funds of about Rs 305 crore in 2007 when his father was Union finance minister.

The CBI had initially alleged that Karti Chidambaram received Rs 10 lakh as bribe for facilitating Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) clearance to INX Media. It, however, later revised the figure to USD 1 million (about Rs 6.50 crore at the current exchange rate and Rs 4.50 crore in 2007).

The fresh evidence in the case, which triggered Karti Chidambarams arrest, was based on the statement of Indrani Mukerjea, former director of INX Media (P) Ltd, who recorded it under section 164 of the CrPC before a magistrate on February 17.

For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.New Delhi:

Kashmirs home-grown militant outfit Hizbul Mujahideen senior commanders planned and monitored escape of Pakistani Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorist Naveed Bhatt from SMHS hospital last month from behind the high walls of Jammu and Kashmir Central Jail through high-end 4G-enabled mobile phones.

The fact surfaced up after National Investigation Agency (NIA) and NSG commandos in a raid at the jail campus on Monday recovered several 4G enabled phones, several terror-related documents and other electronic devices.

A senior NIA officer not willing to be quoted said, While investigating the escape of dreaded LeT terrorist from SNHS hospital last month we learnt that his escape plan was planned and was being monitored by Hizbul Mujahideen commanders serving jail terms in Srinagar Central Jail.

He added on Monday, a 20 special teams including NIA sleuths, NSG commandos and Jammu and Kashmir Police raided the Central Jail. Magistrates and doctors also accompanied the raiding teams. The whole search operation was being monitored by drones.

Also read: In Video, escaped Pakistani terrorist Naveed Jutt seen with Hizbul terrorists in Kashmir



The raiding teams during the 12-hours search operation recovered 25 mobile phones, several SIM cards, SD cards, pen drives, iPod and large number of incriminating documents including a poster of Hizbul-Mujahideen and a Pakistani flag from the Central Jail campus.

The NIA officer also told NewsNation.in that the raids in jail campus were carried out after two youths arrested recently from Kupwara told investigative agencies that several fresh recruits including Al-Badr was carried out by Hizbul Mujahideen terrorists from behind the jail campus.

For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.New Delhi:

Security forces on Monday killed at least three militants after a brief encounter in Anantnag district of Jammu and Kashmir, the Army said.

One of the killed terrorist was allegedly involved in a recent attack on a police guard post at Soura in which one constable died.

Two of the three terrorists killed were identified as Eesa Fazli of Srinagar and Syed Owais of Kokernag while the third terrorists identity is being ascertained.

No collateral damage took place during the encounter that took place in the wee hours and security forces have recovered huge cache of arms and ammunition including AK 47 rifles, pistols and hand grenades the spot, police said.

Top Story | Mumbai Farmers protest LIVE Updates: No road closure, diversions due to Morcha, says Traffic Police Joint CP

Earlier on Sunday night, the forces had launched an anti-militancy operation in the Hakura area of Anantnag following information about the presence of militants in the area.

Following the encounter, authorities have ordered closure of all schools and colleges for Monday in Srinagar fearing protests in the city.

Restrictions have been imposed in old Srinagar city and high-speed internet is also down. One of the killed terrorists belongs to Soura of Srinagar, reported news agency ANI.

#UPDATE: Visuals from Anantnag's Hakura where three terrorists were killed in a brief encounter with security forces this morning. pic.twitter.com/QsopMQq8pz  ANI (@ANI) March 12, 2018

For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.New Delhi:

Over 50,000 farmers demanding complete loan waiver, implementation of the Swaminathan Committee Report and transfer of Adivasi land to farmers who have been ploughing it for years, reached Mumbai after waling 180 kilometers.

The farmers marched overnight in wake of board examinations on Monday monring and to avoid traffic situation in the city. They reached Mumbaias Azad Maidan at around 5 AM.

The protesters started the march called by Akhil Bharatiya Kisan Sabha (ABKS) affiliated with the CPI(M) from Maharashtraas Nashik on March 6.

The farmers are planning to lay siege to the Maharashtra legislative assembly building in Mumbai to press their various demands.

Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis finally waking up after 5 days on Sunday night said his government is ready to talk to the farmers.

Also Read |A 20 students caught in forest fire in Tamil Nadu, rescue operations on

"We will talk to them and sort out their issues. The Government is positive on their demands. Most of the agitators are tribals, and their main demand is forest land rights.a

Here are the highlights on Maharashtra farmersa march:

# 4.08 PM : Maharashtra chief minister assures farmers Implementation of Forest Act to begin in two months.

# 4: 07 PM : Chief Minister promises issue of ration cards to farmers in urgent basis.

# 4: 04 PM : Maharashtra government claim to fulfil all demands of farmers.

# 4: 03 PM : Maharashtra government forms a committee of ministers which will coordinate with farmer.

# 4:02 PM : Farmers withdraw stir.

# 4:00 PM: Meeting ends between farmersa representatives and CM-led ministerial committee.

# 2: 45 PM : Maharashtra Congress chief Ashok Chavan : This has never happened in Maharashtra.

# 2: 01PM : Three to four farmers collapse due to fatigue and heat, taken to JJ hospital.

# 1 PM : Farmersa delegation including Including Ajit Nawale, Jiva Pandu Gavit, Narsayya Adam and Ashok Dhawale.reaches Vidhan Bhavan.

A

#A The mammoth Farmers March To Mumbai is a stunning example of peopleas power. The Congress party stands with the Farmers & Tribals marching to protest against the Central & State Govts. apathy. I appeal to PM Modi and the CM to not stand on ego and to accept their just demands: Rahul Gandhi

#A We're positive in fulfilling demands. Since the 1st day of the Morcha we tried to discuss various issues with them. Girish Mahajan was in touch with them from day one. But they were firm on taking out the March: CM Devendra Fadnavis

#A There'll be a meeting with farmers at 1pm. I think we'll give solutions for 80-90% of their issues. We're serious about the demands including loan waiver & will come up with best decisions. Written assurance will be given for accepted demands: Girish Mahajan, Maharashtra Minister

#A This is not an issue of Maharashtra farmers alone but of farmers all over India: Congress President Rahul Gandhi

# Maharashtra CM Devendra fadnavis to meet representatives of farmers at noon, say sources.

# Watch what the protesters are doing to keep up the energy despite tiring 6-day long march.

#WATCH: Visuals from Mumbai's Azad Maidan where members of All India Kisan Sabha have gathered to protest. #Maharashtra pic.twitter.com/3GgN6UMVPB a ANI (@ANI) March 12, 2018

#A No road closure or diversions due to Farmers' Morcha now: Amitesh Kumar, Joint Commissioner of Police (Traffic)

#A Maharashtra: Latest visuals of All India Kisan Sabha protest which has reached Mumbai's Azad Maidan. The protest will proceed to state assembly later in the day.

#Maharashtra: Latest visuals of All India Kisan Sabha protest which has reached Mumbai's Azad Maidan. The protest will proceed to state assembly later in the day. pic.twitter.com/Dp5hsKU1Rc a ANI (@ANI) March 12, 2018

# Sighting difficulties to the students who are appearing for board examinations today morning, the farmers will gherao the Vidhan Sabha after 11 AM.

#A Maharashtra: All India Kisan Sabha's protest march, demanding a complete loan waiver among other demands, arrives at Azad Maidan in Mumbai

#Maharashtra: All India Kisan Sabha's protest march, demanding a complete loan waiver among other demands, arrives at Azad Maidan in #Mumbai, will proceed to state assembly later in the day pic.twitter.com/3BP50RlvJN a ANI (@ANI) March 12, 2018

#A Maharashtra farmersa protest march arrives at Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus railway station in Mumbai, will proceed to state assembly later in the day.

For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.Jammu:

Mehbooba Mufti-led Jammu and Kashmir government on Monday sacked its Finance Minister Hasseb Drabu for his controversial statement Kashmir is not a political issue and the province is not a conflict state.

People Democratic Party (PDP) on Monday has sent Drabus sacking letter to Jammu and Kashmir Governor Narinder Nath Vohra for a final decision.

Drabu, who is an economist and was designated as Jammu and Kashmir finance minister from 2015 March 4, on Saturday during an event had said, The state should not be seen as a conflict state or a political problem, but as a society with social issues.

People should introspect over the nature and origins of the situation and how the issues can be resolved, Drabu had said during an event themed Kashmir: The way forward.

For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.New Delhi:

The heat of the Punjab National Bank fraud has now reached Arun Jaitleyas home with Congress President Rahul Gandhi accusing the Finance Ministeras lawyer daughter of being paid aa large retainera by the accused.

Rahul Gandhi in a tweet said, "It's now revealed that our FM's silence on the PNB SCAM was to protect his lawyer daughter, who was paid a large retainer by the accused just a month before the SCAM became public.a

The Congress President also asked the reason why his daughter Sonalias firm was not being raided by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) team probing the PNB scam.

aWhen other law firms of the accused have been raided by the CBI, why not hers?a Rahulas tweet said.

It's now revealed that our FM's silence on the PNB SCAM was to protect his lawyer daughter, who was paid a large retainer by the accused just a month before the SCAM became public. When other law firms of the accused have been raided by the CBI, why not hers? #ModiRobsIndia https://t.co/As9y9Dv0RZ a Office of RG (@OfficeOfRG) March 12, 2018

Diamond czar Nirav Modi, his uncle Mehul Choksi, who, the Congress claims were close to Prime Minister Modi, allegedly defrauded the Punjab National Bank by making the fraudulent transactions worth over Rs 12,700 crore.

Both Congress and BJP are accusing each other for the countryas biggest banking scam while the key accused are still on the run and the government has no clue about their whereabouts.

The Indian government had revoked the passports of Nirav Modi and Mehul Choksi who are being probed by the CBI and other investigation agencies.

The central probe agency CBI has been conducting raids on several locations related to Nirav Modi and Mehul Choksi including their law firms.

Replying to CBIas e-mail, Mehul Choksi refused to return India citing threat to life. Another accused Nirav Modi has also told PNB bank that he business was hit badly after the fraud went public and there were very thin chances of him returning the loan he had taken.

For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.New Delhi:

The Supreme Court on Monday sought details of all unencumbered assets of embattled real estate major Unitech Limited and said that they would be auctioned to refund money to home buyers.

A bench headed by Chief Justice Dipak Misra also imposed a cost of Rs 25 lakh on J M Financial Asset Reconstruction Company, which had taken over some loans advanced by HDFC Bank to Unitech Limited.

The bench, also comprising Justices A M Khanwilkar and D Y Chandrachud, said that the asset reconstruction company had given the impression that it would pay the money for refund to home buyers and now the entire proceeding had been diverted.

Read- PM Modi, Emmanuel Macron inaugurate Mirzapur solar power plant

We treat it as an unnecessary diversion form the main case, the bench said while imposing the cost.

The bench asked the real estate company to file the details of its unencumbered assets and made it clear that they would be auctioned to settle the deals of hassled home buyers.

The details of assets have to be filed within 15 days from Monday .

The firm had on March 5 told the apex court that Mumbai-based firm J M Financial Ltd was interested in financing their under-construction projects.

The apex court had on October 30 last year said that Unitech Ltd Managing Director Sanjay Chandra, currently in jail, would be granted bail only after the real estate group deposited money with its registry by December-end.

The top court had earlier directed the jail authorities to facilitate Chandras meeting with his company officials and lawyers so that he could arrange money to refund the home-buyers as well as for completing the ongoing housing projects.

Chandra is seeking interim bail from the apex court after the Delhi High Court on August 11 had rejected the plea in a criminal case lodged in 2015 by 158 home-buyers of Unitech projectsWild Flower Country and Anthea Projectsituated in Gurugram.

Read- PNB Scam accused paid large retainer to Arun Jaitleys daughter: Rahul Gandhi

For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.New Delhi:

Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered to shoot down a passenger aircraft carrying a bomb to attack the opening ceremony of 2014 Winter Olympic Games in Sochi, according to a documentary.

In the documentary titled Putin , the Russian President told a reporter that he received a telephone call from a security officer on February 7, 2014 in which he was told that a plane en route from Ukraine to Istanbul was seized, captors demand landing in Sochi.

The pilot of the Turkish Pegasus Airlines Boeing 737-800 flying from Kharkiv to Istanbul reported that one of the passengers was carrying a bomb and demanding the plane to head towards Sochi.

Putin then ordered security officers to act according to the plan and shoot down the plane.

NN Exclusive: Know game plan behind India's biggest banking scam, the Aircel-Maxis deal

The aircraft was carrying 110 passengers while over 40,000 people had gathered at the stadium to watch the opening ceremony.

After giving the orders, Putin then reached the stadium along with the International Olympic Committee officials.

Minutes later, Putin received another call and was told that it was a false alarm and the passenger who claimed to have a bomb was drunk.

The plane continued its flight and reached its destination safely.

For all the Latest World News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.Maps of Vietnam introduced to international friends (Source: VNA)

The activity provided visitors more information about Vietnams tourism, as well as highlighted its sovereignty over Hoang Sa and Truong Sa archipelagoes.

The event drew the participation of more than 10,000 enterprises, travel companies and agencies from 189 countries and territories. More than 40 leading travel companies from Vietnam participated in the exchange, to promote their tourism products and services and help international friends have more useful and accurate information about Vietnamese tourism as well as Vietnams sovereignty on sea and islands.

Apart from tourism promotion and map shows, there were art performances, contributing to popularizing the Vietnamese land and people./.Japan's Ministry of Finance is expected to admit that it has secretly rewritten documents related to a controversial discount sale of state land to private school operator Moritomo Gakuen, government sources said Saturday.

The admission that public documents have been tampered with is likely to deal a heavy blow to the administration of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, political watchers said.Opposition parties look certain to grill Abe and Finance Minister Taro Aso, who doubles as deputy prime minister, over the issue in parliament next week, they said.Moritomo Gakuen is one of the school operators at the center of favoritism allegations against Abe.The MOF has confirmed that such wording as the "special nature" of the land deal has been removed from its original documents before copies were disclosed to lawmakers, according to the sources.Worker at Yamato Industries Vietnam, a Japanese-invested company

in Que Vo Industrial Zone, Bac Binh province (Source: VNA)



Son congratulated Japan on its successful organisation of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD)s Ministerial Meeting on the Southeast Asia Regional Programme, affirming that the meeting will help boost cooperation between OECD and ASEAN nations in a practical and effective manner.

He asked Japan to continue backing the stance of Vietnam and ASEAN in the East Sea issue, and maintain coordination with Vietnam at regional and international forums such as the United Nations, Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC), G20, and within the framework of Japan-Mekong cooperation.

He expressed his hope that Japan will remain the largest investor in Vietnam with more capital poured into supporting and manufacturing industries and hi-tech agriculture, maintain its ODA provision in infrastructure, and facilitate Vietnams exports, especially agricultural products.

Iwao Horii spoke highly of Vietnams participation in and contributions to the OECD Ministerial Meeting on the Southeast Asia Regional Programme.

He showed his delight at the signing of the CPTPP between Vietnam, Japan and nine other countries in the Pacific Rim.

He expressed his hope that Vietnam will create more favourable conditions for bilateral economic cooperation projects, and said that Japan will maintain its assistance to develop infrastructure in Vietnam and the Mekong sub-region, including the East-West Economic Corridor.

He affirmed that his country supports efforts to maintain peace, stability, and maritime and aviation freedom in the East Sea.

Both host and guest agreed to coordinate closely to prepare for visits made by the two countries leaders this year when they are celebrating the 45th anniversary of bilateral diplomatic ties./.The government is likely to scrap plans for the domestic development of a successor to the Air Self-Defense Force's F-2 fighter jet due to expected huge costs, government sources said Saturday.

The government is expected to consider international joint development as the main course of action, the sources said.

The F-2 fighter was jointly developed by Japan and the United States at a cost of 327.4 billion. The development started in 1988.

Since the first F-2 was deployed in 2000, about 90 jets are now in operation.

With the fleet of F-2 fighters set to retire around 2030, the government is considering a successor plane.

Eyeing domestic development in line with a request from the defense industry, the Defense Ministry has spent 138 billion in research costs since 2009, including for producing the X-2 experimental stealth jet.

But as substantial costs are additionally expected for domestic development, many in the ministry now believe such plans are "unrealistic," one official said.

The ministry has already contacted U.S. and British companies for information, planning to assess potential improvements to existing fighters.

The ministry has three options for the successor jet - joint development with other countries, upgrade to an existing fighter model or purchasing U.S. fighters.

The government is hoping to pick one from the three within this year, in preparation for the planned review in late 2018 of the national defense program guidelines, the sources said. - the-japan-news.comTokyo on Saturday marked the 73rd anniversary of U.S. air raids during World War II that killed over 80,000, with some 600 people including families of the victims commemorating those lost in the bombing.

Prince Akishino, the younger son of Emperor Akihito, his wife Princess Kiko and Tokyo Gov Yuriko Koike also attended the memorial service at a hall in the capital's Sumida Ward where the remains of many of the unidentified victims were placed.

Among other participants were Hideo Yoshida, 83, from the northeastern Japanese city of Fukushima, who has been attending the annual ceremony over the past 30 years.

"I still think today that if there had been no war, everyone could have had different lives," he said. Yoshida's father went missing in the bombing and his older sister suffered burns and died two years later.

Koike said at the service, "It is our responsibility to pass on our knowledge (of the air raids) to the next generation so that the tragedy of war will not be forgotten, as well as to protect the peace and safety of the world."

In the early hours of March 10, 1945, some 300 U.S. B-29 bombers dropped incendiary bombs on parts of Tokyo, particularly on densely populated areas.

The number of air raid victims registered on the Tokyo government's list totaled 81,058. - Japan TodaySaitama Prefectural Police have arrested a 21-year-old former part-time employee at a bedding warehouse in Kazo City for allegedly starting a fire to the structure on Thursday, reports the Yomiuri Shimbun

At around 9:00 p.m., Satoru Sunaga, allegedly trespassed into the warehouse of Nishikawa Sangyo and set cardboard on fire. The blaze was mostly extinguished about 20 hours later, after it consumed the entire 17,000-square-meter, two-floor reinforced concrete structure.

At the time of the start of the fire, the warehouse was unmanned. There were no injuries, according to the Kazo Police Station.

Sunaga, who has been accused of trespassing and arson, admits to the allegations. "I set the fire to relieve stress," the suspect was quoted by the Kazo Police Station.

Several days before the fire, Sunaga failed to arrive for work. After the fire started, a witness reported seeing him seated nearby and watching it consume the building. Police later took him into questioning.

According to Nishikawa Sango, the warehouse stores sheets, futons and pillows. The merchandise is distributed to retail stores nationwide. - tokyoreporter.comThe Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership was signed

in Chile on March 8th (local time). (Photo: AFP/VNA)



In an interview granted to the Vietnam News Agency, the diplomat noted that since Vietnam and Chile set up their diplomatic relations in 1971, the two countries have enjoyed sound partnership in all fields.

They have signed many deals facilitating their affiliation, including a free trade agreement in 2012. Two-way trade grew impressively to USD1.3 billion in 2017 from only under USD200 million in 2005.

They have set up dialogue mechanisms in politics and economy, along with annual meetings to review cooperation outcomes and map out collaboration plans for following years.

Son stressed that the two sides are open economies, holding that the CP TPP will help further expand and develop bilateral economic, trade and investment partnerships.

The ambassador said that almost all Presidents of Chile have visited Vietnam, reflecting the country's appreciation of Vietnam's role in the Southeast Asian region. In multilateral organisations, Chile has always supported Vietnam, especially in the United Nations, the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) and other inter-regional organisations.

Chile assisted Vietnam in its bids to join the UN Human Rights Council in the 2014-2016 tenure, and the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) in the 2016-2018 period, while supporting Vietnam in running for a seat as a permanent member of the UN Security Council for the 2020-2021 tenure.

At the same time, Vietnam has lauded the role of Chile and supported the countrys candidacy for positions in the UN agencies and other international organisations, including the UN Human Rights Council and UN Security Council, said Ambassador Son.

However, he said that bilateral investment remains modest, citing they are yet to have any project in each other' territory.

The diplomat also pledged that the Vietnamese Embassy in Chile and its trade affairs office will exert more efforts to introduce investment and trade opportunities in Vietnam to Chilean businesses./.In an interview granted to the Vietnam News Agency on the sidelines of the official signing of the CP TPP in Chile, the Canadian minister spoke highly of the leadership of Vietnams Prime Minister and Minister of Industry and Trade during the process.

Canada wishes to consolidate the relationship with Vietnam, he noted, adding that with CP TPP, the two nations can increase their trade exchange, particularly between small- and medium-sized enterprises of the two nations.

Canada and Vietnam will collaborate to ensure that the agreement will be effective and benefit people in line with commitments stated in the deal, the minister said, adding that he hopes the two countries will start with cutting tariffs to facilitate trade exchange.

He expressed his delight when Canada, together with Vietnam and other member nations, will establish regulations on trading in Asia-Pacific region in a fair, progressive and open manner, thus facilitating win-win, fair and balanced trade exchange.

Chile's Foreign Minister Heraldo Munoz (centre), New Zealand's Trade and Export Growth Minister David Parker (right) and Canada's Trade Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne before the CP TPP signing ceremony (Source: AFP)



Explaining the deals concepts of comprehensive and progressive initiated by Canada, the minister said the CP TPP aims to benefit not only big companies but also the people, adding that anyone can trade with new markets.

According to the Canadian minister, the CP TPP will benefit Vietnamese and Canadian people alike. The world will consider it a model for progressive and inclusive trade, he said.

The official signing of CP TPP took place in Santiago de Chile on March 8 (local time), with the participation of representatives from 11 member countries, namely Chile, Australia, Brunei, Canada, Malaysia, Mexico, Japan, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore and Vietnam.

CP TPP was launched a year ago after the US withdrew from the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) agreement.

The content of CP TPP was basically unchanged from the original TPP with 8,000 pages, except for the suspended implementation of 22 provisions mainly related to intellectual property. It sets high criteria in numerous fields, including labour, the environment, intellectual property, digital economy and cyber security.

The pact will create one of the worlds largest free trade blocs with a combined market of 499 million people and GDP of around USD10,100 billion, accounting for 13.5 percent of the global GDP.

The pact will come into force 60 days after it is fully ratified by at least six of the 11 members./.President Muhammadu Buhari, Monday, arrived Benue state to commiserate with the people over the New Year killings that claimed the lives...





President Muhammadu Buhari, Monday, arrived Benue state to commiserate with the people over the New Year killings that claimed the lives of 73 innocent citizens , newsmen report.





Recall that Nigerians have argued and criticized the president over his absorbed patient to visit the victims and people of Benue state.





Newsmen equally drew a comparison between Trump and Buhari when President Donald Trump traveled to Broward County, Florida, to visit victims who were injured in the grisly school shooting in Parkland.





In view of these however, President Buhari stormed Benue at exert 10:43 AM to visits Governor Samuel Ortom, and stakeholders over the killings.





Reports also have it that he will visit Tor-Tiv, Prof. James Ayatse, the Exercise Cat Race Camp and also meet IDPs in Gbajimba, Guma LGA headquarters.





Ealier last week the president visited Taraba and he is expected to visit Yobe, Zamfara and Rivers states where cases of terror attacks and clashes have been recorded.The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has described President Muhammadu Buharis afterthought visit to Benue, several months after the massacre of Nigerians, as needless and serves only as a large billboard of his administrations gross insensitivity to the plight of Nigerians.The party however said its mega rally, which held in Dutse, Jigawa State, today, has opened a new vista for the party as the true hope for Nigerians.The PDP said President Buharis visits to troubled states, particularly Benue, serve no sincere purpose since they did not come from the heart but evidently orchestrated for political reasons.The PDP, in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan, on Monday, said it is appalling and highly disheartening that a President can only visit his distressed citizens after a widespread outcry over his aloofness and not out of any genuine concern for their wellbeing.What is the purpose of condolence visit when it does not come from the heart but orchestrated to deceive and beguile the people ahead of the 2019 general elections?Indeed, we agree no less with Nigerians that this cosmetic and politically motivated visit is nothing but a direct mockery of the dead and a heavy slap on the faces of the bereaved.This is the same president, who at the wake of the massacre, summoned the leaders and the bereaved to Abuja, rather than complying with the age-long tradition of Africans by immediately visiting the bereaved.Months after their tears have dried and they are painfully gathering their broken pieces, the Presidency is now trying to use them for a political posturing by staging a cosmetic condolence visit just to score a political point.More off-putting is the fact that following the public criticisms that trailed the Presidents glaring aloofness and failure to visit the direct victims during his whistle stops in Taraba and Plateau states, his handlers has now arranged a put-on visit to some Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camps in Benue, which is nothing but a posturing stunt to further deceive the people.If the Buhari administration is genuinely concerned about the wellbeing of the people of Benue and other trouble states, what decisive step has been taken to apprehend those behind the carnage and bring them to book?What steps have been taken to ensure adequate protection for the people and to end the daily bloodletting in the land?Instead the government has engaged in making reproachful comments and dishing out false information to the people.The PDP therefore charges the Presidency to end the unnecessary roadshow and take decisive steps to ensure the security of the people. Furthermore, those organizing the road shows must understand that Nigerians can no longer be deceived by cosmetic and pretentious posturing from this grossly insensitive and incompetent administration, which has brought them so much pain.The Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Mr Babatunde Fashola said that the Federal was making efforts to ensure steady power supply in...

The Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Mr Babatunde Fashola said that the Federal was making efforts to ensure steady power supply in the country.Fashola said this at the 25th Monthly Power Sector meeting on Monday in Uyo.He said that the power sector recovery programme put in place by the ministry and other stakeholders in the power sector was beginning to yield results.The minister said that the Federal Government had secured the World Bank approval for 486 million dollars Transmission Company of Nigeria transmission expansion funding.Progress is being made with the same bank for the Rural Electrification and Distribution Expansion Funding.Clearly, our implemental power initiative is well underway, some jobs are manifesting and the promise of steady power is real.If we persevere, I am certain that we will witness uninterrupted power, which is the final destination of our journey.The minister said that the Power Sector Recovery Programme ( PSRP ), policies, actions and programmes in the sector were meant to solve the power sector problems.He said that the policies, programmes and actions were delivering results.One of the results is the regulation that will democratise access to meters for power sector customers.We have reached a 7,000 Megawatts (MW) Generation Capacity and have a 5,000 MW Distribution Capacity, what is newsworthy is that in the last month, we have met with Manufacturers Association of Nigeria ( MAN ), DisCos, and GenCos.On how to implement the Eligible Customer Policy and increase connectivity to the 2,000 MW that is available.In many parts of the country connected to the grid, citizens feedback is positive, even though all the problems are not solved.Citizens acknowledge more power in dry weather, reduced hours of running their generators and reduction in fuel (diesel and petrol) purchase to power generators, Fashola said.He, however, described solar energy as cleaner and more efficient source of power, emphasising that in many states, solar power is being accepted and used.The minister said consumers were already embracing the solar power generation plan, an initiative of the government to boost electricity.Fashola said that the country was moving away from theorising power to actual provision of efficient power to support trade and business, especially Small and Medium Enterprises ( SMEs ).The minister also inaugurated the Meter Asset Provider Regulation 2018, and presented a copy of the regulation to Gov. Udom Emmanuel of Akwa Ibom.In his remarks, Emmanuel said his administration was working toward the provision of digitalised meters in the state, adding that by 2019, every household in the state would be using a digitalised meter.Emmanuel said the metering company in the state would solve the four million meters need of the country.The governor, however, called on the Federal Government to take advantage of the metering company existing in the state.He warned against vandalism of power installations, adding that the state government would wage a war on vandals to protect the infrastructure in the sector.The major cardinal point when we did our five-point agenda that anchored on industrialisation is also the drive that we are doing on electricity generation and distribution.The governor commended Fashola for his drive and efforts in solving the power problem in the country.If the effort is sustained, the country is close to solving its power problems, he said.My brethren the Infidels in this country are pointing their fingers to our faces we also should do the same.





My brethren the Infidels in this country are pointing their fingers to our faces we also should do the same.

After the message I gave in Rijau Niger state and presently am in Kontagora the message was delivered to the President through a reliable source. I stand by the existing code that all Muslims must rise and defend ourselves from all Infidels and all Muslim uniformed men must stand and defend Muslims at all cost for every one should know the road to his or her fathers home. We have sent our message to the President and I was assured he got it. He is with us and believes in our cause. Every Muslim in Nigeria must be ready. We will never allow any infidel to come to power again. We want our Muslim soldiers in the barracks to be on their guard and never allow these infidels to intmidate us again. Whether we are prepared or not every soldier must answer his fathers name- Sheik Abubakar Gero Argungu, Sawtul Hikmah, March 9th, 2018.





This man is playing with fire. Such threatening words in a multi-racial, multi-religious, multi-cultural, multi-ethnic nation and plural society like ours where over 100 million Christians live and reside? Such madness is rarely seen.









I am constrained to ask, who is this uncircumcised Phillistine that has chosen to defy the armies of the Living God?





Who is this reprobate unbeliever that seeks to challenge Christendom and to dare and denigrate the Christian faithful?





Who is this son of perdition that mocks our God and that seeks to demean the sons and daughters of light?





Who is this blood-lusting barbarian who seeks to unleash the dogs of war on our nation?









Who is this ranking pagan who loves the shedding of innocent blood and who brings nothing but threats, division, bloodshed, conflict, strife, violence and destruction?





The truth is that this Abubakar Shekau in the making, this demon in human flesh and this servant of satan should have been arrested long ago for his dangerous and provocative words and his reckless disposition, both of which are capable of setting Nigeria on fire.





And neither is he a real Muslim or truly representative of the mhajority of Muslims in our country.





His utterances are unacceptable and the fact that, rather than caution him, the Buhari administration has instead encouraged, pampered, protected and supported him speaks volumes and gives cause for concern.









Those that welcome such sentiments, that encourage such words, that are stoking this dangerous fire and that are fanning the embers of sectarian strife, religious bigotry and hateful intolerance would do well to recognise the fact that no-one and no group of people will come out as the winner in a religious war in this country.





Worst still if such a conflagration were ever to be ignited we would all, both Christians and Muslims, suffer the heinous, horrific and unimaginable consequences, we would all witness the wholesale slaughter of millions of our compatriots and we would all watch our nation burn to ashes around us.





When one reads the contributions of such mad men and couples it with the credible assertion and legitimate concerns of no less a person than Vice President Mike Pence of the United States of America who recently said that the most dangerous place in the world for Christians to live is Nigeria, one cannot but conclude that the massive Christian population in Nigeria is not only under a serious existential threat but is also gradually becoming an endangered species.





It is therefore with the greatest incredulity that one considers Vice President Yemi Osinbanjos latest contribution to the public space when he said, Christians and southerners are the greatest beneficiaries of Buharis government.





One wonders just how far this man is prepared to go to please his Fulani masters. Surely even misplaced loyalty and what can only be described as the madness of blind fanaticism and the bedlam of quisling servility has its limits.





If there was ever a need to provide any evidence to prove that Dr. Reuben Abatis Villa curse is real, this is it.





Claiming that southerners and Christians are the greatest beneficiaries of Buharis government is rather like saying that human beings are the greatest beneficiaries of hell.





The truth is that Nigeria is as much of a paradise for southerners and Christians as hell is for damned and lost souls.





I am constrained to ask the question: is my old friend Yemi Osinbajo alright upstairs? Given what he has said, I really do have cause to question his sanity. I am convinced that he needs help.





First he said Nigeria cannot be restructured and that those leaders that have called for restructuring were just looking for government appointments.





Then he said that we must forgive the Fulani terrorists that have been slaughtering and maiming thousands of innocent and defenceless Christians in the Middle Belt and the south over the last three years.





Finally he said that we must not attempt to defend our loved ones, our families, our homes, our farms and our land when the Fulani attack and that instead we must allow them to do as they plesse and pray for them.





Strange counsel indeed. Yet when it comes to the activities of his fellow Christians and southerners his tune changes, he becomes aggressive, unforgiving, war-like and bellicose and he proudly proclaims that the Federal Government and the Nigerian people must crush and kill members of Nnamdi Kanus IPOB even though there is no record of them attacking or murdering anyone or of carrying arms.





How does the Vice President explain this glaring double-standard? How does he rationalise this schizophrenic Dr. Jekyl and Mr. Hyde disposition?





How does he manage to show his face in public and still hold his head up high when it is increasingly obvious that he has been struck with an affliction that is commonly referred to as the Stockholm Syndrome?





In his world there appears to be one law for northern Muslims and another for southern Christians.





When a northern Muslim Fulani terrorist slaughters innocent and defenceless men, women and children he is supported by the state, given free reign, forgiven and prayed for.





Yet when a southern Christian Igbo dissenter voices his support for the right of self-determination and does so in a passive, peaceful, lawful and legitimate manner without physically attacking or killing anyone or carrying arms he is labelled as a terrorist and slaughtered in his home and in the streets by our security forces.





How can Osinbajo, who claims to be a Christian and indeed a Pastor, justify this and how does he sleep at night?





This unacceptable application and display of double-standards, skewered values, institutional racism, preferential treatment and nonsensical implementation of an absurd and self-serving policy can best be described as the gospel according to Osinbajo!





Yet his latest contribution, namely that Christians and southerners are the major beneficiaries of Buharis government, makes his previous utterances pale into insignificance.





His latest faux pas can best be described as the mother of all lies and the most shameful and dishonest contribution that ANY Vice President has EVER made to public discourse in our entire history.





Osinbajos nauseating mendacities and his sickening attempt to further ingratiate himself to his master Buhari and the Fulani ruling class at the expense of the welfare and safety of the Christian community and southern Nigerians is as repugnant as it is repulsive. Simply put, he turns my stomach.





The truth is that he betrayed the south and Christendom long ago by standing shoulder to shoulder with a man and a people whose hatred and sheer contempt for southerners and Christians can hardly be disputed and can barely be hidden.





Worst still, Osinbajo makes no apology for his servile and cowardly disposition, he is totally unashamed and unrepentant of it and he can never be redeemed.





They say destiny speaks at the end. The fact of the matter is that history will judge him harshly and at the end of the day he will not only sink with his principal Buhari but he will also be dumped and forgotten in the dustbin of history.





For him I have the following questions.





Firstly, what profiteth a man to gain the world and lose his soul? Is the Vice Presidency of Nigeria worth your eternal and precious soul?





Secondly, other than death, destruction, opprobium and eternal damnation what did Judas Iscariots treachery and betrayal of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ buy for him with his 30 pieces of silver?





Thirdly, what price does a man pay for betraying his calling, his faith and Gods people in their time of need and, as it was with Ichabod, has the glory of God not departed from you already?





Finally when a great and courageous Queen and Daughter of Zion by the name of Esther proclaimed if I perish, I perish, went before the King, spoke up for the people of God and thereby saved the children of Israel, were there no lessons to be learnt?





Is Buhari more intimidating, more terrifying, more awesome, more deadly, more captivating and more powerful than the great King Xerxes of Ancient Persia and the glory and splendour of the mighty Persian empire?





Whatever his answers are let me set the record straight: Buharis government is a government that was put in place and in power by the northern Muslim Hausa-Fulani ruling class and it is a government whose primary purpose and objective is to further and protect the interests of that class at the expense of all others.





It was never designed or conceived to benefit southerners and Christians and neither has it ever done so.





His administration is not only hostile to southerners and Christians but it has persecuted and marginalised them more than any other government in our history, treated them with the utmost derision and contempt and demeaned, insulted, maligned and denigrated them on a daily basis and in an unprecedented fashion.





Anyone that doubts that should ask the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) or should consult the leaders of Afenifere, Ohanaeze, the Niger Delta Elders and the Middle Belt Forum.





More Christians and southerners have been targetted, slaughtered, persecuted, humiliated and denigrated under the watch of the Buhari government than ANY other government in the history of our country outside of the civil war.





It is not about how many Christian or southern junior or senior Ministers there are in Buharis Federal Executive Council or cabinet: it is about respect, dignity, security and equity for the Christian community and the people of the south. It is about giving us our dues and treating us as equal citizens.





The fact that every single security agency and branch of our Armed Forces in the our nation, except for the Navy, is headed by a northern Muslim speaks volumes.





The fact that every single major department of NNPC is headed by a northern Muslim, that the northern Muslim Group Managing Drector calls all the shots in the oil sector and that the southern Christian Minister of State for Petroleum Resources has been hopelessly sidelined and marginalised says even more.





The fact that 808 Christians were butchered in their homes in southern Kaduna on Christmas day alone in 2016 by Fulani terrorists and that not one of the perpetrators has been apprehended or brought to justice makes the point eloquently.





Yet it does not stop there. Consider this:





Mr. Charles Ogbue, one of Nigerias keenest minds and most brilliant writers, in an essay titled Buharis Boko Haram War Is An Organised Crime wrote the following:





Make no mistake, most of these soldiers laying down their lives in the wild goose chase known as the Boko Haram war are drawn from the soithern part of the country and non-Caliphate part of the north. The Fulani soldiers are mostly here in the peaceful south and the southeast to be more precise. Come to 82 division here or go through southeast roads and see for yourself. The soldiers on all our peaceful roads are 90% Fulani soldiers. This whole thing would be comically entertaining if it wasnt such a national tragedy. Shame, isnt it?





Mr. Paul Achalla makes a similar point in his essay titled The Undeclared War On The South. He wrote as follows:





I lost a cousin to Boko Haram last year in Sambisa forest. He has been in the military since 1983 and was due to retire last month (February 2018). Just a few months to his retirement, he was sent to fight the dreaded Boko Haram and was declared dead on specifically the 18th day of April, 2017. He was one of the over 200 soldiers that were killed in that operation. And not less than 100 soldiers in that operation got missing and their bodies are unaccounted for till now, putting the number of deaths to about 300. This news was kept away from the public. Of striking importance is the fact that none of the soldiers killed in that operation was a northerner. The allegation is that over 90% of the soldiers fighting Boko Haram directly are of southern extraction. While the brutal harmful northern soldiers are sent to fight harmless pythons in the south, armless southern soldiers are sent to fight the harmful terrorists in the north. Those who are unfortunate to find their names enlisted for such suicide missions almost never come back alive. Unfortunately the pawn in this chess business is the south. We want to be more Nigerians than the real Nigerians.





Can anyone legitimately dispute what Mr. Ogbue and Mr. Achalla have said? Is this absurd arrangement and state of affairs one of the major benefits that Chrisians and southerners are enjoying under Buhari? Is this what Osinbajo was referring to?





Or is it the fact that Taraba, Plateau, Benue, Adamawa, Nassarawa, Kaduna and other Middle Belt states that have a Christian majority and virtually all the southern states have been especially and specifically targetted by the Fulani terrorists and subjected to genocide, ethnic and religious cleansing and mass murder whilst the Fulani and Muslim-led Federal Government conveniently turns a blind eye and does nothing to protect them or bring their killers to justice?





Is that another of the great benefits that the Christian community and southerners are enjoying under the Buhari administration?





Is it not clear that Baba Ayo Adebanjo, one of the most reverred elderstatesmen, nationalists and patriots in our country, was absolutely right when he said that villa juju had turned Vice President Osinbajo into the worst devil?





In my view any southerner or Christian that is part of the Buhari administration or that refuses to call them out or still supports them is nothing but a shameless underling, a self-deprecating slave, a gutless quisling, a modern-day Uncle Tom, a self-hating field-hand and a miserable and feeble-minded appendage.





And that includes our dimunitive Vice President who believes that the constant repetition of the most despicable and filthy lies somehow turns those lies into truth.





May God deliver him from his self-serving delusions.





Permit me to conclude this contribution with the famous words of Rev. (Dr.) Martin Luther King jnr.. He said,





Cowardice asks the question: is it safe? Expediency asks the question: is it political? Vanity asks the question: is it popular? But conscience asks the question: is it right? And there comes a time when one must take a position that is neither safe, nor political, nor popular  but one must take it simply because it is right.





This is deep wisdom and these words are not ordinary. They are the oracles of God, spoken by the Sprit of God, through a great and annointed man of God.



An oil and gas expert, Alhaji Tokunbo Korodo, on Monday urged the Federal Government to create an enabling environment for investors to build more refineries instead of depots.Korodo, the immediate past Chairman, Lagos Zonal Council, Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG), gave the advice in an interview with Newsmen in Lagos.What are we doing with over 100 depots, while we have just four refineries with a population of 180 million?We should be thinking of how to get more refineries to refine more products than keep building more tank farms.Go to Apapa now, when I joined the oil sector in 1982, we had only seven tank farms in Apapa, but today, we have more than 62 tank farms in the place alone.In Lagos alone, we have more than 80 tank farms, while we have over 30 depots in other states of the federation.What are we doing with all these depots when we dont have refined products? he asked.He said the countrys founding fathers meant well for the nation when they built three refineries and one storage facility in Lagos in the 70s.Atlas Cove storage was built in Lagos to receive products from the refineries to serve the people in the Western part of the country.Refinery was built in Warri, Delta State to serve the people in South-South part, while Port Harcourt Refinery will serve the people in South Eastern part.The Kaduna refinery was built to serve the people in the North.Unfortunately, the subsequent government messed up the whole plan and allowed these entire infrastructure to decay, Korodo said.The Director - General of Voice of Nigeria , Mr . Osita Okechukwu, has said Ndigbo will be the major beneficiaries of President Muhammad...





The Director - General of Voice of Nigeria , Mr . Osita Okechukwu, has said Ndigbo will be the major beneficiaries of President Muhammadu Buhari  s second term in office.





The apex socio - political body of the Igbo , Ohanaeze Ndigbo , had, in a recent statement , said it was only interested in restructuring, and had not taken any decision on the 2019 elections.





Speaking in Enugu on Sunday , Okechukwu , a member of the All Progressives Congress , advised the Igbo to back Buhari for a second term , as , according to him , restructuring was already on the agenda of the Buhari - led Federal Government .

The VON boss added that the Igbo should support Buhari  s second term bid in order to have a chance of producing his (Buhari  s) successor in 2023.





Although the President had yet to declare his intention to go for another term , Okechukwu explained that Buhari would seek re - election.





Apparently reacting to Ohanaeze  s declaration that it was only concerned with restructuring, and was not thinking of the 2019 polls , Okechukwu said , Restructuring is not a one- day event , but the golden opportunity of Buhari being the only northerner, going by the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria , and the zoning convention , with only four years that ends in 2023 is a matter of fact.





Voting for any other northerner means postponement of the golden opportunity which Mr . President s re -election offers Ndigbo.





Restructuring is already on the cards of our party , the APC . Definitely some items will be restructured before the 2019 general elections, going by the Mallam Nasir el - Rufai committee  s recommendations . 

Okechukwu noted that in addition to the chance of an Igbo succeeding Buhari , the region would also benefit from the President s infrastructural projects.

Secondly , Ndigbo stand to benefit immensely from Buhari  s massive critical infrastructure  roads, rails , agriculture and power projects.





 As one of the most hard- working and entrepreneurial people in Nigeria, we stand no doubt to gain from the 5 , 000 kilometres of federal roads , 5 , 000 kilometres of standard gauge rail lines , agrarian revolution and additional 5 , 000 megawatts of electricity , with a completion cycle of three to five years ,  he said .





Asked if he was sure that Buhari would actually back an Igbo candidate to succeed him , Okechukwu said , It is not only about Buhari  s backing, it is more about paradigm shift in the voting pattern of Ndigbo in 2019 , which signposts realignment of political forces .





The Igbo, since 1999 , have religiously been voting for the Peoples Democratic Party, without commensurate results . Common sense dictates a paradigm shift in our voting pattern in 2019 .





Buhari in 2003 and 2007 had Igbo sons as running mates  Chuba Okadigbo and Edwin Umezoke of the blessed memory . Yet, we failed to vote for him.





To align with the mainstream , we should vote for him now . He subscribes to equity and justice and cannot jeopardise the chances of a credible Igbo candidate who can appeal to our brothers and sisters in other regions , especially the South- West and South -South. 





Okechukwu added that Buhari would definitely seek a second term in order to complete ongoing and planned Hinfrastructural projects.





He observed that it would be suicidal  if the people of the South- East opted to vote for the PDP once again , and therefore , miss the infrastructure revolution  .The Deputy Senate President, Dr. Ike Ekweremadu during the weekend denied reports that he called for military intervention/takeover in the country, noting that he never said so in the National Assembly.Recall that Ekweremadu while contributing on Wednesday to the crisis in Kogi state especially the recent attack on Senator Ahmed Ogembe by suspected thugs quizzed, who said the army cannot take over.A question he asked which according to him various media misinterpreted him as saying that he called for military takeover in the country.A review of what Sen. Ekweremadu said on last week Wednesday will help elucidate his position.Read thus:You will recall that sometime last year when they wanted to recall Dino, I advised the governor that they are wasting the resources of that state, that it is mission impossible.They took three pages in the newspaper abusing me. Are we still hearing the recall today? Money has been wasted.If he doesnt stop, there is no how he will come back in 2019, never, no he will not. God will show him that he is a God of justice and this is a message to all those people who have caused all kinds of problem in Nigeria at different levels.The problem in Nigeria is that our democracy is receding. Who says army cannot take over? Let us not joke with our democracy that is the issue.The house of a senator was destroyed in Kaduna State. We also are talking about Kwankwaso, who was stopped from going to his state where he ruled for eight years.In Kaduna, Shehu Sani cannot organise a meeting and we are talking about a democracy.In view of the misinterpreted statement by some media outlets, Ekweremadu while speaking during the weekend in Bayelsa state said the comments he made on the floor of the senate were in defence of democracy.In his words, I never called for a military coup. I never said the military was planning any coup. Even the militarys statement admitted that my statement was only cautionary and that we were sincere.But they went as far as saying that the international community should ignore my words of caution.Of course, some people took it out of context and said I was calling for a military coup, which I never did.I hold the Nigerian army and the armed forces in high regard. They have defended our democracy, our people and have acquitted themselves creditably.If they need anything now, it is encouragement because this is not the best of times for them. But we do hope that when parliamentarians make statements, they (the military) should be able to know exactly what they said before reacting so that we dont overheat the system, he finally said.It is not a bad thing for us, that the route known as the Goldene Strae or the Golden Road as we will get to know it- has escaped the attention of so many. It has been spared being overrun by hordes of tourists and as you will discoverThe face-off between the striking doctors in Kogi State and the government has taken a new twist as the government has reportedly procured...

The face-off between the striking doctors in Kogi State and the government has taken a new twist as the government has reportedly procured the services of Youth Corps doctors.





This development according to medical experts spells doom for the State health sector which has been under threat due to prolonged industrial dispute between the government and doctors in the State.





The Medical Doctors under the state government have since January embarked on a strike action over half salary payment and other issues regarding their welfare.





The Medical Doctors are also insisting on the payment of their four months salary balance of 40%.





But rather than hearken to their demands, the state government was accused by the Medical Doctors of procuring the services of Corps Doctors who are allegedly lodged in one of the three Star hotels in the state capital.





Furthermore, it was gathered that, as an inducement, the Corps Doctors were allegedly paid N300,000 as salaries up front for their services and paid daily stipends to augment their feeding and transport cost.





A doctor who spoke under the condition of anonymity said it is unfortunate that doctors are passing through this inhuman treatment from the government. The so-called corps doctors who they claimed to have engaged have no requisite experience to handle critical cases and even work under pressure.





Using them as an alternative to striking Medical Doctors is uncalled for and condemnable. The State Government dont want to bury their ego and come to a round table with doctors on how to resolve the current impasse. For now while the two elephants fight, Kogi People are the ones suffering it, as the State Specialist Hospital is now a ghost of its old self.





At the last count, some of the medical doctors from the state are enmass moving to other neighbouring states of Nasarawa, Niger, Borno and Zamfara States, where they are welcomed with mouth watering incentives.





All efforts to speak with the Commissioner for Health and other officials proved difficult. But a source in the ministry described the allegation as an information coming from the pit of hell.





However, a source in the Kogi State Chapter of the Nigeria Medical Association confirmed this development.





NMA could confirm to you that the Kogi State Government has drafted the service of Corp Doctors to treat sick patients in the state. But we dont know the amount of money paid to them by the government.



The Army has warned killers to stop their evil act or face decisive action by troops. It also warned that commanders who fail to act...

The Army has warned killers to stop their evil act or face decisive action by troops.It also warned that commanders who fail to act decisively would face court martial.Killings have persisted in Taraba, Benue and Adamawa states, despite the ongoing operation Cat Race.No fewer than 24 people were killed in Okpokwu Local Government Area of Benue State last week in attacks by herdsmen. There was a resurgence of violence in Plateau State where between Wednesday and Saturday 25 people, including a family of five, were killed. But the police put the figure of the dead at 16.Army spokesman Brig.-Gen. Texas Chukwu said the army and other security agencies were working assiduously to identify and arrest all those involved in those acts, regardless of their disposition in the society, including government functionaries.Gen. Chukwu said the attention of the army had been drawn to the continued disturbing, senseless killings and wanton destruction of properties in the three states and strongly warns the perpetrators of these crimes to desist forthwith.We would like to unequivocally reiterate that the Army Headquarters warns the arsonists and the killers to stop or face decisive action by troops.Our Rules of Engagement (ROE) are clear on arson and murder. Therefore, no such criminal acts would be allowed in any of the aforementioned states.The public is please reminded that when troops are called out for internal security operations, they are not to joke or persuade anyone.We have warned our commanders on the ground to take decisive actions or face court martial.Gunmen suspected to be Fulani militia invaded Daffo village in Bokkos Local Government of Plateau State, killing among others five members of Rev. Bitrus Ishayas family. The victims have been buried in two mass graves.An eyewitness, Jerry Datim, said: I was part of the rescue team. Those killed are 25.This very attack was a fallout of the January conflict in Daffo between the youths and the Fulani; the Fulani vowed reprisal. So, on March 7, the Fulani numbering about 200 and fully armed, stormed the village at about 11:30pm. Some were dressed in black; others in red. After the attack, we recovered five bodies of victims.Rev. Bitrus Ishaya, his entire family was completely wiped out during the attack, including Stephen Ishaya, Patrick Ishaya, John Monday. We buried the five bodies we recovered last Friday. With the assistance of Mobile policemen, we recovered seven more bodies. The total number of bodies we recovered at the weekend is 25 and they have been buried in two mass graves in Daffo.A group of concerned members of the Ronkulere ethnic group in Daffo, who also confirmed the attack at a news conference in Jos yesterday, said the last attack by the Fulani militia was carried out on March7 and 8.Ambassador Adams, said: The gunmen unleashed mayhem on people of Fahrundonghai hamlet and environs of Daffo district.This is one attack too many; we have had enough of these killings. This act of senselessness and share disregard for our kindness and hospitality as well as our respect for law and order must stop. Government should step in and stop these killings.We have the records of such killings in 2013, 2015 to the extent that our paramount ruler the Saf Ron Kulere was killed in 2016 in a similar manner. We will be compelled to petition the United Nations if the Nigerian security are not ready to protect us from these gunmen.More than 400 residents have been displaced because their houses have been razed by the attackers, families food stuff have been razed down and those displaced will not be able to prepare their farm land for the farming season, this is a serious disaster in our communities.We have so far recovered 25 bodies of victims and many more are still missing, we cant find their bodies.The group said two suspects were arrested by men of the special military task force Operation Safe Haven. But the federal troops denied such arrests.Plateau State Governor Simon Lalong has promised not to rest until every life in the state is secured. Commissioner for Information Yakubu Dati, in a statement, said: Plateau State Government has given a marching order to the security agents in the state to immediately arrest and prosecute the criminals that perpetrated the killings of a couple of persons in Bassa and Bokkos Local Government Areas of the state.Governor Lalong believes that our differences are better resolved by sitting together to address them rather than taking arms against one another.He warned that the state will not fold its arms and watch the enemies of Plateau take us back to the dark old days when citizens distrusted one another, adding that we must emphasize the great values that unite us as a people.While condoling with the families that lost their loved ones in the attacks, the Governor assured that urgent steps are being taken in collaboration with the security agents to get to the roots of the problem, and to avoid the repeat of the ugly incident.The Police said they had arrested a herdsman with a military AK 47 rifle.Plateau police spokesman Terna Tyopev gave the rifles number as HC2614.He said the herdsman, Muhammadu Musa Bimini, was arrested by riot policemen on Thursday at Daffo.Tyopev, according to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), said the suspect had been transferred from Bokkos to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) in Jos and was already being interrogated.The police spokesman said 16 people were confirmed killed in the multiple attacks on several villages between Wednesday and Friday.He said the command had deployed more personnel to restore peace to the trouble areas, and advised the people to remain calm and avoid taking the law into their hands.Meanwhile, leaders of the affected communities have said that 25 people were killed in the attacks.The community leaders, who briefed newsmen on Sunday in Jos, said that many others were still missing.National chairman of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Prince Uche Secondus, weekend, said only PDP has what it takes to rescue Nigeria from total collapse in 2019, adding that All Progressives Congress, APC, can no longer rely on propaganda to win elections.Speaking at Ovwor, Ughelli South Local Government Area of Delta State during an interdenominational thanksgiving service/grand reception organised by J. U. Oguma Foundation in honour of former governor of Delta State, Chief James Ibori, Secondus challenged the APC to tell Nigerians what it had achieved since it took over governance.He said APC had borrowed N11 trillion in three years as against the N6 trillion borrowed by the PDP in 16 years.Also speaking at the event, Anglican Bishop of Ughelli Diocese, Rt. Rev. Cyril Odutemu, raised the alarm that Nigeria is sick and in need of a true leader. The current government is not a solution to our problem. The solution to the problem of Nigeria is with God.In his address, chairman of the foundation, Olorogun John Oguma said: When Ibori was around, Urhobo had three representatives in the Federal Executive Council and he was away for eight years after which Urhobo never had a voice in the council.Governor Ifeanyi Okowa, while speaking as special guest at the occasion, described Ibori as a good leader who built a solid foundation for the development of the state.In his remarks, Ibori described his jail term as a sabbatical leave saying: It has been a year since I returned from my sabbatical leave. I thank God and the entire Urhobo class for their support. In the days ahead, my actions will express my gratitude to you all.Former Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan, while advising Nigerians to be wary of rumour-mongering, said: Ibori has a very forgiving heart. Im here as a blood brother and I want to thank everyone that has come here today and those that went to see him in London.Speaking further, Secondus said: Ibori is a factor in Nigeria who has great following in Delta and across the country. Ibori believes in the welfare of the people and believes that the young shall grow and that the women must take their rightful place.APC has plunged Nigeria into insecurity, hunger and crisis. In PDP controlled states, all our governors have fulfilled their promises to the people.President Muhammadu Buhari on Monday told the United States Secretary of State, Rex Tillerson, why Nigeria opted for negotiation with th...

President Muhammadu Buhari on Monday told the United States Secretary of State, Rex Tillerson, why Nigeria opted for negotiation with the Boko Haram militants who abducted the Chibok girls and students of the Government Girls Science and Technical College, Dapchi, Yobe State.The President said Nigeria prefers to have the abducted girls back alive.He made the remark while receiving the U.S Secretary of State at Presidential Villa, Abuja.Buhari, in a statement issued by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, said Nigeria was working in concert with international organizations and negotiators to ensure that the girls were released unharmed by their captors.We are trying to be careful. It is better to get our daughters back alive, the President said.He thanked America for assistance rendered in the fight against insurgency, noting that Nigerian forces are good but need assistance in the areas of training and equipment.The President promised that his administration would continue to do its best to secure the country, adding that he would be in Yobe State, where Dapchi girls were abducted, later this week as part of my condolence and sympathy visits to areas where we have had unfortunate events.He pledged free and fair polls in 2019, recalling that the then U.S Secretary of State, John Kerry, had visited before the 2015 polls and told the party in government then and those of us in opposition to behave ourselves and we did.Tillerson commended President Buhari on his strides in the anti-corruption war, to which the Nigerian leader responded that moneys recovered are being invested on development of infrastructure.The U.S Secretary of State said Nigeria was a very important country to America, stressing: You have our support in your challenges. We will also support opportunities to expand the economy, commercial investments and peaceful polls in 2019.Rapper Juelz Santana will remain in federal custody pending a preliminary hearing on charges he attempted to carry a handgun aboard a plane leaving from Newark Liberty International Airport, a magistrate judge ruled Monday.

Santana, a Totowa resident whose legal name is Laron James, appeared in court wearing a black long-sleeve T-shirt and sweatpants Monday afternoon, just hours after he was taken into custody by Port Authority police detectives.

When Magistrate Judge Joseph Dickson asked James if he understood his rights, the rapper replied only, "Yes, sir."

In a criminal complaint filed in U.S. District Court, an FBI task force officer wrote that James had been waiting to board a flight from Newark to San Francisco on Friday when security personnel discovered a .38-caliber derringer pistol in his carry-on bag.

When the bag was pulled aside for additional screening, the investigator said, James left the airport without his belongings or identification.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Desiree Latzer said the U.S. Attorney's Office was seeking pre-trial detention for James, who has a 2013 state conviction for drug distribution.

In addition to attempting to bring a firearm on board an aircraft, Latzer said, James is charged with possessing a firearm as a convicted felon.

An assistant federal public defender stood in as James' attorney during his initial appearance, but told the court James -- best known for his 2005 single "There It Go (The Whistle Song)" -- had retained private criminal defense attorney Brian Neary, who was unable to appear in court Monday afternoon.

"We're gathering his information as quickly as possible to ask the judge to release Mr. James as we wait to review and defend the charges," Neary told NJ Advance Media by phone after the hearing.

Dickson ordered James remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending a preliminary hearing on the charges scheduled for 2 p.m. on March 26.

Thomas Moriarty may be reached at tmoriarty@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter at @ThomasDMoriarty. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

Have a tip? Tell us. nj.com/tipsThe North Bergen Housing Authority security director has been suspended amid reports that he put in little time at the federally funded agency, a spokesman for the housing authority confirmed this morning.

The suspension, with pay, of Geoff Santini was first reported by NBC New York. Last week the station reported that Santini, whose animal control company has a contract with North Bergen and other Hudson County communities, spent only a handful of hours at the housing authority over a five-day span.

Most of Santini's time was spent at his animal control office in West New York, the station reported. Santini is also a paid aide to Hudson County Freeholder Chairman Anthony Vainieri.

Housing authority spokesman Phil Swibinski said the town's contract with Santini's animal control company, New Jersey Animal Control and Rescue, is still in effect, "pending the results" of an investigation by the North Bergen Housing Authority.

"Director Santini has been placed on paid administrative leave pending the results of the investigation, and the housing authority has taken action in order to secure possession of NBHA property," Swibinski said in a statement.

"Director Santini will remain on paid administrative leave for the duration of the investigation. The NBHA will continue to investigate the matter through its special independent counsel with a focus on determining the truth of the accusations and recommending any needed policy or procedure changes to ensure employee accountability."

Santini's NBHA-issued SUV, which the news report said was seen outside the animal control office, has been taken back by the NBHA, Swibinski said.

NBHA Supervisor of Security Christopher Lombardo has been named interim director of security during the investigation, which is being conducted by attorney Mark Tabakin, Swibinski said.

A spokeswoman for the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) said the New Jersey Office of Public Housing has reached out to the HUD Office of the Inspector General, HUD's investigative arm, to make them aware of the reports of possible wrong-doing.

Santini has been seen driving North Bergen Mayor Nicholas Sacco in the NBHA-issued SUV, but Swibinski said Santini is not employed by the town and "has occasionally driven (Sacco) on social occasions and to local events."A Lakewood man was arrested after he posted a threat on social media that he would open fire with a machine gun on a rally calling for stricter gun laws, authorities said.

Shane Steele, 42, was charged with one count of terroristic threats after he was arrested on Friday, Ocean County Prosecutor Joseph Coronato announced in a statement.

Authorities were alerted to the post on Facebook from a tip to the Manalapan Police Department from a concerned citizen, Coronato said.

"Steele allegedly authored a post on Facebook stating he intended to open fire with a machine gun at a 'March For Our Lives' rally," the statement said.

Police were able to trace the post back to Steel's home, according to the statement. No weapons were found at the residence.

The "March For Our Lives" rally, organized by the survivors of the February school shooting in Parkland, Florida, is scheduled to take place in Washington, D.C., on March 24. There will also be satellite events taking place in other cities as well as a student-led walkout on Wednesday.

Coronato's statement did not specify which rally Steele referenced in his post.

Steele was released from police custody but will have to appear at a future court date.

A terroristic threat charge is a third-degree crime that typically carries a maximum prison sentence of five years.

Alex Napoliello may be reached at anapoliello@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @alexnapoNJ. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

Have a tip? Tell us. nj.com/tipsGene Madden died a few weeks ago. He was an NYPD detective from Hoboken, and he always said the honor of his life was working alongside his guys at Ground Zero, where the toxic fumes led to a cancer diagnosis in 2008.

So he put in his 20 and retired to Myrtle Beach recently. He didn't get to enjoy it long. He was 51.

Three days earlier, Ron Svec died. The FDNY vet lived in Wall Township, which gave him access to the things he loved - fishing, the Jets, and his wife of 34 years. He spent weeks with Ladder Co. 82 at Ground Zero, and then spent the last nine years of his life fighting lung and spine cancers. He was 63.

That same day, Ed Meehan died in Nanuet. The actor Denis Leary, the superb advocate for firefighters, tweeted that he was "one of the greats" - a lieutenant with Ladder 22 who lived with cancer for years, but didn't stop training the newbies at the FDNY academy until last October. He was only 59.

That was just one week, but it goes on and on, like an endless trail of tears that runs right through New Jersey.

We often forget there are tens of thousands of first responders and survivors with 9/11-related illnesses and that many die each month. The least we can do is to give them help and comfort when illness strikes, and it has struck 83,000 heroes currently enrolled in the World Trade Center Health Program.

Yet hidden in fine print in President Trump's budget is something that will complicate their lives: Budget director Mick Mulvaney - who voted against reauthorization of the First Responders' health plan when he was in Congress - has reorganized the agency that oversees it, an act which Long Island Congressman Peter King (R-N.Y.) asserts is a "backdoor attempt to kill the program."

Currently, the program is administered by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, or NIOSH. It is enshrined in law (the Zadroga Act), and NIOSH has earned high marks from members of both parties.

But Mulvaney's budget separates the WTC health plan from NIOSH and places the two in separate agencies. That is problematic: The WTC program and NIOSH share many employees, and that would shift resources and manpower away from the patients who need it most.

The time it will take for another government agency to get caught up on 83,000 cases would create a bureaucratic nightmare - just imagine the surgeries to be scheduled and medications to be delivered each month. There are 7,000 people in the plan with cancer alone, double what it was two years ago. As King told Newsday, they'd lose "access to all that institutional knowledge, all those doctors, all those scientists that they've been used to all along."

Given this administration's penchant for chaos, we cannot subject these fragile lives to disruptions that only Mulvaney can explain - and he hasn't said anything since the objections started.

Thirty-five members of Congress from the Tri-state area have signed a letter to Mulvaney, demanding that he withdraw his proposal. Rep. Tom MacArthur (R-3rd), whose Burlington/Ocean district suffered about 24 casualties on Sept. 11th, poignantly stated the argument for status quo in just eight words: "When we said, 'Never Forget,'" he wrote, "we meant it."

We must never forget that 168 first responders died from WTC exposure in 2017 alone. That number isn't likely to plateau anytime soon, since the latency period for asbestos-caused diseases is anywhere between 10 and 40 years.

We must also never forget that Lincoln's words are as true today as they were 150 years ago: Any nation that does not honor its heroes will not long endure. The disrespect from a Tea Party drone like Mulvaney cannot stand.

Bookmark NJ.com/Opinion. Follow on Twitter @NJ_Opinion and find NJ.com Opinion on Facebook.As we exited his cab, the taxi driver shook our hands and said, "Thank you for coming here." The hotel clerk smiled and said "We're so glad you are here." The owner of one little shop hugged us and shouted, "You're back! Thank you for coming back."

The people of San Juan, Puerto Rico, were always warm and friendly, but we'd never had a reception like this before.

Friends advised us not to take our usual winter weekend in San Juan. "Pick another island," they said. "Any place else would be better, safer."

Like them, we'd watched the news and knew that five months after hurricane Maria hit the island, hundreds still had no power and many businesses were closed. We knew things wouldn't be exactly the same, but we figured there would still be lovely beaches, warm weather, and cordial people. My daughter and I decided to give it a try.

And we loved it.

Our hotel, the Marriott Courtyard on Isla Verde, was a lucky building that was little damaged by the 155-miles an hour winds. Rescue workers were housed there right afterward, and it looked the same as ever. Except the trees. Stately palms still lined the patio but none had fronds on all four sides. They looked like telephone poles with a few green fingers pointing west.

But new fronds sprouted on every tree. By mid-summer they'll look fine. Wherever we looked Mother Nature was working faster than man to return to normal. But she didn't need skilled labor and supplies delivered by ship.

Next to the Courtyard were high-rise condos with boarded up windows and empty parking lots. The vintage El San Juan and Ritz Carlton Hotels were closed. Workmen said they were undergoing wholesale renovations, not just being repaired.

Some stores were open, right next to others half falling down. At the end of our mile-long walk, we found the Intercontinental Hotel filled with visitors and party-goers. The casino in our hotel pulsed with lights and energy.

The highway between Isla Verde and Old San Juan, as heavily trafficked as usual, was lined with a mix of badly damaged and untouched buildings. Same was true when we reached the tourist shopping avenues of Fortaleza and San Francisco. Merchants open for business told us they had good landlords who gave them a break on the rent while they had no power or phones. They said when other landlords insisted on full rent even though the stores couldn't open, tenants simply abandoned them.

Several of our favorite restaurants were gone but we found others cheerfully repainted and food just as good.

Everyone - cab drivers, waitresses, store clerks, building owners - was eager to talk about how Maria affected them. Most concluded their horrifying tales by shrugging and saying something like, "We survived. My family is okay. We'll recover."

We were stunned by their resilience, industriousness, and optimism.

One shop owner said, "I started 25 years ago with debt and nothing else. Now I have more debt and not much else, but I can start over. I can work more hard. I can make another success." Another said all her employees had fled to the mainland, so she was manning her store alone. "But I have few customers now anyway," she smiled.

We felt bad that so many are still struggling five months after the storm and we felt worse that Washington officials are withholding much of the post-hurricane aid Congress promised their fellow citizens.

The tiny boost our spending vacation dollars in Puerto Rico gave its economy was greatly appreciated, and we never felt better about splurging.

A former Assemblywoman from Jersey City, Joan Quigley is the president and CEO of North Hudson Community Action Corp.

Submit letters to the editor and guest columns at jjletters@jjournal.comBy John DiMaio

Gov. Phil Murphy described the federal cap on state and local tax deductions as a "gut punch" to New Jersey's middle class. Apparently New Jersey's own $10,000 cap on property tax deductions doesn't qualify as a gut-punch because he has rejected the idea of eliminating it.

What Murphy is really saying is that he won't protect the middle-class from gut-punching taxes.

If his position on property taxes is any indication, the middle class should expect his first budget to have brass knuckles.

On Feb. 15 and Feb. 26, 2018, Murphy's Democrats voted against eliminating New Jersey's $10,000 cap on property tax deductions. Essentially, the majority voted against allowing people to deduct their entire property tax bill from their state income tax.

That is a vote against property tax relief for every person who lives in New Jersey.

Yet, in total hypocrisy, the majority subsequently passed do-nothing bills that complain about the new federal cap on state and local tax deductions.

Republicans proposed that we eliminate the cap because it is something that can actually provide relief. It is the common-sense response. If you don't want a cap on property tax deductions, eliminate it.

The same goes for the 2 percent cap on salary increases for police and firefighters, or the majority's refusal to end half-million-dollar checks for public employees who don't use sick time. When Murphy and the Democrats have the chance to support saving New Jerseyans hundreds of dollars on their property tax bill they pass up the chance in complete contradiction to their calls for property tax relief.

Amazingly, Murphy's Democrats don't need to call for anything, they can easily do it - they're the majority! But they don't.

And that is the point. I don't like being lied to and neither does anyone else. It's all just foreshadowing a dangerous budget.

The state's budget is already stretched to the limit and can't afford another $2 billion on a broken school funding formula, or $2.5 billion to fully fund pensions. Of course we could make a full pension payment from savings if public health benefits were made equal to what the average person has, but that won't be considered either.

Raising taxes on businesses and every person who lives in New Jersey is definitely being considered. Right now Senate President Steve Sweeney and Murphy are debating whether to raise taxes on businesses making over a million dollars or people making over a million dollars. They aren't debating increasing and expanding the sales tax, another tax on businesses and increasing the taxes on stockbrokers by 212 percent. Those tax increases seem like a sure thing.

The consistent theme of this budget story is that taxes will increase across the board. And history has shown that New Jersey's nation-high taxes drive people out of the state, forcing those that still live here to pick up the tab for those who moved away. Then, in a vicious cycle, taxes are raised again to help make up the loss.

It's all an effort to pay for spending increases that the state can't afford. If the silver bullet to the state's problems were to throw more money at the problem by raising taxes, New Jersey would be considered the most well managed state in the nation. But the fact is that tax and spend policies don't work, and New Jersey is infamously ranked as having the worst finances in the nation as a result, with the most overtaxed residents in the nation.

Instead of cutting taxes and regulations for businesses and people, Murphy's Democrats raise taxes and increase regulation. Instead of passing bills that would lower property taxes and keep them in control, Murphy's Democrats vote against property tax relief and blow smoke to cover their tracks.

Instead of eliminating programs that don't work and rolling up their sleeves to figure out how to improve our economy and make the state more affordable, they expand those programs and spend more money on them.

Murphy's budget message is coming up on Tuesday. My guess is it will sound like every other speech he has given, broad promises without any specifics or concerns about how taxpayers will afford it all. But taxpayers can't afford it, and that's why more people move out of New Jersey than any other state.

Brace for a gut-punching budget with brass knuckles, because it is coming for your wallets and pocketbooks.

John DiMaio, R-Warren, is a New Jersey assemblyman. He has served as the Republican appropriations officer since 2012. A resident of Hackettstown, he is also a former longtime Warren County freeholder and former mayor of Hackettstown.

Bookmark NJ.com/Opinion. Follow on Twitter @NJ_Opinion and find NJ.com Opinion on Facebook.The relentless attack on the Affordable Care Act - the holy grail in President Trump's govern-by-sabotage fiat - scored its most damaging blow in December, when the Republicans repealed the individual mandate as part of a regressive tax bill.

It was merely one step in the long quest to undermine the ACA by driving up costs and driving down coverage, all packaged as a $300 billion "savings" designed to pay for tax cuts for corporations and billionaires.

That's a problem: If the mandate to buy insurance disappears, 13 million Americans would lose coverage over the next decade, including 300,000 from New Jersey, according to the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office.

The other dire consequences include soaring premiums, higher taxes and this dismal outcome: "The marketplace would descend into a death spiral," Senate Health Committee chairman Joe Vitale, D-Middlesex, predicts.

The only hope is that state governments rush to the rescue within the next three weeks, and the good news is that New Jersey is among several states that are moving to act.

Vitale's "N.J. Health Insurance Market Preservation Act" will restore the mandate and impose a tax penalty that discourages people from "free riding" - or waiting until they need health care to buy insurance - which could cause the state's insurance market to collapse, as health care experts fear.

Those who cannot afford insurance - even with subsidies - can apply for a waiver. But making consumers aware of the options (including the penalties) will help them pay for insurance and bring in a broader range of people, which lowers costs for everyone.

Nine other states are pursuing this course (including red states like Alaska and Wisconsin), and some have experienced decreases in premiums of up to 25 percent, according to Jason Levitis, who led the implementation of the ACA's tax provisions for the Obama Administration.

A second Vitale bill creates a reinsurance fund that covers the cost of expensive claims. It would be funded by the feds and by the opt-out penalties.

But our Legislature must move quickly, because insurers - largely on board with both bills - have to set their 2019 rates by September.

From his budget belvedere, the hawkish Sen. Declan O'Scanlon, R-Monmouth, cut to the chase: "This will actually reduce costs for the responsible people who want to pay for insurance in the state of New Jersey," he said. "So I'm voting for it."

He also knows what happens if this bill doesn't pass.

Premiums would rise 11 percent, making insurance unaffordable for many middle-class families, Levitis says.

The state would lose billions in federal Medicaid funds and premium subsidies.

Taxpayers would get smacked with a bigger bill for charity care payments to hospitals, because those uninsured laggards cannot be turned away at the local ER.

And, yes, 92,000 New Jerseyans will lose coverage in 2019, according to the Urban Institute, with 200,000 more left out over the next decade.

This won't be the last dragon to slay, of course. The most powerful man in Congress believes that the "fatal conceit" of Obamacare is that "the people who are healthy pay for the people who are sick."

One hopes Paul Ryan has since been told that cross-subsidization from healthy and sick people is how almost every insurance scheme works, and that there is scant evidence of high-risk pool alternatives ever working. That leaves one solution when our leaders try to blow up the system: You mandate the purchase of insurance locally.

Only 560,000 New Jersey adults lack coverage now - the number of uninsured was three times larger before the ACA took effect. It's the best proof that Obamacare was working in our state, and it's worth fighting for.

Bookmark NJ.com/Opinion. Follow on Twitter @NJ_Opinion and find NJ.com Opinion on Facebook.Jake Arrieta finally found a deal he liked.

The free agent ace and the Philadelphia Phillies have reached agreement on a three-year contract, two people familiar with the decision told The Associated Press.

Both people spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity Sunday because the deal, reportedly worth $75 million, is pending a physical. Arrieta is joining the Phillies just 2 1/2 weeks before opening day.

The 32-year-old Arrieta was among several top free agents who didn't get a contract for six or seven seasons in a changing market. The Phillies, who have plenty of money to spend, waited until the price was right for them.

Arrieta won the 2015 NL Cy Young Award with the Chicago Cubs and helped them win the World Series the next season. The right-hander was 14-10 with a 3.53 ERA last year.

The Phillies went 66-96 and finished last in the NL East, and haven't had a winning season since 2011. But they've added veteran slugger Carlos Santana, Arrieta and quality relievers to a young nucleus that could show considerable improvement.By Samantha Marcus | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

Last week we sorted through New Jersey's latest property tax data to show you the 30 towns with the highest average property tax bills. Here, we look at the 30 towns with the lowest average property tax bills.

Of course, average property tax bills are just one way to compare municipalities' property tax burdens. Unlike the tax rate, the average tax bills also factors in property values. But it gives you a good idea of what people are really paying.

The average homeowners in all of these towns are paying well below the state average, $8,690.

There are a couple of new municipalities on this year's list. Vineland and West Wildwood dropped off the lowest property tax list this time.

Here are the 30 municipalities with the lowest tax bills in New Jersey.

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Peter Genovese | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

30. Millville

Millville is new to the list in 2017 and the first of six Cumberland County communities to land spots. Homeowners there paid, on average, $4,185 in property taxes last year.

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(Cindy Hepner | South Jersey Times)

29. Shiloh Borough

This Cumberland County borough's average property tax bill, $4,174, lands it in the No. 29 spot for lowest in New Jersey.

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28. Middle Township

Middle Township is the first of six Cape May locales to make the list. The township's average property tax bill in 2017 was $4,170.

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27. Berkeley Township

Berkeley Township broke into the bottom 30 in 2017. Its average property tax bill increased by just $28 from 2016 to 2017, when it rang up at $4,149 for these Ocean County taxpayers.

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26. Montague Township

Montague Township  one of two Sussex County municipalities to make the list each year  clocked in at $4,097.

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25. Manchester Township

Residential property taxpayers in Manchester Township in Ocean County paid an average of $4,070.

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24. Cape May Point

The average property tax bill in Cape May Point, Cape May County, was $4,035 last year.

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23. Fairfield Township

Tax bills in Fairfield Township, Cumberland County, averaged $4,020.

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22. Paulsboro Borough

Paulsboro is the only Gloucester County community to make the list, with an average real estate tax bill of $3,988.

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21. Washington Township

Washington Township, Burlington County, moved up 8 spots from No. 29 in 2016 with the help of a $145 drop in the average tax bill, which now stands at $3,948.

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20. Folsom Borough

This Atlantic County borough's residents paid an average of $3,909 in property taxes last year.

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19. Lower Township

At $3,900, this Cape May County's average tax bill ranks 19th-lowest of New Jersey's 565 municipalities. It's just $9 lower than Folsom's tab.

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18. Wrightstown Borough

Homeowners here in Wrightstown, in Burlington County, paid, on average, $3,799 last year. Their average bill fell $135 from 2016.

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17. North Wildwood

This Jersey Shore city in Cape May County had an average property tax bill of $3,778.

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16. Pemberton Township

In Pemberton Township, Burlington County, the average real estate tax bill was $3,669 in 2017, a $42 increase over 2016.

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15. Corbin

Corbin is the second of two Atlantic County municipalities to land on this list. Homeowners there paid, on average, $3,613

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14. Winfield

Winfield is the only Union County municipality on our list. Its average tax bill was $3,530.

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13. Pemberton Borough

Not to be confused with Pemberton Township, this borough in Burlington County had an average property tax bill of $3,384.

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12. Downe Township

In this Cumberland County township, the average real estate tax bill was $3,238, a $12 drop from 2016.

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(Cindy Hepner | South Jersey Times)

11. Bridgeton

The average property tax bill in this Cumberland County city was $3,146.

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10. Salem

This Salem County city moved all the way from the No. 17 spot in 2016 to No. 10 in 2017, thanks to a $611 reduction in the average property tax bill. In 2017, that bill was $3,126, compared with $3,737 in 2016.

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9. Trenton

New Jersey's capital has the ninth-lowest average property tax bills in New Jersey. It came in at 15th in 2016, but a more than $500 drop in the average tax bill  from $3,648 to $3,110  gave it a boost.

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8. Dennis Township

In Dennis Township, Cape May County, the average real estate tax bill was $2,932.

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(Matt Gray | For NJ.com)

7. Commercial Township

In Commercial Township, Cumberland Township, the average residential property tax bill will set you back just $2,506.

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6. Audubon Park Borough

The average property tax bill in this Camden County was just $2,396 in 2017, a $125 drop from 2016.

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(Britney Lillya | South Jersey Times)

5. Lower Alloways Creek

The average property tax bill in Lower Alloways Creek, Salem County, was $2,086 last year, a $74 increase over 2016.

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4. Teterboro

Once again, Teterboro Borough is the only Bergen County community to make the list. Taxpayers there paid, on average, $1,972 in 2017. The next lowest bill in Bergen County can be found in East Rutherford, where the average bill was $6,568.

Teterboro's population is just 86, according to the American Community Survey's five-year estimates.

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3. Woodbine

Woodbine, in Cape May County, sat in the No. 2 spot in 2016 but ranks No. 3 in our latest list. In 2016, the average homeowner paid $1,783. In 2017, that homeowner paid $1,892, or $109 more.

Nearly seventy cents of every dollar paid goes to schools.

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(Greg Adomaitis | For NJ.com)

2. Camden

Camden lost out on the top spot last year, despite just a $76 increase in the average tax bill, which is now $1,665.

Municipal taxes account for almost 54 percent of the tax bill, while the county accounts for nearly 32 percent. The school district accounts for just 14.5 percent, as the Camden City School District is highly dependent on state aid.

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(Tim Farrell | The Star-Ledger)

1. Walpack

A 30 percent drop in the average tax bill shot this Sussex County township from third-lowest in New Jersey in 2016 to lowest in 2017.

The average bill fell by $551, from $1,828 to $1,277.

Tiny Walpack has just 4 residents, according to the American Community Survey's 2016 5-year estimate.

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Read more on New Jersey property taxes

Here are the 30 N.J. towns with the highest property taxes

N.J. moves on plan to save your property tax break

Which N.J. counties have the highest, lowest property taxes?

N.J. property taxes hit a record high in 2017. See the numbers for your town.

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Samantha Marcus may be reached at smarcus@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @samanthamarcus. Find NJ.com Politics on Facebook.NJ Transit -- plagued by a drop in ridership, faced with the need to hire more workers, and under threat of a potential fare hike to keep the buses and trains on schedule -- could be a big winner in Gov. Phil Murphy's first state budget.

"We're making a major statement about funding NJ Transit," Murphy said Monday on NJ 101.5 radio, a day before he unveils his first proposed budget.

Murphy didn't elaborate on his pending announcement. The governor's office is being tightlipped on the budget before he unveils it at the Statehouse in Trenton at 2 p.m. Tuesday.

The governor has referred to NJ Transit a "national disgrace" and vowed to make over the troubled agency. He signed an executive order in January that called for an audit the organization.

"This agency must be boiled down to its essentials and put back together again," Murphy said at the time. "Our goal must be a new New Jersey Transit."

Last year, then-candidate Murphy proposed what he called "multi-hundred-million-dollar proposal" to fix NJ Transit. At that time, he didn't rule out instituting a new tax as a dedicated funding source for the agency to put the brakes on fare increases.

In January, NJ Transit's executive director told lawmakers the agency needs to hire more rail, safety and maintenance employees and boost non-union employees's salaries to keep them from taking other jobs. The call for added expenses for new hires came months after NJ Transit took a $25 million hit from a cut in ridership tied to construction at Penn Station.

The squeeze has sparked speculation of a spike in fares, which would no doubt prompt fierce opposition from riders who already pay the highest fares in the nation.

Matt Arco may be reached at marco@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @MatthewArco or Facebook.Thousands attended Somerville's annual St. Patrick's Day parade, held under clear skies on Sunday.

The first parade on record in the Somerset County seat was held in 1984, according to organizers, who said attendance has grown to close to 30,000 in recent years. Some 150 organizations were scheduled to march on Sunday.

This year's Grand Marshall was Finbarr Kirby, who was born and raised in Cork City, Ireland.A Linden man has been indicted in the fatal shooting of a 27-year-old city resident late last year, prosecutors announced Monday.

Shansey Abernathy. (Union County Prosecutor's Office)

In a statement, the Union County Prosecutor's Office said the three-count indictment charges Shansey Abernathy, 23, with first-degree murder and two related second-degree weapons offenses in the death of Alphonso Pearson.

Authorities said Pearson was found suffering from a gunshot wound to the chest shortly after 12:45 p.m. on Dec. 20, 2017, outside his home in the 800 block of Cleveland Avenue. He later was pronounced dead at Trinitas Regional Medical Center in Elizabeth.

The prosecutor's office said Abernathy was identified as a suspect in the shooting after an investigation by multiple law enforcement agencies in the county. He turned himself in the day after the shooting.

Authorities have asked anyone with information about the case to contact Homicide Task Force Lt. Jose Vendas at 908-358-3048 or Detective Lamar Hartsfield at 908-451-1873.

It was not immediately clear Monday afternoon whether Abernathy had 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.

Have a tip? Tell us. nj.com/tipsWith the plays of Tennessee Williams filling local stages, March roars into the theater scene not like a lion but as a flock of birds, to use one of the playwright's favorite allegorical images. Ever since the advent of the Tennessee Williams/New Orleans Literary Festival some three decades ago, a growing slate of works by the city's favorite dramatist have been produced each year in the month of his birth.

They have ranged from lesser-known pieces to repeated revivals of his three greatest successes: "The Glass Menagerie," "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof," and, of course, "A Streetcar Named Desire."

The centerpiece of this year's festival is a major production of "Streetcar" presented by Le Petit Theatre du Vieux Carre. While "Streetcar" is among the greatest (if not the greatest) American dramas of the 20th century, producing the iconic play at the venerable French Quarter theater inherently adds a degree of importance - even magic - that cannot be realized on any other stage in the world. Located only a few doors down from the apartment in which Williams wrote the play, Le Petit cannot help but exude the atmosphere of the Quarter that the playwright sought to capture.

Sadly, however, beset by missed opportunities and bad casting choices among the leading roles, the current production fails to live up to the visceral impact of its setting. It achieves something that one would have hardly thought possible with "Streetcar." It makes the play dull.

What:

The story of Blanche DuBois and her fateful visit to the French Quarter home of her sister, Stella, and brother-in-law Stanley Kowalski, needs no introduction. Indeed, perhaps that is the greatest challenge in producing a play that is so often performed, as well as being so well-known by its quintessential film adaptation.

It is, therefore, up to the cast and director to reveal the work anew. Director Maxwell Williams gives the audience a straightforward reading of the script that takes no chances, but also reveals no new insights. His chief mistake is in the casting of the three leads. They are simply not believable in the roles.

For reasons that surpass understanding, in recent years Beth Bartley has become the darling of the Tennessee Williams festival circuit (which has become an industry unto itself), playing a number of the playwright's leading roles. From the moment of her entrance in this show, however, she gives a cartoonish performance in the central role of Blanche. As her Southern belle accent comes and goes, her emoting doesn't only play to the back of the house, it plays all the way to Elysian Fields and beyond. Her Blanche is strident and wholly unsympathetic.

Bartley's early scenes with Stella are exercises in such broad overacting that they would put a 19th-century melodramatist to shame. Meanwhile, moments that call for genuine emotion, such as her telling Mitch of her youthful marriage and its tragic results, are glossed over with little feeling. As a result, Bartley never truly conveys the impact of Blanche's descent into the moral abyss that leads her to New Orleans and her eventual breakdown.

At the other extreme, Elizabeth McCoy plays Stella with little genuine emotion, creating a boring character that would be more at home in a millennial single-girl TV sitcom. Neither victim nor villain, McCoy's less-than-involved performance has Stella come across as slightly more than a bystander to it all.

Curtis Billings gives a serviceable reading as Stanley, but he presents him as a blue-collar guy who works hard and plays hard and is just a bit rough around the edges. The indications of his feral and brutal nature rarely come through with any veracity. In addition, Billings and McCoy share little chemistry. The raw passion that holds them together, even after the horrific attack on Blanche, is rarely in evidence.

The featured roles generally fare better. Paul Whitty brings satisfying layers to his performance as Mitch, the shy lunk who could have been Blanche's safety net. Troi Bechet and Zeb Hollins scream a lot as the bellowing upstairs neighbors. James Howard Wright adds touching dignity as the doctor in the final scene. Other passable supporting work is seen from John Fitzpatrick, Xavier Juarez, Tracy Norwood, and Mona Nasrawi.

The production looks quite good with costumes by Kaci Thomassie and moody lighting by Joey Moro. Nicholas Hussong's projections, subtly depicting a growing decay, are effective. Kevin O'Donnell's music provides pleasing transitions.

The ramshackle set by Jean Kim evokes the slum-like atmosphere of the Quarter of the time, but also leads to some missed opportunities. The sole dramatic reason that the staircase from the Hubbells' apartment exists, for example, is for Stella to slink down and melt into Stanley's arms after he famously cries out for her after the drunken poker night brawl. Here, instead, she ambles across the too-long walkway before clopping down the staircase. Any sense of torrid passion is kaput.

While Le Petit has in years past presented productions of this play that have provided searing evenings of theater, there is, I'm sad to say, little to desire from this "Streetcar."Carol Imelda Balthazar, a social worker and business consultant whose excitement over brightly lighted buildings motivated her to start an electrical distributorship that developed a nationwide list of clients, died Friday (March 9) of lung cancer at Lambeth House. She was 66.

A native of Cane River who moved east after graduating from Xavier University in 1972, Ms. Balthazar underwent a life-changing experience when she returned to New Orleans for a visit in 1987, her sister, Faustina Balthazar, said.

"One day, while driving past well-lit buildings, she decided, 'I am going to sell lights!' And she was off!" Faustina Balthazar said.

That epiphany led to the creation of Balthazar Electriks Inc. in 1993. Ms. Balthazar's brainchild, a wholesale electrical distributorship, offers electrical supplies and equipment for large and small public and private construction jobs, as well as redevelopment projects.

Before she started Balthazar Electriks, she had established a consulting practice - Orr, Balthazar, DaCosta & Orr - devoted to corporate social responsibility.

She put this experience to work, her sister said, as she saw the difficulties that women- and minority-owned businesses were facing. In response to that problem, she and Karin Hopkins formed RiverWorks Inc., which developed a directory of businesses and initiatives with the goal of getting historically disadvantaged included in projects big and small.

Ms. Balthazar, who had been active in the Chamber of Commerce, the New Orleans Regional Black Chamber of Commerce and the New Orleans African-American Chamber of Commerce, stepped up her work on behalf of inclusion after Hurricane Katrina, her sister said.

This led to the formation of The Collaborative, which was designed to heighten the business community's awareness of women- and minority-owned companies in awarding contracts.

"We are not about restating the obvious," Ms. Balthazar said, "but about fighting for solutions for all minority businesses."

She was born on Aug. 1, 1951, to Carroll "Boo" Balthazar and Frances "Foo" Sers Balthazar. She headed to New Orleans after finishing high school in 1968.

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She majored in sociology at Xavier and earned a master's degree in social work at Atlanta University (now Clark Atlanta University). While teaching social work at Grambling State University, Ms. Balthazar earned an internship in New York City in 1973 to be a consultant to Metropolitan Life Insurance Co. A year later, she was named the Equitable Life Assurance Society's director of corporate social responsibility.

While working full-time in New York, Ms. Balthazar earned a master's degree in business administration at Pace University.

Even though Ms. Balthazar had spent much of her career in cities, she turned her hand to farming after her father died in 2003.

It wasn't that far-fetched, her sister said. The two siblings are in the third generation of a family that has worked a 200-acre spread near Natchitoches, where the crops include cotton, pecans and soybeans. Her cousins took on the day-to-day chores, and Ms. Balthazar was a coordinator, her sister said.

Ms. Balthazar was a former vice chairwoman of the Chamber of Commerce New Orleans Council, a former board secretary for Louisiana Art Works of the Arts Council of New Orleans and a founding board member of Each One Save One, a mentoring program.

In addition to Ms. Balthazar's sister, who lives in Mercerville, N.J., survivors include cousins.

A Mass will be said at 11:30 a.m. Thursday (March 15) at St. Augustine Catholic Church, 1210 Gov. Nicholls St. Visitation will begin at 9:30 a.m.

A second Mass will be said at noon Saturday (March 17) at St. Augustine Catholic Church in Cane River. Visitation will begin at 10 a.m.

Burial will be in the St. Augustine Catholic Church Mausoleum.

Duplain W. Rhodes Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.A 32-year-old man confessed to police that he killed his 73-year-old grandmother -- a woman NOPD says was found shot dead Sunday (March 11) and "wrapped in plastic" inside her Little Woods home, according to a warrant for the man's arrest.

Police arrested Ernest Richardson and booked him on a charge of second-degree murder as they investigated the Little Woods scene in the 10200 block of Brookfield Drive. The Orleans Parish Coroner's Office on Monday identified the woman who was killed as Beverly Wilkerson. Coroner Dr. Jeffrey Rouse's office said she died of gunshot wounds.

Earlier: Homicide reported in Little Woods on Sunday

The warrant states someone called police about 11:40 a.m. Sunday from a location in Uptown's Milan neighborhood and said there was a man there who said "that he had killed his grandmother." The address listed in the warrant for the location from where police were called matches that of Historic Second Baptist Church, 2505 Marengo Street. That church's pastor, the Rev. Robert Jackson, told NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune police came there to arrest Richardson on Sunday.

Officers went to the church to talk to Richardson at the same time other officers went to the Brookfield address and discovered Wilkerson's body, states the warrant, sworn by NOPD Homicide Detective Clinton Givens.

After he was read his Miranda Rights, including his right to remain silent, the warrant states, Richardson "confessed to shooting Beverly Wilkerson, and subsequently wrapping her body in plastic inside her residence during the early morning hours of Sunday."

Jackson said Richardson appeared "distraught" as he attended a Sunday church service. Jackson said he prayed for Richardson and asked other congregants to pray for him and for Richardson's family.

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"He was in need of prayer," Jackson said. Richardson and the pastor were praying together, Jackson said, "when the police arrived." Jackson said Richardson did not personally tell him that he had killed his grandmother. He did not say who called police.

Richardson attended the Marengo Street church growing up, Jackson said, and the pastor knew him and some of his family members.

"It's a difficult time," Jackson said.

When officers arrived at the church to talk with Wilkerson, they located a 2008 silver Toyota Camry and later learned the car belonged to Wilkerson, the warrant states. Richardson later told police he took his grandmother's car from her home that morning.

At Richardson's first appearance hearing Monday in Orleans Criminal Court, Orleans Parish Magistrate Judge Harry Cantrell set his bond at $350,000. Assistant District Attorney Michael Henn read the warrant aloud in court, and Cantrell appointed the Orleans Public Defender's Office to represent Richardson.

Court records show Richardson's attorney filed a paperwork related to Richardson's "constitutional rights against interrogations," but the online court records do not elaborate on what the motion sought.

New Orleans murder map 2018A LaPlace woman, who authorities in St. John the Baptist Parish say threw a pot of hot cooking oil on another woman, is facing a murder charge because the victim has died. Stacey Sylvester, 56, was arrested Feb. 26 and initially booked with aggravated second-degree battery.

Those charges were upgraded on Friday after the victim, identified as 50-year-old Alena Populis, died as a result of the hot cooking oil attack, the Sheriff's Office announced Monday (March 12).

Deputies were called to the 1700 block of Creole Street shortly before 7 a.m. on Feb. 26 in response to a reported battery. They found Populis sitting on the floor near the front door with severe burns on her face, left shoulder and legs, according to a Sheriff's Office news release.

Populis told deputies that Sylvester, who was a friend of hers, came to her house and attacked her with the oil. The two women had argued the previous night, Populis said.

Populis was taken to a hospital burn unit in Baton Rouge. She died March 5, according to authorities.

Sylvester was arrested shortly after the incident and authorities say she confessed to her involvement. She is being held in the parish jail under a $485,000 bond.

enhanced linkNew Orleans police on Monday morning (March 12) were looking for a 20-year-old man they say threatened to shoot University of New Orleans students.

-- 10:18 a.m. update: Nicholas Heard has been arrested

UNO student Nicholas Heard is wanted on a terrorizing charge after NOPD said he threatened to "shoot several people on campus." NOPD did not say if authorities believe he is armed.

University of New Orleans officials canceled all classes until 5 p.m. Monday and urged staff not to come to campus in response to the threats made Sunday night, according to Adam Norris, the university's chief communication officer.

Ben Franklin High School was also closed Monday, according to Head of School Dr. Patrick Widhalm.

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Heard, who lives in on-campus housing, made "threats of violence" against two other students, according to a UNO Police Department message to students, faculty and staff. Authorities did not provide any information about his possible motive.

Students and staff were asked to stay off campus until police determine there is no longer a threat.

The message noted police will be stationed around campus and near all entrances and exits. Students who live on campus should remain in their rooms.

Anyone with information about Heard's location is asked to contact Third District detectives at 658-6030 or call Crimestoppers anonymously at 504-822-1111 or at 1-877-903-7867.

--

NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune reporter Marie Simoneaux contributed to this story.A 14-year-old New Orleans student on Saturday (March 10) became one of the latest to face charges after police say the student posted several threats against ReNEW Dolores T. Aaron Academy on Curran Boulevard.

The school shooting threat, discovered Friday, forms one of more than 106 such threats made toward Louisiana schools since the Feb. 14 shooting that killed 17 students and teachers at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla., according to the FBI's New Orleans Field Office and the Louisiana State Police.

New Orleans area schools have been the targets of a number of threats in the wake of the Florida mass shooting, forcing school closures and resulting in arrests.

On Monday, classes at the University of New Orleans were canceled until 5 p.m. and staff were urged to avoid campus in response to threats made Sunday night. UNO student Nicholas Heard was arrested Monday morning on a terrorizing charge after NOPD said he threatened to "shoot several people on campus," police said.

The local increase is part of a national trend that has seen "an overwhelming increase in threats to schools across the country" during the past month, the FBI and state police said in a Monday news release.

"In every case, first-responders addressed all reports with the utmost sense of urgency," the news release states.

More than 60 people in Louisiana -- ranging in age from 11 to 28, but mostly juveniles -- have been arrested in connection with the 100-plus calls threatening school violence, according to authorities.

Most have been charged with terrorizing, which carries penalties of up to 15 years in prison, a $15,000 fine or both.

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Locally, some students have also been charged with disruption of the operation of a school.

The 14-year-old arrested in Friday's threats against ReNEW Dolores T. Aaron Academy, whose identity and gender was not disclosed by the NOPD, was booked Saturday with both terrorizing and disruption of the operation of a school. Monday afternoon, the student remained at the Orleans Parish juvenile jail.

On Friday, ReNEW Delores T. Aaron Academy increased security at its 10200 Curran Boulevard campus in response to the threat.

"School threats are being taken seriously, and a zero tolerance policy is in place," according to the FBI and state police release. "All threats will generate law enforcement response, leading to an immediate investigation, to include swift and severe criminal charges."

In cases involving social media, arrestees could also face federal charges, including charges of threatening interstate communications, which can result in up to five years in prison, officials said.

In addition, if investigators find that a false school threat has been intentionally reported, prosecution will be considered, authorities said.

The FBI and state police urge the public to immediately report all suspected school threats or similar threats. Officials have stressed that students, parents and others should report such threats directly to law-enforcement agencies and avoid spreading the threats on social media.

Anyone with additional information on Friday's threat against ReNEW Dolores T. Aaron Academy is asked to call NOPD 7th District officers at 504-658-6070.A man who served 11 years in prison for a horrible crime he didn't commit and the rape survivor and police officer who helped put him there will share with New Orleans Police Department leaders this week what they have learned about the toll of eyewitness misidentification.

Ronald Cotton and Jennifer Thompson, the wrongly accused man and the woman who mistakenly identified him, have spoken publicly together about their experiences in North Carolina that started with a 1984 rape at knifepoint and later Cotton's 1995 exoneration through DNA evidence. They are among the speakers at a two-day symposium on police investigations, which starts Monday (March 12), that the NOPD is hosting along with Innocence Project New Orleans.

NOPD spokesman Beau Tidwell and Innocence Project Director Emily Maw said the symposium is "designed to look at pressures and factors that can cause investigative failures or weaknesses (the results of which are cold cases, insufficient evidence to prosecute or a wrongful arrest and conviction) where they come from, how they affect investigations and how leadership and investigators can guard against them in order to solve the most crime, most accurately."

Attending the training will be nearly 50 department leaders, including NOPD's 14-member command staff, all deputy chiefs, 11 lieutenants and 12 sergeants, Tidwell said.

The Innocence Project New Orleans is a nonprofit that represents imprisoned clients in court who the group believes were wrongly convicted. It first partnered with the NOPD in 2016, with a detectives training program for recruits in the department's academy. Those trainings have continued, Tidwell and Maw said, and the symposium geared toward the department's higher-ups builds on those efforts.

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Cotton and Thompson became friends after they met two years after Cotton's release from prison. They began speaking together publicly about the failures of the criminal justice system in their case, and the role of apology and forgiveness, according to a website for a book they coauthored, "Picking Cotton."

Thompson is also the founder and president of the Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit, Healing Justice, which has "focused on recovery and healing for those harmed by wrongful convictions," the organization's website states.

Mike Gauldin, the police officer who worked Thompson's rape case and showed her the photo line-up that included Cotton, will speak alongside Thompson and Cotton Monday morning at the Hampton Inn and Suites on Convention Center Boulevard.

"While other departments have partnered with outside agencies to consider best practices in certain areas of investigation work, this is the first time a police department has put together an in-depth program for leadership designed to examine the course and quality of an entire investigation, the mindset of good detective work, how leaders can promote, support and protect the highest quality investigation work and how we learn from mistakes and failures so that we can solve more serious crimes accurately," Tidwell and Maw said in an email.Ivy Wilson Terrell returned to her Algiers home after a long day at work last week to find red and blue lights flashing from a New Orleans Police Department camera within feet of her front door.

"I thought 'You have got to be kidding me. This cannot be in front of my house,'" Terrell said.

The red and blue lights at the corner of Opelousas and Whitney avenues now beam into Terrell's home at all hours. She keeps the blinds closed, but the rays still pierce through into her bedroom, living room and daughter's bedroom. And she's uncomfortable about the idea of having surveillance so close to her front door.

Terrell likely won't be the last New Orleanian to come home to find one of the city's new crime cameras nearby. Officials are continuing to install the cameras around the city, targeting not just commercial areas and intersections, but also "hotspots" in residential areas.

The cameras are a key part of Mayor Mitch Landrieu's $40 million plan to improve public safety in New Orleans. When speaking about the cameras and the new crime monitoring center in November, Landrieu was blunt about his views on government surveillance.

"If you're in the public, you do not have an expectation of privacy, and that's been black-letter constitutional law for some period of time," he was quoted as having said by The New Orleans Advocate.

Terrell is on board for hotspots in popular areas such as Bourbon Street, but thinks the move into neighborhoods crosses the line.

"It is reasonable to expect privacy in our own homes and yards, but now, at any moment, I could be watched by who knows who," she said.

When asked about Terrell's privacy concerns, both Beau Tidwell, NOPD communications director, and Homeland Security Director, Aaron Miller, told a NOLA.com | Times-Picayune reporter that residents concerned about the positioning of a camera can contact the city.

"We hope to come to a good consensus about it. They are designed to ensure public safety and we don't want to give the impression that we are trying to look into anybody's things," Miller said.

Miller said he has previously sent technicians back to shift cameras that appeared to be aimed directly at private residences. He said last week that the city is currently planning for a total of 250 to 275 cameras.

Terrell plans to reach out to the city in hopes of moving the camera away from her house. Yet, she said she still finds the lack of initial communication from the city unsettling.

"I had absolutely no idea that it was happening," she said. "There was never any discussion or forum with the people who would be closely affected by these cameras."

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Tidwell said keeping information about new cameras' locations under wraps is a necessary part of the public safety plan.

"We never discuss the details of tactical operations," Tidwell said. "The placement is decided by commanders in each district and doesn't go by residents."

"Hot spot" locations are determined by police commanders from districts throughout the city, who base their recommendations and requests off of data and crime logs. The Department of Homeland Security then looks to see if installation is possible from a technical standpoint, Miller said.

But Terrell said she doesn't buy that explanation. After all, the location of cameras becomes readily apparent once the camera's red and blue beacons illuminate the night.

"If you're trying to have a public resource meant to show that it is always on and monitoring, why keep it secret until installation?" she wondered.

Miller said the cameras have flashing lights in order to make the placement of the cameras overt and deter crime.

"We're not trying to play gotcha with anybody," he said. "It informs and adds a deterrent effect similar to when officers will put on their blue light during crime patrols."

While New Orleans' independent police monitor has expressed concerns about the camera's effectiveness in improving public safety, Miller believes the cameras are a valuable crime fighting tool. According to data provided by Miller, police have used footage provided by the Real Time Crime Center in 148 cases since the program's start in November. Police used footage captured by a crime camera to investigate a shooting in the Fairgrounds neighborhood in February.

The New Orleans City Council has deferred voting on a proposed plan to require all businesses that sell alcohol to install security cameras that stream to the real-time monitoring center.

In December, the ACLU lambasted the city's use of police cameras as government surveillance "on steroids," warning that the program could harm relations between the community and police if not revised.

In Terrell's case, it may be too late.

"Right now, it is very much a 1984, Big Brother situation," she lamented. "If the city really wanted to improve public safety, they should talk to the public in the neighborhoods."Fox aired a special on Sunday, March 11, called "O.J. Simpson: The Lost Confession?", and it has social media buzzing. Simpson was speaking to Judith Regan in a 2006 interview that Fox said was "lost" on the network's lot, and in it, Simpson gives what the network describes as a "hypothetical account" and "disturbing" details about the night Simpson's ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson was stabbed to death in June 1994.

In the video, Simpson pauses from describing the moments before Brown and her friend Ronald Goldman were murdered. "I really can't do more of this," he says, repeatedly.

Simpson was acquitted of the murders in a criminal trial, but later was found liable in a civil trial.

Hosted by Soledad O'Brien, the New York Times reports that "The Lost Confession" includes clips from the interview with new commentary from a panel that included Regan, Christopher Darden (the lawyer who helped prosecute the original case), Jim Clemente (a retired FBI profiler), Rita Smith (a spokeswoman for the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence), and Eve Shakti Chen (a friend of Brown).

The New York Times reports that throughout the interview, Simpson is referring to the "hypothetical" confession in the book "If I Did It."

"In the six minutes in which he talks about the murders, he describes being on the scene with a friend named Charlie -- whom the panel believes was just a voice inside his head. It's all very odd," the Times wrote.

When "Simpson describes grabbing a knife ('I do remember that part,' he says), and recalls seeing copious amounts of blood, it doesn't sound all that hypothetical," the Times writes. "The interview goes on to cover the aftermath of the crime -- including the infamous Bronco chase -- and Ms. Regan's questioning about what was going through Mr. Simpson's mind at that time keeps steering him toward explaining his feelings of anger, frustration, depression and yes, guilt."

See the full New York Times story here.It took only seconds for a tugboat that sank in the Mississippi River between Chalmette and Algiers to be completely submerged under the surface of the swollen river, said a man who witnessed it on Monday (March 12).

"It went down very, very, very quickly," said Ron Campana II, who provided NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune with videos capturing the scene after the boat sank. The U.S. Coast Guard said one man was rescued Monday after the tugboat sank, and two others were missing. Several agencies are investigating the matter.

Campana, a port captain whose duties include inspecting and surveying cargo vessels, was on a vessel just ahead of the tugboat that sank, he said.

The barge the tugboat was attempting to maneuver appeared as if it "got caught up in this current," which then "snatched that barge and tried to pull it around to the starboard side," Campana said. The New Orleans Fire Department said the boat sank following a collision near the 4600 block of Patterson Drive in Algiers.

The tugboat was then dragged over another vessel's anchor chains, Campana said, and "pitched toward the bow and rolled directly bow-down into the river." A nearby tugboat helped secure the barge that the sunken tugboat had been pushing when Campana said he noticed a man overboard.

"There was debris all over the river. He had gray hair and it stood out against that orange life ring," he said.

Three times, Campana said, he threw a rope to the man, who Campana learned was the tugboat's captain, but he was unable to reach him. He said he then used a gaff - a long pole with a hook at its end - to help pull the man toward a nearby tugboat, where he was then pulled on board that boat.

"It took him 45 seconds to a minute to talk," said Campana. Then the captain who had gone overboard told his rescuers there were two others on board and that one of them had been sleeping.

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Campana said he and others searched downriver for "a good hour," and saw several life vests on the West Bank side of the river, "but nobody in them." While trying to reach the tugboat captain who was in the river, he said, he got about halfway in the water, himself.

"The water is freezing cold," Campana said.

The Coast Guard said the agency received a call about the sinking tugboat about 9:45 a.m. The river was closed Monday from mile marker 89 to 90.5 as a search for the missing people continued. The sunken tugboat, named Natalie Jean, was carrying an estimated 600 gallons of fuel, the agency said.

Conditions on the river have been especially difficult in recent days and weeks because of the rising river level. The National Weather Service said the river is projected to reach flood stage -- a water level of 17 feet or more -- at the Carrollton gauge in New Orleans by Tuesday morning and remain at or above that threshold for about a week. The agency issued a flood warning for the New Orleans area related to the rising river. Flood walls protect the city of New Orleans to water levels of 20 feet. The gauge measures the elevation of the river's surface from the mouth of the river, which hovers at sea level.

Monday's wind gusts added to the already difficult conditions, he said. Campana said he fell in the river nearly a decade ago. He recalled how treacherous the currents were then.

"There are currents every meter, all the way down to the bottom that run in whirlpools, all kinds of ways," he said.

The Corps on Thursday (March 8) opened the Bonnet Carre to relieve pressure from the levees.

"The river's dangerous any time of the year," said Campana. "But right now, the river will accept no mistakes."New Orleans police said the 20-year-old man accused of threatening to shoot University of New Orleans students was arrested Monday morning (March 12).

UNO student Nicholas Heard was wanted on a terrorizing charge after NOPD said he threatened to "shoot several people on campus."

University of New Orleans officials canceled all classes until 5 p.m. Monday and urged staff not to come to campus in response to the threats made Sunday night, according to Adam Norris, the university's chief communication officer.

Ben Franklin High School was also closed Monday, according to Head of School Dr. Patrick Widhalm.

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Heard, who lives in on-campus housing, made "threats of violence" against two other students, according to a UNO Police Department message to students, faculty and staff. Authorities did not provide any information about his possible motive.

Students and staff were asked to stay off campus until police determine there is no longer a threat.

The message noted police will be stationed around campus and near all entrances and exits. Students who live on campus should remain in their rooms.

University of New Orleans officials tweeted Monday's classes would resume after 5 p.m. Ben Franklin officials said Sunday night they planned to reopen for after-school activities.

Staff reporter Carlie Wells contributed to this story.The Jefferson Parish School Board is holding a special meeting Tuesday (March 13) to vote on a contract for Cade Brumley, who has been hired to oversee the district as its new superintendent. Brumley is set to make $269,000 a year under the 2.5-year contract, which is still being finalized.

Jefferson School Board President Mark Morgan said Brumley would start two weeks after the contract has been signed if it is approved. The contract also includes an option to extend the agreement past the 2.5-year mark.

"He's got all the potential in the world and he's motivated and he's excited," Morgan said. "He brings energy to the school system that I have not seen in my 13 years on the board."

Former schools superintendent Isaac Joseph was paid around $200,000 a year. The board chose earlier this year not to renew Joseph's contract, kicking off a search for someone to replace him.

The board unanimously approved Brumley for the Jefferson Parish position at a March 5 meeting after nearly three hours of discussion that at times veered acrimonious. Several board members and some Jefferson teachers felt the search process had been rushed.

Brumley, who currently serves as schools superintendent in DeSoto Parish, was the only candidate interviewed after a second candidate, Glenn Mayeaux, withdrew from the consideration. State education officials said Mayeaux, a former Jefferson Parish school administrator, lacked the certification needed to apply for the job.

Brumley, who has been superintendent for six years at DeSoto, a district with 5,000 students, is currently paid $200,000. Jefferson Parish enrolls nearly 50,000 students across 81 public schools.

The special meeting to discuss Brumley's contract is scheduled for 2 p.m. at the Jefferson Parish Public School System's central office at 501 Manhattan Blvd. in Harvey.Construction of a new K-8 school facility is underway in the St. Bernard neighborhood, where KIPP officials plan to relocate 867 students at the start of 2019.

The future home of KIPP Believe is expected to open next January at 3805 St. Bernard Avenue, according a KIPP spokesman Monday (March 12). The Columbia Parc Elementary campus will include room for 950 students, with classrooms in a three-story main building, a cafeteria and gymnasium.

The new 98,595-square-foot layout also includes offices, conference rooms and storage space. An outdoor playing field is planned between the gymnasium and St. Bernard Avenue. Capital One announced Monday that it is leading the effort to finance $22.8 million of the $26 million campus, with assistance from the Low Income Investment Fund and Partners for the Common Good.

KIPP Believe is comprised of two schools that have been housed in five buildings over the past 12 years. KIPP Believe College Prep first opened in 2006 at the Dr. Ronald E. McNair Elementary building on South Carrollton Avenue to serve grades 5-8. The school moved to the Dunbar building on Forshey Street in 2015 where it currently operates. KIPP Believe Primary opened at the Gregory Elementary modular campus in Gentilly in 2011. The school moved to the Benjamin Banneker campus on Burdette Street in 2014 where it currently serves grades K-4.

KIPP Believe Primary also had a brief stint in the Holy Rosary campus on Esplanade Avenue after a bat infestation plagued the Banneker building in 2015. School officials have stressed since last year that the new building on St. Bernard Avenue will provide all students in grades K-8 a single, permanent campus.

The KIPP charter network recently celebrated the opening of the Ernest N. Morial building in New Orleans East last August. KIPP Ernest N. "Dutch" Morial serves K-8 students who formerly attended KIPP McDonogh No. 15 in 2016. The school was renamed upon its relocation to the Grant Street site to honor the legacy of the city's first black mayor.

. . . . . . .

Wilborn P. Nobles III is an education reporter based in New Orleans. He can be reached at wnobles@nola.com or on Twitter at @WilNobles.University of New Orleans officials canceled all classes until 5 p.m. Monday (March 12) and urged staff not to come to campus in response to threats made by a student Sunday, according to the university's chief communication officer Adam Norris.

Ben Franklin High School will also be closed Monday, according to Head of School Dr. Patrick Widhalm.

-- Update: Police identify man accused of threatening UNO students

"While there is no direct threat to Franklin, the proximity and an abundance of caution have led us to cancel classes as well," Widhalm said. Parents, faculty and staff were notified by the school's messenger system, according to Widhalm.

According to a voicemail sent to parents, Franklin officials expect to reopen for after-school activities but parents will be updated throughout the day.

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A student living in on-campus housing made "threats of violence" against two other students, according to a UNO Police Department message to students, faculty and staff and which Norris forwarded to local media. Although the message did not provide any information on the details of the threats, it noted students and staff are asked to stay off campus until police determine there is no longer a threat.

The message noted police will be stationed around the campus and near all entrances and exits. Students who live on campus should remain in their rooms.

As of Sunday night, the student was not named, but police have a warrant and are looking for the suspect.

"We hope this will be brought to a swift and peaceful resolution," the email reads. "However, until the suspect is in police custody, it is not worth jeopardizing the safety of the members of our university community."

No further information was immediately available.A team of scientists are looking into whether geologic faults in and around the Mississippi River have contributed to south Louisiana's land loss crisis.

According to Houma Today, scientists from the University of New Orleans and Tulane University theorize that some faults are slowly lowering coastal land elevations.

"That's a concern down here because if you lower the earth's surface, you've essentially created a rise in relative sea level, which can cause coastal (flooding), coastal wetland loss, coastal erosion and things of that nature," Mark Kulp, a UNO earth science professor, told Houma Today.

Researchers will analyze faults in New Orleans East, Slidell and Lafourche and Terrebonne parishes.

Their work is partly funded by federal fines from the BP oil disaster.The National Weather Service has issued a flood warning for the metro New Orleans area as the Mississippi River continues to rise. The river is expected to reach official flood stage on Tuesday (March 13)*.

Officials said the river is projected to reach flood stage -- a water level of 17 feet or more -- at the Carrollton gauge in New Orleans by Tuesday morning and remain at or above that threshold for about a week. The National Weather Service warns the high water levels will "continue making navigation and docking difficult" along the river.

Areas downriver from New Orleans are considered safe from flooding after officials moved last week to open the Bonnet Carre Spillway flood control structure in St. Charles Parish.

"By operating the Bonnet Carre Spillway we can manage the flow and height of the river to create an artificial crest around New Orleans," said Matt Roe, a spokesman for the Army Corps of Engineers New Orleans District. "We are fortunate in that (we) have a place to divert the river so a flood here has a different impact on the metro area than it does on areas upriver."

The Carrollton gauge was at 16.57 feet as of Monday morning. The current forecast has the river cresting March 14 and staying at or above 17 feet through March 26 before it starts to fall, Roe said.

Flood walls protect New Orleans from a river rise of up to 20 feet. The opening of the Bonnet Carre Spillway helps reduce the level of the river and the velocity of the current as it passes the city, which, in turn, reduces the strain on levees that help prevent flooding.

Army Corps of Engineers hydrologists monitor the height of the river and the volume of its flow in order to determine the number of bays to open on the Bonnet Carre Spillway. The open Spillway, which diverts a portion of the Mississippi River to Lake Pontchartrain, is designed to rein in the rate the river flows past New Orleans at no more than 1.25 million cubic feet per second.

The metro New Orleans flood system is designed to accommodate a river flow rate of 1.25 million cubic feet per second. Anything above that could pose flood risks to the city, corps officials have said.

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As of Monday morning, 58 of the Spillway's 350 gated bays were already open. Another 10 bays were scheduled for opening Monday. The first eight bays of the flood structure were opened March 8.

Hydrologists are monitoring the river daily to ensure the flow rate doesn't exceed the 1.25 million cubic feet per second threshold, and will open additional Spillway bays if necessary.

The Spillway structure, completed in 1931, is part of the flood control plan for the lower Mississippi Valley as well as the larger, comprehensive protection plan known as the Mississippi River and Tributaries Project. The Spillway structure was designed after the 1927 flood that devastated more than 27,000 square miles of land in the lower Mississippi Valley.

Roe said the opening of the Spillway prevented more than $230 billion in damage during the high river in 2011 and another $24 billion in 2016. Officials are confident the system will "perform as designed" during this year's opening, the 12th since 1927, he added.

The corps has been monitoring river levees on a daily basis since the river stage hit 15 feet earlier in March. At that level, the corps begins what it calls Phase 2 "flood fight," which restricts work on or near river levees and requires daily inspections for sand boils and other levee weaknesses.

"We are working closely with the local levee boards, and we have inspectors out daily to monitor the levees," Roe said. "Any cyclists or pedestrians on the levees roads should be aware that inspectors and the police have the right of way. If anyone who lives by a levee, or uses them for recreation, sees anything out of the ordinary they should report it to their local levee board or the Corps of Engineers."

*The river is expected to reach flood stage on Tuesday, March 13. The story has been corrected to reflect the correct date.Purchases made via links on our site may earn us an affiliate commissionFrench Quarter Festival invited its food vendors to its offices for a planning meeting on Monday (March 12). The New Orleans area restaurants took the opportunity to show off and offer tastes of some of the dishes that will be served this year.

The 35th annual French Quarter Festival will feature 300 Louisiana musical acts at stages throughout the French Quarter from April 12 to 15, including one stage in the 100 block of Bourbon Street, where street repairs recently were completed.

The free festival's four food areas have become as much of a draw as the music for many festival goers and folks who live and work in the French Quarter.

Heather Twitchell, food and beverage manager for French Quarter Festival, said that this year, the fest worked hard to get some healthy dishes on the menu, including a couple from the vegan restaurant, The Daily Beet. Those include an avocado toast and vegan spring rolls with a homemade peanut dipping sauce.

Nutrition Columnist Molly Kimball, founder of Ochsner's Eat Fit, attended the tasting and noted that as many as 12 dishes may get the Eat Fit NOLA seal of approval. She still is evaluating the recipes. One such item will be the Sea Breeze cocktail, made with Pepsi's new Bubly Grapefruit flavored sparking water, cranberry juice and vodka.

Still, old favorites will be in place, including Walker Southern BBQ's cochon de lait po-boys and Tujaque's brisket.

One new vendor has joined the lineup since the food menu was announed: Cafe Beignet, which will serve hot beignets and coffee out of its to-go window at Jax Brewery. Read more about the food here.

On Monday, vendors came in shifts, bringing samples of their food and learning about the logistics for the festival, which has food booths in in Jax Brewery lot, Jackson Square, all along the riverfront and at the Old U.S. Mint.

All of the festival food areas are open on Thursday, opening day, expect the ones at the Old U.S. Mint on Esplanade. Those open on that Friday.

The logistics meetings allow the festival organizers to discuss logistics, such as electricity, safety and loading in and out as well as introduces the vendors from each area to one another, Twitchell said. This way, experienced vendors can serve as mentor to newer vendors as well.

***

FRENCH QUARTER FEST

What: A free festival of New Orleans food and music held in the French Quarter. The fest itself kicks off April 12 at 10 a.m. with a parade that starts in the 100 block of Bourbon Street. The Chevron Children's Headquarters on the Riverfront at the Natchez Wharf will be open on Saturday and Sunday only.

Where: The French Quarter from Canal Street to Esplanade Avenue and from the Mississippi River to Bourbon Street.

When: April 12, from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.; April 13 and 14, from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.; and April 15, from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Details: Find more festival information, including details on special and ticketed events, at Frenchquarterfest.org. Keep up with 2018 coverage at hnola.com/fqfest/

Parking: To park in the quarter, plan to arrive early. Lots include: French Market, 500 Decatur Street, 300 North Peters Street, 211 Conti Street, Canal Place and various locations that are walkable. Bike Easy Valet Bike Parking will be available April 13-15. Find public transportation details at norta.com. Because of the high volume of visitors and street-side stages, expect no on-street parking or through-traffic from around noon on April 12 until Sunday evening.

VIP: A NOLA.com Fest Family Experience offers a VIP experience for $375 that includes an elevated viewing stand near the Abita Beer Stage, private bars with free beer and cocktails (limit three per day), free water, air-conditioned restrooms, and a shaded lounge area. Passes are good for all four days of the fest.A winning Powerball ticket was sold in New Orleans for Saturday's drawing, according to the Louisiana Lottery Corp. It's worth $150,000.

Lottery officials said the ticket was sold at Banks Meat Market at 325 South Broad Avenue (map). It matched four of the five numbers in Saturday's drawing, plus the Powerball and it had a Power Play.

Saturday's winning numbers were:

43-44-54-61-69, Powerball: 22, PowerPlay: 3x

The estimated jackpot is $385 million. The lump sum payment before taxes would be about $229 million. If there is no jackpot winner, the amount grows even larger for the next drawing.

The prize amount has grown steadily since the Jan. 6 Powerball drawing. A single winning ticket worth $559.7 million was sold in New Hampshire. The holder of the ticket has since gone to court to preserve her anonymity.

Powerball is held in 44 states, the District of Columbia, the U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico.

A player with a $2 ticket has a one in 292.2 million chance of hitting the jackpot.

--

The Advance National Desk contributed to this story.Adult film star Stormy Daniels said Monday (March 12) she will give back the $130,000 she received in 2016 from President Donald Trump's lawyer to keep quiet about their alleged affair, the New York Times reports.

Daniels, a Baton Rouge native whose real name is Stephanie Clifford, said she wants out of the deal so that she can freely disclose details about the relationship she claims took place in 2006. Her lawyer, Michael Avenatti, sent a letter to Trump's lawyer, Michael Cohen, saying Daniels will send the $130,000 to an account of Trump's choice by Friday. It also gives Trump until noon Tuesday to respond.

Cohen has not responded yet to Daniels' offer. He has said the money paid to Daniels came from his personal funds. The president and Cohen have denied that Trump had an affair with Daniels.

Read the complete New York Times story.Maintaining a high-and-tight military hairstyle, even after leaving the Army, Perry Pezzarossi has always sported a pretty distinctive look.

These days, though, it's his hand and forearm that's drawing the attention.

Pezzarossi's titanium right hand and shiny carbon composite forearm are getting plenty of inquisitive looks around Mandeville, particularly from kids.

"Mommy, mommy. It's robot man" is a typical reaction, Pezzarossi said. "Everybody wants to look at it and touch it.

"When I open it, they jump," he laughed. "They're scared of it."

Pezzarossi is sporting an i-limb quantum prosthetic hand, covered with semi-transparent material, after agreeing to have his right arm amputated below the elbow last year. His arm and hand had become mostly useless because of longterm injury and disease.

Its replacement is considered state-of-the-art in commercial prosthetics.

Pezzarossi uses muscles in his residual limb to move the hand and fingers.

When a user contracts his muscles, electrodes on his skin pick up subtle changes in the electrical patterns and send the signals to a microprocessor, which tells the i-limb to open and close, according to Touch Bionics, maker of the prosthetic.

Still getting used to the i-limb, which he received in the fall, Pezzarossi can use it to carry things, to shake hands, to hold a coffee cup. Because it doesn't have a moveable wrist, however, the functionality is somewhat limited, he said.

While thankful for the prosthetic, Pezzarossi has his sights squarely set on a loftier goal.

He is working with the University of Utah's Dr. Christopher Duncan and the Veterans Administration and is participating in a clinical trial in hopes of getting an even more advanced prosthetic called the LUKE, which was recently developed under the U.S. Department of Defense for injured soldiers.

Pezzarossi, who left the Army with a medical discharge in 1993, would be among a handful of people in the world with the LUKE, which stands for Life Under Kinetic Evolution.

The few who have the LUKE control it through sensors worn on the feet, but Pezzarossi is involved in a clinical trial that doctors hope will allow him to be the first in the world to control it with his mind via the muscles and nerves in what remains of his arm. The version of the LUKE he is working with is not on the commercial market.

Doctors amputated Pezzarossi's arm below the elbow last August and implanted 32 electrodes into his muscles and another 300 into the nerves inside his residual limb.

"The long-term overall goals of our work at the University of Utah are to provide users like Perry with the ability to move an advanced, dexterous and sensorized prosthetic arm just by thinking about it, and for users to get feelings of touch and movement back from the prosthetic arm -- and, ideally, to feel whole again," said Gregory Clark, an associate professor of bioengineering who has been working with Pezzarossi.

Pezzarossi received the i-limb in the fall, a major step in a long and exhausting journey he and wife Jennifer hope will end with the acquisition of a LUKE arm, complete with moveable wrist, that will function much like it was his own healthy limb.

In the meantime, the couple's constant travel back and forth to Utah continues, draining them physically, mentally and financially. The meetings with various doctors, rehabilitation specialists, prosthetics experts, occupational therapists and laboratory technicians are seemingly endless.

"It's not fun," Perry Pezzarossi said. "It's torture."

He described the process as "frustrating as hell because I want everything right now.

"What we're doing is working, obviously. It's just a long road. A very long road."

St. Tammany top stories in your inbox A weekly guide to the biggest news in St. Tammany. Sign up today. e-mail address * Sign Up

NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune has been chronicling the couple's odyssey, which has been decades in the making.

Pezzarossi's troubles with his hand and arm started when he took a spill and broke a bone in his wrist while some 25 years ago while stationed at Fort Bliss in El Paso, Texas.

He developed complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS), for which there is no cure and whose symptoms include intense pain and swelling and stiffness in affected joints. The CRPS and other injuries to his arm eventually left it useless.

So Pezzarossi decided to give up the arm and put his faith in the hands of doctors and technology.

While he is making progress on all fronts, the pain syndrome has returned.

"I always feel the pain," Pezzarossi said recently. "It hits me like a shock, but it's in a hand that I don't have."

The pain resides in his triceps and runs down to his residual forearm, but Pezzarossi's brain is telling him the pain goes farther. Sometimes, he'll close his eyes, try to pinpoint the exact location and grab it with his left hand. "But I grab air. There's nothing there."

Clark said the hope is that Pezzarossi's pain will be reduced through continued use of the prosthetic. The human brain can eventually begin to incorporate a prosthetic into one's body image and see it as its own, he said.

"It's our hope that will be true for Perry . . ." Clark said.

The Pezzarossi project involves the University of Utah, Veterans Administration, the Department of Defense's Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency and the National Science Foundation.

When Pezzarossi isn't under the microscope in Utah, he and Jennifer try to live a normal life in the Fontainebleau subdivision in Mandeville, along with Jennifer's teenage daughter Makayla.

But even life at home has been chaotic lately, with a contractor reworking a bathroom and making other changes to make the house more handicap-friendly.

Then there's the new addition to the Pezzarossi clan.

The family recently acquired an 8-month-old Belgian malinois named Gaia that will be a service dog, which will assist Pezzarossi physically and mentally. Doctors had suggested they look into getting a service dog, and the Pezzarossis figured it would be something to consider seriously at a later date.

But Jennifer did some research and made some inquiries, which led to them getting Gaia from a breeder in Walker on Valentine's Day - a lot quicker than anyone expected.

Gaia wasn't known for being very people-friendly, she but took an immediate liking to the Pezzarossis. "From Day 1, she kinda picked us," Jennifer said.

Gaia, which cost $1,600, "still has a lot of puppy in her" and will undergo more training to become a service dog.

Pezzarossi, in his "spare" time, also has taken on a new job of sorts, working as a volunteer to help the Mandeville Police Department with social media and public announcements. "It's fun, and it gives me something to do," he said.

When home, Pezzarossi is often out and about in the community and easy to spot.

"I can't hide from anybody, clearly," he laughed, holding up his new hand.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.The New Orleans Saints reportedly have made some of their free-agent wish list known.

According to an ESPN report Monday, the team is interested in cornerbacks Malcolm Butler and Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie as it looks to add to an improved secondary.

The NFL's legal tampering period opened on Monday (March 12), so teams can now begin negotiating contract terms with agents of players set to become free agents Wednesday (March 14).

The Butler interest is nothing new as the Saints hosted him on a visit last March while he was a restricted free agent with the New England Patriots. This year, though, the 28-year-old Butler will be an unrestricted free agent, so the Saints wouldn't have to trade anything to sign him.

Rodgers-Cromartie, meanwhile, is already free to sign because the New York Giants released him Sunday. The 31-year-old has played for four teams, including the Giants the past four seasons.

The Saints will have 2018 starting cornerbacks Marshon Lattimore and Ken Crawley back, but they're still looking for ways to improve the defense. Veterans like Butler or Rodgers-Cromartie could help a mostly young group of defensive backs, too.One person was rescued and two are still missing after a tugboat sank in the Mississippi River in the Chalmette area on Monday, according to the U.S. Coast Guard.

The tugboat capsized after a collision, the New Orleans Fire Department said, though officials did not say what the tugboat crashed into.

The tugboat, which a Coast Guard spokeswoman identified as the Natalie Jean, sank around mile-marker 90.5. It capsized around 9:43 a.m.

The adult male who was rescued was saved by people onboard good Samaritan vessel Earl Gonsoulin.

The tugboat was carrying 600 gallons of fuel but as of early Monday afternoon there were no reports of spilling, according to the Coast Guard.

The Coast Guard had a boat and a helicopter at the scene Monday searching for the two missing people. Other agencies involved in the rescue effort include the New Orleans Harbor Police, Plaquemines Port Authority, the Army Corps of Engineers, St. Bernard Sheriff's Office, Plaquemines Parish Sheriff's Office, and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.A pedestrian was killed in a Terrebone Parish crash Sunday morning (March 11) after being struck by a car, according to Louisiana State Police. The pedestrian had been walking north on LA-57 in Ashland near Express Boulevard.

Shortly before 6:30 a.m., a 38-year-old woman driving north hit the pedestrian, who was walking north near the center line of the northbound lane, State Trooper Jesse LaGrange said in a news release Sunday. The pedestrian suffered fatal injuries and was pronounced dead on the scene, according to LaGrange.

The driver passed impairment tests and, as of Sunday evening, she is not facing any criminal charges in connection to the crash. It was not immediately known if the pedestrian was impaired, and LeGrange said a toxicology report will be conducted during an autopsy.

State police released the victim's name Sunday night, identifying her as 41-year-old Jalaine Norris of Kenner.

No further information was immediately available, but LeGrange stated pedestrians are urged to stay aware while walking near roadways.

"Simple precautions such as wearing reflective materials, avoiding distractions, and not walking too close to roadways could prevent most pedestrian related crashes," LeGrange stated in the news release.

LA-57 is also known as Grand Caillou Road.U.S. travel advisories for Playa del Carmen - a popular Mexico tourist destination between Cozumel and Cancun - have been revised, the State Department announced.

The revised restriction prohibits federal employees from traveling to Centro, Calica, Gonzalo Guerrero, Quintas del Carmen, and Villas del Carmen neighborhoods of Playa del Carmen. U.S. citizens are also advised to avoid these neighborhoods.

The previous restriction prohibited U.S. government employees from traveling to the resort areas in the Riviera Maya, including hotels, shops, restaurants and bars near Playa del Carmen. Those areas are now approved for travel, if they fall outside of the restricted neighborhoods.

Government employees are still prohibited from using ferry services between Playa del Carmen and Cozumel. U.S. citizens are advised to not use the ferries as well in the wake of two explosive devices discovered on vessels used by tourists. One of the bombs exploded, injuring five U.S. citizens.

The explosions prompted cruise lines to cancel excursions using the ferries.

The explosions remain under investigation.

According to the State Department, the ferry issue is separate from the neighborhood restrictions, which it said were due to "unspecified threats." The threats prompted the temporary closure of the consular agency at Playa del Carmen; the office is set to reopen with additional security Monday.

The State Department recommends travelers in the area:Mar 12, 2018 JB

The Tamil Film Producers Council (TFPC) will halt production and post-production of Tamil movies from March 16 after no compromise was reached between TFPC and digital service providers, such as Qube and other players, over the Virtual Print Fee.

This was announced through a press note. The announcement comes at a time when the occupancy in movie theatres, especially single-screen halls, has reduced considerably. TFPC president Vishal said that the decision was taken because no agreement could be reached between the two sides.

A statement from TFPC said, Since March 1, we have not been releasing movies. As we couldnt reach an agreement with companies such as Qube and other issues remain, we are going to halt production and post-production work of all movies from March 16. The statement also said that TFPC had the support of the Film Employees Federation of South India. With the digital service providers stating that they will not be able to reduce their VPF more than what they have already offered, the producers have held their ground.Out of 800 participants from the African continent, Uganda was yesterday voted as 5th best exhibitor in the African Category at the ITB Berlin travel expo 2018 - a spot it held last year in the Germany capital of Berlin.

The ITB Berlin expo is one of the worlds four major international tourism expos and one of the most important to Ugandas tourism sector given that Germany, the host country, comes third as a source market for tourists in Uganda annually.

Ugandas participation at the annual expo that ran from March 7-11 was organized by the Uganda Tourism Board (UTB), the national tourism marketing agency which supported over 30 tourism business operators to the expo.

UTB had earlier estimated that this years expo would see Ugandan firms make deals worth around Shs 3 billion in their weeklong stay in Berlin. The expo brings together tourism actors from all over the world with at least 10,000 businesses participating this year.

In a UTB statement sent to The Observer yesterday, Stephen Asiimwe, the agencys executive director said that because of the high profile of participants and possibility of new business opportunities, Ugandan companies could reap big from the expo.

ITB Berlin is the leading business platform for global tourism offers. Exhibitor satisfaction stands at over 90% which is a sign of effective delivery on business, Asiimwe said.

Tourism in Uganda has so far become the countrys leading foreign exchange earner, edging foreign remittances a few years ago and contributing an excess of Shs 7 billion to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

According to the statement, more than 109,000 trade visitors and potential travellers seeking business opportunities as well as inspiration for their next trip visited the expo.

ITB, the worlds largest travel show was this year opened by Germany Chancellor, Dr Angela Merkel. In her opening remarks, Merkel stressed the necessity for tourism sustainability, the problems of tourism overcrowding, and the opportunity that tourism offers in fighting prejudices.

Travel improves the mind wonderfully, and does away with all one's prejudices, she said, quoting Irish poet and playwright Oscar Wilde.

kamogajonathan50@gmail.comPharrells latest venture is receiving backlash.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gPkC5-smDss

Pharrell Williams and adidas Originals Hu Holi collection, a footwear and apparel range featuring bright colors inspired by the Hindu tradition of Holi, is now under fire for misuse of religious symbolism.

The collaborators used visual elements from the spiritual Hindu festival also known as the festival of colors celebrated in India, Nepal, Bangladesh, Pakistan, and countries with large Indian subcontinent diaspora populations. The collection includes the Powder Dye capsule, the Hu Holi adicolor, and the Hu Holi Blank Canvas capsules as a part of Williams four apparel styles and five variations of footwear with adidas.

READ: Hes A Jazz Artist Reincarnated: Pharrell Compares Kendrick Lamar To Miles Davis And John Coltrane

Adidas recent promo video of Pharrells first trip to India to participate in his first Holi celebration, first spawned criticism online.

Now, Hindu president of the Universal Society of Hinduism, Rajan Zed, is urging Pharrell and adidas CEO Kasper Rorsted to issue an apology and rename their Holi collection which many Hindus felt were highly insensitive as religious festival of Holi was linked to various deities, Zed said in a written statement posted to his website.

Pharrell Williams and Adidas should have done some home work before taking Hinduism concepts frivolously and using these to make a fashion statement and sell shoes for mercantile greed, some of which contain leather, Zed added. Inappropriate usage of Hinduism concepts or symbols or imagery for commercial or other agenda was not okay as it might be painful to many devotees. Hindus were for free artistic expression and speech as much as anybody else if not more. But faith was something sacred and attempts at trivializing it hurt many followers.

READ: There Is A lot Happening In Justin Timberlake And Pharrells Dystopian Supplies Music Video

Earlier this month, Amazon took down stockings that featured an image of Hindu deity Lord Ganesha from its website after Zed called the product highly inappropriate.

Neither Pharrell nor adidas has issued statements.By Naseem Rakha

On Wednesday, about 40 Silverton High School students plan to walk out of class at 10 a.m., head to the courtyard with their arms held over their heads and then, rain or shine, lie down outside for 17 minutes. One silent minute for each of the 17 victims who were shot dead at Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida on Valentines Day.

The demonstration is part of a nationwide school walkout, and its goal is to show lawmakers that these future voters have had it with their condolences and prayers. They want reasonable changes to gun laws. They want programs that identify and address the symptoms that have led to the epidemic of school shootings in this country.

Yet here in the rural, conservative-leaning area of Silverton the Second Amendment often comes first while calls for stronger gun laws come dead last.

Take a hike into the woods outside Silverton and you'll quickly run into places so polluted with bullet casings and shotgun shells they look war zones. Cardboard targets -- some in human-like form -- are plastered to the obliterated carcasses of old growth trees. Masticated bodies of stuffed animals dangle from lead-filled tree limbs, and the remnants of oil cans, beer bottles and auto body parts are scattered around, all bearing signs of being used as bullet bait.

Soon after hearing about the planned walkout, pro-gun students announced their own rally. Some threatened to block doors if any student attempted to walk out. One school board member publicly announced that he encourages parents with concealed weapons permits to bring their weapons to campus. Community members quickly joined the fray, attacking the students organizing the walkout. "Why can't they do something on their own time?" "It's just crazy and stupid." "They are nothing but spoiled do-nothings."

And those were the more tame comments.

Fortunately, not everyone sees the walkout this way. Many teachers, parents and administrators understand that the "do-nothings" in this situation are not the kids facing down the threat of shooters in their schools, but rather the adults who have allowed massacres to happen on their watch. They understand that we failing our children.

We fail each time we let the gun industry lobby control the subject of gun use. We fail when we vote in lawmakers who are afraid to speak truth to the gun lobby's power. We fail each time we fall prey to conspiracy theories or when we accept that the only way to solve problems is by might and force and caustic criticism of "the other."

We fail when we cower in fear and let that fear strip us of logic and reason. We fail each time we salute the flag while refusing to address the country's weaknesses, which foster the unsafe conditions that have led our country to have the most gun-related deaths per capita of the entire developed world.

And, yes, we fail when we label or condemn our children for exercising their constitutional right to plan and participate in a peaceful protest.

Across the country, our children don't just see our failures, they've inherited them. And for 17 minutes on March 14, thousands of kids across the nation will step out of school to say they reject them. It's their decision, their time, their turn to figure out what to do with the mess we've handed them. It is our time to listen and then get up off our do-nothing butts and get to work so that one day the words 'school shooting' or 'church shooting' or 'mall shooting' or 'drive by shooting' are never uttered in the same sentence again.

Naseem Rakha lives in Silverton.Joseph O'Shaughnessy is expected to be sentenced Thursday to time served with supervised release for his role in the armed occupation of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge.

He pleaded guilty in the 2016 refuge case and then awaited trial in the 2014 standoff near Nevada cattleman Cliven Bundy's ranch before he was released in December.

He spent a total of year and nine months in custody for both cases.

In Oregon, O'Shaughnessy, known as "Captain'' in militia circles, arrived in Burns in late December 2015 and provided security to those who occupied the federal wildlife refuge, though his lawyers have said he disagreed with the takeover tactics.

O'Shaughnessy pleaded guilty on Aug. 1, 2016, to conspiring to impede federal workers at the refuge through intimidation, threat or force.

O'Shaughnessy's lawyer and federal prosecutors will jointly recommend the time served as his punishment in the Malheur case. His defense lawyer will seek one year of supervised release, while prosecutors will ask for two years, according to court documents.

On a video played in court, O'Shaughnessy was captured talking about being in Burns to set up a "constitutional security protection force'' four days into the occupation.

On another video, O'Shaughnessy appeared on independent broadcaster Pete Santilli's show urging others to support the occupiers even if they didn't support their tactics.

In the photos, O'Shaughnessy was dressed in tactical gear and armed with a rifle outside the refuge and setting up a bunkhouse for emergency operations and "QRF,'' military shorthand for "Quick Reaction Force,'' prosecutors have said.

His lawyer Tony Schwartz noted in a sentencing memo that O'Shaughnessy led a crime-free life until the refuge standoff and has followed the conditions of his release pending sentencing.

O'Shaughnessy, 44, lives in Arizona with his mother.

O'Shaughnessy's lawyer objected to proposed supervision that would require O'Shaughnessy to undergo a mental health evaluation or participate in educational services.

He doesn't need mental health treatment, had earned his high school equivalency degree and "is fully functional intellectually,'' Schwartz wrote in the memo.

O'Shaughnessy will appear before U.S. District Judge Anna J. Brown at 3 p.m. Thursday. He's already agreed to pay $7,000 in restitution in the refuge case.

Earlier this year in Las Vegas, a judge dismissed charges against Cliven Bundy, two of his sons and a supporter in the Nevada standoff case. She cited "flagrant misconduct" by prosecutors and the FBI in not disclosing evidence before and during trial.

O'Shaughnessy was set to go to trial there in February. But the court canceled the trial at the prosecution's request, given the dismissal of charges against the lead defendants a month earlier.

-- Maxine Bernstein

mbernstein@oregonian.com

503-221-8212

@maxoregonianThe U.S. Coast Guard rescued an injured hiker Sunday morning, after she fell on a trail in the Columbia River Gorge.

A man who was with the 30-year-old woman called 911 around 10 a.m. on Sunday, and told police she slipped and hit her head while hiking along the Wind River near Carson, Wash. The woman lost consciousness, but regained it by the time emergency crews arrived, the Coast Guard said.

Crews reached the hikers roughly two hours after the fall, then stabilized the woman and airlifted her to Legacy Emanuel Medical Center in Portland.

The two hikers were less than half a mile from the Carson Hot Springs Resort at the time of the fall. An employee who answered the phone at the resort said they were walking on small trails on the other side of the river, which generally are lightly used.

--Jamie Hale | jhale@oregonian.com | @HaleJamesBUpdated 1:56 p.m.

A woman was jailed on attempted murder charges after authorities say she exchanged gunfire with police near Providence Park stadium in Southwest Portland.

Sarah Michelle Brown, 26, was also booked in the Multnomah County jail Sunday on suspicion of burglary, unlawful entry into a motor vehicle and unlawful use of a weapon, records show.

The shootout between Brown, a suspected burglar, and a pair of officers occurred early Thursday in the Goose Hollow neighborhood, according to the Portland Police Bureau.

At least one of the officers discharged a weapon, and the woman returned fire along the 800 block of Southwest King Avenue, said Sgt. Chris Burley, a police spokesman.

Brown then hunkered down beneath a porch of a nearby residence, prompting an hourslong standoff with police, authorities said. She was eventually detained and spent several days in a hospital recovering from an injury, according to police.

Burley, the spokesman, would not say whether the woman was wounded by gunfire or provide any details about the injury she sustained, citing the ongoing investigation.

Officers Joseph Webber and Darrell Shaw, who were involved in the shooting, will remain on paid administrative leave until the completion of an investigation and a grand jury reviews the case, Burley said.

Webber has served 13 years with the bureau, police said. Shaw is a 24-year veteran of the force.

On March 4, four days before the alleged shootout, Brown was arrested on suspicion of illegally entering Sanborn's and The Original Hotcake House restaurants in Southeast Portland and stealing from employees, court records show.

-- Shane Dixon Kavanaugh

skavanaugh@oregonian.com

503-294-7632 II @shanedkavanaughOregon Department of Transportation crews began work Monday morning on replacing rotting wooden bridge supports with steel supports on a bridge carrying Interstate Avenue traffic over North Victory Boulevard. Work will continue 24/7 for a few months. Drivers will see delays during work hours and closed left lanes in the construction zone. Obey flaggers and signs in the area.

The bridge is located where North Interstate Avenue (OR 99W) crosses over North Victory Boulevard, just west of Interstate 5 in North Portland.

***

MULTNOMAH VILLAGE 8:45 a.m.; Injury crash involving a pedestrian at Southwest Vermont Street and Bertha Boulevard.



***

DOWNTOWN 8:30 a.m.; The I-5 southbound ramp to "City Center" is currently closed by a crash. Use I-405.

Update 8:35 a.m.; Exit now open. Crash moved to shoulder.

***

SOUTHWEST PORTLAND 8:17 a.m.; Injury crash on Southwest Multnomah Boulevard near Capitol Highway overpass.



***

SOUTHEAST PORTLAND 8:10 a.m.; Police are clearing the roadway of debris from an earlier crash Southeast 82nd Avenue at Washington Street. Expect delays there.



Update 8:17 a.m.; Cleared.

***

BROADWAY BRIDGE tonight: The Broadway Bridge will be closed to all users from 11:30 p.m. on Monday until as late as 5 a.m. Tuesday, March 12-13 for repairs that require the drawbridge to be in the up position.

***

GRESHAM 7:09 a.m.; Crash reported at Southeast Stark Street and East Burnside.



***

GLENN JACKSON BRIDGE 6:40 a.m.; Crash is blocking the left lane I-205 southbound at about mid-span on the bridge. Traffic backing up to Mill Plain Boulevard.

Update 7:01 a.m.; Cleared.

***

An emergency water main repair will close Southeast Linwood Avenue in Milwaukie between King Road and Johnson Creek Boulevard. The closure will be 8:30 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday, March 12.

In Vancouver, both directions of SR 503 at Southwest Eaton Boulevard will be alternated through a single lane with flaggers directing traffic 6:30 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Friday, March 12-16 for sign installation work.

Check back throughout the morning for the latest commuting updates and follow us on Twitter: @trafficportlandOn that sleeve for his 1985 recording of the Goldberg Variations , Scott Ross is seen standing in the grounds of Chateau d'Assas in Languedoc. It was here that many of his great recordings were made. Then, as today, the chateau dwelt in the twilight zone between grandeur and dereliction, and thirty years ago the recording sessions were regularly interrupted by the sound of rats scurrying across the floor. Scott Ross was born in Pittsburgh in 1951, and moved to France with his mother following the death of his father in 1964. He studied at the conservatoires in Nice and Paris, and first came to Chateau d'Assas in 1969 to give music lessons to the grandson of its owner Mme. Simone Demangel . When an early music academy was established at the chateau, the harpsichordist gave masterclasses and became a frequent visitor. At first he stayed in a room in one of the towers, but from 1983 he rented a small house across the road from the chateau. The photos below were taken by me on aMorning Briefing: Savvy Bob Mueller Playing the Long Game with Trump; Betsy DeVos Is an Embarrassment

By Dustin Rowles | Politics | March 12, 2018 |

Good morning all from Austin, where were in the midst of the SXSW film festival (look for lots of coverage this week). Heres whats going on in the world of politics:

 Yesterday, deputy White House press secretary Raj Shah said something stupid on the newsmagazine This Week:

Theres been zero evidence, after a year of investigation, that weve seen of actual collusion between the Russian government and the Trump campaign. The president, who would be aware of any types of efforts, has been pretty clear, understands and knows that there is no collusion.

That statement suggests that if Mueller does find collusion between Russia and any member of the Trump campaign, that Trump would know about it, which means that Shah basically added a potential conspiracy charge to Trumps growing number of potential crimes. Good job, deputy White House press secretary!

 One of those other charges is obstruction of justice, which Robert Mueller is reportedly considering putting off for the time being so that he can continue his collusion investigation. Mueller fears that if he brings obstruction charges now, Trump might shut down the investigation or witnesses may be less likely to cooperate. So, hes going to continue on with the collusion investigation. He has plenty of evidence of obstruction, however.

 Meanwhile, we know that Lebanese-American businessman George Nader has sold out Jared Kushner to Bob Mueller on potential illicit activities. Apparently, Qatari officials have plenty of evidence of Kushners bad deed there, as well, but theyre choosing not to release it for fear of harming relations with the Trump administration.

Another way to look at that, however, is that Qatar is blackmailing the Trump administrations head and may be able to leverage that evidence in its relationship with the Trump administration.

 All that big talk from Trump about gun reform a couple of weeks ago has failed to materialize. The White House has laid out a series of proposals to deal with mass shootings in schools. Those proposals are short on detail, save for the proposal to train teachers to carry guns in school. So, clearly, Trump is as afraid of the NRA as his Republican colleagues (he couldnt even muster a proposal to raise the gun buying age to 21, as he has been promising, choosing to leave that to the states.).

Very strong improvement and strengthening of background checks will be fully backed by White House. Legislation moving forward. Bump Stocks will soon be out. Highly trained expert teachers will be allowed to conceal carry, subject to State Law. Armed guards OK, deterrent!.  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 12, 2018

.On 18 to 21 Age Limits, watching court cases and rulings before acting. States are making this decision. Things are moving rapidly on this, but not much political support (to put it mildly).  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 12, 2018

Of note: The White House didn't propose giving states any new funding for the rigorous firearms training." https://t.co/zYbtGGgbcP  Kaitlan Collins (@kaitlancollins) March 12, 2018

 Betsy DeVos is super dumb, you guys.

Betsy DeVos struggles to provide answers to '60 Minutes' when asked for evidence to support school choice policies. https://t.co/yG3POYJre6 pic.twitter.com/la8rsxqKYW  Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1) March 12, 2018

Michigan, which DeVos has helped turn into the Wild West of school choice, recently posted largest decline in 3rd grade reading of 11 states taking same test. Half of Detroits kids are in charters  90 % students not proficient in reading. She struggled b/c NO EVIDENCE IT WORKS. https://t.co/MJ0PYL5AmW  Ida Bae Wells (@nhannahjones) March 12, 2018

Also, this statement is not gonna sit well with Trump.

Asked about Trump calling Chuck Todd a son of a bitch, Betsy DeVos says, I think we all have an opportunity to be examples to our kids. @SavannahGuthrie: Would that include the president?

DeVos: That would include the president as well. https://t.co/D2TKIXAOzO  Kaitlan Collins (@kaitlancollins) March 12, 2018

This may seem minor, but DeVos is out on a limb here. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin defended Trump's comments *to Chuck Todd* this weekend, telling Todd "there were a lot of funny moments," in a speech that used vulgarities to describe Todd. https://t.co/ApEzDdvipu  DJ Judd (@juddzeez) March 12, 2018

 Finally, heres Politico on what Gary Cohns departure means for the White House:

Some worry the White House could return to the uncontrolled days immediately following Trumps inauguration, when many West Wing jobs were still unfilled and former strategist Steve Bannon was writing executive orders with policy adviser Stephen Miller, including the disastrous travel ban that was ultimately knocked down by multiple courts. The number of bad ideas that have come though this White house that were thankfully killed dead  there are too many to count, a White House official told POLITICO. With Gary gone, I just think, from a policy perspective, it means disaster.

You mean, it could get worse?

 Did Trump Stop Stormy Daniels' '60 Minutes' Interview | Review: 'Operation Odessa' Answers the Age-Old Riddle About Whether It's Possible to Buy a Nuclear Submarine 

Dustin is the founder and co-owner of Pajiba. You may email him here, follow him on Twitter, or listen to his weekly TV podcast, Podjiba.Last week eagle-eyed fans spotted an "On the Run 2" tour concert date in Philadelphia that was added and deleted within the hour to Beyonce's Facebook. We knew (hoped) it was only a matter of time, then, before Bey and Jay announced a joint tour, and now the official news is here. The tour will run from June 6-October 2 and travel through Western Europe, the US and Canada, according to a press release. Bey also posted a few tour teaser images on her Instagram:

Bey and Jay-Z's last "On The Run" tour together was their six weeks of sold-out North American shows in 2014.

Tickets for OTR II go on sale Wednesday, March 14 at 9 AM US and 10 AM UK time.This week marked New York's yearly cavalcade of art fairs, including the likes of the Armory Show, NADA, Independent, and the curator-driven show Spring/Break, hosted in the former Conde Nast building in Times Square. And with the art fairs come constant art-affiliated events, ranging from smaller openings to independent performances to fancy parties hosted in boutique hotels and rococo penthouses and homes that spread across city blocks. The canapes are usually ok.

According to the New York Times, art fairs provide a way to "take the temperature of global culture." They allow visitors to experience art and artists from all over the globe, to see in which direction the art world is traveling. They are also overwhelmingly elitist and at least a little bit loathed. As Team Gallery's Jose Freire told ArtNet News, "All the conversations I've had are about how much people dislike them. I haven't had a conversation with anyone in memory that was about how terrific they thought art fairs were."

In short: art fairs can be good if they have good art (I liked this year's!) and bad because they are consistently full of assholes. Here are some of their finest bon mots.

"Where did my life go?! Where?! Where?!"  a man in his early twenties, possibly late teens, while viewing a private collection worth several millions in a TriBeCa townhouse-cum-gallery that made me feel similarly existential.

"This isn't high school! You simply do not leave paintings on the floor!"  a middle-aged woman distraught at the state of a booth at Spring/Break.



"But why aren't there street style photographers?"  a woman in a purple feathered coat in the snow outside the NADA art fair.

"Does anyone have bobby pins?"  a clump of art workers drinking at Lucien after attending a gallery dinner to which I was not invited, although you could really hear this at all fairs and events. There is an art hairdo beloved by white people who tend to live in North Brooklyn, in which long, silky, gentile locks are piled on top of the head in a manner that echoes a disheveled Gibson girl, if said Gibson girl did a lot of cocaine. I have very thick curly hair and thus do not understand the mechanics of this grooming choice, but would imagine it involves a number of bobby pins.

"But can you really call them 'truisms?'"a foolish man (of course it was a man) in reference to Jenny Holzer at NADA.

"People spend a lot of time on personal hobbies that I don't want to hear about."  a person with whom I agree at Spring/Break.



"Are we really supposed to wait for champagne? How long can it take to pour?"  presumed collectors in the VIP area at the Armory Show who wanted their champagne and they wanted it now.

"Skaters are so much hotter when they can like, paint. Or sculpt. Or whatever."  a wise teenager at NADA.

"It's all so derivative. My eyes are drained, just drained!"  an art writer spilling white wine all over the floor of a gallery in Chinatown.

"I have so much more work here than all the guys I've fucked."  a triumphant artist at the Armory Show.

Photo via GettyIt's being report that Intel is weighing a range of acquisition options, including a bid for Broadcom. The news comes as Broadcom is aggressively pursuing its bid for Qualcomm. A successful deal would create a much larger competitor for Intel. If that seems likely, sources told the Journal that Intel would consider making an offer for Broadcom. A spokeswoman for Intel told CNBC that the company does not comment on deal chatter.

The report further noted that "The U.S. Treasury's Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States has raised concerns about Broadcom's pursuit, which is unprecedented for a deal that hasn't been formally announced or agreed to.

But people familiar with the matter told CNBC that Broadcom is not expected to drop its bid this month. Sources said the company will try to smooth things over with regulators and address their concerns.

Tech giants like Microsoft and Google are also concerned about the deal, people familiar with the matter told CNBC. Sources said these companies are wary of Apple's potential sway over the deal as well as Broadcom's reputation for slashing costs and not investing in new technology."

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.The late Sterling M. McMurrin (1914-1996), whom I met on a few occasions, was a professor of philosophy at the University of Utah who also served as the Commissioner of Education for the United States during the administration of President John F. Kennedy. (Since then, the office has been raised to full cabinet rank as the Secretary of Education.) Professor McMurrin was anything but an uncritical, mainstream, orthodox member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and there is a very great deal on which I disagreed with him. It was never even altogether clear to me that he was a theist.

Once, in fact, I had to make my way past him along a row of seats and, very inadvertently and to my enormous embarrassment, I stepped pretty solidly on his toes. Pretty much ground them into the carpet. I apologized profusely and genuinely but, afterwards, I comforted myself that I might perhaps have just landed the most solid blow for orthodoxy that I would ever strike. (For some of my more obsessive and humorless critics, that last sentence is whats termed a joke. It doesnt actually reveal my cold and hateful heart. My depravity will need to be discerned by other means.)

Nonetheless, I do appreciate these passages from his writing:

The only religion that can satisfy todays ideal is a religion that will give consecration to life, and direction to human endeavor, inspire men with faith in themselves, dedicate them to high moral purpose, and give them the strength to live through their failures, and to face with high courage their supreme tragedies.

[I]t may be that there is no God, that the existence of all that is beautiful and in any sense good is but the accidental and ineffective byproduct of blindly swirling atoms, that we are alone in a world that cares nothing for us or for the values that we create and sustain  that we and they are here for a moment only, and gone, and that eventually there will be left no trace of us in the universe. A man may well believe that this dreadful thing is true. But only the fool will say in his heart that he is glad that it is true.

***

I seem to feel an inexplicably sudden hunger for tacos coming on:

Family of Elder Keetch giving Taco Amigos proceeds to Huntsman Cancer Institute on late fathers birthday

***

Three items from Robert Boylan that you might find of interest:

Adolf Von Harnack vs. the Monarchial Episcopacy in Rome

No Great Apostasy to take place in this Dispensation

Two Notes on the Language Used in the Last Supper Accounts

***

A new Old Testament KnoWhy from Jeff Bradshaw, of the Interpreter Foundation:

Why Are the Stories of Joseph and Judah Intertwined?

***

And an interesting and important item from Book of Mormon Central:

5 Women Who Are Witnesses of the Physical Golden Plates

***

I gave a fireside last night at a beautiful home up in the mountains of Midway, Utah. The topic requested allowed me to dust off an old article of mine:

Nephi and His Asherah: A Note on 1 Nephi 11:8-23

I found that I still like it. Quite a bit, actually.The third plenary meeting of the first session of the 13th National People's Congress (NPC) is held at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, March 11, 2018. (Xinhua/Rao Aimin)

BEIJING, March 11 (Xinhua) -- China's National People's Congress (NPC), the national legislature, enshrined Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era in the country's Constitution on Sunday, codifying its guiding role.

The amendment, adopted at the first session of the 13th NPC with an overwhelming majority, wrote Xi's thought into the Constitution's preamble, along with other guiding theories including Marxism-Leninism, Mao Zedong Thought, Deng Xiaoping Theory, and the Theory of Three Represents.

Scientific Outlook on Development has also been incorporated into the Constitution as a guiding theory.

"As an important content of the amendment, the inclusion of Xi's thought into the country's fundamental law reflects the common aspiration of the entire Communist Party of China (CPC) and all Chinese people of various ethnic groups," said Shen Chunyao, chairman of the Commission for Legislative Affairs of the 12th NPC Standing Committee.

"It has been the fundamental theoretical guide for the historic achievements and shifts made in the cause of the Party and the country since the 18th CPC National Congress," Shen said at a press conference held right after the amendment was adopted.

The CPC announced the formation of Xi's thought for the first time at its 19th National Congress in October, hailing it as "the latest achievement in adapting Marxism to the Chinese context and an important component of the theoretical system of socialism with Chinese characteristics."

Upon conclusion of the congress, Xi's thought was written into the Party's Constitution as a new guide to action.

This was the first amendment to the country's fundamental law in 14 years.

Key concepts, policies and strategies the Thought encompasses were embedded in the Constitution.

Included are a vision of innovative, coordinated, green and open development for all; the five-sphere integrated plan for coordinated economic, political, cultural, social and ecological advancement; the goal of a "great modern socialist country"; and an oath of allegiance to the Constitution.

The amendment has enriched clauses on the patriotic united front, harmonious relations among ethnic groups, and peaceful foreign policies, including the addition of building a community with a shared future for humanity.

The expression that China will "adhere to the peaceful development path and the mutually beneficial strategy of opening-up" was added to the preamble.

The following sentence was also added in the Constitution to stress the overall CPC leadership: "The leadership of the Communist Party of China is the defining feature of socialism with Chinese characteristics."

"The greatest strength of the system of socialism with Chinese characteristics is the leadership of the CPC," said Cao Qingyao, an NPC deputy and a district Party chief of Chongqing Municipality.

"The revision has enriched provisions concerning upholding and strengthening the overall CPC leadership and is significant to ensuring the Party and the country to forge ahead along the path of socialism with Chinese characteristics," Cao noted.

Other revisions include adding core socialist values and granting Chinese cities, with subordinate districts, the power to make local laws and regulations.

The people's congresses and their standing committees in these cities will be able to adopt local laws and regulations under the condition that they do not contradict the Constitution, national laws and regulations, and provincial laws and regulations, according to the amendment.

A revision to a clause concerning the Chinese President and Vice President's terms of office was also incorporated. "It is a key measure to improve the state leadership system," Shen told the conference.

Supervisory commissions have been listed as state organs in the Constitution, with a section about such organs added to the third chapter, "The Structure of the State."

Supervisory organs are listed together with administrative, judicial and procuratorial organs of the State, all of which are created by the people's congresses to which they are responsible and by which they are supervised.

Lawmakers at the session agreed that the constitutional revision, which accords with the aspiration of the Party and the people and has won approval from both inside and outside the Party, is of historic significance for ensuring prosperity and lasting security of both the Party and the country.

The draft amendment was submitted to the first session of 13th NPC for deliberation among nearly 3,000 deputies on Monday.

A constitutional change is either proposed by the NPC Standing Committee or by more than one-fifth of all NPC deputies, and then requires the approval of two-thirds or more of NPC deputies during the annual session.

The amendment was put into effect Sunday.

Revising part of the Constitution is a major decision made by the CPC Central Committee from the overall and strategic height of upholding and developing socialism with Chinese characteristics in the new era, said Xi Jinping, general secretary of the CPC Central Committee, when joining NPC deputies in a panel discussion on Wednesday.

The People's Republic of China enacted its first Constitution in 1954. The current Constitution was adopted in 1982 and amended in 1988, 1993, 1999 and 2004.

While the reform and opening-up drive, which began 40 years ago, has made amazing progress, it brought major changes to the country's Constitution.

From 1988 to 1999, amendments included reform of land-use rights, a legal status for the private economy, the theory of building socialism with Chinese characteristics, replacing the phrase "planned economy" with "socialist market economy," and incorporation of Deng Xiaoping Theory.

The most recent amendment in 2004 protected private property and human rights, and gave the Theory of Three Represents constitutional authority.

China's Constitution has been developed along with the people's practices of building socialism with Chinese characteristics under the CPC leadership, according to Li Shuzhong, vice president of the China University of Political Science and Law.

"The amendment makes the Constitution in keeping with the times by incorporating new achievements, experiences and requirements of the Party and the country's development as socialism with Chinese characteristics has entered a new era," Li said.

[ Editor: Zhang Zhou ]Conservative Iranian Officials Outraged That Little Girls Were Allowed to Dance at Women's Day Event

03/11/18

Source: Center for Human Rights in Iran

Irans ultra-conservative prosecutor general has demanded that the organizers of a Womens Day event in the capital city be punished for allowing little girls to dance on a stage. His demand has been echoed by religious hardliners around the country but some liberal commentators have pointed out that the issue has been blown drastically out of proportion.



Watch the Video on youtube



Information has been received regarding an event to celebrate Womens Day organized by the Tehran Municipality at the Milad Tower in which acts of public indecency were displayed against the pure and chaste traditions of Fatima, said Montazeri in a written order to Tehran Prosecutor Abbas Jafari Dowlatabadi on March 7, 2018, the day after the event.

The event at Milad Tower was held in the presence of 2,000 spectators, mostly municipality employees, who were there to honor their female colleagues on Irans Womens Day, which in the Islamic Republic is tied to the birthday of the Prophet Mohammads sister, Fatima.

While expressing our dismay, it is necessary to investigate this matter as soon as possible and put those responsible under judicial pursuit, added Montazeri.

According to Islamic law, females are not allowed to dance for anyone except their husbands. At the event in Tehran, all the dancing girls were under the age of nine.

Images and video shared on social media networks show the girls spreading flowers around the stage while twirling and dancing to traditional Iranian music.

Conservative politicians and news outlets in Iran have chastised Tehrans reformist mayor, Mohammad Ali Najafi, for not shutting down the event.

On March 7, Najafi issued a statement requesting that the organizers of all cultural and artistic events in the city do so in accordance with Islamic laws.

We do not believe that Islam is a religion of sorrow, the mayor said. Islam is a happy religion. Its joyous and lively. But the joy should come within a framework of norms and that in itself is an art. Therefore I ask all my colleagues to pay attention to these important points in organizing cultural and artistic programs.

But the conservative, state-funded Mehr News Agency criticized the mayor, claiming he appeared to have enjoyed the show.

The publication of a short clip showing an event celebrating women working for the Tehran Municipality in which several girls were dancing and women were singing and playing music in front of the mayor, has drawn many protests, said an unsigned commentary piece published on March 7.

In the clip, you can even see the mayor of Tehran applauding the performers at the end of the program, which was undoubtedly without precedent in the history of this institution, added the commentary.

It continued: If Najafi was concerned that the program was against Islamic norms, he should have left at that moment and ordered disciplinary action against the organizers.

Najafi told the Iranian governments official newspaper, Iran, that he did not agree with the dance routine but saw no reason to leave the event at the time.

The people who organized the event said that all the girls who were performing were under nine-years-old and therefore there was no problem from a religious point of view, Najafi said. I attended the event to honor the 2,000 municipality workers in the audience... There has been some criticism of the dance and it was best if it was left out of the program but I did not see a reason to leave.

Something Out of Nothing

Fatemeh Rakei, a reformist politician and the Tehran municipalitys director for womens affairs, told the Iran newspaper that conservatives were blowing the issue out of proportion.

These malicious critics are trying to make something out of nothing because there have been dozens of these artistic programs staged by official permit in the country and they have even been shown on state television where performers have made movements in accordance with Iranian cultural traditions, Rakei said.

The performance was not a dance and the performers were not mature girls, she added. All they did was spread flowers with artistic movements. Thats neither a crime nor a sin.

But in the Shiite holy city of Qom, the ultra-conservative Ayatollah Hossein Nouri Hamadani called on the faithful to show their outrage against the events organizers.

The families of martyrs should come forward and protest against such actions because we owe our security and our revolution to the blood of the martyrs and its regrettable to see such things happening in our revolutionary society, he told the families of Iranian war veterans on March 8.

The previous day, Hamid Rasaee, a conservative member of Parliament, attacked the organizers for allegedly failing to honor the Prophet Mohammads sister.

Obviously, there was no connection between this program and the character of Fatima, a woman whose qualities and beliefs have inspired a week of celebrations in honor of mothers and women, Rasaee said on March 7.

Moreover, we should remind the dear people of Tehran that the problems facing the city such as air pollution, traffic congestion, urban deterioration and corruption in the municipality will not be solved by those who believe in such debauched and lecherous ideas.

Nahid Khodakarami, a reformist member of the Tehran City Council and a professor at the Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, said the criticisms were rooted in sexism.

Its unfortunate that even our small children are not safe from such poisonous, sexist views on women. If you had worried about the plunder of the public treasury, instead of girls dancing and being happy, then the municipality would not have been 52 trillion tomans [approximately $13.8 billion USD] in debt, she tweeted on March 7.

           #   .

        #       #     . https://t.co/T8sUAXSwLA  Nahid Khodakarami (@N_Khodakarami) March 7, 2018

On March 8, Azar Mansoori, who describes herself as a reformist, tweeted: I wish a little bit of this hoopla and cries to save Islams reputation over a bunch of girls happily dancing and women singing in a chorus would have instead been directed at financial corruption scandals that involve numbers with so many zeros that they wouldnt fit on a page.

                                  .                    pic.twitter.com/lhANK0Y9zJ  Azar Mansoori (@azar_mansoori) March 7, 2018

Iranian twitter user Shirin Fazaeli wrote, You react against 8-year-olds dancing but you have no objections when they are forced to get married at that age, or when they have to go to work or when they get raped. Your only worry in this country right now is dancing girls.

Journalist and researcher Hossein Bastani pointed out that the same judicial officials who blocked the imprisonment of a Quran reciter who was accused of sexually abusing male students in Iran were now trying to investigate a few innocent girls.

The same judiciary that wants to investigate a few innocent girls has for years blocked the prosecution of individuals such as Saeed Tousi, he tweeted on March 7.

 Land and People

 History and Government

 Effects of War

 Economy and Oil The collision of cultures, religions and ethnicities in Sudan -- including those of sub-Saharan Africa and those of the Arab Islamic world -- have led to nearly 50 years of civil war. Since 1956, when Sudan first gained independence from the United Kingdom, there have been only 11 years of peace.

Land and People



Sudan is the largest country in Africa -- more than one-quarter the size of the United States -- and borders nine other countries, including Egypt, Chad, Kenya and Ethiopia. Khartoum, the capital of Sudan, sits where the White Nile and the Blue Nile join together as the Nile and flow north to Egypt and into the Mediterranean. The country's name derives from the Arabic bilad al-sudan, which means "land of the blacks." Sudan has an estimated population of 39 million, 52 percent of which are black, and 39 percent Arab. Arabic is the official language, and the government has attempted to impose Islamic sharia law since 1983. Seventy percent of Sudan's population is Muslim. Animists and Christians, who for the most part live in southern Sudan, account for about 30 percent of the population. In Sudan, "Arab" is an ethnic and cultural term, typically referring to those who can trace their ancestry to the original inhabitants of the Arabian peninsula and whose mother tongue is Arabic. "Muslim" refers to anyone who follows the Islamic religion. In Sudan, many blacks are Muslim. The median age in Sudan is 18 years, and life expectancy is 58 years. (In the United States, the median age is 36 years, and life expectancy is 77 years.) Sudan has an adult literacy rate of about 60 percent. Darfur is a region in western Sudan, abutting Chad and the Central African Republic. It is about the size of Texas and has a population of 6 million; the majority are Muslim and have African features. The three largest African tribes in Darfur are the Fur, the Masalit and the Zaghawa. Generally speaking, most people of African descent in Darfur are farmers, and most people of Arab descent in Darfur are nomadic herders. There is fierce competition for land between herders and farmers, including violent battles between Fur farmers and Arab herders from 1987 to 1989. This competition has fueled the present conflict in Darfur. back to top





History and Government



For the first half of the 20th century, present-day Sudan was a colony of the British Empire. Even as Sudan achieved independence from Britain in 1956, civil war was already brewing between the north and the south. Army coups in 1958 and 1969 plus civil war impeded attempts to build a parliamentary democracy. In 1972, the Addis Ababa Agreement enforced a peace agreement between the government and separatist southern rebels. Civil war was sparked in 1983 when the military regime tried to impose sharia law as part of its overall policy to "Islamicize" all of Sudan. Beginning in 1983, the Sudan People's Liberation Army (SPLA) led insurrections in the south, a region dominated by Animists and Christians. In 1989, compromise between the ruling government and southern opposition groups seemed imminent, but Omar al-Bashir, a politically and religiously extreme military leader, led a successful coup and became chief of state, prime minister and chief of the armed forces. Al-Bashir has been elected only once, in 1996. Al-Bashir continues to lead a government run by an alliance between the military junta and the National Congress Party, which pushes an Islamist agenda. Sudan's government imposed a penal code in 1991 that instituted amputations and stoning as punishments. The Sudanese government harbored Osama bin Laden in the 1990s until the Clinton administration successfully pressured the government to expel him in 1996. In 1996, terrorist threats led President Clinton to withdraw the U.S. ambassador to Sudan. There is still no U.S. ambassador in Khartoum, although the embassy remains open. In 1997, the United States imposed economic sanctions, prohibiting trade with businesses in Sudan and prohibiting investment in Sudan by U.S. businesses. In early 2003, just as negotiations to end the civil war were progressing, a new rebellion spawned in the western province of Darfur when ethnically African rebel groups, including the Sudanese Liberation Army (SLA), attacked military installations. The SLA's attack was rooted both in its belief that the government was neglecting Darfur and in its objections to the government's preference for hiring ethnic Arabs as top government officials. The Sudanese government has enlisted Janjaweed -- armed nomads from the north -- to attack villages that ostensibly harbored rebels. Attacks usually follow a pattern: Government planes bomb villages in Darfur, then, within hours, Janjaweed ride in on horses or camels to pillage homes and rape and murder civilians. The Sudanese government maintains that the Janjaweed are acting independently, without government support. back to top





Effects of War



Since the 1983 start of the civil war, more than 4 million people have been displaced, and an estimated 2 million have died. Opposition groups as well as the government have been accused of atrocities in the conflict. Since 2003, violence in Darfur -- called ethnic cleansing by some and genocide by others -- has left an estimated 50,000 to 80,000 dead and an estimated 1.2 million to 2 million people displaced. Survivors face severe shortages of food and clean water. An estimated 200,000 Sudanese have escaped to Chad, where they are living in refugee camps. Many are in desolate areas near the city of Abeche, where temperatures frequently exceed 100 degrees Fahrenheit. An estimated 2.3 million civilians in Darfur are in need of emergency aid, but bottlenecks created by both the government and the rebel forces cut them off from food and medical supplies. In 2001, Sudan was declared to be free of polio, but the disease is making a comeback in the wake of war. Health experts say the probability is high that more than 10,000 Sudanese have been infected with the virus. back to top





Economy and Oil



Although much of Sudan's land is made up of plains and deserts, it has large areas of arable land, significant gold deposits and massive oil reserves. Agricultural production -- such as cotton and peanuts cultivation -- employs 80 percent of the workforce and contributes 39 percent of the gross domestic product. Sudan is one of the poorest countries in the world. Annual per-capita income in 2001 was $340. Oil accounts for about 73 percent of Sudan's total export revenues. Officials from the Sudanese Energy Ministry estimate that the county has 3 billion barrels of oil reserves. Foreign companies began oil exploration in the Red Sea in the 1960s; the most fruitful oil fields were found in southern Sudan by Chevron. In 1981, Chevron and the Sudanese government formed the White Nile Petroleum Corporation to oversee oil production in the south, but Chevron suspended its southern Sudan operations in 1985 because of fighting near the oil fields. Many Western oil companies have abandoned investments in Sudan, both because of the conflict and because of criticism by human rights groups. Economic sanctions imposed by the United States in 1997 barred American companies from operating in Sudan. The nation's major trade partners include China, Japan, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, India, the United Kingdom, Germany, Indonesia and Australia. The SPLA has declared oil installations a "legitimate military target," saying that oil revenues have supported the government's human rights abuses and that the government has displaced thousands of civilians living near the oil fields. Upon the 1999 completion of an oil pipeline that extends from the southern oil fields through Khartoum to the Red Sea, Sudan began exporting crude oil -- and immediately recorded its first trade surplus. The same year, the government halted delivery of aid to people living near the oil fields. Some experts refer to Algeria, Pakistan, China and Russia as the "Darfur Four": Each of these four countries has major oil investments in Sudan and has opposed the U.N. Security Council's plans for arms and oil embargoes. back to top



Sources: CIA World Fact Book; U.S. State Department; Reuters Foundation; Reuters; Wikipedia; BBC News; U.S. Department of Energy; Sudan Update; International Crisis Group; The World Bank; Encyclopedia of the Orient; "Dying in Darfur," by Samantha Power; "Tragedy in Darfur: Understanding and Ending the Horror," by Alex de Waal.



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.Board members of the Bulk Oil Storage and Transportation (BOST) will on Monday meet to take a decision on the latest allegation of shady deal levelled against the company.



The Chamber of Petroleum Consumers (COPEC) Ghana claimed in a statement Sunday that BOST had short-changed the state of about GHC23 million by selling off some 1.8 trillion barrels of crude to an unlincenced company in September 2017.



The crude, which had been in the tanks of the Tema Oil Refinery since December 2016, according to COPEC, was sold to BB Energy at 54 dollars per barrel as against the prevailing price of 56 dollars at the time of the sale.



COPEC alleged the crude was on a rebound and had peeked from around the $50/barrel region to all the way above $70 as of January [2018].



It thus appealed to the appropriate state agencies to institute forensic investigations into the matter, which it claimed had caused financial loss to the state



But when contacted, a source at BOST denied the allegation by COPEC, and described same as unfortunate and misleading, adding the Board is meeting tomorrow to take a decision on that.



The source explained that the product was imported to be refined but that did not materialise, hence reselling it about 10 months later cannot be sold at official rice.



Such a product is considered distress and is always sold at a discount globally, the source explained, adding that any competent industry player would have asked for details before making such illogical and baseless statement. According to the source, keeping crude oil for such a period may affect the quality and for that matter the yield, something that it said forms part of the determination of the pricing of the product.



Everyday BOSTs management is having crisis meeting because of these false and misleading publications thereby preventing us from concentrating on our core mandate, the source bemoaned.





Source: 3news.com









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Featured VideoControversial South African dancer, Zodwa Wabantu, who is popularly known for performing without underwear, was deported from Zambia on Saturday, on the grounds that her performance would undermine national values.



Zodwa has been deported, her Zambian promoter Lucky Munakampe, confirmed the development, adding that she said she had flown out at 0520 GMT on a South African Airways flight. Zambian musician Karasa Karayo was scheduled to launch his album on 10th March 2018 and the promoter for the show Sunset Sound Production, had lined up Zodwa to perform.



The organizers of the show said in a statement earlier this week that Zambias National Arts Council had rejected their application.



Read Full Story .... lindaikejisblog.com >>> :

















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Featured VideoBurundi's President Pierre Nkurunziza has been named "Eternal Supreme Guide" by his political party.



The move means no one in the governing CNDD-FDD is allowed to disagree with his choices, secretary-general Evariste Ndayishimiye said.



"He is our leader. Therefore in our party... no one is comparable to him," Mr Ndayishimiye said.



"He is our parent, he is the one who advises us. That is why I ask all our members to respect that because a home without the man (its head) can be overlooked by anybody. For us, we have the best."



But critics say a cult of personality is developing around 54-year-old Mr Nkurunziza.



Jeremy Minani, the leader of the opposition Rally of Burundi Democrats (RDB), told Burundi Radio Publique Africaine: "President Pierre Nkurunziza's naming himself the leader of the ruling party, is part of his plan to reach his goal and to make it easy for him to eliminate every challenge without difficulty."



The new title has been bestowed just months ahead of a national referendum which could end with Mr Nkurunziza getting permission to rule until 2034.



He is already serving a controversial third term in office.



His re-election led to violence in the streets in 2015, leaving more than 1,000 people dead and displacing hundreds of thousands.

Source: BBC









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Featured VideoSingapore has executed a Ghanaian man for drug smuggling, rejecting his plea for clemency.



Billy Agbozo,39, was found guilty and executed last Friday (March 9), more than 4 years after his arrest.



He had travelled by plane from Accra to Dubai on April 4, 2013, before boarding a plane bound for Singapore. He arrived at Singapore's Changi Airport the next day and planned to spend five nights in the Asian country.



But he was stopped by checkpoint inspectors who screened his luggage - a black haversack and a red-and-black suitcase.



According to straitstimes.com, A White, crystalline substances were found in the wall of the haversack and the inner plastic casing of the suitcase. The substances contained 1.63kg of methamphetamine with an estimated street value of about $135,600.



Details of his recorded telephone conversation with an unknown caller in twi were also captured and presented as evidence against him.



He was arrested and found guilty of illegally importing controlled drugs under the Country's Misuse of Drugs Act.



It not yet known the arrangement made between Ghana and Singapore and whether Accra presented a plea.



His appeal against his conviction and sentence was dismissed by the Court of Appeal in February last year.



His petition to the President for clemency was also turned down.



Under Singapore law, trafficking more than 15 grams of heroin brings a mandatory death sentence.



But reforms that came into effect in 2013 gave judges discretion on certain cases.



Those convicted of drug trafficking can have their sentences commuted if they aid police and acted merely as couriers, according to the latest changes.



The Misuse of Drugs Act provides for the death penalty if the amount of methamphetamine trafficked is more than 250g.



Agbozo was "accorded full due process under the law, and was represented by legal counsel throughout the process", said the Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB), as quoted by straitstimes.com.



CNB added that 1.63kg of methamphetamine is sufficient to feed the addiction of about 1,210 abusers for a week.



Human rights groups have repeatedly condemned Singapore for imposing the death penalty, saying its use of the death penalty shows flagrant disregard for human life.



Amnesty International in October Last year called on Singapore to the end the death sentence immediately.



Flagrant disregard for human life



Singapores continued reliance on mandatory death sentences, which violate international law has received widespread condemnation across Human Right groups.



Amnesty International in its 2017 report, said the act meant that dozens of low-level drug offenders have been sent to death row in recent years.



Singapore likes to paint itself as a prosperous and progressive role model, but its use of the death penalty shows flagrant disregard for human life," it said.



"The country relies on harsh laws that overwhelmingly target drug offenders on the lower rungs of the ladder, many of whom will come from disadvantaged backgrounds, said Chiara Sangiorgio, Amnesty Internationals Death Penalty Adviser."

Source: ghanaweb.com









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Featured VideoThe youth of the Asogli State in collaboration with the Coalition of Volta Youth yesterday demonstrated against plans by the government to carve out a new region out of the Volta Region.



The demonstrators, wearing warriors attires marched through the streets of the regional capital and made a brief stop- over at the Asogli Palace at Ho-Bankoe.



They presented their petition to Togbe Howusu XII, Awafiaga of Asogli, before continuing to the Regional Volta Coordinating Council (VRCC) where a copy of the petition was received by the Regional Coordinating Director, Mr Felix B. Chaahaah, on behalf of the Regional Minister, Dr. Archibald Yao Letsa, who was away on an official duty.



At the Asogli Palace, a spokesman of the demonstrators, Simon Kofi Ohene, gave the chiefs a 14-day ultimatum to declare their stance on the issue of dividing the region into two.



The eight-point petition, read in part, that the creation of an additional region was not a requirement for development since there were administrative regions and territories much larger than the Volta Region.



Furthermore, the petition stated that the creation of new regions and districts continuously fragments the country along ethnic and tribal lines which does not promote peace and harmony but rather leads to mistrust and disunity among the people.



On his part, Togbe Howusu, who is also the Dufia of Ho-Dome said that if the government had plans to divide the region, then it was duty-bound to consult the chiefs of the entire region over the issue and not just chiefs from certain areas of the region.



The chiefs of southern Volta have not been consulted by government over any such plan and so we cannot give it out backing, he affirmed.



The Awafiaga of Asogli maintained that there was no need to divide Volta Region before implementing development projects in the area.



Funds for re-demarcating the region can be used now to start new development projects in the region, Togbe Howusu added.



He cited the dual highway project from Sokode to Ho among other development projects in the region, which the current government promised to continue, but had now abandoned and sought to know how the division of the region could facilitate development in the region.



Togbe Howusu commended the youth for carrying out the demonstration in peaceful manner and readily standing up to defend the good of the Volta Region.



At the VRCC courtyard, Mr Chaahaah assured the demonstrators that the petition would reach the regional minister in good time.



Some of the placards carried by the demonstrators read: One Volta One People, Volta Is Not on Sale and Volta Needs Development and not Division, among others.

Source: Ghanaian Times









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Featured VideoUS ambassador to Ghana Robert Jackson has commended former President John Mahama for the infrastructural drive he embarked upon while President of Ghana.



According to him, the various projects Mahama constructed are important for Ghana.



I think ex-president Mahama had a vision, too, so, I want to give him credit where credit is due, his emphasis was on infrastructure, which is very important  schools, clinics, hospitals, roads, President Mahama did a lot for this country, Ambassador Jackson said while commending President Akufo-Addo in an interview with Ghanaweb.



He however noted Mr. Akufo-Addo is more visionary than some recent Ghanaian leaders.



I do think that he is more visionary than some recent Ghanaian leaders. President Akufo-Addos focus on the private sector and making the private sector the engine of growth rather than government being the driving force is how I see the difference between the two of them.



Both of them had visions for the country, I think President Akufo-Addos vision of private sector-led growth is likely to create more jobs and propel the economy forward faster than the infrastructure investments but the infrastructure investments were important.



President Akufo-Addos vision of one district-one factory may not be realised in his first term or even his second, if there is one, but the idea is exactly what is needed to get beyond aid  that you have to industrialize, that you build your industrial base, that you create jobs so that people do not want to trek across the desert and be potentially enslaved in Libya or even if they make it to Libya, drown in the Mediterranean, we need to change the dialogue so that people do not see it as their only alternative, we need to make Ghana attractive for young people to stay here and see that they can be entrepreneurs, that they can have a real bright future here.

Source: starrfmonline.com









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Featured VideoBEIJING, March 11 (Xinhua) -- The constitutional amendment adopted by China's national legislature Sunday, including a revision regarding the President's term of office, is good for China's enduring peace and stability, an official said.

Shen Chunyao, chairman of the Commission for Legislative Affairs of the National People's Congress Standing Committee, said the revision is good for upholding the authority and centralized, unified leadership of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at the core.

"It is a key measure to improve the state leadership system," Shen told reporters at a press conference held right after the amendment was adopted.

He said the experience of the past 20 plus years showed that the "three in one" leadership system was a successful, effective and pivotal one for China. The "three" refers to general secretary of the CPC Central Committee, the chairman of the Central Military Commission and the state president - the top positions of the ruling party, the armed forces and the state.

Shen said there has been a growing and across-the-board call for the provision of the president's term in the Constitution to be compatible with that of the other two top positions.

"The 'three in one' leadership is not only necessary, but proves to be the most suitable system for a big party and country like ours," he said.

"It is a successful experience we draw from the Party's long-term governance," he said, adding that this revision is "very important" and its meanings need to be learnt well and correctly.

Shen said the revision has a wide and solid political, legal and social base. Lawmakers applauded twice when it was introduced at the NPC annual session on March 5 for deliberation.

In response to a reporter's question, he said the hypothesis of a repetition of political turmoil linked to leadership reshuffle is unfounded because the CPC has managed to solve a number of key challenges in its over 90 years' history, including how to ensure the orderly transition of the party and state leaders at all levels.

The path of socialist political advancement with Chinese characteristics the CPC has explored will lead China to an even brighter future, Shen said.

[ Editor: Zhang Zhou ]The District Chief Executive (DCE) of Akatsi South in the Volta Region, Leo-Nelson Adzodogah and his immediate predecessor, Samuel Kwadzo Wuadi, are at each others throats over the debt status of the district.



According to Mr Adzodogah, his predecessor left a suffocating debt overhang of GH4,062,360 which was crippling the overall development of the district.



At a press conference in the district capital, Akatsi on February 14, 2018 to disclose the debt stock of the area, Mr Adzodogah said the arrears covered contracts awarded under the various sources of funding the assembly relies on for projects.



They are the District Assembly Common Fund (DACF), MPs Common Fund, District Development Facility (DDF), HIPC Fund, the Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETFund) and Internally Generated Fund.



But in a rebuttal at a press conference in Akatsi on Thursday, Mr Wuadi said his successor was being untruthful with the facts.



This is because the budgeting system of the district assembly concept, since its inception, works on expected revenue and projected expenditure and that projected expenditures are not debt and cannot be debt.



In the view of Mr Wuadi, his successor does not understand the district assembly concept and its budgeting system because most of these projects are ongoing and it is only when certificates are raised and approved by the assembly that debt arise.



The total amount due are those certificates that were certified by the appropriate authorities at the assembly for value of work done by the various supplies and contractors totaling GH1.371,978, the former DCE said.



This position was corroborated by the summary of the debt status of the assembly as of February 12, 2018, sighted by the Ghanaian Times, and signed by the District Finance Officer which pegs the debt at GH1.376,183.07.



Giving a breakdown of the projects, Mr Wuadi said of the 116 contracts awarded 81 was completed, 26 were ongoing, whiles nine have stalled; challenging his successor to ensure the stalled projects were completed for use by the people.



Mr Wuadi challenged the current DCE to produce the evidence to the contrary and produce the outstanding certificates of work done that amounted to over GH4 million and stop the cheap political propaganda with ill motive which will not help for the smooth development of our dear district.



The Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO), Mr Wuadi said, in 2015 and 2016 conducted investigations into the activities of the assembly upon allegation of financial malfeasance but found no merit and had dully cleared the assembly and himself of any wrongdoing.



He in turn alleged that his successor, since assuming office had awarded contracts for the renovation of his official bungalow, renovation of his office, reconditioning of his car among others at exorbitant prices without following proper procurement procedures and making payments without warrant contrary to the Public Financial Management Act.

Source: Ghanaian Times









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Featured VideoUPDATE: Police say the girl has been found and is safe. Johnson had taken the child to a third party to be turned over to police. He is still wanted by police.

Police in Harrisburg are searching for a missing 1-year-old girl and the man who was last seen with her.

Dayyvani Cleveland was last seen at about 8 p.m. Saturday along the 1400 block of South 15th Street, police said.

The child was said to be last seen with Travon Johnson, 23, police said.

"Officers contacted the mother who indicated that she left Dayyvani Cleveland in the care of Travon Johnson while she went out. When she returned to the home both were gone. The mother was contacted by Johnson who verified he had the child. Johnson warned that if police became involved that he would harm Cleveland. The mother could hear the child crying in the background," police said.

Johnson is described as being about 5 feet 10 inches tall and weighing 180 pounds.

Anyone with information about Johnson or the missing child is asked to contact police at 717-558-6900.Don't expect much snow in central Pennsylvania from the third nor-easter in two weeks hitting the region.

In the Harrisburg region, we should receive less than an inch of snow, AccuWeather says.

But the eastern third of the state could see higher amounts, ranging from 1-2 inches in Philadelphia area to 2-3 inches in the Lehigh valley to 3-4 inches in the Poconos.

Areas in northwestern Pa. could get additional snow Tuesday night and Wednesday.

Berks County and the Philadelphia suburbs can expect less than two inches of snow, but the Tuesday morning commute could be slippery, NWS says. Leftover light snow will taper off by 10 a.m. Tuesday.

The nor'easter is moving over the western Atlantic on Monday, moving into New England and the Canadian maritimes by Tuesday night.

The storm is expected to rapidly strengthen Monday night into Tuesday, potentially undergoing bombogenesis, or rapid intensification, AccuWeather says.

Here is what forecasters say the impact will be:

Several inches of snow can create slick travel for the Monday morning commute in and around northern Tennessee, Kentucky, West Virginia and southwestern Virginia.

Snow or rain changing to snow unfolded from Kentucky to Virginia and North Carolina Sunday night into Monday. Motorists on interstates 64, 77 and 81 on Monday morning can face reduced visibility and slick travel.

Heavy snow and blizzard conditions may bring travel to a halt in Boston and Portland, Maine, on Tuesday.

Coastal communities from the Outer Banks of North Carolina to New England face a renewed risk for minor coastal flooding and power outages.

After the storm leaves the mid-Atlantic Monday night, it will bring significant snow - more than a foot in spots - from Connecticut to Maine. Parts of upstate New York are expected to get heavy snow through the middle of the week.

Scattered snow squalls could also move southeast through eastern Pa. Wednesday afternoon, leaving a half-inch to an inch of snow.

The storm will result in widespread rain from Florida to central Virginia, and moderate to heavy snow to West Virginia and the mountains in western Virginia.

Here is the week's forecast:

Monday: 50 percent chance of snow after 11 a.m., mixing with rain after 1 p.m. Cloudy, with a high near 39. Little or no snow accumulation expected.

Tonight: Chance of rain and snow before 7 p.m., then a chance of snow. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 29. Chance of precipitation is 50%. New snow accumulation of less than a half inch possible.

Tuesday: Partly sunny; high of 42.

Tuesday night: Partly cloudy; low of 27.

Wednesday: Slight chance of rain and snow showers. Partly sunny; high of 39. West wind 9 to 14 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20 percent.

Wednesday night: Mostly cloudy; low of 27.

Thursday: Mostly sunny; high of 45.

Thursday night: Partly cloudy; low of 30.

Friday: Mostly sunny; high of 49.

Friday night: Partly cloudy; low of 33.

Saturday: 30 percent chance of showers. Partly sunny; high of 52.

Saturday night: 30 percent chance of showers. Low of 37.

Sunday: Partly sunny; high of 54.

For the latest forecasts, visit PennLive's weather page.

You can see live weather updates via the National Weather Service and other Twitter sources below.

Tweet us at @pennlive with photos of inclement weather at your place, incidents you see on your commute or send a submission to submissions@pennlive.com.Jeremy Barney, who was convicted of rape and other sexual offenses involving a five-year-old boy, has received a new sentence of 20 to 40 years in prison, according to the Lancaster County District Attorney's Office.

Barney, 41,

But his sentence included a mandatory minimum length of time, which the Pennsylvania Supreme Court later ruled as unconstitutional, according the district attorney's office. That resulted in the re-sentencing.Police in Harrisburg say a missing 1-year-old girl has been found and is safe. But the search continues for the man they say abducted her.

Dayyvani Cleveland was found at about 6:45 p.m. Sunday. She was last seen at about 8 p.m. Saturday along the 1400 block of South 15th Street, with Travon Johnson, 23, police said.

"Johnson had taken the child to known third party to be turned over to police. Cleveland did have injuries consistent with being assaulted. She was taken to Harrisburg Hospital for treatment," according to police.

Police are continuing to search for Johnson regarding this incident and several outstanding warrants for "violent crimes," police said.

Johnson took the girl from her home after he was left alone with her and later called the girl's mother early Sunday morning, police said.

"The mother was contacted by Johnson who verified he had the child. Johnson warned that if police became involved that he would harm Cleveland. The mother could hear the child crying in the background," according to police.

Anyone with information about Johnson is asked to contact police at 717-558-6900.An organized-crime ring authorities say scammed more than a million dollars in unpaid sales taxes, EZ Pass tolls and parking fines came to an end Friday with guilty pleas from the ring leader and several others.

Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro today announced the guilty pleas that have followed the investigation and prosecution of the "Operation Car Wash" case.

Rafael Levi, 51, of Brooklyn, New York, pleaded guilty to 36 third-degree felonies Friday in Dauphin County Court on charges that spawned from "Operation Car Wash," Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro announced today.

"The organized criminal ring led by Rafael Levi used legitimate business tactics - applying for licenses, insurance, car loans and purchases - for totally illegitimate purposes," Shapiro said. "From fraudulent license plates to phony car titles and other frauds, they gamed the system to rack up millions in illegal profits. Now, they're facing justice."

Nine people and 10 businesses fraudulently obtained more than a thousand Pennsylvania licenses plates through the scheme. Those plates were illegally rented out in New York City and other locations with the ring reaping enormous profits by allowing those using the plates to avoid paying fines, tolls and fees across several states, authorities say.

In addition to Levi, guilty pleas Friday also came from:

Edward Leyberman

April Levy

Cody Levy

Michael Levy

Brian Estrella

Morris Harary

Kelly Rogers

Sal Maniscalco

Prestige AAA Sales, Inc.

Shapiro's office is seeking restitution of more than $1.5 million from the defendants. As part of his plea, Levi also agreed to forfeit numerous luxury vehicles, including a 2015 Rolls Royce Wraith, a 2015 Ferrari, a 2007 Ferrari F430 and other cars. Levi also pleaded guilty on behalf of nine businesses, each of which will be ordered to pay a fine of $10,000 and a civil penalty of $15,000 to the Insurance Fraud Prevention Authority - a total of $225,000 in penalties.

The charges were filed in April following an investigation by the Attorney General's Insurance Fraud Section and a statewide investigative grand jury, receiving an initial information from the Pennsylvania State Police.

As a result of the investigation, PennDOT has implemented reforms to prevent this kind of fraud in the future.

This case was prosecuted by Senior Deputy Attorney General Robert LaBar and Deputy Attorney General Kristyne Sharpe.

Levi will be sentenced following a pre-sentence investigation. He faces a maximum sentence of seven years behind bars and $15,000 for each of the 36 third-degree felony counts.Shaunee Noon, 24, of Palmyra, faces charges including aggravated assault against a police officer and resisting arrest following what police described as a domestic dispute.

Palmyra police said the alleged offenses took place at Noon's address in the 200 block of West Cherry Street late Saturday. Police said Noon was charged and sent to Lebanon County Prison in lieu of $100,000 bail.A sorority has been kicked off Lehigh University's campus after a scavenger hunt that was called "reprehensible."

Alpha Chi Omega's Theta Chi chapter's Lehigh campus recognition was revoked for two years, starting March 5 until May 31, 2020, says the Lehigh Greeks blog.

The sorority was accused of sponsoring a road rally scavenger hunt Dec. 8, 2017 in which participants "received points for various acts including sexual activity, the use of drugs and alcohol, ingesting food and other liquids."

The sorority chapter was placed on interim suspension Dec. 12 after reports of the incident, and Alpha Chi Omega headquarters ordered the chapter to cease and desist all activities.

The chapter cooperated and turned over evidence, and an investigation resulted in probationary terms for the chapter, and additional individual consequences, said the blog.

Lehigh University's committee on discipline held a hearing March 5, and concluded there were hazing violations. The sorority will lose University recognition and access to group housing immediately upon conclusion of the University's disciplinary process.

The scavenger hunts may not have been required for affiliation into the sorority, "but are clearly considered a rite of passage and a consistent part of membership in AXO," said the committee.

There was credible information that the event had been going on for years, and the entire chapter and its leadership was aware of it, said the report.

"The panel is deeply concerned about the escalated nature of the content of this year's list and we are unconvinced that this escalation wouldn't continue," the report says.

The sorority can apply to the university's Dean of Student Offices in 2020 to start the recognition process again.

The Greek ban comes after Lehigh suspended three fraternities last year for alcohol-related incidents.

Last summer Lehigh University dissolved Kappa Sigma fraternity after "scores" of underage drinking violations.

And in September, Phi Kappa Theta and Delta Chi were temporarily suspended after alcohol-related incidents.The student walkouts being planned Wednesday in some area schools won't be a traditional protest demonstration with bullhorns and marches.

Some won't even be outside, after school officials raised concerns about safety.

And one even requires students to write a letter to their legislator.

Around the country, on the one-month anniversary of the Parkland, Fla. School shooting, students are planning walkouts in memory of the victims and to call for school safety and gun law reforms.

At Hershey High School and middle school students will be linking arms in unity at 10 a.m. in an attempt to make a continuous chain throughout the halls of the high school, said Dan Tredinnick, Derry Township School District spokesman. A brief memorial for the shooting victims will then be held.

"They have taken this approach rather than trying to politicize it, with a theme of hope, unity and standing together," Tredinnick said.

Students can go outside if they choose, and Tredinnick said the district is prepared if that occurs. "But we believe students who want to demonstrate will do what their peers have set up for them," he added.

At the beginning of each period during the day, students will read inspirational quotes about hope and unity.

And during lunch periods, students will also work on a communal art project outside. Ribbons will be tied onto the fence around the outside track, spelling out the word "hope."

In Middletown Area School District, student leaders developed plans for the day, working with building principals, said Lori Suski, district superintendent.

At the high school, in order to participate in the walkout, students decided participants will have had to first write a letter to state Rep. Tom Mehaffie on their concerns on school safety, which will later be sent to him.

These students will then walk out onto the courtyard, where they will stand silently in solidarity for 17 minutes in memory of victims of the Parkland tragedy.

Other ways students can take part is to purchase a $10 T-shirt that reads "Walkout together we stand" on the front and "Working to promote safe schools for all" on the back. Proceeds will be sent to Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School for mental health support for students.

Students can also sign a student-draft resolution calling for improved school safety and mental health services in the state during lunch periods, which will be taken to Gov. Tom Wolf and the General Assembly at the Capitol.

At Middletown Area Middle School, at 2 p.m. students will go into the halls and stand shoulder to shoulder in support of stopping school violence. Also, 17 chimes will ring in memory of the Parkland victims. In their classrooms, students will be able to sign a banner, which is their pledge to stop bullying and violence, which will be hung in the middle school lobby afterward.

Participation in any of the events is voluntary, and disorderly conduct that disrupts school will not be tolerated, Suski said.

Camp Hill High School student council has organized an outside memorial for the Parkland shooting victims Wednesday, said a letter to parents from Superintendent Patricia Craig.

The 17-minute event is planned to be a "non-political statement of unity and support for the families and friends of the victims of the tragic event in Parkland," and participation will be voluntary.

It will include student speakers and a moment of silence. Students were asked to sign up in advance and agree to follow the plan set up for the event, as well as the student handbook guidelines.

Students who remain in class will be supervised by teaching staff. Media is not invited to attend the event.

In East Pennsboro Area School District, Gregory Milbrand, acting superintendent, said students are entitled by the First Amendment to participate in events such as this walkout.

"They won't be punished for walking out of classes," Milbrand said, adding that students were encouraged to work with the administration on plans.

Cornwall-Lebanon School District in Lebanon County is inviting the community to an evening forum to discuss school safety, in addition to a student-led memorial to the Parkland victims.

The forum will be held 6:30-8 p.m. Wednesday in Cedar Crest High School auditorium.

After high school students open the forum with the memorial to the 17 shooting victims, a forum will include the superintendent, district attorney and state legislators answering questions submitted by students, staff, parents and the community through an electronic survey.

During the school day at Cornwall-Lebanon, high school students will engage in discussions and activities. For 17 minutes, classes will pause in order for students and staff) to watch a student-produced video Memorial Tribute, similar to the one that will be shown at the evening forum.

At Cedar Crest Middle School, students and staff members have planned a community day, with a focus on what unifies them, rather than their differences. They will observe a moment of silence during the 49-minute CARE period, and watch a student-created video, "Building Community."

West Shore School District isn't allowing middle and high school students to leave the school buildings between 9:45 and 10:30 a.m., and no visitors will be allowed to enter.

Due to safety concerns with large groups of students gathering outside, building principals have been asked to create a safe place inside the schools, such as auditoriums, for those who wish to take part in a walkout, said Todd Stoltz, district superintendent.

"One of the district's main safety concerns with this event is that students are being encouraged to leave school and gather outside at a specified time. This plan raises operational safety concerns and opens participants to an added level of risk," said his letter to parents.

"Any student demonstrating disrespectful behavior that disrupts school operations or threatens school safety will face the appropriate consequences," said the letter.

Parents who wish to keep their students home Wednesday will have the absence excused, following district procedure.

Students who take part in a walkout will have to make up work, and instruction will continue for those who choose not to take part.

In Cumberland Valley School District, Superintendent Frederick Withum said the walkout is student-led and organized, and said plans will be in place to ensure it is properly supervised.

While the safest place for students is in the classroom, he said since students are planning to engage in a peaceful demonstration, the administration is making plans to protect their safety.

Students are expected to exit in an orderly fashion from classrooms, show respectful behavior and return in an orderly fashion to class after the event.

Students whose parents keep them home will be excused as long as proper documentation is shown, said Withum.

Students from Cumberland Valley High School are also planning a rally at 2 p.m. March 18 at High and Hanover streets in Carlisle to demand action against gun violence in schools.

Annville-Cleona School District says students will be holding a private memorial in the high school for the victims of the Parkland shooting. No outsiders, including press, are allowed to attend.

At Carlisle High School, students say they are planning a walkout at 10 a.m. Wednesday. Carlisle students also staged a rally Sunday on the courthouse steps in Carlisle.

Mechanicsburg Area Senior High School students say they are also planning a walkout Wednesday.

"Students at the high school will be permitted to walk out of their class at a designated time to a designated area of the building," said Alan Vandrew, assistant superintendent.

The middle school will conduct a safety drill followed by a period of silence for 17 seconds to remember the victims of the shooting. Students will then meet with teachers to discuss issues of school safety and situational awareness and reinforce what it means to "See Something...Say Something."

Students in Catholic Schools in the Diocese of Harrisburg will mark the one-month anniversary of the Florida school shooting with prayer services as an alternative to a walkout.By William Hauk

President Donald Trump finally followed through on his almost year-old threat to restrict imports of foreign steel.

William Hauk (The Conversation, photo)

On March 8, the president slapped a 25 percent tariff on the metal, while also putting a 10 percent duty on foreign aluminum. After initially suggesting there'd be no exceptions, Trump promised to be "very flexible" and initially exempted Mexico and Canada from the duties, which are set to go into effect in 15 days.

While Trump cited "national security" as the impetus, he's been vowing since the campaign to use trade policy to restore jobs to the American manufacturing sector, which has suffered in recent decades. The steel sector, for example, supported as many as 650,000 American workers in the 1950s, yet now employs only about 140,000.

My research focuses on the politics of trade and what prompts political leaders to impose restrictions like tariffs. The last time a president slapped tariffs on steel offers an illuminating lesson - and cautionary tale - for Trump's new policy.

President Trump holds up a proclamation on steel imports on March 8. AP Photo/Susan Walsh

The Bush steel tariffs

In early 2002, then-President George W. Bush imposed steel tariffs of up to 30 percent on imports of steel in an effort to shore up domestic producers against low-cost imports.

These tariffs were controversial both at home and abroad because, even as they helped steelmakers, they squeezed steel users, such as the auto industry.

They were also seen as hypocritical at a time when the Republican administration was trying to encourage other countries to liberalize trade policies - and reduce their tariffs - through the Doha Round of World Trade Organization talks that were happening at the time.

Transfer of wealth

So what happens when a country imposes tariffs?

The general economic view of trade protection says that tariffs transfer money from a good's consumers to its producers.

Let's say a country slaps a 20 percent tariff on imports of beef. The country's beef producers will be much better off because now imported meat is as much as 20 percent more expensive, meaning domestic companies will be able to sell more rib-eyes and raise their prices. That's bad news for restaurants and fans of steaks and hamburgers, who will pay those higher prices.

This transfer is usually economically inefficient because the benefits that domestic producers receive from a tariff will generally be less than the costs to domestic consumers.

One of the reasons they still happen despite this inefficiency is that consumers are typically a very large and dispersed group. While they collectively may lose a great deal of money in higher costs from a tariff, the cost to any one individual may not be that great. Therefore, consumers are often less motivated in opposing trade protection than a relatively narrower and more unified group of producers who have a lot to gain.

The special case of steel

Steel tariffs, however, don't follow this pattern.

That's because far from being broadly dispersed, steel consumers are heavily concentrated in the construction and automotive industries - which have very powerful political lobbies of their own. As a result, steel consumers are more likely to balk at the higher prices that would result from tariffs.

In 2002, it was pushback from these industries that helped persuade the National Association of Manufacturers to come out against the tariffs. Eventually the World Trade Organization ruled the policy illegal because it violated U.S. trade commitments, which led to the threat of a trade war with the European Union.

The Bush administration withdrew the tariffs in December 2003, about 21 months after they were imposed, but not without a cost. The Consuming Industries Trade Action Coalition found that 200,000 workers in U.S. manufacturing lost their jobs as a result of the tariffs. For comparison, the entire U.S. steel industry employed 197,000 at the time.

The politics of trade

So why is Trump doing this?

As my research shows, there are always competing voices lobbying for and against trade protection, and those preferences alone aren't enough to push a protective measure into law. That depends on how effective an interest group is in winning the support of powerful political patrons.

The steel industry has had several things working in its favor. Trump has said repeatedly that he wants to protect American manufacturing squeezed by foreign competition, and U.S. steel certainly fits that profile. But more importantly, steel production is concentrated in old industrial states in the Midwest, such as Pennsylvania and Ohio. These states have been swing states in recent presidential elections, which gives industries with workers in those regions outsized influence.

The U.S. sugar industry, which is very heavily protected, benefits in a similar way by being heavily concentrated in Florida, a frequent swing state.

Still, despite steel's political advantages, tariffs are still a large gamble for Trump. While the impact of steel tariffs on other domestic manufacturers such as construction and automotive manufacturing is likely to be bad, the bigger concern is that they set off a trade war.

That would have negative consequences for American consumers and producers alike, as well as for the U.S. economy.

The Conversation

This article incorporates elements of a story published on July 17, 2017.

William Hauk is an associate professor of economics at the University of South Carolina. He wrote this piece for The Conversation, where it first appeared.BEIJING, March 11 (Xinhua) -- A senior legislator on Sunday reiterated that the Communist Party of China (CPC) sticks to Constitution-based governance.

The Party has repeatedly stressed that it must act in accordance with the Constitution and laws, Shen Chunyao, chairman of the Commission for Legislative Affairs of the 12th National People's Congress (NPC) Standing Committee, said at a press conference.

A constitutional amendment was adopted by the first session of the 13th NPC on Sunday.

Shen cited Xi Jinping, general secretary of the CPC Central Committee, as saying that leading officials should uphold rule of law, oppose rule of man, hold in awe of the Constitution, and exercise their duty within the boundaries of the Constitution and laws, when joining a panel discussion with NPC deputies from Chongqing.

Explaining a revision that requires all state functionaries to take oath of allegiance to the Constitution when assuming office, Shen said it was introduced to educate and inspire state functionaries on their constitutional responsibilities.

An oath-taking ceremony will be arranged at the ongoing NPC session for the newly elected or appointed leaders and officials, he said.

In addition, to improve the implementation of the Constitution, the name of the NPC Law Committee has been changed into NPC Constitution and Law Committee, according to Shen.

[ Editor: Zhang Zhou ]State Rep. Nick Miccarelli will not be in Harrisburg on Monday as the House of Representatives returns to the Capitol for the start the spring legislative session.

A spokesman for the five-term Delaware County Republican House member issued a statement to PennLive on Sunday saying the legislator plans to be in his district office instead, but not by choice.

He is complying with the terms of a temporary protection from abuse order issued by a Luzerne County judge against Miccarelli on Friday. It bars him from being around or having contact with Rep. Tarah Toohil, R-Luzerne County, who sought the order. It also bars him from possessing firearms. Toohil said he has carried a weapon on the House floor, which is permitted.

Miccarelli's spokesman Frank Keel said the representative "immediately complied upon service of the PFA Order and turned over his firearms to the local police chief, despite not being notified in advance."

A hearing on whether to make the restraining order permanent is scheduled for Thursday.

"In the midst of this well-orchestrated smear campaign against Rep. Nick Miccarelli, he cannot and will not be at the Capitol on Monday, but will be in his district office," said the statement from Keel.

"He will not willingly submit to the 'Jerry Springer' environment his accusers wish to create in Harrisburg. Furthermore, the temporary PFA order is expansive, unprecedented and unwarranted. It was pushed through by Toohil without all the facts and without affording Nick the opportunity to be heard. He looks forward to being able to tell his side of the story and present the actual facts to the judge this Thursday."

Keel says Miccarelli is innocent of the accusations of sexual and physical assaults, intimidation and harassment that have been raised against him by Toohil and a Harrisburg political consultant, both of whom he once dated.

In petitioning the court for the restraining order, Tohill alleged that in 2012, Miccarelli pointed a gun at her, threatening to kill her and himself by crashing his car while driving 100 mph. She also indicated that he harassed and stalked her after their relationship ended to the point that she attached a note to her life insurance policy saying that in the event of her death, he should be investigated.

Along with other abusive behavior she detailed in the court documents, she stated that Miccarelli had an obsession with former state Treasurer R. Budd Dwyer's public suicide in 1987.

"Threats, intimidation and his obsession with violence and firearms causes me great concern for myself and my entire family and coworkers," she stated in requesting the PFA.

In his statement, Keel called it sickening that Miccarelli, "an 18-year military veteran who fought on the front lines of foreign wars to protect the rights of all Americans and is just two years shy of earning his military pension, is now being deprived of his rights to defend himself and could lose everything based on nothing more than baseless allegations.

He continues, "In regards to his accusers' shameless and constant references to the tragic suicide death of [Budd] Dwyer, it's a disgusting lie that needs to end now. The Dwyer family has suffered enough. For Nick's accusers to continue to invoke this tragedy is beyond indecent and demonstrates the ruthless attack he is facing."

The Dauphin County District Attorney's office has confirmed it is investigating the allegations of abusive and assaultive behavior that Toohil and another woman, who also dated Miccarelli, have raised. The DA's involvement arose out of a complaint that the women filed on Feb. 8 with the House of Representatives claiming Miccarelli violated the chamber's workplace harassment policy.

In the midst of the House inquiry into those allegations, all eight House Republican leaders called on Miccarelli to resign as did Gov. Tom Wolf and some House Democrats.

Miccarelli has refused to do so and his spokesman said the lawmaker has done nothing wrong "and will continue to fight these outrageous and baseless allegations against him."An intruder bald eagle attacked one of the bald eagles tending to two eggs in the nest monitored by the Pennsylvania Game Commission nestcam near Codorus State Park at Hanover on Saturday evening.

At about 7 p.m. Saturday, March 10, viewers of the livestream through the commission's website - watching the night-vision camera at the time - saw the bald eagle on the nest grow increasingly agitated over something happening above it.

Within a few minutes, the eagle on the nest lurched up off the eggs and into a defensive posture, as a second eagle - the intrude - flashed into sight and landed on the edge of the nest.

After a bit of posturing and wing beating, the nesting eagle flew away from the nest.

Within seconds one of the nesting pair dove into the nest from the opposite side. The intruder moved into a defensive stance, jostling the eggs a bit, but almost immediately retreated away from the nest.

Dawn Denner captured the entire action from the nestcam online feed and shared it on Facebook and with PennLive.com.

On Sunday, the eggs seemed to be intact and the nesting pair of bald eagles appeared to have resumed their normal nesting routine.

If the eggs were not damaged during the brief battle on Saturday, more than a week likely remains before the hatch-watch can begin.

The female laid her first egg at about 3:30 p.m. Tuesday, February 20, and the second at about 6 p.m. Friday, February 23.

This year's eggs came more than a week after last year's, which she laid the first on February 10 and the second on February 13. The first egg hatched March 20 and the second on March 21. By June 7 both eaglets were experimenting with flying away from the nest.

In 2016, eggs were laid on February 18 and 21. One of the eggs hatched March 28, but the nestling died two days later, perhaps injured by a branch being moved in the nest. The other egg never hatched and remained in the nest until May 23, when one of the adults removed the remnants from the nest.

In 2015, eggs were laid on February 14 and 17. Adult eagles were covered in snow on the nest on March 5, drawing international attention. The eggs hatched on March 24 and 25, and the two young eaglets fledged about June 22.

The camera is livestreaming its fourth season of round-the-clock video through the website of the Pennsylvania Game Commission, which partners in the project with HDOnTap, Comcast Business and Codorus State Park.

Some had wondered if the nest cam would be placed into operation in the same tree as its previous three seasons. The nest, which partially collapsed only to be rebuilt by the bald eagle pair for the 2017 nesting season, collapsed again after the 2017 livestream ended last July.

But the eagles again repaired the nest, which was welcome news to the 1.5 million viewers who have watched the nest on their devices in past years.

According to the commission, the first record of an active nest in this area is from 2005. Records indicate that eaglets have fledged eight times, most often two at a time. There are no records indicating that any of the adult nesting eagles have been banded or otherwise marked.

Comcast Business and HDOnTap provide a static IP address and 100 Mbps broadband service near the nesting site.

Last year, viewers enjoyed more than 6.8 million hours of 24-7, live HD video and audio from the nest, as well as daily time-lapse clips on screens worldwide.Salamanders exist across Pennsylvania, 22 species of them. They range from the giant hellbender, which can grow to 20 inches in length, to the 2.5-inch northern dusky salamander, from the brightly colored blue-spotted salamander to the grayish-brown northern dusky salamander.

They are an incredibly diverse family of animals, including the strange life stages of the eastern red-spotted newt to the sticky abilities of the northern slimy salamanader.

As many of the species emerge from their winter hibernation for their annual mating trek to ponds and vernal pools, here's a look at all 22 of them.

(Compiled by Marcus Schneck, mschneck@pennlive.com)

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Blue-spotted salamander (Ambystoma laterale)

The blue-spotted salamander - a member of the mole salamander family (Ambystomatidae)  was not known to exist as far south as Pennsylvania until 2000, when a statewide survey discovered some in McKean County. The species subsequently was found in Northampton and Warren counties.

The namesake sky-blue spots and flecks run along the head, back and sides of the 4- to 5.5-inch salamander. It closely resembles the cookware known as graniteware.

The blue-spotted salamander lives most of its life underground, as deep as 3 feet below the surface, but emerges in March and April to trek to large, lowland pools and wetlands for breeding. The female lays 2-15 egg masses, holding as many as 200 eggs total. The eggs hatch in 3-4 weeks, and the larvae transform into terrestrial animals 2-3 months later.

In Pennsylvania, the blue-spotted salamander is listed as an endangered species.

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Eastern hellbender (Cryptobranchus alleganiensis alleganiensis)

Living up to its family name of giant salamanders (Crptobranchidae), the eastern hellbender is Pennsylvanias largest salamander. Adults can measure as much as 20 inches in length.

Occupying clear, fast-moving streams and rivers in the Susquehanna and Ohio river watersheds, it is a completely aquatic, mostly nocturnal animal that few people will ever encounter. It emerges from under its home rock at nightfall to hunt  mostly for crayfish, but also small fish, frogs, toads, tadpoles, water snakes and other hellbenders  within a range of 30-60 feet, before returning under that same rock before daybreak.

With its seemingly ill-shaped, flattish, wide-mouthed physique, the hellbender is often referred to as unattractive. Some of its other names are mud devil, devil dog and ground puppy. However, in 2017 the hellbender was proposed to become Pennsylvanias official amphibian. It was approved by the Pennsylvania Senate, but never voted on by the Pennsylvania House of Representatives.

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Mudpuppy (Necturus maculosus)

Pennsylvanias second largest salamander, the mudpuppy, grows as large as 13 inches. Like its giant cousin, the hellbender, the mudpuppy is completely aquatic and mostly nocturnal, although it will be more active during the day in muddier, murkier waters. It too prefers clear, fast-moving waters in the Ohio and Delaware river and Lake Erie watersheds, but will inhabit lesser waters, even shallow, muddy, warm, plant-clogged streams and rivers.

The mudpuppys most notable physical feature are the large, reddish gills that extend out from behind each side of its head.

It feeds mostly on crayfish, but also eats small fish, fish eggs, aquatic insects and worms.

In Pennsylvania, the mudpuppy is listed as a species of special concern, which mean its rare or not common due to one or more of the following factors: range restriction, population decline, limited distribution, direct threats from habitat alteration, or collection from the wild.

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Jefferson salamander (Ambystoma jeffersonianum)

In a round-about way, the Jefferson salamander is named for Thomas Jefferson, Founding Father, third president of the U.S. and an accomplished naturalist. The salamander was named for Washington and Jefferson College in Canonsburg, near Pittsburgh. And, the college was originally named Jefferson College in honor of the president.

The salamander is believed to occur in limited numbers in most of Pennsylvanias 67 counties. It prefers damp, deciduous woodlands near ponds or wetlands.

Courtship occurs as early as March in shallow ponds. The female lays as many as 20 egg masses, each holding as many as 15 eggs, which hatch 30-45 days later. Larvae transform into land animals in July-September.

The Jefferson salamander is a relatively large salamander, reaching lengths of as much as 7 inches. It is a member of the mole salamander family (Ambystomatidae)

In Pennsylvania, the Jefferson salamander is listed as a species of special concern, which mean its rare or not common due to one or more of the following factors: range restriction, population decline, limited distribution, direct threats from habitat alteration, or collection from the wild.

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Spotted Salamander (Ambystoma maculatum)

With its two prominent rows of yellow to orange spots along its back, from head to tail, the 6- to 8-inch spotted salamander is considered one of Pennsylvania showiest salamanders.

However, it lives mostly underground, emerges in early spring  prompted by warm rains and warming air temperatures  to gather in shallow breeding ponds. The female lays as many as 4 egg masses, each containing about 100 eggs. Larvae hatch in 1-2 month and transform into terrestrial animals in 2-4 months.

A member of the mole salamander family (Ambystomatidae), the spotted salamander is considered abundant in hardwood forests  particularly wooded hillside around ponds  across Pennsylvania.

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Marbled salamander (Ambystoma opacum)

Giving rise to its name, the marbled salamander is covered head to tail, across is back, in striking white to silver crossbands on a field that is otherwise black or dark gray. It is a chunky salamander that might grow to 4 inches in length.

It occurs in two populations in Pennsylvania: One in the southcentral and southeastern areas of the state. The other in western Pennsylvania, from Indiana and Westmoreland counties north to Crawford County.

The marbled salamander  a member of the mole salamander family (Ambystomatidae)  tends to occupy drier, more sandy or gravelly habitat than most of Pennsylvanias salamander species. Also unlike most other salamanders, it breeds in the fall and on land, where the female lays 50-200 eggs in a small, sheltered depression, where they wait for rains to cue their hatching.

In Pennsylvania, the marbled salamander is listed as a species of special concern, which mean its rare or not common due to one or more of the following factors: range restriction, population decline, limited distribution, direct threats from habitat alteration, or collection from the wild.

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Eastern red-spotted newt (Notophthalmus viridescens viridescens)

The eastern red-spotted newt, occupying ponds, lake and stream across Pennsylvania, is the most commonly spotted and most well-known salamander species in Pennsylvania. Its terrestrial form, the red eft, is similarly well-known and regularly sighted in the damp woodlands where it is active throughout most of the year.

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More about the eastern red-spotted newt

The eastern red-spotted newt passes through more stages than the other salamanders of Pennsylvania. Breeding in the spring, the female deposits 200-400 eggs, which individually adhere to the underwater stems of plants. The larvae hatch in a month or two, and then live in that aquatic form for another 2-3 months, before emerging as the terrestrial red eft form. After 1-3 years as red efts in the forests, the salamanders move back to the water, where it transforms into the adult red-spotted newt, ready for breeding to start the elongated life cycle all over again.

The eastern red-spotted newt  a member of the newt family (Salamandridae)  is considered abundant in Pennsylvania.

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Green salamander (Aneides aeneus)

Found only in damp sandstone outcroppings in a small area of Fayette County, the green salamander is listed as a threatened species in Pennsylvania.

The salamander is 3-5 inches long, covered entirely over its head, back, sides and tail with irregular greenish-yellow patches over a black base.

The green salamander is a member of the lungless salamander family (Plethodontidae).

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Northern dusky salamander (Desmognathus fuscus)

The 2.5- to 4.5-inch salamander is a rather plain-looking species, with gray to tan to dark brown on top, becoming lighter on the sides.

Its rarely found far from running water, especially spring seeps, small rivulets and woodland streams, where it spends much of the summer. It also hibernates underwater.

The northern dusky salamander breeds June-September, and the female deposits a cluster of 10-30 eggs under rocks or in rotting logs near a stream. When the larvae hatch they move quickly into the stream, where they remain for 6-13 months, before transforming into their adult form.

Abundant across Pennsylvania, the northern dusky salamander is a member of the lungless salamander family (Plethodontidae).

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Seal salamander (Desmognathus monticola)

The 3- to 5-inch seal salamander inhabits a portion of southwestern Pennsylvania west of the Allegheny Mountains, east of Pittsburgh and south of Forest County. Within that range, its considered abundant.

It generally lives close to a mountain stream, hiding under a rock or log, but ready to slip into the water if threatened.

The seal salamander is a member of the lungless salamander family (Plethodontidae).

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Allegheny Mountain dusky salamander (Desmognathus ochrophaeus)

The Allegheny Mountain dusky salamander is abundant across the western half and northern half of Pennsylvania, where it is most often found near a mountain stream flowing through a coniferous forest. The 3- to 4-inch salamander exhibits a wide range of coloring. An orange, yellow, light gray or tan line runs along its back, contrasting with darker, gray to brown to olive sides.

The Allegheny Mountain dusky salamander is a member of the lungless salamander family (Plethodontidae), and is considered abundant in Pennsylvania.

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Northern two-lined salamander (Eurycea bislineata)

The northern two-lined salamander is found  often in large numbers  near small, rocky, mountain brooks across Pennsylvania. However, during wet periods, it often moves out into the surrounding forest.

The 2.5- to 4-inch salamander has a yellow  possibly tinged brown, green or bronze  band down its back, framed on each side by a narrower black or dark brown stripe from its eyes to the tip of its tail.

Courting begins in late winter and results in the female laying 30 or so sticky eggs that adhere to the underside of submerged rocks or logs. The hatch in May or June, and the young remain in the larval stage for the next 1-3 years.

The northern two-lined salamander is a member of the lungless salamander family (Plethodontidae), and is considered abundant in Pennsylvania.

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Longtail salamander (Eurycea longicauda longicauda)

As the name implies, most of the longtail salamanders 4-6 inches lies in its tail. Its yellow to red-orange with black spots that are more concentrated on its sides.

Its found along mountain brooks throughout the state, except for a strip of northwestern-most Pennsylvania within 40 miles of Erie. Its also known to live in caves and abandoned mines.

The longtail salamander breeds in or near the water from October-March. The females lays as many as 100 eggs in or very near the water. The larvae break free in 6-8 weeks and transform into their adult form in 4-7 months.

Its a member of the lungless salamander family (Plethodontidae), and is abundant across most of Pennsylvania.

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Northern spring salamander (Gyrinophilus porphyriticus porphyriticus)

The 5- to 7.5-inch northern spring salamander, with its bright salmon-colored hide, is abundant along mountain streams and in caves across the state, except for the southeastern corner of Pennsylvania.

Breeding has been documented from June-November, with the female preferring to lay her eggs in cool water, where they will hatch from April-July. The larval stage will persist for 2-3 years before the animal transforms into its adult form.

The northern spring salamander is a member of the lungless salamander family (Plethodontidae).

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Four-toed salamander (Hemidactylium scutatum)

When grabbed by a predator, the tail of the four-toed salamander can detach easily, allowing the animal to escape. The tail will regenerate, restoring the salamanders full 2- to 3.5-inch length. While most other salamanders have five toes per foot, the aptly named four-toed salamander has just four.

The salamander is reddish-brown to yellowish-tan on its back, mottled gray on its sides and white with large black spots on its belly. Near the base of the tail is a distinct ring that marks the point where the tail can detach from the body.

The four-toed salamander is a member of the lungless salamander family (Plethodontidae), and is considered abundant in Pennsylvania.

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Eastern redback salamander (Plethodon cinereus)

The eastern redback salamander is completely terrestrial. Across Pennsylvania, the redback lives in cool, damp forests, where it hides under stone, logs and other objects during daylight hours. In particularly dry periods, it burrows down into the earth.

A broad stripe, usually red but sometimes orange, pink or yellow, runs from the head, along the back and along the front part of the tail. The salamander is 2-3.5 inches long.

The female attaches a cluster of 6-12 eggs that looks like a tiny, off-white bunch of grapes to the underside of a decaying log, where she first digs a small depression. The redback has no aquatic larval stages and the young that hatch from the eggs are miniature replicas of the adults. They will reach maturity in 2 years.

A member of the lungless salamander family (Plethodontidae), the eastern redback salamander is considered abundant in Pennsylvania.

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Northern slimy salamander (Plethodon glutinosus)

Living up to its name, the northern slimy salamander has skin glands that secrete a thick, extremely sticky liquid. The 5- to 7-inch salamander is black with abundant white to silver spots that are larger on the sides than on the back.

It is found in deep, shaded, moist ravines across the state, where females lay 10-40 eggs egg in late spring deep beneath the surface. The juveniles that hatch are miniature replicas of the adults.

The northern slimy salamander is a member of the lungless salamander family (Plethodontidae), and is considered abundant in Pennsylvania.

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Valley and ridge salamander (Plethodon hoffmani)

The 2- to 4-inch valley and ridge salamander is found on wooded hillsides and ridge tops, as well as sparsely vegetated talus slopes, throughout central Pennsylvania.

Its a member of the lungless salamander family (Plethodontidae).

In Pennsylvania, the valley and ridge salamander is listed as a species of special concern, which mean its rare or not common due to one or more of the following factors: range restriction, population decline, limited distribution, direct threats from habitat alteration, or collection from the wild.

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Wehrle's salamander (Plethodon wehrlei)

The Wehrles salamander is named for R.W. Wehrle, an Indiana, Pennsylvania, resident who collected the specimens that allowed for the animal to be described as a distinct species. The 4- to 5-inch, bluish-gray, white spotted salamander occurs in woodlands of beech, sugar maple and eastern hemlock in a swath from northcentral to southwestern Pennsylvania.

It's a member of the lungless salamander family (Plethodontidae), and is considered abundant within its range in Pennsylvania.

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Northern ravine salamander (Plethodon electromorphus)

The northern ravine salamander is a member of the lungless salamander family (Plethodontidae).

In Pennsylvania, the northern ravine salamander is listed as a species of special concern, which mean its rare or not common due to one or more of the following factors: range restriction, population decline, limited distribution, direct threats from habitat alteration, or collection from the wild.

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Eastern mud salamander (Pseudotriton montanus montanus)

Only a couple eastern mud salamanders have been found in Pennsylvania: one in the South Mountain area of Cumberland County and another in Caledonia State Park in Franklin County.

Very little is known about the species, which inhabits the coastal plain and piedmont regions from southern New Jersey to central Georgia.

Its a member of the lungless salamander family (Plethodontidae).

In Pennsylvania, the eastern mud salamander is listed as endangered in Pennsylvania.

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Northern red salamander (Pseudotriton ruber ruber)

The northern red salamander, which has a 4- to 6-inch, red body flecked with black spots, occurs in all 67 counties of Pennsylvania. It prefers life along small streams and springs with sandy or gravelly bottoms, but has been found at considerable distances from water.

The species mates in early fall and the female attaches 50-70 eggs to the underside of submerged stones. They hatch in late fall or early winter. The larvae transform to their adult forms in 2-3 years, but dont reach maturity until age 5.

The northern red salamander is a member of the lungless salamander family (Plethodontidae).

It is considered abundant in Pennsylvania.

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More about the wild things of Pennsylvania

Don't EditCANBERRA, March 12 (Xinhua) -- The Australian Academy of Science has joined an international coalition of expert bodies calling for the Commonwealth of Nations to guide action on climate change.

The 22 national academies from around the Commonwealth issued a Consensus Statement on Climate Change ahead of April's Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in the United Kingdom (UK).

It marks the first time that Commonwealth nations have come together to call on governments to take further action to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions.

The signatories to the statement represent tens of thousands of scientists from around the world.

As a signatory to the 2015 Paris Agreement, Australia has committed to keeping the average global temperature increase below two degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels but David Day, Secretary of Science Policy at the Australian Academy of Science, said achieving that feat was only the first step.

"Even if all the country commitments from the Paris Agreement are met, the best interpretation of the latest data shows that by the end of the century the global climate is likely to be three degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels," Day said in a media release on Monday.

"This is substantially higher than the Paris target to limit warming to less than two degrees, and would have profound impacts affecting billions of people throughout the world."

The CHOGM has committed to focusing on sustainability and how developing countries can combat climate change.

"Recognising different capacities, challenges and priorities, the approaches of each nation will not be the same. But, they must be informed by the best available scientific evidence, monitoring and evaluation," Day said.

[ Editor: Xueying ]Montreal-based Bombardier Inc. is awaiting the causes of two deadly aircraft crashes over the past couple of days involving its Q400 turbo and Challenger business jet. Nepalese rescuers work after a passenger plane from Bangladesh crashed at the airport in Kathmandu, Nepal, Monday, March 12, 2018. The passenger plane carrying 71 people from Bangladesh crashed and burst into flames as it landed Monday in Kathmandu, Nepal's capital, killing dozens of people, officials said. THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP-Niranjan ShreshtaFILE - In this Oct. 2, 2008 file photo, Juelz Santana arrives at the VH1 Hip Hop Honors in New York. Authorities say Juelz Santana turned himself into Port Authority Police early Monday after a gun was found in a carry-on bag containing his identification at a New York City area airport last week. He is due to appear in U.S. District Court in Newark later in the day. (AP Photo/Jason DeCrow, File)FILE In this file photo taken on Thursday, Dec. 10, 2015, Russian President Vladimir Putin, left, gives a medal to artistic director of the Chekhov Moscow Art Theater Oleg Tabakov during an award ceremony in the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia. Oleg Tabakov, a Russian actor and theater director who has been one of the most revered figures in the Russian theater community and film industries for decades, has died. He was 82. (Mikhail Klimentyev/Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP, File)FILE - In this March 4, 2018, file photo, Ava DuVernay arrives at the Vanity Fair Oscar Party in Beverly Hills, Calif. DuVernay is scheduled to be a guest at the 20th annual Ebertfest in Champaign, Ill. The University of Illinois said Monday, March 12, 2018, that the Oscar-nominated director of "Selma" and "A Wrinkle in Time" will attend the film festival, which honors the late Chicago Sun-Times movie critic Roger Ebert. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP, File)In this image made from an undated video released by WFAA in Dallas, Trevor Cadigan, a former WFAA intern and son of WFAA production manager Jerry Cadigan, is seen. Cadigan was among five passengers killed Sunday when a helicopter plunged into New York City's East River, with the pilot reporting the engine had failed. (Courtesy of WFAA via AP)An accomplished B.C. alpinist spent 10 years training for the Alaskan mountain range where he disappeared last week, a family friend said. Missing climber Marc Andre Leclerc is shown in a photo from a GoFundMe page. THE CANADIAN PRESS/HOA convicted sex offender in Alberta who was rearrested last week will go to trial in May on new charges. Erik Wanamaker, 69, was in a Calgary court Monday after he allegedly breached a condition under the Sex Offender Information Registration Act that he keep his address up to date. The sign at the Calgary Courts Centre in Calgary, is shown on Friday, Jan. 5, 2018. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Bill GravelandPerryville football coach Brent Roth is already trying to erase the game from his memory. It is probably for a good reason, too.Perryville struggled to do anything well as Park Hills Central handed 

The Pirates finally put together what Perryville softball coach Lilly Pecaut called a complete game.Everything came together as Perryville got the offense and pitching to come away with 

The Perryville boys soccer team was able to show its resiliency in multiple ways as it got back into the win column. The Pirates bounced back from a lopsided loss to Notre Dame the week before, to 

St. Vincent makes Valle Catholic play in loss St. Vincent football coach Tim Schumer didnt want his team to look at the scoreboard following the game. The score may have said that the Valle Catholic Warriors won in a lopsided game, but 

Indians take advantage of miscues to claim first victory St. Vincent found itself down two scores midway through the third quarter, and despite the deficit, coach Tim Schumer was calm.The game was not over at that point, you have to play four 

Rushing attack leads Pirates to win over Owls The Perryville football team is quickly turning into a M.A.S.H. unit. With several players already nursing injuries from the previous week, they also threw in other players who were in quarantine. 

Click Here For Our Local Sports PagePoroshenko: Financing of solar power plants construction in Vinnytsia region by EBRD is one more step to country's energy independence

Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko has expressed gratitude to the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) for organizing the financing of EUR 25.9 million for construction of solar power plants with a capacity of almost 34 MW in Vinnytsia region.

"The EBRD has allocated EUR 25.9 million for construction of three solar power plants in Vinnytsia region. This project is another step towards the energy independence of our state, as well as new jobs for 350 people who will be engaged in construction and 15 more who will service the plants. Thank you to our partners for their support," Poroshenko wrote on his Facebook page on Sunday, March 11.

As reported, on March 2, 2018, the press service of the EBRD reported that the bank organized a financing of EUR 25.9 million for Kness Group to build three solar power plants with a total installed capacity of 33.9 MW in Vinnytsia region.

The EBRD will provide EUR 18.5 million and Clean Technology Fund (CTF) will provide EUR 7.4 million.

The technical assistance was provided under the EU4Business program.

Kness Group is a large Engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contractor. It has Podilsky Energoconsulting engineering company. The group sells inverter equipment, generation monitoring systems and pillars for solar panels manufactured in Ukraine.Local content provisions in Guyana must prepare you to take over oil industry in your country  TT Lawyer

By Kiana Wilburg



GEORGETOWN

Petroleumworld 03 12 2018 I have a dream that one day; our children will not grow up only wanting to be doctors, lawyers and engineers, but they will also want to be owners of oil companies in their own country. And they will know that this is possible.



Indira Ramphaul-Cheddie, an Attorney-at-law and Senior State Counsel in Trinidad and Tobago, shares this story wherever she goes to speak on the importance of Local Content; a practice that involves the use of local goods and services to a significant degree in the oil sector.



At a recent oil and gas forum for Guyana's Judiciary, the Attorney-at-law said that she usually has a serious issue with a lot of local content concepts.



Because to me, Local Content seems to be based on the concept that an international company must come into your country and then you have to fight to get a piece of the pie. But guess what? The pie is yours! The oil is in your jurisdiction! Why instead of having conversations on Local Content, we not have one on Foreign Content; on how these multinationals will be using outside labour in our markets? I am not saying to reinvent the wheel I am not saying discard all that we already have about Local Content.



What I am asking for is a paradigm shift, where we no longer think of ourselves as mere employees seeking employment from a multinational. I am asking that we think of ourselves as persons being trained to one day run the operation; to run Guyana's National Oil Company and take it to other countries.



The Senior State Counsel at the Ministry of Energy and Energy Industries in Trinidad and Tobago insists that this is how Local Content needs to be approached.



You see, the problem with Local content is that we put in all these clauses but if you notice, the multinationals would never train you on how to run an oil company. They would always train you to be the best engineer, the best lawyer. Try to get them to train you to be an owner of an oil company. They wouldn't do it because of the possibility of training their own replacement 



With that in mind, the Attorney-at-law who has spent over 15 years in the petroleum industry called on Guyanese to ensure that their Local Content provisions are geared towards putting them in the position to take over.



INCOMPLETE



After several months of consultations, Guyana's Local Content Policy is still not completed. According to Minister of Natural Resources, Raphael Trotman, there are still some finishing touches, which need to be added.

Trotman said that several consultation sessions were held with stakeholders nationwide. He noted that the stakeholders included; the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI); the Private Sector Commission (PSC); Chambers of Commerce in Essequibo, Berbice, and Linden; and the Guyana Manufacturing and Services Association (GMSA).

From those meetings, the politician said that the Ministry of Natural Resources received valuable feedback on how to improve the Local Content framework.



Trotman said that at the end of 2017, the Ministry of Natural Resources received the latest iteration of world-renowned expert, Mr. Anthony Paul on the Local Content draft. He said that some in-house work is still to be done. He said that after that process, it will be sent back to the various Chambers for further comment with the intention of finalizing it within the first quarter of this year.



DRAFT POLICY



Guyana's draft Local Content Policy has been criticised in recent months for lacking provisions, which would safeguard against exploitation by companies.



The draft speaks nothing of how to avoid procurement fraud, conflict of interest and favouritism, among other crucial areas.



Instead, the Local Content Policy framework seeks to address, the suite of opportunities that may arise and the approaches to be taken in selecting and developing opportunities related to enhancing the capabilities of Guyanese nationals and businesses.



The Policy articulates that this will be don't through; training, development and employment initiatives (Capacity Development), ensuring availability of ownership participation for qualified Guyanese equity interest (Ownership Value), supplier development provisions for goods and services by locals to support sector operations (Local Content); and well-tailored social contributions for greater impact and benefits (Societal Benefits).



It also describes what will be done to ensure that the activities in the petroleum sector are conducted in a manner that transparently secures the maximum benefit for the people of Guyana, while recognising the limitations of the country; and holding all actors accountable to the present and future generations of Guyanese who are the owners of the nation's petroleum resources.



Additionally, the draft policy recognises that the petroleum resources of Guyana belong to all its citizens, and represent an asset of significant intrinsic value, which once removed diminishes the wealth of the nation, unless there is transformation in value from resources below the ground to improved quality of life above it for current and future generations of Guyanese.



The draft says, Guyana will approach the development of its petroleum resources, people and businesses in a pragmatic, transparent and accountable manner. This will be conditioned by existing circumstances and an analytical approach to understanding the resource, the activities it engenders and our input capabilities. We shall pursue strategic opportunities for local capacity development and participation that give us the maximum possible benefit now and in the future.



The Policy also states that Guyanese will participate in a manner that gives preferred access and opportunities to improve and enhance the country's capabilities so that it can become internationally competitive and in the end, the country will progressively provide a greater amount of future services.



Capacity development, to enable more value retention, will be treated as an investment, rather than a cost, the policy outlines.

Story by Kiana Wilburg from Kaieter News



Kaieteurnewsonline.com 03 12 2018

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'98,ME,XP, Vista, Windows 7,8,10 +/ 800x600 pixelsEnvironment most important ... don't be blinded than oil money..., our eco-system is more valuable, please protect it

By Abena Rockcliffe-Campbell



GEORGETOWN

Petroleumworld 03 12 2018 She is deeply concerned about the preservation of the invaluable ecosystem services and sustainable livelihoods of the indigenous communities in and around the Shell Beach Protected Area. These concerns are the consequence of the known risks associated with the emerging oil and gas industry. As a result, environmentalist Annette Arjoon-Martins is trying to make her voice heard in the midst of crowds dominated by persons more concerned about the possible riches associated with oil production.



Arjoon- Martins said she is deeply concerned by the present lack of environmental safeguards and weak and almost nonexistent environmental regulations and legislations specific to the emerging oil and gas industry. She said that while the focus is understandably on the billions of dollars and the economic development that oil, a non-renewable resource can bring about once it is managed sensibly, she is saddened that Guyana's eco-system services have largely been ignored. Arjoon-Martins used the opportunity presented at a recent oil and gas forum held by the Private Sector Commission (PSC) to press home the need for more safety measures to be put in place.



Arjoon-Martins noted that the Constitution offers all Guyanese the right to a safe and pure environment.



She detailed that the preamble of the Constitution specifically acknowledges the aspirations of our young people to live in a safe society, which ensures a healthy environment. Article 25 of the Constitution expressly provides for the protections of our environment while Article 36 speaks about the well being of the nation dependent on the preservation of clean air, fertile soils, pure water and the rich diversity of plants animals and eco systems.



Arjoon also quoted Article 149 J of the Constitution, which said is her favourite. That article gives each Guyanese the right to an environment that is not harmful to his or her health and wellbeing.



Arjoon-Martins told a room filled with entrepreneurs that while we all heard this morning about the hundreds of millions and billions of United States dollars that everyone is understandable greatly excited about, remember that oil and gas is not a renewable resource and also remember to touch back on the value of our eco system which is everlasting. If you are to put a value on our eco-system, I think it would far exceed those millions and billions we heard of earlier.



The environmentalist had alluded in her presentation that in light of the devastating events that are linked to climate change and the reality that fossil fuels are a major contributor, that there should be some consideration for Guyana to be rewarded for keeping some of the oil in the ground. Since under the LCDS the government of Norway had paid Guyana US$50mln annually for keeping its deforestation rate at a minimal, it would not be unreasonable to expect that payments for oil should be much higher.



Kaieteur News has since had an interview with Arjoon-Martins during which she spoke briefly on how oil exploration and production related activities will affect the eco-system.



She said that the movements of many supply vessels will have an impact on the large marine mammals that traverse the marine spaces.



Also, the release of high temperature water from the drilling system will affect the area it is being released into.



Further, Arjoon-Martins explained that each time an oil tanker comes to pick up oil, one million barrels of ballast water will be released into the Atlantic Ocean, which can potentially introduce invasive species which can affect the food chain in the ocean.



Arjoon-Martins noted too that the use of seismic affects the marine mammals that depend on echo location. We do not know where they will be disposing the hazardous waste which is generated as yet, but wherever it ends up on land there are contamination possibilities so the EPA and other relevant agencies need to be vigilant.



She alluded to the fact that you cannot manage what you have not measured, so it is imperative that this need in the Shell Beach Protected Area be addressed before production commences in 2020 so that there is a baseline established.



An ecosystem includes all of the living things (plants, animals and organisms) in a given area, interacting with each other, also with their non-living environments (weather, earth, sun, soil, climate, atmosphere). Ecosystems are the foundations of the Biosphere and they determine the health of the entire earth system.

Story by Abena Rockcliffe-Campbell from Kaieter News



Kaieteurnewsonline.com 03 12 2018

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'98,ME,XP, Vista, Windows 7,8,10 +/ 800x600 pixelsIn Guyana, ExxonMobil can recover all rentals, charges, levies, fees, taxes, and any other assessments

By Kaieter News



GEORGETOWN

Petroleumworld 03 12 2018 Several Ministers of Government have been lauding the fact that the country would be able to garner millions of dollars in rental fees and taxes from ExxonMobil.



But what has not been stated is that the company would be able to recover every cent of that money.



This is according to the Guyana-ExxonMobil deal under the section which speaks to costs recoverable without further approval of the Minister.



That section of the contract says that the company can, recover all rentals, charges, levies, fees, taxes, and any other assessments and charges levied by the government in connection with the petroleum operations and paid directly by the contractor.



Also recoverable by ExxonMobil is moneys that they hand over to the government for environmental projects.



Story by from Kaieter News



Kaieteurnewsonline.com 03 12 2018

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'98,ME,XP, Vista, Windows 7,8,10 +/ 800x600 pixelsMcDermott's Cassia C contract is clarify by BBTT Head





By TT Newsday



PORT SPAIN

Petroleumworld 03 12 2018

BPTT's award of a detailed engineering and long lead procurement contract to McDermott for its Cassia C compression platform  located off Trinidad's southeast coast  does not mean the project has been sanctioned.

The clarification comes from BPTT Regional President Norman Christie, during his March 9 exit interview with Newsday  effective April 1, Christie will become joint head of the BP Group's CEO's Office in London.

Cassia C is not sanctioned. I saw the article in the Newsday (this week) and I think some people interpreted that (McDermott's announcement) as a post-sanction award because I got calls from people going, How did this happen?'

Even though the McDermott headline is very clear  McDermott Awarded Detailed Engineering and Long Lead Procurement for the BP Cassia C Compression Platform'  we had to explain that this is what you do before sanction. So it's important to clarify that what we're doing here is still getting all of the things you get together to make a sanction decision, which won't occur until much later this year.

Reiterating that a decision has not yet been made, Christie explained that approval of Cassia C requires having certain things in place beforehand.

You have to of course done some engineering. You have to look to items that you think, if you sanction it, you'll want make sure that you have them on order  that's the long lead stuff. Another important point is that before sanction, you have to make a decision about location of fabrication.

While the fabrication contract has also not been decided yet, Christie reminded that BPTT has stated our bias and intent  we would love to get fabrication back (to Trinidad). Not at all costs, obviously but we would love to get it back and what we're investing our efforts in right now, is to get the environment in La Brea, with all of the stakeholders, right so that when we're making the sanction decision, we can then be clear, where fabrication is going.

The country will obviously be very involved in that decision, Christie told Newsday.



Brazil Car Wash corruption probe targets firms, former minister close to dam project

By Pedro Fonseca



RIO DE JANEIRO

Petroleumworld 03 12 2018

Brazilian police on Friday served fresh search warrants in a new phase of the so-called Car Wash investigation that targeted a former cabinet minister and a consortium accused of corruption relating to construction of the Belo Monte hydroelectric dam.

Federal police said in a statement they were serving nine search warrants in the states of Parana and Sao Paulo.

Police have alleged that the Norte Energia SA consortium of companies made illegal payments to government officials and politicians to win the contract to build the dam, which has been in operation since 2016.

A target of the raids is Antonio Delfim Netto, who served as Brazil's finance, agriculture and planning minister during different administrations. He is also a former congressman, federal prosecutors said in a separate statement.

Netto is accused of accepting bribes in connection with the contract to build the dam. In a statement, his attorneys denied any wrongdoing. The values received by Netto were fees for consultancy services, they said, referring to the bribery claims.

Illegal payments were also allegedly made by the construction firms to political parties, including the Workers' Party and President Michel Temer's Brazilian Democratic Movement party, prosecutors said.

Norte Energia did not have an immediate comment.

The Workers' Party said the prosecutor's accusations were baseless and politically motivated in an election year. The Brazilian Democratic Movement party denied receiving bribes from the Norte Energia consortium.

The investigation said that the companies responsible for building Belo Monte were expected to pay bribes to political parties and their representatives equal to 1 percent of the value of the contract.

The Belo Monte dam on the Xingu River in the north of Brazil will have installed capacity of 11,233 megawatts when all generating units are turned on, according to Norte Energia's website.

That would be enough to supply electricity to 60 million people, it said.



Colombia to auction 15 oil blocks in April

By Marianna Parraga



HOUSTON

Petroleumworld 03 12 2018

Colombia plans to award up to 15 oil blocks next month and will begin routinely offering onshore and offshore areas for exploration and production in May, the head of the country's energy regulator told Reuters.

The move, Colombia's first offering of new areas in four years, comes as most of its neighbors also pursue new energy investments. This year, amid higher crude prices and an increase in exploration capital, bidding rounds are also set in Argentina, Brazil, Ecuador, Mexico and Uruguay.

The upcoming Colombian awards will be in the Sinu-San Jacinto basin, in the country's northwest, Orlando Velandia, president of the National Hydrocarbons Agency, said in an interview on the sidelines of the CERAWeek energy conference.

Colombia needs to boost foreign investment to revive its stagnant crude and gas production. The Andean country plans to only slightly increase output to 900,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day this year, Velandia said.

Colombia's last oilfield auction in 2014 secured investment from firms including ConocoPhillips and Parex Resources for seven unconventional projects that are about to finish the exploration stage to later start early production of shale oil and gas.

We want to award the maximum possible amount of blocks in this process ... This pause has been useful for reflecting and gaining experience in a low price environment, Velandia said.

Canada-based Parex Resources and Gran Tierra, Chinese CNOOC's unit Nexen Petroleum, Colombia's Hocol, Repsol's Talisman Energy, and U.S. Noble Energy qualified for the Sinu-San Jacinto auction. They will submit offers in the coming days, with results expected in early April, Velandia said.

After completing the auction, Colombia expects to begin permanently offering blocks in a process similar to one Brazil is planning this year. Colombia's offer will include about two dozen onshore and offshore areas that can receive bids at any time.

The new mechanism was approved last year and it will be tested in May.

Colombia's priority is to develop its offshore (resources), Velandia said.

Nine permits granted to firms to study areas in the Caribbean Sea also plan to be converted into exploration and production contracts, doubling the offshore projects in that area, where big discoveries by firms including U.S. Anadarko Petroleum have been recently made.

State-run company Ecopetrol plans to invest up to $4 billion in 2018, largely in exploration and production. Private firms in the country are expected to invest a further $4.5 billion to $4.9 billion.



U.S. oil exports undermine OPEC's strategy , output cuts may fall apart

Nile TV



ING sees U.S. eating into producer group's Asian market share . Dutch bank forecasts Brent oil at $57/bbl in second half 2018

By Pratish Narayana



SINGAPORE

Petroleumworld 03 12 2018

Oil risks sliding back under $60 a barrel as a surge in U.S. shipments to Asia threatens to undermine a deal between OPEC and its allies, according to ING Groep NV.

While the producer group complied with a pledge to curb output and ease a glut in 2017, U.S. flows that are gaining a bigger slice of the prized Asian market may prompt some nations to boost supplies, said Warren Patterson, a commodities strategist at the Dutch bank. The resulting fallout could drag down crude prices after a rally of more than 40 percent since June, he said.

The longer the deal goes on, it's going to start falling apart, Patterson said in an interview in Singapore, referring to an output-cut agreement between the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries and other producers including Russia. They continue to give market share away to the U.S.

U.S. Crude Heads to Asia

Asian refiners are increasing their U.S. oil purchases

South Korea

India

Thailand

Japan

China

Taiwan

Singapore

Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration

Brent crude, the benchmark for more than half the world's oil, traded at $65.45 a barrel at 7 a.m. in London on Monday, compared with about $45 in June. ING forecasts Brent at $57 in the second half of 2018. Prices were at more than $115 in mid-2014, before a global glut sparked the biggest crash in a generation. West Texas Intermediate, the U.S. marker, is currently near $62 a barrel.

Crude's rebound since last year is encouraging American drillers to pump even as they make efforts to be disciplined on spending, Patterson said. We need to see prices in the short-term trade below $60 to reduce that incentive for U.S. producers, he said.

As American output continues to expand, more exports will sail to Asia, the traditional bastion of Middle East producers. In February, even Saudi Arabia's state oil company considered participating in these flows via a U.S. unit, before determining it wasn't economically viable at the time.

Bullish Calls

ING's outlook is in contrast to bullish views from Royal Bank of Canada and Goldman Sachs Group Inc. to BMI Research and Societe Generale SA , which see prices supported as strong demand soaks up supply from the U.S. While Patterson does see healthy oil consumption, he said growth may slow and fail to completely absorb gaining American output.

While the U.S. is now pumping more than 10 million barrels a day, surpassing a record set in 1970, that boom is being accompanied by a surge in overseas shipments, helping drain stockpiles at the nation's largest storage hub. Exports have averaged about 1.5 million barrels over the past six months, almost double the level in the previous six months, Energy Information Administration data show. Asia is the biggest buyer of the supplies.

OPEC should beware as U.S. shale producers are set to steal a bigger slice of the market in Asia, which consumes more oil than any other region, according to industry consultant Wood Mackenzie Ltd. Crude shipped overseas from the U.S. will soar to almost 4 million barrels a day by the mid-2020s, rivaling shipments from Iraq and Canada, it said last week.

Asia is a market that the Middle East does not really want to give up, ING's Patterson said. We think compliance is likely to slip. The deal will still officially be in place, but once we get into 2019 there's no chance that we will see some sort of deal.

Original story



Big oil traders Glencore, Vitol, name defendants in PDVSA lawsuit on a trading bribe scheme

Energy World



Venezuelan oil company cheated out of $5.2 billion: Boies. Long conspiracy by Helsinge Enterprise' traced in complaint

By Ben Bartenstein and Robert Burnson



NEW YORK/SAN FRANCISCO

Petroleumworld 03 12 2018

Oil trading giants including Glencore Ltd. and Vitol SA paid millions of dollars to a former PDVSA trader to get the inside track on Venezuelan oil deals, according to a lawsuit filed by a trust for Petroleos de Venezuela SA.



The alleged conspiracy, which includes more than two dozen companies and individuals, even has a name worthy of a Robert Ludlum thriller: The Helsinge Enterprise.

PDVSA alleges firms including Lukoil Pan Americas LLC , Vitol , Glencore and Trafigura AG of funneling bribes through several shell companies that were set up by a pair of Venezuelan nationals including Francisco Morillo. Among the officials accused of coordinating the scheme from within PDVSA is company Vice President Ysmel Serrano, a close friend of Venezuelan Vice President Tareck El Aissami dating back to their college days.

This involves a decade-long conspiracy to corrupt employees, fix bids and bribe officials, David Boies, the lawyer for the Petroleos de Venezuela SA trust, said in a phone interview Thursday.

Helsinge Conspiracy

The grandiose name comes from Helsinge Inc., an energy advisory and trading firm set up by two Venezuelan nationals in 2004. The two bribed PDVSA employees to help set up a clone of the company's computer servers, according to the 161-page complaint, filed last week in Miami federal court. That allegedly gave the conspirators access to confidential information, including future tender contracts and real-time bids for oil products.

No one was at Helsinge's office Friday in a tower along Miami's main Brickell business corridor, on the same floor as Allianz Global Investors, an operator of pre-schools and a construction firm, among others. The office was part of a Regus Plc-operated workspace, but Helsinge's name neither appears by the elevators -- like most other companies -- nor was it listed next to the door. A Regus receptionist confirmed no one from the company was in.

The cloned server went undetected for eight years, "but the conspiracy started long before that, said Boies, a veteran U.S. Supreme Court litigator who represented Al Gore in the court case regarding the 2000 U.S. presidential vote count and, more recently, embattled movie producer Harvey Weinstein. And they did it the old-fashioned way -- with bribes.

$5.2 Billion

The conspiracy cost PDVSA $5.2 billion in lost revenue, according to Boies. The plot was uncovered by lawyers and a former Scotland Yard detective they hired to investigate, according to the complaint. Some of the information came from a laptop computer hard drive provided by Morillo's estranged wife, Vanessa Friedman, according to the complaint.

Morillo declined to comment by phone. Serrano, who isn't named as a defendant, was at work as normal at PDVSA Friday, according to company spokesmen, who declined to comment on the lawsuit.

Representatives of Lukoil and Glencore didn't immediately respond to requests for comment on the complaint. Trafigura spokeswoman Victoria Dix and Vitol spokeswoman Andrea Schlaepfer declined to comment on the lawsuit.

This isn't Boies's first foray in Venezuela. His firm, Boies, Schiller & Flexner LLP, is also defending the nephews of Venezuelan First Lady Cilia Flores in a federal drug-trafficking case. That defense was funded by Wilmer Ruperti, a Venezuelan shipping magnate who made his fortune under former President Hugo Chavez. Ruperti had worked with Morillo until a feud split the oil traders.

Boies's law firm has also been collaborating with partners in Caracas to secure the release of Joshua Holt, a Utah man jailed for nearly two years on weapons' charges.

A Miami judge assigned to the case on March 5 rejected PDVSA trust's request for a court order temporarily freezing the assets and confiscating the records of some of the defendants named in the complaint. But the judge did direct the defendants not to destroy any evidence.

The case is PDVSA US Litigation Trust v. Lukoil Pan Americas LLC, 1:18-cv-20818, U.S. District Court, Southern District of Florida (Miami).



If Gazprom refuses to pay the Ukrainian state-owned energy company Naftogaz under a ruling by the Arbitration Institute of the Stockholm Chamber of Commerce, Ukraine is determined to recover the relevant sums, including through seizing the Russian gas company's assets abroad, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko said.

"Russia's statements that it will not pay Ukraine under the Stockholm arbitration ruling are a weak position. As they say, there is no use throwing punches after the fight is over. There are international conventions and there is an impeccable legal position of Ukraine," Poroshenko said on Twitter last Thursday, March 9.

"A team of lawyers is working at my instruction to recover the relevant sums. Therefore, if Gazprom doesn't pay the compensation, we will be seizing its assets," he said.

It had been reported earlier that a dispute between Gazprom and Naftogaz in the Arbitration Institute of the Stockholm Chamber of Commerce concluded at the end of February, with Gazprom ordered to pay Naftogaz $4.63 billion for undersupplying gas contracted for transit. Based upon the results of two arbitration disputes between the companies regarding export and transit of gas, the former being in favor of Gazprom, the net payment it has to make to Naftogaz now is $2.56 billion.

The companies' contracts for supply and transit of gas are in effect from 2009 through 2019.

Gazprom announced on March 6 that it had filed an appeal against the Stockholm arbitration court's ruling regarding gas delivery and would file another appeal regarding the ruling on gas transportation before the end of March 2018. Naftogaz said in commenting on this that an appeal may be lodged exclusively regarding procedural technicalities rather than the essence of the ruling itself.Wilmington Trust Co. headquarters on Rodney Square was an anchor of what is now the city's half-empty corporate headquarters district. March 12, 2018/ Joseph N. DiStefano, staff writer Read more

Was the way Wilmington Trust Corp. counted bad loans a decade ago part of a multimillion-dollar fraud perpetrated by top executives to enrich themselves  or was it just business as usual for American bankers?

That was a central question in a Delaware courtroom Monday as federal prosecutors squared off against four former executives' defense lawyers in opening arguments of one of the few criminal trials to come out of the financial crisis that convulsed U.S. banking in the late 2000s.

Wilmington Trust, founded by members of the du Pont family in 1901, was once the largest bank based in the Philadelphia region. But in 2010 it was forced to sell its assets, including branches across Delaware and Southeastern Pennsylvania and tax-shelter offices from London to Las Vegas, to Buffalo-based M&T Corp. at a steep discount after acknowledging it was carrying hundreds of millions of dollars in bad loans to developers.

Last fall, the bank agreed to pay $60 million to shareholders to settle fraud charges in the case. A string of lower-ranking Wilmington Trust lending officers had earlier pleaded guilty to fraud charges in relation to questionable loans, and at least two are expected to testify against Robert V.A. Harra, the bank's former president; ex-chief financial officer David Gibson; former chief credit officer William North; and bank controller Kevyn Rakowski.

The four "lied repeatedly about the bank's loan portfolio to investors, regulators, and the public," prosecutor Lesley Wolf told the jury in her opening arguments. "Banks and bankers enjoy the special privilege of taking care of other people's money"  but with that privilege comes the legal obligation "to fully disclose the bank's books and records, and to tell the public what is going on with the bank, whether it is good news or bad news."

The bank's leaders "instead chose to lie repeatedly" and hide "a growing wave of past-due commercial loans" that were three or more months behind, at the same time that they were selling new bank securities to investors who trusted their reports that the bank was in much better financial condition than it was, with few bad loans.

The four are accused of fraud for lying to investors, the Federal Reserve, and the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission in an attempt to cover up the losses so they could keep the bank going, while also collecting millions in yearly compensation.

Defense lawyers have sought to make the accused's conduct sound like everyday banking practice, at least at the executive level. The case is entirely "about reporting" and the proper definition of what is a bad loan and what bankers do and don't have to report, argued Harra's lawyer, Michael Kelly, partner at McCarter & English LLP and a prominent Wilmington bar owner and political donor.

"Everybody knew" that Wilmington Trust had been giving developers extra time for many years when they couldn't pay land and construction loans, Kelly added. "They did the same things they always did."

Kelly noted that Harra, Gibson, and North reported to the one senior officer who hasn't been indicted, Ted Cecala, the bank's former chief executive officer and chairman. (Cecala has been represented by Colm Connolly, the former U.S. attorney in Wilmington, whom President Trump has nominated to serve as a federal judge.)

Kelly noted that Cecala, during the period covered by the alleged conspiracy, was a member of the board of directors of the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia, the same regional regulator to which he and his ex-colleagues are accused of lying. Kelly depicted this as a sign that regulators understood and approved of the conduct of Cecala's bank on his watch. Until the bank was near collapse, "nobody said, 'That's against the law, don't do this,' " Kelly said. "These people never intended to commit a crime. These people never even thought about a crime."

Lawyers also sought to convince the jury that the bankers are hometown good guys, not greedy financiers. Character witnesses for Harra are to include a Catholic nonprofit leader and a Wilmington city councilwoman. "This case is not about the 'Wolf of Wall Street,' subprime mortgages, collateralized mortgages, or Lehman Bros.," the investment bank that failed in the late 2000s due to bad mortgage debt, Kelly told the jury.

He projected signed loan agreements on a courtroom screen, arguing that they showed the bank had the power to extend the term of a late loan "at any time," so the bank was justified in not listing them with bad loans for investors or regulators to see.

The judge told jurors the case could take weeks.Harold Spike Yoh,R,former owner and CEO of Day & Zimmerman Co., and his son Bill Yoh discuss the book Bill wrote Our Way about his dad for the audience gathered at their alma mater Haverford School. Read more

Harold L. "Spike" Yoh Jr. built his family business, Day & Zimmermann. With his late wife, Mary, he raised a business family.

Three of their sons now own and operate Day & Zimmermann, which maintains nuclear power plants, guards U.S. embassy staff in Asian and African war zones, builds missiles for the military, and matches engineers to Silicon Valley software developers, among other jobs, under the motto, "We do what we say."

With $2.5 billion in yearly sales and around 45,000 workers  construction and engineering, plant operations and maintenance, staffing, security and defense  D&Z ranks with Wawa, Asplundh, and Vanguard Group among the largest private companies based in the Philadelphia area.

Private companies don't have to tell us much about their cash flow, let alone interpersonal relationships among the owners. But Spike's son Bill Yoh has written a book  Our Way. It's not a business history  the 117-year-old company publishes those every few decades. The cover says it is "the life story of Spike Yoh." Really, it's a transgenerational family saga, drawn from a hundred interviews  family and friends, but also people who left the company and some who compete with it.

Spike ran D&Z from 1976 to 1999, taking over from his father, who started in the staffing business, bought Day & Zimmermann in 1961 (its engineers designed Hershey's Kisses wrapping machines, bridges and bomb factories, power plants and ship repairs), and made friends with Ronald Reagan. The story folds in drama and loss alongside triumph and growth, and serves as an argument that it's possible to succeed at work and family, with all the stress.

There is plenty of privilege assumed in the book: Yoh kids go to Haverford and Agnes Irwin, Duke and Penn, and summer in lovely places even when they are young and feel short of cash. The Yoh brothers worked their way into big jobs  son Hal (the third Harold) has been CEO since 1999; Bill is chairman of Yoh, D&Z's contract-staffing affiliate; their brother Mike runs the munitions plants; Jeff sold his share to his brothers and now owns fire-and-flood restoration company Jenkins Services, which he's converting to employee control, while running his Christian nonprofit, Servants With a Heart. Not all top D&Z managers are Yohs; the brothers don't expect all their kids will follow them as managers.

There is also resentment and sorrow. Straitlaced, family-loving Spike for years felt what Bill calls "vitriolic anger" at his self-centered, uncommunicative father, the original Harold, a Midwest farm boy turned much-married Main Line mogul. The family lost unhappy sister Karen, at age 42, in an accidental pill overdose; the Yohs blame themselves for failing to figure out how to keep her engaged.

As if in reaction to his father, Spike mated for life, doting on Mary, and put positive reinforcement next to tough standards at the center of his enterprise: "Spike had a way of putting his arms around you and making you feel you were part of the team," Bill says. As an engineer, Spike urged his sons and his bosses to focus on what's going on and why, not just what ought to be; the worker on the line "knows what's wrong," as Bill put it, and you'd better listen.

He says Spike taught that business "has a broader purpose" than enriching owners: "You have a responsibility to thousands of employees," and to clients, who in D&Z's case are often U.S. taxpayers.

Staffing, D&Z's largest line, seems extra-dependent on the individuals in charge. Yoh's Philadelphia-based rival CDI Corp., under longtime chief Walt Garrison  he and Spike "had great battles, they competed with integrity," Bill says  went public in 2000 at a valuation of $1 billion, but post-Garrison CEOs proved unable to boost profits, and CDI's board sold it to a private-equity firm last year for just $154 million. Hill International, another Philadelphia-based construction-staffing firm that went public, has also struggled since impatient investors forced out the founding Richter family.

The Yohs have broadened their definition of a private company, Bill says. "In my father's generation, it was, 'We want you to be part of a family.' Now, we talk more about diversity and inclusion. The tent flaps are broader." D&Z has "resource groups" for "military veterans, people of color, people with disabilities, LGBTQ. Rather than meaning, to fit here, you would have to be, act, and dress like the family, now you bring your whole self to work" and the company needs to show all are welcome, he added.

"One of our real objectives now is to imbue in our next generation a sense of ownership," whether or not each joins management, Bill says. "How do we imbue the responsibility and pride in the next generation?" One of the rising fourth generation of Yohs works in the D&Z IT group; another is at Comcast; a third plans to be a midwife. Some studied engineering. Six are high-school age and younger.

Last year, the brothers brought the teenagers together for a day of talks, games, and trivia. "Ostensibly they were learning about the business. Predominantly, it was about them doing things that were enjoyable together, so they want to have another meeting," Bill said.

The Yohs are working with consultants developing guidelines for families in business  what Bill calls "Familytics," a way to "look at the dynamics of family and the relationship to business. We are getting it trademarked." Spike taught the brothers "the value of getting more angles from which to examine an event or series of events"; writing the book, Bill turned the camera around, and says long interviews helped Spike became more understanding of his own father, realizing at last that "it wasn't that his father didn't love him, but the way his father was able to express support wasn't the way he was ready to receive it then."

Bill added, "And that's part of life. Everything needs context. Every person, every family, hopefully brings a lot of context."Penn's former Moravian Food Court  known for plebeian choices such as Taco Bell, Pizza Hut, and A&W  soars higher on the food chain on March 12 with the opening of Franklin's Table Food Hall at 3401 Walnut St.

Spin-offs of homegrown food companies DK Sushi (Double Knot), KQ Burger (Kensington Quarters), High Street Provisions, Pitruco Pizza, Little Baby's Ice Cream, and The Juice Merchant are set up among cafeteria seating for about 170 people. Hours are 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. weekdays, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday, and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Franklin's Table starts the day with The Juice Merchant (juices and smoothies, salads, and sandwiches) and High Street Provisions (Rival Bros. coffee, pastries, and sandwiches; initially, says partner Ellen Yin, it serves only coffee and pastries after 3 p.m.). The rest of the vendors sell lunch and dinner.

Few college food halls offer omakase, the Japanese tasting menus. DK Sushi is a fast-casual version of Michael Schulson's sushi bar, overseen by chef Kevin Yanaga, at Double Knot on 13th Street in Washington Square West. DK's menu includes rolls, sushi, sashimi, and salads, and you can buy by the piece as well as in a box. There's an eight-seat counter where Yanaga and crew will serve an express omakase: 13 to 15 selections for $35, served in 35 minutes.

Goldie, which Michael Solomonov and Steve Cook launched last year in Center City, sells a vegan menu of falafel sandwiches, falafel salad, fries, and tehina shakes.

Pitruco Pizza is a brick-and-mortar version of the wood-fired pizza truck. Its partners also run Enjay, the pizza service out of the Penn landmark Smokey Joe's. Initial menu includes pizzas and salad.

KQ Burger, based on Michael Pasquarello's meat-centric Fishtown bar-restaurant, sells three burgers, fried chicken sandwich, vegan mushroom sandwich, cheesesteak, and fries.

Little Baby's Ice Cream, rooted in Fishtown, sells ice cream (dairy and nondairy) and shakes.State Treasurer Joe Torsella and supportive lawmakers (including Philly Sen. Vince Hughes, behind Torsella), at a recent Harrisburg news conference announce the start of a program to help kids save for education. Read more

This is one of those stories that gets lost amid focus on nothing but news of the moment. Overlooked while we all look over the latest on Trump, Korea, elections, gun violence, Stormy Daniels, whatever.

Yet it's a story of potential long-term positive change in a state long lacking in same.

At a recent Harrisburg news conference, State Treasurer Joe Torsella announced the start of an effort he ran on in 2016, stressed at his 2017 inaugural, and pledged to push in office.

It seeks to improve and encourage access to education beyond high school  college, trade, vocational, associate degrees  for every child born or adopted in Pennsylvania.

That's roughly 140,000 kids a year.

It's dubbed Keystone Scholars. It uses philanthropic sources, not tax dollars, to create college savings accounts managed by the Treasury Department, and automatically deposits $100 at birth to get families started.

At birth, Torsella says, because that's when parents are most optimistic about their children's future.

Now the C-note clearly is not offered as a solution to entry/financial issues often surrounding higher education. But, says Torsella, it can make "a meaningful difference" for many families.

He cites research showing kids with from-birth accounts are three times more likely to get post-secondary education or training; four times more likely to graduate.

"This is about trying to change expectations," he tells me, "and reassert a sense of community that says 'we believe in you and are, in fact, dependent on you.  We want you to see yourself as having a future after high school.'"

The effort could involve extra deposits for low-income families and milestones in education levels and grades.

It's starting as a demonstration project in six counties (Delaware, Elk, Indiana, Luzerne, Mifflin, Westmoreland), offering a mix of urban, rural, and suburban residents.

Initially, $2.5 million in private funds will open accounts for every baby born or adopted in those counties from Jan. 1, 2018 to Dec. 31, 2019.

Meanwhile, bipartisan legislation for a statewide program is being pushed by Sens. John Gordner (R., Columbia), Vince Hughes (D., Phila.), and Rep. Duane Milne (R., Chester) with a goal of passage this year.

Every state, including Pennsylvania, offers education savings plans. But such plans tend to be underused. And used by those needing them least.

Torsella says just 7 percent of Pennsylvania families use the state's 529 College Savings Program, and use by families in wealthier counties far outstrips use in poorer counties.

Only four states (Maryland, Maine, Massachusetts, Nevada) offer plans akin to Torsella's. If Pennsylvania's goes forward, it would be the largest.

And while the initial $100 might not seem like much, Torsella argues that automatic starters encourage savings.

He quotes Ben Franklin: " 'The money that money makes, makes more money,' " and says, "If you save just $25 a month, by the time your child is a senior in college, you'll have $14,000."

With Pennsylvania first in the nation in student debt ($35,185 per grad; well above the national average of $27,975), $14K would help reduce fiscal burdens.

There are other reasons this program is right for this state.

It's future-oriented, and too few in Harrisburg think about the future, save for piling up future debt.

Too many jobs require education. Georgetown University's Center on Education and the Workforce says more than 95 percent of jobs created since the 2008 recession went to those with at least some college education.

Census data show Pennsylvania last among Northeast and Mid-Atlantic states in percentage of residents (29.3 percent) with more than a high school education.

A new WalletHub report, "Most & Least Educated States," ranks Pennsylvania 30th  lowest among Northeast and Mid-Atlantic states.

And Pennsylvania is next to last (thanks to Maine) among Northeast and Mid-Atlantic states in median household income ($55,702).

These things are interconnected. They affect quality of life. If any one of them improves, all of them can improve.

All it takes is less focus on news of the moment, or the next election, and more attention to real needs  and the foresight to work to meet them.Similar walkouts have already happened in cities like Pittsburgh, where high school students marched Feb. 21 to show support for Parkland, Fla., students. Read more

Some teachers and students in the Philadelphia region are expected to walk out of their schools for 17 minutes Wednesday, the one-month anniversary of the high school shooting in Parkland, Fla., to demand that Congress take action to better protect the public from gun violence.

The protests, scheduled to begin at 10 a.m., are part of the #NationalSchoolWalkout organized by Women's March Youth EMPOWER. Each minute will represent a person slain in Parkland.

Nationally, some schools have threatened to suspend students for participating, while others have supported the right to walk out. Philadelphia schools Superintendent William R. Hite Jr. told parents that participating students will not be disciplined  but that they should return to class afterward. Some students have urged Hite to let them protest throughout the day.

"The work to improve school safety is more than 17 minutes and more than a march," students from 13 schools and the Philadelphia Student Union wrote in a letter to Hite. "We feel that by limiting us to only 17 minutes, our voices are actively being silenced."

In North Jersey, the Sayreville school district has said it plans to suspend students who walk out. That has drawn ire from the American Civil Liberties Union, which said "districts should embrace moments like this to teach the importance of civic engagement and democracy."

It's not yet clear precisely how many local schools will take part in the walkout. Some participating include Science Leadership Academy, Franklin Learning Center, Germantown Friends School, and Lower Merion High School.

In Philadelphia, Holy Family University has said it supports students and staff walking out.

The walkout will be followed by a March for Our Lives rally on March 24 in Washington, Philadelphia, and other cities, and another student walkout on April 20, the 20th anniversary of the Columbine school shooting in Colorado.

Some school-safety protests have already occurred. At Cherry Hill High School East, students walked out two weeks ago over the suspension of Timothy Locke, a teacher who had expressed his fear that a crime similar to the Parkland massacre could happen at the school. The school is organizing a walk for students Wednesday.

The outcry over the shooting in Parkland, a largely white and wealthy suburb northwest of Fort Lauderdale, has also raised questions of why everyday gun violence in communities of color in cities like Philadelphia hasn't received the same attention.

"There's just a disconnect  when something happens in the white community, the black community is expected to support them, but people don't stand up for the black community," Tatiana Amaya, a student at Mastery Charter School-Shoemaker, told my colleague Kristen Graham. "The focus isn't 'What can we do to make black and brown kids feel safe in school?' "

Others have acknowledged the unequal treatment but encouraged people to join the walkouts. Columnist Jenice Armstrong plans to be at Germantown Friends School.

Keep an eye on our reporters' feeds on Wednesday for live coverage:

You can also follow our coverage on Philly.com and on our Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram pages.

To share your stories and photos with us, tweet @phillydotcom, message us on Facebook, or email audience@philly.com.Jasmine Yedra, a senior at Central High School, has met personal challenges head-on and is still on track to college. TIM TAI / Staff Photographer Read more

It was raining, and Jasmine Yedra carried the contents of her life in two black trash bags. She was a sophomore in high school, and she was homeless.

It didn't matter that she was a strong student at one of the state's top high schools or that she was a gifted musician  piano, guitar, ukulele. Family and financial complications meant she was standing on the corner of Roosevelt Boulevard and Cottman Avenue in Philadelphia with no idea what came next.

Her palms began to sweat. She began to cry. Then, Yedra did what she has done for so many years: She pulled herself together and figured it out.

"Jasmine never, ever gives up, even though she's had any number of curveballs thrown at her that most people would find debilitating," said Tim Atwood, a staffer at Philadelphia Futures, a program for promising college-bound students in the city. "They're setbacks for her, but she always comes back."

That makes her emblematic of so many city students, who triumph despite  or even because of  daunting odds.

Still, her path has included more obstacles than most: health challenges for her and her family, challenges at home, time spent in the foster care system, and doses of anxiety and depression far beyond the typical high school worries.

Yedra is 18 now, a senior at Central High School with a 3.8 grade-point average, a roster full of advanced classes, an eye on college, and a poise and wisdom that belies her age.

"I care about the things that matter, and I don't care about the things that don't, honestly," said Yedra. "What matters is how you treat people."

I had bigger problems

Yedra was born and raised in South Philadelphia, daughter of a mother from Nepal and a father from the Philippines. She is the second oldest of six sisters; her parents split up when she was 5.

Her father was strict  "a lot of rules, no playing until you finished your homework." The girls were smart and Yedra, the introspective one, took those rules to heart.

"I didn't have that many friends, but I read books," she said. She attended Andrew Jackson Elementary School, where she thrived academically and musically, thanks to the rock band started by music teacher Chrisostomos Argerakis. Yedra, in fact, named the band "Home" after an Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros song the group learned, and for what it meant to her.

Argerakis, who remains a mentor and friend, has known Yedra since she was 7; even then, "she was mature beyond her years. She had this aura of being positive and looking toward the future."

Things at home were never perfect, but they took a sharp turn for the worse when her mother was diagnosed with cancer when Yedra was in eighth grade. There were also complications due to alcoholism in the family; Yedra would stand up for herself and her sisters, then be kicked out of the house.

Yedra dealt with anxiety and depression and moved from house to house, couch surfing with friends and relatives. By the time she was a sophomore at Central, she had lived in and left four separate homes, those black trash bags the one constant.

In 2015, a massive earthquake struck Nepal; several aunts, uncles and cousins were missing for weeks. They were eventually found safe, but had lost everything; Yedra's family cobbled together money to send them to help repair houses.

Everything felt surreal some days, especially when her classmates would fret about one teenage issue or other.

"I had bigger problems: Where am I going to sleep, what am I going to eat, where am I going to do my homework?" she said. School, always a priority, became even more important. "Between 8:30 and 3:00, I knew I would be OK. I got a free lunch and I had people to talk to."

Life became untenable when she was a junior, and Yedra and her sisters entered the foster care system. For a time, she lived with a family in Montgomery County, one of the most isolating times in her life, she said.

"It was so hard living there without my sisters," she said. (Her older sister lives with her boyfriend; two younger sisters stayed with another relative, and the two youngest girls live with her father and stepmother.)

Eventually, Yedra met Sarah Wasch and Greg Weyer, a social worker and a lawyer, who became her foster parents. From their first meeting, Yedra felt at home with them.

"They were just different," Yedra said. "They wanted me to feel comfortable."

On Sept. 5, Yedra moved her black trash bags for the last time, into Wasch and Weyer's house in South Philadelphia. It was also the first day of her senior year.

Yedra is comfortable at Wasch and Weyer's place in a way she hasn't been in a long time, she said. Her senior portraits are prominently displayed, and the family decorated the railing leading to the second floor with stockings because that's a tradition Yedra cherished from childhood.

"I like it here," Yedra said. "For a long time, I didn't have some of my basic needs. Here, I have anything I want or need, and they're sweet and loving."

For her part, Wasch is wowed by Yedra: "We love, love, love her," said Wasch. "She is kindhearted and career driven, and one of the most motivated students I have ever met."

Yedra still copes with her own health challenges, including appendicitis and lingering complications that required a recent hospital stay. But mostly, she's a normal kid  she and her boyfriend are on a mission to see all the Marvel movies, and she loves TED talks, and playing ukulele. She spends time at Jackson, mentoring the band members, when she can, and has volunteered at charity drives at Central.

Philadelphia Futures, the nonprofit college prep program that provides intensive preparation to get first-generation students to and through college, has been an enormous help since she joined as a freshman, Yedra said. And Atwood, the Futures staffer who works closest with Yedra, marvels at her grit. Even at her lowest, she was still in touch, Atwood said, strategizing about how to get past whatever she was dealing with.

Many other students have parents to get on them about taking the SATs or making college application deadlines; everything Yedra accomplished, she did on her own.

"And she has this sweet thoughtfulness about her, as well," said Atwood. "I don't think I've ever had a conversation with her that's ever been one-sided. She is always concerned about what is going on with other people."

With all Yedra has endured, Argerakis, the music teacher, would understand if Yedra dwelled on the hand she's been dealt.

"But she doesn't use it as a crutch, and she never has," said Argerakis.

These days, she's in a better place with her family. Her father works a lot, but calls her often, and she meets with her mother and sisters weekly.

Though she turned 18 in September, Yedra signed paperwork that allows her to remain in foster care  and with her current foster family  until she turns 21, as long as she remains a full-time student, so she has a place to go over school breaks. (Wasch and Weyer assured her she can stay with or without the paperwork.)

And she remains firmly fixed on what comes next  she's on pins and needles waiting to hear from a long list of colleges, including her top choice, Temple University. Lehigh, West Chester and Penn State are also considerations.

Yedra plans to major in psychology and minor in business, with a possible career as a psychiatrist. She's letting herself dream a little, too; she's never been out of the tri-state area, and wants to travel.

"I want to drive for more," Yedra said. "I want the things my parents couldn't provide. I don't care how much money I make, but my biggest dream is to create a home for myself."Gazprom should fully comply with its obligations under gas contracts, High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and European Commission Vice President Federica Mogherini said following a meeting with Ukrainian Prime Minister Volodymyr Groysman in Kyiv on Monday.

A dispute between Gazprom and Naftogaz in the Arbitration Institute of the Stockholm Chamber of Commerce ended at the end of February, with Gazprom ordered to pay Naftogaz $4.63 billion for undersupplying gas contracted for transit. Based on the results of two arbitration disputes between the companies regarding the export and transit of gas, the first of which was decided in Gazprom's favor, it now owes Naftogaz a total of $2.56 billion.Senate President Stephen Sweeney (D., Gloucester) wants to devote the bulk of a proposed education funding increase next year to special education. Read more

School officials have long complained that escalating special-education costs are stressing their budgets  and taxpayers.

New Jersey Senate President Stephen Sweeney is proposing to lessen the burden on local districts with an infusion of state money for special education  paid for by a corporate-tax hike.

It's unclear whether Sweeney's plan will gain the backing of Gov. Murphy, who will deliver his first budget address Tuesday.

But school business officials agree a solution is needed for soaring special-education costs that now consume more than a fifth of their budgets on average.

"I have been asked, if the state could provide school districts with additional support, where would you put it? My answer is special education," said John Donahue, executive director of the New Jersey Association of School Business Officials. "Every district has this problem."

School districts spend on average about 22 percent of their budgets on special education, Donahue said  up from 13 percent in 2006-07, according to an association survey of business administrators.

While districts can't increase their budgets by more than 2 percent without voter approval, "special-education costs have no cap," Donahue said.

The costs have added to school district budget pressures in a state with some of the highest property taxes in the country  and that has for years failed to follow its formula for distributing money to schools. Recent pushes to increase state funding for education relied on tax increases that were vetoed by former Republican Gov. Chris Christie.

Murphy, a Democrat, has called for ramping up funding for schools by raising taxes on millionaires, an approach that Sweeney, a Gloucester County Democrat, has opposed in the wake of the recent federal tax overhaul limiting deductions for state and local taxes.

Last week, he proposed a different tax increase: a 3 percent surcharge on the state's corporation business tax for companies earning more than $1 million in net income. Sweeney said the plan would capture "a portion of the windfall" to employers from the recent federal tax changes slashing the corporate tax rate from 35 to 21 percent.

The corporate-tax increase would net the state a projected $657 million, Sweeney said  and he would put the bulk of it, $431 million, toward special education. The state budget is about $34.7 billion.

Sweeney, whose daughter was born with Down syndrome, said he also plans to introduce legislation to shift responsibility and oversight of special education to the state, although he didn't provide specifics.

Overall, Sweeney proposes to increase spending on public education by $631 million. He would also take $127 million away from some school districts, sending it to others that are underfunded by the state  part of a plan to redistribute money that was intended to be temporary under the funding formula passed in 2008, but that has never been phased out. Sweeney's push to shift that money has been controversial, including with the state's main teachers' union.

Such increases would be significant: Last year, New Jersey added about $180 million for public education, including $25 million for special-education costs.

A spokesman for Murphy said the governor would defer comment on what his plan would include until his budget address Tuesday. At a separate news conference last week, Murphy said Sweeney's plan "has got some appeal," though he questioned the structure of the business-tax increase. He also said he didn't view it as an alternative to his proposed millionaire's tax, but "perhaps as an additional weapon on our disposal."

In addition to budgetary pressures, districts have been facing legal challenges over special education, Donahue said. "Many parents are suing districts because they're not complying with the needs" of students, he said.

Children with disabilities have been entitled to special-education services under federal law since the mid-1970s. But the federal government hasn't been providing the level of funding the law promised.

In Pennsylvania, special-education costs may rise by $260 million next year, according to the Pennsylvania School Boards Association. Gov. Wolf has proposed spending an additional $20 million on special education.

In New Jersey, the state formula directs money to districts based on the statewide percentage of students requiring special-education services  14.7 percent  regardless of whether they have a larger or smaller share of students, according to Brenda Considine, coordinator for the New Jersey Coalition for Special Education Funding Reform. Special-education rates in districts vary from as low as 8 percent to higher than 25, Considine said.

After calculating the aid for each district based on the state average, the state sends one-third of the money to school districts. The rest of the money is wealth-equalized  meaning wealthier districts get a lesser share of aid  and counted among the overall aid that school districts receive from the state to support an "adequate" budget, determined by the funding formula based on the needs of students in each district.

The state previously sent special-education aid to districts based on a count of students in each district requiring such services, and the level of services those students were provided. The argument for switching to the statewide-average model was that counting students gave districts incentive to classify them as requiring a higher level of services to get more money, Considine said. But she said classification rates have grown slightly despite the new model.

Districts can apply for additional state money if the cost of educating a particular student exceeds thresholds between $40,000 and $50,000, depending on where the student is placed, Considine said. But the state hasn't been able to meet those demands.

Districts requested $354 million from the state for extraordinary special-education costs in 2016-17 but were reimbursed only $195 million, said David Sciarra, executive director of the nonprofit Education Law Center. The state sent districts $790 million that year in the other main form of special-education aid, although the formula required it to distribute $990 million, Sciarra said.

Overall, New Jersey is underfunding districts by about $2 billion, if the formula's caps on aid to growing districts are removed.

Many districts aren't spending what the formula requires  because the state isn't sending enough money, districts aren't raising enough money, or both, Sciarra said. He questioned whether focusing a funding increase on special education would exclude other needy students.

"Students across the board are not getting the resources they need," Sciarra said.

.Fox News host Jesse Watters (left) informed Fox News human resources department late last year that he engaged in a consensual relationship with 25-year-old associate producer Emma DiGiovine. Read more

Fox News has acknowledged that it reassigned a 25-year-old associate producer on Watters' World after she became romantically involved with host Jesse Watters, a Philadelphia native and a rising star at the network.

Emma DiGiovine, an associate producer on Watters' World, was transferred to The Ingraham Angle in November after Watters, 39, notified the network's human resources department about their relationship.

"Within 24 hours of Jesse Watters voluntarily reporting to the Chief of Human Resources in November 2017 that he was in a consensual relationship with a woman on his staff, management met with both parties and a decision was made for the woman to be transferred to work on another program on the network where she currently remains," a Fox News spokeswoman said in a statement. The network took no action against Watters following his report of the relationship.

According to the New York Daily News, Watters' wife, Noelle Watters, filed for divorce in October. Watters informed Fox News of his relationship with DiGiovine shortly after the papers were filed. The couple has twin girls.

Watters did not respond to a request for comment.

Watters, a native of Germantown and East Falls, has become one of the most prominent voices on Fox News. In addition to hosting Watters' World weekly, he took over co-hosting duties on The Five in April following a scheduling shuffle caused by the firing of Bill O'Reilly after the New York Times revealed $45 million in payouts to six former Fox News personalities to settle claims of sexual and verbal assault.

Watters has also become a favorite of Trump, a noted fan of Fox News who has given several exclusive interviews to the up-and-coming host (though he has denied interview requests from other Fox News hosts, like Bret Baier). Last week, Watters dined with Trump and Fox News contributor and former White House staffer Sebastian Gorka at the White House because the president "couldn't get enough of them on TV," according to the Daily Beast.

Watters tweeted out a photo of the menu  which included seared sea scallops and hazelnut sable milk chocolate mousse  signed by Trump that read, "To Jesse[,] You are great!"

On Friday, CNN host Jake Tapper, also a Philadelphia native, needled Trump over his decision to dine with Watters and Gorka.

"So you're the president of the United States of America. You can dine with literally anyone you want to. Titans of industry. Geniuses of the arts. Tech wizards changing everything. World leaders and humanitarian saints," Tapper wrote on Twitter.

Watters took an abrupt two-day vacation back in April, just a week after starting on The Five, after critics claimed the host made a suggestive remark about first daughter Ivanka Trump.

"It's funny, the left says they really respect women, and then when given an opportunity to respect a woman like that, they boo and hiss," Watters said. "So, I don't really get what's going on here, but I really liked how she was speaking into that microphone."

Watters denied the accusations made about his comment, writing on Twitter following the incident he was "referring to Ivanka's voice and how it resonates like a soon jazz radio DJ."Councilwoman Maria Quinones-Sanchez asks a question during a City Council hearing on the opioid crisis at City Hall in Philadelphia on March 12, 2018. Read more

The hearing Monday morning in City Hall was billed as an opportunity for City Council's public health committee to assess the effectiveness of the city's response to an epidemic that Health Commissioner Thomas Farley called "the worst public health crisis in a century."

Three years into the crisis: Nearly 3,000 deaths. Up to 70,000 people across the city using heroin. Four homeless encampments where people in addiction have been sleeping for months.

Twenty people, including city officials, treatment providers, advocates, and community members, were slated to speak on seven panels. They and their supporters filled the gallery and brought dozens of pages of testimony. But the meeting never made it past the opening stage with Farley and his colleagues.

Instead, Council members held the floor during a three-hour hearing that for some was a chance to air complex questions on a spiraling crisis  but for most seemed to serve as a primer on some of the most basic aspects of an epidemic that has saddled Philadelphia with the highest overdose death rate among major U.S. cities. The community members were never called to the floor.

It was a sign, frustrated advocates said, that as the city moves forward with plans to fight the opioid epidemic, some Council members are only just beginning to consider the contours of the crisis.

"There's a lack of coherence here," said Casey O'Donnell, director of the Kensington neighborhood development group Impact Services.

The meeting came nearly two months after Mayor Kenney's administration announced that it would support the opening of safe-injection sites for people in addiction to use drugs under medical supervision and get access to treatment. It's a controversial idea that's gaining traction in the United States and has been in place in Canada and Europe for decades. For months, detractors and supporters alike have mobilized, debating the idea online and at community meetings.

But on Monday, the sites were something of an afterthought: Councilwoman Cindy Bass asked Farley's panel whether the proposal was still on the table.

"We are at the very beginning of the process," said Deputy Managing Director Eva Gladstein, adding that the city was not planning to fund the site but could help prospective operators search for a location and provide outreach services. It was the only substantial exchange on the proposed sites.

Councilwoman Maria Quinones-Sanchez, whose district lost at least 287 people to overdoses last year and is at the heart of the heroin epidemic in Kensington, convened the hearing. Her district is home to the four encampments along Lehigh Avenue where people in addiction have been living since the city cleared an older encampment on Gurney Street last summer.

Quinones-Sanchez said the Department of Behavioral Health and Intellectual disAbilities Services needed to be more transparent  with Council and the public  about the treatment providers it funds: "People feel like the system is big and out of control," she said in an interview after the meeting. City Controller Rebecca Rhynhart is auditing the agency.

And Quinones-Sanchez said she was frustrated that the city hasn't moved faster to clear the Lehigh Avenue encampments. The city has one shelter in Kensington, a 40-bed respite center designed for people in addiction, and is planning to add 80 beds in the neighborhood. There are about 200 people in the bridge encampments, said Liz Hersh, director of the Office of Homeless Services.

Quinones-Sanchez said that wasn't enough. "How are we ever going to catch up?" she asked. "Why is it OK for us to have these encampments in Kensington?"

Hersh said it's difficult to find sites for such centers, which do not require sobriety to enter and are designed to meet people in addiction where they are. "The community is very divided," she said. She said her agency is "absolutely not" moving fast enough. "At the same time, we're doing what we can."

Other Council members used Monday's hearing to ask Farley and his colleagues more fundamental questions about the opioid crisis itself.

Councilman Bobby Henon of the Sixth District, where at least 122 people died last year, asked the panel about the ins and outs of detox and how patients choose medication-assisted treatment.

Councilman Mark Squilla of the First District also asked the panel for statistics on the effectiveness of medication-assisted treatment, in which drugs like suboxone and methadone, opioids themselves, are prescribed in a controlled setting to stave off withdrawal.

Panelists replied that evidence shows the treatment gives patients the best chance for recovery and is twice as effective as simply detoxing.

"The more we argue around whether it works or not," a doctor with the Department of Behavioral Health and Intellectual disAbilities Services said toward the end of the hearing, "the less likely we're going to get to the outcomes we want to achieve."

O'Donnell, of the Kensington neighborhood group, was supposed to testify but did not. He said he'd been disappointed by that line of questioning.

"It might be a really good idea to have someone that's an expert on the science of addiction to inform interested parties prior to convening like this," he said.On any given day, there are nearly 428,000 children in foster care across the U.S. In the greater Philadelphia area, there are approximately 6,500 children and young adults in foster care, according to the Children's Bureau.

The role of foster care

The reasons children enter the foster care system vary. Children may be removed from their biological families because of abuse or neglect, or they may have been diagnosed with an emotional, behavioral or cognitive disability (or other challenge) that their family is not equipped to handle.

Foster care is intended to provide children and young adults with an opportunity to be part of a stable, supportive and nurturing family  and a positive home environment  to help them reach their unique potential.

Facing challenges, finding stability

Children in foster care may face challenges with normalcy, academic achievement and socialization. Traumatic experiences that occur within a family or a neighborhood can contribute to the interruption of a child's development. In addition, the disruptive and uncertain transition into foster care can create additional obstacles, such as: self-esteem issues, connecting with foster parents (if they have been in multiple foster homes), reconnecting with biological siblings and/or parents, and simply understanding what's happening and why.

To help these children heal and grow  as they enter the foster care system  the goal is to find a consistent, highly-supervised and attentive home environment that will enable them to learn the skills and behaviors needed to succeed at home, in school and in the future.

Social service agencies and other groups  including Devereux Advanced Behavioral Health  work with these children and adolescents to: understand their needs and place them with foster families who will support their growth and well-being until they can be reunited with their families, placed with other relatives or adopted.

Enriching the lives of all involved

Together, with social service and child welfare agencies, behavioral health organizations, and a variety of support services, foster parents can help children improve their behaviors, resilience and self-esteem. Foster parents also are able to teach important life skills such as how to overcome challenges and build positive relationships, while providing stability  which is crucial to a child's physical, emotional and cognitive development.

Ultimately, children who spend time with supportive and loving foster families have a better chance of excelling in school, in relationships and in life. We also know youth aren't the only ones who can benefit from foster care  it can enrich the lives of all those involved. Nothing demonstrates this better than a story from a Devereux Advanced Behavioral Health foster parent. Recently, as a mother helped her foster daughter prepare for prom, she noticed her daughter had a huge smile on her face.

The foster mom asked: "What are you laughing for?"

Daughter: "I'm not laughing, Mom. I'm smiling."

Mom: "Are you nervous?"

Daughter: "I'm just very grateful to have you in my life."

Mom's response, "I feel the same way you do."

Foster care truly has the ability to inspire and transform lives. To learn more about foster care programs and services, or to become a foster parent, explore the resources listed below:Elfreth's Alley in the Old City neighborhood of Philadelphia. Read more

Want a willow oak for your front yard? Eyeing an Eastern red cedar for the side yard? Perusing pawpaws for the back?

Philadelphia property owners can pick from a number of free yard or street trees provided by the TreePhilly program under the parks and recreation department. Registration is open now through April 8. The trees are supplied by a partnership with Fairmount Park Conservancy and TD Bank. Species include large shade trees, small flowering trees, and fruit trees.

The city says urban trees can help clean the air, provide shade, increase property values, and impart a sense of peace.

"Increasing Philadelphia's tree canopy is essential to increasing the quality of our neighborhoods," said Mayor Kenney.

Registrants can pick up a tree for personal or public use. A street tree can be planted in a planting strip in the public right-of-way between the sidewalk and curb. A yard tree can be planted in the ground on private property.

It helps to know which size tree you'll want. For example, a white oak can grow 80 feet tall, while a dogwood might grow 20 feet.

Philadelphia has been giving out trees since 2012. The city gives away about 1,000 trees a year to private property owners. However, it also gives to groups. To date, the program has handed out about 19,000 trees.

Residents are encouraged to pre-register for the main tree giveaway event on April 14 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Cobbs Creek Community Environmental Center. The event will also feature tree planting and care demonstrations, as well as free mulch.

Other tree giveaway dates across the city are:

Wednesday, April 4:

Parkway Central Library Yard Tree Giveaway

In partnership with the Free Library of Philadelphia

11 a.m.  1 p.m. in Center City (No pre-registration required)

Saturday, April 7:

Make The World Better Community Yard Tree Giveaway

12 p.m.  2 p.m. in the Norris Square neighborhood

Sunday, April 8:

Associated Polish Home Community Yard Tree Giveaway

11 a.m.  2 p.m. in the Torresdale neighborhood

Sunday, April 15:

John Heinz Wildlife Refuge Community Yard Tree Giveaway

In partnership with Friends of Heinz Wildlife Refuge, Eastwick Friends & Neighbors Coalition, and Audubon Pennsylvania

10 a.m.  1 p.m. in the Eastwick neighborhood

Friday, April 20:

Dickinson Square West Civic Association Community Yard Tree Giveaway

6 p.m.  8 p.m. in the Dickinson Square West neighborhood

Arbrew Day Yard Tree Giveaway

In partnership with Yards Brewing Company. Pop-up yard tree giveaway event at bars across the city: Devil's Den, Dawson Street Pub, Frankford Hall, London Grill, Grey Lodge, Whole Foods Market Center City, Whole Foods Market South Street.

5 p.m.  8 p.m., multiple neighborhoods

Saturday, April 21:

Penn State Alumni Community Yard Tree Giveaway

In partnership with SHARE Food Program

9 a.m.  12 p.m. in Allegheny West neighborhood

PowerCorpsPHL Community Yard Tree Giveaway

10 a.m.  2 p.m. in Strawberry Mansion neighborhood

Sunday, April 22:

REPTreePhilly Yard Tree Giveaway

In partnership with Plumer & Associates Real Estate

11 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Fishtown neighborhood

Holmesburg Civic Association Community Yard Tree Giveaway

In partnership with Philadelphia Insectarium & Butterfly Pavilion

11 a.m.  2 p.m. in the Holmesburg neighborhood

Muslim Youth Center of Philadelphia Community Yard Tree Giveaway

3 p.m.  5 p.m. in the Millbrook neighborhood

Friday, April 27:

Arbor Day Celebration

At Fernhill Park in the East Germantown neighborhood

Saturday, April 28:

Somerton Civic Association Community Yard Tree Giveaway

In partnership with MaST Community Charter School

10 a.m.  12 p.m. in the Somerton neighborhood

Zion Pentecostal Church of God & CDC Community Yard Tree Giveaway

10 a.m.  1 p.m. in the Haddington Neighborhood

Saturday, May 5:

Frankford CDC Community Yard Tree Giveaway

10 a.m.  12 p.m. in the Frankford neighborhoodMac Grieb, 17, of Brielle, N.J., faced a third open-heart surgery. Instead, he opted for an experimental procedure at Childrens Hospital of Philadelphia, getting a new heart valve implanted through a vein in his groin. Read more

Two times before his first birthday, Mac Grieb had his chest cracked open for heart surgery, and physicians warned his parents he would someday need to go through the grueling process again.

Instead, last year at age 16, the New Jersey youth underwent an experimental procedure that allowed him to go home the next day. At Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, cardiologists inserted a catheter through a vein in the teenager's groin up into his heart, implanting an artificial valve to regulate the blood flow to his lungs.

Mac was born with a cluster of heart abnormalities called tetralogy of Fallot, the same condition that was diagnosed last year in the infant son of talk-show host Jimmy Kimmel.

Most children with this and other congenital heart defects live well into adulthood, thanks to a variety of surgeries developed decades ago. Many also go on to develop complications, ranging from subtle developmental delays to complex circulatory problems that can require follow-up procedures.

Physicians are increasingly coming up with strategies to help delay or even avoid surgery, such as the valve implant that Mac received. But some patients  especially older ones  never got the message that they need to keep careful tabs on their heart health, said Paula Miller, senior education manager at the Philadelphia-based Adult Congenital Heart Association.

"We hear from people who thought they were fixed, or cured, and never had to go back to the doctor," she said.

Not Mac. By age 16, he had so much experience with the medical system that he knew to speak up when something did not seem right.

Out of it

Mac was born with VACTERL association, a genetic syndrome that can include abnormalities in as many as six bodily systems, denoted by the letters in its name: vertebral, anal, cardiac, tracheal-esophageal, renal (the kidney), and limbs.

Mac had issues with all of these except the A. In addition to the two open-heart surgeries during infancy, he had surgery to correct problems with his stomach and spinal cord, among other procedures. He was born with just one kidney and is missing a bone in one forearm.

So when he started to feel short of breath two years ago, he told his mom right away.

"I felt winded and exhausted," he said. "Kind of out of it."

They saw a physician near their home in Brielle, N.J., who recommended an appointment at CHOP. Victoria Vetter, a pediatric cardiologist at the Philadelphia hospital, detected an abnormal heart rhythm and performed a corrective procedure called an ablation.

But there was more: An MRI revealed that Mac's right ventricle was enlarged  a frequent consequence for those with tetralogy of Fallot, and for some patients with other congenital heart defects.

Such patients are born with a narrow (or even nonexistent) connection between the heart's right ventricle and the pulmonary artery  the vessel that delivers "blue" blood from the heart to the lungs to be enriched with oxygen the body needs to function. That is one of four hallmarks of the disorder, hence the prefix tetra-, from the Greek for four. (Fallot is the name of the French physician who described it.)

Surgeons typically enlarge this connection during infancy, improving blood flow to the lungs. But because the valve inside this vital passageway still does not work well, some of the blue blood flows backward into the heart  a condition that over time can stretch and enlarge the right ventricle to the point where it is no longer able to pump properly.

Tricky timing

Traditionally, that development has meant open-heart surgery to implant a new valve. But the timing is tricky, said Matthew J. Gillespie, an interventional cardiologist who treated Mac at CHOP.

If the surgery is done in time, the right ventricle returns to its normal size. Yet if heart failure begins to set in, it may be too late. As in older patients with heart failure, the term does not mean the heart stops pumping, but that it becomes too weak to keep up with the demands of circulation.

"It's a conundrum," Gillespie said. "If you wait till the point where people are really having severe symptoms, or you start to see the function of the heart is going downhill, there's a good chance they won't get the benefit of having the new valve."

Yet the prospect of another open-heart surgery may be an unwelcome surprise to a patient who does not feel especially bad, said Gillespie, associate director of CHOP's cardiac catheterization lab.

Mac and his family had a new option: the experimental Harmony valve, an hourglass-shaped implant made with a metal frame and tissue from a pig heart, inserted via catheter through a vein.

Gillespie told the Griebs he had helped conduct a study of the valve in sheep, funded by the hospital and private donors, and another study of 21 human patients, funded by the device maker Medtronic. Early results were promising.

The family needed little convincing.

"We were so ecstatic that we could possibly not have to go through another open-heart surgery," said Stacy Grieb, Mac's mom. "We were all in."

In April 2017, Mac became the first patient at CHOP to get the Harmony valve. The procedure took just two hours, and the teenager was home the next day. An avid drummer, he was soon back playing along with the music of Led Zeppelin and other classic bands.

Mac felt pretty good that summer, then really started to notice an improvement in the fall at school, in gym class.

"I was running around with my buddies," he recalled. "I noticed I was running at the same pace as they were. They were out of breath, but I wasn't."

Continuing care

Tetralogy of Fallot is among the most common congenital heart defects, occurring in 2,500 U.S. babies born each year.

Other heart defects can lead to complications later in life as well. Abnormal heart rhythms are a common consequence of infant surgery, and patients also are more likely to suffer hearing loss. One disorder, called single-ventricle disease, can lead to scarring in the liver and abnormal flow in the lymphatic system, which can be treated with a catheterization.

Such findings illustrate the need for ongoing surveillance, said Miller, of the Adult Congenital Heart Association.

A pediatric nurse by training, Miller also knows the importance of her advice personally. She, like Mac and Billy Kimmel, was born with tetralogy of Fallot. Now 67, she had two corrective surgeries in childhood, and needed a valve replacement as an adult. But in her late 40s, she was seen by a general cardiologist who knew little about treating adults who had survived infant heart surgery.

"You're lucky to be alive," the doctor told her in 1999, Miller recalled. "There's nothing more we can do."

Instead, she went online and found the patient association for which she now works. The group helped her find a specialist, and she had surgery in 2004 to get a new pulmonary valve.

Gillespie, the CHOP cardiologist, thinks someday all such valve replacements will be implanted via catheter, as Mac's was. He predicted that will happen for Billy Kimmel, the son of the talk-show host  assuming the device is approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in a few years.

In short: conditions that once could mean a shortened life expectancy often can be managed, Gillespie and Miller say. Look no further than another famous tetralogy of Fallot patient, Olympic snowboarder Shaun White.

On his ABC talk show, Kimmel asked White about his experience with the disease, and jokingly worried that his son would become a snowboarder.

"That is a side effect, yes," White replied.

No treatment for that one. Yet.Juelz Santana turned himself into Port Authority Police early Monday after a gun was found in a carry-on bag containing his identification at a New York City area airport last week. He is due to appear in U.S. District Court in Newark later in the day. (A) Read more

Rapper Juelz Santana was arrested Monday, accused of bringing a loaded gun to Newark Liberty International Airport on Friday and fleeing the scene, police said in a statement.

The 36-year-old rapper  real name: LaRon James  was charged with possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and carrying a weapon on an aircraft, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.

James, a Totowa, N.J., resident, reportedly went to Newark airport Friday evening for a flight to San Francisco. Upon arrival, the rapper submitted his luggage for X-ray screening at the airport's security gate, where a Transportation Security Administration agent found a firearm. That agent the contacted Port Authority Police.

According to a complaint, the "There It Go" hitmaker fled the airport in a taxi after seeing his bag had attracted attention, leaving behind his luggage, driver's license, and boarding pass.

Following further inspection of the bag, police say they found a 0.38 caliber Derringer pistol loaded with two rounds. James has been prohibited from possessing a firearm since 2013, when he was convicted of manufacturing and distributing a controlled substance, officials said.

James surrendered to authorities Monday morning.

Each charge the rapper currently faces carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison.

As Juelz Santana, James is also a member of rap group The Diplomats, who are also known as Dipset. Currently, the group is scheduled to perform a reunion show at the Electric Factory on March 29. Dipset also is scheduled to perform at this year's Roots Picnic in June. Whether James' arrest will impact those performances has not yet been announced.Congressman Robert A. Brady (D., Phila.), left, and Randi Weingarten, President of the American Federation of Teachers, right, embrace Carmela Apolonio Hernandez, an undocumented Mexican mother who lives in sanctuary with her four children in the Church of the Advocate in North Philadelphia. JOSE F. MORENO / Staff Photographer Read more

Using rhetoric that rattled the stained-glass windows, supporters of the undocumented Mexican family living in sanctuary inside a North Philadelphia church loudly declared their commitment to the mother and her four children Monday, while decrying immigration officials, President Trump, and those who, they claim, have forgotten why the Statue of Liberty stands in New York Harbor.

All the while, Carmela Apolonio Hernandez, 36, under order with her children to be deported since December, stood smiling beneath black safety netting keeping the soaring stone ceiling of the crumbling 131-year-old Church of the Advocate from literally falling down on her.

"I want to thank this person whose name I can't pronounce," Hernandez said through a translator, referring to Democratic U.S. Rep. Bob Brady of Philadelphia, who had locked the diminutive woman in an embrace with his left arm, as though his sheer size and up-from-the-street Philly attitude would protect Hernandez from being dispatched to her home country, where her brother and two nephews were murdered.

"This lady is not fighting by herself," declared Brady, who said he will introduce a so-called private bill in Congress to bestow U.S. citizenship on Hernandez and her children  Edwin, 9; Yoselin, 11; Keyri, 13; and Fidel, 15. The children were at their schools during the event.

Brady acknowledged it would be "tough to pass" such a measure, but even proposing it "should get the attention of ICE," the federal office of Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

In a statement Monday afternoon, ICE officials described Hernandez as "an unlawfully present citizen of Mexico." They added that, "in an exercise of discretion, ICE has allowed Ms. Hernandez to remain free from custody while finalizing her departure plans." Officials also said that "aliens who illegally enter the United States  have violated our nation's laws and can pose a threat to national security and public safety."

While ICE guidelines deter agents from grabbing up people earmarked for deportation from "sensitive locations" such as churches, Brady addressed the gathered media, asking, "Wouldn't you want to be here if ICE came? [The family] would be taken out of here disgracefully. Can you imagine that visual?"

Also on hand, Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers, reminded Trump that he is descended from an immigrant family. "Immigrants came to the United States to escape oppression and find freedom," she said, adding, "The plea to ICE is to find your humanity."

City Council President Darrell L. Clarke mused aloud, "I don't know about the president, but the Statue of Liberty means something to me."

Representatives from the Philadelphia Federation of Teachers, as well as the New Sanctuary Movement of Philadelphia, helped co-sponsor the event.

Hernandez expressed hope that she will some day be able to leave the sanctuary "and be free." With a nod toward the roughly three-dozen others living in sanctuary around the country, Hernandez added, "I'm not the only immigrant going through this. We should keep fighting."

The family came to the United States in August 2015, fleeing the violence of organized drug criminals who killed Hernandez's relatives, taxi drivers unable to pay extortion fees. Threatened and assaulted by the same men, Hernandez came north to San Diego, seeking asylum. After being detained and denied asylum, the five were sent to be in the care of a relative who's an American citizen in Pennsylvania. Hernandez eventually found her way to the church.

Because she said her children need to engage with others their age, Hernandez sent them to school. "My children have a right to go to school," she said in a previous interview.

Offering a window of what life is like in perpetual self-quarantine within the Episcopal church, Hernandez said she helps with the church's feeding program when she can.

Often, though, there's nothing for her to do while her children are in school. That's when, she said, the worries stir inside her head.

It's all she can do to squelch panic.

"They haven't come to take me and my children," she said. "Not yet."Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko has said that he supports the idea of holding tax amnesty in Ukraine so that Ukrainians could pay the respective tax, bring money into Ukraine and legally invest in the Ukrainian economy.

"I propose that we once again return to the discussion of the so-called 'zero' declaration. We cannot say that every Ukrainian is guilty of something. We should give every Ukrainian the opportunity to pay the respective tax, in accordance with the law, bring money into Ukraine, invest it in the Ukrainian economy and feel a free citizen of a free country," he said at a meeting with business representatives in Kyiv on Monday.

Poroshenko invited those present to join the drafting of a bill on the so-called "zero" declaration.

"I will not submit it now, but if you support this, I propose our joint work in order to protect, first and foremost, small and medium-sized businesses," he said.A 27-year-old Gloucester City man was sentenced Friday to five years in New Jersey state prison for sexually assaulting a girl under the age of 13, prosecutors said.

Miguel Palillero pleaded guilty to a second-degree crime for sexually assaulting the girl from January 2013 to December 2014 in Westville. Superior Court Judge Robert P. Becker ordered that he serve a minimum of 85 percent of his prison term before becoming eligible for parole under the No Early Release Act.

After his release, Palillero will be subject to the reporting requirements and restrictions of Megan's LawThe new congressional districts in southeastern Pennsylvania under the map imposed by the Pennsylvania Supreme Court. Read more

HARRISBURG  A panel of federal judges, asked by GOP lawmakers to block the new Pennsylvania congressional map, on Friday questioned whether it should wait for the U.S. Supreme Court to act on a similar request and if blocking the map would further disrupt an already tumultuous election cycle.

The three judges  Chief U.S. District Judge Christopher C. Conner for the Middle District of Pennsylvania, Judge Kent A. Jordan of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit, and District Judge Jerome B. Simandle for the District of New Jersey  were equally aggressive Friday in questioning both sides in the case during four hours of testimony. They said they would release a decision soon.

A group of eight congressmen and two state Senate leaders, all Republicans, are seeking a preliminary injunction to stop implementation of the congressional map imposed last month by the state high court, arguing that the court stole power that the Constitution gives to state lawmakers.

"The U.S. Constitution assigns responsibility for redistricting to the legislature," Jason Torchinsky, a lawyer for the Republicans, said at the hearing. The justices of the state high court, he said, "don't get to act as legislators" by creating criteria for how congressional district lines should be drawn and then creating their own map.

Torchinsky and other lawyers for the Republicans argued that the federal judges should reinstate the previous map for the 2018 elections, including the primaries in May and the general election in November.

That would mean holding another election cycle under the 2011 map that was discarded in January, with the state Supreme Court ruling it was a partisan gerrymander drawn to favor Republicans in violation of the state constitution.

At the core of their arguments, Republicans say, is that the state court overstepped its bounds. The new map's defenders, including Gov. Wolf's administration and the Democratic voters who brought the original state lawsuit, contend that the federal courts have no power to step into a state constitutional issue.

Beyond those basic arguments, Republicans have contended that the new map has created a chaotic environment that has confused congressional candidates and voters.

The judges appeared at first to be sympathetic to that idea, with Conner referring to "a kind of the chaos" that a Pennsylvania Supreme Court justice said would ensue after a new map was drawn.

But then the judges flipped that around: Might a return to the previous map actually create more chaos?

"Do we make the confusion better by issuing an order that says you're back to the old map?" Jordan asked.

The judges also appeared concerned about the timeline of events, since the Pennsylvania Supreme Court did not release a full opinion explaining its ruling until Feb. 7, two days before the deadline it imposed on the state legislature to draw a new map.

The judges noted that the full opinion contained more information that would guide the drawing of a map, questioning whether that meant the legislature in effect only had two days to draw a map rather than 18.

They also raised the question of another challenge currently before the U.S. Supreme Court, in which the state's two top Republican state lawmakers are asking it to block the map. Both challenges make similar legal arguments, the judges noted, and the U.S. Supreme Court is considering other gerrymandering cases this term.

One option, the judges said, is to wait for the Supreme Court.

U.S. Supreme Court Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr. is expected to issue a decision at any time as to whether the high court will take up the case and block the map, or reject the request and leave the map in place.Pa. gubernatorial candidates State Sen. Scott Wagner (R., York), left, Laura Ellsworth, center, a lawyer from suburban Pittsburgh, and Paul Mango, right, a former health care systems consultant from suburban Pittsburgh, participate in a debate at Harrisburg Area Community College this month. Read more

The Republican primary for Pennsylvania governor has waded into the culture wars over bathrooms.

Paul Mango, who is positioning himself as the "true social conservative" in the race, has accused State Sen. Scott Wagner of supporting legislation that would "allow individuals to choose a bathroom based on personal choice rather than biological makeup."

Mango's campaign says Wagner's legislation would "treat people of faith like bigots, subjecting people of faith to lawsuits and worse" and "infringe on the privacy and security of our children, as well as parental rights."

"One thing I will not do is let people, by gender identity, come into our girls' locker rooms in schools in the name of generating business in Pennsylvania," Mango said Tuesday at a debate at the National Constitution Center. "I'm going to keep our kids safe and secure. I'm not going to advance that bill, his bathroom bill, at all."

Wagner, who has been endorsed by the state GOP, responded that Mango "has gone off the reservation with a bathroom bill. I am not supportive of boys and girls sharing bathrooms, and he knows that."

Who is right? And where does the bathroom talk come from, anyway? Is there any evidence that children's privacy and security would be endangered, or religious liberty threatened?

State law prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, sex, ethnicity, age, religion, and handicap, among other characteristics, in the areas of employment, housing, and public accommodations. That means, for example, that employers can't refuse to hire you because you're a woman; real estate agents can't deny you housing because you're black; and restaurants can't deny you service because you're Jewish.

In 2016, Wagner co-sponsored Senate Bill 974, which would amend the Pennsylvania Human Relations Act of 1955 to extend those non-discrimination protections to gender identity/expression and sexual orientation in employment, housing, and public accommodations. Thus, it would be illegal to fire people because of their sexual orientation or gender identity. The legislation never advanced. Wagner has said the issue is a matter of fairness.

Public accommodations are places that provide goods and services such as restaurants, movie theaters, hotels, and public schools. If sexual orientation and gender identity were added to anti-discrimination law, then public accommodations couldn't exclude transgender people from the restrooms that correspond to their gender identity "any more than you could exclude Muslims" from an establishment, said Mariah Passarelli, a Pittsburgh-based lawyer at Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney PC who specializes in employment and anti-discrimination law.

In schools, that means facilities such as bathrooms and locker rooms must also be accessible.

"Prohibiting individuals from using restrooms consistent with their gender identity would likely be interpreted to be discrimination based on gender identity in violation of the law," said Christy Mallory, state and local policy director of the UCLA School of Law's Williams Institute, a think tank that researches sexual orientation and gender law and public policy.

Mallory pointed to court decisions that she said have interpreted the federal civil rights law that bans sex-based discrimination in federally funded schools to "allow students to access restrooms consistent with their gender identity."

That means Mango is correct, in part: The legislation could mean that transgender students would be able to use the bathroom that doesn't correspond to their sex at birth. Ultimately, though, that would hinge on court decisions.

And it is misleading to characterize Wagner's legislation, known as the Fairness Act, as a "bathroom bill."

For one thing, bathrooms and locker rooms aren't mentioned in the text of the bill, and its stated rationale is to ensure equal opportunity and foster "economic growth and prosperity."

What's more, there's little evidence to suggest children's privacy and security would be threatened.

CNN reported in March 2017 that of the 20 law enforcement agencies it had contacted in states with anti-discrimination policies covering gender identity, none that answered "reported any bathroom assaults after the policies took effect."

Nineteen states and the District of Columbia have statewide laws that prohibit discrimination in public accommodations; 20 states and D.C. provide that prohibition in housing and employment.

In Pennsylvania, about 40 municipalities and counties, including Philadelphia, have their own anti-discrimination laws. As of 2013 at least 139 companies headquartered in Pennsylvania prohibited discrimination based on sexual orientation, and at least 40 prohibited discrimination based on gender identity, according to a report by UCLA's Williams Institute.

"We just have found no evidence that anti-discrimination protections impact public safety or privacy in bathrooms or locker rooms," said Jody Herman, a scholar at the Williams Institute.

Meanwhile, the 2015 U.S. Transgender Survey of nearly 28,000 transgender adults in the U.S. found widespread discrimination.

One example cited by Mango's campaign is a lawsuit filed by a group of students against the Boyertown Area School District in Berks County, which had adopted a transgender-friendly bathroom policy. The plaintiffs said the policy violated their "fundamental right to bodily privacy" under the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, as well as federal civil rights law that prohibits sex-based discrimination in schools that receive federal funding.

A federal judge in August declined to block the school district's policy on a temporary basis, and the student-plaintiffs are appealing the case to a federal appeals court in Philadelphia.

Mango has pointed to another bill Wagner supported, SB 1307, that extended anti-discrimination protections to LGBT people in the areas of housing and employment, not public accommodations.

That bill advanced out of a Senate committee but did not get a vote on the the Senate floor. Mango notes that Wagner voted against a religious liberty amendment. A case pending before the U.S. Supreme Court could be instructive for states such as Pennsylvania that are trying to balance discrimination protections with religious liberty.

In Masterpiece Cakeshop v. Colorado Civil Rights Commission, a Colorado baker who refused to bake a cake for a gay couple's wedding argues that the state's anti-discrimination law violates his constitutional rights to religious freedom and free expression.

The Pennsylvania Human Relations Act provides for some religious exemptions that seem designed to protect male-only clergy in certain faiths, as well as convents, according to Douglas Laycock, an expert on laws of religious liberty and professor at the University of Virginia.

Looming over the whole debate is a split in federal case law and uncertainty over how the federal agency that enforces anti-discrimination law will operate under the Trump administration.

Under President Trump, the Justice Department and Education Department have reversed Obama-era policies that said federal civil rights laws prohibited discrimination on the basis of gender identity in the workplace and in schools that receive federal funding. However, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission's position remains unchanged from the Obama years.

Federal appeals courts are divided on whether civil rights laws protect gender and sexual orientation against discrimination in employment and education.

Increasingly, though, they have ruled in favor of LGBT workers. Courts have cited the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling in 1989 that discrimination in the workplace based on sex stereotyping and gender nonconformity was illegal under Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act.

The winner of the May GOP primary, which also includes lawyer Laura Ellsworth, will face Democratic Gov. Wolf in November.Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney, shown at his annual budget address recently, has proposed or enacted spending increases totalling 17 percent since taking office. Read more

When Mayor Kenney introduced his fiscal year 2019 budget, he asked for a $250 million increase in spending from this year's budget, for a total $4.7 billion.

"This spending plan is lean. We have combed through every part of government looking for new efficiencies," Kenney said during his budget address March 1.

The proposed increase represents 5 percent more than what the city expects to have spent by June 30, the end of the 2018 fiscal year. The jump from the year before was 8 percent  or $330 million. If his budget passes, the city's general fund spending will have increased by 17 percent, or $600 million, since Kenney took office in 2016.

By comparison, the state has increased spending by 3.3 percent over the same span.

City officials say much of the increase is due to fixed costs such as pensions, health care, and debt. On the "discretionary" expenses, the mayor says increasing funds for public safety, street paving, and the opioid crisis are needed to grow the city's tax base.

"The mayor is committed to being a responsible steward of taxpayer dollars," Kenney's spokesman Mike Dunn said. "At the same time, the mayor feels strongly that the increases in spending represent crucial investments without which the City cannot move forward."

Nationally, cities were seeing annual expenses grow at an average rate of 2 percent in 2017, according to a report by the National League of Cities.

"What we've heard is expenditures are rising and that's because cost of services are increasing," Christiana McFarland, research director at the league's Center for City Solutions, said in an interview Thursday. "Payroll, operating machinery, gas for their fleets  all the things that go into operating."

To be able to balance budgets with rising costs, McFarland said, cities are increasing fees and "trimming around the edges where they can."

In Philadelphia, there isn't much trimming.

Kenney wants to add more employees in the Police, Fire, and Streets Departments. The mayor's 2019 proposal would authorize up to 23,454 employees, with most departments seeing an increase in staff or staying level. (Records show 22,120 city employees as of December.) When Kenney took office, the city had 21,329 full-time workers.

The general fund pays for city operating departments, except for water and the airport.

Payroll in general has also increased by 10 percent  from $1.56 billion in fiscal year 2016 to proposed $1.72 billion for fiscal year 2019  in part because of recent contracts with AFSCME District Council 33 and the Fraternal Order of Police that granted annual pay raises for each year of their respective three- and four-year contracts.

As part of the city's five-year plan, officials want to reserve $200 million for new labor contracts, including the firefighters and District Council 47, both of which expired in June. But if previous contracts are any indication of cost, the $200 million will cover only a fraction of the increased costs.

The Kenney administration also added a new line item to the budget: a reserve of $53 million in case the federal government takes a red pen to what it gives Philadelphia.

While the 2019 proposed budget includes a $72 million increase in the city's contribution to the School District  for a total of $176 million  the budget does not include money proposed to be raised via a proposed 6 percent property-tax increase. The city wants to raise the levy on the school tax side to generate $475 million over five years for the district.

"I don't think Philadelphia will grow its way out of its problem," said Sam Katz, a three-time mayoral candidate and former chairman of the Pennsylvania Intergovernmental Cooperation Authority, a state-appointed board that monitors the city's finances. Of the city and School District budgets combined, he said: "We are approaching $8 billion in government spending.  Philadelphia's capacity to support that is under stress."

Among the metro areas where the Bureau of Labor Statistics tracks job growth, the Philadelphia Metro Division  which includes the city and neighboring Delaware County  in December had the highest unemployment rate, 5.8 percent, and the second-slowest long-term job-growth rate of metro areas in the country.

The bureau found 943,000 people working in Philadelphia and Delaware County at the end of 2017. That was up from fewer than the 850,000 it recorded in 2009, the worst year of the recession. But other big cities and metro areas have notched larger gains.

In fact, Philadelphia and Delaware County employers had almost as many workers back in 1990 as they do today, according to the bureau. Since then employment has grown more slowly in Philadelphia than in Detroit or Newark, N.J., and far more slowly than in San Francisco, Seattle, Dallas, and other growth centers.

Katz thinks the sluggish growth in the region is related to decisions made in City Hall.

"Our economy has remained fairly flat, relative to the region.  One of the reasons I think has been taxation," Katz said.

Katz said that if city officials want to invest in the schools, they should consider selling off assets such as Philadelphia Gas Works, the airport, and the parking authority to avoid an increase in taxes. The revenue from such a sale, he said, could infuse the pension fund with much-needed cash. The city's pension fund is now eating up 15 percent of the general fund and will continue to increase in the next few years.

"If you cut pension liability by $2 billion, you could put that in the schools" to the tune of $200 million annually from the general fund, Katz said.

Marc Stier, executive director of the Pennsylvania Budget and Policy Center, said cities all over the state were getting hit by cuts from state and federal programs.

"Local government is the ultimate bearer of bad decisions at the state and federal level," Stier said. "The reason the city budget has to grow is because the state budget has been shrinking."

City Council will ultimately decide on the size of the budget. In recent history, its members have voted to increase spending even more than the mayor proposed  to the tune of $60 million last year.

Councilman Allan Domb said he would like to see some efficiencies in government before increasing spending. The real estate mogul advocates for cutting what he says is overhead in the city's budget, as well as collecting delinquent taxes and other measures he thinks would save the city millions without increasing taxes.

"In the private world, the first thing you do when finding ways to make ends meet, you try to cut overhead, try to negotiate better contracts, try to reduce costs, and the last thing in the world is raise your costs," Domb said. "In government, first thing we do is increase costs."

Domb said he supports Kenney and wants to help fund the schools and would be open to a 1 or 2 percent property-tax increase but only after other measures have been taken. "Let's look inside before we go outside and charge our customers," he said.

The other concern some budget experts have is the amount of money Philadelphia has at the end of a fiscal year. For fiscal year 2019, that is expected to be $128 million, less than 3 percent of appropriations.

"While a rainy day fund could prove beneficial, the necessity to make the crucial investments outline above makes setting aside such funds more difficult," Dunn said.

The city's goal is to get to at least 6 percent of revenues into the reserve fund. Even that would be far below other cities.

"The recession is still very fresh for many cities. So, many of them are saving," McFarland, of the National League of Cities, said. "We are seeing ending balances grow to an average of 20 to 25 percent of expenditures."

Staff writer Joseph N. DiStefano contributed to this report.

The story has been updated to correct the amount that could be earned by selling or leasing city assets such as the gas works, airport and parking authority.NBC News Chuck Todd and Education Secretary Betsy DeVos criticized the president for his profane language during a rally in Pennsylvania over the weekend. Read more

On Saturday, President Trump delivered a fiery speech in western Pennsylvania as part of an eleventh hour bid to boost a Republican candidate in a competitive House race in the heart of Trump country.

As my colleague Jonathan Tamari pointed out, the stakes of the race between Republican Rick Saccone and Democrat Conor Lamb are relatively small: a nine-month unfinished term that won't change control of the House. But considering Trump won the district by 20 points during the 2016 election, the race could signal a coming political wave by Democrats during the 2018 midterms.

"If I'm a Republican out East and I see a Democrat win in this 18th District  a district that Trump won by close to 20 points  I might be rethinking my plans for the fall," said Mike Mikus, a Democratic political consultant from Western Pennsylvania

But during his speech at an airport hangar in Moon Township, Allegheny County, Trump veered widely from supporting Saccone, instead focusing on everything from why he wants Oprah Winfrey to enter the race to how he single-handedly saved the 2018 Winter Olympics.

"President Moon of South Korea said without Donald Trump, the Olympics would have been a total failure," Trump boasted. "That's true. True."

In one of the more profane moments of his speech, the president called out NBC News political director and Meet the Press moderator Chuck Todd by name as part of a larger attack against the media for its coverage of his presidency.

"It's 1999, I'm on Meet the Press, a show now headed by sleepy eyes Chuck Todd," Trump recalled, an insult he has levied against Todd multiple times. "He's a sleeping son of a b. I'll tell you."

On Sunday morning, Todd responded to Trump's comments by talking about how the president's use of vulgarity creates problems for parents who raise their kids to look up to the commander-in-chief.

"I bring my kids up to respect the office of the presidency and the president," Todd told NBC4 in Washington. "I don't allow them to say anything negative, ever, about the president."

Todd isn't the only person to object to Trump's use of objectionable language during his speech. Education Secretary Betsy Devos, appearing on the Today show Monday to discuss the president's plan to arm teachers in the classroom, admitted the president could set a better example by toning down his sometimes rhetoric.

"I would probably use different language myself," DeVos said. "I think we all have an opportunity and a responsibility to be examples to our kids That would include the president as well."

DeVos' criticism comes after other members of Trump's cabinet were reluctant to criticize the president over his harsh rhetoric. On Sunday's Meet the Press, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin defended the president's language, telling Todd there were "a lot of funny moments at that rally."

"Yes, they were hilarious," Todd dryly responded.

The special election takes place on Tuesday. Heading into the weekend, public polls showed Lamb with a narrow lead over Saccone.HARRISBURG  Investigators spent more than two hours Monday interviewing the legislator who says State Rep. Nick Miccarelli was physically and verbally abusive to her when they dated in 2012 and has tried to intimidate her in the years since.

State Rep. Tarah Toohil (R., Luzerne) declined to discuss details of her talk with officers from the Capitol Police and Dauphin County District Attorney's Office. It occurred as lawmakers reconvened at the Capitol and three days after a judge granted her a protection-from-abuse order against the Delaware County Republican.

In an interview in the Capitol, Toohil said publicly for the first time that she wanted Miccarelli to resign. She said her priority is safety.

"It was very difficult to acknowledge that there were things done to me," Toohil said. "If I can prevent acts of violence against other people, then I have a duty to speak up."

Toohil, 38, is one of two women who filed a confidential complaint with House lawyers last month accusing the 35-year-old lawmaker from Ridley Park of abusive conduct in past relationships. The second woman, who has not publicly disclosed her identity, says Miccarelli sexually assaulted her when she ended their relationship in 2014.

Their lawyer, Terry Mutchler, said Monday that both women "continue to work closely with all facets of law enforcement related to their assertions against Rep. Miccarelli."

Miccarelli, a five-term legislator, has vehemently denied the claims. Through an attorney, he has characterized his relationship with both women as consensual and questioned the timing of their accusations so close to his getting married. He did not come to the Capitol on Monday, but planned to work from a district office, according to a spokesman.

Mutchler said Toohil repeated for investigators the accusations she leveled in the complaint to House lawyers  that Miccarelli was controlling and physically abusive, and that he attempted to use potentially embarrassing personal information against her.

In her application last week for the protective order, Toohil also asserted that Miccarelli could be a danger to her, himself, and others. She said that the Iraq War veteran has an obsession with violence and firearms, and that he has "in recent actions" engaged in "stalking, staring, finding ways to physically intimidate" her.

The temporary protection order signed Friday by a Luzerne County judge did not address specifically whether Miccarelli was permitted to enter the Capitol complex; he and Toohil have offices in separate wings. Judge Michael Vough has scheduled a hearing Thursday to determine whether to extend it.

Miccarelli has contended the application for a court-sanctioned protection order is part of an ongoing campaign to smear his reputation.

Frank Keel, Miccarelli's spokesman, said Monday that the representative plans to attend the hearing, but has not decided if he will testify.

In a statement, Keel added: "The mere fact that Toohil filed for a Protection From Abuse order, based on a complaint constructed of nothing more than conjecture and innuendo with no basis in fact, reveals her abuse of the PFA process."

Keel has also said that Miccarelli has no intention of resigning, despite calls by Gov. Wolf, a Democrat, and House Republican leaders to do so.

In the interview Monday, Toohil said that for the last five years, she had been able to work in the same building as Miccarelli because she kept her experience quiet. Breaking the silence, she said, changed that dynamic.

"My silence has always bought me my safety," said Toohil. "That's the best way to say it. As long as I was silent, I felt that I would be safe."

Dauphin County District Attorney Fran Chardo launched an investigation into Toohil's and the second woman's allegations after the Inquirer and Daily News and the Caucus reported on the confidential complaint the two filed with House lawyers early last month. The other woman was interviewed by the District Attorney's Office on Wednesday.

In the complaint, Toohil claims she was hit, pinched, and kicked by Miccarelli when she dated him in 2012. She said she ended the relationship after Miccarelli allegedly brandished a gun and threatened to kill her, then himself, while driving over 100 mph, the complaint says.

House lawyers have also been investigating the allegations, and on Monday House GOP spokesman Steve Miskin said the inquiry was nearly complete. He could not say, however, whether any findings would be publicly released.Gov. Wolf giving his budget address at the state Capitol on Feb. 6. Read more

PITTSBURGH  Under a proposal put forth Monday by Gov. Wolf, public officials would be subject to a gift ban, new campaign finance limits would be enacted, lawmakers would need to provide receipts for reimbursements, and top state officials wouldn't be paid until a complete budget was passed every year.

Wolf, a Democrat, unveiled his proposed reforms at a news conference at the Allegheny County Courthouse, along with Allegheny County Executive Rich Fitzgerald.

No legislators were in attendance and the governor said that he anticipated the proposals would face opposition.

"This proposal will hold all public officials accountable to their constituents and make sure our citizens know exactly who's in charge in Harrisburg," he said.

His "Citizens First" six-point ethics plan also called for broader provisions to discourage "pay to play," such as requiring disclosure of campaign contributions made by parties seeking state contracts. The governor also suggested additional transparency for legislators who have outside income, requiring disclosure of sources, type of work, and amount of income received.

Currently, lawmakers must disclose sources of outside income above $1,300 annually, though they don't have to say how much they earn. They must also disclose certain expensive gifts, tickets, transportation and meals. The governor is proposing a gift ban.

A number of similar proposals have been floated before, particularly in the wake of scandals or budget impasses  such as not paying lawmakers while a budget remains unfinished  but haven't gained traction.

Wolf said this is the first time he's proposing the changes. He has already imposed a gift ban on the executive branch. Wolf, who is independently wealthy, donates his salary to charity.

Republican officials criticized Wolf's proposals as election-year rhetoric and said not allowing legislators to take a salary during a budget stalemate would increase pressure on the legislature to agree to the governor's proposals.

"Rather than treating a symptom, we would hope the governor would work to fix the problem and work with us to finish a budget on time," said Jennifer Kocher, spokeswoman for Senate Republicans.

Good-government groups, such as Common Cause Pennsylvania and Committee of Seventy, said they were supportive of the proposals.

"We are pleased to see any initiative to bring further transparency and accountability to the commonwealth, and encourage the governor and General Assembly to use this opportunity  even in an election year  to begin meaningful discussion of the reforms needed to reach a higher level of ethical standard in government," said a statement from the Committee of Seventy.Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko opposes the abolition of the third group of taxpayers using the simplified taxation system.

"The bill, which provides for the abolition of the third group of taxpayers working under the simplified taxation system ... I do not support it [bill No. 8089]," the president said during a meeting with businesses in Kyiv.

As reported, deputy bill No. 8089 proposes to abolish the third group of taxpayers using the simplified taxation system, as well as reduce the value added tax (VAT) rate from 20% to 16%.Ada Epting Derr was known in Lower Makefield Township as the relentless advocate for a new community center. It was vital, she believed, for the township's seniors to have a place to meet and enjoy their activities.

"She fought hard for that," said her daughter-in-law, Arlene Epting. As it turned out, Mrs. Derr with the help of others eventually did succeed, but she did not live to see the culmination of her long-held dream.

On March 10, as the Lower Makefield Community Center in Yardley was being dedicated with a ribbon-cutting ceremony, funeral services were underway in Richboro for Mrs. Derr, 89, who died Feb. 25 of complications from Parkinson's disease in Port Charlotte, Fla.

"It was ironic her funeral was held on the day we had the grand opening of the community center," said John LaBar, president of the Lower Makefield Seniors. Before she died, though, Mrs. Derr understood that the center was under construction, her family said.

As the former president of the seniors group, Mrs. Derr spoke at many board of supervisor meetings, always emphasizing the need for a center at which seniors could gather and share cultural, educational, and social activities. She never lost sight of that goal, her family said in an appreciation.

Before the building of the community center on Oxford Valley Road, the 380-member seniors group had to compete with others for meeting space at the township building for their bagels-and-doughnuts snack times, their card games, needlework sessions, and their low-impact exercise, line dancing, and art classes.

"She went to the meetings and talked about it. I made the first motion for the building," said former township supervisor Frank Fazzalore, who served on the board from 1993 to 2006. "It took 25 years. She was instrumental in making sure this was on anybody's mind. I worked the political end."

When $1 million in state money became available, he lobbied that it be used for the center, along with other funds. "It took a long time, but it was a success, and Ada had something to do with it," Fazzalore said.

LaBar said that now, with meeting space in the new center assured, the seniors can gather, do good works for public causes such as giving money to fund scholarships, and "have a little fun."

Born to Eleanor Ellentuch Harbers and William J. Harbers in New Haven, Conn., Mrs. Derr grew up in Bucks County, and graduated from Bristol High School. In 1950, she earned a bachelor's degree in education from Kutztown State Teachers College.

Starting in 1970, she taught fourth grade at Newtown Friends School in Newtown, Bucks County; St. Paul's Episcopal School, Timonium, Md.; and the Lanning Square School in Camden, N.J. She retired in 1992.

She enjoyed knitting, anything British, traveling by train, buying miniature furniture for dollhouses, and pets  she almost always had a Siamese cat.

She was known for being kind, with a keen sense of humor, her family said.

She married Kenneth Epting. After he died in 1968, she married John Trimbey Derr. He died in 2008.

She is survived by a son, Michael Epting; three grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren; a sister; and a niece and nephew.

Through her marriage to John Derr, she became the stepmother to Ellen Pacewicz, Nancy Biedermann, Rita Diamond, and a step-grandmother and step-great-grandmother to their offspring. All survive.

Interment was March 10 at Sunset Memorial Park in Feasterville.

Donations may be made to the Lower Makefield Seniors, c/o John LaBar, Lower Makefield Community Center, 1550 Oxford Valley Rd., Yardley, Pa. 19067. "In memory of Ada Epting Derr" should appear on the memo line of the donation check.Jason Blake, left and Cathy Spehar, Zippo Manufacturing Co. employees, trim brass lighter cases at the companys plant in Bradford, Pa. Zippo is the top employer in rural McKean County. Read more

Two in three Pennsylvania voters want to reduce legal immigration levels from one million people a year to 500,000. Those numbers should cause some concern for Sen. Bob Casey and his 2018 reelection prospects.

The constituencies that have traditionally backed Casey strongly support such reductions. Union households favor the lower limits by a 2-1 ratio. Catholic voters, who have traditionally praised the Democrat for his pro-life stances, support the cuts by a 3-1 ratio. Casey has historically opposed such immigration reductions. If Casey opposes a popular new bill in Congress, the Securing America's Future Act, which would implement these cuts, it could cost him his seat this fall.

Strong majorities of Pennsylvanians support the reductions for a simple reason: High levels of immigration have increased competition for jobs, thereby depressing wages and forcing many blue-collar Pennsylvanians out of the labor force.

Right now, less than 7 percent of green cards, which grant permanent residency and lifetime work privileges, are given to immigrants with special job skills. Instead, most are given to previous immigrants' siblings, parents, and adult children. Those family members can eventually bring over additional relatives. This "chain" of immigration does not depend on the skills these newcomers bring to the American economy.

The "diversity visa lottery" also ignores immigrants' skill sets. The program selects more than 50,000 people at random from countries with low immigration rates to the United States and awards them green cards.

These policies severely harm Pennsylvania's blue-collar workers. In 1990, only 3 percent of Pennsylvania residents were foreign-born. Today, that share has more than doubled.

Many of these immigrants are low-skilled. In fact, 23 percent of foreign-born Pennsylvanians ages 25 and up lack a high-school degree. Just 10 percent of native-born Pennsylvanians lack a diploma. Competition from immigrants drives down wages for hard-working Pennsylvanians. Harvard University economist George J. Borjas found that increasing the number of workers with a given skill set by 10 percent decreases wages of that group by about 3 percent.

Pennsylvanians can't afford such pay cuts. Our state ranks 46th for wage growth. Between July 2016 and July 2017, average hourly earnings grew a measly 1.5 percent. In Delaware, they grew 11.7 percent.

Many Pennsylvanians are struggling to find any work at all. Conditions have improved since the Great Recession, with the unemployment rate dipping below 5 percent in 2017. But that rate doesn't include those who have given up looking for work. Barely half of Pennsylvanians without high-school degrees participate in the labor force. It also doesn't include those who can only find part-time jobs.

Pennsylvania doesn't have enough jobs for all the less-skilled workers who already live here. Importing more low-skilled workers would only drive struggling American laborers deeper into poverty.

The Securing America's Future Act would put a stop to these counterproductive practices. By ending chain migration, which accounts for roughly 70 percent of all new immigrants, the bill would drastically reduce the endless supply of unskilled labor that is currently harming Pennsylvania laborers. And to curb illegal immigration, the bill would make worker verification mandatory for all employers. Mandatory worker verification would prevent employers from bolstering their bottom lines by hiring illegal immigrants over hard-working Americans.

These policy changes would reduce low-skilled immigration and open up more jobs for blue-collar Pennsylvanians. Sen. Casey would be wise to support this bill. It's good politics  and more important, good policy.

Frank J. Connor is chair of the Villanova University College Republicans and a staff writer for Western Free Press.Pennsylvania State Senator Anthony Williams co-sponsored SB 22 which would amend the state constitution to create an independent citizens commission in charge of both legislative and congressional redistricting in Pennsylvania. Read more

The Pennsylvania Supreme Court got it right when it ruled the state's congressional district map unconstitutional; its new map limits the negative impacts of politically gerrymandering. While the new map is a step in the right direction, it is not enough to ensure fair districts in the long term. We must remove politics from the map-drawing to ensure that voters choose their representatives and not the other way around.

In order to ensure Pennsylvania has fair districts, I've co-sponsored Senate Bill 22, which would amend the state constitution to create an independent citizens commission in charge of both legislative and congressional redistricting. The bill ensures that a commission comprised of nonpoliticians will work in an open and transparent manner to draw the new maps. The bill also allows the leadership of both parties to strike a certain number of candidates from the pool, ensuring the independence of the commission. In addition, the bill prevents the use of voters' political affiliations and past election results in the development of the new maps.

I urge my Senate Republican and Democratic colleagues to join me as co-sponsors of S.B. 22, and I call on State Government Committee Chair Sen. Mike Folmer to allow a hearing on the bill.

The roots of the deep political divisions in our state and nation lie in part to the rise of extreme partisan gerrymandering. When the political party in power  whether it is the Democrats or the Republicans  determines the district maps, it often draws them to its advantage. This results in more extremely partisan districts, which make constructive compromise harder to achieve.

Safe districts drawn for either party increase political polarization. Legislators worry too much about primary challengers, forcing them to focus on their political base, which leaves many voters disenfranchised. Safe districts also pull legislators further from constructive compromise and problem-solving. States that have implemented independent redistricting commissions, such as Arizona and California, have seen legislators reach across the aisle and find workable solutions that benefit all residents  not just those of the party in power.

My constituents, as well as residents from all over Pennsylvania, are demanding legislative and congressional district reform. Drawing district maps should not be used to cement the power of one party and disenfranchise voters of the other. Our policies, our economy, and our people all lose from gerrymandering. S.B. 22 provides an alternative approach to politics as usual. For more information, please visit the website of Fair Districts PA, the nonpartisan citizen-led group that is spearheading the grassroots advocacy effort for this essential reform.

Anthony Williams is a Democratic member of the Pennsylvania Senate, representing the Eighth District since 1998.A new Mayo Clinic study showed that up to 97 percent of patients are comfortable being asked questions about their gender identity and sexual orientation in a hospital setting.

So, in May, the Rochester campus of Mayo Clinic will begin asking patients to disclose gender identity and sexual orientation as Mayo switches to a new electronic health record and billing system. The Arizona and Florida campuses will follow suit in October.

Previous research, which had been conducted with providers more than with patients, showed that doctors and physicians were uncomfortable asking patients to share their gender identities and sexual orientations. In a 2017 study, 4 in 5 medical professionals thought patients would be offended if they asked about sexual orientation in an emergency department setting.

"They (doctors) thought we would be marking people, not personalizing healthcare," said Joan Griffin, a health services researcher at Mayo.

Thats not to say that all hospitals have operated on a "dont ask, dont tell" system. Gender identity and sexual orientation could and can come up naturally in clinical conversations.

However, doctors feared wading into the "murky waters" of questioning patients without proper terminology, Griffin said, or stigmatizing an already stigmatized portion of the population.

Encouraging signs

However, the more recent study, now published in Health Services Research,demonstrates that patients are far less concerned  and often encouraging  of the questions.

As only 0.8 percent of the patients who participated in the study identified as non-straight, its hard to tell whether the LGBTQ+ population is as near-universally willing to self-disclose, according to the published study.

In the study, participants were split into two groups that answered a control form, without gender or sexuality questions, or one with those questions. Two of the 236 respondents in the second group identified as homosexual. The rest were heterosexual.

In 2016, a Gallup pollindicated that about 4.1 percent of the adult U.S. population identify as LGBT. That number is far above the share of non-straight participants in the study.

Almost all of the respondents were straight and white. Most were female. None of the participants self-identified as transgender.

But the results of the study have reduced fears of offending straight, cisgender patients. (Cisgender refers to people whose feelings of gender identity correspond to their birth gender.)

Helpful information

Gender identity and sexual orientation are two pieces of patient information that can help physicians provide better care, Griffin said.

LGBTQ+ people have much higher rates of addiction, tobacco-related issues, mental health disorders and suicide compared to straight, cisgender people. Identifying patients who might be at risk for those known issues can help doctors treat or prevent them, just as knowing somebodys race helps doctors treat or prevent conditions that predominate in certain racial groups.

"We dont have problems anymore when we ask about race," Griffin said. "Weve normalized it."

Mayo Clinics womens health clinic already asked patients about gender and sexuality, she added.

"Theres a lot of potential to help with preventative care services," Griffin said. For example, lesbians are less likely to get regular pap smears and mammograms, she said. Providers who know that can recommend regular checks to LGBTQ+ women in their care, just as they would stress the importance of cardiovascular care to African-American patients.

However, its hard to tell how many of these health care disparities exist, as data on the LGBTQ+ population in health care is so sparse, Griffin said.

"We can begin to look at these with large groups," she said. "Not just individual people."

Personalized care

Knowing a patients sexual orientation could have a tangible effect on physical health care. Knowing a patients gender identity and preferred pronouns is also a patient care issue.

"When people come in, we want to be sure that were using the right pronoun for how they identify," Griffin said.

The patients in the Mayo Clinic study came from a womens health clinic, serving patients aged 18 years and older, a continuity care clinic predominantly serving patients aged 65 years and older, or a primary care clinic that serves a "rural community of less than 10,000 people."

The findings may not generalize to all other areas in the U.S., according to Mayo Clinics press release, or across cultural groups.

Minnesota protects its residentsagainst private health insurance discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity. Only 14 states do so, and not all of them protect against discrimination based on both.

Medicaid in Minnesota also explicitly covers health care related to gender transition, according to the Movement Advancement Project.

Minnesota is not among the nine stateswith laws that explicitly ban conversion therapyfor minors.

The researchers suggested that patients may benefit from a reminder of their health care providers nondiscrimination and confidentiality practices, and/or an explanation of why the information is being collected.

"There hasnt been a lot of work in this area, so I think its exciting," Griffin said.Poroshenko proposes tax on removed capital introduced for SME at first stage as compromise

Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko has proposed to introduce a tax on withdrawn capital for small and medium-sized enterprises (SME) as a compromise option.

"I am ready for any compromises ... At the first stages this may concern small and medium-sized businesses," he said at a meeting with businesses in Kyiv.

At the same time, the president noted he does not intend to submit to parliament a bill on the tax on withdrawn capital, which supposes the replacement of profit tax, and put this legislative initiative for repeated discussion.

Poroshenko instructed the Ministry of Finance to provide new calculations of the financial result and argumentation for imposing a tax on withdrawn capital, since the existing calculations are incorrect.

"The estimation that only dividends will be attracted to the national budget ... is incorrect," the president said.In his Wall Street Journal column last month, Jeryl Bier reported that Ellison and Farrakhan had a reunion of sorts in September 2013 with a follow-up meeting in Farrakhans hotel room when Farrakhan visited Washington in 2015. Ellisons relationship with Farrakhan goes way back, but it turns out that Farrakhan has several fans in the Democrats Congressional Black Caucus as well.

This long suppressed 2005 photograph of Farrakhan & Friends was only recently disclosed. Mr. Bier tells me that it was the publication of this photograph by Talking Points Memo on January 25 in The photo that never saw the light of day that piqued his interest. He wondered who else in Congress may have had an untold relationship with the leader of Americas foremost hate cult.

Bier himself identified Rep. Andre Carson as one such member of Congress. According to Bier, Carson accompanied Ellison on the 2015 visit to Farrakhans Washington hotel room. Other members of the CBC who have now been identified as having friendly relations with Farrakhan include Danny Davis, Maxine Waters, Barbara Lee, Gregory Meeks, and mean Al Green (not the sweet singing Reverend Al Green).

The Republican Jewish Coalition has demanded their resignation of the Farrakhan 7. I am a member of the RJC and I too enjoy tilting at windmills. Ive been tilting at Ellison now for nearly 12 years.

WIBC radio host Tony Katz has taken up the case of Andre Carson for multiple instances of bad judgement, and his willingness to work with a bigot like Farrakhan. Carson, he notes, claims to oppose all the phobias while working with Farrakhan.

Carsons routine is more forthright than Ellisons, but Carson also borrows from the Ellison playbook. This past Friday Carson appeared on the local Indianapolis Fox affiliate and was asked directly by Angela Ganote about his meeting with Farrakhan (video below). Carson attacked the RJC and admitted that he and the Congressional Black Caucus have met with Farrakhan to work on anti-crime and discrimination efforts.

Carson dragged Benjamin Netanyahu and Israel into the discussion: That organization doesnt have any credibility with me. I know they have a political agenda. The Congressional Black Caucus is asking that organization to condemn Benjamin Netanyahu and the [Israeli] government for discriminating against Africans who are migrating, who are fleeing dictatorships, who are fleeing oppression. Theres a great deal of bigotry and racism happening right now they fail to condemn. Like Ellison, Carson finds the best defense is a rancid offense.

Biers work has opened something of a Pandoras box. We have a problem here. While Ellison works the Ellison shuffle, every Democrat in Congress should be asked about Farrakhan and the CBC. That includes Minnesotas own Amy Klobuchar, Tina Smith, Tim Walz, Betty McCollum, Colin Peterson and Rick Nolan.Im a day late with this, so you likely have already seen it: Jill Abramson, former Executive Editor of the New York Times, told the Guardian that she keeps a Barack Obama doll in her purse and calls on it for comfort in the distressing Age of Trump:

Its easy to look at whats happening in Washington DC and despair. Thats why I carry a little plastic Obama doll in my purse. I pull him out every now and then to remind myself that the United States had a progressive, African American president until very recently. Some people find this strange, but you have to take comfort where you can find it in Donald Trumps America.

OK, thats pretty funny. But the rest of Abramsons column strikes me as more significant. Why? Because she makes no pretense of being anything other than a Democratic Party operative. Writing for the Guardians far-left audience, she is among friends. Any pretense of objectivity is gone.

Abramsons main subject is the Democratic Partys hope for a win in the midterm elections. She focuses on Texas, which I wrote about here:

With new Democratic voters racing to the polls in big numbers in Tuesdays primaries, Texas is looking purple rather than Republican red.  Though their optimism may be premature, national Democrats think Ted Cruz can be defeated in November by a well-funded liberal House member from El Paso with the name of Beto ORourke, who just won his states Democratic Senate nomination.

Abramson exults over the Texas primary, but somehow omits to mention that Cruz drew a half million more votes than ORourke, even though he faced no perceptible opposition. Still, Abramson is triumphant:

Republican gloom in Washington DC is palpable, with White House chaos, Donald Trumps sinking approval ratings and incumbent retirements piling up.



Though winning control of the House of Representatives in 2018 is their focus, my Democratic sources say that there are already 20 credible presidential challengers giving serious thought to opposing Donald Trump in 2020. The list, unsurprisingly, includes a raft of Democratic senators, and, perhaps surprisingly, at least three strong women, New Yorks Kirsten Gillibrand, Minnesotas Amy Klobuchar and Massachusettss Elizabeth Warren.

The Democratic Party cheerleading goes on and on. This is the pieces conclusion, but for the part about the Obama doll:

Of course, there are months to go until November and Beto [ORourke] has to be considered an underdog. Still, its thrilling to see signs of a Trump rebellion building in the Solid South, the Republican base where religion, racism and love of guns have advantaged Republicans since Richard Nixons election in 1968.

Heres my point: Abramson hates Republicans (racism!) and is an unapologetic Obama (and ORourke, and Warren, and Gillebrand, etc.) fangirl. But that didnt begin recently. Abramson was Executive Editor of the Times from 2011 to 2014, after spending pretty much her whole career there. (Nothing if not loyal, she even has a tattoo of the Times logo.) She is out of the closet now, especially, perhaps, when writing for the Guardian. But is there any reason to think that she ran the Timess newsroom as anything but a Democratic Party operative? No. In fact, those who read the Times during her years at the helm can attest that the paper shared her enthusiasms as well as her hatreds.

Still: I am not easily shocked, but I do think that Abramsons out-of-the-closet turn as a doll-carrying Obama Democrat is disturbing.Ive written a series of posts about how the Department of Labor under Alex Acosta has barely lifted a finger to overturn the radical policies and practices of the Obama DOL. Acosta has left former president Obamas Administrative Review Board, the DOLs appellate court, in place. He has refused to disturb the pro-illegal immigrant polices of Obama and former DOL Secretary Tom Perez.

Acosta changed the Obama administrations interpretation of independent contractors under the FLSA with respect to home health registries. However, to the consternation of Sen. Marco Rubio, he permits career employees to continuing using the Obama administrations interpretation.

No wonder those who deal with the Acosta Department of Labor refer to 2017 as Year Nine of the Obama DOL.

Today, I want to discuss what may well be the most egregious respect in which the Obama DOL persists. It involves the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP).

The OFCCP monitors federal contractors to ensure that employers doing business with the federal government comply with laws and regulations that prohibit discrimination. Whether the OFCCP finds federal contractors in compliance with anti-discrimination laws depends, of course, on how it views discrimination.

In our system, Congress, not the federal bureaucracy, is charged with determining what constitutes unlawful discrimination. In practice, we rely on courts, not federal bureaucrats, to flesh this out.

However, because of the OFCCPs power over federal contractors, federal bureaucrats can apply their own views of anti-discrimination law to a vast swath of the nations employers, imposing penalties (and potentially even the loss of the right to do business with the feds) on those deemed out of compliance.

Contractors can litigate against the OFCCP, but they do so, in the first instance, before the DOL. Their right to appeal lies, in the first instance, with the Administrative Review Board where the decision will be made by the committed leftist Alex Acosta has kept in place.

There is a right, eventually, to litigate in federal court. But considering the cost of that much litigation, and its uncertainty, many contractors take the path of least resistance and bow to the OFCCP. Those that dont pay a big price even if they ultimately prevail.

Fortunately, the OFCCPs interpretation of the law has not, traditionally, been wildly out of step with mainstream notions. Unfortunately, but not surprisingly, that changed quickly and dramatically during the Obama administration. Surprisingly, it has not changed back in the Trump administration.

The clearest manifestation of this problem is in the area of compensation. Again, this is not surprising given the lefts obsessions with the ( mostly mythical) pay gap  the debunked claim that women receive 77 cents for every dollar a man earns, and all that.

The Obama administration decided that OFCCP would be the vehicle through to address the pay gap. From its perspective, this was a smart decision. Using the OFCCP would eliminate the need for complaints by actual females (too benighted or oppressed to know they are being discriminated against) and remove federal courts from the equation, at least in the first instance. With federal courts sidelined, Team Obama could push radical theories of compensation discrimination with the reasonable hope of making them stick.

Obamas new Secretary of Labor, Hilda Solis a congresswoman from California, appointed Patricia Shiu to head the OFCCP. Shiu was an plaintiffs employment lawyer from the San Francisco Bay area. She staffed up for her crusade by placing two plaintiffs class action lawyers in key positions (and giving them civil service jobs).

After informing the contractor community that theres a new sheriff in town, Shiu and her posse immediately set out to find pay discrimination as defined by their radical conception of it. Their weapon was statistics.

Statistical evidence can be a helpful tool in spotting possible discrimination, but only if statistics are not misused. Shius OFCCP willfully misused them in ways Ill describe in a moment.

Before doing so, I want to emphasize that, with Shiu gone and Acosta in charge of the the DOL, OFCCP continues its indefensible use of statistics to find pay discrimination where it doesnt exist. Just before exiting at the end of the Obama administration, Shiu brought a series of actions predicated on the radical misuse of statistics. Normally a new administration run by a different political party will hit the pause button on its predecessors action, especially on its midnight moves. For example, the National Labor Relations Board did this after Trump took office.

But there has been no pause at Alex Acostas DOL. The OFFCP is still running with Shius midnight actions and the key people Shiu brought in, and gave civil service jobs to, are still running the show.

Back to statistics. The main abusive practice of the Solis-Perez (and now the Acosta) Labor Department is the aggregation of dissimilar jobs for comparison of pay via statistics.

When comparing male and female pay rates, its vital to compare the pay of people who are performing the same kinds of work. For example, in the tech industry, a prime target of the Solis-Perez-Acosta DOL, it makes sense to see whether male and female engineers performing highly complex work (e.g., on the cloud or on artificial intelligence) are paid about the same. If they arent, the contractor should have to explain why.

But it makes no sense to lump all people holding the title engineer together. One would expect engineers performing sophisticated work to be paid significantly more than those performing relatively unsophisticated work, such as tweaking Outlook. Thus, no inference of pay discrimination arises from pay differences within such a broad classification.

Moreover, it is preposterous to aggregate all exempt employees and compare their pay. Of course, the CEO of a tech company will be paid more than engineers, and engineers will be paid more than, say, human resource specialists. Inferring discrimination, or even the hint of it, from gender pay disparities within a group this broad is absurd.

The Solis-Perez-Acosta DOL has aggressively aggregated people holding the same job title in its statistical analyses of pay. OFCCPs case against Oracle, one of those midnight actions, provides a good example. The Chamber of Commerce, in a Fall 2017 report on OFCCP states:

OFCCP bases its allegations of discrimination solely on statistical analyses and offers no other evidence of discrimination. In doing so, OFCCP relies on Oracle job titles to attempt to demonstrate that certain female, African-American, and Hispanic employees were comparable to males and Whites employed in similar roles. But job titles cannot serve as proxies for establishing that certain employees are proper comparators under federal antidiscrimination law. To OFCCP, it appears to be all about the numbers that it can spin from aggregated employer-provided data. Individual employee differences relating to productivity, required skills, and experience are ignored. This issue remains pending as of this writing.

It also remains as of this writing, months later and more than a year into the Trump administration.

Under the Trump administration, the OFCCP is taking its abusive aggregation practice one step further. Im told that it wants to use an approach that would aggregate employees based on the qualifications, skills, and experience  the human capital factors  they possessed when they first applied for work with the contractor. Everything else that might explain pay differences  e.g., what jobs the employees pursued; what additional skills, qualifications, and experience they went on to obtain; whether at some point they chose to work part time  is deemed irrelevant for purposes of finding pay discrimination.

The notion is that once two comparable individuals apply for work at a company, everything should be the same thereafter. If it isnt, the theory seems to imply, the company is to blame.

The OFCCP also wants to discount the market. A federal contractor needs to pay the market rate to engineers working on artificial intelligence; otherwise they will work elsewhere. The going rate will be significantly higher than for an engineer performing mundane work or for an HR coordinator. To the OFCCP, such market variables, and the gender pay differences they produce, are evidence of societal discrimination. Thus, increasingly, it looks askance at reliance on market data to explain gender pay disparities.

As my first boss at the EEOC, a pioneer female government lawyer, told me, theres a name for these of approaches to compensation issues: socialism.

The passage from the Chamber of Commerce I quoted earlier regarding Oracle points to another problem with the OFCCPs approach to statistics  OFCCP now finds discrimination based solely on statistics. As the Chamber stated:

The Palantir and Oracle matterslike the Google matter are a few examples of the many cases in which OFCCP is pursuing claims of discrimination based on statistical evidence alone. Indeed, the Agencys practice has become so common it has not gone unnoticed by Congress. House Report 114-99 accompanying the appropriations bill for the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services and Education, issued in July 2016, expressed deep concern over OFCCPs overreliance on statistical evidence of discrimination.

This concern is as great as ever under the Acosta DOL.

In cases of extreme statistical disparities courts will infer discrimination from numbers alone. Normally, though, anecdotal evidence is needed to buttress a statistical case.

But the OFCCP will find discrimination based on a showing that a contractors numbers are two standard deviations from the expected one  a showing that, assuming the comparisons are apt (and we have seen that they typically are not), means only that theres a five percent or less probability that the disparities are the result of chance. The OFCCP does not require anecdotal evidence. Its investigators have acknowledged, informally, that such evidence often cannot be found.

OFCCPs view of the use of statistics to prove discrimination is out-of-line with most of the case law. Tellingly, the Agency has refused even to participate in an EEOC-led task force that is considering this subject.

The other big problem with the OFCCPs use of statistics is lack of transparency. Not only does the OFCCP refuse to show its statistical findings to contractors it accuses of discriminating, it often refuses even to disclose its methodology.

As the Chamber of Commerce report explained, in compensation cases the OFCCP for decades. . .identified the incumbents or job titles at issue and provided the contractor with an opportunity to explain differing pay among employees OFCCP viewed as similarly situated. But now:

OFCCPas a matter of course and enforcement posture issues a NOV [notice of violation] out of the blue and demands a response by the contractor within a few weeks. The NOV often lacks details as to the statistical methodologies used and the assumptions made by the Agency. Contractor requests to discuss the NOV in detail are often denied, with the Agency insisting upon a written response before any explanatory meeting is held. When OFCCP finally agrees to meet regarding the NOV, the information shared remains scant.

All some contractors get from OFCCP is an assertion of pay inequalities and a demand for millions and millions of dollars to redress them. When contractors try to conciliate with the OFCCP, they often are told to just pay up. This unwillingness to engage continued throughout 2017, the ninth year of the Obama DOL, and it continues still.

There are other serious problems with the Acosta OFCCP. They include absurdly sweeping demands for data and unlawful collaboration between OFCCP officials and plaintiffs lawyers.

The Google case is a perfect example of OFCCPs ridiculous data demands. The Chamber of Commerce report describes this matter beginning at page 26.

OFCCP made its oppressive demands of Google just a few weeks before Trump took office. The DOL continued to pursue them during the Trump administration.

An administrative law judge rejected the governments position and criticized the OFCCP for taking it. But the Acosta DOL has appealed the decision.

The appeal will be decided by the Administrative Review Board which consists exclusively of leftist appointees whom Acosta has refused to replace, despite having full power to do so.

Such is the state of play as we move through the early months of Year Ten of the Obama Department of Labor. There is no new sheriff in town  at least not one who is yet willing to rein in the old left-wing hangin posse at the OFCCP.Omri Cerens tweet below is at the same time a valuable piece of media criticism and history. The letter to Khameni cited by Omri is described well in the Wall Street Journal story by Jay Solomon and Carol Lee. We are living in strange, strange times, and the press is a virtually insuperable obstacle to understanding them. Omris tweet is a valuable reminder on that score as well.

In 2013 Trump sent a #letter to Putin about a beauty pageant. WaPo broke the story this week. 3 reporters on the byline.

Unrelatedly, in 2013 Obama sent a #letter to Khamenei offering up Syria. WaPo opinion writers had to link to AP & WSJ to comment. Not on WaPo news page. pic.twitter.com/7g3d0rnttW

 Omri Ceren (@omriceren) March 12, 2018The OSCE Special Monitoring Mission (SMM) in Ukraine has not confirmed information about opening an observation mission in Zakarpattia, but has reported increased monitoring in Uzhgorod, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty has reported.

"In response to the recent events in the city of Uzhgorod and its environs, the OSCE SMM increased monitoring in this area," Radio Liberty said on its website on Sunday evening, referring to the press service of the OSCE SMM.

The OSCE SMM notes that they will continue monitoring the situation in Uzhgorod "through continuous patrols" from Ivano-Frankivsk.

On the eve the media reported that on March 10, Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto said that the OSCE had informed him about the opening of an observation mission in Zakarpattia.EU working to make every step as effective as possible, aimed at 'Minsk' implementation - Mogherini on peacekeepers in Donbas

High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and European Commission Vice President Federica Mogherini notes that in the matter of a possible peacekeeping mission in Donbas, the EU is working to ensure that each step is as effective as possible and aimed at implementing the Minsk agreements.

As for the peacekeeping mission, of course, we are working with the UN through the EU member states and with our international partners to ensure that every step is as effective as possible and aimed at the full implementation of the Minsk agreements. Our main goal is to restore peace and especially the territorial integrity of Ukraine, she said at a joint briefing with Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko in Kyiv on Monday.

Mogherini pointed to the unchanged position of the EU on supporting the territorial integrity, independence and sovereignty of Ukraine and on efforts aimed at the implementation of the Minsk agreements. We stressed the clear responsibility of Russia for this situation, she said.

In turn, President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko noted that it is time to clearly support the idea of deploying a UN peacekeeping mission in Donbas, which will operate throughout the occupied territory, including the uncontrolled part of the Russian-Ukrainian state border.2020 was a year marked by hardships and challenges, but the Prince William community has proven resilient. The Prince William Times is honored to serve as your community companion. To say thank you for your continued support, wed like to offer all our subscribers -- new or returning --

4 WEEKS FREE DIGITAL AND PRINT ACCESS.

We understand the importance of working to keep our community strong and connected. As we move forward together into 2021, it will take commitment, communication, creativity, and a strong connection with those who are most affected by the stories we cover.

We are dedicated to providing the reliable, local journalism you have come to expect. We are committed to serving you with renewed energy and growing resources. Let the Prince William Times be your community companion throughout 2021, and for many years to come.BENGALURU, March 12, 2018 /PRNewswire/ --

The newly launched Mahila Empowerment Party (MEP) has made all the right moves by announcing 50% reservations to women candidates in the upcoming elections across India.

The announcement was made by Dr. Nowhera Shaik, Founder and President of All India Mahila Empowerment Party, at a rally held at the Palace grounds, Bengaluru on 10th March, 2018. The move has been welcomed and applauded by one and all.

MEP will be fielding its candidates in all 224 constituencies, starting with Karantaka Legislative Assembly elections which will be held in April this year.

MEP is a secular party that believes in Justice with Humanity and aims to fight for women empowerment, democracy and equality of all citizens irrespective of gender, caste, creed, region, religion and social status.

MEP aims to fight against illiteracy, child labour, child abuse, and crimes against women for a better society.

Addressing the huge crowd at the rally, Dr Shaik said, "For 70 years, political parties across India have nothing but empty promises. Women are taken for a ride for their welfare and rights. Its high time women should take up the challenge. MEP has been founded with this agenda and has already taken a concrete step in this direction. Women have stood up against all odds and are confident that we will win. MEP is a party with a difference."

Dr. Nowhera Shaik, CEO of Heera Group, a conglomerate of companies headquartered at Hyderabad and businesses spread in India and Gulf, has forayed into politics after a successful stint in social welfare and business. MEP has been floated as she has felt a huge gap when it comes to delivering schemes and promises to the common citizens of India, especially women.

For more details, visit http://allindiamep.org/.

Media Contact:

Abhishek Saran

[email protected]

+91-9535046900

CEO, The PRview



SOURCE Mahila Empowerment Party (MEP)The European Union has no fatigue in the matter of supporting Ukraine, High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and European Commission Vice President Federica Mogherini has said.

I do not see any fatigue in the EU with regard to Ukraine, which is also confirmed by the fact that the EU unanimously supported sanctions [the extension of sanctions against the Russian Federation], and a decision was made on financial assistance to Ukraine, she said at a joint briefing with Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko in Kyiv on Monday.

At the same time, the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Affairs stressed that EU support is directly related to the results of the implementation of reforms in Ukraine.

We are working with Ukraine to provide our assistance to implement political will, meet the expectations of the citizens of Ukraine. There is no fatigue, because we see aspiration and desire of Ukraine ... as an investment in our development of our joint European continent, Mogherini said.

She also drew attention to the fact that the EU has no fatigue in relation to supporting the full implementation of the Minsk agreements. Of course, there is a certain frustration for all of us regarding the lack of progress, she added.Advanced image analytics, machine learning, and emotion analytics technologies create growth opportunities through new value streams

CAPE TOWN, South Africa, March 12, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Advancements in analytics technologies and convergence of technologies have led to transformational breakthroughs in the business landscape, enabling companies to gain a competitive advantage and create new ways of generating revenues. The availability of ever-increasing amounts of structured and unstructured data, along with higher, cheaper and faster computing power, has been essential for the development of advanced analytics. The Internet of Things (IoT) has also boosted the development of the streaming analytics market through sensor-driven, real-time insights into consumer behavior.

Frost & Sullivan's recent analysis, Advanced Analytics: Disruptive Opportunities, reveals the different types of analytics technologies, the potential applications and industries impacted, use cases, future technology convergence scenarios, the patent scenario, emerging business models, and new revenue streams.

For further information on this analysis, please visit: http://frost.ly/2ar

"It's clear that artificial intelligence, in particular, is disrupting the analytics space, creating new opportunities in healthcare, agriculture, retail, advertising, media, automotive, insurance, banking, finance, customer service, surveillance, gaming, education, and smart homes," said Kiran Kumar, TechVision Program Manager at Frost & Sullivan.

Highlights from the independent analysis include:

Advanced analytics is impacting several key industries. For example, analytics will be hugely disruptive to the healthcare space, greatly accelerating the drug discovery process.

Image analytics will automate and improve the accuracy of diagnosis by reducing error rates.

The automotive segment will depend on advancements in analytics for its evolution and adoption. Machine learning will push the self-driving industry, and emotion analytics will eventually be adapted to determine driver behavior.

The advertising and media space will also increasingly use advanced analytics technologies to measure consumer sentiment and perceptions, and adapt product mix and marketing strategy. Sentiment analytics and social media analytics will increasingly be adopted by advertisers to determine ROI.

Analytics companies have typically based their decisions on standardized data available in the marketplace. However, this data does not always provide a complete picture to make the best predictive decisions. Therefore, businesses are now leveraging data from across application areas to create much better predictive models. For example, auto insurance companies can use "orthogonal data" from vehicle telematics systems to make better predictive models to calculate premiums.

"Advanced analytics has the potential to transform productivity and the competitive ability of businesses, decision-making, and assist in redesigning business processes and models," added Kumar.

Advanced Analytics: Disruptive Opportunities is part of Frost & Sullivan's global TechVision 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

Advanced Analytics: Disruptive Opportunities

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SOURCE Frost & SullivanThe module supplied for the Project is CECEP Full Power Series 325W common module featuring high efficiency and quality and its particularly excellent pressure bearing performance and responsiveness to weak sunlight make it the first choice in terms of modules required by a ground-mounted centralized power plant.

[CECEP Full Power Series Common Polycrystal Modules]

The high quality of such modules manufactured by CECEP Solar comes from strict quality assurance in each and every process. Qualification and production capacity of CECEP Solar firstly passed the strict screening by ECP. Then, these modules were manufactured under rigid supervision of a professional third party and passed the professional inspection by the developer before shipment. Finally, such modules successfully went through the final inspection of the customer and were shipped to Chennai, India.

More importantly, the high quality of CECEP Solar's product is reflected onto customer-centered services. Specifically, the modules for the Project are divided based on 0.1 Imp when they are packaged, so as to make sure that they are shipped with identical power and current and then maximize generation benefits of the power plant.

CECEP Solar

CECEP Solar Energy Technology (Zhenjiang) Co., Ltd. was set up in August 2010. It is a subsidiary controlled by CECEP Solar Energy Co.,Ltd., a large central enterprise, and mainly serves to research, manufacture and sell crystalline silicon solar cells and modules. CECEP Solar has devoted himself to R&D of PV technologies, manufacturing and selling of PV products as well as design and implementation of PV systems.

In adherence to "Customer-centered & Value-oriented" corporate value, CECEP Solar has made unremitting efforts in exploration & innovation and doing practical works. By virtue of tireless technical innovation and expanded scale of production, CECEP Solar has continuously enhanced the quality of solar cells and modules but reduced manufacturing cost, making solar energy, a green and inexhaustible energy, available to huge numbers of families and thus creating a better future for human development.

Visit www.cecepsolar.com for details.

Photo - https://photos.prnasia.com/prnh/20180309/2076396-1

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SOURCE CECEP SolarAccording to the new market research report " Computer Vision Market by Component ( Hardware (Camera, Frame Grabber, Optics, Processor) and Software (Deep Learning and Traditional Software) ) , Product (PC Based and Smart Camera Based), Application, Vertical - Global Forecasts to 2023 " , published by MarketsandMarkets, the Computer Vision Market is expected to be valued at USD 11.94 billion in 2018 and is likely to reach USD 17.38 billion by 2023, at a CAGR of 7.80% between 2018 and 2023. The growth of the market is mainly driven by the increasing adoption of computer vision in autonomous and semiautonomous vehicles, and consumer drones; and the rising adoption of Industry 4.0. Recent advancements in computer vision technology, comprising advanced cameras, deep learning software, and image sensors, have increased the scope for computer vision systems to be used in a wide range of applications in various industries.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160303/792302 )

Browse 65 market data tables and 53 figures spread through 179 pages and in-depth TOC on "Computer Vision Market - Global Forecast to 2022"



https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Market-Reports/computer-vision-market-186494767.html

Early buyers will receive 10% customization on this report



Computer vision market for autonomous and semiautonomous vehicles to grow at a significant rate between 2018 and 2023

The ongoing developments in advanced safety systems, such as computer vision-integrated ADAS systems, are fueling the growth of the computer vision market for the semiautonomous vehicles industry. Several automobile companies are working on the concept of autonomous cars. Hence, the computer vision market for the autonomous and semiautonomous vehicles industry is expected to grow at a significant rate during the forecast period.

APAC to hold a major share of the computer vision market throughout the forecast period

Asia Pacific (APAC) holds ample growth opportunities for the computer vision market as it is considered as a major manufacturing hub for most industries. China is a potential market for all emerging technologies, including computer vision. Its massive manufacturing industries have contributed to the growth and prosperity of the country. The computer vision market is likely to grow significantly in China as it perceives computer vision as a key enabler to modernization. In addition, strong competition among consumer electronics companies in APAC is likely to boost the adoption of computer vision systems in the region.

Ask for PDF Brochure @ https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/pdfdownload.asp?id=186494767

Market for smart camera-based computer vision systems to grow at a high rate during the forecast period

There is a growing demand for smart camera-based computer vision systems as these systems comprise an embedded controller with an integrated vision software, which is directly connected to one or more cameras. Smart cameras are easy to operate and include all components, from cameras to processors and input/output devices, embedded in a small enclosure. Owing to the abovementioned factors, the market for smart camera-based computer vision systems is expected to grow at a high rate during the forecast period.

The major companies operating in the computer vision market are Cognex (US), Basler (Germany), OMRON (Japan), KEYENCE Corporation (Japan), National Instruments (US), Sony (Japan), Teledyne Technologies (US), Texas Instruments (US), Intel (US), Baumer Optronic (Germany), Tordivel (Norway), ISRA VISION (Germany), MVTec Software (Germany), MediaTek (Taiwan), Cadence Design Systems (US), CEVA (US), Synopsys (US), SICK (Germany), and JAI A/S (Denmark).

Know more about the Computer Vision Market

https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Market-Reports/computer-vision-market-186494767.html



About MarketsandMarkets

MarketsandMarkets provides quantified B2B research on 30,000 high growth niche opportunities/threats which will impact 70% to 80% of worldwide companies' revenues. Currently servicing 5000 customers worldwide including 80% of global Fortune 1000 companies as clients. Almost 75,000 top officers across eight industries worldwide approach MarketsandMarkets for their painpoints around revenues decisions.

Our 850 fulltime analyst and SMEs at MarketsandMarkets are tracking global high growth markets following the "Growth Engagement Model - GEM". The GEM aims at proactive collaboration with the clients to identify new opportunities, identify most important customers, write "Attack, avoid and defend" strategies, identify sources of incremental revenues for both the company and its competitors. MarketsandMarkets now coming up with 1,500 MicroQuadrants (Positioning top players across leaders, emerging companies, innovators, strategic players) annually in high growth emerging segments. MarketsandMarkets is determined to benefit more than 10,000 companies this year for their revenue planning and help them take their innovations/disruptions early to the market by providing them research ahead of the curve.

MarketsandMarkets's flagship competitive intelligence and market research platform, "RT" connects over 200,000 markets and entire value chains for deeper understanding of the unmet insights along with market sizing and forecasts of niche markets.

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SOURCE MarketsandMarkets"We are excited to partner with Tacombi to offer guests from around the world an opportunity to embrace the balmy beaches of the Yucatan directly in midtown Manhattan," said Jean-Yves Ghazi, Senior Vice President of the Observatory. "The package allows visitors from near and far the opportunity to experience Tacombi's authentic taco culture along with an unforgettable trip to our Observatories."

At $39.00 per person, the prix fixe menu includes an appetizer, a choice of four tacos, select drinks, tax, and gratuity. The new offering is available on Sunday through Thursday from 11 a.m. ET to 11 p.m. ET, and on Friday and Saturday from 11 a.m. ET to 12 a.m. ET, except Cinco de Mayo, Thanksgiving, and Christmas Day.

Located along 33rd street, Tacombi joins other renowned restaurants at ESB such as STATE Grill and Bar, Chop't and Sushi-Teria  adding even more culinary choices to the neighborhood for both tourists and locals alike.

For more information, please visit www.empirestatebuilding.com and http://tacombi.com/.

About the Empire State Building

Soaring 1,454 feet above Midtown Manhattan (from base to antenna), the Empire State Building, owned by Empire State Realty Trust, Inc., is the "World's Most Famous Building." With new investments in energy efficiency, infrastructure, public areas and amenities, the Empire State Building has attracted first-rate tenants in a diverse array of industries from around the world. The skyscraper's robust broadcasting technology supports major television and FM radio stations in the New York metropolitan market. The Empire State Building was named America's favorite building in a poll conducted by the American Institute of Architects, and the Empire State Building Observatory is one of the world's most beloved attractions as the region's #1 tourist destination. For more information on the Empire State Building, please visit www.empirestatebuilding.com, www.facebook.com/empirestatebuilding, @EmpireStateBldg, www.instagram.com/empirestatebldg, www.youtube.com/esbnyc or www.pinterest.com/empirestatebldg/.

About Empire State Realty Trust

Empire State Realty Trust, Inc. (NYSE: ESRT), a leading real estate investment trust (REIT), owns, manages, operates, acquires and repositions office and retail properties in Manhattan and the greater New York metropolitan area, including the Empire State Building, the world's most famous building. Headquartered in New York, New York, the Company's office and retail portfolio covers 10.1 million rentable square feet, as of December 31, 2017, consisting of 9.4 million rentable square feet in 14 office properties, including nine in Manhattan, three in Fairfield County, Connecticut, and two in Westchester County, New York; and approximately 700,000 rentable square feet in the retail portfolio.

About Tacombi Empire State Building

From the beaches of Mexico comes Tacombi's fifth and largest taqueria in the iconic Empire State Building, bringing warm Mexican hospitality and authentic taco culture to bustling Midtown Manhattan. The on-site Vista Hermosa tortilleria, open kitchen and wide bar with a selection of Tequilas, Mezcales, Cocteles y Ice-Cold Cerveza, offers an up-close view of Mexican culinary tradition. Inspired by the grand, disappearing art-deco taquerias unique to Mexico City, Tacombi Empire State Building is a neighborhood meeting place for friends, cohorts, and colleagues to unwind over authentic tacos and corn esquites, sip Mezcal or enjoy Tacombi's freshly pressed Super Jugos, Aguas Frescas y Sodas.

Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/479871/Empire_State_Realty_Trust_Inc_Logo.jpg

Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/520442/Empire_State_Building_Logo.jpg

Related Links

http://www.esbnyc.com



SOURCE Empire State Realty Trust, Inc.PORTLAND, Oregon and PUNE, India, March 12, 2018 /PRNewswire/ --

According to a new report published by Allied Market Research, titled, "Cloud-based ERP Market by Component, Function, End User, and Industry Vertical: Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2017-2023," the global cloud-based ERP market was valued at $13,238 million in 2016, and is projected to reach $32,184 million by 2023, growing at a CAGR of 13.6% from 2017 to 2023. The services segment is anticipated to grow at the highest rate during the forecast period.

(Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/636519/Allied_Market_Research_Logo.jpg )



North America market generated the highest share of revenue in the global cloud-based ERP market in 2016 owing to technological advancements and a rise in applications of cloud-based ERP in manufacturing, government, and retail fields. The Asia-Pacific cloud-based ERP market is expected to grow at the highest rate, followed by LAMEA during the forecast period. Need for transparent and modernized manufacturing processes in diverse industries is expected to drive the growth of cloud-based ERP software in Asia-Pacific.

Request for Sample Report at: https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/request-sample/4577

The software segment contributed the highest share in 2016. This segment accounted for $8,211 million in 2016 and is projected to grow at the CAGR of 12.8% during the forecast period. The cloud-based ERP market for managed services is projected to grow at the highest rate of 14.8%.

Other functions segment generated maximum share of revenue in 2016 and is expected to dominate the market throughput the forecast period at the CAGR of 16.8%. Cloud-based ERP market for finance is expected to witness highest CAGR of 17.7% during the forecast period, followed by retail.

The report features a competitive scenario of the global cloud-based ERP industry and provides a comprehensive analysis of key growth strategies adopted by major players. The key players profiled in the study are Oracle, IBM, Microsoft, SAP SE, Sage Group Plc., Aptean, Epicor Software Corp., Infor, Syspro, Unit4 and others. These players have adopted competitive strategies, such as geographical expansions, mergers & acquisitions, new product launches, and partnerships & collaborations, to augment the growth of the cloud-based ERP market.

For Purchase Enquiry: https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/purchase-enquiry/4577

KEY FINDINGS OF THE STUDY

The software segment accounted for the highest share of the global cloud-based ERP industry by component in 2016, growing at a CAGR of 12.8% from 2017 to 2023.

The professional services segment by services generated the highest revenue share in 2016 and is projected to grow at a rate of 16.8%.

The North America cloud-based ERP market generated the highest share, valued at $5,375 million , in terms of revenue in 2016.

cloud-based ERP market generated the highest share, valued at , in terms of revenue in 2016. The cloud-based ERP market in finance is expected to witness growth during the forecast period.

Access KNOWLEDGE TREE (Premium on-demand, subscription-based pricing model) at: https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/knowledgetree

Knowledge tree is a cloud-based intelligence platform that offers more than 2,000 selective, off-the-shelf reports on niche markets to enable our clients gain deep insights on the latest trends, dynamic technologies, and emerging application areas.

About Us

Allied Market Research (AMR) is a full-service market research and business-consulting wing of Allied Analytics LLP based in Portland, Oregon. Allied Market Research provides global enterprises as well as medium and small businesses with unmatched quality of "Market Research Reports" and "Business Intelligence Solutions." AMR has a targeted view to provide business insights and consulting to assist its clients to make strategic business decisions and achieve sustainable growth in their respective market domain.

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.

Contact:

Shriram Dighe

5933 NE Win Sivers Drive

#205, Portland, OR 97220

United States

Toll Free: +1-800-792-5285

UK: +44-845-528-1300

Hong Kong: +852-301-84916

India (Pune): +91-20-66346060

Fax: +1(855)550-5975

[email protected]



Web: https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com

SOURCE Allied Market ResearchPORTLAND, Oregon and PUNE, India, March 12, 2018 /PRNewswire/ --

According to a new report published by Allied Market Research, titled, Sinus Dilation Devices Market by Product and End User: Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2017-2023,"the global sinus dilation devices market was valued at $3,326 million in 2016, and is projected to reach $5,778 million at a CAGR of 8.1% from 2017 to 2023.

(Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/636519/Allied_Market_Research_Logo.jpg )



Sinusitis is a medical condition wherein inflammation of sinus lining leads to a plugged nose, headache, poor sense of smell, sore throat, and cough. It is caused due to either ostial blockage, bacterial infections, viral infections, or a combination of these conditions. This leads to use of sinus dilation devices during surgical procedures to dilate the sinus openings of a patient's nose.

Request for Sample Report at: https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/request-sample/2128

The major factors that drive the global sinus dilation devices market are increase in incidence of sinusitis, which may lead to higher sinus surgeries, high adoption of minimally invasive surgical procedures, and technological advancements in sinusitis treatment. However, risks associated with sinus surgical procedures and low adoption of surgical procedures, due to presence of alternative sinusitis-related drugs, are expected to restrain the market growth. Conversely, untapped market potential in the emerging countries, such as China and India, and large investments by key players to develop advanced products are expected to provide lucrative opportunities to the market players.

The balloon sinuplasty systems segment accounted for the largest share in 2016, owing to the advancements in sinus surgical procedures, applicability, and their greater acceptance than invasive traditional surgeries. Furthermore, the sinus stents segment is expected to grow at a CAGR of 7.2% from 2017 to 2023, and maintain its dominance in the future as well.

The utilization rate of sinus dilation devices in hospitals & clinics is high; however, the ambulatory surgical centers segment is expected to grow at the highest CAGR. This is attributed to the increasing preference for less hospital stay-associated surgeries with advanced sinus dilation devices.

For Purchase Enquiry: https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/purchase-enquiry/2128

Key findings of the Sinus Dilation Devices Market:

The balloon sinuplasty system segment accounted for around three-fifths share of the global sinus dilation devices market in 2016.

The FESS instruments set segment is expected to grow at a CAGR of 9.3% from 2017 to 2023.

The hospitals & clinics segment accounted for around three-fourths share in 2016.

Europe accounted for around one-third share of the global sinus dilation devices market in 2016.

North America was the highest revenue contributor to the global sinus dilation devices market in 2016, and is expected to dominate the market during the forecast period as well. This is attributed to the early approval of sinus dilation devices and rapid use of these devices, owing to rise in number of sinus surgical procedures. However, Asia-Pacific is expected to grow at the highest CAGR of 9.6%, owing to increase in affordability, surge in healthcare expenditure, and rise in awareness towards sinusitis-related surgeries.

Access KNOWLEDGE TREE (Premium on-demand, subscription-based pricing model) at: https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/knowledgetree

Knowledge tree is a cloud-based intelligence platform that offers more than 2,000 selective, off-the-shelf reports on niche markets to enable our clients gain deep insights on the latest trends, dynamic technologies, and emerging application areas.

About Us

Allied Market Research (AMR) is a full-service market research and business-consulting wing of Allied Analytics LLP based in Portland, Oregon. Allied Market Research provides global enterprises as well as medium and small businesses with unmatched quality of "Market Research Reports" and "Business Intelligence Solutions." AMR has a targeted view to provide business insights and consulting to assist its clients to make strategic business decisions and achieve sustainable growth in their respective market domain.

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.

Contact:

Shriram Dighe

5933 NE Win Sivers Drive

#205, Portland, OR 97220

United States

Toll Free: +1-800-792-5285

UK: +44-845-528-1300

Hong Kong: +852-301-84916

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Fax: +1855550-5975

[email protected]

Web: https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com

SOURCE Allied Market ResearchInnovations will empower users spanning the entire supply chain to capitalize on the technologies of tomorrow

MINNEAPOLIS, and DALLAS, March 12, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- HighJump, a global provider of supply chain solutions, today, at its annual user conference Elevate, announces its solution strategy for 2018. Designed to handle rapidly evolving and increasingly complex consumer demands, HighJump's latest innovations enable supply chain professionals to revolutionize their workflows by tapping into the automated and connected supply chain of the future.

Meeting the expectations of the new consumer is driving the industry to change. From reverse logistics, to same-day delivery, to mobility, to social engagement and beyond, supply chain professionals need solutions to handle new business models, stressed traditional logistics systems and deconsolidating networks. Businesses must also plan for the employee of tomorrow. Making technological shifts to provide the tools the next-generation workforce expects is pivotal in securing top talent.

Leveraging the power of the HighJump One Platform and the cloud, HighJump will roll out a series of new capabilities benefiting its full suite of solutions. This includes the latest in adaptability, efficient operations, insightful execution and connected consumption:

HighJump Automation Aware Warehouse Management System (WMS): In partnership with Inconso, a sister company within Korber Logistics Systems, the abilities of HighJump's WMS solutions will be extended with automation control through the Inconso warehouse control system (WCS).





In partnership with Inconso, a sister company within Korber Logistics Systems, the abilities of HighJump's WMS solutions will be extended with automation control through the Inconso warehouse control system (WCS). HighJump Image inMotion: The application, which enables any smartphone or tablet to be a RF scanner, will drive efficient, digital workflows in the warehouse and yard by capturing signatures at end of line and printing outbound documents from the device of the employee's choice.





The application, which enables any smartphone or tablet to be a RF scanner, will drive efficient, digital workflows in the warehouse and yard by capturing signatures at end of line and printing outbound documents from the device of the employee's choice. HighJump Visual Insights : Building on HighJump's actionable analytics capabilities, this new solution moves beyond graphs and charts, connecting data to the real-world for the first time. By overlaying information on visuals of the facility, employees can instantly see where, when and how to execute to improve processes.





: Building on HighJump's actionable analytics capabilities, this new solution moves beyond graphs and charts, connecting data to the real-world for the first time. By overlaying information on visuals of the facility, employees can instantly see where, when and how to execute to improve processes. HighJump inAction Social Connector: HighJump will enable consumers to interact on Facebook messenger to check the status of their orders. The technology will automate customer service and empower companies to quickly scale their businesses by localizing responses to fit today's global market.

"HighJump is continually improving and seeking creative solutions to prepare our customers for the supply chain of tomorrow," said Sean Elliott, chief technology officer at HighJump. "Through automation and a connected supply chain, our solution strategy for 2018 will empower users to thrive in the era of the new consumer."

HighJump Elevate is March 11-14, 2018 in Dallas, Texas. In its 12th year, Elevate is HighJump's annual user conference bringing together more than 700 supply chain professionals from across the globe. Along with learning about the latest advances for HighJump's unique line of solutions and professional services, attendees are provided with networking and educational opportunities to accelerate their businesses.



Further details are available here.

About HighJump

HighJump is a global provider of supply chain management software that streamlines the flow of inventory and information from supplier to store shelf. Named to the Inc. 5000 Fastest Growing Companies list for 3 years running, HighJump employs more than 440 team members worldwide, and supports more than 4,000 customers in 66 countries, ranging from SME business to global enterprises.

HighJump's functionally rich and highly adaptable end-to-end solutions help users achieve new levels of supply chain responsiveness, performance and profitability, from the warehouse to the storefront, from the desktop to the driver's cab. HighJump's suite of warehousing, manufacturing, transportation, distribution, mobile delivery and retail solutions allow users to seamlessly drive growth, customer satisfaction and revenue by delivering goods faster and more profitably.

HighJump: supply chain accelerated. For more information, visit http://www.highjump.com.

For more information, visit https://www.highjump.com.

HighJump is a trademark of HighJump Software Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries.

Media Contact

Heather K. Smith

HighJump

1-800-328-3271 x 2717

[email protected]

Related Links

http://www.highjump.com



SOURCE HighJumpBANGALORE, India, March 12, 2018 /PRNewswire/ --

A new study published in the international Nature Eye Journal demonstrates very high sensitivity for detecting Diabetic Retinopathy (DR) (95.8%) and Sight-threatening DR (99.1%) using Remidio's Fundus on Phone (FOP) device - an FDA 510k registered and CE marked smartphone-based retinal imaging device and Eyenuk's EyeArt Artificial Intelligence algorithm

Diabetes, a problem affecting more than 422 million globally, may lead to a sight threatening condition called Diabetic Retinopathy (DR). 90% of the vision loss due to DR is preventable by early detection and timely treatment. Screening for DR has not been possible primarily due to two key challenges: (a) High Cost of Retinal Imaging Devices (b) Lack of access to specialist eye doctors, e.g., only 15,000 specialists are available to screen more than 70 million diabetics in India.

(Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/652990/Remidio_Logo.jpg )



(Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/652991/Remidio_Fundus_on_Phone.jpg )



Remidio Innovative Solutions based in Bangalore, India has disrupted the field of retinal imaging with their high quality, portable devices. The Remidio Fundus on Phone (FOP) that works on smartphones, weighs 1/20th the size of conventional systems, costs just 1/5th the price, and can image without pupil dilation.

Until recently, DR could only be detected by ophthalmologists and trained graders. Artificial intelligence (AI) can now be employed to grade retinal images, especially those with sight threatening DR.

In a study done at Madras Diabetes Research Foundation (MDRF), Chennai, and published by Nature Eye , retinal photographs were taken on diabetics using the Remidio FOP, (previously validated to have a clinical sensitivity of 93% and specificity of 98%) and graded by Ophthalmologists as well as by the AI algorithm EyeArt. This study showed that, the use of Eye Art automated AI along with Remidio Fundus on Phone (FOP) has very high sensitivity for detecting retinopathy (95.8%) and sight threatening DR (99.1%). This is possibly the first study that has looked at the role and accuracy of automated artificial intelligence (AI) based DR detection in smartphone-based retinal imaging.

Dr. Anand Sivaraman, CEO of Remidio Innovative Solutions Pvt. Ltd., said, "The simplicity of use of smartphones when combined with our patented optics, has resulted in the Remidio Fundus on Phone device (FOP) that is priced at 1/5th to 1/10th that of traditional desktop retinal imaging systems, while still providing high quality images clinically validated to have high sensitivity and specificity exceeding 92% and 98% respectively. The use of Artificial Intelligence like EyeArtTM in screening the images from the Remidio Fundus on Phone device, now enables large scale public health screening for eye health among the 400 million affected by Diabetes, globally."

Dr. V. Mohan, Chairman, Dr. Mohan's Diabetes Specialities Centre and Director, MDRF, said, "One out of 5 Indians with diabetes are at risk for developing diabetic retinopathy. Given the alarming increase in the number of people with diabetes and shortage of trained retinal specialists, computer based analysis using artificial intelligence of the retinal photographs, taken using sleek and user-friendly smartphone based cameras would reduce the burden of the health systems in screening for sight threatening retinopathy. Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) to analyse retinal images is a significant development and it fits in well with the current trend of using telemedicine to reach the remote underserved parts of the country especially the rural areas where specialised healthcare is often non-existent."

Dr. R. Rajalakshmi, Head-Medical Retina, Dr. Mohan's Diabetes Specialities Centre and MDRF, said, "Regular retinal screening for all people with diabetes is still an unmet need in most countries especially in poor developing countries. Automated artificial intelligence software along with smartphone based retinal imaging can be a promising initial tool for mass retinal screening." She added that smartphone retinal color photography combined with an automated detection system can ideally result in models with potential for cost-effective routine clinical use by the primary care physicians.

Dr. Kaushal Solanki, CEO of Eyenuk Inc., said, "We are happy to see this study demonstrate the safety and efficacy of EyeArt with smartphone-based fundus photography. This is especially notable given that EyeArt's underlying artificial intelligence (AI) models were never trained on Remidio's smartphone images, providing a solid proof of the robustness and broad applicability of the EyeArt system. We look forward to converting these impressive results into real-world clinical practice by making EyeArt available for large-scale diabetic retinopathy screening in conjunction with portable high-quality smartphone retinal imaging, like the Remidio Fundus on Phone (FOP)."

About Madras Diabetes Research Foundation:

Madras Diabetes Research Foundation (MDRF), a unique 100% nonprofit research centre exclusively devoted for advanced research on diabetes and its complications, was established in 1996. Madras Diabetes Research Foundation is recognized by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) as 'ICMR Centre for Advanced Research on Diabetes'.

About Remidio Innovative Solutions Pvt Ltd:

Remidio is an innovative medical device company that seeks to create Healthcare Access by combining simplicity of product design with cutting edge technology and sustainable business model innovations. Remidio uses principles of Design Thinking and involves key stakeholders during the product development process - clinicians, patients, and health workers, with a view to designing product solutions that are simple to use, clinically relevant, reliable and scalable. Remidio's CE marked and FDA 510k registered retinal imaging devices have helped screen and impact more than 7.5 million patients in 15 countries globally, as a result of increased access provided by the ease of use and affordability of Remidio's patented optics on the smartphone platform.

About Eyenuk Inc.

Eyenuk, Inc., headquartered in Los Angeles, California, is focused on quickly and accurately identifying patients early in the progression of potentially blinding eye diseases in order to readily treat and preserve vision. Using machine learning, computer vision and image analysis expertise, the company is developing a portfolio of products based on its proprietary retinal image analysis technology to identify and track over time eye diseases, including diabetic retinopathy, age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and glaucoma. EyeArt has received CE marking and is commercially available in the European Union. In the United States, EyeArt is limited by federal law to investigational use only and is not available for sale.

For press queries please get in touch with:

MDRF

Dr. V. Mohan

+91-44-4396-8888

[email protected]

Dr. R. Rajalakshmi

+91-44-4396-8888

[email protected]

Eyenuk

Dr. Kaushal Solanki

+1-818-835-3585

[email protected]

Remidio

Dr Anand Sivaraman

[email protected]

+91-9845155475

CEO and Director

Remidio Innovative Solutions Pvt Ltd



SOURCE Remidio Innovative Solutions Pvt LtdBANGALORE, March 12, 2018 /PRNewswire/ --

LISAA School of Design, Bengaluru organized a transnational workshop on Sustainable Design and Urban Geography in collaboration with LISAA, Rennes, and LISAA, Paris. The workshop, supported by the French Consulate, aims to foster exchange of ideas between the students of France and India. It commenced at LISAA, Bengaluru, on 26th February, and then moved to Auroville, Puducherry, where it continued until 5th March 2018. The workshop concluded with a grand exhibition at Alliance francaise on 5th March wherein Honorable Consulate General, Madame Catherine Suard, and Governor of Puducherry, Kiran Bedi and M. S. Ramesh, Municipal Commissioner were the guests of honor.

More About the Workshop:

The participants showcased concepts about the future possibilities for developing Pondicherry as a smart city. While the technical theme of the workshop was bamboo, the conceptual theme was 'Pondicherry' - the architectural, environmental and cultural relation between the heritage city and the new town.

The Indo-French workshop kicked off with a conference on the use of bamboo in art, design and architecture by Shanthamani Muddaiah from Bengaluru-based social enterprise Bamboo Pecker. She is a sculptural artist who uses bamboo as one of the ephemeral natural materials in her visual art. The workshop moved to Puducherry on 27th February with a study reportage on Puducherry at the French Research Institute (IFP). The session was lead by Frederic Landy, Director, IFP, geographer and professor at the University Paris ouest Nanterre.

The workshop covered a session on the techniques of using bamboo in design and architecture. Students were mentored by Vanessa Farnot, Head of Graphic Design Studies, LISAA Paris, Lena Riaux, Interior Architect, Teacher at LISAA Rennes; and Francois Camard, Freelance Art Director, Graphic Designer and Web Designer, UI and motion design, Teacher at LISAA Rennes. The students attended the workshop as well as showcased their work on 3rd and 4th March with a grand public display on 5th March 2018 at Alliance francaise.

About LISAA School of Design, Paris:

With over 2,500 students, an alumni network of over one lakh, and spread over nine different locations in France and India, LISAA is one of the most reputed French Design Schools recognized by the French Ministry of Culture and Communication. With a dynamic placement cell, LISAA provides 100% placement assistance to all its students in partnership with some of the industry's top-notch brands such as Tommy Hilfiger, Shoppers Stop, Sewkraft, Angadi Ventures, Promethean, Red Baton, Hi Decor, Stanley, Plugg Networks and many others including some European Partners like Eurodisney, Alstom, Habitat, Ikea and BNP Paribas.

About CREO Valley Group Schools:

Amidst many, CREO Valley- the organization (means the Valley of Creativity) - serves as one of the best destinations for earning specialized diploma, certificate courses in performing arts and filmmaking also operates one of the esteemed institute - LISAA School of Design, Bangalore - affiliated with QAI, London, and FEDE, Geneva. For more information, visit http://lisaabangalore.com/.

SOURCE LISAA School of DesignThe report " Perlite Market by Form (Expanded Perlite and Crude Perlite), Application (Construction, Agriculture & Horticulture, and Industrial), and Region (North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Middle East & Africa, and South America) - Global Forecast to 2022" published by MarketsandMarkets, the Perlite Market size is estimated to grow from USD 1.51 Billion in 2017 to USD 2.20 Billion by 2022, at a CAGR of 7.78%. The market is projected to witness significant growth over the next few years with the increasing demand for new constructions due to rapid urbanization and industrialization with large-scale investments in the commercial and infrastructural sectors. The rising demand for perlite in emerging economies and the increasing inclination toward sustainable construction methods are increasing the reliance on modern construction materials, thus creating growth opportunities for the Perlite Market.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160303/792302 )

Browse 126 Tables and 25 Figures spread through 133 Pages and in-depth TOC on "Perlite Market"

https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Market-Reports/perlite-market-219145595.html

Early buyers will receive 10% customization on this report

Construction segment to gain maximum traction during the forecast period

The construction sector dominated the market in 2016 and is projected to be the second-fastest growing application in the next five years. As a result of rapid urbanization and industrialization, this market is mostly driven by the upward surge in demand for new constructions across the world. The increasing public and private investments in the construction sector of the emerging economies of Asia Pacific, the Middle East, and South America drive the growth of this market.

Get PDF Brochure @ https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/pdfdownload.asp?id=219145595

The expanded perlite segment, by form, is estimated to account for a larger market share in 2017

Expanded perlite finds application in several sectors, which drives its demand. This segment dominates the Perlite Market and is projected to grow at a higher rate during the forecast period. Expanded perlite possesses high insulation, acoustic, and excellent water retention, and higher water density properties. Hence, the expanded perlite form accounted for a relatively larger market share than the crude perlite segment.

The Asia Pacific region accounted for the largest share of the Perlite Market in 2016

Asia Pacific contributes a major market share in the global Perlite Market. Due to the increasing industrialization as well as the large population in China, Japan, and India, these countries are experiencing high demand for building & construction. The rapid urbanization in these countries demands faster and cheaper construction of buildings and facilities without compromising on quality. Additionally, the increasing government investments in infrastructural constructions provide the potential for the growth of the Perlite Market in these countries.

The major players in the Perlite Market include Imerys Minerals (UK), Keltech Energies (India), Dupre Minerals (UK), Amol Dicalite (India), IPM Group of Companies (Philippines), Bergama Mining Perlite (Turkey), Supreme Perlite Company (US), Genper Group (Turkey), The Schundler Company (US), and Whittemore Company (US).

Know more about Perlite Market:

https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Market-Reports/perlite-market-219145595.html

About MarketsandMarkets

MarketsandMarkets provides quantified B2B research on 30,000 high growth niche opportunities/threats which will impact 70% to 80% of worldwide companies' revenues. Currently servicing 5000 customers worldwide including 80% of global Fortune 1000 companies as clients. Almost 75,000 top officers across eight industries worldwide approach MarketsandMarkets for their painpoints around revenues decisions.

Our 850 fulltime analyst and SMEs at MarketsandMarkets are tracking global high growth markets following the "Growth Engagement Model - GEM". The GEM aims at proactive collaboration with the clients to identify new opportunities, identify most important customers, write "Attack, avoid and defend" strategies, identify sources of incremental revenues for both the company and its competitors. MarketsandMarkets now coming up with 1,500 MicroQuadrants (Positioning top players across leaders, emerging companies, innovators, strategic players) annually in high growth emerging segments. MarketsandMarkets is determined to benefit more than 10,000 companies this year for their revenue planning and help them take their innovations/disruptions early to the market by providing them research ahead of the curve.

MarketsandMarkets's flagship competitive intelligence and market research platform, "RT" connects over 200,000 markets and entire value chains for deeper understanding of the unmet insights along with market sizing and forecasts of niche markets.

Contact:

Mr. Salgarkar

MarketsandMarkets INC.

630 Dundee Road

Suite 430

Northbrook, IL 60062

USA: +1-888-600-6441

Email: [email protected]





Visit Our Blog @ http://www.marketsandmarketsblog.com/market-reports/chemical

Connect with us on LinkedIn @ http://www.linkedin.com/company/marketsandmarkets

SOURCE MarketsandMarketsIndependent MP Nadia Savchenko has been summoned for questioning to the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) on Tuesday, March 13, due to an investigation in criminal proceedings against Volodymyr Ruban, the head of the Officer Corps Center for Prisoner Release, Ukraine's Prosecutor General Yuriy Lutsenko has said.

"The SBU has summoned MP Nadia Savchenko for interrogation tomorrow," Lutsenko said on Monday, when asked about Ruban's detention and attempts to commit terrorist attacks in the center of Kyiv.

He said he was confident that on Tuesday, Savchenko must necessarily arrive at the Security Service of Ukraine, "since every people's deputy should be a model of civic duty, and cooperation with the investigation would be very important for Nadia and for the country."

Lutsenko also noted that as part of the investigation in criminal proceedings against Ruban "the second message in this case will also follow."

"This is a very serious case, and I do not recommend anyone to laugh at individual facts that were made public by the Security Service of Ukraine. We will analyze them in the near future, after respective investigative actions against other persons involved in this terrorist conspiracy," Lutsenko added.

As reported, on March 8, Ruban was detained at a checkpoint in Donbas with an arsenal of weapons. He was bringing these weapons from the occupied territory to the government-controlled part of Donbas.

Ruban is suspected of preparing armed attacks on the highest state officials, preparing a terrorist act with the use of weapons and explosions that could pose a threat to life and health of people.

In addition, Ruban planned "to use mortars, grenade launchers, small arms and explosive devices to carry out an armed attack on the residences of statesmen, political leaders, in particular: Petro Poroshenko, Arsen Avakov, Arseniy Yatsenyuk, Oleksandr Turchynov and others with the purpose of their murder."

According to the suspicion note, Ruban decided to commit a terrorist act to assassinate the president of Ukraine and other top officials, as well as a large number of people in Kyiv to create a "state of chaos, destabilize the internal situation in the state, paint Ukraine to the world community as a state where there is virtually no government power; create conditions under which the forces involved in conducting the anti-terrorist operation will be moved from the Ukraine's east to Kyiv, which "will enable Russia to launch a full-scale offensive and introduce into the territory of Ukraine under the guise of armed 'peacekeeping forces' units of the Russian Armed Forces and illegal armed formations of terrorist organizations "DPR" and "LPR", to continue the military occupation of Ukraine."

Ruban is suspected of committing crimes under Part 1, Article 14, Part 3, Article 258 (preparation of a terrorist attack), Part 1, Article 263 (carrying, possession, acquisition, manufacturing, repair, transfer or sale of firearms, except hunting weapons), ammunition, explosives or explosive devices without statutory permission) of the Criminal Code of Ukraine.

On March 9, Shevchenkivsky District Court of Kyiv ruled to arrest Ruban for two months.PRAGUE, March 12, 2018 /PRNewswire/ --

SafeDX begins deployment of the largest OpenStack cluster in Central Europe (Prague, the Czech Republic) for its Next-gen Data Center Cloud Services. The Data Center infrastructure was designed in collaboration with Intel and Foxconn to deliver best-in-class cost efficiency, and flexibility.

(Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/645671/SafeDX_Logo.jpg )

SafeDX Next-Gen Cloud Services are tailored to the needs of international cloud service providers that seek a partner for their Central and Eastern European expansion. This latest infrastructure deployment was designed to provide the flexible performance and capacity allocation requirements SafeDX's customers demand. "We are creating highly cost efficient and flexible IT infrastructure platform that our customers truly benefit from." explains SafeDX CEO Martin Smekal. "We've partnered with Intel and Foxconn to bring cutting-edge technology and architectural innovations to our customers to leverage as a business advantage."

SafeDX is the first cloud service provider in Europe to leverage the advanced telemetry capabilities of the newest generation of Intel Xeon Scalable processors combined with Intel Rack Scale Design (Intel RSD) reference architecture. Intel RSD is an industry-aligned architecture for composable, disaggregated infrastructure. "Intel RSD offers a foundation for agility and efficiency that Cloud Service Providers need to meet the evolving demands of modern data centres," said Figen Ulgen, General Manager of Intel Rack Scale Design. "Through this collaboration with Intel and Foxconn, SafeDX can offer their customers access to the latest advances in data center infrastructure."

SafeDX has completed the first phase of the new infrastructure deployment and has reached greater levels of energy efficiency through Intel's intelligent DC management platform. "Our goal with the original proof-of-concept was greatly improve our cooling efficiency," adds Martin Smekal. "After testing the solution we achieved a 25% PUE improvement utilizing these innovative technologies from Intel." A detailed case study can be found at http://www.safedx.eu/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/Intel-SafeDX-Case-Study.pdf.

For more details on SafeDX Next-gen Cloud Services, please contact Mr. Mike Pokrovsky - [email protected] to schedule an evaluation at our state-of-art design centre.

SafeDX

SafeDX is a joint venture of the global company Foxconn and the international investment group KKCG, offering high-quality data center services. For more information, visit http://www.safedx.eu/en/

Foxconn - For more information, visit http://www.foxconn.com

KKCG - For more information, visit http://www.kkcg.com

SOURCE SafeDXMarketsandMarkets : From the supply-side, the " Small-Scale LNG Market b y Type (Liquefaction Terminal and Regasification Terminal), Application (Heavy-Duty Vehicles, Marine Transport, and Industrial and Power), and Region (North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, South America) - Global Forecast to 2022" , capacity is projected to reach 48.3 Million tons per annum by 2022, at a CAGR of 6.7% from 2017 to 2022. Increasing use of liquefied natural gas (LNG) by various applications, such as heavy-duty vehicles and electric power generation, technological advancements being carried out in liquefied natural gas (LNG) liquefaction and regasification processes, and increasing demand of liquefied natural gas (LNG) from the Asia-Pacific region are expected to fuel the growth of the Small-Scale LNG Market during the forecast period. Increasing demand for liquefied natural gas (LNG) from the remote locations for use in power generation plants and global commoditization of liquefied natural gas (LNG) are the major factors driving the demand for liquefied natural gas (LNG) from small-scale regasification terminals. This, in turn, is expected to fuel the growth of the Small-Scale LNG Market during the forecast period.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160303/792302 )



Browse 47 Tables and 38 Figures spread through 115 Pages and in-depth TOC on "Small-Scale LNG Market"

https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Market-Reports/small-scale-lng-market-226707057.html

Early buyers will receive 10% customization on this report

The industrial and power segment of the Small-Scale LNG Market is expected to gain maximum traction during the forecast period, 2017 to 2022.

In terms of volume, the industrial and power segment is projected to lead the Small-Scale LNG Market during the forecast period. There are significant opportunities for Island-based LNG to drive the demand in the industrial & power applications, especially in countries such as Indonesia, the Philippines, and Myanmar. Islands in the Mediterranean Sea such as Malta and Sardinia (Italy) are also investing in small-scale LNG infrastructure to serve applications such as industrial & power plants. The key enabler for small-scale LNG in the industrial & power application is the development of a sustainable and efficient logistic network, as most of the small-scale terminals and end users are in remote locations. In 2016, Royal Dutch Shell (Netherlands) and the Government of Gibraltar signed an agreement for the supply of LNG for use in power generation in Gibraltar.

Get PDF Brochure @ https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/pdfdownload.asp?id=226707057

Among types, the liquefaction terminals segment is projected to lead the Small-Scale LNG Market during the forecast period, 2017 to 2022.

Among types, the liquefaction terminals segment is projected to lead the Small-Scale LNG Market during the forecast period. The increasing demand of LNG from remote locations and global commoditization of LNG are some of the major factors that are driving the demand for LNG from small-scale liquefaction terminals. Similarly, the development of downstream infrastructure and logistics, remote regasification terminals, trucking stations, and bunkering are some of the key factors for building up a robust market for small-scale LNG. Small-scale LNG liquefaction terminals are an attractive complement to large-scale LNG terminals. Technological advancements have made monetization of stranded gas reserves possible in new locations, providing opportunities for energy companies to take advantage of the growing LNG market.

The North America Small-Scale LNG Market is projected to grow at the highest CAGR during the forecast period.

The North America Small-Scale LNG Market is projected to grow at the highest CAGR during the forecast period. In North America, most of the small-scale LNG demand in industrial & power applications is met through peak shaving facilities. The peak shaving facilities are used to meet adequate supply of LNG to address the peak demand. In 2015, there were more than 100 peak shaving facilities in the U.S., among which one-half of the peak shaving facilities were located in the Northeast, while a quarter of them were located in the Midwest. Currently, the U.S. has among the highest number of peak shaving plants. However, less than 10% of them are available for any other use due to the current electricity demand. The commissioning of small-scale liquefaction plants can expand the peak shaving capacities in the region.

The key players profiled in the report are:

1. The Linde Group (Germany)

2. Wartsila (Finland)

3. Honeywell International Inc. (U.S.)

4. General Electric (U.S.)

5. ENGIE (France)

6. Gazprom (Russia)

7. Skangas (Norway)

8. Sofregaz (France)

9. Dresser-Rand (U.S.)

10. Prometheus Energy (U.S.)

Know more about Small-Scale LNG Market:

https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Market-Reports/small-scale-lng-market-226707057.html



About MarketsandMarkets

MarketsandMarkets provides quantified B2B research on 30,000 high growth niche opportunities/threats which will impact 70% to 80% of worldwide companies' revenues. Currently servicing 5000 customers worldwide including 80% of global Fortune 1000 companies as clients. Almost 75,000 top officers across eight industries worldwide approach MarketsandMarkets for their painpoints around revenues decisions.

Our 850 fulltime analyst and SMEs at MarketsandMarkets are tracking global high growth markets following the "Growth Engagement Model - GEM". The GEM aims at proactive collaboration with the clients to identify new opportunities, identify most important customers, write "Attack, avoid and defend" strategies, identify sources of incremental revenues for both the company and its competitors. MarketsandMarkets now coming up with 1,500 MicroQuadrants (Positioning top players across leaders, emerging companies, innovators, strategic players) annually in high growth emerging segments. MarketsandMarkets is determined to benefit more than 10,000 companies this year for their revenue planning and help them take their innovations/disruptions early to the market by providing them research ahead of the curve.

MarketsandMarkets's flagship competitive intelligence and market research platform, "RT" connects over 200,000 markets and entire value chains for deeper understanding of the unmet insights along with market sizing and forecasts of niche markets.

Contact:

Mr. Salgarkar

MarketsandMarkets INC.

630 Dundee Road

Suite 430

Northbrook, IL 60062

USA: +1-888-600-6441

Email: [email protected]



Visit Our Blog @ http://www.marketsandmarketsblog.com/market-reports/chemical

Connect with us on LinkedIn @ http://www.linkedin.com/company/marketsandmarkets

SOURCE MarketsandMarketsNEW DELHI, March 12, 2018 /PRNewswire/ --

The Indian Performing Right Society Limited ("IPRS") is pleased to announce that it has collaborated with Amazon India in respect of the IPRS music publishing repertoire for Amazon Prime Music in India (for Musical & Literary Works).

Amazon India's recently launched ad free music streaming service, Amazon Prime Music, will receive access to the IPRS repertoire of more than a million works/titles, spread across multiple languages, eras and genres of Indian music.

IPRS which was granted registration as a Copyright Society by the Government of India in November 2017 under the Copyright Act, 1957 represents more than 4,000 Indian authors, composers and major music publishers which include Saregama, Times Music, Sony, Aditya, Tips Music and Venus. IPRS administers lyrics and musical works as an assignee of its members in respect of communication to the public and mechanical rights in lyrics and musical works. As a Copyright Society, IPRS is also authorised to collect royalty on behalf of its author and music composer members.

Mr. Javed Akhtar, the Chairman of IPRS, said, "The IPRS arrangement with Amazon India heralds a new era for IPRS and the music community in the country. With a strongly united IPRS, Indian lyricists and music composers can finally now start to reap the benefits of the historic changes to the Copyright law in India along with our music publisher members. IPRS looks forward to similar collaborative and positive relationships with platforms in India and is committed to transparent and ethical functioning."

Mr. Sahas Malhotra, Director Amazon Music, India, said, "We are happy to collaborate with IPRS and keen to strengthen our ties with all important stakeholders in the Indian music industry. We will continue to offer a transformative music listening experience to our customers with the ad free Amazon Prime Music offering that comes at no additional cost to Prime members in India."

Mr. Rakesh Nigam, CEO of IPRS, said, "Working with Amazon Music in India signifies that the newly restructured IPRS can achieve much more for its members by actively and transparently partnering with entities like Amazon."

For more information please visit, http://www.iprs.org/cms/Home.aspx.

Media Contacts:

IPRS

Rakesh Nigam

[email protected]

Ravinder Pathak

[email protected]

Amazon India

Priyanka Bedi

[email protected]





SOURCE Indian Performing Right Society LimitedMUMBAI, March 12, 2018 /PRNewswire/ --

On the occasion of the French President's visit to India on 10th to 12th March

18 French companies, accompanied by Agency Business France, have been selected to join the President's visit. The Lyra Group, one of the leaders in securing payments in e-commerce and proximity, is a part of this delegation.

(Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/652972/Lyra_Group_French_Delegation_Meet.jpg )



Present in India for more than 10 years now, Lyra currently has 60 employees in India successfully working with major banks across the country. Beyond the recognition of its development growth in India, this trip is an opportunity for Lyra to strengthen its network and activities.

"We are very proud to participate in this delegation that will accompany the President of the Republic France. This visit represents a unique opportunity to access key contacts, to boost our business and highlight our Indian 'Success Story'," says Christophe Mariette, Associate Director of Lyra Group and Chairman of Lyra India.

India is a very dynamic and innovative market with 7.6% growth per year, India is among the top 10 largest economies and is a true driver of global growth. The structuring of its market, especially around services and industry has the ease to do business, which makes the country more and more attractive for international companies.

In the payment sector, many changes are taking place, boosting the economic growth. The vast demonetization plan launched in November 2016 has increased the use of bank cards across the country and has led to more technological advances, with a strong appetite for new mobile uses.

"Lyra is one of 400 French companies that have believed in the growth of the Indian market and chose to set up full-fledged operations in India," says Rajesh Desai, CEO and Director, Lyra India. "Today, our ambition in this highly dynamic market is to expand significantly and we are currently strengthening our Indian team to support our aggressive plans of offering highly advanced solutions in the payment space."

About Lyra:

Founded in 2001 by Alain Lacour, Lyra secures e-commerce and proximity payments and develops value-added services to manage transactions and POS equipment on a daily basis. Based in Toulouse, Lyra is present internationally with 10 subsidiaries (Algeria, Germany, Brazil, Chile, Spain, India, Mexico, Argentina, Colombia and Peru). The group has over 250 employees for a turnover of 53M in 2017.

Lyra's key figures:

Over 10 billion payments secured and transmitted in 2017 worldwide

Over 50,000 e-merchants

Over 3,000,000 payment terminals worldwide

Lyra's services are certified PCI DSS, Visa Merchant Agent and approved by GIE Cartes Bancaires.

For more information, visit: http://www.lyra.com

Media Contact :

Vipul Lakkapatri

[email protected]

+91-9029091660

Digital Marketing & Communication - Manager, Lyra



SOURCE Lyra NetworkAccording to a new market research report " Transradial Access Market by Product (Catheters, Guidewires, Sheath and Sheath Introducers), Application (Administration of Medicine and Administration of fluids), End User (Hospitals, Clinics & Ambulatory Centres) - Global Forecast 2022 " , published by MarketsandMarkets, the market is projected to reach USD 2.18 Billion by 2022 from USD 1.52 Billion in 2017, at a CAGR of 7.5% during the forecast period. Growth in this market can primarily be attributed to factors such as increasing preference for interventional procedures using radial artery access, growing prevalence of lifestyle diseases, increasing number of chemotherapy procedures, rising prevalence of obesity, and growing use of radial access devices in pediatric patients.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160303/792302 )

Browse 78 Tables and 45 Figures spread through 142 Pages and in-depth TOC on "Transradial Access Market"

https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Market-Reports/transradial-access-market-14566259.html

Early buyers will receive 10% customization on this report

Catheters to account for the largest product segment in the Transradial Access Devices Market in 2017

A typical transradial access device kit consists of various small components such as catheters, guidewires, sheaths and sheath introducers, and accessories (needles and cannulas). Of all these product segments, catheters accounted for the largest share of the Transradial Access Devices Market in 2017. The increasing number of interventional and angiography procedures worldwide is a major factor driving the growth of this segment. Additionally, the increasing incidence of lifestyle-related diseases such as CVD, obesity, and diabetes is also expected to support market growth during the forecast period.

By application, the drug administration segment is expected to dominate the market during the forecast period

On the basis of application, the Transradial Access Devices Market is segmented into drug administration, fluid and nutrition administration, blood transfusion, and diagnostics & testing. The drug administration segment commanded the largest share of the Transradial Access Devices Market in 2017 and is expected to do so during the forecast period as well. The large share of this segment can be attributed to the high usage of vascular access devices for drug administration, particularly for the treatment of infections and cancer.

Ask for PDF Brochure @ https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/pdfdownload.asp?id=14566259

Hospitals expected to be the largest end users of transradial access devices during the forecast period

The Transradial Access Devices Market is categorized into three end-user segments, namely, hospitals, clinics and ambulatory care centers, and other end users. Hospitals accounted for the largest share of the Transradial Access Devices Market in 2017. The large share and high growth rate of this segment is mainly attributed to the large number of transradial procedures undertaken in hospital settings.

North America to dominate the market in 2017

North America is expected to hold the largest share of the market. This region is also expected to register the highest CAGR during the forecast period. Growth in this regional segment can be attributed to the increasing number of cancer patients, growing prevalence of CVDs, increase in research and clinical trials for vascular access devices, and rising number of conferences and workshops creating awareness in this region.

Becton, Dickinson and Company (US) and Terumo Corporation (Japan) dominated the Transradial Access Devices Market in 2016. The other players in the market are Teleflex Incorporated (US), Smiths Group Plc (UK), Edward Lifesciences Corporation (US), Medtronic (Ireland), Merit Medical System, Inc. (US), Boston Scientific (US), NIPRO Medical Corporation (US), AngioDynamics (US), Ameco Medical Industries (Egypt), and OSCOR Inc. (US).

Know more about the Transradial Access Market:

https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Market-Reports/transradial-access-market-14566259.html

About MarketsandMarkets

MarketsandMarkets provides quantified B2B research on 30,000 high growth niche opportunities/threats which will impact 70% to 80% of worldwide companies' revenues. Currently servicing 5000 customers worldwide including 80% of global Fortune 1000 companies as clients. Almost 75,000 top officers across eight industries worldwide approach MarketsandMarkets for their painpoints around revenues decisions.

Our 850 fulltime analyst and SMEs at MarketsandMarkets are tracking global high growth markets following the "Growth Engagement Model - GEM". The GEM aims at proactive collaboration with the clients to identify new opportunities, identify most important customers, write "Attack, avoid and defend" strategies, identify sources of incremental revenues for both the company and its competitors. MarketsandMarkets now coming up with 1,500 MicroQuadrants (Positioning top players across leaders, emerging companies, innovators, strategic players) annually in high growth emerging segments. MarketsandMarkets is determined to benefit more than 10,000 companies this year for their revenue planning and help them take their innovations/disruptions early to the market by providing them research ahead of the curve.

MarketsandMarkets's flagship competitive intelligence and market research platform, "RT" connects over 200,000 markets and entire value chains for deeper understanding of the unmet insights along with market sizing and forecasts of niche markets.

Contact:

Mr. Salgarkar

MarketsandMarkets INC.

630 Dundee Road

Suite 430

Northbrook, IL 60062

USA: +1-888-600-6441

Email: [email protected]

Connect with us on LinkedIn @ http://www.linkedin.com/company/marketsandmarkets



SOURCE MarketsandMarketsMarketsandMarkets : From the supply-side, the " Small-Scale LNG Market b y Type (Liquefaction Terminal and Regasification Terminal), Application (Heavy-Duty Vehicles, Marine Transport, and Industrial and Power), and Region (North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, South America) - Global Forecast to 2022" , capacity is projected to reach 48.3 Million tons per annum by 2022, at a CAGR of 6.7% from 2017 to 2022. Increasing use of liquefied natural gas (LNG) by various applications, such as heavy-duty vehicles and electric power generation, technological advancements being carried out in liquefied natural gas (LNG) liquefaction and regasification processes, and increasing demand of liquefied natural gas (LNG) from the Asia-Pacific region are expected to fuel the growth of the Small-Scale LNG Market during the forecast period. Increasing demand for liquefied natural gas (LNG) from the remote locations for use in power generation plants and global commoditization of liquefied natural gas (LNG) are the major factors driving the demand for liquefied natural gas (LNG) from small-scale regasification terminals. This, in turn, is expected to fuel the growth of the Small-Scale LNG Market during the forecast period.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160303/792302 )



Browse 47 Tables and 38 Figures spread through 115 Pages and in-depth TOC on "Small-Scale LNG Market"

https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Market-Reports/small-scale-lng-market-226707057.html

Early buyers will receive 10% customization on this report

The industrial and power segment of the Small-Scale LNG Market is expected to gain maximum traction during the forecast period, 2017 to 2022.

In terms of volume, the industrial and power segment is projected to lead the Small-Scale LNG Market during the forecast period. There are significant opportunities for Island-based LNG to drive the demand in the industrial & power applications, especially in countries such as Indonesia, the Philippines, and Myanmar. Islands in the Mediterranean Sea such as Malta and Sardinia (Italy) are also investing in small-scale LNG infrastructure to serve applications such as industrial & power plants. The key enabler for small-scale LNG in the industrial & power application is the development of a sustainable and efficient logistic network, as most of the small-scale terminals and end users are in remote locations. In 2016, Royal Dutch Shell (Netherlands) and the Government of Gibraltar signed an agreement for the supply of LNG for use in power generation in Gibraltar.

Get PDF Brochure @ https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/pdfdownload.asp?id=226707057

Among types, the liquefaction terminals segment is projected to lead the Small-Scale LNG Market during the forecast period, 2017 to 2022.

Among types, the liquefaction terminals segment is projected to lead the Small-Scale LNG Market during the forecast period. The increasing demand of LNG from remote locations and global commoditization of LNG are some of the major factors that are driving the demand for LNG from small-scale liquefaction terminals. Similarly, the development of downstream infrastructure and logistics, remote regasification terminals, trucking stations, and bunkering are some of the key factors for building up a robust market for small-scale LNG. Small-scale LNG liquefaction terminals are an attractive complement to large-scale LNG terminals. Technological advancements have made monetization of stranded gas reserves possible in new locations, providing opportunities for energy companies to take advantage of the growing LNG market.

The North America Small-Scale LNG Market is projected to grow at the highest CAGR during the forecast period.

The North America Small-Scale LNG Market is projected to grow at the highest CAGR during the forecast period. In North America, most of the small-scale LNG demand in industrial & power applications is met through peak shaving facilities. The peak shaving facilities are used to meet adequate supply of LNG to address the peak demand. In 2015, there were more than 100 peak shaving facilities in the U.S., among which one-half of the peak shaving facilities were located in the Northeast, while a quarter of them were located in the Midwest. Currently, the U.S. has among the highest number of peak shaving plants. However, less than 10% of them are available for any other use due to the current electricity demand. The commissioning of small-scale liquefaction plants can expand the peak shaving capacities in the region.

The key players profiled in the report are:

1. The Linde Group (Germany)

2. Wartsila (Finland)

3. Honeywell International Inc. (U.S.)

4. General Electric (U.S.)

5. ENGIE (France)

6. Gazprom (Russia)

7. Skangas (Norway)

8. Sofregaz (France)

9. Dresser-Rand (U.S.)

10. Prometheus Energy (U.S.)

Know more about Small-Scale LNG Market:

https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Market-Reports/small-scale-lng-market-226707057.html



About MarketsandMarkets

MarketsandMarkets provides quantified B2B research on 30,000 high growth niche opportunities/threats which will impact 70% to 80% of worldwide companies' revenues. Currently servicing 5000 customers worldwide including 80% of global Fortune 1000 companies as clients. Almost 75,000 top officers across eight industries worldwide approach MarketsandMarkets for their painpoints around revenues decisions.

Our 850 fulltime analyst and SMEs at MarketsandMarkets are tracking global high growth markets following the "Growth Engagement Model - GEM". The GEM aims at proactive collaboration with the clients to identify new opportunities, identify most important customers, write "Attack, avoid and defend" strategies, identify sources of incremental revenues for both the company and its competitors. MarketsandMarkets now coming up with 1,500 MicroQuadrants (Positioning top players across leaders, emerging companies, innovators, strategic players) annually in high growth emerging segments. MarketsandMarkets is determined to benefit more than 10,000 companies this year for their revenue planning and help them take their innovations/disruptions early to the market by providing them research ahead of the curve.

MarketsandMarkets's flagship competitive intelligence and market research platform, "RT" connects over 200,000 markets and entire value chains for deeper understanding of the unmet insights along with market sizing and forecasts of niche markets.

Contact:

Mr. Salgarkar

MarketsandMarkets INC.

630 Dundee Road

Suite 430

Northbrook, IL 60062

USA: +1-888-600-6441

Email: sales@marketsandmarkets.com



Visit Our Blog @ http://www.marketsandmarketsblog.com/market-reports/chemical

Connect with us on LinkedIn @ http://www.linkedin.com/company/marketsandmarkets

SOURCE MarketsandMarkets-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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Fedora Update Notification

FEDORA-2018-e8bc8d2784

2018-03-11 19:57:51.278274

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Name : php

Product : Fedora 26

Version : 7.1.15

Release : 1.fc26

URL : http://www.php.net/

Summary : PHP scripting language for creating dynamic web sites

Description :

PHP is an HTML-embedded scripting language. PHP attempts to make it

easy for developers to write dynamically generated web pages. PHP also

offers built-in database integration for several commercial and

non-commercial database management systems, so writing a

database-enabled webpage with PHP is fairly simple. The most common

use of PHP coding is probably as a replacement for CGI scripts.



The php package contains the module (often referred to as mod_php)

which adds support for the PHP language to Apache HTTP Server.



-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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Update Information:



**PHP version 7.1.15** (01 Mar 2018) **Apache2Handler:** * Fixed bug

php#75882

(a simple way for segfaults in threadsafe php just with configuration).

(Anatol)

**Date:** * Fixed bug php#75857 (Timezone gets truncated when formatted).

(carusogabriel) * Fixed bug php#75928 (Argument 2 for

`DateTimeZone::listIdentifiers()` should accept `null`). (Pedro Lacerda) *

Fixed

bug php#68406 (calling var_dump on a DateTimeZone object modifies it). (jhdxr)

**PGSQL:** * Fixed php#75838 (Memory leak in pg_escape_bytea()). (ard_1 at

mail

dot ru) **ODBC:** * Fixed bug php#73725 (Unable to retrieve value of

varchar(max) type). (Anatol) **LDAP:** * Fixed bug php#49876 (Fix LDAP path

lookup on 64-bit distros). (dzuelke) **libxml2:** * Fixed bug php#75871 (use

pkg-config where available). (pmmaga) **Phar:** * Fixed bug php#65414 (deal

with leading slash when adding files correctly). (bishopb) **SPL:** * Fixed

bug php#74519 (strange behavior of AppendIterator). (jhdxr) **Standard:** *

Fixed bug php#75916 (DNS_CAA record results contain garbage). (Mike, Philip

Sharp) * Fixed bug php#75981 (stack-buffer-overflow while parsing HTTP

response). (Stas)

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References:



[ 1 ] Bug #1551039 - CVE-2018-7584 php: Stack-based buffer under-read in

ext/standard/http_fopen_wrapper.c:php_stream_url_wrap_http_ex function when parsing HTTP response allows denial of service

https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=1551039

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This update can be installed with the "dnf" update program. Use

su -c 'dnf upgrade php' at the command line.

For more information, refer to the dnf documentation available at

http://dnf.readthedocs.io/en/latest/command_ref.html#upgrade-command-label



All packages are signed with the Fedora Project GPG key. More details on the

GPG keys used by the Fedora Project can be found at

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Over the past few years, leather and footwear products have had a sustained presence among the top five major export items of Vietnam. The whole sector reported an export revenue of US$18 billion last year, up 10.7% compared to 2016, with a range of products exported to many countries around the world. The United States remains the largest export market for Vietnamese leather and footwear products, accounting for 34% of the sectors total export turnover, followed by the European Union (EU), the Republic of Korea (RoK), Japan, and China.

According to the Vietnam Leather, Footwear, and Handbag Association (LEFASO), in 2018, the leather and footwear industry will see many favorable factors, which will push the whole sector forward and create breakthroughs to achieve the envisaged goals.

Specifically, the Vietnam-EU Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) is expected to be signed in mid-2018. Compared to the biggest competitor, China, Vietnams footwear products will enjoy a tax difference of 3.5-4.2% on exports to the EU, creating a big competitive advantage. As the agreement comes into force, the tax rate will be reduced to zero.

In addition, the Producers Guild of America (PGA) is accelerating the approval of a new tax bill, which will cut tariffs on several lines of imports, including dozens of footwear and textile products imported from Vietnam.

Particularly, the US Skechers Group is researching investment in a large project with about 20,000 workers in Vietnam. The project is expected to create the attraction for a new wave of investment capital after a quiet year in the leather and footwear industry.

Last year, Skechers distributed more than 200 million products and is planning to shift investment from China to Vietnam. They have been investing vigorously in cities and provinces in the southern region, and are eyeing an expansion of investment in the northern region, where Hai Duong province may be the destination for the first project with a projected capital scale of US$700,000 to US$1 billion.

According to a representative of LEFASO, in addition to the favourable factors, Vietnamese leather and footwear businesses will have to face with some challenges this year, including the impacts of the fourth Industrial Revolution (Industry 4.0) and the problem of enhancing labour productivity. Up to 75% of leather and footwear enterprises now find it difficult to invest in automation; only about 20% of them start at a small scale; and less than 5% are planning to make investments in the area. Aside from this, the protectionist policies implemented by certain countries also pose a big challenge to the Vietnamese leather and footwear sector. For example, the United Kingdom (UK) decision to leave the EU has directly affected Vietnams leather and footwear exports.

Given these difficulties, LEFASO recommends that, in order to improve competitiveness, enterprises operating in the industry should address the high costs of labour by moving factories to areas with an abundant supply of labour so as to lower production costs, whilst continuing to invest in developing the supporting industries in order to enhance the added value of products and facilitate companies proactivity in their production activities. Also, enterprises should produce medium and high-value products instead of low-end products, in the aim of improving their competitive advantage in this segment, compared to other manufacturers.

In 2018, Vietnams leather and footwear sector has set a target of US$20 billion in its export revenue, a 10% increase over 2017. To achieve this goal, LEFASO will strengthen its consultation work for government agencies in issuing policies related to firms business production activities. At the same time, the association will accelerate the dissemination of State policies and the attraction of domestic and foreign investment to develop the supporting industries producing leather and footwear materials, aiming to increase the localisation rate of products and maintain sustainable development.While receiving Yoichi Kobayashi, Chairman of the Japan-Mekong Business Cooperation Committee under the Japan Chamber of Commerce and Industry (JCCI) in Hanoi on March 12, the Vice President highlighted that the bilateral cooperation is developing comprehensively and intensively.

Vietnam always considers Japan its leading and long-term partner, she said, adding that Japan is a leading provider of official development assistance (ODA) for Vietnam and among top investors in the country.

She expressed her wish that more Japanese enterprises will invest in developing services in Vietnam in order to improve locals living conditions and serve consumption demand of the rapidly growing middle class in the country.

Vietnamese and Japanese businesses should step up cooperation in education and tourism development by taking advantage of cultural similarities and beautiful landscapes of both countries, she said.

She added that Vietnam hopes for more opportunities to learn from Japans experience in clean agricultural production.

For his part, Chairman of the Japan-Mekong Business Cooperation Committee Yoichi Kobayashi expected the economic-trade collaboration between the two nations to develop more fruitfully, especially in the context that the bilateral ties are becoming closer and their businesses are provided with the most favourable conditions.

He also highlighted the developing people-to-people exchanges between Vietnam and Japan, noting that the number of Vietnamese students in his country is continuously increasing, making Vietnam one of the countries with the most overseas students in Japan.

He said he wishes that bilateral trade and investment ties will be further enhanced via periodical dialogues with the Vietnamese Ministry of Planning and Investment and the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry.Masterforex-V EXPO Names World's Best Forex Brokers for Beginners in February 2018

At some point in their career, each and every forex trader out there faces the same challenge  choosing the right forex broker. This holds especially true for beginners just getting their feet wet in the forex trading environment. Basically, their future performance will depend on that choice. The thing is, forex brokers may differ in a number of aspects, including the trading conditions they offer their clients.

When it comes to choosing the right forex broker, beginners usually have a hard time doing this. More often than not, they are newbies with zero knowledge about financial markets whatsoever. Apparently, when making the choice, such traders are often guided by their current needs and goals. The truth is, those rookies dont really know what they need to make the right choice since this task requires taking into account a whole lot of various factors, which may later affect their trading performance.

So, how do you actually choose a broker as a beginning trader? Well, to start with, experts recommend that beginning traders take into account the unbiased rating of forex brokers by Masterforex-V Academy . Its this the rating that can help you figure out which exactly brokers can be rally trusted at this point, which ones of them are promising and deserve your attention, which ones of them are ready to offer you the most competitive trading conditions out there. The given rating is totally unbiased, based on a number of quantitative criteria, including the results of the open voting. By the way, anyone can cast their vote for or against a certain forex broker (one vote per IP is allowed).

Best Forex Brokers for Beginners in February 2018

The list of the best forex brokers to date is represented mostly by the companies that are included in Masterforex-V Academy s rating of premium brokers. The list takes into account both the rating points (Fort Financial Services has 1000,00 points, OANDA has 871 points, Alpari has 1,020.30 points, and so on), and the results of the open voting.

The TOP3 brokers are:

- Fort Financial Services. The company was founded in 2010. Since then, they have been focused on delivering premium-quality products and services to both beginning and advanced forex traders of all kinds.

- OANDA. This is a true heavyweight in the international forex industry with over 20 years of expertise. The company has been taking advantage of cutting-edge technologies when rendering services to corporate and retail clients all over the world.

- Alpari Limited. This is another veteran of the industry. Even since being founded almost 20 years ago, the company has been increasingly popular with international traders and investors thanks to spotless reputation as well as the exceptional quality of service.

These tree top-ranking brokers are followed by such brokers as:

- ORBEX;

- FreshForex;

- Larson&Holz;

- FXOpen;

- YA-HI.com;

- EXNESS;

- GKFX;

- InstaForex;

- LiteForex;

- Forexite;

- Grand Capital;

- ForexStart;

- 24FX;

- TenkoFX;

- Forex4you;

- RoboForex;

- FBS Markets Inc.;

- Premium Trading;

- FX-Invest;

- Rinkost Markets;

- Dealingcity;

- Pellucid FX;

- Binoa;

- Arena FX;

- iP Forex.

You are free to discuss this article here: forum for traders and investorsChina's Central Bank Is Skeptical About Cryptocurrencies

The Peoples Bank of China has been very skeptical (even critical) about cryptocurrencies. This is confirmed by the statement recently made by the central banks president.



In particular, he thinks that cryptocurrencies have been spreading around the world too fast, which has been a real threat to consumers. Apart from that, this situation may result in unpredictable consequences for the global financial market. He also sees most of the existing cryptocurrencies as unreliable. Therefore, those cryptocurrencies must be suspended while the more reliable ones need to be checked thoroughly.



The President of the Peoples Bank of China reminds us that since August 2017, all ICOs and cryptocurrency transactions have been banned in China, which means neither Bitcoin nor altcoins have been recognized as legal payment means in China since then.



At the same time, he doesnt deny blockchain and other innovative technologies but he warns the world against ignoring the importance of secure financial products and markets. In particular, he thinks that its unacceptable to create highly speculative financial products for instant and big profits and therefore undermine the existing global financial system.



In the meantime, NordFX reports that Bitcoin is currently trading around 9300 USD/BTC. The BTC exchange rate crashed to this level shortly after peaking at a level slightly above 9800 USD/BTC. Ripple, Bitcoin Cash, Litecoin and many other cryptocurrencies followed Bitcoin and lost a bit of the value. At this point, the entire cryptocurrency market cap has shrunk down to 358 billion dollars.







You are free to discuss this article here: forum for traders and investors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Los Angeles, March 9 : The 16th Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles (IFFLA) here next month will have a memorial tribute screening of "Chandni", one of the gems from the late Bollywood actress Sridevi's glorious cinematic career.

The gala will screen a 2K print of the 1989 hit "Chandni", courtesy of Yash Raj Films, read a statement.

IFFLA, to be held April 11-15, will open with "In The Shadows", starring Manoj Bajpayee, and conclude with Rima Das' "Village Rockstars".

Other highlights include Nagraj Manjule's short film "An Essay of the Rain", Ben Rekhi's "The Ashram" starring Kal Penn, Vaishali Sinha's "Ask The Sexpert" about 93-year old sex advice columnist Mahinder Watsa, "The Hungry", starring Naseeruddin Shah and Tisca Chopra, Hansal Mehta's "Omerta" and Nila Madhab Panda's "Kadvi Hawa".

The line-up includes 12 languages and a list of first and second-time filmmakers, including 11 women filmmakers.

"This year's lineup is a testament to the rich variety of genre, style and skill that exists within the Indian filmmaking community. We are enormously proud to present this collection of exciting, inspiring, and challenging stories that are sure to make for a thrilling festival experience," said Mike Dougherty, IFFLA's Director of Programming.

This year, IFFLA will feature four world premieres, three North American premieres, two US premieres, and 14 Los Angeles premieres.

Various filmmakers and actors will attend the festival, including Mehta, Sinha, Bornila Chatterjee, Panda and "Ajji" lead actress Sushama Deshpande.New Delhi, March 10 : President Ram Nath Kovind on Saturday appointed Suresh Prabhu as the new Civil Aviation Minister, a statement said.

A communique from the Rashtrapati Bhawan said Commerce and Industry Minister Prabhu will take additional charge of the Ministry of Civil Aviation.

The announcement came two days after P. Ashok Gajapathi Raju stepped down as the Aviation Minister following the Telegu Desam Party's quitting the NDA government.Lucknow, March 10 : The Congress on Saturday announced its support for the candidature of Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) nominee Bhim Rao Ambedkar for the Rajya Seat from Uttar Pradesh, polling for which will be held on March 23.

The decision was announced by the leader of the Congress legislature party in the state assembly, Ajay Kumar 'Lallu', after a meeting with the leader of the BSP legislators in the assembly, Lalji Verma.

Polling in biennial elections for 10 Rajya Sabha seats from the state will be held on March 23. Based on its strength in the state assembly, the ruling BJP can send eight persons to the Upper House of Parliament, while the Samajwadi Party (SP) and the BSP can send one member each.

The BJP, however, is said to have been contemplating a ninth candidate also, something which might now face a roadblock.

The SP has named Jaya Bachchan as its candidate for the polls.

The BSP has 19 members in the Vidhan Sabha while the Congress has seven. The SP has 47 and the BJP along with its allies has 324 seats.

To get elected to the Rajya Sabha, each candidate requires 37 votes. While eight candidates of the BJP can cruise along easily, it will have 28 more votes and if it can ensure cross-voting by nine more members, its ninth candidate can also get elected.

Independent MLAs like Raghuraj Pratap Singh aka Raja Bhaiyya, Vinod Saroj, Aman Mani Tripathi and Vijay Mishra sided with the BJP in the presidential election.

BJP strategists are eyeing these four legislators and also looking at some possible breakaways in the SP and Congress ranks. The BJP has so far only announced the name of Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley from Uttar Pradesh for the polls.Kabul, March 10 : At least 15 Afghan soldiers were killed when Taliban militants attacked their outpost in Afghanistan's Farah province, the media reported on Saturday.

Citing Ariana News TV, Xinhua reported that the attack was carried out by the Taliban militants on Friday night in Farah Rod area of Bala Buluk district, northeast of provincial capital city Farah, Farid Bakhtawar, chairman of the provincial council, was quoted as saying.

Among those killed were nine members of the Afghan Special Operations Forces, according to the report.

Additional forces were dispatched to the district following the clashes.

Several soldiers were reported missing after the attack during which one armoured military vehicle was destroyed and two others were seized by the attackers together with weapons.

Zabiullah Mujahid, a purported Taliban spokesman, claimed that 53 Afghan soldiers were killed and injured when Taliban fighters stormed their position in Farah Rod.

Afghan army and police have repulsed Taliban attacks against Farah city in the past months as the militants have been trying to capture full control of the city and outer parts.New Zealand has maintained a level of moderate economic growth in recent years, with an expansion of 2.8% in 2017. The country ranked first for the ease of doing business in 2016 and has Australia, China, the EU, the US, Japan, and ASEAN as its main trading partners.



New Zealand prioritises the maintenance of a peaceful and stable environment, strengthening comprehensive and deep links with the Asia-Pacific region, and promoting trade liberalisation, while actively participating in regional and global institutions and reinforcing the strategic partnership with ASEAN.



The country always values the role of ASEAN, having pledged to contribute NZ$200 million over the next three years to enact the People Strategy and Prosperity Strategy, considering them the centre of the ASEAN-New Zealand Plan of Action.



ASEAN is currently New Zealands fifth largest trading partner with bilateral trade reaching US$10.6 billion. New Zealand values Vietnams role and position in the Asia-Pacific region and wishes to expand its relations with ASEAN through Vietnam.



Vietnam and New Zealand established diplomatic relations in 1975 and have seen stronger ties develop rapidly in recent years. The two countries agreed a comprehensive partnership in 2009 and issued a joint statement in 2015 on enhancing the comprehensive partnership to the level of a strategic partnership in future. The fine relationship has been marked by high-level visits between the two sides, notably New Zealand PM John Keys visit to Vietnam in November 2015 and Vietnamese PM Nguyen Tan Dungs visit to New Zealand in March 2015.



The two countries leaders frequently meet on the sidelines of the East Asia Summit and the APEC Summit. In addition, bilateral cooperative mechanisms such as political consultations, the Committee on Economic and Trade Cooperation, and defence policy dialogues are held regularly.



Vietnam and New Zealand both seek the early conclusion of negotiations on the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) and each others nomination as a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council. New Zealand has been steadfast in its support for Vietnams participation on the UN Economic and Social Council for the 2016-2018 term, on UNESCOs Executive Board for the 2015-2019 term, and for Vietnams hosting of the APEC Summit 2017.



We are pleased at the favourable development of economic, trade, and investment cooperation between the two countries. Two-way trade has been increasing over the years, from US$300 million in 2009, to US$900 million in 2017. New Zealand is Vietnams 31st largest trading partner, while Vietnam is New Zealands 17th biggest. To date, New Zealand has 28 active projects in Vietnam with a total capital of US$101.94 million, ranking 41st among 120 countries and territories investing in Vietnam.



Vietnam is the 16th largest exporter to New Zealand and 19th in the list of importers. Vietnam currently has six investment projects in New Zealand with a total capital of US$25.62 million in the fields of manufacturing, hospitality, and agriculture.



New Zealand has increased its ODA for Vietnam from US$2.3 million annually throughout the 2003-2004 period, to US$7.4 million during the 2012-2013 period, mainly in the areas of human resources development, education and training, and sustainable agriculture. New Zealand has pledged to provide Vietnam with US$18.6 million during the 2015-2018 period.



Cooperation between Vietnam and New Zealand in other areas such as security-defence, education-training, labour, transport, and agriculture has also seen positive developments. There are nearly 3,000 Vietnamese students currently studying in New Zealand while the Vietnamese community in New Zealand is estimated at more than 5,000 people.



Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phucs official visit to New Zealand aims to continue to implement Vietnams foreign policy of diversification, multilateralisation, while actively integrating into the international community and deepening international relationships.



The visit affirms that Vietnam both values and wishes to strengthen their comprehensive partnership with New Zealand, supporting the two countries enterprises in exploring each others markets, potential, demands, and strengths.Mumbai, March 10 : A protest march by 30,000 farmers against the failure of the BJP-led government to address agrarian distress entered Mumbai on Saturday.

The march, led by All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS) -- a peasants front of the Communist Party of India (Marxist), was launched from Nashik on Tuesday.

The farmers will stage a protest outside the legislative assembly here on March 12, demanding fair remuneration and loan waiver.

These farmers will seek answer from the government for non- implementation of the demands that were promised by the government, said Ajit Nawale, state general secretary of AIKS.

"Farmers in the state are reeling under the ripples of agrarian distress and they are under huge financial burden. The government has not done anything to provide them any relief. So they are left with no option but to express their anguish through the protest march," Nawale told IANS.

The 180-km long foot march was started with participation of about 12,000 farmers and the number has reached to 30,000 now, which showed the intensity of discontent among farmers, Nawale said.

As a stream of people flowing in to join the march, the number of protesters will go up to 55,000- 60,000 figure when it will reach the destination, he added.

Complete loan waiver and profit of 1.5 times input cost for all major agriculture commodities are the major demands of the AIKS.

These farmers want immediate implementation of M.S. Swaminathan committee's recommendations, which ensures fair remuneration.

The agitating farmers are also demanding compensation of Rs 40,000 per acre for destruction of crops due to hailstorm and pink-worm, allocation of forest land under cultivation to farmers and implementation of Forest Rights Act.

While the organisers have said they would try to reach the assembly in peaceful manner, the government is likely to stop the protest march at Azad Maidan.

In June last year, similar protests had boiled over most parts of the state, forcing the Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis-led government to announce a conditional Rs 34,000 crore loan waiver, which farmers said has not been implemented properly.

Similar demands of loan waiver and 50 per cent profit over the input cost have been made by farmers across the country, putting the BJP-led central government in a fix.

BJP is not just facing flak from the opposition but its estranged ally Shiv Sena has also extended its support to the protesting farmers.Kolkata, March 11 : Protesting the attack on Bharatiya Jana Sangh founder Syama Prasad Mookerjee's statue in Kolkata, West Bengal BJP's youth wing Yuba Morcha activists walked in a silent rally here on Sunday.

The rally was held from south Kolkata's Hazra to Syama Prasad Mookherjee's house in the nearby Bhawanipore area.

Terming the rally as a token protest against the vandalism, the rallyists said they are not happy with the state government's role in handling the issue and reiterated the party's claim to reinstall the statue as soon as possible.

"It is shameful that Bengalis were involved in vandalising the statue of someone who did so much for Bengal and its people. We are not satisfied with the role of the Bengal government in the issue, nor do we expect anything better from them," Debjit Sarkar, state Yuba Morcha president told IANS.

"But as our state party (Bharatiya Janata Party) chief Dilip Ghosh said, we want the statue to be put back to its previous state with honour," he said.

He also claimed the attack cannot be called a counter offensive for the razing of Lenin's statue in Tripura, as according to him, the incident in Tripura was a spontaneous reaction of the people's rage towards the erstwhile Left regime.

"People are saying they broke the statue of Mookerjee here to protest an incident in Tripura. First of all, that incident has no relation with Bengal. Also, even if some BJP supporters were involved in the attack on Lenin's statue, it was mostly the common people who came out and did that to announce the end of Left rule there," the BJP leader claimed.

"We hope the Trinamool government would take note of our protest here and do the needful," he added.

Seven members of an extremist Left-wing student organisation were arrested for allegedly vandalising and blackening a marble bust of Syama Prasad Mookerjee in Kolkata's Keoratola crematorium ground last week.

The incident happened after a statue of Dravidian icon and social reformer E.V.R. Ramasamy, popularly known as Periyar, was razed in Tamil Nadu's Vellore, while two statues of Russian communist revolutionary Vladimir Lenin were pulled down in Tripura allegedly by the BJP-RSS activists.Washington, March 12 : The US government will not make concessions during negotiations with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and will demand that Pyongyang's halt its missile tests and open the door to denuclearizing, CIA Director Mike Pompeo said on Sunday.

"While these negotiations are going on, there will be no concessions made. President Trump isn't doing this for theater. He's going to solve a problem," Pompeo said.

The CIA chief added that North Korea must offer "complete, verifiable and un-reversible proof" that it has halted its missile testing, although the US will maintain strict economic sanctions on Pyongyang, Efe reported.

The US President Donald Trump predicted on Saturday evening during a speech in Pennsylvania that his talks with Kim will be a "tremendous success" a few days after it was revealed that he had agreed to meet with the reclusive leader of the North Korean regime in an historic encounter which, if it comes off, would be the first time in history for a US president and a North Korean leader to meet.

"The President has made the decision; this is the right time to meet with Kim Jong-un," Pompeo said.

Although initially the meeting was scheduled for May, later White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said that neither the location nor the date for the encounter had been set.

The surprising announcement about the top-level meeting was made by South Korean National Security Office chief Chung Eui-yong, who met on Thursday with Trump at the White House to relay a message to him from Kim, with whom Chung had met on Monday in Pyongyang.

The moves by the US and North Korean leaders to get together and talk face to face comes after a year of rising tensions, exchanges of insults and ongoing military threats.

Trump has called Kim a "madman" and a "maniac," while the North Korean leader has said that the US president is "mentally deranged."Srinagar, March 12 : Three militants were killed early Monday in a gunfight with the security forces in Jammu and Kashmir's Anantnag district, police said.

"Pursuing credible leads on the presence of militants, security forces started search operation in the Hakoora area of Anantnag district in the wee hours of Monday morning.

"While the searches were going on, hiding millitants fired upon the search party. The fire was retaliated by the security forces ensuing an encounter," a police statement said.

The three militants killed in the gunfight were identified as Eesa Fazli of Srinagar, Syed Owais and Sabzar Ahmad Sofi, both belonging to Anantnag district.

The police has recovered arms and ammunition including AK 47 rifles, pistols, hand grenades from the encounter site. No collateral damage was reported.

"It is pertinent to mention that among the slain militants, one was involved in a recent attack on a police guard post at Soura in which one police constable was killed," the police statement said.New Delhi, March 12 : The Lok Sabha was disrupted on Monday amid continuing protests by the opposition over the Punjab National Bank (PNB) fraud and other issues, forcing Speaker Sumitra Mahajan to adjourn the House till noon.

Within minutes after it met, members from various parties trooped near the Speaker's podium, raising slogans on different issues, including the banking irregularities.

Congress members were seen raising slogans demanding that Nirav Modi, the key accused in the PNB fraud case, be brought back to India.

Mahajan tried to take up the Question Hour -- but in vain because of the din. She then adjourned the House till noon.Washington, March 12 : US Defence Secretary James Mattis has warned Syria against using chemical weapons, implying it would prompt military consequences, as it did last year when President Donald Trump ordered a strike on a Syrian air base, the media reported.

"I just want to reiterate it would be very unwise for them to use weaponised gas," CNN quoted Mattis as saying on Sunday while en route to Oman.

"And I think President Trump made that very clear early in his administration."

Mattis blamed Russia for Syria's chemical weapons stockpile, which Moscow said it would help eliminate as part of an agreement in 2013, but which the US and international observers said Syria used on civilians last year.

"Russia was the framework guarantor that (Syrian President Bashar al Assad) would get rid of all of it.

"Again, either Russia is incompetent or in cahoots with Assad," he said.

Mattis also expressed scepticism at the much vaunted roll-out of supposedly new, high tech Russian missiles, which Russian President Vladimir Putin has claimed are "invincible" and have unlimited range, CNN reported.

"I get paid to make strategic assessments... And I would just tell you that I saw no change to the Russian military capability and each of these systems (Putin) is taking about that are still years away," said the Defence Secretary.

Mattis said likewise that the announced Russian weapons did not change the "military balance" or create a need for the US to change its posture.

"They did not impact any need on our side, for a change in our deterrent posture."Islamabad, March 12 : Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif has arrived in Pakistan on a three-day visit for talks on regional issues, officials said here on Monday.

Zarif is scheduled to hold official talks with his Pakistani counterpart Khawaja Asif later on Monday on key issues, focusing on anti-terror cooperation, border security and economic issues, reports Xinhua news agency.

Both Foreign Ministers are expected to speak at a joint press conference.

Cooperation for the Afghan peace and reconciliation and against the Islamic State terror group will be a part of the discussions.

Zarif is also expected to meet Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi and military chief Gen. Qamar Javed Bajwa, a diplomatic source told Xinhua.

The Foreign Minister is accompanied by a 30-member delegation, including representatives from the business sector. He will also address a Pakistan-Iran business conference.

Last week, Pakistan's Foreign Ministry spokesman Mohammed Faisal had said Zarif's visit is part of the regular bilateral political consultations between both sides.

"Pakistan and Iran remain actively engaged in enhancing cooperation in all areas of mutual interest," he said at his weekly briefing. The Iranian minister will participate in the Iran-Pakistan Joint Economic Forum.

After Islamabad, Zarif will travel to Karachi.New Delhi, March 12 : Google on Monday introduced a new video messaging feature for its mobile app Google Duo that would let users capture and share video messages when their friends cannot answer their call.

"Starting today, Duo users can send a video message to their friend or family member, who will receive it in the Duo app. The video messaging functionality allows users to leave a 30-second video (or voice) message if the person they're calling declines or misses the incoming call," the company said in a statement.

To play a video message received from another user, users need to simply tap their icon.

After they have watched their video message, users can tap the 'Call now' button to easily call that person back.

The new video messages will automatically disappear within a day after a user has seen it, Google said.

However, the company has added an option wherein the user can save their favourite video messages on smartphone.

Similar to all calls made on Google Duo, video messages are also secure and end-to-end encrypted.

The new feature has begun rolling out for Android and iOS devices and will be live worldwide soon.Agartala, March 12 : CPI-M General Secretary Sitaram Yechury on Monday said all opposition parties would come together to defeat the BJP's plot of "birodhimukt Bharat" (opposition-free India).

"BJP hatched a plot to make "birodhimukt Bharat". It would never be achieved. All opposition secular parties are getting organised to defeat the BJP plot," Yechury told media persons before leaving here for Maharashtra where he would join the farmers agitation.

The Left leader said that this time the opposition alliance would be on the strength of "niti" (policy) and not on the basis of "neta" (leader).

He said: "After the BJP won the Tripura assembly elections, their cadres unleashed a reign of terror over the past one week across the state to turn Tripura "birodhimukt" as part of their larger plan of "opposition-free India".

The Left leader refused to accept that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) was on the rise in India as, according to him, the saffron party lost many elections in the BJP-ruled states.

During the past four days, the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) General Secretary, accompanied by former Chief Minister Manik Sarkar and other party leaders and MPs, visited many post-poll violence-hit areas of Tripura and spoke to those affected by the incidents.

"The BJP can destroy the party offices, attack people and their assets, but they cannot annihilate an ideology. The CPI-M might win or lose the elections, but it would continue to be the champion of people's cause."

He claimed that a huge number of CPI-M and other Left parties' offices were set on fire, ransacked and vandalised; hundreds of houses, shops and other assets owned by Left leaders and supporters were either burnt down or destroyed by BJP members and thousands of people driven out from their homes and villages.

"Thousands of people apprehending fresh attack are unable to join their work places. Large-scale extortion of money and intimidation are continuing," Yechury told reporters.

Yechury demanded an end to the violence in the state.

The CPI-M General Secretary urged the newly formed BJP government to give proper compensations to those affected -- to bear the treatment cost of the hundreds of injured, provide security to the fear-stricken lot, and return of the hundreds of party offices forcibly occupied to their rightful owners.

He said the issue of violent incidents in Tripura would be raised in Parliament and the matter would be discussed with all opposition parties as well.

"The incidents of violence and related issues would be taken up with the Centre. In this hour of distress, Tripura would not remain alone... the entire country is with the people of the state," the CPI-M leader said.Kathmandu, March 12 : Two Indian nationals have been arrested in Nepal's Bara district with a pistol, police said.

A joint security team of the Nepal Police and Armed Police Force apprehended Chandan Kumar Raya, 20, and Sanjaya Kumar Raya, 19, of Bihar on Sunday, the Himalayan Times reported.

According to the police, the two tried to escape in a car during a routine security check. But the police circled their car and took the men in custody.

An Italian-made 9mm Browning Pistol was strapped onto the body of one of the men, the report said. A magazine and two rounds of bullets were also found in their possession.At the meeting, the VLFA President Tran Van Tuy conveyed good wishes and congratulations to the staff of the Lao embassy in Vietnam and the Lao students on the Lao traditional New Year festival.

He also emphasised the significance of the Vietnam-Laos, Laos-Vietnam Friendship and Solidarity Year in 2017 which was considered as a great milestone in their bilateral relations, contributing to reinforcing the traditional friendship between the two countries.

During the year, the two sides celebrated the 55th anniversary of their diplomatic ties and 40 years of the Treaty on Friendship and Cooperation.

The two sides have exchanged 300 delegations, while working together to implement all of the signed agreements and cooperation programmes and plans, thus lifting the ties to a new height.

Speaking at the meeting, Lao Ambassador Thongsavanh Phomvihane thanked the VLFA for organising this meaningful meeting.

Activities held during the Vietnam-Laos Friendship and Solidarity Year 2017 have helped educate youths on the close relationship between the two countries and have raised their awareness of the responsibility to preserve and promote the special ties, he noted.New Delhi, March 12 : Indian Premier League (IPL) defending champions Mumbai Indians on Monday signed up with online travel company Goibibo as their principal sponsors for one year, according to a statement from the franchise.

As part of the partnership, brand Goibibo will be sported on the back of the Mumbai Indians team jersey this IPL season, starting April 7.

Commenting on the partnership, Saujanya Shrivastava, Group CMO, MakeMyTrip said: "We are delighted to partner with Mumbai Indians and reach out to millions of IPL and Mumbai Indian fans through this association. IPL is one of the most loved and watched sporting events in the country and the association with Mumbai Indians presents a consumer-focused brand like ours a unique opportunity to deepen our engagement with customers in a truly innovative manner."

A Mumbai Indians spokesperson said: "We are thrilled to have a new category in Goibibo as part of brand association with Mumbai Indians. As a brand that has strong resonance with new-age Indians on the move, Goibibo will be a perfect partner to the Mumbai Indians."

The three time IPL champions led by Rohit Sharma will open their campaign in the 2018 edition against Mahendra Singh Dhoni's Chennai Super Kings (CSK) at home on April 7.

Latest updates on IPL 2020Kolkata, March 12 : India's tea exports grew by nearly 7 per cent to 200.67 million kg during April-January period of 2017-18 (FY18) as compared to 188.10 million kg exported in the corresponding period of last fiscal.

While exports to Russia, Ukraine, Kazakhstan and Germany fell, those for Pakistan, China, Iran and Egypt showed improvement.

According to provisional data of the Tea Board India, exports, in value terms, stood at Rs 3,970.37 crore in the 10 months of the current fiscal, up by about 2.5 per cent from Rs 3,874.82 crore in the year-ago period.

However, in January alone, export was down marginally by 2.28 per cent to 20.55 million kg as against 21.03 million kg exported in the year-ago month. In value terms, exports during the month also fell to Rs 408.74 crore, from Rs 412.35 crore in January 2017.

In volume, exports to CIS countries, including Russia, Ukraine and Kazakhstan, were at 46.92 million kg in the April-January 2017-18, down from 49.63 million kg in the same period of 2016-17.

Exports to the UK also fell to 13.66 million kg in the 10-month period of FY18 as against 13.96 million kg in the year-ago period while exports at 7.98 million kg to Germany during the period were also down from 8.76 million kg exported in corresponding months of 2016-17.

Exports to Iran went up to 24.62 million kg, from 21.06 million kg.

As much as 8.87 million kg of tea was shipped out to Egypt during the 10-month period of 2017-18, up from 2.98 million kg in the year-ago period.

Tea exports to Pakistan stood at 12.73 million kg in the period under review, as against 9.65 million kg exported in the corresponding period of 2016-17. India's tea exports to China during the period were at 6.66 million kg, up from 5.14 million kg.

India achieved the highest tea exports during 2017 (January-December) after 36 years, pegged at 240.68 million kg.New Delhi, March 12 : The Supreme Court on Monday said it will get auctioned the unencumbered properties of real estate major Unitech, including personal assets of Managing Director Sanjay Chandra, in order to pay back home buyers seeking refund of their money.

"We will auction... We will proceed with the auction," said a bench of Chief Justice Dipak Misra, Justice A.M. Khanwilkar, and Justice D.Y. Chandrachud.

The bench was told that Unitech has prepared a list of unencumbered properties but it was incomplete.

On March 5, the apex court had directed Unitech to submit a list of its unencumbered properties.

"... the competent authority of Unitech Limited shall file an affidavit mentioning the details of its properties and its subsidiaries, situated in India as well as outside, which are free from encumbrances," the court's March 5 order said.

The court asked senior counsel Ranjit Kumar, appearing for Unitech, to file the incomplete list along with an affidavit. However, the real estate major will complete the list before the next date of hearing.

Pressing for Chandra's bail, Kumar cited the instance of Sahara Group chief Subrata Roy's bail.

"Here (there are) actual home buyers. They feel cheated and deceived," Chief Justice Misra said, apparently indicating that in the case of Sahara, the investors, as of now, were yet to be ascertained.

In a related development, the court imposed a Rs 25-lakh fine on Chennai-based JM Financial Asset Restructuring Company Limited and dismissed its intervention application.

JM Financial Asset Restructuring Company Limited had picked up the loan obligation of Unitech towards the HDFC bank and rescheduled its repayments.

Besides, it had advanced further loan for the completion of 17 projects in Chennai, Bengaluru, Kolkata and Gurugram, the court was told.

Describing the action of JM Financial Asset Restructuring Company Limited as a "diversion" from the main issue, the apex court said that during an earlier hearing of the matter an impression was created that JM Finance services was there to help the home buyers.

The court said that senior counsel Guru Krishna Kumar, appearing for the finance company, had urged it to reconsider the fine on the company.

Sanjay Chandra and his brother Ajay were arrested in April last year after investors, who did not get apartments in the company projects as promised, filed complaints of cheating against them.

They were sent in judicial custody after the trial court refused to extend the three- month interim bail granted to them in April.

The Delhi High Court too refused to extend the interim bail that ended on August 10 last year.Mumbai, March 12 : National Award winning screenplay writer Juhi Chaturvedi says making a film on an original story is tougher than making a biopic.

At the trailer launch of Shoojit Sircar's upcoming film "October", which she has penned, Chaturvedi was asked if she wants to write a biopic rather than an original story.

She said: "I think a biopic should be made on stories that could create an impact on the society once the film is out. This is true that making a film with an original story takes more hard work and time. It takes more time to write a story and people do not have the patience to wait. They just want to make a film as fast as possible.

"I took around two-and-a-half years for writing the story of the film 'October'. And I think this much time is needed for writing. I am thankful that Shoojit and Ronnie (producer Ronnie Lahiri) waited for me to write the story," she said.

"I think nowadays people will sign a newborn thinking if they become somebody, they will make a biopic in future," quipped the writer, who has earlier penned the stories of films like "Vicky Donor", "Madras Cafe" and "Piku".

Chaturvedi was present at the "October" trailer launch with Sircar, Lahiri and the film's lead actors Varun Dhawan and Banita Sandhu. The film will release on April 13.Mumbai, March 12 : In Shakti Samanta's 1971 romantic classic "Amar Prem", the lead pair Rajesh Khanna and Sharmila Tagore never get a chance to get intimate in the way men and women get in real and reel life. No songs, no exchange of affection, no sex. And yet the on-screen pair in the movie were an epitome of romanticism.

There's a similar sublimity in Varun Dhawan's eyes in "October", director Shoojit Sircar and writer Juhi Chuturvedi's most romantic association to date. The trailer is suffused in shades of green and the hues of morning time serenity, conveying a closeness to nature that is as bracing as a walk by the riverside on a soft autumn morning.

Varun plays a housekeeper at a hotel, in love with the idea of love. The girl whom he follows into the ICU of a hospital barely acknowledges him at their workplace. Yet he clings to the idea of love in the way a mother whose son has gone soldiering to the border clings to the idea that he will come back.

The thought of a man waiting for a comatose woman to recover before knowing whether she is in love with him or not was recently seen in Kumail Nanjiani's "The Big Sick". Here in "October", Sircar and his infinitely intuitive writer Chaturvedi show us what it is like to be in love with the idea of love.

It's a relationship built on fragile hope and residual trust. The trailer tenderly and lovingly weaves into Varun's character Dan's world where love has lodged itself precariously. This is not an easily obtainable love nor is it a relationship that has any rational basis. For all we know, the love could just be in Varun's mind.

"October" is a world that very few filmmakers today would dare to enter, let alone inhabit with such comforting grace. This is the kind of romantic drama we though we would never see again after Rajesh, Sharmila and Shakti Samanta.

It takes one Bengali to take over the mantle of the new-age Bimal Roy from another Bengali.

Take a bow, Mr Sircar. We had a magician with whom you share your name. Now there is you creating magic in film after film.New Delhi, March 12 : Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Monday came out in support of Maharashtra farmers calling their march "a stunning example of peoples power". He appealed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis to accept their demands.

"The mammoth #FarmersMarchToMumbai is a stunning example of people's power. The Congress party stands with the farmers and tribals marching to protest against the central and state governments' apathy," Gandhi tweeted.

"I appeal to Prime Minister Modi and the Chief Minister to not stand on ego and to accept their just demands," he added.

Maharashtra farmers cracked the whip on the government to turn spotlight on the grave agrarian crises gripping the state by completing a 180-km long march to the legislature that started from Nashik on Wednesday.

More than an estimated 35,000 peasants -- men, women, youths and even seniors -- completed the march over six days.New Delhi, March 12 : Filmmaker Luv Ranjan hopes the audience will enjoy a different side of actor Ajay Devgn in his next venture -- an urban romantic comedy.

The film will be shot extensively in Himachal Pradesh and London.

"It is too early to talk about the film. It is a film which releases in October. I don't know what to share about it. All I can say, is that it is a rom-com," Ranjan told IANS.

"It is a space which Ajay has not done for a long time. We have either seen him in romedies or masala action entertainers or thrillers. Urban rom-com space is something which he hasn't done for a long time. So, I hope people will enjoy that side of him," he added.

After the success of "Sonu Ke Titu Ki Sweety", T-Series' Bhushan Kumar and Luv Films' Ranjan have pledged to make their association stronger by collaborating on multiple films in the days to come.

The first film under the union is with Ajay and Tabu. It will be directed by film editor Akiv Ali. The story promises to be a fresh take on urban relationships.

Ranjan says he likes to talk about his project once the trailer is out.

"I am not someone who likes to talk about the film in the terms what the film is about till the trailer is out. With 'Sonu Ke Titu Ki Sweety' also, I didn't open the film in the trailer because it takes away the surprise of going to the theatre.

"I will be in a better position to talk about it, lets say three months before the release," he said.

Ranjan said that they started shooting the film in January.

"We shot in Mumbai. Now, we will be shooting in Himachal Pradesh and London. It will be shot extensively from April to July."

Talking about his bond with Kumar, Ranjan said: "I have a very comfortable relationship with Kumar because he is not a guy who meddles in your affairs.

"He is quite happy taking a back seat and saying 'you are the one who makes the product so you make the product'. It is a very easy relationship."Kabul, March 12 : Taliban fighters have taken control of a district in Afghanistan's Farah province, making it the first district to fall into their hands in 2018, after clashes in which 10 members of the security forces were killed, officials said on Monday.

The fighting took place on Sunday night when dozens of Taliban fighters attacked the administrative compound of the Anar Dara district from many directions, said Nasir Mehri, the spokesperson of the Governor of the province.

"After a few hours of fighting the district headquarters fell to Taliban," Mehri told Efe news, adding that the security forces abandoned the compound after suffering multiple casualties.

Although Mehri did not report the number of casualties, an official of the local administration said on the condition of anonymity that over 10 members of the security forces had died.

According to an October report by the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction of the US Congress, 13 of the total 407 districts in Afghanistan were under Taliban control, while the rebels had a widespread presence in another 41 districts.

The Governor's spokesperson said that fighting was going on in some parts of the Anar Dara district and more reinforcements were on the way.

"The Afghan Air Force is also supporting the ground troops, we hope to push Taliban back from the district soon," Mehri said.

Taliban spokesperson Qari Yusuf Ahmadi confirmed in a statement that the militant group had captured the district headquarters and seized military equipment, adding that "15 enemy personnel were killed and several others injured in the battle".

Farah province has witnessed heavy fighting between the security forces and the Taliban in recent months.

On Saturday, at least 15 security personnel and around 30 Taliban fighters were killed in clashes in the Bala Buluk district of the province.New Delhi, March 12 : The Union Environment Ministry's National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) is a good step but has ambiguous planning and lacks clarity, said Greenpeace India after accessing documents through an RTI.

The NCAP, a government flagship programme announced by Environment Minister Harsh Vardhan in Rajya Sabha in December 2017, aims at mitigating air-pollution across the country.

According to Sunil Dahiya, Senior Campaigner, Greenpeace India, there is an ambiguity on the planning given the lack of information in public domain regarding NCAP.

"The fact that this concept note is not even available in the public domain raises concerns on how the government is going to make the NCAP a truly participatory initiative," Dahiya said.

According to Greenpeace, NCAP lacks specificity, timelines and directions. The environment organisation said that the draft in its existing form has no reference of specific management activities and source based initiatives for implementation of air quality management systems.

"The draft needs more thinking and clarity to reduce 35 per cent and 50 per cent pollution in three and five years respectively along with specific targets for polluting sectors such power and industry," said Dahiya.

Greenpeace further pointed out the 'Thermal Power Plants Emission Standards Notification', which were notified in December 2015, though are yet to be implemented.

"Even after the stipulated deadline, December 2017, not even a single power plant complies to the norms and we are still facing the public health emergency of high air pollution levels originating from power sector," Greenpeace said adding that it hopes that NCAP should not follow the precedent set by what is happening with the new emission standards for coal based power plants.

Calling for strengthened monitoring and evaluation mechanism, Greenpeace pointed out 'Airpocalypse II report' finds that over 80 per cent of cities in the country are severely polluted and it impacts 47 million children across the country.

The report stated that 580 million people in India do not have a single air quality monitoring stations in districts they are living.

NCAP emphasises on increasing manual monitoring station from 684 to 1000 across the country and digital monitoring station to 268 from existing 84.: Photo taken on Feb. 8, 2018 shows the motorcade of Bangladeshi former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia on the way to a court in Dhaka, capital of Bangladesh. Former ... Image Source: Xinhua/Salim Reza/IANS

DHAKA, Feb. 8, 2018 - Photo taken on Feb. 8, 2018 shows the motorcade of Bangladeshi former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia on the way to a court in Dhaka, capital of Bangladesh. Former Bangladeshi Prime ... Image Source: Xinhua/Salim Reza/IANS

Dhaka, March 12 : A Bangladesh court on Monday granted four months interim bail to former Prime Minister and the country's main opposition leader Khaleda Zia in a corruption case.

Zia, 72, was sentenced to five years in jail on February 8 for embezzling $252,000 in foreign donations for the Zia Orphanage Trust.

The High Court approved the petition for bail considering Zia's age, her health and the fact that an appeal was pending in the case, bdnews24.com reported.

One of Zia's lawyers, Masud Ahmed, told Efe news that the leader of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) might not be released if other courts, that have issued arrest warrants against her, require her to stay in prison.

Zia is facing more than a dozen cases of corruption, violence and sedition, charges which have also been slapped on hundreds of BNP members, according to the party.

The country witnessed a tense situation after her arrest and the government deployed security forces fearing opposition violence, but the BNP response was generally limited to peaceful protests and human chains.

This was in contrast to widespread violence that gripped the country in January 2015, on the anniversary of the 2014 elections -- boycotted by the BNP -- lasting three months and which left 120 people dead while hundreds were injured.The statement was made by Deputy Prime Minister Trinh Dinh Dung while hosting a reception for Leonid Ivanovich Kalashnikov, a member of the Presidium - Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Russian Federation, and head of the committee on Commonwealth of Independent States Affairs, Eurasian Integration and Relations with Compatriots on March 12 in Hanoi.

Speaking at the event, Deputy PM Dung affirmed that Vietnam is always grateful for the support provided by the former Soviet Union (now Russia) during its fight for independence in the past as well as in the cause of national industrialisation and modernisation today.

The two countries have developed a comprehensive strategic partnership for six years, yielding excellent results, he added.

The Vietnamese Deputy PM spoke of his hopes that the two sides would continue to create more favourable conditions for bilateral economic cooperation.

For his part, Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Russian Federation Leonid Ivanovich Kalashnikov said that Russian side would make efforts to develop relations between the two Parties and enhance cooperation in all fields.Srinagar, March 12 : A National Investigation Agency (NIA) team on Monday raided the Srinagar Central Jail and seized a Pakistani flag, mobile phones and jehadi literature, police sources said.

Twenty NIA officials assisted by the Jammu and Kashmir Police, Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and National Security Guards carried out the searches.

"Some mobile phones, SIM cards, iPods, a Pakistan flag and other incriminating material were recovered," an official said.

The Srinagar jail had attracted the attention of the security agencies after LeT militant Naveed Jatt alias Abu Hunzullah, who was taken for medical check up from the jail on February 6, escaped with the help of associates inside the jail.

Two policemen were killed by the militants at Srinagar's S.M.H.S Hospital when the militant was freed.

All high-risk militants lodged in Srinagar Central Jail have since been shifted to prisons outside the Kashmir Valley.Gandhinagar, March 12 : The opposition Congress had some anxious moments after former Union Minister Naransinh Rathwa and party spokesperson Amee Yagnik on Monday filed their nominations as its candidates for two of the four Rajya Sabha seats from Gujarat.

The opposition party is backing independent candidate P.K. Valera, a former bureaucrat, who threw his hat in the ring at the last minute due to technical hitches with Rathwa's candidature.

Indian Premier League Chairman and Congress leader Rajeev Shukla, party sources said in Delhi, was ready at the eleventh hour to fly to Gandhinagar in a chartered flight to ensure the Congress did not lose a sure seat if Rathwa's papers were rejected.

But the airport authorities refused permission since re-carpeting was in progress.

However, Rathwa managed to show evidence about his valid vote in his hometown Chhotaudepur.

The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party has fielded three candidates, including two sitting Rajya Sabha members.

Besides Union Minister of State Parshottam Rupala and Mansukh Mandavia, the ruling BJP has fielded senior leader Kiritsinh Rana, stating there could be cross-voting due to Valera's nomination as a third candidate backed by the Congress.

All four seats are currently represented by the BJP, including one by Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, who has been moved to Uttar Pradesh since the party does not have adequate numbers to win all four seats this time.

With 99 MLAs in a 182-member Assembly, the BJP can easily win two seats.

The Congress with 77 legislators, besides the four Independents and one Bharatiya Tribal Party member, also has the numbers this time to send two members to the Upper House.New Delhi, March 12 : The Supreme Court on Monday sought the Bar Council of India's (BCI) response on a plea seeking to debar lawyers from practising during the period they are members of Parliament or state assemblies.

A bench of Chief Justice Dipak Misra, Justice A.M. Khanwilkar and Justice D.Y. Chandrachud sought the response from the BCI -- apex body for regulating the legal practitioners -- as Attorney General K.K. Venugopal said that the same petitioner with similar prayer had moved the top court and same was dismissed last year.

He referred to March 31, 2017, order by which the bench of Chief Justice Jagdish Singh Khehar (since retired) and Justice D.Y. Chandrachud had dismissed the plea by Ashwini Kumar Upadhyay, holding: "The prayer made in this petition do not fall within the realms of our jurisdiction under Article 32 of the Constitution."

The Attorney General also told the court that Parliament meets only for a limited period during a year and what would the lawmakers do when parliament is not in session.

He told the court that the Rajya Sabha members do not have a constituency to go and nurture and that entire country is their constituency.

Senior counsel V. Shekhar appearing for the advocate-petitioner tried to defend the present PIL, saying that the one filed in 2017 was different. As he tried to argue the matter, the court asked him to reserve it for a later date.

The top court had on February 16 sought the assistance of Attorney General K.K. Venugopal in the hearing of the plea by Upadhyay who has cited the Bar Council of India's Rules that bar lawyers from practising during the period they are members of Parliament or a state assembly.

The petitioner had contended that the legislators who are also practising in the court were in a conflict of interest situation because as lawmakers, they are doing many things that have bearings on the functioning of the judiciary.

He had pointed to "serious conflict" of interest, contending that as parliamentarians, they (practising layers) have the power of voting on the impeachment of judges of the Supreme Court and the high courts, and such a situation "may allow the judges to feel beholden to them and to oblige them".

Rule 49 in Chapter VI of the Bar Council Rules say: "An advocate shall not be a full-time salaried employee of any person, government, firm, corporation or concern, so long as he continues to practise, and shall, on taking up any such employment, intimate the fact to the Bar Council on whose roll his name appears and shall thereupon cease to practise as an advocate so long as he continues in such employment."

In a two-fold plea, Upadhyay seeking to oust the lawyers-cum-lawmakers from the practising, had alternately sought a declaration that Rule 49 is ultra vires the Constitution and its basic structure so as to permit all public servants to practise as advocates.

He had argued that the prevailing practice of legislators also appearing before the courts as lawyers is discriminatory to other public servants who are barred from simultaneously pursuing the legal profession and is violative of Article 14 of the Constitution guaranteeing equality before law.

"A salaried person and particularly a public servant cannot practice as an advocate, but legislators are practising which is violation of Article 14 of the Constitution. Legislators take fee from litigant and salary from the public exchequer, which is professional misconduct," Upadhyay has said in his public interest plea.London, March 12 : Controversial English all-rounder Ben Stokes could miss the Lord's Test match against India after his trial date for a brawl was set for August 6 at the Bristol Crown Court.

Stokes, who is currently on tour with England in New Zealand, appeared in court by video link on Monday to confirm his identity and enter his not guilty plea in the case related to a Bristol nightclub scuffle.

The trial date has been set for August 6, which clashes with England's second Test against India from August 9 at Lord's. The trial is expected to last between five to seven days.

India are set to tour England for five Tests, three ODIs and as many T20Is. The Test series starts from August 1 at Edgbaston.

Also charged in the case are two men, Ryan Ali and Ryan Hale, who like Stokes pleaded not guilty on the grounds of "self-defence and defence of another".

Stokes returned to England's set up for the limited-overs leg of their tour of New Zealand, scoring 141 runs and taking five wickets in the 3-2 ODI series win.New Delhi, March 12 : The Supreme Court on Monday pulled up the CBI and the ED for not investigating all cases relating to 2G spectrum allocation and directed them to complete it within six months.

A bench of Justice Arun Mishra and Justice Naveen Sinha slammed the agencies for not completing their probe in all 2G spectrum cases and related cases arising out of it, including the Aircel-Maxis deal, saying "you can't keep the people of this country in the dark".

"The issue is serious for this country. People want to know why investigation has not been completed... We are worried about this case, we are very unhappy," said the bench observing that the investigation has been going on for long time.

The judges added: "We direct the competent investigating agencies to complete the investigation within six months in all the cases and aspects concerned with 2G spectrum case. No stone should be left unturned."

The apex court while slamming probe agencies for delay in investigation warned the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the Enforcement Directorate (ED) that further delay will attract contempt of court against the officials.

"It is shocking. All matters should see end of the day. The country can't be kept in darkness like this. It is a very unfortunate state of affair that investigation in all the cases pointed by the CAG has not been completed so far," said the bench.

Saying that investigation should come to an end, the bench said it is "not concerned about the personalities involved" in the case.

The bench asked the Centre to file a report on the status of investigation into the 2G and other related cases in two weeks.

The court also discharged senior advocate Anand Grover, who was appointed the Special Public Prosecutor (SPP) by the apex court in the 2G case. The bench also dismissed a contempt petition filed by an NGO against the Centre for appointing Additional Solicitor General Tushar Mehta the SPP replacing Grover.

The court said it was open for the central government to change the SPP to represent the CBI and the ED after the trial gets over.

On December 21 last year, the trial court had acquitted DMK leaders Kanimozhi and A. Raja and 15 other accused in the 2G court for lack of evidence.

The court had also dropped charges against former Telecom Minister Dayanidhi Maran and others accused in the Aircel-Maxis case.

Now, the pending investigation includes one by the CBI into the role of Malaysian accused T. Ananda Krishnan and Ralph Marshall in the Aircel-Maxis deal, and by CBI regarding FIPB approval.

The ED is also looking into the money laundering aspects of the Aircel-Maxis deal which includes the probe into Karti Chidambaram's role in connection with the Aircel-Maxis case.Gurugram, March 12 : Seven directors of different companies were booked for duping thousands of persons across the country of nearly Rs 300 crore while one person has been arrested in this connection, police said on Monday.

Chairmen of Shree Ram Real Estate, Business Solution Ltd, Ananya Group of Companies, Herbal Fleet, Sai Ram Buildtech, Shree Ram Multi Private Ltd, and Samariya Group, were booked for duping people on the pretext of doubling their money over a short period of time and assuring them of handsome assured returns on their investments.

The police said the directors of the seven companies were booked under the Indian Penal Code at Gurugram's City police station.

Those booked are Deepak Kumar and Hansraj from Gurugram's Sohna; Rajesh Kumar from Manesar; Mohsin Hussain, Talib Hussain and Mushid Khan from Haryana's Nuh district; and Ashwinder Singh from Karoli area of Rajasthan.

"A case was registered against unknown persons for fraud and cheating at the city police station on August 1, 2017, on the complainant of Dr Chandar Pal Saini, a resident of Haryana's Faridabad," police officer Ravinder Kumar told IANS.

"Later, the case was transferred to the Economic Offences Wing (EOW) and after a thorough investigation, the case was registered against them," Kumar said.

He said many more FIRs against the accused firms stood registered in various cities of the country.

"Sanjay Mewada, the main accused, was arrested by Gurugram police from Bhopal. He was presented in the court on Monday and sent in seven-day police remand. We are interrogating him. The rest of the accused will be arrested soon," the officer added.Jaipur, March 12 : Rajasthan Congress chief Sachin Pilot on Monday condemned the action by the state government against those who peacefully protested against Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Jhunjhunu.

A section from the crowd waved black flags to draw her and Modi's attention towards their demands on the International Women's Day on March 8 in the town.

Soon after the event, the government directed for the arrest of protesters, Pilot said, adding that democracy allows the people to protest peacefully to raise their demands.

"However, those who did the same during Modi's visit in Jhunjhunu are being subjected to suppressive actions which should be strongly condemned," he said.

"These are a chunk of unemployed people facing the brunt of tall promises made by the state government. They protested as the promises remained unmet. However, instead of paying heed to their demands, they are being arrested," the Congress leader added.

Nine contractual workers have since been arrested, and others grilled for no reason which is against democracy, he added.

Pilot said the government had promised to give permanent jobs to the unemployed and contractual workers, but even after remaining in power for four years, it had not fulfilled the promise, forcing them to protest to draw attention to their demands.Guwahati, March 12 : The 2018-19 Budget for Assam proposes to establish a North East Foundation, which will act as a think tank for the region, Assam Finance Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said on Monday.

The Minister said he proposed setting up of the Foundation considering not only the common geography of the region but also the history, culture and traditions in the region.

"We the people of Northeast not only share common geography but also common history, culture and traditions. We have abundant natural resources and share borders with South Asian, Southeast Asian and East Asian countries. All the states in the northeastern India are classified as special category states owing to our difficult terrain and economic constraints," said Sarma.

"On the other hand. inter-dependence and commonness among the northeastern states is a compelling reason for all northeastern states to come together and align their developmental strategies with the overall developmental framework for the region," he said, adding that against this backdrop, he proposed setting up of the Foundation.

"This foundation will also liaise with leading think tanks at national and global levels and articulate the perspective of this important region in a strategic, holistic manner," said the Minister.

As a goodwill gesture, the government of Assam would take lead in establishment of this foundation and provide seed funding for a period of five years, he added.

Sarma hoped that his colleagues from other northeastern states would come forward to support this initiative.Guwahati, March 13 : The BJP-led Assam government proposes to add Geographical Indicator (GI) tag to the traditional items of Assam, which are all indigenous to Assam but are marketed in the national and global markets, said a state Minister on Monday.

Presenting the budget for financial year 2018-19 in the Assam Assembly, Finance Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said: "The nation mostly associates the image of Assam with tea and rhinoceros. However, there are many indigenous items that have originated in Assam but seldom got their due recognition."

"Items like traditional jewellery of Assam ..., bell metal craft of Sarthebari, Brass metal craft of Hajo, Eri silk, local liquor (Laopani), 'Komal Chaul' (soft rice), 'Joha Chaul' (aromatic rice), 'Bora Chaul' (Sticky rice), 'Kopou Ful' (a local orchid), and 'Fulam Japi' (decorated Japi) are all indigenous to Assam but are yet to fully realise their potential in the national and international market," Sarma said.

GI status for all these items will enhance the demands of these exotic items at both national and at international level.

"Increase in export of these items will also boost the economy and increase tourism, directly enhancing the livelihood of the people like farmers and artisans involved in production of these arts and crafts," he said, adding that the government will try to get GI tag to all these items.South Brisbane family business Clark & Mackay is celebrating its 90th anniversary in print, having evolved through major changes in the industry.

The business has changed its printing process multiple times, going from letterpress to offset to digital.

Bert Clark and John Mackay started the business in 1928 in a premises in Adelaide Street within the Brisbane CBD, producing print with wooden type, each word being composed one letter at a time using hand fed and foot powered printing presses. After World War Two John Mackays son Ian joined the firm along with his brother Garth.

The current director, Neil Mackay is the third generation within the shop. He joined the firm as an apprentice letterpress/offset printing machinist in 1960. The business moved to a larger factory in the south inner city Brisbane suburb of West End in the 60s, where the company had five letterpress and one offset machine, with no bindery equipment except for a stapler and punch machine.

During the late 1960s Clark & Mackay acquired Coronation Press.

Ian Mackays other son, Ross Mackay, joined the firm in 1969 as an apprentice compositor which led Clark & Mackay to the transition of hand set type and hot metal composition to computers and digital printing. To accommodate expansion, the West End site was extended twice between 1969 and 1994.

[Related: Happy 572nd birthday]

In 1994, Clark & Mackay moved to Rocklea, to a site that quadrupled the size of the business. Three years after that, Neils son Paul Mackay joined joined the firm as an apprentice machinist making the fourth generation of Mackays in the business. During this time the company bought and integrated Leader Press, the printing arm of the Catholic Church, further developing Clark & Mackay.

Neil Mackay, director of Clark & Mackay says, We have had some of our digital presses for 10 years. In more recent years, we have been updating our bindery machines, which have become more automated. We have seen a lot of self-publishing work coming in, with more people wanting publish their own books. We needed to get it all done smarter and quicker.

The move to digital printing has been the biggest change. There is as much work, but everything is more automated now.

Now we run two Fuji Xerox digital presses, a Komori five-colour offset press, and a two colour and one colour Heidelberg press.

I think printers should have the right attitude to clients, it is important to provide good service and quality and at a good price, people will not pay a silly price for the products. We do focus on service though, and talking to people and being happy to help. We get repeat service all the time and we are often told it is because we have been open to talk everything through.

There is no use in being the cheapest printer around. You have to have good service and to be open to talking to people, I think that is important.

[Related: Allclear installs Heidelberg CX102]

On whether he sees the store hitting its centennial, Mackay says, I will not make it, but my son may. He works in the company and has worked here for a long time. He is fourth generation and a printer by trade.

Clark & Mackay adapted to the evolution of digital technology when new state of the art digital presses were introduced in 2002, further enhancing the capabilities of printing. Ross Mackay retired from the business in 2008, becoming a minister in the Uniting Church.

In 2014, Neil Mackay relocated the business from Rocklea to Acacia Ridge. The business says upgrading its techn0ology and machinery has kept it at the forefront of print media.

Mackay says, We were fortunate to survive so long and I still enjoy what I do.

We have 10 staff here including myself."

Comment below to have your say on this story.

If you have a news story or tip-off, get in touch at [email protected]

Sign up to the Sprinter newsletterSpeaking at the opening session for the event, Deputy Head of the CPV Central Committees Commission for External Relations Nguyen Tuan Phong informed delegates of results the country has achieved in the two years following the implementation of the 12th National Congress of the CPV.

At the seminar, General Secretary of Mexico's Labour Party (PT) Alberto Gutierrez congratulated Vietnam for its socio-economic achievements over the past 30 years, as well as its increasing role and position in the international arena.

He hopes that the friendship and cooperation between the two Parties and countries will be further enhanced in the future.

The seminar featured the participation of over 700 delegates, discussing measures to improve economic development and socio-political stability.

During their stay in Mexico, the Vietnamese delegation held talks with the PT General Secretary Alberto Anaya and Arnulfo Valdivia Machuca, a representative of the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI), and met with delegations from many countries, including Cuba, Nicaragua, Uruguay, Brazil, and Russia.

Deputy Head of the CPV Central Committees Commission for External Relations Nguyen Tuan Phong (left) and the PT General Secretary Alberto Anaya (Credit: VNA)



The delegation also worked with the Vietnamese Embassy in Mexico and laid a wreath at the President Ho Chi Minh City statue.Henry R. Danielson, a retiree who once joined the Peace Corps and taught school in Malawi, Central Africa, after which he earned his masters degree while teaching high school in Western New York, has completed his new book Island People: Finding Our Way: a puissant autobiography about his teaching pilgrimage during his time as a Peace Corps.

Author Danielson shows passion and determination to fulfill his mission despite the dangers of foreign disparity: I handed out paper, and we all, individually, recounted what had happened just a short time before, as the perpetrator, finally resigned to his fate, reclined quietly against the mango tree in the schoolyard. This might have been one of the best writing lessons I ever did. We wrote and read our various versions. The students worked hard to express precisely what they had seen. We discussed our different points of view. What I had seen was vastly different from what they had seen. The students corrected one another, and everyone finished his or her account. The finished papers were wonderful. It was during our lunch break that day that I learned that Mr. Maswanu was a refugee from Portuguese East Africa, that his family had been killed by the white soldiers there, and that he blamed us, as white people, for the killing of his family.

Published by New York City-based Page Publishing, Henry R. Danielsons potent account reveals the struggles and wonders of the far-reaching communities where, although lacking in formal Western-influenced education, make up for their profound and marvelous culture that exudes with awe, inspiration, and love.

Readers who wish to experience this superb work can purchase Island People: Finding Our Way at bookstores everywhere, or online at the Apple iTunes store, Amazon, Google Play, or Barnes and Noble.

For additional information or media inquiries, contact Page Publishing at 866-315-2708.

About Page Publishing:

Page Publishing is a traditional New York based full-service publishing house that handles all of the intricacies involved in publishing its authors books, including distribution in the worlds largest retail outlets and royalty generation. Page Publishing knows that authors need to be free to create - not bogged down with complicated business issues like eBook conversion, establishing wholesale accounts, insurance, shipping, taxes and the like. Its roster of authors can leave behind these tedious, complex and time-consuming issues, and focus on their passion: writing and creating. Learn more at http://www.pagepublishing.com.The Quinism Foundation has sent a letter to Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau calling for a reopening of the Somalia Commission of Inquiry to investigate the role of mefloquine poisoning in the brutal killing of Somali captive Shidane Arone, which occurred twenty five years ago this week.

On March 16, 1993, Master Corporal Clayton Matchee participated in a brutal beating of Arone that quickly led to the captive's death. Following his arrest, Matchee was subsequently found hanging in his cell, having suffered brain damage that rendered him unfit to subsequently stand trial.

Evidence has since emerged that prior to the killing, Matchee had been experiencing a serious adverse reaction to the antimalarial drug mefloquine (then also known as Lariam).

"As has been previously reported, at the time of the beating, Matchee was heard by then-Trooper John Dowe describing seeing camel spiders on the body of Shidane Arone and in the bunker in which they were located. According to Dowe, there were no camel spiders anywhere in the bunker, suggesting Matchee was hallucinating their presence," said Dr. Nevin. [1] "Visual hallucinations are a prominent feature of mefloquine psychosis," Dr. Nevin explained, "which can be associated with acts of violence towards the self and others."

In the wake of what became known as the Somalia Affair, Matchee's unit, the Canadian Airborne Regiment, was disbanded in disgrace. The subsequent Somalia Commission of Inquiry was due to investigate the role of mefloquine but was abruptly terminated prior to this investigation. The Commission nonetheless concluded in its final report that, "If mefloquine did, in fact, cause or contribute to some of the misbehaviour that is the subject of this Inquiry, [Canadian Forces] personnel who were influenced by the drug might be partly or totally excused for their behaviour. However, for reasons described above, we are not able to reach a conclusion on this issue." [2]

"As we mark the 25th anniversary of the Somalia Affair, I still seek justice for my family and for the family of Shidane Arone," said Marj Matchee, a member of The Quinism Foundation Advisory Committee. "My husband was never able to present evidence at a trial that he was under the influence of mefloquine. Without a full investigation into the role of mefloquine, the circumstances surrounding the killing will never be fully known."

In addition to calling for a reopening of the Somalia Commission of Inquiry, in its letter the foundation also joined the Royal Canadian Legion in calling on the Canadian Government to support research on mefloquine poisoning among Canadian veterans. [3]

About The Quinism Foundation

The Quinism Foundation promotes and supports education and research on neuropsychiatric quinism, also known as chronic quinoline encephalopathy, a medical disorder caused by poisoning by quinoline drugs including mefloquine and tafenoquine.

Founded in January 2018, the Quinism Foundation is supported by private donations and is advised by an international committee chaired by Mr. Andrew Bryce, of Dublin, Ireland. The Foundation's board of directors includes retired U.S. Navy Commander William Manofsky and retired U.S. Army Lieutenant Colonel Gregory Alderete.

Executive director Dr. Nevin is a Canadian-born board-certified occupational and preventive medicine physician and former U.S. Army medical officer and epidemiologist. He is author of more than 30 scientific publications on malaria and the quinoline antimalarials, including "Implications of Changes to the Mefloquine Product Monograph," published in the journal The Canadian Journal of Hospital Pharmacy (see: http://dx.doi.org/10.4212/cjhp.v70i4.1687).

1. Bambury, Brent. The Canadian military is issuing a malaria drug that can produce anxiety, paranoia and psychotic behaviour. CBC News. Available at: http://www.cbc.ca/radio/day6/episode-315-military-vs-mefloquine-top-holiday-books-of-2016-harry-benson-standing-rock-tees-and-more-1.3885384/the-canadian-military-is-issuing-a-malaria-drug-that-can-produce-anxiety-paranoia-and-psychotic-behaviour-1.3885389

2. Commission of Inquiry into the Deployment of Canadian Forces to Somalia. Dishonoured Legacy: The Lessons of the Somalia Affair. Executive Summary. Chapter ES-39, The Mefloquine Issue. 1997. Available at: http://publications.gc.ca/collections/collection_2015/bcp-pco/CP32-66-1997-eng.pdf

3. Royal Canadian Legion. Letter to the Ministers of National Defence and Veterans Affairs. November 3, 2016. Available at: http://www.legion.ca/docs/default-source/default-document-library/65-6-harjit-sajjan-and-kent-hehr-re-anti-malaria-medication-mefloquine.pdfDana Peters, a passionate writer and author who balances her time travelling, horseback riding and writing, has completed her new book Change in Plan: a gripping account that tells the story of Madison Hailey, a professional assassin, who must protect her newfound happiness from an incoming threat.

In pursuit of a target high in the mountains, a snowstorm alters Madisons plans. Landing in a small town where shes welcomed by the townspeople, as well as by a ruggedly handsome man, Madison slowly welcomes them into her solitary life. Until she finds herself in unknown territory when she becomes the target. Not about to hide from Stillman, Madison also knew she couldnt just find him and kill him. No matter how much she wanted to. No, she needed to know why he was after her. Now, in order to survive, and to protect those she cares about, Madison must rely on her ability to adapt to any challenge.

Published by New York City-based Page Publishing, Dana Peterss enthralling page-turner is proof that when everything is on the line, at that moment, even the most dangerous of people can transform for the better.

Readers who wish to experience this engrossing work can purchase Change in Plan at bookstores everywhere, or online at the Apple iTunes store, Amazon, Google Play, or Barnes and Noble.

For additional information or media inquiries, contact Page Publishing at 866-315-2708.

About Page Publishing:

Page Publishing is a traditional New York based full-service publishing house that handles all of the intricacies involved in publishing its authors books, including distribution in the worlds largest retail outlets and royalty generation. Page Publishing knows that authors need to be free to create - not bogged down with complicated business issues like eBook conversion, establishing wholesale accounts, insurance, shipping, taxes and the like. Its roster of authors can leave behind these tedious, complex and time-consuming issues, and focus on their passion: writing and creating. Learn more at http://www.pagepublishing.com.We are excited to be working with Vortex Biosciences to move the characterization of CTCs into the clinical market

Vortex Biosciences, a leading provider of circulating tumor cell (CTC) isolation systems, and BioView Ltd. (TASE:BIOV), a provider of automated cell imaging and analysis solutions, announced a collaboration today to develop an integrated workflow for identifying clinical biomarkers on CTCs.

Tumor biopsies are currently used for identifying diagnostic biomarkers that inform cancer patient treatment. Tumor biopsies, however, are invasive, costly, capture only a select subset of tumor cells in the patient, and are very challenging to perform multiple times during a patients treatment to monitor the cancer status in the patient. CTCs offer a better alternative. They are collected from a low cost, non-invasive blood draw, allowing for ongoing monitoring of the cancer status. Furthermore, CTCs enter the blood stream from all of the different tumor sites in a patient, making the sample more representative of a patients cancer biology than a tissue biopsy. Vortex Biosciences and BioView are integrating their best in class technologies to create a workflow for the isolation and characterization of CTCs to provide clinical insights to physicians.

The simple to use, fully automated VTX-1 Liquid Biopsy System automates the isolation of CTCs directly from whole blood. The VTX-1 utilizes a proprietary microfluidic chip to stably trap and capture CTCs in micro-scale vortices based on their size and deformability while the red and white blood cells are removed. The isolated CTCs can then be deposited on a specially designed glass slide for analysis. The CTCs adhere to the glass slide with high affinity making characterizing assays like immunostaining or FISH possible.

BioViews state of the art Duet imaging system and proprietary CTC analysis algorithm automates the identification and biomarker analysis of CTCs on a glass slide. The CTC analysis algorithm was developed in collaboration with leading cancer research centers worldwide, utilizing cellular and biomarker signals to improve the sensitivity and accuracy of CTC detection and reduce analysis time. In order for CTCs to have true clinical utility, an automated, high-throughput system with specialized algorithms for the detection of the cells is critical.

We are delighted to collaborate with BioView to develop solutions for the clinical characterization of CTCs, said Gene Walther, Chief Executive Officer at Vortex Biosciences. A fundamental part of our strategy is to partner with analytical leaders to create integrated workflows that allow for CTCs to become part of the standard of care.

We are excited to be working with Vortex Biosciences to move the characterization of CTCs into the clinical market, said Dr. Alan Schwebel, President and CEO at Bioview. The imaging platform we have developed will provide the simplicity needed for CTCs to achieve their clinical potential.

The integrated VTX-1 and BioView workflow is currently being used in several clinical studies focused on CTC enumeration, ALK FISH rearrangements and PD-L1 expression on CTCs. PD-L1, in particular, has been a focus of the collaboration because of the potential clinical benefits. Overexpression of PD-L1 has been identified as a pathway that metastatic tumor cells use to evade immune detection. Immunotherapy based on inhibition of PD-1 or PD-L1 represents a breakthrough in the treatment of advanced cancers. PD-L1 expression levels on tumor biopsies have been demonstrated to be a reasonable biomarker for stratifying patients that will respond better to immunotherapy treatments. Vortex and Bioview believe measuring expression on CTCs can offer more clinical value as it enables monitoring the cancer over time in a cost effective, low risk manner. Vortex and BioView have developed an assay that allows researchers to assess the presence of PD-L1 on CTC surfaces. The belief is that the assay will be able to be used to perform initial diagnoses and to monitor changes in PD-L1 expression during treatment leading to more targeted therapeutic treatment.

The combination of state of the art CTC isolation with CTC specific imaging algorithms opens new paths for the characterization of CTCs to realize their clinical potential.

About Vortex Biosciences

Vortex Biosciences is a cancer research and diagnostics company that integrates cancer biology, microfluidic engineering and informatics to develop tools for isolating and characterizing circulating tumor cells. The Vortex VTX-1 instrument harvests intact circulating tumor cells from whole blood samples for use in downstream research and clinical applications such as patient stratification in clinical trials, monitoring disease progression and drug treatment effectiveness. With a mission to enable noninvasive diagnosis of cancer and real-time monitoring throughout a patients treatment, Vortex is at the forefront of accelerating cancer research and improving patient outcomes. Vortex is a core subsidiary of NetScientific plc, a transatlantic healthcare technology group with an investment strategy focused on sourcing, funding and commercializing technologies that significantly improve the health and well-being of people with chronic diseases. For more information, visit http://www.vortexbiosciences.com.

About BioView Ltd

Established in 2000, and led by an expert team of biologists, software engineers and physicists, BioView develops, manufactures and supplies cell imaging equipment, and analysis software to medical institutes and universities. BioView is a publicly traded company on the Tel Aviv Stock exchange, and currently has strategic collaborations underway with international scientific leaders and institutions. For more information about the BioView technology, and press related issues, please contact alan@bioview.co.il or visit our website at http://www.bioview.comMedical Indemnity Protection Society (MIPS) "Xactium has developed a superior risk and incident structure, which combined with the power and flexibility of the Salesforce platform promises robust and very wide business utility and value. Xactium provides a compelling out of the box solution. - Lucian Burns, MIPS

With a growing membership base and ever increasing complexity of business,Medical Indemnity Protection Society (MIPS) recognised the need for centralised business administration of risk and incident management.

Having historically used spreadsheets to manage risk across the business, MIPS has selected Xactium to achieve greater transparency, collaboration, and automation of processes.

MIPS is a not-for profit organisation established in 1988 to protect the interests of Australian healthcare professionals and students. MIPSs main role is to assist members in the event that there is an adverse outcome in the course of their professional practice. This assistance includes collegiate support, advice and education opportunities, in addition to the management of complaints and claims against members.

With Xactium at the core of the MIPS risk management framework, features such as structured treatment plans, risk templates and workflow automation will allow risk professionals to focus on key objectives, which will ultimately lead to more effective risk mitigation.

Lucian Burns, Manager - Information and Projects at MIPS, explains: Xactium has developed a superior risk and incident structure, which combined with the power and flexibility of the Salesforce platform promises robust and very wide business utility and value. Xactium provides a compelling out of the box solution.

Andy Evans, Xactium Manager Director adds: I am delighted that MIPS has selected Xactium to move them into a new era of risk management. One of Xactiums key differentiators is the usability of the system, which will help MIPS to roll out to employees across the organisation, widening risk ownership and increasing risk visibility across all areas of the business.

 About Xactium 

Xactium is a cloud based GRC software provider that helps Risk Managers to transform the way that organisations evaluate and manage their enterprise risk. The value of the risk process and its profile is raised through the use of risk intelligence that improves efficiency and creates insights that influence decisions across the business.

Xactium is the world's first enterprise risk-intelligent system, with the revolutionary use of embedded AI (Artificial Intelligence), 3D visualisation and automation that dramatically improves efficiency and creates innovative analytics. Reporting is made easy and timely, and predictive insights enable senior managers to prioritise resources.

Xactium is also built for managing change and is probably the most flexible and configurable enterprise risk management system available today. This adaptability ensures that our customers stay up to date and able to respond to both business and regulatory change, without the need for costly bespoke programming.

Overall, Xactium releases more time and resource for the risk team to help promote best practice and demonstrate the value of risk across the business through actionable insight.Election Fraud In America Past And Present: explores how US elections have been continually interfered by US politicians and others. Election Fraud In America Past And Present is the creation of published author, Damon Slone. Damon has been a public servant for over forty-eight years. His career started back in 1968 when he joined the Wayne County Civil Defense Search and Rescue Squad. On March 2, 1972, he became a Huntington Police Officer and one of the first thirty-eight EMTs in West Virginia. On June 28, 1988, he was forced to retire from the Huntington Police Department due to a line-of-duty injury to his shoulder and back. In late 1988, he was contacted by a former Captain of the Huntington Police Department, who asked him if he would like to work as the Chief of Criminal Investigation for the West Virginia Secretary of State. In January of 1989, he was interviewed by Ken Hechler and offered the position, which he accepted. In March of 2001, he was released from his duties by the new West Virginia Secretary of State. In March of 2005, he joined the Rome Volunteer Fire Department in Proctorville, Ohio. In 2014, he was injured during a fire when a building collapsed on him and four other firefighters. Due to his injuries, he stepped down from the rank of Lieutenant to finally retire in October, 2016.

Can we ever have a completely honest election when politicians over see the elections, politicians investigating the violations, another politician prosecutes these allegations, while another politicians over sees the trials? Only if more than twenty five percent of registered voters show up at the polls and exercise their constitutional rights to choose our elected officials will we start to over come the election fraud in America. --Damon Slone

After Damon Slone witnessed the news coverage on Russias interference in the US election process, he felt compelled to tell the rest of the story. He wanted to know if they had tried to interfere in the 2008 and 2012 election as well. He wanted to know if other countries had tried to do the same. He wanted to know how politicians and their supporters had been able to interfere the US election system on a regular basis. When only a few people vote in an election, it does not take much undue influence to swing an election. Above all, he wants to know why more politicians are not facing criminal prosecutions for election fraud.

In Election Fraud In America Past And Present, Damon Slone explores whether voting fraud is myth or fact. Based on twelve years of real investigations into election fraud in West Virginia, along with other State investigations, reports by investigative journalists, and other sources, Damon Slone looks at how dead citizens continue to somehow complete their voter registration forms and vote. He investigates how politicians and their supporters buy votes as well as why some citizens will not vote unless they are paid. He reveals how votes are stolen through earlier voting and absentee ballots. He also unveils the abusive campaign finances regularly utilized.

View a synopsis of Election Fraud In America Past And Present on YouTube.

Consumers can purchaseElection Fraud In America Past And Present at traditional brick & mortar bookstores, or online at Amazon.com, Apple iTunes store, or Barnes and Noble.

For additional information or inquiries about Election Fraud In America Past And Present, contact the Christian Faith Publishing media department at 866-554-0919.Just getting that face-to-face time with a CEO from a multinational company is worth it.  ANDREAS CAMPOS, ENSENADA EDC

Conway, Inc., will organize the 15th annual World Forum for Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in Liverpool, United Kingdom, to take place June 11-13, 2018, as the kick-off for the acclaimed International Business Festival (IBF) taking place in the same world-class city June 12-28, 2018.

The World Forum for FDI brings together corporate leaders, government representatives, business advisors and economic development agencies to discuss the future of the global economy and cross-border investment.

Were thrilled to return the World Forum for FDI to the UK for the 15th anniversary! said Adam Jones-Kelley, President of Conway, Inc. We selected Liverpool because the opportunity to kick off the International Business Festival allows us to marry the worlds premier FDI event with the worlds largest business festival, connecting our delegates from around the globe with the 40,000 business leaders attending the IBF. Its an unprecedented opportunity, and were delighted to work with the IBF to deliver this historic event.

Conference sessions include: The Next 25 Years: Technology, Water & Climate Change, which will explore how the world will balance industrial growth with sustainable development, and Cybersecurity  Opportunities and Obstacles, where participants will discuss the increasing importance of protecting intellectual property and data, and how governments and businesses are addressing this pressing issue. Delegates also will participate in exclusive high-end networking events and sector tours which will allow them to engage with the leaders from around the world who are driving the global economy.

There will also be an FDI Training Seminar prior to the main conference on June 11th. Economic development and investment promotion professionals new to the industry or looking to hone their business development and marketing skills are encouraged to attend.

To register for the World Forum for FDI, please visit http://www.worldforumforfdi.com/register.

Journalists can register to attend the conference free of charge, pending approval. To register with your media credentials, please contact david@conway.com.

About Conway

Conway is the oldest and largest service firm in the economic development industry, providing strategic and support services to public sector agencies internationally. Since 1954 Conway has been a trusted advisor to government economic development and investment promotion agencies, assisting in the creation of hundreds of thousands of jobs in states, provinces, cities and communities from around the world. Conway has divisions which specialize in publishing, consulting, public relations, event development, marketing, advisory services, lead generation, site consulting, FDI training and association management. Headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, USA, Conway employs nearly 100 people in 10 offices in 7 countries. Conway is the publisher of Site Selection Magazine and the management firm for the Industrial Asset Management Council (IAMC). For more information, please visit http://www.conway.comUnmanned aircraft systems (UAS) - also known as "drones" - are beginning to reshape the way public safety officials and emergency managers tackle disasters, and a new educational conference will help frame the discussion around this amazing new technology. The UAS/Drones for Disaster Response conference will be held at the Biscayne Bay Campus of Florida International University from April 19-20 to help key stakeholders charged with responding to disasters better understand the role that UAS and other unmanned systems can play.

"The growing use of unmanned aircraft systems are enabling emergency managers and first responders to more quickly and safety gather visual aerial information that improves the response and recovery efforts following a disaster," says Ruben D. Almaguer, Executive Director of FIU's Academy for International Disaster Preparedness. "The 2017 hurricane season showcased the increasing use of drones following the impact of the hurricanes, especially to assist in conducting timely preliminary damage assessment. We now want to drive the conversation forward and help educate all stakeholders about how UAS can best be utilized across all phases of a major disaster to help protect property, the environment, as well as save lives."

UAS/Drones for Disaster Response will feature key speakers from government agencies, major universities, and private industry who have first-hand experience and knowledge in utilizing UAS during disaster operations. Workshops will focus on the various aspects of UAS deployment during the preparedness, response, and recovery phases of a major incident. Live flight demonstrations will allow solution providers to safely showcase the latest UAS technology in the skies surrounding the event.

"This the first time a conference will focus specifically on UAS for disaster response," says Christopher Todd, Executive Director of AIRT, Inc. a 501(c)3 non-profit organization that is co-hosting the event. "UAS/Drones for Disaster Response will push the conversation beyond general public safety to educate conference participants on how to start using drones to prepare for the next big storm or major incident."

Keynote speakers and workshop facilitators for UAS/Drones for Disaster Response will be announced within the coming weeks and will include experts from across all key phases of disaster response from both the public and private sectors.

"The UAS/Drones for Disaster Response conference cadre will include top experts with intimate knowledge of emergency UAS operations," according to Martha Donato, President of MAD Event Management, producers of the conference. "Our ability to conduct live flight demonstrations over land and sea directly at the conference site will provide a new capability the differentiates UAS/Drones for Disaster Response from other UAS events."

For more information and to register for UAS/Drones for Disaster Response, please visit: http://uasdiscon.org For exhibitor or sponsorship information, please contact Martha Donato at m.donato(at)madeventmanagement(dot)com.

About the Academy for International Disaster Preparedness at Florida International University

As part of the Robert Stempel College of Public Health and Social Work at Florida International University, FIU's Academy for International Disaster Preparedness offers a range of academic programs for undergraduates, graduates, and professionals focused on disaster management. For more information, please visit: https://aidp.fiu.edu/

About AIRT, Inc.

AIRT (Airborne Incident Response Team) is a Florida-registered 501(c)3 non-profit corporation who trains and coordinates a cadre of volunteer drone pilots from around the world to respond when disaster strikes. The mission of AIRT, Inc. is to develop and maintain unmanned aviation capabilities that can assist local first responders during rapid expanding incidents and major disasters. For more information, please visit: http://airt.ngo

About MAD Event Management

Mad Event Management, LLC is an agency dedicated to the success of your event of any size. We have years of experience managing all aspects of live events, including large scale consumer and trade shows, meetings, conferences and exhibitor execution. MAD also owns and operates several pop culture conventions: Long Beach Comic Expo, Long Beach, CA; Long Beach Comic Con, Long Beach, CA; New Jersey Comic Expo, Edison, NJ, Comic Creators Conference (C3), Long Beach, CA & Havana, Cuba. For more information, please visit http://www.madeventmanagement.comFor the 4th consecutive year, we are honored to be recipients of CRNs recognition and being named one of the top 500 MSPs in the United States.

Machado Consulting, More Than Your IT Department, announced today that CRN, a brand of The Channel Company, has named Machado Consulting to its 2018 Managed Service Provider (MSP) 500 list in the Pioneer 250 category. This annual list recognizes North American solution providers with cutting-edge approaches to delivering managed services. Their offerings help companies navigate the complex and ever-changing landscape of IT, improve operational efficiencies, and maximize their return on IT investments.

In todays fast-paced business environments, MSPs play an important role in helping companies leverage new technologies without straining their budgets or losing focus on their core business. CRNs MSP 500 list shines a light on the most forward-thinking and innovative of these key organizations.

The list is divided into three categories: the MSP Pioneer 250, recognizing companies with business models weighted toward managed services and largely focused on the SMB market; the MSP Elite 150, recognizing large, data center-focused MSPs with a strong mix of on-premises and off-premises services; and the Managed Security 100, recognizing MSPs focused primarily on off-premise, cloud-based security services.

Small business is the backbone of American commerce. Machado Consulting, a Veteran Owned Small Business, is acutely aware of the myriad issues facing small business owners in today's economic climate. We provide dedicated and knowledgeable service to small-to-midsize businesses across the country, in the areas of computer network security, networking, data backups and recovery, customer relationship management, service desk management, and a host of additional customized software and hardware solutions. Our hardworking team is always evolving to incorporate new technologies into our repertoire by utilizing leading brands such as HP, Cisco, and Microsoft among others. For more information please check out our Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn pages.

Managed service providers have become integral to the success of businesses everywhere, both large and small, said Bob Skelley, CEO of The Channel Company. Capable MSPs enable companies to take their cloud computing to the next level, streamline spending, effectively allocate limited resources and navigate the vast field of available technologies. The companies on CRNs 2018 MSP 500 list stand out for their innovative services, excellence in adapting to customers changing needs and demonstrated ability to help businesses get the most out of their IT investments.

For the 4th consecutive year, we are honored to be recipients of CRNs recognition and being named one of the top 500 MSPs in the United States. As we continue to grow and develop as an organization we are constantly innovating new ways to meet and exceed our customers expectations in service. Our success is driven by our clients and we extend our thanks to each and every one. Our team of dedicated support staff continually innovate and develop new techniques to deliver service and help us all achieve greatness. Like years past, we will continue innovating the Managed Services industry and develop new ways to deliver top tier service throughout Central Massachusetts and the New England region. We look forward to building off this award and recognition in 2018 and beyond., states Helder Machado, CEO.

About Machado Consulting

Machado Consulting specializes in industry-specific technology solutions for small and medium-sized businesses. Collectively, the team has expertise in services such as servers, virtual servers, VoIP solutions, web development and internet marketing while working with reputable brands such as Microsoft, HP, Dell, Digium, Cisco among others.Two outstanding REALTORS with Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Hodnett Cooper Real Estate were recently honored with awards at the Golden Isles Association of REALTORS 80TH Annual Awards Gala.

Erin Vaughn, Associate Broker with Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Hodnett Cooper Real Estate, earned REALTOR of the Year award. Each year, GIAR accepts nomination ballots for REALTOR of the Year. Eligibility criteria include a combination of factors including business accomplishments, high standard of ethics, civic activity and participation in the local, state and national associations.

Erin has been a top producing agent for a number of years and has grown her business considerably; she recently earned an award as 2017s Top Producing Agent of the Year with Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Hodnett Cooper Real Estate with over $15 million in total sales volume. We are so proud and thrilled to have Erin as part of your company. She is professional and ethical in everything she does, and is an inspiration to everyone that has the privilege to work with her, shares Pat Cooper, Owner and Broker.

In addition to her outstanding sales accomplishments, Erin is currently serving as Director of the MLS Board of Directors and has held various leadership roles with the Golden Isles Association of Realtors over the last few years. She is an active member of the community and regularly volunteers with local elementary schools as well as the Glynn County Recreation Department.

Rachel Fitzpatrick, Associate Broker with Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Hodnett Cooper Real Estate, garnered the Presidents Award for 2017. Robert Driggers, Immediate Past President, presented the award to Rachel in appreciation for outstanding contributions and involvement during his term as President of the Golden Isles Association of Realtors.

Rachel currently serves as the Vice President of Member & Public Services for the Association and is quick to lend a helping hand to anyone who needs it. Throughout the year, Rachel works with various organizations and is always on the lookout for an opportunity to assist the less fortunate. By the giving of her time and talents, Rachel not only makes a difference in the community but in her profession as well.

Rachel is so giving. She selflessly serves her community, her friends, her profession, and more. Her positive energy is infectious and her helpfulness is a direct attribute to her accomplishments. I cannot think of a person who is more deserving of recognition for her commitment to being involved, said Pat Cooper.

Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Hodnett Cooper Real Estate is so incredibly proud of both Erin and Rachel for these outstanding achievements.

About Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Hodnett Cooper Real Estate

Hodnett Cooper Real Estate is a family-owned and operated company with four offices throughout the Golden Isles offering a full range of real estate services including real estate sales, residential rentals, property management and commercial sales. The brokerage is the premier real estate company in southeast coastal Georgia with a professional and diverse team of agents. Visit http://www.BHHSHodnettCooper.com.

About Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices

Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices, based in Irvine, CA, is a brand-new real estate brokerage network built for a new era in residential real estate. The network, among the few organizations entrusted to use the world-renowned Berkshire Hathaway name, brings to the real estate market a definitive mark of trust, integrity, stability and longevity.

About HSF Affiliates LLC

Irvine, CA-based HSF Affiliates LLC operates Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices, Prudential Real Estate and Real Living Real Estate franchise networks. The company is a joint venture of which HomeServices of America, Inc., the nations second-largest, full-service residential brokerage firm, is a majority owner. HomeServices of America is an affiliate of world-renowned Berkshire Hathaway Inc.

Contact:

Catherine Maybank

(912) 638-5450

catherine(at)hcrega(dot)com>>> PM arrives in Auckland, beginning official visit to New Zealand

The Vietnamese PM made the call during a meeting with Mayor of Auckland Phil Goff following his arrival in the city on March 12, as part of a three-day official visit to New Zealand at the invitation of New Zealand PM Jacinda Ardern.

PM Phuc expressed his delight at the strong development of Vietnam-New Zealand relations over the recent years, which have seen active contributions from both countries localities, including Auckland.

Hailing Auckland as a city of great potential, he suggested the two sides facilitate cooperation in education, science and technology, human resource development, urban planning, infrastructure, high-tech agriculture, and green energy.

He voiced his belief that with its advantages, Auckland will continue to expand its cooperation with Vietnamese localities, helping to raise the comprehensive partnership and good relations between the two countries to new heights.

The PM asked the mayor and authorities of Auckland to continue creating favourable conditions for the Vietnamese community living, studying, and working in the city, thus contributing to the development of Vietnam-New Zealand relations as a whole.

Welcoming PM Phuc and the high-level Vietnamese delegation, Auckland Mayor Phil Goff extended his congratulations on Vietnams impressive development achievements, especially in the field of economy.

He expressed his pleasure that Auckland is attracting a large number of Vietnamese people to live, study, and work, while speaking highly of the contributions of the Vietnamese community to the development of Auckland.ORIS helps us develop and execute a successful MAP strategy so our consumers and sellers will be guaranteed the consistency that matches our products.

Today, ORIS Intelligence, provider of actionable insights that preserve pricing integrity for manufacturers, announced new data into pricing violations and the impact it is having on housewares manufacturers. The new data shows the average housewares brand has nearly 150 sellers offering its products across online channels, and about 20 percent of URLs are in violation, nearly double what other industries experience.

The increasingly digital home is undoubtedly changing the way consumers interact and purchase housewares products, compounded by the change in who is living in the home. Millennials now account for 31 percent of all household spending, yet nearly 15 percent of the largest living generation still live under their parents roof. In order to evolve and still remain competitive, housewares manufacturers must focus on their Minimum Advertised Pricing (MAP) policies. As one of the most over-looked, yet most effective business initiatives, MAP helps manufacturers preserve seller relationship and ensure a consistent brand experience for consumers across channels.

Like every industry today, housewares is undergoing a transformative time right now, said Pamela Springer, CEO of ORIS Intelligence. Manufacturers that prioritize and enforce pricing will undoubtedly come out ahead as it will help them maintain control of their channels and brand.

As the leader in delivering innovative food and beverage solutions, we are focused on sustainability, community and integrity and that begins with our ability to deliver exceptional customer service, said James Campbell-Harris, director of eCommerce for Pacific Market International, owner of the ALADDIN, STANLEY, SLANT and MIGO brands. As part of providing high-quality products in a high-quality way, it is imperative for us that we maintain fair pricing across channels. ORIS helps us develop and execute a successful MAP strategy so our consumers and sellers will be guaranteed the consistency that matches our products.

ORIS has compiled the top three initiatives that every housewares manufacturer can implore to better tackle price parity:

1. Start with the recipe: Log any and all violations and pricing changes  and keep a history of sellers who arent following the rules. Also log your conversations with those sellers so that you have a record of it in one place.

2. Use all the ingredients: Dont just focus on Amazon and Google Shopping  look at direct retailer websites, Walmart, eBay and other marketplaces. Amazon is often matching these sites, and be aware that Walmart alone has quickly gone from 300 to more than seventeen thousand sellers to monitor.

3. Know the special sauce: Its critical to understand who started the pricing cascade, and that starts with catching violators in near real-time. With ongoing monitoring, youll increase your chances of obtaining proof and timing of the violation, as well as catching any unknown sellers. Its often the unknown, unauthorized dealers that create more problems, largely because many times, manufacturers dont know who they are or that they even exist.

This week, ORIS is attending the International Home + Housewares Show in Chicago. For more information about the company and its platform, visit http://www.orisintel.com.

About ORIS Intelligence

ORIS Intelligence delivers actionable insights that preserve pricing integrity for manufacturers to help them protect their brand. Built from the inside-out, ORIS Intelligences cloud-based platform helps solve the complex selling challenges of todays manufacturers by patrolling and enforcing minimum advertised price (MAP) everywhere their products are sold online, including discovering unknown sellers. With ongoing, frequently-updated reports, a streamlined user interface and hands-on customer support, ORIS Intelligence lives at the intersection of all channels to ensure manufacturers can better support trusted retail partners, while maximizing margins and increasing revenue.Florida Foundation for Future Scientists (FFFS) continues their longstanding commitment to stimulating student, teacher and public interest in STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) with the 63rd State Science Engineering Fair of Florida (SSEF). The fair will be held March 27-29 2018 at the RP Funding Center in Lakeland, FL.

More than 900 aspiring engineers, scientists and mathematicians from across Florida will compete in the SSEF STEM Competition. Students have an opportunity to win $1.2 million in awards, prizes, scholarships and internships. The top senior projects will advance to the Intel International Science and Engineering (ISEF) STEM Competition in Pittsburgh to represent SSEF. Florida is the single largest state present at the Intel ISEF with 93 finalists winning 23 place awards in 2017 - including 3 Best in Category and one Best in Fair Grand Prize Winner of $50,000.

"We are excited about entering the 63rd STEM competition season. Our goal is to recognize scientific talent in young people. They are making our planet more sustainable and livable. SSEF provides a unique opportunity to motivate students to learn. The student's excitement to share their research proves that notion. " says Nancy Besley, Exec. Dir. Florida Foundation for Future Scientists

The efforts to introduce more students to careers in STEM through SSEF cannot take place without the help of the community. This year, the SSEF STEM Competition is setting its sights on reaching more students and showing more businesses how their monetary donations have a positive impact on the growth of SSEF and the opportunities they provide to Florida students.

About State Science and Engineering Fair of Florida- STEM Competition

The SSEF- STEM Competition is the largest academic competition in the state of Florida and has touched the lives of many students, teachers, and adults since its inception in 1957. SSEF is a three-day display of science research project exhibits prepared by aspiring scientists and engineers in grades six through twelve. More than 55,000 students are involved at local school and regional levels before being selected to compete at the SSEF and other affiliated competitions. The SSEF is regulated by the guidelines and policies of ISEF.

For more information or to donate online, visit ssefflorida.com.

Media Contact: Nancy Besley, Executive Director- 407-473-8475 - nancybesley(at)gmail(dot)com

Join our Social Circle: Twitter: @FloridaSSEF |Facebook: ssefflorida| Instagram: ssefflorida

###"I am excited to be joining the talented leadership and management teams at Draken as they further solidify their status as the unparalleled leader in providing tactical flight support services to customers around the world" - VADM Shoemaker

Draken International, the largest commercial provider of tactical aircraft operations, is proud to announce that Retired US Navy Vice Admiral Troy M. (Mike) Shoemaker has joined as the newest member of the company's advisory board.

Vice Admiral Shoemaker transitioned from the U.S. Navy in 2018 after more than 35 years of distinguished service, culminating in his final assignment as Commander, Naval Air Forces, where he was responsible for the combat and personnel readiness of all aviation forces and aircraft carriers for the Navy. VADM Shoemaker has been leading complex and diverse teams for years and has extensive experience in strategic planning and risk management. Shoemaker began his career flying the A-7E Corsair and later transitioned to F/A-18 Hornets and Super Hornets. He commanded a fleet F/A-18 squadron, the east coast F/A-18 training squadron, a carrier air wing, two deploying carrier strike groups, and Naval Air Forces, Atlantic before his final tour as Naval Aviation's 7th "Air Boss." He has accumulated over 4400 flight hours and has 1066 carrier arrested landings.

"I am excited to be joining the talented leadership and management teams at Draken as they further solidify their status as the unparalleled leader in providing tactical flight support services to customers around the world," said Shoemaker.

Vice Admiral Shoemaker will work with Draken's current advisory board members and senior military leadership to continue to enhance the company's support for U.S. and allied militaries. "It is an honor to welcome Vice Admiral Shoemaker to our board, a distinguished naval aviator and an accomplished Admiral who brings a wealth of expertise on helping solve important challenges such as readiness for the warfighter," said Jared Isaacman, CEO of Draken International.

Shoemaker's announcement joins a succession of milestones achieved by Draken over the past twelve months. Over the last year, Draken has purchased two fleets of supersonic radar equipped aircraft, the South African Denel Cheetah and the Spanish F1M Mirage. Additionally, the company was recently awarded a five-year contract with the Air National Guard and an extension of the USAF Nellis contract.

Draken is committed to providing US and allied fighter pilots with the most advanced live air training solution by investing and expanding in the largest, most capable fleet of tactical fighter aircraft in the industry. Their entire organization, including ownership, management, pilots and maintenance teams will continue to provide the best service available globally.

For more information about Draken International, visit http://www.drakenintl.com.

About Draken International

Draken International is the world's largest operator of ex-military aircraft. The company is based out of Lakeland Linder Regional Airport in Lakeland, FL. The organization sets a new standard in airborne adversary support, flight training, threat simulation, electronic warfare support, aerial refueling, research, testing, as well as other missions uniquely suited to their fleet of aircraft. With over 150 tactical fighter aircraft incorporating modern 4th generation capabilities, the company is uniquely positioned to answer the growing global demand for commercial air services. Draken employs world class, military trained fighter pilots including USAF Weapons School Instructors, Fighter Weapons School Graduates, TOP GUN Instructors, Air Liaison Officers, and FAC-A Instructors. For additional information, visit http://www.drakenintl.com.Indecomm and Advanced Data provide unique technology that further a lenders goal to automate and adopt a digital mortgage lending process

Indecomm Global Services, a leading provider of business process as a service (BPaaS), software as a service (SaaS) technology, and learning solutions for the mortgage industry, announced today that it has released a new three-way technology integration for its IncomeGenius automated solution for income calculations with partners LendingQB, a provider of 100% web-based, end-to-end loan origination software (LOS), and Advanced Data, a mortgage industry leader in enterprise-wide fraud prevention and enhanced verifications. With this new three-way product integration, mortgage lenders who are mutual clients of LendingQB, Advanced Data, and IncomeGenius now benefit from seamless access of tax transcript data obtained from the source.

Accessing data at the source to review assets and income is an important step to minimizing the risk of fraud or gaps in documentation-based calculation, said Rajan Nair, CEO, Financial Services, Indecomm Global Services. Mortgage lenders utilizing LendingQB, Advanced Data, and IncomeGenius will have the vital ability to obtain the tax transcript directly from the source, delivering an even more reliable and accurate income calculation with a simplified process.

Indecomm and Advanced Data provide unique technology that further a lenders goal to automate and adopt a digital mortgage lending process, said David Colwell, vice president of strategy at LendingQB. Our three-way integration connects their innovative products and services directly to the mortgage workflow, delivering a real impact to productivity and efficiency. It is the very definition of a synergistic partnership.

As an Approved Report Supplier for Day 1 Certainty (from Fannie Mae) providing income data for IncomeGenius through LendingQB reflects our reputation for delivering innovative, high-quality products to the mortgage industry, said Allen Johnson, CEO of Advanced Data Corporation. This integration helps us deliver on our ongoing commitment to provide our clients with competitive advantages and great customer service.

IncomeGeniuss automation driven platform adds certainty and simplicity to the challenge ofself-employed borrower calculations. Prior to this new integration, IncomeGenius was integrated with LendingQB and Advanced Data independently. The web based integration of documents and data from LendingQB to IncomeGenius provides an effective way for clients to improve their underwriting process. It simplifies the task of calculating income for self-employed borrowers and highlights problem areas requiring the underwriters attention. Mutual clients of Advanced Data and IncomeGenius digitally use tax return transcripts through IncomeGenius using Advanced Datas Income Tax Verification (ITV) service. That data is then combined with other borrower income data in IncomeGenius to create a complete income analysis. The integration between the three systems benefits mutual clients with loan origination in LendingQB, income

tax verification with Advanced Data, and income calculation with IncomeGenius.

To learn more about IncomeGenius, visit http://mortgage.indecomm.net/incomegenius/.

To learn more about Advanced Datas products and services, visit http://www.advanceddata.com.

To learn more about LendingQB, visit http://www.lendingqb.com.

About Indecomm Global Services

Indecomm was founded in 2003 as a technology-enabled services company focused on highspeed

document imaging technologies and automated data capture from structured and

unstructured forms, with an innate ability to apply these technologies meaningfully to improve

operational efficiency and client experience. We have been consistently ranked among the

Global Top 100 IT and ITeS providers. With over 3,800 associates in 21 locations, Indecomm

services its clients from global delivery centers and offices in the United States, Mexico, Costa

Rica, the United Kingdom, India, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, the Philippines, Mauritius, and

the Cayman Islands. We have active business engagements with over 300 global clients,

including 20+ Fortune 500 companies.

Visit http://www.indecomm.net or call (732) 404-0081 to learn more.

About Indecomm Mortgage Services

Indecomm Mortgage Services is a leading provider of business services and technology for the

US mortgage industry. With solutions for every stage of the mortgage lifecycle, Indecomm

Mortgage Services provides outsourcing services, software as a service (SaaS) technology, and

learning solutions to support the various needs of mortgage industry clients. With a proven track

record of over 25 years in the mortgage industry, Indecomm partners with large and mid-sized

lenders, servicers, and title companies as a trusted partner with a singular focus - helping them

grow.

Visit http://mortgage.indecomm.net or call (732) 404-0081 to learn more.

Press Contacts for Indecomm

Krista K. Sabol

Marketing Director, Mortgage Group

Indecomm Global Services

krista.sabol(at)indecomm(dot)net

540-533-0991

Linda Purpura

Indecomm Global Services

linda.purpura(at)indecomm(dot)net

646-470-1690

About Advanced Data

About Advanced Data Advanced Data is recognized as the standard for enterprise-wide

mortgage data integrity, specializing in fraud prevention and enhanced verifications. Its

proprietary technology is integrated with loan origination systems, and the firm offers a SaaS

platform for clients that prefer a custom solution. Its services include eTax Verification Form

4506-Ts, proprietary eVoE technology, streamlined verifications and re-verifications of

employment, fraud reports, social security number verifications, AVM plus property inspection,

and flood zone determinations. Advanced Datas proprietary Fraud Report identifies each loans

fraud risk before and after funding. The firm prides itself in being one of the only firms in its

sector to employ an in-house development group, which ensures its technology provides a

competitive advantage to clients and can be customized to their needs.

For more information, visit http://www.advanceddata.com.

Press Contact for Advanced Data

Jesse Goonsantiviboon

Chief Technology Officer

jesse(at)advanceddata(dot)com

800-537-0458

About LendingQB

LendingQB is a provider of Lean Lending solutions. The Lean Lending solution consists of a 100

percent web browser-based, end-to-end loan residential mortgage origination system, best of

breed integrations with key industry partners and adoptimization services that result in faster

cycle times and lower costs per loan.

For more information, please call (888) 285-3912 or visit our website at http://www.lendingqb.com.

Press Contact for Lending QB

Linn Cook

Director of Sales and Marketing

lncook(at)lendingqb(dot)com

714-957-6334Equalum works with some of the worlds largest enterprises and provides best-in-class solutions that greatly surpass traditional data ingestion implementations. Becoming a Microsoft Co-Sell partner brings Data Beaming to a wide audience of forward thinking enterprises. -- Nir Livneh, CEO, Equalum

Equalum (http://equalum.io), providers of the first Data Beaming Platform, today announced it has been selected as Co-Sell Partner with Microsoft through their One Commercial Partner program.

Equalum's Data Beaming platform seamlessly teleports data across the enterprise, connecting any source to any target application or system, allowing organizations to unlock insights in real-time. Data Beaming replaces unscalable batch processes or unwieldy open-source implementations, providing a robust end-to-end solution with full CDC support, easy setup and a zero-coding approach. Equalums ability to integrate with the Microsoft Azure Cloud platform is at the heart of their partnership with Microsoft.

Equalum works with some of the worlds largest enterprises and provides best-in-class solutions that greatly surpass traditional data ingestion implementations, said Nir Livneh, CEO, Equalum. Becoming a Microsoft Co-Sell partner, based on our proven expertise with Microsoft Azure, allows us to bring our Data Beaming platform to a wide audience of forward thinking enterprises.

At the core of Equalums Data Beaming technology is its ability to instantly extract and transform virtually unlimited amounts of data from any source and deliver them to any target, on-prem or on-cloud. In particular, the platform integrates seamlessly with the Microsoft Azure cloud platform, where enterprises can quickly develop and deploy applications that derive real-time analytics and insights.

About Equalum

Equalum (http://equalum.io) is the first Data Beaming platform, capable of instantly teleporting operational data from any source to real-time analytics environments. Built for scalability and ease of use, Equalum harnesses the power of Spark in an enterprise-grade environment  helping organizations accelerate past traditional ETL or open-source implementations. Headquartered in Silicon Valley and Tel Aviv, Equalum is proud to work with some of the worlds top industrial, financial, and media enterprises.The idea of forging a path with Real really attracted me much more than joining a traditional brokerage.

JaNell Simpson has joined technology-driven real estate brokerage, Real, as a Managing Broker in Missouri and New Mexico, the company announced.

With 14 years experience as a successful agent, team leader and broker, JaNell is a great asset to the Missouri and New Mexico agents in our fast-growing company, said Tamir Poleg, co-founder and CEO of Real. As a focused, confident, available voice, the agents can be sure of a guiding hand from JaNell when they need it."

Simpson is a Louisiana native and graduate of Southern University. Simpson worked as a residential sales agent for Keller Williams in Baton Rouge several years ago before starting her own brokerage, Excel Realty of Louisiana. Her team of 15 agents specialized in the first-time home buyer market, new construction and investor transactions. She eventually switched gears and worked in the commercial real estate industry in retail auditing.

In 2016, she was hired to lead the launch of a real estate brokerage startup in the New Orleans area and worked as its managing broker. Within months of a successful grand opening, Simpson learned that she would be relocating with her family and now resides in Missouri. She was excited to choose Real as the option for continuing her real estate career.

Real is the perfect blend of technology and real estate brokerage, providing me the opportunity for flexibility and to exercise my entrepreneurial spirit, Simpson said. The idea of forging a path with Real really attracted me much more than joining a traditional brokerage. I have a lot of experience in growing businesses from scratch, which is the very essence of being a real estate agent and something Im eager to help others do, Simpson said.

Simpson plans to rapidly grow her Missouri and New Mexico teams this year. She believes the freedom and flexibility offered to agents by the Real platform will be major selling points.

I bring a high level of understanding from different angles because I know what it is like to be completely on your own and also a part of a large brand, Simpson says. Between the brokers, support team and agent community, there's a lot of support here.

Simpson also points to Reals 85/15 commission splits and cutting edge technology. Real is very forward thinking, Simpson says. If you want to be ahead of the curve, Real is the place for you.

To learn more about JaNell Simpson, visit joinreal.com/janell-simpson.

ABOUT REAL

Real, a technology-powered real estate brokerage firm, was started in late 2014 by a group of real estate professionals, technologists and venture capitalists that understood the limitations of the brokerage-agent relationship. It has become one of the fastest growing technology driven brokerages in the United States by providing agents with the marketing, productivity, community and support tools agents need through an intuitive, technology-driven platform. By marrying industry-leading technology with an agent-centric approach, Real is finding ways to make agents lives better. For more information, please visit http://www.joinreal.com.Together, Charles E. Zecher and Sondra Perlin Zecher have nearly 100 years of experience studying the metaphysical field and the paranormal. Over the years, they would meet with their colleagues in the Coral Springs Metaphysical Group where esteemed clairvoyant Sondra, would enter a deep trance and channel her spirit guide.

Members of the group would communicate with the spirit guide, asking questions on some of the universes greatest mysteries. It was Charles that taped and transcribed the question and answer sessions. Now, the two have combined years of insights to present Glimpses from Beyond: Questions from the Physical World, Answers from the Spirit World.

The information we gathered was not something we could just sit on, Charles said. We wanted to disseminate these understandings to the many people who would benefit from knowing them.

Glimpses from Beyond offers knowledge and wisdom from the spiritual realm gathered by the Zechers. Their detailed work stems from over 1,500 questions that were addressed in deep-state trances that Sondra underwent.

These sessions covered a variety of topics that will intrigue readers including: conspiracies and secret societies, reincarnation, karma, human evolution, life after death, ghosts, angels, the future and mysteries surrounding religion and God. The responses do not necessarily echo the authors beliefs. Instead, they simply showcase the information that was channeled through Sondra.

I think many will be surprised by the answers they find in Glimpses from Beyond, Sondra said. We hope to lay to rest many assumptions, concerns and skepticism individuals face when pondering on these questions.

Glimpses From Beyond: Questions from the Physical World, Answers from the Spirit World

By Charles E. Zecher and Sondra Perlin Zecher

ISBN: 9781504387460 (hardcover) 9781504387446 (softcover) 9781504387453 (ebook)

Available at Amazon, Barnes and Noble and Balboa Press

About the authors

Sondra Perlin Zecher has been active in the metaphysical field for more than 40 years. She is a clairvoyant, clairaudient medium whose lifes work has been devoted to helping others through psychic readings and counseling. She is probably best known as the psychic who solved the Son of Sam mass murder case. Her formal training, combined with her psychic sensitivity, has enabled her to provide help to numbers of individuals, medical doctors, and law enforcement officials including the FBI.

Charles E. Zecher has been a student of metaphysics and the paranormal for more than 50 years. His professional career spanned nearly 40 years as an educator and school administrator at the secondary school level and universities in New Jersey and Pennsylvania. He is certified as an advanced clinical hypnotherapist. For nearly 30 years, he has worked with his wife in offering programs of interest in their homes in Bridgewater, New Jersey and in Coral Springs, Florida. They currently sponsor the Coral Springs Metaphysical Group. They have two adult sons and reside in Coral Springs, Florida.

###

Review Copies & Interview Requests:

LAVIDGE  Phoenix

Jacquelyn Brazzale

480 998 2600 x 569

jbrazzale(at)lavidge(dot)com"Finally, a real-world use for virtual reality has emerged, in a space where the technology is clearly superior to what it replaces," said Hugh Seaton, Aquinas CEO.

Companies spent about $360 Bn training their workers in 2016, according to Statista, and yet reports show CEOs remain concerned about a skills gap. As the enterprise learning industry grapples with this issue, a key new technology is rapidly gaining converts: virtual reality (VR).

Companies like Walmart, Volkswagen and many others have realized that the engagement, first-person impact, and immersion of VR create training opportunities unlike any other medium, and they are moving past initial pilots into full implementation. To address escalating industry demand to incorporate VR into corporate learning practices, two learning & VR industry pioneers: Aquinas & PeVRformance Group are joining forces with the creation of AquinasVR.

Since 2015, US-based Aquinas has been a VR advocate and pioneer, organizing tech events like the NYVR Expo, and launching its first mobile VR solution in 2017. For the past 18 years, Marco Faccini, CEO of the PeVRformance Group, has been building cutting edge eLearning systems and content, with virtual reality solutions being the core focus for the last three years. The newly created AquinasVR will lead the development and production of VR experiences and content to augment and amplify corporate trainings and help bridge the corporate skills gap.

"Finally, a real-world use for virtual reality has emerged, in a space where the technology is clearly superior to what it replaces," said Hugh Seaton, Aquinas CEO. "Virtual learning has an estimated market potential of $216 million this year alone, growing to over $6 billion by 2022, and through this partnership, we will be poised to best provide world class service to our clients by expanding our service offerings."

AquinasVR, as the partnership will be known in the US market, will serve clients globally from Europe to China to the US, and will focus on developing VR learning experiences and content, as well as technology consulting, immersive ideation sessions, and program implementation.

"Corporate learning is looking for guidance and help, and not from just 'gamers' or from consultants who have never been in, or created, VR experiences before," said Faccini "our businesses do VR day to day. At the core of our essence, our two companies incorporate learning pedagogy aligned to delivering individual business outcomes and goals and behavioral change. This partnership is a perfect match and will serve to aid the learning community"

Joining the AquinasVR leadership team is advertising and marketing industry veteran Sten Hallock as Head of VR/AR Content & Production, who will lead the development of VR content and experiences for clients.

"After a career spent developing advertising and marketing content for corporate brands, it's rewarding to be able to apply my expertise towards advancing the skills development and learning of today's workforce," said Sten Hallock, Head of VR/AR Content and Production, AquinasVR. "The entire learning industry is at an inflection point, and I am excited to join a company so perfectly positioned to catapult the industry to the next level."

To announce their partnership, AquinasVR will be publishing a free eBook, "The VR Learning Primer", available at http://www.aquinasvr.com.

About Aquinas

Aquinas (http://www.aquinas.io) is a U.S.-based technology company focused on personalized learning delivery, with key strengths in mobile and virtual reality. Selling to the Fortune 500's top names, as well as exceptional content creators, Aquinas is at the forefront of learning technology's shift towards continuous, immersive learning delivery.

About PeVRformance Group

PeVRformance Group is a UK based technology learning company focused on consulting and content creation specializing in virtual & augmented reality experiences. Its founder has been at the forefront of the advances made in VR over the last 3 years working with many of the world's largest companies. The company is a Micro Venture Capital Investment vehicle always on the lookout for early stage investment opportunities.Dr. Barnetts wealth of experience and industry knowledge make him a valuable addition to FSSolutions Workforce Compliance team to lead our medical review process. I have great confidence in his ability to bring continuous quality care and service to our clients as we continue to evolve and focus Past News Releases RSS

FSSolutions has announced the addition of Dr. Randy Barnett, DO, as the Chief Medical Review Officer (MRO) for their Workforce Division. Dr. Barnett is a Board-Certified MRO and has been performing MRO duties for over 17 years. He joins FSSolutions from DISA/University Services where he was employed for 12 and held the title of Chief MRO.

As Chief Medical Review Officer (MRO), Dr. Barnett is responsible for receiving and reviewing laboratory results generated by an employer's drug testing program and evaluating medical explanations for certain drug test results. He acts as an independent and impartial "gatekeeper" and advocate for the accuracy and integrity of the drug testing process. Dr. Barnett will provide quality assurance review of the drug testing process for specimens, to determine if there is a legitimate medical explanation for laboratory confirmed positive, adulterated, substituted and invalid drug test results. Ensuring the timely flow of test results and other information to FSSolutions clients and protecting the confidentiality of the drug testing information.

Dr. Barnett is Board Certified in Family Medicine and Sleep Medicine and has been practicing in the Philadelphia and Montgomery County Pennsylvania area for over 20 years. He is also a licensed US Civil Surgeon, authorized by the Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services to conduct Immigration Physicals. Dr. Barnett conducted a research Assessment of Excessive Daytime Sleepiness and the Risk of Health and Sleep Apnea in Railroad Workers; his results are published in the Journal of Health and Productivity.

Dr. Barnetts wealth of experience and industry knowledge make him a valuable addition to FSSolutions Workforce Compliance team to lead our medical review process. I have great confidence in his ability to bring continuous quality care and service to our clients as we continue to evolve and focus on our compliance management services. said Chris Roames, President & CEO.

Dr. Barnett received his undergraduate degree in Biology & Chemistry from Arcadia University and his Doctor of Osteopathy from the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine in 1990. He took his postgraduate training in Osteopathic affiliated hospitals in Philadelphia, PA.

About FSSolutions

Founded in 1989, FSSolutions, formerly FirstLab, is now one of the largest, private third-party administrator of Drug and Alcohol Testing, Background Screening, Occupational Health testing and compliance services programs in the country. We are known for our regulatory, legal and technical expertise in substance abuse testing, policies and procedures. We believe our success is a testament to our legacy of progressive results-driven thinking. Our executive team is comprised of leading experts in regulatory compliance and technology innovation. They are also champions of customer service, ensuring that our clients have comprehensive, up-to-the-minute information on the latest changes to policies, procedures and best practices. FSSolutions distinguished medical team leads the healthcare industry with ongoing thought leadership and innovation. They are keynote speakers and presenters at industry conferences and published authorities in their field. Learn more at http://www.fssolutions.comWe are proud to continue to be associated with TrialSmith. Its a terrific organization with an exclusive focus on providing plaintiffs attorneys with unique investigative and collaborative tools to help them achieve success for their clients.

Counsel Financial, the nations leading law firm financing company, is proud to announce its continued role as the National Sponsor for TrialSmith. TrialSmith houses the largest online litigation bank with more than 600,000 depositions, available only to plaintiffs attorneys, and provides critical information to trial lawyers nationwide.

Through the partnership, Counsel Financial is also pleased to support the National Association of Trial Lawyer Executives (NATLE). Its members collectively represent over 60,000 plaintiffs attorneys across the country and together work to preserve and enforce justice and protections offered by the U.S. Constitution.

Paul Cody, President and CEO of Counsel Financial, states of the partnership, We are proud to continue to be associated with TrialSmith. Its a terrific organization with an exclusive focus on providing plaintiffs attorneys with unique investigative and collaborative tools to help them achieve success for their clients. Were honored to be able to continue to support their good work on behalf of the plaintiffs bar.

As the trusted leader in law firm lending, Counsel Financial is committed to the plaintiffs bar and serving the unique needs of contingent-fee firms. The company supports many initiatives aimed at trial lawyers and providing them the necessary tools and latest information. Counsel Financial will be the headline sponsor of the Business of Law full-day seminar at the upcoming Mass Torts Made Perfect conference in April and will speak on various topics related to law firm management and advancing as a law firm. Vice President of Business Development, Steve Mingle, will also speak during the American Association for Justice Hot Topics in Mass Tort Litigation seminar on March 28 in Atlanta, Georgia.

About Counsel Financial

Counsel Financial is the largest provider of working capital lines of credit to plaintiffs attorneys in the industry, having loaned over $1.5 billion exclusively to plaintiffs attorneys in its 15-year history. Counsel Financial sets the standard for innovation and flexibility in its loan offerings, structuring terms that are conducive to the unique demands of contingency-fee practices. Leveraging 200+ years of internal legal experience, Counsel Financial has financed the growth of firms in every area of plaintiffs litigation, including personal injury, mass torts, class action and labor and employment. The company is exclusively endorsed by multiple national and state trial organizations, including the American Association for Justice and The National Trial Lawyers.At the meeting, the delegates discussed the agenda and the contents of the documents that would be submitted to leaders, as well as arrangements related to the reception, logistics, and press for the summit.

GMS cooperation was initiated by the ADB in 1992, encompassing Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, China, and Vietnam. It aims to promote and facilitate mutually beneficial economic cooperation among the participating countries, supporting the Greater Mekong Sub-region in becoming a rapidly growing and prosperous region.

The GMS-6 will take place from March 29-31 in Hanoi, focusing on ten major fields, including transport, energy, environment, tourism, telecommunications, trade, investment, human resources development, agricultural and rural development, and urban development.

Vietnam has actively participated in the GMS Economic Cooperation Programme since it was established in 1992, bringing about positive results on economic development and poverty alleviation, as well as contributing to enhancing regional economic integration.

An international press conference on the GMS-6 and the 10th Summit of Cambodia-Laos-Vietnam (CLV) Development Triangle Area (CLV 10) will be held on March 15, under the chair of Deputy Foreign Minister Dang Dinh Quy."FTNI's ability to dramatically streamline AR operations is well-known within the Foodservice Distribution industry and we are excited to leverage their full range of true integrated receivables solutions." -- Scott Kliever, CFO, Merchants Foodservice

Financial Transmission Network Inc. (FTNI), a provider of industry-leading integrated receivables solutions, today announced Merchants Foodservice, the 12th largest foodservice distributor in the U.S., has selected its ETran Integrated Receivables platform to deliver advanced Remote Deposit Capture (RDC), Fully-Hosted Online Payment Portal, ACH AutoPay, and Mobile Payment solutions across its AR operations. FTNI and Merchants have already begun rolling out the first phase of these services, with more to come in the first half of 2018.

Merchants Foodservice serves 12 Southeastern states and is ranked 12th in sales volume among the 2,600 food distributors in the U.S. More than 6,000 customers trust Merchants Foodservice and its hardworking team of 800 individuals to meet their needs. From the smallest family restaurant to the largest cafeteria, Merchants Foodservice has been meeting the demands of a wide variety of customers across the Southeast for more than 110 years.

FTNIs ETran platform has been proven to decrease companies time-to-process by up to 80 percent and reduce DSO by more than four days. FTNIs momentum as a top provider of truly integrated receivables processing solutions to the distribution industry continues to accelerate, having added 15+ new distribution customers in the past 12 months. This fast-growing list includes multiple leading distributors across the U.S. and Canada within the foodservice, beverage, and janitorial & sanitation supply categories.

Merchants Foodservice will deploy numerous modules on the ETran platform within its implementation including ETrans advanced RDC module to significantly streamline check processing operations; ETrans Fully-hosted Online Payment Portal to deliver customers convenient self-service online payment options with complete electronic invoice present and payment (EIPP) capabilities; ETran ACH AutoPay to facilitate the automated drafting of ACH payments based on customers payment terms; and ETran Mobile to accelerate Merchants sales reps and drivers ability to securely accept check payments via mobile remote deposit capture (mRDC) as well as ACH payments in the field across both iOS and Android devices. Merchants will also leverage ETrans unique ability to deliver true straight-through processing to update its back-office ERP/accounting systems with payment data in an automated fashion.

Using several of ETrans modules will help us provide excellent customer service and convenient payment options, while also reducing the historically extensive amount of manual posting for our AR team, said Scott Kliever, chief financial officer, Merchants Foodservice. FTNIs ability to dramatically streamline AR operations is well-known within the Foodservice Distribution industry and we are excited to leverage their full range of true integrated receivables solutions.

ETrans cloud-based, highly-configurable design allows AR organizations to quickly tailor the platform to their unique business processes and workflows to accelerate operations across all payment methods and channels, from a single receivables processing platform. ETrans agnostic, plug-n-play nature works with existing banking and merchant processor relationships and supports efficient integration (batch or real-time) with any back-office system. All payment information is processed and stored on ETrans fully compliant  PCI, HIPAA, SSAE 16 and more  Software as a Service (SaaS) platform.

We are thrilled to have the opportunity to work with the outstanding team at Merchants Foodservice as they leverage our ETran platform, commented Zac Robinson, vice president of sales & marketing, FTNI. With truly integrated receivables solutions, distributors across nearly every category now have the ability to knock down legacy, siloed systems and processes and move to a single, seamlessly integrated platform that provides real-time, enterprise-wide oversight of their AR operations while also significantly streamlining back-office posting and cash application efforts.

---------------------------------------------

About Merchants Foodservice

From humble roots more than 110 years ago in south Mississippi, Merchants Foodservice has grown into the 12th-largest foodservice distributor in the United States. Merchants Foodservice distributes wholesale food and beverages as well as restaurant kitchen supplies to 12 Southeastern states. More than 12,000 in-stock line items are available, ranging from frozen entrees, fresh produce and meats to cooking and cleaning supplies. Headquartered in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, Merchants Foodservice operates state-of-the-art distribution and warehousing centers in Jackson, Mississippi; Clanton, Alabama; Newberry, South Carolina; and Tifton, Georgia. More than 6,000 customers trust Merchants Foodservice and its hardworking team of 800 individuals to meet their needs. Learn more at merchantsfoodservice.com.

About FTNI

Financial Transmission Network, Inc. (FTNI) accelerates the way businesses accept, process, post and manage payments. Processing millions of transactions monthly, FTNIs integrated receivables platform, ETran, accepts any payment method, via any payment channelon a single, secure, cloud-based platform. ETrans easy-to-deploy, modular design seamlessly integrates current business processes, bank and processor relationships, and back-office accounting software to deliver increased efficiencies and cost savings as a result of true straight-through processing. Founded in 2007, FTNI serves more than 20,000 corporate users from leading organizations spanning numerous industries including Banking and Financial Services, Distribution, Insurance, Nonprofit, Property Management, Utilities, and more. For more information, visit ftni.com.3 Legged Thing Punks Brian Tripod Brian was our first ever tripod. I am so excited to announce his return, but this time as part of our iconic Punks range.

Hes back! 3 Legged Things most iconic tripod has been given an extensive facelift, and now joins 3LTs Punks range of tripods. Thoroughly refined and improved, the new Punks Brian is a true travel tripod  lightweight for portability at only 1.45 kg / 3.0 lb, and compact for transportation, folding to just 41 cm / 16.5 . Brians travel pedigree does not forsake any capability as his 2 column sections and 5 leg sections offer ultimate versatility, as well as a maximum height of 1.87 m / 74 .

Danny Lenihan, 3 Legged Things Founder & CEO explains the return: Brian was our first ever tripod, the catalyst for our naming trend, and inspiration for all the brands that have followed suit. We retired Brian after four incarnations  1st Gen, 2nd Gen, Evo 2 and Evo 3, back in 2015, with a heavy heart. At the time we felt we needed a fresh angle. Weve missed him every day since, and so I am so excited to announce his return, but this time as part of our iconic Punks range.

The brand new Punks Brian will be unveiled at The Photography Show, which takes place at the NEC, Birmingham from 17-20th March 2018, and can be viewed at 3 Legged Things exhibition stand no E71 throughout the show.

Designed and engineered in Stagsden, England, Punks Brian is made from eight layers of 100% pure pre-preg carbon fibre, and includes all the premium features users expect from 3 Legged Thing tripods. These include a detachable monopod leg; patented Tri-mount plate which allows the attachment of accessories; removable and reversible centre column; ultra-low-level shooting using the widest 80  leg angle; and ergonomic, water-dispersing bubble-grips which provide better leverage, even in damp conditions.

Like 3 Legged Things other tripods, Brian includes modular functionality, enabling users to remove, attach and reconfigure elements of the tripod allowing a multitude of uses. This includes the removable centre column which allows use of the tripod as low as 11 cm / 4.3, and can also added to the detachable monopod leg to create an ultra-tall monopod that extends to 1.92 m / 75.5.

Available in two colourways  grey and blue with copper accents; and matte black with accents of British Racing Green - Punks Brian additionally includes an AirHed Neo ballhead which incorporates two spirit level bubbles; a tough nylon drawstring carry bag; and rubber Bootz footwear which grip a variety of surfaces. Brians footwear can be changed to suit different terrains, and 3 Legged Thing offers Heelz, Clawz, and Stilettoz for sale separately.

Brian is available to pre-order from 12th March, and will be available online and via camera retailers worldwide from 2nd April 2018.This partnership brings together Keboolas advanced data tools with our analytics and insights capabilities to deliver a powerful, integrated solution, said Keenan Rice, VP of Alliances at Looker.

Keboola, the first complete solution to simplify your data world by gathering, combining and enhancing analytics, today announced that it is sponsoring the upcoming Looker JOIN the Tour event taking place in Vancouver, British Columbia on March 13.

In response to joint customer demand, Keboola also announced today that they are partnering with Looker to provide a powerful way for users to power embedded analytics. By powering products with Looker and enhancing it with Keboola, product teams receive incredible benefits, including:

Any Data, Any Format, Any Location: Productivity is instantly increased by leveraging the powerful Keboola and Looker capabilities. With Looker and Keboola embedded analytics combined with Keboola, users dont need to be concerned with either the type of database used or the location of the data. Keboola will ingest data from internal systems, accept customers own data or data from 3rd party systems, and make it ready for Looker analytics in record time.

Easy on Resources: Keboola with Looker powered embedded analytics eliminate the need to spend weeks or months building fragile ETL processes and tenuous cleansing routines, only to start all over when needs change. From data gathering to data preparation to customer-facing dashboards and beyond, Keboola and Looker make it easy.

Agile Analytics: Powering data products with Keboola and Looker ensures that customers are ready to meet evolving needs quickly. Data sources and fields are rapidly added and prepared with Keboola and deployed as analytics in Looker.

Prepare for Whats Ahead: The cloud-based, open architecture makes it simple to be ready for the next big thing without extensive retooling. Customers can now leverage galleries of pre-built connectors and apps or easily add their own.

The new world of data analytics, the products that are being created and delivered as a result of innovations, and the possibilities surrounding their capabilities, is exciting. However, it can also be overwhelming to enterprises, said Milan Veverka, partner at Keboola. Our approach is different. We dont want customers worrying about the data environment, we want them focused on their business. By combining the power and expertise of Keboola and Looker, customers can now reap the rewards of an unmatched best-of-breed combination that allows them to do exactly that - decreasing time to market and increasing their ability to focus completely on their business so that the greatest value can be realized.

This partnership brings together Keboolas advanced data tools with our analytics and insights capabilities to deliver a powerful, integrated solution, said Keenan Rice, VP of Alliances at Looker. We are excited to be working with Keboola to help drive these integrations that can deliver the largest impact for our customers.

Register for the Looker JOIN the Tour event in Vancouver, by visiting https://looker.com/events/join-the-tour.

About Keboola

Keboola provides the first true data environment as a service - a complete SaaS solution for gathering, combining and enhancing data for analytics. With nothing to install or manage, the born-in-the-cloud Keboola solution offers low overall costs, flexibility and scalability. Designed for analytic data products and the product teams that operate them, Keboola is easy to use and makes tasks like combining data sources, preparing data for analytic and operational use, and applying advanced enhancements such as text analysis, simpler than ever. Powering data products with Keboola and leveraging its 200+ integrations to connect data sources or analytical platforms, ensures users are ready to meet evolving analytics needs quickly. Keboola is deployed by, and partners with, some of the worlds leading brands. To learn more, follow @keboola or visit http://www.keboola.com.Ready or not, the real estate industry is fast embracing the use of cryptocurrency. Discussed and hotly debated in financial circles(2), the most mysterious thing about Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies, says innovative real estate and IT veteran Kenny Hayslett, president of RE/MAX Action First in Tampa, is why they arent used more. It is simply digital money, a medium of exchange that uses cryptography to safely and securely transfer assets.

A peer-to-peer (P2P) transaction conducted with cryptocurrency can be concluded in minutes, as opposed to the traditional real estate purchase that would normally involve bankers and fee payments and go on for many days or weeks. The many fees associated with each of those same third parties can also be either eliminated entirely or tailored to eliminate unwanted or unnecessary approvals and delays. The lack of any transaction fee, as with a credit card, is eliminated as well to ensure completion by a certain time or date.

The main concern people have with using a cryptocurrency is security. It is safer than many other methodsparticularly credit cardssince no money leaves the account until the owner consents to the specific amount and personally orders the transfer. In a traditional real estate purchase, a lot of trust is put into wire transferring. In a recent case, a cyber-attack lawsuit was filed against a Clearwater real estate firm alleging a fraudulent wire transfer of $974,633.44 from an account belonging to a buyer (4)(3).

Bitcoin, or another cryptocurrency, can be used to make a real estate purchase by converting it to USD, which is the more popular method, or it can be done by sending the seller actual Bitcoin as the currency of the transaction. Because of the constantly changing value of a Bitcoin, this type of purchase or exchange carries some risk. Real estate itself can be a tricky investment, says Hayslett. The clear advantage of using cryptocurrency throughout the exchange is that it can increase in value and reap great rewards for the seller.

This year, Realtor.com has already listed 37 single-family homes accepting Bitcoin, listing at $114,000 or the Bitcoin equivalent for a home in Kansas, all the way up to a 9,500-sq.-ft. Miami mansion for $6.5 million or the equivalent in Bitcoin or Zcash, another cryptocurrency(1). RE/MAX Action First is one of the first real estate brokers in the Tampa Bay area to utilize and accept cryptocurrency in real estate transactions. They are also one of the first in Tampa Bay to offer credentialing for all of their agents handling transactions involving cryptocurrency. For more information please visit http://www.remactionfirst.com/ and https://www.cryptohome.us/.

About RE/MAX Action First

Clearwater real estate broker Kenny Hayslett has an extensive background in IT and has utilized technology in training agents, providing continuing education for agents, and conveying opportunities to buyers and property sellers. He owns multiple RE/MAX offices in the Tampa Bay area, doing business as RE/MAX Action First. In addition, his title company, First Title Source, and vacation property management business, Beach Time Rentals, round out value-added services for clients. Recently, as an innovator in the Tampa Bay market, he began to offer credentialing to agents so that theyd be able to professionally represent buyers and seller in real estate transactions with cryptocurrency. Founded in 1986, RE/MAX Action First is among the top real estate firms in the Tampa Bay market and an innovator in leveraging technology to best meet the needs of their customers and agents.

(1) These Are the Real Estate Brokerages Accepting Bitcoin. Updater,

(2) Chin, Jacqui Frank Kara. The Bitcoin Debate Rages On. Business Insider, Business Insider, 13 Oct. 2017.

(3) Onibalusi, Ayodeji. Benefits Of Using Cryptocurrency To Buy Real Estate. HuffPost UK, HuffPost UK, 30 Nov. 2017

(4) Are You Using the Wire Fraud Prevention Notice Form? Proview, 26 Feb. 2018, proview.tampabayrealtor.com/2018/02/26/wire-fraud-prevention-notice/.The shooting last month at Floridas Parkland High School, which left 17 people dead, has precipitated a national debate on the ownership and support of firearms and the best ways to reduce the risk and severity of future such events. Among the many other segments of the national population, the shooting has set off a wide-ranging search for answers in the investor community. Feelings are strong on all sides of this subject, says Craig Pearson, CEO and co-founder of Private Wealth Systems, and some investors are expressing a desire to purge their portfolios of holdings in companies that manufacture or sell guns or ammunition. Investment advisors and wealth managers across the country have been scrambling to comply with these requests.

Pearson, whose company is a global leader in investment reporting software, notes that meeting these investors wishes, in many cases, is not an easy thing to do. For one thing, the names of these companies are often not well known and do not particularly stand out in a prospectus. Some, like Sturm Ruger & Co., are well known as gun manufacturers and immediately recognized as such, but many others are not. The famous Smith & Wesson brand is now traded as American Outdoor Brands Corp., and the venerable Winchester brand is now owned by Olin Corp. National Presto Industries, famous for its line of small kitchen appliances, is actually a defense contractor that makes more money from the sale of ammunition and other lethal material than it does from consumer goods. 1 Popular consumer brands such as Dicks Sporting Goods and Walmart sell guns to consumers.

This difficulty is compounded by the fact that many of these securities are held by exchange-traded index funds (ETF), which hold shares of every company in whatever index they are tracking. Two of the worlds largest asset managers, the index giants BlackRock and Vanguard, are now among the top shareholders of three publicly traded gun companies: Sturm Ruger, American Outdoor Brands, and Vista Outdoor. BlackRock has said it will be contacting officials at these three companies and asking them how they are responding to the shootings. Vanguard, which has 20 million clients, said it was unrealistic to cater to such a wide variety of views on pressing social topics. We believe mutual funds are not optimal agents of social change, a spokesman said. 2

Pearson points out that investors who do wish to be agents of social change, or at least to have their portfolios reflect their views, have options. The investment strategy known as sustainable investing takes into account factors such as a companys record on consumer protection, board diversity and managerial practices, among others. This, he observes, is not a minor activity. Over the next two to three decades, Bank of America Merrill Lynch predicts that millennials could drive some $15 trillion into Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) funds in the U.S.3 There is growing evidence that suggests ESG factors, when integrated into investment analysis and portfolio construction, may offer investors potential long-term performance advantages.

Particularly in the case where a family has significant wealth, says Pearson, the preferences of investors can have a real impactas long as their financial advisors and wealth managers are aware of each investors personal preferences.

Private Wealth Systems company officials claim that having built a flexible and powerful wealth management reporting platform, they have enabled financial advisors the ability to understand and comply with their clients individual wisheswhich is the only reporting system on the market that allows each investor to characterize individual investments with personal classifications so they can determine what is and is not socially or personally acceptable to them for investment purposes.

About Private Wealth Systems, Inc.

Private Wealth Systems is a global financial technology company that was founded by two industry veterans: Craig Pearson, who built and sold the largest legacy provider of consolidated wealth reporting working with several hundred family offices across four continents and five of the top private banks, and Joanne Frawley, who helped design the Rockefeller family investment reporting platform and who has since built three other increasingly complex reporting systems. Designed to support advisors and their ultra-high net worth clients, the cloud-based Private Wealth Systems platform captures, consolidates, cleanses, calculates and presents actionable insight across complex, multi-asset, multi-manager, multi-jurisdictional wealth holdings while adhering to a broker dealers strict privacy controls. The company was named a FinTech20 Top Technology Company to Watch by American Banker in 2017 and a FinTech Top 50 Innovator by CIO Review in 2018. Visit http://www.privatewealthsystems.com

1. Zigler, Brad, Dont Own A Gun? Maybe Your Fund Does, WealthManagement.com, February 20, 2018.

2. Thomas, Landon Jr., and Grocer, Stephen, You Might Be Giving Gun Companies Money, Even if You Dont Own a Gun, New York Times, February 26, 2018.

3. Kassell, Matthew, Think you know about socially responsible investing?, Wall Street Journal, July 19, 2017.Thinking their costs will go down and the nightmare of insurance billing and collections would be off their plate, many physicians have sold to larger conglomerates or hospital chains. But, researchers found that from 2007 to 2013, almost 10 percent of physician practices in the data were acquired by a hospital. Once acquired, prices for the services provided by those physicians rose an average of 14 percent. (1) Doctors are caught in the middle, as they often sold their private practice due to the complexity of financial management, medical coding, and compliance with regulations. Karun Philip, President and Co-Founder Tranquilmoney, believes physicians can manage their businesses more effectively to avoid consolidating and keep costs down.

Philip says, The actual practice of medicine has become junior to managing the office. Of all the tasks, billing and collections can consume a lot of the physicians time. It is Tranquilmoneys goal to help physicians and their administrators manage their business, leaving them free to care for patients. A doctor who is trained for eight or more years does not want to spend hours handling a mountain of paperwork and non-medical tasks, which is what much of medicine has become.

In theory, mergers could drive down prices. Overhead might be lower if these groups consolidate medical billing or records departments. Or the now-larger group might be able to negotiate lower prices on medical supplies.

However, that is not what is happening, according to new research from the Kellogg School at Northwestern University. Instead, prices have climbed as more and more healthcare providers have gained market power through mergers and acquisitions. And not much can be done about this.

While these consolidations create powerful healthcare conglomerates in many communities, the piecemeal nature of individual acquisition deals makes them unlikely to attract the attention of antitrust regulators, the research finds. It is only after multiple deals are done that the impact on pricing is feltand by then, regulators are unlikely to step in. (1)

Medicare, for example, pays one price to independent doctors and another to doctors who work for large health systems  even if they are performing the exact same service in the exact same place. (2)

Market and regulatory factors motivate physicians into practice models that call for greater collaboration and interdependence, sometimes making mergers or even employment within a hospital attractive. (3)

There are financial risks and payer negotiations when a physician considers independence vs. employment. Independent physicians take on more financial risk than employed physicians.

Since contracts with payers have become more complex throughout the past several years, many doctors consider the prospect of negotiating payments for a small practice to be nearly impossible. Sometimes larger nearby healthcare systems are granted preferred provider status. The reimbursement that smaller practices can then negotiate for medical services provides minimal, if any, profit margin with which to run a medical business. (4)

Billing and collections take a large amount of time  doctors usually have at least one person in house devoted to handling this task; or theyve outsourced this function with varying degrees of success. Tranquilmoney increases the money retrieved by physicians practices through collections by 20%. They have expertise in medical billing, including EHR compliance as well as medical practice management.

Dr. Philip says, The back office support Tranquilmoney provides can relieve the pressure on the physician so he/she can concentrate on practicing medicine and help his patients. That is, after all, what they trained for. The back office technology tools from Tranquilmoney give the independent practicing physician the ability to manage the office, insurance payments, compliance regulations, and medical coding thereby enabling him to retain his practice.

About Tranquilmoney:

Tranquilmoney was incorporated in 1995 to provide solutions aimed at reversing the trend of doctors in independent practices feeling at a loss with the increased complexity of the business and regulatory side of the healthcare industry. The pattern of physicians selling their practices to large hospitals is one that is avoidable. Tranquilmoney has the tools in place to provide physician practices with financial management services, such as physician receivables management, pharmacy receivables management, healthcare insurance forms processing, and data capture services. In short, doctors can focus on patient care knowing that their practices are in order. The company is based in South Orange, New Jersey with back office facilities in Chennai, India. Tranquilmoney Inc. operates as a subsidiary of MM Group. For more, please see: http://www.tranquilmoney.com/

Sources:

1) Sachin Waikar. Based on the research of Cory Capps, David Dranove and Christopher Ody, When Healthcare Providers Consolidate, Medical Bills Rise. Kellogg Insight, Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University. 1 Feb. 2018.

2) Sanger-katz, Margot. When Hospitals Buy Doctors' Offices, and Patient Fees Soar. The New York Times, The New York Times, 6 Feb. 2015.

3) Robeznieks, Andis. Physician Interdependence and Independent Practices Can Coexist.Https://Wire.ama-Assn.org/, AMA Wire, 9 Feb. 2018.

4) Payesko, Jenna. Employed vs. Independent Practice as a Physician. MD Magazine, 6 Feb. 2018.It is an honor to welcome Dr. Espey to the LJA family. His expertise is a perfect addition to our already strong water resource teams in Texas and provides us with additional opportunities throughout the United States.

William H. Espey, PE, PH.D., D.WRE, Dist.M.ASCE joins LJA Engineering, Inc. in the Public Works Division as Director of Water Resources. With 60 years of experience in water management and coastal engineering, his distinguished career and reputation provide a strong complement to LJAs own capacity and capabilities. He is a registered engineer in four states and a founding Diplomate of the American Academy of Water Resources Engineers.

It is an honor to welcome Dr. Espey to the LJA family. His expertise is a perfect addition to our already strong water resource teams in Texas and provides us with additional opportunities throughout the United States. Allen Sims, VP Water Resources

Dr. Espey will be speaking at the Rethinking Texas Water Policy Conference during the panel discussion Understanding the Science of Surface Water at 10:40 AM on Friday, April 6, 2018. The conference is hosted by the Mosbacher Institute for Trade, Economics, and Public Policy and The Bush School of Government and Public Service at Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas. http://bush.tamu.edu/mosbacher/events/txwater/

Dr. Espey is nationally recognized as having contributed notable advancements in urban watershed analysis, stormwater management, and hydraulic modeling. He is a leading technical expert who developed new techniques of analyzing and solving water resources challenges. An eminent practitioner, he has served on many boards, committees, and workgroups to craft policy, implement new regulations and develop solutions to complex environmental impacts of public works projects.

As an outgrowth of Dr. Espeys Ph.D. dissertation at the University of Texas at Austin, his Urban Unit Hydrograph methodology has found application in both state and city drainage design manuals and is published in several textbooks, including the Civil Engineering Reference Manual for PE exam. Dr. Espey started his career with the U.S. Geological Survey Water Resources Division. In 1972 he co-founded Espey Huston & Associates Inc. (EH&A) and served as President. In 1993 he founded Espey Consultants, Inc.

Instrumental in founding ASCEs Environmental and Water Resources Institute (EWRI), his work and teaching in the areas of water resources and oceanography demonstrate an overall understanding and high level of expertise in water quality, stream gaging, storm/floods-runoff, tidal effect, and freshwater inflow requirements to river and bay systems. In partnership with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Federal Emergency Management Agency, Dr. Espeys work has been instrumental in evaluation of waterways in Texas, including the Texas Bay System, Mississippi River System, Louisiana, and Illinois (Lake Michigan System).

Dr. Espey was awarded the Department of the Armys Outstanding Civilian Service Medal in 2007 by Assistant Secretary of the Army, John Paul Woodley, Jr., and Lieutenant General Carl A. Strock, the third-highest honor within the Department of the Army given to individuals not employed by the military for his work as a member of the Katrina ASCE External Review Panel (ERP).

Because of his eminence in water resources, he holds appointments to several important committees, including the Lake Michigan Diversion Technical Committee as mandated by the modified Supreme Court decree of 1980, for which he was the committees first chair, a role that he continues to this day. He also serves on the independent Technical Review panel for the USACE/FEMA Joint Texas Coastal Hurricane Surge Project, is chair of the Basin and Bay Expert Science Team (BBEST) mandated by Texas Senate Bill 3.

Several of his most notable awards include:



American Academy of Water Resources Engineers (AAWRE) 2015 Outstanding Practitioner in Water Resources

Engineering Award, 2015



Distinguished Member of ASCE, 2014

AAWRE 2014 Founders Award and Service Award

Water, Wastewater & Stormwater Council's Award of Excellence, EWRI/ASCE, 2013

Founding Diplomate of the American Academy of Water Resource Engineers (AAWRE), Founding member of the Board of Trustees and Treasurer of Board of Trustees, 2005, 2005-2011 Past President

Named Engineer of the Year for the Texas Society of Professional Engineers, 2009

Lifetime Achievement Award, EWRI/ASCE, 2006

Appointed as Chair of the Basin and Bay Expert Science Team (BBEST), as mandated by Senate Bill 3 (State of Texas 88th Legislature), 2007

Charter Member, Civil and Architectural Engineering Academy of Distinguished Alumni, University of Texas at Austin, 2003

Distinguished Graduate of the College of Engineering, at the University of Texas, 1986

Life Member of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE)

Founded in 1972, LJA is an employee-owned, full-service consulting engineering firm serving both public and private sectors. With 26 offices throughout Texas and Florida, the staff of LJA includes over 700 experienced civil, transportation, structural, midstream, rail, and coastal engineers, plus hydrologists, environmental specialists, land planners, landscape architects, construction managers, designers, GIS specialists, technicians, and surveyors.Students signing up for Winward Academy with its founder "Students with access to platforms like Winward Academy have a tremendous advantage." -Redwood High School Assistant Principal, Sue Hall

Larkspur native and Redwood High School (RHS) Alumna Dr. Jennifer Winward has donated the use of Winward Academy's suite of online learning tools to all students in Redwoods first-ever AVID class. Lindsay Laven, a RHS substitute math teacher and mother of a Redwood alumna, also donated access to the platform for students seeking additional support in the after-school math program. The value of these combined donations is $125,000, and the access now available to these students will support their academic success and improve their preparation for college.

Students will benefit from access to Winward Academys full online curriculum of 250 hours of instruction and over 7,000 multiple choice questions to build their skills in all academic areas tested on the ACT and SAT and to thrive in math class.

The partnership between Winward Academy and Redwood High School facilitates an important goal at Redwood to bridge the opportunity gap. Students with access to platforms like Winward Academy have a tremendous advantage, shared Assistant Principal Sue Hall. So its particularly exciting that the platform was both created and donated from within the RHS community to support the learning of our students.

The AVID program, introduced to RHS this academic school year, provides intensive support with tutorials and strong student-teacher relationships. These are focused and dedicated students who share the goal of admission to and completion of a four-year college degree. The Winward Academy platform is an exciting addition to our resources, shared Emily Doran, head teacher of the AVID program. With the Winward Academy platform, all students will have access to exactly what math they need with extensive support from arithmetic basics through pre-calculus.

My goal is to maximize the potential of all students. They need control over speed of instruction, easy access to study guides created based on their learning needs, and flexibility to study exactly what they need, said Dr. Jennifer Winward, founder of Winward Academy. I am honored to support the learning initiatives at Redwood and am thrilled to acknowledge the influence of Mr. Skip Lovelady, RHS science department chair, who was my mentor and teaching inspiration while I was a high school student at Redwood.

About Winward Academy.

Winward Academy is widely considered one of the nations leading innovators in the education space. Winward Academy founder Dr. Jennifer Winward brings significant experience in learning as a Ph.D., Neuroscience and Developmental Neuropsychology, University of California, San Diego; renowned teaching professor at University of California, San Diego; and distinguished 18-year veteran of high school tutoring. The Winward Academy platform is unique in incorporating forty years of education research on techniques to maximize learning with personalized ACT, SAT, math, and college preparation courses for students nationwide. For more information on Winward Academy, see winwardacademy.com or follow the company on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter.Tenant Screening USA It behooves a landlord to ensure compliance with law, especially in light of recent actions by the State of Washington, and a best practice remains to work with a third-party tenant screening agency.

The attorney general in the State of Washington is poised to take action against any landlord discriminating against veterans that use housing vouchers. Adam Almeida, President and CEO of TenantScreeningUSA.com opines; "As a leader in Housing legislation, Washington state is looking at potential discrimination and this type of focus should immediately warn all landlords and property managers to review their policies in order to stay in compliance with existing and potential law."

Homelessness amongst veterans is a challenge in most states across the country. Housing is increasingly expensive, especially in major cities.

From a recent interview on NPR.org (Mar 05, 18):

Homelessness among veterans rose slightly last year despite a nationwide effort to get them off the streets. One reason the problem is so hard to solve is the lack of affordable housing in many big cities. There was anecdotal evidence that landlords in tight markets were turning veterans away. Now there's solid proof of that... (1)

In the State of Washington investigators from the attorneys general office conducted a sting of sorts to test what properties would or would not entertain the prospect of a veteran wishing to rent with the aid of a housing voucher.

From the Seattle Times web-page: (Feb 28, 18):

Posing as veterans, they sent emails to landlords. They said they were interested in renting, and they had federal housing vouchers for veterans with disabilities.

But they werent veterans  they were investigators from the Washington state attorney generals civil-rights unit.

Responses from landlords varied, but 10 companies said they could not accept Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing (VASH) vouchers, or that they dont take vouchers of that kind. Attorney General Bob Ferguson contends that practice violates Washingtons anti-discrimination law, which protects veterans and people with disabilities. (2)

Adam Almeida, President and CEO of TenantScreeningUSA.com opines: "Whenever there is a challenge for landlords and/or property managers even with the potential of action, such as is the case in Washington, they should immediately engage with a well-qualified third-party tenant screening agency to ensure compliance with existing and potential law."

A best practice for conducting tenant background checks for landlords and/or property managers is to work with a third-party tenant screening agency.

Almeida concludes: "It behooves a landlord to ensure compliance with law, especially in light of recent actions by the State of Washington, and a best practice remains to work with a third-party tenant screening agency."

TenantScreeningUSA.com provides full service tenant screening for landlords and property managers of any size and can greatly assist in remaining fully compliant with all existing law governing tenant screening. With a highly trained and experienced staff, TenantScreeningUSA.com can provide help to landlords and property managers with all tenant screening needs.

Notes:

(1) npr.org/2018/03/05/590974647/washington-state-attorney-general-housing-discrimination-against-veterans-is-evi

(2) seattletimes.com/seattle-news/homeless/washington-signals-to-landlords-denying-homeless-veterans-housing-is-illegal/The Outreach Program, an Iowa-based nonprofit, in collaboration with Hope Heroes NFP, an Illinois-based nonprofit, ship over 100,000 nutritious meals to hard to reach hurricane survivors in Puerto Rico. Meals provided through The Outreach Meals program include tomato basil and pasta, instant apple cinnamon oatmeal, macaroni and cheese, and fortified rice and bean casserole. Meals provided by The Outreach Program, are part of a 40,000-pound shipment for the grand-opening of the Hope Heroes Puerto Rico branch office in Mayaguez, Puerto Rico. The sea-based transportation is being provided free of charge by, Good Samaritan Shipping Ministries, a nonprofit transportation organization. http://www.gssmi.org

The people of Puerto Rico continue to struggle and we want to help, said Floyd Hammer, founder of The Outreach Program. We are glad to provide meals so Hope Heroes can help people rebuild the bridge to their lives. These meals, formulated by Iowa State Universitys Food Science Department, are fortified with nutrients and vitamins to provide survivors with proper nutrition.

We provide more than just a bottle of water and a blanket, we are community hope providers said Ryan Gergen, Founder and Executive Director of Hope Heroes NFP. These meals are another link in the chain of the community rebuilding we provide. Nutritious meals are critical for the physical and mental health of survivors along their journey to recovery.

To date, we have provided more than 500,000 meals to Puerto Rico but the need continues, said Hammer. We continue to welcome financial donations for meals or groups willing to host packaging events to provide the meals. Every little bit helps.

DONATION INFORMATION

The Outreach Program

Check or Cash Giving



Checks or cash can be donated to:

The Outreach Program

301 Center St. PO Box 361

Union, IA 50258

Phone: 641-486-2550

Email: office@outreachprogram.org

Credit/Debit Card Giving



Give online at:

http://www.outreachprogram.org

Hope Heroes NFP

Check or Cash Giving



Checks or cash can be donated to:

Hope Heroes NFP

1546 Dogwood Drive

Crystal Lake, IL 60014

Phone: 815-893-7277

Email: donations@thehopeheroes.org

Credit/Debit Card Giving



Give online at:

http://www.thehopeheroes.org

About The Outreach Program

The Outreach Program was started by Floyd Hammer and Kathy Hamilton of Union Iowa. A non-profit 501(c)(3) organization, Outreach has helped to package more than 400 million meals that have been distributed across the United States and around the world. Outreach Meal Packaging Events are set up across the United States to engage businesses, religious and civic organizations, schools, and volunteers of all ages to package nutritious meals for the hungry. Co-Founders Floyd Hammer and Kathy Hamilton were recently invited to the White House by President Barack Obama and former President George H.W. Bush to be honored with the 5,000th Point of Light Award. As a recipient of the top Four Star rating from Charity Navigator and GuideStars Exchange Seal for transparency, Outreach is committed to improving the lives of disadvantaged individuals. For more information, visit: http://www.outreachprogram.org

About The Hope Heroes

Hope Heroes NFP, an Illinois-based grassroots non-profit, previously known as Hardest Hit Family Relief Fund (HHFRF), is group of normal everyday individuals, with a heroic passion for providing hope to humanitarian crisis victims in their time of hardship. We aim to lift victims up from their emergencies, and assist in guiding them through the recovery process from start to finish.

Founded in August 2017  just prior to the historic 2017 hurricane season Hope Heroes has aided in hurricane recovery efforts that affected millions of people in Texas, Louisiana, Florida, US Virgin Islands (USVI), and Puerto Rico. We have also aided victims of the Las Vegas shooting massacre, Sutherland Springs First Baptist Church massacre, the catastrophic California wildfires, and the California mudslides, all in the first 6 months. For more information, visit: http://www.thehopeheroes.org

# # #

If youd like more information about The Outreach Program or to schedule an interview with Floyd Hammer, please call Rick McNary at: 641-486-2550 (office) or 641-849-7428 (cell). Email Rick at: rick@outreachprogram.org

If youd like more information about Hope Heroes NFP or to schedule an interview with Ryan Gergen, please call: 815-893-7277 (office). Email Ryan at: ryan@thehopeheroes.orgDeputy PM Hue made the statement during his reception in Hanoi on March 12 for Henry Keswich, Chairman of the UKs Jardines Matheson Group  a multi-sectoral and multi-national group which has been present in Vietnam for over 20 years and is holding 10% of the chartered capital of Vinamilk, 25% of capital of Truong Hai Auto Corporation, and 23% of the Refrigeration Electrical Engineering Corporation (REE).

He asked the UK group to pay attention to developing such existing fields as milk products, automobile, machinery, construction, real estate, and finance and insurance, and expand presence in the State-owned enterprise (SOE) and credit institution restructuring in Vietnam.

The expansion of investment in Vietnam will benefit Jardines Matheson as the country has been a member of more than 10 free trade agreements, he affirmed.

Chairman of the UKs Jardines Matheson Group Henry Keswich expressed his interest in the equitisation and divestment of Vietnamese SOEs, hoping to participate in this field.

He pledged to help Vietnam develop its capital market with high-level services in the time to come.Our inclusion in the FirstNet App Catalog as a FirstNet Certified application means ESChat users on FirstNet will be supported by the platforms unmatched advantages,

Note: This release corrects an earlier release dated March 1, 2018

ESChat's secure Push-to-Talk application, is available on FirstNet  the countrys first and only nationwide public safety communications platform dedicated to first responders. FirstNet is bringing powerful tools to first responders to help them stay safe and save lives. ESChat is a great example of that innovation.

As a FirstNet Certified app, ESChat meets FirstNets and the First Responder Network Authoritys highest levels of credibility in the categories of public safety relevancy, security, data privacy, availability, resiliency and scalability. ESChat is available through the FirstNet App Catalog, to which all and only FirstNet subscribers have access. Its inclusion in the FirstNet App Catalog means first responders using ESChat will be supported by the exclusive benefits of FirstNet service, including First Priority, which enables priority and preemption.

Our inclusion in the FirstNet App Catalog as a FirstNet Certified application means ESChat users on FirstNet will be supported by the platforms unmatched advantages, said Josh Lober, President, ESChat. Having participated in many FirstNet special events, we are keenly aware that FirstNet will be a key differentiator, assuring public safety has access to reliable communication under the most stressed network conditions.

About ESChat:

ESChat (http://www.eschat.com) is the leading solution for carrier independent Secure Push to Talk (PTT) over LTE communications. ESChat includes AES-256 encrypted PTT voice and multimedia (text and image) messaging. ESChat also provides live and historical (bread crumb) tracking and mapping. Currently used by the U.S. Military as well as Federal, State and Local law enforcement, ESChat is able to operate over and across any wireless network, including; all commercial carriers, private 3G/4G networks and WiFi. ESChat supports interoperability with all LMR radio networks, including P25 via the native Inter RF Subsystem Interface (ISSI) protocol and DMR via the native Inter Application Interface Specification (AIS) protocol.Presidential Teleprompter

On Monday, March 12, 2018, Mayor Catherine Pugh will be delivering the annual State of the City Address at City Hall, with Council President Young in attendance. In her first State of the City Address last year, Mayor Pugh stressed the importance of focusing on education, employment training, and addiction services in an effort to increase jobs and opportunities while reducing crime rates.

Her speech was received in a very positive way, and councilors and citizens are expecting the same at this year's address.

Several issues and points are included in this year's agenda to be discussed. Some of them include the NeighborWatch Area Program, Remington Row Planned Unit Development, changing the zoning for the properties on Union Ave, prohibiting food service facilities from using disposable food service, prohibiting new or expanded crude oil terminals in the city, and establishing residency requirements for certain agency heads, to name a few.

Mayor Catherine Pugh is the 50th acting mayor of Baltimore City and has been an integral part of politics in Maryland for 20 years and initially acted on the Baltimore City Council.

About AA Rental

AA Rental provides innovative audio visual equipment rentals and services to clients in Washington, DC, Boston, Chicago, Virginia Beach, Richmond, Maryland, Atlanta, and Orlando. The firm has been providing audio visual equipment for rent, always keeping up with the latest innovations. Popular equipment rentals include sound systems, projectors, lighting, computers, laptops, screens, and iPads, to name a few. AA Rental also handles teleprompter services, which they will once again be using in this year's State of the City Address. Skilled technicians diligently maintain and deliver AV equipment, often with same-day requests. Technicians are also available to assist with on-site services, set up, and take-down of equipment. Customer assistance is available around the clock for all customers across the US.Chapel of the Flowers Facebook Winner Donna Gray In addition to the winners of the Facebook contest, Chapel of the Flowers in Las Vegas is pleased to announce the winners of the $1,000 college scholarships: Tyler Blevins, Georgia Institute of Technology, and Iman Naieem, George Mason University.

Chapel of the Flowers in Las Vegas has a heart for not only for couples in love, but for students who need help paying for college. Earlier this month the elegant one-acre wedding venue, also known as the Destination for True Love, announced that both the winner and first runner-up of the Share Your Love Story contest are from the United Kingdom. Grand prize winner Donna Gray will receive $1,000 towards her wedding at Chapel of the Flowers and first runner-up Leanne Dent will receive $250 to use for her ceremony at the chapel.

The contest ran on Facebook from January 22 through February 28, 2018 and had thousands of interactions with posts from couples around the world who were competing on the popular social network for a chance to win their dream wedding or vow renewal at Chapel of the Flowers. The race was as close as two speed skaters at the recent Olympic games. Though Donna and Leanne each had over 2,300 likes, which included posting the heart or thumbs up emoji, the grand prize went to Donna who won by only 20 fan interactions.

Chapel of the Flowers is also pleased to announce the winners of two $1,000 college scholarships. Tyler Blevins is a student at Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta, Georgia - George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering, and Iman Naieem is studying for a B.S. in psychology (I/O) and a minor in business at George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia. Each student submitted a short essay in January explaining why they deserved to win one of two $1,000 Chapel of the Flowers College Scholarships.

The staff at Chapel of the Flowers carefully reviewed each submission and was impressed with all of the applicants and their compelling stories. However, Tyler Blevins and Iman Naieem won over the judges with a passion for their majors and their focus on specific career paths following college graduation.

Tyler Blevins is also a resident advisor with the Georgia Tech Department of Housing. Iman Naieem is President of Psi Chi Honor Society and Public Relations Chair of Phi Alpha Delta. Chapel of the Flowers is honored to award Tyler and Naieem the first college scholarships of 2018.

Chapel of the Flowers is currently seeking submissions for two additional $1,000 scholarships that will be awarded in August 2018. Deadline to apply is July 31, 2018. For details and to complete the short scholarship application, please visit https://www.littlechapel.com/scholarship.

About Chapel of the Flowers

Chapel of the Flowers, located at 1717 Las Vegas Boulevard South, has been celebrating love for nearly 60 years. The stunning indoor and outdoor chapels seat between 20 and 88 guests, and receive top ratings from couples around the world as well as from local residents of Las Vegas.

Founded in 1960, Chapel of the Flowers is Las Vegas' highest rated and largest full-service wedding venue, providing traditional, modern and elegant Las Vegas weddings on the world-famous Strip. An acre of cobblestone-accented grounds and vibrant backdrops are designed to capture every picture-perfect moment of a Las Vegas wedding. Professional wedding planners, part of a team of nearly 100 on-site staff members, ensure that every aspect of the wedding day is personal, easy and stress-free. Chapel of the Flowers' impeccable customer service assures the couple that all details of the wedding, including the ceremony, flowers, award-winning photography and reception venues will result in cherished memories for a lifetime. Chapel of the Flowers is honored to be one of the preferred venues in Las Vegas, the wedding capital of the world.Stevens President Nariman Farvardin accepts the ACE/Fidelity Investments Transformation Award, The demand for a Stevens education has never been higher, said President Farvardin. With the continued commitment of the university community, the potential of Stevens is limitless.

Stevens Institute of Technology President Nariman Farvardin accepted the American Council on Education (ACE)/Fidelity Investments Award for Institutional Transformation on behalf of Stevens at ACEs 100th annual meeting on Sunday, March 11.

The award was created to recognize institutions that have responded to higher education challenges in innovative and creative ways and achieved dramatic changes in a relatively brief period. ACE invited nominations and applications for the award, under two categories, from any U.S. college or university eligible for ACE membership. Stevens won for the category of large institutions serving student populations of 5,001 or more and will receive a $10,000 prize.

The demand for a Stevens education has never been higher, said President Farvardin. With the continued commitment of the university community, the potential of Stevens is limitless. On behalf of Stevens Institute of Technology, I am honored to accept the 2018 ACE/Fidelity Investments Award for Institutional Transformation during this catalytic period in our history.

The unprecedented growth and accelerated success at Stevens began in 2011, when President Farvardin spearheaded the development of an ambitious 10-year strategic plan that charted the course for Stevens to become a premier, student-centric, technological research university. The process itself was deliberately inclusiveled by two deans, a steering committee with broad representation, six working groups comprised of faculty, staff, students and alumni, and multiple opportunities for input and feedback from all stakeholders within the Stevens community.

The results have been remarkable: undergraduate and graduate applications are up 156 and 128 percent, respectively. Enrollment is up 29 percent at the undergraduate level and 24 percent at the graduate level. Retention, graduation and placement rates have increased to 83, 95 and 96 percent, respectively, which represent all-time records for the university. Financials, fundraising and the endowment have also all seen drastic improvements.

Since Farvardin took office, the disciplined implementation of Stevens strategic plan has kept the university on course, requiring high levels of cross-functioning engagement, re-envisioning objectives, clear metrics and regular monitoring and reporting. Milestone tracking and specific metrics reveal a university that has experienced a substantial turnaround during that five-year perioda university on the rise.

Saint Peters University, also in New Jersey, won in the category of institutions serving student populations up to 5,000.

Stevens Institute of Technology and St. Peters University both illustrate how addressing issues head-onplus a lot of hard work and collaborationcan help transform an institution, said ACE President Ted Mitchell. We appreciate the generous support of Fidelity Investments for this award, which allows us each year to recognize colleges and universities where such transformation has occurred.

Stevens is ranked 69th overall in U.S. News' 2018 National Universities rankings, up from 71st in the previous year and 88th in 2011, making Stevens the second fastest-rising college in the nation among the top 100 national universities. Stevens was named as one of the top 25 "Most Innovative Schools" in the nation in U.S. News' Best Colleges 2018 rankings.

About Stevens Institute of Technology

Stevens Institute of Technology is a premier, private research university situated in Hoboken, New Jersey overlooking the Manhattan skyline. Since our founding in 1870, technological innovation has always been the hallmark and legacy of Stevens education and research. Within the universitys three schools and one college, 6,900 undergraduate and graduate students collaborate closely with faculty in an interdisciplinary, student-centric, entrepreneurial environment. A range of academic and research programming spanning business, computing, engineering, the arts and other fields actively advances the frontiers of science and leverages technology to confront our most pressing global challenges. The university is consistently ranked among the nations elite for return on tuition investment, career services and the mid-career salaries of alumni.

About the American Council on Education (ACE)

Celebrating its centennial in 2018, ACE is the major coordinating body for all the nation's higher education institutions, representing nearly 1,800 college and university presidents and related associations. It provides leadership on key higher education issues and influences public policy through advocacy. For more information, please visit http://www.acenet.edu or follow ACE on Twitter @ACEducation.STRYPER

Chart-topping rock band STRYPER has released the official music video for Sorry - the first video from their upcoming 10th studio album, God Damn Evil, due April 20, 2018 from Frontiers Music SRL. Stryper reunited with director Jamie Brown of Smoking Gun Productions for the "Sorry" video, which was shot on location in the open desert outside of Las Vegas.

Watch STRYPER's official music video for "Sorry" here: https://youtu.be/ByWWzDl_xrw

'Sorry' is a song with a groove that chugs right along, says frontman Michael Sweet who also produced the album. "It's got a heavy feel yet it also has a melodic sense and a chorus that may have you singing along. We've always been drawn to harmonies and melodies and this one doesn't fall short. Lyrically it speaks of a volatile relationship and it gives hope to anyone who has been involved in one. Every song is unique in its own way on God Damn Evil and there's something for everyone. We're counting the days to April 20th!"

With God Damn Evil, the band returns with their most powerful album to date, doubling down on the hard rock/heavy metal sound that earned them a worldwide fan base. Following the albums announcement and pre-order launch on February 9th, God Damn Evil rocketed to #1 on the Hard Rock Chart at Amazon.com, where it remains in the Top 10 more than a month later.

God Damn Evil is the first release since the recent addition of bass player Perry Richardson, who joins original members Michael Sweet (vocals and guitar), Robert Sweet (drums) and Oz Fox (guitar). Perry is best known as a founding member of the multi-platinum band Firehouse.

Rocking since 1984, STRYPER is responsible for such classic '80s metal albums as Soldiers Under Command, To Hell with the Devil and In God We Trust. In fact, STRYPER is the first band to ever have two songs in MTVs Top 10 simultaneously with their hits Free and Honestly. After a sabbatical for much of the 1990's, STRYPER returned strong in the early 21st century. To date, the Dove Award-winning and GRAMMY-nominated band has sold over 10 million records worldwide.

God Damn Evil is the follow-up to STRYPERs ninth studio album, Fallen (Frontiers Music SRL), which released in 2015 and debuted at the top of the Billboard charts. 2016s 30th Anniversary To Hell With The Devil Tour saw record crowds and featured the bands largest sound and lighting production in nearly two decades.

STRYPER will return to the road this year, kicking off the God Damn Evil World Tour at the at the Frontiers Rock Festival in Milan, Italy on April 28th. Tour dates will be posted as confirmed at http://www.stryper.com/Tour/tour.html.

God Damn Evil is available now for pre-order at all major retailers including Amazon and iTunes. The following limited edition pre-order offers are also available:

Stryper Webstore: Includes EXCLUSIVE yellow colored vinyl (limited to 100 copies worldwide), autographed vinyl test pressings, EXCLUSIVE t-shirt design (Stryper store ONLY), autographed CDs and more! Pre-order HERE: https://stores.portmerch.com/stryper/

Frontiers U.S. Webstore: Includes EXCLUSIVE gold colored vinyl (limited to 100 copies worldwide), autographed vinyl test pressings, EXCLUSIVE t-shirt design (Frontiers store ONLY), autographed CDs and more! Pre-order HERE: http://pmusic.co/34WWZE

Frontiers EU Webstore: Includes EXCLUSIVE silver colored vinyl (limited to 100 copies worldwide) and more! Pre-order HERE: http://bit.ly/2nSs5ey

For more information, visit http://www.stryper.com.Diane L. Martin, MBA will be joining Citrus Valley Health Partners as its new Chief Marketing and Communications Officer.

Ms. Martin will lead the organizations re-branding initiative, which will include a new name for the nonprofit health system that currently operates three hospitals, a hospice and multiple outpatient and ambulatory sites in eastern Los Angeles County.

We are very pleased that Diane is joining our organization, said Mary Kirchen, chair of Citrus Valleys Board of Directors Strategic Planning, Marketing & Community Benefit Committee. We are about to launch one of the biggest marketing initiatives in our history. Dianes extensive marketing and branding experience will be key to ensuring that our new identity and story is shared most effectively with our patients and our community. Everyone on the board and in our administration is looking forward to Diane being a part of our hospital family.

Ms. Martin has more than 14 years of experience in the field of marketing, communications, strategy and business development. Most recently, she served as the Corporate Director of Marketing Communications and Digital Strategy for Prime Healthcare.

During Ms. Martins tenure with Prime Healthcare, she was charged with unifying the health systems brand across the nation and improving its reputation through storytelling, press releases and the utilization of influencers. She also helped build marketing playbooks for their key service lines, streamlined their digital platforms and played a key creative role in physician and nurse recruitment.

She is also a former strategic marketing and communications consultant with Stanford Health Care and UCLA Health, leading successful marketing and advertising initiatives for a wide range of service lines.

As the former marketing communications manager for Dignity Health, Ms. Martin implemented system-wide go-to market Public Relations and Marketing plans that sparked a 20% boost in patient base for Maternity Care, General Surgery, Pediatrics and other major medical services. She also partnered with corporate and physician stakeholders, creative agencies and business development to develop an integrated corporate identity roll-out.

She received her MBA from the University of Redlands and her bachelors in Public Relations from Barry University in Florida. Ms. Martin also studied LEAN methodologies at Reitaku University in Japan and The Chinese University of Hong Kong in China as part of a global business study abroad program.

To learn more about how CVHP is elevating health care in the communities it serves, please visit http://www.cvhp.orgPresenting the insignia to the ambassador at a ceremony on March 12, VUFO Vice President Bui Khac Son lauded the diplomats successful term in Vietnam.

He stressed that the award aims to acknowledge the ambassadors contributions to the friendship and cooperation between the people of Vietnam and Chile as well as other Latin American countries.

He said he hopes that the ambassador, in any capacity, will continue contributing to developing the friendship and collaboration between the two nations.

For his part, Ambassador Claudio Andres De Negri Quintana said he was honoured to receive the insignia, the most notable reward of the VUFO.

Highlighting great potential for Vietnam-Chile cooperation as the two countries share many similarities in culture and history, the ambassador voiced his hope that the bilateral ties will continue to expand. He also vowed to continue efforts to boost the cooperation in his new position.The forum featured the participation of a delegation from the Central Committee of the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union, the Vietnam Farmers' Association, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, the Vietnam Cooperative Alliance, experts and successful businessmen in the agricultural sector and over 300 union members and youths from the province.

The forum focused on exchanging start-up experience from successful entrepreneurs in the field of agriculture, the opportunities and challenges in starting high-tech agriculture, introducing the models of high-tech agricultural production, and preferential policies in agricultural development.

On the occasion, the first contest on Creative start-up idea of Rural Youth was launched.

The contest aims to encourage youths who have ideas and projects on production and business in the fields of cultivation, breeding, aquaculture, forestry, salt production, craft villages, agricultural equipment and agricultural services.

An award ceremony is expected to be held in September, 2018 and the organising board will present one first prize, two second prizes, three third prizes and four consolation prizes.

As part of the event, the organising board presented two high-tech agricultural models to Nghe An province.And then there was one.

Harvey Schwartz, one of the two men considered as the potential successor to Goldman Sachs CEO Lloyd Blankfein, is retiring next month, the bank announced Monday. That leaves David Solomon, who shares the titles of president and chief operating officer with Schwartz, as the sole contender to replace Blankfein when he steps down as early as this year.

The end of Blankfein's tenure at the top of Goldman Sachs has long been a Wall Street talking point. And when Solomon and Schwartz were promoted to president and co-COO in late 2016, days after Gary Cohn, who had been Blankfein's right-hand man, accepted a role leading the White House's National Economic Council, it was seen as a sign that the two were the leading contenders to take the CEO seat when Blankfein stepped down.

Blankfein briefed the Goldman Sachs board in February on the position of his potential successors, according to a person familiar with the matter. In that meeting, he identified Solomon as the man best placed to replace him, according to the person.

Before taking the co-COO role, Solomon had been a cohead of investment banking in New York for a decade. In recent years, he has played an important role in revamping the investment bank's junior-banker policies and helped lead Goldman's efforts to build the ultimate financial destination for the masses under its Marcus brand.

Solomon has also tended to be more of a public face for Goldman Sachs than Schwartz has. He moonlights as a DJ, has partied with the likes of Diddy, and once gave life-changing career advice to the Philadelphia 76ers guard J.J. Redick.

He also had a less-than-typical career path  he skipped the Ivy League and studied political science at Hamilton College in upstate New York.Donald Trump Jr. had a fun day of campaigning for Republican Rick Saccone on Monday just a day before the special election for Pennsylvania's 18th Congressional District.

President Donald Trump's eldest son was cracking jokes at a pretzel factory, photographed appearing to give an interview to chocolate Easter bunnies, and ate a heaping serving of ice cream along Pittsburgh's exurbs.

Trump Jr. sought to offer Saccone, a state legislator vying for an open seat against Democrat Conor Lamb, a former Marine and federal prosecutor, a bump before Election Day on Tuesday. A Monday poll from Monmouth University found Lamb leading Saccone in every turnout model it projected. Trump, who campaigned for Saccone on Saturday, carried the 18th district by 20 points in 2016.

The president's eldest son said Republicans "just cant take winning for granted."

"They have to get out there, they have to continue this fight  now, for the rest of '18, in '20," he said. "In eight years, we can make a real difference. We just can't be lazy.

Trump Jr. and Saccone toured Sarris Candies  a prominent candy producer in the region  for about two hours, eating ice cream, interacting with employees, answering  and dodging  questions.

Enjoying a bowl of ice cream, Trump Jr. attacked Lamb, saying, "We don't need people who are pretending to be conservative but will follow the mainstream and vote with [House Minority Leader] Nancy Pelosi and [Senate Minority Leader] Chuck Schumer."

The two men wanted to highlight how the candy factory grew from 320 to 400 employees since the Republican tax overhaul passed, The Washington Post reported, adding that Trump Jr. said if he had "two scoops" of ice cream, "the media will call it a scandal."

The president garnered attention last year when it was reported that he had two scoops of ice cream for desert while dinner guests were limited to one scoop.

Trump Jr. asked employees making products that involved pretzel sticks "how many" they "eat on a given day."

"Like Tony Montana, don't get high on your own supply, he said, referencing the main character from the movie "Scarface."

Trump Jr. dodged questions on the scandal surrounding porn star Stormy Daniels claiming an affair with the president and the ongoing investigation into Trump's supposed ties to Russia.

Here are some of the photos and videos from Trump Jr.s trip to Pennsylvania:

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Related contentThe average monthly office rent in Accra sits around $1.63 per square foot, a price comparable to office rents in Atlanta and Dallas.

These expensive rents make securing a space by start-up seem impossible.

As part of efforts aimed at providing opportunities for startups to acquire office accommodation at a cheaper cost, Workshed Africa Limited launched a new co-working space off of Spintex Road, one of the capitals major highways.

Co-working space is simply a shared working area for different companies to operate. It is a popular type of work environment in Asia, Europe and America. However, it remains a new concept on the African continent.

The facility comes with desk space, meeting rooms, happy hours, and other amenities.

Co-founders of Workshed Africa, Andrew Bimpong and Richard Bempong tell Business Insider Sub Saharan Africa that they came up with the concept in the process of looking for an office space themselves.

"As we looked for spaces to kick off our business, we stumbled across , a coworking space in San Francisco. The concept was new to us, but appealing so we put work on our fashion startup on hold to research what it would take to set up our own co-working space.

Access to capital for the co-founders of Workshed was a challenge but they managed to secure some funds to invest in their project. With Workshed, they strive to create an enabling environment for Ghanas nascent start-ups by building a community that emphasizes collaboration and dialogue.

When you visit Workshed environment you are most likely to meet young entrepreneurs working busily at their various desks. The shed is open for all people and all businesses who need a space to do their work. The facility comes with dedicated wifi, mailing and telephone services, a printer, scanner, conference room, and a cafeteria. It is indeed a total work environment for more than just a single company.

With over six companies using its facilities, Workshed is poised to grow.

If you are wondering how beneficial a co-working space is for your start-up, Richard shared with Business Insider Sub Saharan Africa just two reasons. has two reasons for you:

Economical

Nobody wants to spend all their income on huge rents and that is why a co-working space is a definite option for businesses especially for start-ups who are yet to make some real money.

Networking

Co-working spaces house several companies with diverse skills and services. A co-working space houses companies from different industries. This helps them build relationships and gain favours easily.

We have seen a lot of partnerships grow in our shed. Workshed in itself has benefitted from these partnerships. There was a time we needed help with photography and we got CN Concepts on the job because they were right here. Imagine the struggle these companies would have gone through if they were in different locations".

The growth of Ghanas startup community and expansion of resources signals that the Black Stars are on the rise.

Despite the slow growth of the economy, Ghanas reputation for political stability is likely to draw further support for local entrepreneurs.Late Fiifi Khan Agyakwa, who was admitted at the 37 Military Hospital on Saturday, March 3, and discharged on the March 10, passed away yesterday.

Ahuma Bosco Ocansey, the Head of Communications and Special Projects at the Union, disclosed that the colleague passed after a short illness. According to him, the late Rev. Agyakwa was discharged on Saturday, March 10, 2018, from the 37 Military Hospital in Accra and thereafter, gave up the ghost.

Until his departure from life, Rev. Fiifi Agyakwa worked in various capacities in the music business over the past two decades.

He was the Director of Special Projects for the Union and was on the delegation of MUSIGA officials who met the leadership of the British Musicians Union in London over the twinning agreement between the two unions until 2014 when he was appointed an administrator.According to him, there was the need to protect himself in light of the invasion from what he described as hooligans.

The run go hit maker has been on a collision course with the hierarchy of his record label, Zylofon Media.

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The former BET winner then moved to the Champs Bar for another performance but was met by more confusion after a fracas between the artiste and Bulldog, who is in charge of Artiste and Repertoire at Zylofon Media.

The latters men reportedly hit Stonebwoy's brother, snatched his wallet containing an unspecified amount of money and attempted to seize the musician's Mercedes Benz.

Further reports suggested the musician pulled out a gun and fired warning shots during the melee.

Speaking for the first time since the incident, Stonebwoy said he had to take that action for self-defense.

According to him, it is only fair that he defends himself if some group of hooligans try to harm him.

Have you heard about self-defense? Stonebwoy answered when asked about the incident on Hitz FMs Yaad Settingz show.

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He added: Inasmuch as people would take the laws into their own hands, we believe that  we are also by law, as a public figure that I am, as a delicate figure for Ghana and the nation  when unfortunately, I die by the hands of some hooligans who take power into their own hands, Ghana will feel the pain and the loss.Stonebwoy joined Zylofon Media last year amid huge fanfare from Ghanaian music lovers. The artiste was signed to headline a host of other talented musicians who had been signed by the mega-rich record label.

However, earlier this year Zyofon decided to add fellow dancehall hotshot Shatta Wale to their list of signees.

The signing of the Shatta Movement king appears not to have gone down well with Stonebwoy, who has now revealed that he would not have signed onto Zylofon if he knew they would go ahead to sign his biggest competitor.

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According to him, it is impossible to have two big competing artistes on the same record label and expect everything to work perfectly.

Im being strictly sincere, I wouldnt [have signed]. Because I believe that you should let people feel free, you know. I trust in that as well. I trust in that because you cant have two number 11s playing the same game. Thats my opinion to that and I think it doesnt have anything to do with Zylofon Media. Im just answering sincerely, Stonebwoys said during an interview on Hitz FMs Yaad Settingz show.

He was, however, quick to add that he bears no grudges against Zylofon Media for their decisions, insisting the hierarchy of the record label has the right to sign whoever they want to.

READ ALSO: undefinedTwinamasiko Onesimus, Member of Parliament for the countrys Bugangaizi East constituency made the controversial statement in an interview with a Ugandan television channel NTV.

The video clip was then shared on social media by a journalist who works at the NTV and has attracted widespread condemnation, especially as the world just marked international womens day a couple of days ago with lots of talks about fairness and respect for women.

In the widely circulated video, Twinamasiko Onesimus is heard saying: "As a man, you need to discipline your wife, you need to touch her a bit, you tackle her, beat her somehow to really streamline her.

It is believed thatthe MP was responding to a comment by the East African countrys president thatmen who beat their wives are "cowards".

According to Ugandan Christian News, Yoweri Museveni said Men who beat women are foolish and cowardly as he addressed a gathering on the International Womens Day.The president of Ghana, Nana Akuffo-Addo, posted took to his Facebook wall to share a picture of his wife, Rebecca Akuffo-Addo, the second lady of Ghana to celebrate her on her natal day.

The beautiful photo of the first lady which he captioned: Happy birthday to my beloved Rebecca had the first lady rocking a Made-in-Ghana attire.

READ ALSO : 5 times Ghanas First Lady made African print a national costume

Flagstaff House Is A Dangerous Place For Nana Addo

The President has been married to his beautiful wife for 20 years now.Hundreds of Vietnamese Buddhist followers, including migrant workers, students and members of Vietnam-RoK multicultural families across the RoK, were present at the event.

Buddhist nun Thich Nu Gioi Tanh, Chairwoman of the Vietnamese Buddhist Association in the RoK, said that the requiem aims to pay tribute to the ancestors and soldiers who sacrificed their lives for Vietnams national independence and freedom.

She highlighted the significant contributions made by the Vietnamese Buddhist community in the RoK to charitable activities both in the host society and the homeland.

At the ceremony, a representative from the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha (VBS) Central Committee announced a decision to recognise the Vietnamese Buddhist Association in the RoK as a member of the VBS.

The associations chairwoman pledged to accompany other Vietnamese associations in the RoK in order to build a strong community of overseas Vietnamese and significantly contribute to the development of the two countries relations.

Concluding the requiem, the participants offered incense and released flower garlands to commemorate the deceased and prayed for a New Year of peace and prosperity.In an interview with Accra-based Citi FM, Dr Appiah said Ghana must emulate other developed countries that have used this method as means of population management.

She argued that the population structure must to be configured in a manner that the consuming population does not outweigh the producing population.

It is not the number but the structure of it. If you look at the UN population prospect for 2017, the structure is there  0 to 14the world statistics is about 26%. Meanwhile, in Africa the 0-14 age bracket is about 41%, Asia, its about 26, Europe is less than 20%.

In India for instance, they are trying to delay time of delivery during the marriage. So they are incentivizing that. So if you marry, and you have your first child after three years, there is a package for you. So then if you [Ghana] also have a higher dependent rate, then you [government] have to incentivize small family size. You have to make small family size attractive and a norm, she added.

Her comments come after a Chief Statistician with the Ghana Statistical Service, David Kombat revealed that Ghanas population is now estimated at 29.6 million.

This is an increase of over 5 million after the 2010 population and Housing Census which recorded a 24.5 million population at the time.This comes after customers of 4 microfinance companies are unable to access their savings.

READ ALSO: uniBank denies taking over ADB

Together with the Government, the Bank is working on a comprehensive reform program to address the challenges in the sector, and strengthen regulatory and supervisory oversight. For the avoidance of doubt, the list of names of licensed MFIs in general compliance with Bank of Ghanas guidelines is attached, the statement said.

The Central Bank said the release of the list is to assure the public that it is taking steps to address the challenges in the banking sector.

In recent times, some unhappy and frustrated clients of AGT Microfinance, the Man Capital Microfinance, the McOttley Money Lending and the Alpha Capital Savings and Loans companies, have been chasing the directors of the companies for their investments.

Their investments have matured but the directors of the said microfinance are unreachable. This may be another scandal for the financial sector.The outspoken diplomat on Twitter asked Which Accra does he live in? And which London has he visited?

His question comes after Dr Joseph Siaw Agyepong, said that everywhere in Accra is clean.

At a sanitation forum, he said that When you look on the streets now, everywhere is clean, everywhere is neat.

He explained: I said neat because you have not moved to other African countries. When you move to The Gambia and other places and you come back to Accra, you think that Accra is the new London.

Sometimes do the benchmarking with other countries that you have visited."

READ ALSO: Here is a list of 319 microfinance companies in good standing

However, at that same event the Minister of Sanitation and Water Resources, Joseph Kofi Adda, blamed Zoomlion for the filth in the capital.The young man parading himself as a soldier was arrested among the security detail of Vice President Mahamudu Bawumia at the Kotoka International Airport.

ASP Mr. Benjamin Adu Effah of VVIPU and Chief Inspr. Bediako Darkwah arrested Sissey Ibrahim who was dressed in complete military uniform with the name tag "Zakari".

READ MORE: Fake military man arrested

The officers reported that, the suspect who claims to be a student of University of Ghana, Legon, was spotted in the company of the security detail of the Dr Bawumia at the Airport in the uniform.

The demeanour and styles of the suspect gave him out. He was accosted, interrogated and found not to be a military officer.

The suspect asserted that, the uniforms belong to his elder brother Sgt. Zakari Ibrahim of 5BN Burma camp, with whom he stays.

READ ALSO: Fake soldier arrested after claiming to be a CaptainThe Freemasons are a secret society that falls down slightly on one of the vital elements of being a secret society  the secrecy.

Everyone's heard of them, most people have a rough idea of what goes on behind the Lodge doors and there are a lot of notable people that have publicly admitted to being masons.

Freemasonry is one of the worlds oldest and largest non-religious, non-political, fraternal and charitable organizations.

Its roots lie in the traditions and ceremonies of the medieval stonemasons who built our cathedrals and castles. Some rituals are still celebrated today.

Freemasonry has always been about making good men better. Individuals aim to shape their lives round five core principles according to the official website of the United Grand Lodge of England (UGLE).

K.B Asante goes home

K.B Asante has finally been laid to rest after a burial service held at the forecourt of the State House on Saturday, March 10.

The solemn ceremony was attended by friends, family, loved ones and well-wishers who paid their last respects to the departed soul.

In all the tributes read about K.B Asante, the most prominent feature the constant description of the celebrated diplomat as someone of integrity and good will who fought for the good of the country.

The event at the state house was followed by a private burial held by his family members at the Gethsemane cemetery.The suspect, also stole an amplifier belonging to the church. Elder Akpi Ernest Ofori, Presiding Elder of Nkrukan Central Assembly of the Apostolic Church-Ghana confirmed to Starr FM.

Francis Tetteh is a driver and resident of Korle Abansoro in New Juabeng. The Police said they found him in possession of the amplifier with the inscription 'Assemblies of God Church' on March 10.

Further investigations by Police uncovered a black bag which contained a pinch bar, a spanner, a cutter, a flash light, three Opel timings and cash of Ghc 229.Commissioner of Police (COP) Ken Yeboah, Ashanti Regional Police Commander, told journalists in Kumasi that, the suspects approached Sheik Alhaji Mohammed Mzeye, a spiritualist at Suame Zongo to sell human parts to him.

The suspects, Vikuniba Joe Zoot, 21 and Kozel Borama 25, both from Tongo, were arrested when they were about to sell the severed head of the boy, which had been concealed in a black polythene bag to a Malam at Suame Zongo for rituals.

READ ALSO: Man arrested in Koforidua for stealing church offering

COP Ken Yeboah said the spiritualist then informed the police, who laid ambush and arrested the suspects together with the severed head when they were about to hand it over to the spiritualist.A statement from the Presidency, signed by presidential spokesperson Mustapha Hamid said the President agreed that the national purse will not to be used to pay off the evictees.

It further stated that President Akufo-Addo has also taken notice of those who were not included in the initial compensation and has accepted to give them what is due.

In view of the security implications of the operations of the traders, and artisans, national security proceeded to engage with them, and compensation packages of varied sums were agreed on. President Akufo-Addo has taken the view that the national purse must not be burdened on a matter such as this, and has gone on to pay these compensation from his personal resources, sections of the statement read.

READ ALSO: undefinedA group of artisans, describing themselves as the junior masters, who were not beneficiaries who were not beneficiaries of the initial compensation, in a letter to President Akufo-Addo, dated February 25,2018, appealed to the president to be included in the compensation package, a request which the President has accepted.

Some traders and residents had expressed discontent with the compensation package which was dished out to them, with reports suggesting the amount was between from GHS3,000 and GHS 10,000.

Others also lamented the hasty nature of their evacuation, insisting they have not been given enough time to relocate.

However, the statement from the Flagstaff House said: it is completely false that only a weeks notice was given to the traders and artisans to move from their current location. Indeed, the leadership of the artisans and traders requested for a six-week grace-period from National Security, beginning from the last week of January 2018, to enable them move. Clearly, this request has been met.

READ ALSO: undefinedThe demonstration was to register their displeasure about the imprisonment of their former MP who was also the former Coordinator of Ghana Youth Employment and Entrepreneurial Development Agency (GYEEDA).

The residents claim Abuga Pele was innocent.

The constituents armed with pointed placards which had the inscriptions "Abuga Pele, we are behind you" and "selective justice is injustice", spilled onto the highway, chanting justice slogans as women wept openly.

Spokesperson, Donald Tumyeridam addressing the press said Abuga Pele has served Ghana in humility adding that they would not sit down to allow innocent people go to jail.

He said "We believe that corruption must be fought, but not with innocent people, while the real culprits walk in freedom.

"We would like to fervently appeal to the president of the republic of Ghana, His Excellency Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, who has all in his life stood by the rule of law to relook into the case to help settle the misdemeanour that has characterized this very case."

Maxwell Akanuwe, Assemblyman for the Longo Electoral Area on his part said "A scapegoat because there are big personalities who squandered monies. We all know for a fact that Humado was indeed the one who signed [those contracts]. And why is Humado roaming? Hes free out there and Abuga Pele is languishing in prison. This is not justice. It is absolutely unacceptable."

In an interview on Accra-based Starr FM, a woman wearing an Islamic veil, Bimata Nurudeen said "Im not crying for myself. Im not crying for Abuga Pele. Im crying for the orphans in this constituency whose school fees, feeding and hospital bills Abuga Pele was taking care of before February 23, 2018."

Abuga Pele convicted

On February 23, Abuga Pele was convicted by an Accra High Court for his role in the GH4.1 million scandal that rocked the agency.

He was convicted on 2 counts of abetted crime of defrauding by false pretence and was sentenced to six years in prison.

Abuga Pele has been alleged to have recommended payment of the said amount to Assibit, CEO of Goodwill International Group when Assibit had not performed any work to merit payment.

Pele not pleaded not guilty to the charges.The event, named Visit India in 2018, drew the attendance of representatives from the citys Department of Tourism, Vietnamese and Indian tourism enterprises, and other relevant agencies.

It called on travel industries from both sides to boost bilateral people-to-people exchanges in line with the guidance offered by the leaders of the two countries.

Speaking at the event, Indian Consul General K. Srikar Reddy highlighted the historical and civilisational links between two countries, stressing that Vietnam is a strong pillar of Indias Act-East Policy.

The longstanding ties between India and Vietnam are based on a strong mutual trust, understanding, and a convergence of views on various regional and international issues.

Over the years, there have been regular exchanges of high level visits between the two countries.Mr. Jackson believes President Akufo-Addos commitment to improving the private sector is a move worth commending.

I do think that he is more visionary than some recent Ghanaian leaders, he said on 21 minutes, adding that the President has adopted the best way of boosting the economy.

He, however, refused to be drawn on whether he meant Nana Addo is more visionary than ex-President John Dramani Mahama.

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According to him, Mahama also had a vision but he prefers Nana Addos approach because it is likely to create more jobs and propel the economy forward faster.

In his view, investing in the private sector is a better way of improving the economy than investing in infrastructure, as done by the erstwhile Mahama-led administration.

I think ex-president Mahama had a vision, too, so, I want to give him credit where credit is due, his emphasis was on infrastructure, which is very important  schools, clinics, hospitals, roads, President Mahama did a lot for this country, the US Ambassador asserted.President Akufo-Addos focus on the private sector and making the private sector the engine of growth rather than government being the driving force is how I see the difference between the two of them.Atiku made this disclosure on Twitter while welcoming the U.S. Secretary of State, Rex Tillerson during his short visit to Nigeria and President Muhammadu Buhari.

He also said this investment translates into jobs in factories, farms and offices in Nigeria.

The US is largest overseas investor in Nigeria. Trade is over  2.1 trillion (US$6.1bn) which translates into jobs in factories, farms and offices in our nation. Stronger Nigeria-US relations means more jobs to help get Nigeria working again, Atiku tweeted.

Continuing, the ex-Vice President to ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo for eight years, said Nigeria and the US share same values of free trade, education and democracy.

I welcome US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson to Nigeria. Our people share the same values of free trade, education, democracy and security for all.

Nigerians deserve a more secure future. Nigeria and the US must do more to combat extremism and terror. Our partnership with the US should be built on more cooperation. It is good to see US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson in Nigeria.

Atiku is currently eyeing the position of President Muhammadu Buhari come 2019 following his defection from the ruling political party, All Progressive Congress to the leading opposition party, Peoples Democratic Party in late 2017.The US Secretary of State, Rex Tillerson has expressed heartbreak over the kidnap of 110 schoolgirls from a Girls Secondary school in Dapchi, Yobe State, Nigeria.

Tillerson made this known on Monday evening, March 12, 2018 during his brief visit to Nigeria.

The recent kidnapping of 110 schoolgirls heartbreaking, Tillerson said on his arrival in the capital Abuja on the final leg of an African tour.

During his brief meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari, Tillerson condemned the abduction of the schoolgirls in northern Nigeria and promised Washingtons backing in the fight against Boko Haram and terrorists.

Nigeria has the US in full support and we are actively working with our partners in what we can assist you in this fight, the diplomat assured President Buhari.

Tillerson left Kenya and travelled to Chad on Monday morning, March 12, 2018 to meet President Idriss Deby.The visit of the U.S. Secretary of State, Rex Tillerson to Chad on Monday, March 12, 2018 may see President Donald Trump lifting the travel ban on Chad.

During Tillersons meeting with President Idriss Deby, Tillerson said with Chads important steps to strengthen control over its security and passports, Washington was considering lifting the travel ban on Chad.

These steps I think are going to allow us to begin to normalise the travel relationship with Chad, Tillerson said after his meeting.

The US envoy also noted that the consideration of the US government to lift the travel ban on Chad is as a result of the countrys importance as a key ally in the fight against Islamist militant groups in West Africa.

He also said a report on Chads progress was being prepared in Washington and would be reviewed by President Trump next month.

We have to wait for the final report, Tillerson also added.

Tillerson also said he was concerned about the presence of Islamic State-allied militants in the country and called Chad an important partner in the battle against terrorists.

Tillerson left Kenya and travelled to Chad on Monday morning, March 12, 2018.

The top U.S. diplomat flew into the Chadian capital NDjamena on the last day of his brief tour of Africa with stop-offs in Kenya, Ethiopia, Djibouti and Nigeria.

Earlier before his trip to Africa, Tillerson had announced a $533million aid for the African countries from the US government while speaking at George Mason University in Virginia.

In that vein, the Federal Government of Nigeria and Chad will get over $128million in aid.After 17 years of isolation and economic sanctions, this historic transition has raised the population's expectations, especially around economic recovery and job creation in a country suffering from widespread unemployment.

Gearing up to face these challenges and preparing Zimbabwe to re-engage with the rest of the world, President Mnangagwa will present his country's economic potential to the international investor and business community at the AFRICA CEO FORUM.

As the world's third-largest platinum producer and with abundant diamond reserves, significant agricultural resources, and one of the highest adult literacy rates in Africa, Zimbabwe has a lot to offer.

President Mnangagwa will share his vision for Zimbabwe's economic recovery before an audience of more than 1,200 business leaders, international investors and policy makers.

The AFRICA CEO FORUM's exclusive inter-presidential panel will give President Mnangagwa the opportunity to exchange with Olusegun Obasanjo, former President of Nigeria.

Having emerged from a long period of economic isolation, Nigeria offers a solid example on which to base discussions on strategic priorities that must be implemented to revive Zimbabwe's economy and put an end to sanctions.

President Mnangagwa is not the only new president to use the AFRICA CEO FORUM as a platform from which to launch his country's recovery.He has made a name for himself with his touching messages and lately, his unique take on tithing.

Here is everything you need to know about him.

Early Life

He was born as Samuel Adesanya Adeyemi on February 3rd, 1967 in Yagba, Kogi state. His father is Chief SB Adeyemi.

Pastor Adeyemi is from Odo-Ere, Yagba-West Local Government Area in Kogi State.

He has a younger brother named Victor, who is also a pastor.

Ministry

Years later, he became a pastor in Rhema Chapel with Victor, his younger brother in Kwara state.

In 2005, he was made the Director of Pastoral Care by the head of the church, Rev. George Adegboye. He was later made Minister in Charge before he was posted to Lagos state.

Eventually, he started his church, which is committed to raising role models. It began on November 18, 1995 at the Eko Chinese hotel on Allen Avenue, Ikeja, Lagos.

The beginning of his ministry was filled with lots of ups and downs before it became what is known as today.

Now, Pastor Adeyemis ministry goes beyond the church as he is also a best selling author, host of the motivational program called Success Power, President of Success Power International, an NGO, and head of Daystar Leadership Academy.

His mentor is Bishop David Oyedepo of the Living Faith church, also known as Winners Chapel.

Family Life

Pastor Adeyemi is married to Pastor Mrs. They met while he was a pastor at Rhema church.

At the time, she says it was not love at first sight. In her words, I really did not have much feeling for him, but as time went on I heard God tell me that he was the man for me.

It was a different story for Pastor Adeyemi, who says, My heart did not deceive me when it exclaimed, This is the kind of a girl one should marry, the first day I chatted with you. I sure understand how Adam felt the first time he sighted Eve. I followed my heart and the rest, as they say, is history.

Like her husband, she is in charge of many organizations including The Real Woman Foundation founded in 2001.He probably doesn't need any introduction, he is apparently the biggest music producer from this side of the world. Anything he touches turns to gold!

Born Michael Collins Ajereh in Lagos state, Don Jazzy attended the Federal Government College Lagos. After which he enrolled in Business Management Studies at the Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma, Edo state.

His journey towards music started in 2000 when he visited London and his uncle had invited him to play the drums for the local church. Don Jazzy later went on to work with Solek, JJC, Kas, The 419 Squad and D'Banj.

ALSO READ:Don Jazzy apologises for body shaming lady on Instagram

He later created the record label, 'Mo' Hits' with D'banj and signed other artists like Wande Coal, Dr. Sid, D'Prince on its label. Don Jazzy was responsible for D'banj's "The Entertainer" album and Wande Coal's "Mushin to Mo'hits" album is said to be one of the best album to have ever been made in Nigeria.

After parting ways with D'banj in 2012, Don Jazzy formed the Mavin Record Label with new acts like Reekado Banks, Korede Bello, D'ija and most recently, Johnny Drille and the DNA Twins. Don Jazzy has been able to make these new names to become international superstars.At least 14 others were said to have sustained injuries.

It was reported that the driver, who drove a Lexus Jeep GX470 marker KJA615DF, belonging to Triple D Global Resources Limited, was returning from a nightclub and moving against traffic when the accident occurred.

The driver, who was reportedly on top speed rammed into the commercial bus, which had just been cleared by a ticketing officer.

An eyewitness said both vehicles upturned, killing two passengers on the spot, while 16 others were critically wounded.

Two other victims died at the hospital, where they were rushed to, while the drunk driver was unconscious, it was learnt.The men and women being trafficked in the state are usually made to swear to oaths and some of their body parts are collected as collateral to make them pay back the money used to sponsor them.

Following the revocation of the curses on Friday, March 9, 2018, Oba Ewuare II declared that trafficked persons are now free from their traffickers and whatever oaths they were placed on.

The monarch also placed a curse on human traffickers and those aiding and abetting human trafficking in Edo state, which is the hub of human traffickers in Nigeria.

The king also cursed the native doctors who subject victims to oath of secrecies and banned the violators of the Community Development Associations and others whose business is to initiate the sons and daughters of the land into various cult groups.

Those who took part in the swearing exercise were priests from various shrines in the state such as the Ohen Okhuae, Ohen Ovia, Ohen noriyekeogba, Ohen Ake, Ohen Niwuo, Native Doctors, Ohen Sango, Odionwere, Iwueki and the Enigies.

The monarch said, "you native doctors whose business are to subject people to the oath of secrecies and encouraging this evil act on the land, you have to repent, stop doing it. This is not a joking matter and if you do not repent, you have to wait for the repercussion.

"The palace is not against those practicing the act of native doctors but those who use it to perpetrate evil in the land through aiding and abetting human trafficking in the state.

"We want to use this medium to tell those who are under any oaths of secrecies that they are now free. We revoke the oath today.

"What the Palace stands for is peace and the development of the state. I want to use this medium to tell you that the act of using charms to aid trafficking, the palace seriously frowns at it.

"We want us to join hands together to fight against human trafficking in the land."

ALSO READ: 42-yr-old woman arraigned for allegedly trafficking teenage girls for prostitution

He added that the state governor, Godwin Obaseki, pleaded with him to help curtail the spate of human trafficking in the state.

According to the United Nations, nine in 10 of the Nigerian women trafficked to Europe come from Edo State, a predominantly Christian state with a population of about 3 million.

Edo capital city, Benin is known to be a hub for human traffickers and young women who travel to Europe for prostitution.

Some embark on the perilous trip knowing they would trade their bodies for money in Europe while others were made to believe they would get a decent job and make enough money to send back home to their poor families.

Either ways, their first assignment is to make money to cover the exorbitant cost of their trip which is usually sponsored by a trafficker.According to reports, the controversial woman denied entrance upon landing at the Kenneth Kaunda International Airport on Saturday, March 10, 2018. This prevented her from attending an album launch where she had been scheduled for an erotic display.

The report was confirmed by her promoter, Lucky Munakampe.

He told AFP News of the Zambian authorities' decision to send back Wabantu to her home country.

I can confirm that Zodwa has been deported back to South Africa by the immigration department, says Munakampe.

A morally driven Zambia state has revealed its disinterest when it concerns accommodating individuals who have shown a low appreciation for good conduct and social etiquette.

This was reiterated by the country's Religious Affairs Minister, Godfridah Sumaili.

Zambia is a Christian nation where morality and ethics have to be followed. We dont expect a woman to dance without underwear, Sumaili mentioned in a chat with AFP.

Beer-loving prophet pictured kissing wife and housemaid

A Tanzanian prophet, Onesmo Machibya has been arrested by the police after a picture of him kissing his wife and housemaid went viral.

It was alleged that Machibya who is also known as Nabii Tito, also preached with a bottle of beer in his hands.

His action has generated widespread condemnation from his countrymen who accused him of setting a bad example.In a statement, the White House said that Trump will attend the Summit of the Americas in the Peruvian capital city of Lima and meet with President Pedro Pablo Kuczynski.



In Colombia, Trump will meet with his counterpart Juan Manuel Santos.



In his first trip to Latin America, Trump is expected to participate in a series of bilateral, multilateral, and cultural engagements, according to the statement.



It added that Trump will take the visit to demonstrate his "resolve to deepen our historical ties with our partners in the region and to strengthen our joint commitment to improve security and prosperity for the people of the Americas," and to promote "strong democracies, fair and reciprocal trade, and secure borders."



The visit came after Trump reportedly called Latin American nations as "shithole countries" in an immigration meeting in January, sparking wide protests in the region.



The US-Latin America ties have also been tested by Trump's proposal to build a wall on the Mexican border, his order to impose steep tariffs on imported steel and aluminum, and some Latin American nations' joining of a regional trade deal, from which Washington withdrew in January 2017.State police commissioner, Mr. Hafiz Inuwa, confirmed the report while parading the suspects identified as Chukwuemeka Ahunanya, 22; Francis Ugochukwu, 25; and Emmanuel Chukwuma, 25.

Some fetish items were recovered from the fraudsters following earlier investigations.

On February 23, 2018, at about 0940hours, the following suspects were arrested in the Akpabuyo Local Government Area on a tip-off. They are Chukwuemeka Ahunanya, Francis Ugochukwu, and Emmanuel Chukwuma.

During interrogation, the suspects confessed to belonging to an Internet fraud group also known as yahoo boys.

"They used charms to defraud and dispossess unsuspecting members of the public of their hard-earned money and other valuables. Some charms were recovered from them during the search," the police chief Inuwa told Punch News.

One of the suspects, Ahunanya who spoke on behalf of his team insisted that the group recently introduced the use of charms into the online fraud business.

According to him, his colleagues were in the process of perfecting the 'juju' when they were nabbed.

Their activities is one of a list of viral cases that have gained the attention of the public.

Police round up Yahoo Boys engaged in spending blood money

Fifteen Yahoo Boys have been arrested by operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). They were apprehended on Saturday, February 3, 2018 in Sagamu, Ogun State.

The suspects aged between 18 to 24, were nabbed based on offences bordering on obtaining by false pretence, lottery scam and love scam.

Among the group involves a list of youths who apply fetish procedure to hypnotize their victims.

Local media reported that some of the suspects were arrested at the residence of their leader, Adesanya R. Olaoluwa. The latter is reportedly under surveillance by the EFCC.

Items recovered from the fraudsters include "coffins, calabashes, gourds, laptops, phones bearing scanned forged documents, six exotic cars, charms and SIM cards."She was reportedly crushed by the railway vehicle on Thursday, March 8, 2018.

Loud sounds given as a warning by observers who watched the sad development occur had failed to alert her of an incoming train.

This was reportedly as a result of a headphone plugged to the ear of the deceased.

Nnekas death is something I still dont believe is real. How can she just die like that, somebody I still related with not too long before then?

"I really cannot say much; her death is one of the most painful things to have happened around me,"Oma, a close friend of the victim told Punch News in a report.

Her feelings though grave was however lesser to one expressed on Facebook by Jessica Odili, a relation of the deceased who completed a course in Home Economics at the Federal College of Education, Technical, Omoku, Rivers State.

The mourner who seemed resigned to her fate could only mutter a few words in respect to the incident which has brought devastation to loved ones.

After so much joy in the family this period, the devil decided to give us sadness. RIP the best sister and aunty. What a life," writes Odili.

Her pain bears a similar reflection to a grandmother, Mrs. Oyesanya, who lost her grandson in a Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) accident.

Grandmom cries over pupil beheaded by BRT

We fed Ezekiel at 7:15am but picked up his corpse two hours later, at about 9:45am, says Mrs. Oyesanya, the grandmom of Daniel Ezekiel, a pupil who was killed by a Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) in Lagos.

On Monday, March 5, 2018, the deceased made to go to school after having a belly-filling breakfast at the residence of his grandparent's, but unfortunately did not make it for his daily learning.

He reportedly died on his way to school in Ogolonto, Ikorodu.

But we didnt know that was the last time we will see him, Oyesanya told Vanguard News in tears. She was described as one who hasn't come to terms with the death of the pupil who wore an excited mood before leaving home for his school of learning.

"And on that fateful day, he left home to school. But I was alerted of the incident that happened by someone who told me to find out if Ezekiel was safe. Immediately I started calling his teacher, but she refused to pick my call.

"I thought they were on assembly ground so I called the school director who also didnt pick my calls. At that moment, I knew there was a problem.

"I was confused and my husband also called to inform me to proceed to his school. On my way, someone told me that Ezekiel had been rushed to Ikorodu General Hospital.

"When I got to the hospital premises, I was told to identify the lifeless body of Ezekiel; at that moment, I knew I had lost our dear child. I couldnt believe my eyes that the child I fed at exactly 7:15am had become a corpse for me to pick at exactly 9:45am, she said amidst tears.

We are only two in this house, my husband and I. Since we are getting old and all our children are grown up, we thought it will be nice to have a small child that can keep us company. So we contacted a lady in our community to help us find someone to stay with us.

"They eventually helped us to get Ezekiel from the Northern part of the country; that was around August last year.

"Our initial plan was to enroll him in school by October this year but due to the fact that it was late to do so, we decided to enroll him in January this year, a decision I now regret.

"He was 15 years when they brought him to us, and they told us that he was in JSS3 in Kaduna State before he came to Lagos. But when we took him to school, they told us that he should start from Primary Four," says Oyesanya who thinks the BRT driver cut short her grandson's dreams.

How death of Daniel Ezekiel occurred

An eyewitness, Mr. Akin Adeolu, mentioned that the sad event occurred around 07:45 AM, a time when school children make their way down to school.

Reports gathered stated that the deceased, Daniel Ezekiel, 16, had made to cross the road when the vehicle hit him, severing his head upon impact.

This happened at Ogolonto bus-stop, says Vanguard.

It appeared to be a sad error by the victim who reportedly mistimed his run. The fear of experiencing mob justice encouraged the BRT driver to make a run for it.

We have commenced initial investigation into the ugly incident to determine the cause for further action.

However, we commiserate with the family and colleagues of the deceased, God will give them the fortitude to bear the loss," a statement by Primero Transport, the owner of the BRT buses reads.The MP who is from the Bugangaizi East constituency made his position known during an interview with NTV News. He submitted that a bit of violence is needed to cultivate a habit of discipline among female partners.

A video containing his view was shared by a Twitter user, Patu, in a post published on Monday, March 12, 2018.

"As a man, you need to discipline your wife,"

"You need to touch her a bit, you tackle her, beat her somehow to really streamline her," says Onesimus whose comments received several bashing online.

Reactions received in response to his statement saw a number of people condemn his opinion.

Violence against women in the African society is a commonplace scenario, encouraging the formation of a community of feminist.

Onesimus' shocking comments shines a light on the struggles of women in a Nigerian society where folks of the female gender are mostly seen as subjects as opposed to impactful contributors in the growth of their environment.

Woman forced to sleep with daughter at banks for failing to give husband male child

A woman has been forced to spend her nights sleeping at parking lots belonging to banks after husband sent her packing alongside 10-year-old daughter, Amara.

This is reportedly as a result of not being able to deliver a male child.

A Facebook user Prince Gwamnishu Harrison discovered her on an early morning shortly after arriving Lagos state.

He took to his personal page to share her story which touched on some of the abuses experienced by Nigerian women in their marriages.

It was gathered that her husband has taken a new wife who he anticipates will bear him the coveted fruit of a boy which brings along with it a sense of masculinity - an age long sentiment that has characterized African men.

"Arrived Lagos State this morning at 2:07am and surprise to see a woman and her 10yr old daughter sleeping in front of a Bank.

"I observed them from afar, came closer to avoid waking a mad woman.

"I woke them up and ask to know why they were sleeping in such a place. She opened up and told me she has been sleeping there for two nights," Harrison reported while narrating how he met the pair.

The woman whose name was not revealed mentioned that her husband asked him to leave his apartment in the dead of the night because of her inability to deliver a male child.

She envisaged travelling to Imo State in light of the unfortunate event but hasn't been able to afford transportation fees.

"Trouble started when my husband brought in a new wife because I couldn't have a male child. Last week Saturday at about 1:00am, he woke me and my Daughter (Amara), told us to leave his house in presence of his new wife.

"I didn't utter any word, no fight, he helped me parked my things out and that of my daughter. My luggage was much so I left some at the Security Post.

"I had nowhere to go at that godly hour except traveling back to Imo State but have no transport and even where to stay in Imo State," say the woman according to the Facebook post shared on Tuesday, February 27, 2018.

ALSO READ: Housewife empties acid on penis of husband who impregnated best friend

Prince Gwamnishu Harrison who appeared moved by her story confirmed that he offered some money in a bid to get her to the desired destination.

He sought to use his post to seek help for the troubled woman whose phone number was included in his comments.It is now becoming clear that we may need to exercise more care regarding what we consume.

Fake food and what is known as food fraud is exploding on a global level, with companies deliberately misleading consumers and retailers using harmful additives to increase their profits.

Quartz Africa reports that, in February, Nahima and Yahaya, two 14-year-olds, died after eating biscuits at a classmates party, on the outskirts of Nigerias capital, Abuja.

Numerous other children were also hospitalised.

Food fraud is becoming a big global problem

There have been reports of processed foods that seem to decompose long before their expiry dates.

A former employee at one of Nigerias biggest food companies has reported seeing milk powder with no animal protein contained within.

After the plastic rice videos were released, many Nigerians made videos of their own showing how substances sold as rice combusted like industrial grade plastic when set ablaze.

WHile the authenticity of these claims have not been verified by any major authority, the incidence and spread of the reports suggests something is afoot.

The Chairman of EriscoFoods, a local food packaging company, has accused his peers of importing pastes of starch, drum and colouring from China as tomato paste.

Sudan IV, a lipid used in industrial chemistry, has been reportedly found, mixed in with corn powder, sold as chilli powder.

The United States Grocery Manufacturers Association claims that an estimated 10% of all commercially sold food products are subjects of food fraud, a practice that is said to cost the global food industry between 10 to 15 billion dollars.

However, this new global wave of food fraud is already at great magnitudes in countries like Tanzania, where a local union estimates that over 50% of all goods, including food, drugs and construction materials, imported into the country are fake.

Weak borders and lax legal structures mean Nigeria, and the majority of African countries are generally more prone to the importation of illegal and substandard food products than most.

While the use of social media to raise awareness on fake food has bridged a gap, this new wave of food fraud points fingers at the capacity of the requisite institutions to prevent mishaps, especially as many of the additives used in these fake food substances put consumers at increased risk of cancer.

For decades, the smuggling of rice and frozen poultry from Cotonou in the BeninRepublic has supported an economy of its own and proved important in meeting the seemingly insatiable needs of Lagos, the countrys most populous city and other states.

Is the Nigerian government trying to starve its people?

As most of the country lives below or scarily close to the one dollar a day line that sets poverty apart from just getting by, getting fed is not treated as a luxury in these parts.

Yet, despite promising to increase local production of food to match its incessant bans on importation of food products, the Nigerian government has failed, leaving an underserved population with little purchasing power and local retailers and distributors who cannot meet their customers demands.

It partly explains why a substance like plastic rice would make its way into Nigeria where a slightly cheaper alternative is very quickly snapped up.

Because most of these foods do not meet any standards, theres no testing, and as such, no data on the impact of food fraud on the people who actually purchase and consume these substances.

For the most part, consumers would do well to be very alert in purchasing and consuming food substances.

Once the fake food is detected, they must alert others and provide information to law enforcement bodies to ensure the source is quickly nicked.

The government and its institutions must also do more to impose and execute stringent sanctions on the importation, production and sale of food within the country.The suspect, Mohammed Bashir, is part of the gang that allegedly killed Corporal Mamman of Army Headquarters Special Forces on February 27.

In a statement signed by the Director Army Public Relations, Brigadier General Texas Chukwu, on Monday, March 12, Bashir was arrested with arms and ammunitions.

The statement read, "In continuation of intensive patrol across the states following a report on criminal hideouts, on Sunday 11 March 2018 troops of Headquarters Commands Army Record supported by Army Headquarters Special Forces conducted a raid operation at Irovochinomi and Egee communities within Okene Local Government Area of Kogi State.

"During the operation one of the prime suspect by name Mohammed Bashir a member of the gang that allegedly killed Corporal Mamman of Army Headquarters Special Forces on 27 February 2018, was apprehended and the following items were recovered, 2 AK 47 rifles with registration number 58008731 and 45 rounds of 7.62mm special was recovered.The governor made the claim during an interview with The Nation, published on Sunday, March 11, 2018, affirming that Benue's troubles usually spill into Nasarawa.

According to Al-Makura, killings have happened in Nasarawa by herdsmen running from Benue as well as militants from the neighbouring state.

He said, "I can tell you that what happened recently in Nasarawa State was a repercussion of the implementation the anti-grazing law in Benue State, especially within Nasarawa State, I wouldn't say about another state.

"We have not enacted that law, but within the neighbourhood we are sharing boundaries with Benue State. Whatever challenges they are facing in Benue affects us too one way or the other; and because we share boundaries, there are bound to be inter-migration of the people in both states. We have become victims of circumstance.

"There are two types of killings; there are herdsmen that are running away and on their way to Nasarawa posing dangers to citizens of both Benue and Nasarawa States.

"Also there has been killings by certain militants from Benue entering into Nasarawa and also perpetrating killings."

Al-Makura had been involved in a public spat with Benue governor, Samuel Ortom, after the latter claimed that herdsmen that were responsible for attacks in Benue had been camping in a community in Nasarawa. Ortom later apologised to Al-Makura.

Nasarawa won't implement anti-grazing law

During the interview, Governor Al-Makura further revealed that Nasarawa has found a way to resolve the tension between cattle herders and local farmers without making any problematic laws.

He said the state has a resolution mechanism which involves committees across four levels that have been effective in avoiding the escalation of conflicts.

He said, "I'd rather that every state look at the peculiarity of its own situation and find an in-house arrangement to manage that just like we are doing in Nasarawa State.

"We have a community-based conflict resolution mechanism and we have committees in the four levels in the wards, towns, in the development areas and in the state. And wherever there is some kind of crisis between the farmers and herdsmen such committees become handy and solve the problems.

"With the success of this it will be crazy of me now to embark on anti-grazing law when the in-house arrangement of conflict resolution mechanism is working for me because anti grazing law comes with its different kinds of repercussions.

"So before you make the law, one needs to understand that the more graphic figure of the cattle that you have the size of the land and the infrastructure facility that could handle this people and how easy it is also for them to get the land.

"Each state should look at it from its own peculiarity like I said earlier, and then have an in-house home grown solution to it.

"In Nasarawa we have grazing reserves in most of the local governments; out of 13, I think we have grazing reserves in about nine to 10. So we will recover most of these grazing reserves, they are large expanse of land that could be deployed for the herdsmen to go and do their business without inconveniencing anybody."

Cattle colony will protect herdsmen

Governor Al-Makura also noted that the Federal Government's cattle colony initiative to house cattle herders on 5,000-hectare properties across the country could be important to solving the farmers/herdsmen crisis.

He said, "Given the frequencies of this problem, any responsible administration must find a way, means to get rid of this kind of crisis. I think it is quite a wise decision to propose the issue of cattle colony.

"No you cannot substitute herdsmen for bandits. Cattle colony is not to give freedom or leverage to bandits but to give leverage to herdsmen.

"It's so unfortunate that the activities of bandits and these criminal militants is now stigmatizing virtually every herdsman.

"You cannot just generalize that every herdsman is a bandit. When the federal government thought out the idea of cattle colony, it is not to give any bandit leverage but to protect the traditional, normal and law abiding herdsmen, and to be able to do that vocationally without any hindrances and contribute to the economic growth of the country.

"I believe, if this issue of cattle colony takes off, the pressure on the frequency of this kind of crisis is going to subside."

He further praised the Federal Government's response to the crisis that escalated and has led to the death of over 200 victims across many states since January 2018.The President stated this when he received the US Secretary of State, Rex Tillersonat the State House, Abuja, on Monday.

He said Nigeria was working in concert with international organizations and negotiators, to ensure that the girls were released unharmed by their captors.

We are trying to be careful. It is better to get our daughters back alive, the President said.

He thanked America for assistance rendered in the fight against insurgency, noting that Nigerian forces are good, but need assistance in the areas of training and equipment.

President Buhari promised that his administration would continue to do its best to secure the country, adding that he would go to Yobe, where Dapchi schoolgirls were abducted, later this week.

He said the visit would be part of his condolence and sympathy visits to areas where we have had unfortunate events.

The President pledged free and fair polls in 2019, recalling that the then American Secretary of State, John Kerry, had visited before the 2015 polls, and he told the party in government then, and those of us in opposition, to behave ourselves, and we did.

In his remarks, the visiting U. S. top diplomat said Nigeria was a very important country to the U.S.

You have our support in your challenges. We will also support opportunities to expand the economy, commercial investments, and peaceful polls in 2019, he added.

Tillerson, who later briefed newsmen alongside the Nigerias Foreign Affairs Minister, Mr Geoffrey Onyeama, said the American government would assist Nigeria with latest security equipment and intelligence sharing in its efforts toward the safe return of the abducted schoolgirls in Yobe and Borno.

According to him, the U.S. government will also offer special training for security personnel to enable them engage in special operations towards the rescue of the girls abducted by the Boko Haram terrorists.

He expressed the hope that both the Chibok and Dapchi schoolgirls would return home safely.On January 8, 2018, Buhari asked IGP Idris to relocate to Benue. The order to the IGP arrived just days after rampaging herdsmen ended the lives of over 70 residents of Benue.

I just met with the Governor of Benue State. I assured Governor Ortom of our total commitment to the security of lives and property in Benue and elsewhere. We have deployed additional security resources to fish out the attackers, bring them to justice, and prevent further attacks, Buhari declared.

Talking tough, police spokesperson Jimoh Moshood announced that "the Force will not hesitate to deal decisively with trouble maker(s), any group(s) or individual for conduct likely to instigate the escalation of the crisis. The full weight of the law will be applied on anyone arrested for being responsible for the mayhem in the affected areas in the State.

Instead of applying the full weight of the law in Benue like he had promised, IGP Idris picked up a fight with Governor Ortom as soon as he landed in the State.

War of words

Ortom and Idris would spend weeks engaging themselves in a war of words at the detriment of the mission.

The anti-grazing law in force in Benue was the cause of the herdsmen killings, Idris said. Not correct, Ortom averred, before accusing the police boss of taking sides with the killers.

Ortom would later state that when IGP Idris was deployed to Benue State, he didnt spend more than a day in the troubled State and refused to arrest the culprits of the violence who had been identified by the State government.

As tempers flared, Ortom said: With his latest demand that the ranching law of Benue State be suspended, it is now clear where the loyalty and interest of the Inspector-General of Police lies  certainly not with innocent Nigerians.

He has now positioned himself not only as the mouthpiece of those who are killing Benue people, but indeed as their shield. Little wonder herdsmen still proudly carry sophisticated weapons and willfully terrorise innocent people in the state without being arrested.

We wish to place it on record that contrary to the directive by President Muhammadu Buhari that the Inspector-General of Police should relocate to Benue to ensure that the killings stop, the IGP spent only one day in Benue and left for a destination where only he could tell. No one has seen him in Benue since that day.

Days after, spokespersons of Ortom and Idris nearly engaged themselves in a fistfight on national television.

Its been weeks and months now. And to think that Buhari is just learning of all that transpired.

Commander-in-Chief

Im not aware that the I-G did not spend 24 hours in the State as directed by me, I am getting to know in this meeting, Buhari said as he showed up at a gathering of farmers, herdsmen, government officials, senators and members of the House of Representatives in Benue.

Which begs the questions: as Commander-in-Chief, doesnt the president receive regular security or intelligence briefings from his service chiefs? How come the president didnt know that IGP Idris only spent one day in Benueepicenter of the crisisbefore hopping off to Nasarawa, which is across the border from Benue?

If he wasn't briefed, didn't the president read media reports of all that transpired?

Security should be Buharis strongest suit and forte as a former Army General. However, not knowing what his police boss has been up to, speaks of a lacuna in the nations security architecture and a dereliction of duty between IGP Idris and the nations C-in-C.While speaking on Channels Television on Sunday, March 11, 2018, the president's spokesman said every country in the world is battling with criminality and that Nigeria cannot be an exemption.

His reply was in reaction to a question about the success of the Nigerian Army's Exercise Ayem Akpatuma (Cat Race) aimed at curbing crime across six troubled states in the country.

He said, "I think that nobody, no politician should try to deceive Nigerians by saying that there is a country without lawlessness.

"Even when he campaigned - the President, yes, committed to ridding the country of terror, but he never would have said that this country would be 100% without criminality.

"Even the more advanced states of the world, nations like United States, everyone is at an alert and terrorism in particular - you just don't sleep with your eyes closed."

Security in Nigeria worse before Buhari

Shehu also defended the president's efforts over ensuring security in the country, disclosing that there were more violent clashes happening in the country only five years ago.

"In any case, looking at all of the numbers, you know that within 2013 and 2014, the sort of attacks we are talking about had been more prevalent. In 2013, there were nine of such violent attacks - Fulani herdsmen and the farmers, Tiv farmers and Idoma farmers, Tiv farmers and the Tiv communities; all of these things were there. In 2014, it was a lot worse," he said.

The president's spokesman also took time out to condemn people who have tried to politicise the killings in the country.

He said, "There is a sense that some people see in some of these things happening, tragic as they are, unfortunate as they are - that it can be used as a strategy to win an election.

"They are just celebrating and exulting over all of these matters instead of coming together so that we can solve the problems."

Exercise Ayem Akpatuma

The army announced on February 7 that it would commence Exercise Ayem Akpatuma in six states across the country to combat a series of criminal activities.

The exercise runs from February 15 to March 31, 2018 in Benue, Taraba, Kogi, Nasarawa, Kaduna and Niger.Buhari, who met with farmers, herdsmen, government officials and other stakeholders in Makurdi, denied insinuations that he was not interested in what was happening to the north-central state.

I cannot overlook the killings in Benue or any other part of Nigeria. I cannot do that. I am genuinely worried about the attacks in Benue and we are doing everything to end them, he said.

He said that the insecurity in some states was a major concern to his government, adding that concerted efforts were being made to restore normalcy to every part of the country.

Buhari said that he was surprised at the revelation that the Inspector-General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, did not spend 24 hours in Benue, when he directed him to relocate to the state and remain there till peace was restored.

I am getting to know this in this meeting. I am quite surprised, he said.

He, however, said that the meeting was not the best place to expose the inefficiency of his appointees, and appealed to Benue people to exercise restraint and live in peace with their neighbours.

Buhari appealed to the people to pay more attention to farming, especially rice cultivation, saying that rice importation had dropped by 90 per cent since some states embarked on massive production of the commodity.

Speaking earlier, Gov Samuel Ortom appealed to the President to upgrade the ongoing military exercise in the state tagged Ayem Akpatema, to a wider operation to effectively curb herdsmen attacks.

If the exercise is upgraded to a wider operation, it will assist greatly in ending the incessant attacks and senseless killings by herdsmen, he said

He urged Benue people to learn to live in peace with other people.

Ortom said that many states were currently involved in massive cultivation of rice, and urged his people to join the trend.

The governor reiterated his call for the arrest of the leadership of Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore, alleging that the body was responsible for the killings in Benue.

Ortom maintained that ranching was the best option for cattle breeding in Nigeria, and advised herdsmen to embrace it so as to minimise the clashes caused by open grazing.

He also called on the federal government to take over the management of the Benue University Teaching Hospital, College of Education, Katsina-Ala and Benue Polytechnic, Ugbokolo.

Malam Shetima Mohammed, a representative of Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN), Benue Chapter, however, denied responsibility for the Benue attacks.Chinese scholars will join an anti-organ trafficking conference in the Vatican on Monday and Tuesday, to share the country's experience and boost people-to-people exchanges between Beijing and the Vatican.

This is the second time China has been invited by the Pontifical Academy of Sciences (PAS) to attend a meeting in the Holy See, as China's reforms on organ transplant have increasingly received papal and global recognition.

China will present its effort to combat organ trafficking and progress on organ donation and transplants at the Vatican meeting, said Wang Haibo, head of China's official organ distribution system, China Organ Transplant Response System (COTRS), who also attended a similar PAS global summit in February last year.

"China will call on joint efforts to eradicate organ trafficking, as it's a global challenge," he said.

Wang is expected to deliver a 10-minute speech on the dimensions and solutions to organ trafficking on Monday.

China also expects to share its experience on promoting ethical and sustainable organ donation and transplants in countries along the Belt and Road initiative with a global task force proposed to the World Health Organization last year. More than 40 countries expressed interest and support for the effort, said experts.

In 2017, more than 5,100 deceased Chinese citizens had voluntarily agreed to donate their organs after death, saving, or improving the lives of more than 16,000 people, according to official data obtained by the Global Times on Sunday.

China criminalized unauthorized trading of organs in 2011, a crime for which the death penalty can be handed down in severe cases. From 2007 to 2016, 174 people were arrested in China for organ trafficking.

All donated organs in China are distributed via the COTRS system and anyone who interferes or bypass the system will be disqualified from participating in healthcare and investigated for criminal responsibility.

Beyond health exchange

Wang told the Global Times on Sunday that the exchanges between China and the Vatican reached beyond the health sector, and contact in cultural and scientific fields have brought the two sides closer.

The Vatican's passion and respect for Chinese culture could be strongly felt during the trips, he said.

"Relations between Beijing and the Vatican authorities are moving forward, so are relations between the two peoples," said Huang Jiefu, former Chinese vice-minister of health and current head of the National Human Organ Donation and Transplant Committee.

Huang also attended the February meeting at the Vatican, where he shared information about China's reforms that included a ban on the use of organs from executed prisoners in 2015.

The exchanges have helped address global challenges such as organ trafficking and climate change, said Wang.

"The exchanges are beneficial to world peace and are also beneficial to people from the two sides," Huang told the Global Times on Sunday.

"It also creates good momentum to expand contact beyond the health sector to cultural and other areas," said Huang.

China and the Vatican have no diplomatic relations. Lately there has been widespread speculation the two sides are close to a consensus on the appointment of bishops in China, a positive sign for improving relations between Beijing and the Vatican.The Non-Academic staff Union of Nigerian are made of the Non Academic Staff Union of Nigerian Universities (NASU), Senior Staff Academic of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) National Association of Academic Technologists, (NAAT).

The resolution was jointly signed by Ngige, NAAT President, Mr Sani Suleiman, NASU General Secretary, Mr Peters Adeyemi , SSANU President Mr Samson Ugwoke and Prof. Anthony Anwukah, Minister of State for Education.

Ngige also said that part of the eight billion would also be used to pay members of the Academic Staff Universities (ASUU), University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), and the University of llorin (UNILORIN), who were not paid at the last disbursement.

He also said that the National Salaries Income and Wages Commission was to rework the Dec. 15 Call Circular on University Staff Schools.

This is taking into consideration the observations of JAC of NAAT, NASU and SSANU with a view to ensuring that it complies with the National Industrial Court (NIC) judgment.

Ngige also said that the Federal Ministry of Education reported that the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation has started payment of salary shortfalls, adding that the process was still ongoing.

He said Ministry of Education was to synergise with the concerned institutions to ensure compliance with Presidential Initiative on Continuous Audit (PICA) requirements to facilitate payments of JAC members in the universities that are yet to comply.

The minister, however, said on the issue of the non-implementation of CONTISS 14 and 15 for technologists, the Ministry of Education has made submissions to the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation.

He said that the submission was for onward transmission to the National Council on Establishment (NEC) meeting slated for March 18, in Owerri, adding that the Ministry of Education is expected to report the outcome in five weeks.

Ngige also said the Ministry of Education had put forward an application for the visitation panel to the presidency and that the main trust of the visitation was to re-energise the institution, unearth corruption, among others.

He said that it was also agreed that the Ministry of Education would set in motion appropriate machinery for the release of White Paper in respect of the previous visitation panel already with government.

He also added that no worker would be victimised on account of the industrial action.Libyan coastguard vessels intercepted two of the migrant boats, the first an inflatable dinghy that had broken down with 125 people on board off Zawiya, just west of the capital, Tripoli, Ayoub Qassem, a coastguard spokesman, said.

The second boat was turned back off Garabulli, east of Tripoli, and had 112 people on board.

More than half the migrants on that boat were Nigerians, with the rest from other sub-Saharan African countries as well as two Palestinians.

Meanwhile, the coastguard in Zuwara, a former Libyan smuggling hub west of Zawiya, said they had foiled a departure during the night and arrested some migrants whilst others had escaped with smugglers.

The coastguard posted pictures of detained sub-Saharan African migrants sitting in an inflatable rubber boat on the beach in the dark.

Libya is the main departure point for migrants attempting to reach Europe by sea.

More than 600,000 migrants have crossed the central Mediterranean to Italy over the past four years as people smugglers took advantage of a security vacuum in Libya.

Since last summer the rate of departures dropped significantly after smugglers in the Libyan town of Sabratha struck a deal with the Tripoli government to halt their activities and was then pushed out of the town by rival armed groups.Alhaji Ibrahim AbdulAzeez, the Airport Manager, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in llorin that 2,812 aircraft movements were also recorded in the same period in 2017.

He said that the figures represented an increase over the 2016 figures when 63,441 passengers and 2,812 aircraft movements were recorded at the airport.

AbdulAzeez said the increase in number in 2017 showed that more passengers travelled through the airport than the number in 2016.

Giving a breakdown of the figures, the airport manager said that the months of August and September accounted for highest figures of passenger movements through the airport with 11,039 and 11,049, respectively.

According to him, while an average of 4000 passengers passed through the airport from January to June, the figure increased in July to 6,345 and averaged 7000 till the end of 2017.

On aircraft movement, he said that no fewer than 170 aircraft landed at the airport in a month, while the airport recorded the highest figure of 260 in August 2017.

AbdulAzeez attributed the achievements recorded to the upgrading of facilities at the airport.The group's chairman, Ubbi Haruna, made this clear to the president in a meeting with relevant stakeholders at the Government House in Makurdi, the state capital.

After the president arrived in the state on Monday morning, he presided over the interactive session with state governor, Samuel Ortom, traditional rulers, community leaders and major stakeholders.

According to a report by Channels Television, groups present at the meeting include representatives of Miyetti Allah Group, representatives of farmers in Benue State, Benue State Livestock Guard, Benue Joint Sociocultural Group Mzough U-Tiv, among others.

During the meeting, Haruna denied allegations that the Miyetti Allah group sponsored attacks against local communities, and assured that peace will reign in the state.

He said, "The association has always appreciated peaceful and harmonious coexistence between farmers and herdsmen, he said. Going forward, there will be peace in the state. Let bygone be bygone to allow peace and security to prevail."

The representatives of farmers at the meeting, Terlumun Akputu, told the president that thousands of farmers have been displaced by the crisis that escalated in January 2018.

"More than 160, 000 of peasant farmers are now refugees in their own land because of the herdsman attacks on their communities and farms," he said.

The commander of the Benue State Livestock Guard, Aliyu Tershaku, also denied allegations that the agency is involved in militia activities as it has been accused of carrying out militia attacks on herdsmen.

Buhari visiting troubled states

Benue State is the second of a series of troubled states that the president is paying a visit to after an earlier visit to Taraba State and other planned visits to Zamfara, Yobe and Rivers where scores have died in violent attacks in 2018.

Benue has been troubled with violent killings this year as a spate of attacks by suspected cattle herders have led to the death of over 100 victims.

At least 24 people were killed during a recent attack carried out on March 5 by herdsmen in Omusu Edimoga, a village in Okpokwu Local Government Area of the state.A member of the APC, Ortom has been critical of his party and President Muhammadu Buhari over the handling of the pastoralists-farmers clashes.

In this exclusive interview with Pulse

Excerpts...

The new year started on a rather sad note for Benue state and Nigeria as a whole following the attack on some local governments by suspected Fulani herdsmen. Do you think President Muhammadu Buhari has done enough to tackle the Fulani herdsmen crisis in your state?

When this crisis started, I cried out when I was not satisfied with what was going on. But now, I think adequate security measures have been taken. The military remains the last option for crisis like this. They are supposed to protect the territorial integrity but it becomes a serious matter when they are deployed for internal security because that is the last resort. Now that they are here, I expect that we will get justice.

All that we are saying now is that those killer herdsmen should leave our land; they have no business being here. We have no issue with the normal Fulani herdsmen who are here but these ones bringing guns are not even Nigerians and they have no business here. They should go back to their country. I think that this is where the military will have to support because the Police and Civil Defence did their best but they became victims. Nine policemen and two Civil Defence paid the supreme price in the course of securing the lives and properties of Benue people.

We appreciate Mr President for responding to our distress call and sending the military because all that we are concerned about is to ensure that our people go back to their homes. We currently have over one hundred and sixty IDPs in camps and the condition there is not convenient at all. More source of concern is the fact that sixty percent of these IDPs are children who should be going to school.

You have been very critical of President Buharis handling of the herdsmen crisis in your state. Given the fact that you are an APC member, how do you think your party would see this?

When my people were being killed, should I not cry? I am leading my people and if they are being killed and beaten, I have to cry out. I cried and the government listened and deployed soldiers to stop the killings. It has paid off and there was no other motive behind it. We are talking about governance and the issue of security which is the prerogative of the federal government.

We know that today, Nigerias security system is really overstretched because of the numerous challenges that we are having. This herdsmen crisis is not just in Benue as more people have been killed in Zamfara than what we have in Benue and several other states like Adamawa and Kaduna.

You recently hinted that you would return to the PDP if Benue people want you to. Is this something you are already considering?

[Laughs] Politics is a game of interests; no permanent enemy, no permanent friend, but permanent interest. So, it is where your interest is that you go. I knew I was going to be a governor in 2015 and I was looking for a platform so when I was rejected in the PDP, I had to move. The APC found me as a candidate to beat and they invited me and I joined them. And today, I am a member of the APC.

You joined the APC few months to the 2015 general elections, got the ticket and won the governorship election. If you had not gotten the governorship ticket, would you still be an APC member today?

Like I said, Politics is a game of interests. For now, I am playing the politics of the interest of my people. Also, all politics is local. Where the votes come is where you drive the system. So, it is about the local people and what they want. Democracy for me is what majority of the people want.

As a leader, it is not just enough to move without looking back. You must look back to gauge where you are going and listen to the people. As long as they are satisfied with what the APC offers, you have no problem. It is the interest of my people that I will always fight for.

What were some the challenges you were confronted with upon your assumption of office over two years ago?

In Benue state, the issue of funding is a major problem. My aspiration for the state was to add value to education, agriculture, health, rural development and infrastructure, generally. I also hoped to ensure industrialization so that value addition would be given to our agricultural produce and by so doing, create job opportunities and wealth for our people.

But upon assumption of office, I met security challenges, funding problem and all that at a period when Nigeria entered recession. So, it became a major challenge trying to cope with development programmes that I brought on board. Otherwise, I had a clear understanding of what I wanted to do and how I wanted to go about it. Having the background of someone who grew up from grass to grace, serving at the local government, state and national level as minister and coming back to serve my state as governor, I was clear headed but these were the basic challenges that I had.

A major problem confronting me up till today is the fact that I inherited salary arrears, pension and gratuity. I am yet to surmount this challenge. It is really tasking and challenging especially with the active support of the state civil service.

What are some of the achievements of yours despite some of these challenges?

In the midst of these challenges, we have ensured transparency, accountability and selflessness in the service to our state. Most importantly, no one is kept in doubt as we call frequent stakeholders meetings where we brainstorm on the challenges and prospects for the state.

We have been able to add value to education. When we came, the Benue State University was shut for some months but we were able to revive it by providing all that was needed. Several accreditation of courses were withdrawn, we had to provide funding and that was resolved. A major achievement in university was the School of Medical Science where there was no accreditation and some of the students were stagnated for over twelve years for a course of six years. We succeeded in securing the accreditation and today, we have graduated about five sets. The school alone harbours over thirty thousand students.

Despite the challenges, we have also ensured that our Colleges of Education both in Katsina-Ala and Oju are still functional. Other tertiary institutions like the Benue State Polytechnic, Ugbokolo, and the College of Advanced Studies are also functional.

There have also been renovations of dilapidated secondary schools while the primary schools wear new looks. With the help of UBEC, a lot of new structures are being put up. We were able to match it with N3.8 billion fund that we got from the bank. We had N7.8 billion injected into the primary school system. We have also provided some basic amenities and instructional materials, desks and all that.

On health, we have been able to sustain and maintain the Benue State University Teaching Hospital which has given great support to health services in the state. We have also succeeded in transferring staff from the local government to the primary healthcare board. We have been able to do some renovations at some of our general hospitals. We have been able to put on ground thirty-six clinics for the primary healthcare board.

We have been able to do about 200km of rural roads across the state with other uncompleted road projects that we inherited like the Tarka-Wanune road, UniAgric-Gbajimba road, Daudu-Gbajimba road.

We have been able to fund the road in Ubagaji in Agatu local government which have been abandoned for several years. We are also funding the road project from Oju-Utonkom and several others.

Despite all the challenges, we have been able to keep the government running while maintaining some cordial relationship with the labour union in the state by being transparent. This has reduced tension. At the state level, we are owing about six-month salary arrears and ten months at the local government.But the understanding has been there.

The truth of the matter remains that Benue is one of the highest paying salary states. A director in Lagos state takes N320, 000; N285,000 in Rivers; while it is N280,000 in Benue. Other states pay N150, 000 or less for the same position. This is something that we need to access and review because our wage bill is very high.

We inherited a wage bill of N8.2 billion without the implementation of the teachers minimum wage. It became N8.5 billion after the implementation and dropped to N7.8 billion after we carried out some screening. This includes pension and overheads and that is where we are at the moment.

For a long time, what was coming in was N5.5 billion including the internally generated revenue (IGR). I went to N7 billion with the rise in oil prices but dropped back almost immediately. It has been difficult especially with the issue of security.

Are you seeking reelection?

Why not? I have declared my interest and only suspended political activities for now because of the crisis. I dont want to face too many things at the same time but Im seeking reelection.

Are you confident of winning?

Why not? In 2015, we were confident that that we will win and we won. I know power belongs to God and he gives it to whoever he wills but I am confident that God will help me to win.

To other national issues. The federal government has claimed severally that Boko Haram has been defeated despite the attacks we still see. What is your take on this?

If for nothing, we must commend this government for the way it has handled the issue of Boko Haram in the country. If not the steps that have been taken, I am sure that Benue and other states would have been affected by insurgency. If they claimed that they have won at a point, then they have won at that point.

These people are out to destroy the country. Like the thief, they come but to steal, kill and destroy. This is what they represent. Boko Haram is a replica of the devil himself. They are his agents. Their headquarters in Sambisa Forest was destroyed and they were dislodged. That is winning.

But the terrorists just kidnapped some girls in a school in Yobe

If they move to Yobe to kidnap schoolgirls, that shows that they are moving out and they will still be confronted. I believe that God being on our side, we will definitely defeat them.

Last year, you said that President Buhari deserves a second term in office. Do you still share same thought?

Well, he has not made up his mind. But one thing remains that Mr. President is a man of integrity, an upright and selfless man. He believes in Nigeria and fought for this country in the army. One thing about Buharis government is some people around him who are not helping him. My prayer is that his eyes will be opened to identify these people and fish them out so that he can make progress better than he has made.

What is your take on the anti-corruption crusade of this administration?Buhari was in Benue on Monday, March 12, 2018, for a 1 day official visit.

According to Daily Post, the former Governor said that the Presidents body language towards the killings in Benue upset the Tivs.

Akume also told Buhari that there is no federal project in the state, despite the fact that the people of Benue voted massively for him.

He said Your Excellency, you could recall that Senator David Mark was Senate President while Suswam was the Chief Security of the State, yet the Tiv people voted for you in 2015.

We have no federal project in Benue State, Ortom does not make law, Benue People made the law, JS Tarka fought for the unity of our country Nigeria, Mr. President the Tiv people are not happy about your reaction towards the killing of Tiv farmers by Fulani herdsman.

Police IG disobeyed Buhari's orders

President Buhari, during a meeting with stakeholders in Benue state, did not spend 24 hours in Benue, when he directed him to relocate to the state and remain there till peace was restored, the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports.

On January 8, 2018, Buhari ordered Idris to relocate to Benue State to prevent the escalation of the herdsmen-farmers crisis.All of this is aside his basic salary.

It was a disclosure that caused quite a stir in a country where 80 percent of the population live below the poverty line.

The revelations by Senator Sani should therefore provide an opportunity for the Nigerian people to review the entire costs of governance under the rickety democratic dispensation, wrote human rights lawyer, Femi Falana.

For years, Nigerians have been railing against the jumbo pay of lawmakers. The figures have remained in the realm of speculation and have varied

This is the first time in recent memory that a serving lawmaker would go on the record with details of emoluments for the legislative arm of government.

Nothing new

But the senate says Sani has said nothing new.

The figure Senator Shehu Sani gave out about the running costs of the offices of Senators were contained in the various line items and expenditure heads of the budget of the National Assembly which has been made public, the Senate said in a statement, Sunday.

Almost all holders of elective and appointive offices have running costs allocated to their offices and that cannot be said to be part of their salaries, the statement added.

Days after Sanis revelations, an online news platform reported that there were plans to make Sani pay for snitching.

According to the story, Sani could be suspended from the senate or kept out of future meetings where matters of national importance are discussed.

Premium Times had written that: "Part of the punishment the angry lawmakers are considering is to pressure the Senate President, Bukola Saraki, to exclude Mr. Sani from subsequent secret meetings of the senate.

They plan to prevail on Mr. Saraki to stop inviting him for such meetings, especially those where finances might be discussed.

The lawmakers are also weighing the option of recommending a probe of the whistle-blower to Mr. Saraki.

For them, Mr. Sani would have to explain why he turned himself to the senate spokesperson, speaking on behalf of others.

Sani would be investigated by the senates ethics committee which shall recommend a punishment.

But some lawmakers are cautioning against any open rebuke of the senator, saying that might generate even more public anger against the senate and its members.

Victimization

Falana has warned against Sanis victimization.

Sadly, it has been reported in the press that there are moves in the Senate to place Senator Shehu Sani on indefinite suspension for spilling the beans on the payment of the illegal salaries and allowances to federal legislators.

Having discharged a public duty by blowing the whistle on a matter of crucial national importance, all lovers of democracy and public accountability in Nigeria should rally round the Senator by ensuring that he is not harassed for exercising his constitutionally guaranteed fundamental right to freedom of expression", Falana said.

The senate has denied that it will punish Sani for running his mouth.

Senate spokesperson Sabi Abdullahi has dismissed insinuations that Senator Sanis colleagues were unhappy with him.

It will be a big mistake if Sani is victimized for commenting on a subject of national importance. Theres some precedence here, remember:

Senator Ali Ndume bagged a six month suspension over a senate bullet proof vehicle that was being held by Customs; and House of Reps member Abdulmumin Jibrin is serving a perpetual suspension for accusing presiding officers of budget padding.

You could smell the sword dangling over Sani. But the senate would be shooting itself in the foot if it shows its hand so brazenly. The people could turn against the legislature in a manner that hasn't been done before if Sani is overtly or covertly punished. If Sani hasn't said anything new, then no one should go after him. It's only fair.But few were prepared for Selmayrs spectacular rise last month, when he was suddenly catapulted into the job of deputy secretary-general of the commission and seconds later promoted to chief when the current holder of the job, in his early 60s, abruptly resigned.

The bureaucratic coup was announced by Juncker himself, who steps down next year, in a rare (and hastily called) news conference. Many of the commissioners were kept in the dark until the last moment.

The European Union is a somewhat strange, three-headed animal with competing powers  the European Council, made up of the leaders of the member states; the Parliament, with elected lawmakers; and the European Commission, which is divided into departments or ministries, and which formulates legislation, administers it once passed and, in general, carries out the wishes of the other two powers.

The person who controls the commission and its roughly 33,000 employees therefore has considerable power to set the agenda and prioritize the work of the entire bloc.

Given that the European Union is essentially a large bureaucracy, one would expect Selmayrs backroom skill to be admired. But he has made numerous enemies on the way up, and this latest sleight of hand has produced outrage in the Brussels news corps, elicited unusual animosity from the blocs media officers and prompted calls from European lawmakers for an investigation.

The European Parliament is scheduled to debate the issue Monday.

The strong reaction to the appointment has been led by Jean Quatremer, the nom de plume of a Brussels correspondent for the French newspaper Liberation since 1990 and the author of a blog called Coulisses de Bruxelles, roughly meaning Backstage Brussels.

Quatremer, 60, has no great liking for Selmayr, whom he has described at various points as a monster, a Rasputin, an authoritarian, a man of the shadows more feared than loved, who does not hide his contempt for the mediocre and who has often made his colleagues cry. He has said that Selmayr acts like a de facto deputy president.

But his efforts, backed up by much of the European news pack, to get responses from Juncker, Selmayr or others have been largely rebuffed with increasingly annoyed assurances that everything was in order.

Things got almost intense at the normally sedate and somnolent midday briefing last week, with the chief commission spokesman, Margaritis Schinas, insisting that all the procedures, and I repeat all the legal procedures, under the staff regulations have been respected religiously. Exasperated, he went on: I repeat  respected religiously. It was all done by the book, by the rules.

These institutions dont belong to you, Quatremer responded. They belong to the European citizens, and it is our perfect right to ask you questions, to repeat the questions as often as we want, without you giving us lessons in morality.

The commissions president normally decides who will be secretary-general, but traditionally, those chosen have had high-ranking jobs in the European civil service. Selmayr came to Brussels in 2004 as a spokesman for Viviane Reding, also from Luxembourg, who was then the commissioner for society and the media. He has never been a deputy director general or director general in any of the commissions departments.

What made the whole business seem slightly shady was that no one had been aware of the vacancy, or that the chief of staff, Alexander Italianer, 61, was contemplating retirement. Then it emerged that Selmayr had been appointed deputy secretary-general briefly to qualify him to become secretary-general.

And then it emerged that rather than an open competition, there had been only one other candidate for the vacancy of deputy secretary-general  and that person withdrew before the selection process was completed. While the commission has refused to name the other candidate, Quatremer reported that it was Clara Martinez Alberola, Selmayrs deputy in Junckers office, who has now succeeded him as Junckers chief of staff.

By the rules, there had to be a minimum of two candidates  including at least one man and one woman  for the deputy secretary-generals job. So the rules were followed, in form if not in spirit. Italianer has since been named a special adviser until his retirement. And Irene Souka, the director general in charge of human resources, who needed to approve all of this, and her husband, Dominique Ristori, who is the director general for energy, have both been allowed to extend their jobs past the normal retirement age.

Selmayr had served Juncker well  or was it the other way around? Quatremer wrote. Juncker had handed the keys of the European house to his favorite Eurocrat," Selmayr.

Europe does not need these kind of issues now, said Christian Lequesne, a politics professor at the Paris Institute of Political Studies, or Sciences Po, who specializes in European Union institutions and diplomacy. It is news that is excellent for all euroskeptics, he said.

We are in a moment where the EU is contested in all member states, and public opinion learns that the EU commission is using such strange practices to appoint the secretary-general, Lequesne added.

Part of the angry reaction is also because of the preponderance of Germans in top jobs in the European bureaucracy. There are already Germans in the jobs of secretary-general of the European Parliament (Klaus Welle) and secretary-general of the European External Action Service, or foreign service (Helga Schmid). While no one doubts their competence or their European mindset, the other 27 member states do want their share of the top jobs.

In late February, asked for an interview with Selmayr, the commissions deputy spokeswoman, Mina Andreeva, said in an email that, given his busy schedule, nothing would be possible before Easter. Asked then for a specific appointment for an interview sometime after Easter, she said to check back closer to the time.

This article originally appeared in The New York Times.The delay reflects the difficulties in arranging what would easily be the worlds biggest-ever initial public offering.

The companys potential market debut, a centerpiece of an ambitious economic overhaul of Saudi Arabia led by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, has drawn the interest of investors around the world  and political leaders hoping to win the listing.

In November, President Donald Trump publicly courted Saudi officials to list Aramco on the New York Stock Exchange on Twitter. British government officials met with their Saudi counterparts during Salmans visit to Britain last week. Shinzo Abe, the prime minister of Japan, has privately made entreaties for consideration of the Tokyo Stock Exchange as well.

Aramco is one of the giants in the world of oil production, and its initial public offering is likely to be valued at a minimum of several hundred billion dollars. Saudi officials have not so privately indicated that they hoped the company would be valued at some $2 trillion.

But Saudi and Aramco officials, as well as their legions of advisers, have had to grapple with a host of issues. Salman has also overseen a very public anti-corruption campaign in which scores of fellow royals were detained. The country has also taken an active military role in Yemens civil war.

The company has not only been the primary source of Saudi revenue (there were, until recently, no taxes), it has also historically been used to move oil prices.

But its finances have not been transparent, and both the American and London stock exchanges require both transparency and the protection of public shareholders. In addition, while some Saudi officials  reportedly including Salman himself  are said to favor a listing on the New York exchange, others involved in the process have said that a presence in the United States could expose the kingdom to lawsuits.

How a listing would be structured also remains under discussion. The plan is to have Aramco trade on both the kingdoms Tadawul stock exchange and a major foreign stock market, which would provide both prestige and the investor money needed to support a multibillion-dollar listing.

A public offering abroad was meant, in part, to send a signal that the country was changing. The New York Stock Exchange, the London Stock Exchange and the Hong Kong Stock Exchange have been vying to capture the foreign market listing.

Some people in the energy industry also say that Aramco could face pressure from investors because the company has not gone through the cost-cutting that Western oil companies, like Exxon Mobil, have undertaken in recent years.

My fear is that they are not prepared for this new world, Floris Ansingh, a former head of Royal Dutch Shell in Saudi Arabia, said of Aramco. That will be forced upon them.

In an interview with Bloomberg Television last week, Saudi Arabias energy minister, Khalid al-Falih, hinted that an Aramco offering would probably come next year, asserting that the timeline would make little difference.

Between Dec. 31st and Jan. 1st, there is no value lost for the kingdom, al-Falih said. So I dont see this artificial deadline that you refer to as being significant.

Officials and advisers involved in the process have also explored the possibility of not taking Aramco public at all. In the region, speculation has turned to a possible sale of a stake to a sovereign wealth fund, possibly the Chinese.

The Financial Times reported earlier that Saudi officials told their British counterparts last week that a delay to 2019 was likely.

Representatives for Aramco did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Aramco itself has worked to prepare itself for a listing, though all the major decisions  including when and where the company will be listed  will ultimately be made by its current shareholder, the Saudi government.

We are preparing for all areas because we dont know where we will be listed, Amin H. Nasser, Aramcos chief executive, said in a recent interview at the companys headquarters in Dhahran. It makes us ready for any market the government decides.

This article originally appeared in The New York Times.Two people died from their injuries, and 140 people were rushed to hospital and health centres.

Lightning also killed a student in the area on Friday, the mayor said.

Critical Condition

The weather accident in the mountainous region near the border with Burundi took place around midday on Saturday while parishioners of the town of Gihemvu were at a church service.

"Doctors say that only three [more churchgoers] are in critical condition but they are getting better," Mr Francois told AFP on Sunday.

He said that in Friday's incident, lightning struck a group of 18 students in the area, killing one.

Pollution

Three of the students remain in hospital while the rest have been able to return home, reports say.

The deadly church incident comes less than two weeks after the closure of more than 700 Rwandan churches for failing to comply with building regulations and for noise pollution.More than 5,300 pieces of Dunhuang manuscripts have been "returned" from France in digital form and are available online. [Photo/VCG]

More than 5,300 pieces of Dunhuang manuscripts have been "returned" from France in digital form and are available online, according to the National Library of China.

These digital resources are provided by France's national library, which holds more than 7,000 original copies of Dunhuang manuscripts.

The Dunhuang manuscripts are documents discovered in the Mogao Grottos in China's Gansu province in the early 20th century. There are more than 50,000 of them, featuring history, linguistics, art and religious documents.

Dating from the 5th to 11th centuries, the majority are in Chinese, but some are represented in other languages such as Khotanese and Hebrew.

At present, around 16,000 Dunhuang manuscripts are in the National Library of China., while the rest are scattered overseas in Russia, Britain, France and Japan.

In 1908, French sinologist Paul Pelliot took 7,000 Dunhuang manuscripts to France and they are widely recognized as the most important parts.

China launched Ancient Books Preservation Project in 2007, and began to investigate and retrieve millions of overseas Chinese classics. In 2015, the National Library of China launched a digital cooperation project, using digital content or high-definition print to popularize Chinese ancient classics.

According to Lin Shitian, director of the National Center for Preservation and Conservation of Ancient Books, France's national library donated digital documents of the painting series "Forty Scenes of the Yuanmingyuan," the Old Summer Palace, to the National Library of China in 2015, and suggested further cooperation on Dunhuang relics.

More than 50 volumes of "The Yongle Canon," an ancient encyclopedia, were also retrieved in digital form from Harvard University, Oxford University, the British Library and other organizations abroad, Lin said.

Zhao Wenyou, also from the National Center for Preservation and Conservation of Ancient Books, said that unless some private collectors donate or sell, most of the hard copies of Chinese ancient books scattered overseas are hard to retrieve.

"Digitization may bring back ancient works in digital form, which is a more realistic and feasible solution," Zhao said.

According to Zhao, they are investigating significant ancient books overseas and setting up bibliographic databases. They are also cooperating with other countries to "bring back" precious documents using digitization or photocopying.

"These paper collections are brittle and prone to acid. We have to race against time to do these jobs," Zhao said.

The 5,300 pieces of Dunhuang manuscripts are not just for researchers, the general public can also log in the website of the National Library of China for retrieval and full-text browsing, said Liu Bo, the project leader of Dunhuang documents.

"These documents will be the window for people from all walks of life to understand and study the history of China. Only in this way can we make these precious ancient books live," Liu said.John Gichiri Njau was apprehended by the National Cohesion and Integration Commission (NCIC). Appearing before the Milimani Court on Monday morning Njau was charged with three counts of ethnic contempt.

Nairobi Chief Magistrate Francis Andayi presided over the case released Njau on a 700,00 cash bail.

The case will be heard on April 19, 2018.

Officials at the NCIC divulged that they were hunting down the other artist.

The song, Ikamba caused an uproar after its release forcing the Kenya Film Classification and Coordination Board (KFCB) CEO Ezekiel Mutua to make a report to Youtube.

Youtube then went ahead to pull down the song that has since been termed hateful.

"KFCB flagged the video titled Ikamba by Isaiah ft Waharaka and YouTube has removed it from online. We regulate content from creation, to distribution, broadcast, exhibition, and possession,"Mutua tweeted.

Also Read: Action taken after hateful Kikuyu song mocking Charity Ngilu goes viralWelcome to the Pulse Community! We will now be sending you a daily newsletter on news, entertainment and more. Also join us across all of our other channels - we love to be connected!Opinion

Ryan Bridge: The Govt's COVID-19 messaging is all over the shop - do lockdowns stop when enough Kiwis are vaccinated?SWEDEN: Eltel signed a letter of intent on March 12 for the planned divestment of its Swedish rail activities to Strukton Rail. This follows the sale of Eltels Finnish and Danish rail activities in January.ASIA: The cross-border railway between Uzbekistan and Tajikistan via Ghalaba and Amuzang on the north bank of the River Amu Darya was officially reopened with a ceremony on March 9. The event was held during a state visit by Uzbekistans President Shavkat Mirziyoyev to Tajikistans President Emomali Rakhmon, and the ...The Korean Peninsula issue has finally taken an important step in the right direction, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi told a press conference on the sidelines of the first session of the 13th National Peoples Congress on Thursday.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi answers questions on Chinas foreign policies and foreign re-lations at a press conference on the sidelines of the first session of the 13th National Peoples Congress in Beijing, March 8, 2018. (Photo by Weng Qiyu from Peoples Daily Online)

To return the Peninsula to peace and stability and the nuclear issue to the track of dia-logue, these initial steps must be followed up by corresponding and concerted efforts by the parties, he added.

China calls on the parties, particularly the US and the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea (DPRK), to engage in dialogue sooner rather than later, and encourages all to fol-low the dual-track approach of remaining committed to the goal of denuclearization and working actively to establish a peace mechanism on the Peninsula, the minister stated.

The parties legitimate security concerns, including those of the DPRK, can be ad-dressed in exchange for and in tandem with progress towards denuclearization, said the minister.

During the PyeongChang Winter Olympics, the DPRK did not conduct any nuclear test and the US and the Republic of Korea (ROK) suspended their joint exercises targeting the DPRK, Wang said, noting that this proves that Chinas suspension for suspension proposal was the right prescription for the problem and created basic conditions for the improvement of inter-Korean relations.

History has reminded us time again that whenever tensions subsided on the Peninsula, the situation would be clouded by various interferences. Now is a crucial moment for testing the sincerity of the parties, he pointed out.

It falls to all parties to bear in mind the imperative of peace and the well-being of people in the region, said the minister, calling on all to demonstrate political courage and make a political decision to expeditiously carry out all necessary and useful engagements, both bilateral and multilateral, and to do their best to restart dialogue and negotiation for the peaceful settlement of the nuclear issue.

China's suspension-for-suspension proposal, which was put forward in March, 2017 to defuse the looming crisis on the Korean Peninsula, calls for the DPRK to suspend its nuclear and missile activities in exchange for the suspension of large-scale US-ROK military exercises.

The DPRK and the ROK achieved a thaw in their relations since the beginning of this year by taking the opportunity of the PyeongChang Winter Olympics, making the sus-pension for suspension proposal a reality in the past two months.

The DPRKs top leader Kim Jong Un met with the special delegation sent by the ROK President Moon Jae-in during the latters two-day visit to Pyongyang starting from Mon-day.

According to the Blue House statement Tuesday, the DPRK expressed willingness to hold openhearted talks with the US side on denuclearization and normalized relations between Pyongyang and Washington.

They have also agreed to hold a summit between top leaders in late April at Peace House, a South Korean building in the truce village of Panmunjom that straddles the two sides.

If held as agreed upon, it will be the third meeting between the top leaders of the two countries after 11 years, following the 2000 and 2007 meetings in Pyongyang between late DPRK top leader Kim Jong Il and former ROK Presidents Kim Dae-jung and Roh Moo-hyun respectively.Russian journalist convicted of extremism applies for parole

 RAPSI

11:48 12/03/2018

MOSCOW, March 12 (RAPSI)  RBC news agency journalist Alexander Sokolov sentenced to 3.5 years in prison for extremism has filed a petition for parole, according to the database of Moscows Tverskoy District Court.

On August 10, 2017, four members of the Initiative Group to Campaign for a Referendum for Responsible Government, RBC news agency journalist Alexander Sokolov, publicist Yury Mukhin, civil activists Kirill Barabash and Valery Parfyonov were convicted of extremism. Sokolov was sentenced to 3.5 years in prison, while Barabash and Parfyonov were given 4 years behind bars. Barabash was also stripped of a lieutenant colonel rank. Mukhin received a 4-year suspended term and additional 4 years of probation. Prison terms of Barabash and Parfyonov were later reduced by 2 months.

The defendants were indeed members of the Initiative Group to Campaign for a Referendum for Responsible Government, which, the authorities believe, is the successor of earlier banned Peoples Will Army (PWA), Mukhin told RAPSI earlier.

However, the action group aiming to organize the referendum was established yet in 2010, he said.

Sokolov, Parfyonov, and Barabash were charged with continuing to run the prohibited in 2010 Peoples Will Army, earlier headed by Mukhin. After the PWA was banned, the accused founded the Referendum Initiative Group seeking to make the authorities directly answerable to the people through changing the countrys Constitution.

Nevertheless, the prosecution said that in fact Mukhin and his supporters had attempted to destabilize the political situation in Russia and accomplish a regime change with illegal means.

In 1995, Yury Mukhin, a proponent of radical change, founded the Duel newspaper, which attempted to reach out to Russian conservatives and far left. The newspaper was banned in 2009 on grounds of extremism.Seizure of assets of former anti-corruption official Zakharchenko upheld

 RIA Novosti, Mikhail Voskresensky

16:59 12/03/2018

MOSCOW, March 12 (RAPSI)  The Moscow City Court on Monday upheld the seizure of property owned by former Russian anti-corruption official Dmitry Zakharchenko charged with corruption, the courts press service told RAPSI.

In December 2017, the Nikulinsky District Court of Moscow ruled to seize property belonging to Zakharchenko and his relatives, in the state's favor. A request to turn assets to the state has been filed by the Prosecutor Generals Office.

Overall, the property in this case is evaluated at 9 billion rubles (about $153.3 million), including 27 real estate objects in elite neighborhoods of Moscow, 4 high-end automobiles, 8 billion rubles (about $135.1 million) and a gold bar.

Ex-Russian anti-corruption official Dmitry Zakharchenko was arrested on September 8, 2016. During searches at the apartment belonging to Zakharchenkos sister law enforcement officers found around 9 billion rubles (about $156 million at the current exchange rate).

Zakharchenko himself denied any relation to seized funds.

Zakharchenko was charged with receiving a 7-million-ruble ($121,600) bribe from an unknown source. He has also been charged with abuse of office and hindering the conduct of preliminary investigation. On March 2, it was revealed that he is charged with two more instances of corruption crimes.

According to case papers, Viktor Zakharchenko, the father of ex-official, is charged with being an accessory to embezzlement. His father also pleaded not guilty.Monolith bank seeks to recover $112.4 million from Russian lawyer

 flickr.com/Joe Gratz

17:45 12/03/2018

MOSCOW, March 12 (RAPSI)  Bank Monolith has filed a motion with the Moscow Regional Commercial Court seeking to include a 6.4-billion-ruble debt ($112.4 million) of businessman and lawyer Dmitry Yakubovsky in the list of creditors' claims, the court documents read.

The application will be reviewed on March 12.

On December 27, Gazprombank also lodged a petition with the court seeking to include a 1.1-billion-ruble debt ($19 million) of Yakubovsky.

On December 15, the court initiated a debt restructuring process against Yakubovsky. His 2.2-billion-ruble debt (about $38 million) to a regional inspection office of the Federal Tax Service has been also added to the creditors list.

The lawyers bankruptcy hearing has been set for March 20.

Yakubovsky acted as a TV host, a lecturer in Moscows Griboyedov Institute of International Law and Economy, a chairman of Presidium of the First Moscow Bar Association. Since 2007, he has run real estate development business.

Yakubovsky owns the Swiss company Engelberg Industrial Group.Russian antimonopoly watchdog launches case against one more mobile operator

13:53 12/03/2018

MOSCOW, March 12 (RAPSI) - The Federal Antimonopoly Service (FAS) has opened a case against VimpelCom (Beeline brand), one of Russias top mobile operators, over roaming violations, the watchdogs statement published on its website on Monday reads.

According to the statement, a report concerning cancelling the intra-network roaming submitted by the company failed to meet requirements of the watchdogs warnings.

Last week, FAS launched a similar case against two other top mobile operators MTS and MegaFon.

The watchdog revealed during the check that the national long-distance call cost offered by MTS, MegaFon and Beeline was exorbitant, as well as introducing an everyday payment for customers staying outside their home region.

On July 14, 2017, the watchdog issued warnings to MTS, MegaFon, VimpelCom (Beeline brand) and T2 Mobile (Tele2 brand). FAS announced that the operators actions may have violated the competition law by setting different prices for mobile phone service in customers home region and in roaming on the territory of Russia.

In late July 2017, the watchdog opened antimonopoly cases against the companies over alleged violation of competition legislation. At that time, all four mobile operators expressed readiness to enforce the warning.

In December, the watchdog found that Tele2 offers satisfied the orders requirements.Property details:

5 Unit, 3 story brick apartment building on Main Street in Gloversville, NY. You are bidding on the full purchase price.Seller has not seen building. Property requires rehab but has great income potential.Please complete due diligence before bidding. Parcel # (SLB): 134.18-8-8Legal Description of Property: 211 N. Main St, Gloversville, NY 12078Property Taxes: No taxes owing Property is sold as is, where is, with no warranties expressed or implied. It is the duty of prospective buyers to research...

Price: $ 3,000 Seller State of Residence: WA City: Gloversville State/Province: New York Availability: For Sale Type: Apartment Property Address: 211 N Main St Location: , Gloversville, Ny

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Nearby 211 N Main StProperty details:

Wonderful 5000 sqft. lot located in Menifee, between Canyon Lake and Quail Valley. lot with views of the surrounding hills. Situated between 2 already existing homes. Water and Power at the street. Area is currently septic, but The city has a bond in place to install sewer. Zoned R1. This area is close to schools, shopping in ever expanding Menifee, in between the 15 and 215 freeways. There is a little something for everyone here. City of Canyon Lake Area California If Canyon Lake had to be desc...

Price: $ 2,450 Seller State of Residence: California State/Province: California City: Canyon Lake Zip/Postal Code: 92587 Zoning: R-1 Type: Recreational Lot Property Address: Lucas Drive Location: 925**, Sun City, California

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Vacant Land in Golden Valley, Mohave County, Arizona! Item Id: Carr01 Case Name: Carr, Donna Case Number: 17 11412 Trustee: Description: Estate's interest in 2.2 acres of vacant land in Golden Valley, Arizona near Kingman. The property is located on North Laguna Road, Golden Valley, AZ 86413. The status of water, power, sewer and utilities is unknown. These are two contiguous parcels being sold as one. The APN#s are 339-14-005A and 339-14-005B and the Account #s are R0226840 and R 0226844. The l...

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Welcome to Sunny Arizona 2.25 ACRES Subdivision Lot No Minimum - No Reserve HIGH BID OWNS LOT The lot for auction is located in Apache County midway between Chambers, Arizona and Holbrook, Arizona. The area is home to the spectacular Petrified Forest National Park as well as the famous Painted Desert which bring millions of visitors a year to the area. To the south of the property is the forested White Mountains and the green pastures which sharply contrast the dry, colorful plateau region to th...

Price: $ 510 Seller State of Residence: Florida Property Address: Petrified Forest Estates State/Province: Arizona Type: Homesite, Lot Zoning: Residential City: Apache County Location: , Big Bear Lake, California

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Nearby Apache CountyThe system of multiparty cooperation and political consultation led by the Communist Party of China (CPC), as Chinas basic political system, is a new type of party system growing from China's soil, Chinese President Xi Jinping said when attending a joint panel discussion with political advisers during the First Session of the 13th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC).

It is a great political invention jointly made by the CPC, Chinese people, all non-Communist parties and those without party affiliation, added Xi, who is also general secretary of the CPC Central Committee.

The sobering connotation contained in his systematic elaboration on the super advantages of Chinas party system has enlightened the whole world.

Combining Marxist political party theories with China's reality, Chinas party system, after decades of progress, has been featured more by Chinese characteristics and distinct style.

Its superiority comes from its original aspiration and the mission to seek happiness for the Chinese people, from its advantage that could concentrate resources to accomplish large undertakings, as well as its way to propel social development through democratic and scientific decision making.

The system avoids the defect s of the old-fashioned party system which represents only a selective few or the vested interest, and effectively prevents the defects of the absence of oversight in one-party rule, or power rotation and nasty competition among multiple political parties, Xi said.

It steers away from another weakness of the old-fashioned party system, in which decision making and governance, confined by interests of different political parties, classes, regions and groups, tears the society apart, he added.

The standard argument in the West has long been that one of the great strengths of Western democracy is that a multi-party system prevents parties from ossifying and stagnating, Martin Jacques, senior fellow at the Department of Politics and International Studies affiliated to Cambridge University, wrote in a commentary.

In fact, the CPC has proved the opposite: it has found the way to keep rejuvenating itself while political parties in the West are increasingly alienated from the people they seek to represent, the scholar added.

The people know the best and are in the best position to say which system, the outdated and stagnant one or the new and vibrant one, can better serve their interests.

Taking a root in the people, Chinas party system always represents fundamental interests of all people and fulfills their aspiration.

China plans to lift at least 10 million people out of poverty this year, the country pledged at the annual government work report delivered at the first session of the 13th National Peoples Congress, adding that per capita government subsidies for basic health insurance for rural and non-working urban residents will be increased by 40 yuan ($6.3).

China will launch a new three-year renovation plan to address housing in rundown urban areas, starting with construction of 5.8 million units this year, according to the document.

These figures serve as the best evidence to prove that all of what the CPC did are for the people, which is in deep contrast with the flawed Western democracy riddled with money politics, oligarchy as well as politician politics.

Some countries are still repeating the obsolete script of an election-based Western representative democracy that puts the public at logoff and only awakens them when they are required to vote for an election.

More and more Westerners have begun to introspect on the defects of the Western-style system after partisan competition spiraled into a kind of political fight to the death, the tripartite political system descended into a game of throne, and the vetocracy resulted in government shutdown time and again.

What lies behind these flaws are the headstrong competition between the political parties who should cooperate to seek interests together for their public.

George F. Will, an opinion writer, blamed their low government efficiency in a commentary titled How we waste a massive amount of infrastructure money  before building even starts published on Washington Post.

The nation that built the Empire State Building in 410 days during the Depression and the Pentagon in 16 months during wartime recently took nine years just for the permitting of a San Diego desalination plant, he wrote.

Some scholars described the Western-style party system as a rugby game to weaken political opponents for victory, while the Chinese system as a chorus to pool efforts for the sake of better results.

The new type of party system, with cooperation, participation and consultation as its basic spirit, and unity, democracy and harmony as its essential nature, reveals the true value of the socialist democracy with Chinese characteristics.

What the system of multiparty cooperation and political consultation led by the CPC pursues is to seek the greatest common divisor and maximum common ground among the public through the consultation-based mechanism that can pool ideas and suggestions of all walks of life together.

More researchers are now decoding the secrets why China is capable of standing up, growing rich and becoming strong from the system perspective.

Chinas new type of party system, as well of which the Western media is aware, has been an important precondition for the countrys improvement of governance capability and social progress, and also a great contribution to political civilization of humanity.

Chinas political system enables the CPC to work out practical and long-term development plans by uniting and consulting all other political parties, and strive for realization of those blueprints with concerted efforts, Luigi Gambardella, founder and president of China EU, decode Chinas advantages of political system.

Its well known in the world that a well-governed China is of greater significance given the chaos in the Western society. Chinas party system, a new type growing from China's soil, is providing the world with a reference on how to fulfill responsibility as a political party, as well as a China solution on how to seek a better political system.Property details:

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Price: $ 2,075 Seller State of Residence: California State/Province: Nevada Type: Mining Claim City: Near Tonopah Property Address: Near Tonopah Location: 961**, Litchfield, California

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Price: $ 9,000 State/Province: North Carolina Seller State of Residence: Tennessee City: Lake Lure Type: Recreational, Acreage Zoning: Residential Zip/Postal Code: 28746 Property Address: Ridgecrest Road Location: 378**, Maryville, Tennessee

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LAND FOR SALE BALDWIN LAKE AREA! Would you like to own property in California's San Bernardino mountains? Does land in Big Bear Valley interest you? Here is your opportunity to purchase a well positioned lot for a fraction of market value. Located along Avenue C near Third Street, the lot itself is rectangular in shape and measures approximately 2,500 square feet. Please feel free to drive out and visit the property for yourself prior to bidding. Capitalize on this opportunity now. The economy i...

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ATTENTIONYOU ARE BIDDING ON THE DOWN PAYMENTPLEASE REVIEW THE ENTIRE LISTING THOROUGHLY Up For Sale! A nice 1.09 Acres of vacant land on Yuma Drive in Apache County, 3 miles south of Concho Lake. Easy Access from AZ Hwy 61 to the lot via good Cinder/Gravel County Roads. There are NO restrictions here! RV's and Camping are allowed.Terrain is level to mildly rolling. All the lots in this subdivision have rebar pins marking the corners.This is off-grid - no public utilities. Solar, Well, Septic, wi...

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We're sorry, this article is not currently availableReality TV World is now available on the all-new Google News app and website. Click here to visit our Google News page, and then click FOLLOW to add us as a news source!China remains persistent in denuclearizing the Korean Peninsula, maintaining peace and stability on the peninsula, and resolving the nuclear issue through talks, Chinese President Xi Jinping said when discussing the situation on the Korean Peninsula and bilateral relations with his US counterpart Donald Trump via phone on Friday.

It has been proved that President Xi is right to insist on a dialogue between the US and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), Trump said, adding that the US side highly appreciates and values China's significant role in resolving the Korean Peninsula issue, and is willing to strengthen communication and coordination with China over the issue.

The phone conversation between the two leaders is of great significance as positive changes have emerged in the situation on the Korean Peninsula.

The talk further confirms the general direction of resolving the Korean Peninsula issue through dialogue and negotiation between China and the US.

It also tells the world that the two countries are strengthening effective communication and coordination over the issue, and that Chinas constructive proposals and role on the issue are recognized and appreciated by all parties concerned.

Taking the opportunity of the PyeongChang Winter Olympics, the Republic of Korea (ROK) and the DPRK have made intensive interactions since the beginning of this year.

ROK President Moon Jae-in, on February 10, met with Kim Yong Nam, president of the Presidium of the Supreme People's Assembly and Kim Yo Jong, first vice department director of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea and DPRK top leader Kim Jong Uns special envoy.

Kim Yo Jong delivered Kim Jong Uns letter to Moon inviting the ROK president to visit Pyongyang. On March 5, Kim Jong Un met with ROK special envoys in Pyongyang and received a letter from President Moon delivered by the delegation.

The ROK and the DPRK have agreed to hold a summit between the top leaders in late April at Peace House, a ROK building in the truce village of Panmunjom that straddles the two sides. If held as agreed upon, Kim Jong Un will become the first DPRK leader to cross the inter-Korean border to the ROK territory.

President Trump said on Friday that his meeting with the top DPRK leader is being planned, and that major breakthroughs are being made in solving the Korean Peninsula issue.

The active interactions are injecting long-waited thaw into the chill on the peninsula. The positive communication has proved once again that dialogue and negotiation is the only right path to resolve the Korean Peninsula issue, and only measures conducive to regional peace and stability meet the common expectations of regional countries and the world.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, in a statement released on Tuesday, welcomed the advances made during the latest inter-Korean talks and encouraged the two sides to keep the momentum and find a peaceful path forward.

Russia is ready to assist the process in facilitating, expanding and deepening bilateral dialogues between the DPRK and the ROK, Russian deputy Foreign Minister noted on Tuesday.

As a close neighbor of the Korean Peninsula and a permanent member of the UN Security Council, China has made unremitting efforts and played a unique and indispensable role in solving the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue through negotiations with a responsible attitude of safeguarding the peace and stability of the Korean Peninsula.

Signs of a thaw on the Korean Peninsula are closely related to Chinas suspension-for-suspension proposal. During the Olympics, the DPRK suspended missile tests, while the US and ROK postponed their joint military drill.

The proposal, which was put forward in March 2017 to defuse the looming crisis on the Korean Peninsula, calls for the DPRK to suspend its nuclear and missile activities in exchange for the suspension of large-scale US-ROK military exercises.

The DPRK has promised to suspend any nuclear test and ballistic missile test-launches if a dialogue mood continues. It has to be admitted that these positive signs are effects of the suspension-for-suspension proposal.

China's suspension-for-suspension proposal has proven to be a right prescription in creating the basic conditions needed for improving inter-Korea relations.

A virtuous cycle of inter-Korean talks will encourage DPRK-US dialogue, which is in line with the dual track approach proposed by China. The dual-track approach aims to promote parallel progress in the denuclearization of the peninsula and the establishment of a peace mechanism in a synchronized and reciprocal manner, ultimately achieving both goals together.

Chinas constructive role in resolving the Korean Peninsula issue is out of its concern for the interests of regional countries and their people, and out of its sense of responsibility to safeguard world peace.

The country will by no means allow war or chaos on the Korean Peninsula, which will not only hurt people of both countries, but also severely threaten interests of China and countries in other regions.

Peace cannot be realized without goodwill, while easing of situation can create opportunities to this end. In this moment the world has already seen light on resolution of the Korean Peninsula issue, all parties concerned must demonstrate political courage and make the right decisions.

Only by keeping the good momentum can the efforts be continued and deepened to push the Korean Peninsula issue toward the direction that the international community commonly expects. China will make unremitting efforts to this end, and hopes other countries will also march toward the common goal.C S Ghosh, founder of Bandhan Bank, believes his unique business model is not comparable to any financial institution in India -- neither small finance banks, nor big private sector banks -- and hence the valuations are justified.

A strong connect with retail borrowers has often been seen as Bandhan's strategy as a microfinance institution and then as a bank.

Its upcoming IPO is somewhat a manifestation of that ideology.

A financial institution with less than three years of operation is not allowed to have more than 25 per cent of retail and HNI participation in an IPO.

Bandhan has got special permission from Sebi to have this limit up to 50 per cent, with 35 per cent of the net offer reserved for retail individual customers.

We do see our retail subscribers are our future customers. This way we want to brand our bank, says, Sunil Samdani, chief financial officer, Bandhan Bank.

In its IPO filing, Bandhan Bank has valued itself at about Rs 45,000 crore -- higher than any public sector bank, except State Bank of India.

C S Ghosh, the founder of Bandhan Bank, believes his unique business model, much of which derives its strength from millions of rural borrowers, is not comparable to any financial institution in India -- neither small finance banks, nor big private sector banks -- and hence the valuations are justified.

Who are we comparing Bandhan with? Our business model is unique. The valuation is at par with our position and status in the sector, says Ghosh.

At a time when gross NPA of public sector banks are at 20 per cent, Bandhans gross NPA is less than 2 per cent.

Many of its closest comparable peers in the microfinance sector graduated into small finance bank, but several of them too are facing high NPAs on account of debt waiver and demonetisation.

Bandhans net interest margin is one of the highest in the industry at 9.9 per cent.

The banks cost of funds has come down from around 11.50 per cent three years back to 7 per cent at present.

A strong microfinance base, close monitoring of loans, low operating cost and strong customer connect are often been cited as reasons for Bandhans success so far as a financial institution.

Nearly 96 per cent of the banks advances and loans of Rs 24,400 crore is for priority sector lending.

The frugality in the cost of operations for Bandhan can be assessed from small details of its daily operations.

Since inception, at Bandhan, it is a norm that a branch manager gets a plastic chair with armrests, while credit officers get chairs without armrests, to reduce cost.

Today, more than half of Bandhans field staff comprises standard-XII pass-outs, entailing a low cost structure for the bank.

However, as a listed bank, Bandhan faced several challenges.

While competition is getting stiffer in the microlending space, as several private banks have joined the bandwagon, complying with regulations is an imminent challenge.

The first major challenge for Bandhan Bank is to reduce promoters holding. Post the IPO, promoters holding in Bandhan Bank will go down to 82 per cent from 89 per cent at present.

RBI norms require it to bring down to 40 per cent, and Sebi rules call for one year lock-in period for promoters after IPO.

Bandhan in all possibility will now have to knock on the doors of regulators to extend the deadline to comply with the norms.

We will do whatever the regulator guides us, says Ghosh.

Further, Bandhan aims to raise about Rs 4,500 crore from the upcoming IPO -- a fund which it needs to deploy for growth.

So far, Bandhan has been conservative in lending, and much of its assets are restricted to microfinance. Now, the bank will be forced to look beyond microfinance, while keeping strong tab on NPAs.

We want to brand us as a universal bank, we are not going to compromise on that.

"We would like to go wherever there is credit demand.

"First, we need to meet the credit need of our existing microfinance customers.

"Next, in between the segment of existing customers and corporate client, there is a layer of small and medium business houses. So we want to become a banker to them. It is still not well penetrated in the banking sector, says Ghosh.

In fact, as a bank in the last three years, Bandhan saw 2.2 million new customers opening account, and of its deposit pool of Rs 25,000 crore, 94 per cent of this came from new customers.

For last 17 years we have the experience of judicious lending. Our strengths are connect with the rural people and their credit analysis, we will use this skill. In fact for the last three years, our year-on-year growth was 50 per cent.

Bandhan is treading on a tight rope -- banking on the lowest strata of credit market for its ambitious IPO, an experiment which might reveal interesting outcomes.

Photograph: Rupak De Chowdhuri/Reuters.A total of 8.06 million visitors stepped into Chinas National Museum of China (NMC), one of the largest museums in the world, to learn art, culture and history in 2017, up 510,000 from a year ago, a recent report released by the museum said.

A woman takes her child to the Zhang Daqian Art Exhibition hosted by the National Museum of China, Sichuan Museum, and Rong Bao Zhai folk art gallery. More than 100 masterpieces of Zhang's artworks were exhibited. (Photo by CFP)

The number also means an average of 26,000 visitors per day. The growth of visitors can be attributed to more diversified exhibits, as well as the launched cultural education that attracted a great number of parents.

The exhibitions arranged in 2017 covered not only those showcasing the Chinese history such as the exhibition of civilization of the Qin (221 B.C.-207 B.C.) and Han (202 B.C.-220 A.D.) dynasties, but also those highlighting Chinas revolutionary culture and advanced socialist culture.

Overseas exhibitions, including the "Invention of Louvre" exhibition that displayed the treasures from France's Louvre Museum as well as "A History of the World in 100 Objects," a travelling exhibition curated by the British Museum, also arrived at the Chinese museum.

Saudi Arabian antiques were for the first time displayed in China thanks to the exhibition "Roads of Arabia: Archaeological Treasures of Saudi Arabia".

A panoramic picture of Palace Museum. (Photo by the official website of Palace Museum)

More media coverage is a contributor to the increase of visitors as well. The museum, in the past year, received more than 2,300 reporters and organized more than 180 interviews.

During the 2018 Spring Festival vacation, the number of daily visits exceeded 30,000 for days, thanks to multiple excellent exhibitions, including Zhang Daqian Art Exhibition which showcases the works by the master of art in the 20th century.

The Palace Museum, also known as the Forbidden City, attracted a new record of 16.99 million visitors in 2017.

Apart from the surging popularity of museum, If Treasures Could Talk, National Treasure and some other cultural relic-themed TV series also became trendy in the country.Legal experts are not sure if threat of confiscation of property will be deterrent enough for fleeing offenders

Illustration: Uttam Ghosh/Rediff.com

Vijay Mallya reportedly left Indian shores on March 2, 2016.

It has taken the government two years to expedite the introduction of a law to deter economic offenders from fleeing the country.

A sense of deja vu prevailed in the Punjab National Bank fraud case, involving diamond traders Nirav Modi and Mehul Choksi.

The proposed Fugitive Economic Offenders (FEO) Bill, 2018, seeks to empower the government to confiscate the property of proclaimed economic offenders who have fled the country.

However, experts expect several legal challenges in its implementation that may nullify the deterrence caused by the threat of forfeiture for economic offenders leaving the country.

The existing provisions of the law do not deter the fugitive economic offenders largely because the extradition processes between India and other countries are generally cumbersome and time-taking, say legal experts.

India is not a favoured country in case of extradition requests. Courts in the UK have rejected the extradition requests on the ground that the jail condition in India was inhumane and that the accused could not be guaranteed a fair prosecution, noted Anuj Berry, partner, Shardul Amarchand Mangaldas.

The provision to confiscate the property of proclaimed offenders is already there under different laws. For instance, the Prevention of Money Laundering (PML) Act, 2002, prescribes three stages before the final confiscation of an accuseds property.

This involves provisional attachment of the property, confirmation of the attachment pursuant to adjudication and finally the confiscation of the property subject to conviction.

If the alleged offender cannot be brought before the court to participate in the trial and defend himself, the objective of the existing laws is often frustrated, says Ajay Bhargava, partner, Khaitan & Co.

Under the existing laws, the power of the court is confined to the attachment of properties of the offender which were secured or those properties which are proceeds of the alleged crimes.

However, under the proposed Bill, the Special Court has the power to authorise confiscation of all properties owned by the fugitive offender.

Under the PML Act, only the proceeds of crime or such property that is involved in money laundering attract the provisions of attachment.

That is not the case in the proposed FEO Bill. It seeks to allow authorities to also attach the personal properties owned by such offender.

The PML Act provides that all the properties attached shall vest with the central government.

An administrator is responsible for proper maintenance and custody of such properties.

However, the provisions of the FEO Bill provide for the disposal of all such properties by the administrator to satisfy the claims of the creditors.

This proposed Bill would create an added pressure on the fugitive economic offender as all the properties belonging to the offender will automatically come under its ambit, says Sandeep Grover, partner, IndusLaw.

While the measures to deter economic offenders to turn fugitive may appear well-intentioned, legal experts stress on the need for ironing out several loopholes in the draft Bill.

The provision that empowers any court to disentitle any person from putting forward or defending any civil action if that he/she is declared as a fugitive economic offender is seen as draconian.

A challenge may be made against such provision on the ground that it is disproportionate and arbitrary, says Berry.

Chandrasekhar Tampi, partner, Kochhar & Co, points out that this provision effectively punishes the fugitive economic offender as well as the minority shareholder(s) of the company who may have had nothing to do with the offence.

Significantly, from the standpoint of constitutionality, this provision may face a challenge on the ground that it seeks to oust the principle of natural justice, he adds.

Legal experts say the draft Bill that is in public domain does not provide for a situation where the confiscated property is in excess of the claims against the fugitive offender.

There also may be a challenge to the pre-determination of the status of the property as proceeds of crime without considering evidence and without trial, says Bhargava.

Experts say taking away the right of the accused to pursue or defend civil proceedings is contrary to the basic tenets of justice and fair play, besides being violative of the Constitution.

Berry points out that though the scope of the proposed FEO Bill is restricted to those offences value of which is Rs 100 crore or more, this provision could easily be circumvented by mischievous or devious actions.

There is no such monetary limit under other corresponding laws, other than the PML Act, which has a limit of Rs 10 million. The monetary limit of Rs 100 crore appears to be excessive, he says.

This limit must be made harmonious with such other laws, he adds.

Legal experts agree, as is the case with any new law, the various provisions of the proposed Bill is likely to be tested in the court.March 12, 2018 marks 25 years since the serial blasts rocked Mumbai, killing 257 people and wounding hundreds.

Dawood Ibrahim and 'Tiger' Memon -- two of the masterminds behind those horrific terror attacks -- have not yet been brought to justice.

'Dawood and Tiger Memon will neither come on their own nor we will ever bring them back,' says Suresh Walishetty, who investigated the March 1993 attacks.'

Four days before the 25th anniversary of the March 12, 1993 Mumbai serial bomb blasts, the Central Bureau of Investigation arrested Farooq Takla, an aide of fugitive gangster Dawood Ibrahim, the prime absconding accused in the blasts case, in New Delhi for his alleged involvement in the blasts.

Mohammed Farooq, better known as Farooq Takla, arrived in New Delhi from Dubai and was arrested by the CBI from the immigration counter at the Indira Gandhi International Airport.

Suresh Walishetty, a retired assistant commissioner of police and a key investigator who probed the 1993 Mumbai serial bomb blasts, feels Takla's arrest is insignificant unless Dawood and Ibrahim 'Tiger' Memon, the chief conspirators behind the blasts, are arrested.

"Pakistan will never part with these gangsters and terrorists," Walishetty -- who was awarded the police medal for gallantry and many other awards in his long career -- tells Rediff.com's Prasanna D Zore.

How significant is Farooq Takla's arrest?

I don't agree with newspaper reports that call him one of the chief conspirators of the serial bomb blasts.

He is in no way one of the chief conspirators.

We had arrested his brother Ahmed Mansoor, but he was released by the court.

What was Takla''s role in the serial blasts?

There are just a few cases against Farooq Takla.

His main role in the serial bomb blasts was to handle logistics, like receiving people who went to Karachi from India, arrange for their training in terror activities, clearing them from the airport without getting their passports stamped, bring them safely back and forth from Dubai.

Are you saying his role wasn't very significant?

Yes.

The two chief conspirators behind the blasts are 'Tiger' Memon and Dawood Ibrahim.

We must arrest them and punish them for their terror activities.

But let me give this to you in writing: Neither of them will ever come on their own nor will be brought back to India by Indian law enforcement agencies.

Only chillar (small fry) like Takla will be brought back.

There is talk that Takla's extradition is the first step to get Dawood. There are media reports that Dawood wants to return to India.

I don't think so (that he will come back to India).

These is just empty talk and there is no substance to this.

Dawood and 'Tiger' Memon will neither come on their own nor will we ever bring them back.

What makes you so confident to say so?

No political leader or political party has the honest will to get back these fugitives.

If we had that will, both Dawood and 'Tiger' would have been in an Indian jail a long time ago.

Twenty five years have passed since the blasts and we have nothing to show on the Dawood and 'Tiger' front.

The reason is lack of political will.

These politicians just talk big and fool people.



IMAGE: Yasin Mansoor Mohammed Farooq, alias Farooq Takla, being brought to the St George's Hospital in Mumbai for a medical examination, March 8, 2018. Photograph: Shashank Parade/PTI Photo

Why do you think no Indian government possesses the political courage to get these criminals back?

If these people are brought here, they (Dawood and 'Tiger' Memon) will expose their (politicians') wrongdoings.

They fear being exposed if Dawood and 'Tiger' Memon were brought back to India.

If they could get Abu Salem extradited, they could have also got Dawood and Memon back to India.

Do you think it is possible to arrest Dawood and Memon?

Pakistan will never part with these gangsters and terrorists.

Everybody knows where these two are hiding.

If 'Tiger' Memon were to be arrested and brought back, we can find out about the people who helped them plan and execute the bomb blasts.



IMAGE: "If we had taken proper precautions, the bomb blasts would never have taken place," says Suresh Walishetty, an investigating officer in the 1993 serial blasts case. Photograph: Prasanna D Zore/Rediff.com

What lessons has India learnt after March 12, 1993?

One has to learn from history and change the geography accordingly, but we Indians haven't learnt anything from the last 800 years of our history.

Since we don't learn anything from our history, our geography has changed a lot.

It is ingrained in our psychology to not learn anything out of the tragedies and attacks we face.

Could you talk about the most important points from your investigation of the Mumbai serial bomb blasts?

If all the law enforcing agencies were alert, India would never have been attacked on March 12, 1993, the way it was.

Poor interrogation of some of the people we had arrested before March 12, 1993, and the lackadaisical approach of some cops led to the blasts.

One of the key persons we arrested (before the blasts) was released.

All this resulted in one of the biggest terror attacks ever on India.

If we had taken proper precautions, the bomb blasts would never have taken place.

However, after the blasts, the entire police machinery in the city put in huge efforts to unravel the conspiracy and nab the people who were involved.

We arrested all the possible conspirators who were still in India at that time.

The Mumbai police deserves credit for doing that.

More than 100 conspirators were tried and convicted.

The Mumbai police made no distinction between ordinary criminals or top level government functionaries while proving their involvement in the terrorist attacks.

Ten people were sentenced to death.

It is a different thing that they were not hanged.The aviation industry is experiencing turbulent times.

On Monday, a passenger plane crashed at Tribhuvan International airport, Kathmandu. According to reports, the plane, operated by US-Bangla, a Bangladeshi airline, veered off the runway while landing on Monday afternoon, causing a blaze that firefighters have been tackling.

In the wake of the tragedy, Rediff.com takes a look at the major aviation disasters of recent times.

Flight: Air Asia Flight 8501

Date: 28 December 2014

Details: The aircraft operating from from Surabaya to Singapore, crashed into the JavaSea during bad weather, killing all 155 passengers and seven crew on board. Two days after the crash, debris from the aircraft and human remains were found floating in the Java Sea.

Flight: Sepahan Airlines 5915

Date: August 10, 2014

Details: The HESA IrAn-140 (an Antonov An-140 built under license) crashes shortly after takeoff from Mehrabad International Airport, Iran, killing 39 of the 48 people on board.

Flight: Air Algerie AH5017

Date: July 24 2014

Details: The McDonnell Douglas MD-83, operated by Spain's Swiftair, was heading from Ouagadougou to Algiers carrying 116 passengers -- 51 of them French -- when it disappeared over Mali amid poor weather near the border with Burkina Faso.

Flight: TransAsia Airways GE222

Date: July 23 2014

Details: Forty-eight people died when the Tawainese ATR-72 plane, carrying 54 passengers and four crew to the island of Penghu, crashed into stormy seas during a short flight. It made an abortive attempt to land before crashing on a second attempt.

Flight: Malaysia Airlines MH17

Date: July 17 2014

Details: Pro-Russian rebels are widely accused of shooting down the Boeing 777 en route from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur, using a surface-to-air missile near Grabove in eastern Ukraine, killing all 298 people on board, 193 of them Dutch. Obviously, they denied responsibility.

Flight: Malaysia Airlines MH370

Date: March 8 2014

Details: There is absolutely no clue whatsoever over what happened with this Boeing 777 en route from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing with 227 passengers and 12 crew on board ever since it disappeared from radar over the Gulf of Thailand. Despite vast effort, notably in the hostile South Indian Ocean, to date no debris of any kind has been found from the flight.Tibetan spiritual leader Dalai Lama will not attend the Indian Science Congress which opens in Manipur later this week, a conference organiser said.

The Nobel Laureates decision not to attend the congress assumes significance in view of the cancellation of a recent event where the Dalai Lama was expected to be present.

The event, which was slated to have been held at Rajghat to commemorate the Buddhist monks 60th year in exile in India, was later moved to Dharamshala in Himachal Pradesh, and will now be held at the end of the month.

The Indian Science Congress is an annual science event inaugurated by the prime minister.

The general president of the Indian Science Congress Association, Achyuta Samanta, said the Tibetan leader had been invited to the conference, but said he would not be able to attend it.

We were also told that he had visited Manipur two months ago, Samanta said.

Samanta said nearly ten Nobel Prize winners had earlier confirmed their participation in the congress but most dropped out after the event was postponed.

The ISC, which is held usually in the first week of January, was postponed in view of a perceived law and order problem at its earlier venue, the Central University in Hyderabad.

Muhammad Yunus, the founder of Grameen Bank in Bangladesh, would be the only Nobel Laureate at the event, Samanta said.

The development also comes in the backdrop of a media report about an Indian government directive to senior functionaries at the Centre and in the states to skip events being organised by Tibetans.

Earlier this month, the Indian Express had reported that following a communication by Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale, Cabinet Secretary PK Sinha had sent out a note to senior functionaries of the Central and state governments asking them to avoid events being organised by Tibetans.

Following the report, the ministry of external affairs had said the Dalai Lama was a revered religious leader and deeply respected by the people of India, and added that there was no change in that position.

Government of Indias position on His Holiness the Dalai Lama is clear and consistent. He is a revered religious leader and is deeply respected by the people of India. There is no change in that position, MEA spokesperson Raveesh Kumar had said.Aviation watchdog Directorate General of Civil Aviation on Monday ordered IndiGo and GoAir to immediately ground 11 A320 neo planes powered with a certain series of Pratt & Whitney engines after three incidents of mid-air engine failures in less than a month.

Concerns over safety of such planes increased with another engine failure forcing emergency landing of IndiGo flight at Ahmedabad airport on Monday, and the regulator has cracked the whip saying that there is no concrete proposal in place at this stage to address the issue.

A total of 14 A320 neo aircraft fitted with specific series of engines -- 11 are operated by IndiGo and 3 by GoAir -- have now been grounded.

Three IndiGo planes are already on the ground following the problem.

Citing safety of aircraft operations, the DGCA said, A320 neos fitted with PW1100 engines beyond ESN 450 have been grounded with immediate effect.

'Both IndiGo and GoAir have been told not to refit these engines, which are spare with them in their inventory,' the DGCA said in a release.

It said it will be in touch with stakeholders and review the situation in due course and when the issue is addressed by European regulator European Aviation Safety Agency and P&W.

A senior DGCA official said 8 aircraft of IndiGo would be grounded.

"We are in receipt of the communication from the DGCA and we shall promptly comply with the directions of the DGCA.

"Upon implementation of the directive, IndiGo shall have a total of nine A320neo aircraft on ground," an IndiGo spokesperson said.

However, there is a mismatch between the number of grounded planes given by the DGCA and IndiGo while clarity is awaited from the latter.

"GoAir has received the directive from the DGCA for immediate grounding of all late serial number PW GTF engines. We have complied immediately," a GoAir spokesperson said.

In a statement, P&W said, it is working closely with customers to minimise disruption.

'The corrective action has been approved and we have already begun to deliver production engines with the upgraded configuration. We are working to mitigate the Aircraft on Ground (AOG) situation by the end of the second quarter,' it added.

Sources said the grounding of A320 neo aircraft will have an impact on the flight operations of IndiGo and GoAir.

It is rare for the Indian regulator to ground aircraft and the latest one is at least only the third such instance in decades.

Back in 1990, A320 planes operated by then Indian Airlines were grounded following a deadly crash that had killed 89 people.

Later in 2013, Air India's Boeing 737 aircraft were grounded in the wake of lithium battery issues. Both bans were subsequently revoked.

According to the regulator, P&W in its latest communication has also not given any firm commitment as to when the issue on the engine post serial number 450 would be resolved.

P&W has also informed that "all the affected engines will be replaced by early June 2018", the DGCA said, adding that there is no concrete proposal in place at this stage to address the issue.

In less than three weeks, there have been as many incidents of in-flight shut down of A320 neos fitted with one P&W 1100 engine.

Besides Monday's incident, there were two -- one with GoAir plane after take-off from Leh on February 24 and another was with IndiGo following take-off from Mumbai on March 5.

Earlier in the day, Civil Aviation Secretary R N Choubey had said that an appropriate decision would be taken on Monday.

Choubey said the regulator has put in place enhanced safety checks and was satisfied with the measures with respect to the issue of oil chip detection -- an issue that had plagued A320 neos powered by P&W engines.

Following in-flight shut down in A320 neo fleet worldwide fitted with PW1100 engines (from serial number 450 and beyond), EASA, on February 9, had issued an emergency airworthiness directive.

Subsequently, three A320 neos of IndiGo fitted with both the affected engines having engine serial number 450 and beyond were grounded.

However, 11 other A320 neo -- 8 of IndiGo and 3 of GoAir -- were allowed to operate as they were fitted with only one such affected engine, the release said.

On February 13, DGCA had said that it was monitoring engine glitches to ensure that safety is not compromised at any time.

Last week, Minister of State for Civil Aviation remained evasive on whether there are any plans to ground these planes and had said that the ministry has been working very closely with safety regulators around the world to decide the best course of action for the P&W neo engine.

There are around 45 A320 neos, powered by P&W engines, in the country. Out of them, 32 are with IndiGo and 13 are with GoAir.

The DGCA's significant decision also comes on a day when Suresh Prabhu took over the additional charge of Civil Aviation Ministry following the resignation of National Democratic Alliance ally Telugu Desam Party's leader Ashok Gajapathi Raju from the post last week.

Engine failure forces IndiGo flight to return; all safe

As many as 186 passengers on board a Lucknow-bound IndiGo flight from Ahmedabad had a mid-air scare after one of the engines failed, forcing the pilot to return back to the airport.

The Airbus A320neo plane, powered by Pratt & Whitney engines, made an emergency landing around 10.04 am at Ahmedabad airport, a little over 40 minutes after taking off.

However, there was no harm to any passenger, said Manoj Gangal, director of the airport.

In a statement, IndiGo said the flight 6E-244 from Ahmedabad-Kolkata (via Lucknow) experienced a technical glitch with its engine No. 2 after take-off. The flight crew carried out actions as per the standard operating procedure and landed back at the airport, following precautionary measures.

The incident takes place days after Jayant Sinha, the junior civil aviation minister, claimed that the government had put in place 'appropriate safety measures' for the P&W engines.

The matter is being investigated by the IndiGo flight safety team and the DGCA, the carrier added.

Gangal said a full-emergency was declared to enable the aircraft, which was carrying 186 passengers, to land safely.

"Fire fighter and medical services were put on stand-by ahead of the emergency landing," he added.IMAGE: Karti Chidambaram at Patiala House Court in connection with the INX Media money laundering case, in New Delhi on Monday. The court has sent Karti to judicial custody till March 24. Photograph: Kamal Singh/PTI Photo



Karti Chidambaram was on Monday sent to 13-day judicial custody in the INX Media corruption case by a Delhi court which also dismissed his plea to provide him a separate cell in Tihar Jail due to his threat perception.

While rejecting Karti's plea for separate cell and bathroom, Special Judge Sunil Rana said he cannot be treated differently from other accused persons just because of his and his father, former Union minister P Chidambaram's social status.

"The apprehension raised by the senior counsel for accused cannot be ignored keeping in view the social status of accused and his family, more specifically, his father who is a former Union minister.

"However, only keeping in view the fact of social status of accused and his father, he cannot be treated different from other accused persons and cannot be allowed to be kept in separate prison. However, lock up in-charge and jail superintendent are directed to provide and ensure proper security and safety to accused during judicial custody, as per rules," the court said.

Karti, who was produced on the expiry of his three-day police remand before the court, had sought proper security and separate prison claiming there was threat to his life as his father P Chidambaram, who as a Union minister in the previous United Progressive Alliance government had handled several sensitive issues.

The court sent him to Tihar Jail, after the Central Bureau of Investigation, in whose custody he was quizzed continuously for 12 days since his arrest on February 28 in Chennai, said he was no longer required for further custodial interrogation.

"In view of the fact that no more police custody remand of accused is sought by the CBI, accused Karti Chidambaram is remanded to judicial custody. He be produced on March 24," the special judge said.

During the hearing, senior advocate Dayan Krishnan, appearing for Karti, moved the application seeking adequate security and that he should not be kept with other prisoners, while maintaining that there was a clear threat perception as several terrorists had been prosecuted during P Chidambaram's tenure as the union home minister

"He is the son of former union home minister. Many terrorists have been prosecuted during his tenure and there is a clear threat perception in the matter to the petitioner (Karti). His father P Chidambaram has dealt with stringent penal laws including TADA, MCOCA, UAPA and NDPS posing a huge security threat to Karti," Krishnan said, adding that Karti cannot be exposed to criminals.

CBI counsel V K Sharma opposed the application for a separate cell and bathroom saying there was no threat to Karti.

To this, Krishnan said it was shocking that the investigating agency was objecting to Karti's security in jail and such objection also enhanced the threat perception.

"CBI opposing a separate prison, gives me further apprehension and shows political motive and enhances my threat perception. The organisation investigating me should be concerned about my security. I am appalled. There is a mala fide intent in opposing it. I'm shocked that CBI can oppose my plea for security. Can it be denied, he asked.

The court, however, allowed Karti to carry spectacles and medicines as per prescription subject to examination and approval by the jail doctor, but denied his request to carry toiletries, books, clothes and home food. It also said his bail plea would be heard on March 15 as scheduled.

"The hearing of the bail application of accused (Karti) was earlier raised before this court on March 9, (when) the CBI had sought time to file reply to the bail application and in the presence of the counsel for accused, the bail application was put up for consideration on March 15 with the direction to the CBI to supple advance copy to defence.

"Since the bail application is already fixed for filing of reply/consideration on March 15, the present application is dismissed," the court said.

Meanwhile, Karti's chartered accountant S Bhaskararaman, who is currently in jail in a case filed by the Enforcement Directorate, has moved the court for anticipatory bail in the CBI case of INX Media.

Karti was arrested on his return from the United Kingdom in connection with the first information report lodged on May 15 last year.

It alleged irregularities in the Foreign Investment Promotion Board clearance to INX Media for receiving overseas funds of about Rs 305 crore in 2007 when his father was Union finance minister.

The CBI had initially alleged that Karti Chidambaram received Rs 10 lakh as bribe for facilitating FIPB clearance to INX Media. It, however, later revised the figure to $1 million (about Rs 6.50 crore at the current exchange rate and Rs 4.50 crore in 2007).

The fresh evidence in the case, which triggered Karti's arrest, was based on the statement of Indrani Mukerjea, former director of INX Media (P) Ltd who had recorded it under section 164 of the Code of Criminal Procedure before a magistrate on February 17.NDA ally, the TDP continued to disrupt the both Houses of the Parliament over demand for special status to Andhra Pradesh.

Lok Sabha

The Lok Sabha was adjourned for the day on Monday amid continuing protests by regional parties over various issues.

It was the sixth straight day of washout of proceedings in the lower house since the second leg of the budget session began on March 5.

Speaker Sumitra Mahajan first adjourned the House immediately after the Question Hour started as Telangana Rashtra Samithi, Telugu Desam Party, All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and YSR Congress members stormed the well carrying placards and raised slogans in support of their demands.

There was no let up in protests as the House met again at noon but the speaker went ahead with the proceedings, including introduction of two bills by Minister of State for Finance Shiv Pratap Shukla, amid the din.

Bhartruhari Mahtab of the Biju Janata Dal opposed the introduction of The Fugitive Economic Offenders Bill, saying its provisions violated the citizens' fundamental rights and that it is based on the premise of "guilty till proven innocent" and not the other way round.

He questioned the provision of seizing assets of an accused before he was proven guilty.

However, Shukla said these provisions can be debated during the discussion on the bill and introduced the bill. Soon after this, the House was adjourned.

The Lok Sabha has been witnessing similar scenes since March 5 with opposition parties besides the TDP, which remains a member of the ruling National Democratic Alliance though it has pulled out of the central government, raising a host of issues such as special status for Andhra Pradesh, enhanced reservation in Telangana and constitution of the Cauvery river board to settle Tamil Nadu's water dispute with neighbours.

Rajya Sabha

The Rajya Sabha was too adjourned for the day amid continuing protests by opposition parties and NDA ally TDP on various issues including demand for special status to Andhra Pradesh, the Cauvery row, sealing in Delhi and bank fraud.

As soon as the Upper House reconvened at 2 pm after an adjournment earlier in the day, Trinamool Congress member Sukhendu Sekhar Roy stood up seeking the chair's permission to raise a point of order.

However, Deputy Chairman of the Rajya Sabha P J Kurien, who was in the chair, said the House needs to be in order first.

Unrelenting members from TDP stormed the well carrying placards demanding special status for Andhra Pradesh while the AIADMK demanded setting up of Cauvery water management board.

Joining them, Aam Aadmi Party members shouted slogans seeking an end to the sealing drive in Delhi whereas the Congress and the TMC raised the bank fraud issue.

Amid the noisy protests, Minister of State for Drinking Water and Sanitation S S Ahluwalia laid on the table of the House the statement regarding the status of implementation of recommendations contained in the 35th report of the Department-related Parliamentary Standing Committee on Rural Development on Demands for Grants (2017-18).

However, as the pandemonium continued, Kurien adjourned the proceedings of the House for the day after barely a couple of minutes.

Earlier in the day, after the papers were laid in the House, members of the TDP, the YSRC, the TMC, the AIADMK and the AAP were up on their feet seeking to raise a point of order.

Chairman Venkaiah Naidu tried to pacify the members and conduct the Zero Hour but the protesting members trooped into the well holding placards and shouting slogans. The only Congress member protesting in the well was K V P Ramachandra Rao from Andhra Pradesh.

"When there is no order, how can there be a point of order? This is too much," Naidu said asking members to go back to their seats.

"I don't find any reason to come to the well of House," the chairman said adding that he is allowing discussion on all subjects.

With members continuing their protest, the chair was forced to adjourn the House till 2 pm.

The Upper House did not function the entire last week due to uproar by the opposition as well as NDA ally TDP, barring one hour on March 8 when members participated in a discussion to mark the International Women's Day.Azad Maidan in south Mumbai turned into a sea of red on Monday, March 12, as thousands of farmers, carrying red flags, converged there after walking 180 km under the blazing sun over the last six days.

Scenes from Azad Maidan. All Photographs: Syed Firdaus Ashraf/Rediff.com

The farmers descended on Azad Maidan seven kilometres away from their destination -- the Maharashtra assembly -- which they are planning to gherao to press their demands of an unconditional loan waiver, and transfer of forest land to tribal farmers who have been tilling it for years.

Mumbaikars helped the farmers en route, provided them water, dates, biscuits.

One of the farmers' demands is to transfer ownership of the temple lands, which they cultivate, in their names.

Water tankers provide water for the thirsty farmers.

Even as the long march is led by the Communist Party of India-Marxist, other Opposition parties have lent their support to the protest.

WATCH: Farmers make their way into MumbaiFacing the heat from the opposition and ally Shiv Sena, the Bharatiya Janata Party-led Maharashtra government on Monday accepted the demands of agitating farmers, including their right to till forest land, leading the cultivators to call off their stir that had turned Mumbai into a sea of red.

As the government announced its decision, Communist Party of India-Marxist general secretary Sitaram Yechury said the striking farmers, who were affiliated to his party, were ending their agitation.

Under the banner of the Akhil Bhartiya Kisan Sabha of the CPI-M, over 35,000 farmers trekked 180 kilometre from Nashik to Mumbai over six days under the blazing sun, some even barefooted, with a slew of demands which included their right to till forest land and a complete loan waiver.

Earlier, three senior ministers - Chandrakant Patil, Girish Mahajan and Eknath Shinde - met the farmers at the Azad Maidan in south Mumbai and announced the governments decision to accept their demands.

They also said the government has made arrangements to send them back to their native places by special trains.

I am happy to announce that almost all of your demands have been met and they will be implemented in a time-bound manner, declared Patil, who handles the revenue and public works department portfolios.

Thousands of farmers from all over the state, who had gathered at the Azad Maidan donning red caps, holding red flags and banners, greeted the announcement with loud cheer.

After the government accepted our demands in writing and assured to implement them in a time-bound manner, I asked the farmers to go back to their homes, Yechury told reporters.

Mahajan, who handles the water resources portfolio, thanked the farmers for holding the rally in a peaceful manner.

The meeting with the farmers was positive. Some 12-13 demands of farmers were discussed. We have taken some of their demands into consideration where technical issues are involved. The rest of their demands would be resolved in the next six months, he told reporters outside the Vidhan Bhawan.

Talking to reporters at the legislature complex, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said, We have agreed to set up a committee to hand over forest land used for farming to tribals and farmers.

A meeting was held with representatives of farmers and adivasis at Vidhan Bhawan today. We have agreed to set up a committee to allot agricultural land to tribals provided they submit a proof of pre-2005 land cultivation. We have accepted almost all their demands, Fadnavis said.

Earlier in the day, Fadnavis, who was under intense pressure to concede the demands of farmers, had said his government was sensitive and positive towards their issues.

Around 90 to 95 per cent of the participants are poor tribals. They are fighting for forest land rights. They are landless and cant do farming. The government is sensitive and positive towards their demands, he told the assembly during a discussion on the Long March of agriculturists.

In the afternoon, Yechury addressed the farmers and compared their agitation to the historic Dandi March undertaken by Mahatma Gandhi to protest the British salt tax.

No country can move forward if its food providers are not given their due respect. Farmers are the backbone of the country. This rally is quite similar to Dandi March.

The Left leader slammed the Modi government over its handling of farmer issues.

You waived loans worth Rs 2.40 lakh crore given to rich corporates, but are asking farmers to pay every penny. Farmers who took loans are committing suicide and tycoons who have taken loans of thousands of crores are moving around scot-free.

If the loans given to industrialists are recovered, they (the money so impounded) will be enough to meet all the demands of farmers and unemployed youths, Yechury said.

Noted journalist and Ramon Magsaysay Award winner P Sainath congratulated the farmers and demanded a 20-day-long special session of Parliament to discuss the agrarian crisis in the country.

Besides loan waiver and transfer of forest land to tribal farmers who have been tilling it for years, the cultivators were agitating against non-implementation of the Swaminathan Committee recommendation for fixing the minimum support price at one-and -a-half times the cost of production, and the Forest Rights Act, CPI-M leader Ashok Dhawle said.

The opposition Congress, the Nationalist Congress Party, the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena and also Shiv Sena, which is part of the BJP-led ruling coalitions in the state and at the Centre, had extended support to the agitators. MNS chief Raj Thackeray and Shiv Sena leader Aaditya Thackeray met the farmers on Sunday.

Shivram Gangurde, a farmer from Junnar town in Pune district, expressed happiness over the government accepting their demands.

"All farmers are very happy now. To be honest, we never expected that our struggle would be successful. We are going to our homes with a new hope now, he said, after the stir was called off and agitators greeted the news about the governments acceptance of their demands with drum beats and impromptu tribal dance.

All photographs: Sahil Salvi/Rediff.com'I hope that by seeing us in such huge numbers the government will get scared and agree to our demands.'

Rediff.com's Syed Firdaus Ashraf reports from Azad Maidan.



IMAGE: Thousands of farmers gathered at Mumbai's Azad Maidan to press for their demands. Photograph: Kind courtesy All India Kisan Sabha/Twitter

Sanjay Namdeo Navsare, a farmer from Sakur taluka, Nanded, has been taking bank loans for the last 15 years to till his land.

Each time he earned a profit on his produce he returned the money to the banks with interest, getting a fresh loan for a new crop.

Only twice in the last 15 years did poor rainfall affect his produce when he could not repay the loan.

Luckily for Navsare, the then Congress-Nationalist Congress Party government in Maharashtra waived off farmers' loan, and Navsare was relieved to escape the debt trap that many other farmers could not.

Navsare has now come to Mumbai's Azad Maidan along with thousands of farmers, hoping that that Devendra Fadnavis's state government will write off farmers' loans like the Congress-NCP government did.

"I took a loan of Rs 80,000 in October 2016 from Grameen Bank. I was supposed to return it in October 2017 with six percent interest, but unfortunately, due to bad rainfall, I could not earn the money."

"I earned only Rs 20,000 from my produce. I am worried how to return the money to the bank."

"I have joined this morcha so that my loan can be waived off by the BJP government," he told Rediff.com

Navsare walked for 200 kilometres along with 30,000 other farmers and Adivasis to reach Mumbai.

"I broke my slippers, I stitched it, but again it broke. After that, I started walking barefoot. This morcha is like life and death for me. I did not give up hope and kept walking till we reached Mumbai," he said.

Navsare, left, sows cotton or soyabean at his farm. He has two children and a wife who are dependent on him, and he is worried what will happen when the bank staffers come to his door and ask for repayment of the loan.

"If I am not able to repay the loan, this year Grameen Bank will not give me a loan to farm, so I am hoping the government will waive our loan."

"The Congress-NCP government gave us a loan waiver twice, and I fail to understand why the BJP government is not giving us one. When that government could, why can't the BJP do so?" asked Navsare.

Jijabai Narayan Gaikwad from Watlur village near Nashik is worried for a different reason.

She has been farming on a forest plot for more than 50 years and till date the plot has not been transferred in her name.

At the age of 65, she has walked 200 kilometres to Mumbai in the hope the government agrees to the demand.

"I sow groundnuts and earn Rs 25,000 a year from my farm land, but now, before I die, I want the land records to be in my name. Why cannot the government do that?" she asked.

"For generations we have been farming on forest land and till date we have not got our names on our land. I want that to be done and therefore I have joined this morcha, Jijabai added.

In 2006, the then United Progressive Alliance government enacted the Forest Act granting tribals rights to their land, but like Jijabai, numerous Adivasis living on forest land are yet to get the land transferred in their names.

"When there are no good rains, I go to the city with my children to do temporary jobs. But I don't want to go to the city. I like to cultivate our land but the government is not putting my name on the land on which four generations of my family have farmed," Jijabai said.

Dandraj Ambu Thakres story is similar.

A resident of Kalwan taluka, Khed near Pune, Thakre, left, has been farming on forest land for years, but his name has not been added to the land records.

"I farm on two acres of forest land. I sow maize and earn Rs 30,000 a year. I somehow survive with that money, but if the rains are not good then I have to move to the city for temporary jobs," Thakre, who has two sons and two daughters, said.

"I am hoping the BJP government will listen to our demands. I want the land to be transferred in my name."

"For the last 10 years we have only got false assurances from politicians. I am tired of the false assurances by different governments. Now I want concrete results. I have therefore come to Azad Maidan to press for my demand."

"I hope that by seeing us in such huge numbers the government will get scared and agree to our demands."Chinese FM hopes China-EU relations to be as strong as they have started it

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Thursday that he hopes at the end of this year, China-EU relations will be as strong as they have started it, as 2018 marks the 15th anniversary of the China-EU comprehensive strategic partnership.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi says hello to journalists from home and abroad at the press conference held on March 8, 2018. (Photo by Weng Qiyu from Peoples Daily Online)

Wang made the remarks at a press conference on China's foreign policies and foreign relations on the sidelines of the ongoing first session of the 13th National People's Congress in Beijing.

This year started with French President Emmanuel Macron paying a state visit to China and Sino-French relations in excellent shape, Wang said, adding that then the visit of Prime Minister Theresa May kicked off efforts by China and the UK to upgrade their "Golden Era".

Global governance has emerged as a new dimension of China-EU cooperation, the two sides have a joint responsibility to safeguard the global free trade system, and negotiation needs to be speeded up to conclude a China-EU investment agreement, Wang said.

He underlined that there are also some disagreements between China and the EU, but both sides have realized the need to put oneself in the others shoes and to be more open, tolerant and understanding of each other.

China has always appreciated the importance of Europe, the minister said, stating that it supports European integration and has confidence in Europes future.

Given all the uncertainty around us, China is ready to partner with Europe to provide more stability and make the world a better place, the minister added.

A train arrives at Chengdu International Railway Port on Dec. 17, 2017 for the first test run of the China-Europe cargo rail heading from Chengdu, southwestern Chinas Sichuan province to Milan, Italy. It is the 11th international cargo rail line launched in Chengdu. (Photo by Bai Guibin from Peoples Daily Online)

A highlight of China-EU cooperation is the Belt and Road Initiative proposed by China, which has been echoed by multiple state leaders from Europe. A series of harvests have been reaped from initiative construction on the continent.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel stressed when Chinese President Xi Jinping visited Germany last July that the comprehensive strategic partnership between the two countries covers every social aspect.

She pledged that Germany firmly supports the Belt and Road construction and is willing to play a positive role to the end.

Macron, the first European head of state that visited China after the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC), made clear that the Belt and Road Initiative is truly important, pledging that France would like to take an active part in the initiative.

Macron added that his country is also willing to work together with China to counter global challenges such as climate change.

The UK shares similar views with China on many global issues and values China's role in international affairs, May said during her visit to China at the beginning of 2018.

Saying the Belt and Road Initiative proposed by Xi has far-reaching global influence, May expressed her hope that the UK and China cooperate in this regard to boost global and regional economic growth.

The projects constructed under the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative have added needed momentum to the economic and social development of the partner countries, Wang said, citing the examples of troubled steel mill in Serbia, the seaport in Greece as well as the nuclear power plant in the UK.

In Serbia, a Chinese enterprise bought a troubled steel mill and turned it around in less than a year, both saving more than 5,000 local jobs and helping to re-energize the city in which the steel mill is located, he elaborated.

In Greece, a Chinese group took over the operation of its largest seaport, ramped up the container volume and put it back in the same league as Europes largest ports, he illustrated, adding that China is also partnering with France to build a nuclear power plant in the UK, a stellar example of high-tech cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative.

We sincerely ask for ideas from all parties, so that we will together make a success of the Belt and Road Initiative. Our goal is not only to strengthen the physical connectivity of infrastructure, but also to improve the institutional connectivity of policies, rules and standards, the minister stressed.

The projects involved in the initiative must be high-standard as well as results-oriented, high-quality as well as economically viable, beneficial to the world as well as to China, Wang told the press conference.The TDP has many formidable challenges in the state leading to the 2019 general elections, many of which it cannot surmount without help from the Modi government.

Withdrawing its two members from the Union council of ministers this week may be the easiest thing the Telugu Desam Party could do, but it just cannot wish the Bharatiya Janata Party away.

As a BJP leader from New Delhi puts it: "It's a grudging reality that the two parties need each other, more so the TDP."

In the 2014 elections to the Andhra Pradesh assembly, the BJP polled over 2.4 per cent votes, almost the equal percentage that helped the TDP pip the main opposition YSR Congress to the post.

This simple arithmetic apart, the TDP has many formidable challenges in the state leading to the 2019 general elections, many of which it cannot surmount without help from the Narendra Modi government.

Merely throwing the entire blame at the centre's doorstep for many of its own failures will not help the TDP, says the state BJP.

"It is clear that the TDP is blaming us only to mask its failures in fulfilling the promises made in 2014," state BJP spokesperson S Vishnuvardhan Reddy said.

"The TDP failed in providing debt relief to farmers, paying unemployment allowance to the youth...some of the many promises it made ahead of the 2014 elections. Hence, it is now enacting a new drama in the name of special category status," Reddy said.

Yanamala Ramakrishnudu, the state finance minister, however, rejected the charge, saying it was "not correct".

"We have been trying for certain things. The Centre has given us something, but it has not fulfilled the promises 100 per cent," he said.

Asked how he saw things moving forward vis-a-vis the BJP, the TDP politburo member said, "We are watching national politics. We are still in alliance."

The blame game and political posturing aside, the TDP desperately needs the centre's help to fulfil one of its key promises: Of providing five-percent reservation to the Kapu community and its sub-sects.

The government hurriedly passed a bill in the assembly last December, but it cannot become law unless the centre makes a constitutional amendment, enabling an increase in the quota over and above the stipulated 50 per cent.

That the Kapu vote was a key factor in Chandrababu Naidu's return to power in 2014 is an acknowledged fact, as the TDP virtually swept the two Godavari districts, thanks to the en masse support it secured from the predominant community.

During his forceful demand in the assembly last Wednesday for special category status to the state, Chandrababu Naidu did not miss this point when he asked the centre to clear the bill.

Giving a clear shape to the Polavaram multipurpose project, if not completing it ahead of the 2019 elections (as per revised deadline), is another challenge, while building at least a part (government city) of the state's new capital Amaravati is yet the critical one.

The state government cannot accomplish these tasks without the centre's help.

"There is talk that I will push the entire blame on the centre for not being able to do anything. I will not do that. I will not push the burden on the Centre," Naidu announced in the assembly the other day, amidst the heat on the SCS demand.

As is his wont, Chandrababu wound not leave it at that.

Photograph: PTI PhotoAs thousands of protesting farmers marched into Mumbai on Sunday, Hemant Waje walked along with them. This is his account.

IMAGE: A sea of red on the way to Mumbai on Sunday.

The six-day-long march of 30,000 farmers and adivasis from Nashik to Mumbai is at its fag end on Sunday.

The farmers, all from Maharashtra, are about to enter Mumbai from the city's eastern suburb -- Mulund, where I live.

I join the march at this point, deciding to walk along for as long as I can, in their footwear, so to speak.

At the head of the column is a lead vehicle, a tempo with loudspeakers to keep the rank and file of the marching farmers informed of changes, if any.

At around 3 pm, the column makes the symbolic crossover from Thane into Mumbai by crossing the Mulund toll naka.

IMAGE: Mumbaiites generally don't stop for anyone. But the sight of thousands of farmers made them stop and take note of their protest.

Its a scorching 34 C and Im wearing comfortable shoes, walking shoulder to shoulder with farmers in broken chappals, some barefoot, in a strange silence, despite the numbers.

They are in their thousands -- farmers and adivasis -- marching as one towards the state legislative assembly at the southern end of the city, demanding complete loan waiver, implementation of Swaminathan Commission report including remunerative price for crops, transfer of forest land which they have been cultivating for generations and in some cases even renewal of ration cards.

We are walking on the service road of the Eastern Express Highway, to ensure there is minimal traffic disruption.

I tell them that Mumbaikars fear that the farmers may bring disorder in the city.

Can't you put up with us for just one day?" Sadhuram Rathod asks plaintively.

He has come with hundreds of people from his village in Surgana tehsil of Nashik. "I don't own a single piece of land, nor can I make any changes on the land which is owned by the forest department," he explains.

IMAGE: Banners like this were a common sight.

At the Mulund-Airoli junction, I am surprised to see members of the local Shiv Sena unit greeting the farmers with water and biscuits.

For the Shiv Sena, despite all the sabre-rattling, is still part of the Maharashtra government, and here are its members backing the agitation by the All India Kisan Sabha, affiliated to the Communist Party of India-Marxist, which is opposed to the state government.

The farmers drink their water, accept the biscuit packets in silence, and walk on silently. No sloganeering, no camaraderie.

We have walked a few kilometres by then, and my spirits begin to wilt in the soaring temperature.

The farmers, wearing red caps and waving hammer and sickle flags, simply keep walking. Tireless, it seems.

Even though summer is yet to set in, the city has been reeling under unusually high temperatures. "We don't feel the heat when we are working in the field, but now that we are walking, we can feel it," Sangeeta Shinde says.

Passing motorists slow down to see what the fuss was all about, whip out their mobile phones, take pictures and drive on. Thankfully, no one attempted a selfie.

The silence of the marchers are broken with slogans: 'ladenge, jeetenge' (we will fight and win); some protesters play the dhol and a shehnai-like instrument to cheer up their tired companions.

And some even break into an impromptu tribal jig.

IMAGE: Many political parties lent their support to the farmers' long march.

Just as we cross Bhandup, an Opposition leader pays a "customary visit", even giving a 'lal salaam' to the farmers. His party and his party leader, who was a Union minister in the previous government, were with them, he said.

Why didn't his party do anything to solve the farmers' problems, I wanted to ask him.

But he is not the only one to turn up in support. Along the way, almost at every traffic junction, several political leaders, turn up. In some places, the farmers even get a celebrity-like welcome -- flower petals are showered on them as they walk by.

The marchers are old; the marchers are young, and almost all have swollen feet after walking from Nashik. But they are determined to reach the state assembly on Monday.

Sixty-year-old Sadu Mahale, who shows a fierce determination to march on, adds: "I toil in the field day and night but the land belongs to the government. At least my next generation will get the fruits of this march.

There is a fair share of women, too, in the protest march. Sangeeta Shinde, Mathurabai Shinde and Suneeta Gangurde are walking along with other farmers from her village in Nashik.

Mathurabai said that one member from each family in their village has joined this march.

Her husband and the men of the village have stayed home. "If he had come, then who will do the work and earn money? Who will feed us then?" she asked in a display of indisputable logic.

Suneeta Gangurde complains that they work on forest land which they don't own. She also demands that they be given ration cards.

IMAGE: Pundalik Choudhari (holding a stick), rests on the side of the Eastern Express Highway with his fellow protesters.

Pundalik Choudhari, who is in his late 30s, says that even after the government increased the minimum support price, middlemen don't pass on the benefit to them.

"The government will not listen to us. We hope they listen to the media and fulfill our demands."

Many volunteers and supporting groups have set up stalls near Vikhroli to provide water and poha to the farmers.

The farmers quietly eat the flattened rice, some pack it for later, and walk on towards their final destination -- the Maharashtra assembly.

As the farmers walk on stoically, Ive had enough.

I have walked eight kilometres in four hours with them and I can walk no more.

I am ashamed.

As I leave them, a volunteer who is collecting the trash tells me, "Jin haatho ne hume khana diya, un haath ko dekh kar aankho mein paani bhar aaya (the plight of those who feed us moves us to tears)."

I couldn't have agreed more.

I reach home, have a long, cold shower, and glug two glasses of watermelon juice.

The farmers were walking on.

There has been not a single incident of violence in the six days they have marched the 180 kilometres to Mumbai.

There has been little traffic disruption; just a sea of red flags, marching together in solidarity.

I hope the government listens in and gives in to their demands.

Its time.

WATCH: A sea of red make their way into Mumbai

Video/Photographs: Hemant Waje/Rediff.com.Seven farmers, same woes. Their stories represent thousands like them who have marched more than 200 kilometre from Nashik to Mumbai seeking redressal of their woes.

Uttam Ghosh and Prasanna D Zore report from Mumbai's Azad maidan.

They all looked the same: with their red caps, the colour of revolution, symbolising their fight against the unjust system, and dark, wrinkled, scrawny faces betraying years of hardship, penury and abject poverty; they have marched from Maharashtra's Palghar and Nashik districts on foot on a 200-odd kilometre journey to the heart of India's financial capital in search of something as mundane as the right to live.

Most of them tribals, tilling lands their forefathers had tended to for generations; most of them are marginal farmers, with average landholding size less than five acres; most of them have been allotted plots of land by the district administration in 2005 with the assurance of making them the title holders of the land they were given; those among them who don't own land, work as farm hands or engage in odd jobs for their subsistence; all of them have marched on this arduous journey to demand implementation of their rights conferred on them under the Forest Rights Act.

Most of them, fortunately, were not burdened with debt and so had no idea what a farm loan waiver is all about.

Not too fluent in Marathi or Hindi, these tribals spoke about their hardships and explained why they embarked on a long march. Here are glimpses into the lives of seven such people.

***

Name: Motiram Diva

Location: Surgana taluk, Nashik district

Status: Landless labourer

Diva, who doesn't remember his age, comes from Nashik's Surgana taluk.

Living in a mud-thatched dwelling with his wife and three children, Diva and his family work as farm hands to earn a living.

The four months when the rains bestow its mercy in this tribal heartland, Diva gets work and also a small share of foodgrain like rice, ragi, black gram, and pigeon peas wherever his family works. It is the only time of the year that brings hope and joy to the Diva household.

The rest of the year, Diva and his family move out of their hearths in search of employment as labourers.

Diva and his ancestors have been tilling land since 1957.

***

Name: Sajan Laxman Kadale

Location: Dindori taluk, Nashik district

Landholding: At first he didn't remember how much land he owns; then he suddenly recalled owning an acre of land

Kadale's main grouse, like that of so many others who surround him during this interview, was the title of his land, and lack of irrigation facilities once the monsoon is over; after the monsoon he moves away from his home in search of work.

With his wife and three children, Kadale's family of five grows green gram, wheat, and millet in his one-acre farm.

"My grandfather, father and I have been farming here for the last 20 years but the land still does not belong to me. It is still government land; I have come here with the demand that the land's title be transferred in my name," he says.

"I want implementation of the Forest Rights Act in letter and spirit," he says.

***

Name: Shakuntala Lalu Sthale

Location: Dindori, Nashik

Landholding: Half an acre

Sthale became a widow in 2003, when her husband died due to 'bimari (disease)'. She doesn't remember what exactly killed her husband. "But I was pregnant then with my only son," she remembers.

Sthale's son Ashok studies in Class X in a local school. Sthale, who has been staying with her aunt after her husband's death, owns just a small piece of land where she grows rice. But that too is under threat as the local tehsildar has already issued her a notice to vacate the land that takes care of her son's education and their subsistence.

"Talati mhanto hi jaga sarkarchi aahe. Pan jo kasel, zameen tyachich aste ki nahi? (The local revenue official claims my land belongs to the government. But isn't it true that the land belongs to the tiller?") she asks petulantly.

Her land is Sthale's only hope to see her son get a decent education but that too now, she claims, is on the line.

"I hope this government accepts our demand for a decent living and clears our land titles," she says.

***

Name: Jamni Kathe

Location: Dahanu Taluk, Palghar

Landholding: 2 acres

Kathe's grim face clearly articulates her hardships. Despite having two acres of farmland, she lacks adequate irrigation facilities, rendering her landholding unproductive when it doesn't rain.

When water is easily available during the rains, between June and September, Kathe and her son work hard to grow tomatoes, green vegetables and rice.

"But we don't get a remunerative price for our produce at the local mandi (bazaar)," Kathe says. "So, what we earn is not enough to see us through the rest of the year," she adds.

As a result Kathe and her son work as farm hands for some of the rich farmers in Dahanu, and earn Rs 150 per day as their labour's worth. "The work, though, is not regular," she says.

So Kathe and her son then move out to work in one of the many hazardous chemical factories that dot the industrial corridors of Palghar district.

"What else can we do when we don't have work? We need money to survive," she says.

Ask her about her main demand that has brought her to Mumbai's Azad maidan, and she says, "Let the government give us remunerative price for our produce. That will be some help."

***

Name: Krishna Kashiram Jadhav

Location: Kalwan Taluk, Nashik

Landholding: 5 acres

Jadhav, and two of his village folk -- Ashok Dashrath Barde and Ramchandra Rajaram Barde -- each own five acres of land in Kalwan. Their ancestors have been tilling their farms since 1957 but all three have a common grouse.

"The land is still not transferred in our names," says Jadhav. "We want the government to allot the titles of our lands in our names," says Jadhav about their main demand.

Affiliated to the Communist Party of India-Marxist, these three joined the Akhil Bhartiya Kisan Sabha's long march on the day it left Nashik on March 6. After spending three nights in the wilderness, these three were among those protesting passionately at Azad maidan.

"It was because of the CPI-M that we have some voice in our village and district. It seems no other political party is interested in our welfare as farmers," says Ashok Barde (above).

All three grow foodgrains like jowar, ragi and rice once a year when it rains abundantly and water shortage is not an issue.

"In other months we become vagabonds and go out in search of work," says Ramchandra Barde (above).

Photographs: Uttam Ghosh/Rediff.com.China's new afforested area up 8.46 pct in 2017

The total area of new forests created in China stood at 7.36 million hectares last year, up 8.46 percent, a report showed Sunday.

The growth was partly attributed to public participation in voluntary tree planting, according to the report from the National Afforestation Committee.

Last year, the committee approved internet-based tree planting in Beijing, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, Anhui and Shaanxi provinces to allow easy participation in the greening process based on information technology.

Local governments have also sought new ways to encourage public participation, including the creation of themed or memorial forests.

China has raised "ecological construction" to an unprecedented level over the past few years, with afforestation one of its important projects in this regard.

The country aims to expand its forest coverage ratio to more than 23 percent by 2020 to combat climate change and soil erosion, up from 21.7 percent in 2015.

China will mark its 40th Tree Planting Day, also known as Arbor Day, Monday.OPINION OF LORD TYRE In the petition O M (Petitioner) against SECRETARY OF STATE FOR THE HOME DEPARTMENT (Respondent) [2018] CSOH 17

Publisher United Kingdom: Court of Session (Scotland) Publication Date 12 March 2018 Citation / Document Symbol [2018] CSOH 17 Related Document(s) Majid Shiri Cite as OPINION OF LORD TYRE In the petition O M (Petitioner) against SECRETARY OF STATE FOR THE HOME DEPARTMENT (Respondent) [2018] CSOH 17 , [2018] CSOH 17, United Kingdom: Court of Session (Scotland), 12 March 2018, available at: https://www.refworld.org/cases,GBR_CS,5aa64fc34.html [accessed 21 September 2021] Comments The observation by the court in MIAB at paragraph 68 that many of the time-limits in the Dublin III Regulation are solely intended to regulate the position as between different member states is, at least as regards the six month time limit in article 29(1), inconsistent with the Courts ruling that an applicant is entitled to rely upon expiry of the time limit in order to resist a transfer to the requested state. The same goes for the obiter observation of the Lord Ordinary in BM at paragraph 26 that the time limits in article 29(1) are solely intended to regulate the matter between member states. nothing in Shiri that casts any doubt on the correctness of the views expressed in both MIAB and BM regarding the suspensive effect of an administrative cancellation of removal directions falling within article 27(4). 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.

OUTER HOUSE, COURT OF SESSION

[2018] CSOH 17

P1035/14

OPINION OF LORD TYRE

In the petition

O M

Petitioner

against

SECRETARY OF STATE FOR THE HOME DEPARTMENT

Respondent

Petitioner: J Scott QC, Bryce; Drummond Miller LLP

Respondent: Pirie; Office of the Advocate General

2 March 2018

Introduction

[1] The petitioner is understood to be a citizen of Sudan. He entered the United Kingdom illegally on or about 23 July 2014 and claimed asylum the following day. A EURODAC search disclosed that he had claimed asylum in Bulgaria a year earlier. Accordingly, the Secretary of State made a take-back request to the Bulgarian authorities under regulation 18 of EU Regulation 604/2013 (the Dublin III Regulation). On 19 August 2014, Bulgaria accepted the request. The Secretary of State certified the petitioner's asylum claim on EU safe third country grounds, and removal directions were set on 6 October 2014, to be implemented on 15 October. On 14 October, however, first orders were granted in the

2

present application for judicial review, on human rights grounds, of the decision to remove the petitioner to Bulgaria. In accordance with usual and published practice, the Secretary of State cancelled the removal directions when first orders were granted. The petition was thereafter sisted for a lengthy period of time pending the determination of certain lead cases challenging the validity of the UK's implementation of the Dublin III Regulation.

[2] The petition came before me for a hearing on one particular matter. The petitioner seeks declarator that responsibility for examining his claim for international protection transferred automatically to the UK on about 19 February 2015, and remains vested here, so that it is no longer competent for the UK to transfer him to Bulgaria. He contends that because his removal was suspended by administrative direction under article 27(4) of Dublin III, and not by any of the means listed in article 27(3), the running of the six month period specified by article 29(1) for carrying out the transfer was not deferred by the present proceedings, with the consequence that responsibility for dealing with his asylum claim has passed to the UK in terms of article 29(2).

[3] Arguments similar to the one presented by the petitioner have been considered and rejected by this court on two previous occasions: firstly in an obiter passage in the decision of the First Division in MIAB v Secretary of State for the Home Department 2016 SC 871; and secondly by the Lord Ordinary (Lord Ericht) in BM v Advocate General 2017 SLT 247. The petitioner contends that those opinions cannot survive the subsequent decision of the European Court of Justice in Shiri v Bundesamt fur Fremdenwesen und Asyl, Case C-201/16, judgment in which was given on 25 October 2017, and that the matter has to be reconsidered in the light of that decision.

3

The Dublin III Regulation

[4] According to Recital 1 of Dublin III, the Dublin II Regulation (343/2003) required to be recast "in the interests of clarity". Recital 19 referred to the need to establish an effective remedy in respect of decisions regarding transfers to the member state responsible for processing a claim for asylum.

[5] Article 18 imposes on "the member state responsible under this Regulation" an obligation to take back an applicant whose application is under examination and who makes an application in another member state or is on the territory of another member state without a residence document. Chapter III of the Regulation sets out a hierarchy of criteria for determining the member state responsible. Where a member state with which a person has lodged a new application for asylum considers that another member state is responsible, it may request that other state to take back the person (article 23). The request must be made as quickly as possible; otherwise responsibility for examining the application passes to the member state where the new application was lodged. The requested state must make the necessary checks and reply as quickly as possible (article 25). If it agrees to take back the applicant, it must notify the requesting state of the decision (article 26).

[6] Article 27(1) provides that an applicant must have the right to an effective remedy, in the form of an appeal or review, against a transfer decision, before a court or tribunal. Article 27(2) requires that the person concerned be given a reasonable time to exercise that remedy. Article 27(3) then sets out three possible types of provision that member states may make for appeal against or review of a transfer decision. It is common ground that the UK has selected the option in article 27(3)(c), in the following terms:

"(c) the person concerned has the opportunity to request within a reasonable period of time a court or tribunal to suspend the implementation of the transfer decision pending the outcome of his or her appeal or review. Member States shall ensure that

4

an effective remedy is in place by suspending the transfer until the decision on the first suspension request is taken. Any decision on whether to suspend the implementation of the transfer decision shall be taken within a reasonable period of time, while permitting a close and rigorous scrutiny of the suspension request. A decision not to suspend the implementation of the transfer decision shall state the reasons on which it is based."

Article 27(4), however, allows member states to provide:

"that the competent authorities may decide, acting ex officio, to suspend the implementation of the transfer decision pending the outcome of the appeal or review".

[7] Article 29(1) imposes a time limit for the transfer from the requesting state to the requested state, requiring it to be carried out:

"in accordance with the national law of the requesting Member State, after consultation between the Member States concerned, as soon as practically possible, and at the latest within six months of acceptance of the request by another Member State to take back the person concerned or of the final decision on an appeal or review where there is a suspensive effect in accordance with Article 27(3)".

In terms of article 29(2), where the transfer does not take place within the 6 months' time limit, the requested state is relieved of its obligation to take back the person concerned, and all responsibility is transferred to the requesting state.

Interpretation of article 29 by Scottish courts

[8] In Al v Advocate General 2015 SLT 507, the Lord Ordinary (Lady Rae) held that judicial review procedure in Scotland provided an effective remedy that enabled an applicant to exercise his or her rights under article 27(3) to request suspension of transfer pending the determination of a review of the transfer decision. There was, it was held, no inconsistency between what was required by article 27(3) and what was provided by judicial review.

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[9] In MIAB v Secretary of State for the Home Department, the Inner House dealt with 18 cases which had been sisted pending the decision in Al, and in which, following the decision in Al, minutes of amendment had been lodged to introduce new grounds of challenge. For the reasons stated at paragraph 65 of the opinion of the court (delivered by Lord President Carloway), the court refused to allow the minutes of amendment to be received. However, the court went on to express its obiter opinion on the prospects of success of the new grounds that the various applicants had sought to introduce. One of those grounds was that the six month time limit for transfer of the applicant to a country that had accepted a take-back request had expired. It was argued that because the respondent had proceeded, in accordance with article 27(4), to cancel the removal directions by an administrative decision rather than (as she might have done) by insisting that the applicant apply for suspension under article 27(3), the six month time limit in article 29(1) ran from the date of acceptance of the take-back request. In this regard the provisions of Dublin III differed from those of Dublin II, which had not dealt with suspension by judicial proceedings and suspension by administrative decision in different paragraphs.

[10] The court rejected the argument, stating inter alia (at paragraphs 68 and 69):

"[68] It does not follow, however, that each article of Dublin III enshrines a right which is vested in the applicant. In particular, as with Dublin II, many of the time limits are solely intended to regulate the position as between different Member States. They permit, for example, a Member State, into which an applicant has first entered, to refuse to receive back that applicant from another Member State if certain time limits have expired or other circumstances exist

[69] Article 29 of Dublin III provides that time will not start to run until there has been a final decision on a review where 'there is a suspensive effect in accordance with Article 27(3)'. Article 27(3)(c) refers to the situation where the applicant has had 'the opportunity to request  a court to suspend the implementation of the transfer decision pending the outcome of his or her review'. That opportunity was afforded to the petitioners. The result of the court granting first orders was that the respondent cancelled the removal directions. That did not alter the fact that an opportunity had been afforded to the petitioners in terms of Article 27(3)(c) and a

6

'suspensive effect' followed therefrom because the state in effect suspended the transfer decision. In addition, the respondent's argument that a contrary interpretation would achieve an absurd result has merit. After all, the respondent can hardly ask the court to suspend her own decisions. The purpose of Article 29 is to place a limit on the time it takes for the transferring state to act after acceptance of the transfer, subject to the existence of an ongoing review process at the instance of the applicant"

[11] The point which had been addressed obiter in MIAB arose for decision in BM v Advocate General. In that case an Albanian national arrived in Belgium with his family and claimed asylum, which was refused. He then sought entry with his family to the UK and claimed asylum. The respondent's take-back request was accepted by the Belgian authorities. Removal directions were issued but, when the petitioner applied for judicial review of the removal decision, the directions were cancelled. As with MIAB, the action was then sisted pending the outcome of Al. By the time the case proceeded, considerably more than six months had elapsed since the date of acceptance of the take-back request, and the petitioner contended that Belgium had been relieved of its obligation to take him back. The argument was the same as in MIAB: the separation of suspension by a competent authority to a separate provision in article 27(4) had been a deliberate act by the drafters of Dublin III to allow suspensive effect only where there had been a decision by a court.

[12] The argument was again rejected. Having cited the passage from MIAB at paragraph 69 set out above, the Lord Ordinary continued (at paragraph 23):

"In my opinion the above passage sets out the proper approach to the interpretation of Article 29(1). I agree that the purpose of Article 29 is to place a limit on the time it takes for the transferring state to act after acceptance of the transfer, subject to the existence of an ongoing review process at the instance of the applicant. The Article must be construed with that purpose in mind. The appellant advanced an alternative construction based not on that purpose but on the separation into separate paragraphs of suspension by the court and suspension by a competent authority. In my opinion that mere separation is not enough to demonstrate a purpose which is different from that set out by the Lord President. The petitioner's argument was that the separation into two paragraphs was to give effect to a deliberate change in policy from Dublin II to the effect that suspension of the six

7

month time limit would cease to apply to suspensions by competent authorities and apply only to suspensions by courts. No such change of policy was articulated in the recitals to Dublin III. I was referred to no potential aids to construction such as travaux preparatoires or EU policy statements or academic commentaries which might have supported that argument. In these circumstances the separation in the drafting falls to be construed within the purpose set out by the Lord President above. That purpose would not be well served if the time limit and suspension provisions had different effects depending on the arbitrary question of whether suspension happened to be by a court or competent authority."

[13] The Lord Ordinary then addressed, obiter, a separate argument as to whether article 29 enshrined a right that was vested in the applicant. Under reference to MIAB at paragraphs 67 and 68, he expressed the view that it did not, observing (paragraph 26):

"In my opinion, on a proper construction of the Regulations, the time limits in article 29(1) are solely intended to regulate the matter between member states. That construction is in accordance with the purpose referred to in para 23 above."

The decision of the Court of Justice in Shiri

[14] In Shiri, an Iranian national entered Bulgaria and claimed asylum. He subsequently lodged an application in Austria, and the Austrian authorities requested the Bulgarian authorities to take him back. The Bulgarian authorities agreed to do so and the Austrian authorities ordered his removal. Mr Shiri challenged the decision and sought suspension of removal. Without ruling on the latter application, the court annulled the removal decision. The Austrian authorities then issued a fresh decision declaring Mr Shiri's application for asylum inadmissible and determining that his removal to Bulgaria was lawful. Mr Shiri appealed against the second decision and applied for the appeal to be accorded suspensive effect. He subsequently amended his appeal to add an argument that because six months had now elapsed since the date of Bulgaria's acceptance of take-back, his application had to be dealt with by Austria. The case eventually reached the Austrian Upper Administrative

8

Court, which referred two questions to the Court of Justice for a preliminary ruling. Those were:

"1. Are the provisions of [the Dublin III Regulation] that confer the right to an effective remedy against a transfer decision, in particular Article 27(1), to be interpreted as meaning that an applicant for asylum is entitled to claim that responsibility has been transferred to the requesting Member State on the ground that the six-month transfer period has expired?

If the answer to Question 1 is in the affirmative:

2. Does the transfer of responsibility under the first sentence of Article 29(2) occur by the fact of the expiry of the transfer period without any order or, for responsibility to be transferred because the period has expired, is it also necessary that the obligation to take charge of, or to take back, the person concerned has been refused by the responsible Member State?"

[15] The Court decided to answer the second question first. Rejecting a submission to the contrary by the UK government, it considered that where a transfer does not take place within the six month time limit, responsibility is transferred automatically to the requesting state, without it being necessary for the requested state to refuse to take back the person concerned. As to the first question, the court ruled that an applicant for asylum who wishes to rely upon the expiry of the six month period to resist a take-back transfer must have an effective and rapid remedy available under national law to enable him to do so. Again a contrary argument by the UK government, namely that applicants should not be entitled to challenge a transfer decision on the ground that the transfer period has expired, was rejected.

[16] The Court did not require to decide whether the six month transfer period had in fact expired in the circumstances of Mr Shiri's case. The Advocate General (Sharpston) observed that it was for the referring court to grapple with the complex issue of how the Dublin III rules interlinked with the relevant provisions of national legislation. In that connection, the Advocate General stated (Opinion, paragraph 67):

9

"In my opinion, Article 29(1) envisages that the period for carrying out the transfer will begin to run once the future implementation of the transfer is, in principle, agreed upon and certain and only the practical details remain to be determined"

Argument for the petitioner

[17] On behalf of the petitioner, it was submitted that the interpretation of article 29(1) adopted in MIAB and BM had to be reconsidered. The proposition that the six month time limit was suspended by the Secretary of State's administrative cancellation of removal directions could no longer be sustained. It was clear from Shiri that the underlying purpose of the Regulation was the rapid processing of applications for asylum. The requested state had to know where it stood; the only basis upon which the six month period was extended was where there had been suspension by a court or tribunal of a transfer decision. Shiri had shifted the focus from the opportunity to seek suspension to an actual decision by a court or tribunal. In the absence of any judicial decision to suspend, article 27(3) was not engaged. Cancellation of removal directions was not the same thing as suspension. The mere existence of court proceedings did not of itself extend the six month period. Having regard to the purposive interpretation of the Regulation adopted in Shiri, with the focus on rapid processing of applications, if a decision under article 27(4) could be read as a decision under article 27(3) for the purposes of article 29, this could only be done if the decision was taken within a reasonable period of time. A delay of three and a half years, as in the present case, took the matter outside article 27(3), with the result that the requested state was relieved of its take-back obligation. If the court was in doubt as to the proper interpretation of article 29, a reference should be made to the Court of Justice for a preliminary ruling.

10

Argument for the respondent

[18] On behalf of the respondent, it was conceded that in the light of Shiri it could no longer be contended that an individual applicant could not rely upon the expiry of the six month time limit to challenge a transfer decision. But the Court had not been asked to, and did not, express an opinion as to when, on a proper interpretation of article 29(1), the time limit expired, because the Austrian proceedings had not reached that stage when the reference was made. There was nothing in Shiri to cast doubt on the correctness of the observations made in MIAB and the decision in BM regarding the effect of an administrative cancellation of directions falling within article 27(4). Those cases were correctly decided. The petitioner's argument resulted in manifest absurdity and so should be rejected. Even if the respondent's interpretation could not be characterised as the literal one, it was in accordance with the objective and scheme of the legislation as a whole. The petitioner's alternative reading would not advance the purpose of article 29, which was directed at delays in acting on the acceptance of a take-back request. It would defeat the purpose of article 27(4), given that it might take longer than six months for a final decision to be issued on an appeal or review. The Advocate General's opinion in Shiri supported the approach taken in MIAB.

[19] In any event, even if there had been a breach of the time limit in article 29, the court had a discretion not to grant the remedy sought by the petitioner and should decline to do so. The petitioner had suffered no prejudice: the removal directions had been cancelled by the Secretary of State because the petitioner had asked her to do so. He had delayed in requesting the declarator now sought. The unlawfulness was a technicality. Granting the remedy would be contrary to good administration: if petitioners could resist removal on the ground argued here, court time and money would have to be wasted on unnecessary

11

motions for interim suspension. Notwithstanding the decision in Shiri, the Secretary of State had a statutory power under the Immigration Act 1971 to remove the petitioner. Even if exercise of the power would be unlawful in terms of Shiri, the court had a discretion to refuse to grant the remedy sought.

Decision

[20] I accept, as was recognised by the respondent, that certain observations made in MIAB and BM respectively cannot stand in the light of the judgment of the Court of Justice in Shiri. The observation by the court in MIAB at paragraph 68 that many of the time-limits in the Dublin III Regulation are solely intended to regulate the position as between different member states is, at least as regards the six month time limit in article 29(1), inconsistent with the Court's ruling that an applicant is entitled to rely upon expiry of the time limit in order to resist a transfer to the requested state. The same goes for the obiter observation of the Lord Ordinary in BM at paragraph 26 that the time limits in article 29(1) are solely intended to regulate the matter between member states.

[21] On the other hand, there is, in my opinion, nothing in Shiri that casts any doubt on the correctness of the views expressed in both MIAB and BM regarding the suspensive effect of an administrative cancellation of removal directions falling within article 27(4). That issue simply did not require to be addressed by the Court in Shiri. I reject the contention that the references by the Court to the objective of rapid processing of asylum applications indicate that a decision by the "competent authorities" to suspend implementation of a transfer decision should not be treated in the same way as a decision of a court or tribunal with regard to the six month time limit. The Court's assertion of the applicant's entitlement to rely on the expiry of the six month period begs the question of when that period begins to

12

run. Article 29 clearly envisages that where there has been "a suspensive effect in accordance with article 27(3)", the six months will not start until the final decision on an appeal or review has been given, which may be much more than six months after the date of acceptance of a take-back request. There is nothing in the court's decision to suggest that the position is different where the suspension is by administrative rather than judicial decision. The observation by the Advocate General quoted above is, in my view, strongly supportive of there being no such difference.

[22] For my part, I respectfully agree with the interpretation of article 29(1) preferred by the court in MIAB and by the Lord Ordinary in BM. In my opinion the phrase "a suspensive effect in accordance with article 27(3)" is a shorthand reference to the type of suspensive effect described in article 27(3): that is, suspension of the implementation of a transfer decision pending the outcome of an appeal or review by the person concerned, who has had the opportunity to request suspension by a court or tribunal. On a purposive construction of articles 27 and 29 read together, it matters not whether that suspensive effect is achieved by an order of a court or by a decision of the "competent authorities": the effect is the same, and is a suspensive effect of the kind set out above. I also agree with the observations in both of those cases, and in the submissions by the respondent in the present case, that the interpretation contended for by the petitioner gives rise to obvious absurdities, including the potential need for the Secretary of State to ask the court to recall her own decision to suspend in order to avoid the automatic passing of responsibility to the UK after six months, which failing the petitioner could benefit from a decision which he himself had asked her to make. Far from interfering with the objective of rapid processing of asylum applications, the interpretation that I favour promotes that objective by avoiding unnecessary and time-consuming suspension requests to the court.

13

[23] For these reasons, I refuse to grant the declarator sought by the petitioner. I do not regard it as necessary to make a reference to the Court of Justice in order to enable me to reach my decision.

[24] In the light of my decision, it is unnecessary for me to consider whether to exercise the court's discretion not to grant the order sought. However, had it been necessary to address this issue, I would not have refused to grant the order. I note that in both Al and BM, the respective Lords Ordinary indicated that even if they had taken the view that the Secretary of State had acted unlawfully they would not have granted the order sought. In Al, it was held that no prejudice had been suffered by either petitioner. In BM, the petitioner's asylum claim had already been dealt with by the Belgian authorities and there was no suggestion that the UK authorities would make any different decision, so again there had been no prejudice to the petitioner in being able to stay in the UK during the period since suspension of the removal directions.

[25] The situation in the present case is very different. Had I found in favour of the petitioner, it follows from Shiri that responsibility for dealing with the petitioner's application would have passed to the UK automatically in 2015. Were this court to decline to grant the order sought, it would, on that scenario, be authorising the Secretary of State to act unlawfully in proceeding to implement her transfer decision in clear breach of the UK's obligations under the Dublin III Regulation. That would have implications not only for the petitioner but also for Bulgaria which would be entitled, according to Shiri, to refuse to take the petitioner back. I did not hear any satisfactory explanation of what might happen in that eventuality. In these circumstances it seems to me that it would have been entirely inappropriate for the court to exercise its discretion in favour of the respondent and to refuse to grant the order sought.

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Disposal

[26] The other issues raised in the petition remain to be determined. I shall put the case out by order to discuss further procedure. Expenses are reserved.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.Cleburne, TX -- (ReleaseWire) -- 03/12/2018 --Handling crime scene is a tough job indeed. The trace of blood, body fluid, and other elements seem to suppress the atmosphere so much that it becomes difficult for the deceased family members to perform the cleanup job. This is why it is important to delegate the task to someone who is qualified to carry out the work. AAA Scene Cleaners is one such company which is recognized for providing highest quality crime scene cleanup in Dallas and Waco, Texas.



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Expertise reviewed 189 personal injury lawyers in San Francisco utilizing five categories in selecting Rahman Law PC as one of the top personal injury lawyers in San Francisco: reputation; credibility; experience; availability; and professionalism. Expertise reviewed Rahman Law PC's customer satisfaction ratings and recommendations, accreditations, awards, education and experience of the team, responsiveness to both clients and new business, and dedication to quality. As personal injury lawyers, Rahman Law PC has a proven track record of customer service and client dedication, which is reflected in their review. Rahman Law PC's principal and founder is a member of the Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum, was recognized as a Top 40 and 40 Attorney and a Top 100 Trial Lawyer, named an AV Preeminent Woman Lawyer by Martindale-Hubbell, and has been a tap-rated personal injury attorney with Super Lawyers for Northern California since 2012. Currently, Ms. Rahman and Rahman Law PC hold several distinguished titles of professional excellence, including Martindale-Hubbell's AV Preeminent Peer Review Ratings for the Highest Level of Professional Excellence and Avvo's Superb Rating as a Top Rated Personal Injury Attorney. All of these awards and ratings contributed to the review conducted by Expertise.



Expertise is a Seattle, WA based company. They will not accept money to include a business and utilize proprietary research including a manual review process to make their selections covering 85% of the United States. They aim to provide their users with the "confidence to find and connect with exceptional businesses that are objectively qualified and authentically well-reviewed" (expertise.com).



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Yuan Haibo joins a panel discussion with deputies to the NPC from Yunnan province on March 6.

In 2011, the 19-year-old Yuan left his hometown in Ciying county, Qujing city located in southwestern China's Yunnan province and headed for the eastern Chinese city of Yiwu known as the "world supermarket" for its wholesale goods to seek a job. Yuan explained his story to People's Daily on the sidelines of the first session of the 13th NPC.

Over the past seven years, Yuan worked as a salesman and a deliveryman for Taobao.com, but now he serves as a department manager for a Hong Kong-funded garment enterprise in Cixi city of Zhejiang province.

Although there are hundreds of employees from Yunnan province working in the same company with Yuan, in retrospect, looking back seven years ago to the time when Yuan left home village to find a job in the eastern coastal areas, he was definitely considered a minority in Yiwu, Yuan said.

The people who ventured outside their villages had a lot of doubts about what they were doing at the very beginning. They were concerned about being deceived, unable to find jobs and furthermore not getting paid, Yuan Haibo cited many of the shared worries other fellow villagers had when leaving their hometowns, concerns they had expressed to him over the years.

Actually, leaving the mountain village to work outside, especially in the coastal areas, is generally very helpful for rural people to get out of poverty, said Yuan, but seven years ago, dispelling their concerns and mobilizing their enthusiasm required significant government support and guidance.

With the governments at all levels attaching more and more importance to the protection of the rights and interests of migrant workers, relevant regulations are improving and more and more people are leaving rural areas to seek jobs, Yuan said.

Yuan Haibo

It should also be noted that there are still some significant issues remaining to be resolved which hinder migrant worker integration in cities, added Yuan.

In order to settle down in the cities, most of the "post-90s" migrant workers hope to upgrade themselves with additional qualifications during their spare time. However, some of the work schedules are non-standard, lacking fixed work and rest times which pose great pressure on employees and therefore many quit working after only a few months, Yuan said.

"Consequently, enterprises are always lacking skilled workers and they are forced to repeatedly recruit, which increases the cost of enterprises", added Yuan.

Yuan, the newly-elected NPC deputy, has proposed that the government should guide enterprises to standardize their work time and organize activities such as training, cultural and recreational events for the migrants workers so as to enhance their sense of belonging to enterprises and cities.

Yiwus small commodities are famous all over the world. We hope that in the future we can also sell Qujings garments throughout the country, Yuan said, he hopes to find a job in his hometown as soon as possible and contribute his own experience to the development of his hometown.Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup.JERUSALEM, March 11 (Xinhua) -- The Commander of the U.S. Forces in Europe Gen. Curtis M. Scaparrotti underlined on Sunday U.S. support for Israel in case of war in a joint large-scale military exercise in Israel.

The remark was made during a meeting between Scaparrotti and Israel's Chief of General Staff, Lt. Gen. Gadi Eizenkot, at the military's headquarters in Tel Aviv.

"The U.S. is deeply committed to the defense of Israel," Scaparrotti said, according to a statement released by the Israeli military's spokesperson unit.

"We will continue to work alongside the IDF (Israel Defense Forces) to promote stability throughout the region, not only for the purposes of this exercise, but in the event of any real-world contingency," he said.

Eizenkot remarked that Scaparrotti's visit, part of the "Juniper Cobra 2018" joint drill, "proves once again the commitment of the United States to the security of the State of Israel."

The month-long exercise is the ninth time that the militaries of the two close allies have trained together in the biennial Juniper Cobra exercise.

"This training is intended to improve our ability to defend against missile and rocket threats and to advance the capabilities of both forces against various threats," Eizenkot said.

The exercise was launched last Sunday.

As part of the exercise, some 2,500 U.S. troops who are routinely based in Europe were deployed in Israel and about 2,000 Israeli Aerial Defense troops, logistics units, medical forces and other IDF units.

A military notice released last week said that the participating forces are performing together computerized simulations of a variety of rocket threat scenarios in different regions of Israel.

The simulations include testing of the anti-ballistic missile system Arrow, Iron Dome anti-rocket system, the medium-range interceptor Patriot missile system, and David's Sling, which was designed to intercept medium-range missile from southern Lebanon's Hezbollah militants and became operational in April 2017.The Damanhour Criminal Court has issued a preliminary death sentence against a man convicted of killing a family of four in Beheira Governorate in 2017.

The sentence has been referred to Egypt's grand mufti for his non-binding opinion on whether it should be carried out.

The case dates back to last year's Eid Al-Adha religious feast, when residents of Ezbet-Hawy village, within the district of Kafr El-Dawar, discovered the bodies of four family members slaughtered inside their home.

Police arrested a man from the same village on suspicion of the massacre.

Investigators stated that he spent the evening with the family and later burgled the house, killing the husband, wife and two children in the process.

If the grand mufti gives his approval to the death sentence, it will be issued as a final sentence and the execution will follow.



Short link:

Egypt's President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi on Monday inspected Egypt's new Sphinx International Airport (SPX), which is set to open for service in summer 2018.

In an official statement, presidency spokesman Bassam Rady said the president had inspected the finalized project, which will be able to accommodate 300 passengers per hour.

Built west of Cairo off the 45th kilometre marker on the Cairo-Alexandria Desert Road in Giza governorate, and at a cost of EGP 300 million, SPX is being constructed by the Egyptian Consultancy Company and is intended to reduce pressure on Cairo International Airport, which is located in the city's eastern outskirts.

According to Rady, the airport will serve the residents of Cairo's western satellite cities 6 October and Sheikh Zayed, as well as those of other nearby governorates such as Beni Suef and Fayoum.

It will also serve tourists coming to visit the Great Pyramids of Giza and the soon-to-be-inaugurated Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM), according to 2017 statements by Egyptian Aviation Minister Sherif Fathy.

Ahead of the inspection visit, El-Sisi also examined the newly built Rod El-Farag axis, which will connect northern and eastern Cairo with western Cairo by road.

The axis stretches 10.5 km from Rod El-Farag to the Cairo-Alexandria Desert Road, intersecting with the north entrance to Sheikh Zayed.

El-Sisi examined phase 2 of the axis, construction of which is 85%.

It will be first axis in western Cairo to connect the ring road to the regional ring road.

The president praised the efforts of those executing the projects, which are being built to the latest international standards.



President El-Sisi also stressed the importance of committing to the set timeframe for project completion.

Egypt has been pushing forward with road and bridge network development projects as part of a national plan to improve the country's once ailing infrastructure.

The government has been prioritizing transportation infrastructure investments since President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi announced the National Roads Project (NRP) in August 2014 in a plan to construct 4,400 kilometres of new roads.

Around EGP 22.5 billion have been spent on roads and bridges that were completed between 2014 and 2017, according to statements by Transport Minister Hisham Arafat in January 2018.

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A Place for All Conservatives to Speak Their Mind.Egypt has taken effective steps towards establishing an "Egyptian Facebook" as part of a plan to be an active partner in the field of social media internationally, telecommunication and information technology minister Yasser El-Kady said on Monday.

In media statements during a workshop organized by the Egyptian Justice Ministry to face extremism and ways to combat it, El-Kady said that the country should lead actively in terms of social media, instead of being the "predicate" as it has been in past years.

Egypt leads the number of Arab Facebook users according to statistics in 2017, with approximately 34.5 million active accounts, representing 23 percent of all Arab Facebook users.

He added that the preservation of information and data as well individuals' privacy is extremely important at a time where Egypt has grown capabilities in protecting information and preserving the privacy of Egyptian citizens online.

The minister made his statements following a revelation during the same workshop that a cybercrime bill, prepared by his ministry in coordination with the justice ministry, had been submitted to the parliament, stirring debates in the House.

"The Egyptian state has a clear strategy in the field of fighting terrorism through ideology," adding that the government is carrying out important roles in different state institutions to educate the society as to the dangers of terrorist ideologies.

He added that many social media users since the 25 January revolution have broadcast ideas promoting extremism, however recently positive interations by citizens have been noted.

El-Kady pointed out that the state continues to carry out efforts towards stability, among them the ongoing military operations in Sinai, which he said proves that security leads to economic and then overall state stability.

The minister added that Egypt is the first country in the Middle East and Africa to push forward with a strategy involving electronic commerce at a time where a legislative framework is being put in place to preserve citizens and the society.

El-Kady did not provide more details regarding the plan of establishing a social media platform similar to Facebook, however, a telecommunications source told privately-owned Al-Masry Al Youm that the plan comes under the state's objective to "domesticate the technology industry."

The source added that the country has many interactive and entrepreneurship hubs that include youth with hundreds of ideas that could offer new social media platforms, adding that the state would provide the means to allow them to compete internationally.

El-Kady elaborated that Facebook and Google were making millions of dollars from advertisements on their websites, which are used by millions of Egyptians while not being subjects to taxes or fees on such proceeds.

From his side, Egypt's Justice Minister Hossam Abdel-Rehim said his ministry has taken a vital role in combating the broadcasting and publishing of extremist thoughts and rumors that target Egypt's security.



Abdel-Rahim pointed to several current cybercrime bills and an upcoming ammendment to the law of criminal procedure for prosecution of such crimes.

Last week, Egypt's Prosecutor General Nabil Sadek ordered senior prosecutors to monitor, investigate and take legal measures against media and social media outlets that deliberately publish false news with the aim of disturbing public security, striking fear into citizens, and harming the general interests of the state.

Since 2014, Egypt has been pushing with plans to close Facebook and other social media pages that incites for violence against state institutions and security forces.

The interior ministry officially began a social media surveillance programme in September 2014 to track security threats such as terrorism.

As of 2016, more than 1,000 Facebook pages were closed for inciting violence against police and army officers, calling for [protest] marches and obstructing roads," according to interior ministry officials.

In 2017 Egypt blocked tens of websites for content it said shows support for terrorism and extremism.

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U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said on Monday cwas considering lifting a travel ban on Chad, offering an olive branch to a key ally in the fight against Islamist militant groups in West Africa.

The top US diplomat flew into the Chadian capital N'Djamena on the last day of a truncated tour of Africa with stop-offs in Kenya, Ethiopia, Djibouti and Nigeria - all frontline partners against Islamic State group and al Qaeda off-shoots.

It was his first diplomatic visit to the continent where many are still smarting from US President Donald Trumps reported dismissal of states there as shithole countries in January. Trump later denied making the comment.

Tillerson said Chad had made important steps to strengthen control over its security and passports. "These steps I think are going to allow us to begin to normalise the travel relationship with Chad," he told reporters.

A report on Chad's progress was being prepared in Washington and would be reviewed by President Trump next month, Tillerson said. "We have to wait for the final report," he added.

Tillerson, who had met Chad's President Idriss Deby previously while serving as CEO of ExxonMobil, said he was concerned about the presence of Islamic State group-allied militants in the Sahel and called Chad an "important partner".

Trip Cut Short

In September, The Trump White House added Chad - along with North Korea and Venezuela - to a list of countries whose citizens are restricted from travelling to the United States - drawing protests from Chad and others including France which works closely with the Chadian military.

Officials from the US Department of Homeland security said at the time Chad had to failed to send in proof that it had taken a number of security measures.

Chad's President Deby "expressed his incomprehension" about the ban during a meeting with Tillerson on Monday, Foreign Minister Cherif Mahamat Zene said.

Tillerson's entourage earlier said he had been forced to cut short the African tour on Monday to return to deal with urgent work in Washington.

He is due to fly on to Nigeria after Chad, but will spend just a few hours there on Monday evening rather than the overnight visit originally planned. There was no immediate response from Abuja.

"Due to demands in the Secretary's schedule, he is returning to the US one day early after concluding official meetings in Chad and Nigeria," Under Secretary of State Steve Goldstein told reporters.

The Africa tour coincided with several urgent foreign policy developments, including Thursday's announcement that US President Donald Trump will meet North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. Tillerson, 65, cancelled some events in Kenya on Saturday, saying he was feeling unwell.

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Related Nigeria says 110 girls unaccounted for after Boko Haram attack

Nigeria's presidency said on Monday it plans to negotiate for the release of 110 girls abducted from a school in the northeastern town of Dapchi last month, rather than use a military option to free them by force.

Nigeria is grappling with an insurgency by jihadist group Boko Haram which has killed at least 20,000 people since 2009. Members of the group are suspected of kidnapping the girls on Feb. 19, in the state of Yobe.

President Muhammadu Buhari discussed the approach during a meeting behind closed doors with US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson in the capital Abuja, the presidency said. Tillerson was in Nigeria for the last stop in a week-long tour of five African countries.

"President Buhari added that Nigeria was working in concert with international organisations and negotiators, to ensure that the girls were released unharmed by their captors," said the presidency in a statement by Buhari's spokesman.

The kidnapping is one of the largest since Boko Haram abducted more than 270 schoolgirls from the northeastern town of Chibok in 2014. Around 100 of the Chibok girls are still being held, though some have been freed after what security sources say were ransom payments.

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1. Many of us must have read or seen the film on the wars of the world. I believe it was based on fiction written by H.G. Wells. 2. In this story creatures...

16 hours agoRelated Turkish plane travelling from UAE to Istanbul with 11 on board crashes in Iran

Investigators on Monday found the black box from a Turkish private jet that crashed in an Iranian mountain range on its way from the United Arab Emirates to Istanbul, killing all 11 people on board  likely including a Turkish bride-to-be and her bachelorette party.

Authorities have so far recovered 10 bodies from the crash site in the Zagros Mountains outside of the city of Shahr-e Kord, some 370 kilometers (230 miles) south of Irans capital, Tehran, according to a report by the state-run IRNA news agency.

Heavy rains and wind in the mountain range since the crash Sunday made it impossible for helicopters to land in the area, though officials hoped to bring the bodies down from the mountain later in the day, IRNA said.

Families of the victims arrived Monday in Shahr-e Kord, accompanied by Turkish diplomats, IRNA reported.

The flight took off Sunday from Sharjah International Airport in the UAE, home to the low-cost carrier Air Arabia. A little over an hour into the flight, the aircraft rapidly gained altitude and then dropped drastically within minutes, according to FlightRadar24, a flight-tracking website.

It remains unclear what caused the crash, though a witness told state television the Bombardier CL604 was on fire before it hit the mountain.

Finding the aircrafts black box will help investigators trying to piece together what happened. That equipment, typically painted in a bright color to allow searchers to easily find it, records cockpit conversations and radio transmissions, as well as other data from a flight.

Sharjah civil aviation authorities said in a statement late Sunday night that the planes eight passengers were six Turks and two Spaniards. Three others were the flight crew.

The plane did not apply for maintenance procedures while on the ground of the airport, their statement said.

Turkeys Hurriyet newspaper and other media reports said the planes three crew members  two pilots and one flight attendant  were all women as well.

The flight likely carried Mina Basaran, the 28-year-old daughter of the chairman of Basaran Investment Holding, and her friends who had celebrated her bachelorette party in nearby Dubai. Turkeys Transport Ministry said the aircraft belonged to Basaran Investment Holding, which The Associated Press has not been able to reach since the crash.

Basaran recently posted photographs on the photo-sharing app Instagram of what appeared to be her bachelorette party, which included eight women. Iranian authorities previously said the flights passengers were all young women.

Among those photographs was an image of the plane posted three days ago. In it, Basaran posed on the tarmac carrying flowers, wearing a denim jacket reading Mrs. Bride and the hashtag #bettertogether. In another picture, she holds heart-shaped balloons inside the plane.

On Saturday, Basaran posted a picture with seven smiling friends from a Dubai resort. The last videos posted to her account showed her enjoying a concert by the British pop star Rita Ora at a popular Dubai nightclub.

Sundays crash came less than a month after an Iranian ATR-72, a twin-engine turboprop used for short regional flights, crashed in southern Iran, killing all 65 people onboard.

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ROTHERHAMS flagship Forge Island regeneration project is being showcased this week at an international event in a bid to attract financial backing.

The MIPIM conference in Cannes, which runs until tomorrow, is seen by the Sheffield City Region board as a key chance to sell the regions investment opportunities.

Forge Island, the centrepiece site of Rotherham Borough Councils town centre masterplan, is among a busy portfolio of schemes, with potential investors being told the site will be available for development in 2019 and a developer is being sought.

The site is earmarked for a cinema, hotel, restaurants and bars, town centre

parking, business units and housing.

Plans for an ambitious 8 million project to regenerate Swinton town centre are also on show at MIPIM.

The council wants to give Swinton a boost by providing new housing and a new library, as well as refurbishing the Civic Hall.

There will also be new shops units built and the existing shopping parade will have a much-needed upgrade.

A council spokesman said: The redevelopment offers the opportunity to realise not only significant returns but to partner with Rotherham Council in the regeneration of one of our key townships.

Also among a clutch of projects up for investment is the Bassingthorpe Farm site at Greasbrough, where work is due to start in 2020 or 2021 on the development of a new community with more than 2,400 new homes, employment space and a primary school.

The SCR board are also keen to net fresh investors in the Waverley New Community near the Advanced Manufacturing Park, where 3,890 homes will be built, along with shops, a a health centre, parks and schools.

The first 570 houses are currently being developed by Taylor Wimpey, Barratt Homes and Harron Homes.

More than 80 representatives from the public and private sectors in the Sheffield City Region flew out today (Monday) from Robin Hood Airport to make their case for cash.

Martin McKervey, board member of the Sheffield City Region Local Enterprise Partnership, was among them.

He said: MIPIM is a timely opportunity to recognise and talk to a global audience about the great successes of the region over the last year.

Importantly, it is very much about building on the vision to achieve even greater things for the region, showcasing the world class opportunities we offer across real estate, infrastructure, urban regeneration, technology, innovation and our great sense of place and quality of life.

You can find out more about the Forge Island plans at newforgeisland.co.uk.

In January 2017 I asked the then De Beers head of media relations Lynette Gould whether natural diamond producers were worried that they might lose some market share to lab-grown stones.

She was dismissive in her response, claiming that natural diamonds and synthetics were two different propositions.

Our research consistently shows that consumers do not see synthetic diamonds as potential substitutes for natural diamonds, said the De Beers spokesperson at the time.

She, however, said that the challenge that they needed to focus on was ensuring the reputation of the industry  and the integrity of the product we sell  was beyond question.

Challenges to product integrity, such as the risk of undisclosed synthetics infiltrating the pipeline, are things that we take very seriously, said Gould.

The consumer response to buying a synthetic product when they believed it to be natural could generate a real confidence issue for the industry, so the right steps need to be taken at all stages of the pipeline  but particularly in the midstream  to address this.

Producers of synthetic diamonds are accused of employing dirty marketing strategies.

Many laboratory-grown diamond companies describe their diamonds as being green or eco-friendly and use words such as greenhouse or foundry to try and influence opinion, said Arslanian Group managing director Sahag Arslanian at a mining conference in Cape Town last February.

They [millennials] are also being told that [synthetic] diamonds are real diamonds without the human or environmental impact. This is misrepresentation.

They deceive the consumer, because a synthetic diamond is not worth much at retail value. Millennials are being fed lies, because the gap between reality and marketing is huge. Synthetic retailers are winning the marketing battle.

Realisation

Perhaps, having realized that they were losing the marketing battle, as Arslanian posited, the Diamond Producers Association (DPA) decided to embark on a massive marketing drive for younger generations, dubbed real is rare, real is a diamond.

Real is rare, real is a diamond makes a parallel authenticity and the timeliness of a product and the authenticity of the underlining relationship that you express with a diamond, chief executive Jean-Marc Lieberherr told a diamond conference in Botswana last November.

Now its more than that, its also a commitment for us all to live in a sincere and genuine manner in the diamond sector. Its a promise of transparency and authenticity.

Former Botswana minerals and energy minister David Magang once said synthetics represent one of the greatest threats to Botswanas economic well-being for the ramifications are that even if our mines were to continue to be operational for the next 100 years, no one would buy our diamonds if synthetics became fashionable.

He was right to be worried about the potential threat of synthetics, unlike Gould who dismissed their threat.

The fact that they are cheap compared with natural stones, coupled with the smear campaign that natural diamonds were mined unethically, inter-alia, make them attractive to the younger generation.

Besides the production of lab-grown stones was growing.

The total annual production of synthetics was between 8 million and 10 million carats, with gem qualities of about 4.5 million carats, according to Diamond Intelligence Briefs.

This was compared with the total annual production of natural diamonds set at 124 million carats, with gem qualities of between 85 million and 90 million carats.

Another threat is the packaging of synthetics as natural stones by some unscrupulous dealers.

De Beers had made major investments in synthetic detection technology over a number of decades.

Our ability to produce different types of synthetic material means that we have the ideal test subjects for our constantly developing detection instruments, said Gould in January 2017.

We invest significantly in research in the area of synthetic diamonds and we have a very strong development pipeline in place to address key risk areas. We have also introduced an expanded Melee Testing Service at our International Institute of Diamond Grading & Research Centre in Surat to support the midstream further in identifying potential undisclosed synthetics in the pipeline and providing assurance to their own customers.

Alrosa had also come up with technology to detect undisclosed synthetic diamonds.

Its not enough to sift out fake diamonds and do nothing as synthetic diamond producers aggressively push their products by hook or by crook.

Reports that DPA would this year spend $70 million on generic marketing to enable the organisation to grow its US marketing and expand campaigns around the world, were encouraging.

Approximately half of the world's demand for polished diamonds comes from the US, with a 47 percent share of global demand in 2016 and that explains the main focus on the country.

Diamond producers can no longer afford to rest on their laurels just because they mine a billion-year old miracle of nature that had no equal on this earth.

They should prove to the millennials that their diamonds were mined in a sustainable manner, as well as in an ethical manner to maintain their market share.

Mathew Nyaungwa, Editor in Chief of the African Bureau, Rough&Polished



BlueRock boosts H1 output, grade at Karevleei as loss narrows BlueRock Diamonds has recorded a 79% increase in carats produced at Kareevlei Diamond Mine in South Africa to 8,949 carats in the six months to June 2021 compared to 4,981 carats, a year earlier.

Moscow to host KP Plenary meeting on 8-12 November 2021 The Russian Federation, as the Chair of the Kimberley Process (KP) said the next KP Plenary meeting will be held in Moscow on 8-12 November 2021 in a hybrid format including online and in-person participation for those who will be able to visit...

S&P revises Botswana's outlook to 'stable' as diamond sector improves  report Ratings agency S&P has revised Botswanas outlook to 'stable' from 'negative' due to an economic recovery buoyed by a strong diamond sector. "We expect Botswana's diamond export-dependent economy will rebound by 8.5% in real...

Indias cut and polished diamond export increases by 68.64%; rough imports up 142.62% in August Indias export of cut and polished diamonds at $ 2051.88 mn in the month of August 2021 shows a growth of 68.64 per cent as compared to $ 1216.70 mn for the month of August 2020, according to data available in gjepc.org.The project is expected to last until 2043

(TASS) - ALROSA will invest 12 billion rubles in the further development of the Lomonosov diamond field in the Arkhangelsk Region. Andrey Pismenny, CEO of Severalmaz (a subsidiary of ALROSA) told this to journalists on a visit to the companys mining complex.

"It was decided to scale up the project with a lifetime until 2043. Our deposit consists of six diamond pipes, and we are currently working on the so-called southern group of diamond pipes developing the Arkhangelskaya and Karpinsky-1 diamond pipes. It was decided to reconstruct these quarries increasing the amount of extracted ore. <...> This will be the third stage [in the development of this field], and the reconstruction of the Karpinsky-1 and Arkhangelskaya diamond pipes is estimated at 12 billion rubles," he said.

As Pismenny explained, this year his company will start designing a project and purchasing additional mining equipment. "According to our estimates, we will work on the southern group of diamond pipes until 2035, and then starting from 2035 onwards, we will move to the northern group of diamond pipes that are located 5-6 km from the southern group and include the Pionerskaya and Lomonosovskaya diamond pipes, which will be mined until 2043-2045," he explained.

Severalmaz is a Russian diamond mining company, a subsidiary of ALROSA. It owns a license for Europe's largest diamond deposit named after Mikhail Lomonosov, the development of which began in 2005 when the company launched a mining and processing plant with a production capacity of 1 million tons of ore per year. The second stage in the development of this enterprise is considered to have commenced in 2014, when the company commissioned the second module of the factory able to process 3 million tons of ore per year.

There are two diamond deposits in the Arkhangelsk Region. The second one - named after Russian geologist Vladimir Grib  is being developed by Arkhangelskgeoldobycha. In 2017, the revenue raked in by diamond mining companies in the area reached almost 25 billion rubles. Of these, they paid nearly 4 billion rubles in taxes. According to experts, the Arkhangelsk Region produced about 7.5 million carats of diamonds in 2017.



Diamond market sentiment was positive in February, with steady dealer trading, though allegations of a major bank fraud involving two Indian jewelry companies dampened the mood, according to a recently published monthly report by Rapaport.

Polished prices firmed, following a better-than-expected US holiday season and renewed optimism in China. Traders focused on the Hong Kong International Diamond, Gem & Pearl Show, which saw better deals before the event than during it. Buyers have adapted to higher price levels.

The RapNet Diamond Index (RAPI) for 1-carat diamonds increased 0.7% in February. RAPI for 0.30-carat diamonds rose 4.5%, while RAPI for 0.50-carat advanced 1.8%. RAPI for 3-carat diamonds slid 0.1% during the month.

Dealers were encouraged by solid US and European orders, while Asian demand improved ahead of the Chinese New Year on February 16. Initial reports signaled positive retail sales during the lunar festival.

However, trading was below expectations at the Hong Kong show, which attracted fewer Chinese buyers. Exhibitors felt the show was too close to the holiday, since many clients from mainland China were still on vacation. Dealer demand was robust, with shortages in select categories.

Indian suppliers are concerned claims that Nirav Modi and Gitanjali Gems defrauded Punjab National Bank of an estimated $2 billion will impact domestic consumer demand and available credit. Indian banks are expected to tighten their compliance standards and require greater transparency from the trade.

Manufacturing is stable, with strong rough buying during February. De Beers boxes were more expensive due to a change in assortments and a slight price increase, renewing pressure on manufacturers profit margins. Demand shifted to 1- to 2-carat rough that would yield 0.30- to 1-carat polished, which sold well at the Hong Kong show.

Polished trading is expected to stabilize in March as Chinese jewelers return to the market and restock following the holiday season. However, rough sales are projected to stay strong, and profit on new polished production is likely to be squeezed.



Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov who visited Zimbabwe last week to meet new President Emmerson Mnangagwa, said his country and Harare will continue with the joint exploration of Darwendale platinum deposits.

"We talked about the tasks that we have to pursue in order to develop these trade and economic ties between our countries," Lavrov was quoted as saying to journalists by AFP after meeting Mnangagwa at his office in Harare.

"We emphasised the implementation of the joint project of exploring the Darwendale platinum deposits."

The $3billion platinum project, run by a Zimbabwean-Russian joint venture, was signed in 2014.

It was expected to be one of the largest of its kind in the world.

Lavrov also said that the two governments discussed cooperation in the diamond industry.

"(We) also had a good conversation about the good prospects of cooperation in the diamond industry," he said.

Russia was the leading worlds diamond producer in both volume and value terms.

The Russians previously had a stake in DTZ-OZGEO in Chimanimani, but were pushed out when the government decided to consolidate mining claims in Marange and Chimanimani in 2016.



Mathew Nyaungwa, Editor in Chief of the African Bureau, Rough&Polished



Syrian regime forces advanced against rebels in Eastern Ghouta on Monday, as they moved closer to retaking the opposition enclave on the edge of Damascus.

Three weeks after launching a fierce offensive to capture the region, forces loyal to President Bashar al-Assad have overrun more than half of Ghouta, whittling down rebel territory to three isolated pockets.

Backed by Russia, the advance has battered Eastern Ghouta with air strikes, artillery and rocket fire, raising widespread international concern and prompting urgent calls for a ceasefire.

Pro-regime forces advanced again in Ghouta on Monday, using Medeira, a town captured on Sunday, as a base to push against areas closest to the capital, according to the monitor, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

"The army used (Medeira) as a launching pad towards Harasta and Arbin," Observatory chief Rami Abdel Rahman said.

Regime air strikes on Monday were pounding the two towns, which lie in the western part of Ghouta, the Britain-based Observatory said.

The other two areas still in rebel hands are Douma, the region's biggest town in the north of the enclave, and the zone around Hammuriyeh and other towns to the south.

An AFP correspondent in Douma said the morning was relatively quiet in the town, allowing civilians to venture out of bomb shelters to check on the destruction in their homes or gather food.

Residents were seen queuing at a butcher shop, whose owner had slaughtered a calf that he could fatten up no further because there was nothing left to feed it.

By mid-morning, warplanes were buzzing overhead.

Syria's conflict broke out in March 2011 with peaceful protests against Assad, but a regime crackdown paved the way for a fully-fledged war.

Repeated efforts by world powers to secure ceasefires or political settlements to the conflict have failed.

At least 353,935 people have died since, including more than 106,000 civilians, the Observatory said on Monday, providing a new overall death toll for the conflict.

More than 19,800 children are among the dead, it said.

UN children's agency UNICEF on Monday reported a 50 percent increase in the number of children killed in the conflict last year, condemning "extreme and indiscriminate violence".

Rebel mortar and rocket fire has also rained down on the capital, killing two civilians on Monday in the Al-Kabbas neighbourhood, according to state news agency SANA.

More than 35 civilians have been killed in rebel fire on government-controlled zones in Damascus and its outskirts since the start of the Ghouta offensive, according to the Observatory.

The government onslaught of Eastern Ghouta began on February 18 with a ferocious air campaign followed by a ground operation that has recaptured nearly 60 percent of rebel territory.

Syrian regime troops have used siege tactics on several areas around the capital, sealing off a rebel-held town and pursuing a military operation against it before securing a deal for its evacuation.

A similar deal has been put forward for parts of Eastern Ghouta, including the town of Hammuriyeh, a negotiator and the Observatory told AFP.

The agreement would offer safe passage to rebels and civilians who wanted to leave and the town would come under government control.

The Observatory confirmed talks were taking place on Hammuriyeh, as well as the towns of Kafr Batna, Jisreen and Saqba, but said no agreement had yet been reached.

All three towns are controlled by Islamist rebel group Faylaq al-Rahman, which has repeatedly denied engaging in talks with the regime.

Most of Ghouta is held by Faylaq and by rival faction Jaish al-Islam, but jihadists once linked to Al-Qaeda also have a presence.

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BNSF Railway

BNSF Railway is targeting a $90 million capital program for its Minnesota network in 2018. BNSF says maintenance will be the focus of the program with a special attention given to replacing and upgrading rail, crossties and ballast.

As a part of the Great Northern Corridor, Minnesota serves as a crucial link between the Pacific Northwest and Chicago, ensuring that every year BNSF moves more than 140,000 carloads of Minnesota corn, wheat, soybeans and other agricultural products, as well as large quantities of timber and paper products to both global and domestic markets, said Chad Sundem, general manager of operations, Twin Cities Division. By performing regular maintenance, we continue to ensure the safety and reliability of our network in Minnesota.

This year, the maintenance program in Minnesota includes more than 750 miles of track surfacing and/or undercutting work, as well as the replacement of nearly 20 miles of rail and close to 170,000 crossties.

The $90 million plan for the state is in addition to the $810 million the Class 1 has invested in Minnesota during the past five years. The state capital program is part of BNSFs $3.3 billion network-wide capital plan. The railroad has also outlined state capital plans for New Mexico, Nebraska, Illinois, Oklahoma, Texas, Kansas, Missouri, Montana and Washington state.Union Pacific

Union Pacific plans to invest $127 million into its Arkansas network in 2018. The Class 1 says the investment will enhance safety, operating efficiency and support customer service.

Union Pacifics planned investment includes $103 million for track maintenance and $9.6 million for bridge maintenance. The Class 1 says key projects planned this year include a $19 million investment in the rail line between Atkins and Mulberry to replace 42 miles of rail, as well as a $12 million investment in the rail line between Pine Bluff and Texarkana to replace 91,854 crossties and install 26,021 tons of ballast.

This years planned $127 million capital expenditure is part of the companys $3.3 billion capital program and is in addition to the $584 million the company has invested in the state during the past five years.

Our targeted investments support customers and enhance our efficiency to deliver the goods American businesses and families use daily, said Brenda Mainwaring, Union Pacific assistant vice president  Public Affairs, Southern Region.

Earlier this month, the company announced plans to invest $122.3 million into its California network, which includes more than $90 million for track maintenance and more than $14 million for bridge maintenance, as well as a $450 million investment into its Texas network, which includes $320 million to maintain the states track and $94 million to maintain bridges.Maryland Transit Administration

The Maryland Department of Transportation Maryland Transit Administration (MDOT MTA) reopened service along the entire system three days ahead of schedule on the morning of March 9.

MDOT MTA said rail replacement work needed on the Metro SubwayLink system was completed and crews were able to get the work done in time to relaunch service early.

Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan allocated $2.2 million during the service closure to provide shuttle buses to maintain service for the Metro SubwayLink.

Metro SubwayLink customers were able to ride for free March 9 through March 11 as a thank you for their patience, officials said.

Safety will always be our first priority, said MDOT MTA Administrator Kevin Quinn. The decision to reopen the Metro SubwayLink system came after a thorough inspection of our tracks to ensure their safety and reliability. We are pleased to restore service to our riders earlier than originally planned and appreciate their patience during this time.

The Metro SubwayLink system recently underwent inspections of the rail work by MDOT MTA inspectors, Federal Transit Administration and State Safety Oversight inspectors, the agency said.

Track inspections were complemented by geometry car testing, which officials noted provides an additional assessment of track conditions.

MDOT MTA said it is set to complete additional rail work in the summer of 2018.MTA photo

The New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) on March 9 announced eight winners of the MTA Genius Transit Challenge, including two that "plan to immediately reinvest their cash awards from the competition and contribute seed money to advance their ideas in conjunction with the MTA."

As part of a wide-ranging effort to upgrade the subway systems capacity and reliability, all the winning ideas will be thoroughly vetted and further developed as quickly as possible with future procurements subject to any required MTA Board approval, MTA said. Given the urgent need to effectuate near term change, the Genius Transit Challenge sought innovative ideas to rapidly modernize the New York City subways signal systems, procure new state-of-the-art subway cars and bring connectivity to underground tunnels and trains. The eight winners were chosen for their ability to deliver quickly maximum positive impact on subway service and customer experience. In some categories, judges gave out multiple awards because more than one proposal had significant promise, or because two proposals utilized similar technological strategies.

Prior to the Genius Challenge, estimates for modernizing the New York City subway signal system ranged from 40 to 50 years, with a cost of tens of billions of dollars, MTA said. New York Governor Andrew M. Cuomo declared the status quo to be unacceptable and challenged the MTA to launch the Genius Challenge to find better solutions. With the ideas recognized today as winners of the Genius Challenge, NYC Transit has the potential to cut that timeline dramatically and the cost significantly, delivering modern signal technology to a century-old subway system. Winning submissions in the signals category offer the possibility of modernizing NYC Transits antiquated signal system far faster and more cost-effectively than previously estimated, reducing installation and implementation time by decades. Customers would see faster, more reliable and far more frequent service across subway lines, lessening crowding conditions in cars and platforms and decreasing commute times.

That signal technology is communications-based train control (CBTC), which has been deployed on the Canarsie (L) Line and is in procurement, installation or testing on several others.

As President of New York City Transit, I am committed to upgrading and modernizing this transit system from top to bottom and a top priority is modernization of the subway signal system, said Andy Byford, MTA New York City Transit President. A modern signal system is the key to running more trains, to driving up reliability and to increasing network capacity. I have directed my staff to research and engage in all of these ideas, whether it is ultra-wideband technology or new installation techniques. But we cannot rest on the laurels of these winners, which is why the MTA and the Partnership for New York City are launching the Transit Innovation Partnership, a public-private collaboration dedicated to bringing new ideas, resources, and expertise to support the MTAs mission.

The winners:

Challenge 1: Signaling

Challenge 1 sought to accelerate the deployment of modern train signaling technologies in the subway system, to increase the number of trains at peak periods and promote faster and more reliable service. The panel chose two winning ideas, split between four winners, with joint awards going to applicants with nearly identical entries. Each will receive a $250,000 award.

Winner 1: Revolutionize signaling deployment using ultra-wideband (UWB) wireless technology. Proposed separately by Metrom Rail and transportation engineer Robert James, this next-generation technology eliminates the need to acquire and install expensive, cumbersome equipment required by CBTC signal technology. A UWB-based network has the potential to provide precise and accurate locations for subway cars within centimeters. UWB sensors can also be placed in work trains and even on personnel, to add an additional level of safety for track workers and contractors working near passenger trains.

The MTA is continuing proof-of-concept tests with UWB technology, and plans to work with industry suppliers of CBTC technology in exploring UWBs potential in signaling. The MTA will look to incorporate UWB, as well as various new signaling technology, in future procurements for signaling projects, to modernize the system at a greatly expedited schedule and lower cost than current estimates.

Winner 2: Onboard sensors and cameras for train positioning, submitted separately by Ansaldo STS and Thales Group. This technology, similar to those used in autonomous vehicles, would be placed on trains with little to no equipment near tracks. Existing train location technology depends on complex wayside equipment that is time-consuming and costly to deploy and maintain. The winners each proposed innovative onboard systems that would efficiently and accurately perform necessary train position actions while maintaining safety, reducing delays and mitigating costs. The MTA plans to develop specs for a sensor-based system supplementary to CBTC signal technology. This process is contingent upon the current market for sensor-based technologies and next-generation technologies that are in development industry-wide, and is expected to take up to five years from development to implementation. Such a solution can eliminate the need for expensive and unwieldy wayside equipment, eliminate delays associated with existing, aging wayside equipment, and negate the need for costly upkeep and repairs that require service diversions.

Challenge 2: Subway Cars

Challenge 2 sought strategies to obtain and deploy modern subway cars more efficiently or refurbish existing cars in order to increase the subway systems capacity and reliability, prevent car breakdowns, and reduce delays. The panel chose three winners, each of whom will receive a $330,000 award.

Winner 1: Modify passenger loading with longer trains to increase capacity, submitted by lawyer transit enthusiast Craig Avedisian. Avedisian proposed changing passenger loading procedures and adding more cars to trains to increase capacity. The MTA will evaluate the systems busiest subway lines, stations where platforms are long enough to accommodate longer trains, and fleet and yard availability, to further explore applications of Avedisians idea. Some subway lines are viable candidates for a pilot program due to ridership demand and their station layouts. A study of fleet and infrastructure availability will be needed for a future pilot program or future car procurement.

Winner 2: CRRC (China Railway Rolling Stock Corp.), the worlds largest railcar producer, proposed to invest $50 million of its own money initially to develop a new subway car for MTA NYC Transit that will explore new, lighter materials such as carbon fiber; modular design to permit quicker installation of system parts; and modern train control technology to reduce maintenance time and make upgrades easier. These trains could include customer benefits such as Wi-Fi, charging ports, LED lighting and screens for real-time customer information. The MTA will immediately begin meetings with CRRC to develop this car, which represents a new approach to car design and manufacturing for the MTA. CRRC assumes all risks and costs for this investment, and the research and development from this investment can be used for future open and competitive procurements for new car purchases.

Winner 3: CSinTrans, an international provider of technology solutions for transit, proposed a software platform that takes the existing diagnostic data for all operating systems within subway cars and transmits the information to MTA maintenance crews quickly and efficiently. Currently this diagnostic data for each subway car is sent to the cars manufacturer but not shared with the MTA. CSinTrans proposed capturing this data and delivering it in a dashboard to MTA maintenance crews, alerting them immediately, for example, when a subway cars heating or cooling system has failed. This near-real time delivery of maintenance information will expedite response times, identify problematic systems and prevent breakdowns during service. The MTA is meeting with manufacturers of the existing car fleet to obtain the diagnostic data, and plans to deploy similar diagnostic systems as soon as possible once the data is available. These systems also will be incorporated into future car procurements.

Challenge 3: Communications

Challenge 3 sought to identify communications systems that will support the rapid installation and deployment of modern train communications and control technologies in the subway system, to increase the systems capacity and overall through-put. Judges selected one winning idea, and one idea worthy of an honorable mention that was submitted separately by two firms. The winner will receive a $500,000 award. Honorable mentions do not receive a monetary award.

Winner: The Big B is a robotic installation system proposed by Bechtel Innovation, which is a part of one of the largest construction and civil engineering firms in the U.S. The Big B is a semi-automatic robotic system that would rapidly install communications and control infrastructure in track tunnels. This robotic system can climb on tracks, into stations, onto platforms or service bays, and install hardware and other preparatory infrastructure needed for communications equipment installation or repair. This technology would free up crews to perform more complex tasks for more efficient use of manpower, as well as decrease the length of service diversions needed to give track access for crews. Similar robotic systems have been deployed and used in large-scale projects in European transit systems.

The MTA will identify time-consuming and repetitive work associated with communications equipment installation that a similar robotic system could perform, and use those design specs for a future procurement. Such a system could be designed, programmed, built and implemented in two years. Bechtel Innovation plans to reinvest its $500,000 cash award in an internal development group that will work exclusively with the MTA to design a similar robotic system.

Honorable Mention: A long-term evolution (LTE) network that would provide ground connectivity for trains in track tunnels, allowing continuous communications for train operators between stations and expanding cellular service or Wi-Fi connectivity to customers between stations, submitted separately by Transit Wireless and Alcatel-Lucent. The MTA will include this LTE approach in its overall communications and information technology plan, with plans for a future procurement.

Transit Innovation Partnership

The MTA and the Partnership for New York City have launched the Transit Innovation Partnership (TIP), a public-private collaboration dedicated to bringing new ideas, resources and expertise to support the MTAs mission and improve customer experience. The Partnership for New York City has committed $1.5 million to launch this initiative. MTA President Pat Foye will work with Rachel Haot, Governor Cuomos former Chief Digital Officer, who will lead TIP as its Executive Director. TIPs advisory board, chaired by Alan Fishman, will comprise leaders of business, civic, high tech and transit advocacy organizations committed to MTAs growth and success.

Chairman: Alan Fishman, Chairman, Ladder Capital Finance LLC

Kenneth Bronfin, Senior Managing Director and Head of International Investments, Hearst Ventures.

Kevin Chavers, Managing Director, BlackRock.

Maria Gotsch, President and CEO, Partnership Fund for New York City.

Carol Kellermann, President, Citizens Budget Commission.

Linda Kirkpatrick, Executive Vice President, U.S. Market Development, Mastercard.

David Levin, Former CEO, McGraw Hill Education.

Nancy Louden, Senior Vice President, Global Government Relations, The Estee Lauder Companies Inc.

Bill Mulrow, Senior Managing Director, Blackstone.

Charles Phillips, Chief Executive Officer, Infor.

Steven Rubenstein, President, Rubenstein Communications Inc.

William C. Rudin, Co-Chairman and CEO, Rudin Management Company Inc.

Scott Salmirs, President and Chief Executive Officer, ABM Industries Inc.

Edward Skyler, Executive Vice President, Global Public Affairs, Citigroup Inc.

Tom Wright, President, Regional Plan Association.

Kathryn Wylde, President and CEO, Partnership for New York City.

Genius Challenge Process

Of the 438 submissions, almost a quarter came from international applicants, and nearly half of the proposals are not in current commercial use. Applications came from a wide range of individuals, businesses, non-profits and higher education institutions, including student proposals. Substantial participation came from transit enthusiasts outside of the MTA, as well as a range of firms from non-transit industries.

The Genius Challenge was launched in June 2017. Participants were asked to submit strategies for any of three challenges: improving the signal system; increasing service capacity and reliability; and identifying ways to quickly deploy modern train communications and control technology across the system. A panel of technology and transportation experts, aided by an evaluation committee of MTA staff and experts from academia and transit industries, reviewed 438 submissions from 23 countries. The panel narrowed the submissions to 64 semifinalists, then further down to 19 finalists.

MTA Genius Transit Challenge judges:

Sarah Feinberg, former Federal Railroad Administrator.

Daniel Huttenlocher, Dean and Vice Provost, Cornell Tech.

Charles Phillips, CEO, Infor; former co-president and director, Oracle.

Kristina Johnson, Chancellor-elect, State University of New York.

Nick Grossman, General Manager, Union Square Ventures.

Eliot Horowitz, co-founder and Chief Technology Officer, MongoDB.

Balaji Prabhakar, professor of electrical engineering and computer science, Stanford University.

Joe Lhota, Chairman, MTA.

Pat Foye, President, MTA.

Veronique Ronnie Hakim, Managing Director, MTA.

Janno Lieber, Chief Development Officer, MTA.DowDuPont Inc. is set to announce Monday that Andrew Liveris will relinquish the role of executive chairman of the chemical company on April 1, the Wall Street Journal reported.

Jeff Fettig, a director, will replace Liveris, 63, who had said he is likely to depart this year, the Journal said.

Chief Operating Officer Jim Fitterling will be chief executive of the materials-science company to be known as Dow when a break-up of the company takes place next year.

Created from the chemical merger, the company is planning to split into three independent companies, with the separations to be completed by June 1, 2019, the Wilmington, Delaware-based firm said last month.

The planned agriculture company remains as originally envisioned when the merger of Dow Chemical and DuPont was announced in December 2015.

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Business NewsHikma Pharmaceuticals PLC (HIK.L) said it has finalised the planning of a new clinical study on generic version of GlaxoSmithKline's Advair Diskus, and expects to start patient enrolment in the coming weeks. Hikma anticipates being able to submit a response to the FDA with new clinical data as early as possible in 2019.

Hikma said that it is has received a response from the United States Food and Drug Administration in relation to its abbreviated new drug application or ANDA for its generic version of GlaxoSmithKline's Advair Diskus (fluticasone propionate and salmeterol inhalation powder).

On 11 May 2017, Hikma announced it had received a complete response letter from the FDA. In the following months, Hikma worked collaboratively with the FDA and was able to address and clarify the majority of the questions raised. However, there remained an outstanding issue regarding the clinical endpoint study and, in response, the company decided to engage in the FDA's dispute resolution process.

The FDA has now concluded this process, upholding its original determination and requesting the completion of an additional clinical endpoint study. In anticipation of this as one of the potential outcomes, Hikma has already finalised the planning of a new clinical study and expects to start patient enrolment in the coming weeks. Hikma anticipates being able to submit a response to the FDA with new clinical data as early as possible in 2019.

Hikma's fluticasone propionate and salmeterol inhalation powder is indicated for the treatment of asthma and the maintenance treatment of airflow obstruction and reducing exacerbations in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and is delivered using Vectura's proprietary dry powder inhaler and formulation .

James Ward-Lilley, Chief Executive Officer of Vectura Group, said "Whilst the outcome of the dispute resolution process is disappointing, we now have a clear pathway forwards, and we and our partner Hikma remain confident in, and committed to the approval of VR315. Assuming the successful execution of the new study and a standard regulatory review, we now expect a potential approval and launch during 2020. The FDA's decision will have no impact on Vectura's revenue or R&D expectations for the year."

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Business NewsThailand Securities and Exchange Commission or TSEC is planning to introduce a special law, instead of the mandatory Section 44, to regulate all areas of cryptocurrency, including initial coin offerings or ICOs, reports said.

TSEC Secretary-General Rapee Sucharitakul said the agency and related committees met and decided to bring out the new law, with the TSEC in charge. The move comes after Thai Deputy Prime Minister Somkid Jatusripitak ordered the law on cryptocurrencies and ICOs to be finalized within a month.

The TSEC, which acts as the regulator for all finance related issues in the country, along with the Ministry of Finance, the Anti-Money Laundering Office, and the Bank of Thailand are joining together to define and regulate cryptocurrency.

In Thailand, the controversial law Section 44 of the Interim Constitution of 2014 is mandatory for any finance regulation. It empowers the National Council for Peace and Order or NCPO leader to issue any order for the sake of the reforms in any field, or the prevention, abatement or suppression of any act detrimental to national order or security.

The regulators in the country earlier had suggested that it would be necessary to implement Section 44 for regulating the cryptocurrency market amid the ongoing hype.

As per reports, the special law will regulate the purchases and sales of cryptocurrencies and ICOs, and will provide rules on parties involved in token sales. This will help to avoid market manipulation, money laundering, tax evasion, and multi-level marketing schemes.

Thailand's Department of Revenue is considering possible ways to tax digital currencies and is awaiting the results of the committee meeting, according to Thai Minister of Finance Aphisak Tantiworawong.

For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com

Business NewsA White House spokesman has said there are no preconditions to President Donald Trump's meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.

"No," White House deputy press secretary Raj Shah said when ABC News Chief White House Correspondent Jonathan Karl asked if there were preconditions on ABC's "This Week" on Sunday.

However, Shah noted North Korea must live up to its promises to halt missile and nuclear testing and refrain from publicly objecting to U.S.- South Korean joint military exercises.

Shah also reiterated that Kim has "stated his commitment to denuclearization" in his conversations with South Korean officials.

"Kim Jong Un is the only partner in North Korea that has any authority, that can make any decisions," Shah said. "So he's the only voice."

"He is committed to -- or stated a commitment to denuclearization to South Korea, they've relayed that to us, and so we're open to this invitation," he added.

Last Thursday, White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders confirmed the president has accepted an invitation to meet with Kim at a place and time to be determined.

"We look forward to the denuclearization of North Korea," Sanders said. "In the meantime, all sanctions and maximum pressure must remain."

The news of the planned meeting was first revealed by South Korean National Security Advisor Chung Eui-Yong, who said the two leaders would meet by May.

The meeting between Trump and Kim would be the first between a sitting U.S. president and a North Korean leader.

Shah said hosting Kim at the White House has not been ruled out but indicated it is not "highly likely" that Trump would go to North Korea.

For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com

Business NewsGEA Group AG (GEAGF.PK,GEAGY.PK), a system provider for the food processing industry, on Monday announced its mid-term growth targets and confirmed its dividend policy.

On the occasion of today's Capital Markets Day held in London, GEA Group said that in the period from 2018 to 2022, it expects revenues to rise by a compound annual growth rate or CAGR of 3.5 percent to 4.5 percent.

GEA projects its operating EBITDA margin to increase to between 13.5 percent and 15.5 percent until 2022. The outlook ignores potential currency effects and hence assumes average 2017 exchange rates.

In addition, the company confirmed its general dividend policy for the years ahead, with a payout ratio of at least 40 percent to 50 percent.

"In a swiftly changing and demanding market environment, we continue to strive to further strengthen our prominent position by consistently investing in key technologies. Today, we already belong to the market leaders in two thirds of our operations," Juerg Oleas, CEO of GEA Group said.

For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com

Business NewsEgyptian students, parents and educators gathered at the British University in Egypt (BUE) on Saturday to celebrate the Egyptian winners of the Outstanding Cambridge Learner Awards from Cairo and Alexandria.

The award ceremony, held jointly by the British Council and Cambridge International Qualifications, recognized the achievemnts of Egyptian students in the 2017 Cambridge IGCSE and International AS and A-Level exams.

A total of 116 secondary school Learner Awards were handed out, including 75 from Cairo and 41 from Alexandria.

Among them were 14 top-of-the-world awards for IGCSEs in Mathematics (without coursework), Physics, Accounting, First Language Arabic, Mathematics, Computer Science, Sociology and Biology, from both the June and November exam sessions.

Dr Tarek Shawky, Egypt's minister of education, was on hand to offer his congratulations to the winners.

Also present were Jeff Streeter, the British Council's country director for Egypt, and Janet Morris, director of the international network at Cambridge International.

Streeter said, Once again, Id like to congratulate the many Egyptian students who have done outstandingly well in their examinations. Cambridges exams represent an international benchmark of quality and the results we are seeing are world class.

"As the British Council celebrates 80 years in Egypt, we are proud to have been working with partners like Cambridge and the excellent schools in our network to have developed the wonderful talent of young Egyptians. As we see, young people in Egypt can compete with the best anywhere, he said.

Waseem Al-Hanbali, the MENA-region director for Cambridge International Examinations, joined Streeter in praising students for their outstanding accomplishments.

"I would like to congratulate our students in Egypt for the hard work that went into their exams this year. We are pleased to see the growing recognition of the quality of our programme in the education sector in Egypt and are fortunate to be working with the best schools in the region for nearly four decades.

"These results were based on the hard work and dedication of learners, teachers, and parents, he said.

Also present on Saturday was Professor Ahmed Hamad, president of the BUE, which hosted the event.

The BUE uses the British Council's APTIS system for testing the English-language skills of those seeking admission. The university is one of the largest APTIS clients in the MENA region, with more than 6,000 tests per year.

Short link:

The National Rifle Association has filed a lawsuit challenging the State of Florida's newly-enacted ban on the purchase of firearms by young adults between the ages of 18-21.

The case was filed in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Florida.

The Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Public Safety Act, passed by both Houses of Florida, was signed into law by Governor Rick Scott, Friday.

The Bill came into law three weeks after a mass shooting in the state shook America's conscience.

Nicolas Cruz, 19, who was expelled from Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland for disciplinary reasons, killed 17 people after returning to the campus with an assault rifle on February 14.

It triggered fresh calls for gun control, a national boycott campaign, and mass street protests.

The NRA expressed disappointment regarding the gun-control provisions contained in the Law. The new law strips law-abiding adults aged 18-20 of their Second Amendment right to self-protection and imposes unnecessary delays on all firearm purchases, it said in a statement.

For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com

Political NewsPresident Donald Trump has blamed Senate Democrats for blocking his nominees, which, according to him, caused the dearth of experts at the State Department.

Sen. Robert Menendez, the top Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, retorted by saying that the president should examine his own record before blaming others.

"The Democrats continue to Obstruct the confirmation of hundreds of good and talented people who are needed to run our government ... A record in U.S. history. State Department, Ambassadors and many others are being slow walked. Senate must approve NOW," Trump wrote on Twitter Sunday.

The United States has not filled key diplomatic posts that deal with the Korean Peninsula.

The positions of US Ambassador to South Korea, and the US special envoy to North Korea remain vacant at a time talks between Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un are on the cards.

But in response to the President's tweet, Sen. Menendez, said Trump should examine his own record before blaming others. Out of the 163 Senate-confirmed positions to the State Department and U.S. AID, Trump has failed to name a nominee to 65 of those vacancies, according to him.

"This Administration has routinely denigrated the responsibilities of our diplomatic and development corps and deemed them low priorities for American foreign policy. Rather than blaming others, the president should examine his record," he said in a statement on Twitter.

"Prioritizing diplomatic nominations only when there are sudden crises is not a strategy and not in the national security interest of the United States," he added.

Menendez blamed "the poor management, dangerous political guidance and arbitrary hiring freeze" at the State Department that led to "an alarming exodus of seasoned diplomats from the government, weakening our ability to promote our interests".

He listed a string of vacancies that remains to be filled, starting with the question, "Where is the nominee for Ambassador to South Korea?."

He asked Trump who is responsible for not filling the posts of Under Secretary for Political Affairs, Assistant Secretary for African Affairs, Ambassador to UN Mission to Geneva, Ambassador to Human Rights Council, Ambassador to Saudi Arabia, Ambassador to ASEAN, Ambassador to Jordan, Turkey, Egypt, the European Union and several other countries.

For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com

Political NewsDefense Secretary James N. Mattis said he sees no change in Russia's military capability in light of Russian President Vladimir Putin's recent speech in which he said Russia has nuclear weapons capable of attacking the United States.

The secretary called Putin's remarks "disappointing, but unsurprising."

Mattis spoke with reporters aboard a plane bound for Oman as part of an overseas trip designed to strengthen relationships.

"I looked at President Putin's speech, and like many of us, I focused on the last third of it," Mattis said. "The first two-thirds [was] clearly about domestic issues, but also opportunities in that first two-thirds, as I was reading it. And I tried to forget that I  knew what the last third was about -- that you would actually see opportunities there to reduce the tensions between the NATO countries, the Western countries, the nations that want to live by international law, maintain sovereignty and territorial integrity of everyone, and the Russian Federation."

For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com

Political NewsLow-cost airline Norwegian Air plans to launch flights between Canada and Europe in July. The Canadian regulators say there is a "high probability" that the airline will be issued a license by the proposed time.

Norwegian Air last week applied to the Canadian Transportation Agency for an international license to operate a service between Europe and Canada. The Canadian authorities have granted the company the authority to sell tickets in advance of receiving formal government approval.

"Transport Canada advises that it expects that the applicant will be issued a [permit] in time for the proposed startup date," the CTA said last week. "Accordingly, the agency is satisfied that there is a high probability that the license will issue prior to the intended startup date on July 23, 2018."

"As the world's fastest-growing airline, we are continuously reviewing new and applying for traffic rights," spokesperson Anders Lindstrom said to CBC News. "While Canada is an interesting market, it's too early to confirm any route plans and we still need full approval from the Canadian authorities to announce or launch any new service."

For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com

Business News(Agencia CMA Latam) - Argentinean President Mauricio Macri spoke with his U.S. counterpart, Donald Trump, about the American duties imposed on steel (25%) and aluminum (10%) imports. Currently, Argentinean exports represent 0.6% of steel and 2.3% of aluminum imports in the United States.

According to a statement released by Casa Rosada, Macri expressed to Trump his concern about the potential negative effect of the measures. In response, Trump affirmed his commitment to evaluate Argentina's exemption from any restrictive measure that affects exports of both products to the United States.

The Trump administration's decision should exclude some countries, such as Canada and Mexico, pending on the conclusion of the renegotiations of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA).

According to the Ministry of Production, the American imports of the Argentinean "items do not cause or contribute to the distortions that affect the world and the U.S."

by Agencia CMA Latam

For comments and feedback: editorial@rttnews.com

Economic News

What parts of the world are seeing the best (and worst) economic performances lately? Click here to check out our Econ Scorecard and find out! See up-to-the-moment rankings for the best and worst performers in GDP, unemployment rate, inflation and much more.(Agencia CMA Latam) - The Colombian government will resume peace talks with the National Liberation Army (ELN) guerrilla group, according to a statement released by Casa de Narino.

President Juan Manuel Santos said that he already instructed the head of the negotiating team, Gustavo Bell, to travel to Quito, Ecuador, to resume talks.

Santos pointed out that the goal is to advance in the discussion and agreements on the points that were being discussed simultaneously and "also to achieve a new ceasefire and hostilities agreement, broad and verifiable, that will avoid more loss of life."

On January 9, the first ceasefire agreed between both sides ended after 101 days.

by Agencia CMA Latam

For comments and feedback: editorial@rttnews.com

Economic News

What parts of the world are seeing the best (and worst) economic performances lately? Click here to check out our Econ Scorecard and find out! See up-to-the-moment rankings for the best and worst performers in GDP, unemployment rate, inflation and much more.Japan will on Tuesday release February figures for producer prices, highlighting a modest day for Asia-Pacific economic activity.

Producer prices are expected to add 0.2 percent on month and 2.5 percent on year, slowing from 0.3 percent on month and 2.7 percent on year in January.

Japan also will see January results for its tertiary industry index, with forecasts suggesting a decline of 0.3 percent on month following the 0.2 percent drop in December.

Australia will see January numbers for home loans and February results for the confidence index from NAB.

Home loans are expected to dip 0.2 percent on month after sliding 2.3 percent in December. The index for business confidence had a score of +12 in January, while business conditions were at +19.

Malaysia will provide January numbers for manufacturing and industrial production; in December, they were up an annual 5.3 percent and 2.9 percent, respectively.

Hong Kong will release Q4 numbers for industrial production and producer prices. In the three months prior, output sank 0.6 percent on quarter and added 0.3 percent on year, while producer prices climbed 3.7 percent.

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.13 Saudi soldiers, mercenaries killed in snipe operations [12/March/2018] br>





SANA'A, Mar 12 (Saba)  13 of Saudi soldiers and mercenaries have killed in snipe operations by the army and popular forces, the artillery hit their sites, fortifications and inflicted them losses in lives and equipments, a military official told Saba on Monday.



Six Saudi soldiers were sniped north of Qwa village and Hamdha village, the artillery shelled other troops of enemy soldiers at the locations of al- Sawdah Saudi Tower, Qamar village, Dukhan mountain and al- Khouba, the military official said.



Furthermore, dozens of mercenaries were killed and injured by artillery shelling targeting their gatherings in front of Alb border crossing in Asir and rifle 50 was destructed, while six mercenaries were sniped in the same area.



In Najran border province, the artillery hit troops of Saudi soldiers in al- Shorfa , al- Shabaka sites and al- Sodais censorship, mercenaries were targeted at Bir al-Salami off al-Ajasher desert with artillery shells.



The engineering unit of the army and the committees destroyed a vehicle for mercenaries with an explosive device in the front of Sabrin in Khab and al- Shaaf district in Jawf province, and targeted troops of the mercenaries north of Medi desert with scores of artillery shells.



Meanwhile, scores of mercenaries casualties in artillery shells on their sites and fortifications in al- Jawazeaa at Tawr al- Baha in Lahj province, and a mercenary was sniped south of Khalid camp of Mawza district in Taiz province, said the official.



Eman











SABAAgent fees: You can save this expense and arrange transit yourself. Not rocket science, just takes time, and some precautions. Agent fees vary. We picked ours based on a mix of glowing referrals and competitive rate. An agent saves money in some ways (no buffer paid- more on that below; no taxiing around to visit officials  you dont walk / take public transportation in Colon with a pocketful of cash, its not safe). Our primary purpose in hiring the agent was to have an advocate for our transit timing, so our friends visiting from the US could transit with us. That didnt work, but once we were in Colon, he was an excellent advocate and presented short-term openings for us twice in our first week there (the waiting period during our peak-season stay ballooned to as much as 21 days from measurement to transit; we got through in 10).

Line handlers: Hiring a handler is $100+ and hires sleep on your boat overnight. Cruisers often try to transit on another boat ahead of their turn in order to see what its like, a nice tradeoff for everyone. You should pay their taxi fare in the opposite direction. Do make sure they know how to tie a proper knot and have basic boat sense, and will be ready to work instead of take pictures. A guy next to us worrying about his big DSLR nearly lost his fingers because he wasnt paying attention.

Lines & fenders: we have line of sufficient strength and length on board, but it would have to be cut for canal use. The lengths are intended for use with our sea anchor, and then wed want to replace that line. Standard dock fenders are not strong enough for the forces the canal may impose (also: having seen the concrete walls, would not want to subject them to it!). Its possible to pay less (I heard $50) and get tires instead of fenders.ABC/Image Group LA If you follow Dustin Lynch on social media, you've probably noticed the "I'd Be Jealous Too" hitmaker has started a new video series that lets fans in on his everyday life.

Some folks were surprised to see one recent -- and very raw -- post, where Dustin watches the reveal of this year's ACM nominations, only to find out his huge hit, "Small Town Boy," wasn't nominated. But the Tullahoma, Tennessee native has no regrets about it.

"You know, this new chapter...it's all about the real stuff. And that's real, you know?" Dustin says. "So there's gonna be more of those moments, where it's probably stuff...I would never think to publicize. But it's real emotion."

"And you know, those awards are something that we work so hard at," he explains, "not only myself but every other artist. I'm just the first guy to put it out there. I promise you, I wasn't the only one watching that broadcast that felt like crap after it happened, you know?"

"There's nothing we can do about it," Dustin continues. "We did everything we could. And I'm gonna continue to try to get nominated and stuff, but the feeling is: This sucks, y'know? And it does."

Dustin says he's heard from many of his contemporaries who felt the same way, and gave him props for being so transparent.

"My phone blew up. It was crazy. I was getting texts from all sorts of artists, like 'Man, good on you for actually putting the real stuff out there. I feel the same way. And it's great that you're putting it out there for the world to see.' So that was very encouraging."

Meanwhile, "Small Town Boy" has passed the platinum mark, and Dustin recently celebrated the four-week #1 with a party in downtown Nashville.

Copyright  2018, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.A Satapuala resident has questioned the legality of the 1983 agreement signed between the Government and their family chief, the late Toalepaialii Toeolesulusulu Siueva.

The agreement concerns the Satapuala land, which the Government plans to extend the Faleolo International Airport runway across.

He is our Chief but he cannot sign for us, we were not even aware of any agreement between the government and our Chief, Logolelei Sua said.

Even the land that has been allocated for us, its very small and its not the same with the land they are taking from us.

The 64-year-old mother said her 11 children and more than 50 grandchildren all grew up on that land.

I am not leaving my house, I should have been told by the Government and our Chief about the agreement.

It is true that he was our Chief, but the Government should have done their due diligence and informed us about the agreement.

So I am not moving and I will not let the Government relocate us from a place where weve lived most of our lives.

Samoans treasure their lands and Chiefly titles and why would we agree to relocate when this is our land, our inheritance from our ancestors.

We will not leave, this land is rightly ours.

And until I see an eviction order from the Court, I will never move from here, she told the Sunday Samoan.

Sua also took issue with the fact that their family received $1,700 for all four faleoos and one guest house.

They gave my daughter their value assessment of our homes, which is $1,700.

It is unbelievable, what this Government is doing to our families, relocating us and giving us peanuts?

Look at my kids homes, even though it is not a brick house, but the floors are cemented.

The cost of cement is expensive and they gave us just $1,700 as relocation costs?

As far as I know, I did not sign that agreement and I was not aware so it will continue like that, I am not moving, she said.

According to the agreement, which was signed on 29 August, 1983, the Government fully supports the agreement made at a recent meeting on 23 August 1983 of the Minister of Economic Development, Minister of Lands, Toalepaialii Toeolesulusulu Siueva (M.P from Aana No.3 and representative of Satapuala village), and a representative of Polynesian Airlines, that all trees now obstructing the Faleolo Airport will be cut down, and to be compensated with 10 F.O.C tickets per year for 3 years renegotiable after 3 year period between Western Samoa and New Zealand, Australia or any other country.

There were other benefits of the agreement.

Eight of those tickets have been offered by Polynesian Airlines, and the other two to be negotiated later with other airlines.

This gives Government full control over all the trees grown in the areas concerned in cases of later claims for any trees, etc. Cut down in the process of Government work.

Toalepaialii also agreed to the ratio of 1:2 offered by Government for their lands.

This Government agreement is contained in C.M (83) 30 of 24 August 1983, in which Cabinet agreed to the proposal from the Minister of Lands to take 23 acres at the eastern end of the airstrip for strip extension etc.

It agreed also to the Acting Prime Minister discussing with W.S.T.E.C. the possibility of W.S.T.E.C. transferring 46 acres of its lands to land owners who will be affected.

The villagers are free to occupy their land for the time being until the completion of upgrading and extension of the present nursery and T.S.T. re-negotiates the matter as to compensation for their food crops such as breadfruit, coconut, etc.

This is left to the Minister of Lands and T.S.T. to agree on a fair monetary compensation, according to the agreement document.President Donald Trump accepting a reported offer to meet with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is a stunning turn of events after a year of heated verbal warfare that included crude insults and mutual threats of nuclear attacks. It remains to be seen whether a summit will take place or lead to a meaningful breakthrough, but here's a look at recent events:

Jan. 1, 2017: Kim Jong Un says in a New Year's address that preparations for launching an intercontinental ballistic missile have "reached the final stage."

Jan. 2: President-elect Donald Trump tweets, "North Korea just stated that it is in the final stages of developing a nuclear weapon capable of reaching parts of the U.S. It won't happen!"

July 4: North Korea conducts its first flight test of an ICBM, the Hwasong-14, which Kim calls the North's "package of gifts" for the U.S.'s Independence Day.

July 28: A second Hwasong-14 is launched with an estimated range reaching into the U.S. mainland, including cities such as Chicago.

Aug. 9: Trump says North Korea had best not make more threats or "they will be met with fire and fury like the world has never seen." North Korea hours later announces a plan to launch a salvo of missiles toward the U.S. territory of Guam, a major military hub in the Pacific.

Aug. 29: An intermediate-range North Korean missile flies over Japan and plunges into the northern Pacific.

Sept. 3: North Korea carries out its sixth and most powerful nuclear test to date, saying it was a hydrogen bomb designed for use on ICBMs.

Sept. 19: Trump tells the U.N. General Assembly the United States would "totally destroy North Korea" if forced to defend itself or its allies. He refers to Kim as "Rocket Man" and that he's "on a suicide mission for himself."

Sept. 22: Kim accuses Trump of "mentally deranged behavior." He says he will "surely and definitely tame the mentally deranged U. S. dotard with fire."

Nov. 29: North Korea's third ICBM test demonstrates a potential range that could reach Washington, D.C.

Jan. 1, 2018: Kim says in his New Year's address that he has a nuclear button on his desk, but also calls for improved relations with South Korea and suggests sending a delegation to the Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea. Trump soon responds that he has a bigger and more powerful nuclear button, "and my Button works!"

Jan. 9: North and South Korean officials meet in the border village of Panmunjom, and agree on North Korea sending athletes and delegates to the Olympics.

Feb. 9: Kim's sister, Kim Yo Jong, becomes the first member of North Korea's ruling family to visit the South since the end of the Korean War. She attends the Olympics opening ceremony and later tells South Korean President Moon Jae-in her brother desires to meet Moon in a summit soon.

March 7: After visiting Kim in Pyongyang, South Korean presidential national security director Chung Eui-yong says Kim is willing to discuss the fate of his nuclear arsenal with the United States and has expressed a readiness to suspend nuclear and missile tests during such talks.

March 9: Trump accepts Kim's invitation to meet, which the White House says will take place by the end of May.We know this much.

Its a mountain of a task for local companies from small countries like Samoa to break into some of the major overseas markets, which are dominated by big corporate companies. For the simple reason that these global conglomerates have the money, resources and political muscle to dominate.

But that hasnt stopped our people from trying.

And during the past few days, weve seen some wonderful examples of what could happen when local companies continue to put their best foot forward and work hard for their share of that global pie.

In the big scheme of things, it might not matter much in the eyes of the outside world. But thats not the point. We believe that coming from a small country in the middle of the vast Pacific ocean; these are achievements worth celebrating and encouraging.

First there was the Vailima Beers big break into the U.S.A market, announced last week. Thanks to an agreement between Samoa Breweries Limited and Foredrinks LLC, people living in U.S. states including Washington, Oregon, Alaska, Idaho, California, Utah, Nevada, will soon be able to taste Vailima there.

People in Hawaii will follow suit and other states.

Entering into a market like the United States of America is not something you can do overnight, said Heath Baker, International Sales Manager.

National Sales Manager, Aumua George Avia, said the decision is all about taking the brand to their customers  especially thousands of Samoans overseas.

We know certainly that theres a lot of Samoans who used to live here in Samoa and in American Samoa that have moved to the U.S, he said. This is about taking a bit of home with you and keeping it there to the U.S. with yourself.

In the bigger scheme, its been an honour and pleasure to be giving such a wonderful product to the U.S. and to indulge them as well. Another part of the strategy is to help grow Samoa as well.

With the deal sealed on its 40th year anniversary, Prime Minister Tuilaepa Dr. Sailele Malielegaoi congratulated the company.

This investment also provides the platform for import substitution and employment creation for the people of Samoa, he said. I look forward to future developments with this exciting venture, which I am confident, will prosper and continue to ensure the financial stability to the Samoan families.

But beer is not the only Samoan product that is on its way to the big U.S. market. Yesterday, another local business, Pacific Oil, announced a major deal with U.S. multinational company, Dr. Bronners, where some three thousand tonnes of coconut oil from Samoa will be exported to the United States.

After years of negotiations, Pacific Oils Director, Fanene Samau Sefo, is excited about the potential not just for Pacific Oil but also for Samoan coconut farmers.

With the new joint venture, we are now paying a much higher price for copra than we ever used to because the price is now good, Fanene said.

At the moment we have 1,050 farmers who sell to us, but that list is expanding because what we have done in the past 16 months is convert all our farmers who supply us into organic and Fairtrade farmers.

All these farmers  and possibly more  stand to benefit from the deal.

The deal is we provide the oil and we sell it to them, Fanene explained. They (Dr. Bronners) came here about three years ago and started looking around for a company that could provide them with coconut oil.

Up until now, they have been getting their oil from the Philippines because they are the highest producers of coconut oil, but they werent happy with the quality.

So they tested the quality of our oil and they were very happy with it.

The rest as they say is history.

Now lets be realistic, just because these two companies have gotten a foot in the U.S. market doesnt mean that everything will be roses from now on. Far from it.

There will be many challenges along the way. This is only the beginning.

For Vailima, its about finding a niche market in such a global environment where there are so many other beers. Its about targeting a certain market who would realistically buy the product for one reason or another.

As for Pacific Oil, there are quality control issues they have to think about, especially for such a tough market as the United States. Then there is the question of whether there is enough local supply for coconut oil given the high demand for coconuts  green and otherwise - today. But these are some of the challenges. We are sure both companies have got them sorted.

Lastly, the Scientific Research Organisation of Samoa (S.R.O.S.) deserves to be commended for developing whiskey from our very own talo. Fascinating stuff.

Who wouldve thought that one day we could be talking about a whiskey made in Samoa, let alone from talo?

Ladies and gentlemen, these are exciting developments. Amidst the doom and gloom of the political sphere and everything else that is happening here, they are inspiring stories that we should be proud of and continue to encourage.

Congratulations to everyone involved and here is hoping for more and more similar stories. Have a wonderful Tuesday Samoa, God bless!Re: Samoa Airways teething problems

Its blue skies and peaceful times in Samoa; there is no civil unrest or coup of any sort.

So what excuses does Samoa Airways have for not being able to secure any bums on the seats?

Virgin Australia ran this route for 12 years and they were doing well on it ... so with V.A not allowed to fly in, why is S.A struggling to pick up the loads that V.A was carrying?

Samoa Airways offering pretty much the same airfares as Air NZ but with a free meal+23kgs something thats only available on Air NZ if you pay a more expensive fare?

My opinion?

The country is sick to their stomach with the government feeding them a lot of rubbish and all the secrecy surrounding the operation of this Government owned Airline.

The people are not behind the Airline, way too many secrets. V.A telling those 6000+ passengers last year that it was your fault that they cant fly to Samoa for Christmas wasnt helping too.

JamesDear Editor,

I am writing in response to your article titled Samoa Airways $2 m. teething problems.

Months ago (memory lapse), I wrote about how ludicrous and dumbfounded decision by the Samoan (Stui) Government to drop Virgin Airlines, after deciding (paper, scissors, rock?) to go it alone and present our beloved Samoa (by default) another national debt.

The direct answer to Samoa Airways teething problems, is egotistical oversight!

That is, when history like the Polynesian Airline era is presented to Parliament, and it is clearly described by economic analysts as a damning and bad economic venture, it should of sent the decision makers(Stui included) running and diving into the Mulifanua Wharf.

Do you think anyone from within the H.R.P.P, including Dr. Stui (with all his intellectual degrees and wisdom) should have deciphered the poor economic report of Polynesian Airlines, and simply decided there and then, that another National Carrier would become Samoas Achilles heel

The answer to my question is No, no one (that I am aware of) within the H.R.P.P put their hand up, and showed any fortitude and conscience to walk across the floor in protest to stand up for our 13-30year old generations, who will be repaying the debt Samoa Airways will incur long after the present decision makers have left the treasury coffers of Government in disarray.

Stui and his government have egos as big as an Emirate A380 Airline, and seeing how successful our cousins the Fijians have been with their own Airline. Well...Samoa had to have an Airline of its own, and at whatever cost to Samoa, even contrary to sound economic public opinion (including myself), that suggested to Stui otherwise.

The fact that Fiji (I believe) has been Stuis benchmark when he decided for Samoa Airways to become a reality was made purely upon Stuis (okay maybe a couple of his side kicks as well) ego, and how he is trying to emulate Prime Minister Bainimarama of Fiji (who has done wonders to stabilise Fiji economically and socially after their coups) to make Samoa a tourist mecca and an industrialised centre of importance within the Pacific Nations (similar to how Trump believes the U.S.A. are of importance to the world - with his finger on the N button, Trump is not to be taken lightly as opposed to Stui).

Samoa Airways was always on the back foot, when it started whereas.

Stui and his government were on their front foots with egos that simply rejected economic reasoning and believed history (Polynesian Airlines debacle) would not repeat itself on their watch!

Well....we are a few months in and Stui believes teething problems are what Samoa Airways is experiencing?

As per an earlier letter written in your Samoa Observer how it explained a citizen sitting at the Airport and counting the passengers coming off a Samoa Airways and a Fiji Airline flights.

It was interesting to note about 30 passengers from Samoa Airlines and about 200 passengers from Fiji Airlines disembarking. Well basic maths would suggests, that the lowest number of passengers would be an economic burden on an Airline as opposed to the 200 or so passengers?

Sadly, they (Stui and government) walk around Samoa enacting the character of the Emperor and his birthday suit, nothing is wrong and all is well around here in Samoa and certainly with Samoa Airways!

Finally, I am looking forward to flying into Samoa towards the end of the year, and have yet decided on which Airline my family and I will fly on.

I will not let my ego get in the way of my decision as I will discuss (with my wife) the best economic package that ensures we are living within our means as a family.

Still, I do hope the best for Samoa Airways, and that (hopefully) Stui and his sidekicks can iron out their teething problems along with their egos to ensure Samoa Airlines doesnt become another Polynesian Airline debacle, that almost bankrupted Samoa along with a few egos at the time. Faafetai,

Sau Matagi Iona TusaThree hospital workers, charged and accused of stealing pharmaceutical products from the Hospital Pharmacy last month, appeared in Court yesterday.

They are Pio Fesolai, Amanono Mafualo and Fou Sekone. The trio is accused of being part of an alleged ring to manufacture methamphetamine or ice.

Supreme Court Justice, Leiataualesa Daryl Clark, presided.

The Prosecution lawyer was Fuifui Ioane of the Attorney Generals Office.

One of the defendants, Sekone, was represented by Leafa Donald Kerslake. He entered a not guilty plea for his client.

Fesolai and Mafualo did not want lawyers.

For the defendant, Fou, the Court has noted down your not guilty plea through your counsel to all the charges, he said.

But as for the other two defendants, I believe this matter was called before Chief Justice Patu Tiavasue Falefatu Sapolu and he asked you whether you want to engage a lawyer and you said no.

So are you ready to respond to the charges against you?

Both defendants said yes.

In reading out the Police summary of facts, all three defendants face charges of theft as servants.

It says in between November 1, 2017 and January 1, 2018, 31-year-old Amanono Afualo of Vaitele Fou and Fusi Safotulafai, a former employee of the National Health Service, took six large boxes of paracetamol, which cost $660 for one box and total amount of these six boxes is $3,960 products of the National Health Service.

Mafualo pleaded not guilty.

Secondly, at Motootua in between December 31, 2017 and January 1, 2018, all three of you were employed by the National Health Services. You took 16 large boxes of paracetamol estimated to $10,560, products of the National Health Services.

Fesolai and Mafualo both entered guilty pleas to this charge.

Fesolai faced a third charge.

It states in between November 1, 2017 and January 1, 2018, you were employed by the National Health Service, you took six large boxes of paracetamol which estimated to $3,960, products of the National Health Services.

Fesolai pleaded not guilty.

Justice Leiataualesa adjourned the matter for hearing on 17 July 2018.

In respect of the guilty pleas, those should be sentenced after the hearing, he told the prosecution as well as the defense counsel.

In respect of the defendant, Fou, through your counsel, your not guilty pleas to all the charges are noted.

For you Amanono, your plea of not guilty to the one charge is noted and your guilty plea to the other charge is noted.

And for Pio Fesolai your guilty plea to S275/18 is noted and your not guilty plea to S146/18 is noted.A father and daughter pleaded guilty to the charge of incest in the Supreme Court yesterday.

Tevaga Faamanu, 58, and his daughter, Faasiliga Faamanu, 35, of Samalaeulu, Savaii, appeared before Supreme Court Justice, Leiataualesa Daryl Clarke.

Tevaga was represented by lawyer, Diana Roma, while Maiava Visekota Peteru represented Faasiliga Faamanu.

The Prosecutor was lawyer, Fuifui Ioane, of the Attorney Generals office.

The Court has noted down your guilty pleas through your counsels this morning (yesterday), Justice Leiataualesa told the defendants.

Therefore this matter is adjourned to 26 March, 2018, at 12:30pm for sentencing and also for pre-sentence report.

On 29 January 2018, when the matter was first called during criminal mention before Chief Justice Patu Tiavaasue Falefatu Sapolu, it was reported that the defendants were brother and sister.

Yesterday, Ms. Ioane corrected this. She said the defendants were in fact a father and his biological daughter.

In Court, Tevaga said they have been banned from their village in Savaii and at the time they were in custody.

Chief Justice Patu granted bail for them at the time.

They were ordered to reside at Vaivase-uta and surrender all their travel documents.

They were also told sign in at the Apia Police Station as part of their bail conditions.

For Faasiliga, she was ordered to sign in at the Apia Police Station every Tuesdays and Thursdays before midday.

Her father was ordered to sign in every Mondays and Wednesdays.

Chief Justice Patu at the time also told them to live separately.

I know you will both reside at Vaivase-uta, but you must live separately from each other, he told the defendants.

You must not stay together otherwise the Police will detain you again, and you will be held in custody until the Court comes up with a decision.

The matter was reported to the Police on 16 January 2018, by a village member.Prime Minister, Tuilaepa Dr. Sailele Malielegaoi, has turned on critics of government-owned Samoa Airways who have continued to question the performance of the airline, calling them stupid.

He was particularly scathing of the Editor of the Samoa Observer over the Sunday Samoans front page story titled Samoa Airways $2m teething problems.

In the real world, a loss made in the first two months may be offset in months three; four and five, Tuilaepa told the Samoa Observer during an interview in his office yesterday. It can be a loss again in months six, seven and eight and that can be money earned in nine, ten, eleven and twelve, which will offset the negative results in the earlier months of a business.

What goes in the airline business is true in any kind of business, the Samoa Observer, Time Magazine or in Playboy. And it is not uncommon that a loss made in some months may be offset in later months.

Tuilaepa reminded that Samoa Airways is still a baby. He said critics who say the airline is already running at a loss are "stupid."

This great airline of Samoa has only started in four months and the Samoa Observer writes a stupid headline based on ignorance, he said, adding that the Airline is going through the same phase the stupid editor went through when he was a baby.

When he was just born, he rolled on his stomach, after sucking his big toes, the same toes that began to grow later, then he walked and then run.

Tuilaepa reiterated that a loss or profit can never be determined after the first five months of operation.

An ordinary person who does not understand the technicality surrounding businesses can easily make a stupid mistake on the basis of an equally stupid report that the company is broke and therefore it should wind up.

He said people calling on the Government to be transparent with the Airlines current financial situation are also stupid.

Have you ever seen a business report in five and half months?

"They dont do that because it is not a business practice. And it is not a reliable basis upon which a tax payment to Government is based. There is no tax payment on income earned in a five months period or a six months period or in a seven months period. That is not in accordance with the law.

The same principle applies all over the world, Tuilaepa said.

And so is Samoa and the great Airline called the Samoa Airways. Now all businesses, wherever it is established, follow the same practice.

Every big business is set up with the assumption that it will continue to exist forever. It is a universal convention for all business to follow, it is assumed to have a continuous life to eternity and the most accurate picture of its operation, whether it is a loss or profit, can only be determined at the end of its life.

The only business that its profit can be accurately determined is a one-day business. One that is an ice cream bar that is put up during Flag Day or a chopsuey stall. That is the only kind of business you can determine to the final cent the accuracy of the profit making. Because it is the only business where you can total up the actual revenue, minus the actual expenditure equals the actual profit.

That said, the Prime Minister said a profit or loss for the Airline will not be known until the end.

The airline will not elaborate until we get the final picture. The month to month returns are needed by the management to ensure what needs to be addressed, and that includes issues such as the cost.

Tuilaepa also turned his attention to a Cabinet Minister and government sources who claimed the monthly losses are accumulating and have reached more than $2million.

Its an indication of how stupid that person is. Those issues are internal and for management only, he said. It does not cast a good reflection on an airline that we all need to support.

He explained that with every business, there are targets and thats why the Government wants monthly reports about the performance of the Airline. He said the same principle is used by big companies in Samoa including Frankies, AH Liki Wholesale and global airlines like Hawaiian Airlines, Fiji Airways, Emirates, American Airlines and more.

Do you find these companies issuing audited financial statements after five months of operation? Never. But they do provide internal reports of earnings and expenditures on a month basis only for management purposes. Yes but never for publication. Why? Because all these are estimates to help the management.

Prime Minister Tuilaepa wouldnt say whether Samoa Airways is meeting its monthly targets.

In the meantime, he said he is saddened by members of the business community who continue to nag and gossip about the state of the airline. He wouldnt say who they are.

These are the people who should show strong support, most especially those in the tourism sector, Tuilaepa said. Just like overseas people living in New Zealand, they have been complaining about it, yet they dont utilise our airline. When they talk its as if the moon will fall from the heavens, yet they show no support.

The Prime Minister also revisited the issue of Virgin Samoa.

One of the biggest downfalls in the joint venture with Virgin Australia is that instead of low airfares that we agreed to in the first place, the airline charged extremely high airfares, that our people could not afford. On top of that they cut down the flights, to make the exorbitant fees convincing.

The moment we announced that we would resume our airlines suddenly out of the blues, they said they would increase flights because they just discovered there are a lot of tourists that wanted to fly to Samoa.

This is a typical lie, imposed by a major international airlines to our smaller country in order to make profits out of our sweat.

Tuilaepa said all major international airlines do exactly the same.

Unfortunately, when we tried to draw the attention of their government to this blatant practice, they hide behind the Laissez-faire.

The Government quotes to me the Laissez-faire doctrine, which means they do not interfere with the work of their Government, businesses which operates completely on commercial principles. But we are dealing with real people.

Tuilaepa said Samoan people are very happy now.

Since we put up our airline, the reality since is that we now have affordable airfares for our people; which would never have happened if we did not fly our Samoa Airways.

Lastly, he delved into Polynesian Airlines and why the Government did not keep the name.

Polynesian can refer to any country, he said. It may be referred to as Tokelau or Easter Island, which is why we threw away that useless label that has no identity. We put in Samoa Airways there to reflect that this beautiful airline is owned by us, Samoans, not some vague label that might be taken as owned by the Lau Group of Fiji.

The Prime Minister again turned on the Samoa Observer. Referring to the front page of the Sunday Samoan, he said he hopes this is the last nonsense I read from this great newspaper he went on to accuse of confusing readers.

Lastly I love you all faalausosoo (continuously), he laughed.Bluesky is considering a digital solution as a possible way foward for the annual Telephone Directory.

The last edition printed was for 2014-2015.

But the company is conducting a scoping exercise to evaluate the viability of the publication.

The biggest challenge has been the production of printing physical copies for all users, Bluesky Samoas Country Manager, Alex Abraham said in a statement issued by the company.

We still have large quantities of the last printed copy uncollected by business and residents. A digital solution will give access countrywide to everyone.

According to the statement, Bluesky acknowledged that they are aware of the order by the office of the Regulator (O.O.T.R.) for the requirement to provide directory services.

As the dominant fixed line operator, Bluesky Samoa is required to publish and provide directory services. After the last edition in 2014-15 the production of physical directories was halted due to significant cost increase to produce, and the production of physical directories not being financially viable, the statement reads.

Bluesky continues to offer directory services via the call centre (933) whereby over 60% of calls received is to provide directory services. This service is accessible to anyone that requires the services 24/7, 365 days a year.

With the global trend moving towards digitalization, Bluesky is conducting a scoping exercise to evaluate the viability of this service and discuss with relevant stakeholders to find better ways to offer these services.The Government has re-advertised the multi-million-tala Medcen Hospital facility at Vailima which has been on the market for several years now.

This time, the facility is being advertised by the Land Board through the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (M.N.R.E.).

The expression of interest (E.O.I.) is signed by M.N.R.E. Chief Executive Officer, Ulu Bismark Crawley.

It is unclear why the property has now been advertised by the M.N.R.E.

In the past, it was the Development Bank of Samoa that had advertised it.

E.O.I. from interested investors and or parties to express interest to develop and or invest on the lease of 2 1.2 acre of land with an area of 10,222 square meters bearing legal description Lot 2180 plan 6029 and the exiting building, previously used for the Medcen Hospital, the notice reads.

The interested parties are at liberty to submit its E.O.I. on how it proposes to utilise and develop the land and building as an investment utility that will provide opportunities to cater and accommodate for social and economic needs.

The property is located in close proximity to our National health center, regional organisation offices (S.P.R.E.P.), schools, embassies of different countries, government ministries outlet (M.N.R.E./M.A.F.), tourist sites, and town area which not only enhances but also enriches the value added opportunities for any investment venture to foster and nurture in this area.

Interested parties must submit an E.O.I. with evidence to support that they have legal capacity to enter into contracts for the development and divestment of the old Medcen building.

They have financial resources in support of its proposal to develop, utilise and invest on a 21.2 acre of land and building there on.

They possess the relevant technical and organisational capacity, experience and professionalism to divest and also propose a business plan including past or present experiences on similar projects.

According to the E.O.I, all expressions of interest will be carefully assessed by the Land Board and successful applications will be notified accordingly.

In May, 2017, the Development Bank of Samoa re-advertised the property for sale or as lease-to-own.

As reported earlier, the Minister of Finance, Sili Epa Tuioti, said while the hospital no longer operates, the building is owned by the D.B.S.

They have not been able to offload the building to sell because its on Government land, Sili said during a previous interview.

They need to come to some discussion with the Land Board about the land. It makes sense for Development Bank to sell it (building) unless the Government has any use of that land and building and get a decent return for the building.

Sili added the sooner we let it (building) go to government cooperation, the better, because every year it sits there not being utilised causes further deterioration to the building.

Before the launch of Medcen in 1998, a keen supporter of the project, the Pacific Islands Investment Facility (P.I.I.F.), promised the hospital would "upgrade standards, relieve pressures on the public system, incorporate special programmes to bring benefits to the wider community, save foreign exchange, and by providing improved health care, support increased tourism and foreign investment.

But several years ago, the hospital ran into financial problems.

D.B.S. then moved in and took over the assets and equipment. The Bank was Medcen's biggest creditor, and had poured $2million into the project.New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern is standing by her countrys immigration laws requiring Samoans to go through a stringent screening process to obtain a visa to visit New Zealand. This is despite the two countries sharing a Treaty of Friendship. Do you think this is fair? Reporter, Nefertiti Matatia, asked the public in todays Street Talk and this is what they said:

Faaofonuu Iosefo Faamausili, 57, Sogi

I have been village mayor for three years and this is an issue that is raised by the people all the time. People raising their concerns that there should not be any visas, they always question why we have to apply for a visa and the people who come into our country do not do that. Whenever I think about it, if the people from overseas travel here to Samoa for a holiday without a visa, then it should be the same for us Samoans when we travel. I think there should be changes made so it will be much easier for people to travel around. There are some people who wait for a very long time for their visa and it never comes. I have lived in New Zealand for 10 years and I have worked there too, but I have decided to move back and to look after my mother who has now passed away. I now have a family and children, which is why I have stayed here permanently. In my own understanding, it is a very long process that we have to undergo. There is no place in the world that is cheap, everything is costly whether we like it or not. Samoa in my own understanding is one of the richest countries there is. if we use our resources wisely, but it is just the people do not work.





Vili Vili, 57, Falefa

It is time for the New Zealand Government to rethink their decision and allow our people to travel directly to N.Z. The cost of living has become unaffordable for most people in our country. There is a lot of money spent on visas, but we also need to pay for our fares as well. This is my own opinion, since I am one of the people who live here and we struggle to apply. There is also so much paper work that needs to be done before getting on a plane. I hope there is another way or something else that we could do so that the people will not be able to go through this long process. I have travelled before and I understand the amount of money that has to be spent on visas, we need to take passport photos as well, which is all part of the visa application. There are certain cases where I have lost my birth certificate and then I would have to replace it and also costs money. It will be helpful if there was no visa needed anymore.

Katalina Tuasivi, 62, Matautu-Uta

I hope New Zealand will understand the struggle that we face. We were also under their administration back in the time. I am begging the Government of New Zealand to please not carry on with their immigration policy because there is so much money spent on getting one person to travel to their country. There are some cases that have happened in the past where our visas get declined and when we ask for our money to be refunded, they say that we cannot get it back. So for me, that is a great loss. There are some of people who just want to go for a trip and not stay permanently, they just want to see what it looks like there and return to Samoa. The New Zealand Government should trust us because we have known each other for a very long time and we have a history together. Mika Eliapo, 24, Vaiusu The Government of New Zealand should reconsider the immigration policy that they have. I know that they believe the policy they have created helps the people of Samoa, but I am one of those people who are still waiting. I keep on applying for a visa because I want to have an experience of better opportunities abroad for me and my small family, but the process is very long. There are so many of us who are still waiting. Some families that have moved overseas have to stay there for quite some time to get the citizenship. There are times when we have family commitments such as funerals that we want to come back to Samoa for, but we cannot. We have to stay there because we just arrived. They should really consider opening the doors for each person in Samoa, it will help them a lot and I know that for sure. Carol Bilbo, 64, Vaitele-Fou I disagree with New Zealands immigration policy because when they travel to Samoa, they dont require a visa. For the people of Samoa, they need to pay for visas to be able to travel to New Zealand. This is the same case if Samoan citizens travel to American Samoa; they need to have a permit in order for them to go to their country. I believe if we are going to have people apply for visas, the number of tourists who travel to Samoa will decrease, so it is best that we dont do that.



Orexigen Therapeutics filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection and will pursue a sale of its assets, the obesity weight loss drugmaker said Monday.

Shares of the San Diego company dropped 76 percent after the announcement. At Mondays close, shares sold for 34 cents apiece, a loss of $1.06 since Fridays close.

Orexigen had high expectations for its prescription drug, Contrave, but failed to achieve the hoped-for financial success, analysts said. Sales didnt reach the level needed to satisfy obligations to creditors.

The company has faced competition from Arena Pharmaceuticals, also based in San Diego, and Vivus, of Mountain View. All companies in the field have had to contend with strict oversight from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, worried about potential health complications, especially heart problems.

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None of the three have fared well in the weight-loss market. However, Arena has found renewed investor enthusiasm after it turned away from its weight-loss drug Belviq, replaced its leadership, and is now focused on other drugs.

Arenas market value has reached $1.6 billion, an increase of 178 percent over a year ago. And the market value of Vivus, now about $62 million, has dropped to slightly more than half its value a year ago.

Orexigen has been hardest hit. Its market value fell Monday to less than $7 million.

The FDA has properly focused on approving drugs for life-threatening conditions, said John McCamant, editor of the Medical Technology Stock Letter in Berkeley.

But diet drugs? Lets be honest, McCamant said. There are alternatives.

Bud Leedom, president of Leedom Asset Management in San Diego, said Contrave sales were far below what was needed to recoup its development costs. And that is because doctors simply werent recommending Contrave enough.

Its up to the physician to prescribe, Leedom said. If youre not convincing physicians this is a safe alternative for their patients, youre really not going to get very far.

Drug still available

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Orexigen said the sale is expected to be concluded by July 2, and is supported by a controlling number of its senior secured noteholders. These have provided $35 million in financing, ensuring it can meet its normal obligations while conducting the Chapter 11 sale.

Meanwhile, Contrave has become the most-prescribed weight loss drug brand in the United States, Orexigen said. Sales increased from about $47 million in 2016 to about $75 million in 2017.

In a statement on its website, Orexigen reassured patients they could still get Contrave.

This will not affect your ability to start and stay on Contrave, the statement said. Contrave will continue to be available at your local pharmacy and through our free home delivery service.

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Orexigen could become profitable by 2019 under its current operating model, were its debt not so high, CEO Michael A. Narachi, said in a declaration in support of the bankruptcy filing.

As of Sept. 30, Orexigen had an accumulated deficit of $765.6 million, mostly due to the cost of clinical development of Contrave, the declaration stated.

Orexigen continues to incur losses, and its ability to successfully transition to profitability is dependent upon achieving a level of revenues adequate to support Orexigens cost structure and/or reducing Orexigens cost structure, Narachi said in the filing.

The bankruptcy case documents can be found at https://www.kccllc.net/orexigen.

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Competition and safety concerns

Contrave is a combination of two drugs. One is the antidepressant bupropion, sold under the brand name Wellbutrin. The other is naltrexone, used to treat dependence on opioids and alcohol.

Contrave was approved by the FDA in September 2014, making it the last of the three competitors to get its drug on the market. The first to be marketed, Qsymia, from Vivus, began sales in September 2012. The second, Belviq, developed by Arena Pharmaceuticals, started sales in June 2013.

Contrave was rejected in 2011 by the FDA, which said it was concerned about the drugs cardiovascular risks. The company had to agree to additional safety studies.

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Both Belviq and Qsymia were rejected in 2010, and the FDA likewise required more safety studies as a condition of approval.

The FDAs cautious approach was an aftermath of the fen-phen debacle of the late 1990s. Cases of heart-related deaths and injuries were reported to occur in users of fen-phen, a combination of the appetite suppressants fenfluramine and phentermine.

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Science Playlist  On Now In a first, scientists rid human embryos of a potentially fatal gene mutation by editing their DNA On Now Space station flyovers visible from San Diego this week 0:55 On Now UCSD's 'ghost drivers' begin testing people's reaction seemingly empty cars 1:29 On Now 10 interesting facts about Mars On Now Kids can add years to your life On Now LA 90: SpaceX launches recycled rocket On Now Big passions, big giving: Malin Burnham 2:30 On Now Big passions, big giving: Darlene Shiley 2:40 On Now Big passions, big giving: Joan and Irwin Jacobs 2:45 On Now Ocean temperatures warming at rapid rate, study finds

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(619) 293-1020Coming just days after Sempra Energy wrapped up the largest acquisition in the companys history, Debra Reed announced Monday that she will be stepping down as president and CEO.

Reed, 61, has led the San Diego-based Fortune 500 company since 2011 and is not only one of the few women running a major corporation but is one of the only women at the top of a major energy company.

Shes had a tremendous career and she has been a trailblazer for women at the top of electric utilities in the United States, said Gary Ackerman, executive director of the Western Power Trading Forum, an organization based in Sacramento whose 90 members in the West buy and sell power.

Sempras board of directors elected company chief financial officer Jeff Martin to assume Reeds chief executive officer role and group president of infrastructure businesses Joseph Householder to take over the duties as company president.

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Reed will retain her CEO and president duties until May 1 and will stay on until Dec. 1, serving as Sempra Energys executive chairman. She did not give a specific reason for her retirement but in a statement Monday morning alluded to her long tenure at the company.

Last month, I reached my 40th year in the Sempra Energy family of companies, Reed said.

Late last week, Sempra completed the final steps to acquire Oncor, the largest utility in Texas, for $9.45 billion.

The transaction greatly expands Sempras reach into one of the biggest energy markets in North America and, together with subsidiaries San Diego Gas & Electric and Southern California Gas, creates a utility holding company with the largest customer base in the U.S.

Sempra also has assets in Mexico and South America and, along with international partners, is building a liquefied natural gas (LNG) facility in Louisiana and has plans to build another in Port Arthur, Texas.

Reed started with SoCalGas in 1978, shortly after graduating from USC with a degree in civil engineering. Within 10 years, she became the companys first female officer.

In her time with the company, Reed held no less than 15 executive positions, including assisting in the $6.2 billion merger that created Sempra itself in 1998.

In an interview with the Union-Tribune last year, Reed spoke of being one of the few women holding upper management jobs in the energy and utilities business.

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As I was coming up to this job, being a woman at an energy company was not common, Reed said. And to become an officer when I was 32, I was the first. I was the youngest and first. I was at SoCalGas at the time.

I had guys who worked for the company 30-odd years who were reporting to me. They had worked at the company longer than I had been alive. That brings more challenges.

Reed said her leadership style is rooted in collaboration.

Im very much a team-oriented person, she said. I love to have diverse viewpoints because I think we make better decisions.

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Under Reed, Sempra Energys market value more than doubled, reaching nearly $29 billion.

In her seven years as CEO, Debbie Reed has sharpened Sempra Energys strategic focus and led the company to new heights, said William C. Rusnack, Sempras lead director.

According to filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, Reeds salary in 2016 was $1.39 million and she received a $1.83 million bonus. With restricted stock that vested in 2016, Reeds compensation was $16.66 million.

Reed is one of 27 female CEOs of Fortune 500 companies and from 2011 to 2017 was recognized as one of Fortune magazines Most Powerful Women in Business.

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Her tenure as CEO and president demonstrated vision in an industry that is sometimes criticized for having very little, Ackerman said. I would say thats her hallmark.

There were challenges, too.

In 2015, the largest methane leak from a natural gas storage facility in U.S. history occurred at the Aliso Canyon site operated by SoCalGas. The leak led to the evacuation of thousands of residents in the Porter Ranch subdivision in Los Angeles County.

In 2007, deadly wildfires broke out in San Diego County that killed two people, injured 40 firefighters and forced more than 10,000 to seek shelter at Qualcomm Stadium.

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The California Public Utilities Commission last November rejected a request from SDG&E to pass onto ratepayers $379 million in costs related to the fires, agreeing with a pair of administrative law judges at the commission who concluded SDG&E did not reasonably manage and operate its facilities.

The utility wants the commission to re-hear the case and earlier this month Reed, in a conference call with analysts last month, called the ruling a terribly flawed decision and reiterated, If the CPUC decides not to rehear the decision, we will proceed expeditiously in the courts.

Rusnack said Reeds retirement and the promotions of Martin and Householder will ensure ample transition time for a smooth leadership succession.

Like Reed, Martin and Householder have a long history with Sempra and its subsidiaries.

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Before becoming CFO, the 56-year-old Martin was CEO and president at SDG&E and has been with Sempra Energy since 2004.

Householder, 62, joined Sempra in 2001 and for the past 14 months has overseen the companys operations in midstream, LNG, renewable energy and Mexico.

It certainly demonstrates a deep bench at Sempra, Ackerman said. These are really capable people with a wealth of experience in several different areas of the corporate structure. They are not new people who are hired from the outside and have to learn the business  I would have to say that its positive and I think the ratings agencies will look at it as positive, too.

Effective May 1, Martin will be added as a new member of Sempras board of directors.

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According to a form filed with the SEC on March 9, Martins annual salary as CEO will be $1.1 million and he is eligible for a bonus equal to 115 percent of his yearly salary ($1.265 million) based on company and Martins performance. Also, Martin has a long-term incentive plan of restricted stock units that vest if certain company performance criteria are met.

Householders new job will pay him $1 million a year with a targeted bonus of $1 million, excluding a long-term incentive plan made up of restricted stock units that vest contingent on company performance.

Sempra stock finished the trading day at $109.75, up 65 cents.

This story has been updated to include more details of the announcement, additional comments from Gary Ackerman, as well as comment from William Rusnack, quotes from Debbie Reeds interview with the Union-Tribune in 2017 and compensation figures.

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rob.nikolewski@sduniontribune.com

(619) 293-1251 Twitter: @robnikolewski

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Leadership Monday: Sempra CEO Debra Reeds leadership style rooted in team work

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Sempra officially wraps up deal to acquire Oncor

Sempra shakes up executive ranksKaren Villasenor, 12, was nervous prior to taking the stage Sunday at the International Mariachi Festival and Competition at Pepper Park in National City.

A trumpet player in El Cajons EJE Academies Charter School mariachi band, Villasenor said a few parts in the scheduled songs had her on edge.

She need not have worried.

The trumpet section rang out loud and clear from Villasenor and her classmates at EJE Academies, a school that enroll students in first through eighth grader. They were joined by young musicians from the National School District in National City, which offers a mariachi music program for elementary students.

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1 / 21 One of the violinist from the Mariachi Estrellas de Chula Vista plays during a solo performance. She and the group were performing on Sunday at the annual International Mariachi Festival in National City. (Nelvin C. Cepeda / San Diego Union-Tribune) 2 / 21 The violin line from Mariachi Estrellas de Chula Vista plays during a solo singing performance from one of their own fellow violinist. The group was performing on Sunday at the annual International Mariachi Festival in National City. (Nelvin C. Cepeda / San Diego Union-Tribune) 3 / 21 Samuel Vasquez from San Ysidro High School warmed up before competing in the annual International Mariachi Festival in National City. (Nelvin C. Cepeda / San Diego Union-Tribune) 4 / 21 Musicians warmed up off stage before performing and competing on Sunday at the annual International Mariachi Festival in National City. (Nelvin C. Cepeda / San Diego Union-Tribune) 5 / 21 Students from the National City School District, grades 1 through 8 performed for the cheering crowd at the annual International Mariachi Festival in National City. (Nelvin C. Cepeda / San Diego Union-Tribune) 6 / 21 Students from the Mariachi Ambiente group performed during Sunday for the annual International Mariachi Festival in National City. (Nelvin C. Cepeda / San Diego Union-Tribune) 7 / 21 Dancers from the group, Danza Folklorica Nanahuatzin danced several number for the crowd at the annual International Mariachi Festival in National City. (Nelvin C. Cepeda / San Diego Union-Tribune) 8 / 21 Mariachi Estrellas de Chula Vista played during their Sunday performance performance at the annual International Mariachi Festival in National City. (Nelvin C. Cepeda / San Diego Union-Tribune) 9 / 21 Students from the Mariachi Ambiente group performed during Sunday for the annual International Mariachi Festival in National City. (Nelvin C. Cepeda / San Diego Union-Tribune) 10 / 21 Students from National City, grade 1 through 8 performed for the cheering crowd at the annual International Mariachi Festival in National City. (Nelvin C. Cepeda / San Diego Union-Tribune) 11 / 21 A young girl from National City School District, grades 1 through 8 performed at the annual International Mariachi Festival in National City. (Nelvin C. Cepeda / San Diego Union-Tribune) 12 / 21 The girls from San Ysidro High School wore custom bow with their school name. (Nelvin C. Cepeda / San Diego Union-Tribune) 13 / 21 Students from the Mariachi Ambiente group performed during Sunday for the annual International Mariachi Festival in National City. (Nelvin C. Cepeda / San Diego Union-Tribune) 14 / 21 One of the violinist from the Mariachi Estrellas de Chula Vista plays during a solo performance. She and the group were performing on Sunday at the annual International Mariachi Festival in National City. (Nelvin C. Cepeda / San Diego Union-Tribune) 15 / 21 Students from the National City School District, grades 1 through 8, performed for the crowd at the annual International Mariachi Festival in National City. (Nelvin C. Cepeda / San Diego Union-Tribune) 16 / 21 The violin line from Mariachi Estrellas de Chula Vista plays during a solo singing performance from one of their own fellow violinist. The group was performing on Sunday at the annual International Mariachi Festival in National City. (Nelvin C. Cepeda / San Diego Union-Tribune) 17 / 21 Mariachi fashion at the annual International Mariachi Festival in National City. (Nelvin C. Cepeda / San Diego Union-Tribune) 18 / 21 Dancers from the group, Danza Folklorica Nanahuatzin danced several number for the crowd at the annual International Mariachi Festival in National City. (Nelvin C. Cepeda / San Diego Union-Tribune) 19 / 21 Mariachi fashion at the annual International Mariachi Festival in National City. (Nelvin C. Cepeda / San Diego Union-Tribune) 20 / 21 Students from the National City School District, grades 1 through 8, walk on stage to perform for the crowd at the annual International Mariachi Festival in National City. (Nelvin C. Cepeda / San Diego Union-Tribune) 21 / 21 Mariachi fashion at the annual International Mariachi Festival in National City. (Nelvin C. Cepeda / San Diego Union-Tribune)

These young musicians served as the opening act for a competition among high school mariachi bands, as well as well-known headliners, at the sixth annual festival hosted by the National City Chamber of Commerce and the Port of San Diego.

Mariachi bands usually made up of trumpeters, guitarists and violinists.

The National City Chamber of Commerce organized this annual festival and cultural celebration to promote youth development in the arts, in particular supporting Mexican heritage and holding onto the traditions of our ancestors through the study and practice of mariachi music, said Jacqueline Reynoso, CEO and president of the National City chamber.

About 15,000 people were expected to attend this year, transforming Pepper Park in a showcase of all things mariachi.

The festival included folkloric dances from the region and beyond. Among them were a group of 5 to 14 year olds from the Boys & Girls Club of Greater San Diego in National City, which offers an after-school ballet folklorico dance program.

Folklorico dancers performed at the Mariachi festival and competition. (Nelvin C. Cepeda/ San Diego Union-Tribune )

This year we added a fashion show, and its being organized by the San Diego continuing education program, said Reynoso. We are really excited to see that. Its a fashion show inspired by mariachi.

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Mariachi bands from Sweetwater High, San Ysidro High, Chula Vista High and Montgomery High competed for prizes ranging from $1,000 for first place to $250 for third place.

The headliners for the festival were Mariachi Aztlan from the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, which also served as judges for the high school competition. The marquee performer was Javier Rodriguez and Mariachi Los Reyes from Los Angeles.

In all, a dozen bands and eight folk dance groups took the stage Sunday.

Last week, there were two days of educational workshops at the University of San Diego where professional mariachi instructors showed high school students how to improve their musical skills. Instruction was led by renowned mariachi musicians Rigoberto Alfaro, Sergio Caratachea and Juan Manuel Arpero Ramirez.

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These are all very well-known artists who have written and played music with the best mariachis in the world, said Reynoso.

Mariachi Estrellas de Chula Vista played during their Sunday performance performance at the annual International Mariachi Festival in National City. (Nelvin C. Cepeda / San Diego Union-Tribune )

While high school mariachi performers attended workshops at USD, middle and elementary school musicians received training through a non-profit arts organization in National City.

This year we added the elementary school component to expand the scope of the study of mariachi music beyond high school, said Reynoso. We are starting to integrate into the school curriculum at a younger level.

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Cody Hines, 13, a seventh grader at EJE Academies Charter School, plays trumpet and drums in other ensemble bands at school. But he enjoys the upbeat tempo of mariachi best.

Its just a style thats fun to play, he said.

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mike.freeman@sduniontribune.com;

Twitter:@TechDiego

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760-529-4973A Sunday afternoon concert at the Athenaeum Music & Arts Library was billed as Celebrating Bernstein, but it was Bernsteins mentor, Aaron Copland, who stole the show.

Coplands neglected Sextet for Piano, Clarinet and String Quartet was given a crackling performance by clarinetist David Shifrin, pianist Jiacheng Xiong and the Zora String Quartet.

The Sextet is a reduction of Coplands Short Symphony, which was considered unplayable by American orchestras in 1934. Three years later, he arranged it for the unusual combination of clarinet, string quartet and piano.

The Short Symphony was written before Copland turned to musical populism. In its transformation as the Sextet, the outer fast movements are propulsive, with wide ranging melodies that bound over three octaves, but the inner slow movement hints at the serene pastoral music Copland would become known for in his ballets. It is magnificent mid-century American chamber music that deserves to be better known.

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All performers were affiliated with the Curtis Institute of Music as either alumni (David Shifrin), students (Jiacheng Xiong), or in residency there (the Zora String Quartet  keep an eye on them).

Another Curtis alum, Leonard Bernstein, was the focus of the program. This year is the Bernstein Centennial, and well be hearing a lot of his music.

His Sonata for Clarinet and Piano was composed when he was 21. Overshadowed by bigger, later accomplishments, this sonata has become standard repertory for clarinetists. Its a youthful work, displaying the harmonic and contrapuntal influence of Hindemith in the leisurely first movement, and the asymmetrical rhythms and piquant harmonies of Bartok and Copland in the second. We do get glimpses of the swagger and exhilaration of Bernsteins mature music.

Shifrin played with warm lyricism or high spirits as required. Xiong was a supportive partner, but used more pedal than Bernstein specified, and he could have brought his volume down considering the intimacy of the Athenaeum.

The addition of tenor Dominic Armstrong (another Curtis alumnus) allowed the program to dip into Bernsteins vast catalog of art songs, arias and show tunes. Armstrong had a lovely, rounded tone, capable of heart-melting pianissimos in his high register as well as bright, full-bodied notes. His diction was clear  a must for Bernstein  and he captured the emotions of each selection. However, he would have benefited by dialing it down a bit to better play the room. Xiong was his capable accompanist.

Armstrong sang Two Love Songs, the aria Ive Been Afraid from A Quiet Place, and a lovely lullaby that was cut from Peter Pan, Dream With Me. It was a special treat to hear My Twelve Tone Melody, a song Bernstein wrote for Irving Berlins 100th birthday. It combines, to hilarious effect, a 12-tone row with allusions to Berlins A Russian Lullaby and Always.

Bernsteins stature in 20th century classical music remains in dispute, but his score to West Side Story is one of theaters greatest. All seven musicians performed a suite of Songs and Dances from the musical in an effective arrangement by John B. Hedges. Armstrong was winning in Somethings Coming, radiant in Maria and Somewhere. The Dance at the Gym is brass-heavy in the original, but piano, clarinet and strings did great work conveying the pep and snarl of Bernsteins score. In the Coplandesque Ballet Sequence, they were divine.

Hertzog is a freelance writer.Beyonce and Jay-Z are embarking on an extensive world concert tour together that may or may not coincide with a reported joint album by the most famous husband-and-wife team in music history.

The On the Run II tour is the sequel to their 2014 joint tour, which included shows in 19 North American dates but skipped San Diego. This time around, San Diego is in the mix, with a Sept. 27 concert at SDCCU (formerly Qualcomm) Stadium.

Altogether, the On the Run II tour will visit 15 cities in Europe and 21 in North America, beginning July 25 in Cleveland. All dates, cities and ticket information appear below.

Tickets for the general public go on sale at 10 a.m. local time next Monday, March 19, at ticketmaster.com and by phone at (800) 745-3000.

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A pre-sale for Citi card members begins Wednesday at 9 a.m. in North America. Beyhive fan club members and TIDAL subscribers will also have a pre-sale opportunity for all dates on the tour.

To join the Beyhive for access to tour pre-sales, go to Beyonce.com. Likewise, TIDAL members can find pre-sale details on TIDAL.com or via the TIDAL mobile, web and desktop app.

Tickets prices for Beyonce and Jay-Zs Sept. 27 San Diego concert at SDCCU Stadium range from $49.50 to $350 each.

Beyonce will perform next month at the sold-out Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival in Indio. She bowed out of her 2017 performance at the festival after becoming pregnant with twins.

Jay-Zs most recent San Diego concert was in December at SDSUs Viejas Arena. Beyonces most recent show here was in May 2016 at Qualcomm Stadium, the since re-named venue she and Jay-Z will perform together at in September.

Their San Diego concert will follow a Sept. 22 concert by the couple at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena. The five-day gap between their Pasadena and San Diego shows suggests they might add more dates at the Rose Bowl, once the first one sells out.

Beyonce and Jay-Z On The Run II tour dates

June 06 Cardiff, UK Principality Stadium On sale March 23

June 09 Glasgow, UK Hampden Park On sale March 23

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June 13 Manchester, UK Etihad Stadium On sale March 23

June 15 London, UK London Stadium On sale March 23

June 19 Amsterdam, NL Amsterdam Arena On sale March 19

June 23 Copenhagen, DK Parken Stadium On sale March 19

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June 25 Stockholm, SW Friends Arena On sale March 23

June 28 Berlin, DE Olympiastadion On sale March 19

June 30 Warsaw, PL Stadion Narodowy On sale March 23

July 03 Cologne, DE RheinEnergieStadion On sale March 19

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July 06 Milan, IT San Siro On sale March 19

July 08 Rome, IT Stadio Olimpico On sale March 19

July 11 Barcelona, ES Olympic Stadium On sale March 19

July 14 Paris, FR Stade de France On sale March 19

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July 17 Nice, FR Allianz Riviera On sale March 19

July 25 Cleveland, OH FirstEnergy Stadium On sale March 19

July 28 Washington, DC FedEx Field On sale March 19

July 30 Philadelphia, PA Lincoln Financial Field On sale March 19

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Aug. 02 E. Rutherford, NJ MetLife Stadium On sale March 19

Aug. 05 Boston, MA Gillette Stadium On sale March 19

Aug. 08 Minneapolis, MN US Bank Stadium On sale March 19

Aug. 10 Chicago, IL Soldier Field On sale March 19

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Aug. 13 Detroit, MI Ford Field On sale March 19

Aug. 18 Buffalo, NY New Era Field On sale March 19

Aug. 23 Nashville, TN Vanderbilt Stadium On sale March 19

Aug. 25 Atlanta, GA Mercedes Benz Stadium On sale March 19

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Aug. 29 Orlando, FL Camping World Stadium On sale March 19

Aug. 31 Miami, FL Hard Rock Stadium On sale March 19

Sept. 11 Arlington, TX AT&T Stadium On sale March 19

Sept. 13 New Orleans, LA Mercedes-Benz Superdome On sale March 19

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Sept. 15 Houston, TX NRG Stadium On sale March 19

Sept. 19 Phoenix, AZ University of Phoenix Stadium On sale March 19

Sept. 22 Los Angeles, CA Rose Bowl On sale March 19

Sept. 27 San Diego, CA SDCCU Stadium On sale March 19

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Sept. 29 Santa Clara, CA Levis Stadium On sale March 19

Oct. 02 Vancouver, BC BC Place On sale March 19

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george.varga@sduniontribune.com

Twitter @georgevargaPresident Xi Jinping can now officially rule China for as long as hed like.

On Sunday afternoon, nearly 3,000 delegates to Chinas ceremonial parliament cast ballots in Beijings Great Hall of the People to amend the nations constitution, allowing Xi to potentially remain president well past 2023, when he was due to step down.

The amendment was widely expected  the parliament, called the National Peoples Congress, hasnt voted down a Communist Party decision in its 64-year history. Yet it marks a striking break from precedent. China added term limits to the constitution in 1982, after decades of Mao Tse-tungs disastrous political campaigns underscored the dangers of one-man rule.

Two delegates voted against the change and three abstained, giving Xi 2,958 votes  a 99.8% approval rate.

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Xi probably would have been unhappy with much less, said Willy Lam, an expert on Chinese politics at the Chinese University of Hong Kong who has written a book about the Xi era.

This constitutional revision came from him  it is fully his initiative, and it has been controversial within the party and among the people, he said. So he needs that extremely high approval reading to show that this is not a selfish initiative  this is not him wanting to become an emperor for life, but this is the will of the people.

Xi holds three posts: general secretary of the Communist Party, chairman of the Central Military Commission and president of the nation. The last is the least consequential and the only one that carried term limits  Chinas last two presidents, Hu Jintao and Jiang Zemin, each stepped down after two five-year terms. State media have cast the revision as a common-sense move to bring the presidency into line with the other two posts.

Yet Xis landslide vote belies a deep anxiety among Chinese intellectuals, students and former officials about the implications of his seemingly limitless power.

Li Rui, a 100-year-old former secretary to Mao, sees parallels between Xi and his former boss. The Soviet Union collapsed, but China didnt collapse, because Chinas cultural traditions preserved the Communist Party, Li told the Hong Kong-based newspaper Ming Pao. A country like China produced people like Mao Tse-tung. Now it gives birth to a Xi Jinping.

Chinese students abroad, in a rare show of dissent, have reportedly strewn fliers on campuses showing a photo of Xi superimposed with the words: Not my president. Censors have rushed to block open discussion of the revisions on social media sites; on Sina Weibo, Chinas version of Twitter, forbidden terms include reelection, proclaiming oneself an emperor and I dont agree. They have also banned images of Winnie the Pooh, a cartoon character that many Chinese internet users believe shares some of Xis features.

My greatest feeling is confusion and worry, said a graduate student studying social sciences in Beijing who requested anonymity to avoid official retaliation. The student questioned whether the revision implied that there are no institutional barriers to the return of totalitarianism.

Xi, 64, became president in 2013 and has since consolidated power with extraordinary speed and efficiency. He has punished millions of officials in a wide-ranging war on graft, both eliminating rivals and shoring up public support; silenced or jailed scores of activists and intellectuals, effectively quashing dissent; and entrenched party control across all levels of the economy, society and military. Some call him the chairman of everything.

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The National Peoples Congress meets annually, ostensibly to debate and discuss political decisions that will guide China for the coming year. Delegates come from all walks of life; they include low-ranking party secretaries and CEOs of powerful companies.

While the congress is almost certain to approve the decisions of a small handful of top leaders  or, in this case, Xi himself  experts say it is still careful to maintain at least an appearance of democracy.

Theres this idea that theyre channeling the voices of the people, said Isaac Stone Fish, a senior fellow at the Asia Society. These are representatives of the people. And the people have chosen Xi Jinping.

Other constitutional changes approved Sunday include the removal of term limits on the vice president, the establishment of a new national anti-corruption agency and the inclusion of Xis political ideology, Xi Jinping Thought, in the constitutions preamble.

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Chinas Politburo  its highest decision-making body  decided on the revisions at a meeting led by Xi in September and decided to introduce them to the parliament in January. It kept the proposal secret until a state media announcement on Feb. 25.

Delegates could potentially abstain from voting as a show of dissent, experts said  though the cost of crossing Xi virtually guaranteed a show of obedience.

The change is based on peoples will from the grass-roots to the top, Yin Yan, a delegate from Jiangsu, a province in eastern China, said in an interview. Extending Xis tenure will guarantee social stability and economic prosperity. I 100% support it.

ALSO

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Trump wants to punish China on trade, but his latest tariffs strike Asian allies instead

It took a deadly earthquake to get Taiwans attention, but now its demanding safer buildings

Whatever comes next, North Koreas Kim Jong Un can claim a win against Trump

Special correspondent Jessica Meyers contributed to this report.

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jonathan.kaiman@latimes.com

UPDATES:

9:50 a.m.: This article was updated throughout with staff reporting, analysis.

4:35 a.m.: This article was updated with details and quotes.

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This article was first posted at 12:05 a.m.Colombias fragile peace deal was under pressure after candidates who have vowed to dismantle portions of the historic accord made strong showings in weekend congressional and presidential primary elections.

Former president and now center-right Sen. Alvaro Uribe won the largest number of votes in his successful reelection bid while his partys presidential candidate, Ivan Duque, crushed other conservative contenders in the primary portion of the voting.

Both have said the peace deal signed by the government and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC, is too generous to the rebels, particularly justice provisions that set minimal terms for the most heinous of war crimes.

Followers of Nobel Prize laureate and President Juan Manuel Santos and candidates of a rebel party fared poorly. The election marked the first time members of the rebel party had run for office.

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Former Bogota Mayor Gustavo Petro also scored big Sunday in his presidential primary. The former M-19 rebel is running as an outsider promising to shake up the political order. Petros strength at the polls is a clear sign of Colombian voters increasing disenchantment with old-style politics and a seemingly endless string of corruption scandals, said Bruce Bagley, a professor of international relations at the University of Miami.

Leftist Colombian presidential candidate Gustavo Petro is a former mayor of Bogota. (Leonardo Munoz / EPA/Shutterstock )

Uribe was president from 2002 to 2010 and remains a powerful presence on Colombias political scene, though he is ineligible for another term as president. Uribe founded and leads the Democratic Center faction, which after gains Sunday now has the most seats of any party in the Senate and the second most in the Chamber of Representatives.

The left of center candidate Petro generally supports the peace agreement and has promised to advance social programs to reduce the nations social and economic imbalances. Uribe and Duque have accused him of favoring a Hugo Chavez brand of socialism while Petro has countered with accusations that Uribe sponsored right-wing paramilitary violence when he was president.

Duque and Petro lead the polls ahead of the May 27 first round of presidential voting. The top two finishers will meet in a June 17 runoff. No candidate among the dozen expected to run is likely to get a big enough chunk of the votes  50% plus one  to avoid a second round.

Two other presidential candidates, Sergio Fajardo of the Green Alliance and German Vargas Lleras of Radical Change, were not on the ballots Sunday but still have a chance of making the June 17 runoff, Bagley said, depending on the alliances they forge and their campaigns effectiveness.

Perhaps the biggest surprise of the balloting was the poor showing by candidates running under Santos U Party banner. Despite the sitting presidents international prestige for having been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2016, he is unpopular at home because of a sluggish economy and rising drug violence. His signature peace agreement was opposed by more than half the population in an October 2016 referendum.

The Santos bloc lost seven seats in the Senate and 12 in the lower chamber, falling to fifth and fourth place, respectively.

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Meanwhile, candidates of the FARC, the same initials as the rebel army but now standing as Spanish initials for the Common Alternative Revolutionary Force, made a miserable showing at the polls. Its candidates attracted fewer than 90,000 votes, compared with 500,000 that Senate candidate and party spokesman Carlos Antonio Lozada set as a goal.

Rebranded now as politicians, the former rebels have had difficulty escaping the long shadow left by a half century of killings, kidnappings and extortion, said political analyst Ariel Avila. He said many left-leaning voters chose other candidates they perceived as having better chances of winning.

Terms of the peace deal signed in November 2016 guaranteed the disarmed FARC at least 10 congressional seats  five in the Senate and five in the Chamber  in the 2018 and 2022 congresses. The former insurgents insisted on fielding a slate of candidates this year to demonstrate the grass-roots support they believed they enjoyed.

The FARCs campaign was also hurt by the withdrawal last week of presidential candidate Rodrigo Timoleon Londono, who suffered a heart attack and underwent emergency surgery.

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Turnout was 49% of 35 million eligible voters. Colombias Defense Ministry declared it the most violence-free election in a half century, largely because FARC was now part of the political process and not an outside agitator.

This is the first time in my life that I am voting and I am doing it for peace, said Senate candidate Pablo Catatumbo before casting his ballot on Sunday. He along with Lozada, Ivan Marquez, Victoria Sandino and Sandra Ramirez, who was the partner of late FARC founder Manuel Marulanda, will occupy the five Senate seats assigned to the former rebels by the peace deal.

Kraul is a special correspondentIn 2016, Gunnery Sgt. Scott D. Faulkner was a highly decorated Marine combat engineer poised for higher rank.

Less than two years later, Sgt. Faulkner left a Camp Pendleton courtroom as a convicted child abuser.

Uncovered by a series of Freedom of Information Act requests filed by The San Diego Union-Tribune over the past four months, Faulkners court-martial case shines the spotlight on a Marine Corps trying to balance a distinguished military career forged during long years of war with the crimes he committed after coming home.

Hes begging for clemency. His commanders are trying to kick him out after 15 years of service and what he said was a botched suicide attempt.

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Something happened to me. I was a guy who went into Iraq and I came back a different man, Faulkner, 34, told the Union-Tribune during a telephone interview. I dont even know how many firefights Ive been in, but I do know what happens to a man when he sees what are called collateral effects on people who didnt deserve it.

Following a plea agreement, Faulkner was convicted by a military judge on Jan. 9 at Camp Pendleton for beating his then-8-year-old daughter, for violating a military protective order barring him from visiting his wife and for being drunk and disorderly during the incident that occurred on base last spring.

He was busted down to sergeant and sentenced to 89 days in the brig. Another day tacked on his sentence would have reduced him to private, the lowest rank in the Corps.

Because hed already had spent 199 days in pretrial confinement, he walked out of the courtroom a free man.

Faulkner returned to his room at Wounded Warrior Battalion West, the special unit at Camp Pendleton where Marines and sailors suffering from wounds, injuries, mental illness and other ailments go to heal.

The Corps estimates that 90 percent of patients today wont be mended for battle but instead return to their hometowns.

Faulkner is awaiting disability ratings by the military and the Department of Veterans Affairs for combat post-traumatic stress disorder, traumatic brain injury, a fractured spine and other ailments.

Although Wounded Warrior officials are trying to administratively separate him from the Marines on an other-than-honorable discharge, hes submitted a clemency plea to senior commanders at Camp Pendleton and Quantico, Virginia, near where his wife and daughter relocated.

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It would allow him to leave with an honorable discharge after learning a trade. He takes his service dog with him to welding classes.

When the brass open his service record book, theyll see the page marred with his court-martial conviction but also entries for a Navy and Marine Corps Commendation medal, numerous other awards for outstanding military service and two combat action ribbons tied to brutal fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan.

A combat engineer, he said earning those two ribbons changed a young motivated Marine who enlisted out of patriotism and marched into 15 long post-9/11 years of fighting wars, returning from wars and then training for more wars.

He described watching artillery rounds that were intended to hit oil drums during the 2003 Battle of Nasiriyah instead tear apart civilians, and that moral wound of war widened over the years the more he thought about it.

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He blames part of his struggles on that and other bad days in Iraq and Afghanistan, but said he cant hide behind them.

I refuse to call myself a victim, Faulkner said. Im not a victim.

Throughout a pair of interviews, he consistently praised both the Marine Corps and its leaders, including those at the Wounded Warrior unit who charged him last July and December for a series of incidents dating back to the summer of 2016.

Military prosecutors claimed that he repeatedly disregarded an order issued by a superior commissioned officer to stay at least 100 feet away from an unnamed woman and her house.

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She wasnt his wife. He said that she was the spouse of a fellow Marine and he was only trying to be a friend.

Prosecutors sought to paint him as a stalker, accusing him of peeping into her windows, snooping to see if her doors were secured, jimmying a lock with a bobby pin to enter when she wasnt there and rifling through her underwear, but he insisted that none of those events happened. Prosecutors dropped the charges.

Instead, Faulkner admitted to striking his then-8-year-old daughter in the face and squeezing her neck during a springtime incident. It occurred when he violated a separate military protective order to stay away from his wife, records show.

Both orders had been issued by Wounded Warrior commander Lt. Col. Stephen Slade Mount, himself a highly decorated Marine who lost an eye to an insurgent bullet while flying his attack helicopter during the Battle of Najaf in 2004.

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Mount, 44, did not return messages from the Union-Tribune.

In a 2016 interview with the newspaper at Camp Pendleton, Mount said that his wounds helped him empathize with struggling Marines. At the same time, he needed to hold service members  even senior leaders with multiple combat tours  accountable for misconduct back home.

Theres a full spectrum of guys here who all deserve my best and my staffs best. I cant afford to have preconceived biases like, Hey, a combat veteran is worth more than the non-deployed guy, Mount said.

His words were echoed in a Thursday email to the Union-Tribune from Capt. Andrew Bolla, spokesman for the Wounded Warrior programs regimental headquarters in Virginia.

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One of the challenges at the Wounded Warrior Regiment, as with any unit, is trying to balance the requirements of good order and discipline with empathetic leadership for Marines and sailors, Bolla said. Similar to the civilian judicial system, proceedings under the Uniform Code of Military Justice allow for character testimony and for a convicted individual to provide an explanation of extenuating circumstances as mitigation during the sentencing phase. An individualized sentence takes into account the relevant circumstances of both the crime and the individual.

Questions remain about how much commanders in Virginia know about Faulkners case.

Camp Pendleton authorities placed him into pretrial confinement on June 24 following the incident with his wife and daughter, which he said was a cry for help and which became the foundation of his plea deal.

Faulkner drove to his wifes home carrying a Glock 34 pistol and a plan to commit suicide later after meeting with his loved ones, but it degenerated into a squabble, he recalled.

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I wanted to see my wife and daughter one last time, he said.

He hit his daughter. His wife called authorities. He went to the brig.

Faulkner told the Union-Tribune that he hated being in jail but it gave him time for self-examination, as a one-time Marine Corps Engineer School instructor of the year. He had been on the path to first sergeant and, he prayed, retirement at the highest Marine enlisted rank of sergeant major.

But there was no saving his career now. It came down to saving his own life.

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I never asked for help for myself. It was always about what I could do for my Marines, he said.

Reached by telephone, his wife told the Union-Tribune that the family planned to reunite in Virginia when Faulkner exits the Corps.

To understand how the armed forces and the larger society should look at cases like Faulkners after nearly two decades of war overseas, the Union-Tribune reached out to foremost experts on the moral wounds of war, the militarys criminal justice system and battlefield ethics.

All agreed that Faulkner presents a complex case. None would diagnose his condition or recommend a course of action for him or the military, but all spoke of similar Marines theyve encountered in their work.

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Can service members be transformed by high stakes violations of deeply held identity- and well-being-sustaining beliefs about right and wrong? Yes. Can the disruption be extensive and life-altering? Yes. Is it the sole precipitant of the spiraling of events that led to this Marines current situation? I could not know. It is arguably rare for a single insult to cause such a sad mess, but it is possible, said Dr. Brett T. Litz, a clinical psychologist at the VA Boston Healthcare System and professor at Boston University and the worlds top authority on the moral injuries of war, in an email to the Union-Tribune.

Can this kind of event be traumatizing and cause PTSD? Yes. What other types of harms may arise from this kind of experience? Shame, guilt, anger, rage, and withdrawal. In our work, we have seen some Marines shattered and disrupted in their identities and beliefs about themselves and the world because of stark high stakes betrayals of expectations about what they thought leaders, peers, themselves, and the culture could or should do.

To retired Lt. Col. Robert Butch Bracknell, a career Marine armored warfare officer and military attorney, its also important to note that many thousands of service members have returned from war without committing crimes and the Corps has hiked spending on programs to address mental illness while also tamping down the stigma of seeking help.

Commands should consider PTSD and moral injury when deciding on the disposition of any particular case  that is, in deciding the forum for adjudication, reaching a plea agreement and considering petitions for clemency  but the needs of the commands to maintain discipline and achieve accountability for criminal misconduct are probably the most important factors, he said.

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The Marine Corps has not set a deadline for a decision on Faulkners clemency plea.

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cprine@sduniontribune.comMore people with no criminal history were arrested by San Diegos Immigration and Customs Enforcement in the first quarter of fiscal 2018 than anywhere else in the country.

The San Diego field office for ICE, which covers San Diego and Imperial counties, was the only field office in the country where the majority of arrests  at about 72%  were of noncriminals, according to data from the agency.

Between October and December, ICE officers here arrested 1,622 people without criminal records, and 637 people with criminal records.

The Atlanta field office, which covers three states  Georgia, South Carolina and North Carolina  had the second highest number of noncriminal arrests at 1,592. That was about 41% of the arrests for that field office, where 2,343 people with criminal records were arrested by ICE.

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ICE arrests of noncriminals in the San Diego/Imperial counties reflect trends involving illegal immigration activity at the local borders, apprehensions made during routine fugitive operations and individuals encountered at the local jails, said Lauren Mack, a spokeswoman for ICE.

For other field offices along the border, the highest percentage of noncriminal arrests was 43% in Phoenix, where ICE took 733 people with no criminal histories into custody.

Some attorneys speculated that ICE was pushing to make more arrests before SB 54, a California bill limiting local police cooperation with federal immigration officials, took effect in January.

Other field offices in California did not reflect San Diegos trend. In Los Angeles, ICE officers arrested 357 noncriminals, which was about 16% of the field offices arrests. In San Francisco, officers arrested 373, which was about 22% of the field offices arrests.

Within days of taking office, President Trump expanded the agencys enforcement priorities from those with serious criminal convictions to a broader list of people including those who had any criminal conviction, who had been charged but not convicted, who had done anything that could be charged as a crime, or who had already been ordered deported.

According to a recent Pew Research Center analysis, noncriminal arrests increased 49% in San Diego in fiscal 2017. The Atlanta and Philadelphia field offices tied for the largest increase at 323%.

As stories about families whose loved ones were targeted have been repeatedly spotlighted by media across the country and data from Trumps first year in office showed an uptick in noncriminal arrests, ICE has insisted that it focuses on criminals but that anyone without authorization to be in the U.S. could end up arrested.

While ICE continues to prioritize its enforcement resources to focus on individuals who pose a threat to national security, public safety and border security, the agencys acting director has made it clear that ICE will not exempt classes or categories of removable aliens form potential enforcement, Mack told the San Diego Union-Tribune on multiple occasions. All of those in violation of our nations immigration laws may be subject to arrest, detention and, if found removable, he or she will be removed from the United States.

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Ginger Jacobs, an immigration attorney in San Diego, said that in her time practicing, shes noticed that the San Diego field office always works hard to follow orders from headquarters.

My perception as an attorney is that our local ICE office is very responsive to policy being set in Washington, D.C., Jacobs said.

Jacobs whos been practicing since George W. Bushs administration, said that during that time and into the first part of the Obama administration, the main reasons that people would end up being arrested by immigration officials were checkpoints and interactions with local law enforcement.

Collateral arrests happened, she said, but not frequently.

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Beginning in 2011, she said, incremental changes in policy under former President Obama brought about more targeted enforcement.

Those changes have reversed under Trump, she said, and arrests happen in circumstances that wouldve been rare even under Bush.

It turned into a zero tolerance policy, Jacobs said. Its like Bush on steroids.

She has clients who have no criminal history and no prior deportation orders who have been targeted at their homes, she said.

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Going to somebodys house just because they have immigration violations, Ive never seen that before, Jacobs said.

Edward Orendain, an immigration attorney in Chula Vista, said hes not surprised by the numbers from ICEs San Diego field office. He noticed that beginning in September or October, any type of contact with law enforcement could land an unauthorized immigrant in ICE detention even if there were no criminal charges.

One of his clients called the police because his wife had hit him. The wife told the responding officers that her husband had not hit her, that shed slapped him. The officers arrested the man but did not charge him with anything. He ended up in ICE custody.

Weve been seeing a lot of that, Orendain said, noting that after January it had happened less frequently because of SB 54.

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Orendain has also seen an uptick in people who were arrested when ICE was looking for someone else in their home or apartment complex, known as collateral arrests.

Tammy Lin, who chairs the San Diego chapter of the American Immigration Lawyers Assn., said cases have come in because people got pulled over for taillight issues or other minor traffic infractions.

Theyre picking the easy targets, Lin said.

None of the attorneys clients was willing to be interviewed for this story because of fear that it might negatively affect their immigration cases.

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Morrissey writes for the San Diego Union-TribuneIts a wake-up call morning in America.

How else would you characterize the series of sudden jolting events that have slapped us upside our collective heads and forced us to face the harsh light of a new game-changing day?

First came the 2017 Womens March, which drew more than 4 million participants across the U.S. Then came the post-Harvey Weinstein sexual harassment reckoning, when women in Hollywood and beyond began speaking up about harassment, assault and gender-inequality and some very powerful men lost their jobs.

Then there was the 2018 Womens March, where estimated crowds of 1.6 million to 2.5 million gathered to prove that this renewed interest in womens rights was not a passing thing, and people were not going away quietly.

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Which brings us to the latest alarm bell. This one is scheduled to toll on Wednesday, when students in San Diego and around the country will participate in the National School Walkout to protest the governments inaction on gun violence.

Technically, the National School Walkout is in response to the Feb. 14 mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla., where a former student fatally shot 17 people with a legally purchased AR-15 rifle. The Parkland students and their growing #NeverAgain movement are also the driving force behind March For Our Lives, the March 24 protest that will take the call for gun-violence legislation to the streets of Washington, D.C., and beyond.

But like the women-powered #MeToo movement, the #NeverAgain young-people awakening did not come out of nowhere. It came after four mass shootings in less than two years, and it reflects a growing outrage that has turned yet another overlooked, chronically underestimated population into a force for change.

When the grief-stricken Parkland students started holding news conferences and lobbying politicians, they became the subject of skepticism and ridicule. What gives these kids the right to protest? Who made them the gun-control experts? Why should we listen to them?

Here are some of the reasons why.

Young people are becoming increasingly outraged about gun violence because they are some of the most frequent victims of gun violence. Three of our countrys deadliest mass shootings  Virginia Tech in 2007, Sandy Hook Elementary in 2012 and Parkland  have happened at schools.

Then there are just the daily gun-related deaths that are responsible for giving the United States the highest rate of murder or manslaughter by firearm in the developed world. According to the Centers for Disease Control, seven Americans age 19 and younger are killed by a gun on an average day in the U.S.

So one reason young people make good, passionate spokespeople for gun control is because they have a vested interest in keeping guns out of the hands of their friends and classmates. And for the survivors of the Parkland shooting, their passion and their social-media skills have given them the ability to call out Americas gun culture for the insane and deadly thing it is.

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And they have plenty of alarming facts at their disposal.

According to a study by researchers at Harvard and Northeastern universities, violent crime is in steep decline in the U.S., but Americans have purchased 70 million firearms in the past two decades. Half of the countrys 265 million guns are owned by just 3 percent of the population.

A recent Quinnipiac University National Poll found that 66 percent of Americans support stricter gun laws, the highest level of support ever measured by the poll. And yet, the White House just released a gun-control proposal that includes arming some teachers and establishing a Federal Commission on School Safety, but backs off of President Trumps initial support for banning bump stocks and raising the minimum age to purchase assault weapons from 18 to 21.

Its a good thing theyre young and energetic, because the members of the #NeverAgain brigade have a long and frustrating march ahead. But another sign that they are the right warriors at the right time is an impressive string of early successes.

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Last week, Florida Gov. Rick Scott broke with the National Rifle Association and signed a new set of gun regulations into law. In the wake of the Parkland shooting, Walmart, Dicks Sporting Goods and L.L. Bean raised the minimum age for gun sales to 21, and Kroger and Dicks said they would no longer sell assault-style rifles.

The National School Walkout is supposed to last just 17 minutes, in honor of the 17 people killed in Parkland. But the ramifications of the #NeverAgain movement could last a life-saving lifetime, and that is something worth standing up for.

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Twitter: @karla_peterson

karla.peterson@sduniontribune.comA gang member convicted in the 1995 fatal shooting of a young woman in Encanto was sentenced Monday to 18 years to life in prison.

Aswad Walker, 40, was found guilty last month in San Diego Superior Court of second-degree murder in the death of Crystal Odom, 18, who was wounded when a gunman fired at her and her boyfriend in the car Odom was driving.

A jury acquitted Walker of an attempted murder charge linked to the boyfriend, Curtis Harvey.

This was the third time the defendant had been tried in connection with the shooting, which occurred April 29, 1995. The first two trials ended with hung juries in 2016 and 2017.

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Deputy District Attorney David Bost contended that the motivation behind the crime was a gang rivalry between Walker and Harvey. (Harvey testified previously that he did not claim a gang, but knew Walker did. He also said the two had little to do with one another since middle school.)

Harvey said in court that he had been drinking heavily and smoking marijuana on the day of the shooting, and that Odom was driving him and their 10-month-old baby home from her mothers residence in the Encanto neighborhood.

When they stopped at a gas station at 69th Street and Imperial Avenue, they saw another car with several men inside it, Harvey said. The men were staring at him and at Odom, so she drove off.

The other car followed and pulled alongside the car Odom was driving. The person in the front passenger seat, Walker, opened fire, hitting Odom three times.

Harvey testified he recognized Walker as the shooter. A defense lawyer argued that Harvey was so drunk and high that he likely could not be sure who fired the gun.

No arrests were made in the case until 2015.

Samuel Sayles III, identified as the driver of the car Walker was riding in, was convicted of involuntary manslaughter and sentenced in November to eight years in prison.

Jamar Phillips, who was a minor at the time of the crime, pleaded guilty in Juvenile Court, where the details of his case are sealed. He was 37 when he was arrested.

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dana.littlefield@sduniontribune.com

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Twitter: @danalittlefieldMore people with no criminal history were arrested by San Diegos Immigration and Customs Enforcement in the first quarter of fiscal 2018 than anywhere else in the country.

The San Diego field office for ICE, which covers San Diego and Imperial counties, was the only field office in the country where the majority of arrests  at about 72 percent  were of noncriminals, according to data from the agency.

Between October and December of 2017, ICE officers here arrested 1,622 people without criminal records, and 637 people with criminal records.

The Atlanta field office, which covers three states  Georgia, South Carolina and North Carolina  had the second highest number of noncriminal arrests at 1,592. That was about 41 percent of the arrests for that field office, where 2,343 people with criminal records were arrested by ICE.

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ICE arrests of non-criminals in the San Diego/Imperial counties reflect trends involving illegal immigration activity at the local borders, apprehensions made during routine fugitive operations and individuals encountered at the local jails, said Lauren Mack, a spokeswoman for ICE.

For other field offices along the border, the highest percentage of noncriminal arrests was 43 percent in Phoenix, where ICE took 733 people with no criminal histories into custody.

Some attorneys speculated that ICE was pushing to make more arrests before S.B. 54, a California bill limiting local polices cooperation with federal immigration officials, took effect in January.

Other field offices in California did not reflect San Diegos trend. In Los Angeles, ICE officers arrested 357 noncriminals, which was about 16 percent of the field offices arrests. In San Francisco, officers arrested 373, which was about 22 percent of the field offices arrests.

Within days of taking office, President Donald Trump expanded the agencys enforcement priorities from those with serious criminal convictions to a broader list of people including those who had any criminal conviction, who had been charged but not convicted, who had done anything that could be charged as a crime, or who had already been ordered deported.

According to a recent Pew Research Center analysis, noncriminal arrests increased 49 percent in San Diego in fiscal 2017. The Atlanta and Philadelphia field offices tied for the largest increase at 323 percent.

As stories about families whose loved ones were targeted have been repeatedly spotlighted by media across the country and data from President Donald Trumps first year in office showed an uptick in noncriminal arrests, ICE has insisted that it focuses on criminals but that anyone without authorization to be in the U.S. could end up arrested.

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While ICE continues to prioritize its enforcement resources to focus on individuals who pose a threat to national security, public safety and border security, the agencys acting director has made it clear that ICE will not exempt classes or categories of removable aliens form potential enforcement, Mack told the San Diego Union-Tribune on multiple occasions. All of those in violation of our nations immigration laws may be subject to arrest, detention and, if found removable, he or she will be removed from the United States.

Ginger Jacobs, an immigration attorney in San Diego, said that in her time practicing, shes noticed that the San Diego field office always works hard to follow orders from headquarters.

My perception as an attorney is that our local ICE office is very responsive to policy being set in Washington, D.C., Jacobs said.

Jacobs whos been practicing since George W. Bushs administration said that during that time and into the first part of the Obama administration, the main reasons that people would end up arrested by immigration officials were checkpoints and interactions with local law enforcement.

Advertisement

Collateral arrests happened, she said, but not frequently.

Beginning in 2011, she said, incremental changes in policy under former President Barack Obama brought about more targeted enforcement.

Those changes have reversed under Trump, she said, and arrests happen in circumstances that wouldve been rare even under Bush.

It turned into a zero tolerance policy, Jacobs said. Its like Bush on steroids.

Advertisement

She has clients who have no criminal history and no prior deportation orders who have been targeted at their homes, she said.

Going to somebodys house just because they have immigration violations, Ive never seen that before, Jacobs said.

Edward Orendain, an immigration attorney in Chula Vista, said hes not surprised by the numbers from ICEs San Diego field office. He noticed that beginning in September or October, any type of contact with law enforcement could land an unauthorized immigrant in ICE detention even if there were no criminal charges.

One of his clients called the police because his wife had hit him. The wife told the responding officers that her husband had not hit her, that shed slapped him. The officers arrested the man but did not charge him with anything. He ended up in ICE custody.

Advertisement

Weve been seeing a lot of that, Orendain said, noting that after January it had happened less frequently because of S.B. 54.

Orendain has also seen an uptick in people who were arrested when ICE was looking for someone else in their home or apartment complex, known as collateral arrests.

Tammy Lin, who chairs the San Diego chapter of the American Immigration Lawyers Association, said cases have come in because people got pulled over for taillight issues or other minor traffic infractions.

Theyre picking the easy targets, Lin said.

Advertisement

None of the attorneys clients were willing to be interviewed for this story because of fear that it might negatively affect their immigration cases.

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kate.morrissey@sduniontribune.com, @bgirledukate on TwitterResidents of a home on the eastern edge of Austin rose Monday to find a package that they werent expecting outside the front door.

In this era of internet shopping, such brown boxes are ubiquitous. So they took it inside to the kitchen. Thats when, according to police, it exploded.

Someone had placed a bomb inside. The blast killed a 17-year-old boy and injured a woman.

A few hours later, about five miles south, a 75-year-old woman found a similar package on her porch. When she picked it up, it detonated, sending her to the hospital with life-threatening injuries, officials said.

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Investigators quickly realized that the bombings strongly resembled a March 2 case involving a package that exploded and killed a man in his northeast Austin home.

As hundreds of thousands of visitors are swarming Austin for the annual South by Southwest festival, which began Friday and runs through March 17, police said they had linked the three package bombings  raising fears that someone is trying to terrorize the Texas capital during the citys biggest event of the year.

Police have not said the bombings pose a threat to the festival. The substantial security operation already in place for SXSW has been instructed to be extra vigilant, a festival representative said in a statement.

Police also have not identified a suspect or given a possible motive as federal officials joined the investigation.

We are not ruling anything out at this point, Police Chief Brian Manley said at a televised news conference. Were imploring the community, if you know anything about these attacks, it is imperative that you come forward and let us know. We have innocent people getting hurt across this community.

On Monday, authorities reclassified the death of Anthony Stephan House, 39, who was killed in the first package bombing, from suspicious to homicide.

With little information on a possible motive or suspect, officials told residents to be especially wary of any unexpected packages on their doorsteps.

Manley suggested that residents call 911 if they find anything suspicious, and leave their homes or wait in the rear until officials arrive.

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We will respond, Manley said. It make take a little while to get there because we are getting several calls.

The packages dont appear to have been sent through traditional delivery services such as the U.S. Postal Service or United Parcel Service and were left without ringing the bell, said Manley, who declined to give details about the explosive devices but suggested they came in cardboard boxes.

These devices can explode in many ways, either by being moved or being opened, Manley said, also cautioning that the bombs can be hidden in many different ways. There is a certain level of skill required to put a device like this together successfully.

Austin investigators are being assisted by the FBI, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Postal Service.

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Rick Hahn, a retired FBI special agent and counter-terrorism consultant, said investigators would probably take a close look at the components used in each bomb to see whether any unique parts can be traced back to a seller or manufacturer, which might lead authorities to the killer or killers.

Theres oftentimes unique factors amongst the components that will narrow down distribution, sales point, that sort of thing, Hahn said. If the bomb used particular types of wires or batteries, all that becomes investigative leads for us to track down.

The victims of the first two bombings were black, raising fears early Monday that they had been targeted because of their race. But the next victim was a Latina, after which police declined to speculate on a possible pattern.

We have no specific ideology or victimology behind this, and it will remain an ongoing investigation while we pursue any and every lead, Manley said.

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We do not know yet whether the victims are the intended targets, he said, adding that some homes had multiple residents and the bomber may have also targeted the wrong addresses.

The Oldfort Hill Drive bomb attack, where the teenager was killed, occurred less than a mile from several churches.

Lamont Tucker, a longtime resident of the neighborhood who knew the woman injured in the explosion, heard the blast in the early morning.

I heard the bang, but I didnt think much of it, because somewhere around here they have a shooting range, so I hear gunshots all the time, Tucker said.

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He said his heart is breaking for the 17-year-old victim, and that were going to have to be cautious and watch our surroundings, because people are getting outrageous.

The second blast Monday occurred on Galindo Street, a compact residential area filled with families and children.

A perimeter was set up, with residents going in and out of restricted streets cordoned off by police tape.

A woman who gave her name only as Ruby said she lives on the street behind Galindo and was home with her mother at the time of the blast.

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We heard this loud noise, Ruby, 18, said. It was a loud bang, like something hitting something else.

She said residents were on high alert  made nervous even by packages addressed to them.

My mom was scared to pick up the mail, Ruby said.

Pearce reported from Los Angeles and Yamato from Austin.

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UPDATES:

8:15 p.m.: The story was updated with additional details and reaction.

2:17 p.m.: The story was updated with reports of a third bombing and additional details.

The story was originally published at 11:35 a.m.The walls are constructed of cinder blocks, steel and concrete. Some have gates for pedestrian traffic. Others evoke the oppressive days of the Berlin Wall  towering concrete panels lined up in a row, and impassable.

The barriers snake through Tuz Khurmatu, turning it into a city of walls.

In years past, walls went up to protect against car bombs. Then Shiite Turkmens erected walls to guard against Islamic State after its resurgence in 2014. Now even after the jihadis have been driven out of the city, the walls still stand, and Tuz Khurmatu remains a flash point with an unstable melange of sects and ethnicities. Once united to fight Islamic State, Kurds, Turkmens and Arabs resumed viewing each other with hostility and suspicion.

Without a doubt, Tuz Khurmatu is a case study for Iraq 2.0. Its the most violent, most divided place in the country. You have so many layers of conflict, said Michael Knights, a senior fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy.

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(Los Angeles Times )

The Shiite Turkmens had erected walls because the Islamic State jihadis, who adhere to a strict Sunni doctrine, believe Shiites are apostates who should be killed.

Turkmens also accused the mostly Sunni Kurdish residents of allowing, if not colluding with, the jihadis to make the city more Kurdish. Turkmens started erecting more walls, but not always with Islamic State in mind.

Mohammad Kawthar, a Turkmen judicial councilman in the city, said, We were forced to turn all the Turkmen neighborhoods into prisons. But the walls offered protection.

Arab tribesmen, meanwhile, are viewed with suspicion by both Turkmens and Kurds. Complicating matters further is the citys location, about 40 miles south of the oil-rich city of Kirkuk, and the presence of Turkmen paramilitary groups called the Popular Mobilization Forces.

In the city, explained Knights, Turkmens stand against the Kurds, but youve also got a layer of powerful Popular Mobilization Forces fighting against a Kurdish oil-smuggling mafia.

The disputes dividing the various groups were momentarily set aside in 2014 when Islamic State, also known as ISIS, launched an offensive.

The country was not ready to defeat ISIS in a way that would usher in post-conflict stability. It defeated it, sure, but only because it had to rely on a coalition of foreign militaries and dozens of militias, said Ramzy Mardini, a non-resident fellow at the Atlantic Council.

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Its too bad ISIS wasnt an invading foreign country, Mardini added. Instead of the war solidifying Iraqi nationalism, it led to a hardening of ethnic and religious identities.

In Tuz Khurmatu, those identities solidified into physical borders threading throughout the city.

Protective walls can be found throughout Iraq, but here they are a constant feature. Initially, some were low concrete barriers designed to block traffic  the car bombs. But then people began building walls 8 feet high or taller, sometimes right in the middle of a thoroughfare.

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Some barriers are nothing more than a wire fence, others elaborate constructions topped with barbed wire and sandbags and equipped with gates for pedestrian traffic that can be locked at night. Kurdish merchants abandoned the citys central market, once a place where business trumped sect, and created their own commercial strip on the Kurdish side of the city.

Tensions took on new life last September when Kurds held a referendum calling for independence. And when the Iraqi army swept into Kirkuk, the Turkmens kicked the Kurdish peshmerga out of Tuz Khurmatu and took charge of the citys administration  a change that people like Abbass Maarouf, a 38-year-old medical assistant, celebrated.

I could finally visit my land near the city for the first time in 14 years, he said. The Kurds had taken it and they said These lands are all ours.

Hostilities took a deadly turn in October when Turkmens and Kurds began hurling dozens of mortars and artillery shells at each other. At least 11 residents were killed, and dozens more wounded, according to the rights group Amnesty International.

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The rights group said that when the peshmerga were routed, tens of thousands of Kurds fled their neighborhoods; Turkmens and the Popular Mobilization Forces followed right behind, burning and looting houses of Kurdish officials and security personnel.

The government in Baghdad, meanwhile, has sought to reassure the estimated 35,000 displaced Kurds who escaped. In the days after Octobers flare-up, it assigned government troops to protect Kurdish neighborhoods.

Were begging the Kurds to stay, said one major posted at the entrance to the Kurdish-dominated Jumhuriya neighborhood. His underlings handed out yellow and blue papers with numbers to call in case of any attack.

Residents spray-paint the word Turkmen on their house in the hope of avoiding sectarian destruction. (Nabih Bulos / For The Times )

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Tensions remain high, especially near the walls. When a visiting reporter crossed one barrier, a pair of Turkmen boys chased after him, shooting their AK-47s in the air. They later boasted that they had blown up the homes of Kurdish politicians who had supported the independence referendum.

Members from one group will sometimes slip into the others territory to unleash havoc. This creates unique hazards for some residents because the walls dont always split neighborhoods neatly. Turkmens who ended up on the Kurdish side of a barrier spray-painted Turkmen on the entrance of their house in the hope of avoiding its destruction by fellow Turkmens who cross over to attack Kurds.

In January the Iraqi government said it would investigate the violence in Tuz Khurmatu, but its unclear what, if anything, will come of that. Iraqs conventional army is overstretched and, according to Mardini of the Atlantic Council, there is little hope that Baghdad can demonstrate enough control over armed forces or have enough armed forces to govern the area.

Tuz Khurmatu is a prime example of state weakness. The Iraqi government is too weak to reassert its political authority there, he said. Its becoming clear that a post-ISIS Iraq will not experience a period of stability.

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The bitterness dividing Tuz Khurmatu was captured one day at a traditional wedding feast. Long tables were set out with rice and spiced meat. But the celebration played out in the shadow of a cinder-block wall dead-ending a street linking Turkmen and Kurdish districts.

Akram Tarzi, a resident of the Turkmen side, was in no mood to celebrate. He glowered as his 11-year-old son awkwardly limped to a white plastic chair.

The Kurds shot him in the leg. They attacked us, came to steal our land and remove the Turkmen identity here, he said, turning to point at the wall.

Peace negotiations were held, but had stopped. The fighting, Tarzi predicted, will start again. We all know it.

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He was right. That wedding feast occurred more than a year ago, long before more violence in the city of walls.

Bulos is a special correspondent.

Twitter: @nabihbulosRussian President Vladimir Putin once again dismissed allegations that his country interfered in the U.S. presidential election, and in a new interview also questioned the citizenship of 13 people indicted by a special counsel investigating efforts to sway the electorate.

Maybe they are not even Russians, but Ukrainians, Tatars or Jews, but with Russian citizenship, which should also be checked, Putin said during Saturdays two-part interview with NBC News anchor Megyn Kelly.

Last month, special counsel Robert S. Mueller III indicted 13 Russians and three Russian-owned businesses on allegations of illegal meddling and dispensing false information to affect the 2016 U.S. presidential election. Their alleged activities include using fake social media accounts to spread misinformation and using fake identities to promote President Trump and denigrate his Democratic opponent, Hillary Clinton.

I do not care. I do not care at all because they do not represent the government, Putin said of the 13 indicted.

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Kelly asked Putin about Yevgeny Prigozhin, a Russian restaurant owner known as Putins chef, who was one of the people indicted.

So what? Putin responded. There are many prominent people in Russia. He is not a state official, he does not work for the government; he is an individual, a businessman.

Putin added it was impossible for Russia to interfere with another countrys election.

We do not allow others to interfere in our domestic affairs, and we do not poke our noses into other peoples business, Putin said.

Putin also said that Russia did not have the technological or media resources needed to implement the meddling. We lack the necessary instruments. Russia does not have the kind of tools the U.S. has to carry out those plans. Putin, speaking with Kelly in Russia, alleged the U.S. had meddled in Russian affairs in the past, but did not offer specifics.

Let us suppose this was our goal to interfere in the election, Putin said. Why, just for the sake of it? What is the goal?

Creating chaos. That is the goal, Kelly answered.

Any chaos in the United States, Putin said, is not the result of Russian interference, but your political system, the internal struggle, the disorder and division. He added, Russia has nothing to do with it whatsoever. Get your own affairs in order first.

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Kelly interviewed Putin in 2017 and was criticized by some observers for not being aggressive enough with the Russian leader. This time, she seemed to press harder and Putin, appearing irritated, asked her to stop interrupting him.

At one point, Kelly wanted Putin to clarify whether he would stop Russians from future political interference.

It sounds like the answer is no. If I am wrong, please correct me, Kelly said.

Putin closed his eyes for four seconds and raised his index finger. I want you to listen to me. We will counter anything that violates current Russian law. If the actions of our citizens  no matter what they are and whom they target  violate current Russian laws, we will respond. If they do not violate Russian law, we cannot respond.

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U.S. intelligence agencies have repeatedly said Russia tried to influence the election. Last month Lt. Gen. H.R. McMaster, Trumps national security advisor, said the federal indictment of the 13 provided incontrovertible evidence of Moscows activities in the 2016 election.

michael.livingston@latimes.com

@mikelive06Real Justice PAC, a political group that has backed Democrats, has jumped into the San Diego Countys district attorney campaign.

The groups political activities have aligned with those of billionaire investor George Soros, a liberal.

Republicans have been positioning for months for involvement of Soros in the DAs race. His funding of campaigns elsewhere has provided a rallying cry for conservatives.

A liberal political organization with ties to one of Facebooks co-founders is jumping into San Diego Countys district attorney election, a development that may signal the eventual entry of an even bigger political financier.

Real Justice PAC co-founder Shaun King said in a tweet Thursday that his organization will help elect a reform-minded DA in San Diego.

Federal Election Commission records show that the San Francisco-based group received three contributions last year totaling $656,904. Of that, all but $1,500 came from Cari Tuna, the wife of Facebook co-founder Dustin Moskovitz. The group has $358,295 cash-on-hand as of Dec. 31, the end of the last campaign finance reporting period.

While a relatively modest PAC with $358,295 in its federal account, Real Justices entrance could forecast the eventual involvement of George Soros, a billionaire investor who has backed Democrats campaigns.

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Real Justice has endorsed four candidates since it was created two years ago, and three of them have also been separately backed by a Soros-funded group. Two of those candidates have won their races, while the third, a candidate in Texas, just won that states Democratic primary on Tuesday by defeating an incumbent Democrat.

King said the group will not make an endorsement in San Diego for several more weeks but will consider candidates on 10 to 12 factors before determining which one to support. The exact type of assistance his group provides varies between states, but it helps raise money for candidates, consults on campaign strategy, hosts events and helps candidates gain steam, King said in a Twitter direct message.

While it hasnt made an endorsement, the PAC has only supported Democrats, a track record that could be advantageous for one of the two candidates running, Democrat Genevieve Jones-Wright, a public defender who has campaigned as a reformer. Shes running against appointed incumbent District Attorney Summer Stephan, a Republican.

We are thrilled that criminal justice is finally getting the attention it deserves, Eva Posner, Jones-Wrights campaign consultant, said by email. The differences in this race arent just partisan  they are life and death. And to know that progressives from around the country will be watching San Diego County to see if we can break the status quo that has hurt so many communities for so long is very exciting.

Jason Roe, the consultant for Stephan, said she has championed reform-minded changes through her career.

As Chief Deputy DA, Summer oversaw the Juvenile Division and helped reduce juvenile incarceration by 48 percent and helped pioneer innovative alternatives to incarceration for veterans, the homeless, and non-violent offenders, Roe said in a statement.

On its website, Real Justice describes itself as a group that works to elect reform-minded prosecutors at the county and municipal level who are committed to using the powers of their office to fight structural racism and defend our communities from abuse by state power.

Formed in February 2017, it supports district attorney candidates who plan to address discriminatory law enforcement, overhaul the bail system and end policies that create mass incarceration, it said on its website.

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The political action committee said it uses a low-cost, high impact, digitally enabled, and volunteered powered strategies developed during the 2016 primary election (that offers) a new playbook for winning down ballot races that relies heavily on social media.

King also announced on Twitter that his group will be involved in district attorney races in Boston, St. Louis and Oakland.

Last year the organization worked in Philadelphias district attorney race and successfully backed Larry Krasner, a former civil rights attorney and, like Jones-Wright, a public defender. It also successfully supported Stephanie Morales, a Democrat running for district attorney in Portsmouth, Va. Morales and Krasner were both supported by a Soros-backed group, with about $1.7 million going into the Pennsylvania race, and $100,000 into the Virginia race.

Republican operatives have been positioning for Soros involvement in the race for months.

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Weve considered the San Diego race a likely target for Soross efforts...Soross agenda is not overtly partisan but rather an effort to elect prosecutors who oppose the death penalty and refuse to enforce drug laws, Roe wrote in a June memo to Republicans.

Real Justice backed two candidates in Tuesdays Texas Primary. Democrat Elizabeth Frizell, a state district judge, narrowly lost her bid to become district attorney in Dallas. It also supported Democrat Joe Gonzalez, a challenger who beat San Antonios incumbent district attorney Nicholas LaHood, also a Democrat. Soros supported Gonzalez as well.

Californias primary is on June 5. The top two candidates, regardless of their party, will advance to the general election. If one candidate receives more than 50 percent of the vote, an outcome thats likely since there are only two candidates running, the election will be decided in the primary.

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Twitter: @jptstewart

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joshua.stewart@sduniontribune.com

(619) 293-1841Retirement costs for San Diego County employees continue to climb faster than public officials can contribute to the investment pool. As a result, the gap between what the county owes and what it owns is growing wider by the year.

The Board of Supervisors on Tuesday is expected to approve a cash payment of $490 million into the San Diego County Employees Retirement Association, the quasi-independent agency that manages a $12.5 billion portfolio for tens of thousands of members.

The contribution is almost $22 million more than supervisors deposited at this time last year. Over the same period, the so-called unfunded liability climbed by $53 million, from $3.318 billion to $3.371 billion, the county reported.

Chief Administrative Officer Helen Robbins-Meyer told supervisors in a report issued ahead of the board meeting that the nearly half-billion-dollar contribution will help keep the county in good financial health for years to come.

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Todays proposed actions support the strategic initiatives of building better health, living safely, sustainable environments/thriving, and operational excellence in the County of San Diegos 20182023 strategic plan, she wrote.

The payment will reflect continued growth in retirement costs as a percentage of the county budget. For the fiscal year set to begin in July, the proposed annual budget is $5.7 billion.

The association serves about 40,000 current and former employees, including county workers and employees of the San Dieguito River Valley Joint Powers Authority, the Local Agency Formation Commission, San Diego Superior Court commissioners and pension system employees.

The overall contribution across all groups is recommended to be $533 million, with the smaller agencies contributing a proportional share to the investment fund. That represents a $23.5 million jump from a year ago.

The $3 billion-plus in unfunded pension liabilities was blamed on lackluster investment returns in recent years, as well as rising benefits due to an aging workforce, Robbins-Meyer said.

The recommended increase in the average employer contribution rates was due in large part to unfavorable investment returns over the past five years as well as to less than anticipated actual contributions, offset somewhat by lower than expected salary increases and COLA increases, and other actuarial gains, she wrote.

The funding gap is notably higher among public safety employees, who have negotiated better benefits than other county workers over the years.

County supervisors recently took steps to whittle down the retirement benefits most newly hired workers will accrue.San Diego police officers used bean-bag rounds and a police dog to arrest a man who reportedly threatened someone with a machete early Monday in North Park.

Officers received a call just after 3:50 a.m. reporting that a man was threatening another person with a machete on 50th Street near Raleigh Street in the Talmadge neighborhood, Officer Billy Hernandez said.

About 30 minutes later, a patrol officer spotted the suspect in North Park, walking near 30th Street between El Cajon Boulevard and Meade Avenue. The man had blood on his legs, was carrying a bladed weapon believed to be a machete or large knife and was acting erratically, said police Officer Dino Delimitros.

The suspect reportedly refused to drop the weapon when officers confronted him, and police eventually shot and struck him with bean-bag rounds,then used a police dog to subdue him, Delimitros said.

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He was taken into custody shortly after 4:30 a.m.

karen.kucher@sduniontribune.comThe border wall prototypes were built east of San Ysidro on the border of Mexico, shown here on Monday, Nov. 20, 2017. K.C. Alfred

Everything you need to know about Trumps border wall prototypes in San Diego By Abby Hamblin March 12, 2018

In mid-March, President Donald Trump will make his first visit to California since taking office, coming face to face with a state hes clashed with on issue after issue, only starting with immigration along the nations southern border.

While in San Diego, the president is expected to inspect the prototypes for his potential border wall that have been erected in Otay Mesa. Trump spent much of 2016 giving campaign speeches pledging to build a giant wall along the Mexico border to fight drug trafficking and unauthorized immigration. His visit will afford him his first chance to see the physical barriers that hes long promised  and that has long divided  Americans.

As the hype surrounding Trumps visit builds and the spotlight shifts to San Diegos border prototypes ahead of the visit, were here to answer the questions you may have about them. Heres what you should know.

Protective Services Police unit sits on the edge of the shadow of the KWR Construction company, Inc., from Sierra Vista, AZ. John Gibbins

What exactly are these border wall prototypes?

Eight prototypes of possible border wall designs have been built in Otay Mesa, about 1.5 miles east of Enrico Fermi Drive. The prototypes are made of concrete, steel and other materials. All of the models are between 18 to 30 feet high and 30 feet long.

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RELATED: Construction begins on Trumps border wall prototypes in Otay Mesa

Federal, state and local authorities have worked together to protect the project requested by Trumps administration by erecting chain-link fences around the prototypes, blocking road access to them with concrete barriers, installing security cameras in the area and establishing designated parking zones nearby.

WATCH: Time-lapse video of border wall prototype construction

The walls have been tested to see if they are impenetrable and how easily someone can climb over them by specially trained agents of U.S. Customs and Border Protection. The tests found the prototypes are nearly impossible to climb or break through.

RELATED: Border wall prototype anti-climb testing begins

In this Oct. 19, 2017 file photo, crews work on a border wall prototypes near the border with Tijuana, Mexico, in San Diego. AP Photo/Gregory Bull, File

Whats the backstory on the project?

This is all Trumps doing.

In one of his first days in office, the president signed an executive order calling for the immediate construction of a physical wall on the southern border, monitored and supported by adequate personnel so as to prevent illegal immigration, drug and human trafficking, and acts of terrorism.

One month later, in February 2017, the Department of Homeland Security posted a notice asking vendors to submit their designs and offers to build some prototypes of what the wall could look like. The department reallocated $20 million from other programs to pay for the project.

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Into the fourth week of construction many of the of the prototypes walls that President Trump want built along the U.S. Mexico border have up until the 26th to complete their construction for their prototype. Nelvin C. Cepeda

Have there been protests?

There were no protests during the building of the prototypes. There was a pro-wall rally in December near the site once the prototypes were constructed.

RELATED: Border wall rally draws supporters, politicians and protesters

About 100 people gathered to wave flags and cheer on the project, and Rep. Duncan Hunter, R-Alpine, spoke. About 15 people showed up to protest the rally.

Organized by several pro-Trump groups, a Build the Wall rally was held near the eight new border wall prototypes, on Enrico Fermi Place. Nancee E. Lewis

More protests were expected, and the Department of Homeland Security even warned about large-scale protests, but none never really materialized. In preparation, the city of San Diego spent $50,000 on security supplies like pepper spray and crowd-dispersing grenades.

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RELATED: How San Diego spent $50K for supplies prepping for Trumps border wall prototypes

San Diego Sheriffs Department deputies logged more than 10,000 hours of overtime in a three-month period before and after project construction.

RELATED: Trumps border wall prototypes triggered 10,000 OT hours for 356 employees of the San Diego sheriff

The San Diego County Board of Supervisors also passed an ordinance giving the county the power to create special zones where knives, sticks, bats, pepper spray, bricks and other possible weapons were temporarily prohibited in an effort to protect First Amendment rights while keeping people safe, according to Supervisor Greg Cox.

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RELATED: County banned implements of riot near Trumps border wall prototypes

Local activists said that they ignored the project so as not to draw attention to it. However, a group of artists and advocates did project a ladder and other images critiquing the prototypes onto them in November of 2017.

RELATED: Light brigade shines on border wall prototypes

Using three trucks parked on the Mexican side of the border, the group projected images onto the walls using a theater light. Members of the group included Overpass Light Brigade San Diego, People Over Profits San Diego and UC San Diego graduate students.

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Using three trucks parked on the Mexican side of the border, the group, including members of Overpass Light Brigade San Diego, People Over Profits San Diego and a group of UC San Diego graduate students led by Andrew Sturm, projected images onto the walls using a theater light. Jill Marie Holslin

Email: abby.hamblin@sduniontribune.com

Twitter: @abbyhamblin

Thank you for reading! On your next view you will be asked to log in to your subscriber account or create an account and subscribepurchase a subscription to continue reading.Severe floods destroyed many schools in the region in December.

The donation is part of the money raised from a charity raffle AIDA traditionally holds aboard the AIDA fleet on New Year's Eve.

'Many of our employees aboard the AIDA fleet come from the Philippines, so working with the Reiner Meutsch Foundation to provide direct help on the ground and give children the chance to attend school is a matter very close to our heart,' said Hansjorg Kunze, VP communication & sustainability said.

Since 2005, AIDA has supported various SOS-Children's Villages projects around the world, to the tune of more than 1m. Mercy Ships, which provides life-changing medical treatment in some of the world's neediest countries, is another of AIDA's several causes.Through a series of round tables and meetings, this review will include engagement activities with Indigenous peoples, port authorities, provincial governments, municipalities, broader domestic and international marine sector stakeholders and Canadians, Garneau said.

Transport Canada wants to hear what Canadians and marine stakeholders have to say about how the ports can respond to current and future challenges and opportunities. The public is invited to provide feedback and input on the review. Information is available here.

Submissions are due Sept. 7 this year.

Findings of the review, expected in 2019, will identify potential policy, legislative and regulatory changes to help port authorities consolidate their position as key players in the Canadian economy, Garneau said.The Princess Cruises ship is currently on a return leg of a 14-day sailing from Singapore visiting Bangkok, Ho Chi Minh City, Hong Kong (late night call) and Busan before ending her journey in Shanghai on March 25.

She will then sail to Keelung in Taipei, Taiwan, for a homeporting season until July 2018, offering 3- to 7-night sailings with a choice of more than 20 cruises visiting Japanese ports including Okinawa, Ishigaki, Nagasaki, Sakaiminato, Osaka, Miyazaki, Kagoshima and Busan in South Korea.

Majestic Princess will then return to Shanghai before her deployment to Australia from September 2018 to March 2019.

Farriek Tawfik, director Southeast Asia, Princess Cruises said, We recently introduced these new sailings in Taiwan to travel agent partners in Vietnam, Malaysia and Indonesia who have shown keen interest in these new cruises.

The on-board offerings on these sailings will also include night markets which are quintessentially-Taiwanese that features a wide array local knick-knacks and souvenirs. The ship has nearly 1,100 sq mtr shops and a Chinese Specialty Restaurant, as well as a noodle bar; dim sum bar; karaoke suites; an indoor swimming pool and other facilities catering to the Asian guests, Tawfik added.The Indian Coast Guard (ICG) was reported as saying the fire on the 15,252 teu Maersk Honam had been brought under control on Saturday some five days after the fatal blaze broke out on the Singapore-flagged vessel.

"A thick plume of toxic fumes have now been replaced by white smoke which is a sign of cooling down of metal fire onboard the mega containership," ICG western region deputy commandant Avinandan Mitra, was quoted as saying.

While the fire is reported to have been brought under control fully extinguishing container fires can be a lengthy process due to the extremely high temperatures generated inside the boxes, with a danger that fire may erupt again.

The ICG has classified the blaze as a chemical fire. This raises questions of dangerous cargoes carried on containerships.

There are still no signs of four seafarers missing from the Maersk Honam although the ICG believes the bodies maybe trapped on the vessel. One crew member is confirmed dead, while 22 managed to escape the burning ship, although two are reported to be in a critical condition.

The crew evacuated the Maersk Honam in the Arabian Sea on Tuesday last week after they failed in efforts to bring the fire under control.

The Singapore-flagged Maersk Honam was on enroute from Singapore to Suez with 7860 containers, equalling 12,416 teu, onboard at the time of the fire.Press Release

March 12, 2018 Drilon seeks immediate passage of anti-dynasty law Senate Minority Leader Franklin M. Drilon on Monday sought the immediate passage of the anti-political dynasty law, vowing anew to include a provision that will prohibit political dynasties in the Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL). In a radio interview, Drilon highlighted how poor provinces in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) are ruled by dynastic relationship. Citing a study conducted by Dean Ronald Mendoza of the Ateneo School of Government, Drilon said the study shows three provinces in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) as among the poorest in Mindanao. This includes the provinces of Lanao del Sur, Maguindanao, and Sulu. He said the study "clearly shows the relation between poverty and political dynasty." The draft BBL, which is currently in the plenary for deliberation, seeks to replace the current ARMM. He also pointed to Mendoza's study that reveals 81 percent of governors, 78 percent of congressmen, 69 percent of mayors and 57 percent of vice mayors come from political clans. Drilon is one of the principal authors of an anti-dynasty bill in the Senate. Drilon said judging from the responses of resource persons during the public hearings on Charter Change, Filipinos expressed preference for Congress to pass the anti-political dynasty law before proceeding with amending the Constitution that will pave the way for a shift to federalism. "There is a growing appeal for Congress to pass the enabling law that will ban or regulate political dynasty in the country, as stated under the 1987 Constitution before amending the Constitution to shift to a federal form of government," said Drilon in a statement. "Ultimately, any proposal to amend or revise the Constitution will be submitted to the people for ratification. Hence, it behooves the proponents and supporters of Charter Change and federalism to listen to the demands of the people," Drilon stressed. Article II Section 26 of the 1987 Philippine Constitution states that: "The State shall guarantee equal access to opportunities for public service and prohibit political dynasties as may be defined by law." Drilon concluded that even legal luminaries have called for the passage of an anti-political dynasty law, including former Chief Justice Reynato Puno, who heads the consultative body tasked by the President to review the 1987 Constitution, and former Chief Justice Hilario Davide.Press Release

March 12, 2018 Sen. Lacson's Sponsorship Speech for the Philippine ID System (National ID) More at: https://pinglacson.net/2018/03/12/sponsorship-speech-for-the-national-id-system-bill-march-12-2018/ To reward, not to punish; to make life easy, not difficult. Mr. President, fellow members of this august chamber, I have the honor to report on the floor Senate Bill No. 1738, entitled "An Act Establishing the Philippine Identification System," as embodied in Committee Report No. 277. Let me thank the Chairman of the Committee on Justice and Human Rights, the Honorable Sen. Richard Gordon, for entrusting to this humble representation the task of presiding over the committee hearings, and sponsoring the pending legislation on the Senate floor. A person born is given a name; a person registered is given an identity. With an identity, a person is accorded his or her rights as a citizen. This is the universal agenda of the World Bank in harnessing digital ID systems to provide "good identity" for all. In truth, Mr. President, identity has become a foundation in virtually all nations - even developing ones - for transforming governance, enhancing delivery of services and implementing security and crime prevention measures. In Thailand, the national ID number helps the government achieve universal health coverage. In Pakistan, a national ID system using biometric technology ensures that women receive cash transfers directly, empowering them to decide how their money should be spent. In India, the unique ID number--known as Aadhaar--helps ensure that benefits and subsidies reach only the intended beneficiaries. Here at home, Mr. President, proposed measures for a national ID system are still languishing in our legislative mill. As long as this situation persists, we will continue to lag behind other nations. But it is not for the lack of trying. For more than three (3) decades, the government has attempted to establish a national ID system, but the measure continues to face oppositions based on constitutional grounds, primarily on privacy concerns. Two important cases come to mind: In the first case, Ople vs. Torres (G.R. No. 127685, July 23, 1998), a divided Supreme Court (SC) ruled unconstitutional Administrative Order 308, which sought to implement the National Computerized Identification Reference System. AO 308 was struck down for two (2) reasons: one, the subject ID system was not appropriate to be covered by an administrative order amounting to usurpation of the power of Congress to legislate; and two, the order violates the right to privacy. In the second case, Kilusang Mayo Uno vs. Director-General of NEDA (G.R. No. 167798, April l9, 2006), the Supreme Court upheld the validity of Executive Order 420, which adopts a unified multi-purpose ID system for government agencies. The Supreme Court sustained its constitutionality as the order only applies to government agencies that issue IDs to perform their statutory functions, and the issuance was within the power of the President to promulgate. Further, the Supreme Court ruling on the validity of EO 420 relaxed its pronouncement in Ople vs Torres, when it ruled that the said case "is not authority to hold that EO 420 violates the right to privacy." In the words of then Associate Justice Artemio V. Panganiban in his concurring opinion in Ople v. Torres, "the voting is decisive only on the need for appropriate legislation, and it is only on this ground that the petition is granted by this Court." Mr. President, during my first term in the Senate in 2001, one of the first bills that I authored and filed was Senate Bill No. 1832 otherwise known as the "National Reference Card System Act of 2001," which aimed to institute a single official identification for all citizens and foreign residents of the Philippines. Unfortunately, like many attempts in the past, my proposal failed to pass muster in the legislature. In the public hearings we conducted, we discussed accounts of policy issues and problems in laying the groundwork for an ID system, granting merits to all the opinions of those who were for and against the measure. At this point, let me expound on three important matters: the arguments in support of the bill, the issues against it, and the salient features of the proposed Philippine ID System. Mr. President, identification protects every citizen's fundamental rights. Providing proof of identity benefits all, especially the marginalized, the displaced, and the poor. Isa na rito si Aling Richel Ticuan, isang katutubong Ati mula sa Bukwang, Kalibo, Aklan. Tatlumpu't siyam na taong gulang na si Aling Richel, may isang anak at naglalako ng mga halamang gamot bilang kabuhayan. Tulad ng iba pang Ati sa kanilang komunidad, hindi pa kailan man nagkaroon si Aling Richel ng lehitimong ID mula sa gobyerno. Ang tanging patunay lamang ng kanyang pagkakakilanlan ay ang kanyang birth certificate na sa kasamaang-palad ay kasamang nasalanta ng bagyo. Si Jean Benitez, 27 anyos, ay halos limang buwan na nilakad ang kanyang employment requirements tulad ng barangay ID, postal ID, Voter's ID, Birth Certificate, at NBI clearance. Gayunman, kahit nakumpleto niya na ang mga ito, aabot pa rin daw ng anim na buwan ang pagpoproseso ng kanyang membership sa SSS dahil mayroong dalawang accounts at SSS numbers ang nakarehistro na sa kanyang pangalan. Si Bryan Gatchalian naman ay isang magsasaka mula sa Pangasinan. Sa loob ng labing limang taon niyang pagsasaka, nakatali pa rin siya sa mga fly-by-night na pautangan. Naisin man niyang mag-apply ng pautang sa bangko para dagdagan ang kapital sa mas maliit na interes, hindi rin niya maisakatuparan dahil sa kawalan ng mga dokumento at valid IDs. Mr. President, by not instituting a robust national identification system, we deny Aling Richel, Jean, Bryan and the millions of other Filipinos they represent access to their rights; we deny them services from the government; we deny them the opportunity to realize their full potential; we deny them their rightful share in progress. What we allow are multiple identification systems in government which create unnecessary and costly redundancies, resulting in the exclusion of those who do not have the means and capacity to access the IDs. Likewise, we make it inconvenient for individuals to transact with government agencies and private sector entities. At present, what we have is the Unified Multi-Purpose ID or UMID, which is issued to the members of the Social Security System (SSS), Government Service Insurance System (GSIS), Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth), and the Home Development Mutual Fund (Pag-IBIG Fund). However, while it provides a good chance at harmonizing our government ID systems, UMID only covers less than 20% of the population since the start of its enrollment process in 2010. Several government-issued ID numbers are also in use, resulting in duplication of efforts, wastage of resources, and uncoordinated identity approaches. In fact, a perusal of the list of valid IDs in the Philippines enumerates 33 - I repeat, 33 - different forms of identification issued by various government agencies. Mr. President, sabi ngang kagalang-galang na Minority Leader, isa sa may-akda ng panukalang ito, Senator Franklin Drilon, "nagsisilbi lamang pampakapal ng wallet at bulsa ng mga Pilipino ang mga IDs mula sa gobyerno." The irony remains that while we refuse to have a national ID, we allow numerous sectoral cards for specific purposes. It is the intent of this proposed bill to harmonize, integrate, and interconnect these countless and redundant government IDs by establishing a single national identification system to be known as the Philippine Identification System or PhilSys. The PhilSys will eliminate the need to present other forms of identification in a wide variety of public and private transactions, services, and derivative identity credentials. Mr. President, you may have heard the terms "good law" and "bad law" bandied about the Philippine ID System. The latter is founded on a host of issues and concerns on human rights and the right to privacy relative to the implementation of an ID system. History tells us that in all of our attempts to institute a national ID, privacy issues have been one of the main reasons for abandoning ID proposals altogether. In fact, in his ponencia in Ople vs Torres (July 23, 1998), then Justice Reynato Puno contended that the national ID system "will put our people's right to privacy in clear and present danger" and the "vast reservoir of personal information [collected in the ID] constitutes a covert invitation to misuse, a temptation that may be just too great for some of our authorities to resist." Mr. President, unlike policies in the past which were bereft of security safeguards, and in consideration of the numerous pronouncements made by the Supreme Court in protecting the right to privacy, this Committee makes certain that the proposed bill will plug the loopholes and provide better safeguards. Now, the Philippine ID System. Mr. President, the proposed bill will establish a foundational ID System, to be known as the Philippine Identification System or PhilSys with three (3) key components: the PhilSys Number or PSN, the PhilID, and the PhilSys Registry. Unlike other ID systems linked to specific services, we are instituting a foundational ID, which shall serve as a legal proof of identity for multiple purposes. Mr. President, with a foundational ID, we are not limiting the use of the system to specific services but instead, opening up possibilities for more functions without the need for limitless data. The bill will allow every Filipino and resident alien of the country to be identified with the use of a PhilSys Number or PSN, a randomly generated, unique and permanent identification number which shall be the standard number assigned to each individual to be incorporated in all identification systems of government agencies. Likewise, there shall be a PhilID, a non-transferable card containing on its face the PSN, full name, facial image, date of birth, address and some fingerprints of the individual in whose favor it was issued. Generally speaking, Mr. President, the PhilSys Number and the authentication process are the most fundamental components of our system. To some extent, this is comparative to the social security number of the United States of America which serves as its de facto national identification number; and the Aadhaar, the official national ID of India that can be used for authentication purposes even in the absence of physical IDs. In order to ease the burden of our people, our bill enumerates various government agencies as registration centers while at the same time, requires that special arrangements be made for minors, senior citizens, persons with disabilities, and persons in institutional households. Filipino citizens residing abroad shall register in Philippine embassies or foreign service posts. Under the proposed measure, the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) is mandated to act as the PhilSys Registry, a repository and custodian of all data including the PSN, registered records, and information of all persons registered in the PhilSys. The bill also creates a PhilSys Policy and Coordination Council (PSPCC), with the mandate to formulate policies and guidelines to ensure effective coordination and implementation of the PhilSys. An important feature of this proposed legislation is the concept of authentication or the process of verifying, whether online or offline, the identity of an individual against the registry information in the PhilSys or PhilID. We understand that a robust ID system is built on the trust of our people. Hence, in crafting the Philippine ID system, we put primacy in protecting privacy and user rights of individuals by establishing strong legal frameworks and institutional accountability. At this point, we reiterate the doctrine enunciated in KMU vs Director General NEDA, and I quote, "the right to privacy does not bar the adoption of reasonable ID systems by government entities." To this end, Mr. President, we made sure that allowable access to information is narrowly focused and that compelling interests justify such intrusion, particularly, on each of the four (4) circumstances: First, when the registered person has given his or her consent, specific to the purpose prior to the processing; Second, when the compelling interest of public health or safety so requires, relevant information may be disclosed provided the risk of significant harm to the public is established and the owner of the information is notified within 72 hours of the fact of such disclosure; Third, upon order of any competent court; and Finally, when a registered person requests from the PSA access to his or her registered information and record history, subject to the guidelines and regulations to be issued by the PSA. Mr. President, while it is practical to collect data beyond basic information, the Committee maintains that indiscriminate data collection may pose risks to individual privacy. Hence, data collected by the Philippine Registry shall be limited to demographic information such as: a) Name; b) Sex; c) Date of Birth; d) Place of Birth; and e) Address. Other information such as Mobile Number and E-mail address of the cardholder are optional. Biometrics information to be collected also include facial image, full set of fingerprints, iris scan and if necessary, other identifiable features of an individual as may be determined. Mr. President, when these data are collected and verified, they can be used to identify a person by answering the simple question: "Who are you?" Along with the credentials issued by the government such as, but not limited to the PSN, PhilID, or mobile ID, these data can then be used as authentication factors to answer the question: "Are you who you claim to be?" Mr. President, our ID System allows for technologies which are responsive and adaptive to rapidly changing times. In the words of Senator Win Gatchalian, our ID System will be "future-proof." The bill also guarantees security safeguards for data privacy and security, and for prevention against the proliferation of fraudulent or falsified identification cards. Finally, Mr. President, the Philippine Identification System is protected by strong penal provisions criminalizing refusal to accept the PhilID or PSN; the use of false name or information in the application; unlawful manner or use of the PhilID or PSN to commit a fraudulent act or for unlawful purpose; access data or information by unauthorized persons; and, malicious disclosure of data or information either for profit or by negligence. Mr. President, it is worth mentioning that fundamental to this legislation is the availability of appropriations. For the first time, funding for the National ID system amounting to P2 billion is made available under the budget of the Philippine Statistics Authority as provided in the GAA for the fiscal year 2018. In deliberating this proposed measure, I urge everyone to keep in mind that the lack of identification creates formidable barriers for the downtrodden and the poor, and creates even larger barriers between the government and the people. The National Security Adviser was recently quoted in a national article, and in his words, he said, "we will implement the program. Even without the law, we will go ahead with the necessary steps." Mr. President, it is high time that we take on our vision, leadership, and political will to make this transformational agenda a reality. Thank you, Mr. President.Press Release

March 12, 2018 Job security for military reservists, approved in Senate The Senate approved today on third and final reading a bill seeking to encourage citizens to volunteer for Citizen Armed Forces or the Philippine Army Reserve Command by ensuring them that they would be reintegrated in their careers after their military service for active duty training or deployment. Senate Bill No. 1698 or the Reservists Employment Rights Act was approved with 16 affirmative votes, zero negative vote and no abstention. The bill was introduced by Senators Paolo Benigno "Bam" Aquino IV, Joel Villanueva, Gregorio Honasan II and Loren Legarda. It was sponsored by Aquino and Villanueva. With the internal and external threats the Philippines is facing, Aquino said, the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) needs a dedicated, experienced and sophisticated reserve force that was comparable to other nations. He said many men and women were willing to volunteer for a chance to serve and protect their country. He cited Villanueva, Legarda, Senate Majority Leader Vicente "Tito" Sotto III and Senator Manny Pacquiao as the Senate's reservists. "Our reservists signed up to serve the country, but they did not sign up to lose their jobs and their livelihood," Aquino said. "We must pass this measure to guarantee that at the end of their required military service, reservists will be reinstated to their civilian careers, and to an equivalent position without loss of seniority or decrease in pay," Aquino said. "Furthermore, we must pass this measure to protect our reservists who suffer any injury or disability during their service, ensuring their reintegration to the civilian work force, so long as they can perform the essential function of their original employment," he added. Meanwhile, Villanueva said while the AFP remained among the least capable militaries in the region in terms warring capabilities, it certainly was not when it came to the number of reservists, who were engineers, IT experts, bankers, doctors, among others. He said the AFP had a total 385,116 reservists in 2017, almost three times the number of active force in the AFP. "Our reservists should be entitled to their original position without loss of seniority rights or reduction or pay. Likewise, their military service should not be considered a break in the employment for retirement purposes," Villanueva said. "Reservists have the right to return to the same job they were doing before they were mobilized; they have the right to receive the same salary level prior to their call to military service; and they have the right to equal treatment in the workplace," Villanueva added.Press Release

March 12, 2018 Senate amends Republic Act No. 8439 to abolish cap on honoraria for science and technology personnel in government The Senate today approved on third and final reading a measure seeking to amend Republic Act No. 8439, or the "Magna Carta for Scientists, Engineers, Researchers and other Science and Technology Personnel in the Government Act," to expand state support for Filipino science workers, and empower their efforts towards the country's development. Senate Bill No. 1534, was sponsored by Senator Paolo Benigno "Bam" Aquino IV, chair of the Senate Committee on Science and Technology, and passed with 15 affirmative votes, zero negative votes, and no abstentions. "It is high time that we deliberately retain and empower our Filipino scientists, engineers, researchers, and other science and technology practitioners so we may harness the benefits of S&T to further our national agenda," Aquino said. The bill was co-sponsored by Senate President Aquilino "Koko" Pimentel III and Senator Loren Legarda, and was co-authored with Senators Edgardo "Sonny" Angara, Juan Miguel "Migz" Zubiri, and Sherwin Gatchalian. According to Aquino, the end goal of the bill was to "create and encourage more and more scientific minds in the Philippines dedicated to nation-building." If passed into law, it would remove the limits currently imposed on the amount of additional honoraria science and technology personnel can receive from externally funded grants. In addition, the bill would expedite access of government science and technology personnel not employed by the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) to the said benefits offered by RA 8349- "upon certification of the head of their agency that they are involved in research and development or other scientific and technological activities." Another key provision of the bill, Aquino said, is that it would allow for the extended employment of science and technology personnel due for compulsory retirement for a period of up to five (5) years if they are involved in priority research and development programs of the DOST "to encourage opportunities for continued research and mentorship." The bill noted that services rendered by science workers during such period of extension "shall be credited as part of government service, and entitles them to leave credits and other benefits." "We endeavored to create a law that will empower our Filipinos to enter the field of science and technology, and work on the development of our country," he said. Aquino said that the measure is meant to help solve the low number of science and technology personnel working in the country, and pointed out that there are only 189 scientists per one million Filipinos. "Institutionalized support for scientists, engineers, researchers, and science and technology personnel in the Philippines is long overdue," he said. "I am hopeful that with more Filipino scientists, researchers and engineers, we can finally achieve prosperity for every Filipino," he concluded. (Yvonne Almiranez)Press Release

March 12, 2018 Talking Points Part II

Coconut Farmers and Industry Development Act

Senate President Pro-Tempore Ralph G. Recto

12 March 2018 The last time I stood here, I exhorted us to use, so to speak, our coconuts to drop the perpetual approach in rehabilitating the coconut industry and opt for a faster reconstruction timetable with a fixed deadline. I said that if an industry is in crisis, efforts to revive it must be quick and massive. If the patient is in ICU, then the treatment must be immediate and in adequate dosage, so that the recovery will be fast. Naghihingalo na ang industriya, mamamatay na sa uhaw, and we are giving him one tablespoon of water at a time to quench his thirst? Let me reiterate what I said: Why should we prescribe a drip-drip in funds - magkano ba, 2 to 2.5 billion pesos a year in interest income - on an industry which clearly needs much more. And, let me remind you, that it is in this Senate's proud DNA to bring relief in a faster pace to people in need. When World War II devastated our land, when Pinatubo erupted, our forebears did not authorize a perpetual healing of wounds. They did not comfort our people with this assurance: Help is on the way. It will arrive by installment in 50 years or more. Gusto ba natin na ang reconstruction ng Marawi ay perpetual? Gusto ba natin na ang pagbangon sa mga nasalanta ng Yolanda ay open-ended at walang katapusan? Ang pagmamahal sa mga magniniyog, dapat walang hangganan. Pero ang pagbangon ng kanilang industriya, dapat may deadline. So that is my first point. On a "Do not delay" type of assistance, not the one done in slo-mo. My second point is to invest the principal and the proceeds in government securities. I agree with the good chairman, Sen. Cynthia Villar, on adopting a conservative approach in investment. Mandating that it be plunked in government-issued instruments would rid fund managers of the temptation of investing it in some fancy but high-risk derivatives. It prevents a fund manager from tempting the odds by placing it in some questionable products. My third point takes off from the aforesaid principle. And allow me to provide the context of why I am batting for a simpler management of the trust fund. I am proud to say that this Senate embraces the idea of a small but smart government. And in recent months, we have passed bills that cut red tape, and removed the useless and redundant layers of bureaucracy. We have voted, unanimously, to abolish the Road Board as it is a useless appendage. In the TRAIN Law, we have shrunk the number of forms, including the tax return, shortened the list of requirements, sped up the process, and slashed the number of times a taxpayer will transact with the BIR. Last week, we approved, again unanimously, a stronger Anti Red Tape Act that removes--and let me stress this--a number of bureaucratic checkpoints an application for permits and licenses must go through. We have done so, Mr. President, because we believe that allowing more agencies to regulate and more people to adjudicate reduce not only the velocity of documents being processed, but also their volume. Thus, any proposal to wrap a program in a layer of oversight is counterintuitive. It is a great leap backward to the age of big government. When it comes to implementation, the rule that "more hands on board are better" does not work, and is in fact, a prescription for lethargy. It is always the quality of supervisors, and not their quantity, that does the trick. In the case at hand, the bill already mandates that monies will be invested solely and exclusively in government securities. If such is the case, then what is the use of creating a very broad trust committee, when the mandate of such has already been restricted? Isa na nga lang po. I will be the first, however, to concede that we will need a much bigger group of trustees if the menu of investible options is big, so that in deciding where to put the money, the collective wisdom of many minds will help in picking the best option. Pero sa ngayon isa na nga lang: Government securities. So ano pa ang investment picks na gagawin ng isang committee? When it comes to where and when to spend the principal and the proceeds of the trust, these will be specified in a master plan that will be drafted with the meaningful participation of coconut farmers. In short, the spending will be pursuant to a detailed menu. Kung wala sa catalogue of projects and programs, hindi pwedeng gastusin. Maganda nga at bagay ang terminong ginamit: A roadmap. Made by the farmers, of the farmers, for the farmers. Parang Waze na susundan na lang. Kung mayroon nang mapa, bakit mo pa kailangan ng isang dosenang driver na magsasabing dito ka kumaliwa, at doon ka naman kumanan? The spending roadmap is already preordained. It is already inputted. If you have a master document, you don't need a multitude of navigators. Ang sunod na tanong: Etsa pwera na ba ang magsasaka? Hindi po. On the contrary, palalakasin natin ang bilang nila sa ahensya na pinakimportante: ang PCA. And this is my fourth point. Ang PCA ang syang pwedeng tumayong guardian of funds, in addition to its many functions. Ito angsuggestion ko: Dagdagan natin ang bilang ng mga magsasaka sa PCA. Gawin nating supermajority. From the present 5 gawin nating 6, o pwede pa 11, para doon sa naniniwala sa Noah's Ark of legislation. Gawin nating majority ang farmers doon. Kung 11 ang magiging board, 6 ang farmer's representatives--2 each from Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao. PCA is the Ground Zero of all activities to resuscitate the industry. Let us help the farmers seize the center. Let us expand, strengthen and broaden its mandate, to include: First, as the lead initiator, and convenor of the Coconut Industry Roadmap. Second, empower it with the right to ratify any move to dispose Coco Levy assets. This goes without saying that they, the farmers, will have to be consulted, and their assent secured. Walang sale ng assets, kung wala silang say. The farmer-dominated PCA will in effect be vested with veto powers. Hindi po ba logical, and commonsensical na we just fuse and fold in the powers of the trust committee into the PCA board, and thus avoid a fragmented, divided body that will oversee the rehabilitation of the coconut industry? Why maintain two bodies, when, for purposes of efficiency, transparency, accountability and savings, it can be done by one body--the PCA--that is dominated by coconut farmers. As to the sale of other coco levy assets, my personal position is that in principle, we liquidate them. Ibenta na natin. As to how, when, to whom, and for how much, let the PCA, and the farmer's representatives therein, decide. But such should be done in consultation with the economic managers in order to get the best value for assets to be placed in the auction block. Sila na ang magtakda ng mekanismo. Ang bottomline: Basta maganda ang presyo, at hindi subasta. The government's record in running for-profit businesses has not been embellished with success. What it had left behind are carcasses of state firms plundered of their assets and pillaged of their funds. At marami pa ngang nangailangan ng bailout. How many billions of pesos were squandered in the lifelines thrown to drowning companies, which eventually sank under the weight of their incompetence? Let us liquidate these assets, in a manner that is open and fair, no favorites or seeded picks, and make the proceeds part of the trust fund, thereby boosting its portfolio. Walang kakayahan ang PCA na magpatakbo ng coconut mills at bangko. At kung i-re-retain natin ang isang trust committee na magde-determine kung ano ang mga kompanyang patatakbuhin, kung saan ilalagak ang pera, kung ano ang investments na gagawin, eh di parang binuhay na rin natin ang omnipotent na CIIF ni Marcos noon. We're resurrecting a Marcos-era monopolistic entity, but with a different name. Lastly po, sa usapin ng appropriations, dalawang punto lang: Let the government match the trust income with appropriations to the PCA. Over and above monies to be spent from trust principal and proceeds, I propose that we include a provision setting a minimum of P10 billion budgetary support to coconut farmers. Pwedeng lagyan po natin ng sunset provision, like 10 years, or we can scale it down after a decade. Thus, the spending formula is trust income plus appropriations equals coconut development fund. My second point is my opposition to classify the trust fund as an off-budget item. May pangamba po ako dito kasi yung mga off-budget items natin naperwisyo, nalagay sa peligro. Exhibit A: Road Users Tax. Exhibit B: Malampaya Fund. Yung fire fees and firearms fees natin na umabot ng bilyong piso taun-taon, hindi klaro kung saan napunta, dahil outside the reach of congressional scrutiny. They are kept in the dark, placing it out of the reach of sunlight, which they say is the best fund disinfectant. Even travel tax payments are concealed in the shroud called earmarked revenues, its use annually determined by a group so small that they can caucus inside a van. Believe me, Mr. President, transparency and off-budget item are not synonymous in our budget lingo. There are now 155 different laws governing off budget accounts, making them practically hard to track, as placing them outside normal scrutiny distorts the budget process, weakens oversight, loosens expenditure control, and garbles the true picture of resources allotted to an agency. In its isolated state, an off-budget account can even promote rent-seeking practices, wherein trust control is weak or firewalled from oversight. Ang posisyon ko: Ilagay sa NEP, for recording purposes, ang itemized na projects and programs of the PCA, based on fund source, whether regular appropriations or trust income. Let me make my position clear: The fund will remain a trust account; but its usage, reporting, and expenditure will follow our budget, accounting, procurement and auditing rules. Thank you for allowing me to make that manifestation, Mr. President.Press Release

March 12, 2018 Sen. Joel Villanueva's speech on the approval of the Reservist Employment Rights Act Mr. President, we support Senate Bill No. 1698 or the "Reservist Employment Rights Act" not only because this measure will protect the Reservist's right to work but it will also restore the Filipino brand of patriotism which is - "bayan bago ang sarili". This phrase, "bayan bago ang sarili", is still relevant today. I believe, Mr. President, that many Filipinos, especially the youth, are driven to serve the nation. While making a living is definitely something that should come first - to help uplift the economic condition of their families, many would still want to show their worth as Filipinos by joining the Armed Forces of the Philippines. Physicians, engineers, bankers and even IT experts who left their lucrative jobs to serve the AFP even without pay can attest to this observation. Mr. President, we should also give this opportunity to young professionals and ordinary workers who, of course, cannot give up their jobs or put the welfare of their families or children at stake when duty calls. Hence, Senate Bill No. 1698 seeks to guarantee the rights of any member of the Reserve Force of the AFP when he or she is called up for service or mobilized and when he or she returns to work. Karapatan po ng isang reservist na makabalik sa kanyang dating trabaho, makuha ang kanyang mga benepisyo at parehong antas ng sweldo, at magampanan ang kanyang sagradong tungkulin sa bayan. But this measure is not only about the rights and responsibilities of reservists, it's also about the rights and responsibilities of employers. Karapatan din naman po ng mga employer na makatanggap ng nakasulat na abiso mula sa AFP tungkol sa mobilisasyon ng kanyang empleyado, makakuha ng kahalili o substitue habang nasa mobilisasyon, training o "Military Duty Leave" ang kanyang empleyadong reservist, at mabigyan ng sapat na impormasyon tungkol sa muling pagbabalik nito sa trabaho. Mr. President, this bill will also change the way our people view our soldiers or Reservists because it will elevate the issue to the level of our business or public organizations. As a result, we can also expect more workers and employees to join the AFP Reserve Force Command knowing that they have options when they act for the greater good and their employment rights are guaranteed by our laws. Muli, Ginoong Pangulo, maraming salamat at pagpalain po tayo ng Panginoong Hesus.May says she will give Russia until end of tomorrow to respond to nerve agent attack against ex-Russian spy. "Should there be no credible response, we will conclude that this action amounts to an unlawful use of force by the Russia state against the United Kingdom." pic.twitter.com/9qzhJZYL1QNew Zealand's small and trade-reliant economy faces "considerable fallout" if the imposition of US tariffs on steel and aluminium triggers a trade war, say ASB Bank economists.

The local economy is expected to report a faster pace of growth in the December quarter on Thursday when Statistics New Zealand releases the official data and has been a beneficiary of strong global trade. However, ASB's research team headed by chief economist Nick Tuffley warns that may be at risk if US President Donald Trump's trade protectionist stance stokes retaliation by the world's larger nations.

"So far, we assume that calm heads will prevail. Still, there is always the risk that the situation deteriorates further, which would generate considerable fall-out to the NZ economy," ASB economists said in a note. "A trade war could raise costs, add to geopolitical frictions and we can well see equity markets head south as markets attempt to gauge the potential impact on corporate earnings."

Since Trump first announced his plans at the start of the month, the New Zealand dollar has gained 0.9 percent to 73.14 US cents, the yield on New Zealand 10-year government bonds has climbed 7 basis points to 3.02 percent and the S&P/NZX 50 index has gained 1.5 percent to 8,467.65.

Trump has announced a 25 percent tariff on steel imports and a 10 percent tariff on aluminium imports, which are expected to come into effect by the end of the month. However, these barriers have differed from earlier US administrations in that they've been justified on national security terms rather than a purely economic rationale, which is an allowable exemption under World Trade Organisation rules.

So far Trump has offered exemptions to Canada, Mexico and Australia, while Europe and China have indicated a willingness to retaliate.

A spokesman for Trade and Export Growth Minister David Parker said New Zealand has formally sought an exemption from the tariffs, and while the details are still to be clarified, New Zealand may fall within the flexibility offered to close security partners.

"I am also concerned about the secondary impacts of these tariffs in terms of the knock-on effects on prices of steel and aluminium products around the world, including in New Zealand," Parker said in an emailed statement. "A tit-for-tat escalation benefits no-one and hurts everyone."

Last week, Parker signed the Comprehensive and Progressive Trans-Pacific Partnership with 10 other nations on the Asia Pacific rim, including Mexico and Canada.

ASB economists said the fear of a trade war could discourage tit-for-tat responses, although the potential for broader US tariffs aimed at China "could be a background concern for markets and a source of potential volatility over coming months," they said.

If a trade war does break out, ASB economists warn the Reserve Bank could be forced to cut the official cash rate from its already record-low 1.75 percent, although that would depend on a number of factors, such as its impact on the currency and the supply potential for the economy.

(BusinessDesk)

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RBNZ's Orr says investors need to put their money to work

New Zealand's current copyright laws are outdated and are likely to hamper digital innovation and experimentation, Deloitte says in a report commissioned by global search engine Google.

The use of a prescriptive 'fair dealing' test in the current regime, which seeks to define when original content can be reused without breaching copyright, has "failed to keep pace with changing technology", the report says. "This makes New Zealand a comparatively less attractive place to innovate."

"Growth areas of the digital economy, such as text and data mining and cloud computing, are in a precarious position of legality under current copyright law," it says.

Instead, Deloitte proposes moving to a more generic "fair use" test to create a "more flexible and adaptive copyright framework that accommodates digital innovation and experiementation because it is neutral - both with respect to the technological form the creative output takes and with respect to the specific nature of its content".

"Fair use can be applied to any use of material as long as the proposed use is consistent with the principles of fair use", which include that the reuse of original copyrighted material should be "transformative" of the original, rather than an unaltered reuse.

"These principles ... ensure that the value of second-generation innovations is appropriately balanced against the need to promote incentives for first-generation innovators, particularly as the market for new technologies emerge."

Particularly exposed may be text and data mining services, and emerging machine learning technologies that use original content to produce insights, but risk copyright infringement because of the way the current fair dealing rules are framed.

Cloud computing and data analytics firms are already less free to use publicly available information in New Zealand than if they operated in the US, where a fair use regime has been in place since the mid-19th century.

"Koordinates, a cloud-based data platform, is able to freely collate publicly available data in the US by relying on fair use," the Deloitte report says. "Under fair dealing in New Zealand, Koordinates must negotiate individual agreements for the use of data with local councils even if the data is publicly available elsewhere."

Fair use would also give artists more certainty about their right to "remix other materials in their work across a range of mediums", students would have greater scope to include extracts from third-party materials in films and documentaries that are aired publicly, and software developers and start-ups would have "greater scope to use part a copyright software interface to develop compatible programmes to commercial software".

(BusinessDesk)

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Investment firm Pioneer Capital has settled the sale of its 33 percent stake in Wellington TV and film animation production house Pukeko Pictures to China's Hengxin Shambala Culture for $15 million.

The change in ownership has appeared in Companies Office filings and reflected the settlement of an agreement with Shenzhen Stock Exchange-listed Hengxin Shambala in November, Pioneer investment director Craig Styris said in an email. At the time, the Chinese firm said it was buying two New Zealand firms for $15 million and later said it signed an agreement with Pukeko Pictures and other partners on the first stage of a 450 million yuan theme park. The Kiwi production company has described its involvement as providing location-based experiences, combining elements of interactive museums and theatre.

"We've been investors in Pukeko Pictures since 2010 and are very proud of all its accomplishments, and are excited to see it capitalise on the further opportunities in front of the business," Styris said.

Pioneer invested in Pukeko Pictures to help finance its second series of the animated children's programme 'The WotWots', which was first introduced to China in 2011.

Last November, Pukeko Pictures chief executive Clive Spink signed a memorandum of understanding with Blossom Pictures' unit Shambala Cultural Industry Investment and China Development Oriental, a joint venture between China Development Bank and Oriental Holdings, for its 'Kiddets' preschool show to be part of a children's theme park in Beijing.

(BusinessDesk)

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Wellington-based private equity fund Caniwi Capital has purchased Auckland-based Lancer Aluminium, buying exposure to the booming Auckland residential construction market through the firm, which makes aluminium window and door frames.

Caniwi principal Troy Bowker announced the purchase of the Henderson-based firm, which counts group home builders G J Gardner and Stonewood Homes, and retirement village operator Ryman Healthcare among its customers.

No price was disclosed although the purchase is typical for the boutique, privately held fund, which seeks opportunities at the small to medium end of the investment scale, targeting one or two transactions annually that offer "superior rates of return on capital", said Bowker.

As well as a $300 million suite of commercial and student accommodation properties in Wellington, chicken-rearing facilities leased back to the Ingham's chicken empire, Caniwi has in the last eight years purchased and onsold plastic container distributor Stowers Containment Solutions and in 2016 bought Petroleum Equipment Services, which sells products and equipment used in service stations, truck stops, airport and marine fueling sites.

Bowker said Caniwi was seeking businesses declaring pre-tax profits in the $2 million to $8 million range and was focusing "heavily on building its private equity division over the next 24 months by increasing its portfolio of businesses to a value in excess of $100 million".

Disposal and growth options for owners of businesses in that target size range were "limited at present as bank financing is getting harder to obtain and the capital market in this size is underdeveloped and doesnt function efficiently, said Bowker.

We continue to see value in acquiring businesses within the size range we are targeting and we are achieving very high returns on equity through a combination of improved management, financial processes and governance.

The owners of LAHL, a company registered at the same address as Lancer, are listed on the Companies Office website as Jason Farmilo and Alan McLeod, who established the business in 1985. The company employs 30 people and fabricates and distributes aluminium joinery manufactured by Hamilton-based APL group, the country's largest manufacturer of such products, Bowker said in a statement.

The purchase would expose Caniwi to the coming boom in affordable homes in Auckland and elsewhere in the North Island and give Lancer access to expansion capital, he said.

"Virtually every home is going to have aluminium doors and windows. Companies like Lancer are central to the government achieving its KiwiBuild policy objectives, and with many of these tens of thousands of homes to be built in Auckland, Caniwi is confident that Lancer will be able to play a constructive role in providing top quality windows and doors to new builds."

(BusinessDesk)

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(Nurses gather to pay their respect for nurse Aruna Shanbaug in Mumbai hospital on May 18, 2015 - AFP image)





The March 9 verdict of the Supreme Court, permitting passive euthanasia under certain circumstances, has been received with much celebration from certain quarters and objections about possible misuse from others.





The common understanding of the verdict seems to be that someone who is not able to actively kill oneself can opt for assisted suicide. But this is not quite what the five-judge Constitution Bench said.





The judgement effectively states something which should have been worked into the legislative system of the country much earlier.





Now, a person who is of sound mind will be able to make an advance directive or living will stating that under the circumstances of his or her being terminally ill and dependent on life support at some point in the future, he or she asks that such life support be withdrawn and that he or she be allowed to die with dignity.





While the Court held that the right to die with dignity is a fundamental right, it has laid down rather stringent conditions under which passive euthanasia can be authorised. More importantly, it has not permitted active euthanasia, or assisted suicide.





The person concerned would have to have reached an irreversible stage of terminal illness in the medical view and also have made a provision in his or her will beforehand. The corollary of this is that the individual must be in a vegetative state in order for this will to be executed.





Moreover, the court wants a medical board to be set up to take a call on each case of euthanasia.





There are several roadblocks to actually dying with dignity under these conditions.





First, while a mentally competent person can decide to reject treatment for a terminal illness, or even reject palliative care, a person who is rendered irresponsive or in a vegetative state due to a sudden accident will not be considered mentally competent and hence cannot make such a decision. He or she would have had to have prepared a living will well in advance of an incident which could not have been foretold.





In some countries, a medical proxy might be permitted to make this decision for the person. But India does not have a system of medical proxy. I cannot make a provision saying that my parents, siblings, partner, or children will be able to make a decision about my medical treatment based on their knowledge of what I would have wanted in case I am rendered unable to articulate such a decision.





Second, for as long as one is not in a vegetative state or considered to be entirely without medical hope of recovery, one cannot choose to be euthanised. Only the withdrawal of life support is permitted, not the shutting down of life itself, irrespective of the pain one is undergoing and the bleakness of the prognosis.





Third, one can only imagine the sort of backlog a medical board which must decide on each individual appeal for passive euthanasia will have to deal with.





The only way even the provisions of this judgement could be implemented would be for them to be drafted into legislation. But the common notion, which has also been fostered by various religions, that life is sacred  though, seemingly, not where animals are concerned  has ensured that the House has unanimously voted against most forms of artificial termination.





It was only on August 8, 2016, that the Mental Healthcare Bill, which among other things decriminalises the attempt to commit suicide, was passed in the Rajya Sabha. Earlier, someone who had tried and failed to kill himself could be imprisoned for up to a year under Section 209 of the Indian Penal Code. It took the government decades  centuries, if we were to trace our current penal code back to its British origins  to figure out that depression and despair must be treated, not punished. However, Section 124 of the Mental Healthcare Bill also assumes that a person who attempts suicide will be deemed to be suffering from mental illness at the time of the attempt. What repercussions could this have on the person making a living will? It is not clear.





There have been various rulings by the Supreme Court on suicide attempts in the past.





In P. Rathinam v. Union of India, (1994), the court held that the state should not interfere with the personal liberty of those concerned, since a suicide attempt causes no harm to others, and cannot be said to be against religion, morality or public policy.





However, religious institutions have contested that suicide is against their respective religions, and the Court is not bound either by the previous verdict or by law to dismiss their contentions.





And so it was that in the case of Gian Kaur v. The State of Punjab (1996), where the petitioners had been sentenced to six years rigorous imprisonment and a fine for abetting suicide, the Court held that Section 309 was constitutionally valid and the petitioners could be punished under it.





In 2011, while delivering its verdict on the appeal for euthanising Aruna Shanbaug, the Supreme Court suggested Section 309 should be deleted from the Indian Penal Code by Parliament, since it had become anachronistic.





It was several years before Section 309 could be overridden by legislation.





How long will it be before citizens are effectively permitted to die with dignity, in a country where ones right to live with dignity is barely recognised?





Why does corporal punishment still exist?

The bizarreness of modern-day feminismAmrik Singh, 22, was told to leave Rush Late Bar in Mansfield, Nottinghamshire as he was wearing headgear and this was not allowed.

: A Sikh student was allegedly told to leave a bar by a doorman because he was wearing a turban.

The 22-year-old law student, who says he felt victimised by the bouncer, recorded the incident.

In the recording, Amrik can be heard asking the doorman why he has to leave. The unidentified doorman simply replies thats just our policy and then says I didnt think you were allowed to come for a drink anyway.

Amrik, who worked at Bhatia Best Solicitors on his university placement year, said he was heartbroken and upset following the incident at the Clumber Street venue.

He said: I had finished a module on my course and some people I used to work with at the solicitors said I should come up to Mansfield to celebrate.

We decided to go out for some drinks and ended up in Rush late bar which was all fine, about half an hour into being there I got a tap on my shoulder and a bouncer just said to me take it off.

I was confused at first and then he said that I wasnt allowed to wear headgear in the venue and I shouldnt have been let in.

I explained that a turban isnt just headgear, but part of my religion and that it protected my hair  and that I was allowed to wear a turban in public.

The bouncer ignored this and said I needed to take it off. I refused and was subsequently dragged away from my friends, which was humiliating and I felt victimised.

Amrik said he decided to film the incident after seeing a similar incident recently where a student at Nottingham Trent filmed racist chanting outside her door.

The 22-year-old said: I knew that if I recorded it I could prove it happened and seeing how other recent stories have become high profile though social media I knew that I couldnt just let this discrimination go ahead.

The worst part of it was the fact he compared my turban to wearing a pair of trainers.Moscow: Russian President Vladimir Putin has revealed that he ordered the downing of a "hijacked" plane that threatened 40,000 spectators who came to witness the opening ceremony of the 2014 Sochi Olympic Games, the media reported.





The President made the revelations on Sunday in a two-hour documentary film titled "Putin" directed by Andrey Kondrashov, a state television filmmaker, which was shared on local social media on Sunday, reports RT news.





Putin recalled that on February 7, 2014, just as he was setting off for Sochi's Fisht Stadium, where the spectators, thousands of sportspersons and dozens of world leaders awaited the start of the ceremony, he had received a call from the official responsible for the safety of the Olympics.





The caller told the Russian President that passengers on a plane heading from Ukraine to Turkey had hijacked it, claiming they had a bomb on board and demanded that their flight be diverted to Sochi.





The hijackers stated no other conditions.





According to FSB chief Aleksandr Bortnikov, also interviewed for the film, fighter jets were immediately scrambled, but the final decision was to be taken by Putin, RT news reported.





Putin asked the security official: "What do you suggest we do?"





"The answer was as expected: 'Follow the plan. Shoot down the aircraft'. I said to them, 'Then act in accordance with your plan'," Putin told Kondrashov.





Finally, a second call came.





"The same official. He tells me that this was drunken antics from the passengers. And that the plane would soon land in Istanbul as expected," RT quoted Putin as saying in the documentary.





When asked by his interviewer what he experienced between the two phone calls, Putin replied that "this is something I would prefer not to talk about".





In the documentary, Putin also said that returning Crimea to Ukraine was impossible under whatever circumstances, reports TASS news agency.





"What are you talking about? Such circumstances do not exist and never will," he asserted.Rickey Dennis, left, is indicted on murder charges in February of 2017.

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Ricky Dennis wasn't only jealous of the trappings of his former boss Michael Genovese's wealth, he was also angry Genovese wouldn't pay him for injuries Dennis allegedly suffered in a fall at the office in Dongan Hills, a prosecutor told jurors Monday at Dennis' double-murder trial.

That combination was a recipe for the murders of Genovese, the owner, and Carl Clark, a manager, at Universal Merchant Funding on Jan. 24, 2017, Assistant District Attorney Lisa Davis said in her closing argument.

"He went there to kill him, and that's what he did. This was personal," Davis said. "Every single fact in this case points to Ricky Dennis being the killer. He had the motive. He had the opportunity. He did the planning. All of the evidence leads to the fact that Ricky Dennis murdered Michael Genovese and Carl Clark."

Dennis, an ex-convict, was irked that Genovese, 57, drove a BMW, wore a Rolex watch and had nearly a dozen TV screens in the financing company's office at 124 Buel Ave., said Davis, who is prosecuting the case along with Assistant District Attorney Michael Tannousis.

Dennis, meanwhile, had little to show for himself.

Don't Edit

Police rope off Universal Merchant Funding on Buel Avenue in Dongan Hills after the slayings.

LACK OF EVIDENCE?



But defense lawyer Mario F. Gallucci contended police had zeroed in on Dennis because he was a convenient suspect, despite what he maintained was a lack of physical evidence against his client.

Dennis, a Brooklyn resident, was stopped in that borough's eastern edges about an hour and 15 minutes after the victims were slain, when cops saw his girlfriend smoking marijuana in his Honda Accord.

Officers searched the vehicle, but there was no evidence of any foul play on Dennis' clothing or in the car, even though the murder scene was drenched in the victims' blood, said Gallucci.

The defendant would have had to discard the murder weapon, change clothes and clean the car on the drive out to Brooklyn to pick up his girlfriend, all within the span of 75 minutes, said Gallucci.

Similarly, there was no physical evidence linking Dennis to the crime when he was arrested for the killings the next day, the attorney said. (Dennis was not yet a suspect when he was stopped on the night of the murders).

"Tom Cruise in 'Mission Impossible' with a script couldn't do that. There's blood everywhere except there," said Gallucci, pointing to the bearded, bespectacled Dennis seated at the defense table. "There's no blood, no DNA, no gunshot residue. Nada. Nothing. ... We're sitting here stuck with pieces of a puzzle that do not fit. Round peg, square hole. They wanted to find evidence to support a pre-determined conclusion."

Don't Edit

Both sides rested on Monday before presenting closing arguments.

Dennis did not testify.

While the case is circumstantial, the evidence clearly points to Dennis, said Davis.

PROSECUTOR: EVIDENCE POINTS TO DENNIS

Dennis, 33, had last worked for Universal Merchant Funding on Sept. 22, 2016, when he claimed to have slipped and fallen in the office. He was taken to the hospital and sought compensation for injuries, but Genovese refused, according to witness testimony.

Genovese and others believe Dennis had staged the fall, witnesses said.

A former co-worker, Brian Haffenden, testified he saw Dennis on the night before the killings. The defendant told him he planned to visit Universal Merchant funding the next day to talk to Genovese.

License-plate photo records at the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge depict Dennis' vehicle crossing onto Staten Island at 4:26 p.m. on Jan 24, of last year. Those records also show his vehicle heading back to Brooklyn at 6:31 p.m., about 15 minutes after the murders, she said.

Videotape surveillance shows a man pacing outside Universal Merchant Funding for about 15 or 20 minutes before entering close to 6:15 p.m.

Don't Edit

Carl Clark, 52, was reportedly shot three times in the head.

That man wore jacket turned inside out, a mask over the bottom part of his face and carried a gun and an umbrella, said Davis.

Haffenden, who left before the man entered, said the man walked like Dennis.

Davis said Dennis was waiting for the workers to leave for the night, but knew Genovese was still inside because his car was parked outside.

Dennis kept the umbrella open inside the building because he knew where the surveillance cameras were and wanted to block his face, she said.

As for the lack of blood on Dennis' clothes and inside his Honda, Davis said the defendant was standing in front of Genovese's desk when he shot the two men, and their blood splattered upward to the ceiling and behind them on walls.

PHYSICAL EVIDENCE

And, she said, the physical evidence inculpated Dennis.

Two partial fingerprints of his were found on the inner handle of the front door at the spot where videotape surveillance shows the killer touched it, said Davis.

And a DNA mixture, in which Dennis was a likely contributor, was found on the umbrella, which had been discarded in the street, she said.

In addition, the mask was found in Dennis' vehicle when he was arrested, she said.

Don't Edit

Michael Genovese, 57, was the owner of the business.

Gallucci maintained Haffenden and other witnesses were self-acknowledged criminals and couldn't be trusted. Haffenden admitted to being a "manipulator."

The physical evidence just didn't add up to his client being the murderer, said Gallucci.

The DNA found on the umbrella was "negligible," and if some of it was Dennis', another person could have transferred it to the umbrella, he said.

Regarding the fingerprints, Gallucci said prosecution experts testified it was difficult to specify when a fingerprint was left on an object. Dennis could have done so when he worked at the company, he said.

And, he said, Dennis' DNA was not found anywhere in Genovese's office as one would expect.

Deliberations will begin in state Supreme Court in St. George on Tuesday.

Don't EditNEW YORK CITY -- Today marks the eighth week of the New York corruption trial.

The jury of seven women and five men has spent about 31 hours over six days deliberating the bribery charges against former Huguenot resident and one-time governor's aide Joseph Percoco and Syracuse businessmen Steven Aiello and Joseph Gerardi.

The trial has taken longer than many expected, including the judge. Here's a look at eight reasons why the trial has stretched into eight weeks.

Weather

A bout of nor'easters has helped slow down the trial.

The Southern District of New York, where charges in this case were brought, includes Westchester County, which has been hit by severe weather over the last few weeks.

The weather caused a snow day last week. It has delayed jurors, including at least one man who complained about not having electricity and having to overcome hurdles like a downed tree on the way into Manhattan.

Childcare issues

The jury is now working on an abbreviated schedule due to one juror's childcare hardship.

A stay-at-home mom told the judge during jury selection in January the kids' grandmother could watch her two children for six weeks, but she would have problems with childcare after that.

U.S. District Court Judge Valerie Caproni at the time said the trial was not going to be longer than 6 weeks.

Sure enough, after six weeks, the juror said she had to leave in time to pick her children up from school.

The trial schedule, originally 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., is now 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. each day.

Illness

A defense lawyer's illness cost the court more than a day's delay midway through the trial.

Illnesses have threatened to further delay the case, with a juror's sick children posing an issue.

For a couple weeks, a chorus of coughs and sniffles echoed among lawyers and people sitting in the gallery.

Caproni at one point reminded everyone to wash their hands.

"Please, just, everybody, not to sound like a schoolmarm, but please take care of yourself," she said. "We can't deal with anybody else getting sick."

Can't agree on anything except to disagree

Some jurors gave up hope on a verdict last week.

Three asked to be let off the case for various personal reasons, exhaustion and disbelief the jury would reach unanimous consent.

"I don't see the end," one juror told the judge.

The foreman wrote Caproni to say the jury was in a deadlock.

"The only thing we seem to agree on is that we cannot agree," he wrote.

Caproni delivered a version of what's known as an Allen charge to the jury. She gave them a kind of pep talk and urged them to keep an open mind as they continued to deliberate.

Complex case with two schemes

This trial is only the first part of a complex case in which 10 people were charged.

Though the charges have been separated into two trials, the current one itself covers two alleged schemes involving Percoco.

Apart from the alleged Syracuse scheme, Percoco is accused of accepting bribes from a Hudson Valley energy executive in the form of a "low-show" for his wife.

Multiple defendants

Any case with multiple defendants creates more work for the jury.

Unlike in some cases, in which the jury renders a decision of guilty or not guilty on one charge, this case involves multiple charges against multiple defendants.

The jury is expected to answer 15 questions on a verdict sheet to complete its duty. All of those answers must be unanimous among the 12 jurors.

Todd Howe

Star witness Todd Howe surely can't make deliberations any easier on the jurors.

Howe's testimony provided explanations for the prosecution's claims that Percoco accepted payments from the Cor Development executives, funneled through a shell company set up by Howe.

Howe was arrested midway through his testimony after he admitted to trying to defraud his credit card company while he was cooperating with investigators. He's pleaded guilty to eight felonies in connection with the case.

On one hand, the defense told jurors the government's entire case was contingent on Howe, while prosecutors urged the jury to examine evidence they say corroborates Howe's story and even independently proves the defendants' guilt.

Apart from the difficulties Howe poses as a witness, Howe's testimony stretched over two weeks. Defense lawyers spent days questioning Howe about his many misdeeds.

Caproni took to calling this line of cross-examination "plowing the field."

To one defense attorney's continued focus on Howe's past, Caproni said, "Let me just say that this ground was plowed, replowed, a harrow went through it, they reaped it. We've been through all this."

Tedium

Caproni has also tried to speed up the pace when she felt lawyers were repetitive on other subjects, sometimes calling the lawyers out for "filibustering."

"This cross-examination has been tedious," she said at one point. "You're losing the jury."

When lawyers repeatedly asked witnesses about former top governor's aide Howard Glaser's job description, Caproni said somebody's head was going to roll.

Another topic that began to draw Caproni's ire was a fishing trip among Howe, Percoco and the energy executive.

"There is not going to be another word about the the damn fishing trip," she said.STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- In February, a 41-year-old man was indicted on manslaughter charges following a 2017 crash in Brooklyn.

Mark Antoine, of Brooklyn, suffered from multiple sclerosis, which resulted in seizures. Prior to the incident, prosecutors allege a doctor had ordered Antoine not to drive, which proved enough evidence to launch the indictment.

Weeks later, a Staten Island woman allegedly mowed down five people at a crosswalk in Brooklyn, killing a 1-year-old and a 4-year-old in the process.

Dorothy Bruns, 44, also reportedly suffers from multiple sclerosis, and was believed to have suffered a seizure at the time of the incident.

It remains uncertain if a doctor had ordered Bruns not to drive, or if she was medicated at the time of the incident.

TOXICOLOGY REPORT



A blood test at the time of the crash determined Bruns was not drunk, according to a source with knowledge of the investigation.

However, authorities have yet to rule out impairment by any drugs, prescribed or otherwise, sources said.

Records show multiple camera infractions in recent months issued to the 2016 Volvo driven by Bruns, for speeding in school zones and running red lights. It's unclear whether Bruns was behind the wheel at the time of those infractions.

SILVER LINING

One of the three adult pedestrians injured in the crash was Tony Award-winning actress Ruthie Ann Miles, who lost her 4-year-old in the incident and was pregnant at the time.

Her family announced Thursday the unborn child was not harmed.

Amid backlash on social media and from activist groups in New York, Mayor Bill de Blasio last week said Bruns should've been arrested, based in part on the violations issued to her vehicle.

" ... This should never have happened, she should never had been allowed to be driving a car after what we know of these other violations. I share the frustration of many in my community, I wish she was under arrest right now."

A spokesman for the Brooklyn district attorney said Monday: "This very tragic incident is under active investigation and we are looking into all aspects of this case."STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- A New Jersey man got a taste of New York justice when he was sentenced Thursday to five years in prison for assaulting a worker at a Port Richmond convenience store and sticking up a Mariners Harbor laundromat.

In January, Carmen Bongiovanni, 33, of Summerville, pleaded guilty to robbery and strangulation charges stemming from separate incidents on Sept. 9 and Sept. 14 of last year.

In the first, the defendant entered a Clean Rite Center at 2256 Forest Ave., Mariners Harbor, at about 6:25 a.m. and accosted an employee, said a criminal complaint.

"You don't want to get hurt. Don't touch me," he ordered, and removed the cash register drawer from the laundromat, the complaint said.

Five days later, on Sept. 14, Bongiovanni walked into the 7-Eleven store at 1440 Forest Ave., Port Richmond, at about 1:20 a.m., a criminal complaint said.

He punched a worker multiple times and also choked the victim, causing the unidentified person to lose consciousness, said the complaint.

Bongiovanni snatched cigarettes and tried, but failed, to open the cash register before leaving, the complaint said.

The defendant was sentenced as a second violent felony offender to five years in prison and five years' post-release supervision for his strangulation conviction in the 7-Eleven incident.

He received a concurrent sentence of two to four years behind bars for his robbery conviction in the laundromat episode.

A short man with a thin beard, Bongiovanni declined to make a statement before sentence was imposed.

Christina Paliogiannis represented the defendant.

Assistant District Attorney Arda Ozdnic prosecuted the case.STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- In nearly every measurable category, elementary schools on the borough's North Shore rank below the South Shore and Mid-Island schools, according to data from the New York state Education Department and New York City Department of Education.

The gap in math and English proficiency is more than 25 percent.

There also are disparities in attendance, the number of economically disadvantaged students and other measures of achievement.

North Shore schools are ethnically, racially and economically more diverse than the rest of the borough and historically have less enrichment opportunities than schools in the other parts of the borough.

More than 50 percent of the student populations in each North Shore elementary school is classified as economically disadvantaged, or, participants in an economic assistance program, such as SNAP benefits or reduced-price or free lunch.

Mid-Island elementary schools fall in the middle -- some better, some worse than schools on the North and South shores.

STEPS BEING TAKEN TO CLOSE THE GAP

Superintendent of Staten Island Public Schools Anthony Lodico acknowledged the inequity in the borough's schools but said progress is being made.

"...Through our Learning Partners program that brings together principals, assistant principals and parent coordinators to share best practices; and by investing in social-emotional learning and school culture across the Island through our Equity, Excellence, and Empathy initiative. We are grateful for the partnership of organizations like the Staten Island Foundation, our local colleges, and our elected officials as we do this work," Lodico said.

In December 2017, Lodico told the Advance that District 31 was awarded an $800,000 grant from The Staten Island Foundation, Carnegie Corporation of New York and FSG -- a consulting firm specializing in nonprofit organizations and foundations -- to help balance the inequity in borough schools.

"[The grant] is going to help us deepen the work around equity and excellence and really building and forging even better partnerships in the community to get this work done, and so we have an advisory group that is already formed," Lodico told the Advance during an editorial board meeting.

When asked about allocation of the $800,000, a Department of Education (DOE) spokesman said a Steering Committee including staff from the DOE, FSG, Policylink, the Systems Leadership Institute and community leaders has been formed.

"We have conducted a four-day intensive leadership training in January for 60 community stakeholders and are conducting an assessment of community needs, including through data analysis, interviews, and focus groups," the spokesman said.

The committee plans to identify two to three key areas of focus where it can work to address the inequity using a whole-community approach and research-based strategies, the spokesman explained.

(EDITOR'S NOTE: The following interactive charts were built with data from the New York state Education Department and New York City Department of Education. In a few cases, data was not applicable for the school -- for example, schools that only serve students until second grade that do not take statewide English and math proficiency exams.)

South Shore elementary schools saw a 0.3 percent increase in math proficiency from 2016 to 2017, a spokesman for the DOE confirmed, closing the inequity gap between the North and South Shores by 2.3 percent.

However, English proficiency decreased by 3.3 percent in elementary and middle schools, the spokesman said. The gap decreased by 6.2 percent.

Next-level readiness for elementary school children on the South Shore is 98.7 percent.

Next-level readiness is defined by how many of the school's 5th grade students from the previous school year (2015-2016) passed their core 6th grade classes in math, English, social studies and science in the next school year (2016-2017) at whichever middle or secondary school they attend next.

Eleven of the 16 elementary schools in the Mid-Island section of Staten Island have 50 percent or more of their student population receiving economic assistance, the data shows, compared to 12 out of 13 North Shore schools and zero of twelve South Shore schools.

Six of the schools fall under the 50th percentile for statewide exams when compared to schools in the surrounding shores.

Mid-Island elementary schools fall in the middle of North and South Shore schools when looking at other data sets.

The average class size for North Shore elementary schools is in-line with South Shore schools, 25.3 students compared to 25.2 students, according to the data and confirmed by the DOE spokesman.

The data shows a large gap in math and English proficiency percents between the North Shore and the South Shore and Mid-Island of the borough. However, the gap in math and English between North and South Shores closed by 2.3 and 6.2 percents, according to the DOE spokesman.

Students on the North Shore are not as ready for the next level of schooling, as shown by the data. The gap in next-level readiness increased by 1.6 percent between 2016 and 2017.STATEN ISLAND, N.Y.

-- Staten Island kids learned about Irish culture and history while picking up some new dance moves Sunday at the Staten Island Children's Museum in Livingston.

The event, Wondrous Women of Ireland, which featured Irish step dancers from Forest Haven Center for Dance and Music, provided participants with a chance to get into the St. Patrick's Day spirit ahead of the March 17 holiday.

"Even if they're not Irish, it's an exhilarating dance form," said Dawn Daniels, who owns and operates the studio and has been teaching dance on the Island for 18 years. "It's a great way to express themselves artistically. It's a universal dance form."

Daniels said Irish step dancing became popular in the United States after "Riverdance," the theatrical show of traditional Irish music and dance, premiered in the mid-1990s. Since then, Irish dance has been welcomed beyond the borders of Ireland.

Maeve Sheehan, 13, said she became interested in Irish step dancing because her mother was born in Ireland. Once she saw Forest Haven perform, she knew she wanted to join.

Maeve has been dancing traditional Irish dances for seven years. Maeve also performed a medley of songs on a set of bagpipes.

"I like doing workshops with the little kids and I can meet new people," Maeve said. "I also like telling people I can Irish step dance and it's really unique."

FOLLOW ANNALISE KNUDSON ON FACEBOOK AND TWITTER .STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Their own respective internal polls from GOP House primary opponents Rep. Daniel Donovan and Michael Grimm show both candidates ahead among primary GOP voters.

In a head to head to match up, respondents overwhelmingly picked Donovan with 60 percent of respondents saying they would vote for him in a primary election, while 21 percent picked Grimm.

Donovan is viewed favorably by 63 percent of respondents, according to an internal poll conducted by Barry Zeplowitz & Associates of likely Republican primary voters given to the Advance.

Only 30 percent of respondents viewed Grimm, a former congressman and felon, favorably and 46 percent viewed Grimm unfavorably.

The poll surveyed 400 Republicans likely to vote in a primary election who live in New York's 11th congressional district has a margin of error plus or minus 4.9 percent.

Grimm's campaign disputed the results saying that it's impossible for their campaign to be down 40 points.

"Donovan isn't just losing his seat in Congress -- he has gotten so desperate he is now guaranteed to lose his reputation as well. If anyone believes Donovan is leading by 40 points then I have a bridge to sell them," Grimm told the Advance.

GRIMM RELEASES POLL

When we reached out to Grimm's campaign for comment on the Donovan poll, Grimm campaign officials released their own poll to the Advance.

In this poll, Grimm bested Donovan in a head to head matchup with 35.2 percent of respondents choosing the former representative. About 34.1 percent of participants chose Donovan and 30.8 percent of respondents were undecided, according to Big Dog Strategies' poll.

Among the 70 percent of likely GOP primary voters who view President Donald Trump very favorably, 42 percent support Grimm, 28 percent support Donovan, and 30 percent are undecided, according to the poll.

Of respondents, 65.9 percent of had a favorable opinion of Grimm and 66.5 percent of voters had a favorable opinion of Donovan.

"I think voters trust Michael Grimm and he has made defending the president a hallmark of his campaign," said Chris Grant, whose consulting firm conducted the poll for Grimm.

DONOVAN CAMP SLAMS GRIMM POLL

Jessica Proud, a spokesperson for Donovan's campaign, disputed the accuracy of the Grimm poll and attacked its credibility.

"This poll is as laughable as his attempts to bury his liberal voting record as one of the most reliable votes for Obama," Proud told the Advance. "Michael Grimm is an established liar and cheat, and this desperate poll full of absurdities shows he hasn't changed one bit."

The Grimm survey questioned 446 likely GOP primary voters who live in the 11th Congressional District. Participants were reached on March 4-5 by phone and the margin of error is 4.57 percent.

In February, Donovan's campaign garnered the endorsements of the state's Conservative Party and Reform Party as well as the Staten Island GOP and Richmond County Independence Party up in recent weeks.

The primary election is on June 26.

FOLLOW CLIFFORD MICHEL ON FACEBOOK AND TWITTER.It's complicated: China torn on Trump, Kim talks



Beijing, March 12 (AFP) Mar 12, 2018



When China called on the United States to engage in direct talks with North Korea, it probably never imagined it would be absent from the table.

Beijing, which chaired failed international talks on North Korea that collapsed a decade ago, has long seen itself as central to the negotiations to end Pyongyang's nuclear programme.

But when US President Donald Trump agreed last week to hold a historic meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un at a yet-to-be-decided day and place, China was nowhere to be seen.

Chinese President Xi Jinping has not even met Kim since the young North Korean autocrat took power following his father's death in 2011.

While China remains North Korea's only ally and main economic lifeline, relations between the two neighbours have soured as Xi, under pressure from Trump, has backed a slew of UN sanctions to punish Pyongyang for its nuclear and missile tests.

In a Friday phone call with Trump, Xi praised the US leader's "positive" move, saying he hoped the US and North Korea would start talking as soon as possible and that China was devoted to solving the nuclear issue through dialogue.

But not everyone was so happy: China's top-selling nationalist tabloid the Global Times dashed out an editorial aimed at soothing the jangled nerves of Chinese patriots afraid that the country would be sidelined by a Trump-Kim love-in.

"Chinese people should stay calm and remain poised, and avoid the mentality that China is being marginalised," it said.

"China's prime interest on the Korean peninsula is its denuclearisation and peace, both of which are more important than China's relations with North and South Korea and power politics."



- Nuclear fears -



Trump's surprise agreement to meet Kim appears to have shocked many in China, who wonder if the Asian giant -- which is increasingly trying to put itself at the centre of global diplomacy -- has been cut out of the loop by Pyongyang.

"Given that parts of Trump's own national security team were not informed of this major change in policy, I'm doubtful that President Trump informed the Chinese, and definitely not with any significant lead time," said Oriana Skylar Mastro, an expert on China, North Korea relations at Georgetown University and the American Enterprise Institute.

While Washington is happy to use China to squeeze North Korea economically, it is not as interested in involving Beijing in the more delicate work of negotiations.

"The Trump administration sees China as primarily an obstacle to the peaceful resolution of the DPRK nuclear issue and not so much as a critical diplomatic interlocutor," Skylar Mastro said.

It is natural that Beijing would have reservations about what a Kim-Trump meeting could mean for its own interests in the region, said Zhang Liangui, a professor of the International Strategic Academy of the Party School of the Central Committee of the Communist Party.

"As a neighbour, if North Korea continues to develop nuclear weapons, China could be the biggest casualty," he told AFP: "so you could say, China is the most important party involved."

Those concerns came sharply into focus when North Korea literally shook China with an underground nuclear test that produced an earthquake felt over the border.

Beijing also worries that Kim's weapons could trigger an arms race in the region, leading its historical rival Japan and perhaps even South Korea to seek nuclear weapons.



- Six parties -



While China has long pushed for US-North Korean dialogue, it always saw it as a first step towards returning to the long-dormant Six-Party Talks, which grouped China, the US, Japan, Russia and the two Koreas.

North Korea abruptly quit the international forum in 2009.

"Beijing would be most comfortable to play the mediating role," said Wenran Jiang, senior fellow at the Institute of Asian Research of the University of British Columbia.

China "still believes" that all six parties must be part of the denuclearisation process, he said.

Xi and his "very experienced foreign policy team seem to have displayed a high level of confidence that China is too big and too important to be left out of the negotiations."

"They are waiting patiently for the right opportunity and they are quite certain relevant parties will knock on China's door soon."

Bonnie Glaser, senior adviser for Asia at Washington's Center for Strategic and International Studies, said China may offer to host the Trump-Kim meeting, which would "at least increase the possibility that they will be heard."

"The Chinese traditionally have always worried about the US and North Korea cutting a deal at their expense," she said, adding that "people in the US have always laughed at those concerns."System error

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context: ... 21: </%method> 22: 23: % foreach my $c (@categories) { 24: <%perl> 25: my $category_id = $c->get_id(); 26: my @stories = Bric::Biz::Asset::Business::Story->list ( { element_type_id=>1148, category_id=>$category_id , Order=> 'cover_date', publish_status => 't' , OrderDirection=> 'DESC' , Limit=>10 } ); 27: </%perl> 28: <table width="90%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0"> 29: <tr> ... code stack: /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/dhandler.html:25

/usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm:951

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Can't call method "get_id" on an undefined value at /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/dhandler.html line 25. Trace begun at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Exceptions.pm line 129 HTML::Mason::Exceptions::rethrow_exception('Can\'t call method "get_id" on an undefined value at /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/dhandler.html line 25.^J') called at /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/dhandler.html line 25 HTML::Mason::Commands::__ANON__ at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Component.pm line 160 HTML::Mason::Component::run_dynamic_sub('HTML::Mason::Component::FileBased=HASH(0x7f639c365ce0)', 'main') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 951 HTML::Mason::Request::call_dynamic('HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x7f639cdf9940)', 'main') called at /var/cache/mason/obj/1784076917/main/smetimes/dhandler.html.obj line 17 HTML::Mason::Commands::__ANON__ at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Component.pm line 138 HTML::Mason::Component::run('HTML::Mason::Component::FileBased=HASH(0x7f639c365ce0)') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 1305 eval {...} at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 1295 HTML::Mason::Request::comp(undef, undef, undef) called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 958 HTML::Mason::Request::call_next('HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x7f639cdf9940)') called at /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/autohandler_template.html line 149 HTML::Mason::Commands::__ANON__ at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Component.pm line 138 HTML::Mason::Component::run('HTML::Mason::Component::FileBased=HASH(0x7f639d764ea0)') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 1303 eval {...} at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 1295 HTML::Mason::Request::comp(undef, undef, undef) called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 484 eval {...} at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 484 eval {...} at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 436 HTML::Mason::Request::exec('HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x7f639cdf9940)') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/ApacheHandler.pm line 165 HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler::exec('HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x7f639cdf9940)') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/ApacheHandler.pm line 831 HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler::handle_request('HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x7f639acda4b0)', 'Apache2::RequestRec=SCALAR(0x7f639eb2b9c8)') called at (eval 487) line 8 HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler::handler('HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler', 'Apache2::RequestRec=SCALAR(0x7f639eb2b9c8)') called at -e line 0 eval {...} at -e line 0System error

error: Can't call method "get_id" on an undefined value at /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/dhandler.html line 25.

context: ... 21: </%method> 22: 23: % foreach my $c (@categories) { 24: <%perl> 25: my $category_id = $c->get_id(); 26: my @stories = Bric::Biz::Asset::Business::Story->list ( { element_type_id=>1148, category_id=>$category_id , Order=> 'cover_date', publish_status => 't' , OrderDirection=> 'DESC' , Limit=>10 } ); 27: </%perl> 28: <table width="90%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0"> 29: <tr> ... code stack: /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/dhandler.html:25

/usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm:951

/var/cache/mason/obj/1784076917/main/smetimes/dhandler.html.obj:17

/usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/autohandler_template.html:149



Can't call method "get_id" on an undefined value at /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/dhandler.html line 25. Trace begun at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Exceptions.pm line 129 HTML::Mason::Exceptions::rethrow_exception('Can\'t call method "get_id" on an undefined value at /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/dhandler.html line 25.^J') called at /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/dhandler.html line 25 HTML::Mason::Commands::__ANON__ at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Component.pm line 160 HTML::Mason::Component::run_dynamic_sub('HTML::Mason::Component::FileBased=HASH(0x7f639b500e40)', 'main') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 951 HTML::Mason::Request::call_dynamic('HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x7f639b61bea8)', 'main') called at /var/cache/mason/obj/1784076917/main/smetimes/dhandler.html.obj line 17 HTML::Mason::Commands::__ANON__ at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Component.pm line 138 HTML::Mason::Component::run('HTML::Mason::Component::FileBased=HASH(0x7f639b500e40)') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 1305 eval {...} at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 1295 HTML::Mason::Request::comp(undef, undef, undef) called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 958 HTML::Mason::Request::call_next('HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x7f639b61bea8)') called at /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/autohandler_template.html line 149 HTML::Mason::Commands::__ANON__ at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Component.pm line 138 HTML::Mason::Component::run('HTML::Mason::Component::FileBased=HASH(0x7f639b5cb150)') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 1303 eval {...} at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 1295 HTML::Mason::Request::comp(undef, undef, undef) called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 484 eval {...} at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 484 eval {...} at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 436 HTML::Mason::Request::exec('HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x7f639b61bea8)') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/ApacheHandler.pm line 165 HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler::exec('HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x7f639b61bea8)') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/ApacheHandler.pm line 831 HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler::handle_request('HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x7f639acda600)', 'Apache2::RequestRec=SCALAR(0x7f639b629ee0)') called at (eval 487) line 8 HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler::handler('HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler', 'Apache2::RequestRec=SCALAR(0x7f639b629ee0)') called at -e line 0 eval {...} at -e line 0System error

error: Can't call method "get_id" on an undefined value at /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/dhandler.html line 25.

context: ... 21: </%method> 22: 23: % foreach my $c (@categories) { 24: <%perl> 25: my $category_id = $c->get_id(); 26: my @stories = Bric::Biz::Asset::Business::Story->list ( { element_type_id=>1148, category_id=>$category_id , Order=> 'cover_date', publish_status => 't' , OrderDirection=> 'DESC' , Limit=>10 } ); 27: </%perl> 28: <table width="90%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0"> 29: <tr> ... code stack: /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/dhandler.html:25

/usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm:951

/var/cache/mason/obj/1784076917/main/smetimes/dhandler.html.obj:17

/usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/autohandler_template.html:149



Can't call method "get_id" on an undefined value at /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/dhandler.html line 25. Trace begun at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Exceptions.pm line 129 HTML::Mason::Exceptions::rethrow_exception('Can\'t call method "get_id" on an undefined value at /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/dhandler.html line 25.^J') called at /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/dhandler.html line 25 HTML::Mason::Commands::__ANON__ at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Component.pm line 160 HTML::Mason::Component::run_dynamic_sub('HTML::Mason::Component::FileBased=HASH(0x7f639b1b0eb0)', 'main') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 951 HTML::Mason::Request::call_dynamic('HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x7f639b663fa8)', 'main') called at /var/cache/mason/obj/1784076917/main/smetimes/dhandler.html.obj line 17 HTML::Mason::Commands::__ANON__ at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Component.pm line 138 HTML::Mason::Component::run('HTML::Mason::Component::FileBased=HASH(0x7f639b1b0eb0)') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 1305 eval {...} at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 1295 HTML::Mason::Request::comp(undef, undef, undef) called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 958 HTML::Mason::Request::call_next('HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x7f639b663fa8)') called at /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/autohandler_template.html line 149 HTML::Mason::Commands::__ANON__ at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Component.pm line 138 HTML::Mason::Component::run('HTML::Mason::Component::FileBased=HASH(0x7f639b200b10)') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 1303 eval {...} at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 1295 HTML::Mason::Request::comp(undef, undef, undef) called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 484 eval {...} at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 484 eval {...} at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 436 HTML::Mason::Request::exec('HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x7f639b663fa8)') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/ApacheHandler.pm line 165 HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler::exec('HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x7f639b663fa8)') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/ApacheHandler.pm line 831 HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler::handle_request('HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x7f639acda840)', 'Apache2::RequestRec=SCALAR(0x7f639b6280e0)') called at (eval 487) line 8 HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler::handler('HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler', 'Apache2::RequestRec=SCALAR(0x7f639b6280e0)') called at -e line 0 eval {...} at -e line 0Great Bay:--- Several weeks after Hurricane Irma decimated our island, Mr. Glenn Gressman contacted May-Ling Chun, member of the Board of the Charlotte Brookson Academy of the Performance Arts on behalf of the Foundation United Artist Groningen in the Netherlands.

Mr. Gressman informed Ms. Chun that the Foundation was in the process of organizing fundraising events, of which the proceeds would be donated to worthy projects on St. Maarten in order to alleviate the suffering caused by the hurricane. Mrs. Chun conveyed this information to the management of CBA, which proposed to the Foundation to donate towards the replacement of students uniforms, which were lost when Irma destroyed their homes.

In the month of January management was happy to learn that the Board of the Foundation had transferred an amount of 1.500 Euros for the purchasing of a total of 9 uniforms and cardigans for students who had lost their uniforms during the storm. Pictured below are several of those students, expressing their gratitude to the Foundation.

The School Board, as well as Management, is extremely grateful to the United Artist Groningen, who donated of their time and talent to raise funds for our students. It is touching that persons in the far away Netherlands have opened their hearts and pocketbooks to assist our students on St. Maarten.

To those persons, we send warm and sunny greetings from the Charlotte Brookson Academy of the Performance Arts on St. Maarten and we say: Thank you, thank you, thank you for your kindness and generosity!PHILIPSBURG:---The St. Maarten Tzu Chi Foundation continued its efforts to assist persons in the community still suffering in the aftermath of the devastating hurricane Irma on Sunday, March 4, 2018, when it donated a number of basic food items to 70 persons from the St. Peters Kingdom Life Ministry Church.

This was the Foundations tenth three goods relief effort. The three goods relief effort is significant in that it encourages recipients and the public to think, speak and do good in all that they do, a principle also followed by the Foundations volunteers.

Tzu Chi said a half year after the devastation of hurricane Irma, many people are still experiencing its impact due to the closure of various businesses, causing limited or no income at all for many.

With this in mind, Tzu Chi decided to continue its three-goods relief programme.

During the food relief, a total of 84 Wesson Oil (24oz); 100 boxes of pasta; 70, 5lb bags of wheat flour; 70, 5lb bags of white flour; 80, 5lb bags of rice; 144 bottles of grape juice and 84 bottles of water (1.5 liter) were donated amongst the 70 recipients.

In introductory remarks at the event, Tzu Chi Commissioners Sandra Cheung and Yamile Bastidas spoke about Tzu Chi, while a sister from the church translated their presentation in Patois.

Cheung and Bastidas said Tzu Chis main office in Taiwan made the donations possible and even though many people in St. Maarten are still struggling, they said persons can still show their love by being sympathetic with the victims of Taiwan's most recent earthquake by lovingly donating some change in the Foundations bamboo-bank to assist.

The three goods relief-distribution was conducted in an orderly manner due to the extremely good preparation prior to the event. Relief-goods were gratefully accepted and recipients were encouraged to think, speak and do good, while they were given an opportunity to give their love in support to the Taiwanese earthquake survivors.

St. Peters Kingdom Life Ministry Church Pastor Thevalys Lazare said the church is extremely happy that the St. Maarten Tzu Chi Foundation thought about the church and its members who are hurting at this time. The way we were hit by the hurricane and to have someone thinking about is - we are thankful. We thank Sandra and every else, for a job well done, the pastor said.

A member of the church, who said she lost almost everything during the hurricane, said the church is privileged to have a Foundation such as Tzu Chi doing their best to assist others because people do need the assistance... I lost most of my stuff during the hurricane, but I am alive and well. I didnt have a scratch, but God is going to make everything ok. I am happy to have the Foundation here helping us here in St. Maarten.

One of the Tzu Chi volunteers, who assisted in the exercise said although she lost half of her home during hurricane Irma, she is grateful to have an opportunity to assist others via the foundation. It is a privilege to help others in the Foundation. It is a blessing to be here.

Tzu Chi thanked recipients for accepting the donations of relief items. The Foundation also thanked Pastor Thevalys Lazare and volunteers Eveline, Marie and the others who participated for their dedicated efforts in seeking help on behalf of the needed families.

Cheung said the Foundation will continue to assist families in need by continuing its three goods relief efforts.A deputy to the 13th National Peoples Congress casts her ballot on proposed amendments to the countrys Constitution at the third plenary meeting of the ongoing 13th NPC in Beijing on Sunday. RAO AIMIN / XINHUA

Amendment, first since 2004, includes provisions reinforcing country's goals

The National People's Congress, China's top legislature, adopted a landmark amendment to the country's Constitution by secret ballot on Sunday, enshrining Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era into the fundamental law.

The adoption of the first amendment to the Constitution in 14 years won the almost unanimous support of lawmakers, with 2,958 in favor, two against and three abstentions.

The amendment lists supervisory commissions as new State organs.

China's commitment to the path of peace and development, mutual benefits, win-win cooperation, opening-up and building a community with a shared future for mankind were written into the Constitution.

The national legislature wrote into the Constitution that "the leadership of the Communist Party of China is the defining feature of socialism with Chinese characteristics".

The third plenary meeting of the first session of the 13th National People's Congress (NPC) is held at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, March 11, 2018. [Photo/Xinhua]

That new sentence reflects the fundamental, comprehensive and contemporary nature of the Party's leadership, said Shen Chunyao, chairman of the Commission for Legislative Affairs of the NPC Standing Committee.

The Party's leadership was included in the first article of the Constitution, as the Party exercises overall leadership in all areas of endeavor in every part of the country, Shen said at a news conference on the revisions.

Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era is the latest achievement in adapting Marxism to a Chinese context and encapsulates the practical experience and collective wisdom of the Party and the people, Shen said.

The inclusion of Xi Jinping Thought and the Scientific Outlook on Development ensures that the country's guiding theories will advance with the times, Shen added.

Zheng Shuna, vice-chairwoman of the Legislative Affairs Commission of the NPC Standing Committee, said the amendment, for the first time elaborating on the supervisory commissions, is part of the top-level design as the country deepens the reform of its supervisory system.

The reform's goal is to integrate resources and manpower for anti-corruption, boost the Party's leadership in the fight against graft and establish a unified, efficient supervisory system for the country, Zheng told the media.

Also adopted was a change in the tenure of the president and vice-president.

Lawmakers at the ongoing annual session agreed that the constitutional revision accords with the aspirations of the Communist Party of China and the people and has won approval both inside and outside the Party.

The revision is of historic significance for ensuring the prosperity and lasting security of both the Party and the country, according to the lawmakers.

Staff members distribute ballots at the third plenary meeting of the first session of the 13th National People's Congress (NPC) at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, March 11, 2018. [Photo/Xinhua]

The draft amendment was submitted to the first session of the 13th NPC for deliberation on March 5.

Xi Jinping, general secretary of the CPC Central Committee, said during a panel discussion with a group of NPC deputies on Wednesday that revising parts of the Constitution represent a major decision by the Central Committee from the overall strategic height of upholding and developing socialism with Chinese characteristics in the new era.

While the reform and opening-up drive, which began 40 years ago, has made amazing progress, it brought major changes to the country's Constitution.

The People's Republic of China adopted its first Constitution in 1954. The current Constitution was adopted in 1982 and then amended in 1988, 1993, 1999 and 2004.

From 1988 to 1999, amendments included the reform of land-use rights, legal status for the private economy, the theory of building socialism with Chinese characteristics, replacing the phrase "planned economy" with "socialist market economy", and incorporation of Deng Xiaoping Theory.

The most recent previous amendment, in 2004, protected private property and human rights and gave the Theory of Three Represents constitutional authority.

A constitutional revision can be proposed either by the NPC Standing Committee or by more than one-fifth of all NPC deputies. Approval of at least two-thirds of NPC deputies during the annual session is required for adoption.Syria army bombs splintered Ghouta enclave as bodies pile up



Hammuriyeh, Syria, March 11 (AFP) Mar 11, 2018



New air strikes and barrel bombs pounded Syria's Eastern Ghouta on Sunday as government forces pressed a three-week advance that splintered the rebel enclave and trapped dozens under collapsed buildings.

Defying global calls for a ceasefire, Syria's government has pursued a ferocious Russian-backed air campaign and ground offensive to capture the region, the last rebel bastion on the capital's doorstep.

In three weeks of fighting, it has overrun more than half the area and split the remainder into three pockets, isolating the urban hub of Douma from the rest of the enclave.

On Sunday, government troops battered the edges of each pocket with air raids, barrel bombs, and rockets, said the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR).

In the evening they focused their fire on Harasta, hitting it with 18 air strikes including barrel bombs, it added.

After fighting all morning, they captured the town of Medeira, which lies at the heart of the three zones, Observatory head Rami Abdel Rahman said.

State news agency SANA had reported troops were focusing on the town in order to cut rebel access routes in Ghouta.

Bombing runs across several towns in Ghouta killed 23 civilians on Sunday, bringing the total toll from the offensive to at least 1,139 civilians, including 240 children, the Observatory said.

They include dozens of decomposing bodies still trapped under pulverised residential blocks in the towns of Hammuriyeh, Saqba, and Misraba.

In Hammuriyeh, AFP's correspondent saw a young man scrambling frantically over the rubble of a collapsed building in search of his loved ones.

His father, mother, and three siblings were killed in an air raid, but rescue workers have been unable to pull them out.



- Bodies pile up -



Hassaan, a 30-year-old rescue worker, said there were around 20 more families under the rubble.

"We need heavy machinery to get them out, but we can't bring the machines out into the streets because the regime may bomb them," he said.

In the main town of Douma, 17 bodies were pulled from the rubble Sunday evening, according to SOHR, adding to the corpses piling up in the morgue as bombardment prevented families from reaching the cemetery, AFP correspondents there said.

Families grew desperate for news of loved ones who had fled to other areas that were now inaccessible.

On Saturday, Syrian troops and allied militia cut off the main road leading out of Douma in a major blow to beleaguered rebels attempting to defend their enclave.

Government forces also captured the town of Misraba.

Some residents fled from the advancing troops, but dozens stayed as soldiers recaptured their neighbourhoods.

SANA reported on Sunday that troops transported "dozens of civilians, including women and children" from Misraba to temporary shelters in government-held zones.

The Observatory told AFP that Misraba was left abandoned after 75 to 100 people were moved out of the town by regime forces.

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad is keen to recapture Eastern Ghouta from rebels, who have used the region as a launch pad for attacks on the capital.

On Sunday, four people were killed and six wounded in rebel rocket fire on a government-controlled district in eastern Damascus, state television reported.

It broadcast live footage from the battered skyline of Medeira, saying Sunday's gains linked Syrian soldiers advancing from the east with troops based on the western edges of Ghouta.



- Officials mull evacuation -



In recent years, government forces have recaptured several areas around Damascus and other parts of war-ravaged Syria from rebels by pursuing fierce military offensives culminating in evacuation deals.

A delegation representing Hammuriyeh residents were on Sunday considering such an agreement after talks with the regime, a negotiator and the Observatory told AFP.

The delegation met government representatives on Saturday and discussed a proposal that would offer safe passage to rebels and civilians who want to leave, one of its members said.

"The committee is meeting on Sunday to take a decision and inform the regime," the source told AFP on condition of anonymity.

The Observatory confirmed talks were taking place on Hammuriyeh as well as the towns of Jisreen and Saqba.

The two main rebel groups in Eastern Ghouta have firmly and repeatedly denied negotiating with the Syrian regime.

Faylaq al-Rahman, the opposition faction that holds Hammuriyeh, insisted late Saturday there were "no direct or indirect negotiations" on an evacuation.

Eastern Ghouta is home to around 400,000 people living under a crippling government siege since 2013.

The United Nations has demanded a month-long ceasefire there to allow for aid to be brought in and for desperately sick and wounded civilians to receive treatment.

Syria's regime has also been accused of using chlorine gas against civilians in Eastern Ghouta in recent weeks.

On Sunday, US Defence Secretary Jim Mattis warned it would be "very unwise" for Assad to use weaponised gas against civilians, but declined to say whether doing so would trigger a US military response.White House to help arm school staff: officials



Washington, March 12 (AFP) Mar 12, 2018



President Donald Trump's administration will step up aid to states that want to arm school employees under a plan to increase campus safety after the killing of 17 people in Florida, officials said Sunday.

The controversial idea to put weapons in schools, which has drawn little support from educators, is part of a "pragmatic plan to dramatically increase school safety and to take steps to do so right away," Education Secretary Betsy DeVos said in a conference call with reporters.

"We are committed to working quickly because there's no time to waste," said DeVos, who will chair a federal commission on school safety.

Among other measures, the Trump administration is urging states to pass temporary "risk protection orders," as Florida recently did, with technical assistance coming from Washington, said Andrew Bremberg, a presidential assistant who heads the Domestic Policy Council.

These court-issued orders allow for law enforcement officers to remove guns from people who pose a demonstrated threat, "to temporarily prevent such individuals from purchasing new firearms, all while still protecting due process rights," he said.

The moves come during a national gun control debate revived by survivors of last month's massacre at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, where 14 students and three staff were gunned down by a man with a semi-automatic rifle.

Chuck Schumer, the Senate Democratic leader, on Twitter dismissed the administration's measures as "baby steps designed not to upset @NRA," the powerful National Rifle Association gun lobby.

"The administration will be working with states to provide rigorous firearms training to specifically qualified volunteer school personnel," Bremberg said.

A senior administration official added that there are already "a multitude of programs that exist across the country where school personnel are trained in conjunction with state or local law enforcement."

The administration is "working with the Department of Justice to continue and increase the amount of help" for such initiatives, the official said.



- 'Identifying risks' -



Lily Eskelsen Garcia, president of the National Education Association (NEA), the largest professional union in the United States, has said that parents and educators "overwhelmingly reject the idea of arming school staff."

The NRA has long argued for more armed security in US schools, a plan Trump has advocated.

On Wednesday, Florida legislators approved funding for a program to allow some teachers and school employees to be armed.

The measure came in a bill that raises the minimum age to purchase all firearms from 18 to 21, bans modification devices that allow a semi-automatic weapon to fire faster, and increases mental health funding.

Bremberg said the White House also wants more of a focus on mental health care, and will conduct "a full audit and review" of the FBI tip line, after criticism of the federal law enforcement agency for missing warning signs about the Florida shooter.

Separately, the senior administration official said "the first step" is for Congress to take action.

Trump is urging the House of Representatives and Senate to pass bills that would strengthen criminal background checks for gun purchases, and which would implement violence prevention programs.

The safety commission to be chaired by DeVos will include teachers and other experts. They will examine "the issue of age for purchasing firearms" and related matters before making recommendations to the president, the senior administration official said.

Late last month Trump had seemed to support tougher measures, including "very strong" background checks and raising to 21 the age for buying certain guns.

"We really need to focus on prevention and identifying risks early on, and that starts with addressing social and emotional well-being and increasing access and consistency and transparency to mental health services," DeVos said.

Schumer said America's gun violence epidemic "demands giant steps be taken. @SenateDems will push to go further: passing universal #backgroundchecks, actual fed legislation on protection orders & a debate on #AssaultWeaponsBan."

Mass shootings are the most high-profile type of firearms violence in the United States, which sees more than 30,000 gun-related deaths each year.Seoul envoy thanks China for role in N. Korea nuclear talks



Beijing, March 12 (AFP) Mar 12, 2018



South Korea's national security adviser on Monday thanked China for its "active support" in the diplomatic process that has set up a historic summit between Donald Trump and Kim Jong Un.

Just days after he stood outside the White House and announced the planned meet between the US president and North Korean leader, Chung Eui-yong was in Beijing to brief China's top diplomat Yang Jiechi on the fast-moving efforts to address the nuclear standoff.

Trump and Kim have agreed to meet by the end of May, although they have yet to confirm a date or time.

"Our president, Moon Jae-in, and the (South Korean) government believe that various advances toward achieving the goal of peace and denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula were made with active support and contribution from President Xi Jinping and the Chinese government," Chung said.

Yang touted the "positive changes" on the Korean peninsula.

"We will continue to realise the goal of denuclearisation, uphold the peaceful unification of the peninsula, and solve problems through dialogue and consultation," he said.

China has long urged the US and North Korea to start bilateral talks about Pyongyang's nuclear weapons programme.

Beijing has played a key role in passing and implementing UN sanctions on the North, which are believed to have put immense pressure on the country's fragile economy.

China is North Korea's only diplomatic ally and its most important trade partner.

Still, some in China are afraid the country, which hosted failed six-nation talks on the nuclear issue a decade ago, could be cut out of negotiations on denuclearising the Korean peninsula.

Chung will meet with other top leadership in Beijing Monday before heading to Russia later in the week.Seoul envoy thanks Xi for 'big role' in N. Korea nuclear talks



Beijing, March 12 (AFP) Mar 12, 2018



South Korea's national security adviser on Monday thanked Chinese President Xi Jinping for his "big role" in the diplomatic process that has set up a historic summit between Donald Trump and Kim Jong Un.

Just days after he stood outside the White House and announced the planned meet between the US president and the North Korean leader, Chung Eui-yong was in Beijing to brief Xi and China's top diplomats on the fast-moving efforts to address the nuclear standoff.

Trump and Kim have agreed to meet by the end of May, although they have yet to confirm a date or time.

"The situation on the Korean peninsula has recently undergone very positive changes. President Moon Jae-in believes that the leadership of the Chinese government, especially the leadership ability of President Xi has played a big role in this," Chung told Xi at the Great Hall of the People.

Chung said Xi's "unwavering" commitment to the denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula and a peaceful settlement played a "significant" part in the recent developments.

"We are very grateful to China for its consistent position," he said.

"Once again, we expect that China will continue to play an active and leading role and the South Korean government will continue to coordinate closely with China."

Chung renewed Moon's invitation for Xi to visit Seoul. The South Korean leader visited Beijing in December on a trip aimed at thawing tense bilateral relations strained over Seoul's decision to host a US missile defence system that Beijing sees as a threat to its own security.

Xi said Chung had achieved "positive results" in his visits to North Korea and the United States last week, which led to the diplomatic breakthrough.

Xi did not say more about the North Korean nuclear crisis, but he said China's relations with South Korea have "maintained a good momentum of improvement".

Earlier, China's top diplomat Yang Jiechi told Chung that Beijing "will continue to realise the goal of denuclearisation, uphold the peaceful unification of the peninsula, and solve problems through dialogue and consultation."

China, which has repeatedly pressed the US and North Korea to hold talks, has urged Xi and Kim to hold their meeting as soon as possible.

Beijing has played a key role in implementing UN sanctions on the North, which are believed to have put immense pressure on the country's fragile economy.

China is North Korea's only diplomatic ally and its most important trade partner.

Still, some in China are afraid the country, which hosted failed six-nation talks on the nuclear issue a decade ago, could be cut out of negotiations on denuclearising the Korean peninsula.China's Xi calls for military loyalty to new constitution



Beijing, March 12 (AFP) Mar 12, 2018



A day after he won the mandate to rule for life, President Xi Jinping called on China's military to follow the country's newly-amended constitution in which his political thought is now enshrined.

"The whole army must strengthen its constitutional awareness, promote the constitutional spirit and be a loyal admirer, conscientious follower and staunch defender of the constitution," Xi told military officials on Monday.

China's rubber-stamp parliament on Sunday endorsed Xi's move to abolish rules limiting heads of state to 10 years in power.

The amendment also added the leader's eponymous political philosophy into the constitution: "Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era."

It was the first constitutional amendment in 14 years and reversed the era of "collective leadership" and orderly succession that was promoted by late paramount leader Deng Xiaoping.

Xi, who is also head of the military, was speaking during a meeting of the People's Liberation Army and armed police at the ongoing annual session of the National People's Congress.

He sat at the head of a table dressed in a traditional Mao suit as officials diligently took notes.

Unlike most countries, China's armed forces are permanently under the control of the ruling Communist Party, rather than the state.

Since coming to power in 2012, Xi has presided over sweeping reforms intended to transform the country's military from a rusty Soviet-era relic into a modern fighting force.

In his speech, he referred to the "revolutionary restructuring" of the military's organisational structure in recent years.

The changes have included the replacement of top military brass with Xi loyalists and the sacking of top generals for corruption.

Former chief of joint staff Fang Fenghui is facing prosecution for bribery, state media reports said in January. Former Central Military Commission vice-chairman Guo Boxiong was jailed for life in 2016.

Earlier this year, the party took control of China's paramilitary force, a move analysts said could have arisen from anxiety over the potential use of the police to stage a coup.Killing of civilians by Ethiopia troops no accident: residents



Addis Ababa, March 12 (AFP) Mar 12, 2018



Residents of a town in Ethiopia's restive Oromia region on Monday disputed the government's characterisation of a deadly shooting that left nine civilians dead as an accident.

Ethiopian state media said Sunday that soldiers shot nine civilians near the town of Moyale on the Kenyan border after mistaking them for members of the banned Oromo Liberation Front (OLF) who were trying to sneak into the country.

But two residents who spoke to AFP said the shooting took place in an area known for its opposition to the government, and came amid worsening relations between the populace and soldiers deployed to Moyale under a nationwide state of emergency declared last month.

"The government is just disseminating misinformation," said one resident, who spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisals.

A second resident -- who also did not want to be named -- said the bloodshed began on Saturday after a crowd formed to separate two motorcyclists who had collided and began arguing.

"It was then a military vehicle came along. The military jumped out of the car and started shooting aimlessly, killing indiscriminately," said the resident, who fled across the border to Kenya along with many others.

The first resident, who remains in Moyale, said he counted 10 bodies in the town's hospital.

"Some of them were killed in their homes. Some of them were killed while they were having their lunch. Some others were killed while they were selling in their shops," he said.

Ethiopia declared a state of emergency last month after the surprise resignation of Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn, who will stay in office until a successor is chosen.

Oromia was the epicentre of a protest movement against Ethiopia's one-party rule that started in late 2015 and spread to the neighbouring Amhara region, leaving hundreds dead and resulting in tens of thousands of arrests.

A 10-month state of emergency imposed in October 2016 quelled much of that violence, but the government remains unpopular among the Oromo, Ethiopia's largest ethnicity who inhabit Oromia.

Oromo activists called a three-day strike to protest the state of emergency last week which was observed by many businesses even though it was against the law, the resident said.

Both residents said the Shawa Barri area where the shooting happened was home to young men who were active against the government and spread word of the recent strike.

The government says five soldiers have been arrested over their role in the killings, which will be investigated by the military.25 killed in IS attacks in northern Iraq: officials



Kirkuk, Iraq, March 12 (AFP) Mar 12, 2018



At least 25 civilians and members of government forces have been killed in northern Iraq since late Sunday in attacks by the Islamic State group, officials said.

The attacks came despite Baghdad's declaration of victory over the jihadist group late last year.

"Islamic State (IS) terrorists who had set up a fake roadblock on a major road have killed 15 people," a police officer told AFP.

That attack took place on the outskirts of Amerli in the province of Kirkuk, about 200 kilometres (125 miles) from Baghdad.

In a separate attack, three people were killed while driving a car further north near the city of Daquq, said the officer, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

"The attackers then burned the car," he said.

In a village of Niniveh province, seven others including the mayor were killed by armed men in military uniform, local official Ali al-Hamdi told AFP.

Hamdi blamed IS, saying members of the jihadist group were hiding out in the surrounding desert and making incursions into populated areas.

The mayor of Mushirfa village and two of his children were killed in the attack on his home, Hamdi said, as well as two tribal fighters of the Hashed al-Shaabi paramilitary units that played a leading role in the fight against IS.

In mid-February, IS claimed responsibility for killing 27 people in the Hawija area of Kirkuk province, also setting up a fake checkpoint and disguising themselves as soldiers.

It was the deadliest attack on Iraqi forces since they retook control last October of Hawija, the jihadists' last bastion in northern Iraq.

In December, Baghdad announced the "end of the war" against the IS and that government troops -- army, police and Hashed al-Shaabi -- were in control of the long and porous Iraqi-Syrian border.

Experts and officials, however, believe that jihadists hiding out in the desert still have the ability to strike and even to seize areas of Iraq, especially near the Syrian border.Government forces continue to make progress as death toll rises

DOUMA, Syria - Government forces continued their offensive in Eastern Ghouta on Sunday, a day after they cut off the rebel-held enclave's largest town, pressing on with a 20-day assault that has left more than 1,000 civilians dead, according to a UK-based watchdog.

Government troops and allied militia launched their military campaign for Eastern Ghouta on Feb 18 and have captured more than half of the area in recent days, as part of an ongoing wide-scale offensive to dislodge the rebels from that key area on the eastern rim of Damascus.

The assault has eaten away at rebel-held territory, and government forces on Saturday successfully isolated Ghouta's main town of Douma in a blow to the rebels.

Government fighters cut off a road linking Douma with the town of Harasta further west and also captured the town of Misraba, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

"Regime forces have therefore divided Eastern Ghouta into three parts - Douma and its surroundings, Harasta in the west, and the rest of the towns further south," the United Kingdom-based monitor said.

Shelling and airstrikes slammed into Douma on Saturday, trapping residents inside their basements for hours, AFP's correspondents said.

Rescue workers and medics were struggling to navigate the town's rubble-littered roads to bring wounded residents back to field clinics.

At least 20 civilians - including four children - were killed in Douma on Saturday, in addition to 17 civilians in other battlefront towns, said the SOHR.

The deaths raised the assault's total toll to 1,031 civilians, including 219 children, according to the SOHR. More than 4,350 have been wounded.

Eastern Ghouta, a 105 sq km agricultural region consisting of several towns and farmlands, poses the last threat to the capital due to its proximity to government-controlled neighborhoods east of Damascus and their ongoing mortar attacks that target residential areas in the capital.

Meanwhile, teams from the International Committee of the Red Cross, Syrian Arab Red Crescent and the UN said they had delivered urgently-needed aid despite ongoing fighting extremely close to the humanitarian convoy.

The teams delivered 2,400 food parcels that can sustain 12,000 people for one month, as well as 3,248 bags of flour, the ICRC said in a statement.

The delivery was part of a convoy that could not be fully unloaded on March 5 due to the security situation.25 killed in IS attacks in northern Iraq: officials



Kirkuk, Iraq, March 12 (AFP) Mar 12, 2018



At least 25 civilians and members of government forces have been killed in northern Iraq since late Sunday in attacks by the Islamic State group, officials said.

The attacks came despite Baghdad's declaration of victory over the jihadist group late last year and as the country gears up for parliamentary elections.

"Islamic State (IS) terrorists who had set up a fake roadblock on a major road have killed 15 people," a police officer told AFP.

That attack took place on the outskirts of Amerli in the province of Kirkuk, about 200 kilometres (125 miles) from Baghdad.

In a separate attack, three people were killed while driving a car further north near the city of Daquq, said the officer, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

"The attackers then burned the car," he said.

In a village of Nineveh province, seven others including the mayor were killed by armed men in military uniform, local official Ali al-Hamdi told AFP.

Hamdi blamed IS, saying members of the jihadist group were hiding out in the surrounding desert and making incursions into populated areas.

The mayor of Mushirfa village and two of his children were killed in the attack on his home, Hamdi said, as well as two tribal fighters of the Hashed al-Shaabi paramilitary units that played a leading role in the fight against IS.

In mid-February, IS claimed responsibility for killing 27 people in the Hawija area of Kirkuk province, also setting up a fake checkpoint and disguising themselves as soldiers.

It was the deadliest attack on Iraqi forces since they retook control last October of Hawija, the jihadists' last bastion in northern Iraq.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the latest attacks, but most such strikes in Iraq are the work of IS.

- Elections in May -



In December, Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi's government declared "the end of the war" against IS, announcing that government troops were in control of the long and porous Iraqi-Syrian border.

Experts and officials, however, believe that jihadists hiding out in the desert still have the ability to strike and even to seize areas of Iraq, especially near the Syrian border.

Analysts have warned that the group would increasingly turn to guerrilla-style attacks as it was pushed underground after losing territory.

The recent spate of attacks come as Iraq gears up for parliamentary elections set for May.

Abadi has said he will stand for re-election as the head of a new coalition, rather than running under the banner of his Shiite Dawa party.

His new "Victory Alliance" coalition would be a "cross-sectarian" list aimed at overcoming divisions and battling inequalities in the country, the 65-year-old prime minister has said.Japan ready to 'fully' back IAEA inspections in N. Korea



Tokyo, March 12 (AFP) Mar 12, 2018



Foreign Minister Taro Kono said Monday that Japan was ready to "fully" support inspections of North Korea's nuclear facilities by the International Atomic Energy Agency if Pyongyang accepted the scrutiny.

Kono said he made the offer during a meeting with Suh Hoon, the chief of South Korea's National Intelligence Service, in Tokyo.

Suh visited Tokyo to brief the Japanese leadership on the fast-moving diplomatic process that saw an announcement last week of a historic summit between North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and US President Donald Trump to discuss Pyongyang's denuclearisation.

Suh is scheduled to meet Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Tuesday.

"If North Korea accepts inspections, Japan will fully cooperate in financial aid and other things so that the IAEA would be able to conduct inspections immediately," Kono told reporters.

"We have told the South Korean side about our stance," he added without elaborating.

Kyodo News reported on Sunday that Tokyo plans to cover most of the initial cost of 350 million yen ($3.3 million) to 400 million yen needed to finance inspections of the North Korean nuclear complex in Yongbyon.

Japan is also considering offering more help if the cost goes up, Kyodo said, quoting government officials.

The report could not be independently confirmed.

Japan and the United States see IAEA inspections as the first step toward the denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula -- a key condition for their dialogue with Pyongyang.

The UN nuclear watchdog set up a specialist team last August to prepare for a potential restart of inspections, Kyodo said.NATO chief expresses 'great concern' over Russian spy attack



Brussels, March 12 (AFP) Mar 12, 2018



NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg on Monday said the alliance was deeply concerned about the attack on a Russian former double agent in Britain and was in contact with UK authorities about the matter.

"The UK is a highly valued ally, and this incident is of great concern to NATO. NATO is in touch with the UK authorities on this issue," Stoltenberg said in a statement issued by his office.

Stoltenberg made his remark hours after British Prime Minister Theresa May said it was "highly likely" that Russia was responsible for the poisoning of one of its former spies, an accusation rejected by Moscow.

In a dramatic escalation of diplomatic tensions over the attack on Sergei Skripal and his daughter on March 4, May said the nerve agent that poisoned them was a military-grade type developed by Russia.

"The use of any nerve agent is horrendous and completely unacceptable," Stoltenberg said.

The strong words by the NATO chief will increase speculation that Britain will consider triggering "article five" of NATO membership, a rule that says an attack on one member constitutes an attack on all.

But according to the BBC, May's government has declined to turn to the highly exceptional clause and will seek other ways to confront Russia.

May said Britain had demanded a full explanation from the Russian government by the end of Tuesday.

Without a "credible response", May said Britain will conclude it was "an unlawful use of force by the Russian State against the UK", and pledged to outline a "full range of measures" in response.Optimization

Are you frustrated with a slow pc or a hard disk not performing as it should?

Try SLOW-PCfighter to speed up boot time on a slow PC, or try a free scan of FULL-DISKfighter to recover space on a full disk. The latest offering is DRIVERfighter to update your driver updater. Get complete PC optimization and extend the life of your PC with these must-have software tools.Bir Lahlou (Liberated Territories), March 12, 2018 (SPS) - President of the Republic, Secretary General of the Polisario Front, Brahim Ghali, has stressed the failure of the Kingdom of Morocco in their attempt to compromise Western Sahara's membership of the African Union (AU).

Speaking at the closing session of a meeting extended to secretaries and political commissars of the Polisario Front, the President of the Republic said Morocco's scheme to join the African Union in order to compromise SADR's membership of the (African Union) and to prevent (the pan-African organization) from playing its role in the process of decolonization of the last colony in Africa has been a shameful failure.

The position of SADR, as a founding member, has been further strengthened since the adherence of Morocco to the AU, alongside the Saharawi State, which has played an effective part in African Union partnership summits with foreign countries and unions, including Japan in Maputo (August 2017) and the European Union in Abidjan last November, said the President of the Republic.

In "other consultative and specialized meetings Morocco has found itself isolated in the face of the determination of the African countries and their solidarity with the SADR, which is today a symbol of Africans' history and struggle for freedom and dignity."

"The decisions of the 30th African Summit, held last January, were a clear message of Africans' discontent with Morocco's prevarications and violation of African and international legality," the President of the Republic said.

He added that the African leaders have always reiterated their "AU's commitment to fully playing their role in the peaceful settlement of the conflict." (SPS)

062/SPS/APSThis demonstrates a clear need for livestock farmers to take appropriate action to protect their herds from the hallmark symptoms of BVD infection which include reduced productivity as a result of immunosuppression and reproductive failure.

Gwaredu BVD is an industry led programme (funded by the Welsh Government Rural Development Programme (RDP) to eradicate BVD in Wales. The scheme gives Welsh livestock farmers access to up to 500 of funding to work with their vet to diagnose if their herd has been exposed to the virus, and to seek and remove any infected animals.

In the schemes first five months over 3,000 herds have been tested. Of these, more than 25% have tested positive, explains John Griffiths, manager of the Gwaredu BVD scheme. That means as many as 750 of the herds tested to date are potentially underperforming as a result of infection. Whilst the total number of affected herds in Wales is unknown, it is clear that farmers must act now to stop the disease from spreading and to reduce its effects.

BVD has the potential to cause significant financial losses as a result of poor fertility, reduced milk yields, low daily live weight gains, fever, diarrhoea and respiratory problems.

On farm, this means more calves suffering from conditions such as pneumonia or scours and fewer calves being conceived, John continues. This can cost beef herds as much as 45 per cow per year and as much as 15,000 per year for an average 130-cow dairy herd.Hare coursing, where dogs compete against each other in pursuit of a hare, was outlawed by the 2004 Hunting Act but now takes place illegally without the permission of the landowner. It has also been reported that the crime sometimes involves live streaming to another location where bets often worth thousands of pounds are placed on the outcome.

Following thousands of incidents of hare coursing throughout autumn and winter, the CLA which represents landowners, farmers and rural businesses has set out an action plan on how to bring those involved to justice. The organisation is calling for tailored sentencing guidelines such as vehicle seizure and compensation paid to the landowner for any damage caused.

CLA President Tim Breitmeyer said:

Hare coursing is an abhorrent crime that many of our members have been victims of. Coursers often use threatening and intimidating behaviour, criminal violence and injury, which is wholly unacceptable.

The crime raises concerns about animal cruelty, damages crops, private property and has a detrimental impact within rural communities.

Not all police forces and magistrates take it seriously enough. Fines can be as low as 30 while the gambling side of the crime generates thousands so there is no deterrent and perpetrators are getting away with it scot-free.

CLA North Adviser Libby Bateman said:

Fines imposed under the Hunting Act are unlimited, yet too often they amount to just a few hundred pounds. This is not an effective deterrent for a lucrative crime. The police are able to seize vehicles and dogs  both of which would have a direct impact on hare coursers.U.S. and Israeli military officials said on Thursday they have launched a month-long joint military drill that simulates a missile attack on Israel.

The "Juniper Cobra 2018" exercise was launched on Sunday, a military spokesperson said, adding it is the largest drill of its kind.

The biennial drill is jointly held by the Israeli military and the U.S. European Command (USEUCOM).

As part of the exercise, some 2,500 U.S. troops routinely based in Europe were deployed in Israel as well as about 2,000 Israeli Aerial Defense troops, logistics units, medical forces and other Israel Defense Forces (IDF) units.

"For more than four weeks, they will train shoulder to shoulder, the same as we will fight in times of crisis. It's not just about an exercise," Brig. Gen. Zvika Haimovich, Israel's air defense commander, told reporters on Thursday.

The exercise simulates a scenario in which Israel is being attacked on several fronts, including by precision-guided ballistic missiles from Iran.

Two U.S. vessels arrived in Israel to participate in the drill. On Tuesday, the USS Iwo Jima took position off the coast of Israel. On Thursday, the Mount Whitney command and control ship docked at the Haifa port, the spokesperson said. Aboard it, there were more than 500 servicemen and women, half of them from the senior command of the U.S. sixth fleet.

It is the ninth Cobra exercise that has taken place.

A military notice said that the participators are performing together computerized simulations of a variety of rocket threat scenarios in different regions.

The simulations include testing of the anti-ballistic missile system Arrow, Iron Dome anti-rocket system, the medium-range interceptor Patriot missile system, and David's Sling, which was designed to intercept medium-range missiles from southern Lebanon's Hezbollah militants and became operational in April 2017.Patriarch Ignatius Mor Aphrem II to Speak at WCC Conference on World Mission and Evangelism

His Holiness Ignatius Mor Aphrem II, Patriarch of the Syriac Orthodox Church, arrived Sunday afternoon at the Conference on World Mission and Evangelism (CWME) being held in Arusha, Tanzania from 8-13 March.

Contact: World Council of Churches Media Office, +41 79 507 6363, www.oikoumene.org/press

GENEVE, March 12, 2018 / Standard Newswire / -- Patriarch Mor Aphrem will be the keynote speaker at the plenary on 13 March, reflecting on the theme "Equipped Disciples: Embracing the Cross". His keynote address will be titled "Embracing the Cross Today in the Context of the Middle East."

Photo: Ignatius Mor Aphrem II, Patriarch of the Syriac Orthodox Church (2nd from the left) welcomed at CWME. Credit Albin Hillert/WCC

Patriarch Mor Aphrem was welcomed by Archbishop Vicken Aykazian, World Council of Churches (WCC) deputy general secretary Prof. Dr Fr Ioan Sauca and the moderator of the WCC Commission on World Mission and Evangelism (CWME), Metropolitan Dr Mor Geevarghese Coorilos.

Sauca said: "It's a great honour and we are very grateful to His Holiness for being present at the Conference on World Mission and Evangelism in Arusha."

Sauca said that the plenary on 13 March "aims to provide the participants with essential missiological aspects of the theology of the cross and its focus on life-giving, hope, and resurrection, and also highlight the links between embracing the cross as equipped disciples and the call to transforming discipleship."

The World Council of Churches promotes Christian unity in faith, witness and service for a just and peaceful world. An ecumenical fellowship of churches founded in 1948, today the WCC brings together 348 Protestant, Orthodox, Anglican and other churches representing more than 550 million Christians in over 120 countries and works cooperatively with the Roman Catholic Church. The WCC general secretary is the Rev. Dr Olav Fykse Tveit, from the [Lutheran] Church of Norway.http://vv.chinamil.com.cn/asset/category3/2018/03/12/asset_316671.mp4

President Xi Jinping on Monday stressed that the military should continuously strengthen its bond with civilians, to provide a strong driving force of building a powerful military and to support the Chinese Dream.

Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, made the remarks while attending a plenary meeting of the delegation of the People's Liberation Army (PLA) and armed police at the ongoing session of the 13th National People's Congress, China's national legislature.

He stressed the importance of strengthening defense technology innovation, the acceleration of a military-civilian integration innovation system, and improving the capability to transform advanced technology into application, so as to push military construction forward.

He told delegates to pay close attention to the development trend of the world's military technology and weapons, striving to seize the commanding heights of technological innovation strategy.

The president also believed the PLA should have an opening and sharing of ideas to strengthen the optimal configuration of science and technological innovation resources and to tap into society's science and technological potential.

Reforms must be unswervingly carried out to the end, Xi pointed out. Practical military training should be prioritized so that the combat effectiveness of PLA can be improved. PLA as a whole should support the reform of policy system and speed up the establishment of a modern military system.

Military delegates arrive to attend the opening session of the 13th National People's Congress at The Great Hall of People on March 5, 2018 in Beijing, China. /VCG Photo

Xi reinforced that the PLA should be run strictly in accordance with the law. The whole army should adapt to the Party's discipline inspection system while closely linking up the country's legislative efforts. Law enforcement needs to be strictly supervised so that it can be carried out throughout the whole army-constructing process.Shah said Trump "inherited a policy that wasn't working for the previous eight years" during the administration of former President Barack Obama. In contrast, Shah said Trump had "adopted a policy of maximum pressure on the North Korean regime. We've seen China dramatically reduce trade with North Korea" and the United Nations adopt "some of the toughest sanctions" against Pyongyang.

He added, "These have impacted Kim Jong-un's behavior. It's impacted his conduct. So we're hoping that this pressure campaign, which is not going to relent in the coming months, is changing North Korea's behavior."

White House spokesman Raj Shah told ABC News, "The president has not adopted some of the failed policies we've seen over the last several decades, which is negotiations and concessions out of the gate from the United States. Our policy is pressure. It's pressure from our partners and allies around the world, pressure from the United Nations, pressure through China."

Pompeo said the North Korean ruler must "continue to allow us to perform our military-necessary exercises" with South Korea, "and then he's got to make sure that he leaves on the table that discussion for denuclearization" of his military.

"Make no mistake about it, while these negotiations are going on, there will be no concession made," Central Intelligence Agency director Mike Pompeo told "Fox News Sunday."

U.S. officials vowed Sunday they would not make any concessions to North Korea ahead of a planned summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and continue to pressure the Pyongyang regime.

Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin told NBC News, "There's no question these sanctions are working and that's what brought them to the table."

Shah said that in advance of the Trump-Kim talks, North Korea has agreed to cease missile and nuclear testing and "to not object publicly to upcoming U.S.-South Korea military exercises."

Shah gave no hint about where the Trump-Kim meeting might be held. He did not rule out holding the meeting at the White House or in Pyongyang, but said, "I don't think it's highly likely" to be in the North Korean capital. He underscored the White House's view of the importance of direct talks with a North Korean leader, something no previous U.S. president has undertaken. "We think that Kim Jong Un is the only partner in North Korea that has any authority to make any decision," the spokesman said. "He's the only voice."

"We hope that there can be a breakthrough," Shah said. "Eventually a peaceful resolution is going to involve some level of negotiation. We hope this is the path forward."

Shah offered no commitment that Trump would raise the issue with Kim of releasing three Americans currently held by North Korea. "I'm not going to place any condition on any upcoming talks," he said. "It is an important issue, but again, our policy is maximum pressure to denuclearize the Korean peninsula."

Trump, at a political rally in Pennsylvania Saturday night, said of the negotiations, "I may leave fast or we may sit down and make the greatest deal for the world." He took credit for the success of the Winter Olympics that South Korea recently hosted, saying without his effort to reduce the threat of a nuclear attack, it "would have been a total failure."

The president quippedm "A little hard to sell tickets when you think you're going to be nuked." In the past, Trump has derided the possibility of direct talks with North Korea, in October telling Secretary of State Rex Tillerson he was "wasting his time" considering the possibility of negotiations.

But on Saturday Trump noted the historical significance of him accepting the North Korean leader's offer to meet. "Well, they say, well, [former President Barack] Obama could have done that. Trust me, he wouldn't have done it. By the way, neither would [former President George W. Bush or [former President Bill] Clinton," Trump said. "Anybody could have done it. Obama could have done it. Obama had his chance."

Departing the White House for the Pennsylvania rally, Trump replied to reporters who asked about why he decided at this juncture to accept Kim's offer, "I think this is going to be something very successful. We have a lot of support."

But skeptics remain about Trump's agreement for a face-to-face meeting with Kim. Asked what Trump could accomplish by being nice to Kim, Republican Senator Ron Johnson of Wisconsin told CNN on Sunday, "Not a whole lot."

A Democratic opponent of Trump, Senator Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, said on NBC, "I want to see our president succeed, because if he succeeds, America succeeds. The world is safer. But I am very worried that they're going to take advantage of him."That galaxy far, far away keeps expanding. In the latest in a flurry of "Star Wars" spin-offs, the Walt Disney Co. announced Thursday that Jon Favreau will write and executive produce a live-action "Star Wars" series for the company's planned streaming platform.

Disney is readying a streaming service to compete with Netflix, and it has signaled that "Star Wars" will be a major component. The not-yet-named service is planned to launch in late 2019.

"Jon brings the perfect mix of producing and writing talent, combined with a fluency in the Star Wars universe," said Kathleen Kennedy, Lucasfilm president, in a statement. "This series will allow Jon the chance to work with a diverse group of writers and directors and give Lucasfilm the opportunity to build a robust talent base."

A massive U.S. amphibious assault ship carrying F-35B stealth fighter jets will take part in a joint South Korea-U.S. landing exercise early next month for the first time.

The decision comes amid calls to scale back the drills as summits between North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and the South Korean and U.S. presidents loom.

The landing exercise will be more than twice as large as last year's, reflecting Washington's determination to keep up maximum pressure on the North until substantial progress in denuclearization efforts is made.

The joint annual exercises kick off late this month. As part of the Foal Eagle combined field training exercise, they will also stage the landing exercise in Pohang, North Gyeongsang Province early next month.

National security adviser Chung Eui-yong and National Intelligence Service chief Suh Hoon are heading to China, Japan and Russia to brief them on their recent trip to North Korea.

Cheong Wa Dae plans to iron out the main issues through talks with North Korea and the U.S. in April and May, before proceeding to four-party or six-party talks.

Chung and Suh briefed President Moon Jae-in for about an hour on Sunday after returning from their meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump.

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.Instead it has been business as usual, with floridly worded denunciations of the U.S. and defenses of the North's nuclear ambitions.

They have also been conspicuously silent about more concrete plans for a summit between Kim and South Korean President Moon Jae-in in April.

North Korea's state media have given no public response to U.S. President Donald Trump accepting the proposal of a summit from leader Kim Jong-un.

The Rodong Sinmun daily over the weekend warned against a "U.S. invasion" like the one suffered by Iraq. The paper said the U.S. "invaded Iraq eventually" after the long-term sanctions and it tries to "use the similar tactics to us."

But the state media are aimed at domestic readers, so it is unclear what if anything is to be inferred from rhetoric that merely follows the decades-old party line.

The Choson Sinbo, a North Korean mouthpiece in Japan, did carry an article announcing the U.S.-North Korean summit on Saturday but deleted it a day later.

North Korean media have also said nothing about Kim's pledge to halt nuclear and missile tests while dialogue is going on.

A government official here said, "It looks like the North needs more time to sort things out before announcing something that is the complete opposite to what it has been telling its people."Abe Flores reinvented his company prior to last summers industry trade show. There, he introduced his re-blended standard lines, dropped his cigars prices by 10%, and debuted a new creation: the 1878 Cubano Especial Capa Maduro.

That cigar got off to a fast start. In August, when we reported live from the International Premium Cigar & Pipe Retailers Association (IPCPR) annual convention in New Orleans, Flores told us that he had sold 8,000 boxes of the Capa Maduro in two months. Priced around $5 each, his strategy was to lure more enthusiasts to Pinar del Rio and entice them to try his other lines.

Now Flores has a new line that hes eager for us to try. Called the 1878 Cubano Especial Capa Natural, it features the same interior tobacco as its Maduro predecessora Dominican criollo 98 binder and a two-country filler blend from Nicaragua and the Dominican Republicwrapped around a four-year-old Ecuadorian Connecticut wrapper.

The Capa Natural Robusto (5 x 52) is an attractive, golden-colored smoke with an intricate pigtail cap and a pre-light aroma of sweet hay. The wrapper is clean and oily with minimal veins. In all, this cigar makes an aesthetic impression befitting a stogie twice its price.

Notes of leather, grass, dry oak, and vanilla characterize the introductory profile. While the flavor is more salty than it is creamy, theres an underlying nuttiness present that adds a balance to the overall taste. Floral notes will also be found by attentive enthusiasts.

After the first inch, it becomes clear that the Capa Natural Robusto is built with care and precision. The white ash builds off the foot sturdily, the smoke pulls through with ease, and the burn is straight and true. These combustion qualities are consistent from light to nub and across all three samples I smoked for this review.

All three also developed flavors of cedar and black pepper at the midway pointwelcome additions to the medium-bodied profile. Here, I conclude that the 1878 Cubano Especial Capa Natural Robusto is a homerun as far as Im concerned. Between its MSRP of $4.55 and its complexity, this promises to be a welcome addition to my humidor for some time. I look forward to sampling the seven other vitolas in the Capa Natural line, and I have no reservations about awarding the Robusto four and a half stogies out of five.

[To read more StogieGuys.com cigar reviews, please click here.]

Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie GuysThe official added that the message was "part of confidence-building measures necessary to realize a summit" and added it was "very comprehensive" about denuclearization.

A senior government official told reporters in Washington Kim "prepared a special message to be delivered to President Trump, but we cannot reveal details since it was exchanged by heads of state."

National security adviser Chung Eui-yong delivered a letter from North Korean leader Kim Jong-un to U.S. President Donald Trump when he met him last Thursday, but since nobody knows what it says it has become a matter for lively speculation.

North Korea already told a visiting South Korean delegation that it would halt nuclear tests and missile launches while dialogue continues. But perhaps Kim made a more far-reaching offer.

There is also a possibility that Kim offered to release three U.S. citizens held captive in North Korea. The U.S. has been negotiating their release through the Swedish embassy in Pyongyang, and North Korean Foreign Minister Ri Yong-ho is set to visit Stockholm soon, adding more weight to this possibility.

North Korea apparently wants to ease the negative impact of the death of American student Otto Warmbier, who was returned to the U.S. in a coma in June last year after 17 months in detention and died six days later.

One diplomatic source said, "Until now, North Korea has insisted on the withdrawal of U.S. troops in South Korea as a precondition to a peace treaty, but the North may have reduced that to a U.S. troop reduction."

Other concessions Kim made to the visiting South Koreans included that he will not object to South Korea-U.S. exercises if they are on a similar level to previous years, i.e., not massively ramped up.On Feb. 25, Show TV in Istanbul reported on the death of a Filipina maid who had been left in a freezer after being murdered in Kuwait.

A Turkish TV station wrongly used a photo of President Moon Jae-in to depict a suspect in a murder case in Kuwait, according to the Korean Embassy to Turkey.

It put Moon's photo side-by-side with the murder victim's as if he were a suspect when the anchor read out the news. Moon's face flashed up again when the anchor described the suspects as a Kuwaiti billionaire couple.

His photo appeared some eight times during the one-minute-and-40-second report.

The Korean Embassy in Ankara demanded that the station delete the video and apologize, which it did in a formal letter on March 5.How will new cyber security norms develop? View(s):

CAMBRIDGE  Last month, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called for global action to minimise the risk posed by electronic warfare to civilians. Guterres lamented that there is no regulatory scheme for that type of warfare, noting that it is not clear how the Geneva Convention or international humanitarian law applies to it.

A decade ago, cyber security received little attention as an international issue. But, since 2013, it has been described as the biggest threat facing the United States. Although the exact numbers can be debated, the Council on Foreign Relations Cyber Operations Tracker contains almost 200 state-sponsored attacks by 16 countries since 2005, including 20 in 2016.

The term cyber security refers to a wide range of problems that were not a major concern among the small community of researchers and programmers who developed the internet in the 1970s and 1980s. In 1996, only 36 million people, or about 1% of the worlds population, used the internet. By the beginning of 2017, 3.7 billion people, or nearly half the worlds population, were online.

As the number of users soared after the late 1990s, the internet became a vital substrate for economic, social, and political interactions. Along with rising interdependence and economic opportunity, however, came vulnerability and insecurity. With big data, machine learning, and the Internet of Things, some experts anticipate that the number of internet connections may grow to nearly a trillion by 2035. The number of potential targets for attack, by both private and state actors, will expand dramatically, and include everything from industrial control systems to heart pacemakers and self-driving cars.

Many observers have called for laws and norms to secure this new environment. But developing such standards in the cyber domain faces a number of difficult hurdles. Although Moores law about the doubling of computing power every two years means that cyber time moves quickly, human habits, norms, and state practices change more slowly.

For starters, given that the internet is a transnational network of networks, most of which are privately owned, non-state actors play a major role. Cyber tools are dual use, fast, cheap, and often deniable, verification and attribution are difficult, and entry barriers are low.

Moreover, while the internet is transnational, the infrastructure (and people) on which it relies fall within the differing jurisdictions of sovereign states. And major states differ in their objectives, with Russia and China stressing the importance of sovereign control, while many democracies press for a more open internet.

Nonetheless, the description of www as the wild west web is a caricature. Some norms do exist in cyberspace. It took states about two decades to reach the first cooperative agreements to limit conflict in the nuclear era. If one dates the international cyber security problem not from the origins of the internet in the early 1970s but from the take off period since the late 1990s, intergovernmental cooperation in limiting cyber conflict is now at about the two-decade mark.

In 1998, Russia first proposed a UN treaty to ban electronic and information weapons (including for propaganda purposes). With China and other members of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, it has continued to push for a broad UN-based treaty. The US continues to view such a treaty as unverifiable.

Instead, the Secretary-General appointed a Group of Governmental Experts (UNGGE) which first met in 2004, and in July 2015 proposed a set of norms that was later endorsed by the G20. Groups of experts are not uncommon in the UN process, but only rarely does their work rise from the organisations basement to recognition at a summit of the 20 most powerful states. The UNGGEs success was extraordinary, but it failed to agree on its next report in 2017.

Where does the world go now? Norms can be suggested and developed by a variety of policy entrepreneurs. For example, the new non-governmental Global Commission on Stability in Cyberspace, chaired by former Estonian Foreign Minister Marina Kaljurand, has issued a call to protect the public core of the internet (defined to include routing, the domain name system, certificates of trust, and critical infrastructure).

Meanwhile, the Chinese government, using its Wuzhen World Internet Conference series, has issued principles endorsed by the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation calling for recognition of the right of sovereign states to control online content on their territory. But this need not contradict the call to protect the public core, which refers to connectivity rather than content.

Other norm entrepreneurs include Microsoft, which has issued a call for a new Geneva Convention on the internet. Equally important is the development of norms regarding privacy and security regarding encryption, back doors, and the removal of child pornography, hate speech, disinformation, and terrorist threats.

As member states contemplate the next steps in the development of cyber norms, the answer may be to avoid putting too much of a burden on any one institution like the UNGGE. Progress may require the simultaneous use of multiple arenas. In some cases, development of principles and practices among like-minded states can lead to norms to which others may accede at a later point. For example, China and the US reached a bilateral agreement restricting cyber espionage for commercial purposes. In other cases, such as security norms for the Internet of Things, the private sector, insurance companies, and non-profit stakeholders might take the lead in developing codes of conduct.

What is certain is that the development of cyber security norms will be a long process. Progress in some areas need not wait for progress in others.

(The writer is a professor at Harvard and author of The Future of Power.)

Copyright: Project Syndicate, 2018. www.project-syndicate.orgThe border truce village of Panmunjom is the likeliest venue for a historic meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un scheduled for May.

The village will also host the inter-Korean summit in late April.

The New York Times on Friday reported, "The administration is already deliberating over the logistics and location of the meeting, with a senior State Department diplomat noting that the most obvious venue is the Peace House, a conference building in the Demilitarized Zone between North and South Korea."

A key Cheong Wa Dae source also said Sunday that Panmunjom was "one of the most likely venues."

Panmunjom offers practical advantages because it sits in neutral territory, which creates fewer political and diplomatic complications for both leaders than a meeting in the U.S. or North Korea and also makes security easier to handle. It is also symbolic as the place where the ceasefire that halted the 1950-53 Korean War was signed.

With the event still in full swing, weve picked out five of the luxury cars that are proving to be serious head-turners in Geneva this year, thanks either to their technological innovation, jaw-dropping visual impact, or a combination of both.

Bugatti Chiron Sport

The Bugatti Chiron was already considered one of the worlds finest hypercars, but now theres an faster version on sale  the Chiron Sport. The latest version which launched in Geneva has the same power that you get with the standard Chiron, however a selection of lightweight components have reduced its weight to enable greater speed

Other notable augmentations include new four-pipe exhaust deflector mounted centrally at the rear of the car, new lightweight wheels, a redesigned window over the carbon fibre intercooler in the engine bay and, in a world first for a production car, carbon fibre windscreen wipers.

Meanwhile the inside of the Chiron Sport is available with a host of special features, including adonised black finishes for the interior switchgear, plus Chiron Sport stitching for the leather and Alcantara trim. All of the above comes at a price of 2.36 million.

Lamborghini Huracan Performante Spyder

Lamborghini has pulled the wraps off the open-top Spyder version of its Huracan Performante in Geneva. This latest model uses the same 5.2-litre V10 engine as the hard top, although 0-62mph comes up in 3.1 seconds, which is two-tenths slower than the coupe. Top speed is 201mph, and itll sprint from 0-124mph in 9.3 seconds.

The Performante Spyder takes much of its styling inspiration from the Coupe. That means the same aggressive bodywork and sharp creases, as well as identical green, white and red stripes along the sills, and a high-level rear wing. Like the hard-top, the Spyder gets the same repositioned exhausts and forged carbon trim, as well as identical 20-inch multi-spoke alloy wheels, ceramic brakes and Pirelli P Zero Corsa tyres.

The interior is lifted wholesale, too, with the same carbon details, digital dials and fighter jet-style starter button. Theres Alcantara as far as the eye can see, while the identical Y-shape details on the seats are carried over unchanged. The Performante Spyder will cost around 238,000 when it goes on sale later this year.

Aston Martin Lagonda Vision Concept

The Lagonda Vision Concept car from Aston Martin is billed as marking the beginning of a new range of state of the art, emission-free luxury vehicles, with production planned to start in 2021. It aims to be the worlds first zero emission luxury car, taking advantage of the latest advances in electrification and autonomous driving technologies.

The Lagondais also intended to demonstrate how true luxury and modern design, far from being diametrically opposed interests, can exist in total harmony and enhance each others most desirable characteristics.

We believe people associate luxury in their cars with a certain traditional and even old-fashioned approach because, to date, that is all thats been available to them, says Aston Martin President & CEO, Dr Andy Palmer. Lagonda exists to challenge that thinking and prove that being modern and luxurious are not mutually exclusive concepts.

McLaren 720S

An award-filled year on from its world premiere at last years Geneva show, the McLaren 720S is again taking the spotlight with a breathtaking-in-blue bespoke creation from McLaren Special Operations. Combining the deepest of deep blue paint finishes with a classic Saddle Tan leather interior, the McLaren 720S in Atlantic Blue by MSO presents the dynamism of the McLaren Super Series wrapped up in a timeless allure.

McLaren Special Operations latest creation comes a year after its first bespoke project on the second-generation Super Series, the 720S Velocity, which was shown in Geneva in 2017. With a fusion of Volcano Red and Nerello Red paint colours, its explosive looks more than matched its performance.

Now, the Atlantic Blue has had a similarly dramatic impact, with a body that provides a fresh interpretation of the shrink-wrapped design language introduced for the 720S, and featuring innovative aerodynamics, smoothly sculpted surfaces and iconic double-hinged dihedral doors. This unique McLaren 720S in Atlantic Blue carries a price tag of 281,260.

BMW Concept M8 Gran Coupe

A serious contender to the Aston Martin DB11 and the all-new Bentley Continental GT, this hugely impressive concept from BMW boast some equally serious styling that the German brand hopes will enable it to mix it with the premium big boys.

There is no official line on engine range but it will likely include the famous marque's fearsome 4.4-litre V8 and the heady 6.6-litre V12 unit found in the range-topping M760i model. Notable design features include overtly muscular haunches, a gold-tinged grille and an almost pearlescent Saleve Vert paint finish deliberately implemented to "stir things up and to polarise", to quote Domagoj Dukec, BMW's vice president of design.

The 2018 Geneva Motoe Show runs until 18 March.The Qatar Airways flight that will unite Malaga with the capital of Qatar, Doha, will begin to operate from 4 June of this year. It will run four times per week, on Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday, according to travel agencies who have already processed bookings from several passengers. At the ITB travel fair in Berlin, the Qatari airline announced its plans to include the expansion of its services to 16 new destinations during the 2018-2019 holiday season.

Travel agencies have announced that they are already receiving booking from customers keen to visit the Gulf state. This new transport link is due to make a huge difference for travel between the Costa del Sol and Qatar, as there is currently no direct route between the two.

The President of the Association of Andalusian Travel Agencies (Aedav), Sergio Garcia, confirmed that the first flight was almost fully booked, including its most exclusive class. Friends of mine who live in Qatar have told me that this new connection is very much welcomed there and that this summer the Costa is set to have a huge tourism boost thanks to visiting Arabs. These types of connections are always good news, Garcia said.

The flight will leave Malaga at 9.15 and will arrive at Doha at 17.15. The return flight will leave the Qatari capital at 1.20 and arrive back at 8.00. To start with it will operate until 30 September.

In Berlin, the CEO of Qatar Airways, Akbar Al Baker, also unveiled a direct flight between Luxembourg and Doha, stating Qatar Airways will be the first Gulf airline to offer this connection. Other new routes include London Gatwick; Cardiff; Lisbon; Tallin, Estonia; Malta; Cebu and Davao, Philippines; Langkawi, Malaysia; Da Nang, Vietnam; Bodrum, Antalya and Hatay,Turkey; as well as Mykonos and Tesalonica, Greece. The company has also increased flights to Madrid, Barcelona and the Maldives to three times daily.

Al Baker expressed his excitement about announcing a greater expansion with a significant number of new destinations that will be added globally in the coming year. Its a reflection of our commitment to connect passengers from all over the world whilst offering a convenient service for them. Were committed to continuing with our ambitious growth strategy in order to offer passengers the best possible options and transport people to wherever in the world that they want to go.

Qatar Airways operates a fleet of over 200 aeroplanes through its hub, the International Hamad Airport (HIA). The President of Tourism for the Costa del Sol, Elias Bendodo, has highlighted the importance of this connection for the province.Binning seals and delegating power to revitalize market

From:ChinaDaily | 2018-03-12 10:43

BEIJINGOn a wall of the administrative service center in Handan, Hebei province, 2,894 out-of-use official seals are displayed to show visitors how much authorities have done to cut red tape.

They are an epitome of the progress China has made in streamlining administrative approvals and delegating power to lower levels, a key reform aimed at boosting market vitality in a slower economy.

China was ranked 78th out of 190 economies in ease of doing business, according to a 2017 report by the World Bank, up from 96th rank in 2013.

Though there remains room for improvement, the pace of the reform to cut red tape has been fast in the past five years.

Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China in late 2012, more than 40 percent of administrative approvals at the central government level have been canceled or delegated to lower levels. At the local level, the ratio exceeded 70 percent in many regions.

The State Council has slashed the items of approvals and accreditations for professional qualifications by over 70 percent.

Both domestic and foreign investors have benefited from the reform. The number of projects that require central government approval have been reduced by 90 percent, while over 95 percent of foreign-invested projects now need only registry instead of approval.

Last month, the China Banking Regulatory Commission revised rules for foreign banks, scrapping approval procedures for four business items including overseas wealth management products and portfolio investment funds.

In particular, it now takes much less time and effort to start new businesses as authorities have reduced procedures.

In Northeast China's Jilin province, the time needed to start a business was shortened by three to six months on average after the government eased market entry last year.

Technology has also been applied to make administrative services more efficient. In some cities, business owners can pay taxes faster through mobile apps or face recognition.

The reform has paid off. In 2017, 16,600 new businesses were set up each day on average, up from 6,900 in 2013, proof that entrepreneurship is on the rise.

New market entities contributed to more than 40 percent of new urban employment in 2016, according to Zhang Mao, head of the State Administration for Industry and Commerce.

A string of new growth engines such as the sharing and digital economies have been established. In 2017, online sales of goods increased by 28 percent and courier delivery volume grew by nearly 30 percent.

"The reform has fostered a better business environment and laid a solid foundation for economic growth," said Song Gang, an official with the Jilin provincial government.

Last year, the number of new businesses registered in Jilin rose 8.1 percent, while the province's private enterprises saw their revenue from primary business increase 7 percent, according to Song.

By letting the market play a larger role, the reform to cut red tape is part of the government's plan to speed up the shift to high-quality development and a modernized economy.

"The more progress is made in the reform to cut red tape and delegate power to lower levels, the more vibrant and stronger the economy will be" said Zhang Yansheng, a researcher with the China Center for International Economic Exchange.ROCHESTER, N.Y. - A body found late Sunday afternoon in the Genesee River is believed to be that of Trevyan Rowe, a 14-year-old boy with autism who was reported missing Thursday.

At a press conference this evening, Rochester Police Chief Michael Ciminelli said police have not positively identified the body found as Trevyan, but said the body was a male consistent with Trevyan's physical and clothing descriptions, the Democrat & Chronicle reported.

The body police pulled from the Genesee River is believed to be missing teen Trevyan Rowe. Story --> http://on.rocne.ws/2p1JYZH Posted by Democrat and Chronicle on Sunday, March 11, 2018

The body was found around 5:30 p.m. near the Frederick Douglass-Susan B. Anthony bridge. Police don't suspect foul play, WROC reported.

In a statement posted to its Facebook page, the Rochester City School District offered condolences to Trevyan's family and friends and said that counseling services will be available for students and staff at James P.B. Duffy School No. 12, where Trevyan attended, starting at 7 a.m. Monday.

We are deeply saddened to share with you the passing of one of our students, Trevyan Rowe, who was a student at James... Posted by Rochester City School District on Sunday, March 11, 2018

Trevyan was last seen getting off the school bus around 7:30 a.m. Thursday, but he never entered the school, WHAM reported. He was reported missing after he didn't come home on the school bus that afternoon, though the school did not report Trevyan's absence to his mother and its unclear if the school noticed his absence.

A vigil will be held Monday night, Rochester Mayor Lovely Warren said.5 Kerala districts near 100% administration of COVID vaccine first dose to eligible: Veena George

The minister said that the first dose of COVID-19 vaccine has been administered to over 90 per cent of the people eligible for vaccination in Kerala.Syracuse, NY -- Onondaga County District Attorney William Fitzpatrick this morning released copies of the indictment against Anthony Saccone in the February crash that killed three young people near Onondaga Community College.

It's more than two pages on legal-sized paper, detailing nine charges against Saccone that range from drunken driving to murder.

There's an unusual amount of detail in the indictment, signaling the extent of the investigation so far and the confidence that Fitzpatrick has in being able to prove the case.

Killed in the Feb. 23 crash were Baylie Rose, 19, Michael Walker, 18, and Samra Osmanovic, 20.

Indictment against accused OCC fatal driver Anthony Saccone by Douglass Dowty on ScribdFLOYD, N.Y. - A city of Rome man was arrested after police say he was drunk when he drove off the road in the town of Floyd and struck a telephone pole this morning.

Connar DiBerardino, 22, was driving a 2016 Hyundai Elantra north on Camroden Road around 11:11 a.m. Sunday when he went off the eastern shoulder of the road. The car struck and severed a telephone pole before the vehicle came to rest, the Oneida County Sheriff's Office said.

Both DiBerardino and his passenger, 19-year-old Amanda Lloyd, also of Rome, sustained minor head and neck pain as a result of the crash and were taken to Rome Memorial Hospital for evaluation, deputies said.

Members of the Floyd Volunteer Fire Department and Amcare Ambulance assisted at the scene.

DiBerardino was charged with driving while intoxicated, unlawful possession of marijuana and aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle, which deputies said stemmed from a prior DWI arrest.

A Jan. 18 report in the Rome Sentinel detailed DiBerardino's prior DWI arrest, in which he was charged with driving drunk around 2 a.m. that morning in the city of Rome.

DiBerardino will appear in Floyd Town Court at a later date to answer the charges.SYRACUSE, N.Y. -- In announcing a program to compensate victims of clergy sexual abuse, Roman Catholic Diocese of Syracuse officials said payments to victims would not come from parishioners' donations.

Instead, they said, the money would come from the diocese's general liability insurance fund.

In reality, however, money collected from church members each Sunday will be used to help pay the victims.

That's because the diocese is self-insured. It doesn't buy insurance from a third party like an insurance company.

That means the diocese acts as its own insurance company, taking some of the money collected at each church and putting it aside into a fund to cover costs that normally would be paid by an insurance company, said spokeswoman Danielle Cummings.

It is out of that insurance fund's reserves that the diocese will pay abuse victims, she said.

The diocese announced earlier last month that it would be launching the program, sending letters to 76 people who have made allegations of abuse against the local diocese. Two mediators will review their cases and recommend a compensation amount, and the diocese has promised to honor whatever recommendation the mediators make.

This is how the diocese explained where the money would come from in its news release Feb. 14:

"The total cost of the program will be paid from the Diocese of Syracuse's general liability insurance program," the diocese said in a news release. "The diocese will not use any money given by the people of the diocese to support parishes, schools, the annual Hope Appeal, the Foundation of the Roman Catholic Diocese, the Cathedral Restoration Fund, Catholic Charities or any other charitable fund in the diocese."

Cummings said the diocese meant that no funds given for the "specific use" of parishes or schools would be used to pay victims. Also, it meant that the diocese would not come back to parishioners asking for more money, she said.

The statement that the diocese will not use money given by people to support parishes was not meant to mislead people, Cummings said.

"... None of those dollars that you're giving as donations to support various charitable causes, including things in your own parish, we're not touching those." she said. "What we're using is this insurance fund, which has to exist anyway."

Cummings said less than 2 percent of a parish's total revenue goes toward the insurance fund, she said.

Parishes would need to pay for insurance whether it is through the diocese self-insurance program or whether they bought it from an insurance company, Cummings said. Parishes are required by law to have insurance, she said.

"We are using the insurance for its intended purposes," she said. "The point is we are not taking funds from parishes or other charitable funds to fund the (program)."

Katelyn Kriesel, a local Catholic, came away from the diocese's statements announcing the program thinking none of her family's donations to the church would be used to pay victims. She and her family are regular churchgoers and her daughter, Alianna, 7, will make her first Communion this year.

Kriesel said she does not have a problem necessarily with the diocese using her family's donations for the program, but she feels misled.

"I do believe that the victims should be ... compensated, and if the church is going to use funds from donors to do so, either directly or indirectly, then they should disclose that," Kriesel said.

She said her family will continue to donate to the church.

The fund for compensating victims differs from a similar program in New York City. There, the diocese took out a $100 million mortgage to pay hundreds of people who alleged clergy sexual abuse.

The diocese represents more than 235,000 Catholics living in seven counties in Central New York.Syracuse, NY -- A Syracuse man who drowned his 3-year-old son in 2011 is expected to be totally freed this week from a psychiatric hospital after 6 1/2 years in custody.

Marcell Washington, 31, pleaded insanity to killing his son, Ameen. He put Ameen's head under a cold shower and held the boy there until he stopped struggling.

Washington said delusions led him to believe Ameen was possessed by the devil when he killed the child Nov. 5, 2011.

A judge and prosecutors agreed that Washington was not guilty by reason of insanity in May 2014. County Court Judge Anthony Aloi committed him to a psychiatric hospital.

Now, after nearly four years of mental help, he - and, more important, state doctors - say his schizophrenia is under control.

He'll be in court Wednesday trying to get a judge to completely release him.

Update: Judge, DA delay release of Washington until more doctors examine him.

If let go, Washington will have never spent a day in a state prison. Instead, he'll have spent 2 1/2 years in local jail and four years in treatment.

He'll be a free man nearly a decade earlier than the first possible release for a convicted murderer, who must serve at least 15 years before seeing the parole board. Many killers spend 25 years to life in prison.

Washington said he's done everything he can to prove he's ready to be released.

"I get out of my recovery what I put into it," Washington told Syracuse.com | The Post-Standard. "And I'm putting into it 150 percent. Keep on moving forward and help out and be a productive member of society."

The victim's mother, Ceritha Hammond, opposes Washington's release, but because his insanity plea made him a patient instead of an inmate, she will have no say. She said she's terrified of Washington.

"You don't get fixed," she said.

What will happen

Judge Stephen Dougherty

County Court Judge Stephen Dougherty will consider a release order recommended by state psychiatrists.

And there's a good chance he'll approve it.

Last August, Dougherty said he felt he had no choice but to follow doctors' recommendation that Washington be partially freed, allowed to go unsupervised during the day. The judge could easily follow the doctors' recommendation again.

The proposed release order will come with restrictions: Washington will have to keep up with outpatient treatment, take his medications and check in. But he'll be able to live on his own.

The Onondaga County District Attorney's Office is expected to oppose the move, much the same way it did unsuccessfully last summer.

Doctors - not a parole board, prosecutor, jury or judge - are leading the way in determining Washington's freedom because he ceased being a criminal after pleading insanity. He's considered a hospital patient in need of psychiatric care. He's not to be punished, but treated. To be helped, not locked up.

Washington's case raises ethical questions about a rarely used, but widely publicized, area of criminal justice. The insanity plea - officially "not guilty by reason of mental disease or defect" - has come a long way since the ancient Code of Hammurabi first acknowledged that some people are not masters of their own mind.

But what constitutes justice in these cases? How do you balance the heartache of a distraught mom against a schizophrenic father's quest for redemption, while making sure the public is protected from another murder?

"A lot of times there is no justice in the criminal justice system," said longtime criminal lawyer Hermann Walz, who teaches at John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York City.

"The fact a child is drowned: How can you get justice for that?" he said. On the other hand, "How can you really punish a guy who doesn't really know what he's doing?"

Hammond says she's scared of Washington and thinks he's getting off lightly. She wonders: What about her pain?

Hammond, who was pregnant when Ameen died, said she nearly lost her second child while barely eating and shaking uncontrollably. She gave birth two months early; her baby needed intensive care for a month, she said.

What about her terror at giving her second son a shower? The sleepless nights crying and screaming: "Where's my baby?" The guilt of letting Washington take her first-born?

For his part, Washington has been a model citizen in custody, according to doctors' reports given to prosecutors. He's done well in therapy and won over doctors with his go-getting attitude and work ethic. Those doctors think he has recovered and is no longer a threat.

They cite his diligence in treatment, regular medication, lack of aggression and support from family, among other factors, prosecutors said.

Washington struggles appropriately with what he did, while providing great insight into his delusions and his warning signs, doctors added.

Their detailed observations are not public: Because Washington is considered a medical patient, his treatment is shielded under health law. His court record is sealed beyond his insanity plea.

The state's Office of Mental Health defended its "multi-tiered" process.

Before being fully released, an insanity plea patient must prove not to be a threat to himself or others and successfully complete escorted release and unescorted partial release, the state said.

Washington was found to have acted responsibly during his partial release for seven months, prosecutors said.

Total release orders are reviewed four times -- by treatment providers to upper management -- before going before a judge, the state said. Conditions of release can remain indefinitely and patients can be confined again for messing up.

Washington was diagnosed with schizophrenia with bouts of depression, he said. He's gotten a job at Sunrise Recovery Center in Syracuse, helping people with addiction and mental health issues. He hopes to continue down that track after release.

Washington says he's remorseful but looking to the future.

"Let me be clear that moving forward is not the same as getting over my situation," he said. "I will never get over losing my son and the regret will always be with me, but moving forward for me is giving back to my community and spreading mental health awareness to help as many people as I can, so my son's death would not be in vain."

A rare case

Washington's case is extremely rare, two experts said.

Despite its portrayal in movies and culture as a "get out of jail free" card, the insanity plea applies in only a fraction of 1 percent of criminal cases, experts said. There are about 10,000 insanity lockups at any one time nationwide. In each of those cases, either a prosecutor or a jury has to conclude that the defendant is insane.

Experts agree: it's very hard to fool a prosecutor or a jury, each of which are naturally bent on punishing someone for a horrific crime.

It's even more rare - to the point of being unheard of in recent local history - for a killer to be freed so soon.

District Attorney William Fitzpatrick said it's the shortest time he's ever heard of a killer spending in custody after an insanity plea.

When Walz, the New York City lawyer, was told of Washington's speedy release, he reacted with surprise: "Wow... Wow..."

Matthew Doran

A local prosecutor predicted in 2014 that this wouldn't happen.

Former chief homicide prosecutor - now judge - Matthew Doran said then that Washington would spend "many, many years" in custody, and perhaps the rest of his life, because of the seriousness of the killing.

At the scene the night of Ameen's death, Doran wrote that what he saw was so horrific it would be etched into his mind forever.

But the prosecution's own hired doctor concluded that Washington was insane: He spoke of hallucinations and paranoid delusions, he showed a friend what he'd done and he truly believed the devil was inside his son, the doctor concluded.

At the time, Doran called an insanity ruling the proper outcome.

Since then, however, the DA's office has opposed the doctors' recommendations to give Washington more freedom.

Prosecutor Michael Manfredi unsuccessfully protested Washington's partial release during the August 2016 hearing:

Assistant District Attorney Michael Manfredi in 2012.

How could justice be served by Washington spending only six years in custody for the death of his child in one of the most violent ways imaginable? How could society be certain he wouldn't do it again?

If stress triggers Washington, he asked, how can society be sure he'll deal better with such a common phenomenon?

"Life is full of stressors on a daily basis, and to see how far he went, it's frightening to think how far he could go again," Manfredi said.

But Manfredi said he could only do so much: to try to prove Washington unfit for release, he'd have to find doctors who would disagree with their peers. That would be a tall order, the prosecutor acknowledged.

Ameen's mother doesn't buy the insanity plea at all. She called Washington controlling and suggested he killed Ameen because he felt his role as Ameen's dad slipping away.

"He's a monster," Hammond said. "There's no way to sugarcoat it."

Does Washington prove the system is working?

Dr. Paul Appelbaum

The fact that Washington is on the verge of release could prove the system is working, argues Dr. Paul Appelbaum, a professor at Columbia University's Department of Psychiatry.

Washington is an outlier for his speedy recovery after killing someone, Appelbaum said.

"When the system works right, it takes into account outliers..." said Appelbaum, who has performed psychiatric evaluations in court cases. "Outliers are not necessarily failures on the part of the system."

In fact, research shows that people who commit more serious offenses typically spend longer in custody after pleading insanity than those who take a normal plea, Appelbaum said.

Two factors seem to be at work: Doctors and judges appear more careful before releasing people who committed serious offenses, Appelbaum said. That could be out of concern that releasing someone too soon could shake the public's confidence in the insanity plea as a whole.

There's another reason, though: Doctors generally want a bigger margin of error before releasing someone who committed a serious offense, Appelbaum said.

What happened the night of Ameen's death?

Marcell Washington after Ameen's death in 2011.

Washington swears he didn't snap and murder his son: that implies he got fed up and intended to kill.

He says his "sickness" was incredibly disturbing to him, too. Only days before he killed his son, Washington, then 25, began acting weirdly, his family told Syracuse.com.

Three days before the killing, Washington texted his girlfriend to ask if she was hearing voices: "Do people talk to u?"

"For me it was very scary, I thought I stumbled upon a cryptic code of language and that people were speaking it to and or about me indirectly," Washington recalled to Syracuse.com | The Post-Standard. "I was extremely paranoid, and I also saw people's including my son's eyes turn pitch black..."

Washington said that he was taught that the devil was created from fire, and that the eyes are windows to the soul.

It led him to one conclusion: Ameen was possessed by the devil.

"It just so happens that my son and I were in the shower when I saw his eyes turn black, so I figured if I rinsed my son's eyes out it would extinguish the fire of Satan whom I thought possessed my son because of his eyes being black," Washington said.

After five minutes, Ameen stopped struggling and collapsed in his arms, Washington said.

Washington left the child, foaming at the mouth, wrapped in a white towel and left his house. He later turned himself in to police and was charged with murder.

He spent 2 1/2 years in jail before his insanity plea, then more than three years in a psychiatric hospital run by the state's Office of Mental Health. He was granted daytime release after the hearing in August 2017.

Picking up the pieces

Hammond says Ameen remains part of the family.

At first, raising another child was confusing: How could she pour her soul into another baby while never forgetting Ameen? Eventually, she found respite in being mom again.

But her pain never went away.

"We have to accept life on a different set of terms," said Sean Ripple, her fiance, whose first son with Hammond was born months after Ameen's death. "Our son would have had an older brother and Ameen would have had a younger brother."

The couple has since had a second son. Their older son, now 5 years old, is taught to remember the brother he never knew.

Each night, he remembers those in heaven: "Goodnight, God. Goodnight, Grandpa. Goodnight, Ameen."To the Editor:

I would like to take this time to humbly address my community concerning my instant offense. There are a few inaccuracies in the articles written about me and my situation, which I will address later in my letter, however what I do want to say first is that I never intended to harm my son, even while I was delusional and in a full-out psychosis. My incident included me having minor auditory and visual hallucinations, on top of poor cognitive abilities to see things for what they were. Because I was under the influence of my symptoms, I could not appreciate the danger my son was in. I have and am taking as much responsibility I can for my actions, but there is only so much that I can do.



I am not the victim here but I do feel like no one knows the pain and remorse I feel from losing my son, and on top of losing my son, from it being by my own hands. There is nothing I can do to change my tragic mistake; all I can do and have been doing is learning to live with it. I have undergone many psychosocial therapies and am now on medication. I have also learned a great deal about mental illness. I have undergone various trainings, including 18 courses, and am in the middle of my internship to add to my provisional certification as a peer specialist (a person with mental illness in recovery, helping and advocating for their peers and promoting recovery on many different levels).

With the knowledge and experience I now have, I will be an advocate for my peers who feel they don't have a voice and, most importantly, raise mental health awareness. I want people to know that mental illness is real, and more times than others looks different from what people think it does.

As for inaccuracies in prior stories, I was in and out of the water with him for no more than five minutes, not 10, I know (Syracuse.com's) source was wrong but that was an inaccuracy. I was in a shower with my son, not a bathtub. I tilted his head back so I could rinse his eyes out, not thinking about the water going in his airways, and I didn't snap and kill my son; snapping implies that I got fed up and intentionally killed my son. Psychosis is very hard to deal with, it translates to: a break from reality, and that's what it was for me.

It is not my goal to change people's opinion about me because if I were on the outside looking in, and was not educated on mental illness, I probably would feel the same way. My goal is to get people to understand. I want people to be aware of mental illness. I want them to know how the symptoms look just in case they see a loved one or friend going through what I went through, and if they can catch it soon maybe they can prevent something tragic from happening.

In due time, I want to participate in public speaking, sharing my story with people who want to listen and learn. One fact that I'd like to share is that per studies, one out of five people will suffer from a mental illness in their lifetime. That's 20 percent of the world's population, and I believe that number is based on those who seek and receive treatment.

There are so many people in our communities who suffer from mental illness and are untreated. In the urban communities, the subject of mental illness is a taboo. No one wants to talk about it until something tragic happens, and even then, we don't want to look at it for what it is. We also have people who don't believe that mental illness exists, the people who think the mentally ill person just needs tough love. I think we need to try to rid ourselves of the stigma associated with mental illness and let our family and friends know that it's OK to get help. I feel like if my close friends and family members had been educated on mental illness, we would have noticed the symptoms and gotten me help before the tragedy involving my son happened.

As of now, people I talk to, both professionals and my peers, tell me that if they weren't informed about my mental illness, they would have never known that I suffer from a mental illness, which brings me to my next point. There are different levels to mental illness; some people's illness is more acute than others and, from my experience and research, I attribute faster recovery to early intervention. My episode was the first onset of my illness and although I was incarcerated, I was fortunate to get help at an early stage. I was very responsive to the medication and am very thankful I got the help I needed.

Through it all, I have found a sense of purpose. There are no words to express how much I loved and miss my son, and with that stated I refuse to let his death be in vain. I will do my best to save as many lives as I can even if it means just having a brief conversation. I will do my best to give hope to my peers who feel trapped, stuck in one spot under the title of an illness. I know that there will still be people that don't believe in the power of mental illness; all I can say to them is please educate yourselves and don't think that you are immune, after all we are only human.

Now I want to ask those who are reading this a question. What if your brother, your son, your dad, your family member or close friend went through what I went through, would you support them? Would you try to understand? Or would you turn your back on them doing nothing but waiting for someone else to go through a tragic incident like mine? The time to save a life is today, please educate yourselves so you can do your part.

Marcell Washington

SyracuseTo the Editor:



An article that appeared in the March 4, 2018, Post-Standard ("Tesla shows off electric cars you can't buy in Syracuse, Rochester and Buffalo") seemed to promote Tesla and their attempt to add an additional 15 factory stores in New York state. As Paul Harvey was fond of saying, here's the rest of the story.



First, Tesla does not operate dealerships, as the article stated. Tesla sells their vehicles through factory outlet stores that are significantly different than traditional dealerships. The dealer franchise system is protected by state law -- and for good reason, as it has proven to benefit manufacturers, automobile dealers, consumers and their communities.



So, here are the facts.



Franchised dealerships provide local jobs and also promote competition. Your article states that Tesla hopes to create 375 jobs. That might sound impressive if it weren't for the fact that franchised dealers currently provide 63,200 jobs in New York state, are responsible for 20 percent of the retail sales in the state and provide 10 percent of its retail payroll. Your article further states that dealers are "fighting the bill out of concern about competition." Nothing could be further from the truth. I don't know a single automobile dealer who is afraid of competition. We simply want a level playing field that requires everyone to play by the same rules. Dealers are in fact, trying to preserve a franchise system that promotes the competition and drives down prices to the consumer. Dealers must provide good service and competitive pricing because consumers have the choice to do business elsewhere. Single-point factory stores would eliminate that competition.



Franchised dealers repair vehicles and advocate on behalf of consumers with their manufacturers, especially on warranty work and recalls. Franchised dealers are often called upon to advocate to on behalf of their customers. Consider the "lemon law" suit filed by physician Robert Montgomery in the state of Wisconsin. His $94,770 Tesla Model S was out of service for 66 days with a number of issues. His vehicle had to be taken to Chicago for repair because Tesla is not required to have on-site repair facilities. After three demands to Tesla to buy back his vehicle went unanswered, Montgomery's attorney, Vince Megna, stated he believes that the Tesla's restrictive sales agreement is designed to thwart lemon-law suits and that Tesla's policies make it tougher for dissatisfied customers take action because Tesla doesn't have to follow state rules.



Keep in mind that Tesla is not the only manufacturer to offer electric vehicles. There are other quality products in the marketplace including the Chevrolet Volt and Bolt and the Nissan Leaf, with many more on the way. There is no reason for Tesla to be treated any differently than its competitors. Tesla should be required to make the same investment all other automobile manufacturers have made to provide support for their customers.



Finally, consider that franchised automobile dealers on average annually donate $24,800 to charitable organizations. Since its inception, the Syracuse Automobile Dealers Association has donated over $3 million dollars to local charitable organizations to support their efforts right here in Central New York. Local dealers support our community; national factory outlets do not.



I'll leave it to others to speculate as to why state Sen. David Valesky has chosen to support the Tesla myth. Perhaps he hasn't taken the time or put forth the effort to consider all of the facts. What is clear to me is that he is supporting a bill that benefits Elon Musk and a group of workers in Palo Alto, California, at the expense of the people he was elected to serve.



Bruce Rapp

President

Bill Rapp Superstore

SyracuseNEW YORK CITY - A federal judge today denied a prosecutor's request to instruct a deadlocked jury that it can reach a "partial verdict" in the bribery and corruption case involving a former top Cuomo aide.

U.S. District Judge Valerie Caproni said she believed such an instruction would be "coercive."

Defense attorneys told the judge they feared such directions could lead to "horse-trading" among jurors. Instead of voting their conscience on each of the 10 counts, jurors might negotiate their votes on a count-by-count basis, attorneys said.

All the parties agreed a partial verdict - where the jury reaches a unanimous decision on some counts, but not all - is permissible. But the judge and defense attorneys did not share the prosecution's comfort with the proposed instruction.

Caproni noted the jury never indicated it was headed toward a partial verdict. She didn't rule out instructing the jurors on a partial verdict if they asked about it at some point.

Today marked the second time in less than a week that the jury sent a note to the judge saying it was deadlocked. Today's note came less than a-half hour after the jury began work.

Both times, the judge instructed jurors to continue deliberating. She said she is unlikely to issue a third set of instructions if the jury says it's deadlocked again.

The jury finished its deliberations today without reaching a verdict. The trial is in its eighth week. The jury has been deliberating about 36 hours over seven days.

The complex case involves four defendants: Former governor's aide Joseph Percoco, Cor Development Co. executives Steven Aiello and Joseph Gerardi, and power plant executive Peter Galbraith "Braith" Kelly Jr.

Aiello and Gerardi are accused of paying $35,000 in bribes to Percoco. Separately, Kelly is accused of paying $287,000 in bribes to Percoco.ELBRIDGE, N.Y. -- A crash has closed part of Route 321 in the town of Elbridge, according to the state Department of Transportation.

Route 321 is closed from Campbell to Kingston roads due to an accident, the DOT said in a traffic alert.

The Onondaga County 911 Center was notified of the crash at 1:20 p.m. in the Mottville fire district. About a half-hour later, the DOT said Route 321 could be closed for up to two hours.

The Onondaga County Sheriff's Office, New York State Police and Mottville Fire Co. responded. No information was immediately available about the crash.

Check back for updates.Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., is rejecting a Massachusetts newspaper's suggestion that she take a DNA test to prove her Native-American heritage.

"I know who I am and never used it for anything," Warren said Sunday in an interview on NBC's "Meet the Press." "Never got any benefit from it anywhere."

The senator, a potential 2020 Democratic presidential contender, has faced public questions over her citation of family stories to claim Cherokee and Delaware Indian heritage since her first bid for office in 2012. President Donald Trump has turned her claim into a racially tinged attack line, frequently referring to her as "Pocahontas" since May 2016, including at a rally in Saturday night western Pennsylvania. Last week, the Berkshire Eagle, a newspaper published in Pittsfield, Massachusetts, called the issue an "Achilles' heel" for Warren and urged her to "take the spit test" to put it to rest.

On Sunday, Warren stood by family lore as justification for her claim. Her parents, she said, fell in love as teenagers in Oklahoma and eloped because her mother's Native American heritage made her father's family "bitterly opposed" to the union. "That's the story that my brothers and I all learned from our mom and our dad, from our grandparents, from all of our aunts and uncles," she said. "It's a part of me, and nobody's going to take that part of me away."

Warren also did not explicitly rule out a 2020 presidential bid but said she is focused on reelection to her Senate seat this year and on supporting party-building efforts across the country.

"I'm not running for president," she said, while sidestepping four attempts by "Meet the Press" host Chuck Todd to pin her down on whether she would pledge to serve out another six-year Senate term.

Warren sought to move past questions about her background last month in an address to the National Congress of American Indians. In that speech, she said she understood why "some people think there's hay to be made" over the issue, because she wasn't enrolled in a tribe. "I understand that tribal membership is determined by tribes - and only by tribes," Warren said, adding that she never used her heritage to advance her career.

A directory of law professors listed Warren as a minority from 1986 to 1995, just before she joined Harvard Law School. When the claim emerged as a flash point in her 2012 Senate race, Charles Fried, a Harvard Law School professor who recruited her, said her ethnic status had nothing to do with how she got the job. "That's totally stupid, ignorant, uninformed and simply wrong," he told the Associated Press at the time. "I presented her case to the faculty. I did not mention her Native American connection because I did not know about it."

On Sunday, Warren cited a promise she made to the Native American leaders last month to refocus the issue on challenges facing their communities. "More than half of all native women have been the victims of sexual violence," she said. "That is the highest of any group anywhere in America. . . . And the United States government does nothing about that. That is just fundamentally wrong."LONDON (AP) -- Britain's prime minister said Monday that it was "highly likely" that Russia was responsible for poisoning ex-spy Sergei Skripal with a military-grade nerve agent in southwestern England last week.

Theresa May said that should Russian state involvement be proven, it would be considered an "unlawful use of force by the Russian state against the United Kingdom," and gave the Russian ambassador until the end of Tuesday to respond.

May said that Skripal and his daughter were poisoned with a form of nerve agent known as Novichock, and there were two possible explanations: the attack was an act of the Russian state, or Russia has lost control of a deadly banned substance.

She said that Britain expects the Russian ambassador to explain which version is true.

May spoke in the House of Commons after chaired a National Security Council meeting to hear the latest evidence in the case. She has been under mounting pressure to hit Russia with sanctions, diplomatic expulsions and other measures in response to the poisoning, the latest in a string of mysterious mishaps to befall Russians in Britain in recent years.

May said Britain would consider tough action if the Russian explanation is inadequate, though she didn't give details.

"There can be no question of business as usual with Russia," she said.

Skripal, 66, and his 33-year-old daughter, Yulia, remain in critical condition following the March 4 nerve agent attack. A police detective who came in contact with them is in serious but stable condition.

The case has similarities to the killing of former Russian spy Alexander Litvinenko, who was poisoned with radioactive tea in London in 2006. A British inquiry concluded that his death was the work of the Russian state and had probably been authorized by Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The Kremlin has rejected suggestions that it's behind the poisoning.

Putin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters that Sergei Skripal worked for British intelligence and was poisoned on British soil, and therefore the incident "has nothing to do with Russia, let alone the Russian leadership." Peskov also said the Kremlin hasn't heard any official statements of Russian involvement.

Skripal was a Russian military intelligence officer when he was recruited to spy for Britain in the 1990s. He was jailed in Russia in 2006 for revealing state secrets before being freed in a spy swap in 2010. He had settled in the cathedral city of Salisbury, 90 miles (140 kilometers) southwest of London.

He and his daughter were found comatose on a bench near the city center after visiting an Italian restaurant and a pub.

Almost 200 troops, including soldiers trained in chemical warfare and decontamination, have been deployed to Salisbury to assist the police investigation into where the nerve agent came from and how it was delivered.

British officials have said the risk to the public is low, but urged people who visited the Zizzi restaurant or the Mill pub to wash their clothes and take other precautions. Some have questioned why it took health authorities a week to issue the advice.

Andy Harder, 63, who works in a coin and stamp collector's shop in Salisbury, had been in the Mill pub the day after the Skripals were attacked, and before police cordoned off the area.

Harder said he washed his jacket off with an antiseptic cleaner after authorities gave the guidance Sunday.

"So I've washed all my clothes, I've taken my jacket and done that with Dettol -- I mean I don't know what to use, really," he said. "That's supposed to kill most things. I've had a good scrub up, so it should be OK."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 ...Every year, the World Health Organization convenes scientists and health workers from around the world to identify diseases with epidemic or pandemic potentials.

These diseases could kill millions but currently, do not have enough countermeasures available.

Global Threat

In the previous years, leading bacteriologists, virologists, and infectious disease experts identified known killers such as the Lassa fever and Ebola, the hemorrhagic disease that killed over 11,000 people in West Africa between the years 2013 and 2016.

This year, however, a still unknown pathogen has been added to the list. The world's leading health experts have identified Disease X as a global threat.

Disease X

WHO said that Disease X could be caused by a pathogen that is not yet identified to cause human disease. Disease X is something that may go unnoticed until it is too late when it has already spread fast and caught the world by surprise.

"Disease X represents the knowledge that a serious international epidemic could be caused by a pathogen currently unknown to cause human disease, and so the R&D Blueprint explicitly seeks to enable cross-cutting R&D preparedness that is also relevant for an unknown "Disease X" as far as possible," WHO said in a statement.

Experts said that Disease X may emerge from a variety of sources and may strike anytime. It could emerge from an accident or act of terror amid advances in gene-manipulating technologies that now make possible the creation of entirely new viruses.

Evolving Diseases

While WHO focuses on yet to be identified pathogens in its description of Disease X, there is also the risk that existing diseases could evolve.

Tuberculosis, for instance, is a constantly evolving disease. In its most basic form, TB infection can be treated using simple antibiotic but the bacteria behind tuberculosis has evolved resistance to an antibiotic. A multidrug-resistant TB has so far been reported in 117 countries and affected about 490,000 people worldwide.

Disease X could also be sparked by diseases jumping from animals to humans and then spread to become an epidemic or pandemic.

There are currently more than 200 zoonotic diseases caused by viruses, parasites, bacteria, and fungi that are directly or indirectly transferred by animals to humans. These include MERS, Ebola, anthrax, bubonic plague, and mad cow disease.

"Scientists estimate that more than 6 out of every 10 known infectious diseases in people are spread from animals, and 3 out of every 4 new or emerging infectious diseases in people are spread from animals," the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said.

 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.Lawmakers from Missouri are threatening budget cuts for the administrative staff of the Department of Health and Senior Services for refusing to release relevant information about a virus that killed a state park employee last year. What is Bourbon virus?

Budget Cut Threats Over Information

In June of 2017, Meramec State Park employee Tamila Wilson died from serious complications of Bourbon virus after she was bitten by a tick. After her death, the state's health department announced that it will be testing Wilson's blood. In the same month, the department released a memo on Bourbon virus and other tick-borne diseases as a result of a resident's positive test for the infection.

Because of the incident and concerned over the virus's potential implications on public health, lawmakers wanted to learn more about the disease and if other people have also been infected by it. However, the state's health department has declined to provide more information, stating that doing so would be a violation of patient privacy laws.

Because of the department's refusal, Rep. Justin Alferman proposed a 10 percent reduction in the department's budget for administrative staff while Rep. Scott Fitzpatrick threatened more cuts if they continue to refuse.

"Just from the department not releasing any information makes me suspicious. Let's not negate the fact we had a state employee pass away from this disease," said Rep. Alferman, further stating that their statements are not threats, but promises.

Bourbon Virus Infection

Not a lit is known about Bourbon virus infection as it is quite rare. In fact, experts still aren't sure how people can become infected with the virus. It is believed, however, that its transmission is similar to other tick-borne diseases.

In 2017, several cases of the Bourbon virus infection were recorded in the Midwest and the southern United States, wherein some of the infected individuals eventually died. At the time, it was still unknown whether Bourbon virus is present in other parts of the country.

Because of the rarity of the infection, experts are still trying to learn about the virus and its symptoms, So far, though, some of the symptoms associated with the virus are fever, nausea, tiredness, body aches, vomiting, rash, headache, and low blood count for infection-fighting cells. Further, it is believed that the infection likely comes after being bitten by an infected tick or other insects.

There is still no vaccine or drug to prevent the contraction of Bourbon virus, so the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention suggest taking measures to prevent being bitten by ticks or other insects. The CDC suggests using insect repellents, wearing long sleeves to prevent insect bites when going outdoors, avoiding bushy areas, and checking for ticks when coming from outdoors.

 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.Satellite manufacturer and electronics company Swarm Technology is under the scanner. The Federal Communications Commission slams the company for launching four prototype satellites without its permission and authorization.

The FCC has the responsibility to regulate commercial satellites, including minimization of the risk of accidents in space.

Unauthorized Launch Of Prototype Satellites

Swarm Technology, which was founded by former Apple and Google engineers Benjamin Longmier and Sara Spangelo in 2016, launched its prototype satellites earlier this year in January. The SpaceBee satellites were launched on the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle rocket built by India and deployed by the Indian Space Research Organization.

The FCC had, however, snubbed the company's application and dismissed it a month prior to the launch. It also confirmed that it has revoked the company's authorization to launch the next set of four satellites, which were supposed to be deployed from a Rocket Lab mission in April.

"The International Bureau requested that the grant be set aside in order to permit assessment of the impact of the applicant's apparent unauthorized launch and operation of four satellites, and related statements and representations, on its qualifications to be a Commission licensee," FCC said in the letter revoking the authorization.

Unauthorized Launch Raises Concern

Anthony Serafini, chief of the Experimental Licensing Branch of FCC, raised concern to Swarm that it would be tough to keep track of the miniaturized satellites in orbit due to their tiny size. Each of the prototypes measures about a home internet router's size.

"The applicant proposes to deploy and operate 4 spacecraft that are smaller than 10 cm in one of their three dimensions," FCC stated in their dismissal application. "These spacecraft are therefore below the size threshold at which detection by the Space Surveillance Network (SSN) can be considered routine."

"Even at that size, you're talking about a substantial energy transfer should they hit something," said Marcus Holzinger, an aerospace professor, from the Georgia Institute of TechnologyHolzinger. "In most cases it would be an explosive break-up, where all the pieces fly away from each other very quickly."

Swarm reportedly tried to make the prototypes easier to track by trying both experimental GPS locators and radar reflectors. However, the chief was concerned about both methods and dismissed the application put in by Swarm.

The FCC now fears that the four SpaceBees that are orbiting the planet pose an unacceptable collision threat for other spacecraft.

 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.The interest in the idea that the Earth is flat, not round, appears to have grown over the past years.

Data from Google Trends, for instance, show that the search for "flat earth" has been growing since 2015.

Free Speech And A Failed Educational System

In a new video posted on his StarTalk YouTube channel, astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson blamed two possible contributors to the rise of the flat Earth movement.

The growing popularity of the conspiracy theory that the Earth is flat is due to free speech and a failed educational system, he said.

DeGrasse Tyson has raised concern over conspiracy theorists who have the power to influence others about their views. In 2016, he had a Twitter battle with rapper B.o.B. who has been trying to convince other people that the Earth is flat.

"For me, the fact that there's a rise of flat-Earthers is evidence of two things. One, we live in a country that protects free speech. And, two, we live in a country with a failed educational system," deGrasse Tyson said.

It isn't the first time that deGrasse Tyson blamed America's educational system for the flat-Earthers. Two years ago, he also said that the educational system has become too focused on getting students to memorize information they will likely forget instead of honing their analytical skills.

"I blame the education system that can graduate someone into adulthood who cannot tell the difference between what is and is not true about this world," he said.

Analytical And Critical Thinkers Are Less Susceptible To Conspiracy Beliefs

Psychologists also think that improving the analytical skills of students could be an effective tool against conspiracy theories. Social psychologist Viren Swami, from Anglia Ruskin University in Cambridge, said that analytical and critical thinkers tend to be less susceptible to conspiracy beliefs.

"It's really, really key that we teach properly critical-thinking skills and analytic skills," Swami said.

Other Factors That Fuel Belief The Earth Is Flat

Several other factors could also be driving the popularity of the flat Earth conspiracy theory.

People who feel uncertain are likely drawn to conspiracies, according to University of Kent social psychologist Karen Douglas.

Conspiracy theories seem to give believers a sense of control in the form of knowledge and insight that they think others lack. Embracing conspiracy theories boosts believers' self-esteem, which allows them to feel good about the groups that they belong to, Douglas added.

The conspiracy theory's growing believers may also be due to social media, Swami reveals. Minor celebrities who are skeptical that the Earth is round, such as B.o.B and TV personality Tila Tequila, have been tweeting about their ideas, boosting the conspiracy's profile.

 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.People in Alabama became tired of taking crap from New York City, literally. New York City will no longer be sending tons of sewage to the state. In a recent deal that was severed by the city, it will not send any more sewage down to the state.

Foul smells made residents of Alabama complain so something could be done about the sewage entering the state.

New York City Poo

New York City has been sending its poo down to Alabama since early 2017. Alabama has been receiving the untreated sewage from New York City and South Kearny, New Jersey. Much of New York City's around 1,200 tons of sewage produced each day is shipped out to the state.

The Big Sky Environmental landfill in Adamsville, Alabama received approval from the state in order to be the recipient of untreated sewage. This untreated waste is also known officially as biosolids. Alabama residents around Birmingham have not been receptive to the biosolids being shipped in the state.

Materials that make-up biosolids lead to a huge number of complaints from residents that don't like the smell of the train cars that were occupying the railways. This cargo would be transferred from the railcars to trucks which took the waste to the landfill.

Those trains carrying the waste were first kicked out of Jefferson County, where the waste was being transferred from the train to the trucks. Temporarily it was arranged that the waste would be moved to Parrish in Walker County, where locals also became enraged at the cargo found being moved by trains to the town.

Smells from biosolids became a significant issue in Parrish, Alabama. Parrish's mayor said that the smell was so bad that residents couldn't leave their homes because of the smell. Eventually, the town council had to ban biosolids from being transported around Parrish.

Last week, around 80 train cars were left on a rail yard in northern Birmingham. Residents around the area thoughts that there was a dead body that was responsible for the stench. Again, a mayor had to get involved by asking to get the rail cars cleared from the area to which the company agreed.

More problems from sewage transport in Alabama include the waste spilling from trucks as it is being transported from the railcar to the landfill.

New York City cut ties with Big Sky Environmental so it will no longer be sending untreated sewage to Alabama. A spokesperson for New York City said that the reason it cut ties was as a precaution.

Big Sky Environmental wanted to take the untreated sewage to use as fertilizer. During the time that it was taking sewage from New York City, it received almost 400,000 tons from New York City, and South Kearny, New Jersey. Big Sky Environmental received about 7 percent of New York City's sewage.

 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.Aid reaching cut-off PNG villages devastated after big quake



Sydney, March 12 (AFP) Mar 12, 2018



Aid is finally reaching remote communities cut-off by a major earthquake that hit Papua New Guinea's highlands two weeks ago as the relief chief on Monday described devastating scenes of buried homes and collapsed mountains.

Rescue workers have had to grapple with landslides, blocked roads and downed power and communications to reach isolated villages after the 7.5-magnitude quake struck on February 26 in the Pacific nation's mountainous interior.

More than 100 people were killed, many more remain missing and thousands were injured, Prime Minister Peter O'Neill said, while survivors have had to endure strong aftershocks.

He added late Sunday that food and water were being airlifted to remote areas via Australian Defence Force C130 aircraft and Chinook helicopters.

"This is an unprecedented disaster affecting a vast area with many remote communities," the PNG leader said in a statement.

The influx of supplies came as the nation's emergency controller, Bill Hamblin, who is leading the government's relief effort, described emotional scenes as aid workers flew above destroyed communities in the Southern and Hela provinces.

"You can see mile after mile of ridges that have collapsed," Hamblin told PNG's Post-Courier newspaper.

"Anybody or anything that was down the valley was taken away and in fact one valley we saw a village that was left with one tin shed and the rest were buried."

Hamblin said 31 people were reportedly buried in the area, with only a few survivors left in that village.

He spoke of the fear that would have gripped villagers living on top of ridges as mountains slid away, and of others at the bottom of slopes with "nowhere to run" as avalanches came down.

"These things make you cry when you look at it but look we can't keep crying ... we have to get in and help the people survive as much as we can," he said.

Hamblin said the relief team were being helped by logistics experts from the United Nations who had coordinated similar efforts in Africa and the Middle East.

The region is a hub for oil and gas production, and the impoverished country's biggest-ever development -- the US$19 billion PNG LNG project operated by US energy giant ExxonMobil -- has been shut down for several weeks of repairs.LOS ANGELES (AP)  An adult film actress who said she had sex with President Donald Trump offered Monday to return the $130,000 she was paid for agreeing not to discuss the alleged relationship.

Stormy Daniels  who is from Baton Rouge and whose real name is Stephanie Clifford  is willing to repay the money she received as part of a 2016 agreement, as long as she can speak openly about the relationship, according to a copy of a letter from Clifford's attorney obtained by The Associated Press.

Grace Notes: These days, porn star Stormy Daniels is the Louisianan making headlines in Trump era Every time we get a new president, it sets off a conversation about which locals are likely to play the biggest roles in the administration. A

The letter sent to Trump's attorney, Michael Cohen and his attorney, Lawrence Rosen, said the non-disclosure agreement would be considered "null and void" after she returned the money, and that would allow Clifford to speak about the relationship and the attempt to silence her while she publishes any text messages, photos and videos she may have.

"Mr. Cohen and the president should accept this proposal and allow Ms. Clifford to tell her side," her attorney Michael Avenatti said. "The American people can then decide who was telling the truth."

The offer is valid until Tuesday afternoon, the letter said.

Cohen and Rosen did not immediately respond Monday to requests for comment.

Clifford filed a lawsuit in Los Angeles last week that sought to invalidate the agreement so she could "set the record straight."

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Lawyer: Louisiana porn star Stormy Daniels sues to clarify record on Trump affair LOS ANGELES (AP)  A porn star who has said she had sex with Donald Trump filed a lawsuit seeking to invalidate a nondisclosure agreement and 

The lawsuit claimed the "hush agreement" that was signed days before the 2016 presidential election is legally invalid because it was only signed by Clifford and Cohen and not by Trump. It refers to Trump as David Dennison and Clifford as Peggy Peterson, but an attached exhibit details their true identities.

White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders said last week that Trump has made it clear that none of the allegations are true.

Cohen has also denied there was ever an affair and said he paid the $130,000 out of his pocket. He said neither the Trump Organization nor the Trump campaign was a party to the transaction with Clifford.

"Neither reimbursed me for the payment, either directly or indirectly," he said.

Clifford alleged in the lawsuit that Trump was aware of the negotiations.Jonathan Monnet got an unexpected email Thanksgiving week of last year, suddenly filling in the dots of his family's fragmented past.

Sister Maureen Chicoine, of the Society of the Sacred Heart, told Monnet about her research into the lives of enslaved black men and women who lived, worked and raised families at the order's plantation and school in Grand Coteau.

Monnet learned Chicoine had spent considerable time combing through U.S. Census data and whatever records she could find in the church's archives to track down descendants of those slaves, and she had solid evidence that he might be one of them.

She was right.

"My grandmother used to always mention to me how her mom and grandmother were from Sacred Heart," said Monnet, an Opelousas native who now lives in New Orleans. "But I never put it together until Maureen contacted me."

Chicoine had a similar conversation around the Christmas holiday with Dianna Forney, a retiree who lives in Dallas but had familial ties to Louisiana. A relative trying to put together her family tree had stumbled across Chicoine's research on Ancestry.com and linked the nun to Forney.

"A lot of my family is gone, so I have no one to talk to and get information," Forney said. "I don't know much about my mother's side of the family."

For the Society of the Sacred Heart, a 200-year-old Roman Catholic religious congregation for women, to dig into its involvement in slavery is part of a growing trend, with institutions examining how they benefited from the ownership of human beings.

Another Catholic institution, Georgetown University in Washington, D.C., made national news in 2016 when it disclosed research showing the Jesuit priests who ran the college in 1838 sold 272 slaves to plantations in Louisiana to keep the school from closing.

Chicoine's research into those enslaved by the Society of the Sacred Heart began in 2016 with the formation of a Committee on Slavery, Accountability and Reconciliation. The committee was tasked with researching and publicly sharing the sisterhood's participation in slavery, while also suggesting reflection and learning programs to assist in combating ongoing racist attitudes and behaviors, and working with the network of 24 schools throughout the country and parts of Canada.

Sister Lyn Osiek, chairwoman of the committee, said Chicoine is one of several researchers on the six-member committee. The society's slaveholding history is linked to its schools in Missouri and Louisiana, she said.

So far, Osiek said, Chicoine has contacted nine descendants connected to the convent's school in Grand Coteau, but she estimates the number of living descendants of the original couples who worked at the school since its founding in 1821 at somewhere between 1,500 and 4,000 people.

"Just recently at a bishops meeting there was a bishop who really put the issue right up front about the church and racism and asked, 'Why aren't we doing more?' " Osiek said. "I certainly think and hope that the church will lead in this regard and be a major player in the whole process."

"What we're hoping for is some kind of understanding and reconciliation," she added. "The asking of forgiveness. And reconciliation so we can go forward in peace."

If that's the goal, Tulane law professor Robert St. Martin Westley said the Society of the Sacred Heart can't just call descendants and tell them about their ancestors. The religious sisterhood must heavily involve the descendants in the conversation and outreach efforts spawned by their research and not just tell them how the church will try to remedy the problem, he said.

"Part of the problem we've had historically is that it's usually the perpetrator who decides the parameters of the reparatory justice," said Westley. "After we do it to you, then we're going to tell you what to do to fix it. And that's not good."

Westley served as part of a legal team representing the interests of a group of Georgetown slave descendants who called themselves the Legacy of GU272 Alliance. The group's members were some of the biggest critics of Georgetown University's reconciliation efforts that have played out since the announcement of the 1838 sale. They have accused the university of excluding them from the decision-making process that led up to the school's initiatives.

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Another descendants group, the GU272 Descendants Association, was a little less critical of the university's efforts, but recently said they're shifting their focus, choosing instead to address the ramifications of the 1838 sale with the Society of Jesus, or Jesuits, leadership instead.

"It's important to understand that it was not Georgetown who enslaved our ancestors, it was the Jesuits. It is the Jesuits who really have to reconcile the sale," the association's executive director, Karran Harper-Royal, said in an email. "We know that Georgetown has put forth various recommendations for making amends, but we want to see what the Jesuits will do to mitigate the sale of our ancestors."

Officials with the Jesuit Conference of the U.S. declined an invitation from The Advocate to respond.

In a statement on behalf of Georgetown University, spokeswoman Meghan Dubyak reiterated the school's efforts since 2015 of trying to address its historical relationship with slavery. They began with a formal apology to the descendants, renaming of two buildings on campus  one for Issac Hawkins, the first person named in the 1838 sale  and offering legacy status for admissions consideration to descendants.

"Following many conversations and dialogue with members of the descendant community, the university and the Jesuits have reached out to members of the descendant community to propose a framework for long-term dialogue, partnership and collaboration," Dubyak said in an emailed statement.

"Georgetown and the Jesuits are committed to working with descendants in a process that recognizes the terrible legacy of slavery and promotes racial justice in southern Louisiana, southern Maryland and throughout the nation. We believe that this kind of collaborative approach is the best path toward reconciliation and responding to the challenges of racial injustice today."

+2 Georgetown University plans more meetings with slave descendants in Louisiana, elsewhere Georgetown University plans a series of in-person meetings in Louisiana and other parts of the country with descendants of the 272 slaves that

Osiek said the Society of the Sacred Heart is still in the process of trying to figure out what would be appropriate. That process includes talking with as many descendants as possible to find out what they're comfortable with.

"They have been excited and wanted to meet each other and have some kind of ritual of forgiveness and reconciliation," she said. "It takes a lot of time and a lot of reflection to really do it well."

Both Monnet and Forney said they are focused on getting as much information as they can about their ancestors, not necessarily on a reconciliation process.

Before Chicoine's phone call, all Forney knew about her mother's side of the family was that her grandfather's name was Emile Hawkins, he was one of 22 kids of a couple who lived in Louisiana and that he was Catholic. It took only one phone conversation with Chicoine for Forney to realize the Emile Hawkins who showed up in some of the slaveholding records connected to the Convent of the Sacred Heart was likely her maternal grandfather.

Monnet said he was most moved by a particular document Chicoine shared with him. The nun uncovered an 1865 agreement between the convent and his great-grandfather, Ben Hawkins, who decided to stay and work at the school and plantation after the Civil War ended.

Chicoine's research so far shows Ben Hawkins was one of five children (four boys and a girl) of married couple Frank Hawkins and Jane "Jenny" Eaglin.

Frank Hawkins was purchased by the convent in 1822 from a family in Maryland and brought to Grand Coteau. His wife was transported to Louisiana around 1827. The Hawkins boys all married and began their own families on the plantation. While the surname Hawkins also comes up with the Georgetown sale, Chicoine's research has yet to make a solid connection to the Hawkins family sold by the university.

Chicoine's research also posits that some of the slaves connected to the Grand Coteau property were transplanted there when new women entered the Society of the Sacred Heart, bringing their slaves with them.

By 1860, there were possibly 35 to 40 slaves living at the property, including 25 to 30 people who were extended family members of Frank Hawkins and Jenny Eaglin.

"All of this helps me understand my grandmother more and the world she was from," Monnet said. "I don't see any kind of (reparations) being practical. It's so many ancestors. My thing was just getting the knowledge."A school buss passes by the closed KIPP Renaissance High School on the 3800 block of St Claude Ave. in New Orleans, La., Tuesday, Feb. 27, 2018. The school was closed by administrators after being notified of a threat to the school made via social media.The state will launch a national search for a new superintendent to oversee the Louisiana School For the Deaf and two others, state Superintendent of Education John White said Monday.

All three schools, and the Special School District, or SSD, that oversees them, were criticized last week in a report that said the district needs leaders with more expertise.

Report faults troubled Louisiana School for the Deaf for low morale, 'insufficient communication' The Louisiana School for the Deaf suffers from low morale among students and staff, is implementing changes without a clear plan and some staf

Monte Burke, the current superintendent, said in an email he will remain in his $120,000-per-year post until the end of the school year.

Burke said he has no plans to apply for the redesigned position, one of three corrective steps White outlined.

White said he also wants a management group to review the SSD's organizational and financial structure and for the new superintendent to provide regular updates to the state Board of Elementary and Secondary Education.

"With a new vision, the SSD can be a national leader in addressing the needs of some of our most vulnerable learners," White said in a statement.

The district oversees the Louisiana School for the Deaf, Louisiana School for the Visually Impaired and the Louisiana Special Education Center.

The schools for the deaf and visually impaired are located in Baton Rouge.

Louisiana seeks proposals for improving schools for deaf, visually impaired, special education students The state Department of Education issued a request for proposals Friday aimed at improving three special schools, including the Louisiana Scho

The special education center is in Alexandria and serves students with mental impairments and orthopedic problems.

The three schools have 233 students, including 128 at the Louisiana School for the Deaf.

The report released last week was initiated by the state Department of Education. It said the LSD suffers from low morale among students and staff, is implementing changes without a clear plan and that some staff members lack needed skills.

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Parents and others have complained that Special School District officials have micromanaged the school.

BESE member: Major changes needed at Louisiana School for the Deaf The Louisiana School for the Deaf, which is undergoing a review, needs significant changes to improve its performance, a member of the state B

The report said the district should be organized so that instructional decisions are made by school officials.

Without changes at the state level, problems could become insurmountable for all three schools, according to the review.

Emily Zeringue, a student at the school, told BESE she arrived at Louisiana School for the Deaf after moving from a top-flight school in Massachusetts.

Zeringue, speaking through an interpreter, offered a blunt assessment. "To be honest , I didn't learn anything at the Louisiana School for the Deaf," she said.

Emily's mother, Norma, also speaking through an interpreter, said the family was initially impressed by the LSD campus and the warmth shown by school officials.

But Norma Zeringue said the family later concluded that LSD was "not up to par" with Emily's previous school.

Emily Zeringue plans to attend Gallaudet University in Washington, D.C. in the fall, a private school for the deaf and hard of hearing.

State officials said the job of superintendent of the Special School District will be turned into one aimed at creating a statewide model of excellence.

The next superintendent will have extensive experience in the education of children with low-incidence disabilities and an expert in managing systemic change, they said.

White, who will make the selection, said the job will be different from the one Burke was hired to fill.Tom Schedler has become the nowhere man in Louisiana politics.

The secretary of state has gone underground after a former employee filed a lawsuit last month accusing him of sexually harassing her  and Gov. John Bel Edwards and several prominent elected officials then called on him to resign.

Schedler was conspicuously absent Monday afternoon in the House chamber when the governor gave his State of the State speech. He was the only statewide elected official who was missing.

He is not there to avoid being asked if hes going to resign or not, as the governor and Sen. (Sharon) Hewitt called for, Insurance Commissioner Jim Donelon said in an interview after the ceremony.

+2 Gov. John Bel Edwards joins lawmakers calling for Secretary of State Tom Schedler to resign Gov. John Bel Edwards has called for the immediate resignation of Secretary of State Tom Schedler following sexual harassment allegations agai

Asked whether he, too, thought, Schedler ought to resign, Donelon said, He knows whether he did what the lady alleges. If he did, he actually needs to resign.

So where was Schedler Monday?

I dont have anything to release from the office at this point, Meg Sunstrom, his spokeswoman, said in a brief interview, repeating the same answer no matter the question except when a request was made to speak with him directly.

I can leave him a message, she said.

In recent days, Schedler has not given interviews, only releasing a written statement denying the allegation, saying he had a consensual sexual relationship with the woman in the past. Jill Craft, the woman's attorney, said that relationship did not happen.

As the secretary of state, Schedler oversees Louisianas elections system, voting records, state archives, state museums and registration for businesses. Schedler, who lives in Mandeville, has been secretary of state since 2010.

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+2 Louisiana Secretary of State Tom Schedler says he had consensual sex in past with harassment accuser Louisiana Secretary of State Tom Schedler is accused of sexual harassment in a lawsuit filed Thursday that claims he repeatedly propositioned 

The statewide elected officials sit on the dais when the governor gives the State of the State address. Per custom, state Senate President John Alario, R-Westwego, introduced five statewide elected officials to polite applause before the governors speech Monday but made no mention of Schedler.

Alario said later that he got advance word that the secretary of state would not be there.

Asked whether Schedler ought to resign, Alario said, Thats for him to work out.

Its sad, Lt. Gov. Billy Nungesser said later, when asked about Schedlers situation. Its never a good thing. Im praying for him and his family.

Should Schedler resign?

I really dont know, Nungesser said We always say everybody deserves the full story to come out.

Treasurer John Schroder said he would not comment on Schedler, but did say he does not condone sexual harassment.

Attorney General Jeff Landry, asked about Schedlers absence, said, Maybes hes sick.

Asked if Schedler ought to resign, Landry said, Im in a different position than everyone else, and stepped up his pace toward the Capitols main elevator. Asked the question again, he kept walking.

Ruth Wisher, a spokeswoman, called later to say that Landry could not comment on the accusation because the case may come before him as attorney general.Last month's school shootings in Parkland, Fla. have triggered an outpouring of safety measures in the Louisiana Legislature, including controversial proposals to let teachers arm themselves.

Other bills would allow students to wear bulletproof backpacks, let teachers toss students viewed as threats and provide benefits of $250,000 to the spouses of teachers and other school employees killed on the job.

Those and other measures are on the education agenda for the 2018 regular session, which begins at noon on Monday. Gov. John Bel Edwards is set to address a joint session of the Legislature at 1 p.m.

Governor's legislative agenda includes teacher-evaluation changes sure to be hotly debated Gov. John Bel Edwards said Thursday he will support legislation that would reduce the value of student test results in teacher evaluations and

Efforts are also underway to overhaul the Taylor Opportunity Program for Students, subject state Superintendent of Education John White to more scrutiny and lighten teacher tenure and job evaluation rules.

However, the gun debate is sure to spark heated arguments after 17 students and others were killed on Valentine's Day at a high school in south Florida.

Rep. J. Rogers Pope, R-Denham Springs, is sponsoring a bill that would allow teachers and other school employees who have a concealed handgun permit to carry it at school or on school buses.

"Around here there are not many days that go by that there is not some kind of threat in our schools," said Pope, who was superintendent of the Livingston Parish school system for 14 years.

The legislation would allow local school boards to authorize the guns on campus.

Teachers would have to finish an eight-hour tactical training course yearly, and principals would have to notify parents on which teachers were authorized to carry a gun.

Pope said he hopes his bill will spark a conversation.

"We put a lot of safeguards in there," he said. "It is really a local option."

Debbie Meaux, president of the Louisiana Association of Educators, criticized the concept. "Not a wise decision to arm educators," she said in an email response to questions.

"Politicians should not be using educators as the first line solution to the harder decisions they need to be making in regards to gun control, keeping schools safe and tackling the larger social issues," Meaux said.

Pope's measure, House Bill 332, is one of at least three on the topic.

Rep. Ray Garafalo, R-Meraux, is sponsoring a similar measure, House Bill 271.

Sen. John Milkovich, D-Shreveport, wants to let school boards designate employees who can carry handguns on school campuses. In addition, Milkovich's bill would let teachers remove students if they conclude the student "poses a significant threat to the safety of another person on school grounds."

It is Senate Bill 298.

Cynthia Posey, legislative and political director for the Louisiana Federation of Teachers, said the gun bills will spark a needed conversation on what makes schools safe. "But when you look at giving teachers guns, or requiring them to have guns, it opens up a lot of questions about safety," she said.

Michael Ranatza, executive director of the Louisiana Sheriffs' Association, did not respond to messages.

Pete Adams, executive director of the Louisiana District Attorneys Association, said his group will discuss the bills on March 21.

The backpack proposal, Senate Bill 178, would negate the current ban on students wearing body armor.

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The death benefits plan, including $25,000 for each dependent child, is Senate Bill 423 by Sen. Neil Riser, R-Columbia.

Another proposal, House Bill 498 by Rep. Edmond Jordan, D-Baton Rouge, would require parental notification in cases of school shootings or other violent events.

Meanwhile, TOPS bills are expected to spark arguments after a House-Senate task force studied the issue for months.

Among the most high-profile measures is Senate Bill 450 by Senate Education Committee Chairman Blade Morrish, R-Jennings.

It would convert TOPS to a $4,000 year stipend, which would be a drop of $3,400 for some students.

Another measure  House Bill 399  would protect the awards for top-scoring TOPS recipients and those with the most financial needs if the program is not fully funded, with major reductions for others.

Rep. Gary Carter, D-New Orleans, sponsor of the bill, failed to get a similar plan out of its first committee in 2017.

Under current rules, aid for all TOPS recipients is trimmed by the same amount if the program is not fully funded.

James Caillier, executive director of the Patrick F. Taylor Foundation, which is named for the co-founder of TOPS, criticized both bills.

"We don't think we need to be making changes in terms of requirements or the amount of monies given to students," Caillier said.

Two other bills, both backed by Edwards, will renew arguments between self-styled school reformers and teacher unions and other traditional education groups.

One would make it easier for teachers to earn tenure, which is a form of job protection  House Bill 587.

The other  House Bill 651  would reduce the impact of student test scores in annual teacher evaluations.

Rep. Frank Hoffmann, R-West Monroe, said his tenure change would allow about 50 percent of new teachers to qualify for tenure, up from 20 percent now.

Hoffmann said less reliance on the annual growth of student achievement in rating teachers makes sense because "I don't think it is a fair way to compare teachers."

Second key group backs $40 million hike for Louisiana public schools amid state's budget crisis A key education group Thursday recommended a $40 million increase in state aid for public schools, the second such endorsement this week.

Other controversial proposals include Senate Bill 302, which would require White to undergo a second state Senate confirmation; legislation that would spell out guidelines for free speech on campuses and whether basic state aid for public schools remains stagnant or rises by 1 percent, $40 million.

Rep. Stephanie Hilferty, R-Metairie, is sponsor of a proposed 34-member task force aimed at coordinating early childhood education, and putting a new emphasis on children from zero to age 4 through pilot projects and other steps.

"We have to invest in these kids on the front end of their lives," Hilferty said.Louisiana House Speaker Taylor Barras introduces on Wednesday, Feb. 28, 2018, the first measure to reach the floor for a vote legislation by either chambers since the special session began on Feb. 19.Our Views: State's financial failure should be more than enough to bring lawmakers togetherChuck Chesteen graduated with an MBA 20 years ago, prepared for a career in management and business.

But his life was turned upside down on March 24, 2015, when an aneurysm ruptured in his brain, leading to a stroke.

Chesteen was found at home, slumped over in a chair, and rushed to the hospital. But the damage was permanent.

"At the time professionally, I had a number of people working for me in my capacity as a claims manager sorting through the aftermath of the BP oil spill," said Chesteen, who lives in Baton Rouge. "Since my brain bleed, I have a hard time functioning. Part of my memory of past events is totally gone, and many things I could do without a second thought now require extreme concentration.

"Catholic Charities has given me a job as a disaster case manager for the August 2016 flood," he said. "But Im only able to perform my job because some of it can be done from home, which allows me to rest when I feel my brain getting foggy.

The repercussions of Chesteen's stroke, along with the consequences of brain injuries suffered by 47 other Louisianians, are chronicled in a traveling exhibit titled "Unmasking Brain Injuries." The traumatic brain injuries chronicled in the exhibit occurred through a myriad of tragic events, including motor vehicle and train accidents, severe workplace injuries, criminal assaults, brain tumors and electrocutions.

The masks express how the patients feel about living with everything from memory loss and confusion to personality changes. The visually stunning exhibit was on display recently at West Jefferson Medical Center in Marrero.

Many types of injuries

Depending upon the particular event a patient is involved in, or the particular type of stroke they might sustain, that determines what the particular deficits will be, said neurologist Dr. Lauren Sharett, of the Culicchia Neurological Clinic, at West Jefferson.

For instance, memory is in the temporal area of the brain, but any major trauma to the brain seems to impact memory somehow. There are three different parts of the brain where there is an input for language  both understanding and expressing speech."

A blow to another part of the head may cause visual deficits.

In putting the exhibit together, organizers sought patients across the state who were willing to take part in mask-making as part of a national effort to bring awareness to the prevalence of brain injury.

I reached out to eight different brain injury support groups in the state, along with residential facilities, and informed them about our mask exhibit, recounted Kimberly Hill, M.S., director of outreach and resources for the Brain Injury Association of Louisiana.

The exhibit is sponsored by the TASS Brain Injury Living Center in Ponchatoula.

Damage isn't always obvious

"We want people to realize that you often cannot see brain injuries. Unlike a spinal cord injury where youll see someone in a wheelchair, brain injuries are not obvious, and often these patients are judged unfairly. This art initiative is giving survivors an opportunity to have their stories heard, Hill said.

Each mask comes with a story. For Harry Perque, of Ponchatoula, who was electrocuted while working on a power line, life has changed dramatically. He now lives in a residential care facility. Making his mask was therapeutic, he said.

The day I painted this mask I felt patriotic, Perque recalled.  I wasnt embarrassed about expressing my feelings. Its nice to be comfortable to show how I feel.

'Be patient'

For Eric Duncan, the traffic accident that took his aunts life and left him brain-injured is all a blur.

I was left with two holes in my brain and an inability to regulate barometric pressure, which causes severe sinus pain, Duncan said.

I have no recollection of the car accident and no memory of elementary, middle or high school. People approach me on the street as they remember me from school. My answer usually is 'Were we good friends?'

What most of us want people to understand about brain injuries is that some of us are in pain, some have lost their memories, some have problems simply processing language.

"Be patient, be understanding and be thankful youre not in our shoes.

*******************

Unmasking Brain Injury will travel to Baton Rouge this week and will return to New Orleans in May. The exhibit's location in New Orleans is being determined. For information, call the Brain Injury Association of Louisiana at (504) 982-0685.It starts with spicy boiled crawfish, the pride of Louisiana, but it was born elsewhere.

It adds a dose of adaptation from the Vietnamese-American immigrant story and the next generations mash-up minded sense of possibility. It arrives in bowls and beer trays with its red shells gleaming with butter and paved with bits of garlic.

It is variously called Vietnamese crawfish or Viet-Cajun crawfish, and it is finally boomeranging back to the crawfish heartland of Louisiana from Vietnamese communities in Houston and other cities where the style is thriving.

Boil Seafood House, slated to open this spring, will give the style its most prominent platform. The new restaurant, from the family behind the modern Vietnamese eatery Namese in Mid-City, is on a bustling stretch of Magazine Street in a strikingly-renovated corner building thats sure to turn heads.

However, the style has been quietly making inroads here through a small circuit of low-key eateries, dotting the crawfish map of metro New Orleans with outposts for something different.

That difference usually starts in the boil. Lemongrass and ginger are common additions. But this is hardly radical considering the many ways people around Louisiana customize their boils.

Instead, its what the Vietnamese style adds after the boil that marks the biggest change. Still wet from the pot, the mudbugs are tossed with butter and chopped garlic and other spices.

Early attempts to introduce the technique around New Orleans brought some derision. But as it's been getting more attention nationally, local appetites now seem primed.

We took a lot of heat for it at first, people didnt understand why we didnt just make crawfish like everyone else, said Thien Nguyen, sitting under a mural of cypress-lined bayous at his Big EZ Seafood in Gretna.

But we stuck with it, he said. We wanted to do something new and give it a try here. Its putting something new in peoples hands.

Nguyen and his cousin Nhu Nguyen opened Big EZ Seafood in 2015, taking over a Pizza Hut delivery store flanked by used car lots. They gradually expanded and last year they added a second, smaller restaurant, Mr. Crabhouse in Harvey, which serves the same menu.

The Big EZ crew makes po-boys and ya-ka-mein, tends a steam tray of boudin links and stocks a wall of beverage cases with Big Shot soda and beer. In their boiling room, the flavors start with classic crawfish seasonings and run through three different buttery flavors applied after the boil.

The result is robust flavor inside and out. Its heartier and more filling, thanks to all that butter. And somehow its even messier than the traditional crawfish boil. Once people start digging in, the paper towel rolls are flapping like spinnakers in the wind.

At hub in Houston

Houston, home to a large Vietnamese community and close to the crawfish harvest areas of Acadiana, usually gets credit for creating the style, though its long been prevalent in California too. The Houston restaurant Crawfish & Noodles, known for its Vietnamese crawfish, was nominated for a James Beard Award this year, bringing more outside attention to the trend.

New York-based celebrity chef David Chang riffed on the evolution of Vietnamese crawfish in an episode of a new Netflix web series called "Ugly Delicious. He focused on Houston, and also visited a few New Orleans spots to show traditional boils for contrast.

One of those restaurants was Cajun Corner Seafood in Terrytown. This is the second restaurant of the same name from Tommy Tran. The first Cajun Corner is in Houston, and there his Vietnamese-style lemon garlic butter crawfish sells well. But here, the recipe didn't find any traction with his New Orleans clientele, who instead flock to his Cajun (i.e., traditional) crawfish. The Vietnamese style remains an off-the-menu special, available only periodically when he has a fresh batch of sauce ready.

Nearby at Big EZ Seafood, Thien Nguyen has heard all about the Houston roots of the recipe. But to him  and on his menu  its still called Cali style, because he learned about it in his hometown of Sacramento, California. After he moved to New Orleans, he and his cousin made it the calling card for their new restaurant. Theyve been adding other flavors gradually, like the newer Cajun citrus, which has a tangy, somewhat lighter, lemon-pepper profile.

By request, the Big EZ kitchen will add these sauces to boiled shrimp, to local whole blue crabs and to snow crab, king crab and Dungeness crab legs, all arrayed in the cooler case like a spiny armory.

Ill try anyones boil and theyre great, but whats always missing to me is the sweet flavor, said Thien Nguyen. To our way of eating, the Vietnamese way, you want spicy, but you want sour and you want sweet too, all together.

A quest for the same kind of flavor propels the Cajun garlic crawfish at MiMi Seafood & Banh Mi in Gretna, though theres a key difference to the garlic.

Nham Nguyen opened this eatery and market last year for just three months during crawfish season. He reopened late in 2017, now as a year-round business. His menu is a thorough hybrid, listing chargrilled pork banh mi next to oyster po-boys and gumbo alongside bun bo Hue, a robustly spicy noodle soup that makes pho seem faint by comparison.

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He boils crawfish with lemongrass and habanero chiles, and theyre coated with a roasted garlic butter sauce, which brings a mellower garlic flavor that lingers long on the palate.

When its Asian food, you want that sweet and spicy flavor together, Nham Nguyen said. I think it comes down to whatever you have in the pantry, whatever is at easy reach. Thats what you used and this is what we have around.

At MiMi, you can chase these with a bubble tea (the iced milk tea, sweet and mellow, is a soothing specialty), or maybe cafe sua a, the strong Vietnamese style iced coffee with condensed milk.

The Vietnamese approach to crawfish bubbles up in other ways. It's a more subtle flavor at C & A Seafood, a eatery and market in Gert Town where a thin layer of garlicky butter is part of the house style. By request (and when supplies allow) the counter staff will ladle on more sauce for the full effect.

Some restaurants have also tackled the style as specials. This season, for instance, Marjies Grill, the South-meets-Southeast Asia eatery in Mid-City, started a Vietnamese style boil on Thursdays, served at lunch and dinner.

Crawfish will be only part of the menu when Boil Seafood House opens on Magazine Street, where the kitchen will also boil crabs and shrimp, along with lobster, mussels and clams, and plenty of other dishes.

Still, its the Vietnamese way with crawfish that proprietor Hieu Doan is most excited to unleash here.

Ive eaten New Orleans crawfish all my life, Ill defend it to anyone, Doan said. But that doesnt mean it has to be the only one, it doesnt mean we cant change it a little bit too.

Big EZ Seafood

1632 Lafayette St., Gretna, 504-272-0711

Mon.-Sat. 11 a.m.-8 p.m.

Boil Seafood House

3340 Magazine St., 504-309-4532

Dinner daily (from 3 p.m.), lunch Fri.-Sun. (from 11 a.m.)

C & A Seafood

1429 S. Jeff Davis Parkway, New Orleans, 504-822-8497

Mon.-Sat. 10 a.m.-8 p.m. (til 8:30 p.m. Fri. and Sat.)

MiMi Seafood & Banh Mi (updated: has since closed)

932 Westbank Expy., Gretna

Mr. Crabhouse Seafood

2245 Manhattan Blvd., Harvey, 504-324-6992

Mon.-Sat. 11 a.m.-8 p.m.

Try This Dish: salt and pepper crabs at TD Seafood Pho House Note: Try This Dish is a periodic series on interesting dishes around the New Orleans area and the stories, restaurants and people about them.

+6 Finding 'Italian crawfish' and a po-boy hook-up at a Gentilly seafood market You may have heard of Viet-Cajun crawfish, and perhaps youve tasted these boiled mudbugs tossed in garlic butter. Its all over food media th

+26 One generation introduced New Orleans to Vietnamese food, the next is blurring the lines Peter Nguyen had a big idea for the little storefront next to his familys Texaco station in Metairie, but his mother, Mary, didnt think much of it.Entergy cuts support of radio station

Entergy New Orleans has cut its financial support of WBOK Radio, apparently because the utility didnt like the talk radio stations coverage of Entergys proposal to build a $210 million natural gas-fired power plant in New Orleans East.

Entergy, which sponsors multiple organizations in the New Orleans area, claimed it cut ties because the station  which has a mostly black audience  has repeatedly broadcast false statements about Entergy matters in recent weeks.

Entergys CEO, Charles Rice, declined a recent request by the station to discuss the power plant proposal, which was approved by the City Council on Thursday.

The continued misrepresentation of facts and discussion of untruths about multiple Entergy matters recently have driven the decision to decline the interview and discontinue the partnership, Entergy spokeswoman Yolanda Pollard said.

WBOK General Manager Susan Henry said Rice on Friday stopped payment on a $20,000 check that Entergy had already issued to WBOK in an attempt to punish the station for interviewing multiple parties about the power plant, including those who didnt support it.

I guess this was an effort to show that they could bully us, but we will not be bullied, Henry said. The people have a right to know what is going on in politics and how it will affect them.

The $20,000 represents about 5 percent of the stations overall operating revenue, Henry said.

At issue, apparently, were several shows WBOK broadcast in the days leading up to the councils vote on the controversial power plant. During a Feb. 22 show, for example, former Councilman Oliver Thomas questioned whether the plant would bring about economic opportunities for black residents of New Orleans East.

Other shows have featured Pat Bryant, leader of the group Justice and Beyond, and Logan Atkinson Burke, of the Alliance for Affordable Energy, prominent critics of the plant who have said Entergy should instead focus on upgrading its transmission lines and renewable electricity sources and charged that the company is concerned only with its profits, not its customers.

Though WBOK has repeatedly invited Rice to give Entergys position, he has declined, Henry said.

On Wednesday, the day before the councils vote, Henry got a call from Rice, who said he would ask the bank to stop payment on WBOKs check until both sides could have a conversation.

Pollard later called Henry and informed her the partnership would be discontinued, she said. The bank stopped the check Friday.

Henry said the station will continue to report on the power plant issue and the communitys reaction to it.

You cant dangle your sponsorship over our head and expect us to be silent because you are giving us money, Henry said.

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Richmond signs on with Cantrell

If you cant beat them. 

U.S. Rep. Cedric Richmond, one of the biggest supporters last year of Desiree Charbonnets losing campaign for New Orleans mayor, was one of the organizers last week of a fundraiser benefiting Mayor-elect LaToya Cantrells transition.

Cantrell trounced Charbonnet in the Nov. 18 election, a defeat seen by many as a blow to Richmond, who has styled himself as a local political kingmaker.

Sources said between 35 and 50 people showed up at the home of Metro Service Group chief Jimmie Woods Sr. on Thursday for what was described as an intimate gathering. The minimum contribution was $2,500.

Cantrells camp, which is working with the Foundation for Louisiana and the Greater New Orleans Foundation to raise money for her transition, has said it plans to release the names and donation amounts for all transition donors before Cantrell takes office in May.

Other organizers of the fundraiser were N. Sundiata Haley, a lawyer who is the Regional Transit Authoritys general counsel; Glenn Woods Sr., Woods brother and another of Metros chief officers; and Tracy Reed.

In November, Richmond also took to the House floor to congratulate Cantrell on her victory.

City Council back home

The New Orleans City Council returned to a spruced-up chamber in City Hall last week, after holding meetings in temporary locations for more than two months as renovations proceeded.

The revamp, the most extensive the chamber has received since City Hall opened in 1956, included upgrades to the electrical, communications and audio systems, repainting, and new carpeting, seating and LED lighting.

The council also has a new lectern to accommodate speakers with disabilities.

The chamber wasnt expected to be reopened for another month. But council President Jason Williams said the renovations were fast-tracked after residents complained the councils temporary meeting spaces werent large enough to hold everyone who wanted to attend the meetings.

During the work, the council held some meetings in the Orleans Parish School Boards building in Algiers and other meetings in the Pan American Life Center or the Orleans Center on Poydras Street.

Compiled by Jessica WilliamsThe removal of four Jim Crow-era monuments in New Orleans took center stage in the national media again Sunday as the CBS news hour "60 Minutes" highlighted the drama surrounding the effort and the debate over Confederate icons in other cities.

The broadcast came almost a year after Mayor Mitch Landrieu oversaw the removal of statues of Confederate generals Robert E. Lee and P.G.T. Beauregard, Confederate President Jefferson Davis, and a monument to the local white supremacist militia known as the White League.

In an interview with Anderson Cooper, Landrieu discussed his rationale for the removals in language that echoed the speech he gave the day the Lee monument, the last of the four, was carted away from Lee Circle.

In a city that I represent, that's 67 percent African-American, to have a young African-American girl pass by that statue and look at it every day, I ask myself, Am I really preparing for her  a really good future?'" he told Cooper. "Is she feeling like she's gettin' lifted up by the government or is she being put down? I mean, I think the answer's pretty clear.

The interview is largely a condensed history of the four monuments removal for a national audience, most of which would be familiar to anyone who followed the efforts locally.

The broadcast began with Landrieu recounting the difficulties the city had in finding a contractor to take down the statues after a car belonging to the owner of the original firm selected was firebombed and others received threats and harassing calls.

I couldn't find a crane in Louisiana, Landrieu says.

The show then gave a brief overview of the removal of the monuments.

Really, what these monuments were, were a lie, Landrieu said.

A lie in what sense? Cooper asked.

Well, in the sense that Robert E. Lee was used as an example to send a message to the rest of the country, and to all the people that lived here, that the Confederacy was a noble cause. And that's just not true, he said.

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The segment on New Orleans ends with Landrieu taking the CBS News crew to the city storage yard where the Beauregard and Lee statues are sitting in a shed. At the request of the Landrieu administration, the location of that yard was not revealed, though it is presumably the same location identified in the aftermath of the statues removal.

Landrieu told Cooper this is the first time hes seen the statues since they came down.

Theyre pretty daunting, he said.

The show then transitioned to the ongoing debate over what should be done about Monument Avenue in Richmond, Virginia, where statues of five Confederate officials stand. That debate was jump-started after a woman was killed in a violent rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, by a white supremacist who was protesting the proposed removal of a statue of Lee there.

You look at these monuments. You wouldnt know the Confederacy lost, Cooper said.

Well, that was the whole point, Landrieu said. The whole point was to convince people that actually they won, and even in their defeat, it was a noble cause. And of course, the whole point of this is to confront history.

Landrieu will further expound on these ideas in a book coming out later this month, In the Shadow of Statues: A White Southerner Confronts History.

Watch 60 Minutes' full segment below.

Can't see video below? Click here.Alexander P. Tureaud Jr. couldn't sleep, so he sat on a bench on the LSU campus in Baton Rouge, where he had become the first black undergraduate student until school officials and the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals forced him out.

It was a foggy morning, and as a truck pulled up, Tureaud felt frightened. He had recently been subjected to threatening messages from fellow students and was worried that someone was coming to harm him.

Instead, a black man got out and introduced his young child, who Tureaud estimated was about 7 years old.

"I wanted him to see you here so he knows that one day, he can go here, too," Tureaud recalled the man saying.

That was in 1953. On Sunday, Tureaud  an educator, public speaker and son of famous Louisiana civil rights pioneer and lawyer A.P. Tureaud  was one of many to speak about overcoming racism on the final day of a four-day public symposium commemorating New Orleans' tricentennial.

As the speakers remarked on challenges that lie ahead for the 300-year-old city, they reflected on the substantial changes that have taken place, making lives better for black people in the city and around the country.

Focusing on the civil rights movement, the massive effort to rebuild the city following Hurricane Katrina and continuing struggles with poverty and inequality, historians urged attendees to pay attention to young people within the Black Lives Matter movement and beyond to guide the way for change moving forward.

Tureaud, who along with Rachel L. Emanuel wrote the book "A More Noble Cause: A.P. Tureaud and the Struggle for Civil Rights in Louisiana," said he was relieved to leave LSU in 1953.

But he told the audience that the reason he had endured the school at all, where administrators and professors were openly racist, was so that the next generation could have a better shot at equality.

Ive become a symbol for what we should not have to fight for," he said.

Doratha Dodie Smith-Simmons, a civil rights activist with the New Orleans Congress of Racial Equality and NAACP Youth Council, also recalled the sacrifices her generation made so life could be better for others moving forward.

She remembered documenting the "freedom rides" of 1961, trying to keep calm as she watched her peers being brutally beaten at a bus station in Mississippi.

She and other riders were seeking to implement a 1960 decision by the Supreme Court that segregation of interstate transportation facilities, including bus terminals, was unconstitutional.

Although the riders were frequently subjected to brutal treatment, she said they put their lives in danger because they were acting with the future in mind.

"When I went on these campaigns, I always took a pad and pen with me," she said. "I was writing what was happening and singing in my head."

Leslie M. Harris, a professor of history and African American studies at Northwestern University, told the city's history through the lens of Katrina and the long recovery afterward.

A self-described "prodigal daughter of New Orleans," who has struggled with her relationship to the city since leaving at age 18, she questioned whether the rest of the nation would be willing to save it once again should another storm devastate it.

She said the future of the city largely rests upon the willingness of political leaders to rise up to their "ethical responsibility" and see all city residents as truly equal.

Harris was critical of a class system she blamed on the vestiges of slavery, noting that one third of black residents in Orleans Parish live at or below the poverty level.

In 2015, the average white worker in Louisiana earned more than twice as much as a black worker  $56,093 compared with $27,537, according to Census Bureau data.

"We have to redefine equity, and who is American," Harris said. "We have to look at how far we have come and how far we still have to go."

Like other speakers, however, she ultimately ended on a positive note, marveling at the city's "enormous capacity for change."

"Many of us have struggled for a different outcome," she said. "We are rooted in the history of enormous resilience."When a huge chunk of marble came loose from the cornice at Gallier Hall in 2014 and crashed to the steps below, it set in motion much-needed repairs to the exterior of the 170-year-old building.

But it also inspired something greater: a project aimed at ensuring the iconic structure, which served as New Orleans seat of government for 100 years, will continue to serve her citizens for many decades to come.

We had been thinking of a legacy project to take on that would appropriately mark the (city's) tricentennial and make a lasting contribution to the city, said Cheryl Landrieu, wife of Mayor Mitch Landrieu and co-chair of the commission planning tricentennial observances. The falling marble answered that question.

As repairs proceeded on the outside of the building, Cheryl Landrieu and the Gallier Hall Preservation Committee devised a plan to undertake a complete restoration of its interior.

The building was too important to lose, Landrieu said. It belongs to the people of New Orleans, and now they have a place they can feel proud of.

Designed by acclaimed architect James Gallier and dedicated in 1853, the structure on St. Charles Avenue facing Lafayette Square served as the citys seat of government for 100 years.

Aided by Scott Hutcheson, a city deputy chief administrative officer, and Sonny Borey, the special projects and protocol coordinator, Landrieu began fundraising for the project while Hutcheson and Borey began recruiting an arsenal of artisans.

The plans were all-encompassing. Everything from plaster ceiling medallions and antique chandeliers to door knobs and marble stair treads would be cleaned and restored throughout the 50,000-square-foot building.

Somehow, the project came to fruition in time for a rededication ceremony on March 22  and $2 million under the $5 million budget that Landrieu raised for the project.

Borey, who served as construction manager, is especially proud of the adherence to the budget.

It sounds high, but it's actually low for a project like this and a building this size, he said. It covered repairs to plaster walls and decorations, restoration of the marble floors, new paint in every room, completely restored chandeliers, and the installation of state-of-the-art lighting and sound systems.

"We really want the place to get used, so we put in two catering kitchens  one on the main floor and the other on the floor above it. That way whoever rents the venue wont be limited by what they can serve. And we completely redid the restrooms.

The Ty Tracy Theater on the ground floor may be the way that many New Orleanians first encounter the restored Gallier Hall. Boasting a new stage, curtains, tech area, sound system, seats and lighting, the theater also now has a lounge where patrons can mingle before the show or at intermission.

Although the building is outfitted with elevators, climbing the marble stairs from the theater to the buildings main floor offers a chance to feel the worn treads of steps that have accommodated feet since before the Civil War.

The marble steps and checkerboard floors in the hallway on the main floor were in good shape structurally, but cleaning them wasnt so easy, Borey said. Over the decades, wax had built up, and they looked dirty. We spoke with experts about how to clean them and the proper products to use."

A 20-foot-wide hallway stretches down the center of the main floor beneath 14-foot ceilings. Its green walls (the color was prescribed by expert Louis Aubert, who donated his services) make a perfect backdrop for reproductions of important paintings in the holdings of the Historic New Orleans Collection, a major resource for the Gallier Hall restoration project.

The idea was to have paintings that would tell the story of the city through art, said Landrieu.

Each painting has an identifier that includes the work's title, the name of the artist and the era it represents. A portrait of a Spanish woman represents the era of Spanish rule in the late 1700s. A painting by Alberta Kinsey of the Brulatour courtyard on Royal Street recalls the early 20th century and the well-known Arts and Crafts Club.

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Paintings play a critical role throughout the building, especially the many paintings that the team discovered in the building itself. The Helis Foundation donated funds to restore historic portraits and other works that the team located in closets or corners of the attic.

The Mayors Parlor, the first grand space on the upriver side of the building, is the room where mayors would receive dignitaries, Landrieu said. Many of them would give the city fabulous portraits of themselves. Its the room where the mayor received the Russian Grand Duke Alexis in 1872.

An astonishing crystal chandelier in the room was taken apart, cleaned, rewired and reassembled by Zitos, as was every chandelier in every room. The elegant marble mantel in the Mayors Parlor was also cleaned and reinstalled, complete with its decorative brass fittings. The dazzling golden clock that rests atop the mantel was likewise cleaned, polished and reassembled.

Adjacent to the reception room is what Landrieu calls the Map Room.

Its another way of telling the story, the narrative, of how the city developed and changed  or how it hasnt changed  over 300 years, she said.

More history awaits in two rooms on the downriver side, where portraits of 19th century mayors line the walls of one room and those of 20th century mayors hang in the other.

The portraits were like a lot of other paintings in the building  scattered about and hard to find. Some were in storage. The gold frames were in awful condition, practically in pieces. I thought we were going to have to throw them away, Borey said.

But expert painting restorer Darcie Flinn and frame repairer Elizabeth Holt managed to get all the paintings and their frames looking splendid.

I find the mayors portraits so interesting. Each one represents a different time in the citys history and somehow seems to express the spirit of that era, said Landrieu.

Across the hall from the Mayors Parlor is the Grand Ballroom, a handsome space 40 feet wide and more than 70 feet long. Light floods in from seven immense windows, the better to illuminate the Carnival triptych painted by artist George Dureau in the 1990s.

Some people have asked when we got the Dureau painting, but the fact is, it was already here, Borey said. The problem had been that the walls were painted mauve, so you didnt notice it. The paint color is now neutral, and it really brings out the painting.

The third floor also has ballrooms and a catering kitchen. Because the rooms were used as a lyceum previously, the ceilings are concave to improve the acoustics.

Landrieu said that when she started raising money for the buildings restoration, some potential donors were skeptical about the building's future after the work was complete. Would there be funds to maintain and repair it over time?

We found that revenues from event rentals werent going back to the building fund, but were going to the city's general fund, she said. So we worked with the City Council to change that. Now, any money that the building brings in will go to a fund for its upkeep.

Despite the glorious restoration, Landrieu said the work is only partially complete.

Now we want the citizens of New Orleans to make this place their own  where they have plays and concerts and weddings and meetings. We want to welcome them here, she said.

For rental information, go to nola.gov, and for a list of tricentennial events, go to 2018nola.com.Business people, doctors and pharmacists from throughout Louisiana are lining up to get 10 exclusive licenses to distribute medical marijuana to patients as the state narrows its list of applicants down to those most likely to win the right to take part in a new, tightly regulated industry.

GB Sciences selects former Pepsi distribution site for medical marijuana facility in Baton Rouge GB Sciences, the Las Vegas-based company handling medical marijuana operations for the LSU AgCenter, has leased a former Pepsi distribution si

Pharmacies throughout state could open in the coming months if the Louisiana Board of Pharmacy hands out licenses at its upcoming March meeting.

A selection committee in January interviewed the applicants for each of the nine regions that will have a medical marijuana pharmacy, and ranked the applicants in all but two of those regions. The board is slated to hand out nine permits  one for each of the designated regions throughout Louisiana  plus a 10th later in a high-demand area.

The leading candidate for the New Orleans area is Rx Greenhouse, whose majority owner and chief executive officer, Dr. Sajal Roy, currently owns and operates a medical marijuana dispensary in Maryland. If approved by the Board of Pharmacy, Roy hopes to open Rx Greenhouse at 3131 N I-10 Service Road E, Suite 100, Metairie, in a four-story office building currently home to a specialty pharmacy operated by Roy, among other businesses.

If everything goes well, we hope to have finalized blueprints to submit to Jefferson Parish in two to three weeks, he said.

David Brown, a longtime medical marijuana advocate in Louisiana, is part of the top-ranked north shore group Willow Pharmacy, which plans to turn the existing pharmacy in Madisonville into that region's medical marijuana dispensary, if approved. Brown co-owns the firm with a local pharmacist and a pharmacy owner.

In the Capitol Region, which includes East Baton Rouge and several surrounding parishes, Capitol Wellness Solutions leads the pack of applicants. The firm is primarily owned by Randy Mire, the CEO of Gem Drugs, which has locations in Gramercy and Reserve. T.J. Woodard, owner of downtown Baton Rouge pharmacy Prescriptions on the Geaux, is a partner and would be the pharmacist-in-charge.

Wellcana Group acquires $3 million stake in medical marijuana company licensed by LSU AgCenter The company licensed to produce medical marijuana in Louisiana by the LSU AgCenter has sold a 15 percent stake in the venture for $3 million t

Carl Dabadie, the former head of the Baton Rouge Police Department, is listed as the head of security for Capitol Wellness, according to records obtained from the Louisiana Board of Pharmacy.

Capitol Wellness Solutions has a lease on a 4,300-square-foot space in the Baton Rouge Health District, at 7941 Picardy Ave., for the medical marijuana pharmacy.

Louisiana passed laws in 2015 and 2016 authorizing a highly-regulated medical marijuana program. Under the law, the LSU and Southern University agricultural centers are partnering with private firms to grow the plant for medical products; the licensed pharmacies will dispense the drug in non-smokable forms. The LSU AgCenter has said its licensee could have medical marijuana products available in late summer.

The pharmacy board is expected to receive more information from the applicants selected by the committee at two meetings later this month, and could end up awarding licenses then.

Given the amount of information in some of the applications, it is possible the members may opt to recess in order to have time to review that information and then reconvene at a later date to deliberate and make their selection, said Malcolm Broussard, executive director of the Louisiana Board of Pharmacy.

The board has not yet issued any licenses.

There was a tie between Acadiana Therapeutic Remedies and The Apothecary Shoppe in the Acadiana region.

Acadiana Therapeutic has partnered with people with backgrounds in medical marijuana, including Helen Cobb, who ran dispensaries in California, and Jacob Irving, founder of LSU Laws Cannabis Law Society. The firm has a lease on a space in a retail center at 1015 Kaliste Saloom Road, which is centrally located to the several of the citys medical centers.

A host of high-profile elected officials have vouched for the group of physicians behind the company. Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry, Lafayette Mayor-President Joel Robideaux, House Speaker Taylor Barras, R-New Iberia, and former Lafayette Parish Sheriff Mike Neustrom wrote letters in support of Dr. Kevin Duplechain, one of the firms principals. U.S. Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-Baton Rouge, wrote a letter in support of co-owner Dr. Matt Mitchell.

The Apothecary Shoppe would be owned by Eric Vidrine, Brian Ruden, David Mayer and Dr. Brett Casey. Vidrine is the founder and CEO of Professional Arts Pharmacy, a specialty compounding pharmacy in Lafayette; founder and chief executive officer of Palliative Pharmacy Solutions, a Lafayette pharmacy that treats hospice patients; and a principal owner of Institutional Pharmacies of Louisiana, which serve long-term care and institutionalized patients. Ruden is a pioneer in the legal marijuana industry in Colorado and founder of Starbuds, which has eight dispensaries in the state and three more under construction. Mayer is a pharmacist who is co-owner and CEO of Professional Arts Pharmacy, a founder and vice president with Palliative Pharmacy Solutions and co-owner of Institutional Pharmacy Solutions. Casey has been a physician with the Houma Orthopedic Clinic since 2004.

Kevin LaGrange, who has been a compounding pharmacist with Professional Arts since 2001, would be the pharmacist in charge of The Apothecary Shoppe.

The team has letters of support from Lafayette Mayor-President Joel Robideaux and Lafayette Parish Sheriff Mike Garber.

The Apothecary Shoppe has a lease on a space at 620 Guilbeau Road, which had once served as a pharmacy. They estimate it will take six months to build out the property to turn it into a medical marijuana clinic.

In the Lake Charles region, a group of pharmacists and doctors hope to open Calcasieu Therapeutics at a vacant office site at 4957 Big Lake Road.

A firm in the Teche region has plans for a pharmacy called Bayou Therapeutics at 106 LSTA CT in Schriever. The first-place finisher there is composed of two local pharmacists, a local CPA and a consultant who ran a dispensary in New Jersey.

In northwest Louisiana, two businessmen, William Windham and Gregory Morrison, are behind the top-ranked firm, and have plans for a dispensary called NorLa Pharm at 2700 E. 70th St. in Shreveport. A marijuana industry expert from New Mexico is listed as the security manager and industry consultant for the pair.

In Alexandria and Monroe, the selection committee recommended a second round of applications, Broussard said, delaying the selection of firms for those areas.A man called New Orleans police Sunday to tell them he had shot his grandmother to death, wrapped her body in plastic and stole her car, officials said.

Ernest Richardson, 32, was jailed on one count of second-degree murder in the death of Beverly Wilkerson, 73.

According to authorities, Richardson dialed police about 11:40 a.m. Sunday, summoned them to an Uptown church and told them he had killed Wilkerson. Officers found Wilkerson's car at the church, and they went to her home in the 10200 block of Brookfield Drive in New Orleans East.

No one answered the door when they knocked, so they forced their way in and found Wilkerson's plastic-wrapped body, officials said.

Police said they then arrested Richardson and questioned him. Waiving his right to remain silent, they said, he admitted to killing Wilkerson early Sunday morning before wrapping her body and taking her car.

Court records do not suggest any motive for the killing, one of at least 42 reported in New Orleans this year.

Wilkerson's grandson and Richardson's brother Chris Wilkerson said Monday that his grandmother had ongoing conflicts with a number of her relatives. But he was still stunned when he got a phone call from his mother about her death.

Beverly Wilkerson's neighbors said Monday they were already feeling her absence.

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"Everybody around here is heartbroken," neighbor Edward Dowden said. "A grandmother being slaughtered by her grandson. ... No words, no words, I can't explain."

Richardson's bail was set at $350,000 Monday during a hearing in front of Criminal District Court Magistrate Judge Harry Cantrell.

While living in Los Angeles in 2010, Richardson was charged with causing corporal injury to a spouse in a case that is still listed as pending, according to court records there.

Prior to that, he had pleaded no contest to possession of cocaine with intent to sell it, records in L.A. show.

Chris Wilkerson said Richardson has been living in Baton Rouge but would come to New Orleans on occasion to visit relatives.

He faces mandatory life imprisonment if convicted of murder.

WWL-TV's Paul Murphy contributed to this report.Join a global community who rely on us for insight into power,

markets and people on the continent.if the people of Biafra want Republic of Biafra, it will be a reality during my administration. ----Donald Trump Donald Trump I wi...Unlike Somin, I think an antidiscrimination principle exists. However, I believe it is much more limited than Hills indicates. After the fold, I contend that the antidiscrimination principle should be limited to two situations: (1) state court discrimination against federal law; and (2) state discrimination that satisfies the traditional test for conflict preemption by creating obstacles to federal policy. Under the anti-commandeering principle of Printz, however, state law that discriminates against federal law by withdrawing state assistance should be constitutional. Any problems raised by excessive discrimination can be addressed through conflict preemption or other constitutional provisions, such as the Privileges and Immunities Clause.

This is an important debate, because Californias sanctuary laws arguably discriminate against federal law. SB 54 forbids state officers from sharing information only with federal immigration officers, HB 103 requires the state to inspect only federal immigration detention facilities, and AB 450 forbids private employers from voluntarily cooperating with federal immigration raids.

The complaint alleges that California's laws violate the Supremacy Clause by conflicting with and discriminating against federal immigration law. Within the last few days, Rick Hills and Ilya Somin have engaged in an interesting debate over whether a state law that discriminates against federal law or law enforcement is unconstitutional. Rick Hills argues that state laws that place special burdens on federal officers are unconstitutional, while Ilya Somin contends that no such principle exists.

In my first post , I compared the current conflict over sanctuary jurisdictions to fugitive slave rendition and argued that federal enforcement efforts in both proved counterproductive by triggering grassroots and state-level backlash. In this post, I would like to dive into a specific constitutional issue raised by the Trump Administrations lawsuit against Californias sanctuary laws.

Precedent. Precedent supports a limited antidiscrimination principle in at least two situations. First, Howlett v. Rose (1990) and many other cases hold that the Supremacy Clause forbids state courts to dissociate themselves from federal law because of disagreement with its content or a refusal to recognize the superior authority of its source. In other words, state courts must apply federal law and cannot discriminate against federal causes of action. A state court violates the Supremacy Clause if it decides to follow a state rule over an applicable federal one. This principle is limited to state courts and thus does not apply to the California legislation.

Second, state laws that discriminate against the federal government violate the Supremacy Clause when they violate traditional conflict preemption principles by creating obstacles to federal policy. As the Court in North Dakota v. United States explains, The nondiscrimination rule finds its reason in the principle that the States may not directly obstruct the activities of the Federal Government. A state law that singles out the federal government and imposes burdens (like a tax) would be invalid under conflict preemption because it would create an obstacle to the federal policy.

Printz, however, teaches that state laws withdrawing assistance to the federal government are different. Printz was based on the need to preserve state autonomy by allowing the states to spend their resources on their own priorities rather than those of Washington. For Printz to make sense in light of cases like North Dakota, there can be no preemption for a state law that discriminates against federal policy by withdrawing federal assistance. The baseline (to borrow from Hills) should be state inactivity, with the federal government creating and enforcing its own policy. If the state withdraws assistance, the state law (even if discriminatory) should not be preempted because it does not create an obstacle to federal policy. Instead, it would remove a state benefit and return the situation to the baseline. However, if the state affirmatively creates an obstaclesay by imposing a tax or burdensome regulation only on federal activitiesthen conflict preemption kicks in. This may sound overly formalistic, but so is constitutional law at times.

Hills acknowledges the tension between the antidiscrimination principle and Printz. To prevent the non-discrimination principle from undermining Printz, he suggests allowing the states to discriminate against federal law only in the regulation of their own property, funds, and personnel. Although this would make the non-discrimination principle consistent with Printz, it would also seem to totally unmoor the principle from North Dakota, Davis, or any other precedent I have found. A much easier solutionand one that is fully supported by the precedentis to limit the non-discrimination principle as described above.

Constitutional History. As I explained in my last post, the closest historical parallels to sanctuary legislation I can think of are the personal liberty laws of several northern states that withdrew state assistance in the recovery of fugitive slaves. Generally speaking, these laws prohibited the use of state jails for alleged fugitives, prohibited local law enforcement from aiding in the recovery of fugitives, and/or imposed penalties for kidnapping free men. Although most northerners were not willing to violate the law to save fugitive slaves, the personal liberty laws passed because many northerners thought they were constitutional. Of course, many others thought these laws were unconstitutional, but that was typically because they were thought to violate the Fugitive Slave Clause of the Constitution. The personal liberty laws clearly discriminated against federal law and law enforcement, but they did so by withdrawing state assistance.

Constitutional Structure. The structure of the Constitution shows a strong commitment to and reliance on state sovereignty. For the states to be sovereign, they must be able to make choices that differ from those of the federal government, and they should not be forced to pretend to support federal policy. Allowing the states to discriminate against federal law is sometimes necessary to allow this to happen. Refusing to cooperate with ICE allows California to distance itself from unjust immigration policy, just as noncooperation on fugitive slave rendition distanced northern state governments from enforcement of the Fugitive Slave Act. California enacted sanctuary policies precisely because federal policy makes local residents equate state law enforcement with federal policy.

Text. As Somin points out, there is no textual basis for a robust antidiscrimination principle. Although the Supremacy Clause supports traditional preemption doctrine, it says nothing about state laws that treat the federal government or its officers differently.

Policy. Because a robust antidiscrimination principle would undermine state autonomy, letting the states discriminate against federal law is a good thing if you think federalism is a good thing. I think the Trump Administration is showing liberals something that conservatives have believed for a long time nowfederalism is an important check against the abuse of federal power.

However, Hills offers the following hypothetical:

Imagine that California enacted a law requiring state courthouses to impose much more time-consuming TSA-style security checks only on federal officers, requiring federal officers (but no one else) to take off their shoes and take their laptops out of their briefcases before walking through the metal detector to enter the state courthouse. I assume that creating such a special procedure only for the feds would violate the Supremacy clause even though the California legislature would certainly be free to impose such enhanced security on everyone in a non-discriminatory way. Because the discrimination would manifestly serve only the goal of harassing the feds and impeding the execution of federal law, it attacks federal supremacy just as surely as if California had forced the federal officers to pay a special federal employee fee whenever they entered state-owned buildings.

I agree that allowing a state to do this would seem odd. But that doesnt mean this hypothetical presents a Supremacy Clause problem. In this hypothetical, the state has not challenged the supremacy of federal law. Instead, the state has discriminated against federal office holders. Wouldnt this violate the Due Process or Privileges and Immunities Clause of the 14th Amendment (or perhaps even Article IV)? In the Slaughterhouse Cases, the Court said that federal office holding was a privilege or immunity of U.S. citizenship.

Moreover, as Somin points out, there are things the federal government could do to dissuade the states from many types of discrimination, and bad policy is not always unconstitutional.

Application to Californias Legislation:

Under my narrow reading of the antidiscrimination principle, it does not apply to SB 54 or HB 103. These laws do not impose burdens on the federal government or tell state courts to ignore federal law or causes of action. SB 54, which prohibits state law enforcement from sharing information with ICE, is the type of withdrawal of assistance authorized by Printz. After the law went into effect, the situation returned to the baseline of the federal government enforcing federal law on its own. SB 54 does not interfere with this baseline. This makes sense, because Printz implies that California should be able to distance itself from federal immigration policy to preserve state sovereignty and ensure accountability. And, because HB 103, which singles out federal immigration detention centers for inspections, will only stand as an obstacle to illegal federal enforcement of immigration laws, it is also hard to see how it is preempted. The law interferes with the baseline of wholly federal enforcement only when state inspections show that federal detention is illegal. Although HB 103 discriminates against federal detention centers, it is difficult to see why such discrimination should be seen as problematic.

AB 450, however, is arguably very different. AB 450 forbids private employers from voluntarily cooperating with federal immigration raids. The state is not simply withdrawing assistance; instead, it is commanding others not to assist. This is exactly the type of discriminatory state law that may be preempted under traditional conflict analysis.Share this article Whatsapp

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Linkedin EDITORIAL (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Mon, March 12, 2018 08:23 1288 2c798a31c212039f000dc5df9c95db92 4 Editorial #Editorial,democracy,Indonesian-politics,2019-presidential-election Free

Free competition among candidates is the cornerstone of democracy. The widelyshared assumption is that democracy works like a market system in which more options for voters means they get the best possible candidate to run the government.

Many, especially in an authoritarian regime or quasidemocracy, find this basic principle of democracy problematic. China decided to do away with competition among members of the elite and abolished the presidential term limit, handing over power to President Xi Jinping, probably for the next three decades. In Egypt, with no credible opponents working to challenge him in the election, a victory for current President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi is all but assured.

In the past two decades, Indonesia has seen competitive presidential elections with multiple candidates being nominated by coalitions of political parties. In fact, in the inaugural direct presidential election in 2004, voters cast their ballots twice as no presidential ticket won the majority of the vote in the first round. Only after a runoff election did then-presidential candidate Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono clinch a victory.

In recent months, however, there have been talks about the possibility of having a sole ticket for the 2019 presidential election. Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) politicians claim there has been effort to lure his party into joining the ruling coalition of President Joko Jokowi Widodo. Leadership of the Gerindra Party, the political party of Jokowis rival in the 2014 election, Prabowo Subianto, has accused the ruling coalition of trying to push its agenda of nominating one presidential ticket in the 2019 poll.

The electorate appears to have warmed to the idea that the 2019 election should only have President Jokowi at the top of the ticket. Saiful Mujani Research & Consulting (SMRC) found in its public opinion survey that 66.9 percent of respondents would vote for a Jokowi-Prabowo ticket in 2019.

It is against this background that we should welcome the decision by the Democratic Party to form a third axis to offer alternative candidates in next years presidential election. Cynics may say this axis, which the Dems plan to set up with the National Awakening Party (PKB) and the National Mandate Party (PAN), will only serve as a bargaining chip in the event of post-election coalition talks, however, any effort to prevent the incumbent from scoring a guaranteed victory is worth supporting. (The third axis proposal appears to have motivated Jokowi to make an overture over the weekend, which many considered a move to blunt the maneuver.)

Despite the prospect of being supported by his own Gerindra and the PKS, Prabowo is also determined to run in 2019 and it is only a matter of days before the bid is announced. Politics after the 2014 election have been polarizing because we have only had two candidates, while the presence of a third candidate could certainly defuse the tension.

After all, democracy works best when there is no predetermined result.Share this article Whatsapp

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Linkedin Analiza Perez-Amurao (The Jakarta Post) Salaya  Mon, March 12, 2018 15:56 1288 2c798a31c212039f000dc5df9c97251a 3 Opinion workers,migrant-workers,migrant-protection,#MigrantWorkers,human-rights,human-rights-abuse Free

Once again, the world bears witness to the cruel realities that migrant workers face everyday in their host countries.

During the first quarter of 2018 alone, two senseless deaths  of Filipina Joanna Daniela Demafelis and of Indonesian Adelina Lisao reminded the world that migrant workers live precarious lives in a place they can hardly call home.

These stories tell how their own governments have failed them and their families.

Demafelis, employed by a Lebanese man and his Syrian wife, was found dead in a freezer in a Kuwait apartment on Feb. 6. Tortured, she was found to have sustained stab wounds on her neck.

Her remains were flown home on Feb. 16. The sixth from a brood of nine, Demafelis was 29 years old when she left the Philippines four years ago. She came from a family of farmers in Iloilo province.

Adelina was a 21-year-old Indonesian woman working as a domestic helper in George Town, Malaysia. She died on Feb. 11 due to multiple organ failures. Her head and face were found to be distended. She also bore arm and feet injuries. Photos revealed she was made to sleep on the porch for a month, accompanied by her employers Rottweiler.

In 2017, 103 overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) in Kuwait returned to their loved ones in cold boxes. Their deaths could have been avoided if only their sending countries did their job.

A knee-jerk reaction that migrant labor sending countries typically have to such situations is to threaten host countries with a ban, discontinuing the deployment of their citizens to countries of destination that are deemed problematic.

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, for instance, has recently declared a total ban on deploying Philippine workers to work in Kuwait.

Another typical reaction sending government takes is to pledge to review agreements and work conditions their citizens have once they reach their countries of destination. This usually comes with a demand that justice be upheld for the victim.

But are bans on migrant worker deployment and demand for justice for the victims enough?

Since the 1970s, the Philippine and Indonesian governments have officially facilitated their labor export to various parts of the globe.

Officially implemented by the dictator Ferdinand Marcos to address rising unemployment problems, he started sending Filipino migrant workers to the Middle East for contract labor. Meant as a stopgap measure in response to employment shortage, it turned out to bea surefire formula to stimulate a stagnant economy.

The United Nations cites figures of the Philippines Department of Foreign Affairs in 2015, showing there were 9.1 million Filipinos working overseas. It also cites 5,000 Filipinos leave the Philippines every single day to work abroad. Considered as the third top receiving country of remittances, the Philippines enjoys 9.8 percent of its GDP from cash sent by OFWs.

An International Organization Migration (IOM) country report states that migrant workers from Indonesia also engage in overseas work for the same reasons: lack of employment opportunities, poverty, and wage differentials between Indonesia and destination countries.

A 2017 World Bank report titled Juggling Opportunities and Risks states there were more than 9 million Indonesians working overseas, more than 75 percent of which were classified as low-skilled workers. The report cites similar effects of migration on the countrys economy as well:[I]n 2016 migrant workers remitted more than Rp 118 trillion (US$8.9billion), equivalent to 1 percent of Indonesias total GDP.

Given the long history of the Philippines and Indonesias global labor arbitrage, it cannot be claimed that the experience of both states is insufficient, not to be abreast of their migrant workers shaky migratory experience.

Despite having developed a sophisticated policy regime to promote and regulate labor emigration, to the extent that OFWs are annually honored by different award-giving bodies for their migrant work contributions, the Philippines continues to be accused by cause-oriented groups for not doing enough to help the very same people whose remittances have been helping boost the Philippine economy.

For instance, Michele Fords study reveals, Over the last two decades, the government [Indonesia] has been constantly criticized by NGOs, human rights agencies for being more focused on remittances than on the protection of migrant workers rights.

In an effort to address said issues, ASEAN country leaders signed in November 2017 the ASEAN Consensus on the Protection and Promotion of the Rights of Migrant Workers. Duterte proudly said the consensus was the centerpiece of his ASEAN chairmanship after a decade of putting the migrant workers issues at bay. In reality, however, the signing was fraught with more questions than answers.

In 2017, Philippine-based Migrante International and Singapore-based Transient Workers Count Too argued that because of the decentralized approach stated in the agreement, namely, Pursuant to the prevailing national laws, regulations, and policies of ASEAN Member States, the consensus remains optional and not legally-binding.

Migrante International asserts: The concept of non-interference has been effectively instituted in ASEAN through the ASEAN Charter and had been used consistently as a method to avoid state human rights obligations in deference to the need to respect state sovereignty.

If, within ASEAN, attending to issues that should be considered central and beneficial for the very people who serve as the backbone of their economy is left non-mandatory, and that its member states cannot bring themselves to fully commit to protection and promotion of the rights of their own migrant workers, how many more Joannas and Adelinas will have to continue to sacrifice their lives all because ASEAN leaders, and the regional association that should be bonded together in a community of caring societies, are reneging on a fundamental moral human obligation?

***

The writer is an assistant professor and currently the chair of Mahidol University International Colleges Humanities and Language Division, Thailand. A PhD in Multicultural Studies candidate, her publications include language education issues and migration studies in Southeast Asia. Visit her at www.analizaperezamurao.com.

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Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not reflect the official stance of The Jakarta Post.From cutting-edge DNA barcoding to smartphone apps that can identify illegal wildlife sales, conservationists are turning to hi-tech tools in their battle against Indonesia's animal traffickers.

Spread across more than 17,000 islands, the Southeast Asian nation's dense tropical rainforests boast some of the highest levels of biodiversity in the world, from scaly pangolins to the endangered orangutan.

But that enormous array of flora and fauna means Indonesia is also on the frontline of an illicit global trade estimated to be worth as much as $23 billion a year -- a shadowy operation bringing some species to the brink of extinction.

To tackle the problem, conservationists have begun using a slew of new gadgets to protect the archipelago's rare and threatened wildlife.

"Without a doubt (technology) is probably one of the largest resources that will help the good guys get the bad guys," Matthew Pritchett, from anti-trafficking group Freeland Foundation, told AFP.

"The criminals that are behind the illegal wildlife trade are large organised syndicates that are extremely sophisticated."

To keep pace with these vast trafficking groups, activists are now deploying the kind of technology once reserved for combating drug cartels and crime lords.

For instance, the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS), which works with Indonesian authorities to halt wildlife crime, uses similar computer software to map criminal networks and extract data from seized electronic devices.

Read also: The art of conservation

- Hunting hotspots -

Conservation group International Animal Rescue Indonesia (IAR) is examining crime scene evidence with the help of DNA barcoding -- a taxonomic method that relies on short genetic sequences to identify species.

Tissue samples from confiscated animals can be cross-referenced with a database of stored genetic codes, helping to unambiguously differentiate between species and sub-species -- not all of which may be endangered.

For instance, IAR is building a barcode database for different species of slow loris, a cute but venomous primate being hunted to extinction for use in traditional Chinese medicine.

"If we have animals with a known origin and we have animals that appear, for example, in Jakarta, we can then compare the genetic samples," Christine Rattel, IAR program advisor, told AFP.

"We can then track down the hunting hotspots and what the trading routes are."

Despite a raft of laws aimed at protecting Indonesia's wildlife, forest rangers and police are under-resourced and lack specialized scientific knowledge, experts say.

Detection is often left to NGOs that scan wildlife markets and social media for threatened species, carry out investigations in the field and then notify police.

"What a lot of people don't realize is that law enforcement officers are not biologists," Pritchett said.

"There might be some of them that specialize, but when it comes down to it we are talking about something like 25,000 to 30,000 species across the world that are protected from international trade."

Read also: Wild elephant gives birth in wildlife reserve in Riau

- Few prosecutions -

This is a gap that the Freeland Foundation wanted to plug when it developed its smartphone identification app WildScan.

Law enforcement officials and members of the public can swipe and click through questions and photos to determine whether they have a protected species in front of them.

If it turns out they do, they can then photograph and report it to authorities across Southeast Asia using the app.

Pritchett said reports generated through the app -- which has a database of some 700 species and 2,000 photos -- have already resulted in authorities taking action in Indonesia and Thailand.

Still, despite the best efforts of conservationists and huge advances in technology, many experts believe the battle is being lost.

Outdated laws, scarce enforcement resources and low prosecution rates remain key challenges in halting the trade, according to a 2015 report by development agency USAID.

Above all, there is a lack of political will to tackle the lucrative black market, said Ian Singleton, director of the Sumatran Orangutan Conservation Programme (SOCP), which uses drones to keep track of orangutans and illegal forest clearing that threatens their habitat.

"Without government will, no amount of technology will ever change anything," he said.

.As a native Betawi, Fachrul Zain felt a responsibility to keep his roots alive.



He resigned from his office job in January and decided to develop his familys Betawi culinary business.



[Betawi] cuisine is not only about the taste, but also about the feeling while both cooking and eating it. Most Betawi foods are known [by a sense of] togetherness, brought by the energy of the cooks, said the resident of Condet, East Jakarta.



In my family, my mother has always been the main energy source that brings all her seven children and 10 grandchildren to gather to enjoy her amazing Betawi dishes, the 38-year-old added.



Fachrul named several Betawi traditional dishes her mother, Hajah Nena, 65, often makes, such as sayur godog (unripe papaya soup), opor ayam (chicken stewed in coconut milk), semur jengkol (dogfruit stew) and asinan (Betawi-style vegetable salad with peanut sauce).



My mother has been catering for Betawi families events since I was a child. Now I want to make the business more professional, he said.



On Friday, Fachrul  accompanied by his wife, both dressed in traditional Betawi clothing  served their customers in a Betawi culinary bazaar held at Taman Ismail Marzuki, Central Jakarta.



Not so far from Fachruls stand, Yusuf was busy stirring Betawi dodol(traditional sticky candy) in a huge copper wok, while his friend, Ridwan, interacted with several customers who had just tasted their dodol.



Im quite content just knowing people still like the taste of Betawi dodol, said Fachrul.



Unlike dodol from other places in Indonesia, Betawi dodol has its own special charm. It tastes savory because it contains more coconut milk. Give it a try, he said.



The dodol business is owned by Rizal, also a Betawi, who lives in Pasar Minggu, South Jakarta.



He inherited the business from his parents. Yusuf has been Rizals employee for three years.



Rizal has his own strategy in marketing his products, Yusuf added, which is by bringing the huge woks to every culinary bazaar, Betawi cultural event and car-free day in Jl. Sudirman, Central Jakarta, in which they set up a stand.



Its funny and challenging when youngsters, who mostly have no idea whatdodol is, come over. Theyd ask general questions like What are you making?, What are the ingredients? and Can I try stirring? the 31-year-old said.



I always feel like Im doing a noble job, preserving my ancestors traditional cuisine, he added.



While Fachrul and Yusuf are true Betawi men by blood, Noeke Noerhanny has her own romanticism with Betawi cuisine.



Noeke was helped by her daughter, Cyprine Arudhipta Dewayani, to sell jamu(herbal drink), bir pletok (Betawi herb-and-spice-based beverage) and buburase (rice porridge topped with asinan and beef stew).



Noeke, who was born and raised in Malang, East Java, decided to move to the capital in 1967 and live in Menteng, Central Jakarta. Her early life in the city had allowed her to taste various Betawi dishes and fall in love with them.



By the time my husband passed away in 1995, I started my career as a cook to survive. I made and modified several Betawi dishes then sold them to my neighbors, she said.



The first time I ate bubur ase was from my friends Betawi [late] mother. When I asked her to try my [first attempt at] bubur ase, she was suddenly in tears saying that the taste was identical to the one her mother used to make. That was the moment I got the confidence to sell it to other people, the 70-year-old added.



Noeke, who labels her products Njonjah Menteng (Menteng Lady), however, is more famous for her jamu. She was the State Palaces official jamu supplier for countless official state events during the reign of former president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.



Sooner or later, I will have to pass on my talent [of cooking] along with the [traditional food and beverage] business to my daughter, she said, noting that she expected her daughter to also learn how to cook traditional cuisines of other ethnic groups in Indonesia. (vla)French President Emmanuel Macron on Sunday pledged hundreds of millions of dollars for solar projects in developing countries, as world leaders met in India to promote greater investment in renewable energy.

Macron, who in December warned that the global shift to a green energy future was too slow, said France would extend an extra 700 million euros ($861.5 million) through loans and donations by 2022 for solar projects in emerging economies.

France had already committed $300 million euros to the initiative when it co-founded with India a global alliance in 2015 to unlock new cash for solar projects in sunny yet poor nations.

"We need to remove all obstacles and scale up," Macron said at the launch of the International Solar Alliance in New Delhi on Sunday.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi -- who has committed to reducing India's sizeable carbon footprint through a massive scale-up in renewable energy -- said it was vital that nations were not priced out.

"We have to make sure that a better and cost-effective solar technology is available to all," Modi told the gathering of investors and world leaders from about 20 mainly African nations.

"We will have to increase solar in our energy mix."

India, the world's third-largest polluter, is undergoing spectacular growth in its solar sector and is on track to become one of the world's largest clean energy markets.

It pledged at the Paris climate summit in 2015 to source at least 40 percent of its energy from renewables by 2030, mainly via solar.

The energy-hungry giant of 1.25 billion people is banking on solar to electrify homes for hundreds of millions of its poorest citizens without adding to its considerable emissions output.

Read also: Solar energy not just clean, but also economically sound, says expert

- Sunny outlook -

Macron and Modi hope the alliance will spur $1 trillion in new solar spending by 2030 in 121 countries lacking investment in the sector.

These countries have "the paradox of being the sunniest in the world while enjoying the least solar energy," said Segolene Royal, a former French minister in India as a special envoy for the alliance.

Macron told world leaders in Paris in December that "we are losing the battle" against climate change and urged faster action to combat global warming.

The French leader called on private sector attendees in New Delhi to engage more actively because "solar investments are becoming more profitable".

Energy and investment has been a focus of Macron's three-day visit to India.

He and Modi will open a new 100-megawatt solar plant near the holy city of Varanasi on Monday built by the French company Engie.

India and France also signed a technical agreement Saturday on the French-assisted nuclear power project at Jaitapur in western Maharashtra state.

But the two leaders have also struck a key defence accord for the Indian Ocean. Under the deal, India and France will open their naval bases to each other's warships, a move seen as an attempt to undermine China's territorial ambitions.

Modi, who welcomed Macron with a bear hug on his arrival Friday, said the accord was crucial as the Indian Ocean region would play a "very significant role" in the days to come.

France's 40-year-old president and his wife Brigitte on Sunday also visited the Taj Mahal, a few hours drive from the Indian capital.

Marvelling at the monument to love is a near-mandatory stop for visiting leaders, with Canada's Justin Trudeau and Israel's Benjamin Netanyahu also touring the Mughal-era marble wonder during tours of India this year.Bases on the moon and Mars could help preserve human civilization and hasten its regeneration on earth in the event of a third world war, billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk, said on Sunday.

Musk, the founder of rocket and spacecraft company SpaceX, said the company's interplanetary ship could begin test flights as soon as next year.

There is "some probability" that there will be another Dark Ages, "particularly if there is a third world war", Musk said at the SXSW conference.

"We want to make sure that there's enough of a seed of human civilization somewhere else to bring civilization back, and perhaps shorten the length of the Dark Ages," he said.

Read also: Elon Musk, visionary Tesla and SpaceX founder

"I think a moon base and a Mars base that could perhaps help regenerate life back here on earth would be really important."

Musk said he thinks that SpaceX's interplanetary ship will "be able to do short flights, short sort of up and down flights, probably sometime in the first half of next year."

SpaceX launched the world's most powerful rocket, the Falcon Heavy, last month, sending Musk's red Tesla Roadster car toward an orbit near Mars.Share this article Whatsapp

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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Mon, March 12, 2018 07:45 1288 2c798a31c212039f000dc5df9c95d4dd 1 Business Lion-Air,aviation,minangkabau Free

A passenger, identified only as FAR, reportedly put on a life vest without being instructed to do so on a Lion Air flight from Jakarta to Padang and was apprehended by aviation officials after the plane landed safely at Minangkabau International Aiport on Saturday.

In a release issued by Lion Air, the airline stated FAR put on a life vest 30 minutes after the plane took off. He also helped his grandmother into a life vest.

Flight attendant Dessy Febriyanto said she asked him why he put on the vest, but FAR stood up and walked to the front of the gangway while telling other passengers to also put on their life vests. FAR asked the crew to return to Jakarta because he could see and feel danger.

Pilot Agus Ahadi said he listened to FARs explanation and asked him to return to his seat. But FAR again walked to the front of the plane and insisted that the crew return to Jakarta.

The crew reportedly removed the vest from FAR and stowed the vest, but FAR removed and put it on again six times.

When the plane was about to land, FAR is said to have caused a commotion, making other passengers panic.

The crew tried to reassure the passengers, informing them that what FAR said was not happening, said Eko Pujianto, the manager of Lion Air Group at Minangkabau International Airport, Padang, West Sumatra.

Upon landing at Minangkabau airport, Dessy informed the operational team and ground crew about the situation. The ground crew apprehended FAR and handed him over to the airport's authorities, the release said.

Eko said a disruptive passenger was subject to disciplinary action. Acting disruptively on a plane has legal consequences according to Article 53 in the 2009 law on aviation, Eko said in the release. (evi)Share this article Whatsapp

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Linkedin Ganug Nugroho Adi (The Jakarta Post) Surakarta, Central Java  Mon, March 12, 2018 13:28 1288 2c798a31c212039f000dc5df9c96a1d9 1 National Sukoharjo,surakarta,Central-Java,pollution,Central-Java-Police,environmental-issues,peradi,lawyers,Rayon-Utama-Makmur Free

The Indonesian Advocates Association (Peradi) in Surakarta, Central Java, has prepared 100 lawyers to file both criminal and civil lawsuits against textile company PT Rayon Utama Makmur (RUM) over alleged environmental pollution.

The lawyers are calling on the police to immediately investigate the pollution, which affects communities living near the textile factorys site in Sukoharjo regency.

Previously, the Semarang Legal Aid Institute (LBH) reportedly supported three environmental activists detained by the Central Java Police over their protests against pollution allegedly committed by PT RUM. The Indonesian Forum for the Environment (Walhi) and the Surakarta Muhammadiyah Universitys (UMS) legal division have also conveyed their readiness to give legal assistance to the activists.

As previously reported, Muhammad Lis Hisbun Payu, Kelvin Ferdiansyah Subekti and Sutarno were arrested by the police over their alleged involvement in the destruction of assets belonging to PT RUM during a rally on Feb.23.

We prepared 100 lawyers to file a lawsuit against PT RUM. We have data support from Walhi and UMS investigation team, said Peradi Surakarta chairman Badrus Zaman on Monday.

He said there were two procedures the lawyers could use to submit their lawsuits, namely via a class action or via Walhi. In principle, we want to ask the government to share responsibilities in the management of environment that has been affected by industrial pollution, said Badrus.

Sukoharjo residents have launched a string of protests against environmental pollution caused by PT RUM. In some rallies, they called on Sukoharjo regent Wardoyo to close down the textile factory. (ebf)Share this article Whatsapp

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Linkedin (Agence France-Presse) Kathmandu, Nepal  Mon, March 12, 2018 16:39 1288 2c798a31c212039f000dc5df9c9756ed 2 World plane-crash,Bangladesh,Nepal Free

A plane, operated by US-Bangla, a Bangladeshi airline, has crashed at Kathmandu's international airport, media reports say.

The BBC reported that went off the runway while landing and crashed on the east side of Tribhuvan International Airport's runway.

US-Bangla, a Bangladeshi airline crash at Nepal's Tribhuwan Internationa Airport

250 passengers were on board. pic.twitter.com/kukK5zl2ks  Aniruddha (@aniruddhapd) March 12, 2018

The plane can reportedly carry 67 passengers and firefighters were at the scene trying to extinguish a fire, and an airport spokesperson feared that there are a number of casualties.

"We are in the process of putting out the fire and rescuing the passengers," airport spokesman Prem Nath Thakur told AFP.

"There were 67 passengers and 4 crew members" aboard the plane, said airport spokesman Prem Nath Thakur.

"So far 20 injured have been taken to the hospital. Police and army are trying to cut apart the plane to rescue others," he added.

Nepal has suffered a number of air disasters in recent years, dealing a blow to its tourist industry.

Its poor air safety record has been blamed largely on inadequate maintenance, inexperienced pilots and substandard management.

In early 2016, a Twin Otter turboprop aircraft slammed into a mountainside in Nepal killing all 23 people on board.

Two days later, two pilots were killed when a small passenger plane crash-landed in the country's hilly midwest.

BREAKING Crashed plane at Kathmandu airport, is believed to be a US-Bangla airlines aircraft (pic: @Bishnusapkota). Updates: https://t.co/rPgfBUWBAu pic.twitter.com/3pFTyaNLKO  AIRLIVE (@airlivenet) March 12, 2018Share this article Whatsapp

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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Mon, March 12, 2018 15:22 1288 2c798a31c212039f000dc5df9c970640 1 Business Amran-Sulaiman,FAO,agriculture,insurance Free

Assistant Director-General and FAO Regional Representative for Asia and the Pacific Kundhavi Kadiresan has expressed her appreciation of the implementation of agriculture insurance by the Indonesian government, which is rarely implemented in other countries.

As stated in a press statement issued by the Agriculture Ministry on Monday, Kadiresan said that based on the experience of other countries, it was not easy to implement agriculture insurance, particularly crop insurance.

She made the statement when she met with Agriculture Minister Andi Amran Sulaiman on the sidelines of the fourth Jakarta Food Security Summit (JFSS-4) at the Jakarta Convention Center, recently.

Initially, Amran told Kadiresan that agriculture insurance was part of the Special Efforts in Agriculture (Upsus) program introduced by the government to try to encourage farmers to increase their production, particularly of rice.

Other efforts include the elimination of barriers in agricultural development, infrastructure improvement, strengthening the downstream agriculture industry and shortening the supply chains for agricultural commodities, Amran added.

Kadiresan called on the Indonesian government to promote the use of organic fertilizer and become a promoter of low external input sustainable agriculture (LEISA), an agriculture program that optimizes local resources, promoted by the organization.

During the meeting, the FAO official also invited Minister Amran to take part in the 34th Asia and the Pacific Regional Conference (APRC) in Fiji from April 9 to 13.

Meanwhile, Amran told his guest that Indonesian production of rice and other agricultural products had increased significantly in the last ten years, with the estimated value at US$27.08 billion. (bbn)Share this article Whatsapp

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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Mon, March 12, 2018 18:33 1288 2c798a31c212039f000dc5df9c97c3e0 1 Business Family-Hope-Program,social-aid,social-assistance-funds,social-affairs-ministry,Idrus-Marham Free

Social Affairs Minister Idrus Marham said his ministry had almost completed the first stage of the distribution of the government-funded social assistance Family Hope Program (PKH) for this year.

In the beginning of February, the Social Affairs Ministry, together with the House of Representatives' Commission VIII [which oversees social affairs], visited several regions, and it can be confirmed that the distribution of the social aid has gone smoothly, Idrus said in a press conference on Monday.

Families who are part of the PKH each receive Rp 1.89 million (US$137.40) worth in assistance annually, which is distributed in four phases: Rp 500,000 each in February, May and August, and Rp 390,000 in November.

The aid is transferred to the families bank accounts by members of the Association of State-Owned Banks (Himbara), which includes Bank Rakyat Indonesia (BRI), Bank Mandiri, Bank Negara Indonesia (BNI) and Bank Tabungan Negara (BTN).

For the first phase of the PKH, we have distributed the aid to 98.25 percent out of 9.5 million aid-receiving households, state lender BNIs managing director of institutional relations and transactional banking, Adi Sulistyowati said.

The remaining 2 percent consists of households that have not yet disbursed the aid, have moved to other areas or have passed away, she said.

Adi further said as of March 11, about 80.26 percent of the households who received the aid had withdrawn it from their accounts.

President Joko Jokowi Widodo said on Thursday that he wanted to increase the reach of the PKH to 15 million households in 2019, but Idrus said the programs expansion was still under discussion.

We will only discuss the draft budget [for 2019] in April or May; we will see then what the projection is, he said. (kmt/ebf)Share this article Whatsapp

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Linkedin Lamat R. Hasan (ANN Desk) New Delhi  Mon, March 12, 2018 14:00 1288 2c798a31c212039f000dc5df9c96eb6c 2 World #India,#SupremeCourt,#verdict,#courtruling,#court-ruling,#euthanasia Free

India's top court on March 9 delivered a landmark judgment permitting passive euthanasia to terminally ill patients on life support.

The Supreme Court also allowed people to draw up what it termed living wills on how they would like to be treated if critically sick. The judges ruled that the right to die was a fundamental right under Article 21 of the Indian Constitution and that it would approve advance living wills.

The 538-page ruling allows adult patients in their consciousness, or families of patients suffering from a terminal illness and in a vegetative state, to withdraw life support and hasten the end.

The bench comprising Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra and Justice A M Khanwilkar said, The purpose and object of advance medical directive is to express the choice of a person regarding medical treatment in an event when he loses the capacity to take a decision. The right to execute an advance medical directive is nothing but a step towards protection of aforesaid right by an individual.

However, the court disallowed active euthanasia or administration of a lethal drug to cut short life. No one is permitted to cause death of another person including a physician by administering any lethal drug even if the objective is to relieve the patient from pain and suffering, it ruled.

A Mumbai-based couple, who had approached the President of India seeking permission for active euthanasia, are not satisfied with the Supreme Court judgement.

The Indian Express reported that Narayan, 88, and Iravati, 78, both leading a healthy life have wished for assisted suicide. They are driven by the satisfaction of having lived a happy life and they fear losing the other.

Were not fully satisfied with the Supreme Courts judgment. People above the age of 75 should be given this right. They can verify the details of these people from the police and doctors. The government should come up with a policy, the couple told ANI.

The ruling draws from the Aruna Ramchandra Shanbaug vs Union Of India & Ors (March 7, 2011) case. Shanbaug, a nurse, had been sexually assaulted in a Mumbai hospital in 1973 and had slipped into a permanent vegetative state. The brain-damaged and paralysed Shanbaug remained in that state for 42 years. Her death sparked a national debate over euthanasia.

The 2011 judgement had put the onus on doctors to petition to withdraw life support, under the supervision of the courts. Earlier, all forms of euthanasia were illegal in India.

There have been a number of requests for active euthanasia by Indians  all rejected by courts and authorities.

In 2008, Jeet Narayan, a resident of the north Indian state of Uttar Pradesh had written to the then Indian President Pratibha Patil seeking permission to end the lives of his four bed-ridden, paralysed children. The president had rejected the plea. In 2013, Dennis Kumar, a porter from Tamil Nadu, sought permission from authorities to end the life of his infant son, who had been suffering from a congenital disorder. The plea was rejected by a court, the BBC reported.Share this article Whatsapp

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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Mon, March 12, 2018 16:51 1288 2c798a31c212039f000dc5df9c976178 1 City Jakarta-police,hoax,task-force,fake-news Free

The Jakarta Police has formed a special task force to scour the internet in the war against fake news and hoaxes.

Chief Insp. Gen. Idham Azis said on Monday that the hoax-busting team was formed under the special crimes investigation directorate (Ditreskrimsus) to handle the spread of hoaxes in the police area of authority.

The Jakarta Police will eradicate fake news and will charge those who spread it, added Idham, as quoted by kompas.com, during the anti-hoax movement declaration event that was observed across the city by all precincts.

The country has recently seen a spate of fake news, ranging from the religious-tinged issues to allegations of communism. The most recent arrests were members of the Muslim Cyber Army (MCA) by the National Police, with one of those arrested being a contract lecturer at the Islamic University of Indonesia (UII) in Yogyakarta. (jlm)Share this article Whatsapp

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Linkedin Arya Dipa (The Jakarta Post) Bandung, West Java  Mon, March 12, 2018 19:01 1288 2c798a31c212039f000dc5df9c97cfb7 1 Business one-million-housing-program,developer,Performance Free

The Public Works and Housing Ministry said it would blacklist underperforming developers tasked with the development of subsidized houses -- a program launched by the government for low-income families.

The ministrys financial planning director general, Eko D. Poerwanto, said in Bandung on Monday that members of the ministrys team have been deployed to check a number of housing projects.

They found that many houses were constructed under the standards set out by the ministry, he added.

The ministry has stated that a subsidized house should be built on a 60-square meter plot of land with the floor measuring 28.8 sq m.

The house must have two bedrooms measuring 3 sq m by 3 sq m and 2.5 sq m by 3 sq m, respectively, and a 1.5 sq m by 1.2 sq m bathroom.

It is regrettable that they did not perform well because the project is to help low-income households to own houses, Eko said, adding that the government provided the subsidy to ensure that the houses were of a good quality.

He explained that as of December, 2017, the government had constructed 755,125 houses out of the earmarked 1 million houses.

Eko explained that this year, the government targeted to subsidize 267,000 houses with a total allocation of RP 6.09 trillion (US$442.74 million).

He said his office would collect data about the developers that have been involved in the housing subsidized projects. (bbn)Share this article Whatsapp

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Linkedin Jon Afrizal (The Jakarta Post) Jambi  Mon, March 12, 2018 17:00 1288 2c798a31c212039f000dc5df9c976b5f 1 National marijuana,Sarolangun,Sarolangun-Police,Jambi,narcotics Free

The Sarolangun Police arrested two people and confiscated 10 kilograms of marijuana during a drug raid on Sunday.

Sarolangun Police chief Adj. Sr. Comr. Dadan Wira Laksana said the two suspects, identified by their initials, HM bin F and S bin K, were arrested in separate locations at around 2 p.m. on Sunday.

HM bin F was apprehended in Ladang Panjang village in Sarolangun district, while S bin K was arrested in Pulau Lintang village in Bathin VIII district.

Their arrests began from information received from Indonesian Military personnel by members of a law enforcement operation team, codenamed Operation Antik, at the Sarolangun Police. Operation Antik personnel, led by members of the polices narcotics division, and supported by Pauh village supervisory non-commissioned officers [Babinsa], later investigated the information, which led to the arrest of HM bin F, said Dadan on Monday.

The suspect was carrying a sack when the police apprehended him. Witnessed by local residents, the police opened the sack and found four large packages of dried marijuana leaves, seeds and stems.

The officers expanded their investigation by searching the residence of S bin K. In the house, they found one big bag containing six more large packages, which contained more contraband.

The officers took the two suspects and all evidence to the Sarolangun Police for further investigation, said Dadan. The evidence included 10 packages of marijuana, which weighed 10 kg in total. The two perpetrators are charged under articles 114 and 111 of Law No. 35/2009 on narcotics. (ebf)Share this article Whatsapp

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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Mon, March 12, 2018 19:04 1288 2c798a31c212039f000dc5df9c97da11 1 City cctv,crime,South-Jakarta Free

A lack of closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras across the city is hampering police investigations of criminal cases, but a request to install more cameras has been rejected, the police have said.

South Jakarta Police chief Sr. Comr. Mardiaz Kusin Dwihananto said the police faced difficulties in identifying suspects in crimes committed at places without the CCTV coverage, kompas.com reported on Monday.

Mardiaz said the National Police had asked the Jakarta administration to install more CCTV cameras on the streets across the citys municipalities including in South Jakarta, but [The city administration] officials said theyre prioritizing CCTV cameras procurement for other purposes.

The CCTV cameras that have been installed were insufficient, Mardiaz added, as they are mostly located at major junctions. (vla)Share this article Whatsapp

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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Mon, March 12, 2018 17:13 1288 2c798a31c212039f000dc5df9c978a99 1 Business Pelindo-III,agreement,cooperation Free

State-owned port operator Pelindo III on Monday signed a memorandum of collaboration (MoC) with three companies to boost economic growth, including in remote areas of East Nusa Tenggara and South Kalimantan.

The three companies are PT Muria Sumba Manis, PT Sriboga Flour Mill and PT Indonesia Bulk Terminal.

In collaboration with PT Muria Sumba Manis, a Sumba-based sugar company, Pelindo III would provide the company with a port facility, a harbor service, a sugarcane plantation and help with the construction of a sugar factory in Waingapu, East Nusa Tenggara, said Pelindo III CEO Ari Askhara.

Were not only doing business here, we are also helping to boost economic growth in the southern part of Indonesia, Ari told the reporters during the MoC signing event at Pelindo IIIs office.

Pelindo would give the right-to-manage (RTM) over two plots of land -- of four hectares each -- to flour producer PT Sriboga Flour Mill to build a food grain terminal at the Tanjung Mas port in Semarang, Ari added.

The collaboration is under a build-operate transfer (BOT), in which Pelindo contributes 30 percent of the investment, while Sriboga covers the other 70 percent.

With PT Indonesia Bulk Terminal, Ari said, Pelindo III would establish a joint company to construct a harbor at the Mekar Putih Special Economic Zone in South Kalimantan. (dpk/bbn)Share this article Whatsapp

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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Mon, March 12, 2018 20:15 1288 2c798a31c212039f000dc5df9c9825a6 1 Politics Soeharto,New-Order,titiek-soeharto,reform-era,Supersemar Free

House of Representatives member Siti Hediati Herijadi, or Titiek Soeharto, the second daughter of late former president Soeharto, has said the reform movement, which began after the downfall of his father's leadership in 1998, has not been running successfully.

Speaking on the 51st anniversary of Supersemar on Sunday, Titik claimed Indonesia had not improved significantly even in 20 years after the New Order era ended.

Supersemar, an abbreviation of Surat Perintah 11 Maret (the Order of March the 11th), is a document signed by former president Soekarno in 1966, through which he gave authority to Soeharto to take necessary steps to recover social and political conditions after the failed pro-communist coup in1965.

The Soeharto era was more comfortable, right? It guaranteed its people a supply of food and employment, she said as quoted by Tempo.

Our countrys history has proven Soehartos good deeds and kindness throughout 32 years of his era. A lot of people are still missing and praying for him.

Experts perceived her statement as a clear sign of the revival of the Soeharto family clan in the countrys politics.

Centre for Strategic of International Studies (CSIS) political researcher J. Kristiadi said on Monday the statement from Parsindo Party secretary-general Ahmad Hadari, who endorsed Soehartos youngest son, Hutomo Mandala Putra, to be a candidate in the 2019 presidential election, gave another clear signal of the revival.

Such a situation occurred because democracy in Indonesia did not run as expected. Democratic institutions have failed to win the publics trust, Kristiadi said. (sha/ebf)Share this article Whatsapp

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Linkedin (Agence France-Presse) Beirut, Lebanon  Mon, March 12, 2018 19:15 1288 2c798a31c212039f000dc5df9c97f970 2 World Syria,war,humanitarian-crisis Free

Seven years of conflict in Syria have left more than 350,000 people dead, according to an updated overall death toll released Monday by the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

The Britain-based monitoring group, which relies on an extensive network of sources on the ground across Syria, said 353,935 people have been killed since March 15, 2011.

The conflict, which will enter its eighth year on Thursday, is taking a devastating toll on civilians, including in the ongoing regime assault on the rebel enclave of Eastern Ghouta, near Damascus.

According to the head of Observatory, 106,390 civilians have been killed in seven years.

Here is a breakdown of the deaths, according to the Observatory:

- 106,390 civilians, including 19,811 children and 12,513 women

- 63,820 regime soldiers

- 58,130 regime-allied and militia fighters (including 1,630 from Lebanon's Hezbollah and 7,686 from other foreign Shiite groups)

- 63,360 hardline Islamists and jihadists (including from the Islamic State group and a former Al-Qaeda affiliate)

- 62,039 fighters from other forces, including non-jihadist rebels, Kurdish forces and defected government soldiers

- 196 identity unknown but death documentedShare this article Whatsapp

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Linkedin Farida Susanty (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Mon, March 12, 2018 17:07 1288 2c798a31c212039f000dc5df9c977ef4 1 Business Train,Idul-Fitri,2018,seat-capacity Free

State-owned railway operator PT Kereta Api Indonesia (KAI) has said it will increase capacity in anticipation of a surge in passenger numbers during the Idul Fitri holiday.

The Idul Fitri holiday will span from June 5 to 26.

KAI will increase the number of seats by 3.5 percent to 236,210 seats daily, from the 228,158 seats available during last year's Idul Fitri holiday.

"We estimate the peak of the exodus season will be two days before Idul Fitri and the peak flow of the counter exodus will be on June 17," KAI operational director Slamet Suseno said on Monday.

Idul Fitri will begin on the evening of June 14 and end on the evening of June 16.

The number of train journeys will also be increased by 4 percent to 393 trips per day from 379 trips last year.

Meanwhile, Slamet said the number of passengers is estimated to increase by 5 percent to 5.8 million passengers.

The railway operator began selling tickets for Idul Fitri trains on March 7. (bbn)Share this article Whatsapp

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Linkedin Severianus Endi (The Jakarta Post) Pontianak, West Kalimantan  Mon, March 12, 2018 15:34 1288 2c798a31c212039f000dc5df9c9714a5 1 National Vatican,Pontianak,West-Kalimantan,seminarians,Catholic,CatholicChurch,Catholicism,Piero-Pioppo Free

Vatican Ambassador to Indonesia Archbishop Piero Pioppo conveyed messages of peace during his pastoral visit to Pontianak, West Kalimantan, on Sunday.

After blessing the Mary, Queen of Peace Catholic Church and the statue of Antonino Ventimiglia, the patron saint of the Inter-Diocesan Seminary in Pontianak, Pioppo held a friendly dialogue with members of Catholic communities in the city.

In the seminary, dozens of fraters pursuing their further education at the Pastor Bonus School of Theology welcomed the apostolic nuncio by singing the prayer "Our Father" in Latin ("Paster Noster").

Speaking in front of the fraters, Pioppo said he was once a frater in a seminary, where he had to study and gain experience before he was declared suitable to be ordained as a pastor, with a main task as a shepherd of congregation.

Dont forget, I was a seminarian many years ago. And now, we all must bring messages of peace as passed on by Jesus Christ, said Pioppo.

Peace mission: Vatican Ambassador to Indonesia Archbishop Piero Pioppo (second left) and Pontianak Archbishop Agustinus Agus (second right) take a picture with seminarians at the Inter-Diocesan Seminary of Antonino Ventimiglia in Pontianak, West Kalimantan, on March 11. (JP/Severianus Endi)

Amidst the rain, Pioppo blessed the Antonino Ventimiglia statue, which is flanked by a couple of figures wearing Dayak tribe costumes to represent local symbols. Ventimiglia is a pastor from Italy. He arrived in Kalimantan to begin his missionary work, introducing Catholicism to the Dayak people, in 1688.

Antonino Ventimiglia Inter-Diocesan Seminary rector Edmund Nantes said the seminary was built 20 years ago as an education center for pastor candidates from areas across Kalimantan.

When it first operated, it educated only three seminarians and as of today, it has educated 246 fraters, 185 of whom have been ordained as pastors, said Edmund. (ebf)Share this article Whatsapp

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Linkedin Ganug Nugroho Adi (The Jakarta Post) Surakarta, Central Java  Mon, March 12, 2018 19:45 1288 2c798a31c212039f000dc5df9c980c93 1 National jusuf-kalla,kalla,UNS,vice-president,Vice-President-Jusuf-Kalla,Humanitarian-Award,Sebelas-Maret-University Free

Vice President Jusuf Kalla has received an award in the field of social sciences and humanities from Sebelas Maret University (UNS) in Surakarta, Central Java. The Parasamya Anugraha Dharma Krida Baraya award was bestowed on the leader in an open hearing of UNS academic senate to mark the 42nd anniversary of the university.

Accompanied by his wife, Mufidah Jusuf Kalla, the vice president arrived at the UNS campus on Monday at 9:45 a.m. Technology, Research and Higher Education Minister Muhammad Nasir, Communications and Information Minister Rudiantara and Public Works and Public Housing Minister Basuki Hadimuljono also attended the ceremony.

Kalla stated that he highly appreciated the award. Working in the field of social affairs and humanities was obligatory for all human beings, as they should continuously strive to achieve peace, he went on.

Kalla told the audience that he had just arrived from a work trip to Afghanistan, a country where people continued to live in conflict. The situation was similar in Syria, Yemen and other countries in the Middle East.

We should be grateful that Indonesia has so many differences, yet we can create unity and live in harmony. Its really incredible, said Kalla.

UNS rector Ravik Karsidi said Kalla deserved the Parasamya Anugraha Dharma Krida Baraya, the universitys highest award in the social sciences and humanities.

He said the award was UNS appreciation of Kallas leadership in creating peace and harmony among religious communities in Indonesia and his outstanding works with the Indonesian Red Cross. (ebf)Share this article Whatsapp

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Linkedin (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Tue, March 13 2018

The government expects to issue new regulations on fiscal incentives designed to attract investors to the country by the end of this month.

Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati said her ministry was revising a finance ministerial decree (PMK) on income tax deductions for companies.

We aim to stimulate investment in Indonesia because investors still face a number of obstacles when trying to realize their investments, she said after a meeting on the planned incentives on Monday.

The Office of the Coordinating Economic Affairs Ministry was also finalizing the list of industries to receive the tax facilities, Sri Mulyani added.

In line with that, the government will also amend a government regulation (PP) to simplify procedures to access the tax incentives.

Sri Mulyani further said that small and medium enterprises as well as companies investing i...Over the recent Spring Festival holiday, Chinese visitors went to 730 cities across 68 countries and regions.

Chinese travelers are making their presence felt around the globe. They were expected to pay 6.5 million visits abroad over the recent Spring Festival holiday, and their footprints could be found in 730 cities across 68 countries and regions worldwide, the China National Tourism Administration reports.

Last year, the Chinese paid more than 130 million visits outside the mainland, representing a year-on-year growth of 7 per cent, according to China Tourism Academy.

Southeast Asia has seen the most visits by Chinese travellers with Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia among the most popular destinations.

Thailand received 9.8 million visits by the Chinese in 2017, according to Thailands Ministry of Tourism and Sports. Visitor numbers reached 313,000 during Spring Festival, a rise of 24.4 per cent over the same period last year.

Meanwhile, an increasing number of Chinese are warming up to long-distance travel destinations.

France, Germany, Switzerland and Italy have all seen a sizeable influx of Chinese visitors, many of whom go sightseeing on the Danube and the Rhine.

Read also: Chinese tourists' favorite places in Indonesia

Countries that used to be considered not so popular, such as Luxembourg, Monaco and Andorra, are also gaining ground with sophisticated travellers.

At the same time, countries and regions involved in the Belt and Road Initiative are also drawing Chinese travellers.

The number of Chinese visitors to countries such as the United Arab Emirates and Cambodia grew by 16 per cent during the holiday, according to a report by China UnionPay.

Currently, nearly 129 million Chinese have passports, and the number is growing, says the Ministry of Public Security.

Chinese travellers have also become the top spenders over the years, and accounted for approximately one fifth of the total consumption by global outbound travellers, according to the United Nations World Tourism Organization.

Chinese travellers spent $261 billion abroad in 2016, $11 billion more than 2015.

US travellers ranked second, and their consumption was half the Chinese spending.

Chinese travellers spent $541.4 million during Spring Festival, up 34.3 per cent year-on-year.

But despite the top-spender tag, many Chinese now pay more attention to catering and recreational activities, says the China UnionPay report.

Chinese spending on recreation in Europe grew more than 20 per cent year-on-year during the Spring Festival holiday.

And the Chinese are developing an appetite for tours featuring health preservation and culture and art appreciation, while earlier, they used to predominantly opt for shopping for luxury goods and sightseeing, says Zhang Yuhong, an official with the China Travel Service.

Self-drive tourism abroad is also becoming a big hit with Chinese travellers, half of whom were born in the mid-1980s and '90s, as shown by bookings through Chinas biggest online travel agency Ctrip.

The Chinese travel boom has prompted the host destinations to come up with new facilities for their guests.

Read also: China to release do's and don'ts as more Chinese tourists visit Antarctica

For instance, Dubai has rolled out its China Ready programme, where Chinese-language services at local restaurants, hotels and scenic spots are readily available.

The city received 764,000 visitors from China last year, a jump of 41 per cent over the previous year, after it began offering free visas on arrival to Chinese citizens.

Separately, Indonesia has come up with a 10 Bali islands plan, which includes infrastructure development, from Sumatra in the west to Maluku in the east.

In addition, several Southeast Asian countries plan to spend more than $100 billion to build airports, railway lines, hotels and theme parks to beef up facilities for Chinese visitors, the Singapore-based Lianhe Zaobao reports.

Thailand will work with Japan to build a high-speed rail line connecting Bangkok and Chiang Mai, while Malaysia wants to build rail lines to boost tourism development along its east coast.

Japan now not only has Chinese tour and shopping guide services at its major scenic spots, but also provides the mobile phone-based Alipay option for its Chinese guests.

More than 40,000 shops in the country, including Lawson and Don Quijote, support the payment method favoured by Chinese travellers.

In Europe, Italy has put up Chinese signage at its major airports and train stations. The country has developed wedding and sport-themed travel attractions tailored to Chinese tastes.

Chinas outbound tourism has become a strong engine for the worlds tourism economy, and plays a positive role in improving the employment and economic potential of the destination countries, says Li Xinjian, head of the tourism management institute at the Beijing International Studies University.

Shi Peihua, an official with a China travel think tank, says that with Chinas reform and opening-up policy, Chinas outbound tourism will continue to grow.Traveling out of town by train may be a good choice for those seeking a midweek getaway in March and April, when state-owned railway company PT Kereta Api Indonesia (KAI) is issuing special rates.

As kompas.com reported, KAI's will apply the promotional rates on Tuesdays and Wednesdays in March and April under its "Weekday Holiday" program.

The special prices range from Rp 70,000 to Rp 220,000, depending on the destination, and will apply to all rail travel from the capital city to destinations such as Bandung, Cirebon, Cilacap, Tegal, Kutoarjo, Yogyakarta, Semarang and Blitar.

March travel dates that are eligible for the special ticket prices are13, 14, 20, 21 and 27. The applicable travel dates in April are 3, 4, 10, 11, 17, 18, 24 and 25.

Read also: New Bandung train cars boast enhanced facilities

KAI spokesperson Edy Kuswoyo said a statement that travelers would not need to queue at train station counters to obtain the promotional tickets, as all tickets were available for online purchase 90 days, or three months, prior to the planned date of travel.

"It is very simple, passengers can buy tickets through the KAI application, website or external channels, such as at nearby mini-markets," said Edy.

Passengers must ensure that their bookings accurately reflect the details on their identity cards, or the tickets would not be valid for travel. (liz/wen)Located in Ngrundul village, Kebonarum district in Klaten, Central Java, Umbul Geneng is a sandang (spring) where the Melasti (a Hindu ritual to cleanse the soul and nature) ceremony took place.

Performed on Sunday, March 11, by thousands of Hindus in Klaten, the Melasti ritual was held to mark the beginning of the ceremonies prior to Nyepi (Hindu Day of Silence) which will be commemorated on March 17.

Despite most devotees performing Melasti on the beach, Hindus in Klaten chose Umbul Geneng because they believe it is the place to get tirta (holy water) to purify themselves. It is also located a short distance from Tirta Buwana temple. Rituals at this place have been held since 2006, where previously they went to Ngobaran Beach in Gunungkidul, Yogyakarta.

Read also: Six hotels in Bali to enjoy Nyepi::

IGG Hendrata Wisnu, head of the Indonesian Hindu Religious Council Klaten, said Melasti is a ritual that cleanses the soul because water is the source of life and a tool to wash the dirt away, said Hendrata, adding that the ritual does not necessarily have to be performed at the beach.

The ritual began at 8 a.m. where Hindus walked for about two kilometers from Tirta Buwana temple to the spring. The parade was accompanied by gamelan Baleganjur. They brought offerings, including gunungan makanan (cone-shaped float of offerings), ingkung chicken, fruits and pratima (sacred effigies).

Upon arriving at the spring, after placing all of their offerings, the Hindus sat down and chanted a prayer. Some of the rituals performed at that time were Mendak Betara, Mecaru, Labuhan, as well as receiving holy water and praying together. In Labuhan, for instance, all of the offerings were floated out to the spring by the priests. After praying, all of the participants received splashes of holy water and bija (rice) as a symbol of prosperity. (wir/wen)Posted Sunday, March 11, 2018 11:00 pm

I am writing this letter in support of Undersheriff Rick Robbins. My wife and I have known Rick for many years, as she had him in kindergarten.

Rick served in the Gulf War with the Marine Corps, and he is still actively involved with many veterans organizations. Rick paid his own way to the Police Training Institute at the University of Illinois, showing his dedication to the profession. I personally witnessed Rick's positive and professional contributions when he was assigned to the South Central Illinois Drug Task Force.

I know Rick Robbins to be ethical, hard-working and professional. As the current undersheriff, I can't think of a more qualified person than Rick Robbins to be the next sheriff of Montgomery County.Kathmandu, March 12

Construction of a key 300km cross-border transmission line to join Kathmandu to India will begin in 2019, the US-funded Millenium Challange Corporation bankrolling the mega project says.

The corporation, which aims to start constructing the Lapsiphedi-Sunwal 400 KVA cross-border transmission line in 2019, is currently selecting consultatnts for preparing the DPR of the project, conducting the environmental impact assessment of the proposed transmission line and acquiring land for building infrastructure.

According to the MCCs office in Nepal, a total of Rs 1 billion has been allocated for the works. All three works shall be conducted by the same company. We will soon select a company to carry out the works, said Tulsi Sitaula, coordinator of the Office of the Millenium Challenge Corporation, Nepal. According to the office, companies based in the US, Canada and India have submitted proposals for the pre-project work.

The proposed tansmission line is to be divided into four sections: Lapsifedi-Galchhi, Galchhi-Damauli, Galchhi-Hetauda and Damauli-Sunwal. Substations are to be built in Galchhi, Damauli and Suwal, and a separate company will be hired for construction.

After the completion of the project, it will be easier for Nepal to export power to India.

The US Governments Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) approved a $500 million (approximately Rs52 billion) compact programme with Nepal. This was the MCCs first compact in South Asia. The money is being used to develop roads and transmission lines.Unfortunately, The Content Is Not Here

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Thank you for reading! On your next view you will be asked to log in to your subscriber account or create an account and subscribepurchase a subscription to continue reading.Job Title: Driver

Organisation: United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees

(UNHCR)

Position No.: 10028965

Vacancy Notice: 008/2018

Reports to: Administrative Assistant

Duty Station: Uganda

Post Grade: GL2

About UNHCR:

The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees was

established on December 14, 1950 by the United Nations General Assembly.

UNHCRs mandate under the Statute of the Office of the United Nations High

Commissioner for Refugees is to lead and co-ordinate action for international

protection to refugees; seek permanent solutions for the problems of refugees

and safeguard refugee rights and well-being. UNHCR has an additional mandate

concerning issues of statelessness, as it is given a designated role under

Article 11 of the 1961 Convention on the Reduction of Statelessness.

Job Summary: The Driver is mainly responsible for up keep

and maintenance of the assigned UNHCR vehicle(s) as per technical guidance and

specifications established by the organisation. The incumbent will be required

to follow strict instructions and security guidance provided by the supervisor.

While the basic function of a driver is to drive the official vehicles of

UNHCR, he/she may be called upon to perform minor maintenance and repair of

UNHCR vehicles. The incumbent has regular contacts with staff within UNHCR

office and with service providers outside UNHCR involving a limited exchange of

information The Driver is mainly responsible for up keepand maintenance of the assigned UNHCR vehicle(s) as per technical guidance andspecifications established by the organisation. The incumbent will be requiredto follow strict instructions and security guidance provided by the supervisor.While the basic function of a driver is to drive the official vehicles ofUNHCR, he/she may be called upon to perform minor maintenance and repair ofUNHCR vehicles. The incumbent has regular contacts with staff within UNHCRoffice and with service providers outside UNHCR involving a limited exchange ofinformation .

Key Duties and Responsibilities:

Drive UNHCR vehicles

for the transport of authorized passengers and delivery and collection of

mail, documents, UNHCR pouch and other items.

Meet official

personnel at the airport and facilitate immigration and customs

formalities as required.

Carry out the

day-to-day maintenance of the assigned vehicles; check oil, water,

battery, brakes, tyres, etc. and ensure that the assigned UNHCR vehicles

are road worthy and maintained up to the established security standards.

Conduct minor repairs

and arrange for other repairs and ensure that the vehicle is kept clean.



required by rules and regulations are taken in case of involvement in

accident Ensure that the stepsrequired by rules and regulations are taken in case of involvement inaccident .

Log official trips,

daily mileage, gas consumption, oil changes, greasing, etc.

Perform any other

related duties as required by the Administrative/Finance Associate

Key Performance Indicators:

Assigned UNHCR

vehicles are properly maintained and equipped as per technical guidance

and specifications established by the Organisation.

Local traffic rules

and regulations are strictly observed.

Instructions and

security guidance provided by the supervisor and security focal point are

strictly followed by the Driver and the passengers during the journey









Qualifications, Skills and Experience:

The ideal candidate

for the United Nations UNHCR Driver job vacancy should have completed

Primary Education or equivalent technical or commercial school.

At least two years of

previous job experience relevant to the function.

Driving licence,

knowledge of driving rules and regulations and skills in minor vehicle

repair.

Good knowledge of

English and local language i.e. Runyakitara

Good mechanical

skills are desired

Ability to work in

remote areas.

How to Apply:

All interested Ugandan nationals who wish to join the United Nations

High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in the aforementioned capacity are

encouraged to click on the link below and follow the application instructions

after reviewing the job details.

Deadline: 12th March 2018Organization: Tetra Tech

Project Name: USAID-funded

Uganda Sanitation for Health Activity

Duty Station: Kampala, Uganda

About US:

Tetra Tech is a leading provider of consulting, engineering, and

technical services worldwide. Our reputation rests on the technical expertise

and dedication of our employees16,000 people working together across

disciplines and time zones to provide smart, sustainable solutions for

challenging projects.

About USAID Project:

Tetra Tech International Services is implementing the USAID-funded

Uganda Sanitation for Health Activity in Kampala. The project will work to

increase household access to sanitation and water services, and improve health

through hygiene behavior change campaigns in homes, schools and health

facilities.









Qualifications, Skills and

Experience:

The applicant for the USAID Project Gender

& Youth Specialist job placement should hold a Bachelors degree in

social sciences or relevant field, Masters degree preferred

Five years of experience in an equivalent

position

Previous experience on gender integration

and capacity building among women & youth

Demonstrated experience

coordinating activities with NGOs and community-based organizations

Applicants with previous USAID experience

have an added advantage

Demonstrated ability to work in a

multi-cultural, multi-ethnic environment with sensitivity and respect for

diversity and gender are essential requirements

How to Apply:

All suitably qualified and interested candidates should send their

applications to: jobs@Uganda-sanitation.org

rd March

2018 by 5:00pm Deadline: 23March2018 by 5:00pmJob Title: Support Services Manager

Organisation: Danish Refugee Council (DRC)

Duty Station: Uganda

Reports to: Area Manager

About US:

The Danish Refugee Council (DRC) is a private, independent,

humanitarian organization working on all aspects of the refugee cause in more

than 36 countries throughout the world. The aim of DRC is to protect refugees

and internally displaced persons (IDPs) against persecution and to promote

durable solutions to the problems of forced migration, on the basis of

humanitarian principles and human rights. DRC works in accordance with the UN

Conventions on Refugees and the Code of Conduct for the ICRC and NGOs in

Disaster Relief.

Job Summary: The Support

Services Manager, West Nile Region will assist the Area Manager in the

management and direction of support functions in the West Nile region and in

accordance to DRC guidelines. He/she will be offer support to DRC West Nile sub

offices in providing technical guidance, management and oversight of finance,

administration, human resources and IT. The sub offices include Rhino Camp,

Koboko, Zombo, Nebbi and Yumbe. The position will also coordinate with West

Nile staff both admin and programs on support, training, guidelines and

standard operating procedures as set by Danish Refugee Council (DRC). The

position may require frequent travel to the West Nile sub offices as/when

required.



Key Duties and Responsibilities:

Finance and Grants Finance and Grants

Overall responsible for ensuring sound

financial management in West Nile region and its sub-offices.

Ensure the proper grants management in

West Nile Region

Ensure DRC finance regulations and

procedures are adhered to in all West Nile offices. Consequently,

consistently assess and identify gaps for further capacity building.

Implement, manage and develop internal

controls.

Responsible for ensuring accurate and

complete entries in the accounting system and presence of an accurate

filing system and as well as accurate and complete transaction

documentation.

To ensure timely completion by the finance

team of the assigned accounting tasks that are in accordance with the

outlined policies and procedures.

To assist in tracking the journal entries

by reviewing the source documentation and making relevant adjustments,

assisting in the preparation of audit requirements, supporting in the

preparation of statistical reports and to make sure that they are

standardized.

To provide support in budget preparation

and drafting of relevant documents, perform miscellaneous filing, ad hoc

reconciliation, etc.

Maintain and update the West Nile

operational budget (master budget).



To be present at various meetings, to

address the issues, provide appropriate guidelines for improvising the

businesses process, and to identify opportunities for improvement.

Involve and support for budget

developments with the programme staff.

Support sector leads to have the budget

projections before starting the implementation

Coordinate monthly budget review meetings

and document the action points.

Responsible for all financial reporting in

West Nile Region.

Procurement

Ensure DRC procurement guidelines are

adhered to in all West Nile offices.



Actively engage and support the program

teams in procurement planning to ensure timely delivery of project inputs

and activities.

Work in liaison with Country Office

Kampala, identify, negotiate and implement contract & framework

agreements which result in efficiencies in line with financial and

forecasting requirements.

Maintain accurate auditable records of all

procurement process which result in high process compliance.

Administer contract performance, including

delivery, receipt, warranty, damages and insurance.

Plan and engage with Project Managers to

understand contract specifications and with suppliers to develop a profile

of delivery capability which results in effective market engagement.

Conduct efficient and collaborative

procurements which are DRC and donor compliant (advice, tendering,

evaluation award & contract management) and which result in a high

value adding commercial outcome.

Build supplier, category and market

understanding through performance management, research and stakeholder

briefings which result in the management of commercial issues throughout

the procurement cycle.

Administration, IT and Human Resources

Coordinates recruitment process at field

level.

Ensures that all field staff have valid

contracts and informing Kampala HR Officer on any renewals to be made.

Provides guidance on policy issues at

field level in liaison with the Country HR and Admin Coordinator

Ensures that Monday morning minutes for

the region will be shared with the admin by Wednesday of every week.

Has the overall responsible for office

management. This refers to the coordination office in Arua and all the sub

offices in the region.

Focal Person for Payroll at field level

ensuring that monthly payroll updates are sent to the Kampala HR Officer

by the 15th of every month

Responsible for staff personnel files. The

Admin and Finance Manager is to ensure that all personnel files for all

the West Nile will be kept updated following the prescribed checklist.

Raise staff complaints to the coordination

office in Kampala

Coordinates Medical and Workmans

insurance for field staff in liaison with Kampala HR

Responsible for all the Field office

timesheets and sends to Kampala HR by 5th of the following Month

Coordinates performance appraisal process

ensuring that all staff are appraised at the end of probation and at the

end of year.

Coordinates orientation process for all

new staff at field level.

Coordinates leave tracking and ensures

that the tracker is sent to the Kampala HR Officer at the end of every

month.

Coordinates the exit and clearance process

ensuring that all exiting staff have handed over DRC property and the exit

forms sent to Kampala HR.

Responsible for ensuring that airtime for

field staff is loaded monthly and timely. This is done in liaison with the

Kampala Admin Officer.

Responsible for all premises leases at

field level and coordinates with the Admin officer in Kampala to ensure

that we always have valid leases and that payments to the lessors are done

in a timely manner.

Ensure service contracts are respected and

paid for according to agreed terms of payments.

Support the implementation of DRC Uganda

IT strategies in West Nile region.

Support the Admin Assistant in the Guest

House management.

Ensure adherence to DRC procurement and

logistics guidelines.

Coordination

Ensure West Nile offices are compliant to

DRC operational handbook.

Provides guidance on policy issues at

field level in liaison with the Country Office.

Provide overall oversight of the support

departments by analyzing and ensuring they are working together to deliver

services on timely manner.

Responsible for the rolling out of

existing and new support and operational tools, policies and ensures

consistent application of the same in the West Nile Region.

Responsible for information management

& sharing in West Nile region especially when it relates to finance,

administration, human resources, IT and procurement.

Ensure coherent reporting is adhered to by

all support departments this relates to monthly cashbook reporting,

departmental area performance indicators (API) reporting due to the

country office by 5th of every month and any other ad hoc report requested

from time to time.

Build capacity and provide technical

supervision of support functions in West Nile.

Perform any other duties as may be

assigned from time to time.









Qualifications, Skills and Experience:

The ideal candidate for the Danish Refugee

Council (DRC) Support Services Manager job placement should hold a Masters

degree in Financial Management or Business Accounting.

Three to five years experience in

management of budgets exceeding 1m USD;



Three to five years International NGO

experience managing staff, and budgets funded by donors such as EC-ECHO,

USAID, UNHCR, UNICEF, DANIDA, DFID;



Previous experience with Non-Governmental

Organization in similar/related position is a must.

Previous working experience complex

environment or refugee response is an asset;

Excellent command of English

language.

Good interpersonal, communication skills

with proven experience in liaising with local authorities;

Ability to work under pressure and with

tight deadlines;

A team player and the ability to work with

limited supervision;

Flexible, pro-active, and with the ability

on follow through on tasks;

How to Apply:

All suitably qualified and interested candidates who wish to join Danish

Refugee Council (DRC) are encouraged to apply online at the link below.

Deadline: 19th March 2018The Jewish choir from the Whitefield Shul choir in Manchester, UK was on a Jet2 flight to Geneva, Switzerland and accepted an offer to perform!

Led by Chazan Yossi Muller, the choir was enroute to Saint Louis, France, to perform in concert along with a reception to raise funds in aid of their local community and their Shul which requires a major renovation.

Saint Louis is located close to the borders of Basel, Switzerland and Weil am Rhein, Germany, all in walking distance.

Home to one of the largest Jewish communities in Alsace at the dawn of the Second World War, the synagogue of St. Louis today requires major restoration work.

In the twentieth century, Jews frequented the Huningue synagogue. A community was however organized in St. Louis in 1906. The following year the synagogue was built and the rabbinical headquarters transferred from Hegenheim to St. Louis.

At the dawn of the second world war, the Jewish Community of Saint-Louis had become one of the most important Jewish communities in Alsace.

Designed in July 1904 by Alexandre Louvat, architect of Mulhouse, the synagogue of Saint-Louis was built in 1907 in a neo-Byzantine style, and enlarged in the 1930s following the influx of German Jewish refugees.

Made of sandstone and brick, it is the exact replica of that of Soultz-sous-Forets, only differentiate the central oculus missing, the design of the Lombard bands and the materials used.

(YWN World Headquarters  NYC)The chief executive of Barclays will be handed up to 4million of shares over the next seven years as part of a bonus bonanza unveiled by the bank.

Yacht-loving Jes Staley will get a pay-out to top up his basic salary, and another to reward him if he hits long-term targets.

The 61-year-old also picked up 500,000 of shares this month in bonus payments from 2017 and as part of his salary for this year. He will be paid a total of 3.9million for last years work.

Under fire: The chief executive of Barclays Jes Staley with his wife Debora

The bank is bracing itself for the results of an investigation by the City watchdog which could in the worst case see Staley lose his job.

He took charge of Barclays two years ago after Antony Jenkins was sacked for taking too long to turn around the lender.

American banker Staley was previously a senior figure at JP Morgan and thought of as a candidate to succeed Jamie Dimon as boss of the US investment bank.

But like many once earmarked for the role, he moved on as it became clear Dimon was not budging, Staley first headed for a hedge fund before joining Barclays two years later.

He has since focused on building up Barclays investment bank and sold its African operations to focus on the US and UK.

The father of two  a keen sailor who owns a hand-built 90ft yacht, Bequia, named after the Caribbean island where he spent his honeymoon with interior designer wife Debora  has presided over a cull of more than 53,000 staff in a battle to get costs under control.

He has previously stressed his determination to improve diversity at the bank.

Staley owns a hand-built 90ft yacht, Bequia, named after the Caribbean island where he spent his honeymoon with interior designer wife Debora

The topic is close to his heart because of his brother Peter, a prominent gay rights activist who has spoken about his struggle with HIV and former addiction to crystal meth.

But the battle for equality suffered a setback last month when Barclays revealed its high-earning international division pays women half as much as men on average, as most senior bankers are male.

He has also been forced to grapple with fraud charges against the bank over a controversial 2008 fundraising in Qatar that kept Barclays in private hands after the financial crisis. The bank denies wrongdoing.

Staley is also awaiting results from a Financial Conduct Authority probe after he wrongly tried to uncover the identity of a whistleblower behind a letter attacking a staff member who had previously worked with Staley at JP Morgan.

The debacle is likely to cost Staley much of his 2016 bonus and could even see the FCA force him to quit.

Barclays yesterday revealed its top nine staff will get up to 14million in shares over the next seven years, and were given 22.2million of stock this month in salary payments and bonus schemes.

Its one female executive committee member, interim compliance head Laura Padovani, got substantially less than her colleagues at 212,000.

But sources said this is because she has only been in the job since November, not because her contract is less generous than her male colleagues.Farfetch has scored a deal with Harvey Nichols as rumours swirl it is preparing for a 3.6billion listing in the US.

The London-based online fashion firm, which sells more than 880 luxury brands through its website and is backed by Net-A-Porter founder Natalie Massenet, is said to be gearing up for an IPO in the US this year.

According to the FT, Farfetch has lined up bankers from JP Morgan and Goldman Sachs to lead the float

Farfetch was founded in 2008 by Portuguese entrepreneur Jose Neves and is co-chaired by Net-A-Porter founder Natalie Massenet (pictured)

Though Farfetch is worth around 720million it is understood to be seeking to list at a value similar to rival Yoox Net-a-Porter, which is worth 3.6billion.

Farfetch was founded in 2008 by Portuguese entrepreneur Jose Neves and is co-chaired by Massenet.

Net-a-Porter merged with Italian firm Yoox in 2015 and is the worlds largest online luxury retailer. Massenet surprisingly left on the eve of the merger.

The daughter of a publicist and model, she was a fashion journalist, working at Tatler, before founding her own firm.

The 52-year-old mother of three was made a Dame in 2016 and is on the British Fashion Council, the industry body.

Harvey Nichols, the luxury department store, will start selling its goods through Farfetch later this year.

It has eight stores in the UK and Ireland with seven in Hong Kong, Turkey, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and the UAE.MBABANE  A huge relief is on the cards for Mobeni tenants. Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Mduduzi Dlamini has disclosed that the Swaziland National Housing Board (SNHB) has requested a rent subsidy from government every year to redress the disparity between the controlled rental imposed by government and the market related capital and operational expenses that the Board is exposed to in running the business.



He said the 1 034 SNHB units were, in effect, social housing and should therefore have been subsidised from the very outset, such that government, as the shareholder, funds the gap between the prescribed or controlled rental rates and the market rates to enable the organisation to run as a sustainable entity.

The request for a subsidy therefore seeks to correct this anomaly.



We will continue to engage government on the issue of a rental subsidy so as to offer an affordable product to our Swazi tenants, said Dlamini.

When asked how the subsidy, if approved, could help towards a reduction of the rental fees, Dlamini explained that a subsidy, in social housing, was derived by way of a Means Test which determines the income levels of intended beneficiaries.



He said the rental is then set at a level that does not exceed 30 per cent of the gross salary of the target population (for example, if the gross salary for the target beneficiary is E6 000 per month and the rent for a unit in the private market is E4 500 per month, then the SNHB rental would be set by government at no more than E2 000).



Government would then pay SNHB a subsidy of E2 500 for this beneficiary to make up the shortfall between the regulated SNHB rental of E2 000 and the market rental of E4 500 per month. The subsidy enables the SNHB to cover market-driven costs such as security, salaries, insurance and maintenance materials among others.



Dlamini said SNHB units were intended to offer conveniently located accommodation for low to middle income earning Swazi citizens.

For this reason, he said their rental rates had traditionally been set well below market levels for similar units, and rent increases are controlled by Government through the Cabinet Sub-Committee on Public Enterprises (SCOPE).

The CEO said there had been prior years where SNHB had been compelled to not escalate the rentals or to increase them only by major which is the rate that is prescribed by Government.MATSAPHA  Fresh, smart and ready for the responsibilities that come with being a king and queen. The Kwaluseni Freshers Ball held last Friday night saw Bongiwe Vilakati and Mbulelo Dlamini having no contenders as from the start of the competitions as, all eyes were on them.



The 19-year-olds were crowned Kwaluseni Freshers Queen and King. The pageant was held at the fully packed Kwalusenis Multi Purpose Hall (MPH). Vilakati and Dlamini won the hearts of the judges who spent time while trying to come up with the winners.



The judges who were able to please the revellers with their choice were Ncamiso Gama, Snowy Simelane and Sandile Mkhulisi. The competition seemed to be tight as all the students who participated were confident and came with one intention, to win. However, for Vilakati, it was easy as fans were cheering her on from the beginning of the contest.

Mr Freshers saw 10 male students competing for the title while 15 competed for the Miss Freshers title.



The pageant started at around 10 pm and lasted for three hours with the contestants trying all they could to convince the judges to choose them. Throughout the contest, the audience was keen to see if the judges would make the right choice with Vilakati becoming their first choice when it came to the females.



As the contestants walked on the ramp the audience would make their own choice while leaving the final judgment to be done by the judges.

The contestants first walked on the ramp in groups in their casual wear and later coming in one by one in their formal wear.



As they walked on the stage, the judges would score points for each and everyone so they could be in a position of coming up with the winner. The contestants were not asked any questions as they only paraded on the ramp in couples and individually while in their formal wear.



Even if the judges had their own choice, it would have not been easy for those who attended the contest to accept the results as through her confidence, Vilakati was clear that she wanted to take the crown.

When it was time for the judges to announce the winners, they prepared to only announce the top five instead of the top three. The winners were picked from the top five.



Just before the winners were announced, some of the students who were watching tried to make their own choice but it did not go according to that of the judges.

After Sibandze and Malinga had been announced as the nights winners, the audience were happy with the judges choice. They said the pageant was opened to anyone as all the contestants were good and were confident.HLANE  What started just as a dream for Her Majesty the Indlovukazi some years ago has quickly transformed into a global phenomenon.



Thats the story of Swazi Secrets, a women empowerment enterprise which produces several products from marula nut, which is sourced from the native marula plant.

The company, which is based at Mpaka near Siteki town, has tapped into online shopping so that its products can also be procured through online shopping platforms.



This will definitely boost the companys market share, its brand and further open doors to new markets because of the massive exposure it will get from internet shopping.

The company management has explained that it decided to sell its products online because of the growing demand worldwide, especially in the USA and European markets.



Businessman Ian Madonsela, who recently invested into the Swazi Secrets initiative, has revealed that all the products of the company would soon be available on some of the leading online shopping sites in the next couple of weeks.

He spoke to this reporter on the side-lines of the marula (buganu) ceremony, held at Hlane Royal residence over the weekend, where Swazi Secrets was exhibiting its products.

The most important thing now is that we will use the internet platform, which is the e-commerce platform because most retail shops are struggling, because of the internet. This will be launched in the next coming weeks on the internet worldwide, he stated.



He added that the demand for Swazi Secrets products had increased, especially in countries like Russia and in the cold regions of the world.

They like it (marula oil) in the cold places because it helps them during heatwaves. The marula oil has vitamin E and that is why it is called the miracle oil, added Madonsela.

He said they were currently negotiating with some of the leading suppliers who specialise in online shopping but he did not divulge the companies.



They want the product into their warehouses so that they can supply it. This is going to be big, he stated.

He further added that although they had ventured into online shopping, all their products would still be available in retail shops and pharmacies in the country and in neighbouring ones.



He said while the company ventured into new heights, the women at the centre of the whole project would also benefit. He confidently stated that there would be impressive financial returns for the women who supply the marula nut.

Previously, the women would crack the nuts and supply us until July but they are now supplying for the whole year, said Madonsela.

According to its website, Swazi secrets is a social enterprise dedicated to the eradication of poverty and economic empowerment of women.MANZINI  Could the countrys road accidents be caused by motorists who bypass traffic laws and never bother to learn road signs?



After the police received information about such illicit dealings conducted by driving school owners, they launched an undercover operation.

During the operation, they managed to arrest over 10 driving school ownersers, including instructors who were found in possession of counterfeited learners licences.



Manzini Traffic In-Charge, Assistant Superintendent Siboniso Shongwe and his team, engaged in the operation on Friday last week, and stopped most driving school owners and instructors while conducting driving lessons to clients.

Most of the owners were found in possession of forged learners licences, which upon investigations and inspections, were confirmed to be fraudulent.



The date stamps were allegedly found to be forged together with signatures of senior police officers who head local traffic departments.

Such signatures are found at the back of the two passport sized photos, which accompany the learners form acquired at the revenue offices. The competence numbers at the back of the learners form were also found to be none existent by the police.



When the vehicles were stopped during road-side checks, mostly near the post office, magistrates court and Coates Valley, they had the forged learners licences inside the vehicles.

The procedure of acquiring learners licences requires aspiring drivers to get forms from the revenue offices and the two passport sized photos.



An amount of not more that E30 is paid by the person, who is then ordered to report to the police station to be tested on road signs for the learners licence.

However, in this case, owners of driving schools and instructors bypass the process, stamp and then sign the licences, which then qualify the aspiring drivers to drive in the countrys public roads.

This is without learning any of the stipulated road signs. The road signs come in four categories, which is the warning signs, regulatory, information and also the road markings.



According to Assistant Superintendent Shongwe, more arrests are to be expected as there were suspicions that the practice had been going on for quite some time now. We received a tip off about the illegal activities conducted by the accused persons and investigations were instituted, Shongwe briefly said on Saturday.

It was further gathered that the accused persons have been involved in the issuance of such fraudulent learners licences at a cost.



Instead of the E30 paid at the revenue offices, the driving school owners charged each learner driver from E500 to E800 for each of the licences.

Sources within the Royal Swaziland Police (RSP) said it was suspected that with a number of learners failing road sign tests, the number of people who had to go through the road signs at the police station accumulated and made it difficult for driving school owners to make enough money.



Therefore, by-passing the process, they speed things up and allow more people to register for driving lessons. In that way, they make more money within a short period of time, the source who refused to be named alleged.

The arrests took place over the past two days.



On Saturday, about nine accused persons, mostly driving school owners appeared in court before Magistrate Sebenzile Ndlela, while yesterday one owner made a court appearance before Magistrate Nelisiwe Hlophe.

In statements submitted in court, one of the learner drivers, Silindile Ntjalintjali, revealed that she went to one of the driving school, Power Driving School and after paying an amount of E2 000 for driving lessons, was informed that she would have to pay an extra amount of E500 for a learners licence, which she did.



She said after collecting the learners application form from the Revenue offices, she handed same to her instructor, who was in the company of an unknown man.

She added that upon making the payment, she was given her learners licence, without even visiting the police station to get tested for the different categories of road signs.



After a while, while going about my driving lessons, we met up with the police during a roadside check, who stopped and searched the vehicle. They found some learners licences and took us to the police station, Dlamini stated in the statements.



The affected learner drivers, whose names were found in charge sheets presented in court included teachers, nurses and mostly students from local higher learning institutions. However, they were not charged or arrested.[March 12, 2018] Crypto & Blockchain Companies Join Forces To Create New Global Trade Group Dedicated To Promote Growth And Development Of Blockchain Technology

SAN FRANCISCO, and CHEYENNE, Wyo., March 12, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Several leading companies in the crypto/blockchain ecosystem have come together to establish the Digital Asset Trade Association (DATA), a global, non-profit organization focused on lobbying behalf of the industry within all levels of governments, corporations, and communities. The news was officially announced at the San Francisco book launch of "The Truth Machine: The Blockchain and the Future of Everything," written by Michael J. Casey, senior advisor at MIT Media Lab's Digital Currency Initiative and chairman of CoinDesk's advisory board, and Paul Vigna, a reporter at The Wall Street Journal. The impetus to form DATA is the need for a single trusted voice and continued crypto/blockchain industry support as more states, regions, and nations create legislation such as the five crypto legislative proposals out of Wyomingincluding HB 70, a bill that classifies utility tokens as a separate asset class. All five proposals have passed the state legislature and are now headed to Wyoming Governor Mead for his signature in the coming days. DATA has incorporated in the forward-thinking state of Wyoming in part due to this landmark event in the crypto/blockchain space. The steering committee of this new trade group includes: Brent Cohen , Director of Marketing Communications, WAX/OPSkins

, Director of Marketing Communications, WAX/OPSkins Alanna Gombert , Chif Revenue Officer, MetaX

, Chif Revenue Officer, MetaX Brittany Kaiser , Co-Founder, Bueno Capital and CryptoHQ

, Co-Founder, and CryptoHQ Alex Lightman , CEO, TokenCommunities Plc.

, CEO, TokenCommunities Plc. Jill Richmond , Senior Vice President, Sparkchain

, Senior Vice President, Sparkchain Blain Rethmeier , Managing Director, Ditto PR

, Managing Director, Ditto PR John Wise , Founder and CEO, Loci



Europe in partnership with other local blockchain groups. Key industry leaders are already voicing support:

"Blockchain technology has the ability to create greater efficiencies and build new marketplacesand requires a trade group that can steer its evolution into broader use across the globe," said Marshall Hayner, Founder and CEO, Metal Payments. "DATA will play a critical part in the next phase of crypto and blockchain growth, bringing disparate parties together in order to drive meaningful discussions with lawmakers, hammering out legislation that allows for the advancement of the technology in various sectors." "DATA brings together the right team of credible benevolent experts in the right place at the right time, as visionary political leaders in places as diverse as Wyoming, Gibraltar, and Japan, seek policy thought leadership," said Alex Lightman, noted steering committee member, author, entrepreneur, futurist, and CEO of TokenCommunities, Plc. "The organization will address the needs of a booming complex market for digital assets that might become our next versions of money, commodities, and companies. DATA will be able to speak with one unified legitimate voice to, paradoxically, represent the vast diversity of the decentralization technology innovators." "Policy at the local and national level will have tremendous impact on the future of blockchain technology," said Ron Resnick, Executive Director, Enterprise Ethereum Alliance. "DATA and its steering committee will get ahead of the issues to ensure that legislation aligns with the industries needs to promote growth for all." To learn about DATA and get information on how to become founding member, please visit digitalasset.org . Media Contact:

Jill Richmond

jill.richmond@sparkpr.com Blain Rethmeier

Blain@dittopr.co View original content with multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/crypto--blockchain-companies-join-forces-to-create-new-global-trade-group-dedicated-to-promote-growth-and-development-of-blockchain-technology-300612145.html SOURCE Digital Asset Trade Association (DATA)

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ][March 12, 2018] iBio Patent Issues in China on Protein Glycosylation Modification

NEW YORK, March 12, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- IBIO, INC. (NYSE AMERICAN:IBIO) (iBio) announced the expansion of its intellectual property portfolio with the issuance of a patent in China describing control of protein glycosylation. The new patent, serial number ZL 201280037381.X, is entitled PNGASE F CO-EXPRESSION and was issued January 30, 2018. The patent includes claims covering a method for generating deglycosylated proteins of interest in plants by co-expressing a bacterial PNGase-F enzyme.

Glycosylation status is a very important factor affecting stability and efficacy of pharmaceutical proteins, said Dr. Terence Ryan, CSO of iBio. That is why we offer our CDMO clients modification of the glycosylation pattern of target proteins when desired during manufacturing. This new patent extends our exclusive control of the covered invention into the important Chinese market for biopharmaceuticals. In addition to many other advantages of iBios technology over traditional animal and bacterial cell methods, iBio offers its CDMO clients the opportunity to modify the natural glycosylation patterns of proteins for possible improvements in drug performance and competitive profile. These modifications may include changing glycan composition, or even complete elimination of glycans from the target protein, in order to alter essential biological functions such as immunogenicity, specific activity, or ligand-receptor interactions of the protein. iBio has previously demonstrated the capability of controlling and remodeling the glycan component of antibodies manufactured in plants, and this patent further expands its ability to deliver biotherapeutics that are exquisitely tailored for their intended therapeutic use.>



About iBio, Inc.

iBio, a leader in developing plant-based biopharmaceuticals, provides a range of product and process development, analytical, and manufacturing services at the large-scale development and manufacturing facility of its subsidiary iBio CDMO, LLC in Bryan, Texas. The facility houses laboratory and pilot-scale operations, as well as large-scale automated hydroponic systems capable of growing over four million plants as "in process inventory" and delivering over 300 kilograms of therapeutic protein pharmaceutical active ingredient per year. iBio applies its technology for the benefit of its clients and the advancement of its own product interests. The Companys pipeline is comprised of proprietary candidates for the treatment of a range of fibrotic diseases including idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, systemic sclerosis, and scleroderma. iBIO-CFB03, based on the Company's proprietary gene expression technology, is the Companys lead therapeutic candidate being advanced for IND development. Further information is available at: www.ibioinc.com Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward Looking Statements This release may contain "forward-looking statements" that are within the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements are identified by certain words or phrases such as "may", "will", "aim", "will likely result", "believe", "expect", "will continue", "anticipate", "estimate", "intend", "plan", "contemplate", "seek to", "future", "objective", "goal", "project", "should", "will pursue" and similar expressions or variations of such expressions. These forward-looking statements reflect the Company's current expectations about its future plans and performance. These forward-looking statements rely on a number of assumptions and estimates which could be inaccurate and which are subject to risks and uncertainties. Actual results could vary materially from those anticipated or expressed in any forward-looking statement made by the Company. Please refer to the preliminary prospectus supplement, the accompanying prospectus, and the Companys most recent Forms 10-Q and 10-K and subsequent filings with the SEC for a further discussion of these risks and uncertainties. The Company disclaims any obligation or intent to update the forward-looking statements in order to reflect events or circumstances after the date of this release. Contact: ICR, Inc.

Stephanie Carrington

Tel. +1 646-277-1282

stephanie.carrington@icrinc.com

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ][March 12, 2018] Lucky Mobile low-cost wireless service arrives in Manitoba and Saskatchewan

Prepaid plans starting at just $20 for unlimited local calling MONTREAL, March 12, 2018 /CNW Telbec/ - Bell today announced that Lucky Mobile, Canada's new low- cost prepaid wireless service, is now available to residents of Manitoba and Saskatchewan. Launched initially in Ontario, Alberta and British Columbia in December, Lucky Mobile puts budget-conscious Canadians in complete control of their mobile services with simple, no surprises prepaid plans starting at just $20 for unlimited local talk with no long-term commitment. Lucky Mobile is ideal for students, people on a fixed income or those without an established credit history who are looking for a straightforward way to access the calling, texting and data they need with no pay-per-use or surprise overage charges. Customers are always notified by text if they are about to use services not included in their prepaid monthly plan, and have the option of purchasing a $3 or $5 Service Pass valid for 30 days if they wish to continue using them. Service Passes are also an affordable and convenient way for Lucky Mobile customers to stay in touch with friends and family in more than 130 countries around the world. And with Lucky Mobile, all incoming international calls and texts are included in every plan. "Expanding the reach of Lucky Mobile to Manitoba and Saskatchewan provides even more Canadians with access to a great new low-cost wireless service option," said Blaik Kirby, President of Bell Mobility. "With no credit checks, no log term commitments and no surprises, Lucky is the always predictable and affordable way to access all the wireless services you need."



Lucky Mobile offers service in 19 zones covering most major cities across the country, now including Winnipeg, Regina and Saskatoon. Unlimited in-zone local calling is priced at only $20 per month. For Lucky customers looking to add texting and data, the $40 Zone plan includes unlimited Canada-wide calls, unlimited Canada-wide and international texts, and 1 GB of data at 3G speeds. And all Lucky Mobile plans include voicemail, unlimited nationwide and international incoming calls and texts, call display, call waiting and 3-way calling.

Customers can also choose from economical province-wide or Canada-wide plans if they are more likely to be using their phones out of zone. Unlimited province-wide calling with 100 Canadian and international texts is only $25 a month. For an additional $10, customers can opt for unlimited Canada-wide calling and unlimited Canada-wide and international texts. Lucky Mobile customers will receive even more value later this year with a new mobile app to let them talk and text over Wi-Fi outside of their monthly usage plan. Customers can activate a Lucky Mobile SIM card for just $10 on their own mobile device, or choose from several affordable handsets starting at only $60 from Alcatel, LG and ZTE. Lucky Mobile is available at Walmart, Wireless Wave, TBooth wireless, Wireless etc, Visions Electronics and select The Source locations or by calling 1-833-88-LUCKY. For more, please visit LuckyMobile.ca. About Bell

Bell is Canada's largest communications company, providing innovative broadband wireless, TV, Internet and business communication services to consumers and companies across the country. Bell Media is Canada's premier multimedia company with leading assets in television, radio, out of home and digital media. Founded in Montreal in 1880, Bell is wholly owned by BCE Inc. To learn more, please visit Bell.ca or BCE.ca. The Bell Let's Talk initiative promotes Canadian mental health with national awareness and anti-stigma campaigns like Bell Let's Talk Day and provides significant funding for community care and access, research and workplace initiatives. To learn more, please visit Bell.ca/LetsTalk. Media inquiries Jeremy Sawatzky

204-391-2849

jeremy.sawatzky@bellmts.ca

@Bell_News Investor inquiries Thane Fotopoulos

514-870-4619

thane.fotopoulos@bell.ca SOURCE Bell Canada

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ][March 12, 2018] VFS Global Acquires Middle Eastern FMC Partner Al Etimad

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates, March 12, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- VFS Global has agreed to take over 100% of the Middle Eastern Facility Management Company (FMC) Al Etimad from TasHeel Group as per a binding agreement signed between both parties. (Logo: http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/624234/VFS_Global_Logo.jpg ) Al Etimad operates as a FMC partner for VFS Global in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Bahrain, Libya and Tunisia. The company serves 25 diplomatic missions and operates more than 90 visa application centres across the five countries. Al Etimad is since 2009 active in the visa outsourcing market and employs around 650 professionals. Al Etimad owns the travel concierge services company Vega, which is part of the transaction. The Al Etimad visa operations in Pakistan are not included in the acquisition. To benefit from operational efficiencies and synergies with VFS Global, Al Etimad will be integrated in VFS Global's operations after completion of the transaction. This will enable further development of serices and solutions and improving the overall service to the missions served and the visa applicants in the five countries.



VFS Global is the pioneer and market leader of the outsourced visa services industry, serving 58 governments and with operations across 137 countries, as at 31 January 2018. VFS Global is part of the Swiss Kuoni Group, whose principal owner is EQT, a leading global investment firm, headquartered in Stockholm, Sweden. EQT is firmly committed to the growth and development of VFS Global, and this transaction will ensure that visa services will be further benefitted from VFS Global's innovative strength, its well diversified service portfolio, investments in technology and the acknowledged quality of its global offerings. Subject to customary approval from the competition and regulatory authorities, the transaction is expected to complete later in 2018.

Message from Zubin Karkaria, CEO VFS Global Group: "We are very pleased to take over complete ownership of Al Etimad and Vega. It will enable us to accelerate the further development of the business and improve overall performance through greater integration. I would like to thank the TasHeel Group for partnering us in successfully managing the visa services operations in these five countries." About VFS Global VFS Global is the world's largest outsourcing and technology services specialist for governments and diplomatic missions worldwide. With 2,530 Application Centres, operations in 137 countries across five continents and over 163 million applications processed as on 31 January 2018, VFS Global is the trusted partner of 58 client governments. VFS Global's worldwide operations are certified ISO 9001:2008 for Quality Management System, ISO 27001:2013 for Information Security Management System and ISO 14001:2004 for Environmental Management System. For more information, please visit http://www.vfsglobal.com . Media Contact:

Peter Brun

Chief Communications Officer

Peter B@vfsglobal.com

VFS Global



[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ][March 12, 2018] Virginia Cancer Specialists and The US Oncology Network Welcome Breast Surgeon Dr. Hernan Vargas

Virginia Cancer Specialists (VCS) announced that Hernan Vargas, MD, has joined the practice. VCS, a practice in The US Oncology Network, is a premier cancer care and research center in Northern Virginia with more than 40 years of service to patients. Dr. Vargas joins VCS with more than 20 years of experience in the care of women with breast cancer and benign conditions of the breast. Previously, he served as Associate Professor of Surgery at UCLA as well as the Director of the Breast Programs at Harbor-UCLA in Los Angeles and at Inova (News - Alert) Fair Oaks Hospital in Fairfax, Virginia. He has contributed to the development of new surgical techniques in breast cancer care, being the author of more than 100 scientific publications. Most importantly, Dr. Vargas' goal is to provide high-quality, patient-centered care within a multidisciplinary group of like-minded individuals. "Breast cancer patients meet us during one of the most vulnerable times in their lives," said Dr. Vargas. "For those of us who see this as a calling and not just a job, we have the privilege of helping patients, guiding them at this time when they need it most." In addition to his clinical work, Dr. Vargas has lectured nationally and internationally. He is the recipient of several awards for leadership and teaching excellence and has been recognized as a "Top Doctor" in breast surgery by Washingtonian Magazine, LA Magazine and Castle-Connolly's America's Top Doctors for Cancer. "We are proud to welcome Dr. Vargas to our exceptional breast care team," said Linda Anderson, executive director, VCS. "His expertise and patient-centered focus will be extraordinary additins to our new line of breast surgery services offered to patients as part of our 360-degree approach to patient care."



Dr. Vargas is a board-certified surgeon who attended the Alberto Hurtado School of Medicine in Lima, Peru. He completed his residency at UCLA Medical Center in Los Angeles as well as his fellowship at The National Cancer Institute of Health in Bethesda, Maryland. He is currently treating patients at the VCS Fair Oaks location. Call 703-208-9350 for an appointment. About Virginia Cancer Specialists

For more than 40 years, Virginia Cancer Specialists (VCS) has contributed to the campaign against cancer and diseases of the blood. VCS has nine locations throughout Northern Virginia staffed by highly-skilled physicians, each delivering exceptional care. The practice has built a world-class treatment team of cancer specialists, as well as acquiring the very latest treatment technology to help achieve the best outcomes for patients. VCS unites medical and radiation oncologists, breast and musculoskeletal surgeons, hematologists, palliative care physicians, oncology nurse navigators, oncology infusion nurses, radiation therapists, genetic counselors, oncology pharmacists and laboratory technicians. All working together, this team designs the optimal multidisciplinary treatment program, efficiently shares knowledge, executes the treatment plan, and provides a patient-centered, consumer-friendly approach to cancer care. Patients receive the full spectrum of high-quality care necessary to treat their disease from a care team united in their effort to provide each patient with the specific personalized care they need to battle cancer. The physicians at VCS have published more than 100 abstracts and papers over the last few years and have been invited to present at national meetings. To learn more about Virginia Cancer Specialists, please visit www.VirginiaCancerSpecialists.com. Virginia Cancer Specialists is an affiliate of The US Oncology Network (The Network). This collaboration unites VCS with more than 1,400 independent physicians dedicated to delivering value-based, integrated care for patients - close to home. Through The Network, these independent doctors come together to form a community of shared expertise and resources dedicated to advancing local cancer care and to delivering better patient outcomes. The US Oncology Network is supported by McKesson Specialty Health, whose coordinated resources and infrastructure allow doctors in The Network to focus on the health of their patients, while McKesson focuses on the health of their practices. VCS also participates in clinical trials through US Oncology Research, which has played a role in more than 70 FDA-approved cancer therapies, approximately one-third of all cancer therapies approved by the FDA to date. For more information, visit www.usoncology.com. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180312005128/en/

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ][March 12, 2018] Worldwide Spending on Mobile Solutions Forecast to Be More Than $1.6 Trillion in 2018, According to New IDC Spending Guide

Worldwide spending on mobility solutions is forecast to grow 3.2% year over year in 2018, reaching more than $1.6 trillion, according to a new Worldwide Semiannual Mobility Spending Guide from International Data Corporation (IDC). This growth is expected to continue through 2021 with spending on mobility-related hardware, software, and services surpassing $1.7 trillion as the market achieves a five-year compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 2.8%. "The new mobility use cases and technology adoption in enterprises is driving growth in all three facets of the market, from devices to software and services," said Phil Hochmuth, program director, Enterprise Mobility. "As device capabilities continue to evolve with augmented reality (AR) and artificial intelligence (AI), and with 5G networks on the near horizon, technology choices for mobile technology buyers will become increasingly complex and critical to business success." Mobility services will be the largest technology category throughout the 2016-2021 forecast period, accounting for nearly 60% of overall mobility spending and surpassing $1 trillion in 2021. The category is dominated by mobile connectivity services, which will deliver more than 90% of all mobility services spending. However, enterprise mobility services, which are focused on the planning, implementation, operation, and maintenance and support of mobile strategies, applications, and devices or the final consumption of services through a mobile device, will see notable spending growth with a five-year CAGR of 15.0%. Hardware will be the second largest technology category with spending forecast to reach nearly $675 billion in 2021. Smartphones will account for roughly 75% of all hardware spending throughout the forecast as consumers upgrade and refresh their mobile phones and enterprises equip their workforce with handheld devices that can run mobile apps and communicate in real time. While notebooks will see modest spending growth (1.5% CAGR) throughout the forecast, tablets are expected to experience a decline (-1.9% CAGR). Despite being the smallest technology category, software will see strong spending growth (14.7% CAGR) over the five-year forecast. Mobile enterprise applications will be the largest segment of mobile software spending, growing to $7.1 billion in 2021. Businesses will also increase their development efforts with mobile application development platforms experiencing a five-year CAGR of 19.5%. However, all four software segments, including mobile enterprise security and enterprise mobility management, ae forecast to deliver double-digit five-year CAGRs.



Consumers will provide more than 70% of total mobility spending throughout the forecast with most of this spending - more than $1 trillion per year - going toward mobile connectivity services and smartphones combined. Consumer spending is also forecast to slow considerably starting in 2019 when annual growth rates dip below 1%, contributing to a five-year CAGR of 1.6%. The industry that will see the largest spending on mobility solutions in 2018 (nearly $45 billion) is professional services, followed by banking ($43 billion), discrete manufacturing ($38 billion), and retail ($32 billion). In all four cases, a majority of the spending will go to mobile connectivity services and devices, primarily smartphones and notebook PCs. Enterprise mobility services will also be a significant spending category as these industries implement and execute their mobile strategies. The banking and discrete manufacturing industries will each invest more than $1 billion in mobile enterprise applications and mobile application development platforms (combined) in 2018. The professional services industry will experience the fastest spending growth over the forecast period (7.0% CAGR), followed by the telecommunications and utilities industries (each with a 6.9% CAGR).

"Organizations of all sizes and from all industries are enjoying the benefits of mobile solutions," said Jessica Goepfert, program vice president, Customer Insights & Analysis. "In industries further along the adoption curve, mobility projects incorporate other transformational elements such as IoT, cloud and big data to challenge - and change - the status quo. Even smaller scale mobility solutions are expanding from their initial single-function footprint to empower and enable workers across the enterprise. For instance, in transportation, airplane pilots may have been the initial target users of mobile devices and applications, whereas now we see mobile devices in the hands of customer service agents, baggage handlers, mechanics, and other transportation employees. So long as organizations strive to gain efficiencies and deliver a superior customer experience, we expect to see continued interest, adoption, spending, and growth of mobility solutions." The United States and China will each account for around 20% of all mobility spending throughout the forecast, making these the two largest geographic markets. Western Europe and Asia/Pacific (excluding China and Japan) will be the next largest regions in terms of overall mobility spending. The countries that will see the fastest growth in mobility spending over the five-year forecast period will be the Philippines (8/1% CAGR), India (7.4% CAGR), and Peru (7.1% CAGR). From a company size perspective, large and very large businesses (500-999 employees and 1000+ employees, respectively) combined will account for nearly $190 billion in mobility spending in 2018, growing to nearly $230 billion in 2021. The small business sector (10-99 employees) will grow to more than $100 billion in 2021 while medium size businesses (100-499 employees) will surpass $90 billion in 2021. The small office market (1-9 employees) will invest $78 billion in mobility solutions in 2021. IDC's (News - Alert) Worldwide Semiannual Mobility Spending Guide is designed to address the needs of technology organizations assessing the mobile opportunity by country, industry, and company size perspective. The spending guide provides subscribers with spending data on ten technology categories across 19 industries, five company size bands, and 53 countries. Unlike any other research in the industry, the comprehensive spending guide can help IT decision makers to clearly understand the industry-specific scope and direction of mobility spending today and over the next five years. About IDC Spending Guides

IDC's Spending Guides provide a granular view of key technology markets from a regional, vertical industry, use case, buyer, and technology perspective. The spending guides are delivered via pivot table format or custom query tool, allowing the user to easily extract meaningful information about each market by viewing data trends and relationships. About IDC

International Data Corporation (IDC) is the premier global provider of market intelligence, advisory services, and events for the information technology, telecommunications, and consumer technology markets. With more than 1,100 analysts worldwide, IDC offers global, regional, and local expertise on technology and industry opportunities and trends in over 110 countries. IDC's analysis and insight helps IT professionals, business executives, and the investment community to make fact-based technology decisions and to achieve their key business objectives. Founded in 1964, IDC is a wholly-owned subsidiary of International Data Group (IDG), the world's leading media, data and marketing services company that activates and engages the most influential technology buyers. To learn more about IDC, please visit www.idc.com. Follow IDC on Twitter (News - Alert) at @IDC and LinkedIn. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180312005184/en/

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ][March 12, 2018] Achain Proposes Solutions to Blockchain Scalability During Vietnam Blockchain Week

HO CHI MINH CITY, Vietnam, March 12, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Ho Chi Minh City drew thousands of blockchain enthusiasts in search of knowledge during Vietnam Blockchain Week, causing a major hotel room shortage. These enthusiasts came from various industries, including e-commerce, fintech, finance and, of course, blockchain. The two-day event (March 7 and 8) saw many subjects discussed and debated. The most heated of them all was scalability of the blockchain. Since the Crypto-Kitties' disruption of the Ethereum -creating network congestion and traffic for all users of the Ethereum blockchain, scalability of blockchain has been the critical issue for the mass popularization of the technology. Lighting network, sharding etc. are among the next initiatives lining up to increase capacity and throughput of the blockchain. Apparently, the blockchain community is trying to find a technical breakthrough to reach the mass adoption of decentralized technology. Achain, a public blockchain, has creatd a new consensus called RDPoS (Result DPoS). RDPoS is a consensus built upon the original, community-famous DPoS. It optimizes block generation nodes as well as delegated nodes on the blockchain network and reduces the time needed to reach a consensus among delegates, thus creating faster TPS for Achain.



Another solution Achain proposed to solve the scalability blockchain technology is their so-called 'forking theory.' The solution, in essence, is to build parallel systems of forks that achieve processing goals in reaction to individual real-world events and cooperate as a single system. "We are trying to build a blockchain network by forking to create different functional forks or 'sub-chains' that will improve performance and create new application scenarios. Overall, we believe this is a great solution to blockchain's scalability issues," Kyle Lu, Partner & VP of Achain added.

Achain as a platform has great technology and prospects. As was later confirmed by Achain's community, the Achain ecosystem has over 30 dapps and more than 80 smart contracts running on the network. With as many dapps and smart contract as major public blockchain platforms, Achain has provided an alternative solution to developers featuring scalability and cost efficiency. The team is actively growing their communities across the globe and bringing more dapps to the table. It is only a matter of time before Achain becomes the mainstream solution for blockchain adoption. View original content with multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/achain-proposes-solutions-to-blockchain-scalability-during-vietnam-blockchain-week-300612087.html SOURCE Achain

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ][March 12, 2018] Intradeco Apparel and Gerber Childrenswear Select CGS BlueCherry PLM to Streamline Productivity

NEW YORK and LAS VEGAS, March 12, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- CGS, a global provider of business applications, enterprise learning and outsourcing services, today announced that Intradeco Apparel, Inc., and Gerber Childrenswear LLC each selected BlueCherry Product Lifecycle Management (PLM). BlueCherry PLM is an essential module within the BlueCherry Enterprise Suite of solutions, and can be deployed as a standalone solution or as part of the end-to-end BlueCherry offering for apparel and consumer lifestyle brands. CGS made the announcement at its annual customer fashion, apparel and consumer goods event, INSIGHT 2018, taking place this week in Las Vegas.

Intradeco Apparel, a privately held company based in Miami focused on fashion basics, and Gerber Childrenswear, a leading marketer of children's everyday apparel and related products. Each entity began a search for a PLM solution to help increase overall productivity in product concept through product development and adoption. With such well-known brands as Fruit of the Loom, Izod, Jockey, Russell, Geoffrey Beene and Chaps, among others, Intradeco identified specific requirements that were needed in selection of a new system. We embarked on a process of digitizing our supply chain with the objective of taking our efficiency, speed and flexibility to the next level. Product Development and Product Lifecycle Management are key components of the supply chain, said Luis Marquina, COO, Intradeco. We proceeded to do an extensive search of PLM systems in the marketplace and found BlueCherry PLM to be the best fit for our needs. The CGS BlueCherry PLM solution not only had the comprehensive features that we needed, but the team also had the knowledge and expertise to back it up and the most committed to a true long-term partnership. With BlueCherry PLM, we could streamline and automate our gloal development process.



With more than 30 years of fashion and apparel experience, CGS understands the value of having the right solutions in place to help business operations run efficiently and effectively, said Paul Magel, president, Business Applications and Technology Outsourcing division, CGS. With its vast array of well-known brands, were excited to have Intradeco Apparel and Gerber Childrenswear join the BlueCherry community to support its growing operations. CGSs BlueCherry PLM is a best-in-class product lifecycle management solution for fashion and consumer lifestyle products companies, providing a comprehensive set of tools to manage the entire product lifecycle. In addition to core product data management (PDM), bill of materials (BOM), technical specifications and other commonly available PLM tools, BlueCherry PLM draws from its enterprise solution heritage to deliver a broader set of integrated line planning, design, product development, sourcing and production capabilities to meet the demands of today's rapidly changing marketplace.

About Intradeco

Founded in 1982, and with deep roots in the textile industry since 1921, Intradeco has grown into a global vertical-manufacturing company, supplying quality casual clothing, sleepwear, thermal underwear, and high-performance active and hunting clothing to major retailers in the United States, Mexico and Canada. http://intradecoapparel.com/ About Gerber Childrenswear

Gerber Childrenswear LLC is a leading socially responsible marketer of children's everyday basic / fashion / active wear apparel and related products which it offers under some of the world's trusted brands. Licensed brands include our flagship brand, Gerber, as well as Jockey, NFL, Disney and New Balance. Proprietary brands include Onesies brand, Just Born, Cuddle Time and Always Baby. The company sells layette, sleepwear, playwear, active wear, undergarments, accessories, hosiery, bibs/burp cloths, bath, bedding and cloth diapers to all channels of distribution. For additional information about the company, please visit www.Gerberchildrenswear.com. About CGS

For nearly 35 years, CGS has enabled global enterprises, regional companies and government agencies to drive breakthrough performance through business applications, enterprise learning and outsourcing services. CGS is wholly focused on creating comprehensive solutions that meet clients' complex, multi-dimensional needs and support clients' most fundamental business activities. Headquartered in New York City, CGS has offices across North America, South America, Europe, the Middle East and Asia. For more information, please visit www.cgsinc.com and follow us on Twitter at @CGSinc and @BlueCherryCGS and on Facebook. Media Contacts:

Susan Sweeney, CGS

newsroom@cgsinc.com Kate Connors (for CGS)

kconnors@pancomm.com

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ][March 12, 2018] NASGO Soon to Become a Strong Competitor to Apple's App Store and Google Play

LOS ANGELES, March 12, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- On March 19, 2018, NASGO's decentralized hosting environment will allow the user to connect with China, India and anywhere in the world where IPs of centralized hosting are currently blocked. Co-founder Eric Tippetts says, "I need to be very clear. We are not an ICO. NASGO has created a decentralized hosting environment that allows content to be seen in every part of the world, opening up blocked boundaries for communication and collaboration. We have built a platform for our App Store called DAPPS, decentralized Apps." NASGO.com is a group of developers in China that built a sidechain technology to the blockchain connecting Influencers, gamers, app developers, digital media, television networks, celebrities, brands and many more with audiences all oer the world. This is all done through NASGO's web-based DAPPS.



"NASGO provides an easy-to-use software client that can be used to issue blockchain assets without a person needing to write a single line of code," says Tippetts. Tippetts continues: "China understands the blockchain platform and how it provides transparency and openness. This transparency is what builds trust immediately and is part of our third-party payment gateway for all our DAPPS."

Tippetts states, "If you are a wait and see person, you may want to cover your eyes. This is the block-com era that will be even bigger than the 1995 dot-com explosion." Tippetts continues, "NASGO DAPPS are the future. History will be made on March 19, 2018, when the world will be able to connect with audiences in China and all over the world through DAPPS. This includes a third party payment gateway to bring on new enterprise through a whole new Internet." For the curious see NASGO.com. Use Code 4FHUOJSC. INQUIRIES: Cori Dyer 801-473-6740 cori@thekingsnetwork.net View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/nasgo-soon-to-become-a-strong-competitor-to-apples-app-store-and-google-play-300612439.html SOURCE NASGO

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ][March 12, 2018] EverCompliant Secures Strategic Investment From American Express Ventures to Help Fight Electronic Money Laundering

NEW YORK, March 12, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- EverCompliant, the pioneer of Electronic Money Laundering Detection and Prevention (also known as Transaction Laundering), announced a strategic investment from American Express Ventures, which joins existing investors Arbor Ventures, Carmel Ventures, StarFarm Ventures and Nyca Partners. EverCompliant will use the funds to ramp up its team and continue to optimize and develop new technology. Transaction Laundering occurs when a fraudster uses a legitimate online merchant account to funnel illegal transactions through a merchant processor, online marketplace or other merchant service provider. The continued growth of online commerce has created more opportunities for illicit players to use legitimate online storefronts to mask their identities, leading to an increase in Transaction Laundering. EverCompliant's automated detection capabilities enable merchant service providers to identify and eliminate unknown and fraudulent merchants. Continual monitoring and verification of third-party identities helps merchant service providers prevent the processing of fraudulent transactions, reducing the risk of chargebacks, financial losses and damage to their reputation. EverCompliant's research shows that, on average, there are 6%-10% additional unknown and unregistered merchants over the size of a merchant service providers known portfolio, who are illegally committing Transaction Laundering. This phenomenon amounts to nearly $500 billion a year worldwide. These transactions may involve illegal goods sold by unregistered merchants, demontrating that Transaction Laundering fraud is a growing issue for the payments industry.



"We are thrilled that American Express has decided to invest in our company," said Ron Teicher, CEO of EverCompliant. "Their investment shines a spotlight on a growing problem in the payments industry. Having a strong relationship with this global payments network, paired with our continuous merchant risk management capabilities, will equip the industry with what they need to combat this new form of money laundering." "EverCompliant's technology is helping merchant acquirers, payment aggregators and other service providers prevent bad actors from infiltrating their systems and ensure only legitimate transactions get processed," said Harshul Sanghi, Managing Partner of American Express Ventures, the strategic investment group of American Express. "As more commerce shifts online, the need for advanced solutions that can help payment service providers fight fraudulent transactions will continue to grow. We look forward to helping EverCompliant as it addresses increased demand for its technology."

EverCompliant's customers currently include some of the largest institutions across North America, Europe, and Asia, who collectively monitor millions of merchants within their platform. The company's proprietary and highly-effective method for uncovering Transaction Laundering has fueled a growing demand among merchant service providers and yielded a 300%+ increase in company growth in 2017. About American Express Ventures As the strategic investment group within American Express, Amex Ventures seeks to invest in innovative startups in order to enhance our company's core capabilities and accelerate our efforts in consumer commerce and B2B services. Across the globe, we strive to foster meaningful relationships with startups in our portfolio and beyond. Visit http://www.amexventures.com for more information. About EverCompliant EverCompliant is the pioneer and industry leader in Electronic Money Laundering Detection and Prevention (also known as Transaction Laundering.) The company's flagship product, MerchantView, is the first and only dedicated solution on the market designed from its core to detect and prevent Transaction Laundering. MerchantView applies proprietary, cyber intelligence technology to identify unknown and hidden merchants funneling transactions through seemingly legitimate storefront websites. EverCompliant's technology has been adopted by large-scale financial institutions and payment service providers in Asia, Europe, U.S. and the Middle East. EverCompliant is headquartered in New York City with offices in San Francisco, Shanghai and Tel Aviv. Media Contact

Jordana Wolf

GKPR

+1-305-282-9421

jordana@gkpr.com SOURCE EverCompliant

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Police investigate shooting on Prospect Avenue Police were investigating a shooting Monday afternoon in the parking lot on Prospect Avenue. The shooting occurred about 2:20 p.m. in parking lot for the former Emmanuel's Mega Mart in the 3500 block of Prospect Avenue. The victim was rushed to the hospital. The extent of the victim's injuries was not immediately available.

The latest spate of shooting in the urban core and a reminder that deadly KCMO violence already exceeds last year's pace and is just getting ramped up. Read more:Arts Campus in Kansas City back on legislative agenda The University of Missouri-Kansas City Conservatory of Music and Dance has received an anonymous donation that will allow it to move to a site just south of the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts. Missouri Rep.

This one isn't any closer to happening but press release coverage allows locals to ask nicely again despite this town having very little pull in Jefferson City. Take a peek:"The report also said the governors office asserted a blanket objection to all questions regarding communications between the interviewees and the Governor based on the doctrine of executive privilege. While commonly invoked by U.S. presidents, executive privilege for the Missouri governor doesnt exist under state law. However, it doesnt appear Hawleys office challenged the governors assertion that it does."

weaseled her way into office because she ran a racist campaign against a primary challenger and by way of riding the connections of her husband.Her only previous political accomplishment was giving up on the KCPS School Board.To be fair, I've heard she's actually quite pleasant to the dozen or so people she actually talks to . .Here's her spin on Missouri Democrat talking points against the Guv and the tired subject of consumer texting apps widely available to anybody with a mobile device . . .Money line . . .You decide . . .NEW POLLING REVEALS SEN. McCASKILL LEADS AG JOSH HAWLEY AT THE OUTSET OF THIS HEATED MISSOURI SENATE BATTLE!!!

Gravis Marketing Missouri Poll Claire McCaskill 42% - Josh Hawley 40%

Right now we've gotregarding the most important political contest in all of the nation.Here's the skinny . . .Take a look:Deets:Democrats are defending ten Senate seats in states that were won by Donald Trump in 2016. One of those seats consistently regarded as one of the most vulnerable is Clare McCaskill in Missouri. A new Gravis Marketing poll of registered voters in Missouri gives Clare McCaskill a narrow 42%-40% edge over likely general election opponent, State Attorney General Josh Hawley. 18% of voters remain undecided.Gravis Marketing Managing Partner Doug Kaplan noted that This is a state that was a purple state in 2000, but has become quite red over the past 18 years. This will be a very close race. The Senate might hinge on this race. Democrats need to net two seats to win the Senate. With options limited to Nevada, Arizona and Tennessee with more outside chances in Mississippi and Texas, Democrats will need to minimize loses among Trump state incumbents like Clare McCaskill. Trump won Missouri by 18.5% in 2016.Kaplan points out that despite McCaskills slight edge today, there are certainly numbers that she should be concerned about. Voters give McCaskill a lackluster 42%-43% job approval spread while her opponent has a 37%-34% approval rating. While Hawleys numbers are not stellar, he has more room to grow. While only 14% of voters are uncertain about McCaskill, 29% say the same about Hawley. Roy Blunt narrowly won a 2.79% plurality in 2016 to win a second term while Donald Trump was trouncing Clinton in the state. Blunt holds a 33%-48% approval rating, which is constant with how far he under performed Trump in 2016.One possible red flag for Hawley is the make up of the undecided voters in the poll. While only 14% of Republicans are undecided at this point, 23% of Democrats are currently undecided. McCaskill holds a 47%-37% edge among independents in the poll with 17% undecided. The age of the undecided voter is also lower than the decided voter. 30% of 18-29 and 25% of 30-44 year-olds are undecided compared to only 8% of 55-64 years old and 6% of those 65 or older. There are also more female undecided voters (23%) than male undecided voters (13%).Donald Trumps approval rating has taken a hit in Missouri, but he still remains more popular than recently indicted Governor Eric Greitens. Trump holds a 46%-50% approval spread, while Greitens is at 34%-50%. Voters are split (37%-37%) on whether Governor Greitens should resign. Multiple Republican members of the Missouri legislature have called on Greitens to resign.The Conservative lean of the state is highlighted in the questions Gravis asked voters about various issues. Voters approve of the Tax Reform law 37%-35% and say they would be more likely to support a candidate that supported the bill by a 36%-29% margin. Voters are split over whether there should be a full ban on the ability to obtain an abortion in Missouri 42%-42%. The Presidents immigration reform plans are also above water among voters by a 47%-42% margin.The bipartisan support for increased gun control was something that may have shifted recently after the recent. Parkland School Shooting in Florida. 84%-11% support universal background checks, 70%-24% support raising the minimum age to purchase a firearm to 21 and 49%-40% support a ban on all semi-automatic weapons.##########We've got more data because we know our blog community really likes to drill down . . .Developing . . .CHECK OUT THE LATEST TAX ASK FROM KANSAS CITY MAYOR SLY!!!

"Mayor Sly James has sent out a mailer asking you to vote YES on Question #1 on the April 3rd ballot. This will allow City Hall to raise another 1% on all retail sales for the next twenty years (approximately $1,400,000,000)! This tax should have been replaced by the $800,000,000 GO bond."

IS THIS TAX INCREASE DOUBLE DOWN FAIR TO KANSAS CITY RESIDENTS OR DOES IT REPRESENT BAD PLANNING FROM CITY HALL???

Despite, there remains a great deal of uncertainty regarding the economy . . .Moreover, closer to home Kansas City taxpayer have suffered one tax break after the next thanks to the current administration.Accordingly . . .We're offering aat the junk mail that's currently papering this town.Critics of the mayor offered a fast and furious reaction to the document:Sadly, it did not and the rate of local taxes continues to grow.The arguments for this tax increase follow similar vague language and empty promises with onlypushed as a specific proposal.Meanwhile, it has been about a year and locals are still waiting on construction of the doggie shelter that was promised but still not delivered.And so . . .You decide . . .KPMG in Bahrain, a leading provider of audit, tax and advisory services, recently held a seminar in Manama to raise awareness of money laundering-related risks.



Around 90 senior executives, compliance officers, and internal audit professionals from financial services institutions attended the half-day seminar, titled Anti-money laundering (AML): Trends and challenges in a digitalized world, which examined the increasing use of digital technologies in financial crimes and their impact on business operations.



Jeyapriya Partiban, partner and head of Risk Consulting at KPMG in Bahrain, showcased the devastating impact of money laundering  not only across the financial sector, but society as a whole.



Money laundering is the process whereby criminals attempt to conceal the origin and ownership of proceeds generated from criminal activities, and attempt to transact it as legitimate funds, Partiban said.



When this type of activity remains undetected, it can deter investments and destroy competition. It also diminishes government tax revenues and diverts budgets away from vital economic development projects, such as health, education and social welfare. This also then forces the government and relevant national agencies to dedicate valuable funds and time towards monitoring and mitigating crime.



As digital technologies have improved and diversified, so have the threats facing organizations. For example, developments designed to support customer preference for real-time money transfers are making money laundering to fund criminal activities much easier .However, banks and financial institutions can play a key role in detecting and combating money laundering by complying with the global and local AML regulatory frameworks.



In her keynote speech at the event, Katerina Pagoni, associate director and head of AML in the Forensic practice at KPMG in the UAE, explored the new and emerging risks posed by technological advancement, touching on hot topics such as cryptocurrency and distributed ledger technology.



Firms should consider replacing their historical approach to fighting financial crime with innovative technology. They should seek to integrate intelligent automation in their compliance programs and leverage new technology capabilities to effectively fight financial crime in the digital era  ensuring, however, that any automation is aligned with the firms risk profile, Pagoni said.



In order to be competitive while maintaining exemplary compliance, organizations and in particular financial institutions should embrace new technologies, innovate in compliance as well as the business and seek ways to become more agile.



This is in addition to maintaining a robust AML program built on the four pillars of internal controls, a designated Compliance Officer, ongoing staff training and annual independent testing of the AML program to evaluate its effectiveness, added Pagoni.



Towards the end of the seminar, Partiban emphasized the importance of complying with the local AML regulations. In Bahrain, non-compliance can lead to serious consequence ranging from litigation and imprisonment of key staff involved, to fines of between BD50,000-BD500,000 ($132,000-$1,332,550).



The event, which took place at the Downtown Rotana Hotel, was the first in a series of leadership awareness sessions to be organized by KPMG in Bahrain.  TradeArabia News ServiceHamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU), a Qatar-based institution of higher learning, and Orange Business Services, have signed an agreement to provide students with internships and research opportunities.



The memorandum of understanding (MoU) is reciprocal and aims to establish an internship programme, as well as to enable both institutions to benefit mutually from resources, expertise and human talent.



The three-year MoU primarily revolves around a collaborative internship agreement, which includes up to three HBKU students per year partaking in a three- to six-month placement with Orange Business Services in France, as well as other placements with relevant affiliates within the larger Orange group.



The internship enables students to gain unique experience in IT fields, such as network services, big data, internet-of-things (IOT) solutions, and smart services, with the ultimate objective of achieving a greater understanding of the digital realm.



Dr Ahmad M Hasnah, president of HBKU, said: "Part of our mandate at HBKU is to foster an environment that encourages innovation among our students. This is even more applicable in the ICT field, as innovation drives the technological advancements we see every day. Working with our partners at Orange means that we are able to capitalize on exceptional real-life opportunities, as well as give our students the chance to learn and grow beyond the classroom."



"We are pleased to welcome students from a high level and world-class university like HBKU and to cooperate with the Qatar Foundation which is fully committed to education, science, and community development in Qatar. This MoU supports the ambition for Orange Business Services to contribute to the development of IT skills," said Beatrice Felder, CEO of Orange Applications for Business, the Orange Business Services entity in charge of IT System Integration and settled in Qatar.



Potential candidates for the internship program will be pre-selected by HBKU and qualified by Orange or the appropriate partner. Additionally, HBKU and Orange plan to leverage their partnership to work across their research groups.



Orange Business Services Qatar is a Qatari JV established on August 2012 with Sheikh Fahad Bin Ghanem Al Thani as a majority shareholder. It offers all Orange Business Services solutions and resources capabilities mainly in the ICT System Integration domains such as smart cities, transportation, health, media and other market sectors. In partnership with Meeza, a Qatar Foundation IT services entity, major smart city Msheireb is benefiting from this alliance technological capabilities.  TradeArabia News ServiceOver 1,000 medical education experts from 56 countries are attending the Joint International Conferences on Medical Education "The 18th Ottawa & The 5th ICME", being held in Abu Dhabi, UAE.



The event being held under the patronage of Sheikh Nahayan Mabarak Al Nahayan, Cabinet Member, UAE Minister of Tolerance, kicked off on March 10 and will run until March 14, at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibitions Center (Adnec).



The event is hosting a record 225 educational sessions, lectures and presentations by over 500 speakers, ranging from courses, workshops, symposia, expert discussions and plenary sessions, marking this as the largest ever medical education conference to take place in the region, said a statement.



This is the first time that RAK College of Dental Sciences - UAE and Riphah International University, the organisers of ICME, have joined hands with Association for Medical Education in Europe, the organisers of the Ottawa Conferences, bringing together two leading conferences in one setting, to cover state of the art and latest innovations in the assessment of competence in medicine and the healthcare professions.



Prof Mohammed Al Houqani, assistant dean for education and academic affairs, United Arab Emirates University, said: I would like to use the opportunity of such eminent gathering of luminary experts and world leading minds in the fields of medical education, to welcome all faculty members, colleagues and delegates to Abu Dhabi and to re-emphasise the importance of the combined efforts; by the academic, research and healthcare institutions, both regional as well as on an international scale to elevate the highly crucial competency levels required in medicine and healthcare professions, though innovative assessment mechanisms.



Hassan Muhammad Khan, chancellor, Riphah International University and founder of ICME, said: I am delighted to see that our efforts to establish a credible platform for interaction between world leading medical educationalists and those from countries on the path of introducing reforms in medical education in the region, has resulted in such a prestigious gathering of world leading experts in the wonderful City of Abu Dhabi, as a unique opportunity to identify and adopt international standards and to apply them across the region, especially in developing countries.



Prof Ronald M Harden, general secretary and treasurer of the Association for Medical Education in Europe (AMEE) and founder of the Ottawa Conferences, said: The Ottawa Conference has become synonymous with the state of the art in the assessment of competence in medicine and the healthcare professions.



The partnership with ICME is yet another step in the right direction towards bringing together both experts and those new to the area, facilitating networking and international collaboration within the region, he said.



Ottawa-ICME 2018 is endorsed by the UAE Ministry of Health and Prevention and supported by the UAE University, Gulf Medical University, RAK Medical and Health Sciences University, The University of Sharjah and CLIQ (Centre of Excellence in Leadership and Quality) at RAKCODS, the Abu Dhabi Convention Bureau, The Emirates Medical Association and The Emirates Nursing Association.  TradeArabia News Service

UAE-based Grandweld Shipyard and the Kuwait Oil Company (KOC) have announced the commencement of the production phase for building six pilot boats and four crew boats for KOC.



The design and engineering phase for the project started during May 2017 and now the production phase has started with target to deliver the first boat in December 2018 while the delivery of all ten boats will be completed in July 2019, reported Emirates news agency Wam.



The six Pilot Boats and four Crew Boats are custom designed in accordance with KOC technical requirements. The Boats are designed, equipped and built to the highest industry international standards with adopting the latest technology and Lloyd's Registers classification rules in order to provide high operational efficiency and safety.



Sami Al-Sawagh, marine operations manager at KOC, said: "This occasion is the beginning of an extremely important contract phase which is the commencement of production work at the shipyard for building four crew boat and six pilot boats. The construction of these boats is part of Kuwait Oil Company strategic requirements for the future fleet expansion and KOC gives significant importance to this project."



Jamal Abki, general manager of Grandweld Shipyards said: "We thank Kuwait Oil Company for their confidence by awarding us this second major Shipbuilding Contract. The first major contract for the building of four crane boats was awarded to Grandweld during 2013. This project is moving in accordance with schedule and plans. Grandweld is confident to deliver on time and to fulfil the satisfaction of our significant customer KOC."Mubadala Petroleum and Italys Eni have signed an agreement to purchase a 10 per cent stake in the Egyptian Shorouk concession.

The signing ceremony was presided over by His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, and Paolo Gentiloni, Prime Minister of Italy.

The stake in the offshore Shorouk concession encompasses the giant Zohr gas field located in the Mediterranean Sea.

The agreement was signed by Khaldoon Khalifa Al Mubarak, Group Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of Mubadala Investment Company, on behalf of Mubadala Petroleum and Claudio Descalzi, Chief Executive Officer of Eni. The signing ceremony was held in Abu Dhabi, UAE.

The signing ceremony was also attended by Sheikh Mansour Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Presidential Affairs.

Eni is operator with currently 60 percent interest in the project and other partners in the concession are BP with 10 percent interest and Rosneft with 30 percent interest.

The completion of the transaction is subject to the satisfaction of certain standard conditions, including receiving approvals from the relevant Egyptian government authorities.

Musabbeh Al Kaabi, Chief Executive Officer of Petroleum & Petrochemicals, Mubadala Investment Company, and Chairman of Mubadala Petroleum, said: This is an important and attractive investment for Mubadala, adding a world-class asset to our portfolio with long-term cash flows. We are joining a strong partnership with Eni as operator, who has delivered the project in record time and with the full support of the Egyptian authorities. This is an investment in Egypt in a project that will help meet the countrys growing energy demand while it is reshaping the energy sector and opening new opportunities across the full energy value chain.

Descalzi said: We are pleased to be working with Mubadala and welcome them into the partnership for the Shorouk concession. This represents a further signal about the strength and quality of this world-class asset developed by Eni.

The Zohr field was discovered by Eni in August 2015 and is the largest natural gas field ever found in the Mediterranean, with a total potential of up to 30 trillion cubic feet of gas in place. The field is located approximately 190 km north of Port Said in waters approximately 1,500m deep. Production in the first phase of the Zohr gas field commenced in December 2017. - TradeArabia News ServiceEtihad Aviation Group is continuing its support of humanitarian efforts with the recent signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the HH Sheikh Sultan Bin Khalifa Al Nahyan Humanitarian and Scientific Foundation.



The agreement focuses on enhancing community and humanitarian cooperation between the two entities as well as promoting charity efforts and knowledge sharing.



The MoU was signed at Etihad Aviation Groups Innovation Center by Khaled Al Mehairbi, senior vice president Abu Dhabi Airport and general manager of Etihad Airport Ground Services, and Dr Mahmoud Taleb Al Ali, executive manager, H.H. Sheikh Sultan Bin Khalifa Al Nahyan Humanitarian and Scientific Foundation.



Under the MoU, Etihad Aviation Group will provide logistics and transportation support to the foundation as it carries out its humanitarian projects across the globe.



The H.H. Sheikh Sultan Bin Khalifa Al Nahyan Humanitarian and Scientific Foundation will support Etihad Aviation Groups CSR projects locally and internationally, working with the airline to identify and deliver aid to critical areas in need of humanitarian support.



Al Mehairbi said: We take great pride in partnering with the H.H. Sheikh Sultan Bin Khalifa Al Nahyan Humanitarian and Scientific Foundation. Etihad Aviation Group is actively involved in a number of charitable and humanitarian initiatives around the world, and this partnership will provide us with an opportunity to extend our global reach and deliver aid to a greater number of individuals around the world.



The UAE is long recognised for its charitable activities. Inspired by the wisdom and guidance of the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, the founding father of the United Arab Emirates, we actively support vulnerable communities across the world and seek to alleviate their difficult circumstances.



Dr Mahmoud Talib Al Ali, executive director of H.H Sheikh Sultan Bin Khalifa Al Nahyan Humanitarian & Scientific Foundation, hailed Etihad Airways for playing a vital role in supporting communities around the world. He also expressed his pleasure to foster their cooperation with Etihad Aviation Group, a key UAE player in promoting communities for better life. - TradeArabia News Service

Dana Cowart, a certified nursing assistant at the Brian Center in Brevard, was chosen as a member of the Care Connection Council, representing Western North Carolina. Members are selected from among thousands of resident care specialists. Cowart, a Balsam Grove resident, attended a two-day meeting in Atlanta, Ga., recently, where she helped to find ways to improve services in the community. Cowart, who has been with The Brian Center for six years, is described as an "exemplary employee," who shows "empathy and compassion to each resident she cares for."Choreography has been defined as "sequences of movements of physical bodies." To Ray Pavlik, an 18-year-old Navy jet mechanic aboard the supercarrier USS Kitty Hawk CVA 63, the non-stop actions of launching and recovering aircraft were choreography.

In January 1965, Pavlik was assigned to VF-213, a squadron of 112 men who maintained 13 Phantom F-4s aboard the USS Kitty Hawk. The carrier played a significant role in the Vietnam War, stationed off the coast of Vietnam and conducting combat operations.

Pavlik's first cruise introduced him to the hazards of life aboard a carrier. While en route to Hawaii, a man fell overboard. As the ship spun to the starboard side to get out of the way, a helicopter crew member fell over the side. Only one of the sailors was rescued.

After an explosion in the ship's engine room, smoke filled the lower passageways and engine room.

"We went to general quarters as the water tight hatches were locked down," Pavlik said. "Three people couldn't get out of the engine room and suffocated."

Aircraft carriers are floating cities. Sitting 60 feet out of the water, drafting 40 foot, the Kitty Hawk is more than 1,000 feet long, 300 feet wide, with four catapults, three elevators, 5,000 men, two helicopters, and 12 squadrons of jets - more than 120 planes.

Different color shirts worn by crew members defined their responsibilities. Yellow shirts directed the plane on deck, conveying instructions to the pilots. Red shirts were ordnance crews who loaded bombs onto the aircraft. Purple shirts fueled the planes with giant black hoses. And brown shirts, known as plane captains, stayed on the plane, assuring that it was ready to fly at any given moment. Pavlik was a brown shirt.

"Two brown shirts were assigned to every plane," said Pavlik. "Unless the plane was flying, one of the two was always in attendance. We worked 12 to 24 hours on the plane."

Before each launch, the deck was spotted (planes moved to their assigned positions) by the tractors on deck. Plane captains stayed in the plane to apply the brakes until it was chained down, then continually checked the gauges, resupplied oxygen and assured there was no damage to the fuselage.

As planes took off and landed, yellow shirts repositioned them for the next launch. Every time a plane catapulted into the sky, all the others would be repositioned, moving forward toward the catapult.

"When the pilot came on deck, I'd strap him in, connect the power and hose to crank the two engines and take him through his test," said Pavlik. "Then I'd unchain my plane, throw everything in a bag and walk to the side. Sometimes it was pretty tough getting across the deck when all those planes were moving into position to launch. Often they were less than a foot apart, with wings up."

During intense sorties, the entire process began anew, part of a continuing cycle of launch and recovery.

Said Pavlik of the Kitty Hawk's impressive 5,000 man crew: "Everybody had his job. Everybody knew what he had to do to make this thing go. That's what was so amazing."

Pavlik recalled one particularly tense experience.

"I had unchained my plane and was walking across the deck, jets moving all around me. I tucked underneath a plane to get on the other side," he said. "Just then, the yellow shirt started moving the plane. I was behind the two engines at that time. I hit the deck as I threw down my bag of chains to hold on to and hide behind; they're pretty heavy. The initial gust of power off the two jet engines rolled me toward the A1's on the fan tail. I was able to get away quickly as the jet moved beyond me."

Not all returned from their missions.

"In hostile waters our jets would sit on the catapult manned and ready," said Pavlik. "On one such night I sat with our pilot and RIO, shooting the breeze. That time they were called on. They did not return. Of my three tours with the Kitty Hawk, pilots and radio operators sustained the most casualties."

Courtesy photo Ray Pavlik on the flight deck of the USS Kitty Hawk.

Today, Ray is a member of the VFW, American Legion and the Vietnam Vets Motorcycle Club. On April 7, 2018, the club will sponsor its annual "Patriot Run," which raises funds for the Ft. Bragg Army Fisher House, a home away from home for soldiers who require hospitalization and their families.

During the summer months, Ray and his wife, Joni, volunteer at the Brevard Music Center as hospitality managers. They can be seen effortlessly serving wine, supervising volunteers and assisting customers during busy intermissions  yet another instance of artistic choreography.

(In collaboration with the WNC Military History Museum and writer Michel Robertson, The Transylvania Times will publish an article once every two weeks on a local veteran who served in Vietnam.)Pictured from left to right are the members of the Women's History Display Committee: Julia Kennerly, Retha Lynch and Linda Thompson.

March is Women's History Month and each year members of the American Association

of University Women (AAUW) Brevard Branch create a display commemorating a particular theme related to women's history in this country.

The 2018 theme for the display at the Transylvania County Library is "Trails to Equality."

Three separate displays depict national as well as local stories related to this theme. The large horizontal display follows key landmarks in women's national journey toward equal education rights, equal pay and property rights, voting rights and reproductive rights.

Many may not realize that the 19th Amendment to the Constitution, giving women the right to vote, started with the suffragette movement in 1848 but wasn't passed by both houses of the Congress until 1920. It then needed to be ratified by 36 states in order for it to become law. In the end, it came down to North Carolina and Tennessee, which were the most likely to be the 36th deciding state to

ratify.

The North Carolina legislature flatly refused to be the deciding state to ratify, leaving the vote up to Tennessee. Their legislature was deadlocked when the youngest member, a 24-year-old, received a note from his mother, a formidable woman by all accounts. She was an avid suffragette and pleaded with her son "to be a good boy" and "put the 'rat' in ratification." He changed his vote to secure ratification. Stories say that he fled to the attic to escape angry male anti-suffragettes.

Not all journeys down the trails to equality have been completed. In a number of areas, particularly in regard to the Equal Rights Amendment for women, there is still an untraveled trail. The ERA, introduced first in the early 1920s and then again in 1971, with Congress voting for passage in 1972, has yet to get the required number of states to ratify. Even after voting for an extension on the ratification, by 1982, just 35 states had ratified the ERA, three short of the now required 38 state ratification threshold.

The two tower displays tell the stories of six local women who have played key roles in pursuing equal rights for women here in Transylvania County. Here viewers will learn about the early days of school desegregation in this county, how equal pay was achieved for women who work for the county, and the implementation of Title IX at Brevard College, in addition to other stories.

The display was planned and constructed by the local AAUW Women's History Month Committee. The members of this group are Julia Kennerly, Retha Lynch and Linda Thompson. AAUW has been active in Brevard since 1955 and is pleased to represent the accomplishments of women in this area.

AAUW's mission is to promote equity for all women and girls through advocacy, philanthropy, education and research.

More information about the branch and its many activities is available at http://www.breva

rd-nc.aauw.net. Check out the branch's Facebook page: AAUW Brevard NC Branch. For membership information, contact Maury Bandurraga (862-5984) or Leslie Chepenik (877-5721).

The American Association of University Women is open to all graduates who hold a two-year associate degree (or equivalent) or higher degree from an accredited college or university.Basic Apple Group

At this months Basic Apple Group meeting on Monday, March 19, participants will take a look at photos.

Join the group March 19 from 10-11:15 a.m. for computers users and (or) from 11:30 a.m. to 12:45 p.m. for iPhone and iPad users. Beginners and new users to Apple are always welcome. Bring your questions as every meeting has time for additional help.

The group meets in the fellowship hall of the Lutheran Church of the Good Shepherd, located at 22 Fisher Drive in Brevard across from Ingles. More information can be found at http://www.BasicAsppleGroup.org or contact LiB Shore, moderator, at (828) 290-9140 or email [email protected]

Republicans

The Republican Club will hold its monthly breakfast meeting and fellowship on March 17, at 8:30 a.m. at Hawg Wild BBQ. Many upcoming events will be discussed. The guest speaker will be Danny Hein, candidate in the May 8 primary for county commission. A full southern breakfast buffet is offered. The cost is $10. RSVP to [email protected]Brevard/Transylvania and Henderson County chambers of commerce recently sponsored a breakfast at the Sierra Nevada Brewery Taproom, featuring area state lawmakers.

During the breakfast, three Republicans, N.C. Rep. Chuck McGrady, who represents Henderson County in District 117; N.C. Cody Henson, who represents District 113, which includes Transylvania County; and N.C. Sen. Chuck Edwards, who represents District 48, which also includes Transylvania, discussed issues important to them and issues they said might arise during the next legislative session, which will convene on May 16.

They were also asked a series of questions prepared and submitted by members of both chambers, which will appear in the next issue.

N.C. Rep. McGrady

"As to what the next session is going to be about," McGrady began, "I'd tell you if anybody were to say to you that they know exactly what the next session is going to be about, they are lying."

Because of the recent Parkland, Fla, shooting, McGrady said the Florida General Assembly had no idea they would be debating gun legislation, and because of the hurricanes and fires in North Carolina, McGrady said, not long ago, disaster relief became the topic in the N.C. General Assembly.

"And $200 million later, we went home," McGrady said. "Such is the nature of our job."

McGrady said a short session is coming up this year and that the "primary purpose" of a short session is to make budget adjustments.

"We adopt a two-year budget, which we've already adopted with the coming fiscal year, but with that said we are estimating what our revenues are and while we made out occasions for certain money, sometimes there is a need for more money, and by the end of April we will have a pretty good read on what the money revenues are coming in, so we can amend the budget we adopted last year," McGrady said.

The role of the legislature, McGrady said, is not to be "heavy handed."

"We want to facilitate and provide assistance and let local governments make decisions, and that's what I'll be about in the next session," he said, adding that he predicts it will be a short session.

N.C. Sen. Edwards

Edward said that, with a combined membership of 37 years in both the Brevard/Transylvania Chamber of Commerce and Henderson County Chamber of Commerce, he perceives his service in the legislature as an "extension" of being a member of the Chamber of Commerce.

"I recognize through working with you that we need more people in Raleigh and in Washington who are business minded to help them make decisions," Edwards said. "I'm surprised by the number of people working in the legislature who are making serious decisions for us but have never signed the front of a pay check and, to a large degree, never even worked in the private sector."

Edwards presented some "legislative updates," stating that North Carolina is "doing well."

"We've got a lot of things to brag about, and we've got an economy that's growing," Edwards said. "If we were our own country, we would have the 19th largest economy on the globe."

Edwards added that North Carolina is the most populated rural state in the U.S., with an unemployment rate having dropped to 4.5 percent as of December.

"We've got money in the bank, and we've lowered taxes, but I've also seen that in the legislature, we can do better," Edwards said.

Edwards discussed reducing building regulations and affordable housing as areas the legislature has addressed.

"There was a study by Appalachian State University and N.C. State University from a short time ago that indicates that in North Carolina, $25 billion in revenue is not getting used because of unnecessary regulations," Edwards said. "In this session we passed four major bills that reduced about 257 provisions of regulation."

Edwards then talked about a "skills gap," in which there are 6 million unfilled jobs in the U.S.

"In North Carolina, there are 6,000 high tech jobs, information technology-type jobs available right now at an average salary at about $60,000 each and they can't be filled, so I'm excited to be able to see exactly what government can do to close that gap," Edwards said.

In addition, Edwards said sales tax distribution, mental health care and the county tier system could be on the agenda for the next session.

"I will say the tier system that we have right now doesn't work," Edwards said. "It doesn't work for Henderson, Transylvania or Buncombe because it puts those counties on the same playing field with Wake, Mecklenburg, Orange and Durham counties, and that's just not the case," Edwards said.

N.C. Rep. Henson

Henson said his focus has been on veteran's affairs and education.

Henson said he has worked on committees on school safety, as well as the House Finance Committee.

"I was honored that I was able to work on the tax relief package that was a part of the budget," Henson said. "Starting in 2019, the individual income tax rate will be lowered 5.25 percent, and the corporate tax rate to 2.5 percent, and we increased the standard deduction in which folks who are married and filing jointly don't have to pay taxes on the first $20,000 that they make."

More from this meeting will appear in Thursday's issue.Agnes Leona Lynch Wilson was born in Transylvania County May 3, 1941, to Marcus W. And Sallie Thomas Lynch.

She was a student of Rosenwald School, Allen High School in Asheville, and attended Talladega College in Alabama. While at Talladega, she met the love of her life, Carle Wilson. They were a classic couple, like Laurel and Hardy (and not like Bonnie and Clyde). They married April 16, 1960.

After Talladega, she found herself in New Orleans, where she worked for the Womens Home and Foreign Missions Society. In 1961, she decided to come back to Western North Carolina, but stopped in Alabama on the way to have her firstborn, Carla Wilson Avery. She and her husband figured Carla should have a best friend, so they had Selina Wilson in 1963.

Back in Brevard, she began her 49-year career with Transylvania County Schools. She started working at her alma mater, Rosenwald School, then at Penrose Elementary for six years, with the summer migrant program, and as a secretary. She then did a stint coordinating textbooks for the county, but found her permanent post as the front desk receptionist for the school board. She was an honored retiree of Transylvania County Schools in 2015.

She was very involved in church and the community. At Bethel Baptist Church, she played piano for years and was the Christian education director for some time. She was a member of the Mud Creek Baptist Missionary Association, sang with the Transylvania Choral Society and St. Philips Choir, and was recognized for her costuming work for a Brevard Little Theatre production.

She loved music (gospel, classical, jazz and rhythm & blues) and liked to dance. She also loved to dress up and look nice. Not only was she fancy, she represented the epitome of class, which she passed to her children and grandchildren simply by being herself. Always appropriate, always polite, always pleasant, and through all things, giving glory to Christ.

She was lovingly called Honey, by her husband, Mother, by her children, Granny, by her grandchildren and great-grandchildren, Aunt Agnes, by numerous nieces and nephews, Miss Agnes, Mother Wilson, Miss Wilson, and Mother Agnes, by many others she loved and adopted into her heart.

She is survived by her husband and daughters, a son-in-law, four grandchildren, a host of great-grandchildren, and a whole lot of nieces and nephews who love her.

The funeral service was held at 1 p.m. Saturday, March 10, 2018, at Bethel Baptist Church.

The family received friends at the Wilson residence on Rosenwald Lane.

Roseboro Funeral and Cremation Service of E. Flat Rock was in charge of the arrangements.editorial@tribune.com

Bhartesh Singh Thakur

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, March 12

It is the inspiration by Canadian PM Justin Trudeau that is behind the all out support to transgender events in Chandigarh and Punjab by the office of the Consulate General of the maple leaf country.

For the past one year, the Consulate General of Canada in Chandigarh has been one of the major sponsors of events, workshops and seminars.

At the 'Pride Week' celebrations at Panjab University (PU), Chandigarh, today, Consul General of Canada Christopher Gibbins said, "For the past one year, we have been working with Dhananjay Chauhan (a transgender student from the Department of Human Rights and Duties of the PU). LGBT rights are fundamental part of human rights. PM Trudeau is vocal, particular and forward looking on this issue. All of us deserve to be free and should be able to express our feelings."

Dhananjay has been a founder of Saksham Trust, an NGO, instrumental in formation of the Transgender Welfare Board in Chandigarh and fought for toilets and hostel facilities for transgenders at the PU. He is first transgender to have enrolled at the university. During the recent visit of Trudeau in February, Dhananjay was invited for a dinner with him.

It was during a play on LGBT rights at the British Council Office in January 2017, Dhananjay came in contact with the Consulate General of Canada in Chandigarh.

Gibbins said Canada had passed a bill in June last year which made it illegal to deny services, employment to individuals based on their gender identity and gender expression. Canada had introduced the third gender option in passports in 2017 and became fourth country in 2005 to allow same sex marriages, he said.

In 1960, the Canadian Bill of Rights was introduced which was supplemented in 1982 by the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, which prohibits discrimination based on sex.

In 1995, the Supreme Court of Canada ruled that decimation on ground of sexual orientation was not allowed as per the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. In Canada, people had been asking and demanding equal rights, Gibbins said.

"We have a PM who strongly believes in the LGBT rights," added Gibbins. PM Trudeau had on November 28, 2017, apologised for discriminatory treatment of LGBT community in the past.

Had our families supported us, we would have conquered the world

Had our families supported us, we would have conquered the world, said Simran (25), a transgender and fourth-year engineering student of Punjab Technical University (PTU). Simran is from Pathankot and left home at the age of 14. I had just Rs 18 with me when I left my house. I am 25 now. I know how I have spent 11 years. I am first transgender student of the PTU. When I was filling the form, there was no column for me as it mentioned just male and female. I struck off those columns and wrote transgender. Before enrolling in BTech, Simran did a diploma in engineering. I was doing diploma in computer science. But my teachers told me to choose some other field like fashion designing. But I chose mechanical engineering and topped it. In the college, when I used to come in the morning, other students used to stare at me. I used to keep sitting in the class till 5 pm. I didn't even go to washroom. When college gets over, then I used to go to the washroom. A beauty contest was organised in Simran's college and she had to press for including her name too. I won the best beauty award. Make up is made for our community. But our life is devoid of colours. Our family members used to disown us, she added. She lives on money from households which is donated on the birth of sons.singhking99@yahoo.com

Chandigarh, March 11

A two-week training programme for epidemiologists on "Field Epidemiology" is being conducted at the School of Public Health, PGI, Chandigarh, from March 12 to March 24.

Around 20 epidemiologists from different health facilities across the country will be participating in this training programme. This training is being sponsored by the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), New Delhi. It is being conducted by Dr PVM Lakshmi, Additional Professor (Epidemiology), under the guidance of Dr Rajesh Kumar, Prof and Head Community Medicine and School of Public Health, Dean Academics, PGI, Chandigarh.

The objective of this training is to sensitise epidemiologists to the importance of disease surveillance, data generation, outbreak management and laboratory reporting.  TNSharinder@tribunemail.com

The photogenic and politically correct French President Emmanuel Macron waltzed through his India state visit with the customary Parisian sophistication and panache by playing on South Blocks insecurities to set the stage for offloading more defence equipment on India. In brass tacks, the French signalled their intentions to supply two more squadrons of Rafale fighters; reopened conversations on a mega French nuclear power project; and won orders for their companies equal to one year of Indo-French trade. In return, India got a French offer to checkmate China in the Indian Ocean by the liberal use of each others naval facilities.

The French astutely played on Indian susceptibilities and worries vis-a-vis a rising China to project themselves as Indias best allies. But will a French President, whose maiden overseas State visit was to Beijing, watch Indias back in a square up with China? Or when the Sino-French bilateral commerce is 10 times Indo-French annual trade? Paris, anyway, lost interest in South China Sea after being drummed out of Vietnam and Cambodia decades back. The second billing, after the joint Indo-French maritime alliance, was taken by the reopening of talks for French nuclear plants, rejected the world-over for their unproven technology and steep tariff. We are none the wiser about whether the French have patched up the security vulnerabilities in Scorpene submarines after 20,000 pages of its classified data was leaked to the media.

The silver lining of Macrons visit was the simultaneous staging of the first summit of the International Solar Alliance (ISA). Frances co-promotion of the ISA (along with India) brought in several heads of state from the mineral-rich Francophonic Africa where the Indian diplomatic footprint has been traditionally weak. The best challenge to China should be on land rather than in the oceans. India can do this in Africa by dovetailing the India-Japan led Africa Growth Corridor with an India-France trade centred foray in West Africa by riding on the opportunity given by the ISA. This approach will meet Indias prime aim of opening new trade avenues to compensate for the loss of existing ones due to the coming trade war.rchopra@tribunemail.com

Chandigarh, March 12

The Haryana government on Monday said it had decided to grant Change of Land Use (CLU) permission for setting up of a DAV womens university in Yamunanagar district of the state.

The CLU has been granted in the revenue estate villages of Panjeto, Mukarampur, Chaneta and Mundakhera in Chhachhrauli tehsil of Yamunanagar district, an official spokesman said.

The university would come up over an area of 56.79 acres at a cost of Rs 193.04 crore.

The spokesman said Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar had approved a proposal in this regard.

To be located in the vicinity of the twin towns of Yamunanagar and Jagadhari, the university would primarily cater to the needs of about five lakh people, he said. PTIuttara@tribuneindia.com

Chandigarh, March 12

Opposition INLD and Congress MLAs were suspended on Monday by the Speaker for disrupting the Haryana Assembly repeatedly over the issue of graft allegations against a senior functionary in selection of a municipal committee chairman.

They claimed that the allegations came to the fore in purported taped conversations between two people on the selection.

The issue, which was first raised by INLD's Jaswinder Singh Sandhu, led to its adjournment for about 50 minutes, even as the ruckus over the matter lasted for nearly two-and-a-half hours.

Ruckus continued despite Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar assuring a probe into the matter.

The Congress and INLD members demanded that the state government name the agency that will conduct the investigations into the alleged corruption charges against the senior functionary.

Speaker Kanwar Pal suspended the opposition MLAs for the remainder of the day's proceedings.

The opposition also demanded that the senior functionary at whom "fingers were being pointed at" be removed from his post.

Khattar said that two audiotapes were circulating on social media, and that he had heard both.

"I have heard both and we will get the matter inquired, I want to assure that anyone who is found guilty will be punished," the chief minister told the House while responding to the corruption allegations being made in the audio tapes.

Khattar also said: "Contradictory things were being said by the same person in the two audio tapes, and therefore, preliminary inquiry will need to be conducted to check the veracity of allegations being levelled".

"In the audio tape being referred to, a conversation is taking place between two persons and a third person is being mentioned as an accused," he said.

"Since the two tapes are contradictory, I have said that both these tapes will be examined and an FIR will be registered against those found guilty," Khattar said, asking the opposition not to politicise the matter.

He said that pending inquiry there was no need for the person at "whom fingers were being pointed at" to resign.

However, Leader of Opposition and INLD leader Abhay Singh Chautala demanded a categorical assurance that the government get the matter inquired by the CBI.

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ram Bilas Sharma said the government would get the matter inquired by the State Vigilance Organisation.

As opposition benches mounted attacks and the INLD and Congress joined hands to target the ruling BJP, Haryana Minister Nayab Singh asked them to recall their own time when "jobs were sold and corruption was rampant".

INLD's Jaswinder Singh Sandhu pointing towards Khattar told him that "he (the chief minister) may enjoy a clean image, but people under your nose are indulging in corrupt practices".

Congress demanded an independent inquiry into the whole matter, saying "the government which talks about zero tolerance towards corruption should not be seen as shielding those against whom allegations of corruption were being made".

The chief minister, amid the ruckus, again assured the House that an inquiry will be held and whosoever is found guilty would be dealt as per law.

However, not satisfied with Khattar's assurance, Chautala sought that the senior functionary should be removed from his post first and then an inquiry should be held.

Chautala said that the chief minister should specify which agency would be asked to probe the matter.

The Speaker adjourned the House for 20 minutes and when it was to reassemble, it was again adjourned for another 30 minutes.

After the House reassembled after 50 minutes of being adjourned, INLD-Congress MLAs were up asking the ruling benches to specify which agency will probe the matter.

The Speaker told the opposition members that government has given them an assurance of probe, but they remained adamant on their demand.

Chautala then demanded that an FIR be registered against the person mentioned in the audiotape, saying this issue is connected to corruption.

The Speaker first suspended Sandhu for the remainder of the day's session and then other INLD members including Chautala.

Marshals escorted the INLD members out of the House. Congress legislators were also named and suspended for creating ruckus. PTI



amansharma@tribunemail.com

Satya Prakash

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, March 12

The Supreme Court on Monday restored acquisition of 688 acres of land in Gurugram during the Bhupinder Singh Hooda government in Haryana, holding that the decision to withdraw order for acquisition was a fraud on power played by an unholy nexus between the government machinery and private builders.

A bench of Justice AK Goel and Justice UU Lalit annulled the decisions dated August 24, 2007 and January 29, 2010 as being brought about by mala fide exercise of power. The greater victim in the matter was the public interest, it said.

It directed that the land in question shall vest in the HUDA/HSIDC, as may be directed by the State of Haryana, free from all encumbrances. HUDA/HSIDC may forthwith take possession thereof. Consequently, all licences granted in respect of lands covered by the deemed Award dated 26.08.2007 will stand transferred to HUDA/HSIDC, the Bench ordered.

The top court asked the state to revisit its policy of change of land use and giving colonisation licence in respect of land which was subject matter of acquisition.

Noting that substantial sums were made over to middlemen, the top court directed that in the pending investigation, the CBI may do well to unravel the truth. In any case, such hefty sums which were made over to middlemen cannot be said to be rightfully earned by and belonging to them, it added.

"In our view this money rightfully belongs to the state and none other. We direct the authorities of the state as well as the Central Government to reach the depths of such transactions and recover every single pie and make it over to the state government," the bench said.

A complete investigation in the transactions, including unearthing unnatural gains received by middlemen shall be undertaken by the CBI, the bench ordered.

The apex court also requested the High Court to dispose of petitions on Justice SN Dhingra Commission of Enquiry as early as possible and preferably within two months from the date of receipt of a copy of this order so that public interest may not suffer by delay in such decision.

The transactions entered into between the landholders and the concerned builders/private entities in the present case were not voluntary and were brought about by fraudulent influence. Certain middlemen and builders enriched themselves at the expense of the landholders and public interest which was to be achieved by acquisition, the bench said.

It said, "The exercise of power under the (Land Acquisition) Act was guided by considerations extraneous to the provisions of the Act and as a matter of fact, was designed to enrich the builders/private entities. These decisions were nothing but fraud on power."

The period between 24.08.2007 and up to the date of this judgment shall not be counted for the purposes of Section 24(2) of the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013, it ordered.

All transactions entered into during the period from 24.08.2007 till 29.01.2010, pursuant to which the original landholders transferred their holdings in favour of builders/private entities or third parties shall be subject to and the interest of the respective parties shall be governed by the directions issued hereafter, the bench ordered.

The builders/private entities will not be entitled to recover the consideration paid by them to the landholders. The sale consideration paid by the builders/private entities to the landholders shall be treated towards compensation under the award and the landholders will not be required to refund any amount to such builders/private entities.

The landholders will be at liberty to prefer Reference under Section 18 of the Act within a period of three months from today. For the purposes of maintaining such Reference the reasoning that weighed while passing Awards dated 09.03.2006 and 93 24.02.2007 shall be the basis.

If the Reference Court were to enhance the compensation, the amounts received by the landholders by way of consideration from the builders/private entities shall be appropriated towards such sum awarded by the Reference Court.

If the landholders are still entitled to something more than what they had received from the builders/private entities, the differential sum shall be made over to them by the State of Haryana towards acquisition of their interest in the lands in question.

If however, what the landholders had received towards consideration from the builders/private entities is found to be in excess of what is awarded by the Reference Court, the remainder shall not be recovered from them, it said.

The builders/private entities will be entitled to refund/reimbursement of any payment made to the landholders or the amounts that had been spent on development of the land, such payments shall be made by HUDA or HSIDC on being satisfied about the extent of actual expenditure not exceeding HUDA or HSIDC norms on the subject as the case may be.

Refund will, however, be in respect of amount at which the landholders sold the land and not of subsequent sales. As regards subsequent transactions, the subsequent purchasers will have 94 remedies against their respective vendors.

Claims of builders/private entities entitled to refund will be taken up after settling claims of third parties from whom the builders/private entities had collected monies. No interest will be payable on such amounts.

The third parties from whom money had been collected by the builder/private entities will either be entitled to refund of the amount from and out of and to the extent of the amount payable to the builder/private entities in terms of above direction, available with the State, on their claims being verified or will be allotted the plots or apartments at the agreed price or prevalent price, whichever is higher. Every such claim shall be verified by HUDA or HSIDC, the bench said.

In order to facilitate such exercise all third parties who had purchased or had been allotted the plots or apartments shall prefer claims within one month from today, which claim shall be verified within two months from today, the top court said.

What is the case

The case dates back to August 27, 2004 when Haryana government, Industries Department, issued a notification under Section 4 of the Land Acquisition Act, 1894 for acquiring 912 acre land in Manesar, Lakhnoula and Naurangpur in Gurgaon district for setting up Chaudhari Devi Lal Industrial Township, to be planned as an Integrated Complex for residential, recreational and other public purposes.

However, appropriate notification under Section 6 of the Act was issued on August 25, 2005 only in respect of land admeasuring 688 acres after the Land Acquisition Collector recommended 224 acre land be released from acquisition.

Even after issuance of notification under Section 6 of the Act, the builders/private entities continued approaching the landholders. Cornered with the prospect of impending acquisition and the idea that the compensation would be awarded at the rate of Rs 12.5 lakhs per acre, landowners were persuaded to enter into transactions with builders for transferring their land @ Rs 20-25 lakh per acre.

On August 2, 2007 notices under Section 9 of the Act were issued calling upon the landholders to appear on August 26, 2007 for pronouncement of award. Soon after the notice, builders started enhancing the price and bought the lands from the landholders at a price around Rs 80 lakh per acre.

But on August 24, 2007, the state government dropped the acquisition, stating that a fresh notification would be issued.

As the state government dropped the acquisition, the petitions against it were disposed of by the Punjab and Haryana High Court.

Then the state government went on to give approval for private group housing societies on the land purchased by builders from farmers prospect of impending acquisition before.

Having come to know about such a fraud farmers started agitation and went to the high court against ABW Infrastructure Limited, Metropolis Realtors Pvt. Ltd. and Flair Realtors Pvt. Ltd., including others.

The farmers approached the Supreme Court after the Punjab and Haryana High Court on December 15, 2014 dismissed their petition.rchopra@tribunemail.com

Vishal Joshi

Tribune News Service

Kurukshetra, March 12



The candidature of Lt Gen DP Vats (retd) for the Rajya Sabha from Haryana is seen as another measure by the ruling BJP government to placate the Jat community.

Vats, who had served in the Jat regiment for five years, was closely engaged in the courts while defending khap panchayats.

In February 2013, Vats had filed an affidavit in the Supreme Court, explaining why khaps opposed same-gotra and same-village marriages.

He had also argued that khaps were never votaries of honour killings.

While defending the khaps in the apex court, Vats had reportedly stated that the community councils were misunderstood.

Tekram Kandela, the national convener of Sarvjatiya Sarv Khap Panchayats, told The Tribune that Vats was instrumental in pursuing the legal battles for the khaps.

Vats was actively involved in women empowerment events organised by khap panchayats of the significant Kandela khap and other community councils, he added.

Kandela said the BJPs political move was welcomed by the rural population.

Vats is the son of the soil who understands the social customs and traditions of the rural Haryana. Sarvjatiya Sarv Khap had engaged him as a legal adviser after he volunteered to defend khaps before various legal platforms, he said.

Kandela said Vats was also closely associated with khaps on the women empowerment, including against female foeticide and honour killing.

Sarvjatiya Sarv Khap Panchayat welcomes the decision by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP of selecting a person like Vats. Parliament should have more such representatives who value the social customs with a progressive mindset, said the khap leader from Jind.

Meanwhile, political analysts said Vats, a Brahmin, was also recognised for working with khaps.

An expert said that at the recent Yuva Hunkar Rally in the Jat heartland of Jind, BJP president Amit Shah had tried to shed the political perception that the saffron party was against Jats on the reservation issue.

Shah had lauded Agriculture Minister Om Prakash Dhankar for his contribution to farmers welfare, and state BJP chief Subhash Barala for strengthening the party. He congratulated BJP leaders for organising a rally in Jind, the home turf of Union Steel Minister Birender Singh. Besides Chief Minister ML Khattar, Shah had publicly lauded only Dhankar, Barala and Birender, all Jat leaders, said a political watcher.gspannu7@gmail.com

Majid Jahangir

Tribune News Service

Srinagar, March 12

Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has dropped J&K Finance Minister Haseeb Drabu from Cabinet over his remarks that Kashmir isnt a political issue which has embarrassed the party, top sources said.

They said decision to drop Drabu was taken as the PDP leadership, including the chief minister and senior party leaders, decided to go tough against Drabu for going against party line during his speech in New Delhi.

Yes, PDP has decided to drop Drabu, a top PDP leader said. Obviously all other necessary formalities are being done.

On Sunday, Chief Minister Mehbooba Muftis uncle and partys second in command Sartaj Madni had asked Drabu to retract the statement immediately.

Governor NN Vohra has accepted the removal of Drabu from the council of ministers in response to Chief Minister Mehbooba Muftis letter urging him to accept her request to drop the minister.

Since yesterday, pressure was mounting on Drabu, who played a key role in stitching an alliance with the BJP during Mufti Mohammed Sayeed's tenure earlier and again when Mehbooba Mufti became the chief minister, after newspapers published his remarks that people were "barking up the wrong tree" as the Kashmir issue was not a political issue.

"It (JK) is not a political issue as far as I can see. They have been barking up the wrong tree for the last 50 or 70 years by talking about the politics of it; that the political situation has never improved. We seriously need to look at in terms of how it is a society that is in search for itself," Drabu had said at an event organised by the PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry in New Delhi on Friday.  With agency inputsamansharma@tribunemail.com

Satya Prakash

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, March 12

Taking note of the Centre's submission that the Mehbooba Mufti government has "in principle" agreed to consider setting up a state minority commission, the Supreme Court on Monday disposed of a PIL demanding such a statutory body in Jammu and Kashmir where Muslims constitute more than 68% of the population.

"The state government of Jammu and Kashmir has, in principle, given indication that (it) will consider and examine the need and feasibility of setting up of a state minority commission at the relevant point of time as and when need arises based upon the critical study of the social and educational backwardness of the minorities spread across various regions of the state," Attorney General KK Venugopal told the top court quoting from an office memorandum.

The OM dated February 23 is based on a meeting held on January 12 between the Centre and states, including the Jammu and Kashmir, where Hindus are in minority.

A three-judge bench headed by Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra, which said courts can't issue such a direction, disposed of the petition filed by Jammu-based advocate Ankur Sharma after Venugopal submitted the state government would examine the need and feasibility of a commission for minorities in Jammu and Kashmir.

To cater to the special needs of minorities, a special project -- Chief Minister Inclusive Development Initiative -- has been formulated by the state government, he said.

On behalf of the state government, senior advocate Rakesh Dwivedi and advocate Shoeb Alam told the bench that the memorandum made the states stands clear.

Differences between BJP and PDP had come to the fore on February 9 after the Modi government accused the Mehbooba Mufi-led PDP-BJP government of going back on its word on setting up a commission for minorities in Jammu and Kashmir.

Advocate Ankur Sharma -- who has filed a PIL seeking a direction to the state to establish a state minorities commission -- has accused the Mehbooba Mufti government of denying minority right to Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists and Christians in Jammu and Kashmir. Sharma, a Jammu-based advocate, alleged that the benefits meant for minorities were going to the majority community i.e. Muslims in Jammu and Kashmir.

According to the 2011 Census, Hindus constitute 28.4 per cent of the total population in Jammu and Kashmir, followed by Sikhs (1.9 per cent), Buddhists (0.9 per cent); and Christians (0.3 per cent). In Kashmir valley, about 96.4 per cent are Muslims, followed by Hindus (2.45 per cent), Sikhs (0.98 per cent) and others (0.17 per cent).

Sharma alleged that crores of rupees were being squandered away as the state was spending money on unidentified minorities as Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Christians are not identified as minorities despite being lesser in number than Muslims.

A joint committee consisting of Union minority affairs secretary, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Secretary and certain other officials had been constituted pursuant to the courts March 27 order.

The panel was supposed to submit a joint proposal before the top court suggesting solutions to the problems faced by Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists and Christians owing to their non-identification as minorities in the state.

The Mehbooba Mufti-led PDP-BJP government of Jammu and Kashmir had earlier opposed creation of a minority commission in the state, saying it was not the only state where minorities declared under the National Commission for Minorities Act were in majority and there was no such body.

Terming it a very very important issue, the top court had asked both the governments to decide if Muslims can be treated as minority in the state where they outnumber other religious groups.

In an affidavit filed in the top court last year, the state government had opposed a petition filed by advocate Ankur Sharma in 2016 seeking a direction to the state to set up a minority commission in the state to safeguard the interests of religious and linguistic minorities.rchopra@tribunemail.com

Chennai, March 12

Ten trekkers have died in a forest fire on the Kurangani Hills in Tamil Nadu, the District Collector said on Monday.

A rescue operation with the help of the Indian Air Force (IAF) helicopters has been under way since Sunday. A total of 27 trekkers were rescued from the fire in picturesque Theni district, some 520 km from here.

Chief Minister Edapaddi Palaniswami ordered inquiry into the fire, and announced compensation of Rs 4 lakh to the families of those killed.

The trekking group of eight men, 25 women and three children had camped at a place up in the hills on Saturday night. They were supposed to return on Sunday.

Earlier, in a tweet, Union Minister of State for Finance and Shipping Pon Radhakrishnan expressed grief and shock at the loss of life of those who were caught up in the blaze.

The Minister said he was praying for the fast recovery of those who were injured. He also thanked Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman for deploying the IAF team in the rescue effort.

According to a Tamil Nadu Fire and Rescue Services official, the operation was expected to be over by Monday afternoon.

Speaking to IANS, District Collector Pallavi Baldev said the operations were continuing and the trekkers were being brought down by the rescue team members.

A temporary helipad has been set up at the Bodi foothills. The injured have been admitted to hospitals in Madurai and Theni, she said.

The night climate was generally chilly while efforts were afoot to reach the stranded trekkers caught up in the blaze, the fire official added.

State Health Secretary J Radhakrishnan said six of the rescued admitted in a Madurai hospital had suffered serious burns.

The IAF commando team had flown in from the Sulur Air Base near Coimbatore late on Sunday and climbed up the hills.

Sitharaman had confirmed on Sunday that the commandos deployed in the rescue mission would carry medicines and provide medical assistance on spot.

Having access to advanced communication facilities, the IAF team was also deputed to check the landing facility for helicopter.

They decided on the best ways to evacuate those stuck on the hill, including the injured.

Speaking to the media on Sunday, Baldev had said that 24 trekkers from the Chennai Trekking Club and 12 from Erode and Tiruppur had gone up the Kurangani Hills.

The adventure was part of the Womans Day activity that was celebrated on Thursday.

A Tamil Nadu Forest Department official had said that the organisers had not obtained any permission for the trekking mission. IANSharinder@tribunemail.com

Shahira Naim

Tribune News Service

Varanasi, March 12

A picturesque boat ride from the ancient Assi ghat to Dasaswamedh ghat, a live demonstration of the famous Varanasi handloom weaver, shehnai player and other crafts as well as inauguration of a 100-MW solar park in Mirzapur  French President Emmanuel Macron on Monday was witness to the best of modern and ancient UP.

Accompanied by First Lady Brigitte Macron and the French delegation along with host PM Narendra Modi, the French President arrived at the Varanasi's Lal Bahadur Shastri International airport on Monday morning.

(Follow The Tribune on Facebook; and Twitter @thetribunechd)

They proceeded by chopper to Mirzapur's Dadar Kalan where they jointly inaugurated a Rs 560-crore100-MW solar park spread across 388 acres.

Back in Varanasi to an arousing welcome, the two leaders visited the newly set up Deen Dayal Hastkala Sankul. Listening to a live shehnai recital and interacting with the artisans, Modi kept explaining the finer points of the local crafts to his French guest during the live demonstration of crafts.

Later, arriving at the tastefully decorated Assi ghat, President Macron took a 500 metre 20-minute boat ride aboard the flower bedecked vessel, getting a perspective view of the ghats accompanied by Modi and UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.

Cultural programmes to receive the French guest comprised Sanskrit slokas, classical music and dances along the ghats, some of them hundreds of years old.

Later, Modi hosted lunch for the French guests at a prominent hotel after which the French delegation flew back to Delhi.ROBINSINGH@TRIBUNE.COM

Singapore: Congress president Rahul Gandhi has said he and his sister Priyanka Gandhi have completely forgiven his father Rajiv Gandhis killers.

(Follow The Tribune on Facebook; and Twitter @thetribunechd)

During his interaction with IIM alumni, Gandhi said: We were very upset and hurt and for many years quite angry. But, somehow, completely... in fact, completely (forgiven).

There is a history that when one realises... when these events take place, its a collision of ideas, forces, confusion... I remember when I saw Prabhakaran on TV lying dead, I got two feelings  one was why they are humiliating this man in this way.

And second was I felt really bad for him and for his kids and I did that because I understood deeply what it meant to be on the other side. So to me when I see violence regardless of who it is, I know that there is a human being behind that, there is a family behind that, a kid crying... I have been through a lot of pain to get this. I find it difficult to hate people, even my sister does, he said.

Gandhi, on a five-day trip to the S-E Asian countries, also said: We knew my father was going to die. We knew my grandmother was going to die. In politics, when you mess with the wrong forces, and if you stand for something, you will die. Thats pretty clear.

Asked if he thinks he had a privileged life, he said: Of course there are a number of privileges where I sit, but I would not say I havent been through a rough ride... I was 14 when my grandmother was assassinated. After that my father was killed. So you live in a particular environment... surrounded by 15 guys from morning, noon and night, I dont think thats a privilege. I think thats quite a hard thing to deal with, he said. PTIgspannu7@gmail.com

Smita Sharma

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, March 12

In what has caused much confusion, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is reportedly going to inaugurate the 105th Indian Science Congress this month where the Dalai Lama has been featured as a chief guest on the official website.

The annual meet of the premier scientific organisation of India is being held in Manipur University in Imphal from 16th to 20th March this year and is traditionally inaugurated by the prime minister every year.

But the announcement is surprising given the Indian Government recently distancing itself from programmes where the Dalai Lama would be present.

In a secret note written by Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale to Cabinet Secretary P K Sinha on 22 February and then circulated to all concerned, all senior leaders and government functionaries from Centre and State were advised to stay away from a series of events planned in the days ahead to mark the beginning of the 60th year in exile of the Dalai Lama.

Subsequently a mega Thank You India event planned in Thyagaraj Stadium in New Delhi for April 1 was shifted a day earlier with the venue changed to Dharamsala.

While an inter faith prayer that the Dalai Lama was to lead at Rajghat on March 31 was cancelled.

The foreign secretarys note accessed by The Tribune categorically states that the proposed period will be a very sensitive time in the context of Indias relations with China.

Both India and China since then have made positive statements in what is being perceived as attempts to improve atmosphere for formal talks and move past the shadow of the 73-day tense Doklam standoff at the tri-junction with Bhutan.

Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman is also expected to head to China in April.

The Dalai Lamas office though confirmed that the Tibetan spiritual leader had no plans to travel to Imphal and there has not even been an invitation to the effect.

We are very surprised as we have not even received any invitations. HHDL has confirmed travel plans elsewhere, said Tibetan officials in Dharamshala adding that he already has pre-scheduled plans to visit the University of Jammu for its convocation on the 18th and the annual meeting of Association of Indian Universities in Varanasi on March 19.rchopra@tribunemail.com

New Delhi, March 12

Karti Chidambaram, the arrested son of former Union Minister P Chidambaram, on Monday moved the Delhi High Court seeking bail, hours after a court sent him to judicial custody till March 24.

A Bench of Acting Chief Justice Gita Mittal and Justice C Hari Shankar said the matter would be heard tomorrow by an appropriate Bench after the counsel for Karti, senior advocate Dayan Krishnan, moved the court seeking bail.

A special court had earlier in the day sent Karti to judicial custody in the INX Media corruption case and dismissed his plea that he be put in a separate cell in Tihar Jail in view of a threat perception.

The court also dismissed his appeal for an urgent hearing on his bail plea and the threat perception due to the fact that his father, as a union minister in the previous UPA government, had handled several sensitive issues.

Karti was produced before the trial court on the expiry of his three-day police remand. The court sent him to Tihar Jail after the CBI, in whose custody he was quizzed for 12 days in a row after his arrest on February 28 from Chennai, said he was no longer required for further custodial interrogation.

The court said his bail plea would be heard on March 15 as scheduled.

Karti was arrested on his return from the United Kingdom in connection with an FIR lodged on May 15 last year.

It alleged irregularities in a Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) clearance given to a media house, INX Media, for receiving funds of about Rs 305 crore from overseas in 2007 when his father was the union finance minister.

The CBI had initially alleged that Karti Chidambaram received Rs 10 lakh as a bribe for facilitating the FIPB clearance to INX Media. It, however, later revised the figure to USD 1 million (about Rs 6.50 crore at the current exchange rate and Rs 4.50 crore in 2007).

The fresh evidence in the case, which triggered Kartis arrest, was based on a statement of Indrani Mukerjea, former director of INX Media (P) Ltd, who recorded it under Section 164 of the CrPC before a magistrate on February 17.  PTIuttara@tribuneindia.com

Suresh Dharur

Tribune News Service

Hyderabad, March 12

The Telangana Legislative Council chairman K Swamy Goud was injured during a ruckus in the joint session of the legislature on Monday when an opposition Congress MLA hurled a headphone at the podium.



The unsavoury incident occurred when protesting Congress legislators tried to disrupt Governor ESL Narasimhans address to the joint session on the opening day of the Budget Session.



Goud suffered injury in his right eye when the missile, hurled by Congress member K Venkat Reddy, hit him. He was taken to the Sarojini Devi Eye hospital where the doctors treated him for the injury and put him under observation for 24 hours.



Amid ruckus and slogan shouting, a Congress member threw the headphone towards the podium even as the members rose for national anthem following conclusion of the Governors address. Though I was in pain after being hit by the missile, I continued with the programme. We escorted the Governor out of the Assembly hall. Then, the Chief Minister (K Chandrasekhar Rao) noticed my injury and asked me to rush to hospital, Goud told reporters at the hospital.



The Congress members were protesting against the alleged callous attitude of the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) government towards the plight of farmers in the state in the wake of rising number of suicides. While BJP members boycotted the Governors address, the Congress members tried to stall the proceedings by raising slogans against the government. Marshals were deployed around the opposition benches to prevent the members from rushing to the well of the House.



Venkat Reddy, who represents Nalgonda constituency, hurled the headphone in a fit of rage.



Strongly condemning the rowdy behaviour of the Opposition, the Legislative Affairs Minister T Harish Rao said action would be taken against the errant member after going through the video footage. The Congress members came to the House fully-prepared to create trouble. This is most unfortunate. What would have happened if the headphone had hit the Governor? Rao said.amansharma@tribunemail.com

Satya Prakash

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, March 12

The Supreme Court on Monday issued notice to the Bar Council of India (BCI) on a BJP leaders plea seeking to debar MPs and MLAs from practising as advocates.

Petitioner Ashwani Kumar Upadhyaya  a Delhi BJP leader and advocate contended it was against the spirit of BCI Rules which required advocates not to be engaged in any full-time trade, business, occupation or profession as it would amount to conflict of interest.

Issuing notice to the BCI  which regulates legal profession and education in India  a bench headed by Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra said it wanted to know BCIs perception of the Rules and posted the matter for further hearing on April 23.

It is estimated that more than 500 lawmakers, including Kapil Sibal, Abhishek Manu Singhvi, KTS Tulsi, P Chidambaram, Vivek Tankha, K Parasaran, Meenakshi Lekhi, Pinaki Mishra and Satish Mishra, practise as lawyers.

Attorney General KK Venugopal told the bench that a panel set up by the BCI to examine the issue had opined against debarring lawmakers from practising as advocates. He said Parliament was in session only for a few months in a year.

Earlier in a letter to BCI Chairman Manan Kumar Mishra, Upadhyaya had in December last year said the practice of lawmakers doubling up as advocates also went against the Supreme Courts verdict in Dr. Haniraj L. Chulani v. Bar Council of Maharashtra & Goa (1996).

He cited BCI rules to list out restrictions on MPs and MLAs on taking up any employment and sought to highlight that those working with the Executive and the Judiciary were not allowed to practise as advocates.

Upadhyay -- who has filed several PILs in the Supreme Court -- termed it a violation of right to equality and right to non-discrimination guaranteed under Article 14 and Article 15 of the Constitution.

Several MPs and MLAs appeared as advocates in courts during Parliament and Legislative Assembly sessions, which was not only immoral and unethical but also in violation of Rule 49 of BCI Rules, he contended.

A Legislator enjoys better salary, allowance and post-retirement benefits than members of Executive and Judiciary. It is an honorable and fulltime profession but does not remain noble merely by calling it as such, unless he is dedicated for welfare of people.

Legislators are expected to put fulltime service to public and their constituents ahead of their personal interests. Nobility of the profession of Law also has to be preserved and protected. Therefore, provisions of the Advocates Act and BCI Rules must be given effect in letter and spirit to maintain clean and efficient Bar to serve the cause of justice, Upadhyay had written in his letter.uttara@tribuneindia.com

New Delhi, March 12

The Unique Identification Authority of India has dismissed claims of Aadhaar breach, two days after a French security expert claimed he could access 20,000 Aadhaar cards within 3 hours of manual search.

The French security researcher expert, who goes by the name Elliot Alderson, put up several tweets on March 10 updating his progress, and ended with a tweet that said: In less than 3 hours, I found more than 20000 Aadhaar cards available publicly on the web. Repeat after me: #Aadhaar is secure, #Aadhaar is secure...

I will play a game tonight: How many #Aadhaar card I can found in 3 hours?

Note: All the cards must be available publicly  Elliot Alderson (@fs0c131y) March 10, 2018

25 + 18365 + 4 + 7 + 516 + 716 + 16 + 12 + 4 + 200 = 19865 #Aadhaar cards found Yesterday, I found 20K+ #Aadhaar cards with a manual search. @UIDAI: Do I need to create a Twitter bot which is doing this work automatically and publish the result on Twitter to have a reaction from your side?  Elliot Alderson (@fs0c131y) March 11, 2018  Elliot Alderson (@fs0c131y) March 10, 2018

The UIDAI meanwhile has once again claimed there was no breach to the core data in the system, and has called Aldersons tweets irresponsible.

UIDAI has dismissed the reports as irresponsible which appeared in a section of social and other media on security of Aadhaar system being questioned on account of a few Aadhaar cards reportedly put on the internet by some unscrupulous elements.

Another tweet read: Publication of Aadhaar cards by some people have absolutely no bearing on UIDAI and not the least on Aadhaar security. Aadhaar as an identity document by its very nature needs to be shared openly with others as and when required and asked for.

It also claimed Aadhaar was never a confidential document.

Aadhaar just like any other identity document, therefore, is never to be treated as a confidential document.

Although Aadhaar has to be shared with others, it being a personal information like mobile number, bank account number, PAN card, passport, family details, etc, should be ordinarily protected to ensure privacy of the person.

It also added that while publication of personal information could attract civil lawsuits, it would not threaten other details, such as bank and PAN numbers.

READ:Rs 500, 10 minutes, and you have access to billion Aadhaar details

If anybody unauthorizedly publishes someones personal information such as Aadhaar card, passport, mobile number, bank account number, his photograph, he can be sued for civil damages by the person whose privacy right is infringed.

This is yet another reported instance of security breach in the central governments Aadhaar database.

This newspaper had reported in January how billions of Aadhaar details could be accessed for a mere Rs 500. The UIDAI had called it a case of misreporting, and had claimed that there was no breach to the biometric database. Agenciesrchopra@tribunemail.com

Parvesh Sharma

Tribune News Service

Sangrur, March 12

Former deputy chief minister Sukhbir Singh Badal on Monday alleged that Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh had failed to control drugs in Punjab.

Addressing the Poll Khol rally at Lehra in this district, Sukhbir alleged that the youth was not getting jobs, saying all government claims to have provided jobs to the youth remained only on paper.

He alleged that the Congress had stopped social welfare schemes.

The SAD president said the party in its core committee meeting had decided to boycott the Justice Ranjit Singh and Mehtab Singh commissions as both were close to Capt Amarinder Singh.

Sukhbir demanded a probe into the cases of sacrilege of Guru Granth Sahib by a sitting Supreme Court judge.

Speaking at the rally, SAD leader Bikram Singh Majithia alleged that the Congress had started imposing goonda tax on industry.

Addressing the rally, SAD secretary-general Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa claimed that the Congress government had failed on all fronts.pardeepdhull@gmail.com

Kabul, March 12

Seven Afghan civilians, including children, were killed and two others injured when Taliban militants attacked a vehicle with rockets in Nangarhar province, officials said on Monday.

The attack occurred at around 8.30 p.m. on Sunday in Bati Kot district, reports Xinhua news agency.

One of the injured remains in critical condition, the officials said.

Provincial Governor Mohammad Gulab Mangal strongly condemned the attack.  IANSpardeepdhull@gmail.com

Dhaka, March 12

A Bangladeshi court granted bail on Monday to former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia, who was jailed last month for five years for graft, raising a chance her party might take part in a December general election.

Zia is a two-term Prime Minister whose bitter rivalry with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has defined Bangladeshi politics for years.

Their feud hangs over the run-up to a December election with Zias Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) vowing to boycott the polls in a protest against what it has said was Zias unfair jailing on trumped up charges.

The High Court granted her bail for four months, Moudud Ahmed, a lawyer in the case and also a senior leader of Zias party, told reporters after the court ruling.

The decision to release Zia on bail could open the door to her partys participation in the general election, party secretary-general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir told Reuters.

We cannot say just now. Let our chief come out and then we will sit with her and well discuss it, Alamgir said.

We are always in favour of elections, but there must be a congenial atmosphere.

It was not immediately clear when Zia would be released from detention.

Earlier on Monday, Alamgir said an election without Zia would be meaningless. He also said that unless the judgement against her was overturned, she would not be able to contest the election even if she got bail.

Under Bangladesh electoral rules, anyone jailed for more than two years cannot contest an election for five years.

The BNP boycotted the last polls, in 2014, in a protest against Hasinas scrapping of the practice of having a caretaker government oversee elections.

A boycott in December would again give the prime ministers Awami League a clear run at power when the opposition could be benefiting from voter frustration with prices, unemployment, power cuts and anger over what many see as heavy-handed government tactics against opponents.

Another boycott would also dash any hopes of stability, and raise risks for the countrys garment industry, which accounts for 80 percent of exports, which could face disruption by transport blockades in the event of unrest.

Toxic politics

At the same time, efforts to combat Islamist militants behind a string of bloody attacks in recent years risk being hampered by turmoil.

Politics could become even more toxic, the International Crisis Group think-tank said in a recent note.

The governments continued marginalisation of BNP and its forcing underground of opponents like Jamaat-e-Islami, risk sapping resources from efforts to disrupt jihadists. Jamaat, Bangladeshs largest Islamist party and an ally of the BNP, has been accused of inciting militancy.

It denies that and opposition parties have denounced the crackdown on Jamaat leaders as a way to silence rivals.

The BNP says the case against Zia is politically motivated by a ruling party riding roughshod over human rights and the rule of law.

This is a totally one-party-rule here and it is totally dictatorial. Under these circumstances shes been convicted, Alamgir said.

Law Minister Anisul Huq said the court decision to grant Zia bail proved that the government did not interfere in court matters.

Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan, a senior member of Hasinas party, denied that the government had any role in Zias conviction, and said the BNP was merely trying to score political points with its accusations. Reuterspardeepdhull@gmail.com

Yangon, March 1

Myanmar is building security installations on top of razed Rohingya villages, Amnesty International said Monday, casting doubt on plans to repatriate hundreds of thousands of refugees.

Nearly 7,00,000 Rohingya Muslims have fled northern Rakhine state to Bangladesh since Myanmar launched a brutal crackdown on insurgents six months ago that the US and UN have called ethnic cleansing.

Myanmar rejects that term, saying it was responding to attacks by the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army in late August.

But critics accuse the military of using the insurgent attacks to launch disproportionate, scorched-earth clearance operations as a pretext to push out the loathed minority.

The new Amnesty report, Remaking Rakhine State, uses satellite imagery and interviews to point to a rapid increase in military infrastructure and other construction since the start of the year that researchers say amounts to a land grab.

The new evidence and the rebuilding that Amnesty has documented in our latest research shows that the Myanmar authorities are building over the top of the very places the Rohingya need to return to, Tirana Hassan, Amnestys crisis response director, told AFP ahead of the reports release on today.

In some instances there has been the destruction of existing homes. Though admitting the images only paint a partial picture, the rights group says structures for security forces, helipads and even roads have been built in and around torched Rohingya properties.

Satellite imagery of one village called Kan Kya on the outskirts of Rakhines Maungdaw town taken two months after the August attacks shows a settlement scarred by fire.

But by early March buildings could be seen on the revamped land. Amnesty believes they are part of a new base for security forces.

Similar building activity was also detected in Inn Din village, where Myanmar has admitted that its security forces took part in the killings of 10 Rohingya residents in September.

Rakhine state has been largely sealed off from rights groups, the media and UN investigators.

Myanmar and Bangladesh were supposed to start repatriating Rohingya refugees in late January but many are reluctant to return to a place without guarantees of basic rights and safety.

The report also highlights concerns that abandoned Rohingya land will be set aside for ethnic Rakhine Buddhists and other non-Muslim groups in the area, and that alterations to the landscape will erase evidence of alleged atrocities by the military.

Zaw Htay, a government spokesman, rejected the claims, and said the government was not basing military forces in residential areas but that police stations were part of village construction plans.

Its not true that we are deploying the military among houses and among villages, he said, adding that bulldozing is necessary to work on burned land. As this region is behind in development, we are rebuilding systematically.  AFPpardeepdhull@gmail.com

Islamabad, March 12

Two flight steward of cash-strapped Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) have been detained by the French authorities after one of them was allegedly caught with drugs in Paris, according to a media report.

Four packets of drugs were recovered from hidden pockets of Tanveer Gulzars coat during his body search, French officials were quoted as saying by the Dawn News.

However, they have not disclosed whether it was heroin, cocaine or hashish.

The rest of the crew members of the Islamabad-Paris flight PK-749 returned to Pakistan on Sunday.

Though, drugs have been recovered from the possession of the cabin crew member, the PIA management has not been informed about the kind and quantity of drugs, PIA spokesman Mashood Tajwar said.

Tanveer Gulzar, the PIA steward who was caught with drugs by the French customs while going to a hotel for rest, has been suspended by the management and will be terminated from service in the light of outcome of the investigation conducted by the French authorities, he said.

It is uncertain whether the flight steward will be punished in France or will be deported, he added.

Tajwar said another steward of the same flight, Amir Moeen, had been detained by the French authorities though he had not been charged so far. He has been detained for interrogation in the light of Tanveers statement, the report said.

Amir Moeen will also be suspended and will be sacked if his involvement in drug smuggling is proven by the French authorities, the spokesman said.

Such an incident is not a novelty for PIA, which is already plagued by financial woes.

PIA has been suffering huge losses and administration is trying to improve the situation but the airline is frequently facing embarrassment.

In May 2017, a PIA plane flying to Heathrow Airport was thoroughly searched and its 14 member crew detained by British authorities after landing in London over information that there were narcotics on board the flight.

The 14 crew members were kept in detention for five hours and, according to UK Border Agency (UKBA) sources.

According to the information, there was suspicion that the crew might be involved and the narcotics were hidden in different panels and areas of the plane, the report said. PTIpardeepdhull@gmail.com

London, March 12

British Prime Minister Theresa May will chair a meeting of her national security team on Monday after weekend confirmation that traces of a nerve agent used in the attempted murder of a Russian former double agent were found in a pub and a restaurant he visited.

May and senior ministers will receive an update on the investigation into the March 4 attack on Sergei Skripal, 66, and his 33-year-old daughter Yulia, as pressure mounts in Britain for answers over the incident.

The Times reported that the Prime Minister is on the brink of publicly declaring Russias involvement, possibly following the national security council meeting.

She is considering a raft of hard line responses, with diplomatic expulsions and rescinding the visas of Kremlin-linked residents among the possible measures, the paper said.

The Russian pair were found slumped on a bench in Salisbury, southwest England, and remain in a critical but stable condition in hospital. Authorities have yet to confirm the precise substance involved in the attack.

Sally Davies, Englands chief medical officer, revealed Sunday that up to 500 people who may have come into minimal contact with the nerve agent should wash their clothes and belongings as a precaution.

The advice was aimed at locals who visited The Mill pub and Zizzis restaurant that the targeted duo visited prior to falling ill.

There has been some trace contamination by the nerve agent, Davies said. I am confident this has not harmed the health of anyone who was in The Mill pub or Zizzis. The BBC reported a table at the restaurant was so contaminated that it had to be destroyed.

Davies added that pub and restaurant-goers last Sunday or Monday should wash clothing in the washing machine, while dry clean-only clothes should be put inside two tied plastic bags and safely stored while awaiting further advice.

She also gave detailed instructions for cleaning items such as mobile phones, handbags, jewellery and eyeglasses.

The advice, given a week after the incident, surprised residents repeatedly reassured they were in no danger.

Steve Cooper, who was in the pub around the same time as Skripal, told the BBC he was concerned.

The risk to public health remained low and the advice was precautionary, Public Health England said.

It is possible, but unlikely, that any of the substance which has come into contact with clothing or belongings could still be present in minute amounts, PHE said in a statement.

Over time, repeated skin contact with contaminated items may pose a small risk to health. Nick Bailey, one of the first police officers on the scene after Skripal and his daughter fell ill, is in hospital but conscious, local police have said.

Alastair Hay, an environmental toxicology professor at Leeds University, said the advice on cleaning clothes and possessions would provide an extra guarantee of safety.

If no one has had physical symptoms suggestive of nerve agent contact by now it is unlikely that they are a risk, he said.

Nerve agents vary in their rate of environmental breakdown. Sarin is one of those that degrades more rapidly whereas VX is more persistent. Meanwhile, Britains armed forces are expected to continue assisting police in the probe today.

Around 180 troops, including chemical warfare experts, have been deployed in Salisbury after investigators requested expert assistance.

Interior Minister Amber Rudd has said police were examining more than 200 pieces of evidence, had identified more than 240 witnesses, and were ploughing through security camera footage.

The Telegraph reported that experts were testing the substance to ascertain if it was produced in Russia.  AFPI-94 near Racine, Wisconsin, might accommodate autonomous trucks on strengthened shoulders, state highway officials say. This is a heavily traveled route for tractor-trailers. Image: Wisconsin DOT

Should freeway shoulders be set aside to run autonomous trucks? Wisconsins Department of Transportation is considering doing that along a portion of Interstate 94 to support the carrying of machinery to a new factory south of Milwaukee.

The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported last week that state highway officials have suggested that I-94 shoulders between Milwaukees Mitchell International Airport and an industrial site near Racine could be strengthened to support the trucks. This would convert the shoulders into haul roads, separate from normal traffic on the busy highway.

It would be part of the states desire to set up a test route for self-driving trucks, and to widen I-94 from three to four lanes, for which it is seeking $246 million in federal grants, the newspaper reported. The plan is in its really, really early stages, according to highway officials, but even a portion of that dough would buy a lot of grading, paving, and striping needed to guide autonomous trucks.

This section of I-94 is targeted to handle traffic expected from a huge new factory to be erected by Foxconn Technology Group, of Taiwan, outside of Racine, about 35 miles south of the airport. The plant will make digital flat screens for televisions, computers and other electronic equipment.

Production equipment will be flown into Mitchell Field (the airports old name and one still used by locals) every day for two-thirds of a year, Wisconsins transportation secretary, Dave Ross, said in a speech to a business group and an interview with the newspaper.

"It's going to take seven plane loads a day, seven days a week for nine months coming into Mitchell, taking about seven or eight truckloads of freight off one plane, and moving it to the site and having that equipment installed," he told the newspaper. Thats 49 or more truckloads per day.

Foxconn likes the idea of autonomous trucks, and thus the attention being paid to accommodating them. As I said, the I-94 widening project is because of that new factory. Do you think Foxconn has some clout with the state?

But, are dedicated lanes appropriate for testing autonomous trucks? Shouldnt they mingle with normal traffic so their cameras, radar systems, and computer algorithms get a decent challenge? Thats how testing has been carried out in other parts of the country, including here in Ohio, where I live.

Anyway, the WisDOT project will be an interesting one to watch, even from afar. And it will give me another excuse to travel to Milwaukee, my old home town.

After the Chicago North Shore & Milwaukee Railroad shut down in 1963, its abandoned right-of-way was considered as a haul route for tractor-trailers. The idea didn't fly. Image: Milwaukee Electric Railway

And it reminds me of another long-ago proposal for a haul road in the region. A high-speed interurban passenger railway, the Chicago North Shore & Milwaukee, shut down in January 1963 and its right-of-way went dormant. Some folks suggested that the state acquire that path and use it as a truck route so less traffic would use I-94, which was then being built. No one had the money for it, so the idea didnt fly.

If youve ever driven I-94 in that area, you know that hundreds of tractor-trailers roar by in a given hour, the same as on any I-road connecting major population centers. And that the old North Shore right-of-way mightve served a really useful purpose.An economic boost from Berlin  All signs point to growth and a record year  ITB Berlin reaffirms its standing as the Worlds Leading Travel Trade Show

BERLIN- An economic boost from Berlin  All signs point to growth and a record year  ITB Berlin reaffirms its standing as the Worlds Leading Travel Trade Show

With a five per cent increase in business volume at ITB Berlin 2018 compared to last year, and excellent business being forecast for the coming months, the international travel industry is well on course for a record year. As ITB Berlin concluded, the global travel industry presented itself in good health and in an optimistic mood, more so than for a long time.





The results of the five-day exhibition on the Berlin Exhibition Grounds mirrored the good atmosphere. The show, which had been booked to near capacity for months, impressively confirmed its role as a reliable economic indicator and forward-looking trendsetter. With around 110,000 trade visitors from Germany and abroad, ITB Berlin was able to reaffirm its standing as the Worlds Leading Travel Trade Show. Despite the warm spring weather around 60,000 members of the general public flocked to the display halls on the weekend to find out about the wide range of information available from exhibitors. The ITB Berlin Convention, which examined current issues such as overtourism and digitalisation, also underlined its role as the global travel industrys leading think tank.

The main reason for the industrys positive mood is the positive economic climate in the eurozone which according to leading economic institutes is better than at any time since the turn of the millennium. Dr. Christian Goke, CEO of Messe Berlin GmbH: The consistent forecasts of sustained global economic growth for the next two years decisively contributed to the positive mood among exhibitors and visitors these past few days. Against the backdrop of a booming economy, record low employment and good wage settlements, more and more consumers are willing to spend money. Furthermore, because of the strong euro and correspondingly weak dollar holidaying in numerous countries outside the eurozone is becoming noticeably cheaper.

Dr. Christian Goke continued: The extremely positive economic trend in the travel industry should not blind us to the fact that the industry faces great challenges around the world. The digital transformation of an entire industry continues to move forward apace and affects every company and provider, regardless. On the other hand, issues such as the need for greater security on ones travels, the increasingly important and controversial phenomenon of overtourism, and the globally changing face of travel brought about by companies such as Airbnb are decisively influencing the social discourse on the future of tourism. This year, ITB Berlin again presented itself as a platform that without exception debated all the important trends and the current issues in accordance with the industrys future needs.

From 7 to 11 March 2018, over a period of five days, more than 10,000 companies and organisations from 186 countries and regions exhibited their products to visitors in 26 halls on the Berlin Exhibition Grounds. Once again, there was a high percentage of buyers in a decision-making capacity: two-thirds of trade visitors said they were directly authorised to make buying decisions for travel products. Around 74 per cent of the ITB Buyers Circle attended in a decision-making capacity, with budgets that exceeded one million euros. More than one-third of the buyers present even had ten million euros and more at their disposal.

At this years ITB Berlin attention focused on the partner region Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. It organised the opening ceremony, which for the first time left a zero-carbon footprint. Over the five days of the show the German federal state exhibited its wide range of tourism products in two halls. With its Baltic coastline and well-known Lakeland region, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern is one of Germanys most attractive federal states. Ever since 1991 the state has been an important exhibitor at ITB Berlin. In Berlin the aim of the federal state in Germany's northeast was to attract greater international attention and at the same time to increase awareness for tourism in Germany. Harry Glawe, Economics Minister of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern: Mecklenburg-Vorpommern overall successfully attracted the attention of visitors with its diversity and wide range of tourism attractions. The opening gala, the states participation as a whole and its involvement with activities and events were well received at the show. This was clear from the many conversations and reactions from visitors. The show again demonstrated how important it is to draw attention to oneself. We would like to thank everyone involved who helped make the states appearance an unforgettable event. We look forward to being back next year.

The huge prospects that medical tourism has to offer the global tourism industry were highlighted at ITB Berlin. Due to high demand this segment, which was introduced only last year at the Worlds Largest Travel Trade Show, was relocated to a larger hall (21b). This year again, Travel Technology was one of the segments which displayed strong growth. Exhibitors including eNett, Traso,Triptease and Paymentwall, which increased their display areas, returning exhibitors, among them Travelport, as well as the Hospitality Industry Club, a newcomer, highlighted the excellent prospects of this fast-growing segment. The large increase in Chinese exhibitors there was particularly noticeable. The online portal Ctrip displayed its products in Berlin for the first time.

Two new formats celebrated their debut in Berlin, reflecting strong growth in the Luxury Travel segment. With the new Loop Lounge @ ITB (www.bit.ly/2p6eZLi) organised in collaboration with Loop, the trade show for luxury products, ITB Berlin had created a new platform for networking in an exclusive atmosphere with a select group of exhibitors, and with the first ITB Luxury Late Night the show provided an opportunity for visitors to cultivate contacts. Currently, luxury travel accounts for seven per cent of the market and annual growth is in double-digit figures. David Ruetz, head of ITB Berlin: Luxury travel is booming and with our innovative formats we are responding to this welcome development. With this initiative we are also establishing ourselves in a role that devotes even more attention to this growth market and are showcasing this trend on the exhibition grounds.

For the third year running ITB Berlin organised the ITB Chinese Night, where visitors were able to find out more about the Chinese travel market, exchange views and establish new contacts. The event was held in collaboration with Jin Jiang International and Ctrip for around 300 representatives of the travel industry. Potential exhibitors also received information about ITB China 2018, which from 16 to 18 May will be taking place for the second time in the major city of Shanghai.

For the ITB Berlin Convention, the global travel industrys leading think tank, which hosted around 150 sessions featuring over 300 outstanding speakers, the event was also a success. Messe Berlin had been able to secure Zambia as the Convention & Culture Partner. Situated in the middle of southern Africa, this country is still largely untouched by tourism. However, it is gradually establishing itself as a popular travel destination. Other partners of the ITB Berlin Convention included the World Tourism Cities Federation (WTCF) in the role of co-host, Ctrip.com International, the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), and the Ministry for Culture and Tourism of the Republic of Turkey.

Malaysia will be the official partner country of ITB Berlin 2019. We want to increase tourism and establish Malaysia as a tourism destination, said DatoSri Abdul Khani Daud from Tourism Malaysia at ITB Berlin.

Wolfgang Waldmuller, president of the Regional Tourism Association of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern: In its role as the partner region of ITB Berlin, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern was able to focus international attention on the diversity of the state that is Germanys most popular tourism destination. By showcasing the best of everything that Mecklenburg-Vorpommern has to offer between the Baltic and Lakeland region, particularly its nature attractions, we were able to attract the attention of international buyers, opinion-formers and potential visitors on an unprecedented scale and drew a huge response from the media. Whether it was the spectacular opening gala to which more than 3,000 guests from 110 countries had been invited, our participation in the first Berlin Travel Festival, or the ITB Grand Finale, Germanys northeast left a lasting impression. We will continue where we left off and ensure that this tourism destination profits from the contacts we established.

Norbert Fiebig, president of the German Travel Association (DRV): The desire of German citizens to travel could be felt in every hall at ITB Berlin and the foundation has been laid for 2018 to be a great success. ITB Berlin is not only a place for marketing destinations, but also an early indicator of how tourism bookings will develop for the summer travel season. In that respect the basic mood within the industry was very positive. This year, overtourism was a key topic at the show. Growth and responsibility go hand in hand and the travel industry is keenly aware of its responsibility. Once again, ITB Berlin picked up on the current trends and formulated new ones.

president of the Federal Association of the German Tourism industry (BTW): At ITB Berlin 2018 we witnessed everything: impressive figures, dominant themes and innumerable outstanding tourism products from Germany and around the world. Over the past few days reports of record figures, positive survey results and inspiring tourism products for upcoming holidays have made us optimistic that providers and visitors can look forward to 2018 being an outstanding year for tourism. ITB Berlin again proved that in our industry nations and people working together to understand each other goes without saying, and not just on the exhibition grounds. Hospitality, a cosmopolitan outlook and bringing people and cultures together  that is what we and our tourism products stand for.

The next ITB Berlin will take place from Wednesday, 6 to Sunday, 10 March 2019.Muhammad Hussain awaiting resettlement at the Emergency Transit Centre in Timisoara, Romania.  UNHCR/Ioana Epure

TIMISOARA, Romania  More than 30 years ago, Muhammad Hussain, aged just 23, took responsibility for getting his wife, his mother, two brothers and four sisters out of Afghanistan to safety after war broke out.

It was the start of an odyssey that took them to Turkey, Iran then in 1989 to Syria, where he believed they had found peace. He began rebuilding his life through hard work, first in construction, then by starting two businesses of his own, only to see it fall apart when war broke out in the country he had called home.

More than 5 million refugees have fled Syria since 2011, but the country is less well-known for sheltering thousands of refugees from elsewhere, who often find themselves trapped by the conflict.

This year UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, has asked resettlement countries to open their doors to 1,500 refugees still in Syria  1,340 Iraqis, 80 Afghans and 80 from other countries  who are not adequately protected there.

Hussain is one of the lucky ones. After reaching Romania, where they spoke to UNHCR, he and his wife Sakina and their youngest son,18-year-old Murtaza Husaini, are now in the United Kingdom. UNHCRs support and the British governments generosity through its resettlement programme have given the family a chance to start their lives over again.

When the war started, I thought after a few months, it will be finished.

Over the decades, Hussains siblings and his two older sons found safety at opposite ends of the earth, in the United States and Australia.

Resettlement keeps refugees safe by moving them to a secure third country, says Montserrat Feixas Vihe, UNHCRs regional representative for Central Europe. The Emergency Transit Centre in Timisoara, Romania, is an important place where refugees on their way to a resettlement country can stay safe while their case is completed.

Life in Syria was relatively good before fighting began in 2011, Hussain recalls. Echoing the words of refugees the world over, he says: When the war started, I thought today, maybe tomorrow, after a few months, it will be finished. Until 2014 I still thought there would be peace.

Refugees awaiting resettlement at the Emergency Transit Centre in Timisoara, Romania.  UNHCR/Ioana Epure

Reluctantly abandoning those hopes, he registered with UNHCR as a refugee in Syria that year.

During his time in Syria, he made some choices he says people with more comfortable lives in peaceful countries might find difficult to understand. Desperate to provide his two older sons safety and education, he used his life savings, the proceeds from both his businesses, to send them out of the country separately, using people smugglers.

I dont want for people to help me. I like to help people.

For anyone tempted to judge his decision, he says: We have a saying in my country: Those who have a full stomach dont think the same as someone who is hungry.

At 57, Hussain is grateful for the new start in the UK: For the few years I have left, my life will be in peace. Speaking his native Dari through an interpreter, he says he hopes to learn English as well as he learned Arabic in Syria.

His wife Sakhina, is less excited about the need to learn another language in one more country after a lifetime on the move.

Hussain plans to put into practice the advice he gave his children throughout the familys peripatetic life. I told them, everywhere you go, try to integrate.

As soon as he arrived in the UK, he vowed to start work immediately. I dont want for people to help me. I like to help people.GLO.ACT runs workshop for Egyptian prosecutors on migrant smuggling

Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt - 12 March 2018 - The National Coordinating Committee on Preventing and Combating Human Trafficking and Migrant Smuggling, the International Cooperation and Human Rights Division in the Office of the Egyptian Prosecutor General and UNODC, under the framework of GLO.ACT, organized the seventh workshop, training 20 national prosecutors from different governorates across the canal region on migrant smuggling.

Egypt is a source, transit, and destination country for trafficking in persons (TIP) and the smuggling of migrants (SOM). In 2016, Egypt adopted Law No. 82/2016 on Combating Illegal Migration and the Smuggling of Migrants, which merged the National Coordinating Committee for Combating and Preventing Illegal Migration and the National Coordinating Committee for Combating and Preventing Trafficking in Persons (NCCPIM & TIP). Together with Law no. 64 of 2010 on TIP, Egypt now has a comprehensive legal framework to combat TIP and SOM.

UNODC supports the implementation of the legal framework through a series of training workshops for police officers, prosecutors and judges to strengthen national capacity to investigate, prosecute and adjudicate crimes of human trafficking and migrant smuggling. The workshop held in Sharm El Sheikh is the seventh workshop in the series taking place across different regions in Egypt.

The four-day workshop covered a broad range of topics, such as:

The constituent elements of the TIP and SOM: definitions and differences;

The United Nations Convention on Transnational Organized Crime;

The Protocols against the Smuggling of Migrants and Trafficking in Persons;

The Arab Convention on Transnational Organized Crime;

The national law on SOM;

Investigation techniques; and

Protection principles in SOM cases.

During his opening speech, Mr. Mohamed Ezzat, Chief Prosecutor in the International Cooperation and Human Rights Division in the Office of the Egyptian Prosecutor General, praised UNODC efforts to counter all types of organized crime, especially TIP and SOM. He also thanked the EU for their support in tackling SOM and said that his office was looking forward to even more cooperation in the future. Also addressing the workshop participants, Mr. Khaled El Nakkady, Senior Coordinator at the National Coordinating Committee on Preventing and Combating Human Trafficking and Migrant Smuggling, thanked UNODC for delivering and coordinating such workshops and commented positively about the training model the organization uses to deliver the workshops. He reaffirmed Egypt's commitment to extend its strategic cooperation with all donors and international organizations.

Upon the conclusion of the workshop, the participating national prosecutors were encouraged to provided feedback. Many commented on the excellent quality of the experts and trainers that delivered the training. Others explained that being able to discuss the issue of SOM in this setting helped them realize that they had indeed encountered SOM cases in the past. The prosecutors now feel capable of applying the new legal framework when considering such cases. These renewed insights also formed the basis of some very interesting discussions around the possible application of the law in the future.

The Global Action to Prevent and Address Trafficking in Persons and the Smuggling of Migrants (GLO.ACT) is a four-year (2015-2019), 11 million joint initiative by the European Union (EU) and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC). The project is being implemented in partnership with the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF). GLO.ACT aims to provide assistance to governmental authorities and civil society organizations across 13 strategically selected countries: Belarus, Brazil, Colombia, Egypt, Kyrgyz Republic, Lao PDR, Mali, Morocco, Nepal, Niger, Pakistan, South Africa, Ukraine. GLO.ACT works with the 13 countries to plan and implement strategic national counter-trafficking and counter smuggling efforts through a prevention, protection, prosecution, and partnerships approach. It supports the development of more effective responses to trafficking and smuggling, including providing assistance to victims of trafficking and vulnerable migrants through the strengthening of identification, referral, and direct support mechanisms.

For more information, please contact:

Mr. Faisal Hegazy

GLO.ACT National Programme Officer

faisal.hegazy@unodc.org

www.unodc.org/unodc/en/human-trafficking/glo-act/

Email: glo.act@un.org

Twitter: @glo_actGLO.ACT supports meeting of Trafficking in Persons' data network focal points in Brazil

Brasilia, Federal District, Brazil - 12 March 2018 - The Global Action against Trafficking in Persons and the Smuggling of Migrants ( GLO.ACT) together with the Special Secretariat of Policies for Women of the Presidency of the Republic held a technical meeting of focal points belonging to the Trafficking in Persons (TIP) Data Network on 1 March 2018. The network is led by the National Policy to Combat TIP, which includes the National Secretariat of Policies for Women, the Ministry of Human Rights and the National Secretariat of Justice.

The objective of the meeting was to discuss the Secretariat's proposal for the implementation of the Protocol of Attention to Women in Situation of International Trafficking in Persons of the Meeting of Ministers and High Authorities of Mercosur. The meeting was the first of three meetings; the remaining meetings will look at subjects such as assistance provisions for TIP victims, including their access to shelters, and prosecution of traffickers under the protocol.

During the meeting, each institution presented their TIP databases and discussed limitations and possibilities of coordinating the data with other institutions. Participants spoke about the difficulty of identifying and registering TIP cases, the need for better data collection technology, the importance of confidentiality, the need to revise the current methodology of data collection, the need to train those who receive reports and how these reports may be important evidence for police investigations. All participants agreed on the importance of continuing to obtain reliable and accurate data to underpin the protocol. Furthermore, participants also agreed that more work was needed to develop effective policies against TIP from a gender perspective.

The Consular Assistance Division and the Social Themes Division of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs proposed capturing the reality of Brazilian TIP victims abroad. According to their data, in Europe, Spain, Portugal, Switzerland, Holland and Italy are main destination countries for female TIP victims, whereas in South America Guiana, Suriname and French Guiana are destinations countries. Most of the women are between 18 and 35 years old, and the main forms of exploitation identified have been sexual exploitation, labor exploitation and false imprisonment. In addition, the existing network of women shelters, known as the 'Brazilian Woman House' and managed by the National Secretariat of Policies for Women, was also discussed.

At the end of the meeting a set of criteria and indicators were agreed upon regarding the registration of TIP cases in databases, taking into account the victims' consent to do so and the information sharing method among the institutions in the Anti-Trafficking in Persons' data network. Moreover, the development of a national protocol, along the lines of the Protocol of Attention to Women in Situation of International Trafficking in Persons of the Meeting of Ministers and High Authorities of Mercosur, was also proposed.

Additional meeting participants represented the 180 hotline for women of the National Secretariat of Policies for Women, the General Coordination of the 100 hotline for Children of the Ministry of Human Rights, the General Coordination to combat Trafficking in Persons of the National Secretariat of Justice, the Department of the Federal Police, the Consular Assistance Division and the Social Themes Division of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Working Group to Combat Trafficking in Persons of the Public Defender's Office.

The Global Action to Prevent and Address Trafficking in Persons and the Smuggling of Migrants (GLO.ACT) is a four-year (2015-2019), 11 million joint initiative by the European Union (EU) and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC). The project is being implemented in partnership with the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF). GLO.ACT aims to provide assistance to governmental authorities and civil society organizations across 13 strategically selected countries: Belarus, Brazil, Colombia, Egypt, Kyrgyz Republic, Lao PDR, Mali, Morocco, Nepal, Niger, Pakistan, South Africa, Ukraine. GLO.ACT works with the 13 countries to plan and implement strategic national counter-trafficking and counter smuggling efforts through a prevention, protection, prosecution, and partnerships approach. It supports the development of more effective responses to trafficking and smuggling, including providing assistance to victims of trafficking and vulnerable migrants through the strengthening of identification, referral, and direct support mechanisms.

For more information, please contact:

Ms. Fernanda Patricia Fuentes Munoz

National Project Officer

Liaison and Partnership Office in Brazil

fernanda.fuentes@unodc.org

https://www.unodc.org/unodc/en/human-trafficking/glo-act/

Email: glo.act@un.org

Twitter: @glo_actVanessa Sansone's research aims to advance equity and success for diverse student populations in higher education.

(March 12, 2018) -- Vanessa Sansone, an assistant professor of higher education in the Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies at The University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA), focuses on research aimed to advance equity and success for diverse student populations in higher education.

Sansone is a first-generation college student who grew up on the eastside of San Antonio. Her experiences living in a low-income part of town drive her commitment to advance social justice for marginalized students in higher education.

>> Learn more about UTSA's first-generation family.

We recently asked Sansone to provide us with an update about her work.

Tell us about your current research.

In my scholarship, I have focused on issues related to student retention, higher education access, student success and how institutional, state and national policies impact these issues. I am especially interested in exploring and addressing how inequity structures the experiences and outcomes for diverse student populations and institutions. Specifically, my research interests focus on college affordability, Hispanic Serving Institutions, governance structures and postsecondary student trajectories, especially among Latinas/os, student veterans and first-generation college students.

Right now, I am focusing on a piece that examines how working in college influences the experiences and outcomes of first-generation Latina/o students. This work began in collaboration with Dr. Anne-Marie Nunez at The Ohio State University and led to a co-authored publication in The Review of Higher Education, a top-tier journal in our field.

Together, we are examining how work contributes to professional identities and work-based outcomes that extend beyond economic gains for first-generation Latina/o students who are majoring in STEM. I recently attended an invited lecture at the University of Wisconsin-Madisons Center for Research on Workforce Transition where I spoke to UW-Madison faculty, staff and students about this publication and area of my research.

What impact do you hope your research will have?

My main aim is to conduct research that positively impacts higher education policy across all levels, i.e. institutional, state and federal. And that this in turn increases the college access, experiences and attainment of students from underrepresented backgrounds.

In my current research about working college students, there is a timeliness in terms of policy. Federal government discussions are happening right now about cutting funding for the federal work-study program. The findings from my research counter negative narratives about work-study programs and demonstrate how work can positively influence success for less privileged students. I intend to my research to aid in policy reform.

Whats the most important thing going on in your field that no one is talking about right now?

The problem we face is that there are far too few talking about several important issues. But one salient issue that I think we should be talking more about in higher education is the Academy functioning in an era of neoliberalism. Forms of neoliberalism can be seen when a higher education organization is centered in audit cultures, merit regimes and mission creep, and not on the needs, experiences and successes of its underrepresented student population.

To me, this is especially troubling, given that ethnic minority demographics are rising across the United States. This approach creates very narrowed definition of what success means. But it is important to recognize that success can happen in many non-dominant ways, especially at open access institutions that are serving large populations of minority students.

For example, at UTSA, we are serving large populations of underrepresented students in ways that are not acknowledged by static metrics. It is my hope that one day we will be but, in the meantime, we as an organization should look to taking control of our own narrative and celebrate our successes beyond these metrics, because we have many.

In fact, I think that what we do here at UTSA can serve as a model that other institutions across the U.S. can learn from, especially in terms of effectively serving students from minoritized backgrounds.

How has your personal journey influenced your work?

Growing up in a poverty-stricken area of inner city San Antonio, Texas to a low-income family, and attending a college-prep high school on an affluent side of town, I was reminded each day of how unequal the playing field is for many youths in terms of access to equitable education and social mobility.

In my own experiences navigating college as an undergraduate, the road to a degree was often challenging. Mostly the challenge was unrelated to academic preparation, and instead was due to a lack of mentorship, support and advocacy for my needs that did not reflect the larger population of affluent students with parents that attended college.

I can recall of a time when I thought I would have to withdraw from college so that I could get a full-time job and help my family pay for bills. These experiences have greatly shaped the way that I think about my research. In fact, I often reflect on my experiences when conducting research to see where assumptions or potential gaps lie. Due to the personal connection I have with my research, I tend to be very passionate about my research because many times I see myself in the students that I am studying.

What advice would you give first-generation students as they pursue their academic goals?

The first thing that I would say to first-generation students is to recognize that you are meant to be here. Yes, it will be hard along the way, but you can do this. I also advise students to not be afraid to ask questions and ask for help. When something is unclear or is unknown to you, feel free to reach out to a faculty member, advisor and/or staff member for help. I also encourage students to ask multiple sources.

Within the same vein, first-generation students should seek out a mentor. Mentorship has been shown time and time again to positively influence student success. In fact, at UTSA we have a wonderful first-generation student-faculty member mentorship program called First 2 Go and Graduate (F2G&G). I recently joined the F2G&G program as a faculty mentor and am currently looking for undergraduate students to mentor. I encourage students to reach out to me if theyre interested.

Lastly, do not let the fear of failure hold you back in your educational pursuits. To me, failing can be a good thing, because it is in failing that there is opportunity for learning and growth. Growth that with time makes you more resilient to failure. In my approach to addressing my fear of failure and feeling like an imposture, I always say to myself, What have I got to lose? If they tell me no, all I can do is try again.

I would advise first-generation students to engage with their peers. This engagement can happen in the classroom, through work-study, with a campus organization or with a study group. To me this is important, because some of the best learning is gained from student peers. Lastly, choose a work position that is flexible with your school schedule and offers an opportunity for learning to occur. Forms of work that have been shown in my research to be beneficial to first-generation college students are either work positions that are a) on-campus; b) tied to your major; or c) meaningful to you in some way.

What do you enjoy doing when you have some free time?

When I have free time, I enjoy hanging out with my partner, Greg Sansone, who works at USAA and lectures in the Multidisciplinary Studies program at UTSA, and our two fur-babies. I also like to spend time BBQing with my extended family who are located here in San Antonio.Sanah Jivani overcame personal challenges by helping others.

(March 12, 2018) -- Not many college freshmen can say they have founded their own non-profit organization. But Sanah Jivani can. Its just one reason why Ann Eisenberg, director of the UTSA Office of Scholar Development, knew she wanted to nominate Jivani for the Truman Scholarship.

The competitive scholarship, awarded annually since 1977, supports aspiring public service leaders in the United States.

When I first walked into Dr. Eisenbergs office as a freshman, she told me about the criteria, Jivani recalls. I remember reading the bios of the other Truman Scholars and thinking to myself, This is not going to happen to me.

As a freshman, Jivani wasnt eligible yet. Three years later, though, everything has changed. Jivani, a junior majoring in sociology and communications, received an e-mail, naming her a finalist for the Truman Scholarship.

Jivanis path to serving others began through personal challenges. In the seventh grade, she lost all of her hair due to a medical condition called alopecia, which she developed as a toddler. As a result, she says she struggled with wigs, self-hatred and self-harm.

Jivani eventually realized the best way to overcome her own challenges was by helping others. Thats when she founded The Love Your Natural Self Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to improving self-esteem and empowering others to be the best version of themselves. So far, the foundation has raised more than $30,000 to provide free curriculum to schools to educate students on how to practice self-love and self-acceptance.

Every time Im faced with a challenge, Jivani said, I ask myself, How can this challenge inspire me to help others?

Jivani hopes to be the second UTSA student to ever win the scholarship. But to become a finalist is an accomplishment in itself.

Of the more than 750 nominations, The Truman Foundation has thus far selected 194 finalists. The foundation is narrowing the pool now, following interviews with Jivani and the other 193 competitors.

Each Truman Scholar receives up to $30,000 for graduate study. Scholars also receive priority admission and supplemental financial aid at some premier graduate institutions, leadership training, career and graduate school counseling, and special internship opportunities within the federal government.

The first-generation student calls this opportunity a dream come true that would not be possible without support from UTSA.

Dr. Eisenberg believed that I could do it. She believed in me so much, that somewhere along the way, I started to believe in myself, Jivani said. I cannot imagine what my undergraduate career would be without her or the UTSA Honors College.

Jivani interviewed with The Truman Foundation in Austin last week. The 2018 Class of Truman Scholars will be announced on April 20.Wyoming Native and UW Alumna Returns to Fulfill Role as UW Archivist

Sara Davis

Sara Davis, a Wyoming native and University of Wyoming alumna, is the new university archivist at the American Heritage Center (AHC).

I am extremely grateful for the opportunity to return to a community that I feel dear to my heart -- Wyoming, the Rocky Mountain region and the university -- to help in the preservation of our history, Davis says.

Davis holds an associate degree in music from Laramie County Community College and two degrees from UW  a bachelors degree in humanities and fine arts, and a bachelors degree in English, with a minor in psychology. Additionally, she has a masters degree in library science, with a concentration in archives management, from Simmons College, and a digital archives specialist certificate from the Society of American Archivists.

Davis left Wyoming to attend Simmons College in Boston to pursue a higher education at a nationally renowned American Library Association accredited program. Her intention was to, one day, return to her home state and share her experiences and knowledge to advance public information.

I look forward to engaging our community in preserving our history and playing an active role in collecting materials that document campus culture, the history of the University of Wyoming, its administration, programs, services and members of its communities, Davis adds.

While in Boston, Davis gained experience in the archives management field by working with the Appalachian Mountain Club, the University of Massachusetts Boston and the Frederick Law Olmsted National Historic Site, as well as participating in professional organizations such as the New England Archivists and Society of American Archivists. Additionally, Davis served as a consultant for the National Association of Olmsted Parks. There, she was the digital archivist and project manager for the National Park Service at the Frederick Law Olmsted National Historic Site.

The university archivist serves as a liaison between the AHC and the departments, faculty, staff and student organizations to assist in records retention schedules, which are critical in terms of the legal value of records as evidence and the reliability of information, as well as collecting materials that help document UW.

Overall, the university archives aim to collect documentation on the seven functions of an academic institution: convey knowledge, advance knowledge, confer credentials, foster socialization, maintain and promote culture, sustain the institution and provide public service.

The AHC is UWs repository for about 3,500 collections with a broad range of research value in multiple formats, including manuscript collections, rare books and university archives. The AHC is the laboratory for citizens and scholars to engage with primary sources in all formats that support the creation of historical narratives, interrogate the past, build community, and pose and answer questions about human experience. The AHC holds collections of distinction, serving citizens and scholars in Wyoming and others.

The AHC collections are still growing, and all collections are open to the public.Inside the Basilica of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem, one of the sites maintained by the Franciscan Custody of the Holy Land

Cardinal Leonardo Sandri, head of the Congregation for Eastern Churches, appeals to Catholics to give generously to support those fleeing from violence in Syria and Iraq

By Philippa Hitchen

The annual Good Friday collection for the Holy Land was launched on Monday, with an appeal for funds to support the people and places in the lands where Jesus lived.

Catholic Churches in countries around the globe have traditionally made a special collection in Lent, with the money being used for restoration and upkeep of the holy sites, care of pilgrims, and assistance to needy Christian families throughout the region.

Franciscan Custody in charge of holy sites

Most of the money from the collection is managed by the Franciscan Custody of the Holy Land, which has been in charge of the conservation of the holy sites in the Middle East for the past eight centuries. A part of the funds is also distributed by the Vaticans Congregation for Oriental Churches, largely for the formation and support of local clergy.

In a letter accompanying the launch, Cardinal Leonardo Sandri, Prefect of the Congregation, described the Lenten season as an itinerary of solidarity, during which we are called to pause and, like the Good Samaritan, accompany our brethren who for many reasons find it difficult to stand up and continue their journey.

Recent restorations in Bethlehem and Jerusalem

He noted that both the Basilica of the Nativity in Bethlehem and the Basilica of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem have been recently restored, thanks to the collaboration and the generosity of so many persons of good will.

He also praised the work of the Catholic community in the Holy Land, represented by its many different Eastern Rite Churches, that continue to show a preferential attention to the poor despite the many challenges and insecurities they face.

Support for Syrian and Iraqi refugees

Cardinal Sandri recalled the vital role of Catholic schools, which serve as a place of encounter for Christians and Muslims, as well as the hospitals and clinics, the hospices and other parish centres which continue to welcome the suffering, the refugees and all those fleeing from war.

Money raised by the Good Friday collection traditionally goes to support projects and communities throughout Palestine, Israel, Jordan, Cyprus, Syria, Lebanon, Egypt, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Turkey, Iran and Iraq.

In his letter, Cardinal Sandri appealed especially for financial support for Christian families and young people who have fled from the fighting in Syria and Iraq. Most of them, he said, want to return to their own land, where their houses, schools, hospitals and churches have been devastated. Let us not leave them alone, he urged.Latin Rite Bishops from the Arab Regions have completed a five day assembly in Rome where they prayed at papal basilicas and met with Pope Francis

By Richard Marsden

Bishops from across the Middle East have made pilgrimages to three papal basilicas to pray for the strengthening of the faith of Catholics in their countries who live in difficult situations.

Members of the Conference of Latin Bishops of the Arab Regions (Celra) said they also received great encouragement from Pope Francis prayers and work for peace across the Middle East during a meeting with him as part of a five-day trip to Rome.

In a statement published on Monday, prelates from several countries said they prayed for the faithful particularly in Syria, Iraq, Palestine, Somalia and Yemen during their pilgrimages to the Basilicas of St Peter, St Mary Major, and St Paul Outside the Walls. Their assembly also coincided with their ad limina visit to the Holy See which included the audience with Pope Francis as well as visits to several Roman dicastaries.

Tax dispute in Jerusalem

In a meeting with the Holy Sees Secretary of State, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, members of Celra were updated about the state of the agreements negotiated over the period of 24 years between the Holy See and Israel, but that have not yet been signed. The bishops statement said the delay in signing was down in part to the recent crises between the authorities in Jerusalem and the churches in the city over taxation.

The meeting came just two weeks after the Church of the Holy Sepulchre temporarily shut its doors in protest against Israels tax measures which it is feared will weaken the Christian presence in Jerusalem. The doors were reopened on February 27 after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced the formation of a committee to discuss the property tax.

Constructive meetings

Speaking about their meeting with the Pope, the bishops said they were encouraged by the great attention with which Pope Francis follows the events in the Middle East, from his prayers and from the tireless work he carries out for peace and justice and for ecumenical and interreligious dialogue.

The bishops also made visits to other senior Vatican officials, including the Secretaries of the Congregations for the Oriental Churches, Divine Worship and Sacraments, the Doctrine of the Faith, and with Archbishop Paul Gallagher, the Secretary for Relations with States. All these meetings, during which we expressed our challenges and asked questions, were occasions of true dialogue in truth and charity between the universal Church and our particular churches, the Celra statement added.

Beatification of missionary martyr

The bishops welcomed with satisfaction the news that Sister Leonella Sgorbati, a Consolata Missionary Sister who was martyred in Mogadishu, Somalia, in 2006, is to be beatified on May 26 in Piacenza, Italy. Thinking about Sister Leonellas life and that of thousands of other martyrs, the bishops said, We remember that their blood is a source of encouragement and hope in our commitment to the poor. We greet with respect and affection the religious congregations, the priests and faithful that work in dramatic situations, thinking in particular of the Missionaries of Charity who continue their service in Yemen.

Youth synod

In their discussions, the prelates from countries including Egypt, Syria, Lebanon, Palestine and Israel chose their delegates for a meeting in March in preparation for the Synod of Bishops on Young people, faith and vocational discernment in October.

The next meeting of Celra, which was established in 1967, takes place in Cairo in February 2019.

Colombia`s Conservatives have done well in the Country`s Congressional Elections. James Blears reports it`s a plus for them, an indicator for May`s Presidential Election and a blow for former leftist guerrillas, who have transformed into fledgling politicians.

By James Blears

Ex Colombian President Alvaro Uribe`s Democratic Center Party has won many of the seats in the Congressional Elections for the 106 members House of Representatives and 102 seat Senate, but not an overall majority.

The Revolutionary Alternative Common Force, guaranteed ten Congressional Seats from the 2016 Peace Agreement, ending 52 years of civil war, have fared poorly, winning less than half a percent of the vote. Memories of when they were the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia...the FARC, have NOT faded.

The two main Presidential Candidates have also been nominated via voting in this process. Former Mayor of Bogota Gustavo Petro of the Alternative Indigenous Social Movement and Humane Colombia got 2.3 million votes. While Ivan Duke of Colombia`s Democratic Center Party led by Uribe gained more than three million votes.Slovakian take to the streets to protest alleged corruption in government (AFP or licensors)

Slovakia's Interior Minister Robert Kalinak has announced his resignation amid a crisis following the killings of an investigative journalist and his fiancee.

By Stefan J. Bos



Robert Kalinak's resignation comes amid social and political turmoil sparked by last month's murder of investigative journalist Jan Kuciak who had been probing links between the government and the Italian mafia.

In statements, Kalinak made clear that he wanted to "preserve the stability in Slovakia." For this reason, he said he had "decided to resign as deputy prime minister and interior minister."

Kalinaks move followed massive protests. Over the weekend, tens of thousands of protesters in Bratislava, the capital, and across Slovakia demanded the resignation of the government and a thorough investigation into the shooting deaths of 27-year old Kuciak and his girlfriend Martina Kusnirova, who was also 27.

The most significant protests since the collapse of Communism also underscored mounting public anger over corruption in the county, explained rally organizer Peter Nagy. "We want our government to investigate the murder of Jan Kuciak and Martina Kusnirova with international experts," he said.

"And also we want a new trustworthy government with no existing links to corruption and organized crime," Nagy added.

Questions remain

Journalist Kuciaks last, unfinished story was about the activities of the Italian mafia in Slovakia and their ties to people close to Prime Minister Robert Fico.

The prime minister's Smer-Social Democracy party is allegedly also linked to other corruption scandals.

Its not yet clear, however, if the resignation of the interior minister will be enough for the junior party in the government to remain in the ruling coalition.

The coalition party, known as Most-Hid, mostly represents ethnic-Hungarians in the country.

Its leadership was to meet later Monday to discuss the broader political implications of the first killing of a journalist in Slovakia's history.The UK is a highlight candidate for the CPTPP

The CPTPP has just been signed by 11 member countries. This is a progressive agreement, which creates an open and transparent investment and business climate, a playground for developed market economies. It significantly facilitates globalisation and international integration. The US, which withdrew from the TPP before, intends to renegotiate membership. Britain and other countries also expressed interest in joining.

Post-Brexit, Britain wants to join CPTPP

According to Financial Times, some meetings and discussions on the UKs acceding to the CPTPP and boosting exports were held after the Brexit was decided.

Greg Hands, British Minister of State for Trade and Investment, confirmed: There is no geographical barrier to such multinational relationships. Then, Britains International Trade Minister Liam Fox also had unofficial conversations with representatives of some CPTPP country members, as well as members of the British Commonwealth, such as Autralia and New Zealand.

It is very clear that Britain has prepared carefully for the Brexit. The British economy has been dependent on the EU for a long time. Participating in the CPTPP shows the UKs desire to look for other free trade agreements outside the EU after the Brexit takes effect in March 2019.

Talking about the participation of the UK, Nguyen Dinh Luong, former leader of the Vietnam-US Bilateral Trade Association, said that it is absolutely within the possibilities because the CPTPP creates an open market.

However, two-way trade relations between Britain and the 11 CPTPP countries are still modest, capturing only 8 per cent of total British export turnover in 2016, much lower than the US and the EU.

Additionally, there are certain challenges for the participation of Britain, a country outside the Asia-Pacific region. If Britain was added, will the CPTPP have to be renamed? How will it change? Will a large economy like Britain accept the plethora of trade concessions under the CPTPP, which could be difficult for it at the moment?

Countries lining up

Earlier, South Korea has expressed interest in the TPP that included the US. When President Trump was elected, he restarted negotiations on the Korea-US Free Trade Agreement (KORUS) to improve the US trade deficit between towards South Korea. However, this agreement has not been concluded after two negotiation rounds. Thereby, South Korea is considering negotiating for a place in the CPTPP.

The CPTPP goes somewhat against the interests of the ASEAN grouping, as it could divert trade between large economies like Japan and Canada towards CPTPP members outside the ASEAN, such as Indonesia or the Philippines. To prevent such strategic dilemmas, other ASEAN members also intend to join the CPTPP.

Recently, Somchai Swangkarn, speaker of the National Legislative Assembly of Thailand (NLA) said that the country is considering joining the CPTPP. Earlier, Thailand, the Philippines, and Indonesia also expressed intentions to join, but the withdrawal of the US prompted them to back down.Contestants pose with a tray of five-color sticky rice

Nobody knows exactly when the dish first became popular in Phu Gia village, which is now in Phu Thuong ward, Hanoi, but it was famous in the Thang Long Imperial Citadel and used to be a dish served to the King on the occasion of the Lunar New Year.

Phu Thuong ward has 3 ancient villages  Thuong Thuy village, also known as Bat village, Phu Gia village or Ga village, and Phu Xa village, also called Xu village. Steamed sticky rice is most popular in Phu Gia village.

The Phu Thuong steamed sticky rice festival opens with a welcoming performance of drums and a unicorn dance.

The festivals highlight is a sticky rice competition in which 6 teams make trays of the sticky rice associated with the villages culture. The contestants also draw lots to answer the jurys questions.

Hy Phu, head of the organizing board, said, The festival coincides with the village tutelary god ritual which falls on the 8th, 9th, and 10th day of the first lunar month. The festival is held at the villages communal house in the evening of the eighth day. Phu Gia has 6 hamlets, which provide the 6 teams for the competition. Each team has 5 members."

"Every year we award one special prize and a first prize. Everybody else gets a third prize. There are many kinds of steamed sticky rice but contestants only compete in cooking five-color sticky rice in one hour. Judging criteria include fastest time and best presentation. As part of the festival, folk games like Chinese chess and a draw-and-discard card game are organized, he added.

The opening ceremony of the Phu Thuong steamed sticky rice festival

The jury is comprised of experienced villagers. Cong Thi Be, a village elder with long professional experience and many previous years on the jury, said: Festival goers want to share their experience, learn from each other, and show their gratitude to our ancestors for giving them a craft with which to earn a living. The steamed sticky rice should be displayed in an eye-catching way that ensure good food hygiene."

"After being judged, the rice is tasted by villagers and festival goers on the spot. Choosing the right ingredients is crucial to the dish. It is important to pick the high quality sticky rice. Our steamed rice is often cooked twice so to make it soft, aromatic, and delicious, he noted.

On display at the festival are various kinds of steamed sticky rice and other popular dishes of nearby rural areas.

Villager Nguyen Hong Son said, Im proud to be a Phu Gia villager. I hope our product will become more popular and be sold everywhere.

Phu Gia villages variety of products

Phu Thuong is widely reputed to have the best steamed sticky rice in Vietnam thanks to its special flavor, variety, and high-quality ingredients. Nearly 600 households in the village are engaged in the craft. Many people from Thanh Hoa, Bac Ninh, and Phu Tho provinces come to Phu Thuong to learn how to make the dish.

Hoang Gia Luong, President of the Phu Thuong Craft Village Association, said, On a normal day the village cooks about 9 tons of glutinous rice. On holidays or full moon days, the volume is half again as much. Some households sell steamed sticky rice to hotels, restaurants, and Noi Bai Airport."

"Last year Phu Thuong was recognised as a traditional craft village cooking steamed sticky rice. This year the Phu Thuong ward People's Committee and the Craft Village Association will apply to the Hanoi Industry and Trade Department for recognition of the Phu Thuong steamed sticky rice brand, he added.Representatives of ICAEW and Singapore Polytechnic signing the MoU

Recently, in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW) signed a MoU with Singapore Polytechnic (SP) and leading universities in Vietnam, collectively known as ICAEW partners in learning (PiLs). The MoU signing was made possible by ICAEW, which has led this initiative to create strong student communities in Southeast Asia, especially with a view to building a highly qualified talent pool in Vietnam.

PiLs who have integrated the ICAEW Certificate in Finance, Accounting and Business (CFAB) into their curricula were invited to be part of this collaboration. These include National Economics University (NEU), Banking Academy (BA), University of Economics and Business (UEBa member of the Vietnam National University-VNU).

Thuong Mai University (TMU), Hanoi University of Business and Technology (HUBT), University of Economics and Law-Vietnam National University Ho Chi Minh City (UEL), Ton Duc Thang University (TDTU), and British University Vietnam (BUV) are also on the list.

The summer exchange programme is open to any students of the PiLs who are studying for the ICAEW CFAB in Vietnam. During the two-week programme, Vietnamese students will be able to network, study, and experience campus life and local culture alongside students from Indonesia and Singapore.

Representatives of ICAEW, Singapore Polytechnic, and University of Economics and Law at the signing ceremony

In addition to studying for the ICAEW CFAB Accounting module in a classroom environment, students also have the opportunity to learn and enhance their soft skills and work on a business case project together with students from Singapore Polytechnic. There are also extra-curricular activities, including cultural visits to heritage sites in Singapore.

There will also be stopovers at ICAEW Authorised Training Employers (ATE) offices to experience actual business environments and participate in ICAEW student events in Singapore as part of the programme. All these activities aim to provide students with useful knowledge and skills to prepare them for their future career.

The summer exchange programme was designed with the vision of providing Vietnamese students the opportunity to experience an international and actual professional environment.

Dang Thi Mai Trang, head of ICAEW Vietnam, said: The summer exchange programme was designed with the vision of providing Vietnamese students the opportunity to experience an international and actual professional environment. This MoU will contribute to diversifying joint activities between ICAEW and leading universities in Vietnam to benefit students and train highly qualified Vietnamese finance, accounting, and business professionals in the near future."

After the MoU signing in Vietnam, ICAEW and Singapore Polytechnic will be in Indonesia to sign a similar MoU with leading universities in Indonesia to extend the summer exchange programme to ICAEW PiLs there.

The ICAEW Certificate in Finance, Accounting and Business (ICAEW CFAB) is a certificate-level qualification from ICAEW. ICAEW CFAB consists of six modules. Each one focuses on a key aspect of finance, business or accounting, giving students practical insights and knowledge that will help them in their future career.Members of the Korea-Vietnam Peace Foundation visit a mass tomb of Ha My villagers in Quang Nam province.

The president of the Korean-Vietnamese Peace Foundation, Kang U-Il, gave an emotional speech at an event marking 50 years since a massacre committed by South Korean soldiers in Ha My Tay village, in the central province of Quang Nam, on Sunday.

A group of 41 members from the foundation, a member of the Korean National Assembly, Korean writers, organisations, local residents and relatives of victims attended a ceremony and visited the monument dedicated to the massacre in the village.

The killings occurred on the 24th of the first lunar month, 1968, in Ha My village, when South Korean soldiers attacked and killed 135 unarmed civilians including the elderly and new born babies. The monument records the oldest victim as being 88 years old, while the youngest was just a few months.

The massacre happened 50 years ago and Vietnamese people have had the chance to heal their wounds. Many Korean people still do not know the truth of the massacre in the village and central Vietnam. Our hearts break when recalling the killings of Ha My villagers 50 years ago, Kang U-Il said.

Il, who is a Catholic priest, said he and members of the foundation will tell all Korean people the truth of the massacre, and call for an apology from the Korean people to Vietnam and villagers of Ha My.

A group of 41 members of the Korean-Vietnamese Peace Foundation express their apologies to Vietnamese people and Ha My Village in Quang Nam province on the 50th anniversary of a massacre committed by South Korean soldiers in the village. 135 unarmed civilians were killed.

Kim Hyun Kwon, a member of the Korea National Assembly, also expressed his emotions when he joined the commemoration for the first time.

We were anxious and fearful with thought of facing the true story of the massacre. But we want to bravely say sorry to the Vietnamese people and victims of Ha My for the killing, Kim told the media (through an interpreter) in an interview at the ceremony.

I think that the Korean Government should issue an official apology to the Vietnamese people, and they (Korean Government) need to come to victims of the massacre and say sorry to them, he said.

Kim said he had spent a year preparing and arranging to visit the village.

He said that as a member of the national assembly of Korea, he would call on the Korean Government to apologise to the Vietnamese people.

He said many Korean people asked me to send their apologies to the Vietnamese people before visiting Vietnam.

Twenty-six wreaths from Korean organisations and individuals, as well as veteran Jeong Gyu Tae, were sent to commemorate the massacre.

Hoang Thi Thu, 88, a rare survivor of the massacre recalled how she and her two children (one boy and one girl) were attacked by Korean soldiers.

Thus left leg was injured by shrapnel from a grenade launched by Korean soldiers during the mass killing on that day.

It was a bloody day. A peaceful village was shaken by explosions, gunfire and frightened screams. Many villagers were still celebrating after Tet (Lunar New Year) holiday, and they gathered at relatives houses, but its really a devastating morning for all of us, Thu recalled in tears.

That day is still memorialised as an annual anniversary of the deaths of 135 villagers.

Hoang Thi Thu, 88, and Korean Yeo Eun-jong join the commemoration of the 50th anniversary of a massacre in Ha My Vilage.

Nguyen Coi, 74, who managed to escape the massacre by hiding in a tunnel, recalled he heard gunfire and the screams of villagers.

I could hear gunfire and explosions very clearly from the tunnel. I could not leave my shelter to save relatives as I would have been killed by gunfire, Coi recalled.

He said he left the tunnel to find his mother and young brother and sister when everything was quiet later in the evening.

My mother, my younger brother (seven years old) and aunt were found dead, while my younger sister, Nguyen Thi Thanh (11 years old) was seriously wounded, the old man said.

Thanh, who is now 61, managed to recover from her injuries.

Thanh was invited by the Korean-Vietnamese Peace Foundation to talk as a victim of the massacre in Korea this April.

An Geon-mo, who joined the commemoration, said his older brother joined the war in Vietnam as a soldier stationed in Ho Chi Minh City.

He told me that a group of Korean soldiers (who took part in the massacre) had talked about it. They (Korean soldiers) said they had killed many Vietnamese, but were not sure if they were Vietnamese soldiers or civilians, An Geon-mo said.

Yeo Eun-jong, who is a university graduate, said she has visited Viet Nam three times, and learned about the massacre during her trips.

I did not know about the killings by Korean soldiers in Vietnam, but I paid more visits to join the commemorations in central Vietnam. I will tell the truth of the killings to Korean people, Yeo said.

The Korean-Vietnamese Peace Foundation, which was established in 1999, aimed to begin a Sorry to Vietnamese people campaign among Koreans, and ask for an official apology.

Thousands of people were killed in a series of massacres by Korean soldiers during the war in central provinces of Viet Nam between 1966 and 1971.

In 2015, the Korean-Vietnamese Peace Foundation donated 52 items and the Vietnam Pieta statue to Danang Citys museum.

The statue commemorated 41 years since the end of the Vietnam War, and was created to call on the South Korean government to take responsibility for massacres of Vietnamese civilians by South Korean troops during the American War in Vietnam.German police stands guard during a demonstration against Turkey's offensive against Kurds in Syria's Afrin region, at the airport in Duesseldorf. (Britta RADIKE/dpa/AFP)

Several people in Germany were left injured after police used pepper spray against some demonstrators opposed to Turkey's ongoing military operation "Olive Branch" against the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) in Syria's Afrin region.

The unannounced rally of about 150 people - one of several Kurdish demonstrations in Germany at the weekend - turned rowdy and led to "a number of people suffering injuries", federal police told AFP.

Images on social media showed the protesters holding a banner that read "Afrin is becoming our Vietnam - We will defeat fascism".

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has threatened to "purge" Kurdish militia from the town of Afrin as his forces and allied Syrian rebels advanced to within a few kilometres.

In Britain on Sunday, flag-waving pro-Kurdish protesters forced the closure of Manchester Piccadilly train station and King's Cross station in London.

In the capital British police massed at the station entrance to prevent the crowd marching on to the concourse or platforms, causing service interruptions.

Meanwhile in Manchester scores of demonstrators made it onto the tracks, closing the station for several hours which led to trains being halted and impacting travellers across the country.

Superintendent Mark Cleland of the British Transport Police said: "Those involved in this afternoon's incident will be subject to intense investigation with a view to arrest and prosecution".Vietnamese fashion designer Nguyen Cong Tri successfully introduced Lanh My A silk via his designs to international friends during Tokyo Fashion Week 16. (thethaovanhoa.vn)

Ups and downs

Lanh My A, a delicate cloth woven from the finest silk fibres, comes from Tan Chau Silk Village in the southern province of An Giang.

The area flourished during the 1950s and 1960s when mulberry growing, silkworm rearing and Lanh My A Sweaving was popular.

The village products were sold to neighbouring provinces and exported to Cambodia, Laos, France and other European countries, according to Thanh Nien (Young People) newspaper.

However, as synthetic fabric gained popularity in the 1970s, most families in Tan Chau, even the skilled Tam Lang artisans, switched from pure silk to synthetics and other fabrics to secure their income.

Nguyen Van Long, or Tam Lang, was one of the most renowned artisans with expertise in Lanh My A Silk production. He spent 20 years trading mac nua (an ebony-coloured fruit used to dye the silk) and more than 40 years making the silk.

Lanh My A silk was abandoned until the 1990s when a French woman named Rose became interested in the unique fabric and persuaded Tam Lang to resume his original business.

In addition to setting standards that improved the quality of Lanh My A silk, Rose was able to export it to France, Hong Kong and other countries every year.

Making of Lanh My A

Nguyen Huu Tri, Tam Langs son and successor, says the process of producing the natural silk is extremely demanding, taking up to more than a month to complete.

Mac nua is a special fruit that helps Lanh My A silk get its distinctive black, glossy and beautiful colour. Photo courtesy of thethaovanhoa.vn

Lanh My A is made of natural silk fabric processed by a unique method in which it is woven and dyed with the mac nua fruit.

After being handpicked and ground, the fruit gives out a distinctive black and beautiful colour that is later mixed with water for dyeing.

As the silk is dyed, it is repeatedly dried and hung under the sun from morning to noon for about 45 days before it is rolled up and rammed to make the silk shiny and durable.

The silk takes its final form as the beautiful black Lanh My A after it undergoes a sizing and softening process.

Tri says that there are three factors that make Lanh My A silk special. It has to be made with 100 per cent natural silk, dyed with mac nua fruit, and woven with the satin technique (the most difficult weaving technique).

Today, Lanh My A silk appears in an array of colours such as amber and ash in an effort to keep up with the growing demand in designs.

Despite being a precious silk that represents Vietnam, Lanh My A is currently at risk of being lost forever due to the decreasing quantity of mac nua fruit and skilled workers, Tri says.

Mac nua fruit is only available between lunar June and December when the resin is good for one or two days after being picked.

Now that many mac nua trees have been chopped down for food crops, artisans do not have enough resources to produce Lanh My A silk, Tri says.

Future use

The fabric has been recently showcased in many fashion shows, including "The Dreamers" collection featuring more than 100 designs made from Lanh My A silk, and created by young designers with a vision to carry the fabric into the future.

In addition to local shows, famous fashion designer Nguyen Cong Tri pushed the unique fabric into the international spotlight by showcasing his designs in the "No 9 Lua" collection during Tokyo Fashion Week 16.Lazada received heavy complaints about the quality of its shipped goods

In 2017, the Vietnam Competition Agency (VCA) received numerous complaint letters related to the quality of goods and services of Lazada.vn, such as delayed delivery, goods being substantially different from advertisements or being old/used, vendors not attaching invoices or automatically cancelled orders, as well as false advertising of discounts.

Implementing the requirements and guidelines of VCA, by the end of 2017, Lazada negotiated and resolved 40 out of 41 consumer complaints. The one remaining case is being negotiated, but the two sides have yet to arrive to a solution and expect to take the case to the court.

According to VCA, the inspection results will be announced soon.

Operating in the country since 2012, Lazada Vietnam has become a developed and well-known e-commerce platform. However, Vietnamese customers are slowly losing faith in the platform as complaints keep mounting.

Selling Lazada the wrong articles, repudiating liability, and cancelling orders

In the latest case, according to ICTNews, in late January 2018, a customer named Trieu from Nha Trang city ordered two batches of pants on Lazada. The first batch he received contained some damaged items, and he has yet to receive the second batch.

Upon receiving the faulty items of the first batch, he called the Lazada hotline to request a replacement, but the company refused to exchange the items, despite its customer policy of providing refunds in seven days after delivery. After long complaints, the customer received an apology and was presented with a coupon worth VND50,000 ($2).

Meanwhile, he continued asking Lazada to deliver the second batch but received no active response from the firm. "Lazada is a big company but its work ethic is disastrous, they pay do not respect the customer, they are slow and reluctant to resolve complaints. I have been waiting for weeks and am growing too tired and angry. They are wasting my time," Tran Van Trieu complained.

Lazada is a big company but its work ethic is disastrous, they pay do not respect the customer, they are slow and reluctant to resolve complaints.

Earlier, in April 2017, N.V.Q. (from District 2, Ho Chi Minh City) said that he ordered two Gicoly electric drill machine 139 parts and some blades at the unit price of VND104,000 ($4.6) and paid by card. Then he called the Lazada hotline to make sure the order was placed, which Lazada confirmed.

However, in the afternoon, Lazada suddenly cancelled his order as the price was wrong. An employee from Lazada explained that the system was being upgraded and the price was wrong so that the company could not sell the item.

The customer disagreed and said that the order was approved by both sides, the deal was done, and Lazada had to perform. The cancellation of order is highly unprofessional for a retailer.

Lazada's goods were reported to be sometimes different from being advertised

Fake promotions and wrong prices

D.H.T. (from Nhan Chinh commune, Thanh Xuan district, Hanoi) reported that Lazada deliberately used false advertising to lure in customers. On April 14, 2017, Lazada advertised selling a yellow Smart Watch Uwatch DZ09 with a complementary leather-strap watch. He ordered one and received a confirmation email of the successful order, according to dantri.com.vn.

On April 18, he received the package and paid VND207,000 ($9.1). However, the bonus item was a plastic-strap watch. He called Lazadas customer service and was told that the promotion was incorrect, which constitutes as false advertising.

Earlier, in the end of 2016 a customer named H.D.S. (from Nha Be district, Ho Chi Minh City) ordered a 43-inch LG smart TV (model 43LH605T) from Toan Linh Electronics on Lazada. That day was the biggest online promotion of Lazada, thereby that televisions price was reduced to VND5.6 million ($247) from VND9.1 million ($400). He placed a successful order and paid online by card, Lazada sent a confirmation email, and informed him that the item will be delivered between December 14 and 17.

However, the TV was not delivered, despite repeated calls to Lazada. On December 19, he received an email informing him that the delivery was not successful and the TV had been returned to Lazada.

When he complained, Lazada told him that the item was not delivered as it was wrongly priced. He did not accept Lazadas apology along with an offer of VND1 million ($44) discount for the TV. He discussed with the general director but the company did not change its decision.

The customer was very angry and claimed that Lazadas management was too weak, and the company made a deliberate mistake to spite customers.

Selling goods not in inventory and abandoning customers

Also at the end of 2016, a customer named N.T.S from Thanh Xuan district, Hanoi, said that he ordered a mini IP Wi-Fi camera with a 32GB memory card on Lazada. However, the delivered item did not contain a memory card, according to dantri.com.vn.

He contacted the customer services department, which confirmed delivering the item without a memory card. Then the supplier of Lazada contacted him and promised to deliver the memory card, which came only half a month later. The customer tried to contact the supplier but they did not answer and Lazada only kept making promises.Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc speaks at the 10th annual meeting of investors conference in Nghe An on Saturday.- VNA/VNS Photo Thong Nhat

The Government leader made the request while addressing the 10th annual meeting of investors conference in Nghe An on Saturday, which drew a large number of domestic firms and foreign businesses from various countries, including Thailand, Japan, the Republic of Korea and Australia.

Lauding the local governments efforts and strong determination to attract investment, the Prime Minister said that Nghe Ans experience is also helpful for other localities in promoting investments.

He noted that the determination of both the local government and investors has made Nghe An an attractive destination for businesses with large projects, showing the positive combination between domestic and foreign-invested capital resources.

The PM noted that Nghe An has a number of favourable qualities encouraging development in all fields, including its location as a transit point for the northern and southern economic regions, as well as having a population of nearly four million.

The province ranked 25th out of 63 localities in the 2016 provincial competitiveness index, seven positions higher than 2015, he noted, adding that many other indications, including those on market engagement and labour training, also increased.

However, the provinces performance in unofficial costs and land use remained modest, he noted, asking the locality to continue improving its investment and business environment, in a bid to lure more investors.

The PM also urged Nghe An Province to continue building a dynamic, action-oriented and dialogue-willing government with better services for investors, while fully implementing commitments with investors and remaining prepared to respond to their requests.

Nghe An should join neighbouring Thanh Hoa and Ha Tinh provinces to create growth with modern industry and smart agriculture, and play the role of the driving force for the inclusive growth of the northern central region and, in the near future, for the country as a whole.

He underlined that the province needs to tap its advantages in location to draw more investment, technology and high quality human resources, while encouraging and creating favourable conditions for the growth of support industries and other related sectors.

Although industry and services play a more important role in the economy, Nghe An Province should comprehensively develop agriculture, with the focus on biological, organic and hi-tech agriculture, considering it a strength and a firm basis for the locality to grow sustainably, PM Phuc said.

Further, the locality should pay attention to early upgrading of the Thanh Thuy border gate and Vinh airport, to offer international flights, to attract investment from the private sector, especially in the infrastructure of industrial zones, seaports and airports, and work to hasten the progress of a highway project that will help reduce the travel time from Ha Noi to Nghe An to 2.5 hours.

The Government leader stressed the need for the province to improve the quality of education and carry out policies to draw investment in high-quality universities and vocational schools in the fields of information technology, bio-technology, and manufacturing technology, as well as encourage the involvement of both domestic and foreign intellectuals in economic development.

He also requested ministries to study and submit to the Government appropriate policies and mechanisms to connect the north central and central economic regions, along with Nghe An, in particular, to mobilise the maximum resources and improve the business and investment environment in order to help Nghe An and neighbouring Ha Tinh Province to grow stronger in the future.

He also asked investors to realise their commitments, combine economic development with environmental protection, and ensure the interests of labourers.

This years conference continued to attract numerous large investment projects in Nghe An. The province granted investment licences to nine projects, and signed 16 memoranda of understanding on investment cooperation, with a total registered capital of VND13.1 trillion (US$576.4 million).

The Bank for Investment and Development of Viet Nam (BIDV) and the Sai Gon-Ha Noi Commercial Joint Stock Bank (SHB) handed over three agreements providing credits worth VND800 billion.

On the same day, the Government leader offered incentives at the Dong Loc T-junction Relic Site to commemorate the then female youth volunteers who died while on duty at the T-junction during wartime in Can Loc District, Ha Tinh Province.

He also paid tribute to late President Ho Chi Minh at the Nghe Ans Kim Lien historical site.In comments on macroeconomic stability released last week, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc expressed concerns about the US corporate income tax (CIT) cut, which he believes will have negative impacts on the Vietnamese economy, such as a possible reduction in foreign direct investment (FDI), including US investments.

The US has cut down its CIT and increased tax barriers, and this may lead some partners of Vietnam to follow suit. Thus, we must find proper and timely solutions to encourage tax, trade, and investment, Phuc said.

In January 2018, the US enacted a bill the cornerstone of which was a reduction in the headline rate of federal CIT from 35 to 21 per cent starting from early 2018. This represents the most comprehensive reform to the US tax code in over 30 years, aiming to attract more FDI to the US and pull US overseas investments back.

This is also in line with President Donald Trumps commitment to reduce CIT when he was running for the presidency.

Initial worries now settled as experts say the cuts are unlikely to affect investments from the US

However, Nguyen Viet Ha, managing director of the Hanoi office of US-backed investment consultant Bower Group Asia Inc., told VIR that the US CIT reduction will not impact Vietnams FDI attraction greatly, including US investments.

This new policy will largely benefit firms within the US, because they can enjoy lower CIT. Regarding US investment in foreign countries like Vietnam, US firms often establish companies in a third country and make overseas investments through them. This will help them circumvent tax obligations easily, Ha said.

Moreover, if they wanted to return to the US to expand production, they would have already done so. US firms invest overseas, including in Vietnam, for many reasons. For example, in Vietnam a more friendly business climate is being developed, in addition to lower costs, and skilled labourers, she said.

Echoing this view, professor Nguyen Mai, chairman of the Vietnam Association of Foreign Invested Enterprises, told VIR that the US CIT cut Will not have a significant effect on the Vietnamese economy.

This is a problem of investment in the US, not US overseas investment, Mai said. The US wants to lure investments from major groups like LG and Samsung which have been heavily investing in Vietnam and export products to the US at a very high import tax rate.

Meanwhile, Vietnam remains a good FDI destination, being home to many global groups planning to expand investment and business in the country. Thus the government should not be worried about the US CIT reduction, he added.

Mai further explained that when deciding on their investments in Vietnam or elsewhere, US investors consider every factor that can impact their investments. Moreover, the US reduced CIT rate of 21 per cent is still higher than Vietnams 20 per cent, not to mention many high-tech projects enjoying special CIT and other tax incentives in Vietnam.

Thus I think it will not be easy for US firms to leave Vietnam and return to the US, Mai said.

According to his estimates, if US investment from third countries is taken into account, the total registered investment capital of US firms in Vietnam is about $12-13 billion, about $7 billion of which has been disbursed, accounting for about 4 per cent of Vietnams total disbursed FDI of $175 billion.

According to his estimates, if US investment from third countries is taken into account, the total registered investment capital of US firms in Vietnam is about $12-$13 billion, about $7 billion of which has been disbursed, accounting for about 4 per cent of Vietnams total disbursed FDI of $175 billion.

Sesto Vecchi, managing partner of US law firm Russin & Vecchi, also told VIR that the US tax rate reduction is quite large. The high corporate rate in the US has been one of the motivators for American companies to invest abroad. The difference in the rate now puts the US corporate tax rate on par with Vietnams.

It will be hard for American companies to ignore, Vecchi said, but taxes are just one component in investment decisions. Geographical proximity to the market, ease of doing business, incentives, opportunity and local costs, among others, are clearly important. If Vietnam continues to take steps to ease business conditions and if it continues to provide opportunities, I believe that American companies will continue to look to Vietnam as a favorable venue for investment.

Adam Sitkoff, executive director of AmCham Hanoi, told VIR that American businesses and investors applaud reform efforts that help create a more competitive environment where decisions are made faster, procedures are less complicated, rules are fairly enforced, and companies compete on their meritseven for access to capital, land, and opportunities.

The business climate in Vietnam can best be helped by actions that increase productivity and reduce the costs and risks of doing business here. Government efforts to address the challenges created by the overcomplicated, restrictive, and unclear licensing and regulatory environment here are welcomed, Sitkoff said.The investment is part of Techcombanks effort to raise equity to fund TCBs expansion and enable it to further solidify its leading position in Vietnam. As the pre-eminent private equity investor in Vietnam, this transactionto be managed by two separate legal entities under Warburg Pincuswill represent the largest-ever private equity investment in Vietnam and brings Warburg Pincus total commitment in the country to over $1 billion.

Managing director of Warburg Pincus Saurabh Agarwal noted, The Vietnamese banking sector is highly under-penetrated with strong potential for outsized growth. With a strong balance sheet and superior service offerings, TCB is well positioned to capitalise on this opportunity and gain a larger share of the market. We look forward to leveraging our deep expertise in the financial services sector to support TCBs long-term growth.

The Vietnamese banking sector is highly under-penetrated with strong potential for outsized growth. With a strong balance sheet and superior service offerings, TCB is well positioned to capitalise on this opportunity and gain a larger share of the market.

Ho Hung Anh, chairman of Techcombank, said, TCB is in an excellent position to serve this demand, and we look forward to working with Warburg Pincus to further consolidate and build upon our current financial strength.

We are delighted to welcome Warburg Pincus as our partner and we look forward to working with them to pursue new high growth opportunities and further our aim to become the leading bank in the region within the next decade, said Nguyen Le Quoc Anh, CEO of Techcombank.

According to Jeffrey Perlman, managing director and head of Southeast Asia at Warburg Pincus, Vietnam is one of the fastest growing banking markets in Southeast Asia and TCB is well positioned with its leading retail franchise and best-in-class management team with strong local and international banking experience. We expect TCB to further consolidate its dominant position in Vietnam and become one of the leading banks in Southeast Asia.

Warburg Pincus thinks Techcombank is in a good position to grow into a regional power

The investment into TCB marks our continued commitment and strong belief in the long-term prospects of Vietnam, Perlman added.

In 2017, TCB achieved a total operating income of VND16.1 trillion and pre-tax profit of VND8.5 trillion ($708 and $373 million, respectively, using the VND/USD exchange rate of 22,698 as of December 31, 2017).

TCB had industry-leading profitability in 2017 with a 28 per cent return on average equity and 2.7 per cent return on average assets. Warburg Pincus made its first investment in Southeast Asia in 2013 with Vietnam as its maiden market.

Since then, Warburg Pincus has invested in seven companies in the region, including Vincom Retail, Lodgis Hospitality, BW Industrial Development JSC, ARA Asset Management, Go-Jek, NWP Retail, and Trax.

Vincom Retail, a joint venture retail platform established between Vingroup and Warburg Pincus in 2013, has grown into the largest shopping mall developer and operator in Vietnam. Its highly successful $740-million listing on the Ho Chi Minh City Stock Exchange last November was the largest-ever listing in Vietnam.

Techcombank adjusts FOL to 8.54 per cent to approach foreign investors Techcombank on March 3 announced at its annual general meeting (AGM) that it has lifted its foreign ownership limit (FOL) to 8.54 per cent in ...

Techcombank temporarily fixes foreign ownership limit at zero per cent Vietnam Technological and Commercial Joint Stock Bank (Techcombank) announced a foreign ownership percentage of zero per cent followed by HSBC Banks divestment in July and ...US President Donald Trump delivers remarks at the 'Make America Great Again' rally on Mar 10, 2018 in Moon Township, Pennsylvania. (Nicholas Kamm/AFP)

US President Donald Trump has singled out Europe in a billowing trade row, threatening to tax German cars if the European Union doesn't lower barriers to US products.

His threat, issued amid a roiling dispute over Trump's announcement of tariffs on steel and aluminium imports from nearly every country, came in a campaign rally late Saturday in Pennsylvania.

He told a boisterous crowd that if Europe did not lower trade barriers to US imports, "we're gonna tax Mercedes-Benz, we're gonna tax BMW."

While it was not entirely clear whether the threat reflected actual US policy or merely an effort by the president to play to an appreciative crowd, he had used similar language earlier on Twitter.

"The European Union, wonderful countries who treat the US very badly on trade, are complaining about the tariffs on Steel & Aluminum," Trump tweeted. "If they drop their horrific barriers & tariffs on US products going in, we will likewise drop ours. Big Deficit. If not, we Tax Cars etc. FAIR!"

The announcement of duties of 25 per cent on imported steel and 10 per cent on aluminium has stung the EU and other major partners, coming as a surprise to allied countries and even, reportedly, to some close presidential advisers.

'CONSISTENT' POLICY

But the deputy White House spokesman, Raj Shah, said on Sunday that no one should have been surprised.

Asked on ABC's "This Week" whether Trump's national security adviser, H.R. McMaster, was among those caught off guard, Shah demurred.

"I'm not going to get into specifics," he said. "But it's consistent with what the president said not just during the campaign, but for decades."

Failing to include the national security adviser in talks on tariffs would seem highly unusual, given Trump's argument that weakened US steel and aluminium industries would threaten national security.

In his speech Saturday in Pennsylvania - historically a major steel-producing state, but which has lost thousands of jobs to mechanisation and foreign competition - Trump said that EU countries "kill us on trade."

"We can't even sell our farming goods in there, they totally restrict us. So then they say, 'We want those tariffs taken off.'

"I said, 'Good, open up the barriers and get rid of your tariffs, and if you don't do that, we're gonna tax Mercedes-Benz, we're gonna tax BMW.'"

Both German automakers sell thousands of vehicles yearly in the US, but they also have production facilities in the United States.

CRUNCH TALKS CONTINUE

The president made his comments after crunch talks in Brussels between EU negotiators and US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer aimed at defusing the row and avoiding an all-out trade war.

"As long-standing security partners of the United States, (the EU and Japan) underlined to ambassador Lighthizer their expectation that EU and Japanese exports to the US would be exempted from the application of higher tariffs," an EU statement said after the talks.

But European Trade Commissioner Cecilia Malmstroem later tweeted: "No immediate clarity on the exact US procedure for exemption however, so discussions will continue next week."

Brussels has pushed back hard against Washington's shock measures, loudly announcing a list of US products it could hit with countermeasures.

Many traditionally pro-trade Republican lawmakers in the US fiercely oppose the tariffs, saying they might help steel and aluminum makers, but would mean higher prices on many other products.

"I think this is counterproductive," Senator Ron Johnson, Republican of Wisconsin, said on Sunday on CNN. It "could really result in retaliatory actions by our trade partners and it just injects uncertainty to an economy that was doing quite well."

Trump received rare support, however, from a liberal Democratic congresswoman, Senator Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts.

Warren, a longtime consumer-protection advocate and possible 2020 presidential candidate, was asked about the tariffs on CNN.

"I have to say, when President Trump says he's putting tariffs on the table, I think tariffs are one part of reworking our trade policy overall," she said. "We need a trade policy that's comprehensive."Six-year-old T.H.B.N. and eight-year-old T.H.M.A. pose in a photo provided by the family.

Officers under the police department in District 11 saved six-year-old T.H.B.N. and eight-year-old T.H.M.A. on March 10.

Their father, 45-year-old Tran Hoang, reported their abduction to police officers on March 7.

The two girls are studying at an international school in the city, according to the family.

Footage from the schools security cameras showed that Lam Thi Phuong Dung, 15, who is the housekeeper, picked up the two children at their school on March 7.

Phuong then walked them towards a strange man, who later carried the girls on his motorcycle to an unknown location.

About an hour later, T.T.C., Hoangs mother, received a text message from a strange number via Viber, which said that they were holding her two granddaughters.

The abductors told the family to prepare their money and not to call the police, or the two girls lives would be harmed.

At 2:00 pm on March 9, they kidnappers sent a second message, asserting that the ransom worth US$50,000 must be delivered at an area near the Dau Tieng Rubber Company in southern province of Binh Duong.

Truong Huong is held at the police station in Ho Chi Minh City in the photo supplied by officers.

The rescue

Based on the initial information, officers started probing Dungs relationship with multiple people, and dispatched units to various locations in Ho Chi Minh City, as well as in Binh Duong and the southern province of Tra Vinh for verification.

Following relentless efforts, investigators were able to determine where the girls were held.

They carried out a raid on a tenanted house in Binh Tan District on March 9, where the two children were staying with Dung.

The victims were still in good health conditions but did not seem to be as active as they normally are.

Thanks to Dungs statements, officers apprehended Truong Huong, a 58-year-old Vietnamese- American woman who is also one of Hoangs best friends.

Huong refused to answer any of the officers questions and demanded the presence of a consular representative.

Police have also arrested a relative of the young girls for allegedly being involved in the kidnap.

Further investigation is ongoing.Kyoei Steel will provide technology for VIS to reach its ambitious targets

The board of directors proposal to this effect was approved by the recent annual shareholders meeting.

According to the board of directors, the Vietnamese construction sector will see an increase of 9.7 per cent this year and reach an average growth of 8.2 per cent in 2017-2021. This year, VIS targets to reach the production capacity of 500,000 tonnes of steel, up 9 per cent, and VND7.09 trillion ($311.55 million) in revenue with VND90.4 billion ($3.97 million) in pre-tax profit, signifying on-year increases of 16 and 64 per cent.

Nguyen Thanh Ha, general director of VIS, stated that Kyoei will support VIS with technology to increase the effectiveness of manufacturing and export operations.

At the annual shareholders meeting, the board of directors and shareholders appointed Yoichi Hoshino, who is currently the general director of Kyoei Vietnam, as a member of the board of directors for 2016-2020.

VIS was established in 2001 by Song Da Corporation. The corporation later decided to divest all of its 26.1 million shares from VIS.

The company specialises in producing and trading construction steel, import and export materials, spare parts and equipment for the steel industry, as well as logistics services.

The company holds around 3.6 per cent of the market share. It plans to develop new plants to reach the capacity of 850,000 tonnes of steel and 1.1 million tonnes of steel billet.

Its products have been used in major national projects including civil, industrial, and transportation projects. Moreover the companys products have been chosen as the main material in buildings at Laos, Korea, and Singapore.Students of Peoples Security Academy donate blood at the Xuan Hong 2018 blood donation festival on Saturday in Hanoi.

Organised by the NIHBT and the Hanoi Steering Committee for Voluntarily Blood Donation Mobilisation, the years largest blood donation festival aims to collect at least 8,000 units of blood from 15,000 participants, mainly youth and students, from March 3 to 11.

The annual festival has basically aimed to assist during the blood shortage for emergency aid and treatment at hospitals, as well as provide safe and sufficient blood for development of high medical techniques, such as organ transplants and cancer treatment, saving lives of patients with fatal diseases, said Deputy Minister of Health Nguyen Viet Tien on Saturday.

Tien also expressed his hope that humanitarian blood donations would be further expanded among each family, as well as the entire society in the coming years.

The country experiences a blood supply shortage after the Tet (Lunar New Year) holiday due to the demand for blood being higher than our preserved amount, said NIHBT director Bach Quoc Khanh .

Red Spring festival remains the best way to handle the situation. We organised this years event in many places in the city over nine days to offer more opportunities for donors to donate blood and to increase the quality of healthcare for donors, said Khanh.

Tran Minh Duc, a teacher, travelled more than 100 kilometres from Thai Nguyen Province to Hanoi to donate blood at the festival.

Im very excited to share my blood to help needy patients, and Im very happy when I can do something useful, said Duc.

Duc said that this is the 15th time he has donated blood since he was a student more than 10 years ago.

Duc said that he learned about the festival through his Facebook social network. He added that he will explain the benefits of voluntary blood donations with his students and friends to increase the communitys awareness about such humanitarian activities.

The festival organisation board said more than 60,300 units of blood were collected from 190,000 participants during ten Xuan Hong blood donation festivals, since the first festival was held in 2008. Last year, the festival received more than 9,300 units of blood, compared to 9,000 units during the previous year.The opening of a City Village in the City Hall of Port of Spain, Trinidad celebrated International Womens Day.A University of Kentucky professor, Steven Lugauer, is one of three authors of a new working paper for the National Bureau of Economic Research that suggests potentially child-bearing people have a gift they dont know about: the ability to forecast a recession.South Korea's daily coronavirus cases fell to around 1,600 on Monday due to fewer tests over the weekend, but concerns have grown over a possible surge in infections after the Chus...Photo: Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images

The only thing more interesting than what youve heard is what youve havent. So claims one promo for the Church of Scientologys newly announced TV network named, fittingly enough, the Scientology Network. Per the religions announcement on Sunday, their content will be available on DirectTV, AppleTV, Roku, and Chromecast, as well as their app, on Monday. As Deadline observed, the Google Play description for the Scientology Network app offers a sneak peek at potential programming, including shows like Meet a Scientologist, Voices for Humanity, L. Ron Hubbard: In His Own Voice and more. Whether your favorite famous Scientologists will make an appearance in any of their content is, as of yet, still a mystery.

The tagline seems intended to address the extremely bad press the organization has received in recent years, lead in part by Leah Reminis docuseries Leah Remini: Scientology and the Aftermath, in which the actress speaks to fellow former Scientologists about the mistreatment, exploitation, and harassment they allege they were subjected to by the church. Alex Gibneys 2015 HBO documentary Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief, based on the 2013 Lawrence Wright book, recounts much of the same. The Church of Scientology has continuously denied all accusations made against them. Their new TV network drops tomorrow, March 12.In case you cant tell, Nicole Byer is watching this woman make a shark cake. Photo: Courtesy of Netflix

Nailed It is a cooking show that celebrates human error over culinary mastery. Its like The Great British Baking Show, if The Great British Baking Show featured contestants who are not British and think its a good idea to stick a bunch of Kit Kats into a microwave when a recipe calls for melted chocolate.

The dessert makers on Nailed It forget to put eggs and flour in their batter, use powdered sugar instead of granulated, and try to build multi-tier cakes without frosting each layer. Basically, they make the competitors on Worst Cooks in America look like master chefs who should consider opening a new restaurant in Napa Valley to compete directly with French Laundry. As someone who still cant use a rolling pin without uttering multiple profanities and ultimately shouting, Screw it, Ill just make drop cookies, I love them for it.

Even though I write about television for a living, somehow I had no idea Nailed It was going to land on Netflix last Friday until Friday came, and an email about it showed up in my inbox. This only reasserts my belief that theres something magical about this show. Like, Im pretty sure the executives at Netflix conjured all six episodes simply by standing in front of the remnants of the Clash of the Cupcakes set from Master of None and waving the Nailed It trophy like a magic wand. Next thing they knew, host Nicole Byer, chef Jacques Torres, and wedding cake designer Sylvia Weinstock were all standing there, passing gentle judgment on three people struggling to make cake pops.

The format of Nailed It is nothing groundbreaking. Its the execution and attitude that makes the show refreshing. The three sub-amateur contestants in each episode have to complete two challenges within a set time frame, with the winner ultimately receiving $10,000 and the coveted Nailed It trophy, which is a trophy with a cupcake nailed through it, I think? (Like the desserts on this show, the design is a little confusing.) Torres, the well-known pastry master and chocolatier, provides some legitimate baking tips along the way and is joined by another expert  in the first episode its Weinstock, but in subsequent episodes, others appear  to provide guidance to the novices. Byer, the comedian and star of the series Loosely, Exactly Nicole, which moved from MTV to Facebook Watch, acts as host and injector of sarcastic commentary.

Which brings me to the first element that distinguishes Nailed It from other cooking shows like it: The host is actually funny. If youve watched Cake Wars or Cupcake Wars, hosted by Jonathan Bennett  thats right, in case you werent aware, Aaron Samuels from Mean Girls hosts cooking shows for the Food Network  you know the hilarious bits that are scripted for him are cringe-y as hell. Byers, a veteran of Upright Citizens Brigade, doesnt bother with written bits because she knows how to improv. Mostly she makes comments out of the contestants earshot  It looks like Toni has switched up and is making baked potatoes now, she observes of one womans attempt to make a jelly doughnut. You always get the sense that Byers is being herself, and thats very much in keeping with the just puttin it out there spirit of the show.

She and her fellow Nailed It judges may giggle at the contestants creations, but they are never mean. They are honest, but also encouraging, to the point where their compliments can sound comical. When Valerie Gordon, owner of L.A.s Valerie Confections, looks at the animal-themed cake made by Maaz Ahmad, a special-ed math teacher, she tells him: The zebra that you have  hes got a cute expression. Okay, Maazs zebra? Its face is a white blob with black stripes haphazardly painted across it. It has no expression. But you can tell he appreciates her words.

A few seconds later, Torres offers retired cop Sal Venturelli, the guy who thought that nuking Kit Kats was a smart idea, some faint praise for freestyling rather than consulting the directions he was given.

You made a cake with your own recipe, he says, Which is good. Honestly, if Sweeney Todd handed these judges a pie, theyd say, Well, I didnt care for the bits of human flesh in this and also, Im pretty sure you belong in jail. But you made something. Good job!

Still: I like their approach. Its bluntness sweetened with a spoonful of sugar. What I like even more are the contestants themselves.

Competitive culinary television has conditioned us to expect massive egos and tension between budding chefs. The Great British Baking Show, bless it, took significant steps away from that model and so does Nailed It, which borrows its title from the meme that places kitchen disasters next to beautiful cakes, pies, and cookies on Pinterest.

All of the people on this show are fully aware that they are not good at baking. Sure, they would love to win the $10,000. But theyre not overly competitive, concerned about boosting their reputations, or worried about looking foolish on television. They all seem to be doing this show because they enjoy baking and want to have some fun while, maybe, picking up a pointer or two.

They also have a sense of humor about themselves. When Amanda Giles, a Mississippi grandmother with a drawl and a dry wit, makes a princess cake, shes told that her damsels hair looks like overcooked egg noodles. Everybody has a bad hair day, she replies. That could easily be the motto of this entire series.

All of the people on Nailed It let their failures and losses roll off their backs, then keep on going with a smile. Imagine if people on social media behaved that way, or if some of our political leaders did. This would be a much more pleasant country to live in, albeit one where the faint smell of something burning always hung vaguely in the air.

If you werent already convinced that this is the cooking show America needs right now, the sixth episode does the job with a challenge that requires the three contestant to make a Donald Trump cake. They achieve this without getting into any arguments about politics, and also while making cakes that kinda sorta maybe a little bit look like the president? I mean: a tiny bit?

Look, at least they tried. And making an effort, as this show reminds us, is the first step toward actually nailing it.Timeless The War to End All Wars Season 2 Episode 1 Editors Rating 5 stars * * * * *  Previous Next  Photo: Justin Lubin/NBC

Welcome back, first-season friends, to the show that miraculously didnt end! And to the newcomers hoping to hitch a ride on Timelesss spin through the fourth dimension: To put it in a way Rittenhouse might, Timeless doesnt seem particularly concerned about slowing down to enlist new recruits such as yourselves. Timeless is living on borrowed time, spared by the fickle Hollywood gods from cancellation (or in series parlance, an alternative timeline in which we remain stuck in the past forever). Now its barreling full speed ahead into its future and playing like it has nothing to lose.

When I say Timeless is playing like it has nothing to lose, Im talking about the shows narrative as well as its meta-narrative. Granted another ten episodes to finally reveal what the eff Rittenhouse is and does, this weeks season premiere signals that were done monkeying around with ancillary story lines and second-tier characters. No more slippery alliances between Mason Industries and Rittenhouse, or Rufus and Mason, or Lucy and Flynn, or Agent Christopher and, well, everyone. Its straight-up good versus evil now, with all comers ganging up to take down Rittenhouse together. Remember on Alias when Sydney Bristow annihilated SD-6, doing away with all her triple-crossing spy-jinks? This is what that feels like, with one key difference: Alias pared down its hyperlayered plot to make the show less opaque and more palatable to the masses, but it lost some of its raison detre in the process. Timelesss decision to streamline its saga, on the other hand, reads more like a wise choice to distill the show to its essence. In my very first recap, I described Timeless as Quantum Leap meets Lost, but its been clear from the beginning that its wannabe J.J. Abramsness, its halfway-successful veneer of Peak TV finesse, was always a put-on. Timeless is swashbuckling, a touch campy, and more than a teensy bit old-fashioned  like the very staunch concept of good versus evil. Im so glad the show is finally embracing all of that.

As proof, just get a load of the previously on Timeless montage that kicks off this season premiere. Its less like a good-faith effort to recap what went down last season and more like a concerted effort to forsake plot for mood: Once upon a time, Connor Mason invented a time machine  yada yada  Lucy, Wyatt, and Rufus need(ed) to eliminate Garcia Flynn  whatever, heres some super-cool badassery! Woo, explosions and shoot-outs and an Imagine Dragons sports-rock anthem! Oh, and also, Emm is a Rittenhouse operative and Lucy declares shell never be a part of Rittenhouse.

Only that last tidbit is really relevant to the machinations of The War to End All Wars, where our yesteryear port of call is France, circa 1918. Its World War I and American troops  including that one guy who suspiciously carries a smartphone  are helping to launch an offensive against the Germans at the Battle of Saint-Mihiel. Whereas our Scooby Gang used to chase Flynn through time with the primary purpose of thwarting his history-changing missions, now Wyatt and Rufus are off in the Lifeboat to do one thing: Get Lucy back from Rittenhouse. Its a gamble because only Wyatt is convinced that Lucy is still alive, and he insists on keeping a seat free in their time-travel capsule for her return trip. (Also because: Who wants to see Agent Wet-Blanket Christopher join one of these missions and ruin all the fun? Exactly nobody, thats who.)

Meanwhile, Lucy has similarly assumed Wyatt and Rufus must be dead after Rittenhouse detonated a bomb inside Mason Industries HQ. (Thankfully  and kinda implausibly  Rittenhouse only detonated a dinky little bomb that couldnt kill or destroy a thing.) While the good guys have been hiding out in a bunker, repairing the Lifeboat and awkwardly sharing a co-ed bathroom, Lucys been brought into the Rittenhouse fold seemingly by force. (The signs of a struggle at the house she shared with her mom surely mean she did not begin her tenure as a Rittenhouse operative willingly. That, and the fact that her mom compliments her for coming so far these past few weeks.) The only good thing I can say about Lucy time-traveling with her mom and Emma to the Great War is that it was cool to see an all-female crew. Were here together like Id always hoped, Lucys mom breathlessly declares. Lets go change history. BLERG to Lucys mom and BOO HISS to Emma, two characters that I anticipate Ill thoroughly enjoy rooting and seething against this season, especially Emma as Lucys wicked-stepsister antagonist. Bringing her back and promoting her from occasional guest star to full-fledged main character is just brilliant, and the sole exception to this seasons less-is-more, forget-about-everybody-else direction.

Speaking of forgetting about everybody else, a quick LOL to slimy-annoying Connor Mason for, well, still existing. How cutely hapless he appears in this episode, the way he insists on sticking around. I honestly thought the show might ditch him, and in another example of Timelesss narrative and meta-narrative operating in tandem, all the other good guys seem to likewise wish hed just go away. Mason himself moans, Being rich and powerful has made me useless, which I interpreted as a quick bit of Trump trolling, and if the show keeps Mason around for that reason only, Im good. Also, he calls math maths. So you get to stay, Mason, if for no other reason than youre British.

This weeks first OMG/WTF moment comes when Lucy ACTUALLY KILLS THAT SOLDIER. OMG, WTFFFF?? Not only is that (I believe) the first time Lucy has killed someone, but she does it for the totally not-noble reason of proving her faux-loyalty to Rittenhouse! Lest we think this means shes permanently gone over to the dark side, she soon sneaks away from her mom to smuggle some grenades that she plans to later use to blow up the Mothership  until shes interrupted by Wyatt in the most misty-eyed, meet-cute-again moment.

With the Wyatt-Lucy romantic rapport reignited, our story is now fully set in motion: Wyatt and Rufus will instead attempt to blow up the Mothership while Lucy works to save Nicholas Keyness life (for Rittenhouse-nefarious reasons we still dont know) with help from Marie Curie, the inventor of the mobile X-ray machine. As all that business is carried out, were treated to our first dose of signature Timeless humor when, a few minutes later, Wyatt and Rufus are (of course) captured. Wyatt insists they were asked to save Private Ryan, and when Rufus is asked, What regime are you in? he replies, The black one.

Soon enough, theyve killed Captain iPhone in another signature Timeless bit: the old-school, hand-to-hand combat, Wyatt-whupping-buttt scene. He goes so far as to kill iPhone Guy with a blade through the heart. Its played as an important beat, a surprise that Wyatt would decide to go that far  again, nothing to lose. (Or as Rufus later declares, Sometimes saving the world sucks.)

Like all good Timeless episodes (which has been most of them), the last third of The War to End All Wars had an aura of dread hanging over it, as once again I couldnt fathom the Scooby Gang finding a way out of their messy predicament. Marie Curie and her daughter appear to be goners after they happen upon the Mothership just as Emma, Lucy, and her mother are set to make off for the present day with Nicholas Keynes in tow. Theres some good if obvious paralleling going on vis-a-vis Lucy and her mom when Marie Curie declares, My daughters are the only work that matters, but clearly Lucys mom doesnt feel the same way. When Wyatt sneaks up on them and grabs Keynes, he uses his insta-hostage as leverage to get Lucy back from Rittenhouse. She cant help but make a pitch for her mom to likewise leave the dark side, but to no avail, and Lucys silent reaction as she watches her mom abandon her for Rittenhouse is the most deeply felt moment of the entire hour.

That pathos carries over into the next scene when Lucy plainly tells Wyatt, Ive lost everything. Lucy has, in effect, become the Wyatt of season two. Last year, he was possessed by the demons of his past, a man both tortured and without any damns left to give. Lucy, having been told by Emma that her sister will never exist again, is now the one with (say it with me!) nothing left to lose. Wyatt is now the clear-eyed one, at least when it comes to his love for Lucy. Dont worry, though; we know from this seasons previews that zzzexxxy time is coming for these two.

I started this episode thinking it might take weeks to find a way to get Lucy back with the Scooby Gang, so I give the show huge credit for untangling that daunting narrative knot so plausibly and efficiently  but wait, theres even more! With that WWI phone in their possession, the good guys surmise that Rittenhouse has spent years installing sleeper cells throughout history and that the handwritten documents stored on the phone were penned by none other than Keynes  a.k.a. Lucys maternal great-grandfather, dum-dum-DUMMMMM! (Point of information, in case you were temporarily confused like I was: Keynes is not Ethan, Lucys paternal grandfather who helped expose Rittenhouse to the feds in season one.)

Having read Keyness manifesto, Rufus also tells us that Rittenhouse aims to create a perfect world somewhere between Hunger Games and Handmaids Tale. As Keyness documents are a lot like that journal Flynn carried around during season one  you know, the one he said Lucy wrote from the future  Christopher knows who she has to turn to for help deciphering this huge clue: Flynn! Ill only talk to Lucy, he says.

What a perfect ending. I cant wait for next week.Photo: Marvel/Stitcher

Wolverine: The Long Night opens with one of my favorite creepy genre conventions: A ghost ship is found drifting off the Alaskan coast, housing a crew that met a grisly fate. Their bodies are slashed up with explosive and unnatural violence, as testified in a monologue delivered by an older fisherman whose boat unwittingly drifted into the remains of the massacre. When interviewed, he describes the scene with gory detail: A mans face staring back at me, eyes and mouth gaping open  split clean, red lines raked across it.

Given that the name of Marvels most famous mutant prefixes the title, the probable source of these mutilations should come to no surprise. (Not since James Mangolds truly great Logan has one been made to acutely consider the consequences of Wolverines claws on the human body. Damn, dude. Damn.) The narrative premise of The Long Night shouldnt surprise, either: A pair of federal agents, Sally Pierce (Celia Keenan-Bolger) and Tad Marshall (Ato Essandoh), arrive in the rural Alaskan locale to investigate the killings, and our old friend Logan (The Hobbits Richard Armitage) quickly emerges as the prime suspect.

Of course, nothing is what it seems. The ship massacre is swiftly connected to two other deaths in the region, previously dismissed as bear attacks in the suspicious way that suggests characters who have something to hide. As we follow Pierce and Marshall through their investigation, the narrative unfolds to reveal a town in the mold of Twin Peaks. Among other things, The Long Night features small-town corruption, a powerful family, and a night-worshipping cult that probably has something to do with the deaths. The agents themselves dont seem all that trustworthy either: Theyre too shady, too incongruous, to be taken at face value. Only the first three of ten planned episodes were made available to critics for review, but it feels readily evident in these opening volleys that were being set up for a bit of twistiness. And that much more weirdness is on the way.

The Long Night is Marvels first foray into audio drama in the modern podcasting age, a production formed through a collaboration between Marvel New Media and the veteran podcast company Stitcher. Although it doesnt break particularly new ground while injecting the electric life of a comic-book universe into contemporary audio aesthetics  not yet, anyway  it is nonetheless a successful crossover into podcasting for Marvel.

In large part a classically constructed radio drama, The Long Night is elevated by shrewd sound design (which leans deftly into natural atmospherics, letting the wind and wilderness do a good deal of scene-setting) and supremely competent direction by Brendan Baker and Chloe Prasinos. Scenes move breezily, listeners are kept effectively grounded, and action is excellently communicated  a required competency, given the superhero genre  in ways clear and compelling. I cant wait to see what will happen when the series crescendos into its third act and works through the difficulty of presenting a mutant-driven climactic encounter purely through sound, should there be one. Such is The Long Nights burden of being Marvels first modern audio drama: It is tasked with establishing a vocabulary for everything that might come after.

The script, written by up-and-coming comics scribe Benjamin Percy, is fine enough. The rural murder-mystery gambit is always a pleasure, but there are bits of clunky dialogue that eat into podcasts compelling tone and setting. Its also worth noting that characterizations are paper thin in these early goings, with some characters presented as little more than a melange of cliches and attitude. (Agent Sally Pierce, in particular, feels exceptionally trope-oriented.) The characters are only sporadically transcended by their performers, who pitch their voice work at a theatrical level. This is in keeping with the presentation style common in the broader universe of fiction podcasts, which means The Long Night should work for those familiar with such audio dramas but may need some getting used to for those newer to the form.

The one standout exception is Richard Armitages Logan. Snarling and characteristically furious, Armitage plays the Canadian brawler with a light naturalistic touch thats well within the classic noir tradition of an outsized man hiding from the very fact of existence. This version of Wolverine is one whos lived too long, seen too much, and killed too many  which is to say, hes the ripest Wolverine for psychological analysis and the one most resplendent with the prospect of human drama. That said, its entirely possible that the strength of Armitages performance is the product of how Wolverine is deployed in these early installments. Logan appears with relative economy at the outset of this mystery, so we mostly experience him as a specter in other peoples stories and mythologies: Hes the new guy in town, the quiet and ferocious square of a man, the loner with unbelievable and terrifying properties. Its Wolverine told as a ghost story, and its a move that works really well for a character thats so present in the wider culture.

Well see where The Long Night ultimately leads us, but its off to a promising start. Interviews with Percy suggest that Wolverine will be foregrounded more with each successive episode, and that well soon be treated to more details about this specific version of the Marvel universe. Will there be a formal Marvel Podcast Universe, as hinted in a recent Mashable write-up? Possibly, depending on how successful this project turns out to be. For what its worth, Id love to hear from this world and this nexus of creative teams again. Between the gravel of Armitages voice, the rustling of the trees, and the snikts of blades slicing through air, the loudest sound that cuts through is the sound of potential.

Wolverine: The Long Night is currently available on Stitcher Premium, a paid listening service, with new episodes dropping every Monday. Its scheduled for a wider free release in the fall.A billboard along highway 72 in Athens is calling out alleged sexual abuse by a massage therapist.





The woman claiming the abuse says she wants to push lawmakers to make changes to Alabama law.

That law, she says, allowed her abuser to get away with a lesser charge.

"I choose who touches me, you do not stroke my crotch without asking me," said Rachell Pyle, who says she was sexually assaulted by her massage therapist last summer.

Pyle paid for the billboard that reads, 'Stop massage therapy sexual assault.

Pyle says reliving what she describes as her sexual assault is tough.

"I woke up to no sheets on me and him stroking my crotch," Pyle said.

Pyle says it was a day, like any other. She went to her regular massage therapist to get treatment for leg pain. The massage therapist was a man Pyle trusted, but, she says the man violated that trust.

Pyle then pressed charges.

However, because of loopholes in the current law -- court documents say her alleged assaulter, Paul Dobbs, was charged only with the misdemeanor of harassment in July of last year.

Right now, Alabama law requires a victim to resist any attempt at assault.

Pyle admits she froze and couldn't fight back.

Also, the current law doesn't allow for a more severe charge unless there's sexual penetration.

I left a message for Dobbs. He hasn't returned WAAY 31's call.

Court documents show he is set to appear in court Thursday.

Pyle insists she had to take a stand, so she put up the billboard.

She's sending a clear message to lawmakers: she wants change and she wants it now.

"I've gotten a whole lot of support since this billboard went up," Pyle said.

WAAY 31 reached out to Limestone County's District attorney, Brian Jones.

Jones said lawmakers are working on changing the current law to make punishment more severe.

Senate bill 354 would rewrite the current law altogether. Its pending a third read in the senate -- but lawmakers won't take it to vote until the next legislative session in 2019.

"I want them to know I'm not gonna shut up, I want this bill passed," Pyle said.A Decatur man accused of a shooting murder back in October 2016 is set to face a jury Monday morning.

On October 27, 2016, Decatur Police responded to a call of a deceased person in the 300 block of 7th Avenue NW.



The body was taken to the Alabama Department of Forensic Sciences in Huntsville for an autopsy. There officials identified the body as Kendrick Lamar Fuqua.

According to court documents, Fuqua was shot twice: once in the right arm and once through the chest, under the right arm.

In the course of the investigation, detectives determined Bernard Driskell, 32, to be the person responsible for the shooting.

He was found at a nearby restaurant and was taken into custody without incident and charged with murder.

At the time he was given no bond due to his "extensive criminal history and recent threats against others in the community," according to a statement by Decatur Police.

However, court records show he was released on a $30,000 bond in January 2017.

His bond was revoked on December 13, 2017 after court documents show that he was facing two charges of Reckless Endangerment and one charge of Attempting to Flee and Elude.

Prosecutors said Driskell also had a prior felony conviction for Unlawful Distribution of a Controlled Substance.

According to the Circuit Clerk's Office, Driskell appeared for a settlement hearing on March 8, 2018, but the results of that weren't immediately available.

Driskell's jury trial is set to begin Monday morning at 9 a.m.The newly minted board of embattled property agency McGrath Ltd has vowed to get the business back to its former glory after moving swiftly to forget the past by slashing its expected profit for the listed company.

Having arrived only 10 days ago, new chief executive Geoff Lucas and chairman Peter Lewis have reviewed the previous earnings forecasts made in January by the former board, chairman and chief executive, who all left in late February, and found they were too optimistic.

In a statement to the Australian Securities Exchange on Monday morning, McGrath said it now expected the company to generate underlying profit before tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) of between $5 million and $5.5 million. This more than halves the figure (between $10.6 million and $11.6 million) it flagged only weeks ago in January when it announced almost the entire board and the company's chief executive would leave.

Together with new director Andrew Robinson, the three will focus on making the business attractive to new agents, to replace the high profile departures of the past year.Even though more people now use cards, mobile phones or even facial recognition technology to pay street performers, buy pizza or donate to church on Sundays, hard cash is showing no signs of dying out, central bankers said.

The Bank for International Settlements (BIS) said cryptocurrencies and the debate around them - such as whether cash would be replaced by virtual substitutes - were part of a broader debate about the nature of money.

BIS researchers took a closer look at whether cash is becoming a relic of the past as some claim. Credit:Louie Douvis

The payments sector has argued that the use of cash is falling and therefore they don't need to provide as many ATM machines or bank branches. But in the BIS' latest quarterly review, researchers took a closer look at whether cash is becoming a relic of the past as some claim.

"Some of the breathless commentary gives the impression that cash in the form of traditional notes and coins is going out of fashion fast," said Hyun Song Shin, BIS economic adviser and head of research said.Australias increasing focus on demand response and energy efficiency is setting the country up to bypass the mistakes made by the world leader in renewables, says a German energy expert.

"Australia can learn from Germanys mistakes of the last few years," the deputy chairman of the German Business Initiative for Energy Efficiency, the nations peak energy efficiency body, Christoph von Spesshardt said.

Germany's rush to renewables let energy efficiency measures fall - to a degree - by the wayside.

"I can see similarities between the situation in Australia now and Germany 10 years ago," he told Fairfax Media.

While Germany has led the way globally in renewables it lent too heavily on renewables to solve its energy issues, setting guaranteed kilowatt per hour prices that led to generation becoming highly overpriced and bloated by high feed-in tariffs, Mr von Spesshardt said.Waging war on Woolworths: Nick Xenophon.

Nick Xenophon has rubbished a campaign by the Australian Hotels Association targeting him in the South Australian election and taken aim at Woolworths for its role in the poker machine industry.

The AHA has been running television commercials warning that a vote for Mr Xenophon or one of his SA-BEST candidates will put thousands of jobs in the hotel sector at risk.

Mr Xenophon says the campaign against him is based on lies and latest research shows that poker machines actually cost jobs in the community.Mrs Amone is questioning whether the baby would have survived had she not been given pethidine shortly before the childs birth and had she had not been left alone in the birthing room. Just before and immediately after the baby was born, Mr Amone said he pressed the buzzer for help. I pressed the buzzer and no one came. I tried to tell [Sharon] to hold on. to keep breathing, he said. But the baby just came out. When the baby came out I just ran straight for the door and screamed for anyone to come, Mr Amone said. The autopsy report reveals the father ran outside and called for help. The baby was not breathing and had turned blue. A midwife came and removed the umbilical cord from around the childs neck and slapped it on the back before she started breathing again.

But shortly after the baby was handed back to her father she started to have problems breathing. The report says that at 10.30pm, the father called the midwife again because the baby was pale and gasping. The report says that it was only then that staff gave the baby an injection to reverse the effects of the pethidine which her mother was given. The baby was then taken to the special care nursery, but attempts to resuscitate her failed. The report explains that significant transmission of pethidine from a mother to the foetus can cause respiratory damage to a baby after birth. This may be fatal if the baby is left unobserved or without the administration of Naloxone (a Pethidine antagonist), the autopsy report says. Naloxone is used to reverse an overdose of pethidine.

The infant was apparently left unattended by medical staff in the presence of the parents after the birth. No Naloxone was administered to the infant directly after birth, the autopsy report says. The Naloxone was only administered once the baby was found pale, limp and non responsive by medical staff responding to the fathers buzzer call. Mr Amone believes staff shortages at the hospital prevented a quicker response to the emergency. He said staff could have monitored his baby more closely had they not been spread so thinly. To me there was not enough staff for the amount of hospital beds there, Mr Amone said. That was a major issue. If two or three ladies are expecting a baby and there are not two or three midwives on hand then it is going to create a dilemma, as it did.

If they werent over stressed, over worked, I think it could have been a different story. Mr Amone said the baby was born two days before his birthday and was named after his mother. The couple who live in Fairfield with their three other children aged 10 to 14 said they hope no other parents have to go through this. If they can put on a couple of extra nurses just to prevent that from happening, I think we are taking a step in the right direction, Mr Amone said. A spokeswoman for the South Western Sydney Local Health District (SWSLHD) said it extended its sincere sympathy to the family.First, it has leveraged the innovation of other countries via technology transfers, and the acquisition of foreign companies and talent. It has also been reverse-engineering Western technology, and conducting state-sponsored industrial espionage. According to one security analysis, between 2006 and 2013 the Chinese military stole confidential

data from more than 140 organisations around the world. The problem was so serious that in May

2014, the US Department of Justice indicted five Chinese military hackers for cyber-espionage

activities against US companies. Military delegates arrive for a plenary session of China's National People's Congress (NPC) at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, on Friday. Credit:AP Second, China has been able to mobilise resources for priority technology sectors and research and development projects in a way that many democracies are simply unable to do because of the

limits of government power or popular mandate. Large state subsidies, government R&D funding, tailored regulations, market barriers and lax individual rights (such as privacy) protection have given Chinese domestic companies an edge over their foreign competitors.

A good example of this is the rise of Chinas internet sector to global prominence, as represented by giants such as Tencent and Alibaba. Loading Finally, China has substantially increased its R&D expenditure in recent years. From 2012 to 2017, Chinas annual R&D spending rose 70.9 per cent to 1.76 trillion. The US National Science

Board expects China to surpass the US in R&D investment, in purchasing power terms, by the end of this year. Here are a few examples of how China is making rapid progress in high-tech fields with military

applications: Hypersonic technology

Hypersonic technology could one day allow us to travel from Beijing to New York in about two hours, rather than the 13 hours it currently takes. China is developing a hypersonic glide vehicle known as DF-ZF to make its nuclear and non-nuclear missiles extremely fast, manoeuvrable and capable of defeating existing missile defence systems. To support this effort, China is building the worlds most advanced hypersonic wind tunnel for testing the extreme conditions of supersonic flight. While an operational hypersonic missile is still years away, once developed it would be a formidable weapon. It could also have a destabilising effect on strategic relations between China and other powers by compressing the time window for decision-making in a conflict or crisis. The DF-ZF is what is known as a Hypersonic Glide Vehicle (HGF). Credit:Washington Free Beacon Another area of Chinas focus is quantum technology, which uses subatomic mechanics to process and transmit information in a fraction of the time required by existing technology.

China is making rapid headway in quantum communication, computing and cryptography. In August 2016, China launched the worlds first quantum satellite. This enabled Chinese researchers to conduct cutting-edge experiments in quantum entanglement and teleportation. To win the quantum race, China announced last year that it will build the worlds largest quantum research facility at a cost of 76 billion. Quantum technology would enable the Chinese military to set up virtually unbreakable communication networks. It would also provide it with overwhelming computing power for information operations, such as the decryption of secret communications by adversaries. Electromagnetic technology China is also in the advanced stages of developing an electromagnetic railgun. This supergun uses

electromagnetic energy to shoot powerful projectiles over vast distances at incredible speed. These

projectiles are aerodynamic and their power comes from the kinetic damage generated by the intense speed at which they travel.

Recent photos circulated on Chinese social media show what is suspected to be an experimental

electromagnetic railgun mounted on the bow of the Chinese navy ship. This indicates that China may soon be the first in world to test such a weapon at sea, where it could revolutionise naval combat. In contrast, the US Navy is winding down its railgun research program because of resource constraints and shifting priorities. Quantum Hypersonic flight Missiles The above examples are only a few among dozens of high-tech fields in which China is making rapid progress. Others include biotechnology, robotics, supercomputing, nanotechnology, advanced materials, space technology, and artificial intelligence. The Chinese government has identified 17 engineering and science megaprojects that are key to Chinas economic and military strength. They include advanced satellites, large nuclear reactors, large aircraft and high-end electronic chips.A leading energy analyst says a reluctance by banks to finance the controversial Adani coal mine is no longer an insurmountable hurdle because the billionaire family behind the proposal has enough wealth to fund the project itself.

Should Indian mining magnate Gautam Adani decide to personally finance the controversial plan, it would clear one of the last remaining roadblocks to the mega-mine becoming reality.

It could also force Labor to firm up its fluctuating position on the project, rather than resting on the assumption the mine will not proceed because it does not stack up financially.

Former head of equity research at Citigroup, Tim Buckley, now a director at the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis, says Mr Adani was recently valued at $US15 billion on the Indian stock market - a quadrupling in his wealth in four years.The terrace was arranged like a small chapel: rows of seats were organised like pews on either side of a walkway that led to an altar draped in black. I arrived early, but there were already people beginning to crowd around.

Prior to my ceremony, Lisa held a consultation with me in a back corner. Holding a clipboard, she asked a series of questions that would help her design the most fitting ceremony for my loss: did I have any music requests? Would I like to give a speech? Did I want to also read a poem or piece that felt significant? And how did I want to destroy my object: perhaps, she suggested, I could slash and then burn it. I nodded yes.

I walked ahead of Lisa down the aisle and towards the altar. We sat in silence for a few moments as we listened to my first music choice, and then we stood. She introduced herself, introduced me, and then informed the audience of what I was grieving: the loss of a relationship, but also my confidence, self-belief, and ability to self-love. These things had gone missing towards the end of that relationship, and I was both grieving their loss and celebrating their recent, hesitant, return.

Lisa handed me the microphone and I spoke briefly to the audience, introducing my object  a book  and flicking through the pages to show them the message my now ex-boyfriend had written there for me. I read a poem  a short piece by Melbourne artist and poet Frances Cannon  and then Lisa handed me a sharp knife, with which I was to cut the book to ribbons before we placed it on a small barbecue.

It was a strange, bizarre ritual: standing in one of my favourite galleries, ceremonially destroying a book that had been gifted to me, as an audience clapped and cheered me on. This wasn't how most people got over relationships: whatever happened to just downloading Tinder and moving on the old-fashioned way? But what I realised in those short few moments as I unsheathed the knife was that I wanted the drama, I wanted the ceremony, I wanted to greedily take every moment I could and dedicate it to every emotion I had ever felt. That night, something happened to me that had never happened in my relationship: I was permitted to focus on myself.As is increasingly becoming common, The Onion capably skewered body positive advertising last week (and just in time for International Womens Day, too) with the news piece, New Body Negativity Campaign Promotes Idea That Ugliness Comes In All Shapes And Sizes.

It doesnt matter if you have acne, wide hips, or wrinkles, because thats the least of your problems  your real unsightliness is inside, the fictional "Face It: Youre Hideous" PSA campaign was quoted as saying. And as ugly as you feel, never believe you dont look even worse. Were here to tell you that you can, and you do.

Hey, you might as well laugh, right? At least, thats the political stance Ive ended up taking when it comes to the white-knuckle hellride through my own body image.

There have been times in my life when I thought I was almost physically nauseating to behold and I will later see photos and discover the reality was far from the truth. (There has also been the opposite experience.) At the tender age of 24 I was so obsessed with the wrinkles I was developing that I would sleep in a sarcophagus of anti-ageing creams (in the end they just gave me pimples). Ive had consultations about getting fillers in the scar on my forehead, and played around with Photoshop to see which nose job would be right for me.

I know that the facts are that Im a certain height (178cm), certain size (according to clothing labels, at least, a deeply average 14-16), and have a truly spectacular amount of chin hair. But having lived with dysmorphic thoughts, if not full-blown Body Dysmorphic Disorder, for much of my life, Ive finally reached a place of peace: I just accept that I never really know what my body or face looks like at any given time, and thats fine.Trinity Grammar is under siege from its own alumni association, which has demanded the principal and school council stand down over their management of the prestigious school and the dismissal of popular deputy-headmaster Rohan Brown for cutting a student's hair.

A plan by school council chairman Roderick Lyle to calm the situation by announcing an independent review of the controversial sacking has only fuelled the anger of the Old Trinity Grammarians Association, who will meet on Tuesday to discuss a motion to overthrow the school council and principal Michael Davies.

Old Trinity Grammarians Association president David Baumgartner claimed there was broad support from parents, teachers and students to unseat the council and Mr Davies, amid concerns over the direction of the Kew-based private school.

"We will be calling for Rod Lyle to, not just stand down, but leave completely. We will be asking for the entire Trinity council to stand down. The headmaster should also be replaced and a caretaker appointed to the role," Mr Baumgartner told The Age.After nearly five decades as an icon of Subiaco, the Witch's Cauldron served its last meal at the weekend.

Owners Tanis and Geoff Gosling reportedly told staff on Sunday they would be calling it a day on their successful Rokeby Road venture, not due to financial strain, but because they felt it was the right time.

The Witch's Cauldron in Subiaco has closed. Credit:Heather McNeill

The restaurant, famous for its garlic prawns, was established 46 years ago and has since become an institution for many Perth diners.

It's won multiple awards for its garlic prawns and wine lists, and in 2013 was awarded the Gold Plate Award for best breakfast.Newly released crime scene photos have revealed the extent to which Alan Taylor's killers went to making it look like he had been murdered during a botched burglary.

The photos shed new light on the brutal murder of the Perth father of one who was killed in his Girrawheen home by Neo-Nazi followers.

Alan George Taylor was killed in his Girrawheen home in 2016.

Melony Attwood, her lover Robert Edhouse, and her former housemate Corey Dymock, stood trial in the Supreme Court of Western Australia accused of bludgeoning Mr Taylor to death at his Girrawheen home in 2016.

Mr Taylor, a fly-in, fly-out worker, was murdered on the morning of April 22, 2016 as he lay in his bed.First the Country Women's Association came with scones, now truck drivers protesting the closure of Moora Residential College will bring their big rigs to Perth in a bid to overturn State government education cuts.

A truck convoy will roll into town on Tuesday, and protesters have promised to make plenty of noise and be a "pain in the butt" until their college is saved.

Moora's Noel Smith will lead the truck convoy. Credit:Kate Hedley

Central Midlands Senior High School P&C president Tracey Errington said she was "over being nice" about the situation.

"We're over following protocols and rules," she said.Beijing: China has completed the aerodynamics design of a Mars probe now being testing ahead of a planned launch in 2020.

The rare details about China's progress in its Mars mission were revealed during China's annual parliamentary sitting by a researcher with the 11th Institute of the China Aerospace Science and Technology Group.

A Chinese Long March-2F carrier rocket. Credit:AP

Zhou Weijiang, a member of the parliament's advisory committee, told science reporters that complex aerodynamic shape and heat design work was complete.

"China's Mars exploration mission will strive to realise three goals of encirclement, landing and patrol," China's Science and Technology Daily reported.New York: The red helicopter carrying six people zoomed over the East River, flying along a popular route for sightseers who want to view the Manhattan skyline, but something appeared wrong with its path on Sunday evening.

It was flying too fast and descending too quickly, witnesses said.

From high-rise apartment buildings and parks along the river, they watched as the helicopter, losing altitude as if it were landing on solid ground, plunged into the chilly water.

Its swirling rotors chopped into the river, eventually coming to a stop as it tilted, capsized and began to sink shortly after 7pmAn Israeli rabbi has withdrawn his support for a former Melbourne school principal who is accused of child sex abuse to be released on house arrest under his supervision.

Victorian police are seeking the extradition of Malka Leifer, 54, to Australia to face 74 charges of child sexual abuse. She was arrested in Israel in February.

Leifer is the former principal of the ultra-Orthodox Adass girls' school in Elsternwick in Melbourne's south-east.

Rabbi Yitzchak Dovid Grossman had offered to take care of Leifer if she was granted home detention by Israel's Supreme Court.The 2nd Meeting of the Working Group on the Use of Additional Languages at the WCO was held on 5 March 2018 at the WCO Headquarters.

The Group comprises representatives of the Arabic, Portuguese, Russian and Spanish speaking countries, together with the largest contributors to the WCO budget and the Chairpersons of the Audit and Finance Committees.

During the meeting, Members identified priority areas for interpretation and translation of WCO working body meetings and documents.

The Working Group reached agreement on the way forward, namely to submit a proposal to the relevant WCO policy bodies to launch a pilot project to bring additional languages into the activities of the WCO working bodies. The project will be based on the set of WCO working bodies indicated by each language group according to the results of their study, and will ultimately provide solutions for interpretation and translation for the relevant meetings. The pilot project will concentrate on the provision of interpretation at the key meetings identified by the four language groups.

The important decisions reached by the Group pave the way for increasing Members involvement in the WCO and also provide both continuity and progress in this important domain.Three arrested on burglary, other charges at QuarryTHIS MARKS THE 25TH ANNIVERSARY OF "THE BLIZZARD OF 1993"

SUPERSTORM OF 1993 "STORM OF THE CENTURY" MARCH 12-14, 1993.

The storm will be remembered for its tremendous snowfall totals from Alabama through Maine, high winds all along the East coast, extreme coastal flooding along the Florida west coast, incredibly low barometric pressures across the Southeast and Mid-Atlantic, and for the unseasonably cold air that followed behind the storm. In terms of human impact the Superstorm of 1993 was more significant than most landfalling hurricanes or tornado outbreaks and ranks among the deadliest and most costly weather events of the 20th century.

Meteorological History

Low pressure developed during the day of March 12th along a nearly stationary front lying along the Texas Gulf coast. Upper level conditions were very favorable for intensification of the low as a powerful jet streak developed across the eastern United States on the downwind side of a deep upper level trough. Strong horizontal temperature contrasts near the front across the Gulf Coast states, plus the development of deep thunderstorms over the Gulf also added fuel to the strengthening system. The low rapidly deepened as it crossed the Gulf of Mexico during the afternoon and evening of March 12th and made "landfall" along the Florida Panhandle just after midnight on March 13th. The U.S. Coast Guard rescued over 100 people from ships in distress during the storm.

A squall line of severe thunderstorms extending south of the low impacted Florida during the early morning hours of March 13th. Damaging straight-line winds and 11 confirmed tornadoes were reported across Florida, with substantial thunderstorm wind damage occurring south into Cuba. A study from the Cuban weather service found evidence of wind speeds up to 120 mph from severe thunderstorms spawned there. Strong onshore winds along Florida's west coast created a storm surge up to 12 feet high in Taylor County with significant damage to property and up to seven fatalities reported.

As the low moved inland across southern Georgia the system encountered cold air across the interior Southeast states; widespread heavy snow and blizzard conditions developed from Alabama and Georgia into the western Carolinas and Virginia. All-time records for snowfall were set in locations from Birmingham and Chattanooga to Asheville, then spreading north through the central Appalachians. By early afternoon on March 13th the central pressure of the low was lower than had been observed with any historic winter storm or hurricane across the interior Southeastern United States. All-time low pressure records were established in Columbia, Charlotte and Greensboro, even beating out the pressures observed just a few years earlier during Hurricane Hugo's visit in September 1989.

Minimum Atmospheric Pressures Observed with the 1993 Superstorm

Tallahassee, FL 28.84 in. Hg. Around 4:00 a.m.

Augusta, GA 28.73 in. Hg. Around 10:00 a.m.

Columbia, SC 28.63 in. Hg. Around noon

Charlotte, NC 28.69 in. Hg. 12:50 p.m.

Florence, SC 28.66 in. Hg. Around 1:00 p.m.

Wilmington, NC 28.78 in. Hg. 12:30 p.m.

Greensboro, NC 28.64 in. Hg. 2:00 p.m.

Raleigh, NC 28.61 in. Hg. 3:15 p.m.

Richmond, VA 28.51 in. Hg. Around 4:00 p.m.

Dover, DE 28.45 in. Hg. Around 8:00 p.m.

Across the Eastern Carolinas strong wind was the largest impact from the Superstorm. These winds were the result of a powerful pressure gradient out ahead of the rapidly deepening low. Warm, humid air was brought north from Florida on winds gusting to near hurricane force. Widespread damage was the result to homes, trees, and electrical infrastructure in coastal North Carolina. At the same time a blizzard was raging across the western Carolinas with thunder accompanying the whiteout conditions. Some of the peak wind gusts recorded locally include:

Frying Pan Shoals Light Tower, NC 93 mph 4:00 pm (85 feet elevation)

Holden Beach, NC 71 mph 7:00 am

New River, NC 71 mph 1:40 pm

Wilmington, NC 70 mph 12:53 pm

Charleston, SC 69 mph 12:25 pm

New Bern, NC 66 mph 1:42 pm

Sumter, SC 63 mph 2:12 pm

Hatteras, NC 63 mph 1:20 pm

Jacksonville, NC 62 mph 1:00 pm

Florence, SC 58 mph 2:00 pm

Fayetteville, NC 55 mph 5:00 pm

Kinston, NC 55 mph 1:00 pm

Myrtle Beach, SC (airport) 54 mph 10:00 am

Rocky Mount, NC 52 mph 3:00 pm

Columbia, SC 43 mph 1:43 pm

Raleigh, NC 41 mph 3:17 pm

Myrtle Beach, SC 90 mph Unknown source or time; listed in NCDC storm summary.

These winds created very large waves offshore and a damaging storm surge for south-facing beaches. For the Brunswick County beaches on Oak Island at least 18 homes were destroyed by storm surge and beach erosion. Hundreds of homes were similarly damaged or destroyed on the Outer Banks. The Cape Fear River at downtown Wilmington was backed up by the strong south winds which resulted in considerable tidal flooding on both sides of the river. Along the coast from the Carolinas into Florida large amounts of salt spray were carried inland by the winds and deposited on all exposed surfaces. A light rainfall event several days after the Superstorm saturated this salt layer making it electrically conductive. The result was a second round of power outages as power lines shorted across insulators and tripped breakers. Additional details about this are included in a newspaper article toward the bottom of this webpage.

During the mid to late afternoon hours on March 13th, cold air wrapped in from the west as the low moved north through Raleigh and into northeastern North Carolina. Temperatures in Wilmington plunged through the 40s and into the 30s by sunset and rain changed over to light snow that fell for several hours. East of Interstate 95 snow only amounted to a trace, but much, much heavier amounts of snow fell across the western Carolinas. Some snow totals include:

Snowfall Totals from the Superstorm of 1993

Mount LeConte, TN 60 in.

Mount Mitchell, NC 50 in. Some snow remained on the ground until April 12th

Chattanooga, TN 20 in.

Asheville, NC 18.2 in.

Lake Lure, NC 18 in.

Ellijay, GA 17 in.

Birmingham, AL 17 in.

Lenoir, NC 13 in.

Hickory, NC 10 in.

Greenville-Spartanburg, SC 9.8 in.

Lincolnton, NC 9.2 in.

Greensboro, NC 5.7 in.

Mobile, AL 3 in.

Charlotte, NC 1.6 in.

Siler City, NC 1.5 in.

Columbia, SC 1.2 in.

Raleigh, NC 0.9 in.

In addition, a trace of snow was recorded in Augusta, GA; Florence, SC; and Wilmington, NC. Even far to the south a trace of snow was recorded in unlikely places like Tallahassee, FL; Jacksonville, FL; and Fernandina Beach, FL.

Airport Weather Observations

Weather observations from nine local airports are provided for the period from 0000 UTC on March 12 through 2300 UTC on March 14, 1993. Look for large falls in pressure as the storm center crosses overhead, along with strong wind gusts and rapid temperature drops. Even along the coast light snow fell during the evening of March 13, 1993.

Charleston, SC North Myrtle Beach, SC New Bern, NC

Florence, SC Wilmington, NC Kinston, NC

Myrtle Beach, SC Jacksonville, NC Savannah, GA

Human Impact

The Satellite image of the Superstorm of 1993 moving into the Northeastern U.S.1993 Superstorm moved across the densely populated eastern portion of the nation, with around 40% of the population of the United States directly affected by the storm. Upwards of 10 million electrical customers lost service due to the storm. An event summary from the National Climatic Data Center records the following death toll by state:

Florida: 44

Alabama: 16

Tennessee: 14

South Carolina: 1

Georgia: 15

North Carolina: 19

Kentucky: 5

Virginia: 13

West Virginia: 4

Maryland: 3

Pennsylvania: 49

New York: 23

Maine: 2

Every major airport on the U.S. East Coast was closed at one point by the storm. The volume of water dropped by the storm was immense: 44,000,000 acre-feet. (enough water to flood 44 million acres of land one foot deep) The volume of snow dropped by the Superstorm was computed at just under 13 cubic miles

COVERAGE AND PHOTOS FROM THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICEBy Jina Belcher Ground zero for federal efforts to boost communities reeling from the downturn[Read More]WiGBits Headline News Would you like to receive our WiGBits? Signup today!

WiG Entertainment News Would you like to receive our WiG Entertainment News? Signup today!

Digital Issue Would you like to receive our Digital Issue? Signup today!Accelerating high-tech training

Wits students contribute to the upgrade of the high-tech software and hardware at the CERN ATLAS detector.

In 2012, the world was astonished by the announcement of the discovery of the Higgs boson at the Centre for Nuclear Reseach (CERN) in Switzerland. That announcement completed physicists understanding of what we know of the part of our world that we can see and feel  , namely normal matter.

The discovery of the Higgs boson, however, inspired the worlds physicists into a whole new world of study, searching for the answers to the mysteries of the things in our universe that we cannot see.

Normal matter, in other words, the things that we can see and feel around us comprises only about 4% of what is actually in the universe. While we know that there is a lot of matter and energy out there we do not really know what it is and how it is related to the known matter. says Professor Bruce Mellado, the National Contact Physicist of South Africa at the ATLAS experiment at CERN from the School of Physics at the University of the Witwatersrand.

The Department of Science and Technology funds the South Africa CERN (SA-CERN) consortium. This avenue is essential for South African students and researchers to access this leading global research infrastructure.

Wits is the single largest contributor from South Africa to CERN. This includes theoreticians and experimentalists together with a group of 35 students from a wide variety of historical and financial backgrounds that are highly involved in the search for new bosons. These students from Wits University spend significant amount of time at CERN, where some of them play an active role in the upcoming upgrading of the ATLAS particle detectors, that is situated in the Large Hadron Collider (LHC). The LHC will be upgraded in 2023-2024 to increase its sensitivity in order to enhance the potential for new discoveries.

The LHC is the largest particle accelerator in the world, and it is used to accelerate two high energy particle beams in opposite directions in a circular route, and set them on a collision course with each other, says Ntabiseng Lekalakala, an M.Sc. student from Wits University, who is now based at CERN.

By colliding the particles against each other at speeds close to the speed of light, we physically break up these particles to see what they are made of.

These collissions happen at a rate of one every 25 nanoseconds (a nanosecond is one thousand-millionth of a second).

Dingane Hlaluku, a student at the Wits School of Physics, is working on the software upgrade of the detector. He completed his Masters in Physics at Wits in 2017 and has developed a keen interest in software engineering of largely distributed systems. In October 2017, he was invited to deliver a plenary presentation on the status of the detector upgrades to the Tile Calorimeter of the ATLAS experiment  which included some of the worlds top physicists in High Energy Physics.

Dingane giving a plenary presentation summarising the upgrade activities of the Tile Calorimeter of the ATLAS detector was a honour to us all, says Mellado.

One of the biggest challenges at the ATLAS experiment is to sift through the huge amounts of big data that the experiment delivers, and to only capture the relevant data. This is where Dinganes software update plays a crucial role.

After the upgrade, the readout electronics will need to cope with digital data with full granularity at about 40 MHz, which means the electronics will need to process data at a minimum rate of 9.6 Gigabytes per second to the off-detector readout components. This is equal to downloading three full feature-length Blueray DVDs per second. The off-detector electronics that is used to control, configure and monitor the process will be required to send data at a rate of about 4.8 Gigabytes per second.

The software is augmented to look for specific signatures from different regions of the detector in three stages/levels and discard uninteresting events in real-time. says Hlaluku.

In the current configuration of the detector, data is processed, digitized and read out at 100 KHz.

The fourth annual High Energy Particle Physics (HEPP) workshop took place this January 21st to February 2nd at the Wallenberg Research Centre at Stellenbosch. Professor Alan Cornell, from Wits University and a co-chair of the workshop has been instrumental in the growth of the field in South Africa. It is great to see so many new students choose to do research in our field. The attendance of this years HEPP workshop is double that of three years ago, says Cornell.

Another Wits student who is contributing to the upgrade of the hardware for the ATLAS detector is twenty-four-year-old PhD student Joyful Mdhluli.

Mdhluli has been involved in the ATLAS experiment at CERN for two years. The experience has changed her life.

Ive been able to attend lots of conferences, where Ive met different kinds of people from different parts of the world, and Ive also learnt a lot about High Energy Physics, she says.

I realised that High Energy Physics basically involves a lot of interesting stuff, like astronomy and dark matter.

Mdhlulis research is on trying to find materials that can withstand the high levels of radiation for parts of the ATLAS detector.

If you want to study particles beyond the standard model, you need to get efficient and accurate data, so if the materials in the detectors deteriorate over time, then that means the signals that they get over time are not reliable. So, we are trying to make it as efficient as possible by making sure that the materials they are using will be able to last long periods and will have reliable signals coming through, she says.

Professor Elias Sideras-Haddad, Mdhlulis PhD supervisor and a member of the ATLAS experiment, is enthusiastic about training students in nuclear and radiation physics: The ATLAS experiment operates under high levels of radiation. South Africa has excellent capabilities to undertand how detector components respond to radiation. Our work with the ATLAS experiment opens a new dimension and it demonstrates that South Africa has a lot fo offer, says Sideras-Haddad.

Wits involvement at CERN has already led to actual technological innovation in South Africa, where the Cape Town-based company Trax Interonnect built a new 16-layer electronics board specifically for the ATLAS detector upgrade. This board was until recently the most complex printed circuit board ever produced in South Africa.

The production of the board for ATLAS was a challenge. Since then, we have improved on our own capabilities and now we are able to produce even more complex boards, says Daniel Dock, Managing Director of Trax Interconnect.

Speaking at the HEPP workshop in Stellenbosch, Mathis Wiedeking of iThemba Laboratories said that South Africa has a long standing collaboration CERN.

Student training and the education of our next generation scientists is a top priority and a foundation for research development. South Africa plays a visible role in this field of research and contributes quite significantly, he said. The SA-CERN consortium has the capacity to attract young people and get kids interested in science, and it plays a huge role in sparking the interest in sience and technology among young South Africans.

Mellado agrees. Our collaboration with CERN provides us with an excellent opportunity to develop human capacity in areas of high-tech that are badly needed in South Africa, contributing to the training of a new generation of leaders. Technology transfer to South African industry is an important by-product of this interaction, says Mellado.A horse from Oregon is heading to Kentucky to be the representative of its breed.

On Sunday, HyTyme Equine Rescue held a going away party for Turk, an American Drum Horse.

Turk will be leaving on Tuesday for the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington, Kentucky. That is a world-famous park and museum that is hoping to have a representative of every horse breed there is.

Drum Horses are used in the Queen of England's "Band of the Life Guards" and carry two big kettledrums as well as the drummer.

The rescue in Eagle Creek is excited for Turk to be selected to represent his breed.

"It's going to be great," said Hytyme Equine Rescue owner Jim Elliott. "He is going to get care like the Budweiser Clydesdales get. His life is going to be luxurious for the rest of his life. He is a lucky horse. We are really happy for him."

Once at the horse park, Turk will take part in a parade of breeds show, as well as other events.UTICA  The deadline to apply for the city of Uticas Firefighter-EMT exam is close of business on Friday, March 16.

It costs $25 for Utica residents to apply for the exam, and $50 for non-residents. The exam will be given on April 21, and it consists of four parts: a written exam, candidate physical ability test, medical exam and psychological evaluation.

To be eligible to take the exam, you must be a legal resident of New York State, and preference may be given to city of Utica residents. Prospective candidates must be at least 19 years old in order to take the exam, and 20 years old in order to be appointed to the position. A high school diploma or GED is also required.

The list of eligible candidates from this exam will be used to fill any vacancies as they open for the city of Uticas Department of Safety, Bureau of Fire. The salary for the firefighter-EMT position is $41,361.

For more information about the exam and how to apply, click here.NEW YORK (AP) - The judge at the bribery trial of a former top aide to New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo has told jurors to keep trying after they again reported that they're unable to reach a verdict.

The jurors wrote in a note Monday that they'd struck out after considering "the facts and the evidence with open minds." They had also said last Tuesday that they were divided with no hope of a consensus in the six-week trial of Joseph Percoco and three businessmen.

Prosecutors say Percoco accepted over $300,000 in bribes, most of it in the form of a job for his wife. The government also alleged he accepted $35,000 in cash.

Defense attorneys said there were no bribes.

The Democratic governor is not accused of wrongdoing.

(Copyright 2018 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)Four months after the former executive director and CEO of the United Way of the Valley and Greater Utica Area resigned, a replacement has been appointed.

Erin Gutierrez Matt has been appointed as the new executive director and CEO of the local United Way by the organizations Board of Directors.

Gutierrez Matt recently worked in advertising sales for Twitter and Oracle for six-and-a-half years, and prior to that she worked in banking operations. Shes a graduate of Boston College and The Slade School of Fine Art in London.

Gutierrez Matt now lives in New Hartford with her husband and three children.

"I look forward to joining United Ways extensive team of staff, donors, partners and board to continue the great, impactful work being done to better this community. Together, we will achieve new heights," Gutierrez Matt said in a news release.

In November, former United Way Executive Director and CEO Brenda Episcopo resigned from the position to serve as president and CEO of the United Way of New York State. Former Boilermaker Road Race President Tim Reed has been serving as interim executive director of the local United Way since January.

Gutierrez Matt will begin her new role on March 21.UTICA  After a brief appearance in Utica City Court, the case against 23-year-old Fahrudin Omerovic will move to Oneida County Court after the defendant waived his right to a preliminary hearing.

Omerovic is charged with felony making a terroristic threat after he allegedly made four threatening phone calls against Utica College on Monday, March 5 and Tuesday, March 6. The school was on lockdown March 5 with a heavy police presence as law enforcement searched and then evacuated the school to safe zones, all while Omerovic was on campus and even in one of those safe zones.

Omerovic, who quietly spoke a few words to the judge and his lawyer in court on Monday, appeared uneasy but not as emotional as previous court appearances.

Omerovic waived his right to a preliminary hearing, which means the Oneida County district attorney now has 45 days to present the case to an Oneida County grand jury. They will hear the evidence and decide if the current four charges of making a terroristic threat will stand.

In court on Monday, Omerovics defense attorney again asked to have his clients bail lowered from the $100,000 originally set. The defense claimed Omerovic is not a threat to the community, but Oneida County District Attorney Scott McNamara says the bigger risk theyre looking at is flight.

"Ive seen somebody leave the country immediately after they posted $5,000 cash before, McNamara said. My understanding is that there's a lot of people that he knows that are outside of New York State.

"I could tell you that Fahrudin was on full academic scholarship at Utica College based upon not only great grades but also service in the community, said John Raspante, Omerovics defense attorney. So this is a shock to his family, to neighbors, relatives, everyone. It's inconsistent with the type of person Fahrudin is.

Judge Girruzzi ultimately left his bail at $100,000.

If the grand jury chooses to return an indictment, Omerovic will have the option to have a bench trial rather than a trial before a jury.

___________________________________

RELATED COVERAGE:

Photos show man accused of making threats in UC 'safe zone' during lockdown

Utica College student accused of making threats appears briefly in courtNEW HARTFORD- On Sunday, Assemblyman Brian Miller (R-New Hartford) joined the Tibbitss family at their Maple Syrup farm in New Hartford. The Assemblyman drilled a ceremonial hole in a maple tree to kick off Pure New York State Maple Month.

We just passed legislation in the assembly to make it Pure Maple Syrup Month here in New York State, said Miller. Its a huge crop in the state and we just didnt want to make one weekend of it.

The Tibbitts family welcomed the Assemblyman and Senator Joe Griffo on their farm to kick off the first ever Pure Maple Syrup Month.

I think its great to have them here and supporting the product, said Karri Tibbitts, wife of the owner. It is a 146 million dollar industry for New York which is big in the agriculture industry.

The Assemblyman hopes to make New York State #1 in maple syrup production. Currently, New York is #2 in production behind Vermont.

We want to make maple syrup #1 in the country, said Miller. We have to most tappable trees.MIAMI CO., Ind. (WLFI)  Starting Monday, drivers along U.S. 24 and State Road 19 can expect shoulder closures and lane restrictions.

The Indiana Department of Transportation says bridge maintenance is planned for two bridges in Miami County.

There will be shoulder closures and alternating lane restrictions along U.S. 24, in both directions, over the Warsaw Trail. That's between County Road 30 East and State Road 19.

There will also be work along S.R.19, in both directions, over the Wabash River. That's between State Road 124 and Canal Street in the city of Peru.

Drivers should be prepared for stopped traffic in the work zone.

Restrictions on the two Miami County bridges are expected to remain through late April.FRANKFORT, Ind. (WLFI)Monday, a Frankfort woman will find out how much time she'll spend behind bars for killing her great aunt.

Last month, 68-year-old Linda Decker pleaded guilty to the murder of her 96-year-old aunt Betty Wann. It happened at Wann's home on South Third Street in Frankfort in September of 2016.

An autospy showed Wann died from sharp, blunt force injuries to her head, face, chest and neck. A trail of blood led police from the area Wann was killed, to Decker's washing machine and then to a couch where she slept next door. Police said Decker told them she must have done it after they found scratches on her body, bloody clothes, gloves and other DNA evidence linking her to Wann's blood.

Police found a ledger showing Decker owed Wann thousands of dollars. Decker is also a beneficiary in Wann's will.

Back in April of 2017 Decker was denied bail due to strong evidence in the case.

News 18 will be there for the sentencing Monday afternoon.

Tune into News 18 at 5 and 6 for the latest on the case.WASHINGTON (WLFI)The U.S. Senate is set to debate and vote on the bipartisan Regulatory Relief Package this week. Democratic Senator Joe Donnelly spoke with News 18 about the importance of the bill.

Donnelly helped negotiate, write, and introduce the Economic Growth, Regulatory Relief, and Consumer Protection Act in November. The bill passed the Banking Committee in December. It would reduce regulatory burdens on community banks and credit unions.

That includes 103 community banks and 154 credit unions in Indiana. It would also provide new protections to consumers.

"It frees up more money and more people to make loans to local businesses and to Hoosier families," said Donnelly.

Donnelly said the number of small business loans is down 41 percent since 2008. This legislation would make it easier for banks to give out loans to entrepreneurs.More events honor 50 years of black students at W&M

Honoring the legacy William & Mary continues to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the first three African-American students in residence. Lynn Briley '71, Janet Brown Strafer '71, M.Ed. '77 and Karen Ely '71 arrived at W&M as undergraduate students in 1967. They have returned this year to many events, including Homecoming, where they were grand marshals. Stephen Salpukas Photo - of - Hide Caption

The 2017-2018 academic year marks the 50th anniversary of the first African-American residential students admitted to William & Mary. In 1967, Lynn Briley, Janet Brown Strafer and Karen Ely arrived at William & Mary. The university honors them and William & Marys entire African-American community, past and present, this year through Building on the Legacy, a series of special events, guest speakers and performances. All events are free and open to the public, unless otherwise noted.

The commemorations theme is Sankofa, which, in the Akan Language of West Africa, reflects the idea that it is not taboo to go back and fetch what you forgot. The philosophy is famously represented by the Adinkra symbol of a bird with its head turned backward, taking an egg from its back. "Building on the Legacy" calls back to the Sankofa teaching that the past must be known and understood in order to move forward and make the most of the future.  Ed.

March

The work of African-American artist and educator Steve Prince is the focus of a special exhibition, Communal Resurrection, in Andrews Hall running the month of March. Prince has visited William & Mary before, teaching middle-school students and working with a summer class to develop a mural that launched the yearlong commemoration. He will also participate in the Lemon Project Symposium (below). A reception, Leah Glenn Dance Theatre performance and gallery talk for Communal Resurrection will be held on March 15 at 4:30 p.m. in Andrews Hall, partially funded by the W&M Arts & Sciences Annual Fund.

Some of the first African-American alumnae and faculty will return to William & Mary at 6 p.m. on March 15 for Learning from the Past to Shape the Future, a panel discussion hosted by the School of Educations Higher Education Program that will explore the experiences of these trailblazers as well equity and inclusion in higher education. Moderated by Assistant Professor Stephanie Blackmon, the panel will be held at the School of Educations Holly Room. It will include two of the three African-American students first in residence at William & Mary  Lynn Briley 71 and Janet Brown Strafer 71, M.Ed. 77  who both went on to be educators. Joining them are James M. Patton, professor emeritus, and Brenda Williams, professor emeritus.

The Lemon Project and the 50th commemoration committee have joined forces for this years spring symposium, scheduled March 16-17 and themed Desegregating Higher Education in Virginia: William & Mary in Historical Context. The March 16 events will be held in the Commonwealth Auditorium, while the March 17 events are scheduled at the School of Education. Poet Nikki Giovanni is the keynote speaker, scheduled for 9:30 a.m. on March 17. The two-day event features presentations, panels and performances, plus a hands-on workshop with artist Steve Prince, who with W&M students created the mural Lemonade: A Picture of America to launch the 50th commemoration:

The Second Line: Redressing American Systems of Education is a talk offered by Prince at 9:30 a.m. on March 16.

A roundtable at 10:15 a.m. on March 16 will discuss the relationship between William & Mary and the local African-American community. Featuring Anthony Conyers, Edith Heard, Virginia Wells and Clarence Wilson.

A roundtable at 1 p.m. on March 16 will explore the work of Nikki Giovanni in a larger context.

Steve Prince will lead the Lemon Revival workshop at 3 p.m. on March 16.

Colonial Williamsburg interpreter Valerie Gray-Holmes will perform The New Gatekeepers at 7 p.m. on March 16.

The Leah Glenn Dance Theatre will perform to Nikki Giovannis poetry at 9:30 a.m. on March 17 to introduce the poet before she delivers the keynote address.

A panel will explore Seeing the Unseen and Telling the Untold: Institutions, Individuals and Desegregating the University of Richmond at 10:45 a.m. on March 17.

Desegregating Education: Placing W&M in Historical Context at 1 p.m. on March 17 invites the personal narratives of those who were at William & Mary during the pivotal era of desegregation. Moderated by Law School Dean Davison Douglas, the panel will include Lillian Ashcraft-Eason Ph.D. 75, Lynn Briley 71, Jane Brown Strafer 71, Michael Engs 69 and Sam Sadler 64, M.Ed. 71.

Building on the Legacy at 2:30 p.m. on March 17 examines William & Marys next steps in its path toward reconciliation. The panel includes Karen Ely 71, Terry Meyers, Clarence Rodwell and Ron Simms.

The final talk in the School of Educations Diversity Lecture Series will feature Freeman A. Hrabowski, president of the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, at 6 p.m. on March 21 in the schools Matoaka Woods Room. Hrabowski was named by former U.S. President Barack Obama to chair the Presidents Advisory Commission on Educational Excellence for African-Americans. He was named one of the 100 most influential people in the world by Time Magazine in 2012 and one of Americas best leaders by U.S. News & World Report in 2008. Hrabowskis most recent book, Holding Fast to Dreams: Empowering Youth from the Civil Rights Crusade to STEM Achievement, describes the events and experiences that played a central role in his development as an educator and leader. The lecture series is supported by the late Robert Stanley Hornsby 41, J.D. 49 and Lois Saunier Hornsby as well as the W&M Center for Gifted Education.

Swem Library will continue to display Brave Enough to be First: Exploring 50 Years of African-Americans in Residence at William & Mary, an exhibition of artifacts detailing the universitys history with African-Americans, from slavery to the present day. The exhibition will remain available in the first floor rotundas Marshall Gallery through May 13.

April

The 50th anniversary culminates with Legacy Weekend April 12-14, featuring special events and performances.

Storyteller and author Onawumi Jean Moss will perform at 5:30 p.m. on April 12 in Sadler Centers Tidewater A and B rooms. W&Ms Botetourt Chamber Singers, plus Deborah Hudson on the piano, will accompany her.

Onawumi Jean Moss Opera in Williamsburg will host African-American singers for a black opera recital at 7 p.m. on April 13 in the Commonwealth Auditorium. The gala will feature African-American contributions to and influences on opera. General admission is $30, $10 for William & Mary students.

Terry Meyers, Chancellor Professor of English emeritus, with Mosaic Fellow Mallory Walker, will lead a walking tour exploring sites of African-American significance at William & Mary at 10:30 a.m. on April 14 beginning in the Tucker Hall lobby.

A panel discussion with the Legacy Three, the first African-American residential students, will be held at 1:30 p.m. on April 14 in the School of Educations Dogwood Room. The alumnae will discuss their experiences integrating William & Mary and answer audience questions.

An awards dinner honoring the Legacy Three and recognizing other African-American alumni will be held at 6 p.m. on April 14 in the business schools Brinkley Commons. Journalist Charlayne Hunter-Gault, who was one of the students that integrated University of Georgia, will be the keynote speaker. The evening will also include performances by Russell Taylor '96, DeLauren Davis '18, Harris Simon's Jazz Trio and others. The cost is $125 per person.

On April 19, a special ceremony will be held as two plaques are dedicated at the Wren Building. One plaque recognizes the 50th anniversary of the first African-American students in residence, the other recognizes the 100th anniversary in 2018 of the first women students at William & Mary. The university will commemorate that milestone during the 2018-2019 school year.

May

The W&M Choir will publicly premiere composer Jeraldine Herbisons Messages to the Human Heart at Commencement on May 12. The work was commissioned to honor the 50th anniversary of the first residential African-American students at William & Mary.Researchers issue first-annual sea-level report cards

2050 projection: A screenshot of the 2050 projection of sea level in Norfolk, Virginia. VIMS' Sea-Level Report Cards provide similar interactive projections for 32 U.S. coastal localities from Maine to Alaska.

Storm tide: Coastal flooding is of increasing concern to communities in Virginia and around the nation. Photo by Patrick Lynch Photo - of - Hide Caption

Researchers at William & Marys Virginia Institute of Marine Science are launching new web-based report cards to monitor and forecast changes in sea level at 32 localities along the U.S. coastline from Maine to Alaska. They plan to update the report cards in January of each year, with projections out to the year 2050.

The lead on the project, VIMS Emeritus Professor John Boon, says the report cards are designed to add value by providing sea-level updates that are more frequent and localized than those generated by NOAA or other scientific bodies. Boon and colleagues also take a statistical approach that incorporates evidence for recent acceleration in the rate of sea-level change at many U.S. tide-gauge stations.

Boon and his team furthermore stress their use of relative sea-level measurements  changes in water level relative to the land surface on which people live and workrather than the absolute sea-level measures used in many global models and predictions. Relative sea level is increasing in Virginia and other East and Gulf coast areas due to both rising water and sinking land.

Joining Boon on the project are Ph.D. student Molly Mitchell and Assistant Research Scientist Derek Loftis. Mitchell is lead author on the 2012 sea-level report requested by Virginias General Assembly, while Loftis helps direct StormSense, a project to monitor and model coastal flooding in and around Hampton Roads. Boon created VIMS popular Tidewatch network and has literally written the book on the analysis of tides and tidal currents.

The value of an annual, localized report card

Because long-term changes in sea level are incremental in nature  typically a few millimeters per year  researchers have traditionally felt little need to issue frequent forecasts of sea-level changes. Moreover, many sea-level projections are global in scope, with a forecast horizon of 2100  far enough off to allow for readily discernible linear change. Thus the IPCCs oft-reported prediction of 65 centimeters (2.1 feet) of global sea-level rise by the end of the century.

The VIMS team has purposefully taken a more localized and timely approach, one designed to add maximum value for coastal residents, businesses, and government agencies.

Says Boon, Our report cards show what sea level has been doing recently, whats happening now at your locality. Numerous studies show that local rates of sea-level rise and acceleration differ substantially from the global rates published by the IPCC and NOAAa key result because local rates of relative sea-level rise give a direct indication of the extent to which homes, buildings, and roads are at risk of flooding.

The teams decision to use a subset of available tide-gauge data also runs counter to the traditional approach taken by researchers at NOAA, the agency that operates the nations official network of tidal stations.

NOAA should be commended for their care in ensuring the continuity, consistency, and availability of the nations long-term tidal datasets, says Boon. But at the same time, a longer record isnt always better, especially when theres evidence of recent non-linear changes in the rate of sea-level rise like we see along the U.S. East Coast.

An earlier analysis by Boon showed that this non-linear change or acceleration began in 1987, at the center of a 36-year sliding window beginning in 1969thus setting the start date for the VIMS report cards. This is decades after many U.S. tide-gauge stations began operation.

Mitchell explains further, If you cross a threshold in terms of something like sea-level rise, what came beforesay a tide-gauge record that began in 1900is biased in terms of seeing where youre going. We think the ice sheets are melting faster today than they ever have before, and if that's true then the previous 90 years of data wont accurately predict the future.

The difference between the linear rates used in NOAAs sea-level forecasts and the non-linear, accelerating rates used in VIMS report cards is much more than a statistical subtletyit leads to sharply different forecasts of our sea-level future.

A good example can be found in VIMS backyard, using data from NOAAs Sewells Point tide gauge in Norfolk, Virginia. Extending NOAAs linear sea-level projections to mid-century indicates that sea level here will be 0.29 meters (11.42 inches) higher by 2050, while the VIMS forecastusing a non-linear, accelerating rateis 0.49 meters, or 19.3 inches. That extra 20 centimeters (8) of sea-level rise would have major implications for the low-lying region.

The VIMS team moreover cautions that sea level is likely to experience short-term variations in the future just as it does today. Thus, coastal residents and planners in Virginia and other areas likely to experience significant sea-level increases by 2050 must also account for storm surges and other transient forces raising sea level even higher than the projected mean rise value.

Anatomy of a sea-level report card

VIMS Sea-Level Report Cards have three components: the projection of sea-level height to the year 2050, a display of recent trends in the rates of sea-level change, and an explanation of processes affecting sea level at each locality.

The report card website, www.vims.edu/sealevelreportcard, explains the data and statistical approaches used in the 2050 projections and offers full-size, interactive versions of all 32 report cards.

The trend charts help users keep track of changes in the rate of sea-level rise and acceleration at each locality (or sea-level fall and deceleration in some places)  as these will very likely change from year-to-year due to hurricanes and other short-term weather events, as well as longer-term, decade-scale processes such as the El Nino-Southern Oscillation or the North Atlantic Oscillation. A projection to 2050 made during an upturn in a decadal signal will be higher than it would be if the decadal signal was nearing or at a low.

The final report card component explains for each locality and region (U.S. East, Gulf, or West coast) the long-term processes that force changes in the mass, volume, and regional distribution of seawater; changes in shoreline elevation; or both. Complex interactions among these processes can lead to significant differences in sea-level trends in different regions, or in some cases at localities relatively near each other. Alternatively, these interactions can result in similar sea-level trends in areas that lie far apart.

Full details of VIMS Sea-Level Report Cards are provided in an accompanying technical report  Anthropocene Sea Level Change: A History of Recent Trends Observed in the U.S. East, Gulf & West Coast Regions  available through the Hargis Library at VIMS. The report also provides management recommendations. The team plans to add these to their report cards in the near future.

The "Anthropocene"from the Greek anthropo (human) and cene (recent)  is a newly coined term that recognizes a growing view among scientists that humanitys influence on Earths environmental processes warrants adding a new epoch to the geologic time scale. If formally adopted, the term would supersede the current Holocene epoch, which began about 12,000 years ago with the melting of the Pleistocene ice sheets.

The Anthropocene is a time of rapid change when we should really be keeping a close eye on sea level, says Boon.William & Mary to host international African Diaspora conference

Conference host: William & Mary will host the 10th Biennial Conference of the Association for the Study of the Worldwide African Diaspora. W&M's Sir Christopher Wren Building, built between 1695 and 1700, is the oldest college building still standing in the United States and the oldest of the restored public buildings in Williamsburg. Photo by Stephen Salpukas Photo - of - Hide Caption

William & Mary will host the 10th Biennial Conference of the Association for the Study of the Worldwide African Diaspora (ASWAD) Nov. 5-10, 2019, in the Williamsburg Lodge.

Featuring the worlds leading scholars of the African Diaspora, the conference will bring together a range of activists and artists and host community events, including an African Diaspora food festival. The conference will feature tours of local historical sites, including Point Comfort, the first landing place of Africans in 1619; Fort Monroe, the site of liberation for 100,000 blacks who escaped slavery during the Civil War; sites of the Underground Railroad and runaway slave maroon communities; the Nat Turner Trail; Hampton University; and Richmonds historic Jackson Ward, site of the Maggie Walker House, a National Historic Site. Registration is expected to open through ASWAD in September.

"I am absolutely thrilled that William & Mary will host ASWAD's 10th Biennial Conference in 2019, said Robert Trent Vinson, Frances L. and Edwin L. Cummings Associate Professor History and Africana Studies at W&M and one of the organizers of the conference. Williamsburg is the right place and 2019 is the right time for this historic event since the year 2019 marks the 400th anniversary of the origins of slavery in what became the United States with the arrival of Africans who landed on the nearby shores of the James River in August 1619.

Described in English records as twenty and odd Negroes, these captive Africans from West-Central Africa reflected the growing intensity of the trans-Atlantic Slave Trade, the worlds largest forced migration that connected Africa, Europe, the Americas and the Caribbean, and the centrality of slavery to the making of the modern world.

This 400th anniversary brings renewed focus to the status of African-descended people in the contemporary world, said Vinson. It comes at a time when the legacy of slavery is prompting intensifying demands for reparations.

The ASWAD conference also comes in the midst of a robust season of commemoration, reflection and action, he added. In tandem with the 2019 Making of America Summit at Norfolk State University on Sept. 26-28, 2019, the ASWAD conference continues the longstanding work of the William & Mary Middle Passage Project, which raises awareness of the 400th anniversary of the arrival of enslaved Africans to this region. It also is in conversation with the Lemon Project, William & Marys recent effort to document and redress its slave-owning and segregationist history dating back to its founding in 1693. As the William & Mary community celebrates this year the 50th anniversary of the first African American students in residence on campus, the university is delighted to announce that it will be hosting the 2019 ASWAD conference, Vinson said.

Hosting the ASWAD conference continues William & Mary's initiatives highlighting the black experience, including the Lemon Project, the longstanding effort to document and redress its slave owning and Jim Crow past; the Middle Passage Project, which has prepared for the 2019 commemoration for many years now; and the 50th anniversary of African-Americans resident on campus that is happening this academic year, he said. We will have about 1,000 people from all over the world coming to Williamsburg from November 5-10, 2019, showing once again why William & Mary is a 21st century global leader in higher education."

Principal hosts of the conference include the Middle Passage Project, the Lemon Project, the Institute for Historical Biology, the W&M Africana Studies Program, the W&M Department of History, the Reves Center for International Studies, the W&M American Studies Program and the W&M Department of Anthropology.

Co-hosts include the Institute for Historical Biology, the Omohundro Institute for Early American History and Culture, the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation, Jamestown: Rediscovery, the Joseph R. Roberts Center for the African Diaspora at Norfolk State University, the Department of History and Interdisciplinary Studies Department at Norfolk State University and the African American Studies Department at Virginia Commonwealth University.

A call for papers is expected from ASWAD in September. For more information on the conference, email aswadprogram2019@gmail.com.



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This article is old - Published: Monday, Mar 12th, 2018

Staff and students on a digital marketing course are celebrating after 100 per cent pass rate.

The Chartered Institute of Marketings Foundation Certificate in Marketing, which runs at Coleg Cambrias Northop site, aims to help people acquire the marketing and business knowledge which will help improve their employers triple bottom line.

All the courses students, who work locally, attended the marketing lectures and workshops and completed a work-based assignment which gave them an opportunity to apply the practical marketing knowledge they had acquired in class for the benefit of their employer.

The assignments, which focused on improving organisational performance through digital marketing, were externally marked by the Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM), the worlds leading professional marketing body.

For the second year running, all CIM students at Coleg Cambria achieved the CIM Foundation Certificate in Marketing qualification, first time.

Stephanie Littler, CIM programme leader and lecturer at Coleg Cambria said: I am so pleased with the 100% pass rate on the CIM Foundation Certificate in Marketing course.

The results for the courses exam assessment were particularly stunning and I am delighted with all the distinction and merit passes achieved overall and the positive learner feedback received.

I personally feel CIM courses are the best marketing courses local people can do. For the past 20 years I have observed CIM courses providing an excellent return on investment for the employer and enhancing the careers and lives of learners.

A particularly powerful development is the CIM students increased business confidence and improved research and communication skills which in turn can lead to marketing innovations and insight.

Local people can join the next CIM Foundation Certificate in Marketing course from 17 April 2018 at the colleges brand new Cambria Business School at its Northop campus, near Mold. It finishes on 5 December 2018.

The colleges other CIM courses, the level 4, CIM Certificate in Professional Marketing and the level 6, CIM Diploma in Professional Marketing for senior marketers run from Cambria Business School too.

New courses will start in January 2019 and applications are now being accepted.

Stephanie added: SEE funding from Europe will be available to North Wales organisations to train their staff in the level 3, CIM Foundation Certificate in Marketing course and the higher level CIM courses which are the Certificate in Professional Marketing and the Diploma in Professional Marketing  until December 2020.

Local organisations, from the public, private or voluntary sectors can apply for funding, and if successful, could receive up to a 70% discount off the CIM course tuition fee, the assessment costs and the studying membership of the CIM for the duration of the course.Wrexhams new enterprise hub location formally announced  aims to be home for 100 new businesses

This article is old - Published: Monday, Mar 12th, 2018

A new enterprise hub that will be established in Wrexham has announced that it is to be based on Queens Square and is already searching for potential founding members.

If you have been passing Queens Square over the last few weeks you will have seen workers ripping apart the old Iceland store and kitting out some fancy looking office space.

The new hub, which is funded by the European Regional Development Fund through the Welsh Government, was announced by Economy and Transport Secretary Ken Skates last year, and aims to support 100 new businesses and create 260 jobs in its first two years. The two-year pilot will also focus on securing at least 1m of private investment for its members as well as building a community of entrepreneurs that will boost the local economy.

The Wrexham Enterprise Hub will be delivered by Town Square Spaces for Business Wales, and is focused on supporting business start ups and creating jobs in the Wrexham area. The new hub will act as a community resource, bringing local people and businesses together in a creative and collaborative space.

Cabinet Secretary for Economy and Transport, Ken Skates said: Our new Economic Action Plan includes a focus on strengthening our regional economies and ensuring prosperity falls more evenly across Wales, so it is great to hear the new Wrexham Enterprise Hub will be based in the very heart of the town centre.

Encouraging an entrepreneurship culture in Wales, supporting individuals to start a business and SMEs to grow is vital in creating employment opportunities and providing a boost to our economy. The new hub in Queens Square will play a vital role in the development of our new cohort of successful and ambitious entrepreneurs and will help deliver the right environment for aspiring entrepreneurs to flourish.

Gareth Jones, the founder of Town Square Spaces, said the location was the first step towards a burgeoning new space for business in North Wales The response from the community has been very positive. We feel strongly that Wrexham has enough creative and determined people to make a success of this project, and build something that will make a positive lasting impact to the growth of the town centre.

Weve already started working with over 40 people through our 5 to 9 Club, though there are definitely many more potential business founders than at present. We believe that, given the right support, anyone with passion and the right attitude can start a business; where there is a need for a product or service, there are opportunities to create an income fulfilling that need. It will be our job at the Wrexham Enterprise Hub, to guide people to create a business for themselves, and therefore jobs for others in the community.

The building on Queens Square includes the former Iceland and Pebble units, will now undergo renovation and development in order for it to be ready to take in its first fledgling businesses in the coming months.

Business Wales, which is funded by the European Regional Development Fund through the Welsh Government, supports the sustainable growth of small and medium-size enterprises across the region by offering access to information, guidance and business support.

You can get more information on getting involved via the Town Square Spaces website, or follow them on twitter!Hundreds of thousands of children and their families in some of the UKs largest cities are suffering from staggering levels of social deprivation.

New data released by the End Child Poverty coalition, on which they base a Child Poverty map of the UK, demonstrates that some of the most deprived areas of the UK have seen the biggest increases in child poverty since the coalitions last local child poverty figures for December 2015. The coalition adds, Increases of 10 percentage points in some areas demonstrate the growing crisis of child poverty in the UK.

The map shows that there are constituencies where more than half the children are growing up in poverty. The average population of a constituency in England is 72,400, in Scotland 69,000, in Northern Ireland 66,800 and in Wales 56,800.

A child is classed as in poverty if they are in a family living on less than 60 per cent of median household income. According to the latest official statistics, 60 per cent of median income, after housing costs, was around 248 per week.

The map breaks down its data into figures for separate local authorities and wards within them. The child poverty local indicators cover the period up to September 2017.

The top four constituencies with the highest levels of child poverty are in the UKs two largest cities, London and Birmingham. In Bethnal Green and Bow in east London 54.18 percent of children are in poverty, in Ladywood, Birmingham (53.06 percent), in Poplar and Limehouse, London (52.75 percent) and Birmingham, Hodge Hill (51.46 percent).

The ten constituencies with the most child poverty are in the east end of London, central Birmingham, central Manchester, Bradford and Oldham West. The remaining 15 include other London and Birmingham boroughs and constituencies in Leeds, Newcastle, Leicester and Blackburn.

The UK local authorities with the highest levels of child poverty, after housing costs, are in London. Tower Hamlets at 53.40 percent has the highest level of child poverty in the UK. Child poverty is rocketing in many other cities, including Oldham, Leicester, Blackburn, Bradford, Middlesbrough, Nottinghamall in the top 15.

Fourteen of the 20 constituencies with the fastest growing child poverty also have poverty rates in the top 20with the increase from December 2015 as high as 11 percentage points.

When the analysis is broken down to a more local level, there are 87 electoral wards where more than 50 percent of children live in poverty after housing costs. This figure has quadrupled since 2015 when only 21 wards had at least 50 percent. In terms of households, this is an increase overall from 2.3 million in 2014 to 2.7 million in 2016. Coldhurst ward in Oldham West, in the northwest of England, has a staggering 62.11 percent of children in poverty.

The authors were able to gain a more accurate picture of the prevalence of child poverty as researchers have changed the way it is estimated. Historically, this was calculated on HMRC (Her Majestys Revenue and Customs) figures, which in more recent years have been distorted by over-counting out-of-work poverty and undercounting in-work poverty. According to the Household Below Average Income research, the latter group has 63 percent of children in poverty whereas HMRC would estimate this at 21 percent.

The End Child Poverty researchers point out that the relative share of in-work poverty has grown from under a half to nearly two thirds in the past decade.

Professor Donald Hirsch of Loughborough University, who carried out the End Poverty Coalition research, said it pointed to an even greater growth in poverty to come. He told the Guardian, Child poverty is going up tremendously in the next three years, and areas which have high dependency on the state income are going to be really, really hit.

The largest group living in relative poverty is the working poor. While children living in households where no one works are five times more likely to be living in poverty, the low-wage economy means that the greatest proportion of poor children now live in families with one wage earner.

This was highlighted last month by a Trades Union Congress report estimating that one in seven children of public sector workers will be living in poverty by the end of this month. This translates to 550,000 children, mainly due to the pay freeze since 2010 and cuts to in-work benefits. Most affected were workers in the southwest, northwest and east Midlands regions of England.

The distress this causes for millions of children and their families is an indictment of the trade unions and the Labour Party. Labour was in office in 2008 and carried out a 1 trillion bailout of the banks. To claw this back, they began the mass austerity programme that has been continued by the Tories.

That so many are in poverty is a result of the unions refusal to oppose successive governments, as they have enforced their austerity and pay freeze agendas without any serious challenge.

A central factor in the surge of child poverty has been the gutting of childrens serviceswhich support children and families in distress. These have seen their budgets slashed and even destroyed entirely.

A recent survey by three childrens charities, Action for Children, The Childrens Society and the National Childrens Bureau, revealed that, since the start of the decade, referrals to childrens services increased from 603,700 in 2010 to 646,120 in 2017. The number of children in need (resulting from an assessment) increased by four percent. Children subject to child protection plans saw a 31 percent increase in their number from 39,100 in 2010 to 51,080 in 2017. This increase was in areas that almost mirror the areas most affected by child poverty increases.

A joint report produced by The Childrens Society, Action for Children and National Childrens Bureau charities, Turning the Tide, draws attention to the fact that the most deprived areas have seen the highest fall in early intervention funding across any quintile. Due to government cuts in the first part of the decade, local authority spending power fell by around 24 percent in real terms. Funding has been reduced by 2.6 billion. Turning the Tide states: The most deprived LAs [Local Authority] have seen a fall in spending on children and young peoples services more than 6 times as large as the least deprived councils. This reduction in spending by levels of deprivation mirrors wider trends. More deprived LAs have seen higher reductions in spending than the least deprived areas across council services.

Poverty among children causes ill health from an early age. Last December, the Nuffield Trusta health policy research bodypublished research showing that children from the poorest areas are consistently more likely to go to A&E (Accident and Emergency department) and to need emergency hospital treatment.

It found that the most deprived overall were 58 percent more likely to go to A&E with infants, 50 percent more likely with pre-schoolers and 70 percent with teenagers. The report points out, Deprivation is linked to higher incidence of poor health. Like A&E attendances, overall emergency hospital admissions are correlated with inequality.The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported last week that a cluster of 125 people in Milwaukee had been diagnosed with HIV, syphilis or both, including a dozen or so high school students. Additionally, three infants were born last year with congenital syphilis, a condition where the infected mother passes the bacteria that causes the disease to her newborn.

Health advocates in Milwaukee, including Melissa Ugland, a public health consultant, have called the situation an epidemic requiring immediate attention. The AIDS Resource Center of Wisconsin has confirmed the report and believes the numbers identified will rise when attention is directed to a more rigorous investigation of the situation.

The Milwaukee Health Department had been publicly silent on the issue until the Journal Sentinel broke the news of the discovery of the cluster of infected people.

The only action from the Health Department before news of the outbreak had been a general statement regarding the rising rate of Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STD) in the city. Their efforts to date had been to join with the Milwaukee County Transit System to launch an ad campaign promoting awareness about STDs and where people can go to get free testing.

The Journal Sentinel also noted that Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett was briefed on the epidemic of HIV and syphilis by his former health commissioner Bevan Baker in December and then again in January but made no public pronouncements or warnings about the public health crisis.

Syphilis is a sexually transmitted infection caused by the bacteria Treponema pallidum. The disease begins as a painless chancre sore that will heal in 3 to 6 weeks. If left untreated, the disease manifests as a diffuse rash frequently involving the palms and soles. These are accompanied by flu-like symptoms that include fever, swollen lymph nodes, and sore throat. There is usually a latent phase that can last for years where there are few symptoms. The last phase of the disease can lead to soft noncancerous growths as well as neurological or cardiac symptoms.

Congenital syphilis may lead to congenital disabilities, miscarriages or premature births, stillbirths or death in the newborn. Additionally, newborns with congenital syphilis can have developmental delays, seizure disorders as well as organ dysfunction with their liver and spleen.

Given the rarity of syphilis infection, this cluster of infected people is a serious public health development that will require the immediate mobilization of health professionals to contain. The disease is, however, very readily treatable with antibiotics. The discovery of penicillin and its effectiveness to treat syphilis has been essential in nearly eradicating the disease in the US.

Milwaukee Public Schools spokesperson Andy Nelson released a statement in the wake of the revelations noting that the school is now working in general to educate students about staying healthy: Because schools have a significant number of students in the 15-18 age group, we are working with the Milwaukee Health Department, in a collaborative and preventive effort, to share information with young people in middle schools and high schools to keep them healthy and to protect their health.

Nelson added that the Health Department had informed the district that the entire city is experiencing an increase in sexually transmitted diseases, especially among younger people. Beyond such cursory disclosures, the implication of this development and why it is happening, a plan of action and details on how to contain this epidemic have not been forthcoming from the city.

A cluster is defined as an unusually high incidence of a particular disease that occurs in close geographic and temporal proximity. Most of those in this affected outbreak are men, 45 percent of whom are also infected with HIV. It should not come as a surprise that students from high schools have been identified among this cohort. The Milwaukee Health Department has noted that people between the ages of 15 to 24 make up 37.4 percent of HIV cases while those 20 to 29 make up 57.1 percent of syphilis cases.

A number of statistics reveal that limited funding for public health initiatives, including immunizations and health screenings, had primed the city for an STD outbreak. The recent city budget allocated on $13.5 million and 252 full-time employees to the health department down from $13.7 million and 337 employees a decade before. Approximately 7000 people were seen in the citys STD clinics in 2006 but this declined to fewer than 6000 by 2017.

Other disconcerting statistics include a decline in annual childhood immunizations in the city from a peak of 30,000 in 2000 to only 8,000 in 2017. In 2007 Milwaukee had an immunization rate of only 40 percent even though the US Department of Health and Human Services had set a goal of 90 percent. The infant mortality rate continues to remain high in Milwaukee at 9.4 per 1000, almost twice the national average, which sits at 5.82. For African Americans, there has been little improvement in infant mortality for more than two decades with a current rate of 15 per 1000, a figure that is 3.2 times higher than for whites and Hispanics.

In 1941, syphilis infection was at the rate of nearly 400 per 100,000 but by 2000, the national rate had declined to just 2.1 cases per 100,000. Since 2000 syphilis infections have been on the rise, mostly attributed to men who have sex with men. However, in 2013 the rate increased for men and women and by 2016, a total of 27,814 cases of primary and secondary syphilis were reported in the United States, yielding a rate of 8.7 cases per 100,000. There were 628 cases of congenital syphilis, an increase of 27.6 percent that led to the death of more than 40 newborns.

The CDC put out a press release in September 2017 warning that STDs are at a record high and urgent attention is needed to prevent these infections. More than two million cases of chlamydia, gonorrhea, and syphilis were reported in the United States in 2016, the highest number ever, according to their annual Sexually Transmitted Disease Surveillance Report. The CDC highlighted the acceleration of the epidemic among multiple vulnerable populations such as men who have sex with men, women and newborns.

The resurgence of syphilis, and particularly congenital syphilis, is not an arbitrary event, but rather a symptom of deteriorating public health infrastructure and lack of access to health care, Dr. Gail Bolan of the CDC noted at the time of the report. It is exposing hidden, fragile populations in need that are not getting the health care and preventive services they deserve.

Over the last decades, thirty-one states have made cuts to their public health budgets while federal funding has remained flat. The implementation of Medicaid work requirements are expeccted to exacerbate matters even further.

A 2017 study published in the medical journal Sexually Transmitted Diseases examined US public STD clinical services and found that 61.5 percent of local health departments reported recent budget cuts. This resulted in fewer clinic hours, reduced screening and reduced partner services. About 25 percent had to increase their fees or copays. In 2012, 52 percent of state and local STD programs experienced budget cuts. Since 2008, local health departments have lost 55,590 staff from layoffs or attrition.The following letter was sent by the IYSSE to the editors of the German daily Tageszeitung (taz), after it published a defence of right-wing extremist professor Jorg Baberowski and defamed his critics.

Dear TAZ Editors,

Your three-page lead story, This man should be silenced, which appeared in your last weekend edition, employs false claims, lies, and journalistic dishonesty to rehabilitate the right-wing extremist Professor Jorg Baberowski and defame our criticism of him. We therefore call upon you to publish this letter in full in your next edition.

The article accuses the IYSSE of wanting to silence Baberowski, carrying out character assassination, and endangering open debate and freedom of expression. In reality, the IYSSE has at no time blocked Baberowski from speaking, writing, or publishing, or disrupted his lectures. Instead, we have publicly criticised his relativisation of Nazi war crimes, agitation against refugees, and glorification of violence.

Seifert adopts the absurd argument constantly employed by the far right: that criticism of their positions represents an attack on freedom of speech. Baberowskis analytical view of the world is being effectively indexed, i.e. banned, she claims, without providing a shred of evidence for this outrageous assertion.

Baberowski is notorious for his right-wing positions. The taz has itself repeatedly reported critically about them. Nearly all media outlets are open to Baberowski. He regularly expresses his views in a wide range of newspapers, gives interviews, and appears on talk shows. In contrast to the IYSSE, he has suppressed discussions at universities, threatened critics, and targeted them for legal action.

These facts are either passed over in silence by the taz article or falsified. For example, the article mentions that Baberowski filed a lawsuit against students at Bremen University for a leaflet critical of him they produced, but completely misrepresents the outcome of the case. Seifert reports in great detail about the initial ruling by the Cologne District Court, which is well known for its hard-line stance on questions of freedom of expression, but remains silent on what the appeals court decision had to say.

A study of your newspapers archive would have sufficed. Johannes Eisenberg, the lawyer and cofounder of the taz, who represented the Bremen student committee in court, reported on 3 June, 2017 about the proceedings at the Cologne District Court of Appeals. The court was of the opinion that the student committee had correctly cited the professor and that the evaluations of him as a right-wing extremist, racist, and glorifier of violence were therefore legitimate. Baberowski subsequently withdrew his suit so as to avoid a ruling against him by the court. He was forced to cover all legal costs.

In addition, the Cologne District Court of Appeals made clear that Baberowski was not cited in a way that distorted the meaning of his statements, as Seifert claims, despite knowing better. She reports that we tore citations out of context, while not providing a single example.

In another passage, Seifert declares that Baberowskis statement that Hitler was not vicious, is understandable in context. The Bremen-based Professor Andreas Fischer-Lescano pointed out last year in the Frankfurter Rundschau that there is no conceivable context in which this statement would not be repugnant. In the Tagesspiegel, Professor Mario Keler described Baberowskis statement as a declaration of hostility towards the principles of humanity.

In fact, the context of Baberowskis statement was unmistakable. It appeared in an article in Der Spiegel entitled The past that will not pass, which appealed for a revision of the result of the Historians Dispute of the 1980s. Baberowski defended the Nazi apologist Ernst Nolte, who was defeated in the Historians Dispute. Nolte was done an injustice. Historically speaking, he was right, Baberowski stated.

He went on to compare Hitler favourably with Joseph Stalin, declaring, Hitler was no psychopath, and he wasnt vicious. He did not want people to talk about the extermination of the Jews at his table. In the same article, he compared alleged shootings during the Russian civil war in 1918 with the Holocaust. It was essentially the same thing: killing on an industrial scale.

We could point to numerous other instances in which all aspects of the dispute at Humboldt University are falsified to the advantage of the right-wing extremist professor.

To create the false impression that the majority of students would back Baberowski, Seifert interviewed two students who have a dependent academic relationship with him: one of his student assistants and a student whose second reviewer is Baberowski.

She cites both of them making insults and telling untruths about the IYSSE without checking the facts or distancing herself from the comments. Seifert also remains silent about the fact that one of the students is a well-known right-wing activist, who addressed Alternative for Germany (AfD) supporters at an anti-Islam rally, as the taz reported on 20 December last year.

While Seifert attempts in this way to conjure up student support for Baberowski, she remains silent on the fact that student parliaments and student unions (Astas) at the three main Berlin universities and many other institutions have spoken out against Baberowski and his right-wing tirades.

On February 2, 2017, the student parliament at the Free University of Berlin sharply criticised in a resolution Baberowskis attempt to sue students at Bremen University because the Asta denounced his agitation against refugees and his theory of violence. Baberowskis attempt to silence critical students represents a fundamental attack on freedom of expression and the idea of a critical university, stated the resolution.

The student parliament at Humboldt University also protested on 27 April against the public defence of Baberowski by the university management, which the resolution accused of tolerating right-wing opinion-makers. Prior to this, the Assembly of Departmental Councils and Initiatives spoke out against Baberowski. Their resolution stated, Professor Jorg Baberowski publicly agitates against refugees and relativises National Socialist [Nazi] crimes in his research.

Then on 4 July, the Asta at the Technical University of Berlin also joined in the criticism, and organised an event on The case of Baberowski together with the Bremen Asta and the IYSSE. The event invitation declared, With the return of German militarism and growing social inequality, a sharp shift to the right is taking place among sections of the academic establishment. A central figure in this process is Jorg Baberowski, who agitates against refugees, drums up support for brutal wars, and downplays the Nazis crimes.

Similar statements came from the Asta at the University of Hamburg, the Asta at the University of Luneburg, the Asta at the Halle-Wittenburg University, the Asta at PH Heidelberg, and many other institutions across Germany.

Seifert ignores all of this. In the end, she makes no secret of the fact that she is fascinated by Baberowskis right-wing extremist positions. She describes the right-wing ideologue in the warmest tones, writing, Left-wing, liberal, or conservative, none of this means anything to him anymore. Is that not true for many people? That political certainties, affiliations dissolve, especially in the face of a morally consolidating New or Identitarian Right?

Seifert does not explain what is moral about the New Right and why political certainties are dissolving. But she is obviously speaking here on behalf of people who, confronted with the electoral successes of the AfD, are reorienting their political compasses far to the right and throwing their old political convictions overboard.

In this, the taz is aligning itself with the most right-wing political tendencies. In 1968, the right-wing Springer press agitated against students who held right-wing professors to account. Fifty years later, the taz attacks students who criticise a right-wing extremist professorand this under conditions where the AfD is in parliament and the grand coalition is embracing its xenophobic refugee policy.

Yours sincerely,

Sven Wurm, on behalf of the International Youth and Students for Social Equality (IYSSE)Held over the weekend, a top level meeting in Brussels failed to bring any clarity over whether, and under what conditions, the European Union and Japan could be exempted from the steel and aluminium tariffs to be introduced by the United States under national security provisions.

The meeting, convened ten months ago to discuss joint action against overcapacity in the global steel industry, largely attributed to China, was centred on the push by the EU and Japan for exclusion from the tariffs on the basis that they were strategic allies of the US.

But due to the increasingly ad hocbordering on chaoticcharacter of decision-making within the Trump administration, US trade representative Robert Lighthizer was unable to give his EU and Japanese counterparts any indication of what criteria they would have to meet in order to gain an exemption.

EU trade representative Cecilia Malmstrom said she had a frank discussion with Lighthizer after a bilateral meeting, but there was no immediate clarity on the exact US procedure for exemption however, so discussions will continue next week.

The Wall Street Journal cited people familiar with the discussions as saying that Lighthizer failed to spell out Washingtons expectations of countries seeking exemptions and that the US still appears to be formulating its guidelines on waivers, which may be published soon. It cited an unnamed EU official, who said that Lighthizer appeared to be open to the idea that we could be excluded but we will have to see how that translates into the documents they will be publishing.

Officials from the US trade representatives office, however, refused to comment on the talks, so there must be considerable doubt as to whether any stipulations will actually be set down. The agenda for further discussions is also unclear, with officials from both sides expected to engage in talks, though not at a high level, according to the newspaper.

Insofar as the exact agenda of the Trump White House can be followed, it appears to be seeking to use the threatened tariffs on steel and aluminium as a battering ram to secure further concessions for the US.

This is the procedure that has been adopted with regard to Canada and Mexico, both of which have been exempted from the measures during the renegotiation of the North America Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), and will be permanently excluded provided the US can secure what it considers to be a satisfactory outcome.

Judging from a tweet issued by Trump before the talks in Brussels began, this approach may be developed more broadly.

The European Union, Trump wrote, wonderful countries who treat the US very badly on trade, are complaining about tariffs on steel and aluminium. If they drop their horrific barriers and tariffs on US products going in, we will likewise drop ours. If not, we tax cars etc. FAIR!

Japans minister of trade and industry, Hiroshige Seko, told reporters after Saturdays meeting he still hoped Japan could secure an exemption. He said the measures could disrupt the steel and aluminium markets of the world and have a negative impact.

Trump has also directed fire, however, against the US-Japan trade deficit. In another tweet, he said he had held discussions with Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe, who was very enthusiastic about the talks with North Korea. Also discussing opening up Japan to much better trade with the US. Currently have a massive $100 billion trade deficit. Not fair or sustainable.

Estimates for the US trade deficit with Japan put it at somewhere just under $70 billion, rather than the figure claimed by Trump.

In line with Trumps bilateral approach, characteristic of the ideology which prevailed in the disastrous trade wars of the 1930s, trade is regarded as a zero-sum game, in which any deficit incurred by the US is regarded as detrimental to its national interests.

One of the reasons Australia may have been granted an exemption from the tariffs is because, as Trump noted in announcing the decision, the US enjoys a trade surplus with it. He also made reference to a security agreement. But the Australian government was quick to downplay suggestions that a new deal had been struck, insisting that this referred to paper work for an exemption from the tariff proclamation.

While that may be the case, the Trump White House will certainly be demanding undivided Australian support for its militarist and economic measures. A crucial question will be whether Canberra, which proclaims its support for free trade, backs any action against the steel and aluminium measures if a case is launched against the US through the World Trade Organisation.

While the EU has said it is looking to impose tariffs worth $3.5 billion against the US, if it goes ahead, China has yet to announce any possible retaliation, with officials confining themselves to warnings about the implications for the global trading system.

Chinese commerce minister Zhong Zang said any trade war with the US will only bring disaster for the world economy.

China does not wish to fight a trade war, nor will China initiate a trade war, but we can handle any challenge and we will resolutely defend the interests of our country and our people, he said.

A much bigger issue than steel and tariffs looms for the Chinese regime, as the US considers action under Section 301 of the 1974 Trade Act against China over technology transfers, innovation and alleged Chinese intellectual property theft. A report on an investigation launched by the Trump administration last year is expected in a few months.

In other measures under consideration, the Financial Times reported that the Trump administration has called for the Chinese to produce a written plan to reduce the bilateral trade deficit by $100 billion.

While the immediate outcome of negotiations over which countries may gain exemptions from the US steel and tariff measures remains unclear, the longer term implications for the global trading system are not.

In an opinion piece published in the Financial Times on Saturday, Princeton University professor and author of a study on the World Trade Organisation, Christina Davis, wrote that the world trading system is on the verge of collapse. The Trump decision, ostensibly taken in US national security interests, threatened much more than foreign companies exporting to US markets and American businesses using imported steel. It declares war on the trade system.

Davis noted that the Trump measures were not confined to the US, but formed part of a developing global trend.

While the US once led in the creation of the trade rules, she wrote, now it challenges their value. By favouring bilateral over multilateral deals, Mr Trump joins a wider trend for preferential agreements that carve up global trade into regional blocs.

This international tendency, which had such disastrous consequences in the 1930s, is exemplified by the fact that the WTO has been unable to reach any new agreement on global trade, in the course of negotiations stretching back over the past 17 years.A Pomona police officer who was shot by a barricaded suspect has died, and a second officer also injured during the unfolding incident is undergoing surgery, officials said Saturday.

Police responded the 1400 block of South Palomares Street about 9 p.m. Friday to a call about a reckless driver, Los Angeles County Sheriff's Captain Christopher Bergner told reporters Saturday morning.

Responding officers found the vehicle and a short pursuit ensued when the driver failed to stop. The driver then got out of the vehicle after crashing and ran into an apartment complex in the area. The man barricaded himself into a room inside an apartment and eventually shot through a door, wounding the two officers, Bergner said.

One of the officers died and the other is undergoing surgery. The second officer is expected to survive, Bergner said. Neither of the officers have been identified.

The shooter, who has not been identified, remains barricaded inside the apartment and the scene is active, the captain said. He noted that he could not release further details because the investigation is ongoing.

SWAT officers and crisis negotiators have been attempting to negotiate with the suspect to no avail. Bergner said investigators believe the gunman is alive. Flash bang grenades were also used to try and get the suspect out, video from the scene showed.

The apartment complex was evacuated except for the suspect and the scene is secure, Bergner said.

A crashed pickup was also at the scene and in an area cordoned off by police, but Bergner did not confirm if that is the vehicle the suspect was driving.

Police escorted the fallen officer's body from Pomona Valley Hospital Medical Center to the Los Angeles County Coroner's Office Saturday morning.

Amber Anaya, who lives near the scene, told KTLA that she lost her husband earlier this year and was worried about her children's safety.

"I will not lose my children," she said Friday night.

Several Southern California law enforcement agencies expressed their condolences to the Pomona Police Department Saturday morning.ROBINSON, Ill. (WTHI) - Technology is making its way into our everyday lives, yet again. This time, it's being used to help solve crimes.

At first there was one drone. Sergeant David Marqua with the Robinson Police Department recalls, "We wanted to use it to see if it would fit with some of the ideas we had and some of the purposes we wanted to use it for."

One of the Robinson Police Department's two drones. (WTHI Photo, Lacey Clifton) One of the Robinson Police Department's two drones. (WTHI Photo, Lacey Clifton)

Marqua says the department found great success in using the first drone. After a big donation, the Robinson Police Department now has two drones, and four officers licensed to operate them.

All four officers took a glimpse into the aviation world while studying for the FAA test. Once they felt they were prepared, all four took, and passed, the FAA Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems Test. Those officers are Chief Chad Weaver, Sgt. David Marqua, Officer Eric Schmidt, and Officer Isiah Osborne.

Marqua says, "I like to see departments such as ours grow with technology. I started 29 years ago now, we didn't have any in-car computers, cameras. Now we've got computers in the cars, cameras in the cars. Now we're using, utilizing drones to help further some of our investigations."

One drone is used to get high quality photos and videos from above. Those images can be viewed by the department's virtual reality headsets. The other drone, is equipped with Flir technology that picks up on heat sources.

Marqua explains, "Lets say we've got somebody barricaded in the building or we're just doing a building search, if we're unaware if somebody is in there, we can send a drone into a building without sending a live person in, which is obviously going to be a lot safer. We can always buy another drone, humans are hard to replace."

Marqua shares that searching for a missing juvenile or criminals isn't the only use for the drones.

He says, "The Chief of Police was called to Jasper County. They had a semi rollover, over there, with some hazardous materials. So, they notified him and we actually used a smaller drone on it to fly into the accident to see where the leak was and to see how to mitigate the leak."

While flying, Marqua says at least one person has to keep an eye on the drone at all times. He adds that maximum flying altituted is 400 feet. He says the department plans to test other drone applications later this year.

The Sergeant says, "Were still waiting to use it on some stuff. Fortunately we've got some time to kind of learn it, and to practice with it."

The Robinson Police Department says it's willing to assist and partner with other law enforcement agencies in the area with this technology. All you have to do is call the department at (618) 544-2217.TERRE HAUTE, Ind. (WTHI) - The White House is announcing new gun policies today. One of the major proposals includes arming teachers.

This comes after the school shooting in Parkland, FL.

A local Terre Haute veteran is weighing in on the gun debate. Michael Egy served in the Marines when he was only 19 years old.

One major topic he does not support is raising the age to buy a gun. Instead, he would like to see tighter background checks.

Egy wants more medical information to be public, so gun stores will be able to see mental health issues during a background check.

He believes the number of guns is not the answer to reduce crime.

Actually I think if everybody carried a gun it would decrease crime, said Egy. In the Wild West it wasn't as wild as it used to be, or what people thought it was. If you pulled a gun in the Old West, you looked around and you had 20 other guns pointed at you.

The new federal proposals aim to improve background checks. The White House also plans to overhaul parts of the mental health system.

President Donald Trump says they are not addressing the age requirement in the current legislation. Instead, they are leaving that decision up to a new school safety task force. The task force will be headed up by Education Secretary Betsy Devos.Arnold Schwarzenegger announced at a SXSW interview with Politico yesterday evening that he is planning to sue the world's largest oil companies for "knowingly killing people all over the world."

The former Governor of California explained that, to him, the practices of the major oil companies "is no different from the smoking issue."

"The oil companies knew from 1959 on, they did their own study that there would be global warming happening because of fossil fuels, and on top of it that it would be risky for peoples lives, that it would kill," said Schwarzenegger. "Its absolutely irresponsible to know that your product is killing people and not have a warning label on it, like tobacco. Every gas station on it, every car should have a warning label on it, every product that has fossil fuels should have a warning label on it."

The four major tobacco companies in the US - Philip Morris Inc., R. J. Reynolds, Brown & Williamson and Lorillard - were sued by the attorneys general of 46 states in the US, with these four agreeing to pay a total of $206 billion over a period of 25 years, with payments based on the amount of cigarettes sold in each state.

Schwarzenegger said that he's currently talking to private law firms, with the hope that the lawsuit will spread awareness about the harmful nature of fossil fuels.

Via TheHill.comPRENTISS COUNTY, Miss (WTVA) - The annual planting of a magnolia tree in honor of fallen Prentiss County Deputy Michael Hisaw was held Sunday.

Family, friends and the Prentiss County Sheriff's Department gathered, prayed and planted a magnolia tree in honor of Hisaw.

Deputy Hisaw was shot in the chest and killed while responding to a disturbance call in Prentiss County in 1999.

Hisaw's mother said his bravery is not forgotten.

"People still tell us how much he helped them at some point and helped them with different things," explained Carol Hisaw. "So, he is remembered after all these years."

Jerry Hisaw, Michael Hisaw's father, said this annual ceremony isn't just to honor his son but a reminder of safety while on duty.

"This is a reminder to them to be safe and very thoughtful in the arrest and the stuff that they do each day, which we are so thankful for," explained Jerry Hisaw.

According to Sheriff Randy Tolar, Michael Hisaw is the only Prentiss County deputy killed in the line of duty.

Therefore, Tolar honors Hisaw not only yearly but daily with a memorial wall in the sheriff's department.

"We want him to continually be remembered as an officer who faithfully served this county," said Tolar.

The sheriff said he will honor Hisaw as long as he is the sheriff of Prentiss County.SOUTHAVEN, MS (WMC) - A family is in mourning after a 12-year-old boy committed suicide.

Family members said Andy Leach took his own life after he was bullied relentlessly by a group of kids at Southaven Middle School.

Cheryl Hudson, Andy's mother, said the kids constantly told him he has fat, ugly, and worthless.

She said her other son found Andy's body hanging in a room at his father's home.

"One minute I feel like I'm numb. The next minute I break down," Hudson said. "I can't fathom another parent having to put their child in the ground the way we just did."

Jacqueline Carter is a counselor at Desoto Family Counseling. She said more and more she's asked to work with kids coping with bullying.

Carter said social media and technology are the main reasons bullying is getting worse.

The good news, according to Carter, is that there are signs adults can watch for to see if a child is being bullied.

"Look for the social outcasts. They're more withdrawn. Those who are afraid to raise their hands in class, speak out," Carter said.

A GoFundMe was set up to assist Andy's family cope with funeral costs. Click here if you'd like to donate.

WMC Action News 5 reached out to DeSoto County Schools for a comment on the family's accusation that bullying at the school is to blame for Andy's death. The school district is on Spring Break and did not respond with a comment.

Copyright 2018 WMC Action News 5. All rights reserved.TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) - After months of a fiery standoff between President Trump and Kim Jong-un, Trump has accepted an offer to meet, making him the first president to sit face to face with a North Korean leader to talk peace.

The fateful meeting could happen as soon as may according to a South Korean delegation.

The U.S. and South Korea will still conduct their military exercises despite the invitation to start talks. The developments are a major shift in tone from President Trump who has in the past vowed radical action.

Political contributor Dr. Ed Moore joined us in studio to talk more about the latest development between the U.S. and North Korea:GREENSBORO, Fla. (WTXL) - One person is dead after crashing into a tree on Carl Pitts Road in Greensboro early Sunday morning.

Demetris Lane, 33, crashed into a tree and was pronounced dead at the scene.

Gadsden County Sheriff's Office responded to a burglary around 3 a.m. at a convenience store on Carl Pitts Road.

Deputies put out an alert with Lane's car description.

Shortly after, deputies spotted Lane's vehicle and attempted to pull the car over.

The car fled and a chase occurred.

They got to a traffic stop and the deputy was able to see there were two people in the car.

The other suspect got out of the car and began running, while Lane attacked the deputy with a hammer. The deputy fired two shots, missing the suspects.

Lane attacked the deputy, got back into the car and drove away.

Lane then crashed into a tree and was pronounced dead at the scene.

Florida Highway Patrol is currently leading the investigation.

This is a developing story and we will continue to update it as more information comes in.

GREENSBORO, Fla. (WTXL) - Authorities are investigating after a crash on Carl Pitts Road in Greensboro early Sunday morning.

The Gadsden County Sheriff's Office confirmed that the Florida Department of Law Enforcement and the Florida Highway Patrol are currently on scene investigating.

The sheriff's office says that the crash happened on Carl Pitts Road in Greensboro around 5:30 a.m.

So far, no details are being released about what lead to the crash or if anyone was injured.

This is a developing story. Stay with us for details.TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) - The Tallahassee Police Department is seeking a suspect wanted for credit card fraud at the Walmart on Thomasville Road.

TPD asks that people who can identify the suspect call their investigators at (850) 891 - 4395.WASHINGTON, March 9 (Xinhua) -- The White House said Friday that U.S. President Donald Trump will meet with Kim Jong Un, top leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), after seeing "concrete steps" taken by Pyongyang.

"The president will not have the meeting without seeing concrete steps and concrete actions take place by North Korea (the DPRK), so the president would actually be getting something," White House Spokesperson Sarah Huckabee Sanders told a daily press briefing Friday afternoon.

Saying, "We're not in the negotiation right now," the spokesperson did not specify what the "actions" will be.

The remarks seemingly suggested an attitude of holding back from the White House's rhetoric one day earlier, when it confirmed that Trump has agreed to meet Kim in a couple of months "at a place and time yet to be determined."

If achieved, the proposed meeting will make Trump the first sitting U.S. president to meet the DPRK's top leader, signaling a step toward resolving the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue.

U.S. State Secretary Rex Tillerson said Friday that the conditions are not right for negotiations with the DPRK, while the United States was "open to talks."

"President Trump has said for some time that he was open to talks and he would willingly meet with Kim Jong Un when conditions were right and the time was right," said the visiting top U.S. diplomat in the capital city of Djibouti.

The diplomatic overture from Washington on Thursday came in response to an invitation relayed by South Korea's top national security adviser, Chung Eui-yong, who briefed Trump and other U.S. officials here on Chung's recent meeting with Kim in Pyongyang.

Kim is committed to denuclearization and pledged to refrain from conducting further nuclear or missile tests during this period, Chung told reporters Thursday evening at the White House.

Signs of a thaw on the Korean Peninsula emerged earlier this year since working-level talks between the two Koreas were held at the truce village of Panmunjom and the DPRK participated in the PyeongChang Winter Olympics. In addition, the two Koreas agreed to hold the third inter-Korean summit in late April.

China welcomes the positive news on direct dialogue released by the United States and the DPRK, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson said Friday.BERLIN, March 11 (Xinhua) -- Germany's biggest lender Deutsche Bank plans to pay out 2 billion euros (2.46 billion U.S. dollars) in bonuses to its employees despite reporting a third consecutive year of losses, German Press Agency (DPA) reported on Sunday.

"The amount for the variable remuneration will lie for the whole bank somewhere over 2 billion euros," chief human resources officer Karl von Rohr told DPA in Frankfurt on Sunday.

A one-off cost of some 1.4 billion euros as a result of changes to U.S. tax regulations dragged Deutsche Bank into the red last year, resulting in a loss of 497 million euros for 2017.

"We assured our employees that we wanted to return to our regular remuneration system," von Rohr said.

"It is a negative one-off accounting effect as a result of which we will achieve higher profits," von Rohr said.

Details of this year's bonus program are to be announced in the company's annual report published on March 16, according to DPA.LONDON, March 11 (Xinhua) -- Services at London's King's Cross and Manchester Piccadilly ground to a halt amid demonstrations against Turkey's military offensive in northern Syria on Sunday, Sky News reported.

Waving flags in support of a number of Kurdish organizations, the demonstrators disrupted transport networks for a number of hours.

At the time of Manchester Piccadilly's closure, British Transport Police superintendent Mark Cleland said the force appreciated and respected "the right to peaceful protest".

However, "Those involved in this afternoon's incident will be subject to intense investigation with a view to arrest and prosecution," Cleland said.

Hours later, the sudden protest in London King's Cross also forced that station to close.

King's Cross station was temporarily closed as police stopped protesters from accessing the tracks, British Transport Police said.

They then moved outside the station, blocking Euston Road briefly before heading towards Russell Square.

National Rail said Kings Cross station has fully re-opened but trains to and from there may still be delayed or revised as the service recovers, according to BBC.

The demonstrations in Britain and other parts of Europe followed several months of conflict between Kurdish groups and Turkish forces in Afrin, northern Syria.

The Kurds' supporters are angered by Turkey's assault on Afrin, which it launched on Jan. 20 with the stated aim of dislodging the People's Protection Units (YPG), a U.S.-back Kurdish militia that Ankara considers a terrorist group.YANGON, March 12 (Xinhua) -- Myanmar has planned to launch a biodiversity and ecosystem services project in three townships along the country's Chindwin River Basin starting April 1, the official Global New Light of Myanmar reported Monday.

The research program will be conducted in 15 villages in Khamti, Kalewa and Chaung U townships which are the main areas of biodiversity conservation, an official of the Myanmar Environment Institute was quoted as saying.

Researchers will monitor the value of biodiversity and observe the environmental impact and livelihood problems in the communities.

The result of the research study will be published by the regional government, the official said.

The project of mainstream biodiversity and ecosystem services in the Chindwin River Basin is aimed at building the capacity of civil society and government agencies in assessing potential impact of development and climate change and raising awareness of biodiversity conservation.

The 1,200-km Chindwin River, a major tributary of the mighty Ayeyarwaddy River, spills her strength into the longer river at a place not far from Mandalay, an old city that is the heart of Myanmar. It runs through misty-blue mountains and charming towns and villages, proudly running through a region of abundant natural resources and fertile meadows.STOCKHOLM, March 12 (Xinhua) -- The United States has strengthened its position as the world's top arms seller over the past five years, providing 34 percent of total arms exports, a Swedish-based research institute said Monday.

In its latest overview of global arms transfers, the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) said that U.S. arms exports increased by 25 percent in the 2013-2017 period, compared with 2008-2012.

U.S. exports in the period 2008-2012 accounted for 30 percent of the world total.

"Based on deals signed during the (former U.S. President Barack) Obama administration, U.S. arms deliveries in 2013-2017 reached their highest level since the late 1990s," said Aude Fleurant, director of the SIPRI Arms and Military Expenditure Program. "These deals and further major contracts signed in 2017 will ensure that the United States remains the largest arms exporter in the coming years."

According to the study, U.S. arms exports in the 2013-2017 period were 58 percent higher than those of Russia, the second largest arms exporter in that period.

During the 2013-2017 period, the United States sold arms to at least 98 countries, SIPRI said. A large portion of U.S. exports comprised combat and transport aircraft.

Exports to the Middle East accounted for 49 percent of total U.S. arms sales over the previous five years, while Saudi Arabia was the single-most important U.S. export market, totalling almost one-fifth of U.S. sales.VIENNA, March 12 (Xinhua)-- A knife attacker who ambushed a guard was shot dead near the residence of Iranian ambassador in Vienna, Austria late Sunday, police said.

The assailant, an Austrian citizen aged 26, ambushed a lone guard on sentry duty outside the residence before midnight, and injured the guard in the arm.

The assailant was later shot by the guard and died on the spot, according to police.

The attacker's motive remains unknown, police said.TOKYO, March 12 (Xinhua) -- Japan's finance ministry on Monday admitted to knowingly altering documents to do with a cut-price sale of state land that had seen allegations of cronyism levied at Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, local media quoted a ruling party lawmaker as saying.

The admission by the finance ministry amid increasing pressure from opposition parties may increase calls on Japanese Finance Minister Taro Aso to resign to take responsibility for the favoritism scandal, according to sources close to the matter.

The records that were altered pertain to a shady deal reached to sell a plot of state-owned land to Osaka's Moritomo Gakuen, a nationalist school operator in June 2016.

The controversial school also had ties to Abe's wife, Akie, who at one point was going to be the school's honorary principal.5 die in forest fire in southern India Source: Xinhua 2018-03-12 11:11:34 NEW DELHI, March 12 (Xinhua) -- At least five college students have been killed in a forest fire in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu, police said Monday. Editor: YurouISLAMABAD, March 12 (Xinhua) -- Director General of International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Yukiya Amano will arrive in Pakistan on Monday on a three-day official visit to Pakistan, officials said.

During his stay, he will visit various centers of Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission (PAEC) in Islamabad, Faisalabad and Karachi, a PAEC's statement said.

As a founding member of IAEA, Pakistan has deep cooperation with the IAEA in areas of nuclear power, industrial application of nuclear techniques, non-destructive testing, food and agriculture, soil improvement, radiation induced mutation, radiation oncology and nuclear medicines, environmental protection and isotope hydrology, the statement said.

The IAEA is the international center for cooperation in the nuclear field. The agency works with its members and multiple partners worldwide to promote the peaceful use of nuclear technology.

"Official visit of the IAEA chief is of key national interest for Pakistan as many new vistas of cooperation between IAEA and Pakistan would be explored during the visit," the statement said.SEOUL, March 12 (Xinhua) -- South Korea's top diplomat will visit Washington this week to meet with U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and discuss ways on the cooperation in the agreed-upon talks between South Korea and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) and between the United States and the DPRK.

Seoul's Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Monday that Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha will visit Washington from Thursday to Saturday and have a meeting with Tillerson during her three-day stay.

During the meeting, Kang and Tillerson will share the assessment of situations on the Korean Peninsula, which made a rapid progress recently.

The two diplomats will make an in-depth discussion on ways to closely cooperate between Seoul and Washington, regarding issues on the agreed talks between Seoul and Pyongyang and between Washington and Pyongyang, as well as the denuclearized Korean Peninsula.

Special envoys of South Korean President Moon Jae-in met U.S. President Donald Trump in Washington last week to brief Trump on their DPRK visit and convey top DPRK leader Kim Jong Un's eagerness to meet the U.S. president.

Trump told the envoys that he would meet the DPRK leader by May to achieve a permanent denuclearization.

The leaders of the two Koreas had agreed to hold a summit in late April at Peace House, a South Korean building in truce village of Panmunjom.

Kang and Tillerson will also talk about trade issues, including the recent U.S. protectionist moves. The United States planned to impose heavy tariffs on steel imports, including those from South Korea.Source: Xinhua| 2018-03-12 12:26:51|Editor: Yurou

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ISLAMABAD, March 12 (Xinhua) -- Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif arrived in Pakistan late Sunday on a three-day official visit for talks on regional issues, officials here said on Monday.

Zarif is scheduled to hold official talks with his Pakistani counterpart Khawaja Asif later on Monday on key issues, focusing on anti-terror cooperation, border security and economic issues, official sources said. Both foreign ministers are expected to speak at a joint press conference.

Cooperation for the Afghan peace and reconciliation and against the Islamic State group will also be a part of the discussions.

Zarif is also expected to meet Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi and military chief Gen. Qamar Javed Bajwa, a diplomatic source told Xinhua.

The Iranian foreign minister is accompanied by a 30-member delegation, including representatives from the business sector. He will also address Pakistan-Iran business conference.

Pakistan's Foreign Ministry spokesman Mohammed Faisal on Thursday said the Iranian foreign minister's visit is part of the regular bilateral political consultations between both sides.

"Pakistan and Iran remain actively engaged in enhancing cooperation in all areas of mutual interest," he said at his weekly briefing. The Iranian minister will participate in the Iran-Pakistan Joint Economic Forum. After visiting Islamabad, he will travel to Pakistani's commercial city Karachi.Source: Xinhua| 2018-03-12 12:31:51|Editor: Xiang Bo

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BEIJING, March 12 (Xinhua) -- Roberto Ampuero, a well-known Chilean novelist, assumed the post of Chilean Foreign Minister on Sunday, joining another 22 newly-appointed government ministers in forming the cabinet of President Sebastian Pinera, who was sworn in on the same day.

A leading author of crime fiction in Chile, Ampuero, 65, is known for a series of detective novels featuring exiled Cuban detective Cayetano Brule, including his debut work "Who Killed Christian Kustermann?" in 1993.

Other notable works by Ampuero include "Stockholm Lovers," "Greek Passion," and "The Neruda Case." In addition to being well received in Spanish-speaking countries, his works have also been translated into more than 10 languages, such as Chinese, English, French, German and Swedish.

The author's appetite for stories about dissidents relates to his personal experience, and some of his works are based on his own life in exile after the 1973 military coup in Chile.

During his 20-year life abroad, Ampuero had lived in Cuba, former East Germany and former West Germany, before returning to Chile in 1993. He moved to Sweden in 1997 and resided in Stockholm until 2000, when he settled in Iowa City in the United States to teach at the University of Iowa.

Contrary to his fame in literature, Ampuero is a relative neophyte in diplomatic affairs. His limited political career saw him serve as Chilean Ambassador to Mexico and Chile's Minister of Culture during Pinera's first presidential term between 2010 and 2014.

His nomination surprised the local media when Pinera announced the appointments of 23 new ministers in January. Critics worry about his lack of experience in diplomacy, saying that dealing with sensitive relations with countries like Cuba and Venezuela can be challenging for him.

Zhao Deming, who translated Ampuero's works into Chinese, said the novelist's new role in the government may "unfortunately" mean him bidding farewell to the literary world in his most productive years, adding that he hoped Ampuero will "take into account his literary strengths in diplomatic policies to promote cultural diplomacy between Chile and China."by Raimundo Urrechaga

HAVANA, March 11 (Xinhua) -- Millions of Cubans went to the polls on Sunday to elect more than 600 lawmakers to the island's parliament, with the elected leaders representing a new generation in the Caribbean nation, marking a historical change.

More than 24,000 polling centers were opened throughout the country for Cubans to exercise their right to vote and to choose among the candidates for the National Assembly of People's Power, a legislative body that in turn will elect the president of the country in April.

Cuba's current leader Raul Castro, 87, announced to the parliament in December that he will not seek re-election for a third term of five years, which would open a new chapter in the nation's history.

It would be the first time since 1976 that a person who does not have the last name Castro would likely be the president of Cuba since the 1959 revolution.

"I think the change of president will be good because that way we will have a leader with newer and current ideas," Rosalia Martinez, a 22-year-old college student, told Xinhua.

Analysts expected that Castro's successor will be Miguel Diaz-Canel, the current first vice president of the country. Diaz-Canel exercised his right to vote on Sunday in his home province of Villa Clara, central Cuba, where he was nominated.

If elected, Diaz-Canel, a 57-year-old engineer, would not bring about major changes, because he has defended the political continuity on the island and maintained the socialist model, analysts said.

"The elected government will serve the people; the people will have a say in the decisions. This will be a government that responds to what the people want," he told reporters after voting.

Late in the afternoon, the National Electoral Commission (CEN) said over 6.9 million Cubans had voted, representing 78.5 percent of registered voters.

Final results will be presented on Monday by the CEN at a press conference.

The electoral turnout on the island historically is around 90 percent, although voting is voluntary and the number of candidates is traditionally equal to the number of available positions.

Cubans believe this process will deepen economic and social reforms started by Castro and also improve their daily lives.

"I think what the new government will do is continue working to improve what we have to do as a society, as a country, as a nation," Edgar Martin, a 40-year-old lawyer, told Xinhua.

His wife, Iselda Damerafon, who also voted at a Havana school on Sunday, told Xinhua that the challenges of the new leaders will be even greater because it is not simply about assuming a post, but about defending the legacy of Fidel Castro and Raul Castro.

Also, she said, they must make important decisions to promote the island's development as Cuba's current economic situation isn't the best.

"The new leadership will have more responsibilities and must deepen the process of economic reforms. They have to respond to the people and work for our country's growth and progress," she added.

Alicia Zayas and Jose Gabriel Navarro, two university students who were accompanied by their parents and grandparents, also voted in the elections.

"Coming to vote is a very important democratic exercise for all citizens because here we decide who will be our next leaders and it is good to have a say in the choice of who we believe is the most capable to do so," Navarro told Xinhua.

Meanwhile, Zayas said the vote isn't about a candidate but rather the nation's future because it will determine how the new government will be formed.

"As a young woman, I am proud to witness this change. It's true that Fidel and Raul (Castro) have been very good for this country and they will go down in history, but it is very important to give way to new generations and I'm very excited to see it happen," she said.

Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez, who is among the younger leaders in the country, said the electoral process is an authentic demonstration of democracy, as the people go to the polls to choose who will lead the nation to make the island's socialism more efficient and fair.

"The National Assembly will elect the new Council of State and its president. It will be done by a secret and direct vote by the elected lawmakers and there will be a certain sense of renewal and continuity," he added.

According to official data, the average age of candidates in this election is 49, more than 86 percent of them have a university degree, and 53.6 percent are women, a figure that would make Cuba's new parliament the second largest in terms of female representation in the world.

The historical generational change will officially take place after April 19 when the elected lawmakers vote for the 31 members of the State Council, including its new president, first vice president, five vice presidents, and other members.7 civilians killed in Taliban attack in eastern Afghanistan Source: Xinhua 2018-03-12 12:56:56 JALALABAD, Afghanistan, March 12 (Xinhua) -- Seven civilians, including two women and three children, were killed when Taliban struck their vehicle with a rocket in Afghanistan's eastern province of Nangarhar Sunday night, the provincial government said on Monday. Editor: LifangSource: Xinhua| 2018-03-12 13:22:00|Editor: Lifang

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by Raimundo Urrechaga

HAVANA, March 12 (Xinhua) -- China's robust economic growth, broad international cooperation and steady domestic political situation are vital for the world's geopolitical stability, a Cuban expert has said.

Jose Luis Robaina, a scholar at Cuba's International Policy Research Center, told Xinhua in a recent interview that it is good for the world if China continues the path of stable development that stresses innovation and multilateralism.

"China plays an essential role in maintaining political and economic stability in the world," he said, adding that as long as China sticks to its current development model and foreign policy principles, "it will be a key factor in maintaining balance around the globe."

The expert spoke highly of China's remarkable economic growth, its increasingly active engagement in global affairs, the modernization of its armed forces, as well as the landmark achievement in lifting millions of people out of poverty.

"These characteristics are key to understanding where China is going," he said, adding that some Western countries tend to use economic cooperation as a leverage to foment political changes in other countries or compel them to make concessions.

Robaina appreciated China's commitment to high-quality economic growth, which the scholar hailed as a "smart move" by the country's top leadership.

"There is a central idea in the (government work) report that China is gradually moving to a high quality economy. A few years ago China's economic development was based on investment, export and foreign trade but it has begun to transform into one that focuses on domestic consumption and innovation," he said.

He also mentioned the 6.5-percent target for China's GDP growth in 2018, saying it is in line with the government's emphasis on the quality rather than quantity of its economic development.

The scholar also highlighted China's goal of lifting the rest of its poor above the government-designated poverty line by 2020, which he said is a goal that demonstrates Beijing's political will to build a prosperous society for the Chinese people.

He said "the whole (Chinese) population in general today lives better than ever before in many aspects," adding that China's poverty reduction efforts over recent years are "an unprecedented feat in history."JALALABAD, Afghanistan, March 12 (Xinhua) -- Seven civilians, including two women and three children, were killed when Taliban struck their vehicle with a rocket in eastern Afghan province of Nangarhar, the provincial government said on Monday.

Two people were also wounded in the attack which occurred at around 8:30 p.m. local time Sunday in Nabi Khil locality of Bati Kot district, the local government said in a statement, adding one of the injured remained in critical condition.

The motive behind the attack remained unknown and the Taliban has yet to make comments on the report.

Provincial Governor Mohammad Gulab Mangal strongly condemned the attack, ordering the security forces to bring the perpetrators to justice in the province, 120 km east of Kabul.

More than 3,430 civilians were killed and over 7,000 others injured in conflict-related incidents in 2017, according to figures released by the United Nations mission in the country.

The mission has attributed 65 percent of the civilian casualties to the Taliban and other insurgent groups, 20 percent to security forces over the period while 11 percent were attributed to both sides during clashes and the remaining 4 percent were caused by other reasons.CANBERRA, March 12 (Xinhua) -- Australia's largest owner of slot machines has been accused of interfering in a state election where the machines are a key issue.

Woolworths Limited, Australia's second largest company by revenue, has drawn the ire of South Australia (SA) BEST Party leader Nick Xenophon for its involvement in a wide-scale smear campaign directed at SA-BEST.

The Australian Hotels Association (AHA) has run a series of television commercials warning that a vote for Xenophon's party will put thousands of jobs at risk.

Xenophon has promised to cut the number of slot machines in SA in half if elected premier in Saturday's state election.

He said that Woolworths, which is best known for its ownership of one of Australia's largest supermarket chains, was indirectly involved in the AHA's campaign through its stake in the Australian Leisure and Hospitality which operates hotels and their poker machines.

"The great irony is that today there are people in South Australia and around the country who can't afford to buy food and the essentials of life in a Woolworths Supermarket because they have lost their money at a Woolworths poker machine," Xenophon told reporters in Adelaide on Sunday night.

The Alliance for Gambling Reform sided with Xenophon, saying Woolworths should sever its ties with the AHA.

"Woolworths is actually interfering in this election," spokesman Tim Costello told Fairfax Media.

"They're doing it at arm's length through the hotels association.

"Most South Australians would be staggered to know that Woolworths is the biggest pokies operator in Australia and the biggest here in South Australia."

SA-BEST has fallen behind both the incumbent Australian Labor Party (ALP) and Liberal Party of South Australia in recent polls having initially been considered a threat to defeat both of Australia's major political parties in what would have been a historic victory.

The ALP under the leadership of Jay Weatherill is considered the favourite to win a historic fifth consecutive term in office.MOSCOW, March 12 (Xinhua) -- Russia is ready to begin producing the latest intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) system Sarmat, a senior Russian military official said Monday.

"With regard to the readiness of Sarmat, I can say that all the practical, scientific, technical and production problems have been overcome. The production facilities that are necessary for the required number of missiles ordered by the Defense Ministry have been ready," Russian Deputy Defense Minister Yuri Borisov told Krasnaya Zvezda newspaper in an interview.

Borisov said that the Russian military will soon start the disposal of ICBM R-36M2 "Voevoda".

In his annual address to the Federal Assembly on March 1, President Vladimir Putin said Russia has begun testing Sarmat which has "practically no range limits" and can penetrate any missile shield.by Levi J Parsons

SYDNEY, March 12 (Xinhua) -- Australian economists collectively gasped two weeks ago when U.S. President Donald Trump announced that Washington would impose a 25-percent tariff on steel products and a 10-percent barrier on aluminum imports.

As an outward-looking trading nation reliant on exports and heavily exposed to overseas risks, the thought that the United States may have fired the first shot in a global trade war was highly alarming for economic observers in Australia.

The Australian government managed to get an exemption from the controversial new policy, due to the "security" relationship between the two countries. While the outcome of the lobbying efforts proved successful, experts have warned that Australia might not be out of the woods just yet.

"At the moment it has worked out ok, but in the long term it's going to be a bad thing," Capital Economics' chief Australia and New Zealand economist Paul Dales told Xinhua.

"The issue is what happens in the future and whether this is the start of a steady escalation in tariffs and protectionism around the world because that would have huge implications for Australia."

"...If the U.S. were to force a shift that would see it become more closed and less open to business, Australia would lose out," Dales said.

In total, the executive order that excluded Australia from the price hikes may have saved Aussie industries around 210 million U.S. dollars in steel and a further 213 million U.S. dollars in aluminium exports that are shipped to the United States every year.

Australia's largest steel exporter to the United States, BlueScope, who has over 3 billion U.S. dollars of assets in the United States along with more than 3,000 workers, has remained tight-lipped and cautious about the recent events.

"We've argued for a fair treatment of our important manufacturing businesses for almost 12 months now, and we've been supported superbly by the Prime Minister, the Trade Minister (Steve) Ciobo, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and the ambassador on the ground in Washington," BlueScope Chief Executive Officer Mark Vassella said.

"There's a clear recognition about Australia's status as an ally and our four-to-one trade surplus in America's favor."

The speculation and uncertainty of the past two weeks however has wreaked havoc on the company's ASX share price, falling almost 9.5 percent from a high of 16.78 cents (AUD) to 15.19 cents (AUD).

But on Monday investors breathed a sigh of relief after news of Friday's exemption lifted the stock around 4 percent at the open, to begin the session at 15.88 cents (AUD).

CMC Markets' chief market strategist Michael McCarthy has warned that although there has been a reprieve for Australian companies, "there are still significant risks."

"The reality is that if China, the U.S. and Europe are involved in a trade war everyone is going to get hurt," he said.

Some also fear that other nations stung by the U.S. tariffs may look to dump steel products on Australian shores to drive the price down.

But Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull was quick to dispel the concerns, telling reporters on Monday that Australia has beefed up laws to deal with the problem.

"We've given our Anti-Dumping Commission stronger powers, we have given them more money," he said.

Turnbull also made the announcement that despite Australia's opposition to protectionism, due to the exemption granted by Washington, the government would not join any other nations that may decide to legally challenge the tariffs.

"I know there's been speculation in the media about action being taken by other countries in the World Trade Organization about the U.S. steel and aluminium tariffs," Turnbull said.

"As a country that will be exempt from those tariffs, we don't have a basis to bring a complaint," he said.Source: Xinhua| 2018-03-12 14:37:13|Editor: Jiaxin

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Ma Peihua (L), Chinese President Xi Jinping's special envoy and vice chairman of the 12th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, meets with Chile's President Sebastian Pinera in Santiago, Chile, March 10, 2018. (Xinhua/Wang Pei)

VALPARAISO, Chile, March 11 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping's special envoy Ma Peihua attended the inauguration ceremony of Chilean President Sebastian Pinera here Sunday.

Ma, vice chairman of the 12th Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) National Committee, met with Pinera before the ceremony on Saturday in Santiago.

Ma conveyed President Xi's congratulation and good wishes to Pinera, saying China and Chile have established a comprehensive strategic partnership and China-Chile relations have been spearheading China's ties with Latin American countries.

He said China has always regarded Chile as a significant cooperative partner in the Latin America and Asia-Pacific region and China will, as always, develop ties with Chile from a strategic and long-term perspective.

Ma said China is willing to work with Chile to strengthen exchanges in all aspects, jointly build the "Belt and Road," deepen pragmatic cooperation in trade, investment, mining and agriculture, strengthen closer multilateral coordination and open up new prospects for their bilateral comprehensive strategic partnership.

For his part, Pinera thanked President Xi for sending an envoy to attend his inauguration and asked Ma to convey his greetings to President Xi.

Congratulating on the ongoing sessions of China's top legislative and political advisory bodies, the Chilean president wished the Chinese people greater development achievements under President Xi's leadership.

Developing relations with China is a priority for Chilean diplomacy and Chile is willing to work with China to deepen mutual beneficial cooperation, advance specific projects within the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative, and further enhance cooperation in the Asia-Pacific region to benefit the two peoples, said Pinera.

Ma also met with former Chilean President Michelle Bachelet on Saturday in Santiago.

Ma conveyed President Xi's greetings to Bachelet and spoke positively of her contributions to bilateral relations.

Bachelet asked Ma to convey her greetings to President Xi.

She said that developing ties and deepening cooperation with China has become a national policy of Chile, and Chile is confident about the prospects of Chile-China cooperation.MEXICO CITY, March 11 (Xinhua) -- Mexican authorities said Sunday that an explosion on a passenger ferry last month was neither a terrorist attack nor carried out by an organized crime group.

On Feb. 21, 24 people including five Americans were injured in the blast aboard a ferry that shuttles between Playa del Carmen and Cozumel island, two of eastern Mexico's top tourism destinations.

The passengers were mainly tourists and employees of hotels, restaurants and other businesses.

Authorities are still investigating how and why the homemade "rudimentary explosive" was planted on the ferry, which was docked in Playa del Carmen when the device exploded and tore a hole into the side of the vessel.

Probes are still trying to identify and arrest the probable suspects, Alberto Elias, spokesperson for the Mexican Attorney General's Office, told reporters at a press conference.

The U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Federal Bureau of Investigation are aiding the investigation, he said.

Mexican officials have stepped up security at the ferry docks with additional officers aided by sniffer dogs.

Less than two weeks after the blast, a second explosive device was reportedly found aboard another vessel belonging to the same ferry operator, whose operations have been suspended by the government.

The U.S. embassy in Mexico has issued an alert and barred staff from taking the ferries.

The incidents have not disrupted daily life in the region, Mexico's Federal Police Commissioner Manelich Castilla said at the press conference.Source: Xinhua| 2018-03-12 14:52:15|Editor: Lifang

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BOGOTA, March 11 (Xinhua) -- Colombian primaries on Sunday led to the nomination of two presidential candidates, representing the country's left and right wing coalitions respectively.

Gustavo Petro, of the Alternative Indigenous and Social Movement (MAIS) and Humane Colombia, emerged as the candidate of the left, with 80.97 percent of the votes tallied.

Former Bogota mayor Petro garnered more than 2.3 million votes. His rival Carlos Caicedo of the Citizens Force party got a little more than 413,000 votes.

On the right, Ivan Duque, of the Democratic Center party, came out ahead, winning more than 3.35 million votes, or 67.8 percent of the total. His rivals, former minister Martha Lucia Ramirez won 25.71 percent and former attorney general Alejandro Ordonez received 6.48 percent.

Duque is backed by former hardline president Alvaro Uribe, a fierce opponent of President Juan Manuel Santos' administration and its peace initiatives with the country's guerrilla groups.

Santos, who was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts to end decades of fighting, has already served two terms and is ineligible to run again.

Presidential elections are to be held on May 27.

Colombia held congressional elections on Sunday to elect the 166 representatives and 102 senators of Congress, in what President Santos described as "the most peaceful elections" in decades thanks to peace talks with the country's guerrilla groups.

The former Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia is now the Revolutionary Alternative Common Force, a leftist political party that has candidates running for congressional seats.

Colombia's second-largest guerrilla force, the National Liberation Army (ELN), declared a unilateral three-day truce to allow voting to proceed without incident.

At the same time as the congressional elections, Colombians voted Sunday for presidential candidates of two key political groupings ahead of the May 27 elections.MOSCOW, March 12 (Xinhua) -- A massive fire broke out Monday morning at a warehouse of automobile tires in the city of Novosibirsk, Russia's largest city and also the capital of Siberian District in the Far East of the country, local media reported.

There is yet no report of casualties, but the area of fire has spread to at least 300 square meters, with the metal structures of the warehouse starting to yield in high temperature, state-owned RIA Novosti news agency quoted an official of the local department of the Ministry of Emergency Situation as saying.

Some 90 people are at the scene to contain the flames. A mobile chemical-radiometric laboratory is also deployed to measure the level of hazardous particles in the air.

The massive blaze could have been caused by careless handling of fire, said the official.Source: Xinhua| 2018-03-12 15:17:21|Editor: Chengcheng

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NEW DELHI, March 12 (Xinhua) -- Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and visiting French President Emmanuel Macron Monday jointly inaugurated a 75-megawatt solar plant built by a French company in the country's largest state of Uttar Pradesh.

The state's largest solar plant has been set up by French company Engie Solar in Mirzapur district, some 300 km from Uttar Pradesh capital Lucknow.

Modi and Macron flew from Delhi to Varanasi, the parliamentary constituency of the Indian prime minister, from where they went by road to Mirzapur, some 40 km away, for inauguration of the solar power plant.

Solar power in India is a fast developing industry. In January 2015, the Modi government expanded its solar plans, targeting 100 billion U.S. dollars in investment and 100 GW of solar capacity by 2022.

The inauguration of the solar plant came a day after Modi and the visiting French president Sunday co-chaired the Founding Conference of the International Solar Alliance (ISA), a flagship Indian initiative launched by the two nations on sidelines of Paris Climate Conference in 2015.

India and France Saturday inked as many as 14 pacts, including on security, nuclear energy and protection of classified information, after Modi held talks with the French president in Delhi and vowed to boost bilateral ties and vowed to fight terror.

The French president and his wife arrived in India late on Friday night on a four-day state visit. This is President Macron's first visit to India after taking office in May in 2017. He will wind up his tour late Monday night.

The bilateral trade between India and France touched nearly 11 billion U.S. dollars during April 2016 to March 2017. France is the ninth largest foreign investor in India.COLOMBO, March 12 (Xinhua) -- Over 230 people have so far been arrested over the communal clashes in Kandy in Central Sri Lanka, including those who were caught spreading hate speech on social media platforms, police said Monday.

A police official told Xinhua that while the situation in Kandy had returned to normal, tight security would remain for a few more days across the district to maintain law and order.

He said further arrests were expected over the next few days and a special desk had been set up at the police headquarters for the public to lodge complaints about any violent incidents.

Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe visited Kandy over the weekend to meet the victims affected by the violence and assessed the extent of damages. He promised the government would pay full compensation for those whose businesses, homes, mosques and temples had been destroyed in the clash.

The prime minister also said the clashes had created new challenges for the government at the local and international levels and it was a blow to the country's tourism and economy.

"We have been expecting a boom in the tourism industry but in the wake of disturbances in Kandy we don't know whether we could achieve it as expected."

During his inspection, Wickremesinghe was informed that nearly 465 houses, business establishments and vehicles were destroyed and damaged by the violence. Many mosques and temples were also destroyed.

Wickremesinghe further said an organised group was behind the communal clashes in Kandy and the police had already received vital information about it.

"I have directed the law and order minister and the inspector general of police to conduct an urgent investigation into the matter and take necessary actions about it," the prime minister said.

Also over the weekend, President Maithripala Sirisena appointed a three-member committee to investigate the violence.

Meanwhile, all government-run schools which had remained closed in the Kandy District since clashes erupted on March 4 were re-opened Monday under the instructions of the education ministry.

Three people were killed and several others injured in the communal clashes.

President Sirisena declared a week-long state of emergency on Tuesday to prevent violations from spreading to other areas, the first of its kind after the country ended a 30-year civil war in 2009.

The latest clash was triggered after a 41-year-old man succumbed to his injuries after being attacked by a group of people on Feb. 22.SAN FRANCISCO, March 11 (Xinhua) -- More than 100 people including middle school students demonstrated Sunday in Oakland, a major U.S. West Coast port city, to speak out against the dangers of social isolation, organizers said.

Beyond Differences, a nonprofit organization established in 2010 to promote inclusiveness among students, organized the event.

Participants marched along a lake in downtown Oakland, the largest city in the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area, carrying signs that advocate diversity and inclusion.

"If #BeyondDifferences lives its mission, millions of young people will become the generation that completely transforms this nation," Lateefah Simon, who is on the Board of Directors of Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) public transportation system in the San Francisco Bay Area, told the rally.

Local media said the rally was staged to encourage middle school students to embrace their differences and help students who are socially isolated in schools.

The participating students were encouraged to interact during the Sunday event with people they didn't know, and learned to break through and be themselves.Source: Xinhua| 2018-03-12 15:42:26|Editor: Chengcheng

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MAIMANA, Afghanistan, March 12 (Xinhua) -- A mortar round fired by anti-government militants in Afghanistan's northern Faryab province struck a residential area, killing three children and injuring another, provincial police spokesman Abdul Karim Yurush said Monday.

"A mortar round fired by Taliban rebels in Khawja Sabzposh district on Saturday struck a house killing three innocent children and injuring another," Yurush told Xinhua.

All the victims aged from seven to nine years belonged to the same family, the official added.

Taliban militants haven't claimed responsibility for the attack.

Militancy, conflicts and counter-militancy left more than 3,430 civilians dead and injured more than 7,000 others in the conflict-hit Afghanistan in 2017, according to a report of United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) released here last month.Source: Xinhua| 2018-03-12 15:57:28|Editor: Chengcheng

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CANBERRA, March 12 (Xinhua) -- The Australian Academy of Science has joined an international coalition of expert bodies calling for the Commonwealth of Nations to guide action on climate change.

The 22 national academies from around the Commonwealth issued a Consensus Statement on Climate Change ahead of April's Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in the United Kingdom (UK).

It marks the first time that Commonwealth nations have come together to call on governments to take further action to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions.

The signatories to the statement represent tens of thousands of scientists from around the world.

As a signatory to the 2015 Paris Agreement, Australia has committed to keeping the average global temperature increase below two degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels but David Day, Secretary of Science Policy at the Australian Academy of Science, said achieving that feat was only the first step.

"Even if all the country commitments from the Paris Agreement are met, the best interpretation of the latest data shows that by the end of the century the global climate is likely to be three degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels," Day said in a media release on Monday.

"This is substantially higher than the Paris target to limit warming to less than two degrees, and would have profound impacts affecting billions of people throughout the world."

The CHOGM has committed to focusing on sustainability and how developing countries can combat climate change.

"Recognising different capacities, challenges and priorities, the approaches of each nation will not be the same. But, they must be informed by the best available scientific evidence, monitoring and evaluation," Day said.Source: Xinhua| 2018-03-12 16:37:34|Editor: Chengcheng

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BEIRUT, March 12 (Xinhua) -- A Palestinian family of five members died on dawn Monday when a fire broke out in their home while they were still sleeping, the LBCI TV reported.

According to the TV report, an electric shortcut caused the fire that broke out in the house of A. D in the Imam Mahdi neighborhood in the southern city of Nabatieh.

The fire led to the death of A.D, his wife M.H and his three daughters, Yasmine (16), Sabrine (8) and 8-month-old infant Nadine, who all suffocated from the smoke of the fire.

The Civil Defense Directorate rushed its vehicles to the neighborhood and managed to put off the fire and removed the bodies to a nearby hospital.File photo of a lightning strike. (Xinhua)

KIGALI, March 12 (Xinhua) -- At least 14 people were killed and around 140 others injured when a church was hit by lightning in southern Rwanda on Saturday, sources said on Sunday.

Some of the injured were in critical condition, Francois Habitegeko, mayor of Nyaruguru District, Southern Province, told a media briefing on Saturday.

The death toll of the tragedy remains at 14 on Sunday, Governor of Southern Province Marie Rose Mureshyankwano confirmed to Xinhua.

Volunteers and Rwanda Red Cross staff have been helping the affected families in burying the victims, said a Red Cross official who requested anonymity.

Some 70 of the injured were admitted to Munini hospital, and 58 of them have been discharged, said Innocent Ndebeyaho, director of the hospital, on Sunday.

One of them was referred to University Teaching Hospital of Butare, a national referral hospital, he said.

About 70 others were taken to other health facilities and have been discharged, he added.

The lightning hit through the open back door of the church, affected those sat behind and killed all people who had phones with them, Ndebeyaho quoted survivors as saying.

The lightning also damaged the back wall of the church, said the director.

Southern Province is prone to lightning, according to governor Mureshyankwano.

Two more people were reportedly killed by lightning on Sunday in separate cases in the districts of Gisagara and Huye in the province, the governor said.

In another lightning strike on Friday, two people, including a primary school pupil, were killed and 16 others injured in Nyaruguru District, bringing to 18 the total number of people killed in the province in the past three days.NEW DELHI, March 12 (Xinhua) -- At least 10 persons have died and over 900 hospitalized over the past one week due to outbreak of gastroenteritis in the Guntur district of India's southern state of Andhra Pradesh, district officials confirmed.

The gastroenteritis occurred due to contamination of drinking water supply in the town, because of negligence on the part of civic officials.

According to the district officials, hospitals in the district have been flooded with patients complaining of vomiting, frequent motions and fever. A door to door survey is underway to ensure cleanliness and good hygiene.

Besides, teams to inspect the water supply pipelines, which are over 30 years old, have been formed to oversee repair of leakages. Special medical camps have been organized to treat the patients in areas where most of the cases are being reported.NAIROBI, March 12 (Xinhua) -- A political truce between President Uhuru Kenyatta and his main rival in last year's elections, opposition leader Raila Odinga, has given Kenyans optimism.

The two leaders held talks on Friday and agreed to work together in a move that shocked their foes and allies, a majority who did not expect the antagonists would unite following bruising polls.

"Kenyans should overcome negative ethnicity by acting in the understanding that elections on their own are not solution to our challenges," said both Odinga and Kenyatta in a joint statement, before shaking hands in a show of unity.

The move has elicited mixed reactions across the East African nation, but of more significance is that the new found political unity has renewed optimism among ordinary citizens.

Last year, Kenya held two presidential elections, one on Aug. 8, whose result was annulled by the Supreme Court after it found Kenyatta was not validly elected.

A second one was ordered on Oct. 26, which the opposition boycotted, accusing the government of planning to rig it. Kenyatta was elected with 99 percent of the votes and later sworn-in but Odinga declined to recognize him as the president.

The lengthy electioneering period saw Kenyans divided along ethnic and political lines, with some leaders and individuals not seeing eye-to-eye.

Several people, majority of them opposition supporters, were killed during confrontations with the police in demonstrations and political rallies.

"I am happy with the move by the president and Odinga. It is a step in the right direction because as citizens, we were suffering a lot," Joash Mwangi, a Kenyatta supporter, said Monday.

Mwangi, a businessman selling clothes in Nairobi, noted that he had lost several customers due to the political crisis.

"My customers, especially those who supported Odinga, had refused to buy my merchandise, accusing me of supporting their oppressors. I called one the other day and he told me that he had moved on, that he would not build a business of someone who was not from his region," he said.

But with the political talks between the two leaders who Kenyans overwhelmingly voted for on Aug. 8, Mwangi, as many other small businesspersons, is hopeful of better times ahead.

"I am optimistic that the business environment would be better going forward. My business has never been battered like this before," said Gilbert Wandera, who runs a computer shop in the Nairobi central business district.

Since August 2017, Wandera said he had brought stock of 50 desktop and laptop computers to his shop once. "I am still yet to clear the batch because of the political stalemate, which affected business but now there is hope. My prayer has been that Odinga does not renew anti-government sentiments and they have been answered," he said.

Moses Onyango, a motorbike taxi operator on the east of Nairobi who supported Odinga, noted that divisions in the country had seen riders divide themselves along ethnic lines.

"In our case, Luo, Kamba and Luhya riders waited for customers at one place because we felt we were one since we supported the opposition. On the other hand, Kikuyus who supported the president also had their place and our customers were also aware of the division," he said, noting he is hopeful that would end.

Leaders at the weekend rallied behind the unity talks between Odinga and Kenyatta, asking Kenyans to embrace them for the sake of the country.

"I am seeing our economy take off. We should now forget what happened and soldier on as one people. I am one of those who were persecuted because of Odinga's oathing but I am now putting all that behind," George Aladwa, a lawmaker said.

The Deputy President William Ruto, similarly, called on opposition leaders criticizing Odinga to support the move for the sake of posterity.

"Elections come and go. We cannot continue fighting and hope that we would have a country. It is time we join hands and build a country our children would love living in," he said.

On social media, the unity talks have been a hot debate, with a majority of Kenyans supporting them, but others, especially opposition supporters felt Odinga had betrayed them.

"I not pleased with whatever Odinga did. It was not the only alternative. Odinga was better off in opposition. All governments in the world have oppositions," said Salome on Twitter.

Others questioned the secrecy in which the talks were held, noting just as Odinga called them for his controversial swearing in at Uhuru Park, he should have informed them of his next move.

But analysts asked Kenyans to give Odinga and Kenyatta a chance to unite the country and not vilify them.

"We should not vilify the leaders and others who claim were not informed. We are all central to the reconciliation and peace of the country," said James ole Kiyiapi, a former permanent secretary and a professor of environment.

Kiyiapi noted that politics at its finest is first about national interests, everything else is secondary.

"What happened between Odinga and Kenyatta is not about winners and losers, it is about winning as a country," he noted.

However, he added that their coming together should not gloss issues affecting the country including negative ethnicity, lack of inclusivity and corruption, but offer a chance to solve them.

Henry Wandera, an economics lecturer in Nairobi, observed that the business community is one of the top beneficiaries of the talks, as the economy is set to rebound as political environment stabilizes.Source: Xinhua| 2018-03-12 17:57:56|Editor: Chengcheng

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JERUSALEM, March 12 (Xinhua) -- Israeli ministers approved on Monday a controversial bill to exempt ultra-Orthodox Jewish men from military service in an effort to save Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's right-wing coalition and avoid early elections.

The ultra-Orthodox parties, which possess 13 of the government's 66 seats in the 120-seat parliament, threaten to leave the coalition if a law granting ultra-Orthodox men exemption from conscription fails to pass.

However, the secularist right-wing partners object to such a bill, saying the ultra-Orthodox should "share the burden" of military service.

Earlier in the morning, the government's Ministerial Committee for Legislation voted in favor of the bill following overnight talks between Netanyahu and ultra-Orthodox coalition partners for an agreed version of the bill.

The bill is set to be put to the vote in the Knesset (parliament) plenum later in the day, where it needs three full rounds of votes to become a law.

Earlier, an official with Yisrael Beytenu, a right-wing party led by Defense Minister Avigdor Liebermann, told the Hebrew-language Ynet news site that the party will leave the coalition should the bill be approved in parliament's final reading.

The political tremor comes as Netanyahu and his close associates are involved in at least four corruption cases.

On Sunday, some of his coalition partners accused him for not trying hard enough to solve the political dispute in order to force snap elections that would help him survive corruption investigations.

Recent opinion polls show the long-time leader still enjoys strong public support and his Likud party could win the most seats in new elections, despite the corruption allegations.

The police has already recommended indicting Netanyahu in two bribery cases, but the final decision on indictment must be made by the attorney general.HARARE, March 12 (Xinhua) -- A team of Southern African Development Community (SADC) election observers on Monday met Zimbabwean Foreign Affairs Minister Sibusiso Moyo as it began its week-long assessment mission ahead of polls set for mid-year.

The team is expected to meet government officials, the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission, political parties and civil society, among other stakeholders.

In his welcoming remarks, Moyo said the SADC observer team was the first and most important pre-election observation group to come to Zimbabwe.

"You have come at the appropriate time even before there is any electoral proclamation so that you can understand and provide technical advice which is critical for us to deliver what we desire as a government -- a free, fair and transparent election," Moyo said.

Chair of the SADC Electoral Advisory Council (SAEC) Leshele Thohlane congratulated Moyo on his appointment as foreign minister and said the team was in Zimbabwe to assess the country's state of preparedness for the polls.

"Part of our terms of reference are that we should come and assess the state of readiness in as far as preparations for elections are concerned and that state of preparedness will be assessed through interactions with various stakeholders from today until the end of the week," said Thohlane.

He said after interactions with the stakeholders, the team will be able to assess if Zimbabwe is ready to hold polls and then compile a report for the SADC chairperson who will decide on deployment of an observer team.

The visit by the observers is in line with the regional bloc's Principles and Guidelines Governing Conduct of Democratic Elections.

The visit is also expected to be followed by teams from the African Union and European Union on similar missions.

President Emmerson Mnangagwa has not yet proclaimed election dates but according to the law, these are expected to be held between July 21 and Aug. 21.Suspected Islamic State (IS) militants stand handcuffed in Shiberghan, capital of Jawzjan province, Afghanistan, March 11, 2018. Four militants from the IS extremist group were arrested in Afghanistan's northern province of Jawzjan on Sunday, an army source said Monday. (Xinhua/Mohammad Jan Aria)

SHIBERGHAN, Afghanistan, March 12 (Xinhua) -- Four militants from the Islamic State (IS) extremist group were arrested in Afghanistan's northern province of Jawzjan on Sunday, an army source said Monday.

"The four were serving as weapons and cash facilitators for IS militants in Darzab district of Jawzjan. They were arrested on the outskirts of provincial capital Shiberghan city on Sunday afternoon," Lieutenant Colonel Abdul Samad told Xinhua.

The arrested were handed over to concerned authorities for further questioning, he said.

"The four insurgents tried to travel to eastern Nangarhar province to collect and transport cash and weapons to the group in Jawzjan, 390 km north of Kabul," the source added.

Nangarhar province with Jalalabad as its capital, 120 km east of Kabul, has been regarded as IS militants' hotbed.

Up to 2,302 militants loyal to IS have been killed and more than 499 others sustained injuries over the past one year in four Afghan provinces, including Jawzjan and Nangarhar, according to figures of the Afghan Defense Ministry.

The IS group, which emerged in Nangarhar in early 2015, has yet to make comments on the report.Source: Xinhua| 2018-03-12 18:53:09|Editor: Jiaxin

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BEIJING, March 12 (Xinhua) -- China's financial regulators Monday issued a plan to expand capital tools for commercial banks to replenish their capital in order to boost their support for the real economy.

The country will improve rules to enable commercial banks to raise funds through multiple channels, including convertible bonds and other loss-absorbing debt instruments, according to the plan jointly issued by the China Banking Regulatory Commission (CBRC) and another four regulators.

The country will work on policies to allow institutions such as social security funds, insurance companies, brokerages, and fund companies to invest in the capital tools that commercial banks issued to replenish capital, according to the plan posted on CBRC website.

Financial regulators will also streamline the approval procedures for these capital raising tools.

This came as the country's financial regulators increased supervision to defuse risks, resulting in higher standards for capital.Source: Xinhuanet| 2018-03-12 19:21:04|Editor: ZD

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Vietnamese Ambassador to China Dang Minh Khoi takes an exclusive interview with Xinhuanet in Beijing, capital of China, March 1, 2018. (Xinhuanet photo)

by Liu Dan

BEIJING, March 12 (Xinhuanet) -- The development of China's economy and Chinese market is to provide sufficient space for the economic and trade cooperation between China and Vietnam, said Dang Minh Khoi, Vietnamese Ambassador to China.

The ambassador made the remarks in a recent interview with Xinhuanet.

Speaking highly of China's reform and opening up, the ambassador said he has full confidence in China's economic development, which is also opportunities for Vietnam.

The governments of the two countries are making efforts to push forward cooperation on inter-connectivity.

Last year, a memorandum of understanding on joint implementation of the Belt and Road Initiative and Vietnam's "Two Corridors and One Economic Circle" plan was signed.

Under the guidance of the document, the ambassador believed that the cooperation between the two countries in all fields will be even closer.

There have been plans to connect highways and high-speed railways between the two countries, he added.

There is great potential and high complementarity for bilateral economic and trade cooperation between the two countries, and Vietnam has been China's largest trading partner among all Southeast Asian countries for two consecutive years, he said.

In 2017, the trade volume between China and Vietnam exceeded 100 billion U.S. dollars and the number of Chinese visitors to Vietnam surpassed four million, said the ambassador.

The people-to-people exchange between Vietnam and China is also very close, said the ambassador, adding there are over 300 passenger flights between the two countries every week. He believed that there is still much room for expansion in this area.Source: Xinhuanet| 2018-03-12 19:42:19|Editor: pengying

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Nepals Ambassador to China Leela Mani Paudyal takes an exclusive interview with Xinhuanet in Beijing, capital of China, March 1, 2018. (Xinhuanet photo)

BEIJING, March 12 (Xinhuanet) -- Chinas continued economic growth is important for global economic growth, prosperity and stability, said Leela Mani Paudyal, Nepals ambassador to China in a recent interview with Xinhuanet.

Chinas impressive economic growth will bring more funds, more technologies, more people, more know-how, more markets to Nepal, he said.

In 2017, China's GDP grew 6.9 percent year on year and its contribution to world economic growth stood at around 30 percent, according to the communique on economic and social development released by China's National Bureau of Statistics on Feb. 28.

The ambassador said that Chinas impressive economy has been able to grow continuously without any setbacks because of the reform and opening up policy.

The reform and opening-up has helped China to convert its assembling industries into quality production and quality growth, he added.

As China is pushing for a new pattern of all-round opening up, Nepal will have more access to Chinas technology, funds and markets, he noted.

The ambassador said he visited China for the first time in 1999. He highlighted the impressive changes in China, saying the expeditious expansion of high-quality infrastructure is unimaginable and marvelous.

He also said he was deeply impressed by Chinas technological advancement and innovation.

He gave an example of the high-speed train. He said the high-speed train used to be a very aristocratic mode of transportation in the world before China entered the business.

But now with Chinas technological advancement and innovation, it has become a common transport for many travelers.

Nepal and China signed a Memorandum of Understanding on bilateral cooperation under the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative in 2017.

Since then there has been more cooperation between the two countries.

According to the ambassador, Nepal received the largest foreign direct investment from China in 2017.

In addition, there have been more exchanges of high-level political delegations and people-to-people exchanges, he said.

There are more Nepalese students studying in China as well, he added.

He believed this has promoted mutual understanding, trust and confidence.

The ambassador pointed out that 2017 was one of the most important years in terms of Nepal-China relations, looking forward to more bilateral cooperation this year.OSLO, March 12 (Xinhua) -- A new research showed that eight in ten pregnant women in Norway have too little iodine, which might lead to birth of children with reading and writing difficulties, newspaper Aftenposten reported Monday citing a study.

Most of people do not have enough knowledge about this mineral and its significance, the report said.

"It has been assumed that the intake is good, but results from our study show that iodine status among pregnant and breastfeeding women is poor," said Sigrun Henjum, researcher at Oslo Metropolitan University (OsloMet), which conducted the study during 2016.

"It is worrying, there must be increased attention around iodine," she said.

The study was conducted on 175 breastfeeding and 800 pregnant women in the area of Oslo and Akershus and showed that three in four breastfeeding women do not have enough iodine in breast milk.

Iodine is needed for normal production of thyroid hormones that are important for the growth and development of the brain of both fetuses and small children.

With enough iodine present, the brain develops optimally, Henjum emphasized.

"Several international studies over the past ten years have shown that women with low iodine status in pregnancy have an increased risk of having children who score less on reading and writing skills," she added.

The World Health Organization (WHO) recommended an intake of at least 250 mg of iodine daily for both breastfeeding and pregnant women.

Norway however does not follow these guidelines and recommends instead 175 and 220 mg of iodine daily for pregnant and breastfeeding women respectively.

"In Norway, people have traditionally eaten a lot of fish and drank a lot of milk. These are the two main sources of iodine in the food. But now we see that the intake of milk, dairy products and white fish has gone down, and we found that the pregnant and breastfeeding women did not manage to get enough (iodine) through food," Henjum said.

Henjum now works in Norwegian Scientific Committee for Food Safety on risk assessment in case of increased level of iodine in salt and eventually industrial baking. The work is scheduled for completion in June 2019.

According to the report, like many other vitamins and minerals, both too low and too high intake of iodine is dangerous, so one should therefore be careful when consuming seaweed products which contain large amounts of iodine.1 killed, 2 injured in Belgrade shootout Source: Xinhua 2018-03-12 19:43:21 BELGRADE, March 12 (Xinhua) -- A 31-year-old ex-employee of a company in the downtown Belgrade, entered the office on Monday morning and shot at two former colleagues, killing one and getting himself and another colleague injured, the police said. Editor: Chengcheng Related News Back to TopSource: Xinhua| 2018-03-12 19:43:21|Editor: Chengcheng

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BEIRUT, March 12 (Xinhua) -- Lebanese President Michel Aoun on Monday called for building a robust e-government that "prevents corruption and fraud."

"Digital government transformation secures transparency of the administration and prevents all kinds of bribery and obstruction and prevents forgery," said Aoun at the opening of the Digital Government Conference 2018 at the Beirut Intercontinental Phoenicia Hotel.

"Combating corruption is necessary at all levels because it harms the reputation of the state as a whole, and impacts the citizen's trust in its official institutions and obstructs the work process," he added.

The Lebanese president also pointed to his oath of office in which he highlighted the need to transform the Lebanese government into an e-government.

"It is part of my economic reform plan because this is the gateway to modernize the state to combat corruption and also to reduce brain drain," Aoun explained.

The Digital Government Conference 2018 aims to share experiences from the delivery of existing digital projects, and assess the current strategic approach to e-government, in order to adopt best international practices for the future delivery of government digital information and services.KATHMANDU, March 12 (Xinhua) -- At least 49 people were killed and 17 injured after a passenger plane of the US-Bangla Airlines crashed at Nepal's Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA) on Monday afternoon, authorities confirmed.

Bishwo Raj Pokharel, a senior police official involved in the rescue operation at the TIA, told Xinhua on the spot, "49 people were killed and 17 others injured in the incident. Now we are carrying out rescue operations."

The 17 injured in the incident had been sent to hospitals for treatment, he added.

The Bombardier Dash Q-400 aircraft, with 67 passengers and four crew members onboard, crashed while landing. The UBG211 flight was en route to Kathmandu from Dhaka, Bangladesh.

The TIA has been closed for the incoming and outgoing international flights following the incident.

The details of the incident are yet to be ascertained.

Nepali Prime Minister K.P Sharma Oli, Defense Minister Ishwar Pokharel, Home Minister Ram Bahadur Thapa and senior officials reached the airport following the incident.

The prime minister told reporters that the government would launch a probe into the crash.

The US-Bangla Airlines is a privately-owned Bangladeshi airline headquartered in Dhaka.

This is the deadliest air crash at the TIA airport after a Turkish Airlines flight crash-landed in March 2015.ADDIS ABABA, March 12 (Xinhua) -- The Command Post that was established to enforce the recently decreed 6-month state of emergency announced on Monday that it has sent an investigation team to probe the killing of nine civilians who were mistakenly killed.

According to the Command Post Secretariat, an investigation team, which includes senior Ethiopian defense force members, has been sent to the area were Ethiopian soldiers mistakenly killed and injured civilians in the southern part of the East African country.

The soldiers were said to be in an operation which turned out to be a mistake as they were on a mission to attack the rebel group Oromo Liberation Front (OLF), which the Ethiopian government considered as a terrorist group, according to the Secretariat.

The incident happened on Saturday when an army unit deployed around Moyale city along Ethiopia's border with its neighboring country Kenya to intercept suspected OLF fighters, in which Ethiopian army soldiers opened fire on civilians on a basis of mistaken information and killed 9 and injured 12 civilians.

The Ethiopian government shortly after the incident announced that it has disarmed some members of its army force and put under arrest pending investigation procedures regarding the deadly incident.

Moyale city, located in Ethiopia's Oromia regional state along the border with Kenya, has been in a state of unrest since the first half of 2016.

Similar recent unrest and violent incidents have forced the Ethiopian government to impose a six-month martial law effective as of Feb. 16, saying it was to protect the country's constitution, citizens and their property from the dangers that would arise from the ongoing violent demonstrations in different parts of the country.

The East African country had since the second half of 2016 witnessed a 10-month long state of emergency period that followed widespread public protests in parts of the country.LONDON, March 12 (Xinhua) -- Britain announced a new strategy Monday for healthy ageing to prepare for the time when more than one-in-ten people born today reach the age of 100.

The government announced a 416 million U.S. dollar worth competitive fund to develop the innovations and new technologies of tomorrow, for the landmark ageing society grand challenge.

The funding will support better diagnosis for British patients through artificial intelligence (AI) and new tech at a new network of regional centers of excellence.

Around 500,000 Biobank volunteers will be recruited so their genome can be sequenced to provide data that will help the UK lead the world in development of tools for early diagnosis and new pioneering therapies.

An extra 55.5 million U.S. dollars is to be invested in a new hub for the UK Dementia Research Institute at University College London (UCL), and there will be new funding to develop new products and services to help people live in their homes longer, tackling loneliness, and increasing independence.

In a statement the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) said: "Britain is determined to be at the forefront where we can lead a global technological revolution. Through its Ageing Society Grand Challenge the government has committed to invest in harnessing the power of innovation to help meet the diverse needs of an ageing society."

BEIS said more than 10 million people in Britain today can expect to see their 100th birthday, compared to the 15,000 centurions today.

"Ageing populations are a global phenomenon that are creating new demands for technologies, products and services, including new care technologies, different housing models and innovative savings products for retirement," said BEIS.BAGHDAD, March 12 (Xinhua) -- Nine people were killed by the extremist Islamic State (IS) militants at a fake checkpoint near Iraqi ethnically mixed town of Tuz-Khurmato, a local security source said on Monday.

The incident took place late on Sunday night when IS militants intercepted several civilian cars at a fake checkpoint on the main road in north of the town of Tuz-Khurmato, some 90 km east of Salahudin's provincial capital Tikrit, a source from the local paramilitary Hashd Shaabi told Xinhua.

In one of the cars, the militants killed six family members and set fire to their car and the bodies inside, while three more people were killed and four others were seriously wounded in other cars, the source said.

During the past few months, dozens of IS militants fled their former urban strongholds in Mosul, Salahudin province and Hawijah area in the west of Kirkuk after the Iraqi forces cleared these areas during major anti-IS offensives.

However, remnants of IS militants resorted to hideouts in rugged areas near the rivers of Tigris and Zab, as well as Himreen mountainous areas to continue their almost daily attacks against civilians and Iraqi forces.

On Dec. 9, 2017, Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi officially declared full liberation of Iraq from IS militants after Iraqi forces recaptured all the areas once seized by the extremist group.

However, small groups and individuals of IS militants are still capable of carrying out attacks against the security forces and civilians despite operations from time to time to hunt them down.MADRID, March 12 (Xinhua) -- Local authorities confirmed on Monday that a 43-year-old Colombian man was shot and killed in the town of Pozuelo de Alarcon, which is close to the Spanish capital city of Madrid.

According to Regional Authority of the Community of Madrid, the man was hit by at least ten bullets while driving his car at around 9:30 a.m. local time close to the British Council School in the well-heeled town of close to 90,000 inhabitants.

The incident happened shortly after he and his wife, who was also in the car at the moment of the shooting, had dropped their son off at school. The woman is reported to be unharmed, although she is being treated for shock.

According to local media reports, the car in which they were travelling was moving at low speed when two individuals on a motorbike overtook them and fired the shots before escaping at high speed.

Spanish National Police are now investigating the incident and the area has been sealed off while investigations are taking place.Source: Xinhua| 2018-03-12 20:33:29|Editor: Zhou Xin

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Photo taken on April 28, 2016 shows Sudan, the last male northern white rhino in the world, at Ol Pejeta Conservancy in Nanyuki, Kenya. The world's only remaining male northern white rhino has been battling with a life-threatening ailment. The 45-year-old giant land mammal, fondly named as Sudan, has been sheltered at the Ol Pejeta Conservancy in the northern Kenyan county of Laikipia, and has lately grappled with an infection on his right hind leg, undermining his capacity to roam around and forage. "There has been no significant improvement on the health of Sudan and doctors are on the standby to administer treatment twice a day," said Elodie Sampere, communications manager at Ol Pejeta Conservancy, during an interview with Xinhua. (Xinhua/Pan Siwei)

by Xinhua writer Wang Xiaopeng

NAIROBI, March 12 (Xinhua) -- The world's only remaining male northern white rhino has been battling with a life-threatening ailment, throwing the world's conservationists into a spin.

The 45-year-old giant land mammal, fondly named as Sudan, has been sheltered at the Ol Pejeta Conservancy in the northern Kenyan county of Laikipia, and has lately grappled with an infection on his right hind leg, undermining his capacity to roam around and forage.

Sudan's health remained critical though veterinarians have been attending to him twice a day, Elodie Sampere, communications manager at Ol Pejeta Conservancy told Xinhua in an interview.

"There has been no significant improvement on the health of Sudan and doctors are on the standby to administer treatment twice a day," Sampere said, adding that conservationists and scientists are still hopeful the iconic species will overcome the current ailment.

Conservationists from all over the world have been fascinated by the last remaining male northern white rhino with concerted efforts to prolong its lifespan.

Under a "Last Chance to Survive" breeding program supported by global wildlife campaigners, Sudan and two of his female partners were relocated to their current abode in northern Kenya in 2009 to induce their breeding through a conducive natural habitat.

However, due to advanced age, Sudan was unable to breed with his female partners, Fatu and Najin, adding to the fear that the white rhino subspecies was on the verge of extinction.

GLOBAL CAMPAIGN

Ol Pejeta Conservancy last year kicked off a global campaign to save the world's last remaining subspecies of white rhinos through In Vitro Fertilization (IVF).

Among the modern reproductive technologies, scientists are considering using southern white rhinos as surrogates to carry the northern white rhino's embryos, which would cost as much as 1 million U.S. dollars.

The campaign hit a crescendo last year when a dating app, Tinder, named Sudan the most eligible bachelor in the world. Since then, well-wishers have made considerable donations to support the surrogate birth.

In January, two globally renowned monumental sculpture artists, Gillie and Marc Schattner, announced that they were carving three giant rhino sculptures that would be unveiled in New York City to raise awareness on the plight of the only three remaining northern white rhinos on the planet.

"The sculptures will be used to raise awareness and gather 1 million goodbye messages from the world. Gillie and Marc will then take these messages and use them as petition to stop the trading," Ol Pejeta Conservancy said in a statement.

It revealed that the two artists will recreate Sudan, Najin and Fatu into life-sized bronze sculptures so that everyone in the world would get a chance to see them, touch them, hug them and say goodbye to the iconic species.

Ol Pejeta Conservancy disclosed that each rhino bronze sculpture would be stacked on top of the other to illustrate how fragile but magnificent these creatures were, arousing the sentiment to halt their extinction.

TIP OF ICEBERG

Ol Pejeta Conservancy, East Africa's largest black rhino sanctuary, has been updating well-wishers on the health status of Sudan, and a recent Facebook post from the conservancy struck a positive note indicating that Sudan's health improved slightly following a heavy down pour.

"It has been raining heavily on Ol Pejeta for the past couple of days and the weather certainly seems to have lifted Sudan's spirits. He has been able to wallow in the mud with the careful assistance of his caregivers, something that he seems to savor," Ol Pejeta Conservancy posted on its Facebook account Tuesday.

"We are cautiously optimistic that he (Sudan) will respond favorably to the treatments that are being administered by our vet teams," said the conservancy. His two female counterparts have remained in good health.

According to Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS), the global population of northern white rhino subspecies stood at about 2,000 in the 1960s but it shrank to the current three due to poaching and habitat loss.

The fate of northern white rhinos is just the tip of the iceberg. According to the 2016 Living Planet Report by the World Wildlife Fund, the global population of fish, birds. mammals, amphibians and reptiles declined by 58 percent between 1970 and 2012.

The organization also said the experts calculated that 0.01-0.1 percent of all species will extinct each year, at an unprecedented speed between 1,000 and 10,000 times higher than the natural extinction rate.

ONGOING BATTLE

Kenya has earned global acclaim for its spearheading efforts to save the world's three last remaining northern white rhinos, and wildlife entities like Ol Pejeta Conservancy that occupies an estimated 90,000 acres of land have been at the fore front in the battle.

Heavily armed guards have been providing 24-hour security for Sudan to protect it from poachers who are to blame for the reduction in the population of the rhino subspecies in Kenya.

The Kenyan government has also stepped up efforts to save rhinos through a raft of measures such as punitive legal action on poachers as well as community participation in the conservation of the iconic species.

Najib Balala, cabinet secretary for tourism and wildlife, told Xinhua that Kenya was undeterred in its commitment to saving all rhino subspecies despite jitters caused by Sudan's illness.

"This northern white rhino, the only remaining in the world, came from Czechoslovakia. It was brought to Kenya to survive. But unfortunately, we cannot control age. It is now 45 years old. But we have very elaborate programs for southern white and black rhinos," said Balala.

He further noted that the population of rhinos and elephants has gone up due to investments in robust anti-poaching measures. Balala also thanked China for rallying behind such efforts.

Kenya currently hosts a population of around 1,100 rhinos, the third largest globally after South Africa and Namibia.While it is full steam ahead for the world's longest high-speed rail network, the last steam engine drivers in remote Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region are coming to the end of the line.

Carrying coal from the Sandaoling mine, Hami City, the 11 steam locomotives are some of the last running in the country. The coal mine is to shut down within two years, so the train drivers are counting their days.

A steam train runs at dawn. (Xinhua/Zhao Ge)

It is still very dark at 7 a.m. in Sandaoling. The only light comes from a bathhouse, the meeting place for the drivers, 300 meters from the tracks.

It is freezing outside, but inside the house hot dense steam rises, enshrouding the boisterous bathers. To the sound of running water, Liang Guoqiang, the head driver, comes to a blackboard covered with name tags, and begins to arrange the day's schedule.

Drivers with blackened faces are each given a white "off-duty" card and head for the showers, while drivers who just have finished washing get a red "on-duty" card.

Cheng Zhongyun puts his name tag on the blackboard before heading for work. (Xinhua/Zhao Ge)

"Driving a locomotive in the mine is very dirty work. Your face, everything except your eyes, turns black," says Cheng Zhongyun, 55, driver of the locomotive Jianshe 8190.

Cheng walks to the cabin of his train, deposits food for his 12-hour shift, and begins his work.

Cheng examines the train before driving. (Xinhua/Zhao Ge)

Holding a flashlight, he examines the train thoroughly, while assistant driver Ma Xinsheng fills the boiler with water. Stoker Dai Yanjia pokes a mirrored shovel into the furnace to check on the fire. The early-morning silence of the Gobi desert is broken by the puffing of steam.

Cheng, Ma and Dai in the cabin. (Xinhua/Zhao Ge)

At least four persons are needed to drive a steam locomotive -- a driver, an assistant driver, a stoker and a flagman. Crowded into the five square meter cabin are the driver, the assistant driver and the stoker, while the flagman leads a lonely existence at the other end of the train.

Cheng climbs atop the locomotive for a thorough examination. (Xinhua/Zhao Ge)

"To become a driver, you must start as a flagman and work your way up. The flagman has the toughest job," Cheng says. "It's all about meticulousness. There's no room for carelessness in our work. It took me eight years to get this far."

Cheng is ready for a day's work. (Xinhua/Zhao Ge)

Cheng waits for an hour before the signal light comes on and the train clatters toward the mine.

Without any assistance from computers or smart driving systems, locomotive drivers must stick to one fundamental principle -- keep watching. Cheng and Ma open the windows on both sides, and lean out to look around. They operate the accelerator and the brake entirely by feel. It requires years of practice.

Cheng leans out to look around while driving. (Xinhua/Zhao Ge)

Behind them, Dai keeps shoveling coal into the furnace. Liu Xiaozhi, waves flags, red for "stop" and green for "go."

Dai coals the boiler. (Xinhua/Zhao Ge)

"I've driven on this route for 23 years. I know every twist and turn, but I must look out every time I make a turn. I can't drive without seeing what's out there," Cheng said.

A steam train in Sandaoling. (Xinhua/Zhao Ge)

In winter, the rails freeze immediately the train stops. To get the train and its 364 tonnes of coal moving again on the slippery track, Cheng has to inch forward and back.

At a speed of only 30 kph, it takes an hour for the train to reach the mining zone. Cheng and his colleagues have some time to relax while the coal is loaded.

Two steam trains in Sandaoling. (Zhao Ge)

Cheng checks the boiler and stares blankly out of the window while waiting. Ma puts some steamed buns above the cylinder and in five minutes he can enjoy the reheated breakfast. Dai sands down the calluses on his hands with a grindstone.

Ma reheats his breakfast. (Xinhua/Zhao Ge)

Dai sands his fingernails with a grindstone. (Xinhua/Zhao Ge)

"We are retiring this year," Cheng said, "Time flies. We are all in our fifties, and it's time to say goodbye."

"I've spent more time with this iron giant than with my wife," he says, gripping the accelerator. "We are the last locomotive drivers. It's time to go."

The crew take a rest in the cabin. (Xinhua/Zhao Ge)

Following in his father's footsteps, Cheng started work in 1995, the prime time for the mine.

"At that time the mine went 170 meters deep. It was as busy as a fair. At night it was as bright as in daytime. We made six or seven trips in a shift," Cheng recalled.

A steam train in Sandaoling. (Xinhua/Zhao Ge)

"This giant piece of metal is pretty noisy, but isn't very powerful. It's very slow when it is dragging 50 cars," says Deng Yong, who works at Liushuquan station where coal from Sandaoling is transferred to other trains and then across the country.

Opened in 1962, Sandaoling is the largest open-pit coal mine in northwest China. Its annual production reached 3 million tonnes at its peak and at that time more than 30 locomotives were running each day.

A steam train in Sandaoling. (Xinhua/Zhao Ge)

As China reduces capacity and fights pollution, coal mines like Sandaoling are shutting down.

By 2020, China will have 30,000 kilometers of high-speed railway in operation, connecting more than 80 percent of its big cities.

Steam locomotives are no longer manufactured in the country and when a train breaks down, there is no way to repair it.

Crossties are demolished from some tracks. (Xinhua/Zhao Ge)

The 60 members of the Sandaoling driving team are all in their fifties. 80 percent of them will retire within three years. The rest will be moved to other positions, according to Liang Guoqiang, the head driver.

Cheng looks back while driving. (Xinhua/Zhao Ge)

Ma is worried that when he retires in May, he won't be able to sleep without the clattering.

Cheng has a dream. "I've never taken a plane. I want to fly to Beijing," he said. "And I want to take a high-speed train, too!"Source: Xinhua| 2018-03-12 20:53:33|Editor: Chengcheng

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BEIRUT, March 12 (Xinhua) -- The UN envoy to Lebanon said Monday that Lebanon has made "thorough" preparations for the upcoming Rome conference aimed to support the country's security forces.

The remark was made by acting UN Special Coordinator for Lebanon Pernille Dahler Kardel after her meeting with Lebanese President Michel Aoun at Baabda Palace.

"I congratulated the Lebanese government for its very steady and very thorough preparations for the conference," she said.

"It is a very important conference in support of the security institutions. This is an opportunity for Lebanon and the Lebanese government to state its desire to extend security institutions throughout the country," Kardel added.

According to the envoy, the UN delegation to the Rome conference scheduled for later this week will be headed by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.

Meanwhile, Kardel also congratulated the Lebanese government for its smooth preparations for the May 6 parliamentary elections as well as its ongoing budgeting efforts.Source: Xinhua| 2018-03-12 20:53:35|Editor: Chengcheng

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GAZA, March 12 (Xinhua) -- The Israeli naval forces arrested 11 Palestinian fishermen off the coast of southern Gaza Strip on Monday, according to the Gaza fishery union.

Nizar Ayyash, the chairman of the Gaza-based fishermen union, told Xinhua that the Israeli naval vessels surrounded a fishing boat off the coast of Rafah, arresting all fishermen on board and seizing the boat.

Under the Oslo peace agreement, signed between Israel and Palestine Liberation Organization in 1993, Palestinian fishermen are allowed to fish in an area of 20 nautical miles (37 km).

But the Israeli navy has reduced the fishing zone down to six nautical miles, and sometimes to only three nautical miles offshore, after Israel imposed a tight blockade on the enclave after the Islamic Hamas movement seized control of Gaza in 2007.

On Feb. 25, an Israeli army spokesman said the naval forces opened fire at a fishing boat sailing beyond the allowed fishing zone, killing one fisherman and wounding two others.

Last May, a Palestinian fisherman was shot dead off Gaza's shore by Israeli gunfire.

There are about 3,800 fishermen with more than 700 boats in Gaza, according to official Palestinian figures.Source: Xinhua| 2018-03-12 20:58:35|Editor: Chengcheng

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TEHRAN, March 12 (Xinhua) -- Iran's Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC) announced on Monday that its forces have thwarted twin suicide attacks in the southeastern Sistan and Baluchistan province near the border with Pakistan.

The two attackers intended to target a border outpost belonging to the IRGC ground force on Sunday night.

One of the assailants was driving a truck loaded with explosives and the other had a suicide belt.

According to the IRGC report, one of the attackers blew himself up before being captured, wounding two Iranian forces. The other assailant was killed by the guards.Source: Xinhua| 2018-03-12 20:58:35|Editor: yan

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Chinese President Xi Jinping (R) meets with Chung Eui-yong, national security advisor for the President of the Republic of Korea (ROK) Moon Jae-in and also special envoy of Moon, in Beijing, capital of China, March 12, 2018. (Xinhua/Pang Xinglei)

BEIJING, March 12 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping Monday met with Chung Eui-yong, national security advisor for the President of the Republic of Korea (ROK) Moon Jae-in, in Beijing.

Xi appreciated President Moon sending Chung as a special envoy to brief him on Chung's recent visits to the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) and the United States.

"We expect a smooth DPRK-ROK summit and DPRK-U.S. dialogue," Xi said, expressing his hope that there will be substantial progress in denuclearization on the Korean Peninsula and normalization of relations between the concerned parties.

Chung thanked China for its important leading role in helping with positive changes on the Korean Peninsula, and said the ROK is willing to have close coordination with China to maintain the current momentum on the Peninsula.Source: Xinhua| 2018-03-12 21:08:38|Editor: Jiaxin

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CHENGDU, March 12 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese engineer is hoping to draw more attention to an environmentally-friendly mode of transport - bamboo bicycles.

Ren Yao is preparing to take part in a triathlon to be held in Taiwan using one his bamboo bicycles.

The engineer makes the bicycles in a workshop in Chengdu, capital of southwest China's Sichuan Province. He rode a bamboo bicycle to Lhasa, capital of southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region in 2016.

"I started in Chengdu, rode over the 5,000-meter-high Balang Mountain pass, crossed the sparsely-populated Hoh Xil plateau before reaching Lhasa," Ren said. "It was a 2,500-kilometer-long journey that took 30 days."

Ren said he was inspired to create bamboo bicycles in 2011, when he was working as a design engineer at a Chengdu company. After three years of trial and error, he successfully completed his first bicycle in 2014.

Bamboo is not only a naturally shock-absorbing material with high tenacity and elasticity, but is also environmentally-friendly compared with traditional materials like steel, aluminum or carbon, he said.

"From the beginning to the finished product, there are basically zero emissions," he said.

A well-made bamboo bicycle can easily bear the weight of an adult. "Bamboo can be as strong as steel," he said.

Currently, all of Ren's bicycles are hand-made, and each one takes about 40 hours to make.

But finding the raw materials has not been easy. Ren said he and his team members searched across the country for suitable bamboo.

"We tested more than 20 types of bamboo and finally decided on a species grown in Guangdong, which has good elasticity and thickness," he said. The raw material is first dried for up to one year, before being treated to resist mold, insects and cracks.

Ren's business has taken advantage of China's recent bike-sharing trend.

China had around 70 bike-sharing brands at the end of 2017, with more than 16 million bicycles on the streets nationwide and 130 million users, according to the Ministry of Transport.

In 2017, the sales figures for Ren's workshop were twice that of 2016.

"Our bicycles have passed the European industrial standards, and have been exported to many countries including the United States, Canada, and the Netherlands," he said. "We also provide a three-year warranty for our products."

Ren hopes more people will try his bamboo bikes, and that the environmentally-friendly mode of transport will make greater contributions to society.Johnny Nunez/WireImageJuelz Santana has reportedly turned himself into Port Authority Police early Monday morning after reports emerged that the rapper was wanted after allegedly fleeing New Jersey's Newark Airport when a loaded gun was found in his bag.

According to NorthJersey.com, Santana is facing weapons and drug charges, along with an unspecified warrant.

He is scheduled to appear at federal court in Newark, NJ at 2 p.m. on Monday.

As previously noted, the incident happened Friday night, when a TSA officer apparently noticed a gun in Santana's carry-on bag while it was going through an X-ray machine.

The officer "froze" the bag inside the X-ray tunnel, and it was at that point that Santana allegedly fled the scene.

"Upon our discovery of the firearm, the individual left the checkpoint and went back into the public area," the TSA said in an email, according to NorthJersey.com.

The weapon turned out to be a loaded Derringer .38 caliber handgun.

Police confirmed that they visited the rapper's home in Totowa, New Jersey, late Friday night, but no one was home.

Santana has been convicted three times beforer on weapons charges.

If charged with a crime for Friday night's incident, he faces a civil penalty and a fine of up to $13,000.

The rapper was scheduled to perform Saturday night in San Francisco, but the nightclub's host says the performance was canceled.

Copyright  2018, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.Source: Xinhua| 2018-03-12 21:23:43|Editor: Mengjie

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Wang Yang, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, presides over the second meeting of the presidium of the first session of the 13th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) in Beijing, capital of China, March 12, 2018. (Xinhua/Ding Lin)

BEIJING, March 12 (Xinhua) -- The presidium of the first session of the 13th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), China's top political advisory body, on Monday adopted a recommended name list of candidates for national committee new leadership.

The list included nominees of the chairperson, vice chairpersons, secretary-general and standing committee members of the 13th CPPCC National Committee.

A draft method of election was also adopted in principle at the second meeting of the presidium, which was presided over by Wang Yang, member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC).

Participants deliberated a draft resolution on the work report of the Standing Committee of the 12th CPPCC National Committee, a draft resolution on an amendment to the CPPCC charter, and a draft political resolution on the first session of 13th CPPCC National Committee.

It was decided at the meeting that the recommended name list and all the drafts would be submitted to CPPCC members for discussion and consultation.

The CPPCC is an important organ for multiparty cooperation and political consultation led by the CPC.

Its annual session this year, which opened on March 3, will run until March 15.WINDHOEK, March 12 (Xinhua)-- French automobile manufacturer, Groupe PSA, announced on Monday plans to start assembling Opel and Peugeot vehicles in the port city of Walvis Bay under a joint venture agreement with the Namibia Development Corporation (NDC).

Europe's second largest car manufacturer said assembly will start in the second half of this year, with an annual targeted volume of 5,000 units by 2020 to meet the Southern African Customs Union (SACU) countries' market demand.

The Opel Grandland X and Peugeot 3008 will be the first outputs from this factory, and other products will follow to meet customer demand.

Executive Vice President for Middle East and Africa Region at Groupe PSA, Jean-Christophe Quemard, said the investment in the southwestern African country is part of the long term strategy of Groupe PSA to increase its sales in Africa and the Middle East, consistent with its target to sell one million vehicles in 2025.

"This new capacity will serve regional markets with products in line with our Opel and Peugeot customer expectation," Quemard said.WINDHOEK, March 12 (Xinhua) -- Namibia's flagship Kalimbeza Green Scheme Irrigation Project in the northeastern part of the country may suffer major losses as flood reduces its IRGA medium rice variety yields, said Matengu Simataa, an official at the project on Monday.

Namibia's Meteorological Services predicts that the Zambezi River will continue to rise, leaving surrounding communities more prone to flooding, including Kalimbeza.

According to Simataa, due to flooding, the rice yields for medium grain rice variety is anticipated to be poor this year, compared to the two previous years.

"Some of the rice has been submerged and under water; leading to massive damage. Some of the grains have changed its color to black. The project may not therefore harvest the targeted metric tonnes of rice as expected," he said.

To prevent further losses, the project has since deployed casual workers to harvest the unspoiled rice in the flooded plains.

"Flooding has made it difficult to harvest the rice with machinery, thus we have resorted to hiring casual workers to harvest to prevent further wastage of the rice if not harvested. However, the casual workers can also only do it within reach," he said.

After planting medium grain rice variety on 47 hectares of land, the project will have to harvest rice covering 22 hectares of land, according to Simataa.

Meanwhile, he said that other rice varieties including the Supa long rice are not at risk due to its ability to sustain and resist high water levels.

Kalimbeza rice, commercialized in 2014, has been farming with Angola Basmati, Supa long rice varieties and IRGA (medium grain) since 2007.

Kalimbeza rice project is one of the ventures benefitting from an agreement on South to South Cooperation signed between China and Namibia.KIGALI, March 12 (Xinhua) -- The majority of African countries failed to comply the deadline set for 2015 for migration from analogue to digital terrestrial television (DDT) broadcasting, the continental broadcasting union said on Monday.

This followed disputes between the regulators and leading broadcasters over digital signal distribution licenses and lack of affordable standard set-top boxes that convert analogue signals to digital, said Gregoire Ndjaka, CEO of the African Union of Broadcasting (AUB), in Kigali, capital city of Rwanda.

"Digital transition process has been difficult for many nations in Africa. Only a few African countries have completed the transition and many more are making the transition," he said at a continental broadcasting meeting.

Rwanda hosts the 11th general assembly and ordinary session of the AUB from March 12 to 16 dubbed "African audiovisual media and the migratory question."

The five-day meeting, which brings together stakeholders in Africa's broadcasting sector, ICT regulators and the representatives from the International Telecommunications Union (ITU), seeks to deliberate ways aimed at speeding up the process of implementing the digital migration.

The ITU set June 2015 as the global deadline for switching from analogue to DDT broadcasting that allows the introduction of additional services such as digitally-enabled TVs and pay TVs in order to improve television viewership across the globe.

We are looking at ways to speed up the implementation process because digital broadcasting has the potential to improve both the quantity and quality of what is available on TV and improve television viewership.

The meeting is also expected to review media coverage of the migration crisis in Africa and the issue of television broadcasting rights of Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Africa.

During last year's AFCON, only 13 countries in Africa transmitted it live due to broadcasting rights issues, according to the African Union of Broadcasting.Source: Xinhua| 2018-03-12 21:38:49|Editor: Chengcheng

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DAMASCUS, March 12 (Xinhua) -- The Syrian government forces have controlled 60 percent of the rebel-held areas in Eastern Ghouta countryside of the capital Damascus after 13 days of battles, a monitor group reported on Monday.

This comes as intense battles have been raging since midnight between the rebels and the government forces mainly near the city of Harasta and the Arbeen area in Eastern Ghouta, said the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

It added that the Syrian forces with the backing of the Russians managed to completely isolate Harasta in the western part of Eastern Ghouta.

The government forces also isolated the key rebel bastion in Douma district, where the Islam Army, the major rebel group in Eastern Ghouta, is positioned.

The situation in Eastern Ghouta has flared up since late last month as a result of a wide-scale military operation in that area. The Syrian army has been fighting there to dislodge the al-Qaida-linked groups from that area.

A day earlier, the Syrian army split Eastern Ghouta into three parts after advancing in the battles there, tightening the siege on Douma in the north, the city of Harasta in the west and other towns and villages south of Eastern Ghouta.

Eastern Ghouta, a 105-square-km agricultural region consisting of several towns and farmlands, poses the last threat to the capital due to its proximity to government-controlled neighborhoods east of Damascus and ongoing mortar attacks that target residential areas in the capital, pushing people over the edge.

Four major rebel groups are currently positioned inside Eastern Ghouta, namely the Islam Army, Failaq al-Rahman, Ahrar al-Sham, and the Levant Liberation Committee, known as the al-Qaida-linked Nusra Front.

The UN humanitarian agencies have sounded the alarm about the worsening humanitarian situation for 400,000 people in that region, where activists said over 1,000 people have been killed since late last month by the heavy bombardment and military showdown in areas of Eastern Ghouta.Smoke billows following Syrian government bombardment on Kafr Batna, in the besieged Eastern Ghouta region on the outskirts of the capital Damascus on March 10, 2018. (AFP photo)

DAMASCUS, March 12 (Xinhua) -- The Syrian government forces have controlled 60 percent of the rebel-held areas in Eastern Ghouta countryside of the capital Damascus after 13 days of battles, a monitor group reported on Monday.

This comes as intense battles have been raging since midnight between the rebels and the government forces mainly near the city of Harasta and the Arbeen area in Eastern Ghouta, said the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

It added that the Syrian forces with the backing of the Russians managed to completely isolate Harasta in the western part of Eastern Ghouta.

The government forces also isolated the key rebel bastion in Douma district, where the Islam Army, the major rebel group in Eastern Ghouta, is positioned.

The situation in Eastern Ghouta has flared up since late last month as a result of a wide-scale military operation in that area. The Syrian army has been fighting there to dislodge the al-Qaida-linked groups from that area.

A day earlier, the Syrian army split Eastern Ghouta into three parts after advancing in the battles there, tightening the siege on Douma in the north, the city of Harasta in the west and other towns and villages south of Eastern Ghouta.

Eastern Ghouta, a 105-square-km agricultural region consisting of several towns and farmlands, poses the last threat to the capital due to its proximity to government-controlled neighborhoods east of Damascus and ongoing mortar attacks that target residential areas in the capital, pushing people over the edge.

Four major rebel groups are currently positioned inside Eastern Ghouta, namely the Islam Army, Failaq al-Rahman, Ahrar al-Sham, and the Levant Liberation Committee, known as the al-Qaida-linked Nusra Front.

The UN humanitarian agencies have sounded the alarm about the worsening humanitarian situation for 400,000 people in that region, where activists said over 1,000 people have been killed since late last month by the heavy bombardment and military showdown in areas of Eastern Ghouta.Source: Xinhua| 2018-03-12 21:43:50|Editor: Zhou Xin

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Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, speaks when attending a plenary meeting of the delegation of People's Liberation Army and armed police at the ongoing session of the 13th National People's Congress in Beijing, capital of China, March 12, 2018. (Xinhua/Li Gang)

BEIJING, March 12 (Xinhua) -- President Xi Jinping Monday stressed practical efforts to further deepen military-civilian integration to provide impetus and support for realizing the Chinese dream and the goal to build a strong military.

Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, made the remarks when attending a plenary meeting of the delegation of People's Liberation Army (PLA) and armed police at the ongoing session of the 13th National People's Congress, the national legislature.

"Implementing the strategy of military-civilian integration is a prerequisite for building integrated national strategies and strategic capabilities and for realizing the Party's goal of building a strong military in the new era," Xi said.

He called for efforts to promote military development featuring higher quality, efficiency, and scientific and technological levels.

Highlighting coordinated sci-tech innovation in key areas between the military and civilian sectors, Xi asked related parties to promote integrated reasoning and implementation on key sci-tech projects and race to occupy the strategic high ground in terms of sci-tech innovation.

China has achieved a revolutionary restructuring of the military organization and services amid deepened reform on national defense and the armed forces since the 18th CPC National Congress in late 2012, Xi said.

Xi said efforts should be made to speed up the establishment of a modern military policy system.

He ordered the military to firmly support the Party and the country's institutional reform and ensure reform tasks concerning both the military and civilian sectors well implemented.

He said efforts to build the system of rule of law in Chinese military should be strengthened.

Xi asked every member of the armed forces to uphold the Constitution, and be its loyal supporter, active follower, and firm defender.

He said Party committees and governments at all levels should do more to support the cause of defense and military advancement, while the armed forces should render their service to economic and social development.Source: Xinhua| 2018-03-12 21:43:50|Editor: ZD

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BEIJING, March 12 (Xinhua) -- China's just-approved constitutional amendment is of practical and historic significance to safeguarding domestic development and world peace, international scholars and observers have said.

The landmark amendment, they reckoned, will not only reinforce China's foundation for future advancement but also guide the global heavyweight to make greater contribution to world peace and development.

ADAPTING GUIDELINES TO CHANGES

In the constitutional amendment, adopted Sunday at the ongoing annual session of the National People's Congress (NPC), China's top legislature, Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era is inscribed into the preamble.

It is a necessary step to adapt state guidelines to changed conditions, commented Rafiq Abbasov, a senior researcher on Asia-Pacific Studies at the Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences.

It will further consolidate the leading role of the Communist Party of China (CPC), under whose leadership the Chinese people will work out a political development path that suits China's national realities and is of Chinese characteristics, he added.

To Marwan Sudah, a Jordanian expert on China, the amendment serves as a guarantee for China to sustain growth under the CPC's leadership with Xi at the core.

Noting that over recent years China's growth has set an example for the world, he said he is confident that China's economy and society will grow more prosperous and its state governance more successful in the new era.

The incorporation of Xi's thought into the constitution, said Mahmoud Raya, director of Lebanese news website "China in Arab Eyes," reflects "a great confidence in the potentials of China and the future."

"Since Chinese society is a moving one and always watching the changes occurring around the world, it has been a must for it to revise its basic law and make necessary adjustments that will suit the needs of Chinese society and major changes it is witnessing," he said.

REINFORCING ADVANTAGES OF POLITICAL SYSTEM

Another change that has garnered worldwide attention is the addition of the clause that "The leadership of the Communist Party of China is the defining feature of socialism with Chinese characteristics."

That will help strengthen the CPC's leading role at various levels and cement team unity, said Alexey Maslov, a professor and China expert with Russia's National Research University Higher School of Economics.

It will also help build consensus and pool efforts for realizing the Chinese Dream of national rejuvenation, he added.

In the eyes of Tilahun Teshome, an Ethiopian law professor with Addis Ababa University, the constitutional move to further clarify the CPC's leading role in China is conducive to promoting political stability.

Serik A. Korzhumbayev, editor-in-chief of Kazakh business newspaper Delovoy Kazakhstan, noted that the path of building socialism with Chinese characteristics was established by the CPC in its longtime governance.

The addition regarding the CPC's leading role, he pointed out, conforms not only to the call of the times but also to the long-term interests of the Chinese people.

CONTRIBUTING TO WORLD PEACE, COMMON DEVELOPMENT

Also codified into the Constitution are China's commitments to building a community with a shared future for mankind and to adhering to the peaceful development path and the mutually beneficial strategy of opening-up.

Martin Chungong, Secretary-General of the Geneva-based Inter-Parliamentary Union, said writing the building of a community with a shared future for mankind into the Constitution turns it into a national obligation that will influence China's socioeconomic development and foreign policy.

"This concept is commensurate with the global thinking today. The world is no longer a conglomerate of individual countries or nation states. We all belong to one community today," he said.

To Makoto Nishida, a senior member of Japan's New Komeito Party, the newly-added expressions accord with the needs of world peace and development and manifest China's strong sense of mission to contribute to the shared future of humanity.

The amendment is especially significant against the backdrop of an international landscape where multilateralism is under grave threat, noted David Gosset, a French expert on international relations and founder of the Europe-China Forum.

China's path of peaceful development and commitment to mutually beneficial opening-up have become a source of global prosperity and security, he added.

(Written by Xinhua writer Qu Junya. Xinhua reporters Deng Min, Wang Kejia and Huang Xiangyun in Tokyo, Han Bing in Paris, Li Ming in Tbilisi, Li Liangyong in Beirut, Lin Xiaowei in Amman, Nie Xiaoyang in Geneva, Wang Chendi in Moscow, Wang Shoubao in Addis Ababa, and Zhou Liang in Astana also contributed to this story.)MANILA, March 12 (Xinhua) -- Sadanga, a small town of more than 8,000 people, occasionally closes for a few days to "rest," barring tourists from exploring this rugged and mountainous town in Mountain Province in the northern Philippines.

Residents of this landlocked town place bamboo poles on both sides of the road leading to its entrance to indicate that the town has declared its rest days. It means that tourists are not allowed to enter the town during those days. The maximum of rest period can last three days.

Sharon Agsallong, who runs the Lovely Mae Homestay in Sadanga, said "teer" or rest day has become a tradition that residents respect.

"There are no fix days or dates. Anytime can be a teer day. It can run from a day to a maximum of three days," she told Xinhua in a telephone interview on Monday.

Agsallong said that the practice is part of the customs and traditions in the town. "It has been there for decades. It can be today, tomorrow or next week. It doesn't matter. If the town is on rest day no tourists are allowed," she said.

Usually she said the town is off limit to tourists at the start of cleaning the rice terraces, repairing the irrigation system, before planting rice and during the harvest season. "There are also instances when the town closes during special occasions like chono (mass wedding)," she said.

She said the "rest day" period usually lasts one to three days. A council of elders calls a meeting lasting several hours to deliberate whether or not it's time to close the town, she said.

"This long-time tradition has united us. We help each other especially during emergency situation like tribal war and the like emergencies," Adsallong said.

She said an average of 10 local and foreign tourists visit the town every month, including Polish and Australians. "If you befriend the people, respect their culture, they will protect you," Agsallong said.

She said nobody has so far dared violate the "rest day tradition," adding there is a penalty to violators. But she said nobody has been caught violating the practice. Asked what the penalty is if one is caught breaking the rule, she said the town demands a pig as an offering.

Travel blogger Angel Juarez visited Sadanga in October 2016. He told local television program "Kapuso Mo, Jessica Soho" that he was able to enter the town when it was close to visitors.

"The locals interrogated me before they agreed to give me a tour. They asked me why I was travelling solo, who I was with, who my contacts are, and how I was able to sneak into town. But I told them that I did not see the off-limit sign in the village," Juarez said.

Juarez calls Sadanga "a hidden gem" deep in the Cordillera mountains, saying the town "overflows with potential."

Sadanga is a landlocked town located in the Philippine main Luzon island approximately 400 km from Manila. It is bound by Tinglayan town in Kalinga province to the north, Bontoc town to the south, Barlig town to the east and Tubo town in Abra province to the west.

"Sadanga is a laid back town of Mountain Province overshadowed by its more popular neighbors (tourist destinations) including Tinglayan, Banaue, Bontoc and Sagada. A blessing in disguise for it has preserved its culture, heritage and natural beauty," Juarez said on his blog called Latwatsero.'

Unknown to lowlanders, he said Sadanga "is home to some of the most beautiful rice terraces in the province" which can be seen from the highway.

"But more than the rice terraces, Sadanga offers more surprises to curious souls. Majestic waterfalls, wondrous caves and river systems, beautiful lakes, hot springs, diverse cultures and lovely people," Juarez wrote.

He said it takes more than 12 hours to get to Sadanga from Manila. Bontoc, the capital of Mountain Province, is the jump off point to Sadanga. Travel time from Bontoc to Sadanga is approximately an hour.

However he warned that Sadanga is not a typical tourist destination.

"Sadanga is not your usual tourist destination. It is generally offbeat and lacks the facilities and infrastructure to cater to mass tourism. But for those yearning beyond the usual and (avoiding) the crowd, Sadanga is the perfect place. Caves, waterfalls, vast rice terraces, hot springs, culture and more! Sadanga is a new paradise!" Juarez said.Source: Xinhua| 2018-03-12 21:48:52|Editor: Chengcheng

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PARIS, March 12 (Xinhua) -- France's leading car manufacturer PSA on Monday announced a joint venture agreement with Namibia Development Corporation to start up an assembly plant in the South African country to sell more cars in the region.

"This investment in Namibia is part of the long term strategy of Groupe PSA to increase its sales in Africa and the Middle East, consistent with our target to sell one million vehicles by 2025 (in these regions)," said Jean-Christophe Quemard, executive vice president for Middle East and Africa Region at PSA, in a press release.

Under the deal, the French group would start to produce OPEL Grandland X and Peugeot 3008 in the second half of 2018 at the assembly plant in Walvis Bay, a western port city in Namibia.

"Other products will follow to meet customer demand," he said.

PSA also targeted a volume of 5,000 units by 2020 to meet market demand of the South African Countries Union which includes South Africa, Namibia, Bostwana, Lesotho and Swaziland.

"This agreement is part of the strategic profitable growth plan ... aiming to satisfy customer expectations in all the regions in which the group operates," the automaker said.Source: Xinhua| 2018-03-12 21:58:54|Editor: Jiaxin

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KUNMING, March 12 (Xinhua) -- A poverty-stricken schoolchild in southwest China's Yunnan Province, who was dubbed "frost boy," has returned to his original school after just one week at a private boarding school.

Third-grader Wang Fuman attracted public attention for a second time following media reports that he was forced to leave the private school where he had been offered free boarding.

Wang became an online sensation in January when a photo showing him arriving at school in a thin jacket with rosy cheeks and frost-covered hair after a one-and-a-half-hour walk went viral on social media.

Wang had trekked a more than four-km mountain road from his home to Zhuanshanbao primary school at an elevation of 2,850 meters in Ludian County on the freezing morning.

His hair, eyebrows and eyelashes were covered with ice. His teacher snapped a photo of him and posted it on WeChat, a popular Chinese messaging app. Wang's story soon moved millions of Chinese, who called him "frost boy," and many making donations to help the boy's family.

After the Chinese Lunar New Year, which fell on Feb. 16 this year, Xinhua School, a private boarding school in Zhaotong, which administers Ludian, offered the boy and his sister a chance of free boarding education.

The boy's father Wang Gangkui accepted the help and sent the two children to the school more than 40 kilometers away from their home.

"Although the school is far away, my son can live and eat on campus and do his homework after class without the distraction of housework," said the father.

The headmaster of Xinhua School, who gave his surname Yang, said he wanted the boy and his sister to set a good example for other poor children.

"Although they come from poverty, they can change their fate through hard work," said Yang.

"However frequent media interviews and visits by people from all walks of life disrupted the school," said Yang, adding "Students here can only go home once a month and we were worried that the boy could not handle this and his studies would be affected."

"Because of these reasons, we contacted their father and then sent the two back to their original school," he said.

The education department in Ludian confirmed that the two children returned to the Zhuanshanbao primary school on March 7.

Fu Heng, principal of the primary school, said people should respect the decision and support it in the best interests of the child.

"His studies have not been affected by the school transfer," said Fu, adding that the boy is as optimistic as before and gets along well with classmates.Source: Xinhua| 2018-03-12 22:03:55|Editor: Zhou Xin

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By Xinhua writers Lyu Qiuping, Huo Yao

BEIJING, March 12 (Xinhua) -- She has been a farmer for her whole life. She is also a lifetime national lawmaker.

Shen Jilan stands out among nearly 3,000 National People's Congress (NPC) deputies as the only one to serve at all previous 12 NPCs since 1954. She started out at 25 and turns 89 this December.

According to China's Electoral Law, all citizens aged 18 or above are eligible to be NPC deputies. There are no upper limits. Shen has been elected to the congress 13 times in a row.

She believes herself lucky as she lives long enough to witness China's marching towards a moderately prosperous society by 2020. Most people of her generation are not so fortunate.

Shen is from a remote village in the mountains of Taihang, a revolutionary base of the Communist Party of China (CPC) in north China's Shanxi Province.

It was she who proposed the clause on "equal pay for equal work" between men and women, which was written into the first Constitution of the People's Republic of China (PRC) in 1954.

The ongoing first session of the 13th NPC on Sunday adopted a constitutional amendment, the fifth revision since the current Constitution was formulated in 1982. The latest amendment incorporates major theoretical achievements, principles and policies adopted at the 19th CPC National Congress, particularly Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era.

"The revision, a huge state affair to adapt the fundamental law for the new era, has come through the demands of development and the people," Shen told Xinhua.

During an NPC session, deputies submit proposals and suggestions as well as review and vote on legal documents and personnel changes.

ROLE MODEL FOR WOMEN'S LIBERATION

Shen married a soldier from the village of Xigou, Pingshun County, when she was 17 years old.

It was a time when many women still had "lotus feet," the former custom of foot binding. Her mother-in-law kept telling her to stay at home. Only men worked on the land.

"Being confined to the house yard was killing me," she recalled.

In the village with mostly barren land, villagers struggled to survive. In 1951, two years after founding of the PRC, the village formed a cooperative to expand farming to make ends meet. Li Shunda, head of the co-op, turned to women for farming.

Shen was appointed deputy head of the cooperative and managed to mobilize women through door-to-door visits and persuasion, only to find they would not get the same pay as men.

"Men got 10 work points a day, but we only got a maximum of five points no matter how much work we did."

The work point was a labor pay system during China's planned economy, in which grain and other materials were allocated to farmers based on the work points they earned on the collective land.

To prove that women and men should be equally treated, Shen organized a manuring contest. Women won as many men paused to smoke. As a result, Shen and other women won equal pay.

Shen gained national fame in 1953 due to media coverage of the village co-op. As a role model for women's liberation, Shen attended the World Congress of Women in Copenhagen the same year.X It was the first and only time that Shen wore a qipao, a traditional one-piece dress that is usually high-collared and a tight fit.

"The slim dress held back my steps. It is not suitable for farmers like me," she recalls. "But I was told to wear it as courtesy because we represented China."

Elected as a deputy to NPC, she attended the first session of the First NPC in 1954. It was during the session that the first Constitution was passed, legitimizing "equal pay for equal work" as she had proposed.

Among the 1,226 deputies, 147 were women, accounting for less than 12 percent. The percentage has doubled this year, with 742 women in the lineup of the 13th NPC.

NEW IDENTITIES

After serving as the head of the provincial women's federation for 10 years, Shen returned to the village in 1983.

"I was nobody but a farmer. My fellow villagers needed me," she recalled.

While China, under the reform and opening-up drive since 1978, was in transition from the planned economy to a market economy, Shen grew a new identity as an entrepreneur, enabling her to keep voters' trust.

She opened a collectively-owned ferroalloy plant with bank loan, the first enterprise in her village, in 1985. A walnut oil factory and a cannery were later built.

Villagers' efforts in farming and forestation led by Shen and other cadres have transformed Xigou into a tourist attraction with more than 1,300 hectares of trees.

Shen now volunteers to receive tourists, telling stories of the CPC revolution in the Taihang mountains as well as her own remarkable tale. She also keeps on farming, which she says keeps her healthy.

"The countryside develops slower than the cities, but progress never stops," said Shen, adding she is confident that her county will be free of poverty by 2020.

In 2008, she was selected as a carrier in the Beijing Olympics torch relay at the age of 79. "I got up at 5:30 a.m. every day for exercise and imitated the relaying pose from television," she recalled.

Over the past 60-plus years as an NPC deputy, Shen has been in the best position to witness the profound changes in China.

"I rode a donkey, then a truck and then a train to arrive in Beijing for the 1954 meeting, spending four days. But today, it only took three hours by high-speed train," she says.

Shen has rendered hundreds of proposals and suggestions to the NPC in topics like rural development, education and anti-corruption.

Not all her comments are appreciated. In 2013, her support for stringent internet regulation drew wide controversy.

"Maybe I'm too old to follow the trends among the young, but that's the charm of our NPC system, having multiple voices heard," she says, adding that she watches TV news every day to keep up.

Her suggestions this year are about poverty alleviation, including rural roads and tailored measures to help lift people out of poverty.

She is delighted to see new, young faces among deputies, evoking her memories of attending her first NPC session over six decades ago.

"Deputies are elected by the people and should speak for them," she says.

(Ma Xiaoyuan and Xu Sheng contributed to the story.)NAIROBI, March 12 (Xinhua) -- Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta on Monday launched doctoral scholarship program named after him which is fully sponsored by the Chinese government.

The Aspire to the Zenith: President Uhuru Kenyatta Doctoral Scholarship Program that will benefit at least 100 Kenyans is coordinated by the Directorate of the Confucius Institute at Egerton University.

"The Sino-Kenyan relationship stands as a towering example of how two nations, continents apart, can forge bonds of unity and cooperation," Kenyatta said during the launch of the program in Nairobi.

Kenyatta said in a statement issued after the launch that the scholarship symbolizes the cordial relationship between Kenya and China which has blossomed for centuries.

He presented the scholarship awards to the first 18 beneficiaries.

The Scholarship Program will offer 60 Kenyans direct admission into PhD Training in the fields of agriculture and engineering, with 40 of their peers entering at the Masters Degree level for Doctoral Studies.

"These initial 100 Kenyans will undoubtedly return home well-equipped to trigger advances in agriculture that will promote job creation and food security," Kenyatta said.

He commended the close link between Kenyan universities and Chinese institutes of higher learning which is focused on boosting the full spectrum of Kenya's education sector.

The president said the scholarship program fits seamlessly into the government's Big Four Agenda.

Amina Mohamed, Education Cabinet Secretary, said the scholarships will boost Kenya's efforts to become food secure since they are agriculture and technology related.

Liu Xianfa, Chinese Ambassador to Kenya, attended the function which was held at State House, Nairobi.Source: Xinhua| 2018-03-12 22:29:03|Editor: Lifang

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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks at the Knesset (parliament) in Jerusalem March 12, 2018. Benjamin Netanyahu urged his coalition partners not to pull out of the government over a contested bill exempting Jewish ultra-Orthodox students from military service. (Xinhua/JINI)

JERUSALEM, March 12 (Xinhua) -- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu urged his coalition partners not to pull out of the government over a contested bill exempting Jewish ultra-Orthodox students from military service.

His call came amidst looming political crisis threatening to dissolve the right-wing coalition.

He directed his remark mainly at Avigdor Lieberman, the defense minister and leader of the Yisrael Beitenu faction, which objects the exemptions.

"I call on all the coalition partners, first and foremost Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman, to remain in the government and to continue this partnership in order to guarantee security, prosperity and stability for the State of Israel," Netanyahu said at the start of his Likud party meeting.

"We face with great challenges and we all know what they are, as well as great opportunities. Therefore, it is important to continue the partnership between us with a broad government as only it can continue to serve the citizens of Israel," he added.

Earlier on Monday, the government's Ministerial Committee for Legislation voted in favor of the bill following overnight talks between Netanyahu and ultra-Orthodox coalition partners for an agreed version of the bill.

The ultra-Orthodox parties, which possess 13 of the government's 66 seats in the 120-seat parliament, threaten to leave the coalition if a law granting ultra-Orthodox men exemption from conscription fails to pass.

However, the secularist right-wing partners object to such a bill, saying the ultra-Orthodox should "share the burden" of military service.

The bill is set to be put to the vote in the Knesset (parliament) plenum on Wednesday, where it will need three full rounds of votes to become a law.

Lieberman slammed the bill. "The bill as presented is what is called a classic 'fake law,'" he said at his faction meeting.

"To expect that Yisrael Beytenu will support this legislation is absurd. This is one big theater of the absurd. We'll vote against the enlistment law," he said.

The political tremor comes as Netanyahu and his close associates are involved in at least four corruption cases.

On Sunday, some of his coalition partners accused him of not trying hard enough to solve the political dispute in order to force snap elections that would help him survive corruption investigations.

Recent opinion polls show the long-time leader still enjoys strong public support and his Likud party could win the most seats in new elections, despite the corruption allegations.

The police have already recommended indicting Netanyahu in two bribery cases, but the attorney general is still reviewing the evidence to decide whether to charge Netanyahu.Source: Xinhua| 2018-03-12 22:29:03|Editor: Jiaxin

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BEIJING, March 12 (Xinhua) -- Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) air force on Monday released its latest promotional video, looking back on its accomplishments over the past five years.

Named "Soaring into the Spring," the two-minute video clip features scenes from real combat training involving J-20 stealth fighters.

It also includes training scenes of the J-16 fighters, H-6K bombers, and Y-20 heavy transport aircraft, all of which entered service over the past five years.

On Feb. 28, the air force published a promotional clip and commemorative envelope for the country's latest J-16, a two-seat, dual-engine multi-role fighter with beyond-visual-range air-to-air and air-to-ship strike capabilities. It made its parade debut along with the J-20 stealth fighters in July.KIEV, March 12 (Xinhua) -- A total of 14.6 million foreign tourists visited Ukraine in 2017, up 7.4 percent from a year earlier, local media reported Monday, citing a senior industry official.

Ivan Liptuga, head of the National Tourism Organization, told local reporters that the number of tourist arrivals in Ukraine in 2017 rose for the third year in a row.

Traditionally, the countries of Central and Eastern Europe, such as Moldova, Belarus and Russia, were the largest source of visitors to Ukraine last year, Liptuga said, adding that the number of vacationers from Turkey and Israel has increased at the fastest pace in 2017.

The Ukrainian government will strive to attract tourists from other parts of the world this year by popularizing Ukraine's image abroad, Liptuga said.

In 2016, Ukraine received about 13.6 million foreign visitors, up 5.6 percent year-on-year.Source: Xinhua| 2018-03-12 22:44:09|Editor: Lifang

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Photo taken on March 12, 2018 shows Turkish armored vehicles deployed near city center of Syria's Afrin. Turkish military and its ally the Free Syrian Army made rapid advances during its operation in Syria's Afrin region on Monday, only 1.5 km away from its city center, state-run Anadolu Agency reported. (Xinhua)

ANKARA, March 12 (Xinhua) -- Turkish military and its ally the Free Syrian Army (FSA) made rapid advances during its operation in Syria's Afrin region on Monday, only 1.5 km away from its city center, state-run Anadolu Agency reported.

Since the launch of the operation, Turkish military and the FSA have controlled 1,100 square km of land in Afrin, seized 197 locations including five town centers, 159 villages, 33 strategic hills and one base of Kurdish militants, Anadolu said.

A total of 3,347 terrorists have been "neutralized" so far during the operation, the Turkish General Staff announced on Monday morning.

On Jan. 20, Turkey launched "Operation Olive Branch" to clear Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) militants from Afrin.

The YPG is regarded by Turkey as the Syrian affiliate of the the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the U.S. and European Union.JAKARTA, March 12 (Xinhua) -- Indonesian President Joko Widodo on Monday pledged the nation's commitment to continued cooperation with the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB).

The pledge was conveyed by the president in his meeting with the delegation of AIIB senior officials in Bogor Presidential Palace, West Java earlier in the day.

"Indonesia supports and gives serious attention to AIIB. In this opportunity I would extend my gratitude over the AIIB's participation in Indonesia's several projects in the first two years of its operation," the president said.

The president conveyed his greeting to the AIIB for its successful operation in the first two years, particularly in its role to accelerate developments in Asian countries.

He looked forward to getting more financing from the Beijing-based development bank for Indonesia's infrastructure projects, he said.

Head of the visiting AIIB delegation and Director Christopher Legg said that the current visit to meet President Widodo was intended to listen to Indonesia's further expectation from the AIIB.

"The Indonesian government has a great interest in developing more infrastructures, wants to see the AIIB to work more efficiently and effectively in creating agreements with Indonesia," Legg said on the sidelines of the meeting.

Speaking on the occasion, Indonesian Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati said that since the establishment of the AIIB, Indonesia has obtained financing from the bank in its national slum upgrading program in 2016 and two other programs in 2017.

AIIB Vice President Luky Eko Wuryanto said that the AIIB was eager to finance two more infrastructure projects in Indonesia, namely the basic infrastructure project in Mandalika in the eastern region of West Nusa Tenggara province, and an irrigation system.

During their stay in Indonesia the AIIB delegation will visit the Mass Rapid Transport project site in Jakarta and AIIB-financed projects in Central Java and Yogyakarta provinces.BERLIN, March 12 (Xinhua) -- German Chancellor Angela Merkel said Monday that Europe must be ready to respond to the United State's decision to raise tariffs on steel and aluminum imports, but said she hoped for talks on the issue.

"If this unilateral action cannot be avoided, then we must think about how we can respond in a reciprocal fashion, but first of all I'm focusing on talks and there will be plenty of opportunities for them," Merkel told a news conference.

U.S. President Donald Trump decided to raise the import tariffs on steel and aluminum products, drawing worldwide criticism as many countries are worried about a trade war between the United States and other countries.

Merkel said last Friday that Germany was worried about the move by the United States, adding that Europe should unite together against it. She said trade wars would benefit nobody and harm the economy.

Merkel is scheduled to be sworn in for a fourth term as German chancellor Wednesday this week, along with the new German government, after almost six months since federal elections took place in the country.MOSCOW, March 12 (Xinhua) -- India is negotiating purchases of Russian Mi-17 helicopters and Project 11356 frigates, a Russian official said Monday.

These negotiations "are proceeding and they are at different stages," Vasily Kozhin, aide to Russian President Vladimir Putin for military-technical cooperation, said in an interview with Rossia-24 TV channel.

The Mi-17 is a medium twin-turbine transport helicopter, which also has an armed gunship version and is considered one of the world's most advanced military helicopters.

The Project 11356 guided missile frigate is a multipurpose warship armed with powerful weapons capable of hitting various types of targets.

Last year, Indian media reported that Russia and India were holding talks on a contract for 48 Mi-17 choppers.

The two countries were also reported to have reached an agreement on the deliveries of three Project 11356 frigates.

Kozhin said that India is Russia's "major privileged partner."

India is the only country with which Russia has signed a plan for strategic military-technical cooperation until 2020 and India ranked the fifth in terms of the volume of Russian arms exports last year, he said.

Kozhin said India and Russia have "very large programs of strategic cooperation," including the development and production of modern fighter jets, main battle tanks and cruise missiles.PYONGYANG, March 12 (Xinhua) -- The official media of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) Monday sneered at Japan as a "subject state" of the United States, in view of its continuous attempt to stifle the DPRK economically through sanctions with the backing of Washington.

The official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said in a commentary that since the United States announced "independent sanctions" on the DPRK last month, Japan has "gone reckless, voicing support for them and calling for the inspection of ships of the DPRK."

"The frenzy of the islanders (Japanese) has reached the extreme as evidenced by their call for the convocation of an international conference for the inspection of DPRK-flagged ships which even the U.S. failed to conceive," it said.

Japan is "jeered by the world for its serious dependence on the U.S. and subjugation to it in the political, economic and military fields," said the KCNA.

Meanwhile, the DPRK media strongly condemned Japan for the massacre of sex slaves from Korea during World War II, which was published in a newly disclosed video shot in 1944 in southwest China's Yunnan Province.

Pyongyang has also warned Japan against taking any move to persecute resident Koreans in Japan, after a shooting incident took place against a pro-DPRK Korean association's headquarters in Tokyo last month.ISLAMABAD, March 12 (Xinhua) -- A senior politician supported by an alliance of opposition parties in Pakistan was elected Monday as the chairman of Senate, the country's upper house of the parliament.

According to an official announcement made by officials from the Senate, Sadiq Sanjrani who was supported by two main opposition parties, the Pakistan People's Party (PPP) and Pakistan Tehrik-i-Insaf (PTI), or Pakistan Justice Movement in English, got 57 votes out of the 103 votes polled in the chamber.

The runner-up Raja Zafar-ul-Haq, a candidate of the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), secured 46 votes.

Although the PML-N had a sole majority with its 33 members and also had support from some other parties, its candidate could not win required favors.

Majority of the opposition parties had supported Sanjrani's candidature and announced to vote for him after he was elected as the member of the Senate for the first time on March 3, 2018 in the Senate elections, in which, half of the chamber's members were elected.

Sanjrani hails from a political family from Chagai district of the country's southwest Balochistan province. He was born on April 14, 1978, and received a Master Degree in Art from the Balochistan University.

PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari congratulated Sanjrani, saying that it would make the country stronger. PTI Chairman Imran Khan stated that his party is happy over the election of Sanjrani as it is good for the people of Balochistan and for the Federation of Pakistan.

Sanjrani is the first-ever Senate chairman from Balochistan province.

Earlier in the day, 52 newly elected senators took the oath.MOSCOW, March 12 (Xinhua) -- Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov will hold talks with his Indonesian counterpart Retno Marsudi here on Tuesday to discuss relations between their two countries, the Russian Foreign Ministry announced Monday.

The two top diplomats will discuss strengthening bilateral cooperation in various fields, with a focus on the implementation of the agreements reached following talks between the Russian and Indonesian presidents in May 2016 in Sochi, the ministry said in a statement.

Lavrov and Retno will also coordinate the two countries' positions on international and regional issues, it added.

Russia-Indonesia relations "are characterized by intensive political dialogue, close economic cooperation, progressive advancement of military-technical and humanitarian cooperation," it said.

According to Russia's official statistics, bilateral trade amounted to 3.2 billion U.S. dollars in 2017, an increase of 25.2 percent from the previous year.Turkish-backed Free Syrian Army fighters are seen in Maryamayn in eastern Afrin, Syria March 11, 2018. (Reuters photo)

ANKARA, March 12 (Xinhua) -- Turkish military and its ally the Free Syrian Army (FSA) made rapid advances during its operation in Syria's Afrin region on Monday, only 1.5 km away from its city center, state-run Anadolu Agency reported.

Since the launch of the operation, Turkish military and the FSA have controlled 1,100 square km of land in Afrin, seized 197 locations including five town centers, 159 villages, 33 strategic hills and one base of Kurdish militants, Anadolu said.

A total of 3,347 terrorists have been "neutralized" so far during the operation, the Turkish General Staff announced on Monday morning.

On Jan. 20, Turkey launched "Operation Olive Branch" to clear Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) militants from Afrin.

The YPG is regarded by Turkey as the Syrian affiliate of the the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the U.S. and European Union.SINGAPORE, March 12 (Xinhua) -- Visiting Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and her Singaporean counterpart Lee Hsien Loong witnessed here Monday the signing of two memoranda of understandings (MOUs) which will boost air connectivity and business opportunities between the two countries.

Hasina arrived in Singapore Sunday for her first official visit to the city-state.

The two sides inked the Singapore-Bangladesh Air Services Agreement, which will allow passenger and cargo services between both countries to be expanded.

Another agreement on public-private partnership was signed to help Singapore companies, including SMEs, enter the the Bangladesh market, which Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said will facilitate more investments by Singapore companies in Bangladesh, particularly in the power, connectivity and infrastructure sectors.

During her four-day visit, Hasina will also attend the Bangladesh-Singapore Business Forum and a business roundtable.SOFIA, March 12 (Xinhua) -- Petar Moskov, who was Bulgaria's minister of health from November 2014 to January 2017, was on Monday charged with committing three crimes during his rule, the national Prosecutor's Office said in a statement.

The first charge was that in July 2015, Moskov received a donation from the Ministry of Health of Turkey -- 200,000 doses of vaccine, the use of which was not allowed on the territory of Bulgaria, the statement said.

Therefore, the vaccine could not meet the needs of Bulgaria's immunization calendar, and the country's Ministry of Health has suffered damages worth 325,233 BGN (some 204,000 U.S. dollars), the statement said.

The second charge against Moskov was that in November 2015, he deliberately facilitated an unfavorable deal with the state-owned company Bul Bio NCIPD for donating 5,000,000 doses of anti-tuberculosis vaccine, which has resulted in damages worth 442,107 BGN, the statement said.

According to the third charge, as a result of Moskov's inactivity, Bul Bio NCIPD in June and July 2016 produced and stored diphtheria and tetanus vaccines without proper permission from Bulgarian Drug Agency, which caused damages worth 110,003 BGN, it said.

If found guilty on the first charge, Moskov may spend three to ten years behind bars, the statement said. The same penalty applied for the third charge, while for the second charge it was one to six years imprisonment, it added. (1 U.S. dollar=1.59 Bulgarian lev)Source: Xinhua| 2018-03-13 00:09:32|Editor: Zhou Xin

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Chinese President Xi Jinping (R) meets with Chung Eui-yong, national security advisor for the President of the Republic of Korea (ROK) Moon Jae-in and also special envoy of Moon, in Beijing, capital of China, March 12, 2018. (Xinhua/Pang Xinglei)

BEIJING, March 12 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping met Monday with Chung Eui-yong, top national security advisor for the President of the Republic of Korea (ROK) Moon Jae-in, in Beijing.

Xi expressed appreciation toward President Moon for sending Chung as a special envoy to brief him on Chung's recent visits to the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) and the United States.

"We expect a smooth DPRK-ROK summit and DPRK-U.S. dialogue," Xi said, expressing his hope that there will be substantial progress in denuclearization on the Korean Peninsula and normalization of relations between the parties.

Chung thanked China for its important leading role in helping with positive changes on the Korean Peninsula, and said the ROK is willing to coordinate closely with China to maintain the current momentum on the Peninsula.

As a close neighbor of the Korean Peninsula, China always supports the ROK and the DPRK in improving ties and promoting reconciliation and cooperation, Xi said.

China also supports the United States and the DPRK to begin dialogue and resolve their concerns through negotiation, Xi said.

He pointed out that China remains persistent in denuclearizing the Korean Peninsula and maintaining peace and stability on the peninsula.

At present, the situation on the Korean Peninsula faces an important opportunity for easing tension and dialogue, Xi said, noting that China spoke highly of the ROK's efforts and is willing to work with the international community to promote the political settlement of the Korean Peninsula issue, combining China's "dual-track approach" with helpful proposals from all sides.

Xi called on all sides to be patient and cautious, and exercise their political wisdom to properly deal with various issues and disturbances in resuming negotiations.

As long as all parties can focus on the fundamental goal of denuclearization, peace and stability, the Korean Peninsula will finally usher in the spring, when ice will thaw and flowers will bloom, Xi said.

Chung said President Moon Jae-in's state visit to China last year was very successful and the ROK is willing to make joint efforts with China to promote bilateral ties.

He said the relations between the ROK and DPRK have taken an important step and the Korean peninsula issue has seen positive progress, thanks to China's adherence to the goal of denuclearization, its adherence to solving the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue peacefully, as well as its support for dialogue between the ROK and the DPRK and direct dialogue between the DPRK and the United States.

The ROK expects China to continue playing an important role and is willing to work with China to promote resolving the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue through peaceful means and to achieve regional peace, stability and development, Chung said.

Chinese State Councilor Yang Jiechi held talks with Chung, and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi also met with Chung on Monday.MONROVIA, March 12 (Xinhua) -- China has donated 1,243 metric tons of rice to Liberia as emergency humanitarian food assistance.

A statement by the Liberian government late Sunday confirmed that all 50 containers of rice had arrived in the country and were received by officials.

"The donation was based upon a request from the Liberian government," said Liberia's acting foreign minister Elias Shoniyin.

The food assistance would help alleviate the hardship that the continuous rise in the price of rice, a staple food in Liberia, has brought on ordinary citizens, Shoniyin said.

The new administration of President George Weah has been working to stabilize the price of rice with the aim of making it affordable to most of the citizens, he said.

Fu Jijun, the Chinese ambassador in Liberia, said the donated rice would be allocated to the needy, and that China is willing to help the West African country raise grain production and strengthen its agriculture sector.Source: Xinhua| 2018-03-13 00:39:38|Editor: yan

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BEIJING, March 12 (Xinhua) -- A ceremony was held in Beijing Monday to commemorate the 93rd anniversary of the death of Sun Yat-sen, a renowned statesman who led the revolution that ended imperial rule in China.

The ceremony in Zhongshan Park, named after Sun, was presided over by Zheng Jianbang, deputy chairman of the Revolutionary Committee of the Chinese Kuomintang (RCCK) Central Committee, and was attended by representatives from all walks of life in Beijing.

They stood in silent tribute and bowed three times in front of the Sun Yat-sen Statue.

Floral baskets from the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, the RCCK Central Committee, the United Front Work Department of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, the Beijing municipal government, and the Beijing municipal committee of the RCCK were presented to the statue.

Sun was born in 1866 and died in 1925. He is known to the Chinese as a great revolutionary and statesman for his leading role during the 1911 Revolution, which overthrew the imperial Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) and put an end to more than 2,000 years of feudal rule in China.MADRID, March 12 (Xinhua) -- The railway line between the Chinese city of Yiwu and the Spanish capital of Madrid gives a chance for Spanish small and medium-sized companies (SMEs) to sell their products in China, a spokesperson for the Spanish Secretary of State for Commerce told Xinhua.

"The Yiwu-Madrid train represents an opportunity for Spanish SMEs to introduce their products into the Chinese market and in this sense Spanish business people view it positively," communications officer Esther Barranco said.

BOOSTING EXPORTS

The 13,000 km rail connection between Yiwu, in the eastern Chinese province of Zhejiang, and the Spanish capital, began operations in 2014.

Barranco said that since its opening, the line has become a "key option for the internationalization of companies, the opening of new markets and strengthening exports to Asia and especially China."

Jordi Quero, an expert with the Barcelona Center for International Affairs), said: "The Spanish government sees this line as material evidence for the improvement in bilateral relations between Spain and China. For quite a while now, Spain has been developing a foreign policy which has been characterized by the promotion of economic interests abroad and focused on opening new markets."

IMPROVING SERVICE

Two trains a week currently leave Yiwu for Madrid, while one leaves Madrid for Yiwu which take the convoys through eight countries (China, Kazakhstan, Russia, Belarus, Poland, Germany, France and Spain). This involves changes of railway gauge and different working conditions and regulations in every country.

Despite these obvious difficulties, Barranco said the service is being used more and more, while measures are being taken to resolve problems and improve train services.

"Slowly but surely the challenges to convert the line into an agile, efficient and sustainable alternative in comparison to air or sea transport are being resolved," she added.

Winery Bodegas Vivanco, from the famous Rioja wine region, has been using the line ever since it opened.

"We have had a good experience because our produce has always arrived in good condition," the company's head of merchandizing Javier Fernandez de Bobadilla said. "China is vital for us and we see the country as an important key towards the growth of our winery and to make our wine more popular," he added.BERLIN, March 12 (Xinhua) -- German Chancellor Angela Merkel said Monday she would visit Paris shortly after her inauguration this week, reiterating the German-French Initiative in European Integration.

Merkel told reporters that while complex projects like the European banking union require more negotiations, finding a consensus with France on areas including finance, defense and migration is a key task of her new government.

Merkel is due to be sworn in for a fourth term on Wednesday and the new German government is poised to operate after almost six months since federal elections took place in September of last year.

Speaking at a press conference with Horst Seehofer and Oraf Scholz, leaders of the coalition parties in the new government, Merkel said she and Scholz, vice chancellor and finance minister in the new government, would visit Paris shortly after the new government swears in.

As the two largest economies in eurozone, Germany and France have acted as the major engine in European integration in the past decades, but that slowed to a standstill in the recent decade.

In September last year, French President Emmanuel Macron proposed a series of reforms and strengthening of EU, but said he needed support from Germany.

The German-French closer cooperation in the EU was also stipulated in the government coalition agreement among Merkel's Christian Democratic Union (CDU), the Christian Social Union (SCU) and the Social Democratic Party (SPD).

"We need Europe -- a Europe that shares the same values and acts together, particularly toward the outside world, and we...will make our contribution," said Merkel, who added that she hoped for progress in implementing the peace deal for Ukraine.WINDHOEK, March 12 (Xinhua) -- Recent rains in drought-prone Namibia have brought relief to the almost extinct wild horses in the south of the country, the Ministry of Environment and Tourism said on Monday.

"The condition of the horses had improved as the vegetation in the area where they reside had improved," said the minitry's spokesman, Romeo Muyunda.

"We are still busy monitoring the situation, but at the moment we are pleased to announce that the horses are flourishing," Muyunda said.

Last year, the situation was so dire that the ministry set in motion a plan to relocate the horses after several environmental groups expressed concern over their survival.

The wild horses' population declined from 168 in 1984 to 86 in 2017, including 51 stallions and 35 mares.

The horses have been roaming the area for more than 100 years, even before the Namib Naukluft Park Desert was declared a national park.RABAT, March 12 (Xinhua) -- Morocco and Qatar on Monday signed 11 new deals to boost cooperation in the Moroccan capital Rabat.

The agreements were inked during the 7th session of the Moroccan-Qatari high joint cooperation commission, which was held under the chairmanship of the Moroccan Prime Minister Saad Eddine El Othmani and his Qatari counterpart Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa Al-Thani.

The deals include a cooperation agreement, a protocol of understanding, five Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) and four action programs covering a number of areas.

The cooperation agreement aims to cement cooperation in the handicraft sector, while the protocol of understanding eyes closer cooperation between the Moroccan and Qatari Central Banks in the control and supervision of financial institutions.

The two countries also signed MoUs in the areas of agriculture, housing, and training and qualification of executives in the field of aviation and airports between the Mohammed VI International Academy of Civil Aviation and the Qatar Aeronautical College.

Two notable MoUs were signed between the two countries on the establishment of a joint ministerial trade commission and the exchange of data regarding money laundering and terrorism financing.

Speaking during the meeting, the Moroccan prime minister hailed the historical ties between Morocco and Qatar, noting that the joint commission was also an opportunity to hold intensive consultations on ways to strengthen bilateral cooperation in all areas and to discuss a number of issues of common interest.

As for the Qatari side, it hailed the leadership role of King Mohammed VI in consolidating the pillars of sustainable development in Africa, and in supporting the foundations of peace, security and stability on the continent so as to meet the aspirations of its population for greater progress and prosperity.KIGALI, March 12 (Xinhua) -- Rwanda's National Commission for the Fight against Genocide (CNLG) on Monday appealed to the Dutch government to try or extradition Charles Ndereyehe Ntahontuye, a Rwandan national accused of participating in the 1994 Rwandan genocide.

"Due to lack of judgment, Dutch justice should extradite Ndereyehe to Rwanda," the commission said in a statement issued by its executive secretary, Jean-Damascene Bizimana.

Ntahontuye, along with extremist intellectuals, is accused of creating and leading a criminal group which sensitized students to prepare for genocide in university campuses in two districts in 1992, said the anti-genocide commission.

He was the founder the National Republican Movement for Democracy and Development (MRND), the ruling party during the genocide, said the commission.

In 1992, Ntahontuye left the MRND and contributed to the creation of a radical Hutu party, the Coalition for the Defense of the Republic (CDR), whose role in the genocide committed against the Tutsi in 1994 is crucial, it said.

On Nov. 5, 2008, Ndereyehe was convicted in absentia and sentenced to life imprisonment for a genocide tragedy at a trial by the Gacaca court, a Rwandan traditional mechanism introduced to process criminal cases following the 1994 genocide, according to CNLG.

Ndereyehe currently lives in the Netherlands where he denies the genocide against the Tutsi, preaches genocide denial and attacks the memory of this genocide by calling it a "business fund," the commission said.

The commission also accuses Ndereyehe of coordinating the activities of other extremist groups of radical Rwandan exiles.NEW YORK, March 12 (Xinhua) -- Two of the five passengers killed in Sunday's helicopter crash in New York City's East River are high school friends who were sightseeing in the Big Apple.

Brian McDaniel, a nearly two-year veteran of the Fire-Rescue Department of Dallas, Texas, was visiting his longtime friend Trevor Cadigan, who had been living in New York since October 2017 after taking a job with a business magazine, according to a report by NBC 4 New York on Monday.

The two friends went to Texas' Bishop Lynch High School together and graduated in 2010.

An Instagram video posted by Cadigan appeared to show him smiling as the helicopter took off from Kearny, New Jersey. Another passenger flashed a thumbs up.

The other three passengers killed in the crash are Carla Vallejos Blanco, a tourist from Argentina and two helicopter employees, Tristan Hill and Daniel Thompson, said Daily News New York.

Only the pilot, identified by media outlets as 33-year-old Richard Vance, survived.

The cause of the crash is unknown. The U.S. National Transportation Safety Board is investigating.

NBC 4 New York reported that Vance told investigators it was possible one of the passengers inadvertently hit the fuel cut-off switch with a piece of equipment, which may have caused the engine to sputter and the chopper to plunge into the river.

The Eurocopter AS350 went down in the waters between New York City's boroughs of Manhattan and Queens just after 7:00 p.m. local time (2300 GMT), according to the Federal Aviation Administration.

The helicopter reported an engine failure during a mayday call to air traffic control, according to an audio posted to liveatc.net. The audio revealed that the helicopter was upside down in the water as rescue boats arrived at the scene.

A video posted on Twitter shows a red helicopter landing hard in the water and then flipping on its side as its rotors beat the water.Source: Xinhua| 2018-03-13 01:59:59|Editor: yan

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UNITED NATIONS, March 12 (Xinhua) -- UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Monday deplored the failure to implement a Security Council resolution that demands cease-fire in Syria.

Reporting to the Security Council on the implementation of Resolution 2401, Guterres said there has been no cessation of hostilities.

It is true that in some areas like Deir ez-Zor the conflict is diminishing in intensity. But violence continues in Eastern Ghouta and beyond -- including in Afrin, parts of Idlib and in Damascus and its suburbs, he said.

Particularly in Eastern Ghouta, he said, airstrikes, shelling and ground offensives have intensified after the adoption of the resolution on Feb. 24, and claimed many hundreds of civilian lives, some even reporting the toll at more than 1,000.

The resolution demands the enabling of "the safe, unimpeded and sustained" delivery of humanitarian aid and services.

"Despite some limited convoy deliveries, the provision of humanitarian aid and services has not been safe, unimpeded or sustained," reported Guterres.

"The resolution calls for all parties to lift the sieges in populated areas including in Eastern Ghouta, Yarmouk, Foah and Kafraya. No sieges have been lifted."

On the resolution's demand for medical evacuations of the critically sick and wounded, Guterrest said: "To our knowledge, not one critically sick or wounded person has yet been evacuated."

Guterres reported "egregious violations, indiscriminate attacks, and a failure to protect civilians and civilian infrastructure" despite the resolution's demands for all parties to comply with their obligations under international law and international human rights law.

"I am here to report on the implementation of Security Council Resolution 2401... But I am keenly aware that I am doing so just as the bloodletting in Syria enters its eighth year," said the secretary-general.

In 2017, more children were killed in Syria than during any other year since the war began, he noted.

"I am deeply saddened by the immense loss and cascading suffering of the Syrian people. And I am deeply disappointed by all those who have, year after year, by action or inaction, by design or indifference, allowed this to happen."SKOPJE, March 12 (Xinhua) -- The citizens of Macedonia and Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) will cross the border using only their identity cards following the agreement signed Monday by Macedonian Prime Minister Zoran Zaev and visiting chairman of BiH Council of Ministers Denis Zvizdic.

Zaev said at the joint press conference that this agreement showed the serious engagement of the two countries to develop friendly relations in the neighborhood and united region directed to European perspectives.

"This is the second concrete step to facilitate the movement of people between the two countries following the signing of agreement on mutual recognition of driving licenses," Zaev said.

Zvizdic said that this agreement marked a step to further intensify cooperation and free movement of people while he stressed there were no open issues between the two countries.

"Macedonia and BiH are the most similar countries in the region and understood each other well. They face similar political and economic problems, and what is important is that we have the same basic goal, and that is moving towards the EU," Zvizdic said at the press conference.

Both leaders also discussed the improvement of the economic cooperation, noting that there was potential for promoting economic cooperation.

Macedonia has signed such agreements with Serbia, Albania and Montenegro in a bid to facilitate the travel of citizens towards and from these neighboring countries.Source: Xinhua| 2018-03-13 02:15:06|Editor: yan

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Photo taken on March 12, 2018 shows the crash-landing site in Kathmandu, Nepal. A passenger plane of the US-Bangla Airlines crashed at Nepal's Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA) on Monday, with dozens feared dead and at least 17 people injured. (Xinhua)

KATHMANDU, March 12 (Xinhua) -- Forty-nine people were killed and 22 injured after a passenger plane of the US-Bangla Airlines crashed in course of landing at Nepal's Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA) on Monday afternoon, government authorities said here.

The incident took place due to the pilot's "missed approach," the authorities said.

General Manager of the TIA Rajkumar Chhetri told media here that the US-Bangla plane crashed in course of landing at the airport due to missed approach of the pilot at 2:15 p.m. local time (1130 GMT) Monday.

Chhetri said that the Bangla aircraft carrying 71 persons including four crew members narrowly escaped from hitting the tail of Thai Airways plane parked at the airport.

The UBG211 flight was en route to Kathmandu from Dhaka, Bangladesh. The ill-fated plane was said to have circled the airport twice before trying landing.

Separate rescue teams of Nepal Police and Nepal Army were deployed to carry out rescue operations immediately after the crash. Dozens of firefighters and rescuers rushed to the crash site, and the flames were put out in a relatively short time.

The TIA was temporarily closed for incoming and outgoing international flights following the accident.

The injured are receiving treatment at local hospitals in the Capital. Officials said that the death toll may further increase.

Of the total passengers onboard, 33 were from Nepal, 32 from Bangladesh, one from China and one from the Maldives, according to the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal.

The authorities have recovered the dead bodies from the spot later in the day.

The local authorities were also able to recover the black box of the airlines later on Monday.

Nepali Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli spoke to his Bangladeshi counterpart Sheikh Hasina following the incident and expressed sorrow over the loss of lives, according to a statement issued by the prime minister's office here.

Shortly after the incident, Prime Minister Oli along with ministers reached the spot and issued instructions to the government authorities to combat the emergency. While visiting the spot, the prime minister vowed to launch a probe into the incident.

Social media networks in Nepal were flooded with photographs immediately after the deadly plane crash in the capital city.

In Kathmandu Medical College, known as KMC hospital where most of the injured or dead bodies were sent for treatment or placement, heartbroken relatives mourned the death of their loved ones with screams, tears and grief, giving a throbbing ambiance to the hospital.

As soon as the US-Bangla Airlines flight crashed, at least 24 injured were taken to this hospital, which is the nearest one from the crash site, hospital officials said.

Among those taken to KMC hospital, 8 were pronounced dead upon their arrival, including 3 Bangladeshis, three Nepali nationals and two with unidentified nationalities.

The hospital remained tensed till night with the presence of media people, security personnel and even ordinary people, saddened by such a big incident in the country, which recently just formed the federal parliament and appointed new prime minister.

Among those brought in KMC, four were referred to other hospitals while the remaining are undergoing treatment in ICU, surgery ward, ortho ward, plastic ward, among others.

Prakash Bhattarai, administrative director at the KMC hospital, told Xinhua, "We have deployed a special medical team in all the wards where survivors are being treated. Some have shown progress while some are still under intensive care."

According to authorities, other survivors are being treated in different hospitals like Norvic, Mediciti and Om.

Basanta Bohora, who survived the crash and is being treated in Norvic hospital, was quoted by local media as saying, "All of a sudden the plane shook violently and there was a loud bang afterwards. I was seated near the window and was able to break out of the window."

This is the deadliest air crash at Nepal's only international airport after a Turkish Airlines flight crash-landed at the airport in March 2015 with no casualties.

The air crash has been regarded as a big shot to the tourism industry of the Himalayan nation, which is still recovering after the deadly earthquake of 2015 killed nearly 9,000 people.

The US-Bangla Airlines is a privately-owned Bangladeshi airline headquartered in Dhaka.

There were altogether 71 people onboard the plane, including four Bangladeshi crew members, according to a statement released by the Bangladeshi ministry of foreign affairs late Monday night.Source: Xinhua| 2018-03-13 02:25:09|Editor: Lifang

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United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres addresses the opening meeting of the 62nd session of the Commission on the Status of Women at the UN headquarters in New York, March 12, 2018. Guterres said Monday that it is important to change the unequal power dynamics that underpin discrimination and violence against women. "Progress for women and girls means changing the unequal power dynamics that underpin discrimination and violence," the UN chief told the 62nd session of the Commission on the Status of Women, which opened Monday and will last until March 23. (Xinhua/Li Muzi)

UNITED NATIONS, March 12 (Xinhua) -- United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said Monday that it is important to change the unequal power dynamics that underpin discrimination and violence against women.

"Progress for women and girls means changing the unequal power dynamics that underpin discrimination and violence," the UN chief told the 62nd session of the Commission on the Status of Women, which opened Monday and will last until March 23.

"This is not only the greatest human rights challenge of our time. It is also in everyone's interests. Discrimination against women damages communities, organizations, companies, economies and societies," he noted.

"That is why all men should support women's rights and gender equality," said the secretary-general.

Noting that "we live in a male-dominated world with a male-dominated culture," the UN chief noted that is "why the empowerment of women and girls is our common central objective."

"Centuries of patriarchy and discrimination have left a damaging legacy," he said, adding that sexist attitudes and stereotypes are widespread in governments, the private sector, academia, the arts, science and technology, and even in civil society and international organizations like the United Nations.

The secretary-general said gender inequality are still a common scene, citing a number of statistics including the proportion of women ambassadors hovering around 20 percent at the United Nations.

"It is only when we have changed statistics like these that we can truly say: we are in a new era for women and girls," he said.

He urged action "to give women a chance to fulfil their potential."

"Women's participation in decision-making makes peace agreements stronger, societies more resilient and economies more vigorous," the Secretary-General noted.

"We often talk about empowering women. When women are already taking action, we need to listen to them and to support them," he said.

He told the large audience that the United Nations has already reached gender parity in the senior management group for the first time. "As of last month, 23 women and 21 men are the top leadership of the United Nations organization."

"My roadmap envisages gender parity at senior levels of our leadership by 2021 in all categories, and ultimately in 2028 across the board," he said.

The Commission on the Status of Women is meeting at UN headquarters with the theme: "Challenges and opportunities in achieving gender equality and the empowerment of rural women and girls." UN sponsors believe 6,000 delegates, civil society organizations, and activists will be at the event.KIEV, March 12 (Xinhua) -- Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko and visiting European Union (EU) foreign affairs and security chief Federica Mogherini met on Monday to discuss the situation in Ukraine's conflict-hit eastern region of Donbas, the presidential press service said.

During the talks, the parties have discussed the security situation in Donbas and the prospects for the possible deployment of the UN peacekeeping troops in the region, said a statement posted on the Ukrainian presidential website.

Speaking to reporters following the meeting, Poroshenko said that he has asked Mogherini to send the second mission of the EU's Political and Security Committee (PSC) to Donbas to evaluate the situation on the ground.

The Ukrainian president also thanked the EU for providing support to people living in the conflict-hit region.

For her part, Mogherini said that the EU has already earmarked almost 700 million euro (about 862 million U.S. dollars) in humanitarian aid to people affected by the conflict in eastern Ukraine.

She pledged that the bloc will continue its financial support for Ukraine and its assistance in searching for ways to achieve the full implementation of the Minsk agreements, which are designed to put an end to the confrontation in Donbas.

The armed conflict between Ukrainian government troops and pro-independence insurgents in Donbas region has been underway since April 2014, claiming about 10,000 lives.

The first mission of the EU's PSC visited Donbas in September 2015.

Mogherini, who is also vice president of the European Commission, arrived in Ukraine on Sunday for a two-day visit.LONDON, March 12 (Xinhua) -- The British Prime Minister Theresa May on Monday pointed her finger at Russia over a developing "poisoning attack" row, claiming that her government had concluded it was "highly likely" that Moscow was responsible for the attack.

May told the parliament that Russia's ambassador in London had been summoned to explain whether it was "a direct action by the Russian state" or the result of it "losing control" of its stock of nerve agents.

She said the attack incident, targeting a former Russia spy and his daughter in London on March 4, involved a military-grade nerve agent of a type developed by Russia.

Her comments came after Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia, who remain in a critical but stable condition, had been found slumped on a bench in London.

On Monday the Kremlin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov denied Russia involvement into the "poisoning attack".

Meanwhile, Russian Foreign Ministry's spokeswoman Maria Zakharova called May's statement about the alleged Russian trace in the attack a "circus."

"It is a circus in the British parliament. The conclusion is obvious: it is another informational and political campaign based on a provocation," Zakharova was quoted by Sputnik as saying.United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres(front) briefs the Security Council meeting on the situation in Syria, at the UN headquarters in New York, March 12, 2018. (Xinhua/Li Muzi)

UNITED NATIONS, March 12 (Xinhua) -- UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Monday deplored the failure to implement a Security Council resolution that demands cease-fire in Syria.

Reporting to the Security Council on the implementation of Resolution 2401, Guterres said there has been no cessation of hostilities.

It is true that in some areas like Deir ez-Zor the conflict is diminishing in intensity. But violence continues in Eastern Ghouta and beyond -- including in Afrin, parts of Idlib and in Damascus and its suburbs, he said.

A Syrian tank is seen at the town of Muhamadiyeh, east of Damascus, capital of Syria, on March 6, 2018. The Syrian army on Tuesday fully captured the town of Muhamadiyeh in the capital Damascus' Eastern Ghouta countryside, the latest in a series of victories the Syrian army achieved in the war on the rebel groups in that sprawling area, according to state news agency SANA. (Xinhua/Ammar Safarjalani)

Particularly in Eastern Ghouta, he said, airstrikes, shelling and ground offensives have intensified after the adoption of the resolution on Feb. 24, and claimed many hundreds of civilian lives, some even reporting the toll at more than 1,000.

The resolution demands the enabling of "the safe, unimpeded and sustained" delivery of humanitarian aid and services.

"Despite some limited convoy deliveries, the provision of humanitarian aid and services has not been safe, unimpeded or sustained," said Guterres.

"The resolution calls for all parties to lift the sieges in populated areas including in Eastern Ghouta, Yarmouk, Foah and Kafraya. No sieges have been lifted."

A Syrian soldier stands guard behind his machine gun in the capital Damascus' Eastern Ghouta countryside on March 7, 2018. (Xinhua/Ammar Safarjalani)

On the resolution's demand for medical evacuations of the critically sick and wounded, Guterrest said: "To our knowledge, not one critically sick or wounded person has yet been evacuated."

Guterres reported "egregious violations, indiscriminate attacks, and a failure to protect civilians and civilian infrastructure" despite the resolution's demands for all parties to comply with their obligations under international law and international human rights law.

United Nations Security Council holds a meeting on the situation in Syria, at the UN headquarters in New York, March 12, 2018. (Xinhua/Li Muzi)

"I am here to report on the implementation of Security Council Resolution 2401... But I am keenly aware that I am doing so just as the bloodletting in Syria enters its eighth year," said the secretary-general.

In 2017, more children were killed in Syria than during any other year since the war began, he noted.

"I am deeply saddened by the immense loss and cascading suffering of the Syrian people. And I am deeply disappointed by all those who have, year after year, by action or inaction, by design or indifference, allowed this to happen."Source: Xinhua| 2018-03-13 02:40:17|Editor: yan

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JUBA, March 12 (Xinhua) -- Egypt on Monday vowed to continue supporting efforts to restore stability and security in South Sudan.

Visiting Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry told journalists in Juba that Cairo remains committed to ensuring stability and security in the youngest nation that has been embroiled in more than four years of conflict.

Humanitarian agencies warn that almost two-thirds of the population of South Sudan face starving between May and July if there is no sustained humanitarian assistance and access.

Shoukry said Egypt will continue to help South Sudan with its capacity building, and in improving its agricultural, irrigation, medical and educational fields.

South Sudanese Minister in the office of the President Mayiik Ayii Deng said Egypt is not just a political ally for political expediency, but a steadfast supporter of the people of South Sudan in their darkest hour.

"It was Egypt that led the African bloc in the (United Nations) Security Council to defeat the draft resolution intended to impose an arms embargo on South Sudan," Deng said.

He added that Egypt, alongside Uganda and South Africa, were among the first countries in Africa to come out in support of the South Sudan national dialogue and will continue to provide political, moral, financial, technical and material support to the steering committee of the national dialogue.

Egypt now hosts over 50,000 South Sudanese who are afforded all freedoms like citizens of Egypt, Deng said.

South Sudan descended into violence in December 2013, after political dispute between President Salva Kiir and his former deputy Riek Machar led to fighting, mostly between ethnic Dinka soldiers loyal to Kiir against Machar's Nuer ethnic group.

A 2015 peace agreement collapsed in July 2016 when the rival factions resumed fighting in the capital, forcing Machar to flee into exile.

The conflict has killed tens of thousands of people and forced millions of others to seek refuge in neighboring countries.Source: Xinhua| 2018-03-13 02:45:19|Editor: yan

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BAGHDAD, March 12 (Xinhua) -- The government of Iraq's semi-autonomous region of Kurdistan handed over hundreds of Islamic State (IS) militants to the central government in Baghdad, a Kurdish official said on Monday.

"Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) started an joint operation with Baghdad to hand over Daesh (IS group) detainees to the federal authorities," a KRG official Dindar Zebari said in a statement.

Up to 576 IS militants detained over charges of terrorism were handed over to Risafa investigation court in Baghdad through the Interior Ministry, Zebari said, adding that the detainees were transferred through five flights.

Another 277 IS detainees were handed over to the investigation court of Nineveh province following a decision by the Asayish (Kurdish security) investigation court in Erbil, Zebari said.

He revealed that the Kurdish forces arrested 2,652 individuals over joining the IS or having links to the terrorist group between 2014 and 2016, asserting that some 1,100 detainees were found guilty and were sentenced ranged from three years to life imprisonment.

Zebari added that the Kurdish forces arrested 709 IS militants and suspects in 2017, and 279 of them were released for having no relations to the IS.ROME, March 12 (Xinhua) -- Italian President Sergio Mattarella called for responsibility on Monday, after general elections delivered an inconclusive result earlier this month.

"We all need to be protagonist, and build our future," Mattarella told an audience of young people during a ceremony at the Quirinale presidential palace.

"You have shown that you feel the responsibility for the common destiny of our country, without hiding yourselves in an individual, personal -- and possibly selfish -- dimension," he added.

Mattarella made such remarks after awarding 29 people aged between 11 and 19, for representing a model of positive citizenship. The selected youth were honored for "their participation and promotion of the common good, their solidarity, volunteering, and individual acts of courage," the president's office said in a statement.

Mattarella's short address, however, immediately took on a wider meaning, considering the state of uncertainty that followed the recent national vote.

In fact, the parliamentary election held on March 4 did not deliver a clear winner. Anti-establishment Five Star Movement (M5S) was the largest single party with some 33 percent, but a center-right coalition altogether gathered about 37 percent.

None of them have now enough seats to build an absolute majority in parliament, and to govern alone. As such, talks among parties would be necessary to try to forge further alliances for the next government.

The Italian head of state always brokers the consultations among political forces after a national election, and Mattarella's role might be even more crucial this time.

While the new parliament was due to hold its first session on March 23, the dialogue between parties to form a government was expected to take weeks, or even months, to complete.WARSAW, March 12 (Xinhua) -- A total of 17 deputy ministers were dismissed with several likely to follow suit in the coming weeks, Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki announced Monday during a press conference here.

The aim is to eventually reduce the government by over 20 officials, he added.

The dismissed ministers include, among others, deputy ministers from Maritime Economy and Inland Navigation Ministry, Energy Ministry, Entrepreneurship and Technology Ministry, Environment Ministry, Agriculture Ministry, Justice Ministry, Health Ministry and the Prime Minister's Office.

Morawiecki underlined that no personal or political reasons were behind the dismissals, which he said were aimed at improving the government's work and ensure better cooperation between various governmental agencies.

He announced that a bill is being prepared which would change the deputy ministers' status from nominated officials to regular civil servants.

It is a part of planned changes to reduce the number of government officials and "make the cabinet less political and more administrative," according to Morawiecki, who also informed about the future annulment of all bonuses for ministers and their deputies.

Beata Mazurek, spokesperson of the ruling Law and Justice (PiS) party, said that the government reshuffle would be continued.

There are 19 ministries in Morawiecki's cabinet, while the Chancellery of the Prime Minister is not considered a ministry, although it retains a seat within the cabinet.Source: Xinhua| 2018-03-13 02:55:20|Editor: yan

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BEIRUT, March 12 (Xinhua) -- Visiting Armenian Prime Minister Karen Karapetyan revealed Monday that his country will establish with Lebanon a joint fund to support mutual business initiatives.

Karapetyan, on a two-day visit in Lebanon, met with his Lebanese counterpart Saad Hariri for talks that focused on the economic exchange between Armenia and Lebanon.

In a joint press conference held after the meeting, the Armenian PM said the two sides have seen great capabilities in developing bilateral economic relations.

"We are very interested in receiving Lebanese businessmen in Armenia," he said, mentioning the potential of Armenia, especially as a member in the Eurasian Economic Union.

Karapetyan said potential cooperation can be reached in fields including light industries, gold and pharmaceutical industries, tourism, and information technology.

He also invited Hariri to visit Armenia, saying the work of a joint ministerial committee, which has not met for years, will be activated before the visit of Hariri.

Karapetyan also met with Lebanese President Michel Aoun and Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri.Source: Xinhua| 2018-03-13 02:55:20|Editor: Lifang

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Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Kotzias (R), Bulgarian Foreign Minister Ekaterina Zaharieva (C) and Romanian Foreign Minister Teodor Melescanu pose for photos at the end of a joint press conference in Bucharest, Romania, March 12, 2018. The meeting of foreign ministers of the Romania-Bulgaria-Greece trilateral cooperation format represented an opportunity to strengthen the European project, Romanian Foreign Minister Teodor Melescanu said on Monday. (Xinhua/Cristian Cristel)

BUCHAREST, March 12 (Xinhua) -- The meeting of foreign ministers of the Romania-Bulgaria-Greece trilateral cooperation format represented an opportunity to strengthen the European project, Romanian Foreign Minister Teodor Melescanu said on Monday.

"Our meeting was an opportunity to reconfirm the shared will of the three countries regarding the boosting of political dialogue in this trilateral format and assuming the commitment regarding the strengthening of the European project," Melescanu told a joint press conference with visiting Bulgarian and Greek counterparts Ekaterina Zaharieva and Nikos Kotzias respectively.

According to the head of the Romanian diplomacy, the three countries endorse a solid policy of the European Union in the Eastern Neighbourhood and grant wider support for the relationships between the EU and its six Eastern neighbors: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine.

"Our strategic objective is maintaining the commitment towards our eastern partners, for ensuring in the Eastern Neighbourhood a stable, safe and prosperous space, attached to European principles," said Melescanu.

The Bulgarian foreign minister reiterated, in her turn, the importance of the accession to the Schengen area of Romania and Bulgaria. She stressed that the accession is "important for the security, not only for Bulgaria and Romania, but also for other EU member states."

The Greek minister voiced his support for Romania's and Bulgaria's integration in Schengen and said that "we will feel much safer and better in Europe if they will join us in the Schengen area."

During the meeting, the discussions of the three ministers also focused on strengthening cooperation in sectors of mutual interest, such as energy and transport, on seeking ways to enhance regional stability and security, and on cooperation within the framework of the EU, with emphasis on the Western Balkans and the future of Europe.United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres addresses the opening meeting of the sixty-second session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW), at the United Nations headquarters, March 12, 2018. (Xinhua/Li Muzi)

UNITED NATIONS, March 12 (Xinhua) -- United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said Monday that it is important to change the unequal power dynamics that underpin discrimination and violence against women.

"Progress for women and girls means changing the unequal power dynamics that underpin discrimination and violence," the UN chief told the 62nd session of the Commission on the Status of Women, which opened Monday and will last until March 23.

"This is not only the greatest human rights challenge of our time. It is also in everyone's interests. Discrimination against women damages communities, organizations, companies, economies and societies," he noted.

Delegates from Chad attend the sixty-second session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) at the United Nations headquarters, March 12, 2018. (Xinhua/Li Muzi)

"That is why all men should support women's rights and gender equality," said the secretary-general.

Noting that "we live in a male-dominated world with a male-dominated culture," the UN chief noted that is "why the empowerment of women and girls is our common central objective."

"Centuries of patriarchy and discrimination have left a damaging legacy," he said, adding that sexist attitudes and stereotypes are widespread in governments, the private sector, academia, the arts, science and technology, and even in civil society and international organizations like the United Nations.

Geraldine Byrne Nason (centre and on screens), Permanent Representative of Ireland to the UN and Chair of the sixty-second session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW), addresses the opening meeting of CSW, at the United Nations headquarters, March 12, 2018. (Xinhua/Li Muzi)

The secretary-general said gender inequality are still a common scene, citing a number of statistics including the proportion of women ambassadors hovering around 20 percent at the United Nations.

"It is only when we have changed statistics like these that we can truly say: we are in a new era for women and girls," he said.

He urged action "to give women a chance to fulfil their potential."

"Women's participation in decision-making makes peace agreements stronger, societies more resilient and economies more vigorous," the Secretary-General noted.

"We often talk about empowering women. When women are already taking action, we need to listen to them and to support them," he said.

Photo taken on March 12, 2018, shows the sixty-second session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) at the United Nations headquarters, March 12, 2018. (Xinhua/Li Muzi)

He told the large audience that the United Nations has already reached gender parity in the senior management group for the first time. "As of last month, 23 women and 21 men are the top leadership of the United Nations organization."

"My roadmap envisages gender parity at senior levels of our leadership by 2021 in all categories, and ultimately in 2028 across the board," he said.

The Commission on the Status of Women is meeting at UN headquarters with the theme: "Challenges and opportunities in achieving gender equality and the empowerment of rural women and girls." UN sponsors believe 6,000 delegates, civil society organizations, and activists will be at the event.Source: Xinhua| 2018-03-13 03:10:25|Editor: yan

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AMMAN, March 12 (Xinhua) -- Jordan suspends a free trade agreement with Turkey as the deal negatively affected local industries, the state-run Petra news agency reported on Monday.

Jordan decided to suspend the deal upon a recommendation by Minister of Industry and Trade Yarub Qudah with a view to support local industries and the agricultural sector and boost their competitiveness.

The cabinet's decision seeks to curb any further negative impacts on the industrial sector in Jordan in light of the imbalanced competition with Turkish products that are supported by the Turkish government.

The decision is part of the government's efforts to review all free trade agreements and study their benefit to the economy.

The cabinet added that the deal, which went into effect in 2011, did not achieve the expected results as the trade balance sharply increased in favor of Turkey and Turkish investment did not significantly increase in Jordan as stipulated by the deal.

Representatives of the industrial sector in Jordan have repeatedly complained about the deal and called for revising it, while several others called for revoking the deal.TALLINN, March 12 (Xinhua) -- President of Estonian parliament Eiki Nestor on Monday said that he joins the speakers of the parliaments of Lithuania, Latvia and Poland in a statement against the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline project.

"Estonia considers Nord Stream 2 a political project," Nestor was quoted as saying in a press release. "We wish that the Council of the European Union start discussions on updating the gas directive as soon as possible."

According to the proposed changes to the directive, all gas pipelines entering European Union (EU) territory from non-EU countries have to comply with the rules of EU energy legislation, said the press release.

"The joint statement of the parliaments supports these principles," Nestor said, adding that "I have informed my colleagues of my decision to sign the joint statement."

On Sunday in Vilnius, speakers of the Lithuanian parliament Viktoras Pranckietis, Latvian parliament Inara Murniece and lower house of the Polish parliament Marek Kuchcinski signed a statement against the planned Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline project.

According to the statement, the aim of Nord Stream 2 is not diversifying of gas sources, but increasing the energy dependence of the EU, especially Central and East Europe, on Russia, and thus preserving their vulnerability, said the press release.

In late January in Warsaw, U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said, "Poland and the United States together are against Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline, which undermines the overall security and energy stability of Europe."

Nord Stream 2 is a project of the second natural gas pipeline from Russia to Germany that runs along the bottom of the Baltic Sea.

The gas pipeline is scheduled to be put into operation by the end of 2019. The total capacity of two strings of Nord Stream 2 is 55 billion cubic meters of gas per year.TIRANA, March 12 (Xinhua) -- Albanian state police informed Monday that it rescued four Albanian climbers who got trapped on a snowy mountain in the south of the country.

"The four Albanians became stuck on Sotir Mountain, 270 km south of the capital, Tirana," Defense Ministry spokeswoman Albana Qehajaj told reporters.

The four climbers had fallen into a hole in a mountain on Sunday.

Qehahaj informed that after receiving the emergency call, an army helicopter was sent to the rescue but the intervention was impossible due to the difficult terrain.

Albanian authorities later sent a state police special force on the rescue mission who found them with some injures and transported them safely to hospital.SKOPJE, March 12 (Xinhua) -- Macedonian Prime Minister Zoran Zaev declared Monday that he wanted to solve the name issue with neighboring Greece but at same time preserve dignity and identity of both sides.

"The negotiations are bringing us closer to a solution. Nonetheless, I don't think it's easy. This is a serious issue which has not been solved in 25 years. I don't want to make any comments, because I sincerely want a solution which would preserve the dignity and identity of both sides involved in negotiations," Zaev told reporters here at a press conference.

Zaev gave such answer to the questions of reporters regarding Greece's request towards Macedonia to change its constitution.

Although Zaev said he wanted to give the negotiating process a chance, he didn't give any statement whether there will be changes to country's constitution or not.

In the meantime, Macedonia and Greece are expected to hold another round of talks on this issue since the Macedonian media reported Monday that Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Kotzias is expected to visit Skopje at the end of March.

Macedonian Foreign Minister Nikola Dimitrov on Monday voiced confidence that both countries would soon reach a solution to the name dispute.

He said at a press conference that Macedonia was doing all it could to reach a fair compromise that was acceptable to both sides. However, he noted that the solution was not only Macedonia's.

Macedonia is formally called the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) at the UN. However, Macedonia is also the name of a northern province in Greece and the Greek authorities are worried that the use of the same name by the neighboring state could lead to territorial claims.

During the NATO summit in Bucharest in 2008, Greece vetoed FYROM's application to enter the alliance without having resolved the name issue. While Macedonia has renewed its efforts to join the EU and NATO, Greece has signaled that its position remains unchanged.Source: Xinhua| 2018-03-13 03:40:33|Editor: Lifang

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United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres (C) addresses the Security Council meeting on Syria situation at the UN headquarters in New York, March 12, 2018. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Monday deplored the failure to implement a Security Council resolution that demands cease-fire in Syria. (Xinhua/Li Muzi)

UNITED NATIONS, March 12 (Xinhua) -- UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Monday deplored the failure to implement a Security Council resolution that demands cease-fire in Syria.

Reporting to the Security Council on the implementation of Resolution 2401, Guterres said there has been no cessation of hostilities in Syria.

Though conflicts in some areas are diminishing in intensity, violence continues in Eastern Ghouta and beyond -- including in Afrin, parts of Idlib and in Damascus and its suburbs, he said.

Particularly in rebel-held Eastern Ghouta, airstrikes, shelling and ground offensives have intensified after the adoption of the resolution on Feb. 24, and claimed hundreds of civilian lives, the UN chief added.

The resolution demands the enabling of "the safe, unimpeded and sustained" delivery of humanitarian aid and services across Syria for at least 30 days.

"Despite some limited convoy deliveries, the provision of humanitarian aid and services has not been safe, unimpeded or sustained," reported Guterres.

On the resolution's demand for medical evacuations of the critically sick and wounded, Guterrest said: "To our knowledge, not one critically sick or wounded person has yet been evacuated."

Guterres reported "egregious violations, indiscriminate attacks, and a failure to protect civilians and civilian infrastructure" despite the resolution's demands for all parties to comply with their obligations under international law and international human rights law.

"I am here to report on the implementation of Security Council Resolution 2401... But I am keenly aware that I am doing so just as the bloodletting in Syria enters its eighth year," said the secretary-general.

"I am deeply saddened by the immense loss and cascading suffering of the Syrian people. And I am deeply disappointed by all those who have, year after year, by action or inaction, by design or indifference, allowed this to happen."

Despite all the difficulties, lack of trust, mutual suspicions and cold calculations, it should still be possible to implement Resolution 2401, he said. "We cannot give up for the sake of the Syrian people."

"I appeal to all parties for the full implementation of Resolution 2401 throughout the whole of Syrian territory. The United Nations is ready to assist in any efforts to make that happen.

"I call on all states with influence to exercise it in support of the efforts of the United Nations and the implementation of the resolution.

"I hope this week's Astana ministerial meeting, which will gather the guarantors of de-escalation, will concretely restore de-escalation arrangements, and take real steps on detainees, abductees and missing persons."

He underscored the urgency of seeing medical evacuations, civilian protection, and full, sustained and unimpeded humanitarian access as soon as possible.Source: Xinhua| 2018-03-13 03:40:33|Editor: Jiaxin

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Austrian President Alexander Van der Bellen addresses the ceremony to mark the 80th anniversary of the annexation of Austria by Nazi Germany in Vienna, Austria, on March 12, 2018. (Xinhua/Pan Xu)

VIENNA, March 12 (Xinhua) -- A state ceremony to mark the 80th anniversary of the annexation of Austria by Nazi Germany was held here on Monday, with the presence of many leading officials, Austrian national public service broadcaster ORF reported.

In an address to the present, President Alexander Van der Bellen described the annexation on March 12, 1938 as the catalyst for the "darkest chapter in the history of our country."

He warned that racism and antisemitism have not disappeared since that era, and still exist today.

Austrians were not however all victims to the annexation, he said, noting that many were also participants, often in leading positions. He said Austria therefore "bows in humility" to all the victims of National Socialism.

Chancellor Sebastian Kurz also spoke at the ceremony, saying that due to its past, Austria is obligated to be "open, freedom-loving, and tolerant."

The country must also learn from history, the young chancellor said, calling for "particular responsibility" of the present generations.

Kurz also reflected on the massive number of Jews killed by the Nazi regime, and said the government plans to erect a monument to their memory in Vienna.BAKU, March 12 (Xinhua) -- Azerbaijan on Monday launched large-scale military exercises with up to 25,000 military personnel involved, the country's Defence ministry said.

The drills, which are set to continue until Saturday, are being conducted in accordance with the plan approved by President, Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces Ilham Aliyev.

The exercises involve up to 25,000 military personnel, 250 tanks and other armored vehicles, 1,000 missiles and artillery systems of different caliber, multiple launch rocket systems and mortars, up to 50 army and front-line aviation for various purposes.

During the drills, the troops will carry out tasks to prevent the enemy from attacking, suppress the enemy with fire, restore defense along advantageous frontiers by inflicting counter strikes and conduct a large-scale counteroffensive operation.

The military personnel will conduct exercises to operate troops and fire means, prevent various actions of the imaginary enemy in difficult conditions of mountain relief and electronic warfare environment.

Live-fire exercises will be conducted with the use of new weapon systems at various training grounds.

The exercises conducted by the Azerbaijani Armed Forces in sovereign territories are in line with the provisions of Chapter V of the Vienna Document 2011 of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, the foreign ministry said.VILNIUS, March 12 (Xinhua) -- Lithuanian President Dalia Grybauskaite on Monday urged for an increase of transparency in the country's public sector to prevent nepotism amid efforts to reform public service.

On Monday, Grybauskaite met with public policy experts and the head of Lithuania's State Labor Inspectorate to discuss issues of public sector transparency and the need to reform the public service.

"The reform of the public sector shouldn't be partial, it should ensure transparency throughout the entire sector, prevent corruption and nepotism, which increase injustice and provoke emigration," Grybauskaite said in a statement.

The head of state raised concerns of nepotism at the country's municipalities and state-controlled companies.

As many as 45 percent of public sector employees claim that they had faced nepotism as politicians protected members of the same party so they would assume certain positions, local news agency ELTA reported.

Data of the country's Special Investigation Service suggested that 17.66 percent of workers at the Lithuanian municipalities are relatives and this "leads to unjustified expansion of bureaucracy".

According to the latest survey by Spinter tyrimai (Spinter Surveys), 40 percent of the country's residents think public servants are biased.

The Lithuanian president is to propose amendments, calling for an open selection of public service staff.

But Prime Minister Saulius Skvernelis expressed skepticism at the president's idea. "We have to realize that it would prolong the hiring procedures and would require additional costs," Skvernelis told local media.Source: Xinhua| 2018-03-13 04:10:41|Editor: yan

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DUBAI, March 12 (Xinhua) -- Dubai Airport Freezone Authority (DAFZA) announced Monday a "new strategic partnership" with northeast China's Liaoning Province to expand bilateral trade.

The DAFZA signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Liaoning Chamber of Commerce United Arab Emirates (UAE), the platform for Liaoning's companies in the UAE.

The MoU was signed by Nasser Al-Madani, assistant director general of the DAFZA, and Fan Yewei, president of Liaoning Chamber of Commerce UAE, at the signing ceremony held in the free zone.

The DAFZA said the deal will increase collaboration between the two organizations to help promote bilateral trade.

It will create new business and investment opportunities through partnering with Liaoning Province, the DAFZA added.

As part of the agreement, the DAFZA and Liaoning Chamber of Commerce UAE will conduct regular visits and consultation, with an aim to open more channels of communications, increase knowledge and information exchange, and maximise mutual support.

Participating in international investment events and conferences will also be a part of the partnership.

Al-Madani said the strategic partnership will strengthen their alliance in a number of key areas including technology, innovation, cross-border E-commence, shipping and logistics.

The DAFZA will support the companies referred by Liaoning Chamber of Commerce to exhibit their products and services in the free zone, Al-Madani said.

Fan said the MoU will encourage Chinese investors to set up businesses in the DAFZA in important sectors and industries.

"This will have a positive impact on growing bilateral trade between Liaoning and the UAE, and we look forward to continued association and partnership," said Fan.

Two-way trade between the UAE and China crossed 35 billion U.S. dollars last year. China and the Asian market continue to be major focus areas for the DAFZA and the UAE, as 17 percent of the companies in the DAFZA are from Asia.

The DAFZA will also target the Chinese market through launching a series of campaigns in other provinces of China, including Shenzhen and Guangzhou, which are expected to start in April this year.

The free zone has previously signed a MoU with China (Guangdong) Pilot Free Trade Zone Nansha Area of Guangzhou.

It recently announced that it achieved a 25-percent growth in registered companies in 2017. The free zone contributed 7 percent of Dubai's non-oil trade, representing 18 percent of total free zones' trade within Dubai.UNITED NATIONS, March 12 (Xinhua) -- A top UN official, winding up a three-day visit to Sri Lanka, has condemned recent violence directed against the minority Muslim population in the country, the chief UN spokesman said on Monday.

Spokesman Stephane Dujarric said Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs Jeffrey Feltman has concluded a three-day visit to Sri Lanka on Sunday. "Regarding the recent communal violence, Feltman condemned the breakdown in law and order and the attacks against Muslims and their property."

Feltman offered condolences on behalf of the world organization to those affected.

During his visit to Sri Lanka, Feltman met with Muslim political and civil society leaders to express concern, showed solidarity and urged swift and full implementation of the government's commitment to bring the perpetrators of the violence and hate speech to justice.

The under-secretary-general also urged measures to prevent recurrence and to enforce non-discriminatory rule of law.

Recent violence left two dead and dozens of homes, businesses and mosques damaged or destroyed, according to published reports. It caused concern in a country still recovering from nearly 30 years of ethnic violence involving Tamil separatists.

The recent violence was directed at the Muslim population in the Kandy hill district by Sinhalese Buddhists, the reports said.

Muslims make up less than 10 percent of the 21 million people in the island nation off the southern tip of India. The country is about 75 percent Buddhist.

Feltman was in Sri Lanka to meet with President Maithripala Sirisena, Prime Minister Ranil Wickramasinghe, Speaker of Parliament Karu Jayasuriya, Foreign Minister Tilak Marapana, and other political leaders and officials, said a Note to Correspondents issued Sunday by Dujarric's office.

It said Feltman also "appreciated the opportunity to compare notes with members of Sri Lanka's diverse civil society, human rights representatives, and the diplomatic corps."

He also appreciated the reassurances from government leaders of their intention to move forward. The undersecretary-general "encouraged the government to communicate their actions and timelines for reforms to the Sri Lankan people."MADRID, March 12 (Xinhua) -- The Spanish state prosecutor's office will ask for an international detention warrant to be issued for former Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont and four former members of regional government, it was confirmed on Monday.

The prosecutor's office said the detention order would be issued for crimes of "sedition and rebellion."

Puigdemont and his companions, who are currently in exile in Belgium, also face less serious charges of "misuse of public funds" while Puigdemont stands accused of "disobedience."

However, they will no longer be tried on these counts to avoid Belgian authorities extraditing Puigdemont to face the lesser charges. Rebellion and sedition carry possible prison sentences of up to 30 years.

The prosecutor's office confirmed they would also ask for a warrant for the arrest of Ana Gabriel, former spokesperson for radical separatist party CUP, who is currently in Switzerland after refusing to appear in court in February.

Meanwhile Jordi Sanchez, who is currently in prison in Madrid, will appeal to the Spanish Supreme Court in order to be allowed out of jail in order to be sworn in as the leader of the Catalan regional assembly.

Sanchez became the candidate to be the next Catalan leader after Puigdemont renounced his candidacy.

He was due to be sworn in on Monday, but a high court judge refused his request to be released on Friday.Source: Xinhua| 2018-03-13 05:00:59|Editor: Lifang

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Spanish Economy, Industry and Competitiveness Minister Roman Escolano (L), European Commissioner for Economic and Financial Affairs, Taxation and Customs Pierre Moscovici (C) and Italian Finance Minister Pier Carlo Padoan talk prior to a meeting of Eurogroup finance ministers in Brussels, Belgium, March 12, 2018. Eurogroup President Mario Centeno said Monday that the eurozone bailout fund is expected to disburse the next tranche, worth 5.7 billion euros (7.03 billion U.S. dollars), to Greece in the second half of March. (Xinhua/Thierry Monass)

BRUSSELS, March 12 (Xinhua) -- Eurogroup President Mario Centeno said Monday that the eurozone bailout fund is expected to disburse the next tranche, worth 5.7 billion euros (7.03 billion U.S. dollars), to Greece in the second half of March.

"The Eurogroup commended Greece today for completing the third review of the ESM program. Work on the fourth and last review is already under way with the institutions," Centeno told a press conference after a meeting of eurozone finance ministers.

The Eurogroup decision will now pass through the parliaments of eurozone's individual states before the tranche is paid.

Centeno said Greece's bailout program now entered the final stages and he was confident that Greece will implement all remaining deliverables to conclude the program successfully.

"That is a condition for any additional debt relief," he added and expected Greece to deliver in April a long-term growth strategy which will be a crucial element of the post-program framework.

Greece is due to exit its 86-billion-euro bailout program in August.BERLIN, March 12 (Xinhua) -- The planned acquisition of the RWE renewable energy subsidiary Innogy by its German rival Eon has been welcomed by Germany's influential trade union Verdi and the federal government on Monday.

Verdi chief Frank Bsirske, who also holds the position of vice-chairman on the RWE supervisory board, praised the widely-publicized energy sector deal as an example of positive corporate restructuring.

According to Bsirske, Eon and RWE would gain the opportunity to "build strong companies with more investing power, as well as creating new perspectives for future growth and jobs".

Similarly, the acting minister for economics Brigitte Zypries told press on Monday that it was principally desirable that there were "competitive and internationally-oriented energy producers in Germany".

If the deal allowed Eon and RWE to specialize more effectively in their respective businesses, this could "promote necessary investment in energy generation and distribution networks", Zypries said.

Eon wants to acquire Innogy completely in a first step of the announced deal and is offering RWE a stake in its mother corporation in exchange.

Eon would then take over Innogy's lucrative grid business while its renewable energy generation is concentrated under the corporate umbrella of RWE. As a consequence, the only two-year-old subsidiary Innogy would cease to exist.

The Federation of German Consumer Organizations (VZBV) expressed hope in the newspaper Handelsblatt that Eon would subsequently lower its energy prices, leading to savings for German households.

"Innogy is a relatively expensive basic supplier," a statement by VZBV director Klaus Mueller read.

Investors have also reacted with enthusiasm at the news with the share price for Innogy soaring by up to 15.55 percent on Monday morning.

The German magazine SPIEGEL cited analysts at the U.S. investment bank Morgan Stanley as saying that the energy sector deal was a "win-win" situation.

Innogy had recently made negative headlines after issuing a profit warning and experiencing a fall in its share price which forced chief executive officer (CEO) Peter Terium to resign.

Nevertheless, the interim CEO Uwe Tigges insisted during the presentation of Innogy's annual earnings figures on Monday that he was leading a "company in excellent health".Source: Xinhua| 2018-03-13 05:36:05|Editor: yan

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UNITED NATIONS, March 12 (Xinhua) -- UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has welcomed the commitment of the Kenyan president and opposition leader to working toward national unity.

"The secretary-general welcomes the statement issued jointly by President Uhuru Kenyatta and Mr. Raila Odinga on March 9, 2018, declaring their commitment to work together to strengthen the unity of the country for all Kenyans," said Guterres' spokesman Stephane Dujarric in a statement.

The secretary-general pledged to work with the government and people of Kenya to consolidate peace, stability and development in the African country, said the spokesman.

Kenyatta and opposition leader Odinga held a surprise meeting on Friday, the first time since last year's disputed elections, and both promised to unite the nation. They announced a plan for reconciliation, without giving details.Source: Xinhua| 2018-03-13 05:46:06|Editor: yan

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BRASILIA, March 12 (Xinhua) -- The employees of Brazil's state-owned postal company, Correos, began a general strike on Monday for an undetermined period, protesting the changes to their health plan, their trade union Fentec announced.

According to the union, the company is seeking to remove the right for parents, children and spouses of postal workers to access the health plan. A lawsuit about this is currently being litigated at the Superior Labor Court.

The workers are also protesting a number of measures, including aims to privatize Correos, the suspension of holidays, and the reduction of salaries for administrative staff.

"To make the situation worse, the company has also announced the closure of over 2,500 agencies across Brazil," said the statement.

In its own statement, Correos said this move "only serves to aggravate further the delicate situation through which Correos is passing and affects not only the company, but its very employees."

According to the company, the health plan changes were discussed with their representatives and in mediation at the Court.

"The company awaits a conclusive decision by this court to take the necessary measures, but highlights that it already cannot sustain the plan's conditions, conceded to the rise of a monopoly, when Correos had the financial capacity to support these costs," it concluded.MAPUTO, March 12 (Xinhua) -- The Chinese Road and Bridge Corporation has completed 95 percent of the suspension bridge over Maputo Bay, Mozambique, to link the capital city Maputo and the town Catembe across the bay, announced Maputo Sul, the Mozambican company for the project.

The Maputo Sul's supervisor for quality control in the project, Basilio Dzunga, said that with the resettlement of the families from the area where the construction works are expected to occur, the project should be concluded by June this year.

"By the end of February the execution of the works was around 95.4 percent in terms of monthly progress, we expect the entire structure of the bridge ready by the end of April and from there we will be only doing the final touches, painting and eventually correct some parts that might need, which allow us to say by June we would have the bridge concluded," said Dzunga.

With the bridge concluded, lives of thousands of citizens living on both sides of the bay will no longer be affected by the unavailability of the ferryboat, one of the few sources to connect the two sides, either because of boat malfunction or stuff strike.BRUSSELS, March 12 (Xinhua) -- Eurozone finance ministers met on Monday and set June as the deadline for agreeing on a package of eurozone reform measures.

The work on reform has been focused on the reform of the bloc's bailout fund European Stability Mechanism (ESM) and the completion of the Banking Union.

"Technical work is progressing well on Banking Union and on the further development of the ESM," said ESM Managing Director Klaus Regling at a press conference after the Eurogroup meeting.

"There is broad support to reinforce the role of the ESM in crisis management in the current institutional framework, while avoiding any duplication with the Commission," Eurogroup President Mario Centeno told the same conference.

Eurozone leaders are expected to approve the upgrade of the European Stability Mechanism into a European Monetary Fund at the end of June.

The ESM, as the backstop for the Single Resolution Fund, could become operational by the end of 2019, if right decisions be taken by June, according to Regling.

For the reform of Banking Union, as there is skepticism in a number of countries with regard to EDIS, Regling urged member states to set up European Deposit Insurance Scheme earlier.

"If we had had a common, credible deposit insurance scheme in the last few years, all our ESM and EFSF programs would have been smaller," he said.ALGIERS, March 12 (Xinhua) -- Algeria and China signed a contract worth 175 million U.S. dollars for the construction of a large ferry, an official at a Chinese company told Xinhua reporter on Monday.

Director of Algiers office of China Shipbuilding Trading Company (CSTC), Luo Zengqiang, said the "agreement is important for Algeria as it is due to increase Algerian maritime traveling capacity."

He noted that "the vessel will serve the lines between Algeria, Spain, Italy and France," pointing out that the ferry will be one of the latest models of this type in Algeria.

The contract was inked Sunday between Algerian Maritime Transport Company and a Chinese consortium of Guangzhou Shipyard International and CSTC, for the construction of a new ferry with a capacity of 1,800 passengers and 600 vehicles.

Abdelghani Zaalane, Public Works and Transport Minister, told reporters that this contract is the result of three years of negotiations, adding that it is part of the North African nation's program to renew its maritime fleet.

He Hongyan, the representative of the Chinese Embassy in Algiers, said that this contract testifies a "mutually beneficial cooperation between Algeria and China."

The 200-meter long ship with a speed of 43.68 km per hour will be delivered within 26 months.

It will be equipped with restaurants, cafe, children's playground, space for prayer, gym, first class cabins, and 10 suites including two presidential rooms.

The Chinese side will also provide a 6-month training program for Algerian staff as mentioned in the contract terms.Source: Xinhua| 2018-03-13 06:11:15|Editor: yan

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SAN FRANCISCO, March 12 (Xinhua) -- A U.S. airport duty-free retailer has successfully deployed a cross-border payment solution to accept Chinese electronic payment via their smartphones in a bid to allure more Chinese tourists, a U.S. leading mobile payment company said Monday.

CITCON USA LLC, a leading cross-border mobile payment solution provider based in Silicon Valley, said in a statement that International Shoppes, a duty free and specialty retailer, has been ready to accept China's most preferred payment options, Alipay and WeChat Pay, to welcome and better service Chinese customers.

Alipay, run by Ant Financial Services Group, an affiliate of Alibaba Group Holding of China's largest online retailer, and WeChat Pay, run by Tencent Holdings of China's major internet tech company, are the two most popular forms of mobile payment in China.

The apps on mobile devices have 540 million and 650 million users, respectively, and control more than 92 percent of the Chinese market.

"Introducing the capability to process Alipay and WeChat Pay transactions in our outlets has been both financially rewarding and educational," Matthew Greenbaum, vice president of International Shoppes said.

"As we service a large number of Chinese nationals, we very quickly learned the importance of having this processing capability, as it is often their preferred method of payment," he added.

International Shoppes has operated duty free facilities and retail services for more than 65 years at some of the U.S. major airports such as New York's JFK International Airport and Washington DC's Dulles International Airport, among others.

Chinese tourists are currently the largest spenders worldwide. Nearly three million traveled to the U.S. in 2016, placing China fifth in terms of visitor arrivals after Canada, Mexico, Britain and Japan. They spent 33 billion U.S. dollars -- more than visitors from any other country.

A substantial growth of Chinese tourists was seen in key airport gateways in the United States.

Data from a 2017 survey on outbound Chinese tourism and consumption conducted by Nielson, a leading global information and measurement company, show that 93 percent of Chinese tourists said that they will consider mobile payment as a possible payment method if more overseas merchants support it.Source: Xinhua| 2018-03-13 06:21:17|Editor: Lifang

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ANKARA, March 12 (Xinhua) -- The Turkish government's plan to privatize 14 sugar factories sparked a bitter controversy, with workers and unions warning that whole agriculture communities would be affected.

"Don't listen to lies spread by people who do not know the issue. Those factories will not close down; on the contrary, they will produce even more," said Prime Minister Binali Yildirim to reporters on Friday, when he was asked about this issue which makes headlines in Turkey, an important sugar beet producer.

"We will not allow that farmers or workers fall victim of this scheme," insisted the prime minister.

Last month, the Turkish Prime Ministry Privatization Administration announced its intention to sell off some of the 25 plants of the publicly owned sugar factories company Turkseker.

TURKEY, BIG SUGAR PRODUCER

Turkey accounts for 7 percent of global sugar beet production, which makes it the world's sixth-largest producer after the United States, France, Germany, Russia and Ukraine, according to the UN Food and Agriculture Organization.

The country produces about 2.6 million tons of sugar from sugar beets annually, half of which comes from Turkseker factories.

The privatization administration said it would sell off 14 factories, most of them in industrially poor regions of central and eastern Turkey.

The plan triggered objection from employees and their trade unions, local communities, sugar beet producers, opposition parties and consumers across Turkey, making it a real political controversy.

The objection formulated by a sugar beet farmer of Ankara during a meeting organized in a fancy hotel went viral on social media.

In front of labor union representatives, Nihat Babaozlu, a farmer in his 50s, told the audience that they were doomed to die as a whole sector if the notorious plan was to go on.

"No one is paying attention to our cause, which is essential for the country. Listen all! We are dying slowly," he lamented.

LIVELIHOOD OF FARMERS THREATENED?

Sugar beet industry played a crucial role in Turkey's industrialization in the early 1930s by building infrastructure in rural areas as well as providing job opportunities for local people.

Workers fear that the privatization will drag down their livelihood standards as buyers will be free to claim losses and close facilities after a period of five years.

Along with the opposition party, they have accused the U.S.-based multinational company Cargill, operating in Turkey since 1986, of benefiting from this scheme, which the company swiftly denied.

The head of a leading Turkish agriculture association has voiced concerns about the privatization plan, insisting that sugar is a strategically vital product.

Union of Turkish Chambers of Agriculture head Semsi Bayraktar said this plan "should be reconsidered."

Nearly 2.1 million tons of sugar is consumed annually, Bayraktar said, adding that this demand should be met by local sources in an effort to maintain independence from foreign sources in this key product.

Main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) leader Kemal Kilicdaroglu also harshly criticized the bid, saying the move aims to promote starch-based sugar production, which, according to experts, might trigger cancer cases.

Kilicdaroglu insisted that the move would "affect nearly a million citizens" depending on sugar production to survive.

Cargill produces liquid sugar from genetically modified corns while the use of such sugar is forbidden in some countries, though consumption is rising in Turkey, the CHP leader stated.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's ruling Justice and Development Party came to power in 2002 against the backdrop of a major economic crisis in 2001, and assured high GDP rates for more than a decade, an economic prosperity which proved to be beneficial especially for poor classes.

Since 2002, many assets worth around 70 billion U.S. dollars were privatized. The government mainly sold the state enterprises in the areas of industry and communications.

The sugar industry, according to specialists, has not been modernized for nearly two decades; despite this fact, they are not operating at a loss, though not making significant profits either.

"Sugar factories should be modernized with new machinery instead of being privatized. They can be rendered more productive and efficient financially," said the head of the Agricultural Engineers Chamber, Ozdemir Gungor, quoted by the local press, calling on the government to reconsider its decision.

Moreover, he rang the alarm bells on consumers being financially pushed to purchase starch-based sugar, which is cheaper than "real sugar."

He said the actual quota of 15 percent of starch-based sugar production will increase at least to 25 percent after the planned privatization.

The government insists that privatization won't definitely hurt farmers because authorities have brought a ceiling quota for white sugar that must be produced after the planned sell-off of the factories.

"We will control very thoroughly starch-based sugar production, we will adopt legislation on this effect," said Yildirim.

But it remains to be seen if his assurances will in fact convince farmers and consumers in Turkey on the future of the industry.Source: Xinhua| 2018-03-13 06:26:19|Editor: Lifang

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Syrian soldiers flash the victory sign on their tank in the town of Aftaris in Damascus' Eastern Ghouta countryside, Syria, on March 12, 2018. Syrian army captured on Monday the town of Aftaris in Eastern Ghouta, the latest town to be retaken by the army during the wide-scale offensive in that area, state news agency SANA said. (Xinhua/Ammar Safarjalani)

DAMASCUS, March 12 (Xinhua) -- The Syrian army on Monday secured the evacuation of civilians from recently-captured areas in the capital Damascus' Eastern Ghouta countryside, state news agency SANA reported.

The latest batch of civilians was evacuated from the town of Medyara, which was stormed by the Syrian army on Sunday.

This batch is the second after the army also secured the evacuation of the civilians from the town of Mesraba.

The Russian Defense Ministry was cited by local media reports as placing the number of civilians evacuated from Eastern Ghouta over the past few days at 76.

However, no major civilian evacuation took place through the designated humanitarian corridor such as the one in Wafidin area in northeastern Damascus close to the rebel-held town of Douma in Eastern Ghouta or in Mlaiha southeast of Damascus.

The official media outlets in Syria accuse the rebels of preventing the civilians from leaving.

Meanwhile, SANA said the Syrian army captured on Monday the town of Aftaris in Eastern Ghouta, the latest town to be retaken by the army during the wide-scale offensive in that area.

The situation in Eastern Ghouta has flared up since late last month as a result of a wide-scale military operation in that area. The Syrian army has been fighting there to dislodge the al-Qaida-linked groups from that area.

A day earlier, the Syrian army split Eastern Ghouta into three parts after advancing in the battles there, tightening the siege on Douma in the north, the city of Harasta in the west and other towns and villages south of Eastern Ghouta.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the government forces have captured 60 percent of Eastern Ghouta since unleashing an offensive in that area late last month.

Eastern Ghouta, a 105-square-km agricultural region consisting of several towns and farmlands, poses the last threat to the capital due to its proximity to government-controlled neighborhoods east of Damascus and ongoing mortar attacks that target residential areas in the capital, pushing people over the edge.

Four major rebel groups are currently positioned inside Eastern Ghouta, namely the Islam Army, Failaq al-Rahman, Ahrar al-Sham, and the Levant Liberation Committee, known as the al-Qaida-linked Nusra Front.

The UN humanitarian agencies have sounded the alarm about the worsening humanitarian situation for 400,000 people in that region, where activists said over 1,000 people have been killed since late last month by the heavy bombardment and military showdown in areas of Eastern Ghouta.Source: Xinhua| 2018-03-13 06:26:20|Editor: yan

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ANKARA, March 12 (Xinhua) -- Turkey expressed its concern about the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) escalating violence in Germany late on Monday, and urged Berlin to take measures to ensure the safety of Turks.

Turkey is greatly concerned about the PKK recent increasing attacks in Germany, and expects the German authorities to do its utmost to ensure the safety of the Turkish community, Deputy Prime Minister Bekir Bozdag said.

He called on Berlin to "be more sensitive about the safety of its Turkish citizens, and bring terrorists to justice."

Turkish Foreign Ministry summoned Monday German ambassador to Ankara and sent him a diplomatic note over recent upsurge in PKK violence against Turkish community in Germany.

At least two mosques, one in Berlin and another in the town of Lauffen am Neckar, and a culture association in Germany have been set on fire since Friday, and Turkish embassy in Berlin has been attacked by PKK supporters, local media reported.

The PKK's youth organization threatened to carry out more violent attacks against Turkish targets in Germany, to protest Turkey's ongoing military operation in northwestern Syria.

German police said Saturday they had started a probe into the attempted murder of the imam of the mosque after the fire at the mosque near Stuttgart where Molotov cocktails were thrown.

Ankara expects Berlin to catch the perpetrators of recent attacks on Turkish mosques in Germany, the Turkish Foreign Ministry said in a written statement on Sunday, urging German authorities to take steps to prevent similar attacks in the future.

Turkey has repeatedly blamed Germany for not taking concrete measures against the PKK, which is listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the United States, and the EU.ROME, March 12 (Xinhua) -- Dozens of children were turned away from schools in various parts of Italy on Monday after a government immunization deadline expired at the weekend.

Authorities barred unvaccinated kids from kindergartens and elementary schools in the northern city of Milan, in the central Abruzzo region, and in the island region of Sardinia.

Some of the cases were due to parents refusing to immunize their children due to "no-vax" positions, according to ANSA news agency.

Italy has seen a dropoff in immunizations in recent years due to highly organized "no-vax" campaigns claiming that vaccines cause autism and that they are a plot hatched by greedy multinationals.

The populist Five Star Movement and the rightwing anti-immigrant League, the two winners of Italy's March 4 general election, have espoused "no-vax" positions in the past and oppose mandatory immunizations.

Last summer, the center-left government of Prime Minister Paolo Gentiloni made 10 vaccines mandatory and a pre-requisite for children to attend school.

Almost 5,000 people were infected with measles and 4 died of the highly contagious disease in Italy in 2017, according to the Health Ministry.

Measles has the potential for large outbreaks wherever immunization coverage has dropped below the necessary threshold of 95 percent of the population, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).

"The numbers show a rise in vaccinations, which was the objective of the (government) decree," ANSA quoted Superior Institute of Health (ISS) Contagious Diseases Department Director Giovanni Rezza as saying on Monday.

"We have surpassed the 95 percent vaccination rate, so the herd immunity threshold has been reached," Rezza said.

According to a survey of 3,130 Italian parents with kids aged 16-36 months published in January 2018, 83.7 percent of respondents said they are in favor of vaccines, 15.6 percent were "hesitant" and 0.7 percent were "no-vax", according to the ISS.ABUJA, March 12 (Xinhua) -- U. S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson rounded off his first official trip to five African countries late Monday with a brief meeting with Nigerian leader Muhammadu behind closed doors.

Tillerson spent only a few hours in Nigeria's capital Abuja and flew back to Washington "to deal with urgent work," according to his spokesman.

During his meeting with Buhari, Tillerson discussed issues on security, economy, commercial investments and the 2019 polls with the Nigerian leader.

An official statement by the Nigerian government said another important aspect of Buhari's discussion with Tillerson was the issue of the 110 abducted girls from a college in Nigeria's northeastern town of Dapchi.

Tillerson said the U.S. will assist Nigeria with latest security equipment and intelligence sharing in its efforts toward the safe return of the abducted schoolgirls.

In a press conference here, Tillerson described Nigeria as "a very important country to the U.S.," saying, the U.S will also support opportunities to expand the Nigerian economy,

He said there was the need to increase the volume of trade between the U.S. and Nigeria. Trade between both countries stand at 9 billion U.S. dollars.

Earlier, Tillerson had discussed the threat of terror group Boko Haram in his discussion with President Idriss Deby before departing for Nigeria.

Tillerson's first official Africa visit includes Ethiopia, Djibouti, Kenya, Chad and Nigeria.Source: Xinhua| 2018-03-13 06:51:26|Editor: yan

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UNITED NATIONS, March 12 (Xinhua) -- The UN Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) kicked off its annual meeting at the UN New York headquarters on Monday.

The 62nd session of the commission, will focus on "challenges and opportunities in achieving gender equality and the empowerment of rural women and girls."

Both UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and President of the UN General Assembly Miroslav Lajcak addressed the opening meeting of the annual session.

Guterres said that it is important to change the unequal power dynamics that underpin discrimination and violence against women.

"Progress for women and girls means changing the unequal power dynamics that underpin discrimination and violence," the UN chief told the CSW62, which will end on March 23.

Lajcak said that mistakes had been made in the past in approaching challenges without considering a gender perspective.

"Women must be taken into account in all actions, from access to water to closing pay gaps. Empowering rural women would benefit all," he said.

Urging all participants to deliver concrete, actionable results, Geraldine Byrne Nason, chair of the CSW62, said the commission should not be known as a meeting or an acronym, but as an instrument to truly promote the rights of women around the globe.

"We have a moral obligation as we begin our work," she stressed, calling on the commission to "do more and do better." Participants must be honest in recognizing shortcomings that had long impeded the progress of women and girls, and strive harder to reach the goals enshrined in the 1995 Beijing Platform for Action.

Against the backdrop of unprecedented global efforts for women's rights and gender equality, the UN CSW is the UN's largest gathering on gender equality and women's rights, and the single largest forum for UN member states, civil society organizations and other international actors to build consensus and commitment on policy actions on this issue.

UN Women Executive Director Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka said that "at the heart of leaving no one behind, is leaving no one out. One of the single most impactful contributions to achieving the 2030 Agenda would be to level inequalities for women and girls in rural areas. Significant progress for them is progress for the whole Agenda, and for the world."

Ahead of the CSW62, UN Women together with partners, organized regional consultations with ministers, gender equality authorities and civil society organizations in Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean, Asia-Pacific, and Arab states to help build consensus and set priorities towards the commission's outcome, which will be a set of action-oriented recommendations to accelerate the realization of gender equality and the empowerment of all rural women and girls.

The CSW is the principal global intergovernmental body exclusively dedicated to the promotion of gender equality and the empowerment of women. A functional commission of the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), it was established on June 21, 1946.HOUSTON, March 12 (Xinhua) -- Police in the U.S. city of Austin, Texas, said on Monday that they believed that three package bombings over the past 10 days were "related."

Two separate explosions occurred Monday in Austin, capital of the state of Texas, killing a teenager and wounding two women.

According to local police, a bomb detonated in Austin early Monday morning after a teenager brought a package left on the front porch into the kitchen and opened it. The explosion killed the 17-year-old boy and injured a woman in her 40s.

Another blast occurred about five hours later at a home about 8 km southeast of the first explosion. Emergency personnel said they transported a female in her 70s to a medical center with potentially life threatening injuries.

It was the third such incident this month in Austin. A package blast rocked another Austin home on March 2, killing a man.

Austin Police Chief Brian Manley said Monday all three explosions seemed to be "related" but they were not ruling anything out in the investigation.

Of the three explosions, two of them happened in the early morning hours. Both packages were left on the front doorstep and were not delivered by a U.S. mail service, police said.

"We are looking at these incidents as being related based on similarities that we have seen in the initial evidence that we have on hand here today, compared to what we found on the scene of the explosion that took place a week back," Brian Manley said at a news conference.

Following the explosions, local police warned the community to be aware of any unexpected packages. Instead of opening the package, police suggested that people should call 911.

The two explosions that left two dead are now being investigated as homicides.

In the awake of the explosions, Texas governor's office is offering a reward of up to 15,000 U.S. dollars for any information that leads to the arrest or identification of those involved. Local police is urging the community to come forward with any information.

Briefed by the Texas Department of Public Safety of the explosions, Texas Governor Greg Abbott has offered whatever resources necessary to assist authorities in the investigation.

"I want to assure all Texans, and especially those in Austin, that local, state and federal law enforcement officials are working diligently to find those responsible for these heinous crimes. As the investigation continues, the State of Texas will provide any resources necessary to ensure the safety of our citizens, and quickly bring those guilty to justice," said Abbott.ROME, March 12 (Xinhua) -- Licking its wounds after a crushing electoral defeat in a March 4 general election that saw the advance of populists and rightwingers, Italy's center-left Democratic Party on Monday sought to redefine itself as an opposition force after five years in government.

Former prime minister and resigning Democratic Party leader Matteo Renzi deserted an executive meeting at the party's Rome headquarters, where participants approved the new line laid out by deputy party chief and outgoing farms minister, Maurizio Martina.

"We have just one thing to say to the winners: now you no longer have an alibi... citizens voted for you to govern, now do it," Martina tweeted during the meeting, where the party's executive approved his motion for the Democrats to become an opposition party.

This means it will be up to the two relative election winners -- the anti-establishment Five Star Movement and the rightwing League -- to cobble together a government coalition.

"Our defeat was clear-cut," Martina told Democratic leaders in a speech posted online. "We intend to deeply respect the vote of all Italians" by refusing to become a junior member of a rightwing or populist-led government.

He was echoed by League leader Matteo Salvini, who told reporters in televised comments that "Italians didn't vote for us to bring Renzi back into the government" and that he wants to make sure that "workers can retire earlier, small businesses can pay fewer taxes, and illegal immigrants get thrown out".

Meanwhile Five Star leader Luigi Di Maio continued to repeat, as he has since the election a week ago, that the Movement is "open to talks with all political forces" and that if in government, they will "cut waste and fight poverty".

The populist Five Stars pledged to introduce universal income, and prevailed mostly in Italy's impoverished southern regions, where youth unemployment is over 30 percent.

The League succeeded mostly in the wealthier north, where the economy is made up of heavily taxed small and medium businesses.

Italy's head of state, President Sergio Mattarella, is set to broker talks between possible government partners at the beginning of April. This process could take weeks, meaning that Italy likely won't see a new government until the end of next month, if not beyond.Thank you for reading!

Please purchase a subscription to read our premium content. If you have a subscription, please log in or sign up for an account on our website to continue.Yakima County fatal officer-involved shootings

 Jan. 3, 2014: Jesse Humphrey, 30, was shot by members of the Yakima Police Department SWAT Team following a standoff with Yakima County sheriffs deputies executing a search warrant at a home near Selah. The shooting was investigated by the Washington State Patrol, and Yakima County Prosecuting Attorney Jim Hagarty declared the shooting justified.

 Jan. 4, 2014: Rocendo Arias, 23, was shot while sitting in a car at an East Nob Hill Boulevard car wash by Yakima police officer Casey Gillette, who said Arias had lunged at him with a pistol. Arias was found to be holding a replica pistol that shot plastic pellets. The Yakima Police Department investigated the shooting, and Hagarty cleared Gillette.

 April 12, 2014: Rolando Villanueva, 24, was shot and killed by Yakima police officer Ira Cavin following a pursuit where police say Villanueva rammed several police cars. That shooting was investigated by the Yakima Police Department and deemed justified by Hagarty.

 July 11, 2014: Ira Arquette, 42, was shot and killed by a Yakama Nation Tribal Police officer near Toppenish. The shooting was investigated by the FBI and the tribal police, and the U.S. Attorneys Office declined to file charges against the unnamed officer.

 Nov. 5, 2014: Anthony Duane La Violette, 27, was fatally shot by Yakima County sheriffs deputy Matt Steadman following a chase from the Naches area that ended at the intersection of U.S. Highway 12 and Ackley Road, in which officials say Steadman was knocked down by the car La Violette was driving. The shooting was investigated by the Washington State Patrol, and was deemed justified by Yakima County Prosecuting Attorney Joe Brusic.

 June 10, 2016: J. Juan Briseno-Ortega, 50, was shot by Yakima police officer Brad Althauser during a domestic disturbance at his home in the 2100 block of South 68th Avenue. Police say Briseno-Ortega was shot twice as he reached for a gun after scuffling with Althauser. Yakima police investigated the shooting, and Brusic cleared Althauser.

 July 31, 2016: Mario Martinez Torres, 38, was fatally shot by Wapato police officer Michael Campos during a domestic violence call to a home in the 400 block of West Second Street. Yakima police investigated the shooting, which Brusic ruled as justifiable.

 Dec. 26, 2017: Adrian Escobar, 29, was shot by Yakima police officer Booker Ward during standoff at a home in the 300 block of West Pierce Street. The Washington State Patrol is investigating the shooting.

 Dec. 26, 2017: Jose Miguel Garcia, 31, was shot by Yakima police officers Shane Stevie and Patrick Shad following a standoff at Garcias fourth-floor apartment at the Cascade Apartments that officers said had deteriorated. Yakima police are investigating that shooting.You have permission to edit this article.

Edit CloseBAY AREA Chamber Ensemble members, from left, Joni Chapman, Sheila Mitchell and Joel Glickman perform a piece from Igor Stravinsky's "L'Histoire du Soldat" Saturday at the Historic Ironwood Theatre. Behind the musicians; performers Martin Curry, Ivan Curry, Rebecca Moore and Scott Burchill wait to continue performing Kurt Vonnegut's dialogue that was interspersed between the musical pieces.

By RICHARD JENKINS

[email protected]

Ironwood  The audience at the Historic Ironwood Theatre was treated to a fairly unique show Saturday as the Bay Area Chamber Ensemble performed a piece titled War and Peace.

The evening began with the group performing Ralph Vaughn Williams The Piano Quintet in C Minor.

Following intermission; the trio of Joel Glickman on clarinet, Joni Chapman on piano and Sheila Mitchell on violin performed Igor Stravinskys LHistoire du Soldat  or The Soldiers Tale  a theatrical piece that mixed the musical performance with narration involving various characters.

Chapman said the group had first performed the piece years ago, working through the difficult arrangements.

We almost came to fisticuffs when we first started practicing because it was so bizarre, she joked. It has meter changes throughout the whole thing that are just horribly tricky. But we finally got there.

Given Stravinsky wrote the piece in 1918, Chapman said the group decided to bring it back this year to celebrate its centennial anniversary.

There are two versions of the narrative in the piece, according to Chapman, with the group electing to skip the original version in favor of one written by Kurt Vonnegut.

Using humor, poetry and occasionally profanity; Vonneguts story tells the story of an American private in World War II and is based on the case of Eddie Slovik, the first American executed for desertion since the Civil War.

Chapman said she thought the original  described in the program as a whimsical Russian folktale about a soldier armed with nothing but a violin  didnt have the right tone.

The piano quintet of Chapman, Mitchell, Michelle Vyskocil on viola, Scott Burchill on bass and Linda Calhan on cello selects different pieces to perform each year, according to Chapman, with Glickman joining the group if a clarinet is called for.

There arent a wide range of options for pieces written for a piano quintet, according to Chapman.

Its a very limited repertoire, Chapman said. (The Williams piece) came up and we said, Lets tackle it.By RICHARD JENKINS

[email protected]

IRONWOOD TOWNSHIP  Trinity Lutherans preschool and childcare program is looking to give local kids a place to play and held a Pasta with a Purpose spaghetti lunch Sunday to help accomplish that goal.

Featuring the standard fare of spaghetti, salad, bread and dessert; Nicole Anderson  the director of the preschool program  said the lunch was raising money toward the purchase of playground equipment for the program.

We put the fence up last year, so now were just trying to fill it in this year, she said.

The equipment w...This has been a long time in the making, but in our continuing pursuit to bring only the best of firearms, 2nd Amendment and defence related news to our readers, we are very excited to announce the next step in our evolution as a company.

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Cambridge, Massachusetts - The pace of advances in key clean energy technologies has been growing faster than many experts have predicted, to the point that solar and wind power, combined with systems for storing their output, can often be the least expensive options for new types of power-generating capacity. In fact, a radical transformation of the worlds energy landscape is well-underway, said several speakers at the annual MIT Energy Conference, held on March 2 and 3 in Kendall Square, in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

In the opening keynote talk Tony Seba, co-founder of ReThink X and author of the book, Clean Disruption of Energy and Transformation, kicked off the event on an upbeat note that carried through many of the events keynote talks and panel discussions. He reflected on the increasingly rapid adoptions of transformative technologies over time, from cars replacing horses on the streets a century ago to the explosion of smartphones in the last decade.

Seba listed several promising trends in low-emissions technologies for power production and storage, as well as in economic and regulatory models. For example, when a Colorado utility recently put out bids to replace the generating capacity of two large coal plants, they got bids for far more capacity than they needed  with the vast majority of prices for wind or solar power plus storage actually lower than those of coal power in the state.

Its over, people! Seba said. Solar and wind power plus storage is already the cheapest by far. As a result, he said, these greenhouse-gas-free options will inevitably take over the energy market, for purely economic reasons. Some other experts, including some of the conferences other speakers, foresee a slower and more difficult path away from fossil fuels. But when truly disruptive new technologies come along, Seba said, Its usually the experts and the insiders and the mainstream analysts who dismiss it. As an example, he showed how, year after year, the International Energy Agencys projections of the future growth of installed solar capacity have lagged far behind the actual results.

Now in its 13th year, the conference is run by the MIT Energy Club, a student-run organization that is the largest such club in the world, with about 5,000 members, MIT Energy Initiative Director Robert Armstrong said in his introduction to the conference.

The world is facing two great interconnected challenges in energy, Armstrong said: the expected doubling of the global demand for energy through both population growth and rising incomes, and the need to drastically curb the greenhouse emissions associated with that energy. Its made doubly difficult by the fact that most of that energy demand growth is going to be in the developing world, he said.

The transformation of the electricity sector toward low-carbon or zero-carbon fuels is underway, to the point that transportation is now the largest sector of emissions in the U.S., Armstrong said, because weve done so well with electricity. Theres been astounding progress on the solar side.

That theme was echoed in the official launch at the conference of a new book from MIT Press, called Taming the Sun, by Varun Sivaram, a fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations and an adjunct professor at Georgetown University School of Foreign Service. In a keynote address, Sivaram described specific areas where innovations are needed in order to propel the next stages in harnessing solar energys potential. Those include new ways of financing such things as solar and battery installations, for example by bundling many projects into investment vehicles to spread out the risks of individual projects.

The next hurdle to be overcome, Sivaram said, is value deflation, an ironic side effect of the rapid growth and plunging costs in the industry. As more solar capacity comes online at ever lower prices, the value of new installations and existing ones goes down, reflecting the lower revenue from a given amount of power delivered. Some advances that could help counter this effect, he said, would include efficiently converting solar energy to heat that could then be used throughout the night or converted back to electricity when needed, or harnessing the batteries in electric vehicles to help smooth the demand and supply curves of electricity.

These innovations would help preserve solars value by ensuring solar can be used no matter when its produced, or how it fluctuates, he said. By pursuing these approaches, he said, if we get this right, the 21st century will be one in which humanity finally secures cheap, clean, and virtually limitless energy from the sun.

Mark Jacobson, a professor of civil and environmental engineering at Stanford University, described his research suggesting that its possible for the U.S., and the world, to reduce fossil-fuel use almost entirely by midcentury, largely by converting most energy systems to electrical ones powered by hydro, offshore wind, and solar power with thermal storage, and using highly efficient heat pumps for all heating and cooling rather than less-efficient fuels, electric resistance heating, and conventional air conditioning.

Transitioning to 100 percent renewables in all energy sectors is technically and economically feasible, he said, and there are many ways to do it. (Jacobsons work has faced some criticism, and last month he dropped a controversial lawsuit he had brought against the authors of a paper that contested some of his claims.)

Jesse Jenkins, an MIT PhD student, in another keynote said that electricity is the linchpin of efforts to get to net-zero emissions. It has the most options today, and can cut emissions the fastest of any sector. That, in turn, would have a domino effect leading those using other energy systems to convert to electricity, he said. But Jenkins argued that getting to 100 percent renewable energy is not necessarily the target to shoot for; rather, the goal should be zero carbon dioxide emissions from the power sector, which may provide a more practical and economic path to emissions reduction.

There is a strong argument in the literature, he said, that a strong mix of low-carbon dioxide generation, which could include natural gas plants and possibly other fossil-fuel plants with a carbon-capture system, offers the most choices in achieving deep decarbonization goals.Health News

Phoenix, Arizona - Colon cancer is cancer of the large intestine (colon), which is the final part of your digestive tract. Most cases of colon cancer begin as small, noncancerous (benign) clumps of cells called adenomatous polyps. Over time some of these polyps can become colon cancers.

Polyps may be small and produce few, if any, symptoms. For this reason, doctors recommend regular screening tests to help prevent colon cancer by identifying and removing polyps before they turn into cancer.

Symptoms

Signs and symptoms of colon cancer include:

A change in your bowel habits, including diarrhea or constipation or a change in the consistency of your stool, that lasts longer than four weeks

Rectal bleeding or blood in your stool

Persistent abdominal discomfort, such as cramps, gas or pain

A feeling that your bowel doesn't empty completely

Weakness or fatigue

Unexplained weight loss

Many people with colon cancer experience no symptoms in the early stages of the disease. When symptoms appear, they'll likely vary, depending on the cancer's size and location in your large intestine.

When to see a doctor

If you notice any symptoms of colon cancer, such as blood in your stool or an ongoing change in bowel habits, do not hesitate to make an appointment with your doctor.

Talk to your doctor about when you should begin screening for colon cancer. Guidelines generally recommend that colon cancer screenings begin at age 50. Your doctor may recommend more frequent or earlier screening if you have other risk factors, such as a family history of the disease.Coun Perez reiterates warning to barangay leaders involved in drugs

07 Aug 2017 Hits:37 Comments(0)

Liga ng mga Barangay President, Councilor Jerry Perez yesterday reiterated his warning to all barangay officials from using or selling drugs. Perez said he is closely monitoring the activities of all the barangay officials and vowed sanctions against erring leaders. Aqui gane na mio barangay ya quita ya iyo na puesto cunel dos barangay leaders quien mas temprano ya sale positivo na...New Delhi: Pakistan government's ban on global terrorist Hafiz Saeed-linked group Jamaat-ud-Dawah (JuD) has resulted in a split in Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT), which was also founded by him, reports said on Monday.

The Pakistan government's ban on funding to Saeed's group has resulted in a huge financial crunch for its affiliated outfits and possibly led to a split in the LeT.

As per reports, the LeT has now split into two groups.

If reports are to be believed, LeT co-founder Maulana Amir Hamza has now parted ways and formed a new terror outfit named Jaish-e-Manqafa.

Maulana Amir Hamza is known to be a close aide of 26/11 Mumbai terror attack mastermind Hafiz Saeed.

Hamza had been receiving funds from Saeed who runs Jamaat-ud-Dawah and Falah-e-Insaniat (FIF) in Pakistan.

However, after Pakistans recent ban on individuals and companies from funding Hafiz Saeeds outfits, the cash crunch reportedly resulted in bickering over finances in the organisation and its affiliates.

It is believed that the Pakistan government's ban has forced Maulana Amir Hamza to part ways and explore other avenues for generating funds for his newly-formed terror organisation.

He is also reportedly planning to execute terror attacks in Jammu and Kashmir so as to gain the confidence of Pakistan's ISI.

The Pakistan government recently seized control of the charities run by terrorist Hafiz Saeeds banned outfits - JuD and FIF.

The government banned JuD and FIF across Pakistan, freezing their movable and immovable assets under the amended Anti-Terrorism Act, 1997, Pakistani media reported.

The Ministry of Law and Justice in Pakistan announced on February 9 that Pakistan President Mamnoon Hussain amended the Act via ordinance; thus, taking action against entities banned by the United Nations.

Pakistans Interior Ministry ordered the freezing of the assets, directing state governments to comply.

In January, the Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP) barred companies and individuals from handing out doles to JuD and its affiliates.

(With Agency inputs)New Delhi: Senior politician and former chief minister of Bihar Jitan Ram Manjhi, who recently parted ways with the BJP-led NDA, has been invited to attend the dinner hosted for the Opposition leaders by UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi on March 13.

Manjhi, who formed Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM), has been invited by senior Congress leader Ahmed Patel to join the dinner hosted in the National capital.

Manjhi, a Dalit community leader, recently broke away from the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) and joined the Rashtriya Janata Dal-led grand alliance.

The dinner comes in the light of efforts to form an anti-BJP alliance ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha polls.

Many political parties including Samajwadi Party, BSP, Congress, NCP, HAM and few others have hinted at a possibility of joining hands to counter the BJP government at the Centre.

According to reports, Sonia Gandhi has also invited DMK working president MK Stalin, Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav and members of various parties from different states, who are not part of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), to defeat the BJP in the 2019 Lok Sabha election.

(With ANI inputs)New Delhi: A few days after a clip featuring Janhvi Kapoor and Ishaan Khatter was leaked online, producer Karan Johar and director Shashank Khaitan have issued a no-phone-policy on the set to curb further leaks, reports mid-day.

As per the reports, the crew members will now reportedly hand over their phones before entering the set. "When the team found out about the leaked videos on Saturday night, it promptly reached out to Instagram Help Center and managed to pull one of them down. But it was too late to block the other one, as it had been circulated widely by Janhvi and Ishaan's fan clubs by then. The video was from the Jaipur schedule of Dhadak that took place a few months ago," a source from Karan Johar's Dharma productions told mid-day.

About this whole issue, Shashank Khaitan told mid-day, "It's unfortunate that people leak footage. We can only do so much to protect our product, but with outdoor schedules, it is difficult for us. Everyone around has a camera phone. Kis kis ko roke? It would be nice if people were more supportive."

The mid-day report further stated that in the leaked clips, which were circulated on the social media, Janhvi and Ishaan were seen shooting near a river bank. The other one featured only Janhvi in a green sari. She resumed shooting for Dhadak post her 21st birthday.

'Dhadak' is a remake of Marathi film 'Sairat', which released in 2016.

"Since the film is a remake of Sairat, the plot is already known. So, it is crucial for Shashank to guard the film's look to keep the mystery around the movie alive. Since many scenes are being shot outdoors, the producers are working on procuring permissions to cordon off the area where they are shooting. After all, the videos in question were leaked by the fans who had queued up on set," a source from the crew unit told mid-day.

'Dhadak' is Janhvi Kapoor's debut film and it is slated to hit the theatres in July.New Delhi: Internet sensation Priya Prakash Varrier has been a headline maker ever since her 'winking' video went viral. The buzz maker has become quite active on social media as wellall thanks to her rising popularity.

Now, the latest rumour doing the rounds is that she might be seen opposite powerful of talent, Ranveer Singh in Rohit Shetty's upcoming venture 'Simmba'. Yes! Isn't it like the best news you heard today?

According to BollywoodLife.com, the buzz is that Priya might make her Bollywood debut opposite Ranveer Singh in the film. The film is directed by 'Golmaal Again' director Rohit Shetty and produced by Karan Johar's Dharma Productions.

The report has been originally attributed to Deccan Chronicle.

The report quotes a source as saying, The girls role is not so big in the film. But Priya has become an overnight craze with the wink of an eye. Bollywood is interested in her. And who better equipped to consolidate Priyas supremacy in the virtual world in the arena of cinema than Karan Johar?

'Simmba' is an official remake of Telugu super hit starring N T Rama Rao Jr and Kajal Aggarwal. This will be the first time ever when Rohit and Ranveer join forces for a big screen venture.

Priya got her instant fame after a small clip from her debut Malayalam film 'Oru Adaar Love' went viral. It was a clip taken from the song 'Manikya Malaraya Poovi' where Priya got the big thumbs up from the viewers for her expressions. Her 'winking' act won many hearts in the song.Mumbai: Actor Varun Dhawan is looking forward to introducing his "October" co-star Banita Sandhu to everyone and is helping her get ready for her journey in Bollywood.

The actor has been very protective about Banita and has been giving her all kind of tips for the trailer launch on Monday.

"Banita is just 20 years old and does not know much about how the media functions here," Varun said in a statement.

"She doesn't have a manager so Shoojit dada and I just want to make sure she gets the best and is comfortable cause meeting the massive media and paparazzi can be very overwhelming," he added.

Co-produced by Ronnie Lahiri and Sheel Kumar, "October" is directed by Shoojit Sircar. The film celebrates love, nature and the autumn season.

In the film, Varun will be seen playing role of a sweet yet mischievous boy who is trying to get into the hospitality industry.

He will be seen as a hotel management student who is working in a five-star hotel as part of the trainee programme. Varun's profession plays very integral part to his character and environment in the film, which shapes up the events that follow.

The actor shot for his character in a hotel in Delhi where he spent time observing the way all the hotel employees work.

A Rising Sun Films Production, the film is set to release on April 13.New Delhi: Absconding jeweller Nirav Modi had deregistered 30 of his companies on his own between 2011-2017, sources have told Zee Media.

While the Serious Fraud Investigation Office (SFIO) is trying to find out the reason why these companies were deregistered , sources have said that the fraud agency is suspecting that the intent behind closing the companies was to delete trail of transactions.

The SFIO has sought information from Office of Registrar of Companies (RoCs) about the details of the deregistered companies.

The SFI is probing 107 companies and seven Limited Liability Partnerships linked to Nirav Modi and Mehul Choksi groups with regard to the nearly Rs 12,700 crore Punjab National Bank scam.

A multi-agency probe is already underway into the fraud which was mainly perpetrated by way of fraudulent Letters of Undertaking (LoUs).

The CBI has registered cases relating to the Punjab National Bank matter and has made several arrests.

On the basis of FIRs registered by CBI, Enforcement Directorate has filed two cases under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002.

The CBI last week sent fresh summonses Nirav Modi and Mehul Choksi to join investigations as early as possible and made it clear to the duo that they were "obliged" to cooperate with the probe agency, officials said.

The agency had sent three summonses on February 19, 23 and 28 asking them to join the probe at the earliest. They were asked to appear on March 7.

Choksi, in his seven page letter which was released by his lawyer, has said it was impossible for him to return to India and join the investigation due to the suspension of his passport and ill-health.

A response on similar lines was received from Nirav Modi citing that he could not travel to India to join the probe.NEW DELHI: The Delhi High Court has granted bail to Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLA Amanatullah Khan on Monday morning in the assault case of Delhi Chief Secretary Anshu Prakash. The court had already granted bail to other AAP MLA Prakash Jarwal in the case on March 9.

"The petitioner (Khan) has served an incarceration of more than 20 days and no further custodial interrogation is required. So the petitioner is released on bail," said Justice Mukta Gupta while granting relief to the Okhla lawmaker.

During the hearing, the Delhi Police counsel submitted a status report stating that Khan was named in 12 criminal cases, out of which he has been discharged in three cases.

Last month, the Delhi Chief Secretary alleged that he was 'manhandled' by Khan and Jarwal others, during a meeting at Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's residence on Monday night. An FIR was later filed against the two AAP MLAs and others on the basis of Prakash's complaint.

Refuting all allegations, AAP leaders Jarwal and Dutt claimed that the Delhi Chief Secretary made casteist remarks and lodged a complaint against him with the Delhi Police and the National Commission for Scheduled Castes.

The Indian Administrative Service (IAS) Association later decided to maintain only formal written channels of communication and not meet anyone post office hours or talk over the phone.

"The three Associations of the Delhi government officers (IAS, DANICS and DASS) have decided that they will only maintain the formal written channels of communication with the political executive, till such time the Chief Minister admits and apologizes for the incident of physical assault on the Chief Secretary... and strong action is taken against the people responsible for it," an official statement by the association read.

A magisterial court had earlier denied bail to the two legislators, saying the matter cannot be treated in "a casual and routine manner" while dubbing them as "history-sheeters.New Delhi: Two men were killed and three women injured when their car crashed into a traffic signal pole in northwest Delhi's Mukherjee Nagar area, police said today.

The incident occurred at around 2.45 am today when the driver of the car lost control over the vehicle and ended up hitting the central verge at T-Point, Hudson Lines, they said.

The deceased have been identified as Ritesh Dahiya and Siddharth, both in their 20s.

Three women occupants of the car, including the driver, sustained injuries, police said.

The driver was under the influence of alcohol, said Aslam Khan, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Northwest).

Police said the woman driver was arrested after being discharged from the hospital.

She had a learner's license. The car belonged to Dahiya's father. The friends were returning from a fest in Amity, Noida when the incident happened. They had come to Delhi University for a drive, they said.

After the car hit the pole it somersaulted twice before coming to a halt.

Dahiya was a student of Sri Venkateswara College while the three women were students of Amity University, Noida.

Siddharth was a student of Maharaja Surajmal Shiksha Sansthan.New Delhi: Minister of State for Finance Shiv Pratap Shukla introduced the Fugitive Economic Offender Bill 2017 presented in Lok Sabha on Monday.

The proposed fugitive law aims to impound and sell assets of Nirav Modi-type escapees with a view to quickly recover dues. It also will apply to defaulters who have an outstanding of Rs 100 crore or more and have escaped from the country.

In a bid to tighten noose around fugitives like diamond merchant Nirav Modi and Vijay Mallya, the Cabinet this month approved the Fugitive Economic Offenders Bill that provides for confiscating all assets of absconding fraudsters and loan defaulters to recover dues.

The Union chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi also approved setting up of a National Financial Reporting Authority (NFRA) as an independent regulator for the auditors.

The new law is different from the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, which also provides for confiscation of assets of economic offenders, he said.

Under PMLA, only profit of crime is confiscated and that too upon conviction. The new law extends to all assets irrespective of whether it is acquired as a result of crime or not, he said. This is triggered by the offender being a fugitive.

The Bill has been proposed to address the lacunae in the present laws and lay down measures to deter economic offenders from evading the process of Indian law by remaining outside the jurisdiction of Indian courts.

The law, though it was announced in the Budget for 2017-18, has been hastened after Nirav Modi and his uncle Mehul Choksi allegedly defrauded state-owned Punjab National Bank (PNB) of Rs 12,700 crore and left the country and are refusing to cooperate with law enforcement agencies.New Delhi: In a shocking incident, an 18-year-old woman has been arrested for allegedly killing her mother who was opposed her daughter's relationship with a female teacher in Uttar Pradesh's Ghaziabad.

According to a Hindustan Times report, the girl had bludgeoned her 38-year-old mother to death on March 9.

It was reported that the accused girl was allegedly in a relationship with her female teacher and wanted to run away with her.

However, the girl's parents were strictly opposed to their daughter's relationship with her female teacher.

The girl studies in Class 11 and the teacher was employed at the same school.

The girl, who was absconding since she was arrested, has now been booked under Section 304 of the Indian Penal Code after her father Satish Kumar lodged a complaint with the police.

The victims husband said his daughter attacked her mother on Friday when both were alone in their residence.

The victim was attacked with sticks and rods due to which she sustained severe injuries on her head and later died.

The 44-year-old transporter alleged that his wife and their daughter had been at loggerheads for sometimes over the latters relationship with a woman teacher of her school.

The girl had left home in September to live with the 35-year-old teacher.

As she was a minor at that time and was brought back home.

Her father had lodged a police complaint against the teacher at the Kavi Nagar police station.The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has issued notices to the government of Uttar Pradesh and the Minister of Health and Family Welfare over the incident of a patients amputated leg being used as a pillow in a Jhansi hospital. The incident had occurred at Maharani Laxmibai Medical College and Hospital in Jhansi.

Taking cognisance of the incident, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath had announced a probe even as he announced a compensation of Rs 2,00,000 for the patient whose amputated leg was used as a pillow. Two doctors were also suspended by the administration.

The hospital administration had vowed strict action against the culprits. "We have set up a four-member committee to find out who put the severed leg under the patient`s head...Strict action will be taken if our staff is found at fault," Sadhna Kaushik, principal of the Maharani Laxmibai Medical College and Hospital, had said.

The doctors at Maharani Laxmi Bai Medical College had allegedly put the amputated leg under the victim's head in order to help him.

The shocking incident came to light after a local TV channel aired visuals of the victim's amputated leg being used as a pillow as he lay on a stretcher inside the casualty ward of the hospital.

The man, who was a cleaner in a school bus, had sustained serious injuries when the bus carrying children of a private school turned turtle in a bid to avoid a collision with a tractor in Mauranipur area in Jhansi district on Saturday.

The cleaner was immediately rushed to the Jhansi medical college hospital where the doctors amputated his leg to prevent the infection from spreading, reports said.

The relatives of the man, who was identified as 28-year-old Ghanshyam, later told reporters that the hospital staff ignored their requests that he be given a pillow. "When we reached the hospital, we saw his leg being used as a headrest," Janaki Prasad, a relative, said.

"I repeatedly asked the doctors to intervene but they refused," Prasad added, saying Ghanshyam`s relatives eventually bought a pillow from a local market.New Delhi: Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Monday reiterated the issue of alleged fraud in the Punjab National Bank. Rahul has been constantly targetting the Prime Minister and the government over the alleged scam.

The matter has been referred to law enforcement agencies. Jeweller Nirav Modi is one of the main accused. His uncle Mehul Choksi, owner of Geetanjali Gems, is also an accused. Both have since fled the country.

On March 6, 2018, Rahul and Congress MPs had protested against the PNB 'scam'. Accusing BJP of shielding Nirav, Rahul had said that the guilty must be punished for their deeds.

Congress President Rahul Gandhi and senior leaders of the party protested outside the Parliament this morning asking PM Modi to break his silence and come clean on the #ChhotaModi bank loot. #PradhanMantriJawabDo pic.twitter.com/pCqol9yAke  Congress (@INCIndia) March 6, 2018

On the other hand, BJP has hit back saying financial wrongdoings happened during the Congress rule before 2014. Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad had said earlier that the Congress had laid out landmines during UPA 1 and 2, and that these were exploding on them now.

Meanwhile, RBI has initiated a special audit of state-owned lenders with focus on trade financing activities, especially relating to the issuance of letters of undertakings (LoUs) by them, PTI quoted banking sources as saying on Sunday.

In addition, the RBI has asked all banks for details of the LoUs they had written, including the amounts outstanding, and whether the banks had pre-approved credit limits or kept enough cash on margin before issuing the guarantees.

Most of the big banking frauds which were unearthed in the recent past, including the one perpetuated by diamantaire Nirav Modi and his associates, pertain to trade finance.

Banks have also been asked by the finance ministry to come up with a "pre-emptive" action plan to combat rising operational and technical risks, and assign clear accountability to senior functionaries.

In view of the recent Rs 12,646-crore PNB scam, done through fraudulent issuance of LoUs by the connivance of the bank's staff, it was pertinent for the regulator RBI to examine the issue of trade finance which also included issuance of letter of credit (LC) and LoUs, sources said, as per PTI.

Banks have also been asked by the finance ministry to come up with a "pre-emptive" action plan to combat rising operational and technical risks and assign clear accountability to senior functionaries.

(With PTI inputs)NEW DELHI: Shortly after a Delhi court extended Karti Chidambaram's judicial custody in the INX Media corruption case, the son of senior Congress leader P Chidambaram on Monday moved Delhi High Court seeking bail. The High Court will hear the petition tomorrow.

Earlier today, Delhi's Patiala House Court sent Karti Chidambaram to judicial custody till March 24 in the alleged INX Media bribery case, while dismissing his plea for early hearing of his bail application.

Special judge Sunil Rana had pronounced the order after the CBI said that he was not required for custodial interrogation.

On his plea seeking separate cell and protection in Tihar Jail, the court said the jail manual would be followed.

The court has also denied Karti's request for home cooked food in the jail.

Meanwhile, Karti's CA S Bhaskararaman, who is currently in jail in a case filed by the Enforcement Directorate (ED), has moved the court for anticipatory bail in the CBI case of INX Media.

Karti was produced before special judge on expiry of his three-day police custody. He has already spent 12 days in police custody since his arrest on February 28 from Chennai airport.

He was arrested on his return from the United Kingdom in connection with the FIR lodged on May 15 last year. It alleged irregularities in the Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) clearance to INX Media for receiving overseas funds of about Rs 305 crore in 2007 when his father was Union finance minister.

The CBI had initially alleged that Karti Chidambaram received Rs 10 lakh as bribe for facilitating Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) clearance to INX Media. It, however, later revised the figure to USD 1 million (about Rs 6.50 crore at the current exchange rate and Rs 4.50 crore in 2007).

The fresh evidence in the case, which triggered Karti Chidambaram's arrest, was based on the statement of Indrani Mukerjea, former co-director of INX Media (P) Ltd, who recorded it under section 164 of the CrPC before a magistrate on February 17.New Delhi: A Delhi court on Monda sent Karti Chidambaram to judicial custody till March 24 in the INX Media corruption case, while dismissing his plea for early hearing of his bail application.

Special judge Sunil Rana pronounced the order after the CBI said that he was not required for custodial interrogation.

On his plea seeking separate cell and protection in Tihar Jail, the court said the jail manual would be followed.

It also said that his bail plea would be heard on March 15 as scheduled.

The court denied Karti's request for home food in the jail.

Meanwhile, Karti's CA S Bhaskararaman, who is currently in jail in a case filed by the Enforcement Directorate (ED), has moved the court for anticipatory bail in the CBI case of INX Media.

Karti, the son of senior Congress leader P Chidambaram, was produced before special judge on expiry of his three-day police custody.

Karti has already spent 12 days in police custody since his arrest on February 28 from Chennai airport.

Karti Chidambaram's father P Chidambaram was also present in the courtroom.

He was arrested on his return from the United Kingdom in connection with the FIR lodged on May 15 last year. It alleged irregularities in the Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) clearance to INX Media for receiving overseas funds of about Rs 305 crore in 2007 when his father was Union finance minister.

The CBI had initially alleged that Karti Chidambaram received Rs 10 lakh as bribe for facilitating Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) clearance to INX Media. It, however, later revised the figure to USD 1 million (about Rs 6.50 crore at the current exchange rate and Rs 4.50 crore in 2007).

The fresh evidence in the case, which triggered Karti Chidambaram's arrest, was based on the statement of Indrani Mukerjea, former director of INX Media (P) Ltd, who recorded it under section 164 of the CrPC before a magistrate on February 17.New Delhi: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is not likely to attend the dinner hosted being hosted by the Opposition leaders by UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi on March 13.

According to sources, the Trinamool Congress chief will instead send her party colleague Derek O Brien or Sudeep Bandopadhyay to represent the party at the dinner.

The firebrand West Bengal leader is scheduled to tour Darjeeling and the surrounding areas during that time.

Besides talks of an anti-BJP front, Sonia Gandhi's dinner invite to political leaders has also created a buzz these days.

Besides Mamata, several other political leaders including former chief minister of Bihar Jitan Ram Manjhi have been invited to the dinner.

Manjhi recently parted ways with the BJP-led NDA.

Manjhi, who formed Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM), has been invited by senior Congress leader Ahmed Patel to join the dinner hosted in the National capital.

Manjhi, a Dalit community leader, recently broke away from the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) and joined the Rashtriya Janata Dal-led grand alliance.

The dinner comes in the light of efforts to form an anti-BJP alliance ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha polls.

Many political parties including Samajwadi Party, BSP, Congress, NCP, HAM and few others have hinted at a possibility of joining hands to counter the BJP government at the Centre.

According to reports, Sonia Gandhi has also invited DMK working president MK Stalin, Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav and members of various parties from different states, who are not part of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), to defeat the BJP in the 2019 Lok Sabha election.

(With ANI inputs)Here are top headlines of the day"

1. Tamil Nadu forest fire: 9 dead, few still trapped, rescue ops on

Bodies of those dead were charred beyond recognition. Read more



2. Three terrorists killed in encounter with security forces in J&K's Anantnag

An anti-militancy operation was launched in Hakura area of Anantnag district late on Saturday night. Read more



3. Farmers to stage protest outside Maharashtra Assembly on Monday; demand fair remuneration, loan waiver

Complete loan waiver and profit of 1.5 times input cost for all major agriculture commodities are the major demands of the AIKS. Read more



4. Top five WhatsApp secrets which every user should know

If youre regular on WhatsApp, here are five hidden features you may not know existed. Read more



5. Here's how 4-year-old boy was rescued from borewell after over 35 hours in Madhya Pradesh's Dewas

A four-year-old boy fell into a 150-feet deep borewell in Dewas. Read more



6. Disha Vakani aka Daya Ben to quit 'Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah'?

Disha got hitched to Mayur Pandya on November 24, 2015. Read more



7. Russia test-fires Kinzhal hypersonic missile, the 'ideal weapon'

Putin said the missile flies at 10 times the speed of the sound and can overcome air-defence systems. Read more

Srinagar: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Monday raided the central jail here and seized over two dozen mobile phones, jihadi literature and a Pakistani flag apart from data hardware, an official spokesperson said.

At least 20 teams of the central probe agency, with commandos of the NSG and drones in tow, searched the barracks and open ground of the high-security prison that houses some of the most wanted and dreaded terrorists, including those from Pakistan.

The searches, the spokesperson said, were carried out in connection with an investigation over the arrest of two youths in Kupwara  Danish Ghulam Lone and Sohail Ahmed Bhat.

The two youths had claimed that the fresh recruits of Al-Badr, a proscribed terrorist organisation, were being sent across for arms training in furtherance of a conspiracy hatched from inside the Central Jail, Srinagar.

The searches started early morning and continued till late afternoon during which all the barracks and the open ground were thoroughly searched with the help of well-trained teams and deep search metal detectors.

A close watch was kept on the entire operation with the help of drones, the spokesperson said.

During the search, 25 mobile phones, some SIM cards, 5 secure digital cards, 5 pen drives, one iPod and large number of documents and articles, including a poster of Hizbul Mujahideen, a Pakistani flag besides jihadi literature, were seized, he said.

The agency is also probing the escape of dreaded Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorist Mohammed Naveed Jhatt on February 6 from a busy hospital in Srinagar. It is believed that the conspiracy of his escape was hatched in the Srinagar central jail.

The spokesman said that the teams were accompanied by magistrates, witnesses and doctors.Mumbai: Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Monday said farmers have been facing problems not only in Maharashtra but all over India.

Talking to media on farmers protest, he said, "This is not an issue of Maharashtra farmers alone but of farmers all over India." Rahul also urged the BJP government to accept their demands.

Later he also tweeted:

The mammoth #FarmersMarchToMumbai is a stunning example of peoples power. The Congress party stands with the Farmers & Tribals marching to protest against the Central & State Govts. apathy. I appeal to PM Modi and the CM to not stand on ego and to accept their just demands.  Office of RG (@OfficeOfRG) March 12, 2018

More than an estimated 35,000 peasants - men, women, youth and even seniors - undertook a 180-km long march over six days in Maharashtra and reached Mumbai on Sunday.

Organised by the All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS), the farmer's wing of Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M), the farmers sporting red caps, red flags, beating drums and cymbals and the tribal blowing instrument -'tarpa', marched in disciplined unity.

They abandoned their night's rest, to march from the Somaiya Grounds, Vidyavihar starting 2 am (Monday) to reach the historic Azad Maidan at dawn, to avoid inconveniencing students appearing for the ongoing board examinations.

Farmers leader Ajit Nawale said that among the major demands is the implementation of the farm loans waiver announced in June 2017, (after farmers in the state went on a 'strike'), then make the farmers completely debt-free, besides other demands.

"Considering the tremendous response we have evoked from across the state the government cannot dismiss us lightly. If it continues to dilly-dally on the farm loans waiver or try to take us for a ride, it will face the consequences," Nawale had told reporters late on Sunday.

AIKS Maharashtra President Ashok Dhavale had pointed out that the crisis in the farmlands is very severe with "over 400,000 farmers committing suicides in the past 25 years".

"Agrarian distress is linked to malnutrition... The farming community is feeling betrayed by the BJP-led governments in Maharashtra and at the Centre," Dhavale said.

(With IANS inputs)NEW DELHI: Bharatiya Janata Party or BJP leader Subramanian Swamy on Monday claimed that Rahul Gandhi forgiving his father Rajiv Gandhi's killers raises suspicion of 'supari' killing or a plotted murder for financial gains.

Taking to Twitter, the BJP leader wrote, Forgiving by the son of his fathers LTTE killers at the prime of Rajivs age means suspicion of supari killing.

Forgiving by the son of his fathers LTTE killers at the prime of Rajivs age means suspicion of supari killing.  Subramanian Swamy (@Swamy39) March 12, 2018

A fresh probe should be initiated into the death of the former prime minister, he said, further hinting that there was some "understanding" of the family with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).

Speaking to ANI, Swamy said that the LTTE had said they killed Rajiv because the latter had sent the Indian Army to Sri Lanka. However, Rajiv Gandhi was following the resolution passed by the Parliament on supporting Sri Lanka's fight against the LTTE, he added.

He (Rajiv) was a true nationalist and his killers should be not be shown any leniency. Initially, Nalini, one of the killers, was awarded a death sentence, but this was reduced to life imprisonment. I fail to understand why we should be lenient towards someone who collaborated with foreigners to kill our former Prime Minister. Rahuls statement lack patriotism; he should understand that the punishment was awarded to the killers of the former Prime Minister, not his father, said the BJP leader.

He further questioned why did Priyanka Gandhi Vadra visit the convicts in jail.

Only the relatives of convicts are allowed to visit them, which she is not, said Swamy.

Why did Sonia Gandhi take care of Nalinis daughters education in England. Nalini was also awarded a scholarship to study computer science at the Indira Gandhi University. I dont understand why they are showing such sympathy. I suspect there is something wrong, he added.

Aise mauke par Priyanka wahan chali jaati hai. Ab convict ke to sirf rishtedaar mil sakte hain. Ye kaun si rishtedaar hai? Sonia Gandhi ne Nalini ki ladki ki England mein padhai ka saara kharcha uthaya. Ye saari karuna kyun dikhaai?: Subramanian Swamy pic.twitter.com/Yo4juI5WUW  ANI (@ANI) March 12, 2018

The Congress president in an interactive session with IIM alumni said that he and his sister, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, have completely forgiven their father's killers.

We have forgiven our father's murderers. Whatever may be the reason, I don't like any violence of any kind, said Rahul.

"When one realises that when these events take place, its collision of ideas, forces, confusion. That`s where you get caught. When I saw Prabhakaran lying dead on TV, I got two feelings - first was why they are humiliating this man in this way.

"And second was...I felt really bad for him and for his kids," said Rahul.

With ANI inputsNew Delhi: The Rajya Sabha on Monday failed to conduct any business due to a continued standoff between the government and several other parties over a range of issues including special status for Andhra Pradesh, the PNB fraud and the sealing drive in Delhi.

The Upper House witnessed uproarious scenes on Monday forcing the Chair to adjourn it for the day.

Soon after the House resumed at 2 pm following its first adjournment of the day, the National Democratic Alliance constituent Telegu Desam Party (TDP) and some opposition parties, including the Congress and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), created a ruckus pressing for their demands.

The AAP members were heard raising the issue of sealing of commercial establishments in Delhi.

Deputy Chairman P.J. Kurien tried to run the House but failed as the agitating members did not relent.

"I have no option other than to adjourn the House," Kurien said and then adjourned the house for the day amid the chaos.

Earlier, when the House assembled for the day, it was adjourned within minutes by Chairman M. Venkaiah Naidu following protests by members.

As the listed papers were laid on the table of the House, Naidu, taking up Zero Hour, asked YSR Congress leader Vijay Sai Reddy to raise his issue.

But within no time, the TDP members trooped near the Chairman's podium holding placards in support of their demand for special status to Andhra Pradesh.

The Congress and the AIADMK members were also on their feet. The Congress has been demanding discussion over bank fraud cases, including the Rs 12,600 crore Punjab National Bank scam, while the AIADMK has been pressing for the setting up of the Cauvery Water Management Board.

Naidu urged the agitated members to go back to their seats and allow the House to conduct the Zero Hour.

"This is too much. I am allowing every issue to be raised and find no reason to disturb the proceedings. It's very bad and sending wrong message outside," Naidu said as he adjourned the House till 2 p.m.

Earlier, Naidu expressed his anguish over the absence of some Ministers and laying down of papers by others without taking the Chair's consent.

"Statements have to be made by the concerned Ministers only. I hope Parliamentary Affairs Minister will take note of it," he said.

The first day of the second week of the second half of the Budget Session of Parliament was thus a total washout.

The first week of the resumed Budget session was a complete washout. On Friday, for the fifth consecutive day, members continued to protest on issues such as bank fraud, special status to Andhra Pradesh and setting up of Cauvery water management board.

The second part of the budget session of Parliament began on March 5 after a month-long recess and would conclude on April 6. The first part of the budget session was held from January 29 to February 9.

On March 8, on the occasion of International Women's Day, the Rajya Sabha functioned for a brief period when women members urged the government to pass the Women's Reservation Bill.

New Delhi: Major political parties on Monday gave notices for discussion on a wide range of issues including the PNB fraud, sealing drive in Delhi and granting special status to Andhra Pradesh.

According to ANI, Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress has given a notice in Rajya Sabha seeking a discussion under rule 168 over the PNB fraud scam case.

Meanwhile, the Arvind Kejriwal-led Aam Aadmi Party today gave a notice in Rajya Sabha over short duration discussion on sealing drive in Delhi.

The sealing has become a big issue in the national capital as it is being opposed by the traders and small businessmen of Delhi and the even the Chief Minister had threatened to go on a hunger strike over the same.

Meanwhile, YSR Congress Party MP Vijay Sai Reddy has given Calling Attention Motion in Rajya Sabha over special status to Andhra Pradesh  an issue over which the TDP last week pull out of the Narendra Modi government at the Centre.

YS Chowdary, a lawmaker of Andhra Pradesh's ruling party TDP too gave an Adjournment Motion notice in Rajya Sabha over the same.

Congress  the main opposition party  had earlier moved a notice in the Rajya Sabha under rule 168 seeking a discussion on the billion dollars Punjab National Bank fraud case.

The Congress has been demanding a discussion on the matter and even staged a protest near Mahatma Gandhi statue in the Parliament.

The party had raked the issue in both the Houses of the Parliament, demanding Prime Minister Narendra Modi statement on the steps being taken to bring the absconding accused back to India.

However, the Centre had accused the Congress party of disrupting the proceeding of the Parliament to evade a discussion on the said scam.

Celebrated jeweller Nirav Modi and his uncle Mehul Choksi are accused in the multi-crore scam that has rattled the country and economy.

The scam started in 2011 and was detected in the third week of January this year, after which the PNB officials reported it to the concerned agencies..The massive fire in Kurangani hills in Tamil Nadus Theni district has claimed at least nine lives. Union Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharam confirmed earlier on Monday that the fire had been doused. Apart from other agencies, the Indian Air Force was also deployed to battle the raging fire in the forest.

Helicopters of the Indian Air Force with underslung Bambi Bucket were deployed. A video of the operation was released by news agency ANI.

The rescue operations continued throughout Sunday night and on Monday morning.

Sixteen Garuds walked up and reached there at 3 am. They rescued few people at night. At the moment, the garuds are trying to lift the dead bodies to a higher plain. Two helicopters will bring the bodies down. One helicopter has doused the fire, said Nirmala Sitharaman.

The Tamil Nadu government, meanwhile, announced compensation for the families of those dead in the fire.

Sixteen commandos of Garud Commando Force and three choppers from the Indian Air Force were deployed for rescue operations. Another IAF chopper is on stand by as the search and rescue operations continue.

Nearly 27 people have been rescued so far, informed State Health Minister C Vijayabaskar, adding that medical assistance has been provided to those injured.

A 12-member group from Tiruppur and Erode and another comprising 24 people from Chennai, on a trekking camp, reached Kurangani hills yesterday. There were 25 women and three children were present.

Kurangani-Kozhukumalai hills are located near Bodinayakanur. Officials of Forest, Fire, Police, medical and rescue teams had gone to the spot and were being assisted by the local tribals and employees of nearby tea estates, Baldev said adding the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) personnel were also engaged in the operations.New Delhi: Search engine Google on Friday celebrated the life and works of Sir William Henry Perkin.

Google is honoring Perkin on his 180th birth anniversary. Born in England on March 12th, 1838, William Henry Perkin accidentally discovered mauveine, the first synthetic dye.

As an 18-year-old laboratory assistant, Perkin was cleaning out dark muck from a beaker after a failed experiment, when he noticed that the substance left a vivid purple stain when diluted with alcohol. Following his discovery, he focused on the patenting, manufacturing, and commercialization of this purple dye, which he named mauveine, Google wrote.

Perkins strong and inexpensively produced mauveine finally made this once-exclusive color readily accessible, igniting a violet fashion frenzy - as seen in todays Doodle by UK-based illustrator Sonny Ross. Even Queen Victoria herself wore a mauveine-dyed gown to the Royal Exhibition of 1862!

Perkin was knighted in 1906, on the 50th anniversary of his serendipitous discovery.Srinagar: Three terrorists were on Saturday killed in an encounter with security forces in Anantnag district of Jammu and Kashmir.

An anti-militancy operation was launched in Hakura area of Anantnag district late on Saturday night following information about the presence of terrorists in the area, an Army official said.

He added that the three terrorists were killed in the pre-dawn encounter with security forces.

A police spokesman said two of the slain militants were identified as Eesa Fazli of Srinagar and Syed Owais of Kokernag in Anantnag. The identity of the third militant was being ascertained.

"In the process, arms and ammunition which include AK 47 rifles, pistols, hand-grenades, etc. Were recovered from the encounter site. There was no collateral damage during the operation, " the spokesman said, PTI reported.

He said one of the slain militants was involved in a recent attack on a police guard post at Soura in the city, in which one police constable had been killed.

3 terrorists killed at Hakura Anantnag. One of them is unidentified still. This group was involved in recent cop killing/ weapon snatching incidents .  Shesh Paul Vaid (@spvaid) March 12, 2018

Meanwhile, suspected terrorists hurled a grenade on a CRPF guard post in south Kashmir's Kulgam district on Saturday evening, but there was no damage, police had said.

"Apparently militants hurled a grenade on a guard post of 18 bn (battalion) CRPF (at Damhaal Hanjipora) in Kulgam," Kashmir Zone Police had said on its official Twitter page.

"No loss of life or property reported," it had added.

On the other hand, the killing of Mufti Waqas, the mastermind of five recent suicide attacks in J&K including the Sunjuwan strike, has dealt a severe blow to Jaish-e-Mohammed as he was planning to target other parts of India, officials have said.

Barely 21 km away from the state capital of Srinagar, Waqas, who moved around under the 'code name' of Abu Ansar, was killed in one of the most swift operations carried out by the Jammu and Kashmir police and the Army on March 5, 2018, in Haitwara village of south Kashmir's Pulwama district.

After February 10, 2018, attack at the Sunjuwan Army camp in Jammu, Waqas, an Afghan war veteran, was high on the radar of security agencies as he was giving continuous updates to 'handlers' in Pakistan and also assuring them that "the next attack" would be in the hinterland of the country.

A crack team was formed by the police with the specific job to trail Waqas - dubbed as a 'killing machine' for his skills in motivating youths to become suicide attackers.

It was found that he was instrumental in brainwashing and radicalising Fardeen Khanday, 16, and Manzoor Ahmed Baba, 21, to turn them into 'fidayeens' (suicide bombers).

The duo along with a Pakistani national stormed a CRPF camp on the intervening night of December 30 and 31, 2017, in South Kashmir's Lethpora, killing five security personnel. All the three terrorists were killed in the retaliatory operation of the security forces.

(With PTI inputs)BENGALURU: The main accused in journalist Gauri Lankesh's murder will have to undergo a narco-analysis test. A Special Investigation Team, who has been given the custody for the probe, will conduct the lie-detector test.

Last Friday, the Bengaluru Magistrate Court had granted a 5-day custody of accused KT Naveen Kumar, 37.

During interrogation, the 37-year-old had told the cops that he paid Rs 1000 for each bullet for the murder which was sourced from Uttar Pradesh. Kumar, who hails from Birur town in Chikkamagaluru district, was arrested on February 18 by the SIT of Karnataka Police after he was identified with the help of CCTV footage.

Lankesh was shot dead by unknown bike assailants outside her residence in Bengaluru on September 5 last year. She was the editor of the Gauri Lankesh Patrike, a tabloid known for "anti-establishment" views.

The sensational murder of the journalist had sparked an outrage across the country and triggered several protests across the country and especially in prominent parts of Karnataka.

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah had termed the killing of Gauri Lankesh "an onslaught on humanity" and had said that his government would ensure that the culprits were brought to justice.

The government is "honest" in its efforts to find those behind the killing and bring them to justice, Siddaramaiah had told the Legislative Assembly. "It is a cruel death... It is an onslaught on humanity," Siddaramaiah had said during the obituary reference to Lankesh in the House.

"We have still not been able to nab those who killed her. A SIT has been formed to nab them," he had said.

Informing the Assembly that killers of rationalist MM Kalburgi were also yet to be found, the CM said, "The government and investigating team are honest in their efforts to nab the culprits."

The Karnataka government later formed a 21-member SIT, led by Inspector General of Police B K Singh, to investigate the case.CHENNAI: The Kerala government on Monday temporarily banned all trekking to Kurangani Hills til the clearing of all fire lines. A massive forest fire broke out in Kurangani hills of Tamil Nadu's Theni district, claiming nine lives and injuring several others. The fire has now been doused.

Issuing the directions, PK Kesavan, Principal Chief Conservator of Forest, Kerala, said, Chief Secretary, Govt of Kerala & Chairman of State Disaster Management authority has issued directions that trekking to the hills should be stopped until all fire lines are cleared.

A order comes in to immediate this effect said, a statement issued by the chief minister's office said.

The State Forest Department has been directed to take all necessary precautions to prevent forest fires, the statement quoted Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan as saying. He added that the Authority was closely monitoring the situation.

The Idukki district collector and police superintendent were given instructions to assist the rescue operations undertaken by Tamil Nadu officials immediately when it was known that the fire had broken out in Theni district on the Kerala-Tamil Nadu border, Vijayan said.A group of as many as 30,000 protesting farmers met representatives of the Maharashtra government in Mumbai on Monday with a list of their demands. The meeting to address the agrarian distress followed a march by All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS)  peasants front of the Communist Party of India (Marxist)  from Nashik to Mumbai.

Following the meeting, the Maharashtra government said that it was a positive one where all demands of the farmers were discussed. Some of the demands of the farmers were accepted and the government also promised a written draft of the acceptance.

Speaking to mediapersons after the meeting, Maharashtra minister Girish Mahajan said, We have had a positive meeting with farmers in which all their demands were discussed. They had around 12-13 demands out of which we've accepted some and will be giving them a written draft of it. He added that the farmers were satisfied with the decision of the government.

Complete loan waiver and profit of 1.5 times input cost for all major agriculture commodities are the major demands of the AIKS. The farmers have also demanded an immediate implementation of MS Swaminathan committee's recommendations, which ensures fair remuneration.

The agitating farmers are also demanding compensation of Rs 40,000 per acre for destruction of crops due to hailstorm and pink-worm, allocation of forest land under cultivation to farmers and implementation of Forest Rights Act.

The government has said that a six-member panel would be set up to look into all the demands and will submit its report in a given timeframe.

Earlier on Monday, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis had said that the government is positive in fulfilling their demands. He told the Maharashtra Assembly that minister Girish Mahajan had been in touch with the farmers since the first day of the protest.

The opposition has launched a scathing attack on the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government over the issue. Congress president Rahul Gandhi tweeted, The mammoth farmers march is a stunning example of peoples power. The Congress party stands with the farmers and tribals marching to protest against the central and state government's apathy.

AS IT HAPPENED - FARMERS' MARCH FROM NASHIK TO MUMBAIMUMBAI: Over 35,000 farmers from across Maharashtra, who had embarked on a Long Protest March, on Monday returned to their native villages after Maharashtra government accepted their demands.

The Central Railway had earlier announced that it would run two special trains from Mumbai's Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT) to Bhusawal to send the agitating farmers back. The train timings were 8:50 pm and 10:00 pm.

Mumbai: Farmers returning to their native villages after Maharashtra government accepted their demands #MaharashtraFarmersProtest pic.twitter.com/9DX9FwUhRN  ANI (@ANI) March 12, 2018

The protest march that started from Nashik on March 6 was to press for a complete loan waiver. Led by the All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS), the farmers had reached Mumbai late on Sunday.

Earlier today, the agitating farmers had met representatives of the Maharashtra government in Mumbai with a list of their demands. The meeting to address the agrarian distress had followed a march by All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS)  peasants front of the Communist Party of India (Marxist)  from Nashik to Mumbai.

Following the meeting, the Maharashtra government said that it was a positive one where all demands of the farmers were discussed. Some of the demands of the farmers were accepted and the government also promised a written draft of the acceptance.

Complete loan waiver and profit of 1.5 times input cost for all major agriculture commodities were the major demands of the AIKS. The farmers had also demanded an immediate implementation of MS Swaminathan committee's recommendations, which ensures fair remuneration.

The agitating farmers were also demanding compensation of Rs 40,000 per acre for the destruction of crops due to hailstorm and pink-worm, allocation of forest land under cultivation to farmers and implementation of Forest Rights Act.

The government said that a six-member panel would be set up to look into all the demands and will submit its report in a given timeframe.

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis had said that the government is "positive in fulfilling their demands". He told the Maharashtra Assembly that minister Girish Mahajan had been in touch with the farmers since the first day of the protest.New Delhi: The NIA has summoned former Nagaland Chief Minister T.R. Zeliang for questioning in connection with an alleged "tax collection and terror funding" case, an official said on Monday.

The case pertains to alleged extortion by groups such as NSCN(K), NSCN(IM) and Naga National Council from at least 14 government departments.

Zeliang has been asked to appear at the National Investigation Agency headquarters here on Tuesday with relevant documents.

Ahead of the Assembly election in the state, the NIA had summoned Zeliang's Officer on Special Duty and two of his office staff for questioning in connection with the alleged terror funding case.

On January 18, 2017, the NIA had conducted searches in various government departments in Nagaland and seized receipts that showed payments to the tune of Rs 2 crore.

The agency had said that these seizures prima facie indicate the connivance of these government organisations in funding various underground organisations operating in Nagaland.

According to sources, these departments include the Directorate of Information Technology, Directorate of Soil and Water Conservation, Directorate of Irrigation, Directorate of Rural Development, Directorate of Urban Development, PWD, Roads and Buildings, and Directorate of Information and Public Relations.

S. Khetoshe Sumi, a senior cadre of NSCN(K), was apprehended by the Assam Rifles in Dimapur on July 31, 2016, according to the NIA.

Sumi reportedly revealed that he was the organisation's "in-charge of finance" and his key responsibility was to collect funds through illegal taxation of various government departments, the NIA said.

The NIA probe into government workers and underground funding is a sensitive subject in Nagaland.

In November 2017, massive protests rocked Kohima after seven government officials were reportedly arrested for funding underground groups, called Naga National Political Groups, through taxation.New Delhi/Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government is all set to bring more cheer for its employees and pensioners by clearing their pending arrears as per the recommendations of the 7th Pay Commission.

Media reports have said that these arrears will be paid to the employees retrospectively based on the 7th CPC recommendations from 01.01.2016.

The arrears will reportedly be paid in two batches one during 2017-18 and the other during 2018-19 fiscal year.

However, the catch is that pensioners will get 100 percent clearance on arrears but the general employees will get only 40 percent of the arrears during aforesaid time.

Bringing cheers to over eight lakh state government employees and pensioners, the Odisha government in the begining of this month had announced it will implement recommendations of the 7th Pay Commission for PSU employees.

The implementation of 7th pay commission benefits in the state will come into effect from January 1, 2016.

Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has directed the concerned department for revision of salary of state PSUs, as per recommendations of the 7th Pay Commission.

Though the state government had earlier on August 29, 2017 announced salaries for government employees in accordance with the recommendations of the commission, no decision was taken for PSU employees.New Delhi: Newly unearthed diamonds around the world have been found to contain a rare form of ice, according to a study published on Thursday.

Known as Ice-VII, the new type of ice possesses a cubic shape and is about 1.5 times as dense as the regular ice  Ice-I.

Different from other solids, whose atoms squeeze together under higher forms of pressure, water-based ice rearrange themselves into new structures when subjected to increasing pressure.

For instance, putting a certain amount of pressure on ice-I will give way to ice-II, which has a rhombohedral structure.

As the pressure on the ice is increased, the atoms will rearrange themselves into ice-III, then IV, V, VI and VII.

According to Xinhua news agency, the discovery has cheered the scientists, who previously believed that ice-VII only existed on other planets of the solar systems.

"Water in diamonds is not unknown, but finding this very high pressure form of water ice intact, that was really fortuitous," George Rossman, a mineralogist at Caltech, told the Los Angeles Times. "That's what you call discovery."

Thanks to their discovery, ice-VII has been recognized for the first time as a mineral in the International Mineralogical Association.

Those diamonds with ice-VII inside were collected from mines in Africa and China, Xinhua reported.THENI, CHENNAI: Nine people were killed in a massive forest fire in Kurangani hills in the Theni district of Tamil Nadu on Sunday. Few are still trapped in the fire.

"The people who died in the fire include four women, four men and a child. Out of 27 people who have been rescued 10 of them have minor injuries, while 8 of them have serious injuries," tweeted news agency ANI

The trekkers, aged between 8 and 30 years of age, were charred to death in the intense blaze as rescuers struggled to reach them.

Sixteen commandos of Garud Commando Force and three choppers from the Indian Air Force choppers have been deployed on Monday. Another IAF chopper is on standby as the search and rescue operations continue. Nearly 27 people have been rescued so far, informed State Health Minister C Vijayabaskar, adding that medical assistance has been provided to those injured.

As the enormity of the situation unfolded, Chief Minister E Palaniswami said rescue operations were underway on a war footing and the state had sought two helicopters from the Defence Ministry.

In a series of tweet on late Sunday night, Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharamansaid that the rescue operations were being taken up by the fire and forest department officials.

The helicopters undertook a survey of the area and returned to neighbouring Madurai. They were expected to join the rescue operation later, Theni District Collector Mariam Pallavi Baldev said tonight.

While initial reports said those trapped were students, officials later said the victims, belonging to two groups, were young women and men and three children who were on a mountain climbing/trekking training.

The fire situation looked very serious but could be controlled, an official told PTI on condition of anonymity. He also said the trekkers had not taken the permission or security for going to the deep forest area.

The cause of the fire is still not known.

A 12-member group from Tiruppur and Erode and another comprising 24 people from Chennai, on a trekking camp, reached Kurangani hills yesterday. There were 25 women and three children were present.

After staying overnight at an estate in Kozhukumalai, they started their return journey to the plains today when they heard about the sudden forest fire and got separated while attempting to find a safe way.

Kurangani-Kozhukumalai hills are located near Bodinayakanur, about 40 km from here, Officials of Forest, Fire, Police, medical and rescue teams had gone to the spot and were being assisted by the local tribals and employees of nearby tea estates, Baldev said adding the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) personnel were also engaged in the operations.THENI: The massive forest fire in Kurangani hills of Tamil Nadu's Theni district, that claimed 9 lives, has now been doused, informed Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Monday.

The rescue operations continued throughout Sunday night and on Monday morning.

Sixteen Garuds walked up and reached there at 3 am. They rescued few people at night. At the moment, the garuds are trying to lift the dead bodies to a higher plain. Two helicopters will bring the bodies down. One helicopter has doused the fire, said Nirmala Sitharaman.

Deputy Chief Minister Panneerselvam announced compensation for the families of those dead in the fire.

Sixteen commandos of Garud Commando Force and three choppers from the Indian Air Force choppers were deployed for rescue operations. Another IAF chopper is on stand by as the search and rescue operations continue.

Nearly 27 people have been rescued so far, informed State Health Minister C Vijayabaskar, adding that medical assistance has been provided to those injured.

A 12-member group from Tiruppur and Erode and another comprising 24 people from Chennai, on a trekking camp, reached Kurangani hills yesterday. There were 25 women and three children were present.

After staying overnight at an estate in Kozhukumalai, they started their return journey to the plains today when they heard about the sudden forest fire and got separated while attempting to find a safe way.

Kurangani-Kozhukumalai hills are located near Bodinayakanur, about 40 km from here,

Officials of Forest, Fire, Police, medical and rescue teams had gone to the spot and were being assisted by the local tribals and employees of nearby tea estates, Baldev said adding the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) personnel were also engaged in the operations.Charilam: 55.94% voter turnout was recorded till 1 pm in Tripura's Charilam assembly constituency hours after the voting began on Monday.

Voting in Tripura's Charilam Assembly constituency was deferred following the death of Communist Party of India (Marxist) candidate Ramendra Narayan Debbarma.

Debbarma died due to cardiac arrest while campaigning on February 11.

Ahead of the polling, security was tightened so that the voters can cast their votes freely.

The party later fielded Palash Debbarma, but on Saturday decided to withdraw the candidate from the election in Charilam constituency amid the ongoing violence allegedly by the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

The CPI-M had earlier requested the Election Commission (EC) to postpone the Charilam elections till "normalcy gets restored" in the area.

Jishnu Debbarman, who is now the deputy chief minister of the state, was the BJP candidate.

The BJP- Indigenous People's Front of Tripura (IPFT) alliance had won the polls with a two-thirds majority in the Assembly. While the BJP had won 35 seats, the IPFT bagged eight out of the 59 seats that went to polls.

(With ANI inputs)New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will on Monday host French President Emmanuel Macron in Varanasi, where the two leaders will participate in several programmes, including a boat ride on river Ganga.

Looking forward to hosting President @EmmanuelMacron in Varanasi tomorrow. via NMApp pic.twitter.com/BNncEXTFGm  Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) March 11, 2018

The two leaders will first leave for Mirzapur, where they will inaugurate a solar power plant, before returning to Varanasi, PTI quoted official sources as saying.

In Varanasi, the two leaders will visit the Deen Dayal Hastkala Sankul and interact with artisans. They will also witness a live demonstration of their crafts.

PM Modi and President Macron will then arrive at the famous Assi Ghat in Varanasi, where they will board a boat for a ride along the ghats of the Ganga. The boat ride will end at the historic Dashashwamedh Ghat.

PM Modi will also host a lunch in the honour of the French President.

In the afternoon, the Prime Minister will flag off a train from Varanasi's Maduadih Railway Station to Patna.

Visuals of preparations ahead of PM Narendra Modi & French President #EmmanuelMacron's visit to Varanasi. Both the leaders will visit Assi Ghat & Dashashwamedh Ghat. pic.twitter.com/k31gyWXHFG  ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) March 12, 2018

Mirzapur: Visuals from the Solar Power Plant which will be inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President of France #EmmanuelMacron today. #UttarPradesh pic.twitter.com/mcW04O8JMi  ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) March 12, 2018

On Sunday, Macron on Sunday had visited the Taj Mahal in Agra.

Meanwhile, on Saturday, India and France had inked 14 pacts, including in key areas of defence, nuclear energy and protection of classified information besides resolving to boost cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region, with PM Modi asserting that the synergy between the two sides was from "land to sky".

Held important talks with President @EmmanuelMacron. We discussed several areas of India-France cooperation, particularly in defence, security, trade and people-to-people ties. https://t.co/QbRofwXNtw pic.twitter.com/MhhxRkaK5T  Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) March 10, 2018

The agreements were signed after extensive talks between PM Modi and Macron, including on ways to intensify counter-terrorism efforts.

The two leaders strongly condemned terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, including cross-border terrorism, and terror-related incidents in France and India.

Reaffirming their commitment to further Indo-French ties, the two leaders decided to take it to a new level by agreeing to hold biennial summits between the Prime Minister of India and the President of France, a joint statement issued after Modi-Macron talks said.

(With PTI inputs)Berlin: German Chancellor Angela Merkel said Monday, two days before she is to launch her new government, that she will pay a quick visit to French President Emmanuel Macron to discuss EU reform proposals.

Without naming a date, Merkel said she would visit Paris ahead of an EU summit late next week, to meet Macron "with the goal of advancing common proposals for Europe".

Germany's veteran leader also signed a joined policy paper for her next government with two coalition partners, Bavaria's conservative CSU party and the centre-left Social Democrats (SPD).

Merkel's designated deputy and finance minister, Olaf Scholz of the SPD, joked that the "grand coalition", forged half a year after inconclusive September elections, had "not started as a love marriage".

But Merkel, Scholz and CSU leader Horst Seehofer all stressed their commitment to serving out a full four-year term and quickly getting to work on key goals, including European reform.

Macron had this month welcomed the prospect of Merkel's fourth-term government as "good news for Europe" and said both countries would quickly start to jointly "develop new initiatives for advancing the European project".Merkel said the Paris talks would cover topics such as defence and migration policy, where Germany saw the need to better protect the EU`s outside borders and fight the causes of mass migration.

"We certainly will not have clarified every last question, but we will be able to say more than we did in December," Merkel said, speaking after half a year of post-election coalition haggling and political paralysis in Berlin.

Merkel's designated new finance chief Scholz will also soon visit France, she said.

Scholz, speaking at the same Berlin press conference, said he would stick to Berlin's cherished fiscal policy of avoiding new public debt, labelled the "black zero" in German politics.

Merkel also said Berlin remained opposed to any mutualisation of debt in Europe, adding that the main goal was, in the aftermath of the eurozone crisis, to push "sustainable stabilisation" to create growth and jobs.

Macron, in a landmark speech last year, urged a major reform drive to reinvigorate the EU at a time of rising populist challenges, with proposals including a common eurozone finance minister and budget.

Merkel's new left-right coalition says in its joint policy paper that it welcomes and generally supports the reform proposals of Macron and the European Commission, but stays vague on some of the details.

The coalition blueprint starts with the topic of Europe, with pledges to strengthen common EU foreign and defence policy as well as to reform the eurozone.

The plan supports the creation of a European Monetary Fund that could lend to countries in economic crisis, but only pledges to study some of Macron`s other ideas, notably the common eurozone budget and finance minister.All government and private schools in Punjab province of Pakistan have been asked to ban dance performances by students. According to a report on Pakistan-based Dawn, the ban has been imposed on performances by students on occasions like parents day and teachers day, among other programmes held in schools.

The report said that the education department of the province would cancel the licence of schools that allow the students to participate in dance performances. A senior government official was quoted as saying that the order was issued after complaints that children were made to perform on Indian and Pakistani songs during events in schools.

In 2016, another attempt was made to ban dance performances as well as classes in Sindh by members of Imran Khans Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI), said the reports, adding, Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah dismissed the demand saying he would preserve and promote culture in lines with what the Constitution of Pakistan says.

According to the report, the development comes just days after some critics in Pakistan said that children dancing on songs leads to their sexual abuse.After the decision of the Stockholm arbitration on the transit contract, the war between Naftogaz of Ukraine and Gazprom has spilled into a hot stage

Read the original text at 112.ua.

After the decision of the Stockholm arbitration on the transit contract, the war between Ukrainian Naftogaz and Gazprom has turned into a hot topic. Naftogaz has won compensation in the amount of $4.63 billion for Gazproms delivery shortages. Thus, Gazprom eventually had to pay $2.56 billion in favor of Naftogaz. Daily percent of the debt is $526 thousand (starting from March 1). President Petro Poroshenko has already called on Naftogaz to procure an arrest of Gazprom's assets in the event that the Russian gas monopolist refuses to fulfill the financial obligations. The company has assured that it uses instruments of enforcement for Gazprom's assets in Europe and the United States.

March 7, it became known that the arrest campaign in Ukraine has begun. However, not within Stockholm Arbitration decision, but to recover the fine imposed on Gazprom in January 2016 (by the Antimonopoly Committee and confirmed by the decisions of the Ukrainian courts). Prime Minister Groysman has reminded that the fine was imposed on Gazprom for abuse of monopoly position and initially amounted to $3.3 billion. In connection with penalties, the amount has increased. According to the prime minister, it amounted up to $6.3 billion.

"Ukraine's position in the current situation with Gazprom should be tough and consistent. Today we had a talk with Minister of Justice Pavlo Petrenko concerning our steps. We have agreed that the State Executive Service is now intensifying its actions with respect to the recovery of a fine from the Russian gas monopolist Gazprom violation of the Ukrainian monopoly legislation," Groysman wrote. He noted that the inventory and seizure of Ukrainian assets of Gazprom were started after the relevant court decision. "Now we will act more harshly," the Prime Minister promised.

The Cabinet of Ministers said that the property of the companies Gazpromzbut Ukraine (code 35829646), the International Consortium for the Management and Development of the Ukrainian Gas Transmission System (code 32349152), the securities of "INSTITUTE YUZHNIIGIPROGAZ" (code 00158741), as well as JSC Gaztranzyt.

Gaztranzyt is the most interesting asset. This company owns a new compressor station (CS), which was recently built. Through it, gas is transported to Romania, Bulgaria, Turkey," explained ExPro Ukraine director Gennady Kobal.

The company operates the "Tarutyno" compressor station and the loping of the Ananyev-Tiraspol-Izmail main gas pipeline. Ukrtransgaz (part of Naftogaz of Ukraine) serves as an operator for maintenance of the company's facilities. Direct functions for the operation and maintenance of the Gaztranzyt facilities are carried out by the Odesa Linear Production Department of the main gas pipelines. The structure of the company includes an office in Kyiv, a compressor station "Tarutyno" (Tarutyno district, Odesa region), a service to control the linear part of the pipeline (Ananyev district of the Odesa region), a service to control the operation of the linear part of the gas pipeline in Reni district of Odesa region), and the town of the service staff of the "Tarutyno" compressor station.

According to Kommersant, the company's net profit in 2015 was $22.8 million, net income - $28.3 million.

According to the press service of the Cabinet, "Ukrainian expert group" estimated the value of shares of Gaztranzyt in $23.3 million.

Shares should be sold at open auctions, Prime Minister Groysman said. It is noteworthy that only Gazprom's stake - 40.2% - could be auctioned. It was arrested. Another 40.2% of Gaztranzyt is owned by Naftogaz of Ukraine, and 19.6% by Turkish company Turusgaz.

Gennady Kobal states there is no time to hesitate with the sale of the shares. According to him, the direction that Gaztranzit is quite actual, but in three or four years it could be replaced by currently constructing Turkish Stream and the pipeline that is joining Greece and Azerbaijan. "We should not forget that Romania is increasing its own gas production," the expert said.

Other assets from the list promulgated by the government are of little interest, experts say. In particular, Gazpromzbut - a 100% subsidiary of Gazprom, which was created to supply Russian gas - does not conduct business in Ukraine (Ukraine has not been importing Russian gas since 2015) and does not have the special infrastructure. "Until recently, they had an office in the Arena" (Kyiv, - Ed.)," Kobal noted.

Gazpromzbut was established on April 3, 2008, to work on the Ukrainian market to follow the Agreement on the regulation of relations in the gas sector between Ukraine and Russia. It was reported that in 2008, the company has monthly sold more than 1 billion cubic meters of gas to consumers. Its customers were the leading industrial enterprises, in particular, the Mariupol Iron and Steel Plant named after Ilyich, Azovstal, Northern and Central mining and processing combines Eurocement Group. In 2010, the company was named the second largest gas supplier in Ukraine after Naftogaz.

The You Control disclosure system says that on January 29, 2018, executive proceedings against Gazpromzbut were opened.

The International Consortium for the Management and Development of the State Customs Service of Ukraine (authorized capital of 6.8 million USD) was established in October 2002, on an equal footing by Naftogaz and Gazprom in pursuance of an agreement between the Cabinet of Ministers and the Government of the Russian Federation on strategic cooperation in the gas sphere. The consortium was the customer of the construction of the Bogorodchany-Uzhgorod gas pipeline with a design capacity of 19 billion cubic meters of gas per year and a length of about 300 km. It was never built: Viktor Yushchenko, who came to the presidency, tore up the agreements signed earlier by Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych.

The consortium has gained its importance again with the election of Yanukovych as President. In 2011, the director of the enterprise Gazprom Sales Ukraine Anatoly Podmyshalsky said that Naftogaz and Gazprom at the meeting of the consortium members jointly decided to come up with an initiative to amend some laws that would allow participation in the management of the CTA to foreign countries, including Russia.

"INSTITUTE YUZHNIIGIPROGAZ" PJSC is a branch of the design institute, located in Rostov-on-Don. Like the parent facility, it specializes in engineering research, geology, geodesy, and technical advice. According to You Control, Gazprom owns only 40% of the institute; the rest belongs to the private individuals. But the most interesting thing is that the Ukrainian branch of the Institute is located on Artem Street, 169-G, in occupied Donetsk. How can the arrests of its securities on the controlled by Ukraine territory influence the situation? And how to sell those assets to turn loud statements into the real money? There are no answers yet.Kids are forced to draw banners timed to the elections, a source at a local school said

Open source

Crimean children are forced to join the activities related to the presidential election in Russia. Crimean Human Rights Protection Group reported that on Facebook.

In one of the Crimean schools, they make children draw banners timed to the election of the Russian president, two independent sources in various classes said', reads the message.

The human rights activists report children have the following record in their daybooks: 'Bring the banner for the picture contest (before March 13)'.

According to the Crimean Human Rights Protection Group, the children are asked to bring their parents to school and take photos in front of these banners. This school is going to host a polling station during the election process, with the vote slated for Sunday, March 18.

Ukraine turned to the international society, asking not to recognize the legitimacy of holding the Russian presidential election in Crimea. Ukrainian President Poroshenko urged the international partners to abstain from sending observers to the Russia-annexed peninsula during the upcoming election. Kyiv insists that the Kremlin's intentions to hold the vote in the illegally occupied Crimea are not in line with the Ukrainian law.According to Churiy, the bill has gathered the support of the majority of market players

Open source

The Prime Minister of Ukraine Volodymyr Groysman has said that the government supports the bill on currency, which has been drafted by the National Bank and endorsed by the National Reforms Council by the President of Ukraine, Interfax-Ukraine reports.

The bill on currency has been prepared very well by the National Bank. And I am very happy that the President is going to send it to the Parliament for consideration, - the Prime Minister said during a meeting with corporate representatives on Monday in Kyiv.

Groysman emphasized the quality of the bill, which the government is expected to support. He also encouraged the Parliament of Ukraine to vote in favor of the bill as soon as possible.

On 10 August 2017, the National Bank of Ukraine published a bill on currency on its official website for public consideration. The bill is supposed to become a single legislative act on currency regulation and implementation of currency monitoring in the country.

Earlier, on 1 December 2016, the National Bank published a new policy of currency regulation, as well as a roadmap for its introduction. The policy provides for the freedom to perform currency transactions based on the everything not explicitly forbidden is allowed principle. At the same time, the free movement of capital assumes the absence of currency restrictions, hence, it does not require currency control. Compliance with the law is supposed to be monitored by the currency oversight.

According to the suggestions by the National Bank, once the bill is voted into a law by the Parliament, a 6-month interim period will be required in order to harmonize the central banks regulations with the specifics of the law. The law will become effective only after that.

Currently, the primary legislative act that regulates the currency market is a decree by the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine On currency regulation and currency control from 1993.

On 5 March 2018, the Deputy Head of the central bank Oleh Churiy said that after considering the bill on 2 March, the National Reforms Council by the President of Ukraine recommended considering the bill the top priority.

The National Reforms Council has not only supported the bill but has also recommended for it to be considered a top priority, as it is extremely important for the development of the market and for making Ukraine a place with free movement of capital, - he said at a press conference in Kyiv on Monday.

According to Churiy, the bill has gathered the support of the majority of market players. The document is currently being finalized by paralegals, who are editing the specifics of the bill in order for it to be considered by the Parliament of Ukraine. The President of Ukraine will be the subject of the legislative initiative that sends the document to the Parliament.The Republic of Chile remains being represented in Ukraine through its embassy in Moscow.

A branch of the Embassy of Ukraine in the Argentine Republic has been established in Santiago de Chile, which is going to be the countrys first diplomatic mission in Chile. The solemn opening ceremony took place on 10 March 2018, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine posted on Facebook on Monday, 112.ua reports.

A representative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Chile, Mario Luis Silva, while opening the ceremony, emphasized that the establishment of the Ukrainian diplomatic mission is a significant step in the development of bilateral relations between Ukraine and Chile, as it is expected to provide a new impetus to cooperation in all areas.

In his turn, the Deputy Foreign Minister of Ukraine Serhiy Kyslytsya also said he believes the newly established Ukrainian institution will facilitate deeper cooperation between the countries.

Considering the considerable reforms that are currently underway in both countries, we now have an extra tool for the intensification of our trade relations, increased investment and scientific and technological fields, where there are noticeable opportunities for deeper cooperation, he said.

The Ukrainian official expressed gratitude to the Republic of Chile for supporting the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine amid the Russian aggression in the east of the country.

It should be noted, that the Republic of Chile currently remains being represented in Ukraine through its embassy in Moscow and an honorary consulate in Kyiv.Most of the coal (58.85% of the total amount) came from Russia.

Within the period of January-February 2018, Ukraine raised its imports of hard coal and anthracite by 63% (or 1,551,589 tons), compared to the same period in 2017. The country imported a total of 4,015,118 tons of coal within the period in question, Interfax-Ukraine reports.

According to the data from the State Fiscal Service, the imported coal was worth a total of $516.66 million, which exceeds the value of the coal imported in the first two months of 2017, when it stood at $357.6 million.

When it comes to origins of the coal, most of it (58.85% of the total amount) came from Russia. Another 28.94% (worth $149.5 million) arrived from the United States, whereas Canada supplied 9.36% (worth $9.36%) of the total amount of coal imported by Ukraine.

Over the same period, Ukraine managed to export a total of 43,338 tons of hard coal and anthracite worth $7.8 million.

Ukraine has earlier announced its plans to boost coal imports by 11.3% (or 573.9 tons) against the 2017 figure, to 5,668,500 tons. This would include 4,881,500 tons from Russia, 664,000 from the United States, and 123,000 from South Africa.Open source

The EU has officially extended the anti-Russian sanctions imposed for Russia's annexation of Crimea. The deadline is September 15, 2018. This is mentioned in the statement by the European Council spread in Brussels on Monday.

'The measures consist of asset freezes and travel restrictions. They continue to apply to 150 persons and 38 entities. An assessment of the situation did not justify a change in the sanctions regime. The relevant information and statement of reasons for the listing of these persons and entities were updated as necessary', the message says.

The legal acts will available in the EU Official Journal of 13 March 2018.

According to the Council's decision, other EU measures in place in response to the Ukraine crisis include economic sanctions targeting specific sectors of the Russian economy, currently in place until 31 July 2018, and restrictive measures in response to the illegal annexation of Crimea and Sevastopol, limited to the territory of Crimea and Sevastopol, currently in place until 23 June 2018.'Moving Forward Together' campaign will begin on March 12 on national TV and will be followed with more targeted and specific information on EU projects and programs in print, digital and outdoor media

Open source

The delegation of the EU to Ukraine launches nationwide communication campaign Moving Forward Together in Ukraine that aims to increase the awareness of the Ukrainians on the advantages and possibilities of the cooperation of the EU as it is stated on the website of the delegation.

It is noted that campaign includes the EU prioritized issues in Ukraine: the Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area (DCFTA), conflict response and decentralization. Moreover, the campaign highlights key EU programs and initiatives, including Horizon 2020, EU4Business, Creative Europe to inform on the support of the innovations, small and medium business and development of the culture in Ukraine.

We began a nationwide communication campaign aiming to illustrate benefits of EU-Ukraine cooperation for the Ukrainians today. We want citizens in this country to be aware of the support that the EU provides to Ukraine and use many opportunities that it provides, including youth, businesses and culture and education institutions of this country. In partnership with the Ukrainian government, this cooperation will result in positive changes and improvement of lives of Ukrainian citizens, Hugues Mingarelly, the Ambassador and the Head of the EU Delegation to Ukraine said.

It is noted that Ukraine is a priority partner and the EU allocated more than 12 billion euros to it during last three years. However, according to the survey Kyiv International Institute of Sociology held in December 2017, 77% of Ukrainians do not know about the EU programs in Ukraine. Awareness of the EU programs and the opportunities and the benefits they offer for Ukrainian in the fields of trade, culture, and education exchanges, the support for the key reforms like decentralization or to the assistance for the internally displaced people is even lower.

'Moving Forward Together' campaign will begin on March 12 on national TV and will be followed with more targeted and specific information on EU projects and programs in print, digital and outdoor media.

The slogan of the 'Moving Forward Together' campaign shows the positive partnership between Ukraine and the EU and their common goal.

On September 1, 2017, the EU-Ukraine Association Agreement entered into full force and effect as foreseen by the respective statement earlier released by the EU. Later Petro Poroshenko noted that Ukraines Association Agreement with the European Union is fulfilled only for 15%.The worlds arms sales in 2013-2017 increased by 10% compared to 2008-2012. This was stated in the report of Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) on March 12.

The largest exporters of arms are the United States, Russia, France, Germany, and China (they provided 74% of total world export of arms for the last 5 years).

Extending its lead as the worlds biggest arms exporter, the U.S. accounted for 34% of total arms exports. Russia, the next biggest exporter, had a decrease in its arms sales by 7,1% to 22% of global exports compared with the five years to 2012. France, the third exporter increased sales by 27% for the last few years, but Germany, on the contrary  decreased by 14%.

United States rates have exceeded Russias by 58%.

China was the fifth largest arms exporter in 201317. Total exports rose 38% between 200812 and 201317, with Pakistan to be the main recipient of Chinese arms.

Arms exports to the Middle East, Asia and Oceania increased, while there was a decrease in the flow of arms to Africa, the Americas and Europe.

The most active buyers of the weapons were India, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates.

As it was reported earlier President Vladimir Putins announcement about new nuclear weapons is part of a resurgent Russian assertiveness that the West is already responding to, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said on Monday, adding that he hoped to avoid an arms race. Putin unveiled an array of the new nuclear weapons - that he said were either ready or in development - last Thursday, saying they could hit almost any point in the world and not be intercepted.

Putins speech, weeks before the election he is expected to win, was in line with a pattern of behavior whereby Russia has developed the new weapons and used military force on neighbouring Ukraine, Stoltenberg said.Open source

Ukraine's Prosecutor General's Office has officially charged Russia's Constitutional Court with aiding and abetting in Crimea's annexation in February 2014. Prosecutor General Yuriy Lutsenko posted that on Facebook.

The respective notice was released on March 1 and delivered by courier mail on March 6. Now, the Russian judges are obliged to show up at the Chief Military Prosecutor's Office on March 13 and March 19.

The judges are accused of conniving the 'deliberate actions, committed in pursuit of changing the state borders of Ukraine - in breach of the order set by the Constitution of Ukraine, by the authority representatives, under a previous agreement among a number of individuals, which led to grave consequences'.

'The judges of the Constitutional Court of Russia... unanimously recognized the allegedly 'constitutional', in fact, a miserable agreement between the Russian Federation and the so-called Republic of Crimea that foresees that the latter becomes a part of the Russian Federation,' Prosecutor General's Office said in its statement. 'Thus, the artificial legitimization of occupation of part of Ukraine, the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and Sevastopol, would be impossible without the mentioned illegal decision of the judges of the Russian Constitutional Court'.

If the judges do not show up at the Chief Military Prosecutor's Office in the designated time, they will be put on the wanted list.Ukraine could be sending rockets to the orbit already tomorrow, - ambassador

Ukraine's state space agency (SSAU) offered Australia to construct a spaceport near the Curtin air base in the Kimberley district.

According to The West Australian, the SSAU proposal says the facility could become Asias major launch site, servicing commercial launches for Australias regional partners such as Japan, Singapore, South Korea and Indonesia.

The Ukrainian government first offered Australia such option in 2016.

Ukraine's Ambassador in Australia Mykola Kulynych said that Ukraine enjoys enough technical knowledge, has a decent production chain and a long-lasting history in terms of space researches, which is enough to bring the idea to life.

'This offer looks quite realistic. If Ukraine had a launch facility it could be launching rockets already tomorrow. We offer our people and our knowledge to join in, granted Australia has the area to assign for that purpose,' he said.

'The SSAU says it needs 5000sqkm to 7000sqkm of land on a commercial lease, preferably around the Curtin air base near Derby (Western Australia, - 112 International), to establish a spaceport', The West Australian wrote.Under no condition this could happen, the Russian leader said

Crimea will 'never return to Ukraine' - as Russian president Vladimir Putin put it in his promotion video, released shortly before the upcoming presidential election.

'Are you out of your mind? There are no such conditions, and there never will be', he said, adding that it's 'best not to argue' with him.

The documentary directed by Andrei Kondrashov, the press secretary of Putin's campaign office, was released on Sunday and spread via Russian social networks. The two-hour-long film is based on Kondrashov's interviews with the Russian leader.

It's already the second film about Putin this week; on March 7, famous Russian anchorman and propagandist Vladimir Solovyev released his own film called 'World Order 2018'.

As it is known, the Russian presidential election will be held on March 18, 2018. The Russian Central Election Committee registered eight candidates, including the incumbent leader Vladimir Putin, chairman of the Liberal Democratic Party Vladimir Zhirinovsky, head of Yabloko ('Apple') Party Grigoriy Yavlinski and famous blogger Kseniya Sobchak.According to her, the issue is about the aid to the citizens of the territory that suffers from the conflict

Open source

The EU allocated 700 million euros of the humanitarian aid to Ukraine for the citizens who live on the territory that suffers from the conflict since 2014. Federica Mogherini, the Vice President of the European Commission and High Representative of the EU for Foreign Policy and Security Policy claimed this as 112 Ukraine broadcasted.

The EU allocated 700 million euros of the humanitarian aid for the citizens who live on the territory suffering from the conflict. It also includes the new tranche in the sum of 24 million euros that the EU passes to prolong the EU SMM. And now we work on the new support package in the total sum of 16 million euros. It shows that we provide not only the financial support but also the support concerning the human resources and it aims to provide the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Ukraine that is also important for the security of the EU, Mogherini claimed.

As we reported, the European Commission supported the allocation of the macro-financial aid in the sum of one billion euro to Ukraine.Federica Mogherini, the High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Police claimed that the EU will continue to support concerning territorial integrity and sovereignty of Ukraine. Mogherini claimed this during the joint briefing with Volodymyr Groysman, the Prime Minister of Ukraine as 112 Ukraine broadcasted.

The main for today for us is that we create the success, we consolidate the results and continue to work together as close as it is possible to strengthen the relations of the EU and Ukraine. The first clear message with which I came to Ukraine is the message of the support of Ukraine that continues from the EU, Mogherini claimed.

She added that she sees the progress in the reforms process in Ukraine.

We saw great progress in very important and necessary sectors of the reforms. Today we saw how these reforms are moving, Mogherini claimed.

Today Mogherini pays a visit to Ukraine. Also, she will hold the meeting with Petro Poroshenko, the President of Ukraine.

Earlier Mogherini claimed that Ukraine should double work in the field of fighting corruption.Earlier Yury Lutsenko, the Prosecutor General of Ukraine claimed that Savchenko was called for a questioning on March 13 on the case against Volodymyr Ruban

Nadiya Savchenko, the non-affiliated MP of Ukraine did not get any notice or invitation for the questioning in the SBU and will pay the official visit to the PACE. Tatiana Protorchenko, the spokeswoman of Savchenko reported on Facebook.

Nadiya Savchenko pays the official visit to the PACE, where she will hold the planned meetings with the EU MPs on the release of the Ukrainian political prisoners from Russia. She did not get any notice or invitation or any other document, the message said.

Earlier Yury Lutsenko, the Prosecutor General of Ukraine claimed that Savchenko was called for a questioning on March 13 on the case against Volodymyr Ruban.

As we reported Ruban was detained on March 8 at the Ukrainian checkpoint at the demarcation line of Donbas Conflict zone.

It is stated that Ruban is suspected in the illegal handling of arms, preparation of a crime and terrorist action.

Also, Ruban denies all accusations and claims that the happened is the operation where he acted as the driver.

Later the Shevchenkivsky District Court of Kyiv arrested Volodymyr Ruban, the Leader of Center of POW Release 'Officer Corps' for 60 days without a right to the bail.Coins declared nominal is 10 UAH, the metal is zinc-base alloy, and the circulation will be 1 million pieces

On Monday, March 12, the National Bank of Ukraine introduces a commemorative coin "The Day of the Ukrainian Volunteer". This was reported by the press service of the bank.

The nominal value of the coin is 10 UAH, metal is a zinc-based alloy, the circulation is 1 million pieces.

"It is dedicated to the commitment, courage and heroism of the defenders of independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine - to the participants of volunteer organizations, which became the pride of the Ukrainian people," the message says.

On the obverse of the coin there are: at the top on a relief background - inscription "Ukraine," under which is the small National Emblem of Ukraine, to the left and to the right of which the figures of the year of coinage  2018. In the center, there is a stylized composition: above the crossed swords, symbolizes rebirth; below there is a logo of the Banknote printing and Minting department of the National Bank of Ukraine and a semicircular denomination - "ten hryvnias".

On the reverse of the coin, on a relief background, there is a map of Ukraine with the inscription "Who if not us"; the inscription "Day of the Ukrainian Volunteer" is on the circle line.

As it was reported earlier a study of Ukrainian officials income declarations conducted by Opendatabot revealed that 57 civil servants had declared more than 21,000 bitcoins (BTC) as intangible assets over the period of the previous two years. The majority of cryptocurrency holders turned out to be members of the Odesa regional council and the National Parliament of Ukraine. Another study finds that in 2017, the most cryptocurrency declared by Ukrainian officials was bitcoin cash, according to Bitcoin.com.

The National Bank of Ukraine currently does not recognize bitcoin or any other cryptocurrencies as legitimate means of payment. A number of bills regarding the regulation of cryptocurrencies in Ukraine have been submitted, but none of them was adopted.The President said that the European diplomacy has to play an important role in terms of hostages release in Donbas

Ukraines President Poroshenko claimed that there is no progress in hostages release in Donbas within more than two months and a half. He said it at the briefing with Federica Mogherini, the Vice-President of the EU Commission, High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, broadcasted by 112 Ukraine.

I think, that the European diplomacy has to play an important role in terms of hostages release in Donbas. We discussed this issue with Mrs. Vice-President and we see that after an obvious success in December, when 74 Ukrainian hostages were released, and now we do not have any progress again within two months and a half, regardless of exact proposals of Russian side. This regards both hostages, who are illegally kept on the occupied territory and political prisoners, who are kept in Russian prisons, Poroshenko said.

As we reported earlier, Roman Savkov, the soldier of the 92nd brigade, was exchanged for a woman sentenced in Ukraine for the treason and pardoned by the president of Ukraine. She was transferred to the territory uncontrolled by Kyiv on January 21.Kim Jong Un promised not to conduct missile testing before his meeting with Trump

U.S. President Donald Trump wrote on Twitter that North Korean authorities during the negotiations promised not to conduct missile tests.

North Korea has not conducted a Missile Test since November 28, 2017 and has promised not to do so through our meetings. I believe they will honor that commitment!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) 10  2018 .

Earlier, Trump wrote on Twitter about the preparation for the meeting with Kim Jong Un. U.S. President noted that "talked about denuclearization with the South Korean Representatives, not just a freeze. Also, no missile testing by North Korea during this period of time." Kim Jong Un allegedly promised not to conduct missile testing before his meeting with Trump.Yuriy Lutsenko sent the corresponding filing to the Verkhovna Rada

Open source

Prosecutor General Yuriy Lutsenko asked the Verkhovna Rada to allow prosecution, detention and choosing a preventive measure for peoples deputy from Opposition Bloc Party Yevhen Bakulin. This was reported by the speker of the General Prosecutors Office Andriy Lysenko on Facebook.

Yuriy Lutsenko sent the corresponding filing to the Verkhovna Rada.

Prosecutor General Yuriy Lutsenko signed the filing on prosecution, detention and choosing a preventive measure for peoples deputy from Opposition Bloc Party Yevhen Bakulin, Lysenko wrote.

As it was reported earlier, On Feb. 19, a statement of the Prosecutor General was submitted to the Ukrainian Parliament, asking for the Parliaments consent to prosecute, detain, and arrest MP from Opposition Bloc Yevhen Bakulin on suspicion of embezzlement, as Speaker of the Parliament Andriy Parubiy wrote on Facebook.

According to Parubiy, the documents have been handed over to the regulation committee.

As it was reported earlier, on Feb. 2, 2018, Prosecutor General Yuriy Lutsenko informed that he would address the Parliament asking for lifting Bakulins immunity. He noted that Bakulin is an incumbent MP but hasnt been in Ukraine for a while.

Bakulin has been heading Naftogaz Ukraine from March 2010 till March 2014. In March 2014 he was detained on suspicion of embezzlement in case on drill units. Pechersk court released Bakulin for the bail of over 385 thousand dollars.

In its arguments, General Prosecutors Office noted that on December 14, 2015, the drill units were moved from Odesa gas field in the north-west part of Black Sea shelf closer to the temporarily occupied by Russia Crimea.

This is a self-lifting floating drilling rig B312 - "Peter Godovanets" (Design: Keppel FELS Class Design / Triangular; Unit classification: ABS A1, Self-Drilling Unit, CDS), built in 2010 by Keppel Corporation (Singapore) and self-lifting drilling rig B319 - "Ukraine" (Design: In Class Design / Triangular; Unit classification: ABS A1, Self-Drilling Unit, CDS), built in 2012 by Keppel Corporation (Singapore).

Earlier it became known, that Russia had moved two jack-up drilling rigs (B-312 and B-319). State Border Guard Service reported that they illegally moved from Odesa gas field closer to the occupied Crimean peninsula. According to the ministry, in place of where these installations were previously installed, the Russian Federation is intalling Ukrainian oil-producing platform Tavrida, seized in Crimea.

The Russian newspaper Kommersant reported that the Chornomornaftegaz installations were urgently evacuated under a military convoy because of the possible arrest of the towers on the upcoming lawsuit of Naftogaz Ukraine. The so-called head of the occupied Crimea, Sergei Aksenov, said that the drilling rigs were moved to work at the Gordievich field (also outside Russian territorial waters).Peoples deputy Nadiya Savchenko was absent on the session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe. Volodymyr Ariev, Chairman of Ukrainian delegation in Parliament Assembly of Council of Europe, on his Facebook page.

Savchenko was absent on the session. She is not invited on the Monitoring session tomorrow (this committee is held in camera and one cant attend it without an invitation). Akhtem Chiygoz and Oleksandra Romantseva are invited to the Monitoring session on Ukraine issues to discuss Crimean Tatars protection, Ariev said.

Earlier Yury Lutsenko, the Prosecutor General of Ukraine claimed that Savchenko was called for a questioning on March 13 on the case against Volodymyr Ruban. Later, Savchenkos press secretary said that the deputy did not receive an invitation for questioning from the Security Service, that she is in PACE with a working visit.

As we reported Ruban was detained on March 8 at the Ukrainian checkpoint at the demarcation line of Donbas Conflict zone. It is stated that Ruban is suspected in the illegal handling of arms, preparation of a crime and terrorist action. Shevchenkivsky District Court of Kyiv arrested Volodymyr Ruban, the Leader of Center of POW Release 'Officer Corps' for 60 days without a right to the bail. Later, Savchenko said that she is ready to bail Ruban out.According to Prosecutor General of Ukraine, the MP left the territory of Ukraine

Open source

Nadiya Savchenko, the non-affiliated MP of Ukraine was called for a questioning on March 13 on the case against Volodymyr Ruban, the leader of Center of POW Release, however, she left the territory of Ukraine today. Yury Lutsenko, the Prosecutor General of Ukraine claimed this as 112 Ukraine broadcasted.

The SBU filed MP Savchenko the call for the questioning tomorrow. Today at 4:00 am she left the territory of the country to participate in the international conference in which the participation of the particular MPs is supposed, Lutsenko said.

The Prosecutor General urged Savchenko to come to the SBU tomorrow.

I want to appeal to MP Savchenko  if she is really as brave and honest as she talks, she should be in the SBU tomorrow, he added.

As we reported Ruban was detained on March 8 at the Ukrainian checkpoint at the demarcation line of Donbas Conflict zone.

It is stated that Ruban is suspected in the illegal handling of arms, preparation of a crime and terrorist action.

Also, Ruban denies all accusations and claims that the happened is the operation where he acted as the driver.

Later the Shevchenkivsky District Court of Kyiv arrested Volodymyr Ruban, the Leader of Center of POW Release 'Officer Corps' for 60 days without a right to the bail.PLEASE NOTE!

Due to the March 23, 2020 NM DOH Public Health Order, These Event Listings Are Not Accurate!

All non-essential businesses are closed, public gatherings are prohibited!

(One day some of these events will be rescheduled or will resume, but they are not happening now!)The Port of Oakland on Monday released a plan for the next five years, dubbed Growth with care, that envisions more jobs and economic stimulus, as well as 8 percent more containerized cargo volume in Oakland by 2022.



The Port of Oakland on Monday released a plan for the next five years that calls for 8 percent more containerized cargo volume in Oakland by 2022.

The California port, which handled 2.4 million TEU in 2017, expects to be handling 2.6 million TEU in five years.

Annual passenger traffic at the agencys Oakland International Airport should increase 12-20 percent to between 14 million and 15 million passengers.

Both numbers would be all-time highs for Oakland.

The port authority said its Growth with Care plan envisions more jobs and economic stimulus.

We can grow, but we want our neighbors to grow with us, Port of Oakland Executive Director Chris Lytle said in a preamble to the 21-page strategic document. We must conduct ourselves in the public interest for the public good.

The plan envisions cargo growth from two capital projects at the seaport.

The first is a 283,000-square-foot refrigerated distribution center called Cool Port Oakland that opens this summer.

Another 440,000-square-foot distribution center is planned at a nearby Seaport Logistics Complex.

At the airport, Oaklands growth strategy is predicated on more flights  whether domestic or international. Target destinations over the next five years include New York; Boston; Washington, D.C.; Asia; Canada; and South America.

The agencys third business  commercial real estate  will concentrate on maintaining high occupancy rates and supporting residential development planned in the ports Jack London Square neighborhood.

The plan also calls for further reductions in diesel particulate emissions from trucks and ports.

According to port data, truck emissions are down 98 percent since 2009, while vessel emissions have declined 76 percent. The strategic plan commits the port to an overall reduction of 85 percent by 2020.

Despite increased cargo volumes, the port expects to achieve that by having more ships cold iron, or use shore-based electricity rather than relying on their ship engines while at berth. It is also planning a program for near-zero and zero emissions equipment at the port.

Other goals mentioned in the five-year plan include:

 Obtaining a container service that makes Oakland a first port of call;

 Promoting new transload and refrigerated cargo capabilities, with the goal of increasing the discretionary intermodal cargo it handles to 15 percent, growing refrigerated exports by 10 percent and imports by 5 percent, and extending its market efforts to Western grain and Midwest frozen meat exporters;

 Maximizing Oaklands participation in newly permitted rice exports to China;

 Recapturing cargo, especially the Utah and Colorado markets, and continuing to market its services beyond Northern and Central California;

 And exploring bulk and breakbulk cargo opportunities.YEREVAN, MARCH 12, ARMENPRESS. Rescuers have reached the crash site of a Turkish private plane in Iran, FARS reported.

According to rescue officials the remains of the 11 passengers, which included 3 crew members, have been found burnt at the site.

A DNA analysis will be required to identify the victims. The wreckage has been located on an elevation of 400-500 meters above sea level.

The private jet owned by Basaran, a Turkish investment holding, took off from Sharjah and was en route to Istanbul, but disappeared from radar screens during the flight. The plane crashed in the mountains near Shakhre Kord city.

Mina Basaran, the 28 year old daughter of the companys chairman of the board of directors was also aboard.

The executives daughter was returning with seven friends from holidays in the Emirates, and was to get married on March 28.

English translator/editor: Stepan KocharyanYEREVAN, MARCH 12, ARMENPRESS. An unknown assailant carried out a knife attack outside the Iranian Ambassadors residence in Vienna, Austria.

" Iranian residency: unknown knife attacker was shot dead by the Austrian armed forces," the police posted on Twitter.

According to local media reports the attack took place near the Iranian embassy in the Austrian capital. The Standard newspaper reported that the attack was carried out by a 26-year old Austrian national. Police said one soldier sustained a light injury and was sent to a hospital.

English translator/editor: Stepan KocharyanYEREVAN, MARCH 12, ARMENPRESS. Search and rescue teams have discovered the flight recorder of the Turkish private plane which crashed in Iran, IRNA reports.

Turkish government officials and families of the victims will soon arrive in Iran on a special flight.

Rescuers have reached the crash site of a Turkish private plane in Iran.

According to rescue officials the remains of the 11 passengers, which included 3 crew members, have been found burnt at the site.

A DNA analysis will be required to identify the victims. The wreckage has been located on an elevation of 400-500 meters above sea level.

The private jet owned by Basaran, a Turkish investment holding, took off from Sharjah and was en route to Istanbul, but disappeared from radar screens during the flight. The plane crashed in the mountains near Shakhre Kord city.

Mina Basaran, the 28 year old daughter of the companys chairman of the board of directors was also aboard.

The heiress was returning with seven friends from holidays in the Emirates, and was to get married on March 28.

English translator/editor: Stepan KocharyanYEREVAN, MARCH 12, ARMENPRESS. Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Presidential Affairs of the UAE, held a meeting on March 11 with Armen Gevorgyan, Armenia's Chief of Staff of the Presidential Administration, to discuss prospects of enhancing bilateral ties in economic and investment domains, Emirates News Agency reports.

A variety of the latest regional and global issues of mutual concern were also discussed.

The meeting took place at the Presidential Palace.

English translator/editor: Stepan KocharyanYEREVAN, MARCH 12, ARMENPRESS. Azerbaijan has violated its commitments assumed before the OSCE by not informing the organizations participating states about the ongoing military drills in that country, Tigran Balayan  Armenian foreign ministry spokesperson, said on Twitter, reports Armenpress.

Azerbaijan launched military exercises (the most popular event of the countrys presidents re-election campaign) through a flagrant violation of the OSCE commitments without informing the OSCE participating states about it, Balayan tweeted.

According to the decree of Azerbaijani President Ilham Aiyev military drills will be held in the country from March 12 to 17.

English translator/editor: Aneta HarutyunyanYEREVAN, MARCH 12, ARMENPRESS. The opening ceremony of the museum adjunct to the Center for Genocide Studies of Theresienstadt was held in the Czech town of Terezin on March 9 which was attended by Armenias Ambassador to the Czech Republic Tigran Seyranyan, the Armenian foreign ministry told Armenpress.

During the opening ceremony remarks were delivered by the representatives of the Center for Genocide Studies, Terezin Mayor and Armenian Ambassador.

Ambassador Seyranyan highly appreciated the cooperation with the representatives of the Center and attached importance to the Centers great work carried out among the students. In this context, the Ambassador highlighted the role of teaching the subject of Genocide in educational institutions in the prevention of future genocides and fight against denialism.

Tigran Seyranyan thanked current and former lawmakers of the Czech Republic for adopting a resolution condemning the Armenian Genocide on April 25, 2017.

Robin Bohnisch, former MP, who has been awarded with Mkhitar Gosh medal by the President of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan, delivered remarks at the event. He attached importance to the Centers activity. There are few Armenian Genocide survivors. Meanwhile, there is no Armenian in the world whose family has not suffered the consequences of the genocide. Therefore, by keeping todays witnesses and handing over them to the museums, we also prevent the expansion of the evil which also exists in the internet, he said.

Exhibits dedicated to the Holocaust and other crimes, including the Armenian Genocide are displayed at the newly-opened museum. The museums leadership plans to expand and enrich the Armenian collection by the assistance of the Armenian-Genocide Museum-Institute.

English translator/editor: Aneta HarutyunyanYEREVAN, MARCH 12, ARMENPRESS. Armenias minister of transportation, communication and information technologies Vahan Martirosyan held a meeting on March 12 with Kuwaiti businessman Charles Heider and China State Construction Engineering vice president Yu Tao.

The guests said they are namely interested in road construction projects in Armenia which are carried out under public sector-private sector cooperation.

It was noted that China State Construction Engineering is a globally known corporation which has realized over 5600 projects in more than 100 countries. The corporation is dealing with construction of airports, buildings, highways, railways, tunnels and bridges.

The sides discussed possible ways of cooperation.

The minister presented a number of important road construction programs and proposed the company to participate in the construction in the southern part of the country, which is carried out under the public sector-private sector format.

Charles Heider said that the ongoing road construction programs have great potential in Armenia, and said they hope to start their first project in the country as soon as possible.

The parties agreed to organize a meeting between Chinese company experts and the ministry to discuss terms and options of cooperation.

English translator/editor: Stepan KocharyanYEREVAN, MARCH 12, ARMENPRESS. South Koreas foreign minister Kang Kyung-wha will visit the US on March 15-17 to hold talks with Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, Armenpress reports citing the South Korean foreign ministrys website.

In the meeting the two top diplomats will share with each other assessments on the recent, fast-paced developments in the situation on the Korean Peninsula and discuss in depth ways that the ROK and the US can coordinate closely with regard to inter-Korean and US-North Korea dialogue on the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, among others, the statement says.

The two sides will also discuss other matters of mutual concern, including ways to beef up the bilateral alliance as well as recent trade protectionist moves by the US and other economic and trade issues.

During her visit to the US, FM Kang will also meet with key figures of the US Congress and others, asking for ceaseless support and cooperation of the US on matters of mutual concern, including a peaceful resolution of the North Korean nuclear issue.

English translator/editor: Aneta HarutyunyanYEREVAN, MARCH 12, ARMENPRESS. Yerevan-Tehran relations are on the rise. Armenia expects expansion of ties with the Islamic Republic of Iran, Artashes Tumanyan  Armenias Ambassador to Iran, said, Iran Daily reports.

The diplomat said in recent years the two countries have developed satisfactory political, economic and cultural relations. He noted that the development of relations with Iran is among Armenias foreign policy key priorities.

The Ambassador said these ties are stable and cannot be affected by the will of a third country.

The Iranian news agency also recalled the mutual visits of Armenian Prime Minister Karen Karapetyan and Iran's First Vice President Es'haq Jahangiri.

English translator/editor: Aneta HarutyunyanYEREVAN, MARCH 12, ARMENPRESS. The passenger flow in Armenias two airports comprised 338 336 people in January-February 2018 which is an increase of 9.3% compared to the figure of January-February 2017, the General Department of Civil Aviation told Armenpress.

In February 2018 the passenger flow in the two airports comprised 149 159 people, surpassing the figure of February 2017 by 9.5%.

The passenger flow in Yerevans Zvartnots airport comprised 139 218 people in February 2018, which is an increase of 5.4% compared to February 2017.

5.6% increase in passenger flow has been registered in the Zvartnots airport in January-February 2018 compared to the same period of 2017. The cargo transportation in January-February 2018 amounted to 2007 tons of goods.

In February 2018 the passenger flow in Gyumris Shirak airport comprised 9941 people.

In January-February 2018 the passenger flow in the Shirak airport comprised 20.817 people.

Flights-landings in both airports recorded an increase of 13.7% in January-February 2018 compared to January-February 2017.

English translator/editor: Aneta HarutyunyanYEREVAN, MARCH 12, ARMENPRESS. Speaker of the Parliament Ara Babloyan on March 12 received new Ambassador of Poland to Armenia Pawel Cieplak, the Parliament told Armenpress.

The Speaker congratulated the Ambassador on the appointment and wished him new achievements, expressing hope that his activity will contribute to the development of the Armenian-Polish political, economic and humanitarian ties.

Ara Babloyan touched upon his delegations visit to Poland last year and thanked the Polish people and authorities for the warm attitude shown towards the Polish-Armenians for centuries.

Thanks to their loyalty, work and attitude towards Poland Armenians deserved a unique approach. We are proud to see such an attitude towards the Armenian community, and today Armenians are worthy citizens of Poland and are engaged in all spheres, Ara Babloyan said.

The Speaker attached great importance to the development of inter-parliamentary ties highlighting the role of mutual visits and activity of parliamentary friendship groups.

Ara Babloyan also touched upon the Nagorno Karabakh conflict, stating that this conflict can be solved exclusively through peaceful negotiated way under the auspices of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairmanship.

The Polish Ambassador thanked for the reception and said his country is interested in developing and deepening the political, economic and cultural ties with Armenia.

Pawel Cieplak highlighted the steps aimed at deepening not only the economic, but also the cultural ties and presented the programs and activities the Polish embassy is going to organize and participate in the future.

As for the NK conflict, the Polish Ambassador stated: As an EU member state Poland is interested in maintaining balance in its foreign policy.

He also introduced the ratification process of the Armenia-EU agreement in Poland, adding that the ratification deadlines are linked with some procedures. The Ambassador expressed hope that the agreement will be ratified by the end of the year.

English translator/editor: Aneta Harutyunyan



YEREVAN, MARCH 12, ARMENPRESS. Armenian Prime Minister Karen Karapetyan arrived in Lebanon on March 12 on a two-day official visit.

After the official welcoming ceremony in the Beirut airport, the Armenian PM and his delegation departed to the governmental seat of Lebanon, where PM Saad Hariri welcomed his Armenian counterpart.

A one on one meeting of the PMs was followed by an expanded meeting between the delegations.

Speaking about the opportunities for developing bilateral economic relations, the Armenian PM said: Lebanese companies can use our platform to enter wider markets taking into account our membership to the EEU, the free economic zone on the border with Iran and the GSP+ trade regime with the EU. Overall now is a good time to come to Armenia and invest in our country. The PM presented the governments steps for improving the business environment.

PM Karapetyan also proposed exploring the possibilities of establishing joint enterprises in the light industry, jewelry, pharmaceutical and agriculture sectors.

PM Saad Hariri stressed the significance of developing relations with Armenia, and mentioned that Lebanon is also a good place to make investments, namely in the sector of infrastructure.

The PMs discussed the cooperation in the agricultural, IT, tourism and cultural sectors and expressed willingness to work together to expand and deepen partnership.

The Armenian PM also suggested studying the idea of creating an Armenian-Lebanese investment foundation to finance joint projects.

Karapetyan invited his Lebanese counterpart to visit Armenia and said that during the visit an Armenian-Lebanese intergovernmental commission session can be organized.

At the end of the meeting the Armenian PM signed the Gold Book of honorary guests.

English translator/editor: Stepan KocharyanYEREVAN, MARCH 12, ARMENPRESS. The Syrian crisis cannot be settled without dialogue with Russia, French President Emmanuel Macron said at a press conference in India, TASS reports.

Since May last year [Macrons presidential election victory] France has been pursuing its constant and consistent policy in relations with Russia, the French leader said. We are seeking an effective dialogue that would yield particular results, he stressed.

Has the lack of dialogue with Russia over the past years contributed to progress in the Syrian issue? It seems to me that no, Macron said. We have placed our stake on a constant and demanding dialogue.

English translator/editor: Aneta HarutyunyanYEREVAN, MARCH 12, ARMENPRESS. Vic e President of the National Assembly of Armenia Eduard Sharmazanov received on March 12 Deputy Speaker of the Parliament of the Republic of Moldova Vladimir Vityuk and Chairman of the Committee on Foreign Policy and European Integration Violeta Ivanov.

As ARMENPRESS was informed from the press service of the parliament of Armenia, the sides highlighted the development of Armenian-Moldovan inter-parliamentary relations and the activation of mutual visits. Eduard Sharmazanov noted that starting from mid-14th century the Armenian community has had a serious role in Moldova. He appreciated the careful attitude of the Moldovan authorities towards the Armenian community.

During the meeting the interlocutors discussed the priority directions of the foreign policy of the two countries. Armenia is the only EAEU member state that has signed a cooperation agreement with the EU. There is a good chance to serve as a bridge between the EAEU and the EU, the Vice President of the National Assembly of Armenia said.

The sides touched upon the frozen conflicts of the region.

Eduard Sharmazanov noted, Artsakh issue has no military solution. No war solves any issue, and added that they should be settled through mutual concessions based on the tree fundamental international principles. In this context Sharmazanov emphasized the impermissibility of the militaristic rhetoric of Azerbaijan and Turkey.

English translator/editor: Tigran SirekanyanYEREVAN, MARCH 12, ARMENPRESS. The Armenian-Lebanese relations and the relations between the two peoples are deeply rooted in history, ARMENPRESS reports Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri said during the joint press conference e with Armenian Premier Karen Karapetyan. According to him, such historical links are also conditioned by the important role of the Armenians in Lebanon.

For me its a great honor that my father, Rafic Hariri, was the first person to established firm fraternal relations with Armenia in 1991. And we are committed to continue this path for the benefirt and welfare of the two countries and peoples, Hariri said.

The Lebanese PM said during the talks with the Head of the Executive of Armenia they agreed to strengthen and develop relatiuons between Armenia and Lebanon in different spheres, particularly in the banking sector.

We agreed to strengthen and develop relations between Armenia and Lebanon in different spheres and at different levels, specifically in the banking sector, especially as the Lebanese banks are known worldwide and have great potential to finance public and private projects. We are proud of our banking sectors achievements as evidenced by numerous successful projects.

We will see that the intergovernmental commission could meet in the near future following the planned elections in Lebanon.

We shared the view that the long-standing relations between our countries should be tapped: I personally will closely follow the matter. Yes, I admit that while it is nice to have historical relations, but we also need to develop our economic relations. Today, the Prime Minister of Armenia will hold several meetings with private sector representatives in a bid to encourage mutual investments. It stems from the best interests of the two countries. My counterpart suggested an idea that we should explore in detail. It will encourage investments, and we have to implement it in the nearest future.

We also talked about cooperation in the field of technology. In general, there are many prospective areas where Lebanon and Armenia can cooperate.

Relations with Armenia are of special importance to me. God willing, we can develop them in the future through joint efforts, he said.

English translator/editor: Tigran SirekanyanYEREVAN, MARCH 12, ARMENPRESS. The meeting of Armenian and Lebanese Prime Minister, Karen Karapetyan and Saad Hariri took place in a constructive atmosphere of mutual trust, ARMENPRESS reports Karen Karapetyan told the reporters after the meeting.

We stated that in all respects the relations between our two countries are at a very high level. As a matter of fact, we are friendly and close countries. We also noted that our economic relations lag behind the high level of political relations, and there is great potential to tap and develop.

We talked about the opportunities that our two countries enjoy. In particular, we are very much interested in bringing Lebanese business to Armenia. We highlighted Armenias advantages and opportunities. We stated the fact that being a member of the Eurasian Union, having the GSP+ trade regime with the European Union and a free economic zone near the border with Iran, as well as a business-friendly environment, Armenia allows access to larger sales markets.



There are many areas where we can cooperate: light industry, jewelry, pharmaceutics, agriculture, information technology, and tourism. We also agreed that we will continue to negotiate over the establishment of an Armenian-Lebanese investment fund to support our joint initiatives. We also talked about the development of solar and alternative energy.

Highlighting the role of the Armenian community in Lebanon, we noted that the Lebanese Armenians are in fact our ambassadors here and Lebanons ambassadors to Armenia. Being Lebanons devoted citizens, they have a great role to play in the furtherance of friendly ties between our two countries.

Taking the opportunity, I invited Mr. Hariri to visit Armenia. We also agreed to draft an agenda for our intergovernmental commission so that we could hold a commission sitting during Mr. Hariris visit.

We will have several meetings during these two days, and I am convinced that we will give fresh impetus to our economic relations, Karen Karapetyan said.

English translator/editor: Tigran SirekanyanYEREVAN, MARCH 12, ARMENPRESS. The meeting of Prime Minister of Armenia Karen Karapetyan and President of Lebanon Michel Aoun took place on March 12 at the residence of the Lebanese President.

As ARMENPRESS was informed from the press service of the Government of Armenia, the Armenian PM thanked for the warm reception and added that he is glad to be in Lebanon. Just two weeks ago we had the opportunity to exchange ideas in Yerevan over the multilayered relations between Armenia and Lebanon. We highlight the regular high level interactions and dialogue between Armenia and friendly Lebanon. As I noted during our previous meeting, the economic potential of our bilateral relations is rather huge and it should be maximally utilized, Karen Karapetyan said.

The Lebanese President welcomed the visit of the Armenian Premier to Lebanon, expressing conviction that it will foster the further development of the friendly relations between Armenia and Lebanon. President Michel Aoun expressed readiness to support the initiatives of the Executives of the two countries, as well as the implementation of joint projects.

The interlocutors discussed a range of issues related to the expansion of trade and economic relations, referred to the opportunities of Lebanese companies to make use of the privileged trade regimes granted to Armenia, as well as the prospects for fostering cooperation in various spheres.

The Prime Minister of Armenia noted that from in terms of the development of bilateral economic relations its important to combine the advantages of the economies of Armenia and Lebanon, stressing that Armenias economy is on the rise and it will be preserved during the upcoming years.

The Armenian Premier also said that during his visit he discussed with his counterpart the opportunities of establishing an Armenian-Lebanese fund.

The sides highlighted the role of the Lebanese-Armenian community as a ring strengthening the relations between the two states.

English translator/editor: Tigran SirekanyanCYBERSPACEWith AVN Hall of Famer Stormy Daniels set to appear on the iconic CBS News program 60 Minutes next Sunday, Donald Trump has his legal team frantically scrambling to block the interview from airing, according to a report Sunday by the site BuzzFeed News.

Daniels recorded the interview with correspondent Anderson Cooper on Thursday, March 8, according to a tweet posted by Danielss lawyer, which AVN.com noted in a story on Friday. And CNN, on which Cooper also serves as an anchor, itself confirmed that the interview taping occurred.

While the contents of the interview have not been publicly revealed, presumably Daniels will discuss her alleged affair with Trump in 2006 and 2007, the hush money payoff she received to keep her quiet about it just before the 2016 presidential election, and the lawsuit she filed last week to void that hush agreement.

At least thats what Trumps legal team seems to be anticipating. According to Sundays BuzzFeed report, well-placed sources reveal that the Trump lawyers are preparing to file for a legal injunction to prevent [the Daniels interview] from airing.

Why they would attempt to stop the interview if they did not believe Daniels discussed the Trump affair in detail is unclear at best. But according to BuzzFeed, the legal arguments that they plan to use in order to preempt the 60 Minutes airing are also unclear.

Trump and his legal team often have threatened litigation without following through on those threats in the past, BuzzFeed reportedperhaps referring in part to Trumps threat to sue all of the women, now numbering 19, who have accused him of sexual misconduct. Trump made that threat during his presidential campaign in 2016, saying, "The events never happened. Never. All of these liars will be sued after the election is over.

But as of March 11, 414 days into his term in the nations highest office, Trump has not filed lawsuits against any of his accusers. Daniels, it should be noted, has not accused Trump of sexual misconducttheir reported affair was consensual, according to her own account in a 2011 interview that surfaced in January of this year. She claims in her lawsuit, however, that she suffered injury due to the conduct of Trump and his associates.

Attempts to stop publication or broadcast of information, particularly such attempts by the government, are generally considered prior restraint and have been treatedby the United States Supreme Court as "the most serious and the least tolerable infringement on First Amendment rights.

Reportedly, however, Trumps personal attorney and self-described fix-it guy Michael Cohen, obtained a restraining order from an independent arbitrator in late February, which would prevent Daniels from speaking or writing about the alleged Trump affair.

But Daniels filed her lawsuit anyway, a lawsuit in which she explicitly states that had an intimate relationship with Trump starting in the summer of 2006 and extending into 2007. The lawsuit claims that the agreement Daniels signed with Cohen in which she agreed to remain quiet about the affair is not valid, because Trump himself never signed it.

The Anderson Cooper interview with Stormy Daniels is set to air on March 18, according to BuzzFeed reporter Chris Geidner.We've detected that JavaScript is not enabled in your browser.

You must enable JavaScript to use craigslist.Our topic today is the importance of intellectual diversity on campus. I doubt there is anyone here who does not believe in the importance of intellectual diversity on campus, so I would like to approach the topic somewhat indirectly. I will address the topic but ask your forbearance as I give a bit of context for my position.I come to you as a professor-not as a politician, nor as an advocate of my personal political views. I have personal political views, of course, but I believe they should be irrelevant to my professional work as an academic. Indeed, the main thing I would like to convince you of is that there is such a thing as a professional academic and that the crisis we're facing in higher education arises ultimately from a failure to appreciate what it means to be a professional academic.When problems arise in any organization, often they are related to a disagreement about, or a failure to embrace, the purpose and mission of the organization.What is the purpose of higher education? One often hears that the purpose of higher education is the "pursuit of truth." I agree, but I believe the emphasis should be on the word pursuit rather than on the word truth.About many things, it is hard to know when, or even whether, we have hit upon truth; and there can be a danger to focusing on truth, because it is when people believe that they are already in possession of the truth that they can become inclined to stop searching, inquiring, and examining.I propose, therefore, that we reframe our mission by conceiving of the purpose of higher education as two-fold: first, to transmit the central elements of the "great conversation" that has characterized our tradition of learning since at least the time of Socrates; and second, to respect and preserve the millennia-long profession of inquiry that has enabled us to reach the astounding intellectual heights we have achieved.Academia is a profession. Accordingly, academics ought to have a professional identity and a code of ethics that specifies our responsibilities.Academics in fact have a dual professional responsibility. The first is to master our fields and to convey their achievements to each new generation of students. The second responsibility is to the tradition of inquiry itself, stewarding our noble profession.So our obligations are both to substance and to process: what have the greatest in our fields believed, professed, and demonstrated; and what is the method they developed that has proved most successful? It is not that we should not be advocates; it is, rather, the content, and purpose, of what we should advocate. We should advocate using this particular aspect of our cognitive toolkit to understand the world.Let me illustrate by using my own field of philosophy as an example. When and where did philosophy begin? We usually identify the beginnings of Western philosophy and science with the Ionian city-state of Miletus, in the sixth century BC. The hallmark of what those Milesian thinkers did was what we call critical reasoning-that is, formulating, proposing, and examining hypotheses. The method they developed enabled the spectacular growth in human knowledge and understanding we have seen in the last 2,500 years.The first writings that have content that we might call "philosophical" were cosmologies- accounts of how our world came into existence. Before the Milesians, there were creation stories that offered metaphysical and poetical accounts of the "birth" of the universe. For example, the Judaic account in Genesis describes a distinct entity, YHWH, simply willing the world, including human beings, into existence.Such accounts were based on mere assertion and aimed at mere acceptance. They did not invite testing or debate.By contrast, the Milesians proposed hypotheses meant to explain the origin and nature of the universe, but that took the extraordinary step of being open to verification or falsification. Thales first proposed that the universe was made out of water-he thought that the fundamental element of everything that exists was water. But Thales' younger associate Anaximander thought there were problems with this proposal, and so he offered a proposal of his own-apeiron, the "Boundless" or the "Indefinite"-that was meant to correct the problems he saw with Thales' proposal.This illustrates what separates non-philosophical accounts from philosophical-or, we might put it, non-scientific accounts from scientific. The difference is not in the particular things the Milesians believed but in their method.That method included, first and foremost, looking for reasons for beliefs, and accepting logical and empirical verification and falsification as criteria for holding or abandoning beliefs. Second, their method was based on an assumption of logos, or reason, as the ruling principle of the cosmos and also our chief tool in understanding it.The heights to which our knowledge and understanding have reached in the subsequent millennia, which has enabled everything from antibiotics to space travel to the internet, is ultimately owing to this method of open inquiry and rational criticism first employed by these ancient Greek thinkers.How does this relate to our topic of intellectual diversity? As professional academics, we must respect the traditions of this method of learning that have constituted the essence of our profession since its beginnings. We must respect the norms and methods that have allowed us to come to an understanding of the world.But the nature of this method of inquiry implies that we can never rest content that we have the final word. This is true even in the so-called hard sciences, whose history is full of revolutions and fundamental changes in belief.It is also true in the so-called soft sciences-sociology, psychology, and economics-where the more we learn, the more we realize that there is still much more that we do not know. And it is all the more true in things like politics and morality, where not only is it less clear how to even proceed or make progress, but where our biases and tribalisms color everything we do.So I suggest that, in our professional capacity as academics, instead of resting content in the belief that we already know all that there is to know, we should repair to the tradition of inquiry itself. We must draw on and extend its tools as we seek to understand the world and our place in it.Respecting this tradition of inquiry is Job Number One for us professional academics.We deal in thoughts and ideas, in hypotheses and conjectures, in proposals and arguments, in criticism and counter-argument. If a hypothesis or proposal seems false, our professional responsibility is to demonstrate that by the process of falsification that is the core characteristic of our profession.That is the true lesson from our tradition of higher learning. It is what separates it from other activities, and what separates science from pseudoscience, knowledge from opinion, and the professional academic from the sophist.The moment any of us begins to feel the pull of wanting "our side" to win, we are hearing the siren song of sophistry. Here is a litmus test. If we feel an emotional investment in an idea, if we find ourselves growing angry at others who disagree with us, beware: our judgment may be clouded by the hot rush of emotions.It is thrilling to vanquish an intellectual enemy, but that thrill is the result of emotional release, not of dispassionate investigation. Weak and limited as our rational capacities are, our emotional responses are far less reliable indicators of truth.Because politics is so fraught with emotion and tribal loyalties, it is extremely dangerous in the context of higher education. It replaces a loyalty to the process of inquiry with a loyalty to one's tribe. We judge arguments and even people not on their merits, but instead on the extent to which they conform to our prejudices or group identities. It therefore imperils our professional identities as academics if we allow politics to enter into our scholarship.We might have political allegiances in our capacities as citizens, but as academics, our loyalty should be to the process of inquiry alone.That means we should have no academic departments or institutes whose primary purpose is to inform, affect, or advocate public policy. We should take no institutional political stances, and there should be no claims that are not open to debate.Everything we do should be in the service of this high purpose of inquiry-everything from the classes we teach to what we publish. If some of our colleagues want the academy to advocate substantive political positions, we should respond, "No, that's not our job." When our universities are asked to take stances on DACA, on raising the minimum wage, on Donald Trump's presidency, on boycotts and divestments: "No, that's not our job."This is not a matter of academic freedom: there should be no limits placed on what we may investigate, question, or examine. The point is that our work must be in the service of our profession and consistent with the norms of that profession.Whenever a professor moves from dispassionate inquiry to partisan advocacy, that is a betrayal of higher education's mission and a breach of academic professionalism. If higher education is to fulfill its proper mission and serve its proper purpose, all its members must dedicate themselves to embracing their responsibilities not as defenders of a faith, but as professional pursuers of knowledge.Now that it is fully apparent, to all who have the ability to pay some modicum of attention, that Imposter President Biden has extreme cognitive issues, in addition to being an inveterate liar: Can OUR Republic continue with this Executive Office that has completely failed, so many times, on far too many issues here at this early date in this abysmal presidency?

No, Joseph R. Biden is completely unqualified, morally and cognitively, to represent real Americans, and lead this Republic of disparate peoples.

Yes, Joseph R. Biden has started whispering again, even softer now than before; so, I know he still cares, plus, OUR media will soon stop reporting on Afghanistan in favor of OUR Socialist issues.Raleigh mailbox suggests governor's continued tie to solar farm

Tracing the ownership of the land hosting a Nash County solar farm built on a former cow pasture is complicated business.On his Statement of Economic Interest covering 2014, then-Attorney General Roy Cooper, in November of that year, said he ended his ownership interest in Will Clark Properties LLC. The business entity, created in 2012, was leasing land to the solar farm.But public records indicate Will Clark Properties continues to use a U.S. Postal Service mailbox at the Cameron Village station in Raleigh, which in some years also served as Cooper's personal mailbox.Cooper, elected governor in 2016, according to his economic interest filings left his brother Pell as the only known principal of Will Clark Properties. Pell, a District Court judge, lives in Rocky Mount. Carolina Journal has asked Governor Cooper to explain the continued listing of the Raleigh post office box as the official mailing address for Will Clark Properties. He has offered no answer.The mystery surrounding the post office box is one of several oddities surrounding Nash County landholdings of the Cooper brothers. The same mailing address - P.O. Box 12181, Raleigh, NC 27605 - was listed in 2015 with the secretary of state's office as the official address of York Investment Enterprises LLC, a company naming Pell Cooper as the only manager. Another is the Cooper brothers' decision to name a company after Will Clark, a Nash County resident who had grazed cattle on the property before the solar farm was built.On Jan. 4, 2013, Will Clark Properties signed a 20-year lease agreement, renewable for two five-year terms, with Nash 58 Farm, a subsidiary of Chapel Hill-based Strata Solar. Based on industry standards, the lease agreement may be worth more than $1 million to the owners of Will Clark Properties.The solar farm is a 4.9-megawatt facility covering 40 acres. Public records don't indicate that the person Will Clark was, or is, an owner of Will Clark Properties. CJ's multiple attempts to talk with him were unsuccessful.Statements of Economic Interest filed by Roy Cooper declare he was an owner of Will Clark Properties during 2012, 2013, and 2014. He stated he received income from Will Clark Properties but didn't mention the income was from a lease to a solar company.While Roy Cooper says that after November 2014 he was no longer was an owner of Will Clark Properties, the corporate mailing address for the company remains the same one Roy Cooper has listed as his personal address. Pell Cooper has served as a District Court judge since 1999.Patricia Coggin lives across the road from the Cooper solar farm property. She can see the solar panels from her front porch. She told CJ that a man named William Fenner Clark owned cattle that grazed on the Cooper solar farm property before construction began in 2013. Clark also had cattle on his own property nearby.Coggin also told CJ that Strata representatives told her the company would plant vegetation to screen the solar panels from the road. More than four years later, the company has installed a few bushes that provide no screening.she said.Through five different companies, the Cooper brothers together - or individually - own at least 20 parcels in Nash County totaling more than 500 acres. The corporate names include Sunset Executive Building LLC; Will Clark Properties LLC; Sapony Creek Properties LLC; York Investment Enterprises LLC; and Barrel Rider Properties LLC. The Raleigh News & Observer first mentioned the Coopers' Nash County property holdings in a February news report about the Atlantic Coast Pipeline.P.O. Box 12181, at Cameron Village, is slightly less than a mile from Roy Cooper's Raleigh home on Park Drive.Every Will Clark Properties annual report filed with the N.C. Secretary of State lists the Cameron Village box as the principal mailing address for the company. On the same reports, Roy Cooper listed that post office box as his personal address as a manager of the company in 2014 and 2015.Cooper's office acknowledged he had been involved with Will Clark Properties, but it failed to answer several CJ questions involving the solar farm and how Cooper divested his interest in the property and income stream.In December 2014, John Williford, an attorney who has set up other companies for the Cooper brothers, filed papers with the Secretary of State establishing York Investment Enterprises LLC. The annual report for the company filed in April 2015 lists Pell Cooper as the manager, but it also lists PO Box 12181, Raleigh, NC 27605 as the principal office mailing address. Reports filed in 2016 and 2017 list a Rocky Mount post office box as the mailing address.In June 2015, the Cooper brothers and their wives transferred by deed a 75-acre parcel they owned to York Investment Enterprises. No excise tax was reported on the transaction - indicating the owners were also the principals of York Investment Enterprises. Roy Cooper's Statements of Economic Interest don't list York as one of the companies he has an interest in.The Statement of Economic Interest that senior government officials must file contains an affirmation page. On it, the official must affirm his statement is true and acknowledge he is subject to criminal penalties for concealing information or providing false information.The document states:Cooper checked "I agree," and signed each annual statement covering the years 2012 through 2016. In January 2017, he took the oath of office as North Carolina's 45th governor.Read Cooper's Statements of Economic Interest for 2013 2016 , and 2017Considering that ancillary investigations orbiting the Mueller investigation into possible Russia collusion by the Trump campaign (still unfounded), now discovering founded improprieties and probable corruption by many Democrats their sworn bureaucrats, and now stretching back over 9 years: Should a second Independent Prosecutor be appointed to fully discover, indict and convict those corrupt? No, it is a diversion from convicting President Trump. Yes, America needs to return to its lost status as a Nation of Laws, dictated by the Rule of Law. I have not yet received proper direction from late night talk show hosts. 77 total vote(s) What's your Opinion?



What a big week in news, and what a bad week for the core Democrat Resistance Movement, and their representatives in the Democrat Caucuses and in "hallowed halls" of the Fake News.To loath all things Trump, and those that put him in office, has been the foundation of the TDS (Trump Derangement Syndrome) Resistance Movement. The President's economy and foreign affairs successes notwithstanding, there was large news this week that the corruptible DOJ /FBI, which was ruined under the corrupt Obama administration, may get straightened out a bit, with the beneficiaries of their new found virtues being Lying Hillary Clinton, her "charitable" foundation, and many members of the Hussein Obama administration, possibly Hussein himself.Quietly, behind the scenes, a beleaguered AG Sessions found a big backbone. The Rule of Law may return to the DOJ /FBI after all.AG Sessions is also suing California for their government's aversion to being real Americans, and following United States laws and the the U.S. Constitution - Supremacy Clause. It was a good week for patriots, bad week for the Resistance Movement.And speaking of the TDS Resistance Movement, I mention the Movement again in the context of Senate Democrats' huge success in not approving President Trump's appointed nominees for positions within his administration. It has been 413 days, and the Democrat Senators that stand with the TDS Resistance Movement are keeping our government from functioning properly; for instance, the United States does not have a Senate approved ambassador to South Korea at this critical juncture.Now, it is very clear that the Hussein Obama administration did nothing substantive in regards to foreign affairs regarding the Korean Peninsula, but, the great irony of the core of the TDS Resistance Movement is to delay, obstruct, and obfuscate any directive this President seeks to accomplish to rebuild America / protect America, but, rather to the benefit of supporting Hussein's crumbling legacy, and their obvious disgust that known "Deplorables" elected Trump instead of the utterly corrupt L. Hillary Clinton.The general election of 2018 will be most pivotal for moving forward and rebuilding America - "to make it great again" - by the reality that 10 Democrat held senate seats must be defended in states that Donald J. Trump won. If the TDS Resistance Movement is not successful in this election, the senate could swing far more in the direction of Conservatives, and the obvious upside, these appointees to strategic positions in the Trump administration will be approved one the Senate Democrats can no longer threaten filibuster (Senate rules need only 40 senators to effect a filibuster).We shall see how American voters truly feel about the core Democrats concerted plan to delay, obstruct, and obfuscate all issues pertinent to re-building America, saving the Republic.Reaching the end of Trail #5, Nags Head Nature Conservancy (about 2 miles there and back), we see the beginning of this March sunset: Above and below. photos by Stan Deatherage Click image to expand.

With the light limited, the sun perched low behind the thinning clouds, we look north along the rugged beach: Above. The Croatan Sound widens as it courses north, here we look across the sound to the North Carolina mainland and the mouth of the Albemarle Sound: Below. photos by Stan Deatherage Click image to expand.

With the light regaining some strength the sunset takes on a changing hue: Above and below. photos by Stan Deatherage Click image to expand.

Sunsets can be wondrous, with or without the reddening color spectrum of the horizon's influence, and this day was no exception: Above and below. photos by Stan Deatherage Click image to expand.

We, Lynn and I, enjoy walking on the many trails surrounding Moses Cone and this sunset, with Calloway Peak in the background was no exception: Above and below. photos by Stan Deatherage Click image to expand.

Images of places in North Carolina, and in particular Downeast, taken by Stan Deatherage - currently for sale as high quality, framable prints - have been assembled here.

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I have bunches of images from my travels across North Carolina, many that I have never shared. Often, my travel partner (my wife, Lynn, and I ) like to take hikes to rather remote places and we take pictures: me with my Canon DSLR, and she with her fine smartphone camera (the one that makes every near picture look like heightened near reality). We make the hikes, we take the pictures; she leaves her images on her smartphone; I store mine on my hard-drives, and often forget about them. That I must end.To that end, here recently, I have taken a vow to go through all my stored images to either: delete; right, align and crop; then, title and categorize; next, properly store with backups, while considering how I might display some images at a future date on BCN or sell as prints. It is a time consuming process, but, I did travel to the location and took my time to make the images, so, something need to done, especially if I just fit all these new duties around all else I do ... and, I do much. So, let us start ...Recently, my wife and I took a chilly trip to Nags Head, North Carolina, and since the beach was too cold, windy and rough for our visitation, we spent much of our outside time riding slowly to places we like, and taking walks on the sound side of the Outer Banks. Noreaster Quinn had wreaked much havoc north of Nags Head, with over-wash of the Atlantic over the famous Highway 12, while south of the Herbert C. Bonner bridge, Pea Island was completely cut off from the more habitable world to the north and northeast, due to Highway 12 South being completely cut by the sand drenched wash; therefore, we confined our activities from Nag Head to Duck, NC.Recently, we had learned of the Nags Head Nature Conservancy - over 500 acres of high, wooded dunes with much undeveloped Croatan Sound frontage. Here, the operative word is wooded, which would break the wind and provide cover for some decent and very scenic walks. We took those walks, and one evening we captured a lovely sunset over the Croatan Sound.The breeze was much lighter on the sound side of Bodie Island, and the walking, while chilly in the mid forties degrees Fahrenheit, pleasant as day's light was dimming.As we tarry along the Croatan Sound frontage, interestingly, the sinking sun finds its way from behind the clouds in the western sky.As the hue brightens, I take more images from varied vantages to capture the mood before we make our trek to northwestern North Carolina.After we spend some time here in northeastern North Carolina, we find our virtual way to northwestern North Carolina to a most interesting sunset at Moses Cone Memorial Park, near Blowing Rock, NC.Meredith Deatherage Loughlin standing for a pristine world: Above. Click image to expand.

Sustainable Food Project: Above. Click image to expand.

Sustainable Food art exhibit: Above. Click image to expand.

We all want to live in a pristine world with clean air and clear oceans and waterways. We have heard of the many ways we can take personal responsibility toward this effort. I can't imagine that there would be anyone who would want to litter upon this beautiful green and blue planet, however, sadly, there are still those that wish to turn a blind eye to this ongoing problem of waste and pollution.Then there are those that take this practice to heart and work to spread the word to anyone who will listen and in turn will join in the effort to make their small piece of this planet a better place to leave the next generation. If only this effort would catch on and become contagious. Just adopting some of these practices can become a new and rewarding way of life. Meredith Deatherage Loughlin is a new voice here in Beaufort County that has tirelessly worked with conviction to get this message across.In Beaufort County, people became aware of the food insecurity issue that is encompassed by a large population, and the fact that what food is provided to these hungry children is delivered in wasteful packaging and maybe not the most nutritious meal that it could be. Partnered with the Pamlico Arts to create an exhibit of the problem and some solutions, Meredith was able to display a detailed exhibit while making it possible for the Arts council to obtain a grant.The Bright Minds art exhibit is sponsored by the NC GlaxoSmithKline Foundation (Foundation). The Bright Minds project funded by the Foundation is a collaboration of the Arts of the Pamlico and Eagles Wings Food Pantry.The art exhibit seeks to increase awareness and strategies for addressing hunger and food insecurity in Beaufort County where 1 in 4 children are hungry. The exhibit coordinated by Meredith Loughlin features art work that will share the need, illuminate strategies and inspire action. Thought provoking art work by Meredith Loughlin & vibrant acrylics of food by John Groessor will be on display and be for sale during the two week exhibit.The exhibit opens for to the public on February 13 with a reception at 5:30 PM. The exhibit then travel to Pirate Hall in the Old Bath High School in Bath and then onto to Kaye Lee's Corner in Belhaven for until April 8.Some of my work currently on display: Examining the sustainability of our choices in addressing hunger in Beaufort County. On the left are three local newspaper articles about feeding the hungry, and pictured in each article, are these polystyrene food boxes and plastic utensils. The ones on display in the 'collage' were fished out of the trash from the summer feeding the children program. This summer feeding the children program estimated to feed 60,000 meals over the summer; That's 60,000 polystyrene boxes and plastic utensils! And that's just one program. The other programs are year-round. How do these choices add up? I watched box after box (of barely eaten food) tossed into the trash can (along with the utensils). Who makes these decisions? We can do better. The Bright Minds exhibit will be up at The Arts of the Pamlico through the end of the month. It's food for thought... ??Meredith Loughlinmeredithloughlin.com  (252) 947-2553209 Camelia Dr.Washington, NC 27889Today's verdict is a fitting end to a horror story that began to unfold in June 2017, when The HSUS assisted in an extraordinary rescue of 84 Great Danes from a New Hampshire mansion belonging to a wealthy breeder. Photo by Lindsay Hamrick/The HSUS

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In a huge victory in our ongoing fight against commercial breeders who neglect and mistreat the animals in their care, a New Hampshire jury today found a woman who kept 84 Great Danes in filthy conditions inside a New Hampshire mansion guilty on 17 counts of animal cruelty.

This is a fitting end to a horror story that began to unfold in June 2017, when The HSUS assisted in an extraordinary rescue of 84 Great Danes from the custody of Christina Fay. Fay claimed she provided the dogs with outstanding care, but when our Animal Rescue Team entered the building with the Wolfeboro Police Department, which had requested The HSUSs assistance, the contrast between the mansions opulent facade and the conditions inside was shocking. There was an overpowering smell that hit our team members as they walked in, and feces and debris were smeared across all the walls to the point where the windows were opaque. Other dogs in the home appeared to have spent countless hours in cages with no access to water.

In December, a district court convicted and sentenced Fay on 10 counts of animal cruelty, a decision she appealed. The jury that handed down todays decision after a two-week trial at the Carroll County Superior Court in Ossipee, New Hampshire, heard compelling testimony from witnesses, including a veterinarian experienced in investigating animal cruelty cases who testified that conditions within Fays home were the worst she had ever seen.

Many of the dogs were ill and in distress when we found them, and suffered from an array of health problems, including severe eye issues and symptoms associated with communicable illnesses. For The HSUS, which has led the effort to care for the dogs at an emergency animal shelter we constructed especially for them, this has been an expensive undertaking that has cost $1.3 million so far.

On a related track, we have been working with New Hampshire lawmakers to address the enormous financial burden on taxpayers and non-profit organizations in caring for animals legally seized from cruelty investigations. Last week, the state Senate passed a bill that puts the financial burden of caring for rescued animals on the perpetrators of the cruelty involved, rather than on taxpayers.

The bipartisan bill, introduced by Senate Majority Leader Jeb Bradley, R-Wolfeboro, would also reform commercial breeder regulations and strengthen penalties for egregious cruelty. New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu, who announced this summer that hes planning to work with advocates and lawmakers on common sense regulation protecting animals, applauded the passage of the Senate bill and has urged the House to send it to his desk. Animal Cruelty will not be tolerated in New Hampshire, Sununu said, adding that the bill would ensure that the horrendous treatment of the Great Danes from Wolfeboro never happens again.

This week, we also expect the New Hampshire Senate finance committee to vote to approve a $200,000 appropriation in the bill which would fund two new inspectors for the Department of Agriculture to inspect not only commercial dog kennels but all currently licensed entities like animal shelters, rescue organizations, and pet stores. A hearing to determine sentencing for Fay and the custody of the dogs is expected to be scheduled within 30 days.

P.S. In another case brought to light by our HSUS rescue team, we got good news last week from Alabama, where we helped with a rescue of 65 dogs from a suspected breeding operation in 2015. The dogs and puppies were starving, severely underweight, and living in terrible conditions. Last week, a court found defendant Jerome Wesley Hughes guilty on six counts of felony animal cruelty and one misdemeanor.Sergei Skripal was convicted of spying by Russia in 2006.

Russia-made nerve agents, chemical weapons of war, were used to poison a former spy who was living in the United Kingdom, and his daughter. That is the determination of the intelligence agencies of Britain, said Prime Minister Theresa May today from London.

She says an inter-agency investigation found that the mysterious poisoning of Sergei Skripal, 66, and his daughter, Yulia, 33, is being treated as a political assassination by Russia on British soil.

Prime Minister May today said it was an "indiscriminate and reckless act against the United Kingdom."

Russian President Vladimir Putin in public comments last week obliquely seemed to take responsibility, while not addressing the event directly. "Those who serve us with poison will eventually swallow it and poison themselves," Putin said, as news of the ex-spy's poisoning first broke.

BREAKING: British PM May: "The government has concluded that it is highly likely that Russia was responsible" for nerve agent attack on Russian ex-spy. pic.twitter.com/gKjNEvam2u  NBC News (@NBCNews) March 12, 2018

Russia is known for bold and cruel assassinations-by chemical agents of citizens it identifies as traitors to the state. But the audaciousness of this attack, on an elderly man and his adult child in a sleepy small town, was notable.

This is sick. Remember, Kiselev works for Putin. https://t.co/tdCDBABhAz  Michael McFaul (@McFaul) March 11, 2018

On MSNBC as the news broke this afternoon, U.S. Ambassador Michael McFaul said, "This is outrageous, They went to a town and poisond a pensioner in Salisbury, Hundreds of people were poisoned and injured. Demands a response from Nato and EU and I hope the president will understand the negative consequences of not responding, because that makes him look weak in the eyes of Vladimir Putin."

Read what Putin has said about traitors. Whether his views "make sense" or not is an entirely different matter. (& of course, lets wait until the investigation is complete to come to conclusions,) https://t.co/ATxoENghEZ  Michael McFaul (@McFaul) March 11, 2018

LONDON (AP)  UK leader: If Moscow proved to be behind ex-spy's poisoning, Britain will consider it 'unlawful use of force' by Russia.  Zeke Miller (@ZekeJMiller) March 12, 2018

.@megynkelly: Would Putin extradite the 13 Russians charged by Mueller with election meddling? Putin: "Never. Russia does not extradite its citizens to anyone. Just like the United States.  Second, I do not see that they did something illegal."https://t.co/4UaKT0JdwE  Peter Baker (@peterbakernyt) March 12, 2018A good way to scare yourself is by googling "phosphorus shortage." Agriculture requires lots of phosphorus for fertilizer, and after it's spread on crops, most of it gets washed into the ocean, where it is irrecoverable. Without phosphorus, food production will plummet, unless people come up with new ways to grow food.

From the Global And Chinese Phosphate Fertilizer Industry, 2018 Market Research Report:

In 2007, at the current rate of consumption, the supply of phosphorus was estimated to run out in 345 years. However, some scientists thought that a "peak phosphorus" will occur in 30 years and Dana Cordell from Institute for Sustainable Futures said that at "current rates, reserves will be depleted in the next 50 to 100 years."

From The Conversation:

Fertiliser use has quadrupled over the past half century and will continue rising as the population expands. The growing wealth of developing countries allows people to afford more meat which has a "phosphorus footprint" 50 times higher than most vegetables. This, together with the increasing usage of biofuels, is estimated to double the demand for phosphorus fertilisers by 2050. Today phosphorus is also used in pharmaceuticals, personal care products, flame retardants, catalysts for chemical industries, building materials, cleaners, detergents and food preservatives.

From Critical Shots:

The greatest natural reserves of unmined phosphorus exist in [Morocco]

According to the USGS, 42% of all phosphorus imported by the United States between 2012-2015 came from Morocco. China beats them out by a tremendous margin in production, but based on the most recent data Morocco and Western Sahara combined are sitting on 50,000,000,000 metric tons of reserves.

From NPR:

GRANTHAM: We're on a finite planet with finite reserves of phosphorus. And we are mining it and running through the supply. That should make the hair on the back of everybody's neck bristle. SMITH: There are widely ranging estimates for just how close we are to the phosphorus cliff. Maybe we've got 30 years. Maybe we have 300 years. It's hard to estimate. This is Jeremy's take. GRANTHAM: Whether it's 42 years, 62 years or 82 years doesn't really matter. We have to change our way of growing food. DUFFIN: We've known for a while that phosphorus was limited. But the price was cheap, and the problem just seemed so distant, so people were kind of like, meh, we'll deal with that problem later. SMITH: Then 2008 happened  the financial crisis. And along with many commodities, phosphate prices spiked, which  because of its use as a fertilizer  made food prices skyrocket. And now everybody's talking about phosphorus. NARRATOR: Across the developing world in 2008, hungry people rioted as food supplies ran low and the price of phosphate rock spiked by 800 percent. GRANTHAM: I would argue that that was a shot across the bows. That was the first warning to planet Earth that we are beginning to run out.

From MIT:News / National

by Staff reporter

PRESIDENT Mnangagwa and his Botswana counterpart Seretse Khama Ian Khama are keen to have work on the construction of a railway line linking the two countries to Mozambique starting soon.The coming into office of President Mnangagwa in November last year has seen relations between the two neighbours blossoming.In the latter part of former President Robert Mugabe's tenure, Zimbabwe and Botswana did not see eye to eye.In an interview at Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport on Saturday on his return from Botswana where he, together with President Khama and President Edgar Lungu of Zambia, inspected progress of the construction of a rail road bridge in Kasane, President Mnangagwa said: "When I had discussion last time with President Khama, we discussed about the issue. President Khama is very interested in resuscitating the project. We are also very anxious to resuscitate the project so the issue has now been put before the Joint Commission to discuss the way foward but at the principals' level we agreed that we must resuscitate the project."If the project succeeds, it will become one of the most notable infrastructure projects in the region, as it will link more than two Sadc countries.The railway line is expected to link Francistown in Botswana, Bulawayo in Zimbabwe and the Mozambican port of Techobanine to facilitate regional trade.In 2016, Zimbabwe, Botswana and Mozambique signed a Memorandum of Understanding for the project.According to that MoU, each country is expected to provide US$200 million towards the cost of the project, with the rest of the work to be done through public-private partnerships (PPPs).On completion, the railway line will facilitate inter-regional trade through the movement of passenger rail traffic and up to 12 million tonnes of goods per annum through the three countries.Zimbabwe is opening up for business and President Mnangagwa has set about mending political and economic relations in Sadc and beyond.News / National

by Stephen Jakes

Former MDC-T legislator for Bulilima East Norman Mpofu has castigated the police for banning a meeting which was organised by MDC-T Vice President Thokozani Khupe in Bulawayo as unfair and irregular.Police reportedly banned Khupe's meeting on the grounds that there was possibility of an outbreak of another violence.This come in the wake of another violence having broken out at the MDC-T Bulawayo offices during a meeting, which was to be addressed by Khupe and other national leaders."I want to believe the (former Commissioner General Augustine) Chihuri era of partisanship, lawlessness and taking sides in politics is being looked into with the hope of improving performance in terms of law enforcement by the Zimbabwe Republic Police," he said."If indeed is so the nation expect nothing but fairness in handling issues of conflict as is happening within the MDC-T. It will be highly unfair and irregular for the police to stop MDC-T Thoko meeting in Bulawayo on Saturday as already reported on the grounds that there will be violence but allow MDC (Nelson) Chamisa to proceeded with its rallies when it is known that they are the merchants of violence."He said the it will be fair for ZRP to clear both parties to proceed with their meetings or stop all meetings."Silikhangele asifunibumbulu. We demand equal treatment before the law," he said.News / National

by Byo24News Reporter

Zimbabwe Republic Police on Monday jailed an officer over comments he made in 2016 suggesting that out of power former President Robert Mugabe was too old to rule a country.Sergeant Thompson Joseph Mloyie also stands accused of having questioned Mugabe's choice of woman for a marriage.He appeared before one Superintended Makunike being accused of contravening paragraph 35 of the Schedule of the Police Act (Chapter 11:10).Paragraph 35 of the Schedule of the Police Act (Chapter 11:10) prohibits members of the police force from acting in an unbecoming manner prejudicial to discipline or reasonably likely to bring discredit to the Police Service.'Mloyie, who convicted February 28 was sentenced to 10 days in prison.The police internal tribunal heard that sometime in March 2016, Mloyie said: "President Mugabe achembera haachakwanisi kutonga nyika ino. Ndiye arikukonzera (sic) kutambura munyika ino uye akaroora hure Grace Mugabe," which the ZRP translated to mean "President Mugabe is too old and incapable of leading this country and is the cause of the suffering going on in this country and is married to a prostitute, Grace Mugabe."Makunike said Mloyie's conduct discredited the Police Service.Mloyi, who was represented by Jeremiah Bamu and Noble Chinhanu of Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights, was arrested on March 5 2016 and detained at Cranborne Police Station.He was charged with undermining the authority of or insulting the President in contravention of Section 33 (2) (a) of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act Chapter 9:23.News / National

by Staff reporter

A Zimbabwean delegation has arrived in New York for the 62nd Commission on the Status of Women.The conference which has attracted women representatives from United Nations member countries is expected to officially open today.In attendance will be the First Lady Auxillia Mnangagwa, Minister of Women and Youths Affairs Sithembiso Nyoni, Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly Marble Chinomona, legislators that include Mrs Paurina Mupariwa, Minister of State for Manicaland province Monica Mutsvangwa, and NGOs, among others.The 2-week conference is expected to look at the progress made in empowering women and girls who live in rural areas.News / National

by Staf reporter

The Democratic Alliance announced on Monday that it would support land restitution and redistribution."We support efforts to undo the terrible legacy of forced land dispossession, which still reverberates in our society today," DA leader Mmusi Maimane said on Monday.His comments come after the DA faced criticism over the weekend for an SMS sent to members of the public in which it encouraged people to register to vote.The SMS read: "ANC and EFF working together to take all private land and homes. You can only stop this if you're registered correctly to vote! Check now."Maimane addressed the media at Constitution Hill on Monday, accompanied by DA spokesperson on rural development and land reform, Thandeka Mbabama, and her deputy, Ken Robertson."We envision a South Africa in which every person can own property, and that the circumstances of their birth [are] no impediment to them acquiring and accumulating wealth-creating assets."Any suggestion that our firm opposition to expropriation without compensation is equivalent to opposing land reform is simply nonsense."Maimane said DA's approach was that it wanted people to be real homeowners and for their right to build assets and wealth over time, which they could hand down to their children, to be protected."This is the only way to break the cycle of inter-generational poverty that apartheid has left us."Property not only landMaimane added that, over the last two weeks, the national discourse has been dominated by the EFF's motion in Parliament for the amendment of the Constitution, to pave the way for expropriation without compensation."This motion was supported, in amended form, by the ANC. The EFF's model calls for the state to be the custodian of all land, effectively the abolition of private property."While mention of this model was excluded from the final motion, it still includes reference to a 'future land tenure regime', with no further clarity offered by either the ANC or the EFF as to what this might mean."The Constitution also makes it clear that property does not only refer to land, Maimane said."The model pursued by the EFF would strip all property owners of their property  white and black South Africans alike would lose everything. Homeowners would be stripped of their homes, business owners of their businesses, innovators of their intellectual property, and more."Beyond amending the motion, the ANC has to date not said explicitly whether they support this model or not. And if they do not, they have not said what alternative model they will pursue in amending the Constitution."What is clear is that there is now sufficient support in Parliament to substantially erode private property rights in our Constitution."'Every tool to fight amendment of Constitution'He said there are some well-meaning South Africans who are always happy to give the ANC the benefit of the doubt."They believe that land expropriation will be orderly and benign. We do not share this view. We do not believe there is any 'nice' way to seize property."We do not believe that any government should be given this power. And once the government has this power, it will be very difficult ever to take it away."Maimane said some believed that President Cyril Ramaphosa's government would handle the matter responsibly.But, he added that the party would not wait for the ANC to attempt to clarify how it plans for the seizures to happen."The Democratic Alliance stands implacably opposed to any abrogation of existing private property rights. Property rights are the bedrock of development and economic growth. Expropriation without compensation is state-sanctioned theft, which is inimical to economic growth and development."We regard the attempt to amend the Constitution as nothing but a populist effort to scapegoat the Constitution for the failure of the ANC, over 20 years, to reform land ownership. Every expert agrees with this view."He said, even former president Kgalema Motlanthe's high-level panel report underscores the point that the Constitution is not an impediment to land reform. Neither is the requirement for compensation."We reject the hate-filled racist undertones employed by the EFF and the ANC in this debate, which seeks to divide the country according to race for narrow political ends, and which seeks to delegitimise those who disagree."The DA said it would use every tool that was available to fight the amendment of the Constitution.He admitted that the party met with King Goodwill Zwelithini to discuss the Ingonyama Trust and said Zwelithini agreed that he wanted people in rural areas to have title deeds.News / National

by Byo24News Reporter

Minister of Labour and Social Welfare, Petronella Kagonye says the Zimbabwean government is working hard to rehabilitate eight children who were deported from South Africa.She said the eight children who were repatriated from South Africa on March 6, following an ill-fated court application seeking an order to bar South African authorities from deporting them, are traumatized."It was clear that they (children) went through a traumatic experience," Kaginye said.The eight children whose ages range from three to fourteen were found in transit and without requisite identity documents, in November 2017."The Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare has been actively working in ensuring that their psycho-social well being is restored," Kagonye said in a statement.She said in ensuring that the children are well taken care of, "officers profiled each child with individual care plans being drawn."These children will soon be re-united with their family and relatives following our standing procedures."Minister Kagonye said it is clear that these children are victims of organized syndicates between parents and illegal cross border transport operators."Clearly, this is a coordinated syndicate facilitating the smuggling of children and in this case these arrangements were made by the parents of the children resident in South Africa. We also learnt that they were in constant contact with the Malaicha's during the ill fated journey from Zimbabwe to South Africa.It is alleged that a Malaicha who stays in Chitungwiza allegedly facilitated this smuggling of the children in a haulage truck which also had adults.Kagonye thanked South Africa's Department of Social Development for taking care of the children at Reamogetswe Child and Youth Care Centre in Rustensburg adding that the Zimbabwean government continues to render necessary and appropriate support to the children.A Mi'kmaw lawyer and educator is calling for research into creating a system of justice that incorporates the ancient laws of the tribes of the Maritimes and Maine, an area known as Wabanaki.

Tuma Young teaches Indigenous studies at Cape Breton University and is a PhD candidate in law at the University of Arizona.

He told CBC's Information Morning Cape Breton that many Indigenous people were upset at the not guilty verdict in the recent second-degree murder trial of a man accused of killing Colten Boushie, a young Indigenous man from Saskatchewan.

Young said 40 years of research, inquiries and reports have come to the conclusion that some parts of the justice system do not work for Indigenous people.

"They don't really incorporate Indigenous laws or Mi'kmaq laws into the whole fabric," he said.

Young said with the prime minister and the justice minister both promising legal reforms in the wake of the Boushie case, now is the time to talk about creating an entirely new system of justice.

He has proposed to set something up called the Wabanaki Institute of Laws, which would look at the laws of the Wabanaki people, such as the Mi'kmaq, Maliseet, the Passamaquoddy and the Penobscot.

'Weave them as one'

Young used the metaphor of a sweetgrass braid to illustrate how he sees an Indigenous-centred legal system working.

One strand would be Canadian law, another strand would be international law and the third strand would be the ancient laws encoded in the songs and stories of Indigenous peoples.

"And we weave them as one strand into the administration of justice or the structure of justice in Canada as we know it," said Young.

Wabanaki laws are embedded in language, history

The institute would conduct research into where the old laws are "located," said Young.

"Often, that's one of the most difficult points for non-Indigenous people, non-Wabanaki people, to say, 'Well, what are your laws and where are they located? Are they in a statute form or in a code somewhere?'

Story continues

"Well, they're in a form, but they're embedded in the language, the stories, the ceremonies and the history."

Young rejected the notion that a separate system of justice for Indigenous people would create a two-tiered legal system in Canada.

He pointed to the military having its own judicial system, as well as professional boards that deal with complaints against people in those professions, such as doctors and lawyers.

Young has already made presentations to interested parties, including the Nova Scotia Barristers' Society.

He said the next steps for setting up an institute would include finding funding and establishing a location for it, although he'd like to see it housed at Cape Breton University.SANTIAGO (Reuters) - Conservative billionaire Sebastian Pinera was sworn in as Chile's president on Sunday, returning to the job after four years of center-left rule with promises to revive investments in the world's top copper producer. Pinera, who governed Chile in 2010-2014, accepted the presidential sash from outgoing socialist president Michelle Bachelet in a ceremony in the Pacific port city of Valparaiso. Pinera was elected in December with a strong mandate, marking a new rightward shift in South America after conservative leaders rose to power in Peru, Brazil and Argentina. His second term begins as prices for copper exports are rising, bolstering government revenues and driving growth in Chile's $250 billion economy. But he will face a divided Congress and a prickly leftist coalition that has vowed to fight his plans to lower taxes and "refine" Bachelet's progressive policies. Presidents from across the region attended Pinera's swearing-in ceremony, including Brazil's Michel Temer, Mexico's Enrique Pena Nieto, Bolivia's Evo Morales and Argentina's Mauricio Macri. The 68-year old Pinera and his wife waved at supporters as they passed through streets packed with cheering Chileans waving the national flag. Pinera is scheduled to deliver a speech later on Sunday. (Reporting by Antonio de la Jara and Fabian Cambero, Writing by Mitra Taj, Editing by Rosalba O'Brien)Two canine heroes, Kanak and Bouffon, were honoured by a Quebec veterinarian association for their service, Sunday.

Kanak, a three-year-old Labrador Retriever, is Quebec's very first police service dog, providing emotional support for victims of crimes through the Sherbrooke, Que., police department.

Bouffon, a two-year-old Labrador-Mountain Bernese mix, is a service dog who saved his owner from a fire last Thanksgiving.

The two were inducted into the Hall of Fame by the Quebec small animal veterinarian association in Laval.

Kanak has been working with the Sherbrooke police for two years, specializing in comforting minors who have suffered violence or abuse.

His handler, Sergeant Melanie Bedard, says Kanak's work is not only reassuring and calming to victims, but can also help investigations.

"He brings comfort. He helps children ease up when they have to meet with us," said Bedard. "He's there to be the friend that they need. And he won't judge. He won't criticize. He's there to be petted."

She recalls one instance when a 10-year-old sexual assault victim felt he was able to speak out against his attacker after spending time with Kanak.

"He pet the dog for half an hour, was able to manage his emotions and then tell the story. And the investigator is really convinced that he got more detail because the dog was there present," she said.

Kanak has also received two provincial awards and inspired other forces like the provincial police to use dogs of their own.

While Kanak was being honoured for his professionalism, support dog Bouffon's act of heroism last Thanksgiving was also in the spotlight.

On October 9, a fire broke out at the home of Jacques Millette.

Millette, who is deaf and uses a wheelchair, fell out of his chair trying to put out an accidental fire in his basement.

That's when Bouffon came to the rescue  helping the man drag his way to the elevator and out of danger.

"If it had not been for Bouffon, Mr. Millette would not be here with us today," said Jean Gauvin, president of the veterinarian's association.By Steve Holland and Christine Kim WASHINGTON/SEOUL (Reuters) - The White House said on Monday it fully expects an unprecedented meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un to take place, if North Korea sticks to its promises, even though Pyongyang has yet to comment publicly on the possibility of a summit. A South Korean delegation that visited North Korea last week said North Korean leader Kim Jong Un expressed a wish to meet Trump and South Korea's president to discuss denuclearisation. North Korean media has reported the South Korean visit, but no details of the talks. Asked if the North Korean silence meant there was a chance the meeting between Trump and Kim would not take place, White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders said: We fully expect that it will. The offer was made and weve accepted. North Korea made several promises and we hope that they would stick to those promises and if so the meeting will go on as planned. We are continuing to prepare on a number of levels," she told a regular briefing.Earlier, South Korea said North Korea's silence on summits with both the United States and South Korea was probably due to caution in preparing for the meetings, while U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said Washington expected to hear directly from Pyongyang. "We have not seen nor received an official response from the North Korean regime regarding the North Korea-U.S. summit," said Baik Tae-hyun, spokesman for South Korea's Unification ministry. "I feel they're approaching this matter with caution and they need time to organise their stance." Tillerson said several steps would be necessary to agree the location and scope of the talks. "It's very early stages. We've not heard anything directly back from North Korea but we expect to hear something directly from them," he said during a visit to Nigeria. Tillerson, who has cut short his first trip to Africa as secretary of state to return to Washington on Tuesday, a day ahead of schedule, did not elaborate. In an unexpected move last week, Trump agreed to hold a first-ever meeting with Kim, which South Korea said would take place by the end of May after a North-South summit in April. News of possible talks has been a dramatic turnaround from fears of war over North Korea's development of nuclear-tipped missiles capable of hitting the United States. Trump made the announcement after the head of a South Korean delegation that met Kim last week said the North Korean leader had committed to denuclearisation and pledged to refrain from nuclear and missile tests. Asked in a Fox News interview due to air on Monday evening whether there was a real possibility of North Korea denuclearizing, U.S. Vice President Mike Pence said: "We'll see, as the president often says." But Pence called Kim's offers to cease missile and nuclear testing while not objecting to U.S.-South Korean military exercises "a remarkable step forward" and a result of Trump's tough approach. "He's marshalled unprecedented economic and diplomatic pressure on the regime in North Korea and this breakthrough - and we hope it is a breakthrough - is a result of the strong leadership the president has provided on the world stage," Pence said. Kim and South Korean president Moon Jae-in will meet at the truce village of Panmunjom straddling the Korean border, but a venue for the North Korea-U.S. summit has yet to be decided. CHINA URGES PATIENCE U.S. national security adviser H.R. McMaster briefed U.N. Security Council envoys in New York on Monday. "We all agreed that we're optimistic about this opportunity but we're determined, were determined to keep up the campaign of maximum pressure until we see words matched with deeds and a real progress toward denuclearization," McMaster said. South Korean U.N. Ambassador Cho Tae-yul, who also attended the McMaster briefing, described the plans for talks with North Korea as a once in a lifetime opportunity. The South Korean officials who met Kim travelled to Washington last week to relay his message and visited China on Monday to brief President Xi Jinping, who urged patience. South Korea's National Security Office chief, Chung Eui-yong, who led the delegation to Pyongyang, will head to Russia on Tuesday, while spy agency chief Suh Hoon met Japan's foreign minister in Tokyo, where he is to speak with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Tuesday. In Beijing on Monday, Xi told Chung there was an important opportunity for talks. "At the same time, all sides must exercise patience and be attentive, and show political wisdom, to appropriately face and dispel any problems and interference to resuming the talks process," state media cited Xi as saying. Xi said China looked forward to smooth talks between the two Koreas and between the United States and North Korea and substantive progress in the denuclearisation process and normalisation of ties. Tensions eased as the Koreas held talks against the backdrop of the Winter Olympics in South Korea last month but Japan has expressed scepticism and warned that "talks for the sake of talks" would be unacceptable. Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Kono said after talks with Suh Hoon that Tokyo and Seoul agreed that maximum pressure must be maintained on North Korea until it takes concrete action to address concerns about its weapons programmes. Kono declined to say what that action should be, but South Korea's presidential Blue House quoted him as saying that the breakthrough on talks with North Korea was a near "miracle". In Geneva, the U.N. investigator on North Korea told the world body's Human Rights Council that any progress in the nuclear and security dialogue must be accompanied by talks on human rights violations, including political prison camps. "Let me urge the DPRK to consolidate this rapprochement with a parallel opening to human rights review," said Tomas Ojea Quintana, referring to North Korea by its official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. North Korea's state media has lauded the thaw in relations with South Korea. It has continued to warn the United States and Japan against war-mongering but its rhetoric has been tame compared with threats exchanged at the height of tensions last year. (Reporting by Christine Kim; Additional reporting by Michael Martina, Ben Blanchard and Lusha Zhang in BEIJING, Paul Cersten in ABUJA, Michelle Nichols in NEW YORK and David Brunnstrom and Eric Beech in WASHINGTON; Editing by Robert Birsel and James Dalgleish)Hundreds of people turned out Sunday as the University of Toronto's Indigenous Studies Student Union hosted their second annual powwow.

Student union representative Ziigwen Mixemong said the powwow is a coming together of many different First Nations to celebrate being Indigenous.

"It's been absolutely amazing. It's about love and respect and going forth with kindness, having fun and coming and doing that in a good way," she told CBC Toronto.

The U of T has been on a quest to reverse the trend where people who wanted to hit the powwow trail were forced to go outside of the city.

Jennifer Sylvester, who is working with the U of T to revive powwows here in the city, said on Metro Morning, that a lot of people are still unaware of the Indigenous presence in the city and this must change.

"It's a matter of building those relationships between the non-Indigenous and Indigenous community, to sort of say, 'Hey, this is who we are. This is what our community is,'" Sylvester said.

"A lot of people, especially on the U of T campus, did not understand that there was an Indigenous presence on campus or even on campuses in general across the GTA."

Powwow celebrations showcase Indigenous music, dances, dance apparel, food and crafts and are commonly hosted by First Nations communities.

Sylvester said she has been participating in powwow celebrations for as long as she can remember.

"For me, it's just being surrounded by family. Even though we may not be family by blood, there is just something about the communal effect of being with your fellow Indigenous people," she explained.

"You see all the dancers in their regalia, you see all the multi-colours, you see all the laughter, the smiling faces, and it's just a community."Did Vikings visit New Brunswick's Miramichi and Chaleur Bay areas? According to the research done by Birgitta Wallace, senior archaeologist emerita with Parks Canada, they did.

"I'm really convinced that the Vikings did visit that area. Not all my colleagues would agree with me," said the woman who's been studying Vikings for 50 years.

While she is certain the Vikings did spend time in Miramichi and Chaleur Bay, she says she is not hopeful of ever finding anything to prove it.

Wallace said she determined that the second location that Vikings visited in North America, known as "Hop," meaning "tidal lagoon," was in the Miramichi and Chaleur region after she studied the Vikings sagas. She also drew on her extensive work at L'Anse aux Meadows, located on the very northern tip of Newfoundland.

Sagas tell Viking history

The sagas are contained in medieval documentation from Iceland that goes back to the oral history of the Vikings. They were not written down until 300 years after the actual events occurred, so Wallace said the oral telling of the stories may have changed a bit over time.

"There are two separate manuscripts...that talk about voyages to what must be North America because it's land west and south of Greenland."

Wallace said while Vikings settled on Iceland and then Greenland, they continued exploring  either by accident or intentionally - to new lands.

"These were people who just settled in Greenland in 985. They were immigrating there from Iceland."

Wallace said when voyages began between Norway or Iceland and Greenland, it was inevitable that someone would get blown off course. She believes this is how they found North America.

Two versions

The archaeologist said there are two versions of the story. One talks about Leif Erikson retracing the watery path of one of these off-course trips, but it only talks about one settlement where he built a base camp and made four expeditions.

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The other story features a different person and combines all the expeditions into one that go between two areas: "Hop," meaning "tidal lagoon," a summer camp and a settlement further north described as being in fjord.

"After working a lot with the L'Anse Meadows and what we found there, it's really clear that L'Anse Meadows is base camp...it fits with everything," said Wallace. "And from that camp... we know they went farther south and we know they must have gone as far south as eastern New Brunswick."

Wallace believes those explorations were done through the Gulf of St. Lawrence, which would have led the Vikings to find the Miramichi and Chaleur regions.

Wallace based her conclusions on the finding of pieces of wood, butternuts and butternut wood at the L'Anse Meadows camp.

"And butternuts have never grown north of northeastern New Brunswick. They are not native to either P.E.I. or Nova Scotia, so New Brunswick is the closest location."

Description fits

Wallace said the descriptions in the sagas match that part of N.B. well.

"It talks about sandbars outside the coast, rivers and wonderful hardwoods and not the least, wild grapes. And it so happens that butternuts grow in pretty much the same location as grapes and ripen at the same time," she said.

"So, whoever picked those nuts would have seen those grapes."

Wallace said the area would have been considered of great importance because it was called Vinland in the saga, which means wine land.

"Vinland wasn't one particular spot, it was a land like Iceland and Greenland, a country or region."

The archaeologist says she believes about 40 men would spend three months exploring the region, sleeping in structures built with turf with no permanent roofs, just a canvas-like material.

"And to find anything like that after 1,000 years, people that were very anxious I'm sure to take all their tools and belongings with them back, it's not very likely that we can ever find particular, physical evidence like we do have in L'Anse Meadows."

Encounters with Indigenous inhabitants

But Wallace points out another strong indication the Vikings visited the area is found in the strong similarities of the descriptions in Leif Erikson's saga and Jacques Cartier's journal.

"It is exactly the same type of description."

Her belief is strengthened by the saga's description of the Vikings encounters with most of the Indigenous inhabitants at "Hop."

"That would fit this area very well," she said. "It would be the ancestors of Mi'kmaq and you have Red Bank, Metepenagiag which has been inhabited for 3,000 years or more."

Wallace is finding the sudden interest in this part of the story of the Vikings' expedition humorous considering she's been researching and writing about it for several years. She thinks an article she recently had published is the reason.

"Somehow, it grabbed people's attention," she said with a laugh. "The interest in Vikings is astounding to me."Yusuf Ahmed's problems at airport check-in counters began when he was about five years old.

On their way to boarding a plane, Yusuf, his parents and two younger brothers would often be pulled aside and questioned while impatient travellers threw them suspicious looks.

"We'd be flagged and it seemed like we'd have to wait at counters for hours," said Ahmed, who was born in Canada to a father from Saskatchewan and a mother born in Pakistan. "It's something I've grown up with and I've had to deal with for a long time."

In one incident, an airport employee asked if he could state where his library was located. At the time, Ahmed was in a stroller.

Now a 20-year-old medical services student at Western University, Ahmed has spent the last two years joining a push for the Canadian government to fix problems that have made its no-fly list notorious for falsely flagging innocent travellers as security risks.

In its Feb. 27 budget, the federal government acknowledged there was a problem and earmarked $81-million to establish a new passenger screening program. Another $14-million will be spent to set up a redress system to help affectec travellers.

The change came in response to the lobbying efforts of a group called No Fly Kids. The group was formed by parents frustrated by repeated airport delays.

In 2015, Sulemann Ahmed of Markham (no relation to Yusuf) tweeted a photo asking "Why is our (Canadian born) 6 year old on [the] no fly list?"

After that, other families came forward, sharing their stories about infants and toddlers on the list.

Ahmed said one issue is that names appear to be the only identifiers used, making it difficult for airport security to distinguish real threats from the false positives with identical names.

"It's not only an inconvenience for those who travel," said Ahmed. "It's also a breach of security because what if you're not stopping the people that need to be stopped?"

Story continues

Last fall, Yusuf Ahmed and other members of the No Fly Kids group went to Parliament Hill to press the issue. They held a news conference and met with the prime minister. Rayyan Kamal, another a third-year Western student whose family has been affected, joined the lobbying effort.

Now that money is coming to fix the problem, Ahmed is hopeful the airport delays will be a thing of the past.

He understands, however, the changes will take time.

"[A fix is] still a couple of years away," he said. "These things don't happen overnight. We're just going to keep pushing. We've passed the biggest hurdle and that's getting it into the budget."

Click hear to listen to Yusuf's interview on London MorningNothing in the present Charter shall impair the inherent right of individual or collective self-defence if an armed attack occurs against a Member of the United Nations, until the Security Council has taken measures necessary to maintain international peace and security. [my emphasis]

All we have from the Court is a description of the harm the wall is causing and a discussion of various provisions of international humanitarian law and human rights instruments followed by the conclusion that this law has been violated.



Lacking is an examination of the facts that might show why the alleged defences of military exigencies, national security or public order are not applicable to the wall as a whole or to the individual segments of its route. The Court says that it is not convinced but it fails to demonstrate why it is not convinced, and that is why these conclusions are not convincing.

Im indebted to Allen Hertz for many of the thoughts in this post.

Updates throughout the day at http://calevbenyefuneh.blog spot.com. If you enjoy "Love of the Land", please be a subscriber. Just put your email address in the "Subscribe" box on the upper right-hand corner of the page.Twitter updates at LoveoftheLand as well as our Love of the Land page at Facebook which has additional pieces of interest besides that which is posted on the blog. Also check-out This Ongoing War by Frimet and Arnold Roth. An excellent blog, very important work.

.

..Abu Yehuda..12 March '18..When I was in elementary school, I was disciplined for hitting another pupil after he hit me. That I remember the details of the incident clearly 60-odd years later is an indication of how strongly I perceived the injustice of it. I believed my action was justified as necessary self-defense to stop an unprovoked attack. The school principal disagreed.One of the most strongly felt principles in Western morality and jurisprudence is the right of self-defense. It is permissible in most places to kill an attacker when a person feels that his own life or that of a family member is threatened. A person is not required to allow himself to be harmed or killed, even if the action he is forced to take to protect himself would be otherwise immoral or illegal.There are strong arguments that even convicts have a constitutional right to employ violence in self-defense in the pervasively violent environment of American prisons. Prisons are inherently violent and dangerous, and the authorities are not able to protect the prisoners rights given budgetary and other constraints. But incarceration does not include a requirement to commit suicide, which in many cases is what failing to defend oneself in prison means.There is the well-known Talmudic dictum, If a man comes to kill you, rise up and kill him first (Sanhedrin 72:1). And even Islamic recognizes a right of self-defense (although a non-Muslim may not be able to exercise it against a Muslim for other reasons).The right of self-defense is also recognized internationally between states. The UN Charter (Ch. I, Art. 2.4) says that members shall refrain in their international relations from the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any state, or in any other manner inconsistent with the Purposes of the United Nations. But the last article (51) of Chapter VII, which defines how the UN itself may use force to stop aggression, includes this exception:The International Court of Justice (ICJ), in its 1996 Advisory Opinion on the Legality of the Use or Threat of Nuclear Weapons , took note of the fundamental right of every State to survival, and thus its right to resort to self-defence, in accordance with Article 51 of the Charter, when its survival is at stake. The Court argued that in such a case, as long as they are used in concurrence with international humanitarian law (in particular, the principles of necessity and proportionality ), even nuclear weapons could not be ruled illegal!The right of individual self-defense derives from the most basic of human rights, the right to life. And as the UN Charter and ICJ opinion quoted above indicate, international law recognizes also aright to life.I believe that the Middle East, like an American prison, is an inherently violent and dangerous place, and that all states  even one unwelcome to its neighbors  have the right to defend themselves when attacked, using whatever means are necessary to do so. Even, when there is no other option, nuclear weapons.A lot is packed into the words when attacked. For example, in 1973, Israels enemies crossed cease-fire lines and attacked Israeli positions, acts that unambiguously constituted an attack. In 1967 , Egypt expelled UN peacekeepers from the Sinai, massed armored divisions on the Suez Canal, announced that they would annihilate the Jewish state and slaughter us (here is a recording of Radio Cairo threatening genocide in Hebrew), and closed the Strait of Tiran, which in itself was an act of war. Technically Israel fired the first shot on June 5, but from a practical and legal standpoint, Egypt and Syria were the aggressors.The situation today is not as clear. Iran, operating through proxies, has built an offensive capability in southern Lebanon over the past decade, and now is doing the same in Syria. It has threatened us with genocide and financed terrorists of all stripes. But its buildup has been gradual and it has not yet taken actions equivalent to the expulsion of the UN peacekeepers from the Sinai or the blockade of the Strait of Tiran. At some point the line will be crossed, and Israel will need to take military action Unfortunately, the attitude of the international community  as expressed in UN resolutions, NGO reports, media content, and institutions like the ICJ  does not grant to Israel the same right of self-defense that every other nation is given.Even when Israel has been attacked, as by the massive flood of Hezbollah rockets in 2006, or the rocket barrages from Gaza in 2008, 2012 or 2014, the Islamic-European-NGO-media axis has defined Israel as the aggressor and even accused her of war crimes for her responses. These accusations, based on cooked numbers and reports coming directly from Hamas, Hezbollah, or other severely biased anti-Israel sources, were even echoed by US President Obama , Secretary of State John Kerry and other administration officials.Israels efforts to reduce collateral damage in these campaigns were unprecedented , and the resultant protection of civilian life and property was far better than the US and its NATO partners have been able to achieve in various recent conflicts. But the war crimes accusations against us stuck nevertheless.The ICJ, whose very careful and comprehensive opinion on the use of nuclear weapons was quoted above, also produced one in 2004 on the subject of Israels security barrier . In this highly politicized opinion, The Court reiterated all of the usual Arab and European talking points, calling the barrier illegal and declaring that Israel must dismantle it, pay compensation to all those injured by it, and so forth (fortunately, the Court does not have the power to force Israel to follow its advice).Israel argued that the existence of the barrier and its location were intended to protect her population from armed attacks. But the Court simply rejected this without any investigation of the facts or attempt to rebut Israels claims of military necessity. It misinterpreted Article 51 of the UN Charter, saying that since Israel controlled the territories, she did not have a right to protect herself from armed attacks from them. And there were other significant deficiencies. Here is a small part of the criticism leveled against the decision by the one dissenting justice, Thomas Buergenthal (the only American on the Court):The shoddy, negligent reasoning and extreme political bias of this document  compare it to the nuclear weapons opinion discussed above  is a striking testament to the obsessive treatment of Israel as a pariah state, denied the most basic right of any nation or person, a right that arguably must even be provided to prison inmates: the right of self-defense, and thereby of survival.If a Palestinian state is established, it will be armed to the teeth. Within it, there will be bases of the most extreme terrorist forces, equipped with anti-tank and anti-aircraft shoulder-launched rockets, which will endanger not only random passers-by, but every airplane and helicopter taking off in the skies of Israel and every vehicle traveling along the major traffic routes in the coastal plain

Israel, small and exposed, will neither be able to exist nor prosper if its urban centers [and] its vulnerable airportare shelledthis is the terrible danger involved in the establishment of a third independent sovereign state between us and the Jordan River.

Updates throughout the day at http://calevbenyefuneh.blog spot.com. If you enjoy "Love of the Land", please be a subscriber. Just put your email address in the "Subscribe" box on the upper right-hand corner of the page.Twitter updates at LoveoftheLand as well as our Love of the Land page at Facebook which has additional pieces of interest besides that which is posted on the blog. Also check-out This Ongoing War by Frimet and Arnold Roth. An excellent blog, very important work.

.

..MiDA..11 March '18..The above warning was issued by none other than Nobel laureate, the late Shimon Peres, in his book Tomorrow is Now (pp. 232, 255.)After all, Palestinian statehood and a secure Israel are mutually exclusive goals. Indeed, this was always the accepted wisdom in Israel  until the discourse was hijacked by the tyrannical diktats of politically correct dogma.The above dour caveat was echoed by Israel Prize laureate, Prof. Amnon Rubinstein, who also served as Education Minister on behalf of the far-Left Meretz faction: The Pitfall of a Third State,, Aug. 8, 1976.These two citations convey, with chilling accuracy, the grave perils to which Israel would be exposed if an Arab state were ever established on the commanding hills overlooking the countrys coastal megalopolis, where about 80% of the countrys civilian population and commercial activity are located.These dangers are dramatically illustrated by the following series of photographs, shot from locations inside the territory designated for any future Arab state.Share this: Twitter

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Bogota, March 12, 2018The Committee to Protect Journalists today expressed its concern about reports that Chilean police spied on reporters as part of an intelligence operation in the southern La Araucania region.

The independent Santiago-based Center for Investigative Journalism (CIPER) on March 7 reported that Chilean police intercepted calls, as well as WhatsApp and Telegram messages, between five journalists and their sources during the operation, which lasted from September 25, 2017 to January 20, 2018, and allegedly targeted leaders of the Mapuches, an indigenous group in the region.

CIPERs investigation showed that Chiles national police, the Carabineros, did not have judicial orders required by law to tap the journalists phones.

Spying on reporters is a violation of the fundamental assumption that journalists will be able to protect their sources while reporting on issues of public interest, said Natalie Southwick, CPJs Central and South America research associate. This is a step backwards for a country that has made notable progress on press freedom since its return to democracy. We call on authorities to stop spying on journalists and ensure this is not a widespread practice among Chilean intelligence and law-enforcement services.

The Carabineros communications office did not return CPJs phone calls requesting comment.

This was totally illegal, and the practice of the government spying on journalists had largely disappeared in Chile since dictator Augusto Pinochet stepped down in 1990, CIPER Executive Director Monica Gonzalez told CPJ. She said what CIPER has so far discovered about spying on journalists could be just the tip of the iceberg.

Gonzalez said that the five journalists who were monitored work for the radio station Radio Bio Bio and the daily La Segunda, and the Mapuche community-focused news websites El Ciudadano, Werken, and Mapuexpress.Share this: Twitter

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New York, March 12, 2018 The Committee to Protect Journalists today welcomes the release on bail of Pakistani journalist Hafiz Husnain Raza and calls on Pakistani authorities to drop all remaining charges against him. Authorities released Raza from prison on March 10 after an Anti-Terrorism Court in Punjab province acquitted the journalist on eight charges under the Anti-Terror Act and granted him bail on five other charges under the Illicit Arms Act, Razas lawyer, Farooq Bajwa, said.

It is a relief that Hafiz Husnain Raza was acquitted on terrorism charges and is now back home on bail with his family,  CPJ Deputy Executive Director Robert Mahoney said. The Pakistani authorities must now do right by him and drop the remaining ridiculous charges. He should never have been detained for his journalism in the first place and should not have the threat of jail hanging over his head.

At the time of his arrest in April 2016, Raza was working as a regional correspondent for Pakistans leading conservative-leaning Urdu newspaper Nawa-i-Waqt. He frequently reported on land issues in the northern Punjab region, CPJ documented.Myanmar: New breeding zones in Yangon pending Union-level approval

by HTET SHINE

March 12,2018 | Source: Myanmar Times

Some 10,000 acres of land near Twante township in Yangon Region will be cleared for the farming of fish and prawns once Union-level approval is obtained, Yangon Region Chief Minister U Phyo Min Thein said. The fish and prawn farming project falls under a broader Breezing Zones Master Plan, which allocates land specifically for aquaculture use.



The master plan will require Union-level permission to proceed, said U Win Kyaing, Secretary General of the Myanmar Fisheries Federation (MFF). The plan includes investments in modern packaging and cold storage facilities, which will be used for export purposes. The fisheries sector is one of the most crucial sectors of the economy. Therefore, we are now preparing almost 10,000 acres of land near Twante township for fisheries development. Once established within three years, the fisheries sector will be able to contribute to the countrys GDP by creating job and export opportunities, said U Phyo Min Thein.



Once approved, the new breeding zones are expected to become a model for the sector. U Phyo Min Thein added that Yangon will work closely with the MFF to raise quality and efficiency standards at the new breeding zones, enabling farmers to earn more. The Yangon government will also work to improve transport and access to the new breeding zones to facilitate exports. Currently, there are 40,000 legal aquaculture farms in Yangon.



The move comes a month after the dialogues for the drafting of a National Aquaculture Development Plan (NADP) commenced in Nay Pyi Taw. The plan aims to set out long term objectives towards developing a national aquaculture industry at a time when fishery production derived from the wild is depleting fast due to overfishing and pollution. However, Myanmar still enjoys a 3,000-mile coastline and several large estuarine delta systems, giving rise to 120,000 acres of land area which is suitable for aquaculture cultivation, according to the Department of Fisheries. In Myanmar, the export value of fish and prawns is now around $650 million and $700 million, according to government data. Myanmar exports about 60,000 tonnes of fisheries to around 40 countries annually. At least a third, or 20,000 tonnes, is usually exported to Saudi Arabia. Last month, Saudi Arabia temporarily suspended fishing imports from Myanmar, according to the MFF.SINGAPORE - Convicted drug trafficker Billy Agbozo was executed last Friday (March 9) after he failed in his clemency plea.





Agbozo, 39, a Ghanaian national, had been found guilty and sentenced to death on July 4, 2016, for trafficking 1.63kg of methamphetamine here in his luggage in April 2013.





The Misuse of Drugs Act provides for the death penalty if the amount of methamphetamine trafficked is more than 250g.





Agbozo was "accorded full due process under the law, and was represented by legal counsel throughout the process", said the Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB).





CNB added that 1.63kg of methamphetamine is sufficient to feed the addiction of about 1,210 abusers for a week.





Agbozo had travelled by plane from Accra to Dubai on April 4, 2013, before boarding a plane bound for Singapore. He arrived here the next day and planned to spend five nights here.





But he was stopped by checkpoint inspectors who screened his luggage - a black haversack and a red-and-black suitcase.





White, crystalline substances were found in the wall of the haversack and the inner plastic casing of the suitcase. The substances contained 1.63kg of methamphetamine with an estimated street value of about $135,600.





His appeal against his conviction and sentence was dismissed by the Court of Appeal in February last year.





His petition to the President for clemency was also turned down.

Ghanaian drug trafficker hanged in Singapore after clemency plea rejected

Singapore has executed a Ghanaian man for drug smuggling, rejecting his plea for clemency.





Billy Agbozo,39, was found guilty and executed last Friday (March 9), more than 4 years after his arrest.





He had travelled by plane from Accra to Dubai on April 4, 2013, before boarding a plane bound for Singapore. He arrived at Singapore's Changi Airport the next day and planned to spend five nights in the Asian country.





But he was stopped by checkpoint inspectors who screened his luggage - a black haversack and a red-and-black suitcase.





According to straitstimes.com, A White, crystalline substances were found in the wall of the haversack and the inner plastic casing of the suitcase. The substances contained 1.63kg of methamphetamine with an estimated street value of about $135,600.





Details of his recorded telephone conversation with an unknown caller in twi were also captured and presented as evidence against him.





He was arrested and found guilty of illegally importing controlled drugs under the Country's Misuse of Drugs Act.





It not yet known the arrangement made between Ghana and Singapore and whether Accra presented a plea.





His appeal against his conviction and sentence was dismissed by the Court of Appeal in February last year.





His petition to the President for clemency was also turned down.





Under Singapore law, trafficking more than 15 grams of heroin brings a mandatory death sentence.





But reforms that came into effect in 2013 gave judges discretion on certain cases.





Those convicted of drug trafficking can have their sentences commuted if they aid police and acted merely as couriers, according to the latest changes.





The Misuse of Drugs Act provides for the death penalty if the amount of methamphetamine trafficked is more than 250g.





Agbozo was "accorded full due process under the law, and was represented by legal counsel throughout the process", said the Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB), as quoted by straitstimes.com.





CNB added that 1.63kg of methamphetamine is sufficient to feed the addiction of about 1,210 abusers for a week.





Human rights groups have repeatedly condemned Singapore for imposing the death penalty, saying its use of the death penalty shows flagrant disregard for human life.





Amnesty International in October Last year called on Singapore to the end the death sentence immediately.



Flagrant disregard for human life





Singapores continued reliance on mandatory death sentences, which violate international law has received widespread condemnation across Human Right groups.





Amnesty International in its 2017 report, said the act meant that dozens of low-level drug offenders have been sent to death row in recent years.





Singapore likes to paint itself as a prosperous and progressive role model, but its use of the death penalty shows flagrant disregard for human life," it said.





"The country relies on harsh laws that overwhelmingly target drug offenders on the lower rungs of the ladder, many of whom will come from disadvantaged backgrounds, said Chiara Sangiorgio, Amnesty Internationals Death Penalty Adviser."



Singapores Death Penalty Claims Another Life





Moratorium on Executions Needed as a Step to Abolition





Singapore authorities have taken another life with the execution of Ghanaian Bill Agbozo for transporting 1.63 kilograms of methamphetamine. Agbozo, who was arrested on April 5, 2013 at Changi Airport, was hanged on Friday after his appeal for clemency was rejected.





While Singapore does not make public the scheduling of executions, reports indicate that another execution will take place on March 16. Singapore should, instead, end its use of capital punishment.





Under Singapores Misuse of Drugs Act, the courts must apply the death penalty for drug offenses involving more than specified quantities. The only exceptions are if the court finds the defendant is merely a courier and the prosecutor certifies that the defendant provided substantial assistance in disrupting drug trafficking, or if the defendant proves he or she is suffering from an abnormality of the mind. These limited exceptions to what is otherwise a mandatory death penalty provide little hope for defendants.





As I know from my time prosecuting drug cases in New York City, couriers rarely have information sufficient to provide substantial assistance in disrupting drug trafficking. In the case of Agbozo, while the court found that he was acting as no more than a courier, the prosecutor did not provide the required certification and Agbozo was sentenced to death.





International human rights law restricts the use of the death penalty to only the most serious crimes, which the United Nations has defined as intentional crimes with lethal or other extremely grave consequences. The UN Human Rights Committee and the UN expert on unlawful killings, Christof Heyns, have condemned using the death penalty in drug cases.





Most countries have abolished the death penalty outright, while dozens have adopted a de facto moratorium. Singapore, by contrast, reaffirmed its use of the death penalty in 2012  US President Donald Trump recently praised Singapore specifically for executing drug dealers. Human Rights Watch opposes capital punishment in all circumstances as an inherently cruel and uniquely final punishment that deserves no place in modern society. It is time for Singapore to call a moratorium on executions on its way to ending this barbaric practice.

 | Report an error, an omission, a typo; suggest a story or a new angle to an existing story; submit a piece, a comment; recommend a resource; contact the webmaster, contact us: deathpenaltynews@gmail.com



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"One is absolutely sickened, not by the crimes that the wicked have committed,

but by the punishments that the good have inflicted." -- Oscar WildeDefense IT

Congress grills NBIB over clearance backlog

Senators on the Intelligence Committee expressed deep frustration during a March 7 hearing focused on the government's lack of progress in reducing its 710,000-strong backlog of pending security clearance requests.

Charles Phalen, director of the National Background Investigations Bureau, told lawmakers it would likely be years before they saw a significant reduction in the backlog.

Several members of the committee, such as vice chairman Mark Warner (D-Va.), indicated they would consider a complete overhaul of the status quo if significant progress is not observed in the near and intermediate term. Warner wants to "completely rethink" the security clearance process, saying it was not designed to respond to the role of contractors or leaks by insiders to foreign adversaries or the press.

"This is a pure management problem, it seems to me," said Sen. Angus King (I-Maine). "Who's in charge?" he asked, and "who can we fire?"

That answer isn't so simple. The deputy director of management at the Office of Management and Budget chairs the Performance Accountability Council, which manages the governmentwide goal of reducing the backlog. The Director of National Intelligence is also responsible for development, implementation and oversight of procedures governing access to the classified information.

Warner noted earlier in the hearing that the committee invited recently confirmed Deputy Director of Management Margaret Weichert to testify, but OMB declined the request.

One of the witnesses, Professional Services Council CEO David Berteau, said the responsibilities were divided, with many departments and sub-agencies running their own parallel clearance processes despite ostensibly relying on the same investigative standards.

He echoed comments made earlier by Sen. Ron Wyden's (D-Ore.) that excessive secrecy and over-classification within the federal government is a big contributor to the backlog, noting that nearly 4 million federal employees and contractors require some type of security clearance today to operate.

"We've been focusing entirely on the supply side of this equation -- how do we actually move people through the process and put them into clearances," he said. "There is a demand side of this equation as well."

Better use of modern technology was a constant theme throughout the hearing. Warner promoted big data and AI as tools that could be used to help assess people's trustworthiness far more efficiently than the current process does, but lamented that "we've not taken advantage of these [technological] advances."

The Department of Defense is set to take over its own background investigations after a provision in the recently passed 2018 National Defense Authorization Act transferred authority from NBIB to DOD. The department has touted its use of automation and continuous evaluation as a tool that could dramatically reduce background investigation timelines, which average between 200 and 400 days depending on the type of clearance, to a matter of weeks or even days.

Many experts inside government and industry believe that continuous evaluation, a process by which a clearance holder's background is continuously monitored for threat indicators in real time, represents a major opportunity to leverage automated technologies in order to reduce the clearance backlog. Farrell cited DOD's program as a model for the rest of government.

Dan Payne, director of the Defense Security Service, said the use of continuous evaluation within DOD "has been greatly successful and is the way of the future."

"We have to go down this route if we're going to make the necessary changes to make this process better," said Payne.

Warner noted that there seems to be widespread consensus that tools like continuous evaluation are key to solving the problem but little agreement about how best to implement it across agencies.

"We have the notion of increase technology butI don't see a timeline presented," he said.Cloud

What to make of DOD's latest cloud moves

The Department of Defense answered several important questions about its commercial cloud strategy on March 7, but the industry day and draft solicitation for the Joint Enterprise Defense Infrastructure cloud acquisition raised a few new ones.

DOD officials confirmed that they intend to make a single award, and set an aggressive timeline to finalize that award by the end of the fiscal year. Both points have prompted some grumbling from the industry.

The Coalition for Government Procurement, an association that represents much of the federal IT contractor community, posted a critique that said a single award, indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity contract "is being proffered notwithstanding the fact that there exists a statutory and regulatory preference for multiple award IDIQs."

"A single-award contract vehicle creates the ultimate barrier to entry for  the very capabilities DOD needs to maintain the technological advantage necessary to defend this nation," the coalition argued.

IBM General Manager for Federal Sam Gordy was similarly critical. The Pentagon would never limit the Air Force to flying only cargo planes for every mission," Gordy told Washington Technology, an FCW sister publication. "Locking the entire U.S. military into a single, restrictive cloud environment would be equally flawed.

"I think what you're seeing in industry is a lot of head-scratching," Oracle Senior Vice President Ken Glueck told FCW. "This seems to be moving in a technical direction that is not reflective of the way the private sector is consuming scalable, secure cloud."

Amazon Web Services, the firm seen by many as a leading contender for the JEDI award, sidestepped the single-award question. We are confident commercial cloud will drive innovation," an AWS spokesperson said. "As we have always said, an open and competitive bidding process allows for the customer to thoroughly analyze the various providers and select the solutions that best meet their needs."

The Coalition for Government Procurement noted that the Federal Acquisition Regulation "requires DOD to document its decision/rationale for a single award," and urged DOD to make that documentation public. While no such document has yet been shared, DOD officials were frank in explaining why they've been unmoved by the multiple-award argument over the last few months.

"The lack of standardization and interoperability today creates pretty significant barriers to accessing our data where and when it is needed," Defense Digital Service Deputy Director Tim Van Name told reporters on March 7. "We believe that a multiple-award cloud would exponentially increase the overall complexity. The systems in different clouds, even when designed to work together, would require complex integration, which raises the bar for the development, testing and ongoing maintenance."

"Were confident that the single award is the best thing for the department," he said.

And while Van Name and other officials stressed that the team that wins the single award could be structured in any number of ways, the general reaction has been that the draft request for proposals points to an award centered on a single cloud service provider.

It would be possible for a systems integrator to be the prime, REAN Cloud Managing Partner Sekhar Puli told FCW, but "it's going to difficult" if DOD demands a single CSP.

"What Im reading makes me believe  that theyll pick a single CSP" as the prime, Puli said in a March 9 interview. "But Ive learned my lesson the hard way. Common sense doesn't always prevail."

What to make of the shrinking OTA

Puli was alluding to the week's other big cloud news from DOD -- a decision to dramatically lower the ceiling of an Other Transaction Authority agreement with his firm from $950 million to $65 million.

That five-year agreement, awarded in February by the Defense Innovation Unit Experimental, originally allowed REAN to provide cloud migration services DOD-wide. On March 5, however, DOD told reporters it had "narrowly tailored" the deal to cover only U.S. Transportation Command, for whom REAN had done prototype work to win the award.

As of late on March 9, Puli said, he still didn't know why the change has been made. "A couple of days ago we got a email that told us, 'your contract had been reduced,' but nothing more than that," he said.

Oracle filed a protest against the OTA award, but the Government Accountability Office has not yet ruled, and Puli dismissed the protest as "smoke and mirrors."

"There is something else that has caused this change, that unfortunately is not public," he said.

One longtime industry executive told FCW that while OTAs can be a valuable tool for newer technologies and services, DIUx's deal with REAN may simply have been too big and broad in scope to bypass the traditional acquisitions process. The fear now, he said, is that the controversy around this award could make it harder for agencies to use OTAs even on a smaller scale for legitimate purposes.

Puli pushed back on that argument, noting that another DIUx OTA for $750 million has so far gone unchallenged. "So is $750 million ok, and $950 million not?" he asked. "And if thats the case, then fine  then why not take the contract down to 750? Or change [the other award] from 750 to $65 million as well?"

While REAN is obviously unhappy to lose the acquisition for working across DOD, Puli said, his real frustrations are two-fold.

First, he said, the OTA has been conflated with JEDI, and wrongly seen as a nod toward selecting Amazon as DOD's preferred CSP. REAN's award is "completely independent of JEDI," Puli stressed, and his firm works with Microsoft and Google as well as AWS.

"We dont want to be in just one cloud as a systems integrator," he said. "We are the movers.  Where you want to live is not a decision that we will make for you."

And second, he said, announcing the change through the media was not only unpleasant, but unnecessary.

There's no requirement "saying you have to issue task orders for the full $950 million," Puli said. "They could have just squashed it behind the doors and said [to other DOD components], 'dont issue any task orders.'"



Rockets could be blasting into orbit from Derby within five years if the State and Federal governments get behind an ambitious proposal from the Ukrainian government.

The State Space Agency of Ukraine (SSAU) wants to build a spaceport outside the Curtin air base in the Kimberley, pitching the idea as an answer to Australia's decades-old dream to host its own launch facility.

The bid, first proposed to the State and Federal governments in 2016, has struggled to gain traction within a sector that has, until now, lacked a champion in an Australian space agency and is jaded by pie-in-the-sky proposals that have quickly disappeared, The West Australian reported.

But Ukraine's Ambassador to Australia, Mykola Kulinich, told The West Australian that Ukraine has the technical expertise, supply chain and a long history in the global space race to back its offer.

Read alsoUkrainian Embassy in U.S. recalls Antonovs assistance to SpaceX ahead of Falcon Heavy launch

"This proposal is very realistic," he said. "Ukraine could launch tomorrow morning if we had a site. We offer our people and our expertise if Australia has land for use."

The SSAU says it needs 5000sqkm to 7000sqkm of land on a commercial lease, preferably around the Curtin air base near Derby, to establish a spaceport.

It wants State and Federal government support to investigate land availability and tenure, environmental approvals, native title issues and other basic building blocks of the project.

Proponents say an initial study could be finished in a relatively short time frame, and for less than $500,000. A feasibility study to determine how much it would cost could be done within two years, Kulinich said.

Construction of launch pads, hangars and support facilities could be funded through private investment, as well as contributions from Australia's neighbours and allies.

The SSAU proposal says the facility could become Asia's major launch site, servicing commercial launches for Australia's regional partners such as Japan, Singapore, South Korea and Indonesia.

WA senator Linda Reynolds has been working behind the scenes to bring together WA scientists and the space industry, hoping to lay the foundations for growth of the industry.

She has also been working to convince her colleagues to make WA the home of an Australian space agency.

Senator Reynolds says the Ukrainian proposal, if realised, is an exciting opportunity.

"The North West of our State is ideally positioned to develop an equatorial launch capability, and it would add to WA's already extensive space capability," she said.

Kulinich said he expected an SSAU delegation to visit Australia this year to lobby for the idea. Ukraine has a long history as a space-going nation. It was an integral part of the former Soviet Union's space program from the late 1930s and home to much of the USSR's rocketry research and technical know-how, as well as major manufacturing facilities.

After winning independence in 1991, Ukraine became a spacefaring nation in its own right. By the mid-2000s, Ukrainian-designed and built launch vehicles made up more than 10 per cent of global launches, according to the SSAU.

Its work remains a major part of NASA's Antares program and the European Space Agency's Vega platform.

But its own space program, largely a partnership with Russia's space agency, was crippled after Russia's annexation of Crimea. The conflict has denied Ukraine access to joint launch facilities in Russia and Brazil.EC Vice-President Sefcovic is engaged in gas talks between Ukraine and Russia.

High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Federica Mogherini has called on Russia's gas giant Gazprom to respect its contractual obligations under gas contracts with Ukraine.

"We discussed with the Prime Minister [of Ukraine] a recent decision by Gazprom to suspend already prepaid gas supplies to Ukraine. We agree that Gazprom must respect its contractual obligations," Mogherini said at a joint press conference with Ukrainian Prime Minister Volodymyr Groysman in Kyiv on Monday, March 12.

Read alsoEU ready to do more on reconstruction of Donbas  MogheriniShe also said that Vice-President of the European Commission in charge of Energy Union Maros Sefcovic is engaged in gas talks between Ukraine and Russia.

"The European Commission is having intense talks in these days through Vice-President Sefcovic to try to facilitate a positive solution to this," she said.What do you think about our new website?

Share your opinionPoroshenko: Ukraine urges EU states to reject Nord Stream 2

It is a project that endangers energy security of both Ukraine and the EU, the president stresses.

If you see a spelling error on our site, select it and press Ctrl+EnterThe only consistent characteristic of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) is its ability to generate litigation. The gift that keeps on giving for Obamacare opponents seems to defy common law doctrines curbing the practices of champerty and maintenance (frivolous lawsuits).

Last month 20 state attorneys general and two governors launched the latest lawsuit in federal district court in Texas, arguing that the upcoming repeal of tax penalties for the ACAs individual mandate, as of January 2019, means that the entire law has become unconstitutional (or at least a number of its related insurance regulation provisions).

The basic theory of the case takes us back to the narrow, and highly unusual, 5-4 Supreme Court ruling in NFIB v. Sebelius (2012), in which Chief Justice Roberts bent the nature of the individual mandate from penalty to tax as needed, in order to uphold the overall laws constitutionality. His shape-shifting maneuvers managed to find first that Congress had no constitutional authority under its power to regulate commerce to mandate that commerce (purchasing health insurance) must begin. But the congressional power to tax then was close enough for government work for the mandate to pass legal muster, even though the Congress that passed the ACA insisted that it was NOT a tax, and the High Court already had ruled that it was a penalty for purposes of bypassing other objections under the Anti-Injunction Act. The various Court rulings read like an update of the classic Abbott & Costello skit -- Whos on first? Whats on second? I Dont Know is on third. But the ACA always slides home safely at the Supreme Court

In any case, a host of Red states will be pitching Tomorrow (and thereafter) their revised sets of arguments. Their core contention is that if the only remaining feature sustaining the ACAs constitutionality was that the individual mandate was a tax, then eliminating any of its revenue collection after this year reverts its characteristics back to that of a regulatory provision, albeit one with no remaining penalty either. Led by the state attorneys general of Texas and Wisconsin, the plaintiffs contend that the previous rationale for saving the ACA has become legally impossible, and they ask the United States District Court in the Northern District of Texas to declare that the entire statute is both unlawful and not severable, and then enjoin its future operation.

One of the somewhat amusing features of this overtime version of legal squabbles over Obamacare is how the laws many poorly crafted and contradictory provisions tend to push partisans on both sides into repositioning their previous contentions, depending on which ones best serve their bottom-line priorities of either saving or killing Obamacare.

For example, consider changing assessments of the effect of the individual mandate. Back in 2011 and 2012, and even in later years, it was portrayed by ACA defenders as an essential, indeed indispensable, ingredient of the laws scheme for ensuring sufficient purchasers of highly regulated and generously subsidized health insurance, in order to balance the risk pools in ACA health exchanges.

More recently, however, weaker enforcement of the ACAs mandate to purchase insurance appeared to present few problems in maintaining about the same levels of relatively modest enrollment in those exchange marketplaces. In the ACAs Field of Dreams, if taxpayers subsidize it enough, enrollees will come. Total premium costs may rise, but thats what income-related out-of-pocket premium caps, and federal budget deficits, are for.

On the other hand, some ACA critics are even more prone to inflate the negative effect on coverage and premium levels from upcoming elimination of the individual mandate, although they (mostly) supported its repeal. For the record, this ACA skeptic considers the individual mandate as more of a public policy nuisance; a half-hearted effort at trying to bluff unwary Americans into buying coverage they dont want or cant afford, but one that might someday mutate into a more coercive and binding burden if future political circumstances ever changed. Repeal of the mandates hypothetical dangers is more akin to unloading the bullets from an unused gun with a political trigger lock.

The new lawsuit, Texas et al. v. HHS, Azar, and Kautter, wants to finish the job left undone six years ago in NFIB v. Sebelius. It reconnects the revised dots logically in trying to hold the Court, and particularly Chief Justice Roberts, to previous reasoning about the constitutionality of a penalty-free and revenue-free individual mandate. However, it still must overcome objections involving standing and severability.

The standing issue is a common one that often arises in lawsuits brought by state officials against the federal government: Is there a real injury at stake here, rather than just a political disagreement over policy? The state plaintiffs first would respond that the nature of the ACA law has changed significantly since the 2012 decision in NFIB v. Sebelius. They then would try to emphasize that even a weaker individual mandate still increases their own budgetary costs -- through increased Medicaid enrollment. They further contend that a penalty-free mandate also raises insurance premium costs and reduces coverage levels in their individual and small-group insurance markets  by no longer helping to bolster the ACAs intertwined regime of federal regulatory requirements (primarily guaranteed issue and community rating, along with more generous minimum benefits) with sufficient enrollment of healthier, lower-cost individuals. These contentions might be greatly exaggerated, but the trace elements of those purported effects still could reach the lower threshold for legal standing purposes. Moreover, the state plaintiffs can simply recycle the older (equally exaggerated) arguments of the Congressional Budget Office, defenders of the individual mandate in previous litigation, and parts of several Supreme Court cases (including King v. Burwell) to reinforce their current position.

Opponents of the new lawsuit may also contend that, when the current Congress removed future penalties under the individual mandate, it also reaffirmed congressional intent to operate the ACA without it. However, that line of argument overlooks the limited scope of action available to Congress under budget reconciliation rules, which prevented the Senate last year from repealing the regulatory features of the individual mandate without 60 votes, even though it was the clear intent of a Republican majority to eliminate as much of it as possible.

Of course, the state plaintiffs could have considered adding other parties, such as individual constituents claiming harm from being forced to purchase unaffordable or unwanted insurance, to the lawsuit to strengthen their standing claims. Admittedly, it might be hard to find unique individuals who could claim credibly that the mere existence of a federal command to purchase a particular type of insurance, without any financial penalty for failing to do so, was sufficiently coercive to command their reluctant obedience and produce resulting harm (probably the same type of person who never removes the tag from his or her mattress, under fear of federal prosecution). This would be particularly difficult when state attorneys general were eager to file this new lawsuit as soon as possible and claim maximum political credit for themselves. After all, their official organization known as NAAG (officially, the National Association of Attorneys General) is more commonly referred to as the National Association of Aspiring Governors.

The severability issue involving the ACA and the individual mandate has come up in court several times before, without being resolved definitively. The dissenting opinion of four justices in NFIB v. Sebelius indicated that they were prepared not only to declare the individual mandate unconstitutional but also rule that the rest of the ACA was so connected to it that the entire law must be invalidated. Note that it only requires the votes of four justices to approve consideration of an appeal of a future case on this issue from lower courts (assuming Justice Gorsuch holds views similar to those of the late Justice Scalia), even without any further changes in the High Courts composition.

Moreover, lower courts that ruled the individual mandate unconstitutional earlier this decade were split on the severability issue. Two of the three federal district courts reaching that issue concluded that the entire law must fall. The 11th Circuit Court of Appeals did rule against non-severability in one of those cases on appeal. However, the latters underlying ruling that the individual mandate was unconstitutional (giving rise to the severability issue) was overturned by the Supreme Court in NFIB v. Sebelius, thereby rendering the severability issue moot for the time being. Even state plaintiffs involved in the previous case should be able to litigate an issue under new legal parameters that has yet to be decided.

For a more nuanced look at the severability issue that stops short of only an all-or-nothing conclusion, consider this 2012 amici curiae brief filed in the NFIB v. Sebelius case that suggested the alternative of just striking down title I of the ACA (essentially, federal requirements for insurance coverage plus the taxes and mandates to prop them up). The first cut may be the deepest, but it doesnt have to be King Solomon-like, in the Biblical sense.

In short, the state plaintiffs have an uphill legal climb ahead, but far from a completely impossible one. Their case is built on an extended chain of attenuated contingencies and a series of unfortunate events -- like how the original ACA met Lemony Snicket. But the long list of naysaying experts (and frequently ACA backers) who doubted the viability of previous assaults on the ACA do not have a great track record. If nothing else, the prospects of either fully snuffing out the dying embers of the individual mandate as a weak, hortatory federal regulation, or at least forcing Chief Justice Roberts and others to perform a new set of Olympic-caliber somersaults through past precedents and the English language, should be worth another price of admission  assuming another future Congress doesnt finally change the law again in the meantime.

Tom Miller is a resident fellow at the American Enterprise Institute.

Interested in real economic insights? Want to stay ahead of the competition? Each weekday morning, E21 delivers a short email that includes E21 exclusive commentaries and the latest market news and updates from Washington. Sign up for the E21 Morning Ebrief.The United States salutes the courage and sacrifices of the Afghan security forces and all those countries who are advising and supporting the efforts of the Afghan people.

As President Trump noted, the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks  the worst in the history of the United States  were planned and directed from an Afghanistan ruled by a Taliban regime that gave support and shelter to terrorists. Today the goal remains the same:to ensure that Afghanistan is never again used as a safe haven for terrorist groups to attack the United States, the region, or the international community, said U.S. Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for South and Central Asian Affairs Alice Wells.

The South Asia Strategy President Trump announced is a conditions-based strategy that makes clear to the Taliban that they will not achieve a military victory on the battlefield, but must come to the negotiating table with the Afghan government.

The onus of responsibility is now on the Taliban to demonstrate that they are ready to talk to the sovereign and legitimate government and people of Afghanistan.

The U.S. position is unambiguous, said Ambassador Wells. We recognize the only way to end the conflict is through a negotiated settlement.The United States will support direct negotiations between the Afghan government and the Taliban when both sides commit to them.

President Ghani has made clear that the Afghan people are ready for peace, but some things are not negotiable: the Afghan people will not sacrifice their safety, legal protections, or human rights to achieve peace.They will not return to the oppression and isolation of the late 1990s. Afghan men and women must remain free to speak their minds, choose their leaders, and help shape government reforms.

The international community stands behind President Ghani and the people of Afghanistan. The United States fully supports timely, credible, and transparent elections in 2018 and 2019 as essential to meeting the expectations of the Afghan people.

The United States calls on all friends of Afghanistan to fully support the Afghan government and its vision for peace. Continuing a campaign of violence will never win the Taliban the support of the Afghan people and the legitimacy of the international community. It will only continue to discredit them and their cause.U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson recently visited Ethiopia where he affirmed that United States and Ethiopia are "longstanding partners."At the same time, he noted, the U.S. is concerned about recent "incidents of violence and loss of life. We do firmly believe the answer is greater freedom for people, not less," stressed Secretary Tillerson.

Ethiopia is currently under another state of emergency. This follows massive anti-government protests in some parts of the country that started in November 2015 and claimed the lives of several hundred people.

The government has responded by undertaking the first-ever voluntary transfer of power in Ethiopia. Secretary Tillerson said he viewed this transfer as "a very positive symbol of the strength" of Ethiopia.As part of this reform effort, more than 7,000 detainees were released in January and February, including several high profile figures. Secretary Tillerson urged "additional concrete measures to allow greater political freedom of expression."

"We firmly believe that democratic reform, economic growth, and lasting stability are best addressed through an inclusive political process, rather than through the imposition of restrictions," said Mr. Tillerson. He also urged the Ethiopian people to remain patient and support the government through the transition. Democracy, cautioned Secretary Tillerson, "takes time and effort. Democracy is not easy. It takes a lot of work. But [by] staying with it, lasting change will come about."

"We want Ethiopia as a country to succeed and prosper, and were confident that they will succeed and prosper, providing many economic benefits not just for the Ethiopian people, but for the neighboring countries in Africa, and ultimately for U.S. business interests as well."

Ethiopia plays a critical role in leadership in the region and throughout the continent as the largest contributor to UN peacekeeping operations in Somalia, Sudan and South Sudan.Moreover, Ethiopias influence in supporting the security of Somalia and Djibouti are particularly important at this time to keep global commerce routes open. These routes through the Red Sea affect billions of people around the world in terms of their economic stability.

The United States looks forward to working with Ethiopia and its people as they seek greater peace, democracy and prosperity.Police say a man has been shot dead outside the Iranian ambassador's residence in the Austrian capital, Vienna, after he attacked a guard with a knife.

Police spokesman Harald Soeros told AFP early on March 12 that the 26-year-old assailant "died on the spot" after being shot by the guard, who was in a sentry box outside the building.

The guard suffered a wound to his upper arm in the attack, which took place just before midnight in a residential area of the capital.

The motive for the attack was not immediately known.



The spokesman said the guard initially used pepper spray before opening fire on the assailant.

This is the second incident involving an Iranian diplomatic building in Europe in four days.

On Friday March 9, four men armed with batons and daggers entered the Iranian embassy in London and replaced the Iranian flag with the flag of a group called Khoddam al-Mahdi (Servants of Mahdi).

The group is thought to be affiliated with followers of Grand Ayatollah Sadeq Shirazi who is a high-ranking cleric and his son Hossein who was arrested on Tuesday March 6 in Qom. The Shirazis oppose Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on the idea of Velayat-e Faqih, which is the underlying principle of Khameneis regime and the institution of Supreme Leader.

A spokesman from the Defense Ministry said early indications are that the guard acted within the rules."

The ambassador's residence is located in the Villa Blaimschein, a building that was confiscated from its Jewish owners by the Nazis during World War II.

Security has been heightened at all diplomatic missions in the city, police said.

Based on reporting by AFP, dpa, and Press TVDisregarding comments made by the supreme leader and his allies on the role of the enemy and exiled dissidents in the recent uprising in Iran, Interior Minister Abdolreza Rahmani Fazli has admitted the protests were not organized or provoked by outsiders.

Fazli says that field studies have shown the protests were not organized by forces outside Iran.

This does not mean that dissidents and anti-Islamic Republic opposition did not take advantage of the protests and intensify them for their own ends, he told the government-run daily newspaper Iran. As a matter of fact, they used their utmost capability to stoke the fires and gain from the unrest.

As soon as the uprising broke out on December 28, 2017, in the city of Mashhad and spread to more than 100 other cities across Iran, allies of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, including the prosecutor-general and other conservatives, accused the C.I.A. of directing the protests in cooperation with elements close to former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussain and the Mujahedin Khalq Organization (MKO).

Khamenei claimed on January 9 that the protests were organized and financed from abroad and that Tehran had foiled attempts by its enemies to overthrow the current regime.

Khamenei had described the protests voicing anger over corruption, poverty, and tyranny as a foreign enemys counterattack, financed by a stinking-rich government in the region, an obvious reference to Saudi Arabia.

Khamenei insisted the protesters were expressing dissatisfaction with corruption, not the Islamic Revolution or the system of government itself.

However, during the demonstrations  especially those in the two holy Shiite cities of Qom and Mashhad -- angry participants chanted slogans in support of Irans last royal dynasty, Pahlavi, and explicitly against the ruling system and its leaders.

Furthermore, the protesters demanded an end to the clergy-controlled system in Iran, shouting slogans against the two factions -- reformist and conservative -- that have ruled Iran for nearly four decades. Reformists, conservatives, the end is nigh, they chanted.

While Khamenei and hardliners, including the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), insist that foreigners were behind the protests, President Hassan Rouhani and some of his reformist supporters maintain that this is an insult to Iranian people.

Khameneis statements on Twitter and via Iranian media sharpened the contrast between his position and that of Rouhani on the real causes of the protests, which shook the country for more than 10 days.

Demonstrators were said to be mainly between the ages of 16 and 25, frustrated with a lack of jobs, rising prices and lack of social and political freedom. Their slogans turned increasingly more rejectionist, calling for systemic changes to the regime.

But the supreme leaders position ascribed the unrest mainly to foreign machinations.

"Once again, the nation tells the U.S., Britain, and those who seek to overthrow the Islamic Republic of Iran from abroad that theyve failed, and they will fail in the future, too," Khamenei tweeted.

However, Khamenei acknowledged in his latest messages that people might have real grievances.

"These concerns must be addressed. We must listen, we must hear. We must provide answers within our means," Khamenei was quoted as saying, hinting that not only the government of Rouhani but his own clerical leadership must also respond.

Meanwhile, the interior minister believes that the real reason behind protests in Iran and its swift spread all over the country is the accumulation of dissatisfaction among people, in a way that it could re-emerge at any given time.

Fazli also maintained that Rouhanis administration has started a series of negotiations with different political, labor, media, and students rights groups to prevent further unrest.A private Turkish jet flying from the United Arab Emirates (U.A.E.) to Istanbul has crashed in southwestern Iran, killing at least 11 people.

Iranian state television quoted Mojtaba Khaledi, the spokesman of the country's emergency management organization, as saying the aircraft, which was traveling from the city of Sharjah in the U.A.E. to Istanbul on March 11, hit a mountain in Shahr-e Kord, Iran, and burst into flames.

The plane had left from the emirate of Sharjah and went down near the city of Shahr-e Kord, about 400 kilometres (250 miles) south of Tehran, state television reported.

The aircraft was a Canadian-made Bombardier, according to the Iranian news agency Tasnim.

It had eight passengers and three crew members on board, said Reza Jafarzadeh, head of the Iran Civil Aviation Organization.

Some reports say the crash happened during heavy rain. Sharhe Kord is in the Zagros mountains.

The state-run IRNA news agency and state television said rescuers were trying to reach the scene of the accident.

Based on reporting by Tasnim, Iranian State TV, Reuters, and APIranian state media reports that authorities have recovered the black box from a Turkish private jet that crashed in southwestern Iran on March 11, killing all 11 people onboard.

The IRNA news agency said on March 12 that 10 bodies have been recovered so far from the crash site outside of the city of Shahr-e Kord, about 370 kilometers south of Tehran.

Mojtaba Khaledi, the spokesman for Irans emergency services, said the aircraft encountered bad weather in Iranian airspace before it crashed into a mountain and burst into flames.

Turkish media reports said the plane was carrying Mina Basaran, the 28-year-old daughter of Turkish businessman Huseyin Basaran, along with seven of her friends and three crew members.

The reports said Basaran and her friends had been celebrating in Dubai ahead of her wedding. Their flight was due to return them from the United Arab Emirates to Istanbul.

Huseyin Basaran has business interests in Turkey's tourism, finance, construction, aviation, cement, and energy sectors.

Based on reporting by Tasnim, Iranian State TV, Reuters, and AP



The Executive Director of Clarivate Analytics for Russia and CIS countries Oleg Utkin, the Director in Educational Programs of the organization Valentin Bogorov visited UNEC.

The delegation meeting with the UNEC rector, professor Adalat Muradov exchanged the views on the coopertation between Thomson Reuters and the university.

The main topic of the meeting was the scientific seminar, the organization of international conferenes and the establishment of the school for scientometrics.

In the meeting was highlighted the great interest of scientific society towards the international conference hosted by UNEC on the topic The model of scientific activity management in modern universities: the innovative development challenges and perspectives, and was noted that the book consisted of the materials of the conference had been published. It was noted that, the another international conference had been planned to held with joint organization of Thomson Reuters and UNEC. The international conference will again bring together to UNEC the scientists from the influential universities of the world.

O. Utkin, expressing his satisfaction with the purposeful steps taken by UNEC in the direction of becoming the university of international level, said that Thomson Reuters supported the projects implemented in this direction. He, highly appreciating the year over year growth number of UNEC publications in the influential scientific journals, stated that the university successfully integrated into the world science environment. Taking into consideration the influence of UNEC in the scientific world, he emphasized the importance of establishing school for scientometrics here.Brussels, Belgium, March 12

By Leman Zeynalova - Trend:

Azerbaijan will continue to develop a strong civil society, said Azerbaijans Deputy Foreign Minister Mahmud Mammad-Guliyev.

He made the remarks March 12 addressing an event dedicated to the launch of new institutional set-up of Eastern Partnership initiative in Brussels, Belgium.

The deputy foreign minister noted that a strong civil society is very important for every country, otherwise it is very difficult to implement the goals set by the government.

He expressed confidence that Azerbaijan will have a strong civil society that will assist the government in implementing its goals.

Mammad-Guliyev noted that Azerbaijan has already created a platform with participation of government representatives, other structures, as well as civil society members.

He pointed out that the negotiations between Azerbaijan and the EU on a new strategic partnership agreement include issues related to civil society as well. The deputy foreign minister expressed confidence that Azerbaijan and the EU will agree on civil society issues.Baku, Azerbaijan, March 12

Trend:

During the first two months of 2018, the Heydar Aliyev International Airport served over 545,000 passengers. This indicator exceeds the same indicator of the previous year by 16 percent.

In January-February this year, national air carrier Azerbaijan Airlines (AZAL) carried 222,000 passengers, while national low-cost airline Buta Airways  63,000 passengers. 470,000 passengers (86.2 percent of passenger traffic) accounted for international flights.

Currently, Heydar Aliyev International Airport serves 27 airlines on 47 destinations. Top ten most popular international destinations include Istanbul, Moscow, Dubai, Kiev, Doha, Sharjah, Tbilisi, Baghdad, Tehran and St. Petersburg. 368,000 passengers traveled to these destinations in January-February.

Starting from March 2018, one of the leading airlines of the UAE - Etihad Airways  launched regular direct flights from Abu Dhabi to Baku.

The new airport terminal of Heydar Aliyev Airport (Terminal 1) was put into operation in April 2014. Its total area is 65,000 square meters.

Heydar Aliyev International Airport was awarded the category of "4 stars" by the Skytrax, which is influential British consulting company specializing in the study of the quality of services provided by various airlines and airports worldwide.

In March 2017 Baku Heydar Aliyev Airport was named the best airport among airports of Russia and CIS countries for the level of the provided services, being awarded the prestigious Skytrax World Airport Awards.Baku, Azerbaijan, March 12

Trend:

Over the past 24 hours, Armenias armed forces have 100 times violated the ceasefire along the line of contact between Azerbaijani and Armenian troops, the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry said March 12.

The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, in 1992 Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts.

The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations. Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding districts.Brussels, Belgium, March 12

By Leman Zeynalova - Trend:

The occupation of the territory of one member state of the Eastern Partnership by another participant of this initiative is unacceptable, Azerbaijans Deputy Foreign Minister Mahmud Mammad-Guliyev said addressing an event dedicated to the launch of new institutional set-up of Eastern Partnership in Brussels, Belgium.

More than 20 percent of the Azerbaijani territory was occupied by Armenia, and as a result of this conflict more than one million Azerbaijanis became refugees and internally displaced persons, their fundamental rights were violated, Mammad-Guliyev said.

The Eastern Partnership is an initiative aimed at improving relations with the CIS countries within the European Union Neighborhood Policy. The Eastern Partnership covers six neighboring countries of the European Union, including Azerbaijan.

The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, in 1992 Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts.

The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations. Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding districts.Brussels, Belgium, March 12

By Leman Zeynalova  Trend:

Brussels, Belgium has hosted the launching ceremony of the new institutional set-up of the Eastern Partnership (EaP) initiative, Trends correspondent reported from the event.

The new institutional set-up of the EaP has been launched in the presence of senior officials from Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, the Republic of Moldova, Ukraine, Armenia and the EU member states.

Azerbaijans Deputy Foreign Minister Mahmud Mammad-Guliyev represents the country at the event.

The new structure was officially adopted at the Eastern Partnership Summit in November last year with the joint declaration.

The new structure for institutional cooperation between the EaP countries and the EU member states focuses first and foremost on the efficient delivery of reforms that bring real results.

The core elements of the renewed structure, the platforms and panels, are now aligned with the four priorities of the EaP: stronger governance, stronger economy, stronger connectivity and stronger society.

---

Follow the author on Twitter: @Lyaman_ZeynBaku, Azerbaijan, March 12

Trend:

The cooperation between Azerbaijan and Georgia, going out from the regional format, is entering the global level, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev said at a meeting with Georgian Prime Minister Giorgi Kvirikashvili in Baku on March 12.

The head of state expressed confidence that Kvirikashvili's visit will play an important role in the development of the Azerbaijani-Georgian relations of friendship and brotherhood.

"We are successfully cooperating in many sectors. I am glad that the trade turnover is growing, that Azerbaijan ranks first among the countries investing in Georgia. This shows that your country has an excellent investment climate. This also shows that our relations are at a very high level," President Aliyev told Kvirikashvili.

"Surely, there are many important global projects that unite us. In October 2017, together with you, we marked the opening of one of these projects - the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway. This year, thanks to the commissioning the project on expansion of the South Caucasus Pipeline and TANAP, our cooperation will rise to an even higher level. Our cooperation, from the regional format, is entering global level. Our friendship, our brotherhood is in the core of all these successful steps. And I am sure that sincere relations will continue to serve the interests of our peoples," President Ilham Aliyev said.Details added (first version posted 10:23)

Baku, Azerbaijan, March 12

Trend:

President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has received a delegation led by the president of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly George Tsereteli.

The sides hailed the successful cooperation between Azerbaijan and the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly during the meeting.

They stressed the importance of the fact that the first international session of the OSCE Parliamentary Assemblys Silk Road Support Group will be held in Baku on March 13 and noted that it will contribute to the strengthening of cooperation.

It was also noted that one of the OSCE Parliamentary Assemblys sessions will be held in Azerbaijan.

Touching upon the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, the head of state said that Armenias occupation of Azerbaijani lands must end and this conflict must be resolved within Azerbaijans territorial integrity.

The upcoming presidential election in Azerbaijan was also highlighted at the meeting.

President Aliyev expressed his confidence that the election will be fair, transparent and reflect the will of the Azerbaijani people.

George Tsereteli said he is deeply impressed at the development processes in Baku.

He emphasized that Azerbaijans economic achievements are of great interest and described this factor as an important contribution to the overall development in the region.

They also exchanged views on cooperation prospects.Baku, Azerbaijan, March 12

Trend:

Georgia invariably supports Azerbaijan's positions in global formats, Georgian Prime Minister Giorgi Kvirikashvili said at a meeting with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev in Baku on March 12, the official website of the Georgian government reported.

Kvirikashvili thanked the President of Azerbaijan for warm hospitality and emphasized the dynamics of the development of the economic relations between the two countries.

"To us, visiting Azerbaijan is always a special event given the fact that Azerbaijan is Georgia's special strategic partner. We are very glad about the growing economic relations between our countries. Last year, our bilateral trade and economic relations saw an exceptional growth, and Azerbaijan is Georgia's number one investment partner," Kvirikashvili told President Aliyev.

"In addition, I would like to say that, according to recent statistics, Azerbaijan also leads the foreign visitors' charts in Georgia, which is also very rewarding. The strategic projects you mentioned - the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars project and the Southern Gas Corridor project further connecting to Europe via the Trans-Anatolian and Trans-Adriatic Pipelines - are of vital economic and geostrategic importance alike," he said.

Kvirikashvili stressed that regional formats are crucial in terms of political and economic relations.

"Georgia invariably supports Azerbaijan's positions in global formats, which is natural given our strategic partnership. In addition, I would like to congratulate you on the 100th anniversary of the Declaration of the First Republic, an immensely important date to both Georgia and Azerbaijan, and I very much hope that we will celebrate it duly," he concluded.Details added (first version posted on 15:44)

Baku, Azerbaijan, March 12

Trend:

US Ambassador to Azerbaijan Robert Cekuta was summoned to the Foreign Ministry in connection with the visit of Bako Sahakyan, who is the president of the illegal regime created in the occupied Azerbaijani territories, to the US and the event promoting the fictitious regime in the US Congress, Spokesman of Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry Hikmat Hajiyev told Trend March 12.

Hajiyev said that Cekuta received a note of protest, sent by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan to the US State Department.

Meanwhile, Azerbaijans ambassador to the US, having held a meeting in the State Department, presented the protest of Azerbaijan to the American side.

The note says that getting an American visa on the Armenian passport and entering the US on the basis of unreliable information provided by Bako Sahakyan, a resident of the Khankendi city of Azerbaijans Nagorno-Karabakh region, permission to carry out activities that propagate an illegal separatist regime in relevant US institutions and aim at collecting finance in the United States in support of the occupation of Azerbaijani territories, contradict the norms and principles of international law, the relevant resolutions of the UN Security Council, the bilateral documents signed between Azerbaijan and the United States, and the official position of the United States, Hajiyev said.

This step of the US is regarded as an activity against the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Azerbaijan, he added.Baku, Azerbaijan, March 12

Trend:

The exercises carried out by the Azerbaijani Armed Forces in sovereign territories are in line with the Vienna Document 2011 of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry's spokesman Hikmat Hajiyev told Trend on March 12.

He noted that Armenia, grossly violating the UN Charter, the Helsinki Final Act and commitments undertaken within other OSCE documents, occupied the territories of Azerbaijan using force against the country.

"The presence of Armenian troops in the occupied Azerbaijani territories continues to be a serious threat to regional peace and security," Hajiyev said.

He said that grossly violating the commitments undertaken within the Vienna Document, Armenia does not provide any information on the number of manpower, military equipment deployed in the occupied territories of Azerbaijan, and places of deployment, as well as military exercises conducted in the occupied territories with participation of the Armenian president.

"The country hides these forces from the corresponding inspection provided for in the Vienna Document."

According to Hajiyev, Armenia's holding military exercises, in which more than 40,000 people and thousands of military equipment participated and where military helicopters of the Armenian Armed Forces held attacking maneuvers over the positions of the Azerbaijani Armed Forces in the occupied territories of Azerbaijan after the Paris meeting of the heads of state in November 2014, is a vivid example of Armenia's grossly violating its obligations and its hypocrisy.

"The exercises presently conducted by the Azerbaijani Armed Forces in sovereign territories are in line with the Vienna Document 2011 of the OSCE," Hajiyev said.

In accordance with the plan approved by the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces Ilham Aliyev, the large-scale exercises with the participation of various military branches, formations and military units of Azerbaijani Army started on March 12.

The exercises involved up to 25,000 military personnel, up to 250 tanks and other armored vehicles, up to 1,000 missiles and artillery systems of different caliber, multiple launch rocket systems and mortars, up to 50 army and front-line aviation.Details added (first version posted on 15:44)

Baku, Azerbaijan, March 12

Trend:

US Ambassador to Azerbaijan Robert Cekuta was summoned to the Foreign Ministry in connection with the visit of Bako Sahakyan, who is the president of the illegal regime created in the occupied Azerbaijani territories, to the US and the event promoting the fictitious regime in the US Congress, Spokesman of Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry Hikmat Hajiyev told Trend March 12.

Hajiyev said that Cekuta received a note of protest, sent by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan to the US State Department.

Meanwhile, Azerbaijans ambassador to the US, having held a meeting in the State Department, presented the protest of Azerbaijan to the American side.

The note says that getting an American visa on the Armenian passport and entering the US on the basis of unreliable information provided by Bako Sahakyan, a resident of the Khankendi city of Azerbaijans Nagorno-Karabakh region, permission to carry out activities that propagate an illegal separatist regime in relevant US institutions and aim at collecting finance in the United States in support of the occupation of Azerbaijani territories, contradict the norms and principles of international law, the relevant resolutions of the UN Security Council, the bilateral documents signed between Azerbaijan and the United States, and the official position of the United States, Hajiyev said.

This step of the US is regarded as an activity against the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Azerbaijan, he added.

According to the spokesman, the note also says that the US must faithfully fulfill its obligations, taken on the basis of norms and principles of international law, to suppress activities in the territory of the United States against the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Azerbaijan.

Taking into account the fact that Azerbaijan and the US have partnership relations in other spheres, we regard this strange step of the US as a change in the position of the United States on the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and consider it as biased. The creation of opportunity for the entry of representatives of a fictional regime, created as a result of military aggression and bloody ethnic cleansing against Azerbaijan, into the US while the US introduces special sanctions against other separatist regimes in the post-Soviet area, is a manifestation of dual standards, Hajiyev emphasized.

The US, as a permanent member of the UN Security Council, must comply with the requirements of the relevant resolutions adopted by the UN Security Council and, in this context, try to withdraw Armenian troops from the occupied territories of Azerbaijan and return Azerbaijani IDPs to their native lands, the spokesman added.

On one hand, the US calls for a settlement of the conflict through negotiations, and on the other hand, creates opportunities for propaganda of the illegal regime and turns a blind eye to illegal acts in the occupied territories of Azerbaijan, which raises serious questions about the impartiality and objectivity of the United States. This step of the US seriously harms the negotiation process, efforts to ensure sustainable peace and security and serves to escalation of the situation in the region, Hajiyev noted.

He added that by taking such a step, the US has damaged the attitude of the Azerbaijani people and public towards this country.

As a response to such behavior of the US, Azerbaijan will proceed from the principle of reciprocity in relations with the US, Hajiyev stressed.

The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, in 1992 Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts.

The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations. Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding districts.(Details added 16:14)

Baku, Azerbaijan, March 12

Trend:

The exercises carried out by the Azerbaijani Armed Forces in sovereign territories are in line with the Vienna Document 2011 of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry's spokesman Hikmat Hajiyev told Trend on March 12.

He noted that Armenia, grossly violating the UN Charter, the Helsinki Final Act and commitments undertaken within other OSCE documents, occupied the territories of Azerbaijan using force against the country.

"The presence of Armenian troops in the occupied Azerbaijani territories continues to be a serious threat to regional peace and security," Hajiyev said.

He said that grossly violating the commitments undertaken within the Vienna Document, Armenia does not provide any information on the number of manpower, military equipment deployed in the occupied territories of Azerbaijan, and places of deployment, as well as military exercises conducted in the occupied territories with participation of the Armenian president.

"The country hides these forces from the corresponding inspection provided for in the Vienna Document."

According to Hajiyev, Armenia's holding military exercises, in which more than 40,000 people and thousands of military equipment participated and where military helicopters of the Armenian Armed Forces held attacking maneuvers over the positions of the Azerbaijani Armed Forces in the occupied territories of Azerbaijan after the Paris meeting of the heads of state in November 2014, is a vivid example of Armenia's grossly violating its obligations and its hypocrisy.

"The exercises presently conducted by the Azerbaijani Armed Forces in sovereign territories are in line with the Vienna Document 2011 of the OSCE," Hajiyev said.

In accordance with the plan approved by the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces Ilham Aliyev, the large-scale exercises with the participation of various military branches, formations and military units of Azerbaijani Army started on March 12.

The exercises involved up to 25,000 military personnel, up to 250 tanks and other armored vehicles, up to 1,000 missiles and artillery systems of different caliber, multiple launch rocket systems and mortars, up to 50 army and front-line aviation.Baku, Azerbaijan, March 12

Trend:

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev has signed an order on measures to improve the provision of irrigation water to sown areas and meet the population's drinking water needs.

Under the order, 21 million manats will be allocated from the state budget to the OJSC Melioration and Water Economy of Azerbaijan to design and drill subartezian wells to improve the supply of irrigation water to 8,740 hectares of sown areas in 248 settlements, 38 cities and districts with a population of about 597,000 people, as well as to meet the needs of irrigated soil in irrigation water, as well as the population's drinking water needs.

The Cabinet of Ministers is instructed to resolve issues arising from the order and the Finance Ministry is tasked to provide financing indicated in the order.Baku, Azerbaijan, March 12

Trend:

The OSCE Parliamentary Assembly will observe the presidential election in Azerbaijan proceeding from an unbiased and neutral position, OSCE PA President George Tsereteli said during a meeting with Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov in Baku on March 12.

The sides discussed issues of cooperation between the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly and Azerbaijan. They stressed importance of constructive dialogue and development of ties in the spirit of mutual understanding.

Tsereteli expressed confidence that the holding of the first international session of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly's Silk Road Support Group in Baku would make a significant contribution to strengthening of the cooperation. The active participation of the Azerbaijani delegation in the work of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly and the initiative to develop cooperation was positively assessed.

During the meeting, the sides exchanged views on the negotiation process conducted with the mediation of the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs for the settlement of the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

Mammadyarov stressed that attempts to change the internationally recognized borders of states with the use of force are unacceptable. The minister said that the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict should be resolved within the internationally recognized territorial integrity and sovereignty of Azerbaijan on the basis of the relevant resolutions of the UN Security Council and the Helsinki Final Act.

At the meeting, the sides also touched upon the forthcoming presidential election in Azerbaijan. Mammadyarov stressed that the election will be held in a free, fair, transparent and democratic atmosphere and will reflect the will of the people of Azerbaijan. The minister noted that the Central Election Commission (CEC) is professionally performing preparatory work for the upcoming election.

The sides exchanged views on the prospects for development of relations between Azerbaijan and the OSCE PA, the issues on the OSCE agenda.Baku, Azerbaijan, March 12

Trend:

President of the Montenegrin Parliament Ivan Brajovic has arrived in Azerbaijan to participate in the First International Silk Road Support Group Conference.

First deputy chairman of the Azerbaijani parliament, Ziyafat Asgarov, and other officials welcomed Brajovic at the Heydar Aliyev International Airport.

As Azerbaijan is located at the crossroads of Europe and Asia, Baku has initiated the creation of the Silk Road Support Group.

The Silk Road Support Group is aimed at promoting the development of transport corridors, facilitating trade and transport procedures, free and safe movement of people, goods, services and investments.Baku, Azerbaijan, March 12

Trend:

The Ministry of Education of the Republic of Belarus and the delegation of the leading universities of this country, which was on a visit to Azerbaijan, atteded the UNEC.

The rector of UNEC, professor Adalat Muradov gave the detailed information to the guests about the largest economics university of the South Caucasus. The rector noted that, the UNEC was progressing in global rankings and spoke about the dual award program realized with the leading universities of the world, the achievements gained in the field of inclusive education, and the electronization of reception for foreign students.

In the meeting, the represenatatives of the Belarusian State Economic University, the Gomel State Technical University named after Sukhoi, the Belarusian State University of Informatics and Radioelectronics, the Grodno State University named after Yanka Kupala, the Polotsk State University, Grodno State Agrarian University, the Belarusian National Technical University and the Belarusian State University gave the detailed information on the higher education institutions they worked for.

The guests expressed their satisfaction with being at UNEC and noted that they were pleased to observe the new model of economic education at the State Economic University. They, emphasizing the necessity of expanding the coopertaion with the Belarusian higher education institutions in this area, underlined that they were interested in studying the UNEC experience.

The different directions of coopertaion were discussed at the meeting.Baku, Azerbaijan, March 12

By Gulgiz Muradova  Trend:

The UK and Azerbaijan enjoy strong bilateral political and commercial relations, UK Prime Ministers Trade Envoy Baroness Emma Nicholson said in an exclusive interview with Trend.

"The UK is one of the largest investors in Azerbaijan and there are more than 500 UK companies based in Baku. BP is the largest foreign investor in Azerbaijan and has helped the Azerbaijani Government transform their economy, establishing a solid foundation to build business success," she said.

Baroness Nicholson stressed that over the past two years, the bilateral relations have been made even stronger with the establishment of a Joint Intergovernmental Commission (JIC) between the two countries and a UK-Azerbaijan Partnership Program in the Oil and Gas Sector.

She noted that this has resulted in 27 new collaborations being formed between UK and Azerbaijan companies.

"Both Azerbaijan and the UK are keen to build on this and spread into other sectors. Following my most recent visit to Azerbaijan in February 2018, I will be taking forward a number of initiatives, including collaboration in health, agriculture, space, aviation and tax reform," Baroness Nicholson said.

Baroness Nicholson said that at the last meeting of the JIC in December 2017, there was a push to broaden the UK-Azerbaijan trade collaboration in a number of sectors.

"The UK is supporting these efforts by increasing the UK Export Finance offer from 1.8 billion to 2.8 billion this year, helping ensure no viable export business fails due to a lack of finance. The oil and gas sector is significant in Azerbaijan and the UK is fully supportive of BPs operations and the energy sector in the country. The UK Department for International Trade runs a Partnership Program in the sector, which is helping create joint ventures and new business opportunities. We are also looking at opportunities in the renewable sector, including wind power, solar, and hydro," she said.

Asked about cooperation between the two countries after Brexit, she said the bilateral relations will continue to develop.

"Post-Brexit, I see our relationship continue to develop as the UK builds ties around the world. The Caspian region is one area of great opportunity as Azerbaijan makes the most of its strategic geographic position, energy resources and transport links," Baroness Nicholson said.

In conclusion, Baroness Nicholson also touched on the Southern Gas Corridor project, noting that it will contribute significantly to the regions and Europes overall energy security and supply.

---

Follow the author on Twitter: @GulgizD

Subscribers of Trend News Agency can read this and other exclusive materials before they are published in open access.

More information on Trends news products can be found here.Baku, Azerbaijan, March 12

By Fikret Dolukhanov  Trend:

Uzbek Uzpromstroybank and Tajik Orionbank signed a $20-million agreement during the official visit of Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev to Tajikistan on March 9, 2018, the press office of the Uzbek bank announced.

The Uzbek bank signed the Interbank agreements on establishment of correspondent relations in the US dollars and Euros with Tajik Amonatbonk, Orionbank and Eskhatabank in order to strengthen the cooperation and further develop and improve the interbank accounting system.

According to the information, an agreement on cooperation in trade financing, which provides for funding of deals concerning goods and services export from Uzbekistan to Tajikistan, has also been signed.

A credit line will be opened to implement the trade financing projects, aimed at increasing the export of goods and services from Uzbekistan in various spheres, such as textile, construction materials production, food, household chemicals, agricultural production, electric appliances, automobile and chemical production etc.

The Tajik entrepreneurs will be able to use the credit line from Orionbank to sign import agreements with Uzbek exporters.

The Uzpromstroybank is currently an only bank in Uzbekistan to sign such agreements with the three leading banks of Tajikistan.Baku, Azerbaijan, March 12

By Ali Mustafayev  Trend:

Air Astana, the national carrier of Kazakhstan, will launch a new direct flight between Atyrau and Frankfurt on 26th March, 2018, the press service of Air Astana said in a message.

The new service will be operated twice a week on Mondays and Fridays using Airbus A321 aircraft in a two-class layout with 28 Business Class and 151 Economy Class seats.

The flight time from Atyrau to Frankfurt (KC947) is 5 hours.

The new AtyrauFrankfurt route will be operated under a codeshare agreement with Lufthansa, marking an extension of the cooperation between Air Astana and the German flag carrier.

We are delighted to announce the launch of our new AtyrauFrankfurt service, which we believe will bring greater travel convenience to our valued corporate customers operating in the region. The city of Atyrau, where the boundaries of Europe and Asia meet at the Ural Bridge, is especially important for the hydro-carbon sector, said Richard Ledger, VP Marketing and Sales, Air Astana.

Were also very excited to expand our codeshare agreement with Lufthansa, which will enable passengers to connect across the Lufthansa global flight network.

Since March 2017, when the codeshare Agreement was initially launched on the route between Astana and Frankfurt, Air Astana have operated flights into Terminal 1 at Frankfurt, easing connectivity and transfer times between the two airlines.

AtyrauFrankfurt is the third direct service offered by Air Astana between Frankfurt and Kazakhstan, complementing the existing daily services from Astana and weekly service from Uralsk. The carrier offers an additional seven connections between Almaty and Frankfurt through its codeshare agreement on Lufthansa operated services.Baku, Azerbaijan, March 12

By Maksim Tsurkov  Trend:

Azerbaijan Railways CJSC has started the next stage of work as part of overhaul of the Baku-Boyuk Kasik railway, the company said in a message March 12.

The message says that the overhaul of the railway track at the Boyuk Kasik station and the 5.7-km long Boyuk Kasik-Gardabani section has started today.

It is expected that the repair work will last for a week.

The project to overhaul the 600-km Baku-Boyuk Kasik railway was launched in October 2015. Some 470 kilometers of the railway have been overhauled so far.

The additional agreement to the export contract for the implementation of the second stage of the reconstruction project of the Azerbaijani railways was signed with the Czech company MORAVIA STEEL. The contract envisages material and technical supply and overhaul of 600 kilometers of the Baku-Boyuk Kasik railway.Brussels, Belgium, March 12

By Leman Zeynalova  Trend:

The signing of an aviation agreement between Azerbaijan and the EU will take place after the restructuring of the Azerbaijan Airlines (AZAL), Azerbaijans Deputy Foreign Minister Mahmud Mammad-Guliyev told Trend.

He was speaking March 12 on the sidelines of an event dedicated to the launch of the new institutional set-up of the Eastern Partnership (EaP) initiative.

The preparation for signing the aviation agreement is almost complete, he said.

Creation of a common aviation area is an initiative of the European Commission and aims to open and integrate aviation markets. This will lead to new opportunities for consumers and operators, and, most importantly, to high standards in terms of flight safety as well as air traffic management.Baku, Azerbaijan, March 12

By Ilkin Shafiyev - Trend:

The chambers of commerce and industry of Azerbaijan and India, the National Confederation of Entrepreneurs (Employers) Organizations of Azerbaijan, and the Azerbaijan Export and Investment Promotion Foundation (AZPROMO) will sign a memorandum of understanding on March 13, Indian Ambassador to Baku Sanjay Rana said at a press conference March 12.

The document, aimed at expanding and strengthening economic and trade ties as well as business relations between the two countries, will be signed as part of a business forum, the ambassador added.

In turn, the Secretary General of the Indian Commerce and Industry Chamber Saurabh Sanyal noted that Azerbaijan and India need to expand trade turnover. In 2017, this figure was $462 million, but the figure does not correspond to the available potential, he said.

According to the Azerbaijani State Customs Committee, the trade turnover with India in 2017 amounted to $462.5 million. The export from Azerbaijan to India over the past year amounted to $365.5 million. The legal framework between the countries includes more than 20 documents.Baku, Azerbaijan, March 12

By Rufiz Hafizoglu  Trend:

Turkey has no contract with Russia on meat imports, Turkey's Minister of Food, Agriculture and Livestock Ahmet Esref Fakibaba said, Turkish media reported on March 12.

He made the remarks commenting on Russian Agriculture Minister Alexander Tkachev's statement that export of Russian meat, milk and fish to Turkey can be launched in the near future.

Fakibaba said his ministry did not negotiate with Russia on the meat import.

Previously, Tkachev told TASS that the Russian side expects Turkey to make a decision in the near future on admission of Russian meat and dairy and fish products to its market.

Tkachev added that the Russian agriculture watchdog Rosselkhoznadzor is constantly in contact with Turkish colleagues on this issue and expressed hope that soon the Russian products will enter the Turkish market and will be "appreciated by consumers".

According to the data from Turkey's Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Livestock, presently, Turkey imports animals from countries such as Austria, Croatia, Estonia, Hungary, Bulgaria, Greece and Romania.

---

Follow the author on Twitter: @rhafizogluBaku, Azerbaijan, March 12

By Ilkin Shafiyev - Trend:

Indian companies are interested in establishing joint ventures with Azerbaijan in the field of pharmaceutics, Indian Ambassador to Azerbaijan Sanjay Rana said at a press conference in Baku March 12.

India is famous for its pharmaceutical industry. Indian companies are interested in opening joint ventures in the field of pharmaceutics, in particular in the territory of the Pirallahi Industrial Park, the diplomat noted.

He said that negotiations are already underway today in order to establish such an enterprise in Azerbaijan by Indias Sun Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. and Azerbaijans Gilan Holding.

Presently, a number of plants for production of pharmaceutical products are being created in the Pirallahi Industrial Park. Among them are the joint Azerbaijani-Russian and Azerbaijani-Iranian plants. Also, Ukraine and Belarus expressed interest in setting up joint pharma ventures.

The Pirallahi Industrial Park was created by the presidential order in September 2016 and specializes in the production of pharmaceutical products. Here, as in other industrial parks, investors are released from various taxes and customs duties for seven years.Baku, Azerbaijan, March 12

By Ilkin Shafiyev - Trend:

Azerbaijan and India are discussing the opening of direct flights, Indian Ambassador to Baku Sanjay Rana said at a press conference March 12.

He said that on March 13, a delegation from India will arrive in Baku to conduct negotiations with Azerbaijan Airlines CJSC.

Direct flights will help to increase the tourist flow between the two countries and develop business relations, he said.

Negotiations in this direction are being held, however, only at the initial level, the diplomat noted.

Previously, Rana said in an interview with Trend that the possibility of launching commercial flights is being discussed with entrepreneurs.

This, of course, will depend on the development of inexpensive tariffs in accordance with the needs of tourists, said Rana.Baku, Azerbaijan, March 12

By Rufiz Hafizoglu  Trend:

Turkey is setting up its international ratings agency, Head of the Turkish Banking Regulation and Supervision Authority (BDDK) Mehmet Ali Akben said, Turkish media reported on March 12.

Akben said that no exact date is set for the creation of the agency, but it is expected that the agency will be created within this year.

He noted that the establishment of a ratings agency in Turkey is a necessity.

Akben further said that the Turkish ratings agency may be created by various Turkish financial companies, as well as the Association of Turkish Banks (TBB).

---

Follow the author on Twitter: @rhafizogluDetails added (18:07)

Baku, Azerbaijan, March 12

By Ilkin Shafiyev - Trend:

Indian companies are interested in establishing joint ventures with Azerbaijan in the field of pharmaceutics, Indian Ambassador to Azerbaijan Sanjay Rana said at a press conference in Baku March 12.

India is famous for its pharmaceutical industry. Indian companies are interested in opening joint ventures in the field of pharmaceutics, in particular in the territory of the Pirallahi Industrial Park, the diplomat noted.

He said that negotiations are already underway today in order to establish such an enterprise in Azerbaijan by Indias Sun Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. and Azerbaijans Gilan Holding.

Presently, a number of plants for production of pharmaceutical products are being created in the Pirallahi Industrial Park. Among them are the joint Azerbaijani-Russian and Azerbaijani-Iranian plants. Also, Ukraine and Belarus expressed interest in setting up joint pharma ventures.

The Pirallahi Industrial Park was created by the presidential order in September 2016 and specializes in the production of pharmaceutical products. Here, as in other industrial parks, investors are released from various taxes and customs duties for seven years.Baku, Azerbaijan, March 12

By Ali Mustafayev  Trend:

Azerbaijan is a vital link in the East-West corridor and Romania is very interested in taking part in the multilateral arrangements aimed at facilitating cargo flows between Central Asia and Europe through Azerbaijan, Member of Parliament of Romania, President of Azerbaijan-Romania Parliamentary Friendship Group Victor Paul Dobre told Trend.

"Azerbaijan plays an important role in strengthening Europes energy security through the construction of the Southern Gas Corridor. This project will provide new opportunities for cooperation of Romania and Azerbaijan; in future Caspian gas could reach also Central Europe via Romania. At the same time, I would like to mention another positive factor for the development of concrete projects - the presence of SOCAR in the Romanian distribution market, said Dobre.

On our side, we have an excellent entry point in the Port of Constantza, both in terms of capacities and connectivity, to the European markets. Further on, I think we should pay more attention to developing bilateral projects in areas with great potential, such as agriculture, communications, tourism or the IT sector, where Romania has world leading specialists."

Dobre added that Azerbaijan and Romania have excellent relations, based on traditional friendship, trust and mutual respect.

As you know, Romania has been the first EU Member State to establish a Strategic Partnership with Azerbaijan in 2009. This has provided us with a solid framework to develop the bilateral contacts and cooperation in various fields  political, economic, cultural and educational, and the people-to-people contacts. Moreover, we share the same interests when it comes to projects with strategic relevance, such as energy and transportation, said Dobre.Baku, Azerbaijan, March 12

By Anvar Mammadov - Trend:

The first private credit bureau in Azerbaijan has completed the process of signing bilateral agreements with the country's banks and non-banking credit organizations (NBCO), the bureau said on Monday.

These agreements cover the rules of transfer of credit history to the bureau and its further use. Thus, the bureau started information exchange with credit organizations since March 6.

Along with credit organizations, bilateral agreements on cooperation were also signed with 21 insurance and one reinsurance company operating in Azerbaijan.

In the near future, these companies will also be able to use the services of the bureau.

Last December, Azerbaijani banking market participants made a decision to create Azerbaijan Credit Bureau LLC. Chairman of the Board of the International Bank of Azerbaijan Khalid Ahadov was elected Chairman of the Supervisory Board of the Azerbaijan Credit Bureau.

The founders of the Azerbaijan Credit Bureau LLC are the International Bank of Azerbaijan, Bank Respublika, Xalq Bank, Kapital Bank, PASHA Bank, Rabitabank, Unibank and Ziraat Bank Azerbaijan.

The private credit bureau will contain more information than the Centralized Credit Registry and cover a bigger number of borrowers. The bureau will receive information not only from banks, but also from insurance and leasing companies, mobile communication operators, etc.Details added (17:08)

Baku, Azerbaijan, March 12

By Ilkin Shafiyev - Trend:

The chambers of commerce and industry of Azerbaijan and India, the National Confederation of Entrepreneurs (Employers) Organizations of Azerbaijan, and the Azerbaijan Export and Investment Promotion Foundation (AZPROMO) will sign a memorandum of understanding on March 13, Indian Ambassador to Baku Sanjay Rana said at a press conference March 12.

The document, aimed at expanding and strengthening economic and trade ties as well as business relations between the two countries, will be signed as part of a business forum, the ambassador added.

In turn, the Secretary General of the Indian Commerce and Industry Chamber Saurabh Sanyal noted that Azerbaijan and India need to expand trade turnover. In 2017, this figure was $462 million, but the figure does not correspond to the available potential, he said.

According to the Azerbaijani State Customs Committee, the trade turnover with India in 2017 amounted to $462.5 million. The export from Azerbaijan to India over the past year amounted to $365.5 million. The legal framework between the countries includes more than 20 documents..    -            12-15 ,   PA,  ,    COVID-19         .          ;  ,   ,         ...Baku, Azerbaijan, March 17

By Ilkin Shafiyev  Trend:

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) will support the implementation of projects within the public-private partnership in Azerbaijan, Head of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) Azerbaijan Office Nariman Mannapbekov said in an interview with Trend and Azernews.

There are many public-sector projects which can be quite beneficial to the economy; and there are also plenty of private-sector projects which can also contribute to the economic development with no debt burden to the State, he said. In this respect, the government is rightly aiming at addressing the current infrastructure bottlenecks via public-sector investments while taking measures to create conducive environment for private sector participation in large infrastructure projects.

The State can support projects with the external financing if it sees the clear end results with the win-win outcome, he said. For example, the ADB-funded power distribution project helps to: (i) reduce the technical and commercial losses in the network; (ii) increase the collection rate; (iii) lessen the fiscal burden and strengthen the financial sustainability of the distribution company including improvement of corporate governance and transparency; (iv) foster innovation through new technologies; (v) meet countrys growing energy needs for inclusive development, especially in secondary cities and rural areas. ADB can continue the support of the second phase of this project and other projects with the multiple wins.

ADB was founded in 1966 and 67 states are its members. The banks headquarters is located in Manila, Philippines.

Azerbaijan became an ADB member in 1999. The country's share in the bank's capital is 0.5 percent.Baku, Azerbaijan, March 12

By Maksim Tsurkov  Trend:

OPEC Secretary General Mohammad Barkindo will pay an official visit to Azerbaijan at the end of this week, the Azerbaijani Energy Ministry told Trend March 12.

The visit is scheduled for March 17-19, the ministry said.

As part of the visit, it is planned to discuss issues of current relations between Azerbaijan and OPEC, strengthening of cooperation with the organization within the framework of the OPEC+ agreement, as well as a closer format of cooperation between OPEC and non-OPEC countries, one of the initiators of which was Azerbaijan. In general, OPEC itself has a great interest in getting better acquainted with Azerbaijan, the ministry added.

In general, this is the second visit of OPEC leader to Azerbaijan. The first visit took place in 2011.Baku, Azerbaijan, March 12

By Maksim Tsurkov  Trend:

Norwegian Subsea 7 S.A. company has announced the award of a substantial contract by BP Exploration for the provision of subsea inspection, repair and maintenance (IRM) services on both the Azeri-Chirag-Gunashli (ACG) and Shah Deniz (SD) fields, offshore Azerbaijan, the company said in a message March 12.

Under the terms of this five year agreement, the scope of work comprises the provision of a Life of Field support vessel, capable of performing inspection, survey, intervention, light subsea construction, surface diving and emergency response services, according to the message.

The Life of field support vessel will be supported by a Baku based onshore project management and engineering team, the message said.

Services will begin in March 2018 with a project team located in Baku and additional specialist support being provided from i-Tech Services operations centre in Aberdeen, the message noted.

Subsea 7 defines a substantial contract as being between $150 million and $300 million, according to the message.

BP is the largest foreign investor in Azerbaijan's oil and gas sector and the operator of the Azeri-Chirag-Gunashli offshore oil and gas block, as well as the Shah Deniz gas and condensate field.

BP is also a participant of such pipeline projects as the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan and South Caucasus Pipeline.

A contract for developing the ACG field was signed in 1994. A ceremony to sign a new contract on development of the ACG block of oil and gas fields was held in Baku Sept. 14, 2017.

The new ACG participating interests are as follows: BP - 30.37 percent; AzACG (SOCAR) - 25 percent; Chevron - 9.57 percent; INPEX - 9.31 percent; Statoil - 7.27 percent; ExxonMobil - 6.79 percent; TP - 5.73 percent; ITOCHU - 3.65 percent; ONGC Videsh Limited (OVL) - 2.31 percent.

A contract for development of the Shah Deniz offshore field was signed on June 4, 1996. The field's reserve is estimated at 1.2 trillion cubic meters of gas.

The shareholders in the contract are: BP, operator (28.8 percent), AzSD (10 percent), SGC Upstream (6.7 percent), Petronas (15.5 percent), Lukoil (10 percent), NICO (10 percent) and TPAO (19 percent).Baku, Azerbaijan, March 12

Trend:

The first Islamic bank will start working in Tajikistan in 2018, TajikTA news agency reported.

The first Islamic bank will work this year in Tajikistan. The issues of expanding the operations of the International Islamic Trade Finance Corporation (ITFC) in the financial market of Tajikistan were discussed at a meeting of Deputy Chairman of the National Bank of Tajikistan Sirojiddin Ikromi with the director of an ITFC department Nazem Normali, says the report.

It was noted at the meeting that the main goal of ITFC is to support trade cooperation between the countries of the Organization of the Islamic Conference, to provide assistance and financial intermediation to companies in commercial financing.

Sirojiddin Ikromi said that currently, the National Bank of Tajikistan is speeding up the process of introducing the Islamic banking system; in particular, regulatory legal acts are being developed on the issue of licensing for the activities of Islamic credit organizations.Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, March 12

By Huseyn Hasanov  Trend:

President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov discussed topical issues of cooperation with his Afghan counterpart Mohammad Ashraf Ghani in a phone conversation, the Turkmen government said in a message March 12.

The two presidents noted the high dynamics of expanding cooperation in multilateral format  in international organizations and regional structures.

Afghanistans president said that construction of the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI) gas pipeline, the transportation and communication projects initiated by Ashgabat will be a valuable contribution to the peaceful settlement of the situation in Afghanistan and the sustainable social and economic development of the entire region.

It was noted that construction of the Afghan section of the TAPI gas pipeline, which started in February, will give a powerful momentum to the economic development of Afghanistan and will contribute to the strengthening of peace and stability.

Presidents of Turkmenistan and Afghanistan exchanged views on a number of regional and international issues of mutual interest.

Turkmen leader congratulated Mohammad Ashraf Ghani on the adoption of a resolution extending the mandate of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan. Under the document, members of the UN Security Council supported regional projects for Afghanistans development, including the construction of TAPI and the Kerki-Ymamnazar-Akina railway, which is the starting segment of the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Tajikistan corridor.

The above-mentioned projects also include the construction of an international power transmission line and fiber-optic communications.

Turkmenistans biggest field Galkynysh will be the raw materials source for the TAPI project, the implementation of which started in December 2015.

Turkmen gas will help meet the growing energy consumption in India and Pakistan, where the demand may increase twofold until 2030. Also Turkmen gas will help eliminate the permanent deficit of energy resources in the transit country, Afghanistan.Baku, Azerbaijan, March 12

By Fikret Dolukhanov  Trend:

Tashkent, the Uzbek capital, will host the Cooperation between Uzbekistan and the European Union: Future Visions round table, Uzbek media reported.

According to the information, the round table is aimed at discussing prospective and priority spheres for development of cooperation between Uzbekistan and the EU within the framework of the EUs new Strategy on Cooperation with the Central Asian states.

The event is organized by the Institute for Strategic and Regional Studies under the President of Uzbekistan, the delegation of the EU and the Uzbek representative office of the Friedrich Ebert Foundation.

During the meeting, the sides will discuss new ideas and initiatives on further strengthening the mutually beneficial and multidirectional cooperation between Uzbekistan and the EUs key institutions.Baku, Azerbaijan, March 12

By Fikret Dolukhanov  Trend:

Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev will visit Kazakhstan this week, the Uzbek president's press secretary Aydos Ukibay said in a Facebook post.

Mirziyoyev and Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev will attend an opening ceremony of the Uzbek Year in Kazakhstan.

The presidents will also attend concerts of national artists, Ukibay said.

A big Uzbek delegation of about 190 people, including representatives of the Culture Ministry, Arts Academy and the Khunarmand folk-art association, will participate in the opening ceremony. An arts and crafts exhibition is also planned to be held.Tehran, Iran, March 12

By Kamyar Eghbalnejad  Trend:

Iran plans to increase the value of its exports of date to $1 billion over the next five years, an official told Trend.

The head of the National Association of Iran's Dates, Mohsen Rashid-Farrokhi, has told Trend that dates will replace pistachio in exports in the future. The decision is made due to water shortage in the country.

Saying that Iran over the last year produced 1.2 million tons of dates, he said that the country exported worth of $350 million of the product.

Over the first ten months of the current fiscal year (starting March 20) Iran exported 109,000 tons of pistachios worth of $972 million.

The value of total agricultural exports of Iran hit $4.542 billion during the 10-month period.The agricultural products shared 4.5 percent of Irans overall non-oil exports in terms of volume and 12.3 percent in terms of value.Baku, Azerbaijan, March 12

By Gazenfer Hamidov  Trend:

Iran's Petrochemical Research and Technology Company (PRTC) signed a deal with the French multinational company Air Liquide for production of propylene from methanol.

Under the deal, the Iranian side will share ownership of the license with Air Liquide in manufacturing the methanol through MTP technology, the National Petrochemical Company (NPC) said.

Methanol-to-Propylene (MTP) is an on-purpose technology for producing propylene from methanol, independently of the original feedstock. The technology offers clients low cash costs, and its propylene product can be used as feedstock for a variety of petrochemical processes.

The contract is aimed at building an MTP unit in Iran to produce propylene under the brand of PARS MTP.

Managing Director of PRTC Esmaeil Qanbari said that under the contract the two sides will bring together their latest scientific and technological achievements in the production of propylene from methanol.

In previous such deals, Iran had no role in ownership of petrochemical licenses.

Under the international sanctions which ended in 2016, the PRTC developed MTP know-how and built Iran's first MTP pilot plant in southwestern Mahshahr county.

NPC signed a deal with Lurgi for acquisition of MTP know-how and the related licenses but the company severed its ties with Iran under the sanctions. However following the implementation of the nuclear deal between Tehran and the six world powers, the Germany company returned to Iran to hunt out investment and cooperation opportunities.Baku, Azerbaijan, March 12

By Khalid Kazimov  Trend:

The Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC) has neutralized a "suicide car bomb blast attempt" in the southeastern Iranian city of Saravn.

The car bomb was to be detonated near the IRGC base in the countrys eastern frontier area, Tasnim news agency reported.

Two terrorists were killed in the car during the confrontation last night, and another suicide bomber blew himself up, the report added.

According to the report, the suicide bombers planned to hit the IRGC base in the region.

Two security forces guards sustained injuries following the attack.Baku, Azerbaijan, March 12

By Ilkin Shafiyev - Trend:

Azerbaijan has all the opportunities to increase share of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the GDP structure up to 50 percent , Azerbaijani MP Rufat Guliyev told Trend.

"According to statistics, the share of SMEs in the gross domestic product of the EU, the US and Japan ranges from 55 percent to 70 percent. In Azerbaijan, this figure is at a lower level today. However, I believe that it is possible to bring the specific share of SMEs up to 50 percent of GDP," Guliyev said.

He said that presently, the Center for Simplified Support to Family Businesses (ABAD) and the self-employment program are making a big contribution to the development of SMEs in Azerbaijan.

"These projects are very important not only for development of the business sector, but also for increasing the employment of the population in the regions. As a result of the work done, 33 regions of Azerbaijan have already achieved self-financing," he said.

The State Statistics Committee of Azerbaijan reported that the number of business entities registered in Azerbaijan exceeded 880,000, while the share of the private sector in the employment structure exceeds 75 percent.

According to the Strategic Road Map of Azerbaijan, the share of small and medium-sized businesses in the country's GDP is planned to increase to 15 percent until 2020, and to 35 percent - until 2025. After 2025, this figure is expected to increase to 60 percent.

As of Jan.1, 2016, the share of small and medium-sized businesses in the country's GDP was four percent.Georgian President Giorgi Margvelasvili has left to the United States (US) capital of Washington, Agenda reports.

After his recent visit to Brussels, Belgium where Margvelashvili met with top European politicians, he will now discuss Georgias integration into NATO and security issues concerning Georgia.

Prior to his departure to the US, President Margevlashvili had an opportunity to exchange opinions over national and regional security issues with US Congressmen and Senators in Brussels.

Margvelashvili asked US politicians to pay special attention to discussing Georgian issues at the upcoming NATO summit.

During his visit to the US, Margvelashvili will participate in the US-Georgia Partnership conference, meet with representatives of the Atlantic Council,m the National Democratic Institute (NDI), the International Republican Institute (IRI), deliver a public lecture at the Georgetown University, join in a round table discussion at the Hudson University and deliver a speech at the Heritage Foundation.

President Margvelashvili has also scheduled a meeting with the Georgian diaspora in Washington.

Margvelashvilis working visit to the US will end on March 16.Chinas banking regulator said on Monday it will broaden tools for commercial banks to replenish their capital to boost their ability to support economic growth, Reuters reports.

The China Banking Regulatory Commission (CBRC) is amending rules for commercial banks to issue perpetual bonds, convertible capital instruments, and other innovative loss-absorbing debt instruments, it said in an online statement.

The move will increase banks ability to deal with external shocks, the CBRC added.France will commit 700 million euros to the International Solar Alliance (ISA), President Emmanuel Macron said on Sunday at the founding conference of the organization, reiterating the European countrys commitment to the alliance and clean energy, Reuters reported.

ISA is an inter-governmental organization that aims to mobilize $1 trillion in funds for future solar generation, storage and technology across the world. It has 60 signatories, with 30 of those countries having ratified the agreement.

The treaty-based organization, launched by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2015, aims to promote solar energy in 121 countries.

Speaking at the conference, Macron said France was more than tripling its commitment to the alliance, and its total monetary contribution to the alliance stood at one billion euros.

Other than leaders from member countries, the event was attended by leaders from major development banks such as the Asian Development Bank and African Development Bank who are expected to sign solar energy-related agreements.The organizations main goal is to lower the cost of finance and spur investments across the supply chain, including in manufacturing, project development and storage, Upendra Tripathy, director general of ISA, told Reuters ahead of the conference on Friday.

Macron, traveling with a delegation of French companies including EDF, Dassault Aviation, Schneider Electric and Suez, will inaugurate a solar plant built by Engie in Uttar Pradesh as a part of a four-day tour of India.International charity ships and Libyas coastguard and picked up several hundred migrants on Saturday as smugglers trying to take advantage of calm seas launched a flurry of boats towards Italy, Reuters reported.

Libyan coastguard vessels intercepted three migrant boats, the first an inflatable dinghy that had broken down with 125 people on board off Zawiya, just west of the capital, Tripoli, said Ayoub Qassem, a coastguard spokesman.

The second boat was turned back off Garabulli, east of Tripoli, and had 112 people on board, while a third boat with 98 migrants on board was intercepted off Abu Kamash, near Libyas border with Tunisia.

One boat with more than 100 migrants on board made it as far as the Aquarius rescue ship about 21 miles from the coast to the west of Tripoli. The ship was preparing to transfer the migrants to Italy.

Rescuers on board the Aquarius said the migrant boat was on the verge of completely sinking when it reached them. More than half the migrants on it were Nigerians, with the rest from other sub-Saharan African countries as well as two Palestinians.

All but one of the five balloons holding the boat up was either completely deflated or deflating and there were still about 120 people inside the boat, so a very, very precarious condition, said one of the rescuers, Max Avis.

Libya is the main departure point for migrants attempting to reach Europe by sea. More than 600,000 migrants have crossed the central Mediterranean to Italy over the past four years as people smugglers took advantage of a security vacuum in Libya. Thousands more perished at sea.

Since last summer the rate of departures dropped sharply after smugglers in the Libyan town of Sabratha struck a deal with the Tripoli government to halt their activities and were then pushed from the town by rival armed groups.

Libyas EU-backed coastguard has also stepped up interceptions, often cutting migrant boats off before they can reach international vessels that would bring them to Europe.

Two other groups of migrants were transferred to the Aquarius late on Saturday, including 62 who had been picked up by a merchant ship in offshore oil fields and 106 others from another charity vessel.

Meanwhile the coastguard in Zuwara, a former Libyan smuggling hub west of Zawiya, said they had foiled a departure during the night and arrested some migrants whilst others had escaped with smugglers.At least 44 pro-Islamic State militants were killed and 26 more were wounded when Philippine soldiers shelled positions held by the rebels in southern Maguindanao province, the army said on Sunday, Reuters reported.

The fighting, initially with about 50 members of the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF), broke out in a remote village in Datu Saudi Ampatuan town from Thursday morning and lasted the following day, said Lt. Col. Gerry Besana.

A soldier was slightly wounded, the army said in a separate statement.

The number of BIFF members killed and wounded was based on intelligence information, Besana said. The military did not recover any enemy bodies, he said.

Besana said the military launched artillery attacks with air support as the number of BIFF fighters had risen to about one hundred during the fighting.

The military classifies the BIFF, which it said has about 300 members, as a terrorist organization, along with the Abu Sayyaf and Maute groups.

Seventy were killed and injured (on the BIFF side), we are still pursuing about 200 more, Besana said, adding that the clash had displaced about 500 families.

The militants in southern Philippines were regrouping, retraining and recruiting new members for another attack elsewhere after occupying the southern city of Marawi for five months last year, according to the army.Baku, Azerbaijan, March 12

By Rufiz Hafizoglu  Trend:

Since the beginning of the Operation Olive Branch, 3,347 terrorists have been killed in Syrias Afrin, the Turkish General Staff said in a message March 12.

In particular, 56 terrorists have been recently killed in Afrin.

On Jan. 20, the Turkish Armed Forces, together with the Free Syrian Army, launched the Operation Olive Branch in Afrin, Syria.

---

Follow the author on Twitter: @rhafizogluBaku, Azerbaijan, March 12

By Rufiz Hafizoglu  Trend:

Regional issues will be discussed during the visit of Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu to Moscow, the Turkish Foreign Ministry said in a message on March 12.

Cavusoglu's visit to Moscow is scheduled for March 12-14.

During the visit, the foreign minister will participate in the sixth meeting of the joint strategic planning group of Russia and Turkey.

Cavusoglu is also expected to attend the opening of the international exhibition of leisure and travel, which will be held in Moscow on March 14-16.

---

Follow the author on Twitter: @rhafizogluBaku, Azerbaijan, March 12

By Rufiz Hafizoglu  Trend:

Turkey sent a commission to Iran to investigate causes of the crash of a private jet on March 11, the Transport, Maritime Affairs and Communications Ministry of Turkey said in a message on March 12.

The commission includes seven specialists, three of whom are employees of the Disaster and Emergency Management Presidency (AFAD) of Turkey.

"Bodies of the dead will be delivered to Turkey in the near future," the ministry said.

A private Turkish plane traveling from Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates to Istanbul disappeared from the radar at 17:40 on March 11. Eight passengers and three crew members were on board the plane belonging to Turkish firm Basaran Holding. The aircraft crashed in a mountainous area in western Iran and caught fire after the crash. Later, a representative of the Emergency Situations Office of Iran reported about the death of all passengers and crew.Baku, Azerbaijan, March 12

By Rufiz Hafizoglu  Trend:

The Turkish armed forces are preparing for the complete encirclement of the center of the Syrian Afrin district, Turkish media reported on March 12 referring to military sources.

Reportedly, an area of 1,100 square kilometers in the Syrian district of Afrin were liberated terrorists as part of the Operation Olive Branch.

Today, the Turkish Armed Forces, together with the Free Syrian Army, liberated five more settlements as part of the Operation Olive Branch in Syrias Afrin,.

Turkish media reported that the Turkish Armed Forces and the FSA are located in the south-eastern part of the region, 1.5 kilometers from the center of Afrin.

Media reports that the PYD and YPG terrorists prevent the civilian population from leaving the city.

On Jan. 20, the Turkish Armed Forces, together with the Free Syrian Army, launched the Operation Olive Branch in Afrin, Syria.

Earlier, Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim announced that about 8,000-10,000 PYD/YPG terrorists are supposed to be hiding in Afrin.

Turkey began drawing its military to the Syrian border from late June 2017. The forces were being concentrated in Turkish Kilis Province bordering Syrian territory controlled by YPG/PYD.

On Aug. 24, 2016, Turkish Armed Forces, with the support of the Syrian opposition, launched the Euphrates Shield Operation against the IS militants and liberated the city of Jarabulus as well as the city of Al-Bab in northern Syria.

---

Follow the author on Twitter: @rhafizogluOne Turkish soldier was martyred while another was injured in Syrias northwestern Afrin region as the Turkish-led Operation Olive Branch continues there, the military said on Monday, according to Anadolu.

A Turkish General Staff statement said the casualties occurred during sweep and clear operations in Afrin's Jinderes region.

The statement added that the injured soldier is being treated at the hospital, without giving further details.

On Jan. 20, Turkey launched Operation Olive Branch to clear YPG/PKK and Daesh terrorists from Afrin.

According to the Turkish General Staff, the operation aims to establish security and stability along Turkeys borders and the region as well as to protect Syrians from terrorist oppression and cruelty.

Separately, another soldier was martyred during clashes with terrorists in Turkeys eastern Agri province, and three terrorists were neutralized.

The military generally uses the term "neutralize" to signify that the targets were either surrendered or killed, or captured.

Two children also were injured in a terrorist attack when an improvised roadside explosive went off, Agris Governors Office said in a written statement.Turkey has sent Germany a diplomatic note over the recent upsurge of attacks targeting Turkish mosques and cultural associations, Anadolu reports.

"Today, our Foreign Ministry summoned Germanys ambassador to Ankara. The necessary warning was conveyed to him and a note was sent," Deputy Prime Minister and government spokesman Bekir Bozdag said after a Cabinet meeting in Ankara.

He added that Turkey would continue to closely monitor developments in Germany.

At least two mosques and a culture association have been firebombed since Friday, after the PYD/PKK terrorist group threatened to carry out more violence against Turkish institutions in Germany.

The PYD/PKKs youth organization recently threatened to carry out more violent attacks against Turkish institutions and associations in Germany, to protest Turkeys ongoing counter-terrorism operation in northwestern Syria.

A total of 3,381 terrorists have been neutralized since the launch of Operation Olive Branch in Afrin, Syria, Bozdag also said.

Ankara launched Operation Olive Branch on Jan. 20 to clear terrorist groups from Afrin in northwestern Syria amid growing threats posed from the region to Turkey.U.S. President Donald Trump said on Saturday he rejected a demand from Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto that Trump should say that Mexico would not have to pay for a proposed U.S. border wall, Reuters reported.

At a campaign rally in western Pennsylvania for a Republican congressional candidate, Trump gave some details of a testy phone call he had last month with Pena Nieto that led to the postponement of plans for the Mexican leaders first visit to the White House.

Trump brought up the issue when the crowd started chanting, build that wall.

Trump called Pena Nieto a really nice guy who made his request respectfully.

He said, Mr President, I would like you to make a statement that Mexico will not pay for the wall, Trump said.

I said, Are you crazy? I am not making that statement, Trump said he replied.

When Pena Nieto said yes, Trump said he told him, Bye, bye. There is no way Im making that deal.

Mexican Foreign Minister Luis Videgaray repeated Mexicos pledge not to pay for the wall in a post on Twitter late on Saturday night.

In the call on Feb. 20, President EPN (Enrique Pena Nieto) strongly reiterated what all Mexicans have always said: We will never pay, in any form, for a wall on the border, he wrote. Under this premise we will continue working constructively on the bilateral relationship with the United States.

The Mexican leaders visit to Washington has yet to be rescheduled. Trumps son-in-law and senior adviser, Jared Kushner, traveled to Mexico City last week to try to smooth over the tensions.

Trump is set to visit a prototype of his long-sought wall in the San Diego area on Tuesday.KYODO NEWS - Mar 12, 2018 - 22:34 | World, All

A South Korean envoy who met with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un earlier this month briefed Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Kono on Monday about the talks, agreeing that Japan and South Korea will maintain pressure on the North until it takes concrete actions toward denuclearization.

"We agreed...that we will not repeat the mistakes of the past and will maintain maximum pressure on North Korea to make the abandonment of its nuclear and missile (programs) a reality," Kono said after his meeting over dinner in Tokyo with Suh Hoon, director of South Korea's National Intelligence Service.

After Suh and the other envoys met Kim in Pyongyang on behalf of South Korean President Moon Jae In, both Moon and U.S. President Donald Trump agreed to hold summits with Kim in the coming months.

"In order to bring forth meaningful results from North Korea at these summits, our three countries will take every opportunity to closely coordinate with each other, including Prime Minister Abe's visit to the United States early next month," Kono said.

Kono said he and Suh also affirmed that Japan and South Korea will work in close coordination on the issue of North Korea's abductions of Japanese nationals in the 1970s and 1980s.

Asked whether Kim made any mention to the envoys of the abduction issue or his willingness to hold a summit with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Kono said he "will refrain from saying anything other than what has already been announced."

Kono also refrained from confirming whether Kim had a specific message to convey to Abe, although he said Suh gave him a detailed explanation of the Pyongyang talks.

Japanese and North Korean leaders have not met since May 2004, when then Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi met Kim's father Kim Jong Il in North Korea.

Abe is scheduled to meet Suh on Tuesday morning to hear about what went on at the Pyongyang talks.

Kono said he also explained to Suh a Japanese plan to assist the process of North Korea's denuclearization by covering the initial costs needed for the International Atomic Energy Agency to resume stalled inspections of North Korean nuclear facilities.

The Japanese government officially lists 17 of its citizens as having been abducted by North Korean agents and suspects Pyongyang's involvement in other disappearances of Japanese nationals.KYODO NEWS - Mar 12, 2018 - 13:56 | All, Japan

A Japanese district court on Monday sentenced a man to nine years in prison for abducting a teenage girl and holding her captive for two years from March 2014 in eastern Japan.

The Saitama District Court determined that Kabu Terauchi, 25, was fully competent to be held criminally liable, turning down claims made by defense lawyers that he was not able to take full responsibility as he suffered from schizophrenia.

Prosecutors had demanded a 15-year prison term for Terauchi, saying although the accused showed symptoms of autism he was competent to be held criminally liable. The defendant had admitted most of his charges.

Presiding Judge Satomi Matsubara said in the ruling, "The defendant was aware of the illegality of his acts as he made attempts to prevent them from being revealed," such as by attaching a stolen number plate on the car he used to kidnap the girl.

The court also recognized that the girl was held captive for two years, dismissing the defendant's claim that he did not think the period of "monitoring" her in confinement lasted that long.

"The confinement lasted for a significantly long period of time, dealing an unimaginable blow to the victim by depriving her of precious time," the ruling said.

But the presiding judge handed down a prison term shorter than sought by the prosecutors, saying "the physical confinement was moderate" as Terauchi left a window unlocked or went on a trip, leaving the girl at home.

"The victim's account suggested that there was no physical violence or verbal abuse (during the confinement) and the prison term sought by the prosecutors is too severe," Matsubara said.

The ruling was originally scheduled to be handed down last August but was postponed after Terauchi identified himself as "a fairy from the forest" and made strange noises in court.

According to the ruling, Terauchi abducted the girl, then a junior high school student, in a car as she was on her way home from school in Asaka, Saitama Prefecture, on March 10, 2014.

Terauchi, a Chiba University student, held her captive first at his apartment in Chiba Prefecture, east of Tokyo, and later in another apartment in the capital's Nakano Ward until March 2016, causing the girl, now 17, to develop severe posttraumatic stress disorder.

On March 27, 2016, the girl managed to escape from Terauchi's apartment in Nakano Ward when she found the door unlocked and made an emergency call to police from a public phone at JR Higashi-Nakano Station.

The accused was found in Shizuoka Prefecture in central Japan the following day after an apparent suicide attempt by slashing his throat with a box cutter. He was arrested after being discharged from hospital.

At the first hearing of his trial in September 2016, Terauchi admitted to kidnapping the girl, but claimed that he only prevented her from fleeing for the first several weeks as he later went out while leaving her at home on her own.

In a subsequent hearing following his psychiatric evaluation, Terauchi maintained that he committed the crime following "instructions sent to my brain."

During the trial Terauchi said he was "very sorry" for the victim but when asked about why he was calling the girl an "examination subject," he said he considered the crime to be an experiment in which he felt he treated the girl as an animal, not as a human being.

The girl still suffers from flashbacks while trying to readjust to society, according to her mother. In a hearing last July, the mother said she wanted Terauchi "to stay in jail for a lifetime."

On Monday morning, around 440 people queued up in front of the court to get a ticket for 20 seats provided to observe the high-profile case.KYODO NEWS - Mar 12, 2018 - 17:22 | Sports, All, News

Japan's Gurimu Narita won bronze in the snowboard cross LL2 classification at the Pyeongchang Winter Games on Monday in his Paralympic debut.

The 24-year-old outran rival Evan Strong of the United States in the head-to-head race for third at Jeongseon Alpine Centre, after being knocked out in the semifinal by American Gabel Keith who won silver.

Matti Suur-Hamari of Finland took the gold for his first Paralympic medal.

Narita, whose left leg is paralyzed below the knee, said winning a medal at the Paralympics held a special meaning.

"I'm thrilled, simply put. I didn't think it would be any different from any other competition, but it really was. Watching other people's races, you don't see the same level of excitement and the cheers at the finish line at your typical race."

The Osaka-native will be looking to win his first gold medal in Friday's banked slalom competition.

Clearing qualifying with the fastest time trial, Narita easily won his first two head-to-head races to advance to the semifinals against Sochi bronze medalist Keith.

Starting out in the lead, Narita slid out during a turn and allowed Keith to glide comfortably to the finish line.

A technical glitch earlier in the day may have played a role in the day's results. A malfunction in the starting gate halted competition for close to an hour before being deemed unfixable and replaced by a race official holding rubber bands.

Narita said the delay coupled with the warm weather allowed the snow to melt and changed the course conditions, though he refused to blame the hiccup for his semifinal loss.

"The conditions were the same for everyone and it didn't really bother me. The thing it did change is that the course conditions changed and I couldn't adjust."

In the snowboard cross LL1 classification, Japan's Daichi Oguri lost in the semifinal against the Netherlands' Chris Vos, who took silver, while Atsushi Yamamoto was knocked out in the round of 16.

American Mike Schultz won the gold.Minnesota Ceiling Tile Plant Penalized for Air Quality Permit Violations

USG Interiors self-reported that between July 2014 and October 2016, it violated its air quality permits for emissions exceedances or missed equipment testing 32 times.

A northeastern Minnesota ceiling tile-making facility's nearly three dozen air quality permit violations have resulted in increased pollution and an enforcement action, the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) announced this month.

USG Interiors, LLC, manufactures acoustical ceiling tiles in Cloquet, Minn. The tile-making process requires an air quality permit limiting nitrogen oxides, carbon monoxide, volatile organic compounds, and particulate matter, as these air pollutants can contribute to respiratory and cardiovascular illness in humans. Nitrous oxide is also the main contributor to ground-level ozone and can cause visibility issues.

USG Interiors self-reported that between July 2014 and October 2016, it violated its air quality permits for emissions exceedances or missed equipment testing 32 times. The company agreed to pay a penalty of $59,500 and completed three compliance actions for future equipment performance testing, including an MPCA-approved compliance and testing plan.

The stipulation agreement is one of the ways MPCA achieves compliance with environmental laws. When calculating penalties, MPCA considers the seriousness of the environmental impact of the violation, whether it was a first-time or repeat violation, and how promptly the violation was reported to appropriate authorities.China to Build $1.5 Billion Area for Panda Conservation

The Bank of China has pledged at least 10 billion yuan, or $1.5 billion, to create an enormous panda conservation park in the Sichuan province, the forestry ministry said last week.

The Bank of China has pledged at least 10 billion yuan, or $1.5 billion, to create an enormous panda conservation park in the Sichuan province, the forestry ministry announced March 8.

The Sichuan branch of the bank signed an agreement with the provincial government to finance the construction of the Giant Panda National Park by 2023. The goal is for the park to boost the local economy as well as provide the vulnerable animals with a space where they can meet and mate with other pandas.

The park will measure 2 million hectares (5 million acres), according to the ministry, more than twice the size of Yellowstone National Park, ABC News reported.

Giant pandas live mostly in the Sichuan mountains, with some present in the Gansu and Shaanxi provinces as well. An estimated 1,864 giant pandas live in the wild and another 300 live in captivity. They were reclassified from an endangered species to vulnerable in 2016 but remain threatened by habitat loss.Over a half of stroke patients require a degree of help with taking medicine and a sizeable minority say they do not receive as much assistance as they need, according a study published today in the journal BMJ Open.

According to the Stroke Associations, as many as four in ten people who have had a stroke, go on to have another one within ten years. As a second stroke carries a greater risk of disability and death than first time strokes, it is important that survivors take medicine daily to lower their risk. There are around 1.2 million stroke survivors in the UK, and at least a third suffer from severe impairments, potentially making adherence to their medicine difficult.

Half of survivors of stroke are dependent on others for everyday activities, though the proportion dependent on others for medicine taking or needing more practical help with tablets is not known.

To examine the practical support stroke survivors living in the community need and receive with taking their medicines, researchers at the University of Cambridge and Queen Mary University of London carried out a postal questionnaire study. The researchers developed the questionnaire together with stroke survivors and caregivers. The questionnaire was completed by 600 participants across 18 GP practices in the UK.

More than half (56%) of respondents needed help with taking medication. This included help with prescriptions and collection of medicines (50%), getting medicines out of the packaging (28%), being reminded to take medicines (36%), swallowing medicines (20%) and checking that medicines have been taken (34%). Being dependent on others was linked to experiencing more unmet needs with daily medicine taking.

Around one in ten (11%) of respondents answered yes to the question "Do you feel you need more help?" The most commonly reported areas where respondents said they needed more assistance were being reminded to take medicines, dealing with prescriptions and collection of medicines, and getting medicines out the packaging. As a result, around one in three (35%) of respondents said they had missed taking medicine in the previous 30 days.

Stroke survivors taking a higher number of daily medicines and experiencing a greater number unmet needs with practical aspects of medicine-taking were more likely to miss medications.

Interestingly, the researchers found that younger stroke survivors were more likely to miss their medicines, possibly because they are less likely to receive help from a caregiver.

"Because of the risk of a second stroke, it's important that stroke survivors take their medication, but our study has shown that this can present challenges," says Dr Anna De Simoni from the University of Cambridge and Queen Mary University of London. "In the majority of cases, they receive the help they need, but there is still a sizeable minority who don't receive all the assistance they need."

James Jamison at the Department of Public Health and Primary Care, University of Cambridge, who led the study as part of his PhD, adds: "Our study has shown us some of the barriers that people face to taking their medication regularly. We also learned that stroke survivors who are dependent on others are most likely to need more assistance than they currently receive.

"Our response rate was relatively low - just over one in three - so we need more research to find out if what we've heard from our respondents is widespread among stroke survivors. If so, this will have implications for the care provided."

The team point to the need to develop new interventions focused on the practicalities of taking medicines and aimed at improving stroke survivors' adherence to treatment. "Advances in technology have the potential to help improve adherence, such as electronic devices prompting medication taking times," says Jamison. "Efforts to improve medication taking among survivors of stroke using technology are already underway and have shown promise."

###

The research was supported by the Royal College of General Practitioner, National Institute for Health Research (NIHR), the Stroke Association and the British Heart Foundation.

Reference

Jamison J, Ayerbe L, Di Tanna GL, Sutton S, Mant J, De Simoni A. Evaluating practical support stroke survivors get with medicines and unmet needs in primary care: A survey. 2018 BMJ Open.Description

From the Dab of Paint Free Lecture Series

Architectural Sketching while Traveling with Eric Anderson

March 12 / 11am to 12pm

Hundertwasser's Waldspirale in Darmstadt, Germany

This lecture will review opportunities to sketch and reflect while traveling. Eric Anderson, an architect and faculty member in the Architectural Technology program at Farmingdale State College will share his methods and sketches from various trips to New York, Washington, Maine, and Asia. Andersons travel sketchbooks will be available for examination.

To rsvp, call the Art League of Long Island at (631) 462-5400 or sign up here.Education Secretary Betsy DeVos struggled to describe her and the administrations stance on a number of education issues on CBSs 60 Minutes Sunday, in an interview with host Lesley Stahl.

DeVos, who is expected to be appointed as the head of a new commission on school safety today, sought to avoid confronting student demands for tighter gun control after the recent school shooting in Parkland, Fla.

Stahl noted that the schools students criticized DeVoss visit, accusing her of seeking publicity and avoiding their questions. In response, DeVos said that she gives a lot of credit to the students there for really raising their voices. When Stahl stated that the students want gun control, DeVos answered that they want a variety of things, they want solutions.

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When Stahl asked outright whether teachers should have guns in classrooms, DeVos offered a noncommittal answer. While she argued that it should be an option for states and communities to consider, DeVos went on to say that she would hesitate to think of like my first grade teacher, Mrs. Zoerhoffhaving a gun and being trained in that way.

She then changed tack again, adding, but for those who are capable, this is one solution that can and should be considered, but no one size fits all.

Federal Commission on School Safety

As the Trump administration pushes to address the issue of school violence, DeVos contended that she sees herself as a leader in this subject, as demonstrated by her request to head up a task force that will really look at what states are doing.

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The federal commission will include local, federal, and school officials and will be charged with making recommendations to Trump for how to best avoid future school shootings.Mute site

Screenshot

An update to Google's internet browser, Chrome, brought users a lot of new features including the option to mute certain websites permanently.

This is an upgrade from the option to mute specific tabs, which was more of a temporary fix for users since the settings would revert to their defaults if you closed the tab or browser.

The update could prevent users from avoiding sites with autoplay videos.

In January, Google Chrome  the search giant's extremely popular web browser  started rolling out an update with a lot of new features, including the ability to permanently mute sites that automatically play videos every time you visit.

Google Chrome updates usually consist of bug fixes and other necessary security-related adjustments that make a minimal difference in your day-to-day browsing. But every now and then Chrome serves up a little gem, and this is one of those times.

Google Chrome users can now right-click on a tab and select "Mute Site" to make sure that the site never plays sound. You can also click on the padlock on the left end of the address bar, scroll down to "Sound," and select "Block." I found that sites would remain muted even when I visited them in an incognito tab, which means only clearing out your cache would undo the site-wide mute.

Of course, this means if you do want to hear a video from of your muted sites, you'll have to "Unmute Site," done in the same manner. But now you won't have to worry that websites will interrupt your music or general browsing experience. Before this update, I avoided some sites altogether for this sole reason.

Previously, there was the option to mute individual tabs, but that fix was temporary; if you closed the tab or browser, the settings would revert to their defaults, and you'd continually need to mute the tab. Sometimes the best option was just muting my computer or phone, but then I'd miss out on my Spotify playlist.

Story continues

If you've closed your Google Chrome browser in the past month or so, this feature should be in your browser already since this was an automatic update. You'll know whether a Chrome update is pending if those three dots in the top right-hand corner of your window are any color besides gray: They can be green, red, or orange, depending on how long it has been since the update was released.

I highly advise making use of the new feature. It'll change your relationship with certain websites and make for a less frustrating web-browsing experience overall.

NOW WATCH: Watch how pillows are made

See Also:

SEE ALSO: Google's next big Chrome update will make internet browsing less annoying

DON'T MISS: 7 things I love about the Google Pixel 2, even though I'm an iPhone user for lifePhotographer Nan Goldin and nearly 100 other demonstrators staged a protest over the weekend against a Big Pharma donors contribution to the Metropolitan Museum of Art by dumping mock pill bottles into the moat at the Temple of Dendur.

The 2,000-year-old temple is located in the museums Sackler wing, which was named for brothers Arthur, Mortimer and Raymond Sackler. The Sackler family currently owns Purdue Pharma, which makes and aggressively markets its prescription painkiller OxyContin. (Arthur Sackler died before Purdue developed OxyContin.) The drugs active ingredient, oxycodone, is among the most common painkillers in prescription opioid deaths.

Protesters shouted shame on the Sacklers as they tossed the pill bottles, which were labeled: Prescribed to you by the Sackler Family, The Guardian reported. Demonstrators also demanded that the family fund drug treatment for addicts.

In the name of the dead, Sackler family, Purdue Pharma. Hear our demands. Use your profits. Save our lives, said Goldin per ARTNews.

At the end of the demonstration, the protesters lay on the ground and staged an opioid overdose die in.

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Although security guards ordered the protesters to disperse, no action was taken to detain them. The demonstrators left about 20 minutes after the protest began, according to The Guardian.

The museum did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the protest.

Jillian Sackler, the widow of Dr. Arthur Sackler, said in a statement that her late husband died nearly a decade before Purdue Pharma developed and marketed OxyContin.

At the time of his death in 1987, Arthur was lauded for his contributions to medical research, medical communications and museums, she wrote. He was a renowned art collector and connoisseur, and because of this, we have the Arthur M. Sacker Gallery of Chinese Stone Sculpture at The Met, the Arthur M. Sackler Gallery at the Smithsonian, the Arthur M. Sackler Museum at Harvard, the Jillian and Arthur M. Sackler Wing of Galleries at the Royal Academy and the Arthur M. Sackler Museum of Art and Archaeology and the Jillian Sackler Sculpture Garden at Peking University.

Story continues

None of the charitable donations made by Arthur prior to his death, nor that I made on his behalf after his death, were funded by the production, distribution or sale of OxyContin or other revenue from Purdue Pharma. Period.

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The Met protest was not Goldins first attempt to effect change on this issue. She also founded the group Prescription Addiction Intervention Now and launched a petition on Change.org calling on the Sackler family to use their vast fortune that was made producing one of the most addictive painkillers ever to fund rehab and other treatments.

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According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 42,000 people in the U.S. died in 2016 from opioid overdoses.

In 2007, Purdues parent company pleaded guilty to a federal felony charge of mischaracterizing OxyContin, which prosecutors said was marketed as less addictive and less likely to cause withdrawal than other painkillers. A number of states have since accused Purdue in lawsuits of deceptively marketing its products to make billions of dollars. The New Yorker has examined the Sackler empire and donations in a scathing article: The Family That Built An Empire of Pain.

This story has been updated with a statement from Jillian Sackler, widow of Dr. Arthur Sackler.

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Also on HuffPost

This article originally appeared on HuffPost.Chevron Corporations CVX efforts to divest its stake in South Africa business to China Petroleum & Chemical Corp. SNP, better known as Sinopec, recently won approval from South African watchdog Competition Tribunal. The development inches Sinopec a step closer to victory over Glencore PLC GLNCY in attempts to snap up Chevrons South African assets. Notably, in January 2018, Chevron-Sinopec deal had also been approved by South Africas Competition Commission.



In 2016, Chevron had stated its intention to unload 75% of its interests in South Africa assets as part of its three-year divestment goals announced in 2014. Notably, Chevron intends to offload 75% stake in its South Africa and Botswana assets including a 100,000 barrel per day oil refinery in Cape Town, a lubricants plant in Durban and a network of around 820 gas stations.

The remaining 25% interest will be owned by local shareholders. The energy supermajor also plans to jettison 220 convenience stores across South Africa and Botswana. With the divestment plans, the company focuses on balancing its global portfolio with long-term business priorities.

It will help Chevron cut costs and streamline its business models to concentrate more on the assets producing higher-margin barrels. Chevron carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). You can see the complete list of todays Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.



Notably, last year, many energy firms like Frances integrated oil and gas major TOTAL S.A. TOT, Sinopec, Glencore and Gunvor Group Ltd. had put in bids to acquire stakes in Chevrons South Africa business.



Nonetheless, Sinopec  with $900 million bid  was announced as the preferred bidder on better terms and conditions it offered but the deal got stalled due to delays. Concurrently, in October 2017, Chevrons Black Economic Empowerment partners  who own 25% stake in the South African assets  exercised pre-emption rights and Glencore swooped in with $973 million bid to replace Sinopec as the preferred bidder.



However, Sinopec was advised by the government to move forward with its regulatory proceedings associated with the acquisition. Now, with the recent approvals by Competition Commission and Competition Tribunal, Sinopec undoubtedly leads the battle, but Glencore is still not out of the race.



Notably, Sinopec has received a green signal from Competition Tribunal, subject to certain conditions. The company will be required to invest $504 million for upgrading Chevrons refinery in Cape Town. The tribunal also ruled that the deal should not result in any job cuts. Sinopec is also expected to spend around $24 million to cover the cost of rebranding certain service stations.



Receiving a major boost by the South African authorities, Sinopec becomes the prime contender for Chevrons South African business. Importantly, if Asias largest oil refiner clinches the deal, it will secure its first major refinery on the continent, keeping in line its aim to expand in the international markets.

Story continues

The deal will enable Sinopec to increase its market share and revenues in the fuel retail market. Moreover, the overseas deal will help the company hedge its bets on Chinas economy, as the country is witnessing declining oil demand and is shifting focus to other less-energy intensive sectors for growth.



The Hottest Tech Mega-Trend of All



Last year, it generated $8 billion in global revenues. By 2020, it's predicted to blast through the roof to $47 billion. Famed investor Mark Cuban says it will produce "the world's first trillionaires," but that should still leave plenty of money for regular investors who make the right trades early.



See Zacks' 3 Best Stocks to Play This Trend >>



Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report



China Petroleum & Chemical Corporation (SNP) : Free Stock Analysis Report



Glencore PLC (GLNCY) : Free Stock Analysis Report



Chevron Corporation (CVX) : Free Stock Analysis Report



TOTAL S.A. (TOT) : Free Stock Analysis Report



To read this article on Zacks.com click here.



Zacks Investment ResearchWith wireless power youll never need to change the batteries in your remote again.

Wireless charging like whats in the iPhone 8 and iPhone X suffers from an embarrassing problem: Its not truly wireless. There may be no plug involved, but the phone still must touch a charging surface thats plugged into a wall.

(Ive spent years calling this cordless charging, but the industry has yet to adopt my vocabulary.)

A handful of firms, though, are working to prove that true wireless charging is not just safe but can work. But as I saw from meeting with two such companies at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona last week, they face significant obstacles. Which means they probably wont charge your phone through the air anytime soon.

Energous: underwear first

San Jose, Californias Energous (WATT) may be the first wireless-charging firm to have its technology in a consumer gadget. A smart underwear (no, really) firm called Skiin will include its wireless charging in its activity-tracking undergarments.

Energous vice president of marketing Gordon Bell explained that companys WattUp receiver is much smaller than the coil-shaped receivers required by the Qi charging in Apples (AAPL) iPhone and other models, and doesnt need an exposed metal surface. You can throw it in the wash if you want, he said.

But the charger included with Skiins products will only employ Energouss near-field charging, which in that implemtation will require direct contact. An upcoming hearing aid will also only include a near-field charger, although both sets of devices will work with future distance-charging gear.

Other partner firms will announce products this summer, Bell said. And while he didnt name any, he said one is big in smartphones.

The companys longer-range system  approved by the Federal Communications Commission in December, a move FCC chair Ajit Pai heralded in a tweet  can reach up to 15 feet by focusing its radio-frequency transmissions on compatible devices that it detects.

The way that our distance chargers work, they seek out and see all the Bluetooth devices that are within Bluetooth range, Bell said. That requirement, however, means that WattUp distance charging wont work with a dead device. Instead, youd need to use a near-field charger.

Story continues

The rest of Energouss vision involves thinking small, in part because of the inefficiency of its longer-range transmission  around 1%, Bell said, which is way below the 65% or so that Qi can manage, which in turn falls below the 85% and higher efficiency requirements now applied to wired power adapters.

Update: After this story was posted, Energous said 1% is a worst-case figure, and that the company is seeing better rates in its latest hardware.

For example, he suggested that hotels would splurge for WattUp TV remote controls that would stay perpetually charged.

Ossias tile tactic

The other wireless-charging vendor to exhibit at MWC, Bellevue, Washington-based Ossia, showed off a more comprehensive solution: a tile you can include in a ceiling that embeds its Cota system.

The transmitter in it, CTO Hatem Zeine explained at the show, listens to radio-frequency signals from Cota-compatible devices and then targets a beam to them. It can power a phone from up to six feet away, even if you move the phone.

The Cota wireless power system

Like Bell, Zeine insisted that his system wont heat or harm people. Weve solved the safety issue, he said.

Ossias first customer, however, wont use that tile. An Indian auto-components manufacturer named Motherson Sumi will build Cota into dashboard components to power other sensors in a car as well as drivers gadgets  sometime in 2021.

In homes, Ossia hopes to see manufacturers include Cota in other devices, such as wireless routers, that would then distribute power to various smart-home gadgets.

Chief revenue officer Doug Stovall said Cota can transfer power at between 30% and 40% efficiency, adding that We believe that will only get better over time.

First, though, the company needs to secure its own FCC approval, which Stovall said he expects to see happen this year. It will also need more third-party support, which may be hindered by Ossias practice of charging companies to evaluate its technology.

What are the odds?

Something matching the obvious concept of wireless charging  one gizmo at home that beams power to a variety of devices  may come from a third company: Pittsburgh-based Powercast.

The firm has been around for longer than both Energous and Ossia  I first saw it demonstrate wireless charging at CES 2007  and secured its own FCC approval in December. It says its targeted radio-frequency system can trickle-charge smart home sensors from up to 80 feet away but cant power a phone, a more energy-intensive use, more than two feet distant.

It aims to ship its first consumer product, a $100 rectangular transmitter called the PowerSpot, in the third quarter of this year. Compatible gadgets will come later, starting with what a Powercast FAQ calls two household names that will deliver hardware either later this year or in early 2019.

In this fragmented market wireless-charging vendors should pick their use cases wisely.

Gartner analyst George Brocklehurst pointed to smart-home gadgets like Alphabets (GOOG, GOOGL) Nest cameras that already have customers willing to pay a premium. His advice to wireless-charging vendors: Select the devices that are less sensitive to cost.

Cheaper, simpler smart-home devices may instead wind up needing so little power that they can instead adopt energy harvesting  for instance, a tiny solar cell in a sensor attached to a window to detect break-in attempts, or a radiator sensor that converts ambient heat to electricity.

Meanwhile, phone battery life continues to get a little better and wired charging keeps getting faster. The biggest competition to wireless charging is customer inertia  or as Ossias Stovall put it, people doing nothing and sticking with old charging habits.

Email Rob at rob@robpegoraro.com; follow him on Twitter at @robpegoraro.A photo illustration shows a Yahoo logo on a smartphone in front of a displayed cyber code and keyboard on December 15, 2016. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration

By Jonathan Stempel

(Reuters) - Yahoo has been ordered by a federal judge to face much of a lawsuit in the United States claiming that the personal information of all 3 billion users was compromised in a series of data breaches.

In a decision on Friday night, U.S. District Judge Lucy Koh in San Jose, California rejected a bid by Verizon Communications Inc, which bought Yahoo's Internet business last June, to dismiss many claims, including for negligence and breach of contract.

Koh dismissed some other claims. She had previously denied Yahoo's bid to dismiss some unfair competition claims.

Yahoo was accused of being too slow to disclose three data breaches that occurred from 2013 and 2016, increasing users' risk of identity theft and requiring them to spend money on credit freeze, monitoring and other protection services.

The breaches were revealed after New York-based Verizon agreed to buy Yahoo's Internet business, and prompted a cut in the purchase price to about $4.5 billion.

A Verizon spokesman had no immediate comment on Monday. A lawyer for the plaintiffs did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

The plaintiffs amended their complaint after Yahoo last October revealed that the 2013 breach affected all 3 billion users, tripling its earlier estimate.

Koh said the amended complaint highlighted the importance of security in the plaintiffs' decision to use Yahoo.

"Plaintiffs' allegations are sufficient to show that they would have behaved differently had defendants disclosed the security weaknesses of the Yahoo Mail System," Koh wrote.

She also said the plaintiffs could try to show that liability limits in Yahoo's terms of service were "unconscionable," given the allegations that Yahoo knew its security was deficient but did little.

In seeking a dismissal, Yahoo said it has long been the target of "relentless criminal attacks," and the plaintiffs' "20/20 hindsight" did not cast doubt on its "unending" efforts to thwart "constantly evolving security threats."

Story continues

Last March, U.S. prosecutors charged two Russian intelligence agents and two hackers in connection with one of the Yahoo breaches.

One accused hacker, Karim Baratov, a Canadian born in Kazakhstan, pleaded guilty in November to aggravated identity theft and conspiracy charges. The other defendants remained at large in Russia.

The case is In re: Yahoo Inc Customer Data Security Breach Litigation, U.S. District Court, Northern District of California, No. 16-md-02752.

(Reporting by Jonathan Stempel in New York; editing by Grant McCool)Eni SpA E signed two Concession agreements with Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC). The move is expected to strengthen the companys footprint in the region, which is known to hold the largest hydrocarbon reserve in the world.



The agreements include two offshore oil blocks in the Persian Gulf and marks Enis first expedition into oil development in the United Arab Emirates.



For a total participation fee of about $875 million, the company acquired a 5% stake in the Lower Zakum offshore oil field and o a 10% stake in the oil, condensate and gas offshore fields of Umm Shaif and Nasr. The contract is for a period of 40 years.



Located about 65 kilometers off the coast of Abu Dhabi, Lower Zakum, was discovered in 1963 and was brought online in 1967. Production from the license is targeted at 450,000 barrels of oil per day. Located about 135 kilometers from the coast of Abu Dhabi, Umm Shaif and Nasr have a target production of 460,000 barrels of oil per day.



ADNOC  the operator of the licenses  has a stake of 60% each, while Eni holds the remaining 40%. Eni represents the fourth international company to gain access to one of ADNOCs new offshore concessions. The agreements add to Enis Middle Eastern operations, which comprise producing crude in Libya and Iraq as well as natural gas at Egypts largest offshore field  Zohr.



In spite of UAEs effort to restrain output as part of a global attempt to clear a glut, Abu Dhabi intends to increase output capacity to 3.5 million barrels a day by the end of 2018. Currently, ADNOC can pump about 3 million barrels per day, with less than 50% coming from offshore deposits. Abu Dhabi is believed to hold about 6% of the worlds crude reserves.



Enis expertise in exploration of resources will help ADNOC accelerate growth, enhance revenues and improve integration across the upstream value chain. These are a part of the copmpanys ongoing transformation and are likely to help it build a more robust model that will generate a more profitable upstream business.



Price Performance



During the last three months, Enis shares have gained 1.4% against the industrys 2.2% decline.

Story continues









Zacks Rank & Key Picks



Eni carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold).



A few better-ranked players in the same sector are Occidental Petroleum Corp. OXY, Pioneer Natural Resources Company PXD and ConocoPhillips COP. All these stocks sport a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy). You can see the complete list of todays Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.



Houston, TX-based Occidental Petroleum is an integrated oil and gas company. The company delivered an average positive earnings surprise of 24.57% in the preceding four quarters.



Headquartered at Irving, TX, Pioneer Natural Resources Company is an independent oil and gas exploration and production company. The company delivered an average positive earnings surprise of 66.92% in the preceding four quarters.



ConocoPhillips, based in Houston, TX, is a major global exploration and production (E&P) company. The company delivered a positive earnings surprise of 144.45% in the preceding four quarters.



The Hottest Tech Mega-Trend of All



Last year, it generated $8 billion in global revenues. By 2020, it's predicted to blast through the roof to $47 billion. Famed investor Mark Cuban says it will produce "the world's first trillionaires," but that should still leave plenty of money for regular investors who make the right trades early.



See Zacks' 3 Best Stocks to Play This Trend >>



Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report



ENI S.p.A. (E) : Free Stock Analysis Report



Pioneer Natural Resources Company (PXD) : Free Stock Analysis Report



ConocoPhillips (COP) : Free Stock Analysis Report



Occidental Petroleum Corporation (OXY) : Free Stock Analysis Report



To read this article on Zacks.com click here.



Zacks Investment ResearchThe solid job creation numbers and lower-than-expected wage growth eased worries about the Federal Reserve's rate hike trajectory.

Investors are also following the proposed tariffs from the United States on steel and aluminum products.

Euro zone finance ministers are gathering in Brussels where they will discuss the next disbursement for Greece.

European equities traded higher Monday as investors continued to digest a stronger-than-expected jobs report in the U.S.

The pan-European Stoxx 600 was 0.23 percent higher with most sectors trading in positive territory.

Utilities led the gains in late morning trade following news that RWE is to sell 76.8 percent of its Innogy arm to rival E.On . Morgan Stanley said the deal could be a "win-win" decision. Innogy IGY-DE shares rose 13 percent, RWE was up by 7 percent and E.On increased by about 3.5 percent.

Earlier in the session, auto stocks were also among the top performers Monday. GKN initially rose 2 percent after Melrose increased its offer for the company to 8.1 billion ($11.24 billion).

Looking at individual stocks, Just Eat dropped about 4 percent, after being downgraded to a "sell" by Deutsche Bank. Aryzta's shares hit the bottom of the European benchmark, down by nearly more than 4 percent after the company reported widening losses in the six months to January.

Deutsche Bank DBK-DE itself was slightly higher Monday after it revealed the price range for an initial public offering of its asset management arm, which is valued at up to 7.2 billion euros ($8.86 billion), according to Reuters.

Overall, global equities were seeing a strong start to the week, after nonfarm payrolls in the U.S. on Friday jumped by 313,000 in February. Data released on Friday showed that the U.S. economy added 313,000 jobs last month, above a forecast of 200,000 in a Reuters poll. Wage growth, however, rose 2.6 percent on an annualized basis, coming in below expectations. The solid job creation numbers and lower-than-expected wage growth eased worries about the Federal Reserve's rate hike trajectory.

Story continues

Investors are also tracking proposed tariffs from the United States on steel and aluminum products. Over the weekend, Germany's Economy Minister Brigitte Zypries denounced once again the decision from President Donald Trump, arguing it puts "the order of a free global economy at risk." The EU is working to see its 28 countries excluded from the tariffs.

Meanwhile, euro zone finance ministers are gathering in Brussels where they will discuss the next disbursement for Greece as well as developments on the proposed banking union and euro zone reform .

CNBC's Cheang Ming contributed to this article.





More From CNBC

By Rod Nickel and Ana Mano WINNIPEG, Manitoba/SAO PAULO, March 12 (Reuters) - Taking a page from its aggressive growth strategy in the United States, cash-rich Canadian fertilizer giant Nutrien Ltd plans to plow investment into Brazil in a bid to reap up to 30 percent of farm supply sales in fertile pockets of the country.

But business in Brazil's farm sector - the world's fastest growing - strays far from the usual practices in North America's farm belt, where Nutrien is a top supplier of fertilizer, chemicals and seed.

Its a place where the ancient economy of bartering  in this case swapping crops for fertilizer  is still common, helping Brazilian farmers mitigate their high reliance on credit. Selling directly to farmers in the way Nutrien plans is a risk that rivals Mosaic Co and Yara International ASA are avoiding, senior executives from both companies told Reuters.

For Nutrien, going big in retail sales of seed, chemicals and fertilizer to Brazilian farmers is a way to manage another risk - volatility in wholesale fertilizer prices. Retail stores in the United States are a boon during times of high supply and low prices  as now  because they give the biggest global fertilizer producer by capacity assurance of base demand in a major farm market.

Brazilian barters typically involve farmers, grain handlers such as Cargill Inc and fertilizer sellers in three-way arrangements that see farmers commit a portion of their future harvest to the grain handler in exchange for fertilizer from the manufacturer.

Such deals are unnecessary in Canada and the United States, where chartered banks and government lenders provide ample credit to tide farmers over to autumn, when they can start selling their output. Brazilian farmers lack such willing lenders, so they rely on monetizing crops that have not even been planted.

"Farmers use their soybeans like their money; use their corn like it's cash," said Rick McLellan, senior vice-president of Brazil for Mosaic, which does some barter deals involving its fertilizer deliveries.

Story continues

For a graphic, click http://tmsnrt.rs/2GQ4wLd Nutrien, formed in January by a merger of Potash Corp of Saskatchewan and Agrium, disclosed the same month that it intends to become a major farm supplier in Brazil, stretching its reach beyond North America, Australia and Argentina.

Chief Executive Chuck Magro revealed to Reuters that the company is looking to roll up as much as 30 percent of farm retail sales in pockets of central and southern Brazil - a level that it calculates may not raise antitrust concerns. The growth plan hinges mainly on buying existing retail dealers.

Getting there may take many years, with price tags to buy retail dealers currently high, Magro said, declining to place a timeline on his plans.

"What we're doing today is going to be a program that will last many, many years," he said. "The vision is to have a North American-South American integrated company. If we can get there, that's a pretty powerful global complex." To build up its Brazil business, Nutrien is willing to barter by accepting grain as collateral against credit, similar to how it operates in Argentina, Magro said.

Julio Zavala, general manager at Brazilian fertilizer blender Utilfertil Industria de Fertilizantes, which Nutrien owns, said the company is still devising its strategy for building retail. Utilfertil has already done some bartering with farmers through grain traders Cargill and Bunge Ltd , he said.

The Brazil venture could give Nutrien a grasp of the world's fastest-growing major agriculture market, or cause an expensive slip-up just as it woos investors back to an oversupplied global crop nutrient sector.

The stock is trading around the same level it opened at on Jan. 2. Investors are focused on how Nutrien will spend some $4.6 billion on growth in Brazil and shareholder returns after it sells stakes in companies SQM , Arab Potash Company and ICL Israel Chemicals to appease merger regulators, according to analysts.

BARTERING AND BANDING TOGETHER Rival Mosaic sees too much risk in Nutrien's strategy to follow along.

U.S.-based Mosaic sells bulk fertilizer to Brazilian farms large enough to own storage facilities, but has no interest in creating a retail network, said Chief Executive Joc O'Rourke. Brazil's retail system is "hugely fragmented," made up of many tiny players, he said.

"A lot of these are almost back-of-the-shed type retail operations and we don't want to get into the greater risk that goes with that," O'Rourke said in an interview.

Some 100 retail dealers in Brazil sell to farmers, and none owns more than 5 percent market share, according to Bank of Montreal.

Yara sees different risk in any attempt to be a one-stop supplier: moving too far beyond its core expertise of fertilizer and into seeds and chemicals.

"Thats a totally different business," said Cleiton Vargas, Yara's senior vice-president of crop nutrition in Brazil.

Yara sells about half of the fertilizer it produces in Brazil in direct deliveries to mostly large, successful farmers and shares the risk of selling to smaller growers by utilizing other retail sellers, Vargas said.

While Brazil is a farm powerhouse, it still imported some 26.3 million tonnes of fertilizer last year, according to fertilizer association ANDA, which amounts to three quarters of the nutrients that farmers used.

According to a major farmer group, new entrants are welcome because they potentially increase competition among input sellers, reducing prices.

The more players, the better, said Antonio Galvan, president of the Mato Grosso soy growers association Aprosoja. Commonly, Brazilian farmers band together in large groups and buy directly from fertilizer producers in a bid to cut fertilizer costs.

Others, like Cayron Giacomelli, barter crops for fertilizer through grain traders including China's state-owned COFCO and Amaggi.

A potential acquisition target, fertilizer distributor and farmer cooperative Fecoagro, is intrigued by Nutriens plan.

"We are open to anything," said executive director Ivan Ramos.

(Reporting by Rod Nickel in Winnipeg, Manitoba and Ana Mano in Sao Paulo; Editing by Denny Thomas and Edward Tobin)SBI Virtual Currency, a subsidiary of SBI Holdings, will no longer partner with Huobi Group on setting up two Japan-based cryptocurrency exchanges.

SBI Holdings, the investment arm of Japanese financial giant SBI Group, has canceled a business partnership with Chinese cryptocurrency startup Huobi Group.

In an announcement released Friday, SBI Holdings said it has decided to halt the business collaboration with Huobi for the launch two cryptocurrency exchanges in Japan.

As reported by CoinDesk, the two firms first struck the deal in December 2017 to combine efforts for the new Huobi Japan and SBI Virtual Currency exchanges.

The latter exchange had already completed business registration with Japan's regulator, the Financial Services Agency (FSA), in September 2017. Huobi Group had indicated that the platforms were expected to begin operations this month.

Yet, in the latest announcement, SBI Holdings said it has scrapped its original plan to use Huobi's technology, know-how and human resources in operating the exchanges, and instead has decided to bring the efforts in-house.

In explaining the reasons for canceling the deal, SBI Holdings said the firm needs a system that incorporates higher levels of security and which can respond promptly to domestic and overseas regulations.

As such, according to the statement, SBI Holdings will now utilize SBI Group's own resources to build a system with enhanced security and sufficient processing capacity.

The decision comes at a time when the FSA is beefing up its efforts in scrutinizing Japanese exchanges regarding security measures, following the hack of some $530 million-worth of the NEM cryptocurrency from the Coincheck exchange in January.

Just last week, the FSA issued administrative penalties to several domestic platforms deemed reckless by the agency, having allegedly provided insufficient security measures to fully protect investors.

The news also follows a Feb. 28 announcement by SBI, saying it had postponed the live launch of SBI Virtual Currency citing the need for further security enhancements.

At press time, Huobi Group had not responded to CoinDesk's inquiries for comments on its plan to further pursue the Huobi Japan effort.

Story continues

Editor's note: Some of the statements have been translated from Japanese.

Scrap paper image via Shutterstock

Related StoriesMarch 12 (Reuters) - A consortium of Jet Airways (India) Ltd , Air France-KLM SA and Delta Air Lines Inc is looking to bid for state-run carrier Air India Ltd , the Mint newspaper reported citing the Press Trust of India. http://bit.ly/2GeHSwZ

India will invite initial bids for a stake sale in Air India over the next couple of weeks, the country's Civil Aviation Secretary Rajiv Choubey said on Thursday.

After successive governments failed to keep the flagship carrier solvent even after billions of dollars of investment, the Indian government gave the go-ahead last year to sell it.

The government, however, is yet to decide on what to do with the carrier's $8.5 billion debt.

Companies including low-cost carrier IndiGo, owned by InterGlobe Aviation, Tata Group and Turkey's Celebi Aviation Holdings have also expressed an interest in buying some of Air India's businesses.

Jet Airways, Air France-KLM and Delta Air Lines were not immediately available for comment. (Reporting by Krishna V Kurup in Bengaluru; Editing by Gopakumar Warrier)BERLIN, March 12 (Reuters) - The presidential election in Russia this month offers a new chance to make progress on the Minsk peace deal to end the crisis in Ukraine, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Monday, ruling out lifting sanctions before tangible progress.

"It would be right to wait until we have some steps before we can discuss the question of sanctions," Merkel told a joint news conference the leaders of her coalition allies, the Bavarian CSU and the left-leaning Social Democrats.

"But those must be qualitative steps. I am convinced that after the election in Russia we will have a new start whereby we can make a true attempt and see whether we can make qualitative progress on the Minsk agreement," she added.

(Writing by Joseph Nasr Editing by Andrea Shalal)Acting NASA administrator Robert Lightfoot, shown here in a 2015 photo, says hell retire in April. (NASA / MSFC Photo / Fred Deaton)

Robert Lightfoot, who has been serving as NASAs acting administrator since the start of the Trump administration, says hell be retiring at the end of next month.

His departure after more than a year of caretaker duty could open the power vacuum in space policy even wider  or force a resolution.

President Donald Trump nominated Rep. Jim Bridenstine, R-Okla., to fill NASAs top post last September, but his nomination has languished because Senate confirmation is in doubt. Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., is said to be a key opponent, claiming that Bridenstine would be too much of a political choice for a post thats not traditionally held by a politician.

For what its worth, Rubio was a target of Bridenstines criticism during 2016s presidential primary season.

Other presidentially appointed posts at NASA  including deputy administrator and chief financial officer  are still unfilled as well.

In a NASA status report distributed by SpaceRef, Lightfoot is quoted as saying hell retire April 30 but didnt specifically explain the timing for his departure. He turns 55 this year.

I will work with the White House on a smooth transition to the new administrator, Lightfoot said.

Lightfoot began his NASA as a test engineer at Marshall Space Flight Center in Alabama in 1989, and served as Marshalls center director from 2009 to 2012. He became associate administrator in 2012. That made him NASAs highest-ranking civil servant  and the natural choice for the caretaker role when Donald Trump became president and President Barack Obamas administrator, Charles Bolden, resigned.

The NASA statement quoted from Lightfoots message to space agency employees.

I cannot express enough my gratitude to the entire NASA team for the support during my career and especially the last 14 months as your acting administrator, he said. The grit and determination you all demonstrate every day in achieving our missions of discovery and exploration are simply awe-inspiring. I leave NASA blessed with a career full of memories of stunning missions, cherished friendships, and an incredible hope for what is yet to come.

Story continues

He said each employee has a part in writing the 60-year-old space agencys history. Ive written my part and now the pen is in your hands  each one of you, Lightfoot said.

NASA quietly named Steve Jurczyk acting associate administrator earlier this month.

Lightfoot drew praise from Phil Larson, who served as a space policy adviser in the Obama White House and is now an assistant dean at the University of Colorados College of Engineering and Applied Science in Boulder.

Robert is a true public servant and was great to work with, Larson told GeekWire during a text exchange. He served NASAs interests well, and his decades of experience and steady hand during tumultuous times will be missed.

Larson said that Lightfoots imminent retirement serves as a reminder that NASA and its more than 17,000 civil servants remain leaderless.

The White House and Senate need to figure this out and get a leader confirmed  now, he said.

In a statement, Sen. Bill Nelson, D-Fla., also paid tribute to Lightfoot.

The country owes Robert a debt of gratitude for his many years of outstanding service and leadership at NASA, Nelson said. Hell surely be missed, but Im confident that there are a number of highly qualified individuals at the agency who can assume his role in the interim and continue the great work being done there to get us to Mars.

Nelson signaled that hed continue to oppose Bridenstines nomination.

Longer term, the White House needs to nominate a space professional for NASA administrator who will actually garner strong bipartisan support, the senator said. The current nominee doesnt have the votes.

More from GeekWire:German Minister for Economic Affairs and Energy, Brigitte Zypries poses for a photo during an interview with Reuters in Berlin, Germany June 16, 2017. REUTERS/Stefanie Loos

By Michael Nienaber

BERLIN (Reuters) - Germany denounced moves by President Donald Trump to impose tariffs on U.S. metal imports, saying Europe needed a united response to the threat and echoing criticism from China that it risked undermining the global trade system.

Trump set import tariffs on Thursday of 25 percent on steel and 10 percent on aluminium, to come into force in 15 days, though Washington opened the way to some exemptions the following day after pressure from allies.

"Trump's policies are putting the order of a free global economy at risk," German Economy Minister Brigitte Zypries told Reuters on Sunday in an emailed statement.

"He does not want to understand its architecture, which is based on a rule-based system of open markets. Anyone, who is questioning this, is jeopardising prosperity, growth and employment."

Hours earlier in Beijing, Chinese Commerce Minister Zhong Shan said any trade war with the United States would only bring disaster to the world economy.

U.S. industries processing steel and aluminium have also criticized the tariffs as landing them with higher costs.

Zypries added that Europe needed to avoid being divided by Trump's offer to exempt some allies such as Mexico, Canada and Australia.

Europe is the biggest exporter of steel to the United States, accounting for nearly 5 million tonnes of total annual imports of about 35 million, and Brussels has warned Trump it would impose countermeasures if hit.

But the European Union and Japan on Saturday urged the United States to grant them exemptions, with Tokyo calling for "calm-headed behaviour".

CARMAKERS UNDER THREAT

In the event of any EU retaliation, Trump has threatened to also hit Europe's carmakers with import tariffs.

Such a move would be particularly harmful for Germany, Europe's largest economy and a cornerstone of its auto industry, since the U.S. is one of its carmakers' main markets, and cars and vehicle parts are Germany's biggest source of income for goods exports.

Story continues

Bernhard Mattes, head of Germany's VDA car association, told Handelsblatt business daily that policymakers must avoid a trade war at all costs, noting that BMW (BMWG.DE) and other German automakers were also among the biggest U.S. exporters in the sector.

European Competition Commissioner Margrethe Vestager told German newspaper Bild am Sonntag that, if talks to secure exemptions failed, Brussels would impose countermeasures.

"We have been building a global trading system for decades. European prosperity and millions of jobs depend on it - and Europe will not to stand idly by if someone puts the order of free world trade at risk," Vestager added.

(Reporting by Michael Nienaber, editing by Louise Heavens and John Stonestreet)The worlds biggest initial public offeringthat of Saudi Aramcowas supposed to go ahead at one of the great stock exchanges this year. However, according to a Financial Times report, its probably not going to happen until next year at the earliest.

The FTs report suggests that part of the problem is the valuation that crown prince Mohammed bin Salman wants to see: $2 trillion. The oil giants advisers are apparently struggling to make that happen. Wall Street has previously suggested something between $1-1.5 trillion is more reasonable.

Concurrently, while Saudi officials had previously indicated that the preliminary work for the IPO was all done, Saudi Aramco CEO Amin Nasser said Thursday that it would only be completed in the second half of this year.

Saudi Arabias idea is to sell 5% of Saudi Aramco in the IPO, which would take place simultaneously on the countrys Tadawul exchange and another international exchangeLondon, Hong Kong and New York are all vying for the honor. Prince Mohammed reportedly favors New York, while his advisers are worried about the regulatory scrutiny that a U.S. listing would bring.

The IPO wouldnt just bring in up to $100 billion (if the prince gets his way) and make Saudi Aramco the most valuable company in the world; it would also end almost four decades of complete state control over the company, which is properly known as the Saudi Arabian Oil Co.

The flotation is the centerpiece of Prince Mohammeds vision for reforming the country, with the potential to fill the coffers of the Saudi public investment fund and create a more sustainable economy.

If it goes ahead, the IPO will also make a lot of money for the investment banks involved in the processa fifth of a percent of the money raised, but potentially still somewhere around $200 million. JPMorgan, Morgan Stanley and HSBC are coordinating things, while other banks are expected to hop on board.

Saudi Aramco continue to review options for the listing, the company told Fortune in a statement. In addition to listing on Tadawul, the home exchange, a range of international options are being held under active review. Appropriate decisions will be made in due course.Afghans have opposed a Facebook campaign calling for boycotting Norouz celebrations because they are un-Islamic.

Every year hundreds of millions of people in Afghanistan, Iran, Turkey, Central Asia and Caucuses mark March 20 or 21 as the beginning of the new year.

Across Afghanistan Norouz or new day is marked by family gatherings, concerts, flag raising ceremonies in important shrines and festivals.

Many Afghan Facebooks users were alarmed when new accounts on the popular social media platform began to send out coordinated messages calling on Afghans to refrain from celebrating Norouz because it a celebration of the fire worshippers and Zoroastrians.

But the campaign attracted sharp rebukes.

This opposition to Norouz is not only an opposition to a celebration, its resistance to new thinking, Afghan poet Samay Hamid told Radio Free Afghanistan. It is an opposition to every symbol of our antiquity and civilization, which still regenerates our identity.

Afghanistans hardline Taliban regime discouraged the celebration in the 1990s and has opposed the celebration in recent years. Some conservative clerics are also opposed to Norouz arguing that the predominantly Muslim country should only celebrate Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha. The first marks the end of the holy Muslim month of Ramadan while the later is a festival of sacrifice.

The increasing influence of extremist groups such as the Taliban and Daesh is now resulting in opposition to such national celebrations, says Ali Amiri, a Kabul-based academic.

He says that the war in Afghanistan has affected its once tolerant traditional society. Now our government and people celebrate Norouz, if we dont prevent people from opposing this celebration, our other traditions and customs will be in danger, he noted.

Norouz or the spring equinox and has marked as the new year in Afghanistan and the surrounding region form more than 3,000 years.

In an effort to counter the anti-Norouz messages, Facebook users in Afghanistan are sharing a meme in which a person called Abdul Rahim calls on Afghans to spend time on studying different cultures and refrain from fanning cultural and religious differences.Pakistan's so-called university of jihad is led by a man who proclaims himself "the father of the Taliban, and counts some of the world's most notorious terrorists among its alumni.

It also receives millions of dollars in aid from the government of the restive Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province along the Pakistan-Afghan border, even as Islamabad carries out a national program to tackle extremism.

The Darul Uloom Haqqania religious seminary, located in Akora Khattak in northwest Pakistan, is known for preaching a fundamentalist brand of Islam and schooling a generation of fighters for both the Afghan Taliban and the Tehrik-e Taliban Pakistan (TTP), also known as the Pakistani Taliban.

Around 3,000 young men with beards and white skullcaps study at Haqqania's sprawling campus -- located about 50 kilometers east of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa's capital, Peshawar, and 90 kilometers west of the national capital, Islamabad -- making it one of the largest Islamic teaching centers in the world.

As could be expected from an Islamic institution of learning, students memorize the Koran and study Islamic law and the teachings of the Prophet Mohammad. But the seminary's teachings rooted in the Sunni Deobandi movement, which developed in India in the late 19th century in opposition to British colonialism, encourages its adherents to conduct violent jihad, earning the seminary a sordid reputation.

"Faculty, students, and alumni of the seminary are intimately linked to several militant groups," said Michael Semple, an expert on Afghanistan and Pakistan at Queen's University, Belfast.

"The Afghan Taliban perhaps have the best-developed links, and they systematically recruit young graduates," he added. "This is not even a particularly secret activity. The recruitment works rather like the way blue-chip companies would approach a graduate recruitment fair."

History Of Violence

Among the seminary's more infamous graduates are the Afghan Taliban's longtime leader Mullah Mohammad Omar, who died in 2015 in Pakistan, and Jalaluddin Haqqani, the leader of the Pakistan-based Haqqani network that is allied with the Afghan Taliban.

Asim Umar, the head of Al-Qaeda's South Asia wing, is also believed to have studied at Darul Uloom Haqqania. Pakistan's Dawn newspaper also reported that the two suspects in the 2007 assassination of Pakistani Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto attended the seminary. Haqqania rejected the claims.

The head of the seminary, Sami-ul Haq, who this week fell short in his bid to be elected to Pakistan's Senate, does not shy from Darul Uloom Haqqania's links to the Afghan Taliban. The 80-year-old cleric proudly embraces the title "Father of the Taliban" and said in an interview in 2009 that his students should fight against U.S. forces in Afghanistan. He has been quoted as describing Mullah Omar as an "angel" and one of his star pupils.

The seminary -- which was founded by Haq's father in 1947, the same year Pakistan gained its independence from the British Raj -- has published a two-volume collection of documents boasting of its role in the "Afghan jihad." During the Afghan-Soviet War from 1979-80 the seminary received millions in funding and provided thousands of fighters to the war effort. It was during that time that the seminary became fertile recruiting ground for Islamist groups.

"Many students of this madrasah [religious school] have fought in Afghanistan and in Pakistan and joined the ranks of both the Afghan and Pakistani Taliban," says Pakistani journalist and Taliban expert Rahimullah Yusufzai. "Not all the students go and fight, but the more radical join these militant groups and become even top leaders of these groups."

Yusufzai said that, while Darul Uloom Haqqania is not a terrorist training camp, its alumni provide a powerful precedent for current students to follow. He says the seminary also promotes a narrative that resonates among many in Pakistan -- that Islam is under attack from the West.

Millions In Public Funds

For years, Pakistan has promised to clamp down on religious schools that preach violence and have been recruiting grounds for domestic and foreign Islamist militant groups.

Yet radical seminaries like Darul Uloom Haqqania continue to operate freely and even receive government funds.

In February, the provincial government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province gave the seminary $2.5 million in a push to "mainstream" the controversial institution. Opposition politician Imran Khan's Pakistan Tehrik-e Insaf (PTI) also gave $2.7 million in public funds to Darul Uloom Haqqania in 2017.

Analysts say the funds have been used to expand and renovate the seminary's vast campus, not to modernize or diversify its teachings.

Pakistani politicians have attacked the decision by the conservative PTI, which has close ties to hard-line Islamic political parties and figures.

Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, chairman of the Pakistan Peoples Party, said it was a "shame," while Syed Alam Mehsud, president of nationalist party Wolesi Tehrik, said the move "proved" that the government was "supporting extremist elements."

A 'Tall Order'

Pakistan launched a National Action Plan to tackle extremism shortly after a December 2014 assault on an army-run school in which Pakistani Taliban militants killed more than 150 people, most of them children. It included a plan to register all religious schools and reform their curriculum by introducing modern and secular subjects.

"Bringing reforms seems to be a tall order," says Yusufzai. "These schools and their ideology have become entrenched over a long period and now there are millions of students who have graduated from them. I think the focus of attention that is required from the authorities is lacking."

Semple said the seminaries and their leaders have become increasingly powerful in society and politics in Pakistan.

He said that would explain the PTI's decision to fund Darul Uloom Haqqania and its leader Haq, the leader of the Jamiat Ulema-e Islam political party, which will participate in general elections this year.

"The seminary and its head, Sami-ul Haq, have a vast network of alumni across the country," he said. "It's important to appreciate that Sami-ul Haq and his network's political influence were probably key in the PTI's decision."Recent data breaches spark debate over 'reasonable' notification rules

This article originally appeared on Stateline, an initiative of the Pew Charitable Trusts.

When Pennsylvania sued Uber March 5 for waiting more than a year to alert drivers and customers that their personal information had been hacked, the states attorney general argued that the ride-hailing company had violated a state law mandating that companies notify people affected by a data breach without unreasonable delay.

Uber hid the incident for over a year, and actually paid the hackers to delete the data and stay quiet, Attorney General Josh Shapiro said in a statement.

The Pennsylvania lawsuit against Uber and others filed by Los Angeles and Chicago are drawing attention to the vague language in many state laws that defines how quickly consumers must be notified once a data breach is discovered. Pennsylvanias phrase without unreasonable delay is typical of many states, as is in the most expedient time possible.

The problem is that state legislators, consumers and company officials have different ideas of what is unreasonable.

This kind of language is too loose and subjective, said Colorado Republican state Rep. Cole Wist, who is cosponsoring a bipartisan measure that would require that consumers be notified of a breach within 30 days if there is sufficient evidence personal information has been or is likely to be misused. Residents also would have to be given the date of the breach and a description of what was accessed.

Reasonable time is not good enough, said Wist, who has been an identity theft victim. Theres a lot of harm that can be done in a short amount of time. The burden is now on consumers to right the ship. Once their data is compromised it can create years of heartache.

Wist and legislators in a number of other states are trying to beef up consumer protections by clearly defining how quickly residents must be notified of a data breach and broadening the category of personal information covered under such laws. Some also seek to bar credit reporting agencies from charging consumers to freeze their credit information.

But some industry groups are wary.

Craig Shearman, spokesman for the National Retail Federation, said in an email that setting a fixed number of days for notification can be a problem because law enforcement and cyber experts might need to work quietly behind the scenes to catch hackers without tipping them off.

And Eric J. Ellman, a senior vice president at the Consumer Data Industry Association, a trade group representing consumer reporting agencies, said it can be difficult for companies to comply with a forced, narrow timetable to notify consumers.

By tightening the screws so heavily in security breach bills, he said, you have often tipped the scales to create a hammer with which to whack companies that didnt meet a tight timetable, rather than focus on getting consumers the information in the right time.

Uber Chief Legal Officer Tony West said the Pennsylvania lawsuit caught him by surprise. The data breach compromised the names, email addresses and cellphone numbers of 57 million Uber riders around the world, as well as the drivers license numbers of about 600,000 drivers nationwide.

We make no excuses for the previous failure to disclose the data breach, West said in a statement. Ive been up front about the fact that Uber expects to be held accountable; our only ask is that Uber be treated fairly and that any penalty reasonably fit the facts.

Prompted by Equifax breach

Most of the legislation has been prompted by last years huge Equifax breach, which exposed the personal data of nearly 148 million Americans.

It took Equifax six weeks to reveal the breach, and it has twice revised upward its estimate of the number of people affected, most recently on March 1.

There is great frustration in the aftermath of the Equifax breach, and that frustration is extending to data breaches in general, said Paul Stephens, policy director for the Privacy Rights Clearinghouse, a San Diego-based nonprofit consumer advocacy group. Its something that really has gotten a lot of state legislators very upset. They are consumers, too, and theyve been impacted as well as the people they represent.

Last year, there were a record 1,579 data breaches in the United States, a nearly 45 percent hike over the previous year, according to the Identity Theft Resource Center, a nonprofit that helps victims of identity theft and promotes public awareness.

Forty-eight states and the District of Columbia have security breach notification laws, and most apply to the private sector and the government. But the laws vary considerably, from when affected victims must be notified to what is considered personal information.

Some states also bar credit reporting agencies from charging consumers to freeze or unfreeze their credit reports. But most allow it unless the consumer is an identity theft victim. A credit freeze lets people limit who can see their credit information, making it harder for identity thieves to open new accounts in their name. Credit agencies typically charge $5 or $10 each time consumers place or lift a freeze.English French

IBA signs three new ProteusONE contracts with Proton Partners International

IBA to install three additional ProteusONE compact proton therapy solutions in the UK

Louvain-La-Neuve, Belgium, 12 March 2018 - IBA (Ion Beam Applications S.A., EURONEXT), the world's leading provider of proton therapy solutions for the treatment of cancer, today announces it has signed three new contracts with Proton Partners International (PPI), to install three ProteusONE* compact proton therapy solutions across the UK. The contracts are subject to financing.

The contracted ProteusONE solutions include Pencil Beam Scanning (PBS) and Cone Beam CT (CBCT) capabilities making ProteusONE the only compact solution ready for adaptive treatment. The contracts also include a maintenance agreement. The typical end-user price for a ProteusONE solution with a maintenance contract is between EUR 35 and 40 million.

These new centers will be the seventh, eighth and ninth that IBA will install for PPI. IBA has now sold 50 proton therapy centers worldwide, and among them, 21 ProteusONE compact single-room solutions.

Olivier Legrain, Chief Executive Officer of IBA, commented: "We have just completed the installation of the first PT center in the UK in only nine months at the Rutherford Cancer Centre in Newport, South Wales. Today, we are delighted to expand our partnership with PPI, the institution that leads proton therapy penetration in the UK. IBA has the most attractive proton therapy offering and the most affordable solution in the market. IBA has now sold 50 centers across the world and that knowledge and experience is unique in the market. Our competitive strengths will ensure our continued strong position in the market."

Mike Moran, Chief Executive Officer of Proton Partners International Limited, added: "Just over two and a half years ago, we signed the first agreement with IBA and today we are only a couple of weeks away from treating our first patients at our Rutherford Cancer Centre in Newport, South Wales. IBA has done an excellent job facilitating its installation as well as staff training to speed up patient access to this innovative cancer treatment. The relationship with IBA has been so fruitful and impressive that it was an obvious choice to partner again with them for the expansion of our Rutherford Cancer Centres. Moreover, with ProteusONE, we benefit from the best proton therapy solution on the market."

"These new contracts support our strategy to build a strong state of the art cancer centre network across the UK to ensure that every cancer patient in the UK can get access to the best possible care without needing to travel far."

***ENDS***

About IBA

IBA (Ion Beam Applications S.A.) is a global medical technology company focused on bringing integrated and innovative solutions for the diagnosis and treatment of cancer. The company is the worldwide technology leader in the field of proton therapy, considered the most advanced form of radiation therapy available today. IBA's proton therapy solutions are flexible and adaptable, allowing customers to choose from universal full-scale proton therapy centers as well as compact, single room solutions. In addition, IBA also has a radiation dosimetry business and develops particle accelerators for the medical world and industry. Headquartered in Belgium and employing about 1,500 people worldwide, IBA has installed systems across the world.

IBA is listed on the pan-European stock exchange NYSE EURONEXT (IBA: Reuters IBAB.BR and Bloomberg IBAB.BB).

More information can be found at: www.iba-worldwide.com

* ProteusONE is the brand name of Proteus235.

About Proton Partners International Ltd

Proton Partners International is a private limited company, registered in Wales, at the vanguard of advancing cancer care in the UK. Proton Partners International is building a series of oncology centres across the UK known as The Rutherford Cancer Centres. The company plans to open eight centres in the next four years and its first centre in Newport, South Wales, will be the first in the UK to offer high energy proton beam therapy.

Proton Partners International has partnered with world-leading providers to equip each centre with the very latest cancer technology. The Welsh Government's Life Sciences Investment Fund is a key investor in Proton Partners International. Institutional and private investors committed to almost 125m equity finance in the company.

The company was founded in 2015 by Mike Moran and UK and international cancer experts, including Professor Karol Sikora, former head of the World Health Organisation's cancer programme. Initial investors include the Wales Life Sciences Investment Fund managed by Professor Sir Chris Evans, the leading life sciences entrepreneur, and Neil Woodford's Woodford Patient Capital Trust.

For more information: http://proton-int.com/

Follow Proton Partners International on twitter: @ProtonPartners

About The Rutherford Cancer Centres

The Rutherford Cancer Centres are at the forefront of providing innovative cancer care and creating a better future for cancer patients. With its commitment to excellence, the centres will provide an all-encompassing cancer service, delivering high-energy proton beam therapy, imaging, chemotherapy, radiotherapy, immunotherapy and a range of supportive care services.

Treatment at The Rutherford Cancer Centres will be available to medically insured private patients, self-paying patients and patients referred by the NHS.

The first centre, in South Wales, has recently opened to receive patient referrals for chemotherapy and radiotherapy, and high-energy proton beam therapy will be available from April onwards. Centres in Northumberland, Reading and Liverpool are also under development. Other sites are under consideration.

For more information on The Rutherford Cancer Centres, please visit: http://www.therutherford.co.uk/

Follow The Rutherford Cancer Centres on twitter: @therutherford_c

For further information, please contact:

IBA

Soumya Chandramouli

Chief Financial Officer

+32 10 475 890

Investorrelations@iba-group.com

Thomas Ralet

Vice-President Corporate Communication

+32 10 475 890

communication@iba-group.com

For media and investor enquiries:

Consilium Strategic Communications

Amber Fennell, Matthew Neal, Ivar Milligan

+44 (0) 20 3709 5700

IBA@consilium-comms.comLAS VEGAS, March 12, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Nevada Gold & Casinos, Inc. (NYSE MKT:UWN) today announced that its financial results for the third quarter ended January 31, 2018 will be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on March 19, 2018 after the close of the U.S. financial markets.



The company will host a conference call at 4:30 PM ET (1:30 PM PT) the same afternoon to discuss the financial results and provide a corporate update. The call can be accessed live by dialing (800) 281-7973. International callers can access the call by dialing (323) 794-2093.

A telephone replay of the conference call will be available after 7:30 PM ET and can be accessed by dialing (844) 512-2921. International callers can access the replay by dialing (412) 317-6671; the pin number is 3589855. The replay will be available through March 26, 2018.

Forward-Looking Statements

This release contains forward-looking statements, which are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. We use words such as "anticipate," "believe," "expect," "future," "intend," "plan," and similar expressions to identify forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements include, without limitation, our ability to increase income streams, to grow revenue and earnings, and to obtain additional gaming and other projects. These statements are only predictions and are subject to certain risks, uncertainties and assumptions, which are identified and described in the Company's public filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

About Nevada Gold & Casinos

Nevada Gold & Casinos, Inc. (NYSE MKT:UWN) of Las Vegas, Nevada is a developer, owner and operator of 9 gaming operations in Washington ( wagoldcasinos.com ), a locals casino in Henderson, Nevada (clubfortunecasino.com) and a slot route operation in Deadwood, South Dakota ( dakotaplayersclub.com ). For more information, visit www.nevadagold.com .

Contacts:

Nevada Gold & Casinos, Inc.

Michael P. Shaunnessy / James Meier

(702) 685-1000

Stonegate Capital Partners

Preston Graham

(972) 850-2001mbacandidate2020 wrote:

Hi all,



I got into Georgetown (no scholarship) and Fisher (50% scholarship).



International student, looking to work in Consulting, in the US post MBA.



I've paid the deposit at Georgetown, but just got to know about my scholarship at Fisher, and having second thoughts now.



Would love to get some perspective. What do you think I should do?



Thanks!



PS. I already tried negotiating with Georgetown about scholarship, no luck.

It is advisable for internationals not to accept Georgetown for consulting. as it is recruitment for consulting is for federal agencies that demand American citizenship. Also, Fisher offered nice scholarship which will help decrease you burden. It may offer you some 2nd tier consulting companies such Deloitte or Accenture......etcGood luckgayathrikeerthanas wrote:

Hello!



I'm an Indian female engineering graduate, currently working as a Digital Marketing Analyst / Data Analyst in a reputed IT products company in Chennai, headquartered in the US. I'm 29 months into this job, right after my under grad. I'm also working part-time for my NGO/NPO which is a registered one, for the past 4 years. I'm the Founder and President of it. We've done quite some commendable programs over these years. I also have some decent extra curricular that I did well during college and held leadership roles. Received 2 awards - "Best Student Award" (State level, recommended by my University) and "Seva Ratna Award" (for my contribution to the city). Also worked as a free-lance writer during college. Coming to my acads part of my profile, it's bleak I must say. 85.6, 78.25 & 69.4 in 10th, 12th and under grad respectively.



My last attempt in CAT (MBA entrance test in India) was a serious one (CAT 2017) but I failed miserably compared to my mock tests and scores. But prep wise I did well this time which was evident through my tests. Yet the D day was totally not mine for some abstract reasons that I cannot justify.

I've got calls from the New IIMs, just like last year (for CAT 2016) when I cracked the interviews and got admits to all of them. The interview is on 27th of Feb 2018. After that, the final admit results would be some time around end of May. I am contemplating a plan of taking the GMAT by say May start. So by the end of the month I'd know if I should give up on IIM Ranchi (if I get selected), assuming I cross a target score in GMAT.



I'd like to finally land up (if not for now, at least after MBA) at countries like the Nordics, Germany, France, Netherlands and Canada. The kind of streams of MBA that I want to go for are: general, marketing, strategy, and sustainability, in decreasing order of priority. Also, I'm stumbling upon some prep and practice tests ( /GMAC for now). Getting a full score in PS and SC with a difficulty level of 2.0 and above. I need to seriously work on CR and RC. Kind of improving. My essays are not great yet. I can get LORs from scholars in Finland, one of my professors at college and a Civil service officer (In India) who's a mentor for my NGO.



With all this said, what should be my target score, strategy, plan, timeline, realistic options and the like?



TIA.



P.S: My under grad score worries me a lot!

There are many great schools in Europe such as Insead, IE, IESE, Mannheim, HEC, etc, but their average class profile is around 5-6 years. Its possible to get admit with lesser experience if you have a distinguished profile. But from IT background, its a little tough as it is largest applicant pool.The Canadian schools such as Rotman has class profile with lesser average experience with wider range and I think you have a fair chance there if you want to apply this year. Further, being a female candidate you have some added advantage as the b-schools now a days try to maintain a balanced sex ration in the class. A gmat score of 700 will help you to get into the school easily with Forte Scholarship.PS: Global B-schools prefer recommendation from you work supervisor (preferably current, if not possible previous supervisor). If you cant get that or if you choose to get recommendation from other scholars' and professor, you have to explain why you cant get a LOR from your work supervisor in the additional essay._________________An abnormally high number of twin calves born on Dutch dairy farms last year triggered a closer inspection by authorities. They found that more than 2,000 farms reported multiple births in 10 percent of cows or more. Another 5,700 farms recorded multiple births in 5 to 10 percent of cows in 2017. Normally, Dutch farms average 3 to 5 percent twins and multiple births.

As reported in AgriLand and the DutchNews.nl, farms were likely reporting multiple births in an attempt to keep cow numbers down. The country is under strict emissions rules implemented by the Dutch government. With these regulations, a milk cow represents one livestock unit; a heifer is only 0.5 livestock unit. By recording more multiple births, farms were able to keep some cows listed as heifers on paper for a longer period of time.

Following investigations by the Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority and the Netherlands Enterprise Agency, 2,100 Dutch dairy farms are suspected of fraud. The animals on these farms with uncertain status are in lockdown and cannot be transported from the premises until their correct registration is restored.

According to AgrilLand, farmers found guilty of lying about animals ages will be penalized through their CAP (Common Agricultural Policy) subsidy payments. Authorities are considering criminal investigations as well.

To comment, email your remarks to intel@hoards.com.

(c) Hoard's Dairyman Intel 2018

February 19, 2018STORY UPDATED: check for updates below.

France's Marine Le Pen has proposed changing the name of her far-right party "Front National" (National Front) to "Rassemblement National" (National Rally) this weekend.

However it seems there are two major problems with that proposal. The first was already reported on by the French edition of the Huffington Post: someone else already owns the trademark "Rassemblement National", namely Igor Kurek, a minor French political figure running a different political movement.

Le Pen's second problem is Mario Van Poppel, a Belgian expat living in London.

if #MarineLePen considers renaming #FrontNational to #RassemblementNational then I guess she must have registered the .com domain name n'est pas? After all the FN website is .com. Well... it was for sale a minute ago... pic.twitter.com/avG4TpKtpj -- Mario Van Poppel (@LOcurrency) March 11, 2018

was een premium domain name. Ik dacht om hem te kopen, live zetten en dan crowdfunden. pic.twitter.com/nmWdHbzfYY -- Mario Van Poppel (@LOcurrency) March 12, 2018

Van Poppel bought the domain name on March 12, 2018 for 2103.95 (around $2900) including taxes and told Lead Stories he wasn't sure what to do with it yet. He stated he might set up a crowdfunding campaign later to offset the cost of the purchase.

This isn't the first time the Belgian joker snaps up the domain name of a political campaign. In 2016 he pulled a similar stunt with voteleave.com, which he bought before the people behind the Brexit campaign (who ran voteleave.co.uk) could get their hands on it. He redirected that domain name to a video of the popular song "Never Gonna Give You Up" by Rick Astley. Fooling unuspecting people with promising internet links that point to that video is known in internet jargon as "Rickrolling".

As of a few minutes ago, rassemblementnational.com started redirecting to the video too.Canadian researchers from human rights organization Citizen Lab uncovered a major computer espionage operation spreading across Turkey, Egypt and, indirectly, Syria. The operation, which started in 2017, is a nation-state-level network injection to deliver spyware.

According to the research, deep packet inspection (DPI) middleboxes, hardware developed by Canadian-American company SandVine, were used by local ISPs TArk Telekom and Telecom Egypt for nationwide surveillance. The goal was to trick users into downloading programs bundled with spyware created by GammaGroup.

Hundreds of targeted users from Turkey and Syria were redirected to nation-state spyware when those users attempted to download certain legitimate Windows applications. Some users in Syria were also affected because some systems route into the Turkish operator. Those who tried to download Avast Antivirus, CCleaner, Opera and 7-Zip from their official websites were also affected.

Once the system was infected, a third party took complete control of the device, including microphone and camera. In Egypt, users with an unencrypted connection (non-HTTPS) were redirected to a fraud campaign trying to make money through affiliate ads and browser cryptocurrency-mining scripts.

The apparent use of Sandvine devices to surreptitiously inject malicious and dubious redirects for users in Turkey, Syria, and Egypt raises significant human rights concerns, reads the report.

In Turkey and Egypt, the middleboxes were also used to block any type of content related to politics, human rights and journalism on websites such as Human Rights Watch, Reporters Without Borders, Al Jazeera, Mada Masr, HuffPost Arabic, Wikipedia, the Dutch Broadcast Foundation (NOS) and the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK).

Even more troubling is the fact that technology developed by two Western companies made it all possible. It appears the spyware is similar to that used in the StrongPity APT attacks that targeted Italian and Belgian users. This spyware is less sophisticated than FinFisher which is normally sold to governments, and has been used by the Turkish government in the past. According to researchers, the local governments were likely behind the operation. They manipulated the technology to suit their surveillance interests in specific IP addresses, while local ISPs fully cooperated for the code injection.As of August 26th, 2021 Yahoo India will no longer be publishing content. Your Yahoo Account Mail and Search experiences will not be affected in any way and will operate as usual. We thank you for your support and readership. For more information on Yahoo India, please visit the FAQ :               

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As the UN agency on World Tourism focuses on the old Silk Road to promote transnational tourism, Sujoy Dhar visits Uzbekistan, which celebrates its legacy of stunning Islamic architecture

The trail of Uzbekistan's national hero Amir Timur (also spelt Temur) is also the trail of the ancient Silk Road, which the 8th UNWTO (UN agency for World Tourism) in Berlin in March 2018 chose as the most important transnational tourism route of the 21st century.

But if you are visiting Uzbekistan you initiation with history perhaps begins with a museum to the Timurids in the sprawling capital city of Tashkent.

The Museum of History of Temurids- which is called the Amir Timur Museum popularly- is a building with a blue cupola with all three floors dedicated to the rulers of Uzbekistan. Once you enter the building and before exploring the various exhibits what you confront at the centre of the main hall is a copy of the Muslim holy book  the Koran Osman. This Koran is said to be a copy of the oldest holy book of the Muslims which is preserved in the same capital city.

This museum was built only to commemorate the 600th birthday of Timur.

Image: The Museum of History of Temurids- which is called the Amir Timur Museum popularly- is dedicated to the great ruler. His mural on the wall and the copy of the oldest Koran are attractions

As you stand in front of the Koran admiring its display and size, you come face to face with Timur in large mural on the wall in the style of miniatures, titled The Great Timur  the great creator. Made by Uzbek artists, it draws you attention along with a beautiful chandelier adorning the ceiling.

The picture reflects the life of Timur from his birth to his death. It shows a shooting star, symbolizing the translation of his name Amir Temur as born under a lucky star.

In the second part of the mural there is a creative work of the great ruler, which are the majestic buildings you see in Uzbekistan- Ak-Saray Palace in Shakhrisyabs or the Bibi Khanum in Samarkand. And third, the final part of a panel is the last stage in the life of Timur, his tomb the Gur-e Emir, also in Samarkand.

Since its inception, the museum has become a centre of scientific thought and education. The exhibits of the museum dating back to Timurid era are of great historical value and for an Indian they are relatable with our history and culture almost intertwined since Babur came to India.

In the museum there are also archaeological, ethnographic and numismatic materials and ornaments of Amir Timur era transported through the Great Silk Road. A replica of the Taj Mahal would also hold an Indians interest in this museum

Image: Registan Square in Samarkand

But the real splendor of the country begins when you make a two hours bullet train journey from Tashkent to Samarkand, the ancient city which is often referred to as the diamond of Central Asia.

Founded in 742 BC, writers and poets paid glowing tributes to Samarkand with epithets like "Eden of the Ancient East", "The City of Allah", "The Pearl of the Eastern Muslim World", "The Face of the Earth", etc.

Images: Registan is framed by three splendid, tilting madrasahs (Islamic schools) of distinctive Islamic architecture.

The earliest mention of Samarkand, since ancient times known as Marakanda, is found in the descriptions of the conquests of Alexander the Great (329 BC). Alexander described Samarkand as: "Everything I heard about the beauties of Samarkand is all true, except that it is more beautiful than I could imagine."

#Samarkand #Registan A post shared by Not In Town Travel Portal (@notintownlive) on Mar 3, 2018 at 3:52am PST

In different periods the city was influenced by Persians, Seleucids, Arabs and Mongols. In the 14th century, the city was the capital of the empire of Timur and its dynasty.

From every successful expedition to India, Afghanistan, Iran, Syria, Turkey, and Transcaucasia, Timur brought to Samarkand the most skilfull architects, jewellers and scientists. The rulers of the European states considered it an honor to visit Samarkand.

Image: Gur-e-Emir is where the tomb of Timur and other Timurid rulers are located

It is in Samarkand that you see an explosion of Islamic architecture under the Timurid dynasty. In the heart of the modern city of Samarkand is this public square called the Registan which was the crowning glory of the city under the Timurids. Registan means "Sandy place" or "desert" in Persian.

Image: Gur-e-Emir hosts some of the amazing works of deep niches and gilded panels.

Image:Tomb of Timur and other rulers inside Gur-e-Emir

It is here that in Timurid era people would gather to hear royal proclamations, heralded by blasts on enormous copper pipes called dzharchis. It was also a place of public executions. Registan is framed by three splendid, tilting madrasahs (Islamic schools) of distinctive Islamic architecture. The three madrasahs are the Ulughbek Beg Madrasah (14171420), the Tilya-Kori Madrasah (16461660) and the Sherdor Madrasah (16191636).

The works of majolica and azure mosaics of these buildings form the centrepiece of the city. This UNESCO World Heritage complex with its azure glistening cupolas (domes), ornate portals and patterned minarets overwhelm you as you walk into the grand public expanse. No wonder that British India viceroy George Curzon had described Registan as the noblest public square in the world.

Under Ulugbek, Samarkand also became one of the world's scientific centres. There was a whole scientific school, uniting astronomers and mathematicians. In 1428, the Ulugbek Observatory was built, the key instrument of which was a wall quadrant in partly underground section with a radius of 40 meters and a working part from 20  to 80 , used to chart movements of celestial bodies across the sky.

Image:Tomb of Timur and other rulers inside Gur-e-Emir

The history of the city is closely connected with the names of great poets, philosophers and scholars like Ibn Sina, al-Biruni, Rumi, Rudaki, Omar Khayyam, Jami, Navoi, Babur and Ali-Kushchi.

Aged over 2750 years Samarkand was the most important point on the Great Silk Road between China and Europe.

If you go dizzy viewing the grandeur and scale of Registan, then pause and head for the the mausoleum of Gur-e Emir (Timur).

This building was laid by the grandson of Timur - Muhammad-Sultan- as a madrasah in 1401. However, Muhammad-Sultan died prematurely, returning from the campaign to Asia Minor. So his madrasah was rebuilt by the order of Amir Timur himself, and Muhammad-Sultan was buried there.

Famous historian Temur Sharaf al-Din Ali Yazdi wrote that "the dome of this building was high, like the sky, the lower parts of the building were decorated with gilded and turquoise patterns in marble." Yes, you see all that in amazement when you visit there.

Once you are inside the mausoleum's high chamber where the tombs are, you are left spellbound by the intricate, ornamental and gilded works and panels. The deep niches, paintings, arches and ornate carved headstones leave you in awe of its creators. Here you see the beautiful Muqarnas or ornamented vaulting that characterises Islamic architecture.

Later (1405), Amir Timur himself was buried here. During the reign of Ulugbek on the orders of his father Shahrukh Mirzo (son of Amir Temur), the building was finally completed and turned into a mausoleum of the Temurids.

Not to be missed is another architectural high point of Samarkand that is Bibi-Khanum mosque that Tamerlane's favorite wife Bibi-Khanum had built in honor of his return from a trip to India. She wanted it to be the most grandiose creation of Samarkand.

Image: Poi Kalyan ("the foot of the Great Minaret") is an architectural ensemble centered around the Kalyan Minaret, the majestic Kalyan mosque and the Mir-i Arab Madrassah

If Samarkand leaves you breathless with its beautiful monuments and architecture, then hold your breath till you are in Bukhara, the museum-city where every building, alley and brick breathes history. There are some 140 centuries-old monuments in Bukhara with its historical centre included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.

Bukharas history dates back to more than 2500 years. According to legend, the city was founded by the Persian prince Siyavush, to whom the vassal state was handed over as a wedding gift by the ruler of Samarkand Afrasiab. In the center of the state was erected a fortress "Ark", which was surrounded by settlements of artisans.

At one time, the city obeyed Alexander the Great, later the Arab conquerors and was subjected to destruction by Genghis Khan. In 1370 Bukhara became part of the empire of Timur.

Image: Winter Palace in Bukhara

The city was the largest trade centre on the Great Silk Road . In the caravan-sheds, merchants from different countries stopped for rest.

Bukhara reached its peak at the end of the 16th century, during the reign of the Sheibanid and Ashtarkhanid dynasties.

A visit to Bukhara is also about soaking in the beauty of Poi Kalyan ("the foot of the Great Minaret"), an architectural ensemble centered around the Kalyan Minaret built by Arslan Khan (1127 - 1129) and consisting of the majestic Kalyan mosque (founded in the 12th century, rebuilt in the 15th and early 16th centuries) and the Mir-i Arab Madrassah (1527-1536). Poi Kalyan is located in the centre of Shahristan (Inner City) of Bukhara.

At the initiative of late President Islam Karimov, the complex was completely restored.

Image: Poi Kalyan ("the foot of the Great Minaret") is an architectural ensemble centered around the Kalyan Minaret, the majestic Kalyan mosque and the Mir-i Arab Madrassah

And what an inexorable journey of Islamic craftsmanship it is for a visitor to be here to see all that survived and rebuilt after destruction by Genghis Khan. Kalyan Mosque with its beautiful tiled work and the sprawling courtyard is simply spectacular.

The Kalon or Kalyan Minaret (kalon meaning great in Persian) was said to be the tallest in Central Asia during those days standing 47m tall with 10m-deep quake proof foundation that even Genghis Khan spared as he destroyed rest of the city. The Minaret is the only structure of this complex, which was kept safe during the siege laid by Genghis Khan.

The body of the minaret which also used glazed blue tiles is topped by a rotunda with 16 arched fenestrations, from which the muezzins summoned the Muslims in the city to prayer. There is a brick spiral staircase that twists up inside around the pillar to the rotunda.

However, not much is known about the beautiful Mir-i Arab Madrasah origin in this complex. It is marked by stone mosaics work with geometric, vegetative and calligraphic writings and patterns. The construction of Mir-i-Arab Madrasah is ascribed to Sheikh Abdullah Yamani of Yemen, the spiritual mentor of early Shaybanids.

On a late end winter afternoon as the sun was mellowing down, it was almost otherworldly to be standing at the complex in amazement wondering what it took to create such a beautiful mosques, such gypsum works, wood carvings, massive blue cupolas and patterned minarets.New Delhi,Mar 12 (IBNS): Visitor arrivals from India to Australia have crossed the 300,000 mark as recorded by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) for the year ended December 2017, an increase of 15.4% over the previous year.

In 2012, Tourism Australia devised a focused strategy to maximize the potential of India and to strengthen Australias position as a preferred long haul destination by the year 2020.

As a part of this strategic plan, a key goal was defined to achieve 300,000 Indian arrivals into Australia by the end of this decade, a milestone that has been achieved three years ahead of the defined target date.

India is also currently the 8th largest and the fastest growing inbound travel market for Australia, and has recorded double-digit growth for the fourth consecutive year.

The growing appetite for Australian holidays has been fueled by Tourism Australias consumer marketing campaign - Theres Nothing Like Australia highlighting some of the very best attractions and experiences Australian tourism has to offer.

Designed to be long-lasting and flexible, the campaign continues to evolve to stay relevant for target consumers in a highly competitive and fast-changing tourism environment showcasing key pillars of food and wine; aquatic and coastal; and nature and wildlife.

An integrated and sustained advertising campaign, increased thrust on digital media, strong advocacy program,innovative content integration projects, tactical partnerships with key distribution and airline partners, and industry first initiatives like the Airline Market Place, have been critical to raise Australias appeal as the preferred long-haul leisure destination among the high value travelers.

Commenting on this achievement,Nishant Kashikar, Country Manager, Tourism Australia India and Gulf said,We are delighted at having crossed the 300 K mark for arrivals into Australia from India, and are extremely grateful to all our partners and stakeholders for being with us on this journey. Australia is home to some of the worlds best tourism experiences and has been growing in appeal as an aspirational destination for Indian travelers. There has been a consistent effort at the introduction of new products and experiences from a trade distribution perspective and innovative direct to consumer communication initiatives that have been implemented to build and sustain Australias preference as a holiday destination. We will continue to intensify our efforts, with an aim to be within the top 5 inbound markets for Australia by 2025.

In mid-2017 the Australian Department of Immigration and Border Protection extended online lodgment of visitor visa applications to all Indian nationals.

The online application process provides a more convenient option for Indians looking to visit Australia. In an age where travellers are increasingly self-reliant in planning and booking holidays, the e-lodgment allows tourists greater independence when planning a trip to Australia and is likely to be a strong catalyst for boosting tourist arrivals from India.Kabul, Mar 12 (IBNS): Sounding alert, officials in Afghanistan's Farah province said on Monday that Anar Dara district is virtually under Taliban control.

Local media quoted Dadullah Qane, a member of the provincial council, as saying that Taliban militants attacked the centre of the district on Monday early morning and has taken control of the police headquarters.

"If reinforcements are not deployed to the district, Anar Dara will fall completely to the Taliban," Qane was quoted as saying by Tolo News.

According to Farid Bakhtawar, head of Farah provincial council, forces had gone Fararod area in Bala Blok district on Friday night to launch an operation, but were ambushed instead by the militants.

At least 15 soldiers were killed while a number of them have been kept hostage by the Taliban fighters.

"In total there are 18 persons of whom three have been captured and the rest including eight Special Forces have been killed, Bakhtawar said.

Qane added, "The Special Forces had launched a clearing operation, but they suffered losses in this operation."

Image: Google MapsDhaka, Mar 12 (IBNS): BNP supremo Khaleda Zia was given a four-month bail by the Bangladesh High Court on Monday, media reports said.

Zia, who had earlier served as the Prime Minister of Bangladesh, got the bail in the Zia Orphanage Trust corruption case.

A Bangladesh court last month found her guilty and handed her five years in prison.

Now, there is no legal bar to let Khaleda walk out of prison on bail, Advocate Sagir Hossain Leon, a lawyer for the BNP chief, told The Daily Star after the High Court ruling.

The bail order was passed by a bench of Justice M Enayetur Rahim and Justice Shahidul Karim.

The bail was granted to Zia in response to a petition moved by her before the High Court last month.

The report published by The Daily Star said her bail was considered on four grounds  her short sentencing of five years, health condition, her facing trial proceedings and that the case records have reached the High Court.

BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia was on Feb 8 sentenced to five years in jail as a Bangladesh court convicted her in the Zia Orphanage Trust graft case, reports said.

Her son Tarique Rahman and four others got 10 years' jail term in connection with the same case.

Zia was found guilty of embezzlement of 252,000 Dollars from a trust created for an orphanage in the name of her late husband and Bangladesh's former President Ziaur Rahman.



Ottawa, Mar 12 (IBNS): Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland told her Indian counterpart Sushma Swaraj that the invitation of convicted pro-Khalistani terrorist Jaspal Atwal to India was an "honest mistake", media reports said.

Freeland said she met Swaraj in Delhi during her visit to India along with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

She said: "I started off the meeting by saying to her that it had been an honest mistake and that the invitation had been withdrawn."

"I felt it was incumbent on me to explain to her Canadas thinking behind this invitation. It was important for her to hear, directly from me, that this was a person that in the view of the government of Canada had no business being at that reception," Freeland said.

"What was good about that meeting was that she was very understanding. I also said to her that it was noteworthy that Mr. Atwal had been able to travel to India" she added.

Atwal was convicted in Canada for attempting the murder of then-Punjab minister Malkiat Singh Sidhu on Vancouver Island in 1986.

Atwal's invitation to the dinner hosted by the Canadian High Commissioner in India on Thursday came as an embarrassment for Trudeau as he had ensured Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh of Canada's distance from all those who are allegedly involved with the Sikh separatist movement.

Trudeau has also promised to take actions against all who want the Indian state of Punjab to be a separate country, named Khalistan.

As a damage control, the invitation to Atwal was later rescinded.The source, who spoke on the condition of anonymity as they were not allowed to speak publically about this, said that global buyers of Iranian crude will only be purchasing 1.94 million barrels per day (bpd) in March  a 21% drop on Februarys sales.

This would make Iranian oil sales the lowest since March 2016, which is just after Iran was allowed to trade on the global oil markets again, after international sanctions were lifted under the nuclear deal.

When compared with March 2017, Iran is down a massive 26% despite being the third-biggest producer among the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and despite the Iranian Regimes desperate attempts to entice customers, including reducing official selling prices and offering increased freight discounts to India.

Even in Asia, the market that the Iranian Regime has most targeted for oil exports, the bpd is dropping to 1.12 million this month, down by one-third from February, according to Reuters.

Meanwhile Japan, the fourth-biggest buyer of Iranian oil in Asia, will not buy any oil from Iran this month for the first time since March 2016. According to the confidential source, this is because Japan (and indeed the rest of the world) is not certain whether or not sovereign insurance for tankers carrying Iranian oil would be extended beyond March.

So why are Iranian exports so low?

A lot of it has to do with the existing US sanctions on the Iranian regime for issues like their ballistic missile programme and human rights abuses, along with the fear that the US will soon withdraw from the nuclear deal and reimpose all sanctions on Iran.

This makes any investment in Iranian oil risky, because the investor may soon have to choose between accessing that oil and accessing the US financial markets. This would lead most countries to choose the US.

It also affects the insurance companies that insure the shipments of oil from things like piracy and shipwrecks. These insurance companies dont want to lose access to the US financial markets and, as highlighted by Japan, may choose to stop insuring Iranian oil tankers, which would leave the buyer at risk of losing their oil without any compensation.British Prime Minister Theresa May and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman both agreed, at the end of Prince Mohammeds state visit to the UK, that they would support the Lebanese government in its attempts to extend its control over Lebanese territory and that it is important to disarm the Hezbollah militia and confront its destabilizing role, according to the Saudi Press Agency.

They also agreed that the Iranian Regime needed to stop interfering in the domestic affairs of fellow countries and instead abide by the principles of good neighbourliness, which included taking concrete and practical steps to build confidence and resolve its differences with its neighbours by peaceful means.

This would, no doubt, include Lebanon, where the Iranian Regime has proxy control of the government through its terrorist militia Hezbollah and constantly interferes in the running of Lebanon to Irans advantage, even threatening the life of Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri in 2017.

It is part of the Iranian Regimes strategy for turning an independent nation into a vassal state through the use of proxy militias. First, Iran will support a proxy militia (or multiple proxies) in order to dangerously destabilise the country, and then the Iranian Regime will either swoop in to take control themselves or wait until the international community agrees to power-sharing government, with both the legitimate government and Iranian proxy holding power, as has happened in Lebanon, Iraq, and someday soon Yemen.

In Yemen, the Iranian Regime is supporting the Houthi terrorist militia against the internationally-recognised Yemeni government and now some in the international community are speculating that the Houthis may have to enter a power-sharing government, which would leave Iran in charge.

During that three-year-long conflict, the Iranian Regime has supplied the Houthis with weapons, including ballistic missiles, in spite of two UN resolutions.

These weapons have been used against the Yemeni people and the Saudi-led Arab alliance, which is backed by the UN Security Council, seeking to restore the legitimate government. Dozens of the Iranian-made ballistic missiles have even been fired at Saudi Arabia by the Houthis, as addressed by the UN in a recent report.

The civil war in Yemen has already caused a humanitarian crisis, with 22.2 million people dependent on food aid and many displaced from their homes.More than a million audits in the Degree Audit Reporting System, or DARS, have been processed at the U since January 2021. Its little wonder, then, that DARS was recently rolled into the Us IT disaster recovery efforts.

Share this article:Financial Assistant (FA)

The Peace Corps seeks a Financial Assistant (FA) who, under the general supervision of the Director of Management and Operations (DMO), manages the financial operation of the post, including creation of all financial obligations, non-cashier payments, collections, and payroll for all contract staff. This role supervises an Administrative Assistant who is responsible for the maintenance of time and attendance records, small purchases, and preparation of financial documents.

Starting salary is 58,000 to 63,000 THB per month + one month prorated bonus. Peace Corps offers a full benefits package including health, dental and life insurance, 20 paid holidays per year, and 11 annual leave days to start.Klitschko will also attend the Global Cities of the Future awards ceremony of the Foreign Direct Investment Magazine's contest.

Kyiv Mayor Vitaliy Klitschko will be showcasing the capital of Ukraine at the international property summit MIPIM in Cannes, France, on March 13-14.

In Cannes, Klitschko will open a Kyiv booth and introduced a number of investment projects to international businesses. This year, MIPIM will bring together over 24,000 attendees, including the most influential developers, major players of the international business, industry and logistics, the mayor's press service reports.

Read alsoJournalist probe: Kyiv mayor Klitschko's villa being built in violation of Water Code (Video)

Klitschko will also attend the Global Cities of the Future awards ceremony of the Foreign Direct Investment Magazine's contest (a division of The Financial Times).

Moreover, at a panel session, Kyiv mayor will speak about the challenges Ukraine is facing and that can have an impact on its neighboring states. This year, the major discussion of this panel session is main issues facing Central & Eastern Europe: the tug of war between globalization and insularity, the hunt for talent and the lack of skilled personnel.

Klitschko will hold a number of meetings at MIPIM, in particular, with Eduardo Lopez Moreno, the Director of Research and Capacity Development at UN-HABITAT, Gunther Adler, State Secretary at the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Building and Nuclear Safety, Mayor of Poznan Jacek Jaskowiak, as well as big international business community.French Counterterror Scheme Draws Fire in Burkina Faso

(GIN)  The so-called French pillar of counterterrorism in West Africa drew fire this week from Islamic extremists who struck the French Embassy in Burkina Faso and that countrys army headquarters. Seven soldiers were reported killed, as were eight attackers. Over 80 persons were injured.

The incident took place in Burkinas famed capital city of Ouagadougou just as regional senior officers who coordinate with France as part of Operation Barkhane against Islamic insurgents were due to meet at the headquarters.

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But the group changed their venue at the last minute and survived, said Security Minister Clement Sawadogo.

The attack was denounced by French President Emmanuel Macron and U.N. chief Antonio Guterres.

The French operation which deploys 4,000 troops began in 2014 to prevent a highway of all forms of traffic, explained former French President Francois Hollande, where jihadist groups between Libya and the Atlantic Ocean can rebuild, which would lead to serious consequences for (French) security.

Operation Barkhane will allow for a rapid and efficient intervention in the event of a crisis and have a mandate to operate across borders, the former leader said. Hundreds of millions of dollars have been pledged from the European Union, the Saudis and the Americans, to assist operations, reports Middle East Eye.

(A Barkhane is a crescent-shaped sand dune such as those found in the Sahara desert).

But what began as a French military reaction to an Islamic insurgency in Mali has grown into a more weaponized permanent and cross-border counter-terrorism effort, writes Amandla Thomas-Johnson for the Middle East Eye.

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Fighting will be done by small teams, intelligence, fighter jets and drones, wrote the online new site Merguez.info, adding: No more large-scale operations with armored columns of French soldiers.

British forces recently pledged 3 Chinook helicopters, 100 soldiers and the armys Watchkeeper surveillance drones in what would be their first deployment overseas.

The foreign military build-up has troubled some regional experts who have called for a holistic response that promotes good governance, addresses food security and the needs of human development.

It is clear from the increase in military activity over the past several years that Barkhane itself and strictly military solutions more broadly are not sufficient to decrease militancy in the Sahel, said Andrew Lebovich with the European Council on Foreign Relations.

Further, said Lebovich, foreign interventions carry a risk of blowback from a region where American forces are also known to operate, battling insurgencies through ground operations and drone strikes launched from a sprawling military base in Niger. w/pix of Burkina Pres. R.M. Christian Kabore and French Pres. E. MacronMetro Certification Workshop 101 Certification is the First Key to METRO Success

Mar. 20

Are you ready to take advantage of the small business programs that Metro has developed for you? Join us for a certification workshop on Metros Small Business Enterprise Program (SBE) and the Disadvantaged Business Enterprise Program (DBE) Tuesday, March 20, 2018 10:00 a.m.  12:00 p.m. at Metros Headquarters 3rd Floor, Gateway Plaza Conference Room One Gateway Plaza Los Angeles, CA 90012. Let us walk you through the process, the forms and the online tools as we guide you through the steps to become certified as a Metro Small Business Enterprise (SBE) and/or statewide Disadvantaged Business Enterprise.

Register at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/metro-certification-workshop-101-tickets-43046414986

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Topics Include:

Benefits of Becoming DBE/SBE Certified

Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) and Small Business Enterprise (SBE) Program

DBE and SBE Program Requirements including documentation required for submittal

DBE and SBE On-Line Application Process

Take advantage of our many opportunities! Online resources available at: www.metro.net/connect

For questions regarding this event, please contact: Megan Hinojosa at: [email protected] or (213) 922-2209.New ANC President Endorses Transfer of Lands from Whites to Blacks

(GIN)  Barely a month into his presidency, Cyril Ramaphosa has taken sides on a hot button issue whose resolution had eluded previous leaders. He vowed to speed up the seizure of land from white owners and turn the properties over to blacks.

This original sin that was committed when our country was colonized must be resolved in a way that will take South Africa forward, he declared.

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The resolution calling for expropriation without compensation was introduced by the self-described radical and militant Economic Freedom Front, and passed 241 votes in agreement, and 83 votes against.

Sinawo Thambo, provincial chairperson of the groups Student Command in the Western Cape, exuberantly described the vote in an article titled Land Expropriation a Victory for Africa.

Land dispossession in South Africa, although marred by barbaric violence, was also a legislated policy, he wrote. The oppression of exploitation of the black majority was rationalized under a parliamentary and judicial framework. This means it is engrained in history and in policy that perpetuates the dire conditions the black majority exists in in this country.

Central to the (newly-passed) resolution is the agreement not to compensate when expropriating land, he continued, because it is unreasonable to expect compensation for land theft and the criminal process of colonialism. It would be justifying the rational of dispossession as an acceptable fact and rewarding theft. It simply should not be done and the debates in Parliament expressed that succinctly.

Other measures proposed by the new president were announced in his State of the Nation address.

Among the initiatives planned to jumpstart the economy are: a jobs summit, an investment conference, and compulsory local procurement in major economic sectors with a focus on youth empowerment.

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His stand on land reform was cautious and measured: We are determined that expropriation without compensation be implemented in a way that increases agricultural production, improves food security and ensure that the land is returned to those from whom it was taken under colonialism and apartheid.

Government will undertake a process of consultation to determine the modalities of the implementation of this resolution, he told the Assembly.

Ramaphosa rejected the torrent of criticisms appearing in national and international media. There will be no smash-and-grab of land in our country, he responded. That we will not allow. There is no need for anyone to panic and beat the drums of war, adding that the issue would be solved without any problems.

Everyone will have an opportunity, regardless of their race, birthplace or the wealth of their parents, he said, and repeated it in Afrikaans. w/pix of Pres. C. RamaphosaE

vening with Authors program Featured Actress Kim Coles, Journalist Gil Roberts, Actor Todd Bridges and Author Yvette Heyliger who told their stories to a crowd of Los Angeles residents.

The program was sponsored by The City Of LA. and Our Authors Study Club.

The program promotes reading among residents and authors of our great city.

(Photo by Ian Foxx)

USC BAA Aligning for Black Excellence in Higher Education Summit III: R.I.S.E. (Reshaping Identity Informed by Stereotypes vs. Experiences

Mar. 17

WHAT: The journey of collegiate students of color in highly selective institutions is distinctly understood, and affirmed by their alumni. For most, an elite education has long served as a critical gateway to economic opportunity, power and parityyet equitable career success for Blacks remains challenging, in spite of globalization, and despite trending diversity initiatives. Importantly, prevailing gaps are not due to being a first-generation college-going population (this is a stereotyped falsehood), but exist because racism has been institutionalized throughout educational sectors and professions. Join USC Black Alumni, Faculty and Community Supporters for this annual day of dialogue regarding Black preparation, excellence and success in the 21st century. Meet involved alumni who serve as mentors, faculty who serve as advocates, corporate and community experts. Trade business cards, exchange great ideas, broaden networks. Learn how to become confidently empowered with the advocacy, experiences and strategies of your Black Trojan Family. The Summit III: R.I.S.E. is co-hosted by USC BAA and BAAYP (BAA Young Professionals).

KEYNOTE SPEAKER: Franklin Leonard, CEO, The Blacklist

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WORKSHOP TOPICS:

What does current research indicate about the systemic impacts of race in the selective university setting, and how should findings influence diversity and inclusion initiatives?

How do rising professionals succeed in corporate and entrepreneurial settings?

How should students best prepare for 21st century careers such as engineering and tech?

What is appropriate social media and image branding for students and professionals?

How should professionals build and leverage their networks to build community?

How should rising professionals build wealth, and contribute economically to their communities?

How can professionals better incorporate healthy lifestyle choices, and become proactive regarding aging and caregiving?

WHO: USC black alumni, students, faculty, business professionals, diversity officers, community leaders and supporters.

WHEN: Saturday, March 17, 2018; 8:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

WHERE: Marina del Rey Marriott, 4100 Admiralty Way, Marina del Rey,CA 90292

To register visit: www.uscbaasummit3.com

Media please rsvp to Gary Brown at [email protected] or (213)740-8342Wildlife biologists in the U.S. state of Alaska are collecting genetic material from moose in an attempt to get a correct count of the big animals.

The counting is being done in Alaskas largest city, Anchorage. Many moose are found within the limits of the city of 300,000 people. But officials are not sure how many moose pass through the area.

The counting process is not easy. The animals continually move and the city covers an area of over 5,000 square kilometers.

In the past, officials used low-flying airplanes to watch for moose on the ground to estimate numbers. But rules from the citys airport now bar such flights.

So Alaskas Department of Fish and Game is experimenting with a new method for counting the citys moose. They are collecting genetic material called DNA from the animals. They say this will permit them to get better estimates and identify each individual moose without having to capture them.

Biologists sought help from the public during their three-day project last month. They asked people to call or send text messages to report when they saw a moose. Teams of moose trackers then quickly drove to the areas.

The teams shot the moose with special darts designed to capture small pieces of skin and hair. The darts are weighted so they fall off the moose and can be collected. Researchers say the darts do not hurt the animals. The skin and fur are then taken to a laboratory to be studied.

Biologist Dave Battle helped lead the project. He told the Associated Press that until now, officials had to take an educated guess about the number of moose in the city.

Theres really been no technique up until now. And its something weve been kind of beating our heads against the wall for the last couple of years about, he said.

The project is paid for with taxes on firearms, ammunition, and archery equipment, as well as state hunting licenses.

Battle says the technology is allowing officials to improve their knowledge and management of the moose population in the Anchorage area. But he added that it will take some time to study the DNA material to come up with specific numbers.

Safety was a big concern during the project. Moose, which weigh up to 700 kilograms, can be aggressive and dangerous to people.

Moose can cause deadly traffic accidents and also can harm people and other animals by stepping on them.

Im Bryan Lynn.

Bryan Lynn adapted this story for VOA Learning English, based on a report from the Associated Press and other sources. was the editor.

We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments section, and visit our Facebook page.

_______________________________________________________________

Words in This Story

tracker  n. person who follows a path or trail made by people or animals walking

dart  n. small object with a sharp point at one end

technique  n. way of doing something by using special knowledge or skill

archery  n. the sport or skill of shooting with a bow and arrow

license  n. official document or card showing someone has the legal right to do somethingAstronomers have observed what they believe is the formation of the universe 13.6 billion years ago, when the earliest stars were just starting to shine.

The astronomers say their observations may also have measured mysterious dark matter from that time.

The observations however were not in visible light but in weak radio signals from deep space. An antenna in the Australian desert captured the radio signals. This receiver is a little bigger than a large television and costs less than $5 million.

Because it records radio signals and not visible light, the antenna can detect objects that are more distant than the famous Hubble Space Telescope.

Judd Bowman of Arizona State University helped to write the report which was published in the journal Nature.

He says the signals came from the very first objects in the universe as it was coming out of darkness 180 million years after the Big Bang.

Many scientists believe the universe began with a huge explosion they call the Big Bang. Stars and galaxies began to appear as the fireball of hydrogen and helium gas expanded and cooled.

Signals believed to come from the earliest stars

Richard Ellis is an astronomer who works at University College London. He says finding the signal from the first stars is more important than the Big Bang. Ellis said, we are made of star stuff. By identifying the first signs of stars, we are seeing the beginnings of our existence, he said. Ellis was not involved in the project.

The astronomers studied the signals closely. They showed unexpectedly low temperatures and an unusually strong wave. When the astronomers tried to find out why, the best explanation they could find was that dark matter was present.

If true, their observations would be the first confirmation of dark matter that does not depend on its gravitational effect. For many years, scientists have been looking for dark matter, which is believed to make up a large part of the universes mass.

"If confirmed, this discovery deserves two Nobel Prizes" for both capturing the signal of the first stars and for possible dark matter confirmation, said Avi Loeb of Harvard University. He added that independent tests are needed to confirm the findings. Loeb, an astronomer, was not part of the study.

Bowman agreed independent tests are needed. He told the AP his team spent two years confirming their findings.

"It's a time of the universe we really don't know anything about," Bowman said. He said the discovery is "like the first sentence" in the early story of the history of the universe.

However, the findings are nothing that astronomers could actually see. In fact, it is all based on differences in the wavelengths of radio signals.

Scientists think the early universe was dark and cold, filled only with two gases: hydrogen and helium. Once stars formed, they released ultraviolet light into the dark areas between them. That ultraviolet light changed the energy signature of hydrogen atoms, Bowman said.

Astronomers looked at a specific wavelength. If there were stars and ultraviolet light, they would see one signature. If there were no stars, they would see another. They saw a clear, but very weak signal, providing evidence of stars, probably many of them, Bowman said.

Looking for a weak signal among loud radio "noise"

Finding that first signal was not easy because the Milky Way alone produces radio wave noise 10,000 times louder, said Peter Kurczynski of the United States National Science Foundation. The government agency provided financial help for the study.

Because the high end of the radio frequency is similar to that of FM radio signals, the astronomers had to go to Australia to escape interference. That was where they put up their antennas.

They worked to confirm what they found, in part by testing it against signals produced in a laboratory. Bowman said it all showed that what they had found was evidence of the existence of the first stars.

Scientists know little about these early stars. They were probably hotter and simpler than modern stars, Ellis and Bowman said. But now that astronomers know where and how to look, others will confirm this and learn more, Bowman noted.

The research has yet to establish exactly when these stars turned on, except that they were shining 180 million years after the Big Bang. Scientists had come up with many different time periods for when the first stars began to shine, and 180 million years would be about right under the current theory, said Ellis.

Rennan Barkana is an astrophysicist who has written about the findings. He said when the astronomers studied their results, they found that the hydrogen between stars was "even colder than the coldest we thought possible."

The researchers expected temperatures to be 10 degrees above absolute zero. But they were 5 degrees above absolute zero, or minus 268 degrees Celsius.

Barkana and others believe this may be caused by dark matter. If confirmed, the discovery could add a new important part to scientists thinking about the early universe.

Im Mario Ritter.

Susan Shand adapted this AP story for VOA Learning English. George Grow and Mario Ritter were the editors.

________________________________________________________________

Quiz

Now, test your understanding by taking this short quiz.

Quiz - Astonomers: Evidence Found of First Stars Start the Quiz to find out Start Quiz

________________________________________________________________

Words in This Story

dark matter  n. material yet to be observed by astronomers, but something they think exists in the universe because of observed gravitational effects

antenna - n. a device for sending or receiving radio or television signals

deserve  v. to have earned because of something

wavelength  n. the distance from one wave of energy to another as it is traveling from point to point

ultraviolet  n. used to describe light that cannot be seen and that has shorter wavelengths than violet light

specific  adj. special; exactly stated

frequency  n. the number of waves of sound or energy that pass by a point every second

absolute zero  n. the temperature that is believed to be the lowest possible temperature

signature  n. an identifying mark or qualityGun store owners say they are selling fewer guns since the 2016 presidential election. Some are calling the drop a Trump slump.

Sales of guns slowed after Donald Trump was elected president, ending fears that a Democratic president would strengthen guns laws.

That trend has continued in recent weeks.

Lawmakers in Congress and some business leaders are discussing new gun laws after a gunman killed 17 people at a Florida high school on February 14.

In past years, mass killings by gunmen have caused an increase in gun sales. Observers think this could be because people were worried about new government restrictions on gun ownership. But things are different after the deadly shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida.

The day after the election, its just like somebody turned a faucet off, said David Dobransky. The 67-year-old owns Dobransky Firearms, a small gun shop in North Canton, Ohio.

Since the election, sales there have been cut in half. Nothing the president or Congress has done or said following the Florida shooting has helped business.

Gun owners believe that Trump will not increase restrictions, gun show owners say. That is the case even with the conflicting messages Trump has sent about gun laws in recent weeks.

Trump has described himself as a strong supporter of the National Rifle Association, or NRA. But, Trump criticized lawmakers last week for being too fearful of the gun rights group to take action. He also announced support for positions that the NRA opposes, such as banning gun sales to people under 21.

Soon afterward, Trump met with NRA officials and tweeted they had a Good (Great) meeting.

The NRAs executive director, tweeting about the same meeting, said Trump and Vice President Mike Pence dont want gun control.

At Rapid-Fire Firearms in Rapid City, South Dakota, business is just like normal, said owner Robert Akers. He said there was no panic buying that seemed to take place under President Barack Obama.

American Outdoor Brands says its sales are down. The company, which owns gun maker Smith & Wesson, told investors in a conference call recently that revenue fell by one-third over the past three months. That amount is similar to the overall drop since Trump was elected, the Associated Press reports.

Stock prices for gun sellers Sturm Ruger and American Outdoor Brands also have fallen since Trump was elected. The companies have mostly reported poor sales in recent months.

Four large retailers announced new restrictions on their gun sales last week. Kroger, Dicks Sporting Goods, L.L. Bean and Walmart said that they will no longer sell guns to anyone under the age of 21.

Also, outdoor retailer REI says it is ending future orders of some popular product brands. The company says it is doing so because the parent company that makes the brands also makes assault-style rifles.

Over the past 30 years, U.S. gun production has tripled. Nine million guns were produced in 2015, compared with 3 million in 1986. Those numbers come from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, a government agency.

The U.S. also imports millions of guns every year.

At Dukes Sport Shop in New Castle, Pennsylvania, gun sales have risen in recent days. But store owner Wes Morosky said that is because of yearly tax refund checks.

The family-owned business started by Moroskys father, Duke, has about 2,000 firearms available at any one time, including the AR-15. That is the assault-style rifle used in the Florida shooting. It is the subject of a new debate about a gun bans.

Morosky said the store had a hard time keeping the guns in stock after deadly shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School at in Newtown, Connecticut in 2012. He said there were fears that the Obama administration would ban assault rifles.

Generally, people are still comfortable with the government thats intact right now, Morosky said.

I'm Jonathan Evans. And I'm Susan Shand.

Susan Shand adapted this story for Learning English based on a story by the Associated Press. Mario Ritter was the editor.

Write to us in the Comments Section or on our Facebook page.

_______________________________________________________________

Words in This Story

Slump  n. a sudden decrease in prices, value, amount, etc.

Trend  n. a general direction of change

Faucet  n. a device that is used to control the flow of water from a pipe

Panic  n. a state or feeling of extreme fear that makes someone unable to act or think normally

Revenue  n. money that is made by or paid to a business or an organization

Retailer  n. a person or business that sells things directly to customers for their own use

Assault-style rifle  n. an automatic or semi-automatic gunThe Second Amendment of the U.S. Constitution says: A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.

What these words mean, exactly, is disputed in the United States. Even the Supreme Court, whose job it is to interpret the Constitution, has disagreed. The issue is whether the federal government can place restrictions on who owns guns and how people use them.

In the Courts 200-plus-year history, it has ruled on cases related to the Second Amendment several times  and its answer to what the Amendment means has recently changed.

U.S. v. Cruikshank, 1876

The Second Amendment was adopted in 1791, along with the rest of the Bill of Rights. About 80 years later, an event prompted the Supreme Court to clarify it. A group of white supremacists in Louisiana attacked and killed more than 100 African American men.

Later, the white supremacists were charged -- not with murder, but with violating the victims constitutional rights.

In time, the Supreme Court heard the case. The lawyers arguments covered many issues. But in deciding the case, the justices said something important about the Second Amendment. They said the Constitution did not guarantee every person the right to have a gun.

Instead, the justices agreed, state laws could regulate gun ownership, as long as citizens could form a militia if they needed to.

The white supremacists won their case and were not punished.

Presser v. Illinois, 1886; Miller v. Texas, 1894; U.S. v. Miller, 1939

In the next decades, the Supreme Court affirmed its earlier decision. It said the state of Illinois had the right to prevent ordinary citizens from carrying weapons in a parade.

In another case, a man in Texas argued that his state law could not prevent him from carrying a hidden weapon. The Supreme Court said it could.

And in the early 20th century, two men said the Second Amendment protected their right to bring an unregistered, sawed-off shotgun from one state to another. The justices disagreed. They said the obvious purpose of the Second Amendment was to support a states volunteer army, its militia. A sawed-off shotgun did not have a reasonable relationship to the militia, the justices said. And, as such, policies restricting the weapon were just fine.

District of Columbia v. Heller, 2008

More than 70 years passed. Then, in 2008, the Supreme Court ruled again on a gun-related case. And this time, its answer was very different.

The case involved a man named Dick Heller. He lived in Washington, D.C., and was permitted to carry a gun at his job as a security guard. At the time, Washington, D.C., was considered very dangerous. Heller wanted to keep a handgun in his home for self-defense. District lawmakers said no.

They pointed to a 1975 district law that banned most people from having handguns. Lawmakers said the goal of the law was to prevent an increase in gun violence. But Heller argued that the districts ban on handguns violated his Second Amendment rights.

This time, the Supreme Court agreed. Five out of nine justices said the Second Amendment said the Constitution did guarantee most people the right to have a gun, at least for protection in their homes. Guns did not have to be connected to a militia, after all.

McDonald v. City of Chicago, 2010

Two years later, the Supreme Court ruled on a similar case. This time, a man argued that the city of Chicago could not prevent him from having a handgun. Five out of nine justices agreed with him, too.

So what changed?

The recent Supreme Court decisions show a major change in thinking about the Second Amendment. Gun ownership in the U.S. is now considered the individual right of each person, rather than the collective right of militias.

And the Second Amendment now protects gun owners from many state and local laws that restrict gun ownership and use.

Michael Trachtman is a lawyer and the author of a book about the Supreme Court. He points out that, over time, the Supreme Court has reversed decisions on a number of issues, including same-sex marriage and abortion.

Trachtman says, The history of the law is the evolution of the law.

He notes that over time, decisions the public accepted in the 1800s may not fit with ideas in the 20th or 21st century.

Or there may simply be disagreements between justices today and justices five or 10 years ago, Trachtman says.

In the case of the Second Amendment, gun rights activists have also played an important part. Scholars Eric Ruben and Darrell Miller wrote in 2016 about the issue. They say that in the 1970s, researchers looked for historical sources supporting a different understanding of the Second Amendment. At the time, their ideas were not widely accepted. But eventually some other scholars adopted the view. And gun rights activists began challenging cases related to the Second Amendment in court.

In the early 2000s, activists focused some of their political efforts on the Heller case. The National Rifle Association  or NRA  especially organized supporters to explain to the Supreme Court justices why they should defend a constitutional right to gun ownership.

The NRAs efforts were combined with activism from libertarians  people who want to severely limit the role of government.

Their arguments, along with some of the justices own understanding of the Constitution, helped change more than 130 years of legal history.

Im Kelly Jean Kelly.

And I'm Bryan Lynn.

Kelly Jean Kelly wrote this story for VOA Learning English. Hai Do was the editor.

We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section or on our Facebook page. ________________________________________________________________

Words in This Story

interpret - v. to explain or tell the meaning of

prompt - v. to cause someone to do something

clarify - v. to make something clearer

white supremacist - n. a person who believes that the white race is better than all other races and should have control over all other races

affirm - v. to decide that the judgment of another court is correct

sawed-off - adj. with a short barrel

obvious - adj. easy for the mind to understand or recognize

evolution - n. a process of slow change and developmentMany people were shocked last week by news of the planned talks between the leaders of the United States and North Korea. U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un are supposed to meet by May.

Yet as of Monday, the Associated Press noted that North Korean media had yet to confirm the meeting. A South Korean spokesman said, I feel theyre approaching this matter with caution and they need time to organize their stance.

Observers say the meeting has raised expectations of progress in resolving the nuclear crisis on the Korean peninsula. But they warn the process leading to removal of all nuclear weapons from the area is complex.

Can a deal be reached?

On Saturday, Trump said his talks with Kim could end with no agreement or they could be the greatest deal for the world.

Cheong Seong-chang is an expert on North Korea at the Sejong Institute in South Korea. He is hopeful about the meeting.

It is expected that there will be more rapid progress regarding the freezing and dismantling of the North Korean nuclear program than in the past, as the leaders of the U.S. and North Korea will meet directly this time, he said.

Experts suggest North Korea could offer to stop developing intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBM). The country has said its missiles can hit the United States.

The experts believe that North Korea could announce an extension of its freeze on missile and nuclear tests. They also say the North could even offer to reduce the amount of nuclear materials it has saved for making nuclear weapons.

It is unclear what the U.S. government might offer in return. The Trump administration is concerned about offering help in exchange for promises. Officials note that North Korea failed to honor earlier agreements.

Experts suggest the U.S. would likely demand that international inspectors be given permission to verify any freeze or break up of the nuclear program. Only then, they say, would economic actions against the North be reduced.

However, the U.S. government would have to offer something that North Korea wants in return.

Go Myong-Hyun is a North Korea expert with the Asan Institute for Policy Studies in Seoul. He said, In order to make the whole process successful, for which Donald Trump will be responsible, he would have to provide economic concessions.

Both sides have acted to moderate the situation

North Korea and the United States have made the possibility of talks more likely by easing tensions.

The North Korean government has not tested nuclear weapons or long distance missiles since November of last year.

The U.S. side has dropped its condition that North Korea take real measures to end its nuclear program before talks can begin. The Trump administration, however, says its maximum pressure campaign will remain in place until a deal is reached.

The U.S. has led efforts in the United Nations Security Council to put in place sanctions that have cost North Korea billions of dollars in trade. Security Council measures also have punished individuals and companies linked to the North Korean government.

Concerns about North Koreas true goals

Some experts are concerned that North Korea could be seeking to delay international action while strengthening its nuclear program.

Some experts think North Korea has from 13 to 30 nuclear weapons. The North continues to produce nuclear fuel, plutonium, at its Yongbyon nuclear center.

Experts say it could take years for inspectors to confirm that the production had been stopped. In that time, they say, North Korea could add to its nuclear weapons stockpile.

The Asan Institutes Go Myong-Hyun said, If North Korea can have nuclear weapons for the next 20 years in the process of nuclear disarmament, then North Korea becomes a de facto nuclear state.

Many issues, sides to be considered

South Korean President Moon Jae-in is to hold talks with Kim Jong Un in April before the proposed meeting with the U.S. president

Moon and Kim are expected to talk about a proposal for restarting communications between the North and South Korean militaries. Other subjects for discussion include reunions for families separated by the Korean War and restarting humanitarian aid.

The Moon administration also may offer North Korea an economic deal tied to progress in denuclearization.

The South Korean leader might offer to reopen the Kaesong industrial center, which was closed after a North Korean nuclear test in 2016. The factory complex provided jobs to thousands of North Koreans. The international community accused the North of using money from the complex for its weapons programs.

On Monday, South Koreas national security adviser praised China, another country with an interest in the denuclearization talks.

The official, Chung Eui-yong, met with Yang Jiechi, Chinas top foreign policy adviser.

Chung said South Korean government officials believe that various advances toward achieving the goal of peace and denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula were made with active support and contribution from President Xi Jinping and the Chinese government.

Yang repeated Chinas position that it wants denuclearization on the Korean Peninsula and problems to be solved through talks.

A permanent peace?

In the past, North Korea has called for a permanent peace to replace the armistice that ended fighting in the Korean War.

Cheong Soeng Chang spoke about the possibility of North Korea giving up its nuclear and missile programs. For that to happen, he said, the United States will have to cease all joint South Korea-US military exercises, completely eliminate the international communitys sanctions on North Korea, and to accept establishing diplomatic ties between the US and North Korea.

The United States and South Korea have said they oppose ending their long military alliance in exchange for the Norths denuclearization.

The U.S. military currently keeps about 28,000 soldiers and other armed forces members in South Korea.

Im Mario Ritter.

Brian Padden reported this story for VOANews. His report includes information provided by Lee Yoon-jee. Mario Ritter adapted the report for Learning English. His story includes material from VOAs Ken Bredemeier and Chris Hannas. George Grow was the editor.

_______________________________________________________________

Words in This Story

caution  n. care

stance  n. position

dismantle  v. to slowly bring something to an end

verify  v. to find out if something is true

concessions  n. giving up or allowing something in order to reach an agreement

maximum - adj. as great as possible; the most

sanctions  n. punishments usually in the form of trade restrictions meant to force a country to obey international law

de facto  adj. something that exists but is not officially recognized or accepted

advance  n. a step forward

contribution  n. something done to help bring about some result

We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments section, and visit our Facebook page.The following companies are subsidiares of Exxon Mobil: AKG Marketing Company Limited, Aera Energy LLC, Al-Jubail Petrochemical Company, Ampolex (Cepu) Pte Ltd, Ancon Insurance Company Inc., Barnett Gathering LLC, Barzan Gas Company Limited, Caspian Pipeline Consortium, Celtic Exploration Ltd., Coral FLNG S.A., Cross Timbers Energy LLC, Ellora Energy Inc., Esmeroon Oil Transporta Imperial Oil Limited, Esso (Thailand) Public Company Limited, Esso Australia Resources Pty Ltd, Esso Deutschland GmbH, Esso Erdgas Beteiligungsgesellschaft mbH, Esso Exploration Angola (Block 15) Limited, Esso Exploration Angola (Block 17) Limited, Esso Exploration and Production Angola (Overseas) Limited, Esso Exploration and Production Chad Inc., Esso Exploration and Production Guyana Limited, Esso Exploration and Production Nigeria (Deepwater) Limited, Esso Exploration and Production Nigeria (Offshore East) Limited, Esso Exploration and Production Nigeria Limited, Esso Exploration and Production UK Limited, Esso Global Investments Ltd., Esso Italiana S.r.l., Esso Nederland B.V., Esso Norge AS, Esso Petroleum Company Limited, Esso Raffinage, Esso Societe Anonyme Francaise, Exxo Holdings Inc., Exxon Azerbaijan Limited, Exxon Chemical Arabia Inc., Exxon International Finance Company, Exxon Luxembourg Holdings LLC, Exxon Mobile Bay Limited Partnership, Exxon Neftegas Limited, Exxon Overseas Corporation, Exxon Overseas Investment Corporation, ExxonMobil (China) Investment Co. Ltd., ExxonMobil (Taicang) Petroleum Co. Ltd., ExxonMobil Abu Dhabi Offshore Petroleum Company Limited, ExxonMobil Alaska Production Inc., ExxonMobil Asia Pacific Pte. Ltd., ExxonMobil Australia Pty Ltd, ExxonMobil B Resources Company, ExxonMobil Capital Finance Company, ExxonMobil Capital Netherlands B.V., ExxonMobil Central Europe Holding GmbH, ExxonMobil Cepu Limited, ExxonMobil Chemical France, ExxonMobil Chemical Gulf Coast Investments LLC, ExxonMobil Chemical Holland B.V., ExxonMobil Chemical Services (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., ExxonMobil China Petroleum & Petrochemical Company Limited, ExxonMobil Development Africa B.V., ExxonMobil Development Company, ExxonMobil Egypt (S.A.E.), ExxonMobil Exploracao Brasil Ltda., ExxonMobil Exploration and Production Malaysia Inc., ExxonMobil Exploration and Production Norway AS, ExxonMobil Exploration and Production Romania Limited, ExxonMobil Exploration and Production Tanzania Limited, ExxonMobil Finance Company Limited, ExxonMobil Financial Investment Company Limited, ExxonMobil France Holding SAS, ExxonMobil Gas Marketing Europe Limited, ExxonMobil General Finance Company, ExxonMobil Global Services Company, ExxonMobil Golden Pass Surety LLC, ExxonMobil Holding Company Holland LLC, ExxonMobil Holding Norway AS, ExxonMobil Hong Kong Limited, ExxonMobil International Services SARL, ExxonMobil Iraq Limited, ExxonMobil Italiana Gas S.r.l., ExxonMobil Kazakhstan Inc., ExxonMobil Kazakhstan Ventures Inc., ExxonMobil LNG Services B.V., ExxonMobil Lubricants Trading Company, ExxonMobil Oil Corporation, ExxonMobil PNG Limited, ExxonMobil Petroleum & Chemical BVBA, ExxonMobil Petroleum & Chemical Holdings Inc., ExxonMobil Pipeline Company, ExxonMobil Production Deutschland GmbH, ExxonMobil Production Norway Inc., ExxonMobil Qatargas (II) Limited, ExxonMobil Qatargas Inc., ExxonMobil Ras Laffan (III) Limited, ExxonMobil Rasgas Inc., ExxonMobil Research and Engineering Company, ExxonMobil Russia Kara Sea Holdings B.V., ExxonMobil Sales and Supply LLC, ExxonMobil Technology Finance Company, ExxonMobil Ventures Finance Company, ExxonMobil Ventures Funding Ltd., Fujian Refining & Petrochemical Co. Ltd., Golden Pass LNG Terminal Investments LLC, Golden Pass LNG Terminal LLC, Gulf Coast Growth Ventures LLC, Imperial Oil Limited, Imperial Oil Resources Limited, Imperial Oil Resources N.W.T. Limited, Imperial Oil/Petroliere Imperiale, Infineum Italia s.r.I., Infineum Singapore Pte. Ltd., InterOil Corporation, Jurong Aromatics Corporation Pte Ltd, MPM Lubricants, Marine Well Containment Company LLC, Mobil Australia Resources Company Pty Limited, Mobil California Exploration & Producing Asset Company, Mobil Caspian Pipeline Company, Mobil Chemical Products International Inc., Mobil Corporation, Mobil Equatorial Guinea Inc., Mobil Erdgas Verwaltungsgesellschaft mbH, Mobil Exploration & Producing Australia Pty Ltd, Mobil International Petroleum Corporation, Mobil Oil Australia Pty Ltd, Mobil Oil Exploration & Producing Southeast Inc., Mobil Oil New Zealand Limited, Mobil Producing Nigeria Unlimited, Mobil Producing Texas & New Mexico Inc., Mobil SerLimited, Mobil Venezolana De Petroleos Inc., Mobil Yanbu Petrochemical Company Inc., Mobil Yanbu Refining Company Inc., Mountain Gathering LLC, Mozambique Rovuma Venture S.p.A., Palmetto Transoceanic LLC, Papua New Guinea Liquefied Natural Gas Global Company LDC, Permian Express Partners LLC, Phillips Exploration LLC, Qatar Liquefied Gas Company Limited, Ras Laffan Liquefied Natural Gas Company Limited, Ras Laffan Liquefied Natural Gas Company Limited (II), SPI Limited, Saudi Aramco Mobil Refinery Company Ltd., Saudi Yanbu Petrochemical Co., SeaRiver Maritime Inc., South Hook LNG Terminal Company Limited, Tengizchevroil LLP, Terminale GNL Adriatico S.r.l, Trend Gathering & Treating LLC, Wolverine Pipe Line Company, XH LLC, XTO Delaware Basin LLC, XTO Energy Canada, XTO Energy Inc., and XTO Holdings LLC.The Bank of Nova Scotia provides various banking products and services in Canada, the United States, Mexico, Peru, Chile, Colombia, the Caribbean and Central America, and internationally. It operates through Canadian Banking, International Banking, Global Banking and Markets, and Global Wealth Management segments. The company offers financial advice and solutions, and day-to-day banking products, including debit and credit cards, chequing and saving accounts, investments, mortgages, loans, and insurance to individuals; and business banking solutions comprising lending, deposit, cash management, and trade finance solutions to small businesses and commercial customers, including automotive financing solutions to dealers and their customers. It also provides wealth management advice and solutions, including online brokerage, mobile investment, full-service brokerage, trust, private banking, and private investment counsel services; and retail mutual funds, exchange traded funds, liquid alternative funds, and institutional funds. In addition, the company offers international banking services for retail, corporate, and commercial customers; and lending and transaction, investment banking advisory, and capital markets access services to corporate customers. Further, it provides Internet, mobile, and telephone banking services. The company operates a network of 952 branches and approximately 3,540 automated banking machines in Canada; and approximately 1,400 branches, 5,200 ATMs, and 22 contact centers internationally. The Bank of Nova Scotia was founded in 1832 and is headquartered in Halifax, Canada.

Read MoreThe following companies are subsidiares of Bristol-Myers Squibb: 1096271 B.C. ULC, 345 Park LLC, A.G. Medical Services P.A., AHI Investment LLC, AbVitro LLC, Abraxis BioScience Australia Pty Ltd., Abraxis BioScience Inc., Abraxis BioScience International Holding Company Inc., Abraxis BioScience LLC, Abraxis BioScience Puerto Rico LLC, Acetylon Pharmaceuticals Inc., Adnexus, Adnexus a Bristol-Myers Squibb R&D Company, Allard Labs Acquisition G.P., Amira Pharmaceuticals, Amira Pharmaceuticals Inc., Amylin Pharmaceuticals, Apothecon LLC, B-MS Generx Unlimited Company, BMS Benelux Holdings B.V., BMS Bermuda Nominees L.L.C., BMS Data Acquisition Company LLC, BMS Forex Company, BMS Holdings Sarl, BMS Holdings Spain S.L., BMS International Insurance Designated Activity Company, BMS Investco SAS, BMS Korea Holdings L.L.C., BMS Latin American Nominees L.L.C., BMS Luxembourg Partners L.L.C., BMS Omega Bermuda Holdings Finance Ltd., BMS Pharmaceutical Korea Limited, BMS Pharmaceuticals Germany Holdings B.V., BMS Pharmaceuticals International Holdings Netherlands B.V., BMS Pharmaceuticals Korea Holdings B.V., BMS Pharmaceuticals Mexico Holdings B.V., BMS Pharmaceuticals Netherlands Holdings B.V., BMS Real Estate LLC, BMS Spain Investments LLC, BMS Strategic Portfolio Investments Holdings Inc., Blisa Acquisition G.P., Bristol (Iran) S.A., Bristol Iran Private Company Limited, Bristol Laboratories Inc., Bristol Laboratories International S.A., Bristol Laboratories Medical Information Systems Inc., Bristol-Myers (Andes) L.L.C., Bristol-Myers (Private) Limited, Bristol-Myers Middle East S.A.L., Bristol-Myers Overseas Corporation, Bristol-Myers Squibb (China) Investment Co. Ltd., Bristol-Myers Squibb (China) Pharmaceuticals Co. Ltd., Bristol-Myers Squibb (Israel) Ltd., Bristol-Myers Squibb (NZ) Limited, Bristol-Myers Squibb (Proprietary) Limited, Bristol-Myers Squibb (Shanghai) Trading Co. Ltd., Bristol-Myers Squibb (Singapore) Pte. Limited, Bristol-Myers Squibb (Taiwan) Ltd., Bristol-Myers Squibb (West Indies) Ltd., Bristol-Myers Squibb A.E., Bristol-Myers Squibb Aktiebolag, Bristol-Myers Squibb Argentina S. R. L., Bristol-Myers Squibb Australia Pty. Ltd., Bristol-Myers Squibb Axia Limited, Bristol-Myers Squibb B.V., Bristol-Myers Squibb Belgium S.A., Bristol-Myers Squibb Business Services Limited, Bristol-Myers Squibb Canada Co., Bristol-Myers Squibb Canada International Limited, Bristol-Myers Squibb Delta Company Limited, Bristol-Myers Squibb Denmark Filial of Bristol-Myers Squibb AB, Bristol-Myers Squibb EMEA Sarl, Bristol-Myers Squibb Egypt LLC, Bristol-Myers Squibb Epsilon Holdings Unlimited Company, Bristol-Myers Squibb Farmaceutica Ltda., Bristol-Myers Squibb Farmaceutica Portuguesa S.A., Bristol-Myers Squibb GesmbH, Bristol-Myers Squibb GmbH & Co. KGaA, Bristol-Myers Squibb Holding Germany GmbH & Co. KG, Bristol-Myers Squibb Holdings 2002 Limited, Bristol-Myers Squibb Holdings Germany Verwaltungs GmbH, Bristol-Myers Squibb Holdings Ireland Unlimited Company, Bristol-Myers Squibb Holdings Limited, Bristol-Myers Squibb Holdings Pharma Ltd. Liability Company, Bristol-Myers Squibb Ilaclari Inc., Bristol-Myers Squibb India Pvt. Limited, Bristol-Myers Squibb International Company Unlimited Company, Bristol-Myers Squibb International Corporation, Bristol-Myers Squibb Investco L.L.C., Bristol-Myers Squibb K.K., Bristol-Myers Squibb Kft., Bristol-Myers Squibb Luxembourg International S.C.A., Bristol-Myers Squibb Luxembourg S.a.r.l., Bristol-Myers Squibb MEA GmbH, Bristol-Myers Squibb Manufacturing Company, Bristol-Myers Squibb Marketing Services S.R.L., Bristol-Myers Squibb Middle East & Africa FZ-LLC, Bristol-Myers Squibb Norway Ltd., Bristol-Myers Squibb Nutricionales de Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Bristol-Myers Squibb Peru S.A., Bristol-Myers Squibb Pharma (HK) Ltd, Bristol-Myers Squibb Pharma (Thailand) Limited, Bristol-Myers Squibb Pharma Company, Bristol-Myers Squibb Pharma EEIG, Bristol-Myers Squibb Pharma Holding Company LLC, Bristol-Myers Squibb Pharma Ventures Corporation, Bristol-Myers Squibb Pharmaceuticals Limited, Bristol-Myers Squibb Pharmaceuticals Unlimited Company, Bristol-Myers Squibb Polska Sp. z o.o., Bristol-Myers Squibb Products SA, Bristol-Myers Squibb Puerto Rico Inc., Bristol-Myers Squibb Puerto Rico/Sanofi Pharmaceutical Partnership Puerto Rico, Bristol-Myers Squibb Romania S.R.L., Bristol-Myers Squibb S.A.U., Bristol-Myers Squibb S.r.l., Bristol-Myers Squibb SA, Bristol-Myers Squibb Sanofi Pharmaceuticals Holding Partnership, Bristol-Myers Squibb Sarl, Bristol-Myers Squibb Service Ltd., Bristol-Myers Squibb Services Sp. z o.o., Bristol-Myers Squibb Spol. s r.o., Bristol-Myers Squibb Theta Finance Ltd., Bristol-Myers Squibb Trustees Limited, Bristol-Myers Squibb Verwaltungs GmbH, Bristol-Myers Squibb de Colombia S.A., Bristol-Myers Squibb de Costa Rica Sociedad Anonima, Bristol-Myers Squibb de Guatemala S.A., Bristol-Myers Squibb de Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Bristol-Myers Squibb/Astrazeneca EEIG, Bristol-Myers Squibb/Pfizer EEIG, Bristol-Myers Squibb/Sanofi Pharmaceuticals Partnership, Bristol-Myers de Venezuela S.C.A., CHT I LLC, CHT II LLC, CHT III LLC, CHT IV LLC, CR Finance Company LLC, Cardioxyl Pharmaceuticals, Cardioxyl Pharmaceuticals Inc., Celem LLC, Celem Ltd., Celgene, Celgene A.B., Celgene AS, Celgene Ab (Finland), Celgene Alpine Investment Co. II LLC, Celgene Alpine Investment Co. III LLC, Celgene Alpine Investment Co. LLC, Celgene ApS, Celgene B.V., Celgene BVBA, Celgene Brasil Produtos Farmaceuticos Ltda., Celgene CAR LLC, Celgene CAR Ltd., Celgene Chemicals Sarl, Celgene China Holdings LLC, Celgene Co., Celgene Corporation, Celgene Distribution B.V., Celgene EngMab GmbH, Celgene Europe B.V., Celgene Europe Limited, Celgene European Investment Company LLC, Celgene Financing Company LLC, Celgene Global Holdings Sarl, Celgene GmbH [Austria], Celgene GmbH [Germany], Celgene GmbH [Switzerland], Celgene Holdings East Corporation, Celgene Holdings II Sarl, Celgene Holdings III Sarl, Celgene Ilac Pazarlama ve Ticaret Limited Sirketi, Celgene Inc., Celgene International Holdings Corporation, Celgene International II Sarl, Celgene International III Sarl, Celgene International Inc., Celgene International Sarl, Celgene K.K., Celgene Kft., Celgene Limited [Hong Kong], Celgene Limited [Ireland], Celgene Limited [New Zealand], Celgene Limited [Taiwan], Celgene Limited [UK], Celgene Logistics Sarl, Celgene Ltd, Celgene Luxembourg Sarl, Celgene Management Sarl, Celgene NJ Investment Co, Celgene Netherlands B.V., Celgene Netherlands Investment B.V., Celgene Pharmaceutical (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Celgene Pte. Ltd., Celgene Pty Ltd, Celgene Puerto Rico Distribution LLC, Celgene Quanticel Research Inc, Celgene R&D Sarl, Celgene RIVOT LLC, Celgene RIVOT Ltd., Celgene RIVOT SRL, Celgene Receptos Limited, Celgene Receptos Sarl, Celgene Research Incubator At Summit West LLC, Celgene Research S.L.U., Celgene Research and Development Company LLC, Celgene Research and Development I ULC, Celgene Research and Development II LLC, Celgene Research and Investment Company II LLC, Celgene S. de R.L. de C.V., Celgene S.L.U., Celgene S.R.L., Celgene SAS, Celgene Sarl AU, Celgene Sdn Bhd, Celgene Services Sarl, Celgene Sociedade Unipessoal Lda, Celgene Sp. Z.o.o., Celgene Sro [Czech Republic], Celgene Summit Investment Co, Celgene Switzerland Holding Sarl, Celgene Switzerland II LLC, Celgene Switzerland Investment Sarl, Celgene Switzerland LLC, Celgene Switzerland Sarl, Celgene Tri A Holdings Ltd., Celgene Tri Sarl, Celgene UK Distribution Limited, Celgene UK Holdings Limited, Celgene UK Manufacturing II Limited, Celgene UK Manufacturing III Limited, Celgene UK Manufacturing Limited, Celgene d.o.o., Celgene sro [Slovakia], Celmed LLC, Celmed Ltd., ConvaTec Divestiture, Cormorant Pharmaceuticals, Cormorant Pharmaceuticals AB, Crosp Ltd., Delinia Inc., Deuteria Pharmaceuticals Inc., DuPont Pharmaceuticals, E. R. Squibb & Sons Inter-American Corporation, E. R. Squibb & Sons L.L.C., E. R. Squibb & Sons Limited, EWI Corporation, EngMab Sarl, F-star Alpha, FermaVir Pharmaceuticals L.L.C., FermaVir Research L.L.C., Flexus Biosciences, Flexus Biosciences Inc., Forbius, Galecto Biotech, GenPharm International L.L.C., Gloucester Pharmaceuticals LLC, Grove Insurance Company Ltd., Heyden Farmaceutica Portuguesa Limitada, IFM Therapeutics, Impact Biomedicines Inc., Inhibitex, Inhibitex L.L.C., Innate Tumor Immunity Inc., JuMP Holdings LLC, Juno Therapeutics GmbH, Juno Therapeutics Inc., Kosan Biosciences, Kosan Biosciences Incorporated, Linson Investments Limited, Mead Johnson (Manufacturing) Jamaica Limited, Mead Johnson Jamaica Ltd., Medarex, Morris Avenue Investment II LLC, Morris Avenue Investment LLC, MyoKardia, O.o.o. Bristol-Myers Squibb, Oy Bristol-Myers Squibb (Finland) AB, Padlock Therapeutics, Padlock Therapeutics Inc., Pharmion LLC, Princeton Pharmaceutical Products Inc., Receptos LLC, Receptos Services LLC, RedoxTherapies Inc., Route 22 Real Estate Holding Corporation, SPV A Holdings ULC, Seamair Insurance DAC, Signal Pharmaceuticals LLC, Sino-American Shanghai Squibb Pharmaceuticals Limited, Societe Francaise de Complements Alimentaires(S.O.F.C.A.), Squibb Middle East S.A., Summit West Celgene LLC, Swords Laboratories, VentiRx Pharmaceuticals Inc., Westwood-Intrafin SA, Westwood-Squibb Pharmaceuticals Inc., X-Body Inc., ZymoGenetics, ZymoGenetics Inc., ZymoGenetics LLC, ZymoGenetics Paymaster LLC, iPierian, and iPierian Inc..1 hour ago

Stocks drop the most since May on worries over China, Fed

Stocks on Wall Street closed sharply lower Monday, mirroring losses overseas and handing the S&P 500 index its biggest drop in four months. Worries about heavily indebted Chinese real estate developers  and the damage they could do to investors worldwide if they default  rippled across markets.

Read ArticleThe Hershey Co. engages in the manufacture and market of chocolate and sugar confectionery products. The firm operates through the following geographical segments: North America; and International and Other. The North America segment is responsible for the traditional chocolate and non-chocolate confectionery market position of the company, as well as its grocery and snacks market positions, in the United States and Canada. The International and Other segment is the combination of all other operating segments which are not individually material, including those geographic regions where the company operates outside of North America. Its brands include Hershey's, Reese's, and Kisses. The company was founded by Milton S. Hershey in 1894 and is headquartered in Hershey, PA.

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 2021 Market data provided is at least 10-minutes delayed and hosted by Barchart Solutions. Information is provided 'as-is' and solely for informational purposes, not for trading purposes or advice, and is delayed. To see all exchange delays and terms of use please see disclaimer. Fundamental company data provided by Zacks Investment Research.Ormat Technologies, Inc. operates as a holding company. The firm engages in the provision of geothermal and recovered energy power business. It operates through the following segments: Electricity, Product and Energy Storage. The Electricity segment focuses in the sale of electricity from the company's power plants pursuant to PPAs. The Product segment involves in the manufacture, including design and development, of turbines and power units for the supply of electrical energy and in the associated construction of power plants utilizing the power units manufactured by the company to supply energy from geothermal fields and other alternative energy sources. The Energy Storage segment consists of battery energy storage systems as a service and management of curtailable customer loads under contracts with U.S. retail energy providers and directly with large commercial and industrial customers. The company was founded in 1965 and is headquartered in Reno, NV.

Read More

Ronald Reagan

The value of a man should be seen in what he gives and not in what he is able to receive.

Albert Einstein

If you have an important point to make, don't try to be subtle or clever. Use a pile driver. Hit the point once. Then come back and hit it again. Then hit it a third time - a tremendous whack.

Winston Churchill





It isnt so much that liberals are ignorant. Its just that they know so many things that arent so.

With integrity nothing else counts; Without integrity nothing else counts.

Winston Churchill





Never be bullied into silence. Never allow yourself to be made a victim. Accept no one's definition of your life, but define yourself.

Harvey S. Firestone





It is inaccurate to say that I hate everything. I am strongly in favor of common sense, common honesty, and common decency. This makes me forever ineligible for public office. H. L. Menken



Referenda insure all have a voice in land use decisions.

U.S. Supreme Court

Listen carefully to first criticism of your work. Note just what it is about your work the critics don't like - then cultivate it. That's the only part of your work that's individual and worth keeping.

Jean CocteauAccording to data from the governments Human Trafficking Deterrent Measures Concern Committee, there were only three reported cases related to human trafficking in the region last year.

The 2017 annual report states that of those three cases, one was closed before reaching the Public Prosecutions Office (MP). Taken as such, the official figure drops to two, since none of the cases were prosecuted or tried.

In the previous year, only two out of four suspected cases reached the MP. Only one was eventually prosecuted but nobody was tried.

This follows the pattern apparent in 2014 and 2015, with few cases unveiled and almost no accusations after the 34 reported cases in 2013, of which the MP then confirmed 32.

Four suspects were identified in relation to these cases and one of them was found guilty by the courts on charges of aggravated procurement, membership of a criminal syndicate and possession of an illegal weapon. The defendant was sentenced to five years imprisonment.

The last time the courts tried such a case was in 2015, but the defendant was tried and found not guilty.

According to a report from TDM, the reason that the number of human trafficking-related crimes has dropped is that they have been reclassified as prostitution.

Nevertheless, several organizations and governments  including the US State Department  are treating Macau as a hotbed for such crimes and have accused the government of not doing enough to address the problem and punish perpetrators.

When the disclosure of the latest report from the US State Department  Trafficking in Persons Report 2017 was released in June last year, the Macau government, as usual, strongly rejected such accusations on the grounds that the reports claims about Macau were unfounded, untrue and utterly unjust.

In a statement by Secretary for Security Wong Sio Chak, the government said the US report had the wrong interpretation and ignores the objective facts of the situation in Macau, adding that it had resulted in false conclusions and unfounded allegations.

Sister Juliana Devoy, director of the Good Shepherd Centre  a local non-governmental organization that deals directly with the victims of such crimes  said on a previous occasion that Macaus situation is unique because of the casinos, which are a magnet for sex trafficking.

At that time, Devoy stated that both the casinos and the government had started to show a higher level of awareness of the problem. However, she advocated for greater attention to be given to the judges so they can identify a trafficking case. RMHong Kong residents voted yesterday in by-elections that give opposition supporters the chance to recapture lost ground in a contest measuring voters appetite for democracy in the semiautonomous Chinese city.

The vote pits pro-Beijing loyalists against opposition candidates competing for four seats in the citys semi-democratic legislature. Theyre among six seats left empty when a group of lawmakers were expelled following a 2016 controversy over their oaths, which they used to defy China.

The ejected members included two advocating Hong Kongs independence, something Chinas President Xi Jinping has called a red line.

In the votes main battleground, little known activist Au Nok-hin, a neighborhood councilor, is competing against pro-Beijing rival Judy Chan. He was enlisted at the last moment after officials disqualified the pro-democracy camps marquee candidate, 21-year-old Agnes Chow, because she advocated for Hong Kongers to determine their own future.

This election is not just a normal election; it is a battle between the pro-Beijing camp and the pro-democracy camp, Chow said. Its also a very important choice for Hong Kong people for whether they want rule of law or rule by the Communist Party.

Chow said Hong Kongs younger generation hoped for democratic development. But that prospect looks increasingly distant after Xi prepared to abolish term limits, allowing him to remain president indefinitely. Chinas rubber-stamp legislature was expected to approve the change on Sunday.

Chow had intended to stand for the seat vacated after the disqualification of Nathan Law, a fellow member of their Demosisto party who became Hong Kongs youngest-ever lawmaker. The two were among a wave of young activists who emerged from the massive but inconclusive 2014 Umbrella Movement demonstrations against Beijings plans to restrict elections for Hong Kongs top leader.

Under the one country, two systems framework, Beijing promised to let Hong Kong maintain wide autonomy and civil liberties following its 1997 handover from Britain. Fears are rising that Chinas communist leaders are backtracking.

A handful of pro-democracy supporters protested outside the polling station where the citys top leader, Carrie Lam, cast her ballot and some pro-Beijing supporters heckled noted democracy activist Joshua Wong outside a campaign stop. Voting otherwise went undisturbed for the election, which has attracted little attention  no opinion polls have been conducted and there was no televised debate by the citys largest broadcaster.

Some 2.1 million voters are eligible to cast ballots for three Legislative Council seats, which saw turnout of around 15 percent by early afternoon. A fourth seat, chosen by architects and surveyors, had turnout of nearly 25 percent. Business and trade groups account for about half the councils 70 seats.

Only one disqualified lawmaker, professor Edward Yiu, is competing again after officials unexpectedly approved his candidacy. Two more seats will be decided later because of ongoing legal action.

Governments and rights groups have expressed concern about the disqualifications.

The by-elections have been tainted by government-sanctioned political screening which has resulted in the disqualification of elected lawmakers and candidates, British non-government organization Hong Kong Watch said in a report last week.

Results are expected early today. Kelvin Chan, Hong Kong, APThey bowed their heads, hands clasped or palms firmly pressed together. They stood in grassy areas or roadsides overlooking the choppy sea. In Japans capital, they lit candles and offered flowers. Some dabbed at tears.

Japanese marked the seventh anniversary yesterday of a tsunami that took more than 18,000 lives on the northeast coast and triggered a nuclear disaster that turned nearby communities into ghost towns.

Residents along the coast gathered outdoors to remember the tragedy as sirens wailed at 2:46 p.m., the moment the magnitude-9.0 offshore earthquake that set off the tsunami struck on March 11, 2011.

The tsunami overwhelmed sea walls and washed away buildings, cars and entire neighborhoods as it swept inland. It knocked out power at the seaside Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant, causing partial meltdowns in three reactors.

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said at an official ceremony in Tokyo that reconstruction is making steady progress, but more than 70,000 people are still displaced and many have no prospect of returning to their homes.

Prince Akishino, the second son of Japanese Emperor Akihito, expressed hope that the tsunami would raise awareness and help prevent or mitigate damage from future natural disasters.

It is my earnest hope  that we hand down the knowledge to future generations in order to protect many people from the dangers of disasters, he said.

Separately, several hundred people observed a moment of silence and made offerings at an altar set up in Hibiya Park in central Tokyo.

Cleaning up the still-radioactive Fukushima nuclear plant site remains a daunting challenge that is expected to take 30 to 40 years. APA few lawyers in the region expressed their sentiments over the finished draft of the new law proposal, which bars foreign judges from hearing national security and defense cases.

The proposed changes suggest that matters of national security should only be judged by permanently appointed Chinese judges.

The Legal Affairs Bureau (DSAJ) confirmed to Reuters that the proposed draft law, which Secretary for Administration and Justice, Sonia Chan, announced in February, is complete.

According to Chans comment made in February, the amendments would help speed up trial proceedings, adding that such cases should be exclusive to local judges, as the cases might involve confidential information about the city and its defenses.

A spokesperson from DSAJ said that the amendments were necessary based on consideration of major interests such as safeguarding the sovereignty, security and territorial integrity of the country.

It added that the government would submit the relevant legal proposals to the Legislative Council after internal procedures are completed. No timeframe has been given.

Aside from the head of Macaus Lawyers Association Neto Valente, who described the move as a bad solution, adding that the proposal would amount to discrimination, some Portuguese lawyers also expressed alarm that the proposal violates the citys Basic Law.

A legal source who declined to be identified given the sensitivity of the matter told Reuters, This is totally ridiculous and a very dangerous step.

It is a real attempt on the autonomy of the judicial system, the source added.

10 out of 49 magistrates in Macau hold foreign citizenship, mostly from Portugal.

Pedro Cortes, a senior partner with law firm Rato, Ling, Lei & Cortes in Macau, said the proposal could get passed this year in the predominantly pro-establishment Legislative Assembly.

It is going to be easy to pass this type of legislation, whatever is the final version proposed, he said.Chinas trade minister Zhong Shan warned that a trade war with the U.S. would bring disaster to the global economy, but said his nation wont start one and that talks with the Trump administration continue.

There is no winner in a trade war, Zhong said at a press conference in Beijing yesterday. A trade war will only bring disaster to China, U.S. and the global economy. China doesnt want a trade war, and will not start a trade war first. But we can handle any challenge, and will firmly defend the interests of our nation and our people.

Zhong added that the U.S. trade deficit with China is overestimated by about 20 percent, citing research by a panel tasked with investigating the discrepancy between the two nations accounts of their trade balance. The deficit could be reduced by 35 percent if the U.S. eased export controls on high-technology products to China, he said, citing unspecified U.S. research.

Trade tensions between the worlds two biggest economies intensified last week as President Donald Trump signed orders for stiff tariffs on steel and aluminum and indicated more actions are potentially on the way. The U.S. administration asked China for a plan to cut the annual U.S. trade deficit with the nation by $100 billion, a White House official said Friday.

As Chinas exports surged in February its monthly surplus with the U.S. widened from a year earlier to $20.96 billion, according to data from the customs bureau. The U.S. trade shortfall in goods with China surged 8.1 percent during the first year of Trumps presidency, reaching a record $375 billion, according to Commerce Department data released last month.

The main channel of dialogue on trade between the two nations, the Comprehensive Economic Dialogue, has been put on hold over U.S. frustration over a lack of progress. But Zhong said communications have not been completely broken off.

We are still in talks, and we are sure that both sides will keep talking for the next step, he said. BloombergFrom their home, a tent hastily erected in a grassy field, the young Muslim Rohingya couple can see the village they left behind last year, fleeing attacks by Buddhist mobs and Myanmar security forces.

They arrived in a no mans land, one of the small, ill-defined areas that exist at the cloudiest edges of the borderlands, places that seem to be neither Myanmar nor Bangladesh. While nearly every other Rohingya refugee who crossed the border has sought protection in the immense camps a few miles deeper into Bangladesh, these people say they will go no farther.

My ancestors graves are there, said Abdul Naser, gesturing toward his village, less than 100 meters (yards) away. Sometimes, I walk close to the barbed wire fence and touch my land, and I cry in the dark.

But a few weeks ago, things changed. Myanmar deployed more soldiers to the border, some of whom began coming to within 10 meters (yards) of the refugees homes. They shout insults at the Rohingya, and they throw empty whiskey bottles, the refugees say. They have set up speakers that blare announcements, insisting people go farther into Bangladesh.

Because to Myanmar, no mans land doesnt exist at all.

We cannot accept the term no mans land because that is our land, said Nyan Myint Kyaw, Myanmars deputy commander of the border police. Shifting rivers may have washed away some border markers, he says, and fences may not have been erected everywhere. But he insists the 6,000 or so Rohingya who think they live between the two countries are actually living inside Myanmar.

It is easy to get confused on the border, where many areas are not marked at all and where its sometimes unclear if a fence marks someones personal land, or if it demarcates the frontier. Making things more complicated, Myanmar places its border fences 45 meters (150 feet) from the actual boundary line.

While Myanmar insists all the hazy territory is their land, its security forces  as well as Bangladeshi security forces  are also very careful to avoid entering places seen as a no mans land, presumably fearing accidental clashes and diplomatic trouble.

Myanmar says the additional soldiers were deployed to stop possible cross-border attacks by Rohingya militants, though no such attacks are known to have occurred. When Bangladesh protested the deployments, Myanmar dismissed their complaints.

This is not like we are trying to invade Bangladesh, Myanmar spokesman Zaw Htay said in early March. These are only actions taken against the terrorist groups.

The Rohingya have long lived at the ragged fringes of life in Myanmar, denied citizenship and many of the most basic rights. They are derided as Bengalis, and many in Myanmar believe they are illegal migrants from Bangladesh. Muslims in an overwhelmingly Buddhist nation, most live in poverty in Myanmars Rakhine state, next to Bangladesh.

The most recent problems began in August, when Rohingya insurgents launched a series of unprecedented attacks on Myanmar security posts. Myanmar responded with overwhelming force, burning Muslim villages with the help of Buddhist mobs, raping women, looting homes and carrying out massacres. Some 700,000 Rohingya fled the attacks into Bangladesh. Aid groups say more than 6,700 people were killed.

The United Nations refugee agency has appealed for protection for the borderland Rohingya.

The agency is concerned about the safety of a group of vulnerable Rohingya women, men and children from Myanmar, who have been living in a so-called no mans land, the agency said in a statement. People who have fled violence in their country must be granted safety and protection.

But is the no mans land inside Myanmar? Even the Rohingya say some of it probably is, though there are plenty of places where even border guards arent sure where to find the dividing line.

A Rohingya community leader says most of the 6,000 in the borderlands are from nearby villages.

They do not want to leave the place or enter Bangladesh, hoping that they will go back one day and it will be easier to move from here, Dil Mohammed said.

The young Rohingya couple agreed with him. They want to keep their village in sight. Or at least whats left of it.

My trees are still there, said Nasers wife, 20-year-old Ruksana Begum. Its spring now. I can see the green leaves of my mango trees. They have burned our homes, but my trees are still growing. Tofayel Ahmad, APAward-winning novelist and journalist Rosa Montero shared her fiction-writing experiences with the public on the second day of the Macau Literary Festival.

Born in Madrid, Montero has published 15 novels, two books of biographies, three interview compilations, a book of short stories and several childrens tales. Her books have been translated into more than 20 languages.

The author won the World Interview Prize in 1978, National Journalism Prize in 1980 and the Madrid Press Association Award in 2005.

Interacting with the local audience yesterday, Montero shared that she wrote her first book, which featured a talking rodent, at the age of 5.

She said that writing fiction has always been her passion and that it is how she gets in touch with her true self.

Writing is my way of living, its like breathing and eating. Writing is like an exterior skeleton that keeps me [going], otherwise Id be on the ground like a mess, said Montero.

Montero, a reporter for the Spanish newspaper El Pais, said writers like her do not treat writing as an escape from reality or a form of therapy. She said the activity makes them more of who they really are, recalling a gap in her life where she stopped writing.

I spent three years without being able to write [] It was like a drought because its exactly what it is: there were no images. It feels like I cant feel things. Youre distanced from life [] youre not capable of feeling anything, Montero said, adding that she sees unfinished books as a waste.

The author, whose latest novel is El Carne, said she is a fan of characters that have aged and changed through time.

Monteros novels have different themes and degrees of emotion.

As the book progresses towards the last six months of the writing, and when the imaginary life accelerates, writing takes up more time  mentally and psychologically as well, as it starts having such a strength that sucks other things from the [imaginary] world into your real life, the author explained.

Its the moment of impetuous because everything that happens in your real life gets funneled into that [book]. Its a curious experience and there is a moment where you finish this book and [] could continue rewriting it, but theres a moment where it ends.

Script Road program director to step down

Co-founder and program director of The Script Road  Macau Literary Festival, Helder Beja, will resign on March 26, right after the festival concludes its seventh edition.

The festival canceled its invitations to three authors after organizers were informed that their their entry to the region was not guaranteed.

As the co-founder and member of The Script Roads direction since day one, and after the events that came to light in the past few days, ending up with the cancelation of a number of authors from the festival line-up, I consider [that] Im in no condition to continue on board under such [a] scenario, said Beja in a statement.

Ill remain on board and contribute to the making of its 7th edition, out of respect for our team and the many guests that are already on their way to Macau, he added.

The Secretary for Security, Wong Sio Chak, commented on the case yesterday: I do not know about that situation at all. Im unaware of how that rumor spread.Ronald Reagan and Mikhail Gorbachev chose Reykjavik, Iceland. Franklin Roosevelt, Winston Churchill and Josef Stalin huddled at Yalta. Dwight Eisenhower and Soviet leader Nikita Khruschev will always have Paris.

So where should President Donald Trump and Kim Jong Un meet up for the first face-to-face talks between a U.S. and North Korean president?

The Demilitarized Zone between North and South Korea is one possibility. Sweden has offered to help. And theres always neutral Geneva, Switzerland.

Someplace in Asia perhaps  such as Beijing  hasnt been ruled out. Nor, for that matter, has a ship in international waters.

The question crackled through diplomatic and government circles Friday, one day after a South Korean official announced in the dark on a White House driveway that the two heads of state who had threatened mutual obliteration for months would take a meeting.

Its not clear what location is suitable for leaders who have sniped at each other  Little Rocket Man vs. senile dotard  in nerve-rattling Twitter exchanges about nuclear war.

Its all about optics, from their first handshake, said Lisa Collins, a Korea scholar and fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. There are 70 years of historical baggage between the two countries  so to have the meeting in a place thats a safe location and one that doesnt overly highlight the differences between the two countries would probably be the best.

The White House wasnt offering suggestions in the hours after the announcement.

Trump, a former reality TV star, understands well the value of optics. But symbolism, security and practicality also come into play. Holding talks in either the U.S. or North Korea seem unlikely. Traveling to North Korea risks conferring legitimacy on Kim and his country.

As for Kim: Except for schooling in Switzerland and perhaps some vacations during that time, its not clear that Kim has left North Korea. So Mar-a-Lago, the presidents Florida estate that was good enough for Chinese President Xi Jinping last April, probably wont do this time.

More likely is the no-mans-land of Peace Village in the DMZs Panmunjom. There is a building there with a line through the middle that marks the border  and was the site of the 1953 armistice. Theoretically, Kim could shake Trumps hand by reaching over the line without ever setting foot outside North Korea. And Trumps been wanting to visit the DMZ, anyway. A shrouded-in-secrecy stop there during Trumps tour of Asia last year was scrubbed due to bad weather.

In April, the leaders of North and South Korea are to meet there for their own historic bilateral talks.

Swedish Prime Minister Stefan Lofven, meanwhile, has offered to help, given that his nation has an embassy in Pyongyang. We are a non-aligning country, Lofven pointed out during a press conference with Trump this week. If the president decides, the key actors decide if they want us to help out, well be there.

History offers some lessons in bilateral summitry.

Sometimes, talks fail. In diplomatic circles, Reykjavik, Icelands frosty capital, refers President Ronald Reagan and Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachevs hastily arranged arms reduction talks in 1986. They failed to produce a deal, but did result in iconic photos of the two leaders smiling together in the final years of the Cold War.

Other times, they blow up. Peaceful coexistence was the goal, but not the immediate result, of a summit in Paris between Khruschev and Eisenhower. The talks were tense over the Soviet downing of a U-2 plane in 1960 that Eisenhower was forced to admit had been spying on Russia. The Russian leader stalked out of the meeting, cooling any thoughts of a lasting peace for awhile.

Its good to have a backup venue: What were to be talks in 1989 between President George H.W. Bush and Gorbachev aboard a ship near Malta turned into the seasick summit when seven-foot waves forced the leaders to cancel some meetings.

Talks and the most powerful images sometimes go only so far. Egyptian President Anwar Sadat stunned the world when he set foot in Israel in 1977 and addressed the Israeli parliament. The visit set the tone for the Camp David peace summit and treaty in 1979. The Egyptian-Israeli agreement has remained intact and laid the groundwork for other Mideast summits. But the peace process has stalled in recent years. APCredit: University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee

When children have significant difficulty reducing their fears and anxieties, the solution can be a surprisingly natural one: play, humor and silliness.

A team of UWM students is exploring that approach for children with Williams syndrome, a genetic disorder that affects some 30,000 children in the United States. They're working under the guidance of clinical psychology professor Bonnie Klein-Tasman using the facilities and assorted toys in UWM's Child Neurodevelopment Research Lab.

Children with Williams syndrome can struggle with anxieties and fears more often than most kids. Many are hypersocial, displaying an unusually affectionate behavior with intense eye contact. Other concerns include cardiovascular problems, hyperactivity and learning disabilities, though their strong interest in interacting with others and good verbal skills often mask significant developmental delay.

"Kids with Williams syndrome receive special education services in school for their cognitive deficits and hyperactivity symptoms," says clinical psychology graduate student Brianna Yund, "but many families struggle with the impact of the phobias on daily life, and few clinicians are trained in treating anxieties in children with intellectual disabilities. Our study is intended to fill that gap." The team hopes the results could be applicable beyond Williams syndrome cases, too.

A behavioral play therapy for reducing their phobias has already been developed, but it lacks a detailed how-to manual. Klein-Tasman's team will create that manual and share it with practitioners through a web portal, allowing for a systematic evaluation of the intervention's success.

UWM researchers (from left) Bonnie Klein-Tasman, Brianna Yund and Nathanael Schwarz are working to ease the anxieties of children with developmental disabilities. Credit: UWM Photo/Troye Fox

A traditional strategy for treating phobias  say, of loud noises or receiving shots at the doctor's office  involves gradually increasing levels of exposure to the object of fear. But this exposure therapy often causes discomfort, which is why many parents of young children don't embrace it.

"Behavioral play therapy combines exposure therapy with humor in a playful setting," says graduate student Nathanael Schwarz. An intervention for hair-combing anxiety may start with pretend play: The therapist combs a doll, then exaggerates the brushing movements and makes silly noises while chasing the doll around the room. Next, the therapist may comb her own hair, and eventually the child's. But if that generates signs of distress, the therapist backs up to less aversive behavior until the child is comfortable again, and perhaps silly herself.

"Anecdotal evidence suggests that kids respond very well to this approach because they love to be silly," Schwarz says. "With the larger amount of data we will now collect, we can evaluate this intervention more systematically."

Yund and Schwarz have a central role in researching and evaluating the new therapy and will assist Klein-Tasman and UWM graduate EJ Miecielica in developing the manual. The Williams Syndrome Association is funding the study through a grant and will assist with the recruitment of eight children, ages 4 to 10, who will be treated at UWM in 2018. The association will also help disseminate the new manual.

"Very few studies have evaluated interventions for anxiety in young children with developmental disabilities," Klein-Tasman says. "That's why we hope our work will also inform the treatment of phobias in children with other conditions, such as autism spectrum disorders."

Explore further Therapy for kids with autism pays off for moms, dadsThe experimental drug andexanet was associated with control of serious bleeding in patients taking a common class of anticoagulants known as Factor Xa inhibitors, according to interim clinical trial results presented at the American College of Cardiology's 67th Annual Scientific Session. Millions of patients take Factor Xa inhibitors, which elevate the risk of serious bleeding. If approved by the FDA, andexanet would be the first agent available to directly reverse the effects of Factor Xa inhibition if bleeding occurs.

Factor Xa inhibitors, which inhibit a protein involved in the formation of blood clots, are commonly prescribed for patients who are at high risk for stroke and venous thrombosis (dangerous blood clots in the blood vessels). Because Factor Xa inhibitors and other anticoagulants reduce the body's ability to form a blood clot, these drugs can also increase the risk of uncontrolled bleeding. When this happens, it can be challenging for doctors to stop the bleeding and can ultimately lead to death. For example, about 25 percent of patients who experience bleeding in the brain while taking a Factor Xa inhibitor die.

"Unlike for some other anticoagulants, there is currently no approved reversal agent for Factor Xa inhibitors," said Stuart Connolly, MD, professor of medicine at McMaster University in Canada and the study's lead author. "Factor Xa inhibitors are already widely used because of their excellent efficacy and safety profile. However, some physicians and patients may choose to use other anticoagulant drugs because they have a reversal agent rather than using one of the Factor Xa inhibitors. Having a safe and effective reversal agent available will benefit patients with acute bleeding."

About 2.9 million people in the U.S. currently take Factor Xa inhibitors. Of these people, most are older and have illnesses, such as heart failure, that put them at high risk for cardiovascular problems. According to a recent analysis of the MarketScan Commercial and Medicare databases, roughly 84,000 patients taking Factor Xa inhibitors are hospitalized for major bleeding each year. The most common types of major bleeds include bleeding in the brain, sometimes resulting from a fall, and gastrointestinal bleeding.

Andexanet is a recombinant modified Factor Xa molecule designed to bind to and disable Factor Xa inhibitors, thereby allowing Factor Xa produced by the body to play its normal role in the formation of blood clots. In earlier trials performed in healthy volunteers, andexanet was shown to rapidly reverse the anticoagulant effect of Factor Xa inhibitors without any significant safety problems.

ANNEXA-4 is an ongoing clinical trial that uses andexanet to help treat patients experiencing major bleeding while taking Factor Xa inhibitors. The interim analysis being reported at ACC.18 includes data on safety outcomes for 227 patients and adjudicated efficacy outcomes for 132 patients enrolled at centers in the U.S., Canada and Europe. All trial participants presented with acute major bleeding within 18 hours of taking one of four Factor Xa inhibitors (apixaban, rivaroxaban, edoxaban or enoxaparin). Patients received an injection of andexanet followed by a two-hour infusion of the drug, with the dosage determined based on the specific Factor Xa inhibitor the patient was taking and how long it had been since the last dose.

The trial assesses the drug's efficacy in terms of two co-primary endpoints: reduction in anti-Factor Xa inhibitor activity and achievement of clinical hemostasis (stoppage of bleeding) by 12 hours after administration. The interim results show that median anti-Factor Xa inhibitor activity was reduced by 88 percent for patients taking rivaroxaban, 91 percent for patients taking apixaban and 75 percent for patients taking enoxaparin. Very few patients in the study had received edoxaban. Excellent or good clinical hemostasis was achieved in 83 percent of patients overall.

Safety of andexanet was assessed in all 227 patients. At 30 days, 12 percent of patients had died and 11 percent had a thrombotic event (stroke, heart attack or blood clot in the legs). According to Connolly, these rates of adverse events are in line with what would be expected given the underlying medical condition of the patients in the trial and the fact that many had not resumed anticoagulant treatment during the 30 days after receiving andexanet.

"This study is only focused on patients who are acutely bleeding, but there is also great interest in using a drug like andexanet for patients who come into a medical center on a Factor Xa inhibitor and require urgent surgery," Connolly said. "We hope to study that patient population in the future."

The study is not a randomized controlled trial and it does not include any patients who were not given andexanet (controls). Although a randomized controlled trial offers potentially stronger evidence than a single-arm study design, this method was deemed to be impractical because the drug is intended to be used during crisis situations, demanding a speed of response that could be difficult to achieve with randomization protocols.

Explore further A rapid and effective antidote for anticoagulant bleeds

More information: The trial was funded by Portola Pharmaceuticals Inc., maker of andexanet.A scanning electron micrograph of Ebola virus budding from a cell (African green monkey kidney epithelial cell line). Credit: NIAID

The 2014-2016 West African Ebola outbreak was the deadliest in history, infecting more than 28,000 people and killing more than 11,000. While the number of people infected in the United States was low, it was covered extensively in the media, leading to widespread fear. Now, given the success of recent clinical trials, we are closer than ever to a vaccine to prevent it.

George Mason University researchers conducted a study during the height of the epidemic and found that a majority of participants (59.7 percent) would pay at least $1 for an Ebola Vaccine. Those who were willing to pay at least $1 had typically traveled internationally in the last 12 months, were interested in getting an Ebola vaccine, and believed that the U.S. government should spend money to control Ebola and assume worldwide leadership in confronting emerging epidemics.

The nationally representative survey of U.S. adults was published in January in Human Vaccines and Immunotherapeutics. It included questions on Ebola-related knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors as well as background information (e.g., demographics, international travel) to test for indicators of willingness to pay for a vaccine.

Dr. Julia Painter, an assistant professor in Mason's Department of Global and Community Health (GCH) led the study with support from assistant professor Dr. Michael von Fricken; graduate student Suyane Viana de O. Mesquita (now an alumna of the Master of Public Health program); and professor Dr. Ralph J. DiClemente from Emory University.

"We believe this is the first study to assess willingness to pay for an Ebola vaccine in the United States," Painter explains. "This is important because previous studies conducted in West Africa are not generalizable to the U.S. population. Once developed, a licensed vaccine against Ebola "We were unsure of what to expect. The actual risk of Ebola infection among the general U.S. population was low, which could have led to lack of willingness so spend money on a vaccine. On the other hand, the outbreak garnered extensive media coverage, leading to a national contagion of fear. This fear could have driven people to be willing to pay for a vaccine."

The researchers also tested willingness to pay for a vaccine at various price points. Of those respondents willing to pay at least $1, 66 percent would pay $1-50, 20.1 percent would pay $51-100, and 13.9 percent would pay more than $100. People who had traveled internationally within the last 12 months and were interested in getting an Ebola vaccine were more likely to be willing to pay for a vaccine across all price points. Interestingly, participants' interest in getting a vaccine did not necessarily indicate their willingness to pay.

"Previous research has shown that willingness to pay for a vaccine is an important indicator of risk perception and demand," von Fricken explains. "This work is a first step in understanding public interest in an Ebola vaccine once it's approved."

One key limitation of this study was that questions about the Ebola vaccine were hypothetical; it is unknown if findings would apply to an actual vaccine. Willingness to pay for an actual vaccine would likely depend on cost, as well as other vaccine-related factors. Another consideration is that this study was conducted during the height of the Ebola epidemic in West Africa, and "Fearbola" epidemic in the United States. It is unclear if findings would be similar under non-outbreak circumstances.

This research is a follow up to the team's previous study, which measured interest in an Ebola vaccine and was published in Vaccine in November 2016.

Explore further WHO chief praises Guineans for help with Ebola vaccine

More information: Julia E. Painter et al, Willingness to pay for an Ebola vaccine during the 20142016 ebola outbreak in West Africa: Results from a U.S. National sample, Human Vaccines & Immunotherapeutics (2018). Journal information: Human Vaccines and Immunotherapeutics , Vaccine Julia E. Painter et al, Willingness to pay for an Ebola vaccine during the 20142016 ebola outbreak in West Africa: Results from a U.S. National sample,(2018). DOI: 10.1080/21645515.2018.1423928The medulloblastoma expresses genes normally active in the retina only, including NRL and CRX, which play a role in the formation of the tumor. Credit: Morgane Morabito / UMR3347 CNRS-Institut Curie-INSERM-Universite Paris-Sud

Can genes normally expressed only in the eye be activated in brain tumours? The phenomenon, though surprising, has been observed in certain types of medulloblastoma, paediatric tumours of the cerebellum. Researchers from the CNRS, Institut Curie, Inserm and Universite Paris-Sud, together with researchers at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital (Memphis, United States), have pinpointed the role of these genes in the tumour process, thus offering new therapeutic targets. Their findings appear in the 12 March 2018 edition of Cancer Cell.

Medulloblastoma is treated with a combination of surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy, which results in a survival rate of 80 percent, albeit with significant side effects. Group 3 medulloblastoma, associated with frequent rates of recurrence and a much lower survival rate, is characterised by the expression of the so-called photoreceptor program gene cluster. Normally, these genes are only expressed in the retina, where they define photoreceptor identity and ensure that light signals are converted into nerve impulses.

Given that they are not expressed during the normal development of the cerebellum, activation of these genes in medulloblastoma is very surprising. Aberrant differentiation programs unrelated to the tissue in which the tumour originates have already been found in other types of cancer, but were never thought to be directly involved in the tumour process.

Celio Pouponnot, CNRS researcher at the Institut Curie, together with Franck Bourdeaut, medical researcher at the Institut Curie, and Paul Northcott at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital in Memphis, United States, decided to examine the role the photoreceptor program could play in a medulloblastoma.

The presence of a protein called NRL within the photoreceptor program initially drew the attention of Celio Pouponnot's team, which, for many years, has studied a family of proteins similar to NRL involved in the formation of cancers. Researchers also identified the role of another protein specific to the retina: CRX. Strikingly, this study shows that both these factors are involved in the medulloblastoma by activating key genes: CCND2, which promotes cell proliferation, and BCL2L1, which inhibits cell death (apoptosis).

The research team then used pharmacological agents to target these anti-apoptotic proteins in preclinical models by grafting human medulloblastoma cells into mice. This treatment shrunk the tumour and extended the lives of the mice, proving the potential of this therapeutic target. These results, however, cannot be directly transposed to children, for whom such pharmacological agents could be toxic.

More generally, this study shows the potential benefit of studying signs of aberrant differentiations in cancer processes, highlighting a new area in cancer research.

Explore further New weakness found in most common childhood malignant brain tumorThe odds of a 22-year absence of mass shootings in Australia since 1996 gun reforms being due to chance are one in 200,000, new research reveals.

Published today in the Annals of Internal Medicine, scholars at the University of Sydney and Macquarie University used mathematical techniques to test the null hypothesis that the rate of mass shootings in Australia before and after the 1996 law reforms is unchanged.

The National Firearms Agreement, enacted after the Port Arthur massacre in Tasmania in which 35 died and another 23 were seriously injured, saw the destruction of more than a million firearmsperhaps a third of the country's private gun stock.

The Agreement included uniform gun registration, repudiation of self-defense as a legitimate reason to hold a firearm license, mandatory locked storage, a ban on mail order sales and standardized penalties, and the banning of semi-automatic rifles and pump action shot guns from civilian ownership.

Its provisions were subsequently enacted in national, state and territory legislation across Australia.

In the 18 years up to and including the Port Arthur massacre in 1996, there were 13-gun homicides in which five or more people died, not including the perpetrator. In the 22 years since, there have been no such incidents.

"Most people hear these starkly contrasting numbers and conclude that Australia's gun law reforms effectively stopped firearm massacres here," says the paper's lead author, Emeritus Professor Simon Chapman of the University of Sydney.

"However, some scholars and members of the gun lobby have argued that since mass shootings are relatively rare events, the concentration of incidents in one decade and their absence in another decade is merely a statistical anomaly."

For example, Australian researcher Dr Samara McPhedran writing in The Conversation said: "Mass shootings are rare events, and the long gap between incidents post-1996 may simply reflect a return to a more 'normal' state of affairs, similar to the years before 1987."

"This was no accident," says the new study's co-author Associate Professor Philip Alpers, from the University of Sydney. "Australia followed standard public health procedures to reduce the risk of multiple shooting events, and we can see the evidence. It worked.

"Gun lobby-affiliated and other researchers have been saying for years that mass shootings are such rare events it could have been a matter of luck they dropped off in the wake of Australia's gun control laws," says Alpers. "Instead, we found the odds against this hypothesis are 200,000 to one."

In related news, Tasmania's re-elected Premier has defended the Liberals' policy to relax the state's gun laws, despite an outcry from survivors of the Port Arthur shooting.The research team rom left: Nathan Peters, PhD, professor in the Department of Microbiology, Immunology & Infectious Diseases; Chukwunonso Nzelu, sand fly colony expert and post-doc fellow; and Matheus Carneiro, post-doc fellow. Credit: Pauline Zulueta, Cumming School of Medicine

They're smaller than a mosquito; they only live for about a month, yet these tiny flying insects are having a big impact on people's health. During their short life, sand flies infect about one million people each year with the parasite Leishmania, causing a chronic disease called Leishmaniasis. The World Health Organization estimates as many as 30,000 people die annually from the disease, and hundreds of thousands of others have lifelong disfiguring scars on their skin. There is no vaccine. Treatment with intravenous medications can be extremely painful and hard to access.

In a highly specialized lab at the University of Calgary's Cumming School of Medicine (CSM) a team of researchers is raising sand flies to understand more about transmission of the disease and our immune system's response to it. Within the lab, the scientists created a real-life scenario; flies become naturally infected with Leishmania parasites, and then with a bite the female flies give the disease to a mouse.

"We used to think that initiating infections with these pathogens with a needle was a sufficient way to study disease in the mammalian host, but we now know that isn't enough. There's a huge difference in the natural progression of this disease when you compare the transmission between a fly bite and a needle," says Nathan Peters, PhD, an associate professor cross-appointed in the CSM and the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and member of the Snyder Institute for Chronic Diseases. "Until we fully understand the development of this disease in its many forms, we won't be able to develop an effective vaccine."

There are three forms of the disease. The most common results in lesions and ulcers on the skin and can lead to serious disability. Another form attacks the mucous membranes of the nose, mouth and throat, and the most serious form shows up in the spleen and liver and is fatal in 95 per cent of cases, if left untreated.

Leishmaniasis is considered a tropical disease, and is commonly found in South America, Africa the Middle East and India, but due to climate change, incidents of the disease are starting to show up in new areas including the island of Sicily, the south of France and Spain.

Chukwunonso Nzelu, sand fly colony expert and post-doc fellow at the University of Calgary, capturing female sand flies. Credit: Pauline Zulueta, Cumming School of Medicine

Dr. Bonnie Meatherall, an infectious disease specialist and assistant professor in the Department of Medicine at the CSM, treats a handful of patients each year, mostly travellers. "Many of the patients I see didn't expect to contract this disease on their vacation. They often are on an excursion, like a common jungle adventure as part of their trip." Meatherall suggests vacationers consider pre-travel counselling to educate themselves on the health risks even at popular destinations.

While a lot of field research is conducted at the locations where the disease is commonly spread, it can be difficult for scientists to follow the full cycle of the disease, to include how the fly became infected, through to where it contacted a human host. That's where the Peters lab comes in. The temperature and humidity levels in the lab and constant care of a sand fly colony allows researchers to map each stage of a fly's life and the complete development of the disease in a host.

The insectary, built with support from the Canadian Foundation for Innovation (CFI) and Alberta Economic Development and Trade, is state of the art and includes key card access, progressive negative pressure, and self-closing mechanically interlocking doors to ensure the safety of researchers and the preservation of the sand fly colony, which needs highly specialized care to thrive.

Peters says this research could have far-reaching implications in our understanding of other diseases transmitted by insects, including the malaria parasite, Plasmodium, Zika and West Nile viruses, and Lyme disease bacteria.

Peters credits UCalgary for having a 'can-do' attitude when he first proposed building the facility during his recruitment. "I have to say, the leadership at the Snyder Institute saw the uniqueness and potential of such a facility and were all extremely supportive," he says.

Explore further Skin plays significant role in spread of leishmaniasisTwelve Indigenous health leaders are embarking on a bold and innovative leadership program through the Melbourne Poche Centre for Indigenous Health at The University of Melbourne to tackle some of Australia's long-term health problems.

"Indigenous Australians have a great depth of strength and resilience, whilst at the same time being over-represented in most measurable health outcomes," said Melbourne Poche Centre director Professor Shaun Ewen.

The Poche Leadership Fellows Program aims to help emerging Indigenous health leaders influence change across Australia.

The program will boost participants' leadership potential and broaden their networks through two Melbourne-based modules, in March and November, and a week-long program of visits and meetings in London in May.

The group will travel to Kings College, London, for a program designed to build on their leadership networks, skills and opportunities in an international context. They will join discussions at the Australian High Commission, Rhodes House in Oxford and Westminster Palace in the Houses of Parliament.

Professor Ewen said: "The vision of our most generous donors, Greg and Kay Poche, was that their gift would be transformational. We expect that by supporting the emerging generation of Indigenous leaders in health, we are able to contribute to the transformation of policy, research, clinical care and health systems in general, such that the playing field between Indigenous and other Australians is level."

The early-career fellows have been chosen from a range of backgrounds and include nurses, doctors and a lawyer. The majority of participants are in the process of completing their doctoral studies. Their interests include research, policy and clinical practice in higher education institutions, government and the health service delivery sector.

Explore further Closing the Australian eye health gap may be in sightDoctors at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center develop colon cancer screening app. Credit: Wake Forest Baptist

Say ordering a cancer screening test was as easy as booking a hotel room online. Would that improve screening rates?

Doctors at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center wanted to find out.

The physicians developed a specially designed iPad app with which patients could order a colon cancer screening test while waiting for their doctor. And many did just that.

In a randomized clinical trial, the app doubled the proportion of patients who underwent colon cancer screenings. Findings from the study are published in the early online edition of the April issue of Annals of Internal Medicine.

Previous research has shown that screening for colon cancer reduces mortality, yet more than one-third of age-eligible Americans go unscreened every year. Colon cancer remains the second leading cause of cancer death in the United States.

"Many barriers contribute to low screening rates, including patients' negative attitudes about the tests, lack of awareness of the need for screening and competing demands for busy doctors' scarce time," said the study's lead author, David P. Miller, M.D., professor of internal medicine at Wake Forest Baptist. "In the ideal world, a doctor should discuss the need for screening with patients, inform them of the available options, help them make a decision and then order the test. All of this takes time, time doctors may not have if a patient has other concerns that need to be investigated."

Called mobile Patient Technology for Health-CRC (mPATH-CRC), the iPad application informs patients of their need for screening, helps them make a screening decision, lets them "self-order" a screening test and sends automated electronic messages to help them complete their chosen test.

In this study, researchers enrolled 450 patients in primary care who were due for colon cancer screening. Participants were randomly assigned to use the iPad app or receive usual care, with approximately half in each group.

Participants used mPATH-CRC at their primary care doctor's office on a device owned by the practice, and could request follow-up support on their own personal devices. The app also presented educational information about different types of screening tests - colonoscopy and fecal tests - so the patient could order the test they wanted.

Those who used the app were twice as likely to undergo screening compared to patients in the usual care group (30 percent versus 15 percent, respectively). Half of patients who used the app ordered their own screening. That saves doctors a lot of time, time they can use to address patients' other health concerns, Miller said.

"Digital health programs like the one we developed shouldn't replace doctors. Rather, they should help doctors deliver better care and encourage patients to actively participate in their own care," Miller said.

"As a primary care doctor, I don't mind admitting the iPad program can do a better job of teaching my patients about colon cancer screening than I can. After all, the iPad can use animations and videos, and I just have my voice and maybe some poorly drawn doodles."

Miller added that while screening increased substantially in the study, approximately half the patients failed to complete their ordered tests. Incorporating more strategies to encourage patients to complete their screening could further increase the effectiveness of mPATH-CRC.

Explore further Nurse navigators may aid colon cancer screening follow-upGetting a large dose of a statin did not have an impact on major adverse cardiac events among a broad population of patients slated to undergo percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), a procedure to clear blocked arteries, in a trial being presented at the American College of Cardiology's 67th Annual Scientific Session. However, statins did significantly reduce the rates of such events among the subset of trial participants who actually underwent PCI.

PCI is one of several treatments for people with acute coronary syndrome, an umbrella term that encompasses heart attacks and unstable angina (acute chest pain caused by narrowed arteries). The procedure involves threading a thin wire to the site of the blockage and then inflating a small balloon to open the artery and improve the flow of blood to the heart. In this trial, patients were randomized to receive either a placebo or a "loading dose" of a statin, consisting of two double-doses administered the day before and the day after a scheduled PCI, followed by a daily low-dose of a statin for 30 days.

The trial is the largest study to date aimed at testing the hypothesis that statins could help reduce cardiovascular events around the time of PCI. More than 4,100 patients were enrolled in the trial at 58 centers in Brazil. All patients had acute coronary syndrome for which doctors planned to perform PCI within seven days. However, about one-third of the study participants ultimately did not receive PCI because doctors opted to perform other treatments, such as coronary artery bypass grafting (a heart bypass).

Participants in this study were reflective of the broader population of people with acute coronary syndrome, and the study protocols were reflective of common hospital practices, said Otavio Berwanger, MD, Ph.D., cardiologist and clinical epidemiologist at the Brazilian Clinical Research Institute, Sao Paulo, Brazil, and the study's lead author. He suggested that the results would likely be applicable in many countries and health care environments. About 70 percent of the patients had never taken statins and about 30 percent had taken them previously or were on low-dose statins when they enrolled in the study. Patients who were already taking a maximum tolerated dose of statins were excluded.

Statins are a widely-used class of drugs that lower LDL, or "bad" cholesterol, thereby helping to prevent serious cardiovascular events in people at high risk for heart disease. In addition to their long-term preventive benefits, basic research suggests statins also may affect processes involved in inflammation and the formation of blood clots.

In this study, half of the participants were randomly assigned to receive two double (80 milligram) doses of atorvastatinone shortly before the procedure and one within a day afterward. The other half received two doses of a placebo. Neither patients nor their doctors knew who had received the placebo. All patients then took 40 milligrams of atorvastatin daily for 30 days, which is standard practice after acute coronary syndrome.

For 30 days, researchers tracked rates of major adverse cardiac events (the trial's primary endpoint), which included death, heart attack, stroke or urgent procedures to clear blocked arteries.

Among all patients, the primary endpoint occurred in 6.2 percent of those taking the statin and 7.1 percent of those taking the placebo, a difference that was not statistically significant. Among patients who received PCI, the primary endpoint occurred in 6 percent of those taking the statin and 8.2 percent of those taking the placebo, a reduction that was statistically significant.

"Although the trial is negative for our primary endpoint in the full study population, the findings of our prespecified analysis are very consistent with smaller trials and observational studies that suggest a reduction in events in the PCI population," Berwanger said. "Viewed in the context of the literature, our study helps to confirm what has been shown before and suggests that it can be beneficial to consider giving a loading dose of a statin to patients who undergo PCI."

Overall, patients who underwent PCI and received a loading dose of statins were 28 percent less likely to experience a major adverse cardiac event and 32 percent less likely to have a heart attack compared with those taking the placebo.

"This study adds another piece to the puzzle," Berwanger said. "I think it also opens the stage for testing other lipid-lowering agents that may have effects beyond lowering lipids."

Researchers will continue to track outcomes for 12 months. In addition, the team is planning another trial focused on assessing potential benefits of statins and other drugs in patients undergoing PCI.

Explore further Alirocumab reduces cardiovascular events after acute coronary syndrome

More information: Effect of Loading Dose of Atorvastatin Prior to PlannedPercutaneous Coronary Intervention on Major AdverseCardiovascular Events in Acute Coronary Syndrome: The SECURE-PCI Randomized Clinical TrialSurgeons trying a new way to save the life of a baby born with half a heart stood over her open chest and waited for the FedEx box.

Doctors in Miami had overnighted two small vials of stem cells to the University of Maryland Medical Center. Now the Baltimore surgeons would inject the cells, derived from a donor's bone marrow, into the tiny, defective heart of 4-month-old Autumn.

The Hagerstown girl was born with an often fatal condition called hypoplastic left heart syndrome, in which the left half of the heart is unable to pump blood. She is the fifth child to get the injections into the working right half of her heart as part of a national study at the Maryland hospital aimed not only at saving lives, but also allowing children with the condition to live more normally.

"Not to be superstitious, but we liked that she was No. 5," Wayne Brown, Autumn's father, said before the surgery recently.

Both Brown and LeeAnn Janes, Autumn's mother, were born on the fifth day of the month.

"She's become our Lucky No. 5," Brown said.

After seeing some promise in trials on adults who have had heart attacks, strokes and other cardiac problems, researchers believed stem cells might benefit children with heart problems.

Autumn Brown is one of 10 babies in the study now receiving cells to check for safety and feasibility. Another 20 will be enrolled at Maryland and other pediatric hospitals around the country. Half will get stem cells, in a trial to determine whether the treatment helps.

Some 950 babies each year are born with hypoplastic left heart syndrome. Left untreated, the condition is always fatal.

For now, the lone treatment is a course of surgery developed 30 years ago. It's performed in three parts: at birth, at about four months and at age two or three.

Even with the surgeries, only 60 percent of the children celebrate their fifth birthdays. Then the overtaxed partial heart eventually fails, necessitating a heart transplant, which brings more risks.

Now doctors in the study are injecting the stem cells into the working half of the heart during the second surgery.

Autumn is a plump and cheery bundle. The only outward clues that she suffers a disorder are an oxygen line to her nose and a port for a feeding tube.

Dr. Sunjay Kaushal, director of pediatric and adult congenital surgery at the University of Maryland and one of the nation's foremost surgeons for hypoplastic left heart syndrome, said Autumn's general health beyond the condition and her supportive parents made her a good candidate for the stem cell study.

His team of about a dozen arrived early for the surgery in mid-February, draped blue cloths around Autumn and hooked her up to machines that would at times do her breathing and pump her blood for her. Her pacifier and stuffed monkey were carefully stored and labeled in a bag and set aside. Her chest was reopened along the same several-inch-long line used in her first surgery.

Three doctors aimed their headlamps down at Autumn's strawberry-sized heart.They worked in tandem with the nurses, anesthesiologists and other professionals who packed around the table in the pediatric operating room in the University of Maryland Children's Hospital. Other attendants scurried around the room, keeping track of supplies and other needs of those in the surgery huddle.

The heart surgery done, the team waited for the courier delivering the stem cells.

The roughly 1.67 million cells had been in a freezer at the biotech company Longeveron the day before. They had largely thawed before their scheduled arrival, so too much of a delay could jeopardize their viability.

The opaque liquid cells arrived at the hospital in a toaster-sized cooler pack at about 12:15 p.m. and were hurried into the operating room. They were carefully unwrapped by sterile gloved hands.

A quick examination under the microscope showed they were 77 percent viable, above the 70 percent threshold for use. They were drawn into eight small syringes, which were then laid on a cloth-covered tray next to the surgical team.

A member of the team held up a diagram of a heart for Kaushal, an associate professor of surgery in the University of Maryland School of Medicine and director of pediatric cardiac surgery at the medical center. He pointed to a spot each time he plunged a needle into Autumn's heart.

If the cells work as they did in Kaushal's computer models and lab animals during nearly a decade of research, they will boost the strength and longevity of Autumn's half a heart.

Kaushal says the first four children to receive the cellsthree at Maryland and one at the Johns Hopkins Hospitalwere faring well.

"I think this is game-changing for these kids," Kaushal said. "I believe these young hearts are going to be the most responsive."

In a normal heart, the right side of the heart typically has the less stressful job of pumping deoxygenated blood from the body to the lungs. The left side more powerfully pumps the resupplied blood back out to the body.

In babies with Autumn's syndrome, the right side has to do double duty.

The three surgeries change how blood flows so deoxygenated blood goes right to the lungs and refreshed blood is pumped around the body by the right side of the heart.

Kaushal has been working with Dr. Joshua Hare, the former Johns Hopkins researcher who became the founding director of the Interdisciplinary Stem Cell Institute at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine. Hare formed Longeveron to translate research into medical use. Longeveron, the University of Maryland, and the state-established Maryland Stem Cell Research Fund are sponsoring the initial $1.5 million cost of the study.

Longeveron harvested the mesenchymal stem cells from a young adult donor and allowed them to multiply in a culture to produce enough for use in every baby in the trial. These types of cells can become any kind of human cell.

Once in a baby's heart, Hare said, they can reduce scar tissue, reduce inflammation, promote new small vessels andperhaps most importantlystimulate the heart to grow.

Data collected so far on stem cells in adults or children have not convinced everyone of the long-term possibilities. Clinics that have exploited loopholes to use unsanctioned stem cell therapies have drawn negative publicity.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has warned consumers about unintended and harmful consequences. The FDA has approved stem cells only for disorders related to blood production.

But the agency has allowed their use in well-reviewed studies, including the heart study at Maryland.

"In my experience, it's a highly promising therapy and people do well, and we just need more data to prove it," Hare said.

"My ultimate hope is we can show we can reduce the need for transplants and kids do better, not just by increasing the functioning of their hearts but make them feel better and live longer," he said. "The goal is really to make kids better."

Autumn's mother wants nothing else for her daughter. The girl was discharged, then returned to the hospital with a complication. Now she's improving and should head soon to a relative's home with her parents and other family.

Janes said she sees the stem cells as "creating a super heart."

And for her part, Lucky No. 5 may have earned more good energy during her surgery: The injections of stem cells began at 12:53 and ended at 12:58exactly 5 minutes.

Explore further First US babies treated in study of adult stem cell therapy for congenital heart disease

2018 The Baltimore Sun

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.Almost 10% of NAEDO (Non-Authenticated Early Debit Orders) are disputed on average per month in South Africa.

This is according to the Ombudsman for Banking Services, which spoke to MyBroadband about the matter.

The information follows a look by MyBroadband into the state of fraudulent debit orders in South Africa, and the upcoming DebiCheck system which aims to remedy the situation.

The building of DebiCheck by the payments industry follows a request by the SARB to solve issues around debit order disputes.

DebiCheck aims to eliminate unauthorised debit orders by requiring bank customers to electronically confirm new debit orders placed on their accounts.

A potential issue with the service during its initial phases, however, is that consumers cannot select which companies use DebiCheck when placing a debit order on their account  companies must choose to use DebiCheck.

The Payments Association of South Africa (PASA) said it is a long-term goal for DebiCheck to be used on all debit orders.

Initially, however, DebiCheck will target debit orders that are processed early.

One of the reasons for this approach is that the majority of disputes are currently being recorded in the early debit order space, said PASA.

Debit order disputes

The Ombudsman for Banking Services told MyBroadband that debit orders now have their own complaint category, due to their increasing volumes.

Previously, it was categorised under Current Accounts. They featured at 3% of the cases opened, it said.

The Ombudsman provided figures on debit orders in South Africa, as detailed in the table below, to illustrate the large number of disputes that are being actioned.

A summary of debit orders and related disputes, based on average monthly figures as at November 2017, are listed below.

As stated by PASA, NAEDO disputes are a standout problem area for banks and their customers.

Debit Orders in SA Type Debit Orders AEDO NAEDO Volumes 36.6 million 1.4 million 14.8 million Values R66 billion R1.8 billion R11.5 billion Unsuccessful 9.7% monthly volume 22.5% monthly volume 24.5% monthly volume Disputes 1.6% monthly volume Not disputable 9.5% monthly volume

Now read: Amazon taking up PayPal strategyBiden to declare end of "20-year war" in Afghanistan in speech at UN General Assembly

US Ambassador to Armenia: Nagorno-Karabakh conflict has yet to be settled, Artsakh status will be clarified

Nikol Pashinyan: Russian-Armenians and their businesses stand strong with the Armenian State

Armenian businessman Samvel Karapetyan pledges investments worth $780,000,000

US says it is willing to consider return to nuclear deal with Iran

Azerbaijani-Turkish military exercises are being held in Nakhchivan

Businessman Samvel Karapetyan: I don't agree that systems have changed in Armenia, only people have changed

Two residents of Armenia's Kasakh who disappeared in Vorotan section and were returned, are at home

Kyrgyz MP proposes to appoint one Ambassador to Armenia and Azerbaijan

Armenia Central Bank head: Buffer of Armenian financial organizations is sufficient to resist challenges

OSCE Parliamentary Assembly Special Representative for South Caucasus to visit Armenia

Armenia PM sends telegram of condolence to Russia President

Armenia Deputy PM: Government shouldn't be involved in business

Nearly 700 projects considered during "Armenia 2020-Armenia 2041" meeting

Putin, Aliyev hold phone talks

Armenian filmmaker calls on Armenia citizens to join march to Yerablur Military Pantheon on Independence Day

Digest: Armenian women die in the Netherlands shooting, Azerbaijan returns 2 Armenians

Relatives of deceased servicemen protesting in front of Armenia government building

Russian Expert Center: Russia is ready to offer Yerevan buses and new metro wagons

"High-Level Observer Day" held as part of "Three Brothers-2021" Azerbaijan-Turkey-Pakistan military drills

Flights to and from Gyumri and Moscow launched

Russia deputy PM: Development of new strategic document has started with Armenia

Armenian businessman: I would like for Armenia to have three official languages

Karabakh emergency situations service: Remains or relics of soldiers not found in Hadrut today

COAF and AMAA partner to revamp dairy production in Lori Province of Armenia

Gunshots heard in Armenia's Kut village again

Alexey Overchuk: Russia is ready to help Armenia overcome economic crisis and pandemic

Armenia economy minister: Unblocking of communication will help increase country's GDP by 30%

Armenia army's units to march on country's Independence Day

Armenia PM congratulates Vladimir Putin on United Russia Party's victory

Malta Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Sergey Smbatyan, performs at InClassica festival (PHOTOS)

Russian official: Bandwidth of Upper Lars checkpoint to grow by 6.5 times in 2022

Armenian Deputy PM: Armenia-Russia trade turnover made up $1.9 billion in first semester of 2021

Nursultan Nazarbayev congratulates Armenia President on 30th anniversary of Independence

Iran Ambassador to Armenia: We hope alternative road to Goris is built as soon as possible

Egypt President congratulates Armenia President on 30th anniversary of Independence

Erdogan to visit Russia on a working visit

Young Dutch man with mental disorder shoots at passers-by, kills 2 female members of AGBU Holland

Russia ambassador to Armenia: Innovative approaches needed to deepen bilateral relations

Greek MFA slams Turkey for illegal fishing in its territorial waters

PM: Armenia greatly interested in opening communications

Armenia-Russia cooperation agreement signed

Deputy PM: Armenia-Russia-Azerbaijan trilateral platform discusses issues I have spoken about many times

Armenia PM spokesperson: No contacts taken place so far with Turkey

North Korean MFA slams new defense alliance created by Australia, UK and US

20 Turkey citizens seek asylum in Armenia in past 3 years

Armenia economy minister on Goris-Kapan motorway situation: We are very actively rebuilding bypass road

Russia deputy PM: Issue of corridors not being discussed

Armenia deputy PM: Unblocking of roads will have positive effect

Deputy PM: Cooperation within EEU is main guarantee of Armenia's economic recovery

Azerbaijan FM heads for US

Iran sending sizeable military forces to Azerbaijan border

2 Armenian General Benevolent Union women die from stabbing (PHOTOS)

8 dead after shooting at Russia university

342 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia

Armenia opposition MP: No security mechanisms on Goris-Kapan motorway to prevent abducting, getting lost

Yerevan hosting Armenian Business Forum 2021

Australia PM says France submarine deal not in his countrys interest

Half of Earth's coral reefs die out in last 70 years

World oil prices falling

Firefighting resumes at Armenia national park

Over 70% of ballots counted in Russia State Duma elections

Largest Armenia flag to be installed in Yeraskh village of Ararat Province (PHOTOS)

Azerbaijan returns 2 Armenia citizens

Women protest in Kabul in defense of their rights

Russia elections over

Those apprehended outside jewelry center in Yerevan are tourists from Iran, not Turks or Azerbaijanis

Frances Macron cancels Swiss counterparts visit

Manny Pacquiao to run for Philippine president

Yerkir.am: 2 Turks or Azerbaijanis apprehended outside jewelry center in Yerevan

Details of Iran nuclear physicists assassination by Israel intelligence are disclosed

France MFA announces crisis in US relations

UK lawmakers accuse Johnson of more casual approach to national security

Goris city deputy mayor: Azerbaijan military hit Armenian young man with handheld transceiver antenna

Khatibzadeh: Iran hopes Iranian truckers detained by Azeris in Armenia's Syunik will be released immediately

Turkeys Erdogan: Georgia premier conveyed Armenia PMs proposal to hold meeting

Australia plans to soon buy or lease submarines from US or UK

Protest being staged outside Armenia government building

Armenia ombudsman: National Security Service taking active measures to have our compatriots returned

Colorado killer sentenced to 1,282 years, in addition to life in prison

Armenia village mayor: Those who ended up in Azerbaijan-controlled territory are 20-, 21-year-old boys

Kazakhstan, Belarus to arm CSTO

Cement plant opens in Artsakh

Goris deputy mayor on probability of Armenia residents ending up in Azerbaijan: 4 people, they disappeared by car

Armenia National Security Service: 2 residents end up in Azerbaijan-controlled territory

Islamic State claims responsibility for Syria natural gas pipeline attack

507 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia

Final day of elections in progress in Russia

Birds dying en masse in New York

Armenia parliament to hold hearings on September 22

Drone mistakenly drops package of drugs into US schoolyard

Researchers uncover risk of mutated coronavirus

Several hundred people go on protest action at US Congress

France: One person dies in a fight with participation of 150 bikers

Nuclear Chief of Iran does not plan to negotiate nuclear transaction in Vienna

US Capitol is preparing for rally of Trump supporters

21 people detained in Yerevan protests

Armenia Parliament Speaker on yesterday's incident with children of Artsakh on Goris-Kapan road

8 new cases of COVID-19 reported in Artsakh

Karabakh President receives Deputy Director of Hayastan All-Armenian FundYEREVAN.- What now occurs in Azerbaijan, starting with large-scale military drills and finishing with Azerbaijani President's statements, contradicts to the state's obligations to the OSCE Minsk Group, Vice Speaker of Parliament Eduard Sharmazanov told Armenian News - NEWS.am, answering the question what is the reason of the large-scale military exercises in Azerbaijan which will be held from March 12-17.

According to him, Baku which is a member of the OSCE, should first of all inform the member countries of this organization that Azerbaijan prepares to conduct large-scale military exercises.

"Azerbaijan did not do this and violated all international agreements and international legal norms," complained Sharmazanov.

Now, according to Sharmazanov, Azerbaijani main ideology in Azerbaijan is anti-Armenian moods that have always been provoked by the political leadership and the elite.

"Anti-Armenian sentiments are not based on patriotism, but on supranationalism. By this step, Ilham Aliyev again wants to disguise problems of his state. Let's start with the fact that Azerbaijan is far away from democracy and protection of human rights", - the vice speaker of National assembly explained.

At the same time, he added that in this way the Azerbaijani authorities again try to distract the voters' attention from the problems and concentrate on the settlement of the Karabakh conflict. Sharmazanov described this as a "pre-election trick."

Earlier it was reported, Azerbaijan will hold large-scale military drills from 12 to 17 March with the participation of various military branches, formations and units, APA reported.

According to the source, the drills will involve up to 25,000 military personnel, nearly 250 tanks and other armored vehicles, 1,000 missiles and artillery systems of different caliber, multiple launch rocket systems and mortars, about 50 army and front-line aviation units for various purposes. During the drills live-fire exercises will be conducted using new weapon systems at various training grounds.Armenian Prime Minister Karen Karapetyan met Lebanon's President Michel Aoun on Monday at the residence of the Lebanese President, the press service of the Government of Armenia reported.

The Armenian PM thanked for the warm reception and added that he is glad to be in Lebanon.

"Just two weeks ago we had the opportunity to exchange ideas in Yerevan over the multilayered relations between Armenia and Lebanon. We highlight the regular high level interactions and dialogue between Armenia and friendly Lebanon. As I noted during our previous meeting, the economic potential of our bilateral relations is rather huge and it should be maximally utilized, Karen Karapetyan said.

The Lebanese President welcomed the visit of the Armenian Premier to Lebanon, expressing conviction that it will foster the further development of the friendly relations between Armenia and Lebanon. President Michel Aoun expressed readiness to support the initiatives of the Executives of the two countries, as well as the implementation of joint projects.

The interlocutors discussed a range of issues related to the expansion of trade and economic relations, referred to the opportunities of Lebanese companies to make use of the privileged trade regimes granted to Armenia, as well as the prospects for fostering cooperation in various spheres.

The Prime Minister of Armenia noted that from in terms of the development of bilateral economic relations its important to combine the advantages of the economies of Armenia and Lebanon, stressing that Armenias economy is on the rise and it will be preserved during the upcoming years.

The Armenian Premier also said that during his visit he discussed with his counterpart the opportunities of establishing an Armenian-Lebanese fund.

The sides highlighted the role of the Lebanese-Armenian community as a ring strengthening the relations between the two states.Home | News | General | All the way to the gallows

By Owei Lakemfa

CONSCIOUS of the fact that I am before 183 million politically astute, brilliant and ever vibrant and consciously aware Nigerians, I rise to support the Senate Bill that all those engaged in hate speech which leads to any loss of life, should be sent to the gallows. That anybody who through speech, gesture, body language, play, display or writing, incites violence against any Nigerian based on ethnicity, religious or regional origins, gender or disability, should have a date with the hangman.

I am a bit disappointed in the Senate Spokesman, Senator Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi (APC, Niger) who sponsored the Bill which has already scaled Second Reading. He has no business trying to justify his great Bill or assuring that nobody will be victimised if it becomes law; the Senator should know that hate speech is like beauty and beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

SENATE

Besides, he is a living survivor of hate speech when on November 3, 2017,he escaped death by the whiskers. Reports said he had innocently called an APC leadership meeting in his Senatorial District to explain why he had stayed away from them for two years, failed to attract or provide development projects and been unable to provide assistance to members of his constituency. His listeners resorted to hate speech, and even as he fled, chased and smashed his car and other vehicles in his convoy. If his Bill were already law and since there was no loss of lives, he would have been able to jail them or get them fined N10 million each.

Distinguished Senator Sabis argument that: our present law says if you do anything that result in the death of another person and it is proven beyond reasonable doubt that you caused the death of that person, the penalty is death by hanging is unnecessary. People may counter, that if our laws already take care of hate speech, why his Bill?

I know why my media constituency is up in arms; the Bill implies that any media that publishes hate speech, will be as guilty as those who do it. Journalists do not want to be fined, jailed or hanged for reporting a story that may later be termed hate speech.

There are people who argue that if the law does not provide death sentence for those who loot our treasury, then there is no basis for such punishment for those engaged in hate speech. I think such people do not understand the power of the spoken or written word; it is not for nothing that people say the pen is mightier than the sword. If for instance, the Senate engages in looting, it will only make us poorer, but if the Senate is accused of budget padding, such hate speech may incite the public to violence.

If we have such a law, those Indigenous People of Biafra activists who say Nigeria is a zoo would simply have been marched to the gallows once it is established that their utterances led to a loss of life. Surely, we cannot tolerate a man like Nnamdi Kanu who corrupted a name like Okorocha to OkoroHausa; such hate speech which is intended to incite, would have seen him in jail or the world beyond.

Also, opponents of the Bill are not looking at the gains it portends for the country. For example, many Nigerians spew a lot of hate speeches. You can imagine the mass employment that the need for thousands of hangmen will create. Also, mass hanging can put our population in check.

I am afraid the bill will be retroactive, otherwise, I would have written profiles of people like Dr. Cairo Ojougboh, a proselyte of the ruling APC from the opposition Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, who on serious national issues, somersaults in public while adding antics like making the sign of the cross.

In our national life, we have had great hate speeches. There was the one by nationalist, Mallam Habib Raji Abdallah, a civil servant who when dragged to court by our colonial masters for sedition, told the colonial court: This iniquitous British Government is determined to keep us as slaves forever and the only way out, as I see it and as I know it, is for every one of us to declare himself free and independent and be resolved to stand by that declaration and damn the consequences. I have nothing against the person of George VI of England. But I hate the crown of Britain with all my heart because to me and my country men, it is a symbol of oppression, a symbol of persecution, and in short, a material manifestation of iniquityI hate the Union Jack because, save Britain, wherever it goes, far from uniting, it creates a division. It feeds and flourishes on confusion and dissension. We must, therefore have no more place for it in our hearts-this ugly representation of that satanic institution, imperialism.

There were the frequent hate speeches against politicians in coup broadcasts. One that always rings in my head is the maiden one when Major Kaduna Nzogwu told Nigerians: Our enemies are the political profiteers, the swindlers, the men in high and low places that seek bribes and demand 10 per cent; those that seek to keep the country divided permanently so that they can remain in office as Ministers or VIPs at least, the tribalists, the nepotists, those that make the country look big for nothing before international circles, those that have corrupted our society and put the Nigerian political calendar back by their words and deeds.

The trophy for Hate Speech in contemporary times should go to Senator Shehu Sani who in reacting to his purported suspension from the APC by Governor Nasir Ahmad El-Rufai of Kaduna State, said: Mr. Governor, my suspension will not increase your physical height nor give you the flesh or muscle of a macho  (El-Rufai) is a dubious progressive and a bogus representation of change. If El-Rufai represents change, then Mobutu, Batista, Kamuzu Banda represent change. El-Rufai is a bug, a lice and a parasite to the PMB (President Muhammadu Buhari) administration El-Rufai is a foul air to any serious concept of change. El-Rufai remains the excrement of the toilets of the PDP Wadata House and no broom or deodorant of change can give him a new identity.

With some Nigerians claiming that a snake swallowed N36 million public funds and monkeys ate a missing N70 million belonging to the APC Senators forum, we need to include a section on hate speech against animals in the Sabi Bill.

If when the PDP was the ruling party, it had been smart enough to enact such a law, the APC would not have come to power.

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Loading...Home | News | General | Buharis ridiculous Ghana outing

By Ochereome Nnanna

I DONT mind the fact that President Muhammadu Buhari chose to attend the 61st anniversary of Ghanas independence. We share more in common with Ghana than any other African country, perhaps because of our common Anglophone heritage. But it goes beyond this. Our relationship with Ghana is such that you would think we shared borders, which is far from the truth.

Just a few pointers to buttress the point: Nigeria and Ghana have shared inspirations and aspirations. Dr. James Kwegyir Aggrey, a Ghana-born missionary and educationist broke the norm and got educated in America instead of Britain. He picked up the Pan-Africanist bug (which saw all Black people in the world as Africans and Africa as one entity) which had flowered among the intellectuals of the African Diaspora from the Caribbean, Latin America and the United States. He later came back to Africa, including Nigeria, where Nnamdi Azikiwe caught the bug and decided to pursue his education in America. Azikiwe also became a Pan-Africanist. When he returned to Nigeria, he went to Ghana to hone his journalism trade and later came back to Nigeria to start his famous newspaper chain.

Azikiwe was chiefly credited to have inspired Kwame Nkrumah, though British educated, to transform into a radical Pan-Africanist. Ghana and Nigeria competed for which would be the first to win independence from Britain. Southern Nigerian leaders, especially Azikiwe and Chief Obafemi Awolowo, would have grabbed freedom from colonial rule in 1956, but Northern leaders like Ahmadu Bello and Abubakar Tafawa Balewa felt they were not ready for freedom. Because of that, Ghana won her independence ahead of Nigeria in 1957 and thus became a reference point in the continent.

On 15th January 1966, Nigeria beat Ghana for the wrong reasons. Our military boys led by Major Chukwuma Nzeogwu seized power from the Balewa government. Ghana followed suit on 28th February 1966 when General Joseph Ankrah dethroned President Kwame Nkrumah. Just like Nigeria, Ghana also experienced coups and counter-coups as well as transitions to civil rule. However, it was Flight Lieutenant John Jerry Rawlings who finally took a decisive step to stop the rot in Ghana. When he shoved aside the elected government of Hilla Limann government on 31st December 1981, he rounded up all surviving former heads of state and executed them. He ran a benevolent military dictatorship and transformed into a civilian president in 1992. He went on to win elections twice before he gave up the stage leaving a sanitised country behind.

Since then, Ghana has moved on. She no longer shares many of our warts and carbuncles. In terms of the economy, democratic tradition, effective governance, decency of political leadership and dividends of democracy, Nigeria can only learn from Ghana. The main difference between Ghana and Nigeria since Rawlings exorcised Ghana of its demons is that Ghana has learned from its experiences and is making steady progress on all fronts. In almost every metric of human development, Ghana is ahead. Nigeria never learns. We repeat our mistakes. We run around our vicious circle.

There is no comparison between the social fabrics of both countries. Ghanaians are generally better educated than us. They speak better English, yet, they are very much at home with their local languages. What Rawlings, an ethnic Minority Ewe, did in Ghana proved disastrous when it was tried in January 1966 in Nigeria. Ours led to a widespread genocide and 30-month civil war. Rawlings ruled Ghana for 18 straight years as a military dictator and elected president. Today, not a single charge of corrupt self-enrichment or nepotism lies against his name. On the other hand, all surviving former Nigerian leaders, apart from our own General Yakubu Gowon and Alhaji Shehu Shagari, are multi-billionaires.

Buhari has taken Nigeria back to 1804 whereby the Fulani jihads that established the Sokoto Caliphate is now being re-enacted in the Middle Belt and Southern states of Nigeria by specially protected armed Fulani militias masquerading as herdsmen. Farming communities are being attacked, their farms destroyed, people killed, women raped and some of the communities occupied by these gunmen and their cows. Some Fulani professors are even making territorial claims. We all saw how the matter was swiftly settled in Ghana when these evil imperialists reared their ugly heads there. That is the difference between us, a rapidly-failing state, and Ghana, a country on a steady progressive trajectory.

It was to this country that our President went to be with his colleague, President Nana Akufo-Ado. Akufo-Ado has every reason to feel a sense of comradeship with Buhari. Both of them share a history of stubbornly seeking the office of president of their countries and refusing to give up hope until victory finally came their ways. Both are in their 70s, at least officially. Akufo-Ado has come to Nigeria several times, and each time he was here, he had nice words for us. He never reminded us of our worsening endemic corruption and perennial fuel scarcity due to our inability to refine our oil. The chances were that while he was with our president in Aso Villa, NEPA took the lights several times and generators had to be switched on. He did not offer to teach to help us how to refine our oil or fix our power problems. There is a way you offer to help somebody with his problem and it becomes an insult.

That was exactly what President Buharis offer to help Ghana fight corruption turned out to be interpreted as by Ghanaians. It is totally impolitic to go to another country and tell them that they are corrupt, even if they are. Buhari is possibly the only president who travels the world preaching how corrupt his country is. Nigeria is dirty but Buhari is clean. Buharis government which has continued to be wracked by allegations of corruption and protection of close aides, friends, relations and kinsmen accused of corruption, is dirty but the President is clean.

Transparency International, TI, recently indicated that corruption has worsened under Buhari. From 138th in 2015, Nigeria crashed to 148th after two years of Buharis anti-corruption crusade! Under Buhari, Nigeria fell in nine other areas such as International Press Freedom Index, World Justice Projects Rule of Law Index, African Investment Attractiveness Index, Global Retail Development Index, World Economic Forum Networked Readiness Index, Global Competitiveness Index, World Internal Security and Police Index, Electricity Supply Index, among others. We only made a few positive steps in Doing Business.

It is ridiculous for the president of such a country to go to a rapidly improving country and offer to help in fighting their corruption. Ghana scored 81 out of 180 countries surveyed, while placed 148th in the TIs CPI. Ghanas rating was actually a 10-point drop from its 70 standing in 2016. Since Buhari has anti-graft war as a priority, he should have actually asked President Akufo-Ado to come and teach us how to fight corruption. It is not normal for a student at the back of the class to teach his classmate who is far ahead.

Expectedly, Ghanaians refused to take it lying down. They told Buhari to go home and deal with the snakes and monkeys that swallow money in Nigeria first. Buhari would have avoided that embarrassment by restricting himself to the usual nice things you say about a country when you go visiting. The incompetence of Buharis aides was on grand display in Ghana. It is against the spirit of diplomacy and sound judgement to go and tell a country celebrating its independence that its people are corrupt and you can help, more so when the world only recently said you lack the credibility to do so.

Our President gave Ghanaians the justification to ridicule him  and us!

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Loading...Home | News | General | Shareholders seek recapitalisation of Vitafoam

By Peter Egwuatu

SHAREHOLDERS of Vitafoam Nigeria Plc have admonished its Board of Directors to commence the recapitalisation of the company to enhance operations that will result to higher profitability.

The shareholders also demanded the sale of some subsidiaries that are not contributing enough to boosting profitability of the Group.

Nigerian Stock Exchange

The leaders of various shareholders associations, which include Sir Sunny Nwosu, Boniface Okezie, Timothy Adesiyan, Alhaji Gbadebo Adetokunbo and many others, who spoke at the companys Annual General Meeting, AGM, in Lagos, commended the companys foresight in diversification into pre-fabricated buildings and leather products that could be exported to earn foreign exchange and canvassed for floating of Rights Issue to generate revenue internally in addition to prudent management of the N2.1 billion loan from the Bank of Industry (BOI). The shareholders commended the companys board and management on its long tradition of stability and regularity of dividends despite the tough operating environment.

Addressing shareholders at the meeting, the Chairman,Vitafoam Nigeria Plc, Dr. Bamidele Makanjuola, announced plans by the company to increase its shareholder value with expected strong earnings from the subsidiaries.

Besides, he assured shareholders that the board and management shall look into the popular demand for floating Rights Issue to strengthen its working capital.

Makanjuola explained that a strategic review of the companys business units to ascertain continued alignment with broader transformation objectives was undertaken to position it for accelerated profitability.

According to him, the company had completed its expansion project and has begun to consolidate for optimal performance as reflected in the current status of some subsidiaries.

Vitapur Nigeria Limited has become a source of hope and inspiration. It has posted profit for the second year running. Our moulded foam products, Vitavisco Nigeria Limited has continued to operate profitably. It is growing slowly but steadily. Vitafoam Nigeria Limited has maintained its profit-making streak, although this was attenuated during the year by the adverse economic conditions in the country Makanjuola said.

He assured the shareholders that company would revamp Vono Furniture Products, Vitagreen Nigeria Limited while strategic decision would be taken on Vitafoam Sierra Leone Limited and Vitafoam Ghana Limited respectively in view of the negative impacts of foreign exchange on their operations.

Describing the Directors as professionals with integrity, Makanjuola stated that shareholder value would always be at the focal point of the companys consolidation phase.

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Loading...Home | News | General | Manufacturing expo attracts 3,000 foreign, local participants

By Providence Emmanuel

Over 3000 international and local equipment manufacturers from Germany, Turkey, Indonesia, Italy and China including member-companies from multinationals, large, Small and Medium Industries, SMIs, have confirmed participation for the 2018 edition of the Nigeria Manufacturing Equipment, NME, Expo.

The expo is scheduled to hold on this week in Lagos with the theme: Enhancing Nigerias Manufacturing Competitiveness in the Global Space and co-hosted by the Nigeria Manufacturing Association of Nigeria, MAN, and Clarion Event West Africa, CEWA, Limited.

Speaking at a media briefing, President of MAN, Dr. Frank Jacobs, said that the expo which features manufacturing Partnership for African Development, mPAD, is a three-day International Exhibition and Conference which is one of the associations responses to governments commitment towards industrialization and its quest to diversify the economy.

mPAD provides a veritable platform for SMEs to learn hands-on processes on how to boost their output, reduce cost, drive quality improvement, manufacture for new market and secure funding for growth.

Jacobs stated: There will be on display at the expo, latest manufacturing equipment, machine tools, technologies, spare parts and raw materials. This years edition would be co-located with the Nigeria Raw Materials, NIRAM, expo which is an International Raw Material and Ingredients Trade Fair.

The infusion of the NIRAM expo into the NME expo would afford several companies and countries which have registered as exhibitors and visitors, a rare opportunity of exposure to the entire manufacturing value chain, which will include machinery, equipment, financial support, professional consultancy and raw materials.

However, the 3rd Annual mPAD and the NME is an international B-2-B exhibition and conference that brings together local manufacturers with international suppliers and their local distributors to help the Nigerian manufacturing industry re-tool and modernize.

On the other hand, Director General, Raw Materials Research and Development Council, RMRDC, Dr. Hussaini Ibrahim, said that the primary objective of NIRAM Expo is to create a platform where stakeholders in the raw materials value chain could come together to synergize, showcase and trade in available resources and raw materials with the users of same, which is mainly the manufacturing sector.

Ibrahim who was represented by Director, Investment and Consultancy, RMRDC, Dr. Zainab Hammanga, stated: Indeed, the NIRAM Expo 2018 promises to be the biggest and best going by increasing interests by the state governments to participate through showcasing the available raw materials within their respective states as well as the enthusiasm by the organised private sector producing secondary raw materials.

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Loading...Home | News | General | Travellers pay to use Kano Airport toilets, bathrooms

By Soni Daniel, Northern Region Editor

in a move seen as bizarre and unbecoming of a public agency, authorities of the Kano International Airport have imposed fees on public toilets and bathrooms at the airport.

Vanguard also observed that the Kano International Airport has slammed categories of fees on its parking lot, in addition to toll fees collected at the gate.

Vanguard observed that the fee-attracting toilets and bathrooms are located at the car park of the airport.

Kano Airport toilets

Vanguard correspondent, who disguised as a passenger in search of a toilet, was shown a range of fees to choose from and pay before being allowed into the dingy toilets and bathrooms, with leaking pipes and toilet bowls overflowing with faeces.

In each of the poorly-maintained toilets, which are buried on the floor to make it impossible for anyone to sit on, large flies welcome visitors with uncomfortable noise, as they latch freely on the users bottoms.

Foul odour oozing from the toilets is also highly repulsive, but some travellers, who have no choice, have to patronise them with serious discomfort.

The serious deficiencies notwithstanding, a tall dark man, simply called Baba, stands at the entrance of the toilet to collect the prescribed fees before allowing users into them.

Fees

According to the fees pasted at the entrance of the toilet, the use of the facility for urination attracts a fee of N20; a visitor has to pay N50 for defecation and N100 for bathing.

The most worrisome aspect of the payment is that the user must come with the exact denomination to pay for the particular service they require, as the manager always claims to have no change to give for any amount outside the prescribed fees.

A top official of the Kano State Government, who wanted to use the toilet on Friday, was turned back on account of lack of change, until he opted to donate the balance to the managers.

We never knew that this type of abomination was going on in this airport, the angry government official complained to Vanguard and even drew his attention to the man collecting the illegal fees.

An attempt to speak with officials of Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria, FAAN, at the airport proved abortive, as none of them wanted to talk to Vanguard.

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Loading...Home | News | General | SDP pledges to restructure Nigeria

By Dirisu Yakubu

ABUJASocial Democratic Party, SDP, has pledged to work tirelessly in the realisation of a restructured and functional federalism for the nation even as it chided All Progressives Congress, APC, for lacking the political maturity to govern the nation democratically.

The party stated this at its maiden National Communications Strategy meeting in Abuja, describing itself as the only ideologically-driven political party in the country.

Briefing newsmen at the end of the meeting, spokesperson of the party, Adakole Ijogi said the SDP will put to an end all forms of corruption, noting that the government of President Muhammadu Buhari has brought nothing but untold pain and hardship on Nigerians.

Social Democratic Party Chairman, Chief Olu Falae( m) displaying the party symbol while the National Secretary, Dr. Sadiq Abubakar (2nd right); Third Republic Senator, Ebenezer Ikeyina (2-r); Party Leader, Chief Supo Sonibare (l) and the National Women Leader, Maggie Batubo watching during the public presentation of the SDP party symbol, manifesto, constitution and flag at the party headquarters, Durumi, Abuja. Photo by Abayomi Adeshida.

Ijogi said: We have observed that the gross lack of capacity in managing the economy and the political immaturity in governance by the APC-led Federal Government has brought untold hardship, increased sectarian violence and polarised the nation into ethnic and religious camps. In fact, the last three years have been tales of disillusionment, despair and disenchantment.

The meeting unanimously resolved to be issue based in all its media and communications engagements, in its bid to firmly re-positioned the SDP, which is the only ideology driven political party in Nigeria.

On the nation-wide roll-out, after the non-elective convention in April 2018, it was also unanimously agreed that the youth, women and emerging leaders will drive the process, as the internal political space in the party has been deliberately designed to accommodate these very important demography.

The need to promote the partys manifesto in a clear and easy to comprehend format was agreed, with strategic emphasis placed on the partys stands on a new governance model for Nigeria that will make welfare, citizens rights and rule of law the epicentre of its programs, he said.

Describing the SDP as The party Nigerians have been waiting for, Ijogi said the party was prepared to Stop the haemorrhaging and guide the nation back to the path of prosperity, progress and unity.

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Loading...Home | News | General | 4 dead, 16 injured in Lekki auto crash

By Bose Adelaja

Four persons reportedly died, while 16 others sustained severe injuries, yesterday, on Lekki/Epe Expressway, Lagos, in an accident involving a Lexus SUV and a commercial bus.

The incident was said to have occurred at about 6.30a.m. at First Gate inward Oriental Hotel, when the Lexus GX470, with number plates KJA-615DF, which was driving against the traffic, allegedly ran into the stationary commercial bus, with number plate, KRE-302XA, immediately leaving four people dead, while 16 others were injured and hospitalised.

It was learned that the bus was just cleared by the ticketing officers at the toll gate before the fatal incident.

The casualties were said to be three male adults and a female adult, while the injured were four female adults and 12 male adults, including the car driver.

The incident, which disrupted traffic in the area was managed by traffic officials including Lagos State Emergency Management Agency, LASEMA, Response Team; Lagos State Ambulance Services, LASAMBUS; Rapid Response Squad, RRS; the Police; State Environmental Monitoring Unit, SEHMU, and other responders.

Mr. Adesina Tiamiyu, General Manager of LASEMA, said the vehicles were taken off the road with the aid of the agencys light tow truck and subsequently handed over to LCC officials, who moved them to Maroko Police Station.

Tiamiyu advised motorists to drive with caution, abstain from drinking alcohol and ensure road worthiness of vehicles, to avoid unnecessary loss of lives

He, however, said that this particular incident will be investigated by security operatives while the State Government will also ensures prosecution of the culprit to serve as a deterrent to other motorists.

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Loading...Home | News | General | Alleged $195m scam: Reps cttee report recommends cancellation of security contract

By Emman Ovuakporie

ABUJAHouse of Representatives Committee on Public Petitions, after concluding its investigative hearing on alleged $195 million contract scam awarded to an Israeli firm in its report has recommended an outright cancellation of the contract as it would lead to a capital flight of over $200 million.

The report, which was laid before the House last Tuesday, also demanded that Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, NIMASA, should stop funding the contract immediately as it was not appropriated for.

A reliable source privy to this development toldVanguard that even the offshore company, an Israeli firm, HLSI Security, is not an Israeli firm as it was registered in Seyechilles and has its headquarters in Cyprus.

The source explained that the Nigerian agents company does not have any traceable record with the Corporate Affairs Commission, CAC. We had written to CAC and for more than three weeks no response till date, meaning that the company is faceless.

The lawmakers recommended that Messrs Shoreface consortium proposal, widely consulted and studied by Executive and National Assembly should be encouraged as it puts no financial stress nor security threats on Nigeria.

It will be reecalled that the Minister of Transportation, Mr Chibuike Amaechi; Director-General of NIMASA, Dakuku Peterside, and top Navy echelon had appeared before the committee on January 30.

After the hearing, the committee gave the minister a 72-hour ultimatum to supply all the documents concerning the contract.

Until the report was laid last Tuesday, no document was submitted for further investigation.

Expressing concern over the documents, Chairman of Committee on Public Petitions, Uzoma Nkem-Abonta, had stated during the last hearing: We have been demanding these documents and we have received no responses. This is about the 8th hearing on this issue.

If the contractual documents and agreements cannot be produced within the next 72 hours, we will be forced to close this matter and make our recommendations to the House.

Another member of the committee from Lagos State, Rotimi Agunsoye, expressed displeasure over the situation, saying that the House was being taken for granted.

There is no point giving the stakeholders extra 72 hours since tax payers money is involved. We should just close the matter.

He argued that giving the stakeholders another 72 hours was a waste of parliamentary time.

However, Nkem-Abonta intervened, urging his colleagues to give Amaechi one last chance with the 72-hour grace.

Ten civil society organisations had petitioned the Speaker of the House of Representatives over the alleged $195m security contract awarded to an Israeli firm to patrol Nigerian waters by the Ameachi-led Ministry of Transportation, as well as the Ministry of Defence.

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Loading...Home | News | General | Ecumenical Centre: Dicksons signature of spiritual rebirth

By John Idumange

IT was A.T. Pierson who averred that to a true child of God, the invisible bond that unites all believers to Christ is far more tender, and lasting, and precious; and, as we come to recognise and realise that we are all dwelling in one sphere of life in Him, we learn to look on every believer as our brother, in a sense that is infinitely higher than all human relationships. This is the one and only way to bring disciples permanently together

All the good books around the world assert unequivocally that there is a tiny demarcation between the physical world and the spirit world. So many religions are agreed that we can approach God through prayer, reverence and worship. Like King Solomon who built the Temple in Jerusalem, not only has Governor Seriake Dickson built a befitting place of worship, he has re-dedicated Bayelsa State to God.

Gov Dickson

Ecumenism is a religious movement that seeks to unite all Christians and bring the various denominations together in mutual cooperation. The ecumenical vision consists of the search for the visible unity of the Church and the whole inhabited earth (Matthew 24:14) as the concern of all Christians. This found expression in the book of Ephesians 4:3 that says Christians should be eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. John 17:21 notes Christs desire that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you. So, biblically, it is a compelling need for Christians to pursue unity and jettison their doctrinal differences and embrace unity with one another.

Since Governor Dickson assumed office, he has left no one in doubt that God is the foundation of the Restoration Administration. The Restoration administration started off with a Praise Night on every last Sunday of the month. Being a lover of God, no day passes without a prayer session conducted at the seat of power. Because of the love of the things of God, several appointments were given to religious people to strengthen the worship of God.

The Governor built a worship place in his home town  the palace of Melchizedek. He has supported religious activities of every description, donating to churches, promoting church programmes and endeavours. The crowning glory of these efforts was the building of the first-of-its kind ecumenical centre, at Igbogene in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State. In 1 Chronicles 22: 10, God said: He shall build a House for My Name, and he shall be my son and I will be his father; and I will establish the throne of his kingdom over Israel forever.

Let it be remembered that at creation, Bayelsa State was dedicated to God and given a baptismal name called the Glory of all Lands. When the Restoration Administration came on board, Bayelsa State was fondly called the Jerusalem of the Ijaw Nation. It is against this background that Bayelsa State has established an eternal pact with God. This is a pact of peace, divine protection and the blossoming of Gods grace upon the state.

The mundane symbolism of the ecumenical centre is that it provides a platform for all Churches, irrespective of denomination, to carry out religious activities such as conventions, congregational worships and Christian retreats. Apart from the aesthetic beauty of the edifice, it also encourages religious studies and unity of the Church. Its spiritual symbolism lies in the fact that in the centre, all Ijaws are yoked together in one bundle of life. The ecumenical centre serves as a centre of unity in the Ijaw nation. Like Emperor Constantine of the glorious Roman Empire who popularized monotheism, the ecumenical Centre is Governor Dicksons eternal signature for spiritual rebirth.

According to Charles Hodge, the Church is everywhere represented as one. It is one body, one family, one fold, one kingdom. It is one body pervaded by one Spirit. We are all baptised into one Spirit so as to become, says the apostle, one body.

The ecumenical centre, which could seat about 15,000 persons, epitomizes a renewed spiritual consciousness in Bayelsa State, bridging as it were, the doctrinal gap between churches. It demonstrates our unity in the body of Christ and increases the redemptive value of Jesus Christ. More importantly, the ecumenical Centre was built in recognition of the fact that it reinforces our belief in the oneness of Christianity irrespective of denominations, doctrines or creed.

This gesture is a crystallization of what is written in Ezekiel 20: 15 where the land of Canaan was referred to as the Glory of all Lands. Governor Dickson has reiterated that Bayelsa is the Jerusalem of the Ijaw nation, and from 1999, the first civilian administration called Bayelsa the glory of all lands.

By all standards, Governor Dickson is indeed a God-fearing leader, who has reaffirmed our faith in God. True, God is too big to dwell in a house made by man because of his omnipresence, but this centre, which Hon. Dickson has built to honour God, shall stand as an everlasting testimony to the fact that the hearts of kings and rulers are in the hands of God. It is our fervent prayer that God Almighty honours the builder of this edifice.

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Loading...Home | News | General | Buhari, Atiku mourn as Ex-Adamawa gov, Michika passes on in Yola

By Johnbosco Agbakwuru & Umar Yusuf

ABUJAPRESIDENT Muhammadu Buhari has commiserated with the government and people of Adamawa State on the passing on of their first civilian governor, Alhaji Abubakar Michika on Saturday.

This was as former Vice President and chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar has expressed his condolences over the death of Michika.

President Buhari

In a statement by the Atiku Media Office in Abuja, yesterday, the Wazirin Adamawa saluted the courage exhibited by the deceased while in office, adding the late Michika had the honour of pioneering Adamawa State into its democratic journey in 1992 as its first civilian governor under the then governing National Republican Convention, NRC, in the state.

Michika died on Saturday at the Federal Medical Centre in Yola after a protracted illness.

Michika governed Adamawa State from January 1992 to November 1993 under the umbrella of the National Republican Convention, NRC.

Buhari, in his condolence message by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, yesterday, commiserated with the family, friends and professional colleagues of the astute administrator, political strategist and community developer, who worked variously with reputable international organisations before bringing his experience and skills to contribute to the development of Nigeria.

He commended Michikas strong sense of patriotism and commitment to national development which he said prompted him to alter his career path from the private sector, and take up public office by contesting the governorship elections in 1992.

Michika was born in Michika Local Government Area of Adamawa State, where he had his primary school and then moved to Yola Middle School now General Murtala College for his Secondary education and a university where he studied Arabic Studies.

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Loading...Home | News | General | Canadian warships arrive Nigeria first time in 108 yrs

By Evelyn Usman

LagosFor the first time in the 108 years existence of the Royal Canadian Navy, two of its warships: HMCS Summerside and HMCS kingston, visited Nigeria weekend, with a view to establishing a relationship that will enhance the Nigerian Navys efficiency in the Gulf of Guinea.

The warships, HMCS Kingston and HMCS Summerside, which are first class coastal defence vessels of the Royal Canadian Navy, have served in the Canadian Forces since 1996 and 1999 respectively. They have 75 crew members led by the Commander, Royal Canadian Navy , Vice Adm. Ron Llyod.

Speaking during a visit to the Flag Officer, Commanding Western Naval Command , FOC, Rear Admiral Sylvanus Abbah, Llyod stated that the visit would provide an opportunity for the two navies to synergise.

He further stated that during the one -week stay in Nigeria, the warships would participate in Obagame Express, a maritime exercise conducted by the United States of America Forces, that is designed to enhance cooperation among participating nations, in order to improve maritime safety and security in the Gulf of Guinea.

Llod said: This visit is aimed at fostering the existing bilateral relationships and to boost capacity of military personnel in Nigeria. We are looking into supporting our excellency (High Commissioner) with respect to Canadian relationship in Nigeria and we are proud to have two Canadian ships: HMCS Summer Side and HMCS Kingston that will operate in the exercise.

Also in his remark, the Canadian High Commissioner to Nigeria, Mr Christopher Thornley reinstated his countrys commitment to work with the Nigerian Navy as part of the bilateral relationship.

He said:  Our bilateral relationship is going on and this is a step in the right direction to see military cooperation as part of multilateral exercise Operation Obagame .

Responding, an elated FOC, Rear Admiral Sylvanus Abbah who described the visit as a privilege since it was the first time , said  Canadian Royal Navy came into existence since 1910 and has participated in the first , second world wars and other wars , including United Nations Peace Keeping wars. You have the experience and with your strategic location at the Atlantic to the Pacific and northward into the Arctic ocean, we hope to tap from your wealth of experience.

 Since we have many of our training institutions, together, we will fashion out what to do in terms of exchanging our military to train in both countries , Abbah stated.

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Loading...Home | News | General | Wike, Abe bicker over Buharis planned visit to Rivers

By Egufe Yafugborhi

PORT HARCOURTAS bickering continues over the planned visit by President Muhammadu Buhari to Rivers State, Senator Magnus Abe has implored Governor Nyesom Wike and all dissenting voices to be grateful to the President, instead of casting aspersions over the anticipated visit.

Abe-Wike

Abe, a Senator representing Rivers South East, expressed the sentiment, yesterday, even as Governor Wike maintained that the key reason of security informing the said visit was misplaced.

Abe said: Rivers State has been in the news for the wrong reasons of recent. The governor should have been the happiest person to hear that the President is coming to see those people who lost loved ones and empathize with them.

It would be an opportunity for the governor to find a way to work with the President to ensure that we have better security but because of the undertone of violence in Rivers State, I think that is why he finds the visit uncomfortable at this time

No security challenges to attract his visitWike

Meanwhile, Governor Wike, in his disposition to the said presidential visit maintained that the move is misplaced although with a ray of hope that it could afford the President the opportunity to make a turnaround on perceived Federal Government and APC neglect of Rivers.

Wike said: They say the President is coming to our state. I have not been told the President is coming and why he is coming. He has the right to go to any state. Maybe the President is coming to improve the fortunes of the APC that is dead in Rivers State.

Apart from Jesus Christ, we dont know of anyone who raised a dead thing. APC is a dead party in Rivers State. No matter how you fast and pray, it will never wake up.

Let nobody bother himself or herself that the President is coming for security reasons. We dont have security challenges in the state. We have never had herdsmen killings or crisis in the state, except when some criminals tried to disrupt the peace and they were checked. We resolved that challenge.

He said there was no state in the nation where kidnappers and armed robbers were not operating, adding that if President Buhari was visiting because of kidnappers and armed robbers, he should visit all the 36 states.

State of Rivers devt

Both political figures also differed on the state of development of the state with each crediting his respective party to have delivered more dividends of democracy to the people.

Wike claimed that for close to three years, Rivers State had not benefitted from the APC-led federal government.

He lamented that the Ogoni clean-up had remained in the realm of rhetoric, Bodo-Bonny Road about to be abandoned and East-West Road, the Port Harcourt International Airport and other federal projects left unattended to.

Abe on his part said: The APC government has done more for Rivers State than the PDP government. The Bodo-Bonny road is on-going. Work has started and the East-West road is also on-going. The president is committed to the Ogoni clean-up and he is working. This is the take-off point. The trust fund account is being opened and you have to finish all this process before you can accelerate.

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Loading...Home | News | General | AS President visits Benue today: What we want from Buhari, by Benue elders

By Kingsley Omonobi & Peter Duru

MAKURDIAs President Muhammadu Buhari visits Benue State today, stakeholders in the state have called on the President to take decisive action to end killings by herdsmen in the state.

Buhari-Ortom

The presidential visit is coming about 10 weeks after the new year day massacre of farmers in Logo and Guma local government areas of the state and a week after the Omusu killings in Okpokwu Local Government Area of the state.

A statement in Makurdi by Governor Samuel Ortom, through his Special Adviser on Media and ICT, Tahav Agerzua, said: During the visit, the President shall pay a courtesy call on the Chairman of the Benue State Council of Chiefs, Tor Tiv IV, Professor James Ayatse.

In the course of the visit, the President will also hold a meeting with major stakeholders at the Benue Peoples House. President Buhari shall also visit one of the eight displaced persons camps in the state.

On what they expect from the President, Chairman of the ethnic leaders of the state and President General of Mdzough U Tiv, Chief Edward Ujege told Vanguard that the people of the state expect a decisive statement and action from the President to end the killings in the state.

Chief Ujege said: What we expect is for him to accept the anti open grazing law of Benue State and also direct the Inspector General of Police, IGP, to implement it so that we have peace in Benue State.

We also want them to stop the unnecessary attacks on Governor Ortom, especially the IGP and the government apparatus because it is not a good sign at all.

And he (the President) should stop the killings in Benue because as President of the country, it is within his powers to do so.

On his part, Team Leader of the Global Amnesty Watch Foundation, Terrence Kuanum said an end to the killings in Benue should be paramount to the President.

Kuanum said: We expect him to listen to the voice of reason and act as a leader, taking decisive actions to arrest the leadership of Miyetti Allah kautal Hore, who were allegedly fingered in the killings in Benue having threatened to resist the Open Grazing Prohibition Law of the state which came into effect on November 1.

He should without delay, declare that group a terrorist organisation; it is only that declaration that can bring the killings to an end.

So long as the leaders of the Miyetti Allah group are free, these killings will continue because they are the sponsors of the mercenaries and if the security personnel keep arresting mercenaries and leaving the sponsors, more mercenaries will be hired to kill innocent people. So, the President needs to offer leadership and be decisive so that these killings will end just like what he did with Indigenous Peoples of Biafra, IPOB.

On his part, Chairman of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, Benue State Council, Mr. Chris Atsaka, said: Our expectation is nothing short of an end to the invasion of Benue communities by herdsmen who obviously have killed scores of people, displaced many from their ancestral homes and have also taken over such communities.

Even with the ongoing Exercise Ayem A Kpatuma nothing seems to be going on to end the invasion.

What the Benue people are asking for is an outright stop to what is going on at the moment and for the Open Grazing Prohibition Law of the state to be supported, enforced and implemented in totality because it was validly passed into law after going through laid down processes.

So, Mr. President should be magnaniimous enough to act as an elder statesman to stop the carnage going on in the state.

Above all, there is no federal presence in Benue State, especially all the federal roads in Benue are bad, so he should give Benue state what it deserves for supporting him in 2015.

On his part, the President General of Omi NyIgede, Chief Ode Enyi, said the people of the state expect a pronouncement from the President that will put a stop to the killings in the state.

We expect that he will throw his weight behind the Benue grazing law and direct security operatives to fully enforce the law.

The President should as a matter of urgency, do something about the state of roads in Benue State because there are no good federal roads in the state as if we have been abandoned by the Federal Government.

On his part, Anthony Adah said: I expect that the President will visit all the burial sites of all slain Benue people from Agatu to Guma/Logo and Okpokwu LGAs, so that he will understand the pains of the Benue people and call this people to order.

Also speaking, Emmanuel Ganki, a public commentator and youths activist, said: We expect basically three things; first, the President should formally condole with the people of the state for the heinous murders.

Secondly, we expect him to state the position of the Benue people especially the Tiv tribe in his All Progressives Congress, APC-led government in Nigeria.

Thirdly, we also expect him to arrest the continued killings in parts of the country because it posses grave danger to our democracy.

Army orders Field Commanders to stop the carnage or face Court Martial

Meanwhile, following the continued wanton killings as a result of herdsmen/farmers clashes and other violent attacks particularly in Adamawa, Taraba and Benue states, the Nigerian Army has ordered its field commanders to spare no efforts in bringing perpetrators to book.

Towards ensuring that this directive was carried out, the Army headquarters said: We have warned our commanders on the ground to take decisive actions or face court martial.

The Army in a statement by Brigadier General Texas Chukwu, Director of Army Public Relations said: The attention of the Nigerian Army has been drawn to the continued disturbing, senseless killings and wanton destruction of properties in Adamawa, Benue and Taraba states.

In view of this, we strongly warn the perpetrators of these crimes to desist forthwith.

The Nigerian army in conjunction with sister services and other security agencies are working assiduously to identify and arrest all those involved regardless of their disposition in the society including government functionaries.

We will like to unequivocally reiterate that the Army Headquarters warns the arsonists and the killers to stop or face decisive action by troops.

Our Rules of Engagement, ROE, is clear on arson and murder; therefore, no such criminal acts would be allowed in any of the aforementioned states.

The public is please reminded that when troops are called out for internal security operations, they are not to joke or persuade anyone.

We have warned our commanders on ground to take decisive actions or face court martial.

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Loading...Home | News | General | Senator hails FG on swift response to call on restoration of aviation industry

By Olasunkanmi Akoni

Senator Gbenga Ashafa, representing Lagos East Senatorial District and the Chairman, Senate Committee on Land Transport has commended President Muhammadu Buhari and the Federal Executive Council for taking swift action in response to the series of near mishaps that had engulfed the aviation industry in the recent past.

In a statement at the weekend, Ashafa stated that, On Tuesday, 6th March, 2018, I sponsored a motion on the floor of the Senate on the The need to minimize the possibility of Air Mishaps and near Fatalities in Nigeria This motion was borne out of my genuine concern for the safety of the lives of the Millions of Nigerians who make use of our aviation facilities on a daily basis.

Gbenga Bareehu Ashafa

Pursuant to the Prayers of the said motion, the Senate decided to invite Minister of State for Transportation (Aviation) Senator, Hadi Sirika to appear before the Senate in order to give a full briefing on the steps being taken to minimize human errors and avoid preventable air crashes in the Aviation Industry and further urged Minister of State for Transportation (Aviation) to immediately direct all relevant agencies in the aviation industry to conduct a maintenance and airworthiness audit on all commercial aircraft operating within the Nigerian Airspace.

Ashafa stated further that; While the Senate is yet to receive the Minister, I must commend the swift attention that the His Excellency, President Muhamadu Buhari and the entire Federal Executive Council gave to the issue of Safety in our aviation sector at the Federal Executive Council Meeting of Wednesday 7th March, 2018.

He noted that The steps already taken by the Hon. Minister and his team, including ordering the complete audit of Dana airlines in terms of personnel, operations and technical capacity should be extended to other operators as well in order to have a holistic overview of the sector.

The Senator therefore, seized the opportunity to call for continued synergy between all arms of Government. In his words It is important that all arms of Government continue to work together and complement each other as it relates to every issue that affects the life of the unit Nigerian. We must continue to adopt this collaborative approach in order to ensure that the premium placed on the life of each Nigerian is felt by every Nigerian.

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Loading...Home | News | General | Umuchinemere MfB grants N300mn agric loan to farmers

By Providence Emmanuel

Umuchinemere Pro-credit Microfinance Bank, UPMFB, has granted about N300 million credit facilities to micro, small and medium scale farmers in Enugu State to enhance agricultural output.

Head, Credit Department, Mr. Charles Udeani, said that about 1000 farmers have benefitted from the initiative which shows a demonstration of the banks commitment to encourage and promote agriculture in the country.

A breakdown of the figure shows that 693 male farmers benefited about N200 million from the N300 million while the remaining N100 million went to 312 female farmers, all within eight of the 17 local government areas in the state, including Enugu East, Enugu North, Enugu South, Ezeagu, Nkanu East, Nkanu West, Oji River and Udi Local Government.

Also, the bank disbursed about N986.9 million to 4,338 active poor persons in 2017, comprising N407,6 million approved for 2,618 male beneficiaries and N579.3 million granted to 1,720 females who are into various types of micro and small business enterprises.

Udeani said that the banks total disbursement of N987 million in 2017 exceeded that of 2016 which stood at N920.1 million.

He attributed the improvement in disbursement to the banks increased activities in December 2017, against what was tenable in the past.

He decried the widespread uncertainty in the economy, saying: It still affects business generally and lending in particular. Having seen the Federal Governments Agricultural Credit Guarantee Scheme Fund (ACGSF) and the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Anchor Borrowers Programme (ABP) as a veritable instrument for massive job creation with lots of chain values, UPMfB keyed into the two agricultural progammes as a vehicle to achieving her poverty eradication purpose because the programmes are in line with the banks anti poverty mission through micro financing, which is part of the economic evangelization teachings of the Church, he said.

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Loading...Home | News | General | Herdsmen: Buhari told us to stop encroachment on cattle routes  Fayose

By Dapo Akinrefon, with Agency Reports

Ado-EkitiGOVERNOR Ayodele Fayose of Ekiti State has said that President Muhammadu Buhari directed governors to ensure people do not block cattle routes in their states.

Fayosee

This was as the Aare Onakakanfo of Yoruba land, Dr Gani Adams has called on members of the Oodua Peoples Congress, OPC, to be vigilant and watchful against the illegal activities of the herdsmen, who attack and kill innocent people across the country.

Fayose, while quoting the president, said: People are building houses to block cattle routes.

However, when contacted on the matter, the Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity to the President, Mallam Garba Shehu said the Presidency will not dignify the Ekiti governor with a response.

Fayose, who was speaking during a programme on Ekiti State Television, EKTV, said Buhari made the comments during the Federal Executive Council meeting last week.

Fayose said the president has not done enough to tackle the continuous clashes between farmers and herdsmen in the country, adding that If I were to be president of Nigeria, I will not act the way President Buhari is behaving (regarding the crisis).

He said similar incidents have happened in countries like Ghana and they took decisive decision.

He said: The president must be courageous enough to end these mindless killings. He is the president and has what it takes. If I am the president, I will take appropriate steps and stand it down. A criminal is a criminal, whether Hausa man or Yoruba man. If you commit crime, you go in for it.

I remember when we were in a meeting last week; the president was saying that people are blocking cattle routes. Have you heard that before? How can the president say people are blocking cattle routes? There is no cattle route in Ekiti in the 21st century.

The president of Nigeria was saying governors should go and make sure they dont block cattle routes. He said people are building houses to block cattle routes. I was laughing; I didnt know what to say in council. I just left.

Be vigilant, Gani Adams charges OPC

Relatedly, the Aare Onakakanfo of Yorubaland has warned herdsmen not to take undue advantage of the accommodating nature of the Yoruba race.

Speaking at 2018 edition of the Leadership Training Retreat in Ibadan, Oyo state, he said leadership is about service to humanity.

Restating his commitment to defend the interests of the Yoruba race, he said: The Yoruba by nature are very accommodating, we are brave and courageous, however, we will not allow the indiscriminate killings of our people, we will resist any attempt by the herdsmen to spill innocent blood in the southwest.

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Loading...Home | News | General | Plateau: Death Toll Rises To 16  Police

The death toll from the attacks on communities in Plateau State has risen to 16, the Police have said, but residents claimed 25 people have been killed.

Residents blamed herdsmen for the attack on communities in Bokkos Local Government Area, including on the days President Muhammadu Buhari visited the state.



Sunday, the states Police Command confirmed the arrest of a herdsman with a military AK-47 rifle.

Terna Tyopev, the Commands spokesman, who confirmed the arrest in Jos, gave the rifles number as HC2614.

He said the herdsman, Muhammadu Bimini, was arrested by mobile police officers on March 8, at Daffo.

Tyopev said the suspect had been transferred from Bokkos to the state Criminal Investigation Department, CID, in Jos and was already being interrogated.

The Police spokesman said 16 people had been confirmed killed in the multiple attacks on several villages between Wednesday, March 7, and Friday, March 9.

He said the Command had deployed more personnel to restore peace to the troubled areas, and advised the people to remain calm and avoid taking laws into their hands.

Meanwhile, community leaders, who briefed journalists in Jos Sunday, said 25 people were killed in the attacks, while many others were still missing.

Represented by Mamot Adams and Macham Makut, the community said the bodies of those killed were recovered and given mass burials on Friday and Saturday.

The community leaders blamed the attacks on herdsmen and listed villages attacked to include Nghakudung, Shilim, Morok, Mandung, Faram, Filla and Hotom.

Also attacked were Dai, Kungul, Hurum, Dahua, Malul, Warrem, Josho and Ganda.

They said more than 5,000 people had been displaced, adding that some of them were in camps run by Churches.

They called on security agencies to intervene toward halting the attacks to restore permanent peace to the communities.

We want government to take urgent steps to end the attacks because our youths are already agitated, one of the elders added.

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Loading...Home | News | General | Only PDP can rescue Nigeria from total collapse Secondus

By Festus Ahon, Perez Brisibe & Ochuko Akopha

UGHELLI NATIONAL chairman of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Prince Uche Secondus, weekend, said only PDP has what it takes to rescue Nigeria from total collapse in 2019, adding that All Progressives Congress, APC, can no longer rely on propaganda to win elections.

Uche Secondus

Speaking at Ovwor, Ughelli South Local Government Area of Delta State during an interdenominational thanksgiving service/grand reception organised by J. U. Oguma Foundation in honour of former governor of Delta State, Chief James Ibori, Secondus challenged the APC to tell Nigerians what it had achieved since it took over governance.

He said APC had borrowed N11 trillion in three years as against the N6 trillion borrowed by the PDP in 16 years.

Also speaking at the event, Anglican Bishop of Ughelli Diocese, Rt. Rev. Cyril Odutemu, raised the alarm that Nigeria is sick and in need of a true leader. The current government is not a solution to our problem. The solution to the problem of Nigeria is with God.

In his address, chairman of the foundation, Olorogun John Oguma said: When Ibori was around, Urhobo had three representatives in the Federal Executive Council and he was away for eight years after which Urhobo never had a voice in the council.

Governor Ifeanyi Okowa, while speaking as special guest at the occasion, described Ibori as a good leader who built a solid foundation for the development of the state.

I was on sabbatical Ibori

In his remarks, Ibori described his jail term as a sabbatical leave saying: It has been a year since I returned from my sabbatical leave. I thank God and the entire Urhobo class for their support. In the days ahead, my actions will express my gratitude to you all.

Former Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan, while advising Nigerians to be wary of rumour-mongering, said: Ibori has a very forgiving heart. Im here as a blood brother and I want to thank everyone that has come here today and those that went to see him in London.

Speaking further, Secondus said: Ibori is a factor in Nigeria who has great following in Delta and across the country. Ibori believes in the welfare of the people and believes that the young shall grow and that the women must take their rightful place.

APC has plunged Nigeria into insecurity, hunger and crisis. In PDP controlled states, all our governors have fulfilled their promises to the people.

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Loading...Home | News | General | Well resist any undemocratic take-over of govt in Nigeria, Labour warns

By Victor Ahiuma-Young

LagosOrganized labour, yesterday, warned that irrespective of several challenges facing the country, it would resist any illegal and undemocratic takeover of government in Nigeria, saying it was disturbed by some subtle insinuations from some quarters that the military would venture into the politics of the country.

Labour

Speaking through the Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria, ASCSN, labour cautioned those mooting the idea to desist from throwing Nigeria into anarchy.

ASCSN s position came on the heels of reports credited to the Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekwueremadu, during a debate on the floor of the Senate, in respect of the political killings in parts of the country, where he allegedly stated: who says that the army cannot take over in Nigeria. It is possible.

In a statement issued in Lagos, ASCSN President, Comrade Bobboi Bala Kaigama, and the Secretary-General, Comrade Alade Bashir Lawal, contended that any takeover of government by military again would take the country 50 years backward.

The statement said: It is common knowledge that since the military toppled the democratically elected government of Sir Tafawa Balewa in 1966, suspended the 1963 Federal Constitution and imposed a unitary system of government, the countrys growth has been stunted. We are also aware that all democracies in the world including that of the United States of America, Canada, Europe, etc, are not perfect but are still evolving and being improved upon.

The shortcomings being experienced in building democratic institutions in Nigeria were not peculiar and that with time, some of the flaws would be rectified.

Thus, under no circumstances should individuals, no matter how highly placed, should begin to hint of military takeover of government in Nigeria. This is because most of the social dislocations we experience today, such as corruption, deterioration of power supply, collapse of railway, basterdization of the education system, destruction of the Civil Service, etc, were exacerbated by military dictators.

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Loading...The face-off between the striking doctors in Kogi State and the government has taken a new twist as the government has reportedly procured the services of Youth Corps doctors.

This development according to medical experts spells doom for the State health sector which has been under threat due to prolonged industrial dispute between the government and doctors in the State.

The Medical Doctors under the state government have since January embarked on a strike action over half salary payment and other issues regarding their welfare.

The Medical Doctors are also insisting on the payment of their four months salary balance of 40%.

But rather than hearken to their demands, the state government was accused by the Medical Doctors of procuring the services of Corps Doctors who are allegedly lodged in one of the three Star hotels in the state capital.

Furthermore, it was gathered that, as an inducement, the Corps Doctors were allegedly paid N300,000 as salaries up front for their services and paid daily stipends to augment their feeding and transport cost.

A doctor who spoke under the condition of anonymity said it is unfortunate that doctors are passing through this inhuman treatment from the government. The so-called corps doctors who they claimed to have engaged have no requisite experience to handle critical cases and even work under pressure.

Using them as an alternative to striking Medical Doctors is uncalled for and condemnable. The State Government dont want to bury their ego and come to a round table with doctors on how to resolve the current impasse. For now while the two elephants fight, Kogi People are the ones suffering it, as the State Specialist Hospital is now a ghost of its old self.

At the last count, some of the medical doctors from the state are enmass moving to other neighbouring states of Nasarawa, Niger, Borno and Zamfara States, where they are welcomed with mouth watering incentives.

All efforts to speak with the Commissioner for Health and other officials proved difficult. But a source in the ministry described the allegation as an information coming from the pit of hell.

However, a source in the Kogi State Chapter of the Nigeria Medical Association confirmed this development.

NMA could confirm to you that the Kogi State Government has drafted the service of Corp Doctors to treat sick patients in the state. But we dont know the amount of money paid to them by the government.

This is rather unfortunate because we never envisaged that this will be happening to our health system. Doctors are ready to go back to work provided our demands are met. We are doing this for the interest of the State health sector and our future generation, the source stated.Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike has insisted that he will sign the Rivers State Neighbourhood Safety Corps Bill into Law despite wide-spread criticism.

Governor Wike said this while flagging off the construction of Isiodu Road in Emohua Local Government Area.

He said he would sign the bill passed by the Rivers State House of Assembly to give effect to the legal existence of the Neighbourhood Watch.

The Governor declared that the State Neighbourhood Watch would support security agencies with intelligence and information to prevent criminality in the state.

Governor Wike said contrary to the falsehood being spread by leaders of Rivers APC, the state government was not planning to arm youths to cause mayhem.

The governor said that the State Government would not be intimidated by the propaganda and falsehood on the Neighbourhood Watch.

Governor Wike explained the functions of Neighbourhood Watch

Security of lives revolves around information and intelligence. Members of the Neighbourhood Watch will gather intelligence and information and pass same to security agencies for the protection of lives and property.

I will sign the Neighbourhood Watch Bill by next week. All these lies being spread will not stop us. The Neighbourhood Watch is for the good of our people. We have sworn to protect our people.

I heard one man who calls himself a Senator assessed local media and was saying we should not sign assent to the bill that has already been passed by the Rivers state House of Assembly.

That Law is very very important an I will not mind them. Whether they like it or not I am waiting for Monday to come so that I can sign that Bill into Law.

Those who want to die let them prepare now die. The bill must signed to Law. I have no regrets about it, he said.The Senior Special Assistant to the President, Garba Shehu, has said that President Muhammadu Buhari did not promise an absolute crime-free Nigeria while campaigning for the presidency in 2015.

Shehu stated this on Sunday while reacting to criticism triggered by the death of several persons from the herdsmen-farmers crisis and other security issues in some parts of the country.

I think that nobody, no politician should try to deceive Nigerians by saying that there is a country without lawlessness, he said during his appearance on Channels Televisions SundayPolitics.

Even when he campaigned  the President, yes, committed to ridding the country of terror but he would never have said that this country would be 100 per cent without criminality, he added.

Shehu, however, said that the Federal Government is working hard to ensure the safety of the lives and property of Nigerians in all parts of the country.

As part of efforts to find a lasting solution to the killings, he further gave a brief on President Buharis scheduled visit to Benue State on Monday, March 12, having visited Taraba 

The presidential aide recalled that a statement was issued to the effect that the President was embarking on the visits after he had received all the reports he had commissioned.

He added that President Buhari believed it was time to go around and see things on the ground and make important decisions on what to follow.

On the Presidents engagement in Benue, Shehu said: The programme, as it stands now, is as we had it in Taraba. There will be a meeting of stakeholders in the State House.

The President will listen to all the parties in the conflict and thereafter, he will deliver his own homily and, of course, sympathies to the people over the unfortunate losses of persons and property.

He further faulted claims that the Presidents visit to the state is politically motivated, saying his principal was engaging in more of acting than talking to stop the killings.

I would have thought that if he had intended to inject politics into it, he would have been on the plane the morning after the incident, Shehu said.

But he chose to act, rather than to talk and as you have seen yourself over this period of time, there was intervention by law enforcement, there was intervention by NEMA and aid agencies.

The Presidents spokesman further took a swipe at a group of people whom he accused of leveraging the tragic incidents to score political points.

According to him, They are just celebrating and exalting over all of these matters instead of coming together so that we can solve the problems.The Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, has reacted to the statement credited to him insinuating possibility of a military take over in the country.

Ekweremadu, speaking over the weekend at the Diepreye Alaimeyeseigha Memorial Banquet Hall, Onopa, during a dinner hosted by Governor Henry Seriake Dickson for members of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association, said his comments on the floor of the Senate were misconstrued.

He stressed that he would never make derogatory statements against the Nigerian military, urging that statements made by lawmakers in the course of their duty should be situated within the proper context before any form of reaction.

Ekweremadu maintained that his remarks on the floor of the Senate chambers were to caution politicians to avoid the mistakes of the past, which inevitably led to the abrupt end of the First Republic.

He said Before I close, let me just tell you one unfortunate incident that happened last week.

We had one of our colleagues from Kogi who was hosting a constituency briefing and empowerment.

He alleged that the government sponsored thugs to come and chase away people and destroy the programme and equipment he bought for his people.

We condemned such acts, especially where, in a particular case, the property of a parliamentarian was destroyed.

We condemned a case whereby parliamentarians were stopped from holding meetings and where a parliamentarian was stopped from coming to a state where he was governor for eight years.

We warned that it was this kind of reckless abuse of power and impunity that scuttled our democracy earlier, especially in the First Republic and I cautioned that politicians should not take things for granted.

Of course, some people took it out of context and said I was calling for a military coup.

I never called for a military coup. I never said the military was planning any coup.

If you read some parts of the military statement, they admitted that my statement and contributions were only cautionary and that we were sincere, but, they went as far as saying the international community should ignore me.

Meanwhile, reactions have continued trailed the deputy Presidents statement.

The Nigerian army said the statement by Ekweremadu was derogatory to the Army and by extension to the Armed Forces of Nigeria.Home | News | General | Fani-Kayode has potentials to lead our state to the promised land - Osun PDP youths

- The youth arm of the PDP said the former minister of aviation, Femi Fani-Kayode has the potentials to lead Osun state to a promised land

- The youth said they need a man of vision for the state to develop and to ensure that the labour of heroes past do not go in vain

- The co-ordinator of the group, Kayode Olaiya said the state needs an experienced and faithful politician like Fani-Kayode to attain a lofty height

The youth arm of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has called on the former minister of aviation, Femi Fani-Kayode to contest the Osun state forthcoming governorship election.

Daily Independent reports that the party chieftain under the aegis of Osun PDP progressive forum said Fani-Kayode has the potentials to lead the state to a promised land.

The co-ordinator of the group, Kayode Olaiya said the state needs an experienced and faithful politician like Fani-Kayode to attain a lofty height.

READ ALSO: Shehu Sani in trouble as National Assembly confirms senators receive N13.5 million monthly

Olaiya said the misdeeds of the present administration in the state under the leadership of Governor Rauf Aregbesola could be corrected if a man like Fani-Kayode succeeded him.

According to him, the state needs a vibrant, courageous and exposed person like Fani-Kayode to ensure its overall development, saying that ''We need a man of vision for this state to develop and to ensure that the labour of heroes past do not go in vain.

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''Chief Fani-Kayode has the potentials to lead the state and his welfarist programmes will be of immense benefits to the state.

Meanwhile, NAIJ.com had reported that Independent national electoral commission fixed dates for the governorship elections which will come up in Osun and Ekiti states respectively in the year 2018.

According to INEC, the Ekiti state governorship election will hold on July 14, 2018, while Osun state governorship election will hold September 22, 2018.

The electoral body further stated that commencement date of campaigns for Ekiti governorship election is April 15, 2018, and that of Osun state is June 24, 2018.

Buhari 2019 posters hit the streets: Too early or too bad? on NAIJ.com TV:

[embedded content]

Source: Naija.ng

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Loading...Home | News | General | I will serve for one term if elected as Delta governor - Ojougboh

- A gubernatorial aspirant on the platform of APC, Cairo Ojougboh, said he will serve for only one term if elected as the state governor

- He said his desire to become the state governor is as a result of the need to rescue Delta state from PDP misrule

- Ojougboh said the current PDP led administration in the state is incompetent

A gubernatorial aspirant on the platform of the All Progressive Congress (APC), Delta state chapter, Dr Cairo Ojougboh has promised to serve for only one term if elected as the governor of the state.

Ojougboh was a onetime member representing Ika Federal Constituency in the national assembly, and PDP governorship aspirant in the run-up to the PDP governorship primaries in 2007.

He said his desire to contest the governorship election is borne out of a desire to rescue Delta State from PDP misrule, the Nation reports.

READ ALSO: Shehu Sani in trouble as National Assembly confirms senators receive N13.5 million monthly

He said: I want to make it clear that I am not contesting the Delta State governorship ticket just because I am from Delta North. I am not saying it must be me because I am from Delta North, I am not claiming superiority over anyone in Delta State.

"I believe the APC must take power and all of us must make personal sacrifices so that there will be change and if however, you decide that I am capable and you elect me, I want to assure you that I will do only one term.I will not abuse the arrangement on the ground. I am a man of my words. I will do only one term.

Ojougboh said under his administration, power will be restored to the political party, stressing that it is the party in power that owns the government of the day

His words: As an APC governor we will take power back to the party, because it is the party that owns the power. So the government must respect the party. If you recognize the party structure from the ward executive level through to the local government and state executives, and the leaders which produced you, then you should know that you must discuss your programmes with the party.

NAIJ.com gathered that Ojougboh revealed this over the weekend to APC faithful in Delta South senatorial district during a consultative visit in Uvwie local government area.

He assured Deltans that the APC has wonderful programmes, stressing that an APC government will guarantee free and compulsory education in Delta Schools and be improving on the poor health delivery service in the State, by building medical centres of excellence in the three senatorial districts of the state.

Ojougboh condemned the present administration for budgeting a meagre N290 billion as the 2018 state budget while other states have budgets running into trillions.

He questioned the use of N20billion monthly Internally Generated Revenue accruing to the state coffers.

He said: And this is why you cannot expect anything good from the current PDP led administration in Delta State. The government of Okowa is completely incompetent. Our federal allocation every month is approximately N14 billion and if you multiply N14 billion by 12 months, it gives you about the N290 billion, the current budget of the State.

"What is Gov. Okowa doing with the states internally generated revenue worth N20billion? Where has he kept it? How can he develop the State with a budget of N290 billion? He is not working with the budget because they are misappropriating and misapplying.

Ojougboh said APC in the south south states will be supporting the second tenure ambition of President Muhammdu Buhari because of the developmental strides of the APC in the Niger-Delta region.

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The APC has a wonderful programme for the people of Delta state. A lot of people in the South/South do not know why we are campaigning for Buhari. The PH/Aba road that was impassable is now a ten lane road. Ewu community road in Edo State to Sapele is being dualised, work is in progress. The East/West Road has been upgraded and with funds in the budget so that we can have a road second to none, he said.

NAIJ.com previously reported that Ojougboh who is the former factional deputy national chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) left the party along with his loyalists.

The defectors threw their party cards into the waste bin at Ojougboh's home in Agbor, Ika South local government area of Delta state.

The ceremony was witnessed by the minister of Petroleum, Dr Ibe Kachikwu and leaders of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the South-South zone.

Kachikwu conveyed the goodwill of President Muhammadu Buhari to the defectors.

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Loading...Home | News | General | Nigerian Air Force showcases its innovative products at technology and innovation expo 2018

- The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) continues to stand out in the area of Research and Development (R&D)

- The NAF showcased its innovativeness and achievements at the just concluded Technology and Innovation Expo 2018

- The NAF contributions and progress in science and technology were also well appreciated

The innovativeness and achievements of the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) in the area of Research and Development (R&D) were on display at the just concluded Technology and Innovation Expo 2018.

The NAF, which was invited by the ministry of science and technology to the 5-day exhibition, had on display various innovative products such as the Unmanned Ground Vehicle (UGV), Air Marshal SB Abubakar Aviation Power Pack and Hydraulic Diaphragm for the Mi-Series Helicopter.

The Nigerian Air Force showcased its innovative products at the expo. Photo credit: NAF

READ ALSO: Air Force clarifies misconceptions about newly inducted fighter drone known as TSAIGUMI

The exhibition, which held from 5-9 March 2018 at the Eagle Square Abuja, had as its theme, Fast Tracking Sustainable Development of Nigeria Through Science and Technology.

Students from the Air Force Girls Comprehensive School, Abuja, taking notes at the NAF stand during the expo. Photo credit: NAF

Apart from showcasing its innovative products, the NAF was also invited as an assessor along with other reputable research organisations and members of the academia due to its immense contributions and progress in science and technology.

NAIJ.com gathered that the products on display were the efforts of the Air Force Research and Development Centre and the Air Force Institute of Technology in partnership with universities and research institutions in the country.

Some of the NAF products showcased at the expo. Photo credit: NAF

The event was attended by representatives of various research institutes, industries, schools and private organisations.

The opening and closing ceremonies of the exhibition were attended by His Excellency, the Vice President of Nigeria, Professor Yemi Osinbajo, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Honourable Yakubu Dogara, minister of science and technology, Dr Ogbonnaya Onu among other dignitaries.

Cross section of participants at the expo. Photo credit: NAF

The NAF research team was led by the director of research and development, Group Captain Ahmed Shinkafi, who also delivered the goodwill message on behalf of the Chief of the Air Staff, Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar, during the engineering day organised by National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI) at the event.

At the end of the exhibition, certificates of participation and prizes were presented to participants.

READ ALSO: Newly inducted fighter drone will boost security operations - Buhari

Only recently, the NAF inducted its indigenous operational UAV nicknamed, TSAIGUMI as part of its resolve to promote innovation and enhance its Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) capabilities.

President Buhari commissions first Nigerian drone on NAIJ.com TV

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Loading...Home | News | General | Troops will take decisive action against criminal herdsmen - Army warns

The newspaper headlines for Monday, March 12, focus on the warning the army gave to killer herdsmen in parts of the country among other stories.

The Nigerian Army has said it is taking serious steps to stop, identify and arrest all suspected herdsmen responsible for the violence being carried out in parts of the country.

The Nation reports that the army spokesman, Brig Gen Texas Chukwu, in a statement warned the killers to stop their evil act or face decisive action by troops. The military also warned that commanders who fail to act decisively would face court martial.

The Nation newspaper for Monday, March 12, photo credit: snapshot from Naij.com

"We would like to unequivocally reiterate that the Army Headquarters warns the arsonists and the killers to stop or face decisive action by troops.

READ ALSO: It's nothing new - Senate confirms senators receive N13.5m monthly running cost

Our Rules of Engagement (ROE) are clear on arson and murder. Therefore, no such criminal acts would be allowed in any of the aforementioned states.

"The public is please reminded that when troops are called out for internal security operations, they are not to joke or persuade anyone.

We have warned our commanders on the ground to take decisive actions or face court martial, the army spokesperson said.

Meanwhile, the deputy president of the Nigerian Senate, Ike Ekweremadu, has denied suggestions that he called for a military coup detat in Nigeria.

Guardian reports that the lawmaker said his words on the floor of the upper house of legislature were quoted out of context.

The Guardian newspaper for Monday, March 12, photo credit: snapshot from Naij.com

Ekweremadu was said to have made the denial on Saturday, March 10, in the oil-rich Bayelsa state. He was attending a dinner hosted by state governor, Seriake Dickson for him and executive members of Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (Africa Region).

At the dinner, Ekweremadu claimed that he never made any derogatory remarks against the Nigerian military, which he says remains one of the best fighting forces on the continent.

In another report, the minister of finance, Kemi Adeosun, has said the government has made amendment to the excise duty rates for alcoholic beverages and tobacco products.

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The Punch reports that Adeosun in a statement issued on Sunday, March 11 in Abuja, said the president had granted a grace period of 90 days (three months) to all local manufacturers before the commencement of the new excise duty regime.

The Punch newspaper for Monday, March 12, photo credit: snapshot from Naij.com

The minister said that there would be no increase in excise duty of other locally produced goods.

She stated that the new excise duty rates were spread over a three-year period from 2018 to 2020 in order to moderate the impact on prices of the products.

The Tariff Technical Committee recommended the slight adjustment in the excise duty charges after cautious considerations of the governments fiscal policy measures for 2018 and the reports of the World Bank and the International Monetary Funds Technical Assistance Mission on Nigerias Fiscal Policy.

The effect of the excise duty rates adjustment on trade and investment was also assessed by the Federal Ministry of Trade and Investment and it adopted the recommendations of the TTC.

Furthermore, peer country comparisons were also carried out showing Nigeria as being behind the curve in the review of excise duty rates on alcoholic beverages and tobacco, the minister said.

In other news, the Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporations (NDIC) has accused Deposit Money Banks in the country of hiding cases of fraud from industry regulators.

Vanguard reports that the head, communications and public affairs (NDIC) Mohammed Ibrahim, in a statement, on Sunday, March 11, said the NDIC will investigate some banks for the inadequate rendition of returns to the corporation on instances of fraud.

Vanguard newspaper for Monday, March 12, photo credit: snapshot from Naij.com

Part of the statement said: Sections 35 and 36 of the NDIC Act No. 16 of 2006 (as amended) requires all Deposit Money Banks, DMBs, to submit monthly information/returns on fraud and forgeries to the Corporation.

The NDIC made the decision in the light of the most recent report from its Off-Site Supervision of the DMBs, which revealed the number of fraud cases attributed to internal abuse by staff of banks increased from 231 in 2016, to 320 in 2017, or 38.53 percent above the figure reported for the previous year.

The report relied on a total of 286 responses received from 26 banks during the period. There were 22 NIL monthly responses from the banks as at year ended December 31, 2017. "

Meanwhile, Nigerias external reserves have hit a five-year high of $46 billion representing an increase of 18 per cent or $7 billion over the countrys reserves figure of $38.912 billion as of January 2, 2018.

This Day reports that the rise followed the success of the $2.5 billion Eurobond issue by the federal government recently coupled with higher oil production and prices.

This Day newspaper for Monday, March 12, photo credit: snapshot from Naij.com

The newspaper stated that the external reserves surpassed the $40 billion target for 2018 announced by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor, Godwin Emefiele, last November, and is expected to inch up to $50 billion in the next few months.

Victims of Herdsmen killing buried in Benue State on NAIJ.com TV

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Loading...Home | News | General | 125 migrants rescued between Libya and Italy

- Some migrants have been rescued by some international charity and Libya Coastguard

- The rescuers intercepted three migrants boats which had broken down

- The boats had 125 migrants on board off Zawiya, west of the capital, Tripoli

Some international charity ships and the Libya's coastguard has picked up several hundred migrants near Libya border with Tunisia.

Reuters reports that the Libyan coastguard vessels intercepted three migrant boats had broken down with 125 people on board off Zawiya, west of the capital, Tripoli.

The spokesperson for the coastguard, Ayoub Qassem, said the second boat had turned back off Garabulli with 112 people on board while a third boat with 98 migrants on board was intercepted off Abu Kamash.

READ ALSO: Shehu Sani in trouble as National Assembly confirms senators receive N13.5 million monthly

Qassem added that a boat with more than 100 migrants made it to the Aquarius rescue ship about 21 miles from the coast to the west of Tripoli while preparing the migrants to Italy.

It was gathered that the boat was on the verge on sinking when the rescuers reached the migrants.

READ ALSO: Imo-born Chile Eboe-Osuji makes Nigeria proud, emerges new president of ICC

One of the rescuers said: "All but one of the five balloons holding the boat up was either completely deflated or deflating and there were still about 120 people inside the boat, so a very, very precarious condition."

One of the migrants - a Palestinian - was said to have be thrown into the water by other migrants after he tried to convince them that they would be saved by the coastguard.

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NAIJ.com earlier reported that some Nigerians have started to return to Libya after been repatriated by the Nigerian government.

Some of the returnees from Edo state said their colleagues began to return to Libya following the Edo state government's failure to take care of them.

They accused the state government of failing to fulfill its promise of empowering them with funds after giving them initial training.

What is working well and what needs improvement in Nigeria? - on NAIJ.com TV

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Loading...Home | News | General | Hijacking election materials will not work in 2019 elections - Imo REC

- Ahead of the next general elections, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) will not use incident form in 2019

- The Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in Imo, Prof. Francis Ezeonu, said the card reader machine was been upgraded to make it more effective during elections

- Ezeone said that anyone with a card that the card reader did not recognise would be disfranchised

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) will not use incident form in 2019 elections as the card reader will be effectively utilised.

Prof. Francis Ezeonu, the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in Imo, said this at a Town Hall Meeting/Sensitisation Campaign of the commission on Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) in Egbema/Uguta Local Government of Imo.

He said that the commission was upgrading the card reader machine to make it more functional and effective during elections.

READ ALSO: It's nothing new - Senate confirms senators receive N13.5m monthly running cost

He told the participants and politicians that the era of playing pranks with peoples permanent voter cards during elections was gone, adding that anyone with a card that the card reader did not recognise would be disfranchised and would not be given any incident form.

Ezeonu said that accreditation and voting would start simultaneously to avoid long queues and time wastage during elections.

He advised politicians and party faithful to ensure they did their home work well when campaigns commenced, adding that any plan to rig in whatever form would be a waste of time and effort.

The essence of politics is development. Candidates should ensure they sincerely work towards getting the peoples mandate. Hijacking election materials will not work in 2019 elections, he said.

Immanuela Ben-Opara, the head of voters education in INEC, had earlier educated the stakeholders on the need for proper conduct during elections and for them to register to have their PVCs.

Some stakeholders during interaction, commended the Imo REC on its efforts to ensure free and fair elections. They said that they were ready to work with INEC in the spirit of the current move to ensure credible elections and called on the commission to ensure it would abide by its assurances.

They also advised INEC not to change its trained ad-hoc staff with new and untrained ones during elections and to avoid being used by politicians to rig elections.

Ebenezar Amadi, the technical committee chairman in Ohaji-Egbema, commended INEC in Imo for what he called an innovation. He said that the area was notorious for insecurity in the past, but normalcy had returned.

Kingsley Uju, Imo Deputy Chief of Staff and an indigene of the area, also commended INEC on the sensitisation move.

He said that relative peace had returned to the hitherto crisis-prone area. I am happy INEC is beginning to do things in the right way by educating the people on their responsibility as voters for a free and fair election.

With this move and its effective implementation, Nigerians will begin to believe and have confidence that INEC is ready to manage the electoral process well without intimidation.

People are ready to work with INEC. I thank INEC for creating the opportunity to interface with the people in efficient electoral process. I, therefore, call on the stakeholders to give INEC adequate support, Uju said.

Nwabueze Nwoke, the electoral officer in Ohaji/Egbema Local Government area, had said that the meeting afforded INEC and stakeholders a focal point to create the desired synergy needed to achieve maximum success in this collective enterprise.

He said that the commission in the LGA had been able to register 3,965 people since April 2017, saying the number of PVCs collected was 119, while 19,139 were yet to be collected.

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According to an earlier report by NAIJ.com, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Gombe state zonal office on Wednesday, March 7, 2018, arraigned three Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) officials in court over N163.9 million election bribe.

Dr Godwin Kwanga, former Plateau state resident electoral commissioner; Usman Baba Bukar, former INEC administrative secretary in Plateau state and Jonathan Azi Nyako, a retired INEC staff, were arraigned before Justice C. L. Dabup of Plateau state High Court.

INEC official at Abuja court on NAIJ.com TV.

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Loading...Home | News | General | Well resist any undemocratic take-over of govt in Nigeria - Labour

- Organized labour said it was disturbed by some subtle insinuations from some quarters that the military would venture into the politics of the country

- The labour noted that it is not possible for Nigerian army to take over in Nigerian government

- The deputy president of the Nigerian Senate Ike Ekweremadu denied that he called for a military coup detat in the country

Organized labour on Sunday, March 11, declared that it would resist any illegal and undemocratic takeover of government in Nigeria, saying it was disturbed by some subtle insinuations from some quarters that the military would venture into the politics of the country.

Vanguard reported that the labour made this declaration while speaking through the Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria (ASCSN).

ASCSN s position came on the heels of reports credited to the deputy senate president, Ike Ekwueremadu, during a debate on the floor of the Senate, in respect of the political killings in parts of the country, where he allegedly stated: ''Who says that the army cannot take over in Nigeria. It is possible.''

READ ALSO: Garba Shehu speaks on Buhari's planned visit to Benue

According to a statement issued by ASCSN president, Comrade Bobboi Bala Kaigama, and the secretary-gneral, Comrade Alade Bashir Lawal contended any takeover of government by military.

The statement said: ''It is common knowledge that since the military toppled the democratically elected government of Sir Tafawa Balewa in 1966, suspended the 1963 federal constitution and imposed a unitary system of government, the countrys growth has been stunted.

''We are also aware that all democracies in the world including that of the United States of America, Canada, Europe, etc, are not perfect but are still evolving and being improved upon.

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''The shortcomings being experienced in building democratic institutions in Nigeria were not peculiar and that with time, some of the flaws would be rectified.

''Thus, under no circumstances should individuals, no matter how highly placed, should begin to hint of military takeover of government in Nigeria.

''This is because most of the social dislocations we experience today, such as corruption, deterioration of power supply, collapse of railway, basterdization of the education system, destruction of the Civil Service, etc, were exacerbated by military dictators.''

Meanwhile, NAIJ.com had reported that the deputy president of the Senate Ike Ekweremadu denied that he called for a military coup detat in Nigeria.

The high-ranking lawmaker said his words on the floor of the upper house of legislature were quoted out of context.

Ekweremadu was said to have made the denial on Saturday, March 10 in the oil-rich Bayelsa state.

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Loading...Home | News | General | Russian Election: Early voting takes place in 3 U.S. states  Consulate General

Early voting for the next Russian president took place in three cities of the United States, Russian Consul General Alexander Pisarev told Sputnik.

We are already actively holding elections. Yesterday, a group of the consulate staff held early voting in Dallas, Texas.

Before it, on March 5 and March 7, we held early voting in Colorado, on the outskirts of Denver and in Kansas City, Kansas.

These were our very first elections in the United States, Pisarev said, adding that the upcoming presidential election will be the fourth one in this consular district.

Pisarev noted that Russian nationals could vote from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. like it is done in Russia.

When asked about a turnout at the early voting, the consul general said that they usually compared a turnout with the previous elections, noting the 2016 elections to the Russian State Duma.

In Colorado, the turnout was higher than in 2016. Its hard to say in Kansas City, we did not do early voting there in 2016, but there was also a great interest in the elections, he added.

Pisarev pointed out that the states of the Consulate General in San Francisco, closed by the United States, were redistributed between the missions in Seattle and Houston.

Colorado, where we conducted the first early voting, used to be in the San Francisco consular district.

So, we just went there and organised an early vote. In the other two states that moved to us from San Franciscos district, Arizona and New Mexico, we did not conduct an early voting, since we do not have reliable information that there are places densely populated by Russian citizens who have the right to vote, he stressed.

As for those states that were distributed to Seattle, as far as I know, they plan a series of early voting, including in Los Angeles and San Francisco, Pisarev added.

Pisarev underlined that the presidential election was taking place this year amid a very severe deterioration of relations between Russia and the U. S.

And this is not our fault. The elections are held at a time of a very strong Russophobic attitude to everything that is being done in our country.

Thats why, we are very closely following how our early voting is held. I can say that it was held in a civilised way.

I think that taking into account the current Russophobic psychosis in the US, this is already good, the consul general said.

Russias presidential election will take place on March 18.

There are eight candidates running for president this year: Sergey Baburin from the All-Peoples Union party, Communist Party candidate Pavel Grudinin, incumbent Russian President Vladimir Putin, and Civil Initiative party candidate Ksenia Sobchak.

Others are Communists of Russia party chairman Maxim Suraykin, Presidential Commissioner for Entrepreneurs Rights Boris Titov, co-founder of the Yabloko party Grigory Yavlinsky and head of the Liberal Democratic Party of Russia Vladimir Zhirinovsky. (NAN)

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Loading...Home | News | General | NotTooYoungToRun bill: President Buhari has a date with destiny - Analyst

Editor's note: The Co-Founder/Chief Executive of Connected Development [CODE], Hamzat Lawal, writes on the #NotTooYoungToRun bill, suggesting that President Muhammadu Buhari has a date with destiny concerning the bill

Read below:

If there is one thing on which political thinkers all over the world agree on, it is the idea that a leader has no glowing legacy or historic impact unless he or she has a robust successor plan. The baton of personalized political principles must be transmitted to a prepared protege.

However, present day democratic realities has made the world reach a consensus that the best replacement plan is via institutions and policies. The best leaders, therefore, are the ones who, while in office, molded these factors in a way that the next generation finds in them tools that make service to country a seamless exercise.

Hamzat Lawal is a key member of the Not Too Young To Run movement

READ ALSO: Opinion: How politicians threaten Nigerias electoral democracy by Moshood Isah

Now that the Age Reduction Bill, popularly referred to as the Not Too Young To Run Bill, has received affirmative votes from more than twenty-four state assemblies of the federation, there is no person on a better advantageous footing to leverage the historic significance of this momentous bill than our own President Muhammadu Buhari.

For those that are yet to know, the Not Too Young To Run bill seeks to reduce the age for running for elective offices in Nigeria. It was first passed by the National Assembly in a celebrated vote in July 2017. Thus, the amendment as passed by the National Assembly and State Assemblies reduces the qualifying age of the president from 40 to 35; House of Representatives from 30 years to 25 years and state House of Assembly from 30 years to 25 years. The age for the governor and Senate was retained at the current 35 years.

Undoubtedly, the passage of the bill by the states is very significant, not only because of the extraordinary speed, but because of its legal and moral implications.

With this passage, the bill has met the constitutional threshold prescribed by Section 9 (2) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended). The Section stipulates that any amendment to the constitution must be approval by at least 24 state Houses of Assembly.

Moreover, given that the chambers of the state assemblies are the very representatives of the thousands of village squares and the decisions that emanate from them in the nooks and crannies of the nations localities, we can assume that the grassroots have spoken. Truly, the masses of Nigeria are on the side of the youth!

What is more, a particular incident in one of the state assemblies demonstrated that #NotTooYoungToRun is a movement that holds the best of promise not only for young people, but for every guardian of our young democracy. The interesting development transpired at the Taraba state House of Assembly when, having earlier voted against the bill, the house reversed itself on and passed the Age Reduction Bill. It was an overwhelming turnaround, as 22 members voted YES while 2 abstained.

I believe, therefore, that it is as gladdening to every Nigerian as it is to me, that we as a people have written our name in gold by showing that political inclusion is possible in our clime.

Nevertheless, with the unprecedented feat recorded so far, the world now seems to be holding its breath as it watches the ball roll over to President Buhari, who is expected to assent to the constitutional amendment. Once the president gives his assent, the bill becomes law. Young people can then run for political office even in the next general elections in 2019.

To be candid, because of #NotTooYoungToRun, President Buhari has a date with destiny. Throughout generations past, men and women in positions of power have rewritten history by singular acts of valor not with the sword but with conscious offerings enacted simply to build bridges that ushered in a new paradigm in socio-political fundamentals.

The peculiarity of a government that came riding on the mantra of change is that providence has offered it an opportunity to prove its own spirit, as change is a word that signifies an age-input parameter. Posterity can only be kind to soldiers who never reneged on their own revolution. Could it be, that the Almighty has offered this administration a reason to properly hoist its own flag?

READ ALSO: Southern Young Leaders vow to critically mobilize ahead of 2019 elections

Of course, the #NotTooYoungToRun is a movement that enjoys an emotional and political acceptance across all divides. Hence, in signing the Age Reduction Bill, Buhari could find his finest hour.

But importantly, there are three reasons why President Buhari must take advantage of this opportunity. Firstly, he was recently crowned as Africas anti-corruption champion by no other than the African Union. What I see in this momentous coronation is the potential for an apotheosis when the president takes advantage of the Nigerian youthful population. Nigeria, being the most populous country in Africa, has a ready-made field for Buhari to mainstream his anti-corruption ethos when he looks towards tomorrow and the youths he will raise to continue the battle he has initiated today.

In signing the Age Reduction Bill, I believe the president will be saying to those that made him the African anti-corruption champion, I am ready to make politics in Nigeria as inclusive as it can be, because I need to catch them young and train them when they are still trainable. I want to show other African leaders who are still hesitant, that the real anti-corruption fight is in the political selection process.

Secondly, President Buhari served Nigeria as a former military Head of State at the youthful age of 42, and so could easily become the poster boy for generational political transition.

By assenting to the bill, he will be birthing a new era in Nigerian politics, in scoring the psychological goal that his comeback to politics which he was forcefully ushered out decades ago is, perhaps, a mission to reignite the youthful patriotism that motivated him to intervene in politics in the first place. This time around, by signing the bill, he would be taking the pains to fulfill the democratic and legal processes that mainstreams Nigerian youths with similar patriotic drive, for good.

Thirdly, immediately after the passage of #NotTooYoungToRun Bill in over 24 states as constitutionally required, something remarkable happened as the British High Commissioner to Nigeria, Paul Arkwright immediately took to his official Twitter handle to urge President Buhari to assent to the bill as soon as it was transmitted to him by the National Assembly.

What I saw in this development is that all eyes are on Nigeria. Given that many countries of the world do not give young people the opportunity to play a part in political governance, Nigeria is surely becoming a bastion of modern democratic best practices, with leaders that are determined to make a difference. The diplomatic community, and the global society are now waiting for our president to put an icing on the cake by demonstrating a commitment to inclusive democratic ideals. This is because by taking concrete steps to address political inequality and harnessing demographic dividend, the president sets the stage to take advantage of our countrys teeming youth population which if not properly and creatively engaged could equally turn into a demographic disaster.

Your own opinion articles are welcome at info@naij.com - drop an email telling us what you want to write about and why. More details in Naij.coms step-by-step guide for guest contributors.

Were ready to trade your news for our money: submit news and photo reports from your area using our Citizen Journalism App.

Contact us if you have any feedback, suggestions, complaints or compliments. We are also available on Facebook and Twitter.

How Nigerian youths protest made the National Assembly pass the 'Not Too Young To Run' bill on NAIJ.com TV

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Loading...Home | News | General | Bringing the Yoruba race into Kwankwaso/Ganduje's feud is needless - Analyst

Editor's note: Public commentator, Taiwo Balogun, writes on the political feud between Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso and Governor Umar Ganduje, which reared its head again following the wedding of Ganduje's daughter to Governor Abiola Ajimobi's son.

Read below:

In the last couple of days, I have read with keen interest, mixed reactions trailing Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso's remark about Governor Ganduje's daughter, Hajia Fatima's colourful wedding ceremony to Governor Ajimobi's son, Alhaji Idris.

The wedding Fathia, held on Saturday, March 3 at the Kano Central Mosque, saw in attendance the who is who in Nigerian politics, including President Muhammadu Buhari, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Senator Bukola Saraki and other top wigs in the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), among others.

The former governor of Kano state and a serving senator, Kwankwaso reportedly mocked the couple, describing them as zawarawa, an Hausa language translated to mean "non-virtuous" people. Unfortunately, this statement has been misinterpreted by some elements who want to take advantage of the cold war between the estranged political friends to score cheap political points.

One Adeleke Oyetola wrote that the immediate past governor of Kano state and a presidential hopeful, Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, who ordinarily should have been hosting dignitaries at the marriage ceremony, elected to use a forum in Kaduna to "mock" the couple and bring the dignity of the Yoruba race, and, indeed, the principles of national unity and one Nigeria to gross disrepute.

Kwankwaso and Ganduje when the going was good. Source: Twitter

READ ALSO: Opinion: How politicians threaten Nigerias electoral democracy by Moshood Isah

But the writer failed to acknowledge the fact that Senator Kwankwaso has been warned by the police to shelve his proposed visit to Kano, which according to the state police commissioner, Rabiu Yusuf, may lead to chaos. If the former governor could cancel his visit to his state for security reasons, it is irrational for anyone to suggest that he should ignore the warning by attending the wedding of Governor Ganduje's daughter.

Kwankwaso, a two-time governor (from 1999-2003 and 2011-2015) and his friends cannot enter Kano due to security reasons, so they said, but it was safe for the governor to bring all his political friends and bigwigs to Kano for his daughter's wedding, while no one saw that as a double standard. Rather, they threw caution to winds by saying the senator brought the dignity of the Yoruba into disrepute.

There is nowhere the statements attributed to Senator Kwankwaso suggested such. It was just a figment of the imagination of the writer, purportedly blown out of proportion to malign the former governor and present him as an enemy of the Yoruba. Whatever statement he made about the couple has nothing to do with the lineage of the groom, who is Yoruba. Such statement was informed by the on-going bitter rivalry between Senator Kwankwaso and Governor Ganduje, who were once said to be the best of friends. It was an internal matter between the duo, and was not in any way meant to ridicule the Yoruba race, as being misrepresented in some sections of the media, particularly social media platforms. This situation can be succinctly captured by the Yoruba adage which says: Oro lo de, torin do we.

It is equally important to state that it wasn't only Senator Kwankwaso that threw tantrums about the presence of the high and mighty in the society at the wedding, with more than 20 state governors, several first class monarchs and President Buhari himself attending the wedding, by describing them as people who are "less busy." So many Nigerians, including religious leaders such as Sheikh Ahmad Gumi and Pastor Tunde Bakare, Buhari's former running mate in the 2011 presidential election, did.

Many Nigerians criticized Mr President. They even likened President Buhari's attendance at the wedding in Kano to the former President GEJ's now infamous "dance of shame," when he also visited Kano in the wake of the abduction of the Chibok girls, similar to the recent abduction of the Dapchi school girls. Like Shehu Sani, the senator representing Kaduna Central put it, those criticizing President Buhari only "want him to be in the right place at the right time as our leader, as a human being, as a father; for history and for morality. Hence, it is so cheap for anyone to single out Senator Kwankwaso with the intent of sowing seeds of discord between him and the Yoruba race.

Evidently, the relationship between Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso and the Yoruba race could be dated back to the Second Republic. He was a close political ally of the late MKO Abiola of blessed memory during the SDP days. Kwankwaso openly and vehemently supported the late MKO Abiola, who is from Ogun state and a Yoruba against Bashir Tofa of the NRC, a northerner from Kano state.

READ ALSO: We are making our population an asset in Kano - Governor Ganduje

Senator Kwankwaso lost his 2003 re-election bid as governor of Kano state largely due to his tacit support for the former President, Olusegun Obasanjo - a Yoruba man and a southerner - who later appointed him as minister of defence. At the time, he was tagged as a Yoruba man with the name Rabiu Idowu Musa, which his political foe, Ibrahim Shekarau used against him just to score cheap political points. At a point, Senator Kwankwaso was even tagged as someone who is anti-Islam, simply because of his close relationship with Obasanjo.

In conclusion, Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso has maintained a very good and cordial relationship with top Yoruba leaders, including Bola Ajibola, former minister of justice, Bisi Akande, late Lamidi Adedibu, late Isiaka Adeleke, Olusegun Osoba, Gbenga Daniel, Segun Oni, Niyi Adebayo and Kayode Fayemi, among others. As such, it will be in the best interest of all media and political actors to maintain utmost decorum, and stop all attempts to extrapolate the Kwankwaso/Ganduje feud beyond its original parties, while exporting such to the Yoruba peoples, with whom Senator Kwankwaso happens to enjoy a robust and ever-bourgeoning relationship.

Your own opinion articles are welcome at info@naij.com - drop an email telling us what you want to write about and why. More details in Naij.coms step-by-step guide for guest contributors.

Were ready to trade your news for our money: submit news and photo reports from your area using our Citizen Journalism App.

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How workaholic Governor Ganduje is transforming Kano state on NAIJ.com TV

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Loading...The Bishop of Ughelli Diocese, Anglican Communion, Bishop Cyril Odutemu, on Sunday stated that the Nigeria is sick and in need of a true leader.

The cleric, who spoke at the thanksgiving/grand reception organized in honour of former Governor James Onanefe Ibori in Ovwor-Olomu, Ughelli South Local Government Area declared, I have no fear in my heart. SSS can invite me. They have invited me before. Am not afraid of them.

Nigeria is sick and in need of true of a true leader. The current government is not the solution to our problems. The solution to the problem of Nigeria is with God.

Until Nigeria return to God and elect the right man,we will remain like this. Herdsmen and whatever will continue. We need the deliverer and God will give us a deliverer, he said.

Bishop Odutemu described former Governor of Delta State, Ibori as a big bridge builder.

Today, the Urhobo nation is in coma. The Urhobo nation is in pain. It is no secret that the crowd now gathered here,some of them are among those who made you passed through what you went through.

Today, they will shake hands with you. They will congratulate you. They will smile with you because they are looking for political appointments.

That does not mean you should throw them away. Even Judas Iscariot was a disciple of the Lord Jesus Christ. The Lord knew he will betray him but he gave him the treasury to keep.

Governor Ibori, you have more work to do. Many people who passed through what you went through died but you are alive.

Know that you are on a mission. Everyday of your life, be thankful but never ever give room for wasted time.

Your Excellency, you are the Political Jesus of the he State. In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ, provide your people bread. Council workers are fainting. Primary School teachers are fainting, he pleaded with the former governor.Insurance company uncovers 'pervasive' auto body shop scams in Ontario, urges actionWorkers at auto body shops deliberately damaged cars, installed used parts but billed for new ones, or invoiced for phantom repairs, according to an investigation by a Canadian insurer that is calling on the government to help in curbing the problem.Aviva Canada found about half the total expenses submitted for repairs to crashed vehicles during its investigation in Ontario were bogus  an amount the company estimates adds up to hundreds of millions of dollars a year."Nobody has ever really sampled the extent of fraud with any kind of accuracy," Gordon Rasbach, Aviva Canada's vice president of fraud management, said in an interview. "This is the first time in Canada that we're aware of that anyone has actually taken a sample, albeit a small one, at random, and used actual cases in progress to put some kind of numbers on it."Investigators posed as driversIn its investigation  results are to be released on Monday  Aviva attempted to simulate typical fender-bender situations involving private passenger cars by deliberately crashing 10 vehicles.The company had experts detail the damage and estimate repair costs, then kitted out the cars with hidden cameras and, at various times last year, put them on highways in the Toronto area.Investigators posed as hapless drivers just having gone through their first crash.Rasbach said he was surprised only one repair outfit acted honestly. The other nine cases showed some degree of "clear cut" fraud, he said. While Aviva's experts had estimated total damage for the 10 vehicles at about $30,000, the repair shops invoiced Aviva for about $61,000, the company says.Among other things Aviva says occurred were tow-truck drivers who billed for towing and storage that didn't happen, drivers who were asked to sign blank work orders, cars maliciously damaged at body shops, and shenanigans over repaired or replaced parts."The video footage and clear evidence of fraudulent invoicing shows just how pervasive the problem of fraud is," Rasbach said."Honest consumers are the ones that are paying for it."More needs to be done, says companyInsurance fraud eats into the bottom lines of companies like Aviva.Industry estimates suggest between five and 15 per cent of premiums drivers pay for car insurance go toward covering undetected fraudulent claims. Aviva, whose own tactics in fighting legitimate claims have come under fire by the courts, says more has to be done to combat fraud. Among other things, it wants governments to force insurance companies to report and share information when fraud is identified.Home | News | General | Benue killings: Criticism trails signposts blaming 'Fulani herdsmen' for 73 deaths

- The inscription on the signpost installed at the grave site of those killed in violent attacks on communities in Benue state in January has been faulted by some Nigerians

- The inscription blamed the Fulani herdsmen for the massacre in Guma and Logo local government areas

- The signpost was installed by the Christian Association of Nigeria

Criticisms have trailed the inscription on a signpost installed by the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), at the grave site of those killed in violent attacks on communities in Benue state between January 1 and 2.

Burial site for 73 victims of Fulani herdsmen massacre in Guma and Logo local government areas was inscribed in white and brown block letters on a metal board with isolated green background, Premium Times reports.

NAIJ.com gathered that the signpost was installed at the mass grave along Achusa road, Makurdi, the state capital.

READ ALSO: Islamic preacher faults wedding of Gandujes daughter to Ajimobis son

Secretary of herders association in Benue, Shettima Mohammed, said: The attacks were carried out and the police are still investigating. It is hasty, and therefore, wrong, for the Christian Association of Nigeria to say the Fulani are the killers.

He said that CANs action has further established his fears that the farmers-herders crisis across the north-central is being increasingly politicised.

CAN president, Samson Ayokunle, said: Theres no hidden agenda behind the signpost. We put it there strictly for history.

Shortly after the people were killed, the minister of defence, Mansur Dan Ali, said the killings were due to the enactment of anti-open grazing law in Benue State and did not deny that herdsmen were responsible.

Other Fulani leaders have never said the attacks are not being carried out by their people, they only said the anti-open grazing law was the cause.

He added that CAN put up the signpost because the victims were Christians and those responsible for their demise are known even though they have not been arrested.

A security analyst with SBM, Cheta Nwanze, said: Those who erected the signpost in Benue were lazy. As lazy as the northerners who 50 years ago punished all Igbo for the actions of Kaduna Nzeogwu and Emmanuel Ifeajuna, or the Igbo who blame all northerners for the actions of Murtala Mohammed and Ibrahim Taiwo.

Naming the perpetrators of massacres and mass murders is something we should aim for rather than collectively assigning guilt.

In the absence of justice, such a collective guilt mindset will continue to prevail, and when we keep shutting down people who want to remember their dead, rather than let them air their grievances, we only add more heat to the pressure cooker without letting steam to escape. It will blow up some day.

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Meanwhile, NAIJ.com previously reported that the Benue state government released the names of those killed in the attacks on two local government areas by suspected herdsmen.

On January 1, Guma and Logo local governments came under siege from the rampaging herdsmen, killing 73 people, while dozens of people were injured.

Among those killed was a 4-year old boy, Terkimbi, an eight-month old pregnant woman, Sarah and a 76-year old grand-father, Pa Lortimbir.

Victims of Herdsmen killing buried in Benue state - on NAIJ.com TV

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Loading...Home | News | General | Breaking: US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson arrives Abuja

The US secretary of state, Rex Tillerson, has arrived Abuja for his first official visit to Nigeria. Tillerson has visited Ethiopia, Djibouti, Kenya and Chad. Nigeria is his last stop on his five-country tour of Africa.

His arrival was disclosed in a tweet by the US mission in Nigeria on Monday, March 12.

READ ALSO: It's nothing new - Senate confirms senators receive N13.5m monthly running cost

Rex Tillerson on his arrival in Nigeria, photo credit, Josh Lederman - Twitter

Tillerson is the highest ranking official in the Trump administration to visit Nigeria. A press advisory from the US embassy stated that the Secretary of State would hold talks with President Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday, March 13.

Tillerson is expected to be joined in the press availability by Minister of Foreign Affairs Geoffrey Onyeama, the embassy stated.

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When Tillerson meets Buhari, both men are expected to discuss counter terrorism efforts and humanitarian issues in Nigerias Northeast and the Lake Chad basin.

He is also expected to discuss how to advance peace and security, promote good governance, and spur mutually beneficial trade and investment with the president.

During his trip, he is expected also to meet with US Embassy personnel and participate in events related to US government-supported activities.

NAIJ.com had earlier reported that Tillerson cut short his trip to Africa by about a day to deal with pressing matters in the United States.

Undersecretary of State for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs, Steve Goldstein, said on Monday, March 12, that Tillerson will end his trip early to deal with work that needs to be attended to in Washington, D.C., Bloomberg reports.

NAIJ.com gathered that Tillerson will be in Chad and Nigeria today, March 12, as scheduled, but scrapped plans to spend the night in Nigeria.

How would you feel if Donald Trump bombed Boko Haram like Syria? - on NAIJ.com TV

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Loading...Home | News | General | EFCC berated for uploading suspects proof of evidence on social media

- Delta state chief judge, Justice Marshal Umukoro, has advocated for reforms in the EFCC

- Umukoro made the suggestion when he received officials of the anti-graft agency

Delta state chief judge, Justice Marshal Umukoro has advocated for an independent department within the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) that will prosecute suspects following conclusion of investigations.

Justice Umukoro made the call in Asaba recently when the anti-graft agency, Benin zone paid him a courtesy call in his office, The Nation reports. He described corruption as a cancer which has infected the socio-economic and political fabric of the Nigerian society.

According to him, one of the ways to tame corruption is to tailor the operations of the EFCC towards the prosecutorial architecture of England Police and adopted by the states Ministry of Justice where the police arrest, investigate and handover to the Crown Prosecution Service for prosecution.

The Magu-led EFCC has been advised to have a department to prosecute suspects after investigations

READ ALSO: EFCC docks 3 INEC officials over N163.9 million election bribe

He opined that this procedure will reduce the human element vulnerable to corruption, bias and power abuse. He also decried the media trial of suspects, lamenting why the EFCC uploads whole proof of evidence unto the social media pages, thereby jeopardizing unbiased assessment of facts and figures.

Umukoro stated that once the damaging evidence has been uploaded and tested before a court, it becomes evidence.

Earlier in his address, the head operations, EFCC Benin zone, Mailafa Yakubu said the agency was in Asaba to appreciate the judiciary in the fight against corruption by speedily disposing of cases brought before it.

Meanwhile, the state governor, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa has urged Nigerians to support the anti-corruption war of the EFCC in order to secure the nation's economy.

According to the governor, one area where economic crime has assumed a frightening dimension is illegal oil bunkering.

READ ALSO: EFCC reveals how Alison-Madueke collected N23 billion from three oil marketers

Nigerians react as snake reportedly swallows N36million | Street Gist

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Loading...Home | News | General | Why our government is focused on the welfare of Osun people - Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola

His Excellency, Ogbeni Rauf Adesoji Aregbesola needs no introduction in the Nigerian political parlance. The workaholic former Commissioner for Works in Lagos state is regarded by many as an arrow head in the Jagaban political dynasty of distinguished political leaders endorsed by Asiwaju Ahmed Bola Tinubu.

Governor of Osun state, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola

Whatever he lacks in bogus frame and physical stature, he makes up for with his uncommon intellect and political astuteness. Speaking to HC Anthony Eshemokhai, Head of Government Relations and Public Sector Group of NAIJ.com, the pervading feeling is like one sitting among worlds great philosophers like Julius Caesar and other great sages. Little wonder apart from governance, Ogbeni Rauf has brought a positive mental change of attitude to an average indigene of Osun through the "Omoluabi" concept. A pious revolution where citizens embark on self check and willingly conduct themselves to effect and portray positive change. Little wonder crime rate in that state is the lowest in the country. There is a conscious but gradual psychological and social behavioural change among Osun indigene. Mr Governor is a change agent in the state of Osun.

HC Anthony Eshemokhai and Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola

Greatest legacies

When asked what his greatest legacies will be when he leaves office, the Governor said its the Human Capital Development. This he achieved very well through programmes like OYES(Osun Youth Empowerment Scheme) and his Education policy. In a documentary done for the State June 2017, NAIJ.com can confidently say that the State of Osun has the best education policy in Nigeria. That is why he will wish whoever his successor will be, the education policy must never be discarded as that is the foundation for future development.

Why Ogbeni and not 'Your Excellency'

The governor is one of the few who chose to demystify the exalted office of an Executive Governor and make it ordinary just to connect with the common man. He consequently rejected the usual prefix of Your Excellency and rather preferred to be called MR which in the Yoruba language is 'Ogbeni'. To him, its a global best practice as even the President of the United States is usually simply addressed in gatherings as 'Mr. President. Bogus titles according to him usually beclouds the bearer from servant leader to being a ruler. This caused a little drama during the interview as he initially tolerated several 'your excellency from Anthony until the Governor said please just called me 'Mr' and not 'your Excellency.

Proper ways to name states

The governor explained in details as can be seen in the attached video, why the state is called 'The State Government of Osun' rather than the erroneous ways Nigerians refer to the state and other States by putting the word 'State' as a suffix. He pointed out that it is a fallout of military arbitrariness as Nigeria, Burma and Sudan are the only countries in the world operating that error on state naming. The 3 countries all have long years of military regime. In the USA for instance, what is obtainable are the State of California, State of Arkansas, State of Florida and State of Texas' Even local Nigerian languages called states properly. Example is Yoruba will say Ipinle Osun and not Osun Ipinle. Hausa will say Gia Kano' and not 'Kano gia'.The Ibos will say 'Obodo Enugu' and not 'Enugu obodo'. Thus, the governor decided not just to be the 'odd one out' but 'the correct one in'. He explained that the Constitution of Nigeria never gave directives on prefix or suffix so adopting 'State of Osun' is not a violation of constitutional provisions. Recall that there is a case in court on the correct naming of Osun.

Other Sundry Issues

NAIJ.com posed to the governor what his next political step will be, he is not in a hurry as according to him, contesting as a governor was orchestrated by a committee of patriots who called him to serve the state in that capacity. At the end of his tenor which is very soon, he will go back to these patriots to render stewardship and accountability. The next political step can then be decided. He responded to the question on who is anointed candidate is in the next election. Shaking his head, he made it clear it is undemocratic'. The people of Osun should decide who rules them after him.

HC Anthony Eshemokhai is Head, Government Relations and Public Sector Groups, NAIJ.com.

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Loading...Home | News | General | Opinion: Lord Rochas Okorocha and his son-in-law project

Editor's note: The author Dr. Ugoji Egbujo in piece talks about how Governor Rochas Okorocha tends to keep the Imo governorship in his family despite preaching power rotation.

Rochas Okorocha is his own enemy. He preaches power rotation and Igbo presidency in Abuja. But at home, he wants to keep the Imo governorship in his familys piggy bank. He has built more roads than any other governor in Imo states history.

But he is known outside the state only for puerility and building of statues. Okorocha has energy and drive. But he lacks circumspection and sense of optics.

He lets his ego and fantasies intrude and tarnish his industry and purposefulness. It is true his opponents have exploited the rich vein of animosity against Hausa Fulani hegemony.

READ ALSO: Buhari holds meeting with farmers, Miyetti Allah in Benue

He wouldnt be the bu*t of all these jokes if he were hauling missiles of bigotry at Buhari from APGA or the PDP. But no other man with his political vulnerability would arm his opponents like Okorocha.

Okorocha is ambitious and thats not a bad thing. But self confidence that rears its head without self restraint could be more destructive than arrogance. In small things and in big things, Rochas Okorocha pays no respect to his audience and its sensibilities.

Okorocha wanted to stem the rising tide of narcotics consumption in the state. He chose to compare that evil with armed robbery, needlessly. He got lost in translation. He ended, leaving his audience with a moral confusion.

The video clips of a governor suggesting that armed robbery was a lesser crime than drug abuse went viral and accentuated the image of a bumbling clown the virulent opposition had created for him. But Okorocha isnt a clown. He thinks Imo state is too small a stage for him. He believes he has outstanding abilities.

He craves a national or global role. Thats heart warming. No one wants a shiftless surfeited leader who seeks no promotion and is unmindful of history. But in cobbling a track record, Rochas has deployed a brand of imagination that doesnt yield to circumspection and doesnt acknowledge raised eyebrows.

A streak of precarious single-mindedness. An abject deprivation of collegiate thoughtful decision making process. Rochas is a loose canon. He builds roads and lavishes money on pillars that would be used for Christmas decorations. His sister oversees the decorations. He pays more attention to the quantity rather than the quality of roads.

It catches his fancy, he mounts a hundred meter high huge hand sculpture somewhere, just somewhere. Some hospitals have been completed for years but he hasnt thought of equipping them. So they are locked away. You cant fault him for industry. He is restless. He thinks of Imo airline.

It sounds nice. He gets a plane and hands it to Dana Airline. And Imo is written on it. He commissions it. Thats all. He thinks the people need to farm. He thinks state civil servants who are owed salaries are idle.

He doesnt retrench. He asks state civil servants to work three days in the office and stay in their farms on Thursdays and Fridays. He ignores raised eyebrows. He is committed to innovation. He is not afraid of trying new things.

But many of them quite frankly have been absurd. He gets fed up with the farming experiment, he cancels it overnight. He thinks the state owes so much in pensions. He thinks he cant pay it all. He asks owed pensioners to sign away a huge percentage of owed pensions.

READ ALSO: It's nothing new - Senate confirms senators receive N13.5m monthly running cost

He rebuffs questions about the morality of such coercion. His name and the weird idea spreads around the country. No one hears about the hospitals he has built in all the local government areas in Imo state. No one hears of his free education programmes. They hear of a certain Rochas who approximates Charlie Spencer Chaplin.

He looks at his people, his people. He sees suffering. He announces a commissioner for happiness. Not such a bad idea. But it is his sister again. His opponents go to town with mockery. Rochas sneers at them in superciliousness.

No one hears that he has tarred the road that runs in front of my ancestral home in Orodo. That road had been promised by every regime since Ochefu and Atom Kpera. They all failed. He did it. Rochas has done more roads than other governors. But no governor has exhibited more unbridled self aggrandizement than Rochas Okorocha.

He says he is gifted with the brain of a genius. So he embraces informality and disdains processes. He is easy going, self effacing. But all people see is greed. No governor has appointed more relatives into top government positions than Rochas Okorocha.

His son-in-law is Chief of staff. His sister is his deputy chief of staff and commissioner. The ministerial position allocated to the state came, he gave it to his daughters father-in-law. Rumours that Rochas wanted to perpetuate himself in office sprouted. They sounded so outlandish.

Rochas wants to be the senate president. He would like to be president of the country and perhaps AU chairman, sometime in the future. Rochas wants to be an icon like Mandela. Imo is too small for him. But the rumours now have a foundation.

He says his son-in-law must be governor. He says his in-law is the most qualified for the job. He can support whomsoever he chooses. And a son-in-law isnt necessarily disqualified by virtue of whom he married. He could actually be the most qualified. Rochas has worked hard to make his endorsement count.

But he is set to be remembered as a power hungry man who is motivated only by self interest. Yes, same Rochas who was once synonymous with generosity and philanthropy. In a country where democracy and political morality include power rotations and quota system, Rochas Okorocha should let another family try.

He says God ordained it .His family must be filled with the sort of geniuses that arent found in other places. It may actually not be out of the reach of his fantasy to create a Kennedy type dynasty. And attribute it to God. Rochas is innovative, ambitious and irrepressible. He needs tact.

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If all politicians in Africa thought like Rochas, then countries could all become family corporations. Because without institutions, and without transparency and accountability, any African president could, with a little dose of tyranny, perpetuate his family and generations over his country.

If Awolowo and Zik and Sarduana had the sort of imagination that Rochas has, people like Rochas Okorocha who came from the lowest rungs of the society would never be governors. I like Rochas Okorocha. I only wish he could once in a while step out of himself. Perhaps, he would gain a little self-restraint.

The views and opinions expressed here are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of NAIJ.com.

Your own opinion articles are welcome at info@corp.naij.com drop an email telling us what you want to write about and why. More details in Naij.coms step-by-step guide for guest contributors.

Were ready to trade your news for our money: submit news and photo reports from your area using our Citizen Journalism App.

Contact us if you have any feedback, suggestions, complaints or compliments. We are also available on Twitter.

Okorocha erects gigantic statue to honour Ekwueme on NAIJ.com TV.

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Loading...Home | News | General | PDP asks FG to reveal who ordered troops withdrawal from Dapchi before abduction

- The PDP accuses the federal government of playing politics with the lives of young Nigerians

- The party blames the Dapchi kidnap on the military and the defence headquarters who withdrew troops from the town

- Buhari holds meeting with farmers, Miyetti Allah in Benue

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has challenged the All Progressive Congress (APC) led government to reveal the identity of the person that ordered troops withdrawal from Dapchi few weeks before the abduction of 110 girls in the town by Boko Haram insurgents.

The national publicity secretary of the party, Kola Ologbondiyan, accused the federal government of playing politics with the lives of young Nigerians.

READ ALSO: It's nothing new - Senate confirms senators receive N13.5m monthly running cost

Ologbondiyan in a statement published on Sahara Reporters on Monday, March 12, said the APC has failed to address the security situation in the country since it began ruling in 2015.

The statement read in part: "And as a matter of fact, the question about the withdrawal of troops before the abduction of the girls does not in any way relate to the alleged PDP non-responsiveness to the demands of the Chibok girls.

Have they not taken responsibility of governance since 2015 and how many of these Chibok girls have they rescued?

Why are they playing politics with the lives of our daughters? Why are they playing politics with the lives of Nigerians? Was that the promise they made to Nigerians in 2015?

The party blamed the Dapchi kidnap on the military and the defence headquarters who withdrew troops from the town Dapchi.

Let me be quoted anywhere, the military must take blame for the attack on Dapchi. The same thing happened in 2013 when the military suddenly removed troops guarding the town and a week later Boko Haram went there to attack the town and the secondary school there killing 29 students."

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Meanwhile, parents of missing Chibok schoolgirls in Borno state have planned a visit to Dapchi town to sympathise with parents of the 110 schoolgirls abducted by Boko Haram.

Daily Trust reports that the visit by the Chibok delegation is scheduled for Tuesday, March 13, according to Yakubu Nkeki and Yana Galang, chairman and woman leader of the Abducted Chibok Girls Parents Movement for Rescue.

The newspaper stated that the delegation would consist of 30 parents of mostly yet to be found Chibok girls who would visit Dapchi where they would share experiences with the traumatized parents.

Will Buhari bring back Dapchi Girls? | NAIJ.com TV

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Loading...Home | News | General | Governor Lalong secures 53 security vehicles as part of efforts to end attacks in Plateau state

- In its efforts to stem the tide of attacks in Plateau state, Governor Simon Lalong has purchased 53 security vehicles

- Lalong said that purchasing the vehicles was aimed at complimenting the efforts of security agencies

- The vehicles will be distributed to all the 17 local government areas in the state

Governor Simon Lalong has said that he purchased 53 security vehicles equipped with communication gadgets as part of efforts to end attacks in the state.

The governor made the announcement during President Muhammadu Buharis visit to the state for the unveiling and launching of the Plateau Roadmap to Peace document, Daily Trust reports.

NAIJ.com noted that he said the effort was aimed at complimenting the efforts of security agencies, adding that the vehicles were to be distributed to all the 17 local government areas in the state as soon as the inspector general of police commissions them.

READ ALSO: Islamic preacher faults wedding of Gandujes daughter to Ajimobis son

The governor, through the commissioner of information and communication, Hon Yakubu Dati, on Sunday, March 11, condoled with the people of Bassa and Bokkos local government areas over the killings in the areas.

He said that security agents had received directive to immediately arrest and prosecute the perpetrators of the killings as the state would not condone the activities of hoodlums who took advantage of conflict among citizens to perpetrate killings and destruction of property.

According to him, benefits derived from the presidents visit included his promise to consider the request for dual carriageway from Abuja to Jos, the repayment of funds expended on federal roads, more appointments of Plateau people at the federal level, youth empowerment as well as promise to support the efforts of the state in agriculture.

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Meanwhile, NAIJ.com previously reported that the government of Plateau state declared Thursday, March 8, a public holiday to enable residents welcome President Buhari on a one-day working visit to the state. Izam Azi, head of service, announced this on Tuesday, March 6, in Jos, after an emergency State Executive Council meeting.

He said: The holiday will afford civil servants and other citizens the opportunity to give the president a rousing welcome.

However, less than 24 hours after the President Buhari officially launched a five-year road map for peace in the state, unknown gunmen Thursday night, March 8, reportedly killed five people in Nzharuvo community of Basa local government area of the state.

Victims of Herdsmen killing buried in Benue state - on NAIJ.com TV

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Loading...Home | News | General | Apostolic Church pastor abducted by gunmen in Akwa Ibom

- Unknown gunmen have reported whisked away an Apostolic Church pastor, Mfon Udoneke in Akwa Ibom state

- kidnappers have yet to establish contact with the church or the family as per their demands and where the abducted priest is being kept

- The police public relations officer in the state, MacDon Oguche, however, said he has not been briefed about the incident

An Apostolic Church pastor, Mfon Udoneke at Akoa Idem in Ukanafun local government area of Akwa Ibom state on Monday, March 14, reportedly kidnapped by unknown people suspected to be kidnappers.

Punch reports Udoneke was abducted around 5 pm while preparing for womens fellowship prayer meeting in the church.

An eyewitness, who pleaded not to be named, said the kidnappers stormed Udonekes residence and whisked him away in the presence of his family members.

READ ALSO: Buhari holds meeting with Farmers, Miyetti Allah in Benue

According to him, the whereabouts of the abducted priest is unknown, as kidnappers have yet to establish contacts with Udonekes family or the church.

The source said: ''The family and the church are in a state of confusion right now, because the kidnappers have yet to establish contact with the church or the family as per their demands and where the abducted priest is being kept.''

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The police public relations officer in the state, MacDon Oguche, said he has not been briefed about the incident.

Oguche, however, promised to get in touch with the divisional police officer in charge of the area on the matter.

Meanwhile, NAIJ.com had reported that Chief of Staff to President Buhari, Abba Kyari, announced via his Facebook page that a gang of kidnappers operating along the Abuja-Kaduna-Kano express way had been arrested.

He said: "Today is my happiest day since the arrest of Africa's most notorious kidnapping kingpin, Evans. "

After weeks of unrelenting follow up and deploying advanced technology, IRT special teams deployed to Jigawa, Katsina, Niger and Kaduna states arrested the most deadly kidnapping group operating along Abuja-Kaduna-Kano expressway.

Evans the kidnapper lands in Kirikiri prison after first appearance in court - on NAIJ.com TV:

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Source: Naija.ng

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Loading...Home | News | General | Ibori is a man of the people in Nigeria - Uduaghan, Secondus, others praise ex-governor

- The former governor of Delta state, Chief Ibori, has been described by the immediate past governor, Emmanuel Uduaghan, as having a forgiving spirit

- He said that Ibori has remained a unifying factor in the politics of the state

- The national chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Uche Secondus and Governor Ifeanyi Okowa both said Ibori is a leader of enviable character

The immediate past governor of Delta state has described Chief James Ibori as an illustrious son of Delta state. He described Ibori as 'The Big Heart' for having forgiven all his political detractors who fought against him and led to his imprisonment.

Emmanuel Uduaghan said the ex-governor who served jail terms in London for financial crimes, indeed has a heart of forgiveness.

He spoke at the thanksgiving and grand reception in honour of the former governor by the Urhobo political class at the Unity Square, Ovwor, Olomu, Ughelli south local government area of the Delta state, Daily Trust reports.

READ ALSO:Garba Shehu speaks on Buhari's planned visit to Benue

He stated that Ibori has remained a factor of unity in the political arena of the state and nation generally. He thanked all who stood and visited Ibori during his incarceration in London, adding that the ex-governor needs more support now that he has returned to the country.

Uduaghan remarked: Ibori has a very big forgiving spirit, you people know we grow up together and I know that part of him from birth. Ibori has forgiven all the people who caused him that misfortune.

They have all been put to shame now. I am here today as the immediate past governor of Delta state. But whats more important as a blood brother of Chief James Onanefe Ibori, I want to thank everyone especially our spiritual fathers who visited him where he was, I thank you all.

There were so many rumours in this our state that I did not visit him. So if I visit him I should come and tell you that I visited.? All those behind such rumours, where are they today? Dr. Uduaghan reflected.

READ ALSO: Buhari holds meeting with Farmers, Miyetti Allah in Benue

"They have been put to shame, hes our national leader, worldwide leader and we must all give him the full support.

The national chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Uche Secondus, a special guest at the ceremony, described former Ibori as a unifying factor in the development of the Niger Delta region generally and Delta state particularly.

Secondus said: Ibori is a man of the people not just in Delta state but across the nation today. He is a factor in this country. On behalf of the masses of our country, we salute you, we salute your courage because you are a man who believes in the struggle of the party.

Also, Governor Ifeanyi Okowa, acknowledged Ibori as the national leader of the party in the Delta state and in Nigeria.

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Okowa said: Ibori is our national leader, he laid the foundation of development in the state and established a political structure that we are enjoying today. Ibori is an Urhobo man who is good and believe in chop I chop principles. I know things are tough this period but I want all of you to be rest assured that once our party, PDP return to power in Abuja come 2019 everything will change for good.

Meanwhile, NAIJ.com reported that the governor of Bayelsa state, Seriake Dickson and the former governor of Delta state, James Ibori, had begun an advocacy for a referendum.

The duo said the their call for a referendum in Nigeria was to the interest of the people of the south-south region generally.

2019 Presidency: Nigerians reveal why they prefer Atiku to President Buhari - On NAIJ.com TV

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Source: Naija.ng

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Loading...Home | News | General | NSCDC warns against loitering around JAMB exam centres

The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) on Monday warned unauthorised persons against loitering around centres designated for the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB) examinations.

Mr Philip Ayuba, Niger State Corps Commandant, said in an interview with the Newsmen in Minna that the warning became imperative to ensure the success of the examinations.

He said that although reports from the Computer Based Test (CBT) centres in the state revealed that the exercise was going on smoothly, it was still necessary to warn unauthorised persons from going to the centres.

NSCDC

All prospective candidates are advised to stay away from the centres when it is not their turn for the examination.

They are also advised not to come into the examination hall with all prohibited items like handsets, camera, earpiece, and any other electronic device, Ayuba said.

He said personnel deployed to the various centres had been mandated to monitor and ensure that candidates adhere strictly to the general rules and regulations guiding the examination.

He commended the students that had written the examinations, for their peaceful and orderly conduct.

We are fully ready and on top of the situation to provide a peaceful atmosphere for a hitch-free conduct of the examination in the 12 centres across the state, he assured.

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Loading...Why Republicans Are Suddenly Panicking Over a Race They Should WinCome November, thanks to a recent re-drawing of Pennsylvanias electoral map, the states 18th District is likely to disappear. Yet for the G.O.P., the stakes in Tuesdays special election there couldnt be higher. In a district where a Republican has run relatively uncontested since 2002, and where Donald Trump won by 20 points, Democratic candidate Conor Lamb is locked in a dead heat with Republican Rick Saccone, despite massive cash infusions from national party operativesover $9 million between the N.R.C.C., the Congressional Leadership Fund, the R.N.C., and America First Action. Lambs ascendance, coupled with Saccones failure to launch, has terrified Republicans who see the race as a gauge for whats to come. If the Democrats were to prevail in western Pennsylvania, that would be quite an earthquake, Representative Charlie Dent, a fellow Pennsylvania congressman retiring this year, told The New York Times. If a strong pro-Trump district like this goes the other way, it would send a bad signal around the country in districts far more competitive than this one.Yet Saccone entered the race with some notable advantages. Along with the 18ths voting history and the outsize amounts of money being spent there on his behalf, Republicans stood ready to deploy their heaviest hitters. Mike Pence and Ivanka Trump have both made appearances, and Donald Trump Jr., and Kellyanne Conway are scheduled to visit the district in the coming days. Trump himself will campaign there for the second time, despite the protestations of his advisers. Unlike candidates like Roy Moore and Ed Gillespie, Saccone had largely steered clear of the kind of vitriolic rhetoric that marked him as too closely aligned with the president. In fact, as New Yorks Ed Kilgore notes, Saccone amounted to a reasonably orthodox and scandal-free candidate with a decent resume, running against a first-time former prosecutor. There were, in other words, relatively few roadblocks in his path to the seat.Despite the efforts of the national party, however, Saccone has proven startlingly resistant to outside help. According to Politico, hes a poor fundraiser who frequently bucks the advice of Republican advisers and refuses to put effort into running a strong campaign. Recent internal-polling data shows that just 47 percent of voters in the district view Saccone favorably3 percentage points lower than Trump. Nor have Republicans been shy about voicing their dissatisfaction. In a tough political environment, candidate quality matters more than ever, Ken Spain, a former N.R.C.C. senior aide, told Politico, an echo of the Establishments argument against alleged pedophile Moore. In an anti-GOP yearwhich this is shaping up to bethe Republican candidates will need to run much stronger campaigns or be prepared for the national party to cut them loose.But a high-profile, Alabama-style loss, particularly in a pro-Trump region, will only contribute to the growing sense that the president is toxic to the Republican party. The fact that Lamb has proven unexpectedly adept at fundraising, out-raising Saccone nearly five to one, only underscores that perception, fueling the so-called blue wave that Republicans fear will decimate their majorities in Congress. If he wins, youre going to see probably another half a dozen Republicans say theyre not running again, former V.P. Joe Biden told The New York Times while visiting the district.Biden added that Lambs campaign could hasten the partys efforts to return to its roots, getting back working-class people supporting us again. And, indeed, Lamb, who is less progressive than a traditional Democratic candidate, has voiced his support for Trumps steel tariffs, which could play well in the industrial district. The telegenic Ivy League graduate and former Marine is also in favor of Republican-style gun control, and has taken pains to distance himself from Democratic leadership, openly calling for Nancy Pelosi to step down as House Minority Leader. He also, unusually for a Democrat, has refused to bash Trump during his campaign, and has eschewed bringing in big-gun Democrat surrogates (save for Biden, the partys dedicated blue-collar whisperer). I dont really care what the future of the party looks like, he told The Atlantic, a shrewd move for a Democrat running where voters are generally happy with the state of the Trump-led economy).Home | News | General | Its shameful that Nollywood does not have a benefitting home  Mr. Ibu

Popular Nigerian comic actor John Okafor aka Mr Ibu, says lack of standard structure in Nollywood was worrisome.

Ibu, who spoke with newsmen in Abuja, said that it was a shame that the worlds second largest movie industry lacked standard structures such as headquarters building and modern film studios since its establishment over 20 years ago.

He said that practitioners in the industry would benefit more from Structured Nollywood, rather than financial aid from the Nigerian government.

The Federal Government last year released N420.2 million to the Nigeria film industry popularly called Nollywood, to improve and support aspiring practitioners.

The money under the Project Act Nollywood, is the second payment to the sector under the present administration, to help 105 film distributors.

Government had earlier approved N1.8 billion for disbursement to 106 beneficiaries.

Mr Ibu said he was opposed to such funds due to its inaccessibility.

He further alleged that most actors, actresses and producers in Nollywood do not benefit from such funds due to selfish interests of those in charge of the dissemination of such funds within the government agencies.

We expect such money to be dispensed appropriately by the Ministry of Information and Culture; such money go into the hands of those not connected with what we are doing.

He explained that rather than give Nollywood such money that would not be utilised adequately; government should provide the industry with a plot of land to enable stakeholder build befitting structures and generate money internally.

Nollywood does not have a benefitting `home; the Nigerian government should give large hectares of land in a neighbourhood and also a structure which would be known as the home of the Nigerian film industry instead of doling out funds that go into the wrong hands.

If a structure is established, we will partner sponsors that believe in our work and we will take it up from there.

With such structure, funds we receive will be coordinated by those running the affairs in the Nollywood headquarters.

The comic actor claimed that the Nigerian film industry would surpass the Nigerian oil industry in terms of financial output if a structure is put in place and those in the sector run their affairs devoid of interferences.

Newsmen report immediate past President, Goodluck Jonathan in 2013, allocated three billion Naira to Nollywood under the title: Project Nollywood.

The money was to help turnaround Nigerian movie industry, which has recorded growth in production and sales within past years, but remains heavily criticised for low content.

A previous revolving loan scheme of $200 million (N32 billion), announced by Jonathan in 2010 was also plagued by complaints of inaccessibility.

NAN

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Loading...Home | News | General | Military coup: Ekweremadu denies report completely

By Nwafor Sunday

The Deputy Senate President, Dr. Ike Ekweremadu during the weekend denied reports that he called for military intervention/takeover in the country, noting that he never said so in the National Assembly.

Recall that Ekweremadu while contributing on Wednesday to the crisis in Kogi state especially the recent attack on Senator Ahmed Ogembe by suspected thugs quizzed, who said the army cannot take over?

A question he asked which according to him various media misinterpreted him as saying that he called for military takeover in the country.

Ekweremadu

A review of what Sen. Ekweremadu said during the last week Wednesday plenary session will help elucidate his position.

Read thus:

You will recall that sometime last year when they wanted to recall Dino, I advised the governor that they are wasting the resources of that state, that it is mission impossible.

They took three pages in the newspaper abusing me. Are we still hearing the recall today? Money has been wasted.

If he doesnt stop, there is no how he will come back in 2019, never, no he will not. God will show him that he is a God of justice and this is a message to all those people who have caused all kinds of problem in Nigeria at different levels.

The problem in Nigeria is that our democracy is receding. Who says army cannot take over? Let us not joke with our democracy that is the issue.

The house of a senator was destroyed in Kaduna State. We also are talking about Kwankwaso, who was stopped from going to his state where he ruled for eight years.

In Kaduna, Shehu Sani cannot organise a meeting and we are talking about a democracy.

In view of the misinterpreted statement by some media outlets, Ekweremadu while speaking during the weekend in Bayelsa state said the comments he made on the floor of the senate were in defence of democracy.

In his words, I never called for a military coup. I never said the military was planning any coup. Even the militarys statement admitted that my statement was only cautionary and that we were sincere.

But they went as far as saying that the international community should ignore my words of caution.

Of course, some people took it out of context and said I was calling for a military coup, which I never did.

I hold the Nigerian army and the armed forces in high regard. They have defended our democracy, our people and have acquitted themselves creditably.

If they need anything now, it is encouragement because this is not the best of times for them. But we do hope that when parliamentarians make statements, they (the military) should be able to know exactly what they said before reacting so that we dont overheat the system, he finally said.

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Loading...Home | News | General | Ambode backs 25 years jail term for rapists, perpetrators of domestic violence

As Lagos Gov, Wife, Deputy Gov, CJ, CP, Others Lead Walk Against Menace In Alausa

Lagos State Governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode on Monday threw his weight behind the 25 years jail term for rapist and perpetrators of all forms of domestic violence, saying that the time has come to take aggressive steps to put a stop to the menace.

Lagos State Governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode (middle); his wife, Bolanle (5th right); Chief Judge of the State, Justice Opeyemi Oke (4th right); Chief Whip, Lagos State House of Assembly, Hon. Rotimi Abiru (3rd right); Attorney General/Commissioner for Justice, Mr. Adeniji Kazeem (2nd right); Deputy Governor, Dr. (Mrs) Oluranti Adebule (4th left) and others during a Symbolic Walk Against Sexual and Gender Based Violence in Alausa, Ikeja, on Monday, March 12, 2018.

Governor Ambode, who led a symbolic walk against Domestic and Sexual Violence in Alausa, Ikeja, with top government functionaries including the Deputy Governor, Dr. Oluranti Adebule, Chief Judge of the State, Justice Olufunmilayo Oke, wife of the Governor, Mrs. Bolanle Ambode, Commissioner of Police, Imohimi Edgal, Attorney General, Mr. Adeniji Kazeem, members of the State Executive Council, members of the House of Assembly, stakeholders in the justice sector, celebrities, students, among others, said it was time to walk the talk and ensure that all hands are on deck towards safeguarding the rights of every citizen and the most vulnerable in the society.

Backing the 25 year jail term for rapists, the Governor, decked in a red t-shirt with inscriptions including I Say No To Rape, Stop Domestic Violence, among others, said it was time to take the fight one step further by amending the Protection against Domestic Violence Law, 2007 and also come up with strict punitive measures that would serve as a deterrent to perpetrators of such act.

Rape should not be met with light sentencing; the minimum sentence of 25 years is highly recommended. We need new laws, which will respond adequately to the nature and occurrences of this era. Domestic Violence is a crime, and should be treated as such. The Protection Against Domestic Violence Law, 2007, should therefore be amended accordingly, Governor Ambode said.

He said in the last two and half years, the State has made a lot of in the war against the oppression of the female gender, noting that the States Domestic and Sexual Violence Response Team has executed interventions and initiatives including easy access to reporting incidents, speedy rescue and access to justice, medical & psycho-social support for survivors, sensitization & policy advocacy and the establishment of the lagos state domestic and sexual violence trust fund to ensure survivors are financially independent.

Governor Ambode, however, said that his administration would not rest on its oars until the menace is totally eradicated.

A lot of progress has been made in the steps taken to protect the rights of women and the girl child and in the war against the oppression of the female gender. However, there is still so much to be done. We need to ask ourselves the hard question: for this cause we honour today, how can we truly ensure we are walking the talk?

What we are tackling today is an almost innate culture which relegates women to the background and forces them to suffer in silence. In Lagos, we are waging a war against this culture and we will do everything within our power to transform ours to a culture of equality, respect and dignity for all. It is a journey of radical transformation, and our government is wholly committed to seeing it through.

We are not just reactive in helping survivors but also taking aggressive steps to prevent future occurrences. Our aim is to build a system of trust and accountability, where survivors are encouraged to speak out and potential perpetrators are discouraged to commit future acts, Governor Ambode said.

The Governor commended the Lagos State Judiciary for heeding the call to establish a Sexual Offences Court, just as he also lauded the State House of Assembly for enacting the Protection against Domestic Violence Law, 2007, the Childs Right Law of Lagos State, 2015 and the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015, noting that all efforts was geared towards providing a solid platform for waging the war against Sexual and gender based Violence.

Besides, Governor Ambode, urged the Nigeria Police Force to strive to be more professional and ensure proper investigation of reported cases by grooming specialist officers, since they were mostly the first point of call for victims of sexual and domestic violence.

As the saying goes, the best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago, the next best time is now. We firmly believe that the actions we take today will be the seeds sown for a brighter future for our women and indeed, our children. We believe our State can continue to pioneer in this agenda and become a benchmark not just in Nigeria, but globally, he said.

In her remarks, the Chief Judge commended Governor Ambode for leading the symbolic walk, saying the development as well as other efforts geared towards combating the menace eloquently confirmed the commitment of the State Government to reduce the menace to the bearest minimum, just as she urged victims to come out and seek justice.

On his part, Speaker of the House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Mudashiru Obasa who was represented by the Chief Whip of the House, Rotimi Abiru, said Lagos has set the pace in putting issues of rape, domestic violence, child abuse and others on the front bunner adding that the coming together of the three arms of governments was a proof of political will to fight the menace in the State to a standstill.

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Loading...Home | News | General | More people on their way to SDP-Adeniran

By Dirisu Yakubu

ABUJA-Former Minister of Education and one-time Nigerias Ambassador to Germany, Professor Tunde Adeniran has said the Social Democratic Party (SDP) is set to receive more defectors from rival political parties in the weeks ahead, noting that the party has become the preferred destination of genuine lovers of democracy.

Tunde Adeniran

Adeniran, who defected into the SDP a fortnight ago, alongside some key founding members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) including ex-Information Minister, Professor Jerry Gana and erstwhile Chief of Staff to former Governor, Isah Yuguda Bauchi State, Hon. Shehu Gabam also noted that his new party is preparing to make an impact in the 2019 general elections.

In a chat with Vanguard on Monday, Adeniran said: We expect more people to join the SDP from other political parties and various platforms in view of its determination to be guided by some fundamental principles, policies and people-oriented programmes.

We also expect an influx based on its ideological orientations. As for 2019, we are consolidating on these values to give us a footing for necessary planning and preparations.

Findings by this medium reveal that some aggrieved members of the PDP would be left with no option but to align forces with the SDP, if their grievances against the Uche Secondus-led National Working Committee of the PDP, are not addressed. Already, talks are ongoing between the party and the Coalition of Nigeria Movement (CNM) for a possible alliance ahead of the 2019 polls.

A party source who pleaded anonymity told this medium that the SDP will take advantage of the rift between the PDP and its aggrieved members to woo the later ahead of the polls, adding that SDP is set to benefit from the troubles in some parties.

According to him, The SDP is already reaching out to these people and preliminary talks have been very fruitful. Apart from those who got angry at the conduct of the PDP convention, there are those who were sidelined long before the exercise. What about those who exhausted their energy and resources for the All Progressives Congress (APC) and are now stranded politically? We want to bring them back to the home of democracy where no one is too rich to make others hearers and not doers, in the running of the party.

He also hinted at a plan to woo a PDP Presidential aspirant, who is set to miss out of the sole ticket not because he is not popular enough but Because those that call the shots have vowed not to allow him contest the highest elective office on the PDP platform.

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Loading...Home | News | General | Senator Boroffice accuse gov Akeredolu of polarising, alienating party leaders in state APC

By Dayo Johnson, Akure

SENATOR Ajayi Boroffice representing Ondo North Senatorial district in the National Assembly yesterday pointedly accused governor Rotimi Akeredolu of polarising the party and alienating critical mass of party leadership and supporters in the state.

Boroffice who traced the crisis in the party to the aftermath of the 2016 governorship primaries of the party cried out that  all is not well with the party in Ondo state.

Governor Akeredolu had fired the first Salvo by declaring that he does not deny the legitimacy of Boroffices position as the senator representing Ondo North senatorial district but that he knows only two APC senators in the state who are currently working with the state government for the upliftment of Ondo State.

Responding through his Media Assistant, Kayode Fakuyi, Boroffice in a statement saud the governor has not extended any invitation to him to attend any meeting since the inauguration of the governor. Therefore, the issue of turning down any invitation does not arise.

Boroffice said  the attitude of governor to other party leaders in Ondo State, who do not see issues from his perspective, has unfortunately polarized the Ondo State chapter of the party and alienated a critical mass of the party leadership and supporters as well.

The Senator said that all is not well with All Progressives Congress in the Sunshine State. Rather than embrace the challenges of leadership and reach out to every leader of the party in Ondo State, the governor preferred to run the government of Ondo State and the party with his trifling followership.

He continues to erroneously lay claim to the ownership of the party.He continues to threaten other party leaders with threat of expulsion from the party.

The National Leadership of our great party cannot forget in a hurry the road we had to travel to reach where we are; it is our collective will and unity of purpose that have taken us this far.

To destroy the legacy is to destroy the great bond that binds us together as members of the All Progressives Congress.

 It is our unshakable article of faith that moral justice is an armament of political and socio-economic progress.

 There can be no justice when someone appropriates our common wealth and violates our common law (APC Constitution, 2014 as amended) that binds us together.

 We therefore call on the National Leadership of our great party to urgently intervene in the crisis plaguing the Ondo State chapter of the party.

We cannot afford to sweep under the carpet issues polarizing the APC in Ondo State as we move into another round of congresses and general elections.

It is for this reason that His Excellency, President Muhammadu Buhari has called for reconciliation of leaders and resolutions of disputed issues. This is the wise road to travel and we cannot dissent.

Therefore, Senator Boroffice wishes to express full confidence in the Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu-led presidential committee. We fully support our National Leader, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu on this course.

He stated that the governors insinuation and innuendoes suggested that the senator has not been working for the progress and development of Ondo State in general and Ondo North senatorial district in particular was not correct.

Given the several developmental strides that have been spurred by the eventful tenure of the Distinguished Senator, such suggestion of non-performance is wholly incorrect. It is a cherry-picked attempt to taint the senator with bad name in order to hang him. Nothing can be farther from the truth.

Setting the records straight, the governor has sent two private communications to the Senate since his inauguration as Governor of Ondo State on the 24th of February, 2017, in respect of confirmation of appointments from Ondo State.

In the consideration of the governors requests, Senator Boroffice, despite the underlying differences, rallied his colleagues to support Governor Akeredolus position in the interest of the good people of Ondo State. Therefore, the suggestion that Senator Boroffice is not working for the upliftment of Ondo State is false and misleading.

To debunk that he has not been working for the upliftment of the State, Boroffice highlighted the achievement of Boroffice to include the installation of solar-powered electricity street lights in more than 80 per cent of the 72 wards of Ondo North senatorial district., construction of more than than thirty-five solar-powered boreholes,installed over twenty-five electricity transformers located in various communities of the Ondo North senatorial district.

It is also on record that Senator Boroffice recently built and commissioned an Obstetric hospital in Iboje Oka to cater for the medical needs of the people Ondo North senatorial district.

In order to aid self-employment generation drive, Senator Boroffice conceived and built three agricultural plants. Cashew processing plant in Ikakuma in Akoko NorthEast Local Government. Biofuel producing plant in Ajowa in Akoko NorthWest Local Government. Five Garri-processing plants were also located at Ipele in Owo LG, Ifira, Iboropa, Ago Oka and Ebo.

Furthermore, Senator Boroffice has facilitated the construction of three state-of-the-art Skill Acquisition Centres in Ikaram, Oka  Akoko and Ifon in Ose LG.

In the area of formal education, Senator Boroffice built, furnished and commissioned five blocks of classrooms at Ikaro, Oka, Obato and other parts of Ondo North senatorial district.

It is also on record that Senator Boroffice has attracted the following Federal Institutions to Ondo North senatorial district; National Science Laboratory in Akungba, Bioresources Development Centre, Technology Incubation Centre, Regional Centre for Leather Research, National Aerospace Laboratory and Regional Centre for Chemical Technology.

15. The above stated facts showed that Senator Boroffice has been working for the upliftment of Ondo State before and after the inauguration of Governor Rotimi Akeredolu.

The statement said that The people of Ondo State should be reassured that Senator Boroffice will continue to work for the upliftment of Ondo State and her people.

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Loading...Home | News | General | IMSG should Stop telling blatant lies  Owerri Archdiocese

By Chidi Nkwopara

OWERRI  Governor Rochas Okorocha and his cronies have been advised to pay more attention to governance, for which he was elected and stop manufacturing blatant lies to confuse the hapless citizens. Okorocha

The Owerri Archdiocesan Director of Communication, Rev. Fr. George Nwachukwu, gave the advice while reacting to the rumour trailing the verbal assault on Archbishop Anthony J. V. Obinna at St. Michaels Catholic Church, Ngwoma Obube.

He wondered why any sane mind would think that the Archbishop was fighting the Governor because he (Okorocha) refused to fund Catholic mission schools.

Fr. Nwachukwu equally debunked the state governments claim that it gave the Catholic Archdiocese of Owerri, the sum of N400 million to rehabilitate schools handed over to the church.

The claim that Archbishop Obinna is fighting the Governor because he refused to subvent Catholic mission schools is a blatant lie. The Governor and his cronies should please face governance, which is why he was elected, instead of feeding the citizenry with blatant lies periodically, Fr. Nwachukwu said.

The Archdiocesan Director of Communication reasoned that as the vicar of Christ on earth, the Archbishop will always stand up in defence of the people, irrespective of the place and circumstance.

There is absolutely nothing personal about the Archbishops position at Ngwoma Obube. He even did a more severe battle during the Col. Tanko Zubairu military administration. Given life and strength, the Archbishop will keep speaking for the voiceless and hapless majority, Nwachukwu said.

On the funding of Catholic schools, the cleric explained that the Archdiocese does not have any problem with it, stressing that the schools are doing well.

The Archbishop has no apology for saying that Imo State needs a seasoned administrator to govern it. What we need is a democratically elected governor and not a handpicked successor, Fr. Nwachukwu said.

He re-echoed Archbishop Obinnas admonition that Governor Rochas Okorocha cannot succeed himself and that pushing his son in-law, Uche Nwosu, to replace him,is an indirect way of doing that and this is most unacceptable to Imo people.

Vanguard recalls that the Archbishop had, during the Requiem Mass, condemned the idea of imposing a candidate on the people and urged the faithful to arm themselves with their voters card, for the 2019 general election.

The Governor cannot impose anybody on the rest of us. The peoples votes will decide. We have become miserable. Imo is now an empty basket. Rebuilding the state and restoring its dignity is a challenge. Let us vote for mature, responsible citizens, who will serve the

people and not dominate them, Archbishop Obinna told the congregation.

The fiery cleric also told the faithful that: Imo needs a seasoned technocrat, who will right the wrongs and correct several anomalies and hardship inflicted by the present administration, and not the Governors stooge, who lacks the experience and maturity for such exalted office.

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Loading...Home | News | General | Breaking: Rapists to serve for 25-year jail term

Gov. Akinwunmi Ambode of Lagos State on Monday recommended minimum sentence of 25 years for rapists, saying rape should not be met with light sentencing.

Ambode made the recommendation during a symbolic walk against domestic and sexual violence at Alausa.

It is highly recommended. We need new laws which will respond adequately to the nature and occurrences of this era.

Domestic violence is a crime and should be treated as such. The Protection against Domestic Violence Law, 2007 should, therefore, be amended accordingly, he said.

Ambode urged the Nigeria Police Force, which was usually the first point of call, to strive to be more professional and ensure proper investigation of reported cases by grooming specialist officers in that regard.

As the saying goes, the best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago; the next best time is now.

 We firmly believe that the actions we take today will be the seeds sown for a brighter future for our women and indeed, our children.

We believe our state can continue to pioneer in this agenda and become a benchmark not just in Nigeria, but globally, he said.

The governor said that a lot of progress had been made in protecting the rights of women and the girl-child, and against oppression of the female gender, there was still so much to be done.

We need to ask ourselves the hard question: for this course we honour today, how can we truly ensure we are walking the talk?

In our state, there has been a significant increase in formal and informal reporting of domestic and sexual violence cases, but contrary to what it appears to be, this menace is not a recent development.

These occurrences have been around for years, but they were seen as norms because nobody spoke out against them, and such acts were overlooked based on misguided definitions of gender roles.

What we are tackling today is an almost innate culture which relegates women to the background, and forces them to suffer in silence.

In Lagos, we are waging a war against this culture and we will do everything within our power to transform ours to a culture of equality, respect and dignity for all.

It is a journey of radical transformation, and our government is wholly committed to seeing it through, he said.

Ambode said that the states Domestic and Sexual Violence Response Team had executed various interventions and initiatives as regards fighting sexual and gender-based violence.

We are not just reactive in helping survivors, but also taking aggressive steps to prevent future occurrences.

Our aim is to build a system of trust and accountability, where survivors are encouraged to speak out and potential perpetrators are discouraged to commit future acts, he said.

On Land Use charge, the governor noted that the state government was still open to dialogue.

I really mean it when I say I want dialogue. By the end of the week, we should be able to come out with something meaningful to ameliorate the issues being raised, he said.

Earlier, the Commissioner of Police in the state, Mr Imohinmi Edgal, described the walk as significant, saying it would heighten peoples consciousness to always be at alert and report cases of domestic and sexual abuse.

Some participants in the walk carried placards with various inscriptions, including Domestic Violence is Not a Family Matter, Report It, Women Empowerment, Gender Parity, thats what I stand for and Lagos State says no to domestic violence.

NAN

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Loading...Home | News | General | Update: Tillerson to spend few hours in Nigeria

U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson has changed his schedule so that he will spend only a few hours in Nigeria before leaving late Monday evening to Washington DC.

A spokesman for the top U.S. diplomat said Tillerson had cut short his first trip to Africa to return to Washington about one day ahead of schedule to deal with urgent work there.

Rex Tillerson

Tillersons travel plans have changed so that he can return to Washington early on Tuesday morning instead of late that night, the spokesman told reporters traveling with him.

The secretary departed the Kenyan capital of Nairobi on Monday morning.

He will visit Chad and Nigeria, both oil-producers struggling to contain the Islamist Boko Haram insurgency, on Monday afternoon and evening.

He was billed to spend Monday night in the Nigerian capital, Abuja, before flying back to Washington.

On Saturday while visiting Nairobi, Tillerson, 65, canceled his scheduled events because he had been feeling unwell.

Tillersons week-long, five-country visit to Africa came amid other urgent foreign policy developments, including Thursdays announcement that U.S. President Donald Trump will meet North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.

Tillersons visit to the Horn of Africa just days after he announced a new $533m aid package for Africa out of which 128 million dollars was earmarked for Nigeria and countries of the Lake Chad region.

When Tillerson meets Buhari, both men are expected to discuss counter-terrorism efforts and humanitarian issues in Nigerias North-East and the Lake Chad basin.

He is also expected to discuss how to advance peace and security, promote good governance, and spur mutually beneficial trade and investment with the President

During his trip, he is expected also to meet with the U.S. Embassy personnel and participate in events related to U.S. government-supported activities

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Loading...President Muhammadu Buhari has blamed the Inspector General of Police, Idris Abubakar over the continuous killings in Benue State.

The President said this while faulting the notion in some quarters that he had abandoned the people of Benue State.

Buhari said he had the people of the state at heart and will not abandon them.

The president made this remark on Tuesday during a condolence visit to the state.

According to him, The problem in Benue stated worsening because the IGP refused to follow my instruction.

It is wrong to think I have abandoned the people of Benue. I still have at heart.

I thank the governor and the people of the state for receiving me.The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has described President Muhammadu Buharis afterthought visit to Benue, several months after the massacre of Nigerians, as needless and serves only as a large billboard of his administrations gross insensitivity to the plight of Nigerians.

The party however said its mega rally, which held in Dutse, Jigawa State, today, has opened a new vista for the party as the true hope for Nigerians.

The PDP said President Buharis visits to troubled states, particularly Benue, serve no sincere purpose since they did not come from the heart but evidently orchestrated for political reasons.

The PDP, in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan, on Monday, said it is appalling and highly disheartening that a President can only visit his distressed citizens after a widespread outcry over his aloofness and not out of any genuine concern for their wellbeing.

What is the purpose of condolence visit when it does not come from the heart but orchestrated to deceive and beguile the people ahead of the 2019 general elections?

Indeed, we agree no less with Nigerians that this cosmetic and politically motivated visit is nothing but a direct mockery of the dead and a heavy slap on the faces of the bereaved.

This is the same president, who at the wake of the massacre, summoned the leaders and the bereaved to Abuja, rather than complying with the age-long tradition of Africans by immediately visiting the bereaved.

Months after their tears have dried and they are painfully gathering their broken pieces, the Presidency is now trying to use them for a political posturing by staging a cosmetic condolence visit just to score a political point.

More off-putting is the fact that following the public criticisms that trailed the Presidents glaring aloofness and failure to visit the direct victims during his whistle stops in Taraba and Plateau states, his handlers has now arranged a put-on visit to some Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camps in Benue, which is nothing but a posturing stunt to further deceive the people.

If the Buhari administration is genuinely concerned about the wellbeing of the people of Benue and other trouble states, what decisive step has been taken to apprehend those behind the carnage and bring them to book?

What steps have been taken to ensure adequate protection for the people and to end the daily bloodletting in the land?

Instead the government has engaged in making reproachful comments and dishing out false information to the people.

The PDP therefore charges the Presidency to end the unnecessary roadshow and take decisive steps to ensure the security of the people. Furthermore, those organizing the road shows must understand that Nigerians can no longer be deceived by cosmetic and pretentious posturing from this grossly insensitive and incompetent administration, which has brought them so much pain.Home | News | General | Breaking: Just back from Benue, President Buhari meets US secretary of state Rex Tillerson in Aso Rock (photos)

Just back from Benue state where he met with the people, President Muhammadu Buhari has returned to the Aso Rock Villa where he is currently meeting with the United States Secretary of State, Rex Tillerson.

NAIJ.com learnt that Tillerson arrived Nigeria's seat of power in the evening of Monday, March 12 and is expected to discuss issues relating to both countries.

READ ALSO: Police arrest herdsman with military rifle, confirm 16 killed in Plateau attacks

The meeting is holding behind closed doors at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

Buhari discusses with Rex Tillerson in Aso Rock. Credit: Presidency

Vanguard also quotes Tillerson as condemning the recent mass abduction of schoolgirls in Dapchi and promised Washingtons full support in Nigerias fight against Boko Haram jihadists.

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The recent kidnapping of 110 schoolgirls is heartbreaking.

Officials of the US with their Nigerian counterparts. Cresit: Presidency

Nigeria has the US in full support and we are actively working with our partners in what we can assist you in this fight, he said.

NAIJ.com earlier reported that Rex Tillerson would arrive in Abuja for his first official visit to Nigeria.

A press advisory from the US Embassy said Tillerson would hold talks with President Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday.

When he arrives, Tillerson will become the highest ranking official in the Trump administration to visit Nigeria.

Discussion time between Buhari and Tillerson. Credit: Presidency

The secretary is expected to hold a press conference at the Presidential Villa on Tuesday by 11.45 am," the statement said.

NAIJ.com also reported on Monday, March 12, that Rex Tillerson arrived Abuja for his first official visit to Nigeria.

Tillerson had visited Ethiopia, Djibouti, Kenya and Chad. Nigeria is his last stop on his five-country tour of Africa.

Boko Haram Kidnappings: Dapchi Protests Abduction of Their Daughters by Boko Haram - on NAIJ.com TV

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Loading...Home | News | General | OPINION: Ekweremadu: Between democracy and the military

Editor's note: Public commentator, Okanga Agila, writes on the recent controversy surrounding the Deputy Senate President, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, after he allegedly made a statement suggesting a possible takeover by the military due to some anti-democratic actions of the current government.

Read below:

Deputy Senate President, Senator Ike Ekweremadu is an interesting character. He is always excited, haughty and very mouthy. If Nigerians perceive the current Senate more as a punishment chamber than a parliament, its because of leaders like Ekweremadu.

His soul mates in the red chamber have conspiratorially turned the Senate into an undemocratic mental torture chamber for senators, where voices opposed to its leadership are muzzled and dubiously punished. Sadly, Ekweremadu is failing to check his tongue.

Senator Ekweremadu belongs to the clan of senators who are irretrievably tied to the old order of impunity and disorderliness on issues of public governance, famed with the PDP. For them, its not possible to change anything.

Ekweremadu has since denied calling for a military takeover of the country. Photo credit: Nigerian Senate

READ ALSO: Deputy Senate President Ekweremadu denies calling for military coup in Nigeria

He is therefore naturally blind to the illumination provided by the change government of the APC led by President Muhammadu Buhari. Under the expired national government of the PDP, nothing was impossible provided it serviced the egos of its minions. That era has gone, but since Ekweremadu is yet to purge himself of the PDP mendacious inclination, he still functions under such false illusions.

Therefore, a few days ago, Senator Ekweremadu had the effrontery to foul the air by dragging the Nigerian military and specifically, the Nigerian Army into politics. Senator Ahmed Ogembe, representing Kogi Central had a raised a motion alleging that Kogi state governor, Yahaya Bello, sponsored thugs to disrupt his empowerment programme for constituents.

But in a rather asinine twist, while contributing to the debate, Ekweremadu deviated from the core issue by declaring, The problem in Nigeria is that our democracy is receding. Who says army cannot take over? Let us not joke with our democracy.

There was no correlation at all. So, the reference to the army by Ekweremadu was spiteful and intended to stir enmity and air of disloyalty between the Commander-in-Chief of the Nigerian Armed Forces, President Buhari and the Nigerian military.

And it has exposed the extent Ekweremadu has lost touch with the reality in Nigeria, a country, which signed a creed in 2015 to severe itself from the culture of the past, by its embrace of democracy and building of strong or thriving military and democratic institutions.

Perhaps, steeped in the sentiments of opposition politics, and the desire to blackmail, Ekweremadu is oblivious of the changes around him. He neither knows the new face of the Nigerian military under the leadership of the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Gabriel Olonishakin nor the Nigerian Army, under the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt. Gen. Tukur Yusufu Buratai.

To again redirect the attention of the likes of Ekweremadu to the reality they have refused to acknowledge, the Nigerian military have been disciplined and re-professionalized. It has consistently demonstrated to the world in words and actions that there is no alternative to democracy. It cannot be persuaded by such outbursts to discard their toga of professionalism and support to democratic institutions.

The Nigerian Army particularly have elected upon itself to serve as guardians of Nigerias democracy evident in the struggles to protect and preserve Nigerians democracy and the absolute subordination to civil authorities.

The current leadership of the Nigerian military led by General Olonishakin as well as the Nigerian Army under the guidance of General Buratai, much as other service chiefs have proven beyond doubt the military is an integral part of this great nation. It exudes more interest in assisting Nigerias democracy to blossom to full maturity.

It has confined itself to its core professional duties and values of safeguarding the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Nigeria. The Nigerian military has proven to be a responsible and responsive fighting force, patriotically defending the country from both external and internal aggressors, with delight.

And this streams from carefully articulated and implemented re-orientation measures, like professionalism, discipline, integrity, and seamless civil/military relations anchored on international best practices. The Nigerian Army under General Buratai has no reason to harbor thoughts of dabbling into partisan politics.

It is much more remote that the army would even ruminate scuttling democracy as insinuated by Ekweremadu. Buratais mastery in leadership of the army has tackled explosive issues which hitherto served as baits or motivation for soldiers to engage in coups.

For instance, soldiers are no longer under the yoke of stalled promotions. They are now promptly promoted and this itself is a great moral booster for any army anywhere in the world. The current leadership of the army under Genral Buratai has consistently provided incentives to soldiers by appreciating and decorating deserving officers with medals for exceptional performances.

General Buratai worships and rewards merit, and has completely deleted favouratism in the administration of the army, as glaringly reflected several times in the ongoing counter-insurgency operations in the north-east. To say the least, the commitment of the army leadership to reward officers and men of the Nigerian Army is unflinching and indiscriminate.

The inculcation and enforcement of the values of discipline in soldiers have been General Buratais topmost agenda from the outset. What leads the army into coups most times is indiscipline. The anger is fired in instances where some officers and soldiers are favoured on either ethnic or religious affiliations.

The rules and internal control measures apply to all and sundry, as circumstances demand, without sentiments, as evident in routine reshuffling of the executive command positions without recourse to religion or tribe.

So, the army leadership has assiduously worked and conquered these defects and there is no possibility that such soldiers would nurture any coup ambition.

Furthermore, the army leadership has prioritized welfare and introduced various incentives to personnel. General Buratai extends welfare of soldiers to even their families. The famous warlord, Sun Tsu said, Treat your men as you would your own beloved sons. And they will follow you into the deepest valley.

Therefore, when soldiers face the hardest of tasks assigned to them courageously and victoriously; its because they have no psychological trauma on hanging welfare packages. The facelift of military barracks and the improved general living conditions of officers and men are motivations for the army, which have voluntarily made army personnel to remain apolitical and loyal to civil authority in Nigeria.

And above all, General Buratai has ensured transparency and accountability in the leadership of the Nigerian Army. He has blocked loopholes that enabled looting or misappropriation of army resources at the expense of the well-being of personnel. This previously accounted for mutiny on the battlefield in protest of neglect and deprivation. The army now is a contented force.

READ ALSO: Governor Wike blames security agencies for alleged environmental degradation of Rivers

The era of a few officers and soldiers getting rich quick is gone. The prudent management of lean resources by the Lt. General Buratai led leadership has restored confidence, respect and accorded dignity to army personnel whose first and last focus is concentration on their constitutionally defined professional roles.

No Nigerian, moreso, a leader, like Ekweremadu who is aware of these changes would deliberately attempt to rejig the narrative with the flavor of his bizarre idiosyncrasies. Let it be known to Senator Ekweremadu that the army has been re-professionalized and disciplined.

Your own opinion articles are welcome at info@naij.com - drop an email telling us what you want to write about and why. More details in Naij.coms step-by-step guide for guest contributors.

Were ready to trade your news for our money: submit news and photo reports from your area using our Citizen Journalism App.

Contact us if you have any feedback, suggestions, complaints or compliments. We are also available on Facebook and Twitter.

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Loading...Home | News | General | Kano youths beg Buhari to reconsider Peace Corps bill

- Kano Youths for Change Initiative (KYCI) has urged President Buhari to reconsider Peace Corps bill

- The president had recently refused to assent to the bill after it was passed by the national assembly

- The youths begged the president to look deeply at the substance of the bill and what the nation stand to benefit if assented

The youths in Kano state under the auspice of Kano Youths for Change Initiative (KYCI) have appealed to President Muhammadu Buhari to reconsider his stand on the Peace Corps bill.

Daily Trust reports that while addressing a press conference in Kano on Monday, March 12, the group's president, Zahradeen Ahmed, called on the president to look deeply at the substance of the bill and what the nation stand to benefit if assented.

READ ALSO: Buhari holds meeting with farmers, Miyetti Allah in Benue

NAIJ.com gathered that Ahmed said that: We appeal to president Buhari to recall the bill and append his esteem signature on it. We believe this will serve as one of the most effective and a viable avenue for job creation for the benefit of the teeming unemployed youth across the country.

President Buhari should understand that the Peace Corps is not a security outfit as alleged by other security agencies like the police, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps and Nigerian Intelligence

Agency among others. Rather it is core advocacy and technical support agency meant to provide legitimate supportive skills for our youths as proactive instrument for growth and development tool.

He explained that the corps could have been sublime panacea against communal, inter-ethnic and cult-related crisis through intelligence gathering from social events, schools and markets among other public places in order to help security agencies tackle the security challenges bedevilling the country.

He said: The abduction of Chibok schoolgirls in Borno state and Dapchi schoolgirls in Yobe state can be averted if members of Peace Corps were in place or allowed to man schools as inculcated in the

bill. We are amazed as to why such an ideal bill passed by the NASS will be rejected by a president that promised to put the country on the path to national rebirth for growth and development.

We perceived that the presidents decision to withhold assent to the Peace Corps bill was informed by the handiwork of the few parochial interests working against Nigerians for their selfish interest.

We want ask our father, president Buhari, what do we then expect from these youths other than increase in organised crimes and other mischievous activities that may lead to social vices?

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It would be recalled that the Peace Corps bill was passed into law by the National Assembly in 2017, but it was announced last month that president Buhari has refused to assent the bill.

Meanwhile, NAIJ.com had previously reported that an international youth expert and former president of the Pan African Youth Union, Comrade Ben Duntoye, called on President Muhammadu Buhari to quickly reconsider and retract his position on the Nigeria Peace Corps bill.

EXCLUSIVE: Be patient with President Buhari, Femi Adesina tells Nigerians - on NAIJ.com TV

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Loading...Home | News | General | Relationship between farmers; herdsmen will continue - President Buhari

- President Muhammadu Buhari said he was unaware that police IG did not stay in Benue

- He called on farmers and herdsmen to learn to live together in peace

- Governor Ortom urged that exercise cat race be upgraded into an operation

President Muhammadu Buhari has reportedly said he was unaware that inspector-general of police, Ibrahim failed to carry out his order when the latter was asked to go to Benue state following killings by suspected herdsmen.

Tribune reports that President Buhari made this comment when he paid a condolence visit to the state.

READ ALSO: Fayose has acquired Niger Republic passport, plans to flee after tenure - Ojudu raises serious allegation (video)

President Buhari said he did the right thing by asking Idris to go to the state but did not know that he (IG) did not stay in the state.

The president dismissed report that he had abandoned Benue people saying I have friends here in the state, there is no way I can deliberately overlook what is happening here and other parts of the country.

Let me appeal to our people in the state to apply more restraints, the relationship between farmers and herders will continue, it behoves on us to keep encouraging ourselves to continue to live together peacefully.

The president also noted that in spite of the situation of the country, some people were still unsympathetic.

He said: When we came into office, the price of crude went down and production was cut to one million barrel per day. I went to CBN there was no money, I asked why they said we bought food and fuel. I didnt believe them then and now too.

Governor Samuel Ortom in his remark said the exercise cat race should be upgraded into an operation and also denied that the state had militia.

He said: "Sixty-five more people have been killed after the mass burial of 73 persons, also 26 more were killed in Okpokwu with over 5000 displaced in Mbatoho community.

As of now, one hundred and seventy thousand persons, 170,000 people live in displaced camps across the state. 60 percent of IDPs are school children who should be in school by now.

Yesterday, two police officers were killed in Guma, our appeal is that federal government should compensate the people who were displaced.

Ghana is the one that is known to own a militia and has been declared wanted with a ransom of N50 million placed on him.

We hope the Ayem akpatuma can be upgraded from exercise to operation because the herdsmen have taken over the villages and our food have become feeds for their cattle. If Ayem is upgraded, they will also help in tracking down Ghana.

Wantaregh Paul Unongo who is a former minister of power and steel in his remark called on President Buhari to supportthe anti-grazing bill.

He said: This is not a monopoly of Benue to treats a, Zamfara, Kaduna, plateau and other parts of the north from those who voted massively for you. The pictures we thought were just propaganda until it happened in Benue. When you were on a visit to Taraba that you were coming to Benue, these people went to Okpokwu and killed over 30 people. I personally believe that it was an act of God that you were chosen to be our leader this time.

 I know you were shot in the Biafran war and a Tiv man backed you and took you out of that place. The people of Benue are resolute about you, please, dont disappoint them. Degrade the herdsmen phenomenal. The landmass of your country is not increasing, the population is. If you dont do something now, you will discover that you will end up having a terrorist country far beyond your dream.

Our governor is not your enemy but is under threat. He is very competent and loyal to you. The law was not made to antagonize you. How can somebody with Fulani blood be the leader of Tiv people? Your son, Ortom is misunderstood by some of your security aids especially the police IGP. He is under threat.

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Meanwhile, criticisms trailed the inscription on a signpost installed by the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) at the grave site of those killed in violent attacks on communities in Benue state between January 1 and 2.

Burial site for 73 victims of Fulani herdsmen massacre in Guma and Logo local government areas was inscribed in white and brown block letters on a metal board with isolated green background, Premium Times reports.

NAIJ.com gathered that the signpost was installed at the mass grave along Achusa road, Makurdi, the state capital.

Victims of Herdsmen killing buried in Benue state - on NAIJ.com TV

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Loading...Home | News | General | FG probes sources of Boko Haram IEDs materials

By Joseph Erunke

ABUJA-THE federal government is to launch probe into sources of materials used by the Boko Haram terrorist group in manufacturing Improvised Explosive Devices,IEDs, in the country.

Nigerian Army

This was even as it disclosed it has already identified the prevalent types of explosives, accessories, fertilizers and procursor chemicals being used by the terrorists to unleash carnage on innocent citizens and would soon block access to them.

The National Security Adviser, Maj. Gen. Babagana Monguno, rtd, disclosed this Monday, in Abuja, while declaring open a five-day National Chemical Security Training Conference,organized by his office in conjunction with the Chemical Security Programme, CSP.

According to Monguno, the federal administration would henceforth focus its attacks on criminal networks of sourcing for materials used in preparing IEDs by the terrorists group.

Monguno, who spoke through the Coordinator of Counter Terrorism Centre, Rear Admiral Yem Musa, further said all relevant agencies involved in the procurement, use and control of harmful chemicals would be made to ensure that Nigeria comply with global best practices in the importation, storage, transportation and distribution of chemicals in the country.

 The Office of the National Security Adviser has over the years investigated series of Improvised Explosives Devices (IED) incidents, within the urban terrorism and insurgency theatre of operations and have been able to identify the prevalent types of explosives, accessories, fertilizers and precursor chemicals used in the preparation of the IEDs.

IED attacks have become an integral part the Boko Haram Terrorist tactics. Over the years, nations faced with the threats and dual use of chemical substances and precursor for illicit and criminal activities, have evolved strategies to mitigate, pre-empt and respond to such threats.

 Similarly in Nigeria, we have also included counter IED initiatives in our National Counter Terrorism Strategy (NACTEST). The focus of this Strategy is to attack the criminal network of sourcing for the materials used in preparing the IEDs, including the various dual use chemicals, explosives/accessories and specific blends of fertilizers.

Working with relevant stake holding Ministries Departments and Agencies (MDAs) we have emplaced strategic measures to control the importation, transportation, storage and use of these sensitive substances, thereby taking them out of the reach of criminal elements.

The MDAs are engaged as follows: National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC)  For Chemical Control, Ministry of Mines and Steel Development (MMSD)  For Explosives and Accessories Control and the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (FMARD)- For Fertilizer Control, he said.

The NSA said his office had extended its efforts to curtail use of drugs and chemical to the human aspect of chemical security threat, stressing that we have identified that most of these violent crimes , such as person borne IEDs are perpetrated under the influence of drugs.

In his remarks, the Director General of NAFDAC, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye said time has come for the federal government to declare emergency in the drug and chemical sectors of the nations economy in view of the perversive use of drugs and the porous nature of the countrys borders.

Some weeks ago about three trucks of Tramador were impounded, after NAFDAC received a tipped off on their exit from Apapa Port, we were told the substance were being transported to Yola, probably to Sambisa forest.

You will all agree with me that it will be difficult for a normal person to strap around herself Improvised Explosive Devices, this is what our young girls are being made to do. It is because their minds have been stolen. Therefore we must do every thing possible to address this issue.

Prof. Adeyeye lamented that NAFDAC for now is not allowed access to the nations port to check illegal importation of drugs, stressing that unless such anomally is corrected we will be hiding our heads in the sands as fas as the the importation, storage and transportation of drugs and chemicals into the country are concerned.

The Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Ibok Ete Ibas, called for intelligence sharing among all security agencies to check importation and smuggling of illicit drugs and dangerous chemical substance into the country.

Represented by Rear Admiral A B Adamu, the Naval Boss said while the Navy would continue to monitor the movements of dangerous and harmful chemicals by land and sea, it has become imperative for all stakeholders to do things that would lead to a most secured Nigeria under the present circumstance.

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Loading...Home | News | General | President Buhari visits Benue, says FG deeply concerned about attacks

President Muhammadu Buhari on Monday said that government was deeply worried about the incessant attacks on Benues rural communities, and vowed to end the menace very soon.

Buhari, who met with farmers, herdsmen, government officials and other stakeholders in Makurdi, denied insinuations that he was not interested in what was happening to the north-central state.

President Buhari

I cannot overlook the killings in Benue or any other part of Nigeria. I cannot do that. I am genuinely worried about the attacks in Benue and we are doing everything to end them, he said.

He said that the insecurity in some states was a major concern to his government, adding that concerted efforts were being made to restore normalcy to every part of the country.

Buhari said that he was surprised at the revelation that the Inspector-General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, did not spend 24 hours in Benue, when he directed him to relocate to the state and remain there till peace was restored.

I am getting to know this in this meeting. I am quite surprised, he said.

He, however, said that the meeting was not the best place to expose the inefficiency of his appointees, and appealed to Benue people to exercise restraint and live in peace with their neighbours.

Buhari appealed to the people to pay more attention to farming, especially rice cultivation, saying that rice importation had dropped by 90 per cent since some states embarked on massive production of the commodity.

Speaking earlier, Gov Samuel Ortom appealed to the President to upgrade the ongoing military exercise in the state tagged Ayem Akpatema, to a wider operation to effectively curb herdsmen attacks.

If the exercise is upgraded to a wider operation, it will assist greatly in ending the incessant attacks and senseless killings by herdsmen, he said

He urged Benue people to learn to live in peace with other people.

Ortom said that many states were currently involved in massive cultivation of rice, and urged his people to join the trend.

The governor reiterated his call for the arrest of the leadership of Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore, alleging that the body was responsible for the killings in Benue.

Ortom maintained that ranching was the best option for cattle breeding in Nigeria, and advised herdsmen to embrace it so as to minimise the clashes caused by open grazing.

He also called on the federal government to take over the management of the Benue University Teaching Hospital, College of Education, Katsina-Ala and Benue Polytechnic, Ugbokolo.

Malam Shetima Mohammed, a representative of Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN), Benue Chapter, however, denied responsibility for the Benue attacks.

Our association is a peace loving one and the exact opposite of what is being portrayed, he declared.

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Loading...Home | News | General | How we are tackling bombings in the country - FG

The Federal Government says it is taking measures to control certain drugs, having discovered that most suicide bombings and other violent crimes are carried out under the influence of drugs.

Rear Adm. Yaminu Musa, the coordinator, Counter Terrorism Centre, Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA), disclosed this on Monday, March 12 while declaring open a five-day conference on National Chemical Security.

READ ALSO: Why we are careful about rescue of Chibok, Dapchi girls - President Buhari

Musa did not name those drugs to be controlled.

He said: The National Action Plan on Preventing and Countering Violent Extremism is aimed at identifying early warning signs of violent extremism, pre-empt and prevent it from manifesting.

One of such acts of violent extremism is the suicide-bombing phenomenon, a tactic being exploited by the Boko Haram Terrorist, especially in the North Eastern part of the Country.

In response to this ugly phenomenon, we have extended our counter IED efforts beyond control of explosives and precursor materials to include the human aspect of the threat, which is the motivational factor.

We have identified that most of these violent crimes, such as person borne IEDs, are perpetrated under the influence of drugs.

He said to curtail the surge in drug related violent extremism and other, the centre had included certain drugs often abused and their various precursors as chemicals of concerns.

The coordinator said those drugs required strict control measures for their importation, manufacture, distribution, storage and usage.

On use of chemicals, Musa said the ONSA had identified the prevalent types of explosives, accessories, fertilizers and precursor chemicals used in the preparation of the IEDs.

He said that this was after investigation carried out over the years on series of Improvised Explosives Devices (IED) incidents in urban terrorism and insurgency theatre of operations.

IED attacks have become an integral part the Boko Haram Terrorist tactics.

Over the years, nations faced with the threats and dual use of chemical substances and precursor for illicit and criminal activities, have evolved strategies to mitigate, pre-empt and respond to such threats.

Similarly in Nigeria, we have also included counter IED initiatives in our National Counter Terrorism Strategy (NACTEST).

The focus of this strategy is to attack the criminal network of sourcing for the materials used in preparing the IEDs, including the various dual use chemicals, explosives/accessories and specific blends of fertilizers, he said.

Musa said that ONSA was already working with relevant Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) to emplace strategic measures to control the importation, transportation, storage and use of these sensitive substances.

According to him, the aim is to take those drugs out of the reach of criminal elements.

He identified the MDAs as the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Ministry of Mines and Steel Development and Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.

He said that the training conference, which draws participants from security, government and private sectors was to ensure best practices regarding chemical security.

Speaking, Mr David Centofante of the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), stressed the need for collective effort to control the use of chemicals.

Centofante said that this was necessary to prevent such substances from getting into the hands of criminal elements and terrorists.

He said there was need for shared responsibility in chemical security and in dealing with the threats of chemical weapons which he said were not peculiar to any nation.

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During the five-day conference, there will be presentations on various aspects of transportation security, physical protection of chemical installations and chemical security vulnerability.

The theme of the conference is Towards a Secured Importation, Distribution, Storage and Use of Chemicals in Nigeria

Meanwhile, President Muhammadu Buhari said that his administration is focused on securing the rescue of abducted Chibok and Dapchi girls but that they have chosen the path of negotiation rather than military option.

The president made this remark when he received the United States secretary of state, Rex Tillerson at the State House on Monday, March 12.

Victims of Herdsmen killing buried in Benue state - on NAIJ.com TV

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Loading...Home | News | General | If the payment of N13.5m is scrapped, parliament will be attractive only to those who want to contribute ideas - She Sani

- Senator Shehu Sani said he spoke about the salary he and his colleagues receive for moral reason

- He said the legislative arm of government was not transparent

- The Kaduna lawmaker said the payment should be scrapped

Senator Shehi Sani has spoken about his revelation concerning the amount senators receive saying it was a moral issue.

The senator had caused a stir when he revealed that each senator receives N13.5 million monthly cost.

READ ALSO: Why we are careful about rescue of Chibok, Dapchi girls - President Buhari

In an interview with BBC, Shehu Sani said: I decided to burst it open. It was a moral issue.

He advocated for the sum to be scrapped so that the legislative arm of government will be attractive only to people who have ideas to share.

He said: The National Assembly is one of the most non-transparent organs of government. It pricked my conscience and I decided to burst the bubble and open the National Assembly to public scrutiny.

If the expenses payment system was ended then parliament would only be attractive to people who contribute ideas."

Meanwhile, a senator representing Bayelsa east constituency, Ben Murray-Bruce, on Monday, March 12, said that he was resisted by his colleagues when he advocated for lower wages and allowances for public officials and a higher minimum wage for the Nigerian worker.

Ben Bruce in a tweet said he was shut down when he demanded for a higher minimum wages for Nigerian workers, adding that if the legislators are paid higher than European legislators then the workers' salary must be higher than that of European workers.

Should the Nigerian Senate be scrapped? - on NAIJ.com TV

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Loading...Home | News | General | Why we are careful about rescue of Chibok, Dapchi girls - President Buhari

- President Muhammadu Buhari has said his administration was using dialogue approach for the Dapchi and Chibok girls' rescue

- The president said military option would be dangerous

- He promised fair polls in the 2019 elections

President Muhammadu Buhari has said that his administration is focused on securing the rescue of abducted Chibok and Dapchi girls but that they have chosen the path of negotiation rather than military option.

The president made this remark when he received the United States secretary of state, Rex Tillerson at the State House on Monday, March 12.

READ ALSO: I will not be president forever: Read Buharis speech during visit to Benue

In a statement by Femi Adesina who is the special adviser to the president on media and publicity, President Buhari also assured the US f free and fair poll in 2019,

Tillerson in his remark said the US was ready to help Nigeria especially in the area of economy.

Read the statement below:

Nigeria prefers to have schoolgirls abducted by Boko Haram from Chibok and Dapchi back alive, and that is why it has chosen negotiation, rather than military option, says President Muhammadu Buhari.

Receiving the American Secretary of State, Rex Tillerson, in audience at State House, Abuja, Monday, President Buhari added that Nigeria was working in concert with international organizations and negotiators, to ensure that the girls were released unharmed by their captors.

"We are trying to be careful. It is better to get our daughters back alive," the President said.

He thanked America for assistance rendered in the fight against insurgency, noting that Nigerian forces are good, "but need assistance in the areas of training and equipment."

President Buhari promised that his administration would continue to do its best to secure the country, adding that he would be in Yobe State, from where Dapchi schoolgirls were abducted, later this week "as part of my condolence and sympathy visits to areas where we have had unfortunate events."

The President pledged free and fair polls in 2019, recalling that the then American Secretary of State, John Kerry, had visited before the 2015 polls, "and he told the party in government then, and those of us in opposition, to behave ourselves, and we did."

The visiting Secretary of State commended President Buhari on his strides in the anti-corruption war, to which the Nigerian leader responded that moneys recovered are being invested on development of infrastructure.

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Mr Tillerson said Nigeria was a very important country to the U.S, stressing: "You have our support in your challenges. We will also support opportunities to expand the economy, commercial investments, and peaceful polls in 2019."

It will be recalled that President Buhari expressed sympathy to the people of Benue state saying his administration will continue to work towards providing peace to all Nigerians.

The president made this remark during his sympathy visit to Benue state on Monday, March 12 to carry out an assessment of the security situation of the state.

Victims of Herdsmen killing buried in Benue state - on NAIJ.com TV

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Loading...Home | News | General | Wives of detained Boko Haram suspects reportedly write Buhari over ill-treatment as Nigerian military denies allegation

- The women in Borno state women accused the military of molesting and not treating them well

- The aggrieved women want President Muhammadu Buhari to act on the issue

- The military denies the allegation of ill-treatment on the women and the detained suspected Boko Haram members

At least 1300 displaced Borno women have reportedly wrote a letter to Nigerias President, Muhammadu Buhari, accused the military of wrongly arresting their husbands and children as Boko Haram suspects, Premium Times is reporting.

The aggrieved women also allege that they have been r*ped and barter s*x for food in the internally displaced persons camps.

We were not allowed to leave the camp (managed by soldiers) and not given enough food but instead asked to pay for extra food when we didnt have anything left, they asked for s*x; young women were to have s*x with the Civilian-Joint Task Force (CJTF) members and soldiers to be able to feed their children, they allegedly wrote in the letter.

READ ALSO: Governor Bello sacks all commissioners, 21 council administrators and SEC members

But the report quoted Onyema Nwachukwu, the spokesman of the military at the theater command headquarters of the Operation Lafiya Dole, as describing the allegations as unfounded, misplaced and probably calculated to dampen the morale of soldiers on the frontline.

We dont keep peoples relatives in custody; those that we have in custody are terrorism or insurgency suspects.

And if anyone is not culpable after our investigation, they are released. But those who have been found to have either actively or passively participated in terrorism activities by bearing arms or providing other forms of supports to aid terrorism and insurgency are those in custody and would be prosecuted, he added.

The report said in the four-paged open letter dated March 1, written by a group of displaced women, mostly wives or mothers of arrested Boko Haram suspects under the Knifa Movement, the aggrieved said they wanted the federal government to release their husbands.

According to them, the military is holding 1,269 persons who are either their husbands or children, on the allegations that they were members of Boko Haram and that they were arrested between July and December 2015.

Our story is a story of suffering: In 2015 and 2016, we were kept in the horrific conditions in Bama Hospital camp, which was at that time run by the military and CJTF. We were not allowed to leave the camp and were not given enough food but instead, asked to pay for extra food.

First, we sold our jewelry. Then we sold our clothes. When we didnt have anything left, they asked for s*x. Young women were to have s*x with the Civilian-JTF members and soldiers to be able to feed their children. R*pe by the Civilian-JTF and soldiers were rampant.

We were starved and forced to give our bodies in exchange for food. We saw our children die and there was nothing we could do. Hundreds of people lost their lives in Bama Hospital camp - we in our group alone know 799 people who died. We were the silent witnesses of immense suffering.

In the last months, many of us have gone out of the camps to farm and collect firewood to earn a living. But there has been several attacks by Boko Haram nearby. One of our members lost her husband who went out to collect firewood. He had been released from the Giwa barracks some months ago. We are scared to go out of the camp but we do need to eat.

Most of us lived with Boko Haram for months and we know what they we are capable of. They killed our relatives, abducted our sons, r*ped our daughters. We consider ourselves lucky that we came out alive. Living under Boko Haram was hell.

We want to offer our best cooperation to prosecute the real Boko Haram members. But no one has asked us for our statement on what happened in the past years. We are pleading with you to give all victims of this (these) conflicts the opportunity to testify before a court of law, they said.

In his defence, Onyema Nwachukwu, said it was the justice ministry that should handle the issue of their alleged non-trial.

Trial of suspects lies with the judiciary and I believe that they are handling it accordingly. We are all aware that the federal government had instituted some special courts to try the suspects. It is not our responsibility to try any of them.

But if somebody is found wanting after our investigations, it is not our duty to pronounced him guilty or not guilty. But we tender our reports as the case may be to those that will be prosecuting them.

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The public must understand that the onus is not on the complainant to determine whether their relatives are guilty or not guilty.

It is the court that determines that. The dynamics of the counterinsurgency war is such that we have different kinds of terrorists, like I earlier said that are either active or passive supporters. Yes, you may not have an arm with somebody, but the person may be aiding terrorism, either by providing information to the terrorists as an informant, or may be supplying logistics to the terrorists in their hideouts, and all these the wives at home might not even know.

We have arrested several persons who take logistics to terrorists as their means of trade; so they should not look at the issue on the face value and conclude that their husbands are innocent, or they dont have anything to do with Boko Haram. We really dont profile suspects as somebodys husband or relative; all we know is a terrorist is a terrorist, and anyone found wanting would be prosecuted.

The public must know that it was not Operation Lafiya Dole that initiated that suffering, Colonel Nwachukwu said.

NAIJ.com earlier reported that in compliance with President Muhammadu Buharis directives, service chiefs recently relocated to the northeast to take charge of the lingering Boko Haram insurgency in the region.

According to Leadership, the chief of defence staff, Gen Abayomi Gabriel Olanisakin; chief of army staff, Lt-Gen Tukur Yusuf Burutai; chief of air staff, Air Marshal Sadiq Abubakar; and chief of naval staff, Vice Admiral Ibok Ette Ibas along with the director general of the State Security Services, Lawan Daura, converged in Maiduguri, Borno state on Thursday, March 1.

Boko Haram Kidnappings: Dapchi Protests Abduction of Their Daughters by Boko Haram - on NAIJ.com TV

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Loading...Home | News | General | I lured 9-yr-old girl with N10 biscuit; raped her, 52-yr-old man tells court

By Ola Ajayi

IbadanChief Magistrate N. A. J. Ogunbona of the Ibadan Magistrates Court, Iyaganku- Ibadan, Oyo State capital, Monday, rained curses on those who take pleasure in raping minors, as a 52-year-old man, Mr. Gabriel Olaniyan, was brought before her over allegation of raping a nine-year-old girl.

The accused, arraigned on a count charge of having carnal knowledge of the minor, told the court how he lured the girl into a secluded place with N10 biscuit before raping her.

The accused, however, dismissed the insinuation that he actually defiled the girl for ritual purpose.

In the charge sheet signed by Fawole Funke, the accused was alleged to have committed the act on March 1 at Alapafon Area of Ibadan.

According to the charge sheet, you Gabriel Olaniyan male, on the March 1, at about 5p.m., at Alapafon area, Ibadan, in the Ibadan magisterial district, did have unlawful carnal knowledge of a girl (name withheld) aged nine, without her consent and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 218 of the Criminal Code Cap 38 Vol. 11 Laws of Oyo State of Nigeria, 2000.

The Chief Magistrate advised parents to always monitor their children and take good care of them to prevent their wards from being molested by people with unwholesome behaviour.

After ordering that the accused be remanded in Agodi Prison pending legal advice from the Director of Public Prosecutions, DPP, she adjourned the case till April 5.

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Loading...Home | News | General | Road construction: Omisore should apologise for lying  Osun govt

By Gbenga Olarinoye

OSOGBOTHE Osun State Government has asked a former Deputy Governor of the state, Senator Iyiola Omisore to apologise to the Governor Rauf Aregbesola-led administration and the people of the state for allegedly lying on the funding of the recently commissioned Workers Drive in Osogbo.

*Omisore

Senator Omisore had last week, after the commissioning of Orita Olaiya-Isale Osun road, said the project was partly funded by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, UNESCO.

Reacting to Omisores claim, the Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr Adelani Baderinwa, in a statement, insisted that UNESCO did not contribute to the project.

The statement reads: The Government wishes to remind the people that the embattled Omisore and his cohorts, including some sponsored professionals obviously serving pecuniary interest had last week, lied that UNESCO committed 70 per cent to the funding of the Workers Drive, wrongly claiming that the crisis riddled Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, had a role in the reconstruction of the road.

However, UNESCO has denied committing any fund to the reconstruction of the former Olaiya-Odi-Olowo-Ita-Olokan Road, which connects the road that leads to Osun Groove in Osogbo, the state capital.

UNESCOs Communication Consultant (Regional Office) Mr Olusola Macaulay has said UNESCO is not currently funding any project in the state, and that the state government at no time approached the organization to fund the Workers Drive.

There was no time the Osun State government or its agencies approached UNESCO to support the project or contribute anything to it. We didnt pay 70 per cent or any other fraction to the project, as being peddled, Macaulay said.

The former deputy governor has demonstrated, by engaging in rumour peddling and spreading falsehood, gross incompetence and lack of understanding to run government. He has exposed his intellectual laziness to think or conduct simple research on how a renowned organization like UNESCO run its affair before embarking on his white lies.

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Loading...Home | News | General | Nigeria,Tunisia to strengthen bilateral relations in trade, economic, technology

By Victoria Ojeme

ABUJA- Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama, on Monday stressed the need to strengthen the bilateral relations between Nigeria and Tunisia especially in the areas of trade, economy and technology.

Geoffrey Onyeama

Onyeama made the call in Abuja in his remarks at a business forum preceding Nigeria-Tunis Joint Ministerial Commission.

The minister said that the two-day meeting marked another milestone in the bilateral relations between Nigeria and Tunisia

We appreciate the impressive development that had taken place in Tunisia which had really catapulted the country to the level mid income country.

In all categories Tunisia is showing itself to be a leading country in the world today in the ICT, medical and agriculture among others, it has a made tremendous stride.

That is why we are particularly happy in strengthening the bilateral relations between the two countries, he said.

He said that the president of the two countries had a high regard with each other which he said was a good basis to take the relations to a new level.

This according to him is in the area of trade and economic relations and other areas as well.

He said that the ongoing Joint Ministerial Commission between Nigeria and Tunisia at the ministry would identify various sectors in which level of cooperation could be increased.

He said that the business forum would further enhance the relations between the two countries.

The era of hostility in global trade has long gone we have fought it hard, we know that might not be always the case as we have some push back against economic and trade cooperation.

We do hope that internationally that good sense will prevail and that the promotion of free trade and putting down and reducing barriers and tariff and that is still the norm, he said

He expressed the hope that there would not be a return to the era of protectionism.

He said that the meeting between Nigeria and Tunisia was a demonstration that that Africa is on the move and would promote freer trade in the continent.

The meeting has presented wonderful opportunity for both countries, our business sectors of private sectors will drive the growth of both countries

The governments will have to put in place the enabling environment that is essentially because the private sector is the engine of growth of the economy, onyeama said.

The Tunisian Minister f Foreign Affairs, Mr Khemaise Jhinaoui expressed the belief that the discussion at the meeting would identify new area of common interest mainly in investment and science and technology.

He said that the agreement to be signed later would enhance the relationship between the two countries especially in the area of business and technology.

He noted with the concern that the relations between Nigeria and Tunisia were still below expectation.

We have already existing relations but the relations is still below expectation currently the trade pattern does not reflect their long term relations, he said .

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Loading...Home | News | General | INEC may burn unclaimed PVCs before general elections  REC

Akure  Dr Rufus Akeju, the new Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in Ondo State, says the Independent National Electoral Commission is considering burning unclaimed Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) before the 2019 general elections.

INEC PVCs

Akeju told newsmen on Monday in Akure that all attempts had been made by the commission thorough sensitisation campaign to reach out to the affected voters to collect their PVCs.

He said the commission was making efforts almost on daily basis for voters to get their PVCs, adding that the commission may be compelled to resort to burning of the cards or destroying them to check being used to manipulate elections.

The REC said that the burning process would be made public for all Nigerians to witness.

Akeju said that a total number of 1,659,186 are eligible voters and 1,288,722 cards had been distributed so far, adding that 370,464 are unclaimed.

He also said the commission was doing everything possible to ensure a credible election that would meet with global best practices.

 We now have new and improve data capturing for moderate and effective capturing.

We have introduced additional card readers in case one is malfunctioning in a particular unit, he said.

The REC solicited the support of all journalists in the state, saying they remain major stakeholders in educating the general public.

He, however, urged journalists to report accurately stories they gather from INEC offices in the state without bias.

The Chairman of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) in the state, Mr James Sowole, promised that the union would continue to support the commission in its activities.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Akeju was the immediate past REC in Osun before his posting to Ondo State. (NAN)

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Loading...Home | News | General | We have enough laws for hate speech, Stakeholders tell FG

identify root causes of hate speech

By Emmanuel Elebeke

ABUJA- Federal government has been advised to reconsider its stands to pass a new law for hate speech in the country.

This was the view of some participants at the inaugural Peace and Security Network Quarterly confab series held in Abuja on Monday.

They argued that the country has enough laws to take care of any form of hate speech that may arise before, during and after the 2019 general elections as contained in the constitution, broadcasting code, Advertising Practitioners of Nigeria Act and the Press Council Code of ethics.

They however, warned federal government against pushing for laws that would gag the press and free speech under the guise of 2019 general elections, insisting that the move to pass the new hate speech bill by through the National Assembly was unnecessary.

Speaking at the event, the President, Guild of Corporate Online Publishers, Mr. Dotun Oladipo, who accused the government of having a plan to gaga the press, warned government to stop playing around by bringing in new law but should apply the existing laws to check the menace of hate speech.

Let us not play around because election is coming. We have laws already that can take care of hate speech. Bringing in new laws will not be necessary. This government is out to gag the media. It is difficult to draw the line between hate speech and free speech.

On how to address the trend, Oladipo called on the national Orientation Agency (NOA) and the Federal Ministry of Information to contend with the promoters of hate speech on the social media rather than encourage formulation of new laws.

He also accused the police of not doing its jobs of tracing drivers of hate speech on social through their social media accounts but rather resort to arresting people who will give them money.

He further accused some media practitioners of not leveraging the advantage of social media in seeking for credible stories instead promote unverifiable stories.

The director of Centre for Information Technology and Development (CITAD), Yunus Zakari Yahu, identified lack of transparency in governance; perception of marginalization; poverty and inability of government to address previous conflicts and bring them to closure as some of the root causes of hate speech.

He noted that hate speech is not something that happened out of context, but has to be triggered by an action.

Over the last couple of months, we have seen increase in the volume of hate speech, particularly in the social media and electronic media as well. We think that the prevalence of hate speech can lead to violence as it has led to violence in other countries. As it has capacity to lead to violence.

If people act to prevent it, it can be prevented. The reason we are here is to get all stakeholders to understand the dangers hate speech portends for the country, especially as we move closer to the 2019 elections so that those who can work in peace can do so to reduce the volume of hate speech. We are also here to help sensitise the public on the danger of hate speech.

On what CITAD is doing to check hate speech, he said: We have a couple of initiatives to inform citizens to demand accountability from government. Government on its side should make information free to the people, enforcement of FOI Act; fight poverty, government has to be impartial in addressing issues in the country.

We also recognise that there are existing media regulations which can be used to address hate speech, the Advertisers Practitioners Act, National Broadcasting code, the Press Council code of ethics. With, these, regulators should be able to sanction all media houses that violate the codes.

Earlier in his address, the PSN Manager, Adeolu Adewumi said the the forum was organised to for stakeholders to brainstorm on the correlation between free speech and hate speech and proffer solution to hate speech.

The essence of having these confab series is to ensure that we engage with hate speech and its implications, hate speech and its implications for elections and electoral security and hate speech and religious tolerance, so that whatever the government and international community with say will be a common narrative towards addressing hate speech.

We have come to understand that there is a tin line between hate speech and free speech, where hate speech ends, free speech begins vice versa.

We have to interrogate that properly. We begin to engage the collaboration of government with international partners to have a common narrative towards the 2019 elections. That is why we are starting very early, because we know the election is one year away and we believe that starting early and remaining proactive would add value to the electoral process, and ensuring that the right speeches are made by the political actors, individuals.

In his keynote speech entitled: Towards 2019 Elections: Hate Speech and |Implications for Ethnic Relations, the guest speaker and former United nations Under-Secretary for Political Affairs and former mediator in Rwanda and Myanmar crisis, Prof. Ibrahim Gambari said 2019 general elections are threatened because the media space had been hijacked by the drivers of hate speech, saying that concerted action must be taken by government and CSOs to adopt a national law which will check the excesses of hate speech.

He charged the media to demonstrate absolute patriotism in the discharge of their duties, insisting that the run off to 2019 elections must be handled with extremee care.

he also called for a review of media code of ethics to curtail the increase of hate speech on the media.

We must not allow ethics and selfish interest to collide with the overall interest of Nigeria. What is more threatening is not the traditional media but the social media. There is need for the ministry of interior to step up sensitization on hate speech. CSOs must also double their efforts in advocacy to the grass roots.

On her side, the President, Nigeria Guild of Editors, Funke Egbemode said the media should not be blamed for the increase in hate speech but insisted that government must be prepared to do its bit by being fair to all and providing good governance. She also insisted that security agencies must be prepared to discharge their duties without bias to the citizens.

We need to do what must be done. You cannot blame everybody sitting next to us for what is happening in the other house. We need to do what needs to be done, she said.

On the role of INEC, the chairman of INEC, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu said the business of INEC is to conduct elections and not to police cyber space.

He also stated that INEC is not averse to use of social media to advance and reach out to young people but warned that a line should be drawn between hate speech and free speech, especially in the use of social media.

We are making use of social media to engage people on the ongoing registration exercise.

Social media releasing result is the issue but releasing unofficial results.

The most important thing is that the government have to be dynamic in the use of social media to be able to guide against gate speech. For us in INEC, social media has helped us to draw people out for registration. The use of social media is quite positive in some ways but can be dangerous in other ways.

There has to be a balance between hate speech and free speech. The recent judgements on hate speech in European should be a guide to us as to the limit free of every speech. We need to critically examine theses and come up with guidelines on how to deal with hate speech, he added.

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Loading...Home | News | General | NDDC partners Innoson to train Niger Delta youths

Chairman of Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, Senator Victor Ndoma-Egba, has said the commission will partner Innoson Kiara Academy for the training Niger Delta youths.

Founder and chairman of Nigerias automobile company, Innoson Motors, Innocent Chukwuma.

Ndoma-Egba spoke when he paid a courtesy call on Dr Innocent Chukwuma at his Nnewi, Anambra State office.

During the inspection visit at Nnewi centre of Innoson Kiara Academy, the training arm of Innoson Group, which currently has students from Presidential Amnesty Office, Ndoma-Egba said the commission will partner the academy to train thousands of Niger Delta youths and will start immediately with about 100 youths.

He said the training of the youths had become a necessity because NDDC wants to groom another kind of militants in the region, militants of knowledge and creativity, who will be job creators and develop and build their region.

The NDDC chairman, during the visit, was amazed that Innoson factory was not just assembling vehicles but actually manufacturing made-in-Nigeria vehicles.

He promised Chukwuma that NDDC will lead other government agencies and parastatals in patronizing Innoson vehicles.

In his remarks, Chukwuma thanked Ndoma-Egba for his visit and assured him that the academy has the capacity in terms of space and human resource to deliver quality training to the Niger Delta youths that will make them outstanding.

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Loading...Home | News | General | 120 train on beans flour production in Onitsha

By Nwabueze Okonkwo

ONITSHANO fewer than 120 select trainees from Onitsha North/South federal constituency in Anambra state are now undergoing a four-day special training programme on beans flour production, aimed at empowering them for greater days ahead.

The programme being sponsored by Hon. Lynda Chuba-Ikpeazu representing Onitsha North/South Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, kicked off Monday in Onitsha with two notable resource persons, including Dr. Aminu Mohammed and Alhaji Jimoh Ibrahim who represented Dr. S. O. Okunade, Executive Director, Nigerian Stored Products Research Institute, NSPRI as trainers.

At the end of the intensive training programme which is expected to be rounded off on Thursday, the sponsor, Hon. Ikpeazu would personally empower all of the trainees with special financial grants and production equipment to enable them start off beans flour production and packaging in commercial quantity.

In his opening remarks yesterday at the commencement of the training programme, the Special Assistant to Ikpeazu, Hon. Uche Okiwe who represented her, explained that apart from embarking on rehabilitation of some roads and streets in Onitsha, Hon Ikpeazu thought it wise to train these selected ones as a means of empowering them, rather than folding her arms and watch them begging for alms.

Okiwe further explained that out of the total of 120 trainees, 64 were selected from the 32 wards that made up Onitsha North/South federal constituency, while others were selected from widowers associations, town unions, Yoruba, Hausa and Igala tribes resident within the constituency.

He therefore charged the trainees to remain focused and grab the opportunity afforded them, so that by August, this year, another batch would start off their own training programme aluminium and metal fabrications and welding, after which they would equally be empowered with necessary financial and material assistance for effective take off.

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Loading...Home | News | General | Buhari to Tillerson: Why were careful on rescue of Chibok/Dapchi schoolgirls

Nigeria prefers to have schoolgirls abducted by Boko Haram from Chibok and Dapchi back alive, and that is why it has chosen negotiation, rather than military option, says President Muhammadu Buhari.

Receiving the American Secretary of State, Rex Tillerson, in audience at State House, Abuja, Monday, President Buhari added that Nigeria was working in concert with international organizations and negotiators, to ensure that the girls were released unharmed by their captors.

We are trying to be careful. It is better to get our daughters back alive, the President said.

He thanked America for assistance rendered in the fight against insurgency, noting that Nigerian forces are good, but need assistance in the areas of training and equipment.

President Buhari promised that his administration would continue to do its best to secure the country, adding that he would be in Yobe State, from where Dapchi schoolgirls were abducted, later this week as part of my condolence and sympathy visits to areas where we have had unfortunate events.

The President pledged free and fair polls in 2019, recalling that the then American Secretary of State, John Kerry, had visited before the 2015 polls, and he told the party in government then, and those of us in opposition, to behave ourselves, and we did.

The visiting Secretary of State commended President Buhari on his strides in the anti-corruption war, to which the Nigerian leader responded that moneys recovered are being invested on development of infrastructure.

Mr Tillerson said Nigeria was a very important country to the U.S, stressing: You have our support in your challenges. We will also support opportunities to expand the economy, commercial investments, and peaceful polls in 2019.

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Loading...Home | World | Africa | ZEC accused of tampering with ward boundaries

THE ZIMBABWE Electoral Commission (Zec) has come under fire for allegedly tampering with ward electoral boundaries ahead of this year's general elections.

Former MDC-T Harare councillor, Warship Dumba, whose address is in Mt Pleasant Heights and voted in ward 17, Harare in the 2013 elections will now have to vote in Mazowe South in the 2018 general elections.

According to a voter registration slip issued by Zec, Dumba will now vote in ward 20 at Bunnockburn Tent, ward 20, Mazowe Rural District Council, in Mazowe South Constituency.

Dumba has already approached Parliament, accusing Zec of unconstitutionally moving his ward to Mazowe district.

"The removal of Mt Pleasant Heights by Zec from ward 17 to Ward 20 of Mazowe South is both unreasonable, as it is unconstitutional and, therefore, illegal. Mt Pleasant is part of Harare and is confirmed by our tittle deeds, our bill payments are done to the City of Harare and the general-service delivery, which includes water supplies, refuse removal and general maintenance of infrastructure, which includes road maintenance. It, therefore, sounds unreasonable that Administrative and Electoral boundaries must be the same as the law of 2006 delamination," he wrote.

The Constitution bars Zec from moving the electoral boundaries that existed at the time the Constitution became law in 2013 until after 10 years when a new census survey has been conducted.

Contacted for comment yesterday, Zec vice-chairperson Emmanuel Magadu said he was unaware of the matter.

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Loading...Home | World | Africa | Ndebele monarchy more Zimbabwean than the presidency

I found the near hysterical rejection, if not paranoic repression, by the Zimbabwe government of the restoration of the Ndebele monarchy, both very flabbergasting and worrying.

I might not be privy to exactly what the majority of the Ndebele truly feel about restoring their monarchy - as there has never been a comprehensive and authentic survey conducted - thus, will not even endeavour to speak on their behalf, but it would be utter tomfoolery not to analyze the shocking government's response.

Why would the ZANU PF government react in such a paranoic and hysterical manner to the restoration of something that is as much a part of Zimbabwean history as chieftainships, which it currently recognizes?

If the Zimbabwe government constantly reminds us to respect the office of chiefs, as a vital cultural and traditional aspect of our nation, which anchors who we are as a people, why then resist the monarch - which is just as traditional and cultural to the Ndebele people?

Anyone who has even the most basic knowledge of history would know that the Ndebele had such esteemed kings as Mzilikazi and Lobengula, who were the cornerstone of their nation.

So what is so wrong in reviving this?

Is the historical relevance of the Ndebele monarch not the reason why the city of Bulawayo is even referred to as the 'city of kings and queens'?

I would have thought that such a description would have meant that authorities in Zimbabwe appreciated the importance of the Nedebele monarchy.

Therefore, why would very senior officials in the government, such as vice president Kembo Campbell Mohadi, regard the revival of the Ndebele kingdom as 'tribalist' and 'divisive'?

Is it not that the opposite is true - the denial of the Ndebele people to restore their historical legacy is tribalistic and divisive.

Why would the Ndebele - of all the various tribes of Zimbabwe - be the only ones to be denied their historical legacy?

All other tribal groups have been entitled to their historical chieftainships, so why not the Ndebele?

It is clear that the Zimbabwean ZANU PF regime is still up to its old tricks of divisive, tribalist, and racist tendencies, which it adopted way back during the party's formation in 1963.

...and they have the audacity to blame the Ndebele for being tribalist and divisive!

It is similar to an abusive husband who blames his abused wife of being the aggressor.

The excuse that the issue of the monarchy should have been raised during the constitution-making process in 2013, holds no water, and is as lame as it is foolish.

The constitution-making process is continuous, as it can be amended at any time, as provided in section 328 of the Constitution of Zimbabwe - as such, the door is not closed for those who want to restore their monarchy.

The Ndebele just need to continue lobbying for their kingdom, and elect those who stand for their cause.

Other countries in our region, and beyond - such as South Africa, Lesotho, and Swaziland - have kept their historical monarchs, and, thus, why should the Ndebele not be accorded this same right?

What is so tribalist and divisive about the Zulu kingdom in South Africa?

Is Lesotho burning today as a result of their kingdom?

In fact, if the truth be told, the office of the presidency is more alien to Zimbabwe - and Africa, as a whole - than the Ndebele monarchy.

If there is an office that could be removed from the country's political landscape as un-Zimbabwean, that would be the posts of President and Vice President!

This country had chiefs and the Ndebele kingdom way before Europeans brought the parliamentary system, which included such posts as President and Prime Minister.

Thus, it was totally inappropriate for Mohadi to utter such disparages against the restoration of the Ndebele monarch, as they are more entitled to that office, than Mohadi is to the vice presidency.

If anything, Mohadi should have called for a referendum amongst the Ndebele on whether they would want the monarchy's restoration or not, and in what form they would want their kingdom.

Do they want a geographical region to be identified as the Ndebele kingdom, or would they prefer a symbolic king who stands for them, or any other form?

Those are the pertinent issues to be debated amogst the Ndebele, and not for the government to dismiss them out of hand.

Mohadi, though not a Ndebele - but, is from the Mathebeleland region - should adopt a leadership role and speak out for the people from that region - and not against them.

He should be seen to transcend the usual shallow tribalist and racist nature of ZANU PF, and be the bigger man who appreciates that a people's identity does not divide them, but actually unites them.

We, as Zimbabweans should finally put a stop to the stereotype that Africans allow their diversity to divide them - leading to wars and conflicts - but, rather that we see the beauty of our different cultures and traditions, and these unite and strengthen us.

The ZANU PF regime is the one that brought animosity amongst the varied tribal and racial groups of Zimbabwe, leading to such atrocities as Gukurahundi and the violent and murderous 2000 land invasions against White farmers.

Similarly, the government's psychotic and warped solution to oneness and unity is either the annihilation of all other tribal and racial groups, than the Shona.

Is that why it took them all of 33 years for them to finally recognise that we had 16 languages in this country?

Did they think that acknowledging such a fact was 'divisive' and 'tribalist'?

That is just how disturbed the ZANU PF government is, and it is a grave pity that people who were from a more unifying party as PF ZAPU would stoop so low as to renege on their earlier principles advocated by Joshua Nkomo.

Only a shallow people can be divided by the appreciation of one's culture, tradition, and tribal identity.

I am of Zulu descent - my paternal grandfather having emigrated from South Africa, and our surname being bastardized from Mpofana - and my mother is of the Manyika tribe, whilst my wife was born in Zambia to a Zambian mother and a Malawian father.

Such diversity does not lead to chaos, anarchy, hatred or conflict in my family - but, actually brings out the beauty of our diversity - as we all appreciate and proudly acknowledge our differing culture and traditions.

Therefore, why is it so difficult for the ZANU PF government to do the same?

Are they still stuck in their own narrow-mindedness that they do not even recognize a good thing, even when it is staring them straight in the face?

The Ndebele are not asking for much, except that - just as any other tribe in Zimbabwe - be accorded their right to their culture and historical legacy...is that too much to ask?

If there is anyone with the right to deny them that right, it can only be the Ndebele themselves - and no one else!

Tendai Ruben Mbofana is a social justice activist, writer, author, and speaker. He is the Programmes Director with the Zimbabwe Network for Social Justice (ZimJustice). Please call/WhatsApp: +263782283975, or (calls ONLY): +263715667700, or email: zimjustice@gmail.com. Please also 'Like' the 'ZimJustice' page on Facebook.

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Loading...Home | World | Africa | PHOTOS: Khupe's tauted replacement in hospital

BULAWAYO East legislator and acting MDC-T spokesperson, Thabitha Khumalo, has been admitted to Mater Dei Hospital following a recurrent asthma attack linked to the tear smoke she inhaled in July 2016, as police ruthlessly crushed anti-government demonstrations in Harare.

"I have always managed to control my allergies, but ever since I inhaled tear smoke in 2016, I am now failing to control my allergies, hence, I have been in out of hospital prior to my being admitted here," she said, adding she was hospitalised on Sunday.

"There is no antidote for tear-smoke and the problem is that there is not enough research on the after-effects of teargas on people. The question that begs answers is how many were affected by tear smoke."

The July 6, 2016 anti-government protests left a trail of destruction, with scores of protesters arrested and injured in the skirmishes.

The protests had been organised by various social movements such a #Tajamuka/Sesijikile and #ThisFlag led by cleric, Evan Mawarire, to force then President Robert Mugabe to step down over alleged maladministration and failing to reform the political playing field.

A Bulawayo family claimed that they lost their baby after being choked by tear smoke, which was allegedly indiscriminately thrown into Burombo flats in Nguboyenja, but anti-riot police have disputed the claims.

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Loading...Home | World | Africa | Zimpapers donates teaching equipment to LSU

ZIMPAPERS Company last week donated various pieces of teaching equipment which included desk tops, printers, Camera, Projector and Projector screen to Lupane State University at the University's Main Campus.

The equipment was valued at ten thousand dollars ($10 000.00).

An additional $2000 was also donated towards the best performing student in the languages department.

Addressing people who attended the Handover Ceremony, Lupane State University Vice Chancellor Professor Pardon Kuipa highlighted the importance of the equipment that was donated to the Institution.

"I have no shade of doubt that this generous donation that Zimpapers has extended to us will immensely improve the quality of research and teaching being conducted by our languages lecturers", said Professor Kuipa.

During the Handover Ceremony, Zimpapers Board Member Mr Felix Moyo urged staff members to take into consideration that the young scholars of today are the future leaders of tomorrow hence the need to equip them with essential tools.

"Young people being educated today are the Journalists, Engineers and Artisans of tomorrow hence they must have access to Information and Communication Technology.

Addressing attendants during the Ceremony,Languages lecturer Mr Nkululeko Sibanda told Zimpapers and LSU management, Staff and Students that the donated equipment to be used in the Media Laboratory will make a huge contribution to practical learning.

The occasion was graced by Zimpapers Staff members comprising of Zimpapers Board member Mr Felix Moyo, Ms Karen Dube, Zimpapers Public Relations and Corporate Affairs Manager Ms B. Tonhodzayi, Pauline Matanda, also from the Zimpapers Corporate Affairs Unit and Journalists.

This donation comes at a time when efforts are being made to expand instructional infrastructure to further the progress of the growth of Lupane State University.

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Loading...Home | World | Africa | Zim cop jailed over mugabe 'old age' comments

Zimbabwe Republic Police on Monday jailed an officer over comments he made in 2016 suggesting that out of power former President Robert Mugabe was too old to rule a country.

Sergeant Thompson Joseph Mloyie also stands accused of having questioned Mugabe's choice of woman for a marriage.

He appeared before one Superintended Makunike being accused of contravening paragraph 35 of the Schedule of the Police Act (Chapter 11:10).

Paragraph 35 of the Schedule of the Police Act (Chapter 11:10) prohibits members of the police force from acting in an unbecoming manner prejudicial to discipline or reasonably likely to bring discredit to the Police Service.'

Mloyie, who convicted February 28 was sentenced to 10 days in prison.

The police internal tribunal heard that sometime in March 2016, Mloyie said: "President Mugabe achembera haachakwanisi kutonga nyika ino. Ndiye arikukonzera (sic) kutambura munyika ino uye akaroora hure Grace Mugabe," which the ZRP translated to mean "President Mugabe is too old and incapable of leading this country and is the cause of the suffering going on in this country and is married to a prostitute, Grace Mugabe."

Makunike said Mloyie's conduct discredited the Police Service.

Mloyi, who was represented by Jeremiah Bamu and Noble Chinhanu of Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights, was arrested on March 5 2016 and detained at Cranborne Police Station.

He was charged with undermining the authority of or insulting the President in contravention of Section 33 (2) (a) of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act Chapter 9:23.

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Loading...are these assholes ever going to reunite? lmao i hate them </3

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The Rolling Stone podcast was speculating about it and thinks it'll be a few more years, but not too long before fans give up and move on.

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Who are they?

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Nah, they're all working on different projects plus that last album really took a toll on them mentally.

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Mikey Way made me fall out of love with them tbh

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sing it, sis

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I don't listen to them, I only know of them because I read a SGA fic series which featured Ronon/Bob lol

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that sounds like (incel voice) cope



anyways OP to answer your question i am terrible, but thank you for asking

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Prime example of they fuck you up, your mom and dad, they may not mean to, but they do.

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Memorable line.

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lol same

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lmfao

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lmfao dorinda is a thug in a cocktail dress and i love it

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me

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LOL does the 90s count as Old Hollywood now, OP?



Her husband is a dbag and she has 5 kids to look after, so how do you think she's feeling?



How am I? Putting on a badass pretense but sort of sad at the current state of my life.

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At least she doesnt have to worry about her kids being taken care of. Candy takes care of all the kids expenses.

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omg that's Turnbull!

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I cannot comprehend the amount of therapy she needs. I honestly feel bad for her.

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She really screwed up her life marrying that dude.

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It's really sad. He completely emotionally and financially trashed her life, and she's still holding on to him for dear life.

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What is she supposed to do? She has five kids, no job, no income and her rich mom won't help her just the kids.

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It's kind of hilarious that his gold digging ass thought he would marry into Spelling money, but then Tori got cut off. So now he's stuck with her since everyone knows what a piece of shit he is.

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Idk I watched their show for a bit and she seems equally as terrible. She could've left him at any point.

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She never should've had all of those kids just to fill a void in her life and to try to use them as a means to help put a band aid on her marriage.

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mte, for a while she was so insistent that baby #5 fixed everything. But now the shine has started to wear off, just like how she stopped saying "Finn and I have a special bond because I almost died"

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i'm definitely not fine, my dad died today & it was unexpected. if she wants we can go be unfine together i won't judge bc i'll totally be unfine with her.

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Are you my friend? Her dad died today as well :(



My condolences.

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I'm so, so sorry. I wish I had any words that would be appropriate or beneficial in this circumstance but I just don't. We're here for you, sis, and we support you. <3

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I'm so sorry. :(

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Im so sorry bb <3 hugs from an internet stranger

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i'm so so sorry :(

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i'm so sorry :(

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I'm so so sorry. Big hugs to you.

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So sorry for your loss and I hope you have all of the support you need during this time. I know it's just ontd but if you ever need to talk or vent feel free to message <3

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i'm so sorry bb! i hope you have support through this <3

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Im so sorry bb. 

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I'm so so sorry, bb.

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i am so sorry for your loss. hugs to you and your entire family

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I'm so sorry :(

*hugs*

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im so sorry for your loss. 

sending you love & strength.

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Im so sorry :(

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Ohh damn Im so sorry 

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So, so sorry for you loss. <3

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<3 sorry for your loss.

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I'm so so sorry.

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<3 My dad died unexpectedly too, several years ago. Navigating death with no warning is the worst. Internet hugs.

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Omg I'm so sorry <3

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I'm so sorry bb. <3

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Sorry for your loss. Be as unfine as you need right now. It's okay to spin a little.

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BIG HUGS. BIG BIG BIG HUGS.



<3 Been there. More Hugs.

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Ugh, I'm so sorry. :( *hugs*

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i'm sorry, babe. lost my mum last november and i'm not fine. remember to take it easy on yourself.

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i don't keep up with her, but i liked a couple of her books so semi-recently i looked her up on twitter and thought her eyes looked extremely sad/distant/etc. and i wondered if she was okay.

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She needs serious help. Her husband is disgusting trash and I cannot believe she almost died giving birth to their 4th (?) child and then they had a 5th.

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He's just an all around disgusting person. He was in the middle of adopting a little girl with his wife when he had the affair with Tori and he ended up leaving his wife and abandoning the adoption. He was shameless in humiliating his ex and making the affair as public as possible and you'll be *shocked* to know he barely ever made child support payments for his son, not to mention the fact he very obviously spends/spent little time at all with the kid. However, he can't seem to stop having kids with Tori - they are at #5 - and even though she literally nearly died with the 4th they still had a 5th. He had a job hosting Chopped Canada and then had an affair and it all played out in the press and on his reality television show. He went to rehab but lost his job. IDK, there's just a lot there.

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with her dad's $$$ and resources she could have been anything she wanted and she ended up with no career a deadbeat husband and 5 band aid babies. thats sad huh

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Some people are destined for failure.

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I think about this a lot. She couldve been the most powerful TV producer in Hollywood with her dads connections but she wanted to be the star. I mean, I get it but after 90210, she shouldve asked her dad to work at his company and learn the ropes.

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THANK GOD IT WOULD BE IMPOSSIBLE TO SLEEP IF SHE DIDN'T CONFIRM SHE WAS OK

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LinkI liked Before I Fall. Anyone know if the movie was decent?

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I haven't read the book but I saw the movie a couple of days ago and I liked it!

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The movie is pretty good. I thought the main actress was great and it was very faithful to the book. If you liked the book you will like the movie

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It was good, ok.

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It wasn't half bad actually.

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yes it was and Zoey deutch is a gem

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I couldn't watch past like 20 minutes. I thought it should've been grittier, the voiceover sounded too corny and I wanted it to be more sarcastic/dry. I get it's a teen movie but it felt cheesy and I was cringing so hard I just couldn't keep watching lmao. (I loved the book)



Edited at 2018-03-12 05:45 pm (UTC)

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It was decent. I think it's worth a watch if you liked the book.

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but i hated 13 reasons why...i guess i'll see myself out

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Lmao mte. Although I do love Perks of Being a Wallflower...but I was also like 17 when I read it

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Lmao its trash upon reread.

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I read it when i was 22... and i did not like it. But the movie is great.

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I read that book when I was going through a bad health scare and I HATED it. I was like...why the fuck are you crying every 5 pages?! I couldn't finish it because I was so cynical.

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Lol mte. At least I now know 13 books to avoid.

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You should still check out The Hate List and Before I Fall.



I personally think 13 Reasons Why is more immature than these two books and don't really belong in the same league

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Didn't watch it, but The Hate List surprised me in a positive way.



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LOL i was so excited to find this in the library

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i loved this series lol. i was so excited when brett got a girlfriend

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Man, I remember being obsessed with that author in high school. Her and the one who wrote The A-List, Zoey Dean. Do either of them even write anymore, or were they just books that had ghost writers?

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I think Zoey Dean was multiple writers all using a fake name. The author of Gossip Girl did write the first few books but definitely had a ghost writer for the later ones and the It Girl didn't even pretend she actually wrote it, just said they were "created" by her

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Ommmg

Memories of reading this!

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oh hi Hope Hicks

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lmao Hope Hicks' peak as a model

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Omg I loved this series (and for some reason couldn't get into the Gossip Girl books despite loving this spin-off series)

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Oh man this series was goodtimes...

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I'm 80% through The Immortalists, I can't wait for it to be over, it's so ridiculous.

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oh nooo. i was going to download it.

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I should have stopped when the author described a 13 year old's pubic hair like 4x in the first chapter but I kept going and now I have to finish. There's lot of other "wtf" nonsense besides that too.

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oh rly? I am like one chapter in and put it down a month ago and haven't picked it up since - so not worth it? give me details on why it sucks under a spoiler cut lol.

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i just started Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng. so far so good. i like her writing style.

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I'm a Ng fan, she just writes the (seemingly) littlest things in such an appealing way.

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Do you have an ebook link you could share? I want to buy it but it's too expensive (since it's dollars). I read Everything I never told you and broke my heart into a million pieces, her writing style is amazing.

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No, i actually bought the hardcover of it. sorry!

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I just got the book today! So excited to start reading. I've only heard great things.

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I love Before I Fall! the movie version could've been so much better it was missing something (probably a cute male lead). I finished The Goldfinch a few days ago, and I liked it well enough it was just way too dense for no good reason imo

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I started The Goodfinch and got like 10% of the way through it and just stopped. It was just filled with so many words. And I'm fine with dense books. I can knock out a 500 page novel in no time if it sucks me in, but it felt like that book could have been fine if a third of the sentences had been cut out.

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I feel like this book had no business being 700+ pages long, it could've been easily cut down to 400 pages or so. everything that happens feels essential but like you said so many of the sentences could've been cut. it's like she kept them in so the book could be longer

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I DEMAND TO KNOW WHAT THE TITLE IS

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Dm me the title.

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Tell us. Tell us. Tell us.



But I know what you mean. I'm into the Red Queen YA series and it's total trash and yet...

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I want to see how that ends but I also want Mare to die a hideous death...

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No way it can be worse than those horrible romance novels that keep getting suggested to me on Facebook. I looked at one book on Amazon that was a self-published romance novel, and now I'm being bombarded with shitty romance novel suggestions on my Facebook.

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Is it Twilight? If your not going to give a title, I'm just going to come up with one. ^_^

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Non-fiction

Desert Queen: The Extraordinary Life of Gertrude Bell: Adventurer, Adviser to Kings, Ally of Lawrence of Arabia by Janet Wallach

Eleanor of Aquitaine: A Life by Alison Weir

The Last Founding Father: James Monroe and a Nation's Call to Greatness by Harlow Giles Unger

The Pirate Hunter: The True Story of Captain Kidd by Richard Zacks



Fiction

The Polish Officer by Alan Furst

The Moon in the Palace by Weina Dai Randel (Note: It's the first of 3 parts)

The Spies of Warsaw by Alan Furst

The Secret History: A Novel of Empress Theodora by Stephanie Thornton



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If you don't mind a bit of horror with a lot of feels My Best Friend's Exorcism by Grady Hendrix is amazing.

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can't say i care about 13 reasons why tbh LOL but book post! i just got my gift from my reddit books exchange santa! wow, she got me 3 books. I feel a little bad about that, bc I only got 1 book (a signed first edition, but it was cheap) for my own giftee... but anyway



She got me:



Body by Asa Nonami

Scary Stories To Tell In The Dark

The Secret Diary of Laura Palmer [which i actually already own, oops]

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I just finished The Girls by Emma Cline and, well...

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i did not like that book

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I lagged on reading it since it came out because I heard varying things about it. It wasnt as bad as I was expecting, but it hella read like a creative writing student wrote it during the first semester of her junior year.

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horribly overrated

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yeah i was underwhelmed

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It was like reading someones report on the actual Manson murders but they got a few names and dates wrong. It was waaaaaay too close to the actual events to not be incredibly distracting and frustrating. She should have just used real events and made up a fictional character to insert into it.

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i got it from the library and i'm glad i did because it had engaging writing but the main character was so aggravatingly passive in the worst, most uncompelling way. i felt like something exciting was supposed to build up but....nothing.

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i'm still reading homegoing (it's a tough read only bc of the subject matter but i do enjoy it) and headstrong 52 women who changed science & the world (even tho the last few that were similar to that i hated but this one is a bit better).

i've been super into reading everything on my phone with the libby app whereas before i liked reading things in physical books but it's so much easier to take & get thru things quicker.

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Homegoing is amazing! I finished that book so fucking fast. The ending really got me.

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Which are the other ones you read but didn't like? There are so many out there, it's hard to choose. I have Women in Science by Rachel Ignotofsky and am considering getting Bad Girls Throughout History (I LOVE the illustration style!)

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[ Spoiler (click to open) ] My favorite part of the book, which was everything in The Tower - was basically omitted! I honestly can't remember how the book ended, but I remember the lighthouse stuff being different? I was really really looking forward to the The Tower and the creepy ass writing on the underground walls. SO That was disappointing, but that aside, I loved the film SOOO i just got back from seeing Annihilation... For those of you who read the book too, thoughts???

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[ Spoiler (click to open) ] yeah, ik alex garland said not to expect too much direct translation between the series and the movie but i was still disappointed by the overwhelming lack of all things Tower related

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[ Spoiler (click to open) ] UGHHH that annoys me so much TBH. If I was an author I'd probably be pretty mad that a good chunk of my book was changed for the film. Oh well lol.

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[ Spoiler (click to open) ] If I recall, she was pretty injured after killing the psychologist and then grabbed a little boat and decided to oar down the river Dude, that whole part was the best part of the book and it was NOT THERE!

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noooooo im so disappointed about that omission, i dont even want to watch the stupid movie anymore =( HARUMPH

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i really want to get into more YA. i havent read a YA series in years. the last one i read was "Private" because i'm all about rich white kids and their problems at boarding school. it was good until it took on a supernatural storyline. i need to find another one.

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there's this boarding school (i think it's a boarding school anyway) book that seems also Hunger Games-Battle Royale-esque with the kids on a hunting trip and I'm assuming the plot is they have to kill each other? It's called S.T.A.G.s. did you read that one?

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never even heard of it. i'll look it up.

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i liked the prep school confidential books. they're like veronica mars at boarding school.

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I don't read much YA, but I really like the YA fantasy series (just 4 books) The Seven Realms (The Demon King, The Exiled Queen, The Gray Wolf Throne & The Crimson Crown) by Cinda Williams Chima.

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omg private series was my shit until the stupid witch sisters thing! eughh, what a way to ruin the series

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the preteen in me is still waiting for a dear zoe movie adaptation

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A bit of a tough read - its quite 'full on - and it falls over a little at the end and it had me going 'o-kayyy?' but other than that, its really good lol



The Female of the Species by Mindy McGinnis





This book is sooo good.A bit of a tough read - its quite 'full on - and it falls over a little at the end and it had me going 'o-kayyy?' but other than that, its really good lol

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Im not going into spoilers but I haaaaaated the ending. There were a lot of elements of the book that I enjoyed though.

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Pedantic bitch mode, but I am annoyed that it says a female cat is a Queen. Only cats who have had babies are queens, otherwise they are a Molly.

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aaaaahhh, if you liked that book then check out 'The Nowhere Girls' by Amy Reed. it was just awesome and validating and what I needed to read in 2018. I hardly ever give out 5 stars on goodreads but I totally did and this book earned it!!!

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Ooh, I just bought Reed's book not long ago. I'm looking forward to reading it! (And I've enjoyed her other novels as well.)

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If I Stay made me bawl especially the part where [ Spoiler (click to open) ] she finds out her brother died. It felt like a punch to the gut.



I related a lot to Perks of Being A Wallflower



I haven't seen any of the film versions of these though and tbh I have no intention to.





Edited at 2018-03-12 12:45 am (UTC) I read Before I Fall in HS and liked it a lot.If I Stay made me bawl especially the part whereI related a lot to Perks of Being A WallflowerI haven't seen any of the film versions of these though and tbh I have no intention to.

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[ Spoiler (click to open) ] The part where she's at the car accident is what I remember the most. She's talking about how she can see part of her dad's brains and her parents look so lifeless. The whole book is just a punch to the gut, especially her brother. I loved the boyfriend and how he kept trying to break in to get to her

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LinkIf this is the intelligence private schools churn out, I think we're better off without them tbh



Also having watched this more, her smile is so fucking grating. I've never seen a more shit-eating grin.



Edited at 2018-03-12 06:41 am (UTC)

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mte



Rich people don't send their kids to private school for education, they send them to keep their kids away from the poor kids. It's another form of segregation. Wouldn't want their kids to have some fucking empathy.



If rich kids had to go to school with poor kids you bet those schools would get funded in a heartbeat.





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mte... i once heard this ~progressive~ super left guy once say that he wants to send his daughter to a private school so she'd network and socialize with the "right people". wtf.



aside from the snobbishness i don't get how people can justify the cost, like you can literally just send your kids to school for free lol, that money can go towards so much other stuff.

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They don't care about education in private schools either, tbh. Rich kids will get into good colleges no matter what.



It's just the Republican way to look at any social program/invaluable need and say, "Now how can we make this into a business so we can make even more fucking money?"



Small government= we want to run everything like a business. "Invest" in what makes them money, close up what doesn't, people's lives be damned.

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I went to a private school and I really hate to say it, but their holier than thou mentality is common. I've had classmates who think they are better educated just bc they went to our school and I hate it. I detest any of those claims saying that we're smarter and I lose so much respect for anyone who says anything similar.

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I hate Betsy Devos so much. It makes me feel ugly, the amount of hate I have for her.



This whole fucking charting school thing & her talking about individual investment. Is their idea of a functioning society one where they screen every student to decide who is worthy of investment?





Edited at 2018-03-12 06:14 am (UTC)

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You know it is. And the first thing they'll check is "White + American heritage goes back at least three generations." After that it's average income of their household.

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Republicans are disgusting or willfully ignorant at this point. I'm done with them.

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Betsy Devos's parents are both immigrants though

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It's not even about investment in students, it's about who are your parents, are they wealthy WASPs? If not, you're not allowed, even if you're a freaking genius. Their criteria is much like that of Harvard and other ivy leagues, have a familial connection? Congratulations, if not, prepare to work your ass off and probably be denied on the basis that you "probably couldn't afford it".

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I don't feel ugly about hating her or anyone in 45's administration or most Republicans, TBH. It's what they deserve. No one should. They're heartless assholes who don't care about anyone but themselves.

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Smh. Im surprised she even makes onto school campuses.

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She's just so damn stupid and literally the worst.

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i never thought i had this kind of hate in me. like, i literally hate donald trump. and this betsy interview was just ... it was sarah palin and katie couric all over again. just a complete and total mess. and don't get me started on that rally the other night. the fucking audacity of these assholes.

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Same here. I've disliked politicians in the past, but since 2016 it's just been this complete hatred I never knew I could feel.

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Omg. Queen Lesley not letting DeVos's incompetence slide and exposing her for the ignorant asshole she is!



The reason the Stormy Daniels thing is a big deal is because it could legitimately be a problem with campaign finance. I don't care about Trump fucking a porn star. That's not gonna get him impeached. But improperly using campaign funds or failing to disclose donations.... now that could be a big fucking deal.



Edited at 2018-03-12 06:24 am (UTC)

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i'm excited for this stormy daniels interview but i'm so jaded that i truly don't believe anything will come out of it - no matter how corrupt the entire situation is.

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Same

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from your lips to god's ears.

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I wouldn't hold your breath for anything Stormy might add to the conversation to be damning against Trump, there are piles of damning, way worse evidence against him and his entire family and nothing has been done about it. We can hope that Mueller is playing some sort of long ended chess game, but I'm ready for Trump and his entire cabinet out yesterday and I just have to accept that he'll finish his first term and then we'll have to deal with Ivanka running in another election cycle or two.



Betsy on the other hand, Congress APPROVED her, that's how horrific our entire system is. They KNEW she was unqualified but they didn't care, it suited their agenda and they're perfectly fine having someone who knows ABSOLUTELY NOTHING about education be the SECRETARY OF EDUCATION.

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Yikes at her not being prepared for the interview. I bet someone on her team got yelled at after this lol

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How can there be so many dumb people.

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what i really can't get my head around is how many people wear it like a badge of honour? Shit, you dumb... that's not something to be proud of

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Don't I fucking know it! "I never read haha" "I don't care about [essential part of society]", well wow woohoo, please get out of our society as well.

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One of my biggest pet peeves is people who wear ignorance as a badge of honour as if it somehow makes them "down to Earth" and "relatable".

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I think about how ignorant and narrow-minded I was prior to moving away from Oklahoma and I just cringe. Literally cringe.



I feel like a lot of the people who wear their ignorance as a badge of honor are also ones who grew up poor and actually did fight their way to stability - not even wealth, just stability - by working their asses off at a time when working your way to the top was more possible than it is now. They did it without a college education so obviously college is just a scam and a waste, right?? And flat-out refuse to see that a) the world doesn't work that way anymore, b) education is vital now, and c) THEY ALSO GOT REALLY FRUCKING LUCKY

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My friend and I were talking about this last week. She thinks that as more and more people (POC, women, WOC, those from low income backgrounds) are getting educated, for some people, education is becoming less and less valued. I might take it a step further and suggest it's because they want to show they're better than the groups I just named. They've rebranded willful ignorance as not being manipulated by the media, speaking from the heart, whatever.



It's ridic but it wouldn't surprise me.

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There's this huge anti-intellectualism undercurrent, it's ridiculous.

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I live in an area right now that's very..... poorly educated and proud of that. I've got about 15 months left here but between the proud ignorance, Fox News fucking everywhere, and lack of employment (especially for outsiders).... My depression its back at full force and I just don't know what to do. I've never lived in an area this stupid before.

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God wants them to have many babies

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Honestly she could have gone in harder and finished her. Fuck etiquette and just end her. It's what she deserves.

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Lesley was pretty icy in this interview. Almost gritting her teeth.

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Idk who Adam H. Johnson is but from that one tweet alone, it seems I may have to start stanning him.



Also, DeVoss remains an idiot, what else is there to say? Shes a fucking entitled asshole who bought herself that position. When trump gets impeached, do we get to throw her out?

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I remember people stanning Joe Kennedy and then I saw this...

Heres Massachusetts Democratic Rep. Joe Kennedy criticizing marijuana decriminalization because it makes it harder for police to search cars. https://t.co/vCHhOFkinp pic.twitter.com/Mpkoi28uLQ  Christopher Ingraham (@_cingraham) March 10, 2018



Adam has been good for awhile. It's so important for people remember that there are democrats that need to be called out for their bullshit.I remember people stanning Joe Kennedy and then I saw this...

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oh my god...

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oh hell no

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not just this cracker loser, but establishment dems are backing people like dan lipinski (who is a misogynist homophobe who got his seat from his father) just so they don't have to move left



this party is embarrassing from the top down

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Oh for fuck's sake...

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yikesss

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This shit hurt me. This interview was worse than the Sarah Palin one where she couldn't name a single fucking newspaper.

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wow i forgot about that. it feels like it's been 84 years since this shit started.

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its crazy to think that interview helped tanked mccains presidential bid but today it would be news that lasted less than a day and everyone would move on

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a+ on including the johnson tweet



all of the oprah stuff is just more boring "heal thyselves" pablum that pretends things like capitalism or inequality don't exist. if she actually wanted to help people, she'd advocate for socialism that would remove a lot of stress on poor people or even just some kind of harm-reduction program (ie, good educational institutions, free access to therapists) instead of some vague "love" that presupposes those kids' trauma as inevitable. but that'd go against her brand of useless self-help and threaten her and her friends' wealth



milwaukee in particular has a hard time budgeting for schools and is very racially segregated. talk about those and the failure of local governance (city and state) for decades to fix those issues, not the symptoms

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When I saw that Adam was included I was like hell yes.



Your comment is spot on as usual.



That self-help shit is played out. That school choice bullshit these con artist try to push is a way to segregate the students and steal public funds from already underfunded schools.

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Yeah, self-help can only go so far when your government is actively working to crush anyone who's not a wealthy white man (exception: a very few hand-picked women and POC, to make said government look inclusive and supportive)



DeVos is only a couple letters away from DeVil and that's fitting.

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This also reminds me that democrats have enabled a lot of this bullshit happening today. When people reminisce about the Clinton years I remember this clip...



how did this work out exactly pic.twitter.com/ViDQ1PuGWj   IPM  (@IPM_Tweets) March 5, 2018



Wealthy people are never gonna do things out of the kindness of their hearts. We shouldn't wait for them to end inequality. And democrats should stop helping the republicans make that inequality worse. We need real progressives in government to push real change.This also reminds me that democrats have enabled a lot of this bullshit happening today. When people reminisce about the Clinton years I remember this clip...

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to promote socialism she would have to admit that the wealth she amasked was possible because the people on the bottom are not being paid a livable wage i.e. its never going to happen

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Waaaay too embarrassing to watch.

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I love it when Adam goes off

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Damn all my Adam Johnson lovers showing up in this post. This is my shit. I love it.

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LinkEmbodied carbon in the construction industry is a major factor of climate change, but it is rarely measured accurately. A reference text co-edited by an EPFL researcher calls for greater transparency surrounding embodied carbon, along with the introduction of international standards.

Catherine De Wolf, an architect and civil engineer, is a postdoctoral fellow at EPFL, working in the Structural Xploration Lab (SXL) of the school's "smart living lab" in Fribourg. Together with two colleagues she met at the University of Cambridge, she has edited a book containing novel research into grey energy by international experts. The review is both necessary and topical: "After the Paris climate agreement, many countries agreed to take steps to limit the amount of CO2 produced in construction. However, there is still no international consensus about how to measure emissions arising from grey energy in that industry. So we thought it was time to put together a reference text that summarizes recent research in this area."

But what are we talking about exactly? In construction, embodied carbon (or grey carbon) refers to the CO2 footprint related to grey energy in a building. It takes into account greenhouse gas emissions produced during the extraction of materials used to construct a building, the transportation of those materials, the building work itself, renovations, demolition and the potential re-use of materials. It does not include "operational carbon" produced during the in-use phase of a building, including the consumption of electricity, heating and hot water.

Underestimated and poorly assessed

De Wolf stresses the view of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), which is that the construction industry must eliminate its carbon footprint by 2050 to avoid a major crisis. Currently, at least 5% of anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions come from cement production and 5% from steel production. Although grey carbon is a crucial issue in climate change, it remains underestimated and poorly assessed by the construction industry. Her book is therefore a call for practitioners and researchers to adopt a new mindset and review their practices, while devising practical solutions to create greater transparency in the sector.

The first section of the book shows that the way in which embodied carbon is calculated remains approximate, and that data collection is still a challenge. In theory, the calculation is done by applying a coefficient to the quantity of materials used in producing a building. In practice, however, the elements taken into account by the coefficient vary between regions of the world, because there are no standards and a lack of transparency on the part of certain industry participants. "Often, the coefficient includes only the extraction and production of materials. But we also need to take into account the CO2 produced when constructing the building and transporting the materials to the site, when maintaining and renovating the building, and during its demolition," she explains.

Circular economy

To achieve greater consistency, her book shows how these elements can be factored in at the design stage of a building. The use of digital models  through Building Information Modeling  should help solve the problem, she believes. The book also suggests that circular economy principles should be applied to building materials. That would involve establishing inventories of used materials that can be re-used in new buildings. Such practices "are still not adopted widely enough in the sector," according to De Wolf. Official documents describing the impact of each material would also bring greater transparency for engineers and architects. They would be similar to country-of-origin labels on food, which tell us where it came from and therefore their CO2 footprint. That solution would logically give rise to another one: the use of local, natural materials.

Finally, the authors encourage engineers to continue inventing more environmentally friendly materials, such as the eco-friendly cements and organic cements developed at EPFL, and to use less carbon-producing materials in buildings. On that latter point, De Wolf has just launched an international initiative aiming to reduce the carbon footprint of construction materials: the Structural Engineers 2050 Commitment Initiative.

Switzerland a promising pioneer

The book also provides a unique global overview of current practices, in Africa, Australia, Europe, China, North America and South America. Europe and the European Commission are leading the way in terms of developing international standards for embodied carbon, but have not yet reached their goal. In North America, in the absence of any governmental lead, the industry is asking the academic community to develop standards. In fact, several major US companies aiming to lead the way in this area directly approached De Wolf when she was writing her thesis at MIT. What is Switzerland's role in all this? "With the research carried out by the Swiss Federal Institutes of Technology, and particularly at the smart living lab in Fribourg, I think that Switzerland is well positioned to be a pioneer in this area. And this research is highly applicable in practice, which facilitates the adoption of these kinds of measures," she noted.

Explore further Better building through design

More information: Embodied Carbon in Buildings. Embodied Carbon in Buildings. www.springer.com/la/book/9783319727950Keeping an eye on your health is extra important if you're 54 million kilometres from a hospital.

A computer analytics platform designed to keep an eye on the health of newborn babies is on its way into space.

Called Artemis, the platform is named after the Greek goddess of childbearing. It's used in hospitals to check the physical stress of babies adapting to life outside the womb.

Now it's using similar methods to monitor how astronauts adapt to zero gravity.

Astronauts' health has always been tracked, but stats like heart rate and temperature were once recorded manually. Artemis collects, analyses and stores this information in a continuous stream of big data.

What happens to our hearts in space?

Dr. Carolyn McGregor is from the University of Ontario Institute of Technology. She started developing the technology behind Artemis almost 20 years ago.

Working with the Russian Institute for Biomedical Problems, her research is now focusing on monitoring the health of astronauts on the International Space Station.

If all goes well, NASA will use the technology in its proposed 2030 Mission to Mars.

"One of the most important objectives of space medicine is estimating the risk of disease developing," Carolyn says.

"We can do this by monitoring how the body adapts to its new environment."

Being in space isn't easy, even for healthy people. The different conditions can affect the way the body functions, placing stress on the heart.

Looking at the way the astronaut's heart functions, Artemis can take up to 1000 readings a secondthat's 86.4 million readings a day per person.

"An astronaut's body changes while in space because of the difference in gravity," Carolyn says. "Astronauts are also at risk of radiation exposure."

Big data gets even bigger

Artemis will run through an onboard computer on the spacecraft, giving real-time stats on the astronaut's health.

"Artemis analyses every piece of data generated even before it stores the data," Carolyn says.

This equals around 1200 datapoints per second, per person. That's equivalent to roughly 600MB of data a day.

To put it into perspective, that's about the same amount of data as a 1-hour high-quality Skype transmission or a full-length feature movie. But it has the potential for more.

"With our cloud-based approach, we can just keep adding storage," Carolyn says.

Until it's time for the 2030 Mission to Mars, testing will be carried out on Earth with athletes and people experiencing chronic stress.

"It's been fascinating to see the diverse potential uses of these techniques," Carolyn says.

Explore further NASA bumps astronaut off space station flight in rare move

This article first appeared on Particle, a science news website based at Scitech, Perth, Australia. Read the original article.This April 3, 2013 file photo shows bitcoin tokens at a shop in Sandy, Utah. A new report warns central banks should carefully weigh the risks before introducing virtual currencies using the technology that enables bitcoin. The report released Monday' March 12, 2018 from the Bank for International Settlements, an international organization for central banks in Basel, Switzerland, says virtual currencies issued by central banks could worsen bank runs by making it easy to move money out of the commercial banking system with a mouse click during a panic. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer, file)

A global financial body warns central banks should carefully weigh the risks before introducing their own virtual currencies, saying such innovations could risk destabilizing banking systems and unleash disruption across borders.

But it said some forms of digital innovation could help by making trading in stocks and currencies more efficient.

Monday's report from the Bank for International Settlements, an international organization for central banks in Basel, Switzerland, says virtual currencies issued broadly by central banks could worsen bank runs. A virtual currency could do that by making it easy to move money entirely out of the commercial banking system with a mouse click during a panic.

The report said virtual money issued by a country's central bank could, if widely used in cross-border transactions, lead to disruptive international capital flows and exchange rate fluctuations.

The report noted that any virtual currency would have to comply with requirements aimed at stopping money laundering and financing of terrorism. That could limit how anonymous holding it could be.

The report doesn't dismiss the idea. It said virtual currencies issued for wholesale use onlythat is, by banks and financial institutions to settle payments rather than by consumers for purchasescould help make trading securities and foreign currencies more efficient.

That would not be so far from how central banks operate today. They already use money in an electronic form in the reserve accounts at the central bank that can be held only by banks and other designated financial institutions. Everyone else can access money issued by the central bank in the form of cold hard cash.

Benoit Coeure, chair of the BIS' committee on payments and market infrastructures, said that that virtual currencies issued by central banks showed promise in wholesale payments.

"Central bank digital currencies could help make settling trades of securities and foreign exchange more efficient in the future. But more work and experimentation would be needed to explore these benefits," he said. Coeure is also a member of the executive board at the European Central Bank, the central bank for the 19-country eurozone and the issuer of the euro currency.

Coeure said that no central bank has so far decided to issue a virtual currency.

But the question has arisen in places such as Sweden, where the use of cash for everyday transactions is dwindling. Sweden's central bank, the Rijksbank, is studying the possibility of issuing an e-krona. A decision is expected later this year or early next year. Sweden isn't a member of the euro.

Central bankers in Europe have recently cast doubt on the usefulness of private virtual currencies such as bitcoin due to their volatility and lack of security. "At this time, the general judgment is that their volatile valuations, and inadequate investor and consumer protection, make them unsafe to rely on as a common means of payment, a stable store of value or a unit of account," the report said.

Explore further European officials: Virtual currencies are no way to pay

 2018 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.A hard working ethic can make students stand out for the wrong reasons. Credit: Ermolaev Alexander/Shutterstock

Whether it is high rates of suicide and mental health problems, a lack of appropriate role models, absent fathers, access to secure employment, drug and alcoholic dependency, men  when compared to their female counterparts  are often reported to be in trouble.

Concern has also centred on boys' supposed educational "underachievement"  and an idea that they suffer from what some have called a poverty of aspiration or a poverty of expectation. Yet, as I and sociologists have written before, this so-called underachievement isn't the same for all boys  neither is it the fault of schools alone.

Considering the arguments raging about the UK Higher Education sector at present and the ongoing tuition fees discussions, it is important now, more than ever, to acknowledge the roles universities play in this debate.

My research, carried out over the past ten years  resulting in a recently published book  suggests that for young working-class men who are academically successful, financing and getting into university is only the start of the battle.

Dog eat dog

For two and a half years, I visited a post-industrial community in south Wales, interviewing and generally "hanging out" with a group of young men during their final years of secondary school. A small group of these achieved very high grades and saw university as the next logical step.

One young man I'll call "David" told me that he had looked at different universities and had prioritised those he felt would give him the best chance of future success and opportunities to work in the film industry and visit America. He'd applied for Oxford and attended a preparation day event in Bristol to give him the best chance of being selected. However, his interview at Oxford was unsuccessful and he was not offered a place. When we talked about it later and how useful this preparation day had been, David told me that his strong working-class Welsh accent was a real disadvantage. "I could hear myself, everyone was really different is the best way to put it. They spoke, you know, with that really intelligent sounding non-dialect accent. At one point they said, 'do you want to speak in front of the group' and I said 'no I don't'."

It wasn't just the accents which marked him out, David also felt that his experience of school and working together with his classmates had disadvantaged him. "There it was dog-eat-dog, you just look after yourself, and there everybody was [puts on an upper-class accent] 'I'm very smart, listen to me'."

While the journey to university is a challenge for young men like David, other problems also appear for young men from working-class backgrounds once they are there. In one of my interviews in Canada with young men who were the first in their family to go to university, "Alex" told me, he didn't have many friends, he found his professors patronising and his hard studying ethic marked him out as different from his less studious peers.

Alex's desire to succeed came from his experience of working in what he termed "one terrible job after another. Gas stations, coffee shops  nothing that I could ever move on from". After a few years of this, he'd really had enough and come to the realisation that "this type of experience doesn't lead to something better, it's shitty. When you have this skill set, the only type of places that are going to hire you are these places. Getting locked into it, is like a death sentence".

His working-class credentials made him stand out while at university, but his experience of higher education made him also feel out of place when he returned to his home community during the holidays. He explained that men from his community worked in lumber yards and paper mills, the local factory and prisons. Going to university was an alien concept for many and, just by attending, he marked himself out as different and didn't feel part of either world.

The working-class "achieving boys" I have met, have often had to adopt a hybridised form of masculinity, forced by economic circumstance to escape their roots, but when they return to their home communities, they can feel further out of place. The implication of this on their ability to be successful is important and shows how much harder working-class boys must work than those from more privileged backgrounds to achieve in different aspects of their lives.

For young people like David and Alex, the decks it seems are doubly stacked against them.

Though my research has focused on speaking to young working-class men, working-class women face similar and other issues purely because of their class status. Regardless of gender it is clear that working-class students are being unfairly marked purely by a label which has no bearing on their educational achievements.

Explore further Why so few poor, white working class boys go on to take A levels

This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article.Mountain yellow-legged frog in Sequoia Kings Canyon National Park in California. Credit: Michael Hernandez

New technology being developed at Washington State University could help save amphibians around the world from a deadly fungal pathogen.

Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis or Bd is a particularly nasty type of fungus that attacks the skin of frogs and salamanders.

Over the past 30 years, the highly lethal pathogen has caused the catastrophic decline or extinction of at least 200 species of frogs on six different continents and has been implicated in the unexplained disappearance of Central American salamanders as well.

One of the major challenges in preventing the spread of Bd is the lack of an effective method to predict where outbreaks may occur.

In a recent study in the journal Diseases of Aquatic Organisms, WSU scientists demonstrate for the first time that environmental DNA (eDNA) could provide a viable solution to the problem.

Environmental DNA is a new technology that detects telltale bits of genetic material that living creatures shed into their environment. It enables wildlife scientists to confirm the presence of a wide variety of aquatic organisms without the hassle of finding them.

Colleen Kamoroff, a former WSU natural resources graduate student, and her advisor Caren Goldberg, an assistant professor in the WSU School of the Environment, used eDNA to detect Bd one month before the pathogen impacted populations of mountain yellowed-legged frogs in Sequoia Kings Canyon National Park in California.

Their research demonstrates eDNA could provide an early signal of where Bd die-offs may occur which would help conservationists take action to save amphibians afflicted by the pathogen.

"If we can predict when an outbreak is imminent, we can proceed with management actions such as anti-fungal baths that kill Bd," said Kamoroff, who is now a wildlife biologist at Yosemite National Park. "Mountain yellow-legged frogs in the Sierra Nevada have experienced a population decrease of over 90 percent in recent years. Environmental DNA could help save these frogs and other species of amphibians around the world from extinction."

Colleen Kamoroff collects eDNA samples for analysis in Sequoia Kings Canyon National Park. Credit: Jessica Thompson

Unexpected discovery

Kamoroff originally went to California's Sequoia Kings Canyon National Park in 2015 to determine whether eDNA techniques can be used to detect when non-native fish had been successfully removed from high alpine restoration lakes. The lakes are home to two federally endangered species of mountain yellow-legged frogs. A month after she collected her samples, mountain yellow-legged frogs at three of the lakes experienced a mass Bd die-off.

"I was curious if Bd would be detectable at the lakes I took samples from even though there were no sick looking frogs at the time," Kamoroff said. "So I decided to run the eDNA samples I originally collected for the lake restoration project to test for the presence of Bd."

At their laboratory in Pullman, Kamoroff and Goldberg found Bd in the eDNA samples from all three lakes where there was a die-off but did not detect the pathogen in the eDNA samples taken from the other lakes.

Their research demonstrates eDNA could be a promising, non-invasive method to screen lakes and other bodies of water for the presence of Bd. Currently, the only way to test for the pathogen is take skin swabs from afflicted amphibians.

"Unlike skin swabs, eDNA does not require the capture or handling of the animals you are trying to protect," Goldberg said. "We think the technology will prove very useful in preventing the spread of Bd in the future."

Leaders in Environmental DNA

Since 2011, Goldberg and WSU colleagues Alexander Fremier and Katherine Strickler have played an instrumental role in bringing eDNA from a proof of concept to a practical tool for species conservation.

Today, Goldberg is involved in many eDNA related research projects, several of which involve the detection of Bd. For example, she recently received a National Geographic research grant to go to Panama to look for endangered Golden Frogs and determine how they are being affected by Bd using eDNA. Goldberg is also working with colleagues across the United States to sample lake water to determine whether a pathogen related to Bd that has devastated salamander populations in Europe does not establish itself in North America.

"Bd is the first emerging disease shown to cause the decline or extinction of scores of populations of amphibians not otherwise threatened around the world," Goldberg said. "eDNA could be a useful tool to help inform efforts to protect surviving populations."

Explore further Geneticists develop key conservation tool for imperiled amphibian species

More information: C Kamoroff et al, Using environmental DNA for early detection of amphibian chytrid fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis prior to a ranid die-off, Diseases of Aquatic Organisms (2017). C Kamoroff et al, Using environmental DNA for early detection of amphibian chytrid fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis prior to a ranid die-off,(2017). DOI: 10.3354/dao03183A month after Scott Pruitt began leading the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the former Oklahoma attorney general rejected an Obama-era recommendation from agency scientists to ban a widely used pesticide from use on food crops.

That means farmers can continue to spray chlorpyrifos on crops ranging from corn to cranberries. The change was welcomed by farm groups and the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which said farmers need access to the chemical to stop infestations.

But environmentalists, who had been working for years to get the Obama administration to crack down on the pesticide, were outraged. And officials in several statesall led by Democratsnow say that if the federal government won't force the pesticide off their lands, they will. Seven states have sued the EPA over Pruitt's decision. In at least four states, legislators have filed bills to ban the product.

"If it's not going to be done federally, we should do it at state level," said Maryland Del. Dana Stein, a Democrat who introduced a chlorpyrifos ban. "This is the tactic. It's the only available option."

The chlorpyrifos quarrel is yet another skirmish in what is likely to be a yearslong battle between blue states and the Trump administration's EPA. Already, Democratic-run states say they will sue over rollbacks of Obama-era regulations and crack down on fossil fuel polluters.

Caught in the middle of the chlorpyrifos debate are farmers such as Stephen V. Lee IV of New Jersey, a sixth-generation cranberry farmer who says the pesticide can save crops from serious infestations when no other chemical is working.

Lee testified against a chlorpyrifos ban bill in his state last year, telling legislators he had used the substance only three times in the past decade.

"It's like the fire extinguisher or the red button," Lee said in an interview. He said he only uses chlorpyrifos when his existing pest management practices don't stand up against a bug. The bill has been reintroduced this year.

Chlorpyrifos is used on a wide range of agricultural products, designed to kill nearly any bug that comes into contact with it. When Lee went to use it against mirid bugs, which pierce plants and suck out their juices, leading to death and decay, he had to wait until bees left his field before he could spray.

The Obama administration had targeted chlorpyrifos, known on the market as Lorsban, to be phased out after EPA scientists recommended a ban on the pesticide in 2016, citing health effects on farmworkers and children.

Scientists worry that it affects the human nervous system much like it attacks those of insects. The substance was banned for household use in 2000, and studies found children who had been exposed to it had lower IQs than those who were not. The pesticide has also been linked to learning and memory issues and prolonged nerve and muscle stimulation.

In his ruling, Pruitt said the science is inconclusive and that the agency plans to continue studying the effects of chlorpyrifos.

Lynn Goldman, the head of George Washington University's Milken Institute School of Public Health and former administrator of the EPA's pesticide office under President Bill Clinton, said scientists would have reviewed outside studies as well as data from Dow, the company that makes chlorpyrifos, in order to be confident in their findings.

"It is unprecedented for an EPA administrator to overrule the scientific judgment of EPA's pesticide office," Goldman said in her testimony to the Maryland Legislature. "The only possible basis for such a decision is political."

The EPA did not respond to questions about the state-level bans, but at the time of the decision, the EPA released a statement from the Office of Pest Management Policy in another agency, the USDA, saying the decision was "grounded in evidence and science."

Dow did not respond to a request for comment.

This year, lawmakers in Maryland, New Jersey, Hawaii and Vermont are considering bills that would ban the use of chlorpyrifos, and a bill in Minnesota urges the EPA to reconsider its decision. The legislation pits environmental scientists against chemical purveyors and conventional farmers against organic ones.

Even if conventional farmers don't use chlorpyrifos regularlyits use has declined fairly steadily since the early 1990s due in part to a turn to pest-resistant genetically modified cornmany say they still need access to it in worst-case scenarios.

People who spray such pesticides have to have a license from the state and wear a specially fitted mask. Workers must stay out of the fields where chlorpyrifos has been sprayed for at least 24 hours and up to five days for some crops.

The 17-page label that comes with the product spells out strict guidelines for its use that were developed by the EPA, including how soon before harvest the product can be used. For Lee's cranberry fields in New Jersey, chlorpyrifos can't be used within 60 days of harvest.

Lee is not an EPA basher. He wants the agency to keep studying chemicals to make sure they're safe. But he's not nervous when he uses chlorpyrifos.

"It's kind of like asking a police officer if they get nervous when they go to work every day," Lee said. "When I apply material it's a serious business. I've been properly trained and certified; I go to continuing education, and I've got guidelines from the EPA that I follow. So no, I'm not nervous."

But it's not just farmworker health that opponents are worried about. They cite health risks to the general population and the environment as the chemical continues through the food chain and makes its way into water.

Cornell University lists the pesticide as moderately to highly toxic to birds and very highly toxic to freshwater and marine organisms.

"For terrestrial organismsbirds, owls, things like thatit's generally not considered very toxic. However, once it gets in the water, it's a neurotoxin for all crustaceans or arthropods, things with joined legs, insects, crabs, that sort of thing," said Doug Myers, Maryland senior scientist with the Chesapeake Bay Foundation. "You start messing with Maryland crabs, and that's poking a fight."

Cleo Braver was one of many organic farmers who came to a recent hearing on Stein's bill in Maryland to talk about alternatives to chlorpyrifosorganic pesticides for some bugs, nematode parasites for others.

"There are plenty of alternatives," said Braver, who grows vegetables on her farm in Easton. "There are fantastic databases that you can even pull up on your phone in the field. Farmers who want an alternative to chlorpyrifos can search by either the crop you use it on or the pest they want to use it against."

Conventional farmers in Maryland, however, argue the pesticide might be the last weapon against pests such as the spotted lantern fly, which they worry could be a major threat to the state's vineyards.

"It will wipe out 90 percent of a vineyard," said Colby Ferguson, the director of government relations of the Maryland Farm Bureau Inc. "The spotted lantern fly is a bad, bad dude, and if Maryland eliminates chlorpyrifos, that would be eliminated as a last line of defense."

It's the testimony from conventional farmers who talk about the risks of losing an entire crop to bugs that makes legislators wary of a ban.

New Jersey state Rep. Shirley Turner, a Democrat who has sponsored a bill to ban the pesticide the last two years, said testimony like Lee's makes legislators cautious. She expects better luck this year with more Democratic legislators and a new Democratic governor.

"Legislators didn't feel competent about it to make a decision, particularly after a farmer said it saved their crop," she said.

Explore further EPA reverses course on safety of pesticide used on crops

2018 Stateline.org

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.Vegetable infestation and damage from the European Corn Borer. Credit: Tom Kuhar

University of Maryland researchers have pulled together forty years of data to quantify the effects of Bt field corn, a highly marketed and successful genetically engineered technology, in a novel and large-scale collaborative study. Other studies have demonstrated the benefits of Bt corn or cotton adoption on pest management for pests like the European corn borer or cotton bollworm in corn or cotton itself, but this is the first study to look at the effects on other offsite crops in North America. By tracking European corn borer populations, this study shows significant decreases in adult moth activity, recommended spraying regimens, and overall crop damage in vegetable crops such as sweet corn, peppers, and green beans. These benefits have never before been documented and showcase Bt crops as a powerful tool to reduce pest populations regionally thereby benefitting other crops in the agricultural landscape.

Bt corn was first introduced and adopted in the United States in 1996 and is a genetically engineered crop (or GE) that makes up over 80% of our current corn plantings. In this study, Dr. Galen Dively, Professor Emeritus and Integrated Pest Management Consultant in the Department of Entomology, and Dr. Dilip Venugopal, UMD Research Associate, use data from 1976 - 2016 to look at trends twenty years before and twenty years after adoption of Bt corn. "Safety of Bt corn has been tested extensively and proven, but this study is about effectiveness of Bt corn as a pest management strategy, and particularly benefits for offsite crops or different crops in different areas than the Bt field corn itself," explains Venugopal.

"This is the first paper published showing offsite benefits to other host plants for a pest like the corn borer, which is a significant pest for many other crops like green beans and peppers," says Dively. "We are seeing really more than 90 percent suppression of the European corn borer population in our area for these crops, which is incredible."

Using numbers from pest traps to estimate the population and examine the recommended spraying regimens for pests like the European corn borer, Dively and Venugopal observed significant reductions in the population, with much less spraying occurring over time. "There would be no recommendation to spray for the corn borer given the current population, and this paper can trace that back to Bt corn adoption," said Dively. "What's more, by looking at the actual pest infestations and damage on actual crops over forty years of data, we took it a step farther to see the benefits on all sorts of crops and the declines in the actual pest population. We are able to see the results in theory and in practice on actual crops and in the real pest population over a long stretch of time."

"The next steps would to be quantify the potentially millions of dollars in economic benefits we see here in a very concrete way to show money and time saved on spraying and pest management, crop damage reduction, as well as consideration of the environmental benefits. The important thing here, however, is to think of Bt crops as one of many tools in an integrated pest management tool box. The benefits are undeniable, but must always be weighed against many other options to use a broad range of tools and maximize benefit while minimizing any potential risks such as the pests developing Bt resistance," said Venugopal.

Dively concludes, "This study ultimately shows the importance of evaluating GE crops beyond the field that is being planted. These products and the new advances coming down the pipeline have the potential to suppress major pest populations just like Bt corn has. This is just the beginning, and we need to be quantifying these effects. I am excited by these results and encouraged for future work."

Their paper is published in the Proceedings of National Academy of Sciences.

Explore further Research uncovers reason for growing pest damage in genetically protected corn crops

More information: Galen P. Dively el al., "Regional pest suppression associated with widespread Bt maize adoption benefits vegetable growers," PNAS (2018). Journal information: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences Galen P. Dively el al., "Regional pest suppression associated with widespread Bt maize adoption benefits vegetable growers,"(2018). www.pnas.org/cgi/doi/10.1073/pnas.1720692115PSA also has investment projects in Algeria, Ethiopia and Iran

French car giant PSA announced Monday it would start assembling Peugeot and Opel brands in Namibia in the second half of 2018.

Under an investment agreement with the Namibian government, PSAwhose brands also include Citroen, DS and Vauxhallwill reach output capacity of 5,000 vehicles per year at the plant in the port town of Walvis Bay by 2020, it said in a statement.

The initial models will be two 4x4s, the Opel Grandland X and Peugeot 3008, but "other products will follow to meet customer demand," PSA said in a statement.

The deal, in which Peugeot will form a joint enterprise with the state-owned Namibia Development Corporation, aims at the expanding market in the Southern African Customs Union, which comprises Botswana, Lesotho, Namibia, South Africa and Swaziland.

The investment is part of the "long-term strategy of Groupe PSA to increase its sales in Africa and the Middle East, consistent with our target to sell one million vehicles in 2025," said the executive vice president for those regions, Jean-Christophe Quemard.

Other investments, existing or planned, are in Algeria, Ethiopia, Iran, Kenya, Morocco, Tunisia and Nigeria.

In 2017, the group sold 592,000 vehicles in Africa and the Middle East, a surge of 54.5 percent, as sales in Asia plummeted.

Global sales were 3.632 million, a figure that includes figures for the newly-acquired Opel and Vauxhaull brands, from August 1.

Explore further French carmaker PSA says global sales up 15% in 2017

 2018 AFPA search on Google for the Holocaust showed an anti-Semitic blog post high up containing information about Swedish Jews

Google on Monday said it was taking measures to address criticism against the internet giant for allowing the spread of anti-Semitic propaganda through various search results, which had triggered outrage in Sweden.

A search on Google for the Holocaust showed an anti-Semitic blog post high up containing information about Swedish Jews. With their names, pictures and occupations listed, dozens of them were described in a humiliating and threatening manner, according to local media.

Searches for the neo-Nazi Nordic Resistance Movement's propaganda website also appeared as news with "top stories from Nordfront.se", as seen on searches for media organisations, Swedish daily Dagens Nyheter reported.

"We are aware of this and are taking measures," Farshad Shadloo, spokesman at Google in Sweden, told AFP without providing any details.

Dagens Nyheter reported that the company has adjusted its algorithms to change this specific news search function.

"Sometimes search results that both we and users find offensive can show up. But there are also concerns about suppressing material based on personal opinion," Google's Sweden branch said on Twitter.

"We must, like everyone else, comply with the law."

The Nazi hunting Simon Wiesenthal Center said it may raise the issue with Google and also call on Swedish authorities to reconsider laws on hate speech.

'Freedom of opinion'

The Swedish Committee Against Anti-Semitism likened the offensive blog post to Nazis preparing lists on Jews during World War II.

"This list is one of an old classical tradition, that Nazis and anti-Semites prepare lists so that when the political climate changes they know who to pick, who to send away, who to kill," the committee's chair Svante Weyler told the Swedish daily Expressen.

Google, which owns YouTube, also faced scrutiny in recent days for allowing the Nordic Resistance Movement to share a video of one of its members even though he was convicted of inciting hatred against minorities, Expressen said.

The video is no longer available on the search engine.

The issue has sparked a heated debate about pressuring major technology companies to limit offensive material that is accessed online.

"They're letting illegal material stay. We cannot allow it," Swedish Justice Minister Morgan Johansson told public broadcaster SVT.

"We have freedom of opinion. But Nazism is not an opinion, it's a crime against humanity."

With nearly 200 members, the Nordic Resistance Movement, founded in 1997, is described as the most violent neo-Nazi organisation in Sweden by Swedish anti-racism magazine Expo.

Explore further Facebook, Twitter urged to do more to police hate on sites

 2018 AFPCredit: CC0 Public Domain

During the nighttime, it is hotter in the city than in nearby suburbs or the countryside. But just how much hotter differs between cities. Researchers from the MSE2 (CNRS / MIT) international joint research laboratory and the Centre Interdisciplinaire des Nanosciences de Marseille (CNRS / Aix-Marseille University)1 have shown that the determining factor is how cities are structured: more organized cities, like many in North America with straight and perpendicular streets, trap more heat. Conversely, cities that are less organized, like those founded long ago, shed heat easily. The team's findings, published in Physical Review Letters (March 9, 2018), suggest new directions to explore for optimal urban planning and energy management.

Urban heat islands (UHIs) are created when the air temperature rises higher in cities than in the surrounding suburbs and rural areas. In the US, this phenomenon affects 80% of the urban population. In populated areas, UHIs can lead to greater energy consumption (to power air conditioning, for example), more air pollution, a lower quality of life, and poorer health. Some cities have applied strategies to limit UHIsincluding the addition of more green spacesbut the environmental and economic impact of heat islands, at a national or even regional scale, has still barely been quantified.

The researchers in this study considered major factors governing rises in temperature, such as the thermal mass of buildings and the extent to which, at night, they radiate heat absorbed during the day. To do so, they looked at temperatures recorded in urban and rural areas over several years as well as at data on building footprints, combined with a heat radiation model. For the fifty-some cities they studiedamong them, New York, Chicago, and Bostonthis method made it possible to demonstrate that the effects of nighttime UHIs vary according to urban geometry. Buildings can exchange heat more or less readily depending on their level of spatial organization. The research team measured the latter with physics applications that reduce the complex geography of urban construction to a simpler, statistically determined representation using building clusters. They demonstrated that a high level of urban organizationas typified by most North American citiesresults in more pronounced UHI effects and greater heat retention. The opposite is true for more "disorganized" cities.

In countries with hot or temperate climates, the UHI effect leads to significantly higher energy bills. In cold climates, on the other hand, it could potentially help reduce energy demand. Population growth estimates can be used to identify countries that stand to benefit most from the UHI effect. This knowledge can help policymakers optimize building energy consumption and thereby lighten carbon emissions at the city, regional, and even state level.

Explore further Urban heat island effects depend on a city's layout

More information: J. M. Sobstyl et al. Role of City Texture in Urban Heat Islands at Nighttime, Physical Review Letters (2018). Journal information: Physical Review Letters J. M. Sobstyl et al. Role of City Texture in Urban Heat Islands at Nighttime,(2018). DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.120.108701[Upper right] --This is a Hubble Space Telescope image of galaxy NGC 1277. The galaxy is unique in that it is considered a relic of what galaxies were like in the early universe. The galaxy is composed exclusively of aging stars that were born 10 billion years ago. But unlike other galaxies in the local universe, it has not undergone any further star formation. Astronomers nickname such galaxies as "red and dead," because the stars are aging and there aren't any successive generations of younger stars. The telltale sign of the galaxy's "arrested development" lies in the ancient globular clusters that swarm around it. The reddish clusters are the strongest evidence that the galaxy went out of the star-making business long ago. Otherwise, there would be a lot of blue globular star clusters, which are largely absent. The lack of blue clusters suggests that NGC 1277 never grew further by gobbling up surrounding galaxies. [Background image] -- The galaxy lives near the center of the Perseus cluster of over 1,000 galaxies, located 240 million light-years away from Earth. NGC 1277 is moving so fast through the cluster, at 2 million miles per hour, that it cannot merge with other galaxies to collect stars or pull in gas to fuel star formation. In addition, near the galaxy cluster center, intergalactic gas is so hot it cannot cool to condense and form stars. Credit: NASA, ESA, M. Beasley (Instituto de Astrofisica de Canarias), and P. Kehusmaa

Astronomers have put NASA's Hubble Space Telescope on an Indiana Jones-type quest to uncover an ancient "relic galaxy" in our own cosmic backyard.

The very rare and odd assemblage of stars has remained essentially unchanged for the past 10 billion years. This wayward stellar island provides valuable new insights into the origin and evolution of galaxies billions of years ago.

The galaxy, NGC 1277, started its life with a bang long ago, ferociously churning out stars 1,000 times faster than seen in our own Milky Way today. But it abruptly went quiescent as the baby boomer stars aged and grew ever redder.

The findings are being published online in the March 12 issue of the science journal Nature.

Though Hubble has seen such "red and dead" galaxies in the early universe, one has never been conclusively found nearby. Where the early galaxies are so distant, they are just red dots in Hubble deep-sky images. NGC 1277 offers a unique opportunity to see one up close and personal. "We can explore such original galaxies in full detail and probe the conditions of the early universe," said Ignacio Trujillo, of the Instituto de Astrofisica de Canarias at the University of La Laguna, Spain.

The researchers learned that the relic galaxy has twice as many stars as our Milky Way, but physically it is as small as one quarter the size of our galaxy. Essentially, NGC 1277 is in a state of "arrested development." Perhaps like all galaxies it started out as a compact object but failed to accrete more material to grow in size to form a magnificent pinwheel-shaped galaxy.

Approximately one in 1,000 massive galaxies is expected to be a relic (or oddball) galaxy, like NGC 1277, researchers say. They were not surprised to find it, but simply consider that it was in the right place at the right time to evolve - or rather not evolve - the way it did.

The telltale sign of the galaxy's state lies in the ancient globular clusters of stars that swarm around it. Massive galaxies tend to have both metal-poor (appearing blue) and metal-rich (appearing red) globular clusters. The red clusters are believed to form as the galaxy forms, while the blue clusters are later brought in as smaller satellites are swallowed by the central galaxy. However, NGC 1277 is almost entirely lacking in blue globular clusters. "I've been studying globular clusters in galaxies for a long time, and this is the first time I've ever seen this," said Michael Beasley, also of the Instituto de Astrofisica de Canarias.

The red clusters are the strongest evidence that the galaxy went out of the star-making business long ago. However, the lack of blue clusters suggests that NGC 1277 never grew further by gobbling up surrounding galaxies.

By contrast, our Milky Way contains approximately 180 blue and red globular clusters. This is due partly to the fact that our Milky Way continues cannibalizing galaxies that swing too close by in our Local Group of a few dozen small galaxies.

It's a markedly different environment for NGC 1277. The galaxy lives near the center of the Perseus cluster of over 1,000 galaxies, located 240 million light-years away. But NGC 1277 is moving so fast through the cluster, at 2 million miles per hour, that it cannot merge with other galaxies to collect stars or pull in gas to fuel star formation. In addition, near the galaxy cluster center, intergalactic gas is so hot it cannot cool to condense and form stars.

The team started looking for "arrested development" galaxies in the Sloan Digital Sky Survey and found 50 candidate massive compact galaxies. Using a similar technique, but out of a different sample, NGC 1277 was identified as unique in that it has a central black hole that is much more massive than it should be for a galaxy of that size. This reinforces the scenario that the supermassive black hole and dense hub of the galaxy grew simultaneously, but the galaxy's stellar population stopped growing and expanding because it was starved of outside material.

"I didn't believe the ancient galaxy hypothesis initially, but finally I was surprised because it's not that common to find what you predict in astronomy," Beasley added. "Typically, the universe always comes up with more surprises that you can think about."

The team has 10 other candidate galaxies to look at with varying degrees of "arrested development."

The upcoming NASA James Webb Space Telescope (scheduled for launch in 2019) will allow astronomers to measure the motions of the globular clusters in NGC 1277. This will provide the first opportunity to measure how much dark matter the primordial galaxy contains.

Explore further Image: Hubble catches galaxies swarmed by star clusters

More information: The primordial red globular cluster system of NGC 1277, Nature (2018). Journal information: Nature The primordial red globular cluster system of NGC 1277,(2018). nature.com/articles/doi:10.1038/nature25756Prof. Nicole Nemeth. Credit: University of Guelph

Human encroachment is the leading cause of death among Ontario's at-risk birds of prey, according to a first-ever University of Guelph study.

Among deceased raptors submitted to the Canadian Wildlife Health Cooperative over a 23-year period, a majority of the wild birds died of trauma and starvation, said pathobiology professor Nicole Nemeth.

"The most common cause of death was from trauma, which often included colliding with a vehicle or flying into stationary objects, such as buildings," said Nemeth. "The second most common cause was emaciation, which often occurs when the landscape changes in a way that hinders them from successfully hunting and finding shelter."

This was the first study to examine the most common causes of death in raptors in Ontario.

The province is home to 25 species of breeding raptors. Numerous species are considered species at risk, including barn owls, golden eagles, bald eagles and peregrine falcons.

"We can't afford to lose too many of these birds," said Nemeth. "They play an important role as top predators in the food chain. They are hunting birds and help with keeping equilibrium within ecosystems by controlling certain animal populations."

Among raptor species submitted to the cooperative from 1991 to 2014, the most common were red-tailed hawks and great horned owls.

Prof. Nicole Nemeth discusses her research. Credit: University of Guelph

Of about 1,500 birds studied, 49 per cent were killed by trauma and 17 per cent had died from starvation. Other significant causes of death included infection, mostly West Nile virus (five per cent), and exposure to toxic substances in the environment (three per cent).

"Based on these findings, it is apparent that urban expansion into natural areas and other types of anthropogenic landscape alterations are behind many of these deaths," said Nemeth. "These birds are solitary and territorial, so they need a lot of space to survive."

More vehicular traffic as well as power lines, buildings and wind turbines in natural areas are hazards for these birds, she added.

"When they are hunting, they are often so homed in on their prey that they aren't as aware of what else may be in their path. In a natural environment, this wouldn't matter as much as it does in areas with higher human population densities."

Habitat loss has also made it more difficult for these birds to find spaces to build nests, hunt for prey, and seek shelter from weather and other predators, she said.

"They need a certain amount of space, cover and other resources, such as prey base, to survive. When they can't find cover, are exposed to the elements and unable to rest, they will struggle to find food resources. Add to that a long hard winter and it's enough to kill them."

Nemeth called for more public awareness about the plight of these birds and the need to protect their habitat.

"We need to be more aware of the fact that these birds are living in our environment, and in some cases that means preserving large natural areas of land where they can thrive."

Explore further The raptors guarding Mexico City's airport

More information: Kathryn A. Smith et al, A Retrospective Summary of Raptor Mortality in Ontario, Canada (19912014), Including the Effects of West Nile Virus, Journal of Wildlife Diseases (2017). Journal information: Journal of Wildlife Diseases Kathryn A. Smith et al, A Retrospective Summary of Raptor Mortality in Ontario, Canada (19912014), Including the Effects of West Nile Virus,(2017). DOI: 10.7589/2017-07-157The glass shards at Pinnacle Point were carried nearly 9000 km from the source in Indonesia. Credit: Erich Fisher.

Imagine a year in Africa that summer never arrives. The sky takes on a gray hue during the day and glows red at night. Flowers do not bloom. Trees die in the winter. Large mammals like antelope become thin, starve and provide little fat to the predators (carnivores and human hunters) that depend on them. Then, this same disheartening cycle repeats itself, year after year. This is a picture of life on earth after the eruption of the super-volcano, Mount Toba in Indonesia, about 74,000 years ago. In a paper published this week in Nature, scientists show that early modern humans on the coast of South Africa thrived through this event.

An eruption a hundred times smaller than Mount Toba - that of Mount Tambora, also in Indonesia, in 1815 - is thought to have been responsible for a year without summer in 1816. The impact on the human population was dire - crop failures in Eurasia and North America, famine and mass migrations. The effect of Mount Toba, a super-volcano that dwarfs even the massive Yellowstone eruptions of the deeper past, would have had a much larger, and longer-felt, impact on people around the globe.

The scale of the ash-fall alone attests to the magnitude of the environmental disaster. Huge quantities of aerosols injected high into the atmosphere would have severely diminished sunlight - with estimates ranging from a 25 to 90 percent reduction in light. Under these conditions, plant die-off is predictable, and there is evidence of significant drying, wildfires and plant community change in East Africa just after the Toba eruption.

If Mount Tambora created such devastation over a full year - and Tambora was a hiccup compared to Toba - we can imagine a worldwide catastrophe with the Toba eruption, an event lasting several years and pushing life to the brink of extinctions.

In Indonesia, the source of the destruction would have been evident to terrified witnesses - just before they died. However, as a family of hunter-gatherers in Africa 74,000 years ago, you would have had no clue as to the reason for the sudden and devastating change in the weather. Famine sets in and the very young and old die. Your social groups are devastated, and your society is on the brink of collapse.

The effect of the Toba eruption would have certainly impacted some ecosystems more than others, possibly creating areas - called refugia - in which some human groups did better than others throughout the event. Whether or not your group lived in such a refuge would have largely depended on the type of resources available. Coastal resources, like shellfish, are highly nutritious and less susceptible to the eruption than the plants and animals of inland areas.

When the column of fire, smoke and debris blasted out the top of Mount Toba, it spewed rock, gas and tiny microscopic pieces (cryptotephra) of glass that, under a microscope, have a characteristic hook shape produced when the glass fractures across a bubble. Pumped into the atmosphere, these invisible fragments spread across the world.

Panagiotis (Takis) Karkanas, director of the Malcolm H. Wiener Laboratory for Archaeological Science, American School of Classical Studies, Greece, saw a single shard of this explosion under a microscope in a slice of archaeological sediment encased in resin.

"It was one shard particle out of millions of other mineral particles that I was investigating. But it was there, and it couldn't be anything else," says Karkanas.

The shard came from an archaeological site in a rockshelter called Pinnacle Point 5-6, on the south coast of South Africa near the town of Mossel Bay. The sediments dated to about 74,000 years ago.

The photo shows a volcanic glass shard erupted 74,000 years ago from the Toba volcano in Indonesia found at an archaeological site nearly 9000 km away at Vleesbaai, South Africa. Credit: Racheal Johnsen.

"Takis and I had discussed the potential of finding the Toba shards in the sediments of our archaeological site, and with his eagle eye, he found one," explains Curtis W. Marean, project director of the Pinnacle Point excavations. Marean is the associate director of the Institute of Human Origins at Arizona State University and honorary professor at the Centre for Coastal Palaeoscience at Nelson Mandela University, South Africa.

Marean showed the shard image to Eugene Smith, a volcanologist with the University of Nevada at Las Vegas, and Smith confirmed it was a volcanic shard.

"The Pinnacle Point study brought me back to the study of glass shards from my master's thesis 40 years earlier," says Smith.

Early in the study, the team brought in expert cryptotephra scientist Christine Lane who trained graduate student Amber Ciravolo in the needed techniques. Racheal Johnsen later joined Ciravalo as lab manager and developed new techniques.

From scratch, with National Science Foundation support, they developed the Cryptotephra Laboratory for Archaeological and Geological Research, which is now involved in projects not only in Africa, but in Italy, Nevada and Utah.

Encased in that shard of volcanic glass is a distinct chemical signature, a fingerprint that scientists can use to trace to the killer eruption. In their paper in Nature, the team describes finding these shards in two archaeological sites in coastal South Africa, tracing those shards to Toba through chemical fingerprinting and documenting a continuous human occupation across the volcanic event.

"Many previous studies have tried to test the hypothesis that Toba devastated human populations," Marean notes. "But they have failed because they have been unable to present definitive evidence linking a human occupation to the exact moment of the event."

Most studies have looked at whether or not Toba caused environmental change. It did, but such studies lack the archaeological data needed to show how Toba affected humans.

The Pinnacle Point team has been at the forefront of development and application of highly advanced archaeological techniques. They measure everything on site to millimetric accuracy with a "total station," a laser-measurement device integrated to handheld computers for precise and error-free recording.

Naomi Cleghorn with the University of Texas at Arlington, recorded the Pinnacle Point samples as they were removed.

The research team has been excavating caves at Pinnacle Point, South Africa, for nearly 20 years. Glass shards from Mount Toba were discovered at the PP5-6 location. Credit: Erich Fisher.

Cleghorn explains, "We collected a long column of samples - digging out a small amount of sediment from the wall of our previous excavation. Each time we collected a sample, we shot its position with the total station."

The sample locations from the total station and thousands of other points representing stone artifacts, bone, and other cultural remains of the ancient inhabitants were used to build digital models of the site.

"These models tell us a lot about how people lived at the site and how their activities changed through time," say Erich Fisher, associate research scientist with the Institute of Human Origins, who built the detailed photorealistic 3D models from the data. "What we found was that during and after the time of the Toba eruption people lived at the site continuously, and there was no evidence that it impacted their daily lives."

In addition to understanding how Toba affected humans in this region, the study has other important implications for archaeological dating techniques. Archaeological dates at these age ranges are imprecise - 10 percent (or 1000s of years) error is typical. Toba ash-fall, however, was a very quick event that has been precisely dated. The time of shard deposition was likely about two weeks in duration - instantaneous in geological terms.

"We found the shards at two sites," explains Marean. "The Pinnacle Point rockshelter (where people lived, ate, worked and slept) and an open air site about 10 kilometers away called Vleesbaai. This latter site is where a group of people, possibly members of the same group as those at Pinnacle Point, sat in a small circle and made stone tools. Finding the shards at both sites allows us to link these two records at almost the same moment in time."

Not only that, but the shard location allows the scientists to provide an independent test of the age of the site estimated by other techniques. People lived at the Pinnacle Point 5-6 site from 90,000 to 50,000 years ago. Zenobia Jacobs with the University of Wollongong, Australia, used optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) to date 90 samples and develop a model of the age of all the layers. OSL dates the last time individual sand grains were exposed to light.

"There has been some debate over the accuracy of OSL dating, but Jacobs' age model dated the layers where we found the Toba shards to about 74,000 years ago - right on the money," says Marean. This lends very strong support to Jacobs' cutting-edge approach to OSL dating, which she has applied to sites across southern Africa and the world.

"OSL dating is the workhorse method for construction of timelines for a large part of our own history. Testing whether the clock ticks at the correct rate is important. So getting this degree of confirmation is pleasing," says Jacobs.

In the 1990s, scientists began arguing that this eruption of Mount Toba, the most powerful in the last two million years, caused a long-lived volcanic winter that may have devastated the ecosystems of the world and caused widespread population crashes, perhaps even a near-extinction event in our own lineage, a so-called bottleneck.

This study shows that along the food-rich coastline of southern Africa, people thrived through this mega-eruption, perhaps because of the uniquely rich food regime on this coastline. Now other research teams can take the new and advanced methods developed in this study and apply them to their sites elsewhere in Africa so researchers can see if this was the only population that made it through these devastating times.

Explore further No volcanic winter in East Africa from ancient Toba eruption

More information: Eugene I. Smith et al. Humans thrived in South Africa through the Toba eruption about 74,000 years ago, Nature (2018). Journal information: Nature Eugene I. Smith et al. Humans thrived in South Africa through the Toba eruption about 74,000 years ago,(2018). DOI: 10.1038/nature25967The nonprofit Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers began a weeklong meeting focused on the fate of the public Whois database, which shows contact information for those who own websites

The group overseeing Internet addresses is scrambling to balance the privacy of website owners and the right to know who is behind online pages.

The nonprofit Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) began a weeklong meeting Monday focused on the fate of the public Whois database, which shows contact information for those who own websites.

A General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) set to take effect in the European Union on May 25 could make revealing personal information about website owners in Whois illegal.

This week's ICANN meeting in Puerto Rico is the last before the GDPR deadline.

"We will try to find a path forward," ICANN global domains division president Akram Atallah told AFP in a telephone interview.

"There is a lot of work still to be done, but we are working as fast as possible."

While the GDPR backs the right of people to "be forgotten" online, it raises the question of whether to shield personally identifying information about website owners listed in a Whois directory created by ICANN for transparency.

The GDPR applies to people, not organizations with fictitious names, but comes into play if individuals are somehow identified, according to ICANN.

Problems arise, for example, if a company name or email address is the same as the person who owns it.

If ICANN were to simply discontinue the Whois index in Europe, that could create a haven for those from other parts of the world who want to hide which websites they own.

ICANN's understanding is that Whois information can be published, as long as the nonprofit group can justify that doing so is in the public interest.

"We propose trying to keep as much of the policy we have unchanged while being in compliance with the law," Atallah said.

Who sees Whois?

ICANN is refining a plan to divide Whois into two tiersone open to the public as is currently the case and a second that could be accessed as needed by police, researchers or others with legitimate queries.

It remained to be determined whether journalists would get access, according to Atallah.

"We are asking data protection agencies in Europe for their advice on the plan and if it works," Atallah said.

Some behind websites complain that having contact information available to the public at Whois brings the potential for spam or even physical violence, according to ICANN.

Meanwhile, much focus has been put being able to find out who is behind websites or services to guard against cons or malicious manipulation of public opinion.

"We are trying to strike a balance," Atallah said.

ICANN contracts with registered website owners require them to provide identifying information for Whois, but that clause would be invalid if it was made illegal.

"We hope that we can actually get the ICANN community to agree on a middle ground," Atallah said.

"This is forcing the issue."

The ICANN meeting ends Friday.

Explore further Hackers trick way into ICANN computers

 2018 AFPThe Sumatran cascade frog Sumaterana crassiovis in its natural habitat. Credit: Umilaela Arifin

Indonesia, a megadiverse country spanning over 17,000 islands located between Australia and mainland Asia, is home to more than 16% of the world's known amphibian and reptile species, with almost half of the amphibians found nowhere else in the world. Unsurprisingly, biodiversity scientists have been feverishly discovering and describing fascinating new animals from the exotic island in recent years.

Such is the case of an international team from the University of Hamburg, Germany, University of Texas at Arlington, USA, University of Bern, Switzerland and Bandung Institute of Technology, Indonesia, who came across a curious tadpole while collecting amphibian larvae from fast-flowing streams as part of an arduous expedition in the remote forests on the island of Sumatra.

To the amazement of the scientists, it turned out that the tadpoles possess a peculiar cup-like structure on their bellies, in addition to the regular oral disk found in typical tadpoles. As a result, the team described two new species and a genus in the open access journal Zoosystematics and Evolution. A previously known, but misplaced in an unsuitable genus, frog was also added to the group, after it was proved that it takes advantage of the same modification.

"This phenomenon where tadpoles display 'belly suckers' is known as gastromyzophory and, albeit not unheard of, is a rare adaptation that is only found in certain toads in the Americas and frogs in Asia," explains lead author Umilaela Arifin.

The Sumatran rainforest, Indonesia, the natural habitat of the new species. Credit: Umilaela Arifin

The abdominal sucker, it is hypothesized, helps these tadpoles to exploit a very special niche - fast-flowing streams - where the water would otherwise be too turbulent and rapid to hang around. Gastromyzophorous species, however, rely on the suction provided by their modified bellies to secure an exclusive access to plentiful food, such as algae, while the less adapted are simply washed away.

When the scientists took a closer look at the peculiar tadpoles and their adult forms, using a powerful combination of molecular and morphological data, they realized that they had not only stumbled upon a rare amphibian trait, but had also discovered two brand new species of frogs in the process.

Moreover, the animals turned out so distinct in their evolutionary makeup, compared to all other frogs, that the scientists had to create a whole new genus to accommodate them. Formally named Sumaterana, the genus is to be commonly referred to as Sumatran Cascade Frogs.

Tadpole of a Sumatran cascade frog, showing its unique 'suction cup' on its belly. Credit: Umilaela Arifin

"We decided to call the new genus Sumaterana after Sumatra, to reflect the fact that these new species, with their rare evolutionary adaptation are endemic to Sumatra's rainforests and, in a sense, are emblematic of the exceptional diversity of animals and plants on the island," says co-author Dr. Utpal Smart. "Tragically, all of them are in peril today, given the current rate of deforestation."

The authors agree that much more taxonomic work is still needed to determine and describe Sumatra's herpetofaunal diversity, some of which they fear, could be irreversibly lost well before biologists have the chance to discover it.

Explore further New genus of tree hole breeding frogs found in India

More information: Umilaela Arifin et al, Molecular phylogenetic analysis of a taxonomically unstable ranid from Sumatra, Indonesia, reveals a new genus with gastromyzophorous tadpoles and two new species, Zoosystematics and Evolution (2018). Umilaela Arifin et al, Molecular phylogenetic analysis of a taxonomically unstable ranid from Sumatra, Indonesia, reveals a new genus with gastromyzophorous tadpoles and two new species,(2018). DOI: 10.3897/zse.94.22120Cloud of publications relevant to Agent-based Complex Systems (ACS) Science. The graph nodes represent publications from the agent-based (ABM; in blue) and individual-based (IBM; in red) modelling communities. Green nodes represent publications belonging to both communities Credit: Kyoto University / Chris Vincenot

In a new report in the Proceedings of the Royal Society B, Christian E Vincenot from Kyoto University's Department of Social Informatics investigates how seemingly separate concepts in scientific fields fuse to become universal approaches.

Sometimes it's just a matter of a few words and key papers.

Research collaboration can represent a peak of scientific advancement. The merging of concepts leads to previously unexplored questions and methods, spurring innovation. But disciplinary boundaries limit such development, hindering understanding of key vocabulary or concepts. Vincenot chose to compare two modeling concepts: ABMagent based modelingand IBMindividual based modeling. ABM is used frequently in the computer sciences, while IBM is utilized primarily in ecology.

As it turns out, both are based on the same principle, and are used to study complex systems by modeling a single individual and then scaling that behavior up to a larger population. "A few years ago I was presenting my research at an interdisciplinary talk involving ecologists and computer scientists," reflects Vincenot. "I started using ABM and IBM interchangeably, which began to cause confusion. People unfamiliar with the similarity were surprised when I told them that the modeling principles are the same."

The genesis and evolution of the science of agent-based complex systems seen from the perspective of its citation network from 1990 to January 2016. Credit: Kyoto University / Chris Vincenot

These interactions raised the question: How do two concepts evolve separately in different scientific domains and then converge into a universal standard?

Vincenot began by developing a new methodology to analyze citations in papers that used the two terms, and tracked the changes over time. He mapped individual papers and connect these with papers they had cited, resulting in publications citing the same paper being close to each other.

ABM and IBM, he found, were initially disjointed and isolated within their respective fields. But over time, the literature began to merge, and by 201512,000 publications latera distinct fusion of the two terms could be observed. "The most surprising thing is that only a few publications were required for this fusion between ABM and IBM to happen," explains Vincenot. "Out of all the papers, only six were key for the fusion. And these weren't necessarily the most cited papers."

He hypothesizes that three things are needed for fusion to occur: researchers being aware of issues in different fields; common language, terminology, and software being developed; and most importantly, developing more unified theories.

Vincenot clarifies: "Awareness and communication are enough to instigate interdisciplinary work, but ultimately they are insufficient to give rise to a self-standing science. We need more transcendental theories, which serve as frameworks for sciences to develop in a self-sustaining manner. Basically, we must interpret current results and use them as building blocks to recursively create new theories."

The next step in his study is to confirm the conjectures by using other concepts and terms in science. Thankfully the methodology is easy to apply: it's just a matter of finding new ideas.

Explore further Science of Science authors hope to spark conversations about the scientific enterprise

More information: Christian E. Vincenot, How new concepts become universal scientific approaches: insights from citation network analysis of agent-based complex systems science, Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences (2018). Journal information: Proceedings of the Royal Society B Christian E. Vincenot, How new concepts become universal scientific approaches: insights from citation network analysis of agent-based complex systems science,(2018). DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2017.2360Views of the Circuit Board Implementing the Controller and of the Robot. (Reproduced with permission from published article). Credit: IEEE ACCESS

A study led by researchers at Tokyo Institute of Technology (Tokyo Tech) has uncovered new ways of driving multi-legged robots by means of a two-level controller. The proposed controller uses a network of so-called non-linear oscillators that enables the generation of diverse gaits and postures, which are specified by only a few high-level parameters. The study inspires new research into how multi-legged robots can be controlled, including in the future using brain-computer interfaces.

In the natural world, many species can walk over slopes and irregular surfaces, reaching places inaccessible even to the most advanced rover robots. It remains a mystery how complex movements are handled so seamlessly by even the tiniest creatures.

What we do know is that even the simplest brains contain pattern-generator circuits (CPGs), which are wired up specifically for generating walking patterns. Attempts to replicate such circuits artificially have so far had limited success, due poor flexibility.

Now, researchers in Japan and Italy propose a new approach to walking pattern generation, based on a hierarchical network of electronic oscillators arranged over two levels, which they have demonstrated using an ant-like hexapod robot. The achievement opens new avenues for the control of legged robots. Published in IEEE Access, the research is the result of collaboration between scientists from Tokyo Tech, in part funded by the World Research Hub Initiative, the Polish Academy of Sciences in Krakow, Poland, and the University of Catania, Italy.

The biologically-inspired controller consists of two levels. At the top, it contains a CPG, responsible for controlling the overall sequence of leg movements, known as gait. At the bottom, it contains six local pattern generators (LPGs), responsible for controlling the trajectories of the individual legs.

Top: Architecture of the controller, showing the central pattern generator, which controls the overall gait pattern, and at both sides, the six local pattern generators, which control individual leg trajectories. Bottom: Representative still-images of the robot walking in an ant-like posture (left) and a cockroach-like posture (right). Credit: IEEE ACCESS

The lead author of the study, Ludovico Minati, who is also affiliated to the Polish Academy of Sciences in Krakow, Poland and invited to Tokyo Tech's Institute of Innovative Research (IIR) through the World Research Hub Initiative explains that insects can rapidly adapt their gait depending on a wide range of factors, but particularly their walking speed. Some gaits are observed frequently and are considered as canonical, but in reality, a near-infinite number of gaits are available, and different insects such as ants and cockroaches realize similar gaits in very different postures.

Difficulties have been encountered when trying to condense so much complexity into artificial pattern generators. The proposed controller shows an extremely high level of versatility thanks to implementation based on field-programmable analog arrays (FPAAs), which allow on-the-fly reconfiguration and tuning of all circuit parameters. It builds on years of previous research on non-linear and chaotic electronic networks, which has demonstrated their ability to replicate phenomena observed in biological brains, even when wired up in very simple configurations.

"Perhaps the most exciting moment in the research was when we observed the robot exhibit phenomena and gaits which we neither designed nor expected, and later found out also exist in biological insects," says Minati. Such emergent phenomena arise particularly as the network is realized with analog components and allows a certain degree of self-organization, representing an approach that vastly differs to conventional engineering, where everything is designed a-priori and fixed. "This takes us so much closer to the way biology works," he adds.

Yasuharu Koike, also based at the IIR, comments: "An important aspect of the controller is that it condenses so much complexity into only a small number of parameters. These can be considered high-level parameters, in that they explicitly set the gait, speed, posture, etc. Because they can be changed dynamically, in the future it should be easy to vary them in real-time using a brain-computer interface, allowing the control of complex kinematics otherwise impossible to dominate with current approaches."

And Natsue Yoshimura, also based at the IIR, says: "As the controller responds gradually and embodies a biologically plausible approach to pattern generation, we think that it may be more seamless to drive compared to systems which decode discrete commands. This may have practical implications, and our lab has substantial know-how in this area."

More information: Ludovico Minati et al, Versatile locomotion control of a hexapod robot using a hierarchical network of non-linear oscillator circuits, IEEE Access (2018). Ludovico Minati et al, Versatile locomotion control of a hexapod robot using a hierarchical network of non-linear oscillator circuits,(2018). DOI: 10.1109/ACCESS.2018.2799145A recent study published in Oxford Economic Papers indicates that university education has a dramatically positive effect on the development of non-cognitive skills like conscientiousness, extraversion and agreeableness, in addition to the expected intellectual benefits. The paper also shows that the impact of education on these skills is even more dramatic for students from lower socioeconomic backgrounds.

University education coincides with the transition from adolescence into young adulthood. The nature of this maturation process is toward increasing levels of agreeableness, conscientiousness, and emotional stability and decreasing levels of openness to experience and extraversion. University training may alter this maturation process: Theoretically, it could boost, weaken, or even reverse population trends in personality trait maturation.

University education may impact character skills development by providing students with exposure to new peer groups and extracurricular activities including sport, politics, and art. Because students from disadvantaged backgrounds are likely to be more affected by a change in peer groups through day-to-day interaction with academically inclined peers and academic groups, there may be a greater effect of university education on students from disadvantaged backgrounds.

To measure character skills researchers used five personality traitsopenness to experience, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness, and neuroticismwhich are widely accepted as a meaningful construct for describing differences in character skills by psychologists. Some of these character skills- extraversion or openness to new experiences - are important for employers. Other character skills- like agreeableness - are related to preferences such as reciprocity and altruism, which are significant for personal health and wellbeing.

To identify the effect of university education, researchers followed the education and character skills trajectories of 575 adolescents over eight years using nationally-representative, longitudinal data from the Household, Income, and Labour Dynamics in Australia survey. The data provide measures of character skills before potential university entry, and follow up measures four and eight years later.

The results indicate that every additional year spent at university is associated with increases in extraversion and agreeableness for youth from low socioeconomic backgrounds.

The results show that university education has positive effects on extraversion, reversing a downward sloping population trend in outward orientation as people age. It also accelerates an upward-sloping population trend in agreeableness for students from low socioeconomic status, boosting agreeableness scores from the lowest levels observed at baseline to the highest levels at the eight-year follow up. This finding suggests that the causal mechanism is likely to operate through actual exposure to university life, rather than through academic course content. Such interpretation is strengthened by the observation that length of exposure to university life is positively associated with character development.

As yet, no empirical evidence has existed on the matter. This study provides a robust empirical look at the role that university education plays in skills development in adolescents. Australian universities contribute to building sociability (extraversion) and the tendency to cooperate (agreeableness).

In addition, university education is associated with higher levels of agreeableness for both male and female students from low socioeconomic backgrounds, who started from the lowest baseline scores in adolescence and experienced the steepest growth curve as they entered university. This implies that students from disadvantaged backgrounds catch up with their peers from more privileged backgrounds, thus reducing initial levels of inequality in agreeableness.

"We see quite clearly that students' personalities change when they go to university, said the paper's lead researcher," Sonja Kassenboehmer. "Universities provide an intensive new learning and social environment for adolescents, so it is not surprising that this experience could impact on students' personality. It is good news that universities not only seem to teach subject-specific skills, but also seem to succeed in shaping skills valued by employers and society."

Explore further Study links responsible behavior in high school to life success 50 years later

More information: Sonja C Kassenboehmer et al, University education and non-cognitive skill development, Oxford Economic Papers (2018). Journal information: Oxford Economic Papers Sonja C Kassenboehmer et al, University education and non-cognitive skill development,(2018). DOI: 10.1093/oep/gpy002Phytoplankton bloom formed of a dense mat of diatoms in the Southern Ocean. This was sampled by team of scientists on voyage between the UK and South Georgia to validate ocean data from the Copernicus Sentinels. Credit: University of HawaiiE. Goetze/Naturalis Biodiversity Centre LeidenK. Peijnenburg, D. Wall-Palmer & L. Mekkes

Two recent expeditions that took scientists 26 000 km across the Atlantic Ocean have returned critical information to make sure that the Copernicus Sentinel satellites are delivering accurate data about the state of our oceans.

Information from the Sentinels is used in a myriad of ways to make lives easier and businesses more efficient.

For example, ocean forecasting is important for maritime safety and off-shore operations, and biological productivity helps sectors such as the fishing industry.

It is therefore imperative to monitor data quality throughout a satellite's life  and this means venturing out to make in situ measurements that can be compared with measurements taken from space.

In 2016 and 2017, a team of scientists did just this and braved the seas for months on voyages that took them all the way from the UK to the South Atlantic to collect reference measurements of chlorophyll, sea temperature and more.

ESA ocean scientist Craig Donlon explained, "We rely on these measurements, which are fully traceable, independent and collected according to strict protocols.

"They are an essential part of making sure that the satellite data can be used with confidence for practical applications and scientific research."

Gavin Tilstone from the Plymouth Marine Laboratory said, "Each expedition took around seven weeks.

Taking fiducial reference measurements in the Atlantic Ocean. These are fully traceable, independent measurements collected in situ according to strict protocols. They are used to ensure confidence in data from the Copernicus Sentinels. Credit: PML

En route to South Georgia and the Falkland Islands we took around a million measurements each time, including readings of ocean colour, surface temperature and wave motion.

"We voyaged through many different ocean regimes so that these measurements were as varied as possible, from productive coastal regions to desert-like gyres in the centre of the ocean that are rarely accessed by research ships."

Importantly, where possible, measurements were taken at the same time as the Sentinels passed overhead.

"It was also important to compare measurements taken by different shipborne instruments, which is all part of making sure they are of the highest quality and rigorously calibrated before they are used to check the satellite data," added Dr. Tilstone.

Some of the initial results suggest that the measurements of chlorophyll by Sentinel-3A's ocean and land colour instrument can be improved slightly, which is now being addressed in the data processing chain.

Craig Donlon commented, "This is exactly why these campaigns are vital. They build confidence in our missions and data products, and highlight issues that can be easily addressed by our expert teams. Regular-repeat campaigns are a core part of our satellite missions because they provide the evidence of mission quality for our users."

Southwest England and the English Channel from Sentinel-1. The effects of wind along the Devon and Dorset shorelines are particularly striking. Where the sea is flat it appears black and this is down to the sheltering effects of the land or the funnelling effect of small valleys along the coastline. The gusty nature of the wind is apparent as small-scale structures to the southwest of Devon. Sentinel-1s synthetic aperture radar can be considered a 'super-scatterometer', providing information on the wind speed and structure at a higher resolution than traditional satellite scatterometers used for observing wind at the sea surface. Credit: contains modified Copernicus Sentinel data (2016), processed by Ifremer

The Copernicus Sentinel-1, Sentinel-2 and Sentinel-3 satellites return different types of data about the oceans.

For example, Sentinel-1 can be used to look at waves and oil spills, Sentinel-2 and Sentinel-3 both offer information about phytoplankton, which form the basis of the marine food chain and are important in the balance of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.

Sentinel-3 is also used to map sea-surface temperature, which is needed for forecasting. In addition, information on both phytoplankton and temperature is important for understanding how our oceans are changing.

Explore further See our seasons change from spaceThe Toronto-Dominion Bank, together with its subsidiaries, provides various personal and commercial banking products and services in Canada and the United States. It operates through three segments: Canadian Retail, U.S. Retail, and Wholesale Banking. The company offers personal deposits, such as chequing, savings, and investment products; financing, investment, cash management, international trade, and day-to-day banking services to businesses; and financing options to customers at point of sale for automotive and recreational vehicle purchases through auto dealer network. It also provides credit cards; real estate secured lending; auto finance; consumer lending; point-of-sale payment solutions for large and small businesses; wealth and asset management products, private banking, investment advisory, and trust services to retail and institutional clients; and property and casualty insurance, as well as life and health insurance products. The company also provides capital markets, and corporate and investment banking services, including underwriting and distribution of new debt and equity issues; advice on strategic acquisitions and divestitures; and trading, funding, and investment services to companies, governments, and institutions. It offers its products and services under the TD Bank and America's Most Convenient Bank brand names. The company operates through a network of 1,085 branches, 3,440 automated teller machines, and 1,223 stores, as well as offers telephone, digital, and mobile banking services. The Toronto-Dominion Bank was founded in 1855 and is headquartered in Toronto, Canada.

Read MoreYou might have a hobby in baking at home, and this passion may potentially turn into a side business as a supplementary source of income. If so, are you required to apply for a licence?

Well, the simple answer is: you do not!

This applies whether you are living in an HDB flat, or a private residence. However, there are certain guidelines that you should follow if you wish to pursue a small-scale, home-based baking business. This article will cover them in detail.

Do also note that although a licence is not required to run a small-scale baking business from home, you may still need to register your business. For more information, refer to our article on registering a business in Singapore.

COVID-19 Update

From 19 June 2020 onwards (i.e. the start of Singapores post-circuit breaker Phase 2), all home-based businesses, such as home bakeries that produce baked goods for customers, will be able to operate as per normal.

However, businesses which involve customers entering the flat for prolonged periods of time will need to use SafeEntry for contact tracing purposes.

Home-Based Small Scale Business Scheme Guidelines in Singapore

The Housing & Development Board (HDB) and Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) oversee the Home-Based Small Scale Business Scheme, which allows home owners to carry out small-scale businesses (such as baking businesses) from home.

This content is not available due to your privacy preferences. Update your settings here to see it.

Some of the guidelines in the Home-Based Small Scale Business Scheme that you should follow are:

1. No registration of your HDB flat address as your business address

HDB flat addresses cannot be registered as business addresses. This is because HDB flats are strictly for residential use.

On the other hand, you may register the address of your private residential premises as your business address, provided that there is no material change of use of your residential premises.

2. Be considerate to your neighbours

While baking, you must be considerate of your surroundings. There should not be any excessive noise, smoke, or smells that might pose a nuisance to your neighbours.

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3. No recruiting of employees outside of your household

You are not allowed recruit employees outside of your household to assist you in the preparation and delivery of your baked goods. No one may earn a salary off your home-based business apart from members of your household.

That said, if you require an extra helping hand from time to time, it is perfectly fine for your friends and family to help you by purchasing your ingredients, mixing or preparing them or even attending to the oven. You may pay them a small sum for their efforts if you wish to, but the payments should not be treated as a form of salary (especially in relation to your friends).

4. No loading/unloading of goods via vans or trucks

You are not allowed to load and unload goods via vans or trucks, which implies that you are not allowed to produce your baked goods in bulk.

For delivery purposes, try transporting your baked goods via car or public transport instead. However, only small quantities of food can be transported at any point of time.

Remember that under the Home-Based Small Scale Business Scheme, the sale of your food is strictly meant to supplement your income instead of being your main source of income.

5. No putting up of signboards or paid ads

Your baked goods should mainly be sold to your friends, relatives and people that you are familiar with. While sharing about the sales of your cupcakes and cookies on social media is permitted, you are not allowed to pay for advertisements on social media or any other online platform.

You are also not allowed to physically put up paid advertisements or display a business signboard outside your home.

6. No selling of food at stalls

You are not allowed to set up food stations or stalls at events/food fairs, and you cannot sell your home-baked goods at food establishments.

Food Health and Safety Standards

Even though home-based bakers are not required to apply for a licence to sell their baked goods, they are advised to follow the food hygiene guidelines issued by the National Environment Agency (NEA).

This is because one of the potential hazards of consuming home-baked goods is that the food was not hygienically prepared. Food establishments such as restaurants or food outlets are subject to a graded system of appraisal which indicates the overall hygiene, cleanliness and up-keeping of the premises where food is prepared (A being the best, and D being the worst). Customers can see displayed grades and decide whether to patronise the eatery.

However, residential premises are not subject to such an appraisal system. Customers of home-baked goods may therefore be at greater risk of falling ill after consuming such goods if the goods were not hygienically prepared.

NEAs food hygiene guidelines cover:

1. Personal hygiene

Bacteria and other forms of micro-organisms that cannot be seen with the naked eye can be found on our hands, and they can be transmitted easily onto the food that you handle. To reduce the likelihood of an illness or a stomach-ache, you must wash your hands thoroughly with soap, before and after the food preparation process.

Additionally, wash your hands again should you visit the toilet halfway through preparation, or after handling waste products.

For extra precaution, you can wear gloves during the preparation process and the handling of the finished baked goods. Also, do not handle and bake food when you are feeling unwell or sick.

2. Kitchen hygiene

Your kitchen must be kept clean and hygienic. All food preparation surfaces and equipment, such as bowls, mixers, ovens, spoons and cups, should be cleaned and sanitised regularly, before and after every session in the kitchen.

This reduces the chance of contamination, and the attraction of unwanted household pests such as flies, cockroaches and rats. These pests carry harmful bacteria and dirt which can cause serious food-related illnesses.

Be wary of brushing off crumbs off the table, and sweep anything that hits the floor. If you have pets and children, refrain from allowing them to enter the kitchen whilst you are preparing food.

3. Food safety

Whilst choosing ingredients for your baked goods, be sure to obtain ingredients from approved sources.

Also, check that the ingredients have not passed their expiry dates.

4. Storage safety

Store your ingredients at the right temperature, and in the right places. Your refrigerator must be kept clean and food items should be stored in a proper manner. For example, raw food items should not be placed on top of cooked food.

Harmful diseases such as salmonella and E. coli may become prominent in your refrigerator if raw foods are not stored properly. These diseases can cause diarrhoea, fever and vomiting.

You can read the NEAs food hygiene guidelines for the Home-Based Small Scale Business Scheme in full here.

Can Foreigners on a Dependants Pass in Singapore Start a Home-Based Baking Business?

A foreigner on a Dependants Pass (DP) in Singapore who wants to start a home-based baking business will need to:

Have a company registered in Singapore for their home-based baking business

Have the company apply to the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) for a Letter of Consent for the foreigner to work in the company (either as a company director or employee)

This is in addition to complying with all of the above rules on running a business under the Home-Based Small Scale Business Scheme.

Do also note that the foreigner on a DP cannot be an existing company director or shareholder of the company that will be applying for a Letter of Consent for them to work for the company.

Joining a Baking Community

If you decide to target a wider audience, you may wish to join a baking community, such as the Home Bakers Club (Singapore) Facebook group. Depending on what the baking community offers, being part of a baking community may help you connect with other bakers and provide access to recipes or events. They may also promote your baked goods, and simplify the process of delivering and selling your baked goods.

Baking communities that help promote and sell your baked goods may have additional requirements for you to meet before they will assist you your business. These requirements can include passing a taste test or obtaining a food hygiene certificate from a certified agency.

Therefore before signing up to join a baking community, check the baking communitys requirements for joining and whether you are willing to fulfil these requirements (if any).

Going Public with Your Business

If the demand for your baked goods increases and you wish to increase sales, you might have to go beyond the scope of the Home-Based Small Scale Business Scheme.

For example, instead of purchasing the ingredients yourself, you might require a supplier. You might need a larger delivery vehicle, or the assistance of extra staff. Finally, you might also need an area where customers can purchase and consume your food.

If you choose to go beyond the scheme, you will need to obtain a Food Shop Licence. To obtain this licence, you are required to submit planning permission approval from either the URA or HDB, and documents such as a tenancy agreement.

Apart from this, you will have to comply with the Code of Practice on Environmental Health when renovating your premises, and your staff will need to obtain food hygiene certificates.

For more information, check out our article on the legal requirements to open a restaurant in Singapore.

Incorporating and operating a business is expensive. Therefore, you should be sure to do so only if you have the funds, along with a reasonable prospect of success. Important considerations include the costs and location of premises, operating costs and the level of commitment that you are willing to put in. Starting a full-fledged business is a huge leap compared to a home-based one that is governed under the Home-Based Small Scale Business Scheme.



Bakers take pride and joy in their craft. Satisfied smiles and contented customers are the driving force of their efforts, motivating them to continue baking.

Baking is also a passion that can be easily translated into a source of income. However, while doing so, you must ensure proper hygiene standards, so that consumers can safely trust in the preparation methods of your home-baked goods.

The guidelines mentioned above emphasise the importance of food safety, and increase a home-based bakers responsibility regarding the proper preparation of baked goods and conduct of business.

With all this in mind, the trust and demand for home-baked cakes, muffins, cookies and brownies will surely increase.

Contact Us

If you require someone to apply for business licences or register a company/business on your behalf, do contact us for a quotation.

The post Do You Need a Licence to Sell Home Bakes in Singapore? appeared first on SingaporeLegalAdvice.com.Eduardo Saverin. (Photo: Getty Images)

By Yoolim Lee

Singapores Golden Gate Ventures is raising a $100 million third fund to continue investing in Southeast Asias burgeoning market for e-commerce, payments and mobile apps, according to a person familiar with the matter.

The new fund is expected to have a first close before the end of this month and the final close by the end of 2018, said the person who asked not to be identified because the information is private.

Founded by former Silicon Valley entrepreneurs Vinnie Lauria, Jeffrey Paine and Paul Bragiel in 2011, Golden Gate Ventures was one of the earliest VC firms to target Southeast Asias nascent technology sector. It has since launched two funds and invested in more than 30 companies across the region. They include online classified app Carousell, Jakarta-based health-care platform Alodokter and Appota Corp., a Vietnamese mobile platform with more than 30 million users.

Investors in Golden Gate Ventures previous funds include Temasek Holdings Pte, Facebook Inc. co-founder Eduardo Saverin and South Koreas Hanwha Life Insurance Co. and Naver Corp.

The move underscores a flurry of fundraising activities amid an influx of money into the region as investors seek opportunities beyond the U.S. and China. Wavemaker Partners LLC, also an early-stage VC firm, in October closed a $66 million fund for Southeast Asia, while NSI Ventures is currently raising a $125 million second fund. Temaseks Vertex Ventures also closed its third Southeast Asian fund in October at $210 million, a record in the region.

To contact the reporter on this story: Yoolim Lee in Singapore at yoolim@bloomberg.net

To contact the editors responsible for this story: Robert Fenner at rfenner@bloomberg.net; Peter Elstrom, Reed Stevenson

 2018 Bloomberg L.PBy Gopal Sharma

KATHMANDU (Reuters) - At least 49 people were killed on Monday when a Bangladeshi airliner crashed in cloudy weather as it came in to land at the Nepalese capital's hill-ringed airport, officials said.

The chief executive officer of US-Bangla Airlines, Imran Asif, accused Kathmandu's air traffic control for giving wrong signals.

But airport general manager Raj Kumar Chettri said the pilot disregarded their messages and came in from the wrong direction.

Seventyone people were on board the plane arriving from Dhaka when it clipped the fence at Kathmandu and burst into flames, Chettri said.

There were 33 Nepali passengers, 32 from Bangladesh, one from China and one from the Maldives. (Graphics on 'Deadly plane crash in Nepal' - http://tmsnrt.rs/2FBaGPb)

"All of a sudden the plane shook violently and there was a loud bang," one of the survivors, Basanta Bohora, told the Kathmandu Post daily. "I was seated near a window and was able to break out of the window."

The accident was the latest to hit mountainous Nepal, which has a poor record of air safety. Small aircraft ply an extensive domestic network and often run into trouble at remote airstrips.

"So far 49 people are dead and 22 are undergoing treatment at different hospitals," Sanjiv Gautam, executive director of the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN), told reporters.

Several people were rescued from the burning wreckage of the Bombardier Q400 series aircraft and are undergoing treatment at hospitals, army spokesman Gokul Bhandari said.

Chettri said that moments after the plane received permission to land, the pilot said he wanted to go in a northern direction. Asked by the control tower if there was a problem, he replied in the negative.

The plane was then seen making two rounds in a northeast direction, Chettri said. Traffic controllers again asked the pilot if things were OK, and he replied, "Yes".

The tower then told the pilot his alignment was not correct, but there was no reply, Chettri added.

Story continues

"The plane should have come from the right direction," Chettri said, adding that it hit the airport fence, touched the ground and then caught fire.

It was not immediately clear if the pilot had issued a "Mayday" call, or distress signal.

US-Bangla Airlines' Asif, however, said that wrong signals might have led to the crash.

"A three-minute conversation between the pilot and the air traffic control before the landing indicated that they sent wrong signal to the pilot," he told reporters in Dhaka.

SERIES OF ACCIDENTS

Many of the bodies that lay on the tarmac, covered with cloth, were charred, witnesses said. Thick plumes of smoke could be seen from the aircraft at the Tribhuvan International Airport.

Those on board include 12 Nepali tour agents who were returning after an annual sales conference in Bangladesh, an official said.

The aircraft that went down on Monday was 17 years old, data from tracking website Flightradar24.com showed. It descended to an airport altitude of 4,400 feet (1,341 m) and then climbed to 6,600 feet (2,012 m) before crashing about two minutes later, the website said.

Bombardier said on Twitter it was saddened by the accident.

"Our thoughts are with those injured, and their families," it said.

There have been a series of accidents at Kathmandu in the past.

In March 2014, a flock of birds shattered the windshield of a Malaysia Airlines <MASM.KL> jet as it landed in Kathmandu. The same month, a rear wheel of an Airbus A320 operated by an Indian budget airline caught fire after landing.

In 2012, a plane carrying trekkers to Mount Everest region hit a bird and crashed in Kathmandu, killing all on board.

In 1992, all 113 people aboard were killed when a Thai Airways flight from Bangkok crashed while trying to land in Kathmandu.

US-Bangla Airlines is a unit of the US-Bangla Group, a U.S. Bangladeshi joint venture company.

The two pilots and two cabin crew were Bangladeshi nationals, airline spokesman Kamrul Islam said in Dhaka.

"Our team will fly to Nepal as soon as the airport is open," he added. "We are in touch with Nepali authorities."

The Bangladeshi carrier, which launched operations in July 2014 with a slogan - "Fly Fast-Fly Safe", operates Bombardier and Boeing <BA.N> aircraft.

(Additional reporting by Navesh Chitrakar; Ruma Paul in DHAKA; Sudarshan Varadhan and Aditi Shah in NEW DELHI; Writing by Krishna N. Das; Editing by Angus MacSwan)Prime Minister Justin Trudeau accused China of flooding global markets with cheap steel Monday, saying Canada has already taken steps to prevent "dumping." "We are very concerned about the actions taken by China and the dumping of steel and aluminum on the global market," Trudeau said following a tour of an aluminum plant in Quebec. His comments came amid rising global trade tensions in the wake of a US decision to impose steep tariffs on imported steel and aluminum. Canada, the top supplier of steel and aluminum to the US market, and Mexico have been temporarily exempted from the tariffs until trilateral continental trade talks conclude. Trudeau, who is expected to travel to three other Canadian steel cities to reassure workers in the coming days, said Canada already has "significant barriers" in place to prevent low-cost steel and aluminum from being dumped there, and is prepared to work with Washington to "do even more." "There is a global overcapacity issue and we are very pleased to work with our allies and friends to continue to counter that problem," he said. When Trump announced last week 10 percent tariffs on aluminum and 25 percent on steel, he said Canada and Mexico could be exempted permanently if the ongoing renegotiation of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) is successful. But both Mexico and Canada rejected Trump's linkage of the levies to the ongoing NAFTA talks. Canada's Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland termed the two things "separate issues," while Mexico's economy ministry said "the negotiation of the NAFTA should not be subject to conditions outside the process." "We will continue working toward securing a definite and permanent exemption from those tariffs," Trudeau said. China is Canada's second-largest trading partner after the United States. Trudeau's dumping accusations against Beijing, which echoed Trump's own message, come after exploratory talks with China failed to advance to Canada-China free trade negotiations. Instead, Ottawa signed onto the 11-nation Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP), which excludes both China and the United States, and entered into talks last week to join a South American trading bloc as part of a concerted push to diversify its trading relationships. A Canada-EU free trade accord, meanwhile, entered into force last September.Talk about fast service. The Aishoden Funeral Parlor has an extraordinary way of offering busy and less-mobile mourners a chance to pay their last respects to a departed person, and that is via a drive-through funeral service.

Located in the central part of Ueda, Japan, it works just like a fast food delivery servicebut the difference is that visitors can pull up to a drive-through window to register on a touchscreen tablet, offer money, and even give traditional incense offerings all in the comfort of their own car.

Meanwhile, all the visitors faces, together with their offerings, are conveniently seen on monitors inside the funeral homes.

Mourner paying respect to the dead

Drive-through funeral service: Only in Japan

This drive-through funeral service is the first of its kind in Japan, according to Masao Ogiwara, company president of The Kankon Sosai Aichi Group thats behind this unusual undertaking. Their business specifically targets busy people and those with limited mobility, such as wheel-chaired bound individuals.

Ive been in this business for a while and have seen how burdensome attending funerals can be for old folks in wheelchairs, Ogiwara told the Japan Times. The new service will allow those who would otherwise stay home to go out and bid farewell to friends and family.

Ogiwara also added that final farewells in the service are simplified to shave off unnecessary ceremony running times. This helps busy individuals save time.

All in all, it will cut down the time it takes to attend a funeral by around one-fourth or one-fifth, Mr. Ogiwara said.

Japans aging population quickly on the rise

Elder playing with a cat

One of the most common reasons why more unconventional (and even traditional) funeral services have been steadily increasing over the years is due to Japans increasing life expectancy age.

Today, around 80 percent of those who are extending their golden years are men, and 87 percent are women.

According to Japans Health, Labor, and Welfare Ministry, around 33.0% of the Japanese population is above the age of 60. Their studies also show that 25.9 percent are aged 65 or above, and 12.5 percent are aged 75 or above. People aged 65 years and older in Japan make up a quarter of its total population, estimated to reach a third by the year 2050.

Story continues

Meanwhile, the countrys birth rate is slowing down, with fewer than one million births last year.

The World Factbook listed Japans life expectancy in 2016 to be at 85 years of age, which is similar to that of Singapore, and lower only than that of Monaco.

Compare this with the average life expectancy rate in the U.S., which is 78.7 years, China at 75.9 years, or even the world, which is 71.5 years.

Moreover, the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications statistical yearbook in 2016 reported that senior citizens in the 90 years old age bracket have, for the first time, reached the 2.06 million mark, with 7.7 million seniors working in the country.

According to the Ministrys data, around 3.01 million, or 39 percent of the working elders, were non-regular employees (such as part-timers or temps). Statistics show that this was a 2.5 fold increase from the 1.22 million elders who worked in 2006.

The post Japan Now Has a Drive-Through Funeral Service appeared first on Carmudi Philippines.Echelon TOP100 2018 features young Indonesia-based companies from Edtech to IoT, and Medtech to Agriculture

After a pretty badass line-up at our Echelon TOP100 Singapore and Malaysia Qualifiers, the team is set to take on the next pitstop in our Roadshow roadmap: Indonesia  with our friends at BLOCK71 Jakarta! From over 100 startups applying to showcase their startups in Indonesia, 20 have been chosen to take the stage tomorrow.

Shortlisted startups will pitch in front of panels of judges on March 13, Tue, including muru-D, Convergence VC and Vynn Capital.

They will battle it out to be crowned the Judges Choice and Fan Favourite  get fast tracked to the Finals at Echelon Asia Summit in Singapore this June amongst the shortlisted 100  and ultimately vie for prizes from WeWork, STSP, Web in Travel and SPRING Singapore!

In alphabetical order, these are the ones to watch:

Authentic Guards Ayoslide Digital indonesia (Digi-Id) Docquity Holdings Doogether Exquisite Informatics Gradana Jala Tech Leap Talent LiveCons Mallness MallSini Medika App MyClinicalPro PT Tanijoy Agriteknologi Nusantara Soffi Keuangan Digital Tjetak WINNERZZ ZAKKI

Got you curious? Join the community at a Qualifier Roadshow

near you!





TOP100, presented by WeWork, is a programme powered by e27 that empowers insights, connections, talent and funding opportunities for early-stage tech startups in Asia. In order to shine a spotlight on the chosen 100, we travel through 23 APAC cities in 2 months, span 7 market categories, and partner with community leaders and ecosystem expertise to curate the ones to keep an eye out for. Learn more or apply now at e27.co/echelon/top100

TOP100 Qualifier Roadshows begin across Singapore, Malaysia, (now) Indonesia, the Philippines, Vietnam, Thailand, Cambodia and Myanmar from March 6th, 2018, before taking on the rest of APAC. The TOP100 2018 Official Startup Application Round for joining the Qualifier Roadshow has ended, but we are still accepting applications for Discretionary Admission.

The post Meet the 19 startups representing Indonesia at the Echelon TOP100 Qualifier Roadshow appeared first on e27.Acting Attorney General Beltran speaks about the blast, that injured more than two dozen in February in the Mexican resort town of Playa del Carmen, during a news conference in Mexico City Acting Attorney General Alberto Elias Beltran speaks about the blast, that injured more than two dozen in February in the Mexican resort town of Playa del Carmen, during a news conference at Attorney General building in Mexico City , Mexico March 11, 2018. REUTERS/Ginnette Riquelme

MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - A blast that injured more than two dozen in February in the Mexican resort town of Playa del Carmen was not an act of terrorism or organized crime, the Mexico attorney general's office said on Sunday.

The explosion on a ferry docked at a Playa del Carmen pier was set off by a rudimentary or homemade device, acting Attorney General Alberto Elias Beltran said at a news conference.

"The responsibility of terrorist organizations or organized crime has been ruled out," he said. Officials did not offer any details on who they believe was responsible.

The explosion injured at least 25 people, including U.S. tourists. It marked another blow to the reputation of Mexico's tourism industry, as the country's soaring crime and long-running battle with drug cartels have increasingly disrupted resort towns.

Shortly before spring break, when thousands of U.S. college students descend on Mexican beach towns, the U.S. government on Wednesday barred its employees from traveling to Playa del Carmen. It cited an unspecified "security threat" and mentioning the blast. The government later limited the ban to certain neighborhoods.

Following the blast, the Mexico's federal police will increase its deployment in the Mexican state of Quintana Roo on the Yucatan Peninsula which includes Cancun. It will prioritize areas frequented by tourists, Manelich Castilla, the top federal police chief, said at the news conference. He stressed that the Mexican government has the resources to keep the peace in tourist destinations.

"Reservations have not been canceled, and the beaches are open, without incident," he said.

The ferry at the center of the explosion was operated by Barcos Caribe, which is owned by the family of former Quintana Roo Governor Roberto Borge, local media reported. Borge was extradited from Panama to Mexico in January and has been jailed on corruption charges.

Barcos Caribe did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

(Reporting by Julia Love and Noe Torres, Editing by Rosalba O'Brien and Cynthia Osterman)By Clare Baldwin and Andrew R.C. Marshall

CHAKMAKUL REFUGEE CAMP, Bangladesh (Reuters) - The Rohingya refugees who live in shacks clinging to these steep, denuded hills in southern Bangladesh pray that the sandbags fortifying the slopes will survive the upcoming monsoon.

"They make it safer, but they won't hold if the rain is really heavy," said Mohammed Hares, 18. Cracks have already formed in the packed mud on which his shack is built.

Nearly 700,000 Rohingya Muslims have fled to Bangladesh since last August to escape a military crackdown in neighbouring Myanmar. Most now live in flimsy, bamboo-and-plastic structures perched on what were once forested hills.

Bangladesh is lashed by typhoons, and the Rohingya camps are clustered in a part of the country that records the highest rainfall. Computer modelling by the United Nations refugee agency (UNHCR) shows that more than 100,000 refugees will be threatened by landslides and floods in the coming monsoon. (See graphic: a menacing monsoon http://tmsnrt.rs/2DepYHD)

The rains typically begin in April and peak in July, according to the Bangladesh Meteorological Department.

In Kutupalong-Balukhali, the biggest of the makeshift camps, up to a third of the land could be flooded, leaving more than 85,000 refugees homeless, according to the UNHCR. Another 23,000 refugees live on slopes at risk of landslide.

The UNHCR, International Organization for Migration (IOM) and World Food Programme are using bulldozers to level 123 acres in northern Kutupalong-Balukhali camp in an effort to make the area safer, said UNHCR spokeswoman Caroline Gluck.

IOM is putting debris-removal equipment and work crews throughout the camps, it said, and trying to improve roads and stabilise slopes. It is also setting up emergency diarrhoea treatment centres and providing search and rescue and first aid training.

Bangladesh Disaster Management Secretary Shah Kamal said the government was working with the U.N. to relocate 133,000 people living in high-risk areas. It is also launching a Rohingya-language radio station that will act as a natural disaster warning system, he said.

Story continues

Bangladesh government officials have also previously told Reuters they are pushing ahead with a controversial plan to turn an uninhabited island in the Bay of Bengal into a temporary home for the Rohingya and move 100,000 refugees there ahead of the monsoon.

Flooding increases the risk of disease outbreaks. It could also threaten access to medical facilities, making them difficult to reach and restock, the modelling shows. Latrines, washrooms and tube wells may also be flooded.

The risk of landslides has been exacerbated by refugee families needing firewood to cook. Trees were cut down to make way for the refugees, who also dug up the roots for firewood, making the slopes even weaker and prone to collapse.

"This was a forest when I first arrived," said Arafa Begum, 40, who lives with her three children in a shack on a barren, vertiginous slope in Chakmakul camp. She said she wanted to move before the monsoon but must await the instructions of the majhi, or block leader.

The majhi's name is Jahid Hussain. "I don't know what I'll do when the rain comes," he told Reuters. "It depends on Allah."

(Reporting by Clare Baldwin and Andrew R.C. Marshall in CHAKMAKUL REFUGEE CAMP; Additional reporting by Ruma Paul in DHAKA; Editing by Alex Richardson)Philippine police have arrested a suspected Islamist militant who allegedly helped guard a group of tourists kidnapped in 2001 including an American missionary who was later killed, the justice department said Monday. Hood Abdullah is accused of guarding hostages including US citizen Martin Burnham, who was killed and his wife wounded in the crossfire during a botched military rescue attempt in June 2002. Abdullah was a member of Abu Sayyaf, an Al-Qaeda-linked group blamed for the archipelago's deadliest bombings, ransom kidnappings and beheadings in recent decades, Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre said. "Burnham, an American hostage, was always handcuffed to Abdullah... especially on the move," Aguirre told reporters. Burnham died 13 months after Abu Sayyaf gunmen kidnapped a group of 20 tourists at an upscale western Philippine resort, including the Burnhams and another American, who was later beheaded. The gunmen took their victims to their southern island stronghold of Basilan, authorities said. While Abdullah did not take part in the resort raid, he guarded the Burnhams when several groups of hostages including the missionary couple were put together in one detention area, Aguirre said. The other hostages were plantation workers and members of the Jehovah's Witness religious sect -- two of whom were rescued and helped to identify Abdullah, the justice secretary added. Abdullah was arrested on February 27 in the southern port city of Zamboanga, where Aguirre said he was believed to be scouting for fresh victims while working as a motel security guard. On February 28, authorities arrested a second Abu Sayyaf suspect, Jimmy Bla, elsewhere in Zamboanga, Aguirre said. Bla owns several powerful motorboats and is believed to have been providing "fast sea transport" to kidnappers, the justice department added. The two suspects have denied involvement in terrorist activities.South Korea's national security adviser on Monday thanked Chinese President Xi Jinping for his "big role" in the diplomatic process that has set up a historic summit between Donald Trump and Kim Jong Un. Just days after he stood outside the White House and announced the planned meet between the US president and the North Korean leader, Chung Eui-yong was in Beijing to brief Xi and China's top diplomats on the fast-moving efforts to address the nuclear standoff. Trump and Kim have agreed to meet by the end of May, although they have yet to confirm a date or time. "The situation on the Korean peninsula has recently undergone very positive changes. President Moon Jae-in believes that the leadership of the Chinese government, especially the leadership ability of President Xi has played a big role in this," Chung told Xi at the Great Hall of the People. Chung said Xi's "unwavering" commitment to the denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula and a peaceful settlement played a "significant" part in the recent developments. "We are very grateful to China for its consistent position," he said. "Once again, we expect that China will continue to play an active and leading role and the South Korean government will continue to coordinate closely with China." Chung renewed Moon's invitation for Xi to visit Seoul. The South Korean leader visited Beijing in December on a trip aimed at thawing tense bilateral relations strained over Seoul's decision to host a US missile defence system that Beijing sees as a threat to its own security. Xi said Chung had achieved "positive results" in his visits to North Korea and the United States last week, which led to the diplomatic breakthrough. Xi did not say more about the North Korean nuclear crisis, but he said China's relations with South Korea have "maintained a good momentum of improvement". Earlier, China's top diplomat Yang Jiechi told Chung that Beijing "will continue to realise the goal of denuclearisation, uphold the peaceful unification of the peninsula, and solve problems through dialogue and consultation". China, which has repeatedly pressed the US and North Korea to hold talks, has urged Xi and Kim to hold their meeting as soon as possible. Beijing has played a key role in implementing UN sanctions on the North, which are believed to have put immense pressure on the country's fragile economy. China is North Korea's only diplomatic ally and its most important trade partner. Still, some in China are afraid the country, which hosted failed six-nation talks on the nuclear issue a decade ago, could be cut out of negotiations on denuclearising the Korean peninsula. South Korea also sent its spy chief Suh Hoon to Tokyo to brief the Japanese leadership on the North Korea situation. Japan has welcomed the Trump-Kim meeting announcement, but stressed that Pyongyang must take "concrete actions" for talks to be meaningful. "The recent change by North Korea is the result of the maximum pressure that Japan, the US and South Korea have imposed in cooperation," Japanese foreign minister Taro Kono said Monday after his meeting with Suh. "(We) agreed that we will not repeat our past mistakes and continue putting maximum pressure to realise the abandonment (of Pyongyang's) nuclear and missile programme."Outgoing CDF, Lieutenant-General (LG) Perry Lim, incoming CDF, Major-General (MG) Melvyn Ong Su Kiat, and incoming COA Brigadier-General Goh Si Hou. (PHOTO: MINDEF)

From 23 March, Major-General (MG) Melvyn Ong Su Kiat will be Singapores new Chief of Defence Force (CDF), said a Ministry of Defence spokesman on Monday (12 March).

MG Ong, the current Chief of Army (COA), will succeed Lieutenant-General (LG) Perry Lim, who was appointed as CDF in August 2015. Replacing MG Ong as COA is 40 year-old Brigadier-General Goh Si Hou, Commander 6th Singapore Division, who assumes his new position on 21 March.

These changes are part of the continuing process of leadership renewal, said the spokesman.

MG Ong, 43, joined the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) in 1994, and was a recipient of the SAF Overseas Scholarship. The former Chief Guards Officers key contributions thus far include the Soldier Strong campaign and establishment of the Centre of Excellence for Soldier Performance (CESP), which takes a more data-driven approach to soldiers performance.

BG Goh joined the SAF in 1997. He is also a recipient of the Presidents Scholarship and SAF Overseas Scholarship. He previously served as the Commanding Officer of 20th Battalion Singapore Artillery and Commander 3rd Division Artillery.

BG Goh also held appointments in the Ministry of Defence. One of the projects he headed led to the formation of the SAF Volunteer Corps, a uniformed volunteer scheme which allows women, first-generation Permanent Residents and new citizens to contribute to national defence.

Outgoing CDF LG Lims key contributions include setting up the SAFs C4 capabilities, which deals with complex cyber threats. He also oversaw the year long NS50 campaign which commemorated the 50th anniversary of the armed forces.

Previous CDFs such as Ng Yat Chung and Desmond Kuek have gone on to head Singapore Press Holdings and SMRT, respectively. Minister for Education (Schools) and Second Minister for Transport Ng Chee Meng is also a former CDF.Secretary of State Rex Tillerson brought his truncated maiden Africa trip to a close on Monday, promising the full backing of the United States to two countries on the frontline of the war on terror. Washington's top diplomat has been on a five-country tour of east and west Africa but was forced to cut short his visit "due to demands in (his) schedule", the State Department said. After stops in Ethiopia, Djibouti and Kenya, which were overshadowed by US President Donald Trump's surprise announcement on talks with North Korea, he squeezed visits to Chad and Nigeria into just one day. Before returning to Washington, Tillerson notably promised Nigeria support ranging from equipment to intelligence to help secure the swift release of 110 schoolgirls kidnapped last month by Boko Haram jihadists. The students were taken from their state-run school in Dapchi, in the northeastern state of Yobe, on February 19. Nothing has been heard from them since. The abduction brought back painful memories of the kidnapping of 276 girls from Chibok in April 2014 that sparked global outrage and calls for their release, led by then-first lady Michelle Obama. The Dapchi abduction has yet to garner such support. Tillerson called it "heartbreaking" and added: "Nigeria has the United States' full support and we are actively working with our partners in what we can to assist you in this fight." Washington was already "very engaged" with Nigeria and its neighbours "in supporting, equipping and training" as well as advising and providing information. "I think that's the best way we can help the government of Nigeria secure the release these girls, which we hope will be done in a peaceful manner," he added. "We hope something can be worked out and they (Boko Haram) can be persuaded to release these girls quickly. That's what we pray." - Talks not force - Nigeria's President Muhammadu Buhari benefitted at the polls in 2015 from his predecessor's handling of the aftermath of Chibok. But Dapchi and persistent suicide bombings and raids in the northeast have raised questions about the extent of his repeated claim the jihadists are on the verge of defeat. The United States has agreed to sell Nigeria 12 Super Tucano A-29 ground attack aircraft in a $593 million deal, which the country's foreign minister Geoffrey Onyeama said on Monday would be a "game-changer". The Obama administration blocked the sale on human rights grounds. Buhari's office said the president asked Tillerson for further support in terms of training and equipment, without elaborating. It also said in a statement that Buhari had "chosen negotiation" to secure the return of the Dapchi schoolgirls rather than the use of military force. "We are trying to be careful. It is better to get our daughters back alive," he was quoted as saying. Buhari is expected to visit Yobe state this week. - Travel ban - Tillerson arrived in Abuja from N'Djamena, where he said Washington supported the fight by the so-called G5 Sahel countries against jihadists in the volatile Saharan region. Chad was an "important partner" in fighting terrorism, Tillerson told a news conference. Chad last year was stunned to find itself on one of six Muslim-majority countries whose countries are affected by President Donald Trump's travel ban. The US military has a drone unit at the N'Djamena airport, Washington backs a multinational force fighting Boko Haram jihadists, helps train Chadian troops and provides military equipment to its armed forces, according to a Chadian military official. Tillerson said he wanted "to ensure that the people of Chad understand they are welcome in the United States" and argued the country's inclusion on the list "has never harmed in any way whatsoever the cooperation between our two countries." Progress had been made with dealing with what has been cited as the reason for including Chad on the list -- problems with its passports, which are not biometric. He said steps were being taken "to allow us to begin to normalise the travel relationship with Chad".US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson on Monday was to shorten his maiden tour of Africa because of work, aides said. "Due to demands in the secretary's schedule he is returning to the US one day early, after concluding official meetings in Chad and Nigeria," Undersecretary of State Steve Goldstein told the press. Tillerson, making his first trip to Africa as the senior-most US diplomat, has visited Ethiopia, Djibouti and Kenya since last Wednesday. He is due to fly from the Chadian capital of N'Djamena on Monday to the Nigerian capital Abuja, staying there for several hours before heading for home in the early evening. He had initially been scheduled to stay there overnight, hold further meetings on Tuesday with US embassy staff and then fly back to Washington. But the African tour has coincided with the shock announcement of a possible summit between North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and US President Donald Trump over the nuclear standoff in the Korean peninsula. Tillerson, while in East Africa, cancelled scheduled events on Saturday on the grounds of ill-health. "The secretary is not feeling well after a long couple days working on major issues back home such as North Korea and has cancelled his events for the day," Goldstein said in a statement on Saturday. He later said Tillerson was "feeling better" and would resume his schedule on Sunday.Medics and rescuers evacuate the body of a victim killed in a private plane crash in Iran, March 12, 2018. The crash killed 11 people, including a Turkish tycoon's daughter. (Photo: Tasnim News Agency / Reuters)

A private jet carrying the daughter of a Turkish tycoon and seven of her friends crashed into an Iranian mountainside on Sunday, killing all 11 people on board.

The plane was returning to Turkey from Dubai, where the group of women had traveled to celebrate a bachelorette party for the bride-to-be, Mina Basaran, 28. She was the daughter of business mogul Huseyin Basaran, who heads the Turkish conglomerate Basaran Holding, and reportedly was slated to wed in April. Three crew members also were killed.

Iranian officials said the plane collided into the Zagros Mountains in the province of Chaharmahal-Bakhtiari. Photos of the crash site showed black smoke billowing from the mountainside.

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The Bombardier CL604 jet belonged to Basaran Holding, a company involved in industries that include construction, finance and food, according to Reuters. The captain was Melike Kuvvet, who had been one of the first female pilots in the Turkish military before she joined the private sector, according to The New York Times.

Iranian authorities recovered the 11 bodies from the crash site on Monday, as well as the aircrafts black box, reported Turkish news outlet Daily Sabah.

The cause wasnt immediately determined. According to flight tracking data cited by The Associated Press, the plane rapidly gained altitude and then dropped drastically within minutes about 80 minutes after takeoff.

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Mina Basaran  a socialite and social media personality who appeared in Turkish fashion magazines like Vogue and Grazia  shared photographs on Instagram of her trip to Dubai in recent days.

The most recent image, which bore the hashtag #minasbachelorette, showed Basaran and her seven friends dressed in bathrobes at a Dubai hotel. Another picture showed Basaran holding a bouquet of flowers in front of an airplane.

Basaran was on the board of managers at Basaran Holding and was being groomed to run the business, AP reported.

Sundays crash comes just weeks after a passenger aircraft plunged into Irans Mount Dena, also part of the Zagros mountain range. All 66 people on board died in that disaster.

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This article originally appeared on HuffPost.Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in North Korea Quintana attends a news conference at the UN in Geneva Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in North Korea Tomas Ojea Quintana attends a news conference after his report to the Human Rights Council at the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland, March 12, 2018. REUTERS/Denis Balibouse

By Stephanie Nebehay

GENEVA (Reuters) - Negotiations with North Korea on its nuclear programme should be accompanied by talks to address alleged human rights violations there including torture and political prisoner camps, the United Nations said on Monday.

U.S. President Donald Trump has agreed to meet North Korean leader Kim Jong Un by the end of May to discuss the future of Pyongyang's nuclear weapons programme. North Korea and South Korea will hold a summit by the end of April in the "truce village" of Panmunjom on their border.

"My main message today is that any advancement on the security dialogue should be accompanied by a parallel expansion on the human rights dialogue," Tomas Ojea Quintana, U.N. special rapporteur on human rights in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), told the U.N. Human Rights Council.

Later, addressing a news conference, he said: "The momentum is there for the negotiations to use and to bring the human rights issue into the discussion - that's what I'm saying."

Ojea Quintana urged North Korean authorities to allow him to visit to make "an assessment on the ground", adding: "This is what I expect from the government of the DPRK in this new environment in regard to negotiations on the nuclear issue."

He disagreed with a "sanctions regime against the economy as a whole" and called for studying any serious detrimental effects on North Korea's 23 million people.

The delegation of North Korea, which does not recognise Ojea Quintana's mandate, did not attend the rights council debate. It denies accusations of committing widespread rights abuses against its people.

Jason Mack, a first secretary at the U.S. mission to the United Nations in Geneva, denounced alleged extrajudicial killings, enforced disappearances, torture, arbitrary arrests, sexual violence and forced labour in North Korea.

"Many of these abuses are committed in political prison camps where an estimated 80,000 to 120,000 individuals are detained, including children and family members of the accused," Mack told the Geneva forum.

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"The DPRK also uses forced labour including export of North Korean workers and child labourers to underwrite the regime's illicit weapons programmes," he said.

In the debate, Japan raised the issue of its nationals abducted by North Korea, while South Korea called for the release of six of its citizens in custody there.

In a report last week, Ojea Quintana said that an easing of international tensions with North Korea should lead to dialogue with Pyongyang to prevent continued "grave abuses".

"The country's extensive penitentiary system and severe restrictions on all forms of free expression, movement and access to information continue to nurture fear of the state and leave people at the mercy of unaccountable public officials," Ojea Quintana told the Council on Monday.

Carl Hallergard, deputy head of the European Union delegation, voiced the bloc's deep concern at continuing rights violations, saying that "some of (them) may amount to crimes again humanity".

(Reporting by Stephanie Nebehay; Editing by Mark Heinrich)N'DJAMENA (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said on Monday Washington was considering lifting a travel ban on Chad, offering an olive branch to a key ally in the fight against Islamist militant groups in West Africa.

The top U.S. diplomat flew into the Chadian capital N'Djamena on the last day of a truncated tour of Africa with stop-offs in Kenya, Ethiopia, Djibouti and Nigeria - all frontline partners against Islamic State and al Qaeda off-shoots.

It was his first diplomatic visit to the continent where many are still smarting from U.S. President Donald Trumps reported dismissal of states there as shithole countries in January. Trump later denied making the comment.

Tillerson said Chad had made important steps to strengthen control over its security and passports. "These steps I think are going to allow us to begin to normalise the travel relationship with Chad," he told reporters.

A report on Chad's progress was being prepared in Washington and would be reviewed by President Trump next month, Tillerson said. "We have to wait for the final report," he added.

Tillerson, who had met Chad's President Idriss Deby previously while serving as CEO of ExxonMobil, said he was concerned about the presence of Islamic State-allied militants in the Sahel and called Chad an "important partner".

TRIP CUT SHORT

In September, The Trump White House added Chad - along with North Korea and Venezuela - to a list of countries whose citizens are restricted from travelling to the United States - drawing protests from Chad and others including France which works closely with the Chadian military.

Officials from the U.S. Department of Homeland security said at the time Chad had to failed to send in proof that it had taken a number of security measures.

Chad's President Deby "expressed his incomprehension" about the ban during a meeting with Tillerson on Monday, Foreign Minister Cherif Mahamat Zene said.

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Tillerson's entourage earlier said he had been forced to cut short the African tour on Monday to return to deal with urgent work in Washington.

He is due to fly on to Nigeria after Chad, but will spend just a few hours there on Monday evening rather than the overnight visit originally planned. There was no immediate response from Abuja.

"Due to demands in the Secretary's schedule, he is returning to the U.S. one day early after concluding official meetings in Chad and Nigeria," Under Secretary of State Steve Goldstein told reporters.

The Africa tour coincided with several urgent foreign policy developments, including Thursday's announcement that U.S. President Donald Trump will meet North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.

Tillerson, 65, cancelled some events in Kenya on Saturday, saying he was feeling unwell.

(Reporting by pool reporter; Writing by Maggie Fick and Joe Bavier; Editing by Tim Cocks and Andrew Heavens)U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley looks on during a meeting with Honduras' President Juan Orlando Hernandez at the presidential house in Tegucigalpa, Honduras February 27, 2018. REUTERS/Jorge Cabrera

UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley warned on Monday that if the U.N. Security Council fails to act on Syria, Washington "remains prepared to act if we must," just as it did last year when it bombed a Syrian government air base over a deadly chemical weapons attack.

"It is not the path we prefer, but it is a path we have demonstrated we will take, and we are prepared to take again," Haley told the 15-member Security Council. "When the international community consistently fails to act, there are times when states are compelled to take their own action."

Haley's warning came as the United States asked the Security Council to demand an immediate 30-day ceasefire in Damascus and rebel-held eastern Ghouta, where Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's forces, backed by Russia and Iran, say they are targeting "terrorist" groups which are shelling the capital.

The Security Council demanded a 30-day ceasefire across Syria in a unanimously adopted Feb. 24 resolution. Russia had said the Security Council could not impose a ceasefire without a deal between the warring parties.

U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres briefed the council on Monday on the implementation of the resolution.

"There has been no cessation of hostilities," Guterres said. "Violence continues in eastern Ghouta and beyond - including in Afrin, parts of Idlib and into Damascus and its suburbs."

"Despite some limited convoy deliveries, the provision of humanitarian aid and services has not been safe, unimpeded or sustained," Guterres said. "No sieges have been lifted ... To our knowledge, not one critically sick or wounded person has yet been evacuated."

Thousands of families are sleeping in the open in the streets of the biggest town of Syria's rebel-held eastern Ghouta enclave, where there is no longer any room in packed cellars to shelter from government bombardment, local authorities said.

(Reporting by Michelle Nichols; Editing by James Dalgleish)A senior US official on Monday accused Russia of spreading disinformation and undermining democracy in the Balkans, warning that Moscow was playing an "increasingly destructive role" in the region. It follows criticism by the top US military commander in Europe that Russia is destabilising the Balkans through covert and overt pressure. Wess Mitchell, Acting Assistant Secretary of State for European Affairs, told reporters on Monday: "We do see Russia playing an increasingly destructive role in much of the Balkans in spreading disinformation, undermining democratic institutions." "We have been clear in our conversations with the Russians that that is neither in their interest nor in the interest of the people of this region." Mitchell is on the first leg of a tour of the region, including EU-candidate countries Macedonia and Serbia, and was speaking after meeting Kosovo President Hashim Thaci. Russia, traditionally allied with Orthodox-majority Serbia and Bosnian Serbs in the Balkans, has been increasing its media presence in the region and also strongly opposed Montenegro's admission into NATO last year. Last week US General Curtis Scaparrotti, the commander of NATO forces in Europe, told US lawmakers that Russia was working to break up the NATO alliance, partly through its online operations to spread false information. "Russia's at work in the Balkans, and I think that we've kind of taken our eye off the area," warned General Scaparrotti. US Vice President Mike Pence also lambasted Russia last year for trying to "destabilise" the Western Balkans. Moscow does not officially oppose Balkan countries' bidding to join the European Union but Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov recently criticised the West for making them choose to be "with the West or with Russia". Last month the EU revealed its new eastward expansion strategy presenting the prospect of membership as an incentive for reform in the volatile Balkans region. All candidate countries are strongly encouraged to align their foreign policy with the EU, including regarding Russia. Serbia and Montenegro are favourites to next join the EU, possibly as early as 2025.The partnership is also aimed at transforming the countrys transportation sector by improving taxi standards, safety and efficiency

Southeast Asias leading on-demand transportation company Grab has announced a partnership with SGX-listed Yoma Strategic  a business corporation with a diversified portfolio of businesses in real estate, consumer, automotive and heavy equipment, financial services and investments in Myanmar  to provide vehicle leasing and financing options to Grabs driver-partners in the country.

The partnership is also aimed at transforming the countrys transportation sector by improving taxi standards, safety and efficiency to improve passengers experience. This will increase the incomes of driver-partners and provide them with access to better quality vehicles.

Also Read: Grabs new marketplace app GrabCycle brings multiple bike-share brands on a single platform

As per a press statement, approximately 70,000 taxis in Yangon alone require upgrading to newer car models, along with better and regular maintenance.

Melvyn Pun, Yoma Strategics CEO, said: This partnership will complement Yoma Fleet to provide vehicle rentals to Grabs driver-partners, helping to improve the quality of the vehicles, driver service and safety standards for taxis in Yangon.

Grab, which forayed into Myanmar in March 2017, launched offers GrabTaxi Plus (a service to encourage drivers to maintain the highest standards of vehicle quality and maintenance, in return for higher earnings), and Grab for Business (for corporates). The partnership with Yoma will support both these new services in Myanmar.

Grab is Southeast Asias leading on-demand transportation and mobile payments platform with more than 81 million app downloads and over 2.4 million drivers across its network. Grab currently operates its ride-hailing app services in 178 cities across eight Southeast Asian countries  Singapore, Indonesia, Philippines, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, Myanmar and Cambodia.

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Listed on the main board of the Singapore Securities Exchange Trading Limited (SGX-ST), Yoma Strategic is a leading business corporation with a diversified portfolio of businesses in real estate, consumer, automotive and heavy equipment, financial services and investments in Myanmar.

Also Read: Uber for Myanmar, Hello Cabs, raises funding and will compete with Grab and Go-Jek

In August last year, Grab announced it would pump US$100 million over the coming three years into growing its Myanmar market share. It aims to roll out a suite of Grab products including its e-payment platform GrabPay in the country.

The post Yoma Strategic to provide vehicle leasing, financing options to Grabs drivers in Myanmar appeared first on e27.We were definitely stoked to see news of this documentary series pop up on Instagram over the weekend. Created as a precursor to next weekends St Patricks Day Festival in Dublin, and presented by Irish radio presenter, photographer and film-maker Donal Dinnen, Pathways: Irish Routes to the Art of the Matter speaks to successful Irish creatives making it outside of Ireland about their practice, their approach and their relationship with Ireland.

One of the people featured is Irish skateboarder, photographer and long-time Sidewalk pal Richard Gilligan, who, along with contributing work to the likes of Sidewalk, Document and Slap skate mags over the years, has a highly successful career as a commercial photographer.

Richard discusses discovering his love for photography through his love of skateboarding, and his seamless move into the world of portrait photography from his current home in New York. An interesting Monday watch for sure.

Cover photo  Blayney Hamilton  360 flip into the Blayney bank, Dublin by Richard Gilligan

After youve watched the Richard Gilligan interview, have a gander at the full length Pathways: Irish Routes to the Art of the Matter documentary below for more insight into Irelands creative community.

Filmed in Dublin, Kerry, Belfast, London, Malmo, New York and Los Angeles, the full piece includes contributions from the likes of Annie Mac, (Broadcaster), Aoife McArdle, (Film-maker), Brian Ormond, (Sculptor) Enda Walsh, (Playwright), Fiona Shaw, (Actor), Richie Egan aka Jape, (Musician), Sean Curran, (Choreographer) and more.

Really inspiring viewing.

Go to www.stpatricksfestival.ie/ for more information on Dublins St Patricks Day festival running from the 15th  19th of March.

After youve done that, have a look at the trailer for Phil Evans 2011 Super-8 documentary film on skate photographers (including Richard Gilligan) here, then go search out the full length version on iTunes.Ellie Desautels work on Rise is almost unprecedented. When the show debuts on NBC this week, Desautels, who uses the pronoun they, will become only the second nonbinary actor to appear on a prime-time network series, and their character, Michael, is one of just a handful of transmasculine teens in the history of TV. But throughout an hourlong conversation, Desautels was consistently determined to draw my attention to others, going out of their way to reference The Fosters Tom Phelan, Shameless Elliot Fletcher, The OAs Ian Alexander, and Ser Anzoategui, a lesser-known nonbinary actor who had messaged them on Instagram. Hang on, they said as they scrolled through their DMs for the details on Anzoateguis Starz show, Vida. Lets give this person some credit.

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Desautels was effusive about the people and things they admireJason Katims, the producer behind Rise, Parenthood, and Friday Night Lights; Aarons storyline on The Fosters; Benedict Cumberbatchs acting chopsand sincerely emotional as they talked about the impact of representation on their own life. Over coffee, we discussed working with Katims on Michaels arc, their first meeting with fellow trailblazer Asia Kate Dillon, and why Degrassi brought them to tears.

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This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.

Alex Barasch: Its exciting and still relatively rare to see a trans person in a trans role. What was the process of developing this character like? Did the producers always want a trans person to play Michael?

Ellie Desautels: They were looking for someone who hadnt medically transitioned, and Im not on testosterone, havent had top surgery. I dont know about everyone else who auditioned, but I know that they wanted a trans person. And essentially, thats what made me want to play Michael so badjust knowing that the creators wanted a trans person for the role. It was crazy for me to think that I could be part of improving trans representation in TV.

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It was crazy to find out that I did sort of have a trans experience in high school, and I didnt know what it was until this summer.  Ellie Desautels

I am nonbinary, but I identify as transmasculine, so playing Michael wasnt really difficult in that aspectbasically, I played Michael as a transmasculine person, because thats the only experience I know. I wasnt going to play trans boy, because Im not a trans boy. So thats how I brought him to life. But the one thing I didnt have experience of was being trans in high school. I realized, hey, I need to talk to some trans teenagers, because I wasnt oneI realized that I was trans in college. Pretty much everybody was open to talking to me, so that was kind of my research into figuring out how to play a trans teenager, and what goes on in their lives. I had known a couple transmasculine teenagers, so knowing those other teens in my life definitely also was inspiration for Michael. I feel like a lot of trans teenagers who are in an environment where theyre safe to be themselves  be themselves, you know what Im saying? Like, trans flags everywhere, trans pins, trans stuff in their lockers, on their backpacks. For the pilot, I had a trans flag pin, and I was like, I want to put this on my backpack. Can we do that? So they let me do that, because I was like, this is what trans kids who are in a supportive environment are likethey show it off, you know? I really want to embody that more with Michael hopefully, in the future, if theres a Season 2.

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Its great that you were going out and talking to these kids. Do you know if the writers had similar interactions? Did you get to have much influence in terms of bringing your own experience to it?

Jason Katims, the creator of the showwho I also freakin love because he created my all-time favorite show, Parenthoodhe and the director for the pilot, Mike Cahill, were very open to hearing what I had to say about any concerns that I had with the script, so I was grateful for that. He just asked me about my experience as a trans person, how I figured out that I was trans, what it was like for my familyall the right questions. It made me feel safe that the creator of the show wanted to do it all right and valued my opinion.

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I want to be an advocate, just get that conversation going so that trans people of color can carry it.  Desautels

I had some epiphanies over the summer too, about myself, and myself in high school. I had this weird minicrisis in high school. I briefly was watching Degrassi, and for some reasonbecause at this time I didnt know that I was trans, and I had never heard the word transgender beforeI had this strange connection to the trans character, Adam. But it scared meand it shouldnt have. And I realized over the summer, just talking to Jason, that I was scared because the representation of Adam was scary. He didnt go through a positive experience of being trans, and they also never said the word transgender, at least in the episodes that I watched. It was always like he had to fight for himself, and nobody accepted him, and I just remember it not being good for him. It was confusingthe transgender representation wasnt clear. They just didnt talk about it enough, you know? I remember I was in the car and I told my mom, I dont know why Im feeling this way. I think I might be a boy. I just remember crying about it. And after I cried about it and talked about it, I thought, No, no, Im not a boy. I pushed it in, and I pushed it away. And if the representation of Adam had been positive and helpful and encouraging, I mightve realized who I was. Talking to Jason, it was crazy to find out that I did sort of have a trans experience in high school, and I didnt know what it was until this summer, when I put the pieces together. It was cool and terrifying, but its sad to think, like, who would I be now if I had found out then? Thats a whole different person that I never got to know.

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Thats incredible. There are very few trans guys on TV, especially young trans guys who are still figuring things outand as you said, what little representation there is hasnt always been great. Did you feel under pressure at all in terms of this story and this arc?

No! I was so excited, you have no idea! From the beginning, I was like, oh my God, I get to do this right, and I get to help people, help trans youth figure themselves out! If theyre in a vulnerable place, they can watch Michael and feel a bit empowered because Michael goes through some shit with being trans, but I never wanted to play Michael so that stuff gets him down. I didnt want him to take it. And I didnt let him. So, when he goes through stuff, I hope that trans youth will watch and be like, Yeah, I can stand up for myself, and just be who I am and not take any crap from anybody. And thats how I wanted to approach Michael. Thats how I did it. I hope it comes off that way!

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I know you met up with Asia Kate Dillon last month. What was that conversation like? Was that the first time that you two had talked?

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Yeah, that was the first time I met them. It was chill! It was just Asia, and their agent, and their friend James [Scully], whos on Heathers. We just had brunch and chatted. I wanted some advice going into it, and I really admire Asia being a huge advocate and making a lot of change. Thats really something Im interested in, so I asked them, How did you start? When did you realize you wanted to be an advocate as well as an actor? And they said that theyve kind of been an advocate for as long as they can remember, so it was always gonna be part of what they did as an actor.

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One thing I really want to help with is getting transmasculine people of color on TV. Because I think the only one on TV right now is Brian Michael Smith on Queen Sugar. And its justtransmasculine people of color in the world need to be represented, and I really want to help make that happen. Especially for teens: Ian Alexander on The OA is the only transmasculine teen of color I know of, and thats streaming. We need prime timewe need both, obviously. But for there to be only one or two people that I know of, thats insane to me. I want to be an advocate, just get that conversation going so that trans people of color can carry it.

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At first, fame was an interesting part of the job, and something I was excited about, but as it came closer and closer, I was like, this part of it is very weirdits like I market myself, you know? Its the business side of the job. And I see acting as my craft; its my art. But I realized that the way I want to use my fame is as a kind of bridge. If Im going to have a platform as a nonbinary individual, I want to use it to promote other trans people. I want to work with trans designers in the future, trans stylists, trans photographers, so thats my goal, with this weird, foreign, bizarre part of my life thats not my craft. Im going to be one of the only well-known nonbinary actors, so thats really cool, but its not just me or people like me who need to be seen.

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Do you have other role models, or an example of representation that you think is really commendable? Is there a trans story that did resonate with you?

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Aaron from The Fosters, played by Elliot Fletcher. Man, I loved the way they introduced himyou know, they introduced him as [though he were] a cis guy, and you didnt find out until a couple episodes later that he was trans, and I thought that was the right way to go about it. The conversation with him being trans happened to relate to somebody else who was going through a lot of shit. It was a quick little conversation: He was trans, it was accepted, and it was done. And I loved it. It wasnt a big deal, and ever since its been awesome, and I love that hes been in a relationship with Callie, the main character; its just this normal thing. Theyre normalizing it, I think. I love watching it. Theres one scene where Callie and Aaron went to a waterfall, and they swam in their underwear and kissed, and it was just bliss. And I was like, Look at this! Look at this trans guy in a happy relationship! Lets show more of this stuff! Because its so exciting, and it makes me happy, so other trans people must be elatedso lets get more stories like that, come on! I love what theyre doing with that character.

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I dont know if I have any idols. I mean, the person who made me want to act on screen was Benedict Cumberbatch. That had nothing to do with being trans, and everything to do with being an actor. [Laughs.] I had watched him in Sherlock, and I loved him in Sherlock. I started my education in theater in the middle of college, so I was really paying attention to people acting.  Ive always loved watching TV and movies, so I loved Benedict Cumberbatch because I think hes brilliant on screen. Hes just so good. And I saw him in The Fifth EstateI dont know if it was the movie, exactly, but there was something in his performance that sparked in me, and I was like, Oh my God, I want to act on screen. I want to be in films and TV! Because I like acting on stage, but I love the more nuanced subtleness of screen acting, because its so much more human. You can play human on stage, obviously, but you have to be big for the audience to see you, and on screen, you can really do anything as subtle as a blink. I like the nuances of screen acting, and I realized it after seeing Benedict Cumberbatch in The Fifth Estate, so he gets all the credit for that. Hes my idol, and I need to meet him. Put that on the record, so that he sees it.

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Im curious about the development of the show in general. Its inspired by a real high school in Pennsylvaniadid you investigate that at all? Did you read Michael Sokoloves Drama High?

I did read the book, and I actually went to Levittown after the pilotjust for fun. I met up with the real Tracey Gatte [on whom Rosie Perezs character, Tracey Wolfe, is based]. Me and Wren, my fiance, we went to the school and saw the drama room that they talk about in the book. I loved it. It was so special to meI just saw Michael in that town, and it felt so cool being there. And I guess that was part of my research, just seeing and knowing the place that the show was inspired by, and that the story that inspired our show happened there, on the ground that my feet were standing on. Im going there again this weekend, because Truman Drama is doing Chicago, and Im actually gonna go see one of their shows, because I think its important. And also, Lou Volpe [the basis for Josh Radnors Lou Mazzuchelli] is getting put in a hall of fame up there, and theres going to be a ceremony, and theyre screening the first episode. [The event was later canceled due to a power outage.]

That sounds great! OK, one last question: Whats your dream role?

Oh! I want to play a nonbinary person.

No specific plot or genre?

Nope. I just wanna be a nonbinary person. I dont have a dream roleoh, I want to be Mark in Rent! That would be super cool.In an interview with The Guardian about his upcoming documentary My Generation, Michael Caine has ruled out the possibility of making another film with Woody Allen. Caine won his first Academy Award in 1987 for his supporting role in Allens Hannah and Her Sisters. By then, he had been nominated for Best Actor three times in three different decades (Alfie, 1967; Sleuth, 1973; Educating Rita, 1984); he went on to win a Best Supporting Actor Oscar for The Cider House Rules.* Dylan Farrow didnt accuse Allen of sexual assault until 1992 (Allen has denied the allegations), while the directors relationship with Mia Farrows adopted daughter Soo-Yi Previn began sometime in 1991. So, unlike some of Allens more recent stars, Caine doesnt have anything to apologize for, chronologically speaking. Still, he was unequivocal about never working with Allen in the future:

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I am so stunned. Im a patron of the NSPCC and have very strong views about paedophilia. I cant come to terms with it, because I loved Woody and had a wonderful time with him. I even introduced him to Mia [Farrow]. I dont regret working with him, which I did in complete innocence; but I wouldnt work with him again, no.

Caine joins the ranks of others actors who have ruled out working with Allen in the future or voiced regrets about working with him in the past: Rebecca Hall and Timothee Chalamet went so far as to donate their salaries from A Rainy Day in New York, while Kate Winslet, who has worked with Allen and Roman Polanski, mentioned bitter regrets without naming names. Hannah and Her Sisters was Caines only deliberate collaboration with Woody Allen, although, per the IMDb, they accidentally shared the screen in TV movie Fight of the Century by virtue of both attending the Frazier-Ali fight. Although Polanski never directed Caine, both men appear as themselves in Peter Whiteheads 1967 documentary Tonite Lets All Make Love In London, as well as this retroactively horrifying-for-many-reasons British Movietone newsreel about the Polanski-Tate wedding:

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Although the odds of another Caine-Allen collaboration were not that great to begin with, the fact that Caine felt the need to pre-emptively rule it out shows how radioactive the director has become in the post-Weinstein era.Mallory Ortberg is online weekly to chat live with readers. Heres an edited transcript of this weeks chat.

Mallory Ortberg: Good morning, everyone! Pluck the dew from your eyes, its time to stare reality square in the face.

Q. Creepy dentist?: Im a 23-year-old college grad looking forward to graduate school this fall. Im writing because Im puzzled by my moms behavior, and worry Im being uncharitable. Ive always had wonky teeth, and my mom took me to visit a new dentistan appointment for which she was present. Things were grand until the dentist kissed me, through his mask, on the forehead mid-exam. This was done openly and obviously, and I was too shocked (and silenced by the hand in my mouth) to say anything. My mom witnessed this and said nothing. I was willing to consider it an unconscious slip-up when, near the end of the visit, he again kissed my forehead, this time without a mask. I was more stunned than before; again, my mom and a technician were present. When we walked the front desk and car, I was humiliated, but my mom seemed to find it funny and let me knowsmilingthat I turned pink. (It was not from any appreciation on my part, I can assure you.)

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The more I think about it, the more weirded out I become by the whole thing, while my mom continues to treat it as a joke. Ive let her know how troubling I find it, to which she becomes defensive, as she says she didnt know how else to react. She also claims that she thinks the dentist is gay, and therefore his actions are harmless. (I find that entire line of thought objectionable. I have no interest in making guesses about anyones orientation. Im freaked out because the middle-age professional who should know better kissed me, twice.)

Am I making a big deal out of nothing? Ive considered writing to the dentists office to say that while I appreciated the kindness of his staff, he should probably consider how he is relating to female patients. My mom objects to this, as she wants to visit his office to take advantage of a special (reduced price on dental cleaning and an X-ray) and fears that if I complain it will ruin the chance of savings for her.

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A: You are not making a big deal out of nothing. It is a perfectly reasonable request to make of a professional that they not kiss their patients in the middle of a dental exam, regardless of their orientation. Your mothers response was, and remains, completely inappropriate and wrong. The fact that she wants cheap X-rays (as who among us does not) is wholly irrelevant. You should absolutely send a complaint to his office, leaving out the bit about the kindness of his staff or the probably when it comes to not kissing female patients. You should also look for another dentist for yourself.

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Its true that sometimes when something shocking happens in the moment, people are apt to freeze up or react in odd ways. That doesnt mean your mothers response was good, or that she shouldnt spend time thinking about how she can act now. The best response to her attempts to excuse or minimize her behavior is this: I didnt experience it as a joke. I dont want to be kissed by a dentist while Im getting my teeth cleaned, regardless of whether hes gay or straight. Thats a perfectly reasonable expectation, and he should be able to abide by that. Im going to file a complaint with his office, and while Id appreciate your support, I dont need it in order to take action.

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Q. Decorum vs. duty: I dont know how to answer when interviewers ask why I left my last job. I smile politely and tell them it was because of scheduling conflicts with school and my other part-time positions, but the truth is I left because my boss and his boss made sexist comments to me about everything from other female co-workers to my own life choices, intruded on my personal space, and handled an extremely delicate issue of sexual harassment involving someone who worked under me badly and inadequately. There were no employee advocates or HR, and I felt trapped in a situation where I could not report my immediate superior to his superior, because they held similar views.

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I feel like I am carrying around a huge secret, and I am not the only woman in my field who does so. I know that hiring committees might not be the best place to bring up these issues, but if not then, when? I almost feel an obligation to discuss these things with the people in my field so that they change. In an interview situation, I want to find out if the position Im applying for has systems in place to deal with these same sorts of issues. I also dont want to pretend like I left a position because it just wasnt the right fit for my schedule. I want future employers to know that I left because I worked in an environment that was out of control, not because I am incapable of scheduling commitments or took on too many responsibilities.

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I think its also important to note that I am an employee of a town, and so are most people in my profession. It is a very different work environment than the corporate world. The institutions are so small that hiring committees could easily look up who I was talking about based on my resume. Everything is in the public domain.

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A: My initial instinct here is to play it safe and wait until you have an offer well in hand before discussing the harassment you experienced at your last job. Im not so sure thats the right instinct, but it seems to me that the most important thing is to make sure you have stable employment first. I want to kick this one out to the commentariat: Does anyone with similar experience have any recommendations on how to balance honesty with self-preservation during the hiring process?

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To get advice from Prudie:

 Send questions for publication to prudence@slate.com. (Questions may be edited.)

 Join the live chat Mondays at noon. Submit your questions and comments here before or during the discussion.

 Call the voicemail of the Dear Prudence podcast at 401-371-DEAR (3327) to hear your question answered on a future episode of the show.

Q. Am I the Wrong One?: My boyfriend and I have been dating for three years and living together for one and a half years. I have this bad habit of comparing myself to a girl my boyfriend used to date. He and I dated briefly and then two years after, he dated this girl. It wasnt serious, and she moved on to someone else. A year after that, he started dating me again, and we have been together ever since.

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The trouble is I knew this girl and keep thinking in my mind that he should have ended up with her. They have a lot in common, whereas he and I are almost opposites. This is in terms of hobbies, mostly. I have so much hate in my heart for her, which I know is unfair and wrong to place on myself and another person(s). This anger tends to come out in my relationship at times, too.

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How can I get over this? Please help. Im tired of feeling this way. I enjoy my time with my boyfriend, and we are very committed to each otherI love him very much and hate that I am doing and feeling these things.

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A: I know Im supposed to say something along the lines of, If your boyfriend wanted to be with someone who enjoyed all of his hobbies, he probably would be; having a lot of shared interests is not the same thing as being compatible on a deeper level, but I dont want to underplay your anxiety. I think the ex-girlfriend is a bit of a red herringit wasnt serious, he doesnt seem to be pining after herbut if youre anxious that you and your boyfriend dont have enough in common to make this relationship last, then I think thats worth paying attention to, especially if that anxiety is making you angry at your boyfriend and causing you to obsess over this woman.

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Spend some time in therapy focusing on the nature of this fixation. Why dont you trust that your boyfriend wants to be with you rather than her? Why do you think of her specifically as being well-suited to him? What about her threatens you? Is there anything you have doubts about in your relationship but feel more comfortable outsourcing said doubts to him, rather than acknowledging them in yourself? When you get angry at your boyfriend because you secretly fear hes in love with a long-ago ex, what do you think youre going to achieve by getting angry with him? I dont think you can get rid of these feelings overnight, but by spending some time neutrally evaluating them, you might be able to interrupt some of those dangerous mental loops and keep yourself from obsessing over a woman who has never done anything to you.

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Q. Re: Decorum vs. duty: Dont mention sexual harassment, hostile work environment, or anything negative about your former employer in a job interviewyou never know whom or what the interviewer knows about your former employer, particularly in industries where people know each other such as you describe. You dont want to be blackballed. The time to mention the truth is after you secure in your new job and know you can trust the people to whom you are speaking.

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A: There are a number of responses coming in along these same lines, and all with the same concernthat you might hurt your own chances of getting hired. A few others have suggested that after being hired, you might ask broadly about what policies and procedures your new employer has in place to ensure a safe, stable working environment. Certainly you should keep that thought in mind as youre interviewing! And afterward, of course, if you want to privately discuss your experience at your last job with friends or people who might consider working there, I think you should go ahead and do so.

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Q. Family history: When I was younger, my mother was a very volatile woman. Most of my earliest memories are being screamed at or called names. Her abuse was rarely physical, but there were occasions where she threw objects at me or threatened dangerous actions behind the wheel of a vehicle (e.g. causing an accident). During this time, I saw myself as a fundamentally bad person who was responsible for her emotions and her distress. I was also made to fill this role by my father. Im much older now, and live far away, but I still deal with the ripple effects of her actions. Im lucky to have a great partner and a wonderful therapist.

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Over the past year, my mother has toned down her language and criticism of me after several very frank conversations between us. I have also experienced several professional successes recently, and my mother has used these events to attempt to re-establish more frequent contact.

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I feel quite guilty ignoring some of her requests for connection. However, I still feel fundamentally distrustful of her, and worry about when the next outburst or cruel remark might be coming. An uncharitable part of me believes this new behavior is an act because Im more successful now, and my achievements earn her attention on social media. My question is, should I reward her with more contact for changing her behavior? If so, how do I reconcile the woman I knew for so many years with the woman who wants to act like a friend and mother now?

A: I think you should consider your relationship with your mother in terms of what you want, rather than in terms of what she deserves as any kind of reward for ceasing to abuse you (or for abusing you in milder tones) as an adult. Merely decreasing the level of her abuse, while an important and necessary step for her, is not the same thing as fully coming to terms with the level of harm shes done to you and making meaningful amends. I think you are right to want to keep her at an arms length and not to trust that her recent change in behavior is motivated by a sincere desire to improve so much as a sudden interest in taking credit for some of your success.

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The fact that youve been able to have very frank conversations is a good thing. It does not mean that you owe her immediate forgiveness, or any sort of emotional trust or closeness that she has not earned. Im glad you have a good therapist, and I think together you and your therapist can devise some helpful strategies in dealing with the unnecessary guilt you sometimes experience when you dont give your mother all the closeness that she wants from you whenever she asks for it. That doesnt mean you cant hope for further reconciliation in the future if thats what you want, but it can be on your terms and on your timetable. You are not wrong to want to trust but verify. Its not overly suspicious, or cold, or unforgiving, for you to remember the wrongs your mother has committed in the past, even as she presently makes an attempt to move in a better direction.

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Q. Re: Creepy dentist: Report this to your state board of healing arts or dental board ASAP. This is definitely not normal behavior and needs to be reported at once. No telling what he has done to other female patients while under anesthesia! And find another dentistwithout your mothers help. If she is willing to be complicit in this unprofessional behavior, that says a lot about her.

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A: This is helpful, thank you. File the complaint both directly with his office and with the relevant professional board.

Q. Is second-best good enough? My partner died almost three years ago. Im not over it and I have come to realize I may never be. My family and friends are wonderful, but I sometimes feel envious and lonely when I see them effortlessly making new friends and romantic connections. I dont want to stay so alone and yet the thought of reaching out to people outside my circle leaves me cold.

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My best friend recently gently indicated hed be open to starting a sexual/romantic relationship with me. Hes someone I care about very deeply, and trust completely. Hes also someone I know Im sexually compatible with; we had a brief relationship before I met my partner. I think a relationship with him would be warm, respectful, supportive, sexually exciting, and companionable, and that being with him would make me happier.

The problem is that I dont feel the same depth of feeling for him as I did for my partner, and dont think I ever could (and I think he feels similarly about me). My question is, is it settling to be with someone I have no expectation of falling in love with? Am I taking advantage of his kindness and getting us both stuck with second-best when maybe we should (or at least he should) be looking for something more?

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A: Im not inclined to consider this settling. You two seem compatible and fairly realistic about the things you are and arent prepared to offer one another, and you think dating (and/or sleeping together) would make you happier and that youd be able to treat one another well.

Youre not talking about getting married tomorrow. You may not be in love with this man, but you clearly care for him deeply and think very highly of him. I think you should trust thatabsent some qualifying information you havent shared hereyour friend knows his own mind and has decided a relationship with you is worth the potential risks and pitfalls, and that he did not offer himself up to be taken advantage of. If you think you could be kind to him, and he to you, and that the two of you would enjoy adding a more romantic/sexual element to your friendship, then you should at the very least consider it. If the day comes that one or both of you decides you want something else, then you can cross that bridge when you come to it.

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Q. Re: Decorum vs. duty: Ive been in a similar situation to the writer, and I have worked for career services in the past, so hopefully this helps. It is entirely up to you about being honest about your previous job, but generally we (career services) always cautioned on saying negative things about previous jobs, even if its true. Some employers look at this as red flags of someone who is more likely to complain, or more likely to leave if the going gets a little bumpy.

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This is particularly impossible given your situation where its public domain and likely a smaller world. That being said: You can be tacitly honest. This is a bit easier when you are currently working and not unemployed, but you can say that you left that job and took your current one because the management style was a better fit, or because the hours left you some flexibility during a particularly difficult school time that is now over and will not affect you in the future.

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And for what its worth, I followed tacit honesty with my interviewers. When they asked if I had any questions, I asked specifically of their process in dealing with X, because that is generally a huge problem with my career and I have had many bad experiences with this at other jobs in the past. Their process let me know this was the right job to take. You can ask about their company setup, if they have HR, employee advocates, et cetera, particularly as you seem to be overseeing people. It does help you come off as wanting to know more about the company to best serve the people you manage if you phrase it correctly and less about you actually stating this was a problem at your last job. (Although dollars to doughnuts, theyll put two and two together.)

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A: I do like the idea of asking about process rather than describing recent specific experiences. This could help the letter writer suss out whether or not a prospective new workplace actually has any strategies in place for dealing with issues like sexual harassment and hopefully avoid a repeat of her last experience.

Q. Re: Family photos: I am writing as a professionally trained archivist. Your advice to hire an organizer is sound; the advice to digitize everything is not. Not every image is worth keeping, and digitizing them all just makes more chaos. This person should contact their local historical society or archival institution and ask about how to get help from a professional archivist (who is a trained archival organizer) about selecting the most informative and valuable photographs before digitizing anything. Family members may wish to keep the photos, or copies of them, but historical societies or archives may also see them as valuable documentary evidence of lives and times now long gone. Archivesincluding this treasure trove of photosare essential to understanding our collective past.

A: Thanks for this! Yes, cull the pile down first, then digitize things second.

Discuss this column with Dear Prudence on her Facebook page!Donald Trumps connections to a gentleman named Felix Sater have long been one of the more tantalizing threads of the Russiaspecial counsel story. Sater is a Russia-born ex-con who helped Trump raise money for real estate projects during the 2000sa process that, according to a disgruntled former partner of Saters, involved laundering money that originated in Russia. Sater, in other words, mightmight!have information about Trumps connections to Russians who held incriminating information about him before the 2016 campaign got underway. What a wild new BuzzFeed News profile of Sater seems to suggest, in addition to being a bonkers crazy story, is that hes also the kind of guy who would definitely sell Trump out if he thought it would be even marginally useful to him personally.

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Its been reported publicly before that Sater was given a lenient sentence in a racketeering case in exchange for his work as a federal informant on matters including black-market missile sales. BuzzFeeds storybased, it says, on legal documents, emails, letters, and interviews with 10 current and former law enforcement and intelligence officials familiar with his undercover workcorroborates those reports and says Sater was also crucial to other intelligence operations that yielded such information as phone numbers used by Osama Bin Laden (!) and the location of the training camp that Bill Clinton famously ordered a missile strike on during the height of the Monica Lewinsky scandal (!!):

In August 1998, President Bill Clinton authorized Operation Infinite Reach  a bombing strike against al-Qaeda in retaliation for the terror attacks on the US embassies in Kenya and Tanzania, which killed 224 people. Sater, 10 current and former intelligence and law enforcement officials said, supplemented US intelligence by providing location coordinates for al-Qaeda camps that the US military ultimately bombed in Khost, Afghanistan.

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In other words, Sater wasnt just a guy desperately trying to convince prosecutors he had useful international connections in order to get out from under a racketeering busthe was a guy who did have useful international connections and used them very successfully to get out from under a racketeering bust. (CIA officials were skeptical of Saters claims about black-market missiles, BuzzFeed says, until he sent them photographs of the missiles that featured serial numbers and a copy of a daily newspaper to prove the photo was current.)

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Almost everyone in Donald Trumps orbit involved in the Russia story comes across as either too incompetent to have done anything of consequence (Carter Page, Sam Nunberg, George Papadopoulos), too much of a toadie to ever totally sell Trump out (Hope Hicks, Michael Flynn, Michael Cohen), too deeply involved in whatever malfeasance took place to do anything except fight Robert Mueller until the very end (Paul Manafort), or all three (Jared Kushner). Thats not to say the people in those groups cant still be useful to Mueller in some fashionbut Sater, in BuzzFeeds profile, seems like someone who is both smart enough to have carried out a key part of a criminal conspiracy and confident enough in his own ability as an independent hustler to decide that enthusiastic participation with Muellers team (which includes a prosecutor he worked with as an informant before) is the right move. (For what its worth, BuzzFeed says Sater has been questioned by Muellers team but wont say what he was asked or what information he provided.)

Also, Sater once told his [spy] handlers that two female al-Qaeda members were trying to recruit an Afghan woman working in the Senate barbershop to poison President Bush or Vice President Dick Cheney. So theres that.The House Intelligence Committee will end its investigation into Russian election meddling, Rep. Mike Conaway (R-Tex.) told reporters Monday. After a year of work calling 70 witnesses and reviewing more than 300,000 pages of documents, Republicans on the committee say they have found no evidence of collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia. We found no evidence of collusion. We found perhaps some bad judgment, inappropriate meetings, Conaway, the ranking Republican on the committee, told reporters Monday afternoon. But only Tom Clancy or Vince Flynn or someone else like that could take these series of inadvertent contacts with each other, meetings, whatever, and weave that into some sort of a fiction and turn it into a page-turner, spy thriller.

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Inadvertent contacts is a particularly generous representation of the Trump campaigns known interactions with Russian operatives, but this rosy view and increased partisan rankling has been part of what appears to be a concerted push by the Republican members on the committee over the past several months. The committees work had essentially ground to a halt of late as Rep. Devin Nunes (R-Calif.), who technically recused himself from the investigation because of his role in orchestrated efforts by the White House to undermine the investigation last year, injected himself back into the investigation by writing a memo seeking to discredit the sourcing and the credibility of the investigation. The strategy largely worked; the committee only interviewed three witnesses in 2018, and despite the expansiveness of the Special Counsel investigation, the House Intel committee steered its probe in the opposite direction and never interviewed a number of crucial witnesses at all, including: former campaign head Paul Manafort and his deputy Rick Gates, as well as former National Security Adviser, Mike Flynn, and campaign adviser George Papadopoulos. Each of these aides has been indicted by Robert Mueller; even still, the committee said its ready to wrap things up and will interview no more witnesses, Rep. Conaway told reporters.

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Conway said committee Republicans agreed with the conclusions of American intelligence agencies that Russia had interfered with the election, but they broke with the agencies on one crucial point: that the Russians had favored Mr. Trumps candidacy, according to the New York Times. Mr. Conaway said the committee would turn over a 150-page draft report to Democrats on Tuesday for review and comment. The document includes more than 25 recommendations related to election and cyber security, counterintelligence practices and campaign finance rules. He said the committee was preparing a separate, in-depth analysis of the intelligence communitys assessment.President Trump has agreed to meet North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un. Diplomats and U.S.

allies are puzzled. They wonder why Trump, without securing concessions, would offer North Korea what it has pursued for decades: the first meeting between a North Korean leader and a sitting American president. The question answers itself. Trump wants to have the meeting because no previous president has done it. Trump talks tough, but he doesnt focus on confronting Americas enemies. He focuses on competing with American politicians and defeating Americas friends.

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Trump has always abused the people closest to him. He cheats on his wives. He insults his attorney general and his secretary of state. Last week, in a tweet, he announced that he was looking to get rid of some people in his administration. At a White House press conference, he boasted that he could easily replace them: I have a choice of anybody.

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Trump also loves to keep score. On Saturday, he went to a rally in Pennsylvania. It was supposed to be for Republican congressional candidate Rick Saccone, who faces a special election on Tuesday. Instead, Trump made the rally about himself. He bragged that in 2016, he had won the Electoral College, 306223. (Thats not true: The tally was 306232, and, for what its worth, Trump lost the popular vote by nearly 3 million. He didnt mention that.) He mimicked the tears of reporters who, he claimed, had cried on TV about his victory. And he made clear that if Saccone loses on Tuesday, its not Trumps fault. I won this district, like, by 22 points, the president crowed. And we just had a poll. Were more popular now than we were on Election Day. This guy should win easily.

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To build himself up, Trump tears down previous presidents of both parties. Last week at the White House, he took a shot at George W. Bush for failing to control North Korea. At Saturdays rally, he scorned Bush for wasting money in the Middle East. On Twitter, Trump blamed Bushs father, George H.W. Bush, for dumb trade deals and lost jobs. Now Trump is going after President Reagan. The Gipper was not great on trade, the 45th president told the crowd in Pennsylvania. Trump added that his own tax cut was bigger than Reagan.

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This obsession with winning is childish and tedious. But it also blinds Trump to what hes losing. Hes so busy keeping score against political rivals and predecessors that he doesnt notice what hes giving away to other countries. On Monday, in a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Trump took credit for recognizing Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. Many presidents had talked about doing that, said Trump, but I was able to do it. He seemed unaware that this supposed feat was a concession to Netanyahu, which previous presidents had held back as a bargaining chip. The next day, at a press conference, Trump was asked about the lessons of Russias interference in the 2016 U.S. election. He could have talked about preventing Russia from interfering in 2018. Instead, the president said hed win again. [W]ere going to do very well on the 18 election, he predicted.

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When the crowd in Pennsylvania booed Kims name, Trump intervened, asking them to be very nice.

Thats how Trump sees the meeting with Kim. Its not about confronting North Korea. Its a chance to upstage previous presidents. At the rally for Saccone, Trump lovingly recalled how South Korean officials, outside the White House on Thursday night, had stood before a big throng of press and announced that North Korea, Kim Jong-un, would like to meet with President Trump. Trump ridiculed the idea that Obama could have done that. Obama would not have done it, he jeered. Neither would Bush, and neither would Clinton. And they had their shot, and all they did was nothing.

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In the contest for Kims favor, Trump, his surrogates, and the sycophants on his national security team construe any gesture from North Korea as a major concession. We have gotten more than any previous administration, CIA Director Mike Pompeo declared Sunday on Face the Nation. In truth, unlike previous administrations, Trump has gotten nothing. So Pompeo spun the status quo as a gift from Kim. He has allowed [us] to continue our [military] exercises on the peninsula, the CIA director argued with obsequious pride.

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Kim gets this reverence because hes a dogged enemy. When the crowd in Pennsylvania booed Kims name, Trump intervened, asking them to be very nice. But Trump savages Kims neighbors, South Korea and Japan, whom Trump regards as our economic rivals, not our military allies. We lose on trade, plus we give them military [support] where were subsidizing them tremendously, Trump complained on Tuesday, referring to these and other allies. The next day, Trump sneered: Many of the countries that treat us the worst on trade, and on military, are our allies, as they like to call them.

Trump saves his harshest invective for Europe. Last week, he threatened the European Union with a big tax of 25 percent on their cars. At Saturdays rally, he all but declared a trade war on the EU. Why did they band together? To screw the United States on trade, Trump told the crowd. Here it would be called a monopoly. It wouldnt be allowed, he said. He vowed to target German companies if he doesnt get the trade concessions he wants: Were going to tax Mercedes-Benz. Were going to tax BMW. As for NATO, Trump shrugged last week that the U.S. contribution helps [Europe] a lot more than it helps us.

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Trump proudly told the rally audience that he had stiffed Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto in a private phone call. He said Pena Nieto had asked him to make a statement that Mexico will not pay for the wall. Instead, Trump recalled, I said, Bye bye. Were not making a deal.  Trump bragged that he had wrecked Pena Nietos outreach to the United States. He was going to come to Washington, Trump clucked. We actually broke it up. Many countries, Trump added, are begging for exemptions from the steel and aluminum tariffs he just announced. In a derisive tone, Trump mimicked their phone calls to him: We dont want the tariffs. What do we have to do?

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But the worst thing about Trumps perverse treatment of friends and enemies isnt that he punishes our allies. Its that he strives to emulate dictators. A week ago, in a private speech to Republican donors, Trump quipped that hed like to be president for life, like Chinese President Xi Jinping. At Saturdays rally, he brushed this off as a joke. But he went on to praise Xi, with fierce sincerity, for executing drug dealers. I dont know that the United States, frankly, is ready to do that, said Trump, but we should.

Congratulations, Mr. President. Youve one-upped Reagan, Bush, Clinton, and Obama. Youve humiliated our allies, renounced human rights, and snagged a photo-op with the head of the worlds most repressive state. You win.British Prime Minister Theresa May said Monday that it was highly likely that Russia was responsible for poisoning former Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter in Salisbury, England, last week. It is now clear that Mr. Skripal and his daughter were poisoned with a military-grade nerve agent of a type developed by Russia, the prime minister explained. The Russian ambassador to London has been summoned to explain the incident, which may have put hundreds of people at risk of contamination. May said that either the attack was a direct act of the Russian government or that the Russians had lost control of one of their nerve agents. (The Russian government denied any involvement.) If its the former, the attack raises the question of whether this incident constitutes a chemical weapons attack by Russia on British soil.

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Skripal and his daughter Yulia are still in critical condition after they were found slumped on a park bench on March 4. The officer who found them is also still in the hospital but is communicative. At least 21 people received medical attention, and hundreds more who visited the restaurant where the nerve agent has been detected may have been exposed and have been urged to wash their clothes.

These casualty numbers are not far off from those of some recent chlorine gas attacks in Syria that have reportedly prompted the White House to consider military action against Bashar al-Assads regimewhich would presumably be justified as an enforcement of the Chemical Weapons Convention. Secretary of Defense James Mattis has even said, in regard to Syria, that nerve agents are of particular concern when it comes to punishing the use of chemical weapons.

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The Skripal poisoning wasnt a battlefield attack, of course, but the Chemical Weapons Convention, of which both Russia and Britain are signatories, prohibits the use of toxic chemicals such as nerve agents except for a few, specifically described purposes; assassinating ex-spies on foreign soil is not one of them.

Matthew Meselson, a molecular biologist who co-directs the Harvard-Sussex Program on Chemical and Biological Weapons, told me by email that if a nerve agent is deliberately used or even retained by a state for a purpose not specified under the convention, that would be a violation. On the other hand, if the use of a nerve agent is not actually ordered by a state, regardless of the nationality of the perpetrators, that use would not be in violation of the CWC. As you can imagine, proving that a state actually ordered such use, even defining what a state is in such a case, could present difficulties.

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Just last week, the U.S. slapped new sanctions on North Korea over the use of the nerve agent VX in the assassination of leader Kim Jong-uns estranged half-brother in Malaysia last year. State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert described that attack as a public display of contempt for universal norms against chemical weapons use [that] further demonstrates the reckless nature of North Korea and underscores that we cannot afford to tolerate a North Korean WMD program of any kind.

The openand very difficult to answerquestion of whether Moscow ordered the hit or merely lost possession of the nerve agent leaves London a bit of wiggle room in how it responds, but not much. The British government was widely criticized for its tepid response to the 2006 poisoning of former FSB agent Alexander Litvinenko with radioactive polonium. While a government inquiry concluded that President Vladimir Putin probably approved the killing, former Prime Minister David Cameron was reluctant to respond harshly, in an effort to avoid exacerbating tensions with Russia. The fact that May even pointed the finger at Moscow this soon is a sign that things have changed, and evidence of just how egregious this attack was.Heres the most important thing I learned while writing a book on running and mental health: In clinical studies, regular aerobic exercise is as effective as antidepressants in reducing symptoms of mild to moderate depression. And thats not just because moving might help you get into shape and feel better about yourself. Exercise actually causes the same structural changes to the brain as antidepressantsneuroplasticity, or creating new neural pathways, and growth in the hippocampus, a part of the brain thats generally shrunken in people with depression.

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Patients are excused for not knowing these facts. Doctors working in an evidence-based health care system shouldnt be. Yet if youve seen an American doctor for mild or moderate depression and been told to try working out, youre in the minority. Current guidelines by groups such as the American Psychiatric Association and the American College of Physicians dont count exercise as an initial form of treatment a physician should recommend for a patient with depression. Instead, modern antidepressants and some forms of psychotherapy are the two main first-line treatments prescribed. The U.S. approach is captured nicely on a patient portion of the National Institute of Mental Health website discussing depression. It includes exercise in a section called Beyond Treatment: Things You Can Do, along with items like set realistic goals for yourself and continue to educate yourself about depression.

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Framing exercise as a take-it-or-leave-it option is not how it works elsewhere. Guidelines in countries such as the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, and Canada present exercise as a first-line treatment. Canada, for example, recommends exercise as an initial stand-alone treatment for mild to moderate depression and a second-line, or next-round, treatment in conjunction with other treatments for more severe cases. Guidelines in Australia and New Zealand view exercise even more favorably. Psychiatrists there consider exercise a step-zero treatment. A sedentary depressed patient in Sydney or Auckland will first be encouraged to start working out, on the grounds that lack of exercise could explain the depression. Only if regular exercise proves to be insufficient will medication and psychotherapy be recommended.

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Patients are excused for not knowing these facts. Doctors working in an evidence-based health care system shouldnt be.

Why is the United States such an outlier? Structural barriers may be to blame. The U.S. health care system famously incentivizes procedures and pills over a holistic approach. That might be especially true with antidepressants, which the National Institute of Mental Health concedes are increasingly prescribed for off-label uses, meaning conditions like insomnia, pain, eating disorders, and migraines, rather than depression. This tendency to prescribe, and specifically to prescribe antidepressants, contributes to the aura of they might help, and they probably wont hurt, despite warranted debate over their effectiveness for depression. A system that encourages such practices is at odds with a prescription of get outside and move for half an hour most days for depression.



In contrast, single-payer systems incentivize low-cost options first. So official treatment guidelines in, say, Canada or Holland have more reason to take into account the exercise-as-antidepressant evidence. And if U.S. doctors are reluctant to accept exercise as first-line treatment for depression, then theyre probably even more reluctant to consider inactivity as a cause for depression, which is what underlies the New Zealand and Australian guidelines.

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But part of the explanation is also cultural. Were an overwhelmingly sedentary societyaccording to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, only 21.7 percent of American adults get the recommended 150 minutes of aerobic exercise and two strength-training sessions per week. Our infrastructure is built around cars, not self-powered transportation, which helps establish inactivity as the norm. In one study of worldwide activity levels, Americans averaged 4,774 steps per day. Thats enough steps to cover a little more than two milesover the course of an entire day, not as purposeful exercise. The lethargy thats a hallmark of depression can also make regular exercise that much more difficult.

Our sedentary lifestyle is shared by our physicians. There are no large-scale surveys of how many U.S. doctors exercise regularly. (When I asked the American Medical Association for help in finding this stat, I was, oddly, referred to the American Psychiatric Association.) A review of small studies on doctors habits concluded that U.S. physicians are only slightly more active than their patients. A study of med school curricula found that only 18 percent of schools required a class on physical activity and that fewer than half included any courses on exercise, which might also mean that once in practice, doctors dont spend much time reading up on exercise. Estimates of how many primary care physicians are familiar with basic physical activity guidelines range from 12 percent to 70 percent. But if your doctor cant even tell you how often to work out for basic health, shes unlikely to be up to date on the latest exercise-versus-antidepressants research.

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An analysis published earlier this year argues that media reports compound the problem by overplaying debate in the evidence for exercise. Controversy always makes for good headlines. The analysis cautions against what it calls press release-based medicine, in which researchers spread their message through time-crunched health journalists who take the researchers assertions at face value. For example, a British study published in 2012 received widespread coverage for its counterintuitive conclusion that exercise is ineffective. Exercise no help for depression, research suggests, read a typical BBC report. But this coverage glossed over a basic critique of the studythat it added exercise to the usual drugs-and-therapy care instead of measuring whether exercise alone improved depressive symptoms. As occurs with many health topics, coverage of exercise as a treatment for depression often presents as uncertain a matter where the overwhelming evidence is on one side.

Exercise isnt a cure-all, and antidepressants arent a scam. Im a lifelong runner who takes Wellbutrin. Still, in anecdotes and peer-reviewed surveys, once depressed people try exercise, they rate it the best treatment on the basis of perceived effectiveness to perceived burden (side effects, cost, etc.). Running is definitely the key to managing my depression. I shouldnt have had to discover that on my own.

Working with a new client is always stressful. You each have to get to know each other and find out what the expectations are early on. For clients that are overbearing and a bit on the needy side, it can prove to be a strenuous relationship that is fraught with problems from the very start. Getting these issues in check early on is important to salvaging the relationship and ensuring that you are able to work together for the long haul. Thats why we asked 12 entrepreneurs from Young Entrepreneur Council (YEC) the following:

How can businesses effectively manage client expectations early in a relationship?

Managing New Client Expectations

Heres what YEC community members had to say:

1. Set Clear Deliverables

Send your client a highly detailed list of deliverables that contain realistic deadlines for each line item. Review these deliverables with your client one by one and answer any questions they may have prior to moving forward with the project. This will ensure that both you and your client are on the same page and share the same expectations. ~ Duran Inci, Optimum7

2. Be Authentic

Theres too much fluff in most business proposals. People love to overpromise, so be authentic, talk to the client about what you are willing to do for them, what you hope to achieve from the relationship and be transparent about the challenges and obstacles involved. An honest assessment of the potential (and challenges) of the relationship is more effective and sets realistic expectations. ~ Shawn Schulze, Names.org

3. Establish Regular Communication

Start with good ways to communicate and reach out to each other on a regular basis to stay on top of expectations and perspectives about how the relationship is going. That means asking clients how they want to communicate and how often. Using the channel they like is a great way to start it. ~ Angela Ruth, Calendar

4. Personally Get to Know Them

Personally getting to know the client and showing youre a real human can really help you develop a strong business relationship. Understanding their values, goals, struggles and interests as a person can help you figure out how to work with them, what expectations to set and easily knock down any boundaries early on. This will transfer over to your business relationship and lead to success. ~ Solomon Thimothy, OneIMS

5. Always Sign a Contract

Drafting a contract prints in detail what the expectations are of the client and the business supplying the service. Having such details in writing eliminates any miscommunication and makes it easier for both parties to understand the terms of the agreement. ~ Kate Hancock, OC Facial Care Center

6. Set Realistic Expectations

Expectations must be outlined accurately in the beginning, and then both parties need to deliver on them. The best way to manage or exceed expectations is to make sure they are grounded in reality. These discussions need to be had early on. If a client expects something that is impossible, you are setting them up for disappointment. ~ Blair Thomas, eMerchantBroker

7. Be Transparent

Over time, youll develop a list of reasons why your client relationships go wrong. Now, we make it a habit of sharing some of those stories transparently to illustrate how and why we might fail. That way, prospects understand that they have a role in achieving our common goals, and that shared understanding helps lay the groundwork for an honest, transparent relationship going forward. ~ Peter Kozodoy, GEM Advertising

8. Be Honest

Its really important to be clear with clients about what they are going to receive. This is something that can be done when you review the signing contract. A clear itemized list reviewed over the phone will provide a great deal of clarity. The most important thing is to be honest from the beginning. ~ Nicole Munoz, Start Ranking Now

9. Ask the Client About Specific Goals

Expectation setting is critical. It starts with asking the client what theyre hoping to achieve and really driving at specifics. Ask them what success looks like and exhaust that line of discussion. Expectation setting can also be enhanced by in-person visits where you can develop a closer connection and have a more meaningful dialogue with the client. ~ Douglas Baldasare, ChargeItSpot

10. Think Like the Customer

Although the client will tell you what they expect, they may not share everything because they are uncomfortable explaining it or they forget. Thats why you need to think like the client and realize what it feels like to be them. That can help you better manage expectations because you see more of what they want and why. ~ Cynthia Johnson, Bell + Ivy

See Also: Infusionsoft Rebrands as Keap With Software to Streamline Client Tasks for Small Businesses

11. Dont Be Afraid to Walk

Away

Be upfront and super clear about the deliverables and make sure the client or partner understands this prior to the engagement. Clients can become unruly and lose sight of the original deal. Some businesses are happy they got a deal done and theyll let the client bully them. Dont be afraid to check them. They chose you for a reason and if that reason is forgotten, dont be afraid to walk away. ~ Philip Michael, New York Equity Group (NYEG)

12. Have a Client Kick-Off Meeting

Start your business relationship by organizing a client kick-off meeting. This way, both the client and the team can set clear expectations on what the deliverables are and when to expect them. ~ Derek Broman, Discount Enterprises LLC deguns.netFont size: A - | A +

In early 2018 the flow of good news about the arrivals of new foreign investors to Slovakia was interrupted by the South Korean company Samsung announcing the closure of one its two local plants in the Trnava Region, citing the lack of workers and intensifying pressure on raising wages as the reason.

The Samsung news can be read in two ways: Slovakia is no longer a country that offers a cheap labour force and the situation on the Slovak labour market has become really tense, highlighted by a six-day strike at the oldest carmaker in Slovakia, Volkswagen in Bratislava, in 2017. While the first realisation is not a new discovery at all, the lack of qualified labour has become a real challenge for Slovakias economy and its further development.

The situation on the labour market in 2017 noticeably harmed the economy of individual companies and thus Slovakias economy as a whole, Lubos Sirota of the recruitment agency McRoy Group told The Slovak Spectator, adding that many companies reached the limits of their staff capacities in 2017. We expect that this development will continue in 2018.

Companies are struggling to hire new workers, either to fill positions vacated by those who have retired or for brand new positions as companies expand. At the same time, there are still about 162,000 people without jobs. The reason for this paradox is what has been called a skills gap resulting from a mismatch between what jobseekers can offer and the specific skills demanded by employers.

Employers eager to fill their vacancies are calling for easier conditions for employing foreigners and an education system reform. They are requesting the curricula at schools and universities is better aligned with the needs of companies as they continue to pin their hopes on the dual education scheme. The latter, re-introduced to generate enough workers for manufacturing plants, has not been fulfilling original plans.

The government has responded with facilitating inward migration rules and a distrainment amnesty that would allow people to walk free of their debt arears towards state institutions. These people are currently discouraged from working at the official labour market since their income would be seized by the bailiff. The government estimates that the amnesty could return 40,000-70,000 debt-laden Slovaks to the labour market.

On the other hand, the government has increased surcharges for work during night, weekends and holidays as well as introducing 13th and 14th salaries, making the situation on the market even more tightened.

Labour market in 2017

The increasing shortfall of the qualified labour force, more vacancies and decreasing unemployment were, similarly to 2016, the main features of the labour market in 2017.

The shortage of qualified labour, but in some regions also any labour, keeps growing, Mario Fondati, managing client partner at Amrop Slovakia told The Slovak Spectator. This increases the demand for more universal workers with personal qualifications and a desire for further education and development. In such cases employers do not hesitate to invest into their re-qualification.

Also, the higher offer of job positions brings ordinary workers and managers a bigger choice when looking for a new career, Fondati added.

As a consequence workers have become bolder when negotiating their wages.

Last year it was the local arm of the German carmaker Volkswagen that experienced the first severe employee strike for higher wages in Slovakia. It paralysed production in the biggest carmaker in Slovakia for six days. VW employees walked out with an increase in salaries by 14.12 percent in the next two years, a one-off bonus as part of the July payslip, and two extra days off.

Jobless rate hit record

The unemployment rate in Slovakia kept decreasing in 2017. In December, the registered unemployment rate, i.e. the rate calculated from the number of the unemployed able to take a job immediately, decreased by 2.82 percentage points to 5.94 percent compared to December 2016, based on data of the Labour, Central Office of Social Affairs and Family (UPSVaR).

(Source: Statistics Office of the Slovak Republic)

The labour offices registered 161,915 jobseekers able to take on a job immediately at the end of December. The total number of registered jobseekers represented 195,583. The unemployment rate calculated from this number was 7.18 percent, down 2.98 percentage points from 10.16 percent over the year.

The latest statistical data confirm the mismatch between what jobseekers can offer and what employers require.Genetic trash

What has happened to PM Fico to leave him so indifferent to right and wrong?

Gaspar, Fico, and Kalinak (right to left). The one million euros that the government offers for information about the murder is displayed on the table. (Source: Sme)

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I suppose its natural, after Jan and Martinas shocking murder, for journalists to take inventory of their own experience of violence, and to attempt to make sense of it. Was it related to my job? is probably the question uppermost in the mind of everyone who has been inexplicably beaten up, confined or carjacked. Who did it to me? Were they paid to do it? What did they expect to achieve?

Only slowly are we realising that there is now a new set of questions to be asked by everyone who worked on the kind of stories that Jan did  questions so hideously unthinkable that they are painful even to write.

Would they kill my partner, if they came to my home? Would they kill my children?

12. Mar 2018 at 12:15 | Tom NicholsonThere are two types of sightseeing. Either you can take the ordinary route of visiting historical points of interest, or...or maybe you want to go and visit places that the locals would point you to, places that will leave a lasting impression.

These are five places that do not usually make it to the shortlist of best-known places, but are definitely worth seeing and experiencing first-hand.

Devinska kobyla - Sandberg

A place out of time, the paleontological site was once a coastline of a sea long gone. There are still remains and fossils of sea fauna to be found around the sandpit and on the slopes. Sandberg is a part of a several kilometers long instructive path with information disclosing what can be found in the area. The instructive path leads to ruins of Devin Castle, one of the oldest in the country. Also, Sandberg offers one of the most beautiful vistas around Bratislava. Right below there is the river Morava that further down flows into the river Danube.

Devinska kobyla - Sandberg

Danubiana Meulensteen Art Museum

Just a few kilometers south of Bratislava is an art museum you wouldn't believe many locals have not ever visited. Built on the Danube peninsula with an overview of the Gabcikovo Dam, the Danubiana art museum is an architectural marvel standing right in the middle of the Danube. The art museum itself has achieved great recognition and has become a place where visitors get to see exhibitions of Slovak contemporary artists, international artists and other important people of the art community.

Horsky park

Upon entering this city park, you wouldn't believe you are in a capital city. Although situated in the geographical heart of the city, the park itself is almost intact and retains its original flora and fauna. Horsky park is a favourite place of all dog owners, runners, or just about anyone who wants to escape the neverending commotion of the city and is looking to find serenity.

Altitude Restaurant

There are many great restaurants to be found in the city centre. Even the UFO-shaped restaurant and a observation deck on the Most SNP road bridge is worthwhile. But none of them compare to the revolving restaurant in the Kamzik TV Tower that sits above the Kamzik hill. The restaurant provides 360-degree panoramic view of the city and its surroundings.

Military bunkers in Petrzalka

Right before the World War II, Czechoslovakia fortified its borders in order to protect the country against any assault. Many of these objects were built around Bratislava as well, with the BS-8 Hrbitov bunker being the largest. Nowadays, there are taken care of by volunteers.

Did any of these places pique your interest? Visit them comfortably and rent a car from car rental company RAI Internacional.

12. Mar 2018 at 6:00Kalinak resigns

Two weeks into the political crisis triggered by the murder of a journalist, the interior minister steps down, but his resignation may no longer suffice as a solution.

I will do much more for the investigators and their ability to work in peace if I resign, Interior Minister Robert Kalinak said as he announced his resignation, stressing the stability in the country as the most important thing to aim for at this point.

The resignation of Kalinak can be viewed as a partial solution that the ruling coalition was expected to come up with following the return of the coalition Most-Hid Chairman, Bela Bugar, from his holiday on Friday. The coalition has been in talks all weekend in order to deal with the political crisis that Slovakia has been going through in the wake of the murder of journalist Jan Kuciak and his fiancee Martina Kusnirova. Kuciaks last story alleged links between the Italian mafia and people in the government.

Read also:

Read also: Interior Minister Kalinak survived more than 10 scandals Read more

We need to know why and we need to know who, Kalinak said about the murder investigation. He refused any notion that Police Corps President Tibor Gaspar should step down, and called him the strongest and best police president we have ever had.

My chair has never been important to me. The important thing is that we put the murderers in front of court, Kalinak said.

Kalinak also faces accusations of sabotage. Prosecutor Vasil Spirko of the Special Prosecutors Office on Thursday announced he was filing a criminal complaint against Kalinak and three top police officers, accusing them of sabotage and alleging Kalinaks involvement in a scheme designed to legalise money from corruption.

Read also:

Read also: Prosecutor accuses the interior minister of corruption scheme Read more

Stability

It is premature to talk about who will succeed him in the post of the minister, Kalinak said. He also did not answer if he will go back to parliament or leave politics.

Kalinak repeatedly stated that Slovakia needs stability and that is why he decided to resign.

What we need is stability so that people can really enjoy the results of our work, so that those results can be projected into their lives, Kalinak said. He went on about the economic prosperity of Slovakia.

Up to a hundred thousand people marched the streets of Bratislava and dozens of Slovak cities and towns on Friday, calling not only for the resignation of Kalinak but also the resignation of Robert Fico and his entire government.

Read also:

Read also: UPDATED: Enough of Fico, thousands of people shouted at gatherings across Slovakia Read more

What will Most-Hid do?

The stance of Most-Hid is still not clear following the weekend talks. The party holds its Republican Council this afternoon, which is expected to decide on the future of the ruling coalition. Most-Hid made it clear more than a week ago that they wanted Kalinak to resign, but they may demand more than that now.

The partys vice-chair, Justice Minister Lucia Zitnanska, has heavily criticised PM Robert Fico after he mentioned George Soros and resorted to using conspiracy theories against the opposition and President Andrej Kiska. Zitnanska is reportedly considering her own resignation unless the prime minister acts.

Meanwhile, President Andrej Kiska continues his talks with political parties about the possible solutions to the current political crisis in Slovakia. He met representatives of several opposition parties last week and was scheduled to meet Most-Hid and the Slovak National Party (SNS) representatives today.

The Republican Council, not the chairman, not the leadership, will decide, Bugar said following his meeting with Kiska. He failed to specify any details of his talks with Fico or Kiska.

Read also:

Read also: Murder investigation: What we know so far and what are the main independence concerns Read more

12. Mar 2018 at 11:10 | Michaela TerenzaniEP delegation: Slovak authorities have trust issues

MEPs have revealed some irregularities concerning the subsidies for agriculture, with the Agricultural Paying Agency being problematical.

The delegation met also with Agriculture Minister Gabriela Matecna. (Source: Courtesy of the European Parliament)

Slovakias authorities and law enforcement bodies lack the trust of its countrys citizens. This is one of the findings of the European Parliaments delegation which visited Slovakia on March 8-9. One of its main tasks was to investigate the suspicions raised by journalist Jan Kuciak, who was murdered together with his fiancee Martina Kusnirova in late February.

We saw a deeply divided country in a difficult situation, Ingeborg Grassle of the European Peoples Party (EPP), chair the EP Committee on Budgetary Control, told journalists on March 9.

Read also:

Read also: Kalinak resigns Read more

She confirmed that they have revealed some suspicious practices concerning EU structural funds but specific recommendations will be made only after they have prepared the report that is expected to be discussed by the EP next week.

We see more clearly now what kind of irregularities we now have to follow up, Grassle said. Thats why the visit was useful.

Following the return of the EP delegation, the EPP chair demanded the resignation of Slovakias interior minister, which brought a rather critical response from the members of the ruling party Smer and Slovak MEPs.

Meanwhile, Kalinak resigned from his post on March 12.

Not the most popular of people

Read also:

Read also: Murder investigation: What are the powers of foreign investigators in Slovakia? Read more

Among the main tasks of the six-member committee was to understand whether the murder put an emphasis on deeper issues of trust in Slovak institutions, particularly in relation to justice and in relation to alleged corruption including state corruption, said Claude Moraes of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats, chair of the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (LIBE).

There are some serious issues of trust and perception to be addressed, said Moraes, who co-chaired the delegation with Grassle, adding there are clearly some immediate issues to be addressed within government.

The delegation had a very rich programme during its two-day visit, meeting with President Andrej Kiska, Prime Minister Robert Fico, relevant ministers (including Interior Minister Robert Kalinak) and state officials. They also met with the representatives of the police and the prosecutors office, journalists, non-governmental organisations and organisers of the protest that took place later on March 9.

12. Mar 2018 at 13:28 | Radka MinarechovaCourt rules tent supplier responsible for fatal accident at Pohoda music festival

The ruling marked the end of a nine year protracted court case.

Parts of the tent which fell on visitors are taken away from Trencin airport, venue of Pohoda festival. (Source: TASR)

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The storm on July 18th, 2009 at the Pohoda music festival at Trencin airport claimed two lives, one a young man from Piestany and of a young woman from Omsenie who died later, in hospital. In total, up to 300 people were endangered by the tent, with nine injured seriously and four moderately seriously. 65 visitors suffered lighter injuries.

After almost nine years, a sole judge of the District Court in Trencin ruled on March 9 that that the German company is to be blamed. It also ordered it to pay 33,190 to the organisers  the whole amount requested, the Pravda daily wrote.

What happened at Pohoda

Read also:

Read also: Tragedy at Pohoda festival Read more

The tent fell mid-concert on hundreds of people, during high winds and a storm. The contract between the organisers and the tent supplier did not specify whether the tent should have the sides down, or be open with only the roof in place. The tent did in fact have its sides open, and this may have contributed to the tragedy.

The German company argued that the organisers ignored the warnings of the Slovak Hydrometeorological Institute concerning strong winds  which reached the intensity of the 9th grade on the Richter scale, while the tent was only designed to withstand grade 8. Moreover, the German company failed to secure a person on the site responsible for oversight and proper use of the tent. The construction was partially open and should never have been used in that state.

Conflicting expert opinions, avoiding court

The protracted court case was complicated by different and often conflicting expertise. The tent was designed to be used fully closed, especially in bad weather conditions but at Pohoda it was partially open. The court had to decide who was responsible for the inappropriate use of the tent, and thus for the accident.

Read also:

Read also: Court orders owners of Pohoda concert tent to pay damages Read more

There was already a first failed agreement in 2009, then a verdict in 2012, but the German side appealed. The owner of the tent, Jakel Bossert, avoided court proceedings and later had to be led into court under escort.

The most recent verdict in this case is not yet effective and can be appealed within 15 days, according to Pravda.

12. Mar 2018 at 13:56 | Compiled by Spectator staffA new lookout tower offers spectacular views

It takes hikers 40 minutes to reach it from under the Strecno Castle.

More information about travelling in Slovakia

Please see our Please see our Spectacular Slovakia travel guide

The attractions and sights of the village of Strecno can be seen from a new lookout tower, called Strecno, on Spicak hill. The new tourist attraction was officially opened on March 10th, the Dobrenoviny.sk website reported.

You can see everything which the landscape, Strecno and its vicinity, offer, Pavol Albrecht, project manager of the village of Strecno, told the website. It is all worth seeing. I think that it has become another attraction on the Strecno list, along with the castle, the rafts, the monument to the French partisans Everything can be seen most nicely from this lookout tower.

The tower should make the village even more attractive for the wider public including tourists and hikers, while also giving a reason to stay for longer than just one day, Strecno mayor Dusan Stadani said.

Hard path to the lookout tower

The idea came 10 years ago, but due to the demanding ground and poor servicing conditions, the construction was not built then.

video //www.youtube.com/embed/sRmQLJAwOYA

Only with further cooperation between the forest community of Strecno, the municipal service company, technical support from Terchova, and the hikers club, could we succeed, the mayor said, adding that financially, the Zilina Region and the programme of cross-border cooperation with Poland helped complete the design.

The partner in this project  which includes the lookout tower, the education path, signs, information boards, bike racks, benches, promo material and other activities  is the Polish village of Jaworze. It cost about 39,000.

The lookout tower is relatively close to the parking lot under Strecno Castle, and can be reached on foot in 40 minutes. It was built between October and November 2017, Dobrenoviny.sk wrote.

12. Mar 2018 at 14:03 | Compiled by Spectator staffKalinak survived more than 10 scandals before

The past scandals of Interior Minister Robert Kalinak involved corruption, cronyism and non-standard processes at the Interior Ministry and police office.

During his years in office, Interior Minister Robert Kalinak was involved in several scandals but managed to survive all of them until the most recent one came to light.

The opposition, public, and several coalition MPs requested his resignation after the murder of Jan Kuciak and his partner Martina Kusnirova, when tens of thousands protested on the streets.

Kalinak failed to endure the pressure and resigned on Monday, March 12.

In his unfinished story, Kuciak pointed to the connections between people close to Prime Minister Robert Fico and the Slovak members of Italian mafia, Ndrangheta. Below are the details of more scandals Robert Kalinak faced during his post as Interior Minister.

His people

Police officer Bernard Slobodnik abruptly quit the police force, gave a donation of 11,000 to the Smer party in 2011, and then returned to police. Since then, his career progressed markedly. Under Kalinak, he became the head of National Unit of the Financial Police and was charged with investigating the case of businessman Ladislav Basternak.

Police officer Stanislav Jankovic (Kalinak was the best man at his wedding) also had an impressive career. After the 2006 election, Kalinak appointed him police vice-president. After the inauguration of the second Robert Fico cabinet in 2012, he was to become police president.

However, after the Interior Ministry inspection accused him of illegally helping his acquaintance get the necessary driving license, Kalinak withdrew his nomination, making Jankovic his advisor instead.

Jankovic left this position, too, after reporter Tom Nicholson published the transcript of wiretapped talks between Jankovic and one of the alleged Bratislava gangland bosses, Libor Jaksik, on his blog.

Instead of Jankovic, Tibor Gaspar became police president. Gaspar is the brother-in-law of the owner of the private security service Bonul, Miroslav Bodor. This businessman earned a fortune thanks to state orders, and is close to top Smer politicians.

Head of the anti-corruption unit of the National criminal Agency (NAKA), Robert Krajmer, is related to Bodor through his wife. Krajmer was appointed by Gaspar.

12. Mar 2018 at 16:09 | Roman CuprikFico: Kalinak was the best interior minister

Interior minister, who faced a number of scandals during his career, resigns, but coalition might still fall.

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"I understand the departure of Robert Kalinak first and foremost as his personal contribution to stability, maintaining democracy, and making possible the continuation of positive politics for the people," Prime Minister Robert Fico wrote in his official statement, addressing the resignation of Interior Minister Robert Kalinak.

Kalinak announced on Monday morning that he was resigning from his post. He too stressed the need for stability as the reason why he did so. His resignation was one of the main requirements demanded by tens of thousands of people who came out onto the streets of Slovak towns in what is believed to be the biggest gathering in Slovakia's post-1989 history. The Opposition and Smer's coalition partner, Most-Hid had also been demanding Kalinak's end since last week, in the aftermath of the murder of investigative reporter Jan Kuciak and his fiancee Martina Kusnirova, as well as the findings published in Kuciak's last, unfinished article.

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Read also: UPDATED: Enough of Fico, thousands of people shouted at gatherings across Slovakia Read more

In his statement, Fico stressed that Kalinak's departure did not come as the result of his failure or the failure of the police to investigate the murder of the two young people and that the investigation remains the priority for the Slovak authorities.

"Robert was one of the most talented ministers in all the governments that I have led," Fico stated.

This is Fico's third term as prime minister. He was first appointed in 2006 and has led the governments ever since, with a short break in 2010-2012. Kalinak served as interior minister in all his governments. Fico thanked Kalinak for ten years of good work in his department.

"We can thank him for the problem-free introduction of the Schengen rules, fewer road accidents, and the ability to travel visa-free," Fico said.

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Read also: Kalinak survived more than 10 scandals before Read more

Kalinak faced a number of scandals as minister, some of them went unexplained. The most notable among them is the so-called Basternak scandal, revolving around the controversial businessman Ladislav Basternak who is reported to have had links with Kalinak . Since June 2016, when the scandal was first exposed, Kalinak's resignation has been demanded a number of times, including by parliament.

Now that Kalinak has resigned, many people believe it is no longer enough for only him to leave. Following Kalinak's resignation, organisers of the For Decent Slovakia gatherings announced another one in Bratislava, Banska Bystrica, and Trencin (other cities are expected to follow suit) on Friday, calling for Fico to resign. The opposition has collected enough signatures under its petition to hold a no-confidence vote in Fico and thus his whole government. Based on Slovak law, Parliament's Speaker Andrej Danko now needs to convene an extraordinary parliamentary session with the no-confidence vote on the programme within seven days.

Danko, chairman of the coalition partner SNS, held a press conference of his own on Monday, March 12, where he admitted early elections were a possibility his party was counting on and stressed his party was a "constructive political party". Most-Hid spent Monday afternoon discussing their future in the ruling coalition.

The party is reported to be split, with some believing they should remain in government with Fico now that Kalinak has left. Not everyone shares that opinion, including Justice Minister Lucia Zitnanska who is reportedly considering her own resignation from the Fico-led government. There is a part of Most-Hid that sees the fall of Robert Fico as the only plausible option, the party's MP Frantisek Sebej told journalists prior to the session of the party's Republican Council at 2 pm this afternoon.

"I do not think [the resignation of Kalinak] will suffice to secure stability," Robert Ondrejcsak, Most-Hid nominee in the chair of the Defence Ministry's state secretary, said as quoted by the Sme daily.

12. Mar 2018 at 20:43 | Michaela TerenzaniWorld media: Kalinaks resignation is the worst blow yet to Fico

Media outlets remind that the decision came after the biggest public protests and pressure from the junior coalition party.

Following the murders of investigative journalist Jan Kuciak and his fiancee Martina Kusnirova, Slovakia came under close scrutiny by the world media. This is why many organisations informed about the resignation of Interior Minister Robert Kalinak shortly after he held a press conference on March 12.

Slovak Interior Minister Robert Kalinak said on Monday that he would resign, bowing to the demands of a junior coalition partner which had sought the removal of Prime Minister Robert Ficos close ally amid a political crisis, the Reuters newswire reported only minutes after the announcement.

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Read also: Kalinak resigns Read more

The report was later re-published by other world media, including The New York Times.

The Independent wrote that the resignation comes following the biggest street protests, referring to the March 9 gathering attended by some 50,000 people in Bratislava, and thousands of others in other Slovak towns and cities and abroad.

The worst blow yet to Fico

The world media outlets talked of Kalinaks close relation to Fico. The Financial Times described him as Ficos potential successor, while Reuters used the words Ficos protege.

The Bloomberg news agency called the resignation the worst blow yet to Prime Minister Robert Ficos government in a political crisis that is fueling the biggest protests in the euro-area nation since the fall of the Iron Curtain.

The decision may provide a release valve to the pressure against the premier, who is the latest eastern European Union leader to face public outcry, Bloomberg wrote. Anti-government protesters have also taken to the streets in Romania, Poland, Hungary and the Czech Republic, to complain that their governments are undermining the rule of law and failing to crack down on corruption.

Several media outlets, for example the news agency AFP, reported that despite his resignation, Kalinak would stay on to complete unspecified tasks before formally stepping down, without giving a date.

Political crisis persists

Prime Minister Robert Fico is fighting to keep his government together after Mr Kalinak bowed to pressure from a coalition partner, the Most-Hid party, the British BBC reported.

It pointed to the critics, who had claimed Kalinak could not ensure an impartial investigation into the murders, in his role as overseer of the police.

Its not yet clear, however, if the move will be enough for the party, known as Most-Hid, which mostly represents ethnic-Hungarians, The Washington Post reported, adding that its leadership was meeting later on March 12.

As for the overall political situation, it pointed out that another coalition party called for elections should Mr Fico lose Most-Hids support, referring to the statement of the Slovak National Party (SNS) that they would want early elections should Most-Hid stop supporting Mr Fico, or if Mr Fico lost his majority in parliament.

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Read also: Kalinak survived more than 10 scandals before Read more

British daily The Guardian commented that the government has been in crisis since the discovery of the bodies of Kuciak and Kusnirova.

Kalinak is the second minister from the Smer party to resign over the murders, The Guardian wrote, referring to the previous announcement of Culture Minister Marek Madaric.

The website of Politico reminded of another two people who have left following the murders and were named in a draft of the reporters final story: chief state adviser Maria Troskova and chair of Slovakias security council Viliam Jasan.

12. Mar 2018 at 21:10 | Compiled by Spectator staffAlmost 40 towns in Slovakia and other cities abroad will host protest rallies on Friday, March 16.

Thousands of people attended the protest rally in Bratislava on March 9. (Source: Sme)

The decision of the coalition to continue in its current form and not discuss early elections gave another impulse to people who have protested in the streets of Slovak cities and abroad the past two weeks.

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Read also: Kalinak resigns Read more

The organisers of the Bratislava protest have slightly modified their demands, and are now calling for early elections.

With their March 14 announcement, Fico, Danko and particularly Bugar have humiliated and deceived all civil society, the organisers said.

Their efforts to maintain power by hook or crook is a clear signal that they want to sweep all corruption cases under the carpet, they wrote on Facebook, the cases the murdered investigative journalist Jan Kuciak wrote about.

In their opinion, the entire intimidation, contempt of decent people and indifference towards active citizens is the reason for declaring a new election.

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Read also: Concerts and protests around Slovakia mark the end of the week Read more

We need a new chance for a decent and fair Slovakia, so we are asking for early elections, the organisers added. This is currently the only possibility for attempting to restore the trust of people in the state. The only possibility to return decency to politics.

Last Friday, March 9, more than 100,000 people attended protest gatherings in many Slovak towns as well as abroad

Protest gatherings For Decent Slovakia will continue across Slovakia on Friday, March 16. In Bratislava it will start at 17:00 on SNP Square. The gatherings will also take place in other towns in Slovakia:

And abroad:

This article was first published on March 12.

.

15. Mar 2018 at 14:30 | Compiled by Spectator staffMore flights from Bratislava

Ryanair is adding four new destinations to its list of flights from Bratislava this summer.

The Irish low-cost airline, Ryanair, launched a new Bratislava route to Eindhoven in the Netherlands on March 9. This new service will operate twice weekly from the beginning of June, increasing to three times weekly from the end of October, as part of its Winter 2018 schedule.

We are pleased to launch a new Bratislava route to Eindhoven in the Netherlands, said Ryanairs Olga Pawlonka, as cited in the airline's press release.

Earlier in March it announced the expansion of its new route from Bratislava to Malta. It will fly to Malta not only during the Summer Schedule but also during the winter, i.e. from the end of October until end of March 2019. This service will operate twice weekly from March 25.

Read also:

Read also: Ryanair will fly from Bratislava to Paris year round Read more

In March, Ryanair will launch four brand new routes from Bratislava. Apart from Malta it will fly to Burgas in Bulgaria, Paphos in Cyprus and Thessaloniki in Greece. The Irish airlines will operate a total of 23 routes from Bratislava during the Summer 2018 schedule.

12. Mar 2018 at 20:55 | Compiled by Spectator staffBy: Donald MillerThomas Nelson; Expanded edition (May 24, 2010)272 pages

In Searching For God Knows What, author Donald Miller invites us to love. He pleads that the Christian faith is not a list to be followed or a set of morals to be checked. He says the Christian faith is an invitation to know God, an invite, if you will, to join the greatest love story of all time. Christianity is about a relationship. It is about fellowship. It is about love. He could not be more right.

Two of my favorite quotes:

And that is the thing about life. You go walking along, thinking people are talking a language and exchanging ideas, but the whole time there is this deeper language people are really talking, and that language has nothing to do with ethics, fashion, or politics, but what it really has to do with is feeling important and valuable. What if the economy we are really dealing in life, what if the language we are really speaking in life, what if what we really want in life is relational?

I began to wonder if becoming a Christian did not work more like falling in love than agreeing with a list of true principles. I had met a lot of people who agreed with all those true principles, and they were jerks, and a lot of other people who believed in those principles, but who also claimed to love Jesus, who were not jerks. It seems like something else has to take place in the heart for somebody to become a believer, for somebody to understand the gospel of Jesus. It began to seem like more than just a cerebral exercise. What if the gospel of Jesus was an invitation to know God?The following companies are subsidiares of Air Products and Chemicals: 7001 Hamilton Properties LLC, ACP Europe SA, ACP Zolder Invest NV, AJWAA Gases LLC, AP Services South America SpA, APCI (U.K.) Inc., Air Products (Anshan) Gases Co. Ltd., Air Products (BR) Limited, Air Products (Cangzhou) Co. Ltd., Air Products (Changsha) Co. Ltd., Air Products (Chongqing) Chem-Materials Co. 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See infographic and PDF in attached file.



Rueil Malmaison, 12 March 2018

VINCI and HOCHTIEF to design and build Metro Line in Copenhagen

Joint venture builds 4.4-kilometer underground line and five underground stations

Design and build contract value 460 million

VINCI and HOCHTIEF, in a joint venture, have been awarded the design and build contract for Sydhavn Metro Line (Line 4) in Copenhagen. The client Metroselskabet has awarded the contract to an equal-parts joint venture consisting of VINCI Construction Grands Projets and HOCHTIEF Infrastructure. HOCHTIEF will be the technical leader of the joint venture. The 460 million contract was signed on February 28, 2018 in Copenhagen.

"Eighteen years after the delivery of the resund tunnel and two years after the award of the Femern tunnel, it's our honor to continue to work for the Danish people's daily mobility with a new line of underground metro, especially with our historical partner HOCHTIEF", says Eric Chambraud, Operations Director Northern Europe, British Isles and Americas at VINCI Construction Grands Projets.

"We are very pleased to have this opportunity of demonstrating our tunneling expertise in Copenhagen again. This contract continues our successful activities in the Danish infrastructure market. We are looking forward to working once again together with VINCI", says Riku Tauriainen, Executive Vice President of HOCHTIEF Infrastructure GmbH Europe West.

This design and build project for the southern metro line is a six-year mandate that calls for the construction of dual 4.4-kilometer tunnels using two earth-pressure tunnel boring machines (TBM) along with five underground stations and two crossover structures. The project also includes electrical and mechanical systems, architectural interior works, and in-tunnel ventilation.

The tunnels will have an interior diameter of 4.9 meters and an exterior diameter of 5.5 meters. This metro-network extension south of the Danish capital (Sydhavn or M4) will be connected to the main ring line (Cityringen).

VINCI and HOCHTIEF have brought together their skill sets in design, project management, and underground works to build this new metro line. For the first time in Denmark, 3D modeling will be used extensively as early as the bid-submission phase by the consortium. VINCI and HOCHTIEF have a longstanding tradition of collaboration, including on metro projects (such as the one in Athens, for example). More recently, the two groups have joined forces on projects in Greece and in other countries outside Europe.

Since May 2016, the VINCI Group has led the joint venture entrusted with the task of building the world's longest underwater tunnel: the Femernbelt, which is 18 kilometers long and will link Denmark and Germany. In 1996, VINCI delivered the Storeblt railway tunnels connecting Copenhagen to the mainland. In 2000, VINCI delivered the resund tunnel connecting Denmark and Sweden. VINCI Construction Grands Projets is a world-leading design-build specialist in urban mobility with current metro projects for Hong Kong, Cairo in Egypt, Doha and Lusail in Qatar, and, more recently, Lot GC02 for Line 14 South and Lot T3C for Line 15 of Grand Paris Express.

In Copenhagen HOCHTIEF, in a joint venture, is currently executing the Metro Cityringen Branch-off to Nordhavn tunnel project. In the capital of Denmark, the company also built an approximately four-kilometer-long district heating tunnel. HOCHTIEF has already been successfully operating on the Scandinavian infrastructure market for many years. For instance, the company was responsible for building the Eastern Bridge over the Great Belt. Another milestone is the construction of the resund Bridge between Copenhagen and Malmo, in which HOCHTIEF also had a significant participation.

PRESS CONTACT

VINCI Press department

Tel.: +33 (0)1 47 16 31 82

media.relations@vinci.com

About VINCI

VINCI is a global player in concessions and contracting, employing close to 195,000 people in some 100 countries. We design, finance, build and operate infrastructure and facilities that help improve daily life and mobility for all. Because we believe in all-round performance, above and beyond economic and financial results, we are committed to operating in an environmentally and socially responsible manner. And because our projects are in the public interest, we consider that reaching out to all our stakeholders and engaging in dialogue with them is essential in the conduct of our business activities. VINCI's goal is to create long-term value for its customers, shareholders, employees, and partners and for society at large.

www.vinci.com

About HOCHTIEF Infrastructure

HOCHTIEF Infrastructure delivers transportation, energy and building construction projects in Europe. Furthermore, the company has experience and reference projects in important regions worldwide. HOCHTIEF Infrastructure offers services for all realization phases of buildings, bridges, roads, tunnels, harbors, rail links, airports and facilities for the generation of conventional and renewable energy. HOCHTIEF Infrastructure has a dense network of branches and subsidiaries in Germany and in key markets in Europe. Further information is available at www.hochtief-infrastructure.comSAN JOSE, Calif., March 12, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Sage Intacct, the innovation and customer satisfaction leader in cloud financial management solutions, today announced that Goodway Group used Sage Intacct, a solution available in Sage Business Cloud, to achieve organizational efficiencies that led to 227 percent growth.



Goodway Group is a third-generation, family-owned digital marketing organization that started as a printing press, grew to be a print-based direct-mail marketer, and most recently pivoted to a digital marketing company with a significant virtual workforce.

Why Sage Intacct?

During its digital transformation, Goodway Group found it could no longer efficiently run financial processes with its current solution because of labor-intensive processes. Sage Intacct allowed Goodway Group to automate these cumbersome workflows and streamline multiple entity consolidations, which increased visibility and financial health across the organization.

Before Sage Intacct, we were spending all our time on QuickBooks preparing financials to show historical, descriptive data, said Mark Meade, Vice President of Finance at Goodway Group. Now, were adding real value to the organization because were able to spend more time analyzing and forecasting. Were looking forward, predicting the future, and even prescribing ways to help Goodway better achieve its goals.

Since moving to Sage Intacct, Goodway Group realized significant benefits, including:

Streamlined financial processes: By uploading bills directly into Sage Intacct, internal campaign and invoice data are used to automatically allocate costs, saving the company 40 hours of work per month and increasing report accuracy.

Increased employee retention: Using statistical employee data and enhanced sales forecasts from Sage Intacct, Goodway Group regulates staffing levels and fine-tunes the balance between employee workloads and profitability. This practice increases employee retention by avoiding stress associated with seasonal campaigns.

Heightened financial visibility to inform growth decisions: Goodway Group leverages Sage Intaccts real-time dashboards for monitoring key performance indicators. Armed with this granular data, Goodway Group can spot trends and opportunities, maximize return on investments, and set informed strategic plans.

We wanted an intuitive cloud-based system that could meet the needs of our virtual, home-based workforce, noted Mark Meade. We looked at Oracle NetSuite and Microsoft Dynamics, but chose Sage Intacct because it gave us the core general ledger and job costing capabilities we needed in an open, flexible platform that we could extend with best-in-class add-ons for things like commission management, CRM, payroll, and more.

For more information on how Goodway Group uses Sage Intacct, view the full case study here.

About Sage Intacct

Sage Intacct is the innovation and customer satisfaction leader in cloud Financial Management. With the powerful combination of Sage and Intacct, the Sage Business Cloud offers the best capabilities of both companies. Bringing cloud computing to finance and accounting, Sage Intaccts innovative and award-winning applications are the preferred financial applications for AICPA business solutions. In use by organizations from startups to public companies, Sage Intacct is designed to improve company performance and make finance more productive. Hundreds of leading CPA firms and Value Added Resellers also offer Sage Intacct to their clients. The Sage Intacct system includes accounting, cash management, purchasing, vendor management, financial consolidation, revenue recognition, subscription billing, contract management, project accounting, fund accounting, inventory management, and financial reporting applications, all delivered through the cloud.

Sage Intacct is based in San Jose, California and an entity of Sage, the market and technology leader for integrated accounting, payroll and payment systems, supporting the ambition of entrepreneurs and business builders and a FTSE 100 business. For more information on Sage Intacct, please visit www.sageintacct.com or call 877-437-7765. Connect with Sage Intacct on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.

About Sage

Sage (FTSE:SGE) is the global market leader for technology that helps businesses of all sizes manage everything from money to people  whether theyre a start-up, scale-up or enterprise. We do this through Sage Business Cloud - the one and only business management solution that customers will ever need, comprising Accounting, Financials, Enterprise Management, People & Payroll and Payments & Banking.

Our mission is to free business builders from the burden of admin, so they can spend more time doing what they love  and we do that every day for three million customers across 23 countries, through our 13000 colleagues and a network of accountants and partners. We are committed to doing business the right way, and giving back to our communities through Sage Foundation.

Find out more at www.sage.com/en-us.

Sage Intacct, Intacct and the Sage Intacct and Intacct logos are trademarks or registered trademarks of Sage Intacct, Inc. and/or its affiliates. Other company and product names mentioned herein may be trademarks of their respective owners.

Press Contact:

Peter Olson

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408-878-0951

polson@intacct.com

https://twitter.com/PeterOlsonPRVo Quoc Binh, a business owner from Ho Chi Minh City and one of the plaintiffs, said he had bought a second-hand Ford Focus sedan in February.

While traveling uphill at 50 kilometers per hour on a mountain pass during a family vacation last month, Binh said he suddenly lost control of the cars transmission.

It could have resulted in a serious accident if I had not reacted in time to the situation, Binh said.

Other problems he encountered with the car included shakiness during gear transmission and unusually high rounds per minute (rpm), which could reach up to 6,000 while traveling at 30 kilometers per hour.

The second plaintiff, Nguyen Quang Huy from Ho Chi Minh City, reported similar problems with his Ford Focus that he had bought in June 2015.

The car is under warranty through June 2018.

The vehicle often displays warning messages such as Transmission overheating. Stop safely after only a short time of traveling.

The issue persisted even after Huy had taken his car in for maintenance at an authorized Ford garage for four times and had the vehicles clutch replaced.

A warning message displayed on the Ford Focus sedan of Nguyen Quang Huy that reads Transmission overheating. Stop safely. Photo: Tuoi Tre

Nghiem Xuan Hai, head of Ford Vietnams services division for the southern region, told Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper on Sunday he had been informed of Binhs case.

According to Hai, there were signs that water had entered the transmission system on Binhs car, which might have caused rusting in certain areas.

However, Binh did not agree with the report and refused to have the car fixed, Hai said.

He added that the company had yet to issue a formal conclusion on what had caused the error with the customers gearbox.

Both Binh and Huy have refused Ford Vietnams request to bring their cars in for further maintenance, and have filed separate lawsuits against the company to the Peoples Court of Hai Duong Province in northern Vietnam, where its headquarters are based.

The Ford Vietnam representative said the company did not have formal knowledge of the lawsuits.

Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam!Investors promised to spend an enormous amount of money in a province of north-central Vietnam at a local meeting held on Saturday which augurs well for the areas economic prosperity.

The pledge was made at the tenth meeting with domestic and foreign investors in Nghe An Province, the recipient of the capital.

The total to-be investment amounts to over VND13 trillion (US$571 million).

The investors were presented with certificates of their commitment and of the governments approval on the future investment for nine projects in Nghe An.

Sixteen memoranda of investment were also signed between the administration and investors.

Meetings with enterprises organized in the province first started in 2009, and the region has shown considerable progress in tackling problems hampering investment since.

After 10 such occasions, the province has obtained more than 1,000 plans, whose collective capital is nearly VND300 trillion ($13.2 billion).

Increasing attention has been drawn to Nghe An, which enjoys the largest area nationwide, partly because the government hopes the region and the two neighboring provinces of Ha Tinh and Thanh Hoa, where a number of industrial zones have been formed, will serve as the economic hub of north-central Vietnam.

This aim was stated by Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc, who was also present at the meeting.

Phuc told the administration in Nghe An to willingly cooperate with investors and facilitate the operations of private enterprises.

A resolve to improve the investment environment and make the province a trustworthy land for investors has been made, a senior official of Nghe An said.

Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam!MIAMI, March 12, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Progressive Care Inc. (OTCQB:RXMD), a healthcare services and technology company, announces that it has executed a letter of intent to purchase a pharmacy in Palm Beach County.



On March 1, 2018, the Company signed a letter of intent to purchase a pharmacy in Palm Beach County for $300,000. The Company is beginning the due diligence process with anticipated closing to occur in the second quarter of 2018. The acquisition target is located close to major highways in a 3,000 sq. ft facility. The operation has experienced staff, all applicable licenses, commensurate PBM contracts as PharmCo, LLC, and a Parata PASS 500 unit dose packaging system.

The acquisition of this pharmacy in Palm Beach County will facilitate growth by increasing the delivery radius into Martin County which includes Jupiter and Stuart. It will also decrease costs of expansion and increase prescription dispensing efficiency. The location has the adequate facility space to provide the opportunity to develop new processes for long term care services, compounded medications, and tele-pharmacy services.

In anticipation of the acquisition, the Company drew down just under $600,000 from its Chicago Venture Partners funding facility. These funds will allow the Company to close the transaction as well as provide working capital for additional build out and sales ramp up of the new Palm Beach location.

We believe this is the opportunity we have been waiting for, stated S. Parikh Mars, CEO. "We have been rapidly gaining ground in Palm Beach County and this is the missing piece to lasting success in the area. After an exhaustive search, we think that this acquisition will be just the beginning of an aggressive expansion agenda that allows the Company to reach thousands of new doctors and patients who will benefit greatly from the PharmCo pharmacy model.

Get connected and stay in touch with us on social media:

Progressive Care Inc.

https://www.facebook.com/ProgressiveCareUS/

https://twitter.com/ProgressCareUS

PharmCo, LLC

https://www.facebook.com/pharmcorx/

https://twitter.com/PharmCoRx

About Progressive Care

Progressive Care Inc. (OTCQB:RXMD), through its subsidiaries Smart Medical Alliance, Inc. and PharmCo, LLC, is a South Florida health services organization and provider of prescription pharmaceuticals, compounded medications, provider of tele-pharmacy services, the sale of anti-retroviral medications, medication therapy management (MTM), the supply of prescription medications to long term care facilities, administration and practice management, utilization management, quality assurance, EHR Implementation, billing and coding, and health practice risk management.

Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward Looking Statements

Statements contained herein that are not based upon current or historical fact are forward-looking in nature and constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Such forward-looking statements reflect the Companys expectations about its future operating results, performance and opportunities that involve substantial risks and uncertainties. These statements include but are not limited to statements regarding the intended terms of the offering, closing of the offering and use of any proceeds from the offering. When used herein, the words anticipate, believe, estimate, upcoming, plan, target, intend and expect and similar expressions, as they relate to Progressive Care Inc., its subsidiaries, or its management, are intended to identify such forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are based on information currently available to the Company and are subject to a number of risks, uncertainties, and other factors that could cause the Company's actual results, performance, prospects, and opportunities to differ materially from those expressed in, or implied by, these forward-looking statements.



A young Vietnamese man has broken loose from the conventional mould of succeess by leaving college to gain achievements in professional language teaching and schorlarship winning.

Dao Xuan Loc, born in Quang Tri Province, north-central Vietnam, had spent a hard time preparing for the entrance examination to university which his parents, who catch fish as a livelihood, considered as a milestone in his life.

He entered the Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology, one of Vietnams prestigious higher-education institutions, with flying colors, gaining a virtually full score in the exam.

His parents exuded hope at the news, but the bliss was short-lived as he refused to study at the school, a decision they deemed ludicriously immature for a man at a tender age.

I felt that Im not suited to academic life. Why are there so many jobless graduates nowadays? I wasnt patient enough to learn at university for up to five years. I like cooking and selling. My opinion is that you shouldnt force yourself to run after what you dont like. Thinking along these lines, I quit, Loc said.

The young man, now 22, arrived in Ho Chi Minh City, had his exam results stored in the school database to reassure his parents, and embarked on the sale of mam ruoc  or shrimp paste, made from fermented tiny shrimp mixed with salt.

He vended the condiment door to door, persuading people to purchase it, which was a challenge, for his central Vietnamese accent tended to handicap understanding.

After I introduced the product and convinced them to buy, they still didnt get what I said. Its sometimes dispiriting. But I tried and tried and got lots of experience in convincing customers, he recalled.

For three years, he persisted in the sale, which involved juggling various other jobs like delivering and selling shrimp paste, answering phone calls and emails from customers and presenting the product at commercial fairs.

These acitivites transformed him vastly.

Dao Xuan Loc (first left) and his students in Hama Village in Gia Nghia Town, Dak Nong Province, Vietnams Central Highlands. Photo courtesy of Loc

Admiration for Gordon James Ramsay, a world-renowned British chef, nurtured his ambitition to become a professional cook since he left college, and motivated him to learn English.

I really loved his videos. They changed me from an anti-English person to an English-interested one. This foreign language would give me a window on the world.

In October 2017, Loc achieved a score of 7.0 in IELTS after a long time of self-study.

He also earned an international certificate on language teaching conferred by Cambridge University.

He has opted to be an English teacher, in lieu of a cook, in order to bring inspiration to young Vietnamese people in learning the foreign language.

His elder sister, Dao Thi Hang, and him have taught IELTS at a place for multi-aspect personal growth called Hama Village, in Gia Nghia Town, Dak Nong Province, Vietnams Central Highlands.

Loc has won a fully funded short-term schorlarship in marketing from Griffith University, Australia, an event which corrected misconception.

In the past I thought scholarship was for students in big cities only. But this isnt the case. Its a chance for all, provided you are well prepared, able to persuade the person who considers your application, he said.

He plans to travel to Australia in March to study, hoping to acquire knowledge from the course and apply it to the company trading in shrimp paste of his sister.

We live in a flat world efficiently assissted by technology. Even in Vietnam, we can recognize numerous opportunities for employment and self-development.

Dropping out of college is an absolutely right decision in my life, he said.

Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam!KATHMANDU -- A Bangladeshi aircraft carrying 67 passengers and four crew crashed on Monday while coming in to land at the airport in the Nepali capital, Kathmandu, an airport official said, adding that 17 people on board had been rescued.

The state of the other people on the flight from the Bangladeshi capital, Dhaka, operated by US-Bangla Airlines, was not clear, airport spokesman Birendra Prasad Shrestha said.

We are trying to bring the fire under control. Details are awaited, he said, adding that the airport had been shut down and all other flights diverted.

Were now concentrating on evacuating the passengers.

Television images showed smoke rising from the crash site.

Mountainous Nepal is notorious for air accidents. Small aircraft often run into trouble at provincial airstrips.

A Thai Airways flight from Bangkok crashed while trying to land in Kathmandu in 1992 killing all on board.

US-Bangla Airlines is a unit of the US-Bangla Group, a U.S. Bangladeshi joint venture company.

The Bangladeshi carrier launched operations in July 2014 and operates Bombardier Inc and Boeing aircraft.A three-year-old boy has died after falling from the 20th floor to the sixth floor of a building in Vietnam.

Officers in Nam Dinh City, in the namesake province in the northern region, are probing the fatal accident that happened at the Nam Dinh Tower, situated on Dien Bien Street in Cua Bac Ward, on Friday last week.

The victim was three-year-old Nguyen Minh Khang, who lost his life after falling from the 20th floor of the building, Colonel Dang Quang Tuyen, chief of staff of the provincial Department of Police, told Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper on Sunday.

The young boy was studying at the Huong Sen Kindergarten, which is situated on the third floor of the Nam Dinh Tower.

According to security camera footage, Khang went into the elevator and headed to the 21st floor before taking the stairs down to the 20th story.

The boy then climbed over a window and fell to the sixth floor.

Nguyen Ngoc Loi, 37, who is the boys father, said Khang was taken to the kindergarten by his grandmother on Friday morning.

At around 4:00 pm the same day, the grandmother returned to the venue to pick the boy up.

As he was nowhere to be seen, she and the teachers started looking for him on the third floor.

At 5:00 pm, a security guard of the building found Khangs body at the balcony on the sixth floor.

The security guard also affirmed that teachers at the kindergarten had not reported the boys disappearance prior to his discovery.

Police officers later arrived at the site to carry out an investigation and post-mortem examination.

No sign was showing that the boy had been attacked or pushed off the window, officers stated.

According to Nguyen Phi Phuong, chairman of the Peoples Committee in Cua Bac Ward, the Huong Sen Kindergarten is under the management of local authorities.

After the cause of the accident is determined, we will review the responsibility of the school and impose suitable penalties if any violation is detected, Phuong elaborated.

Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam!Thousands of families on Vietnam's typhoon-battered coast will receive free storm-proof houses, which can help pull them out of poverty, government and United Nations officials said.

Vietnam is one of 10 countries most affected by climate change, according to the latest annual Climate Risk Index published by the research organisation Germanwatch.

Coastal residents are particularly vulnerable as storms increase in frequency and intensity.

They are often trapped in poverty, accumulating debt or spending savings to rebuild or repair their homes, businesses and possessions.

"There is a really strong link between poverty and being able to accumulate assets, and housing is one of the major assets," said Jenty Kirsch-Wood, a senior technical advisor at the UN Development Programme (UNDP).

"If we can get some these highly vulnerable people into safe houses, it not only protects their lives, but also their assets and small businesses."

Working with the government, UNDP plans to build 300 houses by the end of this year, out of a total of 4,000 by 2022, she said.

The two-room houses are based on simple design to create a stronger structure.

Features include a mezzanine level to protect against flooding, reinforced roofing and the use of strong cement.

Residents often maintain their old homes for storage or to keep animals, said Kirsch-Wood.

Each home costs about $1,700 to build, and about 37 have been completed so far in Quang Ngai Province, she said.

After testing and monitoring, the housing scheme will be expanded to other provinces.

More than 15 typhoons slammed into Vietnam in 2017, Doan Thi Tuyet Nga, a director at the government's disaster management authority, told the Thomson Reuters Foundation.

Kirsch-Wood said she hopes the low cost, storm-proof designs will be adopted throughout the country as people hear about them through word of mouth.

The aim is also for the Vietnamese government to draw upon the designs when constructing future housing projects, she said.

The housing scheme is part of a $29.5 million project - funded by the U.N. Green Climate Fund - to increase resilience in Vietnamese coastal communities to the effects of climate change.

The poorest households will be targeted under the project, with priority given to ethnic minorities, disadvantaged families, the elderly and people with disabilities.

The project also includes the regeneration of mangrove forests that help protect coastal areas from storms, and developing disaster risk management planning.

Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam!The state president of Vietnam has stripped a senior policeman of his title due to his involvement in a large-scale online gambling ring.

Major General Nguyen Thanh Hoa, former head of the hi-tech crime prevention division under the Ministry of Public Security, had his Peoples Police rank removed by the head of state on Sunday, following his arrest on the same day.

Hoa is expected to be held in custody for four months to assist the investigation into his participation in an online gambling ring that is worth trillions of dong (VND1 trillion = US$44 million).

The Department of Police in the northern province of Phu Tho was previously tasked with dealing with the case.

The arrest warrant has been approved by the provincial Peoples Procuracy.

Police official

Hoa was born in 1958 in the south-central province of Binh Dinh.

Before becoming the head of the hi-tech crime prevention division, the policeman worked in the Ministry of Public Securitys economic police department.

In late 2017, Hoa was suspended from work to have his alleged violations reviewed. He then requested to be admitted to the hospital for treatment of his illness.

The police official was staying at the 198 Hospital in Hanoi prior to his apprehension.

According to the Ministry of Public Security, Hoa was arrested for being involved in the case of organizing gambling, online gambling, illegal sale of invoices, and money-laundering in Phu Tho and some other provinces and cities.

Following over six months of investigation, officers determined that Hoa and many other suspects had organized their gambling activities via two websites with hundreds of regular customers.

Over 70 suspects

In September 2017, police in Phu Tho Province broke up the online gambling ring and have initiated legal procedures against more than 70 suspects involved in the case.

Investigators considered that the case is highly serious as several police officials also participated in the ring.

Officers were able to capture Nguyen Van Duong, a Hanoi resident, who was determined as one of the ring leaders.

Phan Sao Nam, former chairman of the management board of VTC Online, a subsidiary of the Vietnam Television Corporation (VTC), was another mastermind behind the illegal operations.

Nam attempted to flee but was eventually nabbed by competent authorities.

Both Nam and Duong are facing charges of organizing gambling, which can carry a jail sentence of between three and ten years.

The investigation revealed that the two suspects had opened a firm specializing in the importation of technology equipment, which was used as a cover for their online gambling operations.

In order for the ring to survive, Nam and Duong approached Hoa and asked for his cooperation.

The police official agreed to abet the illicit activities.

A source close to Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper said that the ring had been organizing online gambling across nations.

Competent authorities have so far confiscated more than VND1.3 trillion ($57.2 million), while the amount of foreign currency which was sent overseas via the gambling activities was estimated at $3.6 million.

Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam!SKY News Executive Editor Rob Raschke has resigned from the company after 2 years.

CEO and Managing Director Angelos Frangopolous sent a briefly worded email to staff today.

I have today accepted the resignation of Rob Raschke as Executive Editor, he noted.

The departure follows Raschke pleading guilty to assaulting his wife, Rachel, late last month.

He is also the subject of an apprehended violence order that states he must not approach or be in the company of his wife for at least 12 hours after drinking alcohol or taking illicit drugs.

Prior to his departure he has been on leave with SKY.

Raschke, 52, joined SKY News after almost 19 years with Seven, including three years as national director of news and 11 years as director of news in Brisbane.

He will be sentenced on April 11.

SKY News has been contacted for comment.WIN Network has rejoined lobby group FreeTV Australia after quitting the lobby in 2015.

The regional network departed amid ongoing debates over media regulation, having previously quit Freeview.

On Friday it returned to the fold.

FreeTV Chairman Harold Mitchell commented: I am delighted that WIN has decided to rejoin FreeTV. This means FreeTV once again represents 100% of commercial television broadcasters. We know we are much stronger together and with WIN back in the fold, FreeTV will continue to drive the important outcomes to ensure a strong future for us all.

FreeTV CEO Bridget Fair said I am looking forward to working with Andrew Lancaster and his team as we continue to represent Australian commercial television which has a unique and important place in both regional and metropolitan communities.

WIN Network Andrew Lancaster said We are very pleased to be back as a member of FreeTV. Commercial free-to-air television broadcasters are facing more challenges than ever before and it is important that we work together to ensure that all Australians continue to enjoy the free television services they rely on and value.Spain is not the best place to visit in Europe these days as there is a lot of trouble in Catalonia and now fresh troubles have erupted over the ownership of a mansion belonging to Generalissimo Francisco Franco. The general ruled Spain with an iron and during his time, personal freedom was greatly restricted. General Franco had a number of residences in Spain and one of his holiday mansions which still remains with his heirs has been put up for sale. BBC has reported that many people in Spain are incensed that this sale is being allowed and feel that the mansion belongs to the people of Spain and not to the family of General Franco.

Franco

Francisco Franco was a Fascist who was at one time closely allied with Hitler. He came to power after a civil war in which he was backed by Germany and Hitler but he was a shrewd man and when he realized that Germany and Hitler were sinking he disassociated from them. He charted an independent course of action and even joined NATO and became part of the western alliance.

The general, popularly called Caudillo, had decreed that after his death the Spanish monarchy would be restored. This was done but his various properties remained in the hands of his heirs.

Holiday mansion

The heirs of General Franco have now put up a holiday mansion at Caruana in North Western Spain for sale. Probably if it had not been put up for sale nobody would have taken much notice of it.

But now the mansion is the eye of the storm.

The provincial authority in Caruana in North Western Spain has now started taking legal steps to appropriate the mansion of The Dictator. The provincial authority feels that the holiday mansion of Franco rightly belongs to the Spanish people and not to the heirs of the dictator.

it does not appear likely that the property shall be taken away from the heirs of General Franco, for the simple reason that Franco for nearly three decades was the ruler and he shaped Spanish policy both at home and abroad with his own ideas.

Franco has gone but many feel that he brought stability to the country and there were no fissiparous tendencies like in Catalonia which is now so current.

Last word

The general cannot be faulted on at least one count, and that is corruption, as he did not hand over the leadership of Spain to any of his relations but decreed that Spanish monarchy would be restored.

Despite all the noises about taking over the mansion of General Franco, many feel that it may not be right to take the mansion away from his heirs. It will be interesting to watch as to what happens to the mansion in the years to comeDEER PARK, Ill., March 12, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Jesse Altman, Energy Practice Vice President and thought leader at national insurance brokerage and risk management consultancy The Plexus Groupe, is among the industry leaders set to present this week at a top North American solar power conference.



Altman will share cutting-edge risk mitigation strategies for original equipment manufacturers at Solar Asset Management North America in San Francisco on Tuesday. The two-day conference brings together solar plant and portfolio experts from around the world.

As the leading energy and powergen risk management expert at Plexus, Altman delivers technical expertise to energy companies with complex risk management needs and provides innovative program structures to minimize cost and maximize asset protection.

"We are excited to have Jesse as a participant at this leading industry event," said Mike Mann, Plexus Executive Vice President and Risk Management Leader. "This is an excellent forum for Jesse to collaborate in an engaging learning and sharing environment with industry peers."

Plexus offers expertise in property and casualty, employee benefits, corporate retirement plans, personal lines insurance, human resources administration/consulting, benefits technology services, and mergers and acquisitions. The firm is headquartered in Deer Park, Ill., with additional locations in Chicago (downtown), Dallas, and Oklahoma City.

For more information on Plexuss strategic insurance solutions and risk mitigation expertise in energy, please contact the firm at 847-307-6100 and ask to speak to a client executive. The company can also be reached via the Web at PlexusGroupe.com.



The other day, North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un extended an unexpected invitation to US President Donald Trump in the form of a handwritten letter, inviting him to Pyongyang to discuss the prospect of the denuclearisation of his regime. Many people are fearing that this could be trap, since it all happened so easily, but also, if it is legit, it could be really great for the geopolitical climate. It would mean an end to the nuclear crisis in North Korea and the longstanding tensions between the volatile nation and the United States.

But of course, we are counting on Trump to pull off this fantastically delicate interaction, so who knows how this will pan out? Hes hardly the most careful and subtle of people, and never seems to think before he acts  but hey, the same goes for Kim, so maybe the two have more in common than their insult-laden rivalry would have you believe.

Trump has called Kim short and fat and Little Rocket Man, while Kim has called Trump a mentally incompetent dotard, but maybe that was just the unconventional beginning of a beautiful, blossoming friendship.

Trump has responded to Kims invitation by graciously accepting it and pledging to visit North Korea and have it all worked out by May, so well only have to wait a couple of months to find out how this turns out. Now, is Kim only inviting Trump over to North Korea so that he can kill him? Or maybe hell be unveiling his master plan like James Bonds villains do at the end of the second act? Well, if you were worried about Trumps safety (which you probably, almost definitely werent), then you dont have to be, because CIA Director Mike Pompeo says America knows the risks of Trumps visit to Pyongyang.

He is going there to solve a problem

Pompeo insists that Trump is not going to North Korea for theatre, but rather to solve a problem. So, hes not going over there for the glamour or for the publicity or simply to be the world leader who went to North Korea and sat down with Kim Jong-un (which, admittedly, is quite an impressive achievement)  instead, hes going there to defuse the nuclear situation and find a way to create peace between the two nations.

But this isnt John F. Kennedy or Abraham Lincoln  its Donald Trump, so dont get your hopes up too high.

Trump himself has said that his meeting with Kim could result in the greatest deal for the world, which are his own words. You have to bear in mind, though, that just because a meeting is taking place, it doesnt necessarily mean that the talks will go well.

In fact, if they dont go well and Trump doesnt think before he speaks (which he never, ever does), then the tensions between the US and North Korea will be even fiercer than they were before. Yikes. Thats some pressure on this meeting.

Everyone was surprised by the North Korea meeting  even the Trump administration

Everyone across the world was shocked when Trump accepted the invitation extended to the White House by Kim  even his own administration. See, when the South Korean envoy brought over the handwritten invite, the President reportedly accepted it right there and then, on the spot, which no one saw coming. However, Pompeo says that the US governments eyes are wide open with regards to the dangers and risks of the North Korea meeting.

Pompeo added that his theory on why Kim has offered up this invitation now of all times is that all of the sanctions enforced on North Korea by the United States have finally taken enough of a toll on their economy that Kims options are basically discuss denuclearisation with Trump or he wont have a country anymore. These are dark times, but theyre dark for both countries, so hopefully they will double down and some good can come of it.So, by May, sitting US President Donald Trump will visit North Korea for a meeting with dictator Kim Jong-un. Thats going to happen. The world has now had a couple of days to reckon with that. Jimmy Carter, who used to be in Trumps shoes, has weighed in on the topic, voicing his approval for the current Presidents decision to sit down with the North Korean leader in Pyongyang.

Carter himself met with Kims grandfather Kim Il-sung while he was in office, so he knows exactly what its like to make this decision and commit to this meeting. The former President was delivering a speech to a Sunday school class when he made the comments.

He said that while he [doesnt] agree with everything that President Trump has done, he believes that his decision to go to Pyongyang to discuss denuclearisation was a good one.

No nuclear holocaust would be wonderful, says Carter

Carter said that it would be a wonderful achievement if Trump could manage to avoid a nuclear war when he goes to speak with Kim in North Korea. Yes, Jimmy, it certainly would. Its worth noting that Jimmy Carter is a Democrat, while Trump is a Republican, so they should be natural enemies. But since the former President himself went to North Korea back in 1994, he feels a sort of kindred spirit in the current one.Matt Graham is a US-based screenwriter originally from the UK, specialising in History and Crime, which he says are the same thing. Here he explains more about his important projects.

Beginnings in the film industry

Matt, can you tell us about your beginnings in the film industry?

"Growing up obsessed with films, I always knew I was going to be a screenwriter in Hollywood, the only question was how. I worked in the industry in London briefly after college, but my big moment came when I was accepted to USC Film School to study screenwriting. It's the biggest and most important film school in LA, and horrendously expensive.

A few nights before I went, I received a mysterious phone call. A benefactor had paid my entire tuition fees. That's another story. I left the UK in mid-2002 to go and study there."

Best projects to date

What is your best project to date?

"My biggest project to date was the groundbreaking Showtime and now Netflix history series, The Untold History of the United States which was directed by Oliver Stone and written by myself alongside an amazing historian named Peter Kuznick. The show was hugely important in popular culture and very successful around the world. You can see it today on Netflix. Working with Oliver was a childhood dream come true for me. It established my rep as a writer who deals with history as his subject matter a great deal.

I followed it up with an original TV script about the secret war inside the US Government in the 1970's which was very successful for me here in Hollywood."

Great reviews

Why do you think The Untold History of the United States was such a successful project and had great reviews?

"The series was truly a groundbreaking one here in the US.

Oliver Stone is a huge name in the industry and his outlook on the world always gets attention. However, there were many other factors: for example, it was the first popular history show on mainstream TV for many years. The show was also of interest to a huge number of people in the US, where a debate about the country's role in the world has been ongoing for years.

Even people who disagreed with it watch it. Even today, people ask me about working on it, or what I think of different news stories. Part of the reason why is that we highlighted dramatic and unknown stories that don't fit traditional narratives - like the story of Henry Wallace, the Socialist who nearly became President, or James Forrestal, the country's first Defence Secretary who went insane through fear and killed himself. We tried to look at history from an outside the box perspective which isn't done commonly here. The show was very dramatic - filled with clips from movies and lots of action, and I think this really helped it overseas."

How did writing change your life?

"Writing has given me a completely abnormal life.

It's given me an enormous opportunity in terms of living the life I always wanted. Its also given me the opportunity to travel and meet many interesting people. I've worked in Hollywood for many years, and I've lived in Latin America for five, and taught and travelled in West Africa. I've done amazing things and been to incredible places. Most people want quiet and stability, but accepting that writing is going to be your path is to accept chaos and instability into your universe. The writing process is very hard emotionally and not understood by noncreative people, which is why most creatives all life here in Los Angeles where we can be together. It makes you very eccentric - alongside your normal friends from childhood!

Writing gave me the chance to have everything I ever wanted. I don't regret a single moment."

Plans for the future

Do you have any interesting film or TV projects coming up?

"I've been involved in numerous TV and film projects here in Hollywood over the years. I've been trying to sell a show about female police officers in Tijuana, for instance, called Policias. Right now, I've also got a really exciting Indie feature film in development with Barry Films (The Whistleblower) called The Boyfriend about a girl in the near future who "downloads" a boyfriend because she's lonely. It's my - and my cowriter's - comment on the Instagram culture and my first real attempt at Sci-Fi. We should be shooting next year.

I'm also involved in the writing of a brand new TV series about the true story behind the Apollo Moon Landing in 1969 produced by UK-US based Atrium. The show's being Showrun by major Hollywood vet Steve Kronish - and its a privilege to be working alongside him. Its a drama and very dark - the real story is an exciting one and its great to bring it to audiences. The show's set to air next year."Zimbabwe is moving on from a dark past of fiscal failure, corruption, and economic mismanagement. Investor confidence is rising now that President Mnangagwa is at the helm of the country.

It is just over 100 days since he took office, and he has made it his policy to make the country attractive to investors, respect human rights and stimulate the economy. So far he has taken some small, but important steps to ease the lot of his people. These include free health care for the young and the elderly, the removal of most police roadblocks and spot fines.

Zimbabwe President Mnangagwa making the right moves

He has seen to it that some high profile people have been arrested on charges of corruption, all of which are vast improvements on his predecessor, Robert Mugabe. Al-Jazeera reports that he has already had some externalised funds returned to the country and cut new deals with countries such as Belarus, Russia, and China. He is also looking to revamp the almost defunct railways.

Capital is not pouring in yet, but there is a flurry of international organisations and individuals visiting the country to look for opportunities.

Zimbabwe, confidence by investors is rising

The confidence rising is not confined to foreign companies, and sources say that Zimbabweans themselves are looking forward to the future.

Admittedly, the cash crisis is still biting hard, and the USA won't lift sanctions, at least not yet. But the Zimbabwe Mail reported that former United States ambassador to Zimbabwe, Charles Ray has addressed a congressional committee saying, If we truly want to see Zimbabwe develop to its potential, we must be prepared to work with the winner of a credible, nonviolent election, regardless of the political party.

Medivac company sees an opportunity

Zimbabweans are looking to the future with renewed hope, and some of them are making positive plans to begin negotiations with government departments.

A source told this reporter that Knight Draw Investments, Pvt Ltd, Zimbabwe, is looking to start a medical evacuation company. They strongly feel that the country is starting to show signs of a renewed prosperity in the months and years to come. They are negotiating with Airbus, via a director resident in Lyon, France, for a fleet of H135 helicopters for the purposes of medical evacuation via air along the country's roads.

The source says that so far they have been in discussion with the government's Civil Protection Unit and have reached out to health officials who were keen to engage in discussion with the private sector. If all goes well, they hope to be operational before the year ends, providing necessary permits are rubber-stamped.

Room for airlines in the country

On another note, there are proposals that a new private airline should be started. The company envisions provision of domestic, regional, and perhaps even international flights. Investors are interested in such a business opportunity even though it is early days yet.

It is hoped to provide local flights to Kariba, Victoria Falls, and Bulawayo out of Harare.

If planned negotiations and hopes come to any fruition, they may look at expansion into regional airports in Malawi, South Africa, Botswana, and Namibia. There is, of course, the potential for long-haul flights to China, France, Dubai and London, UK.

Zimbabwe - a lot rides on the elections

Zimbabwe is not out of the political woods yet, although President Mnangagwa appears to be trying to make meaningful changes. There is an election still to come, but on the ground, there is optimism with many citizens feeling that they don't care who rules the country as long as they create employment, bring prosperity, prevent corruption, stop police brutality, and hold regular free and fair elections.

There is good reason for investors to be interested.

In the early 1990s, Zimbabwe was booming across the tourism sector. As Charles Ray pointed out, keeping Zimbabwe cash-starved is not the way to improve the lives of Zimbabweans. The outcome of the elections is, therefore, greatly anticipated, and if President Mnangagwa continues with his current reforms, he could very well be voted into power.

Speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, President Mnangagwa said, "We want to have free, fair, credible elections, free of violence." He added that he would welcome international observers.At least 50 people have been killed in a plane crash in Kathmandu on Monday morning.

The aircraft carrying 67 passengers and four crew veered off the runway and struck an airport fence before bursting into flames as it attempted to land at Tribhuvan International Airport in Nepals capital.

We have recovered 50 dead bodies so far, said army spokesman Gokul Bhandari. Several people had been rescued from the burning wreckage of the Bombardier Q400 series aircraft but nine people were still unaccounted for, he said.

Rescue workers at Kathmandu Airport after a passenger plane crashed upon landing (Photo: Reuters)

Airport authorities say the plane struck a fence as it was coming in to land (Photo: Reuters)

The flight from the Bangladeshi capital Dhaka is operated by US-Bangla Airlines.

Airport spokesman Birendra Prasad Shrestha said: We are trying to bring the fire under control. Details are awaited. Were now concentrating on evacuating the passengers.

Television images showed smoke rising from the crash site and all flights in and out of the airport have been cancelled.

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Data from tracking website Flightradar24.com showed the aircraft was 17 years old. The aircraft descended to an airport altitude of 4,400 feet and then ascended up to 6,600 feet before crashing about two minutes later, the website said.

Mountainous Nepal is notorious for air accidents and small aircraft often run into trouble at provincial airstrips.

A Thai Airways flight from Bangkok crashed while trying to land in Kathmandu in 1992 killing all on board.

US-Bangla Airlines is a unit of the US-Bangla Group, a US Bangladeshi joint venture company.

Related...

Pilot Survives New York Helicopter Crash That Killed 5

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This article originally appeared on HuffPost.(Photo: BackyardProduction via Getty Images)

As a family doctor, I prescribe opioids judiciously. My training taught me to be careful with each and every pill I prescribe, as each script could add another victim to the opioid crisis at the forefront of our countrys current health agenda. However, despite those efforts  and the efforts of so many others in my profession  the number of annual opioid overdoses has risen in most states, according to data the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released this month.

As this situation worsens, I often think about the impact the opioid epidemic has had on black Americans  a community that has previously faced disparities and mistreatment when it comes to addiction and drug abuse.

Just a few months ago, I listened to our current surgeon general, Jerome Adams, at the Congressional Black Caucus conference in Washington, D.C. He discussed our countrys history with addiction and the need for more evidence-based medical treatments to combat the issue. Adams also expressed his concern regarding the opioid epidemic and acknowledged that our nations history of drug addiction has led to some medical disparities.

Adams then brought up the time he was asked about the ongoing opioid epidemic during a radio interview. A listener, likely referring to the well-documented dynamics between drug abuse and race, asked why everyone had only started paying attention to drug addiction now that white people were being affected.

The surgeon generals answer was to take the attention and funds allocated to combating the opioid epidemic and use them to make more addiction treatment programs available to all  including those in the black community. He suggested the radio listener not worry about what happened in the past and instead worry about what were going to do in the future.

As a doctor and an African-American myself, I have to disagree with Adams on this last point. Disregarding the past wont help us in the search for solutions to this crisis.

Story continues

Drug addiction within minority communities has been a concern of ours for years, but we only recently became aware of the rise in opioid overdoses and deaths within the African-American community specifically.

Citing data from the CDC, The New York Times reported in December, Drug deaths among blacks in urban counties rose by 41 percent in 2016, far outpacing any other racial or ethnic group. And emergency rooms in urban areas  where minority communities historically reside  saw a 54 percent increase in opioid overdose patients between June 2016 and September 2017, according to the CDC.

Health organizations in the U.S., as well as our local and federal governments, have urgently attempted to address the worsening opioid epidemic these past few years as the use of synthetic opioids (such as fentanyl) and heroin have increased. In 2016, approximately 20,000 Americans died following a synthetic opioid overdose, and about 13,000 died in 2015 after overdosing on heroin. Some who die of overdose are first introduced to opioids as prescribed painkillers from their doctors and later turn to more accessible and cheaper options  like heroin and fentanyl  as their addiction worsens.

Theres no question were in the midst of a major health crisis that greatly affects black Americans. But after experiencing years of medical mistreatment, many African-Americans are wary of new proposed solutions after what has happened to them in the past.

I remember being taught in the late 1990s to just say no to drugs, as part of Nancy Reagans good-intentioned campaign that discouraged drug use through substance abuse prevention programs and TV and radio PSAs.

In 1999, approximately 3.3 million Americans abused cocaine, and nearly 1 million abused heroin. However, the accelerated war on drugs only widened racial disparities and proliferated drug-related arrests among black Americans. Black men were sent to prison on drug charges at a rate 13 times higher than white men in 1996, despite the fact white Americans comprised a significantly higher percentage of drug users.

Throughout history, black Americans have seen doors to education, jobs and equal health care close  as prison doors opened to individuals dealing with addiction. These people needed medical and mental health treatment for addiction. But instead, a shocking number of black Americans were incarcerated for drug-related offenses.

The lives lost to addiction  whether they are lost to fatal overdose or incarceration  are not easily erased from the memories of friends and family. This further compounds the issue and makes it difficult for black Americans to trust providers and medical treatment services.

Reflecting on the past is how we in the medical community are able to hold ourselves and each other accountable. Its how were reminded of the importance of fair medical treatment for all. We need only look to the Tuskegee experiment on syphilis or the unauthorized use of Henrietta Lacks cells to find examples of medical mistreatment toward African-Americans. We can now add drug addiction to that list.

It may be difficult and uncomfortable to examine the way race relations weave through our countrys medical history. However, I choose to look Americas medical past straight in its dark, penetrating eyes, because this is how we ensure its not repeated.

With opioid addiction rates still rising in many communities, we need an even greater increase in drug addiction and treatment awareness. The federal government is helping through programs like the surgeon generals better health through better partnerships campaign, which encourages collaboration between communities and medical experts when developing solutions for complex public health issues such as drug addiction. And the Department of Health and Human Services has issued $144.1 million to help support and expand prevention, treatment and recovery services.

I urge the African-American community to remain hopeful that our government and medical community will finally get drug addiction treatment right. In the meantime, I will remain alert to how people of color fare with current addiction treatment resources  resources that are supposed to be promised to everyone.

Dr. Amber Robins, MD, MBA, is a board-certified family medicine doctor and graduate of the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry.



Need help with substance abuse or mental health issues? In the U.S., call 800-662-HELP (4357) for the SAMHSA National Helpline.

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This article originally appeared on HuffPost.Donald Trump Jr. failed to disclose a business relationship with a hunting partner who helped raise millions of dollars for his father's 2016 presidential campaign, new records reveal.

Trump Jr. and Texas hedge fund manager Gentry Beach have had business deals together since the mid-2000s, including the recent formation of a company called Future Venture LLC, according to documents obtained by the Associated Press.

Despite Beach not listing any Trump connection to Future Venture, a disclosure report filed with New York City officials showed that Trump Jr. had been named as the president, secretary and treasurer of the company.

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Tasos Katopodis/Getty

The two men, who were known to be hunting buddies, had previously said their relationship was personal rather than professional.

The revelation of their longtime business ties comes less than two weeks after President Donald Trump's administration quietly reversed an Obama-era ban on elephant trophy imports.

Not long after Trump took office, Beach and an Iraqi-American businessman were able to meet with top officials at the National Security Council (NSC) to present a plan that would curb U.S. sanctions in Venezuela and open business opportunities for U.S. companies, a former U.S. official with direct knowledge of the proposal told AP.

The official said foreign policy experts were instructed by the West Wing to accept the meetings specifically because of Beach's relationship with Trump Jr. They added that the meeting went ahead, despite NSC lawyers raising concerns about whether the meeting was appropriate.

Ultimately, the pitch was not accepted, as it would have been counter to the president's stance on the South American country, which he threatened with new sanctions earlier this month.

Story continues

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Seven months after his meeting with the NSC, however, Beach also attended a private lunch in Dallas with Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke and Republican donors, according to a copy of Zinke's schedule, obtained by AP.

Read more: Donald Trump Jr. Says Company Got No Credit for Doing the Right Thing and Not Profiting Off His Fathers Presidency

In a statement, the Trump Organization told the news agency Trump Jr. has never had any involvment in arranging meetings with anyone at the White House or any other government agency.

The Trump Organization did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Newsweek.

Beach told AP it was absolutely not true that he had ever used my longtime personal friendship with Donald Trump Jr. in a bid to influence any government decision-making.

Trump Jr. had told donors in Texas last March that Beach and another hunting buddy, Tom Hicks Jr. had helped raise millions for his father's campaign, according to a report from Dallas Morning News.

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At the time, the president's son said Beach and Hicks Jr. had spent seven months with him on the campaign trail doing everything from "taking selfies to carrying my bags."

Beach himself had told the Dallas newspaper that if he "called up" to the White House "and asked someone to do me a favor, could I get in the door? Sure." However, he claimed he had no plans to take advantage of that access at the time, adding: "I need nothing from the government."

Beach later served as a finance vice chairman for the inaugural committee and was criticized after a non-profit he launched at the same time advertised hunting and fishing trips with Trump Jr. and his brother Eric, who is also known to be an avid hunter, to donors. The non-profit offered a package including a multi-day hunting and/or fishing excursion for 4 guests with Trump Jr. "and/or Eric Trump and team" for $1 million, according to documents published by the Centre for Public Integrity.

But court documents obtained by AP showed that Beach and Trump Jr. did business together long before Trump's election campaign.

In a 2010 deposition, Trump Jr. testified that he had made investments in ventures that Beach had an interest in on two occasions. In one case, he made a $200,000 investment in a dry Texas oil well managed by Beach's father and also funneled an undisclosed amount of cash into a failed mining stock connected with Beach's uncle.

Trump Jr. also testified that the pair also had business plans that had never come into fruition, including one proposal to buy a hunting preserve in Mexico together.

The president's apparent U-turn in his stance on elephant trophy imports came just over three months after he put a bid to ease the ban on pause after the moved sparked public outrage.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services announced its reversal of the ban at the start of this month, with the agency now expected to approve requests to bring body parts of African Elephants from Zimbabwe to the U.S. on a "case-by-case basis."

This article was first written by Newsweek

More from NewsweekKIEV (Reuters) - The European Union's foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini said on Monday there was "no fatigue" on the part of the EU towards Ukraine, as demonstrated by its extension of sanctions on Russia and financial aid for Kiev.

On a visit to Ukraine, Mogherini signalled strong support but also urged authorities to do more to fight corruption and to set up an anti-corruption court in line with the recommendations of the Venice Commission, a rights watchdog.

Mogherini said there had been impressive progress on key reforms but more was needed.

The EU aims to disburse the first tranche of a new assistance package worth 1 billion euros to Ukraine before the end of the year but the conditions of that aid are yet to be discussed, she said.

"There is no fatigue in our support for Ukraine, also because we have seen results," Mogherini said at a press briefing with Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko.

The West threw its backing behind Ukraine after the 2013/2014 Maidan protests brought a pro-Western government to power, but since then critics have accused Poroshenko and the government of dragging their feet over reforms.

That has given rise to talk of "Ukraine fatigue" to reflect frustration at the slow pace of change.

While Mogherini was in Kiev on Monday, the European Union announced the extension for another six months of its sanctions against Russia, imposed over the annexation of Crimea and support for rebels in eastern Ukraine.

(Reporting by Alessandra Prentice; writing by Matthias Williams; editing by Andrew Roche)TOKYO (Reuters) - A senior member of Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) said government representatives told him on Monday that documents related to a suspected cronyism scandal had been doctored.

Hiroshi Moriyama, head of parliamentary affairs for the LDP, also told reporters after his closed-door meeting with government officials that he did not receive an explanation as to which parts of the documents were doctored.

(Reporting by Stanley White; Editing by Chang-Ran Kim)An explosion that tore through a ferry docked in a Mexican resort town and left more than two dozen people injured was caused by a homemade explosive, a leading local newspaper has reported.

The blast in Playa del Carmen last month is believed to have been triggered from a distance, El Universal newspaper reported, citing an investigation conducted by the Mexican Attorney-General's office and the country's marine secretary.

The newspaper also said the explosion might have been organized by someone with knowledge of mining materials.

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The explosion left at least 25 people injured, including U.S. tourists visiting the popular resort area, roughly 46 miles south of Cancun.

In the wake of the explosion, the U.S. government banned employees from traveling to Playa del Carmen, citing an unspecified "security threat," mentioning the blast in its warning.

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The government updated the ban on Friday, limiting it specific neighborhoods in the resort town.

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The U.S. State Department also advised tourists to exercise increased caution in the state of Quintana Roo, which includes Playa del Carmen and Cancun.

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Investigators have yet to determine a motive in the explosion.

The ferry that appeared to be targeted in the blast was operated by Barcos Caribe, according to local media reports.

The company is owned by the family of former Quintana Roo governor Roberto Borge, who was extradited from Panama to Mexico in January to face corruption charges, according to Reuters.

Story continues

Increased drug cartel activities over recent years have marred Mexican tourist destinations.

The U.S. Department of State warns in its travel advisory that "violent crime, such as homicide, kidnapping, carjacking and robbery, is widespread."

This article was first written by Newsweek

More from NewsweekVICTORIA, British Columbia, March 12, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Seaspan Shipyards (Seaspan) demonstrates its capabilities with liquefied natural gas (LNG) vessel engine conversions in the wake of a major project milestone.



Victoria Shipyards (VSL) was selected by TOTE Maritime Alaska to carry out the yard production work and docking necessary for the conversion of their two TOTE Orca class vessels to dual-fuel systems, a process which is being carried out in four phases and will enable the two ships to use LNG as fuel.

The North Star, the first of the two 839-foot-long roll-on, roll-off cargo ships which carry cargo between Anchorage, Alaska, and Tacoma, Washington, arrived at VSL in December, 2017 kicking off the process of converting the diesel engines to dual-fuel systems.

The first of the two vessels slated for conversion - the North Star, has now completed a 60-day visit to the shipyard, which along with Midnight Sun will provide employment for 300 to 400 people working six days a week. Following her recent stay, she returned to Alaska, marking the first voyage outfitted with two new LNG tanks.

Seaspan Shipyards is proud to have conducted this work for TOTE Maritime Alaska as part of its efforts to convert its fleet to LNG-fuelled vessels, noted Brian Carter, President & CEO of Seaspan Shipyards. With the completion of this first phase of work, our workforce has demonstrated that it is fully capable of handling these complex conversions and we look forward to future work on similar projects.

Over the next four years, three more conversion periods will be required to finalize the transition of TOTE Maritime Alaskas vessels to LNG. Each of these conversion periods will take place in the winter to minimize the impact to customers and consumers alike. The conversion of both ships is scheduled to be complete in Q1 of 2021.

The completion of the first phase of this project at Victoria Shipyards is a clear indicator that Seaspans workforce has the necessary skills to successfully complete LNG conversation projects, in addition to a broad range of vessel repairs.

Phase one of the first major LNG conversion in North America on a full-sized vessel has now been successfully completed, said Joe ORourke, Vice President & General Manager of VSL. We plan to continue to build our reputation as an industry expert for all LNG related work on the West Coast. And we express our thanks to TOTE and their entire team in placing their trust with VSL on this first in kind project.

One of the key components behind TOTEs decision to retrofit the vessels to LNG was to reduce the most harmful emissions that result from burning diesel. Retro-fitted engines will meet and exceed all new emission standards and new components will extend the vessels working lives.

Victoria Shipyards has demonstrated that they have the technical expertise and skilled work force to guide TOTE Maritime Alaskas Orca class vessels through the conversion process, noted Phil Morrell, Vice President Marine Operations. They are the right partner for TOTE in this important environmental effort.

TOTE Maritime was the first maritime shipping company in the world to announce its intention to convert their fleet, enabling the engines to use both LNG and diesel.

Working on projects that benefit the environment is well-aligned with our corporate values and LNG conversions represent an important opportunity for our company to contribute towards environmental sustainability in the marine shipping industry, added Brian Carter.

Seaspan is committed to care for the environment and adheres to rigorous environmental standards and participates in certification programs like Green Marine.

ABOUT SEASPAN SHIPYARDS

With strategic locations in the Pacific Northwest region, Seaspan Shipyards is Canadas West Coast centre of excellence for shipbuilding and ship repair. With modern facilities and a dedicated workforce, the company has proven itself to be a reliable partner on a range of complex projects for both government and the private sector.

Seaspan Shipyards is proud to be Canadas chosen Non-Combat Shipbuilder under the National Shipbuilding Strategy. In this capacity, the company is building state-of-the-art ships in Canada for the Canadian Coast Guard and Royal Canadian Navy. Through its NSS-related work, Seaspan Shipyards is creating jobs, generating economic benefits and rebuilding Canadas shipbuilding and marine industries.

Seaspan Shipyards

Nicholas Insley

Manager, Public Affairs

Office: 604-990-1824

Nicholas.Insley@Seaspan.com

Photos accompanying this announcement are available at

http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/757fa84e-d4b3-4ed8-969f-7b686aefb021

http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/0a574f21-b058-4ca6-b141-dcb1fc21e1ebFILE PHOTO: Workers of Eviro-Tec and Nalco leave the alumina refinery Alunorte, owned by Norwegian company Norsk Hydro ASA, after an inspection operation with Brazilian environmental agency Ibama and Evandro Chagas Institute to verify a report of irregularities on bauxite residue deposits at Alunorte, in Barcarena, Para state, Brazil March 8, 2018.. REUTERS/Ricardo Moraes

Thomson Reuters

OSLO (Reuters) - Norwegian aluminum maker Norsk Hydro's Alunorte alumina refinery in Brazil made unauthorized spills of waste water last month, the company said on Sunday, more than two weeks after local authorities first began to raise questions.

Heavy rain and flooding at the plant in mid-February sparked fears of a leak of toxic bauxite waste around the facility and government warnings of contamination, but Hydro has so far maintained it had found no evidence of emissions.

Authorities in late February ordered the plant, the world's largest alumina refinery, to cut output in half until it addressed concerns, leading Hydro to declare force majeure with no time set to restart production.

A Brazilian government-backed research institute on Friday told Reuters it will soon publish evidence of a waste leak from Alunorte, located in the northern state of Para.

Hydro spokesman Halvor Molland said on Sunday the company on two occasions decided to emit water after heavy rain had put pressure on the plant's treatment facility.

"The canal we used for these emissions is not covered by our permit," Molland said, while adding the company had later notified regulators.

"We have no indications that this controlled emission had a negative impact on the environment," he added.

Hydro's admission that spills had taken place was first reported by Norwegian business daily Dagens Naeringsliv.

(Reporting by Camilla Knudsen, editing by Terje Solvik and David Evans)

See Also:By Polina Ivanova

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Most Russians intending to vote for Vladimir Putin in Sunday's election say stability is at the root of their faith in their candidate - though many young voters believe it's time for a change of leader.

Putin, 65, is expected to win a fourth term in office with 69 percent of the vote, according to the latest survey by a state-run pollster.

Reuters correspondents and photographers who travelled around the country talking to voters ahead of the March 18 election found nothing to contradict expectation of an emphatic Putin victory.

(For a Russian election photo essay by Reuters click on http://reut.rs/2p4eHp4)

In Crimea, participating in a Russian presidential election for the first time since the territory was annexed from Ukraine in 2014, engineer Andrei Lukinykh said Putin was the only candidate who could provide stability in tough times.

"As the saying goes, you don't change your horses mid-stream. Unlike the others, my candidate can provide the stability that's needed," Lukinykh said.

For Muscovite student Yulia Dyuzheva, economic progress during Putin's 17 years in office won him her vote.

"As a representative of the younger generation, I can say that for us, young Russians, all the doors are open. Everyone is able to grab the opportunities presented and make the most of themselves, in whatever town or region," Dyuzheva said.

But others believe Russia is ready for a change.

Accountant Natalia Dementieva, also from Moscow, said she was casting a vote for TV personality Ksenia Sobchak - one of seven other candidates - because she supported more freedoms.

"[Sobchak] speaks the truth, openly. She doesn't lie. She raises issues which are taboo under our government."

"The next generation to rule this country were born between 1982 and 1987. There's a lot of them and they don't remember what it was like in the Soviet Union. So they're less afraid."

Story continues

Sobchak is expected to garner 2 percent of the vote, according to a March 9 poll by the state-run Russian Public Opinion Research Centre.

That's less than the 3 percent who plan to stay at home, some of whom may be heeding opposition leader Alexei Navalny's call to boycott the vote after he was barred from being on the ballot.

From the Communist Party, wealthy farm boss Pavel Grudinin, 57, is set for a stronger showing, at 7 percent.

For Alexei Gruk, a mechanic from St Petersburg, voting for the Communist Party sends the signal that things need to change at home, but he wants Russia's foreign policy to stay the same.

"To hell with the sanctions," Gruk said. "So what if they don't bring foreign stuff here anymore? As if that means we have to give in. I don't care."

Nationalist firebrand Vladimir Zhirinovsky, a veteran lawmaker, is expected to garner 5 percent of votes, according to latest polls, while liberal economist Grigory Yavlinsky should receive 1 percent.

(Editing by Richard Balmforth)President Donald Trump admitted that his wife Melania Trumps life is not so easybut in context of her role in fighting the opioid epidemic, not the rather obvious reason their relationship has appeared strained.

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"Great first lady. She's great," he said at a Pennsylvania rally on Saturday. "You think her life is so easy, folks? Not so easy."

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03_11_18_MelaniaLife

Olivier Douliery-Pool/Getty Images

The president wasnt referring to reports of an affair he allegedly had with porn star Stormy Daniels, after which the first lady avoided several public appearances with her husband. Donald Trump was referencing his wifes hand in his administrations efforts to curb the nations crisis around opioids.

"We put Melania and other people on this blue ribbon committee," he said, according to The Hill. "Do you think the drug dealers that kill thousands of people during their lifetime, do you think they care who is on a blue ribbon committee? The only way to solve the drug problem is through toughness. When you catch a drug dealer, you've got to put him away for a long time."

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The first lady early this month at a White House opioid summit said she was so proud of what the administration has done to address the epidemic, and called for the work to focus on young mothers with addiction problems.

We all know there is still much work to be done, which is why we are all here today, Melania Trump said.

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Story continues

Though the president didnt address the Stormy Daniels controversy at the Pennsylvania rally, he is well aware of criticism around it and the perceived wrench it has appeared put in his relationship with his wife.

At the Gridiron Club press dinner a couple days after the opioid summit, the president joked about the many White House departures.

Who's going to be the next to leave? Steve Miller, he said, referring to one of his senior advisers, Or Melania?"

Melania Trump, after reports first emerged her husband cheated just months after their son Barron was born, arrived on her own at his State of the Union address and rode solo to an air base instead of walking with him on the South Lawn, as is the tradition.

The affair plot thickened last Tuesday, when Daniels, whose real name is Stephanie Clifford, sued the president, claiming the non-disclosure agreement his lawyer compelled her to sign was null and void because it didnt include Donald Trumps signature.

This article was first written by Newsweek

More from NewsweekA young waitress from a Waffle House received a $16,000 scholarship from Texas Southern University after her act of kindness went viral on social media.

Evoni Williams, an 18-year-old student who lives in LaMarque, Texas, was working her shift on Saturday when an elderly customer asked her to help him cut up his food.

He was like, 'My hands are not functioning too well.' He needed me to cut his food. And I did," Williams told USA Today.

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Laura Wolf, a customer sitting nearby, snapped a photo of Williams doing her good deed. The post went viral on Facebook and has received over 121,000 likes and over 62,000 shares.

"Without hesitation, she took his plate and began cutting up his ham. This may seem small but to him, I'm sure it was huge. I'm thankful to have seen this act of kindness and caring at the start of my day while everything in this world seems so negative," Wolf wrote in her post.

Wolf told KHOU-TV that Williams kindness, despite how busy the restaurant was, really made an impression on her.

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It was so busy in here, and she actually took the time to stop and hear what he had to say instead of walking past him. That just meant something to me," Wolf told KHOU-TV.

The City of La Marque reposted Wolfs post and commended Williams for her selfless act.

Employee Evoni Williams went above and beyond to make sure her customer could enjoy his breakfast. Kindness is free, folks. We are proud! the post read.

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The City honored Williams good deed by giving her her own day on Thursday. Williams, who says she wants to study business management, was assigned a counselor by Texas Southern University to help her enroll in their program and start her degree.

Story continues

This article was first written by Newsweek

More from NewsweekYoung Houthi militants sit on the side of a road in Sanaa. Yemen is caught up in a crisis where people feel like they have no choice but to fight to put bread on the table: Reuters

Welcome home to the labourers returning from Saudi Arabia. You still have a job: defending the nation on our military bases.

So declared Mohammed Ali al-Houthi, the head of the Houthi rebels de facto government, in a recent al Thawra newspaper article published in Sanaa.

It barely seems possible, but Yemen  a country that has come apart at the seams since the outbreak of civil war three years ago  is facing a new crisis.

As a result of reforms to Saudi labour laws designed to tackle the countrys high levels of unemployment, hundreds of thousands of illegal migrant workers have been deported from the Kingdom since November last year.

Saudi Arabias economic overhaul is desperately needed, but could be having a dangerous unforeseen effect.

Forced back to a country in the grip of a humanitarian crisis and with no economic prospects, it is feared thousands of deported Yemenis could be picking up guns to join the Houthis or al-Qaeda, who see the influx of jobless young men as a prime recruitment opportunity.

Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman, who is spearheading the Vision 2030 reforms designed to modernise the country and wean it off its reliance on oil, has previously described the jobs of foreign workers as reserves he could give to Saudi nationals at any time of my choosing.

According to statistics from the Saudi interior ministry, 65 per cent of those deported recently are Yemeni  which means a total of 100,000 have already been sent home, and 130,000 more await a similar fate.

Accurate figures are impossible to come by, but estimates given by several sources for this story were usually that around 10 per cent of the 100,000 returnees so far could have joined a fighting force.

One million Yemenis are currently thought to live in Saudi Arabia and remittances sent home by workers abroad are a lifeline for their families. Three-quarters of the 22 million-strong population has become reliant on aid to survive since the conflict began and eight million people now live on the brink of famine in the worlds worst humanitarian disaster.

Story continues

That money drying up could destroy Yemen, said Farea al-Muslimi, a Yemeni non-resident fellow at Londons Chatham House. It will be worse than the war.

In a country where GDP reached a record low of 515 in 2016 and has only decreased since, the prospect of steady wages has already led thousands of men with little desire or understanding of the reasons for the violence to join a fighting side.

The declaration from Mohammed Ali al-Houthi was really scary, said Faizah al-Sulimani, who left Yemen for Saudi Arabia in 2015 and works on aid projects remotely.

We havent had salaries paid in Yemen for two years. Its already caused a crisis where people feel like they have no choice but to fight to put bread on the table, she said.

I personally know five young men who were students in other countries and got deported and joined the Houthis and other militias like the Southern Transitional Council. Its very frustrating.

Houthi fighters are paid $100 (72) a month to defend the front lines against a coalition of Yemeni soldiers, tribal forces local to the exiled Yemeni government and Saudi and UAE troops. Al-Qaeda and Isiss Yemeni branches offer similar remuneration.

A 20-year-old injured Houthi prisoner of war The Independent met in government-loyal Marib province last year said he thought when he signed up hed be fighting Americans and Israelis.

They said Id be protecting Yemenis, not fighting them. They said the Americans were coming and they were going to try and change things, he said, wincing through the pain of his bandaged arm and leg.

A prominent Yemeni businessman resident in Saudi Arabia said that over the last two years he has been forced to let 4,000 Yemeni construction workers go thanks to the economic squeeze facing the Kingdom and changes to the permit system making it harder to retain foreign workers.

He was troubled by his decision to fire compatriots, knowing that their prospects were bleak: due to the conflict Yemenis should arguably be able to claim asylum as refugees, but Saudi Arabia is not a signatory of the 1951 UN Refugee Convention.

Conversations with departing employees did not improve matters, he told The Independent in a recent interview in the Red Sea city of Jeddah.

Migrant workers here are deeply suspicious of the Saudis. They live in the broken kafala [employment sponsorship] system, they are treated like they are second-class.

Poorly educated people also widely believe the Saudis are secretly in line with the US and Israel and the Trump administration is not helping that image either. After living here for a while they start to think the Houthis have a point.

The move to deport workers without valid papers and hike the cost of residency permits for those who remain has precedent: in 2013 a similar crackdown on foreign labourers led to an exodus of 655,000 people back to Yemen.

The decision is widely believed to have exacerbated the already fragile Yemeni economys woes and impacted the failed attempts at a national dialogue to stabilise the country after President Ali Abdullah Saleh stepped down during the Arab Spring.

Most analysts agree that another Saudi purge of one million Yemeni workers in 1990, motivated by the Sanaa governments support for Saddam Husseins invasion of Kuwait, also helped cause economic chaos that was a contributing factor to Yemens last civil war in 1994.

Riyadh has been repeatedly condemned by humanitarian groups over its involvement in Yemens current conflict.

The Saudi-led military coalition of Arab countries propping up the exiled Yemeni government against the Iranian-backed Houthis in control of the capital is accused of failing to take adequate precautions to avoid unnecessary loss of civilian life in bombing campaigns.

Much of the devastation has been caused by arms sold to Saudi Arabia by allies such as the UK and US  a move that officials within Barack Obamas administration worried could amount to complicity in war crimes.

The official UN death toll in the conflict so far is 10,000. It is widely acknowledged, however, that malnutrition and the worlds worst cholera epidemic caused by the Saudi blockades of Houthi air and seaports have probably claimed many more lives.

The architect of Saudis Vietnam, 32-year-old Crown Prince and Defence Minister Mohammad bin Salman, is currently on an international charm offensive with stops in Cairo, London, Paris and Washington DC.

He received a warm welcome from the British Government: it emerged on Friday, the last day of the princes three-day visit, that the Kingdom had signed a preliminary deal to buy 48 new Typhoon fighter jets from the UKs BAE Systems for an estimated 8.4bn.

On the one hand they are over here striking military deals as well as announcing new development and humanitarian efforts. On the other, they are condemning Yemenis to death with these new measures at a very critical time for the Yemeni population, said Sherine El Taraboulsi-McCarthy, a research fellow at the Overseas Development Institute.

Kicking Yemenis out shows how all the aid and reform promises are just a image-polishing exercise so they can carry on as normal on the ground.

The Saudi embassies in Beirut and London as well as Riyadhs Centre for International Communications were contacted for comment on this story but did not respond.A displaced Yemeni woman lies at Al-Mokha hospital, Yemen March 6, 2018. REUTERS/Aziz El Yaakoubi

Thomson Reuters

By Aziz El Yaakoubi

AL-MOKHA, Yemen (Reuters) - It took Seham Ali Ibrahim one month to make the dangerous journey from her village near the frontline town of al-Heiss to the relative safety of Yemen's western coast areas, often traveling by foot across battle lines.

Now, she lives in a straw hut with three other families, including nine children, outside al-Mokha where many displaced Yemenis have built makeshift shelters and rely on aid provided by humanitarian organizations and anti-Houthi coalition forces.

"We walked ... We rode donkeys and cars ... We made it to al-Mokha in a month," said the elderly Ibrahim, who does not know her exact age.

Yemen has been devastated by three years of conflict in which President Abd-Rabu Mansour Hadis government, backed by the Saudi-led Arab coalition, is fighting to drive the Houthis out of cities they seized in a series of operations since 2014.

Al-Mokha, located some 75 kms (47 miles) north of the strategic Bab al-Mandab strait, and neighboring al-Khoukha and al-Heiss are among the few towns conceded by Houthi fighters since Yemen's civil war started in 2015 after the armed group forced Hadi into exile in Saudi Arabia.

"At least 40,000 have been displaced in recent weeks," Eshrak al-Soubai, Yemens deputy health minister, told Reuters.

"Most displaced people are coming from the areas of fighting in al-Heiss district (some 90 kms away) ... the situation is very critical," she said during a visit to al-Mokha hospital, the only medical facility in the coalition-controlled western coast.

Last month, the United Nations said at least 85,000 Yemenis had left their homes in the area since fresh fighting erupted in December 2017.

Doctors and medical staff at al-Mokha hospital are struggling on a daily basis to provide aid and treatment for victims of the war and diseases.

Across Yemen, millions of civilians are trapped under heavy coalition air strikes, as well as a crackdown by the Houthis. Famine, cholera and diphtheria affect about eight million people, including two million severely malnourished children.

Story continues

Haynam Salem, 40, lay in pain on an old examination table in a dusty room in the civilian wing of al-Mokha hospital after losing her five-month-old fetus shortly upon arriving in the town with her children from al-Hameli village in Taiz province.

Plastic water bottles are being used as serum injection bags in the facility hit by shortages of medical supplies.

"The procedure to take the dead fetus out of her womb is not very complicated, but I am waiting to get some blood and I need at least two pounds," said Abderrahim al-Dhabi, a doctor working with the World Health Organization and the Arab coalition. Hopefully, tomorrow I will get some.

Nurses said the hospital lacks basic primary care, including a maternity doctor, and that they hadn't been paid for five months.

We asked the coalition for help, we asked international organizations but nobody seems to care, said Maymouna Ali Ahmed, chief nurse in charge of maternity care at the facility.

FISHING RESTRICTED

Outside the hospital, sand storms swept the main unpaved street of the town, with thousands of used plastic bags covering the bushes and other desert vegetation.

The local power plant has started to run again but is producing only five megawatts (MW), far below its capacity of 160 MW produced before the war.

Displaced Yemenis are not the only ones relying on aid.

Workers at the power plant said the managing director of the plant paid them in cash on a monthly basis, but that for the last year their pay had been slashed to 24,000 Yemeni riyals (around $40) down from 60,000 riyals.

Fishing, the main source of income for the majority of local residents, remains subject to approval from coalition forces. Several fishermen told Reuters they were allowed to sail only once or twice a week.

A coalition commander said that sometimes fishermen were not allowed to venture out to sea for security reasons.

At least the Houthis had no issue with our fishing boats, one fisherman said, while he was waiting in a queue to collect aid distributed by the UAE Red Crescent.

(Reporting by Aziz El Yaakoubi; Editing by Ghaida Ghantous and Mark Potter)

See Also:A Multiple Semi-Bluff Opportunity in a Las Vegas $1/$2 Game

March 12 2018 Steve Selbrede

An interesting hand analysis was presented by Bob Bohme at a recent Wednesday Poker Discussion Group meeting in Las Vegas. He made extensive use of Flopzilla to determine whether or not a semi-bluff shove on the turn was the strongest play.

Bob's analysis was well done, but it occurred to me that our analysis might be different depending on what assumptions we make for the villain's range at different points in the hand. What if we are wrong about our "read" of the type of villain or hand range we are facing?

Let's see what happens when we make reasonable modifications to our baseline assumptions.

Preflop

Our Hero (Bob) had been playing at this $1/$2 table at Caesars for a couple of hours when his hand comes up. The villain in the hand appears to be a solid position-aware player who has already twice folded his preflop raise to a three-bet.

Mr. Solid opens for $12 in the hijack. Hero is next to act in the cutoff seat with and the stacks are $200 effective.

Hero believes that Villain would raise with a wide 20 percent of his hands in this situation and would fold to a three-bet about half of the time. Should he fold, call or three-bet in this situation?

It's interesting that most of the audience at the WPDG said they would fold this hand against a typical $1/$2 player who only raises about 6 percent of the time. Meanwhile some said they would call against this particular villain, but few would three-bet him in this situation.

Flopzilla ranks as a top 3.5 percent hand, though I rank it a somewhat weaker 6 percent hand in my Donkey Poker starting hands chart. Either way, it is generally very playable, especially when we have a strong table position.

Flopzilla shows we have 51 percent showdown equity against a standard 20 percent range. If everyone else folds, and raking away $2, we would be effectively calling $12 into a $13 pot. So we are getting 12 / 25 = 48 percent pot odds with 51 percent equity. This seems like a coin flip until we consider the enhanced profit we can make using our superior position and skill. Folding would be a weak play here.

What if the villain is a much weaker player? The average Vegas preflop raise frequency (PFR) is only 6 percent, which would provide us only 36 percent showdown equity! A call might still be profitable due to the strong value of our position and skill. Additional callers could improve our expected value, but that also complicates matters since we are not guaranteed to have postflop position. A call against this player might be marginal without additional knowledge about this player.

What about a three-bet bluff against Mr. Solid? I say "bluff" because since we are unlikely to be ahead of his three-bet calling range, a three-bet should be considered a bluff.

Since KQs has a 5.9 percent chance of flopping two pair or better, a 10.9 percent of flopping a flush draw, and 3.9 percent chance of flopping an open-ender, a three-bet could also be considered a semi-bluff. (Note that KQs is not the same as lower suited connectors since it only has two ways to flop a straight!)

If Villain folds half of his range, we have 50 percent fold equity (FE) and 42 percent Flopzilla showdown Equity When Called (EWC) against his remaining 10 percent range. Hero raised to $35 in the actual hand, so his Momentary EV would be:

MEV 10 = 0.5($15) + 0.5[(0.42)($73 - $5) - $35] = +$4.28

So half the time we win the current $15 pot. The rest of the time we win 42 percent of the $68 pot, less our investment. (We can check our math by assuming we have zero equity when called. Then we would win $15 half of the time and lose $35 half of the time, for a $10 net loss.)

Notice that as our FE goes up, our EWC will go down. So the second term in the equation is somewhat insensitive to reasonable choices for fold equity. We don't have to be particularly precise here to determine that MEV 10 is easily positive.

If Mr. Solid always four-bets with AA and KK, and if we always fold, he will only be four-betting 0.9 / 20 = 4.5 percent of the time, which only reduces our MEV to about $4.07, so we need not worry much about being four-bet for value. On the other hand, our Hand EV should be enhanced by our superior position and ability to leverage our profit when we flop well.

It appears, then, that three-betting in this situation is more profitable than calling, and as it happened Hero did three-bet to $35. (Note: this analysis does not claim that $35 is the optimal three-bet size. That analysis would require Hero to estimate Mr. Solid's elasticity to Hero's bet sizing.)

But what if our estimate of Villain's three-bet calling range is way off, as we hinted above? If he only calls with a 5 percent range, our FE = 75 percent, our EWC = 34 percent, and our MEV 5 = $8.28. So, if he folds too much, our momentary expected profit is even greater.

We can also do this analysis for a more passive villain with only a 6 percent preflop raising range. If he also folds half of his range to the three-bet, our FE = 50 percent, EWC = 29 percent and our MEV passive = -$0.19!

That would mean this sort of player is more dangerous to three-bet, depending on his actual raising and three-bet calling ranges. But our prospects are still positive due to our superior positon and postflop skill. Only when our villain is extremely passive should we consider folding to his preflop raise.

(Worth adding: MEV passive = $0.00 for a $4 rake and -$0.29 for a $6 rake, so this bet is less profitable at Caesars than at the Red Rock. It's important to include the rake in our calculations when the decision is close.)

The Flop

Mr. Solid calls our three-bet and we see a heads-up flop of . The pot is $68 and Mr. Solid checks. Should Hero check behind or continuation bet? Surprisingly, many in our WPDG audience said they preferred to check behind.

Hero estimated Mr. Solid would fold 50 percent of his opening range to a preflop three-bet. But we can also discount his aces and kings to some extent since most $1/$2 players would four-bet with them. (These players rarely consider stack sizes here.)

Let's assume they would four-bet aces or kings half of the time. (The analysis reaches the same conclusion whichever assumption we make.) This provides Villain with 98.5 combos, of which 29.5 are top pair or better. If we assume that Villain will only call with top pair or better, our FE = 69 / 98.5 = 70 percent and our EWC = 20 percent. If Hero c-bets $35, his MEV = $41.18!

Even if we assume Mr. Solid will call a c-bet with half of his range, adding perhaps some underpairs and ace-king hands, our c-bet is still clearly very profitable, with MEV = $23.98. Clearly, our range assumptions don't have to be very precise here.

Even when the villain's preflop three-bet calling range is very tight (say 3 percent), he will still only have 15 out of 30 combos that are a pair or better. So a half-pot bet would still be profitable since such a c-bet only needs 33 percent fold equity even if our EWC is zero.

The question then becomes, can we make more profit by simply checking behind? There is $68 in the pot and our showdown equity against Mr. Solid's range is 25 percent. So if we check, our share of the existing pot is $17.25. This is much less that our MEV of $41 for c-betting. A semi-bluff c-bet seems to be automatic in this situation unless a live read suggests otherwise.

The Turn

After Hero c-bets $35 on the flop, Mr. Solid calls again. The pot is now $138 with effective stacks of $140. The turn is the , for a board of , and Mr. Solid checks again. Should we check or bet? Now most of the WPDG audience thought betting is best.

At this point we have a dangerous board, with both flush and straight draws. Let's assume that Mr. Solid has called the flop c-bet with half of his range. Very few Las Vegas $1/$2 players would check again on the turn if they had a full house, so TT and JJ can now be heavily discounted. (Let's discount them to 1 combo each.) So he now has only 39 combos, of which 11 combos are an overpair or better. Another 16 combos are top pair, 12 of them with an ace-kicker.

Suppose we check. We have 36 percent equity in this pot, so our fair share would be $49.68. But when we river our straight or flush, we should be able to make some additional profit, on average. Or, on a blank river, we may be able to take the pot down with a bluff when the villain checks to us. So our average profit in the hand should be more than $50.

Suppose we shove and Mr. Solid folds everything but an overpair or better (11 combos). Our fold equity would be FE = 28 / 39 = 72 percent, EWC = 31 percent, and our Hand EV = $84.29. This is clearly better than our expected profit if we just check behind.

Or, we could assume that the Villain also calls our shove with top pair, top kicker, which would be another 12 combos. Now our fold equity is only 16 / 39 = 41 percent, EWC = 37 percent, and our Hand EV = $34.67. So our profit depends strongly on our expected fold equity. Our EWC increases when our FE decreases, but not by enough to counterbalance our lower FE. Checking behind might be more profitable against this type of villain, especially since any villain who will call a turn shove so widely is also more likely to pay us off on a good river card.

Another option we have is to bet merely half-pot, or about $70. But since the purpose of our bet is to semi-bluff with our very strong draw, we actually hope to get a fold. (Fold equity is the most important factor for a semi-bluff.) And we put ourselves into a tricky situation if the villain shoves on us.

Our turn decision depends on the type of player we are facing. If he will not make a loose call, a shove is clearly superior. After all, he has to be worrying that we have aces, kings, or jacks here.

Conclusion

We have a situation where we can reasonably semi-bluff preflop, on the flop, and on the turn. We can run through our analysis using our best assumptions about what the Villain's various ranges are. This seems to give very straightforward answers, as long as we are correct in our assumptions.

But a better approach is to bracket our assumptions and use Flopzilla to run a branching analysis of our results. We will usually find that moderate variations make very little impact on our decisions. Eventually we realize that we don't have to be especially refined in our assumptions in real time at the table.

The Grinders Cup

The 2018 Grinders Cup will kick off the week of March 5 in the Mirage poker room in Las Vegas. You can check out the particulars on the Grinders Cup website.

This is a four day $1/$2 NLH cash game tournament, consisting of 24 hours of cash game play with no rake, no tips, and no escalating blinds. It should be a blast.

Steve Selbrede has been playing poker for 20 years and writing about it since 2012. He is the author of five books, The Statistics of Poker, Beat the Donks, Donkey Poker Volume 1: Preflop, Donkey Poker Volume 2: Postflop, and Donkey Poker Volume 3: Hand Reading.African Battery Metals (ABM) announced on Monday that it will increase focus on its cobalt projects at its Kisinka licence in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

AIM-traded resource exploration company ABM is in the process of exploring Kisinka, which the company identified due to its proximity to large copper and cobalt producting mines, and has carried out field mapping and satellite imaging at the 53 square kilometre.

The company will now move on to soil sampling to look for elevated copper and cobalt grades which will point to mineralisation depth.

A statement from ABM, said: First target is the Grand Conglomerat, which occurs running SE-NW on both sides of the Kisinka licence. The Grand Conglomerat is the rock type which, elsewhere in the DRC, hosts the Kamoa-type deposit, the fourth largest worldwide copper discovery.

After obtaining soil samples through the augering holes every 25 metres to depths of 20 metres, samples with interesting anomalies will be sent to independent laboratories for verification.

There are seven mines within 25 kilometres of the site and the two mines for which ABM has data account for 7% of global cobalt production.

Elsewhere, ABM has completed soil sampling at its gold project in Sierra Leone with results to be released in due course and the company also holds another licence in the DRC, Sakania.

ABM is also aware of other licences which are potentially available, some of which have had geological work already completed on them and which confirm copper/cobalt mineralisation. The Company believes that it may be able to acquire such licences for a modest and deferred front end fee, said the statement.

As of 1325 GMT, African Battery Metals shares were up 5.80% at 0.05p.VANCOUVER, British Columbia, March 12, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- In a release issued under the same headline earlier today by Western Resources Corp. (TSX:WRX) (FSE:WR0), please note that in point three of the release, the approximate number of votes for Bill Xue should be 58.10 million, not 57.10 million. The corrected release follows:

Western Resources Corp. (TSX:WRX) (FSE:WR0) (Western or the Company) is pleased to announce that its shareholders approved all items put before them at the Companys Annual General Meeting held March 9, 2018. The approved items include:



The reappointment of KPMG LLP as auditors of the Company at a remuneration to be fixed by the directors; Fixed the number of directors of the Company at 6; The election of James Moore, Bill Xue, Geoffrey Chang, Xia Qinglong, Wang Yinping and Jennifer Fang to the Board. Of the approximately 58.96 million shares voted at the meeting by ballot and by proxy, the approximate number of those votes For each director, and the approximate percentage of the total votes cast, are as follows: James Moore (58.09 million votes / 98.53%), Bill Xue (58.10 million / 98.55%), Geoffrey Chang (58.08 million / 98.52%), Xia Qinglong (58.11 million / 98.57%), Wang Yinping (58.11 million / 98.57%), and Jennifer Fang (58.12 million / 98.59%); Approval of the Companys 2018 Incentive Stock Option Plan.

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS

James Moore

James Moore

Chairman

For more information on the contents of this release please contact Jerry Zhang, Corporate Secretary, at 778-945-2957.



Phoenix Global Resources lauded the issue of new Unconventional Oil & Gas Regulations by the government of the Argentine province of Mendoza on Monday.

In a statement, the company said the new regulations will accelerate the permitting process for the completion of the companys drilled but uncompleted wells in the Puesto Rojas licence area, where Phoenix applied for an unconventional licence in 2017.

Anuj Sharma, chief executive of Phoenix Global Resources, said: "These new regulations provide a clear and balanced framework for the responsible development of unconventional oil and gas and represent a significant step forward in realising the full potential of the Neuquina basin in the Mendoza Province. Importantly, the regulations also provide the foundation for further investment and the creation of new jobs in Mendoza."

In 2018, the company intended to spend up to $120m on the development of unconventional resources in the Neuquina Basin in the Mendoza Province, as the business plan for the year focuses on the drilling and completion of vertical development and exploration wells.

"The announcement of these new regulations will allow Phoenix to recommence and accelerate our unconventional development programme and enable us to play our role in this exciting new chapter for the oil and gas industry in Argentina," said Sharma.

Phoenix has over 6.3m licensed working interest acres in Argentina, of which 5m are currently operated, and an average working interest of approximately 11,070 working interest in boepd in 2017.

As pf 1132 GMT, Phoenix Global Resources shares were down 2.10% at 35.00p.Radiation detection technology company Kromek has been awarded an extension to its high-volume production contract with the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), an agency of the US Department of Defense, initially awarded in February 2016.

The AIM-traded firm said the contract, worth $1.6m, would be delivered over an 18-month period with revenue commencing during the current financial year.

Under the terms of the extended contract, Kromek would add further technical innovation capability to the Kromek D3S family of equipment.

It said the enhancements would take the already-deployed Kromek D3S product range into even greater operational capability by improving user experience and enabling the device to provide further information to the Homeland Security community, and to first responders.

The extension was to the high-volume production contract awarded by DARPA in February 2016, which had reportedly seen the successful delivery of 10,000 D3S units and field-testing of the standalone detectors in Washington DC and other major areas of strategic importance to the US.

DARPA's SIGMA programme was aimed at preventing attacks involving radiological dirty bombs and other nuclear threats in the US and globally.

The enhancements to Kromek's D3S product range would result in greater operational capability, ease of use and provide more detailed information to the Homeland Security community and first responders, the company said.

Having our D3S detectors positioned as a central pillar in DARPA's SIGMA programme is a testament to the capabilities of our state-of-the art technology and the strength of our relationship with DARPA, said Kromek CEO Dr Arnab Basu.

With field tests continuing in the US and across the globe, the D3S is gaining traction as an invaluable tool to help cities detect and counter the threat of dirty-bomb attacks.President Energy announced the results of recent reactivation testing of gas wells in Argentina on Monday, noting a live gas field with potentially commercial gas flows.

The AIM-traded company will reactivate its 90% owned Estancia Vieja field at the Puesto Flores/Estancia Vieja concession in Rio Negro Province after two wells at the field produced median rates of approximately 200 and 250 boepd during testing.

Successful pressure recovery tests indicated a potential for good production and the company has set late H2 of 2018 as the target for first gas production.

Paul Levine, chairman and chief executive of President Energy, said: "We are currently considering the optimum way to develop the field potential with the target of generating first gas production in the latter part of this year. We are excited by this additional opportunity that will further diversify the Company's portfolio of cash generative production assets."

The Argentina focused oil and gas company plans to conduct testing on three further wells later this year.

"The encouraging results of these tests demonstrate a produceable and viable gas field at Estancia Vieja to complement our successful oil business at the adjacent Puesto Flores field," said Levine.

The Puesto Flores field is home to 26 wells, of which 17 are currently producing, and is also 90%-owned and fully operated by President Energy.

As of 1605 GMT, President Energys shares were up 5.62% at 11.75p.People-screening security technology specialist Thruvision updated the market on its plans to return excess cash to shareholders on Monday, which resulted from the sale of its video business to Volpi Capital in October last year.

The AIM-traded firm said it intended to return up to 8m to shareholders through a tender offer, possibly combined with an on-market share buy-back programme.

In order to effect the return, some capital restructuring of the group was required, the first step of which would be explained in a circular to shareholders to be issued later on Monday.

Thruvision also updated the market on its trading, explaining that the more focused nature of its activities following the disposal of the video business had driven positive progress since the publication of its interim results in December last year.

The group had already shipped a record number of its people-screening units to customers in the current financial year to date, it reported.

That gave management further confidence that there should be a large, international market for its people-screening security technology.

Additionally, based on what the board called the products unique capabilities, it had further refined our market focus on four distinct areas - mass transportation, entrance, loss prevention, and customs.

This market focus, and additional sales resource brought into the group, has resulted in the material pick up in order intake referred to above, the board said in its statement.

Recent highlights include significant orders from the Philippines for mass transit screening and from China for entrance screening, a further order from Saudi Arabia for entrance screening, and several orders from new UK-based loss prevention customers.

Significant progress was also made in the US with the Transportation Security Administration, following the funded development of a new product for them, the Thruvision TAC.

In late February and early March, the Thruvision TAC, has been publicly demonstrated by TSA with Amtrak in Penn Station, New York, and with LA Metro in Los Angeles, with widespread media coverage.

Operational feedback has been positive and David Pekoske, the TSA administrator, described the trial of stand-off detection technology at Penn Station as very promising.

We are in the process of initiating production of this new product with our US-based partner in anticipation of TSA's final product approval over the summer.

Ian Lindsay, the companys new finance director, had now also started, and with the process of separating the video business effectively complete, the group said it expected to head into the new financial year with a clear strategy, strong international sales momentum and net cash materially unchanged since its interim results in December at 17m.The Egyptian government has allegedly been infiltrating citizens' web browsers and directing them to other websites and misusing their computers, in some cases to mine cryptocurrencies.

According to a report from the Citizen Lab at the University of Toronto, Egypt's government has been hijacking its citizens web browsers and sending them to obsolete websites or advertising sites were their computer will often be used to mine Monero coins.

Allegedly, the Adhose scheme operated via middleboxes, which are computer networking devices that manipulate internet traffic.

Users were directed en masse to cryptocurrency mining scripts which is known as spray mode or they were redirected through specific websites in a trickle mode, the report said. Sites included pornographic and religious pages.

The university conducted a scan in January and found that 95% of 5,702 IP addresses were redirected to advertising sites.

The report also found similar activity coming from the Syrian and Turkish government. In Egypt and Turkey, we also found that devices matching our Sandvine PacketLogic fingerprint were being used to block political, journalistic, and human rights content, said the report.

The hijacking was also blocking users from accessing websites such as Al Jazeera, HuffPost Arabi and Reporters Without Borders.

In Turkey and Syria, the middleboxes would redirect users attempting to download software on to a different version of the same software with spyware attached.European Union trade commissioner Cecilia Malmstrom said the bloc will stand up to the bullies over protectionism and will not be intimidated by the US on trade tariffs.

Her comments on Monday were the latest move in the strained trade relationship building between the EU and the US after President Donald Trump announced the introduction of 25% tariffs on steel imports and 10% tariffs on aluminium.

Malmstrom said that protectionism was being used as a weapon to threaten and intimidate the EU and Europe would not stand for it.

"In some places, trade has been to blame for the pains of globalisation or they used it as a scapegoat or they think we can live behind walls and borders.

"Recently we have seen how it is used as a weapon to threaten and intimidate us. But we are not afraid, we will stand up to the bullies," she said.

Malstrom met with the US trade representative Robert Lighthizer last week to discuss the new protectionist measures and it is expected that the talks will continue this week.

The EU argued that their exports should be excluded from the measures. Malmstrom also said on Monday that "she read on Twitter" that Trump would clarify on which countries could be spared.

President Trump had declared via Twitter that Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross would negotiate with EU representatives over the large tariffs and barriers they use against the USA. He has deemed them unfair on farmers and manufacturers.

He also threatened to tax German cars if the EU doesnt lower barriers on US-made products.Stocks across the Continent are holding higher but have come down a tad after the US president said on Monday he wants the European Union to eliminate the "large" tariffs and barriers that discriminate against his country's farmers and manufacturers.

That followed an inconclusive round of talks at the weekend between EU trade commissioner Cecilia Malmstrom and her American counterpart, with Brussels failing to win assurances that it will be exempted from US tariffs on steel and aluminium.

Indeed, at a Saturday rally ahead of a special election in Pennsylvania to choose one of the state's representatives, Donald Trump reiterated a threat to impose tariffs on imports of luxury German cars, prompting Malmstrom to vow to "stand up to bullies".

Against that backdrop, as of 1232 GMT the benchmark Stoxx 600 was ahead by 0.27% or 1.02 points at 379.26, alongside a 0.41% or 50.90 point jump on the German Dax to 12,397.78.

Out on the periphery meanwhile, Spain's Ibex 35 was rising by 0.37% or 34.20 points to 9,720.60.

No major economic releases were scheduled for Monday, although party leaders of Italy's PD were also set to meet starting from around 1400 GMT to analyse their poor electoral result and to decide whether to start coalition talks.

On that note, Michael Hewson, chief market analyst at CMC Markets UK, said: "While US markets appear to have recovered some of their mojo, the same cannot be said for markets in Europe which are struggling to rebound meaningfully from their recent lows.

"Concerns abound with respect to the political backdrop in Europe with Italy now replacing Germany as a potential pressure point. There is also the fact that recent economic data has shown that the vibrant growth story of the past few months in Europe may well be starting to slow, at precisely the time that the European Central Bank is looking at easing off the monetary accelerator."

In a similar vein, on Sunday UniCredit chief economist Erik Nielsen expressed concern at the potential negative implications for growth of a trade war and the populist shift seen in the last Italian elections.

Nevertheless, he said: "And monetary policies will not remain super-accommodative indefinitely. The Fed is now signaling that they may be eying four (rather than three) hikes this year, and on Thursday, the ECB toughened their language as part of their communication leading to an end to QE around the end of this year. In my assessment, it is not likely that a forthcoming economic slowdown will be prevented by a reversal of the presently ongoing monetary policy normalization among the major central banks."

M&A was the chief factor behind gains in Germany's top flight index as shares of E.On, RWE and Innogy leapt higher after the former two of those companies unveiled a complex cross shareholding plan that would see RWE recover some renewable energy assets, with both companies contributing the necessary financing in order to buy out Innogy's retail investors.

At the pan-European level meanwhile, the Stoxx 600 utility index was climbing 1.27% to 279.36.

In other company news, a consortium including Air France-KLM, Delta Air Lines and India's Jet Airways was reportedly looking into making a bid for Air India. The news came on the heels of French President Emmanuel Macron's visit to New Delhi at the weekend.

Corporate activity was also in the headlines in the UK, with Melrose sweetening its bid for GKN from 7.4bn to 8.1bn.Influential Democratic lawmaker Elizabeth Warren may tip the balance in favour of the White Houses planned international trade tariffs amid divisions within the Republican party on the measures.

Members of the Republican Party have openly discussed moving to block the proposed tariffs through the introduction of legislation designed to nullify any changes, but securing the votes to do so could now be even harder due to the unexpected support on the issue for President Trump from across the aisle.

Warren, Democratic senator for Massachusetts, said: "When President Trump says he's putting tariffs on the table, I think tariffs are one part of reworking our trade policy overall."

In a statement, the senator from Massachusetts explained that she believed the tariffs "take the right approach" but should focus on "countries like China that cheat constantly on foreign trade," rather than hitting all US trade partners.

Warren's words were at odds with those of a number of prominent Republicans, including senate majority leader Mitch McConnell, house speaker Paul Ryan and senator Ron Johnson, who had been vocal in voicing their concerns regarding the levies which were about to come into effect.

Republican senator Ron Johnson of Wisconsin said: "There's really a growing level of optimism because we were returning certainty to the American and Wisconsin economy. The talk of cancelling NAFTA and now imposing these steel tariffs have just interjected uncertainty into the economy where it just wasn't necessary."

Highlighting the stark opposition the President was facing from within his own party, last week 107 Republican members of congress signed a letter urging a policy rethink.

In parallel, Texas Republican Kevin Brady said: We're urging the President to tailor these tariffs so American businesses can continue to trade fairly with our partners, sell American-made products to customers all over the world, and hire more workers here at home.House prices in parts of London that were once at the epicentre of the UK property boom have fallen as much as 15% over the past year in fresh evidence of the impact of the EU referendum. Figures from Your Move, one of the UKs biggest estate agency chains, reveal that the average home in Wandsworth  which includes much of Clapham, Balham and Putney  fell by more than 100,000 in value over the last 12 months.  Guardian

A chorus of downbeat reports on the health of the British economy published on Monday presents a sharp contrast to the chancellor Phillip Hammonds spring statement message that there is light at the end of the tunnel. Credit card company Visa said spending on cards fell again in February, dropping 1.1%, and that the first quarter of 2018 was on track to be the worst on record. It said spending by consumers had fallen in nine out the past 10 months.  Guardian

Product innovation firm CPP, which was hit by a misselling scandal in 2012, is set to re-enter the UK market in the next few months after buying a significant minority stake in KYND, a start-up offering cyber security services to small businesses. The firm has also appointed a new managing director Michael Whitfield. Mr Whitfield was previously acting executive chairman at specialist EU insurer Building Block.  Telegraph

The Government flagship housing policy, Help to buy needs to be dramatically reformed in order to stop housebuilders from using it to boost their profits irrespective of how many homes they build, according Northern firm Avant Homes. The scheme, which is intended support would-be first time buyers in their efforts to get on the housing ladder, must be dramatically changed in order to encourage a social conscience among housebuilders, the housebuilder said.  Telegraph

Nearly 400 retailers, including big high street chains, could struggle to meet higher interest payments this year, a City financial analyst has warned. A study by Company Watch of 1,600 retailers with assets of at least 5 million has identified 392 in its warning area, suggesting that they are about 25 times more likely to suffer financial distress than their peers. Among them are New Look, Mothercare, Poundland, Debenhams, AO World, DFS and Conviviality.  The Times

London transport officials have banned a French advert urging British businesses to vote with their feet and move to France as the UK quits the European Union. A poster campaign encouraging entrepreneurs to leave post-Brexit fears behind was blocked because it could be controversial. The Normandy Development Agency had hoped to target London by taking out adverts across the citys Tube and bus network. In an effort to persuade commuting entrepreneurs to cross the English Channel, the ads featured a fictional newspaper called The Normandy Times, which advises: You will find the process as smooth as their Camembert . . . or their oysters for that matter.  The TimesFive people were killed on Sunday after a private helicopter with six people crashed into East River in New York City, authorities said. Two of the passengers were pronounced dead at the scene, while three were rushed to the hospital in critical condition. Upon reaching the hospital, they were pronounced dead, according to New York Fire Department spokesman Jim Long.

Commissioner Daniel Nigron told reporters that the pilot was able to free himself, making him the only survivor of the crash. The pilot was rushed to the hospital for observation. In an audio recording of a mayday call made to LaGuardia Airport, the pilot is heard saying the helicopter is experiencing engine failure.

The crash occurred at about 7 PM North of Roosevelt Island between Queens and Manhattan.

Liberty Helicopters

According to the authorities, the passengers had chartered the aircraft for a photo shoot session. On their website, the company describes itself as one of the most experienced charter services in New York. The website also describes their choppers as state of the art helicopters. The head of Libert helicopters is yet to issue a statement regarding the crash.

CNN affiliate WABC-TV reports that this is the companys third crash in a decade. In July 2007, a sightseeing chopper carrying eight individuals dropped into the Hudson River. Everyone survived after being pulled out by a paramedic who was on board.

Two years later, another helicopter crashed into a private plane killing nine people. After the investigation, authorities concluded that the aircraft was flying too high.

Video of the crash

The Federal Aviation Administration has identified the chopper as a Eurocopter AS350. Video of the crash was taken by John J. Magers who posted it on twitter.

Magers told CNN he saw the helicopter flying low and thought it was unusual, so he started filming. Moments later the chopper crashed into the river with its rotor blades still spinning then turned sideways and was submerged in the river.

@cnn @FoxNews just witnessed a helicopter crash into the East River .. hope everyones ok. Caught it all on tape! pic.twitter.com/saHOMTLR69  JJ Magers (@JJmagers) March 11, 2018

According to Nigron, rescuing the passengers was the hardest part as all of them, except the pilot, were tightly held in their seats.

By the time the rescue team arrived, the aircraft had been submerged upside down to about 50ft deep. It took a while before the divers could pull everyone out and the police had to put in a request for a crane to pull the chopper out.

Gary C. Robb, an aviation attorney in Missouri, said the National Transportation Safety Board would determine probable cause and then release a preliminary report.Therma Bright Inc. agreed to acquire certain assets relating to the ClearTouch  nail and skin phototherapy devices

 Sale price of $2.25 million

ICTV enters into a service agreement with Therma Bright to continue to market and sell ClearTouch post-closing

Closing expected on or before April 1, 2018

Wayne, PA, March 12, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- ICTV Brands, Inc. (OTCQX: ICTV), (CSE: ITV), a digitally focused, direct response marketing and branding company focused on the health, wellness and beauty sector, today announced the signing of an asset purchase agreement with Therma Bright Inc., a British Columbia corporation, to sell certain assets relating to the ClearTouch nail phototherapy device and no!no! skin phototherapy device, excluding any rights to the trademark or name no!no! or no!no!SKIN, for a purchase price of $2,250,000.

The purchase price to be paid by Therma Bright is payable as follows: (i) $750,000 in cash, subject to certain adjustments, on the closing date; (ii) $500,000 in cash, payable on or before December 31, 2018; (iii) $500,000 in cash, payable on or before December 31, 2019; and (iv) $500,000 in cash, payable on or before December 31, 2020. Therma Bright also has the right to prepay the purchase price in full on or before June 30, 2019 and receive a $200,000 reduction of the purchase price. In order to guarantee the future payments, Therma Bright granted ICTV a security interest on the US patent and trademark on the assets being sold.

The ClearTouch and no!no!SKIN assets were acquired by ICTV on January 23, 2017 as part of the acquisition of our no!no! hair brand. Since the acquisition, ICTV has been required to maintain medical device certifications for ClearTouch and no!no!SKIN in the United States and other territories. None of the other beauty devices, such as DermaWand and no!no! hair, require such certifications as they are classified as cosmetic devices. By selling these assets, ICTV will be able to reduce overhead costs that were required to maintain such certifications.

In addition to the asset purchase agreement, ICTV entered into a sales representative agreement with Therma Bright, whereby ICTV will provide sales, promotion and marketing, and after-sale services for the acquired assets. ICTV will be paid 10% of net collected sales of the ClearTouch nail phototherapy device and no!no! skin phototherapy device sold under trademarks other than the no!no! or no!no!SKIN , and 50% of net collected sales of no!no! skin phototherapy device sold under any of the no!no! ICTV registered trademarks. The term of the sales representative agreement is twelve months, which will automatically renew for successive one-year periods unless terminated in accordance with the terms therein.

Richard Ransom, President of ICTV Brands, stated, I am very pleased to announce the sale of the ClearTouch assets to Therma Bright. The ClearTouch assets that were acquired with our no!no!  brand do not fit into the cosmetic beauty device portfolio that ICTV is building. The opportunity to monetize these assets provides capital to further grow our other core brands. Our team is also very excited to be able to utilize the power of our global consumer products platform by offering the service of marketing and selling ClearTouch on Therma Brights behalf around the world.

ICTV Brands, Inc.

ICTV Brands, Inc. sells primarily health, beauty and wellness products as well as various consumer products through a multi-channel distribution strategy. ICTV utilizes a distinctive marketing strategy and multi-channel distribution model to develop, market and sell products through, including direct response television, or DRTV, digital marketing campaigns, live home shopping, traditional retail and e-commerce market places, and our international third party distributor network. Its products are sold in the North America and are available in over 65 countries. Its products include DermaWanda skin care device that reduces the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, and helps improve skin tone and texture, DermaVital, a professional quality skin care line that effects superior hydration, the CoralActives brand of acne treatment and skin cleansing products, and Derma Brilliance, a sonic exfoliation skin care system which helps reduce visible signs of aging, Jidue, a facial massager device which helps alleviate stress, and Good Planet Super Solution, a multi-use cleaning agent. On January 23, 2017, we acquired several new brands, no!no!  Hair, a home use hair removal device; no!no! Skin, a home use device that uses light and heat to calm inflammation and kill bacteria in pores to treat acne; no!no!  Face Trainer, a home use mask that supports a series of facial exercises; no!no! Glow, a home use device that uses light and heat energy to treat skin; Made Ya Look, a heated eyelash curler; no!no!  Smooth Skin Care, an array of skin care products developed to work with the devices to improve the treated skin; Kyrobak, a home use device for the treatment of non-specific lower back pain; ClearTouch , a home use device for the safe and efficient treatment of nail fungus; and Ermis Labs acne treatment cleansing bars. ICTV Brands, Inc. was founded in 1998 and is headquartered in Wayne, Pennsylvania. For more information on our current initiatives, please visit www.ictvbrands.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

Forward-Looking Statements. This press release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the "Exchange Act") (which Sections were adopted as part of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995). Statements preceded by, followed by or that otherwise include the words "believe," "anticipate," "estimate," "expect," "intend," "plan," "project," "prospects," "outlook," and similar words or expressions, or future or conditional verbs such as "will," "should," "would," "may," and "could" are generally forward-looking in nature and not historical facts. These forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the Company's actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any anticipated results, performance or achievements. The Company disclaims any intention to, and undertakes no obligation to, revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, a future event, or otherwise. For additional risks and uncertainties that could impact the Company's forward-looking statements, please see the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2016, including but not limited to the discussion under "Risk Factors" therein, which the Company has filed with the SEC and which may be viewed at http://www.sec.gov.



It's been nearly a month since the deadly mass shooting at a high school in Parkland, Florida. After Melania Trump met with a pro-gun survivor from the school, she tweeted about her experience.

Heartened to see children affected by tragedy using their voices to try and create change. Wonderful to meet and speak with Stoneman Douglas High School student @KyleKashuv today at the @WhiteHouse. His message of unity inspires us all! #MSDStrong pic.twitter.com/N5ZqdGruwT  Melania Trump (@FLOTUS) March 8, 2018

Melania on Parkland

It was on Valentine's Day last month when 19-year-old Nikolas Jacob Cruz walked into his old school of Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida and opened fire.

By the time the shooter was taken into custody, 17 innocent people had been killed, with many others left injured. In the weeks that have followed, the debate over gun control has become a headline story, resulting in student activists clashing with representatives from the NRA.

Parkland survivor @KyleKashuv: "I'm a strong Second Amendment supporter." pic.twitter.com/EbpF2rEvSf  Fox News (@FoxNews) March 9, 2018

Donald Trump's reaction has been politically calculating, making sure to pander and cater to his right-wing base, while doing his best to give enough in the hope that he comes across as sympathetic. On Thursday, First Lady Melania Trump, along with Donald Trump, met with Kyle Kashuv, a pro-gun survivor from Stoneman Douglas High School.

Melania tweeted out about her time with Kashuv, writing, "Heartened to see children affected by tragedy using their voices to try and create change." "Wonderful to meet and speak with Stoneman Douglas High School student Kyle Kashuv today at the White House. His message of unity inspires us all!" she added.

Melania backlash

Following her tweet about meeting Kyle Kashuv, critics of the administration took time to sound off, with many putting focus on the student's conservative political views.

"Ahhh, I see that the conservative student from Douglas gets to meet with you guys, but not so much any of the other students who are actually asking for change to our gun laws. Why am I not surprised?" one tweet read.

Ahhh, I see that the conservative student from Douglas gets to meet with you guys, but not so much any of the other students who are actually asking for change to our gun laws. Why am I not surprised? #NRABloodMoney #NeverAgain  La Resistance (@LeoLawGirl) March 9, 2018

Just another photo op with this despicable administration. "His message of unity inspires us all!" Really, then DO SOMETHING POSITIVE!  Steve Segadelli (@CoachSeg) March 9, 2018

Sweetie, you need to understand. Your husband is doing nothing about the issue.  C and J LOL Factory (@CnJLOLFactory) March 8, 2018

"Sweetie, you need to understand.

Your husband is doing nothing about the issue," a Twitter user wrote. "Shame on you Melania for worrying more about other Children and not protecting your own beautiful child from the Brutal father he has. This is YOUR duty as a Mother!" a follow-up tweet added.

Why can we not hear what is being said? Is this a photo op and PR for the Trumpsies again.? I disrespect the use of a tragedy to be all about the Trumps.  dyrne (@debbyrne52) March 9, 2018

Where are the rest of the kids? Nice selection process. Propaganda much?  Paulette Feeney (@PauletteParis1) March 9, 2018

Shame on you Melania for worrying more about other Children and not protecting your own beautiful child from the Brutal father he has. This is YOUR duty as a Mother!  StevOhB (@StevohBee) March 9, 2018

"Where are the rest of the kids?

Nice selection process. Propaganda much?" a social media user wondered. "Just another photo op with this despicable administration. 'His message of unity inspires us all!' Really, then DO SOMETHING POSITIVE!" yet another tweet read. "Why can we not hear what is being said? Is this a photo op and PR for the Trumpsies again.? I disrespect the use of a tragedy to be all about the Trumps," an additional tweet stated.Could Catelynn Lowell be missing when her co-stars, including Maci Bookout, Amber Portwood, and Farrah Abraham, return to New York City to film the reunion special for "Teen Mom OG" season seven? According to a new report, an absent Lowell is a very real possibility for the upcoming taping.

The reunion will be filming the first weekend in March for two days, an insider told Us Weekly magazine on Sunday, Feb. 12. The reunions are always extremely emotional and grueling. Because Catelynn Lowell's mental health is so fragile these days, filming the "Teen Mom OG" special may not be the best thing for her.

As the insider explained, hopping on a plane and traveling to face-off with her co-stars and deal with the recent events of season seven, including her rumored miscarriage, would likely not be the best plan for her. As for who will make the final decision, the source added that Lowell's treatment team would determine if she is ready for the event or not after her treatment at their facility is complete.

Catelynn Lowell has been in and out of rehab in recent weeks

In November, the "Teen Mom OG" star confirmed she was suffering from suicidal thoughts and planning to go to rehab. However, the following month, as her husband Tyler Baltierra prepared to celebrate the holidays with their daughter, Novalee Reign, three-years-old, Lowell returned to their home in Michigan.

While Lowell's audience believed her treatment was complete at that time, the reality star returned to treatment just over two weeks later and in the weeks since she has been in and out at least once.

Catelynn Lowell previously traveled to rehab in 2015 after suffering from a bout with postpartum depression after her daughter's January 2015 birth.

Luckily, despite her ongoing struggles, Lowell has had the ongoing support of her husband. That said, Lowell's absence has been quite hard on Baltierra and their young daughter.

Tyler Baltierra opens up about his own struggles

Its difficult when Nova cries out for [Catelynn Lowell] [and] I have to keep explaining why shes not here to hug her tears away! Tyler Baltierra tweeted last week.

He then admitted that while he has good days where he is strong, he also has bad days. Baltierra also posted an additional message to his fans and followers in the form of a video on his Instagram page several days ago.

"Teen Mom OG" season seven airs on MTV this and every Monday night at 9 PM.Mackenzie McKee has a lot going on right now. In January, she shared the news that her mom, Angie Douthit is fighting brain cancer. The revelation stunned "Teen Mom" fans, who remember Angie from Mackenzie's run on "Teen Mom 3."

Soon after learning about Douthit's condition, rumors started making their rounds that Mackenzie was headed back to MTV. After Mackenzie shared a picture of herself and her mother sitting down with "Teen Mom" producers, it was clear that something was up but they continued to tease us for just a little bit longer.

There was speculation that she might get her own special in order to put a spotlight on her mom's cancer battle.

Fans also suggested that she might be replacing Jenelle Evans on "Teen Mom 2.It turns out that neither of those guesses were right and Mackenzie McKee was recently announced as Farrah Abraham's replacement on "Teen Mom OG."

Mackenzie makes time for her mom

Between her return to MTV on "Teen Mom OG" and her growing fitness brand, Mackenzie's own projects are enough to keep her busy. Even with all of that going on plus a husband and three kids, Mackenzie has her hands full. Still, she's making sure that every moment with her mom counts right now.

Recently, Mackenzie shared some photos from a family trip to Florida. It looked like a lot of fun with her husband and kids. However, there was a special lady with them for the trip.

In a Blasting News exclusive, Mackenzie McKee is opening up about how they made Angie Douthit's birthday special this year during their trip to Miami Beach.

"My mom's birthday was Extra Special this year," Mackenzie said. "We all got to be together and realize that she went above and beyond every year for her kids to make sure our birthdays growing up were everything and more.

I realize more now than ever that no one is promised tomorrow so be kind to others, enjoy life, and go above and beyond for people. We were all in Florida and got to throw together a surprise party for her and it was just all so perfect. She deserves the world."

Making every moment count

This isn't the first special thing Mackenzie McKee has done for her mom lately.

Earlier this month, Mackenzie and her sisters did something really special for their mom. They had Angie write "always be kind" in her own handwriting. Then all of the sisters had her words tattooed on their left forearms except for Kaylee because she's pregnant.

In a touching Instagram message, Angie Douthit explained how she was glad they only inked her words and decided not to add a cancer ribbon. "I dont want my life to be remembered for the cancer. I want it to be remembered for what I did to share Christ. So last night when they revealed their tattoos to me, I was very pleased because, they all started telling me about how many people they have already been able to share what the tattoo means."

Mackenzie McKee's mom really is a special lady. Happy birthday to Angie Douthit! Surely, with Mackenzie added to the "Teen Mom OG" cast, we'll get to see more of their great bond.News

VMware Boosts Cloud Services, Simplifies Multi-Cloud Adoption

VMware announced a wide-ranging initiative to simplify multi-cloud adoption and expand its Cloud Services portfolio.

As part of that effort, the enterprise software vendor and virtualization specialist enhanced various offerings on the Amazon Web Services (AWS) cloud, along with announcing an expansion to provide services in the AWS London region.

Along with rolling out the VMware Cloud on AWS service to the AWS London datacenter, VMware said it enhanced the enterprise functionality of the offering via initiatives such as new high-availability capabilities coming with Stretched Clusters.

"Applications in VMware Cloud on AWS can take advantage of this high availability capability built directly into the infrastructure, without having to rewrite or refactor the application," VMware exec Raghu Raghuram said in a blog post last week.

"We're extending a proven model for protecting applications from the datacenter to the cloud, complementing the world-class cloud delivered by AWS. Customers will be able to have the confidence that their applications will receive the same level of availability and protection they receive today. And we do this as a native capability built into the infrastructure, freeing developers from the responsibility of custom building this into each application."

Among a bevy of announcements, VMware specifically highlighted:

VMware Hybrid Cloud Extension Service for Private Cloud: This Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) offering provides application mobility and infrastructure hybridity across different vSphere versions, on-premises and cloud implementations.

Expanded Wavefront by VMware Service: Another SaaS offering, this is said to be a high-scale, metrics monitoring and analytics platform that supports cloud-native and enterprise applications running on public and private cloud infrastructure, such as AWS, Google Cloud Platform, workloads running on Azure, and now VMware Cloud on AWS.

VMware Log Intelligence Service: This new offering for VMware Cloud Services reportedly will deliver deep operational insights into VMware-based datacenters and VMware Cloud on AWS.

Expanded VMware Cost Insight Service: This is an addition to existing support for AWS, Microsoft Azure, and VMware private cloud datacenters, providing detailed assessments for migrating workloads to VMware Cloud on AWS and calculating the capacity and the cost of running apps in private or public clouds.

"VMware Cloud on AWS is a seamlessly integrated hybrid cloud offering which gives our customers the software-defined data center (SDDC) experience from the leader in private cloud, VMware, running on the leading public cloud provider, AWS, VMware's Sai Gopalan said in another post. "Bringing together the best of VMware and AWS, VMware Cloud on AWS provides customers an operationally consistent and familiar way to run, manage and secure applications in a hybrid cloud with access to a broad range of innovative and comprehensive AWS services and robust disaster protection."Denver, Colo., March 12, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The American Indian College Fund and the Coca Cola Foundation honored 35 American Indian scholarship recipients at its 2017-18 Coca-Cola First Generation Scholarship banquet at the American Indian Higher Education Consortium Student Conference in Bismarck, North Dakota.

The Coca-Cola First Generation Scholarship was established for students who are the first in their families to attend college. The scholarships are renewable throughout the students tribal college careers if students maintain at least a 3.0 grade point average and show strong participation in campus and community life.

The following tribal college and university students were honored at the banquet for the 2017-18 academic year:

Aaniiih Nakoda College-Thomas Medicine Bear

Bay Mills Community College-Alea Ward

Blackfeet Community College-Laura Kipp

Cankdeska Cikana Community College-Lisa Jackson

Chief Dull Knife College-Cross Bearchum

College of Menominee Nation-Sabrina Hemken

College of the Muscogee Nation-Lucille Briggs

Dine College-Felisha Adams

Fond du Lac Tribal & Community College-Julie Isham

Fort Peck Community College-Jeromy Azure Jr

Haskell Indian Nations University-Thomas Berryhill

Ilisagvik College-Sarah Chagnon

Institute of American Indian Arts-Lashawn Medicine Horn

Keweenaw Bay Ojibwa Community College-Joshua Robinson

Lac Courte Oreilles Ojibwa Community College-David Butler

Leech Lake Tribal College-Alicia Bowstring

Little Big Horn College-Marissa Roth

Little Priest Tribal College-Shamika Benally

Navajo Technical University-Dolly Goodman

Nebraska Indian Community College-Vandy Merrick

Northwest Indian College-Sheila Cooper

Nueta Hidatsa Sahnish College-Tammy Hammer

Oglala Lakota College-Lindsay Masquat

Saginaw Chippewa Tribal College-Jennifer Arnold

Salish Kootenai College-Irene Augare

Sinte Gleska University-Johnna Waln

Sisseton Wahpeton College-Raegina Renville

Sitting Bull College-Kaylie Trottier

Sitting Bull College-Helen Wilkinson

Southwestern Indian Polytechnic Institute Genevieve Waquie

Stone Child College-Jennifer Wolf Chief

Tohono O'odham Community College-Ashley Jose

Turtle Mountain Community College Shania Jeanotte

United Tribes Technical College Brittany Whitebird

White Earth Tribal and Community College-Shelly Weaver

About the American Indian College Fund

Founded in 1989, the American Indian College Fund has been the nations largest charity supporting Native higher education for more than 28 years. The College Fund believes Education is the answer" and provided 6,548 scholarships last year totaling $7.6 million to American Indian students, with more than 125,000 scholarships totaling over $100 million since its inception. The College Fund also supports a variety of academic and support programs at the nations 35 accredited tribal colleges and universities, which are located on or near Indian reservations, ensuring students have the tools to graduate and succeed in their careers. The College Fund consistently receives top ratings from independent charity evaluators, and received a four-star rating from Charity Navigator and is one of the nations top 100 charities named to the Better Business Bureaus Wise Giving Alliance. For more information about the American Indian College Fund, please visit www.collegefund.org.

Attachment:

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/5993a4a3-f835-4d88-a7d5-2aa4dd99fed1Updated: March 12, 2018, 5:20 p.m.

The Virginia Tech Center in Richmond has closed. All evening classes are canceled for Monday.

Updated: March 12, 2018, 2:48 p.m.

McComas Hall and War Memorial Hall will close at 6 p.m. today. The pool in War Memorial Hall is closed. The pool in McComas Hall will close at 6 p.m.



Updated: March 12, 2018, 2:24 p.m.

Parking restrictions tied to snow emergency routes will lift at 3 p.m. today. Regular parking rules will resume after 3 p.m. Thank you for your cooperation in observing the snow emergency restrictions.



Updated: March 12, 2018, 12 p.m.

The Virginia Tech Carilion Research Institute has postponed Brain School events scheduled for Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday back one day to Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. Due to weather conditions, employees should use their own discretion about coming to work this afternoon and are asked to please stay home if they feel conditions are unsafe.

Updated: March 12, 2018, 10:17 a.m.

War Memorial and McComas Halls are currently open. All group exercises, lessons, and intramurals have been canceled. The business office and Venture Out are both closed. Late fees for equipment returned to Venture Out will be waived.

Schiffert Health Center is open from 10 a.m to 3 p.m. today.



University Libraries will remain closed until 7:30 a.m. Tuesday.

Squires Student Center will close at 8 p.m. Monday. BreakZONE will open at noon. All other services (Passport Acceptance Facility, Ticket Office, The Source, all administrative offices, etc.) are closed. All major events in Squires have been canceled. Student organizational meetings may held today at the disrection of student leaders.

Graduate Life Center and Johnston Student Center are now closed for the day.



Dining Centers

Turner Place at Lavery Hall opening at 10 a.m. but will be closing at 1:30 p.m.

Au Bon Pain at Goodwin Hall is closed.

Au Bon Pain at Graduate Life Center is closed.

Au Bon Pain at Squires Student Center opened at 9 a.m. and operate until 8 p.m.

Burger 37 at Squires Student Center will open at 10:30 a.m. and operate until 8 p.m.

Dining Services Food trucks will not operate today.

Updated: March 12, 2018, 9:37 a.m.

Due to inclement weather conditions, the Virginia Tech campus in Blacksburg will now be closed on Monday, March 12, 2018. University staff designated emergency personnel must report as instructed by their supervisor.



All day and evening classes have been canceled. All university events scheduled for today have been canceled.

Updated: March 12, 2018, 8:55 a.m.

Below are hours and operations of student facilities on the Blacksburg campus.



Squires Student Center will open at 9 a.m. Johnston Student Center and the Graduation Life Center will both at 10:30 a.m.

Both War Memorial Hall and McComas Hall are open and will remain open for normal hours unless a decision is made to close early. Group Exercise will begin after 11 a.m. Main office will open at 11 a.m. Pools are open.

Schiffert Health Center will open at 11 a.m.

University Libraries will open at 11 a.m.



Dining locations

Turner Place at Lavery Hall is opening at 10 a.m.

Au Bon Pain at Goodwin Hall opening at 10 a.m.

Au Bon Pain at Graduate Life Center opening at 10:30 a.m.

VetMed Cafe is closed this week.

Au Bon Pain at Squires will open at 9 a.m.

Dining Services Food trucks will not operate today.

Breakfast locations such as Dunkin Donuts and Chick-fil-A at Hokie Grill, DXpress, D2 and Deets Place at Dietrick Hall all operating normal breakfast hours.

Updated: March 12, 2018, 7:12 a.m.

Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine is closed today. All classes are canceled for M1 and M2 students. For M3 and M4 students on clinical rotations, there will be no assumed cancellation due to inclement weather. If clinical activities are cancelled, the clerkship or rotation director will be in touch with the affected students individually.

Posted: March 12, 2018, 4:51 a.m.

Due to inclement weather conditions, administrative offices at the Virginia Tech campus in Blacksburg will be closed until 11 a.m. on Monday, March 12, 2018. University staff designated "emergency personnel" must report as instructed by their supervisor.



Classes scheduled to start at 8 a.m. and 9:05 a.m. and 10:10 a.m. have been canceled. Classes beginning after 11 a.m. will be held as scheduled.

Posted: March 11, 2018, 9:15 p.m.

Due to the impending weather conditions, the Virginia Tech Carilion Research Institute (VTCRI) in Roanoke will be closed Monday morning. As of Sunday night, plans are to reopen the Research Institute at 1 p.m., but officials will reassess based on weather updates as the morning progresses. Please watch for updates.

The opening event of Brain School scheduled for 6 p.m. (reception at 5:30 p.m.) is still expected to be held on time. Any change or updates will be posted.

Posted: March 11, 2018, 6:45 p.m.

The National Weather Service has issued a winter storm warning for the Blacksburg area to take effect at 12 a.m. on Monday, March 12.

In anticipation of wintry weather beginning at midnight, Virginia Tech has declared a snow emergency to take effect at 10 p.m. This designation goes into effect when road conditions deteriorate to the point where road travel is difficult. Generally, this occurs when the road is significantly iced or approximately 3-4 inches of snow has fallen.

For details on what parking lots and roadways are affected in a snow emergency, visit the Campus winter weather traffic and parking emergency procedures page.Virginia Tech engineering professor Marc Edwards will discuss how he and his collaborators helped resolve water quality crises in Washington, D.C., and Flint, Michigan, as the featured speaker at the Del Alamo/Hogan Symposium on Business Ethics, hosted by the Pamplin College of Business on Tuesday, March 20, at 7 p.m. at the Graduate Life Center Auditorium.

In his talk, Truth-Seeking in an Age of Tribalism: Lessons from the Flint Water Crisis and its Aftermath, Edwards will emphasize the importance of truth-seeking by scientists and engineers and the need to cultivate the scientist within all of us in the face of obstacles posed by bureaucrats and others seeking to promote their own agendas.

The event is free and open to the public, no tickets needed. Parking information is available here.

Edwards is a University Distinguished Professor and the Charles Lunsford Professor of Civil Engineering in the Charles E. Via Jr. Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering in the College of Engineering. He teaches courses in environmental engineering, applied aquatic chemistry, and engineering ethics.

His research group seeks to pursue science as a public good through laboratory work on buildings and opportunistic premise plumbing pathogens  microbes that live in premise plumbing, the part of the water distribution system beyond the property line and that includes houses, office buildings, and hospitals.

The groups work laid the groundwork for investigative science that uncovered the 2001-2004 D.C. lead crisis and the 2014-2016 Flint water disaster.

Edwards has received numerous major honors for his work, the most recent of which is the AAAS Award for Scientific Freedom and Responsibility, from the American Association for the Advancement of Science in February 2018.

In 2016, he was selected for the TIME 100, Time magazines annual list of the 100 most influential people in the world. He was also among Fortune magazines worlds 50 greatest leaders; Politico magazines top 50 visionaries who have transformed American politics; and Foreign Policy magazines 100 worlds greatest thinkers. He was short-listed for Times 2016 Person(s) of the Year, along with other Flint whistleblowers.

In 2013, Edwards received the IEEE Barus Award for courageously defending the public interest at great personal risk. His paper on lead poisoning of children in Washington, D.C., due to elevated lead in drinking water, was judged the outstanding science paper in Environmental Science and Technology in 2010.

Earlier awards include a MacArthur Fellowship in 2007 and a Presidential Faculty Fellowship in 1996. Time Magazine dubbed Edwards The Plumbing Professor in 2004 and listed him among the four most important innovators in water from around the world.

A question-and-answer session, moderated by management professor Rich Wokutch, will follow the talk.

The symposium, which is in its 27th year, is supported by Pamplin alumni Robert F. Hogan Jr., who earned bachelors and masters degrees in accounting in 1978 and 1980, respectively, and Jorge Del Alamo Jr., who earned a bachelors degree in accounting in 1969, and his wife, Lin.

Additional sponsorship was provided by the Business Leadership Center of the Department of Management and by Partners in Financial Planning and Cherry Bekaert LLP.

If you are an individual with a disability and desire an accommodation, please contact Gina French at 540-231-5975, or email gfrench@vt.edu during regular business hours at least five business days prior to the event.

- Written by Barbara MicalePalantir, Raytheon to battle under $876M Army DCGS-A contract

A new Army contract will give Palantir Technologies the opportunity it has been fighting for: to sell its commercial software to the Army as way to field the next iteration of the Distributed Common Ground System - Army.

DCGS-A is a battlefield network for gathering and sharing information and data about the battlefield from multiple sources. This contract is for Increment 1, Capability Drop 1.

Raytheon has been the primary developer of the system for over a decade. When the Army began the process of awarding the next DCGS contract in 2016, it again chose the approach of custom software development.

Thats when Peter Thiel's Palantir cried foul and went to the Government Accountability Office, which denied the protest.

Palantir then turned to the Court of Federal Claims, arguing that the Armys decision to not consider a commercial product violated legislation that said the government has to use a commercial solution if one exists.

The Army claimed it couldnt find a commercial solution, but Palantir argued otherwise and the court placed an injunction on the Army to stop them from making an award.

Now they have a solution: make two awards. One to Palantir and one to Raytheon. The total value is $876 million. Both companies are already competing on their first task order.

The Army calls that order a Test-Fix-Test phase with Soldier involvement. They will be evaluating the best solution to field to tactical maneuver units.

The commercial versus custom debate also seems to be over as Raytheon has created its own FoxTEN commercial product that it proposed for its solution.

Raytheon will demonstrate our FoXTEN open architecture software product, which can be loaded onto a commercial laptop and easily deployed to and used by soldiers operating in the field, said Todd Probert, vice president of mission support and modernization for Raytheon's Intelligence, Information and Services segment.

Palantir did not respond to a request for comment.

The Army wants to improve how battlefield information is collected and shared. For DCGS-A Increment 1 Drop 1, it is moving to a commercial hardware and software solution that includes ruggedized laptops and new servers.

The software will allow for operations in environments with severely limited bandwidth or as the Army calls it disconnected, intermittent and limited.

They also want enhanced ease of use and better tools for intelligence preparation of the battlefield, and processing, exploitation and dissemination.

The Army received eight bids for the work. That means six companies didnt receive contracts, raising the possibility of bid protests. The Army said it is still in the debriefing process.

The possibility is exists that there might be more legal fights ahead before DCGS-A gets to the battlefield.3 hours ago

Stocks drop the most since May on worries over China, Fed

Stocks on Wall Street closed sharply lower Monday, mirroring losses overseas and handing the S&P 500 index its biggest drop in four months. Worries about heavily indebted Chinese real estate developers  and the damage they could do to investors worldwide if they default  rippled across markets.

Read ArticleThe following companies are subsidiares of Abbott Laboratories: 3A Nutrition (Vietnam) Company Limited, ABON Biopharm (Hangzhou) Co. Ltd., AGA Medical Belgium, AGA Medical Corporation, AGA Medical Holdings Inc., ALR Holdings, AML Medical LLC, APK Advanced Medical Technologies LLC, ATS Bermuda Holdings Limited, ATS Laboratories Inc., Abbott, Abbott (Jiaxing) Nutrition Co. Ltd., Abbott (UK) Finance Limited, Abbott (UK) Holdings Limited, Abbott AG, Abbott Asia Holdings Limited, Abbott Asia Investments Limited, Abbott Australasia Holdings Limited, Abbott Australasia Pty Ltd, Abbott B.V., Abbott Bahamas Overseas Businesses Corporation, Abbott Belgian Investments, Abbott Bermuda Holding Ltd., Abbott Biologicals B.V., Abbott Biologicals LLC, Abbott Bulgaria Luxembourg S.a r.l., Abbott Capital India Limited, Abbott Cardiovascular Inc., Abbott Cardiovascular Systems Inc., Abbott Delaware LLC, Abbott Diabetes Care Inc., Abbott Diabetes Care Limited, Abbott Diabetes Care Sales Corporation, Abbott Diagnostics GmbH, Abbott Diagnostics International Ltd., Abbott Diagnostics Technologies AS, Abbott Doral Investments S.L., Abbott Equity Holdings Unlimited, Abbott Equity Investments LLC, Abbott Established Products Holdings (Gibraltar) Limited, Abbott Finance Company SA, Abbott Financial Holdings SRL, Abbott France S.A.S., Abbott Fund Tanzania Limited, Abbott Gesellschaft m.b.H., Abbott GmbH & Co. KG, Abbott Health Products LLC, Abbott Healthcare (Puerto Rico) Ltd., Abbott Healthcare B.V., Abbott Healthcare Costa Rica S.A., Abbott Healthcare LLC, Abbott Healthcare Luxembourg S.a r.l., Abbott Healthcare Private Limited, Abbott Healthcare Products B.V., Abbott Healthcare Products Ltd, Abbott Holding (Gibraltar) Limited, Abbott Holding GmbH, Abbott Holding Subsidiary (Gibraltar) Limited, Abbott Holding Subsidiary (Gibraltar) Limited Luxembourg S.C.S., Abbott Holdings B.V., Abbott Holdings LLC, Abbott Holdings Limited, Abbott Holdings Poland Spoka z ograniczona odpowiedzialnoscia, Abbott Hungary Korlatolt Felelossegu Tarsasag, Abbott Iberian Investments (2) Limited, Abbott Iberian Investments Limited, Abbott India Limited, Abbott Informatics Asia Pacific Limited, Abbott Informatics Canada Inc, Abbott Informatics Corporation, Abbott Informatics Europe Limited, Abbott Informatics France, Abbott Informatics Germany GmbH, Abbott Informatics Netherlands B.V., Abbott Informatics Singapore Pte. Limited, Abbott Informatics Spain S.A., Abbott Informatics Technologies Ltd, Abbott International Corporation, Abbott International Enterprises Ltd., Abbott International Holdings Limited, Abbott International LLC, Abbott International Luxembourg S.ar.l., Abbott Investments Luxembourg S.a r.l., Abbott Ireland, Abbott Ireland Financing Designated Activity Company, Abbott Ireland Limited, Abbott Japan Co. Ltd., Abbott Kazakhstan Limited Liability Partnership, Abbott Knoll Investments B.V., Abbott Korea Limited, Abbott Laboratories (Bangladesh) Limited, Abbott Laboratories (Chile) Holdco (Dos) SpA, Abbott Laboratories (Chile) Holdco SpA, Abbott Laboratories (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd., Abbott Laboratories (Mozambique) Limitada, Abbott Laboratories (Pakistan) Limited, Abbott Laboratories (Philippines), Abbott Laboratories (Puerto Rico) Incorporated, Abbott Laboratories (Singapore) Private Limited, Abbott Laboratories A/S, Abbott Laboratories Argentina Sociedad Anonima, Abbott Laboratories B.V., Abbott Laboratories C.A., Abbott Laboratories Finance B.V., Abbott Laboratories GmbH, Abbott Laboratories Inc., Abbott Laboratories International LLC, Abbott Laboratories Ireland Limited, Abbott Laboratories Limited, Abbott Laboratories Limited - Laboratoires Abbott Limitee, Abbott Laboratories NZ Limited, Abbott Laboratories Pacific Ltd., Abbott Laboratories Poland Spoka z ograniczona odpowiedzialnoscia, Abbott Laboratories Products B.V., Abbott Laboratories Residential Development Fund Inc., Abbott Laboratories S.A., Abbott Laboratories SA, Abbott Laboratories Services Corp., Abbott Laboratories Slovakia s.r.o., Abbott Laboratories South Africa (Pty) Ltd., Abbott Laboratories Trading (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Abbott Laboratories Trustee Company Limited, Abbott Laboratories Uruguay S.A., Abbott Laboratories Vascular Enterprises, Abbott Laboratories d.o.o., Abbott Laboratories de Chile Limitada, Abbott Laboratories de Colombia S.A., Abbott Laboratories de Mexico S.A. de C.V., Abbott Laboratories druzba za farmacijo in diagnostiko d.o.o., Abbott Laboratories s.r.o., Abbott Laboratories(Hellas) Societe Anonyme, Abbott Laboratorios S.A., Abbott Laboratorios S.A., Abbott Laboratorios del Ecuador Cia. Ltda., Abbott Laboratuarlari Ithalat Ihracat ve Ticaret Ltd.Sti, Abbott Laboratorios Lda, Abbott Laboratorios do Brasil Ltda., Abbott Limited Egypt LLC, Abbott Logistics B.V., Abbott Management GmbH, Abbott Management LLC, Abbott Manufacturing Singapore Private Limited, Abbott Mature Products International Unlimited Company, Abbott Mature Products Management Limited, Abbott Medical (Hong Kong) Limited, Abbott Medical (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd., Abbott Medical (Portugal) Distribuicao de Produtos Medicos Lda, Abbott Medical (Schweiz) AG, Abbott Medical (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Abbott Medical (Singapore) Pte. Ltd., Abbott Medical (Thailand) Co. Ltd., Abbott Medical Australia Pty. Ltd., Abbott Medical Austria Ges.m.b.H., Abbott Medical Balkan d.o.o. Beograd (Novi Beograd), Abbott Medical Belgium, Abbott Medical Canada Inc./ Medicale Abbott Canada Inc., Abbott Medical Danmark A/S, Abbott Medical Devices Trading (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Abbott Medical Espana S.A., Abbott Medical Estonia OU, Abbott Medical Finland Oy, Abbott Medical France SAS, Abbott Medical GmbH, Abbott Medical Hellas Limited Liability Trading Company, Abbott Medical Ireland Limited, Abbott Medical Italia S.p.A., Abbott Medical Japan Co. Ltd., Abbott Medical Korea Limited, Abbott Medical Korlatolt Felelossegu Tarsasag, Abbott Medical Laboratories LTD, Abbott Medical Nederland B.V., Abbott Medical New Zealand Limited, Abbott Medical Norway AS, Abbott Medical Overseas Cyprus Limited, Abbott Medical Sweden AB, Abbott Medical Taiwan Co., Abbott Medical U.K. Limited, Abbott Medical spoka z ograniczona odpowiedzialnoscia, Abbott Middle East S.A.R.L., Abbott Molecular Inc., Abbott Morocco SARL, Abbott Nederland C.V., Abbott Nederland Luxembourg S.a r.l., Abbott Netherlands Investments B.V., Abbott Norge AS, Abbott Nutrition Limited, Abbott Nutrition Manufacturing Inc., Abbott Operations Singapore Pte. Ltd., Abbott Operations Uruguay S.R.L., Abbott Overseas Cyprus Limited, Abbott Overseas Luxembourg S.a r.l., Abbott Overseas S.A., Abbott Oy, Abbott Point of Care Canada Limited, Abbott Point of Care Inc., Abbott Poland Luxembourg S.a r.l., Abbott Procurement LLC, Abbott Products (Philippines) Inc., Abbott Products (Spain) S.L., Abbott Products Algerie EURL, Abbott Products B.V., Abbott Products Distribution SAS, Abbott Products Egypt LLC, Abbott Products Limited, Abbott Products Limited Liability Company, Abbott Products Luxembourg S.a r.l., Abbott Products Operations AG, Abbott Products Operations LLC, Abbott Products Romania S.R.L., Abbott Products Tunisie S.A.R.L., Abbott Products Unlimited Company, Abbott Resources Inc., Abbott Resources International Inc., Abbott S.r.l., Abbott Saudi Arabia Trading Company, Abbott Scandinavia Aktiebolag, Abbott Sociedad Anonima de Capital Variable, Abbott South Africa Luxembourg S.a r.l., Abbott Strategic Opportunities Limited, Abbott Trading Company Inc., Abbott Universal LLC, Abbott Vascular Devices (2) Limited, Abbott Vascular Devices Limited, Abbott Vascular Inc., Abbott Vascular Instruments Deutschland GmbH, Abbott Vascular International, Abbott Vascular Japan Co. Ltd, Abbott Vascular Limitada, Abbott Vascular Netherlands B.V., Abbott Vascular Solutions Inc., Abbott Ventures Inc., Abbott West Indies Limited, Abbott drustvo sa ogranicenom odgovornoscu za trgovinu i usluge, Advanced Neuromodulation Systems Inc., Alere, Alere (Shanghai) Diagnostics Co. Ltd., Alere (Shanghai) Healthcare Management Co. Ltd., Alere (Shanghai) Medical Sales Co. Ltd., Alere (Shanghai) Technology Co. Ltd., Alere A/S, Alere AB, Alere AS, Alere AS Holdings Limited, Alere BBI Holdings Limited, Alere Bangladesh Limited, Alere China Co. Ltd., Alere Colombia S.A., Alere Connect LLC, Alere Connected Health Limited, Alere Connected Health Ltd., Alere Diagnostics GmbH, Alere DoA Holding GmbH, Alere GmbH, Alere GmbH (Austria), Alere GmbH (Germany), Alere HK Holdings Ltd., Alere Health B.V., Alere Health BVBA, Alere Health Corp., Alere Health Sdn Bhd, Alere Health Services B.V., Alere Healthcare (Pty) Limited, Alere Healthcare Connections Limited, Alere Healthcare Inc., Alere Healthcare Nigeria Limited, Alere Healthcare S.L., Alere Holdco Inc., Alere Holding GmbH, Alere Holdings Bermuda Limited, Alere Holdings Pty Limited, Alere Home Monitoring Inc., Alere Inc., Alere Informatics Inc., Alere International Holding Corp., Alere International Limited, Alere Lda, Alere Limited, Alere Limited (New Zealand), Alere Medical BVBA, Alere Medical Co. Ltd., Alere Medical Pakistan (Private) Limited, Alere Medical Private Limited, Alere North America LLC, Alere Oy Ab, Alere Philippines Inc., Alere Phoenix ACQ Inc., Alere Pte Ltd, Alere S.A., Alere S.r.l., Alere S/A, Alere SAS, Alere San Diego Inc., Alere Scarborough Inc., Alere Spain S.L., Alere Switzerland GmbH, Alere Technologies GmbH, Alere Technologies Holdings Limited, Alere Technologies Limited, Alere Toxicology AB, Alere Toxicology Inc., Alere Toxicology S.r.l., Alere Toxicology Services Inc., Alere Toxicology plc, Alere UK Holdings Limited, Alere UK Subco Limited, Alere ULC, Alere US Holdings LLC, Alere s.r.o., Alisoc Investment & Co, Amedica Biotech Inc., Ameditech Inc., American Generics S.A.S., American Medical Supplies Inc., American Pharmacist Inc., Antares S.A., Apica Cardiovascular Limited, Aquagestion Capacitacion S.A., Aquagestion S.A., Arriva Medical LLC, Arriva Medical Philippines Inc., Arvis Investments Limited, Atlas Farmaceutica S.A., Avee Laboratories Inc., Axis-Shield AD III AS, Axis-Shield AD IV AS, Axis-Shield AS, Axis-Shield Diagnostics Limited, Axis-Shield Ltd., BBI Animal Health Limited, BBI Diagnostics Group 2 Public Limited Company, Banco de Vida S.A., Bioabsorbable Vascular Solutions Inc., Bioalgae S.A., Biohealth LLC, Biosite Incorporated, Bosque Bonito S.A., Branan Medical Corporation, Brandex Europe C.V., British Colloids Limited, CFR Chile S.A., CFR Interamericas EL Salvador Sociedad Anonima de Capital Variable, CFR Interamericas Nicaragua Sociedad Anonima, CFR Interamericas Panama S.A., CFR Pharmaceuticals, California Property Holdings III LLC, CardioMEMS LLC, Caripharm Inc., Cephea Valve Technologies, Cephea Valve Technologies Inc., Colibri Medical Aktiebolag, Comercializadora y Distribuidora CFR Interamericas Honduras S.A., Concateno South Limited, Concateno UK Limited, Consorcio Tecnologico en Biomedicina Clinico-Molecular S.A., Continuum Services LLC, Cozart Limited, Dextech S.A., Diagnostik Nord GmbH, Distribuciones Uquifa S.A.S., Domesco Medical Import-Export Joint-Stock Corporation, Duphar International Research B.V., Endocardial Solutions, Epocal (US) Inc, Esprit de Vie S.A., European Chemicals & Co, European Drug Testing Service EDTS AB, European Services S.A., Evalve Inc., Evalve International Inc., FARMINDUSTRIA S.A., Fada Pharma Paraguay Sociedad Anonima, Fadapharma del Ecuador S.A., Farmaceutica Mont Blanc S.L., Farmacologia Em Aquicultura Veterinaria Ltda., Farmacologia en Aquacultura Veterinaria FAV Ecuador S.A., Farmacologia en Aquacultura Veterinaria FAV S.A., Fernwood Investment S.A., First Check Diagnostics LLC, Focus Pharmaceutical S.A.S., Forensics Limited, Forestcreek Overseas S.A., Fournier Pharma Corp., Fournier Pharma GmbH, Fournier Pharmaceuticals Limited, Framed B.V., Gabmed GmbH, Garden Hills LLC, Global Analytical Development LLC, Globapharm & CO LP, Glomed Pharmaceutical Company Limited, Golnorth Investments S.A., Gynocare Limited, Gynopharm Sociedad Anonima, Gynopharm de Centroamerica S.A., Gynopharm de Venezuela C.A., Hi-Tronics Designs Inc., IDEV Technologies Inc., IG Innovations Limited, IMTC Finance B.V., IMTC Holdings B.V., IMTC Technologies Inc., Ibis Biosciences LLC, Igloo Zone Chile S.A., Igloo Zone S.L., Inmobiliaria Naknek S.A.C., Innovacon Inc., Instant Tech Subsidiary Acquisition Inc., Instant Technologies Inc., Instituto de Criopreservacion de Chile S.A., Integrated Vascular Systems Inc., Inverness Canadian Acquisition Corporation, Inverness Medical (Beijing) Co. Ltd., Inverness Medical Innovations Australia Pty Ltd., Inverness Medical Innovations Hong Kong Limited, Inverness Medical Innovations SK LLC, Inverness Medical Investments LLC, Inverness Medical LLC, Inverness Medical Shimla Private Limited, Inversiones K2 SpA, Inversiones Komodo S.R.L., Ionian Technologies LLC, Irvine Biomedical Inc., Kalila Medical, Kangshenyunga S.A., Knoll UK Investments Unlimited, LLC VeroInPharm, Laboratoires Fournier S.A.S., Laboratorio Franco Colombiano Lafrancol S.A.S., Laboratorio Franco Colombiano del Ecuador S.A., Laboratorio Internacional Argentino S.A., Laboratorio Synthesis S.A.S., Laboratorios Lafi Limitada, Laboratorios Naturmedik S.A.S., Laboratorios Pauly Pharmaceutical S.A.S., Laboratorios Recalcine S.A., Laboratorios Transpharm S.A., Laboratory Specialists of America Inc., Lafrancol Dominicana S.A.S., Lafrancol Guatemala S.A. Sociedad Anonima, Lafrancol Internacional S.A.S, Lafrancol Peru S.R.L, Lake Forest Investments LLC, Lightlab Imaging Inc., Limited Liability Company Abbott Laboratories, Limited Liability Company Abbott Ukraine, Limited Liability Company VEROPHARM, Lung Fung Hong (China) Limited, Mansbridge Pharmaceuticals Limited, MediGuide LLC, MediGuide Ltd., Medscreen Holdings Limited, Metropolitana Farmaceutica S.A., Midwest Properties LLC, Murex Argentina S.A., Murex Biotech Limited, Murex Biotech South Africa, Murex Diagnostics Inc., Murex Diagnostics International Inc., Natural Supplement Association LLC, Negocios Denia Sociedad Anonima, Neosalud S.A.C., Nether Pharma N.P. C.V., NeuroTherm LLC, Normann Pharma-Handels GmbH, North Shore Properties Inc., Novamedi S.A., Novasalud.com S.A., Nutravida S.A., OJSC Voronezhkhimpharm, Omnilab Iberia Sociedad Limitada, OptiMedica, Orgenics France SAS, Orgenics International Holdings B.V., Orgenics Ltd., PBM-Selfcare LLC, PDD II LLC, PDD LLC, PT Alere Health, PT. Abbott Indonesia, PT. Abbott Products Indonesia, Pacesetter Inc., Pantech (RF) (PTY) LTD, Pembrooke Occupational Health Inc., Penagos S.A., Pharma International Sociedad Anonima, Pharmaceutical Technologies (Pharmatech) S.A., Pharmatech Boliviana S.A., Polygon Labs S.A., Quality Assured Services Inc., RF Medical Holdings LLC, RTL Holdings Inc., Ramses Business Corp., Recben Xenerics Farmaceutica Limitada, Redwood Toxicology Laboratory Inc., Rich Horizons International Limited, SC VEROPHARM, SJ Medical Mexico S de R.L. de C.V., SJM International Inc., SJM Thunder Holding Company, SPDH Inc., Saboya Enterprises Corporation, Salviac Limited, Scanax AS, Sealing Solutions Inc., Selfcare Technology Inc., Shandong Abbott Dairy Product Co. Ltd., Shanghai Abbott Medical Devices Science and Technology Co. Ltd., Shanghai Abbott Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd., Shanghai Si Fa Pharmaceutical Company Limited, Sinensix & Co., Spinal Modulation LLC, St. Jude Medical, St. Jude Medical AB, St. Jude Medical ATG Inc., St. Jude Medical Argentina S.A., St. Jude Medical Asia Pacific Holdings GK, St. Jude Medical Atrial Fibrillation Division Inc., St. Jude Medical Brasil Ltda., St. Jude Medical Business Services Inc., St. Jude Medical Cardiology Division Inc., St. Jude Medical Colombia Ltda., St. Jude Medical Coordination Center, St. Jude Medical Costa Rica Limitada, St. Jude Medical Europe Inc., St. Jude Medical Export Ges.m.b.H., St. Jude Medical GVA Sarl, St. Jude Medical Holdings B.V., St. Jude Medical India Private Limited, St. Jude Medical International Holding, St. Jude Medical LLC, St. Jude Medical Luxembourg, St. Jude Medical Luxembourg Holdings II, St. Jude Medical Luxembourg Holdings NT, St. Jude Medical Luxembourg Holdings SMI S.a r.l., St. Jude Medical Luxembourg Holdings TC S.a r.l., St. Jude Medical Mexico Business Services S. de R.L. de C.V., St. Jude Medical Middle East DMCC, St. Jude Medical Operations (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd., St. Jude Medical Puerto Rico LLC, St. Jude Medical S.C. Inc., St. Jude Medical Systems AB, St. Jude Medical Turkey Medikal Urunler Ticaret Limited Sirketi, Standard Diagnostics Inc., Standing Stone LLC, Swan-Myers Incorporated, TC1 LLC, Tendyne Holdings Inc., Tendyne Medical Inc., Thoratec Delaware LLC, Thoratec Europe Limited, Thoratec LLC, Thoratec Switzerland GmbH, Tobal Products Incorporated, Topera GmbH in Liquidation, Topera Inc., Tremora S.A., Tuenir S.A., TwistDx, UAB Abbott Laboratories, UAB Abbott Medical Lithuania, Union-Madison Realty Company Inc., Unipath Limited (dba Alere International/aka Cranfield), Unipath Management Limited, Unipath Pension Trustee Limited, Veropharm, Veropharm Limited Liability Partnership, Vida Cell Inversiones S.A., Vida Cell S.A., Vivalsol, W&R Pharma Handels GmbH, Western Pharmaceuticals S.A., X Technologies Inc., Yissum Holding Limited, ZonePerfect Nutrition Company, eScreen Canada ULC, eScreen Inc.,      ( ), and Abbott Laboratories Baltics.Anadarko Petroleum Corporation engages in the exploration, development, production, and marketing of oil and gas properties. It operates through three segments: Exploration and Production, WES Midstream, and Other Midstream. The company explores for and produces oil, natural gas, and natural gas liquids (NGLs). It is also involved in gathering, processing, treating, and transporting oil, natural-gas, and NGLs production, as well as the gathering and disposal of produced water. The company's oil and natural gas properties are located in the United States onshore and deepwater Gulf of Mexico; and Algeria, Ghana, Mozambique, Colombia, Peru, and other countries. As of December 31, 2018, it had approximately 1.5 billion barrels of oil equivalent of proved reserves. The company was founded in 1959 and is headquartered in The Woodlands, Texas.

Read MoreDenver, Colo., March 12, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The American Indian College Fund honored Dr. Cynthia Lindquist, President of Cankdeska Cikana Community College in Ft. Totten, North Dakota, for her outstanding contributions to American Indian higher education as its Tribal College and University Honoree of the Year. Dr. Lindquist, along with 34 American Indian scholarship recipients named as Students of the Year, were lauded at a reception hosted by the College Fund in Bismarck, North Dakota.

The program, sponsored by the Adolph Coors Foundation, awarded Dr. Lindquist a $1,000 honorarium and each student of the year a $1,200 scholarship.

Lindquist says she never set out to be a college president. College was a dream for me as a high school kid. I was the oldest of 13 kids, and there was no money for college, she says.

But thanks to her parents and both sets of grandparents raising her with a strong work ethic, college is exactly where she landed.

After graduating from high school Lindquist went to work for Sioux Manufacturing Corporation (SMC) as a secretary clerk in Ft. Totten. When the company was established, it was managed by white men from the Brunswick Corporation. But her tribe, the Spirit Lake Dakota, set the goal to train tribal members to become leaders in the company. She saw an opportunity for a higher education.

I left being a secretary/clerk to get an undergraduate degree at University of North Dakota, and lo and behold, who was there but Karen Gayton Swisher and David Gipp (Who later became fellow tribal college presidents)! I was in college with other Indians!

Lindquist says at the time there were not many other American Indian college students. But she persisted with her coursework from the 1970s to early 1980s, and returned to SMC with a bachelors degree in 1981. She became a manager.

After five-six months, our chairman at the time, Elmer White, asked me to work for the tribe as the Health Director Planner. And that is how it all began. I was in that role for seven years. I got to know all about Indian health and health systems, she says.

She went on to earn her masters degree in public administration with an emphasis on Indian health systems from the University of South Dakota. For two-and-a-half years she studied while working and driving every two months to Rapid City, South Dakotaa 9- to 12-hour commute, depending on the weather.

It was really intense. We got stuck in blizzards, you name it. But she found that the opportunity for interacting with other Natives in the program were better this time: 15 of the 30 people in the program were Native, including Lynn Davis, the wife of Carty Monette, the former founding president of Turtle Mountain Community College.

Like many of the people in her cohort, Lindquist says, We never aspired to our roles. We were in the right place at the right time. Opportunity opened up. The self-determination movement was beginning around the late seventies and early eighties, and Indian Health Service (IHS) was working hard to establish Indian health programs. Lindquists health career path eventually took her to doing Indian health work at the national level for IHS, working on a traditional medicine initiative for the agency. She was also the first political appointee for IHS, working as a Chief of Staff for the Director for the Clinton administration before returning to North Dakota, where she was appointed by Governor Ed Schafer as the Director of the North Dakota Indian Affairs Commission.

At the time of this interview, Lindquist had just returned from Washington D.C. for the American Indian Higher Education Consortium meetings at which tribal college presidents, faculty, staff, and students from across the country visited Capitol Hill to speak to elected officials to request funding support for TCUs and Native higher education.

Lindquist said, When I reflect about last week, I realize we have come so far. Our students have a level of sophistication they didnt have before. We do well to stress this while also emphasizing their culture, language, and Native values and what they mean. Education is really about being informed, seeing other sides, digging for information, while respecting other opinions and ideas and remaining grounded in our spirituality. Being Dakota means having a spiritual foundation, no matter what that is.

During the time Lindquist was studying community medicine and rural health at Grand Forks working to establish an Indian health pathway to medical school, she was recruited by two tribal elders to apply for the position of president at Cankdeska Cikana Community College in her home community.

The transition was a logical one. In addition to hard work being a family value, education is, too. Lindquists mother was on the CCCC Board of Regents and was also a CCCC graduate way before I became president. Lindquist also had experience there, having taught classes when she was the tribes health director/planner. She jumped at the chance.

I have been there ever since. I love being back home, with my family, and with my Mom, who just turned 88 on Friday, she said.

Things happen for a reason. Lindquist says her health care background equipped her perfectly for her role as a leader in a Native-serving higher education institution. If people dont have some concept of health and well-being, they cannot be a college student. You have to be physically, mentally, and spiritually healthy, and ask, Am I a good role model?

Lindquist went on to earn a Ph.D. in educational leadership from the University of North Dakota in 2006. She used her educational path and healthcare grant-making experience to grow her campus. I put in for every grant from multiple funding sources. I quadrupled the size of my campus in 15 years, she says.

When she started at the college, it was housed in a typical leftover federal building. The white walls were dirty and the building contained asbestos. She wondered who would want to go to school there. After learning that abandoning the building was not an option due to financial investments the federal government and American Indian College Fund had made in it, she set to work cleaning it up.

We made the renovations look seamless and tied the old in with the new, she says. The campus buildings are now all connected, a necessity in the cold northern North Dakota winters.

In addition to physical growth, the college also doubled the number of graduates from when she started, maintains a reserve account, and has maintained spotless audits.

As a leader Lindquist says she is most proud of her colleges good data and transparency. The community college belongs to the people. We want integrity there. We want to practice what we preach and give back to the community.

Her employees share her commitment. Lindquist says they are devoted, resourceful, and efficient. Ideally we should have one-third more employees, like a grant writer, a data specialist, and a transfer specialist. But we have good, qualified people. Our teachers drive 40-50 miles one way from small farming communities around the reservation. And when we have 40 graduates every May, we are as proud as could be. Many would not be college students without Cankdeska Cikana Community College.

There is a lot of historical trauma in our community. The suspicion of education in our communities still lingers. Slowly we are breaking it, she says. She credits integrating prayer, culture, and language for that.

The role of a tribal college president isnt just a job, it is a way of life for Lindquist. In addition to focusing her work on the Dakota way of life, her personal life reflects that, with a focus on prayer and family. She enjoys spending time in ceremonies and with her extended family of three children, eight grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren. She also enjoys gathering with other tribal college presidents, Talking to each other, energizing each other, and helping keep things in perspective, she says.

Lindquists Dakota name, Hoton Ho Waste Winyan, means Good Voice or Good Talk Woman, and was bestowed upon her in honor of her great grandmother. To carry a Dakota name implies you speak the truth and from your heart, she says.

And she carries it well.

Its good work. I am humbled and I am glad I am home and I am glad I got the experiences to be able to do what I do. Its a privilege to do this work and know I have a team supporting me, all with the goal of student success.

The 34 students named as Students of the Year are a testament to the hard work of the tribal college presidents as well as their individual commitments to education. The scholars honored include:

Aaniiih Nakoda College Shauntae St. Clair Bay Mills Community College Alea Ward Blackfeet Community College Lana Wagner Cankdeska Cikana Community College Nicole Brown Chief Dull Knife College Rebecca Cook College of Menominee Nation Adam Schulz College of the Muscogee Nation Dakota Kahbeah Dine College Jordan Mescal Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College Jeroam DeFoe Fort Peck Community College Justin Gray Hawk Sr. Haskell Indian Nations University Cody Lanyate Illisagvik College Amber Downey Institute of American Indian Arts Charlie Cuny Keweenaw Bay Ojibwa Community College Joshua Robinson Lac Courte Oreilles Ojibwa Com. College Melissa Knop Leech Lake Tribal College Alicia Bowstring Little Big Horn College Yolanda Turnsplenty Little Priest Tribal College Kellen Kelsey Navajo Technical University Ashley Joe Nebraska Indian Community College Cornelia Farley-Widow Northwest Indian College Frank Lawrence Nueta Hidatsa Sahnish College Caley Fox Oglala Lakota College Jamie White Face Saginaw Chippewa Tribal College Patrick Nahgahgwon Salish Kootenai College JoDawna Tso Sinte Gleska University Pauline Jackson Sisseton Wahpeton College Deborah Anderson Sitting Bull College Kaylie Trottier Southwestern Indian Polytechnic Institute Martinez Wagner Stone Child College McKenzie Gopher Tohono O'odham Community College Diana Antone Turtle Mountain Community College Samantha Bercier United Tribes Technical College Austin Cree White Earth Tribal and Community College Corey Weaver

About the American Indian College Fund

Founded in 1989, the American Indian College Fund has been the nations largest charity supporting Native higher education for more than 28 years. The College Fund believes Education is the answer" and provided 6,548 scholarships last year totaling $7.6 million to American Indian students, with more than 125,000 scholarships totaling over $100 million since its inception. The College Fund also supports a variety of academic and support programs at the nations 35 accredited tribal colleges and universities, which are located on or near Indian reservations, ensuring students have the tools to graduate and succeed in their careers. The College Fund consistently receives top ratings from independent charity evaluators, and received a four-star rating from Charity Navigator and is one of the nations top 100 charities named to the Better Business Bureaus Wise Giving Alliance. For more information about the American Indian College Fund, please visit www.collegefund.org.

Attachments:

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/95214877-e50e-4b6a-87a1-1f7f4f1961e6

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/38a75824-f99e-4624-b6f9-58f2a0b1779fAndeavor Logistics LP operates as a diversified midstream company in the United States. The company's Terminalling and Transportation segment comprises the Northwest pipeline system, including a regulated common carrier products pipeline running from Salt Lake City, Utah to Spokane, Washington and a jet fuel pipeline to the Salt Lake City International Airport; a regulated common carrier refined products pipeline system connecting its refinery to its terminals in Anchorage, Alaska; tankage and related equipment at the refinery; and crude oil and refined products terminals and storage facilities in the western, and southwest and midwestern U.S. This segment also consists of marine terminals in California and Washington; a rail-car unloading and petroleum coke handling facilities; marine terminals; a manifest rail facility; an asphalt trucking operation; a petroleum coke handling and storage facility; asphalt terminalling and processing services; and other pipelines, which transport products and crude oil from its refineries to nearby facilities in Salt Lake City and Los Angeles. Its Gathering and Processing segment includes crude oil and natural gas, NGLs, and produced water gathering systems in the Bakken Shale/Williston Basin area of the Bakken Region, the Green River Basin, the Rockies Region, the Permian Basin System, and the Four Corners System, as well as crude trucking operations, and gas processing and fractionation complexes. The company's Wholesale segment consists of bulk petroleum distribution facilities and a fleet of refined product delivery trucks. Tesoro Logistics GP, LLC operates as the general partner of the company. The company was formerly known as Tesoro Logistics LP and changed its name to Andeavor Logistics LP in August 2017. Andeavor Logistics LP was founded in 2010 and is based in Findlay, Ohio.

Read MoreThe following companies are subsidiares of Banco Santander: 2 & 3 Triton Limited, A & L CF (Guernsey) Limited (f), A & L CF June (2) Limited, A & L CF June (3) Limited, A & L CF March (5) Limited, A & L CF September (4) Limited, AFB SAM Holdings S.L., ALIL Services Limited (b), AN (123) Limited, ANITCO Limited, Abbey Business Services (India) Private Limited, Abbey Covered Bonds (LM) Limited, Abbey National, Abbey National Beta Investments Limited, Abbey National Business Office Equipment Leasing Limited, Abbey National International Limited, Abbey National Nominees Limited, Abbey National PLP (UK) Limited, Abbey National Property Investments, Abbey National Treasury Services Investments Limited, Abbey National Treasury Services Overseas Holdings, Abbey National UK Investments, Abbey Stockbrokers (Nominees) Limited, Abbey Stockbrokers Limited, Ablasa Participaciones S.L., Administracion de Bancos Latinoamericanos Santander S.L., Aduro S.A., Aevis Europa S.L., Afisa S.A., Albert., Aljardi SGPS Lda., Alliance & Leicester, Alliance & Leicester Cash Solutions Limited, Alliance & Leicester Commercial Bank Limited, Alliance & Leicester Investments (Derivatives) Limited, Alliance & Leicester Investments (No.2) Limited, Alliance & Leicester Investments Limited, Alliance & Leicester Limited, Alliance & Leicester Personal Finance Limited, Altamira Santander Real Estate S.A., Alternative Leasing FIL, Amazonia Trade Limited, Andaluza de Inversiones S.A., Aquanima Brasil Ltda., Aquanima Chile S.A., Aquanima Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Aquanima S.A., Arcaz - Sociedade Imobiliaria Portuguesa Lda., Argenline S.A. (b), Asto Digital Limited, Athena Corporation Limited, Atual - Fundo de Invest Multimercado Credito Privado Investimento no Exterior, Atual Servicos de Recuperacao de Creditos e Meios Digitais S.A., Autodescuento S.L., Autohaus24 GmbH, Auttar HUT Processamento de Dados Ltda., Aviacion Antares A.I.E., Aviacion Britanica A.I.E., Aviacion Centaurus A.I.E., Aviacion Comillas S.L. Unipersonal, Aviacion Intercontinental A.I.E., Aviacion Laredo S.L., Aviacion Oyambre S.L. Unipersonal, Aviacion Real A.I.E., Aviacion Santillana S.L., Aviacion Suances S.L., Aviacion Triton A.I.E., Aymore Credito Financiamento e Investimento S.A., BEN Beneficios e Servicos S.A., BRS Investments S.A., BZW Bank, Banca PSA Italia S.p.A., Banco Bandepe S.A., Banco Madesant - Sociedade Unipessoal S.A., Banco PSA Finance Brasil S.A., Banco Popular, Banco Santander (Brasil) S.A., Banco Santander (Mexico) S.A. Institucion de Banca Multiple Grupo Financiero Santander Mexico como Fiduciaria del Fideicomiso 100740, Banco Santander (Mexico) S.A. Institucion de Banca Multiple Grupo Financiero Santander Mexico como Fiduciaria del Fideicomiso 2002114, Banco Santander (Mexico) S.A. Institucion de Banca Multiple Grupo Financiero Santander Mexico como Fiduciaria del Fideicomiso GFSSLPT, Banco Santander - Chile, Banco Santander Consumer Portugal S.A., Banco Santander International, Banco Santander International SA, Banco Santander Mexico S.A. Institucion de Banca Multiple Grupo Financiero Santander Mexico, Banco Santander Peru S.A., Banco Santander Rio S.A., Banco Santander S.A., Banco Santander Totta S.A., Banco Santander de Negocios Colombia S.A., Banco de Albacete S.A., Bansa Santander S.A., CCAP Auto Lease Ltd., Canyon Multifamily Impact Fund IV LLC, Capital Street Delaware LP, Capital Street Holdings LLC, Capital Street REIT Holdings LLC, Capital Street S.A., Carfax (Guernsey) Limited (f), Carfinco Financial Group, Carfinco Financial Group Inc., Carfinco Inc., Casa de Bolsa Santander S.A. de C.V. Grupo Financiero Santander Mexico, Cater Allen Holdings Limited, Cater Allen International Limited, Cater Allen Limited, Cater Allen Lloyd's Holdings Limited, Cater Allen Syndicate Management Limited, Centro de Capacitacion Santander A.C., Certidesa S.L., Chrysler Capital Auto Funding I LLC, Chrysler Capital Auto Funding II LLC, Chrysler Capital Auto Receivables LLC, Chrysler Capital Master Auto Receivables Funding 2 LLC, Chrysler Capital Master Auto Receivables Funding 4 LLC, Chrysler Capital Master Auto Receivables Funding LLC, Cobranza Amigable S.A.P.I. de C.V., Community Development and Affordable Housing Fund LLC (g), Compagnie Generale de Credit Aux Particuliers - Credipar S.A., Compagnie Pour la Location de Vehicules - CLV, Comunidad Laboral Trabajando Argentina S.A., Comunidad Laboral Trabajando Iberica S.L. Unipersonal en liquidacion (b), Consulteam Consultores de Gestao Lda., Consumer Lending Receivables LLC, Crawfall S.A. (b), Cantabra de Inversiones S.A., Cantabro Catalana de Inversiones S.A., Darep Designated Activity Company, Decarome S.A.P.I. de C.V., Deva Capital Advisory Company S.L., Deva Capital Holding Company S.L., Deva Capital Investment Company S.L., Deva Capital Management Company S.L., Deva Capital Servicer Company S.L., Digital Procurement Holdings N.V., Diners Club Spain S.A., Direccion Estratega S.C., Dirgenfin S.L. en liquidacion (b), Ebury, El Corte Ingles, Elavon Mexico, Electrolyser S.A. de C.V., Entidad de Desarrollo a la Pequena y Micro Empresa Santander Consumo Peru S.A., Erestone S.A.S., Esfera Fidelidade S.A., Evidence Previdencia S.A., Financeira El Corte Ingles Portugal S.F.C. S.A., Financiera El Corte Ingles E.F.C. S.A., Finsantusa S.L. Unipersonal, First National Motor Business Limited, First National Motor Contracts Limited, First National Motor Facilities Limited, First National Motor Finance Limited, First National Motor Leasing Limited, First National Motor plc, First National Tricity Finance Limited, Fondos Santander S.A. Administradora de Fondos de Inversion (en liquidacion) (b), Fortensky Trading Ltd., Fosse Funding (No.1) Limited, Fosse Master Issuer plc, Fosse Trustee (UK) Limited, GTS El Centro Equity Holdings LLC, GTS El Centro Project Holdings LLC, Gamma Sociedade Financeira de Titularizacao de Creditos S.A., Gesban Mexico Servicios Administrativos Globales S.A. de C.V., Gesban Santander Servicios Profesionales Contables Limitada, Gesban Servicios Administrativos Globales S.L., Gesban UK Limited, Gestion de Instalaciones Fotovoltaicas S.L. Unipersonal, Gestion de Inversiones JILT S.A., Gestora de Procesos S.A. en liquidacion (b), Getnet Adquirencia e Servicos para Meios de Pagamento S.A., Global Vosgos S.L. Unipersonal, Grupo Empresarial Santander S.L., Grupo Financiero Santander Mexico S.A. de C.V., Grupo Financiero Santander SAB de CV, Guaranty Car S.A. Unipersonal, HQ Mobile Limited, Hispamer Renting S.A. Unipersonal, Holbah II Limited, Holbah Santander S.L. Unipersonal, Holmes Funding Limited, Holmes Master Issuer plc, Holmes Trustees Limited, Hyundai Capital Bank Europe GmbH, Iberica de Compras Corporativas S.L., Independence Community Bank Corp., Insurance Funding Solutions Limited, Interfinance Holanda B.V., Inversiones Capital Global S.A. Unipersonal, Inversiones Maritimas del Mediterraneo S.A., Isla de los Buques S.A., Klare Corredora de Seguros S.A., Landcompany 2020 S.L., Langton Funding (No.1) Limited, Langton Mortgages Trustee (UK) Limited, Langton Securities (2008-1) plc, Langton Securities (2010-1) PLC, Langton Securities (2010-2) PLC, Laparanza S.A., Liquidity Limited, Luri 1 S.A. en liquidacion (b) (e), Luri 6 S.A. Unipersonal, Master Red Europa S.L., Mata Alta S.L., Merciver S.L., Mercury TFS, Mercury Trade Finance Solutions S.A. de C.V., Mercury Trade Finance Solutions S.L., Mercury Trade Finance Solutions S.p.A., Moneybit S.L., Mortgage Engine Limited, Motor 2016-1 PLC, Motor 2017-1 PLC, Mouro Capital I LP, Multiplica SpA, NW Services CO., Naviera Mirambel S.L., Naviera Trans Gas A.I.E., Naviera Trans Iron S.L., Naviera Trans Ore A.I.E., Naviera Trans Wind S.L. (b), Naviera Transcantabrica S.L., Naviera Transchem S.L. Unipersonal, NeoAuto S.A.C., Norbest AS, Novimovest  Fundo de Investimento Imobiliario, Open Bank Argentina S.A., Open Bank S.A., Open Digital Market S.L., Open Digital Services S.L., Operadora de Carteras Gamma S.A.P.I. de C.V., Optimal Investment Services SA, Optimal Multiadvisors Ireland Plc / Optimal Strategic US Equity Ireland Euro Fund, Optimal Multiadvisors Ireland Plc / Optimal Strategic US Equity Ireland US Dollar Fund, PBE Companies LLC, PECOH Limited, PI Distribuidora de Titulos e Valores Mobiliarios S.A., PSA Bank Deutschland GmbH, PSA Banque France, PSA Finance UK Limited, PSA Financial Services Nederland B.V., PSA Financial Services Spain E.F.C. S.A., PSA Renting Italia S.p.A., PagoFX Europe S.A., PagoFX HoldCo S.L., PagoFX UK Ltd, PagoNxt Merchant Solutions S.L., PagoNxt S.L., Parasant SA, Patagon.com, Pereda Gestion S.A., Pingham International S.A., Popular Spain Holding de Inversiones S.L.U., Portal Universia Argentina S.A., Portal Universia Portugal Prestacao de Servicos de Informatica S.A., Prime 16  Fundo de Investimentos Imobiliario, Punta Lima LLC, Punta Lima Wind Farm LLC, Retop S.A., Return Capital Servicos de Recuperacao de Creditos S.A., Return Gestao de Recursos S.A., Riobank International (Uruguay) SAIFE (b), Rojo Entretenimento S.A., SAM Asset Management S.A. de C.V. Sociedad Operadora de Fondos de Inversion, SAM Investment Holdings S.L., SAM UK Investment Holdings Limited (b), SANB Promotora de Vendas e Cobranca Ltda., SCF Eastside Locks GP Limited, SDMX Superdigital S.A. de C.V., SMPS Merchant Platform Solutions Mexico S.A de C.V, Sancap Investimentos e Participacoes S.A., Santander (CF Trustee Property Nominee) Limited, Santander (UK) Group Pension Schemes Trustees Limited, Santander Ahorro Inmobiliario 1 S.A., Santander Ahorro Inmobiliario 2 S.A., Santander Alternatives SICAV RAIF, Santander Asesorias Financieras Limitada, Santander Asset Finance (December) Limited, Santander Asset Finance plc, Santander Asset Management - S.G.O.I.C. S.A., Santander Asset Management Chile S.A., Santander Asset Management LLC, Santander Asset Management Luxembourg S.A., Santander Asset Management S.A. Administradora General de Fondos, Santander Asset Management S.A. S.G.I.I.C., Santander Asset Management UK Holdings Limited, Santander Asset Management UK Limited, Santander Back-Offices Globales Mayoristas S.A., Santander Banca de Inversion Colombia S.A.S., Santander Bank & Trust Ltd., Santander Bank National Association, Santander Bank Polska S.A., Santander Brasil Administradora de Consorcio Ltda., Santander Brasil Gestao de Recursos Ltda., Santander Brasil Tecnologia S.A., Santander Capital Desarrollo SGEIC S.A. Unipersonal, Santander Capital Structuring S.A. de C.V., Santander Capitalizacao S.A., Santander Cards Ireland Limited, Santander Cards Limited, Santander Cards UK Limited, Santander Chile Holding S.A., Santander Consulting (Beijing) Co. Ltd., Santander Consumer (UK) plc, Santander Consumer Auto Receivables Funding 2013-B2 LLC, Santander Consumer Auto Receivables Funding 2013-B3 LLC, Santander Consumer Auto Receivables Funding 2018-L1 LLC, Santander Consumer Auto Receivables Funding 2018-L3 LLC, Santander Consumer Auto Receivables Funding 2018-L4 LLC, Santander Consumer Auto Receivables Funding 2018-L5 LLC, Santander Consumer Auto Receivables Funding 2019-B1 LLC, Santander Consumer Auto Receivables Funding 2019-L2 LLC, Santander Consumer Auto Receivables Funding 2019-L3 LLC, Santander Consumer Auto Receivables Funding 2020-B1 LLC, Santander Consumer Auto Receivables Funding 2020-L1 LLC, Santander Consumer Auto Receivables Funding 2020-L2 LLC, Santander Consumer Bank AG, Santander Consumer Bank AS, Santander Consumer Bank GmbH, Santander Consumer Bank S.A., Santander Consumer Bank S.p.A., Santander Consumer Banque S.A., Santander Consumer Credit Services Limited, Santander Consumer Finance Benelux B.V., Santander Consumer Finance Global Services S.L., Santander Consumer Finance Oy, Santander Consumer Finance S.A., Santander Consumer Finance Schweiz AG, Santander Consumer Financial Solutions Sp. z o.o., Santander Consumer Finanse Sp. z o.o. (b), Santander Consumer Holding Austria GmbH, Santander Consumer Holding GmbH, Santander Consumer International Puerto Rico LLC, Santander Consumer Leasing GmbH, Santander Consumer Mediacion Operador de Banca-Seguros Vinculado S.L., Santander Consumer Multirent Sp. z o.o., Santander Consumer Operations Services GmbH, Santander Consumer Receivables 10 LLC, Santander Consumer Receivables 11 LLC, Santander Consumer Receivables 3 LLC, Santander Consumer Receivables 7 LLC, Santander Consumer Receivables Funding LLC, Santander Consumer Renting S.L., Santander Consumer S.A., Santander Consumer S.A.S., Santander Consumer Services GmbH, Santander Consumer Services S.A., Santander Consumer Technology Services GmbH, Santander Consumer USA Holdings Inc., Santander Consumer USA Inc., Santander Consumo S.A. de C.V. S.O.F.O.M. E.R. Grupo Financiero Santander Mexico, Santander Corredora de Seguros Limitada, Santander Corredores de Bolsa Limitada, Santander Corretora de Cambio e Valores Mobiliarios S.A., Santander Corretora de Seguros Investimentos e Servicos S.A., Santander Customer Voice S.A., Santander Digital Assets S.L., Santander Drive Auto Receivables LLC, Santander Equity Investments Limited, Santander Espana Merchant Services Entidad de Pago S.L. Unipersonal, Santander Espana Servicios Legales y de Cumplimiento S.L., Santander Estates Limited, Santander F24 S.A., Santander Facility Management Espana S.L., Santander Factoring S.A., Santander Factoring Sp. z o.o., Santander Factoring y Confirming S.A. E.F.C., Santander Finance 2012-1 LLC, Santander Financial Exchanges Limited, Santander Financial Services Inc., Santander Financial Services plc, Santander Finanse Sp. z o.o., Santander Fintech Holdings S.L., Santander Fintech Limited, Santander Fundo de Investimento SBAC Referenciado di Credito Privado, Santander Gestion de Recaudacion y Cobranzas Ltda., Santander Global Consumer Finance Limited, Santander Global Facilities S.A. de C.V., Santander Global Facilities S.L., Santander Global Operations S.A., Santander Global Services S.A. (b), Santander Global Sport S.A., Santander Global Technology Brasil Ltda., Santander Global Technology Chile Limitada, Santander Global Technology S.L., Santander Global Trade Platform Solutions S.L., Santander Guarantee Company, Santander Holding Imobiliaria S.A., Santander Holding Internacional S.A., Santander Holdings USA Inc., Santander ISA Managers Limited, Santander Inclusion Financiera S.A. de C.V. S.O.F.O.M. E.R. Grupo Financiero Santander Mexico, Santander Insurance Agency U.S. LLC, Santander Insurance Services UK Limited, Santander Intermediacion Correduria de Seguros S.A., Santander International Products Plc. (d), Santander Inversiones S.A., Santander Investment Bank Limited, Santander Investment Chile Limitada, Santander Investment I S.A., Santander Investment S.A., Santander Investment Securities Inc., Santander Investments GP 1 S.a.r.l., Santander Inwestycje Sp. z o.o., Santander Lease S.A. E.F.C., Santander Leasing LLC, Santander Leasing S.A., Santander Leasing S.A. Arrendamento Mercantil, Santander Lending Limited, Santander Mediacion Operador de Banca-Seguros Vinculado S.A., Santander Merchant Platform Operations S.A. de C.V., Santander Merchant Platform Services S.A. de C.V., Santander Merchant Platform Solutions Mexico S.A. de C.V., Santander Merchant Platform Solutions S.A., Santander Merchant Platform Solutions Uruguay S.A., Santander Merchant Platform SolucoesTecnologicas Brasil Ltda., Santander Merchant S.A., Santander Mortgage Holdings Limited, Santander Paraty Qif PLC, Santander Pensiones S.A. E.G.F.P., Santander Pensoes - Sociedade Gestora de Fundos de Pensoes S.A., Santander Private Banking Gestion S.A. S.G.I.I.C., Santander Private Banking UK Limited, Santander Private Banking s.p.a. in Liquidazione (b), Santander Private Real Estate Advisory & Management S.A., Santander Private Real Estate Advisory S.A., Santander Real Estate S.A., Santander Retail Auto Lease Funding LLC, Santander Rio Asset Management Gerente de Fondos Comunes de Inversion S.A., Santander Rio Trust S.A., Santander Rio Valores S.A., Santander S.A. Sociedad Securitizadora, Santander Secretariat Services Limited, Santander Securities LLC, Santander Seguros y Reaseguros Compania Aseguradora S.A., Santander Servicios Corporativos S.A. de C.V., Santander Servicios Especializados S.A. de C.V., Santander Technology USA LLC, Santander Tecnologia e Inovacao Ltda., Santander Tecnologia Argentina S.A., Santander Tecnologia Espana S.L.U., Santander Tecnologia Mexico S.A. de C.V., Santander Totta SGPS S.A., Santander Totta Seguros Companhia de Seguros de Vida S.A., Santander Towarzystwo Funduszy Inwestycyjnych S.A., Santander Trade Services Limited, Santander UK Group Holdings plc, Santander UK Investments, Santander UK Operations Limited, Santander UK Plc, Santander UK Technology Limited, Santander Wealth Management International SA, Santander de Titulizacion S.G.F.T. S.A., Santusa Holding S.L., Services and Promotions Delaware Corp., Services and Promotions Miami LLC, Servicio de Alarmas Controladas por Ordenador S.A., Servicios de Cobranza Recuperacion y Seguimiento S.A. De C.V., Sheppards Moneybrokers Limited, Shiloh III Wind Project LLC, Sociedad Integral de Valoraciones Automatizadas S.A., Sociedad Operadora de Tarjetas de Pago Santander Getnet Chile S.A., Socur S.A., Sol Orchard Imperial 1 LLC, Solarlaser Limited, Sovereign Community Development Company, Sovereign Delaware Investment Corporation, Sovereign Lease Holdings LLC, Sovereign REIT Holdings Inc., Sovereign Spirit Limited (f), Sterrebeeck B.V., Suleyado 2003 S.L. Unipersonal, Summer Empreendimentos Ltda., Super Pagamentos e Administracao de Meios Eletronicos S.A., Superdigital Argentina S.A.U., Superdigital Colombia S.A.S., Superdigital Holding Company S.L., Superdigital Peru S.A.C., Suzuki Servicios Financieros S.L., Swesant SA, TIMFin S.p.A., TOPSAM S.A de C.V., Taxagest Sociedade Gestora de Participacoes Sociais S.A., Teatinos Siglo XXI Inversiones S.A., The Alliance & Leicester Corporation Limited, The Best Specialty Coffee S.L. Unipersonal, Time Retail Finance Limited (b), Tonopah Solar I LLC, Toque Fale Servicos de Telemarketing Ltda., Tornquist Asesores de Seguros S.A. (b), Totta (Ireland) PLC, Totta Urbe - Empresa de Administracao e Construcoes S.A., Trabajando.com Mexico S.A. de C.V. en liquidacion (b), Trabajando.com Peru S.A.C., Trans Rotor Limited (b), Transolver Finance EFC S.A., Tresmares Growth Fund Santander SCR S.A., Tresmares Santander Direct Lending SICC S.A., Tuttle and Son Limited, Universia Brasil S.A., Universia Chile S.A., Universia Colombia S.A.S., Universia Espana Red de Universidades S.A., Universia Holding S.L., Universia Mexico S.A. de C.V., Universia Peru S.A., Universia Uruguay S.A., Uro Property Holdings SOCIMI S.A., WIM Servicios Corporativos S.A. de C.V., WTW Shipping Designated Activity Company, Wallcesa S.A., Wave Holdco S.L., Waypoint Insurance Group Inc., and Wirecard (Technological Assets).Federated Investors, Inc. is a publicly owned asset management holding company. Through its subsidiaries, the firm provides its services to individuals, including high net worth individuals, banking or thrift institutions, investment companies, pension and profit sharing plans, pooled investment vehicles, charitable organizations, state or municipal government entities, and registered investment advisors. Through its subsidiaries, it manages separate client-focused equity, fixed income, balanced and money market mutual funds along with separate client-focused equity, fixed income, money market, and balanced portfolios. Through its subsidiaries, the firm invests in the public equity and fixed income markets across the globe. It invests in growth and value stocks of small-cap, mid-cap, and large-cap companies. The firm makes its fixed income investments in ultra-short, short-term, and intermediate-term mortgage-backed, U.S. Government, U.S. corporate, high yield, and municipal securities. It employs both fundamental and quantitative analysis to make its equity investments. Federated Investors, Inc. was founded in 1955 and is based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania with additional offices in New York City and London, United Kingdom.

Read MoreCentral moves down to No. 4 in latest football poll

Aberdeen Central suffered their first loss on the season, but it wasn't enough to create a massive ripple in 11AA.

Chinas Big-Data Big Brother



Mark Leonard









LAHORE  The Communist Party of Chinas (CPC) decision this week to eliminate presidential term limits seems to open the door for President Xi Jinping to be not just Chairman of Everything, but also Chairman Forever. The move has been met with dismay around the world, but it has also intensified an ongoing debate among China experts over whether the biggest threat to China is too much executive power, or too little.



Where one stands on that question seems to depend largely on whether one is a political scientist, an economist, or a technologist. Many political scientists and legal scholars, for example, argue against the change, because they consider the model of collective leadership that the CPC established after 1979 to be one of its biggest successes. That models term limits and system of peer review for high-level decision-making has provided the checks necessary to prevent a repeat of Mao-era catastrophes such as the Great Leap Forward and the Cultural Revolution.



In fact, the post-1979 dispensation has often allowed for a genuine battle of ideas, particularly between the statist Young Communist League and coastal elites who favor more economic liberalization. China may remain a closed society in many ways, but its top policymakers have shown an open-minded willingness to experiment and learn through trial and error.



Many economists, meanwhile, are less worried about excessive executive power, because they think it is even more dangerous to have a government that is too weak to overhaul the countrys economic model when needed. Among the governments current economic challenges are slower growth, spiraling debt  particularly among state-owned enterprises  and vested interests standing in the way of structural reforms.



Most economists would concede that the collective leadership model has prevented disasters. But they would argue that it has also impeded reform, and allowed the CPC to become a syndicate of corruption and cronyism, ideologically bereft and devoid of purpose.



At the end of Hu Jintaos two-term presidency in 2013 many feared that the collective leadership model was inadequate for confronting vested economic interests, tackling inequality, and delivering basic public goods. Indeed, as early as 2007, Hus own premier, Wen Jiabao, had concluded that Chinas economic trajectory was unstable, unbalanced, uncoordinated, and unsustainable.



By contrast, argue the economists, Xi has begun to turn things around by fighting for a cleaner party. His massive anti-corruption campaign has jailed thousands of party officials at all levels, and reestablished the CPCs grassroots credentials. The economists would concede that Xis campaign has also conveniently removed many of his potential rivals. But they would argue that his strengthened position now allows him to replace a growth model based on credit-financed debt with something more sustainable.



Of course, whether they are right about that remains to be seen. Despite Xis success in consolidating his power and extending his hold on it indefinitely, there is reason to doubt that he would be willing to risk a new economic model if sustainability proves to be incompatible with maintaining rapid growth.



This is where the technologists come in, by offering new ways to correct or avoid potential mistakes. In addition to supplanting the collective leadership model with one centered on the personality of a supreme leader, Xi has also significantly expanded the surveillance state. The government is increasingly using CCTV, big data, and artificial intelligence to study Chinese citizens behaviors, hopes, fears, and faces, so that it can forestall dissidence and challenges to its authority.



Moreover, under Xi, the government has established online social credit databases, which suggests that it could eventually roll out a single score for all Chinese citizens, comprising credit ratings, online behavior, health records, expressions of party loyalty, and other information.



The beauty of a big-data dictatorship is that it could sustain itself less through direct threats and punishment as a public spectacle, and more through nudges to manipulate peoples perspectives and behavior. And the more time Chinese citizens spend online, the more the government will be able to control what they see and do there.



Digital technologies will also allow the government to respond more quickly to public discontent, or to head it off altogether if it can discern or predict changes in public opinion. Given that many dictatorships collapse as a result of poor information, digital technologies could become an even more powerful prophylactic against bad decision-making than term limits.



If there is one thing that political scientists, economists, and technologists can all agree on, it is that Xi is building the most powerful and intrusive surveillance regime in history. It remains to be seen if his approach to making China great again will strengthen his hand or turn out to be a fatal weakness. But with China playing an ever-larger role in the global economy through its investments and infrastructure projects, the reverberations from what happens there will be felt everywhere, and for years to come. In a sense, Xi might just end up being a chairman of everything forever after all.







Mark Leonard is Director of the European Council on Foreign Relations.President Donald Trump on Thursday signed proclamations imposing a 25 percent tariff on foreign steel and a 10 percent tariff on foreign aluminum. Canada and Mexico are exempt from the outset, but the details appear dependent on negotiations.

After announcing his intention to impose steep tariffs on March 2, Trump tweeted, When a country is losing many billions of dollars on trade with virtually every country it does business with, trade wars are good and easy to win. Example, when we are down $100 billion with a certain country and they get cute, dont trade anymore. We win big. Its easy! U.S. Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross said he wasnt worried that other countries would slap tariffs on U.S. products, Retaliation isnt going to change the price of a can of beer. It isnt going to change the price of a car. Its not going to. It cant.

But the reaction was swift. Prominent Republican leaders expressed dismay at Trumps move. Sen. Ben Sasse of Nebraska said, Trade wars are lost by both sides. Kooky 18th-century protectionism will jack up prices on American families and will prompt retaliation from other countries.

Make no mistake, if the president goes through with this, it will kill American jobs. Thats what every trade war ultimately does. So much losing.

British Prime Minister Theresa May expressed her concerns to Trump by phone. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said, We will continue to engage with all levels of the American administration in the coming days so that they understand that this proposal is unacceptable. And Douglas Porter, chief economist at the Bank of Montreal added, Were pretty consistently flabbergasted that Canada is at the top of the hit parade of trade villains in Trumps eyes.

Trumps action has turned into a day-to-day drama of how the tariffs will specifically be implemented and their short- and long-term effects. While there may be players in the U.S. metals industry that benefit, there are even more people in the metal supply and fabrication industries that will be negatively affected. As of last Thursday, the expectation was U.S. trading partners would respond with reciprocal tariffs. The outbreak of trade wars will act like a tax on U.S. consumers and negatively impact millions of U.S. jobs.

I talked to people in the metal fabrication industry after Trumps initial announcement, and the response to the tariffs was negative. Companies that export their metal products to Mexico and Canada were particularly fearful of tariff retaliation by those countries if they are not exempted. That could cause job losses and canceled investment. Swedish manufacturer Electrolux halted its plans to build a $250 million production plant in Tennessee, attributing its decision to Trumps tariff announcement.

As the pushback escalated, Trump had indicated Mexico and Canada would not be exempted from the tariffs if they didnt cooperate with him on the North American Free Trade Agreement renegotiations, essentially holding NAFTA hostage.

Union Pacific Railroad CEO Lance Fritz said he was talking with U.S. officials to spread the gospel of what we all know here, which is closing our border wont create jobs. Itll destroy jobs, and itll destroy the jobs that the president believes he was elected to grow.

In todays environment, theres a number of our U.S. citizens who think that theyve lost their job as a result of international trade. And to some degree, theyre right. There is a portion of logic there, but its grossly misrepresented and not the big story.

If you read the papers, youd think that manufacturing is dying. Were just doing it with less people, and thats mostly about productivity. NAFTA has turned into a dirty word. NAFTAs really been a boon for us.

Fritz referred to a Ball State University study that found 88 percent of U.S. manufacturing job losses were directly attributable to gains in productivity.

Trade wars are not good and are not easy to win. They tend to escalate, and even exporters who are not directly involved in the fight, such as the agricultural sector, can be negatively impacted.

Tariffs can be a powerful tool to address inequities by countries that are not playing by the rules. If a country such as China is over-producing a product, which might be subsidized by the government, a tariff on Chinas imports might help address the problem. However, an across-the-board action against all steel and aluminum imports such as Trump was proposing affects countries that are playing by the rules, and makes U.S. companies vulnerable to retaliation. Whether specific countries are exempted or not, the uncertainty caused by Trumps action destabilizes companies operations and causes unneeded confusion.

Jerry Pacheco is the executive director of the International Business Accelerator, a nonprofit trade counseling program of the New Mexico Small Business Development Centers Network. He can be reached at 575-589-2200 or at jerry@nmiba.com.Much of what makes entrepreneur Ioana Engstrom who she is today can be traced to her childhood in Romania, with a father who presided over war crime tribunals and a mother who was an actress.

Her father, Alexandru Ion Petrescu, fought in both world wars and rose to become director of the countrys Supreme Court, she said.

He also helped to rescue a family of Jews when the Nazis took over the Eastern European country, Engstrom said.

It was before she was born, but she knew the story of how he hid a whole family in our basement, the grandparents, the parents, and he helped them get out, said Engstrom, a 62-year-old Albuququerque resident.

Later, her father presided over trials involving Nazi war criminals, as well as those who were members of the fascist Iron Guard movement in the years before World War II.

I will tell you, the only people who came to say thank you when my dad was purged by the communists (and) he retired were all these wonderful Jewish people who ended up in New York or Israel, and when they came through Romania, they would first come to my dad and say hello, Engstrom said. My sister found this old list he kept of everybody he helped because it was just outrageous what was going on. So I learned very early on about fairness and about doing the right things, even if its extremely tough and you could get in trouble.

Engstrom said her desire to do the right thing was borne out when she helped bring to the U.S. a Romanian friend who was being held under house arrest.

And, later, she said, it was her sense of fairness that prompted her to walk away from ClingZ, the Rio Rancho company she founded in 1989, when it was targeted for a hostile takeover.

The investors behind the takeover made life unbearable for Engstrom, but she said instead of shutting the company and reaping the profits, she left. That way the 30 people working for ClingZ could hold on to their livelihoods, she said.

A year later, she said, the hostile takeover fell apart.

The company continued after I left for six more years before they sold it to another group, she said. I made enough money out of it to fund my sons college. That was it.

Now, Engstrom and her husband, Rich, are working on their new company, Skipti, a peer-to-peer online rental service that is set to begin a trial run in June.

When did you come to this country?

I left Romania when I was 22. I met an American man who was from Albuquerque, studying on a Fulbright grant  and doing a case study on Romania. We met though my linguistics professor. So, long story, he ended up asking me to marry him. It was very complicated and took two years and it was two years in which you had no idea if youll ever get approval to get married and leave. I left because we ended up on a list  that got negotiated by (a congressman from New York)  and two weeks later, I had the approval to leave. I found out five years later while at UNM doing a paper on (a trade) agreement, I found a report following the congressmans trip to Romania and read that among the things that they had agreed to was an exchange of 11 Romanians for 20 million tons of grain at preferential prices.

You were one of those 11 Romanians?

Yes.

And the country got a lot of food in return 

Sadly, not. (Romanian President Nicolae) Ceausescus deal with the Russians was that they would stay out of Romania, but he had to pay them a lot, and one of the things was trains filled with grain going straight through Romania right on to Russia. So the Romanians didnt even get the grain on my behalf.

What was your life like after arriving in Albuquerque?

I came here, and then my then-husband decided to inform me that he didnt marry me because of love, but as a humanitarian gesture to help get me out of an Iron Curtain communist country. Literally two weeks after getting here, he informed me that he was going back to Europe and told me good luck and that he was sure I would survive. I had a one-way ticket, Im married and I had nothing. No way to go home.

What happened after that?

I went to UNM and would spend days there trying to figure out how I could get into the school. So I figured out a way, you know, loans and grants and work study and I got a job on campus. I did have to start from zero with an undergraduate degree. They didnt recognize any of my degrees that I did in Romania. But my life just took off. I went to the dorms. I figured out how to pay for my existence.

What was it like growing up in Romania?

I had a wonderful childhood. We had grandparents living with us; my aunt and uncle were there. We were all a big family, always together, always sharing wonderful meals, even when there wasnt any food whatsoever. I actually have an interesting story. My dad went every day to the market to try to find our family food and one time, my dad came home and said, You know girls, I have great news, tonight we are going to have baked potatoes and were going to have a picnic. Instead of eating at the table, were going to go into the bedroom and put a blanket on the floor and roast potatoes and moms going to recite poetry for us and its going to be a really fantastic night. We realized, years later, that he went to the market that day and all he found was potatoes. Instead of coming home and telling us there wasnt any food to be had except potatoes, he turned it into a picnic. I still remember it like it was yesterday. I remember my mother reciting poetry, laughing and how wonderful that night was.

What do you like to do in your free time?

I read. I walk the dog. Rich and I have people over to dinner .  We have one or two groups of friends that were very close to, and it always seems that when we get together, we never have time to finish our conversations on whatever topics were talking about.

What do you talk about?

Actually, we talk about space. A lot about whats next. We talk about the implications of AI (artificial intelligence) technology.

What do you worry about?

Because I was at the edge of existence when I arrived here, that has never left me. So, still I think about what would happen if I end up back on the streets. Survival is a really interesting obsession.

Do you have any big regrets?

Zero. I wouldnt change anything about my life. Its really what has made me who I am. Ive learned an enormous amount, and I continue to learn and I think thats absolutely important. It never stops, learning and curiosity.

Do you have a favorite place?

Its the Carpathian Mountains in Romania. They are absolutely magical.

Is there anything else that you want people to know about you?

You know, I have been recently talking to a friend about the many things Ive done in my career. A lot of them, if you look at what Ive done, are not failures, but not huge successes, and after putting so much time and effort into these things  Ive contemplated a lot on that and I choose to look at that in a very different way. What I didnt make is millions of dollars. But what I have gained from all that I have done is nothing but success and gratitude. Because from every single thing that has happened to me, I have learned. Yes, there is no millions, but Im in a comfortable place with an amazing husband, incredible sons and wonderful friends.

THE BASICS:

AGE: 62; born in Bucharest, Romania

EDUCATION: Bachelors degree with distinction, magna cum laude in political science, University of New Mexico, 1982; masters in business administration, UNM, 1986.

FAMILY: Married to Richard Engstrom since Oct. 2, 1999; two adult children: Adrian of Washington, D.C., and stepson Josh of Rio Rancho; Tristan, a rescued Brittany spaniel.

CURRENT JOB TITLE: Investment relations manager, Skipti.

JOB HISTORY: Founder and CEO, ClingZ, 1989 to 2002; Worked for other small businesses as a consultant over the last four years until August 2017.

OUTSIDE ORGANIZATIONS: Board member, FUSION Theater in Albuquerque; active with Global Ties.

DID YOU KNOW?

 One of Engstroms superstitions is that is if she drops some salt, she also must drop some pepper. Otherwise, she says, there will be a quarrel somewhere.

 While she is an outgoing extrovert, Engstrom says she needs complete quiet. If you took me today, and you dropped me in a Romanian monastery, I would be very happy.

 She is an accomplished violin player, having started when she was 4 years old.Congregation Nahalat Shalom, a Jewish congregation in Albuquerque, the Islamic Center of New Mexico, and Muslims & Jews United, founded by both congregations, support passage of Albuquerques Council Bill R-18-7 to strengthen Albuquerques status as an immigrant friendly city, promote public safety, protect civil rights and defend the dignity of all residents.

We believe it is important for every person in Albuquerque, regardless of race, religion, gender, disability, national origin, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender identity, citizenship or immigration status to fully access all city services and the justice system. This includes being able to contact city workers and police when seeking a city service, report a crime as a victim or witness, and appear in court for all civil, criminal or domestic relations matters without fearing arrest or detention by ICE agents.

In the past Albuquerque allowed Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) access to the citys Prisoner Transport Center, where persons arrested but not convicted are taken before transport to the Metropolitan Detention Center; this ICE presence deters some victims from reporting crimes, particularly domestic violence, to police and unfairly subjects accused persons to deportation.

City facilitation of deportation of persons arrested but presumed innocent, accused defendants, family members and friends of defendants, victims and witnesses who seek city services, testify in court or petition for domestic violence restraining orders makes some community members afraid of cooperating with law enforcement and the court system. That compromises the safety of our entire city.

City complicity with ICE also affects U.S. citizens when someone who has been a witness to a crime or accident wont come to court to testify for fear of ICE presence.

We support equal access for all persons in Albuquerque to city property and services, and believe that all of Albuquerque benefits from being an immigrant-friendly city; therefore we support passage of Council Bill R-18-7.Not long ago I waited for a flight to board. The plane took off 45 minutes late. There were only two attendants to accommodate 11 passengers who had requested wheelchair assistance.

Such growing efforts to ensure that the physically challenged can easily fly are certainly welcome. But when our plane landed  late and in danger of causing many passengers to miss their connecting flights  most of the 11 wheelchair-bound passengers left their seats unassisted and hurried out. It was almost as if newfound concerns about making connections had somehow improved their health during the flight.

Two passengers had boarded with two dogs each. No doubt the airlines policy of allowing an occasional dog on a flight is understandable. But now planes are starting to sound and smell like kennels.

Special blue parking placards were initially a long-overdue effort to help the disabled. But these days, the definition of disabled has so expanded that a large percentage of the population can qualify for special parking privileges  or cheat in order to qualify.

In California, 26,000 disabled parking placards are currently issued to people over 100 years of age, even though state records list only about 8,000 living centenarians.

Current crises such as homelessness and illegal immigration did not start out as much of a public concern.

Originally, progressive politicians felt that cities should bend their vagrancy laws a bit to allow some of the poor to camp on the sidewalks. Bathroom and public health issues were considered minor, given the relatively small pool of so-called street people.

Few objected to illegal immigration in the 1960s and 1970s. Foreign nationals came unlawfully across the border in relatively small numbers  thousands, not millions. Fifty years ago, America was eager to assimilate even the few arrivals who arrived illegally. Not now. The melting pot gave way to the identity politics of the tribe that asks little integration of the newcomers.

Whether out of guilt or out of fear of being perceived as exclusionary by harder leftists, progressives cannot, or will not, draw realistic limits to illegal immigration or homelessness. Yet both cost the law-abiding public billions of dollars in social services, often at the expense of American poor.

This rapid spread of progressivism leads to an endless race for absolute equality and an erosion of prior rules. It also makes once-liberal positions seem passe, recasting those positions as dangerously reactionary.

In 2008, Barack Obama ran for president on a number of Bill Clintons centrist Democratic policies. Obama opposed gay marriage as contrary to his own Christian beliefs.

Obama supported increased security along the border with Mexico. As a senator, he had voted for a 2006 measure to create 700 miles of new fencing along the Mexican border.

But by the time Obama sought re-election in 2012, progressives were routinely labeling Obamas positions on gay marriage and immigration as homophobic and nativist, respectively.

Twenty years ago, there was honest debate over global warming. Ten years ago, there was still honest debate over the effects of human-induced climate change. Five years ago, there was still honest debate over the cost-benefit analysis of dealing with the problem.

Not now. Anyone who doubts that there is an existential man-caused threat to the planet  requiring the radical and costly reconstruction of the global economy and society  is considered a denier, deserving of professional ostracism or worse.

In the eternal search for perfect justice and equality, what starts out as liberal can quickly end up as progressively absurd. The logic of equality of result, rather than equality of opportunity, demands that there is always one more group, one more grievance, one more complaint against the shrinking and overwhelmed majority.

The conservative ancient Athenian philosopher Plato once made his megaphone Socrates lament that in ancient Athens nonstop search for perfect equality, soon even the horses would have to be accorded the same privileges as humans.

Socrates fantasy was an exaggeration intended as a reminder about the craziness of always-creeping mandated equality. Now it seems not far from the mainstream positions of animal-rights groups.

If we insist that the human experience is not tragic and cyclical, but instead must always bend on some predetermined arc to absolute equality and fairness, then unfortunate results must follow.

One, what is welcomed as progressive on Monday is derided as intolerable on Tuesday. The French and Russian revolutions went through several such cycles. After reformers had removed absolute rulers, the reformers were soon derided as too timid. Then came far more radical revolutionaries, who were in turn beheaded or shot as dangerous counter-revolutionaries.

Second, when rules and regulations are always watered down as too exclusionary, the descent to no rules is quite short. The ultimate destination is nihilism and chaos. We see that now in Venezuela and Cuba  and increasingly in California as well.The job of city attorney is one of the most important positions in Albuquerque city government, which is why the City Charter mandates it be filled through an open and competitive hiring process.

Whether Mayor Tim Keller and his administration adhered to the spirit of that mandate is up for debate given how the selection process played out, and thats unfortunate for the administration, the appointee and Albuquerque taxpayers.

Esteban Aguilar Jr., whom Keller selected and who still needs approval from the City Council, could prove to be an excellent city attorney. But for now, he has a cloud hanging over his selection  not good for anyone.

The Keller administration advertised the position of city attorney both online and in the Dec. 13 edition of the New Mexico Bar Bulletin. The postings said the opening date for submitting applications was Nov. 29 and listed a closing date of Dec. 20.

At least 19 people applied. Apparently unhappy with the pool, Kellers office reached out to Aguilar in early February to see if he was interested in applying, and he ended up being selected for this high-profile post.

Alicia Manzano, the mayors spokeswoman, defends the process used, calling it open and competitive and adding that because the city attorney job is an unclassified position, there is no prohibition on asking if individuals are interested in applying. She went on to state that there is no violation of any Human Resources Department policy by accepting applications past the posted deadline for an unclassified position.

Manzano is correct in that Keller has broad discretion for most of his appointments. For most, he even has the ability to forego a search process. But the positions of city attorney and city clerk require an open and competitive search process, because theyre not like other political appointments.

A city clerk is responsible for running city elections and must be above partisan politics. Similarly, the city attorney provides legal representation for the administration and City Council and plays a crucial role in how city government operates through the interpretation of city rules and laws.

While the mayor can unilaterally fire most directors with or without cause, termination of the city attorney or clerk can only be done after the director of the Office of Internal Audit and Investigations determines cause, and then only if two-thirds of the City Council agree. It shows how critical  and apolitical  the roles of these two positions are supposed to be.

Given how pivotal the position of city attorney is in city government, Keller and his administration should have gone the extra mile to ensure there wasnt even the appearance of any shenanigans in the filling of that position. Sadly, they werent able to accomplish that.

So what are the residents of Albuquerque left with?

They are left with a search process that yielded 19 applicants, and with a decision by the Mayors Office to ignore the application deadline and reach out to another local attorney to apply. And theyre left with the citys decision to keep that information from the public quiet until the actual announcement was made.

It is worth noting that the Journal, which reported the 19 applicants the day before the selection was announced, was in contact with the city at that time  yet the city failed to mention any late applicant, or the fact that the new city attorney would not be among that list of 19. What does that say about an above-board, open selection process?

Applicants passed over for the job include Kimberly Bell, the senior deputy university counsel at UNM, who formerly worked at the Rodey Law Firm, and Michael Cadigan, who served as a city councilor from 2001 to 2009 and now runs his own law firm.

If Keller was unhappy with the applicants, he should have re-advertised the position. Sidestepping that process, encouraging Aguilar to apply, then naming him city attorney sends the message that the fix was already in.

One thing missing from Aguilars biography  released by the city  is any mention of government experience. He has worked in general civil practice for more than a decade at Aguilar & Aguilar, P.C., a firm he founded with his father.

And his time at the UNM School of Law, graduating in 2005, would have meant some overlap with Sarita Nair, the citys chief administrative officer, who graduated in 2003.

Aguilar needs to be confirmed by two-thirds of the City Council; Councilor Brad Winter is questioning whether the selection process was truly open and competitive.

Its unfortunate that the process to select Aguilar was fraught with irregularities, and it sets a high bar for him and the administration to overcome to restore public trust.

This editorial first appeared in the Albuquerque Journal. It was written by members of the editorial board and is unsigned as it represents the opinion of the newspaper rather than the writers.DO I NEED A REAL ID TO VOTE? In New Mexico, voters in Albuquerque (and Rio Rancho, Clovis and Hobbs) are required to show ID when casting a ballot in a city election. So now that New Mexico is issuing Real ID-compliant drivers licenses, some of those voters are wondering if they will have to show a Real ID.

Theodore S. Arrington emails that Albuquerque city elections require a government-issued picture ID to vote. In the past, a drivers license fulfilled this requirement. In the future will the city require a Real ID or will the lesser drivers authorization card be enough? If the latter, then there is no change from the status quo. If, however, a real ID is required, then the right to vote will be substantially limited.

Theodore expands on this with his wifes experience trying to get her Real ID license, the $35 for a duplicate birth certificate and the fact we are college educated, we could figure out all the hoops and navigate them. For many people this is just not a reasonable task in order to retain the right to vote. Riding on an airplane or going into a federal facility is not a right. Voting is a right.

And Regina Tomlinson chimes in for the un-Real ID group, emailing if I am asked for identification at a polling place, will a drivers license labeled not for federal purposes be sufficient?

Yes.

According to the Albuquerque City Charter, Article XIII Section 14, voters in Albuquerque Municipal Elections identify themselves to the Election Clerk at the polling place with a photo ID. The voter shall provide a form of identification which includes the voters name and photograph. Identification with a signature or an address is not required. ONLY THE NAME AND PHOTOGRAPH ARE REQUIRED.

The following types of identification are accepted: any card issued by a government agency, drivers license, student identification card, credit or debit card, insurance card, union membership card, professional association card, City Clerk-issued identification.

The charter goes on to explain that this is not an exclusive list. As long as the Voter presents an ID with their name, which reasonably matches their voter registration record and a photograph, the ID is acceptable for the purpose of voting.

Its similar in Rio Rancho, Clovis and Hobbs, which use the same list as above that starts with any card issued by a government agency and ends with or a voter identification card issued by the (Rio Rancho/Clovis/Hobbs) City Clerk.

BRING BACK THE SPEED VANS: After a reader recently asked for the red-light cameras to come back, pmontan o2 emails the speed vans, not the red-light cameras, need to be reinstated. The speeders are getting out of hand  50 mph in a 30 mph zone  which means lost revenue to the city by not issuing citations for speeding. I am especially concerned about Ouray NW between Coors Road and Ladera Drive. But as I said, speeders are getting out of hand everywhere.

The Albuquerque Police Department has said to request a speed tactical plan in your area, call 242-COPS or your area substation.

GET AN EXTRA SET OF KEYS: And ezparker opines that I would think that someone who has to pre-warm the car in the morning might be smart enough to invest a few dollars in an extra key. And the way to use the extra key is to use one key to start the car and lock the doors while the car warms. The extra key would then be used to re-enter the car when they are ready to drive off. It is unlikely a thief would break a window to steal the car because it would probably attract attention to him(/her). And an extra key costs so much less than an extra car!

CAR SEAT CLINICS COMING UP: From 5 to 6:30 p.m. Wednesday at Sandia Resort, t he New Mexico Department of Transportation and Safer New Mexico Now will host their annual Child Safety Seat Clinic.

Its free, and it can save a life.

Safer says in a news release that parents and caregivers will get hands-on instruction from certified child passenger safety technicians who will check if a car seat is installed correctly as well as if it is the right size for the child using it, along with if it has been recalled, is expired or otherwise unsafe.

The clinic will be in the southeast parking lot between C6 and C8, and appointments are encouraged. Call 505-856-6143 to make one, and be sure to bring the child safety seat and, if possible, the child.

Editorial page editor DVal Westphal tackles commuter issues for the Metro area on Mondays. Reach her at 823-3858; dwestphal@abqjournal.com; or P.O. Drawer J, Albuquerque, N.M. 87103.Kevin Cook has lived in Bayard near Silver City for 22 years, but until joining Leadership New Mexico, he had never visited Hobbs, save for a quick drive-through decades ago during a trip elsewhere.

Now, after three days of local tours, networking and workshops there in early March with this years core class of Leadership trainees, Cook has a better grasp of the hustle and bustle of life in New Mexicos booming oil patch.

I didnt have a clue how vibrant it was, he said. The sheer size of the community impressed me. I thought it was just a small town, but its nearly a 50,000 population.

As manager of strategic community development for copper mining company Freeport McMoran, Cook joined the Leadership program to learn more about the issues and challenges facing New Mexico, and perhaps gain more ideas and skills that could enrich the impact of his own work in Grant County. Now, after participating in Leadership events in Hobbs and three other regions of the state, Cook said hes sold on the programs benefits.

Many of the issues weve examined in each session around the state are directly aligned with my own focus on education, economic development and the health and wellness of local communities, Cook said. Im finding that so many of the problems I see locally in my region are common throughout New Mexico.

Those common threads are at the heart of the Leadership program, now in its 22nd year. The nonprofit organization brings together leaders from a broad

range of industries and communities to learn about each other and to collectively explore the states challenges and assets.

In the process, participants forge a better understanding of both the states diversity, and of the common ties that bind people together.

We work to educate people about the issues facing New Mexico so that theyre better equipped to make more informed decisions in their own companies and communities, said Leadership NM President Patty Komko. Weve built a diverse network of leaders over the years that include people from dozens of communities, professions and viewpoints who are all working in their own ways to improve their communities.

Since launching in 1996, about 1,600 New Mexico residents have graduated from Leadership programs. That includes an annual, 10-month core class, plus two shorter programs for local government leaders, and for younger, next-generation leaders ages 25-40.

In the core class, participants travel together around the state to tour facilities, meet with local business and community leaders, and attend presentations by experts on critical issues. The class is broken into six, three-day sessions from fall to spring, each one focused on a specific theme.

This years class, which began in September, includes 41 people from 19 communities and many different professions ranging from education and engineering to health care and business.

Among them is Leaderships first veterinarian, Belen-based Valencia Animal Clinic owner Brenda Mack-Cain, who said the groups eclectic mix provides a variety of perspectives on issues.

It brings together a ton of diversity, she said. That offers a broad spectrum of thought beyond simple black-and-white conversations.

Taos Community Foundation Executive Director Lisa OBrien said shes meeting people outside her normal circle of nonprofit associates.

Its taken me out of my comfort zone in northern New Mexico and exposed me to a much broader vision of things, OBrien said. In the process, Ive realized we have very similar experiences across all our different industries and professions.

Since September, the class has attended workshops on leadership in Santa Fe, health care and human services in Las Vegas, economic development in Las Cruces, and education in Hobbs. Still to come: environment and natural resources in Farmington and crime and justice in Taos.

During its latest stint in Lea County, the group visited the $4 billion uranium enrichment plant run by URENCO USA in Eunice. They also toured the planned Center of Recreational Excellence in Hobbs, a $61 million facility now under construction to improve the communitys health and quality of life.

Santa Fe-based Cisneros Design owner and founder Fred Cisneros said such tours and workshops offer deeper insight into the states strengths and weaknesses.

People all over New Mexico are dealing with the same types of issues we face in Santa Fe, whether its education or economic development, Cisneros said. Were all working on the same challenges and seeking positive outcomes.

After graduating, participants expect to continue networking with one another.

Leadership challenges us to think about what we can do to engage in issues and how we can tap into a network of leaders to work together on things, said Tommy Sanders, vice president for customer and support services at New Mexico Gas Co. in Albuquerque.

Leslie Cervantes, New Mexico State Universitys associate vice president for alumni donor relations, said the program is cultivating generations of future leaders.

It helps to better address challenges as people become decision makers in their own organizations and communities, Cervantes said.

LEADERSHIP DEFINED

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DMC Logistics

El Paso Electric Co.

Intel Corp.

Jaynes Corp.

Los Alamos National Bank

New Mexico Gas Co., an Emera company

PNM

Presbyterian Medical Services

REDW LLC

Wells Fargo Bank

Bronze Sponsors

Armstrong Energy Corp.

Bohannan Huston Inc.

Brycon Corp.

Dekker/Perich/Sabatini

Lynn and Jim Haynes

HB Construction

Laguna Development Corp.

Lovelace Health System

Nuclear Waste Partnership LLC

Pioneer Bank

Pulakos CPAs

Read & Stevens Inc.

Tim Van Valen

U.S. Bank Foundation

Waste Management of New Mexico

Turquoise Sponsors

Century Bank

Officials at Albuquerques Raymond G. Murphy VA Medical Center say the facilitys recently lowered complexity rating will not affect care received by veterans there.

The facility was identified as a 1B facility, down from the highest possible complexity rating of 1A, last year.

Current employees and veterans will see no difference whatsoever, said Sonja Brown, associate director of the New Mexico VA Health Care System. These internal classifications exist solely for the purpose of categorizing VA medical centers according to how complex they are to manage.

VA press secretary Curt Cashour said complexity ratings are determined every three years through several criteria, including research dollars, complexity of care available, mental health capabilities and others.

Medical center director Andrew Welch said the rating does not affect funding received by the hospital.

Welch attributed the lower rating to the stable number of veterans served by the hospital  around 60,000  and the loss of the medical centers neurosurgery department roughly a year-and-a-half ago.

The neurosurgery gap is being filled by a partnership with the University of New Mexico Hospital, but Welch said they are working to bring back the department.

The difficulty is across the country and especially in New Mexico, neurosurgeons are one of the most difficult specialties to recruit, Welch said.

Brown said materials associated with the rating are not yet available for release.

Mitchell Lawrence, director of the state Department of Veterans Services Healthcare Coordination Division, said a lowered complexity rating could indicate a variety of things.

One way of looking at it is we could potentially have a healthier population of veterans that dont need that 1A level of care, he said.

Lawrence said a neurosurgery department is certainly a mark of a complex hospital.

But if a specialist isnt seeing much time in the operating room, it may serve them to move to a place with more work.

Keeping highly specialized providers at facilities that are not seeing the type of cases to support that specialty could be detrimental to that provider, he said.Estimados amigos,

Les doy cordialmente la bienvenida a este Blog informativo con articulos, analisis y comentarios de publicaciones especializadas y especialmente seleccionadas, principalmente sobre temas economicos, financieros y politicos de actualidad, que esperamos y deseamos, sean de su maximo interes, utilidad y conveniencia.

Pensamos que solo comprendiendo cabalmente el presente, es que podemos proyectarnos acertadamente hacia el futuro.

Gonzalo Raffo de Lavalle

Las convicciones son mas peligrosos enemigos de la verdad que las mentiras.

Quien no lo ha dado todo no ha dado nada.

Helenio Herrera

History repeats itself, first as tragedy, second as farce.

Karl Marx

If you know the other and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles.

Sun Tzu









We are travelers on a cosmic journey, stardust, swirling and dancing in the eddies and whirlpools of infinity. Life is eternal. We have stopped for a moment to encounter each other, to meet, to love, to share.This is a precious moment. It is a little parenthesis in eternity.



Paulo CoelhoLeadership New Mexico is proud to introduce its Core Program Class of 2018. These 41 leaders from 17 communities across the state reflect diverse industries, professional and personal backgrounds, and points of view. Together, they are the 22nd class of Leadership New Mexico Core Program participants who have made an investment in New Mexicos future, as well as their own.

In this edition of Business Outlook, we share the class reflections on their program experience and insights about the future of our state. We think that you will find these individuals are determined and passionate about creating a better future and quality of life for all New Mexicans.

What is Leadership New Mexico, and how does it make an impact on our state? In 1995, a small group of passionate individuals saw the need for a nonpartisan, statewide organization dedicated to the development of informed leaders in all corners of the state. They believed that New Mexicos future prosperity would be directly dependent upon the quality and contributions of its leadership.

Through the hard work and generosity of volunteers and supporters, the founders vision has grown for the past 22 years. To date, Leadership New Mexico has provided nearly 1,600 business, community, and government leaders with valuable insights and nonpartisan perspectives on New Mexicos many

opportunities and challenges. Alumni from 85 communities have gone on to lead with a deeper understanding and awareness of the issues facing our state.

Today, Leadership New Mexico offers four distinct programs: the Core Program, the Local Government Leadership Program, the Connect New Mexico Program and the Alumni Program. While each serves a specific audience, they all provide unique opportunities for participants to expand their awareness, build lasting professional and personal relationships and become part of a statewide network of informed and dedicated leaders.

The Core Program was launched in 1996 and was initially Leadership New Mexicos sole offering. Designed for established, senior-level leaders, the Core Program consists of six program sessions held in different communities over a 10-month period. Each session features presentations from respected experts in fields such as health and human services, education, crime and justice or economic development. Speakers are experts in their fields who volunteer their time to speak and share their expertise to a group of 40 to 45 Core participants.

The Local Government Leadership Program was created in 2003 for municipal and county officials, school board members, New Mexico National Guard members, and regional councils of government to help them gain the knowledge to undertake civic responsibilities with a passion for effective and ethical public service. It meets for two, 2-day sessions and is the product of a partnership with the New Mexico Association of Counties, the New Mexico Municipal League and the New Mexico School Board Association.

Connect New Mexicos Next Generation of Leadership Program, introduced in 2007, is tailored to the needs of young professionals (ages 25-40). This program combines elements of the Core Program and Local Government Leadership Program to develop participants personal leadership skills and gain a greater understanding of how New Mexicos systems and structures work.

The Alumni Program offers graduates from all of the Leadership New Mexico programs the opportunity to continue their educational involvement and professional development through social and educational events.

In early 2018, Leadership New Mexico reached another milestone: the support of more than 200 Lifetime Members. Lifetime Members are individuals who have made a one-time gift to Leadership New Mexicos endowment in exchange for lifelong member benefits. Their overwhelming support speaks to the enduring value that Leadership New Mexico delivers well beyond participants initial program experience.

The diversity of perspectives, mutual respect of participants, unparalleled knowledge and expertise of speakers, and in-depth exposure to our states diverse communities that participants receive sets our programs apart. Graduates put their knowledge into action by serving countless hours on boards and committees and advocating for the most critical issues in their communities. Our graduates have a profound impact on the state and are building a stronger future for all of us through their leadership.

https://abqjournal.com/1144083/leadership-progrtatewide-network.htmlGovernment information belongs to the people, all five candidates for governor agree, but their opinions differed as to how much privacy should be given to individuals who interact with the government.

In a public forum at KNME on Sunday sponsored by the Foundation for Open Government, the candidates said more files should be available online and cost should not stop the public from accessing records.

It was the first in-person forum involving all five candidates: Democrats U.S. Rep. Michelle Lujan Grisham, Jeff Apodaca, state Sen. Joseph Cervantes, Peter DeBenedittis and lone Republican U.S. Rep. Steve Pearce.

Very few issues arose that drew out dissent among the group, which agreed that legislators and government officials should be held accountable through a transparent ethics process.

Pearce thinks such a process should also apply to staff.

Many times you have the capability for  mischief to be done, for wrongdoing to occur at the staff level as well as the elected official level, he said.

And they agreed that documents created by government agencies should be available free or at low cost to the public without much fuss.

If you are denying access because people have an inability to pay for copies or administrative time then youre not meeting the spirit of sunshine laws or transparent government, Lujan Grisham said.

The forum marks the beginning of Sunshine Week, which highlights the publics right to government information.

The group even agreed that more openness is necessary in what has historically been one of the most secretive processes in New Mexico government: capital outlay funding in which legislators secure money for projects but arent required to disclose their final allocations.

But the groups opinions varied when it comes to whether applications for state positions should be publicly available. Some people who believe the names should be secret argue that the practice may deter some qualified potential hires from applying.

Deterring some was a chance were going to have to take, Cervantes argued.

Look, open and transparent government sometimes makes it harder for us to do some things, he said. But nonetheless Ive always supported that transparency, because in the end it gives us the better government.

Although it can be awkward to apply for a job knowing your current employer might find out, Pearce said, the open policy should stay in place.

At the end of the day, there is so much distrust of the government right now, the more transparent we can get, the better off we are, he said.

Lujan Grisham said that approach can have unintended consequences and pointed out that some places choose not to disclose names right away, an idea she said was worth considering.

As soon as the hire is made, you disclose everything in the process, she said.

Apodaca, a former television executive from Albuquerque, suggested a hybrid approach in which only the names of candidates who make it to the final rounds of hiring would be made public.

We want the best people to work in our government, he said. We want to hire the best people. Some of the best people will want to stay private.

DeBenedittis, a political newcomer from Santa Fe, dismissed the idea that an open process would deter solid candidates from applying.

Folks who say, oh well the best people wont get there,  he said. The best people who have secrets to keep wont get there.

Databases created by state agencies and licensed to businesses were also controversial. Moderators asked whether the state should prioritize maximizing revenue or public availability of government information.

Cervantes answered the question as it applies to banks of information compiled by the Department of Motor Vehicles. He said private companies want access to that information as a marketing tool. He said the public has some expectation of privacy and the answer is not black and white.

Pearce said the collection of that private data itself can be alarming, and it should never be used for revenue generation.

DeBenedittis, repeating his mantra public is public, argued that charging for access to such information would make it available only to the wealthy.

Lujan Grisham said putting a price on government information would keep it closed and secret, and that doesnt benefit the citizens. And Apodaca said funding technology to streamline access to data should be a priority.

As the state Supreme Court weighs a series of rule changes that would make juvenile criminal court records secret, Cervantes, Apodaca and DeBenedittis said they believe juvenile records involving serious crimes should stay open. Lujan Grisham and Pearce said certain caveats should apply.

The forum came one day after the states Democratic Party convention, at which Lujan Grisham won 66.9 percent of party delegate votes, followed by Apodaca, Cervantes and DeBenedittis. DeBenedittis threw his support behind Apodaca but has not officially withdrawn from the race. Lujan Grisham and Apodaca are assured spots on the June 5 primary election ballot, and the other candidates must secure more signatures to secure a ballot spot.NEW YORK  All five passengers aboard a helicopter that crashed into New York Citys East River were confirmed dead early Monday morning by a NYPD spokesman.

The pilot was able to escape the Sunday night crash after the aircraft flipped upside down in the water, officials said. He was rescued by a tugboat.

The helicopter, a private charter hired for a photo shoot, went down near Gracie Mansion, the mayoral residence.

Video taken by a bystander and posted on Twitter shows the red helicopter land hard in the water and then capsize, its rotors slapping at the water.

The passengers were recovered by police and fire department divers, who had to remove them from tight harnesses while they were upside down, Fire Commissioner Daniel Nigro said.

It took awhile for the divers to get these people out. They worked very quickly as fast as they could, Nigro said. It was a great tragedy that we had here.

Witnesses on a waterfront esplanade near where the aircraft went down said the helicopter was flying noisily, then suddenly dropped into the water and quickly submerged. But the pilot appeared on the surface, holding onto a flotation device as a tugboat and then police boats approached.

Its cold water. It was sinking really fast, Mary Lee, 66, told the New York Post. By the time we got out here, we couldnt see it. It was underwater.

Celia Skyvaril, 23, told the Daily News that she could see a person on what looked like a yellow raft or float screaming and yelling for help.

News footage showed one victim being loaded into an ambulance while emergency workers gave him chest compressions.

A bystander, Susan Larkin, told The Associated Press that she went down to see rescue boats in the river and a police helicopter circling overhead, hovering low over the water.

You could clearly see they were searching, she said.

A Federal Aviation Administration spokeswoman said the Eurocopter AS350 went down just after 7 p.m. The aircraft was owned by Liberty Helicopters, a company that offers both private charters and sightseeing tours popular with tourists. A phone message left with the company was not immediately returned.

The skies over New York constantly buzz with helicopters carrying tourists, businesspeople, traffic reporters, medical teams and others. Crashes are not unheard of.

In 2009, a sightseeing helicopter of the same model and operated by the same company as the one in Sundays wreck collided with a small, private plane over the Hudson River, killing nine people, including a group of Italian tourists.

A crash in October 2011 in the East River killed a British woman visiting the city for her 40th birthday. Three other passengers were injured.

A helicopter on a sightseeing tour of Manhattan crashed into the Hudson River in July 2007, shaking up the eight people aboard but injuring no one. In June 2005, two helicopters crashed into the East River in the same week. One injured eight people including some banking executives. The other hit the water shortly after takeoff on a sightseeing flight, injuring six tourists and the pilot.

Nigro and Police Commissioner James ONeill said the rescue operation Sunday took place in a 4 mph current in water about 50 feet (15 meters) deep, under challenging conditions.

The cause of the crash is unknown. The FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board are investigating.

Officials did not immediately release the names of the pilot or passengers.

The helicopter was recovered in the rescue operation and towed to a pier.AUSTIN, Texas  Two package bomb blasts a few miles apart killed a teenager and wounded two women in Austin on Monday, less than two weeks after a similar attack left a man dead in another part of the Texas capital.

Investigators said the bombings are probably connected, and they are looking into whether race was a factor because all of the victims were minorities. The blasts unfolded just as the city was swelling with visitors to the South By Southwest music festival.

The first of Mondays attacks killed a 17-year-old boy and wounded a 40-year-old woman, both of them black. As Police Chief Brian Manley held a news conference to discuss that attack, authorities were called to the scene of another explosion that injured a 75-year-old Hispanic woman. She was taken to a hospital with potentially life-threatening wounds.

Authorities suspect that both of Mondays explosions were linked to a March 2 attack that killed a 39-year-old black man. All three blasts happened as the packages were opened, and officials urged the public to call police if they receive any unexpected packages.

This is the third in what we believe to be related incidents over the past 10 days, Manley said while briefing reporters near the site of Mondays second explosion. He at first suggested that the blasts could constitute a hate crime, but later amended that to say authorities had not settled on a motive.

We are not ruling anything out at this point, said Manley, who said the intended targets were not clear since multiple people live in the homes where explosives were placed. We are willing to investigate any avenue that may be involved.

The police chief refused to provide many details about how the explosives were packaged, citing the ongoing investigation. But he said they were an average-size letter box and not particularly large.

In all three cases, he said, the packages did not appear to have gone through the U.S. Postal Service or private carriers like UPS. They were left on doorsteps without a knock or ringing of doorbells.

The explosions happened far from the main events of the wildly popular festival known as SXSW, which brings about 400,000 visitors to Austin each year. Manley urged visitors to be aware of whats going on.

Enjoy yourself. Have a good time, he said. Theres no reason to believe that you are at any greater risk other than be aware, look for things that are suspicious.

In a tweet, organizers of the festival said SXSW is heartbroken by the explosions in Austin, and they urged visitors to stay safe. Gov. Greg Abbott offered a $15,000 reward for information leading to an arrest.

Four years ago, a driver plowed through a barricade and into festival-goers, killing four people and injuring many others. Extra security measures were taken, including additional policing, tougher security checks and brighter street lighting.

The three explosions occurred in different parts of east Austin, which is east of Interstate 35, the highway that divides the city. The east side has historically been more heavily minority and less wealthy than the west side, although that has changed as gentrification has raised home prices and rents throughout the capital.

Mondays first blast happened at a home in Springdale Hills, a leafy neighborhood of houses mostly from the 1960s and 1970s. After the attack, officials in hazardous materials suits came and went regularly.

That was about 12 miles (20 kilometers) from the home where the March 2 package bomb killed 39-year-old Anthony Stephan House. Houses death was initially investigated as suspicious but is now viewed as a homicide.

Mondays second explosion occurred around the Montopolis neighborhood, about 5 miles south of the days first blast.

Joanna Samarripa, who lives around the corner, said she saw a woman slumped in the doorway of the home after rushing over moments after the explosion.

The cops were running and telling everyone Get out of the house! Get out of the house!' Samarripa said. Im still scared. Im still shaking. I dont even want to leave my daughter no more.

Neighbor Keith Reynolds heard what sounded to him like a propane explosion. He rushed outside and saw a cloud of hazy smoke and others on his street running to help.

There was a horrible screaming. You knew that something terrible was happening, Reynolds said, adding that the victims body was riddled with holes as emergency responders took her out of the house and into an ambulance.

Its just a regular family neighborhood, he said. Its just a grandmother, you know what I mean? Like, why?

FBI teams from Austin, San Antonio and Dallas were investigating as was the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Manley said anyone receiving a package they were not expecting should call 911.

Under no circumstances should you touch them, move them or handle them in any way, he said.

The victims in Mondays blasts were not immediately identified.

___

Associated Press writers Jim Vertuno in Austin and David Warren in Dallas contributed to this report.WASHINGTON  A senior House Democrat asked the Trump Organization and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin on Monday to provide more information on a $151,470 donation the Trump family firm turned over in February to the government. President Donald Trump pledged last year to donate profits from foreign government patronage at his companys properties.

Rep. Elijah Cummings of Maryland, ranking member of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, asked a Trump Organization lawyer Monday to provide documents showing the companys foreign government payments and how it calculated its donation.

In the letter to George A. Sorial, the organizations executive vice president, Cummings noted that the firm has not disclosed any details behind the donation. Cummings said the firm refused to comply to a bipartisan request from lawmakers last April to provide documents on Trumps plan to donate his firms foreign profits to the U.S. Treasury.

Cummings said that in a woefully incomplete response last May, the company provided a pamphlet explaining that it could not identify its patrons because it would impede upon personal privacy and diminish the guest experience of the brand.

In Mondays letter, Cummings pressed for any documents identifying foreign government-sourced payments to the Trump Organization, as well as how the firm calculated its foreign payments and whether the company planned to claim its Treasury donation as a gift for tax deduction purposes.

In a separate letter, Cummings also asked Mnuchin to turn over any documents the company provided to Treasury about the donation and a copy of the check.

Both Trump Organization and Treasury officials were not immediately available to comment on Cummings letters.A Tech Navigator Challenge launching this month will put University of New Mexico students at the helm of technology transfer efforts by UNM and two of New Mexicos national laboratories.

About 30 students divided into eight or nine teams will compete for a $10,000 first-place prize for the best marketing plan, plus second- and third-place winnings of $5,000 and $3,000. The teams will be working with real technologies that UNM, the Air Force Research Laboratory and Sandia National Laboratories hope to commercialize.

Its a first-of-its-kind competition in New Mexico, and nationally as well, because no other marketing challenge elsewhere has put students in the drivers seat to commercialize innovation from national labs, said UNM Innovation Academy Executive Director Rob DelCampo.

Its unique across the country, DelCampo said. Some places use university technologies, but were the only ones using lab technologies and letting students figure things out on their own, albeit with mentors.

The Air Force lab is the lead sponsor, providing $25,000 for the prizes and other costs, including nominal fees for professional mentors, plus an April 27 luncheon where students will pitch their business plans to a panel of judges. Bernalillo County also kicked in $3,000.

Applications are open until Wednesday for UNM and Central New Mexico Community College students. Participants will be broken into teams at a launch ceremony Monday at UNMs Rainforest Building at the Innovate Albuquerque research and development hub Downtown, where the labs will deliver summaries of the technologies open for marketing.

City Alives Tech Navigator program, which operates at the Rainforest Building to help connect entrepreneurs and scientists with business-related resources, will work with students to provide guidance and mentors.

The technologies in play span a broad range of sciences. They include biotech innovation from UNM, sensing and measurement tools from Sandia to detect gasses and determine salinity in fluids and new microwave zoom antennas plus laser and electromagnetic technologies from the Air Force lab, DelCampo said. The challenge is to define broader potential markets and applications for those inventions, which currently have narrow scientific focuses.

That can help the labs in their own commercialization efforts, said Gabe Mounce, economic development lead for the Air Force lab.

It serves a number of goals, including efforts to bolster the local and national economy, which is a national security issue for us, while building the students ability to form technology-based companies, Mounce said.

For students, it provides real-world experience in technology transfer, said Lisa Kuuttila, head of the Science and Technology Corp., UNMs tech-transfer office.

Technology transfer is something of a nebulous concept for many people, Kuuttila said. This gives students hands-on experience in taking early-stage technology and thinking about how it can be marketed as a possible new product or business opportunity.DENVER  The Denver Sheriffs Department has said it is investigating why immigration authorities werent notified of the release of a jail inmate until about an hour after he had already left.

Ivan Zamarripa-Castaneda of Mexico, 26, is charged with vehicular homicide in a hit-and-run crash that killed truck driver John Anderson, 57, on Interstate 70 on March 3. He was released from Denvers jail at 5:28 p.m. Saturday after posting $25,000 bond but U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement was not notified until 6:33 p.m., the sheriffs department said.

This is unacceptable and the Sheriff has ordered an immediate internal review to determine why established notification processes did not take place before Zamarripa-Castaneda was released, the department said Sunday in a statement.

In a statement, Immigration and Customs Enforcement Denver Field Office Director Jeffrey D. Lynch said the agency was notified Saturday that Zamarripa-Castaneda would be released at an unspecified time.

He said deportation officers arrived at the jail less than two hours later to take him into custody and discovered he had already been released. The agency now considers Zamarripa-Castaneda an immigration fugitive.

Lynch said that the agency was working with the sheriffs department to determine what happened to try to prevent similar situations from happening again.

As law enforcement professionals, we should all have the same ultimate goal in mind  to protect the public by combating criminals. ICE helps fulfill that role by removing criminal aliens from the streets, and from the United States, he said.

The incident happened a year after U.S. Attorney Jeff Sessions criticized Denvers jail for giving immigration officials 25 minutes notice before releasing an auto theft suspect, Ever Valles, they had expressed an interest in. He was involved in a fatal robbery several months later and was sentenced Friday to 29 years in prison.

The immigration agency requests jails hold inmates that agents are interested in in until they can arrive to detain them.

But Denver and other jurisdictions have said they cannot legally hold inmates after they post bond unless immigration agents obtain arrest warrants.bigbasket, Indias largest online supermarket with over7 million customers, has released a new series of TVCs with its brand ambassador Shahrukh Khan (SRK). The new series also features renowned actress Ratna Pathak Shah who will be seen on-screen with SRK for the first time. SRK enjoys immense popularity& credibility as an actor and the TVCs leverage this to reach out to the masses and tell them how bigbasket sources the freshest produce directly from farmers, who are also benefitted in turn  not to mention the fact that the platform makes shopping cost effective and time saving as well.

The main TVC features a sceptic in the form of Ratna Pathak Shah, who portrays a non-buyer of online groceries and SRK, in his usual charming way, convinces her on why she should try bigbasket. Ratna Shah is a name to reckon with in the industry and will resonate with all generations of people, which was also a major reason for roping her in.The other set of tactical films talk about range, savings, trust, and fruits and vegetables  from how the user can get farm fresh produce to their speedy delivery. SRK has the knack of making conversations comfortable and this is evident in the TVC featuring him and a bigbasket farmer. The aim is to educate audiences about their farmer connect programme and how the company is making lives of the farmer community better.

Speaking about this, Mr Vipul Parekh, Co-Founder, bigbasket, said, Our campaigns this time around are the result of an extensive consumer research across India to understand both the users and non-users. While the users shopped on a variety of e-commerce platforms, they said that bigbasket was a specialist when it comes to groceries and hence, a preferred destination for the same. All non-users we spoke to, knew about the brand and thought it was very good. However, they were happy with status quo and put off buying because of doubts such as quality or delivery.The TVCs, thus, aim at dispelling these concerns and convincing consumers  and what could be a better way to do this than have the SRK do this with Ratnaji. Incidentally, Ratnaji actually was not an online shopper & we are so happy today that after she has tried us once, she is now buying groceries regularly on bigbasket.

This is the third year of bigbaskets marketing on television, continuing with their brand ambassador SRK. Over the last 3 years, bigbasket has grown to be the most salient online grocery brand and enjoys being the market leader in this segment. It operates in 25 cities and provides the widest range of groceries to shoppers.

bigbasket recently raised $300 million funding from e-tailerAlibaba. The company has stepped up efforts towards aggressive growth this year and has also expanded its portfolio of products and recently announced the decision to open offline kiosks which will stock daily groceries. It plans to start its own subscription service for items such as milk and bread. As a brand, bigbasket enjoys immense popularity among its customers, also referred to as bigbasketeers. The company has an express delivery service as well which promises delivery within 90 minutes.

The company is clocking monthly sales of about Rs 200 crore, which it is looking to scale up to Rs 300 crore over the next six months.

To Read More Visit Here.

We are confident that the addition of Arrow Aircraft as an authorized sales representative will allow for the HondaJet to be successful in the fast-growing business aviation market of India. We are looking forward to their strong sales and promotion of the most advanced light jet in the market. said Honda Aircraft President and CEO Michimasa Fujino.

Arrow Aircraft Managing Director of Sales and Charters Rohit Kapur added, We are excited to be appointed as HondaJet India. The business aviation market continues to grow in our area and the HondaJets performance and features are a true game changer. We are looking forward to providing our customers with a dedicated sales team for the fastest, most comfortable and efficient business jet in its category.

Honda Aircraft has established a worldwide dealer and authorized sales network to provide unsurpassed service and support for HondaJet customers. The HondaJet authorized network spans territories in North America, Latin America, Europe and Asia. The HondaJet is an advanced light jet which incorporates many technological innovations in aeronautical design and it was the most delivered jet in its category in 2017.Customer Logins

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Please enable notifications in your browser and reload the page.GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip  The Egyptian authorities brought in vegetables, fruits and other goods into the Gaza Strip on Feb. 23 through the Saladin gate crossing, in the southern part of Rafah city, instead of using the standard Rafah border crossing as they normally do.

The Saladin gate, controlled by the Hamas security services, is located on the border between Egypt and Gaza at the site of the original Rafah land crossing that was bombed by Israel in October 2009, 4 kilometers (2.5 miles) south of the new Rafah crossing. By entering through this gate, the goods escape customs and levies imposed on the Rafah crossing by the security services affiliated with the consensus government.

Gaza has seven crossings for the movement of goods and people, six of which are under the control of Israel, which decides when the crossings open and what goods are allowed in. Meanwhile, the Rafah border crossing for the movement of Palestinians and the export of certain products from Gaza is under Palestinian and Egyptian control, without Israeli intervention. The official commercial crossings do not include the Saladin gate.

An official from the Crossing and Borders Authority, affiliated with the Palestinian Authority (PA), told Al-Monitor on condition of anonymity that the authority had refused to allow the trucks to pass at an official commercial crossing under the excuse of not having the right equipment to examine them. The official claimed, however, that the real reason was that these trucks violate the Paris Protocol between the PLO and Israel. Hence, the trucks went through at the unofficial Saladin crossing Feb. 23 instead without proper inspection.

Upon the instructions of Prime Minister Rami Hamdallah in the government of national consensus, Minister of Labor Mamoun Abu Shahla contacted Gen. Tawfiq Abu Naim, the director general of the Internal Security Forces in Gaza, to inquire about the goods entering through the Saladin gate.

A source close to Abu Naim told Al-Monitor that Abu Naim only ordered the closure of the gate and stopped Egyptian goods from entering after he received a phone call followed by a letter from Hamdallah.

According to the protocol, Hamdallah, in his capacity as prime minister and interior minister, is supposed to contact Abu Naim himself.

London-based Al-Hayat reported Feb. 23 that Egypt and Hamas had reached new understandings to alleviate the suffering of Palestinians in Gaza by bringing in goods, vegetables and fuel with Israels approval and following coordination with Hamas, even if such understandings were to anger Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.

Abbas refused to lift the sanctions imposed on Gaza and did not take measures to ease the situation. Meanwhile, Jibril Rajoub, the secretary of Fatahs Central Committee, criticized Egypt's role in bringing Hamas closer to dismissed Fatah leader Mohammed Dahlan. For the PA, any Egyptian step in agreement with Hamas is undesirable.

Tahsin al-Sakka, the general director of marketing and crossings in the Gaza Ministry of Agriculture, told Al-Monitor, We seek to find a way to bring in goods and basic supplies to Gazans amid the disastrous situation  be it through official crossings or informal means. We want to reach certain arrangements and agreements with Egypt in the future, which is not the case at the moment. Any goods entering Gaza can save the situation from completely deteriorating. And perhaps this is why both Egypt and the PA turned a blind eye to the trucks.

Sakka said the crates that entered only included garlic and fruits needed in Gaza. We do not import vegetables that farmers in Gaza cultivate themselves. Last year we exported 34,000 tons of vegetables. As a gesture on our part toward farmers, we do not allow any competition on the market, especially since we are unable to compensate for the losses they endured as a result of the successive wars, he said.

During a March 1 seminar on the Paris Protocol in Gaza City, Abu Shahla stressed that the economic agreement has disrupted the Palestinian economy and that the government is intensively seeking to change it.

Palestinian Minister of Economy Abeer Odeh met with French President Emmanuel Macron and Israeli Minister of Economy and Industry Eli Cohen on Feb. 21 in Paris to clarify the Palestinian position toward the Paris Protocol, whose provisions Israel has not complied with, which has impeded building a strong Palestinian economy capable of accommodating the Palestinian needs.

In 1994, the PLO and Israel signed the Protocol on Economic Relations, known as the Paris Protocol, to govern economic relations between the two sides in terms of taxes, customs, banks, imports, exports, production, commerce and trade. However, Israel never abided by the protocols stipulations.

The agreement mainly provided for a joint economic committee between the Palestinians and Israelis, as well as an import policy and taxes, the types of goods that the Palestinians are entitled to import and export, and the Israeli and Palestinian crossings for the movement of imports and exports.

Economic experts stressed the importance of establishing a trade outlet between the Gaza Strip and Egypt, which would serve both the Gazan and Egyptian economies and would liberate the Gaza Strip from restrictions Israel imposes on its imports and exports.

Maher al-Tabbah, an economist and the director of public relations and media at the Chamber of Commerce in Gaza, told Al-Monitor that the crossing agreement the PA and Israel signed in 2005 prevents the entry of any type of goods through the Rafah crossing, only allowing exportation of products through the crossing. Any change would require an amendment to this agreement.

He added, We suggested having an official trade exchange with Egypt as another source to secure goods and to replace some goods imported from Israel with Egyptian imports, such as cement and foodstuffs. Our dependence on Israel on imports harms the Palestinian economy. Israel gets to decide what goods Palestinians are allowed to import. We are unfortunately unable to dispense with these imports, especially when it comes to dairy products.

Israel agrees to import certain goods from Egypt, but the PA did not sign new trade agreements with Egypt for the transfer of goods, and it refuses to import dairy products from Egypt because of their poor quality compared with Israeli products

Explaining the impact of Egyptian goods on the Gaza market, Tabbah said, The Palestinian economy recovered when smuggling tunnels were active in 2011. Raw materials made their way into the besieged enclave, allowing factories to operate and employees to work. However, the amounts of goods coming in from Egypt today do not really affect the Gazan economy since they enter at irregular intervals and in small quantities. The ideal solution would be to have an official commercial relationship with Egypt to relieve the tragic economic situation in Gaza.

According to the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics, the volume of Palestinian exports for 2017 amounted to $1.038 billion while imports reached $5.303 billion, with a net trade balance deficit of $4.264 billion. The main reason for the gap is the Israeli restrictions on Palestinian exports and the poor industrial and production situation in Palestine.

Political economist Noureldeen Abu Ajwa from Gaza told Al-Monitor, Israel allows the entry of goods from Egypt in coordination with the Egyptians and in an informal manner in order to prevent the situation in Gaza from completely collapsing. In other words, Israel uses this to escape its responsibility toward the Gaza Strip.

Abu Ajwa expects various goods to come into Gaza from Egypt in an informal manner in the near future through the Saladin gate. This is indeed possible since the numbers of trucks passing through the Kerem Shalom commercial crossing between Israel and southern Gaza were reduced, as customs rates on imports increased. Meanwhile, Gazans still lack the needed financial means in light of the salary crisis and sanctions imposed by the consensus government on the Gaza Strip.

Whilte the international community is warning that the humanitarian situation in Gaza could implode, all Gazans want is for goods to enter, either through Egypt or Israel, through official crossings or in informal ways.The Egyptian parliament has approved a draft law to reduce the costs of research and promote innovation. The bill, passed on March 5, exempts higher education and scientific research bodies from taxes and customs fees, including the 14% value-added tax, on imported equipment and tools.

The law aims to encourage young researchers and university students to innovate and conduct research that can contribute to Egypts development, Gamal Shehata, the head of the parliament's Education Committee, said in a statement. He added that the new law will revolutionize scientific research and mark a renaissance for universities and research centers. He called it a great leap forward for the national economy.

The parliaments decision comes at a perfect time, said Kamal Mogheith, a researcher at the National Center for Educational Research and Development. He added that Egypts drive to achieve development and economic progress can never be realized without promoting scientific research.

Current research projects with great potential for Egypt include a mobile desalination plant powered by solar energy, increasing rice productivity with new hybrids and a new treatment for cancer using nanotechnology.

Scientific research has always been the main driving force behind any development in any country, Mogheith told Al-Monitor. He added that Egypt is pushing ahead with economic reforms as well as major developmental projects that need to be supported by out-of-the-box ideas and creative research.

Egypt embarked on an ambitious economic reform program in 2016 after the International Monetary Fund approved a $12 billion loan for the country to stimulate economic growth, cut unemployment rates, reduce the budget deficit, slash subsidies and move ahead with development projects.

According to Article 9 of the law on incentives to science, technology and innovation, foreign funds granted to researchers to conduct their projects shall also be tax exempt.

Mogheith said that financing is one of the biggest challenges facing researchers in Egypt, and exempting scientific institutions from taxes and customs fees will encourage many young researchers. He added, however, that there is a lot more to be done to enhance scientific research in Egypt, saying, Many researchers in Egypt are disappointed when their research projects are not used to help carry out large developmental projects and are always being put aside.

The government, he said, must make use of the new tools and resources that are created. It is more about the implementation of the law than about its issuance, Mogheith added.

Under Article 5, higher education and research authorities are to use scientific research to enhance societal development.

Tarek Nour el-Deen, a former assistant to the education minister, said that the parliaments decision to exempt scientific institutions from taxes and customs fees is excellent but overdue.

The government should have made such a decision years ago, Nour el-Deen told Al-Monitor, adding that the government must also improve academic freedom for researchers. Some researchers face restrictions when they conduct research on sensitive topics, he said.

Research on the tax system in Egypt, for example, faces hurdles such as permits that can take months to obtain. Even when permits are granted, some sources in the government decline to disclose statistics or other information.

Egypt allocates 4% of its gross domestic product to pre-university education, 2% on university education and 1% on scientific research. The majority of these allocations go to salaries.

Ahmed Youssef, a young researcher and assistant professor in physics, said that he has always faced serious funding challenges, adding that the parliaments decision is lifesaving. It has cost me a lot of money to get imported equipment and tools. Sometimes it took up all of my salary to purchase a certain tool or equipment. Now I think things will get better.

In August 2017, the Egyptian Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research, the National Bank of Egypt and Banque Misr signed an agreement worth 600 million pounds ($34 million) to support researchers and scientists and grant them scientific and training scholarships abroad. In December 2017, the government established the Egyptian Space Agency.

This month, Egypt also celebrated its fifth annual Science Week, during which more than 300 events took place. According to Mahmoud Sakr, the head of the Scientific Research Academy, Egyptian Science Week aims to bolster societal participation in the field of science and technology and spread the culture of innovation. The activities started on March 2 and concluded March 11.

The General Federation of Egyptian Expatriates compiled a report from UN statistics and research centers in Europe and the United States as well as science organizations and Muslim communities abroad. According to the data, there are 1,883 Egyptian scientists working in nuclear specializations. There are 42 Egyptian scientists abroad who have served as university presidents, such as Mamdouh Shoukri, who was president of Canadas York University. The report put the number of Egyptian scientists abroad at 86,000 and found that Egypt boasts the highest number of scientists working all over the world.In Iran, the media's negative view toward Russia is intensifying amid speculation that Moscow is bypassing Tehran in Syria.

Unfavorable Iranian views of the Kremlin go back to the early 1800s, when the Russian empire defeated the Iranian army in two consecutive wars, leading to the cession of major territories to Russia. Under two treaties between the two countries in 1813 and 1828, Iran ceded Dagestan, eastern Georgia, modern-day Armenia, the southern parts of current-day Azerbaijan, including Nakhchivan, and Igdir province, now part of Turkey.

Negative views toward Moscow persisted into the 20th century. In 1965, 14 years before the Islamic Revolution that toppled the US-backed Mohammad Reza Pahlavi regime, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, the founder of the Islamic Republic, slammed the Soviet Union along with Britain and the United States as enemies of Iran, even calling the Soviet Union filthier than the other two.

In the years after the revolution, anti-Moscow sentiment persisted as Iranians saw Russians arming Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein, who had started a war with Iran, a deadly war that lasted eight years and killed many Iranians.

While the two countries had a rapprochement of sorts after the fall of the Soviet Union, the improving diplomatic ties along with Moscows supply of weapons to Tehran did not remove the negative character of Russia in the view of ordinary Iranians.

There have also been other issues harming ties between the two countries, at least in the views of many Iranians in recent years. Russias constant delay in completing the Bushehr nuclear power plant and delivering the S-300 missile defense to Tehran are among these issues. However, despite long delays, the Russians eventually did fulfill their commitments. Even during the nuclear talks, there were many reports and much speculation in Iran about a supposed motive for Russian leader Vladimir Putin to have the negotiations not reach a positive and lasting settlement so that the Russians could take advantage of the situation and use Iran as a card to extract concessions from the West.

Now, Iranians are suspicious of Russias role in Syria and what are seen as Russian attempts to bypass Iran, which has paid a steep price to keep President Bashar al-Assad in power in Damascus. Media outlets' reports seem to play into these fears and doubts of much of the public.

Of note, Reformist and moderate media outlets are generally in favor of reasonable ties with the West while broadly opposed to Russia, which in their view either blackmails Tehran or bypasses it. In contrast, staunch conservatives and hard-liners are staunch fans of Russia and consider it as part of their coalition against the United States.

The moderate conservative Tabnak news site, close to former Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) chief Mohsen Rezaie, wrote Jan. 17, Based on an agreement between Russia and Syria, Iran and Iranian companies have been partly put aside from the process of reconstruction and investment in Syria, and consortiums have even been established between Syria and Russia in a number of sectors, and if Iran wants to join the reconstruction process, it should [at first] talk to the Russians. This is not speculation but rather an issue that has been discussed in the government, and the Iranian government is deeply worried about this.

The news site added, Iranian Russophiles arent willing to speak about the breaking of promises by the Russians and their blows to Irans national interests. The Russians left us when UN resolutions against Iran were passed and didnt deliver the defense systems when we needed them, and are now harvesting the [fruit of the] efforts of Iranians in Syria and are accompanying Saudi Arabia in Yemen.

According to the Jan. 18 edition of the Reformist Qanoon daily, President Hassan Rouhani had sensed losing the Syrian market a few weeks prior to the end of the Islamic State (IS), leading him to contact Assad to discuss the reconstruction of Syria. The Iranian president reportedly said, The Islamic Republic of Iran is ready for an active participation in the reconstruction process. Immediately after that, a senior official of the IRGC said it is ready to pioneer the reconstruction of Syria if the Rouhani administration decides to do so.

Qanoon wrote Jan. 18, We shouldnt allow Bashar Assad or any other person who is trying to stop Iran from [having a role in] the reconstruction and post-IS era [in Syria] to reach their goal. This is because a part of the national interest is tied to economic and financial issues.

The daily emphasized, That a [country] pays the price of fighting, and after the end of the conflict, [some] others come there [to harvest the fruits of Irans labor], is not an appropriate and honorable measure.

Qanoon continued, If the US is the Great Satan, Russia has a background full of betrayals of Iran and Iranians, and moving to be embraced by this country, which is only seeking its own interests, is costly.

It seems as if the fears expressed in the Iranian media arent far from reality. On Feb. 17, former IRGC commander Yahya Rahim Safavi, now a senior military adviser to Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, said, "The Islamic Republic must be reimbursed for the price it has paid in Syria, and the Syrians are ready to do that in oil, gas and phosphate mines. My assumption is that we paid a price, but [both] Iran and Russia became the winner of this scenario.

Mentioning an agreement, which may by the one cited by Tabnak, Safavi continued, The Russians have reached a 49-year agreement with Syria in which they will have a military base as well as political and economic gains. I think Iran can reach a long-term political and economic agreement with the Syrian government, so that we can get a return on the price we have paid; however, we [already] have [a share of the] exports from the phosphate mines of Syria.NAJAF, Iraq  With seemingly nowhere else to turn, beleaguered Iraqi Kurds are seeking salvation through Shiite religious authorities. The crisis between Iraq's central government in Baghdad and the Kurdish headquarters in Erbil appears to have laid waste to all other internal and external attempts to resolve the repercussions of the Sept. 25 Kurdish independence referendum.

Baghdad's latest salt in Erbil's wounds came March 4, when it cut the Kurds' share of the 2018 general budget to 12.6% from 17%. The Kurds then threatened to withdraw from the political process, as Massoud Barzani, the former president of the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG), said this reduction was undermining the rights of the Kurds.

Masoud Haidar, a parliament member for the Kurdistan Alliance, on March 3 called on Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani to help the Kurds in their plight. Sistani is well-known among Shiite parties, so the Kurds hope he will pressure Baghdad and resolve the situation.

On Feb. 28, a Kurdish delegation consisting of 20 members from several Kurdish political parties visited Najaf with the intention of meeting with Sistani, to no avail. However, Sistanis representatives and clerics close to him did meet with the delegation in a closed session that day at Rafidain Center for Dialogue in Najaf province. According to a source from the delegation who spoke with Al-Monitor on condition of anonymity, the delegation stressed that the strategic alliance between Kurds and Shiites still stands: Both co-wrote the constitution and fought together against the regime of Saddam Hussein as well as the Islamic State (IS).

Kurdish parties, specifically the Kurdistan Democratic Party [led by Barzani], sent more than one letter to Sistani asking to meet with him or requesting intervention to resolve the crisis with Baghdad, the source said.

Another Kurdistan Alliance member, Rizan Sheikh, told Al-Monitor the Kurds haven't received an official response from Sistani.

However, there appear to be positive, albeit indirect, signs from Sistani in this regard. Alaa al-Moussawi, the head of the Shiite Waqf (Endowment Fund) and a close associate of Sistanis office, attended the meeting with the Kurdish delegation in Najaf. Some Kurdish politicians said Moussawi conveyed their message to the supreme Shiite authority.

Sistani's office is working on reducing tension and defusing any crisis between Iraqis according to constitutional frameworks," Zeid Talaqani, the head of the Rafidain Center for Dialogue, told Al-Monitor.

A source from Sistani's office told Al-Monitor on condition of anonymity that the Kurds' messages to Sistani focused largely on the payroll issue, especially that of the Iraqi Kurdistan peshmerga, which fought against IS.

Sistani has played a major role in ending some of the political crises that have plagued Iraq through the years. However, in 2011, Sistani began refusing to meet with politicians because of their never-ending disputes. The Kurdish public may have better luck. On Feb. 20, a delegation of farmers from the KRG met with Sistani personally and asked him to help pressure the federal government into releasing their financial dues  and he promised he would.

Using another approach, Some figures from Barzanis office approached Sistanis representative in Karbala, Abdul Mahdi al-Karbalai. Deputy Prime Minister of Iraq Barham Salih also attempted to intervene, given his good ties with those close to Sistani, independent political analyst Ahmed al-Abyad told Al-Monitor.

Abyad added, The pressure eventually resulted in a phone call between Sistanis office and [Iraqi Prime Minister] Haider al-Abadi during which they discussed the Kurdish crisis.

Sistani, who is considered the highest Shiite authority, has yet to express a direct position or take any public measures. He does, however, have unique channels of communication and special means to convey messages and recommendations to Abadis government, or any other party.This article is being written at a time when Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahus government is hanging by a thread, its ultimate fate unknown. The prime minister himself is the one trying to push for snap elections, while his coalition partners are digging in and trying to prevent him from doing so.

The ultra-Orthodox draft crisis over amending the army enlistment law, which lit the fire that is running wild now, was not born yesterday. It has accompanied Israel ever since the inception of the state, and it has reached even higher peaks than now. The feud is now being waged between the ultra-Orthodox factions, who want to perpetuate the exemption of ultra-Orthodox Jews from being drafted into the Israel Defense Forces, and Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman and his Yisrael Beitenu faction, who insist on enforcing the draft. This issue could be solved now the same way as was done in the past: by a temporary compromise, on the way to a temporary arrangement, until the Supreme Court steps in again to set limits and open the struggle anew.

To the surprise of many in the political system, this local and resolvable crisis turned into an existential event last week, courtesy of Netanyahu and Liberman. Simultaneously, Finance Minister Moshe Kahlon announced March 6 that he would resign if the state budget for 2019 does not pass in the Knesset by the end of the current session. At the moment, it is still not clear how things will play out, but what is clear is the fact that the prime minister could have resolved the crisis relatively easily, had he wanted to. The thing is, Netanyahu did not want to, because what he really wants is snap elections in June. Elections in June would enable him to reach the phase of indictment by the attorney general  if it comes to that  as a prime minister who was just re-elected with an overwhelming support of the public. According to the polls, Netanyahu would be re-elected to the premiership with an even greater majority than he received in 2015.

In the background of all this is the struggle over Netanyahus throne. Among the contenders are Education Minister Naftali Bennett, his sworn rival Liberman and Kahlon, who is hovering in the background. All three are currently not in the Likud; two of them are past veteran Likud members (Kahlon and Liberman). All three realize that in order to reach the premiers throne, they must be members of the ruling party, the Likud, and not members of their current respective platforms. Kahlon is waiting for the Day After Netanyahu in order to return to the Likud. Bennett is trying to consolidate a plan for taking control of the Likud from the outside. And Liberman realizes that his Yisrael Beitenu party is a dead horse and he must somehow make his way back to the Likud if he wants to get anywhere (despite the fact that most of the Likuds senior members dont want him there). Likud senior members Yisrael Katz, Gilad Erdan and Gideon Saar will do anything to keep those three from joining the party. The only one who could cause that to happen is Netanyahu.

It is an open secret to everyone in Israels political system that Netanyahu and Liberman are in cahoots regarding the current ultra-Orthodox draft crisis. Liberman created the crisis when he firmly announced March 5 that should the new draft bill, as formulated by the ultra-Orthodox ministers, pass in the Knesset, he would resign from his position and from the coalition. Libermans intransigence is allowing Netanyahu to threaten a snap election. An educated guess is that Liberman and Netanyahu agreed on a secret deal according to which Liberman would return to the role of defense minister after elections, even if his party doesnt do well in the elections. Perhaps he would even be appointed stand-in prime minister, a position that has not existed in recent Netanyahu governments so as not to create a successor to the prime minister in his political lifetime.

Under these circumstances, Netanyahu will try to return Liberman to the Likud after elections and then  if and when the prime minister is forced to resign if an indictment is served  Liberman would have a clear advantage over all the other contenders for Netanyahus throne, outside and inside the Likud. Ariel Sharon was another person who carried out such a maneuver in his time: He ingratiated himself with Netanyahu during the prime ministers first term of office and was then appointed foreign minister. Sharon coordinated positions with Netanyahu prior to the signing of the Wye River summit in 1998. When Netanyahu lost the 1999 elections, Sharon was there to pick up the pieces, and became prime minister himself two years later.

It is no wonder that Netanyahus current coalition partners are furious. Bennett exploded March 11 when he openly attacked Netanyahu and announced that he would run for the premiership himself, should the prime minister drag the country into early elections for personal reasons. Kahlon made similar statements, but behind closed doors. Both Bennett and Kahlon had displayed exceptional loyalty to Netanyahu after the police recommended that he be tried in court for bribery: Bennett and Kahlon did not demand that Netanyahu resign, but publicly supported him even though they were criticized for doing so. Now Netanyahu is paying them back by trying to dismantle the coalition a year and a half early.

Bennett is terrified that Netanyahu will again steal away his party's seats, the way Netanyahu did in 2015, and Kahlon is also in dire straits. They both know that the right wing will unite behind Netanyahu in light of the investigations persecution (the narrative advanced by Netanyahu, claiming that he is persecuted by the police), and that could destroy their respective political careers. Under these circumstances, the coalition partners are trying to figure out how to thwart Netanyahu and Libermans plans. In these efforts, ultra-Orthodox Shas Leader Aryeh Deri also shares a large role because the Shas party is dwindling. Among all the coalition parties, Shas is the one that may not return to the Knesset in the next elections in light of the deep crisis the party is undergoing in the polls, and also due to the high electoral threshold.

The fate of the current coalition will be decided in the next 24 hours. It is Netanyahus decision, and it may have been already decided together with Liberman. These two men began their political lives together after Netanyahu took control of the Likud in 1993. Since then, they have quarreled, parted ways and also reconciled many times. Now they are renewing their historic alliance. Circumstances have again caused them to be dependent on one another. Netanyahu, besieged by criminal investigations, is desperate for recourse. Liberman failed to generate a massive, growing political support base, so now he needs rebooting. Their plot will come at the expense of all the other senior members of the political system. The struggle between the hawks, which will develop in the upcoming election campaign (assuming that elections are imminent), will be one of the most interesting battles in the fascinating history of Israeli politics. And as far as Netanyahu is concerned, it may be his very last stand.Tea Party conservatives and progressive liberals are ready to shake up Americas relationship with Saudi Arabia.

Establishment centrists? Not so much.

Lawmakers have introduced dueling Senate resolutions regarding US support for the Saudi-led war in Yemen, spotlighting a cross-party split ahead of next weeks White House visit by the wars architect, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

Earlier this month, left-wing presidential candidate Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., joined forces with Tea Party champion Mike Lee, R-Utah, on a resolution to force the Donald Trump administration to end US support for the war without exception. The move comes amid increasing US concern about the rising death toll and damage to civilian infrastructure in the 3-year-old intervention against the Iranian-backed Houthi rebels.

In response, Senate Foreign Relations Committee members Todd Young, R-Ind., and Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., introduced a resolution last week that seeks to condition, but not end, US support for the war. Their resolution would require the secretary of state to certify that the Saudis are pursuing both an urgent and good faith effort to conduct diplomatic negotiations to end the civil war in Yemen and appropriate measures to alleviate the humanitarian crisis in Yemen by increasing access for all Yemenis to food, fuel and medicine in order for US aerial refueling to continue.

The humanitarian devastation caused by the conflict in Yemen is heartbreaking and Congress needs to take action, Shaheen said in a statement. I have partnered with Senator Todd Young to find an effective means to save innocent lives.

Anti-war activists contend that the new resolution is simply a tactic to continue the war while taking oxygen away from the Sanders/Lee push. The United States provides Saudi warplanes with targeting assistance and midair refueling support, which is vital to operations against the Houthis.

"Young and Shaheen are conspiring with Republican Senate leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky to try to sabotage our vote, said Robert Naiman, the policy director for Just Foreign Policy, one of the activist groups advocating for the exemption-free Sanders bill.

Naiman call the new bill a green light for the status quo that would allow the war to continue indefinitely.

Critics of the war were elated when Sanders, a high-profile liberal, brought increased domestic attention to the issue. Since then, several other potential 2020 contenders have signed onto the his bill, including Sens. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., Cory Booker, D-N.J., and Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass.

Any senator can bring the Sanders resolution to the Senate floor for a vote starting today because it was introduced pursuant to the War Powers Act, a law intended to expedite congressional oversight of US military activity abroad. Al-Monitor has learned that while both the Sanders and Young resolutions may soon come to the Senate floor, a vote on either resolution is unlikely to happen before Joint Chiefs Chairman Joseph Dunford briefs lawmakers on Yemen behind closed doors Wednesday.

The Sanders bill directs Trump to remove United States armed forces from hostilities in Yemen within 30 days of becoming law. The Department of Defense has criticized its legal justification and sent a letter to every Senate office last month rebutting the notion that midair refueling qualifies as US involvement in hostilities.

Naiman and others contend that the Young bill is essentially toothless because of the leeway it gives the Trump administration.

Trump and Mohammed bin Salman are bosom buddies, he said. Rex Tillerson, Donald Trumps employee, will make the Young-Shaheen certification faster than you can say Saudi oil money, even if the Saudis dont change one single thing about what theyre doing.

And even if Tillerson doesnt play ball, the Young resolution contains exemptions that would allow US support for the Saudi coalition to continue for Iranian terrorist activities and countering the transport, assembly or employment of Iranian ballistic missiles or components in Yemen. The United Nations has concluded that Tehran has provided small arms to the Houthi rebels while allowing them to obtain Iranian ballistic missile technology.

Just Foreign Policy joined fellow activist groups Peace Action and Code Pink to lobby the offices of Young and Shaheen against the bill today. While the activist coalition initially feared that Senate leadership intended to amend the Sanders bill and replace it with the Young resolution on the floor, Shaheen issued a statement today noting that she expects both resolutions to receive a vote.

However, the activists point out that the Republican leadership under McConnell is in charge of the floor schedule. The activists fault Shaheen for joining an effort that they say could siphon away votes from the Sanders resolution, while arguing that Young's past advocacy for humanitarian aid in Yemen would be tainted by this bill.

The first-term senator has been a fierce opponent of the Saudi blockade on humanitarian aid to Yemen and the Saudi-led coalitions obstruction of US-funded cranes to offload goods in Hodeidah, Yemens largest port. The Saudis finally allowed the replacement cranes to be delivered in January after the coalition destroyed the original ones in a 2015 bombing raid.

Young has got the reputation of being concerned about the humanitarian crisis in Yemen and a good reputation with the aid groups, said Naiman. That reputation is about to be destroyed if he doesnt back away from sabotaging this.ATHENS, Greece  Arriving in Athens this month, I never thought I would find myself in an atmosphere reminiscent of the troubled 1980s. At that time, I was a frequent visitor to Greece and I followed the country's elections, when Greek politicians were riding anti-Turkey sentiments among the public for political gain.

The sources of conflict between the two NATO neighbors were numerous: the delineation of the Aegean Sea continental shelf; the delimitation of territorial waters; an airspace dispute; minority rights; and, above all, the Cyprus issue. Turkey and Greece had come to the brink of war in 1996 over several islets off the Aegean coast. Both sides claimed dominion over the islets. The administration of President Bill Clinton averted a possible war with the skillful diplomacy of now-deceased diplomat Richard Holbrooke.

However, since 1999, Turkish-Greek relations have warmed to the extent that, although no single issue was resolved, the prevailing sentiment was that Turkey and Greece could exist amicably in the Eastern Mediterranean, despite all the bilateral conflicts.

This sentiment dramatically changed March 1 when two Greek soldiers strayed across the Turkish border during a patrol and were detained by Turkish authorities. A new page has now opened in bilateral relations, placing us back at square one, just as we were in the '80s.

From the Greek perspective, the trespassing was accidental and usual; there was no reason to make a big fuss about it. From the Turkish perspective, it was a violation of Turkish borders, an intrusion into a sensitive military zone and possibly an act of espionage that has to be assessed by the independent Turkish judiciary, according to Turkeys state-owned Anadolu news agency.

I arrived in Athens just hours after the incident. The taxi driver who drove me to the city center muttered the most banal and eternal cliche of bilateral relations: The people of Turkey and Greece are siblings. We have no problems. It is the goddamn politics and politicians, he said after learning Im from Turkey.

However, the narrative of the 1980s was seemingly back. Busy with its military operation in Afrin, Syria, and its charged domestic political agenda, Turkey is not aware of the heightened worries in Greece over the future of relations with Turkey. To the Greeks, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is a reincarnation of an Ottoman sultan who is trying to revive the dream of recovering the lost empire  and that means territorial expansion via military aggression.

The Turkish military operation in Syria, and the parlance adopted vis-a-vis Greece, serve as a self-fulfilling Greek prophecy in this respect. A prominent architect based in Greece told me that she is very much tormented by the feeling that Erdogans Turkey may attack Greece in the future because he feels himself a sultan and thus is obliged to act in the way his forefathers acted, she said.

This is becoming a commonplace sentiment in Athens. Notis Papadopoulos, a columnist at the prestigious Greek daily Kathimerini, put that sentiment into words in a more sophisticated manner in his March 9 commentary. He wrote, Greece has suddenly found itself facing a crisis in the Aegean against a Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan who keeps adding fuel to the fire on every front. Turkey has rammed a Greek patrol boat near the Imia islets and prevented drilling in Cypruss exclusive economic zone, and now it is sending to trial two Greek soldiers in an unnecessary escalation of a commonplace incident on the Greek-Turkish border."

Papadopoulos criticized the government of Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras for engaging in harsh polemics against domestic political rivals instead of demonstrating true leadership to "unite the Greek people behind a common cause."

Tsipras main rival, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, the leader of the main opposition party New Democracy, lashed out at the Greek prime minister because of his cautious attitude against Turkey during a March 8 parliamentary speech.

The threat from the East was a widely used phrase coined by Andreas Papandreou, a titan of Greek politics in the 1980s who politically benefited from his anti-Turkey rhetoric. Although I have not heard the phrase during my recent visit, the situation could provoke a revival of it.

Greek legislative elections are expected to be held in 2019. It is a foregone conclusion that it will be a very tight race between incumbent Tsipras and Mitsotakis. In such an atmosphere, the issue of Turkey will occupy a central place on Greeces domestic political agenda.

Columnist Costas Iordanidis voiced the same sentiment in the Kathimerini newspaper. We are a nation of orators, of bombastic pundits, and occasionally also of heroic outbursts that leave the universe speechless," he wrote March 9. "Even though Greece was a creation of European diplomacy, nothing would have been achieved without the War of Independence against the Ottoman Empire. We should never forget this.

Thus, the near future indicates at least an escalation of hostile verbal intercourse. Some also voice concern that Erdogan might escalate the Aegean conflict with Greece to show its displeasure over NATO's  namely, Washington's  stance on Syrian Kurdish groups.

Any friction between Turkey and Greece would inevitably become a NATO problem. Moreover, Greece, an EU member, could serve as a transition country for Turkey  not only for the refugees Turkey holds as a trump card in its relations with the EU, but also for Turkeys misgivings about the West.

For an increasingly nationalist Turkish regime, which needs animosity and even confrontational relations with the West to consolidate its support, a confrontation with Greece, given its deep historical background, is functional.

The detention and arrest of the two Greek soldiers was not an isolated incident. Turkish-Greek relations are more than bilateral; they are a function of Turkish interaction with the Western world. Yet this does not alleviate rising Greek worries about a dangerous escalation between the two sides of the Aegean.This item is available in full to subscribers.

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Otherwise, click here to view your options for subscribing.Turkish-Iraqi relations had become extremely tense until the decision by Massoud Barzani, former president of the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG), to hold an independence referendum for Iraqi Kurdistan. Barzani's ill-fated move made fast friends of Ankara and Baghdad. Now, it appears that Turkey and Iraq have found further common cause, this time for joint military action against the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK).

Agreements signed by Ankara and the KRG on oil and natural gas were, not so long ago, a major source of dispute with Baghdad. As an additional irritant, an Iraqi vice president, Tarek al-Hashemi, accused of leading a terror organization and sentenced to death in absentia for a number of related deaths, had taken refuge in Istanbul under the protection of the Turkish government. Ties between Ankara and Baghdad then neared the point of rupture over Turkish forces' presence at the Bashiqa military base, near Mosul, in anticipation of that city's liberation from the Islamic State (IS).

Barzanis decision in the face of widespread opposition to nonetheless proceed with the independence referendum, held last Sept. 25, thawed most of the ice between Ankara and Baghdad. Turkey announced that it would not recognize the results of the referendum and backed sanctions that Baghdad imposed on Erbil. The Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) began massing troops on territory adjacent to northern Iraq and for the first time held a joint military exercise with the Iraqi army. The developing rapprochement peaked with Turkeys announcement of a $5 billion credit for Iraq's reconstruction after the defeat of IS.

With Iraqi Prime Minister Haidar al-Abadi upset over the Turkish military forces in Bashiqa, and with tensions mounting over plans to liberate Mosul, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan had warned Abadi in October 2016 to know your limits, and further admonished, You are not at my level. A year later, the same Erdogan warmly welcomed Abadi during a visit to Ankara and praised the Iraqi armys success against IS. Ankara then proposed cooperating to cleanse the region of terror.

There is the question of the PKK presence in areas like Qandil and Sinjar, Erdogan said. As Turkey, we are ready to engage in joint struggle in those places. Abadi offered in response, Our duty is to ensure the territorial integrity of Iraq and combat terror organizations that threaten not only Iraq but the entire region,

Just before the Iraqi Kurdistan referendum, the Turkish parliament convened for an emergency session on Sept. 23 to authorize cross-border operations into Iraq and Syria until Oct. 30, 2018. The ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) and two other opposition parties approved of the measure, which the pro-Kurdish Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) opposed. This decision is an open and clear declaration of hostility against 40 million Kurds, said Osman Baydemir, an HDP deputy, addressing the assembly.

The TSK launched Operation Olive Branch on Jan. 20 of this year with allied Free Syrian Army (FSA) forces. The campaign centered on Afrin, in northern Syria, targeting the Syrian Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG), which Ankara considers to be an extension of the PKK. Now, a joint operation with the Iraqi army against the PKK appears to be in the cards. On March 1, Gen. Hulusi Akar, Turkeys chief of the general staff, paid a surprise visit to Baghdad, where he met with his Iraqi counterpart, Gen. Othman al-Ghanimi, and Defense Minister Irfan al-Hiyali.

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said on March 9 that the Afrin operation is likely to conclude in May and that a joint campaign with the Iraqi government against the PKK is likely to be launched after Iraq holds general elections, scheduled for May 12.

Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim weighed in on the same day, asserting, Of course we are in close contact with the Iraqi government both to fully eliminate Daesh [IS] and the PKK from the region. I hope we will have better cooperation in days to come.

Turkey has conducted numerous cross-border air and ground operations into northern Iraq since clashes began with the PKK 33 years ago. Such operations were halted during 2012-13 due to a cease-fire and peace process with the Kurds. In February 2015, Turkey launched Operation Shah Euphrates, its first major campaign, to protect the tomb of Suleiman Shah from IS. Then came Operation Euphrates Shield from August 2016 to March 2017 against Kurdish forces in the area and IS.

As indicated above, Operation Olive Branch remains ongoing. To put a northern Iraq operation on the agenda while the Afrin operation is underway suggests that Ankara is trying to take advantage of the widespread nationalist sentiments created by the Afrin campaign. Hurriyet columnist Abdulkadir Selvi, known to be close to the government, said that support for the AKP, which had declined to 40%, rose to 55% following the Afrin operation's launch.

Adil Gur, manager of the A&G Polling Company, said his polling shows 90% support for the Afrin campaign and that 88% of the Turkish public see the [YPG] as an extension of the PKK and a threat to Turkey. Gur also noted that 82.8% of Kurds do not consider the United States to be a friend of the Kurds.

Retired Brig. Gen. Naim Baburoglu served in Turkeys predominantly Kurdish southeast and led operations against the PKK in Turkey and beyond its border. He told Al-Monitor, First, remember we have elections soon in Iraq, but for the new parliament to convene and set up a new government will take time. The Iraqi political scene is very complex. Second, Prime Minister Abadi is very close to the US. We should not expect an operation immediately after the Iraqi elections. The US has to give Abadi the green light. In recent times our army cooperated with the Iraqi army. They held joint exercises. It will be possible for the two armies to cooperate for a joint operation in northern Iraq.

He continued, The Iraqi government is also not comfortable with the Kurdish presence in that region. Sinjar is on the path of becoming a new Qandil. Turkey has to do something or suffer massive headaches in days to come. When you say east of the Euphrates, that means clearing Afrin, Manbij in Syria and Sinjar in Iraq of the PKK and terror. Otherwise it would be an incomplete operation. If it takes too long for Iraq to set up its government, then Turkey may look into going in alone after agreeing with Iraq. This was done before.

Foreign Minister Cavusoglus remarks also signaled that even if the Afrin operation fails to conclude by May, Turkey will still consider conducting operations in Syria and northern Iraq simultaneously.

Erdogan must be calculating that an operation in northern Iraq will be beneficial to him in the 2019 elections, so his government must therefore maintain a war footing until elections. Moreover an operation in northern Iraq could be an ace in the governments hands today. Given discussions with the European Union on lifting the state of emergency and returning to the democratic process as soon as possible, Ankara could do so in some areas of the country, but justifiably maintain it in the southeast because of the ongoing war. That might partially assuage EU demands.Al-Harah Theater is one of 11 finalists for the Ellen Stewart International Award, a prestigious prize presented to theater companies that promote social change and community participation with a particular emphasis on engaging young people. Located in the West Bank town of Beit Jala, in Bethlehem province, it is the only finalist from the Palestinian territories. Other Middle Eastern finalists are the Garage Theater in Iran and Zoukak in Lebanon. The finalists were selected in a public vote conducted online. The winner will be determined in one month in another online vote.

Winning the Ellen Stewart award would represent a milestone for the small company, which was founded by a group of multitaskers in 2005. The winner will attend the International Theatre Institute World Congress, be awarded an artists residency at La MaMa Umbria to create a new work and receive financial and production support to present the new work at the Spoleto Festival of Two Worlds.

In 2005, Al-Harah launched a joint project with the Swedish Culture Center for Longing [for] the Sea, a production about a childs wish to realize her grandfathers dream of returning to Haifa, his hometown, and see the beach. The play tackles the issue of displaced Palestinians' deprived access to the sea. It was a door opener for Al-Harah. The company introduced itself to the international theater scene, touring Egypt, Jordan and Sweden to perform the play. For Al-Harah, the Ellen Stewart award could help expand its horizon even more.

We hope to win this award, as it would motivate us further, Mariana Barham, Al-Harah general manager, told Al-Monitor. We invited friends and acquaintances to vote for us online in the first stage. Winning will give us a strong push and will spread the word about Al-Harah Theater and its work. It will also help us build international relations and partnerships.

Al-Harah relies on foreign funding  such as from the European Union, embassies and international nongovernmental organizations  and co-organizing for projects with different theater groups and organizations. For example, in 2013 it worked with Teatro Due Mondi from Italy as well as Oxfam Italia to share artistic experiences and produce Wit, a play about the problems confronting Palestinian youths in their daily lives.

The shows are linked to available funding, with simple yet effective staging. Al-Harah's management hopes that the Ellen Stewart International Award will increase their profile worldwide and make it easier to obtain financing.

Al-Harah produces three new works each year. It also revives plays from previous years. On average, the theater stages some 120 shows per year, mostly in Beit Jala, including plays for children.

Al-Harah Theater draws inspiration from the Palestinians' reality as interpreted in novels as well as from real life. Myrmy, the theater's latest play, was presented in Ramallah on Feb. 15. It is based on Living Memory, a published collection of real-life stories of refugees compiled by Palestinian researcher Faiha Abdul Hadi. The play focuses on six refugees to present the typical experiences of the others.

The director, Mirna Sakhla, chose to play on the five senses, focusing especially on taste and smell. The play opens with the aroma of sage emanating from water boiling on an old stove.

Sakhla told Al-Monitor, We used sage during the show to embody the smell of the country, to show that the characters in the play, who were displaced, took it with them all around the world.

Sakhla has worked with the theater since its founding, starting as a 15-year-old trainee. She then studied drama in Britain and returned to Al-Harah as a writer, director and producer.

We consider ourselves a theatrical troupe, and we believe theater should touch people, Sakhla remarked. In our country, theatrical education remains underexplored, and we still do not have a proper venue. We only have a rehearsal hall, both for rehearsals and for our performances.

Perhaps there is cause for hope, and a proper venue, at hand. Sakhla said that the attention from the Ellen Stewart International Award and the voting process  and consequent interactions through social media because of them  have already stirred additional interest in Al-Harah.As Turkish troops and their Free Syrian Army rebel allies close in on the the mainly Kurdish city of Afrin, the looming question is whether Turkey will actually wade into what analysts warn will be a bloody fight with high civilian casualties. The other is whether the Syrian Kurdish militant group known as the Peoples Protection Units (YPG) will remain to defend the city or cut its losses and leave.

These questions arose last week as Turkish troops moved on the town of Jinderes, which lies southwest of Afrin and is critical to disrupting the YPGs supply lines further east. The Turkish-led force backed by massive air power seized Jindires with little resistance. The ease suggests the YPG decided to tactically retreat and save its manpower for Afrin city.

Turkeys hawkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan left no room for doubt about Turkeys intentions, saying Friday, Now the center of Afrin is surrounded and our entry is imminent. Erdogan announced ambitious plans for the city, saying Turkey would help rebuild its infrastructure, restore electricity and water and modernize its education and its healthcare system just like it did in Jarabulus, al-Rai, Azaz and Al-Bab.

The Turkish strongman was referring to the hefty chunk of territory Turkey seized during the Euphrates Shield operation that began in in August 2016. Turkey has since set about building roads, schools and hospitals and training local security forces there with what critics call neo-Ottoman"  some even say Islamist  zeal.

The YPG has vowed to defend Afrin, redeploying hundreds of fighters from its stronghold in northeastern Syria to join the fight. A commander for the YPG-led Syrian Democratic Forces, which is the US-led coalitions top ally in the campaign against the Islamic State, told Al-Monitor via WhatsApp, Turkish forces are two kilometers from Afrin. They are carrying out air and artillery attacks to force the civilian population to flee. The SDF commander, who spoke on condition of anonymity, ruled out pulling out of Afrin city, where the militants had made all necessary preparations to confront the enemy. He added the YPG controlled a strategic chain of hills separating Jindires from Afrin, known as the Hawar mountains in Kurdish. Unlike the string of hills to the east of Afrin that fell to the Turkish-led force in February, this area is much bigger, thickly forested and harder to penetrate.

But Turkeys Operation Olive Branch, launched on Jan. 20, has dented the aura of invincibility that the YPG built with its prowess against the Islamic State. And a growing number of analysts question how long the YPG can fend off Turkey. Ankara has the strategic advantage of air power and rear bases from east, north and the west.

While the valor and discipline of the YPG against IS remain uncontested, coalition air power, guidance and weaponry swung the battle in their favor. In Afrin, which falls outside the United States informal zone of influence, the YPG has to fend for itself. And for as long as Russia, which controls the skies over Afrin, lets the Turkish air force carry out strikes, the YPG will remain on the defensive.

The Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), the Kurdish militia that is fighting for self-rule inside Turkey and working with the YPG inside Syria  Turkey insists they are the same  already had a taste of the Turkish armys heavy-handedness during protracted battles that erupted in the mainly Kurdish cities and towns in Turkeys southeast in 2015. Entire neighborhoods were reduced to rubble and over half a million civilians were displaced. According to a UN report, hundreds were killed, tortured and abused as Turkish forces backed by tanks stomped out the PKKs reckless stab at urban autonomy. YPG sources insist there little reason to doubt Turkish forces will display similarly ruthless tactics in Afrin. But if they believe it will trigger an international outcry that will force Turkey to halt its operations, they may well be proven wrong.

According to the monitoring group AirWars, at least 2,000 civilians died in the battle to wrest the IS capital Raqqa. What is certain, wrote Samuel Oakford, who conducted the study, is that the intense bombardment resulted in significant civilian casualties and at least 95% of airstrikes and artillery strikes were American. Yet the world has not reacted.

Though in the case of Afrin, international sympathy lies largely with the Kurds, national governments including the United States have yet to demand Turkeys offensive stop.

Nicholas Heras is a Middle East Security Fellow at the Center for a New American Security. He told Al-Monitor, The YPG in Afrin has fought a valiant battle, but Turkeys strategy of working from the edges of Afrin to toward the center, onto Afrin city, has been successful. There has been no point during [the operation] that the YPG has been able to demonstrate that it can stand up against the Turkish military and its Syrian rebel proxies. Heras argued, With the battle for the city of Afrin looming, the YPG would be better served to withdraw what forces it can from Afrin and reposition them in a place like Manbij or on the eastern bank of the Euphrates River. The fact of the matter is no great power  neither Russia nor the United States  is going to intervene to turn the battle for Afrin into a victory for the YPG, like it won in Kobani.

But withdrawing to Manbij may not offer a respite: Erdogan renewed vows to expand Turkeys offensive against the YPG further east to Manbij and all the way to the Iraqi border even as US and Turkish officials met in Washington to reach a compromise on the mainly Arab city. The talks are part of a broader US effort to repair ties with Turkey. Ankara insists that Manbij, which is protected by the US-led coalitions, needs to be purged of all YPG influence, that all YPG fighters and administrators be withdrawn from Manbij to the east of the Euphrates River.

The talks ended on Friday with Turkeys Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu declaring that the United States and Turkey had reached a common understanding. He is expected to travel to Washington in the coming days where he will likely pick up the negotiations on Manbij with Secretary of State Rex Tillerson in a bilateral meeting.

Sources familiar with the substance of the discussions said the outlines of a putative deal foresee ties being established between the Manbij Military Council and pro-Turkish rebels or Trained Syrian Opposition, with some TSO coming in and the core YPG moving to the east of the river, but that it would take a very long time. Moreover, one of the sources noted, Everything needs to be mutually agreed between the United States and Turkey, which means nothing will ever be agreed.

The SDF commander insisted the United States "believes if Turkey takes Afrin and a deal is done on Manbij, Erdogan will be appeased and all of their problems will disappear. They are wrong."

One of the hitches is that US special operations forces remain distrustful of the Arab rebels. They include jihadi elements who have displayed hostile behavior toward them in the past and continue to shoot at them from the Euphrates Shield zone. What's more, the Turks appear to have little control over them. Thus, US Central Command, which oversees coalition operations in Syria and Iraq  and was, rather unusually, not represented at the talks  is likely to push back.

Correction: March 15, 2018. An earlier version of this article incorrectly reported that Turkey's foreign minister would be attending a meeting of the global anti-IS coalition in Washington. His visit was solely to meet with Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, but the trip has since been cancelled.Kachalla Bukars eyes filled with tears when he looked at a blue plastic basket containing his 14 year old daughters belongings.

Aisha Kachalla is one of 110 girls who were abducted on February 19 by suspected Boko Haram fighters from her school in Dapchi, a dusty, remote town in the northeast Nigerian state of Yobe.

The basket contains noodles, clothes and other items her parents packed to make her life at boarding school more comfortable.

Now those mundane items are the only connection he has to his daughter while he and other parents wait for news.

When we went to school she was not among the girls that have been found, he said, holding up a pink dress that was part of her school uniform.

For the father of six, the box and its contents are keepsakes to be cherished but also a reminder of the moment he learned his second eldest daughter was missing.

Her colleagues who have returned then gave us our daughters school box with her personal belongings, he said. That was when we realised our daughter is actually missing.

The abductions in Dapachi may be one of the biggest since Boko Haram took more than 270 schoolgirls from the northeastern town of Chibok in 2014. That case sparked an online campaign and spurred several governments into action to try and find them.

Many of those girls remain in captivity, though some have escaped or been released in exchange for a ransom.Last Wednesday, Palestinians in Jerusalem were hit with yet another travesty. The Israeli parliament ratified a bill that allows the minister of interior to revoke the residency rights of any Palestinian who poses a threat to Israel, or, more specifically, is suspected of a breach of loyalty to Israel.

Palestinians in Jerusalem do not possess Israeli citizenship or Palestinian passports. They are in a perpetual limbo state with a mere permanent residency card and temporary Jordanian passports for travel purposes. Between the years of 1967 and 2016, Israel has revoked the status of more than 14,500 Palestinian Jerusalemites, despite them having lived there for generations, since before the establishment of the Israeli state.

The new bill, which is a visible consequence of Israels being emboldened to take over Jerusalem after Trump recognised the city as the undivided capital of Israel, is not only an attack on the Palestinians of Jerusalem but implicitly acts to further attack Palestinian identity.

Legalising the Nakba of Jerusalem

The ongoing colonisation of Palestine does not stop at the displacement of the population. It is also an act to completely erase any sense of Palestine in the land and replace it with an entirely new character.

This became more palpable to me when I, a West Bank ID holder, am permitted by Israel the rare access to visit Jerusalem and other cities in historical Palestine such as Haifa, Jaffa and Acre. I always return to Ramallah with a strained mind. The overriding sensation of being a foreign intruder in my ancestral land is a notion that makes it all the more difficult to view peace in the Israeli framework.

During the attacks of 1948, Zionist militia would physically and violently remove Palestinians from their homes. Following a similar endeavor, what we are witnessing today is another attack, this time through a less bloody and quieter method: the law. The bill will further accelerate the dispossession of Palestinians from the city through a legal framework that will again forcibly transfer the Palestinian population. It is, in effect, ethnic cleansing by bureaucracy.

You realise that the idea of peace for Israel only means that we, Palestinians, are not allowed to live freely as Palestinians, but instead as background noise. This is especially overarching when I visit Yaffa, the city my grandfather grew up in and was forced to flee in 1948. The horrifying erasure of any distinguishing elements of Palestinianism in such cities is acute. Consequently, the Arabic language is stigmatised, our cuisine is now appropriated as Israeli culture, and the label is not even Palestinian but Israeli Arab. What remains are fragments of old homes and fleeting chronicles of a generation slowly dying away, taking with them the Palestine that stretched from the river to the sea.

Despite all this, the fact that Israel is an occupying power is being missed in the discussions about Palestine and Palestinians. No population in its right mind would voluntarily acquiesce to its perpetrator, and they should not be expected to. With this in mind, any act by Palestinians to not abide by Israeli rule and denounce Israeli measures against them is considered a breach of loyalty to Israel. It was even deemed illegal by Israel to carry the Palestinian flag at some point.

The latest bill is not a defensive measure by Israel, rather another strategy to suppress Palestinian defiance to the colonisation of their cities.

There is no way whereby the occupied can be loyal to their occupiers, a fact the Israeli state is well aware of and is manipulating to use as a reason to further take over and colonise what remains of Jerusalem and its Palestinianism.

Killing the Palestinian

The less obvious effect concealed within the contours of the bill is even more alarming. To top the tangible consequences of revocation of rights from Palestinians, we can also witness a slow killing of Palestinian identity in Jerusalem, through inflicting this fear of being stripped of residency.

This bill and other recent endeavours by Israel are reminiscent of the ambitions of American captain Richard H Pratt regarding Indigenous Americans when he noted: kill the Indian in him, and save the man.

Jerusalem is one of the only places outside the West Bank and Gaza that still visibly clutches on to its Palestinian identity. The old city bustles with the sound of old men and women trying to sell their goods in Arabic; there is still a sense of pride in our Arabness and Palestinianess. Unlike Haifa, Galilee and other cities that were so violently taken over, where even uttering the word Palestine is now some sort of a revolutionary act. This is the by-product of Israel enforcing more than 50 discriminatory laws against Palestinians with Israeli citizenship. This is the malfeasance of Israeli policy, pushing our identities into the corners of our homes in hopes of turning them into mere whispers among trusted friends.

Once more, the newest bill is essentially tasking Palestinians with the illusion of having to make a choice. To either defy these oppressive measures and risk losing their residency and what little rights they may have, or to submit to Israeli rule and forfeit their Palestinianism, assimilating only to be afforded the chance to continue living in this limbo state as foreign visitors in their own city. Neither options serve the Palestinian; its either an undignified life of forced assimilation or a cycle of humiliation, dispossession and human rights violations.

Our liberation is not when we gain equal rights it is when we are able to roam freely with our heads held high and our voices loud, unapologetically announcing that we are Palestinian without a need to show any loyalty to our occupier.

The views expressed in this article are the authors own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeeras editorial stance.Islamophobia is far more than merely dread or hatred of Muslims, or fear or dislike of the faith and its followers.

Why is a Black woman on your book cover? asked the middle-aged, South Asian woman, shortly after I finished lecturing at an event in Michigan. The woman posing the question was a Muslim, as was the young lady featured on the cover of my book, American Islamophobia: Understanding the Roots and Rise of Fear, manifesting a dissonance about how Muslim identity is perceived, and misperceived, beyond and even within Muslim American communities.

The narrow racial framing of Muslim identity, deeply embedded in the American imagination and still potent today, not only converges with the rising tide of anti-Muslim animus we now understand and know as Islamophobia  but indeed, an integral part of it. Islamophobia in the United States is, in great part, a racial project, spawned by a master discourse that drove European supremacy and today powered by popular views and state policy seeking to safeguard its domestic progeny, white supremacy.

Race and racism are central to any understanding of Islamophobia, as brilliantly examined by sociology scholar and author Erik Love, and they configure in myriad ways with the advancement of the aggregate enterprise of Islamophobia in the United States, and beyond its borders. While racism is central, there is more at play  Islamophobia is anchored in an Orientalist underbelly that precedes the creation of the formative American racial enterprise and its modern form, and a protracted War on Terror that extends it through formal law and policy.

Islamophobia is far more than merely dread or hatred of Muslims, or fear or dislike of the faith and its followers, and these prevailing definitions tend to fixate on explicit or irrational animus, and far too often, the activity of private actors. The role of the state, and its vast network of agencies and agents, and the fluid exchanges and interaction between the state and its polity, is central to understanding Islamophobia.

Islamophobia is also law, expressly found in its letter and hidden in facially neutral terms intended to discriminate, affixed with the state seals of approval that obliges the polity to adhere to the message that Muslim identity is presumptive of terror threat, and Islam a civilisational foil that must be confronted, or contorted in a form palatable to the state. Approaching a definition and framework for understanding Islamophobia, in all of its complexity, enables an appreciation of its numerous tentacles, and how these tentacles intersect with other forms of racism and bigotry, are extended by law and policy, and reach to colour the perspectives of not only non-Muslims, but also Muslims, and everybody and anybody conditioned by the American Islamophobia that prevails today.

Tracing the history of Islamophobia

In 2015, I embarked on the project of redefining Islamophobia, during a moment when explicit bigotry and hate violence against Muslims in the United States were emboldened by (then candidate and now president) Donald Trump. My search for a new definition, however, was less motivated by contemporary animus, but rather, my examination of legal Orientalism, and the centuries long position of US civil courts that ruled that Muslim identity was antithetical to whiteness. From 1790 until 1952, American naturalisation law mandated whiteness as a prerequisite for naturalised citizenship, and until the Ex Parte Mohriez decision 1944, Muslims were viewed as a distinct racial group that was not only non-white, but members of a faith held out to be the civilisational antithesis of whiteness.

The tropes that drove the formative legal position that Muslims were non-white, and oriented Islam as antithetical to whiteness, were redeployed after the 9/11 attacks. That moment that spurred the bleak aftermath that gave rise to Islamophobia as we know it today, spearheaded by the creation of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the initiation of the war on terror. Therefore, the ideas and images, distorted narratives and misrepresentations thrust to the surface after 9/11 that steer Islamophobia today were sowed and legally sealed by Orientalism, which must be understood as the mother of modern Islamophobia. In short, any discussion of Islamophobia must be prefaced by a synopsis Orientalism, and the definitions of the former grounded in its precedent system.

American Orientalism was, in large part, a white supremacist project that collaborated with anti-Blackness and Manifest Destiny to determine whiteness and define citizenship (both formal and substantive), and underneath this all, respond to the underlying existential question: who we are (as Americans), and who we are not? A question that rings at the heart of presidential slogans and immigration policy, a best-selling book by Samuel Huntington and a protracted War on Terror that provides the engine for Islamophobia in America today. Investigating this question, and the myriad actors that seek to answer it by the force of slurs, weapons or policy, steers us towards a more robust understanding of Islamophobia.

A new definition and framework

This historical context, coupled with its modern complexity, inspired my new definition and framing of Islamophobia. Above all, Islamophobia is founded upon the presumption that Islam is inherently violent, alien, and unassimilable  driven by the belief that expressions of Muslim identity correlate with a propensity for terrorism. In addition to this foundational definition are three attendant dimensions: 1- private Islamophobia; 2- structural Islamophobia, and; 3- dialectical Islamophobia.

First, private Islamophobia is the fear, suspicion, and violent targeting of Muslims by private actors. These actors could be individuals or institutions acting in a capacity not directed to the state. Craig Hicks murder of the three Muslim America students in Chapel Hill, North Carolina in 2015 is a clear example of private Islamophobia, as are arsons on mosques or attacks on visible Muslims. Acts of private Islamophobia, oftentimes driven by caricatured understandings of Muslims and Islam, also menace non-Muslim individuals and institutions thought to be Muslim, such as South Asian Americans or Sikh temples.

Structural Islamophobia, the second dimension, is the fear and suspicion of Muslims on the part of government institutions. This fear and suspicion are manifested and enforced through the enactment of and advancements of laws, policy, programming, or formal pronouncements by state agents. Laws like the US PATRIOT Act or Countering Violent Extremism, the vile anti-Muslim rhetoric of President Trump and the campaigns of state congressmen to pass anti-Sharia legislation distinctly and diversely illustrate structural Islamophobia. Structural Islamophobia has been openly extended by statesman on the Right, including Presidents George W. Bush and Trump, but also democrats like President Barrack Obama, who established counter-radicalisation policing as his signature counterterror policy. Unlike private Islamophobia, structural Islamophobic policy and positions are just as often driven by rational motives as they are irrational, strategically deployed to carry forward specific domestic and international state objectives.

Third, dialectical Islamophobia is the process by which structural Islamophobia shapes, reshapes and endorses views or attitudes about Islam and Muslim subjects. State action legitimises prevailing misconceptions and misrepresentations of Islam and communicates these damaging ideas through state-sponsored policy, programming or rhetoric. Law is not merely policy, but also a set of messages and directives disseminated to broader society, instructing them to partake in the project of policing, punishing and extra-judicially prosecuting Muslims. We see this process functioning most vividly during times of crisis, such as the direct aftermath of a terror attack, when hate incidents and violence towards Muslims and perceived Muslims are pervasive.

Beyond the Cover

This definition enables an understanding of the epistemological and legal roots of American Islamophobia, and its ferocious rise during the past several decades. Just as critically, this framework enables analyses of Islamophobia as it interacts and converges with other systems of stigma and subordination, and indeed, the most ominous among them.

Beyond its popular cover, Islamophobia is everything from law to Hollywood misrepresentations, violent assaults on conspicuous Muslims and innocent bystanders wrongly profiled as Muslims. Islamophobia is all of this, but also far more. It is, above all, a fluidly shifting and intricate system that cannot be reduced to mere fear or dislike of Islam and its followers, who occupy a range of distinct stations in society and experience it differently, and for the most vulnerable, disproportionately.

Reckoning with Islamophobia requires situating it within the American context that feeds and foments it, which perils a broad population of could-be victims that manifest the multi-layered diversity of the country they strive to call home  against the collaborative efforts of the state and elements in society that fight to keep Muslims at the margins.

The views expressed in this article are the authors own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeeras editorial stance.Trump is not the first, and certainly will not be the last, US president to try to scare Canada into submission.

Myths can be reassuring and misleading.

They are often, as well, easy substitutes for critical thinking among lazy writers whose gaze is permanently fixed on the present, without so much as an occasional glance at the not-so-distant past.

These truths have been on abundant, telling display over the past few weeks as Donald Trump continues to ricochet wildly like a frenetic pinball, bouncing from one petulant tirade to another.

Trumps latest spasm of idiocy wrapped in the imprimatur of the presidential seal was his primary-school-yard-like taunts over trade and tariffs lobbed like diplomatic grenades at Canada  that loveable, cuddly country led by a loveable, cuddly prime minister.

In Trumps manic mind, Canada is, in fact, a sly, fiendish, duplicitous trading partner that has fleeced America out of good jobs and profitable business for far too long.

Canadas brutal, Canadas really tough, Trump told an adoring crowd of cultists in Pennsylvania recently. Because they just outsmarted our politicians for decades.

To teach Americas traditionally compliant poodle to the north and other foreign runts a sharp, potentially painful lesson, Trump has threatened to slap hefty tariffs on steel and aluminium. Later, Trump offered Canada and Mexico a temporary reprieve on the proposed levies in exchange for concessions during the never-ending NAFTA re-negotiations.

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Trumps vindictive gambit was, of course, in keeping with his vindictive character. Clearly, this is a president who considers brazen threats, humiliation and extortion effective negotiating tools.

Despite the hyperbolic expressions of gob-smacking aghast by historically illiterate pundits in Canada and abroad, Canadian-American relations havent always been lovey-dovey, and Trumps not the first US president to use profanity, threats, humiliation and extortion to try to fashion his preferred way with oh-so-loveable, but, at times, recalcitrant Canada.

John F Kennedy was an attractive, charming bully who couldnt abide the sight of Canadas then Conservative prime minister, John Diefenbaker. Tit-for-tat, Diefenbaker wasnt a big fan of Americas young pup president.

In any event, Kennedy expected the provincial Diefenbaker to do what he was, in effect, ordered to do when the US wanted to station a slew of nuclear-tipped anti-aircraft missiles in Canada.

In the face of anti-nuclear protests at home, Diefenbaker demurred and ultimately said no. Kennedy didnt forgive or forget Diefenbakers insolence. After a terse White House meeting with Diefenbaker in early 1961, Kennedy told his brother, Robert: I dont want to see that boring son-of-a-b**ch again.

Diefenbakers view of Kennedy was even less charitable. Hes a hothead. Hes a fool  too young, too brash, too inexperienced, and a boastful son of a b**ch!

Fast forward to April 1965: Kennedy was dead, murdered by an assassins bullets. Lyndon Johnson, a decidedly less attractive, less charming bully was president, consumed by a disastrous imperialist war in Vietnam that the US was losing.

Lester B Pearson, a bow-tie wearing former career diplomat and Noble Peace Prize winner turned Liberal prime minister, made a speech at Temple University, where he suggested the US pause the lethal, incessant bombing of North Vietnam and seek a solution by talking.

Enraged by Pearsons audacity and temerity, Johnson summoned Pearson to Camp David the following day where he administered a verbal rod to the short, soft-spoken Canadian.

Johnson, who stirred outrage after being pictured picking up his beagles by their ears, almost did the same with Pearson, opting instead to haul the diminutive prime minister up by his shirt lapels.

Dont you come into my living room and piss on my carpet, the towering Johnson barked at the mortified Pearson.

Pearson got Johnsons profane, brutish message. He never made another speech at another American university to advise, suggest or imply that Johnson should stop the bombing and killing and to give peace a chance.

Pearson was succeeded by Pierre Elliott Trudeau. Johnson was succeeded by Richard Nixon. Trudeau didnt like Nixon. Nixon despised Trudeau.

Trudeaus inspired description about the nature and state of relations between the two countries may have triggered a pathologically thin-skinned Nixon.

Living next to you is in some ways like sleeping with an elephant. No matter how friendly or temperate the beast, one is affected by every twitch and grunt, Trudeau said in Ottawa in 1969.

The depth of the US presidents seething enmity towards Trudeau was revealed in 1971 when Nixon was captured on his no longer secret Oval Office tape recorder calling Canadas cerebral, Jesuit-trained prime minister, an a**hole.

Trudeaus retort was as dismissive as it was scathing: Ive been called worse things by better people. Ouch.

The pair met at the White House in 1971. After the visit, Nixon turned to his chief of staff, H R Haldeman and, with his signature coarseness, said: That Trudeau, hes a clever son of a b**ch.

Nixon wasnt done with the pompous egghead just yet. He hatched a plan with his henchman, Haldeman, to plant an embarrassing story about the Canadian prime minister with the high-profile and widely-syndicated muckraking columnist, Jack Anderson.

Youve got to put it to these people for kicking the US around after what we did for that lousy son of a bitch. Give it to somebody around here, Nixon told Haldeman.

That was almost 50 years ago. But the presidential threats and petty desire to get even with lousy Canadian politicians who are kicking the US around is a virtual word-for-word facsimile of Donald Trumps angry, barely coherent rhetoric today.

Trump is simply saying and doing in public what his predecessors said and did in private when they got miffed with what they were convinced Canada was saying and doing  publicly or privately  to harm Americas national interest.

So, note to revisionist pundits pining for the halcyon days of Canadian-American ties: Trump isnt the first obscene and ugly American president, and he certainly wont be the last.

The views expressed in this article are the authors own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeeras editorial stance.Former double agent and his daughter were poisoned with a military grade nerve agent developed by Moscow, PM May says.

British Prime Minister Theresa May said it is highly likely that Russia was responsible for the nerve agent poisoning of former spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia.

Speaking at the House of Commons on Monday, May called the assassination attempt a reckless and despicable act.

Skripal, 66, and his daughter Yulia, 33, have been in hospital in critical condition since March 4, when they were found unconscious on a bench outside a shopping centre in the southern English city of Salisbury.

It is now clear that Mr Skripal and his daughter were poisoned with a military grade nerve agent of a type developed by Russia. This is a part of group of nerve agents known as Novichok, May said.

Either this was a direct act by the Russian state against our country, or the Russian government lost control of its potentially catastrophically damaging nerve agent and allowed it to get into the hands of others.

May added if Russia would not give an explanation of which of the two scenarios had occurred, as well as disclosure of the countrys Novichok programme by the end of Tuesday, the UK government would conclude that this action amounts to an unlawful use of force by the Russian state against the United Kingdom.

Bottom of things

Skripal betrayed dozens of Russian agents to British intelligence before his arrest in Moscow in 2004.

He was sentenced to 13 years in prison in 2006 and four years later was given refuge in Britain after being exchanged for Russian spies.

Russia said Mays allegations were politically motivated and a provocation ahead of Sundays presidential elections, according to Russian media.

TASS news agency said Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova called the allegations a circus show.

Ahead of Mays comments, President Vladimir Putin said the UK should investigate what happened before levelling accusations at Russia.

You first get to the bottom of things over there, and after that, we can discuss it, Putin was quoted as saying on Monday.

His spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, said of Skripal: This Russian citizen worked for one of the British intelligence agencies, the incident took place on British territory and, therefore, it has nothing to do with Russia, let alone the Russian leadership.

The Russian embassy in London said it was outraged by an anti-Russian media campaign.

Current policy of the UK government towards Russia is a very dangerous game played with the British public opinion, which not only sends the investigation upon an unhelpful political track, but also bears the risk of more serious long-term consequences for our relations, a statement said.

Trace contamination





On Sunday, hundreds of patrons of a pub and restaurant in Salisbury were urged to wash their clothes and possessions.

The poisoning has drawn comparisons to the murder of Alexander Litvinenko in 2006. The former Russian spy died three weeks after drinking green tea laced with radioactive polonium-210 at Londons Millennium Hotel.

Russia denied involvement in his death.

A British inquiry into the 43-year-olds death said Moscow had probably ordered the poisoning of Litvinenko, who lived in exile in Britain.Egyptian-Americans will call on US politicians to pressure the Egyptian government to address human rights concerns.

Dozens of members of the Egyptian diaspora in the United States are gathering in Washington, DC, this week to develop strategies to push members of Congress to support freedom and human rights in Egypt.

The two-day training, dubbed Egypt Advocacy Day, will bring about 60 delegates from 30 different states to the US capital on Monday and Tuesday, said Mohamed Soltan, one of the event organisers.

We hope that we can bring folks together outside of Egypt, in the diaspora  to be the voice of those that cant have one, or [for whom] the cost of having a voice is simply too much to bear, Soltan told Al Jazeera via telephone.

Soltan founded The Freedom Initiative, a US-based non-profit group co-organising the event, in late 2015 to advocate on behalf of political prisoners in Egypt, who human rights groups say now number in the tens of thousands.

A citizen of both Egypt and the US, Soltan was jailed in 2013 by the government of Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, which accused him of supporting the outlawed Muslim Brotherhood movement.

Soltan returned to the US after being released from prison in 2015. He spent more than a year on hunger strike while in prison.

Instead of feeling helpless and not knowing what to do, we can use democratic mechanisms, and we can pressure elected officials to pressure Egypt to better its human rights record, Soltan said, about the role the diaspora can play in pushing for greater freedoms in Egypt.

Mohammed Soltan spent more than a year on hunger strike [AP Photo]

More than 100 meetings have been scheduled as part of this weeks event, he said, including with members of the US Senate and Congress and the US Department of State.

Participants will also attend information seminars with experts on US foreign policy vis-a-vis Egypt.

Egypt is heading [down] this route where there is a complete crushing of any public or political space, Soltan said.

He added that he hoped the event would succeed in mobilising and organising the Egyptian diaspora and correcting the narrative on Egypt.

The event is co-organised by the Belady Foundation, a group helping Egyptian street children that was founded by Aya Hijazi, a dual US-Egyptian citizen who was jailed in Egypt for over three years.

Hijazi was released from prison and returned to the US in April 2017 after a Cairo court acquitted her of human trafficking, a charge human rights groups said was fabricated.

Human rights crisis

Human rights groups have accused the Sisi government  which came to power following a 2013 coup  of cracking down on freedom of speech and assembly, carrying out arbitrary arrests and detaining civil society leaders.

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Egypts human rights crisis continued unabated last year, Amnesty International said in its 2017-2018 report.

The Egyptian authorities used torture and other ill-treatment and enforced disappearance against hundreds of people, the rights group said, while mass unfair trials targeting peaceful protesters, journalists and human rights workers were routine.

At least 20 journalists were behind bars in Egypt at the end of last year, the Committee to Protect Journalists reported, making the country one of the worlds three worst jailers of journalists.

Last year, the US announced it was delaying or cutting some aid to Egypt over human rights concerns.

This weeks advocacy training in the US also comes a few weeks ahead of the Egyptian presidential elections, which are set for the end of March.

Analysts have accused el-Sisi, who is seeking a second term as president, of making it impossible for any political opponents to challenge him at the polls. A handful of presidential hopefuls have dropped out of the race since the start of the year.

El-Sisi was elected president of Egypt with 97 percent support in 2014.

A year earlier, the former Egyptian army chief led a coup that deposed his democratically-elected predecessor, Mohamed Morsi of the Muslim Brotherhood.Taliban fighters attack Anar Dara District early on Monday taking over the police headquarters as fighting rages on.

Taliban fighters have taken over a police headquarters in Afghanistans western Farah province during an ongoing battle with the security forces as officials warned the district was likely to be taken over by the armed group.

At least 20 members of the security forces are believed to be killed or wounded when the fighters attacked the Anar Dara districts police and administrative offices on Monday morning.

The exact number of killed or wounded is still not clear as the fighting is still under way, officials said.

The [Taliban] fighters attacked the district offices early in the morning from different directions and have taken over the offices, Dadullah Qane, a member of the provincial council, told Al Jazeera.

If they are not fought back, the district will be taken over entirely.

A senior official in the province said that reinforcements have reached the area in a bid to push back the fighters.

There were about 300 fighters that attacked the headquarters early this morning, but security forces are now fighting them back and we are hoping that the area will be cleared off soon, Farid Bakhtawar, head of the provincial council, told Al Jazeera.

Taliban claim responsibility

The Taliban immediately claimed responsibility saying the district is now under their control.

Residents told Al Jazeera that gunshots were heard the entire night until Monday morning.

No civilian casualties have been reported so far in the attack, which comes a day after the Taliban killed seven members of the army and eight policemen in Bala Buluk district in the province.

Officials say the fighters have stepped up attacks against Afghan security forces in the province, which has often come under deadly attacks.

The province is a centre of opium cultivation and poppy farmers are often taxed by the Taliban to help fund their fight against security forces.

According to a recent BBC study, the Taliban are active in 70 percent of districts, fully controlling four percent of the country and demonstrating an open physical presence in another 66 percent.

In February, the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction, or SIGAR, said the Pentagon had restricted the release of information on the areas that are under the Taliban and the Afghan government.

John Sopko, who leads the independent watchdog, wrote in SIGARs latest quarterly report that the request to classify more information was troubling.

The US military later defended the decision, saying a human error in labeling caused it to classify the report.Bahrains King, Sheikh Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, supported and financed subversive operations inside Qatar during a failed coup attempt in Doha in 1996, a new investigation found.

The second part of the Qatar 96 documentary, which was first broadcast on Al Jazeera on Sunday, revealed the involvement of Sheikh Hamad, who at the time was crown prince of Bahrain, in attempting to overthrow the Qatari government 21 years ago.

The investigation provided evidence of the involvement of Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and Bahrain in supporting the failed coup detat.

Fahd al-Maliki, a prominent leader of the coup attempt, said Bahrains Sheikh Hamad personally financed a series of sabotage operations and bombings in the Qatari capital. This was done under the pretence of an opposition front against then-emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, father of Qatars current emir.





Maliki, who fled to the UAE after the failed coup, said he received $265,000 from Sheikh Hamad in return for targeting government institutions, including the immigration department headquarters.

The attack was thwarted when the bomb failed to detonate and authorities found the explosive device in October 1996.

Maliki confirmed he personally contacted Reuters news agency and claimed responsibility for the bombing attempt on behalf of an organisation calling itself The Restoration of Legitimacy.

US confirmation

Then-US ambassador to Qatar, Patrick Thiers, said the intentions of those nations began to become clear after the failed coup attempt. The countries supporting the putsch were trying to oust Sheikh Khalifa because they found Qatars independent foreign policy unacceptable, according to Thiers.

The investigation described the extent of support provided to fugitives from Qatar and those involved in the failed coup attempt in February 1996, showing for the first time images of UAE and Bahraini passports granted to members of the Qatari military and coup leaders.

Retired Brigadier Shaheen al-Sulaiti, who was a senior member of the Qatari intelligence service, said Qatars security services collected evidence implicating the three countries in the failed coup.

Sulaiti, who was one of the supervisors of the police investigation, said there was intensive communication between Qatari authorities and senior leaders in both the UAE and Saudi Arabia, which led to the extradition of a number of those involved.

Intensive communication

According to the investigation, in late 1997 Saudi Arabia handed over to Qatar one of the most prominent leaders of the attempted coup, Jaber Hamad al-Marri, who described the details of his extradition. Marri said he was subjected to torture and insults during the handover by Saudi security forces.





Maliki described the details of his escape from UAE security forces who tried to arrest him and hand him over to Qatar. He said he fled to Yemen before being handed over by authorities there to Doha in mid-1998.

According to Sulaiti, the coup attempt was considered over in 1996 with the arrest of coup leader Hamad bin Jassim bin Hamad Al Thani, who fled to Syria and was arrested in a security operation at Beirut airport.

Hamad, the then-police chief and cousin of the former emir, was taken by plane to Doha.

The coup attempt remained active in the Qatari courts, where various sentences were issued, including the execution of a number of coup leaders.

Amnesty granted

In May 2010, the late Saudi King Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz asked Qatars emir to pardon 21 Saudi detainees involved in the coup and who were arrested by Qatari authorities. Doha agreed to the request.

The investigation presented Saudi video footage showing former Saudi crown prince Sultan bin Abdul Aziz welcoming those released, while stressing Saudi Arabias respect for Qatars sovereignty.

He also praised the favourable response of Qatars emir to the extradition request.Al Jazeera journalist now has been detained for 447 days in Egypt without charge.

An Egyptian court in Cairo renewed the detention of Al Jazeera journalist Mahmoud Hussein who has now spent 447 days in prison without charge.

Judge Hussein Qandeel of the 23rd Circuit Criminal Court granted the jail extension for the twelfth time on Sunday.

Hussein, an Egyptian national based in Qatar, was stopped, questioned, and arrested by authorities on December 20, 2016, after travelling to Cairo for a holiday.

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Five days after his initial arrest, Egypts interior ministry accused him of disseminating false news and receiving monetary funds from foreign authorities in order to defame the states reputation.

Since then, he has been put in solitary confinement, denied his legal rights, and has yet to be formally charged.

During his time in detention, Hussein suffered a broken arm and has not received proper medical treatment for the injury.

According to Egyptian law, the maximum time a person can be held for interrogation is two years. If Hussein remains imprisoned, he will hit that maximum in December 2018.

Al Jazeera has condemned the repeated renewals of his detention, denies all allegations against Hussein, and demands his immediate and unconditional release.

Human rights and press freedom organisations have also denounced Husseins treatment, with his family saying the 51-year-old is suffering from poor physical and psychological health.

In February, the United Nations called Husseins case one of arbitrary detention, saying the appropriate remedy would be to release Mr Hussein immediately.

The International Press Institute has also called on Egypt to immediately release Hussein and other journalists in a social media campaign, using the hashtag #PressEgypt.

Media crackdown

Since the Arab Spring, Egypt has seen several crackdowns on media critical to the government, including Al Jazeera.

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In May 2016, a Cairo court sentenced a former editor-in-chief of Al Jazeera Arabic, Ibrahim Helal, to death, charging him in absentia with endangering national security.

Al Jazeeras Baher Mohamed, Mohamed Fahmy and Peter Greste  along with seven colleagues outside the country  were accused of spreading false news during their coverage in the aftermath of the military overthrow of then-president Mohamed Morsi in 2013.

Mohamed and Fahmy spent 437 days in jail before being released, while Greste spent more than a year in prison.

The judge who sentenced the journalists said they were brought together by the devil to destabilise the country.

According to the Committee to Protect Journalists, Egypt ranks third worldwide among nations jailing media workers  having locked up 20 in 2017.At least 49 die after US-Bangla Airlines lands in wrong direction at Kathmandus Tribhuvan International Airport.

Kathmandu, Nepal  At least 49 people have been killed when a Bangladeshi plane carrying more than 70 people crashed and burst into flames as it landed in Nepals capital Kathmandu.

Manoj Neupane, a spokesman for Nepali police, told Al Jazeera that at least 40 people died when the US-Bangla Airlines plane crash landed on Monday. Nine others died at the hospital.

At least 22 passengers were undergoing treatment in various hospitals in the city, he said.

Raj Kumar Chhetri, general manager at the Tirubhavan International Airport (TIA), told Al Jazeera that the aircraft skidded off the runaway after attempting to land in the wrong direction against the order of the control room.

BREAKING First picture from crash site, the turboprop aircraft appears to be a Bombardier Dash-8 Q400. Updates: https://t.co/rPgfBUWBAu pic.twitter.com/0FeVLSgisY  AIRLIVE (@airlivenet) March 12, 2018

The control room had given permission to land from the southern end. But it landed from the northern side after making few rounds in the sky, he said.

In a press briefing, Imran Asif, CEO of US-Bangla Airlines, said the pilot of the aircraft, Abid Sultan, was injured and was undergoing treatment.

Asif said the airline suspected that the crash was caused by a miscommunication between the pilot and the control tower at the airport.

There is a video on Youtube, which shows the conversation between the pilot and the control tower. Basing on that, we are making this assumption, he said.

Nepals Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli has called Bangladeshs Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to express sorrow following the crash, Bishnu Rimal, Olis chief political adviser, said.

In a post on Twitter, Oli offered his condolences to bereaved families and said his government will investigate the incident immediately.

Extremely shocked by unfortunate carsh of US_ Bangla Aircraft carrying 67 passengers and 4 crew members. Express deep sorrow on loss of lives and condole to bereaved families and also wish for early recovery of injured persons. Govt will investigate the incident immediately.  K P Sharma Oli (@kpsharmaoli) March 12, 2018

The Bombardier Dash 8 Q400 aircraft took off from the Bangladeshi capital, Dhaka, to Kathmandu on Monday morning.

Images posted on social media following the plane crash showed workers at the airport standing at the runway and grounds, as thick smoke was seen rising in the background.

Rescuers were later seen crowding around the plane, which was turned upside-down and badly burned.

In Dhaka, Kamrul Hasan, general manager of US-Bangla airline, said there were 33 Nepali nationals onboard the flight.

At least 32 others were from Bangladesh, one from China and one from the Maldives.

He said two airline officials were awaiting a flight to Kathmandu to help gather more information about the incident.

Relatives of some of the passengers gathered in front of US-Bangla Airlines office at Dhakas Baridhara district, demanding to know what happened to their family members.

SM Abul Kalam Azad, brother of a government official who was on-board the plane, was crying outside the airline office.

Azad told Al Jazeera he does not know whether his sister, Umme Salima, is alive or dead. Salima, a Planning Ministry official left for Nepal for a three-day official visit.

Meanwhile the embassy of Bangladesh in Kathmandu has opened a hotline for family members and friends of the passengers.

In 2012, at least 19 people were killed after a small plane flying towards Mount Everest crashed on the outskirts of Kathmandu.

During the same year, at least 15 people were also killed when a plane taking tourists to the high-altitude airport near Annapurna crashed.

With additional reporting by Roshan Sedhai in Kathmandu and Faisal Mahmud in Dhaka.Ambassador Haley tells UN Security Council US remains prepared to act if we must amid ongoing Eastern Ghouta carnage.

The UN secretary-general urged Security Council members to end the suffering of residents in besieged Eastern Ghouta, as the US threatened to act if we must as a ceasefire continues to be ignored by Syrian and Russian forces.

Antonio Guterres remarks on Monday came as government forces continued for a third week to launch air strikes and advance a ground offensive into the Damascus suburb that has been under rebel control since mid-2013.

Several attempts to halt the deadly operation have proved futile, with a war monitor reporting more than 1,022 civilians have been killed in Russian-backed Syrian government attacks over the last three weeks.





I am deeply disappointed by all those  who allowed this to happen, Guterres said in his address at the UN headquarters in New York.

There should be only one agenda for all of us: to end the suffering of the Syrian people and find a political solution to the conflict.

Particularly in Eastern Ghouta, the air strikes, shelling, ground offensive intensified after the adoption of the resolution, he said, referencing UNSC resolution 2401, which passed on February 24.

Resolution 2401 called for an immediate ceasefire, the evacuation of civilians, and the delivery of aid supplies.

Guterres also expressed his disappointment at the prevention of desperately needed food and medical assistance from being delivered to some of the 400,000 residents trapped inside the enclave.

Prepared to act

United States ambassador to the UN Nikki Hailey denounced the failure to implement the resolution, and said her country was drafting a new one with no room for evasion. Haley warned the US remains prepared to act if we must.

It is not the path we prefer, but it is a path we have demonstrated we will take, and we are prepared to take again, Haley told the 15-member Security Council. When the international community consistently fails to act, there are times when states are compelled to take their own action.





Russian UN ambassador Vassily Nebenzya told the council on Monday the Syrian government has every right to try and remove the threat to the safety of its citizens.

He described the Damascus suburb as a hotbed of terrorism.

The destruction from the military onslaught has exacerbated an already dire humanitarian crisis, with more than 1,000 people in urgent need of medical evacuation.

Last week  amid reports of negotiations taking place between rebel groups and the Syrian government  a number of fighters and their families were evacuated from the enclave, state media reported.

President Bashar al-Assad has vowed to continue the offensive until all terrorists are removed from the district.

The Syrian government has divided Eastern Ghouta into three sections: Douma and its surroundings; Harasta in the west; and the rest of the towns further south.

Government forces have surrounded Douma, one of the enclaves main towns.Chile: Conservative Pinera sworn in for second term as president

The billionaire has vowed to revive an economy that has slumped under outgoing center-left leader Michelle Bachelet.Conservative parties, who opposed the 2016 peace deal with the FARC, take lead in parliamentary elections.

Colombias conservative parties came out ahead in Sundays parliamentary elections, but failed to get a majority in a landmark vote that saw the participation of the former leftist group, now a political party, for the first time.

With more than 90 percent of the votes counted, right-wing parties received the most seats.

The success of the conservative parties, which were opposed to the 2016 peace deal with the rebel group, raises questions about the future of the agreement.

After disbanding last year, the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) converted to a political party with the same initials.

As expected, the FARC performed poorly in the Sundays election, garnering less than 0.4 percent of the vote for Senate and less than 0.3 percent in the lower house. As part of the peace agreement, the party is guaranteed 10 seats.

Former President and Senator Alvaro Uribes Centro Democratico party won the most seats. Uribe was a vocal opponent of the 2016 peace deal.

Centrist and leftist parties polled well, keeping the right-wing parties from receiving a majority.

Presidential primaries

Colombians also voted for candidates from the right-wing and leftist coalitions to represent them in Mays presidential election.

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Ivan Duque from Uribes party and left-wing politician Gustavo Petro, a former mayor of Bogota, won the parties primaries.

Local media reported that just over 41 percent of eligible voters participated in Sundays election. Final official results are expected later on Monday.Defence ministers are attending a two-day maritime defence and security expo, DIMDEX 2018, organized by the Qatar Armed Forces in the capital Doha.

About 180 companies from more than 60 countries are taking part in the annual event, which is expected to see a number of important maritime defence deals signed.

In the expo, the Turkish defence minister announced that Turkey plans to use new, locally-manufactured ammunition in its ongoing operations in Syria.

Maritime security

Launched in 2008, DIMDEX is considered the Middle East and North Africas largest event devoted exclusively to maritime security, with a total of $32bn in deals being signed at the last five exhibitions.

DIMDEX acts as a cooperative chain, linking naval and defence industry professionals to initiate commercial deals, showcase state-of-the-art technologies and provide consultation with the objective of sustaining stability across global waters and protecting shores, borders and assets, reads a statement on DIMDEXs homepage.

Qatars Deputy Emir Abdullah bin Hamad Al Thani met separately with visiting defence ministers from Greece, Mongolia, India, and Turkey, as reported by Qatars news agency.

According to the Turkish defence minister, 33 Turkish firms in the defence and maritime security fields are participating in this years DIMDEX exhibition.The evacuation of three squats in Athens comes after a spate of far-right attacks on anarchist and left-wing spaces.

Athens, Greece  Greek police raided three anarchist squats in the capital and arrested at least 12 people, local media reported on Monday.

Police officers carried out the evacuations of Gare and Zaimi, a pair of squats in the Exarchia district of Athens, and another in Koukaki, another nearby neighbourhood, police told the ANA-MPA news agency.

Gare, which had been evacauted in November 2017, was reoccupied by anarchists in December.

A statement posted on the Athens IndyMedia, an anarchist-affiliated website, described the police operations as repressive.

In Exarchia, the statement said, the police threatened the neighbourhood by evacuating the buildings.

The statement went on to condemn the raids as a desperate attempt by the state and in particular the nationalist left to crack down on the squats, referring to Syriza, the left-wing party that came to power in January 2015.

We will not leave anyone alone in the fight, the statement added. We will not leave an inch of land to the state-capitalist looting.

More than a dozen squats are situated in Athens, and to a lesser extent, in other cities in Greece. Many are occupied by anarchists, while others provide residence for refugees and migrants.

Several of the squats are located in Exarchia, an area where many anarchist and left-wing activists are based.

Nasim Lomani, an activist at the City Plaza squat in Athens, explained the squat movement is under intense pressure from the state.

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Established in 2016, City Plaza is a squat in a deserted hotel in the city centre and provides residence to more than 350 refugees and migrants.

City Plaza has been threatened with eviction in the past.

We are in solidarity with all three of the squats, Lomani told Al Jazeera. In general, the whole [squat] movement is under intense pressure from the state.

Far-right attacks

The raids come on the heel of growing far-right attacks on anarchist squats and left-wing social centres across the country.

Last week, police arrested seven members of the neo-fascist Combat 18 Hellas organisation, which is believed to be connected to more than 30 attacks on anarchist squats and Jewish memorials in Athens, Thessaloniki and elsewhere.

In late January, as hundreds of thousands of nationalist protesters rallied against negotiations between Athens and Skopje over a name dispute, a group of assailants set ablaze Libertatia, a squat in the northern coastal city of Thessaloniki.

In February, far-right attackers broke Favela, a left-wing social centre in Piraeus, and injured at least five people.

One of those injured and hospitalised was a lawyer representing the family of Pavlos Fyssas, the anti-fascist rapper stabbed to death by a Golden Dawn member in September 2013.

The attackers reportedly chanted blood, honour, Golden Dawn, a reference to the neo-fascist party that has 16 seats in the Greek parliament and is on trial for allegedly operating a criminal organisation.

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Petros Constantinou, national director of the anti-fascist group Keerfa, described the attack on Favela as a traditional Nazi-style attack, with the attackers getting inside the space.

This was a very clear message that they are still here, he told Al Jazeera, explaining that it came amid a spate of anti-migrant attacks in Athens, Piraeus and elsewhere.

This is their modus operandi of attacks, Constantinou said.

The Nazis are trying to send a message that, in the area of Piraeus, they can continue doing what they want.South Korea will deploy all possible means to respond to US President Donald Trumps decision to impose tariffs on steel and aluminium imports, the countrys finance minister has said.

Last week, Trump pressed ahead with steep import tariffs of 25 percent on steel and 10 percent for aluminium, but exempted Canada and Mexico and offered the possibility of excluding other allies, backtracking from an earlier no-exceptions stance.

Waiver request

South Korea, the third-largest steel exporter to the US and a strategic ally on the Korean Peninsula, has already put in a request for a waiver.

We will make clear what our stance is, Finance Minister Kim Dong-yeon said on Monday at a policy meeting in Seoul.

[The government] will deploy all possible means to respond to US steel tariffs measures and make an all-out effort, he added, without elaborating.

South Koreas minister for trade, Kim Hyun-chong, who has visited the US twice in recent weeks to seek ways to minimize the damage to South Korean steelmakers, will depart for the US again on Tuesday, a ministry spokeswoman said.

Hyundai costs

South Koreas Hyundai Motor will pay higher raw material costs due to Trumps tariffs on steel and aluminium, a senior South Korean government official said last week.

Higher tariffs will increase costs of Hyundai and Kia, putting them at a disadvantage compared with their rivals in the United States, the senior trade ministry official told reporters in a background briefing.

The official said the tariffs would affect the renegotiation of the bilateral free trade deal with the US that is currently under way.

TPP

South Koreas government will also decide on whether to join the Comprehensive and Progressive Trans-Pacific Partnership within the first half of this year, Kim said at the meeting.

Eleven countries, including Japan and Canada, have signed the landmark Asia-Pacific CPTPP trade agreement without the US, in what one minister called a powerful signal against protectionism and trade wars.

The government has been reviewing the economic validity of CPTPP, and will draw agreement between the related government agencies about joining it within the first half, Kim said.Israeli forces also confiscate three fishing boats off Gaza coast.

Israeli naval forces arrested 10 Palestinian fishermen off the coast of the Gaza Strip on Monday, according to a Palestinian spokesman.

The fishermen were detained while fishing south of the Gaza Strip, Nizar Ayyash, head of Gazas Fishermens Union, told Anadolu news agency.

He said three fishing boats had also been confiscated by Israeli forces.

There was no comment from the Israeli military on the arrests in Gaza, but Israeli forces have also detained 16 Palestinians in overnight raids across the Israeli-occupied West Bank, according to the Israeli military.

Fishing zone

According to the fishermens union, roughly 50,000 Gazans earn their living from fishing.

After Israels war on Gaza in mid-2014, in which some 2,150 Palestinians were killed, Israel began allowing Palestinian fishermen to fish up to six nautical miles off the Gaza coast, as opposed to three nautical miles previously.

In May 2017, Israeli authorities increased the fishing area for Gazan fishermen to nine nautical miles.Burin is a Palestinian village near the city of Nablus in the West Bank.

Israeli troops have used tear gas to disperse dozens of Palestinian villagers, including several schoolchildren, near the West Bank city of Nablus on Monday, according to a local official.

Israeli forces have also arrested 16 Palestinians in overnight raids across the Israeli-occupied West Bank, the army said in a Monday statement.

              pic.twitter.com/LXavVfcfOT    (@ShehabAgency) March 12, 2018

Translation: Israeli occupation forces throw tear gas canisters near school students in the village of Burin, southwest of Nablus.

Burin land confiscations

Yahia Kadous, head of Burin villages municipal council, told Anadolu news agency that Israeli forces entered the village, with a view of informing the council of an Israeli decision to confiscate a parcel of land owned by a local secondary school.

According to Kadous, however, council members refused to meet Israeli army personnel or receive any notifications.

Afterwards, soldiers started firing tear gas canisters at the school, terrifying students, he said, adding that the army sought to confiscate Palestinian land in the village on the pretext of maintaining security.

In recent years, Kadous asserted, the Israeli authorities had seized roughly 1,000 square meters of the schools property and now sought to confiscate more.

Surrounded by three, Jewish-only, illegal settlements, Burin is the scene of frequent clashes between Palestinian residents and Israeli troops and Jewish settlers, who occasionally attack the school and Palestinian homes in the village.

Earlier, settlers reached lands belonging to Burin & began throwing stones at a farmer working there. The incident escalated into reciprocal stone-throwing, during which soldiers arrived at & responded with tear gas, rubber bullets & apparently live fire at the Palestinians. pic.twitter.com/KNKPzwpdGY  Yesh Din (@YeshDin) March 7, 2018

Overnight raids

Israeli forces have arrested 16 Palestinians in overnight raids across the Israeli-occupied West Bank, the army said in a Monday statement.

According to Palestinian figures, roughly 6,400 Palestinians are currently held in Israeli prisons, including dozens of women and 300 minors.

Some 450 of these are under what Israel calls administrative detention where they face no trial or charge. Twelve members of the Palestinian Legislative Council also remain in Israeli custody.

The Israeli army frequently carries out arrest campaigns across the occupied West Bank under the pretext of searching for wanted Palestinians.Trump set to visit eight prototypes as he tries to make good on his promise to build a wall on the US-Mexico border.

San Diego, California  Eight 18 to 30-foot (about nine metres) tall structures tower above the US-Mexico border in southern California.

The structures, installed in October 2017 in San Diego, are prototypes for US President Donald Trumps border wall plan.

On the US side, the prototypes represent Trumps 2016 campaign promise to build a wall at Mexicos expense. To those living on the Mexican side, the structures and the existing border fence are an ever-present reminder that the US doesnt want them.

This is like a game for Trump, said 22-year-old Alexis Franco Santana, who lives in the shadows of the prototypes in Tijuana, Mexico.

He is just figuring out what kinds of toys he wants, Santana told Al Jazeera.

Santana and his girlfriend live in the junkyard along the fence because they dont have to pay rent  just utilities.

They live in a small, one-room shack built out of reclaimed materials, along with their puppy, Gordo. There is a small TV inside but little else for amenities.

Santana said that Trumps wall is just a game. [Carina Julig/Al Jazeera]

The couple has a campfire stove in their front yard, along with a couch. The backyard is a giant heap of plastic, all left by the junkyard owner. A tattered American flag hangs behind the house.

Santana watched the construction of the prototypes, and said they went up fast.

No matter how high they build the fence, people will find ways to sneak in, he said.

Trump to visit prototypes

Each prototype contractor brought their own workers, who built primarily at night to escape the punishing Southern California heat.

The prototypes were constructed in 30 days and stand much taller than the corrugated metal wall that currently marks this part of the border.

On Tuesday, Trump will make his first visit to see the prototypes, prompting calls for rallies both in support of and against the wall.

Enrique Morones, director of the immigrant rights group Border Angels, said that the group will protest Tuesday with a prayer meeting and a rally.

Trump will visit the prototypes for the first time this week [Carina Julig/Al Jazeera]

Estimates for how much the border wall will cost range, wildly, from $21bn to $70bn. Trump has said that Mexico will be responsible for paying for the wall  a demand that Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto has rejected.

Although the number of border arrests has declined since Trump took office, the number of arrests by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents away from the border has surged.

The Trump administration has also gone after so-called sanctuary cities, and states that have policies in place that limit cooperation with federal immigration agents. Last week, the justice department sued California over its sanctuary policies.

I know what its like to be poor now

Back in Tijuana, the dirt road separating the houses from the border wall is lined with rubbish, and huge piles of junk, including everything from glass bottles to car tires, line the wall.

Art and graffiti in both English and Spanish decorate the wall. Near the towers, several burnt-out cars sit in the middle of the road.

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Guillermina Fernandez, who lives in a house in the Rancho Escondido neighbourhood, right across from the fence and the prototypes, said she and her husband have seen countless people make border crossings in the 23 years they have lived there.

She said that, in the past, hundreds of people would gather here before trying to attempt border crossings, and she would sell them food and beer while they waited.

She said that, sometimes, people would cut holes in the fence and drive entire cars packed full of people into the US.

Nowadays, she said prospective migrants will go further inland to try to cross.

Juan Manuel Hernandez, who lives not far from Fernandez, said the wall and the prototypes are taunting.

Hernandez lived in the US for the majority of his life before being deported to Tijuana. His parents brought him to the US when he was five years old, and he grew up in the Central Valley.

He was deported in 2008 after being prosecuted on an assault charge, which he said was self-defence.

Hernandezs wife and children are all in the US, and he hasnt seen them since being deported.

Now he lives in Las Torres, directly across the street from the prototypes.

Lifes hard over here, Hernandez said. I know what its like to be poor now.

Juan Manuel Hernandez was deported from the US in 2008 [Carina Julig/Al Jazeera]

Since his deportation, he has thought about crossing back many times, but hasnt been able to go through with it.

I kept hearing my moms voice saying, Dont do it, youre going to get caught,' he said. So I havent done it.

When asked about the wall, Hernandez laughed.

He said he doesnt think it will have an effect in halting border crossings.

He added that people who want to go to the US will find a way.

But, for him, he is stuck in Tijuana, yards from the state he spent most of his life in, but still so far away.

I never expected to be living here, Hernandez said. Never in my life.Myanmar clearing Rohingya villages to make way for construction of military installations, rights group says.

Myanmar is building military bases over flattened Rohingya villages, an international rights group said.

Security forces have bulldozed houses and started constructing at least three new security facilities in Myanmars western Rakhine state, said Amnesty Internationals Remaking Rakhine State report, which was published on Monday.

The report, which said construction of the three army outposts began in January, is based on satellite imagery and witness statements from Rohingya refugees.

What we are seeing in Rakhine state is a land grab by the military on a dramatic scale. New bases are being erected to house the very same security forces that have committed crimes against humanity against Rohingya, Tirana Hassan, Amnestys crisis response director, said.

The new construction is entrenching the already dehumanising discrimination they have faced in Myanmar.

Nearly 700,000 Rohingya have fled Myanmar since last August as a result of a government crackdown launched in the wake of deadly attacks on military posts by members of the Arakan Rohingya Solidarity Army (ARSA).

Eyewitnesses told Amnesty that Rohingya in Buthidaung township had been forcibly evicted from their homes to make way for the development. Al Jazeera was not able to independently verify those claims.





Not a military land grab

Myint Khine, a government administrator in Rakhine, told Al Jazeera the developments were not a military land grab.

We have been using bulldozers for building roads and construction  not for military [purposes], Khine said.

Hundreds of Rohingya villages have been torched and at least 55 settlements completely bulldozed, since the ongoing crisis began, according to Human Rights Watch.

The majority of those displaced have sought refuge in neighbouring Bangladesh.

According to the UN, the exodus marks the fastest growing refugee crisis in the world.

Nearly 700,000 Rohingya have fled Myanmar since August as a result of a government crackdown [Andrew RC Marshall/Reuters]

Ro Nay San Lwin, a Rohingya activist, told Al Jazeera that Myanmar will never allow the Muslim minority to return to Rakhine state.

It is clear that as a part of genocide they have destructed the Rohingya homes and confiscated everything, Lwin said. They will never allow the Rohingya to return to their original villages.

The Rohingya, one of the most persecuted communities in the world, are not recognised as citizens of Myanmar and have for decades faced widespread discrimination from authorities.

Prior to the current exodus, tens of thousands of Rohingya have already been living as refugees in several neighbouring countries.

Myanmar and Bangladesh announced a repatriation deal in January, but rights groups and Rohingya have raised concerns about the agreement, saying it does not guarantee full citizenship or safety for those who return.

Atmosphere of panic

Laura Haigh, Amnestys Myanmar researcher, told Al Jazeera the demolition of their villages has created an atmosphere of panic among the Rohingya.

What we need to see is the Myanmar government saying this is Rohingya land and saving it for them, Haigh said.

[Instead] theres a growing sense this [militarisation] is going to be a threat to safety and security, and theres worry about violence happening again.

Although the Amnesty report refers to the construction of three security bases, in the Maungdaw and Buthidaung townships, there is growing evidence more facilities are being developed, Haigh added.

Every time we go back to look at specific locations, we are seeing changes on a day-to-day basis. Its not just about the scale of change, its also about the pace, she said.

Earlier this month, Myanmar deployed 200 troops to its border with Bangladesh [Munir Az Zaman/AFP]

Border tensions

The ongoing turmoil in Rakhine state has also created flashpoints between Myanmar and neighbouring Bangladesh.

Earlier this month, Myanmar deployed some 200 troops to its border with Bangladesh, close to a nearby strip of land between the two that is home to about 6,000 Rohingya refugees.

The area falls within Myanmars territory but is widely referred to as no mans land because it lies beyond the countrys border fence.

Myanmar said the move was part of an operation to target the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA) fighters operating in the region.

Security forces  who reportedly issued warnings using loudspeakers for Rohingya to leave the no mans land  were later pulled back after Bangladesh summoned Myanmars ambassador over the incident.

Kyaw Win, founder of the Burma Human Rights Network, told Al Jazeera that Myanmar authorities are still attempting to force Rohingya remaining in Rakhine into Bangladesh.

Burma is starving remaining Rohingya in Rakhine state and this is forcing them to flee, Win said.

On Monday, the UNs Special Rapporteur Yanghee Lee also said Myanmars government appeared to be pursuing a policy of starvation.

Lee, who was reporting to the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva, said the results of a UN fact-finding mission in Myanmar bear the hallmarks of genocide by the countrys authorities.Catalonia Republic Now march draws thousands

Several thousand Catalans took to the streets of Barcelona on Sunday calling for pro-secession politicians to forge greater unity and press ahead with their promise to create an independent republic.Russia will begin implementing the contract on the delivery of S-400 air defence systems with Turkey in early 2020, the presidential aide on military cooperation has told local television.

Turkey expressed a wish to accelerate its implementation and we managed to find the most appropriate solution as we agreed to accelerate the contracts implementation, so I think we will begin to fulfill it sometime in early 2020, Vladimir Kozhin told Rossiya 24 on Monday.

Kozhin also said that Russia has had requests from Greece and the Greek Cypriot administration on new arms supplies, but he added it is too early to give any details.

S-400

Last December, Turkey announced that it had concluded an agreement with Russia for the purchase of two S-400 systems by early 2020.

The S400 system has been in the inventory of the Russian army since 2007.

This missile system is able to detect targets at a distance of 600 kilometres and shoot down targets such as stealth aircraft and ballistic missiles.

The S400 system is composed of at least one mobile operation command centre, eight launchers and 32 missiles.

NATO

Turkey maintains that the decision to buy an advanced missile defence system from Russia is not aimed at sending any political messages to NATO.

But ever since Turkeys announcement of the S400 deal with Russia last summer, NATO, of which Turkey is a member, has raised concerns.

General Petr Pavel, chairman of NATOs Military Committee, warned Turkey about the consequences of a possible S-400 purchase from Russia.

The principle of sovereignty obviously exists in acquisition of defence equipment, but the same way that nations are sovereign in making their decision, they are also sovereign in facing the consequences of that decision, Pavel told reporters in Washington, DC on October 25.CEU has been in danger of closure in Hungary because of threats from the far-right Fidesz government.

The Central European University, a Hungarian-American school that has been under fire from Hungarys right-wing government, plans to open a satellite campus in Vienna, Austria.

The memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Vienna, which will be presented to our Board of Trustees at the end of this week, is an initial step towards expanding our universitys operations, said a statement from CEU.

The university is accredited in the United States and Hungary and issues diplomas valid in both countries. It was founded in 1991 and is funded by George Soros, an American billionaire originally from Hungary known for his support of liberal causes.

The Hungarian government, headed by Prime Minister Viktor Orban, says the university is in violation of a 2017 amendment to the countrys education law  often called Lex CEU  that requires universities to offer classes in every country in which theyre accredited.

The Hungarian accreditation board re-accredited CEUs Hungarian operations in February, causing many to mistakenly believe the university would continue operations in Budapest.

Also, CEU quietly began offering classes on the Bard University campus in New York State in early 2018, which some thought would fulfill the governments requirements.

A Hungarian government spokesperson told Al Jazeera there was still no agreement in place that would allow for CEU to continue operations in Hungary.

Targeted campaigns

Opponents of the law said it specifically targeted CEU, which is known for its support of refugees, the Roma minority, and the European Union.

Refugees and the Roma minority decry what they say are discriminatory policies from the Orban government, which has ruled Hungary since 2010.

Soros has also been the target of government-funded campaigns that say he wants to settle millions of refugees and Middle Easterners in Hungary to change the countrys demographics.

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The MOU provides the opportunity, but the CEU community will make decisions together on what university activities are appropriate for our third campus, and determine the timing, the statement said.

It remains unclear whether the university will be welcomed by Austrias government, which is headed by a centre-right party in a coalition with the far-right Freedom Party.

The Freedom Party takes a hardline stance against immigration and is considered a Euro-sceptic group. The Freedom Party controls the ministries of foreign affairs, interior and defence.

However, the city of Vienna says CEU is more than welcome.

For Vienna as a university city, cooperation with the CEU offers the opportunity of the century, Viennas Mayor Michael Haupl said.Authorities in the breakaway region free two Georgians after 18-day detention but keep the body of a third who died.

Georgias breakaway South Ossetia region released two Georgians who were detained for genocide while holding on to the body of a third after weeks of international criticism.

Levan Kutashvili and Ioseb Pavliashvili  residents of Akhalgori about 70km northeast of Georgias capital Tbilisi  crossed into Georgian-controlled territory late on Sunday.

Their release came 18 days after they were arrested on February 22 in Akhalgori along with a third man, Archil Tatunashvili, for allegedly participating in genocide against South Ossetians during the 2008 war.

Tatunashvili, an Akhalgori-born former soldier with NATO missions in Iraq and Afghanistan, was pronounced dead a day later. Authorities said he fell down the stairs after losing his balance while confronting guards and later died from acute heart failure.

South Ossetias refusal to hand over Tatunashvilis body to his family in Georgia prompted accusations of foul play and drew condemnation from the international community.

Serious decline

Olesya Vartanyan, South Caucasus analyst at the International Crisis Group, told Al Jazeera on Monday the incident was another sign of the deteriorating situation in South Ossetia, especially in areas near the divide with Georgia.

Over the last three years, we have been seeing a serious decline in the situation in the districts mainly populated by ethnic Georgians. Its economy continues to deteriorate with the decreasing Russian financial support. And all the local attempts for fundamental reforms have been failing, she said.

Unfortunately, this kind of incident was something that we should have expected Tatunashvilis case is a signal for all of us  and the international community as well  that the situation is getting worse and there is a need to do something with that.

Vartanyan said the charge of genocide was unrealistic.

Tatunashvili was serving in Iraq on a NATO mission when the August 2008 war began, and he was airlifted back to Georgia after the ceasefire came into force. No definition of the word genocide could be attributed to what happened in South Ossetia under any standards, she added.

She also said the three men were bringing in goods across the divide.

The trade has been going up over the last three years because people in South Ossetia have less money and they are looking for cheaper products that can come from the Georgia-controlled territory, Vartanyan said.

There were increasing numbers of de facto officials trying to make money out of that trade. Tatunashvili is not the first and probably not the last one involved in trade who got in trouble with the de facto authorities over their desire to extract some bribes.

She said official announcements of the circumstances surrounding Tatunashvilis death were an immoral attempt to cover up what really happened.

On August 7, 2008, Georgia and Russia clashed in South Ossetia for five days [File: AP]

In a phone interview with Al Jazeera from Georgias Ozurgeti, Beso Qatamadze  a former soldier who took part in the 2008 war  accused the Georgian government of failing to protect its citizens.

According to the National Statistics Office of Georgia, the occupant forces have kidnapped 610 of our fellow citizens since 2012 and made them pay ransom. The government had no reaction on any of it, he said.

The state is basically just breathing [instead of functioning]. It is not able to carry out its duties of protecting its citizens.

He criticised Prime Minister Giorgi Kvirikashvili for asking Russia to allow direct talks between South Ossetian authorities and Georgias government.

We have no problem with South Ossetia. Our problem is Russia, which has been fighting against our statehood using all the possible ways. It has not started in 2008 or before that. It has a 200-year-old history, said Qatamadze.

Georgia first lost control of independence-seeking South Ossetia, along with Abkhazia, in 1991 when it broke away from the Soviet Union.

On August 7, 2008, Georgian and Russian forces clashed in South Ossetia in a conflict that lasted five days, resulting in Moscow boosting its military presence in both breakaway regions and declaring them independent.

Follow Al Jazeeras Tamila Varshalomidze on Twitter: @tamila87vEgyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shukry has met South Sudanese President Salva Kiir to discuss Jubas request to join the Cairo-based Arab League, according to a foreign ministry statement.

The meeting comes in the wake of a brief Africa tour by Shukry, during which he met Kiir in the South Sudanese capital on Monday.

    "  "                . pic.twitter.com/gP5jtLqovO  Egypt MFA Spokesperson (@MfaEgypt) March 12, 2018

Translation: South Sudanese President Salva Kiir reads a letter from President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi delivered by the foreign minister in Juba today.

Regional issues

According to the ministry statement, the two men also discussed means of enhancing South Sudan-Egypt relations and regional issues of common concern, including ongoing negotiations over Ethiopias Grand Renaissance Dam project.

Mondays meeting also reportedly saw an agreement signed establishing a mechanism for political consultation between Cairo and Juba, while Shukry also conveyed a message to Kiir  the contents of which were not disclosed  from the Egyptian president.

Since 2013, South Sudan, which seceded from Sudan following a 2011 popular referendum, has remained the scene of a bloody civil war pitting government forces against armed opposition groups.

A split between South Sudans President Salva Kiir and his former deputy Riek Machar escalated into a military conflict in December 2013.

Despite a 2015 peace deal signed between the two sides, the conflict  in which some 10,000 people are estimated to have been killed  remains ongoing.UN: Myanmars Rohingya crisis bears hallmarks of genocide

Statement follows the release of images by Amnesty International, which appear to show razed Rohingya villages being cleared to make way for military use, casting doubt on Myanmars plans to repatriate hundreds of thousands of refugees.US to vote on boosting security at schools

The US House of Representatives is set to vote this week on paying for more security at schools. Students are planning nationwide protests following the Florida shootings last month of 17 high school children and staff.What the Bahraini regime has done does not reflect the will of the Bahraini people.All people of a sane disposition are forced to admit that this is an unpleasant situation. Only the most beastly would be left without a feeling of compassion. Any method to improve this state of affairs must be immediately accepted.

It is a melancholy object to consider the suffering of Mexicans. Consider, for instance, the plight of a poor boy out working the corn fields for a pittance, only to come home and find that the Sinaloa Cartel has tortured his family and burnt their house to the ground. This innocent child had a dream for his parents to see him earn an education. But no more.

Fortunately, I have a solution. Everyone in the world can be invited into safe, prosperous America, whereupon the government can redistribute wealth, food, medical care, and love from Americans to the new arrivals, who will be free to enter and leave as they please. All ports, airports, and land borders must be completely opened up.

Naturally, the primary motivation for this plan, which hopefully will be passed through the American legislature at the earliest date, is altruism. No longer can barbaric Americans put the welfare of our children first. American laws must be dictated by the interests of billions of people we have never met.

In addition to being morally proper, this decision also carries many wonderful practical benefits.

First of all, the Republican Party could be destroyed for good. Republicans' antiquated notions about preserving American culture have lingered far too long. The time is ripe to finish them. When the borders open, they will be completely overwhelmed. America's new owners will vote overwhelmingly Democrat. Not only will Democrats win, but they will continue moving to the left. Republicans will become a meaningless fringe group.

Second, the vicious political ideas of America's founders, from George Washington to Thomas Jefferson, could finally be wiped off the face of this earth forever. Those men were the devil incarnate. They burdened us with a Constitution. As if the power of government should be limited and the rights of each Man strengthened. How loathsome!

Third, that ugly concept of nationalism can be ended. Americans can stop trying to advance the narrow interests of American citizens at the expense of others. This can be a liberating experience. Rather than working to preserve our society, we can just relax (!) and accept what people around the world tell us is best. We can give in to indifference, decay, entropy. America had a centuries-long run. It is time to retire. How anyone cannot admit to this fact is beyond me.

Fourth, war can be eliminated for some short-term period. Conflict and war can occur only when there are two sides. If America is subsumed, then it can no longer exist as a different side. For instance, America created a big problem by trying to oppose Stalin. What a foolish country we are! We brought the world to the brink of nuclear annihilation with our stubbornness. Alas, if my plan had only been adopted at the height of the Cold War, Russia could have sent us 50,000,000 comrades who could have voted in leaders friendly to communism, to completely hijack our policy, and thus there would have been no conflict. When my plan is finally adopted, Americans will no longer be burdened with a unique political viewpoint to defend. Only a deluded person would argue that conflict is superior to living a tranquil slave life.

Fifth, I have it on good authority from someone who works in the State Department that America's current policies are laughed at by foreigners. This eminent man with knowledge far outweighing that of the American commoner has relayed to me that the French and Germans ridicule us, and especially the crazed Republicans, for our obstinacy in not permitting unlimited numbers of foreigners into the country. These Europeans are very cultured and wise people, we should do as they think best.

Sixth, the government can be expanded endlessly. Naturally, when America abolishes its borders, the world's poorest, loneliest, depraved criminals will have the highest incentive to come. With no families, career, or wealth, they have nothing to lose and everything still to take. These new voters will do two excellent things: vote for policies obliging the government to hire huge numbers of people (perhaps themselves?) to take wealth from current Americans and give it to future Americans, and additionally, they will commit various types of fraud, placing further demands on the government to grow. Finally, America can enjoy an all-encompassing government.

It seems to me that this proposal will meet with universal approbation. I am nothing if not reasonable, though, so in the interests of fairness, let me try to anticipate a few complaints here, trivial as they may be.

One argument may be that there isn't space for six billion new people to be crammed into America. But this highly ignorant point does not correctly anticipate the future. Not all of those people will come here. As new and poorer entrants flood into San Francisco; Boston; New York; and even Kansas, Boise, and so on, America's prosperity will gradually dilute. As this process continues, an equilibrium will be reached where America becomes as base, poor, dirty, and sick as the rest of the world. At this point, the incentive for others to come will disappear. Thus, clearly, not the entire six billion people will come here.

Another complaint may be, what if some of these new elements, which will include war criminals, the mentally insane, communists, jihadists, drug cartels, and rapists, prove too violent? I will respond: you are seeing the glass as half-empty. Actually, whatever minor downsides there may be, their entry is highly helpful. The more violence there is, the more need there will be for government to make new laws clamping down on liberty. This will naturally provide an excellent path forward for government to assert itself. Big Brother can go to work for us.

Additionally, these dangerous elements will serve another purpose. They can help to permanently liquidate any unfortunate holdouts loyal to the extinct so-called American Way (you know, silly stuff, like the First Amendment and private property). Unfortunately, the current system allows these old-school folk to voice their opinions in relative safety. But there is no space for that in our brave new future. It would be very messy indeed if Americans had to fight each other over these issues. Thankfully, the imports, some of whom have terrific experience as killers, will gladly handle the problems.

In sum, this plan will be an amazing triumph for non-American people, equality, and world peace. It is remarkable that this plan has not been officially adopted yet, though, thankfully, our leaders have already taken steps in this direction. This obvious proposal must be implemented to its full extent now.For the past ten months that I have been reporting prolifically about the cable news wars and the Fox News Channel, readers who have posted comments to my articles have most often cited Juan Williams as the #1 Fox News personality whom they cannot stand.

His double-talking defense of Democrats who embraced Louis Farrakhan, and of Farrakhan himself, is the last straw

I am willing to cut any opinion meister a lot of slack, but the last straw for me came on Friday March 9, when Williams appeared live in-studio with Shannon Bream on her nightly program Fox News@Night. On Breams program, Williams defended Democrats who have cozied up to Louis Farrakhan, the leader of the Nation of Islam.

Incredibly, on Fox News@Night, Williams also defended Farrakhan himself. The topic under discussion was the closeness of at least seven prominent Democratic politicians to Louis Farrakhan  in light of Farrakhans history of virulent anti-Jewish and anti-white rhetoric going back more than three decades. On March 5, the Daily Caller was the first to report the story, Seven House Democrats Have Direct Ties to Notorious Anti-Semite, the lead of which was:

At least seven House Democrats are known to have direct ties to Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan, a notorious anti-Semite and racist who has called Jews satanic and said white people deserve to die.

The issue was given new prominence in light of comments Farrakhan made in a speech in Chicago on February 25, 2018. On his Fox News program earlier Friday night, Sean Hannity played excerpts of that speech:

Farrakhan: The powerful Jews are my enemy. . .White folks are going down and Satan is going down and Farrakhan, by Gods grace, has pulled the cover off that Satanic Jew.

Fox News@Night with Shannon Bream March 9, 2018

Bream introduced her segment on the controversy on her program that aired live two hours after Hannity.

Bream opened:

From DNC Vice Chair Keith Ellison to Womens March co-chair Tamika Mallory, the pressure on Democrats to denounce anti-Semite Louis Farrakhan is mounting. But some are reportedly balking at that.

Bream then turned to Fox News correspondent Leland Vittert for a report:

Ordinarily, condemning a person who called Hitler a very great man and espouses anti-Semitism is a no-brainer in politics. However, when it comes to associating with Louis Farrakhan, Democrats seem to make an exception.

To add some context, Vittert noted that when the photo of brand new U.S. Sen. Barack Obama grinning while standing next to Farrakhan in 2005 was released recently after being suppressed for 13 years, Obama released a statement that criticized Farrakhans views but not the man. In the wake of the recent criticism of him from some quarters, Farrakhan, Vittert noted, is unrepentant, tweeting this past week on his official Twitter account a number of anti-Semitic videos.

In her set-up for the live discussion that followed on her program, Bream added this:

To this point, theres been a lot of back and forth. Mathew Brooks of the Republican Jewish Coalition (RJC) said this  he said Theres a clearly a double standard, and then he amended that to say no, theres a double double-standard. Not only do you get the progressive left wing and more centrist Democrats who arent shy about criticizing President Trump or branding the Republican Party as white nationalists or Neo-Nazis, but when it comes to condemning Louis Farrakhan, theyre silent.

The RJC demanded that the seven Democrat members of Congress who, it said, have ties to Farrakhan should resign.

Bream next introduced her live in-studio guests, Fox News show host and contributor Juan Williams and Vince Coglianese, WMAL radio talk show host and the editorial director of The Daily Caller.

Fox News@Night March 9 with Vince Coglianese and Juan Williams

Bream put her first question to Williams, asking him if they [the Democrats] have said enough to distance themselves from Farrakhan.

This exchange followed:

Juan Williams: Well, I dont think theres any  its funny to me  I dont think Louis Farrakhans involved with politics  Im not even sure hes a Democrat. Shannon Bream: But there are a lot of pictures at events with him with a lot of these different folks who are [Democratic] lawmakers  Williams: No, No, No. These people are in the  Farrakhans in Chicago, so if someone like [Rep.] Danny Davis [D-IL]  even Obama  that picture comes from a meeting of the Congressional Black Caucus, and there comes Farrakhan  But Farrakhan and the history of the Black Muslims is, they are averse to American politics. They think all of America is a wasteland, they are very condemning. He has always been anti-Semitic. He has always been anti-White, in large part to say to Black people In America, you should see yourself as the chosen, in the way that Jewish people talk about themselves as the chosen. And so, thats his rhetoric.

The Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan

Indeed. Below are quotes from speeches by Louis Farrakhan, spoken by Farrakhan himself, played on Hannity on March 9, with the dates they were delivered.

Farrakhan: I hear the Jews dont like Farrakhan so they call me Hitler. Well, now thats a good name. Hitler was a very great man. Chicago March 11, 1984 Farrakhan: There were many Israelis and Zionist Jews in key roles in the 9/11 attacks. March 1, 2015 Farrakhan: Because you see white people deserve to die. [Appluase.] And they know so they think its us coming to do it. August 13, 2015 Farrakhan: There is no human being on earth that has murdered more living things than the Caucasian. Hes a murderer and a liar. [Appluase.] April 23, 1989 Chicago Farrakhan: Soon we gonna sit at a table and talk about were tired. We want some of this earth or well tear this Goddamned country apart. November 29, 2014 Baltimore

Back to Shannon Breams show. The dialogue between Williams, Bream, and Coglianese continued:

Williams: To me, this is about what people call what about ISM or, you know, like one side on this case people who are concerned about President Trumps relationship to the alt-right, to people like David Duke and Richard Spencer are now saying Well, hey, you guys, what about Louis Farrakhan over there. (Excerpt) Vince Coglianese: Except this is not a direct comparison in any way  because the President of the United States, while David Duke said that he liked Donald Trump, that did not mean that he had a warm embrace of David Duke. What you have here is Democrats  a bunch of them  who have had literal warm embraces of Louis Farrakhan. These arent just local politicians in Illinois that are doing this, this is [Rep.] Keith Ellison [co-chair of the DNC], this is Maxine Waters [rumored to be gearing up to run for president], these are leaders in the Democratic Party who have embraced him for many years  Williams: I dont know that theyve embraced him  Coglianese: Quite literally  theres videos of them hugging him.

Bream interrupted to note that Rep. Ellison, according to the Washington Post fact checkers, received a rating of four Pinnochios  the highest rating for not telling the truth  by saying, according to Bream, that he doesnt have a relationship with Farrakhan. Bream quoted the Post:

Ellison is trying to have it both ways, publicly distancing himself while privately doing something else.

Juan Williams on Fox News@Night March 9

The discussion on Fox News@Night continued:

Coglianese: This should be a layup. And the reason it is not a layup and the reason why these Democrats are sort of confused on how to approach this is because theyve gotten away for so many years with a press thats credulously gone along with the notion that its possible for them to have relationships with Louis Farrakhan and for this to be totally fine. The press has whistled past the anti-Semite [Farrakhan] for many years. Williams: Louis Farrakhans been on the scene for many years. And people have known exactly that he is an anti-Semite and a racist against whites for many years. The difference is he is not president of the United States and saying as people are marching with tiki torches and intimidating people in the Jewish synagogue with guns, hes not saying Oh, I see good people on both sides. We know what Louis Farrakhan is. He is not part of the American political system. Bream: [Rep.] Danny Davis {D-IL], who was quoted as saying that Farrakhan  although he disagrees with what hes saying  is an outstanding individual. Williams: Well, I think that people  especially if youre talking about people who are dealing with like folks who are coming out of jail  poor black people coming out of jail  Louis Farrakhan plays a role in terms of trying to help those people redeem those people. So we see that he has some value in the Black community. But thats not to say you would say Louis Farrakhan is an influential leader in terms of Black American politics or Democratic Party politics. Bream: So why dont these members of Congress say We completely denounce him and want nothing to do with him? Williams: First of all, you cant say that. Remember in their districts  if theyre mostly Black districts  I dont think thats a winner. Bream: If hes saying such horrible, offensive things, does it matter, if it counts for votes for you? Either you think that its terrible stuff and you shouldnt say it  Williams: I think its reprehensible but I dont think it counts for votes either pro or con. But I think if you want to separate yourself from someone whos dealing with the poorest of Black America then I think that lots of Black Americans are like, well, youre paying attention to the wrong aspect. We see Louis Farrakhan in a different light.

Yes, indeed. And Adolf Hitler made the trains run on time.

Last summer, CNN fired conservative contributor Jeffrey Lord immediately after he satirically wrote Heil Hitler directed at, and during a heated exchange on his personal Twitter with, the director of Media Matters for America  not in praise of the Nazi dictator but as a comment on how he  Lord  believed Media Matters is trying to suppress free speech, as the Nazis did.

Why is Fox News continuing to tolerate Juan Williams  not only for his apparent defense of what their own hosts, Shannon Bream and Sean Hannity, and numerous others have termed a racist and an anti-Semite, but who is also responsible  in my opinion  for spouting useless total nonsense that takes up valuable time whenever hes on the air?

Juan Williams has jumped the shark. He has had a long, largely undeserved, and extremely well compensated, run on Fox News.

Its time for him to exit stage left.

Peter Barry Chowka is a veteran reporter and analyst of news on national politics, media, and popular culture. He is a frequent contributor to American Thinker. Follow Peter on Twitter at @pchowka.As one who believes that life begins at conception and ends at natural death, I object to this double standard which says the NRA fosters violence against Americas children, but Planned Parenthood does not. As one wag put it, one of these groups sells arms while the NRA supports the Second Amendment.

If you shoot children in a school, liberals are justifiably outraged, as are we all, even if our solutions to the problem are different. But when children are murdered in their mothers womb? Liberals like to talk about the need for safe spaces, sanctuary cities, and the need to keep our kids safe from gun violence. Yet they support the ultimate form of violence in what should be the safest space of all, again, their mothers womb.

One Democratic presidential wannabe who argues for total gun control while ignoring this double standard is Sen. Kamala Harris, the poster child for self-righteous indignation:

Senator Kamala Harris, a liberal Democrat from California, tweeted after the Parkland massacre: We cannot tolerate a society and live in a country with pride when our babies are being slaughtered. Conservatives pointed out that she votes in lockstep with NARAL on abortion.

She is perfectly happily to live in a society where it is wrong to kill a Parkland, Florida student with a gun but perfectly okay for that student to have an abortion. Ironically, one of the three women killed at a veteran's home in California was pregnant. Some would say four were killed. Kamala Harris would stop counting at three.

Harris warmly embraces the Black Lives Matter movement but only if theses lives, often criminal lives, are ended by white cops. She cares not if they are extinguished by abortionists like the infamous Kermit Gosnell. Gosnell was a Philadelphia doctor who was charged with seven counts of first-degree murder and one count of third-degree murder for killing seven babies who survived his abortions and a woman who died after a botched painkiller injection. Compare what went on at Gosnells clinic to school shootings like the ones at Newtown, Connecticut, or Parkland, Florida:

Whether one is pro-life or pro-choice, there ought to be agreement that a squirming infant on a table outside the mother's womb is as worthy of protection from harm as children in classrooms in a school in Connecticut. If Dr. Gosnell had walked into a nursery and shot seven infants with an AR-15, it would be national news and the subject of presidential hand-wringing.

As J. Kenneth Blackwell, writing in the Washington Times, noted, those who chant black lives matter obviously exclude the abortion rate of black babies that Planned Parenthood founder Margaret Sanger and the KKK could only dream of:

138,539 black babies, nearly one baby in three, were killed in the womb in 2010. According to the CDC, between 2007 and 2010, innocent black babies were victimized in nearly 36 percent of the abortion deaths in the United States, though blacks represent only 12.8 percent of the population. Some say the abortion capital of America is New York City. According to LifeSiteNews, the citys Department of Health reported that in 2012, more black babies were aborted (31,328) than born (24,758). Thats 55.9 percent of black babies killed before birth. Blacks represented 42.4 percent of all abortions.

In short, the life of a young black male is more likely to be ended in his mothers womb with a scalpel than by a white cop or a gang banger in a drive-by shooting:

Abortion doctors kill more black people in a week than the KKK has in the past century. There are almost 2,000 black lives ended by abortion every single day in the United States, and overall, a black baby is more than 5 times as likely to be executed as a white baby. Try to reflect on this statistic: abortion kills more black people than heart disease, cancer, strokes, accidents, diabetes, homicide, and respiratory illness -- COMBINED. Throw cops in there, too, and its still not close. Comparing just the two causes of death, it appears that abortionists kill about 700 times more black people than do cops. Its a grim picture, to say the least. Consider that, if not for abortion, the black population would be 36 percent larger than it is currently. Without Planned Parenthood and its partners in the Infanticide Industry, black people would be much less a minority in America. Its abortion that keeps their percentages so low. Its abortion that victimizes them more than anything.

It victimizes people of all races and should be called what it is -- abortion violence.

Liberal hypocrisy and double standard on how our children are killed was never more apparent than at this years Oscars, where flat tummies are honored, stretch marks are considered career-enders:

This years Academy Awards took place this past Sunday with a show full of political symbolism and the pushing of the progressive agenda. One performance was even an attack on the National Rifle Association by a pair of rappers. Of course, the NRA has come under increasing attack from the Hollywood crowd because of the NRAs support of the Second Amendment of the United States Constitution. You know, the right to bear arms. The wailing cry of those who think that the Second Amendment needs to be abridged is that gun violence causes too many deaths. The national statistics show that there are approximately 15,000 deaths a year from gun related violence. Unfortunately, that number has slowly risen in recent years. In an effort to put some significance to that number, the CDC reports that there are 2,712,630 deaths annually in the United States. Gun related deaths from all sources (violent acts, accidental discharge, suicides, etc.) total 38,000 and account for about 1.5 percent of all deaths. That performance, however, was nullified and made ridiculous by the presence of one individual on the stage for the attack on the NRA. That person was Cecile Richards, president of Planned Parenthood Federation of America. The fact that the American Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences would allow the leader of the organization that commits the most egregious acts of mass murder in United States history to participate in a performance that is supposedly prompted by the killing of 17 innocent human beings in Florida is unbelievable. Planned Parenthood kills that many innocent human beings every 30 minutes of every day of every year there are about 3,632,630 deaths from all causes in the United States. Abortion can then be seen as accounting for 25 percent of all deaths in the United States each year. Richards organization runs the largest abortion chain and admits to committing 321,384 abortions a year.

That is the population of a mid-size American city. Bump stocks? How about the scalpel of an abortionist? Which is more dangerous to our children -- the NRA or Planned Parenthood? The NRAs political influence is decried, but not Planned Parenthoods, which will play a role in the special election Tuesday in Pennsylvanias 18th Congressional District:

In Western Pennsylvania, pro-life Democrat Conor Lamb is facing a Republican in a special election March 13. The race is neck-and-neck, despite the fact that Donald Trump carried the district by 20 points. Lambs candidacy in this conservative district is helped by the fact that hes Catholic -- a self-styled moderate whos not a slave to Democratic Party orthodoxy. In fact, hes already pledged not vote for Nancy Pelosi as Speaker of the House

What else wont Lamb vote for? Any restrictions on abortion, including the recent GOP proposal to limit late-term abortions -- specifically abortions after 20 weeks when, according to overwhelming scientific evidence, babies in the womb can experience pain.

[Catholics] believe that life begins at conception, he told The Weekly Standard, but as a matter of separation of church and state, I think a woman has the right to choose under the law.

So Lambs not afraid to tell the top House Democrat to take a hike, but hes too timid to vote his conscience on late-term abortions? Why? Because Planned Parenthood is the NRA of the Democratic Party. Only worse.

For the unborn, a scalpel is considered an assault weapon. We are told the abortion involves the right to choose. No child, whether in a school or in a womb, chooses death. All have an unalienable right to life All should be mourned and all who kill them should be despised.

Daniel John Sobieski is a freelance writer whose pieces have appeared in Investors Business Daily, Human Events, Reason Magazine and the Chicago Sun-Times among other publications.Silence, Blacks, and Louis Farrakhan

Silence may be the perfect herald of joy but sometimes has unfortunate consequences. Sir Thomas More, 16th-century lawyer and Lord High Chancellor of England in 1532, refused to approve the decision of King Henry VIII to divorce his wife, Catherine of Aragon, and as a result was tried for high treason and executed. In the play A Man for All Seasons by Robert Bolt, based on this issue, the question of the interpretation of silence is disputed. The prosecution asserted that More's silence on the King's action meant denial. More replied that the maxim of the law is "Silence gives consent." Therefore, "You must construe that I consented." This principle is pertinent to the silence, the selective lack of global outrage, by the media and particularly by so called humanitarian groups and individuals, such as the American Friends Service Committee, very active in the boycott against the State of Israel, concerning atrocities committed around the world in recent years. A few examples illustrate the astonishing silence about events in Nigeria, Indonesia, Syria, and Myanmar, among so many others.

In the United States the silence is deafening on the part of the media and Twitter concerning members of the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) and others tolerant of or not critical of the raucous bigoted rhetoric of Louis Farrakhan (once Louis Walcott and Louis X), the African-American activist who has been leader of the Nation of Islam (NOI) since 1975 after considerable infighting within the organization. Its current membership is said to be 50,000. As a young man Farrakhan played the violin and recorded calypso music as "The Charmer," before being influenced by Elijah Muhammad and his Nation of Islam in 1955. At that time, he informed the world that the original humans were black and God who was black created them. Farrakhan's unreserved stormy rhetoric and his activism for forty years have drawn large audiences and support, including a $5 million loan and gift from Libyan dictator Muammar Qaddafi. He organized the Million Man March in Washington, D.C. on October 16, 1995, the largest gathering to that point of African-Americans. His speech on that day can politely be described as "remarkable" when he commented on the statue of Abraham Lincoln in Washington which is 555 feet high. When you add the number "1" in front of it you get 1555 and that is the year "our first fathers landed on the shores of Jamestown, VA, as slaves." Irrespective of this inaccurate historical commentary, Farrakhan is best known for his nonstop attacks from the beginning of his career until today on the worst enemy of black and African -American advancement. In speech after speech he has denounced the Jews, people of "a dirty religion," who appear to be in his eyes the dominant group in life. Only a small sampling of his rants is necessary to make the point. In Chicago on February 25, 1990 he denounced the Jews, a small handful, who have control over the "movement of this nation," and a stranglehold on Congress. They are responsible, he wrote in a message on June 24, 2010 to the Southern Poverty Law Center, for the trans-Atlantic slave trade, plantation slavery, Jim Crow, sharecropping, and the condition of "our people." His most recent announcements were at the NOI's annual Savior's Day convention in a large arena in Chicago on February 25, 2018, where he delivered a three-hour speech, and on Twitter on March 7, 2018 when he asserted that the FBI was the worst enemy of black advancement and the Jews have control over these agencies of government. In Chicago, he talked of Jews as the "Synagogue of Satan." Jews, we are informed, have chemically injected homosexuality in black men through marijuana. His speech in Chicago will interest or amuse some international leaders in the U.S., Russia, France, and the EU. According to Farrakhan, the people, part of that Synagogue of Satan, who are running Mexico are Mexican Jews, and the Jews also control Ukraine, France, Poland, and Germany. Of course, Jews who were the "mother and father of apartheid," also control, among other things, the U.S. government and Hollywood, as well as the FBI. Farrakhan's tirades and prejudices have long been familiar and been discounted by every rational person as over the line of acceptable political and social dialogue. What is disconcerting are two things: the refusal of members of the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC), the very people concerned with discrimination and bigotry, to condemn wholeheartedly or to dissociate themselves from Farrakhan's bigotry; and the almost universal absence of critical, explicit, candid commentary by most of the mainstream media on these failings. Foremost in the CBC is Keith Ellison, the first Muslim elected to Congress, deputy chair of the Democratic National Committee, who as a young man was employed by the NOI for 18 months in 1995 in Minnesota, and who had links with NOI for a number of years though he falsely claimed to have never been a member. Later he said, he found the views of Farrakhan upsetting and unacceptable. Ellison has never made anti-Semitic remarks himself, and publicly disavowed NOI in 2006 and rejected bigoted and anti-Semitic ideas and statements, after having defended him against charges of racism. Yet he has had some meetings with Farrakhan, though at first he denied them. One was a meeting after Hurricane Katrina at a church in New Orleans in 2005. Another was at a private dinner in New York for U.S. Muslim leaders hosted by Iranian President Hassan Rouhani in 2013. A third was a private meeting, together with Rep. Andre Carson (D-Ind-7), the second Muslim elected to Congress, with Farrakhan in his hotel suite in 2016. Carson replied to critics who called for his resignation over his ties to Farrakhan by saying that the "outcry" over Farrakhan's recent anti-Semitic and racist remarks by Jewish organizations had no "credibility with him." Instead, Carson called on the Republican Jewish Coalition to condemn Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the Israeli government for discrimination against Africans who he held are migrating, who are fleeing dictatorships, who are fleeing oppression. Among other members of the Caucus are Rep. Danny Davis, D-Illinois, and Rep. Maxime Waters, D-Cal. Davis is reported to have said that Farrakhan is "an outstanding human being." However, his position is somewhat ambiguous. On one hand, he said he rejected, condemned, and opposed Farrakhan's views on the Jewish people and the Jewish religion. Yet earlier, he remarked that Farrakhan's position on the so-called "Jewish question" did not bother him. Waters has decided views on some issues but seems to be silent or suffer from lack of memory on other questions. On January 12, 2018 she termed President Donald Trump a racist, a dangerous, disturbed, deceitful man. However, she was silent when at a California convention in 2002, Farrakhan defended Palestinian suicide bombers who made themselves weapons against Israel. At that meeting Farrakhan applauded her presence, calling her "our great congresswoman from this area." She refused requests to comment on the speech. Waters, together with some other black leaders, met after Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans in 2005. When asked about this meeting, her secretary said, "She was traveling and unable to answer." One particularly disconcerting aspect of these recent events is the tolerance and apparent support of Farrakhan by women associated with the Women's March, co-leaders Tamika Mallory, Carmen Perez, and Linda Sarsour. By their behavior they have disgraced the principles of the women's movement. Mallory, a Christian black community activist, who identifies herself as a "strong black woman," attended the 2018 Chicago rally and calls Farrakhan the greatest of all time. She explains that the black community is very complex. She condemns antisemitism and racism, but has not explicitly condemned Farrakhan. Should we expect her to do so? The answer is that a woman who calls herself a progressive leader and refuses to condemn the anti-Semitic Farrakhan is hypocritical. Perez posted a video of herself watching a Farrakhan speech in 2016 when he spoke of "truth to power," thus apparently justifying him. She pointed out a need to understand the significant contributions people, like Farrakhan, have made to black and brown people. There are, she said, no perfect leaders. Linda Sarsour, a Muslim Palestinian-American activist, is proud of her speech at a 2015 rally organized by Farrakhan. She declared that "the same people who justify the massacres of the Palestinian people are the same people who justify the murder of young black men and women." One final note, rather intriguing, resulting from the inquiry into the Congressional Black Caucus. Farrakhan had remarked that Barack Obama was the first Jewish president, the people who selected him were rich, powerful members of the Jewish community. However, a photo taken in 2005 was recently made public for the first time of then Senator Barack Obama meeting with Farrakhan. The photographer said he had suppressed its publication at the request of an unnamed member of the caucus. Farrakhan long ago crossed the line of acceptable dialogue. What is very troubling is that the current members of the Congressional Black Caucus do not appear to have publicly condemned, systematically or otherwise, his bigotry against Jews. Remembering Thomas More, is silence consent? The CBC should come face to face with their past actions and confess and renounce any past ties to Farrakhan, or any tolerance of his bigotry. In addition, the mainstream media by its silence should not exemplify "hello darkness, my old friend."The Holy Cross Brigade Got a Bad Rap

On February 18, 2018, in Munich, Poland's Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki laid a wreath at a military cemetery to honor the fallen soldiers of the Holy Cross Brigade of the National Armed Forces (Narodowe Siy Zbrojne  NSZ), a Polish wartime and postwar hard-core Christian nationalist outfit. This symbolic recognition of the unheralded heroism of the NSZ does not reflect Morawiecki's private ideological preferences. His family is staunchly Pisudskite, which means firmly in opposition to the National Democrats, who fielded the outfit. One can legitimately question the timing of the premier's visit to the cemetery. It came on the heels of the now infamous exchange with an Israeli journalist when the Polish politician misspoke about "Jewish perpetrators" of the Holocaust, instead of either suavely neutralizing the question or sonorously explicating about the complexity of the phenomenon of collaboration during the Second World War. The media not only reacted hysterically to the press conference misstep, but also went ballistic at Morawiecki's trip to the cemetery, which was widely perceived as an act of bad will, indeed a provocation. One the one hand, the journalists exclaimed, the Polish prime minister blamed the victims for the Holocaust. On the other, he glorified "Nazi collaborators" of the Holy Cross Brigade of the NSZ.

What was the Holy Cross Brigade? It was a lguerrilla unit of over 900 men and women cobbled together from smaller forest detachments of the National Armed Forces in the Kielce region of western Poland in August 1944. The Holy Cross Brigade fought the Nazis and communists simultaneously. It was engaged in several serious battles against the Germans and dozens of hit-and-run operations. It also clashed with the communists, including the NKVD commandos, who were robbing, raping, and assassinating patriotic Poles and civilian bystanders. The Polish partisans served as protection units for helpless civilians. When the Red Army launched its surprise offensive in January 1945, the front collapsed, and the Brigade raced westward. Its command was hoping to be able to link up with the Free Polish Army in the west. The alternative was to remain in Poland and be destroyed by Stalin. After initially battling it out with the Germans, the Brigade trekked west through bluff and bluster, taking advantage of the general disintegration of the enemy. But after a while, the forces of the Third Reich reorganized and barred the way to the Poles. Faced with either death or capitulation, the Brigade command chose a stratagem. Stressing their anti-communism, the Poles entered into a non-aggression agreement with the Wehrmacht at the end of January. Therefore, they were permitted to continue to march southwest to Bohemia, where their unit was confined at an encampment in March. The collapsing Third Reich was hoping to use the Holy Cross Brigade for propaganda purposes and to deploy it at the front. The Polish command flatly refused to fight for the Nazis. However, it agreed to assign a small number of volunteer troops to be sent, including by air, behind the Soviet lines. The volunteers were given confidential orders to shoot any German assigned to them upon landing. In any event, no Germans were attached, and a small number that made it back to Poland promptly reported back to the NSZ leadership and re-entered the struggle against the communists. Meanwhile, by the end of April, the Holy Cross Brigade took off from its place of confinement in search of the Allied forces. Soon, its reconnaissance elements linked up with the U.S. Third Army. The bulk of the brigade commenced ambushing retreating German army and S.S. units. Soon, the Poles obtained intelligence about a Nazi concentration camp at Holleischen (Holysov), which was a sub-installation of the Flossenburg mother facility. On May 5, the Holy Cross Brigade swiftly attacked Holleischen, freeing several thousand women, including about 200 Jewesses who were about to be burned alive. A French prisoner recalled: "Suddenly about 10:30am, as in a movie, when I was looking out the window with a few others, we noticed in a part of the forest ... a group of people in khaki uniform. They moved in an enveloping way, and there were many of them, and other groups were coming from the other side as well. There was no noise. We did hear neither command nor shooting. We were paralyzed and it was astonishing to see simultaneously our guards in the courtyard who could not see anything. The military in khaki uniforms moved swiftly and then they attacked the gate to the Camp of the Jewesses as well as our gate. They opened it, one did not know why, but very quickly and the yard was full then with people in khakis, fast and silent. The guards on duty lift their hands and drop their weapons[.] ... We ran downstairs; the doors to the blocks were opened, the cupboards opened too. There was a dead German at the gate. It all seemed like we were dreaming or we were mad[.] ... Suddenly, artillery opened up close by, rifle and machine gun fire resounded around us. That was the Polish partisans conducting guerrilla war. From time to time stray bullets hit the shingles." The commanding officer of the Holy Cross Brigade, Colonel Antoni Skarbek, aka Bohun, recalled in the Jewish Voice (New Jersey): "At this moment my aide de camp Second Lieutenant Zygmunt [Borowiecki] ran up to me to report that there are two barracks on the left side. They are surrounded by a double row of an electrified barbed wire fence. The gate was closed with a chain and locks. The doors to the barracks were also closed. Emaciated faces appeared from little windows, and there were loud screams for help. I ordered immediately to bring the [German] commander of the camp and turn off the electricity to the barbed wire fence. Answering my question about the reason to lock up and isolate these two barracks, he responded that on Hitler's orders prisoners of Jewish origin were locked up there. The buildings, along with the women, were to be doused with gasoline and burnt at the moment when [the Americans] would be approaching[.] ... After opening the gate, I entered the enclosure and I saw gasoline barrels positioned next to each barrack[.] ... The doors to the barracks were then forced by the [Polish] soldiers. I wanted to enter inside, but a macabre sight which I noticed stopped me at the threshold. From the darkness of the building there was emerging a horrible stench of human waste mixed with the smell of rotting cadavers. From the depths there crawled out with great tears of joy, the surviving [Jewish] women." The Holy Cross Brigade continued its assaults on the XIII German Army. The Nazis desperately fought back. The Poles took over 500 prisoners, including an army staff jointly with an American company, and cleared the way for the U.S. 2nd Infantry Division to enter Pilzen. The Americans recognized them as allies and, to honor the Polish soldiers, allowed them to wear the "Indian Head" insignia of the division. Within a few weeks, however, the situation deteriorated as the Soviets and Czech communists appeared in the Pilzen area and began to butt heads with the Holy Cross Brigade. Stalin demanded that the Poles be handed over to the Soviets. General George Patton refused and adopted the brigade, transporting it to the American zone of occupation and enrolling the Polish guerrillas in U.S.-led Guard Companies. For the next decade, they were getting ready to liberate Soviet-occupied Poland with the Americans. For all those reasons, Prime Minister Mazowiecki Morawiecki resolved to honor the Holy Cross Brigade. This was not to spite Israel. Marek Chodakiewicz is professor of history at the Institute of World Politics D.C.This Is What Leadership Looks Like

Well, well, well. So Mister Trump is going to meet with the leader of North Korea. Stunning. For someone who's universally castigated as being a clueless, all thumbs palooka of a leader, this fellow sure gets a lot of things done. Very significant things. One might even say world transforming. You can hate him, berate him, and try very hard to minimize any of his accomplishments, but President Trump is starting to tip the arguments his way. The previous President of the United States was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize forwhat again? Still no one knows. Where I live in South Africa, the Nobel committee gave their prestigious Peace Prize to two very worthy recipients in the 90's, Nelson Mandela and FW de Klerk. These men thoroughly deserved it, as they had actively worked toward negotiating a genuine peace at the time the country was a powder keg about to explode. When men and women in leadership dig deep and try to work out a peaceful settlement in the midst of a volatile situation, that's when the Peace Prize has merit. Other times, when it is a trinket given to the most politically correct (Obama, the Climate Change committee) it is rightly seen as a farce. But the politicking doesn't stop. Certain hostile racists in South Africa are still incensed that a white South African was ever given the Peace Prize, as if the color of one's skin should be a disqualifying factor when it comes to trying to unify a nation. Would someone who solves the most serious peace problem on the world's stage be worthy of the Committee's golden award? We'll see.

In 1964 Martin Luther King wrote a remarkable book called 'Why We Can't Wait.' In it, he outlined the reasons why the struggle for racial equality was so urgent. There was no longer any reason to delay full inclusion of the black population into every facet of American society. King was a very bright man, and understood what he was up against in terms of the opposition to his message. As a disruptor of the entrenched social order, he needed to present arguments that wouldn't provoke hostility from the white populace. As a minister, he understood the power of appealing to a person's faith to sway their opinion. As a preacher, he understood the power of emotive words. As a writer, he understood the power of articulate arguments. And as a civil rights leader, he understood the power of igniting a large group of people to demand change. King knew that the struggle for equality could not be a physical struggle, and would have to embrace a non-violent method of protest, even if he and his supporters were physically attacked. He came up with his own 'ten commandments.' They were: Meditate daily on the teachings and life of Jesus Remember always that the nonviolent movement in Birmingham seeks justice and reconciliationnot victory. Walk and talk in the manner of love, for God is love. Pray daily to be used by God in order that all men might be free. Sacrifice personal wishes in order that all men might be free. Observe with both friend and foe the ordinary rules of courtesy. Seek to perform regular service for others and for the world. Refrain from the violence of fist, tongue, or heart. Strive to be in good spiritual and bodily health. Follow the directions of the movement and of the captain on a demonstration. Can you imagine a leader presenting a list like this now? It would be attacked, ridiculed, and disparaged. But King knew that if he appealed to the public's higher ideals, which included a respect for the teachings of Jesus Christ, his arguments would transcend race. Which they did. President Trump has his own methods, and although they're not spiritually framed like MLK's were, they are just as shrewd. The President's critics are practically foaming at the mouth, and aren't capable of having any rational discourse with regard to Mr Trump. This new breakthrough with North Korea is so important in the light of world power and security, and so clearly positive, that there's almost no basis on which to criticize it, or him. This creates a great dilemma. To acknowledge the obvious, that Trump is moving in the right direction, is heretical. At no stage will those who oppose the President ever acquiesce in the slightest. But how does one argue against Trump when there's such obvious evidence that the man is breaking through in world diplomacy? And on a level not seen since Nixon thawing the frosty Chinese. Nixon never got the Peace Prize, but his accomplishment was so objectively worthy the Nobel committee had to give it to someone associated with the detente. So they gave it to his Secretary of State. Anyone but Nixon. Martin Luther King was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964, the same year 'Why We Can't Wait' was published. The prize was given because of what King had accomplished in the Birmingham march the previous year, and for the sentiment expressed in his book, including his 'ten commandments.' In 2018, King (and Mandela, ironically) is seen as a bit of an embarrassment by the racist left. Not militant enough. Too willing to refrain from judging others on the color of their skin, seeing the content of a person's character as more important. How quaint. Fifteen years before MLK made his Birmingham march, Miles Davis rejected Louis Armstrong, because of how willing Satchmo was to perform with white musicians, and because he didn't show sufficient race rage. In the same way, today's race militants demand unbridled anger. This is a mistake.Racism and prejudice are terrible and destructive, no matter the color of the person practicing them. No one gets a pass. Not even great musicians. Real leadership is when one is willing to sit down with an adversary, and hammer out a solution. Martin Luther King was a great man, and thoroughly deserved his Peace Prize. He was a disruptor who changed America. Donald Trump is a disruptor of a different kind, but no less compelling. He's about to confound his critics once again. Let's hope their heads don't explode. Tim Mostert is a cartoonist, author and Art Historian. His latest bookis Know Your Nation/United States, Volume One . He can be reached attim@timtv.biz. Image: Gage Skidmore via Flickr.Check out this press release from Senate Democrats if you don't believe me. Or, if you have the time, download the 30-some-page detailed PDF .

Believe it or not, Democrats are proposing tax hikes as means of winning more seats in the forthcoming midterms. Is it too soon to put them on suicide watch?

Unsurprisingly, the mainstream media are not paying a lot of attention to this, for they must realize that it is political poison. They'd rather focus on Stormy Daniels, as if the Democrats had not once and for all  during the Bill Clinton impeachment  committed to the proposition that sexual misconduct is purely private.

As the ramifications of the tax cut are hitting people's paychecks, job opportunities, and IRAs, the early media demonization of the tax cut play is fading from memory, and the bill now has majority support, and that trend will continue. Yet. they persist in their delusion.

The Hill reports:

Senate Democrats said they will promote their plan as they campaign ahead of this year's midterm elections. "This will be a major thing we will talk about," Schumer said. "And the contrast between tax cuts for the wealthiest people as opposed to middle-class jobs is one we will forcefully advocate in the fall."

Mitch McConnell has a better grasp on reality. From the Wall Street Journal:

"Repeal all these bonuses, pay raises, new jobs, and new investments? Talk about a nonstarter," he said on the Senate floor Wednesday. The White House also dismissed the Democrats' plan. "Only tone-deaf Democrats could think the proper response to the booming Trump economy, higher wages and hard-working Americans keeping more of their own money is to reverse the policies that got us here," deputy White House press secretary Lindsay Walters said in a statement.

One of the pillars of the Dems' plan is to restore the deductibility of state and local taxes, a move that "delivers 88% of the benefits to upper-income families and subsidizes rich states at the expense of poor ones." Democrats already dominate the states and congressional districts with large numbers of these taxpayers, so it is hard to see how it adds to their voting base. But it does expose them to charges of hypocrisy on their pose as champions of the common men and women of the country.

Yet they persist in the belief that tax cuts are unpopular, simply because the media did a good job of selling the false charge that the tax cuts would screw over the majority of taxpayers. When ex-President Obama was quoted saying, "You know, I actually believe my own b-------," he seems to have trapped the Senate Democrats into advocating a policy that is political suicide: running on a platform of hiking taxes and killing the boom that is enriching just about everyone.It used to be that when the liberal media wrote articles about deported illegal aliens, they would pick people who had the most sympathetic life stories, focusing on gentle, hardworking aliens doing jobs that Americans certainly wouldn't do. But now the left, feeling that it is winning the propaganda war, has pushed farther, writing sob stories about illegals who are deported felons, even deported murderers.

It was fish for breakfast and fish for lunch and fish for dinner. 'I hate fish,' Khan Hin said. Until he was jailed at age 18 for auto theft, Mr. Hin had no idea he was only a legal permanent resident. American law is uncompromising: Deportation applies to legal permanent residents who commit an aggravated felony in the United States.

The law that orders felons to be deported is called "uncompromising," implying they should be more compromising. I wonder if liberals feel that laws regarding discrimination and rape should have some "compromise" to them as well.

For 18 months, he shuffled through various detention centers across the United States. Three years ago, he was deported to Cambodia [where he lives a terrible life eating fish E.S.]. It was his first time in the country. He did not speak Khmer, the local language.

But hey, now is a great time to learn!

Posy Chheng was deported last May, just a couple weeks after his son was born. When he was 14 years old, Mr. Chheng was convicted as an adult of second-degree murder and imprisoned for 17 years. His own son is still in Minnesota. 'I think about him all the time,' Mr. Chheng said. 'I see kids without car seats here, squeezed on a motorcycle with their whole family, and I think: 'No way I'd let my son do that. It's crazy.'

This article is written to evoke sympathy for a convicted murderer. Do we really want this man in America?



The convicted killer is the one pointing a sharp object at that man's head.

Cambodian refugees, along with Vietnamese and Laotians, were often resettled in tough neighborhoods, like South Central Los Angeles or Long Beach. By the 1980s, their children had formed street gangs[.]... 'We had to protect ourselves from homeboy shootouts,' said Ricky Kul, who was 15 when he joined the Oriental Lazy Boyz in Los Angeles and was later jailed for burglary. (Three members of the Oriental Lazy Boyz were convicted of the 1996 murder of Haing Ngor, the Cambodian-American actor[.)]

I guess liberals are right when they say illegal aliens come here to do the jobs Americans won't do.

So help me understand this: do the liberal media really believe that their readers will sympathize with deported burglars, car thieves, and convicted killers? Do liberals reading these articles nod their heads and cluck sympathetically and say, "Yes, I wish I had Posy and Kul living in my neighborhood"?

Help me out here, because I really don't know the answer. Let me know if you think liberals are so far off the deep end that they are sympathizing with felons and killers.

Ed Straker is the senior writer at Newsmachete.com.29 civil society organizations in Armenia has signed a public letter calling for the immediate release of New Armenia member Andreas Ghukasyan who has been detained for over a year on charges that he organized and participated in civil unrest that swept the Armenian capital following the Sasna Dzrer seizure of a Yerevan police station in July 2016.

Ghukasyans supporters claim that hes being persecuted for his opposition to the present government.

They support this claim by referring to the refusal of the appeals court to waive his pre-trial detention, citing that the judge pointedly asked Ghukasyan if he planned to continue his political opposition work if released. When Ghukasyan responded that he would, his fate was sealed, the public letter argues.

The European Court of Human Rights has registered Ghukasyans complaint and plans to fast-track its review.

The signatories to the letter also urge the European Union and international organizations to make the demand that Armenia stop its persecution of political opponents, particularly Ghukasyan, as a prerequisite for any future development of relations.

Signatories include the Asparez Journalists Club, Yerevan Press Club, Helsinki Association of Armenia, Helsinki Citizens Assembly (Vanadzor), Womens Support Center. Womens Resource Center and the Media Initiatives Center.Clapper admitted that his testimony was "clearly erroneous." For five years, the Department of Justice has dithered about whether to charge Clapper with perjury. Today, the statute of limitations on the crime of lying to Congress will expire, and there's no sign that DoJ plans on prosecuting him.

In 2013, former director of National Intelligence James Clapper testified under oath before Congress about the mass surveillance of U.S. citizens. The following year, Edward Snowden's document dump revealed that Clapper had lied to Congress about the extent of the program.

Washington Examiner:

"He admitted to lying to Congress and was unremorseful and flippant about it," Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., told the Washington Examiner. "The integrity of our federal government is at stake because his behavior sets the standard for the entire intelligence community." "Political consideration should not affect the Department of Justice from pursuing this matter," Rep. James Sensenbrenner, R-Wis., said ahead of the deadline. "Complete and truthful testimony is imperative for Congress to conduct effective oversight. It is clear from the evidence and Director Clapper's own admission that he lied." Justice Department spokeswoman Nicole Navas Oxman declined to comment on Clapper or how perjury cases typically would be handled, saying in an email, "No comment or information to be provided." Clapper, speaking through a spokesman, declined to comment. Clapper's problematic testimony occurred a few minutes before noon on March 12, 2013, when he told Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., "No, sir," and, "Not wittingly," in response to a question about whether the NSA was collecting "any type of data at all" on millions of Americans. Wyden later said he provided the question to Clapper before the hearing and unsuccessfully asked Clapper to correct the record.

Former Trump national security adviser Michael Flynn was forced to resign and was indicted for "'willfully and knowingly' making 'false, fictitious and fraudulent statements' to the FBI regarding conversations with Russia's ambassador." Apparently, one man's "clearly erroneous" testimony is another man's perjury. The difference could be that Mr. Flynn worked for a president whom the career prosecutors at the Department of Justice hate while Mr. Clapper worked for President Obama.

Flynn shouldn't have lied to the FBI and will be punished for that. But what about Clapper? He "knowingly and willfully" made false statements to a congressional committee. Clapper lied about the most expansive invasion of privacy of American citizens in history. And he will apparently get a pass.

Double standards when it comes to justice are intolerable in a republic. But that's what we have today, and it's an open question whether the United States of America as a democratic republic can survive.Liberals make horrible doctors

When one considers the current condition of California, what stands out in a state that was once prosperous are the consecutive years of ever increasing inner-city violence, poverty, and homelessness. If crime, poverty, and poor quality of life were diseases and liberal Democrats were the doctors responsible for rendering treatment, given the dysfunctional remedies and steady increase in patient misery, those "doctors" should have been arrested and charged with malpractice a long time ago. The first proof of malpractice revolves around the fact that liberal Democrats have a vested interest in keeping their California patients sick. And sickness means dependence on the habit-forming drug called government assistance. Once hooked, these drug addicts will vote for whoever supplies them with their fix.

Proof two: Liberal Democrats exploit the endless supply of future addicts found just over the southern border in Mexico. Now, these liberal politicians may be treasonous, drug-pushing pimps concerned only with holding on to power, but they aren't stupid. The more addicts they can create, even if it means destroying half of the state's tax-paying population in the process, the more job security they will enjoy. The third proof is the liberal mainstream media, who are more than merely complicit in the destruction of California. They are active participants who misdirect public attention and wrongfully characterize California's homelessness, escalating crime statistics and shrinking of the middle class as causes of the misery when, in fact, they are results of failed liberal policies. The difference between the two is in the efforts to find a real cure. Liberal Democrats are incapable of offering a cure for what ails California because to do so would mean working against their best interest and giving up power and control. With the increase in lost elections and negative sentiment regarding Democrats across the country, a sort of lawlessness has been initiated by these liberal ideologues in a desperate attempt to stay in power. Some short-term intervention by the federal government would be considered proper, given the radicalism of leftists still in power, but the fate of California ultimately rests in the hands of Californians. But even with good intentions and outside help, the challenge centers on whether or not Californians can break their addiction cycle and once and for all fire their liberal doctors. That won't be easy, but hopefully, California doesn't have to hit rock bottom before its addictions and bondage to the leftist programs leading to societal suicide finally ends. Rick Hayes is a New York City-based freelance writer and photojournalist with over 25 years' experience in covering local and national politics. Hayes has received awards for his work and has covered such political figures as President Donald Trump, former president Bill Clinton, and New York's Rudy Giuliani, to name only a few.Terminator II: Judgment Day (1993) was much the same, but it turned Arnold Schwarzenegger into a good android to fight an evil android from the future.

A poster boy of the pathology of "sequelitis" in Hollywood is the Terminator series. Back in the day (1984), the first Terminator movie was innovative  the idea of a giant, musclebound android from the future transported into our present to kill someone who would be important in the fight against the androids in the future. Arnold Schwarzenegger, the evil android, didn't have much to say in this film, but he didn't need to. (You can see all 65 words of his dialogue here , from "Nice night for a walk" to "Get out!")

The three sequels after that were lackluster. Terminator III: Rise of the Machines once again featured Arnold (a good android) fighting an evil android, with the only difference being that this time, the evil android was a woman, and the film, the first in the series not made by James Cameron, was like a bad fan film remake of Terminator II.

Terminator 4 ("Terminator: Salvation") was not derivative. It tried to be original. The problem is that it failed. Taking place in the future, after the war with the androids had begun, it featured Christian Bale fighting the androids and Sam Worthington playing a man who is an android but does not realize he is an android. Neither actor has any charisma, and Bale spoke in a monotonous monotone. The characters were uninteresting and the plot ridiculous. It was the only Terminator film not featuring Arnold, who was acting out another role in Sacramento, that of liberal Republican governor.

Terminator 5 ("Terminator Genisys") was perhaps the most derivative of the Terminator films, actually re-enacting scenes from the first two films. It was supposed to be nostalgic, but it came across as unimaginative. The film starred Arnold and Emilia Clarke, of Game of Thrones fame, although here she is largely unrecognizable because her character is a brunette and wears clothes most of the time. Arnold himself is badly showing signs of age; Emilia calls him "Pops," and he wears a ridiculous white wig. Any time a character has to be called "Pops," it's clear that the actor is getting a little too old for his role.

But wait: Arnold is coming back, again, for Terminator 6. The film, to be directed by James Cameron, who made the first two, is said to undo the events of all films after the second one. In effect, the film is going back in time to erase all the horrible sequels after Terminator II.

Arnold will be joined by his Terminator II co-star, Linda Hamilton. Arnold will play an android who looks 70 years old, and Linda will play a sexy 61-year-old resistance leader. Any time the two main leads are old enough to run for the Democratic presidential nomination, you know there's going to be trouble.

Evidently, the movie-makers recognize this, so they are introducing a newer, younger evil android and a newer, younger resistance leader. The actor playing the resistance leader hasn't been announced yet but will undoubtedly be a very talented non-white male. The newer, younger evil android will of course be played by a woman, Mackenzie Davis. Villains are just about the last acting roles available to white men, but in this case, the villain is fantastically strong and so must be played by a female.

The point is, this series has been done to death. How many more stories can they write about stopping an evil android from the future who has come into our present to kill someone? How many more stories can they write about fighting androids in the future in a Mad Max-style wasteland?

And why do they feel they have to bring 70-year-old Arnold back, given how poorly Terminator Genisys did? Can audiences really suspend disbelief and think a 70-year-old man is an android?

James Cameron is returning to direct, and he was brilliant in his day, but really  Avatar? Just like George Lucas, Cameron's brilliance has come and passed.

Why can't Hollywood produce an original movie with androids? Surely Terminator can't be the only compelling story to tell.

The answer may be seen in the HBO series Westworld. Very loosely based on the groundbreaking movie of the same name, the series takes an original direction, exploring how androids feel when they learn that they aren't human. It's boring, it's slow, and not much happens, but it does have the requisite amount of nudity and violence HBO viewers have come to expect.

Perhaps, then, that is the real explanation for sequelitis: because Hollywood is simply incapable of coming up with original, entertaining stories.

What do you think?

Ed Straker is the senior writer at Newsmachete.com.We can safely say no one is making a movie about fun in Playa del Carmen these days.

Many years ago, Elvis made a movie called Fun in Acapulco. As they say, the movie didn't have much of a plot, but Ursula Andress is worth whatever it costs to watch it online.

As you probably know, there is a lot of talk about "el muro"  the border wall  down in Mexico. The political class should be talking about the chaos in the country and how this is impacting their economy.

This week, we read that the U.S. closed a consulate office indefinitely. This is from news reports:

The State Department abruptly closed the U.S. consulate in the popular tourist destination of Playa del Carmen late Wednesday evening and ordered U.S. government employees to stay out of the area. They warn other Americans either in the region or thinking of traveling to it about a "real crime threat" from local drug cartels[."]

This is awful news for a country that relies heavily on tourism dollars. Furthermore, it shows two basic problems with Mexico's political class.

First, they'd rather talk about President Trump than the violence tearing up the country. "Inseguridad," as the Mexicans call it, is problem "numero uno" as Patrick Corcoran wrote.

Two, they don't understand that a wall on the U.S.-Mexico will be a devastating blow to the cartels walking in with cash and guns. We talk a lot about the human traffic going north, but we don't ever talk about what goes south  i.e., the cash corrupting the system and the high-powered rifles overwhelming police forces. I have to believe that the wall will disrupt traffic both ways!

Playa del Carmen is a beautiful resort. Unfortunately, it won't be seeing too many tourists this year. Also, how many more of these travel advisories can Mexico take?



PS: You can listen to my show (Canto Talk) and follow me on Twitter.Playing Pope, Michael Gerson upbraids Evangelicals for their love of Trump

Who died and made NeverTrump Michael Gerson the pope of the Evangelicals? His nearly 7,000-word screed in The Atlantic condemning Evangelical Christians for electing and supporting President Trump shows just how out of touch he is. Gerson is on a roll. He's written a long piece in the magazine of the hoity-toity, The Atlantic, upbraiding Evangelicals for their support for President Trump and pronouncing them finished as a force for not understanding their own Christianity. The whole thing had an absolutely creepy holier-than-thou tone, looking down his nose as he does at Christians. He uses his own past as an Evangelical, hanging around with the university Evangelical crowd, a uniformly leftist group that hasn't done jack for advancing Christian principles such as the right to life, as his bead on authority for the rest of those of the faith.

Cripes, he comes off as a jerk. He declares Trump an immutable racist and any Christian who supports him no different, though he throws in a contradictory caveat that he doesn't think all Christians are racists. Instead, he just calls them bad Christians, except more pompously: "Christians who are wrong on this issue do not understand the most-basic requirements of their faith." See, he does, and they don't. Then he goes on to piously declare that Christians must support someone such as Hillary Clinton with her rabid support for baby-part-sales profiteer Planned Parenthood, whose party is led by the toilet-mouthed-around-the-children, cuss word-spewing, hateful Tom Perez, instead of the man who actually reached out for them and sought their support, something Clinton never did. Here's what Gerson doesn't get about Evangelicals, first point: Trump doesn't hate them. That's high enough a standard, given the rabid hatred Democrats have shown for Evangelical Christians, most obvious in the recent flap over Democrat manque talk show host Joy Behar, who expressed her view that anyone who's Christian is mentally ill. That's normal, ordinary thought among Democrats, just a Tuesday for them. They are, after all, the party that booed God. Yet somehow, Gerson wants Evangelicals to support this party that hates them instead of Donald Trump, who not only doesn't really hate them, as Democrats do, but actually likes them and, for all his differences of values, completely respects them as human beings. I'm not an Evangelical, either. I am a Roman Catholic, and I have my theological differences with Evangelicals. But I've seen them up close and know they are generally good people, and I respect them for their faith and values. I recoil in horror when I see how Democrats and their Hollywood and media allies treat them, and they treat them badly all the time, utterly demonizing them as hypocrites when no such attacks are decent, civil, or warranted. Not once do we hear any of Gerson's ilk, whether himself or his oh, so hoity-toity academic theology-department allies, speak up for them. Where were they when Joy Behar pronounced her conventional leftist wisdom about Christians being insane? Where were they when Pope Francis failed to stick up for Venezuela's battered people starving away as victims of Marxist socialism or when he betrayed China's beleaguered Christians, Ukraine's Uniate Catholics, and the Middle East's persecuted Christians in favor of relations with the local Big States? Nowhere, actually  just going along for the left-wingery. Here's another thing: Evangelicals (and most Catholics  something he forgets to notice) voted for Trump because not only does he not hate them, but he is willing to defend their values. I know a lot of Evangelicals. Most are not political, or they come from urban backgrounds that lean blue. They'd be normal runs for Democrats. But Evangelical after Evangelical (and Catholic after Catholic, by the way) has told me he voted for Trump out of concern about court appointments, particularly of the Supreme Court. That is something that affects their lives in a way some payoff to a hooker does not. Gerson is saying Evangelicals should do like him and vote for Hillary Clinton, who would appoint radical leftist after radical leftist to the highest courts in the land, stripping Christians, salami slice by salami slice, of any right to practice their faith or stand up for their own values. We saw how Democrats treat Christians in the last administration. That means something, yet Gerson dismisses this as tiddlywinks, something not worth paying attention to, something not worth caring about. Get a load of his pooh-poohing: It is true that insofar as Christian hospitals or colleges have their religious liberty threatened by hostile litigation or government agencies, they have every right to defend their institutional identities  to advocate for a principled pluralism. But this is different from evangelicals regarding themselves, hysterically and with self-pity, as an oppressed minority that requires a strongman to rescue it. This is how Trump has invited evangelicals to view themselves. He has treated evangelicalism as an interest group in need of protection and preferences. Every right to defend their institutional identities? Memo to Mikey: How do you defend them when the courts are stacked against you with rabid leftists on the bench? Obviously, Gerson thinks the gesture of defending and standing up is enough, and results don't matter. Christians should just smile and take it on the chin every time a leftist judge runs roughshod over their right to practice their religion or insults their values and traditions as invalid, and declares their First Amendment rights subordinate to other special interest groups. This Gersonian (or Bushian, actually) obssession with gentlemanliness instead of results is why people elected Trump. They don't care if he paid off a hooker; they care if he will fight for them when their existences is under attack and no one else will. That's why Evangelicals (and Catholics, Hindus, and a lot of other people) support Trump. In short, Trump doesn't hate Evangelicals, and he's willing to fight for them. Frankly, I have never read such pious drivel, such Pecksniffian hypocrisy. Gerson has gone off the deep end with his NeverTrump garbage, taken to new heights.And although I said it was celebrated yesterday, in the Islamic Middle East, really, every day is "Punish a Muslim Day." It's the kind of holiday Islamists celebrate every day of the week.

"Punish a Muslim Day," where people are urged to attack and kill Muslims, was celebrated yesterday in Iraq, Syria, Egypt, Afghanistan, Yemen, and other countries with devout Islamic populations. The victims were mostly (though not always) Muslims, and the perpetrators were also mostly (though not always) Muslims as well. Muslims so regularly kill other Muslims in these countries that most days it doesn't make the news unless the body count is sufficiently high or if someone has found an innovative way to kill.

PAMD is in the news because someone is now trying to spread the "holiday" to Great Britain.

The anonymous letters arrived this weekend in plain white envelopes with second-class stamps, and were sent to people in at least six communities in England. The message said that April 3 would be "Punish a Muslim Day," and that points would be awarded for acts of violence: 25 points for pulling off a woman's head scarf, 500 points for murdering a Muslim and 1,000 for bombing a mosque. Riaz Ahmed, a Liberal Democrat councilor in Bradford, in West Yorkshire County, told The Mirror on Saturday that he had received one of the letters at his business address.

The question, of course, is who is sending these letters. But given that most revelers of PAMD in the Middle East are Muslim, one has to wonder if the people attempting to spread this custom to Great Britain are Muslim as well.

If you look at hate crimes against Muslims in the West, a large number are committed by Muslims themselves.

In late August, Indiana State University professor Azhar Hussain received one year's probation for fabricating anti-Muslim threats and an assault. He pleaded guilty to misdemeanor charges of obstruction for justice and harassment after lying to cops this spring about being attacked and sending anti-Muslim hate mails to the school. "Based upon the investigation, it is our belief that Hussain was trying to gain sympathy by becoming a victim of anti-Muslim threats, which he had created himself," the campus police chief concluded. In June, a small fire at a Des Moines, Iowa, mosque generated national headlines  until a young Muslim woman was arrested for starting it. "Security cameras in the mosque showed a woman, later identified as Aisha Ismail, 22, pouring lighter fluid on the carpet and then starting the fire," police reported. In Houston, a "suspicious" fire at a Houston mosque in 2015 turned out to have been set by one of the center's own worshipers who prayed there five times a day for five years. That same year, New Yorker Kashif Parvaiz was convicted of murdering his wife in front of his child after police debunked his cover story of being attacked by a group of bigots who called the family "terrorists."

It's very concerning that Muslims are committing hate crimes against Muslims. You have to wonder who is sending those letters in Britain. If it is a Muslim, would Muslims be safer if they moved to another part of Britain without Muslims? But then, if they moved to the new place in sufficient number, they would be surrounded by their fellow Muslims again! What if each of them moved somewhere different without telling his fellow Muslims where he was going?

You think I am joking, and I am, but herein lies a real point: for all the supposed "Islamophobia," Muslims are a thousand times safer in Britain and other non-Muslim countries than they are in their homeland, and most of the danger is not to Muslims, but from Muslims, especially the most radical ones.

But don't expect that level of analysis from newspapers, who are only all too happy to label their favorites as victims while ignoring their predatory acts.

Ed Straker is the senior writer at Newsmachete.com.The notion some on the left have that they would gain from such a conflict is insane on every level. It would be a catastrophe of world historical dimensions, unleashing every bad actor in the world to enact its dream aggressions: China attacking Taiwan, Iran attacking Israel, and Russia restoring the old USSR borders, for starters.

Mass psychosis has gripped a significant fraction of the progressive regressive elites in the wake of their shock at the election and presidency of Donald Trump. The open embrace by California and some other jurisdictions of nullification  the doctrine that states can ignore or obstruct federal law  is recapitulating the run-up to our 19th-century Civil War. Serious publications are taking seriously the possibility of an actual armed conflict .

But how about the question of who would win? Kurt Schlichter on Town Hall takes a cold, hard look at the question and concludes (correctly) that the blue-staters would get their posteriors handed to them. His article, titled "Why Democrats Would Lose the Second Civil War, Too," is must-reading, albeit unpleasant to contemplate. I think he is highly realistic:

Do I think there will be a civil war? No, but there could be. This is the Age of Black Swans, and anything is possible  we could easily see the country split into red and blue. Civil war is unlikely, but never underestimate Democrat stupidity and hatred.

If you can read Schlichter's article with the same amused frame of mind you might take while playing a violent videogame, there are a lot of payoffs in it. The Dems have no clue how stupid they are.

There are two Civil War II scenarios, and the left is poorly positioned to prevail in either one. The first scenario is that the Democrats take power and violate the Constitution in order to use the apparatus of the federal government to suppress and oppress Normal Americans. In that scenario, red Americans are the insurgents. In the second scenario, which we can even now see the stirrings of in California's campaign to nullify federal immigration law, it is the blue states that are the insurgents. The Democrats lose both wars. Big time. Let's talk terrain and numbers. Remember the famous red v. blue voting map? There is a lot of red, and in the interior the few blue splotches are all cities like Las Vegas or Denver. That is a lot of territory for a counter-insurgent force to control, and this is critical. The red is where the food is grown, the oil pumped, and through which everything is transported. And that red space is filled with millions of American citizens with small arms, a fairly large percentage of whom have military training. Remember what two untrained idiots did in Boston with a couple of pistols? They shut a city down. Now multiply that by several million, with better weapons and training.

He does not ignore the fact that Dems are the party of disarmed civilians, and consider how law enforcement, the military, and the National Guard might handle the conflicting calls that would be made on their loyalties.

This article really should be read by progs. But it won't be. They like living in their fantasy world, where human nature can be changed, tax hikes increase prosperity, and racial agitation is the means to produce a just society.Reasonable people are hoping for a positive outcome, while unreasonable people, blinded by their hatred for the president, have gone off the deep end. That brings us to MSNBC host Rachel Maddow :

Last week, it was announced that President Trump had accepted an invitation from North Korea's Kim Jong-un to meet in the near future.

Kim Jong-un makes a request, you want to meet? You might think like another president in this circumstance, you can imagine a president asking himself or herself, why has no other American president ever agreed to do is this? Why has no sitting American president ever met with a leader from North Korea? ... I think a lot of people probably suspect tonight those are not the kinds of questions that this president asked himself before agreeing to this meeting. But this is the president we have and he said yes to North Korea.

One could reasonably question this move: the desired goals to be achieved, the points of discussion to be covered, the suddenness of the decision, or any of several aspects of the announcement. (Maddow does cover some of that later.) But to wrongfully go into high dudgeon over the fact that this is an "unprecedented move" betrays Maddow as one who attacks Trump because...well, because he is Trump.

This is not the first time in history that a president has chosen to break with tradition by meeting with a cruel and vile despot of an isolated country. Indeed, that action was taken in the prior administration, when President Obama visited Kim Jong Fidel in Cuba.

Some will claim there is no comparison between the two nations, North Korea and Cuba. Those who say that are uninformed, are sympathetic to the cause, or wear their Che shirts with prideful ignorance.

Humberto Fontova, a syndicated columnist and former resident of Cuba, commented:

Castro jailed political prisoners at a higher rate than Stalin during the Great Terror, murdered more Cubans in his first three years in power than Hitler murdered Germans during his first six and came closest of anyone in history to starting a worldwide nuclear war. In the above process he converted a nation with a higher per-capita income than half of Europe and a huge influx of immigrants into one that repels Haitians and boasts the highest suicide rate in the hemisphere.

If a news analyst were to be fair and objective, one would expect that Obama's trip to Cuba would also have been questioned. But we are talking about MSNBC and Rachel Maddow. Here is how MSNBC described Obama's announcement:

In the not-too-distant past, the very idea of diplomatic relations between the United States and Cuba seemed fanciful. The suggestion that a sitting American president would set foot on Cuban soil as part of a diplomatic trip was almost impossible to imagine. And yet, here we are. Barack Obama will become the first sitting American president to visit Cuba in nearly 90 years, in what would be a crucial turning point between the Cold War rivals that recently shed their decades-old hostilities.

From the transcript of the Rachel Maddow show of March 21, 2016:

[N]obody knows who will get to write the history of this moment in Cuban history, but in American history, we know, that President Barack Obama will be forever the American leader who got done what every other Democrat since Jack Kennedy tried and failed to do. He got it done. (BAND PLAYING STAR SPANGLED BANNER)

Such patriotic flair there at the end, closing the segment with the National Anthem: Obama the hero, the patriot, achieving what no other president was capable of.

In his book Flim Flam Man, Benicia Herald columnist Jim Pugh stated:

Every president in the last 40 years has simply thrown [the Kims] a bone when [they] puffed up [their] chest[s] and threatened war. It is a duck and dodge strategy that has been used by four presidents and doesn't appear likely to change soon.

Let's hope Trump's meeting with Kim Jong-un will be the change in course that is needed. If it is, then Trump-haters like Maddow will really be driven crazy.Phantom Secure CEO, Vincent Ramos has been arrested by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) on charges of aiding and abetting criminals through the sale of heavily modified smartphones. Specifically, the associated complaint lists that the executive was deliberately enabling drug trafficking and other crimes through the sale of rebuilt BlackBerry handsets. Specifically, the complaint ties Ramos in with the Sinaloa Drug Cartel and the Canada-based companys CEO is said to have told undercover agents that the devices were actually made with drug cartels in mind. That is alleged to have happened in meetings between undercover agents and Ramos in February of last year in Las Vegas. FBI Special Agent Nicholas Cheviron, the complaints filer, has estimated that around 20,000 devices were sold to cartels for use. This is certainly not the first time technology has been used in this way. However, it may set precedence for future cases where a manufacturer appears to be explicitly operating solely to support criminal organizations.

Although BlackBerry is already considered to be an extremely secure brand, having built itself up on that, Phantom Secure takes the concept to extremes. The company removes a given devices camera, GPS system, and microphone, to start with, before also installing modified software. That software removes the internet browsing capabilities and standard messaging tools. In their place, it installs specialized solutions that route communications over virtual private networks with extra encryption enabled. Beyond that, the devices can be easily wiped remotely, thanks to tools included on-device for situations where authorities obtain a Phantom Secure handset during investigations. Aside from the cartel listed above, the allegations surrounding the case are said to have uncovered that the Hells Angels gang is another prominent customer of Phantom Secure. Devices are sold globally but a substantial number are sent to Mexico, Cuba, and Venezuela. Approximately half are said to be sold in Australia. Phantom Secure is said to have profited quite a bit from the illegal business to the tune of tens of millions of dollars.

What tipped off authorities to the activity is not immediately clear, although the email addresses associated with customers are said to include dozens of references to violent crimes. Meanwhile, during the subsequent investigation, Canadas Royal Canadian Mounted Police are said to have confirmed the complicit nature of Phantoms interaction through undercover work. The authorities, posing as criminals, asked Phantom whether it was safe to send messages about the delivery of illegal substances and whether Phantom Secure could wipe devices of associates that had been arrested. Those findings are said to have been backed up further by cooperating witnesses from within the illegal organizations themselves.YouTubes new premium music service which has been hinted at since last year wont be launching this month, a company spokesperson told Variety. While numerous industry watchers speculated the platform will debut this week at South by Southwest music festival in Austin, Texas, YouTube insists such a move was never in its plans. Googles video subsidiary managed to secure long-term licensing agreements with the worlds three largest music labels  Sony, Universal, and Warner  as of late 2017, with the move seemingly paving the way for the introduction of its premium music streaming offering meant to compete with the likes of Spotify and Apple Music.

The actual nature of the service and the manner in which its meant to fit into YouTube and Googles product portfolios remains unclear. Last summer, YouTube music chief Lyor Cohen said premium video streaming platform YouTube Red and Google Play Music are planned to merge in the future but its presently unclear whether their union is meant to be introduced in the form of a music-focused offering that was previously expected to debut at this years SXSW. YouTube Red is also meant to undergo a major international expansion over the course of this year, according to recent reports. Originally launched in late 2014 as Music Key before being rebranded into YouTube Red a year later, the firms platform promises ad-free and exclusive content in exchange for a $10 monthly subscription, having so far been positioned as the premium YouTube experience. The influx of original programming exclusive to the service is now expected to decline as the Internet giant places a larger focus on funding shows that are available to all of its users, some insiders suggested in recent weeks.

While a number of industry watchers are now speculating YouTubes premium music service may debut at Google I/O in mid-May, the annual conference is primarily aimed at developers and is hence unlikely to used as a platform for introducing such a consumer-oriented product. The overall amount of YouTubes investments in Hollywood programming is also set to remain flat over the next two years which indicates the company may be re-evaluating its overall business model, according to recent reports.Sprint is currently experimenting with its different unlimited data pricing options for customers in six cities across the United States, according to a new report by Fierce Wireless, adding that the testing is part of an effort to meet consumer demands. As part of the testing phase, the wireless carrier offers a free Hulu subscription to customers, an expanded list of global roaming plans, a free Tidal HiFi music subscription for six months, and a free hotspot data up to 15GB. In November last year, Sprint also started offering a free Hulu service to its Unlimited Data subscribers. Additionally, customers in those six cities will be able to select an HD or SD data plan. Meanwhile, those who have just switched to Sprint will have the option to upgrade their subscription to an HD data plan for one year, eligible for as many as 10 lines. The six trial markets are Atlanta, Phoenix, New Orleans, St. Louis, Minneapolis, and Charlotte.

Customers in Atlanta and Phoenix can avail of the Ultimate Unlimited plan for just $35 per month for every line, eligible for up to four lines. Once the subscription reaches one year, the rate will be raised to $65 per month for the first line, $45 per month for the second line, and $25 per month for the third and fourth lines. On the other hand, Sprint is presently providing customers in New Orleans and St. Louis a month of free service once customers from other carriers switch to the company along with their existing handsets. Additionally, Sprint is offering up to four lines of Unlimited service to customers who make the switch for just $35 per month for each line. The fees will then be changed to $65 per month for the first line, $45 per month for the second line, and $25 per month for the third and fourth lines after a year.

Finally in Minneapolis and Charlotte, Sprint  which recently explained why its unlimited data service is better than that of Verizon  is offering a 50 percent discount to Verizon subscribers who will switch to the carrier along with their four existing devices. The same offer applies once a customer purchases a new phone at its regular price. Customers in these markets can avail of Sprints four lines of Unlimited service for $25 per month for each line. The rate also changes after a year to $55, $35, and $15 per month for lines 1, 2, and 3-4, respectively.KADEX is the first exhibition held under the auspices of the Ministry of Defense and Aerospace Industry of the Republic of Kazakhstan. The event is attended by domestic and foreign companies of the defense-industrial and aerospace industry, leading design bureaus and research institutes.

During the years of the exhibition "KADEX" it rightfully became one of the world's leading exhibition platforms for demonstrating weapons, military and special equipment, technologies in the field of information security.

For the first time, the International Forum "Space Days in Kazakhstan" will be held within the framework of the exhibition "KADEX 2018", which will become one of the central dialogue platforms of the exhibition.

Within the framework of the forum, an extensive scientific and business program will be held that will take place in the format of plenary and sectional meetings, conferences, roundtables, which will allow specialists from all countries to exchange views on topical issues of defense and security, development of the world cosmonautics as well as to discuss the problems of ensuring cyber security at the present stage.

Visitors and participants of the defense exhibition will see the latest achievements and perspective scientific developments of the enterprises of the defense-industrial complex and the space sphere. A special emphasis on the exhibition will be made on the development of electronic systems, communication systems and weapons control, and search for modern solutions in the field of information security.

The practical result of all of this should be the conclusion of mutually beneficial contracts, the signing of agreements and memorandums, which in turn will promote the development of partnerships in the field of military-technical cooperation, cyber security and the development of outer space.Posted On Thursday, 24 May 2018 18:35

Under the auspices of the Ministry of Defence and Aerospace Industry of the Republic of Kazakhstan and being endorsed by the Ministry of Defence of the Republic of Kazakhstan, KADEX 2018, the fifth edition of International Exhibition Weapons Systems and Military Equipment, is being held between 23rd to 26th of May 2018 in Astana, the capital of Kazakhstan.

Read more ...Raytheon, manufacturer of the Patriot missile systems for Romania, has sent a request to the Romanian company Aerostar Bacau in view of finding what components the local company could produce for the Patriot radar.



Raytheon Patriot air defense missile system (Picture source: Army Recognition)

Romania is paying $4.64 billion for seven Patriot systems, of which $910.1 million have already been transferred. Defense minister Mihai Fifor said he would try to use these contracts for radar components to also draw new orders for Romanias defense industry.

According to Raytheon representatives, Aerostar Bacau  a private company specialized in manufacturing and repairing military and civil aircraft, and other defense systems  has the opportunity to deliver components for Romanias Patriot systems as well as for the whole global Patriot inventory, which comprises about 220 units owned by 14 countries. This represents a big market and a very good export opportunity for the Romanian defense industry, said Tom Laliberty, a vice president of Raytheons Integrated Defense Systems division.

In October 2017, Raytheon also signed a cooperation agreement with Aerostar. On this base, the Romanian company will provide components and maintenance for the seven Patriot systems to be delivered to Romania.Condos in Aspen often find their way onto Airbnb or another short-term rental platform. The million dollar question is to what extent the growing popularity of the platforms has caused housing stock that previously served longterm residents to convert to short-term rentals.Chau said that she and Williams were attracted to Hicksons because the firm encourages its team to go beyond traditional legal advice and assists clients with strategy and negotiations.

Chau and Williams join property development and planning partners Siew Tong, Anne Sandeman, and Robert Wilcher in the team.

John Markos, managing partner, said that the appointments form part of Hicksons broader strategy to provide an integrated business and legal advisory service that delivers sustainable value for clients.

Hicksons has 166 employees, including 96 legal and business professionals working out of the firms offices in Sydney, Newcastle, Canberra, Melbourne, and Brisbane.K&L Gates has boosted its energy, infrastructure and resources team in Melbourne with the hire of a new special counsel, who just recently returned to Australia.

Matthew OConnor has been appointed as a special counsel by the global firm. He moves from national firm Mills Oakley, where he spent six months after moving back to the country from the Tokyo base of top American firm Paul Hastings.

OConnor, who has a decades worth of experience in Japan and Singapore, was also previously with Ashurst, Corrs Chambers Westgarth, and Allens.Thomson Geer has advised Norman & Associates in its appointment as the manager of a major property and environment development in South Australia.

The company will now oversee the freeholding of 432 leasehold allotments in the development in the town of Fishermans Bay. The leaseholds were previously managed by Fishermans Bay Management.

Thomson Geer partner Fraser Bell led the firms team, with the support of law graduate Stephanie Fawcett.SUV

Coming for the 2020 model year alongside the Wagoneer, the Grand Wagoneer will be manufactured at the Warren Truck Assembly plant on the same line of the previous-generation Ram 1500. Confirmed to benefit from body-on-frame construction, the Grand Wagoneer also promises to be a super premium product.At least thats what chief executive officer Mike Manley wants us to believe, telling Top Gear that Jeep has been working on it for several years. It has a long gestation period, and will be clearly positioned significantly above [the] Grand Cherokee .What that means is, the full-sizetargets the likes of the Range Rover . With more details to be released on June 1st, 2018 with the next five-year plan, Jeep and the rest of FCA are also looking forward to an extended level of electrification.In addition to the Fiat 500e , the Italo-American group has eco-friendly vehicles such as the Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid, Jeep Wrangler 2.0-liter four-cylinder turbo, and 2019 Ram 1500 to offer. The latter models are gifted with a mild-hybrid system called eTorque, which helps the Hurricane I4, 3.6-liter Pentastar V6, and 5.7-liter HEMI V8 with efficiency and performance thanks to a belt-driven starter/generator.The level of electrification that Fiat Chrysler will deploy in the next five years isnt known at the present moment, but as the industry gallops in this direction on all segments regardless of body style, you can bet that FCA has something up its sleeve. Something that will please both the consumer and the EPA.Also on the sidelines of the 2018 Geneva Motor Show, Manley told Top Gear that he wouldnt say no to an A-segment SUV that would slot below the Renegade. I see the signs and think that market will continue to develop, which is another way of saying that Jeep is utmost interested in the smallest vehicle class of them all.kW

To make charging possible for both hybrid and fully electric models, the new wallboxes will allow charging with up to 22from wherever the owner wants to install it, home or office. For the hybrid models mentioned above, charging would take 7.2 kW out of the wallbox, making the entire process four times faster than when charging from a domestic wall socket.The hybrids presented in Geneva would thus take two hours to charge to 100 percent with this technology, while a regular plug in a wall would charge the battery to capacity in some seven hours.But newest feature of the revised wallbox is the fact that they can be Internet-capable. For the first time, say the Germans, various functions of the technology would be controlled via apps on a smartphone. Whats more, access through Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) means that a wallbox can manage several vehicles of different users.Mercedes-Benz says intelligent sharing of the charging power means there will be no need expensive upgrading of the existing house connection. One of the variants of the wallbox would also allow two vehicles to be charged simultaneously from the same source.The new charging stations will become available starting this summer in Europe, with 40 other global markets to follow later in the year.The wallboxes would be offered at yet undisclosed prices in three versions: Wallbox Home, the internet-capable Wallbox Advanced and the Wallbox Twin, for charging two vehicles at the same time.For the existing wallboxes, the German carmaker charges the equivalent of over $1,100 in the United Kingdom.Fresh on the trail of the newly launched Rexton, the Musso presents itself as practically the same car, but with a different name and body. It shares the same architecture and body-on-frame construction with the Rexton and, whats more, it is powered by the same e-XDi220 engine.Power output for the 2.2-liter turbo diesel is 181 ps at 4,000 rpm, while the maximum torque of 420Nm is available from 1,600 to 2,600 rpm. The engine can be paired with either a 6-speed manual or an Aisin 6-speed automatic.The Musso rides on an all-wheel-drive system that delivers power permanently to the rear wheels and only when in need to the front ones.Being a pickup, some of its most important features are the load-capacity ones. According to SsangYong Musso can carry 1 ton of cargo on its back, or it can tow anything weighing under 3.5 tons. The load deck has been designed to fit a standard Euro pallet.The comfort of the passengers is ensured by several interior highlights, like the Nappa leather seats, DAB radio and Bluetooth connectivity, an 8-inch touchscreen, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, as well as wi-fi mirroring.Safwety for the passengers and drives is ensured by up to six airbags and impact absorbing elements in the steering wheel and steering column.The new Musso will be available starting this summer in the UK, with no apparent plans to launch it elsewhere on the European market for now. Pricing will be, say SsangYong, competitive.The Musso sits in Geneva at the SsangYong stand right next to the e-SIV concept , a Level 2 autonomous car and the manufacturers fifth electric car concept since 2010.Last week, market analysis company JATO Dynamics released its annual emissions report , showing that if the past year, for the first time in a decade, CO2 emissions in Europe have risen by 0.3 grams/km. Together with those findings came a list of 20 carmakers, ranked from cleanest to most polluting in terms of CO2 emissions.At the top of the list, as the continents cleanest CO2 car brand sits Toyota, who managed in 2017 an average of 101.2 g/km of CO2 across its fleet. The Japanese success was fueled by the rise in sales of its hybrid models, which in 2017 accounted for half of all registrations for the brand.Averaging 101.2 g/km of CO2 emissions across the fleet means that Toyota's cars, on average, have the best mileage per gallon in Europe. Looked at as a whole, that would equate to 3.8 liters/100 km (62 mpg).On the second place in Europe sits Peugeot, with an emission average of 104.5 g/km, while the third place went to another French brand from the PSA group, Citroen, with 105.5 g/km. The top five positions are completed by Renault (106.6 g/km) and Suzuki, averaging 114.9 g/km.JATOs methodology calculated CO2 emissions by multiplying the rating of each car version by the volumes sold by that version over a given period (2017). The result is then added with those of the other cars of the brand, then dividing by the total volume of all versions.The air above Europe in 2017 was the most polluted in the past ten years, in terms of CO2. The decline in air quality was caused by the rise in sales for both gasoline-powered vehicles and SUVs. The countries where this trend was registered (Germany, the UK, France, and Spain) were also the places where the biggest spikes in CO2 emissions took place.Image: ERAU

A bipartisan bill introduced in the Senate last week would provide $5 million each year from 2019 through 2023 to expand programs and apprenticeships that would train workers for careers in aviation maintenance. Our aviation industry needs skilled workers, and the aviation-maintenance industry provides high-paying, high-skilled jobs across the country,said Sen. Jim Inhofe, R-Okla., one of the sponsors of the bill. Seventeen aviation advocacy groups signed a letter in support of the bill, including AOPA, GAMA and NATA.An analysis by Boeing suggests that 118,000 new technicians will be needed in North America over the next two decades, the letter states. The consulting firm Oliver Wyman has forecast that demand for aviation maintenance technicians will outstrip supply by 2022.

The requested funding would provide grants of up to $500,000 to support workforce development initiatives such as scholarship programs, student outreach, transitioning veterans to new careers and enhancing aviation technical education. Those programs would help to close the skills gap by incentivizing businesses, labor groups, educational institutions and local governments to develop innovative ways to recruit and educate the next generation of Americas aviation workforce, Sen. Inhofe said. Aviation is a cornerstone of the American economy, said AOPA President Mark Baker. This legislation will help ensure that the future of aviation remains viable and that aircraft owners will have the resources they need to keep our airplanes flying safely for decades to come.Voom, the urban helicopter service operated by Airbus, now has launched operations at a second site, Mexico City. Voom has been flying in Sao Paulo, Brazil, since last April. We couldnt be more excited to bring an urgently needed, alternative transportation option to Mexico City, said Uma Subramanian, CEO of Voom. Mexico City was chosen because its one of the most congested cities in the world, with a population of 23.9 million, and significant helicopter infrastructure is already in place, the company said. The city has more than 200 helipads and a dedicated helicopter air traffic control system. We are confident that Mexico City will be instrumental in defining the future of urban air mobility, the company said, in a statement posted at the Voom website.

Voom said that in Mexico City, a trip by road from Montes Urales to the citys international airport would take two hours during rush hour. The trip by helicopter takes eight minutes and would cost $134 in U.S. dollars. Reservations can be made up to seven days before a flight, or as little as 60 minutes before departure. More cities will be added later this year, Subramanian said. The Voom service was first developed by A^3, the technology incubator arm of Airbus in Silicon Valley. The effort has been seen as not only a way to better utilize helicopters in dense urban areas, but as a template for the development of on-demand, autonomous VTOL taxis that are being developed by A^3 and other companies.Sebastian Pinera, a conservative billionaire who previously served from 2010 to 2014, began his second term as president of Chile on Sunday, succeeding center-left leader Michelle Bachelet.

What to watch: The pro-business Pinera will look to revitalize an economy struggling with slow growth and slumping copper prices, the country's chief export. He won convincingly in December, but lacks a congressional majority and could face some of the same political headwinds as the last time around.

Pinera made his $2.8 billion fortune from credit card company Bancard and entered the public sphere as a senator in 1990. In 2010, he became Chile's first right-wing president in the two decades after dictator Augusto Pinochet left office.

The highlights:

Pinera presided over a booming economy which grew at over 5% annually during his previous four year term, per NYTimes.

which grew at over 5% annually during his previous four year term, per NYTimes. He oversaw the massive rebuilding effort that followed the devastating 2010 earthquake , as well as the mining accident later that year that trapped 33 men for 69 days.

, as well as the mining accident later that year that trapped 33 men for 69 days. Despite his economic success, Pinera struggled politically  especially in dealing with a powerful student movement protesting education costs  and left office with an approval rating in the 30s.

Copper prices and investment dipped under the socialist Michelle Bachelet, and the economy grew at a sluggish pace of just 1.8% a year. Pinera won 55% of the vote in the December run-off election, largely on the back of his economic record.

What to expect:

Per The Economist, Pinera's main goals are to restore economic growth to 3.5 to 4% a year and to simplify the tax code, including lowering the corporate tax rate.

He also plans to make most technical education free and inject "more public money into health care and the privately managed pension system."

But unlike his predecessor, Pinera will not have a majority in congress and will be forced to reach across the aisle to members of Bachelet's coalition.

The bottom line: The student movement that helped tank Pinera's approval rating in his first term has weakened, but not by much. The businessman president will need to play politics and rely on experienced members of his cabinet in order to sell his policies.President Biden will convene world leaders on Wednesday on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly to push them to do more to end the pandemic  though he's also facing criticism for prioritizing boosters at home.

Why it matters: There is still no functional plan in place to vaccinate the world, and past summits of this sort have flopped. The White House hopes that this virtual gathering will produce ambitious promises, accountability measures to track progress, and ultimately help achieve a 70% global vaccination rate this time next year.Republican House Intelligence Committee members announced Monday that they've found no evidence of collusion between Russia and the Trump campaign, reports The New York Times.

Why it matters: The investigation by the committee ends "even as new evidence has emerged that the special counsel, Robert S. Mueller III, is pursuing new lines of inquiry," the NYT says, and gives Republicans "a convenient talking point even before Mr. Mueller interviews the president and possibly other key witnesses."The House Intelligence Committee has reportedly concluded interviewing witnesses in its Russia probe tasked with investigating any Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. presidential election, according to the WSJ, which cites a source familiar with the investigation.

Why it matters: This announcement points towards the end of a highly contentious investigation following classified interviews with Trump campaign members and administration officials including Hope Hicks, Corey Lewandowski, Steve Bannon and Michael Cohen.Israel's Elbit Systems has agreed to buy IMI Systems, a weapons maker known for Uzi submachine guns, for around $523 million from the Israeli government (which announced plans to privatize IMI back in 2013).

Why it matters: Because it likely would create Israel's largest defense contracting company.

Go deeper at Haaretz: "The deal will create a company with a heavy emphasis on research and development, and whose product range will extend from IMIs shoulder-launched missiles, precision-guided mortar munitions and rocket-propulsion systems to Elbits portfolio of avionic systems, drones and intelligence and cybertechnology."A judge ruled today that anyone affected by the U.S. data breach can sue Verizon, who owns Yahoo, according to Reuters, because customers might have acted differently if they had known of the security weaknesses.

Why it matters: All 3 billion accounts on Yahoo's server were compromised.Lyft says that in 2017 Q4 it saw 168% in GAAP (generally accepted accounting principles) revenue growth year-over-year, and that it brought "over $1 billion" in GAAP revenue for the whole year.

Why it matters: While Lyft continues to deny IPO rumors, it's not surprise that the ride-hailing company is touting numbers that show it's growing and doing well. Though it's still much smaller than rival Uber, the company is definitely pushing the narrative that it's growing faster (it sent reporters a chart comparing the two).

Lyft also says that as of 2018, its drivers complete 10 million rides in the U.S. per week.

It says that it's reduced its sales and marketing spend by 20% between 2017 Q4 and 2018 Q1, though it's hard to tell the exact impact this has on its overall spending and losses. Lyft declined to provide more details about its spending or losses.

For context, according to an investor document Bloomberg obtained in November, Lyft lost $606 million against $708 million in net revenue in 2016.

Also: Here are Uber's (much more complete) financials for 2017.Democrat Conor Lamb currently has a 6-point edge over Republican Rick Saccone  51% to 45%  ahead of Tuesday's special election in Pennsylvania's 18th Congressional District, according to a new Monmouth University poll that forecasts turnout similar to other special elections this year. The results are a flip from last month's poll, where Saccone led Lamb 49% to 46%.

This district has voted overwhelmingly Republican in recent elections, but a large number of these voters have blue-collar Democratic roots. Lamb seems to have connected with them.

 Patrick Murray, director of the independent Monmouth University Polling Institute.

Timing: The poll's release comes on the heels of President Trump's rally in Pennsylvania Saturday night, meant to promote Saccone's candidacy. But as Axios' Jonathan Swan reported, Trump said hardly anything about the Republican candidate because, in reality, the president thinks Saccone "is a terrible, 'weak' candidate."

The poll's findings:

51% of those surveyed would vote for Lamb if the election were held today  while 45% said they would vote for Saccone with a Democratic surge of voters similar to voting patterns seen in other special elections over the past year.

In February, the same model showed 46% would vote for Lamb and 49% would vote for Saccone.

47% of those surveyed have a generally favorable view of Saccone, a slight decrease compared to 48% in February but within the poll's margin of error.

53% have a generally favorable view of Lamb, up from 49% in February.

Effect of Trump's tariffs decision: The poll also asked participants about the president's decision to impose tariffs on foreign steel and aluminum, and to what extent they think the tariffs will effect the economy in Pennsylvania's 18th district.

43% said they think the tariffs will help the economy.

36% think they will hurt the economy.

8% think they will have no impact.

13% said they don't know.

Methodology: The poll was sponsored and conducted by the Monmouth University Polling Institute from March 8 to 11, 2018 with a random sample of 372 likely voters in Pennsylvanias 18th Congressional District. The poll has a margin of error of +/- 5.1.US-Bangla Airlines Flight 211 crashed at Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu, Nepal on Monday. At least 40 of the 71 people on board are confirmed dead, per a local police spokesperson. The plane was en route from Dhaka, Bangladesh. When attempting to land in Kathmandu, it crashed into a field and erupted into flames.

The latest: Another 23 passengers are injured and 8 are currently missing. The Nepali Times posted a full recording of the conversation preceding the crash. The precise cause of the crash is still unknown, but, on the recording, pilots flying other planes are telling ATC in Nepali that Flight 211 appears to be disoriented due to low visibility in the hills surrounding the Kathmandu Valley.Goldman Sachs president and co-chief operating officer Harvey Schwartz will retire effective April 20, the company announced in a press release Monday. David Solomon will serve as the sole president and chief operating officer upon Schwartz' departure.

Why it matters: Schwartz and Solomon were seen as the two likely successors to CEO Lloyd Blankfein after WSJ scooped last week that Blankfein is preparing to step down as early as this year.British Prime Minister Theresa May updated the House of Commons on the investigation into the nerve agent attack against Russian former double agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter this afternoon, stating that "the [British] government has concluded that it is highly likely that Russia was responsible for the act against Sergei and Yulia Skripal."

What's next: May said that Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson had summoned Russia's ambassador to provide an explanation for the use on British soil of a nerve agent manufactured by the Russian government  with an acceptable response required by Wednesday:

Should there be no credible response, we will conclude that this action amounts to an unlawful use of force by the Russian state against the United Kingdom.

The backdrop: Skripal was convicted in 2006 of betraying the identities of Russian intelligence agents working undercover in Europe to MI6, Britains intelligence service. He had been living in the U.K. since being freed in a U.S.-Russian prisoner swap in 2010. Skripal and his daughter were found unconscious last Sunday in the English town of Salisbury. They remain in critical condition, and a police officer who first responded to them has also been hospitalized with serious injuries.

"This attempted murder using a weapons grade nerve agent in a British town was not just a crime against the Skripals. It was an indiscriminate act and reckless act against the United Kingdom putting the lives of innocent civilians at risk  and we will not tolerate such a brazen attempt to murder innocent civilians on our soil."

The details:

The police and intelligence investigation issued a "positive identification" that the compound used was a Novichok nerve agent, which May described as "a military grade nerve agent of a type developed by Russia."

issued a "positive identification" that the compound used was a Novichok nerve agent, which May described as "a military grade nerve agent of a type developed by Russia." May presented two possible options for the nerve agent's use: either "a direct act by the Russian state against our country" or the "Russian government lost control" and "allowed it to get into the hands of others."

for the nerve agent's use: either "a direct act by the Russian state against our country" or the "Russian government lost control" and "allowed it to get into the hands of others." If the British government does not receive a response by the Wednesday deadline, May will return to the House of Commons and "set out the full range of measures we will take in response." She noted that the U.K.'s response would be "extensive," going beyond the diplomatic expulsions and diplomatic sanctions following the 2006 poisoning of Alexander Litvinenko.

by the Wednesday deadline, May will return to the House of Commons and "set out the full range of measures we will take in response." She noted that the U.K.'s response would be "extensive," going beyond the diplomatic expulsions and diplomatic sanctions following the 2006 poisoning of Alexander Litvinenko. May said that the incident showed a Kremlin that seems to be intent on dismantling the international rules based order," stating that the United Kingdom "should stand up resolutely in defense of that international order."

showed a Kremlin that seems to be intent on dismantling the international rules based order," stating that the United Kingdom "should stand up resolutely in defense of that international order." May notably didn't address a question from MP Chris Bryant about the possibility that the broadcasting license for RT, Russia's state-sponsored news network, be revoked."

Between the lines: Axios' Steve LeVine, author of Putin's Labyrinth, which focuses on the murders of Putin's enemies, says Theresa May will be in a political box if a Russian role is found:

Litvinenko caused a huge international incident and a lasting diplomatic breach. If they die, this will be murder, again, in a major Western country. The Brits could cut off relations, recall their ambassador, and so on  to which Putin would protest, "show us the facts. The West again is hysterical"  but May will be forced to take demonstrably stern action. Against the backdrop of Crimea, one might see her seek an EU-wide response, though given the changing politics on the continent, that could be hard to achieve.

What Russia is saying: Per the AFP, Russian President Vladimir Putin addressed the situation with reporters earlier today, responding to a question from a British journalist: "Sort things out from your side and then we will discuss this with you."The federal government denied more public records requests in 2017 than at any other point in the past decade, according to an analysis by the AP. Out of 823,222 requests filed under the Freedom of Information Act last year, the government censored or failed to provide records in 78% of cases claiming that it could either not find the requested files or that releasing the information would be illegal under U.S. law.

Why it matters: Per the AP, this analysis provides one of the first insights into how President Trump's administration complies with the Freedom of Information Act. Anyone seeking federal information through a FOIA request is supposed to receive it unless disclosure would threaten "national security, violate personal privacy, or expose business secrets or confidential decision-making in certain areas."

But, but, but: It's important to note that the Trump administration received a record number of FOIA requests last year, and that requests can sometimes take months to complete. However, the government also spent a record $40.6 million in court defending its decisions, and admitted to improperly withholding information in more than 33% of cases in which appeals were filed.It took a few weeks to land on his radar, but President Trump now views Veterans Affairs Sec. David Shulkin as a major problem. Trump has been telling associates he doesn't know what's happened at the VA, but he doesn't like what he's hearing and he may have to fire Shulkin if the situation further deteriorates.

The short version: After the VA's inspector general reported that Shulkin used taxpayer dollars to pay for his wife to go to Europe, the VA secretary has been telling anyone who will listen that Trump appointees in his agency are conspiring to undermine him. He started handling his own media relations because he doesn't trust the agency's communications staff.

Behind the scenes last week, chief of staff John Kelly met with Shulkin at the White House on Monday afternoon. Shulkin brought along his deputy Tom Bowman and his chief of staff Peter O'Rourke, according to three sources with direct knowledge.

Kelly told Shulkin he's got to end the drama at the VA and stop fighting with his staff. Kelly's sick and tired of Shulkin freelancing and talking directly to the press. He wants Shulkin to just shut up and stop causing drama, those sources say.

Kelly's bottom line message to Shulkin: Continue your mission and get back to work. We can't keep going on like this. (But Kelly did tell Shulkin he'd help him deal with the personnel problems at the VA.)

Right after his meeting with Kelly, Shulkin was brought into the Oval Office to talk to Trump. The conversation quickly turned to discussing important legislation to reform the VA health care system.

Trump surprised Shulkin by dialing in Fox & Friends host Pete Hegseth on speaker phone to get his opinion of the legislation, according to two sources with knowledge of the conversation.

to get his opinion of the legislation, according to two sources with knowledge of the conversation. The Trump administration is debating a few different bills and trying to reconcile them. Conservatives prefer a bill pushed by Sen. Jerry Moran, while moderates prefer legislation pushed by Sen. Johnny Isakson.

The Hegseth call put Shulkin in an awkward spot, according to those sources. Hegseth competed for Shulkin's job and favors more aggressive reform for the VA. Trump talks to Hegseth regularly and enjoys watching him on Fox and Friends.

What came next shocked Kelly: After visiting the White House, Shulkin spoke to The New York Times. He declared victory, announced he had the power to can insubordinate political appointees, and said he had the White Houses full support.

This paragraph in the story especially infuriated Kelly, according to two sources familiar with his thinking: "[Shulkin] said in an interview that President Trump and Mr. Kelly supported his making changes at the department, including the removal of any staff members who did not support him."

Kelly found out about the article because the NYT reporters contacted the White House press shop before publishing the story. Kelly called Shulkin to ask him if he had said this to Times. He felt Shulkin was trying to exploit the meeting he had with him.

(This isn't the first time Kelly felt that way. Senior White House officials were infuriated by an interview Shulkin gave Politico late last month, where he effectively said the same thing. The headline blared: "Shulkin says he has White House backing to purge VA." But the White House gave Shulkin no such authority at the time, and in fact stymied his attempts to fire what he perceived as Trump political appointees who were conspiring against him.)

From the WH's perspective: They agreed to work with Shulkin on fixing his staff problems. But both times they talked, he went directly to the media and declared victory. In the view of senior officials, there's a difference between discreetly and professionally handling staffing issues and publicly embarrassing and firing supporters of the president. Kelly agreed to help Shulkin with the former, and Shulkin keeps trying to do the latter.

In response to my questions, Shulkin's Strategic Communications Advisor Ashleigh Barry emailed the following quote from the Secretary: "The meeting with the President and Chief of Staff was productive, supportive and focused solely on moving forward in the best interest of our Veterans." Barry added: "we will not be providing further comment."

Bottom line: Shulkin remains in a perilous position. He has cut off communication with about a half dozen key people at the VA. They include Press Secretary Curt Cashour, Assistant Secretary for Public and Intergovernmental Affairs John Ullyot, Assistant Secretary for Congressional and Legislative Affairs Brooks Tucker, senior adviser Jake Leinenkugel, and a senior adviser at the Veterans Health Administration Camilo Sandoval. And now, his relationship with the White House is more frayed than ever.Jared Kushner, U.S. special envoy Jason Greenblatt and officials from the National Security Council will present U.S. proposals for improving the humanitarian situation in Gaza tomorrow at a White House "brainstorming session", a senior White House official said.

The White House meeting, which was initiated by Kushner and Greenblatt, will be attended by many representatives from the international community including Israel and several Arab countries. The Palestinian Authority, which has cut off contacts with the White House over Trump's Jerusalem announcement, turned down an invitation.

The meeting is part of a new attempt by the international community to prevent a humanitarian crisis in Gaza and to try to improve living conditions for Palestinians there.

On January 31st, foreign ministers from many donor countries to the Palestinians met in Brussels to discuss the crisis.

Last Thursday senior officials from Norway, the EU, UN, U.S., Egypt, Israel and the Palestinian Authority met in Cairo to discuss specific projects in Gaza. At the end of March, another ministerial meeting on Gaza will take place in Brussels.

President Trump's Special envoy Jason Greenblatt, who will open the meeting at the White House tomorrow, said in a statement the Trump Administration believes that deteriorating humanitarian conditions in Gaza require immediate attention. He added:

"Solving the situation in Gaza is vital for humanitarian reasons, important for the security of Egypt and Israel and is a necessary step toward reaching a comprehensive peace agreement between Israelis and Palestinians, including Palestinians in both Gaza and the West Bank. The challenge will be determining which ideas can be realistically implemented in light of the fact that the Palestinians of Gaza continue to suffer under the authoritarian rule of Hamas."Prospects of developing Armenian-Lebanese economic cooperation were discussed during Prime Minister Karen Karapetians two-day official visit to Beirut that began on Monday.

According to the Armenian governments press office, upon arrival in the Lebanese capital today Karapetian headed for talks with his Lebanese counterpart Saad Hariri.

The face-to-face meeting between the Armenian and Lebanese prime ministers was followed by the expanded meeting of the governmental delegations of the two countries, the official source said.

Addressing the possibilities for developing bilateral economic relations, Prime Minister Karapetian said: Lebanese companies can use our platform to access the broader markets, taking into account Armenias membership in the Eurasian Economic Union, as well as the free economic zone on the border with Iran, and the GSP trade regime with the European Union. In general, it is just the right time to come to Armenia and make investments in our country.

The Armenian prime minister reportedly presented his governments steps aimed at improving Armenias business environment and also suggested considering the possibility of establishing joint ventures in the light industry, jewelry, pharmaceutics and agriculture.

Stressing the importance of developing multifaceted relationships with Armenia, Prime Minister Hariri, as quoted by the Armenian governments press office, noted that Lebanon is also a good place for investment, particularly in infrastructure, including through public-private partnership.

As they reportedly discussed the ongoing cooperation in agriculture, information technologies, tourism and culture, the Armenian and Lebanese prime ministers expressed willingness to expand these interactions through joint efforts. Karapetian suggested considering the idea of setting up an Armenian-Lebanese investment fund to finance joint projects and gave assurances about the Armenian sides readiness to share its experience in the field of solar energy.

The Armenian prime minister invited his Lebanese counterpart to visit Armenia, noting that the Armenian-Lebanese intergovernmental commission could meet on the margins of the visit to discuss the above-mentioned issues and outline new directions of cooperation. The head of the Armenian government highlighted the important role of Lebanons Armenian community in furthering and strengthening the bilateral relations.The development of beekeeping in Karabakh and a large harvest will lead to a decrease in the cost of honey, Badraddin Khasratov, chairman of the Association of Beekeepers of Azerbaijan, told Trend.By Laman Ismayilova

Works of national photographer Fariz Nadir Rzayev have been shown in Baku.

A photo exhibition opened in Landmark Hotel Baku on March 10.

The exhibition was inspired the beautiful capital city of Norway with specific emphasis and appreciation of its symmetry and proportionate lines, which reflect the original architectural features of the city.

The event was supported by the Embassy of the Kingdom of Norway in Azerbaijan. Representatives of diplomatic missions, public and cultural figures attended the exhibition.

Addressing the event, Norwegian Ambassador to Azerbaijan Bard Ivar Svendsen stressed the importance of expanding bilateral cultural ties between Norway and Azerbaijan. He also congratulated everyone on the 25th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries.

The 27-year-old Fariz Nadir Rzayev has lived and worked in Norway for more than ten years. He graduated Bilder Nordic School of Photography. The photographer is the winner of the "Photographer Norway-2014" prize. In 2015, together with the famous designer, Ph.D. in art criticism Gulnara Khalilova, he published a catalog to promote Azerbaijani national clothes in Europe.

This time he came from Oslo to Baku to share his vision of Norway's capital.

I'm in love with Oslo's magical architecture, symmetries, contrasts, proportions and lines of buildings, which inspired me to implement the project "On-Line in Oslo." I would like to convey the unusual beauty of Oslo through the camera lens and my vision of this unique architecture to the Baku residents and guests of the city, the photographer said.

Then event participants went to a holiday buffet and enjoyed a fascinating concert program.

---

Laman Ismayilova is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @Lam_Ismayilova

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAzBy Laman Ismayilova

Chocolate is one of the world's favorite treats, and there is no end to the varieties available.

From traditional fillings like caramel or nuts to more exotic offerings, you'll likely never get tired of eating chocolate.

The first people to make chocolate were the ancient tribes of Mexico and Central America, including the Incas, Aztec and Mayans. They mixed ground cacao seeds with various seasonings to make a spicy, frothy drink which they called chocolate.

By the 17th century, chocolate was a fashionable drink in Europe. Delicious, always soul-satisfying, chocolate fits just about any occasion.

Baku has hosted a chocolate festival organized by the Tatarstan Public Association, timed to the International Women's Day, Trend Life reported.

Addressing the event, Deputy Chairman of Tatarstan Public Association Emin Ramazanov congratulated women and wished them good health and family well-being.

The guests of honor included the Chairman of Tatarstan Public Association Abas Minashev, guests from Turkey and Russia, representatives of the scientific and creative intelligentsia, etc.

Chocolate gifts from sponsors became a bright decoration of the evening. Guests enjoyed traditional Tatar dishes - soup made from homemade noodles, pastries and sweets.

The celebration featured songs performed by ensemble Ak kalfak and accordionist Ismail Safin.

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Laman Ismayilova is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @Lam_Ismayilova

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAzBy Trend

Georgian Prime Minister Georgy Kvirikashvili will pay an official visit to Azerbaijan on March 12, apsny.ge reported.

Georgy Kvirikashvili will meet with his Azerbaijani counterpart Artur Rasizade, after which an expanded meeting will take place with participation of the two countries' government members in the Cabinet of Ministers.

---

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAzBy Trend

US Ambassador to Azerbaijan Robert Cekuta was summoned to the Foreign Ministry in connection with the visit of Bako Sahakyan, who is the president of the illegal regime created in the occupied Azerbaijani territories, to the US and the event promoting the fictitious regime in the US Congress, Spokesman of Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry Hikmat Hajiyev told Trend March 12.

Hajiyev said that Cekuta received a note of protest, sent by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan to the US State Department.

Meanwhile, Azerbaijans ambassador to the US, having held a meeting in the State Department, presented the protest of Azerbaijan to the American side.

The note says that getting an American visa on the Armenian passport and entering the US on the basis of unreliable information provided by Bako Sahakyan, a resident of the Khankendi city of Azerbaijans Nagorno-Karabakh region, permission to carry out activities that propagate an illegal separatist regime in relevant US institutions and aim at collecting finance in the United States in support of the occupation of Azerbaijani territories, contradict the norms and principles of international law, the relevant resolutions of the UN Security Council, the bilateral documents signed between Azerbaijan and the United States, and the official position of the United States, Hajiyev said.

This step of the US is regarded as an activity against the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Azerbaijan, he added.

According to the spokesman, the note also says that the US must faithfully fulfill its obligations, taken on the basis of norms and principles of international law, to suppress activities in the territory of the United States against the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Azerbaijan.

Taking into account the fact that Azerbaijan and the US have partnership relations in other spheres, we regard this strange step of the US as a change in the position of the United States on the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and consider it as biased. The creation of opportunity for the entry of representatives of a fictional regime, created as a result of military aggression and bloody ethnic cleansing against Azerbaijan, into the US while the US introduces special sanctions against other separatist regimes in the post-Soviet area, is a manifestation of dual standards, Hajiyev emphasized.

The US, as a permanent member of the UN Security Council, must comply with the requirements of the relevant resolutions adopted by the UN Security Council and, in this context, try to withdraw Armenian troops from the occupied territories of Azerbaijan and return Azerbaijani IDPs to their native lands, the spokesman added.

On one hand, the US calls for a settlement of the conflict through negotiations, and on the other hand, creates opportunities for propaganda of the illegal regime and turns a blind eye to illegal acts in the occupied territories of Azerbaijan, which raises serious questions about the impartiality and objectivity of the United States. This step of the US seriously harms the negotiation process, efforts to ensure sustainable peace and security and serves to escalation of the situation in the region, Hajiyev noted.

He added that by taking such a step, the US has damaged the attitude of the Azerbaijani people and public towards this country.

As a response to such behavior of the US, Azerbaijan will proceed from the principle of reciprocity in relations with the US, Hajiyev stressed.

The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, in 1992 Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts.

The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations. Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding districts.

---

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAzBy Kamila Aliyeva

Uzbekistan will consider participation in the construction of the Rogun hydro power plant (HPP).

The possibility of Uzbekistan's participation in the construction of the Rogun dam in Tajikistan is reflected in a joint statement by the presidents of Uzbekistan and Tajikistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev and Emomali Rahmon signed following the talks in Dushanbe.

The parties expressed their mutual interest in developing regional partnership in the sphere of rational and fair use of water resources and stressed the importance of existing hydropower facilities for the Central Asia, and those under construction, in order to solve water and energy problems.

In this context, the Uzbek side expressed its readiness to comprehensively consider the possibility of participating in the construction of hydropower facilities in the Republic of Tajikistan, including Roghun HPS, taking into account the universally recognized international norms and standards on the construction of such facilities, the statement said.

The heads of state stressed the necessity to improve the legal mechanisms for the integrated and effective use of transboundary water resources of the Central Asia that facilitate a constructive dialogue, taking into account the interests of all states of the region.

The sides also welcomed holding of the Central Asian International Ecological Forum (Tashkent, June 5-8, 2018) and an International High-Level Conference on International Decade for Action Water for Sustainable Development, 2018-2028 (Dushanbe, June 20-22, 2018).

Mirziyoyev arrived to Dushanbe on March 9. This was his first visit to Tajikistan after his predecessor Islam Karimov paid an official visit to Dushanbe for the last time in June 2000. The head of Tajikistan, Emomali Rahmon, was in Tashkent in the framework of bilateral contacts in January 1998.

Since the moment of independence, the relations between the two neighbors were not easy. The disputes between the two countries have arisen regularly for almost 25 years.

Dushanbe often accused Uzbekistan of blocking railroads and roads. In turn, Tashkent opposed the construction of the Rogun HPP in Tajikistan, which, according to the authorities of Uzbekistan, is a threat to the entire agricultural sector of the region. In 2001, first, Uzbekistan, and then Tajikistan, introduced a visa regime between the two states.

The relations began to restore in 2016 after Shavkat Mirziyoyev took the presidential office in December.

The Rogun HPP will dam the Vakhsh river, which is a major tributary to the Amu Darya river, one of the region's two major water courses. The neighboring countries cautioned water could be diverted from their cotton and wheat fields. Uzbekistan claimed that water flows would be seriously decreased in case the dam is built. However, the World Bank assessment gave the go-ahead to the major project.

The dam should form a large Rogun reservoir with a total volume of 13.3 cubic meters. The project is also criticized because of the location in the zone of high seismicity, landslide and mudflow processes, and the presence of a tectonic fault filled with rock salt under the base of the dam.

The Italian company Salini Impregilo is engaged in the construction of the Rogun power plant. In October 2016, Tajikistan launched work on the construction of a rock embankment dam, 335 meters high and $1.95 billion worth. The cost of the entire hydro power station is $3.9 billion.By Kamila Aliyeva

Tajikistan will increase the export of goods to neighboring Uzbekistan.

Tajikistans State Committee for Investments and State Property Management said that according to the documents signed following the forum of business circles of Tajikistan and Uzbekistan held on March 9 in Dushanbe, the list of exported goods to Uzbekistan will be expanded, Avesta reported.

Between the economic entities of the two countries, agreements on the export and import of goods have been signed. In particular, the export of Tajik electricity to the neighboring country and the import of Uzbek gas will be launched.

In addition, the list of exported Tajik goods includes cables, carpet products, building materials, coal and others. At the same time, Uzbek enterprises will begin to supply vehicles and spare parts for them, agricultural products and so on to Tajikistan.

State Committee also reported that the parties signed agreements in the field of finance, in particular in the banking sector.

Earlier, it was reported that this year Tajikistan plans to export electricity to Uzbekistan in the amount of 1.5 billion kWh.

Meanwhile, during the first Tajik-Uzbek business council on subjects of small private business held on March 8, contracts worth $20.5 million were signed, according to the chairman of the Uzbek Chamber of Commerce and Industry Adham Ikramov.

The trade turnover between the two states increased by 20 percent and totaled $240 million in 2017. Currently, the countries plan to increase the volume of bilateral trade up to $ 1 billion in the near future.

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Kamila Aliyeva is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @Kami_Aliyeva

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAzThe U.S. Army Corps of Engineers acted to preserve life and property when it released historic amounts of water from Dam B during Tropical Storm Harvey, it said in a motion asking to dismiss a suit brought by Orange County residents claiming the government illegally took their property for its own use by flooding it.

Flooding during the 1,000-year-storm was inevitable regardless of the Corps' decision to open floodgates at the dam on the Neches River, U.S. Acting Assistant Attorney General Jeffrey Wood wrote in the motion, filed recently in the U.S. Court of Federal Claims.

He asked the court to dismiss the suit, filed in November by more than 100 residents of Wexford Park, Warwick Park and Inwood Acres, north of Vidor off Texas 105. Beaumont Attorney David Bernsen wrote in the petition that "the Corps' action caused destruction and ruin" for the neighborhoods, and said the federal agency, which operates the dam near Jasper, "intended to inundate Plaintiffs' property through its increasing releases of water from Dam B," or at least knew that it was likely to happen.

The suit alleges that the Corps acted "to protect other communities and/or the integrity of Dam B and associated infrastructure," depriving the residents of their rights to their homes and land.

> > RELATED: Some in Deweyville raising homes, some leaving town to avoid future floods

Wood argued in his motion that "Texas law gives Plaintiffs no right to keep floodwaters from their properties, and no guarantee to the free use and enjoyment of their property during and after a Category 4 hurricane or 'Act of God.'" He rebutted claims that the dam releases caused the neighborhood to flood.

In the suit, the residents said the neighborhoods did not flood on Aug. 28 or 29, when Harvey began affecting Southeast Texas, but started to flood catastrophically on Aug. 30 and in the following days.

It is "physically impossible" that the flooding could have been caused by water released from Dam B, Wood argued, because it takes at least four days for water to travel that distance.

The dam, officially named Town Bluff Dam, does not have flood storage capacity and "was not designed or constructed to store flood waters," he said.

> > PHOTOS: Unbelievable pictures show flooding across Southeast Texas

"Flooding from Harvey was inevitable given the amount and duration of the rainfall," he said, and argued that the residents failed to show that the Corps could have done anything differently to prevent the flooding.

"Plaintiffs' claims also fail because the Corps was acting to protect the general public during the Hurricane emergency," he said.

The suit is one of at least four filed in Southeast Texas after flooding in the past two years, including one filed Thursday by residents accusing the Sabine River Authority of illegally taking, damaging or destroying their property in March 2016 through their operation of the Toledo Bend reservoir.

Homes, businesses and churches in Deweyville and along the Sabine River were inundated when the dam's gates were opened on March 10, swallowing the Newton County town.

"The opening of the spillway gates was merely the 'last straw,'" attorney Adam Nichols wrote.

> > RELATED: Abandoned homes now a health risk to neighbors after Harvey

The 26 plaintiffs allege that the SRA can maintain the reservoir water level between 168 feet and 172 feet, but "chose to allow the water level to remain very close to this upper bound" through February 2015, contributing to their decision to open the floodgates in March. The SRA has previously said that the gates are opened when water reached 172.5 feet.

The reservoir also has two hydroelectric generators, which produce power and regularly release water from the dam through normal operations. From August 2015 through March 2016, only one of the generators was operational, Nichols wrote. Running both generators would have lowered the lake level before the rainfall that caused them to open the gates, he said.

In addition to accusing the SRA of taking their property in the flood without compensation, the plaintiffs also accuse Entergy and Cleco Power of negligence for failing to repair the second generator, "contributing to the eventual overfill situation."

The SRA has declined to comment on pending litigation previously but has said in the past that the dam's purpose is electricity generation, not flood control.

The authority and power companies asked a federal judge to dismiss a suit making similar claims of illegal taking filed by more than 500 property owners near the Sabine River in April 2016.

The suit has bounced back and forth between state and federal court since it was filed. On Thursday, the plaintiffs were given seven days to amend their petition by Judge Thad Heartfield, who dismissed some of their claims in response to the objections.

The height of the reservoir has been an ongoing source of debate in Newton County, with residents south of the dam accusing the authority of keeping it at unsafe levels for the benefit of people who live and fish on the reservoir.

More than 100 residents of Newton, Tyler, Jasper and Orange counties filed a separate suit against the SRA in November 2016, likewise claiming that their property was taken by the agency.

Releases of more than 200,000 cubic feet per second from Toledo Bend exceeded "any amount of water which would have naturally flowed down the Sabine River" and were more than the amount of water entering the reservoir at the time, Austin attorney Donald Grissom wrote.

The residents argued that the decision was made deliberately "in order to save the property upstream and along the reservoir from flood damage," and "in an attempt to lower the lake levels so that a bass fishing tournament scheduled for the weekend following the flood event could be held."

Grissom argued the SRA should have released water before the reservoir reached flood stage. He also said they continued to release water after it was no longer necessary and said the property damaged by the storm had "essentially been taken as a flood easement."

The SRA challenged the suit,and Judge Michael Schneider dismissed all claims in October. The plaintiffs filed an appeal in Beaumont's Ninth Court of Appeals, which is ongoing.

More than 70 federal suits have been filed on behalf of more than 800 Houston-area homeowners and businesses damaged by releases from the Addicks and Barker reservoirs, the Houston Chronicle reported, in addition to several state suits seeking damages from the Harris County Flood Control District and San Jacinto River Authority.

LTeitz@BeaumontEnterprise.comTwitter.com/LizTeitzFive years ago, the only guns at church services likely belonged to police officers directing traffic in the parking lot.

Now some pastors are hiring off-duty officers to safeguard entryways, and others are encouraging their congregants to arm themselves, going so far as to conduct training and set up dedicated security ministries. Churches, finding themselves like schools more vulnerable to violence, must confront dilemmas and challenges complicated by their core beliefs.

> > RELATED: Texas counties with the most handgun licenses per capita

"This is a brand new thing that we don't have an option to dismiss anymore," said Rick White, senior pastor of Christian Fellowship in Beaumont.

Although mass shootings are "a low-odds, high-stakes event," said one expert, their threat poses a challenge for

pastors seeking to protect their flocks, who expect to feel safe in a place of worship.

Not all pastors take the same approach.

Beliefs and guns

Contentious subjects like abortion, the death penalty and social services often divide people according to their religious beliefs, so "it's not surprising we see the same thing around guns," said David Yamane, who researches organized religion and gun culture at Wake Forest University.

"When people try to say no religious persons should support armed church security, then that's a belief, that's not a factual statement," Yamane said.

The answer to the question of whether guns belong in a house of God falls in line with how a church interprets the Scriptures, with conservative congregations more likely to support concealed carry, Yamane said.

Although an unlikely event, some Christians might perceive an active shooter situation as "God's will," Yamane said, while others might say, "God also willed you to have the ability to prevent it."

"Each side has a claim to what God willed or did not will," Yamane said.

> > RELATED: Retailers Dick's and Walmart take harder line against guns

Theologically conservative believers are more likely to be gun owners and see firearms as "legitimate tools of self-defense," Yamane said. On the other hand, those from more liberal theological backgrounds "tend to see guns as instruments of violence."

While the distinction between liberal and conservative is nuanced, Yamane breaks it down using three basic principles: how Christians understand the "born-again experience," whether the Bible is the literal word of God and the centrality put upon Jesus as Savior.

"Any place in the country where you're going to find high levels of gun ownership, you're going to find more people who are religiously conservative," Yamane said. "It goes hand in hand."

Security ministries

Ultimately, Christian Fellowship's White said, he believes the gun debate is a matter of understanding "the fallen world that we live in."

"There are people who are intent to do wrong. Just standing by the sidelines is not what Jesus taught us," White said.

Jesus was an individual "who would speak up" and admonish people to do good and stop the bad when necessary, White said.

Christians have the responsibility not only to preach or teach against "wrong things," but where possible to take a step to halt wrong activity, White said.

> > AGE LIMITS: How old do ou have to be to buy rifles in Texas?

In an effort to thwart potential dangers, Christian Fellowship last weekend hosted a church security seminar with the Beaumont Police Department and Hedge Protection Ministries. Fifty-one local churches were represented at Saturday's seminar, with 191 registered participants.

Founded by former police officers Stephen Hinton and Steve Visser, Hedge Protection Ministries assists churches with implementing and maintaining "Biblically based volunteer security ministries" depending on their congregation's needs, leaving the role of guns in church security for pastors to decide.

Visser and Hinton's training program emphasized "multiple visible layers of deterrence," which Visser said likely would lead potential aggressors to pause before attempting to cause harm.

"Different people are going to have different perspectives on it," Visser said. "Their leadership is going to be led in one direction or another. Our whole purpose is to focus on deterrence...if you don't have deterrence, it won't matter if you have a gun."

The layers of protection begin in the parking lot, before visitors ever step into the sanctuary - the last circle of defense.

Visser said their training is based on Biblical principles, "if it's not Biblically based, it's got no place in ministry."

He quoted Proverbs 27:12: "The prudent foresee danger and take precaution, whereas the simpleton goes blindly on and suffers the consequences."

White also referenced Scripture, pointing to Romans 13:1, a verse the apostle Paul wrote about being subject to rulers and authorities in government.

"They are there to see that people do right and that when people do wrong, they're punished. That is part of God's plan for operations here on earth," White said.

Wilbur Edwards, a 30-year member of Sunlight Missionary Baptist Church in Beaumont, said he attended the seminar because it was an "opportunity to learn and be prepared." Edwards said it would be "selfish" of him to forgo the training, especially if it meant he could defend some of the elderly or disabled members of his church.

"No doubt I'd probably get killed, but I'd do it for the people I love," Edwards said.

Off-duty officers

James Fuller, senior pastor of Calder Baptist Church, said no doctrine or Scripture informed his church's security strategy. Fuller said they just followed "where common sense would lead us."

The church employs armed off-duty Beaumont police officers to provide security during Sunday and Wednesday services.

"We did not think it made sense to encourage our members to bring firearms into church. Our members are not trained security persons, they're not police officers. Our members have never shot another human being. It just seemed common sense would say if you need security, you should consider persons who are professionals," Fuller said.

While the church has never had "a serious incident," Fuller said he became aware that church security was "a growing concern."

"As we were blessed to receive a number of young couples with small children ... you just think about those things more when there are little children involved," Fuller said. "We never had an incident, but because of the incidents in the news frequently, we just knew it was something we should think about."

Although Calder Baptist Church has a "number of persons" who are comfortable with guns, hunting and target practice, Fuller said he believed arming church members for security purposes has "the potential of changing the character of the gathering."

"When you come to worship in a house of faith, your focus can be on worshiping God and studying the Scripture and applying it to our lives, rather than defending yourself from an intruder by having a firearm," Fuller said.

In addition to peace of mind, he said a "delightful benefit" of employing an off-duty officer was the "teachable moment" for the church's youth. Because the church employs the same officers weekly, Fuller said the children have an opportunity to interact with a police officer as their friend in a positive setting.

Arming worshippers

"Most churches are not prepared" for dealing with gunmen, White said, but Christian Fellowship is looking to "beef up" its "minimal security effort."

The church has a group that patrols the parking lot and back doors, but no wide-scale security effort.

Debbie Guzardo, who serves on Christian Fellowship's parking lot crew, said she attended Saturday's seminar because she saw a "need to secure our church," especially since parking lot patrol is the first line of defense in most attacks.

Guzardo said she "hopefully never" has to use any of the lessons she learned at the seminar but believes it's "something we need."

"We just realize this is a fact we have to deal with in this world today," White said. "We want people to come to our church and feel free to worship and know their kids will be safe and secure."

As for Christian Fellowship, White said he looked forward to learning "appropriate ways" to safely implement a security strategy involving armed church members in accordance with license-to-carry laws.

Visser said his ministry tries to inform people on the proper steps to take when a gunman is in a church - things like communicating with police, how the authorities will respond and how church members should react.

In the event of an active shooter situation, White said he wants to work with first responders and government authorities, "not against them."

He said he understands some branches of Christianity take a different approach to security based on their perspective and theology, and he doesn't "discount them in any shape or form."

Levels of strategy

Through his research, Yamane said he is seeking to understand the "processes by which religious congregations think about what it means to be secure."

Yamane mentioned one pastor he met in Las Vegas the week after a man opened fire inside First Baptist Church of Sutherland Springs. Four of six staff members at the church's staff meeting said they carried guns to church.

Yamane said the pastor was working to "better coordinate" security measures by devising strategic seating in the sanctuary. According to Yamane, the pastor said he knew the distance from the door to the pulpit was 25 yards and that he could shoot from that distance "with pretty reliable accuracy."

"Some congregations are operating at this level," Yamane said. "It's scandalizing to people who think of guns as fundamentally tools of evil, but if you think of it as the last line of defense between a pastor and the flock a pastor is responsible for, he thought he was making the most responsible decision to take care of the people who are entrusted in his care."

"We live in a strange day," Fuller said. "We're all trying to figure out what is the real need here and how do we address that need."

Phoebe.Suy@BeaumontEnterprise.com

Twitter.com/phoebesuyAmazon is offering Medicaid recipients a discounted subscription to the company's Amazon Prime membership, the Indy Star reports.

Here's what you should know.

1. Anyone with a valid EBT or Medicaid card will be eligible to purchase a membership for $5.99 per month.

2. Regular priced prime memberships cost $12.99 monthly or $99 for the year.

3. Amazon hopes the memberships will provide the Medicaid population inexpensive access to the products it sells.

4. Market analysts believe the move is positioning Amazon closer to making an entry into the healthcare market through a physical retail clinic, similar to Walmart's vision and urgent care centers.

5. The Advis Group CEO Lyndean Brick said, "Amazon is looking at this as a customer is a customer, regardless of what your economic profile [is]. Medicaid recipients are like every one of us. We all have smartphones. We all want things that are easy."The final steel beam of W.W. Hastings' 469,000-square-foot outpatient health facility in Tahlequah, Okla., was put in place March 9, the Muskogee Phoenix reports.

Here's what you should know.

1. Cherokee Nation celebrated the facility's progress with a topping out ceremony. More than 300 prominent tribal, federal and state health officials attended.

2. The center is expected to open in 2019. It'll be the largest health center operated by Cherokee Nation, and the largest tribal health center in the U.S.

3. More than 30 departments will be housed in the center. The center will have 240 exam rooms, an ASC with five surgical suites and two endoscopy suites, a specialty clinic, a dental clinic, three audiology testing booths and imaging services.

4. The center will create more than 850 jobs.

5. Cherokee Nation Health Services Acting Executive Director Charles Grim, MD, said, "This state-of-the-art medical facility will allow us to offer an even higher level of care. The project could not have taken place without the partnership of Indian Health Service, our tribal administration and council, Cherokee Nation Businesses, the Bureau of Indian Affairs, contractors and many dedicated health employees."Clearlake Capital Group acquired procedure documentation software provider Provation Medical from Wolters Kluwer.

Here's what you should know.

1. Provation was founded in 1994. The company's software provides evidence-based clinical decision support to physicians. Provation serves approximately 1,500 hospitals and 1,000 ASCs.

2. Provation's software is used in 16 of the 20 top hospitals for gastroenterology in the U.S.

3. Provation CEO David Del Toro will stay in the same capacity and will also join the company's board of directors.

4. Mr. Del Toro said, "We are very excited to partner with Clearlake to support the next phase of growth at Provation. Clearlake's extensive software and carve out investment experience will prove invaluable to Provation in this exciting new chapter. With Clearlakes operational support and financial backing, we are in a better position to build on our record as an industry-leading intelligent procedure documentation and clinical content technology provider addressing the many challenges facing healthcare professionals today.

5. TripleTree advised Clearlake on the transaction.Here are 14 gastroenterologists that made headlines in February 2018.

The National Institutes of Health awarded Boston Medical Center gastroenterologist Michelle Long, MD, a five-year, nearly $1 million grant to fund research on non-alcoholic fatty liver disease

Top Doctor Awards named Sathya Kalangi, MD, a Top Doctor in Baytown, Texas.

American Gastroenterological Association President Sheila Crowe, MD, spent a day on Capitol Hill meeting with eight legislators to advocate for issues important to the association.

Wichita Falls (Texas) Gastroenterology Associates gastroenterologist and American College of Gastroenterology's Practice Management Committee Chairman Louis Wilson, MD, offered Becker's ASC Review two key thoughts on where independent gastroenterology is headed and what independent GI physicians need to capitalize on to stay successful in 2018.

Chapel Hill-based University of North Carolina professor of medicine and American Gastroenterological Association Government Affairs Committee member Lisa Gangarosa, MD, spoke with Becker's ASC Review on the importance of continuing education and staying engaged through advocacy.

Akron (Ohio) Digestive Disease Consultants partner and American College of Gastroenterology Board of Governors Chair Costas Kefalas, MD, shared his thoughts with Becker's ASC Review on the challenges of increased regulation and the importance of embracing emerging technology.

Newark-based GI Specialists of Delaware gastroenterologist Michael Bass, MD, became a partner at Wilmington, Del.-based Limestone Surgical Center.

Philadelphia-based Thomas Jefferson University Hospital gastroenterologist and American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy Public and Member Outreach Committee member Austin Chiang, MD, spoke to Becker's ASC Review on the importance of public awareness of gastroenterology.

Bishr Omary, MD, PhD, is joining the American Gastroenterological Association Institute's board as its vice president, effective in June 2018.

The Medical Board of California accused gastroenterologist Parminder Singh Dhaliwal, MD, of alleged gross negligence.

Mount Vernon, Ill.-based Crossroads Specialty Clinic added gastroenterologist Khalid Naseer, MD, to its staff.

Becker's ASC Review spoke with Gastro Health President James Leavitt, MD, on the importance of fighting burnout, market competition and what's in store for the booming practice in 2018.

Visalia (Calif.) Medical Clinic added gastroenterologist Shirley Pua, MD, to its staff.

William Chey, MD, is joining Ritter Pharmaceuticals' medical advisory board.The American Gastroenterological Association is urging physicians and patients alike to petition CMS to close the colonoscopy loophole.

Here's what you should know.

1. Screening colonoscopies are free for Medicare patients. However, if a polyp is removed during the colonoscopy, Medicare changes the procedure's designation to a therapeutic procedure. The altered designation creates a copay for the patient.

2. The loophole acts as a deterrent, causing unnecessary risk. The AGA said, "Patients should be incentivized through the elimination of cost sharing to use colonoscopy as a colorectal cancer screening mechanism."

3. To do so, the AGA created a predrafted letter that it's urging physicians and patients to complete. The letter can be customized to reflect personal or professional experiences.

To sign the letter, click here.Aberdeen, Wash.-based Grays Harbor Community Hospital revealed it is one step closer to being a financially sound organization after receiving a budget proviso from state officials.

The hospital, which made the announcement via news release March 8, said the proviso will allow Grays Harbor to receive 150 percent of the Medicaid fee schedule until June 30, 2019. Officials estimate this could result in up to $4 million in additional monies for the hospital.

Provisos are typically line items inserted into state budgets. However, they only provide temporary funding. Grays Harbor said it will continue legislative efforts to make the funding permanent.

The hospital will also continue its other financial improvement efforts. Grays Harbor said these efforts include working with Navigant consulting firm to bring in subject matter experts to help implement Grays Harbor's goals; a rural health clinic project go-live scheduled for April 16, 2018, which is designed to allow the hospital to receive cost-based reimbursement for primary care; and restructuring hospital debt and refinancing its loan with Key Bank.

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Moody's: Nonprofit hospital rating downgrades rose sharply in 2017

Disney pledges $100M to enhance the patient experience at children's hospitalsIdaho Gov. Butch Otter, R, does not intend to abandon plans to offer low-cost health insurance non-compliant with the ACA despite receiving a letter from CMS deeming the plans illegal, according to The Hill.

CMS Administrator Seema Verma sent a letter to Mr. Otter and state insurance commissioner Dean Cameron March 8 expressing support for the alternative low-cost plans, but confirming they were illegal due to their non-compliance with ACA requirements. However, Mr. Otter said he did not consider this letter a flat-out rejection of the state's initiative.

"Contrary to news media interpretations, the letter from [Ms.] Verma was not a rejection of our approach to providing more affordable health insurance options for the people of Idaho," Mr. Otter said in a statement. "In fact, we consider the letter an invitation from CMS to continue discussing the specifics of what can and cannot be included in state-based plans. We will consider all possible options and then continue discussions with CMS and HHS on how best to achieve our shared goals of reducing the costs of coverage and stabilizing our health insurance market."

Idaho's plan would allow insurers to screen customers based on pre-existing conditions and sell coverage that does not meet all of ACA's benefit requirements.

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Colorado hospital slashes 272 jobs, scales back services

Operator to bar New York hospital CEO, CFO and COO from expensing bi-yearly trips to Cayman Islands

Rep. Keith Ellison takes over sponsorship of House Medicare-for-all billTwo female certified nursing assistants who worked at the Prairie View Residential Care Facility in Fayette, Iowa, were arrested and charged for allegedly having a sexual relationship with patients, according to The Washington Post.

Here are six things to know.

1. Local law enforcement said in a statement two "court ordered" patients at the psychiatric and substance abuse treatment center were reported missing Feb. 21. On Feb. 25, they learned the missing patients were seen with the certified nursing assistants, who have been identified as Paige Lynn Johanningmeier, 23, and Megan Marie Penney, 26.

2. After an investigation, the Fayette County Sheriff's Office said evidence showed Ms. Johanningmeier and Ms. Penney "had developed a relationship with the two patients and once they had left the facility it became sexual."

3. The certified nursing assistants were arrested and charged at the beginning of March with sexual exploitation by a counselor, therapist or school employee, according to local law enforcement. They were released on bond the same day.

4. Ms. Johanningmeier and Ms. Penney could face five years in prison and have to register as a sex offender if convicted of the class D felony, according to local law enforcement.

5. Both missing patients were found by authorities. The sheriff's office said one went to a hospital in Linn County, while the other went back to the Prairie View Residential Care Facility for treatment.

6. The Prairie View Residential Care Facility told the Des Moines Register the two certified nursing assistants were no longer employed at the facility. An attorney for Ms. Johanningmeier declined the Post's request for comment. The publication was unable to immediately reach an attorney for Ms. Penney for comment.

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Woman arrested after posing as employee at 2 Tennessee hospitals: 4 things to know

5 latest healthcare industry lawsuits, settlements

Ex-DOJ attorney sentenced to prison for stealing whistle-blower lawsuitsEnding a yearslong saga, a U.S. District Court judge sentenced Martin Shkreli, the former CEO of Turing Pharmaceuticals who gained notoriety for inflating the price of a life-saving anti-infection drug, to seven years in prison March 9 for defrauding investors, reports Bloomberg.

Here are eight things to know.

1. The latest trial determined his sentence for one count of conspiracy to commit securities fraud and two counts of securities fraud. Mr. Shkreli was convicted of those three counts in August 2017.

2. Prosecutors argued Mr. Shkreli lied to multiple investors, causing them to pour millions of dollars into two hedge funds he ran. Prosecutors also said Mr. Shkreli falsely sent out financial statements to investors claiming positive returns, even though he lost most of their money.

3. Although prosecutors sought a 15-year prison sentence for his crimes, the judge sentenced Mr. Shkreli to seven years in prison.

4. The judge also ordered Mr. Shkreli to give up $7.4 million in profits he made from his crimes and fined him $75,000.

5. In his sentencing hearing, Mr. Shkreli told his investors as he choked back tears, "I am terribly sorry I lost your trust. You deserved far better," according to Bloomberg.

6. After Mr. Shkreli was convicted in August, he was released on $5 million bail. In September 2017, U.S. District Court Judge Kiyo Matsumoto revoked his bail after he posted an inflammatory remark on Facebook offering $5,000 to anyone who would bring him a strand of Hillary Clinton's hair.

7. His fraud conviction had nothing to do with the controversy that made him famous  jacking up the price of Daraprim, a treatment for HIV patients, by 5,000 percent in 2015. The price hike sparked public outrage, landing him on Capitol Hill to testify about his decision at a House Oversight Committee hearing. He allegedly sneered through that proceeding. He did not receive a legal punishment for increasing the price of the drug, according to CNN Money.

8. Less than a year after he increased the price of Daraprim, Mr. Shkreli was accused of lying to investors by the U.S. government.A registered sex offender is suing Milwaukee-based Wisconsin Children's Hospital over visitation policies that bar him from seeing his son, according to the Chicago Tribune.

Stuart Yates filed the lawsuit March 9 after security guards escorted him from the hospital March 6. Mr. Yates' 9-year-old son had already been undergoing treatment at the facility for five days due to a blood infection. Though Mr. Yates was convicted of second-degree sexual assault in 1998, he said his son was born at Wisconsin Children's Hospital and he has never encountered any visitation troubles there before last week.

"They're using my past record, 20 years ago, against me," Mr. Yates said, according to the Chicago Tribune. "I served my time for it. I've been transparent about it."

A hospital spokesperson told the Chicago Tribune the hospital has policies in place allowing it to make decisions regarding visitation that they feel are in the interest of safety for patients and staff. However, Adele Nicholas, an attorney representing Mr. Yates, said Wisconsin Children's Hospital is the only hospital in the state she's heard of with these visitation restrictions and suggested the facility may be breaking the law.

"The law is quite clear that the patient has a right to designate the people they want to visit with while they're in the hospital and the hospital is not supposed to interfere with that visitation," Ms. Nicholas said, according to the Chicago Tribune.Tufts Medical Center, Massachusetts General Hospital and Brigham and Women's Hospital  all in Boston  are running low on injectable forms of fentanyl, morphine and hydromorphine, according to a report from the Boston Herald.

Here are three things to know.

1. The shortage, affecting hospitals nationwide, is related to tighter regulations applied by the Drug Enforcement Administration to address the country's opioid overdose and addiction crisis. These regulations are inhibiting drugmakers' ability to meet long-term demand.

"We're at a critical point across the country with this," Christopher Fortier, PharmD, chief pharmacy officer at Massachusetts General Hospital, told the Herald. "The issue right now is what we call the aggregate production quota. The DEA has not allowed them to increase their production of these products."

2. Various healthcare groups, including the American Hospital Association, sent a letter to the DEA in February, requesting the agency loosen manufacturing regulations to eliminate the problem.

3. Pfizer said it will have more opioid products available in April, but Dr. Fortier expressed skepticism regarding this timeline.

"We're not at the middle part of March yet, and my concern has always been I've never seen a manufacturer hit a time frame," Dr. Fortier told the Herald. "I think we're going to be in this for a little bit more here."

To read the Boston Herald's full report, click here.

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High opioid prescribers receive larger payments from drugmakers, analysis finds

House committee to consider 20+ opioid bills over 2 days

NQF issues guide for safe opioid prescribing: 3 things to knowMore than 200,000 physicians who prescribed opioids from 2014 through 2015 also received payment from an opioid manufacturer, according to an analysis conducted by CNN and researchers from Cambridge, Mass.-based Harvard University.

For the analysis, CNN and Harvard researchers examined Medicare prescription data and information on payments made by drug companies to physicians compiled in two separate federal databases for 2014-15. Analysis revealed physicians who prescribed high levels of opioids were more likely to receive larger payments from drug companies.

Among physicians in the top 25 percent of opioid prescribers by volume, 72 percent received payments from drug companies that make opioids. Among those in the top fifth of opioid prescribers by volume, 84 percent received payments. Physicians whose opioid prescribing habits ranked among the top 1 percent nationwide received, on average, about four times as much money as a typical physician. Physicians in the top 10th of 1 percent of opioid prescribers received nine 9 times more money from drug companies in 2014-15.

"I don't know if the money is causing the prescribing or the prescribing led to the money, but in either case, it's potentially a vicious cycle," said Michael Barnett, MD, assistant professor of health policy and management at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health in Boston, who contributed to the analysis. "It's cementing the idea for these physicians that prescribing this many opioids is creating value.  They wouldn't be spending this money if it weren't effective."

In a statement to CNN, Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America, a pharmaceutical industry trade group, said drug companies help support mandatory training for prescribers with regards to pain treatment.

"PhRMA supports a number of policies to ensure patients' legitimate medical needs are met, while establishing safeguards that prevent overprescribing," the trade group told CNN.

To read CNN's full report on the analysis, click here.

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House committee to consider 20+ opioid bills over 2 days

NQF issues guide for safe opioid prescribing: 3 things to know

Kentucky AG files fourth opioid crisis lawsuitSan Francisco-based Pacific Fertility Center informed roughly 500 fertility patients that a storage tank malfunction March 4 may have left their eggs and embryos unviable, according to The Washington Post.

The March 4 incident, which was made public March 11, follows a similar malfunction that occurred the same weekend at a fertility clinic at Beachwood, Ohio-based University Hospitals Ahuja Medical Center.

While the extent of the damage in both scenarios is unclear, the potential damage to eggs in both incidents would be a financial and emotional blow to the fertility patients, including women storing embryos, women donating their eggs and women seeking to delay a pregnancy. According to The Post, the process of removing and freezing a woman's eggs can cost more than $10,000, plus yearly storage fees.

The incident at the Pacific Fertility Center resulted from a liquid nitrogen failure in a storage tank that contained "several thousand" eggs and embryos, or about 15 percent of the total stored at the facility. The failure was discovered by the clinic's lab director, who noticed the level of liquid nitrogen in one of its steel storage tanks was too low, which resulted in a temperature increase. The increased temperature risks damage to the eggs and embryos.

Immediately upon discovering the temperature increase March 4, the lab director transferred the jeopardized eggs to a spare storage tank. Staff members at the clinic then spent days going through patient records to verify which patients were affected.

On March 10, Pacific Fertility staff began notifying more than 400 patients who had all of their eggs or embryos stored in the affected tank and roughly 100 more patients who had about half of their eggs in the affected storage tank. The clinic also notified the other unaffected patients about the incident via email.

"This was a terrible incident," Pacific Fertility Center President Carl Herbert, MD, told The Post. "But I was reassured that  [staff] did everything anybody could ever want to do."

The San Francisco-based clinic has brought in a team to investigate the malfunction.

In the earlier incident Ohio, UH officials notified about 700 patients that their frozen eggs and embryos may have been damaged. UH has also launched an investigation to determine the cause of the freezer malfunction.A CMS investigation found Madison, Wis.-based UnityPoint Health-Meriter did not make the necessary efforts to protect newborns from suspected abuse at its neonatal intensive care unit, reports WISC-TV News 3.

Patients at the hospital's NICU experienced various unexplained injuries in February, ranging from bruising on limbs to a fractured arm and skull, according to CMS investigators. NICU staff first found bruising on a baby Feb. 2, before discovering bruising on a second baby the next day. The hospital did not contact a child abuse expert until Feb. 8, when staff discovered the second baby also had a skull and arm fracture. The hospital also suspended a nurse who was allegedly involved in the incidents Feb. 8 and notified police of the injuries Feb. 9.

While these injuries surfaced in February, CMS concluded patients at UnityPoint-Meriter's NICU were in "immediate jeopardy" last year, with initial concerns about newborn injuries dating back to April 2017.

"The immediate jeopardy began on April 12, 2017 when the facility failed to protect and thoroughly investigate the first report of an injury of unknown origin for patient #4, placing all patients in the [NICU] at risk for serious harm or injury," CMS said in the document obtained by WISC-TV News 3.

CMS found UnityPoint-Meriter did not have a "policy or process that guided the staff or physicians how to report abuse or neglect," the agency said in a statement cited by WISC-TV News 3. CMS also determined the hospital was not in compliance with a requirement to protect and promote patients' rights, according to the report.

The agency originally accepted UnityPoint-Meriter's corrective plan, which included adding a security guard and cameras in the NICU, but issued the hospital a Medicare contract termination notice after additional issues came to light last month. UnityPoint-Meriter must now submit a new corrective plan. The hospital will lose its Medicare funding May 24 if it does not resolve the patient safety issues.

"We have successfully worked with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to address their most immediate concerns, and we continue to work on a longer term corrective action plan for their review," Jessika Kasten, a spokeswoman for UnityPoint Health-Meriter, told WISC-TV News 3. "We have implemented enhanced safety measures, and our commitment to provide safe care to our patients and families has never been stronger."

More articles on clinical leadership and infection control:

Joint Commission, NQF honor 3 Eisenberg patient safety, quality award winners

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Salmonella outbreak linked to chicken salad up to 170 cases: 4 things to knowA new study published in Clinical Spine Surgery examines the factors predicting postoperative complication rates after elective spinal fusion.

The study authors focused on surgeon demographic factors to see which factors had an effect on decision-making. The researchers examined the CMS database with cases performed between 2011 and 2013, as well as the ProPublica Surgeon Scorecard with cases performed from 2009 to 2013. There were 125,787 Medicare patients who underwent spinal surgery and met inclusion criteria for the study.

The surgeon factors examined  including private practice versus academic setting, type of medical degree, medical school location, sex or geographic practice region  were associated with higher or lower complication rates.

"Publicly available complication rates for individual spine surgeons are being utilized by hospital systems and patients to assess aptitude and gauge expectations," concluded the study authors. "The increasing demand for transparency will likely lead to emphasis of these statistics to improve outcomes."

However, the study authors did not find any demographic factors associated with better or worse outcomes.Norwegian Air is ending flights from Northern Ireland to the US

Low-cost carrier Norwegian has applied for permission to fly to Canadian airports and could launch services from Ireland this summer, it has emerged.

The airline, which already flies to two airports serving Boston and New York from Belfast International, is understood to be exploring route opportunities from Canada to a number of airports in Europe, including Ireland.

It has applied to the Canadian Transportation Agency for an international licence to operate a service between member states of the EU and Canada.

The airline told the Canadian authorities that it intends starting commercial activities in Canada in July and has applied for and is understood to have been granted an exemption allowing it to sell tickets in advance of receiving formal government approval.

No routes have been formally approved yet but the airline is seeking a general licence and route approvals, it is understood.Footfall in Northern Ireland's shops grew during February, ending eight months of consecutive decline, according to latest figures.

The fresh statistics from retail analysts Springboard show that footfall here grew by 0.3% in the four weeks to February 24, which is above the UK average of a 0.5% fall. It marks an improvement on Northern Ireland's three and 12-month averages of -1.7% and -2.3%.

The high street and retail parks here both saw footfall growth of 1.9%.

But the average decline in footfall of 2.3% over the past 12 months is the highest in the UK.

Aodhan Connolly, director of the Northern Ireland Retail Consortium, commented that, while the figures were welcome, they are "definitely not a cause for celebration".

"The retail industry already faces its own structural challenges, with margins shrinking, and costs growing due to a lack of decisions in public policy," he said.

"Our archaic rates system is not fit for purpose with retail being only 12% of the economy but paying 23% of business rates.

"The option in the department of finance's budgetary outlook to raise business rates yet further will simply pile on the pressure and could lead to shop closures and job losses.

"Similarly if no decisions are taken to reform the apprenticeship levy here in Northern Ireland then employers of scale will not be able to access the funds that they have been paying in for a year, with the levy becoming yet another tax on employment."

Diane Wehrle, Springboard's marketing and insights director, said key to February's result was an improvement in daytime footfall. She added that a clearer picture of how 2018 is shaping up for traders will be evident in the second quarter of the year.Vegetable side dish company Mash Direct have announced their products with be available in the US for the first time this week.

The Comber-based firm will be selling eight of their products in Key Food supermarkets throughout New York, Connecticut, New Jersey and Pennsylvania

All of Mash Direct's products are grown on Martin Hamilton's farm on the shores of Strangford Lough.

Mash Direct said the Key Food deal was the first time potatoes grown in Northern Ireland will be available for customers in US grocery stores. Mr Hamilton, a sixth-generation farmer, diversified his farming business in 2004 to create Mash Direct. It now has more than 40 products.

Mash Direct boss Jack Hamilton said: "We wanted to bring the unique richness of Irish soil and six generations of farming knowledge to the shelves."The BBC World Service filed an urgent appeal to UN Special Rapporteurs David Kaye and Asma Jahangir on behalf of BBC Persian staff in October 2017 (Anthony Devlin/PA)

The BBC is appealing to the United Nations (UN) in Geneva to protect the human rights of its journalists and their families.

The corporations unprecedented move follows years of persecution and harassment by the Iranian authorities, which escalated in 2017.

In truth, this story is much wider: it is a story about fundamental human rightsBBC director-general Lord Hall

BBC director-general Lord Tony Hall said the BBC was taking the step because our own attempts to persuade the Iranian authorities to end their harassment have been completely ignored.

Lord Hall said: In fact, during the past nine years, the collective punishment of BBC Persian Service journalists and their families has worsened.

This is not just about the BBC  we are not the only media organisation to have been harassed or forced to compromise when dealing with Iran.

In truth, this story is much wider: it is a story about fundamental human rights.

We are now asking the community of nations at the UN to support the BBC and uphold the right to freedom of expression.

The BBC World Service filed an urgent appeal to UN Special Rapporteurs David Kaye and Asma Jahangir on behalf of BBC Persian staff in October 2017.

This week BBC journalists will address the Human Rights Council session to call upon member states to take action to protect BBC staff and to ensure their ability to report freely.

Iranians now increasingly turn to the international media to find out what is happening in their own countryJeremy Dear, deputy general secretary of the International Federation of Journalists

Working with the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ), the BBC has organised events during the 37th session of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva this week about BBC Persian, including a press conference on March 12.

Jeremy Dear, deputy general secretary of the International Federation of Journalists, said: For many years Iranian journalists have suffered; been forced into hiding, fled into exile, been arrested, jailed and subjected to routine harassment, violence and intimidation.

Iranians now increasingly turn to the international media to find out what is happening in their own country. Targeting family members in Iran in an attempt to silence journalists working in London must be stopped; the international community must act now.

BBC Persian Service journalists in London and their families in Iran have been targeted since the BBCs satellite television service was launched in 2009.

In 2017 the harassment escalated when the Iranian authorities commenced a criminal investigation, alleging BBC Persian Service journalists work was a crime against Irans national security. This was accompanied by an asset-freezing injunction citing 152 named individuals, comprising mainly of current and former BBC Persian staff, and this injunction prevented journalists and their families from buying or selling their homes and other property in Iran.

Other measures include the arbitrary arrest and detention of family members in Iran, the confiscation of passports and travel bans preventing people leaving Iran, ongoing surveillance of journalists and their families, and the spread of fake and defamatory news targeting individuals especially women journalists.

On March 12, the report from Jahangir, the late UN Special Rapporteur for Human Rights in Iran, will be tabled and discussed at the Human Rights Council.As we get ready to celebrate St Patrick's Day, there's also a host of music gigs and comedy shows on across Northern Ireland this week.

1. Art

Grand Opera House, Belfast, March 12-17

Three men. Three friends. One white painting.

Nigel Havers, Denis Lawson and Stephen Tompkinson star in the latest production of this Olivier Award winning play.

For more information, visit www.goh.co.uk.

2. Niall Horan

SSE Arena, Belfast, March 13

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The Irish star takes to the stage in Belfast for his first ever solo gig in the city.

The One Direction star will be bringing his Flicker Sessions World Tour to Northern Ireland with special guest Julia Michaels.

Fans will be eager to see the star perform his hit singles Slow Hands and Too Much To Ask.

For more information, visit www.ssearenabelfast.com.

3. ZoDoMo

Lyric Theatre, Belfast, March 13

Described by critics as a "trad music supergroup", ZoDoMo is the latest highly acclaimed traditional Irish group to step into the limelight.

The trio features three of Ireland's eminent musicians, Zoe Conway, one of the country's most gifted virtuoso musicians who is equally at home in both traditional Irish and classical styles. Donal Lunny, popularly regarded as having been central to the renaissance of Irish music over the last three decades and Mairtin O'Connor, a master musician whose dexterity and innovation has won him worldwide acclaim.

For more information, visit www.lyrictheatre.co.uk.

4. Give My Head Peace

Millennium Forum, Derry-Londonderry, March 14-15

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Following last years sell out tour Andy, Ma, Da and the rest of the Gang are hitting the road again with their unmissable and hilarious brand new stage show.

Da, Ma, Cal, Billy, Dympna and Uncle Andy will all be there along with Ulsters scariest cleric Pastor Begbie (Paddy Jenkins). Plus there will be up to the minute topical stand-up from Tim McGarry.

For more information, visit www.millenniumforum.co.uk.

5. Stereophonics

SSE Arena, Belfast, March 15

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The Welsh rockers return to Belfast following the release fo their 10th studio album Scream Above The Sounds.

Initial singles from the record include Caught By The Wind and All In One Night.

Their current European tour also includes dates in Belgium, France, Spain and Germany.

For more information, visit www.ssearenabelfast.com.

6. St Patrick's Day celebrations

Various locations, March 17

Northern Ireland will play host to a range of St Paddy's celebrations this year - click on the link below for our guide to what's on:

Read More

7. The Nualas: Glam Slam!

Lyric Theatre, Belfast, March 18

Irelands First Ladies of Comedy are are back in the ring for a glittering bout of knock-out, body slamming comedy gold.

They dance like a butterfly and sing like a bee, theyll have you flat out on the matt with laughter, they will literally punch you right in the kisser with their gloves of gags and gaiety.

Please note this performance contains adult content.

For more information, visit www.lyrictheatre.co.uk.A Christian group's film urging gay people not to live out their homosexuality is to have its all-Ireland premiere at a Co Down church after being turned down by cinemas in Belfast and London.

Northern Ireland group Core Issues Trust, which claims it is "challenging gender confusion", has already been refused permission to screen Voices of The Silenced at the Vue Cinema in London's Piccadilly.

The film was shown at an undisclosed London location instead, but organisers were later denied permission to hold a screening at Queen's Film Theatre in Belfast. Instead, the first-ever showing here will take place in Ballynahinch Baptist Church at 7.30pm tomorrow.

The free screening will be open to the public, with a "suggested" 10 donation for attendees.

Director of the Core Issues Trust, father-of-two Mike Davidson (63), has undergone counselling for homosexuality and been married to wife Lynore (71) for 38 years.

He believes that people with homosexual feelings are being made to feel it is "mandatory to identify as gay" and wants to screen the film across Northern Ireland. "The film is saying some people can choose not to live out their homosexuality and can deal with their feelings to the point that they can have a viable relationship with the opposite sex," he stated.

"We are saying that they are not victims, they don't have to live out those feelings. They can find ways of living that are consistent with their values."

Mr Davidson says he is "not personally worried that people who disagree with the film could picket the screening".

Reflecting on his personal experience, he says he "didn't choose" homosexual feelings but has "choice around those feelings".

"When I got married at 23 my wife was aware of my feelings, and she knew I had had sexual relationships with men," he said.

"I had therapy over two years with two psychotherapists and a psychiatrist who were supportive of my desire to explore the issues.

"I was conflicted, but I love my wife, and I'm happy with the choices I made."

However, Steve Williamson, Director of LGBT support group Cara-Friend, warned of the potential impact on "vulnerable people".

"A few years ago a lot of young people were referred for this type of so-called 'gay therapy' by parents or church elders, and it destroyed lives," he stated.

"You have people in the LGBT community who went through it a decade ago, and they are still in therapy trying to come to terms with what it did to them. Others have taken their own lives.

"It's not about religion versus gay - most gay people have a faith of their own, and most people of faith would condemn this.

"The way to deal with it is to seek counselling from mainstream professional organisations accredited by groups like the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy or the British Psychological Society."DUP leader Arlene Foster was speaking at the British Chambers of Commerce annual conference in London (PA)

DUP leader Arlene Foster will not be travelling to the United States for this year's St Patrick's Day celebrations in Washington- but deputy leader Nigel Dodds MP will attend in her place.

A DUP spokesman confirmed Mrs Foster would not be travelling.

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A statement read: "Mrs Foster has received a number of invitations to meet with key influencer's in Washington and New York.

"She plans to fulfil these later in the year.

"Mrs Foster has asked DUP deputy leader Nigel Dodds MP to attend a number of events in Washington DC including the Speakers Lunch on behalf of the Party. Mr Dodds will travel later this week."

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It is understood Sinn Fein president Mary Lou McDonald has also not been invited to the celebrations.

A Sinn Fein spokesman said: The issue of invites to the reception are a matter for the White House. The invite list is being finalised and we are waiting to hear from them later in the week.

The White House has been asked for comment.

The Irish Times reported on Monday that Mrs Foster and Mrs McDonald have not been invited, citing the lack of devolved government.

It is understood that both the Sinn Fein former president Gerry Adams and DUP MP Ian Paisley have been invited.The scene following the incident in Saintfield

A woman remains seriously ill in hospital after multiple stabbings which have left Co Down residents in shock.

Four people were rushed to hospital after they were attacked by a knife wielding man in the Queen's Park area of Saintfield at around 3.40am yesterday. The only female victim remains in a serious but stable condition.

SDLP councillor Terry Andrews said the attack was deplorable.

He added: "To say this has completely shocked everyone is an understatement - there is total disbelief."

The suspected attacker fled the scene in a blue-coloured Volvo C70, registration K9 NES.

A 46-year-old man has been arrested and was last night in PSNI custody.ATO carried out searches in west Belfast over three days to locate the device. (Photo by Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph)

Detectives from the PSNIs Serious Crime Branch arrested four men in connection with a viable explosive device on Monday.

The device was left in the Pantridge Road area of west Belfast on October 30, 2017.

Police discovered the device after a three day search of the area. A number of homes were evacuated during the search.

Detective Inspector Adrian Brown said the device was intended to kill or seriously injure police officers.

Our investigation into this incident is progressing and today we arrested three men in Belfast aged 21, 34 and 60, as well as a 29 year old man in Dungannon. They were all arrested under the Terrorism Act and have been taken to Musgrave Serious Crime Suite where they are currently being questioned," he said.

The device, which was explosively formed projectile - EFP - a weapon that is primarily designed to attack armoured vehicles and kill the occupants within, caused widespread disruption at the end of last year.

"While it was clearly designed to kill or seriously injure police officers serving the local community in west Belfast, it was left in a position where there was every possibility that it could have killed or maimed members of the public.

Those responsible showed callous disregard for the safety of members of the public and police officers and we were extremely fortunate that no one was killed or seriously injured."

Police appealed for information.

Update: A 60-year-old arrested by police was released pending report to the Public Prosecution Service.Northern Ireland Secretary Karen Bradley has said she is "minded" to cut the salary of members of the crisis-hit Stormont Assembly by 27.5%, but will consult the parties before making a final decision.

Mrs Bradley's predecessor James Brokenshire commissioned former Assembly chief executive Trevor Reaney to examine the controversial issue of paying MLAs who are not performing their roles as legislators due to the powersharing impasse.

Before Christmas, Mr Reaney recommended the 27.5% cut, a move that would take the average salary of 49,500 to 35,888 in two stages.

Mrs Bradley told the Commons she would seek to introduce legislation at Westminster that would hand her the power to vary MLA pay.

"Further to that, I am minded to reduce pay in line with the Reaney Review recommendation, but I would welcome full and final representations from the NI parties before I make a final decision," she said.

Mrs Bradley also announced that a cap to stem money paid out through the Renewable Heat Incentive - the botched green energy scheme that contributed to the collapse of devolution - would be extended for another year.

"I also intend to act to extend the cost-capping of the current Renewable Heat Incentive scheme in Northern Ireland, which the Assembly had put in place over a year ago," she said.

"It would not be acceptable to put finances at risk by simply allowing that cap to lapse.

Mrs Bradley said her powers as Secretary of State remained limited, as was the scope of Westminster to pass laws on devolved issues.

She said that meant fundamental decisions were not being taken in Northern Ireland.

Mrs Bradley said it would therefore be "irresponsible" for the Government not to consider "different arrangements" for the region while the impasse continued.

"Alongside this I also continue to keep under review my statutory obligation to call an Assembly election," she said.

"I would welcome the views and proposals of the Northern Ireland parties and others on how such arrangements - providing for local decision-making and scrutiny, on a cross-community basis - might be achieved in the continued absence of an executive. And how any such arrangements might work alongside the other institutions of the Agreement.

"Let me be clear that this in no way affects my commitment to the Belfast Agreement nor my commitment to continue to work to remove the barriers to the restoration of devolution."

Rt Hon Karen Bradley MP, Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, delivered the following oral statement on Northern Ireland finances in the House of Commons on Monday March 12, 2018:

"With permission Mr Speaker I would like to make a statement about Northern Ireland finances.

"Last week I laid a written statement in which I explained that the pressures on public services meant that it was imperative for the Government to take steps to provide clarity to enable planning in Northern Ireland for 2018/19.

"With great reluctance and in spite of my strong preference for a new Executive to set a budget, I set out in this statement the resource and capital allocations which I considered to be the most balanced and appropriate settlement for Northern Ireland departments.

"I did this following intensive engagement with Northern Ireland Civil Service (NICS) and consultation with all of the main Northern Ireland parties.

"Mr Speaker, in the continued absence of an Executive, I have an obligation to take these and any other measures that are necessary to keep Northern Ireland functioning. But I will only take such measures where they are essential and limited in nature, and are part of a clear and consistent approach by the Government.

"This approach is based on a number of principles

"First, we remain steadfast in our commitment to the Belfast Agreement. All that we do will be with the purpose of protecting and fulfilling the Agreement.

"But, second, we will take those decisions which are necessary to provide good governance and political stability for Northern Ireland - consistent always with restoring the Executive and local decision-making at the earliest possible opportunity.

"Third, we will continue to implement our obligations under the Agreement and its successors where possible - always working for the good of the community as a whole.

"Finally, we will continue to work with all the Northern Ireland parties - and with the Irish Government as appropriate - to remove the barriers to restoring the Executive and a fully functioning Assembly.

"The principles at the core of the Agreement, and the political institutions that it establishes, continue to have our full and unreserved support.

"That means that 

"We will uphold the principle of consent, consistent with this Governments support for Northern Irelands place within the Union and with maintaining the constitutional integrity of the United Kingdom.

"We believe in devolution, and the imperative for local decision making, by local politicians.

"We support power-sharing on a cross-community basis, based on mutual respect and recognition.

"We will continue to support and facilitate North/South co-operation - including as we leave the EU, while always preserving the economic integrity of the United Kingdom.

"We will continue to work closely with the Irish Government in full accordance with the three stranded approach.

"And we will continue to act fairly and govern in the interests of all parts of the community in Northern Ireland;

"Mr Speaker, the necessary steps which I have taken and will continue to take are consistent with all of these commitments.

"In addition to the steps I set out last week, there are several associated measures required to further secure public finances which I will be taking forward . . .

"As well as cutting costs, securing efficiencies and beginning to take the steps to transform public services, it is right to look at how income can be increased to protect the public services on which the people of Northern Ireland depend. So, I will introduce legislation to set a regional rate - which will increase domestic rates by 3% above inflation. This will make an important contribution to sustainable finances in the long-run - with the additional funding addressing urgent pressures in health and education.

"I also intend to act to extend the cost-capping of the current renewable heat incentive scheme in Northern Ireland, which the Assembly had put in place over a year ago.

"It would not be acceptable to put finances at risk by simply allowing that cap to lapse. I therefore propose to extend it for a further year from 1 April - the minimal possible step to protect the public purse.

"And I will also confirm the final spending totals for the Northern Ireland departments for the 2017-18 financial year in legislation to set Supplementary Estimates

"I also believe that the time is right to address the ongoing public concern about MLA pay in the absence of a functioning Assembly. I thank Trevor Reaney who was instructed by my predecessor to produce an independent view and recommended a 27.5% reduction to MLA pay. I will seek to introduce legislation to take a power to vary MLA pay. Further to that, I am minded to reduce pay in line with the Reaney Review recommendation, but I would welcome full and final representations from the NI parties before I make a final decision.

"These measures - which I take reluctantly, but which are necessary in the absence of a functioning Executive and Assembly - will deliver the stability and the decisions to enable forward planning for the financial year ahead. But I am clear that they cannot provide the local input and fundamental decisions which are needed to secure a more sustainable future for Northern Ireland.

"My powers as Secretary of State for Northern Ireland are limited. The scope of this House to pass legislation on the devolved issues which matter for Northern Ireland is limited. This rightly reflects the devolution settlement which is in place and to which this Government is committed. But it does mean that, in the continuing absence of an Executive, there are fundamental decisions in Northern Ireland which cannot be taken, scrutinised and implemented as they should be.

"This has been the situation for 14 months already and, in the continued absence of an Executive, it would be irresponsible for us not to consider how we might provide for different arrangements until such time as the devolved institutions are back up and running. Alongside this I also continue to keep under review my statutory obligation to call an Assembly Election.

"I would welcome the views and proposals of the Northern Ireland parties and others on how such arrangements - providing for local decision-making and scrutiny, on a cross-community basis - might be achieved in the continued absence of an Executive. And how any such arrangements might work alongside the other institutions of the Agreement.

"Let me be clear that this is no way affects my commitment to the Belfast Agreement nor my commitment to continue to work to remove the barriers to the restoration of devolution.

"As the 20th anniversary of the Belfast Agreement approaches, I am clearer than ever that Northern Ireland needs strong political leadership from a locally elected and accountable devolved Government. That remains my firm goal.

"I commend this statement to the House."Scottish airline Loganair has announced a new service connecting George Best Belfast City Airport with Carlisle Lake District Airport.

The service will directly connect Northern Ireland with the Lake District area in the North of England for the first time.

The route will go on sale from Monday March 12, with services commencing on June 4 and flying from Belfast six times weekly.

Katy Best, commercial director at Belfast City Airport, said there was clear demand for the route.

I am delighted to welcome both a new airline and a new route to Northern Ireland directly connecting the region to the Cumbria and Lake District areas for the first time," she said.

Local demand for connectivity to the northern English county is evident amongst both business and leisure passengers and the six times weekly Loganair service will accommodate affordable and convenient access.

The airline will be operating this route as a partner of Stobart Group making the arrival of strategic importance to Belfast City Airport where developing our route network remains a primary aim.

The first flight from Carlisle Lake District Airport will arrive in Belfast on June 4 with the following week seeing the launch of Flybes four times weekly service to Doncaster Sheffield Airport from Belfast City.A fresh search for a man abducted and killed by the IRA is to be launched today.

Joe Lynskey was a former Cistercian monk who later joined the Provisionals.

Preparatory work will start today to clear a small area of trees in Oristown, Co Meath, in the Republic, with the dig proper beginning within days.

He was kidnapped in west Belfast in August 1972 and became known as one of the so-called Disappeared - 16 people abducted and secretly buried by republicans in the 1970s and 1980s.

The IRA admitted murdering Mr Lynskey in 2010, some 40 years after his disappearance.

The search is being led by the Independent Commission for the Location of Victims' Remains (ICLVR).

Lead investigator Geoff Knupfer said the efforts will be focusing on a small area.

"We carried out an extensive search for Joe Lynskey in nearby Coghalstown in 2015," he explained.

"During that search we found the remains of Seamus Wright and Kevin McKee but unfortunately we drew a blank in relation to Joe Lynskey.

"As we do after every unsuccessful search, we go back and review all the information that we have pulled together to see if there are other lines of enquiry to be pursued.

"That's what we've done in this case and as a result we are going to look at quite a small area of woodland at Oristown near where we found Brendan Megraw in 2014."

Following the search in 2015, Mr Lynskey's niece Maria said she was "bitterly disappointed" the remains had not been found.

"This year I had hope when before there was nothing and I'm grateful for that," she said.

Mr Knupfer said they would start work today as soon as the land is cleared of trees and contractors and forensic archaeologists can begin, adding they don't expect the operation to be a long one.

"We anticipate that this will not be a long search either way," he said.

"The Lynskey family have been informed and they know only too well that there is no guarantee of success, but we will continue to do everything we can."

Of the 16 Disappeared, the remains of 13 have been recovered.

The remaining three are Mr Lynskey, Columba McVeigh, who was kidnapped in 1975, and British soldier Captain Robert Nairac, taken in south Armagh and killed by the IRA in 1977.

Mr Knupfer also issued a fresh appeal for information on the three cases.

"Any information provided to the ICLVR is held in complete confidence and can only be used for the location of the Disappeared and cannot be shared with other agencies for any other purpose," he said.

"Anyone with information on any of the outstanding cases should contact the ICLVR on 00800 555 85500, by writing to ICLVR, PO Box 10827, Dublin 2. or via the website www.iclvr.ie."DUP deputy leader Nigel Dodds has said the Government will be asking Parliament to deal with more issues relating to Northern Ireland in the coming days.

Secretary of State Karen Bradley last week outlined a budget following the failure of the DUP and Sinn Fein to restore power-sharing at Stormont.

Further moves in Westminster will be seen increasingly as direct rule 'light'.

Sinn Fein last night said the DUP deputy leader's comments showed the disarray in his party, which was "rudderless and all at sea".

Mr Dodds said: "Decisions are beginning to be taken which for too long have been left in abeyance as a result of Sinn Fein crashing the Executive.

"In the coming days, Parliament will be asked by Government to deal with a number of Northern Ireland measures, including legislation to cover financial matters. Whilst awaiting the return of devolution, people and services in Northern Ireland cannot be left in limbo."

Mr Dodds described the 12bn spending plan for Northern Ireland unveiled at Westminster last Thursday as "a significant and welcome step by the Government".

He said: "The inclusion of the 410m in extra new money as part our 'confidence and supply' agreement was positive news for everyone here.

"The benefits will accrue to all parts of Northern Ireland, both urban and rural, as well as to both sides of the community, both unionist and nationalist. There were those who claimed it would never come and those who claimed it was dependent on an Executive being formed. They are very silent now."

He added: "This is the continuation of the roll-out of the confidence and supply arrangements. We expect further announcements to be made shortly."

Sinn Fein MLA Sinead Ennis said: "Nigel Dodds' latest comments are further evidence of the disarray in the DUP.

"They are lacking any clear leadership, they are rudderless and all at sea.

"The DUP crashed the political talks and prevented the re-establishment of political institutions which would deliver for all citizens and which would extend rights enjoyed by citizens everywhere else on these islands which even their Tory partners take for granted.

"The DUP have checked out of partnership government, preferring to back Tory cuts and austerity and a ruinous Brexit for our economy, for farmers and for workers' and human rights."

Ms Ennis accused Mr Dodds' party of putting the survival of the Tories above its own voters' interests.

"The DUP/Tory cuts budget doesn't provide the resources needed to provide the public services our people need and deserve - seven government departments are having their budgets reduced," she said.

"The much-heralded 'additional' DUP money is not additional at all but is being used to plug gaps due to continuing cuts to our budgets by the British Government - with, of course, the full agreement of the DUP."Leigh Dickson with baby Maddie who was born on Mothers Day in the Ulster Hospital

Mother's Day will always be extra special for Newtownards woman Leigh Dickson (25) - who brought her beautiful new daughter Maddie into the world at the Ulster Hospital yesterday.

Maddie is hairdresser Leigh's second child, and a little sister for Leigh's firstborn daughter, three-year-old Lexi.

"Another wee torture," laughed Leigh, as she celebrated Mother's Day with partner Glenn Wardlow in the hospital's maternity ward. "It's been lovely here," she said. The nurses and staff here have been just great. They couldn't do enough for me."

Both mum and Maddie are doing well, and little sister Lexi is looking forward to getting the pair home today.

And with her bouncing Mother's Day baby Maddie weighing in at a whopping 8lb 10oz, Leigh said she had no plans for a return visit to the maternity ward.

"It stung a bit," she laughed.

"I think that'll do me forever!"

As glowing new mum Leigh was getting to know her new baby daughter, some Northern Ireland famous names were making the most of their mums on Mother's Day.

DUP leader and former First Minister Arlene Foster posted a family photo with her mum Georgina.

Meanwhile, Belfast-born morning TV star Eamonn Holmes tweeted a heartwarming picture with his mum Josephine, who is 90 this year.

"It's about you today Josie," the presenter tweeted.

"From your 5 Big Sons - Happy Mothers Day."

And one mother - former Ulster Unionist MLA Jo-Anne Dobson - was getting ready to give a gift beyond price to her ill son Mark - one of her kidneys.

Mark tweeted: "On Mother's Day I'm sending all my love to Mum!

"She's preparing to donate a kidney to me to release me from a life hooked up to my dialysis machine #Love You Mum."Donations to all Northern Ireland parties have been published for the first time.

Donations to Northern Ireland political parties have been published for the first time.

The nine political parties reported accepting a total of 832,489 in donations and public funds between July 1 and December 30 2017.

The publication comes after the Transparency of Donations and Loans (NI Political Parties) Order 2018 was passed in parliament, allowing the Electoral Commission to publish donation details.

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Ann Watt, head of the Electoral Commission in Northern Ireland, said: For over ten years political parties in Northern Ireland have been required to report information on the donations and loans that they have received, but we have been prohibited from publishing this information.

Transparency is an essential component to increasing public confidence in the democratic process. Information on how political parties, candidates and other campaigners raise and spend money should be open to timely public scrutiny. We are delighted that as of today we are now able to provide the public with information.

To further enhance this transparency we will continue to urge the UK Government to bring forward legislation that will enable us to publish the information we hold on donations and loans dating back to January 2014.

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Unlike the rest of the UK, the identities of party donors in Northern Ireland have historically remained secret due to concerns over security.

The new measures compel Northern Ireland parties to publish all donations and loans over 7,500 from July 1, 2017.

It had been argued the donations published should go back to July 2014, as had been originally intended, but this was later amended.A parish priest in Co Down has been warned to 'get out of town' in a threatening anonymous letter.

Fr Charles Byrne told parishioners at Mass in the village of Hilltown yesterday about the threat he had received in the wake of recent revelations about child sex abuse by a priest in the Dromore diocese.

The paedophile priest, Fr Malachy Finnegan, died in 2002.

Victims say the parochial house in Hilltown was used as a venue for the abuse of children by Finnegan, who was at one time the parish priest.

It's understood clerics no longer use the property for overnight stays.

Fr Byrne - who was appointed to the parish late last year - told parishioners yesterday that the police were aware of the abusive and threatening correspondence, having been contacted by his solicitor.

This comes after the resignation of the local bishop, Dr John McAreavey, who quit after information emerged about Finnegan's years of abusive behaviour - and how much the church authorities knew about it,

Dr McAreavey officiated at Fr Finnegan's Requiem Mass in early 2002, despite being aware of serious abuse allegations.

Dr McAreavey, who was appointed Bishop of the Diocese of Dromore in 1999, said his predecessor's failure to make a public statement on Finnegan's abuse was a "gross error".

He admitted that when he took up the position he allowed those arrangements to stand.

Disgraced cleric Finnegan has been linked to a string of abuse allegations, including sexual and physical attacks.

The first allegation was reported to the Diocese of Dromore in 1994.

A second report was made to police in 1996, although the victim, Sean Faloon, who was just 17 at the time, did not submit a formal complaint.

Two years later, in 1998, Mr Faloon brought his allegation to the diocese.

There is no suggestion that Fr Byrne is in any way involved in the scandal that has rocked the diocese.

Fr Byrne could not be reached for comment last night.A policewoman wept in the dock of Belfast Crown Court on Monday after she was acquitted of stealing money from evidential exhibits.

Yvonne Forte, whose address was given as c/o Knocknagoney PSNI station, was also cleared of two counts of misconduct in a public office.

Ms Forte denied all the charges and a trial commenced in Belfast last week. During the course of the prosecution case on Friday, a crown barrister asked that the court rise to review an issue.

The jury of seven men and five women were called back into court on Monday, and were told by Crown barrister Robin Steer that following a review of the case against Ms Forte (41) "the prosecution will be offering no further evidence in this case in respect of all charges".

Ms Forte had been charged with four counts of theft and was accused of stealing a total of 3,254 from evidential exhibits, whilst a serving police constable, over a period from September 2009 to July 2014.

After Mr Steer addressed the court, Judge David McFarland told the jury the four theft charges, and the other two levelled against Ms Forte, were no longer being proceeded with.

The Judge told the foreman of the jury "in these circumstances, I am going to direct you to acquit her and find her not guilty".

Judge McFarland then spoke to Ms Forte. As she wept, the Judge told her: "Ms Forte, you can leave the dock because you have just been acquitted by the jury. You are free to go."

She replied: "Thank you, your honour."The lack of a power-sharing government in Northern Ireland is thought to be the reason the DUP leader Arlene Foster and Sinn Fein president Mary Lou McDonald have not been invited to the St Patrick's Day celebrations in Washington, it has been reported.

It has long been a tradition for many politicians from across Ireland to travel to the States every March for the annual St Patrick's Day celebrations.

The Irish Times reports on Monday both Mrs Foster and Mrs McDonald have not been invited, citing the lack of devolved government.

The paper reports, however, both the Sinn Fein former president Gerry Adams and DUP MP Ian Paisley have been invited. Taoiseach Leo Varadkar is also in the states.

TD Ms McDonald is in America with a Sinn Fein delegation including deputy president Michelle O'Neill and Mr Adams.

The Belfast Telegraph has asked the DUP and Sinn Fein for a comment.

A Sinn Fein spokesman said: "The issue of invites to the reception are a matter for the White House. The invite list is being finalised and we are waiting to hear from them later in the week."

In March 2016 Gerry Adams was barred from attending the White House reception with staff informing him there was a security issue.

The US Secret Service apologised saying a delay in processing Mr Adams for entry was due to the an "administrative input error".

It was later revealed his refusal for entry was because the Secret Service thought the name "Gerry Adams" was the nickname of another guest attending the event.The number of patients on trolleys or on wards waiting for admission to a bed reached a new record of 714 on Monday (Lucinda Wilcox/PA)

The Government has been urged to declare an emergency status in hospitals as overcrowding reaches record levels.

The number of patients on trolleys or on wards waiting for admission to a bed reached a new record of 714 on Monday, according to figures from the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation (INMO).

To help hospitals cope the Health Service Executive was forced to cancel all non-urgent operations on Monday.

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INMO general secretary Phil Ni Sheaghdha said warnings were not heeded and called for emergency response plans to be put in operation.

We saw record trolley figures last week with a total of 3,112 in just one week and today each daily total from that week has been surpassed by the extraordinary figure of 714 admitted patients on trolleys today, said Ms Ni Sheaghdha.

She added: This upsurge was predictable and the INMO warned against inaction or insufficient action in the wake of Storm Emma.

It is unfortunate for both healthcare staff and patients that these warnings were not heeded and that emergency measures sought have not been put in place.

Ms Ni Sheaghdha said that the INMO are, yet again, calling for emergency status to be immediately declared and emergency response plans put into operation.

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The Taoiseach said the trolley situation had deteriorated in the past three months.

Its not entirely clear why that is, given that additional beds have been provided to hospitals, Leo Varadkar said in Oklahoma.

Nearly an extra 200 beds and additional resources too, he added.

In part I think it is probably because of a very long flu season but thats not an excuse and doesnt make it acceptable.

Minister for Health Simon Harris has said he has allocated an extra 5m euro to ease hospital overcrowding.

He said the money will go towards more home care packages, home help hours and transitional care beds.

Mr Harris blamed the current overcrowding crisis on a backlog built up by Storm Emma that has not been cleared.

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The latest INMO figures showed that University Hospital Limerick had the highest number of admitted patients with a total of 80 on trolleys at 8am on Monday.

There were 45 patients waiting at University Hospital Galway, 43 at Cork University Hospital and 40 at Tallaght Hospital.

Fifteen patients at Temple Street and Crumlin childrens hospitals were also waiting admission to a bed.

Figures by the Health Service Executive on Monday morning showed there were 534 patients on trolleys in hospital emergency departments.Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has thanked a Native American tribe for the way their ancestors showed compassion to Irish people who were dying in their hundreds of thousands during Irelands Great Famine.

Mr Varadkar said that when Irish people were oppressed, abused, neglected and degraded by our colonial master, fundraising efforts by the Choctaw Nation highlighted the spirit of its people.

The Irish PM made the comments on the second day of his St Patricks Day trip to the US during a ceremony to commemorate the generosity of the Choctaw tribe.

Mr Varadkar said it was an honour to be at the Choctaw Nation on his first St Patricks Day trip to the US as Taoiseach.

For me, the story of our two peoples symbolises the spirit of St Patrick better than anything else, he said.

He added: Back in the 19th century, when the Irish people were oppressed, abused, neglected and degraded by our colonial master, at our lowest, your spirit of generosity was at its highest.

You showed compassion to a starving people, who were dying in their hundreds of thousands, or about to embark on our own Trail of Tears across the Atlantic Ocean to seek a new life in Canada or the United States.

Mr Varadkar said the impact of the donation was about more than the lives that were saved.

In 1847, the Choctaw tribe raised 170 dollars, the equivalent of several thousand dollars in todays money, for famine relief in Ireland.

The donation was made 16 years after the Trail of Tears, when tribes were relocated from their tribal lands and at a time when the Choctaw people were themselves living in relative poverty.

Last year Choctaw chief Gary Batton marked the ongoing ties between the two communities with a visit to Midleton in Co Cork, to unveil a statue entitled Kindred Spirits that commemorates the donation.

The ceremony in Durant, Oklahoma on Monday included traditional songs by both Choctaw and Irish people and native dancing.

The Taoiseach also tried his hand at stickball, a native sport.

He held bilateral meetings with Mr Batton and Oklahoma governor Mary Fallin during the visit.

Mr Varadkar also announced that a new scholarship programme was to be set up between the Irish Government and the Choctaw Nation.

The first scholarship will begin in autumn next year. It will mean third-level Choctaw students will be able to study at Irish universities.

This is an opportunity for us to learn from you and from your culture, and you from ours, in a sharing of knowledge that will enrich both our peoples, Mr Varadkar said.

He said that it would add a new dimension to the relationship between the two communities.

The Taoiseachs visit was the first by a head of state or head of government since former Irish president Mary Robinson visited in 1995.

The Governments week-long visit to the US to mark the St Patricks Day festivities began on Sunday with engagements in Austin, Texas.

Mr Varadkar will travel to Washington DC on Tuesday, where the focus will be a bilateral meeting with US President Donald Trump at the White House on Thursday.

While in Washington, Mr Varadkar will deliver a foreign policy address to the Brookings Institution on Tuesday and later that day will be a keynote speaker alongside senator George Mitchell at a congressional event to mark 20 years since the signing of Northern Irelands Good Friday Agreement.

He will also attend the annual Speakers lunch on Capitol Hill and have a meeting with Vice President Mike Pence.

Mr Varadkar will end his trip in New York where his engagements will include the St Patricks Day parade along Fifth Avenue on Saturday.A new study has uncovered more than 500 genes linked to intelligence (EMPICS)

Scientists have linked more than 500 genes to intelligence in the largest study of its kind.

Researchers compared DNA variants in more than 240,000 people to identify 538 genes associated with intellectual ability.

They also highlighted 187 regions in the human genome, or genetic atlas, linked to thinking skills.

Intelligence genes appeared to influence other biological processes and some were associated with living longer.

Genes involved with problem solving were found to play a role in nerve signals passing from one place to another in the brain.

The findings made it possible to predict 7% of intelligence differences in a group of individuals just by analysing their DNA.

Lead scientist Dr David Hill, from the University of Edinburgh, said: Our study identified a large number of genes linked to intelligence.

Importantly, we were also able to identify some of the biological processes that genetic variation appears to influence to produce such differences in intelligence, and we were also able to predict intelligence in another group using only their DNA.

The scientists gathered data from the UK Biobank, which holds anonymous genetic information on 500,000 people.

Their findings are published in the journal Molecular Psychiatry.Sir Vince Cable insisted 'nostalgia for that world' was a factor in how people had voted (Andrew Matthews/PA)

The leader of the Liberal Democrats has denied suggesting Brexit supporters are racist after attacking white nostalgia in a major speech.

Sir Vince Cable faced criticism after telling his partys spring conference that too many of those who voted for Brexit were driven by a nostalgia for a world where passports were blue, faces were white, and the map was coloured imperial pink.

Conservatives attacked the comments as unfair and called for him to apologise.

Sir Vince denied he had indicated that Brexit voters were racist, telling BBC Radio 4s Today programme: I didnt suggest that at all.

Sir Vince Cable should apologise for his remarks, he has just insulted the very people who gave us the nation we have today, a free and prosperous society, a country with a proud history as well as an exciting future.  Andrew Rosindell MP (@AndrewRosindell) March 11, 2018

But he insisted that nostalgia for that world was a factor in how people had voted.

One of the factors was indeed nostalgia, he said. Why else has so much fuss been made about the change in the colour of the passport?

He said one of the most effective pieces of propaganda during the referendum had been an advertisement unveiled by then Ukip leader Nigel Farage showing a queue of non-white people with breaking point written in large letters.

Sir Vince also used his speech on Sunday to warn the toxic fall-out of the Brexit referendum was fuelling the rise of the populist right in Britain.

.@vincecable: What a disgrace that the fools errand of Brexitembarked on to paper over cracks in the Conservative Party has resulted in hate crime on our streets. #LDConf  Lib Dem Press Office (@LibDemPress) March 11, 2018

He told the conference in Southport that the divide opened up by the June 2016 vote had left the country mired in a protracted, non-violent civil war.More than a dozen areas in Scotland with no access to 4G coverage Scotland have been identified in a 25 million project to improve mobile connectivity.

The Scottish 4G Infill programme will pay for new mobile masts in 4G notspots.

The majority of the initial 16 sites identified are in the Highlands and islands and include one each on Orkney, Shetland, Skye, and the Applecross peninsula, two in the Western Isles and one in Sutherland.

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Other notspots include at least two in Argyll and Bute, two in Aberdeenshire, one each in Dumfries and Galloway, East Lothian and the Borders.

The Scottish Government said the final sites will be agreed as part of the procurement process and around 60 to 70 locations are expected to have improved coverage by the end of the project.

An Ofcom report found Scotland lags behind the rest of the UK in 4G coverage, which covers just 17% of the country, compared to 24% in Wales, and 60% each in Northern Ireland and England.

The December report stated 86% of urban areas in Scotland can access 4G compared to 15% of rural areas.

Connectivity Secretary Fergus Ewing announced the launch of the procurement process at the Convention of the Highlands and Islands meeting in Millport.

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Widespread high-speed and reliable mobile coverage is just as vital as broadband, and ensures that people, communities, and businesses are able to stay connected, he said.

The Infill programme will target the areas where it can make the most difference, achieving better and cost-effective connectivity in some of our most remote and challenging areas.

The Scottish Futures Trust (SFT) has developed the programme on behalf of the government.

SFT chief executive, Peter Reekie said: After the successful bidder has been selected, SFT looks forward to working with them and the mobile network operators to identify as many 4G notspots that can be addressed within the programmes budget.

The deployment of future proofed mast infrastructure will then act as the catalyst to deliver good quality 4G coverage to those areas for the benefit of the local communities, businesses and tourists.Investigators in protective clothing remove a van from an address in Winterslow near Salisbury (Andrew Matthews/PA)

It is highly likely that Russia was behind the nerve agent attack on Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia, Theresa May has told MPs.

The Prime Minister said the substance used was a military-grade Novichok nerve agent produced by Russia and there were only two possible explanations  either Moscow was behind the attack or it had lost control of its stockpile of the poison.

A failure by Russia to provide a credible response would lead her to view the attack in Salisbury as an unlawful use of force by the Russian State against the United Kingdom, sparking undefined retaliatory measures.

Russian ambassador Alexander Yakovenko was summoned to a face-to-face meeting with Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson, who gave Moscow a deadline of midnight on Tuesday to respond.

No handshake was offered by Mr Johnson, who voiced Britains outrage over the incident and said Moscow must immediately provide full and complete disclosure of its Novichok nerve gas programme to the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons.

Home Secretary Amber Rudd will chair a meeting of the Governments Cobra emergencies committee in Whitehall at 11.30am on Tuesday to assess the latest position.

In a dramatic statement to the House of Commons after being briefed on the latest intelligence by the National Security Council, Mrs May told MPs: It is now clear that Mr Skripal and his daughter were poisoned with a military-grade nerve agent of a type developed by Russia.

She added: Based on the positive identification of this chemical agent by world-leading experts at the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory at Porton Down; our knowledge that Russia has previously produced this agent and would still be capable of doing so; Russias record of conducting state-sponsored assassinations; and our assessment that Russia views some defectors as legitimate targets for assassinations; the Government has concluded that it is highly likely that Russia was responsible for the act against Sergei and Yulia Skripal.

That meant either this was a direct act by the Russian state against our country or Vladimir Putins government had lost control of this potentially catastrophically damaging nerve agent.

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The Kremlin has denied the involvement of the Russian government in the nerve agent attack on the Skripals.

Following Mrs Mays statement, news agency Tass quoted Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova as saying: It is a circus show in the British Parliament.

The conclusion is obvious, its another political information campaign, based on a provocation.

But Mrs May said: On Wednesday we will consider in detail the response from the Russian State.

Should there be no credible response, we will conclude that this action amounts to an unlawful use of force by the Russian State against the United Kingdom.

Prime Minister confirms Russia alone has means, method and intent. This is deeply threatening to the British people.  Tom Tugendhat (@TomTugendhat) March 12, 2018

That would result in Mrs May setting out the full range of measures that we will take in response.

The National Security Council is expected to meet on Wednesday to discuss the Russian response, if any, ahead of a statement by the PM.

Mrs May said: This attempted murder using a weapons-grade nerve agent in a British town was not just a crime against the Skripals.

It was an indiscriminate and reckless act against the United Kingdom, putting the lives of innocent civilians at risk.

And we will not tolerate such a brazen attempt to murder innocent civilians on our soil.

In the US administrations first public statement on the issue, White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said the attack was reckless, indiscriminate and irresponsible.

She said: The use of a highly lethal nerve agent against UK citizens on UK soil is an outrage.

We offer the fullest condemnation and we extend our sympathy to the victims and their families and our support to the UK Government.

We stand by our closest ally and the special relationship that we have.

French President Emmannuel Macron offered his countrys solidarity with the UK in a phone call with Mrs May, in which he said that Paris would co-ordinate closely with London following Russias response.

A Downing Street spokesman said: They discussed the wide pattern of aggressive Russian behaviour and agreed that it would be important to continue to act in concert with allies to address it.

President Macron condemned the attack and offered his solidarity with the UK.

They agreed that the French and British governments should co-ordinate closely as the investigation developed and following Russias response.

Mrs May used her statement to pay tribute to Wiltshire Police Detective Sergeant Nick Bailey, who is in a serious but stable condition in the Salisbury District Hospital.

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Commons Foreign Affairs Committee chairman Tom Tugendhat said Russias actions were deeply threatening to the British people.

Meanwhile, investigators wearing hazardous materials suits have been working in the village of Winterslow about six miles from Salisbury.

Police and Army teams were at a site where a white van was loaded onto a truck ready to be taken away.

Ahead of the Prime Ministers statement, the Russian embassy accused the UK Government of playing a very dangerous game with British public opinion and warned of the risk of serious long-term consequences.

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In a statement on the embassy website, a spokesman said: We would like to stress once again that we are outraged by the anti-Russian media campaign, condoned by the Government, that influences the investigation and has a psychological effect on British residents.

Russian President Vladimir Putin dismissed questions about his states alleged involvement in the Skripal case.

On a visit to a grain centre, he told the BBC: Were dealing with agriculture here and you talk to me about some tragedies.

Get to the bottom of things there, then well discuss this.Last week, Barnardos Ireland issued a happy tweet along with a smiley photograph: Great to have so many@sinnfeinireland members in with us to talk about our new LOST Childhood Campaign.

The Sinn Fein sextet consisted of Senator Rose Conway-Walsh and five TDs: Gerry Adams, Dessie Ellis, Denise Mitchell, Eoin O Broin and Maurice Quinlivan.

Quinlivan has IRA baggage from his brother Nessans period as a Provo prisoner.

Ex-convict Ellis has a colourful history as a terrorist, including the embarrassment of having his fingerprints found on a massive cache of explosives linked to, among others, the Hyde Park bombers.

Adams, of course, as we all know, was never in the IRA, but despite the best efforts of his busy lawyers to overturn them, he still has convictions for attempting to escape prison when interned.

The purpose of the Barnardos campaign is to draw our attention and our money to helping children lost to homelessness, to poverty and to neglect.

And theyve been publishing a sequence of photographs of a Barnardos employee with supportive politicians.

Like everyone else, I make many mistakes, but I struggle to grasp how an experienced charity got this so very, very wrong.

There has been a barrage of incredulous, distressed or angry messages, accounts of children murdered, injured, orphaned or rendered destitute by republican violence, and plenty of protests about the organisations insensitivity and stupidity.

Alan Mc, a tweeter, put the popular message pithily: Is this some kind of sick joke? Adams is a paedophile protector in both his own family and in the murderous organisation he directs which, you complete and utter idiots appear not to know, killed many times more children than all the other participants in the violence.

How many Lost childhoods were the murderous Sinn Fein/IRA responsible for? asked another. This is akin to animal rights activists campaigning for the rights of chickens and taking along a fox for support.

I have read through the comments and you must now realise your catastrophic error and lack of moral judgement here. Will you please make a public apology and then distance yourself from these evil people? said a third.

While there were some supportive comments, they were overwhelmingly negative. I can understand that since Barnardos was trying to get politicians to back its campaign, it had a problem.

Sinn Fein is in theory a democratic party and would be difficult to exclude out of hand.

But surely the charity could have asked at the very least that no representatives from political parties have prison records or be linked to scandals, particularly those linked to child abuse?

That would have taken out Messrs Adams and Ellis, and the other four wouldnt have raised too many eyebrows.

Then theres the mystery of why it appears not to have faced up to the criticism and many threats to withdraw financial support by making a straightforward public apology.

If its lurking somewhere on the net, I cant find it.

Another interesting question is why Sinn Fein decided to enrage a vast body of people by including two such notorious TDs.

In searching vainly for a reaction from Fergus Finlay, Barnardos Irelands chief executive, I came across an article of his from 2016 where he was putting the negative as well as the positive case for Mr Adams.

He doesnt talk to us and he doesnt listen to us, he wrote.

He talks only to his own, and he takes instruction (if he does take instruction) only from his own. Nothing else has ever mattered to him.

That is very true.

Its rather like Barry McElduff and the loaf of Kingsmill bread.

If youre obsessed with keeping your core supporters happy, you will send private signals and make private jokes to them.

What better than to have a snigger over compromising the well-meaning useful idiots in Barnardos Ireland?Twenty-four years ago, as presenter of UTV's current affairs programme Counterpoint, I flew to the United States to cover an event no one knew what to think of. It was a one-day conference on Northern Ireland, organised by a body called the National Committee on American Foreign Policy. Again, UTV wasn't sure what it was.

The attraction was Gerry Adams. Against the advice of his own State Department and Prime Minister John Major, President Bill Clinton granted the Sinn Fein president a 48-hour visa to speak at the event. It sounded like the President was shaking the tectonic plates, but to what end? Was Adams about to announce a Provisional IRA ceasefire? It seemed entirely possible. And, on that basis, we travelled.

Others did not. When news of the Adams' visa broke unionism reacted with a kneejerk refusal to engage. Jim Molyneaux, of the Ulster Unionists, and DUP leader Ian Paisley, who had both agreed to speak at the event, withdrew. That much was understandable; they couldn't share a platform with Adams while the Provisional IRA was fully active.

Where they went wrong was in cancelling their flights, a monumental mistake, as I reported at the time. They should have flown to America, held a news conference and challenged the media: go ask Mr Adams about Jean McConville and the so-called 'Disappeared'; question his knowledge of Bloody Friday (20 bombs in Belfast city centre in a little over an hour in 1972 - I still remember watching body parts literally being shovelled into a plastic bag); invite him to discuss La Mon (a devastating napalm attack, something the American people could have related to in a post-Vietnam era).

But no. The unionist leaders decided not to present an alternative and left the Sinn Fein president centre-stage. America was fascinated by this bearded, intellectual-looking individual in tweeds, travelling Manhattan in yellow cabs, freed from the shackles of the broadcasting ban that horrified Americans were told meant his voice could not be heard on the UK's media.

I ended my week in Washington, presenting that Thursday's Counterpoint from a television studio in downtown DC. Two Congressmen joined us: Republican Peter King from New York and Democrat Richard Neal from Massachusetts.

Tomorrow, I will again be with Messrs Adams, King and Neal, completing a circle that began a quarter-of-a-century ago, as the four of us share a platform at the Library of Congress in Washington in an event to mark the 20th anniversary of the 1998 Good Friday Agreement.

I am relieved unionism will not repeat the mistake of not having a voice at the table. It would be a brave man who suggested unionism had but one Achilles heel, but there can be no doubt a failure to engage with others has been a repeated flaw in the unionist approach.

The significant anniversary will pass more in sorrow than anger, as the institutions remain frozen amid the unedifying wrangle over how the negotiations broke down.

As a journalist standing at the crush barriers, I bought into the myth that the DUP were great negotiators; as a politician inside the room, I saw a different reality. What they do better than most is sell a message. After St Andrews, their 2007 manifesto was a literary victory lap, with multiple boasts that now ring hollow: "Our approach has brought republicans this far and will succeed. Ultimately, it will ensure that, when devolution returns, it can be on a permanent basis." And: "By requiring the conditions to be right for devolution, we are ensuring the best opportunity for democratic institutions to be stable and lasting". "Stable and lasting"?

Yet, it matters not, because come polling day, the majority of unionists who vote are happy to back the DUP, whatever its record - and the DUP knows it. Witness the tweet from former senior adviser Richard Bullick, who dismissed concern about the DUP's handling of the talks debacle thus: "Whatever the exact truth of all of this will be forgotten even by those who were ever interested in a day or two."

Now, there's a statement that sums up the DUP feeling of invincibility at the ballot box.

Yes, the Belfast Agreement was about creating devolved political institutions - and the current debate has been, in part, about how many feel instruments like the petition of concern have corrupted the workings of our particular form of democracy.

But 1998 was about something even greater. It was about a joint commitment to taking the opportunity to start again, redefining our relationships based on common values - tolerance, reconciliation, mutual trust. That is where the real failure lies. These values are difficult at the best of times, but without a significant effort at building relations there is no foundation on which to build.

At UTV, our politicians would rip into each other in the Counterpoint studio before retiring to the green room for a beer, a glass of wine or a cup of coffee. There, the atmosphere was much more cordial; people would enquire if their political opponent's wife had had her hip operation, or if their daughter had secured the grades she needed for a place at university. In other words, they knew each other. I do not sense that atmosphere of collegiality in the current clump of MLAs.

The fact is no one is going away - republicans, nationalists, unionists, loyalists and others. We simply have to find a way to rub along together. When President Clinton first visited us he told his audience at the old Mackies foundry about the county in Los Angeles that was home to over 150 different ethnic and racial groups.

It wasn't a throwaway line. It was a signpost to resolving the tension that bedevils our society - the strain between the individual's sense of identity and the territorial sovereignty of where they live. Some 150 ethnic groups may sit cheek by jowl in LA, eating their own food, listening to their own music, reading their own literature, but they do so under the Stars & Stripes that marks the territorial sovereignty of where they are: identity respected, constitutional status acknowledged. The 1998 Agreement tried to reflect that; implementation has failed.

Stormont should not be allowed to come back without a sea-change in attitude towards the importance of working as a proper coalition. Of course, we all compete for votes as political opponents, but once the election is over we are supposed to flick the switch that transforms us into political partners. I have seen precious little evidence of that transformation.

So, I suggest we park our differences and narrow our focus, committing to 10 years - two mandates - where all we think about is the prosperity of our people; not just the amount of money in their back pockets, but also their mental health and wellbeing.

We should measure that in terms of a world-class health service, a best-in-class education system and the infrastructure that will lay the foundation to transform our economy. If we do that, we may find the common purpose and spirit of joint venture that has been so badly missing.

And, if we achieve that, the really difficult stuff might just be viewed in a different, kinder light.

Mike Nesbitt is Ulster Unionist MLA for Strangford and a former leader of the party. He was a journalist at UTV in Belfast from 1992 to 2006Do your students have what it takes to becoming budding little reporters?

Editor of the Belfast Telegraph, Gail Walker and Translink Group CEO Chris Conway were in Belfast today to announce the return of Translink Little Reporters in association with Belfast Telegraph, a journalism project for students aged 8 to 11 in Northern Ireland.

Following the enormous success of last years competition, the schools project which is designed for Key Stage 2 students, returns as part of the transport companys annual Bus + Train Week initiative. The competition aims to give young people from here the chance to make their own news to real deadlines and broadcast it to a real life audience.

To take part, Primary 5, 6 and 7 classes are asked to produce news reports, photographs or videos to share with Belfast Telegraph readers which will tell them why public transport is so important to the people of Northern Ireland and why we should all get on-board. Entry Guidelines and teacher resources can be found here https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/littlereporters.

Submissions will be judged by a team of experts from Belfast Telegraph and Translink, with one lucky class being crowned Translink Little Reporters 2018, receiving some brilliant prizes including a media toolkit for their class (iPad, microphone and tripod) in addition to a Masterclass with Belfast Telegraph journalists and a school trip to a top NI attraction. To top it off their work will also be published in the Belfast Telegraph for all our readers to see!

Speaking at the announcement, Chris Conway, Translink Group Chief Executive, said:

We are delighted to announce the Translink Little Reporters competition is back for 2018! The standard of entries last year was superb and we cant wait to see what young editorial talent is out there this year, and reward them for their brilliant efforts.



Translink works closely with the media on a daily basis to keep the general public updated on key business developments and important public transport issues. This is why we are delighted to develop a schools programme, in partnership with Belfast Telegraph, which encourages news reporting and reading.



2018 is also NI Year of Infrastructure so wed encourage schools to consider the important role public transport plays in connecting people and opportunities, said Chris.

Gail Walker, Editor of the Belfast Telegraph, said: "This is a great opportunity for the journalists of the future to get a real insight into what it's like to report news and to create engaging and insightful content. They'll get the experience of working together as a team against the clock, just like in the Belfast Telegraph newsroom, and hopefully will bring in a few exclusives too. I'm looking forward to reading the end result."

Closing date for entries is 3pm on Friday 11th May. Entries can be submitted by email to littlereporters@belfasttelegraph.co.uk or post to Little Reporters, Belfast Telegraph, 33 Clarendon Road, Clarendon Dock, Belfast, Northern Ireland, BT1 3BG.

Winners will be announced during Bus & Train Week 2018 (4th - 10th June).

Belfast Telegraph DigitalBangladeshs High Court on Monday granted opposition leader Khaleda Zia a four-month bail after she spent more than a month in jail following her February conviction and five-year sentencing in a graft case.

Leaders of her Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) expect the former three-time prime minister, 72, to be freed in a day or two after the bail order reaches prison authorities.

Lawyer Moudud Ahmed, a member of the BNPs policy-making standing committee, praised the court for granting bail. He said her conviction in a graft case surrounding an orphanage trust named after Zia was a result of political vengeance by the ruling Awami League party.

Now, there is no bar to Khaleda Zias release. Very soon she will be free, he told reporters, adding that the court had turned down a government appeal to defer the order for two more days.

Ahmed said bail was granted on four grounds including the length of the sentence (five years) and Zias health.

Meanwhile, Attorney General Mahbubey Alam said prosecutors would move to stop Khaledas release by challenging the ruling at the appellate division.

No one can say that Khaleda Zia will be freed tomorrow (Tuesday), Deputy Attorney General Sashanka Sarkar told BenarNews, adding that a court in Comilla had issued a warrant against Zia in a separate case.

The court there issued a warrant for Zia to appear on March 28, Abdullah Al Mamun, an additional superintendent of police in Comilla, told BenarNews. She faces charges related to a February 2015 arson attack on a passenger bus that killed eight people.

Despite the possibility of challenges, Law Minister Anisul Huq said the government respects the rule of law and the independence of the judiciary.

There have been allegations that the government dictated the punishment to Khaleda Zia. But today, the bail order from the High Court proves the government has not meddled into the activities of the judiciary, he told BenarNews.

BNP ready for release

Following her conviction and sentencing on Feb. 8, Khaleda showed leadership by not allowing party leaders and members to resort to violence, said Mahbubur Rahman, another BNP standing committee member.

She is an uncompromising leader; she never compromised the rights of the people. She respected the judiciary, fought the charges in the court and embraced the jail term, he told BenarNews. Now, the court has worked in accordance with the law and granted her bail.

Defense attorney Mahbub Uddin Khokon said BNP members were looking forward to Zias release.

If the High Court sends the order to the lower court today, Inshallah (God willing) Desh Netri (country leader) Khaleda Zia will be released tomorrow. Thousands of people will welcome her, Khokon told BenarNews on Monday.

Sentencing

On Feb. 7, a day before she was to appear in court to hear her verdict, Zia told reporters that the Awami League-led government of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina brought false allegations against her to keep her out of politics.

Zia was sentenced to five years in prison for embezzling more than 21 million taka (U.S. $252,000) from the Zia Orphanage Trust, which she headed. She was transported to jail from the courthouse.

The court also sentenced her son, Tarique Rahman, who lives in exile in London, and four others to 10 years in prison and ordered them to pay back the trust funds.

Under the constitution, a person convicted of a criminal offense involving moral turpitude and drawing a prison sentence of more than two years would not be eligible to seek public office. The next general election is scheduled to take place by December or January 2019.A former Philippine Supreme Court leader expressed alarm Monday about calls for Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno to resign over corruption allegations made by a lawyer allied with President Rodrigo Dutertes camp, saying it showed politicization of the judiciary.

Retired Chief Justice Hilario Davide said Sereno is committed to defending herself in an impeachment process. As a former leader of the judiciary, Davide said he was alarmed by recent developments as some persist in calling for Sereno to be removed.

I wish to express my deep and profound concern over the apparent politicization of the judiciary, Davide said in a statement. I refer particularly to recent calls from certain judges and court employees for the chief justice to resign immediately and not await for the results of the impeachment process.

Spearheaded by the presidential palace, the calls for Sereno to quit disregard requirements of due process and fairness, the retired chief justice said. Davide is the highest former judiciary member to speak out in defense of Sereno, the first woman to head the Supreme Court.

Since being appointed in 2012, she had clashed with Duterte over certain policy issues, including his brutal campaign against drugs that left thousands dead since he assumed office in 2016.

Last week, the House justice committee voted overwhelmingly to find probable cause to impeach Sereno over allegations of culpable violation of the constitution, betrayal of public trust, corruption and other high crimes. She is accused of living a lavish lifestyle and of not declaring her real net worth in alleged violation of court rules.

The allegations were made by a lawyer with known ties to politicians allied with Duterte who control the 298-member House. But while they found probable cause, committee members stopped short of sending the complaint to the full House to a vote to take the impeachment case to the Senate for trial.

Sereno has called on the House to vote and impeach her immediately so she can defend herself properly at the Senate.

Davide said calling on Sereno to quit now would destroy peoples faith in the judiciary.

The call is condemning, judging before hearing, applying additional pressure on the chief magistrate rather than according her the rights to a fair trial, to substantive and procedural due process and even to the rule of law, he said. It is resort to the rule of men.

The impeachment case has exposed cracks within the judiciary, with 13 of Serenos 14 fellow justices voting to ask her to go on leave. If a third of the House agrees with the impeachment findings, Sereno would be considered impeached and a trial in the Senate would begin.

Sereno would become only the second chief justice to be impeached, after Renato Corona in 2012 over similar charges of corruption.

Duterte had sought to distance himself from the political process, but Serenos troubles began after she questioned his drug war that has left more than 4,000 dead, according to government figures. She also voted in the benchs minority against Dutertes decision to grant a heros burial to dictator Ferdinand Marcos in 2016, nearly 30 years after his death.

Davide presided over the impeachment trial of former president Joseph Estrada in 2001 on corruption allegations. But it ended in a farce when members of the prosecution walked out of the trial and public anger later snowballed into a peaceful protest that eventually forced Estrada out of office.

He was jailed, but eventually pardoned by his successor, Gloria Arroyo. The former movie action star turned politician later was elected mayor of Manila in 2013, after placing second in his losing presidential comeback bid in 2010.

Felipe Villamor in Manila contributed to this report.In Relationships

I would offer that a role in bearing Gods image is that it acts as a bridge for us to relate to Him. God is personal; even in the since that He is eternal. He has revealed Himself to us in personal terms. In the Bible, God tells us that He is Father, High Priest, Comforter, Shepherd, and many other personal terms. He speaks to us, reveals His will, and acts as a friend.

God desires to know us and has therefore placed His image within us. We bear a resemblance to Him in that we are designed for relationships. The relationships that we enjoy with other human beings are part of the general blessing of being alive. We love and care for those in our circles of influence. In bearing Gods image, it is obvious then that God also wants us to relate to Him.

However, in Eden, the image of God in man was marred. Sin stands in opposition to people mirroring the character and nature of God. Where God wants the crown jewel of creationhumanityto be a showpiece of His handiwork, sin obstructs that purpose. It obstructs us from knowing the very One who has placed a reflection of Himself in us.

It is a reminder for us that sin is not just a glitch in our moral character but an affront to the very nature of our creation. More importantly, it is an affront to our Creator. As the Lord seeks to draw us close, He then does all the work necessary to reestablish His image within us through the redemptive work of Christ.

His image is within us so that we might desire Him. The Bible states that He has placed eternity in the heart of man (Ecclesiastes 3:11). We clearly see from the whole of redemptive history that God is seeking those who do not seek Him. God has a great desire to restore the marred image of Himself in us through a saving relationship with the Messiah He has sent for us.

Photo Courtesy: UnsplashPlus, Bill's Message of the Day, on General Mark Milley's call to the Chinese.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesDoodle Celebrates Sir William Henry Perkin's Birthday Pulse oi-Syeda Farah

Sir William Henry Perkin's name is something that many people may not have even heard of. But his work is something that lives on to this very day.

Today on Google, it honoured the British chemist Sir William Henry Perkin with a doodle that was dedicated to mark his 180th birth anniversary.

Sir William Henry Perkin is best known for his accidental discovery of the first aniline dye, which is also known as the purple mauveine.

At the age of 15, In 1853, Perkin began working with an esteemed German chemist named August Wilhelm von Hofmann at the Royal College of Chemistry. This college is currently known as the Imperial College of London.

Google Doodle Is Celebrating Winter Paralympics

While Perkin was carrying out experiments with a chemical named quinine, which was first discovered in the bark of certain trees, he accidentally discovered a way of creating a dye that could be used to colour fabrics.

The rich purple colour that was discovered by him was adopted by Queen Victoria herself and, even to this day, the colour is marked as a favourite shade for many!

Google Doodle Celebrates Gabriel Garcia Marquez's 91st Birthday

Mr. Perkin expired in 1907, after suffering from pneumonia and his mortal remains were buried in Harrow.

For more updates on Google doodles, keep checking our space.

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Story first published: Monday, March 12, 2018, 11:25 [IST]It's almost impossible to tax another country. A government can only tax people or businesses inside its own country (if a Japanese or Dutch conglomerate owns a factory in the USA, then yes, the US government can tax that US factory but that's about as far as it goes).

We hear about them occasionally in economic and political discussions, but folks who arent involved in international commerce never directly encounter them, and therefore may not really know what a tariff is, or how it's applied. Since some politicians - particularly labor union types - advocate hiking our tariffs, they often give the false impression that tariffs are assessed upon foreign countries.

A tariff works a little like a sales tax, in that it's usually assessed on the price you pay for the goods but it really works more like your income tax return, in that you normally hire an expert to figure out your obligation and file it with the government on your behalf. With every import shipment, there is an import packet - much like your annual personal state or federal tax return - that includes government forms, your foreign vendors invoices, packing lists, certificates of origin, and your carriers bills of lading - on every single import shipment that arrives in the USA of which there are millions and millions every week, crossing the borders by truck and rail, and arriving at our seaports and airports from all over the world.

None of these shipments can legally be delivered to their buyers until the shipments have gone through Customs, meaning, until someone has filed the entry paperwork with Customs and arranged for the duty to be paid.

This scenario goes for both importations of finished goods (like foreign cars and foreign toasters and foreign furniture) and components for further manufacture here by American factories, into American finished goods (American cars and American toasters and American furniture).

Since the tariffs in the news today are on common components for American manufacturing  steel and aluminum sheet, plate, and tubing - lets imagine a typical purchase of such components by their typical American buyer: an American factory, employing Americans in the production of a common product.

Let's think of a common product with which we are all familiar: ceiling fans.

Let's say you own a factory in Chicago that makes these ceiling fans. Picture it in your mind: to have the materials to assemble these fans, you make some parts yourself, and you buy some other parts from other vendors. Now, I don't know all the parts that go in a ceiling fan, but I'll list the main ones:

Five steel blades

The visible flush-mounted steel housing that holds the motor

The connectors that protrude from the housing to hold the blades

The bearing housing and set that sits inside the spinning part under the housing.

The AC motor and power cord

The chains and pulls that control the fan.

The mounting hardware



Now, you buy most of the parts locally, having the blades and housings fabricated nearby, let's say, in Indiana and Wisconsin, but you import the motors from China and the nuts and bolts from Taiwan.

You hire a Customs brokerage to arrange the inbound transportation from China and Taiwan. When each shipment arrives in Chicago, your Customs broker files an import Customs entry... just like a tax return ... with US Customs. He provides the copies you provided of your vendors invoice, packing list and certificate of origin, and your carriers bills of lading, and he creates Customs forms, telling Customs - on your behalf - what each product is and what you paid for it and he calculates the duty you owe, which will vary anywhere from about half a percent up to about five or six percent, depending on the type of motor, and the size and type of nuts and bolts, and so forth.

He pays the duty on your behalf and delivers the goods to your factory, then sends you the bill for the duties along with his bill for the inbound freight. You can't get your cargo out of Customs until this process occurs.

By the same token, all your domestic vendors  the people who fabricate the blades, the housing, the connectors, the mounting hardware, the bearing housing  must obtain their raw materials somehow as well. Some of your domestic vendors probably source their materials from domestic raw materials, and some probably import some of the materials. Perhaps the fabricator who makes your blades uses steel made in a Pennsylvania steel mill; perhaps the one who makes the housing imports the steel from Canada. It varies. Its almost impossible to find a complex product today that doesnt include some components that were sourced from abroad. This is a global economy.

If the bottom-line cost - to you - of these purchased materials goes down, your ability to make your finished American ceiling fan competitive will improve. If the cost of these purchased materials goes up, then your ability to keep your finished American ceiling fan competitive will necessarily erode.

So, as you can see, a tariff - an import duty - is a tax on the American importer at the time of importation. The importer  the American factory, American reseller, or American fabricator - pays the tariff on goods when he imports them from abroad.

There was a time, long ago, when import tariffs were simple  you paid five or ten percent of the value of the shipment, and that was that. But over the centuries, governments have carved out protections that have become ever more individually targeted. Today, there are over fifty different classifications for electrical motors, depending on their size and power rating and style, dozens of different classifications of threaded fasteners like nuts and bolts and screws, depending on their size and purpose and material. The US Harmonized Tariff Schedule is several inches thick, with an incredible level of detail.

American duty rates usually range from duty-free up to ten or twenty percent of the price the importer paid, depending on the product (though some products are assessed upon weight, volume or quantity, rather than price). In my experience, the average duty rate on parts used in manufacturing is a little under five percent today. Typical American duties tended to be higher fifty years ago; in the 1970s, the USA engaged in a process to gradually reduce our average import duty rates. Our import rates have been largely static since the early 1980s.

In this time, we have engaged a number of countries in reciprocal free trade agreements, such as NAFTA, CAFTA, the US-Australia Free Trade Agreement, and the US-Chile Free Trade Agreement. We have these reciprocal deals with 20 countries at present. With these programs, qualifying products manufactured within member countries are free of duty between the countries  but only if they qualify, by being manufactured locally, with a required minimum content level of domestic or regionally-originating raw materials and/or labor. (The most common of trade violations is of people who try to claim such duty-free benefits on goods that do not qualify for them, and yes, such violations are prosecuted).

So an importer must be aware of the duty rates on his imported materials and may take advantage of these reciprocal duty-free programs, or sometimes of certain one-way duty-free programs as well, like the Caribbean Basin Initiative or the Generalized System of Preferences, if his vendors goods qualify and the importer must aim for substantial domestic content if he wants his finished product to qualify for the reciprocal programs as well, when he exports his own finished product.

The import process isnt an easy one, and a global industry has grown up around both the international transportation and the calculation and filing of export and import clearances, so that importers and exporters have experts to assist them in the process.

This column wasnt intended to take a position on whether one should favor or oppose a specific tariff, or even a general desire to increase or decrease our range of tariffs. Its just written for awareness, so we can make policy decisions without misunderstanding what a tariff really is, or how it affects the American importer.

There has been a general, global effort over the past 50 years to lower tariffs across the board, and this has caused many protectionist countries to institute different, non-tariff barriers to imports. Some countries lowered their old thirty or forty percent tariffs to four or five percent, as the WTO desired, only to create new VATs, fees, and other taxes to apply to their imports. Some countries place import quotas on importations, requiring costly or even impossible import licenses before a country can source from abroad. Some have picky documentation rules, enabling their Customs agents to hold up import shipments for weeks or months, discouraging companies from the very idea of sourcing from abroad. The WTO says its committed to attacking these non-tariff barriers too, but evidence of that commitment is hard to find.

In the final analysis, we have many policy questions to answer when we think about import tariffs. Among them:

Who pays a tariff  the importer, or his customer, or the final consumer (like any tax, the real answer is all of the above)?

Should we view tariffs on finished goods differently from tariffs on raw materials that support American manufacturing? For example, importing an Italian car doesnt employ any Americans outside the transportation company and the car dealer, but importing foreign steel or aluminum employs all the American factory workers who make things from that steel and aluminum. Raising the duty on raw materials and components could drive the manufacture of these finished products to foreign shores, making our protectionism rather counterproductive, to say the least. Surely our protectionist inclinations should keep this difference between finished goods and raw materials in mind.

Does our wide range of duty rates make sense, or should we consider standardizing to a single duty rate? Singapore has a flat 5% tax on imports, regardless of the product. Ours, like most countries, is a range from zero to twenty percent or more. Who does this complex range benefit?

Should we favor our export business over our import business? Is it time we acknowledged that in this global economy, the export and import businesses are intermingled?

Should we make a greater effort to win back industries that we have lost, particularly in areas relevant to national security? (Imagine, for a moment, finding yourself at war with the country from which you get your military hardware. A sobering thought, and an unacceptable risk).

What is the proper response to "dumping" (the practice in which a foreign government subsidizes an industry's exports in order to compete unfairly in the world market)? Are anti-dumping duties on the importer the right way, or should we retaliate more vigorously against the offending country?

Should we reconsider our approach to our reciprocal Free Trade Agreements (FTAs)? On the positive side, these deals  like NAFTA and CAFTA  serve to encourage domestic sourcing and domestic production, because products only get their benefits if the products meet a threshold of domestic content. But on the negative side, these deals primarily address the reciprocal elimination of import duties. The US only charges about a third of a percent in other fees besides duties on most importations, while many of our trading partners  even those FTA partners  assess VATs or GSTs of ten, fifteen, even twenty percent or more. One could legitimately ask, What good is wiping out a five percent duty if youre still charging a twenty percent VAT on our products?

The Trump administration is bringing issues to the forefront that havent been discussed in decades. That may be a good thing, but its dependent on a level of awareness thats lacking in the political and media classes.

Trade is complex. What seems protectionist is often destructive. Should we favor the consumer over the manufacturer, or vice versa, or can we find policies that are good for both? Should we favor the products of our allies, over those of our enemies? Should we even the playing field, or continue this 200-year trend to have ever-more varied treatment from product to product?

America is a manufacturing powerhouse, a huge importer and a huge exporter as well. Trade wars are dangerous and disruptive. American manufacturers who depend on imported materials may be forced to close down or move abroad if the price of their materials is artificially increased.

And of course we should always remember the economic dictum that government should not pick winners and losers in the marketplace.

We can at least answer one question though, as we close todays column: Who pays an American import tariff on foreign goods?

Obviously, its the American importer. It simply cannot be anyone else. Its the importer who hires the Customs broker to file that import entry with Customs; its the importer who must pay the duties to the US treasury before he is allowed to receive the goods for resale or for further manufacture.

In the end, a tax is a tax, even if you call it a tariff.

Some taxation is necessary to fund a government, but theres just no getting around the fact that an American tariff is an increase in an American taxpayers payments to the US federal coffers. It may or may not be legitimate, it may or may not be appropriate, it may or may not be good policy but its still a tax.

Just like the income taxes, social security taxes, and property taxes that an American company pays, an import duty is yet another tax that this American importer pays to the US government another straw on the camels back, another burden on the private sector that adds to the cost of doing business in America. Its not paid by China or Japan or India or France or Mexico. Its paid by the importer.

And its deceptive to pretend otherwise.

Copyright 2018 John F. Di Leo

John F. Di Leo is a transportation manager, writer, actor, and licensed US Customs broker since 1987. His columns are regularly found in Illinois Review.

Permission is hereby granted to forward freely, provided it is uncut and the IR URL and byline are included.The North Korean political system is one of a kind. Originally spawned by Stalin as a far-flung Soviet satellite at the beginning of the Cold War, North Korea broke free from Moscow early on, and has mutated into an Asiatic hereditary dynasty in its own right. It retains all the instruments of control and terror from the original Marxist-Leninist model, while supplementing them with a whole roster of inventive new totalitarian tricks of its own.

A nearly perfect totalitarian system. President Trump said on Thursday that he would like to meet with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. From Nicholas Eberstadt, here are some things to understand about the regime:

Evidently, the North Korean variant of totalitarianism is superior to the Soviet prototype. The latter, after all, is in the dustbin of history, and the former is very much still with us.

Where Marxist-Leninist states always have a secret police force, the North Korean state set up multiple services. Not only does they spy on and suppress the subject population, these services also surveille each other and report any signs of disloyalty or impurity to the very top. Marxist-Leninist states always had their dreaded gulags, but North Koreas political prisons, or kwan-li-so, are even more terrifying. Adapted to capitalize on Asian family values, they threaten the horror of the concentration camp not only for the arrestee, but also for his whole extended family  children, cousins, grandparents, everyone. When you wonder why North Koreans dont rise up against the horrible oppression they suffer, or why more people dont try to flee its inhumanity, remember this part: The system is carefully designed to hold every North Koreans entire bloodline hostage.

And then there is North Koreas unique, and uniquely odious, Songbun system. Marx may have envisioned his Communism as a classless utopia, but Pyongyang pulled full throttle in the opposite direction, imposing carefully calibrated class designations as a tool for social control. In North Korea, class status (currently, there are over 50 of them) is assigned for life, and ones Songbun determines ones chances in life  and death. It is a safe bet that no one from North Koreas privileged core classes died in the Great North Korean Famine of the 1990s, and that almost all the victims were members of the so-called hostile classes. Songbun formalizes and perfects techniques of social atomization that Stalin and Mao only pioneered, transforming divide-and-rule into a science, and thus routinizing internal mutual mistrust and hatred to a degree perhaps never attained through deliberate government policy.

[Nicholas Eberstadt, One Kim to Rule Them All: Everything You Need to Know about the North Korean Threat, American Consequences, February 2018]The Park Community Centre was alive with song and dance Saturday night as dozens of people from Brandons Mauritian community came together to mark their home countrys 50th anniversary of independence.

Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 12/3/2018 (1288 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

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The Park Community Centre was alive with song and dance Saturday night as dozens of people from Brandons Mauritian community came together to mark their home countrys 50th anniversary of independence.

The smell of flatbread and butter chicken filled the hall as dancers spun and twirled in brightly coloured dresses near the main stage to help mark the golden jubilee ahead of today, the official day of Mauritian independence.

Kicking off the ceremony was Kerselin Fumier, president of the Mauritius Cultural Association of Brandon, who read from a speech he worked on for two days.

MICHAEL LEE/THE BRANDON SUN Dozens of people stand to sing the Mauritian and Canadian national anthems Saturday night at the Park Community Centre to mark the 50th anniversary of Mauritius's independence.

At one point, Fumier said he almost wanted to cry, given the significance of the event for him and all Mauritians.

"If one is to truly understand the value of independence, it is essential to understand the pain being oppressed and subservient in the face of a foreign power," he said.

"This is why we are all grateful to all of our ancestors, our heroes who sacrificed their lives in order to restore and sustain our nations independence. On a day like today, when the value of freedom is commemorated, the nation pays tribute to its true patriots."

The celebration is an important milestone for Mauritians, many of whom came to Brandon 10 years ago on March 9, 2008, to work at Maple Leaf Foods.

MICHAEL LEE/THE BRANDON SUN A group of girls perform a Mauritian dance Saturday night at the Park Community Centre in celebration of Mauritius's 50 years of independence.

From an original group of 30 families, nearly 65 families and 250 people now call Brandon home.

During the festivities, more than 30 families were given plaques in recognition of their move to Canada and the 50th anniversary of Mauritian independence.

Representatives from the city and provincial government were also around to offer their congratulations.

"Ten years in Brandon makes you part of the community," Brandon East Progressive Conservative MLA Len Isleifson told the crowd.

MICHAEL LEE/THE BRANDON SUN President Kerselin Fumier, centre, and other members of the Mauritius Cultural Association of Brandon celebrate their home country's 50th year of independence Saturday night at the Park Community Centre by blowing out candles on a cake.

A statement from Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was also read out to the audience ahead of Monday's flag-raising ceremony at city hall, which will feature Sooroojdev Phokeer, the Mauritian ambassador to the United States.

"This event offers a wonderful opportunity to celebrate Mauritian culture and heritage, and to recognize the many contributions that Canadians of Mauritian descent have made, and continue to make, to our country in all fields of endeavour," Trudeau said.

"Events such as this one are a reminder that diversity is our greatest strength."

Mauritius is a small island nation in the Indian Ocean, located just east of Madagascar, with a population of nearly 1.3 million people.

MICHAEL LEE/THE BRANDON SUN Andre Sing Fat speaks at the Mauritius Independence Day celebration at the Park Community Centre on Saturday. Fat and his wife moved to the Wheat City in 1968 and together are among the earliest Mauritian residents in Brandon.

The former Dutch, French and British colony earned its independence from the U.K. in 1968 and boasts a diverse population with European, Indian, Chinese and African ancestry.

Brandon Mayor Rick Chrest was not able to attend the Saturday evenings celebration, but in a prepared statement, he offered his best wishes to the community.

"The Mauritian people in Brandon have shown themselves to be a most friendly, enterprising, fun-loving and family-oriented group of people who have blended into Brandon, as our people also embody these similar attributes," he said.

As a tribute to the long-standing Mauritian presence in Brandon, one man was given special prominence during Saturdays celebration as one of the oldest Mauritian residents in the city.

MICHAEL LEE/THE BRANDON SUN Coun. Lonnie Patterson (South Centre), left, and Progressive Conservative MLAs Reg Helwer (Brandon West), second from right, and Len Isleifson (Brandon East) cut a cake alongside members of the Mauritius Cultural Association of Brandon during Saturdays celebration

Andre Sing Fat, a Mauritian of Chinese descent, moved to Brandon with his wife from England in 1968 to take a job training nurses at the Brandon Mental Health Centre.

In 1975, he became an educator at Assiniboine Community College when the school began offering a program in practical nursing.

Fat was invited on stage to talk about his experience coming to Canada and the recent growth of the Mauritian community.

While he only spoke for a few minutes, one statement seemed to sum up the feeling of all in the room. "Today, when I look at this hall here, I feel at home," he said.

 mlee@brandonsun.com

 Twitter: @mtaylorleeHere's the 10 Reasons Bouc presents as why Illinois hasn't ratified the ERA, which could soon be voted on in the Illinois Senate:

STOP-ERA's president Elise Bouc gives 10 reasons why Illinois has consistently refused the effort. Those reasons include that the so-called Equal Rights Amendment's agenda isn't simply to treat men and women equally, The amendment will erase distinctions between men and women, protect abortion rights for any reason, ban any laws that give women preferential treatment - including during pregnancy, and, among others, remove stay at home moms' ability to tap into spousal Social Security benefits.

The ERA Illinois Coalition is crudely using the photo of a little girl with a birthday cake raising the question "WTF?" about why Illinois hasn't jumped on board with the effort.

SPRINGFIELD - The Equal Rights Amendment has been the effort of radical feminists since the early 1970s - an effort to amend the U.S. Constitution that the Illinois legislature refused to sign onto time and time again. Illinois was key in keeping the effort from passing in the needed three-fifths of the 50 states - and it is now a prize that the most radical Democrat Leftists are focused upon once again this session.

10 Reasons to oppose the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA-SJRCA4):

The vague, poorly written language of the ERA does not allow any distinction to be made between men and women  even when it makes sense to do so based on their biological differences.

As a result, the ERA will harm women AND their unborn children by overturning laws and programs that benefit them.



Harm to unborn children:

The ERA would be used to overturn all restrictions on abortion (including the partial birth abortion ban, 3rdtrimester abortion ban and parental notice of minors seeking abortion). The ERA would be used to mandate taxpayer funding of elective Medicaid abortions.

In both New Mexico and Connecticut, their state ERAs were used in the courts to overturn restrictions on abortions and mandate taxpayer funding of elective Medicaid abortions with the rationale that since abortion is unique to women, restricting abortions is a form of sex discrimination.  (N.M. Right to Choose/NARAL v. Johnson, 975 P.2d 841, 1998; and Doe v. Maher, 515 A.2d 134 [Conn Super. Ct. 1986])

Harm to women

The ERA would overturn laws and practices that benefit women because they would be viewed as showing preferential treatment to women. The laws and practices that would be overturned include:

Work place laws that provide special accommodations for pregnant women

State labor laws and guidelines which benefit and protect women (i.e. female prison guards)

and guidelines which benefit and protect women (i.e. female prison guards) Government programs that support women as mothers such as the Women, Infants, and Children nutritional program (WIC)

Social Security benefits for stay-at-home mothers based on their spouses income. Justice Ginsberg claims that the current gender neutral benefit language is still a violation of the equality principle because it encourages women to stay out of the work force, and as such she would overturn the benefit.

for stay-at-home mothers based on their spouses income. Justice Ginsberg claims that the current gender neutral benefit language is still a violation of the equality principle because it encourages women to stay out of the work force, and as such she would overturn the benefit. Exemption of women from the military draft and front-line combat . Currently women who feel they are physically able can choose to enlist in the military. The ERA, however, would require that all women be drafted and placed on front-line combat in equal ratios to men.

. Currently women who feel they are physically able can choose to enlist in the military. The ERA, however, would require that all women be drafted and placed on front-line combat in equal ratios to men. Laws and presumptions that support women in the areas of alimony, child support, and requirements of husbands to pay for their dependent wives medical bills . The ERA will also wipe out state laws that exempt a wife from having to pay her husbands debts even if he deserts her with children to support.

and requirements of husbands to pay for their . The ERA will also wipe out state laws that exempt a wife from having to pay her husbands debts even if he deserts her with children to support. All other laws that provide preferential treatment for women

ERA would impact theprivacy and safety of women and girls by removing gender designations for bathrooms, locker rooms, jails and hospital rooms. The ERA will not give women any more rights than they currently have. Women already have claim to equal rights through the 14thAmendment (section1) as well as numerous other laws in virtually all areas of American life  employment (including equal pay), education, credit eligibility, housing, public accommodations, etc. The US Supreme Court has already applied the 14th Amendment to womens issues (United States v. Virginia, 518 U.S. 515 (1996)). ERA wont erase the gender wage gap. Women are already guaranteed equal pay through the federal Equal Pay Act of 1963 and can seek remediation through the EEOC. The currently quoted wage gap between men and women is a misunderstood statistic in which the average wages of all full-time working men and women are compared in one lump sum of men to women across all occupations and education levels. This doesnt allow for an equal pay comparison. When we compare the wages of men and women within the same career, in similar positions, at the same age, the wage gap narrows to 98 cents for women compared to a dollar for men. Even when we compare within career fields, key factors such as years worked, level of education, and time flexibility of job, etc. are not factored into the comparison (see An Analysis of the Reasons for the Disparity in Wages Between Men and Women U.S. Dept. of Labor, 2009). The ERA would also transfer large amounts of legislative power from the states to Congress creating a greater imbalance of power and placing sensitive issues under the less responsive federal government.

Section 2 of the ERA requires that Congress be given the power to enact the provisions of the ERA. As a result, states would lose their legislative abilities in regards to family law (marriage, divorce, alimony, custody, adoption, and property), sex crime laws, public and private schools, insurance, prison regulations and any other areas of law impacted by gender.

The history of the ERA shows the extreme intent of the supporters of the amendment.

Efforts to soften the extreme nature of the ERA via amendments were rejected by the supporters of the ERA when the ERA was being drafted in Congress. Courts will look to this legislative history for legislative intent as they interpret the ERA. The sample amendment below that was rejected shows that the supporters intended the applications of the ERA to be extreme and without any protection for women or their unborn children:

This amending language for the ERA was rejected by the supporters: The provisions of this article shall not impair the validity, however, of any laws of the United States or any State which exempt women from compulsory military service, or from service in combat units of the Armed Forces; or extend protections or exemptions to wives, mothers, or widows; or impose upon fathers responsibility for the support of children; or secure privacy to men or women, or boys or girls; or make punishable as crimes rape, seduction, or other sexual offenses (Cong. Rec., pp. S9538S9540).

The following amendment was also proposed to make the ERA abortion neutral, but it was repeatedly rejected by ERA supporters: "Nothing in this Article shall be construed to grant or secure any right relating to abortion or the funding thereof." Its clear they intended for the ERA to overturn all restrictions on abortion.Irelands employers have much to think about. While Brexit will bring change, elsewhere a major overhaul of the laws governing the retention and processing of data is set to happen in a matter of weeks.

The new regime, which puts into effect new EU laws, will place added duties on HR departments and may

expose businesses to legal actions on the part of employees, as well as fines for non-compliance.

Elsewhere, we are witnessing the aftershocks from a series of revelations of sexual harassment and bullying across many workplaces. In the US, the media and movie industries have been shaken by revelations that have rocked the careers of many celebrated figures, mainly male and of a certain age.

HR executives are rushing to keep abreast of developments, keen that their organisations do not find themselves caught up in scandals that could bring with them severe reputational and financial consequences.

Last week, at a conference in Dublin organised by Industrial Relations News, a leading employment law practitioner provided timely insights on developments in his field.

Terence McCrann, a senior partner with McCann FitzGerald Solicitors, singled out the following topics for particular attention: Brexit, sexual harassment, the gender pay gap, the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), protected disclosures (whistleblowing), longer working, and the impact of a new law governing mediation.

Planning for the worst event is recommended in the case of the exit negotiations. Organisations are warned to prepare for the possibility of a cessation or restriction on free movement of staff between Ireland and the UK.

British citizens will no longer have an automatic entitlement, as EU citizens, to move here to take up employment.

In the absence of an entitlement to Irish citizenship or successful application for long-term residency, non-European Economic Area (EEA) nationals will have to apply for an employment permit. Knowledge of our employment permit regime may be required of a much wider range of organisations. The gaps in the employment law regimes of Britain and Ireland could also grow more pronounced over time.

Sexual harassment and bullying have acquired a new relevance. Mr McCrann says that the laws and codes are already in place to deal with problems that may arise. The real issue may be around awareness and enforcement.

It is all about culture. Is the management team walking the talk ? He cautions that some bullying and harassment policies may, in fact, be too detailed and technical. Organisations need to be aware of culture, as well as policies, Mr McCrann says. The key goal for employers is to ensure that they can be seen to have taken such steps as are reasonably practicable.

So what does this entail? A general grievance procedure or informal open door procedure will not suffice. Specific polices must be put in place and be kept up-to-date.

And employers may be exposed to legal actions, under the principle of vicarious liability, if an offensive working environment is permitted. The Labour Court has stated that sexually explicit remarks by co-workers could create such an environment.

As the economy picks up speed, there is greater focus on the gender pay gap, estimated at 14%, and rising close to 40% in the case of pensions.

Mr McCrann says that Ireland is now falling into line with the practice, elsewhere, of mandatory gender-gap reporting. Many organisations are wary of pressing ahead, concerned that they may be providing ammunition for litigants.

A right to equal pay exists under the Employment Equality Acts. Senator Ivana Bacik has introduced a private members bill, which would require organisations with fifty or more employees to publish information on gender differences in hourly pay, bonus payouts, as well as gender differences across pay bands.

The bill provides for fines of up to 5,000 for non-compliance. The Government has confirmed that the bill will be passed in its essence, subject to amendments. Organisations are advised to begin preparations by compiling inventories of employees and their histories.

The changes in the area of data protection have been discussed heavily across the media. Recent developments include the publication by the Government of an Irish Data Protection Bill, which sets out to describe the new data protection regime that will apply here from May.

Mr McCranns view is that this bill contains anomalies, and fails to cover important points that will need to be addressed.

For example, the bill, as framed, fails to make it clear how organisations can comply with their GDPR obligations, while ensuring full rights of expression and of access to information.

Employees will have the right to access data, as well as to ensure the protection from prying eyes of such information.

The bill allows individuals to bring data protection actions. A new Data Protection Commission will have much stronger powers of supervision and enforcement than those currently vested in the Data Protection Commissioner, whose functions it will now absorb.

One can only hope that the EU has not managed to unleash a bureaucratic monster on us, while, at the same time, acknowledging that the data explosion is itself creating a whole set of obligations, which data-holders must abide by.

The Protected Disclosures Act has now been in force for over three years. One only has to follow events at the Charleton Tribunal of Inquiry to realise that added protections for individual whistleblowers are required.

A recent survey, by the UK law firm, Freshfields, indicates that managers are pretty ambivalent. Half of the respondents still believe that concerns about reputation and career prospects will prevent people from blowing the whistle on malpractice.

There appear to be few indications that the 2014 act has been followed by an upsurge in disclosure activity. One outcome of the financial crisis, and the ageing of the population, has been the gradual rise in the State pension age. This, in turn, has led to an upsurge in legal challenges to enforced retirements brought by employees affected. In December, for example, the High Court upheld a challenge, by a Dr Quigley, to moves by the HSE to retire him against his will.

Terence McCrann lists some other interesting judgements on the issue of mandatory retirement. The key is that employers must take steps to ensure adherence with the updated Code of Practice on Longer Working. Employers seeking clarity must ensure that reference to a particular retirement age is incorporated into peoples contracts.

All requests to work longer should be carefully considered. Objective criteria for the assessment of such requests should be in place. The framing of fixed-term contracts for such situations should be considered.

One thing is clear. The days when management  and, in particular, HR managers  could ride by the seat of its collective pants, with regard to relations with employees, are long gone.

The legalisation of human resources has arrived with a vengeance.A travelling roadshow will be making its way around the country in a bid to encourage more female entrepreneurs.

The event will kick off in Waterford on the 26th of March and will then move to Dublin, Cork, Limerick, Killarney and Roscommon.Dingle Distillery co-founder Liam LaHart tells Trish Dromey the company is ready to go global.

A west Kerry distillery is aiming to make the Dingle Peninsula as famous for its craft whiskey as it is for its wild rugged scenery, its characterful pubs and its friendly dolphin.

The shipping of its first consignment of whiskey to the US next month is set to be a milestone event for Dingle Distillery, which produced its first whiskey in a tin shed in Dingle in winter 2012 and went on to develop and sell Dingle gin and vodka.

The companys third release of single malt whiskey next month will be significantly larger than previous ones, and according to company co-founder Liam LaHart, is an indication that the company has built up sufficient stock to seek some global attention.

Whilst Irish whiskey is now enjoying unprecedented international popularity, and sales of all nationalities of gin are soaring, this was not the case when the idea for a distillery in Dingle was first mooted in the mid 2000s.

It was suggested by Oliver Hughes, one of the three co-founders of the Porterhouse Brewing Company, which had been brewing craft beer since the 1990s.

When he suggested distilling whiskey in Dingle I thought of the problems of distance and logistics, since its a

four-hour drive from Dublin. I thought of the cash flow problems caused because of the fact that you cant sell whiskey for a minimum of three years after distilling it, said Mr LaHart who because the recession was still biting, predicted doom and gloom.

But he and co-founder and distiller, Peter Mosley were persuaded of the merits of distilling whiskey in Dingle by Mr Hughes who came up with a creative crowdfunding plan to raise the necessary finance.

In 2011 they announced the Founding Fathers  a plan to pre-sell 500 casks of craft whiskey. Although all they had at this point was an idea, Mr Hughes used his persuasive powers to sell all 500 and raise 3m by 2011.

This gave us a premises, a distillery and cash flow for our first year, said Mr LaHart, adding that Mr Hughes came up with a second plan to generate a revenue stream to keep the company operational while it waited for the

whiskey to mature.

This involved distilling vodka and gin  we thought we would make a lot of vodka and some gin, since

gin wasnt very popular, he said pointing out that the timing was perfect, since it turned out that a gin revival was just about to happen.

The new company set up operations at a former sawmill, a corrugated iron building overlooking Dingle bay.

We purchased equipment from Scotland, sourced malted barley from Irish farmers and started distilling in December 2012.

Mr LaHart believes it was the first purpose built distillery to be built in Ireland in over 100 years. The first casks laid down were used for the Founding Fathers but since 2013 the company has been laying down casks which can be sold when ready or left to mature further.

Since 2012 Dingle Distillery has raised 2.5m in EIIS (Employment Incentive and Investment Scheme) funding. Its staff has grown from four to 15 and is set to reach 20 by the end of the year.

The company has been selling gin in Ireland since 2012 and exporting it to the US since 2016.

We now have a new bottling line and gin still and plan to quadruple production capacity, said Mr LaHart.

Through sales of gin and vodka, and two earlier releases of whiskey on the Irish market, Dingle distillery has,

according to Mr LaHart, been growing turnover by 30% to 40% each year.

He says the company is now self-sufficient but is looking for 2m for its latest plan  to develop a state-of-the-art visitor centre.

Although the banks refused to lend to a distillery he thinks they could look more favourably on this proposal  a visitor centre in one of Irelands most popular tourist destinations, where tourists can go on a rainy day.

Plans for this year include fundraising for this expanding gin production and developing exports.

Said Mr LaHart: This year we will sell in the US, the UK and Germany and we will send a shipment to Asia in September.

His long-term aim is to see Dingle Whiskey selling around the world.Parliamentary democracy is not a bad system, but it has many in-built limitations. Arguably, the chief among these is the difficulty of planning for the long-term, long-term meaning longer than beyond the next election, writes Brian Keegan.

The need for long-term planning has rarely been more important. But very few modern-day political leaders manage to survive for multiple terms of office, and even when they do, they rarely manage to hang on beyond a decade. Because of this, ministers tend to focus on the short-term, its what wins elections.

Pension policy is not short-term and doesnt win elections, although it can contribute to losing them. With an ageing population and a lower number of workers paying social insurance in the future, the pressure to fund state pensions for pensioners who are also living longer is immense.

For most people a pension is not a fascinating subject. Rather, it is something they might prefer not to have to think about, because it is an acknowledgement that the vitality which enables them to pursue their successful work lives doesnt last forever. So, when we see a government roadmap for a topic like pensions, like the one that was published last month, it has to be taken with a grain of salt. Governments launch major pension initiatives every few years. These are long on aspirations, but are rarely delivered upon.

Removing the obligation on retirement to buy a fixed income called an annuity was one such change. Most people can now decide to take more of their money in funds which can be dipped into as required, rather than locking money up in long-term commitments.

Thats not to say that there isnt some good material in the pensions roadmap, even if its not all entirely original. The best idea is auto-enrolment. That is the notion that private sector workers should have to opt out of making a pension contribution rather than opt in as is now the case. The roadmap promises a consultation, with possible implementation of auto-enrolment sometime in 2022.

Even if we accept the most optimistic predictions for the duration of the current government, thats well into the term of the next government. Auto-enrolment is particularly important now because it will be harder in future to sustain the current levels of the contributory state pension due to the growing worker/retiree imbalance.

Another good suggestion in the roadmap is that the benefit of pensions provision and the options for people, if doing so during their working career, could be better publicised.

It is undeniable that despite the sound logic for people making their own pension provision, and the significant tax incentives, the level of take-up of private pension funds is too low. That suggests a need for better marketing; a need that will be accentuated if auto-enrolment is to become a reality.

We need to think of pensions less in terms of grinding obligation and more in terms of savings for the whole of life. Ireland is not averse to saving. The SSIA scheme, which ran in the early years of the century, showed that if people are offered clear structures and incentives for saving, they will save. The same can and should now be done for retirement savings.

Brian Keegan is director of public policy and taxation at Chartered Accountants IrelandAn advertising campaign aimed at luring businesses to cross the Channel after Brexit has been banned from London Underground stations.

The ad urged entrepreneurs worried about the UK's withdrawal from the EU to "vote with their feet".

It was commissioned by the Normandy Development Agency, which promotes economic growth in the region in northern France.

But Transport for London (TfL) refused to run the ad because it "did not fully comply with our advertising guidelines".

TfL does not allow images or messages which "relate to matters of public controversy or sensitivity".

The Normandy ad featured a mock-up of a fictional newspaper with the headline: "British business owners can now vote with their feet and leave post-Brexit fears behind."

The campaign, created by London-based creative agency Splash Worldwide, will still run in British national newspapers in the coming days and will be displayed on a bus touring Birmingham, Bristol, Cambridge, Manchester and London.

Herve Morin, president of Normandy Regional Council, said: "Brexit gives Normandy a unique opportunity to welcome British businesses who decide to stay at the heart of the European Union.

"The Brexit deal might not happen tomorrow, but British entrepreneurs are given the choice to decide for themselves if they want to expand their companies in Normandy."

- PAInternational hotel chain, Vienna House, is considering a move into the Irish market. It is taking on alternative accommodation providers, such as Airbnb, writes Geoff Percival.

The Austrian company  owned by Thai real estate developer, U City  is broadening its appeal to the modern traveller, via a new brand that offers more than just a hotel room. A range of accommodation choices  hotel room, family rooms, studio apartments, even office space to rent  will be offered under one roof.

The new Vienna House R.evo brand is described as a tribrid model, incorporating elements of hotel, hostel, and serviced-apartment accommodation. The first of the new properties will open in Munich, later this year, and the group has short-term plans to open in Glasgow, Bangkok, Budapest, and Hamburg.

The initial focus is on centrally located sites, in mid-to-large sized cities, and the company is also looking at Dublin, as a potential location. It is likely to expand through a franchise, rather than a centrally-owned model.

Vienna House, which was acquired in early 2017 by U City, for nearly $350m, already operates 34 hotels, but these are all under its more mainstream product offerings and are located in central and eastern Europe in Slovakia, Russia, Romania, Poland, Austria, Germany, France, and the Czech Republic.

Vienna House R.evo is the way people are today  mobile, uncomplicated, curious, and open-minded. Technology has changed us, and it is time that we give these new ways of life the space they deserve, said Vienna House chief executive, Rupert Simoner.

Construction is scheduled to begin this year. Demand is high, and we are already looking at other openings.

The aim is to conclude up to three projects a year with the Vienna House R.evo brand, he added.

Tourism accounts for 4% of the Irish economy, when measured in GNP terms, and the sector is the States largest indigenous employer. However, while hotel visitor numbers remain on the up  despite a drop in UK visitors, due to Brexit uncertainty and a weakened sterling  the Irish Hotels Federation has warned against complacency and called for more targeted investment to help develop new and engaging products.

Recent figures proved demand for alternative accommodation sources is strengthening; by showing that Airbnb generated around 500m  through users spending habits  for local economies around Ireland in 2017. The company said it is spreading tourism benefits beyond traditional hotel areas.

Nearly 90% of Airbnb guests seek out the companys accommodation listings for holiday or leisure stays, rather than for work.If the problem is that politicians do not obey the current Constitution, then writing a new one is no solution to that problem. Politicians who ignore the current Constitution would ignore a new one, unless of course it allowed them to do as they please and then theyd follow it.

The dangers are many, and euphemistic sounding reasons for another Convention convince constitutionally uneducated citizens of the need for a Balanced Budget Amendment (BBA). Few Americans have read the actual BBA bill, which would change our constitution and legalize the already unconstitutional spending by Congress, and when Congress couldnt meet the budget because of their spending, theyd simply raise taxes on the American people. The Constitution lists the enumerated powers by which Congress is limited in its spending , the BBA Amendment changes those enumerated powers.

Article V of the Constitution includes two methods for proposing amendments. The first and only method used for 27 amendments thus far empowers Congress to propose an amendment, whenever two thirds of both houses shall deem it necessary.

The second method for proposing amendments, which has never been used since the original 1787 Constitutional Convention (Con-Con), is through a convention called by Congress on the application of the legislatures of two thirds of the several states. Once 34 state applications are received, Congress is bound to call a convention for proposing amendments.

Article V tells of two modes of ratification. The amendments proposed by Congress or at a convention, can only become part of the Constitution once theyve been ratified by the legislatures of three fourths (38) of the several states, or by conventions in three fourths thereof, as the one or the other mode of ratification may be proposed by the Congress.

Advocating Constitutional Change

Conservatives, such as Mark Levin and Sean Hannity, who advocate for a Con-Con fail to understand that once Congress convenes a convention, it cannot be undone, and no predetermined rules or limitations, adopted by either Congress or the states will have any bearing on what the convention delegates may choose to do or propose. Link The delegates would have free latitude to propose any changes they see fit, including the writing of an entirely new constitution, along with changes to the mode of ratification, in order to guarantee the adoption of their amendments. It would be a runaway convention and it is not without historical precedent.

Throughout American history there have been those who wish to rewrite our U.S. Constitution. Link In 1943, it was a Chicago lawyer for Marshall Fields and Time, in the 1960s it was Senator Everett Dirksen, and we came close to a convention in the late 1980s. Now in the 21st century we are again faced with those on the left and right advocating for another convention.

In his book, Six Amendments: How and Why We Should Change the Constitution, (2014), former Supreme Court Associate Justice John Paul Stevens, who wrote the dissenting opinion in the Supreme Courts Citizens United case, proposes to change the Second Amendment to read:

A well-regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms when serving in the militia shall not be infringed.

The addition of these five words essentially allows for the criminalization and disarming of homeowners and law-abiding citizens.

Stevens, appointed by Gerald Ford, would also change the First Amendment to limit political speech, change the Eighth Amendment to forbid the death penalty, and change the Tenth and Eleventh Amendments to end sovereign immunity for the states and absolute immunity to state and local elected officials when they dont follow federal laws.

Warnings from Statesmen

On November 2, 1788, James Madison, the Father of our Constitution, wrote a letter to G.L. Turberville when he was asked how he felt if another General Convention should be called. Here is a portion of his letter, written only a year after the 1787 Constitution:

"An election into it would be courted by the most violent partizans [sic] on both sides; it would probably consist of the most heterogeneous characters; would no doubt contain individuals of insidious views, who under the mask of seeking alterations popular in some parts but inadmissible in other parts of the Union might have a dangerous opportunity of sapping the very foundations of the fabric.

Having witnessed the difficulties and dangers experienced by the first Convention which assembled under every propitious circumstance, I should tremble for the result of a Second, meeting in the present temper of America, and under all the disadvantages I have mentioned."

In Federalist No. 49, Madison warns against a convention to correct breaches of the Constitution. He said the legislators who caused the problem would get themselves seats at the convention and would then be in a position to control the outcome of a convention.

In Federalist No. 85 (last paragraph), Alexander Hamilton said he dreads the consequences of another convention because the enemies of the Constitution want to get rid of it.

Our first US Supreme Court Chief Justice John Jay wrote that another convention would run an extravagant risque. (obsolete spelling of risk)

US Supreme Court Justice Arthur Goldberg reminds us in his September 14, 1986 editorial in The Miami Herald that at the convention of 1787, the delegates ignored their instructions from the Continental Congress and instead of proposing amendments to the Articles of Confederation, wrote a new Constitution; and that any attempt at limiting the agenda would almost certainly be unenforceable.

US Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia said on April 17, 2014 at the 1:06 mark of this video.

I certainly would not want a constitutional convention. I mean, whoa! Who knows what would come out of that?

Convention supporters ridicule these warnings as fear mongering. And they quote law professor Scalia in 1979, before his decades of experience as a Supreme Court Justice, to prove otherwise.

Any intelligent person must seriously consider these warnings from these brilliant men. James Madison, Alexander Hamilton, Justice Jay, Justice Goldberg, Justice Burger and Justice Scalia understood the plenipotentiary powers of delegates to an Article V convention.

The Historic and Dangerous Legal Precedent

The only historic precedent for a Constitutional Convention occurred in 1787. The 55 attending delegates were tasked with the sole and express purpose of revising the Articles of Confederation (AOC). Article XIII of the AOC stipulated that any alterations made to them must be unanimously confirmed by the legislatures of every State.

Both these mandates were exceeded. The delegates chose to replace the Articles with an entirely new federal Constitution. They altered the mode of ratification from being confirmed by the legislatures of every State, in Article XIII of the AOC, to the legislatures of three fourths of the several states, or by conventions in three fourths thereof, in Article V of the new Constitution. On September 13, 1788, with only 11 of the 13 states having ratified the new Constitution, the Continental Congress passed a resolution that it had been ratified. The new Constitution replacing the AOC was adopted before being confirmed by the legislatures of every State, as Article XIII required. With such precedent, who can say this will not happen again?

The 55 attending delegates to the 1787 Convention

a) ignored their pre-set limited agenda; b) trashed the entire existing government; c) wrote a new constitution; and most important, d) (to assure adoption of their new constitution), they ignored existing ratification requirements, wrote new ones, and used the new rules to bypass the state legislatures.

A second Con-Con hasnt been held in 231 years because of what happened in its only historic precedent. There is nothing to stop a second convention from doing everything the first did.

Tactics of the left are being used to try to pass a Convention of States", funded by secret donors who have hidden agendas. There are wealthy globalists who do not like our Constitution for many reasons.

The first thing liberals would do in an Article V convention is to attempt to repeal the Second Amendment, with additional attempts to insert into the Constitution a right to taxpayer-funded abortion and gay marriage.

Progressive Education

Its interesting to note that these folks pushing another convention often refuse to debate those who know the historic precedents and documents of our founders, but when they do, they always end up failures in the public forum.

We must realize that progressive education has destroyed academic education, and it happened long ago, other than in a few hundred private schools and among home schools, academic teaching is gone. Eliminating the US Constitution and American history from education started in the late 1960s.

Progressive education does not believe in moral, religious or cultural absolutes, but rather only believes in questioning those absolutes and replacing them with relative truths, i.e., convenient lies. Indeed, we need to consider whether the proponents of progressive education have always been intending to make a clean sweep of traditional values and start with a new set, as C. S. Lewis put it in his 1943 book, The Abolition of Man.

America is shifting from a nation governed by a Constitution to a nation governed by an agenda. What the agenda is should matter to people who love their freedom. It doesnt matter whether Republicans or Democrats are in power, the agenda keeps moving forward either way, directing us all toward what is touted as a more enlightened, a more socially conscious, and a more open and tolerant society. Link

Unfortunately, our children are learning nothing of freedom and liberty, our heritage or Constitution, what they are learning is a socialist agenda.

ConclusionUS rapper Eminem took to the stage last night at the iHeart Music Awards with a politically charged performance.

Alongside Kehlani, Eminem sang Nowhere Fast from the music stars new album Revival.

The 45-year-old opened the song with a new chorus hitting out at the National Rifle Association in the wake of the Parkland school shooting in Florida last month.

Sometimes I don't know what this world has come to, it's blowing up | This whole country is going nuts | The NRA is in our way | Theyre responsible for this whole production | They hold the strings, they control the puppet | And they threaten to take away donor bucks so they know the government won't do nothing | And nobody's punching, gun owners clutching their loaded weapon | They love their guns more than our children.

This isn't the first time Slim Shady has gotten political.

In 2017 he launched an attack on Donald Trump calling him a 'racist grandpa' in a freestyle rap at the BET Hip Hop Awards.

Eminem was introduced on stage by fellow Detroit artist Big Sean who was joined by Alex Moscou, a Parkland shooting survivor.

Before welcoming Eminem to the stage, Moscou spoke about the shooting and hit out at politicians' failure to act on gun control.

"On February 14, a gunman armed with a legally purchased semi-automatic rifle, murdered 17 people at my high school - Marjory Stoneman Douglas in Parkland, Florida," said Moscou.

We are tired of hearing politicians send their thoughts and prayers to us and doing nothing to make the necessary changes to prevent this tragedy from happening again.

"School is a place where we should feel safe and if those elected to represent us won't do what's right to keep us safe then we are going to be too loud for them to ignore.

"We're marching in Washington DC on March 24 for all of our fellow students and for the victims and survivors of gun violence in every community. From New Orleans to Chicago, Baltimore or Detroit. Where ever you are, we hope you will join us."Sweetest Thing is a rather popular U2 song with a very memorable video.

Reportedly written by Bono as an apology to his wife, Ali Hewson, for missing a birthday - it was originally a B-Side which was released as a single in 1998.

The video features Bono taking Ali on a carriage ride with a number of celebrities appearing, including Boyzone.

And Boyzone featuring in the video is an interesting twist because Ronan Keating has today confirmed that the band TURNED DOWN the chance to record Sweetest Thing when U2 offered it to them.

Keating was speaking on RTE2FM with Eoghan McDermott when he dropped the bombshell.

McDermott had asked Keating about the rumours of Ed Sheeran and Sam Smith writing songs for Boyzone's upcoming album.

"Ed's written a song," stated Keating. "And everything going to plan it's going to make the record. It's sounding amazing.

"There was some Sam Smith songs floating around, I don't know what happened but we don't have a Sam Smith song on the album.

We turned down U2 when they gave us the Sweetest Thing back 20 years ago and that was a huge mistake, so if Ed Sheeran gives us a song, we won't be turning that one down

McDermott, as surprised as the rest of us hearing the news, asks Keating if it is really true.

"I know, ridiculous," says Keating. "I don't know what happened, how it happened. It was offered to us. Sweetest Thing was offered to Boyzone.

"Wherever it came about, it didn't work for us, or it didn't sound right or whatever happened. And we didn't end up recording or releasing it.

Keating said he didn't know if it was public knowledge or not previously but said they had spoken about it before.

So there ya go - Boyzone turned down U2. Who'd have thought?

Probably for the best, though. U2's video is pretty great.

Keating was appearing on the show to talk about the Irish Pride Pink Loaf Campaign which is all in aid of the Marie Keating Foundation.

Have you made the #deliciousdifference yet? Pick up your pink loaf and help in the fight against cancer. The Hi-Fibre Plus is now available in stores across Ireland with a donation from each sale going straight to @MarieKeating #pickpink and make the #deliciousdifference pic.twitter.com/DEemeLenxd  Marie Keating Foundation (@MarieKeating) March 11, 2018

Irish Pride has launched a Hi-Fibre Plus loaf and they will make a donation to the Marie Keating Foundation for every loaf sold.

You can listen to Keating's full interview below.A Garda Detective Sergeant has lost his appeal aimed at halting a disciplinary probe over a single vehicle accident in which the official vehicle he was driving while on duty was written off, writes Ann O'Loughlin.

Det Sgt Joseph Higgins, stationed at the Special Detective Unit in Dublin, suffered a brain injury as a result of the accident which happened about 2am at Exit 2 of the N2 northbound motorway in Finglas on June 15, 2012.

He has made a full recovery since, the Court of Appeal noted.

Following an investigation by the Garda Traffic Unit, it was confirmed the vehicle being driven by the Sgt had rolled onto its side, impacted heavily with the central median barrier and was written off as beyond repair.

He was later charged with failing to report the accident and failing to keep the vehicle at the place of its occurrence. He denied the charges and provided medical evidence to the effect he suffered a brain injury which affected his judgment and he was not in full command of his facilities at the time.

He was acquitted by the District Court but was later informed a separate disciplinary investigation under Garda Regulations of 2007, which had been initiated in 2013 but put on hold pending the District Court case, was proceeding.

He was informed the investigating Superintendent wanted to interview him in relation to one charge  failing to secure official property in the vehicle.

He sought judicial review but the High Court dismissed his challenge in March 2016.

In his appeal, the core claim was that a disciplinary inquiry, in light of his acquittal, was oppressive and in breach of Article 8 of the 2007 regulations.

Giving the Court of Appeal judgment, Mr Justice Gerard Hogan, with whom the court president Mr Justice Sean Ryan and Mr Justice Michael Peart agreed, said Article 8 contains a prohibition on disciplinary proceedings provided two conditions are satisfied.

The member affected must show the disciplinary matter involves inquiring into the same issues of which they were acquitted and that it would be unfair and oppressive to continue the inquiry in those circumstances.

The view of the Garda authorities whether both conditions were satisfied was not final because that assessment was ultimately for the court to make, he said.

He ruled the proposed investigation would not breach the first part of the test because the charges of which Det Higgins was acquitted did not include a charge of failing to secure the vehicle, thus ensuring public property belonging to the employer within it was not stolen or compromised.

Depending on the assessment of such evidence, the Garda authorities may discontinue any such investigation if they concluded it would be oppressive to continue it, the judge stressed.

On those and other grounds, he dismissed the appeal.Reports that Russian spies are targeting Irish tech-companies, are to be raised in the Dail.

The Labour Party says the claims are 'deeply disturbing'.

Party Leader Brendan Howlin is calling on the Taoiseach and the Justice Minister to make a statement on the issue.

"How serious do the Irish authorities take those reports and what specific agencies of the State are investigating them and have we the capacity to ensure that any such interference is identified in this country and how can we counter any perceived threats like this?" asked Mr Howlin.

"I think that we can be very complacent in this country because we are a small nation on the periphery of Europe that somehow events that affect other countries don't affect us.

"But there are deeply disturbing reports about Russian-sponsored activity in Ireland and I think it is important for our government and particularly for the Minister for Justice to make a very clear statement about the state of knowledge of the government on a number of issues."

Digital DeskA descendant of Amhran ha bhFiann composer Peadar Kearney has launched High Court proceedings against a fund-appointed receiver seeking the return of items including an original copy of the national anthem signed by the composer, writes Ann O'Loughlin.

The action has been bought by Lorcan Bourke against receiver Anne O'Dwyer of Duff Phelps Ireland Ltd who he claims took charge of the property where he had operated Bourke's Bar at Catherine Street, in Limerick City until its closure in 2014.

The original copy of Amhran na bhFiann had been on display at the Limerick pub.

Mr Bourke, represented in court by Richard Kean SC is a great grand nephew of Peadar Kearney who wrote the lyrics of the national anthem.

At the High Court today, Mr Kean said Mr Bourke is very concerned about the whereabouts of what are very valuable items that had been on display in the bar.

The items include the signed copy of Amhran na bhFiann, which has been in Mr Kearney's family for many years. The copy was dedicated by Peadar Kearney to Mr Bourke's grandfather Lorcan Bourke.

The copy is an important family heirloom and is extremely valuable, counsel said.

Other items of value which were on display in the pub include two framed pictures with the lyrics of "The Fields of Athenry' and 'Dublin in the Rare Auld Times' autographed to him by his relative through marriage, composer Pete St. John.

His client had been in talks about getting items that had been in the bar returned to him, but has been unable to get them back, counsel said.

Mr Bourke had attended at the property last September and had assumed he would be allowed take what he says are his possessions with him.

Counsel said while inspecting the premises, several items were allegedly missing and a security official that met with his client made it clear to Mr Bourke that no property was to be removed.

Mr Bourke is concerned the items may be sold if the receiver is not prevented by the court from doing so, counsel said.

His client's concerns were heightened because he believes the premises have been sold and will reopen at St Patrick's Day under new management, counsel said.

In his proceedings against the receiver Mr Bourke seeks injunctions restraining the receiver from selling his chattels in the pub until the case has been resolved.

He also seeks declarations, including that any sale of any of Mr Bourke's items is null and void, and damages.

In a sworn statement to the court, Mr Bourke said the pub closed in 2014 after the firm he had leased the premises from got into financial difficulties.

Despite always paying his rent on time and running a successful business he was not able to renew his lease due to the premises owner's difficulties with its bankers.

Following the closure, Mr Bourke said he remained in contact with the relevant parties in regards to getting his items, or chattels returned to him.

He said his former landlord's debts were acquired by a fund called Penture Property Finance DAC, who he said appointed Ms O'Dwyer as receiver over the premises in January 2017.

He said following the pub's closure, he had to move to Dublin out of economic necessity. Arranging for the removal of all of his items in the pub was extremely difficult.

He said he had left the matter in the hands of professional advisors and had kept in contact with the relevant parties about the items.

He said when he inspected the premises last September that several items appeared to be missing and he does not know where they are.

As well as the framed song lyrics, he said he does not know where other items in the bar that belong to him are - including a grandfather clock, enamel pub signs, bar equipment, sound and light system and furniture.

He says he does not know where many of the items, including the signed copy of the national anthem, are currently located.

The matter came before Mr Justice David Barniville who, on an ex-parte basis, granted Mr Bourke permission to serve short notice of the proceedings on the receiver.

The Judge agreed with Mr Kean that it would not be appropriate in this matter to grant any orders until both sides have been heard by the court.

The case will come back before the court next Wednesday.

- Irish ExaminerA former Anglo Irish Bank executive has told a jury he was shocked at the hostile and aggressive reaction of the regulator to transactions with Irish Life and Permanent as he believed the regulator was aware they had taken place, writes Sarah-Jane Murphy.

Matt Moran, former chief financial officer at Anglo, was being cross examined today at David Drumm's conspiracy to defraud trial, at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.

On Day 36 of the trial, he agreed with Brendan Grehan SC, that during a regular meeting at the financial regulator's office he was suddenly being asked questions as if the regulator knew nothing about the transactions.

I didn't expect the matter to be brought up in such a strong manner by the regulator, he said.

This meeting took place on January 12 or 13, 2009, the court heard.

Mr Moran said following the meeting, he contacted Mr Drumm, who had by this time left Anglo, and asked him about the regulator's awareness of the transactions with ILP.

Mr Drumm replied to you very swiftly after you made the enquiry? Mr Grehan asked the witness.

Mr Moran agreed. The jury viewed an email from Mr Drumm, stating that all minutes of meetings reflected that balance sheet would be managed over year end, adding that this was common practice in all banks, credit crunch or not.

Mr Drumm wrote that he was happy ILP wouldn't let him down and said you have to show access to get access.

Mr Moran told Mr Grehan that he took this to mean that a bank had to engage in transactions with other counterparties in the market in order to create a positive effect.

Mr Drumm's email advised Mr Moran to check the minutes of September 2008 meetings

that he had attended with Horan and Neary at Dame Street and told him to talk to Willie McAteer as he had also been present.

My memory is it was all about funding and what we were going to do. It was focused on the loss of customer funding, he wrote.

Mr Drumm's email said he recalled that at the wrap up at the end of a meeting, Mr McAteer informed Con Horan that Anglo would be doing balance sheet management over year end, and mentioned taking in some short term deposits.

Mr Drumm wrote that the regulator referenced the situation in Italy where Italian banks were working together, and said while this was fine in theory, the reality was the two big boys wouldn't help us.

Mr Moran agreed with Mr Grehan that this was a reference to AIB and Bank of Ireland.

Mr Moran told the jury that he made a note following a conversation with Mr McAteer in September 2008, and recorded the regulator as saying fair play to you Willie in response to the issue of Anglo's balance sheet management.

Mr Drumm ended his email by telling Mr Moran that both the Central Bank and the regulator were fully aware of all problems facing and on what the bank was doing to protect itself.

If they insist on killing the bank with this for no reason to try and protect themselves I will go public on it, Mr Drumm wrote.

When asked by Mr Grehan what would have happened had the transaction with ILP not gone ahead Mr Moran said it would have been negative for Anglo.

He agreed that it could have been fatal and lead to a total loss of confidence in the bank.

It would have demonstrated people were not willing to engage with Anglo, he said.

Mr Drumm, with an address in Skerries, Co Dublin, has pleaded not guilty to conspiring with former bank officials Denis Casey, William McAteer, John Bowe and others to defraud depositors and investors at Anglo by dishonestly creating the impression that deposits in 2008 were 7.2bn larger than they were.

He has also pleaded not guilty to false accounting on December 3, 2008, by furnishing information to the market that Anglo's 2008 deposits were 7.2bn larger than they were.

The trial, now in its sixth week, continues before Judge Karen O'Connor and a jury.It is understood that a number of items of interest have been found during the search for Tina Satchwell in Cork.

Gardai investigating the disappearance of the 45-year-old began the search of a site in Castlemartyr last week.Update 6.24pm: A total of 5m of funding is to given to the HSE to speed up the discharge of patients.

Some 714 patients were on trolleys and wards this morning, a new high of patients without a bed.

John Conaghan from the HSE says all non-urgent surgeries are being cancelled for the time being.

"We're very keen that those patients who require urgent operations such as cancer, etc., proceed as normal," he said.

"Each local decision is made in conjunction with clinicians, about which patients are the most urgent, which patients need to be seen quickly.

"So that's the kind of decision that's best left at the local level. But all non-urgent operations are cancelled."

Earlier:'This could have been avoided': Record numbers waiting for hospital beds

Update 1.45pm:The General Secretary of the INMO Phil Ni Sheaghda has said the situation with 714 people waiting for beds in the country's hospitals could have been avoided.

She said: "I wrote to (the HSE) last Monday (March 5) saying the health services would not return to normal for two weeks after the storm (and asking) can you please put plans in place to make sure you're only dealing with absolute emergencies?

"They took the view they would leave it to each hospital and the situation developed over the week, (with numbers on trolleys) rising every single day. Again, we corresponded with them saying 'you have to intervene. this is not good enough.'

"Today, we have 714 (people waiting for a bed)."

Earlier:There are 714 people waiting for beds on trolleys or in wards in Irish hospitals today, according to the latest figures from the INMO.

University Hospital Limerick is the highest with 80 people waiting on a bed.

It is followed by University Hospital Galway (45), Cork University Hospital (43) and Tallaght Hospital (40).

There are 15 children waiting on a bed in paediatric hospitals. There are 7 at Temple Street Children's Hospital and 8 at Our Lady's Children's Hospital, Crumlin.

It comes as over 600 people were waiting for beds every day last week.

INMO Trolley/Ward Watch 12/03/18

714 Patients

513 on ED trolleys

201 on wards #trolleywatch https://t.co/NmpGN2LjpA pic.twitter.com/lViMtCs9Sj  Irish Nurses & Midwives Organisation (@INMO_IRL) March 12, 2018

Added 1.30pm:Fianna Fail Health Spokesperson Billy Kelleher has described the latest INMO figures, as absolutely deplorable.

Last week was the worst week ever experienced for Emergency Department overcrowding. Today we are seeing the worst day ever. It's truly shocking, he said.

Not only are the figures themselves completely unacceptable, but the length of time that patients are being kept on trolleys is extremely worrying. I have heard reports of a 64-year-old man having spent 109 hours on a trolley in Tallaght hospital - that's over four and a half days. This is surely some breach of human rights?

The Minister for Health and the HSE have completely failed people this winter. It is now the middle of March and the situation is actually getting worse.

It is critical that the capacity review, published earlier this year, is acted on as a matter of urgency. To have 714 people awaiting admission shows the distance we need to go before our health system is able to cope with the demands that are being put on it. A population that is getting progressively older means that these problems are not likely to go away soon and the Minister must act without delay.Update - 2.29pm: New trees, public benches and 32 fountains representing every county in Ireland are among the plans for a vehicle-free College Green in Dublin.

An Bord Pleanala is hearing submissions from Dublin City Council on plans for a new civic plaza that will prevent all traffic from travelling east to west.

Green Party Councillor Ciaran Cuffe says the plans are exactly what the capital needs.

He said: "It's about time that we took a little bit of space away from traffic and gave it back to the pedestrian.

"I think it'll be a really child-friendly space, there'll be trees, seats, events and programming. I think it'll be a fantastic initiative."

But objectors say the plan is bad news for local businesses and commuters.

David McGuinness from Tiomanai Tacsai na hEireann says recent changes to the Luas Cross City were always going to increase traffic.

Mr McGuinness said: "I think they should have thought of that before they put a tram through the city centre. They are talking about planning in the city.

"We knew there were going to be problems once the Luas went down, that's why we offered alternative routes for the taxi sector through College Green.

"Unfortunately, they don't seem to want to listen to us."

Dublin City Council says the plaza will prioritise pedestrians first, followed by cyclists, then public transport, creating a world-class space for the 21st century.

Independent Councillor Mannix Flynn disagreed, saying: "This is chaos being created by appallingly bad planning by Dublin city council and by the NTA."

7.18am: Oral hearing on proposed Civic Plaza at College Green begins

Plans for the Civic Plaza at College Green in Dublin City Centre are to be discussed today.

The An Board Pleanala Oral Hearing will get underway this morning.

It comes as taxi drivers are set to be banned from travelling through College Green southbound at peak-times from today.

"We are totally disappointed in this. We were hoping that it would be put back," said Irish Taxi Drivers' Federation President, Joe Heron.

"We have asked for a meeting with the minister to discuss this whole situation and we were hoping that it would be put back for a week so instead of today it would be this day next week if it was going to happen.

"Our problem with it is that they have given us no alternative route."

Digital DeskLimerick Council has been accused of acting like a police state by those opposed to CCTV.

A group of legal experts claim new cameras set up around the county to cut crime rates could violate privacy rights.Candidates for Illinois House seats led the crowd, including Marilyn Smolenski, Ammie Terrell-Kessem, Amanda Smith-Biela, along with Jim Dodge running for Illinois Treasurer.

Chicago Republicans were out in force Sunday marching up Northwest Highway in Chicago for Saint Patricks Day. The Northwest Side GOP Club had several vehicles plastered with campaign signs with over 70 people walking alongside, having a fun time time.

GOP gubernatorial primary candidate Jeanne Ives was at Chicago's Southwest Irish Parade, which ran at the same time 25 miles away. Ives was well represented with her signs and widespread support on the Northwest Side. Some people are expecting an extremely close race Tuesday in the Republican primary between Bruce Rauner and Jeanne Ives.

President Donald Trump was also well represented, as many were wearing Make America Great Again hats.

Just eight days till Election Day as early voting continues now. Election day is Tuesday, March 20, 2018. More information on the Chicago Northwest Side GOP Club on Facebook and at their website: https://nwsgop.com/

Mark Weyermuller is a small business owner, real estate professional, and conservative activist in Chicago. He is a citizen journalist and regular contributor to Illinois Review. Mark can be heard weekly on the radio in a "man on the street segment" at 2:31pm as a regular guest on the Stephanie Trussell Show heard Saturday afternoons 1-3pm on the 50,000 watt WLS-890-AM.A 34-year-old man died of blood loss due to a nosebleed described by a doctor as torrential, writes Louise Roseingrave.

Joao Carlos Araujo (aged 34) from Elton Court in Leixlip, Co Kildare died at Connolly Memorial Hospital in Dublin in July 2016.

These are usually spontaneous, they just occur. There seems to be no real reason behind them, state pathologist Prof Marie Cassidy said of the fatal nosebleed

Consultant in emergency medicine at Connolly Hospital Dr Niamh Collins said she had "never seen anything this extreme".

Mr Araujo, originally from Portugal, went to the emergency department twice on July 6, 2016, the day before his death. Dublin Coroners Court heard he told staff hed heard a hissing sound in his right ear before the bleeding began.

He first arrived in the emergency department at Connolly Hospital at 9.10am.

He was discharged at midday after the bleeding stopped without intervention.

He returned to hospital at 12.50pm. This time he was spitting blood and doctors inserted a nasal pack to stop the bleeding. Doctors contacted an Ear Nose and Throat specialist who advised the nasal pack be left in place for between one and two hours with observation of the patient following removal of the pack. The bleeding stopped and Mr Araujo was discharged with the advice that he should contact his GP or go to Beaumont Hospital if required.

He stayed at home overnight and the bleeding continued, according to his partner Marcia Pereira.

He was really tired, full of pain, unable to eat. He had a headache, she said.

Ms Pereira said her house was full of blood stains as the bleeding continued through the next day.

There were drops of blood all over the house.

At 6pm that evening she saw her partner collapse, with blood coming from his nose and mouth.

She phoned an ambulance. Mr Araujo was rushed to Connolly Hospital in cardiac arrest. The emergency medical team battled to save his life for three hours.

The bleeding was torrential, it was like turning on a tap, despite him being in cardiac arrest, Dr Collins said.

She said the team did everything possible to save him.

"Other than blocking his artery, I had exhausted everything I knew how to do. Everything we did as a team, did not work."

The man was pronounced dead at 10pm.

All of us involved found his case devastating... I have never witnessed anything this extreme, Dr Collins said.

An artery at the back of the nose was identified as the source of the bleeding.

Prof Cassidy gave the cause of death as haemorrhage and shock due to a nosebleed with obstruction to the airway due to blood as a contributory factor.

The pathologist said the only other fatal nosebleed she had dealt with during her career was 40 years ago. Coroner Dr Myra Cullinane returned a narrative verdict setting out the facts of the case.Update 10.50pm: Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has said that he will consider a call from the former President Mary McAleese for an inquiry into the church's handling of child abuse allegations against Fr Malachy Finnegan.

Speaking in the US, Mr Varadkar said he would speak to the Minister for Justice and the Minister for Children about the matter on his return.

The case relates to allegations against the priest in the northern diocese of Dromore.

The Taoiseach said his understanding was that the issue relates to allegations in the North.

However, he said that some Catholic dioceses encompass both north and south, so the matter would need consideration.

"I saw some of the reports of it, and I know it was deeply powerful and has affected a lot of people," he said.

Earlier: Mary McAleese: My brother was sadistically abused by paedophile priest Malachy Finnegan

Former president Mary McAleese has called for an inquiry into child abuse allegations against Malachy Finnegan, former president of St Colman's Grammar School in Newry, Co Down.

Ms McAleese revealed that her youngest brother had been "seriously physically, sadistically abused by Malachy Finnegan" for the duration of his time attending the school.

Former President Mary McAleese says her younger brother was abused by Fr Malachy Finnegan pic.twitter.com/q00uoLxGfs  RTE News (@rtenews) March 12, 2018

Her brother only confided in her about the abuse recently, at the age of 49.

Speaking on Today with Sean O'Rourke, Ms McAleese said that her brother never told of the abuse he suffered "because that culture of silence was so oppressive and because these children were made so fearful".

She said that her brother is "so incredibly loved by all of us, to think that he suffered and never felt that he could tell anyone...for all the years he was there, and it was known.

So many people had to have known. So many people who could have done something about it, we know now that the very first complaints about Malachy Finnegan go back to the 1970s.

Ms McAleese called for an independent inquiry to be carried out into the allegations of abuse at St Colman's College.

Speaking this morning, Ms McAleese told that she has received neither an acknowledgement nor a reply from the letter she wrote to Pope Francis after the Vatican declined to approve her taking part in a conference in Rome.

The Voices of Faith conference moved to a location in Rome outside of the Vatican and Ms McAleese was the keynote speaker.

When a listener sent a text to the programme to ask if Ms McAleese would consider leaving the Catholic church due to the issue she has with it, she said she would not.

"I'm comfortably a member of the Catholic church, comfortably uncomfortable sometimes. It's my home, my spiritual home...I love my church."

You can listen to the full interview below:

Digital DeskNorthern Ireland Secretary Karen Bradley has said she is "minded" to cut the salary of members of the crisis-hit Stormont Assembly by 27.5%, but will consult the parties before making a final decision.

Mrs Bradley's predecessor James Brokenshire commissioned former Assembly chief executive Trevor Reaney to examine the controversial issue of paying MLAs who are not performing their roles as legislators due to the powersharing impasse.

Before Christmas, Mr Reaney recommended the 27.5% cut, a move that would take the average salary of 49,500 to 35,888 in two stages.

Mrs Bradley told the Commons she would seek to introduce legislation at Westminster that would hand her the power to vary MLA pay.

"Further to that, I am minded to reduce pay in line with the Reaney Review recommendation, but I would welcome full and final representations from the NI parties before I make a final decision," she said.

Mrs Bradley also announced that a cap to stem money paid out through the Renewable Heat Incentive - the botched green energy scheme that contributed to the collapse of devolution - would be extended for another year.

"I also intend to act to extend the cost-capping of the current Renewable Heat Incentive scheme in Northern Ireland, which the Assembly had put in place over a year ago," she said.

"It would not be acceptable to put finances at risk by simply allowing that cap to lapse."

Mrs Bradley said her powers as Secretary of State remained limited, as was the scope of Westminster to pass laws on devolved issues.

She said that meant fundamental decisions were not being taken in Northern Ireland.

Mrs Bradley said it would therefore be "irresponsible" for the Government not to consider "different arrangements" for the region while the impasse continued.

"Alongside this I also continue to keep under review my statutory obligation to call an Assembly election," she said.

"I would welcome the views and proposals of the Northern Ireland parties and others on how such arrangements - providing for local decision-making and scrutiny, on a cross-community basis - might be achieved in the continued absence of an executive. And how any such arrangements might work alongside the other institutions of the Agreement.

"Let me be clear that this in no way affects my commitment to the Belfast Agreement nor my commitment to continue to work to remove the barriers to the restoration of devolution."

Shadow Northern Ireland secretary Owen Smith said Northern Ireland faces a "grave crisis", 14 months on from the collapse of the executive.

He said: "We need to see more than more tireless activity, we need to see some success in the forthcoming negotiations if we're to get to next month's 20th anniversary (of the Belfast Agreement) with a real sense of optimism about the future of the agreement and the future of power-sharing."

Mr Smith raised questions about suggestions of a "shadow assembly" or another form of alternative assembly, suggesting it would create a "very significant risk" of taking the pressure off the parties to re-engage in "meaningful power-sharing".

He went on: "Can I urge (Ms Bradley) to make sure this is the last time we push through a budget in this unsatisfactory process and the last time we see a budget set by this House and not where it ought to be, in Stormont?"

- PABy Tom Tuite

A Dublin man has been remanded in custody after he was charged with the murder of Vincent Ryan during a shooting in 2016.

Paul OBeirne, aged 35, with an address at Colepark Drive, Ballyfermot, was accused of the murder of Vincent Ryan at McKee Road, Finglas, Dublin, on February 29, 2016, contrary to common law.

Mr Ryan, a 25-year-old father, was shot dead while sitting in his car.

Dressed in a navy tracksuit, Mr OBeirne sat silently with his arms folded during his hearing before Judge Victor Blake at Dublin District Court this evening.

Evidence of arrest, charge and caution was given by Detective Sergeant Gavin Ross of Finglas station. He told Judge Blake the accused was arrested at his home address at 2.36pm on Monday on foot of a warrant issued by the district court.

The warrant was then handed in to court.

Det. Sergeant Ross said Mr OBeirne was taken to Ballyfermot Garda station where he was charged.

The court heard he was handed a copy of the charge and in reply after caution said: Nothing got to do with me at all.

Det. Sergeant Ross confirmed the Director of Public Prosecutions has directed that Mr OBeirne is to face trial on indictment in the Central Criminal Court.

Bail in murder cases can only be granted in the High Court.

Det. Sergeant Ross applied to the court to remand Mr OBeirne in custody to appear at Cloverhill District Court on Friday.

Defence solicitor Padraig ODonovan consented to the Garda application.

Judge Blake adjourned the case for mention until March 16 for a book of evidence to be prepared.

Mr OBeirne was granted legal aid after his solicitor furnished the court with a statement of his means and told the judge he was on social welfare. There was no Garda objection.

Mr ODonovan told the court his client agreed to appearing via video-link at his next hearing.

- Digital DeskRichard Satchwell has denied that he was controlling in his relationship with his wife, Tina.

He said that people who knew the couple would never believe that he was controlling or jealous in his relationship.

Speaking to Neil Prendeville on Cork's Red FM this morning, Richard said: "Tina is not the type of personality to let anybody tell her what to do or control her. It's just not her"

When asked if he was ever jealous, Mr Satchwell responded: "Often if I was out and about and I saw something in a shop window that I thought would be Tina's style, it wouldn't matter how sexy it would be or anything like that, I would buy it."

Mr Satchwell also discussed the difficulties that arose in their relationship over the years including Tina's temper.

"She was a great woman and I've not got a bad word to say about her...She could have a flash temper.

She could be there and just hit you and then be crying, apologising. That's all it was. There was no intent.

When asked if he had ever hit Tina back, Mr Satchwell said that the most he had ever done was wrap his arms tightly around her until she had calmed down.

Tina had experienced mental health problems which Mr Satchwell has spoken about in recent weeks and he spoke about his own issues with depression.

He revealed that he "went away myself" in 2002 to the UK when he had felt depressed but said that he had kept in touch with Tina during that time, speaking to her on the phone every night and sending money to her.

Speaking about feelings of depression and suicidal thoughts that he has experienced since Tina's disappearance, Mr Satchwell said: "Pretty much I'm alone most of the time...I have felt depressed."

Mr Satchwell did not contact the gardai about Tina's disappearance until four days after she left their home for the last time.

He said that he has struggled with his decision and that he has questioned it since.

I question the way I handled it, obviously. Was I right? Was I wrong? My doctor says 'I think you were right to wait the four days...give her time'. I don't know if at some time Tina's been in to him and sat down and talked to him.

Neil asked about some of the decisions that Mr Satchwell made in the hours after Tina left their home including why he did not think to phone Tina's best friend.

Mr Satchwell said that Tina did not have her friend's number stored in her phone.

He said that the pair would meet almost daily and so would never call each other.

According to Mr Satchwell, this friend has said that she believes that Tina is alive and living in the UK.

He said that he does not think that Tina would have done anything to harm herself, saying that she "loved herself too much".

Mr Satchwell said that he lives in hope that Tina will return home one day and that he would not be angry with her.

He said that if he did not have that hope, he would have nothing left.

During the interview, Neil returned to a previous interview when Mr Satchwell said that he would be willing to take a lie detector test and said that there was a booking but the offer was declined.

"I've had no sleep in a week...I need a rest I need a break," Mr Satchwell said.

He explained that he had also promised "another person in the media" that if he took a lie detector test it would be with them.

You can listen to the full interview below:

Digital DeskThe Taoiseach has announced a scholarship for Choctaw native American students on a visit to Oklahoma, writes Elaine Loughlin.

Leo Varadkar officially thanked the Choctaw nation, whose ancestors provided relief to Ireland during the Great Famine and said both peoples have "sacred bond" which has joined us together.

In March 1847, the Choctaw people of Oklahoma collected some $170, which is the equivalent of several thousand dollars today, for famine relief in Ireland.

Taoiseach @campaignforleo has arrived at an event in Oklahoma where hell address members of the Choctaw Native American community. @rtenews pic.twitter.com/o9Hx42tfdI  Brian O'Donovan (@BrianOD_News) March 12, 2018

In a speech today, Mr Varadkar, who is the first Taoiseach to visit the Choctaw nation said: "Back in the nineteenth century, when the Irish people were oppressed, abused, neglected and degraded by our colonial master, at our lowest, your spirit of generosity was at its highest.

"You showed compassion to a starving people, who were dying in their hundreds of thousands, or about to embark on our own Trail of Tears across the Atlantic Ocean to seek a new life in Canada or the United States.

Members of the Choctaw nation perform a war dance for @campaignforleo #iestaff pic.twitter.com/YCkar7JF9f  Elaine Loughlin (@Elaine_Loughlin) March 12, 2018

Announcing the new scholarship scheme, Mr Varadkar said: "Our people also share a commitment to education as the single best means of building a better life for our children.

Members of the Choctaw Nation wait to welcome @campaignforleo to Oaklahoma #iestaff pic.twitter.com/HoawFSLsrQ  Elaine Loughlin (@Elaine_Loughlin) March 12, 2018

"So, I am delighted to announce today a new scholarship programme, a partnership between the Government of Ireland and the Choctaw Nation, for Choctaw students to study in Ireland.

"This is an opportunity for us to learn from you and from your culture, and you from ours, in a sharing of knowledge that will enrich both our peoples."

The first scholarship will commence in 2019.

Mr Varadkar added: "Our ancestors were joined together in a time of tragedy; our descendants will be united by a spirit of hope."

- Irish ExaminerNiall Horan kicked off his long-await Flicker World tour on March 10, at the INEC in Co Kerry, Ireland.

It is currently traveling through Europe before Oceania, Asia, and Latin America. It will then concluded on 23 September 2018, in West Palm Beach.

For those of you that have tickets to a date on the whopping 80-stop tour, heres what you can expect:

1. Screaming, lots of it

You got to remember, the last time One Direction played Dublin was in 2015. Therefore some superfans have been waiting three years to see their idols in the flesh again.

Be prepared.

via GIPHY

2. Covers

As this is Horans first album, he mixes the setlist up a bit with a few covers.

We wont ruin it for you, but heres a little snippet:

3. A One Direction song

For those wondering  yes, he popped one 1D song into the set.

4.. Crying

As a result of point 3.

4. For him to show off his piano skills

Since his X-Factor audition, Niall has been known as the guitar player of the group.

Well, he takes it up a notch by playing an unreleased song - yes, an unreleased song - on the piano.

5. To be proud of him

From that nervous 16-year-old who was shut down by Katy Perry on the X-Factor ...

 to the 24-year-old fronting his own sold-out World Tour.

Niall Horan, you know him, hes one of the Horans from Mullingar.Update - 1.20pm: Animal Rights organisation PETA has described Crufts as a "twisted beauty pageant for dogs".

The world-famous dog show ended in dramatic fashion last night when the live final was interrupted by two protesters which were wrestled to the ground.

PETA has claimed responsibility for the demonstration, calling for an end to "extreme breeding".

Its director Elisa Allen said: "We were there really to highlight what is a twisted dog beauty pageant.

"Crufts is a celebration of everything that's wrong with dog-breeding. It's an event that promotes and supports breeding dogs to look a certain way at the expense of their own health."

BREAKING FOOTAGE: Animal activists storm arena at #Crufts "Best in Show" to protest against extreme breeding  pic.twitter.com/j4NJrGkKNd  PETA UK (@PETAUK) March 11, 2018

12.31pm: Irish Greyhound Board says dog welfare tops their concerns after intruders storm Crufts

The head of the Irish Greyhound Board says the welfare of the dogs is their number one concern.

It comes after the live final of Crufts was dramatically interrupted last night when two animal rights protesters stormed the awards ceremony.

PETA has claimed responsibility, saying their members were protesting against "extreme breeding".

Gerard Dollard says greyhounds in Ireland are looked after throughout their whole career and beyond.

He said: "There are measures in place to ensure that the welfare of the greyhound is looked after all the way through their career.

"There is a very active group involved in rehoming greyhounds after their racing career, so over the next five years we would certainly hope to further expand in the animal welfare area."

11.23am: Crufts to review security after intruders storm arena as winner announced on live television

Two intruders stormed the arena as the winner of the Crufts dog show in England was announced on live television.

A man, who was named by Crufts organisers as a protester from the animal rights group Peta, was wrestled to the ground in the middle of the show arena, the NEC in Birmingham.

A female intruder was also wrestled to the ground by security staff.

Owner Yvette Short, of Edinburgh, had proudly stepped up to the podium with her Best In Show winner - a two-and-a-half-year-old whippet bitch called Tease - when the commotion unfolded.

Ms Short quickly grabbed Tease as several men ran down and cornered the protester in front of a startled live audience.

The crowd broke into applause as the intruder was taken away.

Crufts and the NEC Group said they would review security procedures as "a matter of urgency" as the scare had frightened the dogs and risked their safety.

A Crufts spokesman said: "It appears that protesters from Peta gained unauthorised access to the ring in the main arena at Crufts, and in doing so scared the dogs and put the safety of both dogs and people at risk in a hugely irresponsible way.

"Our main priority at the moment is the well-being of the dogs that were in the ring, who are looked after by their owners and show officials.

"The NEC Group have extensive security procedures in place at Crufts and we, along with the NEC Group, will be reviewing what happened as a matter of urgency."

Peta UK later tweeted a clip of the invasion and claimed activists were protesting against extreme breeding and carrying banners which said "Crufts: Canine Eugenics".

Breeders are churning out litter after litter of unhealthy pedigree puppies as thousands of healthy, adoptable dogs in animal shelters are denied their chance at a loving home  #Crufts pic.twitter.com/BcEEExd5Tp  PETA UK (@PETAUK) March 11, 2018

It said there were two intruders and named them as members of the Vegan Strike Group, which bills itself as fighters against animal abuse.

- Digital Desk and PAUpdate - 11.37am: Dozens of people have been killed after a passenger plane carrying 71 people from Bangladesh crashed and burst into flames as it landed in Kathmandu, Nepal's capital.

The death toll among those on board the US-Bangla Airlines flight remained unclear amid the chaos of the crash, with badly injured victims being rushed to nearby hospitals.

Nepal army spokesman Brigadier General Gokul Bhandari said 50 people had died and the fate of the others was unknown.

A police official said at least 38 people had died, 23 were injured and another 10 were unaccounted for.

An AP journalist who arrived at the scene soon after the crash saw the US-Bangla Airlines twin-propeller plane broken into several large pieces, with dozens of firefighters and rescue workers clustered around the wreckage in a grassy field near the runway.

Hundreds of people stood on a nearby hill, staring down at what remained of the Bombardier Dash 8.

The plane swerved repeatedly as it prepared to land in Kathmandu, said Amanda Summers, an American citizen working in Nepal. The crowded city sits in a valley in the Himalayan foothills.

"It was flying so low I thought it was going to run into the mountains," said Ms Summers, who watched the crash from the terrace of her home office, not far from the airport. "All of a sudden there was a blast and then another blast."

Fire crews put out the flames quickly, perhaps within a minute, she said, though for a time clouds of thick, dark smoke rose into the sky above the city.

The plane had circled the airport twice as it waited for clearance to land, Mohammed Selim, the airline's manager in Kathmandu, told Dhaka-based Somoy TV station by telephone.

10.57am: At least 38 dead after passenger plane crash-lands at Nepal's Kathmandu airport

At least 38 people have been killed and 23 others were injured in a plane crash in Kathmandu, with another 10 still unaccounted for, Nepal police said.

The plane, a twin-propeller Bombardier Dash 8 flying from Bangladesh, swerved repeatedly before it crashed, landing near the runway.

9:39am - Passenger plane carrying 67 people crash-lands at Nepal's Kathmandu airport

A passenger plane from Bangladesh crashed as it landed at Kathmandu airport in Nepal, an airport official said.

The US-Bangla aircraft was said to be carrying 67 people.

It was not clear if there were fatalities, but clouds of thick, dark smoke could be seen rising above the hilltop airport, which was immediately shut down.

The official said the flight was arriving from Dhaka, the Bangladesh capital.

Video shows firefighters at the site of a plane crash at Kathmandu airport in Nepal as the rescue operation continues. There were 67 passengers onboard, with 17 rescued so far. https://t.co/AUQEPjGPqw pic.twitter.com/lbfX2bhn98  ABC News (@ABC) March 12, 2018

He said the plane appeared to have caught fire just before it landed and skidded to a stop in a field beside the runway.

An employee who answered the phone at the US-Bangla offices in Dhaka said no one was available to talk.

PAiStock/Thinkstock(MIAMI) -- Several people, including one armed with a sledgehammer, allegedly attacked a fellow motorist suspected of hitting several cars with his SUV before fleeing, according to ABC Miami affiliate WPLG-TV.



Cellphone video captured some of the Sunday incident, which occurred on Biscayne Boulevard when a few drivers left their vehicles and tried to stop the SUV driver from leaving the scene.



One of those drivers can be seen wielding a sledgehammer, smashing the windows of the SUV. Another one pulled off the SUVs door handle.



"That's crazy, witness Anthony Jimenez told WPLG. You know, you have a crash, you stop.



But the man who used the sledgehammer may have taken it too far, Jimenez added. Ill call the cops and Ill try to chase him down, he said.



There were no injuries, according to Miami police, who advised motorists not to try to stop hit-and-run drivers.



Police eventually apprehended the driver of the SUV after he left the scene, WPLG reported.

Copyright  2018, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.Secretary of State's Meeting with Djiboutian Foreign Minister Mahmoud Ali Youssouf

Djibouti - Secretary of State Tillerson met with Djiboutian Foreign Minister Mahmoud Ali Youssouf in Djibouti on March 9 to discuss the U.S.-Djiboutian partnership, and exchanged views on bilateral concerns, security threats, and economic reforms.

The Secretary expressed appreciation for the Djiboutian governments support for refugees fleeing regional conflicts, and its role in providing humanitarian relief. The Secretary thanked Foreign Minister Youssouf for Djiboutis troop contributions to the AU Mission in Somalia, which advances regional peace and stability. The Secretary conveyed the United States appreciation to Djibouti for hosting U.S. military personnel.Trump administration officials have said there will be no more conditions imposed on North Korea before a meeting of the two nations' leaders.

The officials' comments followed the surprise announcement last week that US President Donald Trump has agreed to meet North Korea's Kim Jong Un by May.

"This potential meeting has been agreed to, there are no additional conditions being stipulated, but, again they - they cannot engage in missile testing, they cannot engage in nuclear testing and they can't publicly object to the U.S.-South Korea planned military exercises," deputy White House spokesman Raj Shah said.

Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said the summit would give Mr Trump a chance "to sit down and see if he can cut a deal" with Kim over the North's nuclear programme.

The president has been very clear in what the objective is here. And that is to get rid of nuclear weapons on the (Korean) peninsula.

The administration officials credited toughened economic sanctions imposed by the United Nations, and pushed by the United States, with helping bring Kim to the brink of negotiations.

"Our policy is pressure, is pressure from our partners and allies around the world, pressure to the United Nations, pressure through China, these have had an impact. It's impacted Kim Jong Un's behavior. It's impacted his conduct," Mr Shah said.

But some members of the US Congress said they worry that Mr Trump acted impulsively in agreeing to meet with Kim, before negotiators for both countries had a chance to set some goals the leaders could agree to.

"But the important thing is the diplomatic work that has to go in before such a meeting. A meeting like that would be kind of an afterthought after things are negotiated. Here it looks as if, you know, that's kind of the opening gambit. And that's a little worrisome," said Senator Jeff Flake, a frequent Trump critic.

The US and South Korea hold military manoeuvres every year. They were postponed during the recent Winter Olympics in South Korea. They are expected to be held in April, but no official announcement has been made about when they will take place. In an interview en route to the Middle East, US defence secretary Jim Mattis declined to discuss the timing and scale of the exercises.

Mr Mattis would not talk at all about the diplomatic push over North Korea's nuclear programme.

"When you get in a position like this, the potential for misunderstanding remains very high," he said.

Mr Mattis was among the advisers in the White House on Thursday when Mr Trump decided to accept Kim's offer to meet. The offer was relayed to Mr Trump by a South Korean government delegation that briefed the president on their meeting with Kim last week in North Korea's capital.

Mr Trump said he believes North Korea will abide by its pledge to suspend missile tests while he prepares for the summit. He noted in a tweet that North Korea has refrained from such tests since November and said Kim "has promised not to do so through our meetings".

"I believe they will honour that commitment," the president said.

Later, at a political rally in Pennsylvania, when Mr Trump mentioned Kim's name, the crowd booed. But Mr Trump responded: "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."

PAA judge has refused to dismiss a drug possession charge against actress Rose McGowan after prosecutors said they have additional evidence to bring forward.

McGowan's lawyers suggested the drugs may have been planted by agents hired by disgraced Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein to discredit her for making sex assault accusations against him.

She was charged with felony drug possession after authorities said cocaine was found in a wallet she left behind on a flight to Dulles International Airport in January 2017.

McGowan's lawyer said in court papers that the drugs could have been planted before the wallet was found by a cleaning crew. More than five hours passed between the time McGowan left the plane and the wallet being found.

At a hearing in Loudoun County General District Court, McGowan's lawyers argued for dismissal of the charges, saying that even if what prosecutors have alleged thus far is true, it is insufficient to sustain a conviction.

Her defence counsel said she should not be prosecuted in Loudoun County, because there is simply no point in time at which the evidence places Ms McGowan and the cocaine together in the same place.

At all times Ms McGowan has maintained her innocence. Unfortunately, Ms McGowans situation is complicated by the Harvey Weinstein machine.

In addition to the question of whether the drugs could have been planted during the time the wallet was unaccounted for, they have also argued that jurisdiction for a crime occurring on an aeroplane is only appropriate in federal court.

However, prosecutor Rebecca Thatcher said she has evidence beyond what has been cited so far in the charging documents.

Judge Deborah Welsh denied the motion to dismiss as premature. She said the issues are better addressed at a preliminary hearing scheduled for March 21, at which live testimony can be presented.

Prosecutors are not the only ones seeking additional evidence. Defence attorneys are trying to subpoena information from Instagram about the owner of an account who sent a message to McGowan after her wallet went missing, and before any charges against her had been made public, saying: "You left your wallet on your Saturday flight with your 2 bags of coke."

Defence attorneys have suggested the message may have been part of a harassment campaign by Weinstein.

McGowan did not attend today's hearing.Australia's obsession with tap-and-go has come with convenience for shoppers and extra costs for retailers but that might be about to change.

Under an arrangement that drew criticism from a parliamentary inquiry, tap-and-go payments cop higher fees than eftpos transactions using swipe or pin. The fees for tap-and-go are about four times higher than eftpos and work out to about an extra 40 cents on a $100 transaction for a merchant.

The House of Representatives Standing Committee on Economics recommended that banks offer a lower cost model starting from April 1.

That recommendation appears to have been largely ignored by the big banks but fintech company Tyro has now launched a product allowing merchants to access a lower fee for tap and go.A Fairfield Hospital doctor admitted its nurses were usually understaffed and that the night a baby died after her parents were forced to deliver her alone was an especially busy night.

Sam Amone was alone with his pregnant wife Sharon at Fairfield Hospital when their little girl was born with the umbilical cord wrapped around her neck.

Fairfield Hospital obstetrics registrar Chee Tan told a Coronial Inquiry on Monday that nurses were usually understaffed at the hospital, but that night on November 25, 2014 was especially busy.

An autopsy report said the baby's death was likely caused by "the toxic effects" of the drug Pethidine.Australian parents spend far less time helping their children academically outside school than those in other OECD countries, despite national calls for parents to do more to stem the country's declining results in national and international assessments.

On average, Australian parents spend 4.4 hours a week helping their children academically, compared to the global average of 6.7 hours and 7.9 hours in Singapore, the top-performing country in the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA), according to a new global survey of more than 27,000 parents across 29 countries, commissioned by the Varkey Foundation.

This is far less than India, the top-ranked country for this measure, where parents spend an average of 12 hours a week helping their children, but more than the UK, where parents spend 3.6 hours a week, and Finland, with an average of 3.1 hours.

Australian parents spend an average of 4.4 hours a week helping their children academically, far less than parents in other countries. Credit:AFR

About 27 per cent of the 1000 Australian parents surveyed said they spend no time helping their children academically, while 23 per cent said they spend between two and four hours a week, 18 per cent said they spend between four and seven hours, and 13 per cent said they spend more than seven hours a week.Dozens of homes and public assets, including a home ground of the St George Illawarra Dragons, are at risk from rising sea levels and inundation along the Illawarra coastline, according to a management plan drawn up by the Wollongong City Council.

The council's coastal zone management plan, part of which was gazetted by the Berejiklian government on Friday, identified Thirroul beach as being particularly exposed, with as many as 71 properties vulnerable.

Thirroul beach, looking south towards Wollongong, faces climate change threats, the council says. Credit:Chris Duczynski / Malibu Media

City mayor Gordon Bradbery said the council had engaged extensive studies based on a projected sea-level rise of 0.4 metres by 2050 and 0.9 metres by 2100.

The region also faced more intense rainfall events producing flooding run-off from the Illawarra escarpment, a range that comes within about half a kilometre of the beach at its closest.Nitrogen fertiliser is converted into nitrous oxide by soil microbes, creating a stable greenhouse gas that can reach the stratosphere, where the ozone layer protects the earth from most of the sun's UV radiation," she said. "However, once in the stratosphere, nitrous oxide is broken down by high energy radiation from the sun to become reactive nitrogen, which can deplete ozone." Dr Murphy said that last century, concerns about ozone depletion centred on "chlorine chemistry" (CFCs) because of the massive hole over the poles. "Now its nitrous oxide, which almost stopped the Concord from flying because they were worried about reactive nitrogen in the stratosphere." The ozone layer above Antarctica, with dark blue gradient indicating depleted ozone levels. Credit:NASA's Earth Observatory Nitrous oxide damage to ozone is ubiquitous, whereas damage from CFCs creates a hole during extreme weather years over the Antarctic, Dr Murphy said. Nitrous oxide was identified as the most damaging substance to the ozone layer in the 21st century by a 2009 study published in Science. That study also suggested one of the best ways to address the problem was to give insurance to Indian farmers.

"In India, particularly, theyre putting in 10 times more nitrogen fertiliser on their crops than they need to because if a crop fails they may starve," Dr Murphy said. "Insurance could pick up the loss." Robin Schofield, director of Melbourne University's environmental science hub, said UV in Australia should be trending downwards because factors such as surface ozone, which is contained in smog, is on the rise and there is evidence of a recovery of stratospheric ozone. The UV Index and skin cancer The UV index relates to the intensity of sunburn-producing UV radiation. Sun protection is recommended when the UV Index is above 3 in clear sky conditions. The higher the number, the more severe. 11+ = Extreme. Avoid sun exposure between 10am and 4pm due to extreme risk of harm.

8-10 = Very High. Unprotected skin and eyes may be damaged and can burn quickly. 6-7 = High. Protection against skin and eye damage is needed. Reduce time in the sun between 10am and 4pm. 3-5 = Moderate. Stay in the shade near midday when the sun is strongest. Moderate risk of harm. 1-2 = Low. There is a low danger from the sun's UV rays for the average person. Note: UV intensity can nearly double with reflection from snow or reflective surfaces such as water, sand and concrete.

Sydney's monthly average maximum UV index Credit:Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency Heather Walker, Cancer Council Australia's skin cancer committee chair, said UV is the most common cause of skin cancer but the council has not seen any evidence of a trend of more extreme or high UV days. "Queensland is the skin cancer capital of Australia and they get more UV all year round," Ms Walker said. Skin cancer rates continue to rise but look like they may be stabilising over the next few years in all age groups except for the under 40s." The continued high rate of skin cancer in Australia is partly due to the ageing population, because cancer is a disease of ageing, Ms Walker said. Brisbane average monthly maximum UV index. Credit:Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency"I always find beauty in things that are odd and imperfect - they are much more interesting" these word come from designer Marc Jacobs, the man who counts Sofia Coppolla among his dearest friends and muses.

When I met up with another beauty titan, Annie Ford Danielson, Benefit's Global Beauty Authority, to ask her what would be rating on the beauty radar in 2018 she referenced Jacobs. "A lot of models and brand representatives in the US are being chosen based on really unique characteristics," Danielson said.

"There is a strong backlash against trying to transform yourself into something that you are not." Credit:AP

"There is a whole new wave of imperfections being [seen as] the new perfect. Marc Jacobs just did it in his advertising campaign. Whatever you see in high fashion always has a trickle down effect."

Model of the moment Adwoa Aboah is the new face of Marc Jacobs Beauty. She runs a female-empowered website called Gurls Talk and is contributing editor to British Vogue. Having worked with Jacobs a great deal, she recently has modelled Jacobs's latest lip product (a crayon and liquid lipstick combination) with her distinctive brow-less look and a gold tooth nugget.Nadesalingam and Priya with their two children. Credit:Tamil Refugee Council

The Australian government's devotion to its inhumane and racist refugee policies continues, with a Tamil family living in Queensland the latest to be met with unfathomable violence and heavy handed tactics from Border Force officials.

Priya and her husband Nadesalingam, who have been in Australia on bridging visas since 2013 and 2012 respectively, have lived in the Queensland community of Biloela for several years. They have two daughters who were both born here, 2 year old Kopiga and 9 month old Dharuniga. In the early hours of the morning of March 5, the family was raided by police officers, Border Force officials and Serco guards. They were given just ten minutes to pack (an act bereft of compassion at the best of times, but particularly so when there are two infants involved) before being forcibly removed to the Melbourne Immigration Transit Authority (MITA) more than 1500km away.

A statement released by the Tamil Refugee Council reports that Priya and her husband were forced to sign voluntary deportation documents under threat of having not just their access to a phone removed (an essential tool of communication between them and their advocates) but also of being separated from one another and deported individually.

We are in house arrest here, Priya told the Tamil Refugee Council. We have to stay in our room. The children can't go outside. There are three guards outside the room. We are living as prisoners. The children are distressed and disoriented. They don't understand what is happening. My daughter is asking to go to her friends house in Biloela.Firefighters battling a bushfire at Oaks Estate say the blaze is under control.

Twelve units from ACT Fire & Rescue and the ACT Rural Fire Service are on the scene, which is about 200 metres north of the Oaks Estate low-level crossing.

A statement from the Emergency Services Agency said the fire was "under control and burning at a slow rate".

"The fire danger rating where this fire is burning is high," the statement said.

"Fires burning in high conditions can be controlled."A 26-year-old woman will face court next month after she was arrested for drink driving and leaving the scene of a crash over the weekend.

At about 11.15pm Saturday ACT Policing received a report of a possible drunk driver on Maribyrnong Avenue in Kaleen.

The driver allegedly swerved onto the wrong side of the road three times before running into a curb.

Earlier that evening police received information about the involvement of a similar car in a crash on Northbourne Avenue.

In this instance, a female driver fled from the scene without providing her details.Transport for NSW has defended bypassing usual independent reviews to fast-track $2 million in ads spruiking the features and vision of the WestConnex motorway because it deemed it information the public urgently needed to know, confidential briefings show.

Just months after focus group research found many voters viewed the $17 billion motorway cynically, the department invoked a loophole to fund the ads without usual mandatory independent economic review and approval by cabinet, documents released under freedom-of-information laws show.

Senior bureaucrats at Transport for NSW approved the ads, including animated shorts promoting WestConnexs features, benefits and vision, by invoking exemptions for campaigns relating to urgent public health or safety matters and other urgent circumstances.

WestConnex has been highly controversial in Sydney's inner west. Credit:Peter Rae

A spokesman for the department did not say why the ads were urgent or essential public information.Detectives investigating two decades of alleged ''horrific'' child sexual abuse at a Sydney boys' home more than 30 years ago say the case is so large the number of victims around Australia is unknown.

One man has already been arrested and further arrests are said to be ''imminent'', in relation to alleged abuse at the now-defunct Daruk Training School at Windsor, in Sydney's north-west.

The state facility housed juvenile offenders and troubled teens from 1960 to 1985 and was the subject of a number of historic allegations referred to police, following the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse.

The referrals prompted the formation of Strike Force Eckersley by investigators from the Nepean Police Area Command at the end of 2016.More than 46,000 people in NSW will be told they have cancer in 2018, official projections show.

The sobering forecast also predicted the number of new breast, lung, bowel cancer and melanoma patients who will be diagnosed across every Sydney local government area (LGA) this year.

The data, compiled by Cancer Institute NSW, confirmed the stark variations in cancer rates and cancer hot spots across local government areas, heavily influenced by the spread of wealth, ethnicity and lifestyle factors.

A total of 3295 women in Sydney are expected to be diagnosed with breast cancer this year, accounting for 57 per cent of all breast cancer diagnoses in the state.

Breast cancer rates are forecast to be highest in affluent LGAs, with Mosman ranking highest in greater Sydney. Roughly 36 new cases will be diagnosed in the wealthy neighbourhood this year or 170 patients per 100,000 people - 36 people - and 37 per cent higher than the NSW average.Former Nationals leader and champion of the pesticides authority's move to Armidale Barnaby Joyce has argued securing food supply is a reason for the relocation, and likened it to the First Fleet's landing at Botany Bay.

In a sign that the Coalition government intends to press on with plans to move other public service agencies from major cities, Agriculture Minister and Liberal National Party MP David Littleproud also called the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority's move a template for the decentralisation project.

Barnaby Joyce says food security is another reason for the APVMA's move to Armidale. Credit:Nick Fuller/ Armidale Express

Mr Joyce has previously said the APVMA needed to relocate to improve its performance, and has promoted its benefits for Armidale, but on Monday he focused on another advantage when announcing the agency's new site.

He said Australia needed to create centres of excellence to deal with the "incredibly noble task, which is the feeding of 10 billion people by around about 2050".Jason Stone was sleeping under a blanket in an inner-city Brisbane laneway when he died, run over by a rubbish truck collecting a load.

Brisbane City Council has now been blamed for failing to keep the lights on in the narrow laneway, contributing to the 45-year-old homeless mans death.

The Brisbane CBD laneway where a homeless man was run over by a rubbish truck. Credit:Jorge Branco.

It is understood the homeless man was sleeping under a blanket and the reversing driver did not see him until he felt a bump partway down the lane, next to Anzac Square, off Adelaide Street in the CBD.

The truck was a commercial operator, not a council vehicle, but Anzac Square management attributed the death to the lack of well-maintained lighting.After murdering a woman as she slept alongside her two ill daughters, Jacob Michael Smith took the eldest girl to her mother's bed and raped her, a court has been told.

The Brisbane Supreme Court trial heard after smothering or strangling the mother, Smith woke the 12-year-old and told she was going to become a woman.

He has pleaded not guilty to murder, rape, attempted rape, assault occasioning bodily harm and two counts of stealing over the alleged August 2014 attacks.

Before the attacks the mother and her daughters, who cannot be identified, set up a mattress in the lounge room of their home where they lay and watched TV as they dealt with gastro.

In the early hours of August 26, 2014, the 12-year-old girl was woken by voices and saw Smith lying behind her sleeping mother clasping a white cloth.A man who claimed to be asleep while his best friend was killed in his Brisbane unit has been found guilty of murder.

Throughout his Brisbane Supreme Court trial, Christopher Brian Newlove denied killing Paul Heron at Highgate Hill.

A Supreme Court jury found Christopher Brian Newlove guilty of murder on Monday. Credit:Robert Shakespeare

Newlove testified that before the fatal March 2015 attack, he passed out after taking 20 tablets of valium and drinking three-quarters of a bottle of vodka.

But when woken by a fire alarm he found Mr Heron's blood-stained body on his kitchen floor.Police have released images of four Irish tourists linked to a group of "scammers" accused of fleecing Brisbane restaurants and businesses of tens of thousands of dollars after 20 other Irish nationals left the country over the weekend.

The group of 20 left Australia via Sydney and took a number of flights before it was believed they ended up in Asia, Detective Superintendent Tony Fleming said.

Two of the alleged male Irish scammers sought by police. Credit:Queensland Police Service

He said while Border Force were aware of the Irish nationals leaving the country, in the country on tourist visas, police did not have enough evidence at that point to prosecute.

We werent in the position at that time to say they cannot leave the country, he said.A small Queensland town is fighting for the return of a family of Sri Lankan asylum seekers after the couple and their locally born children were taken into detention in Melbourne.

Nadesalingam and Priya with their two children. Credit:Tamil Refugee Council

More than 12,000 people have signed a change.org petition, created by a Biloela resident, after border force officials detained the mother, father and their two daughters last week.

It's understood Nadesalingam and Priya, both Tamils, came to Australia separately by boat in 2012 and 2013 following Sri Lanka's civil war, and settled in Biloela on a bridging visa, which expired last Monday.

"They have lived here for over three years and are a caring, hardworking family," petition creator Angela Fredericks wrote.Just over 16 degrees in the city now. Still dark grey clouds out the Express window as Melbourne sees its first rain in 41 days.

Top of 21 forecast for the day.

Major delays on the Craigieburn line due to a train with fault in the Ascot Vale area.

Delays too on the road at Deepdene where a burst water main has blocked Burke Road in both directions throughout the morning peak.

Have a great Tuesday. Express will be back from 6am tomorrow.Trinity Grammar students will wear brown arm bands and "smart casual" clothes to school on Tuesday in an act of defiance after the controversial sacking of their deputy principal.

Students at the prestigious boys school voted on the action on Facebook over the long weekend and will ditch their green and gold blazers to express their discontent over the dismissal of Rohan Brown, which has rocked the school community.

Rohan Brown, the former deputy principal at Trinity Grammar. Credit:Josh Robenstone

The looming stoush threatens to damage the private school's 114-year legacy, with the alumni association on Monday demanding the principal and school council stand down over dismissal of Mr Brown for cutting a student's hair.

More than 50 former captains and vice captains signed an open letter declaring they had lost confidence in the school council and were dissatisfied with principal Michael Davies.A crowd of 100 subcontractors rallied outside Dradgin's stalled Subi XO hotel development in Subiaco on Monday, outraged at not being paid for $5 million worth of work done on the site.

Builder Cooper & Oxley entered administration on February 8. Dradgin has stated that it too was owed money by the builder and that Dradgin will join subcontractors in the administration process to try to recover this money.

Workers had no choice in February but to break into the building site to recover their tools. Credit:Emma Young

Another major builder, Choice Living, folded in January owing millions. On February 22 news broke that yet another, BCL Group, was suspending trading leaving subcontractors hundreds of thousands of dollars out of pocket.

More than 150 subcontractors caught up in the Cooper & Oxley administration and many other builder liquidations sent identical letters drafted by Subcontractors WA to Premier Mark McGowan and Commerce Minister Bill Johnston on Monday.In a famous scene in an Indiana Jones movie, the hero is confronted in a Cairo marketplace by an intimidatingly large man who produces a scimitar and flourishes it expertly. He grimaces ferociously at Jones as the crowd falls back in awe. But Jones, unconcerned by this dramatic display, cooly draws his pistol, shoots the swordsman and turns to his next task.

In today's economic warfare between the US and China, America's President has reached for an ancient weapon suited for another era, the tariff, a weapon favoured in the 17th century campaigns fought in the name of mercantilism. He's brandishing it theatrically and the world media and markets are watching breathlessly. China is Donald Trump's primary target. The government in Beijing is unhappy with this threat and promises to respond if injured.

But, in truth, this will be a minor inconvenience for the Chinese. "China is obviously the dominant force in the world" producing no less than half all steel made worldwide last year, 10 times the US output, says commodities analyst Jim Lennon of London research consultancy Red Door. "It's a bit of a non-event because the US is such a small part of the world equation."

More importantly, China has already moved well beyond this antiquated trade warfare to a much smarter, subtler form of economic conquest. China amasses power and wealth around the planet with a neo-imperialist program of state-controlled investment.ACT Chief Minister Andrew Barr's comment that he "hates journalists" has been labelled a "brain snap" and likened to views once espoused by the disgraced former Queensland premier, the late Joh Bjelke-Petersen.

Mr Barr told an audience of communications professionals in Canberra last week that he "hates journalists" and was "over dealing with the mainstream media" to communicate with constituents.

Chief Minister Andrew Barr, whose comment that he apparently "hates journalists" has been labelled a "brain snap". Credit:Dion Georgopoulos

In the comments, leaked to The Canberra Times, Mr Barr also criticised the ABC and laid out plans for his government to try to bypass the "mainstream media".

Mr Barr and his ministers, Yvette Berry, Meegan Fitzharris, Mick Gentleman, Rachel Stephen-Smith, Gordon Ramsay and Shane Rattenbury, issued a joint statement, saying they respected the job journalists did, in providing news and analysis, and weren't seeking to subvert that.The federal government has curbed the power of the Senate to overhaul a new scheme that offers redress for victims of child sexual abuse, setting up a flashpoint over plans to cap compensation claims at $150,000 for each person.

The government will rely on state laws to set up the national scheme under an agreement struck last Friday with NSW and Victoria, giving states the ability to set the compensation terms despite any vote in the upper house in Canberra.

As a Senate committee hands down a report on how to help victims, the design of the new scheme gives states the power to reject calls in the federal political sphere for an increase in the compensation cap.

Labor social services spokeswoman Jenny Macklin and legal affairs spokesman Mark Dreyfus called last week for the cap to be raised to $200,000 because this was the figure recommended by the royal commission into child sexual abuse.

We dont want to see survivors of child sexual abuse short-changed, they said.An Oxford University expert says Australia would be $90 billion better off if it adopted European-style resource tax policies and argues the Turnbull government has given up on collecting a meaningful amount of revenue from some of its most valuable resources.

In one of a suite of new submissions to a Senate inquiry, Oxford Institute for Energy Studies academic Juan Carlos Boue warned unless Australia "radically overhauled its fiscal regime" it would have the second lowest share of government revenue from oil and gas in the world.

Australia is on track to eclipse Qatar as the largest exporter of gas by 2020, but is expected to only earn $600 million in 2018 - the same amount of revenue the government earns in beer tax every year - compared to Qatar's $26.6 billion.

Calling the result "a silver medal finish that no Australian should desire," Mr Carlos Boue, a former industry consultant, found Australia had an effective tax ratio of 21 per cent on gas resources, falling below the 35 per cent or more taken by the North Sea nations of Denmark, the Netherlands, Norway and Germany.Seoul: North Korean leader Kim Jong-un wants to sign a peace treaty officially ending the Korean war after meeting with US President Donald Trump, South Korean media has reported.

Kim is likely to raise the possibility of a peace treaty  a long-held goal of the North Korean regime  along with establishing diplomatic relations and nuclear disarmament, during a meeting with the US leader.

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. Credit:AP

The report, in the Dong-A Ilbo newspaper on Monday, cited an unidentified senior official in South Korea's presidential office. Trump agreed last week to meet Kim, although key details of the summit have yet to be decided.

Academic Koh Yu-hwan, who teaches North Korean studies at Dongguk University in Seoul, said the north wanted a peace treaty to end the more than 60-year-old ceasefire between the two sides and help guarantee its safety.London: It is highly likely that Russia poisoned former double agent Sergei Skripal with a military-grade nerve agent, British Prime Minister Theresa May says  and she has given the Kremlin 24 hours to rebut the claim before she takes extensive measures in response.

Should there be no credible response, we will conclude that this action amounts to an unlawful use of force by the Russian State against the United Kingdom, May said.

Though she did not outline what her response would be, Mays words suggest she would invoke NATOs principle of collective defence, in which an attack against one ally is considered an attack against all.

"This attempted murder using a weapons-grade nerve agent in a British town was not just a crime against the Skripals," May said.Latest News Prospa acquires Loanezi, appoints founder to new role Founder & MD to take over channel relations in QLD, NSW and ACT after buy out

New cheapest fixed rate in Australia as Greater Bank dips to 1.59% Strongest signal yet that lenders are not anticipating cash rate rise

A Victorian mortgage broker has received a permanent ban from ASIC after the industry regulator deemed him unfit to engage in credit activities.

Koresh Daniel Houghton, of Endeavour Hills, has been barred from being a mortgage broker and had his Australian credit license cancelled.

The decision comes six months after ASIC found Houghton had engaged in misleading, deceptive and dishonest conduct when providing financial services.

According to the commission, Houghton created false documents, submitted insurance application forms with incorrect information, failed to make reasonable enquires into clients individual circumstances and failed to conduct reasonable investigations into financial products that might achieve the objectives of the clients.

Houghton was also permanently banned from providing financial services as a result of the transgressions. He does, however, have the right to appeal to the Administrative Appeals Tribunal for a review of ASIC's decision.Sign up for our PoliticsNY newsletter for the latest coverage and to stay informed about the 2021 elections in your district and across NYC

Kings Countys top prosecutor must probe the medical history of the woman who last Monday killed two children after she ran a red light and collided with them in Park Slope before he can charge her, he said.

District Attorney Eric Gonzalez indicated that a seizure may have led Staten Island resident Dorothy Bruns to plow her Volvo sedan into the kids and their mothers, who survived along with another struck man, and said he is examining the motorists health records to determine whether her decision to get behind the wheel constitutes a criminal violation of the law.

Its a real tragedy, but we have to make sure this woman should have been driving in the first place, Gonzalez said.

Various reports citing anonymous law-enforcement sources indicate that Bruns, who fatally hit 1-year-old Joshua Lew and 4-year-old Abigail Blumenstein as they crossed Ninth Street at Fifth Avenue with the other victims, suffered from numerous medical conditions, including multiple sclerosis.

If true, the deadly crash mirrors a January 2017 incident in East Flatbush that left pedestrian and father Marlon Palacios dead after a driver diagnosed with multiple sclerosis plowed into him at high speeds on Linden Boulevard. Gonzalez charged that motorist with reckless manslaughter in February, after investigators alleged that his neurological disorder directly contributed to the crash  and that he ignored his doctors orders not to get behind the wheel because of his condition.

And the district attorneys investigators can now be expected to comb Brunss medical past to find out whether doctors issued her similar warnings before she drove into the victims, potentially issuing subpoenas to uncover documents that could be used against her, according to one personal-injury lawyer.

Theyre going to be talking to doctors, subpoenaing records, looking for documentation of that, said Daniel Flanzig, a Manhattan-based attorney who represents pedestrians and cyclists.

Prosecutors may also investigate whether Bruns suffered previous seizures or other debilitating episodes, and if she herself could have known that her physical health could affect her ability to drive, Flanzig said.

If you know with some reasonable degree that your ability to operate a vehicle is compromised, it can still rise to that level of being reckless, even without a doctor, he said.

But if the alleged seizure that caused Bruns  whose drivers licence was revoked by the Department of Motor Vehicles after last weeks collision at the urging of police  to lose control of her vehicle in Park Slope is deemed an isolated incident, the district attorney may find it harder to build a case, according to Flanzig.

Gonzalezs decision not to immediately charge Bruns after the deadly crash followed his similar reactions in the wake of other fatal collisions in the borough.

Last month, he did not charge the United Parcel Service trucker who hit and killed a 27-year-old woman crossing Ashland Place at DeKalb Avenue in Fort Greene, even though police said the victim had the right of way at the time of the incident.

In January, oil-truck driver Philip Monfoletto ran down 13-year-old cyclist Kevin Flores while behind the wheel of his big-rig in Bedford-Stuyvesant, killing the boy. Gonzalez slapped Monfoletto with a criminal-misdemeanor charge for operating the heavy-duty vehicle with a suspended license, but failed to bring felony charges against the trucker, whose license had been suspended nine times when the collision occurred  one suspension short of the 10 needed at the time of any arrest to warrant more serious consequences.

And last July, Action Carting garbage-truck driver Jose Nunez smashed into cyclist Neftaly Ramirez, killing him before driving away without alerting authorities. Separate investigations by the police and the district attorney, however, concluded that Nunez didnt know he ran over Ramirez, and the motorist walked away with a summons for driving the truck without the correct class of licence.

But the intense media attention generated by outrage over the Park Slope crash that killed young Lew and Blumenstein  and left the girls pregnant mother, Tony Awardwinning stage actress Ruthie Ann Miles, critically injured  may mean the difference between a slap on the wrist or a felony indictment for Bruns, according to Flanzig.

From my experience with district attorneys, they tend to be very responsive when theres a public outcry, the lawyer said. Youre not going to see Gonzalez back away from this.India's most wanted diamantaire, Nirav Modi, may have made a quiet exit from his Hong Kong business, documents accessed by India Today TV have revealed. Nirav Modi's Firestar International Pvt Ltd., which was registered as a non-Hong Kong Company, informed the country's authorities through their company secretary Suresh Kumar Bhutani that their company had ceased to have Hong Kong as a place of business.

According to 'The Notice of Cessation of Place of Business' accessed by INDIA TODAY, which was filed on December 12, 2017, but notified to Hong Kong Companies Registry on January 19, 2018, Nirav's firm ceased to have business in Hong Kong. This is the only company related to Nirav Modi which filed such notice recently. While other Hong Kong-based companies associated with Nirav such as Nirav Modi Ltd., Nirav Modi HK Ltd., Firestar Diamond Ltd. and Firestar Holding Ltd. don't have the diamond magnate as the director or as the person with significant control.

It can be speculated that India's number one jewel thief may have wrapped up his business in Hong Kong, and moved his money to another place, well before Indian investigative agencies could reach Though no formal announcement was made, a press statement issued by the registry read-"In an effort to enhance Hong Kong's regulatory regime for combating money laundering and terrorist financing, a new licensing regime for trust or company service providers, and new requirements on the keeping of significant controllers registers by companies took effect on March 1."

According to this new order, all 'Hong Kong companies, except listed companies, are required to ascertain and maintain up-todate beneficial ownership information by way of keeping a significant controllers register. The register should be open for inspection by law enforcement officers upon demand' the statement said. Clearly, the new laws adopted by the Hong Kong authorities would make it tough for people to hide their money behind shell companies.

According to documents accessed from Hong Kong authorities, Bankim Madhu Mehta, who holds Indian passport and lives in New Jersey, USA, is the sole director of Firestar Diamond LTD, and also holds the position of director at Firestar Holdings LTD. While Nirav continues to live in hiding, some of the foreign companies associated with him are witnessing restructuring.

According to documents accessed by INDIA TODAY, a French national named Angelina Nguyen, who is a director of Firestar International Limited, has recently resigned from the directorship of UK-based Nirav Modi LTD and Hong Kongbased Nirav Modi HK LTD. While 58-year-old Nguyen resigned from UK firm on March 5, 2018, her resignation to two of Hong Kong-based Nirav Modi related companies was received on of February 27 earlier this

year, indicating that the resignations happened days after the news of bank fraud came up. While the details of this notification is awaited, it's good enough to establish another restructuring in another foreign based Nirav Modi company. So, while brand Nirav Modi may continue to do business in Hong Kong and elsewhere, the man behind the brand might well be miles away, and the Indian investigative agencies will find it tough to trace Nirav's money as Nirav Modi himself.

Story was earlier published in Mail TodayFrench President Emmanuel Macron, who is on a four-day visit to India, joined hands with PM Modi to build the world's largest nuclear plant in India. The leaders urged Electricite de France SA and Nuclear Power Corp, India's atomic power producer to accelerate discussions on the project that has continued for a decade now already. Work on the project is likely to start by December at the site in Jaitapur, Maharashtra.

"Once installed, the Jaitapur project will be the largest nuclear power plant in the world, with a total capacity of 9.6 gigawatts," a joint statement by both the governments said. The leaders also "welcomed the understanding shared by the two parties on the enforcement of India's rules and regulations on Civil Liability for Nuclear Damages applicable to the Jaitapur project."

In 2009, Areva SA signed an agreement with Nuclear Power Corp. In 2016, after the restructuring of Areva, Electricite de France SA signed an agreement with India to supply six nuclear reactors at Jaitapur. EDF will carry on the research and purchase the components for two reactors, while some of these responsibilities would be given to local companies.

The French President also went to UP's Mirzapur to inaugurate a solar power plant of 100 MW. PM Modi had reached his constituency, Varanasi, to welcome Macron before leaving for Mirzapur. They were also accompanied by UP CM Yogi Adityanath.

The leaders also took a boat ride from Assi to Dashaswamedh Ghat in Varanasi before meeting artisans at the Deen Dayal Hastkala Sankul in Bada Lalpur.

Apart from this, the leaders also signed 14 pacts in areas ranging from defence, security to nuclear energy and agreeing to hold biennial summits between top leaders from both the countries.

The French President has also announced an additional investment of 700 million euros for global solar energy generation by 2022. Earlier, the country had pledged 300 million euros for promoting solar energy across the globe.The Prime Minister's Office (PMO) has called a meeting of top officials of the commerce and finance ministries on Monday to address the problem of GST export refund. The officials will discuss problems faced by traders in electronic filing. Traders have complained that they are unable to provide some of the info required while submitting the details in GSTN (Goods and Services Tax Network). The delay in exporters' refund under the Goods and Services Tax (GST) has turned into a serious problem with around Rs 10,000 crore stuck with the government, making many exporters, especially the smaller ones, struggle for working capital. Out of Rs 14,000 crore, only Rs 4,000 crore worth of refunds have been released so far.

The new tax regime was rolled out in July 1, 2017, but 70 per cent of the exporters' refunds have not been cleared yet. The Revenue Department says some errors have been found in forms submitted by exporters with the customs and the GSTN. The officials will thoroughly discuss the overall impact of the delay in refund for exporters and manufacturers. There are problems both at the GST authority's level, and at the level of taxpayers, say experts, adding that a part of the delay is caused by a slow roll-out of the GST returns process.

"A part of the slow deployment of the overall GST returns process has been due to non-availability of refund module (RFD-01) on the GST common portal, making the standard process for refund claims not possible," William Rau , Senior Director - Engineering, Avalara, a technology company that focuses on GST compliance automation. However, the biggest cause of the delay, experts say, is the error in filings.

Around Rs 10,000 crore stuck with the Central Board of Excise and Customs (CBEC) could be released only after the discrepancies in the details provided by exporters in the GSTN - while filing up the forms GSTR 1 or Table 6A or GSTR 3B - and the shipping bill details with the Department Of Customs could be addressed. According to the GST rules, a shipping bill filed by an exporter should be deemed to be an application for refund once both GSTR-1 and GSTR-3B are filed correctly. "The refunds are being stopped for even a mistake in putting a full stop. If there is mistake even due to rounding off of figures, the system would not allow refunds," says Rajat Mohan, Partner, AMRG and Associates Chartered Accountants.

Monday's meeting would be attended by Finance Secretary Hasmukh Adhia, Commerce Secretary Rita Teaotia, CBEC Chairperson Vanaja Sarna and top officials from the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT), the PTI reported citing sources. The DGFT, under the Commerce Ministry, is slated to make a presentation before the Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister on the pending refunds to exporters.

The GST Council in October last year had said that an e-wallet mechanism for refunds to exporters would be developed and had entrusted the DGFT to prepare required norms for the implementation from April, 2018. Under the e-wallet mechanism, a notional credit would be transferred to the exporters account based on their past record and the credit can be used to pay taxes on input. Exports during April-January 2017-18 grew by 11.75 per cent to USD 247.89 billion as against USD 221.82 billion in the year-ago period.

Some experts are saying the government is only talking about the delay in refunds (to the tune of Rs 10,000 crore) in the cases where taxes have been paid, but no one is talking about the delay in getting input credits to exporters where taxes have not been paid. This amount is said to be another Rs 10,000 crore, which also remains unpaid.01 Apr 2019, 12:14 PM

The relationship with France will help India grow in a big way: Suresh Prabhu

French President Emmanuel Macron's India visit has generated a lot of interest. Union Minister of Commerce and Industry Suresh Prabhu said France is keen on investing big in India, which will bring technology and wealth, and create jobs for the country's youth. Prabhu yesterday met a high-level delegation from France in New Delhi. India's "strategic partner" is a technologically advanced country, and the relationship with France will help the country grow in a big way, he added. Indian and French companies and government entities during this visit signed deals in New Delhi worth 13 billion Euro (over Rs 1 lakh crore) across areas like aviation, renewable energy and waste management.

PNB fraud: Overreaction may cause huge loss of confidence, says Assocham

Industry body Assocham has cautioned that overreaction by banks and the investigative agencies, in the backdrop of the PNB fraud, could hurt essential credit disbursement to the trade and industry and tamper growth expectations. It also emphasised that all efforts must be made by banks, regulators, government and India Inc to "limit the collateral damage from the alleged fraud in PNB". The chamber pointed out that one can learn from the US' experience of handling the global financial crisis of 2007-08, where the authorities worked at the root of their banking system and have put in place some robust risk mitigation and prudent system.

RBI turns up heat on lenders after $2 billion loan fraud

The Reserve Bank of India has asked commercial lenders to provide it with details of all letters of undertaking - a form of credit guarantee at the centre of an alleged $2 billion fraud - issued by them in the past several years, according to four bankers who have seen the directive. The regulator is mounting pressure on lenders, increasing its scrutiny and laying down deadlines for them to fix gaps in their systems, in the aftermath of the country's biggest bank fraud.

Jet Airways, Air France-KLM, Delta Consortium to Bid for Air India

Jet Airways, Air France-KLM and Delta Airlines have expressed interest in the disinvestment of national carrier Air India, according to sources in a report by PTI. Moving ahead with the strategic disinvestment of loss-making Air India, the government is expected to soon invite Expression of Interest (EoI) from the bidders. Jet Airways' possible bid for Air India by way of a consortium also comes less than four months after the Naresh Goyal-led airline enhanced cooperation agreement with the Air France-KLM Group. While a group of ministers are still in the process of finalising the contours of Air India stake sale, the civil aviation ministry has so far said that officially it has received expression of interest from at least no-frills carrier IndiGo and an unidentified foreign airline.

France plans to commit 700 mn euros to International Solar Alliance

Reiterating France's commitment to the alliance and clean energy French President Emmanuel Macron has said France will commit 700 million euros to the International Solar Alliance, according to a Reuters report. ISA is an inter-governmental organisation that aims to mobilise $1 trillion in funds for future solar generation, storage and technology across the world. The treaty-based organisation, launched by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2015, aims to promote solar energy in 121 countries.

Facebook, Twitter getting unpopular among millennials: Survey

The social-networking websites Facebook and Twitter are getting unpopular among millennials - a person reaching young adulthood in the early 21st century, according to a US-based market research agency, as reported by ANI. The Origin's survey has revealed that over 50 per cent of users between the ages of 18 and 24 had been "seeking relief from social media". 34 per cent of them had deleted their Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and dating app Tinder accounts entirely, the poll, conducted in last December revealed.In what could be a huge cause of concern for budget carriers IndiGo and Go Air, the aviation regulator DGCA on Monday grounded 11 A320 neo aircraft powered by a certain series of Pratt & Whitney engines following instances of engine failures during flights. Of these, 8 are operated by IndiGo and 3 by GoAir.

The decision came soon after an IndiGo flight encountered a mid-air engine failure forcing the Lucknow-bound flight to return to Ahmedabad, where it made an emergency landing this morning. The Airbus A320 Neo plane had 186 passengers on board.

Citing safety of aircraft operations, the DGCA said, A320 neos fitted with PW1100 engines beyond ESN 450 have been grounded with immediate effect. "Both IndiGo and GoAir have been told not to refit these engines, which are spare with them in their inventory," the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) said in a release.

The regulator would be in touch with the stakeholders and review the situation in due course and when the issue is addressed by European regulator EASA and P&W, DGCA added. Last year, DGCA had ordered detailed inspection of 21 Airbus 320neo planes of IndiGo and GoAir that are equipped with Pratt & Whitney engines, which have been frequently facing technical glitches.

India's largest airline IndiGo, which flies four out of every 10 Indians, has had to replace Pratt & Whitney engines on its 32 A320 Neo aircraft at least 69 times in the period May 2016-November 2017.

IndiGo says these are related to non-detection of chip, carbon seal lining or combustor chamber lining in Pratt & Whitney 1100 series engines. The airline calls these engine 'glitches' and 'non-safety' issues. Indigo's boroscopic tests (which are used to test defects or imperfections through visual inspection by a boroscope of aircraft engines and gas turbines, etc) detected these anomalies in 69 instances.

As per practice, the defective engines were replaced with other engines. Such engine replacement is typically done overnight. After the replacement, the defective engine is sent to the manufacturer to fix the problem. The planes continue to operate with the replaced engines.

On February 9, European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) had issued an emergency airworthiness directive for A320 neo planes fitted with PW1100 engines having a particular serial number. The directive followed instances of the engines shut-down during flights and rejected take-offs involving the A320 neo family aircraft.

On February 13, DGCA had said that it was monitoring engine glitches to ensure that safety is not compromised at any time.

On February 21, P&W said it has come out with a revised configuration to address the latest problem in some of its engines powering A320 neo planes.

Passenger aircraft manufacturer Airbus currently offers two engine choices for its Airbus A320 Neos - Pratt & Whitney Pure Power PW1100G-JM and the CFM LEAP-1A engines of CFM. In India, Pratt & Whitney has supplied its PW1100G engines to commercial airlines, including IndiGo and GoAir.

IndiGo and GoAir have ordered hundreds of A-320 Neos with P&W engines and are taking up the issue with the engine manufacturer and Airbus. Vistara and Air India A-320Neos have CFM engines.

Pratt & Whitney is an American aerospace company that manufactures both civil and military aircraft engines.Jolted by the magnitude of the Rs 12,600 crore PNB scam, the RBI has now asked all banks to provide it with details of the letters of undertaking (LoUs), a form of credit guarantee, issued by them to business entities in recent years.

The bank regulator has stepped up its scrutiny of banks in the wake of criticism by the finance ministry that regulators and auditors had not kept an adequate watch on the LoUs issued by PNB which had enabled rogue jewellers Nirav Modi and his uncle Mehul Choksi to swindle the bank of Rs 12,600 crore.

The RBI wrote to all banks a week ago asking for details of the LoUs they had written, including the amounts outstanding, and whether the banks had pre-approved credit limits or kept enough cash on margin before issuing the guarantees, a senior SBI official confirmed.

One of the sources said the regulator had asked for details of LoUs issued as far back 2011, while another said the deadline for banks to respond was earlier this week. The RBI will be scanning bank books to check whether there is any discrepancy that is being deliberately kept under wraps.

Importers use LoUs issued by their local bank to raise cheaper foreign currency loans overseas to fund purchases.

In the case of PNB, bank employees who have been accused of pulling off the fraud in connivance with companies controlled by Modi and Choksi, allegedly issued LoUs on behalf of the jeweller groups without any pre-approved limit or margin.

PNB has also claimed the employees intentionally did not enter the LoUs in the bank's core accounting system to prevent the alleged fraud from being detected.

In sweeping changes to bank protocols after the fraud, the RBI had asked banks to comply within strict deadlines on more than two dozen checkpoints, most notably to connect the SWIFT interbank messaging system with their core banking software by April 30.

Previous RBI letters had warned banks as early as in 2016 on technical loopholes that it said could expose the lenders to a heightened risk of fraud, but there was no indication of any fix on most counts.

A senior PNB executive said the bank found "procedural lapses involving paperwork" after scanning all its 250 branches that deal with foreign exchange, but added he did not expect its total exposure to the fraud to rise further.

A bank official said the RBI was focusing on trade finance in particular as most of the big banking frauds which were unearthed in the recent past, including the one perpetuated by diamantaire Nirav Modi and his associates, pertain to trade finance. Also, many of the cases of willful default are linked to trade finance.

Soon after the Nirav Modi case came to light, the CBI registered a case against a Delhi-based diamond jewellery exporter Dwarka Das Seth International for an alleged bank loan fraud to the tune of Rs 389.85 crore towards Oriental Bank of Commerce (OBC).

Dwarka Das Seth International availed various credit facilities from OBC between 2007-12. Also, in the Bank of Baroda fraud case of 2015, two Delhi-based businessmen cheated it of Rs 6,000 crore by using the trade finance mechanism.

Investigations in the Bank of Baroda fraud case also revealed major irregularities relating to trade finance as several forex transactions were done mainly via advance remittances for import, through newly-opened current accounts. Heavy cash transactions - sometimes four or five times a day - were also noticed.Europe's trade chief said talks with the United States on an exemption for the bloc from new U.S. tariffs would continue next week after a Saturday meeting had not brought clarity on the exemption procedure.

Talks with U.S. trade envoy Robert Lighthizer in Brussels were "frank", European Commissioner Cecilia Malmstrom tweeted on Saturday, but "brought no immediate clarity".

"As a close security and trade partner of the US, the EU must be excluded from the announced measures," she tweeted following the meeting. "No immediate clarity on the exact U.S. procedure for exemption however, so discussions will continue next week." (Reuters)

Source: www.businessworld.ieWhile the economy is improving, the ease at which Irish businesses can get the necessary funding to grow is worse than it was 2 years ago and represents the dominant barrier for new businesses.

This was the primary contention evidenced in a survey of over 250 business owners/managers throughout Ireland, carried out by Big Red Cloud, a supplier of online accounting software to the Irish SME market.

The survey asked respondents their opinion on what they believe are the primary challenges faced by entrepreneurs, as well as what the main hurdles faced by already established SMEs might be. The software providers then compared the findings with the same Big Red Cloud survey conducted 24 months ago.

The Big Red Cloud Business Sentiment Survey reveals that while both new and established business face the same business challenges, the level of difficulty and concern those challenges pose differs greatly between the two groups.

Fifty eight percent of respondents believe that lack of Government support, taxation policy and the meeting of regulation and compliance standards are stymying development in the sector. Thirteen percent of the businesses surveyed said staffing is the number one challenge for established SMEs.

Commenting on the research, CEO of Big Red Cloud, Marc O Dwyer said, "We need to nurture our emerging business sector. There are thousands of people out there who put their necks on the line every year in the hope of starting a commercial enterprise, that will not only provide them with income, but will also employ people in their region, and support other indigenous businesses. If supporting our established SMEs is a natural step in good fiscal planning, then encouraging our start-ups is the next piece of the puzzle."

Source: www.businessworld.ieThe French presidential agenda at the end of 2017 put Africa at the heart of French diplomatic efforts: President Emmanuel Macron closed the year by celebrating Christmas with the troops engaged in Operation Barkane in Niger. This trip closely followed a heavily business oriented trip to Burkina Faso, Cote d'Ivoire and Ghana. And 2018 opened with his first presidential visit to China. It is interesting to note that Macron went to China just after visiting Africa  because there is no doubt that Africa is one of the main domains on which the two countries have a pressing interest in cooperating.

It is an understatement to say that over the last decade, the Chinese breakthrough in Africa has become a source of anxiety and fantasy for French business leaders. The loss of markets, the difficulty of competing against an offensive supposedly based on the disregard for good governance and social dumping, not to mention pervasive environmental degradation... The worst has been said about the Chinese presence in Africa.

Fortunately, reality is evolving faster than our perception. France and China are already engaged in many forms of beneficial cooperation in Africa. Crises first brought the three regions together. The French and Chinese have very recently cooperated  and continue to cooperate  to fight Ebola, and China has provided strategic support for French intervention in Mali. France and China have also created a 300 million euro ($372 million) fund to be invested in Africa and Asia  with a goal to reach a total of 2 billion euros.

On the economic front, China and France also signed a joint statement in 2015 about investment in third markets, a first for China. The best sign that Franco-Chinese cooperation is succeeding in Africa is that the ability of both states to work together is gradually taking root in the private sector.

This type of alliance makes it possible to reap benefits from the expertise of each of the stakeholders: the Chinese company that buys the production, the shipping company that is responsible for exporting it, and the local operator that operates the mine on the ground. The Asian partners thus benefit from French professionals in-depth knowledge of local African realities, bringing valuable skills for the sustainable exploitation of the site. Guinea enjoys considerable tax revenues, estimated at several hundred million euros, while local communities benefit from tens of thousands of new jobs.

Today, China in Africa is an unavoidable reality. And, just as we cannot reduce Africa and its 54 countries to a homogeneous reality, we cannot sum up Chinas action in Africa to just a few Chinese companies. The areas for Franco-Chinese cooperation abound. In the energy sector, for example, China and France can provide alternative solutions (solar, wind, nuclear) to the African energy challenge. There are also opportunities for synergy in the health care sector, with global leadership by French pharmaceutical companies. Meanwhile, Africa imports immense amounts of medicine from China.

The future of French companies presence in Africa lies in increased cooperation with China, just as the durability of Chinas presence in Africa depends on its ability to learn from Western, and particularly French expertise, notably in francophone Africa. The key to this equation is to maintain a high level of dialogue, and strict transparency requirements, in the relations between the three partners.

It is based only on this condition that this innovative partnership will lead to more inclusive growth.

Frederic Bouzigues is managing director of the Societe Miniere de Boke, adviser for Foreign Trade of France in Guinea and consular advisor for Guinea and Sierra Leone.Step 1

Go to the Indian Air Force advertisement. Read the details of the position carefully.

Step 2

Scroll down to the bottom of the page to find the application format.

Step 3

Take a print out of it. Fill your particulars in the fields provided.

Step 4

Cover it in an envelope and send it to the address specified against the respective post.Step 1

Log on to the Karnataka Public Service Commission official website.

Step 2

Click on the Apply Online-Admission Ticket Download button on the home page.

Step 3

The list of vacancies for admission will be displayed on the screen.

Step 4

Click on the link to apply for Junior Training Officer post.

Step 5

The instructions to apply will be displayed on the screen.

Step 6

Check the box against declaration to acknowledge that you have read the instructions.

Step 7

Click New Registration button.

Step 8

The application form will be displayed on the screen. Fill your particulars in the space provided.

Step 9

Scroll down and enter the captcha code.

Step 10

Click on the declaration to confirm that the details that you have entered are correct.

Step 11

Click Submit.Yahoo has been ordered by a federal judge to face much of a lawsuit in the United States claiming that the personal information of all 3 billion users was compromised in a series of data breaches.

In a decision on Friday night, U.S. District Judge Lucy Koh in San Jose, California rejected a bid by Verizon Communications Inc, which bought Yahoos Internet business last June, to dismiss many claims, including for negligence and breach of contract.

Koh dismissed some other claims. She had previously denied Yahoos bid to dismiss some unfair competition claims.

Yahoo was accused of being too slow to disclose three data breaches that occurred from 2013 and 2016, increasing users risk of identity theft and requiring them to spend money on credit freeze, monitoring and other protection services.

The breaches were revealed after New York-based Verizon agreed to buy Yahoos Internet business, and prompted a cut in the purchase price to about $4.5 billion.

A Verizon spokesman had no immediate comment on Monday. A lawyer for the plaintiffs did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

The plaintiffs amended their complaint after Yahoo last October revealed that the 2013 breach affected all 3 billion users, tripling its earlier estimate.

Koh said the amended complaint highlighted the importance of security in the plaintiffs decision to use Yahoo.

Plaintiffs allegations are sufficient to show that they would have behaved differently had defendants disclosed the security weaknesses of the Yahoo Mail System, Koh wrote.

She also said the plaintiffs could try to show that liability limits in Yahoos terms of service were unconscionable, given the allegations that Yahoo knew its security was deficient but did little.

In seeking a dismissal, Yahoo said it has long been the target of relentless criminal attacks, and the plaintiffs 20/20 hindsight did not cast doubt on its unending efforts to thwart constantly evolving security threats.

Last March, U.S. prosecutors charged two Russian intelligence agents and two hackers in connection with one of the Yahoo breaches.

One accused hacker, Karim Baratov, a Canadian born in Kazakhstan, pleaded guilty in November to aggravated identity theft and conspiracy charges. The other defendants remained at large in Russia.

The case is In re: Yahoo Inc Customer Data Security Breach Litigation, U.S. District Court, Northern District of California, No. 16-md-02752.Liberian democracy took an important step forward in late 2017 when, for the first time in 70 years, its citizens saw power transfer from one democratically elected president to the next. Several Carter Center programs joined forces to help support a peaceful transition, and though the process was at times rocky, peace prevailed. Learn more about this historic election, the Carter Centers long-term programming in Liberia  including mental health, justice, and access to information efforts  and what the future may hold for Africas oldest republic.Photo: The Canadian Press

Workers at auto body shops deliberately damaged cars, installed used parts but billed for new ones, or invoiced for phantom repairs, according to an investigation by a Canadian insurer that is calling on government to help in curbing the problem.

Aviva Canada found about half the total expenses submitted for repairs to crashed vehicles during its investigation in Ontario were bogus  an amount the company estimates adds up to hundreds of millions of dollars a year.

"Nobody has ever really sampled the extent of fraud with any kind of accuracy," Gordon Rasbach, Aviva Canada's vice president of fraud management, said in an interview. "This is the first time in Canada that we're aware of that anyone has actually taken a sample, albeit a small one, at random, and used actual cases in progress to put some kind of numbers on it."

In its investigation  results are to be released on Monday  Aviva attempted to simulate typical fender-bender situations involving private passenger cars by deliberately crashing 10 vehicles.

The company had experts detail the damage and estimate repair costs, then kitted out the cars with hidden cameras and, at various times last year, put them on highways in the Toronto area. Investigators posed as hapless drivers just having gone through their first crash.

Rasbach said he was surprised only one repair outfit acted honestly. The other nine cases showed some degree of "clear cut" fraud, he said. While Aviva's experts had estimated total damage for the 10 vehicles at about $30,000, the repair shops invoiced Aviva for about $61,000, the company says.

Among other things Aviva says occurred were tow-truck drivers who billed for towing and storage that didn't happen, drivers who were asked to sign blank work orders, cars maliciously damaged at body shops, and shenanigans over repaired or replaced parts.

"The video footage and clear evidence of fraudulent invoicing shows just how pervasive the problem of fraud is," Rasbach said. "Honest consumers are the ones that are paying for it."

Insurance fraud eats into the bottom lines of companies like Aviva.

Industry estimates suggest between five and 15 per cent of premiums drivers pay for car insurance go toward covering undetected fraudulent claims. Aviva, whose own tactics in fighting legitimate claims have come under fire by the courts, says more has to be done to combat fraud. Among other things, it wants governments to force insurance companies to report and share information when fraud is identified.

"In Canada, insurers are not only not compelled to report fraud, they're not even compelled to do something about it," Rasbach said. "The insurers themselves don't seem to be able to get their act together on this problem."One in four students has already stopped going to school because there are no tampons in Brazil, according to United...Vicat announces plans for upcoming Indian projects

12 March 2018

Vicat Group will invest INR5.1bn (US$78.4m) to set up a 1.75Mta greenfield grinding unit in Vizianagaram, Andhra Pradesh, India. The groups subsidiary Kalburgi Cements Pvt Ltd has signed a memorandum of understanding with the Andhra Pradesh Economic Development Board (APEDB), an agency dedicated to attracting investments into the state.



Vicat plans to invest approximately INR17.35bn in India over the next three years. Alongside financing the grinding unit, the money will also be used to expand the capacity of its plant in Karnataka from 2.75Mta to 5Mta. The strategy is expected to take the groups total Indian capacity to 6.75Mta by 2021-22.



"We have already acquired 200 acres in Vizianagaram for a grinding plant, which will be wholly owned by Vicat and will be our own brand. It is being set up as part of our strategy to tap new markets like Odisha and West Bengal along with existing markets in Andhra Pradesh. We hope to ground the plant in six months after we get environmental clearances," said Anoop Kumar Saxena, CEO, Vicat India.

Published underCement Australia fined in Port Kembla over raw material storage

12 March 2018

Cement Australia's Christy Drive operation has been served fines of AUD30,000 (US$23,500) from the Environment Protection Authority for improper storage of its materials at Port Kembla.



The Cement Australia facility earned the fines after the EPA found two licence conditions had been broken on numerous occasions at the plant, operated by Port Kembla Milling Pty Ltd. The company was fined over failing to cover raw materials.



The EPA said gypsum and limestone were stored in the open at the Port Kembla facility on at least five occasions since January 2016. Under the facilitys planning approval and licence conditions these materials are required to be stored in an enclosed location to prevent dust emissions.



The fine was comprised of two AUD15,000 penalties for breaching two licence conditions, reports the Illawarra Mercury. The EPA said Port Kembla Milling would also be required to complete an "independent audit" of its raw materials handling processes to confirm appropriate systems are in place.



EPA metropolitan regional director, Giselle Howard, said: "While the outdoor storage of the material caused no environmental harm on this occasion and there were no recorded dust impacts on residents, the licence conditions are there to manage environmental risks bulk materials facilities can pose."





Published underThe world record for the oldest message in a bottle thats been found is 108 years  until now. Recently, a Perth, Australia, woman found a message in a bottle 132 years after someone jettisoned it into the ocean. Where did she find it and what did it say? Youll have to keep reading to find out.

1. Who found the bottle and where

The woman was in West Australia when she found the bottle 132 years after someone tossed it overboard. According to BBC News, it was half-buried on a beach  just north of Wedge Island, 180 km north of Perth  when Tonya Illman found it near her sons car, which was stuck in the soft sand.

Next: The chain of events

2. Tonya Illmans account

According to BBC News, Illman was walking the sand dunes with her friend Grace Ricciardo when she saw something sticking out of the sand. She decided to take a closer look.

It just looked like a lovely old bottle so I picked it up thinking it might look good in my bookcase. My sons girlfriend was the one who discovered the note when she went to tip the sand out. The note was damp, rolled tightly and wrapped with string. We took it home and dried it out, and when we opened it we saw it was a printed form, in German, with very faint German handwriting on it,  said Illman.

Next: Experts agree

3. This is what researchers think

Researchers believe the bottle likely washed up on the beach approximately a year after it went overboard but got lodged in a layer of wet sand, which actually preserved it. They feel it was uncovered  more than a century after it washed up  when some kind of weather event occurred. In addition, they have determined that the person who tossed it did it in the Indian Ocean, about 590 miles off the coast.

Next: Illmans husband did his own research.

4. Tonya Illmans husband uncovered a lot of info

Illmans husband Kym researched her find online and came to the conclusion that it was actually part of an official drift bottle experiment that the German Naval Observatory. According to BBC News, sailors on German ships threw thousands of bottles into the oceans from 1864 until 1933.

The captain of each ship wrote the same information on a form inside each bottle: the ships name, home port, and travel route; the date it was tossed overboard; and the exact coordinates at the time. On the back of the form, it asked the finder return it to the nearest German Consulate or the German Naval Observatory  and to write when and where he or she had found the bottle on the form.

Next: Heres what youve been waiting for.

5. The actual message

Dated June 12, 1886, the message in the bottle came from the German sailing barque named Paula, according to BBC News. And it was indeed part of a German oceanographic experiment to better understand global ocean currents, which in turn helped them identify the fastest, most efficient shipping routes.

After much digging, we were able to make out the date, the coordinates, the ships name and direction of the voyage  Cardiff in Wales to Makassar in the Dutch East Indies, now Indonesia, said Illman.

Next: Was it real?

6. Was the bottle a hoax?

It was clearly very exciting but we needed a lot more information. We wanted to know if what we had found was historically significant or a very inventive hoax, said Illman. So, according to BBC News, she took her bottle to the Western Australian Museum. There, experts found that the bottle was a mid- to late- 19th century Dutch gin bottle and the German bark Paula definitely sailed from Cardiff to Makassar in 1886. But apparently, it wasnt enough to confirm the find was genuine.

Extraordinary finds need extraordinary evidence to support them, so we contacted colleagues in the Netherlands and Germany for help to find more information, said Dr. Ross Anderson, assistant curator maritime archaeology at the Western Australian Museum.

Next: More fact-findings

7. And the answer is 

According to BBC News, the bottle was deemed authentic. Incredibly, an archival search in Germany found Paulas original Meteorological Journal and there was an entry for June 12, 1886 made by the captain, recording a drift bottle having been thrown overboard. The date and the coordinates correspond exactly with those on the bottle message, said Dr. Anderson.

He went even further by conducting a handwriting comparison of the message signature with the captain of the ships  and found it to be identical. Comparison of the original message slips that had been returned for the year 1886 also confirms the type of message, wording and print layout is identical to the one discovered at Wedge Island in January, said Dr. Anderson.

Next: The numbers

8. Other finds

During the 69-year-long German experiment, thousands of bottles were thrown off ships, according to BBC News. Out of those, people returned 662 message slips to Hamburg  without their bottles. This latest find boosts the total to 663. The last time someone found one of the bottles was on Jan. 7, 1934, in Denmark.

Next: Where is it now?

9. The Illmans loaned the bottle out

Kym and Tonya Illman loaned the bottle they found to the Western Australian Maritime Museum in Fremantle  for two years, according to BBC News. And David Templeman, minister for culture and the arts in Western Australia, thanked them elegantly. He also gave props to the people who figured out the mystery.

  I would also like to congratulate everyone involved in piecing together the extraordinary story behind this message in a bottle discovery. It is truly an impressive find and thanks to the wonderful international and interdisciplinary cooperation of science and research, it can now also be shared with the world, said Templeman.

Read more: The Best Remote Beach Destinations for People Who Hate Crowds

Check out The Cheat Sheet on Facebook!Not every president has been perfectly presidential. Especially not behind closed doors at the White House. Some people (on both sides of the political aisle) consider the use of profanity a sign of a limited vocabulary. But many presidents have resorted to vulgar language at some point during their tenure in the Oval Office. Yet some presidents had more of a reputation for their foul mouths than others.

Read on to learn about the most foul-mouthed presidents  and see how Donald Trump compares.

1. Andrew Jackson

7th president of the United States

The Washington Post relates one of the most memorable anecdotes about presidential profanity. This one stars Andrew Jackson  or at least one of his pets. Jackson bought an African gray parrot, named Poll, for his wife. When the first lady died, the parrot began spending a lot of time with the president. And Poll apparently soaked up some of the presidents choice phrases, according to the Post.

The publication reports, When Jackson died in 1845, thousands of people gathered to pay a final tribute  along with one talking parrot that was apparently riled up by the crowds. One witness said that the parrot got excited and commenced swearing so loud and long as to disturb the people. Poll let loose perfect guests of cuss words. Eventually, someone had to take her out of the house.

Next: This president enjoyed crude humor despite his melancholy demeanor.

2. Abraham Lincoln

16th president of the United States

Even Abraham Lincoln, known for his loneliness and melancholia, uttered at least a few profanities in the White House. He was known to tell off-color stories and jokes. Experts have dedicated a lot of thought to Lincolns particular sense of humor. One reported of Lincoln, When hunting for wit, he had no ability to discriminate between the vulgar and refined substances from which he extracted it. It was the wit he was after, the pure jewel, and he would pick it up out of the mud or dirt just as readily as he would from a parlor table.

Time notes that Abraham Lincoln was never caught on tape insulting anyone  mainly because audiotape hadnt been invented yet. The publication explains, Most examples of political profanity come from the 20th century and later. Earlier politicians didnt have better manners, they just had fewer of their unofficial remarks recorded.

Next: This president learned his vulgar vocabulary when working on the railroad.

3. Harry S. Truman

33rd president of the United States

Rolling Stone reports that Harry S. Truman was beloved by some and tsk-tsked by others for the colorful language he attributed to his youthful days working on the Santa Fe railroad, when he slept in hobo camps. An example of that colorful language? On one occasion, Truman called Nixon a shifty-eyed goddamned liar.

Time reports that Truman also called General Douglas MacArthur a dumb son of a bitch. And according to Rolling Stone, Truman once reminisced, I never did give them hell. I just told the truth, and they thought it was hell.

Next: This president used vulgar language in private.

4. Dwight D. Eisenhower

34th president of the United States

As the Baltimore Sun reports, Dwight D. Eisenhower did use profanities in private. But a former aide qualified that account. Douglas R. Price told the publication that Eisenhower cursed privately on occasion, but only in light blue, not dark four-letter words. Additionally, Price explained that Eisenhower had little tolerance for others using needlessly coarse language in his presence.

Price said, Anyone who made the mistake of using scatological or vulgar language in Ikes presence regretted it, as did any one of his friends who made the mistake of telling an off-color story. Eisenhower had too much respect for the presidency. As Price added, Ike could launch a more impressive verbal broadside using Hells Fire, than most men could using a string of dark blue, four letter words.

Next: This president swore like a sailor.

5. John F. Kennedy

35th president of the United States

John F. Kennedy had at least one thing in common with Truman: He used Trumans insult for General MacArthur to refer to Canadian Prime Minister John Diefenbaker, according to Time. Rolling Stone reports that though the president remained eloquent at the podium, JFK could swear like a sailor (which he was, of course) away from the microphone.

Another example? When news leaked that the Air Force spent $5,000 to furnish a maternity suite for Jackie Kennedy at Otis Air Force Base, Kennedy knew that his opponents would turn the expenditure against him. This is obviously a f***-up, he reportedly said to a general over the phone.

Next: This president made numerous vulgar comments.

6. Lyndon B. Johnson

36th president of the United States

Lyndon B. Johnson was notoriously foul-mouthed, even by successor Richard Nixons standards. Rolling Stone reports that Nixon later said, People said my language was bad, but Jesus, you should have heard LBJ.Johnson famously consulted with cabinet members while he sat on the toilet (with the door open). Newser reports on two of Johnsons choicest quotes: I never trust a man unless Ive got his pecker in my pocket, and I want someone who will kiss my a** in Macys window, and say it smells like roses.

Time reports that Johnson scolded Canadian Prime Minister Lester Pearson for his anti-Vietnam stance with the statement, You pissed on my rug. Johnson also said that the difference between a Senator and a Representative amounted to the difference between chicken salad and chicken sh*t. And when he decided against removing J. Edgar Hoover as FBI chief, Johnson said, Its probably better to have him inside the tent pissing out, than outside pissing in.

Next: This president recorded many of his conversations. Plenty contained crude language.

7. Richard Nixon

37th president of the United States

Rolling Stone notes that the Watergate tapes put the phrase expletive deleted on the map. And Time reports that Richard Nixon holds the unofficial record for being the most openly profane U.S. president  probably because he recorded much of what he said in the Oval Office.

Time notes that in a 1971 conversation between Nixon and two aides, the president called Mexicans dishonest. Nixon also said that blacks lived like a bunch of dogs. And he characterized San Francisco as a city full of fags and decorators. As Time notes, that was just one conversation. CNN reports that on other occasions, Nixon made antisemitic comments. And he also referred to the presidents of Ivy League universities as sons of bitches.

Next: This president used profanities occasionally.

8. Jimmy Carter

39th president of the United States

CNN puts Jimmy Carter on the list of the most foul-mouthed presidents, too. As CNN notes, The relationship between former President Jimmy Carter and Senator Ted Kennedy was sometimes less than friendly. So its no surprise that Carter eventually used some crude language when speaking about his opponent.

Time magazine reports that Carter told a group of congressmen in 1979 that if Kennedy ran against him in the 1980 presidential race, Ill whip his a**. As Time adds, most major news organizations hastened to quote the remark in living off-color.

Next: This president swore on occasion.

9. Ronald Reagan

40th president of the United States

Ronald Reagan also makes the list of the most foul-mouthed presidents. NBC reports that in 1983, Reagan got into a shouting match with Canadian Prime Minister Pierre-Elliott Trudeau at a London economic summit. Assailed for not more aggressively promoting detente with the Soviet Union, Reagan pounded the table and shouted, God damn it, Pierre.'

Newser adds that Reagan refused to write out profanities even his personal diary. On one occasion, he even resorted to writing Hl to get his point across. Nonetheless, Reagan was accusing of swearing at a congressman in 1985.

Next: Even this president displayed a foul mouth.

10. George H.W. Bush

41st president of the United States

As youll find out, both Bushes make the list of foul-mouthed presidents. (Like father, like son?) Newser reports that Bushs remarks started making the news even as he ran for vice president.

The publication explains, When discussing his 1984 vice presidential debate performance, he said, We tried to kick a little a**.'

Next: This president made some profane comments in private.

11. Bill Clinton

42nd president of the United States

Rolling Stone also puts Bill Clinton on the list of the most foul-mouthed presidents. (Even if one of his most infamous remarks came after the end of his tenure in the Oval Office.) When Barack Obama beat Hillary Clinton in South Carolinas Democratic primary in 2008, Clinton compared the victory to Jesse Jacksons primary wins in the 1980s.

The Obama campaign hinted that the analogy was racially tinged, as Rolling Stone puts it. So Clinton, thinking nobody could overhear his private conversation after an interview, remarked on the topic, I dont think I should take any sh*t from anybody on that, do you?

Next: This president used profanities on several notable occasions.

12. George W. Bush

43rd president of the United States

Like any other president, George W. Bush made his share of faux pas once he got to the White House. But Time reports that one of Bushs most famously profane remarks came in 2000. At the time, he was serving as the governor of Texas and campaigning for president. At that point, Bush called New York Times reporter Adam Clymer a major league a**hole. Rolling Stone reports that once Bush became president, he offered something of an apology by calling Clymer a major league ass . . . et.

NBC reports that in 1999, during an interview with Tucker Carlson for Talk Magazine, Bush also dropped the F-bomb several times. And CNN reported that in a conversation with British Prime Minister Tony Blair on the Israeli-Hezbollah conflict in Lebanon, Bush said, What they need to do is get Syria to get Hezbollah to stop doing this sh*t and its over.

Next: This president endorsed the practice of cursing.

13. Barack Obama

44th president of the United States

Time notes that Barack Obama has used his share of profanities, too. Obama ruffled some feathers when, in an interview about the BP oil spill, he said that he was speaking to experts in order to find out whose a** to kick. Obama also once called Kanye West a jacka**. And Rolling Stone notes that Obama really drew the ire of the pious when he called Mitt Romney a bullsh*tter.

Additionally, The Hill reported that Obama admitted, I curse more than I should. And I find myself cursing more in this office than I had in my previous life. But Obama said that his one saving grace is that his advisors used worse language than he did. So its OK, he reasoned. Obama even endorsed the practice of swearing as a stress-reliever.

Next: Donald Trump has used profanities on the campaign trail and in the White House.

14. Donald Trump

45th president of the United States

CNN reported in 2011, when Donald Trump was first flirting with a run for the GOP presidential nomination, that he delivered a tirade laced with f-bombs to an audience of Republican supporters. On the topic of Iraq, Trump said, We build a school, we build a road. They blow up the road. They blow up the school. We build another school, we build another road, they blow them up. We build again, in the meantime we cant get a f***ing school built in Brooklyn.

The Washington Post reported that Trump also used the F-bomb at a 2016 campaign rally. Were gonna have businesses that used to be in New Hampshire, that are now in Mexico come back to New Hampshire, and you can tell them to go f*** themselves! The Post adds that Trump promised to beat the sh*t out of anyone attacking the United States. And later, once he took office, Trump famously called African nations and Haiti sh*thole countries. That led Newsweek to dub Trump the most foul-mouthed president since Richard Nixon.

Next: Many Americans have asked themselves this question.

Should presidents swear?

Your opinion on whether or not presidents should use vulgar language in the White House (or elsewhere) likely depends on your own vocabulary. Some people argue that the occasional use of profanities makes a commander-in-chief more relatable. (At least to Americans who speak similarly.) But others argue that the use of coarse language is undignified and unworthy of the most powerful man in the world.

Yet regardless of our opinions, it doesnt look like our presidents will stop their sharp tongues anytime soon. As Politico reports, Unless and until the shock wears off, dirty words from an elected officials mouth assure headlines and some degree of internet virality. In at least some situations, thats exactly what the president wants.

Read more: Did Donald Trump or Barack Obama Tell More Lies?

Check out The Cheat Sheet on Facebook!As of March 2018, marijuana is legal for recreational use in nine U.S. states and Washington D.C. If we include medicinal marijuana, the count rises to 29 states.

Meanwhile, other states have decriminalized possession and consumption. Overall, the changes reflect the overall mood of the country, where 64% of Americans support marijuana legalization.

Yet the new laws have consequences. Everything from the economy to advertising laws and even gun rights shift when you bring marijuana into the equation. Here are the biggest changes people have noticed in states where pot is already legal.

1. Nevada

With $195 million in sales in its first six months, legalization boosted Nevada tax revenue.

While everyday life in Nevada may not be different, funding for state projects got a major boost from legalization, which began in July 2017. In the first six months of sales, the state generated $195 million in revenue.

Nevadas Department of Taxation reported $30 million in tax revenues from those six months. A conservative estimate puts potential revenue in 2018 at over $400 million.

Next: As the first state to legalize weed, the population has seen many changes.

2. Washington

Billboards advertising pot, gun restrictions, and some minor confusion

As the first state to legalize recreational marijuana (2012), Washington has the longest track record in America. An interesting Reddit thread on the subject featured a lot of comments on billboards. Apparently, the legal pot industry leans heavily on this mode of advertising. (Its shut out from many others.)

Otherwise, confusion over whether green refers to a health food store or weed dispensary popped up in recent years. Also, anyone with a medical marijuana card may not purchase (or own) a gun. This federal law applies to any state.

Next: Since 2016, legal weed made access easy and brought jobs to Oregon.

3. Oregon

Home pot delivery and job opportunities mark a few highlights of Oregons experiment.

Legal recreational marijuana came to Oregon in 2016. Since then, casual smokers have enjoyed perks like home delivery from dispensaries. Thats correct: Someone will drive to your home with a bag of weed ($40 minimum order), and its legal.

On Reddit, one post came from an Oklahoma man who move to the state to work in the business. (He got a job as a delivery driver.) At the time of writing, a search on SimplyHired showed 284 available jobs in Oregons marijuana industry.

Next: In the nations capital, you might get pot as a bonus with your purchase.

4. Washington D.C.

An odd wrinkle in D.C. laws allows start-ups to throw in a bag of weed with purchases.

While it is legal to grow and possess marijuana in Washington D.C., it is not legal to sell it. Obviously, this situation puts major restrictions on the industry.

As a result, some young entrepreneurs have taken to throwing in weed as a bonus for purchases of other products, NPR reported. Until this situation changes, folks have to be creative about how they transfer weed amongst themselves.

Next: A decline in opioid use and a surge in black-market weed color this states experiment.

5. Colorado

The rise in black-market pot may be Colorados most unusual development.

While Washington already had its law, Colorado was the first to start selling recreational marijuana legally (in 2014). The industry has boomed there, and a study showed a decline in opioid overdoses since weed became legal.

However, there have also been some negative side effects, including a surge in illegal trafficking to neighboring states (where its not legal). Likewise, Colorado cops have been unprepared to handle more people driving under the influence of marijuana.

Overall, most residents and lawmakers stand behind the states move years ago. You could feel that when Colorado Senator Cory Gardner blasted Jeff Sessions for threatening to wage a war on weed at the start of 2018.

Next: Every state has been behind California when it comes to medicinal marijuana.

6. California

Legal recreational use prompted longer waits and a surge at California dispensaries.

While the first medical marijuana referendum passed in 1996, California residents saw a cautious roll-out of cannabis via dispensaries over the years. In the past decade, residents could get access to legal pot with an approved medical condition. (Almost any condition qualifies.)

Since recreational use became legal at the start of 2018, reports of crowded dispensaries have come out of The Golden State. But California will lead the nation in revenues. By 2020, estimates predict legal weed will add an additional $4 billion to state coffers.

Next: In Alaska, growing at home and possession of 1 oz. are fair game.

7. Alaska

In-home growing and a bump in weed consumption by tourists came with legalization.

Marijuana use became legal in Alaska in 2015, and now residents can grow up to 12 plants (out of public view) and carry up to 1 oz. of product on the streets. You can also buy pot legally in retail stores.

However, public consumption remains illegal. Some hotel owners who discreetly allow pot smokers in rooms have noticed a bump in business, Anchorage Press reported.

Next: In this state, a hostile governor and legislature have been grinding the gears of the legal weed roll-out.

8. Maine

With Paul LePage in charge, marijuana laws havent changed much on the ground.

Leave it to Paul LePage, one of Americas least popular governors, to ignore the will of Maine voters. Since 2016, when voters approved a referendum to legalize marijuana, LePage and the state legislature have sought to block or undo the law.

As of March 2018, the legalization act remained in limbo after LePage vetoed legislation that would regulate sales. Meanwhile, state lawmakers decided the original law needed an overhaul. To make things messier, the legislature hoped to repeal some provisions related to growing plants that already took effect.

Next: With its law signed in January 2018, Vermonts legal weed culture has yet to fully take form.

9. Vermont

In 2018, Vermont became the first state to legalize possession without a voter referendum behind the law.

Starting in July 2018, possession of up to 1 oz. of marijuana will be legal for anyone over 21 in the state of Vermont. (Medicinal marijuana became legal in 2004.)

It will be some time before state lawmakers grapple with retail sales and other complexities. However, possession of small amounts and home growing (two mature plants, four immature plants) will not be prosecuted.

Next: Issues with impaired driving concern regulators during roll-out in this New England state.

10. Massachusetts

Legal weed sales are coming to Massachusetts in summer 2018.

Following the 2016 referendum on recreational weed, July 1, 2018 will mark the first day of legal marijuana sales in Massachusetts. However, there wont be any cannabis cafes or home delivery until 2019 at the earliest.

In the meantime, highway researchers are concerned about dangers to pedestrians once legal weed is the norm. Massachusetts is going to have it the worst of any state regarding marijuana-impaired driving, one told the Boston Herald.

Next: Its not legal in New York; it just seems that way.

11. New York

In mostly decriminalized New York, Manhattan has become a smokers den.

Recreational marijuana use remains illegal in New York. However, you wouldnt know it by walking the streets of Manhattan on any given day.

In 2018, its become strange if you dont encounter someone smoking a joint on the streets of the East Village. Decriminalization laws made public smoking punishable by a $250 fine (with a potential 90-day jail sentence), but there are simply too many people smoking around the city for cops to efficiently target users downtown. And New Yorkers got the memo.

Check out The Cheat Sheet on Facebook!On March 8, 2014, Malaysia Airlines flight 370 (MH370) lost contact with air traffic control on its way from Kuala Lumpur International Airport in Malaysia to Beijing Capital International Airport in China. The plane was never found. Now, its been four years since MH370 vanished, and we still dont have all of the answers. Heres what we know  and dont know  happened, and why experts still arent sure of the real cause.

The cause of the disappearance is still unknown

MH370 has been called one of the strangest aviation mysteries of all time. The plane departed Malaysia at 12:41 a.m. local time and was set to arrive in Beijing about six hours later. It never arrived at its final destination, but according to satellite radar, the plane was in the air for at least seven hours  much longer than its anticipated flight time. The length of time that the flight was in the air makes drawing a conclusion about its disappearance that much more complex. Four years later, all passengers are presumed dead, but no significant evidence has been found to confirm what happened.

Next: This is one of the biggest unknowns about the plane.

The site of the presumed crash still has not been pinpointed

When MH370 dropped off of satellite radar, it left air traffic controllers unsure of exactly where the plane went down. It was confirmed that the plane was headed in the opposite direction of its planned route, but there was no official word on where it crashed. After the incident, search and rescue teams searched nearly three million square miles worth of ocean to no avail. Plenty of satellite, aviation, and military radar controls picked up the plane throughout its course, but none know exactly where it ended up.

Next: Experts ruled out terrorism.

Experts investigated every one of the passengers

After the disappearance, experts looked in to every single passenger to find out if anyone could have been responsible for a terror attack. The only questionable thing the background checks uncovered were that two Iranian men were traveling on stolen passports. However, it was soon realized that they were seeking asylum and were not listed as suspects. All other checks showed nothing that pointed toward a passenger terrorist attack.

Next: Takeoff was nothing out of the ordinary.

There were no problems with takeoff

The flight was cleared for takeoff and departed at 12:41 a.m. According to communications with air traffic control, the flight easily climbed to 18,000 feet, then was cleared once again to reach 35,000 feet. Voice analysis confirmed that the pilot definitely spoke with controllers on the ground after takeoff. The flight confirmed it had reached its cruising altitude at 1:01 a.m. and reinforced it again at 1:08 a.m. (Some experts believe the re-confirmation of the planes altitude just minutes later is suspicious.)

Next: Things got shaky less than an hour into the flight.

The last communication with the cockpit was 54 minutes into the flight

MH370 took off without a hitch. The pilots were in communication with the ground up until Kuala Lumpur instructed them to start communication with Ho Chi Minh (as aircrafts travel into different airspaces, they switch whom they communicate with). When communication switched, the pilots were not heard from again. A distress signal was never sent from the aircraft at any time during the flight.

Next: A pilot of another plane claims he got in touch with MH370.

When MH370 pilots stopped responding, another plane was able to get in touch with it

After failed attempts from air traffic controllers, a nearby plane on its way to Japan was asked to reach out to MH370, since it was flying only 30 minutes away. The captain of that plane said he was able to make contact with the flight but could only hear static and mumbling.

Next: Military radar spotted something concerning.

Military radar saw the plane make unnecessary turns and veer off course

Just as MH370 entered into Vietnamese airspace, it veered off course. Military radar saw the plane turn right, but then it made a sharp left turn and headed southwest. Various theories have surfaced about why the plane might have taken such a sharp turn backward. Some believe the plane intentionally waited until it crossed airspaces before making the turn, hoping that there would be some dead air space where its turn would not be immediately detected.

Next: The planes location eventually became unknown.

The planes last known location was at 2:22 a.m.  about 1 hour and 40 minutes into the flight

The military confirmed the flights location at 2:15 a.m. Radar showed the plane traveling south of Phuket Island in the Strait of Malacca, completely off course from Beijing. Initially, the government thought the last known location was at 2:15 a.m., but further investigation showed otherwise.

Next: The plane remained in the air for hours after it veered off course.

Data showed the plane in the air all the way through 8 a.m.

Although the planes last known location was 2:22 a.m., a satellite orbiting above the Indian Ocean picked up the plane on its radar long after that. According to BBC, the satellite showed the plane still off course at 8:11 a.m. and again at 8:19 a.m., close to eight hours after its initial departure from Kuala Lumpur.

The involuntary communication with the satellite was referred to as a handshake and it meant the planes electrical system was trying to log back on. This is consistent with an electrical problem or power outage occurring on the plane.

Next: People claim to have seen the plane go down.

There were several reported sightings of a plane going down in the Indian Ocean

In the days after the disappearance, several people came forward saying they thought theyd seen a plane go down in the Indian Ocean. One group of fishermen said they believed theyd seen a plane flying surprisingly low around 1:30 a.m.  the same time MH370 lost contact with the ground. One woman who had been sailing across the Indian Ocean with her husband claimed shed seen MH370 on fire in the sky.

Next: The washed-up debris has provided very few answers.

In 2015, the first piece of debris washed up on a small island

In July 2015, a piece of an airplane wing washed up on Reunion Island, a small island east of Madagascar. Experts confirmed that the serial number of the flaperon proved to be from a Boeing 777. MH370 was the only missing Boeing 777, and it was concluded that the fragment was part of the vanished plane. Since then, several pieces of debris have washed up along the African coast. Pieces have been found as far north as Tanzania and as far south as South Africa.

Next: Conspiracy theories continue to develop.

Since then, conspiracy theories have been all over

There have been dozens of reported conspiracy theories about the plane since no true conclusions have been drawn. Some people think rapper Pitbull had something to do with the crash after he predicted a Malaysia airlines crash in one of his songs. Others believe it was aliens, and some think the Unites States military was involved. But some more credible theories suggest hypoxia, meaning everyone on board suffocated when a pressure issue occurred on the plane. The plane may have remained on autopilot until it ran out of fuel.

Next: January 2018 marked a new investigation.

A new investigation was launched in January 2018

At the beginning of 2018, private U.S. firm Ocean Infinity agreed to continue the search for the missing plane. Malaysia agreed to pay Ocean Infinity up to $70 million if the plane was found within 90 days, not including time needed to refuel. As of the beginning of March 2018, the firm had not made any significant findings, but the search was expanded through June 2018.

Next: An unexplained disappearance created controversy in the 2018 search.

In late January 2018, a search ship vanished without explanation

Late in January 2018, a ship that was searching for MH370 turned off its tracking screens and was undetectable for three days during its search. This prompted a flood of questions about the ship, its knowledge of the plane, and its intentions. Neither the Malaysian government or Ocean Infinity explained the reason for the ships disappearance. It has since lead to even more conspiracy theories surrounding the plane.

Next: Families of those on MH370 have recently protested about this.

Families of those presumed lost have protested against a memorial

In March 2018, Australia announced that it would put up a memorial for MH370. The Australian government said it would honor the 239 people on board and be completed in September 2018. The memorial got strong opposition from the next of kin of those on the flight. Since the mystery has not yet been solved, family members urge that its too early to put up a memorial.

Family members of Chinese passengers have said it is a curse to put up a memorial before people are confirmed dead.

Check out The Cheat Sheet on Facebook!Were guessing you heard that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle officially got married on May 19, 2018 in a lavish event. And in just a few months, Harrys cousin, Princess Eugenie, and her longtime beau, Jack Brooksbank, will tie the knot. With two royal weddings making headlines this year, wed thought we take a look at some of the beautiful pictures from past royal weddings.

Prepare to be wowed at these regal images from around the world and see where Harry and Eugenies family rank on our list.

15. Crown Prince Pavlos of Greece and Marie-Chantal Miller

After meeting on a blind date in the early 90s, the Crown Prince Pavlos of Greece married Marie-Chantal Miller in an extravagant event hosted by the brides billionaire father, Robert Warren Miller.

Their wedding was an extravagant affair, and no expense was spared, as Millers dress alone cost more than $225,000.

Next: This bridal gown reminded us of one worn by a famous duchess.

14. Prince Carl Philip of Sweden and Sofia Hellqvist

Prince Carl Philip of Sweden married Sofia Hellqvist on June 13, 2015, in the Royal Chapel at the Royal Palace in Stockholm, Sweden. Hellqvist and the only son of King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia rode a carriage through the streets after their nuptials and waved to the many onlookers as they passed.

The thing people couldnt stop talking about though was the brides gorgeous dress, which was reminiscent of the one Kate Middleton wore four years earlier.

Next: Their wedding was dubbed the biggest since Charles and Dianas.

13. Victoria, Crown Princess of Sweden and Daniel Westling

In 2010, Princess Victoria of Sweden married her fitness trainer, Daniel Westling, in what was dubbed at the time as the biggest wedding since Prince Charles and Dianas. The ceremony was held at the Stockholm Cathedral, and the two said their vows in front of many other royals, including six kings and nine queens.

The princess looked flawless in a gown by Swedish designer, Par Engsheden, which featured an off-the-shoulder boat neckline and a train measuring more than 16 feet.

Next: The wedding of this royal and this TV reporter was grand.

12. King Felipe of Spain and Letizia Ortiz Rocasolano

Another royal union that boasted beautiful images was that of then-Prince Felipe de Borbon and a television reporter named Letizia Ortiz Rocasolano. The pair said their I dos in Spains capital city at Madrids Almudena Cathedral, and their guest list of 1,600 included many other royals, such as Prince Charles, Crown Princess Victoria, Prince Carl Philip, and Princess Caroline of Monaco.

In 2014, on the abdication of his father Juan Carlos I, Prince Felipe became King Felipe VI of Spain and his bride became Queen Letizia.

Next: This prince and this Olympian had two ceremonies.

11. Prince Albert II of Monaco and Charlene Wittstock

Prince Albert of Monaco married Olympic swimmer Charlene Wittstock (now Princess Charlene) in an affair that cost a whopping $65 million. However, they did have two weddings, one civil and one religious. They also invited 30,000 of their closest friends to witness those nuptials.

The picture above of the newlyweds and crowd after the church ceremony is one that captures the moment and how big the event was in Monaco.

Next: This Jordanian royal and his bride married in style.

10. King Abdullah II of Jordan and Rania al-Yassin

In 1993, then-Prince Abdullah wed Rania al-Yassin, who was born in Kuwait but moved to Jordan for work. The lavish celebration took place at the Zahran Palace in Amman, Jordan, and the bride wore a stunning dress with rich gold embroidery. The day was a national holiday in the country.

In 1999, Abdullah became king after the passing of his father, King Hussein. To date, Abdullah is the only member of the Jordanian monarch to have not been married more than once.

Next: These nuptials were at the same place where the upcoming weddings will be.

9. Prince Edward and Sophie Rhys-Jones

In 1999, the wedding ceremony between Queen Elizabeths youngest son, Prince Edward, and his bride, Sophie Rhys-Jones, took place at St Georges Chapel in Windsor Castle. It is the same location where Edwards nephew Harry will marry Markle, and where his niece, Princess Eugenie, will say I do to Brooksbank.

Edwards wedding was unlike other royal weddings in that it was limited to only family and close friends. Media coverage was also restricted, but the Earl of Wessex and Countess of Wessex did ride through the streets and wave to those who lined the streets for the occasion.

Next: The Duke and Duchess of Yorks lavish affair

8. Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson

In 1986, Prince Charles younger brother, Prince Andrew, married Sarah Ferguson. The couple said their vows at Westminster Abbey and thousands lined the London streets to see them while an estimated 500 million watched it on TV.

The Duke and Duchess of Yorks marriage was rocked by scandals, and they ended up divorcing in 1996. While married they had two daughters Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie, who before Princess Charlotte was born were the only females in the line of succession to the British throne.

Next: Their wedding took place after he abdicated the throne.

7. Edward VIII and Wallis Simpson

Just like Markle, Wallis Simpson was an American divorcee. But at the time King Edward VIII wanted to marry the socialite, it caused such an uproar that he chose to abdicate his throne to do so. His brother, George VI, then became king and Edward was named the Duke of Windsor.

Because the Church of England would not sanction their wedding, it took place at the Chateau de Cande in France. No one from the grooms family attended.

The dress Simpson wore for the modest affair was a break from the norm, but so iconic that it is now housed at The Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Next: A very royal photo

6. Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip

Queen Elizabeth IIs wedding to Philip Mountbatten, now the Duke of Edinburgh, was, of course, a very regal event.

The photo from their 1947 union is one to marvel at ,as all the pictures of the newly married pair look like something out of a storybook. They also feature many other famous royals including Elizabeths father, King George VI.

Next: The first televised royal wedding

5. Princess Margaret and Antony Armstrong-Jones

The wedding between Queen Elizabeths younger sister, Princess Margaret, and Antony Armstrong-Jones was the first televised royal wedding ever, drawing 20 million viewers in 1960.

One of the lovely photos from that day shows the princess and groom beaming with several young bridesmaids around them.

Next: Like Markle, this woman was an actress before she met her prince.

4. Prince Rainier III of Monaco and Grace Kelly

When Grace Kelly met Prince Rainier of Monaco, she was already a big movie star, so there was no doubt that their wedding was going to be a star-studded affair. Some of the names on their guest list included Aristotle Onassis, Cary Grant, and Ava Gardner. Frank Sinatra was invited but couldnt make it.

Their special day in 1956 was picturesque ,and the show-stopping high-necked dress Kelly wore is one of most iconic gowns of all time and continues to inspire many brides today.

Tragically, Kelly died in 1982 after being injured in a car crash. Prince Rainier never remarried and was buried alongside his wife when he passed in 2005.

Next: Queen Elizabeth IIs only daughters first wedding

3. Princess Anne and Captain Mark Phillips

The Queen of England and Prince Philips only daughter, Princess Anne, married Captain Mark Phillips in 1973. Their wedding took place at Westminster Abbey on the same day as Prince Charles 25th birthday and the day was declared a special bank holiday.

While their union didnt last, this photo of them surrounded by dozens of members of the most famous family in the world was quite memorable.

Next: The wedding of the century

2. Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer

Its hard to choose just one photo from Prince Charles and Dianas fairytale wedding in 1981, but the thing people remember most from the ceremony is the gorgeous gown Diana wore, which had a 25-foot train attached.

The wedding of the century was one of the most-watched ever with an audience of 750 million people around the world. Unfortunately, their love story did not have a happy ending as they separated in 1992 and divorced in 1996, one year before Princess Dianas untimely death.

Next: The balcony PDA

1. Prince William and Kate Middleton

The wedding between Prince William and Kate Middleton in April 2011 produced so many beautiful photos and the one no one will ever forget is the one of them kissing on the balcony. They were not the first couple to share a kiss there though. Williams mother and father, Charles and Diana, kissed one another on the balcony, as did Williams Uncle Andrew when he married Fergie.

But the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge were the first to kiss each other twice. It was a moment the people loved as they cheered loudly afterwards.

Of course, the picture also shows the young bridesmaid who grabbed the attention of so many when she just couldnt take the noise and covered her ears.

Follow Michelle Kapusta on Twitter @philamichelle.

Read more: Before Prince Harry and Meghan Markle: The Most Expensive Royal Weddings Ever

Follow The Cheat Sheet on Facebook!In April 2015 Iowa Pastor Terry Amann met privately with then-presidential candidate Donald Trump. In less than one year from becoming president, Trump successfully helped release Pastor Saeed who had been languishing in an Iranian prison, keeping his promise to a request Amann made when they first met.

Last fall, Amann again asked for Trumps help to find a missing U.S. missionary who was kidnapped in Africa in 2013. Newsmax published an open letter he wrote to President Trump on September 7, 2017. Over a month later Amann received a form letter from the U.S. State Department. Then, in November, the Krause family was sent a message from a former U.S. intelligence officer with high-level contacts in the government telling them that Jerry Krause is alive.

With more information about Krause, Amann is once again reaching out to President Trump to help bring Krause home.

Jerry Krause went missing somewhere between South Africa and Mali on April 7, 2013. He was piloting a Beechcraft 17 1900C 17-seat passenger plane on a routine flight. The last message he sent was to a control tower on the island of Sao Tome stating that he was nine miles from its shore.

The most recent news is that Krause has been seen at a human trafficking spot in Ghat, Libya. Its now believed that he is most likely being held against his will by criminals and is being forced to fly smugglers who traffic people and illegal contraband.

Ghat is a known international human trafficking hub, with direct smuggling ties to Angola. Its airport is close to both the Algerian and Nigerian borders. Only a few hours after Krause vanished his cell phone was tracked to a location in Angola.

Special investigator Stephen Komorek told the Daily Mail, We have resources in country that have verified Jerry being alive. We know that he was last seen in an area called Ghat in the southwestern part of Libya at a old airport used by Colonel Gaddafi. The man they saw fit Jerry's description exactly. This was as of December last year so very recently.

Amann, who is close with former presidential candidate and governor Mike Huckabee, is hoping Huckabee can help as well. (His daughter is Trumps press secretary.)

Pastor Amann said, My sense is that as several years have passed, and since there are many layers to the mysterious disappearance of Missionary Jerry Krause, what is really needed is President Trump's intervention. He needs to call the State Department and tell them, unequivocally, to release all government information about this caseandmake finding Jerry Krause a priority.

The reported Libya sighting of Krause in December 2017 gives me great hope that we will find him. You know, if I was missing on the mission field, I would hope somebody here in the U. S. would care enough to try and find me. I am that somebody for Jerry Krause and his family.

If the past is any indication, like getting Pastor Saeed out of prison in Iran, Trump is the most likely person to help bring Jerry Krause home.

Bethany Blankley is a former Capitol Hill staffer, Fox News Radio political analyst, public speaker and commentator on Christianity and politics in America. Her commentary can be read in The Washington Times (Axis Mundi), Townhall, Religion Today, Patheos (Hedgerow), Charisma News, Christian Headlines, Beliefnet, among others. Her book, What Every Christian Needs To Know About Islam, is forthcoming. Bethany previously worked as a communications strategist for four Senators, one Congressman, a New York governor, and several non-profits. She earned her MA in Theology from New College at The University of Edinburgh, Scotland, and her BA in Political Science from the University of Maryland. She is a past fellow of the Russell Kirk Center for Cultural Renewal and LAbri Fellowship. Follow her @bethanyblankley, www.facebook.com/ BlankleyBethany and BethanyBlankley.com.The city of Coronado, California, will be removing a church directory sign from city property. According to the Los Angeles Times, the sign has been on the property since the 60s, and its removal is being prompted by First Amendment concerns.

The concerns first arose when Ryan Meoni, a 20-year-old who grew up in Coronado, complained to the Freedom From Religion Foundation about the signs use of the word church. Meoni later explained that he didnt like the word because, in his opinion, it excludes religious institutions that meet in temples or mosques. As his intention was simply to get the one word replaced, Meoni was surprised when his complaint brought even farther-reaching consequences.

According to the Freedom From Religion Foundation, the inclusion of only Christian churches on the list could give the appearance that Coronado promotes Christianity over other faiths. And, as the organization expressed in a letter to the city, this raises serious constitutional concerns under the Establishment Clause.

University of San Diego Law Professors cited in the article shared their concerns that taking no action to change or remove the sign could lead to serious social and political issues in the future. Coronado Mayor Richard Bailey even cited possible 1st Amendment lawsuits.

One San Diego attorney, Charles LiMandri, had a different take on the issue. Im not sure at this point why they need to do anything, he stated. Removing it could be a violation by showing hostility toward a religion. This hostility toward Christian groups, he suggested, could open up a whole new can of worms, soliciting lawsuits from the churches affected by the signs removal.

In an attempt to avoid the appearance of discrimination, however, the city intends to install a new directory  [that is] inclusive of all organizations, including our faith-based ones once the current directory is removed.

If this is true, the people of Coronado will have to prepare themselves for a pretty large sign since Coronado has around 90 community organizations. And thats just the ones listed in Facebook search results.

Leah Hickman is a 2017 graduate of Hillsdale Colleges English program. She freelances for BreakPoint.org and has written pieces for multiple Hillsdale College campus publications as well as for ChristianAnswers.net/Spotlight and the Discover Laura Blog. Read more by Leah at aworldofgrasspeople.blogspot.com.

Photo courtesy: Thinkstockphotos.com

Publication date: March 12, 2018Email Whatsapp Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment

If the presidential elections were held today and Donald Trump was running against Hillary Clinton, I would vote for Donald Trump without hesitation. But that doesn't mean that he doesn't embarrass me at times. And when it comes to his recent attack on NBC's Chuck Todd, I side with Todd. That's not because I agree with Todd's ideology or that I feel his reporting is fair and balanced.

To be perfectly candid, I don't see much of Todd's reporting and so I can't really comment either way.

But what I do know is that the president of the United States debases himself by getting into juvenile, even profane name-calling. And while he may rally certain elements of his base with this kind of rhetoric, he alienates another part of his base. He also further inflames his adversaries and gives fresh fuel to his detractors. And to what purpose? To what gain?

Speaking in Pennsylvania on Saturday, President Trump referred to Todd as a "sleeping son of a b---h," a remark that lit up the internet within minutes.

On Sunday Todd responded: "I bring my kids up to respect the office of the presidency and the president. I don't allow them to say anything negative, ever, about the president. It creates a challenge to all parents when he uses vulgarities like that."

He is absolutely right. The "b" word is now everywhere, spelled out in full, and repeated on the airwaves, just as "s--thole" word became ubiquitous after the president's alleged comments in January.

Suddenly, that which used to be censored is now acceptable. The profane is no longer profane. Civility (or, whatever is left of it) is further crushed underfoot.

This contributes to a general coarsening of the culture, while the ugly insults multiply exponentially as all sides fire back.

Without a doubt, having Donald Trump as our president has its big plusses and big minuses.

Of course, ardent Trump supporters will lambaste me, accusing me of prudery, of focusing on inconsequential details, of being a secret leftist at heart.

"Just look at what he's done for the economy, for Israel, for the courts, for our religious rights. And he's about to meet with the President of North Korea in what could be one of the greatest diplomatic breakthroughs of our era. Plus, he's virtually destroyed ISIS."

Again, that's why I would vote for him today against the likes of Hillary Clinton.

But the fact is that President Trump could have accomplished these same goals without degrading himself, without debasing the office of the president, without attacking others with crudeness and vulgarity, and without further dividing an already-divided nation. Can anyone tell me how his cruelty helps his cause?

My appeal is that our president step higher, that he be aggressive and bold without acting like a child, that he be fearless without being frivolous. Only the blindly loyal will defend him at every turn, just as those blindly loyal to President Obama could see no wrong in him.

Appearing on "Face the Nation" on Sunday, Washington Post columnist Michael Gerson was asked, "What do you think the evangelicals who support President Trump make of the Stormy Daniels scandal?"

He replied, "Well, I think that it is the height of hypocrisy. . . . If any other Democratic president had been guilty of what is alleged in these cases, evangelicals would be, you know, off the reservation."

But Gerson is only partly right since: 1) no Democratic president fought for the things Trump is fighting for, meaning that the overall picture is quite mixed; and 2) there are evangelicals who support President Trump while not endorsing his crude behavior or passing over his marital transgressions.

That being said, I agree with Gerson that evangelicals who downplay Trump's moral failings are guilty of hypocrisy and do compromise their witness. This is something I've addressed many times before.

Gerson further stated that, "Evangelicalism really has had a good tradition. And now they are really undermining that reputation of their faith."

This prompted Margaret Brennan to ask, "But, in that judgment, you are saying the transactional part of this relationship isn't worth the trade-off?"

Gerson replied, "Well, they are acting like, you know, slimy political operatives, not moral leaders.

"They are essentially saying, in order to get benefits for themselves, in a certain way  they talk about religious liberty and other issues  but to get benefits for themselves, they are willing to wink at Stormy Daniels and wink at misogyny and wink at nativism.

"And that, I think, is deeply discrediting, not just in a political sense, but actually in a moral and religious sense."

Are some evangelicals acting like "slimy political operatives, not moral leaders"? Perhaps some are, just as some liberal Christian leaders have gotten into political bed with their Democratic counterparts.

But once again, Gerson is only partly right.

As evangelicals, we're not trying "to get benefits" for ourselves as much we're trying to advocate for what is best for our nation and the world. And when it comes to fighting against abortion, fighting against the genocide of Christians in the Middle East, fighting against the radical left's takeover of America  just to name some of our biggest issues  we absolutely support President Trump. We believe he's the man for the job.

Yet we don't pretend he is a virtuous Christian, while we are grieved over many things he says and does. As for the Stormy Daniels' allegations, if they are true, many of us would not be surprised. But we would urge our president to confess his past sins publicly and ask for forgiveness.

That's what true support looks like, and frankly, I fail to see what is hypocritical in taking a stand like this. As an evangelical leader I'm often embarrassed by our president, but I voted for him with my eyes wide open, weighing the good with the bad.

So, I will praise him for the great things he accomplishes and share my disappointment when he falls short.

That means that one day I'm celebrating President Trump for his bold and courageous leadership while the next day I'm regretting his cruel and crude attacks.

Today is one of those days when it's important for me to say, "Chuck Todd, I'm sorry for what our president said about you, and I agree with the sentiments you expressed."

Hopefully, tomorrow will be a different day.

Dr. Michael Brown (www.askdrbrown.org) is the host of the nationally syndicated Line of Fire radio program. His latest book is Playing with Holy Fire: A Wake-up Call to the Pentecostal-Charismatic Church. Connect with him on Facebook, Twitter, or YouTube.Email Whatsapp Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment

Our Western conception of the world is far too shallow. We don't reckon with the spiritual realities that mark the world in which we live. This is especially true when considering the existence and activity of demons. If C.S. Lewis was right, we may err in two ways: either to deny their existence or obsess over them in an unhealthy way. Many people in our culture err on the side of the former. We reduce reality to the things we can see and touch, and you won't meet many people who will claim to have seen and touched demons.

But demons are real. Satan and his kingdom of darkness is real. Christians actually struggle "against rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers of this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places." (Ephesians 6:12) Christians actually do have an adversary who roams around like "a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour." (1 Peter 5:8) It's high time we start taking the forces of darkness seriously.

But taking the forces of darkness seriously only raises tough questions. For example: what should we think about the Christian in relation to demons? More to the point: Can the Christian become demon-possessed?

Demonic Forces Exist in a Domain of Darkness

Part of the initial problem in answering this question is that our ideas about demons and demonic activity are often unbiblical. We tend to think of the world as a neutral place, in which people and demons coexist. In this conception of the world, a person is not under demonic influence until he is. But this is not how the world is depicted in Scripture. In the Scriptural view, this now-fallen world is far from neutral; it has a "god." (2 Corinthians 4:4) People are born into a hostile environment. They're born into a domain of darkness (Colossians 1:13), which is ruled by oppressive, demonic authorities.

If this is the case, then the way we think of demon-possession must change. Concentrated demonic influence over people isn't a crazy occurrence that goes against the grain of the world. "Possession" is simply an example of the demonic forces' chosen exercise of authority at any given moment. The people who live in the domain of darkness who are "demon possessed" and those who are not are, in a sense, in the exact same boat: both are equally unprotected from demon possession. In other words, any person who lives in the domain of darkness is "demon-possessable." Put simply, if we are an unbeliever, demons can get us. This can only happen with God's permission, of course, but the principle stands: the unbeliever has no Christ, no Savior, to protect them. They are vulnerable. How awful.

Christians Have Been Transferred Out of the Domain of Darkness

Praise God, the same is not true for the believer. To the question posed earlier, "Can demons possess the believer?" We have an emphatic answer: "No". Christians cannot be possessed by demons in the way described throughout the Scriptures. They cannot be dominated by demons because they no longer belong to the domain of darkness. If you are a Christian, the Father reached down into the domain of darkness, grabbed you by the scruff of your neck, picked you up, and gently placed you into the kingdom of his beloved Son (Colossians 1:13). The Gospel is the Triune God's rescue mission of his people who were trapped in the domain of darkness.

But this rescue mission isn't merely an extraction. It's not as if Jesus were planning to take his people to some sweet by-and-by, leaving Satan and his forces to ravage the rest of the earth to their hearts' content. The world, in bondage to sin and under the enemy-occupation of Satan, has been invaded by Christ. From the very beginning of Mark, we see Jesus, like the nation of Israel in the book of Numbers, driven by the Spirit into the wilderness for 40 days (Mark 1:12-13). And what does he do as soon as he emerges? The same thing Israel did when they emerged from their 40 years in the wilderness: he "invades Canaan." His announcement that the "kingdom of God is at hand" (Mark 1:14-15) is both good news for those whom he came to rescue and recruit (Mark 1:16-20), and bad news for the demonic movers and shakers whose doors he came to kick down (Mark 1:21-28).

Here's the takeaway: our focus is not on figuring out tips and tools for exorcism. Our focus is on preaching the Gospel, which is the power of God unto salvation, and the means by which the Spirit of God takes up residence in the believer.

The Gospel in Demonic Perspective

Jesus protects his people, in sum. We see this in John's Gospel. The Father sent the Son by the power of the Spirit to penetrate the satanic lines of defense and free his oppressed people (John 1:9-18). This he did by shedding his blood on the cross, thereby paying the penalty of their sin. This blood payment takes away Satan's power over the believer(Colossians 2:13-15; Romans 8:31-39). Christ also gives the church the gift of his Holy Spirit (John 7:39; 16:7), recruiting them to be a Spirit-empowered extension of that same mission (Matthew 28:18-20; John 17:18; 2 Corinthians 20:21). This is why we can be absolutely certain that Christians cannot become inhabited by demons. The Holy Spirit has taken up residency in them (Romans 8:9-11). There's no room for demons.

In Matthew 12:43-45, Jesus warns about the danger of seeing demonic exorcism as an end in itself. It's not; a demon can still overtake an unbeliever, even if an exorcism has happened. But what happens if the demon comes back to find that his previous home is now a Christian? What the demon now finds is not a house neatly prepared for him, but rather an impenetrable fortress, with divine weaponry pointed right at him. The Spirit indwells us. That's what every true Christian has become: a dwelling place uninhabitable for demons.

Jesus has not finally rid this world of demons. At present, we still wait for the final arrival of the kingdom and all of its promises (Hebrews 4:2). As believers, we feel the presence of this evil domain around us daily. In this sin-cursed world, demonic bullying still happens. As we wait, furthermore, we struggle not against flesh and blood, but the spiritual forces of darkness. Yet, we ought never to be overcome with fear. Demons cannot take us over. Satan cannot un-save us. Our spiritual warfare is ongoing, but we know how this story ends.

Samuel G. Parkison is a PhD student at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. He lives in Kansas City with his wife (Shannon) and their two sons (Jonah and Henry), where Samuel serves as a Pastor of Teaching and Liturgy at Emmaus Church. You can follow Samuel on Twitter at @samuel_parkisonEmail Whatsapp Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment

Across the country, school districts are removing symbols of religious belief. In Kenosha Wisconsin, for example, school authorities recently told a fourth-grade teacher to remove any "Christian symbolism" from her classroom, including a picture of the American flag that displayed the words "God Bless America." In Glendale Arizona, school officials told a teacher to eliminate religious items from her class after they learned she placed a Bible where her students could see it. In Tampa Florida, a teacher tried to prohibit her students from wearing cross necklaces while in her classroom. These increasing attempts to eliminate any reference of God are ironic, but without the existence of God, there wouldn't be any classrooms to begin with.

Like many of you, I spent most of my young life in classrooms. After high school, I drifted from journalism to architecture and eventually earned a bachelor's degree and two graduate degrees. I was a committed atheist during most of my education, but I now know that none of it would have been possible without God  but not in the sense that you might be thinking.

I'm not claiming that God did anything miraculous or exceptional to guide me through these years as I was learning about journalism, design and architecture. God did something miraculous long before that. God created a universe with humans who can think freely. This human freedom to weigh explanations, compare options and evaluate claims is what allows us to reason and learn. Without it, education is impossible and school unnecessary.

If atheism is true, we live in a purely physical, material universe, consisting of nothing more than space, time, matter and ruled by nothing more than the laws of physics and chemistry. Atheists who embrace this view of reality accept the existence of our physical brains (governed by impersonal forces of physics or chemistry) but reject the existence of non-physical minds (governed freely by personal thoughts, wills or desires). According to Sam Harris (the atheist philosopher who trained as a neuroscientist), "Free will is an illusion. Our wills are simply not of our own making. Thoughts and intentions emerge from background causes of which we are unaware and over which we exert no conscious control. We do not have the freedom we think we have... You are not in control of your mindbecause you, as a conscious agent, are only part of your mind, living at the mercy of other parts" (from Harris' book, Free Will).

If atheism is true, we don't have the freedom to think... freely. Instead, we are "living at the mercy of other parts," and these "parts" are entirely determined by the impersonal, rigid laws of physics and chemistry. But, you and I know better, don't we? We have good evidence to demonstrate the universe is not how atheists describe it. We experience free agency daily, and we act as though we are able to make free choices.

After finishing my degrees in design and architecture, I became a police officer and ultimately a homicide detective (yes, I know that's an unlikely career path  but I chose it - freely). In my law enforcement career, I arrested hundreds of suspects, not because they did something inescapably determined by the physical events in their brains (that would be unfair, after all), but because they did something they freely decided to do. Intellectual rationality isn't the only reality dependent on free agency  culpability also requires this kind of personal freedom.

God alone can provide the kind of free agency we experience as humans, and He alone can explain the reason we hold each other accountable for our free choices. If humans were created by a conscious Divine Being who freely chose to fashion humans in His own image, it shouldn't surprise us that we too would possess conscious minds with the ability to decide freely.

So, while school officials and teachers reason with one another about religious symbols that point to the existence of God, let's remind them that their ability to freely evaluate their options requires the existence of God. As they freely (and increasingly) remove these symbols of God from the classroom, let's remind them that their ability to do so required God's gift of free agency. They can ban all the symbols they want, but without God, there wouldn't be any ability to reason, nor any need for classrooms.

J. Warner Wallace is a Cold-Case Detective, Senior Fellow at the Colson Center for Christian Worldview, Adj. Professor of Apologetics at Biola University, and the author of Cold-Case Christianity, God's Crime Scene, and Forensic Faith.home World Sweden refuses to investigate religiously-motivated attacks against Christian refugees, watchdog groups say

Many Christian refugees have complained about religiously-motivated attacks in Sweden, but the authorities are reportedly refusing to conduct a serious investigation into the matter.

In an article published by the National Review last week, Jacob Rudenstrand, the deputy general secretary of the Swedish Evangelical Alliance, and Peter Paulson, the director of Open Doors Sweden, highlighted the persecution suffered by Christian asylum seekers in Sweden, which has taken in a very high number of refugees from all faiths in recent years.

Rudenstrand and Paulson had lamented that the Swedish government has not taken any action despite news reports of attacks against Christians. They went on to note there are numerous studies about hate crimes against Jews and Muslims, but very few focus on hate crimes against Christians, even though the statistics from the Swedish National Council for Crime Prevention indicate that there has been an increase on the latter in recent years.

In a survey conducted by Open Doors Sweden last year, 123 Christian asylum-seekers have reported that they were victims of religiously motivated persecution. There have been 512 separate incidents of persecution, which included death threats, sexual assaults and other violent acts, with most of the victims being converts and most perpetrators being other migrants.

Christian refugees in Sweden reportedly suffered 65 violent assaults, 55 death threats and seven cases of sexual assault.

At least 53 percent of Christian asylum seekers had reported that they had been attacked at least once, while 45 percent said they had received at least one death threat.

Rudenstrand and Paulson pointed to the case of a Christian refugee from Syria, identified only by his alias "Amir," who had been attacked by a fellow refugee at a home in eastern Sweden in 2015.

The jihadist, who also hails from Syria, had threatened to "slaughter" Amir and harm his family back in Syria. "I fled the war to avoid this kind of thing," he told the police.

While the man who threatened Amir had been sentenced to probation and fined 8,000 kronor (around $900) in damages, many other victims have decided not to file reports either because they have assumed that the police would not take any action or because of their fear of reprisals, according to Rudenstrand and Paulson.

They noted that the influx of refugees in Sweden has slowed recently, but they asserted that the Scandinavian country still has to face several challenges regarding refugees.

These challenges "include ensuring that Christians who were victims of genocide a a genocide that the government has refused to recognize a are not persecuted all over again after they resettle in their new country," the two Christian leaders said.

"The evidence shows that [Christian refugees] are not safe in Sweden, which needs to take measures to improve their security, but first it must acknowledge the seriousness of the problem they face," Rudenstrand and Paulson wrote.Chess master Nigel Short attacked for mocking rival's Christianity

A British chess grandmaster is under fire after mocking a rival's Christianity.

Nigel Short, the only Brit ever to challenge for the world title, was forced to defend himself, according to the Telegraph, after he ridiculed Wesley So, the US champion, who has made a habit of praying before every match.

So, a committed Christian, suffered a rare defeat in his opening match of the Candidates tournament in Berlin, on Saturday, losing in 33 moves to fellow American Fabiano Caruana.

Short, an atheist, tweeted: 'Congratulations to Fabiano Caruana on the first victory in the Berlin Candidates. The Lord deserted Wesley So today. Apparently, he didn't pray fervently enough.'

He was accused by chess fans of being 'hateful' and 'classless'.

But Short hit back and said: 'Why hateful? This is a man who publicly credits all his victories to the Lord. There must be some logical explanation when he loses, mustn't there?'

He added in response to accusation he did not respect So's deeply held belief, Short added: 'It may well be a dearly held belief, but that does not mean it is either sensible or worthy of respect, does it?'

Undeterred by the criticism he tweeted on Sunday: 'The problem with praying to the Lord on Sunday is that it is his day off. Paradoxically this is the very day that he is inundated with requests. No wonder he couldn't be bothered with the scores in the #BerlinCandidates.'Christian-owned zoo hits back after professor attacks it as 'blatantly creationist'

A row has broken out between an eminent professor, writer and broadcaster and an award-winning British zoo which holds a creationist position on the beginning of the world, saying it is 'much younger than 4.5 billion years'.

Alice Roberts, professor of Public Engagement in Science at the University of Birmingham, tweeted yesterday about the Noah's Ark Zoo Farm in Somerset, near Bristol: 'I honestly don't see how a zoo like this can win awards and say it supports education when it's so blatantly, openly creationist & anti-science!'

She then quoted  albeit selectively  from the zoo's website: 'We think that evidence shows the world is much older than 6,000 years but much younger than 4.5 billion years.'

The zoo, which is owned by Christians and has a Christian ethos, says on its website: 'While we don't profess to have all the answers, we think people should have the freedom to believe in God and know that it makes good sense in relation to the world around them.'

The relevant section on the creation of the world on the zoo's website says: 'Aspiring to an open, critical approach to explain what we see in the natural world.

'Did life arise naturally or supernaturally? Can undirected, random processes result in complex life forms or is there evidence to support the notion of a Creator? Can we reconcile our knowledge of evolution and a belief in God? These are important questions for some people...Biological life is a wonderful thing. In our view the evidence currently known points to a 'both/and' situation (creation and evolution) rather than "either/or": there was an initial creation, followed by a vast amount of evolution, geological and biological.

'Far from being static, the world was created to be ever changing, unfolding continually new forms and opportunities. We also believe the question of the age of the earth isn't simply one of "either/or". We think that evidence shows the world is much older than 6,000 years but much younger than 4.5 billion years. We therefore don't adhere to a "Young Earth Creationist" view, rather a theory of Recolonisation which is described in the linked pages in this section. This view is counter-cultural to some, but we encourage interested readers to explore these questions for themselves.'

The 100-acre zoo, which welcomes more than 200,000 visitors each year, describes itself as 'an important location for educational school trips'. It has been recognised with the Quality Badge from the Council for Learning Outside the Classroom and offers a 'comprehensive national curriculum based education programme catering for Primary, Secondary and Higher Education'.

It has won a series of awards including the national 'Quality Badge' from the Learning Outside the Classroom Scheme; the Gold Award in the Green Tourism Business Scheme; the Silver Award for 'Sustainable Tourism' (2016) from Bristol, Bath and Somerset Tourism Awards; the Gold Award for 'Sustainable Tourism' (2017) from Bristol, Bath and Somerset Tourism Awards, and the 'Access for All' Award in the Bristol Tourism & Hospitality Awards (2012).

A spokesperson for the zoo told Christian Today: 'We would like to make it clear that our education programme and school workshops are firmly rooted in the National Curriculum. We focus on topics such as animal characteristics, animal handling and conservation.

'Our education team pride themselves on teaching lessons that are appropriate to children from multi-faith and non-faith backgrounds. Our education programme is regularly audited and accredited by independent professional organisations. We have thousands of school visitors each year who enjoy the engaging and professional education that we offer.

'The owners and founders of Noah's Ark Zoo Farm, Anthony and Christina Bush, who previously were farmers at the same location for over 30 years, are Christians and set up the zoo with a Christian ethos.

'There are some displays and discussion boards around the zoo which invite visitors to consider the wonders of the natural world and to think about origins, science and the Christian faith. These displays are designed to prompt reflection and discussion and are respectful of people of all faiths and none. The size and layout of the zoo makes it easy for visitors, who wish to do so, to avoid any faith-related content and to simply enjoy their day out at the zoo.'Franklin Graham enraged that Facebook asked users if pedophiles should be able to solicit 'sexual pictures' from children

The social media giant Facebook has come under fire for posing some highly inappropriate questions about pedophiles, and evangelist Franklin Graham is especially enraged.

Facebook posted the survey asking users if it is acceptable for pedophiles to proposition underage girls for "sexual pictures," according to USA Today. It is normal for Facebook to use surveys in order to get feedback from its users, but the questions it posted recently made people quite upset.

One of the questions read: "In thinking about an ideal world where you could set Facebook's policies, how would you handle the following: a private message in which an adult man asks a 14-year-old girl for sexual pictures."

In response, Facebook users could answer either "this content should not be allowed on Facebook, and no one should be able to see it" or "this content should be allowed on Facebook, and I would not mind seeing it."

Another question asked users whether they themselves or the people handling social media should be the ones deciding whether or not an adult man can solicit sexual pictures on Facebook. They could answer "Facebook users decide the rules by voting and tell Facebook" or "Facebook decides the rules on its own."

Graham strongly criticized the recent survey on his own Facebook page. "Why would Facebook ask such a question?" he wrote. "They surveyed users asking if pedophiles should be able to ask children for sexual pictures. It just shows you how low our moral standards in this country have fallen. Many people today don't seem to recognize right from wrong."

Facebook has since then pulled out the survey, and Graham is glad. "To have a survey asking this is ridiculous and it's shameful. Pedophilia is just wickedness," he added.5 minutes with... King Farouks personalised Patek Philippe 1518

This great-great-grandfather of Patek Philippes perpetual chronograph series  one of only 281 ever crafted  is being offered in Dubai on 23 March, where its historic connection is expected to spark global competition

One of the first Patek Philippe perpetual chronograph watches ever made, commissioned in 1945 by King Farouk of Egypt (1920-1965) and assembled in 18-carat gold, will be offered at Christie's in Dubai on 23 March. The watch, the first '1518' edition of the iconic three-dial style still produced today, is one of only 281 examples ever crafted. When this 1518 was last seen on the market four years ago it realised CHF 425,000 [about $433,000] at Christies in Geneva, Christies watch specialist Remy Julia explains. This time around we are offering the watch to a new generation of collectors in Dubai, where for the past four years the vintage watch auction market, in terms of revenue, has doubled every 12 months.

Patek Philippe. An extremely fine, rare and historically important 18k gold perpetual calendar chronograph wristwatch with moon phases. Signed Patek Philippe & Co, Geneve. Ref. 1518. Movement no. 867528. Case no. 657236. Manufactured in 1948. Sold for 150,000 on 7 March 2018 at Christies in London

In Dubai, watches are a way of expressing personal style within a conservative dress code. Invite-only clubs have sprung up in the emirate, at which collectors get together to discuss vintage watches. The market for vintage has overtaken the trend for bling, says Julia. I cant remember the last time I saw someone with diamonds on their watch.

Patek Philippes 1518 was unveiled at the 1941 Basel Show, and was the first perpetual chronograph model to be made in a series by any watchmaker

Unveiled to the world at the 1941 Basel Show, the Patek Philippe 1518 was the first perpetual chronograph model to be made in a series by any watchmaker. The watch has a triple-complication movement, which micro-mechanically counts seconds, minutes, hours, days, months and years, and features a moon-face calendar in between two chronograph registers. 'The same design concept still exists on new Patek Philippe watches, but it has gone through five iterations in as many decades, which is why the original 1518 is known today as the great-great-grandfather of the series,' explains Reardon. 'In 1954 the 1518 was replaced by the 2499, and the son of the family, the 5270, is the perpetual chronograph model that Patek Philippe produces today.'

This watch ticks all the boxes necessary to be labelled a "superwatch"  its a Patek, its vintage and its incredibly rare

Were talking about almost 70 years of iconic dial design in this watch, says Julia, and the dial is where a huge proportion of a watchs value lies. Fortunately, the raised enamel tachymeter face on this 1518 is in near-pristine condition. The watch also comes complete with archival excerpts from Patek Philippes Swiss headquarters, confirming production of the watch with gold indexes in 1944 and its subsequent sale on 7 November 1945.

King Farouk of Egypt, who ascended to the throne when he was just 16 years old

In 2016 a stainless-steel edition of the 1518 Patek Philippe (one of only a handful made) sold for more than $11 million, becoming, at that time, the most expensive watch ever to appear at auction. Famous 1518 owners have included the King of Jordan, King Michael of Romania, Henry Graves Jr. (arguably the greatest watch collector of the 20th century) and King Farouk of Egypt, who commissioned this example. Farouk, who was the tenth ruler of the Muhammed Ali dynasty and Egypts penultimate king, succeeded to the throne aged 16 amid a blaze of popularity. This watch was purchased when the debonair monarch was just 25 years old and was known for his lavish collection of Mercedes and Rolls-Royce cars, which were painted red to avoid being stopped by law enforcement authorities.

King Farouk had this watch engraved with a crowned F on the reverse because he believed the letter brought good fortuneFacebook opened registration on Monday for its digital skills training program that will be held in Houston.

The social media giant previously announced its Community Boost program would visit Houston April 3 through April 6. The event will be held at the Julia Ideson Building of the Houston Public Library, located at 550 McKinney St.

It's designed to help small business owners, nonprofit leaders and job seekers. Houston is the second of 30 cities where Community Boost training will be offered.

"The courses are based on what businesses and workers have told us they need," said Aneesh Raman, manager of Facebook's global economic impact program.

RELATED: Facebook picks Houston for Community Boost digital training

For small business owners, Houston's schedule includes Getting Started with Facebook (101) for basics on creating business pages, Finding New Customers with Facebook (201) as an intro to Facebook advertising and Getting Business Done with Instagram to learn about the photo-sharing social media platform.

For nonprofit leaders, the Growing Your Non-Profit with Facebook course will focus on using the social media platform to find new supporters and raise money. Community Boost will also offer non-Facebook courses. These topics will include global trade, understanding key financial metrics and hiring.

There event will also offer services for job seekers. More details on this will be provided at a later date. But in Michigan, for instance, Facebook gave out scholarships to help people get seats in coding boot camps. It also trained organizations in digital marketing so they could continue training people in the community after Facebook left.

RELATED: UH small business center receives $2.3 million grant

Raman said Facebook wants to create conversations, networking and partnerships that will have a long-term effect on the community.

"Our goal with Community Boost is not just to come to town," he said, "but to have a real and lasting impact."

Registration for the event is free. Visit facebook.com/communityboost to sign up for the classes.Chevron Phillips Chemical on Monday announced the startup of its first new U.S. ethane cracker in decades, a major investment that will boost production at its Cedar Bayou complex in Baytown as the petrochemicals industry expands rapidly along the Gulf Coast.

Chevron Phillips, a joint venture of the oil company Chevron and Houston refiner Phillips 66, built the cracker to turn ethane, a natural gas liquid, into ethylene, a building block of many types of plastics. At full capacity, it will produce 1.5 million tons of ethylene a year to turn into pipes, films, containers and other plastic products.

The new supply of ethylene will support the production of polyethylene  the world's most common plastic  at the company's Old Ocean facility near Sweeny. There, it built two new polyethylene units that began operating in September with the combined capacity to produce 4.4 billion pounds of plastic resins a year.

RELATED: As gasoline demand wanes, oil industry looks to petrochemicals

The company expects that the cracker, eight years in the making, will increase its U.S. ethylene and polyethylene production capacity by 40 percent. President and CEO Mark Lashier said much of the new capacity will support the domestic market, through the company will continue to look for export opportunities.

"We'll be able to complete anywhere in the world with these products," he said.

The expansion comes amid a surge in Gulf Coast petrochemicals production as manufacturers capitalize on a cheap and plentiful supply of natural gas flowing from West Texas. Other major companies, including LyondellBasell and Dow Chemical Co., are investing billions of dollars to expand their local facilities.

A surge in global demand for plastics and other petrochemicals has bolstered the oil and gas industry even as governments worldwide look to reduce emissions and implement stricter fuel efficiency standards. The International Energy Agency, which tracks global energy markets, anticipates that petrochemicals will account for a quarter of the growth in global oil consumption during the next five years, replacing gasoline as the driver of crude oil demand.

Several other ethane crackers are expected to come online to meet that demand. The IEA forecasts new ethane crackers will increase consumption of oil and natural gas liquids by at least 1.4 million barrels a day through 2023.

Note: This story has been amended to clarify that the company has not built a new U.S. cracker in decades.People in San Antonio and around the country are going "un poco loco" over a little boy from Floresville and his Coco-inspired photo shoot.

Photographer and owner of Pop of Color Images Megan Bowling took the photos of 3-year-old Brandon Urbanczyk dressed as the movie's main character Miguel.

Jodie Urbanczyk, the boy's mom, approached the photographer with the idea.

"Any crazy ideas she has, I'm always down to do it," Bowling said. "She just thought it was a really cute idea."

Bowling suggested a location that would reflect the culturally rich settings in the movie: The Market Square.

RELATED: San Antonians review Coco: 'Not a dry eye in the house'

With a spot to shoot nailed down, the little boy's mom went to work on his costume and even brought along a toy dog Dante and marigold flowers to complete the scene.

The end product was a hit. Media outlets and customers across Texas have reached out to the San Antonio business to share the photos and schedule some of their own.

Bowling said she knew the session would be popular from the start. Even while taking the pictures, people were stopping to ask little Brandon for a photo.

See the pictures in the gallery above.

Madalyn Mendoza is a digital reporter for MySA.com. Read more of her stories here.| mmendoza@mysa.com | Twitter: @MaddySkyeTom Horan, who some in Houston call Mr. Irish, said that St. Patrick's Day is not just for the Irish but for anyone who has ever faced persecution, so people from all backgrounds can celebrate the holiday.

"Years ago, they used to have signs up: 'Irish need not apply,' so in a way St. Patrick's Day is a way of showing America that we've all made it [here] and that we've all in a sense proven ourselves to be worthy of being Americans," Horan said.

The son of an Italian mother and an Irish father, Horan grew up eating spinach fettuccine with corned beef meatballs on St. Patrick's Day. He graduated from St. Thomas High School in 1962 and the University of St. Thomas four years later.

Horan, 73, said he always believed in changing careers every 10 years, so he worked in several fields before retiring in 1995. He worked as a coordinator for the men's retailer Walter Pye's and then helped his brother open Birraporetti's, the Irish bar and Italian restaurant in 1974 as an homage to their heritage.

Later, he worked for the Houston Chronicle as the dining editor and as the director of public relations for the Shamrock Hotel. He said he greatly enjoyed his time at the Shamrock.

"Working for the hotel was magical. It was a labor of love," he said. "Every night the Shamrock would be bathed in green lights. We had the world's largest hotel swimming pool. There were 40 shades of green. The carpets were green, and the tiles were green. It was a mosaic of Ireland."

For several years, a national radio show was broadcast from the Shamrock with guests like Humphrey Bogart, Liberace, Red Skelton, Perry Como, Bob Hope and Doris Day. Horan said the show was the reason people outside Houston started pronouncing Houston like the city and not like Houston Street in New York City. The iconic hotel was torn down in 1987.

He started marching in the Houston St. Patrick's Day Parade when he was 17 and continued each year until 2015, even using a walker after he lost a leg to diabetes in 2011.

Horan now lives in palliative care, which means there is little doctors can do for him following his eight heart attacks, but that does not keep him from having a positive attitude on life and a great sense of humor.

He and his wife Jeani plan to celebrate their 52nd anniversary this coming June. Horan said he tells her, "If I hadn't married you, I would have been married for 52 years to six different wives." He also joked that the two of them never go to bed angry, so she had not slept in 38 years.

In 2014, Horan became the namesake of Old Tom Horan Irish Whiskey after his friend John Rydman, the president and owner of Spec's Wines, Spirits & Finer Foods, approached him about it. The whiskey was first available at all Spec's stores and, according to Horan, is now sold in nearly 30 states. Old Tom Horan Celtic Irish Cream Liqueur is now available as well.

"Having an Irish whiskey named after me is better than being canonized a saint. It's a real honor," Horan said.

He said he is proud of his heritage and legacy.

"Sometimes you have to realize your limitations, and as far as I'm concerned, me, I've climbed every mountain I wanted to climb thanks to my wife and family," Horan said. "I've done everything that I could want to do. I've seen all my grandbabies - I have six of them. When you get married in the Catholic faith, they say, 'May you live to see your children's children.' So I've accomplished that."Courtesy photo

The 59 Catholic schools within the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston got a boost thanks in part to Catapult Learning.

The 13th annual Steps 4 Students 5K Run in Houston was held Saturday, Feb. 17, and raised funds for the Catholic schools. It also benefited the Archdiocesan Tuition Assistance Program, which provides need-based tuition assistance to students of all faiths wishing to attend the schools.Feb. 19

At 12:47 p.m., officers were dispatched to 5130 Bellaire Blvd. in reference to a shoplifting that had just occurred. The reportee advised the suspect left the scene and walked towards the Metro Bus Station, located in the 5100 block of Bellaire Boulevard. The reportee also advised the suspect got onto a metro bus. Officer Santillanes and Officer Norman arrived at the scene and located a male matching the description on the metro bus. The suspect was arrested.

At 2:05 p.m., Officer Liccketto was dispatched to Randall's at 5130 Bellaire Blvd. in reference to a shoplifter. The suspect was found at the Metro Station. Officer Liccketto arrested the suspect and found allegedly stolen property in his bag. The suspect was also found to have a felony warrant out of Austin County for parole violation. The suspect was transported to the Bellaire Police Department for booking and processing.

At 6:45 p.m., Officers were dispatched to Faith Lutheran Church at 4600 Bellaire Blvd. in reference to a subject causing a disturbance. Upon arrival, the representative asked the subject to leave, but she refused. Corporal Kramer arrived and once the subject left the seating area she approached the subject. The subject refused requests to step out and had to be physically stopped from re-entering the seating/speaking area. Upon getting the subject outside her identifying information was requested as she was a suspect in the trespassing investigation. The suspect refused to provide her identifying information. The suspect was placed in custody at this time as she was being non-compliant. The subject was ultimately charged with criminal trespass.

Feb. 20

At 5:09 p.m., Officer Delgado was dispatched to speak with a reportee at 5020 Bellaire Blvd., concerning credit card abuse. Officer Delgado made contact with the reportee who stated her credit card was used to make an unauthorized purchase.

Feb. 21

At 6:26 a.m., Corporal D. Clawson responded to 4620 Bellaire Blvd. to take information on a burglary of a motor vehicle report. Between the approximate times of 10 p.m. Feb. 20 and 6:26 a.m. Feb. 21, an unknown suspect(s) broke the driver side rear window and stole the complainant's handbag containing miscellaneous nursing student supplies.

At 9:41 a.m., Officer Andrade was dispatched to 4505 Bissonnet St. in reference to a burglary of a building. Officer Andrade arrived and made contact with the reportee who stated between 10 p.m. Feb. 20 and 9 a.m. Feb. 21, an unknown suspect(s) forced entry through the front door and stole a cash register containing cash.

Feb. 22

At 11:15 a.m., Officer Carson was dispatched to the 800 block of Atwell in regards to unknown suspect(s) stole plywood from the construction site where she is building her new home.

At 7:25 p.m., Officer Schwausch was dispatched to the 4500 block of Holt Street in regards to an identity theft. Officer Schwausch met with the reportee who stated an unknown person used his identity to open a Sprint account and purchase four Apple iPhone X and accessories.

Feb. 23

At 5:38 p.m., Officer Schwausch was dispatched to the Fire Department lobby in reference to a credit card abuse incident. Officer Schwausch met with the reportee who stated an unknown person used her credit card in Los Angeles to charge for a lease renewal without her consent.

At 1:36 p.m., Officer M. Santillanes and Officer D. Norman were dispatched to a forgery in progress at Bank of Texas at 5320 Bellaire Blvd. Upon arrival, Officers met with the Bank of Texas Senior Banking Manager who advised a black female suspect was attempting to cash a forged check. Officers were advised of and located a second black female suspect who was said to have been involved in the incident.

Feb. 24

At 10:59 a.m., Officer Schwausch was patrolling the 5400 block of IH 610 NB when he observed a white Impala travelling in front of him with a Texas Temporary License Plate. Officer Schwausch conducted a query on the tag and did not get a return on the number. Officer Schwausch initiated a traffic stop on the vehicle and found the driver was driving with a suspended driver license and without proof of financial responsibility. The driver was arrested for driving while license invalid-enhanced.

At 5:43 p.m., Officer Marcotte initiated a traffic stop on a 2007 Pontiac for failure to dim headlights for oncoming traffic in the 7700 block of Chimney Rock Raod. The driver was found to have a suspended driver's license and open warrants. Additionally, he was found to be in possession of a loaded revolver, which is prohibited by a restraining order directed against him, as well as him being a documented gang member. He was arrested and charged with Unlawful Carry of a Weapon (UCW), a class A Misdemeanor.

Feb. 25

At 12:04 a.m., Officer Clisham initiated a traffic stop on a vehicle in the 4700 block of Bissonnet area listed above for being stopped in a crosswalk. After making contact with the driver and further investigation, said driver was placed into custody for possession of marijuana and later released on the Harris County Misdemeanor Marijuana Diversion Program.

At 3:42 a.m., the Bellaire Police and Fire Department were dispatched to the 8300 block of Will Jordan Way in reference to a male subject who was unconscious and not breathing. Officer Clisham and Officer Proctor arrived at the location and initiated CPR on the male subject. The subject was transported to the hospital by Bellaire Fire Department Medic 81 where he was later pronounced deceased.

At 10 a.m., Officer Carson was dispatched to the Bellaire Fire Department lobby to meet with a victim of a burglary of motor vehicle. The victim advised unknown person(s) entered his vehicle and stole a pistol from inside his center console.

At 7:25 p.m., Officer Schwausch was patrolling the 7400 block of IH 610 SB when he observed a gray Nissan travelling in front him with expired registration as of 01/2017. Officer Schwausch initiated a traffic stop on the vehicle and found the driver was driving with a suspended driver license and without proof of financial responsibility. The driver was arrested for driving while license invalid-enhanced.

At 9:36 a.m., Officer M. Santillanes and Officer D. Norman were dispatched to check by with Bellaire Fire Department on a medical call in reference to an unconscious male. Upon arrival, Officers made contact with the reportee who advised her husband had fallen in the master bathroom and she found him unconscious. Upon further investigation, the male victim was later pronounced deceased.

At 12:28 p.m., Officer C. Barber was dispatched to a call for service regarding a burglary of a habitation in the 4800 block of Saxon Street. An unknown person had forced entry through the back door leading to the attached garage and then forced their way into the home through the garage inner door.

Feb. 26

At 3:59 p.m., Officer Liccketto was dispatched in reference to a theft in the 5200 block of Woodlawn Places. The victim stated after she gave the employees of a computer company her bank account number, the suspect removed money from the account without her consent.

Feb. 27

At 5:24 p.m., officers were dispatched to an accident in the 6800 block of I-610 East Service Road. Officer Delgado and Officer Liccketto made contact with the victim who stated a vehicle struck her vehicle, and then fled the scene. The victim stated she was following the suspect's vehicle down Bellaire Boulevard to get him to stop. West University Police Officers were able to locate and bring him back to the scene. Through investigation the suspect was charged with FSGI.

Feb. 28

At 3:14 a.m., Officer Clisham was on patrol in the 6600 block of South Rice Avenue when he observed a white, 2006 Chrysler 300 driving northbound with no headlights on when required. Officer Clisham initiated a traffic stop and made contact with the driver. Officer Clisham smelled the distinct odor of an alcoholic beverage coming from the driver's breath and observed the driver to have red blood shot eyes and slurred speech. After further investigation, Officer Clisham placed the suspect into custody for driving while intoxicated at approximately 0328 hours and transported him to the Bellaire Jail for booking.

At 8:34 p.m., Officer Barrientos was dispatched to speak with a victim in the 5300 block of Braeburn Street concerning an identity theft. Officer Barrientos made contact with the victim who stated his personal identifying information was stolen and used to open an account with Wells Fargo.

March 2

At 2:43 p.m., Officer Liccketto was dispatched to the lobby of the Bellaire City Hall in reference to a forgery. The victim showed Officer Liccketto copies of forged checks the suspect was able to deposit using a cellular device and used online deposit. The suspect was successful in depositing both checks.

At 4:39 p.m., Officer Liccketto was dispatched to the 4500 block of Braeburn in reference to a burglary of a motor vehicle. Officer Liccketto met with the reportee who stated he had cash in his vehicle and left it unoccupied briefly. When he returned he noticed the door slightly ajar and the money was stolen.

March 3

At 11:28 a.m., Officers M. Santillanes and D. Norman were dispatched in reference to an identity theft in the 7300 block of Avenue B. Upon arrival, Officers met with the victim who advised an unknown suspect stole the victim's identity and used it to withdraw money from his personal checking account.

At 7:54 p.m., Corporal D. Clawson conducted a traffic stop in the 7500 block of IH 610 West Service Road on the defendant for a defective driver side brake light. During the traffic investigation, it was determined the defendant was in fact driving while his license was invalid. The defendant was subsequently arrested and charged with the misdemeanor B charge of driving while license invalid.

At 2:24 p.m., Officer Liccketto was patrolling the 5200 IH 610 West Loop South N/B and conducted a traffic stop on a tan SUV for expired registration. During the investigation, the driver was found to have a suspended driver's license with a previous conviction for driving while license invalid enhanced. The driver was arrested and transported to the Bellaire Police Department for booking.

At 5:38 p.m., Bellaire Police Corporal D. Clawson was dispatched to a found property report in the 6000 block of IH 610 southbound. The reportee in this case observed a female's wallet being thrown from the passenger side window of a blue Volkswagon Passat while traveling in the area. The wallet was collected by Officer Liccketto and later transferred to complete a found property report.

March 4

At 5:03 a.m., Officer Bellard was dispatched to a DWI in progress in the 5500 block of IH 610 East Service Road. Officer Bellard located the suspect vehicle in the area and initiated a traffic stop on the vehicle. After further investigation the driver was arrested for driving while intoxicated.The Raven Grill, a restaurant near the Museum District and Montrose neighborhoods, is celebrating its 20th anniversary on March 24, and is looking ahead indefinitely by striving to be as sustainable as possible.

Owners Rob and Sara Cromie, have been in the restaurant business for as long as they can remember. Prior to opening The Raven Grill in 1998, both Sara and Rob worked and managed extensively in bars and restaurants from Texas to Atlanta, Georgia.

"It is virtually all Sara and I have ever done. Both of us started by working at local places in junior high," Rob Cromie said.

Cromie describes The Raven Grill as neighborhood casual, "anywhere from shorts and t-shirts to people going to the opera downtown."

The menu consists of mostly American food, with a nod towards Mexican dishes.

"For our anniversary, we are going to spruce everything up, and redo the menu, which we do every couple of years. We are really focusing a lot more on the sustainable product end of it. I know that is kind of a catch phrase now with restaurants but I am trying to take it a step further," Cromie said.

Cromie intends on doing that by having his own beehives and chickens, kept out on property he owns about five miles away from his house. He also works with VerdeGreens, a local hydroponic farm, planting the kinds of foods he intends to use at the restaurant, such as tomatoes, lettuce and herbs.

"This has been a fight since day one. You would think it is easy to get good tomatoes, but its not. They are being gassed to be red. They've got color but they've got no flavor. I was just thinking that something had to change. I have to do it on a large scale. The sustainability is, I feel, crucial to cutting down the carbon footprint. Everything is a few miles away, so there is zero carbon footprint," Cromie said.

He is also working with an Texas A&M aquaculture professor to farm locally produced white shrimp in a professional zero waste facility.

"Seafood is our second largest import, and the stuff we are importing, only two percent is inspected. So farming in seafood has to happen, and that is why I started looking into it more and more," Cromie said.

Farming shrimp also helps with the wild shrimping 80 percent bycatch rate.

The Raven Grill will debut a new smaller menu, in addition to their current one, which will feature the dishes made by the local products, and it will explain where the products came from. Cromie hopes that this menu will allow them to get feedback from the people and know if they think sustainable dishes are important or not.

"The thing that most people don't know about most restaurants is they purchase things premade. And we make everything from scratch. Our gravy, our salad dressing, our bread is all from scratch. We are in the one percent in Houston restaurants, because for most places, it's just not feasible. You just can't win on the cost of goods and labor," Cromie said.

Cromie will use the honey from the bee hives in house cocktails and salad dressings. The eggs will be featured in a selection of brunch items, and the herbs and the vegetables will be used in a wide range of dishes as well.

"It is a little easier to get very specific about what I serve," Cromie said.

The Raven Grill is located at 1916 Bissonnet St., Houston. For more information, visit www.theravengrill.com.A California health I.T. company has entered an agreement with Houston-based Melax Technologies to provide accurate medical information translation from Chinese to English.

MORE Health Inc will work with the Houston Melax team to fund AI technology for the joint research project and to provide data.WASHINGTON - EPA chief Scott Pruitt raised the idea Monday of limiting Wall Street's ability to trade the government-issued credits for ethanol and other biofuels in an effort to aid oil refineries.

Under federal law, refiners must blend their gasoline with up to 10 percent ethanol. Refiners that don't blend ethanol themselves must buy the credits from companies that do. But these refining companies claim that the market for credits is opaque, thinly traded and subject to manipulation by speculators that can send price skyrocketing.

In a meeting with reporters at the Environmental Protection Agency's headquarters in Washington, Pruitt seemed to suggest that removing speculators from the market would help keep costs lower.

"There's some things on the trading platform I think should happen no matter what," he said. "There seems to be a hoarding of [Renewable Identification Numbers], which inflates the price of RINs. Some have talked about limiting the participants who buy and sell, so you can get away from some of the speculation that's taking place."

RELATED STORY: As price of biofuel credits spike, refiners suspect market manipulation

The Trump administration is trying to broker a deal between oil state Republicans like Sen. Ted Cruz, of Texas and corn state Republicans like Sen. Chuck Grassley, of Iowa, who have been at odds for months over the the future of the federal mandate requiring ethanol be blended into the nation's fuel supply.

In addition to limiting RIN trading, Pruitt also brought up the possibility of lifting an air pollution regulation that prevents the sale of fuels with higher concentrations of ethanol during the summertime.

"I told the folks in Iowa, if the law allows me to do it I'll sign it tomorrow. It doesn't make sense to only be able to sell nine months out of the year."

Pruitt's seemingly off-the-cuff comments Monday drew applause from ethanol producers, which by virtue of their large demand for the region's corn supply carry considerable political weight.

"We are encouraged by the Administrator's comments," said Bob Dinneen, president of the Renewable Fuels Association. "We would be receptive to any proposals bringing more transparency and liquidity to the RIN market."

Cruz has asked the Trump administration place a cap on the price of RIN credits, to help refineries the senator argues are at financial risk from compliance costs that can run hundreds of millions of dollars a year. That proposal has drawn fire from Grassley and other Midwestern politicians who argue Cruz is trying to decimate ethanol demand by reducing financial incentives for refineries to comply with the federal mandate.

Pruitt didn't discuss the cap proposal during Monday's meeting but rather focused the need to find a solution that would help refineries while also giving ethanol producers a boost.

"These market challenges we have are real," he said. "The President has a commitment to the [biofuels mandate] and ranching and farming communities in this country. But he doesn't want refineries to shut down either."Irish eyes and a few who wish they were will be smiling at a celebration remembering and honoring the most popular guy in Eire (Ireland).

St. Stephen's Episcopal Church will host their third annual celebration of St. Patrick with a mass and Irish feast to follow on March 18 at St. Stephen's Episcopal Church, 2041 Trinity Ave. in Liberty. The mass begins promptly at 6 p.m.

The choir at St. Stephen's will be accompanied by a familiar faces, nicknamed the Downpatrick Weavers Celtic String Ensemble for this particular occasion.

Following the service, everyone will adjourn to the Parish Hall to enjoy a covered dish feast and listen to some Irish tunes and jokes. Everyone is encouraged to wear green and kilts are welcome!

The celebration is the brain-child of Music Director Jim Sterling. Both he and his wife Sandra have visited the Emerald Isle on five occasions and fell in love with the quaint backdrop of beautiful mountains and rich history.

"We made a pilgrimage to St. Patrick's tomb in a small village north of Belfast, Northern Ireland," Sterling relates.

When they arrived, they saw a huge boulder placed over the tomb and their curiosity got them both.

"We were told it was put on the tomb because pilgrims to the site would come and take small 'scoop-o-earth' from the tomb," Sterling laughed. "You can only imagine that after you have quite a few pilgrims doing this every year, there wouldn't be much left!"

The boulder was the size of a mattress and was surrounded by smaller rocks to prevent anyone from taking the soil from the tomb area.

Patrick is the patron saint of Eire (Ireland).

He was born Maewyn Succat near Dumbarton, Scotland in 387 AD. At the age of 16, Irish raiders captured him and took him as a slave. After six years of tending sheep, he escaped and made his way to Brittany (NE France). He studied for the priesthood under the tutelage of St. Germaine in Auxerre, France, took the Christian name Patrick, and became a bishop at the age of 43.

In a dream, a vision from God, he said, it seemed "all the children of Ireland from their mothers' wombs were stretching out their hands" to him to walk among them again. He understood the vision to be a call to do mission work in pagan Ireland. He journeyed back to Ireland, arriving near Wicklow in 432 AD. According to John Lanigan's "An ecclesiastical history of Ireland," when his old master, Milcho, saw him coming, he set his house on fire and threw himself into the flames.

In his "Biography of Saint Patrick," by BS Paul De Marseilles, Chieftan Dichu tried to kill him with poison, but failed, and was converted to Christianity.

Supreme King Laoghaire summoned all the Druids to the Feast of Tara where the Pagan Fire was lit as a part of the Spring Festival.

Patrick went to nearby Slane Hill and kindled the Easter Fire, which the Druids could not extinguish. The next day, he was summoned by the king. On his way, he wrote and sang the new hymn "Lorica," or "St. Patrick's Breastplate," also sung in churches under the name "I Bind Myself Unto The Name, The Strong Name Of The Trinity."

Folklore says he picked a shamrock and used its three leaves to explain the Holy Trinity: The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit to the king who heard and was converted.

Historians credit Patrick for establishing many churches and schools in Ireland.

Another legend alleges Patrick also created the Celtic Cross by drawing a cross through the Celtic circle, symbolic of the Moon Goddess. De Marseilles said he believed it to be a simple way to win over Druids to the cross of Christ.

Due to his mission work, much of Ireland was converted from the pagan Druids to Christianity.

This movement traveled east to England and Scotland. He was also responsible for establishing many churches and schools there and is considered one of the most important saints.

Patrick died on March 17, 461 AD in Downpatrick where he established his first church.

Robert J. Morgan in one of his histories on famous hymns said, "His preaching was powerful, and Patrick became one of the most fruitful evangelists of all time, planting about 200 churches and baptizing 100,000 converts.

The saint inspired Sterling to write a mass in honor of the evangelist.

"I wrote most of the music for the mass except for the hymns," said the music director.

The only exception is some of the church's most beloved hymns that are Irish tunes.

Set to the traditional Irish folk song, "Slane," named for an area in Ireland where Patrick reportedly challenged local Druids with the gospel, "Be Thou My Vision" can be found in most hymn books transcending denomination.

Rev. Josh Hale from First Methodist Church in Liberty will deliver the homily and the Rev. Ted Smith will be the celebrant for the mass.

Following the mass, Sterling encouraged everyone to bring a covered dish, preferably an Irish dish, and enjoy Irish jokes and tunes in the church parish hall.

For more information, contact Sterling at 936-336-5464.Citizens of San Jacinto County will have the opportunity to support the Coldspring Community Center on April 7 with the annual Dinner and Dance fundraiser.

The Dinner and Dance fundraiser goes to the continued maintenance of the Coldspring Community Center, which is over 60 years old and requires a little bit of tender love and care for citizens to be able to use it.

"There'll be dinner, dance and an auction," said Coldspring Community Center President Danielle Nuro.

The fundraiser is one of two held each year to benefit the community center. The other one is the barbecue lunch plates sold at the Coldspring Area Business and Merchants Association's annual car show.

This year's Dinner and Dance is themed after the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s. Although not required, participants are more than welcome to dress to match their favorite era.

"The DJ will be playing hits from that time," said Nuro.

Past fundraisers have gone to renovating the Coldspring Community Center such as a roof replacement and the installation of French doors.

"Last year we fixed the flooring," said Nuro.

The funds have also gone to getting rid of the asbestos in the building.

"We're hoping to have more done with this upcoming fundraiser," said Nuro. "They want to do more beautification projects."

The Coldspring Community Center acts as one of three major venues in Coldspring with the other two being the Jones Auditorium and the newly opened Coldspring Community Shelter. Nuro says despite these two venues being close by the community center remains competitive and means a lot to local residents.

According to Nuro, the new community shelter costs much more to rent than the Coldspring Community Shelter, which costs anywhere from $40 to $60 to use.

"It's not even in the same ballpark," she said.

The Dinner and Dance is scheduled for April 7 at the Jones Auditorium from 6 to 10 p.m. Tickets are $35 per person. For more information, call Nuro at 832-646-9888 or Darchele Vucinovich at 936-628-6739.More than 300 people descended on the DuVin Pintor Art Gallery in downtown Houston Sunday to act as extras in "Harvey."

The producer of the film, which tells the story of one of the worst hurricanes to hit Houston, received more than 1,600 submissions from people eager to act in the movie, producer Nkem DenChukwu told Chron.com.Needville High School students are still finalizing plans to honor the 17 students and teachers gunned down at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School on Valentine's Day in a way that won't cross the line that their superintendent drew last month when he made national headlines for threatening to suspend students who walk out of class in protest of gun violence.

The Fort Bend County high school students say they understand the firm stance  called unconstitutional by some civil rights groups  that Superintendent Curtis Rhodes took when he posted a now-removed Facebook message that the district would "not allow a student demonstration during school hours for any type of protest or awareness." Participants, he wrote, would face a three-day, out-of-school suspension.

STUDENTS REACT: Texas universities say protests a 'non-factor'

"Life is all about choices and every choice has a consequence whether it be positive or negative. We will discipline no matter if it is one, fifty, or five hundred students involved," he wrote.

Large blue flags flapped in the wind Thursday as high schoolers streamed out after classes dismissed in the 3,000-student district that sits 40 miles southwest of Houston.

"I feel like that was a lot of the misconception when Needville's story blew up. A lot of people painting the picture that our superintendent doesn't want us to speak. I can see how the picture can be painted that way, but I don't think that was his intention at all," sophomore Hannah Exley said. "The atmosphere surrounding this place after everything blew up was really, really suffocating. I remember showing up to school a couple days after it happened and I was like I don't want to be here."

A week after the superintendent's post, three civil rights organizations, the Texas ACLU, Texas Civil Rights Project and Texas Appleseed, sent a letter saying his comments raised constitutional problems.

"The post suggests that students can't participate in any form of political expression at school at all and that's not correct," said ACLU attorney Kali Cohn Friday. "That's unconstitutional. The second issue is that it suggests that students participating in walkouts could be subject to harsher punishments than they would otherwise be subject to if they were leaving campus for an unexcused reason or without permission."

Rebekah Barber doesn't think any Needville High students will defy the superintendent with the threat of suspension hanging over their heads. The experience has been educational for the sophomore, whose history teacher had students research whether they have the right to protest and to debate the topic during class.

"I know a lot of students do recognize why people wanted to walkout, but I understand why it's disruptive," said Barber. "They could do something else, possibly organize with the faculty to honor them, so it's not like as disruptive as getting up and walking out of class."

Students, parents and community members contacted the civil rights groups for help after the threat, Cohn said. Other students across Texas also reached out with questions, prompting the letter that states that before punishing a student with an out-of-school suspension, "the Constitution, state law and the School Code require an administrator to make an individualized determination relating to the circumstances of the conduct," such as their disciplinary history, whether the student was participating in self-defense and whether they "had the requisite intent at the time of the conduct."

'Not here to walk out'

Schools can place reasonable restrictions on speech, including time and place. They also can restrict messages that are lewd, offensive, promote drug use or cause substantial disruption. The Needville school district would not comment on the matter further but said they stand by the superintendent's discipline policy. An email sent Friday to two members on the school board was not returned.

Needville High School's Student Handbook classifies an "aggressive, disruptive action or group demonstration that substantially disrupts or materially interferes with school activities," as a Level III infraction, which is considered a serious violation of the law. "Group demonstrations that disrupt or interfere with school activities," are listed as a Level II infraction.

Katherine Pitts, a senior at the school, also stood by the superintendent and his comments, saying that students could find another way to honor the victims that doesn't conflict with classes. She thought a good idea might be for students to gather around the flagpole to pay their respects before school .

"It's a good thing to support ... the 17 lives that were lost, but I think it should be done out of school hours," said Pitts. "We are here to learn. We are not here to walk out."

Demonstrations planned

Demonstrations are still planned across the country for students who want to walk out in support of the Florida school shooting victims. Klein, Spring and Pasadena ISDs confirmed last month that they would discipline students who walk out or disrupt class, while Houston ISD's top administrator said he would not discipline students who peacefully protest.

Cohn urges students to check resources before deciding to participate in a walkout or protest at school.

"Our voices are among the most powerful tools we have," she said. "Exercising free speech can have risks and it's important for students to know what their rights are and be aware of what the consequences could be before exercising their rights."When he was 17, he decided he wanted to rock climb full-time and left on a two-month climbing trip against his parents' wishes, and he has been pursuing his dream ever since.

In 2015, Isaac Caldiero became the first and only winner in nine seasons of the NBC obstacle-course competition show "American Ninja Warrior" after three years of competing. On March 3, he offered his climbing advice and expertise during two clinics at Momentum Indoor Climbing on Silver Street.

The objective of the "American Ninja Warrior" is to finish all four stages of obstacles, which have increasing levels of difficulty. Caldiero was the only person to complete the full course that changes with each event, stage and season. ANW is patterned after a Japanese competition, and Caldiero said when the show came to America, its popularity took off, and he knew he wanted to compete.

"It came to America and was a huge hit, kind of this new wave. It's like a new CrossFit but even more fun," he said. "You get healthy, you get fit, but you can run around and challenge yourself with crazy obstacles and meet cool people. It's just a really cool outlet."

Caldiero, 36, said he built his own "ninja torture chamber" in his parent's backyard, where he trained seven days a week. He said his many years of climbing outdoors free-solo without the protection of ropes and harnesses also prepared him and gave him a mental edge over his competitors.

"I do a lot of free-solo type climbing where my life is literally in my own hands. At times, falling is not an option, and I can't let my nerves get to me. Otherwise I die, and I don't want to die," Caldiero said. "So I took that same mentality into this course. Not only was there this impossible feat that was driving me to accomplish, but in the back of my mind, I said I couldn't fall."

Caldiero first got into climbing at age 15, when he was involved with the Boy Scouts of America and began going to a climbing gym where he lived in Utah.

There he met the gym's owner Jeff Pedersen, who is now Momentum Indoor Climbing's CEO. Caldiero said although Pedersen was probably old enough to be his father, Pedersen became more of a big brother figure and mentor in his life.

Although his parents did not approve, Caldiero tested out of high school so that he could pursue climbing, travel the world and see places. He said at first they were worried that he would get hurt, but they have come to embrace his efforts.

"In the beginning, my parents were not very supportive. They were very protective and paranoid, but over the years, I've kind of desensitized them to how I am and who I am. Now they are very accepting of it. They love me no matter what," Caldiero said.

Today, he lives in Chattanooga and climbs most days with his 15-year-old dog by his Labrador-border collie mix by his side. While Caldiero said he has climbing sponsors, he teaches clinics and classes and has worked as a climbing guide and in the construction and restaurant industries because he said climbing is "not a very glamorous sport" and that even the best climbers do not make much in comparison to athletes in some other sports.

Caldiero said these days his main goals today are to maintain his lifestyle and to continue being the same person he has always been. Since winning ANW, he said building new relationships has been challenging.

"It's definitely been kind of a different pace and a whirlwind of emotions and experiences since I won," Caldiero said. "It's been hard to make new friends, so to speak, because people will just judge and think differently of me now. It's really hard for them to look past what I did and what I am versus who I am."

He also said he is also starting to get the "American Ninja Warrior" "bug" again and is considering competing again in the future.

The March 3 event had 14 participants in the first clinic and 10 in the second clinic. Caldiero said the sessions were tailored and specialized to accommodate the climbers' varying skill levels.

Joey Luna, Momentum Silver Street general manager, said having Caldiero teach was a great experience for the gym.

"I think he brought a larger sense of credibility to Momentum, being a large factor in the climbing world," Luna said. "Hearing him tell stories of our CEO Jeff Pedersen climbing in the early days of sport climbing and leading the charge to develop new climbing areas really inspired the groups."

Luna said Caldiero is an excellent model for other members of the climbing community to follow.

"I think Isaac is a great example of the mystique of rock climbers: a steward of the land and willing to teach any level of climber in an approachable way," he said.

Caldiero said what he loves most about climbing is how the sport is an ever-changing problem to be solved where he also gets to meet great people.

"My favorite part of climbing is definitely a combination of just the puzzle solving aspect of it all. It's the constant challenge for all skill levels," he said. "It's constantly changing and evolving and never ending, on top of the social aspect of it. It's a very social sport. You meet a ton of really cool, amazing people. You get to enjoy that vibe and energy and share the experiences with other people."

He said he encourages those interested in climbing to push past their fears and give it a try.

"It is a very intimidating thing in the beginning, but it doesn't really take much past that initial push to get over that, to open up to it, to embrace it for what it is and to just realize that no one's judging you and not to be afraid of it," Caldiero said.

"Everyone remembers back when they were in your same position, learning, beginning and being scared. So at any moment and time, other climbers are going to help if you have questions. People are very friendly."

Located at 1401 Silver Street, Houston, Momentum Silver Street offers 43,000 square feet of space for bouldering, yoga, cardio, fitness and more. For more information call 832-433-7211 or visit www.momentumclimbing.com.Representatives from dozens of small businesses have a leg up on the competition thanks to Metro's "Meet the Buyers" event. The free seminar held today gave business owners a chance to hold face-to-face meetings with the agency's procurement decision makers. It is part of Metro's award-winning Small Business Enterprise Program. Metro Board Chair Carrin Patman expressed the Board's deep commitment to partnering with small businesses.

"I want to thank you for the enormous contributions small businesses make to the region and particularly to Metro. You are also job creators and that is invaluable for all of us," said Patman.Six men were arrested by the Montgomery County Precinct 5 Constable's Office on Wednesday and face multiple charges including engaging in organized crime - theft, possession of methamphetamine and unauthorized use of a motor vehicle.

Terry Vaughan, 35; Timothy Portwood, 32; Chip Greenhouse, 45; Shawn Redford, 41; Chadwick Ferguson, 41; and Robert Johnson, 54; were arrested at 623 Pond Circle in Pinehurst after Precinct 5 Deputies received information that stolen items were being stored on the property.

"When Pct. 5 units arrived, they were able to locate two stolen trailers and information to where two stolen pickup trucks were being stored," Chief Chris Jones with Montgomery County Pct. 5 Constable's Office said.

"Both trailers, two pickups trucks and methamphetamine were recovered by deputies. The recovery of the stolen vehicles and trailers resulted in the arrest of six different individuals who have been known to Magnolia area law enforcement for several theft and burglaries in the area."

These arrests resulted in nine charges being filed with the Montgomery County District Attorney's Office including engaging in organized crime-theft, unauthorized use of a motor vehicle, theft and possession of controlled substance  methamphetamine.

All six arrested are in Montgomery County Jail awaiting bond.

Chadwick is from Pinehurst and was arrested on a blue warrant, Greenhouse is from Tomball and is charged with engaging in organized criminal activity and theft greater than or equal to $2,500 but less than $30,000, Portwood is from Pinehurst and is charged with engaging in organized criminal activity and Redford is from Pinehurst and charged with possession of a controlled substance.The Lone Star State is blessed with strong energy and agriculture industries, both of which sustain thousands of jobs all over our state and play an important role to our national and economic security.

The mining and utilities industry is the largest contributor to Texas' GDP, and the food and fiber system is ranked second.

Unfortunately, both industries are falling victim to a broken regulatory framework out of Washington, D.C. Right now, there is debate surrounding the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS), a federal program requiring transportation fuels to contain a certain amount of renewable resources such as ethanol, specifically as it regards the price of Renewable Identification Numbers (RINs).

The EPA made up RINs with the goal of designing a minimally burdensome enforcement mechanism for the RFS. In fact, when they were first introduced, RINs sold for a penny or two each. Now, however, RIN prices have skyrocketed and cost as high as $1.40 each. These increased costs are putting considerable pressure on Texas refiners as they have had to direct more and more of their bottom line to paying these fees, rather than reinvesting in the state's economy. As a result, thousands of Texas refinery jobs are at risk.

The most unfortunate part about the RINs system is that those who benefit from it are neither corn farmers nor refinery workers, but rather Wall Street speculators who reap profits from RINs.

Our own governor recognized the threat of high RIN prices on Texans' jobs and wrote to the EPA asking for relief, explaining that "current implementation of this dated federal mandate severely impacts Texas' otherwise strong economy and jeopardizes the employment of hundreds of thousands of Texans."

And U.S. Senator Ted Cruz, R-Texas, is currently leading the effort in Washington to defend the interests of Texans from this broken system. Senator Cruz has called for a "win-win" solution that will simultaneously bring RINs prices down and protect Texas refinery jobs, while enabling Texas farmers to grow and sell more corn.

The White House is meeting with senators from Texas and the Midwest and interests representing ethanol producers, refiners and unions. Negotiations are ongoing.

Senator Cruz and those working to achieve a fair and reasonable solution are focused on allowing all industries across the state to grow - from agriculture, to oil and gas, to renewable and alternative sources of energy - and take full advantage of the agricultural and energy resources we have right here at home. Texans should support efforts to reform the RFS and cap RIN prices, for the good of the Texas economy and all Texans.

Christi Craddick was elected statewide by the people of Texas in November 2012 to serve a six-year term as Texas Railroad Commissioner. A native of Midland, Christi is an attorney specializing in oil and gas, water, tax issues, electric deregulation and environmental policy.

Christi Craddick was elected statewide by the people of Texas in November 2012 to serve a six-year term as Texas Railroad Commissioner. A native of Midland, Christi is an attorney specializing in oil and gas, water, tax issues, electric deregulation and environmental policy.March 2

An officer was dispatched to the 3200 block Carnegie in reference to an accident during the previous night. The striking ehicle left the scene without stopping.

An officer was dispatched to the 4100 block of Lafayette in reference to a stolen vehicle. The vehicle was discovered missing by the owner.

An officer stopped a vehicle for failing to slow down while passing a stopped emergency vehicle in the 4100 block of Bissonnet. The driver was found to be intoxicated.

March 3

An Officer with the West University Place Police Department conducted a traffic stop in the 6800 block of Buffalo Speedway for speeding. The passenger, Marcus Rodgers (B/M 5/5/99) was found to have 6 open Jacinto City warrants. He was arrested for the warrants and booked into West U Jail. The driver, Torrey Smith (B/M 8/10/98) was cited and released. Both occupants were out on bond for two separate murder cases.

March 5

An officer observed a vehicle travelling in the 6700 block of Buffalo Speedway with an expired registration. A traffic stop was conducted in the 6800 block of Buffalo Speedway. During contact with the driver, the officer detected an odor of marijuana within the vehicle. A search of the vehicle was conducted and marijuana was found.

March 6

An officer was dispatched to the 6100 block of Wakeforest in regards to a failure to stop and give information minor accident that had already occurred.

At 10:39 pm, Officers were dispatched to suspicious activity, while enroute to the dispatched location an officer observed a vehicle driving without headlights and extensive damage to the driver side headlight. The officer was flagged down by a vehicle that was following behind the vehicle in reference to it striking a parked vehicle and leaving the scene without giving any information. A traffic stop was conducted on the vehicle and the driver was found to be under the influence of alcohol and was subsequently arrested for the suspicion of Driving While Intoxicated.

March 7

An officer was dispatched to the Ft. Bend County Sheriff's Office Jail to pick up a prisoner with warrants out of the West University Municipal Court. The prisoner was transported and processed without incident.

March 8

An officer was dispatched to the West U PD Lobby to meet with a complainant in reference to suspicious text messages that he had received from an unknown suspect. A police information report was generated.Alton Frailey, who spent almost a decade leading the Katy Independent School District, is the new superintendent of the Nacogdoches ISD.

Frailey, who retired in 2016 from Katy ISD, was named interim leader of the East Texas school district during a March 8 special board meeting. Current superintendent Sandra Dowdy's resignation takes effect Friday, Nacogdoches school district officials said.

"We anticipate Mr. Frailey being at work for the district effective March 19 with the goal of being onsite full time in Nacogdoches by April 1," Nacogdoches ISD board president James Ervin said in a statement.

Frailey is a Nacogdoches native who retired in 2016 after 33 years in public education - the last nine as Katy ISD superintendent. During his tenure in Katy, the enrollment of the district jumped from 51,000 to more than 73,000.

Nacogdoches ISD has about 6,500 students 11 schools compared to more than 60 campuses in the Katy ISD, the eighth-largest district in the state.

Frailey is a past president of both the American Association of School Administrators and the Texas Association of School Administrators. During his tenure in Katy, he served on several local boards including the Katy Area Chamber of Commerce and the Katy Area Economic Development Council.

He is a graduate of Stephen F. Austin State University and in 2015 was named to the board of regents.

Frailey began his teaching career in the Goose Creek ISD and later became an assistant principal. He worked in administrative position in the Spring Branch ISD before moving to Cincinnati, Ohio where he became school superintendent. He later returned to Texas for the top schools job at DeSoto ISD. He was named Katy ISD superintendent in 2007.Local defense lawyers are asking for an investigation to consider charges ranging from perjury to attempted murder for the former prosecutor who helped wrongfully send a Houston man to death row.

In a letter to District Attorney Kim Ogg sent Monday, the Harris County Criminal Lawyers Association, which includes more than 650 local attorneys, also pushed for a special prosecutor to investigate the actions surrounding the case of Alfred Dewayne Brown.

FALKENBERG: Rizzos defense in Alfred Dewayne Brown case questionable then, chilling now

"The law must apply to all," the letter reads. "When prosecutors and investigators conceal evidence and deliberately intimidate witnesses, misuse grand juries, and knowingly ask for death for an innocent man, they must answer for it as any other citizen would."

But some retired prosecutors defended their former colleague, calling the possibility of attempted murder charges "absurd."

"They're just shotgunning everything," said retired Harris County prosecutor Lyn McClellan. "The perjury statute of limitations is past, so it would be useless to spend money for a special prosecutor to say we can't do that."

Ogg declined to weigh in specifically on the calls for an independent investigation but stressed that her office was "committed to transparency and justice in all matters." The Austin-based Texas District and County Attorneys Association declined to comment.

Less than two weeks before the defense bar penned its letter, Ogg's office released a recently uncovered email showing that former prosecutor Dan Rizzo failed to disclose evidence that would have confirmed Brown's alibi.

The 36-year-old spent roughly a decade on death row protesting his innocence before that evidence - landline phone records - turned up in a detective's garage in 2013. An appeals court overturned his sentence and he was released two years later.

Initially, officials said the failure to turn over records was "inadvertent." But the bombshell email release earlier this month showed that investigator Breck McDaniel told Rizzo about the records back in 2003, months before Brown was sentenced to death. It's not clear whether Rizzo read or responded to the email. He has not responded to requests for comment.

Ogg turned over the new finding - uncovered in the course of Brown's lawsuit to get compensation for the time spent in prison - to the State Bar of Texas for review. But, as local attorneys pointed out previously, disciplinary action or disbarment would have limited impact as Rizzo is retired.

Previously, the defense lawyers' group wrote then-District Attorney Devon Anderson in 2015 asking for an independent investigation. But now, they reprised that request and upped the ante.

"We write again to ask, in light of recent disclosures by your office, that you request a special or pro tem prosecutor - either an elected official from a neighboring county, or a prosecutor appointed by the office of the Administrative Judge of the Harris County District Courts  to investigate the actions surrounding the prosecution of Alfred Dewayne Brown by your office," the letter says.

Signed by association President Tucker Graves, the letter also asks for an investigation into potential crimes that "may have included official oppression, obstruction of justice, perjury, subornation of perjury, and criminal civil rights violations, and may have included attempted murder, and conspiracy to commit murder."

While the statute of limitations on perjury - a charge that would potentially stem from a 2008 affidavit in which Rizzo denied holding back evidence - has run out, the same is not true for an attempted murder charge.

The letter goes on to "applaud" the recent email release, but says that's "simply not enough" and that Ogg's office "must go further" and "step away from oversight as it is clear that Mr. Rizzo's decades-long association with your employees makes any objective investigation impossible."

Brian Stolarz, the attorney who helped secure Brown's release, lauded the calls for an independent investigation.

"From the very beginning of this case our team sensed something was wrong about Dewayne's case," he said. "A special prosecutor makes good sense to investigate impartially and to see what other cases may have been impacted. It's the right step at this time."

Former long-time District Attorney Johnny Holmes agreed about the need for an outside look.

"I think there oughtta be a special prosecutor," he said. "I think the attempted murder charge is a little stretch - but I don't think the in-house prosecutor needs to be investigating."

Daniel Medwed, a Northeastern University professor of law and criminal justice, said he "applauded" the defense bar for calling out the "egregious" conduct but that attempted murder "feels like a stretch."

Meanwhile, former prosecutors pushed back against the possibility of charges.

"There has to be some basis to believe that there's a criminal act that has been committed," McClellan said. "So I'd be interested to know what that was."

He emphasized that he would support prosecution in cases of wrongdoing - but said he just wasn't convinced that had necessarily occurred in Rizzo's case.

Former Harris County Assistant District Attorney Steve Baldassano concurred, adding that he'd never heard anything negative about Rizzo, who he said was troubled by the case.

"This'll probably take five years off his life," he said. "This is a real person whose life is substantially diminished."

Brown was convicted in October 2005 in a brazen slaying of Houston Police Officer Charles L. Clark and store clerk Alfredia Jones  who had just returned from maternity leave  during a robbery at a check-cashing store in southeast Houston.

READ MORE: 'It's absolutely perjury': Prosecutor's affidavit raises more questions in Brown case

Two others were convicted in the case, and one of them - Elijah Dwayne Joubert - was sent to death row for Jones' slaying.

Brown, however, always said he was innocent, that he had been at his girlfriend's apartment at the time of the murders.

The proof, he said, was a phone call he'd made to his girlfriend at work that morning. For years, officials claimed they had no record of the call.

In 2008, Rizzo even signed a sworn affidavit saying he did not withhold any phone records that could have been used in Brown's defense.

But during the appeals process in 2013, McDaniel found the records in his garage.

Brown was released from prison in 2015 and has since fought for compensation for the years he spent on death row. But the state rejected his request for money based on the grounds that prosecutors never declared him "actually innocent."

In response, Brown's attorneys filed suit against the county, city, district attorney and Houston police seeking compensation.

That civil case is still ongoing.Harris County Precinct 4 Constable's Office

A 21-year-old man has been charged with endangering the life of a child after he allegedly let a 2-year-old he was babysitting walk in the street alone.

Davion Kelly, 21, was charged with endangering a child after a 2-year-old he was allegedly babysitting was found walking in the street alone.Asia-Pacific Trade Agreement signed without the U.S.

Worldwide

The agreement, formerly known as the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), was signed by eleven countries in Santiago, Chile, on March 8.

In the absence of the U.S., the trade agreement signed by Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore and Vietnam has been renamed Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP). It aims to reduce trade tariffs between member countries that together amount to over 13% of the global economy; a total of US$10 trillion in gross domestic product.

The CTPP includes commitments to enforce minimum labour and environmental standards, and a controversial Investor-State Dispute Settlement mechanism, which allows companies to sue governments when they believe a change in law has affected their profits.

The Asian nations are expected to benefit the most from the agreement, with Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei and Vietnam each boosting their economy by more than 2% to their economy by 2030, while New Zealand, Japan, Canada, Mexico, Chile and Australia are to grow by an additional 1% or less. The U.S., which retracted from the TPP shortly after Donald Trump was elected President, could lose around US$2 billion as firms in member countries have an incentive to trade with each other instead of with U.S. companies.

If the U.S. had signed the deal, it would have represented 40% of the global economy. Malcolm Turnbull, Australia's Prime Minister, said the deal has been designed to allow new members in future.

Sources: BBC/Canadian CattlemenBrazils federal justice releases former JBS Chairman from jail

Brazil

The federal court in Brasilia, Brazils capital, ordered Joesley Batista and former J&F executive, Ricardo Saud, to be released from jail in Sao Paulo.

The judge told local media the investigation had no prospect of being concluded; allegedly, the preventative arrest order cannot exceed 120 days. According to the ruling, Joesley Batista does not need to be under house arrest but, because the lawsuit he is responding to in Sao Paulo regards a possible manipulation of the financial market, he will have to use an ankle monitor. He cannot join his company, JBS, nor talk to his brother, Wesley Batista, who was also recently released from prison. Read more here.

The Batista brothers, who control giant meatpacker JBS through holding company J&F Investimentos, are not allowed to leave the country.

JBS shares are reported to have increased +3.6% on February 9.

Source: GloboA trio of Houston businessmen were appointed to the University of Houston's System Board of Regents by governor Gregg Abbott, according to a news release issued from the university on Monday.

The new regents, Doug Brooks, Joe Gutierrez and Jack Moore will each serve a six-year-term. They replaced Spencer Armour, III, Roger F. Welder and Welcome W. Wilson, Jr., whose terms expired last Fall.

"I could not be more pleased with Governor Abbott's thoughtful approach to the leadership of the University of Houston System," said Renu Khator, chancellor of the UH System. "Each appointee has shown great dedication to the success of UH throughout their careers and I am excited about how they will work to move all of our universities forward."

All three are alumni of the university.

Doug Brooks graduated from the Hilton College of Hotel and Restaurant Management program and is the first alum from the school to be inducted into the Hospitality Industry Hall of Honor.

He is the retired chairman, president and CEO of Brinker International, a causal dining restaurant company that includes spots like Chili's Grill & Bar and Maggiano's Little Italy.

The second board member appointed is Moore, who has a degree from the University of Houston and also attended Harvard Business School.

Moore worked at Baker Hughes Inc. for more than twenty years and went to on to serve as the former chairman and chief executive officer for Cameron International Corp.

"All three of these men have achieved success with the knowledge they gained from the University of Houston and they are passionate about giving back. What an opportunity this is for all our universities in the UH System," said Tilman Fertitta, chairman of the UHS Board of Regents.

The third new regent Gutierrez graduated from the C.T. Bauer College of Business Executive MBA program. He's worked in the energy industry for more than 30 years and currently serves as the CEO of Novi Ventures.

The Bauer College's Gutierrez Energy Management Institute, which is used as a resource to prepare business leaders for the energy industry, is named after him.

The UHS Board of Regents is made up of nine members and a student regent. The current governor of Texas appoints three members to the Board of Regents every two years, which is subject to Senate confirmation.

A regular board member serves a six-year-term and non-voting student regents serve a one-year- term. University of Houston, University of Houston-Clear Lake, University of Houston-Downtown and University of Houston-Victoria are represented by the board.Liberty County jumped into an ongoing legal fray Friday when it filed a $1 million lawsuit against Arkema over the chemical fires that wreaked havoc at its Crosby plant in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey.

The legal claim comes months after first responders and Harris County also filed high-dollar suits against the chemical company. The latest claim alleges air and water contamination spilled over into neighboring Liberty County, violating the Texas Clean Air Act, Texas Water Code, health and safety codes, and creating a public nuisance.

"Arkema needs to make sure that whatever chemicals entered the air, whatever whatever from the water thanks overflowed into the water supply, they need to ensure that now it's clean and safe for the residents," said attorney Mo Aziz.

The company pushed back against the "unfounded" legal claims.

"Liberty County's lawsuit unfairly accuses Arkema and its employees of wrongdoing and contains misinformation that could unnecessarily alarm residents," the company said in a statement. "The County and its residents could not have been seriously injured by Arkema's releases because all monitoring and testing results show no exceedances of Texas residential environmental standards in soil, surface water, ash or drinking water occurred at off-site properties."

ANOTHER LAWSUIT: First responders sue Arkema for $1 million following explosions at Crosby plant

One of the suit's salient claims targets the company for its overflowing wastewater tanks that may have mingled with floodwaters.

"Rainwater accumulated in two wastewater tanks at the Site until the tanks overflowed into their containment dikes, which subsequently also exceeded their capacity," the suit says. "The wastewater contents thus mingled with floodwaters on the rest of the property, contaminating water in Liberty County."

With the wastewater overflow came unpermitted air releases, including "thousands of pounds of chemicals," lawyers claim. "These included releases of ethylbenzene, mineral spirit, naphtha, naphthalene, organic peroxide, 1,2,4-trimethylbenzene, tertbutyl alcohol, and unspecified volatile organic compounds."

About 300 homes were evacuated and more than 30 people hospitalized  including law enforcement  when trailers of volatile chemicals erupted into flames after the plant lost power and generators in Harvey floodwaters.

Aerial view of extreme Hurricane Harvey flooding

The first of nine trailers of organic peroxides exploded on the morning of Aug. 31, leaving a 40-foot plume of black smoke trailing over the northeast Harris County town. The fires came days after the French company's Crosby Eastgate plant lost power when six feet of floodwaters drenched the facility.

The loss of power knocked out the cooling system needed to keep the heat-sensitive organic peroxides from exploding.

HARRIS COUNTY SUES: County files suit against Arkema over plant disaster, too

Authorities ordered evacuations within a 1.5-mile radius of the plant starting on Aug. 29. Two days later, the first fire broke out. In the following days, more trailers exploded and finally, on Sept. 3, the Houston Police Department's bomb squad detonated the remaining six trailers of chemicals.

Afterward, a number of first responders and local homeowners filed suit, as did Harris County.

"This was a very dangerous situation," County Attorney Vince Ryan said in a statement after filing a claim last year.

"Arkema must take responsibility for its inability to ensure the safety of the people of the Crosby community and those who protect them."

The more than 120 first responders and local residents who filed claims are now going through the discovery process in federal court, Aziz said. Currently, he said, it's "too early" for any talks about a possible settlement.One man is dead and another in custody after a Monday morning shooting in south Houston, according to police.

A gunman in a vehicle opened fire in the 5000 block of Doolittle just after 11 a.m., Houston police said.As a third-grader, Emilio Recio stared in awe at the incredibly detailed art work high schoolers displayed at the Houston Rodeo. He told himself he wanted to do that. He wanted to win.

The now 18-year-old from Pasadena ISD fulfilled his almost decade-old dream Sunday at the Rodeos School Art auction when he became the competition's Grand Champion, and his oil painting By Dawns Early Light sold for $225,000.

Im so incredibly happy and honored, Recio said. This is a dream come true.

Roughly 200,000 students from 95 school districts and 47 private schools entered the competition this year. About 680 pieces won awards, including Best of Show, Gold Medal, Special Merit or advanced to auction judging.

Art is just a great thing that anyone can be a part of, Recio said.

Recios painting is based off a cowboy who spends his mornings peacefully feeding his horses. Recio was inspired by the passion the cowboy has for his way of life.

He loves to do what he does, Recio said. He has a passion for it. Hes been doing what he does for over 40 years.

The piece was purchased by Mary and Ken Hucherson; Kristina and Paul Somerville; Jennifer and Joe Van Matre; and Lynda and Jim Winne.

Paul Somerville said the purchase was in honor of Mimi and Tom Dompier, who were longtime supporters of the auction and showed what it means to be committed.

We commit to these kids to help them have the incentive to take on the responsibility and the next steps in their life, Somerville said of his group of buyers who has purchased at the auction together for years.

Janice Khang, an 18-year-old Katy ISD student, won the Reserve Grand Champion for her painting Horsing Around, which sold for $150,000.

Art is just so incredible, Khang said. You can express how you feel, how you think and everything without any words.

Khangs painting shows two men in their Western attire laughing as a colorful sunset falls behind them. Khang said she was inspired by the pure happiness in the mens faces.

Anything visual just makes me happy, Khang said. Art is wonderful because you don't have to speak others peoples language to tell people something.

The piece was purchased by Sharon and George Buschardt, Cheryl and Gary Deitcher, The Inn at Dos Brisas, and Dr. Kelly Larkin and Fernando Para. Larkin said it is exciting be be able to support any students involved in the Rodeo.

The rodeo is so diverse, Larkin said. You dont just have to be in FFA or 4-H (to participate in the Rodeo), and you also have opportunities for talented kids outside of agriculture, so its very exciting to be here and support them.

Recio and Khang have had a passion for art since their childhood. The two said their art teachers over the years are what helped their elementary school doodles turn into award-winning art today.

My art teachers are really awesome and supportive, Recio said. Theyll do anything for their students.

When they found out about their victories, Recio and Khang agreed it was the perfect ending to their senior years.

I was blown away, Recio said. It was my last year and I wanted to give it my all.

These young artists both want go to college to pursue an art major, and they plan on making art for the rest of their lives.

I see art as being a universal language, Recio said. Anyone can do it. Anyone can express themselves.A Texas Syndicate gang member has been charged with aggravated assault of a public servant after he was accused of swinging a knife at a sheriffs deputy.

Victor Emajae Coronado, 50, was arrested Saturday and is being held in Harris County Jail with no bond.

Before the alleged run-in with the deputy, Coronado threw a knife at a car stopped at a red light, picked up the knife and began swinging it, according to the Harris County District Attorneys Office.

He was walking on Airline Boulevard when a deputy asked him to drop the knife. He instead charged at the deputy while continuing to swing the weapon, a district attorneys office spokesman said.

Coronado was hit with a stun gun and was handcuffed.

He has the Texas Syndicates longhorns-type emblem on his face, according to the district attorneys office.

The Texas Syndicate, a gang born out of the California prison system before it moved to Texas, is known for its strict discipline meant to keep members out of the sight of police and prison guards, spokesman Dane Schiller said.

He threatened the deputy and he will be held accountable, said Vivian King, the DA's chief of staff.

Coronado has previously been charged and convicted on multiple felony offenses, including unauthorized use of a vehicle, attempted aggravated assault, assault of a family member and multiple drug possessions.An astronaut famously known for his participation in the aborted Apollo 13 mission to the Moon will be speaking at Space Center Houston next week.

Fred Haise was just 36 years old when the Apollo 13 mission launched to the Moon in April 1970. But an oxygen tank exploded two days after lift off, forcing Haise and the two other crewmembers to abort their lunar landing.Recently, I interviewed Sam Hannah-Rankin, who is Director Public Sector Innovation for Department of Premier and Cabinet (Vic) in Australia. She has previously been Director of ICT Innovation for the Department of State Development, Small Business and Innovation in Victoria.

In addition, Sam was General Manager of the Australia Post, where she was focused on identities. Beyond working on Fairfax Digital, where she helped to launch mycareer.com.au, Sam is a McKinsey alum who gained extensive experience working in the banking industry on innovation of benefits projects as Chief Manage of Strategic Capital Projects with Bendigo and Adelaide Bank.

She is a graduate of the University of Melbourne and received an Executive MBA from the Australian Graduate School of Management.

Why did you start the Public Sector Innovation Fund? Is this part of the strategy to reinvent and spark innovation in Australia? Did you get any motivation from what Georgetown University is doing, for I know they started up a Public Sector Innovation Fund?

The Public Sector Innovation Fund as an initiative of the Special Minister of State, to create sustainable value for citizens and the public sector. Our goal is to encourage and support collaborative projects that test innovative solutions to complex public sector problems.

A lot of innovation policy is focused on industry innovation  which is still obviously an interest to us, but not our primary focus. Our main driver is about finding new ways in which government can work better, to deliver better outcomes for Victorians.

The Georgetown Social Innovation and Public Service Fund looks great, but it wasn't a motivation. The Victorian Governments been innovating in different ways  for instance focusing on technology, or on social services  for most of the past decade. The Public Sector Innovation Fund is the latest manifestation of this long-term commitment to fostering innovation.

Who can apply to receive monies from the fund? How are you identifying new deal flow?

The fund is open to applications from anyone that works in, or with, the Victorian Government. Startups, SMEs, academics, not-for-profits, social enterprises, government departments and agencies are all eligible. The only prerequisite for an application is that projects need to be led by (or in collaboration with) a Victorian Government department or agency.

The fund is open on an ongoing basis, and discussion usually comes to us from word of mouth, promotion across government, through our public-facing website and as a result of a lot of external networking.

We get out of the office and meet with colleagues across the Victorian Public Service (VPS) as well, keeping our eyes open for opportunities to fund, formally collaborate or just provide advice and connections.

What types of projects, and in what niche, have you funded to date? And, what types ventures do plan to fund moving forward?

The fund has supported projects across a broad range of policy and service delivery areas including health, courts, policing, family violence reform, emergency services, transport, indigenous services and workforce capability.

We've supported local social enterprises like Infoxchange, to improve access to health and wellbeing services for Aboriginal Victorians through the Ask Izzy mobile website. And weve worked with one of Melbournes busiest health services, Melbourne Health to support a Health Accelerator inside the Royal Melbourne hospital for health technology startups and clinical staff.

In terms of 'niche', we do have several family violence projects  which isn't surprising given the government's commitment to implementing all 227 recommendations of the Royal Commission into Family Violence.

These projects have included great outcomes like piloting the provision of Family Violence Intervention Orders online, which is getting rolled out across the state (partially supported by Commonwealth funding), as well as the launch of a new tool that provides faster and easier emergency accommodation for family violence victim survivors.

Both these projects were undertaken in deep collaboration with users, service providers, government and local technology businesses, driving improved outcomes for all parties, as well as building cross-sectoral understanding and ongoing relationships.

In terms of future ventures, were getting a lot of requests and interest about predictive tools. As data and evidence come to the fore theres a bigger drive to understand how to identify and respond to citizen need, to allocate resources early to improve peoples life trajectory and steer them away from compounding disadvantage.

What trends are you seeing in the social investing space? Also, are there any barriers to do the work youre doing? To be more specific, have projects failed fast, or have you been able to imagine what if?

I think New Zealand is doing some amazing work with their Social Investment Agency.

More broadly, we're seeing an overall shift to much more deliberate focus on evidence, evaluation and outcomes  with data being used more consciously to inform policy development and service design.

Theres also an increased appetite for  and understanding of  cross-sectoral partnerships, where traditional distrust between providers and government and not-for-profits and industry is being set aside in favor of more collaborative approaches with a shared focus on the common good.

In terms of barriers, the most difficult challenge is getting the right parties together at the right time to act. Its less around imagining what if, and more around working with the natural shifts and changes in project momentum that happen when priorities are spread across multiple partners in a dynamic environment.

I dont think weve necessarily failed fast, but part of that is because we make the effort to ensure our project partners are fully committed, and we work closely with our partners to design projects in a way thats most likely to deliver outcomes. We stagger funding release against decisions to enable space to explore, while still allowing us to have confidence in delivery before funding is fully committed. Weve certainly learnt a lot through each of our projects, both whats worked well, and what we can improve going forward.

What is more, I saw that youre issuing grants versus taking equity. Some countries are purposefully standing up funds to invest in companies, which helps drive direct foreign investment. For example, Oman started a $250M fund, and Russia and China partnered to start the Russian China Investment Fund. Do you plan on taking equity in the future or stay grants based? Or, evolve the fund strategy?

We're modest in comparison to the funds you mention  we have $11 million over four years. At this stage it's about using this funding to help reduce barriers to the public sector innovating  letting private organizations generate intellectual property where they can (hopefully for economic uplift and jobs for the state) and providing exemplars of best practice to the public sector and how it might operate, in a way that can scale and replicate where its successful.

Do you have global partners who are helping to advance your work? (i.e. 500 Startups)

We've just started a collaboration with the UK innovation foundation, Nesta, joining their 'States of Change' program. This is a collective of the worlds best innovation practitioners and experts who have joined together to increase the innovation capacity within governments globally.

As part of this partnership, we are co-developing a States of Change innovation learning program with Nesta, leveraging their international faculty and tailored to the Victorian Public Service. This will be a world-first pilot when it kicks off a little later this year, and were looking forward to learning from the experience.

The great thing about the Nesta partnership is that it opens a whole new realm of practitioners, academics and thought leaders globally for us to collaborate with and learn from  so I anticipate a lot more engagement with international partners as we go forward.

What advice would you give to an entrepreneur seeking to receive investment from the Public Sector Innovation Fund?

Figure out what the public sector problem is youre trying to solve and who it's impacting. Work with the government owners of the problem to understand the details  if it really is a problem  and what benefits come from solving it.

If youre serious, also spend at least a little time looking into how government works: organizational structures, departmental priorities, and how the internal stakeholders roles intersect. It really is a whole new world, full of unfamiliar processes and jargon  and as foreign to those outside government as the startup world is to those inside government.

But unlike the startup world, government has much of its organizational information publicly available  its just a matter of doing a little research on your customer.

Being able to interface with those in government is a two-way street, and we encourage both our government colleagues and those outside of government to find ways to interact for the benefit of the broader community.

To this end, a lot of your strategy plan focused on the P (people, note: referring to McKinsey). For example, I loved reading about the VPS academy, cross-sector exchange, and Learning Lab Trial. Was this purposeful? Also, what types of insights does the Victorian Behavioral Insights Unit generate for other agencies?

Our P approach comes about because government genuinely believes it really is about the people  the people we serve as public servants, and how we public servants collaborate and share information with each other, how we're led, empowered, our skills, attitudes and behaviors.

The Behavioral Insights Unit itself focuses very much on the pragmatic aspects of people and change. Behavioral insights bring psychology, behavioral economics and human-centered design into policy development and service delivery. We help government to better understand human behavior, how people make decisions, and how they interact with services and each other, to make policies and services more accessible and useful where it really counts.

The unit works with departments and agencies across government in everything from improving immunization rates in children, to designing more efficient payment approaches, to analyzing information sharing between front-line workers. The insights may include the results of randomized control trials, policy advice, literature reviews, statistical analysis or ethnographic research. But whatever we do, we work closely with the agencies and their stakeholders to ensure that were building capability and understanding and appetite for change, as well as delivering improved value through better outcomes.

This pragmatic focus is at the core of our work in public sector innovation, and in the broader public sector reform agenda that we support. There is a lot of innovative work thats going on across Victoria to really improve the way that government serves the public  through initiatives like EngageVic, which provides a platform for citizens to have their say on government policy and programs; through new agencies, like the Victorian Centre for Data Insights, which brings together government data for analysis and evidence that drives more evidence-based policies; and through whole-of-system change, like the family violence reforms being designed and delivered in partnership with the Victorian community, transforming services and introducing new practices to make it easier for people to get the help, protection and support they need.

Throughout all this work, the focus is consistently on outcomes: how can we use new ways of working  new partners, new methodologies, new technologies  to deliver better value for our public.President Trumps growing doubts about federal funding for the Gateway tunnel rail link between New York and New Jersey have provoked cries of outrage from local officials and newspaper editorialists. Though Trump has publicly balked at the vast cost of the project (estimated at $30 billion), newspaper reports have suggested that his real motive for wanting to kill the tunnel is a vendetta against Senator Chuck Schumer. Editorials accuse Trump of reneging on a federal deal brokered by the Obama administration to pick up half the projects coststhus denying money for a project that some describe as vital not just to the region but also to the national economy. I dont think anyone should play politics with a project like this, plain and simple, Schumer said.

Much of the local reaction to Trumps doubts about funding Gateway is typical of the uncompromising, extravagant approach that New York and New Jersey take toward government. In a region notorious for spending three to four times more to build than what it costs elsewhere, local officials havent bothered to consider less expensive ways to improve rail access into New York City. Nor have they been willing to acknowledge their flagrant overspending and embrace reforms to cut costs, or investigated new ways of raising money to put less of a burden on taxpayers. Instead, theyve simply handed the federal government a huge bill and shrieked in disapproval when a president and members of Congress balk at funding their grand designs. Whatever Trumps motivation for wanting to kill federal funding for Gateway, local officials have given him plenty of reasons.

Not surprisingly, the rest of the country has taken notice about how wasteful, inefficientand craftyNew York and New Jersey governments can be when it comes to infrastructure projects. Writing in the Wall Street Journal, North Carolina Republican congressman Ted Budd, author of an amendment to strip federal funding from Gateway, noted that when former New Jersey governor Chris Christie killed a previous version of the tunnel because it was too expensive, he nonetheless kept some federal money and used it on other projects as the states own transportation trust fund went broke. Meanwhile, Budd noted, New Yorks primary rail agency, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, spends seven times more on rail projects than comparable work in other cities. Gateway has all the usual trappings of a rail-infrastructure boondoggle, Budd wrote.

You dont have to dig deep to see how the already-expensive Gateway project could become a financial nightmare. East Side Access, an MTA effort to tunnel under the East River so that its trains can enter Grand Central Terminal, began in 1998 at a $3 billion projected cost, was planned for completion by 2010. It wont get done until 2022, at the earliest, and its going to cost nearly $12 billion, as Nicole Gelinas has reported. The projects estimated price tag per mile is seven times higher than anywhere else in the world. The MTA hasnt just run over its allotted budget and projected timeline; it has obliterated them, Gelinas wrote. Among the causes have been astonishing labor costs, including carpenters, insulators, and electricians making about $100 an hour, counting benefits. Union featherbedding has been a big problem; a 2010 investigation found at least 200 workers on the payroll for no job-related reason. A court agreement requiring that Amtrak and MTA union members work simultaneously on portions of the project has also spiked costs.

Staggering costs for infrastructure are standard across the region. The Second Avenue subway line in Manhattanconsisting of three new station stops is the most expensive rail line ever built, at $2.5 billion per mile, the New York Times reported in December. The Port Authority of New York and New Jerseys lower Manhattan Oculus transit hub for PATH trains running under the Hudson, originally tagged at $2 billionin itself a fantastic price for what is essentially a glorified subway stopcost $4 billion to complete, driving up bridge and tunnel tolls around the region to pay for the authoritys huge debt. As the Times noted, the leaders entrusted to expand New Yorks regional transit network have paid the highest construction costs in the world, spending billions of dollars that could have been used to fix existing subway tunnels, tracks, trains and signals.

So many constituenciesfrom unions to politically connected companies and consultantshave their forks in the regional-infrastructure pie that reform is rarely part of the discussion. Instead, the strategy is to wait for a crisis to emerge and then propose the most expensive plan possible. The Gateway tunnel exemplifies this strategy. Christie nixed an earlier version of it in 2010 as costs escalated because the state was taking on much of the burden, even as it struggled with steep deficits. Then, when a series of maintenance problems in the current rail tunnel operated by Amtrak caused widespread delays of Long Island Rail Road and NJ Transit trains in 2015 and early 2016, officials from Amtrak, New York, and New Jersey came back with a bigger, more expensive plan to solve what was now a full-blown crisis. They got a pledge from the Obama administration to pick up half the estimated cost, though the states would be responsible for the inevitable overruns, which, if history is any guide, could double their cost on the project. The irony is that the projects fantastic price tag may wind up making it impossible to financeespecially as the rest of the country resists supporting the regions extravagances.

Its not as if alternatives dont exist. The New Jersey-based Lackawanna Coalition has been warning for years that unless the regions leaders find a less expensive alternative to Gateway, we might wind up with nothing. Theyve proposed a slimmed-down version of Gateway that focuses on whats essential to build and rehabilitate right away, with some money coming from prioritizing of spending on capital projects by NJ Transit. The Gateway Project as presently conceived is an overpriced enterprise that would not improve mobility in the advertised manner, the group says.

Worried about the impact of transit delays on commuters, a major business group, the Partnership for New York, is calling on officials to find new ways of financing these projects that dont rely solely on taxpayer dollars. While the group wants the federal government and states to work together on infrastructure spending, it is also pushing for more use of public-private partnerships, in which government taps private investorssuch as pension funds and sovereign wealth fundsto help finance major projects in return for a piece of the action. New York is way behind other world cities and way behind much of the rest of the country in the use of public-private partnerships, the Partnerships CEO, Kathryn Wylde, said recently.

But these voices of reason are drowned out by the almost unanimous, bipartisan tendency of the New York and New Jersey political establishment to demand that Washington fund its projects at whatever price local officials ask. The President should do the right thing and stop playing politics with our transportation network, which is the lifeblood of the Northeast regions economy, New York governor Andrew Cuomo has said. But if the regions transportation network is so vital, why have Cuomo and other officials let it be used as a giant cash machine for well-connected political interests, at great cost to taxpayers?

Given recent history, its no mystery why the rest of the country isnt rushing to catch this train.

Photo: Guven Polat/iStockPresident Trump spent Saturday evening in western Pennsylvania, ostensibly in support of a struggling Republican congressional candidate. But, as has become expected at his campaign-style rallies, he quickly veered off script, turning his ire on the news media. In a profane tirade, Trump called Meet the Press host Chuck Todd a sleeping son of a bitch, and derided CNN as fake as hell.

On Sunday, he continued the verbal assault on individual journalists, responding to a New York Times report that he was in discussions with Bill Clintons impeachment lawyer by tweeting that Maggie Haberman was a Hillary flunky, who knows nothing about me and is not given access. Haberman, of course, is one of the most respected, deeply sourced journalists on the Trump beat, and shes spoken with the president in the Oval Office and on the phone numerous times. (Her response to his ridiculous barb: Lol.)

RELATED: Assessing Trumps press freedom record, one year on

Trumps attacks on journalists have become such a regular part of his act that it can be difficult to feel outrage when he deploys them as applause lines at another rally, but theres a danger in growing inured to the damage he causes. Beyond the possibility of physical harm to those covering his events, Trumps message sows distrust of the media among his supporters and gives other politicians the leeway to make their own fake news claims.

And as the Associated Press reports, elected officials around the country are taking up attacks on reporting to excuse their behavior. President Donald Trumps campaign to discredit the news media has spread to officials at all levels of government, who are echoing his use of the term fake news as a weapon against unflattering stories, writes the APs Ryan J. Foley. Its become ubiquitous as a signal to a politicians supporters to ignore legitimate reporting and hard questions, as a smear of the beleaguered and dwindling local press corps, and as a way for conservatives to push back against what they call biased stories.

Below, more on the presidents attacks on the press.

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Other notable stories

The New York Timess Farhad Manjoo wrote a widely read column about unplugging from social media as a way to improve the quality of his news consumption. But for CJR, Dan Mitchell notes that he remained a daily, active Twitter user throughout the two months he claims to have gone cold turkey, tweeting many hundreds of times. On Sunday, Manjoo responded, tweeting, I never said I was going offline. I explained I used the internet. I ran into tweets. I tweeted.Theres a difference between tweeting and consuming the Twitter stream for news.

With former LA Times publisher Ross Levinsohn in a new role as chief digital officer of Tronc, NPRs David Folkenflik looks at the newspaper companys transformation, and questions whether Levinsohn will repeat his past mistakes. Levinsohn stands to influence what tens of millions of Americans read under the brand of some of the nations most respected regional dailies, Folkenflik writes.

The New York Timess Sydney Ember reports from Des Moines, Iowa, where the Meredith Corporation continues to weather the storms of the magazine business. The company is completing a review of newly purchased Time Inc. titles, and could sell off iconic brands like Sports Illustrated and Time.

As 60 Minutes moves forward with plans to air an interview Anderson Cooper conducted with pornographic film star Stormy Daniels, BuzzFeeds Chris Geidner reports that President Trumps lawyers are considering legal action to stop the broadcast. Any litigation aimed at stopping CBS News from airing Coopers interview likely would be an uphill battle, given protections for press freedom against prior restraints, Geidner writes.

The New York Times already conquered the world of the daily news podcast, and now its taking on narrative nonfiction. Caliphate will follow Rukmini Callimachi, the papers ISIS expert, as she searches building after building in the city of Mosul, collecting thousands of pages of secret papers from al-Qaedas North African branch, showing how they governed and answering the disturbing question of their longevity, according to a press release. A preview of the show, which launches later this spring, is up now.

ICYMI: Edit tests are out of control, say journalists in search of jobs

Has America ever needed a media watchdog more than now? Help us by joining CJR today

Pete Vernon is a former CJR staff writer. Follow him on Twitter @ByPeteVernon.Carlos Manuel Mazas mother, Vivian, remembers when her son broke the news. They were singing Madonnas Like a Prayer in her white BMW, coasting down Miamis Palmetto Expressway on a Sunday afternoon after visiting his aunts house. It was two weeks before his 17th birthday. He stopped singing and said, You know, mom, Im gay.

Oh, Carly, youre so funny, she replied.

No, mom, seriously. Im gay, he insisted.

She couldnt breathe. My first thought was, Oh, my god, theyre gonna bully Carly. Hes in an all-boys Catholic school, and I dont know how to protect my son. She broke down crying, and said, Carlos, I love you to death. Theres nothing you can do that will make me think less of you.

She later told her son the disclosure came as a surprise. She had no idea he was gay.

Carlos didnt miss a beat: Mom, you took me to a Cher concert.

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ICYMI: The Times tech columnist unplugged from the internet. Except he didnt

These days, Maza openly embraces his identity in front of millions as a well-known media critic. His Vox video series Strikethrough has racked up 80 million views across Facebook and YouTube since it launched in January of last year. The show uses the outlets signature explainer approach to tackle everything from YouTubes censorship of extreme creators, to the meaninglessness of White House press briefings, to why fact-checking Trump is futile.

I love videos that dont just explain a news event, but explain why the stories we tell about the news event matter, Maza says. A lot of news outlets are rushing to keep up with an ever-accelerating news cycle. Strikethrough is about saying, Hold uphow are we talking about this, why, and how does that affect the way we interpret the events around us?

Amid the sea of YouTubers trying to sell audiences on their opinions, Mazas persuasiveness stands out. By combining clips, on-screen graphics, and interviews with experts, he finds new perspectives on media stories, even when discussing well-trod territory like Trumps mental fitness and harassment on Twitter. Basically, hes Brian Stelter meets NowThis.

His success may have something to do with the philosophy that informs his work: Im not interested in telling you the news, he says. Im interested in helping you build the mental tools to make sense of what everyone else is screaming about.

Online, Maza is a Rorschach test of sorts; some viewers see him as a condescending, easily triggered liberal, while others see him as an erudite arbiter of truth. He uses his Twitter account, under the handle @gaywonk, to dish hot takes on the media, and even hotter takes on RuPauls Drag Race.

Off screen, Maza is less opaque. Hes about to turn 30, and he isnt thrilled with that milestone. He gets embarrassed when people on social media leave hateful comments on his work. He goes to therapy. Despite the nature of his job, he describes himself as an aggressive introvert, who regularly ventures to Taqueria Nacional, a restaurant right next door to his apartment in Washington, DC, to eat egg-and-green-chile tacos in his pajamas. When I bring up his millions of video views, he says sarcastically, Yeah, there are people who track the YouTube and Facebook views. I only track it in the sense that my whole self-esteem is based on that number.

ICYMI: A reporter attended a school board meeting for 3 hours, longer than other journalists. That ended up being a very good decision.

For someone who makes his living off social media, as a child, Maza wasnt particularly social. Born in 1988 (according to Maza, that makes him 115 in gay-man years) to two Cuban immigrants, he grew up in Miami as the oldest of four siblings, with one biological sister and two half brothers. His mother, Vivian, says he was smart, but socially awkward.

Carly was a bit of an introvert. He had issues with weight, so he really kept to himself, she says over the phone. Its funny how much he has blossomed, this kid who is all over social media and is such an extrovert. I dont know where that came from.

He spent long hours of his youth glued to role-playing video games. I was obsessed with them because each [character] was their own world, Maza says. Video game characters trust you and like you. You get to feel like the protagonist of the story, as opposed to the weirdo person who didnt belong. To this day, Im still fixated on games that let you build a group of friends. I dont like games where you venture by yourself. (One of Mazas four tattoos, a shield on his wrist, is a reference to his favorite game, Suikoden 2. It reminds me that whatever work I do should be in service of others, he says.)

Maza started to come out of his shell when he joined the debate club during his first week at Christopher Columbus High School, a Catholic school in Miami. Debate saved my life, Maza says. It was the most meaningful thing thats ever happened to me. Joining debate gave me the language to speak for myself, the confidence to speak for myself, the feeling that I could do something intellectually that made me important and valuable. It gave me the confidence to come out early.

He was 15 when he first said out loud that he was gay, and even then, he only kind of said it. I was so nervous that I told my debate partner, I equal sign gay, rather than I am gay, because I thought if it was a math equation it would be less terrifying, Maza says.

ICYMI: The New York Times attempts to correct the record

He got something else out of that debate clubElyse MacNamara, his best friend of what is now 15 years. MacNamara says Maza has always had a talent for seeing the entire landscape of an issue or topic. In debate, it allowed him to successfully argue whatever side he was tasked with presenting. Today, he uses that skill in his work.

Lets keep their attention, and the way I do that is by being as gay as humanly possible.

Honestly, hes changed my mind on so many things, MacNamara says. The way he explains things, it makes so much sense. Hes extremely good at breaking things down.

After graduating from Wake Forest University with a bachelors in political science, Maza knew he wanted to work in politics, but he didnt know in what capacity. He interned at a progressive think tank, the Center for American Progress, after college, but he didnt like the work. I felt frustrated writing things that I felt like nobody would ever read, he says, dense, dry policy briefs that felt like they existed on a different planet.

His boss told him that the nonprofit, progressive media watchdog group Media Matters for America was hiring an LGBTQ researcher, and so he applied. He spent five years there, writing about news coverage around topics such as marriage equality and discrimination. It was during this time that he came up with his Twitter handle, @gaywonk. I was truly trying to imagine myself as exclusively a wonk about all things gay, he says.

Eventually, Maza grew bored with writing, and started making videos about the media instead. And he made appearances on cable news, which gave him his first taste of public life.

The very first time Carlos was on MSNBC, I lost my shit, MacNamara says. Theres a very funny photo of me freaking out at the TV. I always joke with him that one day people from 20/20 are going to call me to have a sit-down interview and Barbara Walters is going to be there showing Carloss first YouTube videos.

After a few months of making videos at the nonprofit, Maza says he had a wild surge in confidence and decided to propose his series to Joss Fong, a senior editorial producer at Vox and a Media Matters alum. Maza and his Media Matters producer, Coleman Lowndes, landed the job in January 2017. After a couple of months of back and forths, says Maza, I twisted their arms enough that they agreed to allow me to have my own series.

It was then, at the age of 28, that he got his first tattoos, both on his wriststhe shield from Suikoden 2 on the right, and on the left, a two parallel lines representing a pause symbol. They were mainly to remind myself that I still own my body, regardless of what parts of myself I put out on the internet, Maza says. The pause sign is to remind me to check in with myself if I ever feel the urge to be destructive, and deal with my emotions rather than projecting them onto other people.

Maza posted his first Vox video last February: a slow-paced, five-minute segment on ways the media can cover a White House thats not afraid to lie. In it, he argues that news outlets should act like a buffer between the administrations propaganda and the general public.

Since then, hes published 25 more videos with Vox. The editorial process usually takes two weeks, from conception to publication. He throws out four or five broad ideas he wants to explore to his editor, Ellen Rolfes. The editorial team then offers feedback and helps figure out which is most worth doing.

Once the script is approved, Maza and Lowndes enter a room where most Vox productions are filmed, a space about as long as and slightly wider than a school bus. Maza stands before a white backdrop and delivers short bursts of dialogue from a script that will later be cut into the final piece. Since Strikethrough videos use a lot of cut-ins and voiceovers, the lines on their own dont quite make sense and are delivered in a sort of staccato. From behind the camera, Lowndes gives Maza affirmations like great, nice, or sweet. (Maza tells CJR that Lowndes does this because the Vox host asked him to.)

Then, the production and editing begin. Anyone who has seen Vox videos is likely familiar with the format: They usually start with an example and then cut to Maza, who gives a monologue, cut with more examples that might come in the form of video clips, books, news articles, or Skype interviews. He usually closes with a forward-thinking sentiment.

For instance in the video below, Maza says that while extreme video creators on YouTube spreading hate speech may be a bad thing, it is helping force the worlds biggest video platform figure out what it wants to be.

Lowndes, whose voice is sometimes featured in the background, says there were a lot of growing pains once the pair arrived at Vox. He didnt have a media criticism background, and Maza didnt have video experience, but once we learned each others language, it became more in sync.

YouTube allows Maza tonal flexibility beyond what he can achieve with writing and broadcast. I get to be a lot more playful in terms of presenting information because the audience is used to watching nonconventional forms of video.

Out of all the Strikethrough videos, there is one clear fan favorite. Although Comedians have figured out the trick to covering Trump is his most popular, with 27.5 million views across Facebook and YouTube, according to Vox, Maza is most known for his Kellyanne Conway piece, which clocks nearly 25 million views across platforms. In it, he discusses the White House counselors ability to dodge tough questions and change topics within interviews with journalists. Maza talks to a professional debater about her four favorite tactics: Deflecting by finding a keyword, exploiting the interviewers preference to be polite, saying I dont know, and making something up.

Its so weird. People now just recognize me as the guy who did the Kellyanne Conway video.Not what I thought my moniker would be, but I happily embrace it, Maza says. People ask me how I stomached watching so many Conway interviews, at which point I just stare at them for 10 minutes in complete silence and then dont say anything.

Maza has also been slammed. In October 2017, he released a segment on the loosely organized, left-wing groups known as Antifa that protested after Charlottesville. Maza argued in the piece that outlier, radical groups typically end up being the focus of news coverage of rallies because the media is so attracted to drama. Mazas take sparked brutal reaction videos, which generally argued that in suggesting that violence at such rallies was overblown, Vox was therefore condoning it.

People ask me how I stomached watching so many Conway interviews, at which point I just stare at them for 10 minutes in complete silence and then dont say anything.

I was very worried going into that video that people would perceive me as defending political violence, so I tried really hard to make clear that that was not the argument I was trying to engage in, and I was trying to engage in a separate argument about outliers. I failed as a communicator, Maza says of the piece. The audience thought I was saying something other than I was. It is like shame without recourse, which should be the name of my autobiography.

Maza views his videos as his contribution to trying to make the world better. He wants to help people make sense of the world, cut through the noise, and develop the language to understand what is and isnt bullshit. And thats why he says he agonizes over every mini detail.

If I screw up, it doesnt feel like I messed up my job, its like I messed up as a human trying to do good, Maza says. I think people would be surprised at how much time I spend at home staring at the wall saying, Am I doing a good thing, am I helping right now? They may be surprised in a not-flattering way.

The Vox team has been supportive of Maza. During his first weeks at the outlet, Maza made a vision board which included pictures of Jake Tapper and Ariana Grande for his video about comedians using satire while covering the Trump administration. I had to make it in the office, he remembers. I was afraid [Editor at Large and Vox Founder Ezra Klein] was gonna come up and be like, Are you out of your fucking mind? Get out of here. But he thought it was funny. Im always surprised how loving Vox is when I do really ridiculous shit.

We are really opportunistic here, Vox Editor in Chief Lauren Williams says of the decision to bring on Maza. We have a style that is so broad, that so many different things can be Vox. I think Carlos had a pitch that seemed like a good idea. Vox has only been around for three and a half years. There is no such thing as, Theres only one way to do it, weve done it this way forever, because forever has not been that long.

They just like that the argument is serious, Maza says. I do spend a lot of time agonizing over the argument. But once Im confident about that, lets throw glitter, lets make this interesting for people on the Metro where there might be a screaming baby. Lets keep their attention, and the way I do that is by being as gay as humanly possible.

Social media stardom, of course, comes with certain drawbacks, which can usually be summed up in a word: trolling.

One of the worst trolling experiences Maza has encountered since launching Strikethrough came last fall, when Breitbart developed a Twitter obsession with him. The sites social account would randomly tweet images or memes of Maza, sometimes to make political statements against liberals, and other times with no comment at all.

I dont know why they picked me, I dont really know why it started, Maza says, his shoulders rising and eyes wide. It is super shitty. The effect of trolling is that you feel like everyone is looking at you and thinking youre a freak, which is not true. I think they were doing it because I look like the typical beta male leftist cuck person, so I was an easy target. (Breitbart declined CJRs request for an interview.)

Vox EIC Williams says the company has an online harassment task force for employees who find themselves the victims of online harassment, and that Maza took advantage of the resource during the Breitbart saga. She also says Vox developed an aggressive social media strategy in response to Gamergate.

Our social media team does this thing where they like take the reigns on a Twitter account and the person who is being harassed will just step away for a day or two. The social team will purge all the hateful stuff from their mentions, block a bunch or people so when they sign back on it is clean and they dont have to see all that stuff, Williams says. Their ability to say hateful things and harass you  thats their power, so by not looking at it you are taking their power away.

Maza has also been targeted by Alex Jones. After a Strikethrough posted a piece on Fox News host Sean Hannitys fixation on the so-called Uranium One conspiracy theory, Jones released a retaliatory segment on his show, InfoWars. In the piece, titled Sniveling Cuck Caught Lying About Sean Hannity, Jones doesnt use Mazas name, but makes jokes about his appearance.

I think the whole beta-male, soy boy, cuck thing is a poorly masked way of engaging in public homophobia, Maza says If you say that I have a soft voice and Im anorexic, you are just basically making fun of me for being gay.

Mazas very public job has, by its nature, invaded his personal life, and most of those invasions are unwelcome: He gets recognized in group therapy, which makes vulnerability challenging. Sometimes on dates, people believe they have reached a level of intimacy with him because they have seen his videosan inherently uncomfortable scenario. But for Maza, the worst is the mental toll that comes with so many people discussing him on social media.

In my experience, having a public face has aggravated a lot of [my] personal anxieties, he says. Its been a crash course in learning about self-confidence, self-love, tolerating both positive and negative feedback from strangers, knowing who you are, arguing from a position of wanting to help the world rather than out of narcissism.

Fundamentally, Maza is still the same introverted child, whose success in social media likely has something to do with the fact that his work is performed in near-isolation. I am very bad in social settings, he says, which I know is hard to believe cause the whole job requires you to be front-facing. But the product is front-facing. When you make it, its just you in a room with your best-friend producer making stupid jokes, and then it goes on the internet. Its a very secluded experience.

Mazas next steps are unclear.Having an internet persona didnt give me what I wanted, so now I have to figure out something else, he says, as the conversation drifts to his impending 30th birthday.

In meaningful benchmark ways, I dont have anything to show for my first few years of life, he says, glumly. I dont have a wedding, a kid, or even a pet. Ive never won an award for anything Ive done. I dont own property. Theres a part of my brain thats like, you blew this.

But another part of Mazaperhaps even a bigger partdoesnt believe the diss.

Ive worked really hard to live an examined life, he says. There are people who hit 50 and dont do a lot of work around that. I feel okay that Im making an active effort to be less of a shitty human.

ICYMI: How hacked emails and a yacht in Monaco ended my career at The Wall Street Journal

Has America ever needed a media watchdog more than now? Help us by joining CJR today

Justin Ray is an audience editor at the Los Angeles Times. Follow him on Twitter @jray05.The Missouri House on Thursday passed legislation to change the rules for lawsuits over asbestos exposure, an effort praised by supporters as a way to stop plaintiffs from being overcompensated but criticized by others as limiting access to justice for those with illnesses such as mesothelioma.

The measure, approved 96-48, would require plaintiffs alleging harm from asbestos to file claims against every potentially liable company or bankrupt companys trust fund at once. Currently, those injured from the carcinogen could win compensation from one company and then, at a later time pursue another claim against a different defendant.

Republican sponsor Rep. Bruce DeGroot of Chesterfield said the current law creates an opportunity for double dipping by plaintiffs, who he said could be overcompensated as a result.

The measure is part of a push by GOP leaders to enact tort reform, which means restrictions and other changes to the rules of lawsuits that are generally aimed at limiting legal action against businesses.

It is designed to keep us from being called the sue-me state instead of the Show-me State, DeGroot said of his bill, referencing Missouris nickname.

But bipartisan critics said enacting the measure will hinder people with asbestos-related illnesses from taking their claims to court.

Jefferson City Republican Rep. Jay Barnes cited firefighters, who he said would face challenges identifying every source of asbestos theyve been exposed to at work in initial court filings. He also said the proposed additional requirements on plaintiffs could take up so much time that some die of mesothelioma before getting their day in court.

Who are you here to protect? Poplar Bluff Republican Rep. Steve Cookson asked colleagues on the floor. Are you here to protect the companies, or are you here to protect those people?

The measure, HB 1645, now heads to the Senate.

Copyright 2021 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.An email sent by Atmos Energy to Texas regulators reveals company workers were investigating natural gas leaks involving fires at two Dallas homes some 12 hours before an explosion at another home killed a 12-year-old girl.

The company did not evacuate residents or shut off gas lines in the neighborhood near Dallas Love Field airport until after the Feb. 23 explosion that knocked a home off its foundation and killed Linda Rogers. Three days later, the broader neighborhood was evacuated and Atmos cut service to 2,800 homes.

The sequence of events was revealed in emails between Atmos officials and the Texas Railroad Commission, which regulates pipeline safety in the state. The emails were obtained by The Dallas Morning News and WFAA-TV.

Atmos discovered at least 28 gas leaks in the neighborhood, according to the emails.

The two house fires that preceded the nearby explosion occurred on Feb. 21 and Feb. 22. Atmos crews are continuing to monitor the surrounding area for potential leaks and will make repairs as needed, according to one email to the Railroad Commission.

The company declined to comment on the emails, referring questions to the National Transportation Safety Board, which also is investigating.

Atmos says heavy rain, shifting clay soil and aging, inflexible steel pipes have contributed to dozens of leaks in the neighborhood. Neighbors reported that they smelled gas before the explosion.

Gaye McElwain, a spokeswoman for the commission, declined to comment to The Dallas Morning News on whether Atmos followed all safety precautions before the girl was killed.

Carl Weimer, executive director of the Washington-based nonprofit Pipeline Safety Trust, said it was unusual that Atmos appeared unaware of the larger safety problems in the neighborhood after two house fires. He said more information was needed to determine whether Atmos acted properly.

John Barr, an attorney representing the Rogers family, told WFAA that one email from an Atmos executive revealed a heedless disregard for the safety of the people that live in that area. He says the company should have notified the neighborhood after the first two fires.

Copyright 2021 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.Recent mass shootings have spurred Congress to try to improve the nations gun background check system that has failed on numerous occasions to keep weapons out of the hands of dangerous people.

The problem with the legislation, experts say, is that it only works if federal agencies, the military, states, courts and local law enforcement do a better job of sharing information with the background check system  and they have a poor track record in doing so. Some of the nations most horrific mass shootings have revealed major holes in the database reporting system, including massacres at Virginia Tech in 2007 and at a Texas church last year.

Despite the failures, many states still arent meeting key benchmarks with their background check reporting that enable them to receive federal grants similar to whats being proposed in the current legislation.

Its a completely haphazard system  sometimes it works; sometimes it doesnt, said Georgetown University law professor Larry Gostin. When youre talking about school childrens lives, rolling the dice isnt good enough.

In theory, the FBIs background check database, tapped by gun dealers during a sale, should have a definitive list of people who are prohibited from having guns  people who have been convicted of crimes, committed to mental institutions, received dishonorable discharges or are addicted to drugs.

But in practice, the database is incomplete.

Its up to local police, sheriffs offices, the military, federal and state courts, Indian tribes and in some places, hospitals and treatment providers, to send criminal or mental health records to the National Instant Criminal Background Check System, or NICS, but some dont always do so, or they may not send them in a timely fashion.

Some agencies dont know what to send; states often lack funds needed to ensure someone handles the data; no system of audits exists to find out whos not reporting; and some states lack the political will to set up a functioning and efficient reporting process, experts said.

The system is riddled with opportunities for human error, said Kristin Brown, co-president of the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence.

A proposal in Congress seeks to establish a structured system for federal agencies to send records to the NICS database. Sen. John Cornyn of Texas says the legislation  often referred to as Fix NICS  will save lives.

We should start with whats achievable and what will actually save lives, and that describes the Fix NICS bill. It will help prevent dangerous individuals with criminal convictions and a history of mental illness from buying firearms, the Republican said.

Often left out of the debate in Washington is the fact that similar legislation passed after the 2007 Virginia Tech massacre, but many records are still not being sent to the database.

The Justice Department even set up a new grant program that offered states help with their reporting system, but many didnt even bother to apply. In 2016, only 19 states and one tribe received funds totaling $15 million. The number of states currently participating is 31.

Several states arent eligible for the grant because they havent set up a system that allows a person who was prohibited from having a gun due to mental health issues get their rights restored. The National Rifle Association has long-pushed for those types of restoration requirements, Brown said.

Important mental health records that would have kept Seung-Hui Cho from getting the guns he used to kill 32 people at Virginia Tech were never entered into NICS. The gunman who killed dozens at a Texas church in November was able to purchase weapons because the Air Force didnt send his domestic violence conviction to the database.

And the father of a teenager who killed himself and four classmates at a Washington state high school in 2014 was able to purchase several guns, including the one his son used, because the Tulalip Tribal Court had not shared his domestic violence protection order with Marysville, Washington, authorities, who would have sent it to the background check system.

Since then, the tribe received a $333,841 grant to help improve its criminal records reporting.

The man who walked into a Carson City, Nevada, IHOP restaurant with an assault weapon in 2011 and killed four people had a history of mental illness, had been diagnosed with schizophrenia and had been taken into custody by police in nearby California under the states involuntary commitment law. But under federal law, people are only prohibited from having a firearm if they have been adjudicated as a mental defective or committed to a mental institution.

The federal law doesnt include involuntary commitments.

Some states have enacted their own laws that limit gun ownership based on mental health issues, but theyre all different, according to a report by the National Conference of State Legislatures.

Experts say many agencies dont know what type of mental health information to send to NICS. Brown said many agencies, hospitals and treatment providers are under the mistaken impression that federal medical privacy laws prevent them from sharing information with the system.

Carson City Sheriff Ken Furlong, who handled the IHOP mass shooting, said the biggest roadblock to creating a comprehensive NICS system is privacy concerns. Some are afraid that if they report their family members, theyll be arrested, he said, and agencies feel stifled by privacy laws.

When someone is in crisis, why are we waiting to respond? Furlong asked. We have a public safety responsibility to prevent something from happening before we have to use force.

The federal legislation being considered in Congress might help ensure more criminal records reach the background check database, but it has limitations because Congress cant force states to enact laws. And it doesnt address gaps in mental health commitment reporting, said Gostin.

Because mental health records are critical to the integrity of the system, he said, the bill leave a significant gap.

Some states have passed their own laws requiring agencies to report to NICS, but few keep track of whether thats happening and most dont have penalties for failing to submit records.

Theyre not reporting but there are no repercussions, said Cassandra Crifasi, with the Johns Hopkins Center for Gun Policy and Research. What is there to encourage people to follow the law?

Copyright 2021 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.An attorney has been accused of stealing most of a multimillion-dollar settlement he reached for the victim of a California car accident.

Philip Layfield was indicted Friday for mail fraud and money laundering. Hes expected to be extradited to Los Angeles. Its unclear whether he has a lawyer.

According to the State Bar of California website he is no longer eligible to practice law. In response to disciplinary charges filed against him, he blames the finance department and others within the defunct firm of Layfield & Barrett for the various charges he faces.

Layfield was arrested last week in New Jersey after returning to the U.S. from his new home in Costa Rica.

Layfield, whose firm had offices in Southern California, negotiated a $3.9 million settlement two years ago for a man whod been struck by a car in Orange County.

Federal prosecutors contend that Layfield took about $2 million for himself and the client got only $25,000.

If hes convicted, Layfield could face up to 60 years in prison.

Copyright 2021 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.Qatar Academy Wins CMU-Q's Botball

March 12, 2018

The 14th annual Botball competition went down to the wire, with Qatar Academy narrowly edging out Doha Secondary and the Lebanese School to take the overall title. Carnegie Mellon University in Qatar has hosted the robotics competition for high school students since 2005; there were 21 teams who competed in Botball 2018.

As the first place team, the Qatar Academy students won a trip to Carnegie Mellon's main campus in Pittsburgh, where they will visit the world-renowned School of Computer Science.

Michael Trick, dean of CMU-Q, commented: "Botball encourages high school students to solve problems using computational language, which is at the heart of all computer science. I am delighted that these talented young people can explore the opportunities that Carnegie Mellon has to offer in computer science."

The winning team will visit Carnegie Mellon's National Robotics Engineering Center, as well as the Pittsburgh Science and Technology Academy and the Google offices that specialize in computer systems, networking, machine learning, computer vision and route planning.

Carnegie Mellon's School of Computer Science is a world leader in computer science education and research. The Carnegie Mellon campus in Qatar offers two undergraduate SCS programs: the bachelor of science in computer science and the bachelor of science in computational biology.Picture this: You're sitting in your interview, having just given an answer, when you're faced with a wall of silence. You're desperate to know how your response was received, but the interviewer is, of course, keeping their cards close to their chest.

Or are they? According to behavioral expert Annie Sarnblad, they could be giving away a lot more than you think. The trick is to learn the cues.

Sarnblad is a specialist in micro-expressions, a grouping of brief, involuntary facial expressions that all humans make. They last mere milliseconds, but are impossible to hide, and Sarnblad says learning them can help us to make the most out of our interactions.

That could mean the difference between securing  or missing out on  that all important job, deal, or even date.

"Micro-expressions are completely subconscious and precede the speech process, but everybody makes them," Sarnblad told CNBC Make It at YPO Edge in Singapore.

"Being able to read them means you can figure out other people's true feelings and adapt the conversation."

"It's like a superpower," she added.In 2021, bitcoin and ether have seen huge rallies. In April 2021, the cryptocurrency market topped $2 trillion in value for the first time.

Scammers appear to have made off with more than $2 million in cryptocurrency after carrying out an apparent fake initial coin offering (ICO), and the individuals linked to the incident may be connected to another recent theft, CNBC has learned.

A bad actor or actors used a fake LinkedIn profile and copied pictures from another user's Instagram to create a false persona  and successfully drew more than 1,000 investors into the ICO project, which was called Giza.

The Wild West world of ICOs

An initial coin offering or ICO is a way for start-ups to crowd-fund investment. Instead of raising cash from venture capitalists, a company can hold an ICO, which allows people to invest a cryptocurrency, such as ethereum or bitcoin, in exchange for a new token that's issued by the start-up. The new digital coin is not equity. Instead, it can be used in exchange for future services offered by the company. It's also possible that the new coin may climb to a much higher value than the initial investment. There is big money in ICOs, and they are largely unregulated. Last year, companies raised $3.8 billion via ICOs, and this year alone they have already raised $2.8 billion, according to data from CoinSchedule, a site which tracks the activity in the space. But ICOs are unregulated in most countries, meaning investors don't have the protections that they enjoy with other assets such as stocks. However regulators are keeping a closer eye on ICO activity, amid a rising number of reports of scams.

What happened with Giza?

Investors who spoke to CNBC all described a common experience with the ICO in question: They thought the project was legitimate until warning signs began to appear, including a falling out with the company's sole supplier, a lack of correspondence from its supposed founders, and failed attempts to recoup the lost funds. The apparently well-orchestrated scam centers around a mysterious individual called Marco Fike, the COO of Giza. Among the eight investors, partners and former employees of Giza interviewed by CNBC, all claim they have never seen Marco Fike's face. The ICO was for a supposed start-up called Giza, which claimed to be developing a super-secure device that would allow people to store cryptocurrencies. It carried out its ICO in January and drew investors for several weeks after. One person who put money into the project told CNBC that they invested ether that was equivalent to $10,000 at the time, and another said they had put in around $5,000 worth of ether. At the beginning of February, Giza had raised and was holding more than 2,100 ethereum coins, which at the time were worth around $2.4 million. All but $16 worth of those ethereum coins are now missing. But after putting in money throughout January and into February, many who had invested began to become suspicious of the project.

Supplier fallout

"Everything was fine, until that company that was meant to develop their device came out on the internet and said that Giza has cut ties, and it seems to be a scam and they might not be developing anything. Then things started looking fishy," an investor named Chris, who wished to keep his surname anonymous, told CNBC by phone. Giza's website was deleted last Friday, but an archived version can be seen here. Late last year, Giza contracted a Russian firm known as Third Pin LLC to make the devices it would eventually sell. The Third Pin website explains that it makes hardware for a number of industries. But on January 30, Third Pin's CEO, Ivan Larionov, posted on a bitcoin forum that his company had cut ties with Giza. Larionov confirmed to CNBC that Giza had contracted Third Pin and that the post was his. The Third Pin CEO explained that he was contacted by a representative of Giza before the new year. He was given a design for a device that Giza wanted to make, but not technical requirements. Once Third Pin's engineers had worked out the specifications of the device, they quoted a $1 million price for Giza and signed a contract. Larionov contacted STMicro, a components supplier, to help get the parts required for Giza's device. He said that the sales manager at the company was asking basic questions, such as the quantity required and when it would be produced, which Larionov couldn't answer. The Third Pin CEO got in touch with Fike, who gave answers that Larionov described as unclear. That was a red flag, Larionov said. Fike asked Larionov if he would be willing to set up new operations outside Russia and manage the relationship with Giza from there, Larionov told CNBC. The Third Pin CEO suspected that Fike wanted to get away from Russia's strict cryptocurrency rules but declined that request. As Third Pin continued assessments on the cost of production, the company found that it would be higher than initially thought. The cost to Giza went up to $1.5 million. Larionov suggested to Fike that Giza could pay in installments, something Fike didn't want to do. "At that moment he said no, no way," Larionov told CNBC. "So next thing I said to my employees is that we will cut the contract." One of the investors, who wished to remain anonymous but who used the screen name ShayJo, showed CNBC an exchange with Larionov over messaging app Telegram, in which he told the same story. In the conversation reviewed by CNBC, Larionov said Giza offered to pay 60 percent of the total contract, with the rest coming later on in 2018, once they had carried out another part of the ICO to raise more money. But by that time Larionov had suspicions about whether the company would disappear after getting the funds so ended the relationship, as seen in the conversation below. Around mid-February, the digital wallet address associated with Giza, where people had been asked to send money, began showing outflows of large amounts of ethereum. That continued for about two weeks. The last movement of money from the Giza account took place on March 2.

Where did the money go?

Another investor, Nicolas, who asked that his surname remain anonymous, sent CNBC a trail of the money  because ethereum transactions are on the blockchain, they can be tracked, though the person behind them remains anonymous. Money is sent from wallets, which store cryptocurrencies, to other wallets or an exchange, where people trade cryptocurrencies. By following wallet addresses, it's possible to see the movement of money. Most of the money from Giza's wallet was drained over the course of two weeks. The money was sent to various other wallet addresses. Intriguing parallels exist between the movement of money in the Giza case and a separate scam perpetrated against a digital coin called Bee Token. In February, Bee Token ran an ICO. But during the digital coin sale, scammers pretending to be the founders of Bee Token inserted themselves into the money flow, by sending an email to people prompting them to invest in that ICO. One of the wallets linked to the Bee Token phishing scam sent ethereum to a wallet associated with Giza, according to etherescan.io, a site that tracks all transactions on the ethereum blockchain as shown in the diagram below.

That could mean that person or persons involved with the Giza scam were also behind the Bee Token heist. Or it could mean that the people behind the scam perpetrated against Bee Token have some sort of relationship with those behind Giza. It is ultimately unclear. Eventually some of the ether made it to the ShapeShift cryptocurrency exchange via associated Giza wallet 2, shown above. ShapeShift doesn't allow people to exchange cryptocurrencies into government-issued cash, but it does allow a person to change between different digital coins. After CNBC reached out to ShapeShift, the exchange said it blacklisted the wallet associated with Giza. But it said it could not reveal the person who was registered to the wallet address because "we don't collect user data." Despite their efforts to get in contact with Giza, investors still have no clear way to reclaim their money. Several told CNBC they have contacted law enforcement authorities in the United Kingdom.

Who is Marco Fike?

After Third Pin made its announcement on the bitcoin forum, investors began to worry. Those who had bought Giza digital coins banded together to create a Telegram group to investigate the people behind the scam, led by the previously-mentioned Nicolas, as well as others. The central figure in the Giza scam was its Chief Operating Officer Marco Fike. Several people who spoke to CNBC, including developers hired by Fike as well as investors in Giza itself, said they had never seen him. All said they had spoken to the person behind the alias via messaging services. His LinkedIn page claims he studied at the University of Oxford in the U.K but does not list which college there. Oxford told CNBC on Thursday that it was investigating those claims. CNBC reached out to Fike via LinkedIn but received no response.

Microsoft: He never worked for us

Fike listed Microsoft as a previous employer in Switzerland. However, the software giant revealed to CNBC on Friday that he had never worked for the company. Fike said he was the assistant to the CEO at a company called the United Arab Emirates Agency in Dubai. CNBC contacted all the numbers listed on the site. Two numbers in the U.K. and Croatia went unanswered. The main Dubai headquarters number went to an individual who denied any knowledge of a company by that name. One member of the Telegram group managed to trace the source of Fike's LinkedIn profile picture came from  it appears to be from an Instagram user based in Dubai. It's unclear whether that Instagram user knows the person behind the Fike persona, or if his image was used without his knowledge. CNBC reached out to the Instagram user to request comment, but received no response. "We contacted people on LinkedIn associated with the company. None of them had said they had met this guy Marco, it was all online. Some started removing their association with Giza, it all started looking shady," an investor who goes by the name of ShayJo told CNBC. Third Pin CEO Larionov provided more details about Fike. Larionov said he communicated with Fike over Skype, but that Fike never turned his video on. Instead, they spoke with just audio. Larionov described Fike as a fluent Russian speaker but with an accent.

Backlash from Giza

As their suspicions rose, investors in the ICO began trying to ask questions directly of Giza. A Telegram channel existed for the investors to talk with Giza. A user called Karina appeared to be the community manager for the group and for Giza. The investor with the screen name ShayJo said Karina banned several people from the Telegram group who had asked questions. Karina posted in the Telegram channel that she was paid by Giza, but had never spoken to Marco Fike. Eventually, the company stopped paying Karina, she said. CNBC contacted Karina via LinkedIn, and she followed up on Telegram. Karina said that Marco Fike hired her on a website called Freelancehunt.com, but she spoke with him only over Telegram and Skype chat, never via a voice call or video. In a transcript of the Telegram group posted online, Karina claimed on February 11 that she had no information from Fike since February 7.

Would-be employees say they were duped

CNBC spoke to multiple former employees of Giza who all told a similar story: They were contacted online by someone who claimed to be from Giza. They were offered a job after an interview over Skype. None actually received a job, none were paid, and none heard from the company again. Giza advertised a software development job on a site called UpWork, a job posting platform for freelancers. The company described itself there as "an ambitious startup."

Aleksander Rajic is listed as a software developer on Giza's site. Rajic applied for the role in October 2017 on UpWork and was contacted by Marco Fike on the platform. Fike, whose UpWork account had no profile picture, told Rajic that his human resource assistant would reach out and add Rajic on Skype. Screenshots provided by Rajic confirmed the conversation. The HR assistant was called Esthelle Ness. Her profile picture on Skype was a cartoon. Rajic signed a nondisclosure agreement in October, and then was asked to complete a technical test. After he passed, Ness offered him the job with a $1,000 monthly salary, to start after the ICO in January. Ness said she would contact Rajic at the end of December, which she did. In January, after the fundraising, Ness stopped providing details about the next stages of the project and eventually stopped communicating with Rajic. "When they stopped responding to my Skype and LinkedIn messages, I suspected it is a scam," Rajic told CNBC, adding that he is trying to get his image removed from the Giza site, but has had no contact from the team.The belief in an "implicit guarantee" from the Chinese government on debt is a big problem, said a finance professor on Monday.

"I'm concerned with what a lot of people believe, [that] the government is going to take care of investment losses. Under that impression, they are going to take up lot of leverage because they believe they will be bailed out if something does not work out," said Zhu Ning, a professor of finance at Tsinghua University in Beijing.

China has been battling high debt levels for years, but debt-to-GDP ratio is still about 260 percent, according to the Bank of International Settlements. While that absolute number is not alarming in itself, it is eyebrow-raising for the speed in rising to such levels, particularly in the last five years, Zhu said.

Since China's economy is far bigger than two decades ago, the country has the size and resilience to overcome issues in the financial system, but Beijing is concerned about systemic risks that may roil the world's second-largest economy.

The key to solving any potential fallout from the ballooning debt is to remove the perception that Beijing will help solve any problems from a debt blowup, said Zhu.

"This is a mentality that has taken decades to form so the government would have to do something aggressive and persistent to gradually remove this sense of implicit guarantee," Zhu said.

The Chinese government has been coming down hard on reining in systemic risks, using strong-arm tactics such as the recent state takeover of Anbang Insurance Group, which was aggressively expanding internationally.Michael Cohen, personal attorney for President Donald Trump, as he arrives to appear before Senate Intelligence Committee in Washington, September 19, 2017.

A $130,000 payment made by President Donald Trump's attorney to an adult film star should be probed as a financial obligation that the president "knowingly and willfully" failed to report, a watchdog has argued.

In a legal complaint filed late last week with the Department of Justice and the Office of Government Ethics, the Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) argued that Trump lawyer Michael Cohen's payment to Stormy Daniels "constituted a loan to President Trump that he should have reported as a liability on his public financial disclosure."

The filing raised the question of whether, as a general election candidate, Trump deliberately failed to disclose it.

CREW's argument has been raised with increasing regularity by some legal experts, who say Cohen's surreptitious payment could be viewed as an illicit campaign contribution. The attorney disclosed recently that he used a home equity loan to arrange a payment to Daniels, buying her silence for an alleged affair she had with Trump more than a decade ago.

In CREW's judgement, Trump "seemingly violated a federal law by failing to disclose it" on his campaign filings. Experts have said that had Trump paid Daniels with his own money, the payment wouldn't be an issue since candidates can contribute to their own campaigns. Yet since a disclosure wasn't made, there could be a violation.

As the legal basis for its action, the watchdog organization cited a 1978 law, the Ethics in Government Act, that requires candidates to report all liabilities owned to any creditor exceeding $10,000 "at any time during the preceding calendar year." Cohen's payment to Daniels  made as part of a nondisclosure agreement  was reportedly arranged days before the election.

In fact, a number of legal observers note Cohen's actions could imperil his own good standing as a lawyer. Above the Law, a legal blog, pointed out last week that American Bar Association rules say lawyers are generally prohibited from providing financial assistance to a client, unless specific conditions are met.

"The more we learn about the [Stormy Daniels] affair, the more it looks like something is missing from the president's financial disclosures," CREW board chair Norman Eisen said in a statement. "If he failed to disclose this situation, we must ask, what else is he hiding?"Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Finance Minister Taro Aso attend a session at the National Diet in Tokyo on January 26, 2015.

Japan's finance ministry reported to the ruling Liberal Democratic Party the findings of its investigation into a suspected cronyism case on Monday morning, a ruling party source said, as pressure mounts on Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and his ally Finance Minister Taro Aso over the case.

Abe, now in his sixth year in office, had tried to put behind him questions over the sale of state owned land at a huge discount to a school operator with ties to his wife, Akie. His ratings had rebounded from a slump last year, but doubts have revived with a series of fresh revelations.

The name of Abe's wife, Akie, was removed from documents related to the controversial sale of state-owned land, Kyodo News reported on Monday, citing a government source.

LDP parliamentary affairs official Hiroshi Moriyama told reporters that he had been briefed by finance ministry officials that the documents related to the land sale had been altered.

Aso's leadership is needed now to ensure a thorough investigation, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga added on Monday.

"What is important now is to make everything clear," Suga said at a news conference.

He did not directly respond to a question about media reports that the name of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's wife, Akie, had been removed from documents related to the sale.

The finance ministry plans to submit all findings available at the moment on its investigation into the case to parliament on Monday afternoon, he said.

A March survey by the Yomiuri newspaper showed that support for Abe's cabinet fell to 48 percent, down six points from a month earlier. Non-support rose to 42 percent and 80 percent said that the matter had not been handled appropriately.

Media said the changes were made after February last year  when the suspected scandal broke  and that words describing the "special nature" of the deal were excised along with the names of several politicians.

"If this is true, isn't political responsibility unavoidable?" said Akira Nagatsuma, a senior lawmaker in the opposition Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan, on Sunday.

Abe has repeatedly denied he or his wife did favours for school operator Moritomo Gakuen, which bought the land, and has said he would resign if evidence were found that they had. The issue last year sharply eroded Abe's popularity.

Former Moritomo Gakuen head Yasunori Kagoike and his wife were arrested in July on suspicion of illegally receiving subsidies.

On Friday, National Tax Agency chief Nobuhisa Sagawa abruptly resigned over his remarks in parliament about the case. Media also said police were investigating as possible suicide the death of a finance ministry official whose local office had handled the land sale.

"If Minister Aso signed off on National Tax Agency chief Sagawa's resignation knowing about the falsified documents, moves seeking his resignation are inevitable," Yuichiro Tamaki, leader of the opposition Democratic Party, said on Sunday.

Some LDP members also suggested politicians had ultimate responsibility.

"It is inconceivable that the bureaucrats on the spot had such authority (to alter the documents)," media quoted Shigeru Ishiba, an LDP lawmaker who has made no secret of his desire to challenge Abe in the party race, as saying on the weekend. "If we don't make clear who did this, trust in the LDP will waver."

Sagawa headed the ministry division that submitted the documents before he was tapped as tax agency chief in July, an appointment critics saw as a reward for his efforts to diffuse the issue with his statements to parliament last year.

Aso and Abe have both defended the appointment as "appropriate" and Aso has said he will not resign.Mother Nature hasn't gotten the memo that spring is less than two weeks away.

Apparently winter isn't finished with the East Coast yet, with the National Weather Service forecasting another major weather system taking aim at parts of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut . The storm, expected late Monday night into Tuesday morning, carries with it the potential to dump anywhere between three inches and a foot of snow on the region.

The news comes as a snow system battered parts of New York and New Jersey just last week, leaving mass power outages, downed trees and even several deaths in its wake. Last week's storm snarled NY-NJ commuter rails, delayed thousands of flights and knocked out service along the Amtrak's Northeastern corridor.

The NWS forecast more of the same, saying residents could expect "heavy wet snow and strong winds." Conditions will make "very difficult travel" for commuters in parts of Connecticut and Long Island, the suburbs just outside New York City, the organization said on Sunday. Snowfall rates of an inch or more will keep visibility low, the NWS added.

The uncertainty of the storm's trajectory means that residents in either Southern New York, or the outermost areas of Long Island and Connecticut could expect strong winds.U.S. President Donald Trump talks with South Korean President Moon Jae-In at the presidential Blue House on November 7, 2017 in Seoul, South Korea.

North Korea's silence on its upcoming summits with the United States and South Korea is likely due to caution over organising its stance regarding the meetings, South Korea's Ministry of Unification said on Monday.

"We have not seen nor received an official response from the North Korean regime regarding the North Korea-U.S. summit," said Baik Tae-hyun, spokesman for the ministry, in a regular press conference.

"I feel they're approaching this matter with caution and they need time to organise their stance."

North Korean media noted a visit by a senior delegation from South Korea last week but no coverage has been seen of Kim Jong Un's invitation to meet U.S. President Donald Trump or South Korean President Moon Jae-in to discuss the future of Pyongyang's nuclear weapons programme.

Trump agreed to meet with Kim Jong Un by the end of May and the two Koreas will hold a summit by end April. A location has not been decided for the North Korea-U.S. summit while Kim Jong Un and Moon will meet at the truce village of Panmunjom straddling the border between the two Koreas.

North and South Korea agreed to hold working talks to hammer out the details of the inter Korean summit, but the two Koreas have not officially spoken since the South Korean delegation returned from the North last week, Baik said.

The North's official news agency has been lauding efforts between the North and South to thaw relations, but state media has continued to warn the United States and Japan against

war-mongering.

Rhetoric in the North's state media has been tame, however, compared to previous threats last year that went as far as saying Pyongyang would fire missiles to the vicinity of the U.S. territory of Guam if provoked.

The South Korean officials who carried Kim's invitation to Washington will visit the leaders of China and Japan this week to update them on the talks.Tensions between Whole Foods Market and some of the most important brands it sells in its stores will come to a head on March 19, when they will congregate for a recently announced summit, sources familiar with the situation tell CNBC.

The grocer notified certain vendors about the meeting by email last Saturday. It is set to reassure the brands of relations after Whole Foods' sale to Amazon. It comes after a rocky few months for the grocer, which has been trying to shift from a local orientation to a national one, without sacrificing the selection and relations that set it apart from larger peers like Kroger and Albertsons.

Some of those efforts, like its move to centralize purchases, preceded its sale to Amazon. However, any change the grocer makes is drawing more scrutiny amid the uncertainty following Amazon's acquisition.

Meantime, Whole Foods' limited communication about the status of these changes has been a point of frustration, according to multiple vendors that spoke to CNBC.

A major point of debate for its larger vendors is the new servicing fee, proposed in the last few months, which will charge vendors for Whole Foods' efforts to centralize its merchandising, sources said. Still, some of the sources noted their reliance on Whole Foods as a customer gives them little power with which to bargain.

Traditionally, with both Whole Foods and most grocers, food companies could pay brokers to help manage everything that happens from the grocery stock room to the shelves. The distance from the back room to shelves has been called some of the most expensive mileage on the planet.What do Albert Einstein, Steve Jobs and Elon Musk have in common? Quite a lot, according to New York University professor Melissa Schilling's analysis in her new book "Quirky." "These innovators worked in different fields and at different times, yet have some remarkable commonalities," Schilling tells CNBC Make It. "Though they have some traits that we cannot imitate  like Musk's photographic memory  there are other characteristics we can take advantage of, such as cultivating an ambitious goal, building our self-efficacy and spending time alone to exercise our independent thinking." In "Quirky," Schilling analyzes the lives of Einstein, Musk and Jobs, among others, to determine how they each made history-altering discoveries. "Studying these profoundly important people shows us that there are ways we can nurture the breakthrough innovation potential in us all," says Schilling, whose research focuses on innovation and strategy in high tech industries. As some of the world's greatest inventors, here are the three traits Einstein, Jobs and Musk have in common, according to Schilling's analysis.

They were self-sufficient

Jobs, Einstein and Musk all displayed a strong "sense of separateness" or a feeling of social detachment or of not belonging growing up, says Schilling. "At first, I thought this was maybe just a side effect of something else related to innovation," she says. "Particularly Einstein and Musk, they were so introspective as children that people thought they were deaf." As a child, Musk was the smallest in his class, a "super nerd," who was often bullied.

Schilling points out that because his family moved so often  Musk went to seven different schools growing up  it was difficult for him to build strong social connections. "Musk responded to this sense of separation by escaping into books and computer programming, ultimately writing and selling his first video game at the age of 12," Schilling says. As for Jobs, Schilling says his strong-willed and somewhat abrasive personality made it difficult for him to sustain intimate friendships. Chrisann Brennan, Jobs' first girlfriend and mother of his first child said that even in high school, Steve was "disconnected and awkward," and that he had "a mix of genius, authenticity and emotional woodenness." Einstein articulated at length how not belonging made him much less likely to bow to conventional wisdom and obey the norms of the academic fields, Schilling notes, even though he knew that would cause a lot of ire. "It's a big part of why he was able to cast away Newtonian concepts that held back other scientists and enabled him to come up with scientific theories that were really revolutionary for his time," Schilling says. As Schilling points out, Einstein once noted: "My passionate sense of social justice and social responsibility has always contrasted oddly with my pronounced freedom from the need for direct contact with other human beings and human communities. I gang my own gait and have never belonged to my country, my home, my friends, or even my immediate family, with my whole heart." Ultimately, Schilling says their self-sufficiency made them independent thinkers who could challenge the status quo. "Because they didn't belong to the social world, they didn't have to obey its rules, freeing them to develop bold ideas and stick with them even in the face of criticism," she says. "This highlights the value of spending some time alone, reading, writing and thinking about things that we find intrinsically interesting."

They were idealistic

Jobs, Einstein and Musk exhibited idealism in their careers, Schilling says. "Jobs wanted to revolutionize the way we think with computers. Einstein wanted to find a simple harmonious truth about how the universe works and Musk wants to save our species by weaning us off of fossil fuels and establishing a colony on Mars," she says.

When people are genuinely motivated to do something, they will work harder and longer and will stick with their goals in the face of criticism, Schilling explains. Neither Jobs, Einstein or Musk came from wealthy families, which forced them to have this self-made mindset. They also relied heavily on needing access to other smart people in order to execute their ideas. In their case, having access to expertise or intellectual resources was more important to them than having access to financial resources. "Pursuing goals they see as intrinsically noble and important made them fiercely motivated and focused and it provided a form of ego defense against criticism and failure," Schilling says. "We can all benefit by cultivating a grand ambition, a goal that is big enough to stretch our vision beyond our current horizon and important enough that it fuels our tenacious effort."

They weren't all-star studentsThat solidifies Solomon as the No. 2 behind Chairman and CEO Lloyd Blankfein, who could step down as soon as the end of the year, The Wall Street Journal reported Friday, citing sources familiar with the situation. A power transition would likely be quick and the bank "isn't looking beyond Goldman's two co-presidents," the report said, citing sources.

David M. Solomon will become sole president and chief operating officer of the bank as of April 20, the company said Monday. Harvey M. Schwartz, who currently shares the roles with Solomon, is retiring. The decision was made in February, CNBC has learned.

The question of who will next lead the iconic Wall Street firm Goldman Sachs appears to be getting close to an answer.

Solomon, who is turning 56 this year, worked in junk bonds at Bear Stearns before joining Goldman as a partner in 1999, right before the firm's initial public offering. He was global head of the financing group at the bank before becoming co-head of the investment banking division from July 2006 to December 2016.

Solomon and Schwartz were named co-chief operating officers and presidents in December 2016, following the departure of then-COO Gary Cohn to the Trump administration. Cohn said Tuesday he is resigning from his role as chief economic advisor to the White House.

Cohn's departure from the bank came as Blankfein was on his way to his 11th year as CEO. Blankfein joined Goldman in 2006 and once joked he would die at his desk there. But the bank's once-mighty trading desks have struggled to return to their peak in 2009, when revenue from the business reached $33 billion.

Last year, Schwartz and Solomon presented a joint plan to move the bank forward and generate $5 billion in additional revenue, with a vision to boost lending and open for business in new locations such as Seattle and Atlanta.

Solomon has several pursuits outside of the Wall Street bank. He serves on the board of The Robin Hood Foundation, a nonprofit for fighting poverty in New York City. Solomon is also a member of the board of trustees at Hamilton College, from which he graduated in 1984 with a degree in government.

His hobbies of being a disc jockey and collecting fine wine have also made headlines in the last year.

In 2015 Solomon told Hamilton students that they should do something exciting as soon as possible, rather than take uninteresting jobs in the hope they will become interesting.

"David's always believed that having a wide range of outside interests leads to a balanced life and makes for a better career," Jake Siewert, a Goldman spokesman, said in a New York Times report in July 2017. "He's preached that regularly to younger employees in the firm and tries to lead by example."

The Goldman executive has performed regularly as a disc jockey in New York, Miami and the Bahamas, the Times said, citing posts on his now-private Instagram account. Solomon also led a study about improving the quality of life for Goldman's junior bankers, resulting in new limits on weekend working hours, the report said.

Solomon also spends some of his free time perusing fine food and wine. Southern-style Root & Bone and Italian American Carbone were some of his top restaurant picks that he shared with Bloomberg last year.

As for wine, Solomon's private collection is so extensive that his former personal assistant was accused of stealing $1.2 million worth of wine from it, according to an indictment unsealed in January. The document didn't name the executive, but Goldman confirmed Solomon's identity to media and said the theft was discovered in the fall of 2016.

Seven of the stolen bottles came from the French estate Domaine de la Romanee-Conti, or DRC, which prosecutors say is considered among the best, most expensive and rarest wine in the world.

 CNBC's Liz Moyer contributed to this report.Airlines have canceled more than 700 Boston flights scheduled for Tuesday ahead of another strong winter storm that's threatening to dump more than a foot of snow in parts of the region.

About three-quarters, or nearly 400 flights across several airlines from Boston are canceled Tuesday, according to flight-tracking site FlightAware. A further 321, or about 60 percent of flights to the airport are also canceled.

American Airlines canceled its entire Boston schedule for Tuesday and warned of the potential for other flight cancellations around the Northeast. The airline had 89 departures and an equal number of arrivals scheduled from Boston's Logan International Airport on Tuesday, American Airlines spokesman Ross Feinstein said.

American's cancellations include its hourly shuttle service between Boston and New York's LaGuardia. Delta has canceled most of its Boston-LaGuardia shuttle service for Tuesday.

Airlines including American, Delta and JetBlue, are waiving ticket-change fees for travelers affected by the storm. Southwest said passengers won't pay additional fees for a date change. The airline doesn't charge date-change fees but passengers generally have to pay more if the fare is higher on the new travel date.

Airlines will often cancel flights ahead of time to avoid stranding passengers and crews, which can lead to further delays if employees are not in place to work when flights resume.

A nor'easter last week prompted airlines to call off more than 2,400 flights.Secretary of Education nominee Betsy DeVos prepares to testify during her confirmation hearing in the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee on Tuesday, Jan. 17, 2017.

Education Secretary Betsy DeVos sat down for an interview on CBS' "60 Minutes" that aired Sunday night  and it immediately set off a wave of criticism and bafflement online.

In a number of tense exchanges, DeVos appeared to stumble through responses to questions about her views on education, school funding and even her own popularity.

The performance drew a chorus of derision from critics on social media.

axios tweet

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DeVos is an advocate for school choice policies, which bolster alternatives to traditional public schools, such as charter, magnet and parochial schools.

Her nomination as the secretary of education was one of President Donald Trump's most controversial picks, despite her limited media exposure. In the "60 Minutes" segment, interviewer Lesley Stahl said that DeVos was considered "one of the most hated members" of Trump's Cabinet  a status she herself appeared to tacitly acknowledge in the interview, although she used the word "misunderstood" to describe herself.

Asked about the interview in a White House briefing on Monday, press secretary Sarah Sanders said the Trump administration is focused on "actual policy that can help protect the safety and security of school kids across this country." When asked whether the president saw DeVos's interview, Sanders said that she was "not sure" if Trump "saw the whole thing or not."

Here are the most attention-grabbing excerpts from DeVos' "60 Minutes" interview:

DeVos argued that public funding for education should be going toward students and not in "school buildings, not in institutions, not in systems."

She added: "In places where there have been, where there is, a lot of [school] choice that's been introduced  Florida, for example  the studies show that when there's a large number of students that opt to go to a different school or different schools, the traditional public schools actually, the results get better, as well."

"In places where there have been, where there is, a lot of [school] choice that's been introduced  Florida, for example  the studies show that when there's a large number of students that opt to go to a different school or different schools, the traditional public schools actually, the results get better, as well." But DeVos couldn't say whether such results have been borne out in Michigan, her home state and one in which DeVos invested millions of dollars toward school choice initiatives. "I don't know. Overall, I, I can't say overall that they have all gotten better."

She continued: "I hesitate to talk about all schools in general because schools are made up of individual students attending them ... Michigan schools need to do better. There is no doubt about it."

Asked if she had seen the worst-performing schools in her state, DeVos said no . "I have not, I have not, I have not intentionally visited schools that are underperforming ... Maybe I should, yes."

"I have not, I have not, I have not intentionally visited schools that are underperforming ... Maybe I should, yes." Asked why she has become "the most hated Cabinet Secretary," DeVos said she wasn't sure  but seemed to agree with the premise. "I'm not so sure exactly how that happened. But I think there are a lot of really powerful forces allied against change. ... I'm more misunderstood than anything."

DeVos, who rescinded Obama-era guidance on so-called Title IX protections against sexual assault on college campuses, said she doesn't know if the number of false rape accusations are as high as the number of actual rapes. "I don't know. But I'm committed to a process that's fair for everyone involved."

On Monday morning, DeVos followed up her "60 Minutes" interview with an appearance on NBC's "Today," where she was asked to respond to the latest instance of Trump's use of coarse language at a public speaking engagement.

"I would probably use different language myself, and I think we all have an opportunity and a responsibility to be examples to our kids ... that would include the president as well," she said.

TODAY SHOW tweetIn the United States, 95 percent of Americans have cellphones and a majority say they couldn't imagine life without their phone, according to Gallup. More than half of smartphone owners check their devices several times an hour.

On Friday, March 10, billionaire Richard Branson joined thousands of people around the world to celebrate the National Day of Unplugging. For the holiday, which was created by Jewish cultural organization Reboot, participants disconnected from their cell phones and computers for 24 hours.

Starting at sundown on Friday evening, Branson and the rest of his Virgin.com team refused to blog, post or even look at social media until 6 p.m. Saturday.

tweet

"I really believe that being in the moment is the key to happiness and success, and being constantly glued to your phone can have a big impact on your relationships," Branson wrote in a recent blog post.

"While I love technology and social media, a text or a tweet can never replace the real value of conversation," Branson said.

Branson said he already tries hard to focus his attention on whoever he is with by listening and taking notes while he is in meetings and catching up with his family when he is at the dinner table. "It's all too easy to miss out on the important moments in life because you're too busy staring at your phone," Branson said.

According to Harvard Business School professor Leslie Perlow, disconnecting from your digital devices may be difficult if you're a "successaholic"  or someone who is addicted to achievement and success  as she argues in her book "Sleeping with your Smartphone: How to Break the 24/7 Habit and Change the Way You Work."Britain and the European Union (EU) would face a combined annual bill of around 58 billion ($80.4 billion) if Brexit talks were to collapse without a new trade agreement in place, according to a new study.

The report, published Sunday by consultancy firm Oliver Wyman and law firm Clifford Chance, said the cost of a so-called "no deal" scenario would total around 31 billion for EU exporters and around 27 billion for U.K. exporters. It implies that firms on both sides of the equation would be hit by new tariffs if a trade deal fails to be agreed.

"We see the best-prepared firms taking hedges now based on the direct impacts on themselves, their supply chains, customers and competitors. Unfortunately, we see that small firms are least able to take these steps at present," Kumar Iyer, partner at Oliver Wyman, said in the report.

The EU's automotive industry was seen to incur the biggest costs if Britain and the bloc's trading relationship reverted to World Trade Organization (WTO) rules post-Brexit, the report said. Meanwhile, the U.K.'s financial industry looked likely to "take the biggest hit by far," it claimed.Free cash handouts  it's an idea Elon Musk, Richard Branson and Mark Zuckerberg have all talked about. And now it's officially part of the California Democratic Party's 2018 party platform.

Though a party platform is a guideline and does not guarantee action, the idea of universal basic income (UBI) took a step from theory towards possibility when it was adopted as part of the 2018 official party platform of the California Democratic Party at the 2018 California Democrats State Convention, which was published February 25.

"The platform is a statement of general principles and specific policies we believe should be be the basis for public policy. It's not meant to be read or understood as a legislative document. However, we certainly support legislation that's in line with our platform," John Vigna, the communications director for the California Democratic Party, tells CNBC Make It.

In a section of the party platform titled "economic justice," the idea of cash handouts is addressed.

"All people deserve the opportunity to pursue the American Dream and have the financial resources to live in economic security. We support efforts to enact programs, such as a guaranteed government jobs program and a universal basic income/rent or housing to eliminate poverty while improving prospects to secure good jobs that help people climb the economic ladder," the party platform reads.

The concept of universal basic income is to distribute money to all citizens, irrespective of employment status.

Facebook co-founder Chris Hughes, a vocal advocate of universal basic income, cheered the inclusion of cash handouts in the state party platform.

"California Democrats included a guaranteed income in the official party platform for the first time in decades!" he tweeted.

California Democrats included a guaranteed income in the official party platform for the first time in decades!

Hughes published a book about UBI, "Fair Shot: Rethinking Inequality and How We Earn," on Feb. 20.

Though naysayers argue cash handouts would be prohibitively expensive and encourage laziness, the idea is gaining traction. Forty-eight percent of Americans support it, according to a new Northeastern University/Gallup survey, reports CNBC.

It's also been getting attention among billionaires and Silicon Valley elite.

"There is a pretty good chance we end up with a universal basic income, or something like that, due to automation," Tesla and SpaceX CEO Musk told CNBC in November 2016. "Yeah, I am not sure what else one would do. I think that is what would happen."Federal agents stand watch over U.S. President Donald Trump's eight border wall prototypes as they near completion along U.S.- Mexico border near San Diego, California, U.S., October 23, 2017.

Rather, the plan involves using proceeds from fees paid by about 8 million undocumented immigrants as part of a path to citizenship, and not just the 1.8 million "dreamers," or young undocumented immigrants.

Then again, one California farm leader in the state's Central Valley  the biggest agricultural region where growers and ranchers have relied on immigrant labor for decades  has come up with what he thinks is a border wall funding solution. And it doesn't involve using American taxpayers' money or funds from Mexico's government.

When President Donald Trump will visit the border wall prototypes Tuesday in San Diego County, he may have a favorite design in mind, but getting the votes in Congress to secure financing still remains a hurdle.

Estimates put the cost of the south border wall at almost $22 billion and indicate it would take more than three years to construct, according to reports. In all, there are eight border wall prototypes built by six different companies. Four of the prototypes are made from concrete and the rest from steel or other materials.

Trump campaigned on getting Mexico to pay for the border wall but so far they have refused. In January, the White House asked Congress for $18 billion over the next decade to fund the construction.

Currently, the U.S. has a nearly 2,000-mile land border with Mexico but only 654 miles is fenced. Trump is scheduled to visit near the Otay Mesa border crossing in California and inspect border wall prototypes up to 30 feet high.

In September, Trump said he was ending the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, or DACA, which protects people brought illegally to the U.S. as children from deportation and also provides them work authorization. However, the president gave Congress six months to iron out a legislative solution.

Some conservatives are opposed to giving "amnesty" to undocumented immigrants. But most polls show there's support for keeping DACA in place.

"We need to take care of DACA," said Manuel Cunha, president of the Nisei Farmers League, a Fresno-based agriculture advocacy group representing growers and related related businesses. "They've gone through their background checks, they've done their pictures, they've done everything."

Cunha also said about 8 million of the estimated 11 million undocumented immigrants work in the United States, including some doing various kinds of farm labor jobs. He also said many are paying taxes too.

"These are not the criminals, these are the people working," he said. "What criminals are going to pick tomatoes or pick raisins or pick tree fruit or almonds or go milk cows?"

Regardless, Trump has only proposed a citizenship pathway for up to 1.8 million undocumented immigrant dreamers and not the larger group of undocumented immigrants suggested by Cunha. But if Congress and Trump went along with it, the plan could raise about $20 billion or more from applications and other filing fees paid for by about 8 million undocumented immigrants.

According to Cunha, raising money for the border wall would involve the following:

First, the U.S. would allow roughly 8 million undocumented immigrants to have a path to citizenship by paying $1,000 apiece for three-year work authorization cards similar to those issued to DACA recipients. "So the president would have $8 billion earned in round one for the wall," Cunha said.

Second, the 8 million immigrants in the third year could renew their status for a 10-year card for another $1,000, bringing in about another $8 billion in total fees. Cunha said the second fee round, however, could be increased to make it $1,500, or generating some $12 billion, "because that's the last time they'll pay their fee because they get their 10-year card.

In other words, when adding up the combined fees paid for both rounds of authorization cards, the total amount raised would approach around $20 billion but could increase if fees are adjusted upward.

"The U.S. is not paying one stinking penny for it," Cunha said. "And these are not the criminals. These are the people working."One of the elevated sections of the high-speed rail under construction in Fresno, Calif. Rich Pedroncelli | AP

Although it has been dubbed a "bullet train to nowhere," California Gov. Jerry Brown has pushed forward over the years with the state's high-speed rail project. But now the day of reckoning may come sooner than expected for the state's most expensive infrastructure project. A business plan released Friday by the California High-Speed Rail Authority shows its projected baseline cost is now $77 billion  up 20 percent from two years ago  and it indicated the cost could rise to as high as $98 billion. The opening date for the Los Angeles-to-San Francisco bullet train has also been delayed by at least four years, to 2033. "It appears that they are finally bringing forth more realistic cost estimates and a more realistic schedule," said Stephen Levy, executive director and senior economist with the Center for Continuing Study of the California Economy, a Menlo Park-based research group. "The whole project remains in doubt as the costs increase and the funding gap increases." Political uncertainty and opposition to the project have only increased over time. A decade ago, California voters approved Proposition 1A, authorizing nearly $10 billion in bond money for the construction of the high-speed rail system. Since the 2008 vote, though, the project been plagued by delays and cost overruns, and polls show most California voters want the funds to go for something else other than high-speed rail.

Tunneling challenges

The bullet train line's 119-mile Central Valley segment under construction in the less populated area from Madera to north of Bakersfield is scheduled to open by 2022, and the partial route between San Francisco and Bakersfield isn't likely to be operational until 2029, according to the business plan. It said planning work has advanced on the 500-mile corridor between San Francisco and Los Angeles/Anaheim, but indicated the project remains short of financing to complete all the work. In particular, there's cost and various other challenges posed by the tunneling through the Pacheco Pass, which the business plan termed "the critical link between the Silicon Valley and the Central Valley. This tunnels segment, required to connect San Francisco and Gilroy to the Central Valley, presents challenges in terms of environmental planning, cost, technical complexity, schedule and available funding to complete." "It's crazy time with this thing," said Pat Bates, the Republican leader in the state Senate. "Every time we get a new report it's more money and more time. It's a boondoggle. At some point you have to pull the plug."

"It's a boondoggle. At some point you have to pull the plug." Pat Bates California state Senate GOP leader

Brown, a Democrat who is ineligible to run for re-election, will leave office in January 2019. Brown's spokesman, Gareth Lacy, said by email: "The governor made his support for high-speed rail very clear in his prepared State of the State address, and that hasn't changed." In his State of the State address in January, Brown said: "Yes, it costs lots of money but it is still cheaper and more convenient than expanding airports and building new freeways to meet the growing demand. It will be fast, quiet and powered by renewable electricity and last for a hundred years." In the end, policy experts say the state's next governor will likely decide the fate of the high-speed rail. The state's Democratic-led state legislature also will need to go along with it and overcome likely challenges by labor unions. The California Labor Federation's website touts the project and said the state "cannot afford to abandon high-speed rail now."

Construction jobs

According to state officials, the high-speed rail project has already created more than 1,500 construction jobs in the Central Valley, from building elevated track structures and performing rail trenching to adding bridge crossings. The labor group estimates there will be thousands of additional jobs created due to the project in future years. But critics argue that the costs will outweigh the benefits. "You can imagine a new governor with new priorities will just look at the trade-offs being too high," said Adrian Moore, a policy expert at the Reason Foundation, a Los Angeles-based free-market think tank. "How much are we not investing in the transportation system that people are actually using ... because we're shoveling all this money into high-speed rail. And that's just going to get worse in the coming years. Someone has to be willing to go with public opinion, instead of prevailing wisdom in Sacramento, and kill this thing." A June 5 primary will decide which two gubernatorial candidates, regardless of party, advance to the general election Nov. 6. Among the gubernatorial candidates, longtime front-runner Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom was an early supporter of the 2008 rail bond issue to help finance construction, but the Democrat has since expressed real concerns on the proposed rail plan. A spokesperson for Newsom didn't respond when asked about the new rail authority's business plan. However, Antonio Villaraigosa, a Democrat and former Los Angeles mayor who as of January was in a virtual tie in the race with Newsom, said in a statement he supports the rail project and claims "unlike others," his position has been consistent. California Assemblyman Travis Allen and businessman John H. Cox, the two leading Republican candidates for governor, vowed in tweets last week to block the project if elected. According to the high-speed rail authority, once the Los Angeles-to-San Francisco bullet train is completed it will allow people to travel in just under three hours on the route and at speeds reaching more than 200 miles per hour. Moreover, it said the plan is to eventually extend the system to Sacramento and San Diego, which will result in the high-speed rail system having a total of some 800 miles and as many as two dozen stations. In the meantime, several executives have exited the California High-Speed Rail Authority in the past year. Jeff Morales, the authority's CEO, left in June, and others soon followed. Morales held the job for about five years.

Funding uncertainty

"In this draft plan, we show that our cost estimates have increased and we need greater certainty on funding in order to fully deliver the initial Silicon Valley to Central Valley Line," Brian Kelly, the high-speed rail authority's new CEO, said in a letter accompanying the 114-page business plan. Kelly was unavailable for interviews for this story. "Regardless of what this business plan said, the political and funding reality was that they don't really have enough money to build what they want to do  certainly not statewide," said Ethan Elkind, the climate program director at UC Berkeley School of Law and an expert on California transit and rail issues. "Basically they can complete this initial 119-mile segment in the Central Valley, but it will be a bit of a stranded asset until they can connect it at least to the [San Francisco] Bay area." Added Elkind: "In the interim, they are sort of looking at a fallback option of just basically building a new rail right-of-way that Amtrak could use and benefit from and make some revenue on it. But it's certainly not high-speed rail and it's certainly not connecting the major parts of the state together."

Lack of private fundsCanada's exemption from President Donald Trump's tariffs have nothing to do with talks on the North American Free Trade Agreement, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told CNBC on Monday.

"We don't link together the tariffs and the negotiations for NAFTA, but we're happy to continue to move forward on the negotiations," he said in an interview on "Power Lunch."

He also said the exemptions were not a "magical favor being done." In fact, the impositions of tariffs on Canada would hurt the U.S. almost as much as Canada, he said.

"Millions of jobs on both sides of the border depend on continued smooth flow of trades."

Trump exempted Canada and Mexico from the tariffs he signed last week. The moves slap a 25 percent levy on steel and 10 percent charge on aluminum. However, the exemption is not "open-ended" and will depend upon changes are made to NAFTA that satisfy Trump, an administration official told CNBC last week. The president has often threatened to pull out of the trade pact unless the countries reach a deal that better serves U.S. interests.

Another looming trade issue for Canada and the U.S. is China, which is accused of dumping steel into the U.S. by moving the product through other countries.

Trudeau said he's willing to work with the U.S. on a stronger solution.

"We've put in very strong measures, some of the strongest in the world, against dumping, but as I said to the president and as I said to congressional leadership, I'm happy to work with the United States to go even further," he said.

In an effort to quell concerns over potential tariffs, Trudeau has embarked on a tour of Canada's steel and aluminum manufacturers. Canada is the biggest supplier of those metals to the U.S.

"We know well that with this president there are moments of unpredictability and I think it's important to show that we are there to reassure the workers," Trudeau told public broadcaster Radio Canada earlier Monday.

Other countries may also ultimately be excluded. When Trump signed the tariffs, he invited others to justify their case. On Monday, Trump opened the door to negotiations with the European Union, announcing that Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross will speak to EU representatives.

On Friday, the president said he was ready to work out an exception for Australia. Other nations, like Japan, South Korea and Brazil have also called for similar treatment.

CNBC's Jeff Cox and Reuters contributed to this report.Wilbur Ross, U.S. commerce secretary, speaks during the 47th annual Washington Conference on the Americas at the U.S Department of State in Washington, D.C.

President Donald Trump is opening the door to tariff negotiations with the European Union after exempting Canada and Mexico from new steel and aluminum duties.

"Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross will be speaking with representatives of the European Union about eliminating the large Tariffs and Barriers they use against the U.S.A.," Trump tweeted Monday. "Not fair to our farmers and manufacturers."

Earlier Monday, a spokesman for the European Commission said it expects to be in contact with the U.S. "at several levels" this week over steel and aluminum tariffs.

Trump on Thursday signed tariffs of 25 percent on steel and 10 percent on aluminum imports. But he exempted NAFTA partners Canada and Mexico, and the White House will let other nations justify their own case for exception from the tariffs.

The only EU nation in the top 10 sources of U.S. steel imports is Germany, which ranks ninth, according to IHS Global Trade Atlas data for the first nine months of 2017. Canada ranks first and Mexico fourth, the data showed.

Just days after announcing the tariffs on March 1, Trump threatened to impose a tax on car imports from the EU if it "wants to further increase their already massive tariffs and barriers on U.S. companies doing business there."

Last week, the EU threatened to impose duties on U.S. bourbon, peanut butter, cranberries and orange juice if Trump imposed tariffs on steel and aluminum.

 CNBC's Jeff Cox and Reuters contributed to this report.David Solomon's new role as sole president and chief operating officer will help focus Goldman Sachs as CEO Lloyd Blankfein assesses when to exit, CNBC's Jim Cramer said Monday.

"This gives [Solomon] a chance to grow" into the chief executive job, said Cramer, a Goldman alum, who has known Blankfein for a long time.

At the time same, Harvey Schwartz, who had served as co-president and co-COO at Goldman along with Solomon, decided to retire in April.

Cramer said Schwartz had to go because the board knew that Solomon was the heir to Blankfein.A McDonald's Happy Meal. Emile Wamsteker | Bloomberg | Getty Images

Few things are more iconic than a McDonald's Happy Meal. The bright red box with its golden handles has become a fast food staple since it was first introduced nearly 40 years ago. However, the Happy Meal fell out of fashion with some advertising partners in the mid-2000's. A combination of rising childhood obesity rates and concern over calorie-laden children's meals at fast food restaurants led companies like Disney to part ways with the brand. McDonald's has tinkered with its Happy Meal, overhauling the food inside the box and serving up healthier food options for kids. The Golden Arches now offers selections that are lower in calories, sodium, saturated fat and sugar. These changes led Disney to rekindle its relationship with McDonald's in February, more than a decade after it severed ties with the burger brand. This wasn't the first time McDonald's made major changes to its iconic Happy Meal. Here's a look at how McDonald's Happy Meals have evolved since 1979:

Circus Wagon

McDonald's

The classic kids' meal started as a gimmick, a way to lure in parents with small children for an easy-to-order lunch or dinner. The Happy Meal let kids choose what they wanted to eat, giving them a sense of autonomy, and helped McDonald's brand itself as family-friendly fare. This first iteration of the Happy Meal was the Circus Wagon box, which came with either a cheeseburger or hamburger as well as fries, cookies, a drink and a toy. Chicken McNuggets were added a few years later as an alternative to red meat. In the '80s, diners sought to decrease the amount of fat and cholesterol they consumed and demand increased for leaner meats and poultry.

Toy box

McDonald's

Truth be told, the Happy Meal isn't most well-known for its food. Instead, it's often the trinkets inside that have gained the most notoriety. Ask anyone who grew up eating McDonald's and they can instantly tell you what the most coveted Happy Meal toy of their generation was. Early on the toys included in the Happy Meal were little trinkets  stencils, puzzle locks and spinning tops. However, those toys got an upgrade over the years due to several strategic partnerships. The "Star Trek" meal was the first of McDonald's major film partnerships. Television ads enticed parents to bring their kids into their local McDonald's to get a kids' meal with a special "Star Trek prize." This trend continued as McDonald's teamed with Disney and Mattel's Hot Wheels and Barbie to its list of partners. Kids love to collect. Their need to accumulate every iteration of their favorite show, movie or character has been and continues to be one of the strangest drivers of growth in the toy industry. Offering up beloved characters from the House of Mouse and already popular toy properties was a way to lure in families multiple times over the course of the limited release of a themed meal. So, when McDonald's hopped on the Ty's Beanie Baby trend in the '90s, it was no surprise its customers reacted with such fervor. In 1997, McDonald's began handing out Teenie Beanie Babies in its Happy Meal and soon found lines of people out the door hoping to get their hands on the collectible. These miniature stuffed bears can still be found on eBay with price tags between $500 and $7,000.

Healthier options

McDonald'sChina's President Xi Jinping claps after his speech as he and other new Politburo Standing Committee members meet with the press at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China October 25, 2017.

China's "Belt and Road" program is showing up in the earnings calls of some companies around the world, including some in the U.S.

At least 15 companies cited the giant regional development program as an opportunity for business growth, according to CNBC analysis using financial search engine AlphaSense.

The "Belt and Road Initiative," once called "One Belt, One Road," was proposed by Chinese President Xi Jinping in 2013 to promote investment connecting Asia, Africa and Europe. The program focuses on infrastructure development, echoing the "Silk Road" that once linked Asia and Europe.

Roughly 70 countries covering about two-thirds of the world's population are participating in Belt and Road projects, which could involve trillions of dollars in Chinese investment, Jonathan Hillman of the Center for Strategic and International Studies said in a January Congressional testimony.

To many, the program remains an amorphous term that can encompass all regional development projects, sometimes retroactively, analysts have noted. Details such as total cost and timeframe remain unclear.

But a range of companies from Waters, a Massachusetts-based producer of analytical instruments and software, to Japan-based construction machinery manufacturer Kubota note the benefits and business opportunities they are seeing from the Belt and Road program. For example, Honeywell's president of global high growth regions, S. Shane Tedjarati, said the program has "really increased significantly .. our presence" in central Asia.

Some of the statements focused more on the political benefits. Evan G. Greenberg, chairman and CEO of global property and casualty insurer Chubb, said its agreement with a Chinese insurer falls in line with "the Chinese government's drive to promote the country's going out and One Belt One Road initiatives."

Here's the whole list of the companies and what their executives had to say about One Belt, One Road, according to the AlphaSense search that looked at companies with a market capitalization greater than $1 billion.

Honeywell

"We've created programs with the Chinese, and especially added the One Belt, One Road to that, which has really increased significantly the -- our presence in the former CIS states, in Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, in Azerbaijan, et cetera, whether it's a gas pipeline or new installations for oil and gas." " The consumer economy, the digital economy, the One Belt, One Road and the focus on cleaner, more efficient economy is still going to do us well."

 S. Shane Tedjarati, president of global high growth regions for the U.S. industrial conglomerate, said during a Feb. 28 investor conference.

Chubb

"In the quarter, we announced [a 10-year] strategic cooperation agreement with PICC Property and Casualty company of China, the country's largest P&C insurer. The agreement will leverage Chubb's global capabilities and support the PICC customers and other Chinese-affiliated companies around the world in line with the Chinese government's drive to promote the country's going out and One Belt One Road initiatives."

 Evan G. Greenberg, Chairman and CEO of the global property and casualty insurer, said during a Jan. 31 earnings call.

Waters

"There are some broader things going on in China, too, around One Belt One Road, around Healthy China 2030 and other key initiatives that we're just making sure that we're providing the type of technologies and service that companies in China need to take advantage of those trends."

 Christopher James O'Connell, Chairman and CEO, said in a Jan 23 earnings call. Waters is a Massachusetts-based producer of analytical instruments and software, and is part of the S&P 500.

Rio Tinto

"We remain positive about the outlook for the industry. Global growth is solid, and turning to China, we are optimistic about the medium to long term. ... Longer term, the Belt, Road initiative will create further opportunities in the infrastructure and construction space."

 Jean-Sebastien Jacques, chief executive of the mining giant, said on a Feb. 7 earnings call.

HSBC

Slide 23 shows how we've refocused the business back towards the bank's heartland in Asia. ... we've strengthened our position as the world's #1 bank for international renminbi business and established HSBC as the best overall international bank for the Belt and Road initiative, according to both Asiamoney and FinanceAsia.

 Stuart Thomson Gulliver, Group CEO, said during a Feb. 20 earnings conference call.

Siemens

A slide about "executing Vision 2020" notes the "Belt & Road Initiative" offers 100 billion euro ($123.91 billion) infrastructure opportunities with Chinese engineering, procurement and construction companies until 2025.

 Joe Kaeser, President and CEO of the German industrials conglomerate, said during a Jan. 9 Commerzbank German Investment Seminar in New York.

Kubota

"Growth rate is expected [to] be slowed, but market will continue to expand due to increasing demand for infrastructure construction in urban area caused by One Belt and One Road initiative and Public Private Partnership project." "Constr. Machinery: Sales increase due to One Belt and One Road initiative, strong demand for city infrastructure construction, and shortage of labors."

 The Japan-based manufacturer gave the above forecast in a Feb. 21 investor relations company presentation titled "Financial Results for the year ended Dec. 31, 2017."

Weg

"Another highlight, moved away a bit from commodities and is part of the long cycle and it refers to China. China is fostering an important expansion program in infrastructure, the One Belt, One Road program that is very well known. And we feel that there is an improvement -- a significant improvement."

 Paulo Geraldo Polezi, finance and investor relations executive officer, said on a March 1 earnings call for the Brazil-based global manufacturer of electrical and electronic equipment.

Schneider Electric



"We see still good dynamics in China. What I've seen in 2017 is the  of course, a confirmation of the priorities of the '13's 5-years plan. And when you look at them, many are really in sync or Schneider is really in sync with those priorities, would it be for manufacturing in China 2025, the plan for green cities, reduction of carbon footprint, energy efficiency, digitization on steroids, what China calls Internet Plus and, of course, the Belt and Road Initiative we see opportunities on the market."

 Jean-Pascal Tricoire, Chairman and CEO of the French electronic equipment and management company, said on a Feb. 15 call.

Eutelsat Communications

"A few weeks ago, we signed MoU to collaborate with China Unicom in the context of the One Belt, One Road project."

 Rodolphe Belmer, CEO and a director of the French satellite communications company, said during a Feb. 16 earnings call.

WorleyParsons

"China's Belt and Road initiative is continuing to provide exciting opportunities for the company. We have a strong and highly regarded China operation and a track record of working with Chinese businesses internationally."

 Andrew Wood, CEO and executive director, said in a Feb. 20 earnings call for the Australia-based engineering consulting company.

Alibaba

"The One Belt, One Road initiative is an important tailwind for our crossborder import business, which will help address the massive demand for imported products in ongoing consumption upgrades taking place in China."

 Yong Zhang, CEO and director of the Chinese e-commerce and tech conglomerate, said on a Feb. 1 earnings call.

United Overseas Bank

"We  from 2011 till now, we are able to attract 1,600 companies with deposit flow of $90 billion. Now these are company come to Singapore from China, from Korea, from Japan, from different part of the world. They are talking to us because  partly because of our Southeast Asia footprints. They want to talk to one bank able to provide them the regional solution. So the attraction is getting quite good, quite encouraging, and especially today, with the One Belt One Road, I think people are talking more about it. I believe the momentum is slightly to gather more and more."

 Ee Cheong Wee, deputy chairman and CEO of the Singapore-based bank, said on a Feb. 14 earnings call.

Sime Darby

Improved business conditions for its industrial division in China were helped by "higher delivery of equipment as a result of One Belt One Road ("OBOR") initiatives and sales incentives." Looking ahead, the Chinese "mining and infrastructure outlook are cautious, but OBOR initiatives increase demand for equipment" in industrials.

 The Malaysia-based conglomerate, which has a construction equipment unit, shared this in a Feb. 23 company presentation for the half year ended Dec. 31.

Thai Oil Public

"Expected firm bitumen [a material used for road surfacing and roofing] demand in 2018" based on two factors: "One belt one road project in China. Indian cabinet approved 7 trillion Rupee ($108.01 billion) road construction plan over the next five years."

 The Thai refining company gave the above outlook in a Jan. 17 presentation to investors.President Donald Trump may sometimes be politically incorrect, even vulgar, but his willingness to speak his mind without restraint helped push North Korea to talk with the U.S. about its nuclear missiles program, House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy told CNBC on Monday.

Trump's personality may be "a little different," he said. "But I've watched those personalities in the past, who said all the right things, and North Korea still developed nuclear weapons."

"So, maybe that helped make us stop them," McCarthy said.

There is no evidence that North Korea has ceased its nuclear-weapons program.

During an appearance on "Squawk Box," McCarthy, R-Calif., was responding to a question about Trump calling NBC's Chuck Todd a "son of a bitch" at a weekend rally.

McCarthy said nobody should be surprised because Trump is displaying behavior no different from the way he acted during the 2016 presidential election.

"The American public knew this going in," he added. "That's what the American public voted for."

"Maybe I don't want my children to hear those words," McCarthy said. "But I definitely don't want my children to see any missiles from North Korea coming here."

On Thursday, Trump accepted an invitation from North Korean leader Kim Jong Un to talk about the rogue nation's nuclear program.

The president appeared optimistic about the talks, saying on Twitter that "sanctions will remain until an agreement is reached."

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However, some U.S. intelligence officials are skeptical of North Korea's offer.House Intelligence Committee Chairman Devin Nunes (r) and Rep. Peter King leave the committee's meeting room in the U.S. Capitol, February 6, 2018. Getty Images

The Republican-led House Intelligence Committee ended its probe into Russian involvement in the 2016 U.S. presidential election, releasing an initial finding that there was "no evidence of collusion, coordination, or conspiracy" between the Trump campaign and Russia.



"After more than a year, the Committee has finished its Russia investigation and will now work on completing our report," said committee chairman Devin Nunes, R-Calif., in a press release. In a one-page report summary of a draft report of more than 150 pages, the committee breaks with the overall intelligence community's consensus that Russia's actions included disparaging then-candidate Hillary Clinton and supporting Donald Trump. The summary said that the committee agreed with the intelligence community's prior judgments, "except with respect to [Russian President Vladimir] Putin's supposed preference for candidate Trump."



President Trump, who has repeatedly denied allegations that his campaign colluded with Russia, held up the Republican-led committee's findings as vindication.



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Democrats vow to continue investigation

Ranking member Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., sent a fiery response to his Republican colleagues on Twitter Monday evening. The decision to end the probe, Schiff said, "represents yet another capitulation to the executive branch." "By ending its oversight role in the only authorized investigation in the House, the Majority has placed the interests of protecting the President over protecting the country, and history will judge its actions harshly," he said. Schiff said that Democrats on the committee will continue their investigation, "with or without the active participation of the Majority." When new information surfaces, Schiff said, "Republicans will be held accountable for abandoning a critical investigation of such vital national importance." Schiff tweet: BREAKING: GOP just shut down House Intel investigation, leaving questions unanswered, leads unexplored, countless witnesses uncalled, subpoenas unissued.If Russians have leverage over the President, GOP has decided that it would rather not know. The minority's work continues: In another initial finding, the majority said it discovered "how anti-Trump research made its way from Russian sources to the Clinton campaign." And the GOP-led investigation also discovered "problematic contacts between senior Intelligence Community officials and the media." The investigation included interviews with 73 witnesses, according to the report. Combined, the committee heard 230 hours of testimony and reviewed 307,905 documents, the report said.

Dueling memosOne Friday night a few years back, Elva Carri wanted to go out dancing, but her friends were either too busy or too tired to come out.

What Carri decided to do next led to the beginning of what would become an exciting business adventure. And it all started when she went on the popular dating app, Tinder.

With the hope that other women nearby would be in a similar situation, Carri logged onto Tinder, changed her gender setting to male and stuck up a profile picture stating to other women in Dublin that she was female and was actually looking for people to go dancing with  rather than dates.

"She thought people would think she was crazy but did it anyway," said Pamela Newenham, who is a founder and co-CEO of social media firm GirlCrew alongside co-CEO Carri.

"Within 24 hours (Carri) had over 100 enthusiastic matches. She added everyone to a secret Facebook group in Dublin, where she was based, and GirlCrew was born."401(k)s are an especially important retirement tool given that pensions are on the decline and Social Security "could be insolvent by 2034," and because an alarming number of Americans have little to nothing saved for retirement individually: A recent study by GOBankingRates found that 42 percent have less than $10,000 socked away. Even President Trump, during his State of the Union, touted the success and importance of 401(k)s. But he neglected to mention that "most workers don't have one yet." Indeed, data analyzed by The Pew Charitable Trusts found that 35 percent of private sector workers over the age of 22 don't work for a company that offers a plan. And the numbers were more stark for younger people. Pew found that 41 percent of millennials didn't have access to an employer-sponsored retirement plan while only 35 percent of Gen-X and 30 percent of boomers had to do without.

So one of the biggest mistakes Americans make when preparing for retirement is failing to take full advantage of an employer match on company-sponsored plans, such as 401(k)s, which essentially offer free money. Some choose not to participate. Millennials are the most likely cohort to opt out, possibly because they think they don't earn enough to be able to save or because they wonder why they should put some of their meager savings into a plan from which they won't see returns for 40 years. Pew found that only 52 percent of millennials with plans available are making contributions. In contrast, a full 80 percent of boomers and 75 percent of Gen-Xers are. But many Americans don't invest in a 401(k) because they can't. Not all companies, especially small businesses, have the means to be able to offer retirement matching programs to their employees. Pew found that workers at companies with than 100 employees were less likely to have access to a plan than those who worked at places with 250 or more employees.YouTube is tackling hoaxes and other problems that plague it in much of the developed world, but it's falling short in a booming new market. In India, fake news, hoaxes and other misleading videos have thrived on Google's video platform with little friction for years. Despite outcries, users and YouTubers say, the Google-owned service has yet to introduce strict discipline on its website. In late 2016, when the Indian government invalidated much of the cash in circulation in the nation, rumors of new bills containing GPS-tracking microchips began making rounds on YouTube. In a second example months later, a viral video on the platform falsely claimed that France President Emmanuel Macron had, in what would have been a sign of respect in some Indian cultures, touched the feet of India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The issue regained prominence in India late last month following the death of famous actress Sridevi. The vast majority of videos listed on YouTube's Trending feed in India following her death were found to be peddling false information. The news-focused videos, some of which were created by unverified channels, dominated the feed in the country for days. Tweet: Every single video on the YouTube trending page is fake A Google spokesperson said the company is working on fixing the issues, and pointed CNBC to blog posts in which it outlines the steps it is taking to curb mischievous acts on its platform. People outside India probably have not come across those videos. Most countries share the same Trending feed, but Google has created a separate Trending feed for India. Google says it created a special feed for India to better serve growing non-English speaking Internet audiences."

Millions are on YouTube for the first time now

Internet data plans are becoming more affordable in India, thanks in part to the low-cost services sold by Reliance Jio, a one-and-half-year-old telecom network by India's richest man Mukesh Ambani. Right now, millions of Indians are chancing upon services such as YouTube for the first time each month. YouTube has added about 70 million users in India in last two years, according to research firm eMarketer. The service had about 172 million monthly active viewers in the nation at the end of 2017, eMarketer said. "India has become a video-first market," Rajan Anandan, vice president of Google for Southeast Asia and India said in a recent interview. "YouTube consumption is off the roof." Tweet: Please check & remove fake videos like these on the trending page. Prabhakar Kumar, co-ordinator of CMS Medialab, an organization that monitors media trends in India, argued that the level of literacy among the users who are coming onboard now is much lower than those of the batches of users that came online before them. For that reason, those new users are more prone to getting tricked by fake news.

The leaping popularity of YouTube in India also comes at a time when Facebook and WhatsApp, two of the most popular services in India, are grappling with the circulation of fake news on their own platforms.

Hoaxes start on YouTube, then migrate to Facebook

Often the videos distributed on those platforms originate and are hosted on YouTube, said Jency Jacob, managing editor of BoomLive, a news organization in India that tries to demystify false information. One of the biggest problems some Indians face on YouTube is their inability to tell fake news apart from real news, said Sandeep Amar, CEO of news network iTV's digital arm. Amar argued that YouTube should consider introducing improved labels to make it easier for users to identify trustworthy sources. He complained about low-quality channels that he says are masquerading as news outlets and making misleading videos with provocative thumbnails.

Established YouTubers get squeezed by fakers

YouTubers who have been with the platform for years complain that their videos gain less traction than they did previously, because misleading videos are dominating people's feeds. Those long-term video creators point out that they put a great deal of effort into their work, but it's discouraging to see bad actors rewarded with traffic. Amit Bhawani, a veteran blogger from Hyderabad who runs a smartphone-focused news blog called PhoneRadar, and Abhijeet Mukherjee, founder of blog GuidingTech, said that if YouTube doesn't clean up the mess, it will hinder more established content creators. "For years, creators, influencers and industry experts have been complaining about this, but we are yet to see a change," Bhawani said. Given the reach that YouTube has in India, the country needs to consider regulating the content that flows on the platform, says Pankaj Jain, founder of SMHoaxSlayer, another organization which debunks fake news.

WATCH: US government should deal with fake news conflict: Kara SwisherA major asset swap in the German energy sector lifted Europe stocks Monday, as two behemoths of the industry restructured their firms to adjust to the current political climate.

Green energy business Innogy, separated from parent company RWE and publicly listed in 2016, is to be broken up. Under the terms of the deal, which has been agreed in principle and was announced Sunday, RWE will sell its 76.8 percent stake in Innogy to German rival E.ON. In turn, RWE will take on the renewables businesses of both E.ON and Innogy.

The implications of the deal are set to be wide ranging, and come within the context of Germany's energy transition. The country is looking to increase its use of sources such as wind and solar while at the same time moving away from nuclear power. In 2016, renewables made up 29 percent of gross electricity generation in the country, with wind power, biomass and solar photovoltaics leading the way.

Deepa Venkateswaran, a senior analyst in European utilities at Bernstein, told CNBC that the deal represented a reversal for RWE after the IPO of Innogy. "It did the IPO and it's kind of bought back, is buying back effectively, the renewable assets," she said.

"But I think for E.ON this is not necessarily a reversal. I think  It's a further finessing of their strategy. They decided to walk away from generation to focus on renewables and grids and retail and now they'll be only focusing on grids. So it creates a larger retail and distribution player in Europe, in Germany."

The deal is likely to work quite well for E.ON, in particular, Venkateswaran added. "In terms of RWE, although the IPO was fantastic, RWE itself hardly had any future  it just has these conventional power stations so that was never going to be a viable long-term story for them."

Shares of Innogy were around 13 percent higher on Monday, while E.ON was around 4.5 percent up and RWE rising 7 percent.



Meanwhile, Germany's Economy Minister Brigitte Zypries told Reuters in an emailed statement that the asset swap deal could increase competitiveness in the sector.



"It's good if there are competitive and internationally oriented energy providers in Germany," Zypries said. "The current plans can be a contribution to this. Concentrating on specific business areas can promote necessary investments in generation and distribution networks."The exchange closed in 2014 and filed for bankruptcy after the theft of 850,000 bitcoin. In order to liquidate Mt. Gox's remaining 166,000 bitcoin, worth about $1.6 billion at Monday's prices, lawyer and trustee Nobuaki Kobayashi said he still needs regulatory approval.

A trustee of defunct Tokyo bitcoin exchange Mt. Gox sold more than 35,000 bitcoin, worth about $400 million at the time, to pay off creditors, according to details of the sale published by a company trustee last week.

News that an influential bitcoin holder is taking a break from selling has added to a bullish case for the digital currency.

Some reports and Twitter users said the next court hearing is not until September 2018.

"It's still hanging over but now we've got six months or so before that's an issue," Brian Kelly, CEO of BKCM, told CNBC Monday. "In terms of the Tokyo Whale it's a supply issue, but it's also a sentiment issue."

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Bitcoin prices briefly recovered into this week. The digital currency rose 6.96 percent from Friday's close to a high of $9,885.22 Monday, according to CoinDesk's bitcoin price index. Prices later fell to $9,241.17 as of 12:40 p.m. ET Monday.

Bitcoin fell below $10,000 and shed nearly 18 percent of its value over two days last week following increased regulatory scrutiny of cryptocurrency exchanges last week.

Bitcoin's one-week performance

Source: Coindesk

In order to pay back creditors, Kobayashi has sold 35,841 Bitcoin and 34,008 Bitcoin cash on behalf of the company since September of last year. This flood of bitcoin could have contributed to recent downward pressure, Kelly said.

"It's down 70 percent from top but at some point you run out of sellers," Kelly said. "It looks as though the market's trying to bottom out."

While the Mt. Gox selling appears to be on hold, bitcoin faces other roadblocks.

News of compromised accounts on a major Hong Kong-based exchange, a statement from the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission that expanded its scrutiny to cryptocurrency exchanges, and more news from Japanese regulators also added to investor worries last week.

"This is just one factor that's impacting bitcoin at this point," Jack Tatar, managing partner at Doyle Capital Management said.

Some Chicago Board of Exchange, or Cboe, bitcoin futures contracts expire Wednesday, which Tatar said could be adding to bitcoin's downward price moves Monday.

Mt. Gox has "impacted the entire market," Tatar said but it's too soon to say "with this off the table if bitcoin will rise in price."Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Finance Minister Taro Aso attend a session at the National Diet in Tokyo on January 26, 2015.

Japanese Finance Minister Taro Aso said on Monday he had no intention to resign over revelations that documents related to a state land sale were altered.

He said the alterations were conducted by "several" officials at the finance ministry's division in charge of state land sales.

"It's extremely regrettable and I apologise for this," Aso told reporters, when asked whether he felt responsible as head of the ministry involved in the alterations.



Japan's finance ministry reported to the ruling Liberal Democratic Party the findings of its investigation into a suspected cronyism case on Monday morning, a ruling party source said , as pressure mounts on Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and his ally Aso over the case.

LDP parliamentary affairs official Hiroshi Moriyama told reporters that he had been briefed by finance ministry officials that the documents related to the land sale had been altered.

Abe, now in his sixth year in office, had tried to put behind him questions over the sale of state owned land at a huge discount to a school operator with ties to his wife, Akie. His ratings had rebounded from a slump last year, but doubts have revived with a series of fresh revelations.

The name of Abe's wife, Akie, was removed from documents related to the controversial sale of state-owned land, Kyodo News reported on Monday, citing a government source.

The ministry plans to report to parliament on Monday that it has found instances where content was deleted from documents submitted to lawmakers, the source told Reuters on condition of anonymity.John Bolton, Former United States Ambassador to the United Nations, at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) held at the Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center in Oxon Hill, Maryland in February.

John Bolton, former ambassador to the United Nations in the Bush administration, is one of the most radically hawkish voices in the American foreign policy conversation. He has said the United States should declare war on both North Korea and Iran. He was credibly accused of manipulating US intelligence on weapons of mass destruction prior to the Iraq war and of abusive treatment of his subordinates. He once "joked" about knocking 10 stories off the UN building in New York.

And now he seems poised to become President Donald Trump's next national security adviser, which would have significant  and frightening  implications for the future of Trump's foreign policy.

This rumor has been circulating in earnest since at least last week, when NBC reportedthat current National Security Adviser H.R. McMaster, whom Trump has never particularly liked, was looking for a way out of the White House. But speculation really escalated on Tuesday afternoon, when Bolton came to the White House and met with the president in the Oval Office. It seemed less like a normal meeting and more like a "job interview," as Mieke Eoyang, the vice president for foreign policy at the center-left think tank Third Way, put it in a phone call.

More from Vox:

Trump says he believes North Korea's missile test promise

Conservatives hated it when Obama said he'd meet with North Korea. Guess what they say now.

Pennsylvania's neck-and-neck special congressional election, explained

This interpretation became even more plausible on Tuesday evening, when news broke that one of Trump's top economic advisers, Gary Cohn, was resigning. Cohn's departure was widely seen as evidence that Trump's more moderate advisers  the people working to restrain his more hardline nationalist impulses  were losing influence in the White House. McMaster is certainly in that camp, which makes the rumors of his impending departure easier to believe.

So while we don't know for sure that Bolton is being actively considered to replace McMaster, there's at least some evidence to suggest that he is. What would that mean for the Trump administration, and the world?

The first thing to note is that Bolton would, according to a trio of foreign policy experts from different political affiliations that I spoke to, be a disastrous choice. His track record in government, connections to anti-Muslim groups, and stated views in op-eds and public speeches all suggest that he would push Trump to take extremely dangerous positions on issues like North Korea, Iran, and ISIS.

"I operate on the assumption that John Bolton should be kept as far away from the levers of foreign policy as possible," says Christopher Preble, the vice president for defense and foreign policy studies at the libertarian Cato Institute. "I think I would rest easy if he was dog catcher in Stone Mountain, Georgia. But maybe not."

Second, the fact that Bolton seems to already have Trump's ear  you don't get an Oval Office invitation just to chat  illustrates a fundamental and growing problem with the Trump administration. The president is extremely and fundamentally influenced by the conservative infotainment sphere, most notably Fox News  where Bolton is an on-air fixture.

Bolton, a marginal figure in Washington foreign policy circles since his departure from the Bush administration, has managed to become influential again because of his success in the insular world of conservative media and advocacy groups. As a result, American foreign policy may be soon be shaped by someone who seems to truly believe that war is the answer to the world's most pressing problems.

Bolton's early career shows why he'd be a dangerous national security adviser

Bolton is, somewhat ironically, a quintessential creature of the Washington swamp.

After graduating Yale Law School in 1974, where he had become friends with future Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, he went into private practice in Washington. He made a name for himself working in conservative politics, becoming vice president of the right-wing American Enterprise Institute and serving in midlevel roles in the Reagan and George H.W. Bush administrations.

But it wasn't until the George W. Bush administration that Bolton rose to greater prominence. In May 2001, Bush appointed him to be undersecretary of state for arms control, basically the top diplomat focusing on weapons of mass destruction. This position became fairly important in the runup to the Iraq War, as the Bush administration's case against Saddam Hussein focused on his alleged nuclear, chemical, and biological weapons.

Bolton took the hardest of possible lines. He forcefully argued that Iraq had WMDs  "we are confident that Saddam Hussein has hidden weapons of mass destruction," as he put in one 2002 speech. After Bush's 2002 State of the Union speech connecting North Korea, Iraq, and Iran as an "axis of evil," Bolton insisted that this wasn't just rhetoric  that there was ''a hard connection between these regimes  an 'axis' along which flow dangerous weapons and dangerous technology.''

He was involved in shaping US intelligence in the runup to the war  and not in a good way. In 2002, Bolton's staff prepared a speech alleging that Cuba had an active biological weapons program. This wasn't true, and the State Department's lead bioweapons analyst at the time would not sign off on the claim. Per the analyst's sworn testimony to Congress, Bolton then called the analyst into his office, screamed at him, and then sent for his boss. In this conversation, per the Washington Post's David Ignatius, he derisively referred to the analyst as a "munchkin" and attempted to get him transferred to a different department.

This was cruel and unprofessional, but also dangerous. Carl Ford, then the assistant secretary of state for intelligence and research, testified that Bolton's assault on the analyst had a "chilling effect" throughout the department, freezing out dissent on proliferation issues beyond Cuba. John Prados, a fellow at George Washington University's National Security Archives, came to an even broader conclusion in a study of declassified Bush administration documents: Bolton bears a significant amount of blame for the politicized intelligence used to justify the decision to attack Iraq.

"Although Bolton's actions did not concern Iraq directly, they came to a high point during the summer of 2002  the exact moment when Iraq intelligence issues were on the front burner  and they aimed at offices which played a central role in producing Iraq intelligence," Prados writes. "Analysts working on Iraq intelligence could not be blamed for concluding that their own careers might be in jeopardy if they supplied answers other than what the Bush administration wanted to hear."

None of this got Bolton fired. In fact, it got him promoted:In March 2005, President Bush nominated him to be US ambassador to the UN, one of the most important diplomatic positions in the entire government.

Bolton's Senate confirmation hearing turned into a vicious fight, largely over his role in shaping the faulty prewar intelligence about Iraq. But his management style, as exemplified by the munchkin incident, also became a huge issue. When Ford was called to testify before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, he bluntly said Bolton's personality should disqualify him from holding high office. Ford called him a "bully" who "kisses up and punches down," among other things.

"I'm as conservative as John Bolton is," Ford told the committee. "But the fact is that the collateral damage and the personal hurt that he causes is not worth the price that had to be paid."

Multiple people who had worked with Bolton came out of the woodwork to speak to these issues. Perhaps the most harrowing such account came in an open letter written by a former federal contractor named Melody Townsel, recalling a time that she raised issues surrounding the use of funds in a contract Bolton was working on. He didn't take it well:

Mr. Bolton proceeded to chase me through the halls of a Russian hotel  throwing things at me, shoving threatening letters under my door and, generally, behaving like a madman. For nearly two weeks, while I awaited fresh direction from my company and from US AID, John Bolton hounded me in such an appalling way that I eventually retreated to my hotel room and stayed there. Mr. Bolton, of course, then routinely visited me there to pound on the door and shout threats.

All in all, according to then-Sen. Joe Biden, the ranking Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee at the time, testimony from at least five people confirmed multiple instances of Bolton behaving abusively toward subordinates and retaliating against intelligence professionals who challenged his policy positions. For these reasons, Bolton could not be confirmed by the Senate  which was, at the time, controlled by Republicans.

Bolton's Iraq-era activities are extraordinarily relevant for understanding what he might push for as Trump's national security adviser.

Technically, his primary job would be running the National Security Council, which exists to coordinate and synthesize the sometimes conflicting policy proposals that emerge from the Pentagon, State Department, and other agencies. He would present the president with strategic assessments of high-level officials like the secretaries of defense and state, offer his own thinking, and then communicate Trump's ultimate decision to the agencies and work to ensure it's implemented.

Put another way, his job is to manage the information that comes to the president and then present a clear-eyed and accurate assessment of what's happening and how to respond to it. Yet Bolton's history suggests a long and storied history of cherry-picking intelligence to support his preferred hawkish policies.

"I think he would not be someone who would be counseling restraint, or to think about the consequences of their actions," says Eoyang. "Bolton is so much of an ideologue that I don't think he would accurately portray consequences [of policy options] to the president."

His reported history of berating and undermining anyone who attempted to challenge him would further stifle dissent. He'd have more power over the White House national security staff as national security adviser than anyone other than the president, giving him unprecedented ability to act as a "bully," in Ford's words.

It's very plausible that Bolton would accelerate the brain drain from the federal government that already seems to be taking shape  not just in the White House but across the various departments that make foreign policy.

"Bolton hates the State Department. He portrays US diplomats as closet Democrats and appeasers," Richard Gowan, a professor at NYU who has studied Bolton's career, recalls. "As NSA, he would almost certainly encourage the hollowing out of State Trump and Tillerson have begun."

Bolton represents the Fox News-ification of foreign policy

Ultimately, Bolton did get the UN ambassador position  though without the Senate's permission. In August 2005, President Bush appointed him to the post while the Senate was out of session (a so-called "recess appointment").

Bolton's year and a half at the UN was characterized by showy condemnations of the organization, which infuriated American allies, but he had little influence on the UN or the overall arc of Bush's second-term foreign policy.

"Bolton raised hell at the UN, but his actual power was quite limited," Gowan recalls. "Condi Rice and the mainstream conservatives in the second Bush administration often ignored him. He is quite open about this in his memoirs from that period, which are fun."

In December 2006, Bolton called it quits, returning to civilian life. He became a fixture on Fox News and conservative talk radio, where his confirmation fight and anti-UN rhetoric was hailed as a sign of his willingness to speak truth to power. He was so prominent in these spheres, mostly through his contract as a Fox contributor, that he considered running for president in both 2012 and 2016.

Bolton was particularly popular among a small but influential group of hardline anti-Islam activists, the "counter-jihad" movement, who believed the US government was being infiltrated by Islamists and that Islamic law was quietly taking over the US legal system.

Bolton wrote the foreword to a book by two of the most prominent counter-jihadists, Pamela Geller and Robert Spencer, in 2010. In 2016, Bolton spoke at a conference held by the American Freedom Alliance, considered a "hate group" by the Southern Poverty Law Center, titled "Can Islam and the West Coexist?" His speech contained a "joke" whose punchline was that President Obama was a Muslim.

In his many media appearances and public appearances, Bolton never wavered from the kind of hawkish policy views he established during the Bush administration. In a 2015 New York Times op-ed, Bolton advocated for a US and/or Israeli airstrike on Iranian nuclear facilities. "Time is terribly short, but a strike can still succeed," he wrote. "Such action should be combined with vigorous American support for Iran's opposition, aimed at regime change in Tehran."

Since Trump took office, Bolton has put the media savvy and experience with the conservative movement he's developed to good use  using various levers to influence the president. In just the first months of 2018, Bolton has appeared on Fox News 19 times, roughly twice a week on average. He has used those appearances to sell his policy preferences, warning against diplomacy with North Korea and encouraging the Kingdom of Jordan to annex the West Bank (much of which remains under Israeli occupation despite the fact that the vast majority of its citizens are Palestinian).

During the early Trump administration, then-White House senior strategist Steve Bannon approached Bolton as part of a plan to get around Cabinet members, like Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis, who opposed withdrawal from the Iran nuclear deal. Bolton drafted a five-page memo detailing his proposal for tearing up the deal, which he then published in National Review after Bannon departed the White House.

And in February 2018, he published an op-ed in the Wall Street Journal arguing that the US needed to solve the nuclear standoff with North Korea by force.

"Pre-emption opponents argue that action is not justified because Pyongyang does not constitute an 'imminent threat.' They are wrong," Bolton wrote. "It is perfectly legitimate for the United States to respond to the current 'necessity' posed by North Korea's nuclear weapons by striking first."

Bolton's record in the Bush administration and general hawkishness made him a marginal figure in Washington foreign policy conversations. So after leaving, he cannily aligned himself with Fox News and other influential groups on the right, like the counter-jihadists, who saw him as an experienced and credible commentator. This led not only to television news and book contracts but to platforms through which he could potentially influence actual Republican elected officials.

This reached a kind of apogee with President Trump. Trump sees the world through a televisual lens; he seems to get more information from Fox News than from his daily intelligence briefings. The president values the advice of people he sees on the TV and other friendly media outlets. Bolton is not seen as a relic of the hated Bush administration; he's seen as an authoritative and expert Fox voice. According to Bolton's National Review piece, Trump once told him to "come in and see me any time" in the White House.

Trump's biggest problem with Bolton seems to be aesthetic. In December 2016, the Washington Post reported that Bolton was eliminated from the running for secretary of state because Trump  I swear I'm not making this up  didn't like his mustache.

"Donald was not going to like that mustache," one Trump associate told the Post. "I can't think of anyone that's really close to Donald that has a beard that he likes."

Perhaps because of the mustache, Trump hasn't taken Bolton's policy advice to heart. There's no war with North Korea, and the Iran deal remains (largely) intact. But Tuesday's Oval Office meeting suggests that Bolton's influence on the president may be growing. If he's not going to be appointed the next national security adviser, he's at least got Trump's ear.

And Bolton's ascendancy has a lot of foreign policy analysts concerned.

"If Bolton becomes the national security adviser, the United States has not hit rock bottom in our international relations," says Eoyang. "We could go lower."Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and French President Emmanuel Macron inaugurated a 101-megawatt peak solar facility in India on Monday.

The Mirzapur solar power plant, developed by French utility firm Engie, is the largest in the state of Uttar Pradesh, in the north of the country. Engie CEO Isabelle Kocher said it was "one of our key assets" in India.



Tweet One



Engie announced a number of other renewable energy developments and deals in India on Monday.



These included the signing of a 25-year power purchase agreement for the Kadapa solar park in Andhra Pradesh, in the country's southeast; the beginning of commercial operations at a solar park in Rajasthan in the north; and two wind projects in Gujarat and Tamil Nadu, in the west and south respectively.



"The different successes we announce today support our ambition to be a major partner for the development of renewables in India, a fast-growing country for global energy transition businesses," Kocher said.

The European Investment Bank announced Saturday that it had signed a 150 million euro ($185 million) long-term loan with the Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency. The agreement will help to support renewable energy investment throughout India, the EIB said.Military personnel wearing protective suits remove a police car and other vehicles from a public car park as they continue investigations into the poisoning of Sergei Skripal on March 11, 2018 in Salisbury, England.

The nerve agent attack on the former Russian agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter looks like "state-sponsored attempted murder," according to the chairman of the U.K.'s Foreign Affairs Committee.

Tom Tugendhat told BBC Radio 4 on Monday that he expected Russia to be blamed for the March 4 attack on the ex-spy and his daughter Yulia in Salisbury, England.

He said it was a "bit early to be absolutely certain of that" but added that the Russian government was "certainly behaving aggressively towards people in the U.K."

"We're expecting the prime minister to make an announcement soon and, frankly, I would be surprised if she did not point the finger at the Kremlin," Tugendhat told the BBC.

U.K. Prime Minister Theresa May will chair a meeting of the National Security Council, which includes senior ministers and intelligence chiefs, on Monday. She is expected to make a statement at 1630 London time and could announce that Downing Street believes that Moscow was behind the poisoning, according to British media.

The government could also announce any retaliatory measures, such as expelling Russian diplomats or more sanctions on Russian individuals and entities. Last week, U.K. Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson called Russia a "malign and disruptive force."

The nerve agent used has not been named but can usually only be produced in specialist government laboratories.

Skripal's links to Russia's security services, and his subsequent work as a double agent for the U.K., put Moscow firmly in the spotlight for being behind the attack, although Russia has so far denied any involvement.

Ahead of any possible comments from the British government, the Kremlin's government spokesman said he had not heard of any allegations from U.K. lawmakers directed at Russia, Reuters reported. He also said that Skripal worked for British intelligence and the attack happened in Britain meaning "it was not a matter for the Russian government."

Monday's National Security Council meeting comes as specialist counter-terrorism police continue to search for the source of the nerve agent that was used to attack Skripal and his daughter. They were found unconscious on a bench outside a shopping center in Salisbury, a small town in the rural county of Wiltshire in England. Both are in a critical condition in hospital. A policeman who attended to the pair was also hospitalized, although his condition is now stable.

Traces of the nerve agent used were found at a pub and restaurant where the Skripals had been on the day they were taken ill.

Hundreds of people who were also in those locations on March 4 and 5 have been told to wash their clothes and any personal items, in case they had come into contact with the nerve agent.Ten years after Bear Stearns' near collapse accelerated the worst financial crisis in generations, Congress is pushing to relax rules that were designed to prevent one from happening again.

A bill with strong bipartisan support is heading to a vote in the Senate. It would loosen regulation for smaller banks and significantly raise the threshold for a bank to be considered so vital to the financial system that it requires the most rigorous oversight.

That would mean relief for about two dozen companies, including American Express, BB&T Corp. and Ally Financial, that would fall below the threshold.

Banks have complained for years that the Dodd Frank regulations added costly layers of legal and compliance and forced them out of lucrative trading and other activities. Smaller banks have argued that removing restrictions would allow them to lend more money and support local economies and consumers. The Senate bill, sponsored by Sen. Mike Crapo, R-Idaho, includes eight bills that have already passed the House with broad support.

The federal government had to inject more than $700 billion into the banking system in 2008 to avert the collapse of some of the biggest institutions, which were laden with toxic securities.

Bear Stearns, which was heavily involved in subprime mortgage lending, nearly collapsed in March 2008. On March 16, 2008, it was sold at a firesale price to J.P. Morgan. Lehman Brothers outright failed, and the government required the remaining big banks to take federal infusions of cash.

Dodd Frank was enacted in 2010 to address some of the problems that led to the crisis, but it has always had its critics. One of its most prominent foes is the chairman of the House Financial Services Committee, Jeb Hensarling, R-Texas. The committee has had 65 hearings on Dodd Frank and held 24 hearings on legislative efforts to change it. It has sent 18 bills to the House to repeal or fix it.

Some have said the Senate bill doesn't go far enough. Crapo introduced an amendment to his bill in recent days to address some of these concerns. A vote in the Senate could come this week, and the two chambers are expected to reconcile their bills after that.

Some Democrats are still fighting to preserve the rules, named after Democrats Chris Dodd and Barney Frank, filing dozens of amendments.

"Washington's amnesia is legendary," Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., said in a speech in the Senate on Thursday. "This bill isn't about the unfinished business of the last financial crisis. This bill is about laying the groundwork for the next one."

Banks have been fighting Dodd Frank almost since it was signed into law by President Barack Obama a decade ago. The financial industry, which includes finance, insurance and real estate, spent $519 million on lobbying last year alone, according to the Center for Responsive Politics. That was second only to the health-care industry. Specifically, the securities industry paid $97 million, and the top investment bank on the contribution list was Goldman Sachs, at $3.3 million.The election will have minimal effect on the composition of Congress, but the race has drawn national interest as a proxy for November's midterm elections.

Voters head to the polls in Pennsylvania on Tuesday for a House special election in a district President Donald Trump won easily in 2016.

Last week, more than 100 people crowded into an event space at Robert Morris University outside Pittsburgh, anxious to hear a former vice president campaign for a Democratic House candidate in southwestern Pennsylvania's 18th District. Supporters of Democrat Conor Lamb packed into the edges of the room, near the end of a row of television cameras set up to capture remarks from former Vice President Joe Biden. Reporters mingled with students and retirees and professionals, asking what made them support the Democrat threatening to win Tuesday's special election in a district President Donald Trump won by 20 percentage points in 2016. Trump himself touched down in western Pennsylvania on Saturday, hoping to boost the chances of Republican state Rep. Rick Saccone and help the GOP avoid another embarrassing loss in a typically red area. In freewheeling remarks to supporters, Trump framed a Saccone win as important to the GOP's midterm performance, saying Republicans need to "elect people who are going to back our agenda."

President Donald J. Trump with Rick Saccone speaks to supporters at the Atlantic Aviation Hanger on March 10, 2018 in Moon Township, Pennsylvania. Getty Images

The scenes mark a stark departure from both the 2014 and 2016 elections, when ex-Republican Rep. Tim Murphy coasted to electoral wins without a Democratic opponent. The scandal-wracked Murphy's departure led to only the latest closely watched referendum on Trump  and another chance for Democrats to at least temporarily steal a seat in a pocket of the country that propelled Trump to the White House. A Monmouth University poll released Monday found that Lamb holds an edge in three different voting models. Lamb leads Saccone by a 51 percent to 45 percent margin if the turnout matches similar Democratic surges in other recent special elections, according to Monmouth. A Lamb win would give Democrats new hope about their ability to unseat enough House Republicans to take a majority in the chamber in November. However, its practical effect on Congress may be small. Any boost to Republicans or Democrats in the House because of the special election would be temporary. A new state congressional map would leave Lamb living and running in a new 17th District in November, while Saccone would have to run in an updated 14th District. "This race has a minimal impact on legislative affairs. It has a far more significant impact on political affairs. The winner of this election can claim a moral victory that can be used to set the tone for the 2018 midterms," said Ryan Williams, managing director of public affairs for FP1 Strategies and a communications veteran of Mitt Romney's 2012 presidential campaign.

Conor Lamb Jacob Pramuk | CNBC

Lamb and Saccone have tried to make the race a local choice, debating issues like the state's energy industry, the opioid crisis and gun rights. But as a proxy for November's battle for Congress, the election has been swarmed by national interest. The frenzy around the now-competitive district goes well beyond the presence of a president, a former vice president and national media organizations. Sensing the potential effects of a loss on party morale or recruiting talented candidates, national Republican groups have funneled millions of dollars into the race to boost Saccone. "If [Republicans] lose this House seat, they can lose nearly any congressional seat," said Steven Billet, the director of the legislative affairs program at George Washington University's Graduate School of Political Management.

Outside groups have spent about $7.6 million opposing Lamb and about $2.9 million supporting Saccone, according to the Center for Responsive Politics. Pro-GOP political action committees the Congressional Leadership Fund and National Republican Congressional Committee have accounted for more than half of the spending. Outside groups did not spend a cent in the district in 2016. Meanwhile, Lamb's campaign  which has outraised Saccone's by a more than 4-to-1 margin  has spent $3.2 million on ads, according to NBC News. Donors have shown enthusiasm for the campaign, despite the fact that Lamb would hold this particular seat for less than a year if he wins. Amid the heavy spending, recent polls have shown a dead heat between Saccone and Lamb. Two separate surveys this month have each shown a 3 percentage point lead for both candidates. In both cases, the advantage has fallen within the poll's margin of error.

The district

A Rick Saccone campaign sign sits in front of a parked truck in southwestern Pennsylvania. Jacob Pramuk | CNBC

The 18th District is the type of red area Democrats want to compete in as they push to win a House majority. Republicans hope their edge in those regions holds up despite a political landscape and "generic ballot" that currently favors Democrats. The district stretches from the suburbs of Pittsburgh in Allegheny County through large parts of Washington and Greene counties to the southwest border of the state. It also spans east into Westmoreland County, connected by a sliver of land below Pittsburgh. The 18th District is older, better educated, wealthier and whiter than the median congressional district. While Trump's proposals have brought the most attention to the region's energy and metals industries, the health care and technology sectors that have revitalized Pittsburgh in recent years are major employers, as well.

Trump has a positive approval rating in the district by a 49 percent to 42 percent margin, according to a Gravis Marketing poll this month. Still, views on the president appear to have cooled somewhat since 2016: 7.3 percent of Trump voters there disapprove of him now and another 6.1 percent are unsure if they approve, the survey found. The area is one Democrats want to show they can win and Republicans hope to show they can hold amid growing talk of a Democratic "wave" in November. "Republicans want to blunt Democrats' momentum. Democrats want to show donors and activists that they can win a Trump district," Williams said.

The candidates

Jacob Pramuk | CNBC

Lamb, 33, served in the Marines and as a federal prosecutor. Saccone, 60, is a state legislator and Air Force veteran. Where Saccone has tied himself to the president, saying he "was Trump before Trump was Trump," Lamb has tiptoed around national Democrats. While Lamb campaigned with Biden, he has refused to support the less popular House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi. Republicans have repeatedly tried to tie him to the California Democrat. In a tweet Monday morning, Trump contended Lamb would "always vote" with Pelosi and Democrats despite portraying himself as a moderate Democrat. He argued the Democrat "will raise taxes" and be "weak" on crime and border security. Tweet Saccone has cast himself as a champion of government spending restraint and the region's coal and natural gas industries. He has embraced the GOP tax law passed in December and Trump's proposed steel and aluminum tariffs, which have support from pockets of both major parties in the district. Lamb has campaigned as a defender of Democratic priorities such as Social Security and Medicare. He has criticized the tax law as too generous to corporations and wealthy Americans, but GOP attacks on his views do not appear to have resonated with the region's voters. Lamb has taken a middle-ground stance on both abortion and gun control in the race to represent the red area. He has also backed targeted tariffs on steel and aluminum.

Rick Saccone meeting with supporters at a rally on Monday in Waynesburg, PA. Jacob Pramuk | CNBC

Concerns about the strength of Saccone's campaign and candidacy have contributed to Republican worries, GWU's Billet said. Lamb has a distinct fundraising edge. Trump has even privately called Saccone a "weak" candidate, Axios reported, citing four sources. In a statement to Axios, Saccone said he looks forward to "working with [Trump] to continue to deliver on the promises made." He added that he "could not have asked for a stronger endorsement of our campaign" when Trump spoke in western Pennsylvania.

The voters

The Pennsylvania special election and other races in districts like it will serve as a test of how many independents or Republicans dissatisfied with Trump or the GOP-controlled Congress will support Democratic candidates. The Gravis poll this month, which showed a 3 percentage point edge for Saccone, found about 13 percent of Trump voters and 12 percent of Republicans support Lamb. Lamb had an edge among independents by a margin of about 46 percent to 27 percent, according to the survey. Last week, some Lamb supporters who have not always voted for Democrats said they back the candidate in part because of opposition to the policies Republicans pursued in 2017. Sandy Catone, a nurse and Lamb supporter from Harrison City, previously backed candidates from both parties. However, she said she pledged to support Democrats after seeing Republicans pursue policies like the tax plan that she believes benefits them personally. "They're grabbing everything they can grab," she said. In some cases, resistance to Saccone comes from opposition to Trump. Nancy Barsotti, an interior designer and Lamb supporter from the Pittsburgh suburb of Rosslyn Farms, said Saccone's proclamation that he was "Trump before Trump" discouraged her from supporting him. Barsotti started backing Democrats during President Barack Obama's first run in 2008. Trump has done little to take the focus for western Pennsylvania voters off himself. During his rally speech Saturday night, he insisted that a vote for Saccone will help to further his agenda and efforts to improve the economy. Said Trump: "The task for everyone here tonight is to make sure that this great American comeback continues. Full speed ahead."  CNBC's John Schoen contributed reporting to this article.

WATCH: GOP can't count on tax cuts to save its majorityPITTSBURGH  The special election for a southwestern Pennsylvania House district tests three big questions hanging over the 2018 campaign. Can tax cuts help the Republican majority in Congress turn back the Democratic tide?

Can Democrats compete in Republican districts they need to recapture the House?

And can President Donald Trump rally his blue-collar base behind his party in November? As voters head to the polls on Tuesday, the answers appear more encouraging to Democrats.

The role of tax cuts

In a district Republicans have held for 15 years, where Trump won by 20 percentage points, Democrat Conor Lamb has eliminated Republican Rick Saccone's lead in the polls. Strategists for both parties call him the favorite to win. Here as elsewhere, Republicans have counted on their $1.5 trillion tax cut to counter voter discontent with the turbulence surrounding Trump. Not only does it show that all-GOP government works, they argue, it puts money in the pockets of middle-class families. Republicans have spent millions advertising that message in ther district, which includes parts of Greene, Washington, Allegheny and Westmoreland counties. What they've found is that however pleased families are about slightly higher paychecks, it is not moving voters in large numbers. That's partly because this race got underway after the previous congressman, Rep. Tim Murphy, resigned amid a sex scandal last October  before the tax cut passed. And it's partly because Lamb neutralized the issue while making this a local, not national choice.

Local vs. national

Lamb says he, too, favors tax cuts  but for the middle class, not the wealthy. He calls the Trump tax cut too expensive, warning elderly voters that the higher deficits it produces will lead Republicans to cut Social Security and Medicare. The trim 33-year-old Democrat benefits from the personal contrast with his stocky 60-year-old Republican rival. A former federal prosecutor and Marine, who shoots a rifle in one campaign ad, Lamb identifies himself with hometown values of service and sacrifice. Saccone stands so closely to Trump that he names only one disagreement: He roots for the Pittsburgh Steelers, while the president backs the New England Patriots. But Lamb, deflecting attempts to call him a lackey for Nancy Pelosi, says he won't support the liberal San Franciscan to remain House Democratic leader.

The Trump factor

Treading carefully in a Trump stronghold, Lamb has campaigned beside national Democrats with moderate reputations, like former Vice President Joe Biden, a Pennsylvania native who grew up in Delaware. He doesn't mention Trump's name. But Lamb still benefits from the backlash against the president's turbulent debut in office, especially among women in suburban areas. Even some working-class men who voted for Trump have decided that was a mistake. Given the size of the president's 2016 majority, Saccone can afford to lose some of Trump's base. At a campaign rally with Trump over the weekend, he tried to rouse enough of them to win. The president also offered Saccone a last-minute boost of administration policy. The tariffs on steel and aluminum Trump has announced are tailor-made for blue-collar neighborhoods outside Pittsburgh, though the once-fabled "Steel City" has diversified its economy around sectors such as technology and health care in the 21st century. But there's no sign the Republican president's move has reversed Lamb's momentum. For one thing, Lamb has himself offered qualified support for the tariffs  just as he has for some other controversial Trump initiatives such as a military parade in Washington on Veterans Day.

President Donald J. Trump with Rick Saccone speaks to supporters at the Atlantic Aviation Hanger on March 10, 2018 in Moon Township, Pennsylvania. Getty ImagesIndecision at the highest levels of Saudi Arabia's government is thought to have stoked frustration among company executives.

However, Aramco's listing is now no longer expected to take place this year, according to a Financial Times report citing British officials briefed on the matter.

Saudi Arabia's state-owned oil behemoth had planned to begin trading on the country's domestic stock market  the Tadawul  and one or more foreign exchanges in the second half of 2018.

Saudi Arabia' oil minister and chairman of Saudi Aramco Khalid A. Al-Falih arrives as Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman meets Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May in Downing Street in London, March 7, 2018. REUTERS | Simon Dawson

Investors hoping to a buy a piece of the world's largest oil company may be forced to wait until 2019 at the earliest, amid reports Saudi Aramco's initial public offering (IPO) is likely to be delayed. Saudi Arabia's state-owned oil behemoth had planned to begin trading on the country's domestic stock market  the Tadawul  and one or more foreign exchanges in the second half of 2018. However, Aramco's listing is now no longer expected to take place this year, according to a Financial Times report citing British officials briefed on the matter. "I'm guessing investors are going to be a bit disappointed but they have no choice other than to stay patient and jump on the bandwagon when it finally happens," Tamas Varga, analyst at PVM Oil Associates, told CNBC in a phone interview Monday.

Original valuation 'may be on the high side'

The Financial Times report suggested Aramco's IPO  widely seen as the cornerstone project of the kingdom's efforts to reform its economy  is struggling to arrive at the $2 trillion valuation sought by Saudi's crown prince, Mohammed bin Salman. In an interview with Bloomberg last week, Saudi Arabia's Energy Minister Khalid al-Falih said that while Aramco's offering could conceivably take place in 2019, the timeline would not be especially relevant. "Between December 31 and January 1, there is no value lost for the kingdom," al-Falih said, before adding: "So I don't understand this artificial deadline you refer to as being significant."

London, New York and Hong Kong are among the foreign bourses competing for the share sale. Saudi's Bin Salman is believed to favor listing in New York, while officials, including Energy Minister Khalid al-Falih, reportedly favor London. A domestic listing and a private sale to a strategic investor  possibly from Beijing  is another possibility. "Maybe they are starting to realize their original $2 trillion valuation may be on the high side and so have decided to postpone," Varga said.

Debate seems 'alive and well'

Indecision at the highest levels of Saudi Arabia's government is thought to have stoked frustration among company executives. This discontent comes at a time when deadlines for the listing have frequently been pushed back and eleventh-hour privatization options have also emerged. Meanwhile, the prospect of a delayed IPO would also represent a significant setback for a central plank of Riyadh's plans to modernize its economy.

Simon Dawson | Bloomberg | Getty ImagesPrince Alwaleed Bin Talal remains chairman of Kingdom Holding Company following his release from detention, but the Saudi government reportedly has final say over decisions at the investment firm.

Investment decisions at Kingdom Holding are now subject to approval by the government, The Wall Street Journal reported on Monday, citing senior Saudi advisers. Kingdom Holding has $12.5 billion invested across more than a dozen sectors around the world, according to its website.

Alwaleed's personal investment portfolio is also under government control, according to the Journal. Alwaleed holds substantial stakes in companies like Citigroup, Twitter, Lyft and Time Warner. The Journal report does not indicate whether the government has exercised its newfound influence over these investments.

However, sources tell the Journal the government has already intervened in a major real estate project, ordering senior managers at Kingdom Holding to abandon the Jeddah Tower, which would be the world's tallest skyscraper when  and if  it is completed.

Officials have directed Kingdom Holding to instead focus its energy on a new city called Neom, which is expected to cost $500 billion to build.

The project was announced in October by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the influential king in waiting who is overseeing the kingdom's economic transformation and spearheaded the campaign that led to Alwaleed's detention.

Alwaleed was among dozens of influential Saudis swept up and detained at the Ritz-Carlton in Riyadh in a campaign meant to crack down on graft, according to the government. On Sunday, The New York Times published an investigation alleging the detainees faced coercion and physical abuse.

Alwaleed was once listed as the kingdom's wealthiest man, wielding a net worth of $18.7 billion, but Forbes removed the prince and other wealthy Saudis from its annual Billionaire's List because their finances are uncertain following settlements with the Saudi government.

Long seen as a broker for investors seeking to put money to work in the kingdom, Alwaleed is now stepping back from that role, according to the Journal.

The Saudi government did not respond to the Journal's requests for comment. Kingdom Holding could not immediately be reached by CNBC for comment.

Read the full story at The Wall Street Journal.Former Donald Trump advisor Steve Bannon has told a far-right gathering in France that accusations of racism should be considered a "badge of honor."

"Let them call you racists," the one-time White House chief strategist said at a National Front Party conference in Lille on Saturday.

"Let them call you xenophobes. Let them call you nativists. Wear it as a badge of honor," Bannon added as he spoke in front of an unfurled American flag.

Bannon was announced as a surprise speaker at the event as he continued a tour of European cities.

He also told the National Front crowd that "the globalists have no answers to freedom" before he ended his presentation with: "God bless America and vive la France."

At a news conference following his speech, Bannon said frequent staff departures from Trump's administration represented a clash with the president's core agenda.

"I think President Trump has been pretty straightforward in saying, hey, when we first started, some of these advisers are what he would call globalists, and he's clearly pivoting to more economic nationalism," Bannon said.

Bannon himself was removed from his role as White House chief strategist in August 2017, leading some commentators to suggest that Trump was pivoting toward a globalist outlook.

Separately at the event, the National Front leader Marine Le Pen proposed changing her party's name to "National Rally."

Le Pen said the name change represented a call out to people who had France in their hearts and to unite France "in defense of its identity."Porn star Stormy Daniels has offered to pay back the $130,000 she took to keep quiet about her alleged affair with President Donald Trump.

The offer comes as CBS News' "60 Minutes" prepares to air an interview with Daniels, whose real name is Stephanie Clifford.

Trump's lawyers reportedly have considered seeking a legal injunction to bar that interview from airing  a court order that may be impossible either to get or to sustain on appeal.

The interview could air as early as Sunday. The offer Daniels made Monday explicitly seeks Trump's agreement not to try to stop that interview from being broadcast, according to a copy of the offer published by the New York Times.

Tweet

Daniels' lawyer sent a letter Monday to Trump's personal lawyer, Michael Cohen, who cut that hush-money deal, as well as to Cohen's own attorney, offering to pay Trump the $130,000, NBC News reported.

The offer is due to remain open only until noon Tuesday, according to the letter.

If Cohen accepts, Daniels could "speak openly and freely about her prior relationship with the president and the attempts to silence her and use and publish text messages, photos and videos relating to the president that she may have in her possession, all without fear of retribution or legal liability," the letter said, according to NBC News.

"This has never been about the money," Clifford's lawyer, Michael Avenatti, told NBC News. "It has always been about Ms. Clifford being allowed to tell the truth. The American people should be permitted to judge for themselves who is shooting straight with them and who is misleading them. Our offer seeks to allow this to happen."

On the eve of the 2016 presidential election, Daniels accepted $130,000 from Cohen and signed an agreement, using a pseudonym, to not talk about her alleged relationship with Trump.

A lawsuit filed last week by Daniels asks for that nondisclosure agreement to be voided on the

grounds that Trump never signed it. She claims in the suit to have had an "intimate" relationship with him from 2006 to 2007.

Melania Trump gave birth to their son, Barron, several months before the president's alleged relationship with Daniels began. Trump denies the affair, according to the White House.

Before Daniels' suit was filed, Cohen obtained a temporary restraining order barring her from talking about the "confidential information" covered by the agreement.

Daniels' lawyer claims that order is not valid.

CNBC has reached out for comment from Cohen and Avenatti.

A White House spokesman declined to comment. A spokesman for "60 Minutes" declined to comment.The Qualcomm display area at the 2017 Global Mobile Internet Conference at China National Convention Center in Beijing Visual China Group | Getty Images

Speaking on television last week, Trump's Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross made an unusual statement about the White House tariff plans, specifically about carve-outs for Mexico and Canada. Ross called the administration's definition of national security something new and unusual itself. "It's not the conventional definition of national security," Ross said. It's clear from Trump's post-tax-cut shift to correcting imbalances in global trade  something Trump has cared about for a lot longer and with a lot more passion than tax policy  that an evolving definition of national security is a geopolitical and stock market risk. Panic, on either front, would be an overstatement. The real threat from the new metals tariffs is that a broader, global trade war would have unintended and unpredictable consequences. And in the stock market context, a national security-defined trade war could be more significant  and harder to account for  in the market's best and most widely invested sector: technology. The damage could be much bigger than the "rounding error" within Apple earnings from the steel and aluminum trade penalties. Those fears came into much starker relief on Tuesday when reports surfaced that Trump wanted $60 billion in trade penalties directed at the Chinese, and a day after Trump killed a huge cross-border technology sector acquisition based on national security concerns. CNBC reported late on Tuesday that Trump is considering indefinite tariffs and investment restrictions targeting the Chinese tech and telecom sectors. "With potential trade wars with China front and center, and tariffs looking like the Fort Sumter that could set off a battle royale with tech space getting caught up in the crosshairs, we believe the moving definition of national security interests has gone from background noise to a more relevant issue for tech investors," said Daniel Ives, chief strategy officer and head of technology research at GBH Insights, and the analyst who said this week that the steel and metal tariffs specifically were an Apple earnings' rounding error. "China has some fighting words, and Silicon Valley and the Street are starting to get nervous with Trump igniting the match," Ives said.

Recent skirmishes in the technology trade war

There's been a year's worth of headlines reinforcing the point that technology companies can't hide from "national security" headlines. Russian meddling in elections through Facebook, of course. But much more. U.S. intel chiefs alleging that widely used antivirus software from Russian tech start-up Kaspersky Lab has KGB "bugs" embedded within it  which led Best Buy to pull the product last September even though Kaspersky's founder, a graduate of a KGB cryptology school and former Soviet military engineer, denies it. You don't hear the U.S. government warning Americans about all of the cybersecurity companies to come out of Israel's government defense agencies. Palantir, the secretive Silicon Valley start-up that has U.S. government intelligence contracts, came on CNBC this week to say that its margins will be impressive when investors see them. Though Palantir being Palantir, the company made no effort to actually show the numbers. One of its own investors said he'd be happiest if Palantir never went public. Tech stock investors don't have to worry about privately held Palantir or Kaspersky, but any Qualcomm investor already knows that the national security issue is a legitimate and growing one.

Lei Jun, the CEO of Chinese smartphone maker Xiaomi (front right), shakes hands with Qualcomm CEO Steven Mollenkopf on November 9, 2017, after signing a memorandum of understanding during a ceremony attended by President Donald Trump (obscured) and China's President Xi Jinping (back right) at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. AFP | Getty Images

In a letter this week from Broadcom's chief to the U.S. Congress, the Singapore-based company stated it would not sell any critical national security assets to any foreign companies if its $117 billion deal to buy chipmaker Qualcomm is approved. On Monday, Sen. Tom Cotton, a vocal Republican voice on foreign policy, said, "Qualcomm's work is too important to our national security to let it fall into the hands of a foreign company." Cotton won that argument  Trump stopped the deal dead in its tracks for "national security" reasons. The Broadcom furor comes not too long after AT&T backed out of a deal to sell smartphones from Chinese company Huawei in the United States  allegedly under pressure from lawmakers. In maybe the most surprising move, U.S. intel chiefs announced last month in congressional hearings that they would advise Americans not to buy smartphones made by Chinese companies, including Huawei. Intel chiefs have long warned about Chinese telecom company ZTE and its telecom infrastructure equipment. The U.S. government has also long referred to Huawei as "effectively an arm of the Chinese government." The United States blocked Huawei and ZTE from bidding on a Sprint roll-out as far back as 2010 and investigated them in detail in 2012. The United States also has barred multiple Huawei investments. But the warnings previously had not been taken to the level of the smartphone itself, which puts this national security dust-up squarely in the sweet spot of the market's most beloved stock, and a stock whose fortunes are increasingly tied to sales in China: Apple. Tempers have been running hot: Huawei's chief said earlier this year as national security issues flared up that the United States is trying to stifle competition among phone makers. Just last week one of Huawei's top executives called the developments in the United States "ridiculous" and "unfair"  and Huawei moved immediately to distance itself as a company from the comments.

China has some fighting words, and Silicon Valley and the Street are starting to get nervous with Trump igniting the match. Daniel Ives chief strategy officer and head of technology research at GBH Insights

"Right now the Street is largely dismissing the national security issues on tech, although the Qualcomm move was a wake-up call and the Apple/China situation is an albatross investors are trying to handicap," Ives said. On Tuesday, after headlines that Trump was reportedly looking for $60 billion in tariffs on Chinese products hit the wires, tech stocks sold off. To be clear, it was also a risk-off day for the stock market with the firing of Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, and tech stocks which have seen big gains can make big moves when investors get a surprise. And Apple shares had just hit an all-time high on Monday, even smid signs that the Broadcom deal was likely doomed. But even before the Broadcom deal was killed by Trump and the $60 billion in potential Chinese penalties was being reported, investors were starting to discount some risk from a potential China trade war and run through worst-case and best-case scenarios for the top 15 to 20 tech vendors, Ives said. From FANG names to chip plays, Wall Street is modeling the potential financial risk on both the top and bottom line for tech names and which vendors are most exposed. Qualcomm is the most at risk if China walks the walks instead of just talking the talk, Ives said. "With Qualcomm depending on China for a good piece of its renaissance of growth, and with the Broadcom bid up in the air, they have the most to lose in our opinion, and it's a worry for investors." Apple and Qualcomm media teams did not respond to requests for comment.

China had it coming, based on its own policies

Many China analysts believe it's the Chinese government that has had this coming, because when it comes to technology, China's own practices reflect the broader claims about "unfair" trade policies. "In China the line between industrial policy and national security policy is super-thin to sometimes nonexistent," said Scott Kennedy, deputy director at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. "They use national security arguments to promote industrial policy outcomes. ... Their existing regulatory environment is highly discriminatory against American and foreign telcos," Kennedy said. He said China could make a highly protectionist system even worse and go one step further and make life more difficult for American companies. But he added, "I don't think anything said by the U.S. government would bring it close to what the Chinese already do. ... In terms of due process, you can't defend the U.S. from top to bottom, but the U.S. does have a relatively robust system with some checks and balances, while China has none." Kennedy doesn't believe that the rhetoric from U.S. officials has reached a level equivalent to China, where industrial policy and national security policy are deeply entwined, but he was surprised that the intel chiefs went as far as advising Americans to stay away from Chinese smartphones. He noted it was not in written statements, but instead revealed by intel chiefs as part of responses to hearing questions posed by politicians. "It wasn't clear how precisely they meant to refer to handsets. They could be right that our cellphones are vulnerable to surveillance. Where they had been before [the handset warning] was more concern about equipment. Telecom equipment has been a longtime concern, and that's not industrial policy," Kennedy said. He also noted that any American consumer can buy a Huawei phone or a phone from another big Chinese phone maker, Xiaomi, right off the shelf and then go to AT&T or Verizon and have it turned on. He also contended that, like Palantir, being private allows Huawei to share as much or as little information as it wants.

Apple now in middle of US/China tug-of-warThe ad, from AD Normandie, the region's development agency, is a mock-up of a newspaper with the headline: "British business owners can now vote with their feet and leave post-Brexit fears behind."

An advertisement prompting British businesses to "leave post-Brexit fears behind" and move to Normandy in France has been banned by London's transport authority.

A classified-style ad on the page appeals for entrepreneurs who have an appetite for coastal walks and sun-drenched lunches. "Someone allergic to post-Brexit tariffs, legislation and restrictions preferred," it adds.

But the ad was banned by Transport for London (TfL) because it did not meet its advertising policy. A Transport for London spokesperson told CNBC by email: "These advertisements did not fully comply with our advertising guidelines. It broke clause 2.3 (h): 'It contains images or messages which relate to matters of public controversy or sensitivity.'"

TWEET

The ban means the ad cannot appear on public transport in the U.K. capital, but the Normandy Development Agency seemed to welcome that, retweeting a tweet from its ad agency, Splash Worldwide, which stated: "Our recent #advertising #campaign for @ADNormandie has been causing quite a media stir overnight after the ads were banned by @TFL! Keep your eye out though as the 'controversial' ads will run across a number of tabloids this week."

As well as newspaper advertisements, a bus featuring the ad is also set to tour U.K. cities later this month.Known for its volatility, bitcoin reached a record peak near $20,000 in mid-December. Today, the coin hovers just over $9,270, according to digital currency website CoinDesk. Bitcoin's value has prompted early buyers to check their digital wallets. But some are finding that they've forgotten old passwords. That's where certified professional hypnotist Jason Miller comes in. For the price of half a bitcoin plus a 5 percent recovery fee, Miller claims that he can assist you in recalling your forgotten password from anywhere in the world, as long as you speak and understand English fluently. The price was less steep for a Valentine's Day special he had going: His services, which include three hypnosis sessions, cost just $1,500 plus 5 percent of the recovered cryptocurrency amount. Miller, who is based in Greenville, South Carolina, tells CNBC Make It that he has been using hypnosis to help people achieve their goals for over 20 years. He received his professional hypnotist certification from the International Certification Board of Clinical Hypnotherapists. To receive this designation, members must complete 64 hours of continuing education credit.

Stock trading app Robinhood is rolling out trading in bitcoin and ethereum in February for customers in five states. Source: Robinhood

The hypnotist's bitcoin password recovery service received press in recent months, including a mention in The Wall Street Journal. Yet Miller says bitcoin password recovery makes up a small part of his hypnosis practice. He spends most of his time on other services, such as helping people lose weight and reducing stress and anxiety. He began this foray into e-wallet password recovery after years in the financial industry during which he conducted hypnosis sessions with day traders or those looking to plan their financial future. He has also worked with medical students who want to enhance their memory and recall for upcoming tasks such as exams. When it comes to password recovery for bitcoin wallets, "the combination of these skills made it very easy for me to put together a program that helps people with the needs associated with this particular problem," says Miller. Successful hypnosis is based on mindful meditation and alleviating stress (since stress is the biggest hindrance to recollection), he says.

You've got about a 50 to 80 percent shot at recovering a lost memory. Jason Miller hypnotist

"If you've got, you know, $100,000, $200,000, $300,000 worth of bitcoin in a wallet and you can't get access to it, there's a lot of stress there," he says. "So it's not just as simple as saying, okay, we're going to go do a 30-minute hypnosis session and enhance your memory." Miller declined to specify the exact number of participants in his bitcoin password recovery program or how much money he's recovered, citing client confidentiality. However, he says that there are currently "several people" in his program, who are experiencing varying degrees of success. Generally, a person who created their password more recently will have an easier time unlocking this memory, he says. Likewise, a client who is feeling low stress will have an easier time remembering their password than one under high stress. Miller's password-recovery package includes up to three hypnosis sessions, which occur on a weekly basis. But the hypnotist notes that it can take more than three sessions to remember a lost password, and there's no way to guarantee results. "You've got about a 50 to 80 percent shot at recovering a lost memory," he says. Yet, he adds, it's not his job to be successful at recovering forgotten passwords. That's the client's job. His role is to guide the person through a process that allows them to enter a hypnotic state. Once that is achieved, he can deliver suggestions that will allow them to access repressed memories and forgotten information. "What the client does from there is they just allow these processes to occur naturally."

Over the years, there's been controversy surrounding the validity of hypnosis. Though it has never been established as a clear-cut science, experts have tried to understand the mechanism behind hypnosis. In a 2005 experiment first reported by The New York Times, researchers showed hypnotized subjects English words yet told them that the words were in a foreign language. The subjects were then asked to read out loud the color of the text rather than reading the text itself, which they did effortlessly. Researchers found that not only did the words seem to be in a foreign language to those in the hypnotic state but brain scans showed that the brain even processed the words as if they were. Not all scientists are sold on the legitimacy of hypnosis. In an article published in Scientific American, psychologists from Emory University and the University of Arizona wrote that "increasingly, evidence is suggesting that the effects of hypnosis result largely from people's expectations about what hypnosis entails rather than from the hypnotic state itself." However, the scientists noted that new research could come out that overturns their conclusion.

Christina Reichi Photography | Flickr | Getty Images

Regardless, Miller stands by the effectiveness of his work. In fact, he says most people have a skewed view of this practice because the hypnosis we see in movies or on television is sensationalized. "Hypnosis isn't a magical state," explains Miller. "Hypnosis is simply utilizing trance as a resource for enhanced learning." Hypnosis is not comparable to sleep. "Really, you just feel like you're sitting in your chair listening to me talk," says Miller. "You go very, very deeply into trance, but you're still aware." The hypnotist's argument is supported by David Spiegel, who is the associate chair of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Stanford University as well as the medical director of the Center for Integrative Medicine at Stanford University School of Medicine. "Hypnosis is the oldest Western form of psychotherapy, but it's been tarred with the brush of dangling watches and purple capes," he says in a statement. "In fact, it's a very powerful means of changing the way we use our minds to control perception and our bodies."[Provisional Translation]

On March 11, 2018, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe attended the Memorial Ceremony Marking the Seventh Anniversary of the Great East Japan Earthquake held in Tokyo in the presence of Their Imperial Highnesses Prince and Princess Akishino.Following the moment of silence, the Prime Minister delivered an address.This was followed by the address of His Imperial Highness Prince Akishino. Afterwards, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, the President of the House of Councillors, and the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court gave their memorial addresses. The representatives of the bereaved family members delivered addresses, and then the participants offered flowers.Tim Berners-Lee, the inventor of the world wide web, has attacked Facebook, Google and Twitter for promoting misinformation and "questionable" political advertising while exploiting people's personal data, in a stinging rebuke to the world's biggest internet companies.

The British computer scientist and Massachusetts Institute of Technology professor is a pioneer of the internet and has long advocated for better technical standards and access to the web as a basic human right.

In an interview with the Financial Times, he said a new legal or regulatory framework may help to limit the power of big tech companies, which had become overly-dominant and unaccountable to ordinary users.

For example, Sir Tim suggested, rules could force social media companies to give users more control over their own data. "The number of ways that things can go wrong on the internet has been multiplying," he said. "The timing is right for a bit of a backlash led by people in Europe."

Sir Tim has frequently advocated for better standards on the internet but said his concerns have grown because of an increase in information and personal data controlled and owned by a small number of companies. He suggested that tech companies test new advertising models where users can penalise bad adverts or pay a fixed fee instead of allowing their data to be monetised through ads.

"Certainly we could imagine that in a better world . . . you would have a choice of search engine and a choice of social network to join," he said. "In a better world you'd have complete control over your information anyway."

Sir Tim published an open letter on Monday to mark the 29th anniversary of his proposal that became the world wide web. In it, he calls on policymakers and businesses to improve access to the internet through community networks and public WiFi initiatives, and to boost skills training for women.

"The web that many connected to years ago is not what new users will find today," the letter says. "What was once a rich selection of blogs and websites has been compressed under the powerful weight of a few dominant platforms.

This concentration of power creates a new set of gatekeepers, allowing a handful of platforms to control which ideas and opinions are seen and shared."

Facebook, Google and Twitter have been at the centre of a massive storm about their dominant role in public discourse after it was revealed last summer that Russian entities had used their platforms to meddle in the 2016 US presidential election.

The companies have been forced to hire staff and develop technology to improve online moderation after a string of controversies involving fake news, terrorist propaganda and inappropriate videos of children.

EU rules that come into effect in May mean the companies could face the possibility of a one-hour time limit for removing terrorist-related material as well as tough new data privacy rules that come with fines of up to 4 per cent of global turnover, or 20m, whichever is higher.

More from the Financial Times:

Poland: The damage done by Nazi crimes law

Top Fed official warns of interest rate risk to recovery

US protectionism could set off a digital trade warThe White House on Sunday pledged help from the Justice Department for training armed American teachers, but dropped an idea the president discussed earlier about age limits on gun purchases, NBC News reported.

The move is part of President Donald Trump's plan to respond after 17 students were massacred at a Florida high school last month.

Trump's administration launched a commission, chaired by Education Secretary Betsy DeVos, to explore school safety measures.But President Trump's willingness to meet Kim Jong Un is an especially costly move for yet another, more imminent reason. If there was one thing that Kim wanted more this year than a propaganda win or the acceptance by Trump of North Korea as a nuclear power, it was time. This has been Kim's top priority since at least the start of 2018.

The sudden willingness to engage with South Korea, to participate in the Olympics, and to invite a delegation from the South to meet with Kim himselfall of these actions were initiated after Trump's war rhetoric reached its maximal pitch and there was the perceived risk of a preemptive attack by the United States.

The goal was to lower the temperature long enough so that things do not get out of hand before North Korea is fully prepared. Can't North Korea already retaliate militarily and cause massive damage to U.S. interests? Undoubtedly, yes. But has North Korea achieved an optimal deterrent and a second-strike capability that can effectively target the United States itself? By most accounts, it has not, and this is precisely what Kim would like to achieve before matters come to a headeither at the negotiation table or when negotiations fail.

The offer to meet a few months hence, now that it has been accepted, gives that much more time for Kim to achieve this objective. If it does not buy enough time, or if the proposed meeting gets cancelled in the coming weekswhich I consider to be a highly likely scenarioyou can be sure there will be another such move by North Korea.

As a strong supporter of negotiation and diplomacy even when things seem impossible, I am in favor of creating a process (with properly curated and coordinated public and private channels) that brings the United States and North Korea to the table. The stakes are too high not to do so. However, I am confident that this could have been achieved without President Trump so enthusiastically accepting a meeting with Kim this early in the process, and it could have been done at significantly lower strategic cost.

Commentary by Deepak Malhotra, a professor at Harvard Business School and the author of Negotiating the Impossible. Follow him on Twitter @ Prof_Malhotra.

For more insight from CNBC contributors, follow @CNBCopinion on Twitter.The White House has reportedly narrowed its search for the next head of the National Economic Council to two candidates: Chris Liddell and Shahira Knight.

The New York Times reported Saturday that Liddell was among the candidates being considered for the post. Citing two unnamed sources, the newspaper said President Donald Trump is "seriously considering" the former chief financial officer for General Motors and Microsoft.

Liddell joined the administration in January 2017, and serves as the White House's director of strategic initiatives.

The only other person the White House is apparently interested in for the job is Knight  the current NEC deputy director, according to Politico. However, Politico, citing sources who know Knight, also reported that she is not interested in heading the council.

Also, CNBC's Jim Cramer said Monday that CNBC contributor Larry Kudlow was the leading contender for the job. Kudlow is a free-trade advocate.

The next NEC director will be replacing Gary Cohn, who announced his resignation last week after Trump said he wanted to move forward with tariffs on steel and aluminum imports.

The White House did not immediately respond to CNBC's request for comment.President Donald Trump killed Broadcom's proposed buyout of Qualcomm, citing national security concerns, according to a statement issued by the White House on Monday.

"There is credible evidence that leads me to believe that Broadcom Limited, a limited company organized under the laws of Singapore (Broadcom)...through exercising control of Qualcomm Incorporated (Qualcomm), a Delaware corporation, might take action that threatens to impair the national security of the United States," the statement said.

Both companies were ordered to immediately abandon the proposed deal. The order, an unusual move by any sitting U.S. president, also prohibits all 15 of Broadcom's proposed candidates for Qualcomm's board from standing for election.

The U.S. Treasury's Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States had already expressed concerns about the transaction in a March 5 letter addressed to Broadcom and Qualcomm lawyers. CFIUS listed several issues, including Broadcom's reputation for cutting research spending and potential national security risks.

Despite CFIUS's concerns, Broadcom had been optimistic that a plan to move its headquarters from Singapore to the U.S. could save the deal.

Shares of Qualcomm fell close to 5 percent after the announcement. Broadcom stock gained about 1 percent in extended trading, after briefly falling.



Qualcomm did not immediately respond to CNBC's request for comment. In a statement that it issued late Monday, Broadcom said it is reviewing the order.

"Broadcom strongly disagrees that its proposed acquisition of Qualcomm raises any national security concerns," the statement said.

Here's the full statement from the White House:President Donald Trump said again Monday he wants a "phase two" of tax cuts on top of the law Republicans passed in December.

Speaking as the World Series champion Houston Astros visited the White House, Trump asked Rep. Kevin Brady, R-Texas, whether he planned to cut taxes further. Brady and GOP Sens. John Cornyn and Ted Cruz were among the lawmakers from Texas attending the event.

"Kevin, are we going for an additional tax cut, I understand?" Trump asked, drawing laughter from those gathered for the event. "Huh? He's the king of those tax cuts, yeah? We're going to do a phase two, I'm hearing that. You hear that, John and Ted? Phase two. We're actually very serious about that, Kevin. So, it's good."

Trump previously joked about "phase two" while speaking to GOP lawmakers in February.Donald Trump's decision to impose tariffs on steel and aluminum could cause major disruption for companies in Europe, a business lobbyist told CNBC Monday, who argued that the U.S. president should have taken less severe measures to protect his domestic market. U.S.'s allies, including the European Union and Japan, are hoping to be excluded from new tariffs that Trump announced last week. The decision to raise steel import taxes by 25 percent and aluminum by 10 percent could hurt not only those industries directly, but also carmakers and construction firms which use the raw materials. Trump decided that the tariffs would be the best way to deal with overcapacity in these sectors and based his argument on national security. "This is a very exceptional mechanism that is rarely used. It's a bit considered like an atomic bomb, because really to use this is like saying 'look we are really at a level where we cannot use anti-dumping or anti-subsidies'," Luisa Santos, the international relations director at BusinessEurope, told CNBC Monday.

Anti-dumping measures are protectionist tariffs that a government imposes on imported goods that are more expensive in their domestic market. Anti-subsidies are duties imposed on imported products that receive some sort of financial aid from their own governments, interpreted as market disruptors. "I don't think there's a big disruption in the U.S. market that justifies (these tariffs)," Santos added. Imposing metal tariffs would have repercussions for export-focused companies in Europe. For example, the U.S. is the number one destination for EU car exports both in terms of units (approximately a 20 percent share) and value (almost a 30 percent share).

Exclusion for Europe?Canada is the "best friend" and "greatest ally" of the United States and should be treated as such, the former U.S. ambassador to Canada, Bruce Heyman, told CNBC on Monday.

"The U.S. is making a big mistake in how we are treating Canada on NAFTA," he said in an interview with "Closing Bell."

When President Donald Trump initially announced impending tariffs on steel and aluminum, there were no specific exclusions of any trading partners. However, when he signed the tariffs last week, he exempted Canada and Mexico.

It was a move that Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross called "further motivation" for Canada and Mexico to "make a fair arrangement" with the U.S. on the North American Free Trade Agreement.

However, Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told CNBC earlier Monday that he doesn't link tariffs and NAFTA negotiations together.

Heyman, who served under President Barack Obama, said the issue of tariffs on Canada should never even have been debated, pointing out that the U.S. has a $12 billion trading surplus in goods and services with Canada.

And while over 70 percent of Canada's exports go to the U.S., Trudeau has no choice but to explore other trading avenues, he added.

Canada just signed on to the new Trans-Pacific Partnership, which is now called the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership. Trump decided to pull out of the original agreement last year.

Canada also started a free trade agreement with the European Union last July. Trudeau even travelled to China in December, although no trade agreement has been reached, and he recently wrapped up a visit to India.

"It's a mistake for the U.S. long term to see Canada build those kinds of relationships, especially China and the most recent visits," Heyman said. "Canada has to do it to diversify, and it makes economic sense."Income inequality can also be seen on a local scale. Using data from the U.S. Census's American Community Survey, Zippia mapped out how inequality varies from state to state according to each's Gini coefficient , a measure of income distribution used to gauge inequality.

Income inequality is a growing issue not only in the U.S., but across the globe. A 2017 report from global charity Oxfam found that the richest 1 percent of people in the world control 82 percent of the total wealth. Put another way, just 42 people own the same amount of wealth as the poorest 50 percent of the global population.

Zippia also analyzed how quickly inequality expanded in each state between 2010 and 2016. Here the 10 states where income inequality is growing at the fastest rate.

Here's how all 50 U.S. states compare, ranked from most to least income inequality.

1. Montana

2. California

3. Maine

4. Rhode Island

5. Idaho

6. TIE: New Mexico

6. TIE: Georgia

8. Iowa

9. Indiana

10. Michigan

The issue became a topic of discussion leading up to the World Economic Forum earlier this year as billionaires and world leaders descended into Davos, Switzerland. The Washington Post cited a "growing unease" among attendees surrounding the increasing sense of economic inequality in the world.

Bridgewater Associates founder Ray Dalio warned of an increased pressure on the middle class as blue-collar jobs continue to disappear and predicted that those on the lower end of the economic spectrum would turn against those in power, the Post reported.

In his annual letter to CEOs, BlackRock's Larry Fink wrote: "Since the financial crisis, those with capital have reaped enormous benefits. At the same time, many individuals across the world are facing a combination of low rates, low wage growth, and inadequate retirement systems."

Some economic leaders have proposed plans to alleviate the problem. In Thomas Piketty's "Capital in the Twenty-First Century," the economist proposed a progressive tax on capital, instead of income, which he says will slow the spread of inequality while preserving competition.

While billionaire Bill Gates agrees with much of the discussion in Piketty's book, he proposes an alternative solution. "Rather than move to a progressive tax on capital, as Piketty would like, I think we'd be best off with a progressive tax on consumption," Gates wrote in a 2014 blog post. "Think about the three wealthy people I described earlier: One investing in companies, one in philanthropy, and one in a lavish lifestyle. There's nothing wrong with the last guy, but I think he should pay more taxes than the others."

Don't miss: Here's how many Americans don't have access to a 401(k) plan

Like this story? Like CNBC Make It on Facebook!"In certain ways people are getting free lottery tickets," says Matthew Roszak, co-founder of Bloq.

In an "airdrop," makers of a new digital token give it out for free to some owners of existing coins.

Digital currency developers are trying a new tack for marketing and encouraging mass adoption: "airdropping" free cryptocurrencies into people's accounts. The meaning of airdrop in the cryptocurrency world has little to do with an iPhone. In this case, a group of people starting a new digital currency decide to give these newly minted tokens to holders of an existing coins like bitcoin or ethereum, for free. "In certain ways people are getting free lottery tickets," said Matthew Roszak, co-founder of enterprise blockchain-technology company Bloq. "There will be a tsunami of airdrops this year." Earlier this month, holders of the cryptocurrency neo were selected to receive another digital coin called ontology, for free. The token is supposed to give holders voting rights for a platform that focuses on identity verification and data services. Ontology began trading on Hong Kong-based exchange Binanceon Wednesday, according to a release. Three other teams  including developers behind a Wikipedia-like site called Everipedia, similar to the ethereum's Callisto Network, and a smart-contract system called United Bitcoin  are also planning airdrops, according to Fundstrat Global Advisors. But given the price surges and mania around cryptocurrencies, it isn't clear why anyone seeking a profit would give away these out these new coins. Here are a few reasons more digital coin developers are pursuing airdrops:

1. Promotion

Digital coin developers are using the airdrop method to promote new projects instead of "spending money on billboards and T-shirts," said Roszak, who is also chairman of the Chamber of Digital Commerce. The ontology airdrop said it would distribute 20 million coins, or about 10 percent of its tokens, to neo holders. Both coins were created by the Chinese company OnChain. For every one neo, investors could get 0.2 ontology tokens, according to the Neo Council, an advisory group. In order to implement an airdrop, the maker of a new coin can look up and offer all of the holders of one cryptocurrency, such as bitcoin, a chance to receive the up-and-coming token for free. The coin isn't necessarily automatically distributed, but users can opt in to participate in the airdrop. "We're seeing it through [digital token sales] and smaller start-ups that are trying to get traction right away," said Shone Anstey, executive chairman, president and co-founder of Blockchain Intelligence Group. The overall trend of being able to get some new digital coins for free through public blockchains "shows the great utility of the public networks," Anstey said.

2. Mass adoption

Cryptocurrency enthusiasts often tout the technology's transformational power that will come once there is widespread use. But despite growing interest in digital coins, adoption remains a fraction of the population. Airdrops try to address this issue. "I think we'll see airdrops as an increasingly sophisticated approach to customer acquisition," said Spencer Bogart, partner at San Francisco-based Blockchain Capital. "Slipping money into someone's pocket is a powerful way to get their attention," Bogart said, adding that the airdrop process could spur mass adoption of a new cryptocurrency better than an initial coin offering. ICOs are sales of new digital tokens to raise funds for projects based on blockchain technology. By owning a token, investors potentially get access to a platform such as a cloud storage system, and may benefit from the token's price gains. ICOs have raised about $7 billion to date, according to Autonomous Next. But it can be a challenge for an ICO to reach enough potential investors. In the five months through November, less than a third of ICOs reached their fundraising targets, according to TokenData. "When you give something to someone for free they will pay a little more attention than if you ask them to sign up," said Erik Voorhees, CEO of ShapeShift, a platform for trading digital tokens. "Imagine if Walmart could put some kind of asset into everyone's bank account in the U.S." Another potential benefit of airdrops is less regulatory uncertainty than an initial coin offering. China has officially banned the token sales, while the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission has stepped up its efforts to stamp out fraudulent ICOs. Many cryptocurrency companies have received subpoenas or information requests from the SEC, CNBC reported last week.

3. Price[The stream is slated to start at 2:30 p.m., ET. Please refresh the page if you do not see a player above at that time.]

The White House is scheduled to brief reporters Monday after former adult film star Stormy Daniels said she would give back the money keeping her from discussing her relationship with President Donald Trump.

NBC News reported that Daniels, whose real name is Stephanie Clifford, offered to return the $130,000 she received from a nondisclosure agreement barring her from speaking about Trump, with whom she allegedly had an affair in 2006 and 2007.

Michael Cohen, a personal lawyer for Trump, said he paid Clifford with his own money. He later specified to ABC News that the funds came from his personal home equity line.

Clifford last week filed a lawsuit against Trump alleging that the nondisclosure agreement she signed was never validated, since only Cohen  not Trump  signed it. The agreement was signed in October 2016, just weeks before the 2016 presidential election.

Trump has denied the allegations of an illicit relationship between himself and Clifford. But press secretary Sarah Sanders said at a White House briefing last week that an arbitration related to the nondisclosure agreement was won "in the president's favor," connecting him to the case.

Michael Avenatti, Clifford's lawyer, did not immediately respond to CNBC's request for comment.

Meanwhile, CNBC's Jim Cramer reported that Larry Kudlow, a longtime CNBC contributor who advised Trump on tax policy during the 2016 presidential campaign, is the leading contender to replace Gary Cohn as Trump's top economic advisor.

Cohn announced his resignation from the White House after Trump unveiled broad tariffs on imports of steel and aluminum. Cohn, a former Goldman Sachs executive and a free trade advocate, announced his departure less than a week later.

After more than 100 Republican members of Congress signed a letter calling on Trump to scale back his protectionist proposal, the White House slightly tapered the scope of the tariffs, granting Canada and Mexico exemptions.An Israeli researcher, who has studied bats for nearly two decades, is trying to apply his findings to improve the way robots can communicate with one another using sound.

Yossi Yovel, who heads the Bat Lab for Neuro-Ecology at Tel Aviv University, said his team was studying the way that "Mexican fish-eating" bats, found in the Gulf of California, interact with one another.

He explained that these bats feed on small fishes that surface at night. But because of the lack of visibility during night time, they have to search huge areas of water, looking for food.

"So these bats solve this problem by working in small groups," Yovel told CNBC at the YPO Edge conference in Singapore last Friday. The bats spread out in their search for fish and also pick up on the sounds that the other bats emit and receive, Yovel explained.

"Each bat searches as an individual but they eavesdrop on each other," he said, explaining how they know what the others are doing without actively communicating.

To collect data, his team puts tiny sensors on the bats. The findings would be used to draw up an algorithm that can train robots to work together as a team and 'talk' to one another using only sound.

Those robots could potentially "do anything: They could map an environment, search for something, clean something, whatever you can imagine," he said.

Bats use echolocation to see in the dark or hunt for food. They make calls as they fly and listen to the returning echoes to build a sonic map of their surroundings  this tells them how far away something is by the length of time it takes for the sounds to return, according to the Bat Conservation Trust's website.

Yovel's team is currently building a group of small robots  each robot would have a speaker and two microphones to pick up and emit sound.

They would initially work underwater, where the robots would use sonar technology to move around and search for objects individually, but also listen in on what the others in the pack were finding  this would mimic the way the fish-eating bats hunt for food, according to Yovel.

The research is still in its nascent stage and he estimated that perhaps in five years, his team would have potentially trained a group of robots to use only sound to communicate.

"It's just because we want to prove the point," Yovel said. "We are not yet building anything that is applicative. We want to show that they really can perform this task efficiently, and then, hopefully, somebody would be interested and then we can think of actual robots. We want to show that the algorithm works."I'm currently on the graphics desk. I've also been an assistant city editor and a reporter on the community and education beats. You can reach me by email at oliviagarrett@mail.missouri.edu or on Twitter @_oliviagarrett.

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The Missourian publishes two types of obituaries  family obituaries and life stories.

A family obituary is the version submitted by a funeral home or family. Please see the submission form for details on cost and deadlines. Family obituaries

A life story is a closer look at a person's life and involves a reporter contacting family and friends. Life stories are based on newsworthiness and consent of the family. Life stories.The Missourians Opinion section is a public forum for the discussion of ideas. The views presented in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Missourian or the University of Missouri. If you would like to contribute to the Opinion page with a response or an original topic of your own, visit our submission formMicrosoft has set a kill-by date for a mobile email app that enterprises have long relied on, telling customers they must switch to another company app in two months.

The Outlook Web App (OWA) for iOS and Android will stop working May 15, Microsoft announced last week. "On May 15, 2018, the OWA mobile apps will stop working," Eugenie Burrage, of the firm's product marketing team, wrote in a March 6 post to a company blog. "Office 365 users who attempt to open them will be greeted with a message directing them to download Outlook for iOS or Android."

In a pair of prior steps, Microsoft next month will strike OWA from the Apple App Store and the Google Play market, then start warning users of the impending stop date.

OWA on iOS harked to mid-2013, when Microsoft issued the app that reprised the in-browser OWA corporate workers had long used on devices - first mobile phones, then smartphones, then tablets - that couldn't run the full-fledged Windows x86-based Outlook email client.

Microsoft followed that with OWA on Android nearly a year later.

The iOS and Android OWA apps offered the same functionality as OWA in a browser, letting users access email, calendars and contacts housed on Microsoft-hosted Exchange server. The OWA apps were available only to users covered by an employer's Office 365 subscription.

But ever since Microsoft unveiled Outlook-branded apps for iOS, then Android, in January 2015, it was certain the company would eventually put the stop-gap solution of OWA to rest.

"The new Outlook app replaces OWA for iPhone/iPad/Android," Microsoft put it plainly at the time. "We are leaving the OWA for iPhone/iPad/Android apps in market for the time being because there are some advanced Office 365 and Exchange Server features that are not yet available in Outlook. Customers who require these advanced features (e.g. viewing Information Rights Management protected mails, support for Apps for Outlook) can continue to use OWA for iPhone/iPad/Android until those features are available in Outlook."

That "time being" has apparently come to a close.

Microsoft's decision to kill OWA in just two months did not sit well with some enterprise customers, who responded to the announcement with comments appended to the Redmond, Wash. firm's blog.

"This is such an unnecessary one-sided action by Microsoft," said Tony Mels. "I use OWA ... because I don't want any email notifications or Unread Message icons."

"[I use OWA] because it's not possible to add shared mailboxes in the native Outlook app [so] we advise users to use this OWA app," added Jarno Korterink. "Please first add support for shared mailboxes in the native Outlook app before retiring this OWA app."

Sven Mihaly-Bison expanded on Korterink's dilemma. "Will Outlook be enabled to access on-premises shared mailboxes? The OWA app is the only tool with the ability to do that. Its not possible to access Exchange 2016 Shared Mailboxes with Outlook as Exchange 2016 works only with WAP 2016 and WAP 2016 does not support IMAP."

"What about the government tenants? Will the native Outlook app finally be secure enough, so we can use it?" asked Kent Kroft.

"I need to know how my admins should approve emails on mobile devices," said Robert Woods. "I also need to know how my users whom are not enrolled in Intune should access their mailbox now? This was our only alternative to forcing BYOD devices into MDM enrollment, and you are taking that feature away without providing a replacement it seems. Please stop deprecating functionality without providing an alternative! We pay for these features."

"This is a very abrupt change with very little time to widely notify the customer base," argued Chance Webster. "Bottom line, deprecating the OWA app this soon is a HORRIBLE idea and I can hardly wait for the flood of phone calls from angry clients that I'm sure to get from this sudden removal of an app that has helped them gain a significant boost to their daily productivity and flexibility."

To Microsoft's credit, it responded to most of the complaining commenters. To Kroft, for example, who had asked about Outlook app security in a government environment, Microsoft's Burrage said that the company planned to complete FedRAMP certification and approval for Outlook "in the very near term" and urged Kroft to keep an eye on the Office 365 Message Center during the next 30-60 days for an announcement.

Others, however, were simply told that their users could continue to access OWA through the mobile device's browser. Such access will continue to be available after the OWA apps stop working.

"While we are working to deliver the capabilities you are requesting to Outlook for iOS and Android, you can continue to use OWA through the browser on your mobile device," Burrage said in a final comment.

Not surprisingly, some balked at that advice. "It seems...you are telling me they [users] will need to use a mixture of Outlook on the iPhone and OWA on the web to get the same functions they already have, that again, we pay for," countered Woods. "Such terrible customer experience."Five years ago, the TaxPayers Alliance reported that in the last year, five times more Labour people were appointed to public bodies than Tories.

Since then, the figures have varied, and some Conservative members or supporters have been selected to fill important posts.

Nonetheless, it remains the case that, since it took office in 2010, our Party has punched beneath its weight when it comes to public appointments. One of the reasons seems to be that Tories simply dont apply in the same number as Labour supporters.

To help remedy this, every week we put up links to some of the main public appointments vacancies, so that qualified Conservatives might be aware of the opportunities presented.

         

Interim Centre for Data Ethics and Innovation  Chair

Advances in the uses of data are transforming our lives in positive and powerful ways. From our health, our economic productivity and our everyday social interactions, data-driven technologies are having profound consequences across all aspects of our lives. The associated economic benefits are huge and growing, with estimates suggesting that the uptake of AI technologies could add up to 10 per cent to GDP by 2030 Our task is to harness this technology for the common good: to promote its benefits, support innovation, and mitigate the risks so it works for all. For the UK to lead the world in digital and data-driven technologies, we must ensure we have a governance regime that fully supports both ethical and innovative uses of these technologies. The UK already benefits from a world-class regulatory regime. We must build on this by ensuring we understand and respond to the rapidly evolving ways in which uses of data are impacting our lives.

Time: 2-3 days per week.

Remuneration: An appropriate rate.

Closes: 14 March

         

British Library  Chair

The British Library Board is a body corporate, ultimately responsible for everything that the Library does. In order for the British Library Board to discharge its responsibilities appropriately and effectively, day-to- day and operational management is delegated to the Chief Executive. The Chair of the British Library Board is responsible for leading the Board in ensuring that the Library: effectively fulfils its statutory objectives, general functions and duties; appropriately exercises its legal powers; is governed effectively, and is accountable to its stakeholders; delivers its services within its funding agreement

Time: Around two days per week.

Remuneration: 35,180 per annum.

Closes: 19 March

         

Department for Transport  Non-Executive Director

The Port of Dover is owned by the Dover Harbour Board which is a Trust Port. Trust Ports are autonomous bodies that were created by Acts of Parliament and are controlled by an independent board. They are not Government-owned. Surpluses are reinvested into the port for the benefit of the stakeholders of the Port. The stakeholders are all those using the port, the employees of the port, the local community and all those individuals, organisations and groups having an interest in the operation of the Port. The Dover Harbour Board seeks to appoint a Non-Executive Director, an appointment which will be made by the Secretary of State for Transport.

Time: 2-3 days per month.

Remuneration: 26,500 per annum.

Closes: 26 March

         

Office of Gas and Electicity Markets  Chair

The Office of Gas and Electricity Markets (Ofgem) is a non-ministerial government department and an independent National Regulatory Authority, recognised by EU Directives. Its principal objective when carrying out our functions is to protect the interests of existing and future electricity and gas consumers. It does this in a variety of ways including: promoting value for money; promoting security of supply and sustainability, for present and future generations of consumers, domestic and industrial users; the supervision and development of markets and competition; and regulation and the delivery of government schemes.

Time: The post-holder will work 3-3.5 days per week (negotiable).

Remuneration: The Chair will receive a part-time pay at the rate of 160-170,000 per annum.

Closes: 26 March

         

Social Mobility Commission  Chair

This is an exciting opportunity to fundamentally shape the social mobility agenda. The Chair leads the Social Mobility Commission, shaping its direction and priorities, and ensuring that it fulfils its remit, as set out in legislation. You will: utilise the knowledge and experience of the other Commissioners, actively engaging them with the business of the Commission; oversee major research reports and publications, including the Commissions Annual Report, which is laid before parliament; build effective working relationships with a range of stakeholders, including Ministers, senior government officials and experts in the field (including engaging Ministers in the Commissions priorities and, potentially, being asked to advise Ministers on particular issues); be an advocate for the social mobility agenda, holding to account and challenging key institutions; and be the public spokesperson for the Commission, regularly speaking at events and to the media.

Time: Approx days per month.

Remuneration: Reasonable expenses.

Closes: 30 March

         

UK Atomic Energy Authority  Chair

The UK Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA) is one of the worlds leading research organisations supporting the development of fusion energy. Its primary mission is to lead the commercial development of fusion power and related technology and position the UK as a leader in sustainable nuclear energy. Fusion research is managed at the Culham Centre for Fusion Energy (CCFE) UKAEA has 1180 staff and agency supplied workers, including world-leading scientists and engineers, fostering close links with international partners, industry and academic institutions; it also supports the development of the Culham Science Centre and Harwell science, innovation, technology and business campus. It is a Non-Departmental Public Body sponsored by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS).

Time: 25 days per annum.

Remuneration: 25,000 per annum.

Closes: 04 April

         

HS2 Ltd  Chair

The Chair of the HS2 Ltd Board will be responsible for shaping, challenging and directing the strategy for HS2 Ltd in delivering the requirement, and ensure that the Board, the executive and the organisation operate effectively and responsibly. He/she will lead the Board in holding the executive to account for the effective and efficient delivery of the programme, for building the organisation, and for the overall performance of HS2 Ltd, including: ensuring the Company has robust risk management, internal controls and assurance processes; ensuring efficient and effective use of staff and other resources

Time: 3 days per week.

Remuneration: 230-250,000 per annum.

Closes: 06 AprilThe Digital Manufacturing Design and Innovation Institute (DMDII) announced today the launch of a "Cyber Hub for Manufacturing" with $750,000 in seed funding from the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD). The hub will serve as a testbed for the creation and adoption of new cybersecurity technologies to secure manufacturing shop floors across the United States and complements DMDIIs public-private partnership as one of the Manufacturing USA institutes sponsored by DoD to advance the state-of-the-art in digital manufacturing in America.

"The launch of the Cyber Hub for Manufacturing embodies why DMDII exists," DMDII executive director Thomas McDermott said. "We need to think about securing our manufacturing equipment the way we secure our laptops, and the complexity of this issue means our partners will get there much faster by working together."

The threat of cyberattacks against the manufacturing sector is complex and growing. Manufacturers are connecting more equipment to the internet to compile and analyze data to make better business decisions. With increased connectivity comes a higher likelihood of a breach, and a cyberattack on physical equipment threatens worker safety and the integrity of the products being deployed to users (e.g., a defect in a vehicle component).

"As the manufacturing sector becomes more intertwined with advanced technology, data, and robotics, it is increasingly important that our manufacturers are prepared to face cybersecurity threats," said Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL). "This new cyber hub will be an extension of DMDIIs innovative work of making Americas manufacturing industry more competitive and secure. I was an early advocate of DMDII, I have fought for a steady stream of federal funding, and I am proud to support DMDIIs focus on cybersecurity."

Small and medium-sized manufacturers (SMMs) are particularly vulnerable as their resources to address potentially-sophisticated cyberattacks are not as plentiful as larger companies. At the same time, original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) are only as strong as the weakest link in their supply chains, which are often comprised of dozens of small suppliers. The United States is a prime target; in 2015, nearly half of attacked manufacturers were in the U.S., with Italy in a distant second at one quarter.

"With the launch of a Cyber Hub for Manufacturing at DMDII, Chicago is strengthening our position as a global leader in cybersecurity," said Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel. "The hub will further enhance our regional manufacturing innovation ecosystem that combines our legacy industries, strong base of small manufacturers, community and research universities, and exceptional talent."

DMDII will leverage its more than 300 partners across industry, academia, and government, as well as its 24,000 sq-ft manufacturing floor with wide-ranging capabilities, to test cybersecurity use cases in a real-world manufacturing environment. To address the acute challenge faced by SMMs, it will develop hands-on cybersecurity training programs and create online, on-demand learning modules to reach manufacturers outside of the region.

"The Manufacturing USA Institutes were established with this type of initiative in mind," said Tracy Frost, director of DoD Manufacturing Institutes and acting director of DoD Manufacturing Technology. "Applying the best ideas from the research and startup sectors to the real-world problems of industryfrom component manufacturers to prime system integratorshelps secure the supply chain and ultimately, the warfighters who rely on these capabilities to achieve their missions."

The launch of the Cyber Hub for Manufacturing was announced at a celebration of the Institutes four-year anniversary, where stakeholders from across the country recognized the Institutes role in catalyzing a collaboration of 25+ established manufacturing technology companies, 40+ universities, 150+ small manufacturers and startups, and dozens of community and civic groups around the concept of making helping U.S. manufacturers improve.

The Cyber Hub is the result of recommendations developed through DMDII workshops with government, industry, and academic partners since the institutes establishment in 2014.

Digital Manufacturing Design and Innovation Institute (DMDII)

www.uilabs.org/innoation-platforms/manufacturing

 Edited from a DMDII press release by CFE Media. See more Control Engineering cybersecurity stories.SUBSCRIBE

Sign up with your email address to receive news and updates straight in your inbox.CORNWALL, Ontario  The brief reprieve from winter that Cornwall and the surrounding area has experienced seems to be over. The snow is back and with it, overnight parking restrictions.

Tommy Sauve, the City of Cornwalls Safety, Training and Operations Supervisor posted on the City of Cornwall Facebook page that overnight parking restrictions would be in place for Tuesday and Wednesday.

With the snowfall in the forecast expected to reach upwards of 10 to 20cm Tuesday and Wednesday overnight, parking on any roadway between the overnight hours of 1 a.m.  7 a.m. is prohibited for Tuesday, March 13 and Wednesday, March 14, 2018 wrote Sauve on Facebook. Although this latest weather forecast may change we are taking this approach ahead of time as a precaution.

The snow is forecasted to start of slow on Monday with only a couple of centimeters falling, but will pick-up on Tuesday and Wednesday with up to 10cm falling each day.

Winter is returning thanks to a strong noreaster pushing west from Atlantic Canada.

It is hard to say how long this snow will stay around for though. Thursdays high is forecasted as being plus 3 degrees with the temperature staying above or near zero for the next two weeks.NORTH STORMONT, Ontario  On March 8, 2018 at approximately 8:57 a.m. SD&G OPP officers responded to a report of a stolen motor vehicle on Highway 138, North Stormont, Ontario. The investigation revealed that a Toyota Rav 4 had been taken from the residence. Shortly thereafter Police located the vehicle and the driver. Investigation further revealed that the male had stolen a GMC Sierra earlier in the day.

Joshua SABOURIN of North Glengarry, Ontario was arrested and is charged with;

 Theft over $5,000 of a motor vehicle (2 counts)

 Fail to comply with conditions of a probation order (3 counts)

He was held in custody pending a court appearance (bail) at the Ontario Court of Justice in Cornwall.

THREATS

NORTH GLENGARRY, Ontario  On March 8, 2018 at approximately 3:03 p.m. Stormont Dundas & Glengarry Ontario Provincial Police officers responded to a report of threats in North Glengarry Township. Investigation revealed that a male youth had uttered threats.

A 14-year-old male of North Glengarry, Ontario was arrested and is charged with;

 Uttering Threats (2 counts)

He was released and is scheduled to appear at the Ontario Court of Justice in Cornwall court on April 5, 2018.

The name of the accused is being withheld in accordance with the Youth Criminal Justice Act (YCJA).

DRUGS SEIZED AT TRAFFIC STOP

SOUTH GLENGARRY, Ontario  On March 9, 2018 at approximately 8:05 a.m., Highway Safety Division (SD&G) Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) officers intercepted a vehicle during a traffic stop on County Road 34, South Glengarry Township. The stop resulted in the seizure of a quantity of suspected marijuana from a male.

A 25-year-old male from Oshawa, Ontario was arrested and is charged with;

 Possession of a Controlled Substance

He was released and is scheduled to appear at the Ontario Court of Justice in Alexandria court on April 4, 2018.

IMPAIRED DRIVER

SOUTH STORMONT, Ontario  On March 9, 2018, A Highway Safety Division (HSD) Ontario Provincial Police officer was conducting speed measuring enforcement on Highway 401, South Stormont Townships.

The officer stopped a vehicle for travelling 156km/h (100km/h zone). The investigation revealed that the adult male driver was under the influence of alcohol.

Emile MORRISSETTE-BEAULIEU, 27, of Quebec, Quebec was arrested and charged with;

 Drive a Motor Vehicle with Over 80 Milligrams of Alcohol in blood

 Stunt Driving (Highway Traffic Act)

He was released and is scheduled to appear at the Ontario Court of Justice in Cornwall court on March 29, 2018.

IMPAIRED DRIVER

NORTH GLENGARRY, Ontario  On March 11, 2018 at approximately 6:11 a.m., Stormont, Dundas & Glengarry (SD&G) Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) officers responded to a traffic complaint on Kenyon Street East, North Glengarry Township. The investigation revealed that the adult female driver was under the influence of alcohol.

Catherine STE-MARIE, 28, of Ottawa, Ontario was arrested and is charged with;

 Care or control a Motor Vehicle while Impaired

 Care or control with over 80 Milligrams of Alcohol in blood

 Possession of a controlled substance

She was released and is scheduled to appear at the Ontario Court of Justice in Alexandria on April 4, 2018.

ANYONE HAVING INFORMATION ON THE ABOVE OR ANY CRIME IS ASKED TO CALL SD&G OPP AT 1-888-310-1122 OR CRIME STOPPERS AT 1-800-222-8477.Here are some of the adjectives deployed over the last half century to describe the art of Edward Gorey: Gothic and poetic, nonsensical and surreal, unnerving and macabre.

Gorey, who disliked all categorization of his art or of himself, specifically rejected macabre, maybe because it was used so often.

I dont know what Im doing, but its not that, despite all the evidence to the contrary, Gorey once told an interviewer.

That was back in 1977, when Gorey was still known mainly for the picture storybooks he wrote and illustrated for adults. Many featured domestic scenes of elegantly dressed people in peril, often from fantastical creatures.

But that same year he gained a second audience when his Tony-award winning Dracula, for which he did both set and costume design, opened on Broadway. His audience expanded again after 1980, when his gowned ladies and tail-coated gentlemen made their animated debut introducing public televisions Masterpiece Mystery series.

In the years since, his art  fragments of it anyway  became so familiar and so unmoored from its creator that a 1992 New Yorker magazine profile opened with the observation that many of Edward Goreys most fervent devotees think hes (a) English and (b) dead.

Contributing to the muddle was the fact that Goreys nonsensical sensibility was in the same vein as Edward Lear (some of whose books Gorey illustrated) and Lewis Carroll, both Englishmen who were very dead.

In fact, Gorey grew up well-to-do in Chicago, lived most of his life in New York and on Cape Cod, happily alone with cats as his main companions. He died only in 2000 at age 75. But now, the whole artist can be seen anew in an unprecedented exhibit at the Wadsworth Atheneum in Hartford aptly titled, Goreys Worlds.

The core of the exhibit, and reason for it, is Goreys personal art collection. A surprise bequest, he likely chose to give it to the atheneum because its legendary director A. Everett Chick Austin Jr. was an early champion of George Balanchine. Gorey often said in interviews he considered the choreographer to be the greatest living artist of any sort and acknowledged him as a major influence.

Goreys balletomania was one of his best-known eccentricities. His art collection is equally eccentric to the extent it reflects his obsessive and disparate interests. It includes works on paper by notable French artists like the painters Pierre Bonnard and Edouard Manet and photographer Eugene Atget. On the other hand, there is a surreal landscape by the internationally known cartoonist Glen Baxter. It looks like one of Goreys graveyards scenes, minus the tombstones. In the center a woman kneels over a white gash in the earth that reveals nothing.

Gorey also collected American folk art , but not the pleasing Grandma Moses kind. Hung at the atheneum just as they were above the fireplace in his Cape Cod house are nine so-called sand paper drawings. Done in black and white, they look more like monotone paintings or wood cuts than drawings. All unsigned, they are of a type popular in the mid-1800s with amateur women artists. Most are more eerie than rustic.

Elsewhere, there is a camel drawn by Bill Traylor, who is regarded as an important African-American folk artist. Born in 1854, the son of slaves, working most of his life as a sharecropper, the self-taught Traylor did not begin drawing until his 80s. Too poor to afford canvases, he worked on pieces of cardboard, using both sides. A horse is drawn on the back side of the camel.

The atheneum exhibit, curated by Erin Monroe, is organized in a loose chronological order, often pairing pieces from Goreys collection with his own work. Traylors humped camel, for instance, is next to a sketch of the Wuggly Ump, the title beast of the only Gorey book marketed to children. A voracious omnivore, it is depicted chewing an umbrella and spitting out what looks like nuts and bolts.

The Wuggly Ump is actually quite menacing, Monroe says. Hes part cat and part brontosaurus. I would be hard-pressed to think of a better description. How Gorey may have been inspired to create these fantastic creatures (is unknown). They could have come from anywhere. But I have the wonderful job of trying to give examples to people.

In fact, Gorey could draw from an inspirational inventory of astounding breadth that he continued to build over a lifetime. An only child, he learned to read without being taught and by age 5 is said to have read Dracula and Alice in Wonderland. He skipped the first grade and then the fifth. By then he had devoured most of Victor Hugo. During World War II, stationed at the Dugway Proving Grounds in Utah, where weapons, including poison gas, were tested, he read constantly.

Entering Harvard in 1946, he decided to major in French literature mainly because hed read everything in English that interested him. Somewhere along the line, hed taught himself to draw. The envelopes of letters he sent home to his mother were adorned with anvil-headed figures who looked very much like Mr. Clavius Earbrass, the protagonist of his first book, The Unstrung Harp.

At Harvard, Gorey roomed with Frank OHara, who would become a major poet and art critic. Both stayed in Cambridge after graduation in 1950 as founding members of the Poets Theater. Its all-star membership included William Carlos Williams, Richard Wilbur, John Ciardi and Donald Hall.

Gorey apparently had writing ambitions. The Unstrung Harp was about a writer who didnt know how to write. He published it in 1953, after moving to New York to take a job in the art department at Doubleday Anchor Books. Soon he would discover Balanchine and the ballet.

But in interviews he cited many oth er influences: from Jane Austen novels to reruns of television shows like Dallas to silent films, especially those from France. One critic noted Goreys short text passages  which he always wrote firs t  functioned like the scene subtitles in silent films.

Oriental art and writing were influences. Strongest was Tale of Genji, the 1,000-year-old work attributed to a Japanese noblewoman. Gorey often referred to it in interviews as a leading example of art that succeeds by leaving so much unsaid.

Its like the ballet, he once said, attempting to convey his ideal. You can describe the externals of a performance  everything, in fact, but what really constitutes its core. Whats important is whats left after youve explained everything else. Ideally, if anything were any good, it would be indescribable.

If thats so, then curator Monroe is right to let the Wuggly Ump go free as half cat and half dinosaur. And Gorey can rightly claim to not have known what he was doing  whatever it was.

Goreys Worlds runs through May 6. The exhibit has many extra programs and features, including a ballet mirror and barre where visitors are invited to pose.

Joel Lang is an award-winning journalist and frequent contributor to Sunday Arts & Style.With nearly a quarter of Connecticut residents relying on a public well as their household water source, the Connecticut Department of Public Health is urging those residents to consider testing their wells to ensure water quality.

This is National Groundwater Awareness Week, which, according to the Department of Public Health, stresses the importance of groundwater to peoples health and the environment.BRIDGEPORT - An elementary school teacher has been arrested after police said she threatened to get a gun and have someone shoot the principal.

Sandra Aldave, 51, of Shelton, a media specialist teacher at James J. Curiale School, was charged Monday with second-degree threatening and breach of peace.

For $5,000 I could get a gun and someone to take care of this, police said Aldave loudly said in front of other faculty members after she was told to take over another teachers class. No, for only $3,000 I know someone with a gun.

When another teacher suggested to Aldave that she was only joking, police said Aldave assured her, Oh no, Im serious.

Police said Aldave, who has been a teacher at the Laurel Avenue school for four years, was suspended after her statements were reported to police last month.

Police said school officials wanted Aldave arrested and an arrest warrant was later prepared. She was released after posting $500 bond.

Aldave did not return calls for comment.

The arrest comes as President Donald Trump has suggested that certain teachers be armed to defend against school shootings and the governor of Florida recently signed a law allowing teacher trained in shooting to carry guns.DANBURY  The pilot of the helicopter that crashed in New York Citys East River on Sunday night, killing five passengers, is well-trained and has years of experience, according to another local pilot who has known him for several years.

Richard Vance, 33, of Danbury, was the sole survivor of the crash, which occurred in the early evening during a charter air tour that began in New Jersey and ended when the chopper slammed into the water off 90th Street in Manhattan. Vance escaped from the Eurocopter AS350 and was rescued by a tugboat, but the other passengers were unable to free themselves from their harnesses and died when the helicopter turned over in the water.

Michael DeMarchi, chief pilot at Centennial Helicopters in Danbury, said he has known Vance for at least five years as a fellow flyer.

Hes an excellent pilot, very good pilot, very good flying instructor, DeMarchi said.

The helicopter, a private charter hired for a photo shoot, went down near Gracie Mansion, the mayoral residence. Video taken by a witness and posted on Twitter shows the aircraft rapidly losing altitude, hitting the river surface and slowly capsizing, its rotors slapping at the water.

The Associated Press reported that Vance had called Mayday, mayday, mayday: East River  engine failure, in an emergency radio call as the aircraft foundered.

Vance was treated and released from New York Presbyterian Hospital. No one answered when a reporter knocked on the door of his Danbury home Monday morning.

Authorities are still investigating the cause of the crash. The AP quoted an anonymous official as saying that Vance has told investigators a passengers bag might have accidentally hit the emergency fuel shutoff button.

The National Transportation Safety Board is reportedly examining why an emergency flotation device installed on the helicopter apparently did not deploy properly. The device is supposed to ensure that the aircrafts stays upright rather than overturning and submerging.

The FAA said Vance received a commercial pilots license in September 2011 to operate rotorcraft and instrument helicopters.

DeMarchi said pilots for the charter company, Liberty Helicopters, are well-trained.

Liberty is a very reputable company and I know they do regular training, he said.

But DeMarchi said there might have been little Vance could have done to prevent the crash.

I think his biggest challenge was it was getting dark and it was over water, which gives you poor depth perception, DeMarchi said. There really isn't a whole lot going in his favor. Im sure (that in) different circumstances, it would have turned out differently.

The AP reported that Liberty has been involved in at least five accidents or other incidents in the last 10 years, citing FAA data. Incidents can include events that end in safe landings, but an August 2009 collision over the Hudson River between a Liberty chopper and a small private plane killed nine people, including a group of Italian tourists.

The company paid $23,576 in fines in 2010 and 2011 for violating maintenance, record-keeping and flight operations rules, according to the FAA. Three subsequent maintenance violations in 2011 and 2012 did not result in any fines.

According to his LinkedIn page, Vance had been working for the New Jersey-based company for two years, carrying tourists and photographers to see the New York City skyline.

Hes a very good pilot, his father, Anthony Vance, told the New York Post..

Charles Woronick, Vances great-uncle, said he was shocked when he heard on the news that his grand-nephew was involved in the crash.

Hes a great guy and very knowledgeable about many things and has a great personality, Woronick said.

Woronick, who lives in Meriden, said the two spent a lot of time together when Vance was growing up in Wallingford. Vance also has a brother, sister and two young nieces, Woronick said.

Vances LinkedIn page also lists him as working for Northeast Helicopters in Ellington from July 2012 to March 2016 as an assistant chief flight instructor.

After a back injury that kept him from flying for the Army, he found Northeast Helicopters and never looked back, Northeast Helicopters said in a bio for Vance on its website. When he is not flying you can find his very supporting fiance and him taking day trips around New England.

Northeast Helicopters declined to comment.STRATFORD  For the eighth consecutive year, the mayors office will sponsor a soda bread contest to accompany the raising of the flag of Ireland on Friday morning, March 16.

The shamrock-festooned event begins at 9 a.m. in front of Town Hall, at which time the name of the Irish Mayor of the Day will be revealed and the Irish flag will be hoisted.

After that, beginning at about 10 a.m. in Town Council chambers, Stratford Mayor Laura OHoydick will officiate at the annual, much anticipated, soda bread contest. The contest is a tradition begun in 2010 by former mayor John Harkins, who said that he might be in attendance.

Theres no prize, other than bragging rights.

The St. Patricks Day Irish Soda Bread Contest is a free activity that is open to all Stratford residents. The rules are as follows:

Contestants are asked to bring their entries to Room 213 at Town Hall (second floor) at 8:30 a.m. on Friday, March 16 at Town Hall;

A name tag and telephone number should be placed with each entry;

Entries must be made from an original recipe and not store bought;

Entries containing nuts or related ingredients should be clearly indicated on name tag;

The decision of the judges will be final; and

Immediate family members of the judges may not submit an entry.AUSTIN, Texas - Police said Monday that the three exploding packages that detonated at homes in this city across a 10-day period - including two blasts on Monday - are all connected, although precisely what motivated the attacks remained an unnerving mystery.

The explosions across residential parts of the Texas capital killed two people, seriously injured two others and set residents on edge, even as the city continued hosting South by Southwest, a music, film and technology conference that draws tens of thousands of visitors each year.

Police urged residents to call 911 rather than open unexpected packages, while local and federal authorities scrambled to respond to the blasts, at one point Monday hurrying from one explosion to another across town.

Authorities say they are exploring whether the explosions could be related to racial hatred, noting that both of the people killed - an adult man and a teenager - were black, while an elderly Hispanic woman was seriously injured.

"These incidents are related," Austin Police Chief Brian Manley said at a briefing. But as for what might have prompted the string of explosions, he said: "We are not ruling anything out at this point."

The first explosion occurred March 2, when a package on the front porch of a northeast Austin home exploded, killing 39-year-old Anthony Stephan House.

"It sounded like a cannon," Kenneth Thompson, who lives across the street from House, said of the explosion.

At the time, police said House's death was "suspicious" but believed it was an isolated incident with no continuing threat to the community.

Ten days later, that changed when a pair of packages detonated at homes several miles apart Monday over a matter of hours.

Investigators were still responding to the first explosion Monday morning - which killed a 17-year-old male and seriously injured an adult woman - when a second blast detonated at a house farther south, sending a 75-year-old Hispanic woman to the hospital with life-threatening injuries.

Reached by phone Monday, LaVonne Mason, co-founder of the Austin Area Urban League, said her grandson was the 17-year-old victim killed Monday morning, but she declined to say anything further. Her husband, Norman Mason, is a well-known dentist in the East Austin area and a longtime mentor to black student athletes at the University of Texas.

Relatives on the scene identified the woman injured in the third blast as Esperanza Herrera. They also said her mother, Maria Moreno, suffered minor injuries. Manley said that just as in the other bombings, the injured woman came outside her home, found a package and picked it up.

"The box detonated at that point," he said.

Manley said police did not know if the victims who were killed or injured were the specific targets of the packages. The police chief warned residents to avoid opening unexpected packages or other deliveries they were not expecting; he described the explosives as arriving in "box-type deliveries" but did not elaborate, citing the ongoing investigation.

"It's not time to panic, but it's time to be vigilant," he said.

Manley said that police could not rule out a hate crime as the cause of the bombing, though he warned that police had not yet identified any ideology or connection between the victims. The FBI was assisting with the investigation, and Michelle Lee, a spokeswoman for the bureau, said agents were "definitely not ruling out" a hate crime, due to the race of the first two victims.

"There's always concern about that," Nelson Linder, president of the NAACP of Austin, said of a potential hate crime, "but other than the two first victims' race, there's no evidence to say they were one at this time."

Still, he said, people are "very concerned and feel very vulnerable."

The Rev. Sylvester Chase, the pastor at Wesley United Methodist Church, said Anthony House, the first victim, was the stepson of Freddie Dixon, a former pastor there. While House was not a parishioner, Chase said he was rattled by the bombing.

"It's got us on alarm, everybody on alarm," he said. "We don't know what to think, because they haven't put out any type of information. It's just circumstantial, what it could be, what it might be."

Rianne Philips, who lives next door to House, said her husband was the first to find House after the fatal March 2 blast. Philips said that she was alarmed to hear about the latest bombing, but also relieved that the police were now focused on House's death as a homicide.

"They're not going to let this slide," Philips said. "It's really sad, but this means there's a lot of attention on this now."

Isaiah Guerrero, 15, said he was spending the first morning of his spring break making music on his computer when he heard the third explosion go off just before noon Monday.

"It sounded like two cars hit each other, you know? Like, rammed each other," Guerrero said.

The house shook, and so did his body, the teenager said. Guerrero then climbed up a tree and on top of his house. Within minutes, police and fire officials swarmed the scene, closing off streets. Guerrero, who lives behind the house where the bomb went off, said he couldn't see the damage to the front of the house.

He echoed law enforcement officials in warning the public to pay attention to things like packages, "especially if you didn't order something," he said. Guerrero added: "I expected my spring break to be peaceful, not harmful."

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives said Monday it was dispatching members of its National Response Team (NRT) to help respond to the explosions. According to the agency, this group activates for "significant fire and explosion incidents," considered those that are either large in scale or particularly complicated due to the size or scope.

In the past, that has included responding to the West, Tex., plant fire in 2013; a string of church fires in Texas; and the bombings in Oklahoma City and at the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta. The NRT works with other investigators to reconstruct scenes and determine what caused the fires or explosions; in cases involving bombings, the team also searches for evidence to be used in any prosecution that may follow.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, R, said his office was offering a $15,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of the person or people responsible for the "atrocious attacks."

"I want to assure all Texans, and especially those in Austin, that local, state and federal law enforcement officials are working diligently to find those responsible for these heinous crimes," Abbott said in a statement.

Manley said local and federal law enforcement agencies would ensure "every stop would be pulled out" to solve the cases.

"We are not going to tolerate this in Austin," he said.

---

Berman and Wang reported from Washington. Matt Zapotosky in Washington and Shane Harris in Austin contributed to this report.STORY LINK Pound New Zealand Dollar (GBP/NZD) Exchange Rate Climbs on Hopes for Tomorrow?s UK Spring Budget Statement

Analysts Anticipate Upbeat UK OBR Forecast  Pound (GBP) Exchange Rate Outlook Climbs

New Zealand Dollar (NZD) Exchange Rates Find Support as President Trump Prepares to Meet Kim Jong Un

Pound New Zealand Dollar (GBP/NZD) Exchange Rate Forecast: New Zealand GDP in the Spotlight

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The Pound New Zealand Dollar (GBP/NZD) exchange rate hit the ground running this week, climbing against the Kiwi as markets prepared for the possibility of an upwardly revised growth forecast from the Office of Budgeting Responsibility.UK Chancellor Philip Hammond will reveal the UKs Spring Budget Statement tomorrow, and whilst no changes are expected from this rather low-key, 15-minute speech, investors will be keen to assess any titbits regarding the OBRs economic outlook, particularly with the UKs economic performance strengthening since last November.The OBRs current forecast is for growth to hit 1.4% this year and 1.3% next year, but the group has historically undershot in their assessments.Analysts are now expecting that the OBR will shift forecasts up to 1.5% for both years, with Ian Stewart, Chief Economist at Deloittee asserting that they will remain cautious, but theres a decent chance they nudge up both years to 1.5%.He continued:The good news is that the improving trend in public borrowing will enable the OBR to pencil in substantially lower numbers for public sector borrowing in the next two years. In terms of the governments target of eliminating the current budget deficit, excluding investment, the Spring Statement seems likely to show that most of the hard work on deficit reduction has been achieved.Indeed, if this does occur then it might work to temporarily distract markets from the current Brexit negotiation gridlock, with an upbeat forecast also liable to raise anticipation for a rate hike in May from the Bank of England (BoE).The Kiwi Dollar has seen surprising support in recent weeks, rising as US President Donald Trump agreed to meet North Korean leader Kim Jong Un to discuss nuclear disarmament.This outlook was compounded by news that Kim Jong Un could be attempting to secure a peace treaty, with reports suggesting that he is even willing to offer the prospective release of international prisoners to try and curry Americas favour.The possibility of de-escalation on the Korean peninsula has sent market risk appetite soaring, with markets quickly switching to the riskier commodity currencies like the New Zealand Dollar (NZD) and the Australian Dollar (AUD) as a result.Beyond this, markets are growing increasingly optimistic that New Zealand could be exempt from the US import tariffs on steel and aluminium, with Australia very recently securing exemption of their own.New Zealand Finance Minister Grant Robertson has announced that officials will look into the extent of the tariffs and how New Zealand might secure exemption, with news that a revamped version of the Trans Pacific Partnership deal was signed recently in Chile also providing slight support.As the week progresses markets will be waiting with baited breath for any indication that New Zealand could also be exempt  an event that could put the GBP/NZD exchange rate under renewed pressure.The Pound New Zealand Dollar (GBP/NZD) exchange rate could see significant movement on Wednesday as markets respond to New Zealands GDP readings for Q4 2017.Markets are currently expecting a yearly reading of 2.5%, down from the previous periods 2.7%, and a quarter-on-quarter reading of 0.7%, slightly up from the previous print of 0.6%.Higher-than-expected growth would provide support for the Kiwi Dollar and could tilt next weeks rate decision from the Reserve Bank of New Zealand (RBNZ) towards the optimistic end of the spectrum.

International Money Transfer? Ask our resident FX expert a money transfer question or try John's new, free, no-obligation personal service! ,where he helps every step of the way, ensuring you get the best exchange rates on your currency requirements.

TAGS: Pound New Zealand Dollar ForecastsGOP leaders say agenda is more than masks, rallies welcome them back

Pa. Republican leaders say their agenda is about more than school masks as protest over statute of limitations for abuse victims greet them.While addressing a press conference on the sidelines of the National Peoples Congress (NPC), China's foreign minister Wang Yi spoke about the need for greater cooperation between China and India and the necessity for resolving differences between the two neighbours.

"Despite some tests and difficulties, the China-India relationship continues to growThe Chinese dragon and Indian elephant must not fight each other but dance with each other, he said. "If China and India are united, one plus one will become eleven instead of two."

Wang Yi, was skeptical about the narrative pertaining to the term "Indo-Pacific" (China has been more comfortable with "Asia Pacific", and the Quad alliance comprising US, Japan, Australia and India).

The Chinese foreign minister dubbed it as "like the foam on the sea".

While stating, that such an alliance (Quad) was not in sync with geo-political realities of the times, Wang Yi said he would go by the members of the alliance who said that it is not meant to target any one country (China).

Indian foreign ministry spokesperson, Raveesh Kumar, echoed Wang Yis views saying that India was keen to explore commonalities between both countries, rather than focusing on disputes.

"We are willing to work with the Chinese side to develop our relations based on commonalities, while dealing with differences on the basis of mutual respect and sensitivity to each others interests, concerns and aspirations," said Kumar.

Rise in trade

What is interesting to note is that in spite of the Doklam stand-off, differences over issues like the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), Chinas continuous blocking of efforts to declare JeM leader Masood Azhar as a global terrorist at the UN, trade between the two countries went up to reach $84.44 billion USD in 2017 (an 18 per cent rise from the previous year).

Interestingly, after the Doklam stand-off, a number of organisations had spoken vociferously in favour of boycotting Chinese goods. The government did impose anti-dumping duties on as many as 98 commodities which included certain fibres and chemicals along with a number of other commodities, as was stated in a response by the minister of state for commerce and industry, CR Chaudhary, to the Rajya Sabha. The Indian government, however, realised that the narrative with regard to boycott of Chinese goods was not a pragmatic decision.

Recent steps

While the Chinese foreign ministers statements and bilateral trade figures are interesting, given the ultra-nationalist narrative which had emerged last year after tensions between the two neighbours, what has also drawn the attention of the strategic community in general and China watchers in particular, is a circular issued by Indias foreign secretary Vijay Gokhale not to attend events being organised to commemorate 60 years of the Dalai Lama in India. As a result, the Tibetan government-in-exile has shifted the event from Delhi to Dharamsala.

"We have lived in India for 60 years and would like to express our gratitude. But we also understand Indias position. We took relevant note of reports and decided that it would be best if we just rescheduled to event," said Sonam Dagpo, the exiled government's spokesperson.

Gokhale issued this circular before he departed for his first visit to China (February 23-24), and while some have criticised this move, others feel it is a pragmatic decision and is driven by Indias national interest.

During the visit it was decided to address all contentious issues through increased engagement. Commenting on the outcome of the foreign secretarys visit during which Gokhale met Chinese vice-foreign minister Kong Xuanyou and foreign minister Wang Yi, a statement issued by the Ministry of External Affairs (government of India) stated:

"Both sides agreed upon the need to expedite various dialogue mechanisms in order to promote multifaceted cooperation across diverse fields of India-China engagement."

Some high level interactions are likely to take place over the next few months. April 2018 will witness the China-India strategic economic dialogue. While Chinese commerce minister Zhong Shan or his deputy will attend a ministerial meeting organised by Indias commerce ministry to discuss WTO related issues, Guo Yezhou, vice minister in the International Department of the Communist Party of China (CPC), will also be visiting India.

Chinas support for India

Apart from Gokhales circular, it was also interesting to see that China which was initially unwilling to support a US-led motion, for putting Pakistan on the grey-list of Financial Action Task Force (FATF) an international financial watch dog (which seeks to combat money-laundering and terror-financing), finally giving in. Indias support for Chinas bid for vice-presidency of the organisation did the trick. Interestingly, the US had wanted to support Japan for the same position.

What is this recent thaw driven by?

From the Indian point of view, a better relationship with China helps because New Delhi can pressurise Beijing to push Pakistan to act against terror groups like JuD, and LeT. While the US too has been telling Islamabad to do more against terror groups targeting India, China given its massive investments in Pakistan has great leverage.

If one were to look at the bilateral context, New Delhi should explore Chinese investments. While states like Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra have established strong links, it is time that other states in eastern India such as West Bengal and Odisha too join in.

Chinese presence at the recent investors' summit, organised by the West Bengal government is a clear indicator. They have also extended an invitation to chief minister Mamata Banerjee to visit China

Common ground on climate change, trade tarriffs

If one were to look beyond the bilateral relationship, there are issues like trade tariffs and climate change, and the two countries are on the same page. While in the strategic sphere, Indias ties with the US may have strengthened on issues like trade tarriffs and climate change, both countries need to work closely.

On both issues, US president Donald Trump had some harsh words for India and China.

Commeting on his withdrawal from the Paris Climate Agreement and how its unfair to the US, Trump said: "...countries like India, China and others, we had to pay, because they (agreement) considered them a growing country. But the United States? We're developed. We can pay."

Commenting on tariffs, Trump said: "We're going to be doing a reciprocal tax programme, at some point so that if China is going to charge us 25 per cent or if India is going to charge us 75 per cent and we charge them nothing."

On February 26, while addressing governors from various US states, Trump stated that the US did not benefit from the slashing of customs duties, on high end motorcyles (Harley Davidson), to 50 per cent and India was doing no favour to the US.

The US president also referred to a telephonic conversation he had with the Indian PM, Narendra Modi , on foreign policy and ties between the countries need to be viewed in shades of grey and cannot be looked at from a zero-sum approach. And both New Delhi and Beijing realise the same.

Leaderships of both countries have repeatedly spoken about working jointly towards making the 21st century the "Asian Century". There will be divergences, between both countries, especially in the context of Chinese presence in the neighborhood. Talk of jointly working for an "Asian Century" may seem far-fetched and both countries would be advised to adopt a more realistic approach driven by future economic goals, rather than historical baggage of the past.

Also read: JNU professor writes an anonymous piece on why compulsory attendance doesn't make senseOn March 12, Mauritius is set to celebrate 50 years of its independence with enthusiasm and gaiety and Indian President Ram Nath Kovind will be the chief guest at the series of colourful events to mark the occasion.

In 2015, Prime Minister Narendra Modi was the chief guest on the occasion. India has special historic and cultural ties with Mauritius. When the country got independence in 1968, eminent Indian jurist and then chief justice of Allahabad High Court, Bidhu Bhushan Malik, was deputed by the government of India to draft the constitution of the newly independent country.

Sadly, the same constitution today seems to have run into rough weather following an alleged act of imprudence by President Ameenah Gurib Fakim, who is under pressure to resign following charges of impropriety.

It is more than mere coincidence that Fakim's resignation is being sought at a time of festivities in the country and when the Indian president is visiting the Mauritius.

Fakim, appointed in 2015 as the first woman President of Mauritius, is adamant not to resign following allegations of corruption, principal charges being nefarious links with controversial billionaire Alvaro Sobrinho. The businessman is accused of embezzling $600 million from Banco Economico, a bank in Angola, and indiscriminate grant of scholarships to the Planet Earth Initiative (PEI). She has been accused of using a bank card provided by PEI to make personal purchases worth tens of thousands of dollars.

In view of Kovind's visit, pressure mounted on Fakim to resign to save the Indian dignitary from the embarrassment of having to establish diplomatic talks with Fakim.

Fakim has so far not bowed out of office but going by the growing pressure, it looks inevitable and remains only a question of time.

According to some informed sources, she has not been included in any of the formal and ceremonial events in the run-up to the Independence Day functions. The message is loud and clear.

In the meantime, Prime Minister Pravind Jugnauth met Fakim on March 9 and the latest indications that a date for her departure has been decided.

Her resignation may throw up some constitutional irritants which the government must address quickly to minimise the harm done.

Meanwhile, Mauritius appears to have attained considerable maturity in investigative journalism. The print media did a fairly good job in discharging its professional responsibilities in exposing Fakim.

Popular and widely circulated daily, L'Express, was at its aggressive best in carrying news about Fakim's alleged misadventures, hugely lacking in wisdom. It was the sustained coverage of the issue by newspapers led by L'Express that built pressure on Fakim.

It is also important to point out that there are divergent views among the ruling and Opposition parties regarding handling of the Indian President's visit.

Opposition party Mauritius Labour Party (MLP) has been insisting on taking Kovind to the memorial of MLP leader Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam (SSR) as it has been customary but the government and ruling Militant Socialist Movement (MSM) are adamant not to take him there fearing the MLP would draw political mileage out of the move ahead of the general elections scheduled for 2019.

In fact, former MLP minister and Mauritian ex-high commissioner to India, Mukeshwar Choonee, met the Indian high commissioner in Port Louis in a futile attempt to prevail upon the latter to intervene with the Indian side to take the visiting president to SSR memorial site. Under these circumstances, a kind of stalemate continues regarding the high-profile visit.

In another development, forces opposed to the ruling dispensation are contemplating drawing the Indian president's attention to review the massive Indian grant to the Republic of Mauritius for different projects including metro rail, housing schemes, hospitals, national archives, libraries, flyovers etc. The issue is crucial because the money involved is to the tune of several million dollars.

MSM detractors allege that despite such massive grants, Mauritius is unlikely to remain close to India amid apprehensions that the present government is simultaneously warming up to countries like Pakistan. In an extraordinary move, a Pakistan naval ship paid a visit to Mauritius signalling its presence within the maritime boundaries of Indian Ocean apparently to leave a footprint to counter the series of Indian warships that visit Mauritius.

It would be worth it for India to take a fresh look at the Indo-Mauritian ties to ensure that New Delhi's geopolitical and maritime interests are held paramount and India's primacy in the region is not threatened by countries such as Pakistan and China.

Also read: Wife accuses Mohammed Shami of thrashing her, BCCI scraps contract: Debates over player's private life raise key questionsThe French President Emmanuel Macrons visit has been an opportunity for India to signal its intention of restoring a balanced posture to its foreign policy, with a stress on regional security and multi-polarity.

Since France sees itself as an autonomous global player, New Delhi has chosen to emphasise this by striking agreements with Paris that mirror its arrangements with the US. The reciprocal logistics support agreement and the agreement to protect classified information are similar to those arrived at with the US after long negotiations.

Indo-Pacific region

The Joint Strategic Vision for Cooperation in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR) is much like the document agreed to with the US during the Obama visit in 2015. Though the Indo-American agreement emphasises Pacific issues, the Indo-French one focuses on the IOR which is probably more practical. Looked at any way, the outcome of the Macron visit indicates that the Indo-French relationship retains both its rationale and elan.

France has begun to pay serious attention to the Indo-Pacific region after a long time. One reason for this is the Brexit induced unsettling of the European project. The other is the awareness that China is now mounting a challenge to the EU from the east where it has steadily built up important relationships with the erstwhile East European countries.

Macrons visit to India takes place at an important juncture in the regional geopolitics. In 2016, under his Presidency, France for the first time called for European patrols in the South China Sea. The EU ignored the suggestion since it has a neutral posture on the issue, but France has teamed up with the UK and is now regularly sending naval task forces to the region. Taken in conjunction with the emergence of the Quadrilateral Grouping (Quad) this is a significant development.

Given its robust foreign policy, France has not hesitated to criticise Chinas human rights record, especially the repression in Tibet, despite having significant economic interests in China. In a similar vein, it had not hesitated to criticise the US for its 2003 invasion of Iraq.

French cooperation

France is an old friend of India. Successive Presidents have been chief guests at the Republic Day, the last being Hollande in 2016. Prime Minister Modi has visited France in 2015 and again in 2017. Given our focus on the US, sometimes it is useful to recall that France is a rich, highly industrialised country, with a nominal GDP higher than that of India and a permanent member of the UN Security Council. It is as much known for its civilisational contributions as its achievements in R&D and innovation.

For this reason, India has maintained a deep relationship with France, especially in the area of aerospace and nonoil energy. France has been willing to supply us systems which countries like the US hesitate on, and at the same time, it has not embargoed India on account of wars and tension. A hallmark of the level of our current relationship is the fact that Indias cutting-edge Scorpene submarine is of French origin and we have also decided to acquire a small number of the Rafale fighters.

Military presence

France is a significant Indo-Pacific power. Not many know that it actually has the largest EEZ in the world, if you take into account all its scattered island territories. In the Pacific Ocean itself, it has an EEZ is over 6 million square kms, three times larger than that of Indias. It also has significant assets in the Indian Ocean, the island of Reunion and Mayotte, as well as the so-called Scattered Islands in the strategic Mozambique channel which have no settled population but have an EEZ of 6,40,000 sq kms. For this reason, France has maintained a military presence in both the Indian and the Pacific Oceans.

India has been steadily enhancing its maritime posture in the Mozambique channel, the island states of Mauritius, Seychelles, and, most importantly in the Persian Gulf. France is a military presence in all these areas, besides its own territories, it also has a base in Djibouti, as well as the United Arab Emirates.

India, which has significant interests in the western IOR, needs to reach out to France for three reasons. First, France has common interests in fighting piracy, freedom of navigation and the general stability of the region. Second, this is a region where we have no other partner. In the eastern IOR, India has ties with the US Pacific Command. But the Americans do not deal with us through their Central and Africa Commands that takes in the Persian Gulf and western IOR. And third, the French see the IOR territories as parts of France and are not likely to walk away from the region.

(Courtesy of Mail Today)

Also read: Why French President Macron told India Today 'Rafale deal is a win-win'India is rediscovering its ties with Kazakhstan, courtesy the military campaigns of a Kazakh prince who was the governor and the de facto ruler of Kashmir in the 16th century.

This Kazakh price was Mirza Muhammad Haidar Dughlat Beg of Turkish-Mongol lineage. He died in Kashmir at the age of 51. The restoration of the grave of Mirza Muhammad Haidar Dughlat Beg in Srinagar has been a labour of love for the Kazakh embassy in India and the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI).

For the Kazakh embassy, restoration of the grave of Mirza Dughlat Beg is part of the preservation of the history of the Kazakh people, and its statehood. The grave of this revered Kazakh military general lies in Zaina Kadal, part of the old city of Srinagar.

The restoration of the grave of Mirza Muhammad Haidar Dughlat Beg in Srinagar has been a labour of love for the Kazakh embassy in India and the ASI.

The grave is part of the Mazar-i-Salatin (Cemetery of the Kashmir Sultans of the Empire of the Great Mughals). This cemetery also includes the tomb of the mother of the longest-serving Shahmiri King, Sultan Zainulabideen.

Mirza Dughlat Beg was born in 1500. He was a Turkic-speaking Dughlat prince who wrote in Persian and Chagatai languages. He was the first cousin of Prince Zahir of the Shahmiri dynasty. His 10-year reign in Kashmir ended in 1551, when he was killed while fighting against a revolt. His grave is in one section of the massive royal graveyard at Zaina Kadal, along with seven other graves that are being restored by the ASI.

On January 25, the Kazakhstan ambassador to India, Bulat Sarsenbayev, held the solemn opening of the restored grave of Mirza Dughlat Beg, with the support and participation of the Archaeological Survey of India.

The restoration of the grave as well as the preparation and installation of the informational desk were the result of more than two years of work.

For the Republic of Kazakhstan, the restoration of the grave is part of their states efforts to preserve the history of the Kazakh people. The Kazakh regard Mirza Dughlat Beg as an outstanding son of the Kazakh steppes, representative of the ancient Kazakh tribe Duglat.

Mirza Dughlat Beg was not only a military general, but also a prominent politician and historian of his times. His book Tarih-i-Rashidi contains priceless information about the formation of the Kazakh Khanate (the Kazakh state), as well as the events of that time took place on Kazakhstan territory and also in Kashmir.

The Kazakh people have so much pride in Mirza Dughlat Beg that they have built a huge monument in his honour in their country. The Taraz State University in Kazakhstan has been named after Mirza Dughlat Beg.

The newly opened information desk at Mirza Dughlat Beg's grave at Zaina Kadal in Srinagar informs the visitors and tourists about this outstanding Kazakh politician, historian, his life and background.

The restoration of the grave of Mirza Dughlat Beg, as well as the preparation and installation of the informational desk, were the result of more than two years of work undertaken by ambassador Sarsenbayev after his visit to Kashmir in September 2015.

The ambassador was saddened to see the bad condition of the last refuge of a man whose works are invaluable in defining the history of Kazakh statehood.

The cemetery also includes the tomb of the mother of the longest-serving Shahmiri King, Sultan Zainulabideen.

"The process of obtaining permits, determining the responsible institution, working and agreeing on the text of the informational desk took more than two years. As a result, with the full support of the government of India, represented by the Archaeological Survey of India, we have managed to pay tribute to the great son of our people and his activities," the Kazakh ambassador said after the opening ceremony held on January 25.

On the initiative of the embassy, an international conference was organised on Muhammed Haidar Duglati: The golden bridge between India and Kazakhstan the same day. The conference was held with the support of the Centre of Central Asian Studies of the University of Kashmir.

The clearing of the site of Mirza Dughlat Beg has unearthed two inscriptions. One is set in a small, but exceedingly worn white marble stone that has disintegrated in two parts. This inscription has the Kalma Shada written in Persian nastaliq, followed by a Persian chronogram which gives the year of the death of Haidar.

This half portion of the marble stone has been retrieved during the excavation. The rest of it has also been found, and will be restored soon.

The second and more extensive inscription, also in Persian, is inscribed on a piece of grey limestone.

It was put beside the grave on Feburary 23, 1823, by Mir Izzat Ulalh Mughal. This extensive inscription was placed on the grave on the orders of the famous British veterinarian and traveller Willam Moorcraft, two years prior to his death in Bokhara. The inscription gives a brief account of the life of Mirza Dughlat Beg.

Mirza Dughlat Beg significantly enriched Kashmir culture with his strong personal interest in the arts and crafts. He was instrumental in introducing Tapdan Turashi, a craft of stone pinjakari, and several other Turkish crafts in Kashmir, and also felicitated the import of Pashmina from Central Asia to Kashmir.

Mirza Dughlat Beg first launched a military campaign in Kashmir in 1533, on behalf of Sultan Said Khan of Kashgar. He drove out Kamran, the second son of Babur, from Kashmir.

He did not stay long in Kashmir thereafter. He left after entering into a treaty with the local sultan, and striking coins in the name of Sultan Said Khan of Kashgar.

Mirza Dughlat Beg returned to Kashmir in 1540. This time, he came as the general of the army of Mughal emperor Humayun, the first son of Babur. Mirza Duglati had come to Kashmir with his army for a military takeover. The Mughal general was invited by one of the two rival factions that continually vied for power in Kashmir.

Mirza Dughlat Beg also attacked Tibet through Ladakh, but failed in his objective. Arriving in Kashmir, Mirza Dughlat Beg was installed as the Sultan the head of the Sayyid faction, Nazuk. In 1546, after Humayun recovered Kabul, Mirza Duglati removed Nazuk Shah and struck coins in the name of the Mughal emperor. He died in 1551 after being killed in battle with the Kashmiris.

His historical work Tarikh-i-Rashidi (History of Rashid) is a personal memoir combined with Central Asian history.

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Ltd., Cytiva Europe GmbH, Cytiva Sweden AB, Cytiva Sweden Holding AB, DH Europe Finance II Sarl, DH Europe Finance Sarl, DH Holding Italia SRL, DH Japan Finance Sarl, DH Life Sciences LLC, DH Netherlands BV, DH Technologies Development Pte Ltd., DHKAB Company AB, DTIL Ireland Holdings Ltd., Danaher (Shanghai) Management Co. Ltd., Danaher Hong Kong Limited, Danaher Medical ApS, Delta Consolidated Industries, Devicore Medical Products Inc., Easco Hand Tools, Esko, Esko BV, Esko Finance BV, Esko Graphics BV, Esko Software BV, FHAB Company AB, Fluke, G. Lufft Mess- und Regeltechnik GmbH, GE Biopharma, Gelman Sciences Inc., Gendex, Genetix Group, Gilbarco Veeder Root, Gilzoni Ltd., Global Life Sciences Solutions Austria GmbH & Co. KG, Global Life Sciences Solutions Germany GmbH, Global Life Sciences Solutions Korea Ltd., Global Life Sciences Solutions Manufacturing UK Ltd, Global Life Sciences Solutions New Zealand, Global Life Sciences Solutions Operations UK Ltd, Global Life Sciences Solutions Singapore Pte Ltd, Global Life Sciences Solutions USA LLC, Global Life Sciences Technologies (Shanghai) Co Ltd., Global Life Sciences Technologies Japan KK, Hach Company, Hach Lange Finance GmbH, Hach Lange GmbH, Hach Lange Sarl, Hach Sales & Services Canada LP, Hach Ultra Japan KK, Hach Water Quality Analytical Instru. (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., HemoCue AB, HyClone Laboratories LLC, Hybritech Incorporated, Hyclone Life Sciences Solutions India Private Limited, IDBS Group, IRIS International, Imaging Sciences International, Immunotech SAS, Immunotech Sro, Intabio LLC, Integrated DNA Technologies, Integrated DNA Technologies BVBA, Integrated DNA Technologies Inc., Integrated DNA Technologies Pte. Ltd., Iris International Inc., Joslyn Holding Company LLC, KVHG GmbH, KaVo, KaVo Kerr, Kaltenbach & Voigt, Keithley Instruments, Kipp & Zonen BV, Kollmorgen, Labcyte Inc., Laetus, Leica Biosystems Imaging Inc., Leica Biosystems Melbourne Pty Ltd, Leica Biosystems Newcastle Limited, Leica Biosystems Nussloch GmbH, Leica Biosystems Richmond Inc., Leica Instruments (Singapore) Pte Limited, Leica Microsystems, Leica Microsystems (UK) Limited, Leica Microsystems CMS GmbH, Leica Microsystems Cambridge Limited, Leica Microsystems IR GmbH, Leica Microsystems Inc., Leica Microsystems Limited, Leica Microsystems Ltd. Shanghai, Leica Mikrosysteme Vertrieb GmbH, Life Sciences Holdings France SAS*, Lifschultz Industries, Linx Printing Technologies, Linx Printing Technologies Limited, MDS Analytical Technologies, Marconi Data Systems, McCrometer Inc., Microtest, Molecular Devices, Molecular Devices (Austria) GmbH, Molecular Devices LLC, Navman Wireless, Navman Wireless OEM Solutions, Nihon Pall Ltd., Nihon Pall Manufacturing Limited, Nobel Biocare, OTT Hydromet Corp, Pall, Pall (Canada) ULC, Pall (China) Co. Ltd., Pall (Schweiz) GmbH, Pall Aeropower Corporation, Pall Artelis BVBA, Pall Asia Holdings Inc., Pall Australia Pty. Ltd., Pall Austria Filter Ges.m.b.h, Pall Corporation, Pall Europe Limited, Pall Filtersystems GmbH, Pall Filtration Pte. Ltd., Pall Filtration and Separations Group Inc., Pall France SAS, Pall GmbH, Pall India Pvt. Ltd., Pall International Sarl, Pall Italia Srl, Pall Korea Ltd., Pall Life Sciences Belgium BV, Pall Life Sciences Puerto Rico LLC, Pall Manufacturing UK Limited, Pall Medistad BV, Pall Netherlands BV Irish Branch, Pall Technology UK Limited, PaloDEX, Pantone LLC, Pelton & Crane, Phenomenex, Phenomenex Inc., Precision NanoSystems, QHC Ireland Finance Limited, Radiometer, Radiometer Basel AG, Radiometer K.K., Radiometer Medical ApS, Radiometer Medical Equipment (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Radiometer Turku Oy, Raytek, Reytek Corporation, SH Switzerland Finance Sarl, Sea-Bird Electronics Inc., SenDx Medical Inc., Shanghai AB Sciex Analytical Instrument Trading Co. Ltd., Sutron, Sybron Dental Specialties, TCIL Ireland Finance Ltd., Tektronix, Thomson Industries, Tianjin Bonna-Agela Technologies Co. Ltd., Trojan Technologies, Trojan Technologies Group ULC, VSS Monitoring, Videojet Do Brasil Comercio de Equipamentos Para Codificacao Industrial Ltda., Videojet Technologies (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Videojet Technologies Europe B.V., Videojet Technologies Inc., Viridor Waste Management Limited, Vision Systems Limited, Willett International, X-Ray Optical Systems Inc., X-Rite, X-Rite Europe GmbH, X-Rite Incorporated, X-Rite Switzerland GmbH, XOS, Yukon Hong Kong Holding Limited, and Zhuhai S.E.Z. Videojet Electronics Ltd..Legal & General Group Plc provides various insurance products and services in the United Kingdom, the United States, and internationally. It operates in four segments: Legal & General Retirement (LGR), Legal & General Investment Management (LGIM), Legal & General Capital (LGC), and Legal & General Insurance (LGI). The LGR segment offers annuity contracts with guaranteed income for a specified time; longevity insurance products for company pension schemes; lifetime mortgages; lifetime care plans; and retirement interest only mortgages. The LGIM segment provides index fund management; active fixed income funds and liquidity funds; active equity management; solution and liability driven investment; multi-asset funds; corporate pension scheme solutions; and real estate funds. The LGC segment offers investment strategy and implementation, and direct investment and structuring services. The LGI segment provides protection products, such as health, disability, critical illness, and accident; individual term assurance; reinsurance; savings and death benefits; and annuities. The company is also involved in the unit trust and institutional fund management, mortgage finance, treasury, building project and modular housing development, general insurance, and open-ended investment businesses, as well as manufacture of sheds. It also engages in the real estate investment, operation, management, and trading, fund general partner, fund trustee, commercial lending, venture capital investing, contractual scheme, management, pension tracing and transfer, investor alternative investment fund, collective asset-management, and investment management activities; and provision of investment advisory, business information consultancy, and technology services. The company was founded in 1836 and is headquartered in London, the United Kingdom.

Read MoreReinsurance Group of America, Inc. is a holding company, which engages in the provision of traditional and non-traditional life and health reinsurance products. It operates through the following segments: U.S. and Latin America; Canada; Europe, Middle East, and Africa; Asia Pacific; and Corporate and Other. The U.S. and Latin America segment markets individual and group life and health reinsurance to domestic clients for a variety of products through yearly renewable term agreements, coinsurance, and modified coinsurance. The Canada segment offers individual life reinsurance, and to a lesser extent creditor, group life and health, critical illness and disability reinsurance, through yearly renewable term and coinsurance agreements. The Europe, Middle East, and Africa segment serves individual and group life and health products through yearly renewable term and coinsurance agreements, reinsurance of critical illness coverage that provides a benefit in the event of the diagnosis of a pre-defined critical illness and underwritten annuities. The Asia Pacific segment comprises individual and group life and health reinsurance, critical illness coverage, disability, and superannuation thr

Read MoreBNP Paribas SA provides a range of banking and financial services in France and internationally. It operates through two divisions, Retail Banking and Services, and Corporate and Institutional Banking. The company offers long-term corporate vehicle leasing, and rental and other financing solutions; and digital banking and investment services, cash management, and factoring services to corporate clients, as well as wealth management services. It also provides credit solutions for individuals under the Cetelem, Cofinoga, Findomestic, AlphaCredit, and Opel Vauxhall brands; savings and protection solutions, including insuring individuals, and their personal projects and assets; and asset management, private banking, and real estate services. In addition, the company offers global market services, including investment, hedging, financing, research, and market intellingence across asset classes; security services comprising clearing, custody, and asset and fund services, as well as corporate trust, and market and financing services; and corporate trade and treasury, debt financing, specialized financing, strategic advisory, mergers and acquisition, and equity capital market services for institutional and corporate clients. The company was formerly known as Banque Nationale de Paris and changed its name to BNP Paribas SA in May 2000. BNP Paribas SA was founded in 1848 and is headquartered in Paris, France.

Read MoreThree minutes of trash talk about the Bahamas helped Kristal Ambrose win over the audience and the judges at the Three-Minute Thesis (3MT) finals at Dalhousie on Thursday evening.



The Masters of Marine Management student, whose research looks at how plastic waste impacts her home country of the Bahamas, won first place in the judged competition, netting a $2,000 scholarship and trip to the Eastern Regional 3MT competition at McGill University on April 18. She also took home a $500 scholarship for winning the peoples choice award, as voted on by a capacity crowd of 260 people at the Student Union Buildings McInnes Room.

Watch: Kristal Ambrose's winning presentation





For Ambrose, it was practice made perfect.



"Every night before I went to bed I would say it three or four times, she says. I would get in the mirror, I would rap it, I would sing it in opera, I would say it in all these different styles, I would say it in the shower, I would record myself and listen.



After not being happy with rehearsals, Ambrose injected more of her own voice to make the presentation more authentic.



"[I thought,] the one thing that has won you over in the past with people is your personality, so just stay true to yourself and speak from your heart and that's what I did and it worked, says Ambrose, who completed the winning speech with 30 seconds to spare.



Research from across the university



In her presentation Ambrose explained that shes using predictive mapping to look at how plastic moves around the islands of the Bahamas over space and over time and assessing the impacts of this debris on the health of our marine ecosystems and our economy.



Ambrose was one of 12 finalists came from a pool of 130 contenders, divided into 12 heats with the winner of each heat competing in the final.



Left to right: Sydney Breneol, Sarah Kraeutner, Namit Holay.

Ambrose was one of 12 finalists who came from a pool of 130 contenders, divided into 12 heats with the winner of each heat competing in the final. Some of the other presentations included Nursings Sydney Breneol, who visualized the web of care required for children with medical complexity; Psychology and Neurosciences Sarah Kraeutner, who asked the audience to make the link between mental visualization and physical performance by asking them to pretend to throw a dart; and Pathology student Namit Holay who researches the immune systems memory.

Engaging research



The groundwork for Ambroses thesis started in 2015 where she gathered data in her home country through a citizen-science project called the Plastic Beach Project, run through her Bahamas Plastic Movement not-for-profit organization.



The masters student met a colleague from Norway working on a similar project who helped her fine-tune her research ideas. Shes also working with her supervisor James Boxall from the Geographic Information System (GIS) Centre at Dal.



Obviously there's still some field work that needs to be done in the Bahamas, but being here, I have access to what I need, like the experts in the field, the software to do the work. So here is more of the theoretical component. At home I was really good at self-guiding myself through the practical field work.





Through her 3MT presentation, Ambrose explained her research but also challenged the audience to stop using single-use plastic items and illustrated how the waste that washes up on beaches may come from different countries, but ultimately the people of the Bahamas are responsible for cleaning it up.



This research is important to me because it acts as an awareness tool for people in the country to know how our habits and the way that we use plastic impacts our ecosystems and our beaches but also the global efforts of the world, says Ambrose. Their waste is regurgitated on the beaches so we have to do something about it.



Judging the presentations



The 3MT competition was hosted by Brett Ruskin of CBC Halifax, one of the sponsors of Dalhousies 200th anniversary celebrations. It was judged by MIT professor Erik Demaine, the youngest graduate in Dal history at the age of 14; Halifax Poet Laureate Rebecca Thomas; and Kristan Hines, NATIONALs vice-president of public affairs.







All of the Dalhousie 3MT finalists.

Even the judges showed competitive flare at the mid-way point of the night, as well as after all 12 finalists presented.



In the spirit of condensing, I tried to make one sentence to combine all the talks, said Demaine after the first six presentations.



The result: preemie zombie batteries relearning to play cards in storms.



Not to be outdone, the poet on the panel utilized her craft before the judges deliberated a winner, with Thomas saying:



They are trying for the monopoly on science ologies,

They givers of facts, not apologies.

Broke grad students, they needs this.

Each trying to win the 3 Minute Thesis.



In addition to Ambrose, additional winners on the night included Laura Hall, a graduate student in Psychology and Neuroscience. She finished second and won a $1,000 scholarship for her presentation showing how the old wives tale of starving a fever holds truth. Chemistry PhD student John Noel finished third, taking home a $500 scholarship for his presentation Bringing the Heat: Materials for Thermal Energy Storage.



Left-to-right: President Richard Florizone, first-place winner Kristal Ambrose, second-place winner Laura Hall, third-place winner John Noel, judge Kristan Hines, judge Rebecca Thomas, judge Erik Demaine.

Even after over 635,000 have died in the U.S. as a result of the coronavirus, some celebrities have continued to loudly protest against the advice of doctors and other medical professionals. Over 4.5 million around the world have died as a result of the pandemic.The fire broke out in Tamil Nadu's Theni district while a Chennai-based trekking club, which had 25 women and 3 children, had organised the expedition from Kurangani to Bodi in the Western Ghats. (Photo: ANI)

Theni: Ten of the 39 trekkers who were trapped in Sundays raging forest fire deep in Kurangani hills reserve near Theni in Tamil Nadu have died.

The people who died in the fire includes four women, four men and a child. Out of 27 people who have been rescued 10 of them have minor injuries, while 8 of them have serious injuries.

Thirty of the trekkers, mostly students, have been rescued and were rushed to a government hospital. The nine trekkers died of burn injuries. Search and rescue operations for the other missing trekkers are on.

The fire broke out in Tamil Nadu's Theni district while a Chennai-based trekking club, which had 25 women and 3 children, had organised the expedition from Kurangani to Bodi in the Western Ghats. The group was trapped in the raging fire on their way back on Sunday.

The trekkers  that included a group of 27 people from Chennai and a batch of 12 from Erode and Tirupur - were on their way back from a trek to the Kurangani hills, when they got caught in the fire.

Also Read: 15 of 40 trekkers rescued from Theni forest fire

The groups started the trek on Friday night and reached the Kerala side of the forest by Saturday. They started the trek from Kurangani on the Tamil Nadu border on Sunday morning. They were supposed to reach Bodi by evening and travel back to Chennai from Theni.

However, by afternoon the trekkers, mostly from Chennai, Tirupur and Erode, were caught in the forest fire.

The Air Force has been pressed into service for rescue operations.

With little or no communication facilities in the remote woods, due to lack of mobile phone towers, information was hard to get. However, tribals and some local villagers rushing in to volunteer help have been providing invaluable support to the rescue teams that took time to reach the spot braving the fire.

First reports, obtained from video shots from mobiles used by some local rescuers, showed the victims, many of them girls, in great pain and crying for water. Some of them had their dresses in tatters and burnt, bodies badly burnt and bruised. They were terrible visuals.

"Forest officials could be at fault. They should have either stopped these people from going in, considering there have been sporadic and widespread forest fire during the last few days in the region," said an official involved in the tough rescue operation, requesting anonymity.

The thick smoke, heat from the high flames and poor visibility post-sunset made the rescue operations difficult even as more help was expected, thanks to the instructions from Defence Minister Nirmala Sitaraman to the IAF and also the steps taken by Chief Minister K Palanisamy.

"15 people have been rescued from the fire so far. All rescued have been admitted to Bodinayyakanur government hospital for treatment. Special medical teams have been sent to Bodinayyakanur hospital," Health Minister C Vijayabhaskar wrote on his official Twitter page.

Sources said some of the rescued have suffered serious burn injuries.

The news broke a little after 5 pm on Sunday when Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman took to Twitter to announce that IAF helicopters will join the operations to rescue those caught in the fire.

State fire services sources said they got information from one of the trekking members at around 3 pm and they pressed several teams into rescue mission immediately.

Videos and photos shared on social networking sites showed how tough it would have been for the rescuers to bring the people, stuck amid the difficult hillside and the raging flames, to safety due to the tough terrain.

The videos also narrated the harrowing tales of those rescued and brought to hospitals. Since the fire took place in an area where the mobile network is not good, getting information proved to be very tough for both the officials and media.

A senior district forest official said personnel from the Forest Department were assisting the rescue team in saving the people from the spot.

Medical staff that waited in ambulances on foothills administered first aid to the girls rescued from forest fire before shifting them to near-by hospitals. Theni collector Mariam Pallavi Baldev visited the rescued women at hospitals and assured them of all help.

Police said the students from Coimbatore and Erode were taking training in Kurangai-Kozhuku Hill area when the fire suddenly broke out around noon. District Superintendent of Police V Baskaran and revenue and forest officials were taking steps to rescue the students from the trapped site.

Officials said the Defence Minister told the District collector to expedite the rescue operations in coordination with the other department officials including, the Air Force. Sources said it is the forest fire season in the dry Western Ghats, especially in the Theni and Palani hills and the forest department does not allow any trekking anywhere along the ghats.Hyderabad: The incident that took place in the Assembly today where Legislative Council Chairman Swami Gouds right eye was injured by headphones thrown by Congress MLA Komatireddy Venkata Reddy, has polarised the ruling TRS and Opposition Congress even further and led tio accusations and counter accusations. After the House adjourned for the day, TRS members speaking to the media took strong objection to the rowdyism of the Congress member and demanded action against him Congress members alleged that it was a pre-planned political drama enacted by the TRS. But Congress leader in the council Mohammad Ali Shabbir and Congress MLC Ponguleti Sudhakar Reddy admitted that it was an unfortunate incident, but they were also critical of the marshals deployed inside the house who they said outnumbered the legislators.

I was also injured: Komatireddy

Mr Komatireddy Venkatareddy said that his action was not intended to hurt Mr Swamy Goud he said was a very good person. He alleged that the marshals manhandled them in the house and another Congress MLA P Rammohan Reddy was injured. He said that he had to go to hospital for a check-up. He said that they wanted to express their dissent in the House as there was no mention of farmers' suicides in the Governor's address.

Congress MLA D.K. Aruna said it was pre-planned drama of the TRS so that they could take action against Congress members. She said Mr Swamy Goud was not injured in the incident of the headphones and the TRS has played it up and taken Mr Goud to hospital.

TPCC president and MLA N. Uttam Kumar Reddy also alleged that the TRS was playing up the incident. He recalled that TRS members such as present Irrigation Minister T. Harish Rao had tried to physically assault the same Governor Narasimhan when he addressed the state legislature in the erstwhile undivided Andhra Pradesh.

Opposition leader K Jana Reddy said that the marshals pushed his table and he had to sit on another seat. MLA T Jeevan Reddy alleged that the Swamy Goud incident was pre-planned at the TRSCLP meeting which was held on Sunday. Congress MLAs showed video clips of Swamy Goud seeing off the Governor where he has no injury to his eye.

TRS seeks suspension of Komatireddy

TRS MLAs have demanded the suspension of Komatireddy for a year from the House. Minister Talasani Srinivasa Yadav said that they will initiate disciplinary action against Komatireddy for his rowdyism in the house. TRS MLC Palla Rajeswar Reddy demanded that Komatireddy should be arrested and criminal proceedings should be initiated against him for physically attacking the chairman of the Council, Swamy Goud. Minister Harish Rao alleged that the Congress had targeted the Governor and that Congress leaders had behaved like goons.THIRUVANANTHPAURAM: The Sarang helicopter display team of Indian Air Force performed in the Mauritius city of Mahebourg at the island nation's National Day celebrations on Monday. IAF sources said the crowd at the carnival was awestruck and cheered their hearts to their daredevil aerobatics. Each manoeuvre kept increasing the heartbeat of the audience waiting for the next move by the pilots. As pilots swung the helicopters and made them dance to their tunes, the Mauritians participated with equal enthusiasm and applauded their efforts and skills.

At Champ De Mars, President Ram Nath Kovind was present. They perform at two more venue - at Mahebourg waterfront on March 15 and at Mon Choisy Beach on March 18. The motto Lame de Lame was displayed when the flypast flew. The show stoppers were four Sarang helicopters and the flag trooping of India by Navy helicopter. CASA aircraft of French Air Force, 02 Dorniers of Maritime Air Squadron, Eagle helicopter formation with one Dhruv and 02 Chetaks of Mauritius Police also participated.Sivan also said the ISRO was working on developing a mobile application for the benefit of fishermen.

Chennai: Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is gearing up for the next launch in the last week of March, Isro chairman K.Sivan told reporters here on Sunday. He said Indias second mission to the moon Chandrayaan-2 is likely to be launched in April or October as still tests are going on the mission.

It is not like other missions where the launch date can be pushed by few days to conduct some more tests. Here the spacecraft needs to land on a specific spot on the moon to do the studies. We will launch the GSAT-6A communication satellite with GSLV-Mk-II rocket. Within weeks we are planning to launch navigation replacement satellite IRNSS-1I satellite with PSLV rocket, K.Sivan said.

Isro officials said. Chandrayaan-2 consists of an orbiter with one-year mission span, a lander and a rover that can operate for 14 to 15 days on the lunar surface. After reaching the lunar orbit, the Lander housing the rover will separate from the orbiter. After a controlled descent, the lander will soft land on the lunar surface at a specified site and deploy the rover.

Sivan also said the ISRO was working on developing a mobile application for the benefit of fishermen. We are working on the app (application). It will inform fishermen where large quantities of fish are available. It will also give them messages about the conditions of the sea. It is in production mode (currently), he said. In January, the ISRO successfully launched PSLV-C40 carrying Cartosat-2 Series satellite from the spaceport of Sriharikota about 110 km from here.

Click on Deccan Chronicle Technology and Science for the latest news and reviews. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter.WASHINGTON  When Karen Gaffney's mother found out she would be born with Down syndrome, the doctor said Karen probably would not be able to tie her own shoes. Instead, as Karen explained in a moving and eloquent TEDx Talk, she has become an accomplished open-water swimmer who has crossed the English Channel in a relay race and completed the swimming leg of the Escape from Alcatraz triathlon.

Now she fears the result of a new race  the one to "find newer, faster ways" to screen for Down syndrome so more children with the disability can be killed in the womb.

Her fears are well-founded. CBS News recently reported that Iceland was on the verge of "eliminating" Down syndrome. Unfortunately, there was no great medical breakthrough to report. Iceland, it turns out, is not eliminating Down syndrome; it is eliminating people with Down syndrome. The country's abortion rate for Down syndrome babies is close to 100 percent  the highest in the world. Denmark is close behind at 98 percent. In the United States, it is 67 percent  and Karen fears the rates here will soon reach European levels.

"Save our lives!" she pleads.

Sadly, there will always be those who see people with Down syndrome as nothing more than a burden on society. Princeton University professor Robert George recently tweeted out a shocking video in which a bureaucrat from Dutch National Institute for Public Health shows a man with Down syndrome on a blackboard how "expensive" he is for society compared with "normal" people. "Do the Dutch, who suffered under  and in many cases heroically resisted  Hitler's domination, forget that the 'final solution' began with the dehumanization and eugenic killing of the handicapped?" George asked.

Today, more and more people with Down syndrome are speaking out and demanding recognition of their humanity. Recently, Frank Stephens appeared before the House Appropriations Committee, where he told members of Congress, "I am a man with Down syndrome and my life is worth living." Noting the abortion rates for babies with Down syndrome in Europe, he declared, "I completely understand that the people pushing this particular 'final solution' are saying that people like me should not exist," but he pleaded, "Let's be America, not Iceland or Denmark. ... Let's pursue inclusion, not termination."

The message of inclusion is slowly getting through. Last month, baby food maker Gerber named Lucas Warren  a boy with Down syndrome  its 2018 "Gerber Spokesbaby," selecting him out of 140,000 entries for his "glowing and giggly smile." Good for Gerber. His smile glowing should be no surprise. A 2011 study by Harvard University researchers found that rather than leading lives of suffering, people with Down syndrome have unusually high rates of happiness. An amazing 99 percent said they are happy with their lives, 97 percent like who they are and 96 percent like how they look. "Overall, the overwhelming majority of people with Down syndrome surveyed indicate they live happy and fulfilling lives," the researchers found.

Surveys from Boston Children's Hospital found that, far from being a burden on their families, children with Down syndrome bring enormous joy to their loved ones. Ninety-four percent of siblings expressed feelings of pride about their brother or sister with Down syndrome, and 88 percent said they were better people because of them. Only 4 percent would trade their sibling in for another, and only 4 percent of parents regretted having their Down syndrome child. It turns out, the researchers concluded, that "the experience of Down syndrome is a positive one for most parents, siblings and people with Down syndrome themselves."

Lawmakers are taking notice. As The Washington Post reports this week, more states are passing laws prohibiting doctors from performing abortions because of a fetal Down syndrome diagnosis. Indiana, North Dakota, Louisiana and Ohio have passed such laws, with Ohio's "Down Syndrome Non-Discrimination Act" scheduled take effect later this month. Utah debated a similar law. The bill's sponsor, Republican state Rep. Karianne Lisonbee, says it is "Utah's message to the world that we will not tolerate discrimination." Naturally, pro-abortion absolutists are suing to block these laws (successfully, in the case of Indiana).

It is simply intolerable that so many joyous lives are being snuffed out. "All lives are a gift from God," Gaffney says. "To me, that means that all lives matter, even if you will be born with an extra chromosome."PARK CITY  Corey Allinson is one of the good guys. He doesnt want to go negative. He doesnt want to see the glass half empty.

But hes also a realist. As a sergeant in the Park City Police Department, he looks around at the towns schools and concert venues and convention centers and businesses and says, Hopefully it will never happen, but we have to be of the mindset that its coming and we will be on our game when it does.

It is a mass shooting.

If you havent already put your mind in that state, if you havent determined that its not a matter of if but when, I dont know how you go in that building or that arena, he says. Because the body wont go where the mind hasnt already gone.

  

The irony that if hed said such things just 20 years ago, hed have been called a doomsdayer or a fanatic or something worse is not lost on Sgt. Allinson. He graduated from Layton High School in 1998. He has a vague recollection that a school resource officer came around the school his senior year, but couldnt tell you his name or if he was full time.

He knows he didnt hear anyone talk about procedures or drills or lockdowns or lockouts.

Never in my school experience did they ever do a lockdown or a lockout or any kind of discussion or drill that was related to an act of violence.

It was the next year, 1999, when two students killed 13 people at Columbine High School near Denver. Ever since, the unheard of has become heard of.

Sgt. Allinson points to statistics that document the escalation of mass shootings in the 21st century, not just in schools but in businesses and other public places. According to the website gunviolencearchive.org, in 2014 there were 270 mass shootings in America  a mass shooting being defined as an incident where four or more people were killed or injured. In 2015 the number jumped to 333; in 2016, 383; in 2017, 346.

Were dealing in this country with almost one a day, he says. I think that breaks down those barriers to thinking that it wont happen here.

Statistics also show, he points out, that 29 percent of the mass shootings occur in schools. The remaining 71 percent are in other locations. Also, 98 percent involve a single attacker, 86 percent end violently, with the attacker killed or committing suicide, and the vast majority are over within five minutes or less.

Those are the facts, and the only conceivable silver lining they offer is as a wakeup call to be prepared  the most recent coming from the Parkland school shooting in Florida, where 17 people were killed.

My motors pretty ramped up all the time anyway, says Sgt. Allinson, but Parkland solidified for me that what were doing is appropriate and we need to be even more prepared. The next morning I did another gear check. Made sure Im ready. If all of a sudden we got that call, do I have everything I need?

He strongly urges everyone to do their own gear check. Not in a cop kind of way, with bulletproof vests and two-way radios and multiple weapons, but to think rationally about how to behave if, heaven forbid, the worst-case scenario should happen.

Schoolkids, he contends, should know they have options.

What I teach my kids (he has four young children at home), is if they have the opportunity to get out, get away, thats what they should do. If the violence will be over in less than five minutes and they have the opportunity to not be confronted or get away from that environment, I want them to go.

If a child doesnt understand they have the option to get out of a hallway, or go into the bathroom, or break a window, or throw things, it limits their ability to be proactive. You can't have just one standard plan.

He reiterates: The body cant go where the mind hasnt already gone. That applies to everyone.

Its not a fun message, the sergeant admits. He wishes he didnt have to devote so much time and attention talking about the possibility of a mass shooting and asking people to be prepared. But times have certainly changed.

The only drill I remember in high school was the fire drill, he says.

And that was just 20 years ago.Utah isnt the least drunken state in the country, according to a new report from 24/7 Wall St.

The new report identified Utah as the 48th drunkest state (or the third least drunken state).

The report found only 12.4 percent of Utahns report excessive drinking, which is below the 18 percent amount of adults who binge drink or drink heavily across the nation.

Only about 19.7 percent of driving deaths that happen in Utah are related to alcohol, which is the lowest driving death rate in the entire country, the report said.

The national average for driving deaths related to drinking sits at 30 percent.

Low excessive drinking rates in Utah are partially attributable to religious faith. Over half of the states population identify as Mormon, a religion that expressly forbids alcohol consumption, according to the report.

Tennessee ended up as the least drunken state in the country with only 11.2 percent of adults drinking excessively. West Virginia ranked as the second least drunken state with 11.4 percent adults excessively drinking.

North Dakota topped the list with 24.7 percent of its people drinking excessively, followed closely by Wisconsin (24.5 percent), Alaska (22.1 percent), Montana (21.8 percent) and Illinois (21.2 percent).

See the full results at 24/7 Wall St.

For the report, 24/7 Wall St. used data on men and women over the age of 18 who report drinking in each state from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The report also used state data from a few data programs, including the County Health Rankings & Roadmaps, a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute joint program. Economic factors were discovered from the U.S. Census Bureaus 2016 American Community Survey.

Back in 2015, a report from the Global Health Data Exchange ranked Utah and West Virginia as two of the driest states in the country, according to The Week.

The map, which based its rankings on general alcohol consumption, showed nearly all of Utah and much of the South as having low drinking rates.

Most people know Mormons are supposed to be teetotalers, so the fact that Utah doesn't drink much isn't surprising, according to The Week.

Starting Dec. 30 of this year, Utah will have one of the countrys toughest DUI laws, dropping the legal blood alcohol content while driving from .08 to .05 percent, the Deseret News reported. Lawmakers rejected a bill in late February that would have delayed the law for four years.SOUTH JORDAN, Utah  While pointing out marble, mahogany, artwork and art-glass features during Mondays media tour of the newly renovated Jordan River Utah Temple, two LDS Church leaders paused in one of the sacred edifices sixteen sealing rooms to share poignant personal moments.

Elder Larry Y. Wilson, a General Authority Seventy of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and executive director of the faiths Temple Department, recalled being a seven-year-old boy in 1957 and joining his parents and two younger sisters in the Idaho Falls Temple in an ordinance  or religious rite  where marriage and family relationships are blessed to extend beyond mortality.

As they knelt at the altar, he said of his parents, we were able to also kneel with them, place our hands upon their hands to be sealed as an eternal family. That is one of the most important events that has ever occurred in my life.

Grid View The baptistry in the Jordan River Utah Temple. Intellectual Reserve, Inc.

The bride's room in the Jordan River Utah Temple. Intellectual Reserve, Inc.

The celestial room in the Jordan River Utah Temple. Intellectual Reserve, Inc.

The Jordan River Utah Temple in 1981 at the time of the open house. Intellectual Reserve, Inc.

Latter-days Saints lined up to attend the dedication services at the Jordan River Utah Temple in 1981. Intellectual Reserve, Inc.

The Jordan River Utah Temple. Intellectual Reserve, Inc.

Church President Spencer W. Kimball, seals the cornerstone prior to dedicating the Jordan River Utah Temple in 1981. Intellectual Reserve, Inc.

Spencer W. Kimball, president of the Church is being escorted by his secretary D. Arthur Haycock for the dedication of the Jordan River Utah Temple in 1981. Intellectual Reserve, Inc.

The Jordan River Utah Temple at dusk. Intellectual Reserve, Inc.

The bride's room in the Jordan River Utah Temple. Intellectual Reserve, Inc.

The baptistry in the Jordan River Utah Temple. Intellectual Reserve, Inc.

Oxen under the baptismal font of the Jordan River Utah Temple. Intellectual Reserve, Inc.

Several paintings of Jesus Christ can be seen in the Jordan River Utah Temple. Intellectual Reserve, Inc.

Artistic details can be seen in the Jordan River Utah Temple. Intellectual Reserve, Inc.

Architectural and artistic details in the Jordan River Utah Temple. Intellectual Reserve, Inc.

Architectural and artistic detail in the Jordan River Utah Temple. Intellectual Reserve, Inc.

Artistic detail in the Jordan River Utah Temple. Intellectual Reserve, Inc.

The celestial room chandelier in the Jordan River Utah Temple. Intellectual Reserve, Inc.

Beautiful decor in the Jordan River Utah Temple. Intellectual Reserve, Inc.

Architectural and artistic detail in the Jordan River Utah Temple. Intellectual Reserve, Inc.

Artisan windows are in many locations in the Jordan River Utah Temple. Intellectual Reserve, Inc.

Entry into the Jordan River Utah Temple. Intellectual Reserve, Inc.

One of the sealing rooms in the Jordan River Utah Temple. Intellectual Reserve, Inc.

A sealing room in the Jordan River Utah Temple. Intellectual Reserve, Inc.

An instruction room in the Jordan River Utah Temple. Intellectual Reserve, Inc.

An instruction room in the Jordan River Utah Temple. Intellectual Reserve, Inc.

Sister Joy D. Jones, the churchs Primary general president, expressed feeling a closeness with her son, Trevor, who passed away nearly six months ago at the age 39 after a valiant three-year battle with cancer.

Ive watched my children grow up through the Jordan River Temple  its been a sacred experience for our family, she said, noting her family moved from California to Draper 23 years ago. Sister Jones said that, upon reaching the age of 12, her children have gone to the Jordan River Temple to do sacred ordinance work for deceased ancestors. Such was the case with her son, Trevor.

He feels so close to me when Im here, she added of being both in the Jordan River Temple specifically and all temples in general. It just feels that there is no separation between us. Its an amazing thing to lose a loved one and to realize that theres still so close, theyre still part of us. I dont see death as a separation anymore  he is always close, but somehow being in the temple just brings him extremely close.

And so, Elder Wilson and Sister Jones  both members of the faiths Temple and Family History Executive Committee  not only detailed the physical features associated with the remodeling and refreshing of the nearly 37-year-old Mormon temple in central Salt Lake Valley, but also tried to share how temples and worship there can help shape spiritual lives.

It changes your perspective on everything, Elder Wilson said. It changes how you look at your family members, how you act towards them, what you try to build in terms of the relationships you have with them, because you recognize that they are going to extend beyond this life in the next and that they are of an eternal nature.

And Sister Jones explained how the temple helps strengthen her as she faces challenges. There are a lot of ups and downs in this life, she said, and we can face them with a big smile and gratitude because we know who our God is, we know He loves us perfectly and we know that He sent His Son to save us from sin. And thats glorious.

Prior to closing in February 2016, the Jordan River Utah Temple served some 200,000 Mormons in 66 stakes  a stake being similar to a Catholic diocese  residing within the temple district. The temple will be open for a public open house from Saturday, March 17, through Saturday, April 28, except Sundays and Saturday, March 31, the latter being the first day of the churchs April 2018 general conference. Online reservations for the tour can be made at templeopenhouse.lds.org.

The temple will be rededicated on Sunday, May 20, in sessions and will reopen on Tuesday, May 22, to faithful Mormons holding a temple recommend.

LDS temples differ from more-common chapels and meetinghouses. Church members make formal commitments to God in temples. They are a place where couples are married and families are sealed together for eternity.

Renovations include building reinforcements, seismic upgrades, mechanical and electrical upgrades, hard-celling installations and the removal of escalators. Additions include a new entrance for the baptistry and a new exit for brides and grooms  out the temples back side on the west end and opening up to an expansive courtyard. Newly married couples previously emerged from the temple to waiting family and friends at the front entrance, creating congestion problems with regular temple patrons.

Interior materials include marble from Italy and Turkey, mahogany from Africa and fabrics from Thailand and China. Landscaping of the 15-acres site located at 10200 S. 1300 West in South Jordan includes the planting of some 10,000 perennials.

Meanwhile, many of the temples elements remain the same or have been enhanced  the draped-motif design is common to the interior and exterior, the lower-level cafeteria will be retained (while similar temple cafeterias are being discontinued at renovation time), the thick, colorful art glass for the windows and towers have been cleaned (with the towers glass now backlit), and the gold-leafed Angel Moroni statue atop the spire remains only one of five in the church where Moroni holds a set of plates representative of the Book of Mormon.

Boasting 148,236 square feet total over five levels, the Jordan River Utah Temple remains the fourth-largest of the churchs 159 operating temples and is the largest as far as patron occupancy, with its six instruction rooms able to seat 125 each. It is expected to return as one of the faiths busiest temples.

On Feb. 3, 1978, then-LDS Church President Spencer W. Kimball originally announced the Jordan River Temple in a news conference; he helped break ground on June 9, 1979 by operating a a Caterpillar tractor with a large, power-scoop shovel.

Layton Construction Co. of Salt Lake City was awarded the construction contract with a bid of $12.55 million for the edifice that was projected at $15 million, with dollar amounts for temple constructions and renovations no longer released by the church. It was built at a time when temples construction was funded by member donations and contributions.

Craig P. Burton, coordinator of the temples open house, dedication and cultural celebration committee, recalled his young family  including wife Linda K. Burton, a previous general Relief Society president, and their children  making donations beyond their regular tithing contributions for the temple project. The church announced three days before the groundbreaking that donations had covered the projected building cost, with excess monies being used for operations and maintenance for several years after the temple opened.

The temple's original open house, which ran from Sept. 29 to Oct. 31, 1981, drew more than a half-million people. The 2018 open house is projected to attract as much as twice that number.

It became the second temple to be built in the Salt Lake Valley, 88 years after the iconic Salt Lake Temple, and the churchs 20th operating temple.

The new Jordan River Temple was dedicated on Nov. 16, 1981, by President Marion G. Romney, then second counselor in the First Presidency. Fifteen dedicatory sessions were conducted Nov. 16-20.

Correction: A previous version of the photo gallery in this story incorrectly identified the temple chapel as an instruction room.OGDEN  An Ogden man charged with murder when he was 18 years old has been sentenced to prison for the gang-related killing.

Devin Brock Smith, 20, was ordered March 6 to serve at least 15 years and up to life in prison for murder in the death of Miguel Angel Rios, 29.

Smith pleaded guilty to the charge in January as part of a deal with prosecutors. In exchange, a weapons enhancement on the murder charge was dropped, along with two additional counts of obstructing justice and possession of a weapon by a restricted person, second-degree felonies.

Prosecutors also agreed as part of the deal not to seek a gang enhancement on the murder charge, and not to send a letter to the Board of Pardons and Parole about the case, according to court documents.

Rios was shot multiple times in a home at 562 31st St. on May 6, 2016. Police said Rios and Smith are members of rival gangs.

Witnesses reported seeing two people running from the area after the shooting, according to police. Officers found Smith and another 18-year-old, Jeremy Anthony Moncada, in a nearby home, 3046 Porter Ave., and took them into custody.

"(Smith) said that (Rios) exchanged words and gang signs with him, and 'flexed on him,'" leading to the shooting, according to court documents.

Moncada was charged with evidence tampering, a second-degree felony, and possession of a firearm by a restricted person, a third-degree felony, after police say he took the .22-caliber revolver from Smith, wrapped it in some clothing and hid it in a crawl space.

Moncada pleaded guilty to the charges in September 2016, with the evidence-tampering charge reduced to a class A misdemeanor. He was ordered to serve 180 days in jail.

New charges were filed against Moncada on Monday after police say he was pulled over last week for not having a driver's license and was found with a gun in his pants pocket. He is still on probation in connection with the homicide case.SOUTH JORDAN, Utah  Sister Joy D. Jones stepped across the threshold of a sealing room in the newly renovated Jordan River Utah Temple and reunited, spiritually, with her late son, Trevor.

I cannot walk into a sealing room and not feel his presence, she said. I know we will be with him again, and that means everything.

Trevor Jones died six months ago following a long battle with cancer. He was 39.

Sister Jones agrees the opening (or reopening) of a temple anywhere in the world is cause to celebrate. But the Jordan River temple is special for the Jones family. Years ago, they moved from Northern California to Draper, Utah. The temple  built just a short walk from its namesake river  became the familys second home.

There is a little piece of me here, she said a few moments later outside the temple. When asked if she could imagine dealing with the loss of child without the temples sacred assurances, she shakes her head.

We miss our son terribly, she said, but we rejoice that our Savior has made it possible for our family to be together again.

Sister Jones teamed up with Elder Larry Y. Wilson on March 12, hosting reporters on a tour through the renovated temple. Passing through the buildings placid rooms and hallways, they pointed out newly hung murals, carpet design patterns and other interior elements.

But the reopening of the Jordan River temple, they said, transcends new glasswork, fresh carpet and a modernized heating and air system.

When he was a little boy, young Larry Wilson dressed in white, knelt at an altar in the Idaho Falls Idaho Temple and was sealed to his family. That ceremony forever changed his relationship with the people he loves most.

Now a General Authority Seventy and the Churchs executive director of the Temple Department, hes visited dozens of temples across the globe. But he remains anchored to that childhood temple memory of being forever connected to his parents and siblings. It was one of the greatest experiences of my life, he said.

A towering landmark

Countless Latter-day Saints who call the Jordan River Utah Temple my temple could likely add their own life-defining experiences to those still impacting Sister Jones and Elder Wilson. Dedicated in 1981, the 149,476-square-foot building stands as an inviting physical landmark and a spiritual refuge from the worlds challenges.

After more than three decades of service, the Churchs 20th operating temple was closed in February of 2016 for extensive renovation.

Over time, temples tire, said Bishop Dean M. Davies, first counselor in the Presiding Bishopric. Its like owning a car. After a few years, you have to change the tires. And so in a temple, over a number of years, we have systems that show wear  heating, ventilation, air conditioning, electrical systems.

Beyond the mechanical and seismic upgrades, workers also completely refreshed the interior of the Jordan River Utah Temple. Carpets have been replaced and new murals and other art features are found throughout the buildings five levels. Mahogany-fluted millwork fashioned by Utah artisans harmonizes with the interiors drape motif design. New floor features throughout the temple include marble imported from Turkey.

Other renovation highlights include interior art glass, customized light fixtures and a new art deco pattern motif applied on the ceiling in the celestial room. Meanwhile, a grand staircase has replaced the temples escalators. (Elevators are found throughout the temple to assist patrons who need them.)

New exterior features include a locally designed fountain near the temples main entry and an exit on the west side where newly married couples can greet their guests and take photos. The ornate west exit opens onto a concrete plaza replete with decorative metal bench seating.

The Jordan River Utah Temple is better than when it was new.  Weve even added 10,000 perennials outside, said Elder Wilson with a smile.

Besides reducing operation and maintenance costs, the recently completed renovation reflects the Churchs commitment to being a good steward in the community, added Bishop Davies.

Long-time Jordan River temple patrons such say the renovations have not diminished the temples distinctive feel. The temple is beautiful, said Courtney Blackham, of Riverton, Utah. I grew up serving in this temple, so Im so excited to bring my kids here. Its all about families.

Tour the temple

Now visitors of all backgrounds are invited to see the renovated temple for themselves. A public open house begins Saturday, March 17, and runs through April 28, except for March 18, 24, 25 and 31 and April 1, 8, 15 and 22. Free tickets are available at templeopenhouse.lds.org.

We welcome everyone in the community to come see this beautiful temple, said Elder Wilson. It will give everyone a better understanding of what happens in an LDS temple and why they are significant to members of our faith.

Plus, they will be able to see one of the most beautiful buildings to be seen anywhere in the Salt Lake Valley.

Families can build their own timeless memories during the open house, added Sister Jones. I hope the temple will be filled with children. As they walk through, they will feel the spirit of the temple and a desire to come back.Taking dead aim at rival Reliance Jio Bharti Airtel is launching LTE (VoLTE) services in Kolkata.

This means Airtel 4G users in Kolkata can look forward to a superior calling experience in terms of quality and faster connections.

In a statement Bharti said, Airtel VoLTE, which works over 4G, will enable customers across the city to enjoy HD quality voice calls with a faster call set up time, We are delighted to extend our VoLTE footprint to Kolkata with the launch of our services today. Complementing our world class 4G network, VoLTE will add to the customer experience and our range of smartphone offerings, Sameer Anjaria, CEO, West Bengal & Odisha, Bharti Airtel said.

VoLTE allows an operator to offer both voice and data without switching between bands, with voice being just another application that rides on an LTE data network. Incumbents currently offers calling on the legacy circuit-switch technology. Airtel said there would be no additional data charges for VoLTE and calls would be billed as per existing plan or packs benefits.

Bharti Airtels wide 4G network coverage enables seamless connectivity on Airtel VoLTE and in case of non-availability of 4G network, Airtel VoLTE calls will automatically fall back on the 3G/2G network to ensure customers continue to stay connected at all times.

Over 100 4G smartphone models are now compatible with Airtel VoLTE, which will allow customers to experience HD calling with faster call set up time. With top-end devices available from Apple, Samsung, OnePlus, and Xiaomi, customers can now choose from the best of flagship 4G smartphones including the iPhone X, iPhone 8 series, Samsung S7 & S7 Edge, OnePlus 5 & 5T to enjoy Airtel VoLTE services, the company added.

Bharti Airtel has already launched VoLTE services in Mumbai, Maharashtra, Goa, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka and is slated to go national by end-March 2018.The safety of some of Indias top-selling type 2 diabetes drugs has prompted international concern among researchers.

India has one of the highest rates of type 2 diabetes in the world, so researchers assessed the efficacy and safety of the top-selling drugs being used to treat the condition.

Study teams from the University of Massachusetts Amherst School of Public Health and Health Sciences in the US and Newcastle University in the UK used World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines to assess the efficacy of drugs which include a combination of metformin and one or more other drugs.

Known as fixed-dose combinations (FDCs), normally taken in tablet form, the drugs were developed to help make taking medication more convenient as they combine two or more drugs in a fixed ratio into a single dose form. The top five best-selling FDCs available in India are made by large multinational companies.

The study findings are relevant to a current court trial which is ongoing in India. In 2016, Indias government banned 344 unapproved FDCs which either did not have any clinical support or were found to not be safe to use.

However, the decision was later overturned by the state-level Delhi High Court later that year. The government appealed the decision and the Drugs Technical Advisory Board was given six months to reconsider the banned drugs.

Senior author Allyson Pollock from Newcastle University said: The lack of good trial evidence for these five top-selling metformin combination medicines for treatment of type 2 diabetes is of deep concern.

We want the medicines that doctors prescribe for their patients to be safe and effective and for that to be supported by sound evidence and by properly conducted, transparent clinical trials.

Those involved in the research want the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisatio, who regulate all the drugs in India, to go public with the evidence for approving the FDCs which are currently being used to provide confidence in their efficacy and safety.

The researchers concluded: Our examination exposes serious deficiencies in the evidence base for metformin FDCs for type 2 diabetes and raises questions about the role of multinational corporations in manufacturing these for sale and use.

The report has been published in the British Medical Journal (BMJ).US researchers have discovered that people with type 1 diabetes have unique inflammation patterns, which could help lead to treatments aimed at preventing complications.

Long-term high blood sugar levels in people with type 1 diabetes appears to result in chronic inflammation, researchers say, which can impair organs, nerves and blood vessels.

Scientists from Augusta University and Georgia Research Alliance Eminent Scholar in Genomic Medicine set about examining markers of inflammation in 89 people with diabetes-related kidney disease as well as 483 people with type 1 diabetes but without kidney problems.

Ten mediators of inflammation were elevated in those with kidney damage, with proteins of two pathways, TNF-alpha and IL-6, significantly elevated in 40% of this group. Another 40% of patients had moderately elevated levels.

The researchers believe blood levels of these inflammatory mediators could provide biomarkers for predicting who with type 1 diabetes will develop kidney-related damage.

We all think that prevention of inflammation will help prevent or delay diabetic kidney disease and probably other consequences of type 1 diabetes, said study author Dr Jin-Xiong She.

But not all inflammation is the same and not all patients have the same inflammation, even patients with the same condition like type 1 diabetes.

From a prevention or therapeutic point of view, you really have to know what are the primary inflammatory mediators that are increased in a given patient so you can target those. That is really predictive, preventive personalized medicine and that is exactly what we are trying to enable.

The study group is now conducting a larger analysis of these mediators and has begun to explore whether they too are elevated in people with type 2 diabetes.

The study results appear online in the journal Frontiers in Immunology.Three seats. Over 391km/h. The McLaren F1 successor is almost here and its promising to be the British marques fastest road car ever, overtaking its predecessors world record speed of 243mph back in 1992.

Tentatively codenamed BP23, the cars performance was confirmed at the Geneva Motor Show by CEO Mike Flewitt who also revealed that the car will arrive later in 2018. The McLaren BP23 name stands for bespoke, project two, three seater and it will follow the same iconic layout as the original car  a centre driving position with two seats either side.

Interestingly, the BP23 wont be chasing elusive Nurburgring laptimes once it debuts. The new model will instead be a grand tourer with more power than a P1s 673kW. The drivetrain will also be hybrid powered, likely making use of the 720S twin-turbo 4.0-litre V8 paired to electric motors.

Once the BP23 arrives it will sit alongside the McLaren Senna as part of the brands Ultimate Series which means that it will have a real name instead of the usual alphanumerical nameplate of the Super Sport Series.

Keen to express your interest? Youre too late. McLaren will be hosting a private showing of the car to just 106 people  of the 106, all are customers who have already purchased the car for 1.6 million or AU$2.8 million.

McLaren will only be making 106 examples of the car.

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Uber on Thursday introduced Uber Health, a new service designed to provide reliable transportation specifically for healthcare-related needs. The program, which is currently in beta, will offer healthcare providers a way to order rides for their patients to help them keep their appointments.

Uber Health addresses a growing problem, especially with seniors and others who lack good transportation options for visits to doctors or clinics.

As many as 3.6 million Americans miss doctor appointments due to lack of reliable transportation, suggests data from the Community Transport Association. This problem is especially troublesome for those with chronic illnesses.

The new Uber service is designed to provide a flexible ride schedule for both patients and caregivers. Rides can be scheduled immediately when needed -- much like the traditional Uber service -- but they also can be ordered up to 30 days in advance and scheduled along with follow-up healthcare appointments. There will be an option for providers to schedule multiple rides using a single dashboard.

The service meets HIPAA standards, according to Uber.

Click Image to Enlarge

Uber Health gets around the technology gap for low-income patients and seniors who do not own a smartphone, which typically is required to order a ride from Uber or a competing service. Uber Health rides can be ordered via text message instead of using an app, and patients also can receive ride information via a landline.

Uber Health currently is undergoing a beta test with more than 100 healthcare organizations in the United States. Early testers include hospitals, clinics, rehab centers, senior care facilities, home care centers and physical therapy providers. Adams Clinical, Manhattan Women's Health, NYU Perlmutter Cancer Center and Yale New Haven Health are among those participating in the test.

Filling the Void

The Uber Health service could extend awareness to a segment of the community who may not even understand the concept of ride sharing.

"Uber Health address a clear and identified need among Americans," said Roger Entner, principal analyst at Recon Analytics.

"Many Americans are infirm and unable to afford going to the hospital using an ambulance, and currently many are choosing regular rideshare or taxi services to get to the hospital," he told TechNewsWorld.

Uber Health could offer a more affordable and, more importantly, dependable service to those individuals.

"Certainly, giving patients more transportation options and ensuring people get to appointments is valuable," said Greg Sterling, vice president of strategy and insights at the Local Search Association.

"This would be primarily aimed at people who don't have the Uber app themselves and might otherwise have trouble getting to healthcare providers," he told TechNewsWorld.

Ambulance Chasing

One question that may need to be addressed is how this service will respond to ride requests from the seriously ill -- it's unlikely that drivers would be qualified to provide any healthcare.

"These services -- and drivers -- are not trained nor properly insured to transport sick people, opening up Uber drivers to the risk of lawsuits," cautioned Entner.

However, Uber Health is not really intended to be a substitute for an ambulance, Sterling pointed out.

"Because it's largely controlled by the medical provider, I don't see people using it in that way, and patients are already at greater risk using the traditional Uber service in that way," he suggested.

"This isn't a replacement for emergency services," said Entner, "but Uber Health can provide the necessary services to get you to a doctor or hospital at a lower cost."

In the future, there may not even be a driver at all.

"It could become autonomous in the future," said Sterling, "but I would imagine the company wouldn't introduce that until long after it was proven in other contexts."

Peter Suciu has been an ECT News Network reporter since 2012. His areas of focus include cybersecurity, mobile phones, displays, streaming media, pay TV and autonomous vehicles. He has written and edited for numerous publications and websites, including Newsweek, Wired and FoxNews.com. Email Peter.

In the event of World War III, the only way for humanity to survive is to colonize Mars or the moon, according to Elon Musk.

"I'm not predicting that we're about to enter the dark ages, but there's some probability that we will, particularly if there's a third world war," the SpaceX and Tesla founder said during a question and answer session at the South by Southwest (SXSW) Conference in Austin on Sunday ahead of President Donald Trump's possible nuclear talks with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.

"We want to make sure there's enough of a seed of human civilization somewhere else to bring civilization back and, perhaps, shorten the length of the dark ages," Musk continued during his chat with Jonathan Nolan, the co-creator of HBO's Westworld.

"It's important to get a self-sustaining base ideally on Mars, because Mars is far enough away from Earth that [if there's a war on Earth] the Mars base is more likely to survive than a moon base," he said. "But I think a moon base and a Mars base that could perhaps regenerate life back here on Earth would be really important."

Musk's remarkswhich you can watch beloware similar to comments made by theoretical physicist Stephen Hawking, who also thinks that humanity needs to colonize Mars, the moon or other planets in order survive threats such as climate change.

Musk said it will not be easy for the first people living in space.

"The moon and Mars are often thought of as some escape hatch for rich people, but it won't be that at all," he said. "Really it kind of reads like Shackleton's ad for Antarctic explorers ... difficult, dangerous, good chance you'll die, excitement for those who would survive."

Once the space settlers are established, the billionaire visionary envisions a "direct democracy" for Martian colonies, "where people vote directly on issues instead of going through a representative government."

Musk suggested that SpaceX will be ready to fly a rocket to Mars in 2019.

"I think we'll be able to do short flights, sort of up-and-down flights, probably some time in the first half of next year," he said.

However, he admitted this interplanetary project, like many of his other grand plans, could be a little too ambitious.

"People have told me that my timelines historically have been optimistic, and so I'm trying to recalibrate to some degree here."

Elsewhere in his wide-ranging interview at SXSW, Musk spoke about the threat of climate change and why there must be a price on carbon.

"Anything that pushes carbon into the atmosphere  has to have a price," Musk said.

Musk, whose many companies build electric vehicles, batteries and solar panels, has spoken frequently about his vision of a cleaner, more sustainable future.

"In the absence of a price, we sort of pretend that digging up trillions of tons of fossil fuels and putting in the atmosphere  won't have a bad outcome," he said. "It's up to people and [their] governments to put a price on carbon."By Andy Rowell

The campaign against the controversial Kinder Morgan pipeline escalated Saturday when Indigenous leaders from across Canada and the U.S. came together to inaugurate Kwekwecnewtxw"the place to watch from"whilst others started building a traditional Coast Salish "Watch House" near the pipeline route.

Although the Watch House stands on the line of exclusion zone surrounding the pipeline, the local community have vowed to not move from the tower until Kinder Morgan is defeated.

Building of the Watch House is expected to finish Monday. It will then become a focal point for resistance to the pipeline, which if completed, is expected to bring some 400 tankers a year to the ecologically and culturally sensitive coastline.

The highly controversial $7.4-billion project was approved by Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's government in November 2016. It has subsequently been challenged in court by First Nations, the City of Burnaby, the City of Vancouver and the BC government.

And Saturday the local community was out in force. Some 10,000 local supporters marched to the site in solidarity. Speaker after speaker then condemned the pipeline, criticizing Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's approval of the pipeline "a major step backwards" in both their relations with the Federal Government and also for the climate.

Grand Chief Stewart Phillip told the crowd: "We are gathering today to send a clear message to Kinder Morgan and Justin Trudeau that indigenous peoples across North America and British Columbians will never let this pipeline be built. I call on everyone in the crowd today and watching from home to join us in escalating action to stop Kinder Morgan in the coming days. Rachel Notley, we are not in the least bit intimidated by your desperate threats and we will not stop!"

Will George, a Tsleil-Waututh member also addressed the assembled protesters, who included members of the Mohawk Council of Kanesatake, Athabaska Chipewyan Nation and Ihanktonwan Dakota and Chickasaw Nations.

George said: "My ancestors built Kwekwecnewtxw'a place to watch from'when danger threatened our people. Danger threatens our people now, as Kinder Morgan tries to send hazardous diluted bitumen through our territory. Today we build our own watch house to protect the Salish Sea and the people who depend on it."

George added that: "We're going to stop Kinder Morgan. We're going to stop the Trans Mountain pipeline," he said. "We're continuing to send that message that we're not going to allow this pipeline to be built.

George finished by stating that he will be staying in the Watch House "as long as it takes."

Autumn Peltier, a 13-year old internationally recognized water ambassador from Wikwemikong First Nation in northern Ontario, spoke on behalf of the 150 First Nations and U.S. Tribes that have signed the Treaty Alliance Against Tar Sands Expansion in opposition to the Kinder Morgan pipeline, as well as Keystone XL and Enbridge's Line 3 pipeline.

"Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has said we can protect the water, the coasts, and the climate while still building new tar sands pipelines like Kinder Morgan. But I came here to join with other water protectors to say that he's wrong," she said.

Not only is Trudeau tripping up on Canada's climate commitments, but also on commitments he gave to communities back in 2013, when he said: "Governments might grant permits, but only communities can grant permission."

As the Other98 has pointed out, this is a protest that could go global. "There are clear echoes of Standing Rock in the fight, which has been indigenous-led from the start."

And if Kinder Morgan turns into Standing Rock 2, then Trudeau has a huge problem on his hands.

Reposted with permission from our media associate Oil Change International.As the International Solar Alliance (ISA) kicked off its founding conference in New Delhi this past weekend, India and France publicly reaffirmed their commitment to working together to fight climate change.

The two countries signed a pact on "cooperation in the field of environment" on Saturday, a day before the conference began, The Economic Times reported.

Then on Sunday, Reuters reported that French President Emmanuel Macron pledged 700 million euros to the ISA, more than tripling France's original commitment.

The pact is designed to facilitate information exchange between government officials and experts in the two countries as they work to protect the environment and combat climate change.

The ISA was launched by Indian Prime Minister Narendera Modi and former French President Francois Hollande at the 2015 Climate Change Conference in Paris that also gave rise to the Paris agreement. It seeks to facilitate cooperation between 121 solar-rich countries lying between the Tropics of Capricorn and Cancer in order to lower prices and drive innovation in the solar sector. It became a treaty-based organization on Dec. 6, 2017.

The ISA, and the new cooperation pact, are two examples of how France and India's governments are positioning their countries as leaders in the global fight against climate change.



Macron has built on on his predecessor's commitments. At the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland in January, he pledged to shutter all French coal plants by 2021, advancing Hollande's promise by two years. India, meanwhile, has committed to building the capacity for 100 gigawatts of solar power by 2022. While India is the third largest releaser of carbon dioxide, according to the most recent data available, its current policies also put it on track to reach an emissions level compatible with 2C of warming, according to analysis performed by Climate Tracker. For comparison, the current efforts of the U.S., the no. 2 releaser, are deemed "critically insufficient" to meet even the 2C goal.

Both Macron and Modi have doubled down on their climate efforts in response to Trump's decision to pull the U.S. out of the 2015 Paris agreement. The two leaders gave a joint press conference in June pledging to collaborate in the face of the U.S. president's withdrawal. "We are both convinced that our countries have to do a lot for the ecological and environmental transition and the fight against global warming," Macron said at the conference, Reuters reported.

Macron has also offered funds, cheekily titled the "Make Our Planet Great Again" grants, to U.S. and other non-French climate scientists who apply to come to France and conduct their research.

At this past weekend's ISA conference, both countries reiterated their commitment to international climate change efforts.

In a joint statement issued the day before the conference, the two nations "committed to fully implement the Paris Agreement at the COP24 and further on, under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) as a part of an irreversible global process at combating climate change for the benefit of all humanity," The Economic Times reported.White House Chief of Staff John F. Kelly put a stop to Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) head Scott Pruitt's plan to hold nationally-publicized debates on the science of climate change, The New York Times reported Friday.

According to the Times, Pruitt had been developing the idea since before June 2017, when he told the board of the American Coalition for Clean Coal Electricity that the EPA was working on a "red-team-blue-team" challenge to mainstream climate science.

Anonymous sources familiar with the matter told the Times that President Trump had liked the idea, but Kelly and other White House officials worried about its political consequences.

"Their main concern was that a public debate on scienceparticularly on an issue as politically charged as the warming of the planetcould become a damaging spectacle, creating an unnecessary distraction from the steps the administration has taken to slash environmental regulations enacted by former President Barack Obama," Lisa Friedman and Julie Hirschfeld Davis wrote in the Times.

Pruitt had reportedly aimed to issue a press release about the proposed debates in November, but Kelly prevented him. He ordered the idea be postponed until White House officials and cabinet secretaries could meet to discuss it, but that particular meeting never transpired.

Instead, in a Dec. 13 meeting of senior White House officials, including two EPA representatives, Kelly's deputy Rick Dearborn declared the idea "dead."

The red-team-blue-team concept was first floated by Steven Koonin, a physicist and Energy Department undersecretary during the Obama administration, in an opinion piece for The Wall Street Journal in April 2017. Koonin based the idea on an exercise used by the "national-security community" as a risk assessment strategy; he proposed that a "Red Team" of scientists would critique a report meant to inform policy on climate change, such as the U.S. Government's National Climate Assessment, and a "Blue Team" would then defend it.

Once Pruitt picked up on Koonin's idea, scientists criticized it for misrepresenting the amount of internal critique already integral to the peer-review process.

"Scientists are already spending most of their time trying to poke holes in what other scientists are saying," Ken Caldeira, an atmospheric scientist at the Carnegie Institution for Science, wrote in an email to the Times in June. "The whole red team-blue team concept misunderstands what science is all about."

The scientific research process has led to a 90 to 100 percent consensus among publishing climate scientists that human activity is causing climate change, according to one study published in Environmental Research Letters in 2016.

A public debate questioning that consensus would likely have political consequences beyond pure spectacle. That consensus backs up the EPA's 2009 endangerment finding, which concludes that greenhouse gases "threaten the public health and welfare of current and future generations," and requires they be subject to governmental regulation. According to Friedman and Hirschfeld Davis' analysis, publicly challenging climate science could be the first step in legally overturning that finding, a top priority for climate-denialist groups like the Heartland Institute.

John F. Kelly, a retired four-star general, is the rare key player on the Trump team who accepts the scientific consensus behind climate change. Although he has not spoken out publicly on the subject, he headed U.S. Southcom from 2012 to 2016 when it played a key role in helping the Pentagon strategize for the national security threats posed by rising temperatures and sea levels, The McClatchy Washington Bureau reported in August. His intervention against Pruitt might be a sign of his climate views in action.Tacoma, Wash.

Students in algebra class at Jason Lee Middle School gathered in small groups to teach each other how to work through a complex math problem. Some of them stood. Some sat at desks. And some pedaled away on stationary bicycles.

In the front of each group, one student stood at a white board, circling the part of the problem he or she didnt understand. The other students asked questions until they could navigate their classmate to the right answer.

As these Tacoma middle school students worked together on math earlier this school year, they were learning relationship skills, how to communicate effectively, and how to press through frustration, said Principal Christine Brandt. And, hopefully, the end result would be a deeper knowledge of concepts like order of operations than they would get through a traditional classroom lecture.

What happens if they get stuck and they feel like they just cant figure it out?

Thats when we do emotional labor, a student told a group of policymakers, educational leaders, and researchers observing the class last fall. That might mean reassuring the 6th grader standing in front of the math class study group before he looked for a new way to examine the question hed posed.

That language of emotional labor, or grinding it out through tough learning challenges can be heard in classrooms throughout the 30,000-student Tacoma district. Its one of several concepts that Tacoma has emphasized through an ambitious, cooperative, communitywide plan to bring social-emotional learning, student engagement strategies, and an emphasis on supportive relationships to every school.

Districts around the country have increasingly explored social-emotional learning strategies, which emphasize student skills like self control and social awareness and encourage positive interactions between students. But Tacoma stands out. Through a comprehensive effort, the school system seems to have leaped over hurdles that have stopped the growth of social-emotional learning strategies in other schools, hurdles like a lack of teacher buy-in and a struggle to infuse SEL concepts into traditional classroom work.

The visitors to Lee Middle School earlier this school year were assembled by the Aspen Institutes National Commission on Social, Emotional, and Academic Development, a group that is exploring similar efforts in schools around the country. The group is seeking broad input before it releases a final report in the fall outlining policies and practices that will make schools more sensitive to the development of students nonacademic skills.

Working with the Center for Strong Schools at the University of Washington, Tacoma, the districts Tacoma Whole Child Initiative worked systematically to bring a focus on social-emotional learning that touches everything from student discipline policies to how teachers approach lessons on traditional subjects like poetry and algebra.

Rather than introducing a new program that teachers would see as just another mandate, the initiative started with administrators, who spent a whole year braiding duplicative school programs together, eliminating ones that werent necessary, and establishing a common vision for what whole child education should look like. That plan was then disseminated to schools gradually, allowing teachers and principals to develop their own strategies for carrying it out.

Emphasizing Relationships

Tacomas deliberative process helps address some big challenges districts face when introducing social-emotional learning, leaders of the Aspen commission said. School and district leaders say they are drawn to social-emotional learning by research that shows effects like reductions in misbehavior and improvements in attendance and achievement, but they often struggle with how to get started.

In a nationally representative survey of 884 principals released in November, just 35 percent of respondents said their school was fully implementing a plan for incorporating social-emotional learning into policies and classroom work.

Among the biggest barriers: a lack of time to train and support teachers, a lack of consensus among school staff that social-emotional learning is important, and a lack of funding to carry out plans, according to the survey, which was commissioned by the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning.

In some ways, there is a tension in the data: while the vast majority of leaders believe that social and emotional development is essential to education, the pathway to change is not always clear; moreover, the time and training to make the necessary changes are in short supply, CASEL co-founder Tim Shriver, former Michigan Gov. John Engler, and Stanford University education professor Linda Darling-Hammond wrote in a letter about the survey results. These experts tell us that there is a lot of will, but not as much clarity and support, along the way.

The Tacoma initiative started in 2011-12 and is set to last 10 years, with new layers of implementation and training happening each year. The effort was designed with help from business leaders from companies like Starbucks and other organizations who shared their insights into organizational change.

The aim is to bring change to educational strategies that is meaningful, lasting, and supported by teachers. Because social-emotional learning relies so heavily on building healthy relationships among students and between students and teachers, its important that strategies are designed locally and rely on input from everyone involved, including students and teachers, researchers have said.

This is chemistry, said Josh Garcia, the deputy superintendent of the Tacoma district. Its not something you can just do and say heres the playbook.

Greg Benner, the executive director of the Center for Strong Schools, said the university helped found the initiative as a way of becoming more engaged with the community and to give its students immersive learning opportunities. Students who are in his course on classroom management, for example, observe teachers and provide feedback on how they are interacting with students.

Dont admire any problems, Benner recalled a university leader saying. Go out and help fix these issues.

Drop-Out Factories

And the district had some problems: Crime and domestic violence rates in the city were among the highest in the state, students faced challenges associated with poverty and trauma, and researchers at Johns Hopkins University once labeled all of its high schools drop-out factories.

After a year of planning at the administrative level, leaders of the Whole Child Initiative rolled it out gradually in schools, requiring a yes vote from 90 percent of each schools staff before bringing it on board. In each cohort, leadership teams made up of administrators and teachers from every grade level learned more about the approach to social-emotional learning and made plans for carrying it out in their school, relying on baseline survey data from each schools teachers that explored their knowledge of social-emotional learning and their views on teaching.

Teacher-leaders then worked with their professional learning communities to put those strategies into practice within their schools. Building-level strategies could involve addressing school climate issues, like bullying, Benner said.

The entire district adopted positive behavior interventions and supports, or PBIS, a strategy that teaches all students what good behavior looks like and provides additional tiers of support, like counseling, for students who need it. Teachers also learned a set of common strategies, like how to greet students at the doorway and assess their mood and how to address problematic behavior.

At Jason Lee Middle School, for example, teachers can send students to a reset desk in each classroom to reflect on how their behavior affected their classmates. Students can also send themselves to the reset desk to take a break before re-entering the classroom conversation.

Leaders of the initiative also provide supplemental training about issues like student trauma. And theyve trained support staff like bus drivers and volunteers at community afterschool programs in social-emotional learning strategies so that children hear consistent messages from adults throughout the day.

Whole-Child Focus

The district has brought a relationship focus into practices like hiring, Garcia said, by asking applicants questions like tell me about the last time you got in a fight.

District leaders track about three dozen indicators to see whats working in schools. They include the number of volunteers in a school, how many students participate in extracurricular activities, the percentage of students who havent been suspended, how many high school students have been accepted to college or another post-graduation institution, and input gathered through school climate surveys.

A 2016 evaluation of the Whole Child Initiative shows it moved the needle on many of those indicators. Between 2014-15 and 2015-16, the number of students who were not chronically absentdefined as missing 15.5 or more school days in a yearclimbed from 86 percent to 96 percent. Students saw school climate more favorably in 2015-16 than they did four years prior, and surveys of parents and staff showed modest gains as well. More students participated in multiple extracurricular activities, and the percentage of seniors with verified acceptance to a post-graduate institution climbed from 41 percent in 2012-13 to 73 percent in 2015-16.

In 2017, the districts on-time graduation rate reached 86 percent, an increase from the 2012 rate of 70 percent, district data show.

Theres no magic bullet, Superintendent Carla Santorno said. It takes everybody in the community being unique and connecting to do the work.

And the work looks different at Jason Lee, a school that families once avoided because of problems like student fights, and schools like the districts three innovative high schools, which embed students in Tacomas science, industry, and arts communities.

The Science and Math Institute, for example, is adjacent to a zoo in the citys sprawling Point Defiance Park. Students there freely pass between classes in an open floor plan building, in outdoor learning spaces set up among towering trees, and in a pavilion situated between animal exhibits.

Students there do live drawings of zoo animals and work alongside zoo staff to design projects like elephant feeders in the schools maker space.

They also meet with a peer mentoring group that includes students ranging from freshmen to seniors to set personal goals and to build a sense of community and empathy.

The school prides itself on student voice and community engagement. School leaders boast of a student who tracked biodiversity in the nearby Puget Sound. After he found fewer animals living around concrete pillars, he took his findings to the Tacoma City Council.

Commissioners who visited both schools said they saw common threads in their approaches.

You have this alignment but different visions about how you can get there, Darling-Hammond said.School administrators across the country have a choice to make this week. Judging from pre-emptive censorship efforts in two districts, some of them are going to get it wrong.

To mark the one-month anniversary of the Feb. 14 deadly school shooting in Parkland, Fla., students nationwide plan to walk out of school for 17 minutes to demand their state and local representatives address gun violence. Students, who are among the organizers of the ENOUGH National School Walkout on March 14 and a separate day-long National School Walkout on April 20, are using social media to rally classmates. In a statement posted to Instagram and Facebook, student organizers call their joint efforts part of an escalating force in a longer fight.

Yet, in at least two school districts, administrators are seeking to silence student voices with threats of discipline. In a now-deleted public Facebook post, Superintendent Curtis Rhodes of the Needville Independent School District, near Houston, warned against student participation in any type of protest during school hours. He threatened a three-day suspension for any participating student because, he wrote in the post, students are here for an education and not a political protest.

Schools have a broader mission to help students emerge as participants in their democracy."

A letter to the districts families also declared that parents notes excusing students would not alleviate the discipline. Three civil rights groups have since sent their own letter to Rhodes protesting his stance. A similar pre-emptive communication in the Waukesha school district in Wisconsin sought to assure parents that it did not organize or condone walkouts.

The censorship efforts raise two intriguing legal questions. First, are these acts of expression protected under the First Amendment? And, second, what rights do parents have to support their childrens efforts in the face of school or district discipline?

We can address the first question with the landmark 1969 U.S. Supreme Court case Tinker v. Des Moines. The case involved a group of Iowa high school students, including siblings Mary Beth and John Tinker, who wore black armbands to school in support of a truce during the Vietnam War. Tipped off to the students intentions, the school district passed a policy prohibiting the action. The Tinkers sued the district, and their case made it to the highest court in the land, where they won.

Justice Abe Fortas, writing for the majority in the case, noted that the right to free expression did not end at the schoolhouse gate but could be regulated if such expression causes a material and substantial disruption to the school day. But schools should use that regulation sparingly, as undifferentiated fear or apprehension of disturbance is not enough to overcome the right to freedom of expression.

Does a planned, peaceful protestas this weeks walkouts advocating stricter gun laws and increased school safety measures are slated to bepose the threat of disruption? The high courts clear guidance to schools is to consider the realistic possibility of disruption. In that process, schools have the space to explore how they might work around disruption and still allow the experience of pure political speech like armbands, speeches, or walkouts.

The second question, regarding parents rights, calls for separate analysis. The decision by some schools to ignore parental consent for their child to miss class for a walkout runs counter to many existing absence policies. Any parent with a child in braces recognizes the need to take her out of school for an appointment. Parental permission to be out for protest, these districts appeared to propose, is not the same.

The judicial record would disagree. While all 50 states and the District of Columbia have compulsory education laws to ensure an educated citizenry, the U.S. Supreme Court has upheld the rights of parents to choose where their children get that education and barred schools from forcing students to express ideological sentiments that conflict with their familys deeply held beliefs.

In the case of walkouts, parents are supporting a foundational purpose of educationthe creation of the citizenby endorsing civic engagement. The students are not walking out in some act of youthful arrogance or privilege to, say, demand WiFi in school so they can use Snapchat. Instead, the student organizers write in their statement, they want to send a strong message to our elected officials that we want to be safe, particularly in our schools.

Isnt this also exactly the kind of civic participation schools should be encouraging? We often focus on the legal aspects of free expression, yet theres also an ethical argument. No doubt districts have a responsibility to ensure orderly schools. But as anchors within their communities and vital child-development spaces, schools have a broader mission to help students emerge as participants in their democracy.

The First Amendment is often about what government cannot doin this case, censor student expression without proof of disruption. Yet, the First Amendment is also about what government can do. As Justice Fortas reminded schools, they are not enclaves of totalitarianism, nor are students closed-circuit recipients of only that which the State chooses to communicate. In this case, school districts can and should allow students the right to political speech within reasonable limits.

This links to an element of the Tinker case that is often forgotten: Mary Beth and Johns little sister, Hope, who was in elementary school at the time, also wore a black armband. Though the school did not discipline her, she did face teasing on the playground. Her teacher, Linda Ordway, stood up for herand for the First Amendment.

Thats exactly what educators should be doing today. The students have said, We want to learn. We want to live. Please support us. Educators have no need to support the content of students expression. But in a free society, they have every obligation to stand up for their students right to speak.On March 14, thousands of students across the country are expected to walk out of class or participate in events tied to whats billed as ENOUGH: National School Walkout.

The Womens March Youth Empower, the organizer of the event, is asking students to stage the protest at 10 a.m. in each time zoneon the one-month anniversary of the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla., which killed 17 students and educators. Organizers are calling for students to stay out of class for 17 minutesone minute for each person killed in the shooting.

The dominant call for action tied to the national walkout is for stricter gun laws, including a ban on assault weapons and high-capacity magazines and expanded background checks for prospective gun-buyers. Inspired by the activism of a small, but vocal group of student survivors from Stoneman Douglas, students across the U.S. have already staged dozens of walkouts in the weeks since the Feb. 14 mass shooting.

1.) What steps are district and school leaders taking to either allow or prevent students from participating in walkouts related to gun violence/school shootings?

Ever since the first calls for a mass walkout appeared, K-12 administrators have been trying to figure out how they will respond. And their answers are all over the map.

They have ranged from outright bans and threats of suspensions, to pledges to monitor students who leave class to ensure they are safe.

Some districts see the walkout as an opportunity to engage their students in civic activism and are encouraging them to spend the 17 minutes discussing mental health, school safety, and gun violence, or writing letters about those issues to their local, state, and federal representatives.

But with districts on high alert since the mass shootings at Stoneman Douglasand the countless threats to schools across the country that have followed in the weeks sincesafety is the chief reason that many administrators say they want to keep students on campus during the National Walkout.

Heres a sampling of how districts are saying they will handle walkouts:

In Harford County, Md., Superintendent Barbara Canavan explicitly banned students from walking out and said that those who do so will be disciplined, though she did not specify how. Caravan cited public safety, saying the district does not have enough staff and resources to protect children who leave school for a walkout. She said the district will disseminate a learning module to give students the opportunity to air their thoughts about recent events and discuss solutions.

In Santa Fe., N.M., the school board voted 4-1 to support students and teachers who want to participate in the walkout.

And in Boston, school leaders are organizing on-campus events for students. But the district has also spelled out its policy for students who want to participate in a walkout. Students who do not return to class after the 17 minutes will be marked as absent, but they will be allowed to make up classwork they miss. Parents can get permission for early dismissal for students who want to leave campus, while students who are 16 or older can leave school without parental permission.

2.) What are the different forms the walkouts might take?

Many districts are working with student leaders, teachers, and principals to find ways to incorporate discussions about gun violence, school safety, and mental health into their lessons on March 14.

Some districts that have banned the walkouts are promoting in-class discussions as alternatives.

In Marylands Allegany County school district, for example, student council leaders have come up with ways to participate in the national event while staying on campus. At Allegany High School, students will place 17 desks with the names of the Parkland, Fla., victims in the gym. There will also be a forum for students to discuss the importance of student voice.

At Charlestown High School in Charlestown, Ind., students will leave class at 10 a.m. and convene in the schools auditorium for a moment of silence for school shooting victims. There will also be a student-led discussion on student safety, and the campus school resource officer will discuss how to report concerning incidents to school officials and law enforcement.

3.)What happens if a student walks out and gets hurt? Is the district legally responsible?

School districts are generally responsible for the safety and welfare of students during the school daya principle called in loco parentis.

If students leave their classrooms but remain on campus during the walkouton the front lawn or near the flag pole, for examplethe school district is responsible for the students safety and welfare.

If the walkout is a district-sanctioned event where students remain in the schools custodysay, for example, the district promises to have teachers accompany students during an off-campus march to City Hall or the statehousethen the district could be held liable if a student gets hurt in the process.

In cases where students leave campus with permission from their parentsan excused absencethe school districts are not likely to be held responsible if a student were to get hurt while engaging in activities related to a walkout, said Francisco Negron, Jr., the chief legal officer for the National School Boards Association.

Negron said if an older student leaves without parental permissionthe equivalent of an unexcused absence or skipping classit would be difficult to argue that the district is responsible since he or she would not have been under the districts supervision at that point.

We are really talking about the control that the schools have over the students, and the actual real supervision that they havethats what would trigger a responsibility, he said.

4.) Can students be disciplined for walking out?

Yes.

According to the American Civil Liberties Union, districts can discipline students for violating school policy around disruptions if the protest interrupts the educational environment. Schools can also discipline students for cutting class. But administrators cannot levy harsher punishment for students who participate in the walkouts than they would for a similar violation of school policy.

Its hard to say there is a one-size-fits-all rule for the entire country, because it depends on what the existing policies in a state or district are, said Esha Bhandari, a staff attorney at the American Civil Liberties Unions national office. The real key is whether the schools are imposing harsher penalties on the kids who walk out for this protest as opposed to kids who are absent for any other reason.

The ACLU is encouraging students to read their districts policies on unexcused absences, suspensions, and truancy. It has sent letters to school officials in the Needville school district in Texas and the Prince William County district in Virginia where administrators had pledged strict penalties for participation. In response to questions from parents and students, the ACLU also sent open letters to educators in New Jersey and Georgia, outlining students rights to protest. The ACLU is also advising districts to work with student leaders to use the walkouts as a teachable moment.

5.) What can happen to teachers who walk out?

Teachers are in a slightly different position. While they do have protected First Amendment rights at school, they also have to follow the requirements of their job.

6.) How can schools accommodate students who dont participate and/or dont agree with the politics behind the walkouts?

Some districts where events are planned are also making it clear that students can opt out. In Allegany County, Md., students and staff members who dont want to take part can spend time in school libraries engaged in alternative activities.

In its guidance to educators, the National Association of Secondary School Principals stressed that principals and teachers should not participate in the walkouts because that decision could alienate students who may not agree with the protests. Participating in a walkout could also send a message to students that educators are endorsing a violation of school policy.AAIB releases report into Ronaldsway incident



The aircraft had to be tied down until winds subsided after landing at Ronaldsway in February last year.

The Air Accident Investigation Branch believes a crew that landed an aircraft in strong winds at Ronaldsway last year had not been effectively trained to evaluate threats.

The Citywing flight left Ronaldsway for Belfast City Airport last February, but had to return to the Island after an aborted landing in Northern Ireland due to the weather conditions.

The report into the incident states the winds at Ronaldsway were twice as strong as the Let L-410 aircraft is designed to land in, which resulted in one of the wings coming within a metre of striking the runway.

The Isle of Man Civil Aviation Authority had to instruct the crew to shut the plane down on the runway rather than taxiing to the terminal for fear that the winds could damage the plane on the ground, with the aircraft having to be tied down on the runway until the winds subsided.

The flight was operated by Czech airline Van Air on behalf of Citywing, and the AAIB has urged Czech authorities to review the company's operational processes, training and operator's guidance.

The three passengers on board the flight were not injured as a result of the incident.

Citywing Aviation Services Limited entered liquidation less than a month after the incident.The odds of a 22-year absence of mass shootings in Australia since 1996 gun reforms being due to chance are one in 200,000, new research reveals.

Published today in the Annals of Internal Medicine, scholars at the University of Sydney and Macquarie University used mathematical techniques to test the null hypothesis that the rate of mass shootings in Australia before and after the 1996 law reforms is unchanged.

The National Firearms Agreement, enacted after the Port Arthur massacre in Tasmania in which 35 died and another 23 were seriously injured, saw the destruction of more than a million firearms--perhaps a third of the country's private gun stock.

The Agreement included uniform gun registration, repudiation of self-defense as a legitimate reason to hold a firearm license, mandatory locked storage, a ban on mail order sales and standardized penalties, and the banning of semi-automatic rifles and pump action shot guns from civilian ownership.

Its provisions were subsequently enacted in national, state and territory legislation across Australia.

In the 18 years up to and including the Port Arthur massacre in 1996, there were 13-gun homicides in which five or more people died, not including the perpetrator. In the 22 years since, there have been no such incidents.

"Most people hear these starkly contrasting numbers and conclude that Australia's gun law reforms effectively stopped firearm massacres here," says the paper's lead author, Emeritus Professor Simon Chapman of the University of Sydney.

"However, some scholars and members of the gun lobby have argued that since mass shootings are relatively rare events, the concentration of incidents in one decade and their absence in another decade is merely a statistical anomaly."

For example, Australian researcher Dr Samara McPhedran writing in The Conversation said: "Mass shootings are rare events, and the long gap between incidents post-1996 may simply reflect a return to a more 'normal' state of affairs, similar to the years before 1987."

"This was no accident," says the new study's co-author Associate Professor Philip Alpers, from the University of Sydney. "Australia followed standard public health procedures to reduce the risk of multiple shooting events, and we can see the evidence. It worked.

"Gun lobby-affiliated and other researchers have been saying for years that mass shootings are such rare events it could have been a matter of luck they dropped off in the wake of Australia's gun control laws," says Alpers. "Instead, we found the odds against this hypothesis are 200,000 to one."

In related news, Tasmania's re-elected Premier has defended the Liberals' policy to relax the state's gun laws, despite an outcry from survivors of the Port Arthur shooting.

###1. iPad app that allows patients to order tests doubles colon cancer screening rates in study

Abstract: http://annals.org/aim/article/doi/10.7326/M17-2315

URLs go live when the embargo lifts

An iPad app that educates patients about different options for colon cancer screening and allows them to order their preferred test may increase screening rates. The findings of a randomized controlled trial are published in Annals of Internal Medicine.

Screening for colon cancer has been proven to reduce mortality, yet more than one third of eligible Americans remain unscreened. Researchers from Wake Forest School of Medicine sought to determine if a digital health intervention delivered via iPad app could increase screening rates.

Researchers enrolled 450 patients in primary care who were due for colon cancer screening and agreed to participate in the study. The participants were randomly assigned to colon cancer education through the iPad app or usual care. Patients using the iPad app were educated about different types of screening tests and could order the test they wanted. Patients in both groups took a brief survey about colon cancer screening. Patients who received education and reminders through the app were twice as likely to undergo screening compared to patients in the usual care group (30 percent versus 15 percent, respectively).

The authors of an accompanying editorial from the Center for Health Care Innovation at the University of Pennsylvania caution that the study was limited to primary care patients who had already agreed to participate in the research, which means that the results may not translate to a broader population. They suggest that improvements in colon cancer screening will more likely arrive incrementally from compound interventions that involve technology, education, and behavior.

Media contact: For an embargoed PDF or to interview with the lead author, David Miller, Jr. MD, MS, please contact please contact Marguerite Beck at marbeck@wakehealth.edu.,/p>

2. Colonoscopy significantly reduces mortality from colorectal cancer in Veterans Affairs study

Abstract: http://annals.org/aim/article/doi/10.7326/M17-0723

URLs go live when the embargo lifts

Colonoscopy was associated with a 61 percent reduction in colorectal cancer mortality among veterans receiving care through the Veterans Affairs (VA) health system. The reduction was observed for both left- and right-sided colorectal cancer, although the association was weaker for right-sided cancer (46 percent versus 72 percent reduction). The findings are published in Annals of Internal Medicine.

Colonoscopy is widely used in the VA health care system, where it is endorsed as a primary colorectal cancer screening option for average-risk patients aged 50 and older. Despite its increased use, it is not known whether colonoscopy decreases colorectal cancer mortality among veterans and whether the effect varies based on the anatomical location of colorectal cancer.

A team of researchers from the VA Medical Centers in Indianapolis and White River Junction (affiliated with Indiana University School of Medicine and Geisel School of Medicine in Dartmouth) reviewed VA-Medicare administrative data, and identified 4,964 case patients who were diagnosed with colorectal cancer between 2002 and 2008 and died of the disease by the end of 2010. Case patients were matched to 4 control patients (n = 19,856) without prior diagnosis of colorectal cancer. Exposure to colonoscopy was determined from 1997 to 6 months before colorectal cancer diagnosis in case patients and to a corresponding date in control patients. Subgroup analysis was performed for patients who had undergone screening colonoscopy.

The researchers found that the patients who died of colorectal cancer were significantly less likely to have undergone any colonoscopy. Colonoscopy was associated with reduced mortality for left-sided cancer and right-sided cancer, although the reduction was smaller for right-sided cancer. The authors suggest that reducing variability in colonoscopy effectiveness, particularly against right-sided colorectal cancer, is critical for effective disease prevention.?

Media contacts: For an embargoed PDF, please contact Angela Collom. To interview lead author, Charles J. Kahi, MD, MSc, please contact Michael Schug at maschug@iupui.edu or 317-278-0953. To interview lead author, Heiko Pohl, MD, please contact Jaime A. Peyton, MBA at Jaime.A.Peyton@dartmouth.edu or 603-653-3615.

3. Bronchial thermoplasty may be a viable treatment option for patients with severe asthmatic cough

Abstract: http://annals.org/aim/article/doi/10.7326/L17-0748

URLs go live when the embargo lifts

Bronchial thermoplasty, a novel treatment for severe asthma, may be a viable treatment option for patients with severe asthmatic cough who have not responded to more conventional therapies. A brief case report is published in Annals of Internal Medicine.

Researchers from Nagoya City University in Nagoya, Japan report the case of a 34-year-old woman with asthma and a 2.5 year history of chronic cough. Despite treatment with high-dose inhaled corticosteroids, long-acting 2-agonists, and leukotriene-receptor antagonists, the patient's cough had worsened and was awakening her at night and disturbing her conversations.

Since all conventional treatments seemed to fail, the researchers used bronchial thermoplasty to treat all visible bronchi. The patient had three procedures at 3-week intervals. The cough improved immediately after the first procedure. Three months after the final procedure, the patient had improved in frequency, cough-related quality of life, and asthma control. The number of capsaicin-induced coughs also decreased, but measures of systemic eosinophilic and airway inflammation and pulmonary function remained unchanged. The authors conclude that bronchial thermoplasty should be considered in patients with severe asthmatic cough who have not responded to traditional therapeutic approaches.

Media contacts: For an embargoed PDF, please contact Angela Collom. The lead author, Yoshihiro Kanemitsu, MD, PhD, can be contacted directly at kaney32@med.nagoya-cu.ac.jp.

###

Also new in this issue:

Engaging Survivors of Human Trafficking: Complex Health Care Needs and Scarce Resources

Abigail M. Judge, PhD; Jennifer A. Murphy, PhD; Jose Hidalgo, MD; Wendy Marcias-Konstantopoloulos, MD, MPH

Medicine and Public Issues

Abstract: http://annals.org/aim/article/doi/10.7326/M17-2605

Human Trafficking: A Health and Human Rights Agenda

Arianne M. Lachapelle Henry, BA; Michael A. Grodin, MD

Editorial

Abstract: http://annals.org/aim/article/doi/10.7326/M18-0357One of the recurring media narratives about the nature of science today is that it is "broken" or "in crisis." In the mainstream press, some stories about the failure to reproduce study results or the rising retraction rate or incidents of scientific fraud have been accompanied by assertions about a "systemic crisis" in areas of science - or in science itself.

But a new analysis of how the media cover science news argues that generalizations about a crisis in science aren't justified by the available evidence. The essay proposes that those who communicate science, including journalists, scholars and scientists themselves, should more accurately convey its investigatory nature, the self-correction process, and corrective measures without legitimizing a faulty narrative.

The article, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences and authored by Kathleen Hall Jamieson, director of the Annenberg Public Policy Center of the University of Pennsylvania, examines three media storylines used to describe the nature of scientific discovery. Jamieson writes that one of the narratives - that science is "in crisis" or "broken" - is especially concerning and may have been inadvertently encouraged by scientists' efforts to find and correct problems in scientific practice.

"This is troubling in part because defective narratives can enhance the capacity of partisans to discredit areas of science - including genetic engineering, vaccination, and climate change - containing findings that are ideologically uncongenial to them," Jamieson writes. "In contrast, accurate narratives can increase public understanding not only of the nature of the discovery process, but also of the inevitability of false starts and occasional fraud."

The issue is important, Jamieson says, because the news media affect the extent to which we think about a subject and how we think about it, and misleading accounts about science can affect the public's trust in science. The "science is broken" story has appeared in outlets such as The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Guardian, The Atlantic, Vox and Slate.

Three popular narratives about science

Jamieson considers three structures in science narratives - the quest discovery, the counterfeit discovery, and the systemic problem. The quest, a classic literary genre used from Gilgamesh to The Lord of the Rings, is used in science narratives to showcase not just new discoveries but particularly those useful to humankind. Of the 60 studies that received the most media coverage from May 2016 to April 2017, according to the tracking firm Altmetric, nearly half were related to human health and well-being.

The "counterfeit discovery," by contrast, is the tale of a deceptive scientist and a "dishonorable quest," the story of someone who has "gulled custodians of knowledge" such as journal editors and peer reviewers. In this case, the discovery is investigated and challenged, as in the case of Anil Potti of Duke University, whose fraudulent work on treating lung cancer was uncovered by two MD Anderson biostatisticians. Coverage of the fraud in 60 Minutes and The New York Times showed how the discovery of deception and corrective measures were part of the scientific self-corrective culture.

Scientists and a flawed survey fuel a 'crisis'

Jamieson argues that the third narrative - science is broken - is an overgeneralization, even in fields such as oncology and psychology where there are large studies documenting failures to replicate findings. While scholars and scientists are the ones who have found problems in scientific research, a "problem-focused news narrative" sometimes buries their corrective intent under headlines and storylines that emphasize the flaws. "In such accounts, scientists are portrayed as publicizing problems, not proffering solutions," she says.

At times, scientists themselves have fueled the impression of a crisis. Over a five-year period, a third of the stories in Nexis and Factiva featuring science-in-crisis headlines were written by scientists. In 2017, NPR science reporter Richard Harris published the systemic-problem-titled book Rigor Mortis: How Sloppy Science Creates Worthless Cures, Crushes Hope, and Wastes Billions. In a Wall Street Journal essay drawn from it, Harris wrote that "scientists point to what they call the 'reproducibility crisis' - that is, studies whose results can't be duplicated and are untrustworthy if not invalid." Harris said in an interview that he's "not convinced it's a crisis," but "scientists are increasingly aware of these serious problems," which is good because "recognizing a problem is the first step toward solving it."

A problematic 2016 "survey" published in the journal Nature, and cited by Harris, reinforced the "crisis" narrative, Jamieson says. The respondents were described as "researchers," "scientists" and "readers," but were not a random sample of verified scientists but rather respondents to a questionnaire emailed to Nature readers and people who answered an ad "on affiliated websites and social media outlets." The wording of the questionnaire "primed the very crisis it reportedly uncovered" by inviting respondents to confirm the existence of the crisis, Jamieson says.

How to improve the science narrative

Jamieson identifies ways that science narratives can be improved, among them:

Include information that reflects the practices and protections of science, such as the trial-and-error process, and the ways science detects and protects itself from deception;

Reserve "dire characterizations of the state of science" for cases in which "integrity-threatening problems are being ignored";

Treat self-correction as a central part of the scientific process, not an afterthought - before regarding a rise in retractions as a "crisis in science," consider the argument that they are a "signal that science is working";

Focus on problems without shortchanging solutions: "To perform their accountability function well, reporters should not only alert the public to problems in consequential science but also scrutinize how and how well they are being addressed."

The article concludes: "By responsibly publicizing both breaches of integrity and attempts to forestall them, news can perform its accountability function without undermining public trust in the most reliable form of knowledge generation humans have devised."

The Annenberg Public Policy Center was established in 1994 to educate the public and policy makers about the media's role in advancing public understanding of political, health, and science issues at the local, state and federal levels.

###Imagine a year in Africa that summer never arrives. The sky takes on a gray hue during the day and glows red at night. Flowers do not bloom. Trees die in the winter. Large mammals like antelope become thin, starve and provide little fat to the predators (carnivores and human hunters) that depend on them. Then, this same disheartening cycle repeats itself, year after year. This is a picture of life on earth after the eruption of the super-volcano, Mount Toba in Indonesia, about 74,000 years ago. In a paper published this week in Nature, scientists show that early modern humans on the coast of South Africa thrived through this event.

An eruption a hundred times smaller than Mount Toba - that of Mount Tambora, also in Indonesia, in 1815 - is thought to have been responsible for a year without summer in 1816. The impact on the human population was dire - crop failures in Eurasia and North America, famine and mass migrations. The effect of Mount Toba, a super-volcano that dwarfs even the massive Yellowstone eruptions of the deeper past, would have had a much larger, and longer-felt, impact on people around the globe.

The scale of the ash-fall alone attests to the magnitude of the environmental disaster. Huge quantities of aerosols injected high into the atmosphere would have severely diminished sunlight - with estimates ranging from a 25 to 90 percent reduction in light. Under these conditions, plant die-off is predictable, and there is evidence of significant drying, wildfires and plant community change in East Africa just after the Toba eruption.

If Mount Tambora created such devastation over a full year - and Tambora was a hiccup compared to Toba - we can imagine a worldwide catastrophe with the Toba eruption, an event lasting several years and pushing life to the brink of extinctions.

In Indonesia, the source of the destruction would have been evident to terrified witnesses - just before they died. However, as a family of hunter-gatherers in Africa 74,000 years ago, you would have had no clue as to the reason for the sudden and devastating change in the weather. Famine sets in and the very young and old die. Your social groups are devastated, and your society is on the brink of collapse.

The effect of the Toba eruption would have certainly impacted some ecosystems more than others, possibly creating areas - called refugia - in which some human groups did better than others throughout the event. Whether or not your group lived in such a refuge would have largely depended on the type of resources available. Coastal resources, like shellfish, are highly nutritious and less susceptible to the eruption than the plants and animals of inland areas.

When the column of fire, smoke and debris blasted out the top of Mount Toba, it spewed rock, gas and tiny microscopic pieces (cryptotephra) of glass that, under a microscope, have a characteristic hook shape produced when the glass fractures across a bubble. Pumped into the atmosphere, these invisible fragments spread across the world.

Panagiotis (Takis) Karkanas, director of the Malcolm H. Wiener Laboratory for Archaeological Science, American School of Classical Studies, Greece, saw a single shard of this explosion under a microscope in a slice of archaeological sediment encased in resin.

"It was one shard particle out of millions of other mineral particles that I was investigating. But it was there, and it couldn't be anything else," says Karkanas.

The shard came from an archaeological site in a rockshelter called Pinnacle Point 5-6, on the south coast of South Africa near the town of Mossel Bay. The sediments dated to about 74,000 years ago.

"Takis and I had discussed the potential of finding the Toba shards in the sediments of our archaeological site, and with his eagle eye, he found one," explains Curtis W. Marean, project director of the Pinnacle Point excavations. Marean is the associate director of the Institute of Human Origins at Arizona State University and honorary professor at the Centre for Coastal Palaeoscience at Nelson Mandela University, South Africa.

Marean showed the shard image to Eugene Smith, a volcanologist with the University of Nevada at Las Vegas, and Smith confirmed it was a volcanic shard.

"The Pinnacle Point study brought me back to the study of glass shards from my master's thesis 40 years earlier," says Smith.

Early in the study, the team brought in expert cryptotephra scientist Christine Lane who trained graduate student Amber Ciravolo in the needed techniques. Racheal Johnsen later joined Ciravalo as lab manager and developed new techniques.

From scratch, with National Science Foundation support, they developed the Cryptotephra Laboratory for Archaeological and Geological Research, which is now involved in projects not only in Africa, but in Italy, Nevada and Utah.

Encased in that shard of volcanic glass is a distinct chemical signature, a fingerprint that scientists can use to trace to the killer eruption. In their paper in Nature, the team describes finding these shards in two archaeological sites in coastal South Africa, tracing those shards to Toba through chemical fingerprinting and documenting a continuous human occupation across the volcanic event.

"Many previous studies have tried to test the hypothesis that Toba devastated human populations," Marean notes. "But they have failed because they have been unable to present definitive evidence linking a human occupation to the exact moment of the event."

Most studies have looked at whether or not Toba caused environmental change. It did, but such studies lack the archaeological data needed to show how Toba affected humans.

The Pinnacle Point team has been at the forefront of development and application of highly advanced archaeological techniques. They measure everything on site to millimetric accuracy with a "total station," a laser-measurement device integrated to handheld computers for precise and error-free recording.

Naomi Cleghorn with the University of Texas at Arlington, recorded the Pinnacle Point samples as they were removed.

Cleghorn explains, "We collected a long column of samples - digging out a small amount of sediment from the wall of our previous excavation. Each time we collected a sample, we shot its position with the total station."

The sample locations from the total station and thousands of other points representing stone artifacts, bone, and other cultural remains of the ancient inhabitants were used to build digital models of the site.

"These models tell us a lot about how people lived at the site and how their activities changed through time," say Erich Fisher, associate research scientist with the Institute of Human Origins, who built the detailed photorealistic 3D models from the data. "What we found was that during and after the time of the Toba eruption people lived at the site continuously, and there was no evidence that it impacted their daily lives."

In addition to understanding how Toba affected humans in this region, the study has other important implications for archaeological dating techniques. Archaeological dates at these age ranges are imprecise - 10 percent (or 1000s of years) error is typical. Toba ash-fall, however, was a very quick event that has been precisely dated. The time of shard deposition was likely about two weeks in duration - instantaneous in geological terms.

"We found the shards at two sites," explains Marean. "The Pinnacle Point rockshelter (where people lived, ate, worked and slept) and an open air site about 10 kilometers away called Vleesbaai. This latter site is where a group of people, possibly members of the same group as those at Pinnacle Point, sat in a small circle and made stone tools. Finding the shards at both sites allows us to link these two records at almost the same moment in time."

Not only that, but the shard location allows the scientists to provide an independent test of the age of the site estimated by other techniques. People lived at the Pinnacle Point 5-6 site from 90,000 to 50,000 years ago. Zenobia Jacobs with the University of Wollongong, Australia, used optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) to date 90 samples and develop a model of the age of all the layers. OSL dates the last time individual sand grains were exposed to light.

"There has been some debate over the accuracy of OSL dating, but Jacobs' age model dated the layers where we found the Toba shards to about 74,000 years ago - right on the money," says Marean. This lends very strong support to Jacobs' cutting-edge approach to OSL dating, which she has applied to sites across southern Africa and the world.

"OSL dating is the workhorse method for construction of timelines for a large part of our own history. Testing whether the clock ticks at the correct rate is important. So getting this degree of confirmation is pleasing," says Jacobs.

In the 1990s, scientists began arguing that this eruption of Mount Toba, the most powerful in the last two million years, caused a long-lived volcanic winter that may have devastated the ecosystems of the world and caused widespread population crashes, perhaps even a near-extinction event in our own lineage, a so-called bottleneck.

This study shows that along the food-rich coastline of southern Africa, people thrived through this mega-eruption, perhaps because of the uniquely rich food regime on this coastline. Now other research teams can take the new and advanced methods developed in this study and apply them to their sites elsewhere in Africa so researchers can see if this was the only population that made it through these devastating times.

###

Publication: Eugene Smith, Zenobia Jacobs, Racheal Johnsen, Minghua Ren, Erich C. Fisher, Simen Oestmo, Jayne Wilkins, Jacob A. Harris, Panagiotis Karkanas, Shelby Fitch, Amber Ciravolo, Deborah Keenan, Naomi Cleghorn, Christine S. Lane, Thalassa Matthews, and Curtis W. Marean (2018). Humans thrived in South Africa through the Toba super-volcanic eruptions ~74,000 years ago. Nature DOI:10.1038/nature25967.Two new analyses of data from more than 10,000 heart attack survivors worldwide were presented by investigators from Brigham and Women's Hospital at the 2018 American College of Cardiology meeting. Paul Ridker, MD, director of the Center for Cardiovascular Disease Prevention at BWH, and Brendan Everett, MD, director of the General Cardiology Inpatient Service at BWH, assessed whether the anti-inflammatory therapy canakinumab reduced rates of major adverse cardiovascular events and co-morbidities among high-risk atherosclerotic patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) or those with pre-diabetes/diagnosed type 2 diabetes, respectively. They found that canakinumab substantially reduced cardiovascular event rates in both populations, while having neither clinically meaningful benefits nor substantive harms with respect to adverse renal events or glucose control. Findings related to patients with or at high risk of diabetes were simultaneously published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology and a paper on the CKD findings is forthcoming.

"Evidence continues to build that inflammation underlies many diseases and health conditions," said Everett. "We find that among heart attack survivors with diabetes or pre-diabetes, canakinumab is effective at reducing risk of cardiovascular events. Our data also suggest that as cardiovascular disease and diabetes take root, the inflammatory pathways underlying them may diverge."

Everett and colleagues found that canakinumab was equally effective at reducing rates of cardiovascular events among patients with and without diabetes enrolled in the Canakinumab Anti-inflammatory Thrombosis Outcomes Study (CANTOS). The drug reduced HbA1C levels - a key indicator of glucose tolerance - in patients with diabetes or pre-diabetes for the first six to nine months of the trial, but this effect was not sustained.

In a new analysis led by Ridker, investigators found that canakinumab reduced major adverse cardiovascular event rates among high-risk atherosclerosis patients with moderate to severe chronic kidney disease, with the largest benefits accrued among those who had the most robust anti-inflammatory response. Canakinumab, an IL-1b inhibitor, represents a new class of therapy for atherosclerotic disease that lowers hsCRP and IL-6 with no effect on lipid levels.

"Moving forward, it will be important to extend these data and test the efficacy of canakinumab in patients with end-stage renal failure undergoing dialysis," said Ridker. "In that setting, hsCRP is a powerful predictor of risk while LDL-C is not, and dialysis is one of the only settings where LDL reduction has not been highly effective."

CANTOS was proposed and designed by investigators in the Center for Cardiovascular Disease Prevention at BWH, in collaboration with Novartis Pharmaceuticals. Ridker received financial support for clinical research from Novartis Pharmaceuticals to conduct the CANTOS. Ridker has served as a consultant to Novartis Pharmaceuticals and is listed as a co-inventor on patents held by BWH that relate to the use of inflammatory biomarkers in cardiovascular disease and diabetes that have been licensed to AstraZeneca and Siemens. Other BWH investigators involved in the new CANTOS analyses include Robert Glynn, PhD, Peter Libby, MD, Aruna Pradhan, MD, MPH, and Jean MacFadyen.

###

Paper cited: Everett, B et al. "Anti-Inflammatory Therapy with Canakinumab for the Prevention and Management of Diabetes" Journal of the American College of CardiologyCan genes normally expressed only in the eye be activated in brain tumours? Such a phenomenon, though surprising, has been observed in certain types of medulloblastoma, paediatric tumours of the cerebellum. Researchers from the CNRS, Institut Curie, Inserm and Universite Paris-Sud(1), together with researchers at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital (Memphis, United States), have pinpointed the role of these genes in the tumour process, thus offering new therapeutic targets. Their findings appear in the 12 March 2018 edition of Cancer Cell.

Medulloblastoma is treated with a combination of surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy, which results in a survival rate of 80 %, albeit with significant side effects. Group 3 medulloblastoma, associated with frequent rates of recurrence and a much lower survival rate, is characterised by the expression of a gene cluster named "photoreceptor program". Normally, these genes are only expressed in the retina, where they define photoreceptor identity and, in particular, ensure that light signals are converted into nerve impulses.

Given that they are not expressed during the normal development of the cerebellum, activation of these genes in medulloblastoma is very surprising. Aberrant differentiation programs - unrelated to the tissue in which the tumour originates - have already been found in other types of cancer but never thought to be directly involved in the tumour process.

Celio Pouponnot, CNRS researcher at the Institut Curie, together with Franck Bourdeaut, medical researcher at the Institut Curie, and Paul Northcott at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital in Memphis, United States, decided to examine the role this "photoreceptor program" could play in a medulloblastoma.

The presence of a protein known as NRL within this "photoreceptor program" initially drew the attention of Celio Pouponnot's team, which for many years has studied a family of proteins similar to NRL that is involved in the formation of cancers. Researchers also identified the role of another protein specific to the retina: CRX. Strikingly, this study shows that both these factors are involved in the medulloblastoma by activating key genes: CCND2, which promotes cell proliferation, and BCL2L1, which inhibits cell death (apoptosis).

The research team then used pharmacological agents to target these anti-apoptotic proteins in preclinical models by grafting human medulloblastoma cells into mice. This treatment shrunk the tumour and extended the lives of the mice, proving the potential of this therapeutic target. These results, however, cannot be directly transposed to children for whom such pharmacological agents could be toxic.

More generally, this study shows the potential benefit of studying signs of aberrant differentiations in cancer processes, highlighting a new area in cancer research.

###

(1) Laboratories: Normal and pathological signalling: from embryo to innovative cancer treatments (CNRS/Institut Curie/Inserm/ Universite Paris-Sud); Genetics and biology of cancers (INSERM/Universite Paris Descartes) and Chemistry, modelling and imagery for biology (CNRS/Institut Curie/INSERM/Universite Paris-Sud)During the nighttime, it is hotter in the city than in nearby suburbs or the countryside. But just how much hotter differs between cities. Researchers from the 2 (CNRS / MIT) international joint research laboratory and the Centre Interdisciplinaire des Nanosciences de Marseille (CNRS / Aix-Marseille University)[1] have shown that the determining factor is how cities are structured: more organized cities, like many in North America with straight and perpendicular streets, trap more heat. Conversely, cities that are less organized, like those founded long ago, shed heat easily. The team's findings, published in Physical Review Letters (March 9, 2018), suggest new directions to explore for optimal urban planning and energy management.

Urban heat islands (UHIs) are created when the air temperature rises higher in cities than in the surrounding suburbs and rural areas. In the US, this phenomenon affects 80% of the urban population. In populated areas, UHIs can lead to greater energy consumption (to power air conditioning, for example), more air pollution, a lower quality of life, and poorer health. Some cities have applied strategies to limit UHIs--including the addition of more green spaces--but the environmental and economic impact of heat islands, at a national or even regional scale, has still barely been quantified.

The researchers in this study considered major factors governing rises in temperature, such as the thermal mass of buildings and the extent to which, at night, they radiate heat absorbed during the day. To do so, they looked at temperatures recorded in urban and rural areas over several years as well as at data on building footprints, combined with a heat radiation model. For the fifty-some cities they studied--among them, New York, Chicago, and Boston--this method made it possible to demonstrate that the effects of nighttime UHIs vary according to urban geometry. Buildings can exchange heat more or less readily depending on their level of spatial organization. The research team measured the latter with physics applications that reduce the complex geography of urban construction to a simpler, statistically determined representation using building clusters. They demonstrated that a high level of urban organization--as typified by most North American cities--results in more pronounced UHI effects and greater heat retention. The opposite is true for more "disorganized" cities.

In countries with hot or temperate climates, the UHI effect leads to significantly higher energy bills. In cold climates, on the other hand, it could potentially help reduce energy demand. Population growth estimates can be used to identify countries that stand to benefit most from the UHI effect. This knowledge can help policymakers optimize building energy consumption and thereby lighten carbon emissions at the city, regional, and even state level.

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[1] In addition to researchers from 2 (Multi-Scale Materials Science for Energy and Environment) and the Centre Interdisciplinaire des Nanosciences de Marseille, this work brought together scientists from the Laboratory of Theoretical Physics and Statistical Models (CNRS / Paris-Sud University), the Concrete Sustainability Hub (MIT), and the Henry Samueli School of Engineering (University of California, Irvine).OAK RIDGE, Tenn., March 12, 2018 - A new method to produce large, monolayer single-crystal-like graphene films more than a foot long relies on harnessing a "survival of the fittest" competition among crystals. The novel technique, developed by a team led by the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory, may open new opportunities for growing the high-quality two-dimensional materials necessary for long-awaited practical applications.

Making thin layers of graphene and other 2D materials on a scale required for research purposes is common, but they must be manufactured on a much larger scale to be useful.

Graphene is touted for its potential of unprecedented strength and high electrical conductivity and can be made through well-known approaches: separating flakes of graphite--the silvery soft material found in pencils--into one-atom-thick layers, or growing it atom by atom on a catalyst from a gaseous precursor until ultrathin layers are formed.

The ORNL-led research team used the latter method--known as chemical vapor deposition, or CVD--but with a twist. In a study published in Nature Materials, they explained how localized control of the CVD process allows evolutionary, or self-selecting, growth under optimal conditions, yielding a large, single-crystal-like sheet of graphene.

"Large single crystals are more mechanically robust and may have higher conductivity," ORNL lead coauthor Ivan Vlassiouk said. "This is because weaknesses arising from interconnections between individual domains in polycrystalline graphene are eliminated."

"Our method could be the key not only to improving large-scale production of single-crystal graphene but to other 2D materials as well, which is necessary for their large-scale applications," he added.

Much like traditional CVD approaches to produce graphene, the researchers sprayed a gaseous mixture of hydrocarbon precursor molecules onto a metallic, polycrystalline foil. However, they carefully controlled the local deposition of the hydrocarbon molecules, bringing them directly to the edge of the emerging graphene film. As the substrate moved underneath, the carbon atoms continuously assembled as a single crystal of graphene up to a foot in length.

"The unencumbered single-crystal-like graphene growth can go almost continuously, as a roll-to-roll and beyond the foot-long samples demonstrated here," said Sergei Smirnov, coauthor and New Mexico State University professor.

As the hydrocarbons touch down the hot catalyst foil, they form clusters of carbon atoms that grow over time into larger domains until coalescing to cover the whole substrate. The team previously found that at sufficiently high temperatures, the carbon atoms of graphene did not correlate, or mirror, the substrate's atoms, allowing for nonepitaxial crystalline growth.

Since the concentration of the gas mixture strongly influences how quickly the single crystal grows, supplying the hydrocarbon precursor near the existing edge of single graphene crystal can promote its growth more effectively than the formation of new clusters.

"In such a controlled environment, the fastest-growing orientation of graphene crystals overwhelms the others and gets 'evolutionarily selected' into a single crystal, even on a polycrystalline substrate, without having to match the substrate's orientation, which usually happens with standard epitaxial growth," Smirnov said.

They found that to ensure optimal growth, it was necessary to create a "wind" that helps to eliminate the cluster formations. "It was imperative that we create an environment where the formation of new clusters ahead of the growth front was totally suppressed, and enlargement of just the growing edge of the large graphene crystal was not hindered," Vlassiouk said. "Then, and only then, nothing stands in the way of the 'fittest' crystalline growth when the substrate is moving."

The team's theoreticians, led by coauthor Rice University professor Boris Yakobson, provided a model explaining which crystal orientations possess the unique properties that make them fittest in the run for survival, and why the choice of a winner may depend on the substrate and the precursors.

"If graphene or any 2D material ever advances to industrial scale, this approach will be pivotal, similar to Czochralski's method for silicon." Yakobson said. "Manufacturers can rest assured that when a large, wafer-size raw layer is cut for any device fabrication, each resulting piece will be a quality monocrystal. This potentially huge, impactful role motivates us to explore theoretical principles to be as clear as possible."

Practical scaling up of graphene using the team's method remains to be seen, but the researchers believe their evolutionary selection single-crystal growth method could also be applied to promising alternative 2D materials such as boron nitride, also known as "white graphene," and molybdenum disulfide.

###

The team's paper, "Evolutionary selection growth of two-dimensional materials on polycrystalline substrates," included coauthors Ivan Vlassiouk, Yijing Stehle, Raymond R. Unocic, Arthur P. Baddorf, Ilia N. Ivanov, Nickolay V. Lavrik and Frederick List of Oak Ridge National Laboratory; Philip D. Rack of ORNL and University of Tennessee; Pushpa Raj Pudasini of UT; Nitant Gupta, Ksenia Bets and Boris I. Yakobson of Rice University; and Sergei Smirnov of New Mexico State University.

The research was supported by ORNL's Laboratory Directed Research and Development program, ORNL's technology transfer royalty funded Technology Innovation Program, and DOE's Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy. Microscopy work was supported as part of the Fluid Interface Reactions, Structures and Transport Center, an Energy Frontier Research Center. This work also leveraged ORNL's Center for Nanophase Materials Sciences, a DOE Office of Science User Facility.

ORNL is managed by UT-Battelle for DOE's Office of Science. The Office of Science is the single largest supporter of basic research in the physical sciences in the United States, and is working to address some of the most pressing challenges of our time. For more information, please visit http://science.energy.gov/.Flows of molten metal can generate magnetic fields. This so-called dynamo effect creates cosmic magnetic fields, like those found on planets, moons and even asteroids. Over the coming years, a globally unique experiment, in which a steel drum containing several tons of liquid sodium rotates around two axes, is intended to demonstrate this effect. It will be carried out in the new DRESDYN facility at the Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR), an independent German research laboratory. A recently published study in the scientific journal Physical Review Letters confirms the experiment's chances of success.

Similarly to how a bicycle dynamo converts motion into electricity, moving conductive fluids can generate magnetic fields. The so-called magnetic Reynolds number (the product of the fluid's flow velocity, expansion and conductivity) primarily determines whether a magnetic field is actually generated.

During a spectacular experiment, scientists in Frank Stefani's team at the HZDR's Institute of Fluid Dynamics aim to achieve the critical value required for the occurrence of the dynamo effect. For this purpose, a two-meter diameter steel cylinder containing eight tons of liquid sodium will rotate around one axis up to ten times per second and once per second around another, which is tilted with respect to the first. The technical term for this movement, which is often compared to a tilted spinning top, is precession.

"Our experiment at the new DRESDYN facility is intended to demonstrate that precession, as a natural driver of flow, is sufficient to create a magnetic field," says Andre Giesecke, lead author of the study. In his simulations and during accompanying water experiments - the mock-up was six times smaller than the large dynamo - scientists examined the structure of precession-driven flow.

"To our surprise, we observed a symmetrical double role structure in a specific range of the precession rate, which should provide a dynamo effect at a magnetic Reynolds number of 430," says the physicist.

Unresolved: the role of precession in the geodynamo

The center of the Earth consists of a solid core surrounded by a layer of molten iron. "The molten metal induces an electric current, which in turn generates a magnetic field," explains Giesecke. The common belief is that buoyancy-driven convection, together with Earth's rotation, is responsible for this geodynamo. However, the role played by precession in the formation of Earth's magnetic field is still completely unclear.

The Earth's rotational axis is tilted by 23.5 degrees from its orbital plane. The rotational axis changes position over a period of approximately 26,000 years. This precessing motion through space is thought to be one of the possible sources of energy for the geodynamo. Millions of years ago, the Moon also had a powerful magnetic field, as indicated by rock samples from the Apollo missions. According to experts, precession could have been the main cause of this.

The liquid sodium experiments at HZDR are expected to start in 2020. Unlike earlier geodynamo laboratory experiments, there will be no propeller inside the steel drum, as was used in the first successful dynamo experiment in Riga, Latvia in 1999, in which HZDR scientists were heavily involved. This and other experiments in Karlsruhe, Germany and Cadarache, France provided ground-breaking research for a better understanding of the geodynamo.

"In principle, we can define three different parameters for the experiments at DRESDYN: rotation, precession and the angle between the two axes," says Giesecke. On the one hand, he and his colleagues expect to get answers to the fundamental question of whether precession actually produces a magnetic field in a conductive fluid. On the other hand, they are interested in finding out which flow components are responsible for the creation of the magnetic field, and the point at which saturation occurs.

Double role in the Container

"In simulations, we discovered that stationary inertia waves occur in a wide parameter range. Within a certain range, however, we have now noticed a characteristic double role structure that proves to be extremely efficient for the dynamo effect. In principle, we are already aware of such a velocity structure thanks to the French dynamo experiment, in which it was artificially produced by two propellers, while in our precession experiment it should emerge naturally."

The HZDR researchers used special ultrasound technology to measure the flow structure. "We were very surprised at how well the data from the experiment matches the results of the simulation. We therefore have an extremely robust prediction for the major DRESDYN experiment. For example, we know at which rotational rates the dynamo effect occurs and which magnetic field structures we can expect," says Giesecke.

The scientific community involved with dynamos is eagerly awaiting the results of the planned experiment, which will operate at the limits of technical feasibility in many respects. "We also expect detailed insights into the general dynamics of liquid metal flows under the influence of magnetic fields. This will allow us to draw conclusions about flows in the industrial sector," according to Giesecke.

And last but not least, the magnetic flow tomography developed at the HZDR as part of its dynamo research is of interest to many areas of steel casting and crystal growing. The work has been partially funded by the Helmholtz Alliance "Liquid Metal Technologies" (LIMTECH).

###Scientists have linked 110 genes to an increased risk of breast cancer in the most comprehensive study ever to unpick the genetics of the disease.

Their study used a pioneering genetic technique to analyse maps of DNA regions linked to an inherited risk of breast cancer and identify the actual genes involved in raising a woman's risk.

Researchers also linked 32 of the new genes to the length of time women survived breast cancer - suggesting these could be important in the development of the disease and potential targets for future treatments.

Scientists at The Institute of Cancer Research, London, looked in detail at 63 areas of the genome that had previously been associated with the risk of breast cancer by mapping studies.

Finding the genes responsible for the increased risk is not straightforward because small sequences of DNA can interact with completely different parts of the genome through a strange phenomenon known as 'DNA looping'.

But the researchers, funded by Breast Cancer Now, used a technique they developed called Capture Hi-C to study interactions between different regions of the genome.

The study - published today (Monday) in Nature Communications - uncovered which specific genes were involved and how that might increase a woman's risk of developing breast cancer.

The team at the Breast Cancer Now Toby Robins Research Centre at The Institute of Cancer Research (ICR) found that some of the 63 regions of the genome were physically interacting with genes more than a million letters of DNA code away.

They were able to identify 110 new genes that could potentially be causing an increased risk of breast cancer across 33 of the regions they studied. In the remaining 30 areas, they were unable to find any specific genes.

One third of the target genes for which they had patient data - 32 out of 97 - were also linked to survival in women with oestrogen receptor-positive breast cancer, suggesting they play an important role in the disease.

In the future, testing for these genes could help pick out women who are most at risk of developing the disease - or they could be explored as targets for new drugs.

Scientists at the ICR - a research institute and charity - studied DNA loops in cells from four different types of breast cancer and normal, healthy cells to find out which genes were consistently involved in looping interactions.

Most of the 110 genes found in the study had not been linked to breast cancer risk before, and further work will be needed to determine the extent of their role in the disease.

One of these, called FADD, has previously been linked to head and neck cancer and lung cancer and could be a promising target for new cancer therapies.

Previous large-scale genetics studies have implicated 14 of the 110 genes as playing a role in breast cancer risk, such as the oestrogen receptor gene ESR1, showing that Capture Hi-C is an effective tool for picking up risk genes.

Dr Olivia Fletcher, Team Leader in Functional Genetic Epidemiology at The Institute of Cancer Research, London, said: "Our study took the high-level maps of breast cancer risk regions and used them to pull out specific genes that seem to be associated with the disease.

"We studied how DNA forms loops to allow physical interactions between a DNA sequence in one part of the genome and a risk gene in another.

"Identifying these new genes will help us to understand in much greater detail the genetics of breast cancer risk. Ultimately, our study could pave the way for new genetic tests to predict a woman's risk, or new types of targeted treatment."

Baroness Delyth Morgan, Chief Executive at Breast Cancer Now, which funded the study, said: "These are really important findings. We urgently need to unravel how the genetic changes in the building blocks of our DNA influence a woman's risk of breast cancer, and this study adds another vital piece to this jigsaw.

"More women are now being diagnosed with breast cancer than ever before, and these crucial findings could ultimately help us more accurately predict who is most at risk and develop new targeted treatments.

"Many of these genes have been relatively undocumented to date and we now hope further research will untangle their exact role in breast cancer risk, and how we could use them to stop more women developing the disease."

Professor Paul Workman, Chief Executive of The Institute of Cancer Research, London, said: "Large-scale genomic studies have been instrumental in associating areas of our DNA with an increased risk of breast cancer. This study brings these regions of DNA into sharper focus, uncovering a treasure trove of genes that can now be investigated in more detail.

"The ways in which particular genes influence cancer risk are highly complex. In the future, a better understanding of the genes identified in this study could lead to the discovery of new targeted drugs, or new strategies to improve diagnosis or prevention of the disease."

###

Notes to editors

For more information please contact Sarah Wells in the ICR press office on 020 7153 5582 or sarah.wells@icr.ac.uk. For enquiries out of hours, please call 07595 963 613.

The Institute of Cancer Research, London, is one of the world's most influential cancer research organisations.

Scientists and clinicians at The Institute of Cancer Research (ICR) are working every day to make a real impact on cancer patients' lives. Through its unique partnership with The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust and 'bench-to-bedside' approach, the ICR is able to create and deliver results in a way that other institutions cannot. Together the two organisations are rated in the top four centres for cancer research and treatment globally.

The ICR has an outstanding record of achievement dating back more than 100 years. It provided the first convincing evidence that DNA damage is the basic cause of cancer, laying the foundation for the now universally accepted idea that cancer is a genetic disease. Today it is a world leader at identifying cancer-related genes and discovering new targeted drugs for personalised cancer treatment.

A college of the University of London, the ICR is the UK's top-ranked academic institution for research quality, and provides postgraduate higher education of international distinction. It has charitable status and relies on support from partner organisations, charities and the general public.

The ICR's mission is to make the discoveries that defeat cancer. For more information visit http://www.icr.ac.uk.

About Breast Cancer Now:

* Breast Cancer Now is the UK's largest breast cancer charity.

* Breast Cancer Now's ambition is that by 2050 everyone who develops breast cancer will live. The charity is determined to stop women dying from the disease, working in a new, collaborative way and bringing together all those affected by the disease to fund research, share knowledge and find answers.

* Breast Cancer Now's world-class research is focused entirely on breast cancer. The charity supports nearly 450 of the world's brightest researchers at 29 locations across the UK and Ireland. Together, they're working to discover how to prevent breast cancer, how to detect it earlier and how to treat it effectively at every stage so we can stop the disease taking lives.

* Breast cancer is still the most common cancer in the UK. Nearly 700,000 people living in the UK have experienced a diagnosis and one in eight women will face it in their lifetime. This year alone, more than 50,000 women will be told they have the disease.

* The UK still has one of the lowest breast cancer survival rates in Western Europe and this year alone around 11,500 women will lose their lives. It's time to act.

* Breast Cancer Now launched in June 2015, created by the merger of leading research charities Breast Cancer Campaign and Breakthrough Breast Cancer.

* For more information on Breast Cancer Now's work, visit breastcancernow.org or follow us on Twitter or on Facebook. Breast Cancer Now thanks M&S for their generous support of this research.Process Analytical Technology (PAT) has been of great value to pharmaceutical manufacturing, enabling testing throughout the manufacturing process and allowing the real-time release of the finished product. Often, the final step in the production is tableting. In this, a die used to compress the tablet is filled with powder via a feed frame, that ensures a constant supply of material. The powder contains the active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) as well as other material required for the production of the tablet. Subject to the mechanical processes within the feed frame, the consistency of the powder varies due to density variations and segmentation. Such inconsistencies can lead to differences in concentrations of the API in individual tablets. Too much or too little API in a tablet are each dangerous for the patient taking the medicine.

These variations in powder flow phenomena in pharmaceutical manufacturing feed frames have previously been investigated with near infrared (NIR) spectroscopy. However, whilst this has provided useful information, due to the comparatively small area analysed with this technique, areas of segregation can be missed. In a paper published in the Open Access, peer-reviewed journal Journal of Spectral Imaging, the authors report on the use of NIR chemical imaging for in-line feed frame monitoring. They show that NIR chemical imaging based predictions of concentration in a feed frame may prove to be more representative, since they gather information from a comparatively larger sample area compared to NIR spectroscopy.

According to Ryan Gosselin, Associate Professor in the Department of Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology Engineering of the Universite de Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada, "concentration predictions with NIR chemical imaging were found to be similar to those of the NIR spectroscopy model. However, NIR chemical imaging is better positioned to view concentration modifications over larger sample areas, and different image sections can be analysed separately in the event of localised concentration changes."

###

Details of the paper

Himmat Dalvi, Clemence Fauteux-Lefebvre, Jean-Maxime Guay, Nicolas Abatzoglou and Ryan Gosselin, "Concentration monitoring with near infrared chemical imaging in a tableting press", Journal of Spectral Imaging 7, a5 (2018). doi: https://doi.org/10.1255/jsi.2018.a5Fear of making mistakes and wider concerns about their social responsibility are among reasons why older people are rejecting digital technologies, a new study reveals

Fear of making mistakes and wider concerns about their social responsibility are among reasons why older people are rejecting digital technologies, a new study reveals.

Despite increasing numbers of older adults accessing the Internet, and many recent retirees having used computers during their careers, the digital divide between older adults and younger people still exists. Older adults use significantly fewer digital applications and spend less time online than younger adults.

Following interviews with older adults, researchers from Lancaster University have discovered that resistance to using digital technologies is not primarily rooted in accessibility issues, as widely believed.

Researchers found that personally held values to do with the desirability of technology, wider concerns regarding its impact on society, and fears of getting things wrong when using software are also significant factors holding back technology use among older adults.

Some older people are put off using online tools because they see them as being arduous and time consuming. They feel that the trend toward online services such as comparison websites places a greater burden on themselves to become experts in all manner of things, whereas previously one could seek out trained professionals to assist with decision making.

And security concerns were omnipresent among the older adults interviewed, with many of them lacking confidence in their own knowledge of how to use online tools properly, in particular online banking.

To attend to this the researchers, Dr Bran Knowles and Professor Vicki Hanson in their paper 'The Wisdom of Older Technology (Non) Users', which has been published by the Communications of the ACM journal, recommend that the designers of online services do more to offer better safety nets that will offer actual protection and more reassurance to older users.

A strong sense of social responsibility may be a more important factor underlying many older people's rejection of digital technology. They worry that online shopping takes business from local shops, threatening the town centres in which they can socialise with their friends. They also worry that if they don't go into the bank or the post office they may close and people may lose their jobs.

Dr Knowles said: "The fact that digital technologies can and do make certain jobs obsolete is a common concern for older adults who worry about their grandchildren's job prospects. Developing solutions to attend to this wider societal problem appears to be key to fostering acceptance of digital technologies among older adults."

Social isolation is another concern. Some older people are rejecting online shopping as they welcome the social benefits of daily face to face contact when shopping in person.

Professor Vicki Hanson said: "The efficiency gained by conducting online interactions is not a powerful motivator for technology adoption by older adults who may be experiencing loneliness and isolation. In many cases, making digital technologies appealing for older adults means ensuring that digital engagements do not replace social interactions, and if possible, facilitate new social and community-building opportunities where they can meet people."

Researchers also found some older people use their age as a cover for other personally-held reasons not to engage with technology. For example, someone who doesn't like social media because they think it can enable cyberbullying may say they are 'too old' as a convenient and socially acceptable way to justify not using it, as there are fewer expectations for an older person to use social media.

Dr Knowles and Professor Hanson call this 'playing the age card' and acknowledge the utility in older adults blaming their age for their non-use of digital technologies.

Dr Knowles said: "Older adults themselves are often the worst perpetuators of the myth that old age precludes engagement with a myriad of digital technologies. Doing so allows older adults a privilege not available to most working-age adults to take personal stands against the aspects of technology they find worrying, threatening or just plain annoying."

###

The research was supported with funding from the UK's Research Council's Digital Economy Theme, led by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC), and also the EU's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme.

The paper's authors are Dr Bran Knowles and Professor Vicki Hanson, both of Lancaster University's Data Science Institute. Dr. Knowles is a Lancaster 50/50 Lecturer and Prof Hanson a Visiting Professor from the US, based at the Rochester Institute of Technology in New York.

The paper can be viewed here: https://cacm.acm.org/magazines/2018/3/225474-the-wisdom-of-older-technology-nonusers/fulltext

The work was supported by the SiDE (RCUK EP/G066019/1) and BESiDE (RCUK EP/K037293/1) research grants from the RCUK EPSRC, and by MobileAge (EU Horizon2020 No. 693319).

The Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC)

As the main funding agency for engineering and physical sciences research, our vision is for the UK to be the best place in the world to Research, Discover and Innovate.

By investing 800 million a year in research and postgraduate training, we are building the knowledge and skills base needed to address the scientific and technological challenges facing the nation. Our portfolio covers a vast range of fields from healthcare technologies to structural engineering, manufacturing to mathematics, advanced materials to chemistry. The research we fund has impact across all sectors. It provides a platform for future economic development in the UK and improvements for everyone's health, lifestyle and culture.

We work collectively with our partners and other Research Councils on issues of common concern via Research Councils UK.Parenting can be stressful - and this stress may be influencing the DNA methylation of African American mothers, finds a new study led by NYU Rory Meyers College of Nursing published in the Journal of Clinical and Translational Science.

Stress can contribute to a range of health problems, including high blood pressure and heart disease - health issues that are particularly pervasive among African American women. The stress that parents feel in their roles adds to overall maternal stress levels, which can influence health outcomes for mothers and their children.

In seeking to understand the biological consequences of stress, researchers have learned that stress is associated with altered DNA methylation, a mechanism that is used to control gene expression (often "turning on" or "off" a gene). Epigenetic changes like DNA methylation do not change the sequence of DNA, but by altering gene expression can contribute to a variety of disease outcomes.

"Raising children is inevitably stressful. We wanted to see if parenting stress influences DNA methylation," said Jacquelyn Taylor, PhD, PNP-BC, RN, FAHA, FAAN, the Vernice D. Ferguson Professor in Health Equity at NYU Rory Meyers College of Nursing and the study's senior author.

The current study examined the relationship between parenting stress and DNA methylation among African American mothers and their children using data from the Intergenerational Impact of Genetic and Psychological Factors on Blood Pressure, an ongoing study funded by the National Institute of Nursing Research.

Seventy-four pairs of African American mothers and their children took part in the study for a total of 148 participants. Parenting stress among mothers was measured using the 36-question Parenting Stress Index, and DNA methylation was measured using saliva samples from both mothers and children.

The researchers found that more than 95 CpG sites - or regions on the genome where DNA methylation occurs - were associated with the level of parenting stress among mothers. Of the 95 sites, 83 had decreased DNA methylation with higher levels of parenting stress. Importantly, the researchers identified a change in DNA methylation associated with PARP-1, a gene that plays a key role in stress signaling, when higher levels of parenting stress were observed.

"We show that parenting stress as reported by mothers influences DNA methylation, particularly in a gene that plays a huge role in stress signaling," said Taylor. "Altered expression levels of PARP-1 due to DNA methylation may be a precursor to gene expression that could have an impact on future health outcomes."

The researchers observed that DNA methylation patterns in children mirrored patterns in their mothers. However, none of the variations in DNA methylation related to maternal parenting stress were significant in the children. Taylor noted that parenting stress is experienced differently for parents and children, and it is possible that children experience other stressors that may influence their epigenome.

The researchers' next steps are to look at how social determinants of health, including parenting stress, and changes in DNA methylation influence blood pressure in this population.

"Our study shows that psychosocial factors like parenting stress influence DNA methylation. If this ultimately translates to changes in blood pressure, what can we do as clinicians to intervene early? If a parent comes to a clinic with both high levels of stress and blood pressure, we could provide them with nonpharmacological resources or interventions to alleviate that stress before we move to antihypertensive medication," said Taylor. "Clinicians need to consider social determinants of health like stress as both root causes of illness and symptoms that can be treated."

###

In addition to Taylor, study coauthors include Michelle L. Wright of the Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing at Emory University, Yunfeng Huang and Qin Hui of Rollins School of Public Health at Emory University, Kevin Newhall of Vassar College, Cindy Crusto of Yale School of Medicine, and Yan V. Sun of Rollins School of Public Health and the School of Medicine at Emory University. The research was supported by the National Institutes of Health, National Institute of Nursing Research (R01NR013520).

About the NYU Rory Meyers College of Nursing

NYU Rory Meyers College of Nursing is a global leader in nursing education, research, and practice. It offers a bachelor of science with a major in nursing, a master of science, post-master's certificate programs, a doctor of nursing practice degree, and a doctor of philosophy in research theory and development.A recent study published in Oxford Economic Papers indicates that university education has a dramatically positive effect on the development of non-cognitive skills like conscientiousness, extraversion and agreeableness, in addition to the expected intellectual benefits. The paper also shows that the impact of education on these skills is even more dramatic for students from lower socioeconomic backgrounds.

University education coincides with the transition from adolescence into young adulthood. The nature of this maturation process is toward increasing levels of agreeableness, conscientiousness, and emotional stability and decreasing levels of openness to experience and extraversion. University training may alter this maturation process: Theoretically, it could boost, weaken, or even reverse population trends in personality trait maturation.

University education may impact character skills development by providing students with exposure to new peer groups and extracurricular activities including sport, politics, and art. Because students from disadvantaged backgrounds are likely to be more affected by a change in peer groups through day-to-day interaction with academically inclined peers and academic groups, there may be a greater effect of university education on students from disadvantaged backgrounds.

To measure character skills researchers used five personality traits--openness to experience, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness, and neuroticism--which are widely accepted as a meaningful construct for describing differences in character skills by psychologists. Some of these character skills- extraversion or openness to new experiences - are important for employers. Other character skills- like agreeableness - are related to preferences such as reciprocity and altruism, which are significant for personal health and wellbeing.

To identify the effect of university education, researchers followed the education and character skills trajectories of 575 adolescents over eight years using nationally-representative, longitudinal data from the Household, Income, and Labour Dynamics in Australia survey. The data provide measures of character skills before potential university entry, and follow up measures four and eight years later.

The results indicate that every additional year spent at university is associated with increases in extraversion and agreeableness for youth from low socioeconomic backgrounds.

The results show that university education has positive effects on extraversion, reversing a downward sloping population trend in outward orientation as people age. It also accelerates an upward-sloping population trend in agreeableness for students from low socioeconomic status, boosting agreeableness scores from the lowest levels observed at baseline to the highest levels at the eight-year follow up. This finding suggests that the causal mechanism is likely to operate through actual exposure to university life, rather than through academic course content. Such interpretation is strengthened by the observation that length of exposure to university life is positively associated with character development.

As yet, no empirical evidence has existed on the matter. This study provides a robust empirical look at the role that university education plays in skills development in adolescents. Australian universities contribute to building sociability (extraversion) and the tendency to cooperate (agreeableness).

In addition, university education is associated with higher levels of agreeableness for both male and female students from low socioeconomic backgrounds, who started from the lowest baseline scores in adolescence and experienced the steepest growth curve as they entered university. This implies that students from disadvantaged backgrounds catch up with their peers from more privileged backgrounds, thus reducing initial levels of inequality in agreeableness.

"We see quite clearly that students' personalities change when they go to university, said the paper's lead researcher," Sonja Kassenboehmer. "Universities provide an intensive new learning and social environment for adolescents, so it is not surprising that this experience could impact on students' personality. It is good news that universities not only seem to teach subject-specific skills, but also seem to succeed in shaping skills valued by employers and society."

###

The paper "University education and non-cognitive skill development" is available at: https://academic.oup.com/oep/article-lookup/doi/10.1093/oep/gpy002

Direct correspondence to:

Sonja C. Kassenboehmer

Centre for Health Economics, Monash University

Building 75, 15 Innovation Walk, Monash University,

Clayton, Victoria 3800, AUSTRALIA

sonja.kassenboehmer@monash.edu

To request a copy of the study, please contact:

Daniel Luzer

daniel.luzer@oup.com

Sharing on social media? Find Oxford Journals online at @OxfordJournalsOncotarget announced that its peer-reviewed research publications will be indexed in Meta, a world-renowned database of scientific literature, alongside other Impact Journal publications. Meta was acquired by the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative in an effort to make Meta's artificial intelligence (AI) technologies available to enhance scientists' ability to search, read, and tie together millions of scientific papers.

The partnership enables Oncotarget's publications to be quickly disseminated to scientists around the world. The expansion of Impact Journal's indexing is a huge step for Oncotarget and the scientific community, as it enables Oncotarget's publications to be searchable in an enormous database, and according to Tech Crunch, Meta assists scientists with analysis on their areas of research along with determination of experiments previously performed and finding new opportunities for investigation.

Remarkably, a similar idea about new knowledge generated through reviewing accumulated results and linking it into testable chains and networks was published by the Co-Editor-in-Chief of Oncotarget, Mikhail Blagosklonny, and the Editorial Board Member, Arthur Pardee, in 2002. DOI:10.1038/416373a

"We are grateful to the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative for giving us the opportunity to index the research we publish in Meta," said the Publishing Office of Impact Journals. "It will greatly help us to meet the challenges of the 21st century, to continue to serve as a platform for researchers' contributions to the progress of science, and to reach our common ultimate goal of life without disease."

###

About Oncotarget

Oncotarget is a twice-weekly, peer-reviewed, open access biomedical journal covering research on all aspects of oncology and publishing sub-sections on topics beyond oncology, including Aging, Immunology and Microbiology, Autophagy, Pathology and Chromosomes among others. Oncotarget is published by Rapamycin Press, the publishing division of Impact Journals LLC.

To learn more about Oncotarget, please visit http://www.oncotarget.com.

To learn more about Rapamycin Press, the publishing division of Impact Journals LLC, please visit http://www.impactjournals.comLawrence Boysen is watching as a second nor'easter storm prepares to rake the northeast U.S leaving millions without power. He understands well the head and heartache of destructive weather.

Last summer, Boysen witnessed Hurricane Harvey's devastation on Houston, flooding his home and snapping the city's power lines.

"Being without power really puts a strain on you, a stress on all your resources," Boysen said. "It creates a challenge to keep your devices powered especially when you're trapped and need to stay in touch with family."

Boysen, 44, has thought about being without power more than most in this era of mobile phones. In 2013, he patented a wearable solar-powered device called SOL Cuff, which resembles a large wristband made of six tiny solar panels that charge an integrated battery.

The power flows to 4 LED lights and a micro-USB 5-volt charging port embedded in the SOL Cuff, making it ideal for emergency responders and stranded civilians who need to charge their phones.

When Hurricane Harvey hit, SOL Cuff Technologies fulfilled its first order, 33,600 portable chargers for the Texas Army National Guard.

The fast-growing company can't keep up with demand, which surges every time there's a natural disaster baring our collective reliance on wall chargers. Did I mention SOL Cuff is waterproof?

And like many tech startups, SOL Cuff is already innovating.

On Wednesday, after working with TechLink's Marti Elder on creating a commercialization plan and license application, the Texas startup signed a patent license agreement for the Air Force Research Laboratory's "mobile device arm mount."

The Air Force's patented wristband was invented by researchers at the 711th Human Performance Wing and features a customizable twist-lock tensioning system and a multi-layer blend of soft and rigid components that conform to the muscle and structure of the forearm.

"We're already prototyping our second model and were actively searching for a high-functioning wrist mount when we located the Air Force patent on TechLink's website," Boysen said.

Committed to innovation in civilian and government markets, SOL Cuff is also seeking a cooperative research and development agreement with the Air Force so the two parties can work together on improved designs.

"We recently attended the Dismounted Warfighter Power and Energy Industry Day at the Army's Aberdeen Proving Ground in Maryland," Boysen said. "This gave us good insights into the technology gaps and capabilities we can provide to the warfighter."

Patent license agreements and cooperative research and development agreements are the primary tools of technology transfer partnerships between federal laboratories and industry.

TechLink, the Department of Defense's national partnership intermediary, specializes in marketing and licensing DoD technology to industry. It facilitates about 60 percent of all DoD patent license agreements and works closely with the Air Force Technology Transfer Program at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Dayton, Ohio.

"At the end of the day SOL Cuff is going to help grow the economy, expand the defense innovation base and support the warfighter," Elder said. "We couldn't be happier to help pair a great company with a great laboratory."

###Researchers found many mussels were contaminated with all four toxins, and most had at least one, often at high enough levels to make people and animals sick

Researchers monitoring San Francisco Bay for algal toxins have found a surprising array of different toxins in the water and in mussels collected from the bay. Four different classes of toxins, including one produced in freshwater environments, occur regularly throughout the bay, according to a study led by UC Santa Cruz researchers and published March 10 in Harmful Algae.

"The bay is acting as a big mixing bowl where toxins from both fresh and marine water are found together," said senior author Raphael Kudela, the Lynn Professor of Ocean Health at UC Santa Cruz. "A big concern is that we don't know what happens if someone is exposed to multiple toxins at the same time."

Although shellfish on the open coast are routinely monitored for some of these toxins, the toxins and contamination levels in shellfish from San Francisco Bay may be very different from what's found on the open coast, he said. The researchers found that 99 percent of mussels collected from the bay were contaminated with at least one algal toxin, and 37 percent contained four distinct kinds of toxins. The contamination greatly exceeded regulatory guidelines for multiple toxins in 2012, 2014, and 2015.

Eating contaminated mussels can have serious health effects for humans and wildlife. Although there are no commercial shellfish operations in San Francisco Bay, some people do harvest mussels from the bay for their own consumption.

"At first we thought no one eats shellfish out of San Francisco Bay, but in fact you can go online and find blogs talking about the best places to collect mussels, and some of those are the places where we found the highest toxin levels," Kudela said. "I don't know how widespread it is, but I wouldn't recommend harvesting shellfish from the bay, even if you're following the state quarantine guidelines, because the state only monitors the open coast."

Mussels in the bay were contaminated with the following toxins:

Domoic acid, a neurotoxin that causes amnesic shellfish poisoning in humans, is produced by marine diatoms in the genus Pseudo-nitzschia.

Paralytic shellfish toxins (saxitoxins), which cause paralytic shellfish poisoning, are associated with marine dinoflagellates in the genus Alexandrium.

Dinophysis shellfish toxins (okadaic acid and derivatives) cause diarrhetic shellfish poisoning and are produced by marine dinoflagellates in the genus Dinophysis.

Microcystins, produced by freshwater cyanobacteria in the genus Microcystis, are hepatotoxins that cause liver damage in people and animals.

Mussel samples often exceeded recommended guidelines for human consumption for both microcystins and Dinophysis shellfish toxins. Levels of domoic acid and paralytic shellfish toxins were lower than the regulatory limits, but Kudela noted that some studies suggest chronic exposure to even low levels of these toxins may cause neurological impairments. "Also, this was a fairly small study, so there may be bigger peaks than the levels we saw," he said.

Kudela, a leading expert on harmful algal blooms, works closely with state and federal agencies, and he said several agencies are considering changes to their monitoring programs in light of these new findings. The evidence of widespread contamination of the bay with microcystins from freshwater sources, for example, has caught the attention of inland water agencies and led to increased efforts to identify the sources.

"In these boundary areas like San Francisco Bay, it's not always clear which agency is responsible. We need to look at coastal areas more holistically so we don't end up with a regulatory gray area where nobody's monitoring the shellfish but people are still eating them," Kudela said.

He noted that commercially harvested shellfish are generally safe because they undergo regular testing. But neither microcystins nor Dinophysis shellfish toxins have been included in the routine monitoring of California shellfish.

The study began in 2011 when Kudela's lab started monitoring for domoic acid and microcystins in the water during regular water quality surveys conducted in San Francisco Bay by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). When those surveys revealed both toxins were occurring throughout the bay, they began testing shellfish and looking for all four toxins.

"This is the first time we've found all four of those toxins, including both freshwater and marine toxins, in the same mussel samples," Kudela said.

The study coincided with a major drought in California, but how that may have influenced the findings is not clear. "Drought potentially brought some of the marine toxins further into the bay because there was less river flow, and it probably intensified the freshwater toxins," Kudela said. "We don't think the toxins were only there because of the drought, but it could have amplified things."

###

The authors of the study include first author Melissa Peacock, a former graduate student and postdoctoral researcher at UC Santa Cruz who is now at Northwest Indian College in Bellingham, Washington; former UCSC graduate student Corinne Gibble, now at California Department of Fish and Wildlife; SFEI researcher David Senn, lead scientist for the San Francisco Bay Nutrient Management Strategy; and USGS researcher James Cloern. This research was funded by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the San Francisco Bay Nutrient Management Strategy, with additional support from USGS.(Tempe, Arizona--March 12, 2018) Imagine a year in Africa that summer never arrives. The sky takes on a gray hue during the day and glows red at night. Flowers do not bloom. Trees die in the winter. Large mammals like antelope become thin, starve and provide little fat to the predators (carnivores and human hunters) that depend on them. Then, this same disheartening cycle repeats itself, year after year. This is a picture of life on earth after the eruption of the super-volcano, Mount Toba in Indonesia, about 74,000 years ago. In a paper published this week in Nature, scientists show that early modern humans on the coast of South Africa thrived through this event.

An eruption a hundred times smaller than Mount Toba - that of Mount Tambora, also in Indonesia, in 1815 - is thought to have been responsible for a year without summer in 1816. The impact on the human population was dire - crop failures in Eurasia and North America, famine and mass migrations. The effect of Mount Toba, a super-volcano that dwarfs even the massive Yellowstone eruptions of the deeper past, would have had a much larger, and longer-felt, impact on people around the globe.

The scale of the ash-fall alone attests to the magnitude of the environmental disaster. Huge quantities of aerosols injected high into the atmosphere would have severely diminished sunlight - with estimates ranging from a 25 to 90 percent reduction in light. Under these conditions, plant die-off is predictable, and there is evidence of significant drying, wildfires and plant community change in East Africa just after the Toba eruption.

If Mount Tambora created such devastation over a full year - and Tambora was a hiccup compared to Toba - we can imagine a worldwide catastrophe with the Toba eruption, an event lasting several years and pushing life to the brink of extinctions.

In Indonesia, the source of the destruction would have been evident to terrified witnesses - just before they died. However, as a family of hunter-gatherers in Africa 74,000 years ago, you would have had no clue as to the reason for the sudden and devastating change in the weather. Famine sets in and the very young and old die. Your social groups are devastated, and your society is on the brink of collapse.

The effect of the Toba eruption would have certainly impacted some ecosystems more than others, possibly creating areas - called refugia - in which some human groups did better than others throughout the event. Whether or not your group lived in such a refuge would have largely depended on the type of resources available. Coastal resources, like shellfish, are highly nutritious and less susceptible to the eruption than the plants and animals of inland areas.

When the column of fire, smoke and debris blasted out the top of Mount Toba, it spewed rock, gas and tiny microscopic pieces (cryptotephra) of glass that, under a microscope, have a characteristic hook shape produced when the glass fractures across a bubble. Pumped into the atmosphere, these invisible fragments spread across the world.

Panagiotis (Takis) Karkanas, director of the Malcolm H. Wiener Laboratory for Archaeological Science, American School of Classical Studies, Greece, saw a single shard of this explosion under a microscope in a slice of archaeological sediment encased in resin.

"It was one shard particle out of millions of other mineral particles that I was investigating. But it was there, and it couldn't be anything else," says Karkanas.

The shard came from an archaeological site in a rockshelter called Pinnacle Point 5-6, on the south coast of South Africa near the town of Mossel Bay. The sediments dated to about 74,000 years ago.

"Takis and I had discussed the potential of finding the Toba shards in the sediments of our archaeological site, and with his eagle eye, he found one," explains Curtis W. Marean, project director of the Pinnacle Point excavations. Marean is the associate director of the Institute of Human Origins at Arizona State University and honorary professor at the Centre for Coastal Palaeoscience at Nelson Mandela University, South Africa.

Marean showed the shard image to Eugene Smith, a volcanologist with the University of Nevada at Las Vegas, and Smith confirmed it was a volcanic shard.

"The Pinnacle Point study brought me back to the study of glass shards from my master's thesis 40 years earlier," says Smith.

Early in the study, the team brought in expert cryptotephra scientist Christine Lane who trained graduate student Amber Ciravolo in the needed techniques. Racheal Johnsen later joined Ciravalo as lab manager and developed new techniques.

From scratch, with National Science Foundation support, they developed the Cryptotephra Laboratory for Archaeological and Geological Research, which is now involved in projects not only in Africa, but in Italy, Nevada and Utah.

Encased in that shard of volcanic glass is a distinct chemical signature, a fingerprint that scientists can use to trace to the killer eruption. In their paper in Nature, the team describes finding these shards in two archaeological sites in coastal South Africa, tracing those shards to Toba through chemical fingerprinting and documenting a continuous human occupation across the volcanic event.

"Many previous studies have tried to test the hypothesis that Toba devastated human populations," Marean notes. "But they have failed because they have been unable to present definitive evidence linking a human occupation to the exact moment of the event."

Most studies have looked at whether or not Toba caused environmental change. It did, but such studies lack the archaeological data needed to show how Toba affected humans.

The Pinnacle Point team has been at the forefront of development and application of highly advanced archaeological techniques. They measure everything on site to millimetric accuracy with a "total station," a laser-measurement device integrated to handheld computers for precise and error-free recording.

Naomi Cleghorn with the University of Texas at Arlington, recorded the Pinnacle Point samples as they were removed.

Cleghorn explains, "We collected a long column of samples - digging out a small amount of sediment from the wall of our previous excavation. Each time we collected a sample, we shot its position with the total station. We could then precisely compare the position of the sample to our excavated cultural remains - the trash ancient humans left at the site. We could also compare our cryptotephra sample position with that of samples taken for dating and environmental analyses."

In addition to understanding how Toba affected humans in this region, the study has other important implications for archaeological dating techniques. Archaeological dates at these age ranges are imprecise - 10 percent (or 1000s of years) error is typical. Toba ash-fall, however, was a very quick event that has been precisely dated. The time of shard deposition was likely about two weeks in duration - instantaneous in geological terms.

"We found the shards at two sites," explains Marean. "The Pinnacle Point rockshelter (where people lived, ate, worked and slept) and an open air site about 10 kilometers away called Vleesbaai. This latter site is where a group of people, possibly members of the same group as those at Pinnacle Point, sat in a small circle and made stone tools. Finding the shards at both sites allows us to link these two records at almost the same moment in time."

Not only that, but the shard location allows the scientists to provide an independent test of the age of the site estimated by other techniques. People lived at the Pinnacle Point 5-6 site from 90,000 to 50,000 years ago. Zenobia Jacobs with the University of Wollongong, Australia, used optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) to date 90 samples and develop a model of the age of all the layers. OSL dates the last time individual sand grains were exposed to light.

"There has been some debate over the accuracy of OSL dating, but Jacobs' age model dated the layers where we found the Toba shards to about 74,000 years ago - right on the money," says Marean. This lends very strong support to Jacobs' cutting-edge approach to OSL dating, which she has applied to sites across southern Africa and the world.

"OSL dating is the workhorse method for construction of timelines for a large part of our own history. Testing whether the clock ticks at the correct rate is important. So getting this degree of confirmation is pleasing," says Jacobs.

In the 1990s, scientists began arguing that this eruption of Mount Toba, the most powerful in the last two million years, caused a long-lived volcanic winter that may have devastated the ecosystems of the world and caused widespread population crashes, perhaps even a near-extinction event in our own lineage, a so-called bottleneck.

This study shows that along the food-rich coastline of southern Africa, people thrived through this mega-eruption, perhaps because of the uniquely rich food regime on this coastline. Now other research teams can take the new and advanced methods developed in this study and apply them to their sites elsewhere in Africa so researchers can see if this was the only population that made it through these devastating times.

###

Author List: Eugene Smith1, Zenobia Jacobs2, Racheal Johnsen1, Minghua Ren1, Erich C. Fisher3,4, Simen Oestmo3, Jayne Wilkins5, Jacob A. Harris3, Panagiotis Karkanas6, Shelby Fitch1, Amber Ciravolo1, Deborah Keenan7, Naomi Cleghorn8, Christine S. Lane9, Thalassa Matthews10 and Curtis W. Marean3,4

1Department of Geoscience, University of Nevada Las Vegas, 4505 Maryland Parkway, Las Vegas, Nevada 89154, USA.

2ARC Centre of Excellence for Australian Biodiversity and Heritage & Centre for Archaeological Science, School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Wollongong, New South Wales 2522, Australia.

3Institute of Human Origins, School of Human Evolution and Social Change, PO Box 872402, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287-2402, USA.

4African Centre for Coastal Palaeoscience, Nelson Mandela University, Port Elizabeth, Eastern Cape 6031, South Africa.

5Human Evolution Research Institute, Department of Archaeology, University of Cape Town, Private Bag, Rondebosch 7701, South Africa.

6Malcolm H. Wiener Laboratory for Archaeological Science, American School of Classical Studies, Soudias 54, Athens 10676, Greece.

7Geoscience Consultants LLC, Henderson, NV 89014, USA.

8Department of Sociology and Anthropology, University of Texas Arlington, 701 South Nedderman Drive, Arlington, TX, 76019, USA.

9Department of Geography, University of Cambridge, Downing Place, Cambridge, CB2 3EN, U.K.

10Iziko Museums of South Africa, Queen Victoria Street, Cape Town, PO Box 61, Cape Town, 8000, South Africa.Mexican and US scientists find that at least three quakes with land-based epicenters since 1980 likely were generated along a bending, shallow area of plate subduction

EUGENE, Ore. -- March 12, 2018 -- Under Mexico, where the Cocos Plate from the Pacific Ocean slides under the North American Plate, a bending line of hills, created when the seafloor first formed, sits atop a flattened area of subduction.

That newly recognized combination, scientists report, has created a fault that likely explains last September's Puebla earthquake, scientists report.

On Sept. 19, a 7.1 magnitude quake struck 55 kilometers (34 miles) south of Puebla and 100 kilometers (62 miles) from Mexico City. It caused damage from the capital southeast through the states of Puebla and Morelos. In Mexico City alone, there were 228 deaths and more than 40 buildings collapsed.

"The 2017 earthquake was peculiar but not all that uncommon," said University of Oregon seismologist Diego Melgar, lead author of a newly published paper. "The question became could earthquakes like this one occur closer to Mexico City? The answer is uncertain but it seems like it is unlikely."

In a geometry-heavy analysis published online ahead of print in the journal Geophysical Research Letters, a seven-member research team of U.S. and Mexican scientists mapped a zone of high earthquake risks in a line going southeast of Mexico City that includes Puebla City, Oaxaca and Tehuacan.

Mexico City is in a hazy area, Melgar said. The map has a spot directly south where a quake conceivably could occur. Similar earthquakes in 1980 and 1999 in less populated areas to the southeast also occurred within the map. The research is part on an on-going effort to better understand Mexico's earthquake risks.

"This 2017 earthquake was a test for the national capabilities on rapidly reporting an event in a region with a relatively good station coverage, said study co-author Xyoli Perez-Campos, chief of Mexico's National Seismological Service. "It also posed new scientific and social questions, of particular significance was how plausible it is to have a similar event closer to Mexico City."

Inland earthquakes are known to happen, Melgar said, but there has been insufficient information for hazard maps that guide building codes and readiness plans.

"We find that earthquakes like the Puebla earthquake in 2017 are not always prioritized in Mexico when we think about the earthquakes that can happen," Melgar said. "We need to prepare for these kinds of earthquakes, as well, not just for the earthquakes like 1985 that strike far away along the coast."

The research focused on the fabric of the seafloor, particularly slightly raised fault lines called abyssal hills. They appear like lines of waves occurring repeatedly outward as mid-ocean ridges spread apart in pulses. The lines can read much like tree rings.

"They record the rates at which the seafloor is being formed," Melgar said. "By looking at them we can tell if seafloor is being made quickly or slowly."

Earthquakes in Mexico normally are generated offshore where the two plates converge like those in the Cascadia Subduction Zone from northern California to British Columbia, Canada.

The 8.1 magnitude Mexico City earthquake on Sept. 19, 1985, was a typical one. Centered in the ocean 250 miles west, it killed 10,000 people and destroyed 3,000 buildings. The capital's susceptibility to earthquake damage is the result of the soft soil of an ancient lake on which the city was built.

"The smaller, inland 2017 earthquake comes along, but it was much closer to the city," Melgar said. "It also impacted the city because of the lake bed that allows shaking to occur for longer periods than an earthquake on solid bedrock. We wanted to know why the 2017 earthquake happened at that particular location."

The team showed that the lines of abyssal hills initially occurred at regularly occurring intervals as the Cocos Plate descended under the Mexico. However, that alignment eventually changed dramatically as the depth of areas of subduction shifted under the nation's surface.

Where the subduction continued at deep angles, hills atop the diving plate shifted to a northeasterly direction. Beginning just south of Mexico City, the alignment of hills shifted, reflecting a zone where plate subduction flattened.

The 2017 earthquake likely was the result of "bending stresses occurring at the transition from flat-slab subduction to steeply dipping subduction," the researchers concluded. "It's like the grain on a plank of wood," Melgar said. "If you bend with the grain or across the grain you might get some resistance. When you go too far, you get a snap."

Where subduction stays deep, offshore earthquakes will continue to pose the most risk. The shallower subduction zone is at risk for land-based earthquakes.

An 8.2 earthquake near Chiapas that occurred two weeks before Sept. 19 Puebla event also may be related to the misalignment pattern, Melgar said.

Similar flat-slab subduction zones where such misalignment occurs, he said, may be common southward through Guatemala, El Salvador and Nicaragua, and again in Peru and northern Chile.

###

Co-authors on the paper with Melgar and Perez-Campos were: Leonardo Ramirez-Guzman, Victor Hugo Espindola, and Enrique Cabral-Cano, all of the National Autonomous University of Mexico; Zack Spica, a postdoctoral researcher at Stanford University; and William C. Hammond of the University of Nevada, Reno. Perez-Campos also is affiliated with the National Autonomous University of Mexico

The research was partially funded by a National Science Foundation grant that supports GPS and other sensing technology with Mexico's National Council for Science and Technology and the National Autonomous University of Mexico.

Source: Diego Melgar, assistant professor, Department of Earth Sciences, University of Oregon, 541-346-3488, dmelgarm@uoregon.edu

Note: The UO is equipped with an on-campus television studio with a point-of-origin Vyvx connection, which provides broadcast-quality video to networks worldwide via fiber optic network. There also is video access to satellite uplink and audio access to an ISDN codec for broadcast-quality radio interviews.

Links:

Paper abstract: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/2017GL076895/abstract>

About Diego Melgar: https://earthsciences.uoregon.edu/profile/dmelgarm/

Melgar's UO lab: http://pages.uoregon.edu/dmelgarm

UO Department of Earth Sciences: https://earthsciences.uoregon.edu/

About Xyoli Perez-Campos: https://sites.google.com/site/xyoliperezcampos/PITTSBURGH, March 12, 2018 - Viruses are intracellular parasites that cause disease by infecting the cells in the body and, in a study published today in Nature Microbiology, researchers at Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC and the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine showed how a common virus hijacks a host cell's protein to help assemble new viruses before they are released. The findings increase our understanding of how viruses reproduce in the body and could lead to new therapeutics.

While most research into viral infections has focused on mechanisms viruses use to enter cells, less is known about the late steps in infection. The new findings were identified in reovirus, a common virus that is normally harmless but has recently been implicated as a potential cause of celiac disease.

"Our work provides compelling evidence that reoviruses, and perhaps additional distantly related viruses, require a specialized protein-folding machine expressed in cells to replicate," said Terence Dermody, M.D., chair of the Department of Pediatrics at Pitt's School of Medicine, physician-in-chief and scientific director at Children's Hospital, and the senior author on the study. "This is a pretty remarkable finding because viruses are in large part made of complex protein building blocks and we know little about how these blocks are assembled."

Folding proteins in the right way is crucial to their function. "Think of an unfolded protein like a plain sheet of paper: Rather unremarkable by itself, but capable of performing sophisticated functions when folded in a certain way, such as into an airplane. Similarly, proteins need to fold into specific shapes to work correctly," said Jonathan Knowlton, the first author of the study and a researcher in Dermody's lab.

By screening a large number of proteins in lab-grown cells, the researchers discovered that reovirus hijacks a chaperone protein - a machine that folds other proteins - called TRiC, that is present in every cell. In the case of reovirus, TRiC folds a major component of the protein shell that forms the outer coat of the virus, which is required for it to exit the cell and infect other healthy cells. When TRiC is disrupted, the outer coat cannot form and the cycle of viral replication is broken.

This study sheds light on the poorly understood process by which viral proteins fold and assemble to form new particles. The researchers are now studying whether other viruses use this pathway to reproduce, identifying the exact steps in the folding process enabled by TRiC and looking for molecules that inhibit the process, which could be developed as therapies.

In addition, this research contributes to an understanding of how the protein-folding machinery functions inside cells and may explain the manifestations of protein-misfolding diseases, such as Alzheimer's and Huntington's.

###

Additional authors on the study are Paula Zamora, from Children's Hospital and Pitt; Isabel Fernandez De Castro, Ph.D., and Cristina Risco, Ph.D., from Spanish National Research Council; Alison Ashbrook, Ph.D., and Joshua Bauer, Ph.D., from Vanderbilt University School of Medicine; Daniel Gestaut, Ph.D., and Judith Frydman, Ph.D., from Stanford University; and J. Craig Forrest, Ph.D., from University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences.

This research was supported in part by National Institutes of Health awards AI032539, AI122563, GM007347 and UL1TR000445, and the Vanderbilt Lamb Center for Pediatric Research.

About Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC

Regionally, nationally, and globally, Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC is a leader in the treatment of childhood conditions and diseases, a pioneer in the development of new and improved therapies, and a top educator of the next generation of pediatricians and pediatric subspecialists. Children's Hospital has fulfilled this mission since its founding in 1890. Children's is named consistently to several elite lists of pediatric hospitals, including ranking 10th among children's hospitals and schools of medicine (FY 2016) in funding for pediatric research provided by the National Institutes of Health, and is one of 10 pediatric hospitals in the United States named to the U.S. News & World Report Honor Roll of America's "Best Children's Hospitals" for 2017-2018.

About the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine

As one of the nation's leading academic centers for biomedical research, the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine integrates advanced technology with basic science across a broad range of disciplines in a continuous quest to harness the power of new knowledge and improve the human condition. Driven mainly by the School of Medicine and its affiliates, Pitt has ranked among the top 10 recipients of funding from the National Institutes of Health since 1998. In rankings recently released by the National Science Foundation, Pitt ranked fifth among all American universities in total federal science and engineering research and development support.

Likewise, the School of Medicine is equally committed to advancing the quality and strength of its medical and graduate education programs, for which it is recognized as an innovative leader, and to training highly skilled, compassionate clinicians and creative scientists well-equipped to engage in world-class research. The School of Medicine is the academic partner of UPMC, which has collaborated with the University to raise the standard of medical excellence in Pittsburgh and to position health care as a driving force behind the region's economy. For more information about the School of Medicine, see http://www.medschool.pitt.edu.

http://www.upmc.com/mediaCaroline Beer has spent her career researching comparative data between Latin American countries and the United States that often debunks false stereotypes. Her latest study showing Mexico as more progressive than the U.S. when it comes to LGBT rights, especially in the recognition of same-sex relationships, is no exception.

The study in the journal State Politics and Policy Quarterly measures the effects of religion, LGBT organizations and left-leaning governors on LGBT rights in both countries. Results show that religion suppresses the extension of LGBT rights in the U.S., but not in Mexico where 80 percent of the population identifies as Catholic. Higher percentages of Evangelical Protestants in areas of the U.S. decreased the odds that legal recognition of same-sex relationships would be extended.

The study also shows that the number of LGBT organizations in a state was predictive of whether same-sex relationship rights were implemented in both countries, though more prominently in Mexico. Having one additional LGBT organization in a Mexican State increases the odds of legal rights for LGBT people by more than 70 percent, compared to just 10 percent in a U.S. state.

Beer based her analysis on national and state-level LGBT legislative activity in the U.S. and Mexico between 2000-2014; data from the International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans, and Intersex Association to measure the impact of LGBT organizations on legislation; and U.S. and Mexican Census figures to capture the levels of religiosity by state.

"Given that LGBT social movements are stronger in the U.S., Mexicans are more religious, and a conservative religious party has governed Mexico for the better half of two decades, we would expect to find far greater legal equality for LGBT people in the US," says Beer, a political science professor at the University of Vermont. "In fact, like a lot of misconceptions about Mexico, that is not the case. Mexico is often perceived as a backwater country that follows the lead of the US, but in reality is very forward-thinking with progressive ideas."

The article, "Extending Rights to Marginalized Minorities: Same-Sex Relationship Recognition in Mexico and the United States," also showed that U.S. and Mexican states with liberal-leaning governors corresponded with an increase in legal recognition of same same-sex relationships. Liberal states like Vermont - the first in the nation to legalize civil unions - were on par with similarly liberal states in Mexico in terms of their advancement of same-sex legislation.

"I spend half my life in Mexico City and the other half in Vermont and although they are completely different in many ways, both are very progressive and known as policy innovators," says Beer. "Vermont totally outplays its size in terms of policy innovation and like Mexico City, which has 20 million people, has created policies that were eventually replicated nationwide."

Interestingly, the finding that liberal states with left-leaning governors positively increased LGBT-friendly laws on the state-level in both countries did not translate to the national level. Beer points to the fact that the National Action Party (PAN) - a rightist Catholic party - was in power when Mexico passed its national LGBT antidiscrimination policies and constitutional reforms. No such initiatives were even in play when the Democratic Party controlled the U.S. presidency from 1992-2000 and 2008-2016. The U.S. also trails Mexico in the election of openly LGBT politicians.

Historically, Beer says her latest findings should come as no surprise given that Mexico overturned anti-sodomy laws criminalizing gay sex in 1871, more than 100 years before the U.S.. In 2002 and 2005, Mexico passed a national anti-discrimination law, making it illegal to discriminate against sexual minorities; added an explicit protection for sexual minorities to its constitution; and created an anti-discrimination agency that launched a national anti-homophobia campaign.

"The U.S. hasn't seen anything close to these reforms in terms of fighting homophobia and promoting gay rights at the national level," she says. "Gay rights activists would say that they are protected by the U.S. Constitution, which I would agree with, but a lot of people don't agree with that, and it's not explicit like it is in Mexico."

###Researchers at William & Mary's Virginia Institute of Marine Science are launching new web-based "report cards" to monitor and forecast changes in sea level at 32 localities along the U.S. coastline from Maine to Alaska. They plan to update the report cards in January of each year, with projections out to the year 2050.

The lead on the project, VIMS emeritus professor John Boon, says the report cards are designed to add value by providing sea-level updates that are more frequent and localized than those generated by NOAA or other scientific bodies. Boon and colleagues also take a statistical approach that incorporates evidence for recent acceleration in the rate of sea-level change at many U.S. tide-gauge stations.

Boon and his team furthermore stress their use of relative sea-level measurements--changes in water level relative to the land surface on which people live and work--rather than the absolute sea-level measures used in many global models and predictions. The relative sea-level rise in Virginia and other East and Gulf coast areas is due to both rising water and sinking land.

Joining Boon on the project are Ph.D. student Molly Mitchell and VIMS research scientist Derek Loftis. Mitchell is lead author on the 2012 sea-level report requested by Virginia's General Assembly, while Loftis helps direct StormSense, a project to monitor and model coastal flooding in and around Hampton Roads. Boon created VIMS' popular Tidewatch network and has literally written the book on the analysis of tides and tidal currents.

The value of an annual, localized report card

Because long-term changes in sea level are incremental in nature-- typically a few millimeters per year--researchers have traditionally felt little need to issue frequent forecasts of sea-level changes. Moreover, many sea-level projections are global in scope, with a forecast horizon of 2100--far enough off to allow for readily discernible linear change. Thus the IPCC's oft-reported prediction of 65 centimeters (2.1 feet) of global sea-level rise by the end of the century.

The VIMS team has purposefully taken a more localized and timely approach, one designed to add maximum value for coastal residents, businesses, and government agencies.

Says Boon, "Our report cards show what sea level has been doing recently, what's happening now at your locality. Numerous studies show that local rates of sea-level rise and acceleration differ substantially from the global rates published by the IPCC and NOAA--a key result because local rates of relative sea-level rise give a direct indication of the extent to which homes, buildings, and roads are at risk of flooding."

The team's decision to use a subset of available tide-gauge data runs counter to the traditional approach taken by researchers at NOAA, the agency that operates the nation's official network of tidal stations.

"NOAA should be commended for their care in ensuring the continuity, consistency, and availability of the nation's long-term tidal datasets," says Boon. "But at the same time, a longer record isn't always better, especially when there's evidence of recent non-linear changes in the rate of sea-level rise like we see along the U.S. East Coast."

An earlier analysis by Boon showed that this non-linear change or acceleration began in 1987, at the center of a 36-year sliding window beginning in 1969--thus setting the start date for the VIMS report cards. This is decades after many U.S. tide-gauge stations began operation.

Mitchell explains further, "If you cross a threshold in terms of something like sea-level rise, what came before--say a tide-gauge record that began in 1900--is biased in terms of seeing where you're going. We think the ice sheets are melting faster today than they ever have before, and if that's true then the previous 90 years of data won't accurately predict the future."

The difference between the linear rates used in NOAA's sea-level forecasts and the non-linear, accelerating rates used in VIMS' report cards is much more than a statistical subtlety--it leads to sharply different forecasts of our sea-level future.

A good example can be found in VIMS' backyard, using data from NOAA's Sewells Point tide gauge in Norfolk, Virginia. Extending NOAA's linear sea-level projections to mid-century indicates that sea level here will be 0.29 meters (11.42 inches) higher by 2050, while the VIMS forecast--using a non-linear, accelerating rate--is 0.49 meters, or 19.3 inches. That extra 20 centimeters (8") of sea-level rise would have major implications for the low-lying region.

The VIMS team moreover cautions that sea level is likely to experience short-term variations in the future just as it does today. Thus, coastal residents and planners in Virginia and other areas likely to experience significant sea-level increases by 2050 must also account for storm surges and other transient forces raising sea level even higher than the projected mean rise value.

Anatomy of a Sea-Level Report Card

VIMS' Sea-Level Report Cards have three components: the projection of sea-level height to the year 2050, a display of recent trends in the rates of sea-level change, and an explanation of processes affecting sea level at each locality.

The report card website, http://www.vims.edu/sealevelreportcard, explains the data and statistical approaches used in the 2050 projections.

The trend charts help users keep track of changes in the rate of sea-level rise and acceleration at each locality (or sea-level fall and deceleration in some places)--as these will very likely change from year-to-year due to hurricanes and other short-term weather events, as well as longer-term, decade-scale processes such as the El Nino-Southern Oscillation or the North Atlantic Oscillation. A projection to 2050 made during an upturn in a decadal signal will be higher than it would be if the decadal signal was nearing or at a low.

The final report card component explains for each locality and region (U.S. East, Gulf, or West coast) the long-term processes that force changes in the mass, volume, and regional distribution of seawater; changes in shoreline elevation; or both. Complex interactions among these processes can lead to significant differences in sea-level trends in different regions, or in some cases at localities relatively near each other. Alternatively, these interactions can result in similar sea-level trends in areas that lie far apart.

Full details of VIMS' Sea-Level Report Cards are provided in an accompanying technical report-- Anthropocene Sea Level Change: A History of Recent Trends Observed in the U.S. East, Gulf & West Coast Regions--available through the Hargis Library at VIMS. The report also provides management recommendations. The team plans to add these to their report cards in the near future.

Anthropocene--from the Greek "anthropo" (human) and "cene" (recent)--is a newly coined term that recognizes a growing view among scientists that humanity's influence on Earth's environmental processes warrants adding a new epoch to the geologic time scale. If formally adopted, the term would supersede the current Holocene epoch, which began about 12,000 years ago with the melting of the Pleistocene ice sheets.

"The Anthropocene is a time of rapid change when we should really be keeping a close eye on sea level," says Boon.

###this news is not availableThe Canadian and Australian Dollar are both amongst the most prominent commodity currencies in the world.

Recent concerns over protectionism in the US have hit the Canadian Dollar particularly hard, as the trading relationship between the US and Canada is more critical for the CAD.

However, analysts at Barclays believe that a focus on anti-China measures from the US, could weigh more on the Aussie and as a result are advocating for a short AUD/CAD trade this week.

Key Quyotes

Markets are on the alert for further escalation in protectionist rhetoric after Trump hinted that new restrictions on Chinese exports may be announced.

"Meanwhile, China and the EU are mulling their responses to steel and aluminium tariffs.

"Nonetheless, risks of an all-out trade war have abated, in our view.

"Trades for the week ahead: Short AUDCAD spot given the vulnerability of AUD to steel tariffs and possible further trade protectionism aimed at China.A German court on Monday sentenced three Syrians to years-long jail terms for belonging to an Islamic State "sleeper cell" that has been linked to the Paris jihadist attackers, local media said.

The oldest of the accused, identified as 27-year-old Mohamed A., was given the longest sentence of six-and-a-half years by Hamburgs higher regional court, German news agency DPA and public broadcaster NDR reported.

His 19- and 20-year-old co-accused, minors at the time of the acts, received prison terms of three and a half years each.

Judges at the Hamburg court said the IS jihadist group had arranged for the trio to travel from Syria to Germany in 2015, where they were told to await orders for an attack.

No evidence was found however of concrete plans for a terror plot.

To reach Germany, the men travelled via Turkey and Greece  using the same route as hundreds of thousands of refugees fleeing war-torn Syria at the time.

The accused were given fake passports, cash and mobile phones from IS, according to the court, and used the same smuggling network as the assailants who had carried out the IS-claimed attacks in Paris in 2015 that left 130 people dead.

There were many parallels between the German sleeper cell and the Paris cell, the presiding judge said, according to NDR.

The three Syrians were arrested at different refugee shelters in the northern state of Schleswig-Holstein in 2016.

The 27-year-old had admitted during the trial last month that he was a member of IS. His co-accused made no confessions.German Chancellor Angela Merkel said she wanted to relaunch a push for peace in Ukraine after Russia's presidential election Sunday, which Vladimir Putin is expected to win comfortably.

I am confident that after the election in Russia next Sunday we can have a fresh impetus and we can see how we can achieve qualitative progress in the Minsk process, Merkel told reporters Monday.

Merkel said the 2015 Minsk peace accords had so far failed to halt the fighting in eastern Ukraine, where a four-year conflict between government troops and Russia-backed fighters has killed more than 10,000 people.

I have been waiting since the day the Minsk agreements were signed for a true ceasefire that lasts for more than 10 days, she told a Berlin press conference.

Ukrainian forces and pro-Russia rebels routinely blame each other for breaking the various truces attempted under the Minsk accords, brokered between the leaders of Ukraine, Russia, France and Germany.

Merkel also voiced regret that there was still no deal agreed to deploy a UN peacekeeping force in the strife-torn region, despite months of negotiations at the UN Security Council.

She added that there could be no easing of sanctions on Russia until there was genuine progress in the peace process.

I would first like to see a few steps and then we could talk about the sanctions issue, but they would have to be important steps.

Earlier Monday, the European Union extended by a further six months sanctions against Russian and Ukrainian officials over their suspected involvement in the conflict.

The EU also has individual sanctions in force against Russia over its 2014 annexation of Crimea from Ukraine.The grieving mother of an eight-year-old Spanish boy whose body was found in his stepmother's car called for calm Monday as the discovery caused an outpouring of hate with demands the death penalty be reinstated.

Let justice run its course, what remains now is faith and all the good acts that took place and that brought out the best in people, Patricia Ramirez told Spanish radio.

It cant end with the image of this woman or with words of hate, she said.

The disappearance of Gabriel Cruz on February 27 in the small southeastern village of Las Hortichuelas gripped Spain, a country with one of the lowest homicide rates in the world.

Hundreds of volunteers joined the search and his parents Patricia and Angel Cruz, who are separated but get along well, gave countless tearful interviews.

Then in a shocking twist, Spains Interior Minister Juan Ignacio Zoido announced Sunday that police had found Gabriels body in the car of his fathers partner, Ana Julia Quezada.

Quezada had been a fixture of the days-long search through the countryside for Gabriel, wearing the purpose-made white t-shirt with the boys smiling face, speaking to reporters in tears.

 Calls for death penalty 

Social media was hit by an outpouring of sadness combined with countless messages of hate towards the suspect, and calls for her to be given life in prison.

These calls came as Spain is locked in a debate over whether to abolish life imprisonment, a sentence re-introduced in 2015 in rare cases such as exceptionally serious murders, or widen it to include other offences.

On Change.org, several petitions asking for life for the suspect proved hugely popular.

One petition signed by more than 220,000 people even asked the Dominican Republic, where the suspect is from, to request her extradition to serve prison time there to avoid her enjoying the comfort of Spanish jails.

Social media was also full of calls for the death penalty to be reinstated.

On Sunday evening, an angry mob of protesters took to the police station where the fathers girlfriend was held in Almeria, not far from Las Hortichuelas, shouting death penalty and clapping their hands.

This prompted others to try to calm the waters.

While last night a crowd shouted for the death penalty, Gabriel Cruzs mother said this this morning, Spains famous film director JA Bayona wrote on Twitter, with Patricias call for calm attached.

What an extraordinary woman setting the example! No one can take another human beings life, and especially not the state that must be an example for all. RIP little Gabriel.

 1996 death 

News also emerged Monday that in 1996, a girl had died in the northern city of Burgos, falling out of the window of a home where she was with Quezada.

It was unclear whether the child was her daughter or if Quezada had been looking after her.

Zoido confirmed this, saying police had investigated the tragedy at the time but the case was dismissed.

Meanwhile police said Monday they were still probing a case that has not been without its twist and turns, even before Sundays grisly discovery.

Just days after Gabriel disappeared after leaving his grandmothers home to go out to play, it emerged that a man who had stalked his mother for two years had been detained.

Police later said the detention was unrelated to Gabriels disappearance, adding the man was held for breaking a court order not to go near Patricia.

Then earlier this month, Angel Cruz said he and his girlfriend had found a shirt that could belong to Gabriel while on a walk in the area, and the boys DNA was found on the piece of clothing.

Spanish media reported Monday that from that moment, police, Gabriels father and mother started suspecting Quezada but decided to say nothing and watch her as they believed the boy could still be alive.

On Sunday, their efforts came to their grisly conclusion.Privacy Settings

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NOTE: These settings will only apply to the browser and device you are currently using.Yulia Skripal, who was poisoned in England last month along with her Russian ex-spy father, has refused consular assistance from the Russian embassy, a British foreign ministry spokesman said.

We have previously passed on the Russian embassys offer of consular support to Yulia, the spokesman said on Wednesday.

She is free to decide on whether she wishes to pursue that. To date, we understand she has not done so, he said.

Britain blames Russia for the nerve agent attack on the two on March 4, which has sparked an international diplomatic crisis.

Russia has vehemently denied the accusation and has requested access to the Skripals, who are both Russian citizens.

The hospital that has been treating the two in the English city of Salisbury said on Tuesday that Yulia Skripal had been discharged while her father would remain for treatment.

Responding to reports that the pair may be resettled, the Russian embassy to London said: Secret resettlement of Mr and Ms Skripal, barred from any contact with their family, will be seen as an abduction or at least as their forced isolation.

Yulia Skripal was visiting her father when the attack happened. Sergei Skripal was imprisoned in Russia for selling secrets to British intelligence in the 1990s but was exchanged in a spy swap in 2010.Vladimir Putin, who exit polls say won a fourth term as Russian president in Sunday's election, has tightened the Kremlin's grip on society since taking power 18 years ago.

Here are key dates in the life of the 65-year-old former KGB officer:

 October 7, 1952: Putin is born into a poor working-class family in Leningrad, now called Saint Petersburg.

 1998: He is named head of the FSB security service, the successor to the KGB, having joined the service in 1975.

 1999: As Boris Yeltsins prime minister, he oversees the launch of a second war to crush rebels in Chechnya. When Yeltsin resigns on New Years Eve, Putin takes over as president, being officially elected in March 2000.

 2004: He is re-elected president.

 2008: In line with a constitutional limit, at the end of his second term Putin hands power to his protege Dmitry Medvedev and becomes prime minister.

 2012: He returns as president, for a term which has been extended from four to six years, amid unprecedented opposition protests.

 2013: After three decades of marriage, he divorces Lyudmila with whom he has two daughters.

 2014: He annexes the Ukrainian peninsula of Crimea, sparking the worst diplomatic crisis between Russia and the West since the Cold War.

 2015: Gives military backing to the regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

 2017: In December, he announces he will seek a new six-year term as president in March 2018.The European Union on Monday called on Russia's natural gas giant Gazprom to fulfil its contractual obligations and resume shipments to Ukraine.

The latest gas dispute between the two warring neighbours began after an arbitration court ordered Gazprom to pay Ukraine $2.56 billion as part of an earlier settlement.

Gazprom vowed to challenge the decision in court and refused to resume supplies to Ukraine for the first time in more than two years on March 1.

The decision coincided with a bitter cold spell across much of Europe. Ukraine was forced to ask schools to close and factories to cut production while it purchased additional volumes from its western neighbours.

EU diplomatic chief Federica Mogherini said she discussed the standoff during a visit to Kiev with Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko.

We agree that Gazprom must respect its contractual obligations, she told reporters.

Mogherini added during a later meeting with students that EU Energy Commissioner Maros Serfcovic was already conducting highly intense consultations about the conflict.

She said the EU was ready to help mediate but provided no details about the nature of the talks held so far.

The $2.56 billion awarded to Ukraines state energy company Naftogaz stems from a court case in which Gazprom and Naftogaz are each suing each other for tens of billions of dollars.

The arguments are over an expensive 10-year contract Ukraine signed in 2009 after Gazprom cut its deliveries in the middle of the winter.

The deal runs out at the end of next year and there is no guarantee that Ukraine will sign a new one because it now imports much greater volumes from central Europe.

Roughly 15 percent of the gas Europe buys from Russia is transported through Ukraine.

Ukraine receives a fee for the shipments and European supplies were not affected when Kiev decided to stop purchasing Gazprom gas in November 2015.

But Russia is looking to bypass Ukraine in the future by expanding an existing Russia-Germany gas pipeline that runs through the Baltic Sea.

The so-called Nord Stream II project is strongly opposed by Poland and Ukraine as well as the three Baltic states.

Poroshenko said Gazprom, or rather the Kremlin, has clearly demonstrated its plans to continue using the issue of gas deliveries to Europe as a geopolitical weapon.

He added that Ukraine has once again asked the European Commission and EU member states to scrap their plans to build Nord Stream II.

Germany Chancellor Angela Merkel defended the project during a visit by Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki to Berlin last month.Russia is free to apply to accredit more diplomats to replace the alleged spies that have been expelled from the United States, a State Department official said Friday.

This week, in response to an apparent attempt to assassinate a Russian double agent in Britain with a nerve agent, Washington joined a score of Western allies in expelling more than 150 suspected intelligence officers attached to Russian missions.

In all, 48 alleged Russian operatives working under diplomatic cover for its US mission were on the list  along with 12 attached to the Russian mission to the United Nations in New York.

Russias consulate in Seattle will also be closed, but the total size of its diplomatic footprint in the United States might not shrink for long, because the expelled staff could be replaced.

The United States has expelled 48 Russian intelligence officers, but it is not requiring the Russian bilateral mission to reduce its total number of personnel, a State Department official told AFP.

The Russian government remains free to request accreditation for vacant positions in its bilateral mission. Any requests for new diplomatic accreditation will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis.

The Russian officers, whom Moscow denies are spies, have until April 2 to leave, although US media reported that Russian planes were already at Dulles airport on Friday to begin their transport.

Russia has responded to the Western moves with matching tit-for-tat expulsions.

But, the US official said, it has not requested that the headcount at Washingtons embassy in Moscow be reduced  as the Kremlin had done when former US president Barack Obama expelled 35 diplomats in 2016.

We therefore understand that the United States may request new diplomatic personnel to fill the positions of diplomats who have been expelled, he said.

President Donald Trump has often appeared reluctant to criticize his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin and in a call last week congratulated him on his latest re-election.

But this weeks diplomatic expulsions were unprecedented in their scale, and the State Department insists that Washington reserves the right to respond to Moscows unjustified expulsions.British engineering group GKN said Monday it had rejected an improved and final takeover bid from turnaround specialist Melrose Industries worth 8.1 billion.

Melrose had earlier offered the equivalent of $11.2 billion or 9.1 billion euros in response to GKNs pre-weekend agreed tie-up of its Driveline automotive unit with US car parts group Dana.

GKNs move on Friday had been widely seen as a defence against a full takeover by Melrose, which had already had an offer worth 7.4 billion turned down.

The board believes that Melroses revised offer continues to fundamentally undervalue GKN, it said in a new statement issued on Monday afternoon.

The latest bid does not reflect the value of GKNs world class aerospace business and does not reflect the benefits of combining GKN Driveline with Dana.

The company added that it also does not reflect the return of up to 2.5 billion in cash to shareholders over the next three years.

Chairman Mike Turner said the board therefore had no hesitation in unanimously rejecting the bid.

GKN, which had earlier said it was evaluating the improved offer, slammed it again as an opportunistic approach.

Turner added: Melrose is not the right owner of GKN. Its management lacks relevant experience and its short term business model is inappropriate for GKNs customers and its investors.

Over the past few weeks, we have demonstrated how much we can achieve for our shareholders.

We ask for shareholders support as we continue with the transformation of GKN.

However, reaching out in a letter to GKN shareholders on Monday, Melrose chairman Christopher Miller wrote:

On the one hand you can join us on a journey of value creation by investing in a UK listed manufacturing powerhouse worth over 10 billion today and receiving 1.4 billion of cash.

On the other hand your board is attempting a hasty fire-sale of GKN businesses before they have been given a chance to reach their potential and with damaging consequences, we believe, for all stakeholders.

The new bid proposed that GKN shareholders own 60 percent of Melrose and receive 1.4 billion in cash.

In a separate statement earlier on Monday, GKN had repeated its rejection of Melroses prior bid that it has also described as entirely opportunistic and too low.

Late last year, GKN issued profit warnings following a difficult period for its US aerospace business  resulting in Melrose promising an operational and management overhaul of the company should its offer be accepted.

bcp-rfj/jhRussian President Vladimir Putin on Monday said London must clarify its position on the poisoning of a former double agent in the UK before any discussion with Moscow, agencies said.

Sort things out from your side and then we will discuss this with you, the president said in response to a question from a BBC journalist, Interfax news agency reported.

Senior British politicians have pointed the finger at Russia for trying to kill Sergei Skripal, who sold secrets to Britain and later moved there in a 2010 spy swap, prompting repeated denials from Moscow.

Prime Minister Theresa May is set to address the House of Commons later Monday, after receiving an update on the investigation into the attack on Skripal and his daughter Yulia this month.

If we get to a position when we are able to attribute this attack then we will do so and the government will deliver an appropriate response, Mays spokesman said.

Tom Tugendhat, a lawmaker who chairs the House of Commons foreign affairs committee, told BBC radio: Frankly, I would be surprised if she did not point the finger at the Kremlin.

However, Russian President Vladimir Putins spokesman Dmitry Peskov earlier on Monday once again denied any involvement.

The Russian citizen you mention worked on one of Britains special services, the incident took place on British territory, and it is in no way an issue for Russia, let alone for Russian leadership, he said.The BBC said it is appealing to the United Nations in Geneva to protect the human rights of its journalists and their families as Iranian authorities escalate "years of persecution and harassment".

The unprecedented move follows its own unheeded calls to Tehran to end the harassment of staff working for the British broadcasters Persian Service, according to BBC director general,Tony Hall.

The BBC is taking the unprecedented step of appealing to the United Nations because our own attempts to persuade the Iranian authorities to end their harassment have been completely ignored, Hall said in a statement.

In fact, during the past nine years, the collective punishment of BBC Persian Service journalists and their families has worsened.

Lawyers for the BBC World Service in October filed an urgent appeal to UN Special Rapporteurs David Kaye and Asma Jahangir on behalf of its Persian Service staff.

BBC journalists will now try to increase the pressure on member states for support by addressing a UN Human Rights Council session this week, the corporation said in a statement.

It will also hold a series of events organised in conjunction with the International Federation of Journalists to highlight the fraught situation, including holding a press conference on Monday.

This is not just about the BBC  we are not the only media organisation to have been harassed or forced to compromise when dealing with Iran, said Hall.

We are now asking the community of nations at the UN to support the BBC and uphold the right to freedom of expression.

The BBC says its Persian satellite television service journalists in London and their families in Iran have been systematically targeted since it launched in 2009.

The harassment escalated last year when Iranian authorities began a criminal investigation alleging their work was a crime against Irans national security, according to the BBC.

Tehran has also launched an asset-freezing injunction citing 152 named individuals, mainly current and former BBC Persian staff, which has prevented them from buying or selling property in Iran, it added.

In a report to be tabled and discussed at the Human Rights Council, UN Special Rapporteur for Human Rights in Iran, Asma Jahangir, said the body was disturbed at the accusations.Moscow on Monday accused Britain of trying to "undermine trust" ahead of the football World Cup to be held in Russia, after Prime Minister Theresa May called it "highly likely" that Russia was behind the poisoning of a former spy on British soil.

We have repeatedly warned: before the FIFA World Cup starts in Russia (this summer), Western media would launch a full-scale campaign with the aim of discrediting Russia and undermine trust in it as the host of this sporting event, the ministry said.

As we assumed, the English have been especially active, unable to forgive Russia that it was our country that was chosen in an honest contest to host the 2018 tournament, it said in the statement on its official Facebook page.

The poisoning of former double agent Sergei Skripal along with his daughter was being used as a pretext to call for a boycott despite an investigation not only not yet being completed but, in fact, not yet begun, it said.

May on Monday pointed the finger at Russia for trying to kill Skripal, who sold secrets to Britain and later moved there in a 2010 spy swap.

But she stopped short of announcing retaliatory measures against Moscow and instead gave the Kremlin until the end of Tuesday to explain a nerve agents programme allegedly involved in the Skripal case.

The British prime minister had already suggested a boycott of the World Cup by officials and dignitaries.

Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said the allegations were part of an information and political campaign based on provocation, in comments carried by news agencies.

This is a circus show in the British parliament, she said.

Rather than think up new fairy tales, maybe someone in the kingdom could explain how the previous ones ended up  about Litvinenko, Berezovsky, Perepilichny and many others who have mysteriously died on British soil, Zakharova added.

Former spy Alexander Litvinenko, oligarch Boris Berezovsky and whistleblower Alexander Perepilichny all died in the UK in recent years.

The Kremlin has long rejected any involvement in their deaths, despite a British judge concluding Russian President Vladimir Putin likely approved Litvinenkos killing.

 No evidence 

Leonid Slutsky, the head of the Dumas foreign affairs committee, said London was following the latest Western trends in its investigation into the former spys poisoning.

There is no evidence, but Russia is to blame for everything, he said.

The investigation could be aimed at influencing Russias presidential election at the weekend, he told agencies.

Andrei Lugovoi, a prime suspect in Litvinenkos 2006 killing who has never been extradited and is now a member of the Russian parliament, called Mays speech irresponsible.

The hasty statements of Theresa May, especially in connection to the nerve agent, allegedly made in Russia, are irresponsible to say the least, he told the Interfax news agency.

Soon everything will be classified, as this is the only way to make sure the public has no access to the case materials, as was the case in the Litvinenko affair, he said.In 2010, the Middle East was beginning to run out of the cheap natural gas that had transformed the region into a major petrochemicals hub.

Chevron Phillips Chemical, which had spent a decade building four plants in Saudi Arabia and Qatar, needed a new place to expand.

In the U.S., Texas energy producers hadnt yet unleashed the flood of shale oil and natural gas that would transform the industry and spur an explosion of petrochemical construction and expansion along the Gulf Coast.

But Ron Corn and his team at Chevron Phillips, intrigued by budding oil and gas production in the Eagle Ford basin south of San Antonio, anticipated a seismic shift in domestic energy output and convinced company executives to build a multibillion-dollar processing plant in Baytown to produce ethylene, a natural gas-derived feedstock for plastics.

It was quite a radical concept, said Corn, who now serves as the companys senior vice president for petrochemicals. There hadnt been a whole lot of construction.

Eight years later, that early bet promises to pay off in spades for Chevron Phillips, a joint venture of the oil company Chevron and Houston refiner Phillips 66.

The processing plant, known as a cracker, is near completion as petrochemicals emerge as a savior for an oil and gas industry facing a future of electric cars, renewable power and intensifying efforts to wean the global economy from fossil fuels.

The growth in petrochemicals is a key reason oil industry executives and analysts are discounting predictions that peak oil demand  the point at which oil consumption begins a steady, long-term slide  is imminent.

The International Energy Agency anticipates that petrochemicals will account for a quarter of the growth in global oil consumption during the next five years, replacing gasoline as the driver of crude demand.

The petrochemical sector is one of the blind spots of the oil markets debate, Fatih Birol, the IEAs executive director, said at the CERAWeek by IHS Markit energy conference in Houston last week.

Executives from major energy companies agreed that global population growth and expanding middle-class markets in India, China and other emerging nations will support petrochemicals even as gasoline consumption in the U.S. and elsewhere erodes.

In its most recent outlook, the IEA projected that global gasoline demand will grow only 0.2 percent a year through 2023 as 10 of the worlds largest vehicle markets, including the U.S., implement stricter fuel- efficiency standards and develop more electric models.

Mary Barra, CEO of General Motors, said during an address at the CERAWeek conference that her company plans to roll out 20 new electric models over the next five years.

The company also is working to make a range of other vehicles, including the gas-guzzling pickup that dominates Texas highways, lighter and more fuel-efficient.

GM is doing that with high-performance plastics manufactured by specialty chemicals makers such as Huntsman Corp. of The Woodlands.

That dynamic of less gasoline and more plastics already has prompted a range of energy producers to expand petrochemical operations amid a tepid outlook for traditional refining. Exxon Mobil Chemical Co., for example, nearly has completed an ethane cracker in Baytown with the capacity to produce 1.5 million tons of ethylene a year.

The abundance of cheap natural gas from West Texas and South Texas shale fields has fueled the petrochemicals boom, providing a steady stream of ethane and other natural gas liquids to be converted into feedstocks for plastics, building materials and packaging.

Already, a spate of large-scale expansions has transformed the U.S. into a major petrochemicals exporter, and a second wave of multibillion-dollar developments along the Gulf Coast promise to carry the industry well into the next decade.

Andrew Brown, upstream director for Royal Dutch Shell, said in an interview that petrochemicals are a growth priority for his company, which has a large manufacturing facility in Deer Park and several others along the Gulf Coast. Its now expanding in Louisiana and Pennsylvania near the Utica and Marcellus shale basins, major sources of natural gas.

Unlike refining, and ultimately unlike oil, which will see a moment when the growth will stop, we actually dont anticipate that with petrochemicals, Brown said.

The IEA forecasts new ethylene crackers will increase consumption of oil and natural gas liquids by at least 1.4 million barrels a day through 2023. In the U.S. alone, ethylene production is expected to increase by 13 million tons a year during that period.

DowDupont, the nations biggest chemical company headquartered in Michigan and Delaware, has led much of the growth to date. The companys Freeport complex, one of the first major ethylene plants in the region, began operating last year with a 1.5 million-ton annual production capacity.

We feel very strongly the demand growth is going to continue, Dow Chemical CEO and President James Fitterling said during a CERAWeek panel.

Industry leaders are planning even larger complexes along the Gulf Coast.

Exxon Mobil Chemical, for example, has partnered with SABIC, a manufacturing company controlled by Saudi Arabias government, to construct the worlds largest ethylene cracker as part of a massive $10 billion petrochemical complex near Corpus Christi.

Saudi Aramco, the Saudi national oil company, recently signed an agreement with Chevron and The Woodlands engineering firm CB&I to develop new crude-to-chemicals technologies.

Michael Sicker, vice president of business development for Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Houston-based oil and gas division, said in an interview that petrochemicals plants have for years driven demand for the companys industrial machinery. He anticipates the second wave of projects will attract more foreign companies eager to take advantage of low-cost production in the U.S.

Everyone is looking at the biggest plants that have ever been built, he said.

Chevron Phillips Corn said that even during the oil bust, his team never doubted the potential of the massive Baytown cracker, the companys only one in the United States so far.

The facility, now undergoing the final steps before startup, will expand the companys U.S. ethylene and polyethylene production capacity by 40 percent.

We believed we were building a very competitive asset, Corn said. It was a big step for us.Duffy Shea, president of San Antonio-based steel supplier Alamo Iron Works, is one of a few businessmen whos not complaining about the new tariffs President Donald Trump imposed on steel and aluminum Thursday.

Shea said hes been stockpiling steel at his companys San Antonio location because he knew this was coming. The industry has been in a trade war the last 15 years and theyve been savaged and theyre losing, he said.

Trump may have ignited a real trade war in imposing a 25 percent tariff on foreign steel and 10 percent tariff on aluminum, economists and business leaders say. He defied many in his own party and inside the White House, losing his top economic adviser in the process. Gary Cohn, director of the White House National Economic Council, argued against the tariffs and resigned after Trump decided to go forward with them.

Mexico and Canada were spared from the penalties to see if we can make a deal in NAFTA negotiations, Trump said. The new tariffs take effect in less than two weeks. He suggested in an earlier meeting with his cabinet that Australia and other countries might be spared, a shift that could soften the international blow amid threats of retaliation by trading partners.

All countries will be welcome to discuss with the U.S. alternative ways to address the threat and impairment of the national security caused by their imports, an administration official said.

U.S. Rep. Joaquin Castro, a San Antonio Democrat who sits on the Foreign Affairs Committee, said linking the tariffs to the North American Free Trade Agreement talks clashes with the supposed national security rational for them in the first place.

These tariffs will threaten jobs and manufacturing, particularly in Texas, including the auto industry in San Antonio, and will affect billions of dollars in trade, he said.

It may be felt particularly hard in Houston since its port received more steel imports, based on sheer tonnage, than any other port in the U.S. last year, according to S&P Global Platts, which analyzes the commodities markets. The next biggest steel ports were Mobile, Alabama; Detroit; Philadelphia and Los Angeles, S&P said.

San Antonio Republican Will Hurd called the tariffs an 18th century tool and said they will cause an unnecessary trade war that will result in higher prices for middle-class Americans on everything from the food we put on our tables to fuel we put in our cars.

Shea admitted that he was disappointed by Trumps off-the-cuff, typical Trumpian statement, because it caused a bunch of dominoes that didnt have to happen.

He said the steel industry wasnt ready for blanket tariffs affecting all steel imports and that he would have preferred a more rifled approach of targeting certain countries or specific steel products.

You just cant pull 40 percent of the supply out of the supply chain and not expect there to be pandemonium, Shea said.

It didnt take long for the tariffs to start impacting market prices.

The benchmark for U.S. steel prices, hot-rolled steel coil, jumped to $844.50 per ton Thursday, up more than 4 percent, or $34, from Wednesday.

Shea said the problem now isnt prices but its if I can get steel. He said it will take anywhere from four to six months for American steel manufacturers to ramp up, but when they do Shea expects them to be able to fill the void.

Pittsburgh-based U.S. Steel and Ohio-based Republic Steel announced they would reopen steel furnaces and hire hundreds of workers, while Chicago-based Century Aluminum said it would increase production and hiring at its Hawesville, Kentucky, aluminum smelter.

Business groups have warned that the impact could be felt across the supply chain as consumers face higher prices for automobiles, appliances and other consumer goods. But Trumps aides dismissed such predictions as fake news and said most Americans will hardly notice any impact.

The United States is the largest steel importer in the world, and the order could hit South Korea, China, Japan, Germany, Turkey and Brazil the hardest. Trump said his tariff orders were tailored to give him the authority to raise or lower levies on a country-by-country basis and add or take countries off the list as he deems appropriate.

Washington, D.C.-based consulting firm The Trade Partnership estimated that the tariffs would boost U.S. iron and steel jobs by 33,464. But it would come at a high price, costing the rest of the U.S. economy 179,334 jobs.

These new tariffs will cause significant harm to the nations construction industry, put tens of thousands of high-paying construction jobs at risk, undermine the Presidents proposed infrastructure initiative and potentially dampen demand for new construction projects for years to come, Stephen Sandherr, CEO of Associated General Contractors of America, said in a statement.

That is because the newly imposed tariffs will lead to increases in what construction firms are forced to pay for the many steel and aluminum products that go into a typical construction project.

Companies like Nucor Corp., a major U.S. steel producer based in Charlotte, North Carolina, stand to benefit the most from the tariffs. The companys CEO John Ferriola said in a statement that Trump is taking the appropriate response to steel dumping in U.S. markets.

It is time for the U.S. government to aggressively use all the tools at its disposal to ensure our economic security and national defense. Taking this comprehensive action makes it clear to foreign competitors that dumping steel products into our market will no longer be tolerated, the company said in a statement Thursday.More Information

S.A. at SXSW

Here are the San Antonio acts playing showcases this year at the South by Southwest Music Festival in Austin:

Bamsworth Belli: Rapper released the album "Bear With Me" last year, including a track, "Let's Talk About It," with Worldwide. 8:30 p.m. Tuesday, Karma Lounge

Lisa Morales: Singer-songwriter Morales, of Sisters Morales fame, has a new solo album, "Luna Negra and the Daughter of the Sun." 10 p.m. Tuesday, Continental Club

KP Tha Profit: Rapper describes himself as a mellow, laid-back MC, but his his latest single, "Story to Tell," is pretty urgent. 8:35 p.m. Wednesday, Ironwood Hall; 9 p.m. Friday, Maggie Mae's rooftop

Blake: Rapper known for his viral video for "Flexin" released a new song, "Such & Such," in January. 11:30 p.m. Wednesday, Ironwood Hall.

OnBeatMusic: S.A. native is a producer who has worked with Christian rappers Derek Minor and Dillon Chase. "Day 1's," his 2017 track with Chase, deals with his struggle with depression. 11:40 p.m. Wednesday, Buffalo Billiards

Deer Vibes: Orchestral pop collective played a notable SXSW showcase a couple of years ago coinciding with the release of its album "The Nature Of ..." 7 p.m. Thursday, St. David's Historic Sanctuary

Dre' L.O.c.: Christian rapper just released the first single, "Amen," from his forthcoming EP "Throne" on the San Antonio label Kingdom Legacy Records. 9:10 p.m. Thursday, University Avenue Church of Christ

Kara Nichole-Robinson: Christian pop singer released her third EP, "He's Coming Back!", in 2017. 6:55 p.m. Friday, Carver Museum Boyd Vance Theater.

DJ King Mike: After a couple of radio stints in S.A., DJ King Mike is making the internet a groovier place with Cocoa Butter Radio mixes. 8 p.m. Friday, Buffalo Billiards.

Henry Brun & the Latin Playerz: Percussionist and bandleader Brun, one of the city's busiest musicians, is closing in on his 30th anniversary with the Latin Playerz. 8:30 p.m. Friday, Elephant Room

Creepside: According to his SXSW bio, DJ Creepside creates melody-driven sonic environments that span genres from techno to R&B. Search for his EP "I Kno" to hear that in action. 8:45 p.m. Friday, Friends

Worldwide: S.A. rapper who has made multiple trips to SXSW once described his style to the Express-News as "country rap." Check him out on 2017 single "San Antonio (Nawf East)." 9:15 p.m. Friday, Maggie Mae's rooftop

King Pelican: Surf rockers backed Rudy "Tee" Gonzalez last year at SXSW; this year they have their own showcase. 1 a.m. Friday, Saxon Pub

House of Kenzo: A feature on vice.com described this head-turning vogue crew as "The Fifth Element" with a Texas twist. 1 a.m. Friday, Friends

16 the Olympus: Jazz fusion group draws on influences ranging from hip-hop to psychedelic rock. It just released a self-titled album. 8 p.m. Saturday, Elephant Room

Bombasta: Barrio big band's singular 21st century dance music makes room for cumbia and hip hop, politics and partying. The band is at work on its first album. 8 p.m. Saturday, Flamingo Cantina.

Harvey McLaughlin: Indie rock 'n' roller's album "Tabloid News" sounds like it was conceived while drinking in a French Quarter bar and reading the Weekly World News. 9 p.m. Saturday, Victorian Room at the Driskill

Memories in Broken Glass: Progressive metal band combines classic and contemporary styles with melodic vocals alternating with larynx-straining screams and electronic textures gilding a pounding rhythm section. Their latest album is "Enigma Infinite." 9 p.m. Saturday, Dirty Dog Bar

Keedren Boston: The latest single from urban gospel singer and minister Boston, who records as BossTon, is "Walk on Water." 9:15 p.m. Saturday, University Avenue Church of Christ

Isabel Davis: Davis, a former worship pastor at Christian World Worship Center, saw her album "The Call" debut at No. 3 last year on Billboard's gospel album chart. 11:10 p.m. Saturday, University Avenue Church of Christ

Priority entrance is given to those with SXSW music badges and music festival wristbands, but most venues offer individual admission when capacity allows. Go to sxsw.com for more information.CENTER POINT  Hes still getting used to being called chief, but its clear that Jimmy Poole is comfortable leading the newly created Center Point Independent School District Police Department.

I like to talk to kiddos, said Poole, 62, whose long law enforcement career includes two years as a school resource officer in Kerrville.

He also spent 25 years as a Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission officer and was a Kerr County deputy for five years, ending last November.

He encourages students to call him Officer Poole, saying: I feel awkward with the title. Ive never been a chief before.

Despite Pooles relaxed outward demeanor, hes all too aware of the gravity surrounding his new job, especially in the wake of last months school shooting in Parkland, Florida, that left 17 people dead.

In law enforcement, youre always defensive, said Poole, whose time behind a badge began in 1977 as a Brazoria County deputy. I am always in fear of my life and in fear of someone harming others.

The Center Point rural district moved to establish its own police presence last year after the Kerr County sheriffs deputy whod been assigned here part time took a different job and no other deputy immediately wanted the position.

Local school trustees, who authorized district employees several years ago to bring guns on campus if they are kept locked in vehicles, considered arming teachers and/or having no security presence before spending just over $100,000 to establish the districts Police Department.

We had to buy everything, from a new Tahoe down to the reflective vest to wear while directing traffic, Superintendent Cody Newcomb said.

Security problems are rare on the single campus that includes three schools serving 560 students in prekindergarten through 12th grade, but Newcomb noted that without Poole, it could take 20 minutes for help to arrive from Kerrville in an emergency.

Its rare that we even have a fight, the superintendent said as a smiling Poole greeted elementary students arriving one recent morning. But, in this day and age, you can never be too safe.

It took only a few hours for Poole to crack his first criminal case, the spraying of graffiti on school buildings, for which a student was arrested on a felony charge.

A bank of television monitors in Pooles office allows him to keep an eye on the three schools and other district facilities on the campus.

The gun safe there doubles as an evidence locker for Poole, who uses walkie-talkies to converse with other employees and a police radio to communicate with sheriffs dispatchers.

Since he cant be everywhere at once, Poole has stressed to staff and students the importance of being alert for suspicious conduct.

Elementary Principal Jennifer George welcomed the arrival of Poole in November. He initially was a security guard while helping obtain state approval to form the new department and was sworn in as chief Jan. 24.

During the months preceding his arrival, when no officer was there, George said, I felt a little more pressure to be the eyes and ears.

The district asked Kerr County in 2013 to provide a deputy, School Board President Mike Butler said, because we didnt feel comfortable arming teachers. We wanted someone who was trained as a peace officer to handle that.

The district later opted to create its own force, in part so theres no chance a deputy assigned to the campus might be dispatched to an emergency elsewhere in the county, leaving the campus unguarded.

Were glad that Jimmys on board with us, Butler said. Hes available to do what we want since he works for us.

Trustees recently approved adding a second, part-time officer to maintain a law enforcement presence when Poole is ill or has days off.

About 150 of the states 1,247 public school districts have police departments, according to the Texas Association of School Boards, which said more than 250 districts that lack police departments do have school resource officers.

Kerrville police have two school resource officers assigned to campuses there, Officer Juan Trevizo said.

In light of recent incidents elsewhere, Kerr County Sheriff Rusty Hierholzer said he has instructed deputies to pay more attention to school campuses.

He said he supports arming teachers, if theyre properly trained, Because what its going to take to stop a school shooter is guns.

Poole sees school shootings as a symptom of societal decline rather than an indictment of guns.

All four years of high school, I drove my dads truck to school and it had a gun rack in it and guns in it and I never rolled the windows up, he recalled. You didnt have to lock your doors because nobody was going to bother anything.Significant statistics is a weekly series highlighting the numbers that make up San Antonio and South Texas.

500,000: Texas felt something of a blue wave during the primary elections this year, but not enough to beat Republican turnout. About 500,000 more Republicans turned out to vote for governor than Democrats during this primary. While Democrats cast over 1 million ballots for the first time since 2002 and set records during the early voting period, the primary turnout begs the question of whether or not Democrats can outvote Republicans in a deeply red state.

32: A San Antonio Express-News reporter and photographer spent a year following a group of cadets through their training at the San Antonio Police Department's nationally recognized academy. The result is a five-part series and photo essay detailing the struggles and successes of a group of police cadets over 32 weeks.

87: Texas voters sent historic numbers of women to victory in primaries for U.S. Congress and state legislative seats this year at a time when the tide may be turning for women in politics. Eighty-seven women won a state primary or made it to a runoff, a number not seen since at least 1992. The Texas Legislature has seen a drop in women's representation in the past decade.

$1.45 billion: The Texas Windstorm Insurance Association estimates its Hurricane Harvey payouts will be $1.45 billion and of those, 3,802 claims valuing $209.8 million went to policyholders in Port Aransas. The community in Port Aransas is working to reopen itself to tourism as Spring Break kicks off.

For more statistics from the greater San Antonio area, visit S.A. Stats.

amillerbernd@express-news.net | @annieanywayAs San Antonio nears its official Tricentennial celebrations in May, members of the regions first citizens, first families, first Catholics and first cowboys have been at work on a project they hope will show how Native Americans, while ancient peoples, are still among us.

They hope a report theyre producing will help governments, agencies and foundations better address the small but growing population.

The data could begin not with what happened 300 years ago but 15,000 years ago. That number is a scientific one.

Texas A&M archaeology professor Alston Thoms, who has studied archaeological sites in Bexar County, says that evidence, along with genealogies, DNA testing and oral histories, shows the story of Native Americans in San Antonio is a 15,000-year-old story.

They now represent 2 percent of the areas population. The number has increased as census forms have allowed for better self-identification and as more U.S. Latinos unearth and acknowledge their indigenous roots.

Still, San Antonio has the 14th-largest population of urban Indians in the United States, according to a 2015 census analysis by the National Urban Indian Family Coalition. It produced a report, Making the Invisible Visible: A Policy Blueprint from Urban Indian America.

Census data also show Mexican Indians are considered the fourth-largest Native American group in the United States after Cherokees, Navajos and Choctaws.

Making the invisible visible is the goal of the Tap Pilam Coahuiltecan Nation, a tribal group that organized more than three decades ago, in part to erase the learned ignorance, a term used by Thoms, that Texas Indians were extinct.

The indigenous groups of the region also organized to address the desecration of native burial sites.

Tap Pilams nonprofit American Indians in Texas at the Spanish Colonial Missions (AIT) launched the UrbanIndianSA project in January with a $35,000 grant. It will produce a report called Making the Invisible Visible.

AIT executive director Ramon Vasquez says its modeled after the National Urban Indian Family Coalitions initiative. Hes involved in the national group.

AIT has been collecting and updating data and hitting the pavement by reaching out to Native American families.

Vasquez said that because the state long ago sunsetted its Indian commission, the state abandoned policies to address urban Indians.

Its pretty crazy if you consider that upwards of 65 percent of the population in San Antonio is Mexican-American and 80 to 85 percent of them probably have Native American ancestry, he said.

Vasquez calls the UrbanIndianSA project a critical campaign to better serve Native Americans in San Antonio.

For example, he says San Antonio continues to draw Native Americans in military service who come here and stay. In 2010, Lackland (ISD) high school had the largest population of Native American students in the city, he said. Native Americans also show up disproportionately in the citys homeless population and in Child Protective Services statistics, he added.

AIT intends to present its written findings to City Council and ask for budget appropriations to support the group. Ultimately, AIT hopes it will lead to the creation of a Native American center.

Data show Native American families in urban areas without such centers dont fare as well as those that have centers offering outreach, support and cultural programming like that which AIT has long produced.

A Bexar County website created with the help of the University of Texas at San Antonios Center of Archaeological Research sheds light on the population, too.

As we prepare to celebrate Bexar Countys 300th anniversary, it says, it is equally important to acknowledge that the 300 years of recorded history represents barely 2 percent of the time that humans have lived in the upper San Antonio River Valley.

Native Americans didnt disappear, the site says.San Antonio was handed its role as the birthplace of military aviation when Benjamin Foulois made the Armys first successful powered flight at Fort Sam Houston in 1910.

But it wasnt until Foulois persuaded the Army six years later to buy 700 acres of farmland dotted with cotton fields, cabbage patches, prickly pear and mesquite that the frontier town that grew around the Alamo would secure its role as Military City. The 1916 establishment of Kelly Field, later Kelly AFB, would provide a lasting economic staple for San Antonio.

Although Kelly would close as an air base in 2001, its presence led directly to the creation of Brooks AFB on the South Side and Lackland AFB, now the home of Air Force basic training with a diverse range of other military missions.

The story of Kelly AFB began with the arrival of Foulois in 1910. Fort Sam was being expanded, making it the largest post in the country.

Orville and Wilbur Wright, who pioneered the aviation age with their 1903 flight at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, helped the Army develop an aviation program with demonstration flights on the East Coast and correspondence by mail on how to fly a Wright Type B Flyer. Then-Lt. Foulois and his eight crewmen were shunned as crazy birdmen by the cavalry soldiers at Fort Sam.

On March 2, 1910, Foulois successfully made the first powered military flight in history. But flying was banned from the posts drill ground after one of his men, 2nd Lt. George Edward Maurice Kelly, was killed May 10, 1911. He was the first airman to be killed while piloting a military aircraft. According to Army records, Kelly flew his biplane for about five minutes and made a hard landing. As he tried to ascend for a second landing, his controls seemed to malfunction. The plane came down, and Kelly was thrown about 100 feet. He died a few hours later with a fractured skull.

With the country poised to enter World War I, Foulois returned to Fort Sam in 1916 to plan a new aviation center. San Antonio had good flying weather, and the area he chose southwest of town had flat terrain, rail access and an artesian well. Flight operations at the new tent city known as Aviation Camp began April 5, 1917. Under general orders two months later, the site was renamed Camp Kelly, after the airman killed in 1911. Kellys aunt and next of kin, May Bell-Kingsley, sent a letter thanking the Army.

I am sure your gallant American Army will appreciate it, and learn that a heroic action is not confined to one age, but is a lesson for all time, she wrote.

Kelly produced some 1,700 pilots from 1917 through 1919 and was the alma mater for a corps of officers who became the backbone of U.S. military aviation.

You would have one flying ace after another, big name after big name, including names that became household words, said Ann K. Hussey, senior historian with Randolph AFBs Air Education and Training Command in 2011.

Along with such famed aviators as Charles Lindbergh and Jimmy Doolittle, Kelly Field generated its own local pioneers, such as Stella Davis, who began work as Kellys first female employee in December 1917.

Davis, a supply typist, knew Doolittle at Kelly in the early 1920s, Hussey said. Doolittle, a pilot instructor who famously led a bombing raid over Tokyo in 1942, once drew a caricature of Davis. She stayed at Kelly through the end of World War II and died in 1949.

Lindbergh, who gained fame for the worlds first solo nonstop flight across the Atlantic in 1927, is said to have gotten his nickname Lucky Lindy as a Kelly flyer two years earlier.

He and another cadet in advance flight training bailed out after a midair collision and landed safely with parachutes.

In a 1927 interview with the Saturday Evening Post, Lindbergh attributed his success to his training at Brooks and Kelly.

I knew that I had much to learn and that San Antonio was the place to learn it, he said.After learning that a new Oakland coffee shop is refusing to serve uniformed officers, Oakland police officials said Friday they want to use the incident as an educational opportunity for new recruits.

I think their position is very clear that they dont want the police in there, and I can respect that, said Sgt. Bryan Hubbard, vice president of the Police Officers Association who also runs the departments training academies. If they do call the police for any need, were going to respond professionally and give them the same level of service as anyone else regardless of their position.

Last month, when Oakland Sgt. Robert Trevino walked into the coffee collective, Hasta Muerte, Spanish for until death, a barista told him the establishment doesnt serve police officers.

Trevino is the Alameda County chapter president of the national Latino Peace Officers Association and works in the predominantly Latino Fruitvale neighborhood where the shop is located.

The cafe, which opened several months ago after a successful crowdfunding campaign, has a mural outside to memorialize Oscar Grant and others killed in police shootings. Hubbard said he hadnt spoken with Trevino to know his true reason for going in  aside from getting a cup of coffee, of course.

Knowing him personally, he highly values community policing and hes known as going out and building relationships with merchants, Hubbard said.

City Councilman Noel Gallo, who represents the Fruitvale district and has known Trevino since his youth, said the sergeant was doing exactly what he wanted more police to do: introducing themselves to local businesses, neighbors and schools and patrolling on foot or bike.

We need to work together, and thats what were trying to do with law enforcement, Gallo said, adding that the corner has been challenged for years with crime. At the end of the day, when that cafe gets robbed or shot up or whatever, were going to have to call the police.

Gallo said he will reach out to Hasta Muerte and police officials next week to see if we can work something out to trust each other, or at least get along."

The Oakland fire union has asked its members to refrain from going to the shop out of solidarity with police officers.

Trevino mentioned his espresso rejection to Sgt. Barry Donelan, president of the police association, who then sent a letter to Hasta Muerte, asking it to clarify its policy on whether it serves officers.

Obviously, this is both a surprise and a matter of concern for all Oakland Police Officers, Donelan wrote. Oakland Police Officers work tirelessly every day to serve the residents of our City. I have never heard of Police Officers being refused service by an Oakland business.

The collective didnt respond directly, but posted on Instagram a picture saying in Spanish, Talk with your neighbors, not the police alongside an Xed out police badge.

The post went on to affirm that Hasta Muerte does not serve police because police presence compromises our feeling of physical & emotional safety.

Since then, cop supporters are trying to publicly shame us online with low reviews because this particular police visitor was Latino, the shop wrote.

We need the support of the actual community to keep this place safe, not police. Especially in an area faced by drug sales and abuse, homelessness, and toxic masculinity as we see here on this block.

Hasta Muerte did not return a request for comment.

Hubbard said he and Trevino  who teaches a section in the academy on racial diversity  will use the incident during training to drive home the point that it doesnt matter how people feel about the police, you have to treat everyone equally.

The Police Department said on Twitter it respects business owners rights and that it was reaching out to have constructive dialogue.

Working in a diverse city like this where theres mixed feelings about the police, were used to it, Hubbard said. I didnt lose any sleep over it.STAMFORD When high school senior Seth Christofor showed up at a Board of Education meeting on March 1 to announce a district-wide walkout in response to the deadly school shooting in Florida, David Mannis, president of the board, was thrilled.

I felt great, Mannis said. I dont know if I was able to articulate it right then, but the truth is I had planned to say something ad hoc about the walkout movement and how important I felt it was for students to speak on their own behalf...The kids comments were extremely mature and to the point, which is consistent to the whole Parkland reaction. I think students ... have said the right thing and they said it well.

Mannis and other board members showed their official support for the planned March 14 student walkout when, in a special meeting on Friday, they passed a resolution giving the boards official approval.

The resolution, which Mannis said only applies to the March 14 event, says the board affirms its agreement with, and support for, constructive efforts by students in our schools to engage in the peaceful expression on their views on school safety and gun safety, including walk-outs and organized discussions within the schools.

According to Christofor, the walkout at the Academy of Information Technology and Engineering will include a moment of silence followed by students sharing speeches and thoughts on mental health, gun control and security changes needed in schools in Stamford and across the country. The walkout has been organized by the student-formed group SUPER which stands for Student Union for Political Expression and Representation and will include student leaders from the three Stamford public high schools who will share student safety concerns to administrators.

Speaking for myself as a individual, I consider this an extremely important turn of events, Mannis said. Its not original to me. I have been very moved by the students being self starters in the post-Parkland event. I think people who are impacted by something as threatening as school shootings have every right to address their concerns and add comment. Im very proud of the students.

The board passed the resolution in a 5-0 vote with three abstentions. Nicola Tarzia, assistant secretary of the board, abstained from voting in part because he was not present at the meeting and had called into it. But Tarzia also declined to vote because he said the boards mission is to support all students, resolution or not.

I support the students and free speech and activism and calm public displays of activism and whatever students feel is in their best interest, he said. I feel we should go after these guns and gun problems and Im definitely opposed to more guns. I just didn't want this to become a political measure for the Board of Education and the whole Stamford government. I feel we should support students and we don't need a resolution.

According to Mannis, the resolution is only to support this specific walkout. However, he added in the future, the board may be further discussing and drafting a position on student displays of freedom of speech.

If this turns out to be a new chapter in student-led politics, so be it, Mannis said. But thats not for us. People said we ought to have a policy discussion and we will.FAIRFIELD  Fairfield Warde junior Aliyah Augustin was excited this year to enroll in her first Advanced Placement class.

Augustin, 16, is a history buff who aspires one day to become a lawyer, so she leaped at the opportunity to take AP U.S. History. But right away she noticed something about the students sitting in class around her.

Im the only black girl in my period class. The other period class only has one black girl, as well. That was kind of eye-opening, Augustin said.

Augustin is one of roughly 15 students and 10 faculty members that make up Wardes Achievement Gap Task Force, which seeks to start discussions on the achievement gap for students on free or reduced lunch and students of color at Fairfield Warde High School.

The reason we got together is because a few years ago I was asked to do a presentation to the staff about some of the doctoral work I had been doing on achievement gaps in this kind of a community  majority white, high-performing, suburban schools. There wasnt a lot of research on this, said Deirdra Preis, Pequot House housemaster and founder of the task force.

We really saw the disparities with our students of color and our students on free and reduced lunch, particularly in their performance on standardized testing and their participation in Advanced Placement classes. They werent enrolling in AP classes at a proportionate rate, Preis said. We started talking about some of the research and the implicit bias and institutional racism in schools in general.

Preis began to recruit students who might suffer from the inequity she was researching and asked them, last year, to share their narratives with faculty and staff in professional development meetings.

Augustin was one of the students to participate.

I was happy to share my experience because I wanted teachers to see that this was happening, Augustin said. When teachers talk about something, its just facts, but when a student says it, its like an actual person. You put a face to the speech.

The 16-year-old said she shared her experience of going from McKinley Elementary School  by far the most-diverse school in the district  to the whiter Tomlinson Middle School and then Warde High School.

Ive been in the Fairfield school system my whole life, and Im really thankful for it because its such a good school system, but Ive noticed certain things, Augustin said. None of the other (elementary) schools have that diversity, so when I went to middle school, McKinley was looked at like the ghetto school.

Teachers present largely found it helpful to hear stories like Augustins and similar professional development meetings have continued. One teacher, Sania Werner, who had done graduate work on institutional racism, found the student testimony reinforced the topics she studied and made her more aware of the disadvantages some students were facing.

Although I knew these things, hearing it from students makes me more conscious of everything Im doing, everything Im saying, how I plan my lessons, Werner said. Its opened my eyes not just to those kids, but all kids.

With four other Ludlowe students, faculty and parents, Augustin, Preis and Werner recently traveled to San Diego for a conference, Redesigning for Student Success, hosted by the accrediting body, the New England Association of Schools and Colleges. The conference allowed Augustin and others to present their experiences with students and educators from around the country, as well as learn about different measures being taken to promote equity in schools nationwide.

In part, the experience served as training for Wardes upcoming second annual Identity and Education Conference, March 29 at Southern Connecticut State University in New Haven, at which students from schools throughout the state will share their experiences through panel presentations, group discussions and performances.

The exciting thing is, were bringing kids to college, Preis said. We want them to feel like they have a voice; we want them to see themselves as future college students who are capable.ANANTNAG: Three militants have been killed during a brief gunfight between militants and the government forces in district Anantnag on wee hours of Monday.

Police said that a nocturnal Cordon and Search Operation was launched at Malikpora, Hakura area of Anantnag, ensuing in a brief gunfight.

He said three militants were killed in the gunfight.

He identified the three militants as Eisa Fazili @ Eisa Roohullah (TuM) X-Btech student of Srinagar, Syed Owais Shafi (HM) of Vailoo, Kokernag, Kokernag and third one from Pakistan.

The operation was jointly launched by 19 RR and Anantnag police.

Anantnag Gunfight: Police version

Pursuing credible leads of presence of militants, forces started search in the Hakoora area of Anantnag district.

While the search was going on the hiding militants fired upon the search party.

The fire was retaliated by the security forces ensuing in an encounter.

In the encounter, 3 militants were killed which include Eesa Fazli of Srinagar, Syed Owais of Kokernag and a third militant whose Identity is being ascertained.

In the process arms and ammunition which include AK 47 rifles, pistols, and hand grenades.

In the said incident no collateral damage has taken place.

It is pertinent to mention that among the killed militants, one was involved in a recent attack on a police guard post at Soura in which one police constable was killed.

In this connection a case has been registered and investigation has been started under the relevant provisions of the law by the Police.

Meanwhile, authorities have decided to impose the restrictions in Srinagar parts including old city on Monday after a militant from Soura, Srinagar was killed along with his two associates in an overnight gunfight with government forces in Anantnag district.

Although police did not spell out the reason for imposing the sudden restrictions, administration officials said they apprehended protests following the killing of the militant Mohammad Eisa Fazili of Soura.

Inputs fron RKby Dan Harris | Mon, Mar 12th 11:33am EDT

Neil Walker has agreed to a deal with the New York Yankees, according to Jeff Passan. Terms of the deal were not immediately known and it is contingent on Walker passing a physical. (Jeff Passan on Twitter)

Fantasy Impact:

Walker missed time with injuries last year but still has plenty of power for a second baseman. Although Yankee Stadium would be a great spot for him, it's unclear whether he will be the everyday second baseman or not, in light of the Yankees' excellent infield depth. Keep Walker on your radar for now, and if he does get the everyday job, he could make for a fine late-round sleeper.'The best thing consumers can do is enjoy dairy products'

(This story may be updated as more information is available)

SALEM, Ohio  More than 100 dairy farms in eight states received a letter from Dean Foods terminating their milk contracts with the company, effective May 31.

The farms affected are located in Indiana, Kentucky, Pennsylvania, Ohio, New York, Tennessee, North Carolina and South Carolina.

Letters

A letter, dated Feb. 26, from Brent Bunce, director of Dairy Direct Operations at Dean Foods, said two indisputable dynamics led to the decision to end these contracts.

The first, a retailers (Walmart) new Class I fluid milk processing plant coming online in the region will significantly decrease production at Deans own facility; and the second, the steady increase of raw milk production combined with the decrease of Class I fluid dairy consumption.

The Walmart facility is a 250,000-square-foot milk processing plant near Fort Wayne, Indiana. According to a Walmart news release, it will bottle Great Value and Members Mark white and chocolate milk for more than 600 Walmart stores and Sams Club locations in Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, Ohio and northern Kentucky.

Most of those stores are currently supplied by Dean Foods, and one published source indicated the new plant will cost Dean between 90 and 100 million gallons of annual milk sales. Dean will continue to supply Walmart in other parts of the country.

Quite simply, the dairy industry is producing more milk than people are consuming, stated the letter. Dean Foods also offered to provide assistance with finding potential new milk buyers.

Producers received similar letters last year from Dairy Farmers of America  which terminated approximately 225 independent milk producer contracts in the Mideast marketing order unless those producers became DFA members by Nov. 30, 2017  and Progressive Dairyman reported last April that Grassland Dairy Inc., in Wisconsin, was terminating contracts with some of its producers by May 1, 2017.

Tough decisions

Joe Kelsay, a dairy farmer from Johnson County, Indiana, received his letter March 2. He and his brother Russ are the sixth generation to run the family farm and milk around 375 head.

We really had a great relationship with (Dean Foods), said Kelsay, noting they started marketed their milk with the company in the early 90s.

As unfortunate and sad and impactful as this is, we understand the tough business decision, he said.

Finding a market

Hes spoken to at least two other farmers who got the same letter. I think their approach is similar to ours. Make some call and contacts to see if anyone is accepting milk.

Kelsay has spent the week making calls to other milk processors, hoping someone will have an opening. I have two meetings scheduled and a handful of nos and a couple of maybes. Thats where we are at now, he said.

One of those calls was to the new Walmart processing facility, but Kelsay was told they are not accepting any more milk at this time.

Jayne Sebright, executive director for Pennsylvanias Center for Dairy Excellence, said they are using all their resources to help producers.

Of the 100 producers who received letters, 42 were from Pennsylvania, she said. Deans is well-known for (contracting) excellent family farms. Many are young dairy families that have really invested in their farms.

Sebright said the Center is reaching out to as many milk market outlets as they can to find out who can take on more producers, but has not received a lot of positive responses.

Resources

In the meantime, the center is offering its Dairy Decisions consulting services to affected farmers so they can evaluate their own individual options and find a path forward, said Sebright.

The Pennsylvania center has also put together some mental health and stress management resources for farmers. We are very concerned about the well-being of the farmers affected, she said.

Bad timing

Its a very difficult situation and absolutely the worst time for this to happen. We are trying to get them all the help we can.

This comes at a time when dairy producers are already fighting to stay afloat.

We are not seeing anything particularly encouraging in the marketplace, said Dianne Shoemaker, Ohio State University Extension field specialist in dairy production economics.

Currently, there are too many cows and replacement heifers in the market, resulting in too much milk.

Nothing good happens when there is more than 9 million cows in the U.S. and we are now at 9.4 million, she said, with more than half that number in replacement heifers.

But the answer is not as simple as downsizing the herd. Even if you know there is too much milk in the marketplace, you have to make enough milk to be a profitable business. That doesnt translate into farms milking fewer cows, said Shoemaker.

She added the quantity of milk coming out of Michigan isnt going to stop. Processors dont need to pay a premium price for quality milk because its out there looking for a home, she said.

Global

And the issues dont stop with the U.S. market  the milk surplus is a global problem, according to Shoemaker.

The market is impacted by the larger world price because there is too much milk on the world market and too many dairy products in reserves. Even if production goes down, the market knows there is still that much product out there, she said.

Its not pretty and I think we are going to see more of this, unfortunately.

Drink milk

Kelsay says he read some negative reactions from consumers and producers to some dairy brands and companies that consumers might choose to avoid or boycott certain brands of milk. He hopes that doesnt happen.

The worst thing we can do is choose not to drink milk. While those reactions may be well intended, it may only cause a troubling dairy scenario to grow.

I dont think there is any bogeymen here. Theres no evil plan here. Its a hard business reality and companies have to react and respond for their own well being, he said.

The best thing (consumers) can do is enjoy dairy products.A campaign has been launched to highlight the urgent need for the UK government to clarify funding for the farming industry in Wales.

The Farmers Union of Wales (FUW) has launched its Fair Farm Funding campaign.

The campaign aims to secure fair funding for farmers in Wales after leaving the EU, ensuring that the industry does not receive less than it did before the UK left the European Union.

It also insists that funding for farming should not be subject to the Barnett Formula.

The Barnett formula is a mechanism used by the Treasury to automatically adjust the amounts of public expenditure allocated to Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales to reflect changes in spending levels allocated to public services in England, England and Wales or Britain, as appropriate.

With around 12 months to go before the UK leaves the EU, the Welsh farming industry has stated that there is still no clarity over the post Brexit funding formula through which Wales will receive an allocation for agriculture and rural development.

Complexities

Launching the campaign at the Unions Grand Council, Managing Director Alan Davies said any future funding will have to come from the UK Treasury.

Historically, the funding to support farming in Wales has come from the Common Agricultural Policy, but once the UK leaves the EU in March next year that link will be broken, Mr Davies said.

Weve already heard that the Government will commit the same amount of funding to agriculture for the rest of this parliament. But there are complexities around how that funding might be allocated.

If the UK Treasury matches, as is expected, the current EU payments of 3.5 billion to DEFRA to support UK agriculture, there are at least 2 ways in which that money can be allocated to Wales. One method and the one most often used in UK Government financial calculations is to use the Barnett Formula.

'New money'

Mr Davies explained that when new money is allocated to a government department, generally the Barnett consequential for Wales is around 5.6% of the total money allocated.

That means that if Defra receive 3.5 billion, the Consequential for Wales will be around 196 million.

He continued: Wales has historically received around 9.4% of the total EU CAP budget allocation to the UK. That would equate to 329 million. Barnett would reduce our funding by around 40% and that must not happen.

In order to deliver Fair Farm Funding for Wales it is therefore essential that the UK Government allocate funds outside the Barnett formula.

Wales urgently needs certainty that we will receive at least our historical share of the UKs agricultural and rural development budget promised by Secretary of State Michael Gove, especially as the budget for next year needs to be in place by October this year, he added.

Quoting Carwyn Jones the First Minister of Wales, Mr Davies told delegates that: To achieve this will require a new way of working and the FUW was pleased to hear Welsh Government recognise that agricultural funding will have to be held in a separate pot and dealt with in a different way.AHDB is in advanced talks with a private partner to secure the future of independent classification services for farmers.

The Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB) is in talks with private business HallMark Veterinary Compliance Services about taking over its commercial subsidiary Meat and Livestock Commercial Services Limited (MLCSL).

The levy-board said it wants to secure the long term future of independent classification services for farmers across Britain.

This move is in response to a challenging business environment and the need to respond to new technology classification systems such as VIA.

AHDB believes that by moving the business into the private sector with a company that has a strong track record of delivering independent services to the meat industry, it will open up opportunities for greater efficiencies and synergies that would not be possible under the current public ownership model and secure the future of the business.

A year long process was undertaken to identify suitable companies that met robust criteria set down by the AHDB Board, including value for money, track record of delivering independent verification services to the meat industry and commitment to the long term future of the business.

After an exhaustive bidding process involving a large number of interested parties, AHDB has now moved to the final phase of negotiations with HallMark and it is hoped that a deal will be completed by the summer.

Increasingly challenging

AHDB Chief Executive Jane King said MLCSL is facing an increasingly challenging business environment, and she believes that this move will help secure its future.

We believe that there will be synergies and efficiencies realised under commercial ownership that would just not be possible under the current public ownership model, Ms King said.

These will be vital in securing the short term prospects of the business and freeing up investment for the future.

In selecting the final bidder, the AHDB Board put a strong emphasis on HallMarks track record of delivering independent services for Government and the meat industry as it is essential that farmers continue to have confidence in the classification services supplied by MLCSL in the future.

HallMark Chairman David Peace added: We are extremely pleased to have been selected by AHDB as the organisation with which they will hold exclusive discussions about taking over its subsidiary, MLCSL.

As a key contractor to government departments for statutory farm inspections and Official Controls in abattoirs, we pride ourselves on HallMarks independence, integrity and expertise.

It is therefore clear to us that MLCSLs outstanding reputation in all these regards will help us to further strengthen our own position, as well as fulfil our overall strategic objective to diversify and grow our operational capacity towards ever-improving efficiencies for our customers.A firefighting farmer has called for caution over the potentially devastating use of heat lamps ahead of the spring lambing season.

Stewart Macpherson has been a farmer for more than 25 years  and since 2010, the he has helped keep his community safe as a retained firefighter at Foyers, on the banks of Loch Ness.

The Macphersons are currently preparing to welcome thousands of new-born lambs to the family-run Dell Farm in Whitebridge, near Inverness.

And now, Mr Macpherson has warned against the increased use of heat sources in sheds and barns.

All across the country, especially at this time of year, firefighters respond to fires at farms caused by heat lamps or fan heaters, explained Mr Macpherson.

Last year, there was a terrible fire that was caused by an unwell calf knocking over a lamp in a barn full of combustible hay bales.

Ive been a farmer for a long time, and I am well aware of the critical importance of using a heat sources to warm a new-born lamb to boost its chance of survival.

Farmers and crofters will continue to use these devices, thats not debatable  but I would urge caution, and for anyone using these heat sources to take simple but hugely effective measures to reduce the risk of fire.

For example, you should always ensure any heat sources is secured, and is kept away from flammable material. I also always keep a fire extinguisher nearby.

'High-risk'

There are over 9,000 farms in Scotland, and the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) regularly responds to a host of farm-related incidents, from fires to flooding to large animal rescue.

Mr Macpherson added: Farms are especially high-risk of fire, in terms of fuel stores and volumes of combustible materials such as hay and straw.

The consequences can be tragic, with animals killed, and fire can have a devastating impact on your livelihood.

The SFRS has already been working in close partnership with rural communities to ensure general safety.

In 2016, SFRS launched the Rural Risk Project (RRP) in the Highlands, South Lanarkshire and Dumfries and Galloway in partnership with the National Farmers Union (NFU) and Police Scotland.

The RRP is a secure database that exists to ensure local firefighters are aware of any risks if called to an emergency at a farm  and Stewart Macpherson has urged all farmers and crofters to sign up.

He said: This data is absolutely vital for the safety of firefighters first and foremost, but could also be crucial in terms of reducing any loss or damage at your farm in the event of emergency.

'Dynamic partnership'

Rab Middlemiss is the Scottish Fire and Rescue Services Local Senior Officer for the Highlands.

He said: The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service exists to save lives, and we will always look to work with partners to ensure the safety of our communities.

The Rural Risk Project is a dynamic partnership, and is another key example of how local communities can play a vital role to improve public and firefighter safety.

As retained firefighter, Stewart Macpherson is a pillar of the community and has been instrumental in building this innovative and potentially life-saving partnership all across the Highlands.

I would urge all farmers and crofters to complete our questionnaire to help ensure our firefighters and control staff are fully prepared with vital information about your land and property.It Was One Sided Initially

Boney once spoke about how he proposed to Sridevi in an interview with Filmfare magazine, 'While I had already fallen in love with Sri, initially it remained one-sided.''

The First Time Sridevi Went Somewhere Alone

''Once, in Chennai, my friend and his wife, Sri and her mother and I were to meet for lunch. But her mom unexpectedly fell unwell and dropped out. This was the first time Sri had stepped out without a family member.''

She Got So Angry When I Confessed My Love To Her

''After lunch when I was dropping her back home, I confessed my love to her. She got rattled, angry and hurt. For almost six-eight months after that she stopped talking to me.''

When The Serial Bomb Blasts Happened In Mumbai

''Then the serial bomb blasts happened in Mumbai in March 1993. Those days Sri would be put up at Hotel Sea Rock. When I came to know about the blasts, I immediately called up her mother and insisted that Sri would no longer be staying there. I sent my staff to get her home.''

Sridevi Started Staying At My House

''Then on, till the release of Roop Ki Rani in May 1993, Sri stayed in my house. My relationship with Sri grew normal again.''

Boney's First Meeting With Sridevi

Boney first met Sridevi when he signed her for Mr India in 1984. ''I went up to her set, met her and when I met her it was almost like a dream coming true.''

He Went To Switzerland Just To See Sridevi

He was so madly in love with her that when Sridevi was filming Chandni in Switzerland, he had gone to Switzerland especially to see her because he wanted to be close to her.

After Coming Back, I Told My Wife That I Love Her

"After coming back, I told my first wife (Mona Shourie) what I had felt for Sri. When Sridevi's mother died, I was there with her all the time."

We Came Close After Her Father's Death

"When she finished shooting for Lamhe, her father passed away. We came close to each other slowly. I supported her throughout. Even she was there for me always. She is not only a talented actress, but a fabulous wife and mother.''

I Am Still Madly In Love With Her

''She still lives in her own world and doesn't get into controversies. Even after so many years of our marriage, I am still madly in love with her."Sanjay Denies Recognizing Venugopal Reddy

Says Sanjay Ramaswami, "I have been married to Srilatha ( Sridevi's sister) for 28 years and never once have we heard of this individual Venugopal Reddy. The family is in grief and chooses to not make any comments through this painful time."

Sanjay On Why Sridevi's Sister Was Silent...

"There is no truth to this man's claims and the entire family is in support of Boney Kapoor and are with him through this challenging phase. Some sections of the media questioned my wife's silence and attributed all kinds of ridiculous allegations."

'We Do Not Seek Any Publicity'

"I am sure that they have loved ones that they lost. Did they stand up on the wall and shout. We mourn in silence and do not seek any publicity and that should not be misconstrued.

We are a very close knit family. Sridevi was an inspiration to all of us and all in the family loved her very much".

Venugopal Claimed That Sridevi's Mom Never Liked Boney Kapoor

As per Sridevi's uncle, Venugopal Reddy, her mom wasn't much happy with Boney Kapoor as she never liked him. "Actually, Sridevi's mother did not like her getting married to Boney Kapoor. Her mother didn't treat him properly on couple of occasions when he had come home."

'Sridevi Lived In Pain And Passed Away With A Lot Of Pain'

"But Boney Kapoor and Sridevi wanted to get married. Sridevi's mother did discuss that with all of us. But eventually they did get married."

"What we knew was Boney Kapoor lost a lot of money in few films and they sold Sridevi's properties to make up for the losses. And Sridevi always had that pain in her heart. Sridevi lived in pain and passed away with a lot of pain in her heart."

He Also Claimed Sridevi Was Going Through Financial Crisis

"She was not at peace. She wore a smile on her face for the world but she went through a lot inside her. Boney produced a film which never saw the light of the day, and they were financially going through a tough phase."

He Also Revealed Why Sridevi Made A Comeback

"Sridevi sold her properties and cleared those debts to get life back on track. And that was the main reason why Sridevi got back to acting in films."

Sridevi Was Worried About Khushi & Jahnvi

"When few of our relatives paid a visit to Sridevi, during their conversation she did mention that she was worried about daughters Janhvi and Khushi, about their future. Sridevi also mentioned that Boney wasn't well and his health was a bit worrying."

Venugopal On Sridevi's Fall-out With Her Sister Srilatha

Revealing about the same, he told, "When her mother was operated in the US, the doctors performed the surgery on the wrong side of her brain because of which she was totally bed ridden. She was alive but not in her senses. She had become just an object."

Family Fight Over Money?

"After the family got to know about the surgery, they filed a case against the hospital and Boney Kapoor was along with Sridevi during this process. And court penalised the hospital, and sisters, Sridevi and Srilatha, had few differences in the allocation of that amount which was later cleared by the family members.

And besides a share in this compensation, Sridevi used to send a lot of money to her sister Srilatha and they were fine."Sonam Kapoor:    President     '' | FilmiBeat

President Donald Trump has become a favourite punching bag to most of the celebrities and no matter what the POTUS says or does, he receives flak from the Hollywood elites. It looks like our very own Sonam Kapoor has joined the bandwagon in calling him names as "imbecile" for allowing 'elephant hunting trophies' in the United States, at a time when animal welfare is top priority around across the globe.

US talk show host Ellen DeGeneres tweeted against the President saying, "The President has quietly allowed elephant and other hunting trophies into the US. I'm saying it as loudly as possible: This is APPALLING. We need to raise our voices and make this stop. #BeKindToElephants." Sonam Kapoor retweeted Ellen's message with her own caption that attacks Trump, "Hunting is illegal in india, one of things the world can learn from us! Trump is an imbecile! @potus #proudtobeindian #preserveourworld."

Sonam Lashes Out Against POTUS Sonam Kapoor lashed out against the President of the United States, Donald Trump, for not banning elephant hunting trophies across the country. Eric Trump & Donald Trump Jr Also, Donald Trump's sons, Eric Trump and Donald Trump Jr are avid hunters and have shared several pictures previously on their Instagram handle with dead animals that they shot and killed. A Part Of PETA On a related note, Sonam Kapoor and her sister Rhea Kapoor are part of PETA and take part in several animal conservation programs. Compassionate Business Award Sonam and Rhea's 'Rheason' brand also received the Compassionate Business Award from PETA for starting a high-end luxury brand without harming or killing animals. Hottest Vegetarian Celebrity Sonam Kapoor was also awarded the title 'PETA's Hottest Vegetarian Celebrity' in 2016.Megha In Warrior Princess Look!

Sharing the picture, Megha wrote, "In my little cosmos, your energies combine to keep me going. You guys are my tribe. I thank each and every one of you for the fire, and for showing love and support. So motivated and so full of gratitude on this lovely day. #instamood #instamoment #iphone8 #instastory #picoftheday #princesswarrior #nature #shoot #tribal #meghaGupta #indianActor." - (sic)

Siddhant Karnick Calls Her Goddess!

Reposting Megha's picture, Siddhant wrote, "I sometimes can't believe I'm married to this goddess. This warrior woman of today who runs a house, a family, a bussines, a profession, simultaneously and still looks soo damn HOT! Love living and living it up with you Hommie. My ."- (sic)

Megha Thanks Siddhant

The actress gave the credit to her husband's support. The actress wrote, "You make it all worth it, like a rock beside me " - (sic). For the uninitiated, Megha married the Ek Tha Raja Ek Thi Rani actor in a hush-hush affair on August 16, 2016.

Megha Guptas Latest Picture

A few days ago, the actress had shared this picture and wrote, "Anyone can give up, I think it's the easiest thing to do, but to hold it together when every one would understand even if you fell apart, that is true strength. #instamood #instagram #instastory #instamoment #instagood #Shoot #Mumbai #MeghaGupta #bandra #girl #denim #fun #love #SocialInfluencer #indianactor #siddheshsavantphotography." - (sic)

Angel Face, Devil Thoughts!

Posting this picture, Megha wrote, "Angel face. Devil thoughts. I'm 99 % an angel. But oh, that 1 %... #tattooedwings #instamood #instastory #instamoment #instagood #instagram #iPhone #picoftheday #MeghaGupta #angel #devil #SocialInfluencer #Mumbai #bandra #girl #Shoot #white #vascocam #love #serene #meanAngel #kindDevil." - (sic)

Megha Guptas Bold Picture

The actress had also shot for some bold pictures, which were shot by Siddhesh Savant V and we must say that we can't take our eyes off her.

Meghas TV Shows

Megha was seen in popular shows like Kkusum, Kumkum - Ek Pyara Sa Bandhan, Kkavyanjali and Koi Laut Ke Aaya Hai, to name a few. The actress and Naman Shaw were declared runners-up on dance reality show, Nach Baliye 4.Anti-India rhetoric probably helped UML during elections but it cannot be used in long-term politics

What is your initial assessment of the recently formed government, which has a near two-thirds majority?Parths Birthday Plans

Revealing his birthday plan, Parth Samthaan said, "Raat ko barah baje friends aur family ayegi." The actor also added that he would visit orphanage and spend some time at the place as he feels good. Also, as per his mother's wish, he would also visit a temple, and later chill with his family and friends.

What Is Keeping Parth Away From TV?

When asked as to what is keeping him away from television, the actor said that he is busy shooting for a film. So currently his focus is on the film. The actor, who is also shooting for the web series, KYY 3, adds that he has a special connection with the show.

Fans Love Motivates Him

Parth says that he feels good as many people support him. He adds, "Their (fans) love motivates you. You feel that they are the strength, besides your parents." He wants to make sure that he works harder (and better) and try to entertain the fans as much as possible.

Parth On Web Series

Regarding web series, he feels that it is good that they (web series) have limited episodes as it will give a break for the actors as well. The actor feels that the third season is much better than the previous two seasons, because it is on web.

His Experience Of Shooting With New Cast

He adds that it was good (fun experience) shooting (with new cast) for the show. It is good to meet new people. He adds, "Raha sawal old cast ka, yes, they were very talented. They did their job, and that's why the show clicked."

KYY 3 Will Be Bigger & Better

The actor was seen singing a song for fans and thanked them for their wishes. He wishes that his fans get a chance to watch him and other cast on Voot and asks fans to stay tuned as they will be coming soon with a bang because Season 3 will be bigger and better!US-Bangla Airlines Flight Crashes at Kathmandu Airport, Killing 50

US-Bangla Airlines Flight BS211 was carrying 71 people when it crashed on Monday at KTM. The plane was inbound from Dhaka when the incident occurred. The exact number of casualties have yet to be confirmed, but it is reported that at least 50 persons are thought to be dead.

A US-Bangla Airlines flight crashed upon landing on Monday at Tribhuvan International Airport (KTM) in Kathmandu, AP reports. US-Bangla Airlines Flight BS211 was inbound from Dhaka, Bangladesh, to the Nepalese capital when the incident occurred.

The plane, a Bombardier Dash 8, was carrying 67 passengers and four crew members at the time of the crash. It is reported that at least 50 persons have died, but the exact number of casualties has not yet been confirmed.

An official at KTM revealed that the pilot of the flight failed to follow landing instructions as issued by the airports air traffic control and is said to have made his runway approach from the wrong direction. Commenting on the incident, Raj Kumar Chetri, KTMs general manager, said, The airplane was not properly aligned with the runway. The tower repeatedly asked if the pilot was OK and the reply was yes.

However, conversations between the pilot and air traffic control reveal confusion over the planes landing pattern and, specifically, whether the craft should approach KTMs single runway from the south or the north.

In a recording made public on liveatc.net, the pilot can be heard asking, Are we cleared to land?. Just seconds after this, the controller is heard to exclaim, I say again, turn!

According to the eyewitness account of Amanda Summers, who witnessed the incident from her house, the craft swerved multiple times on approach to KTM. It was flying so low I thought it was going to run into the mountains. All of a sudden there was a blast and then another blast, she said.

According to an AP journalist who attended the scene soon after the crash, the plane had broken into multiple pieces. Nitin Keyal, another eyewitness, said, It was flying very low  You could tell it wasnt a normal landing.

It is reported that most of the injured have been take to Kathmandu Medical College.

According to the message on its website, US-Bangla Airlines has set up a dedicated hotline for relatives of those onboard the flight.

[Photo: AP Photo/Niranjan Shreshta]Earlier this month, Mastercard Inc. (NYSE:MA) completed its acquisition of Oltio, a mobile payments start-up, for an undisclosed amount. Oltio has been a partner of Mastercard since 2014, when it enabled consumer authentication on the MasterPass platform in South Africa. Today, that technology allows users to authenticate their MasterPass purchases from a mobile device using their bank PIN. South Africa-based Oltio specializes in mobile payments security and authentication solutions.

Mastercard South Africa President Mark Elliott said in a press release: "Too many consumers and merchants in the MEA region [Middle East-Africa] are stuck in a cash economy that doesn't work for them. By combining our joint expertise, technologies and reach, we can bridge the divide between the region's cash economies and the digital future, bringing the benefits of digital payments to more people and businesses."

This acquisition potentially checks two key boxes for Mastercard: (1) growth in emerging markets and (2) mobile-payments capabilities.

Why mobile is key to emerging markets

Mastercard believes emerging markets hold the key to future growth, because many of these economies overwhelmingly rely on cash to facilitate financial transactions. To capture the wallet share in these countries, mobile might be necessary because the telecom infrastructure required to support hardware payment terminals at every point-of-sale doesn't exist. In addition, this hardware is often too expensive for merchants in emerging markets to purchase. Mobile payment solutions can bypass both of these problems, however.

One mobile solution being increasingly utilized are QR codes, those black-and-white matrix images. At the company's investor day last October, CEO Ajay Banga talked about QR codes and the importance of finding localized solutions in each market the company serves:

Why is the QR code so important? It's really important because it expands acceptance in a much differentiated cost into a completely new set of merchants who traditionally have not participated in electronic payments for various reasons, one of which was the cost of acceptance. And this changes that dynamic in a completely different way. Another one was the infrastructure. If you're living in a country where phone lines don't work very well, terminals aren't your answer to the future of mankind ... We're not trying to give them American solutions for every country. We're trying to find solutions that make sense for the circumstances or what's important to that government, to that society, to those banks, to those merchants, and to those consumers.

QR codes are a perfect mobile solution because they only require vendors to possess a smartphone to accept electronic payments. No dongle or other expensive hardware is needed. A vendor can download an app and start accepting payments almost immediately. This type of technology is crucial to increasing merchant acceptance in emerging markets.

The future in mobile payments

At the recent investor conference, CFO Martina Hund-Mejean said mobile payments had fewer hurdles to clear in emerging markets than in the U.S. Hund-Mejean said consumer habits have proven to be especially difficult to change in markets where payments work. But, she added, mobile payments are coming stateside -- it's just a matter of time. For proof, she simply pointed the listeners to observe their children and how they interact with their phones.

Emerging markets don't have these consumer habits ingrained in the culture and, thus, have proven to be fertile ground for mobile payments to take root. Ultimately, Hund-Mejean insisted, Mastercard is technology-agnostic. The company doesn't care if people use plastic, mobile, or other forms of payments as long as it is tied to that 16-digit account number.

A "Priceless" acquisition

Of course, mobile payments will never work if banks can't authenticate users' identities, which is where Oltio comes into play. Mastercard has partnered with Oltio for four years, meaning it certainly knows the value the fintech start-up brings to mobile payments and integrating them into markets in Africa. It remains unclear if Mastercard's plans for Oltio include territories outside of Africa.

For now, the continent presents enough of its own opportunities and challenges for the growth of payments. At the company's investor day presentation, while discussing the financial inclusion efforts Mastercard was making in different African countries, Banga said the efforts are "the core and the foundation of how our brand and our people, and our technology, and our data interact in countries around the world."

For investors, it should be enough to note that the vast majority of the world's transactions are still facilitated using cash, not electronic payments. According to Banga, cash transactions are still more than 80% of the world's total. This gives Mastercard ample opportunity to grow its payments business outside the borders of the U.S., and judging by its latest move, the company seems intent on doing just that.The oil and gas market has changed by leaps and bounds in the past few years. It wasn't that long ago that oil from shale drilling was a token idea that few thought would have a significant impact on global production. Nowadays, it's not just a part of the equation but a dominant force. For oil services companies like Schlumberger (NYSE:SLB), that means changing the way it does business.

Schlumberger's calls are some of the best ways to glean an understanding of the oil market today. The company's size and global reach give it unparalleled insight into the global market. So when its management says something or modifies the way it does business, it's worth exploring. Here are several quotes from the most recent conference call that describe both its outlook for the industry and how it's adapting its business.

The times they are a-changin'

Ever since oil prices bottomed out in early 2016, any gains in production and spending have been heavily concentrated in North America and particularly in shale. The ability to quickly bring new shale wells on line has allowed U.S.-based producers to capture a lot of additional market share. It has also effectively kept international investment levels low.

But according to Patrick Schorn, executive vice president of new ventures, that tide is shifting as Schlumberger now sees 2018 as the year that the international market picks up in earnest.

In 2018, the international market will return to growth for the first time since 2014 and the projected activity growth is now leading us to start the reactivation of equipments to meet new contract start-ups. In addition to this, we're also starting to reposition equipment in the International Areas in general and to Russia in the Middle East, in particular, where activity is strongest and where we can secure the best returns. Both the reactivation and repositioning will result in increased short-term costs, which we except to absorb in the first quarter of this year.

Getting out of a formerly high-value business

Aside from being a more internationally focused company, Schlumberger has also had a long-standing reputation as a technology-driven oil services company that makes customers pay a premium. One of these technology-differentiated offerings was its WesternGeco seismic acquisition. Historically, this had been a high-return business, but success also depends on a high level of investment in exploration.

That hasn't been the case lately, though. Consequently, Schlumberger has elected to exit the business and took a multibillion-dollar writedown this past quarter. But in every loss is an opportunity, and CEO Paal Kibsgaard believes there is a new approach that will meet management's target rates of return.

[R]apid advances and high-performance computing data analytics and machine learning have enhanced the value of seismic, imaging and visualization, enabling us to extract significantly higher value from our previous acquired data. Going forward, WesternGeco therefore adopts an asset-light model built on our strong multi-client, data processing and interpretation businesses, and further supported by our close partnerships with a leading company in cloud and high-performance computing. As a result, our reconstituted seismic business will going forward require half the capital investments and yield twice the free cash flow conversion and making it accretive to the cash returns of the company.

North America continues to take market share, but not from whom you might think

A brief glimpse at financial news about the oil market over the past few years gives one the impression that it's a fight between OPEC and shale. The market has moved by double digits every time OPEC's made an announcement about production targets, while the rest of the coverage has scrutinized how much shale can withstand low prices.

Based on this, you would assume that OPEC and shale were trying to take each other's market share. According to Kibsgaard, however, oil prices have been strengthening lately because of market share declines elsewhere.

[W]ith a positive oil market sentiments and the increased availability of cash, we expect another year of robust growth in North America shale oil production, which will be required to maintain the balance in the global oil market. The reason for this is that the aging production base in Latin America, Africa and Asia continues to show underlying production decline after three years of unprecedented underinvestment.

It's basically been an underinvestment period since 2014, but many longer development cycle projects have yet to come to market. Schlumberger estimates about 2 million barrels per day of these projects will see first oil in 2018 and another 1 million barrels per day in 2019. As the backlog of development projects diminishes, it's likely that we will soon see a much tighter oil market without significant investment.

It's time for Schlumberger to shine

Halliburton has been the talk of the oil services industry because of its high exposure to the North American market, especially thanks to management's decision to double down as the go-to oil services company for shale drilling. While Schlumberger has made some considerable efforts to put together a competitive offering in North America -- as highlighted by the recent purchase of Weatherford International's pressure pumping business -- the company is at its best when the rest of the world is investing in oil and gas.

The fact that the international market should pick back up again is good for Schlumberger. Not only is it the largest player in the international market, but the company generates much higher rates of return. Here's Kibsgaard explaining why the international market is so important.

The return to broad-based growth in international market represents a significant boost to our earnings power due to our unrivaled leadership position in all parts of this market in terms of both market share and profitability. The significance of it is best illustrated by the fact that we generate four to five times higher earnings for each incremental customer that was spent in the international market compared to the incremental customer dollars spent in North America. So after three very tough years, it is now clear that the tide is clearly turning in favor of Schlumberger.

Shifting tides, shifting strategy

The market is now on the upswing, and as a result, companies need to shift their approach. Even though Schlumberger has been cutting its head count and taking several billion in writedowns, it has also been vigorously acquiring new businesses to expand its offerings. Today, though, Kibsgaard says that tactic has changed.

We plan to tackle the 2018 activity growth without an increase in CapEx from the $2 billion levels seen in 2016 and 2017 as we again start to benefit from improved asset utilization on the back of our transformation program. These investments will be lower in 2018 as we focus on monetizing the strong library we have already bid. And for SPM [Schlumberger Production Management], we have reached the end of our counter cyclical business development program and are now shifting our full attention toward project execution. This means that capital investment levels will be down in 2018 and that our SPM business will generate positive free cash flow in the coming year.

For investors who are intently focused on capital allocation, this is good news. Now that asset values are on the upswing, Schlumberger wants to slow its spending and be less active in the mergers and acquisitions market.

What a Fool believes

Whether you are an investor in Schlumberger or not, it is simply too big and too influential in the oil market to ignore what its management both says and does. It's clear that, based on the company's moves in recent years, that we can't think about the oil and gas industry the same way as we did pre-crash. Some services that were once considered highly valuable (seismic acquisition) are hemorrhaging cash while seemingly commodity services (pressure pumping) have become much more important.

With a larger presence in North America and the upcoming increase in international activity, Schlumberger's actions could prove to be incredibly lucrative. The question remaining is how much of the company's existing business still needs to conform to new market dynamics. The company has incurred a lot of writedowns and impairments in recent years. If those continue, much of the gains from these recent trends could be wiped out.FNJ threatens protests

The Federation of Nepali Journalists (FNJ) has warned it would stage protests on the streets if the provision related contempt is misused to impose pre-censorship by the court and the Press Council.Lambing flurries and heavy snowfall hasnt managed to halt the avalanche of reader photos arriving at Farmers Weekly HQ.

Severe snowfall in recent weeks has made for some stunning snaps, but it is always worth remembering the farmer struggles not shown in the pretty pictures, as they battle to keep livestock safe and roads open for milk tankers and the British public.

Weve cherry-picked some of our favourite photos sent in over the past few weeks of lambing and the big freeze on the farm.

See also: Buckinghamshire young farmer deploys his agri-skills in Iraq

Lambing family

A lovely farming family selfie with dad Richard, mum Gemma and 14-month-old Charlie Deighton helping with lambing at his granny and grandads farm in Yorkshire.

Snow-clearing teamwork

This is snow easy job. Little farmer Will Loades is giving his sister Louisa a tow as they work on clearing the drive. We love the matching outfits.

Tongues out

Ever think livestock look like their farmers? Thats certainly the case here with Sarah Devlin Stafford and one of her newest arrivals on the farm.

First lambing season

This is 11-month-old Lexi McMullan enjoying her first lambing season with her dad and grandad.

What are ewe looking at?

Sophie Huntley sent in this fantastic lambing shot.

All smiles

Sheep farmer James Tilley sent in this lambing selfie from North Wales.

New encounter

This is four-month-old Loui Bennett meeting his first Kerry Hill lamb on a farm in Derbyshire.

Happy lambing

This cheerful pair look full of the joys of spring. This is Georgia Manning with a chipper little lamb.

Follow the leader

Hugh Chamberlain took this photo in the Scottish Borders as he moved these ewes from a drifted field to safer ground.

Snow farmer

This frosty farmer was made by Ellie Ford from Elberton in South Gloucestershire.

Playing in the snow

These calves managed to escape from their barn to play in the snow in Thornsett, Derbyshire. Kerrie Handford took this photo as she rounded them up.

Best time of the year

Somerset farmer Guy Dibble grabbed a quick selfie while helping out with lambing on the family farm in Ilminster.

Look behind you

Megan Hogg from North Wales sent in this photo of Annie the lamb, blissfully unaware of Bonnie the sheepdog photobombing behind.

Springer in the snow

This is Dotty the three-year-old Springer Spaniel, playing in the snow near Louth upon the Lincolnshire Wolds. This snowy snap was taken by Jonny Trotter.

Happy lambing

Rupert Watson Smyth took this fun photo of lambing in full swing at Lellizzick Farm in Padstow, Cornwall.IMF names Georgias tax reform as one of the most effective in the world - GeorgianJournalGeorgia and the European Union will move to new, higher level of bilateral cooperation - GeorgianJournalNokia 9 to arrive with in-display fingerprint sensor; Q3 launch likely News oi-Abhinaya Prabhu Upcoming Nokia flagship smartphone could feature the in-display fingerprint sensor supplied by Synaptics.

At the MWC 2018, HMD Global announced a slew of smartphones including Nokia 1 (Android Go phone), Nokia 6 (2018), Nokia 7 Plus and Nokia 8 Sirocco. However, the company did not bring any significant upgrade in terms of the hardware of these smartphones. While this could be a disappointment to many Nokia fans, there were claims that HMD Global is prepping to unveil the high-end Nokia 8 Pro and Nokia 9 smartphones later this year.

Nokia 9 will be the flagship smartphone from HMD's stable. Some reports in the past have suggested that the Nokia 9 could be advertised as the Nokia 8 Pro, which will join the series comprising of the yesteryear's Nokia 8 and the recently announced Nokia 8 Sirocco.

According to the recent information from a Baidu user via Nokia Latest, the upcoming flagship smartphone - Nokia 9 will feature an in-display fingerprint sensor. It is believed to be unveiled by the end of summer, probably at the IFA 2018 trade show in Berlin. This late summer launch date goes in line up with the previous reports tipping that the smartphone might be available for purchase ahead of the holiday season.

Like the other smartphones from HMD Global, Nokia 9 is also expected to be a part of the Android One program based on stock Android Oreo out of the box. In addition to the in-display fingerprint sensor, the Nokia 9 is believed to feature a curved display panel just like the one we saw on the Nokia 8 Sirocco.

For now, there is no word on the company that will supply the in-display fingerprint sensors to HMD Global for the Nokia 9. We can expect Synaptics, the San Jose-based company, which is supplying the in-display fingerprint modules to Vivo for the Vivo X20 UD to be roped in for the upcoming Nokia flagship smartphone as well.

20 Things You No Longer Need Just Because of Smartphones

Given that the Nokia 9 will be most high-end flagship smartphone to be launched by HMD Global, we can expect the device to feature the best in class camera and a premium design. Also, the Nokia 9 is expected to feature some unique features and powerful aspects. As it is said to be a flagship smartphone, it will make use of the Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 chipset and other high-end specifications.

Best Mobiles in India

Facebook, To stay updated with latest technology news & gadget reviews, follow GizBot on Twitter YouTube and also subscribe to our notification. Allow NotificationsXiaomi in plans to launch six smartphones in India this year News oi-Abhinaya Prabhu Xiaomis plans for this year have been revealed partially.

Xiaomi is a dominant brand and market leader in the Indian smartphone arena. Outside China, India is one of the major markets for the company. Xiaomi has launched a wide range of products including smartphones, televisions, air purifiers, power banks, etc. in the country. It has witnessed a three-fold growth in the country in the past year and appears to be in similar plans this year as well.

In an interview with Livemint, Xiaomi Global VP and India head, Manu Kumar Jain stated that the company is in plans to launch at least six smartphones in India in 2018. In addition to this, Xiaomi appears to be aiming to open 100 exclusive stores and release more new product categories in the near future. Xiaomi is said to be in plans to build big on the non-smartphone business besides the new smart TV models launched in the country.

He has revealed that Xiaomi has crossed $1 billion revenue in India and is aiming to cross the $2 billion mark very soon. But Jain has not revealed when exactly Xiaomi expects to reach this revene milestone. Though he has revealed about the number of start-up investments that the Chinese firm might make in one year, it looks like it will have nearly two dozen start-ups annually in the next five years. Back in November, Xiaomi's Lei Jun revealed to invest a minimum of $1 billion in 100 Indian start-ups in five years to create an apps ecosystem around its smartphone brand.

Jain has stated that India is a drastically changing market. He said that Xiaomi is bullish that India will become hugely digital five years from now and that the company aims to promote the same.

Given that Xiaomi recently opened its first Mi Experience Store in Chennai showing a new of products, it is clear that the company is contemplating to launch new products in India. He says that though people are interested in witnessing the launch of the smart scooters, smart water purifiers, smart weighing scales, etc. in India, it is not sure if these products will do well in the country with a unique nature.

How to send money using Paytm Inbox

He revealed that Xiaomi aims to bring more product categories in India. For now, they have seven to eight categories such as smartphones, smart TVs, power banks, fitness bands, smart routers, smart air purifiers, t-shirts, backpacks, and audio players.

Best Mobiles in India

Facebook, To stay updated with latest technology news & gadget reviews, follow GizBot on Twitter YouTube and also subscribe to our notification. Allow NotificationsFrom dependence to interdependence

Prof Mahendra P Lama of Jawaharlal Nehru University is a highly regarded Indian academic and intellectual, and is well known in South Asia.Qatar complains to UN over UAE, Bahraini aircraft airspace violation

Iran Press TV

Sun Mar 11, 2018 02:07AM

Qatar has issued a complaint to the United Nations over fresh violations of its air space by Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates.

According to the Qatar News Agency on Saturday, a UAE military transport aircraft carrier violated Qatari airspace on January 14 and again on February 25.

On February 26, a Bahraini military plane also illegally entered Qatar's airspace.

"Qatar called upon the Security Council and the United Nations to take the necessary measures... to maintain international peace and security," said the report.

According to a Qatar News Agency report on Friday, Doha complained to the United Nations about a January incident, in which it said a United Arab Emirates (UAE) vessel hijacked a Qatari fishing boat with eight crewmen.

The United Arab Emirates is one of four Arab countries, which also include Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Egypt, that imposed in June a trade and diplomatic embargo on Qatar, accusing Doha of supporting terrorism, an allegation strongly denied by Doha.

The quartet of boycotters have also barred Qatari aircraft from using their airspace. Qatar's only land border with Saudi Arabia has also been blocked as a result.

The Saudi-led bloc then presented Qatar with a list of demands, among them downgrading ties with Iran, and gave it an ultimatum to comply with them or face consequences.

Doha, however, refused to meet the demands and said that they were meant to force the country to surrender its sovereignty. Qatar has also said it had too many financial resources at its disposal to be afraid of the financial assault.

In January, Qatar and the UAE traded accusations of airspace violations.

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Australia, East Timor Settle Long-Running Border Dispute

By Phil Mercer March 11, 2018

East Timor and Australia have agreed on a maritime boundary for the first time. The historic deal ends a decade-long dispute between the neighbors over rights to rich oil and gas reserves in the Timor Sea. The agreement was signed at the U.N. headquarters in New York, after negotiations in the international court of arbitration.

The treaty will give East Timor, one of the world's poorest countries, the majority of any future oil and gas revenue in the Timor Sea.

In 2002, East Timor, also known as Timor Leste, gained independence from Indonesia, but no permanent maritime boundary was established with Australia.

Disagreements over rights to oil and gas reserves have festered ever since.

The new deal means the East Timorese will receive at least 70 percent of revenue from Greater Sunrise. It is the largest oil field in the Timor Sea  worth an estimated $40 billion  but it has yet to be mined. Meanwhile, negotiations continue over sharing the field.

"It is a landmark event, not only for our two nations but also for international law. Both our governments have deemed this to be a just and equitable outcome," said Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop.

The agreement was signed at the United Nations in New York, after negotiations in the international court of arbitration.

Under a groundbreaking process of compulsory conciliation, East Timor had taken on Australia, its bigger and more powerful neighbor.

East Timor's borders minister Agio Pereira says justice has prevailed.

"So much work needs to be done after today, but what we wanted to achieve when we instituted this process of conciliation has been achieved. That is the permanent maritime boundaries," said Pereira.

The treaty is crucial for East Timor's economic future, given its overreliance on diminishing royalties from other resource projects.

The government in Dili said the signing of the deal was a"momentous day." The U.N. has praised the "vision and determination" of both nations in achieving a historic agreement.

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India Considers France as One of Most Reliable Partners in Defense  Modi

Sputnik News

14:03 11.03.2018(updated 14:19 11.03.2018)

NEW DELHI (Sputnik) - France is one of the most reliable partners for India in the area of defense and bilateral cooperation is burgeoning, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Sunday following the talks with French President Emmanuel Macron.

"Our cooperation in the defense sector is very rich and deep, and we view France as one of the most reliable partners in this field," Modi said, as quoted in the statement of the prime minister's press service.

New Delhi and Paris regularly conduct joint military drills and cooperate on the military projects, the official noted.

"We welcome France's commitment to the principle of 'Make in India' in regards to the implementation of projects in the defense industry. I believe that the agreement signed today to provide logistical support to the two countries' armies is a turning point in the history of our close military cooperation," Modi said.

Macron is currently on his first visit to India since he assumed presidential office in May 2017. The visit started on Friday and will last through Monday.

During Macron's visit, the two countries signed 14 agreements on cooperation in strategic areas, such as nuclear energy, cybersecurity, education, environment and urban development.

In terms of the defense and security cooperation, India and France have agreed to work on the protection of classified information, countering radicalization and terrorism as well as ensuring freedom of navigation in the Indian and Pacific Oceans.

 Sputnik

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Turkey to Host Tripartite Summit on Syria

By Nisan Ahmado March 10, 2018

A preliminary tripartite meeting among the foreign ministers of Russia, Iran and Turkey is expected to be held in Kazakhstan's capital, Astana, next week to discuss the deteriorating situation in Syria, as well as to set the agenda for a summit on Syria by leaders of the three countries in April.

Kazakhstan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Tuesday that diplomats would discuss mechanisms for ending the Syrian crisis at a meeting March 16 in Astana.

Meetings in Astana, which has hosted eight previous sessions, began in January 2017, as a parallel effort to the Geneva peace process initiated by the United Nations to help end the violence in Syria.

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said the foreign ministers of the "guarantor countries" would meet to discuss ways to reduce the "level of hostilities" in Syria, before the presidential summit in Istanbul in April.

Russia hosted a similar summit on Syria in the Black Sea resort of Sochi in November 2017. The leaders of the three countries  Russian President Vladimir Putin, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Iranian President Hassan Rouhani  agreed on taking the role of guarantors to maintain and strengthen the cease-fire in Syria at the time, although that effort that never fully came to fruition.

Without rejecting the Astana meeting, a U.S. State Department official told VOA that the U.S position on Syria had not changed.

"We continue to support the Geneva process and UNSCR [U.N. Security Council Resolution] 2254 as the means to achieve a political solution in Syria," the official told VOA.

Competing goals

The tripartite meeting and presidential summit come at a time when different players involved in the Syrian conflict are pursuing different goals.

Turkey has been involved in a military offensive named "Olive Branch Operation" on the Kurdish-held enclave of Afrin in northern Syria. The operation just entered its second month.

Turkey justifies its military involvement, saying it is seeking to oust a Kurdish armed force known as the People's Protection Units (YPG), which is the backbone of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).

Ankara views the YPG as a Syrian wing of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), a U.S.- and EU-designated terror organization.

For Washington, however, the YPG is a key ally in the war against Islamic State militants in the region.

Last month, U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson met with Erdogan and Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu to try to ease tensions over the U.S.-Kurdish YPG alliance.

In a joint statement issued after the meeting, both sides emphasized their long-standing alliance and reaffirmed their partnership and commitment to fight terrorism.

"Turkey and the United States reiterate their resolve to fight against Daesh [an Arabic acronym for IS], PKK, al-Qaida and all other terrorist organizations and their extensions," the joint statement read.

Turkey, however, remains adamant in its opposition to YPG.

Erdogan on Saturday criticized NATO for not supporting the country's military operations against the group.

Speaking to reporters in Turkey, he accused NATO of holding double standards, adding that Turkey had sent troops to conflict zones when requested but had not received support in return when its borders were "under threat right now."

Accusations against Russia

Meanwhile, the U.S.-backed SDF blames Russia for not reacting to the Turkish offensive, despite controlling the airspace over Afrin.

A statement, published by the SDF following the launch of Turkey's offensive, puts the blame on Russia.

"We know that, without the permission of global forces and mainly Russia, whose troops located in Afrin, Turkey cannot attack civilians using Afrin airspace," the statement said. "Therefore, we hold Russia as responsible as Turkey and stress that Russia is the crime partner of Turkey in massacring the civilians in the region."

W. Robert Pearson, a former U.S. ambassador to Turkey and a scholar at the Middle East Institute, said Turkey's intentions were vague and that it wasn't known what Turkey would do after its Afrin campaign was completed.

"The problem, what any army has when it takes territory, is whether it is going to stay there indefinitely or leave," Pearson said.

Pearson added the incursion of Turkey in Afrin raised the risk of a resurgence of IS.

"Turkish operation in Afrin gives the impression that ISIS is defeated completely, while it [IS] still holds some territory on the ground," Pearson said, using an acronym for the militant group.

Distraction

The U.S. has long argued that Turkey's involvement in Syria against Kurdish forces comes at the expense of being distracted from the more important task of fully defeating the remnants of IS in the region.

That distraction has already happened in at least in parts of Syria as the SDF announced Tuesday that it was deploying about 1,700 of its members from the front lines against IS in the Middle Euphrates River Valley to Afrin in an effort to the defend against the Turkish advancements in the region.

"Today we regretfully make a difficult decision of moving our fighters from the east of the Euphrates and the rural areas of Deir el-Zour, who are stationed in the face of terrorist threats, to the front lines of Afrin," Abu Omar al-Idlibi, an SDF commander, said in a press conference last week.

Some information in this report came from The Associated Press.

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Govt vows action against perpetrators

The government on Sunday directed the concerned authorities to immediately take action against the officials who were involved in freeing the culprits who tortured an innocent girl accusing her of witchcraft in Kailali district.Putin indicates Crimea will never return to Ukraine

Iran Press TV

Sun Mar 11, 2018 03:38PM

Russian President Vladimir Putin has indicated that Crimea's rejoining to Russia from Ukraine in 2014 was a move that can 'never' be reversed.

In a documentary published Sunday, Putin reacted almost angrily to a journalist who asked him if there were any circumstances under which Crimea would return to Ukraine, saying that the Black Sea peninsula, which joined Russia after a referendum in 2014, would never return to the Ukrainians.

"What, have you gone mad?" said Putin in response to the journalist's question, adding, "There are no such circumstances and never will be."

The rejoining of Crimea to Russia came following deep political changes in Kiev where a pro-Western movement staged weeks of street protests that led to the ouster of the pro-Russia government. People in Crimea and in the industrial eastern territories of Ukraine, areas which are dominated by ethnic Russians, effectively refused to endorse the new administration in Kiev. Crimea decided to join Russia and two provinces in the east revolted by establishing self-declared republics.

Led by the United States, Western governments have imposed rounds of security and economic sanctions on Russia over what they designate as the illegal annexation of Crimea. The sanctions have proven to be biting but Putin, who has in return imposed a ban on some imports from the West, insists that the Crimea's rejoining was legal and based on the will of majority of people living in the region.

Putin's decision on Crimea is believed to have significantly increased his popularity as many Russians see him as a leader who restored their country's status as a global super power while resisting US interference in its backdoor. Polls show Putin has a high chance of winning another term as president in the upcoming elections in March 18.

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Hearing on Kantipur case begins

A seven-judge full bench of the Supreme Court (SC) on Sunday began hearing on contempt of court case against Kantipur daily. The SC administration has informed that hearing will be continued on Monday.I am fortunate to be alive, says a survivor of US-Bangla flight crash

Basanta Bohora, an employee of Raswita International Travels and Tours, is one of the survivors of the deadly plane crash that occurred in Kathmandu on Monday.After 16 years as a commercial lobster fisherman and seven years working out of food trucks, Michael Harden is putting down roots.

When the lobster population in Long Island Sound took a dramatic fall, Harden said his wife encouraged him to start his business cooking and selling lobster rolls. That has led to the opening of LobsterCraft restaurant at 1891 Post Road in Fairfield.

Theres nothing that I love more than being out on the water fishing, but being at the front counter, making people happy and making a really good roll is a really close second, so were having a good time at it, Harden said.

Harden opened his first food truck in 2012 and a second one two years later. Since starting the business, both trucks have traveled along the coast of Connecticut and beyond, catering events across three states.

Were not afraid of going anywhere, Harden said. He has catered festivals, parties and corporate events in Connecticut, Westchester County, N.Y., and Misquamicut, R.I.

While running his food trucks has been successful, Harden said opening a restaurant has long been a goal. With a small kitchen space and a grab-and-go model, he also uses the space to support his trucks.

Harden said he expects business to pick up in the spring. Customers can choose from a variety of lobster-inspired dishes, including macaroni and cheese, grilled cheeses and a lobster bisque that Harden said has become a hit.

Even with a slow winter, Harden said he is optimistic for what lies ahead, considering the turnout for his grand opening.

We sold out Saturday, Harden said. We were supposed to be open until 6 p.m. and we closed at 4 p.m. We were sold out.

Harden cracks and packages around 500 lobsters weekly, but he said that number may double to meet the projected demand. If thats a look of whats coming, were going to be busy, Harden said. He has plans to keep drawing crowds with weekend lobster bakes.

According to the Norwalk resident, customers will be able to get a bucket of lobsters, clams, oysters and more that they can enjoy outside.

Were going to set up a bunch of picnic tables and have you and the family just come out and grab a bucket of food and sit out there, Harden said.

Harden said he would like to expand the shop to have more seating for his customers to dine in.

LobsterCraft is open Tuesday through Sunday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. and is also featured on GrubHub. According to Harden, when the weather heats up he plans to extend his hours to around 9 p.m., meeting recent demand for a dinner shift.For years, startups have focused on being agile organizations. Now entrepreneurs are seeing the benefit of agile employees. These people can adapt and pivot, making them valuable in multiple roles.

Related: Commitment to Innovation Is How Legacy Companies Stay Agile

But not everyone has this ability. Luckily, there are ways to identify the trait in potential employees -- and develop it in current ones. The trick is understanding what makes an agile mind unique.

Look for a diverse work background.

Most leaders read a resume that lists many different types of positions and view the job seeker as flighty. But this isnt necessarily true.

Truly agile minds have a sense of curiosity that often takes them down unconventional career paths. Along the way, they gain an arsenal of skills and problem-solving abilities.

This is why Rob Reif, president of the Stamford, Conn.-based media planning and buying company MNI Targeted Media, recommends seeking out candidates with unique resumes.

When he was looking to hire a new vice president of marketing, Reif told me, he needed someone who could transition the department into the digital era. After seeing the resume of a woman who had worked at Fortune 500 and private equity companies, in addition to holding roles on both the client and agency sides of marketing, Reif knew hed found the agile-minded candidate he needed.

Related: 7 Reasons Why Startups Need to Embrace Agile Marketing

Change is the only constant, Reif said by email. If your employees cant pivot quickly to meet the market demand, youre at a competitive disadvantage. Game over.

Find this talent for your own company's next opening by getting creative with applicant-tracking systems. Instead of searching for obvious skills or phrases, branch out. For example, when seeking a customer service employee, look for other previous positions that have overlap. Sales, human resources and marketing experiences can all provide useful skills in customer service.

"Tell me about . . ."

Agile mindedness is all about adaptability. This is why Scott Mautz, the CEO of the Cincinnati-based online training company Profound Performance, always asks the same interview question when looking for agile employees: Tell me about a project that forced you to change course midstream.

Candidates answers can show how they handle adversity and correct course. Also, pay attention to job seekers tone when they respond. Agile-minded people will get excited talking about these situations.

Prompt them for as much detail as possible. Its not uncommon for people to over-exaggerate their role in a difficult situation. Asking for specifics will show you how much of the candidate's skill and thought process went into the success of the project.

Teach preparation step by step.

Once an individual with an agile mind has been hired, its time to foster that employees skills.

Stephanie Trunzo, the chief digital officer and chief operations officer of Raleigh, N.C.-based digital strategy company PointSource, a Globant company, suggests adjusting how those employees plan.

Traditional wisdom says that "Fortune favors the prepared." But that isnt the case when you're ocusing on agility.

If you try to be too predictive, you will be disappointed when things dont go the way you plan them. The only constant is uncertainty, Trunzo said via email. But if you dont look forward at all, you will miss opportunities that appear in the moment.

Instead, train your agile-minded employees to think one step ahead. Set up simulation projects to give them the opportunity to practice. Encourage them to think of all the options available for their next move.

For instance, have them role-play the leadership of a project. Ask what theyd do if a team member didnt hit a deadline. Have them talk through all the options; then help them evaluate the best choice.

Manage by objective.

Micromanaging kills an agile mind. When Mautz, of the online training company, was trying to help an employee become more agile, he found managing by objective the best route. If you want an employee to flex and adapt, agree to the objective and let them find their way there, Mautz said in an email.

So, make sure all objectives are clear. While an agile employee can decide how to reach a goal, the goal itself shouldnt be up for interpretation. Before the project begins, have the employee repeat the goal in his or her own words. This will show if the employee has a true understanding of the issues.

Then, once the project is complete, sit down with the employee and discuss his or her success. Have the employee explain all the decisions that were made. Objectively let the employee know whether those decisions helped achieve the goal.

Related: Thinking of a Career Pivot? Here's How to Be Ready to Change Direction.

Providing this kind of hindsight analysis will help the employee better adapt in the future.

Related:

1 Unique Trait That Will Define Your Next Linchpin Employee

#7 Reasons Why Co-working Spaces Can be Decisive for Your Start-up's Success

Why Achieving Organisational Agility is Important for Business



Copyright 2018 Entrepreneur.com Inc., All rights reserved



This article originally appeared on entrepreneur.com

Hows this for a midday stress release? Leave your desk, pick up a guitar and just jam. Its a workplace feature thats core to Fender, the 71-year-old company that has crafted instruments for musical icons from Bruce Springsteen to Jimi Hendrix. In its new Hollywood headquarters, designed by Rapt Studio, guitars line the walls -- acoustic, electric, one-of-a-kind -- and employees are encouraged to play any time of day. (Talent is not required, but we suspect its greatly preferred.) The historic company is currently focused on investing in new technology and talent, helping Fender keep up in an increasingly competitive music world. Fenders staff is looking to the future.

Related: Take a Step Inside LinkedIn's Office Space

Bennett Kolasinski

Software Engineering Manager

Weve interviewed a lot of people for jobs here, and sometimes theyre like, Do I have to play guitar? We do have some sick guitarists, but we also have people that dont know how to play, and theyre maybe working on the Fender Play app. Its a product that teaches how to play guitar, so we need those nonmusical points of view.

Justin Stewart

Product Specialist in Fender Custom Shop

The guitars weve designed for artists are the coolest part of the job, just because we have them for Eric Clapton and Jeff Beck and David Gilmour and Jimi Hendrix. To be able to be part of that? Sometimes youve got to pinch yourself. This is the real deal.

Related: Seeing is Believing: Step Inside Warby Parker's Headquarters

Paula Gardner

Executive Assistant

One of the greatest perks is the accessibility to music. My life has been enhanced in amazing ways since I started working here, just getting out into the jazz circuit here in L.A. Ive met some amazing musicians, and I get to experience the music more intimately.

Christina Stejskal

Head of Global PR and Communications

In the past two years, we got a new CEO, and the board invested in creating a robust marketing department. So were new, the creative team is new, and we have a whole new digital division. This legacy brand is in startup mode. We are able to talk to so many different audiences, from professional artists to the 10-year-old girl who loves Grace VanderWaal and wants to play ukulele.

Healey Bitan

Recruiting Coordinator

There are no closed doors -- were constantly popping into offices to ask people questions. Theres not this hierarchy of Oh my goodness, can I approach this person? Were able to speak to anyone, and its even encouraged. People want you to be open-minded and to give your opinion.

Ruben Miranda

Vice President of Advanced Manufacturing

I spend a lot of time in the factory, and when youre there, its 100 percent about production goals and efficiencies. But when youre here in the offices, you see what it takes to keep the company running, and you see a lot of diversity and just how inclusive the company is. It doesnt matter where youre from or what your title is, it just matters what youre working on and your results.

Related: WeWork's Headquarters Is the Ultimate Co-Working Space

Timothy Paul Hinshaw

Artist Relations Manager

Im a musical person, and being at Fender, at any given time you could be working on a boring deck and then one of your coworkers just starts playing the most amazing riff. Being around that energy gets the creative juices flowing all day.

Steve Zeitzoff

Design Director

Im lucky to work with some of the most talented people Ive ever worked with in my career. Everyone has such a great knowledge of the brand. Its a very creative environment. Were selling products that make peoples lives better, and everyone appreciates that opportunity.

Andy Mooney

CEO

I met Phyllis Fender, Leo Fenders wife, last year, and she said something that really struck me. Later in his life, Leo had said to her that he believed all artists were angels and that God had put him on this planet to give them wings. Thats been the mission of the company: Whether we do it by digital means in terms of encouraging people to learn guitar or whether were physically putting guitars in their hands, were trying to give wings to artists.

Click Image to Enlarge

Image Credit: Adam Friedberg

Related:

Rocking Out Inside Fender's Office

A Co-working Space vs. a Private Office: How Do You Choose?

How to Build the Right Office for Your Startup



Copyright 2018 Entrepreneur.com Inc., All rights reserved



This article originally appeared on entrepreneur.com

Bob Luckey / Bob Luckey

GREENWICH  Police responded to a physical confrontation Friday afternoon at Greenwich High School involving two students.

Linda Cortez, 18, of Pemberick Road, was charged with breach of peace. A female juvenile, whose name was not released due to her age, was handled through a juvenile proceeding.GREENWICH  A police officer who came across suspicious behavior at a local gas station arrested two men with prior criminal records.

Around 3:30 a.m. on Monday, a patrol car was heading down the Post Road near the Shell gas station, said police spokesman Lt. John Slusarz.

The officer saw a car parked on the side of the road, it was suspicious, the lieutenant said. It was even more suspicious when the officer saw two men running from the gas station toward the car, the police spokesman said, apparently in reaction to the passing patrol car.

According to the arrest report, the two men had no reason being at the closed business. Authorities said the suspects were uncooperative and misleading when questioned.

Tyquan Catala, 28, of Morrison Ave., the Bronx, N.Y., was charged with third-degree criminal trespass and interfering with a police investigation. Bail was set at $5,000.

Catala was arrested in northern New Jersey in 2014 and charged with fraudulent use of a credit card, according to court records.

Also arrested was Sheldon Todd, 28, of 232nd Street, the Bronx, N.Y. Police said he had a small amount of marijuana in his possession, which earned him a charge of illegal possession.

Todd was arrested in northern Westchester County, N.Y., in 2014 and charged with eight felonies in connection with a fraudulent credit-card purchase, according to a judicial data base. He has also spent time in the Putnam County (N.Y.) jail on other charges.

Todd is also wanted in Ohio, where two felony warrants were being held for him. Greenwich police detained him on those warrants, in lieu of $50,000 bail.I will not accept any verdict given by CJ Parajuli

Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital (TUTH) senior orthopaedic surgeon Dr Govinda KC has said he will not accept any verdict given by Chief Justice Gopal Prasad Parajuli.GREENWICH  A local man selling a used car didnt suspect anything wrong when a potential customer showed up to test drive his Jeep Cherokee, especially since the supposed buyer was with his 7-year-old daughter.

The man took the car for a test-drive Friday evening  and never came back.

Now police are looking for the auto-theft suspect, for allegedly stealing the car in the company of a young child.

Authorities said the suspect was described as Brazilian, white, slender, in his 30s, with a thin build and dark black hair. He was speaking Portuguese with the youngster, according to police, based on the account provided by the victim.

The alleged car-thief expressed interest in buying the black 2004 Jeep Cherokee after seeing a listing for it, and he met the owner at the Citgo gas station in Cos Cob. The car was being sold for $1,500.

The Portuguese-speaking suspect said he wanted to test drive the vehicle before paying the cash, and he disappeared after driving away with the girl, said police Lt. John Slusarz.

The owner of the vehicle did not request a drivers license or identification before allowing the prospective buyer to take it for a drive.

The theft was reported at 7 p.m.These are the best offers from our affiliate partners. We may get a commission from qualifying sales.Published on 2018/03/11 | Source

Korean actor Joo Jin-mo and Chinese actress Zhang Li are no longer together.

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According to sources, the two had been seeing each other for a year before they broke up. Their busy schedule seems to be the cause of the break up.

Joo Jin-mo and Zhang Li admitted publicly to their relationship in February last year. They met in a Chinese drama called, "I'm Sorry Honey".

Joo Jin-mo made posts about his girlfriend Zhang Li on his Instagram during Chuseok last year. The location was tagged 'Korea' so they must've been in Korea together for Chuseok.

Zhang Li was born in 1984 and starred in several famous Chinese dramas.Login or sign up to follow actresses, movies & dramas and get specific updates and news

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HelpPublished on 2018/03/11

Christopher Weatherspoon looks at various foreign remakes of Korean stories, director Kim Ki-duk gets ousted by Korea's rising #MeToo movement, Yoon Min-sik reviews the recently released thriller "The Vanished", and Prateek Rawat reviews the animated short films by female Korean directors from the 14th IAWRT Asian Women's Film Festival in India.

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"Universal Storytelling"

"Foreign remakes are nothing new for the Korean film industry", writes Christopher Weatherspoon, a film journalist in Korea, but notes that "the licensing of Korean intellectual property for foreign remakes has also become popular". In this interesting feature on KoBiz, Christopher explores some of the foreign remakes of Korean films. "As the Korean film industry continues to grow in international prominence each year", Christopher concludes, "the future outlook for foreign remakes of Korean films looks very promising".

...READ ON KOBIZ

"South Korean Filmmaker Kim Ki-duk Accused of Rape"

Kim Ki-duk, one of South Korea's most prolific and award-winning directors, has been accused of sexual assault by two other actresses. The #MeToo movement has resonated strongly in South Korea and is still gaining momentum as more and more women speak out about their experiences across a variety of industries. Kim Ki-duk's decades-long filmmaking career started back in 1996 with "Crocodile" and includes awarding winning films like "3-Iron", "Pieta", and his latest film, "Human, Space, Time and Human", was recently screened at the 68th Berlin International Film Festival.

...READ ON THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER

"[Herald Review] Chasing phantoms of one's guilt"

Yoon Min-sik reviews Lee Chang-hee's debut feature film, "The Vanished" starring Kim Hee-ae, Kim Sang-kyung and Kim Kang-woo. The 101-minute thriller, a remake of a 2012 film "The Body" by director Oriol Paulo, follows the mysterious disappearance of bodies from a scientific research facility. According to Yoon, this new release is "a nail-biting psychological thriller with an awesome twist" and "the casting of the three Kims looks to be a near-perfect choice".

...READ ON THE KOREA HERALD

"Korean animation package review: Scripting the human template through film"

Prateek Rawat reviews the collection of 14 short films that were recently screened at the 14th IAWRT Asian Women's Film Festival in India. "As stark and impressionable vignettes of the human condition", writes Prateek, "the films of the Korean Animation Package deployed a myriad ways of storytelling, through inflections in styles and voices, forms and colours as they deftly tackled the nuances of everyday experiences which characterize the being of our personal, social, political and spiritual spaces". South Korea's female filmmaking talents and the country's animation industry are rapidly rising, so keep an eye on this exciting space...

...READ ON CINESTAANPublished on 2018/03/11 | Source

"My Golden Life"'s final episode set the record with 45.1%, an increase of 0.5% from its existing record.

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Seo Tae-soo (Chun Ho-jin) passed away in the end. He left money for Seo Ji-an (Shin Hye-sun) to study abroad as his last will.

Seo Ji-an left to Finland. When she returned, she met Choi Do-kyung (Park Si-hoo) on a blind date she replaced her friend for. Choi Do-kyung had never given up on her and they met again in Finland.

Seo Ji-soo (Seo Eun-soo) was happy with Seon Woo-hyeok (Lee Tae-hwan) and was opening a bakery soon. Seo Ji-soo (Shin Hyun-soo) and Choi Seo-hyeon (Lee Da-in) remained friends.

"Shall We Live Together" starring Yoo Dong-geun, Jang Mi-hee, Han Ji-hye and Lee Sang-woo will take over "My Golden Life"'s timeslot.People become keyboard warriors and we just sit at our desks and have arguments and try and resolve problems through technology.

Gately said technology gives many employees a sense of detachment which means theyre often less rational when communicating online.

People will often say things that they otherwise wouldnt and theyll say things in ways that they might not choose to say them if they were actually sitting in front of the person having the interaction, she said.

The other reality with our digital world is that everything moves really quickly and we can fail to stop and really appreciate certain moments or to bring people together to have a meaningful connection  whether it be through celebrating successes or learning as a team. If we try to do things by digital means too much, we miss the opportunity to foster those relationships and learn from our experiences.

Of course, Gately doesnt for a moment suggest abandoning digital communication  its integral to the success of many teams, particularly those which are geographically dispersed. But she does say HR can take measures to stop it sabotaging company culture.HRD: What is it about McAfee that makes you stay there?

CL: The learning hasnt stopped. I started as a comp & ben analyst; then I took on HR support; then HR systems, recruitment and HR business partnering. So I continued to learn as the company evolved. The company history is quite unique. We were an independent, publicly traded company. Then we were bought by Intel, so we were a separately owned subsidiary under Intel. After a couple of years we became fully integrated into Intel. In 2016, we were sold off to private equity and Intel maintained a stake. Ive learnt from every one of those experiences.

Ive also had amazing mentors and managers along the way. Today our CEO values the contribution of the HR department as much as he values the contribution of his sales or technology teams, and he understands the strategic difference HR can make.

Lastly, I work for a company that protects consumers, businesses and communities around the world from the bad guys. Cybersecurity is a big threat in our society today, and I tell my children I go to work every day and make a difference: we protect people, organisations and infrastructure from hackers.

HRD: Cybersecurity, like a lot of IT/tech areas, remains male-dominated. What is McAfee doing to attract more females into the industry and by extension into the company?

CL: There are simply not enough females in the tech industry. There are also not enough females in the pipeline for the tech industry, and if we dont change that were not going to see numbers in tech improve.

Weve taken a two-pronged approach. Firstly, we are concentrating on the pipelining of diverse talent from early ages. Weve looked at our processes and the approach we take to the talent market to ensure were doing as much as we can on the recruiting side to bring female candidates in front of our managers when were recruiting.

For example, depending on the areas of expertise and functions, the recruiting and analytics team have gone out on location and asked the question: with the available female talent, should we be getting a 50/50 male/female split in interviews or in this market should it be 40/50 female/male? Whatever it is, were holding our recruiting team accountable: they need to track it and ensure they are getting female candidates into the pipeline. Then, depending on the numbers that were told about availability of talent for those roles, were trying to ensure that female talent makes it through to second- and third-interview stage.

As an example, for software and engineering roles in Singapore we want to see five final candidates, and at least two of them need to be female. Were ensuring theres a female interviewer as part of the decision about who we bring into the company. We wont sign off on the hire unless the diversity metrics have been met.So it would stand to reason that offering staff a financial wellness program will result in improved talent outcomes, more engaged employees, and better productivity and business performance  a win-win for both the employer and employees.

Tony Hanly, Director, Your Financial Wellness will be providing a free workshop at the upcoming National HR Summit exploring:

the relationship between financial stress and health outcomes and why a financial wellness program is the missing ingredient

the cost to employers of financial stress in the workplace

why now is the time to focus on financial wellness and include it as part of an overall health and wellbeing strategy

how to implement a successful cost-effective financial wellness program into your organisation including the need for a personalised approach for each employee

Find out what its all about here and register.

The National HR Summit features free workshops and expo floor activities across the two days of the event  Wednesday 14 March and Thursday 15 March. Workshops are filling fast so HRD readers are encouraged to register online to secure one of the final seats.

The National HR Summit is being held at the iconic Luna Park in Sydney.Can genes normally expressed only in the eye be activated in brain tumours? Such a phenomenon, though surprising, has been observed in certain types of medulloblastoma, paediatric tumours of the cerebellum. Researchers from the CNRS, Institut Curie, Inserm and Universite Paris-Sud1, together with researchers at St. Jude Childrens Research Hospital (Memphis, United States), have pinpointed the role of these genes in the tumour process, thus offering new therapeutic targets. Their findings appear in the 12 March 2018 edition of Cancel Cell.

Medulloblastoma is treated with a combination of surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy, which results in a survival rate of 80 %, albeit with significant side effects. Group 3 medulloblastoma, associated with frequent rates of recurrence and a much lower survival rate, is characterised by the expression of a gene cluster named photoreceptor program. Normally, these genes are only expressed in the retina, where they define photoreceptor identity and, in particular, ensure that light signals are converted into nerve impulses.

Given that they are not expressed during the normal development of the cerebellum, activation of these genes in medulloblastoma is very surprising. Aberrant differentiation programs  unrelated to the tissue in which the tumour originates  have already been found in other types of cancer but never thought to be directly involved in the tumour process.

Celio Pouponnot, CNRS researcher at the Institut Curie, together with Franck Bourdeaut, medical researcher at the Institut Curie, and Paul Northcott at St. Jude Childrens Research Hospital in Memphis, United States, decided to examine the role this photoreceptor program could play in a medulloblastoma.

The presence of a protein known as NRL within this photoreceptor program initially drew the attention of Celio Pouponnots team, which for many years has studied a family of proteins similar to NRL that is involved in the formation of cancers. Researchers also identified the role of another protein specific to the retina: CRX. Strikingly, this study shows that both these factors are involved in the medulloblastoma by activating key genes: CCND2, which promotes cell proliferation, and BCL2L1, which inhibits cell death (apoptosis).

The research team then used pharmacological agents to target these anti-apoptotic proteins in preclinical models by grafting human medulloblastoma cells into mice. This treatment shrunk the tumour and extended the lives of the mice, proving the potential of this therapeutic target. These results, however, cannot be directly transposed to children for whom such pharmacological agents could be toxic.

More generally, this study shows the potential benefit of studying signs of aberrant differentiations in cancer processes, highlighting a new area in cancer research.

 Morgane Morabito / UMR3347 CNRS-Institut Curie-Inserm-Universite Paris-SudSection of normal cerebellum (left), and cerebellum with medulloblastoma (right). The medulloblastoma expresses genes normally active in the retina only, including NRL and CRX, which play a role in the formation of the tumour.

Notes: 1 Laboratories: Normal and pathological signalling: from embryo to innovative cancer treatments (CNRS/Institut Curie/Inserm/Universite Paris-Sud); Genetics and biology of cancers (Inserm/Universite Paris Descartes) and Chemistry, modelling and imagery for biology (CNRS/Institut Curie/Inserm/Universite Paris-Sud)

Bibliography: NRL and CRX define photoreceptor identity and reveal subgroup-specific dependencies in Medulloblastoma, Alexandra Garancher, Charles Y. Lin, Morgane Morabito, Wilfrid Richer, Nathalie Rocques, Magalie Larcher, Laure Bihannic, Kyle Smith, Catherine Miquel, Sophie Leboucher, Nirmitha I. Herath, Fanny Dupuy, Pascale Varlet, Christine Haberler, Christine Walczak, Nadine El Tayara, Andreas Volk, Stephanie Puget, Francois Doz, Olivier Delattre, Sabine Druillennec, Olivier Ayrault, Robert J. Wechsler-Reya, Alain Eychene, Franck Bourdeaut, Paul A. Northcott & Celio Pouponnot. Cancer Cell, 12 March 2018. DOI : View web site

CNRSMakwanpur self-sufficient in meat, egg production

Makwanpur district is now self-sufficient in milk, meat and eggs, but the District Livestock Service Office (DLSO) has postponed making a formal declaration until it completes collecting data as per the standard set by the Ministry of Livestock Development.Cancer occurs as a result of mutations and other genetic changes that disable the growth control system normally present in our cells. However, new studies emphasise the importance of the communication of cancer cells with other cell types in the surrounding tissue, such as connective tissue, blood vessels and immune system cells, that enables the tumours to form, spread and resist treatment.

Breast cancer is one of the tumour types that is richest in connective tissue, providing a rationale for a major role of connective tissue cells in tumour growth.

There are a number of different types of breast cancer, each with different prognoses and treatment options. Patients with breast cancers that are hormone-sensitive (around 70 per cent of all patients) have the best prognosis, whereas approximately 1015 per cent of patients have cancers that are insensitive to hormones and more aggressive (basal breast cancer). Basal breast cancers typically require more intensive treatment with chemotherapy, which may be associated with severe side effects.

Our studies of the communication between breast cancer cells and their surrounding tissue have revealed a growth factor  PDGF-CC  which transmits information between the tumour cells and the connective tissue cells, mainly in basal breast cancers. Detailed analyses of around 1400 breast cancers showed that high levels of PDGF-CC in the tumour cells were associated with a poor prognosis, explains cancer researcher Kristian Pietras, Professor at Lund University.

Professor Pietras led a multidisciplinary and international research team based at the Lund University Cancer Centre at Medicon Village, in collaboration with researchers from Karolinska Institutet, the Olivia Newton-John Cancer Research Institute in Melbourne Australia, and University Hospital Bonn, in this groundbreaking research.

Previously, it was believed that the various subgroups of breast cancer originated from different cell types in the mammary gland. Our research has shown that connective tissue cells can also modify tumour cells directly with regard to their sensitivity to hormones, which has significant implications in the development of more effective treatments, states Professor Ulf Eriksson at Karolinska Institutet, a co-investigator of the study.

In experimental models, the researchers tested a new biological drug they have developed which blocked the PDGF-CC-mediated communication between the tumour cells and the connective tissue cells. Remarkably, this resulted in the transformation of the basal breast cancers into hormone-sensitive luminal breast cancers. As a consequence of this transformation, the tumours then became highly responsive to conventional hormone therapy.

We have thus developed a new treatment strategy for aggressive and difficult-to-treat breast cancers that restores sensitivity to hormone therapy. These findings have major implications in the development of more effective treatments for patients with aggressive breast cancer, concludes Kristian Pietras.

Publication:Microenvironmental control of breast cancer subtype elicited through paracrine platelet-derived growth factor-CC signaling

Contact:

Kristian Pietras, Professor of Molecular Medicine, Division of Translational Cancer Research, Department of Laboratory Medicine, Lund University

+ 46 709 209 709

[email protected]

FACT BOX:

Six different research teams at the Lund University Cancer Centre at Medicon Village contributed to the study with valuable expertise in oncology, pathology, genomics, bioinformatics, animal models, experimental treatment studies and cell and molecular biology. The study was initiated by Professor Kristian Pietras together with Professor Ulf Eriksson at Karolinska Institutet in Stockholm. The research team also includes several international collaboration partners, whose expertise, not least within the development of biological drugs (Professor Andrew Scott, Olivia Newton-John Cancer Research Institute, and La Trobe University, Melbourne) and pathology (Professor Glen Kristiansen, University Hospital, Bonn) was essential to the success of the project.

The study was funded to a large extent by a donation from Goran and Birgitta Grosskopf, as well as research funding from the European Research Council (TUMORGAN project), the Swedish Cancer Society, the Swedish Research Council, and the National Health and Medical Research Council Australia.The Sexual Assault Treatment Unit at the Rotunda was closed

An alleged rape victim had to make a two-hour round trip to hospital for treatment because a specialist centre in the capital was closed.

The incident happened over the weekend, when a Sexual Assault Treatment Unit (SATU) in Dublin could not facilitate the woman being examined, the Herald has learned.

She was then taken to Midland Regional Hospital in Mullingar, where the nearest SATU is located.

It meant the woman endured a two-hour round trip to Mullingar after the alleged attack.

The incident was described as "unacceptable" by Rape Crisis Network Ireland, which added that it was not isolated.

Procedure

The woman was subjected to an alleged rape on Friday night at a location in the north inner city and reported the matter to gardai the following day.

She was then taken to the Rotunda Hospital on Saturday afternoon to undergo a clinical examination at the SATU.

This is standard procedure in an investigation that involves a sexual element.

However, the facility was closed as no specialist staff were available and gardai took the woman to the facility in Mullingar.

Officers from Store Street Garda Station are investigating the alleged rape. No arrests have yet been made.

Rape Crisis Network Ireland's executive director Cliona Saidlear said the closure of the Dublin SATU was "distressing and unacceptable".

"This isn't the first time this sort of thing has happened," she said.

"The SATUs are dependent on a number of factors being available when they are needed - they operate on an on-call basis.

"There needs to be a full rota and support around it, because when there is stress on the system then there is a lack of availability."

There are currently six SATUs in Ireland, which provide specialist care for women and men aged 14 years and older who have been sexually assaulted or raped.

Specialist staff provide medical and psychological support to victims and help gardai with the collection of forensic evidence in relation to criminal investigations.

Dr Maeve Eogan, medical director of the Rotunda Hospital SATU, said staffing issues meant certain units were not operational around the clock.

She added that where a SATU was not open, it was being covered by another one of the six nationwide.

"Like many areas, there is an issue with staffing," Dr Eogan said.

"A particular unit may be 12 hours out of period. Consequently, there is a crossover to ensure that there are always trained personnel available.

"On Friday the Rotunda covered Mullingar and on Saturday Mullingar covered the Rotunda, while on Sunday each were fully available."

Earlier this year, a young woman who was raped while attending a convention in a Dublin hotel told of how she had to travel to the SATU in Mullingar after the attack because the one in the capital was closed.

Confusion

Dominique Meehan, who waived her right to anonymity after rapist Keith Hearne was jailed last year, raised concerns over the availability of treatment and services supplied to rape victims in a letter to Taoiseach Leo Varadkar.

In it, she highlighted a lack of SATUs and the confusion surrounding the services available for victims going through the justice system.

"I myself, having been attacked in Dublin, was sent to Mullingar as there were no SATUs available in Dublin and wasn't allowed to drink for six hours even though I had been orally raped," she said.

"No SATUs available in Dublin? A county with more than a million people to serve?

"One in four women and one in 33 men are sexually assaulted in their lifetime and there is only one SATU in the Rotunda.

"It's utterly astounding that this has gone on for so long."The heartbroken mother of Danielle McLaughlin has said she will "never, ever get over what happened" and may travel to India to confront her daughter's suspected killer.

Donegal women Danielle was killed while visiting India to learn to be a yoga teacher.

She was found dead in Goa on March 14 last year, and a local man, Vikat Bhagat, with whom she had been friends since 2016, is to stand trial accused of her rape and murder.

Danielle's mum, Andrea, spoke to independent.ie about the past year and the stress she feels to cover legal bills to ensure her daughter gets justice.

"Every day just seems like the one day. It only seems like yesterday that I last spoke to Danielle, but it also seems like months ago," she said.

"I spoke to her that day. I spoke to her every day on the phone, if I didn't speak to her on the phone she messaged me. Because I worry, she'd send me a quick message to say, 'I'm OK'.

"On the 13th, she messaged me and I was on the way to Dublin for a hospital appointment with her wee sister, and she Facebooked me and said she was with her friend and with him, the accused, and she was safe.

"She classified him as a friend, she called him brother."

Orphanage

Danielle was well travelled and had spent time in Nepal, India and Australia. She had planned to train in Goa as a yoga teacher and then travel to Canada in September.

It was her second time in India. A year earlier she had volunteered in an orphanage there.

"She packed a lot into her life. I wish to God I had told her to stay, to never travel nowhere, not even Liverpool, but then she wouldn't have been the person she ended up being," her mother said.

Ahead of the trial, Andrea has been granted a special status, which allows her to be party to proceedings and gives her the right to question witnesses alongside the prosecution and defence.

She has hired a lawyer in India to represent her, and has engaged legal services here.

The family has already paid thousands in legal costs since Danielle's death. However, they are only a part of the way there and will not know the full extent of the costs until the case concludes.

"I don't feel I've grieved for Danielle because of the fact that I'm always worrying about money, constantly worrying all the time," Andrea said.

"There's not a day that goes by that I'm not thinking, 'Am I short now? What happens then? Will we have no lawyer? Will it end up then that Danielle gets nothing?'

"It's wrong, it shouldn't be this way, but I am constantly worrying about it."

There has been consistent fundraising since Danielle's death - thanks to the family's close-knit local community and Danielle's friends - to help cover these costs, but Andrea said she would prefer to be able to concentrate on Danielle and grieving for her.

"I know if it was one of her sisters or her friends that this had happened to, Danielle would be shouting from the rooftops and fighting for justice," she said.

Andrea was also shocked to learn that the Department of Foreign Affairs can act only in an advisory capacity when a family loses a loved one abroad. There is no fund to cover repatriation costs, legal bills or any associated costs.

The question that has stayed with Andrea is, why did such a thing happen to her daughter?

"I would like to know why? My question is why?," she said.

"Why destroy her trust? Why take away my lovely daughter? Why let the world miss out? Her sisters miss her terribly, her friends miss her.

"The world has lost a lot in losing her. She could have done so much good in the world."

Andrea says she may travel to India for the final part of the trial and also reserves the right to meet on a one-on-one basis with the accused.

Her daughter was spirited and kindhearted, and in the year since her death, friends of hers from all over the world have been in touch with Andrea, sharing stories about Danielle and revealing the ways she touched their lives.

"If someone asked me to describe her I couldn't explain it because she was just amazing. She was an amazing daughter, an amazing sister and an amazing friend," Andrea said.

"She was so loud all the time and wild busy, always dancing.

"She had a brilliant, brilliant nature about her and she was very, very smart."

Despite travelling around the globe, Danielle was always willing to drop everything and return to her hometown of Buncrana at a moment's notice to help her family through tough times.

She was the eldest of Andrea's daughters and was an "amazing sister". Another of Andrea's daughters, Eire Rose, died aged just 10 weeks in 2006.

Danielle's little sisters, who she called "the girls", were "her life", Andrea added.

"She used to Skype them all the time and message them," she said.

Heart

"I just miss her so, so much. One of my girls was saying earlier today that she misses just the fact that Danielle was there.

"She was the big sister and the one they would have gone to if anything was bothering them.

"I'll never, ever, ever get over what happened to Danielle, ever. When I lost my other wee girl, Eire Rose, it changed me as a person but what he's done, he's ripped out part of my heart.

"I'll always have six girls, four here and two in another world."

Anyone wishing to donate can do so by visiting the website truthfordanielle.com or by visiting any Ulster Bank and saying they would like to donate to The Truth For Danielle Fund, with an account in Ulster Bank in Buncrana.These are the three Dubliners who were arrested in an underground car park when elite gardai foiled an alleged plot to kill The Monk's brother Patsy Hutch.

A number of deadly weapons, which included a sub-machine gun, were seized when gardai arrested the three men early on Saturday morning.

They included a former British soldier who saw active service in Iraq and Afghanistan.

All three were still being questioned last night about a conspiracy to murder Patsy Hutch near his north inner city home.

A fourth man - a 41-year-old New INLA figure from Tallaght - is also being detained for the same offence.

He was arrested driving a car close to the scene of the other arrests.

Expand Close Gardai outside the underground car park in Gardiner Street / Facebook

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Whatsapp Gardai outside the underground car park in Gardiner Street

Senior garda sources last night said the Tallaght man was suspected of sourcing weapons, vehicles and personnel to be used in the murder venture for the Kinahan cartel.

This is at least the fifth time that Patsy Hutch's life has been saved since the capital's deadly feud kicked off.

Cocaine

Two of the men in garda custody last night were brothers Gary Thompson (34) and Glen Thompson (23), of Plunkett Drive, Finglas.

Glen Thompson was convicted in 2014 of selling cocaine and ecstasy to undercover gardai on three occasions between December 2012 and April 2013.

While well known to gardai, he does not have anything like the serious criminal pedigree of his older brother.

Gary Thompson was charged with the 2009 gangland gun murder of criminal Graham McNally, but the charges were dropped without explanation at the Central Criminal Court in December last year.

Members of the Finglas mob that Gary Thompson is closely associated with are also the chief suspects in the murder of Graham McNally's brother, Alan (36), who was shot dead in the Cappagh Nua pub in Finglas, north Dublin, on February 2, 2012.

The assassination team involved in both McNally murders are also the chief suspects for masterminding the execution of gangster Paul 'Farmer' Martin in the Jolly Toper pub in Finglas in 2008.

In a bizarre court application in 2010, Gary Thompson was one of five people who went to Dublin District Court to have DNA samples returned to them or destroyed.

The material was gathered as part of investigations into the killings of Martin and McNally.

Saturday's arrests in the underground car park of the Belmont apartments in Gardiner Street shortly after 7.30am followed a massive surveillance operation involving hundreds of gardai which had been ongoing for weeks.

The Herald can reveal that the former soldier is Robert Brown, who spent many years in the British Army and served in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Brown (35) is understood to be originally from Hardwicke Street flats in Dublin's north inner city.

He was previously convicted of stealing 17,000 from a Securicor van driver in Parnell Street in January 2001 when he was aged just 18.

The three men were arrested in the underground car park when heavily armed members of the Emergency Response Unit (ERU) swooped on a van .

The move came after a major investigation by the Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau (DOCB).

Revolver

Gardai recovered a cache of weapons including a sub-machine gun, a semi-automatic handgun and a revolver. Further searches of the vehicle led to the discovery of a pistol.

Shortly after the arrests were made, the 41-year-old Tallaght New INLA figure who is suspected of organising the murder plot was arrested as he drove around the north inner city.

The feared thug is a close associate of Kinahan cartel hitman Eamonn Cumberton (30) and turned up every day to support his pal in his Special Criminal Court when Cumberton was convicted of the feud murder of Michael Barr.

Follow-up searches of a Tallaght property on Saturday linked to the thug yielded a silencer and a quantity of ammunition.

Detectives also recovered a machine gun when they searched a Finglas property linked to Gary Thompson.

The large-scale surveillance operation was ongoing for several weeks after gardai received intelligence that the Kinahan cartel was planning to murder Patsy Hutch, the brother of 'The Monk'.

On Saturday morning, the property of a distant Hutch relative was damaged in an incident which gardai believe was an attempt by the hit team to lure Patsy Hutch out of his Champions Avenue Home.

But before the team could carry out the hit, elite gardai swooped on the suspects.

Spies

Sources said that gardai have intelligence that the Kinahan cartel have "a full-time network of spies working for them who get paid for information on members of the Hutch family".

Gardai are understood to be planning more arrests in the coming weeks.

The arrest operation was welcomed by the senior officer in charge of the investigation.

Assistant Commissioner John O'Driscoll said: "Those within the world of organised crime who display a total disregard for human life remain within our focus and we are determined to cause them to be arrested, charged and where the courts determine there is sufficient evidence, convicted and incarcerated within our prisons".An innocent young mother who was sent to Mountjoy Prison in a case of mistaken identity has said her ordeal will stay with her for ever and she hopes it never happens to anyone else.

Amy Daly (27) was wrongly detained on January 9, 2015, after gardai went to her home in Tullamore, Co Offaly, with a warrant for the arrest of someone with a similar name over an unpaid TV licence who had failed to show up for a court appearance.

Ms Daly, who is a law student, was arrested, detained at Tullamore Garda Station for six hours and then taken to Mountjoy Prison in a caged van.

She said the ordeal changed her life.

"I had just picked up my son Jayden from playschool and I was at home making him a sandwich," she said.

"There was a knock on the door and there were two guards there from Tullamore Garda Station. They asked if my name is Amy, but they never asked for my second name.

"They said I was due in court the day before and had never shown up and that there was a warrant for my arrest."

She explained to the officers that she had been collecting stamps for her TV licence and the TV inspector had only called to her door the day before and said everything was above board.

She repeatedly asked to see the arrest warrant, but they said she would have to come to the garda station to look at it.

Distraught

"At the station, they didn't believe me, they took my belongings off me before I was placed in a cell," she said.

Ms Daly said gardai again refused to allow her to see the warrant, and she was kept in the cell for about six hours.

"I was full of fear, I was completely distraught," she said.

"When I was being taken out of the cell, I thought, 'Thank God, I get to go home', but that was when they said I was being transferred to Mountjoy."

She asked again to see the warrant, but was refused.

"On the way to Mountjoy I was having panic attacks, I was feeling nauseous and sick," she said.

When they arrived at the prison, Ms Daly was processed and placed in a holding cell.

It was only when names were being called out one by one that officers realised it was a case of mistaken identity.

When she told them that wasn't her name, they accused her of being dishonest and threatened to detain her for longer.

"I said nobody was listening to me and they had the wrong person," she added.

Ms Daly was only freed from Mountjoy at 10.45pm.

She sued the State for false imprisonment, breach of her constitutional right to liberty, negligence and breach of duty and settled the case out of court.

A spokesman for An Garda Siochana said: "We do not comment on named individuals."

The Department of Justice and the Irish Prison Service also declined to comment.Contingency measures have been put in place at Mountjoy

Five female prisoners and their babies have been quarantined at the Dochas Centre in Mountjoy Prison after a fellow inmate tested positive for swine flu.

The prison yesterday confirmed that the inmate tested positive for H1N1, the same virus that caused a global pandemic in 2009 after it broke out in Mexico.

Twenty-four people died when the virus struck Ireland in 2009.

Another thousand were hospitalised, including 87 people whose illness was so severe they were treated at the hospital's Intensive Care Units. Most had underlying medical conditions.

The virus - which has never really gone away - is now regarded as a seasonal flu virus.

Thirty-two people tested positive for the H1N1 strain between February 26 and Sunday last week, according to the most recent flu report from the Health Protection Surveillance Centre.

Vaccines that protect against the strain have been available in Ireland since the 2010/2011 flu season.

However, due to the very contagious nature of the bug, the infected inmate, the five mothers and their babies have been put in quarantine for a few days to prevent spreading of the virus.

"One person has tested positive for swine flu," a senior source told the Herald.

"We've put in place a number of contingency measures. People have to be isolated."

Precaution

It was reported that the inmate was diagnosed with the flu virus during a routine check-up at a Dublin hospital.

Staff who escorted the woman to the hospital have been told to remain at home for a few days as a precaution, according to the source.

However, officials at the Irish Prison Service would not divulge any details about the inmate's condition - such as whether she contracted the virus while in prison - citing confidentiality.

Officials could not say if inmates have been vaccinated to prevent an outbreak.

The Health Service Executive was unable to respond to queries yesterday over the woman's attendance at the hospital and a potential outbreak.

According to the Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HPSC), influenza outbreaks continue to be reported each week. It said reporting levels were impacted by the recent bad weather.1 / 10 Easton Young, a kindergartner at Sunset View Elementary lets a painted lady butterfly crawl up his arm in the Butterfly Experience at the Loveland Living Planet Aquarium on Wednesday, March 7, 2018, in Draper. Evan Cobb, Daily Herald 2 / 10 A painted lady butterfly sits on the finger of kindergartner from Desiree Olsen's class in the Butterfly Experience at the Loveland Living Planet Aquarium on Wednesday, March 7, 2018, in Draper. Evan Cobb, Daily Herald 3 / 10 Jahir Moreno, a kindergartner at Sunset View Elementary School, laughs as a butterfly crawls on his hand at the Butterfly Experience at the Loveland Living Planet Aquarium on Wednesday, March 7, 2018, in Draper. Evan Cobb, Daily Herald 4 / 10 Kindergartners from Desiree Olsen's class touch a crested gecko in an educational room at the Loveland Living Planet Aquarium on Wednesday, March 7, 2018, in Draper. Evan Cobb, Daily Herald 5 / 10 Sala Valeti, kindergartner from Sunset View Elementary, pets Kiwi, a crested gecko, in an educational room at the Loveland Living Planet Aquarium on Wednesday, March 7, 2018, in Draper. Evan Cobb, Daily Herald 6 / 10 Kindergartners from Sunset View Elementary and chaperones make their way out of the educational classroom at the Loveland Living Planet Aquarium on Wednesday, March 7, 2018, in Draper. Evan Cobb, Daily Herald 7 / 10 ByrnLee Sessions, a kindergartener at Sunset View Elementary School, stares through the glass at a cloud leopard at the Loveland Living Planet Aquarium on Wednesday, March 7, 2018, in Draper. Evan Cobb, Daily Herald 8 / 10 Kindergartners from Sunset View Elementary and a chaperone look at an exhibit at the Loveland Living Planet Aquarium on Wednesday, March 7, 2018, in Draper. Evan Cobb, Daily Herald 9 / 10 Visitors to the Butterfly Experience at the Loveland Living Planet Aquarium walk through the exhibit on Wednesday, March 7, 2018, in Draper. Evan Cobb, Daily Herald 10 / 10 A painted lady butterfly sits on the shoulder of a visitor to the Butterfly Experience at the Loveland Living Planet Aquarium on Wednesday, March 7, 2018, in Draper. Evan Cobb, Daily Herald  

One actually flied on my shirt!

Many of the Sunset View Elementary kindergarteners who experienced the new butterfly exhibit at the Loveland Living Planet Aquarium on Wednesday entered the enclosure with trepidation or enthusiasm, but exited in awe.

Chris Jenkins is the one who was thrilled about a butterfly landing on his shirt. Ridger Shoell and Gael Flores were just excited about a Pink Lady butterfly landing on their finger. Ronin Taylor just enjoyed watching the butterflies flit around him.

The Provo students field trip to the aquarium was a first for many. Desiree Olsen, kindergarten teacher, explained that because Sunset View is a Title I school, the Aquarium offers free entrance.

Otherwise, wed never get to come here. Were very grateful, she said. For them (her students), every little thing is exciting because its things they dont get to see.

Her class studied the life cycle of butterflies the week before the field trip, so many eagerly told passersby all about eggs, caterpillars and chrysalises.

The immersive butterfly exhibit opened Jan. 12 at the aquarium, with more than 300 painted lady butterflies. As the year goes on, more species will be added as they come out of their overwintering dormant phase. Hector Castillo is a horticulturist with the aquarium, helped design and build the exhibit and now monitors the butterflies throughout their life cycle in the aquarium.

The exhibit is to inspire every age group to promote conservation and to conserve butterflies and other pollinators out there, Castillo said.

According to information from the aquarium, painted ladies are one of the most widespread butterfly species worldwide, found across North and Central America. They typically fly south to escape cold weather, migrating to Mexico and warmer areas, but can be found in Utah in the spring and summer.

The butterfly exhibit is found on the lower level of the Journey to South America Gallery at the aquarium.Nepal to host Saarc Biz Leaders Conclave

The Sixth Saarc Business Leaders Conclave, which will bring together leading South Asian industrialists and entrepreneurs, will be held in Nepal from March 16-18.Brigham Young University

Devotional  Ronald A. Rasband, a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, will give the devotional at 11:05 a.m. Tuesday in the Marriott Center. The devotional will be broadcast live on BYUtv, BYUtv.org and archived at speeches.byu.edu.

FHE  A Family Home Evening event on emotions in the scriptures will be at 7 p.m., 7:30 p.m. and 8 p.m. Monday in the Education in Zion Gallery in the Joseph F. Smith Building. For reservations, call (801) 422-6519.

Breaking borders  No More Strangers: Breaking Down Borders at BYU will be at noon Wednesday in room 238 of the Herald R. Clark Building. A panel will speak on identity and how it can sometimes divide the BYU community.

Utah Valley University

Leaders visit UVU  Political and business leaders will visit UVU for the UVU Diplomatic Conference on International Trade Relations starting at 8:30 a.m. Monday in the Grande Ballroom. Speakers will include Lt. Gov. Spencer Cox, Salt Lake City Mayor Jackie Biskupski and Clint Betts of Silicon Slopes. The event is free and open to the public.COVID-19 mu variant detected in Maryland. Here's what to know.

Only 56 cases of the new variant have been identified, while delta remains the most prominent variant.Online management system installed at 11 customs points

The Department of Customs has installed automated systems at 11 border crossings in a bid to speed up customs clearance and control illegal trade.The deportation of Dawood Ibrahim associate and 1993 Mumbai blasts accused, Mohammed Farooq, alias Farooq Takla, from Dubai to India this month to face the law and the arrests of banned Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI)-Indian Mujahideen (IM) fugitives in Saudi Arabia after a decade indicate that West Asia is no longer a safe haven for Indian criminals.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his selected advisers focused engagement with West Asia, particularly Saudi Arabia, UAE, Qatar, Oman and Iran since the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) came to power in 2014 seems to have paid off with these countries downing shutters for Indian fugitives. The message from West Asia is clear : no anti-India activity from its soil.

The high-octane diplomacy and personal relations between the PM and Mohammed bin Zayed bin Sultan Al-Nahyan, the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, have now led to the UAE being willing to sign an MoU on bilateral action against the Indian underworld. This has caused panic among the D-company associates who have huge properties in Dubai and Abu Dhabi with investments in the construction business. At least three Chota Shakeel properties have been identified and details shared with Dubai.

The Indian engagement with the Saudi royal family, including now Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, King Abdullah II of Jordan and UAE Crown Prince over countering Islamic radicalisation of youngsters at the height of terror outfit Islamic States (IS) rule in Syria and Levant is one of the most underestimated success stories of the Modi diplomacy. It is not for any other reason that King of Jordan invited Modi to his residence on February 9, a Friday, a holiday earmarked to be spent with his family, and even gave him his personal helicopter to visit Ramallah in Palestine.

The open and upfront ties between India and Sunni West Asian countries have helped Modi government in many ways. First, the Indian expats living in West Asia were severely discouraged from joining IS and prevented from causing long term security problems to India.

Second, Indian security agencies with the help of their West Asian counterparts were able to monitor the movement of any of its citizens crossing over to IS through Turkey or Saudi Arabian land borders.

Third, the counter-radicalisation narrative in Riyadh, Aqaba and Abu Dhabi has been constructed in deep consultation with India and Asean countries so that no ideological differences or religious interpretations creep in.

Finally, the Pakistani propaganda against India on the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) platforms over Jammu and Kashmir and alleged human rights violations has been largely diluted with West Asian countries being directly in touch with New Delhi.

If Modis diplomatic outreach with Sunni West Asia seems to be working so does his candid engagement with Tehran.

Unlike the previous UPA regime, which dragged its feet over Chabahar port in Iran fearing adverse reaction from Washington, the NDA regime sealed the deal this year with a bonus of being allowed to lay a railroad to send humanitarian aid to Afghanistan from the port.

The North-South corridor, which has remained on paper for the past two decades, could now turn into a reality with Indian goods reaching Central Asia and beyond through the Bandar Abbas port in Iran.

The across the board Indian engagement is surprisingly not at the cost of its bilateral relations with Israel, which has expanded from a purely military-hardware seller-buyer relations to close political dialogue spanning across multilateral fora. A significant political manifestation of this is that according to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Saudi Arabia has allowed overflight rights to Air India for its upcoming direct flight from New Delhi to Tel Aviv.

This may be beyond comprehension now but so is now the fact that Indian Ambassador to UAE was not allowed entry into Al Minhad air base outside Dubai when Pakistan-based Harkat-ul-Mujahideen hijacked Indian Airlines IC-814 flight landed for refueling in December 1999.Sand mining mafia allegedly shot at a farmer in Chhatarpur district, injuring him. The farmer was opposing passing of vehicle ferrying mined sand through his agriculture field.

Police said in Chhatarpurs Sadna village farmer Bharat Tiwari along with his wife, two sons and a daughter was at his agriculture field irrigating his wheat crop on Sunday. It was when Brajesh Tiwari and Vinod Tiwari were returning with tractor-trolleys loaded with illegally mined sand from a nearby river. An argument started between them and the farmer over passing of the vehicle through Tiwaris agriculture field .

The accused were furious as to why farmer had irrigated the field and made it wet. The argument heated up and one of the accused shot two shots from his katta (country made pistol) at the farmer and his son Rajkumar. Both the gunshots missed their targets.

After this the farmer ran towards the accused during which the accused again fired at the farmer, which hit his leg. The farmer was rushed to the Chhatarpur district hospital where he is undergoing treatment.

According to police, the accused had previously beaten up a scheduled caste farmer Nandi Ahirwar over passing their vehicle through his field.

Chhatarpur additional superintendent of police Jairaj Kuber said a search was on for both the accused.

The statement of the farmer is being recorded. These accused are wanted criminals and Bamitha police station officer has been issued a notice as to how these wanted criminals were operating freely in his area. Action will also be taken against police station officer, he said.Kangana Ranaut is a proud aunt and cant stop fussing over her nephew. The actor was clicked giving sweet kisses to baby Prithvi by her sister, Rangoli Chandel.

Rangoli shared the adorable picture on Twitter on Monday. Massi and kiddie !!!!, she captioned the photo. Four-month-old Prithvi Raj is seen smiling as his actor aunt showers him with love.

Massi and kiddie !!!!  pic.twitter.com/wBSoop4rTw  Rangoli Chandel (@Rangoli_A) March 12, 2018

Kanganas fans also love the picture, calling it sweet, adorable and the best ever. The baby was born in November 2017.

Kangana is currently shooting for Rani Lakshmibais biopic, Manikarnika, and Ekta Kapoors Mental Hai Kya with Rajkummar Rao. Manikarnika was in a storm of controversies recently when several outfits protested against the film for showing a rumoured romantic scene between the queen and a British officer. Kangana and other filmmakers refuted the rumours and assured the protestors that the movie was made with utmost respect towards Rani Lakshmibai.

Producer Kamal Jain told Hindustan Times that The film shows Rani Laxmibai in a respectful manner. We have taken care about portraying her including consulting historians and scholars in Jhansi. She was a freedom fighter and one of the most respected leader our country has seen. She is a symbol of valour in our country. The films story depicts the same. The film doesnt portray anything objectionable about her. There is no love affair depicted in the film and there is no distortion of history in anyway. It pains me to hear these statements about one of the greatest leaders India has seen. Is this what independence means? We are making a film which depicts the real story of Rani Laxmibai. Having said that, we are open and willing to show the script (to people who might have doubts). We have nothing to hide. We are proud to be making a film and want the world to see one of the greatest leaders of India. This film is a tribute to Rani Laxmibai.

Follow @htshowbiz for moreFilmmakers Anurag Kashyap, Shirish Kunder, Nandita Das and actors R Madhavan and Riteish Deshmukh have extended their support to the thousands of farmers who have reached Mumbai to press for their demands and meet the Maharashtra chief minister.

Over 35,000 farmers from across Maharashtra, who embarked on a Long March from Nashik on March 6 to press their various demands, arrived at Azad Maidan early on Monday. The farmers are pressing for an unconditional loan waiver, and transfer of forest land to tribal farmers who have been tilling it for years.

Maharashtra farmers march Live updates

While Anurag Kashyap retweeted several posts supporting the farmers, others posted tweets to express their support and respect for them.

R Madhavan extended his support to the farmers and tweeted, totally and whole heartedly support this for all farmers in this Nation. ....LETS MAKE THAT DIFFERENCE ..Walking 180 km, 35,000 Farmers Reach Mumbai For Debt Waiver, Fair Pay.

I totally and whole heartedly support this for all farmers in this Nation. ....LETS MAKE THAT DIFFERENCE ..

Walking 180 km, 35,000 Farmers Reach Mumbai For Debt Waiver, Fair Payhttps://t.co/78CMhwdJeK  Ranganathan Madhavan (@ActorMadhavan) March 11, 2018

Riteish Deshmukh tweeted, 50,000 farmers walked 180kms, asking for the rightful compensation for their crop. On their last stretch they walked all night making sure they didnt disturb the SSC board examinations. #Compassion #respect #Salute #JaiKisan.

50,000 farmers walked 180kms, asking for the rightful compensation for their crop. On their last stretch they walked all night making sure they didnt disturb the SSC board examinations. #Compassion #respect #Salute #JaiKisan -  pic.twitter.com/epa0a90A6u  Riteish Deshmukh (@Riteishd) March 12, 2018

Nandita Das wrote, Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly. #MartinLutherKing.

"Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly." #MartinLutherKing https://t.co/P7aMdXL2iC  Nandita Das (@nanditadas) March 12, 2018

Filmmaker Shirish Kunder wrote, As long as the farmers and soldiers are willing to die for us, RESPECT The moment they protest against any injustice, POLITICAL AGENDA, We love docile cows!

As long as the farmers and soldiers are willing to die for us, RESPECT 



The moment they protest against any injustice, POLITICAL AGENDA 



We love docile cows!#FarmersMarchToMumbai #FarmersMarch #KisanLongMarch #FarmersProtest #LongMarch #AzadMaidan  Shirish Kunder (@ShirishKunder) March 12, 2018

Producer Atul Kasbekar paid his respects to the farmers and tweeted, Massive respect! Farmers in the mammoth agitation agreed to walk across the city at night so as to not inconvenience citizens esp kids appearing for exams. Heres a sea of humanity passing my bldg at 3:30am Lesson for politicians who visit Mumbai n create havoc.

Massive respect!

Farmers in the mammoth agitation agreed to walk across the city at night so as to not inconvenience citizens esp kids appearing for exams.

Heres a sea of humanity passing my bldg at 3:30am

Lesson for politicians who visit Mumbai n create havoc pic.twitter.com/KVr5XiNZTL  atul kasbekar (@atulkasbekar) March 12, 2018

RESPECT #kisanlongmarch These Farmers have kindness far beyond most arrogant political rallies who dont care about public inconvenience .

Giant March Spares Students' Exams As Farmers Protest In Mumbai https://t.co/vhQiNQFEir via @ndtv  Onir (@IamOnir) March 12, 2018

I feel very emotional listening to the plight of the farmers and their stories. Walking barefoot and with bare necessities and still being as patient, calm and disciplined. I really hope we find a way to help end the prolonged ordeal of the backbone of this country - Jai Kisan!  kunal kemmu (@kunalkemmu) March 12, 2018

And sadly thousands will be treated as pawns for the stupid political mud slinging match and be sent back empty handed. #whowehavebecome https://t.co/jCLjyjySlM  Shruti Seth (@SethShruti) March 12, 2018

With blisters in the foot.. hunger in their eyes our farmers have walked seeking #fairplay #dignity ...this is the Truth because of your Lies and failed promises .. will you give them justice as they knock at your door... before they rise to knock you out #justasking pic.twitter.com/6lry7X0wz1  Prakash Raj (@prakashraaj) March 12, 2018

"Ah you loved me as a loser, but now you're worried that I just might win

You know the way to stop me, but you don't have the discipline

How many nights I prayed for this, to let my work begin..." https://t.co/4IkNtfOYqD  Soumik Sen (@bangdu) March 12, 2018

"Ring the bells that still can ring

Forget your perfect offering

There is a crack in everything

That's how the light gets in." https://t.co/gKUzuWpYJF  Soumik Sen (@bangdu) March 12, 2018

The group of peasants -- men, women, youth and even seniors -- abandoned their nights rest, to march from the Somaiya Grounds, Vidyavihar, starting 2 a.m. (Monday) to reach the historic Azad Maidan at dawn, to avoid inconveniencing students appearing for the ongoing board examinations.

Follow @htshowbiz for moreEver since actor Sanjay Dutt returned to playing full-fledged roles in films, fans have only been asking for more. Last year, the actor was seen in the film Bhoomi and this year, he has already wrapped up shooting for two films  Saheb Biwi Aur Gangster 3 and Torbaaz. Dutt has also begun shooting for his next film, an action comedy titled Nazar Ke Saamne Jigar Ke Paas, which also stars Diana Penty, Johny Lever, and Shreyas Talpade.

A source close to the actor confirms, Sanju is doing another comedy film and he started shooting for it right after he finished his schedule for Saheb Biwi Aur Gangster 3. He is enjoying this new phase and thats probably the reason why is he working non-stop now.

Interestingly, Dutt opted out of the third instalment of the Dhamaal franchise and it was rumoured that he wanted to play more meaningful roles that suit his age. One wonders what made him sign yet another comedy film. Sanju never said hell not do comedy films. But hes being conscious that it should not be a typical slapstick or vulgar comedy. He feels that a film need not have nudity in it or use cuss words, adds the source.

Dutt, who has won a million hearts with his Munna Bhai acts in Munna Bhai MBBS (2003) and Lage Raho Munna Bhai (2006), is also expected to start shooting for the third film in the hit franchise, later this year.

Sanju is more driven by content. Genre can change but he has to be sure of the content while signing a film. The actor realises that his loyal fanbase has a lot of expectations from him, so he is trying his best to come out with good content, maintains the source.

Interact with Monika Rawal Kukreja at Twitter/@monikarawalBollywood actor Varun Dhawan is looking forward to introduce his October co-star Banita Sandhu to everyone and is helping her get ready for her journey in Bollywood. The trailer of the film is set to be unveiled on Monday. The actor shared a new poster of the film that features both the lead actors.

Varun wrote along with the new poster of the Shoojit Sircar film, Sometimes the greatest way to say something is to say nothing at all but baby I cant help myself. #OctoberTrailer out tomorrow @BanitaSandhu @ShoojitSircar @ronnielahiri @writeonj

Sometimes the greatest way to say something is to say nothing at all but baby I cant help myself. #OctoberTrailer out tomorrow @BanitaSandhu @ShoojitSircar @ronnielahiri @writeonj pic.twitter.com/LOpuiyFqnD  Varun DAN Dhawan (@Varun_dvn) March 11, 2018

Varun has been very protective about Banita and has been giving her all kind of tips for the trailer launch on Monday. Banita is just 20 years old and does not know much about how the media functions here. She doesnt have a manger so Shoojit dada and I just want to make sure she gets the best and is comfortable cause meeting the massive media and paparazzi can be very overwhelming, Varun said in a statement.

He had earlier tweeted about the film and wrote, #October is not a movie about love at first sight. Its not a movie about hugs, kisses and dates. You want to know whats it about then watch the trailer in 2 days.

#October is not a movie about love at first sight. Its not a movie about hugs, kisses and dates. You want to know whats it about then watch the trailer in 2 days pic.twitter.com/jglA2ab1J7  Varun DAN Dhawan (@Varun_dvn) March 10, 2018

Co-produced by Ronnie Lahiri and Sheel Kumar, October is directed by Shoojit Sircar. The film celebrates love, nature and the autumn season.

In the film, Varun will be seen playing role of a sweet yet mischievous boy who is trying to get into the hospitality industry. He will be seen as a hotel management student who is working in a five-star hotel as part of the trainee programme. Varuns profession plays very integral part to his character and environment in the film, which shapes up the events that follow.

The actor shot for his character in a hotel in Delhi where he spent time observing the way all the hotel employees work.

A Rising Sun Films Production, the film is set to release on April 13.

Follow @htshowbiz for moreBinod Ghimire covers parliamentary affairs and human rights for The Kathmandu Post. Since joining the Post in 2010, he has reported primarily on social issues, focusing on education and transitional justice.Tributes were paid to Indian cinema icon Sridevi here by a host of stars of the south India film industry, which gave her career a start before she became a star in Bollywood.

A prayer meet was held at a city hotel for Sridevi, who died in Dubai on February 24, in which her husband Boney Kapoor, and daughters Janhvi and Khushi were among those who attended. The event was out of bounds for the media.

Earlier, leading actors paid their homage to Sridevi at a meeting held in the office of the of the South Indian Artistes Association (SIAA), popularly known as Nadigar Sangam, here.

Several prominent Tamil film stars, including Sivakumar, actor-director K Bhagyaraj, Kutti Padmini and Sripriya, who had long association with her, paid floral tributes to a photograph of Sridevi kept at the office SIAA office.

SIAA President and actor Nasser led the fellow artistes in paying tributes to Sridevi, who died at the age of 54.

Actor-director Manobala, also a member of the SIAA, tweeted and shared a photograph of the SIAA members paying their tributes to Sridevi.

Actor Ajith, his wife and actor Shalini, director Priyadarshan and actress Meena visited the residence of Sridevi and conveyed their condolences.

Sridevi, Indian cinemas first woman superstar, had an illustrious career spanning over four decades after making her debut as a child artist in Tamil film Thunaivan in 1969. After making her mark in the south Indian films, she entered Bollywood.

Sridevis body was cremated on February 28 in Mumbai. The ashes were immersed in Rameswaram sea last week.

Follow @htshowbiz for moreIt is a testimony to the undying popularity of Douglas Adamss The Hitchhikers Guide to The Galaxy (1979) that a cherry red Tesla car floating in space right now has the words Dont Panic written in large friendly letters on its dashboard. The car also has a copy of the book in its glove box.

If multilingual aliens do find the car and the book, theyd probably think The Hitchhikers Guide to The Galaxy is the most popular book on planet Earth. And they wouldnt entirely be wrong.

Douglas Adamss all-time best-selling sci-fi comedy is something of a popular culture phenomenon, which has been adapted across multiple media: radio, books, stage, TV, comics, computer games, and made into a very successful film.

Even nearly 40 years after its publication, Adamss dark, absurdist humour, inventive plot twists and loony characters continue to delight and win over readers.

Adams also co-wrote the screenplay for the movie based on the book before his premature death in 2001.

There are many kinds of adaptations. Sometimes, theyre very faithful and on other occasions theyre almost separate entities. Garth Jennings film is the best of both worlds - warmly nostalgic for fans, but with its own unique personality as well. Its worth mentioning that it was Jennings first feature film, and featured a host of fine character actors, including the recent Oscar-winner, Sam Rockwell, in a role that could possibly have inspired Donald Trump.

Watch the FB Live discussion between two people, one who loves the book, and the other who found it (fans of the novel, brace yourselves) to be boring!

Heres a longer chat version. Rohan is white and Supriya is green.

Well take our discussion live on the Hindustan Times Facebook page on March 14 at 4pm. Join us and share your thoughts, opinions and objections.

You can read our previous chat, about Kingsman: The Secret Service, here.

Next week: Annihilation, the first book in American author Jeff VanderMeers Southern Reach Trilogy. The movie adaptation, starring Natalie Portman, releases on Netflix on March 12.

Follow @htlifeandstyle for moreThe government on Monday tabled a bill which seeks to confiscate all the assets of absconding fraudsters and loan defaulters, for recovering dues from them.

The Fugitive Economic Offenders Bill 2018 aims to impound and sell assets of fugitives such as Nirav Modi, who is alleged to be behind the nearly Rs 12,700 crore fraud at Punjab National Bank.

The law will apply to defaulters who have an outstanding of Rs 100 crore or more and have escaped from the country.

The Bill tabled in the Lok Sabha provides for measures to deter fugitive economic offenders from evading the process of law in India by staying outside the jurisdiction of Indian courts, to preserve the sanctity of the rule of law in India and for matters connected therewith or incidental thereto.

As per the statement of objects and reasons of the Bill, there have been several instances of economic offenders fleeing the jurisdiction of Indian courts anticipating the commencement of criminal proceedings or sometimes during the pendency of such proceedings.

The absence of such offenders from Indian courts has several deleterious consequences, such as, it obstructs investigation in criminal cases, it wastes precious time of courts and it undermines the rule of law in India, it said.

It further noted hat most of such cases of economic offences involve non-repayment of bank loans, thereby worsening the financial health of the banking sector in India.

The existing civil and criminal provisions in law are inadequate to deal with the severity of the problem, it said.

In order to address the said problem and lay down measures to deter economic offenders from evading the process of Indian law by remaining outside the jurisdiction of Indian courts, it is proposed to enact a legislation, namely, the Fugitive Economic Offenders Bill, 2018 to ensure that fugitive economic offenders return to India to face the action in accordance with law, it said.

As per the proposed Bill, the fugitive economic offender is defined as an individual who has committed a scheduled offence involving Rs 100 crore or above and absconded from India or refused to come back to avoid or face criminal prosecution.

In such cases, the law proposes to enable authorities to attach the property of fugitive economic offenders and proceeds of crime, and place the burden of proof for establishing that an individual is a fugitive economic offender on the Director or the person authorised by the Director.

It enshrines powers of Director relating to survey, search and seizure and search of persons.

It also gives power for confiscation of the property of an offender and proceeds of crime and disentitlement of the person from putting forward or defending any civil claim.

The proposed law is different from the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, which also provides for confiscation of assets of economic offenders.

Under PMLA, only profit of crime is confiscated and that too upon conviction. The new law extends to all assets irrespective of whether it is acquired as a result of crime or not. This is triggered by the offender being a fugitive.In the last one year tourism minister Satpal Maharaj grabbed headlines for several reasons. He has remained at loggerheads with the chief minister over interference in his ministry. He also made larger than life announcements for promoting tourism in the hill state, which are yet to take shape. In an interview with Anupam Trivedi, minister claimed that this will be a promising year for the tourism sector. Excerpts:

How would you rate your work?

It has been great year. Let me put it in this way. It has been a great year for the ministry. We received various inputs valuable for tourism sector. I have also shared couple of ideas (with the officials) and now the coming months will be crucial for the implementation of those ideas and inputs.

Is tourism sector lagging behind?

Most of the investment that has come in the tourism sector is by the outsiders. The outsiders are minting money while the locals have not really been able to capitalise. This is my concern and priority, to see that tourism emerges the main source of livelihood. This year, we will be opening the traditional trekking route to Char Dham for adventure lovers. The trekking route dates back to Mahabharta era. I am sure it will be a game changer as the visitors will get altogether different feel.

How do you plan to prioritise the tourism sector?

Tourism in Uttarakhand is stereotyped. I, therefore have asked officials to diversify the sector majorly between - religious, adventure, culinary, and tribal tourism. Each one of them has a potential to draw huge numbers to the state. Since Uttarakhand is also known as the abode of gods so we have a plan to promote other areas as well. The areas falling in the Garhwal region are covered under the Char Dham pilgrimage. But this is not the case with places such as Pithoragarh and Munsyari in Kumaon. We have introduced a Bhagwati circuit (places that have temple of Hindu goddess). The initial response has been enthusiastic.

State gets huge number of domestic tourists but not enough niche guests

Yes, but we have to cater to each and every category of tourist, like Peru and Mexico do. They focus on low or medium income groups. As far as niche and foreign tourists are concerned, we are hoping to get it soon. The recent Yoga festival held at Rishikesh was fantastic. Several spiritual gurus who have huge following across the globe visited Rishikesh. Recently an international publication has named Rishikesh among top 40 tourist destinations in world. We are for sure going to benefit from it.

Besides yoga, what else do you have to offer?

Water sport is another big thing that attracts niche tourists. Tehri lake will see buzz from this year. It has been found feasible for landing a sea plane. White water rafting is already a well established sector pegged at Rs 12 crore annually. I fail to understand why tourism should not get beach camping in Rishikesh. If Goa beaches could be managed by the tourism department than why cant we manage Ganga beaches in Uttarakhand?

Overall has the one year been a smooth sailing for you?

I am a workaholic and I just want to focus on my work. There are several things to do this year. Things would have been different, had we been able to finalise the long pending tourism policy. The policy is unnecessarily getting delayed. I will try to get the policy formulated without any further delay.BJPs national media head Anil Baluni Monday said he will act as a bridge between the Centre and the Uttarakahnd government to ensure that more centrally funded development schemes were cleared for the hill state.

Baluni, who filed nomination for the biennial election to Rajya Sabha from Uttarakhand and will be elected unopposed, said he will utilise his position to ensure that the problems and issues facing the state were resolved.

By picking me for such a key responsibility Prime Minister Narendra Modi has again expressed his faith in the people of Uttrakhand. His team has most members from this state, Baluni said.

Originally from Pauri Garhwal, Baluni, 44, is considered close to PM and BJP chief Amit Shah. With Congress not having enough numbers to contest the poll, Balunis election is a mere formality considering that in the House of 70, BJP has 57 MLAs.

I will act as a bridge between the Centre and the state government. I will work to ensure that more centrally funded development schemes are cleared for the state and that it also gets the benefits of the ongoing projects and the problems and issues facing the state are resolved, Baluni said.

A journalist before he switched over to politics, Baluni started his political career as an Officer on Special Duty (OSD) to then Bihar governor Surendra Singh Bhandari. Later, he shifted to Gujarat after Bhandari was moved to that state as governor. Baluni soon came close to Modi and Shah. His political career took a leap when Shah nominated him as the partys national spokesperson in 2014.

Baluni said BJPs footprint is increasing fast with every election wile that of the Congress was shrinking. The people across the country stand solidly behind our party. That is a clear indicator of PM Modis increasing popularity across the states. It also shows peoples desperation to get rid of the Congress owing to decades of its misrule, he said.

This will be second time when Baluni is contesting an election. He had unsuccessfully tried to contest an assembly election from Kotdwar but his candidature was rejected owing to some technicalities.

On Monday, Balunis nomination to Rajya Sabha was proposed by 28 BJP legislators in the presence of chief minister Trivendra Singh Rawat and his cabinet colleagues. State BJP president Ajay Bhatt was also present.

Scrutiny of nomination papers will be conducted on Tuesday while the election will be held on March 23.

Rawat said Balunis nomination seat shows a clear thinking on part of Shah and Modi that the youth should be encouraged. Demographically, India has the highest number of youth in the world and the issues relating to the youth can only be addressed by them only, Rawat said. He expressed confidence that Baluni will work to address the concerns of the states youth.

State BJP president Bhatt said the high commands decision to choose Baluni as a Rajya Sabha candidate was a well considered decision. We are the worlds largest political party that believes in grooming generations of youth as our future leadership, he said.

Describing Baluni as a cultured and educated youth leader, Bhatt said Baluni also has a deep concern for Uttarakhand.All major wholesale and retail markets in the National Capital will remain shut on Tuesday as traders have decided to observe a trade bandh against the ongoing sealing drive by the municipal corporations on the direction of a Supreme Court-appointed monitoring committee.

The Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT), in a statement, said that more than seven lakh traders belonging to about 2, 500 traders associations would participate in the protest.

Prominent markets likely to be closed on Tuesday are Chandni Chowk, Connaught Place, Lajpat Nagar, Amar Colony, Khan Market, South Extension, Greater Kailash, Karol Bagh, Sadar Bazaar, Kamla Nagar, Ashok Vihar, Vikas Marg, Preet Vihar, Model Town, Azadpur, Kalkaji among several others.

On February 2 and 3, the traders had shut their shops for two days to mark their protest against the sealing action which began in December 2017.

CAITs secretary general Praveen Khandelwal said it would hold a vyapaari panchayat in Karol Bagh in which thousands of traders are expected to participate.

Khandelwal said that a moratorium bill for sealing by the Central government should be brought in the current session of Parliament. It is expected that Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal will not play political game and also bring a bill, to stop sealing, on the first day of assembly session on March 16. He should also notify 351 roads for mixed land use without any further delay, he said.

Atul Bhargava, president of New Delhi Traders Association said traders and shopkeepers in Connaught Place would also extend their support to the bandh call.

No major action has been initiated in Connaught Place by the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) as such. However, it has sealed some basements for alleged misuse and is also carrying out a survey of mezzanine floors. Our demand is that traders must be given some time to rectify alleged violation if any. Sealing is not the only solution, he said.

On Monday, a delegation of CAIT met Union home minister Rajnath Singh on the issue and apprised him about the implications of action by the civic bodies against alleged violation of civic norms in the city.

Singh advised us to make a representation of traders before the Delhi lieutenant-governor Anil Baijal and assured us to bring a permanent solution to the problem, said Khandelwal.

On Monday, the East Delhi Municipal Corporation sealed 23 properties in Gagan Vihar, Shakarpur and Gandhi Nagar for misuse of stilt floor.The national Capital may soon become the first city in India to levy a toll on vehicles entering congested roads, several senior government officials familiar with the development said.

Delhis Lieutenant-Governor Anil Baijal, along with stake-holders such as the three municipal corporations and the Union urban affairs ministry, has zeroed in on 21 stretches in the Capital where congestion tax could be imposed in a bid to ease traffic and check pollution, two of the officials quoted above said.

The 21 stretches include the corridor between Aurobindo Chowk and Andheria More, Nehru Place flyover to Modi Mills flyover, areas around Hauz Khas metro station on the Outer Ring Road, the ITO intersection, and parts of Mehrauli-Gurgaon road, Mathura Road and Pusa Road, among others.

No time frame has been set about when the congestion fee will kick in. How much tax will be levied on which category of vehicle, and how it will be implemented are yet to be worked out as well.

The LG has suggested a plan. I support the LGs initiative 100%. It (congestion tax) will happen not only in Delhi but eventually everywhere across the country because the way vehicles are growing, it has become unsustainable, Union housing and urban affairs minister Hardeep Singh Puri told Hindustan Times in an interview on March 7.

The stretches that have been picked are part of the 29 congestion points in the Capital that had been identified last year following a high court direction to Delhi government to come up with measures to ease traffic congestion.

Modalities such as how much will be the tax and how it will be implemented, whether it will be through a payment card, etc are yet to be worked out. Also, any new tax will require legislative approval, which takes time, said Ranbir Singh, the east Delhi municipal commissioner.

The head of the Delhi traffic police Deepender Pathak said, The LG has asked DIMTS (Delhi Integrated Multi-Modal Transit System Limited) to carry out a feasibility study of the corridors. One has to identify alternate routes for the corridors where such tax is imposed.

Baijal could not be reached for comments despite repeated attempts.

According to Delhi government data, the number of cars registered in the city as of May 2017 was 31 lakh  the highest in the country  with a density of 93 cars per km of road. Pollution spikes in the city every winter, forcing officials to resort to stringent measures and declaring public health emergency in the city.

But transport experts say that imposing congestion tax is easier said than done. First, such a tax can only work if you have a good framework like robust public transport and adequate parking space. Second, you will have to provide alternate routes, and give options to people. Third, one has to be clear about the nature of tax, if it will be imposed on entry to the city, or like London for entering central areas during certain times in the day, said G Raghuram, a transport economist at the Indian Institute of Management, Bangalore.

In London, a congestion fee of P11.50 is imposed on weekdays in a 20-square km area around the city centre for vehicles entering between 7am and 6pm. London uses automatic number plate-recognition cameras at 348 entry sites, and vehicle owners entering the charged zones can either pay online through mobile phones or at specific stores. Singapore follows a similar system.

The Delhi government had toyed with the idea to levying congestion tax in the past. The Aadmi Party government had considered it in 2015 but officials said that one of the main reasons why the plan did not take off was a weak public transport system. Delhis bus fleet stands at 5,592 as against the requirement of 10,000.The Delhi High Court granted bail to Aam Aadmi Party MLA Amanatullah Khan in the chief secretary Anshu Prakash assault case on Monday.

Justice Mukta Gupta granted relief to the Okhla MLA, who was arrested on February 21, with certain conditions as imposed on AAP legislator Prakash Jarwal earlier.

The petitioner (Khan) has served an incarceration of more than 20 days and no further custodial interrogation is required. So the petitioner is released on bail, the court said.

During the hearing, the Delhi police counsel submitted a status report stating that Khan was named in 12 criminal cases, out of which he has been discharged in three cases.

The court had on March 9 granted bail to AAP MLA Prakash Jarwal in the chief secretary assault case with a warning that any such illegal activity in future would lead to the cancellation of his bail.

Deoli legislator Jarwal was arrested on February 20 for allegedly assaulting the chief secretary during a meeting at chief minister Arvind Kejriwals residence on the midnight of February 19.

A magisterial court had earlier denied bail to the two legislators, saying the matter cannot be treated in a casual and routine manner while dubbing them as history-sheeters.Delhi lieutenant-governor Anil Baijal on Monday said that the government was working on a proposal to levy a congestion tax on vehicles entering select road stretches in the National Capital that see heavy traffic.

We are considering levying a congestion charge to address the traffic nightmare in the Capital. It can be charged from vehicles entering during a specified period on congested stretches. Presently, we are consulting experts on how to go about it. Before we implement it, the policy will be put up in public domain and their suggestion will be sought, Baijal said.

Hindustan Times had on March 11 reported on the governments plan to levy a congestion fee. L-G Baijal, along with stakeholders, including the three municipal commissioners, Delhi Traffic Police have zeroed on 21 road stretches where such a fee can be charged initially in a bid to ease traffic and check pollution.

The 21 stretches include the corridor between Aurobindo Chowk and Andheria More, Nehru Place flyover to Modi Mills flyover, areas around Hauz Khas Metro station on the Outer Ring Road, the ITO intersection, and parts of Mehrauli-Gurgaon Road, Mathura Road, and Pusa Road, among others.

He added that internationally many cities use congestion tax. Even Singapore has a system of charging congestion fee if a vehicle enters a highly congested zone during peak morning and evening hours. They have an electronic system in place to deduct the fee, he said.

Asked how the congestion tax plan will be implemented, the L-G said that the government may consider making an electronic road pricing system similar to the fast tag system currently operational on national highways that automatically deducts toll when a vehicle crosses the toll plaza.

Vehicles will have a sticker and the moment they enter a notified congested stretch, toll will be deducted. We are working on what the best model would be, he said.

Baijal also said that Delhis first comprehensive parking policy has been finalised and would be notified soon.

He said that the way traffic is growing in Delhi there is a need to make certain road stretches one-way. He said measures including levying congestion charge, making some road stretches one-way and bringing a comprehensive parking policy are part of the Capitals decongestion plan.

The high court has asked the city government to come up with a blueprint on how it plans to decongest city roads.

Last year a parliamentary committee had also recommended levying a toll on congested stretches in the Capital.Delhis water woes may soon get aggravated as the Delhi Jal Board (DJB) has said two water treatment plants might be shut, which may affect the water supply to parts of west, north, central and south Delhi.

Due to depletion of water level at Wazirabad pond, which is currently at 671.3ft against the normal level of 674.5ft and reduction in release of raw water by Haryana in Delhi Sub Branch and Munak Canal, the production of water treatment plants of Delhi has been adversely affected, a Delhi Jal Board official said.

It may also result in closure of the water treatment plants at Chandrawal and Wazirabad. The Delhi Jal Board is endeavouring to rationalise the water supply. Therefore, water will be available at low pressure for the next few days, till the situation improves, the official said.

The affected areas are west, north, central Delhi, part of south Delhi, including the Delhi Cantonment and NDMC areas, the official added.

For more than a month, DJB has been facing problems in treating water as the three plants at Wazirabad, Chandrawal and Haidarpur have not been running at full capacity since January 30 due to high levels of ammonia in the Yamuna. Of the 900 MGD of water distributed in Delhi, nearly 60% comes from Haryana through the Yamuna.

The National Green Tribunal had last month directed the Delhi and Haryana governments to hold a meeting to resolve the issue of high ammonia content in the water provided to the city. Last week, the DJB had told the National Green Tribunal that Haryana should be directed to release more water in the Yamuna and it should also be asked to treat the water being supplied to the National Capital.

The counsel for the Haryana government, however, opposed the submission and said DJB should increase the capacity of water treatment plants instead of playing the blame-game. Haryana alleged that DJB has not complied with the tribunals order as its chief secretary was not present at the meeting over the issue.

In a release on Monday, DJB said due to a leakage at the Command Tank 2, water supply will not be available or will be available at low pressure on Wednesday from 9am to midnight in Dwarka sub-city, Madhu Vihar, Rajapuri, Mahavir Enclave, and Bindapur areas.

Residents have been advised to store sufficient quantity of water in advance as per their requirement. Water tankers will be available for residents by calling 1916, 23527679, 23513073, 1800117118 (Central Control Room), 29234746, 29234747 (Greater Kailash), 26193218 (RK Puram), 25281197 (Paschim Vihar), 28521123 (Janakpuri D-Block), 25193140, 25174140 (Shivaji Enclave), 27308015 (Ashok Vihar), 25223658 (Punjabi Bagh), 27681578, 27677877 (Kewal Park), 65290868 (Dwarka), 26137216 (Vasant Kunj), 23537397, 23677129 (Idgah Water Emergency).Students urge govt to stop crimes against women, kids

Three major student organisations have submitted a joint memorandum to Minister for Home Affairs Ram Bahadur Thapa drawing the latters attention to the increasing incidents of violence against women and children in the recent days.Apart from some confusion over a question in the reading section, the Central Board of Secondary Educations class 10 English paper turned out to be easy.

According to teachers, in the first sectionreadingstudents were expected to find synonyms of endurance, obstruction and motivation in paragraphs two,four and five, respectively, after reading a given passage about success. However, the correct answers, as per the teachers, were stamina, obstacle, and inspiration, respectively, which were found in paragraphs three and six respectively.

The board said they will take note of the matter.

Mahua Mallick, a class 10 English teacher at Ahlcon International School, said a few of her students were unable to locate these words while others who did not rely on the paragraph cues found them.

So there are three marks hanging in the balance. Even in the last question, in the literature section, students were to attempt one question out of the four for 10 marks. But some students were confused whether they were to attempt one question or two because of the way it was presented, she said.

The CBSE spokesperson said the matter had been brought to their notice. It will be ensured no student in put to any disadvantage. The board will take care before the finalisation of the marking scheme prepared for the evaluation of this paper, the official said.

However, others such as Ameeta Wattal the principal of Springdales School on Pusa Road said it was not a big issue and students would have been able to find the correct answer if they read through the passage carefully.

Otherwise, the paper was said to be well-balanced.

In the literature section, students would have been able to answer if they had read the texts closely, and if not they still had a choice. Rest of the paper was quite straightforward and direct, said Nita Jain, English teacher at Delhi Public School Mathura Road said, a claim that many students seemed to agree with.

There was enough time to complete the paper. The reading section was a bit tricky but the writing and literature sections were not tough, said Rishabh Bobhal of Evergreen Senior Secondary School, Vasundhara Enclave.A one-and-half-year-old child died allegedly after he accidentally fell into a bucket filled with water while playing in the bathroom at his home in east Delhis Dallupura village near Mayur Vihar Phase-III on Saturday night, police said.

The childs mother was sleeping on a cot when he went to the bathroom and allegedly drowned in the bucket. His father and cousin were away for some work when the unfortunate incident took place around 9.30pm, said police.

No case was registered in connection with the childs death. Police said the childs family members have not filed any complaint since they did not suspect a foul play. The family members said in their statement that their son accidentally fell into the water filled bucket, said Jasmeet Singh, adding that an inquest proceeding under section 174 of CrPC was initiated in the incident.

The toddler lived with his parents and cousin at a rented home in Dallupura village. His father is a milk supplier while the mother is a housewife. The family originally belongs to a village in Uttar Pradeshs Varanasi. Police said the childs father had gone to his native village for some work.

On Saturday night, the toddlers mother slept with him in a room. Around 9.30 pm, his cousin knocked on the main door. The mother woke up and found her son missing. She opened the door and told her nephew about it. The two started looking for the child in the home.

When the mother went to the bathroom, she found her son lying upside down in the bucket. The duo rushed him to Lal Bahadur Shastri hospital where he died during treatment, said a police officer, adding the incident was reported to them by the hospital authorities.

The local police personnel along with the forensic team went to the home. During the inspection they found a glass inside the bucket. Prima facie it appears that the child was playing with the glass. The glass apparently fell into the bucket and the child drowned while attempting to take it out, the officer said.

The toddlers body was handed over to his family members after the autopsy on Monday.Many students who appeared in the CBSE Class 10 English examinations on Monday said that the question paper was easy and not lengthy.

The question paper was easy and scoring besides the pattern was also familiar as it was same to that asked in pre board exams, said Vedant Pandey, a student of Gangagurukulam School, Allahabad.

Another student Anjum Yadav said, she had well completed her paper before time due to word limit prescribed for long questions.

The question paper of English was easy and nothing was out of syllabus. It was entirely based on the text book. Anyone who had covered the syllabus can score above 90, said Preeti, a teacher of English in Notre dame academy in Patna.

The paper was easier than expected and I could complete the paper in two hours. However , the section B Grammar questions took the maximum time, said Himanshu Srivastava, a student of Gyansthali High School, Patna.

The paper was easy. It wasnt lengthy either, said Manmohan Singh, a student of Kendriya Vidyalaya-2, Jaipur.

Easy. I found the C section (literature) slightly tough, compared with the other two sections, said Vinayak Sharma, a student of Jayshree Periwal High School, Jaipur.

The difficulty level was average, rather the paper was easy. And I was comfortably able to complete it in time, said Kavya Khemka, a student of Maharani Gayatri Devi School, Jaipur.

Gangagurukulam School teachers, too, said that the English question paper was in accordance with the syllabus and student could do well.

Sharmila Mukherjee, senior English teacher at Gangagurukulam School, Allahabad, said,The English question paper for Class 10 was balanced and in accordance to prescribed pattern and syllabus. Even an average student could score well. The paper had long as well as short questions besides story writing, letter writing, reference to context, etc. A long question based on novel was also asked carrying 10 marks.

Rajrani Sengupta, another English teacher of the same school, said that the question paper was on the same pattern which was given to students in two pre board exams held in month of January and February. In the 80 marks question paper, word limit for lengthy questions made students answer well, by managing their time judiciously, she said.

(With inputs from Kenneth John in Allahabad, Nandini in Patna and Salik Ahmad from Jaipur.)Most CBSE Class 10 students termed the question paper of their English examination on Monday as easy, and in accordance with the syllabus. Only a handful interviewed by HT said they found the paper difficult, and couldnt complete it on time.

The English paper was easy and not very lengthy, said Trisha Sajeev, a Class 10 student from Harvest International School, Bengaluru. Most of us finished it with at least 15 minutes to spare and this gave us ample time to review the answer script.

She said the paper came as a welcome relief, considering that the Hindi paper was quite tough.

Kevin Peter of Delhi Public School Bengaluru-East said although the paper was lengthy, it was easy. I made one mistake, but it was overall a very easy examination, he said.

Students in Lucknow found the English question paper more-or-less easy, but said the literature part was time-consuming. Some said the grammar portion was easy, and a lot of it featured questions from sample papers. I would say that the paper was easy. Many of my counterparts didnt feel the same, though, said Fahad Hamid of the Lucknow Public School.

The grammar portion was too easy, but the literature part was hard to crack. It was not only lengthy but tricky as well. Hence, it took lot of time for us to go through the literature portion, said Shreya Sharma, an LPS student.

As the question paper was totally based on sample papers, a majority of the students who mugged them up may score well. But those who ignored them (sample papers) will definitely suffer, said Shah Safura Romi, another student.

CBSE Class 10 students coming out after appearing in their English examination at the Central Acedemy in Lucknow on Monday. (Deepak Gupta/Hindustan Times)

The paper was easy, and the questions were similar to those asked in the pre-board exams, said Vedant Pandey, a student of Gangagurukulam School, Allahabad. Another student of the school Anjum Yadav said she completed her paper well before the prescribed time. The paper was easier than expected and I could complete the paper in two hours. However, the section B Grammar questions took the most time, said Himanshu Srivastava, a student of Gyansthali High School, Patna.

The paper was easy. It wasnt lengthy either, said Manmohan Singh, a student of Kendriya Vidyalaya-2, Jaipur. Vinayak Sharma, a student of the citys Jayshree Periwal High School, said he found the C section (literature) slightly tough, when compared with the other two portions.

The difficulty level was average. And I was able to complete it in time comfortably, said Kavya Khemka, a student of the Maharani Gayatri Devi School, Jaipur.

However, Shruti Agrawal, a Class 10 student of the Sagar Public School in Bhopal, found the examination tricky. Answering some of the questions in the literature section was difficult. The paper was not easy at all, she said.

Manish Arora, a Class 10 student at Central School, Bhopal, said, I found the exam paper a mix of difficult and easy questions. I completed my paper on time as it was not a lengthy one.

Teachers speak

Teachers also said that the English question paper was in accordance with the syllabus.

Sharmila Mukherjee, a senior English teacher at Gangagurukulam School, Allahabad, said,The English question paper for Class 10 was balanced and in accordance with the prescribed pattern. Even an average student could score well. The paper had long as well as short questions besides story writing, letter writing, reference to context, etc. A long question carrying 10 marks was also asked.

Rajrani Sengupta, another English teacher of the same school, said the paper was a reflection of the pre-board exams held in January and February. The word limitations of the 80-mark question paper helped students manage their time judiciously, she said.

Latha L, a teacher at Harvest International School, Bengaluru, who was invigilating at the centre, said some students finished the paper with 45 minutes to spare. Those I spoke to said it was a very easy paper, although some questions were puzzling, she said.

A few students faced some difficulty understanding some of the questions, but the exam paper was overall straight and balanced. Students who studied well can hope for good marks, said Jayshree Kanwar, a teacher at Sagar Public School, Bhopal.

The question paper of English was easy and nothing was out of the syllabus. It was entirely based on the textbook. Anyone who covered the syllabus can score over 90, said Preeti, a teacher of English at Patnas Notre Dame Academy.

(With inputs from Vikram Gopal in Bengaluru, Oliver Fredrick in Lucknow, Shruti Tomar in Bhopal, Kenneth John in Allahabad, Nandini in Patna and Salik Ahmad from Jaipur.)Hillary Clinton sure knows how to get the buzz going. Before arriving in Madhya Pradesh for a three-day visit on Sunday, the former first lady has already wowed us with three stunning ensembles, each one better, and more Indian, than the last.

Clinton kicked off her India trip on a stylish note in an elegant two-toned kurta with an asymmetrical hem by designer Payal Khandwala, paired with simple black pumps, for the India Today Conclave in Mumbai on Saturday.

A post shared by Koel Purie (@koel.purie) on Mar 10, 2018 at 6:40am PST

While Clinton has never been particularly interested in fashion, and even made self-deprecating jokes about her pantsuits, on her India tour she seems more inclined to sporting bold and colourful looks. And shes choosing Indian designers to switch up her style.

For her second outing in Mumbai over the weekend, Clinton was spotted shopping at Khandwalas flagship store in another Indian label, this time a breezy red bandhini shrug from Grassroot by Anita Dongre. She wore the statement making piece with an all-black pants-top combo and a minimalist layered chain necklace for casual cool vibes. How fashion-forward of her.

A post shared by payalkhandwala (@payalkhandwala) on Mar 11, 2018 at 10:53pm PDT

On Monday, the designer took to Instagram to post a photo with Clinton, with which she wrote, This happens!! A visit from @hillaryclinton this phenomenal woman and a personal hero! Thrilled to have had the honour to share stories with a lady that has empowered and inspired a generation of women to be strong and to stand up for what they believe in!!



According to a report, Khandwala shared a chocolate cake and books for Clintons grandchildren and the two spoke about feminism, women being in positions of power, and raising daughters, amongst other things.

She likes to wear colours so we sent her a mix of kurtas, shirts and our pleated looks. I was in New York when she was campaigning for President and despite her loss, she carried herself with such grace  I am such a fan, meeting her was a big highlight for me personally, Vogue India quoted Khandwala as saying.

A post shared by Hillary Rodham Clinton (@hrc_lovex) on Mar 11, 2018 at 11:27pm PDT

On Sunday, Clinton wore her third Indian outfit  a modest royal blue kurta with cream embroidery and a high neck collar  at Indore.

Three days, three equally head-turning ensembles. We cant wait to see what Clinton wears next.

Follow @htlifeandstyle for moreThey can make test-tube babies, grow human eggs in a lab and reproduce mice from frozen testicle tissue, but when it comes to knowing how a mans sperm can swim to, find and fertilize an egg, scientists are still floundering. Enormous advances in treating infertility in recent decades have helped couples conceive longed-for offspring they previously would not have had.

Yet this progress has also been a work-around for a major part of the problem: Sperm counts are falling drastically worldwide - and have been doing so for decades  and scientists say their honest answer to why is: We dont know. Infertility is a significant global health problem, with specialists estimating that as many as one in six couples worldwide are affected. In more than half of those cases, experts say, the underlying problem is in the male. Most of the focus of infertility research has been on women, however: on what can reduce their fertility and on how that can be averted, compensated for or corrected with treatment. While this approach has produced results - and babies - it has also left male infertility scientifically sidelined.

Treatments such as in-vitro fertilisation (IVF) and intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI), where the sperm is placed into the egg rather than next to it, bypass the male problem rather than treating it, said Richard Sharpe, professor at the University of Edinburghs centre for reproductive health. The treatments - some of them quite invasive - are to the female partner. So the female is having to bear the burden of the males sub-fertility ...(And at the same time), we have a very crude snapshot of what is going on in the male.

More funding is needed to decipher what makes men infertile. (Shutterstock)

We know that sperm counts are dependent on high levels of testosterone, and there is some knowledge of links between sperm count and infertility, experts say. But beyond these basics, sperms intricacies remain largely undiscovered. Without understanding the biology of how normal sperm work, we cant possibly understand how they dont work, or how to correct the problem, Sarah Martins Da Silva, a reproductive medicine specialist at the University of Dundee told a London briefing this week. Sperm counts in men from America, Europe, Australia and New Zealand have dropped by more than 50 percent in less than 40 years, according to pooled research published last year, described by one of its authors as an urgent wake-up call for further investigation.

Still in the 1950s

Experts say that to address the basic unanswered clinical and scientific questions in andrology - the study of male reproductive health - would require research ranging from large, ideally international, epidemiological studies to detailed lab work to decipher exactly how sperm cells function. Allan Pacey, a senior lecturer in andrology at Britains Sheffield University, said even at a basic level - the diagnosis of a possible male fertility problem - the science is lagging. The techniques of sperm analysis - examining ejaculate under a microscope, counting the sperm, assessing how well they swim, and seeing what they look like - were invented in the 1950s, he said. And we are still doing the same thing now.

So while estimates suggest as many 1 in 20 young men now have sperm counts low enough to impair fertility, that remains educated assumption, rather than data from specific studies. The quality of evidence we have got in this area falls way behind that of other branches of medicine, Pacey said. Attracting funding for fundamental research into possible environmental impacts on sperm counts - chemical exposure, for example, or smoking, obesity, or sport and exercise - is tricky, partly because such studies need vast numbers of people, take many years and may not give clear answers.

In the competitive world of grant funding, there is a view that male infertility is a problem solved, Sharpe said. We have ICSI. OK, this doesnt fix the problem in the affected men, but it treats the symptoms, and thats good enough. So from an urgency and priority perspective, its easy to downgrade when compared to cancer, obesity or cardiovascular disease. Comprehensive European or global data on funding going to male fertility research are not available, but in Britain, for example, only around 3.6 percent of the Medical Research Council Populations and Systems panel budget was provided for male infertility research from 2014 to 2017.

Pacey told Reuters he has a filing cabinet full of failed applications over the years and Sharpe noted that once research falls behind, future studies have less to build on. If youre not producing sexy research thats going to come up with a magic bullet, then people are not going to give you the money, he said.

Follow @htlifeandstyle for moreThe Northern Peripheral Road (NPR), popularly known as the Dwarka Expressway, will be constructed in five phases, Union minister Rao Inderjit Singh said in New Delhi on Monday after meeting members of an association that demanded speedy completion of the key road that promises to decongest the city hit by massive influx of in-transit vehicles.

The final notification for acquiring land in New Delhi for the Expressway has been issued. The NHAI (National Highways Authority of India) will soon start the process of acquiring land and construct the expressway in five phases, Singh said.

The minister said that in the first phase, a 5.3km stretch will be constructed from Shiv Murti, located adjacent to the Delhi-Gurgaon Expressway in New Delhi, to the railway underbridge (RUB) in Dwarka.

In the second phase, a 4.2 km stretch from the RUB to the New Delhi-Haryana border would be built, followed by a 10.2 km stretch from New Delhi-Haryana border to the Basai railway overbridge (ROB), and then a 7.9km stretch from the Basai ROB to the Kherki Daula toll plaza in phase 4. The final phase will be approximately 4km long and connect the IGI Airport to the NPR.

However, the minister did not divulge any details on the timeline for the commencement or estimated completion of the entire project.

The announcement by Singh was made during an interaction with members of DXP Welfare Association, a group of homebuyers who have stake in residential areas on the stretch. DXP is short for Dwarka Expressway.

On Friday, Singh had said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi will soon lay the foundation stone for the Dwarka Expressway. However, the minister did not mention a date or time span for when the foundation stone would be laid.

During the meeting, association members informed Singh that the issues of delay in completing the expressway need to be addressed at the earliest as it affects two lakh homebuyers.

The Union minister assured that all the hurdles affecting speedy completion of the stretch, especially in Gurgaon, are being tackled on priority and that these issues will be resolved soon.

Singh added that he is in constant consultation with the Prime Minister and Union urban development, road transport and highways minister Nitin Gadkari regarding the project.

On Wednesday, Gadkari had also made an announcement similar to Singhs in New Delhi stating that Modi will soon lay the foundation stone for the Dwarka Expressway.

The Haryana urban development authority had announced the Dwarka Expressway project in 2007. The NHAI took over the project from Huda in October 2016, but also found themselves stuck over litigation issues affecting land in New Palam Vihar. This has held up the completion of the expressway.

Until the land transfer, NHAIs tender to start construction of a 10km elevated road between Delhi border and the Basai ROB will remain on hold.

With the project hanging fire, lakhs of homebuyers, who have invested in residential complexes along the expressway, have been demanding that the project be put on fast track.

Eleven years in the making

The Northern Peripheral Road Expressway project was announced in 2007

The total length of the Northern Peripheral Road Expressway is 29km

Road length in Haryana is 18.9km, and 10.1km is in New Delhi

The NPR has been extended to the National Highway near Shiv Murti in Mahipalpur, New Delhi

With this, the estimate project cost has been revised to 7,000cr

Other engineering projects on the stretch: Three lane service road; railway overbridge, 10 underpasses and four interchange junctions at Shiv Murti, SPR, Dwarka and Sector 84/88 road in Manesar.A group representing oustees of the Northern Peripheral Road (NPR) met Chander Shekhar Khare, administrator of the Haryana urban development authority (Huda), on Monday demanding compensation as per the 2015 policy.

Provision in the 2015 policy were agreed upon by the oustees and the Huda administration, and signed in the presence of the Punjab and Haryana high court to settle dispute over allotment of alternate plots and compensation to all owners-and-oustees whose lands falls in the NPR alignment at New Palam Vihar.

The 2015 policy, better known as the final terms of settlement (FTS), mentioned that Huda will compensate all ousteesregistry holders, and holders of general and special power of attorney (GPA/SPA).

Huda, however, has failed to compensate GPA and SPA oustees, and the matter is pending in the high court. The GPA/SPA holders claim they dont yet have a word of assurance from the Huda on compensation. The high court is expected to hear the matter pertaining to GPA-SPA holders on March 13.

Mondays meeting comes after Huda staff pasted notices, at various places in New Palam Vihar on Friday, asking oustees to vacate their plots. Recently, Khare had also said it would approach the Supreme Court to vacate stay on acquisition of land from GPA/SPA holders.

Lalit Kumar, an oustee, said, The Huda staff came to warn us all and that created panic in the area. We have requested Huda administrator to give us compensation as per the FTS.

Rishi Raj Rana, one of the oustees, said, The Huda enforcement wing on Friday made an announcement and pasted notice at places in New Palam Vihar asking us (oustees) to vacate our plots at the earliest. Huda has compensated 30 oustees with original registry till date with alternative plots at Sector 110-A. Rest of the oustees, like us, are still waiting for compensation. How can Huda send us notices to vacate (before giving us compensation)? We have appealed to the Huda administrator for compensation and he has assured help.

Khare said, I have spoken with Huda legal team. The NPR is a national project and has been tied up in litigation for long.

Work is stalled in a 1.4 km portion in New Palam Vihar and a 500 metre portion at Kherki Daula due to a litigation related to land acquisition. The Huda has completed 16.6 km of NPR and it handed over the project to the NHAI in October 2016.

Now, the NPR has been extended to the National Highway near Shiv Murti, Mahipalpur, in New Delhi.

The NHAI has planned an elevated road on the NPR, between the Delhi border and the Basai flyover, and is waiting for the Huda to hand over land at New Palam Vihar and Kherki Daula at the earliest to finish the project.Four days after the farewell of former MCG chief at the disputed banquet hall in the Huda Gymkhana Club caused a controversy, the tent house owner who runs the commercial establishment rented the space for the marriage ceremony of cabinet minister Rao Narbir Singhs son on Sunday. The ceremony was attended by CM Manohar Lal Khattar.

The banquet hall has been in a dispute since members of the Huda Gymkhana Club filed a complaint with Gurgaon divisional commissioner D Suresh on October 24 stating that urban development authority had awarded tender to Billu Tent House to construct a banquet hall on a two-acre open space.

The club members alleged the tender was allotted without following due process of calling an open tender. Finding merit in the complaint, D Suresh had asked Huda to demolish the banquet hall.The Haryana urban development authority (Huda) had allotted the land for nine years for 35 lakh.

This (renting of space) amounts to contempt of court. On February 3, I had ordered Huda to demolish the banquet hall, but the tent house owner managed to obtain a stay against my demolition order. The banquet hall is disputed, and the matter is pending with the Punjab and Haryana high court. Till the matter is sub judice, Billu cannot hold any function there. I will seek a report from Huda, Suresh said.

The Huda officials, however, are tight-lipped over how Billu was allowed to rent the space for the high-profile ceremony on Sunday.

Huda administrator Chander Shekhar Khare refused to comment on the matter.

On condition of anonymity, a senior Huda official said that after Billu lost the case in trial and sessions courts, he had moved the high court for relief on February 2, but the high court also rejected his plea.

After the high court refused to grant relief to Billu on February 2, D Suresh on February 3 asked Huda to demolish the banquet hall. Huda sent demolition notice to Billu who moved petition for relief in high court. Huda did not contest the relief petition properly with malafide intention to help Billu, who then managed to obtain a stay on demolition, Abhay Jain, a member of the club who is also complainant in the matter, said.

This is a clear case of corruption in the Haryana government unfortunately at the cost of public loot, Jain said, adding that the next hearing in the matter is on March 20.

Booking done in the disputed banquet hall is illegal, immoral and against the spirit of the law, RTI activist Harinder Dhingra said.

Virender Yadav, owner of Billu Tent House, did not respond to repeated messages and calls for comment.Actor Elizabeth Hurleys nephew Miles was stabbed multiple times in London.The 21-year-old model, who is the son of the actors sister, Kate Curran, was wounded multiple times on a street in Nine Elms, South West London at around 8 pm on March 8.

The Metropolitan Police confirmed to The Mirror.com that they were called at 8:52 pm to Ascalon Street following reports of a stabbing. The officials, however, did not reveal names of victims.

Police were called at 20:52hrs on Thursday, 8 March to Ascalon Street, SW8 following reports of a stabbing. Officers attended with the London Ambulance Service (LAS). A 21-year-old man was discovered with stab wounds.

Another man, also believed to be aged 21, was also found suffering from stab wounds. They were both taken by LAS to a south London hospital where their conditions are described as not life-threatening or life-changing, the statement to the publication read.

The officials say the men are believed to have been attacked by a group of males (no further details) who got out of a vehicle and assaulted them before fleeing the scene. The investigation is underway.

Hurley took to Twitter to confirm the news and rushed back to London to be by his side. The actor was in the US to promote her show.

My 21 year old nephew was repeatedly stabbed in a brutal attack in London on Thursday night. The police & hospital are being fantastic. Thank you for all your messages. It is an appalling time for him & our family. The police will be appealing for witnesses.  Elizabeth Hurley (@ElizabethHurley) March 10, 2018

My 21-year-old nephew was repeatedly stabbed in a brutal attack in London on Thursday night. The police and hospital are being fantastic. Thank you for all your messages. It is an appalling time for him and our family. The police will be appealing for witnesses, she wrote.

Follow @htshowbiz for moreSangam Prasain is Business Editor at The Kathmandu Post, covering tourism, agriculture, mountaineering, aviation, infrastructure and other economic affairs. He joined The Kathmandu Post in October 2009.The March 23 Rajya Sabha elections suddenly became more interesting with the Bharatiya Janata Party deciding to contest more seats than it is certain of winning, leveraging its excess votes and hoping that it can sway dissidents from some of the other parties to vote for its candidates.

Thus, it is looking for a ninth seat in Uttar Pradesh (where it is assured of 8), a fourth in

Maharashtra (where it is assured of three), and a third in Gujarat (where it is assured of two).

The BJPs aggression is certain to upset the math of its rivals, and possibly drive a wedge between potential alliances in some states.

Interestingly, the BJPs push for an extra Rajya Sabha seat in UP came even as Samajwadi Party leader Naresh Agrawal joined the saffron party after being denied another term in the Rajya Sabha by his own party. One of his aides Anil Agrawal is contesting the ninth seat in the state as a BJP candidate.



Naresh Agrawal said his son, a member of the UP assembly, would vote in favour of the BJP in the coming Rajya Sabha elections.

The BJPs aggression is based on the surplus votes it has in each state.

In Uttar Pradesh, where a Rajya Sabha candidate needs 37 votes to be elected, the BJP has 311 members (324 for the NDA). Of this, 296 votes will get 8 candidates elected. That leaves it with 18 extra votes. Party leaders say, on this basis, they need 10 more votes. They are hoping Naresh Agrawals contacts in other parties will help.

Interestingly, Anil Agrawal is one of the three candidates the BJP fielded on Monday, which means it has 11 candidates for nine seats.

It is likely two will withdraw and that Anil Agrawal will fight it out for the ninth seat.

In Gujarat, where the BJP is assured of two of its candidates winning, it has fielded a third, former state minister Kiritsinh Rana. The Congress is confident of winning two seats but the BJP hopes it can leave the former with only one.

Deputy chief minister Nitin Patel said his party has fielded an extra candidate to benefit from discontentment from some Congress legislators over the selection of the partys own Rajya Sabha candidates. A Rajya Sabha candidate from Gujarat needs 38 votes to be elected. The BJP has 99 members in the house. That leaves it with 23 extra votes.

The BJPs aggression is Amit Shahs style of politics, a party leader said on condition of anonymity. We are short in the Rajya Sabha and it is natural that we try and win every extra seat, this person added.

The NDA currently has 83 members in the 245-member Rajya Sabha, with the BJP alone having 58 seats (there are seven vacancies in the house).

It is expected to have at least 92 members after the elections to the 59 seats across 17 states on March 23, but it could end up with a few more if its gambit of going for bust works.

Indeed, the BJP is chancing its luck even in Maharashtra where it has no surplus votes.

In the state, where a candidate for the Rajya Sabha needs 42 votes to win, the BJP has 122 members in the house and can ensure the victory of three candidates. It has fielded Vijaya Rahatkar, the chairperson of the State Women Commission as its fourth candidate. The strategy about the fourth candidate will be revealed at the appropriate time, BJP state chief Raosaheb Danve said. The BJP has an uneasy relationship with its long-term ally the Shiv Sena, which has 63 members in the house, leaving it with a surplus of 21 after having one of its candidates elected. A Shiv Sena member said the BJP cant take its support for granted.The Lok Sabha was disrupted on Monday amid continuing protests by the opposition over the Punjab National Bank (PNB) fraud and other issues, forcing Speaker Sumitra Mahajan to adjourn the House till noon.

Within minutes after it met, members from various parties trooped near the Speakers podium, raising slogans on different issues, including the banking irregularities.

Congress members were seen raising slogans demanding that Nirav Modi, the key accused in the PNB fraud case, be brought back to India.

Mahajan tried to take up the Question Hour -- but in vain because of the din. She then adjourned the House till noon.

Last week, both the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha failed to transact any business.

The Budget Session of the Parliament, which had resumed on March 5, was washed out for the entire week as opposition parties and some ruling NDA allies continued their unrelenting protests over various issues, including the banking scam, a special package to Andhra Pradesh and the Cauvery water dispute.The death of nine trekkers in Tamil Nadus Theni district was a tragedy waiting to happen with rising forest fires emerging as a threat to environment and life in the state and across the country.

In Tamil Nadu alone, the number of reported forest fires has increased from 89 in 2013 to 301 in 2017. In the same period, forest fires almost doubled in India, from 18,451 in 2013 to 35,888 in 2017.

The trend is driven in part by better reporting, but also increasing average temperatures across India, particularly in Tamil Nadu, and dry foliage because of lack of rainfall, according to experts.

The year we get less winter rainfall, the summer temperatures are higher, forests become highly prone to fires especially those that are near human habitation, said Amit Kumar Verma, a researcher at the Forest Research Institute.

Tamil Nadu has seen both rising temperatures and dry conditions. Between 1951 and 2010, increases in average maximum, minimum and mean temperatures were among the highest in Tamil Nadu compared to other states in India, shows data from India Meteorological Department.

Read | Tamil Nadu forest fire: No permission for expedition, says CM Palaniswami

Theni district, where the deaths took place, has witnessed persistent deficits in winter rainfall over the past few years. The frequency of forest fires increases in March and April, as per an analysis by howindialives.

The district of Theni, where the fire occurred on Sunday, has experienced 129 fires according to FSI database. Tamil Nadu as a whole has experienced 2471 fires between March 2017 and March 2018

There was no satellite-based forest fire alert, Siddhanta Das, Director General forests, said.  More importantly, the group of trekkers did not have permission from the forest department to enter the reserved forests.

Das said that he found it surprising that a group of women trekkers went into a forest with little knowledge and no permission from the authorities.

More than 90% of fires in India are caused by humans, intentionally or unintentionally, senior officials at the forest department said. However, the human interference is only a trigger. The presence of fuel in the form of dry wood, and leaves are what sustains forest fires and make them dangerous and at times fatal. There is also a spike in forest fire incidents every three years because of an accumulation of fuel load.

Our forest department is not well prepared to fight the fires, Verma said. He also pointed to the fact that community rights of people over forests are not recognised, so local communities have fewer incentives to protect the forests.

The apex green tribunal had asked the government to formulate a National Forest Fire policy in view of the gravity of the situation. There is no such policy being formulated at the moment, CK Mishra, environment secretary, said.Each basic version of the Rafale jet would cost Rs 670 crore, the government informed the Rajya Sabha on Monday even as the Opposition looked keen to corner the Centre on the $8.7- billion aircraft deal with France.

Responding to a question in the House, minister of state for defence, Subhash Bhamre said, the per unit price of the jet, manufactured by French aircraft manufacturer Dassault Aviation, did not cover associated equipment, weapons package, India-specific enhancements, maintenance support and services. Bhamre had stated the same amount as the cost of the jet in the Lower House two years ago.

The Rafales, ordered by the government in September 2016, would be equipped with latest weapons and tailored for Indian needs, which accounts for bulk of the overall cost.

India-specific enhancements in the jet include helmet-mounted sight, radar warning receivers, flight data recorders with enough storage for 10 hours, infra-red search and track systems, jammers, cold engine start capability to operate in Leh, towed decoys to lure incoming missiles away and missile approach warning system, people familiar with the deal said.

The Congress last week alleged that the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led Union government had caused a loss of Rs 12,632 crore to the public exchequer by inking the Rafale deal. Quoting figures from Dassault Aviations March 8 annual report, the opposition party alleged said India had paid Rs 351 crore more for each jet than other Rafale customers such as Egypt and Qatar.

However, Dassault Aviation CEO Eric Trappier said in an interview that the Rafale contract was a very clean deal conforming to Indian and French laws and those raising questions about it had misinterpreted figures to conclude that India ordered expensive warplanes.Naeem Fazili used a Facebook post to warn his son Eisa that he was playing with fire by joining militants in Kashmir. He should return home, Naeem wrote a few months ago. On Monday, he wrote on Facebook about Eisas death in a gunfight with security forces. The warning had come true.

Eisa, the alleged killer of a policeman in Srinagar last month, was killed in an encounter with security forces early morning on Monday in south Kashmir's Anantnag district along with two other accomplices.

"As per reliable sources, my son Eisa Fazili has left for heavenly abode," wrote Naeem, a school principal, followed by an Islamic text about death.

Later in the morning, as preparations from Eisa's funeral was underway, Naeem wrote, "It is for the information of all nears and dears (sic) that Nimaaz-e-Jinaaza of my son Mohammad Eisa Fazili who left for heavenly abode today will be held at 3 pm sharp near his residence at Sharjah Ground, 90 Feet Road, Ahmednagar, Srinagar."

People shout slogans near the body of slain militant Eesa Fazili during his funeral procession in Srinagar on Monday. (Waseem Andrabi /HT Photo)

A black-and-white Islamic flag  commonly used by the terror outfit Islamic State  was put over Eisa's body, even as his association with the outfit remains under investigation. The IS in fact had claimed responsibility for the killing of the police constable in which Eisa was the alleged attacker.

Please return: Father had posted earlier

But this was not Naeem's first tyrst with Facebook regarding his son's joining militancy.

Last year, days after Eisa had joined the militant ranks, Naeem had posted: "Eisa, your innocence is being exploited by some vested interests. You are being used as a pawn or a poster boy. I swear you are not on the right track in the light of Quran and Sunnah. Please dont play with fire. Return as early as possible. Your mum is wandering hither and thither with your belongings in hands. Mind it, one can never succeed in the absence of prayers of his parents."

Eisa's funeral saw a large turnout of people. Reports said that pro-Azaadi slogans were shouted and at some places, people clashed with the security forces. Many parts of Srinagar observed spontaneous shutdown, while authorities imposed restrictions and curbed mobile internet in the city.

People shout slogans near the body of slain militant Eesa Fazili during his funeral procession in Srinagar on Monday. (Waseem Andrabi /HT Photo)

Naeem's pleas however went unanswered and on Monday, only Eisa's body returned home.

Last year, Fazili had appeared in a video circulated on social media at the time of Eid. Using Islamic terminologies, Fazili gave the reasons behind picking up the gun. Political observers say his speech in the video revealed Fazili was ideologically driven by an Islamist narrative and was affected by the "atrocities on Muslims" across the world and particularly in Kashmir.Former first lady of the US Hillary Clinton, who is on a three-day visit to Madhya Pradesh, landed at the Indore airport Sunday night by a special plane.

After her stay at Maheshwar in neighbouring Khargone district, Clinton would visit historical places in the area and also see Mandu in Dhar district on Monday. She would leave for Jodhpur on Tuesday morning, according to official sources in Indore.

Elaborate security arrangements have been made during the former first ladys visit.India continued to be the largest weapons importer in the world over the last five years and arms exports from the United States to the country jumped 557% in 2013-17 as compared to 2008-12, a Stockholm-based think tank said in a report released on Monday.

Indias overall imports climbed 24% in the five-year period, accounting for nearly 12% of all global imports, reported the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), according to whose findings India has been the largest weapons importer for over a decade despite the thrust since 2014 under the Make in India mission to build indigenously.

India spent more than $100 billion on buying new weapons and systems during 2008-17, with imports accounting for around 60-65% of the countrys military requirements. India has inked a raft of contracts during the last decade for fighter jets, special operations aircraft, submarine hunter planes, lightweight howitzers, artillery guns and other weapons and systems.

Russia, the countrys top arms supplier, accounted for 62% Indias arms imports in 201317, followed by the US (15%) and Israel (11%), the report said.

Despite its continuing tensions with India and ongoing internal conflicts, Pakistans imports fell by 36% between 2008-12 and 2013-17, with country accounting for 2.8% of global arms imports in the last five years, the report said.

Washington is supplying fewer weapons to Islamabad, the report revealed. Pakistans imports from the US dropped by 76% between 2013-17 and 2008-12, but it was the main recipient of Chinese weapons between 2013-17.

Last month, India allocated Rs 2.95 lakh crore for military spending during 2018-19, a modest hike of 7.8% over last years budget of Rs 2.74 lakh crore. The budget includes a capital outlay of Rs 99,563 crore for buying new weapons and systems, up from Rs 86,488 crore. But Indias defence spending continues to be on the decline measured against its GDP. This year it has slipped to just 1.57% of the GDP.

Reacting to the report, military affairs expert Air Vice Marshal Kapil Kak (retd) said: While there is awareness that India needs to indigenise on fast-track, our perpetual problem has been a lack of strategic culture of defence industry build up. Only if we move proactively, can we crack the code.A special Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) court on Friday sent Karti Chidamabaram, son of former Finance Minister P Chidambaram, to judicial custody till March 24 in connection with the INX Media corruption case. Karti , who was arrested on February 28 from Chennai airport, was produced before the trial court on the expiry of his police remand.

While CBI today did not press for further custody of Karti, his lawyers filed a bail application and also moved the court requesting a separate room and bathroom for Karti in case the judge decides to send the accused to jail.

After hearing arguments of the both sides, Kartis bail application was dismissed by special CBI judge Sunil Rana stating that Kartis bail plea, that was moved by senior Advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi last week, was scheduled to be heard on March 15.

Karti was then taken to Tihar jail by officials of CBI. However later in the day his lawyers moved the Delhi High Court seeking his bail. A bench of Acting Chief Justice Gita Mittal and Justice C Hari Shankar said the matter would be heard on Tuesday.

Back in the trial court, the probe agency told the court today that they no longer required Kartis custody as the accused, throughout his questioning, was evasive and non-cooperative.The probe agency told the court that there is sufficient material clearly implicating the accused in the serious economic offence, it is absolutely necessary that accused me be remanded to judicial custody .

Representing Karti , Senior Advocate Dayan Krishnan requested the court that his client should be considered a security prisoner if he was being sent to judicial custody. Krishnan told the court that Karti should be provided a separate room and not be made to use the common bathroom as he was at security risk.

Krishnan said that Kartis father, P Chidambaram,had been Indias union Home Minister, and during his tenure a lot of suspected terrorists and other individuals involved in terrorist violence were arrested of whom some might be in Tihar as well. Krishnan said this posed a genuine security threat to Karti at the hands of individuals who have been detained on charges of terrorism during P Chidambarams stint as Home Minister.

Opposing the security application, the CBI argued that while there may be a threat to P Chidambaram, no threat lies to Karti or his family members, as they continue to travel around the country at free will.

The apprehension raised by the senior counsel for accused cannot be ignored keeping in view the social status of accused and his family, more specifically, his father who is a former union minister.

However, only keeping in view the fact of social status of accused and his father, he cannot be treated different from other accused persons and cannot be allowed to be kept in separate prison. However, lock up in-charge and jail superintendent are directed to provide and ensure proper security and safety to accused during judicial custody, as per rules, the court said.Less than a week after the Karnataka Lokayukta Vishwanath Shetty was stabbed in his chamber, a letter by the IPS Officers (Karnataka) Association, indicting state governments handling of police forces, created political flutter in the state.

In a letter dated March 8, a day after Shetty was attacked, the associations president Rajeev Pratap Sharma called on chief secretary Ratna Prabha seeking her intervention and called the recent spate of attacks a security lapse.

I am sure if stronger and professional mechanism had existed, such happenings could have been avoided, Sharma said in the letter.

He cited four other recent incidents-- including the attempt by a Congress worker to set fire to a Bengaluru corporation office and the assault by Mohammed Nalapad, son of Congress MLA NA Haris, on a youth at an upscale restaurant in the city-- as manifestation of a pattern of the growing problem.

This all indicates a serious chink in the armour of the security fabric and even senior public servants like the Lokayukta... are victim of these attacks in an environment which could be presumed very safe in normal circumstances, Sharma said.

Calling the police in the state a pale shadow of its past, Sharma laid the blame on the frequent transfers, saying the tenure of senior IPS officers in a particular posting was being reduced to a year. He has also alleged that officers have been punished for discharging their duties, adding that he would cite individual examples in a meeting with Prabha.

The recent attack on the... Lokayukta clearly indicates that the police officers are only fulfilling their contractual obligations to people in power and not discharging their statutory duty or Constitutional obligation, to which they are duty-bound, Sharma said.

After the letter was made public by senior BJP leader S Suresh Kumar on Sunday, the state government went into a damage-control exercise.

The chief ministers office claimed that the association has dissociated itself from the letter.

In a release it said the secretary of the association, Pronab Mohanty, had called chief minister Siddaramaiah and informed him that the views expressed in the letter were personal and that Sharma had not discussed the matter with the association.

Sources in the home department, too, played down the significance of the letter, questioning its timing.

We have been reassured by the association that the letter was written in Sharmas personal capacity and that it should be treated as such, a senior official said, speaking on the condition of anonymity.

The BJP, which has been conducting a rally called the Bengaluru Rakshisi (Protect Bengaluru) Yatra highlighting the alleged breakdown of law and order in the city, on the other hand came down heavily on the state government.

Each and every sentence in the letter, I am sure, will be endorsed by every citizen of Karnataka. The letter has raised very relevant issues at a very vital time, Suresh Kumar said.

Saying that the police system was under strain, Kumar said no government had the right to destroy the administration in a bid to protect its leaders.

Bengaluru city getting six police commissioners in four years is a telling comment on the system in Karnataka, Kumar said, urging the chief secretary to agree for the meeting with Sharma at the earliest.

Ratna Prabha said she had just received the letter and would look into the matter.

I will review the letter and take a decision in consultation with the government, she said, adding that a decision on the meeting would be taken soon.Tens of thousands of farmers protested in Mumbai on Monday after walking more than a hundred kilometres to demand better crop prices and land rights. The farmers, wearing red caps and carrying red flags, arrived in the city following a six-day trek from Nashik, situated 165 kilometres north of the financial capital.

Farmers and farm workers who have Kisan Long March want proper implementation of Maharashtras loan waivers, implementation of the 2006 Forest Rights Act, implementation of the Swaminathan Commissions recommendations, compensation for crop damage and fixed prices for agricultural produce.

Droughts and poor monsoon has exacerbated agrarian crises across states in India, leading to farmer protests. Last year saw several farmer agitations across Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana and Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. Here are some of the prominent farmer protests:

Six killed in farmer protests in MP

When and where: Mandsaur in Madhya Pradesh was the epicentre of protests in June 2017.

What was the issue: Farmers demanded better prices for produce and loan waivers in drought-ravaged regions of the state that recorded a farm suicide every five hours in 2016-17. Farmers were angry because the government neither made arrangements to procure the crop on time nor intervened to ensure a reasonable price.

What happened: From June 1, angry farmers dumped produce and milk on the street to demand debt forgiveness and better prices for their produce. They also blocked highways, preventing delivery trucks from reaching city markets. Prices of fresh produce more than doubled in cities including the state capital, Mumbai.

Toll: Five farmers were killed in Pipalia town in Mandsaur district, several others were injured in clashes with the police on June 6.

The outcome: The protests were called off on June 11 after talks with Madhya Pradesh chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan. Chouhan announced that the MP government will procure onions at a cost of Rs 8 per kg as well as a Rs 1000 crore price stabilisation fund in scenarios where prices destabilise following bumper crop.

Farmer dump milk, block highways in Maharashtra

When: June and August 2017. The strike started in Ahmednagar district on June 1, but protests soon spread to Nashik, Kolhapur, Sangli, Solapur, Nanded and Jalgaon.

What was the issue: Maharasthra saw a wave of farmer protests in 2016 and 2017, as poor monsoon and rising suicides fuelled demands for loan waivers and fair crop price.

What happened: Farmers took to the streets and shut down wholesale markets, vegetable prices went up considerably besides the state facing shortage of milk. Farmers even dumped produce and milk on the street, and blocked highways while preventing delivery trucks from reaching city markets.Protests turned violent when delivery trucks were vandalised in several districts of Maharashtra.

The outcome: In the face of relentless protests, Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis promised a loan waiver, worth Rs 30,000 crores to small and marginal farmers. In August, farmers resumed protests for an unconditional loan waiver, rejecting the one the government had offered.

Farmers from Tamil Nadu hold skulls as they hold a demonstration in Jantar Mantar in New Delhi. (Sonu Mehta/HT Photo)

Tamil Nadu farmers shock Delhi with skull and bones protest

When and Where: In April and July 2017, a group of farmers from Tamil Nadu stationed themselves at Delhis Jantar Mantar .

What was the issue: The Tamil Nadu government declared a drought in the state after the India Meteorological Department (IMD) stated that the northeast monsoon in 2016 was the worst in 140 years. Farmers claimed that their crops were ruined in the drought and the subsequent Cyclone Vardah, and are still reeling under its adverse effects.The protesting farmers demanded loan waivers, revised drought packages, a Cauvery Management Committee, and fair prices for their products, among other things.

What happened: The farmers employed shocking ways to protest, making the national capital sit up and take notice. Clad in green loincloths, the farmers shaved their heads and half their moustaches, put mice and snakes in their mouths, conducted mock funerals, flogged themselves, stripped at Raisina Hill, and carried skulls of farmers who committed suicide due to debt pressure.

The outcome: The protests were called off after a meeting with Tamil Nadu chief minister Edappadi Palaniswami who promised to write off loans from nationalised banks and offer a revised drought package.

Rajasthan farmers hold sit-in protests

When and where: In September 2017, thousands of farmers in Shekhawati area of north Rajasthan staged a sit-in lasting two weeks, demanding loan waivers,among other things.

What was the issue: The farmers had 11 demands, including crop loan waiver, purchase of crops at minimum support price (MSP), increasing farmers pension from Rs 500 to Rs 5,000, tackling the menace of stray cattle, removing the ban on the sale of cattle imposed by the state government and implementation of the Swaminathan commission recommendations.

What happened: Farmers were crippled by losses and debts due to 80% of crops being destroyed by unseasonal rain and the government not buying produce at MSP. Link roads and national highway 52 were blocked by the farmers and there were reports of daily essentials such as milk and vegetables being sold at high prices.

Toll: Reports of lathicharge by police in Jhunjhunu and of a person being crushed under a tractor in Sikar.

The outcome: Rajasthan government announced a Rs 20,000 crore farm-loan waiver after talks with the farmers, after which they withdrew protests.

Farmers from across India unite in Delhi

When and where: In November 2017, thousands of farmers from Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, and Telangana gathered at Delhis Ram Lila Maidan under the umbrella of All India Kisan Sangharsh Coordination Committee (AIKSCC).

What was the issue: Farmers affiliated with 184 different groups had joined hands to press demands for fair crop prices and loan waivers. They also demanded an increase in the minimum support price (MSP) to 1.5 times its present rate and better water management.

What happened: Demonstrators marched to Delhis Parliament Street, organised a women farmers parliament to highlight farm distress and suicides. A kisan sansad, or farmers parliament, comprising members from over 25 states, also appealed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to end rural distress. demanding

Toll: No reports of injuries or deaths.

The outcome: Farmers demand becomes national talking point.

Andhra Pradesh chilli farmers ruined

When and where: In April 2017, farmers in Andhra Pradesh who had invested in production of chillies burnt their produce as a mark of protest as chilli prices fell to a record low.

What was the issue: Farmers lead angry protests as the price of chillies fell to an all-time low of Rs. 5,000 to 6,000 per quintal as compared to Rs. 15,000 to 20,000 per quintal in 2016. Their demand was for the government to intervene in the chillies market as middlemen buy chillies at low prices.

What happened: Farmers resorted to burning mounds of chillies on the Chennai-Kolkata Highway in the Prakasam District. Such burnings took place in Hyderabad, Enumamula, Kothagudem and Khammam chilli market yards.

The outcome:The Andhra Pradesh government came up with a plan to compensate farmers staring at losses and provide loans to farmers to support their production costs.UAE Embassy selects two agencies to verify Nepali migrant worker certificate

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) Embassy in Nepal named two private travel agencies to verify and deliver Good Conduct and Behaviour Certificate, to migrant workers seeking employment in the Gulf country.The National Investigative Agency (NIA) on Monday filed formal charges against a Delhi resident for allegedly trying to blackmail a woman army officer at the behest of Pakistani intelligence agency, Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI).

The allegations are that accused, Mohammed Pervez, had sent the woman officer obscene and morphed WhatsApp images and messages from a mobile phone and Facebook ID, with a veiled threat to circulate them on social media, said the NIA in a statement.

The Lt. Colonel rank officer had reported the matter to the police.

This was done in pursuance of a deep-rooted conspiracy hatched by Pakistani Intelligence officials and the arrested accused with a view to compromise an officer of the Indian Army into divulging national security secrets, added the agency.

Parvez is native of Chandni Mahal area of the capital.The All India Muslim Women Personal Law Board (AIMWPLB), which had openly denounced instant triple talaq and demanded a ban on it after meeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi, now wants changes to be made in the triple talaq bill, pending approval in the Rajya Sabha.

Though the bill is a step in the right direction, it is flawed and seems to have been drafted hastily. I have written a letter to PM Modi drawing his attention towards the amendments required in it, said AIMWPLB president Shaista Amber.

She said the bill should have a window for reconciliation between husband and wife and also some other clauses to prevent its misuse by vested interests.

The Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill 2017 makes instant triple talaq, or talaq-e-biddat, a criminal offence with a jail term of up to three years.

The BJP-led government at the Centre introduced the bill after the Supreme Court had outlawed the controversial divorce practice in August and asked the government to frame a law within six months.

Amber, who was felicitated here by a local organisation on Saturday for her work, however, flayed the All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) for allegedly using Muslim women to oppose the bill.

On the call given by the AIMPLB, various Muslim women outfits have decided to take out a march in Lucknow on March 18 to register their protest over the TT bill.

There would have been no need for this bill had they (AIMPLB clerics) heeded advice on denouncing and imposing a ban on instant triple talaq, she said.

I respect the scholars in the AIMPLB, but the problem with the board is that while they admit that triple talaq is wrong, they will not declare it invalid, she says.

The women personal law board chief had met PM Modi in August last year and presented him a draft copy of a model nikahnama. Priced at Rs 250, the model marriage contract drafted by Amber has already sold more than 1,000 copies. This four-page document (available in Hindi, English and Urdu), however, has been rejected by the AIMPLB.

AIMPLB spokesperson Maulana Khalil-ur-Rehma Sajjad Nomani says there is no scope for a change or modification when it comes to Islamic shariah (laws).Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Mehbooba Mufti on Monday sacked finance minister Dr Haseeb Drabu from the council of ministers following his remarks that Kashmir was not a political issue, a leader of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party said, pleading anonymity.

The chief minister, who returned from the national capital to Jammu, shot off a letter to governor NN Vohra requesting him to drop Drabu from her council of ministers with immediate effect, the leader said.

The governor wrote back to the chief minister conveying his nod to her request to drop the 57-year-old from her council of ministers, officials said.

Drabu had made the controversial remark at an event organised by the PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry in New Delhi on March 9 to invite foreign and domestic investors to Jammu and Kashmir.

It (J&K) is not a political issue as far as I can see. They have been barking up the wrong tree for the last 50 or 70 years by talking about the politics of it that the political situation has never improved. We seriously need to look at in terms of how it is a society that is in search for itself, Drabu was quoted as saying in some media reports.

The sacking of Drabu, an eminent economist and the main architect of the BJP-PDP alliance and its agenda of governance, came a day after the Peoples Democratic Party asked him to retract what it said was detrimental to the partys interests.

Drabu earlier wrote on a Facebook post that he was quoted out of context and that his speech was carried in bits and pieces.

Opposition parties and separatist leaders targeted the Mehboob Mufti government for Drabus remarks saying the comments were a proof of surrender, misleading and distortion of history that amounted to the PDPs sellout of its self-rule demand to remain in power.

If Kashmir is not a political problem, then why is interlocutor Dineshwar Sharma here and why India and Pakistan fought four wars since 1947, said senior Natioanl Conference leader Ali Mohammed Sagar.

The PDP has always termed Kashmir as a political issue.

Its a setback: BJP

The BJP termed the decision to sack Drabu a setback to the alliance and said it would widen the gap between the two allies.

A top BJP leader praised Drabus role in coordination between the two parties and said he was often the bridge between the state government and the Centre over a host of issues.

He also recalled that Drabu played an important role in the formulation of the GST.

Drabu was the PDPs pointsman who worked out the draft of the agenda of alliance with the BJP that brought the two ideologically different parties to power after the 2014 elections produced a hung assembly.

Drabus speech cost him dearly: Omar

Former chief minister Omar Abdullah said Drabus speech in New Delhi has cost him dearly. Will be interesting to see who replaces him in the finance ministry, the National Conference working president said.

(With agency inputs)

.The Rajya Sabha proceedings were adjourned on Monday till 2 pm due to unrelenting protests by the Telugu Desam Party, the AIADMK and some opposition parties on various issues including special status to Andhra Pradesh and the Cauvery row.

The Upper House did not function the entire last week due to uproar by the opposition as well as NDA ally TDP, barring one hour on March 8 when members participated in a discussion to mark the International Womens Day.

For the sixth day in a row, members continued to protest on issues such as bank fraud, special status to Andhra Pradesh and setting up of Cauvery water management board.

After the papers were laid in the House, members of TDP, YSRC, Trinamool Congress, All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and Aam Aadmi Party were up on their feet seeking to raise a point of order.

As Chairman Venkaiah Naidu tried to pacify the members and conduct the Zero Hour, protesting members trooped into the Well holding placards and shouting slogans. The only Congress member protesting in the Well was K V P Ramachandra Rao from Andhra Pradesh.

When there is no order, how can there be a point of order? This is too much, Naidu said asking members to go back to their seats.

I dont find any reason to come to the Well of House, the Chairman said adding that he is allowing discussion on all subjects.

With members continuing their protest, the Chair was forced to adjourn the House till 2 pm.

Earlier while papers were being laid, Naidu said ministers can lay papers on behalf of other ministers but they should seek prior permission from the chair.

Proper advance notice should be given, Naidu said.

When Minister of Parliamentary Affairs Vijay Goel rose to make a statement on behalf of minister of State for Drinking Water and Sanitation S S Ahluwalia, Naidu said, Statement has to be made by the minister concerned.

Goel was asked to inform Ahluwalia that he can make a statement on Tuesday.

Ahluwalia was to make a statement regarding status of implementation of recommendations of the 35th report of Parliamentary Standing Committee on rural development.Telangana legislative council chairman K Swamy Goud suffered injuries on his right eye on Monday when a protesting Congress MLA, K V Reddy, threw a headphone at the speakers podium during governor E S L Narasimhans address to the joint session of the state legislature.

Reddy and other Congress MLAs were protesting the K Chandrashekar Rao (KCR)-led Telangana governments indifferent attitude towards rising farmer suicides in the state. The incident took place as the governor began his address to the joint sitting of assembly and the legislative council at the beginning of the budget session.

While BJP leaders boycotted the governors address, Congress members began shouting and rushing to the podium, but were prevented by assembly marshals.

The agitated Congress MLAs then tore copies of the governors speech into pieces and threw them at the podium.

K V Reddy, who represents Nalgonda assembly constituency, threw his headphone at the podium, but it missed the governor and hit the legislative council chairman, Goud on his face, causing bleeding just below his right eye.

Goud was immediately taken out of the house and after first aid at the assembly clinic, he was rushed to Sarojini Devi Memorial Eye Hospital. The doctors, who conducted a CT scan of his face, ruled out serious injury to his eye but are learnt to have suggested that he be under observation for 24 hours.

Even as the ruckus continued in the house, the governor quickly completed his speech and left the hall.

Minister for legislative affairs, T Harish Rao strongly condemned the unruly behaviour of Congress members. This is totally uncalled for by the opposition members. They came to the House pre-planned to create disturbances. What would have happened if the headphone hit the governor, causing him injuries? he asked.

Congress MLAs protest during Telangana governor ESL Narasimhans address to the joint session of legislative assembly and legislative council. (ANI/Twitter)

He said the authorities of the assembly have been directed to go through the records of the proceedings and submit a report. We shall take appropriate action against the MLA and his colleagues for violating assembly rules, Rao said.

TRS chief whip in the legislative council, P Rajeshwar Reddy alleged that the Congress MLAs came to the assembly in inebriated condition with a malicious intention to attack the ruling party members.

K V Reddy, however, defended his action saying he had thrown the headphone unintentionally in a fit of anger when the ruling party tried to prevent them from protesting in a peaceful and democratic manner by bringing in hundreds of marshals into the house.

Reddy said the government was trying to make him a scapegoat, and threatened that to take the fight to the people, if suspended.

TRS president and chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao, who addressed party MLAs on Sunday, had hinted at stern action against opposition members if they tried to disrupt the governors address.

The governor, in his address, said Telangana, the youngest state of the Indian Union, had become a role model for the entire country. The state has won several laurels in the country and the world for its pro-poor initiatives, such as Mission Kakatiya, Mission Bhagiratha, round-the-clock free power supply to agriculture and other developmental programmes.

He also detailed the steps taken by the government to improve agriculture sector, fisheries, horticulture, sheep distribution programme and the successful undertaking of the land records updation.The Bharatiya Janata Partys (BJP) general secretary in charge of the North-eastern states, Ram Madhav has played a key role in the electoral success and expansion of the party in the region. The former functionary of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) is an important channel between the Sangh and the party. Also the BJPs key man on Kashmir affairs and a political interlocutor with major foreign powers and neighbouring countries, he spoke to Prashant Jha on a wide range of issues. Edited excerpts from the interview:

Three elections, three governments  whats behind the BJPs growth in the northeast?

Our victory is very satisfying. The win in Tripura is historic because we defeated an ideological adversary and our cadres are energised across the country. We are inching towards a three-fourths majority in the state. We have 43 of 58 seats already polled, and hope to win two more soon. In Nagaland, we won 12 of the 20 seats we contested. Our vote share is 16% from only these seats. This translates to 48% if we had fought across the whole state. Nagaland is almost a 100% Christian state and our rival ran a communal campaign to paint us as an anti-Christian party. Yet, we did so well.

I would attribute this to three key factors. One, PM Narendra Modis popularity  the northeast is hungry for development and he is seen as personifying that development. Two, our ability to build the organisation down to the grassroots  to every polling booth  in a limited period of time. And finally, the right strategy and tactics.

Many argue your growth in the region, because it is so sudden, is not organic. It has happened because the BJP is in power at the Centre. Many leaders from other parties have joined you. You are able to deploy resources and unleash a campaign blitzkrieg. And as power in Delhi slips away, you will lose these states.

I dont agree with this. It is too simplistic an analysis of a very complex political situation. Congress was in power at the Centre for 10 consecutive years. Yet it did not win power in either Nagaland or Tripura. So to say having Delhi automatically translates into a victory in these parts is just wrong. Even when we were in power earlier, we were not able to make any inroads into this region. As far as resources and campaign are concerned, we are a political party. Our main task is to contest and win elections. We are not a charity. And in this process, we will use every democratic method at our disposal to succeed.

In Meghalaya, while you got into government, the party won only two states. Why?

We won two seats and come second in another seven seats. We have about 10-11 percent of the vote which is sizeable. But we still have to do more organisational expansion. The political dynamics were different  we did not have an alliance partner. The Congress waged a massive communal campaign to paint us as anti-Christian. We will do a detailed review soon.

Doesnt winning two seats mean that the people rejected you? How can you then get into government?

Meghalaya rejected the Congress. That is the main message of the election. They came down from 29 to 20 seats. That is why, along with like-minded parties, we provided an alternative.

The Tripura victory was tarnished by the incidents of violence and vandalism. You put out a celebratory tweet after Lenins statue was pulled down, and deleted it.

Lets first get the facts right. There was no  I repeat no  vandalism in Tripura. The statue was put up by private individuals. They decided to remove it. They got a JCB machine to do it. If you see the picture too, it was pulled down, not vandalised. There is no complaint, no FIR, no arrest. It is like removing a photograph in my house if I change my mind. But the repercussions were unwholesome in other parts of the country. The real vandalism happened elsewhere.

We should have underplayed it. When I saw there was scope for misunderstanding, I removed the tweet. BJP shall not support or sponsor vandalism of any sort.

All northeastern states (including Sikkim) have 25 Lok Sabha seats. Whats your aim for 2019 from the region?

We have eight of the 25 seats at the moment. Along with our allies, we have 10. The situation is very conducive in all these states and we have governments in six of the seven states. We will be aiming for the maximum possible in 2019.

Is the next target Mizoram?

Definitely. Mizoram goes to polls at the end of the year and we will try to form the government there.

You handle Kashmir as well. In an interview to HT, the Centres interlocutor Dineshwar Sharma called the recent violence a setback, said civilian killings must stop and asked security forces to show restraint. What do you think?

Of course. There must be no civilian killings in any part of the country. But we must remember that the army is walking on a razors edge in Kashmir. They exercise restraint but certain incidents may take place. It is difficult to judge sitting in Delhi. We must give the benefit of doubt to the army, which is not there for any selfish reasons but to ensure safety and security.

But does the army need to devise better ways to respond to stone-pelting?

This debate is as old as stone-pelting itself. What we need to ensure is that the state is peaceful and stone-pelting stops. And we have been able to substantially reduce such incidents, except in a few pockets of south Kashmir.

The Sangh is having its Pratinidi Sabha. Many are interpreting it as significant in the run up to the 2019 polls.

Before the next elections, the Sangh will have another meeting in March next year. It is a mistake to see it from the political lens. The Sangh meet is on organisational, ideological and national issues. It is significant because, once in three years, there is a decision on the Sarkaryavah (general secretary). And Bhaiyyaji Joshi has been re-elected.

There is speculation that Joshis re-election means that the Sangh would remain more autonomous of BJPs influence than would have been the case if someone younger had been appointed. Would that reading be correct?

Bhayyaji is a senior and respected leader of the Sangh. However assumptions about his re-election lack understanding about the functioning of the organisation. The Sarkaryavah is the first among equals. But there are several other important functionaries. Decision-making takes time but happens in a collegial manner. To think that if so and so changes, the Sanghs approach will change is a mistake.

Last time the BJP was in power, there were visible differences between the party and the Sangh. How are differences resolved now?

Differences do crop up on issues but there is a mechanism to address them. On issues like trade, economy, labour relations, the Sangh has organisations which have expertise and strong networks: their views are conveyed to party leaders and there is reasonably perfect coordination.Three militants, including one who allegedly killed a policeman in Srinagar last month, were shot dead in an encounter with security forces early on Monday, police said.

Two of the slain militants have been identified as Eisa Fazili of Srinagar and Syed Owais Shafi of south Kashmirs Kokernag, while the identity of the third is being ascertained, a police statement said.

Apprehensions over law and order prompted a spontaneous shutdown in many parts of Srinagar, including the commercial hub of Lal Chowk.

Based on information regarding the presence of militants, security forces started a search in Hakoora area of Anantnag district. A gun-battle ensued when the militants fired on the search team, officials said.

Police said AK 47 rifles, pistols and hand grenades were recovered from the encounter site.

A senior police officer said Fazili, who hails from the Soura locality of Srinagar city, was involved in the killing of police constable Farooq Ahmed Yatoo when he was on duty as a guard outside the residence of separatist leader Fazal Haq Qureshi, who survived an attempt on his life in 2009.

Terror outfit Islamic State (IS) had claimed responsibility for the killing of constable Yatoo on their official channel. Police sources say Fazilis relation with the IS is a matter of investigation, and hinted at his ideological inclination towards the outfit. Media reports said Fazili was studying engineering at Baba Ghulam Shah Badshah (BGSB) University in Rajouri in Jammu region before joining the militant ranks last year.

Funeral update on Facebook

When news of the encounter broke through the Valley, Fazilis father, Naeem Fazili, used Facebook to share the news of his sons death.

As per reliable sources, my son Eisa Fazili has left for heavenly abode, wrote Naeem, a school principal.

Later in the morning, as preparations for Eisas funeral were underway, Naeem wrote, It is for the information of all nears and dears (sic) that Nimaaz-e-Jinaaza of my son Mohammad Eisa Fazili... will be held at 3 pm sharp near his residence at Sharjah Ground, 90 Feet Road, Ahmednagar, Srinagar.Three militants, including one who allegedly killed a policeman in Srinagar last month, were shot dead in an encounter with security forces early on Monday, police said.

Two of the slain militants have been identified as Eisa Fazili, of Srinagar, and Syed Owais Shafi, of south Kashmirs Kokernag, while the identity of the third is being ascertained, a police statement said.

To avoid any law and order situation in Srinagar due to Fazilis death, authorities imposed restrictions and snapped mobile internet services in the morning. All educational institutes in Srinagar remained closed for the day while scheduled examinations were postponed. Local train services in the Valley were also suspended.

Apprehensions regarding situation prompted a spontaneous shutdown in many parts of Srinagar, including the commercial hub of Lal Chowk.

Based on information regarding the presence of militants, security forces started a search in Hakoora area of Anantnag district. A gun-battle ensued when the militants fired on the search team, officials said.

Police said AK 47 rifles, pistols and hand grenades have been recovered from the encounter site.

A senior police officer said Fazili, who hails from the Soura locality of Srinagar city, was involved in the killing of police constable Farooq Ahmed Yatoo, when he was on duty as a guard outside the residence of separatist leader Fazal Haq Qureshi, who had survived an attempt on his life in 2009.

The terror outfit Islamic State had claimed responsibility for the killing of constable Yatoo on their official channel. Police sources say Fazilis relation with the IS is a matter of investigation, and hinted at his ideological inclination towards the outfit.

Last year, Fazili had appeared in a video circulated on social media at the time of Eid. Using Islamic terminologies, Fazili gave the reasons behind picking up the gun. Political observers say his speech in the video revealed Fazili was ideologically driven by an Islamist narrative and was affected by the atrocities on Muslims across the world and particularly in Kashmir.

HT had quoted police saying after Yatoos killing that although there was no concrete evidence of the presence of the IS in Kashmir, the possibility of a lone militant getting influenced by the outfits ideology and carrying out an attack could not be ruled out.

Media reports said Fazli was studying engineering at Baba Ghulam Shah Badshah (BGSB) University in Rajouri in Jammu region before joining the militant ranks last year.

IS claiming Yatoos killing was the second such incident in the last four months. In November last year, IS claimed an attack in Zakura on the outskirts of Srinagar in which a policeman and a militant were killed.

Clashes break out

Clashes between groups of youths and security forces broke out in several areas of Srinagar, a police official said.

He said stone-pelting had been reported from Soura, Anchar, Old Barzulla, Lal Chowk and other areas of the city.

Your police seeks the cooperation of citizens for maintaining order and ensuring peace. Today you will find restrictions in some parts of city # Srinagar. While it is a cause of inconvenience, we assure these control orders are temporary. For any assistance please dial 100, the Jammu and Kashmir Police tweeted.

Malik taken into preventive custody

Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) chairman Mohammad Yasin Malik was taken into preventive custody from his residence here on Monday after three militants were killed in an encounter by the security forces in Anantnag district.

Early this morning, police cordoned off Maliks residence and arrested him, a JKLF spokesperson said.

The JKLF chairman was taken to Kothi Bagh police station. When JKLF zonal president Noor Muhammad Kalwal went to see him at the police station, Kalwal was also arrested and lodged along with Malik, the spokesperson added.

The outfit has condemned the police action.The BJP on Monday fielded a third candidate for the Rajya Sabha, saying Congress legislators could cross-vote during elections in Gujarat on March 23.

The Congress and the BJP are tipped to win two seats each according to their strength in the Gujarat assembly.

Mondays drama began when Congress leader P K Valera filed his nomination papers as an independent candidate after the party braced for the possible rejection of nomination papers of its second candidate Naran Rathwa on technical grounds.

The Congress had declared the two candidates on Sunday night. While Amee Yajnik, a high court lawyer, went ahead with filing her nomination on time on Monday, tribal leader Naran Rathwa managed to file his papers in the nick of time after a particular document was delayed.

An original attested copy by Chhota Udaipur (his home town) collector of electoral rolls was missing. I had attached a print of a soft copy, but the original was required which we managed before time. This caused delay, said Rathwa after filing his nomination.

While the Congress made Valera file his nomination papers as an independent candidate, the BJP too adopted a similar strategy.

The ruling party in Gujarat fielded a third candidate Kiritsinh Rana (former state minister) at the last moment. The BJPs other two candidates union ministers of state -- Purshottam Rupala and Mansukh Mandaviya -- had already filed nomination papers earlier in the day.

Both the parties expressed possibility of drama like the 2017 Rajya Sabha elections when the Congress had moved its MLAs to a resort in Bengaluru to prevent horse trading and secure a victory for Ahmed Patel. Patel won by a vote.

There is a high possibility that form of one of the two candidates likely of getting rejected. Besides, we also sense lot of discontentment among the Congress MLAs over selections of the candidates. Both the conditions have led to situation where the Congress MLAs might go for cross voting. So we have fielded the third candidate, said deputy chief Minister Nitin Patel.

The Congress said it was confident and ready for any eventuality.

The last time also the BJP had tried to break the Congress and win RS elections. They had miserably failed. This time also they may try something similar. But, again, the Congress is confident of winning two seats. And it will do everything that situation would demand, Congress president Bharatsinh Solanki said.

The final picture on number of candidates will be clear only after the nomination papers are scrutinized on Tuesday.

The term of four Rajya Sabha MP from Gujarat, all from BJP, including Union ministers Arun Jaitley , Purshottam Rupala, Mansukh Mandavia and Shanker Vega, is coming to end this month.

Following its reduced strength in the assembly from 115 to 99 MLAs in December 2017, the BJP can this time retain only two seats while the Congress for the first time since 1995 is in position to field two candidates after the number of its legislators rose to 77 from 61 in the last assembly polls.

In the 182-member Gujarat assembly, each RS candidate will require at least 38 votes to win.The ancient city of Kashi extended a traditional welcome, complete with glimpses of rich Indian culture and heritage, to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and French President Emmanuel Macron during their visit to the ghats on Monday.

A boat ride on the Ganga treated the two leaders, accompanied by Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath, to a cultural extravaganza comprising discourses, music and dance performances and religious programmes such as the Ramlila. Upon reaching Asi Ghat in the afternoon, a group of women welcomed them with beats of the damru (pellet drum) and chants of Har Har Mahadeva. As many as 121 priests chanted Vedic mantras and blew conch shells while people showered the visiting dignitaries with flower petals. Macron later stopped to take a look at a Ram Darbar tableaux.

Macron waved at the cheering crowd before exchanging a few words with Modi and boarding a decorated boat anchored on the banks of the Ganga. Hundreds of onlookers waved Indian and French flags as the two set sail again.

Guarded by special trained commandos, the boat reached the historic Tulsi Ghat where a 50-foot painting of the two leaders had been put up. The two leaders witnessed a Ramlila conducted under the guidance of professor Vishwambhar Nath Mishra, chief priest of the Sankatmochan temple. This was followed by the recital of Ramcharitmanas couplets and a traditional wrestling contest (also known as dangal). The events at Tulsi Ghat were organised by professor Vijay Nath Mishra.

Later, Macron benefited from a glimpse of the Buddhist mode of offering prayers at Prabhu Ghat. At Chet Singh ghat, Modi and Macron watched in rapt attention as priests delivered religious discourses and demonstrated the nuances of meditation. A group of 25 artistes from Mathura performed the Mayur dance as Modi and Macron passed Kedar Ghat. Performing for Prime Minister Modi and French President Macron felt great. We tried to give our best performance, and we hope they liked it, said Geetanjali Sharma, who led the troupe.

At Mansarovar Ghat, a group of Kabir panthis played the ektara (a single-stringed instrument) and recited Kabirs couplets. Artistes of Banaras Gharana also presented a kathak performance. Children presented a welcome song as the two leaders waved at them appreciatively.

As the two leaders reached Dashashwamedh Ghat, the French president was told about the famous Ganga aarti. They then alighted from the boat and left for their hotel.

Earlier in the day, Modi and Macron inaugurated a solar power plant at Dadar Kala village in Mirzapur. They dedicated the facility to residents of the district.

Tushar Malik, project manager of French company Engie, told HT over the phone that his firm had set up the solar power plant at an estimated cost of Rs 650 crore. Modi and Macron also visited the Deendayal Upadhyay Hastkala trade facilitation centre and a crafts museum in Varanasi, where theatre artistes presented a special Ramlila performance.

The French president also observed workers weaving sarees and stoles on handlooms and powerlooms, and interacted with a few craftsmen and artisans.

Modi, Uttar Pradesh governor Ram Naik and chief minister Yogi Adityanath had earlier received Macron and his wife, Brigitte, at the Lal Bahadur Shastri international airport in Varanasi. Big hoardings that bore welcome messages along with pictures of Modi and Macron were put up across the city on the occasion.It is a chai pe charcha, but of a different kind. This one is more for promoting a chai that has come up as an alternative to green tea and is brewed from olive leaves.

In an initiative to promote olive plantation, Rajasthan agriculture minister has sent out packets of olive tea to all the legislators, along with a letter seeking their feedback.

Saini said the objective behind his move is to create awareness. In the letter to the MLAs, its benefits are stated. Olive leaves are anti-viral, anti-fungal, lowers blood pressure and blood sugar, helps in cardiovascular diseases, is anti-ageing and elevates mood, the minister said.

It was in collaboration with Israel that Rajasthan started cultivating olives in 2007. The state now cultivates them on more than 1,000 hectares. An olive refinery, countrys first, is operational in Bikaner.

There is a huge demand for olives in Dubai, United Kingdom and several other countries, but here (in India) there is a lack of awareness. Even Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated that his country will learn the technique of processing olive tea from Rajasthan, said Saini.

When Netanyahu called on President Ram Nath Kovind at Rashtrapati Bhavan on January 15, he was served olive tea made in Bikaner.

The minister further said that recently, a faculty of Department of Chemistry and Chemical Technology at Vidyasagar University in Midnapore, West Bengal, in a research has found that olive fruit contains triterpenic acid. This acid can be used for prevention and treatment of cancer, prevents damage to liver, and is anti-oxidant and analgesic.

Now based on that report, the state government will approach the Ministry of Health and Ministry of Ayush for making medicines for cancer and other diseases, he added.

Of the 1000 hectares on which olive is cultivated, 182 hectares belong to seven government farms. These government farms are in Barore (Sriganganagar), Bakalia (Nagaur), Lunkaransar (Bikaner), Santhu (Jalore), Basbisna (Jhunjhunu), Tinkirudi (Alwar) and Bassi (Jaipur).

At present seven varieties are being cultivated namely Barnea, Arbequina, Cortina, Picholine, Picual, Korinojki and Frontoy, which are basically for extracting oil. Now four varieties will be grown for table Kalamata, Suri, Arkl and Mammoth (for salads)  and two  Mission and Manzanill for oil extraction and salads.Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP)s support to arch-rival Samajwadi Party (SP) candidates in Gorakhpur and Phulpur Lok Sabha bypolls in Uttar Pradesh and West Bengals ruling party Trinamool Congress support to Congress in Rajya Sabha election show the emergence of new political equations against BJP, said senior Congress leader Abhishek Manu Singhvi.

Being in the opposition at the state level is no longer hindering seat coordination from the national perspective. Parties can continue debate and discourse at the state level while coordinating against the common enemy at the national level, said Singhvi, whose nomination as Congress candidate from Bengal got Mamata Banerjees support, much to the embarrassment of the state Congress leadership.

Read: Trinamool to support Congress Abhishek Manu Singhvi in Rajya Sabha polls

The bypolls in Uttar Pradesh became necessary after UP chief minister Yogi Adityanath and deputy chief minister Keshav Prasad Maurya vacated their Gorakhpur and Phulpur Lok Sabha seats after getting elected to the state legislative council.

I have no hesitation in saying that the need of the hour, not only going up to the next Parliamentary elections, but in several state elections with the regional party presence, is to prevent vote divisiveness. We have seen many times how in a trilateral or quadrangular fight, the BJP generates a climate of divisiveness and provocation and then benefits from vote division, said Singhvi.

It is vital to marry and harmonise the national level perspective with diverse, valid state issues. I find no necessary or inevitable paradox or contradiction in that.

Read: Trinity scholarship named after Congress leader Abhishek Manu Singhvi

In Bengal, the Congress is facing a bitter challenge from Mamata Banerjees Trinamool Congress, with the latter aggressively trying to wipe out Congress from its last fortresses in Bengal districts of Murshidabad and Malda.

Singhvi said that Trinamools support to his candidature would not affect Congress fight against Trinamools governance and policies in Bengal.

Today, the sad reality is that vendetta politics, persecution complexes, intolerance, divisiveness and a palpable ambience of fear and intimidation is felt and articulated by parties as diverse as DMK (Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam) and TRS (Telangana Rashtra Samithi) in the south, Trinamool, BJP and RJD in the east, BSP and SP in the north and even Shiv Sena in the west, without even talking of the Congress, he alleged.

Both Bengal Congress President Adhir Chowdhury and leader of the opposition in the state Assembly, Abdul Mannan, are known for their staunch anti-Trinamool stance.

The state Congress leadership is more comfortable in coordinating with the CPI(M), and Chowdhury went on to publicly express his frustration over CPI(M)s refusal to nominate party general secretary Sitaram Yechury as a candidate from Bengal with Congress support.

CPI(M) later fielded its own candidate, accusing Congress of declaring its candidate unilaterally. Trinamools support, however, ensures Singhvis victory.

The CPI(M), the Trinamool and the Congress attitude in Bengal clearly show Bengals arithmetic, history and geography stands against BJP, said Singhvi.

Incidentally, last year too, Trinamool had supported Congress candidate Pradip Bhattacharya who got elected in Rajya Sabha. Bengals ruling party had extra votes in hand after getting its own candidates elected, while neither the Left nor the Congress could have clinched the seat on its own strength.

Over the past few days Mamata Banerjee has telephoned Telangana chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao and DMK leader M K Stalin to explore setting up an anti-BJP front for the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. Earlier, she also indicated her willingness to strike an understanding with her arch rivals, the Left, to take on the BJP.

She also regretted the defeat of the Left in Tripura Assembly elections.Despite stringent laws post the 2012 Delhi gang rape, the tide of sexual assault on women shows little sign of abating. From 2015 to 2016, Uttar Pradesh alone registered 59% increase in rape cases. The scenario remained no different in the country as a whole.

Highlights Punishment under 376 IPCwhoever commits rape shall be punished with rigorous imprisonment of a minimum of seven years. The term can also extend to imprisonment for life.

The situation is alike in rural and urban areas where women of all age groups are vulnerable to the crime. As per the National Crime Records Bureau, 494 cases of rape of women aged between 45-60 years were reported in the country in 2016. What is more, 57 cases of rape with women above 60 years were also reported during the same year.

Rape cases are being reported for long. But the recent cases of sexual assault on minor girls are alarming. The scenario has brought fear in the minds of parents who are deeply concerned about the safety of their little ones, said Madhu Garg, a social activist.

What is even more alarming is the involvement of close acquaintances in the crime. The national crime data for 2016 highlights that over 90% of the total number of rapes involved people known to the victims. The list included father, grandfather, brother, uncle, neighbour and employer.

Nothing is easy for the victims of rape. The challenge begins right from the time the girl goes to register the FIR against her crime. Then the medical formalities take time. In many cases, the delay leads to weakening of the evidence which would have helped the victim in getting justice, Sangeeta Sharma, member, Lucknow Child Welfare Committee, said .

Association for Advocacy and Legal Initiatives(AALI) conducted a study in 2016 for cases of rape and sexual abuse. The study found that in only 21% cases of rape, the FIR was registered on the same day. The situation is no different in cases with minors which are to be registered under the Protection of Children from Sexual Abuse(POCSO). The Act calls for immediate action by stakeholders, said Renu Mishra, a lawyer and office -bearer of AALI.

Amendments in law that were introduced after the Delhi gang rape call for action against the police officer who refuses registration of FIR. But no action is reported against any police officer, she added.

Justice is limp. The process is time taking and tiring. The unduly long wait and use of resources destroys the very idea of justice for the victims, said Roop Rekha Verma, another leading social activist.

Those who have been involved in the long fight for justice in rape cases say that the delay encourages the criminal minds who feel that they can move freely even after committing a heinous crime like rape.

My main culprit enjoyed a free life for more than a decade after committing rape. This was because he had all the resources to prolong the process of justice, said the Ashiana gang rape survivor.

DGP OP Singh said, Ensuring safety of women is our first priority and many initiatives are being taken to ensure that women are safe on the streets.

Total rapes in 2016---38,947 In UP 4,816 Total rapes in 2015---34,651 In UP 3,025 As per the data released by the National Crime Records Bureau, Uttar Pradesh ranked second after Madhya Pradesh with 4,816 rapes during 2016. MP recorded 4,882 cases during the year.

He added that special instructions had been issued to all officials to be very prompt in cases of crime against women.

TYPES OF RAPE

Vendetta rapeOften women of enemies are targeted with the motive of revenge. The cases are common where culprits range from family members to neighbours, business partners etc. Property and village enmities have resulted in vendetta rape cases.

The case of a 19-year-old Malihabad girl who was gang raped and murdered in 2017 is an example.

Date rape The city police arrested an imposter for duping and sexually harassing girls posing as an officer of the Indian army in PGI police area earlier this month.

It was one of the date rape cases reported in large numbers. Girls are lured for marriage and then targeted by the boyfriend. Lucknow Childline has cases where minor girl were lured by her boyfriend over telephone and they ran away from the house after the boy promised to marry her. The boy attempted rape during the date.

Marital rapeLawyer Renu Mishra says, The worst thing is that marital rape is not recognised as a crime in India. There is a civil law which says marital rape is a sexual violence under the domestic violence. Only protection and compensation are allowed to the victim in such cases and nothing else is done.

Rape of minors----Rape of minors is a growing trend. Cases of rape with newborns have also come to light. Little girls are abused in the name of games. Often they are lured with toys and chocolates and then sexually abused.

Rape of poor and downtroddenProf Roop Rekha Verma says using the body of women of poor and dalit families has been a common trend which continues even now. There is no dearth of cases where men of affluent and rich families target poor and downtrodden women. Many such cases do not come to light.The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Sunday named seven more party candidates for the Rajya Sabha biennial election from Uttar Pradesh.

The move comes three days after the party declared union finance minister Arun Jaitley as its nominee from the state for the upper house of Parliament. However just before the nominations on Monday the BJP sprang a surprise by declaring its intent to field its ninth candidate thus queering the pitch for BSP candidate Bhimrao Ambedkar whose party doesnt have enough votes to ensure his win. It has named Anil Agarwal as its ninth candidate though on its own it is capable of ensuring win of 8.

The Samajwadi Party and the Congress have declared their support to our candidate, BSP leader Satish Mishra said.

Earlier on Sunday the BJP revealed its Rajya Sabha line up on Sunday that included Ashok Bajpai, a Brahmin who was one of the founder members of the Samajwadi Party.

The others are: GVL Narasimha Rao, the partys national spokesman belonging to kamma upper caste from Andhra Pradesh; Anil Jain, its Delhi-based national general secretary of UP origin; Kanta Kardam (a former Jatav lawmaker from Meerut who lost the mayoral polls); Vijay Pal Singh Tomar (a Thakur leader and former chief of BJPs farmers wing) and two OBCs Harnath Singh Yadav (former MLC) and Sakal Deep Rajbhar. Bajpai had joined the BJP in August last year.

All these eight leaders filed their nominations on Monday.

Political observers see the line-up as a sign of BJPs aggressive posturing ahead of 2019 Lok Sabha polls as the party aims to connect with Yadavs and Jatavs  the two OBC and Dalit sub-castes considered staunch supporters of Samajwadi Party and the Bahujan Samaj Party. The SP and the BSP joined hands against the BJP in the Sundays Gorakhpur and Phulpur by-polls.

In the past, the BJP had mostly opted for non-Yadav OBCs and non-Jatav Dalits.

Fielding Sakal Deep Rajbhar, an OBC leader from Ballia who contested on the BJP ticket in 2002, is being seen as the partys desire to create its own Rajbhar leadership in eastern UP where Om Prakash Rajbhar, the head of its ally Suheldev Bhartiya Samaj Party (SBSP), has been hitting out at the BJP.

The BJP left out its already marginalised Kurmi leader Vinay Katiyar, who owed his political rise to the temple movement of the 90s, while former UP BJP chief Laxmikant Bajpai too missed the bus.

Laxmikant Bajpai, who surprisingly lost the 2017 UP polls, was in the race for the Rajya Sabha.

The election for 10 Rajya Sabha seats from UP is scheduled on March 23.

Given the party position in the state assembly, the BJP is in a position to send eight members and the Samajwadi Party one to the Rajya Sabha.

Rajya Sabha members from a state are elected by the MLAs from that state.

Each candidate will require 37 first-preference votes for a win. The BJP and the allies have 324 MLAs, the SP has 44, the BSP 19 and the Congress 7 in the 403-member UP assembly whose effective strength is 402 after the recent death of BJP MLA Lokendra Singh in a road accident.The Bombay high court on Monday refused to interfere with a Rs1,080-crore contract to be awarded by the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) for construction of 11 stations on the Metro 2B corridor between DN Nagar and Mankhurd.

On the contrary, the division bench of Justice Abhay Oka and Justice Riyaz Chagla felt that the petitioner, a 76-year-old Vile Parle resident, Bhagwanji Raiyani, should be asked to deposit a hefty sum as he had sought the quashing of award of a contract.

Raiyani had approached the high court, challenging the MMRDAs December 2017 decision to award the contract for construction of 11 stations on Metro 2B corridor. Raiyani argued that the contractor, Simplex Infrastructure Limited, had committed breaches in construction of the Lalbaug Flyover. He contended that the condition of the Lalbaug Flyover deteriorated within five years of its construction by the firm.

Awarding of the contract to the firm would put the citizens lives at risk, alleged Raiyani.

Acting on the public interest litigation (PIL) filed by him, the high court in April 2017 directed the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) commissioner to inquire into the alleged breaches  either himself or through an officer nominated by him. However, the inquiry has not yet been completed.

Moreover, the contractor was being awarded fresh contracts despite the breaches noted by high court.

On Monday, Raiyanis lawyer, advocate Sumedha Rao pointed out that the inquiry into the breaches had not been completed in six weeks after the April 2017 order, and the contractor was being declared technically qualified and being awarded fresh contracts.

The bench, however, did not accept the contention that because the contractor allegedly committed breaches in the construction of a flyover, the firm should not be awarded any other contract, especially when there was no conclusive evidence regarding the breaches.

The court has now posted the PIL for further hearing in regular course.

MMRDA floats tenders for Metro-5 corridor

MMRDA on Monday invited tenders for appointing general consultants for the Metro-5 (Thane-Bhiwandi-Kalyan) corridor.

General consultants are expected to provide all necessary assistance to MMRDA during tendering and finalization process of the tenders, said a statement released by MMRDA. The tenders will be finalized in May.

The 24-km long metro line will have 17 stations with an expected ridership of 2.29 lakh passengers by 2021. The project was passed by Maharashtra state cabinet in October, 2017.The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) counsel on Monday opposed the applications filed by the advocate of 1993 blasts accused Farooq Takla.

The applications pertain to providing a legal counsel to him and not making a confessional statement. Takla is in CBI custody till March 19.

The prosecution, on behalf of the CBI, filed the reply before the special TADA court, stating that the accused cannot claim the right to absolute silence and prevent criminal investigation of the heinous crime.

Opposing the applications for a legal counsel to meet the accused while in custody, CBI counsel Deepak Salvi said it would disrupt the investigation.

Appearing for Takla, defence advocate Farhana Shah said, It is the right of the accused to meet an advocate of his choice during interrogation, although not throughout the interrogation.

Shah cited the judgment on a similar application for another 1993 accused Taher Merchant, who was allowed to meet his lawyers twice for 15 minutes while in CBI custody.

Shah also pointed to her application for home-cooked food for Takla. Additional sessions judge asked if any accused had been provided home-cooked food while in police custody. Shah said no such application had been filed by them earlier.

The court is likely to decide on the applications on Tuesday.The Thane sessions court on Monday granted bail to the countrys first woman detective, who was arrested by Thane crime branch on February 2 in the call data record (CDR) scam.

Rajani Pandit, 65, has been a private detective for 32 years. Her bail pleas had been deferred twice.

Pandit will be released from jail on a bond of Rs20,000, said the order came from AS Bhaisare.

Pandits advocate Poonam Jadhav said, Pandit was given bail today. It was found that she had neither purchased nor sold any CDRs to anyone. Pandit, who has won an highest civilian award, has health issues.

On January 24, four private detectives were arrested by Thane crime branch for allegedly selling call data records (CDR).

They used to sell the data for Rs25,000 to Rs50,000. Makesh Pandiyan,42, Prashant Palekar,49, Jigar Makawana,35, and Samresh Jha alias Pratik Mohpal,32, were arrested from Kalwa.

Actor Nawazuddin Siddiquis name too cropped up in the CDR scam. He had been summoned to the police station on Friday but did not turn up.

Senior police inspector from Thane crime branch (unit 1) Nitin Thakare said, Bail has been granted to Rajani Pandit. But, further probe is on. We had also summoned Bollywood actor Nawazuddin Siddiqui, his wife and lawyer to record their statements.

Eleven people, including a police constable from Yavatmal, have been arrested in CDR scam so far.As Azad Maidan ground in south Mumbai turned into a sea of red when thousands of farmers converged there after walking 180 kilometres, the CPI-M affiliated All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS) which secured most of the farmers demands, felt the government had initially taken the long march lightly.

However, the show of strength of the farmers rattled the Devendra Fadnavis-government as it entered the outskirts of Mumbai on Sunday night, AIKS leaders, who spearheaded the long march, said.

AIKS leaders said the government took the march of the agitated farmers lightly. Ajit Nawale, secretary of AIKS and Jiva Pandu Gavit, CPI (M) MLA said the governments initial response to the march was to ignore it.

The government did not think the farmers would march in such large numbers. They ignored it until a picture of these farmers coming down from Kasara Ghat went viral on social media. That is when they sat up and took note of it, Nawale said after they got a written assurance from the government on their demands.

Under pressure from the Congress, the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) and ally Shiv Sena which supported the march, chief minister Fadnavis told the legislative assembly on Monday that the government had attempted to persuade the farmers to not take out a march but they were firm. He added that state water resources minister and guardian minister of Nashik, Girish Mahajan had met the farmers ahead of the long march. Senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and state revenue minister, Chandrakant Patil also told the legislative council that Mahajan had met the AIKS leaders.

Gavit, however, denied that Mahajan met them ahead of the march. Girish Mahajan met me on Friday and took me to the CM. I told the CM that it was too late as the march had already begun and it was on its way to Mumbai. There was no question of calling it off at that point, he said. Though the CM has been claiming that the government spoke to us ahead of the march, it was a casual attempt by Mahajan. There was no firm assurance by the government at that point of time, he said.

Nawale added that the apathy of the government was clear in the way it ignored them between the day the march commenced from Nashik (March 6) and March 9, when Mahajan met Gavit.

Our first interaction with the government was on last Friday. Till then the government did not bother to get in touch with us, Nawale said. The Opposition slammed the government for its poor handling of the situation and said it should have at least met the farmers halfway.

Senior NCP leader Ajit Pawar said if the government had held a discussion with the farmers in Nashik, they would not have been forced to march to Mumbai. This march has the capacity to shake the foundations of the government, said NCP legislator Sunil Tatkare, in the legislative council.The Mumbai police have deployed heavy security in and around south Mumbai, especially Azad Maidan, where the farmers have halted, and Vidhan Bhavan, on Monday, to ensure there are no untoward incidents.

The police said the farmers would not be allowed to proceed from Azad Maidan, and that they are prepared to restrict them. A delegation of farmers is expected to meet Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and present their demands around noon.

A team of around 550 police personnel in uniform are on guard in south Mumbai, including two deputy commissioners of police, four assistant commissioners of police, 58 women cops and 282 policemen with lathis.

Apart from the police, 11 units of the State Reserve Police Force and Riot Control Force have been deployed.

We have deployed bandobast in entire south Mumbai, towards Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT) as more farmers are expected to arrive in the city to join the march, said Vasant Varkhe, senior police inspector of Azad Maidan police station.Three days after a major fire broke out at Adharwadi dumping ground in Kalyan, firemen are still fighting to control the blaze.

The Kalyan-Dombivli Municipal Corporation (KDMC) has formed three teams to douse the fire, which has engulfed three sides of the dumping ground.

Teams have been formed to tackle the fire from three sides of the dump yard. It will take at least two more days to control the fire, said P Velarasu, commissioner, KDMC.

After the fire broke out at the 6-acre dump yard on Saturday, the civic body had brought in private tankers to supply water to douse the flames. But it was inadequate.

The KDMC is now taking water directly from the Kalyan creek, which is next to the dumping ground in Kalyan (West).

We are taking water directly from the creek to douse the fire. We are making an access road for the fire tenders to reach the dumping ground through Sathe Nagar, added Velarasu.

On Monday, smoke continued to billow from the dump yard.

Our officials are working continuously to control the fire. Four fire tenders have been stationed at Adharwadi for the past three days, said Dilip Gund, chief fire officer, KDMC.

Saturdays fire was the second incident in one week. On March 6, a minor fire broke out at the dumping ground.

Corporators from the Shiv Sena and Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) gathered outside the KDMC commissioners cabin, protesting the apathy of the civic body in shutting the saturated dump yard. As the commissioner was not present, the corporators pasted his photo on the locked door and put a garland of bangles on it.

The Congress workers staged a protest at the dumping ground by stopping garbage vehicles from going in.

Residents protested on Sunday, complaining of breathlessness.

There is a school, a hospital and many residential buildings near the dump yard which have cropped up in the past 10 years. How can the civic body allow construction near the dump yard? said Maya Shetty, 35, a resident of Adharwadi.As farmers marched 180 kilometres to the state legislature for their demands, several citizens, non-government organisations and self-help groups came forward to do their bit, by supplying them food, water, medicines and even footwear.

There were several participants in the march whose footwear was broken and some even walked barefoot. Piku Ahuja and Isha Ahluwalia, a couple in their thirties, was seen distributing footwear to the farmers for free. The duo said they had been keeping a track of the issue in the papers and decided to support the farmers in any way they could.

They were making several rounds to the nearby market to buy footwear and were distributing them for free at Azad Maidan. Please do not click our pictures. We are here to help and not for publicity, they said.

Protesting the state governments failure to fulfil their promises, thousands of farmers who reached Azad Maidan early on Monday, received support from several associations and self-help groups with no political affiliations. The farmers were completely exhausted after the long march and some were rushed to the hospital.

The Robin Hood Army, a volunteer based organisation which works against food wastage, distributed nearly 240 pairs of footwear to the struggling farmers. Faiza Dhanani, one of the volunteers, said, For todays protest, friends and relatives of the volunteers approached the Robin Hood Army to distribute footwear.

A Sikh community outfit, Khalsa Aid International, sent volunteers to take stock of the situation and then distributed approximately 3,000 water bottles to the people. Similarly, many individuals were seen contributing in the form of wafers, snacks and buttermilk to the farmers.

Other associations such as the Manav Seva Kalyankari Sangh from Worli, a self-funded group of 11 people, and Jai Ho Foundation from Kurla, were seen distributing biscuits and water. Afroz Malik, president of Jai Ho Foundation, said, We are a group of around 30 working professionals who spend money from their own expense. While the farmers marched towards Azad Maidan late in the night, several residents of housing societies provided water and snacks on the way.Over 35,000 farmers from across Maharashtra, who embarked on a Long March from Nashik on March 6 to press their various demands, arrived at Azad Maidan early on Monday.

Apart from the Opposition parties, the Shiv Sena, a partner in the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party-led coalition, also vocally supported the agitation.

The state government reached out to farmers, and after a long meeting, announced that it has agreed to most of their demands; the farmers leaders, in turn, said they have withdrawn the agitation.

Here are the highlights:

4.30pm: We discussed 12 of their 13 demands, and most of their demands will be met. The remaining have some technical issues, which will be resolved in the next six months, says minister Girish Mahajan.

4.24pm: CPI(M) leader Sitaram Yechury meets farmers at Azad Maidan.

4.17pm: CM Devendra Fadnavis says he will pursue the matter with the Centre over its assurance of a minimum support price 1.5 times the cost of production.

4.15pm: Government says it will consider both husband and wife for loan waiver with a benefit cap of Rs1.5 lakh.

4.10pm: Arrangements being made for two special trains on Monday evening to take back the protesters to their home towns. The Central Railway has kept two trains ready. Around 100 railway police personnel deployed across CSMT, Byculla, Dadar and LTT to assist farmers.

4.07pm: A joint statement will be made by leaders and the ministerial group at Azad Maidan.

4.05pm: Implementation of Forest Act to begin in two months; CM promises relaxation of some of the conditions for loan waiver eligibility; ration cards to be issued to farmers immediately.

4.04pm: Government claims almost all demands will be fulfilled. The committee of minsters will coordinate with farmer leaders.

4.03pm: Farmers say they have withdrawn stir.

4pm: Meeting ends between farmers representatives and CM-led ministerial committee; farmers and state government arrive at an agreement.

2.45pm: Maharashtra Congress chief Ashok Chavan speaks to farmers, calls the need for the agitation unfortunate. This has never happened in Maharashtra, where farmers were forced to take this step. How many more suicides will it take to give relief to farmers, he asks.

2.35pm: Senior Congress leaders Ashok Chavan, Manikrao Thakre and Sanjay Nirupam arrive at Azad Maidan.

2.30pm: AIMIM legislator Waris Pathan addresses farmers, promises his party will raise the issue at every possible forum.

2.23pm: Samajwadi Party chief Abu Azmi speaks to farmers at Azad Maidan, praises Shiv Sena founder Bal Thackeray and asks Uddhav to emulate him. Balasaheb never bowed against anyone in his lifetime. It is good Uddhav has declared support, but he should shun power like Balasaheb did as this government is anti-farmer, he says.

2.01pm: Three to four farmers collapse due to fatigue and heat, taken to JJ hospital in an ambulance.

1pm: Farmers delegation reaches Vidhan Bhavan. The delegation includes Ajit Nawale, Jiva Pandu Gavit, Narsayya Adam and Ashok Dhawale.

12.55pm: Farmer leader and Kalwan MLA Jiva Pandu Gavit contradicts the government, says it did not engage in a discussion with the farmers before the march. The first communication came from the government only on Friday, the fourth day of the march.

12.35pm: The government took the farmers march lightly. They thought it will not come to Mumbai. This march has the capacity to shake the foundations of the government. The MNS, Shiv Sena, NCP and Congress have supported the march, but it is not a political ploy, just a support at a humanitarian level for our adivasi farmers, says NCP legislator Sunil Tatkare, speaking in the Legislative Council.

12.04pm: There is no question of compromise, says Nawale, who is at Azad Maidan. This is not a political issue. The government must respect farmers. We have marched more than 100km and will go back only when all our demands are fulfilled.

11.59am: Water resources minister Girish Mahajan, also guardian minister of Nashik, says 80% of their demands will be met. The committee of ministers will meet once a week and ensure time-bound compliance of demands.

11.50am: BEST Undertaking diverts traffic on six routes via DN Road as the traffic police have shut Mahapalika Marg for traffic.

11.32am: The government is positive about all demands made by the farmers, the CM says, adding that the government had tried to persuade the farmers not to take out a march, but that they were determined. Girish Mahajan, water resources minister and guardian minister of Nashik, had met the organisers ahead of the march.

11.30am: Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis says the minsters committee, led by him, will meet the farmers delegation at 1pm at Vidhan Bhavan.

11.25am: Ajit Nawale, state president of Akhil Bharatiya Kisan Sabha, reaches Azad Maidan. They have given us a time of 12 noon, and we will be at Vidhan Sabha at 12. If they try any tricks on us, we will start a hunger strike here at Azad Maidan. If anyone dies during that strike, it is Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis fault, he said. We will do gherao. If the police try to stop us, we will do a hunger strike at the spot we are stopped at.

11.17am: Senior NCP leader Ajit Pawar says that if the government had held a discussion with the farmers in Nashik, they would not have been forced to march 180 km to Mumbai. The government will be responsible for any law-and-order situation as it has failed to handle the situation properly, Pawar says.

11.15am: Debate on the farmers march underway in Assembly. Opposition slams government for the delay in responding to the protesting farmers.

11am: More and more farmers arrive at Azad Maidan, the crowd gathered is swelling.

10.45am: A farmer Nathu Nivrutti Udaar from Ganesh vllage, Trimbakeshwar, walks around Azad Maidan carrying a solar panel on his head, so as to help other farmers recharge their mobile phones.

Farmer Nathu Nivrutti Udaar is carrying a solar panel on his head, to help other farmers recharge their mobile phones. (Pratik Chorge/HT Photo)

10.35am: A meeting between a group of ministers, led by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, and a delegation of farmers is expected to take place around 2pm at Vidhan Bhavan. It has been postponed slightly for the condolence motion following the demise of Congress leader Patangrao Kadam and for filing of nominations for Rajya Sabha.

10.25am: We have good support from Shiv Senas Aaditya Thackeray. And even Raj Thackeray, who came and met us. It has upped our morale. We feel that pressure from them may make the government agree to our demands, says Sitaram Pawar, secretary, Kisan Mahasabha.

10.15am: Though we have political differences with Left parties, we are supporting this farmers march, says the Shiv Sena. The loan waiver announced by the state government has not reached farmers effectively. This farmers ire will destroy the government, says the Sena in its mouthpiece Saamana.

9.30am: Heavy police presence in and around south Mumbai, especially Azad Maidan. Team of State Reserve Police Force and Riot Control Force also deployed. The Mumbai police said all farmers will not be allowed to march from Azad Maidan.

9.20am: Live performances have started at Azad Maidan. Around 100 farmers from Pangarbari village, Sukana taluka, Nashik, are performing the traditional Waghya Murali dance, a tribute to God Khandoba (a manifestation of Shiva) in Jejuri. Farmers said it is not for entertainment but just a way to keep the atmosphere upbeat.

9am: Medicines are being distributed to farmers who are currently at Azad Maidan by staffers from Thane civil hospital. Dr Sanjay Carole, medical officer of Thane civil hospital, said: I have been here since morning and about 50 people have come for treatment. They are getting treated mostly for pain in the legs, sores and boils on legs as many of them have been walking barefoot. Also, for headaches and heat strokes. Our van has followed farmers from Thane. In a while, the farmers will start their march to Vidhan Bhavan.

8.50am: Comrade Arjun Ade, chairman of Maharashtra Rajya Kisan Sabha, said: My brothers have been walking for four days now, from Nashik, Solapur, Sangli. Now, there are more people coming by morning trains from all over Maharashtra. The government makes big promises, but does not implement them. There is a GR for loan waiver, but our loans have not been cancelled. We demand that the GR be implemented today.

8.45am: There are about 75,000 farmers at Azad Maidan. We expect the number to reach 1 lakh before we march towards Vidhan Bhavan at noon, says Shankar Shedam, joint secretary, Maharashtra Rajya Kisan Sabha.

8.20am: The farmers demands include a complete waiver on farm loans and fair prices for their produce.

8.10am: The farmers, led by Left-affiliated All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS), have reached Azad Maidan. They will proceed to Vidhan Bhavan later in the day.

7.50am: No road closure or diversions due to Farmers Morcha now: Amitesh Kumar, joint commissioner of police (traffic) told ANI.eeshanpriya@hindustantimes.com

Thousands of angry farmers braved sore feet, heat stroke, cold nights and home sickness to march all the way from Nashik, Ahmednagar, Satara and some other parts of the state to Mumbai.

Its been a week since these men and women left their homes wearing red caps. They were worried, tired, faced uncertainty and were in physical discomfort every step of the way. And when their week-long journey finally halted at Azad Maidan on Monday, they had torn footwear, soiled clothes and tanned faces.

Municipal doctors attending to the farmers said most of them had blisters on the soles of their feet, migraines from walking in the heat and were dehydrated.

Shanta Pawar, 60, a farmer from Nashik, said, Even though the pain in my legs from the long walk is unbearable, I am okay. The government has met our demands and my children can have a secure future.

Pawar is the sole bread winner of her family. She tills about five acres of land in Surgana tehsil in Nashik to feed two sons and a daughter. But it is not her land. She said, The land belongs to the forest government. I want it in my name. I have been tilling it for so many decades now. I am scared they will come one day and stake their claim and we will have nothing left.

Most of the farmers who came to Mumbai have the same story to tell. They till land their forefathers cultivated, but owned by the states forest department. They barely earn enough money to make ends meet.

A few years ago, as the government started taking possession of this land, many of these farmers were stopped by the forest department from cultivating it. They feel ownership of the land, a monthly pension from the state government and 1.5 times the production cost as the minimum support price (MSP) will bring security to their life.

Some farmers also protested against land-grabbing cases. Shivaji Mohite, who travelled to Mumbai from Satara, lost his land to a private company that set up windmills in his village in 2007. Mohite claims the company bought more than five acres of land each from all the families in his village, but made contracts for sale of less than an acre of land.

It also cheated about 27 farmers by paying off half the decided amount, and did no paperwork for it, he claims.

Mohite hopes the government will intervene and resolve his issue. Sitaram Pawar, secretary of the All India Kisan Sabha, said, These farmers have barely got any rest. They halt whenever night falls and begin walking in the morning.

This is in exchange for hardly much expectation from the government. We want ownership of all land tilled by the farmers, whether it is with the state, forest, temple trusts or private corporates.Last week at a high-powered schmooze fest held at a five-star, the centres of attraction happened to be two female politicians connected to powerful political families who had wielded enormous influence in their own careers too. But that is where the similarities between Sonia Gandhi and Hillary Clinton end. While the former endeared herself to the audience with her gentle, reserve and graceful vulnerability, not to mention her hitherto unknown talent for quick and earthy repartee, she had chosen to dissolve from the audience view the minute she descended the stage, Clinton had gone the whole hog, pumping flesh, rubbing shoulders with the best and brightest, including two very star-struck looking sisters, Kareena and Karisma Kapoor, and posing for selfies with a never-ending procession of Indias best and brightest.

The clamour around Clinton dominated the conference mind space throughout. The key question  have you been invited to the Hillary dinner  had all in its thrall, as rumours that the conclave organisers had created a list of carefully vetted hundred people to present to the once and might-have-twice occupant of the White House. Finally, the frantic jostling for invites among the heavy weights were put to rest when it transpired that after her much-awaited address, the elegantly coiffured and fresh-faced lady had been whisked off to Antilia where she had enjoyed a small sit down dinner hosted by Nita and Mukesh Ambani for a hand full of their friends including Anuradha and Anand Mahindra.

TRUE LIES

The lunching ladies carry gigantic handbags, and wear gigantic sunglasses under gigantic hair, posted the no-nonsense seasoned Capital hack who gave Sushma Swarajs lunch on the occasion of Womens Day a miss. But I have no regrets for missing the beauty parade of famous, vacuous TV anchors who turn out there after entire days of preparing and plotting what theyre going to wear and how to out beauty other while fatuously blathering about foreign policy with constantly darting eyes to check out whos wearing what and cosying up to which important person... she said in a deliciously catty post. I expressed my regrets since I work in Noida, have no time for manicures, for hair jobs and for fine-tuning my couture and my handbags to shine the brightest at that lunch. And after this tantalising tirade, the veteran hack ended her post with, I think everyone on my page  at least my closer friends  know whom I refer to. Bringing forth a sully of likes and supports from many on her friends list, including another famous TV anchor whose equally succinct, I know who you mean. more or less revealed who the brainless, mindless TV anchor in question was!

WTSWTM

What They Say 

The demand by YSR Congress, asking the TDP to move a no-confidence motion against the NDA government at the Centre is unethical.

Chandrababu Naidu, Andhra Pradesh chief minister

What They Mean 

Not only unethical but so unfair given that my shaky brinkmanship wedged as it is between the twin obstacles of the looming Rajya Sabha elections and a possible BJP-YSR alliance.

MIRROR IMAGES?

Architect Hafeez Contractor. (HT File Photo)

Word comes in that Mumbais Hafeez Contractor, widely recognised as the man who put the dazzle in the citys skyline, was placed in a piquant situation recently. Apolitical and work obsessed himself , the man who was once described by the NYT as a Starchitect as is known, counts among his long list of clients some of the most famous in the land, including the likes of Osho (he designed the ashram in Pune) and even PM Modi (when he was engaged for the development of various projects in Gujarat by the then CM), was busy putting the finishing touches in the newly refurbished Congress HQ in Delhi, when coincidentally he is said to have been invited by the BJP to redesign its HQ, too, which lies not even a stones throw away (at least we know both bitterly opposed parties agree on one thing).

His sense of pucka Parsi propriety is said to have prompted the designer to politely decline the assignment, but imagine if he had accepted and both the headquarters of the countrys leading national parties had ended up being mirror images of each other!

But politics has very little to do with Contractors choice of assignments. Ask the swashbuckling architect who has been his best client till date and he will more likely than not cite minister for road transport and highways, shipping and water resources, river development & Ganga rejuvenation, Nitin Gadkari, for his dynamism and quick decision-making process.

Incidentally, Contractor has long been championing a scheme that could single-handedly be the answer to Mumbais environmental, traffic and ecological problems if it were to fructify. But which politician will bite the bullet?A 37-year-old resident of Dhule, who posed as a woman and cheated women of their valuables by befriending them through a social networking site, was arrested on Sunday.

The police said there are at least 15 complaints registered against the accused, Bhikan Namdev Palande, across Mumbai.

Initially, the police suspected that a couple was conning people. According to crime branch officers, they collected information from six police stations across the city, where women had filed complaints.

They finally cracked the case when they accessed the Facebook profiles of the women who had been cheated.

The accused followed the same modus operandi in all cases.

The officers studied the pattern of crime through the Facebook profile of the accused and traced him.

We found that Palande had made another fake profile and was chatting with a woman from Borivli, said a police officer from the property cell of Mumbai crime branch.

Palande lured the widow by promising her that he would get her married to his brother. He was trying to extract money from her by telling her that he needed the money for his brothers divorce.

The police asked the woman to call Palande to Borivli on Sunday and arrested him.

Palande is married and has two children.

He would send friend requests to random women from the fake profile and chat with them, pretending to be a woman. He gained their confidence by talking to them and getting involved in their problems, the officer said. He would cook up a story while meeting them as a man and take the cash.

We have arrested Palande and will hand him over to the Mankhurd police as they had registered the first case against him. We have found that he had been conning 15 women, added the officer.

Palande told the police that women easily accept another womans Facebook request so he used a womans profile to con them.An amendment to the Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) Notification, 2011  brought into effect by the Union ministry on March 6  makes it easier for builders and developers to regularise projects along coastal areas, even if they had failed to take prior permission.

The notification by the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change (MoEFCC) made it possible to issue a post facto clearance (a request for sanction obtained for an action without prior permission) for permissible activities in coastal areas.

Environmentalists and lawyers have said that illegal constructions and violators stand to benefit from the new notification. There is little probability that illegal constructions would get demolished now and this provides an easy way out for violators, they said.

All activities, which are otherwise permissible under the provisions of this notification, but have commenced construction without prior clearance, would be considered for regularisation only in such cases wherein the project applied for regularization in the specified time, says the notification.

Further, the notification adds, the projects which are in violation of CRZ norms would not be regularised. Such cases where the constructions have commenced before the date of this notification without the requisite CRZ clearance, shall be considered only by MoEFCC, provided that the request for such regularisation is received in the said ministry by June 30, 2018.

It states that the specific recommendations regarding regularisation of such proposals shall be given by the concerned Coastal Zone Management Authority. While making the recommendations, it will also certify that there have been no violations of the CRZ regulations.

Environmental lawyers said just because an activity is permissible within CRZ areas, it does not always mean that the activity will get the permission.

The amendment makes it easier for builders to regularise their projects on the CRZ, even if they dont have the requisite permissions. All that builders have to do is submit a declaration that states they need regularisation for a pre-constructed building. The ministry body will the assess if it causes problems scientifically. However, it will not be able to look into the technical dangers that the building poses as that would require evaluating the foundations depth, quality of building matter, and environmental impact of the construction activities. Once the regularisation is complete, the building stands to be legal and no one can question it anymore, said Zaman Ali, an advocate practising in the Bombay High Court.

Ali added that post facto clearances destroy orderly development of any city.

Such buildings now eligible to be regularised will, by way of this notification, primarily drive Maharashtra Coastal Zone Management Authority (MCZMA) to take a decision on regularisation than deconstruction. The foundation of this amendment is therefore against the spirit of environmental laws. Builders can take advantage of this by saying look we are in CRZ-II and we have constructed an eight floor building, now regularise it, said Ali.

There may be areas which can get restored even today where permitted construction without permissions may have come up, but this notification creates a bias to allow MCZMA process and regularise without a lot of considerations, he added.

Godfrey Pimenta, advocate said, Post facto approval is a dangerous trend. The idea of having prior CRZ approval is to ensure that CRZ norms are not breached. Now, allowing post facto approval would effectively result in no fear of law. If one is caught flouting the law, then they can get away by simply paying penalty and getting the proposal regularised. This may be good for building projects, but for environmental issues it will be suicidal.

Stalin D, project director, NGO Vanashakti, said, This is a mischievous way to allow violators to get away. Mumbai builders, developers and project proponents who have commenced work without permission and are in violation will benefit. The ministry of environment has become a regularisation and clearances ministry. This is also being done with an eye on the elections to generate illegal money to be used during the 2019 elections.

Elections are approaching and it is time to start making money. No suggestions or objections were invited while issuing the notification. The MoEFCC has used its emergency powers to amend CRZ laws when there is absolutely no emergency. Extending the viability of CRZ clearance from five to seven years is counterproductive. CRZ notification was the first document from the central government that acknowledged climate change and sea level rise as early as 1988. But in 2018, they seem to have forgotten that such threats exist even more today. It is totally contrary as they are allowing more constructions to take place, said Debi Goenka, environmentalist and executive trustee of the Conservation Action Trust, petitioner in the Bombay HC matter from 2005 that brought better protection to mangrove trees in Maharashtra.Five police officers from Vikhroli police station pretended to be businessmen and stayed with a nomadic tribe outside a small village in Rajasthan to nab a robber, who is a minor.

The 17-year-old boy had robbed a jeweller in Vikhroli of gold worth Rs20 lakh and fled to his village Antaliya in Kumblegarh district at Rajasambandh in Rajasthan.

The owner of Prashant Jewellers at Tagore Nagar approached the police on February 24, claiming that his employee had stolen gold worth Rs20 lakh. The complainant had not taken down the boys details while hiring him.

The police tracked the accuseds mobile phone and learnt that he was in a forest outside a village in Rajasthan.

The police spoke to the boys acquaintances from the same village. They told the officers that the boy stayed in Antaliya village. A team of five police officers left for Rajasthan and reached the forest area where they had traced the boys mobile phone.

We could not get the boys exact location but we knew that he was hiding in the forest. We could not even take the help of the local police and approach the villagers as they would have retaliated, said Vijay Sandbhor assistant police inspector from Vikhroli police station.

The officers said for six days they lived in a tribal village on the outskirts of the forest and searched for the boy.

We pretended to be businessmen from the city who had lost their way. We sought refuge in the village and searched for the accused, said Sandbhor. After six days, a man told the police that the boy had been hiding in a farm.

We nabbed the boy. He has been detained. We recovered the jewellery from him, said Sanjay More, senior police inspector of Vikhroli police station.Two months after a Pawan Hans helicopter crashed into the Arabian Sea, killing seven people  two pilots and five Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) employees, the existing flight safety system will be audited soon.

The primary investigation into the crash was conducted by Rotary Wings Society of India (RWSI).

Pawan Hans said an international agency will conduct the audit to ensure that all safety guidelines are being followed correctly.

The audit will also find out if more stringent safety systems are to be put in place.

While Pawan Hans chairperson and managing director (CMD) BP Sharma did not respond to this newspapers request for a comment, an official privy to the investigation said the helicopter service

provider has written to five international agencies and is in the process to shortlist one of them.

The official said, We had asked for financial quotes from five international agencies. They have all sent their quotes. We will be finalising one of them soon after which the safety compliance audit will be conducted. Officials from Pawan Hans said that Airbus Helicopters is among the agencies.

After the Pawan Hans helicopter crashed into the sea carrying two pilots and five ONGC deputy general managers on January 13, ONGC employees were worried about the safety of the operations.

The ONGC is among the major user of Pawan Hanss services, using their helicopters to ferry staff and material to their offshore oil fields in Bombay High, which is located off the Mumbai coast.

To find out if Pawan Hans has been following all safety parameters set by aviation regulator Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), the ONGC had approached RWSI to conduct a technical audit of all its service providers. The audit report said that all standard operating procedures were followed on the January 13 operation.

RWSI is a third party non-profit aviation body. While there were speculations on Pawan Hans finalising an international agency for the second audit, senior officials insisted that the second audit was a result of proactive approach in order to have better safety system in place. According to Pawan Hans, they had last conducted an audit last year which was done by SGS Aviation Compliance which has sent its quote this time as well.It was quiet an irony: The saffron greeting the red.

As the farmers march organized by Communist Party of India (M) affiliated All India Kisan Sabha entered Mumbai waiving the red flags on Sunday, Shiv Sena declared its support to them.

Sena chief Uddhav Thackerays son and party youth wing chief Aaditya Thackeray made it a point to visit the farmers march and expressed his partys support to them. In Thane and Mumbai, Sena workers distributed food and water to the participants of the march. Aaditya even posted a picture of Sena workers nursing the wounds of the farmers who had blisters on their feet and said he was proud of them.

This is in sharp contrast to the Senas history with the Left. The partys enmity with the Left is well-known in Maharashtras political circles. In the Senas initial years in late Sixties and early Seventies, Mumbai witnessed clashes between the workers of the Left outfits and the Shiv Sena. Often, Senas critics used to allege that the party was being encouraged by the Congress leaders such as then chief minister Vasantrao Naik to counter the Left parties and unions affiliated to them. It was alleged that they wanted to cut the Left to size in Mumbai and as such used the Sena for the same. Legendary Marathi litterateur Acharya Atre used to taunt Sena as `Vasant Sena in his Marathi newspaper.

Central Mumbai which had a large working class population witnessed violence as Sena tried to wrest control of the area from the Left parties. In June 1970, Krishna Desai, a Communist Party of India legislator from Parel, was murdered and the fingers were pointed at Sena. In the following years, Sena became a dominant political force in Mumbai while the influence of the Left parties faded away. The bitterness between the two sides remained for a long time.

Little wonder, the Sena mouthpiece Saamna on Monday noted: `Though we have differences of opinion, the contribution of Left outfits in Samyukta Maharashtra movement cannot be forgotten. We are supporting these farmers by keeping our differences aside.

Aaditya himself insisted in his Twitter post: No I didnt see the red flags, I saw their red blood which is the same as ours. Whichever the flag they carry, whoever their political hero, govt has to hear themThey are farmers who need to be heard. Its unfortunate to be insensitive to those who feed us and put ideological cages on them.

Now, Senas action could be in line with its plan to hit ally BJP wherever possible. It can also be called opportunism since the party is sharing power with the BJP and at the same time passing on all the criticism to the latter. Still the sight of Sena leaders greeting farmers carrying red flags and distributing them food and even nursing their wounds surely created a flutter in states politics.

Whatever is the reason it is good that parties with two rival ideologies are speaking in one voice when it comes to the issues of farmers.

Fadnavis versus Rane, round two goes to CM

First, he succeeded in preventing former chief minister Narayan Ranes entry to the BJP. Now, he has managed to get the party offer Rane a Rajya Sabha seat. The latest development is seen as Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis second strike against the Konkan strongman who is keen to join the state cabinet.

Right from day one when Rane made his intent to join the BJP clear, Fadnavis aides were pointing out that the CM did not want the former to be in the party or in his cabinet.

Rane was told that ally Shiv Sena was strongly opposed to him joining the party or the cabinet. Rane floated his separate outfit, Maharashtra Swabhiman Paksh.

Now he has accepted the BJP offer of a Rajya Sabha seat. Will Fadnavis manage to keep Rane away from his cabinet? That remained to be answered...

As of now, round two has gone to the FadnavisAfter covering 180km on foot over five days, over 35,000 protesting farmers from across Maharashtra have converged at Azad Maidan, Mumbai in support of their demands. (Live Updates)

What is happening in Maharashtra?

Over 35,000 farmers from across Maharashtra, led by Left-affiliated All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS), embarked on a Long March from Nashik to Mumbai on March 6 to press for their demands. Their 180 km march culminated in Mumbai on March 11.

What are the farmers demands?

Farmers, who are struggling to cope with the agrarian crisis and natural calamities, demand:

* An unconditional waiver of loans as well as electricity bills.

* Implementation of the Swaminathan Commission recommendations, including an announcement of minimum support price for agriculture produce.

* A pension scheme for farmers.

* Monetary compensation of Rs 40,000 per acre for crop damage because of last months hailstorms and unseasonal rains.

Their other significant demand is transfer of forest land they have been tilling for long.

Do they have any political backing?

Shiv Sena, a partner in the ruling BJP-led coalition, has vocally supported the agitation. Apart from them, Opposition Congress, NCP, Raj Thackeray-led Maharashtra Navnirman Sena and AAP have also extended their support.

How has the Maharashtra government responded?

Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis held a high-level meeting on Sunday to review the situation. We are positive on the demands of the farmers. We have set up a six-member cabinet committee to discuss their demands, he said after the meeting.

What is the situation in the city?

The Mumbai police have deployed heavy security in and around south Mumbai, especially Azad Maidan, where the farmers have halted, and Vidhan Bhavan, on Monday, to ensure there are no untoward incidents.

A team of around 550 police personnel in uniform are on guard in south Mumbai, including two deputy commissioners of police, four assistant commissioners of police, 58 women cops and 282 policemen with lathis.

Apart from the police, 11 units of the State Reserve Police Force and Riot Control Force have been deployed.

What next?

The police said the farmers would not be allowed to proceed from Azad Maidan to state assembly, where the Budget session is underway, and that they are prepared to restrict them. A delegation of farmers is expected to meet chief minister Devendra Fadnavis and present their demands around noon on Monday.The daughter-in-law of former UP minister Baleshwar Tyagi allegedly committed suicide at her in-laws house in Nehru Nagar-2, Ghaziabad, on Monday. The body of Sunita Tyagi was found hanging in her room in the afternoon. Her father-in-law and her husband Sachendra Tyagi were away at work at the time of the incident.

According to police, the woman had allegedly hanged herself from a ceiling fan in a room on the second floor of the house. Her body was found by her only son Akash,15, who returned from school around 2.30pm and immediately alerted the other women and children in the house.

Sachendra got married to Sunita, who hailed from Prahlad Garhi, near Vasundhra, Ghaziabad, 16 years ago.

Former minister and veteran BJP leader Baleshwar Tyagi said, She was in a state of depression for the past three to four years and was undergoing treatment for it. My son and I had left the house around 8am to the school that we run at Govindpuram. In the afternoon, we got a call from the house about the incident.

Tyagi stays on the ground floor of the house while the first floor is occupied by his eldest son, Ashutosh, who runs an advertising business in Ghaziabad. Sachendra and Sunita lived on the second floor.

Tyagis youngest son stays in Model Town away from the family.

The police are yet to estimate the time of the death. She had sent Akash to school around 6.30am and her husband left the house around 8 am and it was he who last Sunita alive, police said.

The door to her room was open, police said. After the women and children in the house raised the alarm on spotting Sunita hanging, neighbours rushed to the spot and took her to nearby Yashoda Hospital where she was declared brought dead.

We have called up Sunitas parents and family members and have also roped in the field unit to collect forensic samples. So far, we are yet to recover any suicide note from the room. The family refused to have a postmortem examination done but we have decided to get it conducted. So far, we have not received any complaint from the family, Akash Tomar, superintendent of police (city), said.

The family members said that only Tyagis wife, his eldest daughter-in-law and her children were present in the house when Sunitas son Akash returned from school and found his mother hanging.

Baleshwar Tyagi won the assembly elections in 1991, 1993 and 1996 on BJP tickets. He has held the portfolios of panchayati raj, basic education and home department. Tyagi, though a party member, is currently not active in politics and runs a school in Govindpuram and a library in Nehru Nagar.Chinas National Peoples Congress (NPC) on March 11 lifted the two-term limit on the post of president and vice-president, which world media has described as making Xi Jinping president for life. This limited focus on Xi misses the woods for the trees. The post of the president is ceremonial though one can extrapolate how this change can weaken the convention of party secretary generals passing the baton after two terms even though no such limit is stipulated. Xi not only holds the most powerful position of party secretary general and chairman of the Central Military Commission, but already chairs a dozen other top-level small policy groups.

The real cause of concern should be the methodologies of Xis rise and their systemic implications. Xis most powerful tool has been anti-graft campaigns that have imprisoned hundreds of thousands officials. Its czar, Wang Qishan, is all set to defy the age limit to become Chinas vice-president this week. Institutions have been replaced by personalities. At the centre of this transmutation lies the end of Chinas collective leadership, which has been the key to Chinas rise since early 1990s.

The Communist Party of China (CPC) says that the country faces unprecedented new challenges and its continued prosperity and security demands strong leadership as also greater synergy between State and CPC. Common sense then would call for the party constitution to follow the State constitution and also provide for a two-term limit for the secretary general. But this logic fails to appreciate that, in China, it is not the State that controls the party and military; it is the party that owns both the State and military. So it should not sound uncanny that the State constitution must conform to the party line.

However, it was paramount leader Deng Xiaoping, who, in early 1980s, had sought to separate the party and State to ensure stability and transparency as the basis for prosperity. His bold reforms introduced the concept of retirement both for the State and military. Deng was compelled by 27 years of uncontested rein of Mao Zedong, whose social engineering experiments of Great Leap Forward and Cultural Revolution killed millions while fear and famine gripped those alive and not able to flee. Deng downsized the armed forces from 4.1 million to 3 million and his two-term limit for presidency nourished the institution of collective leadership. For the next 20 years, teams of Jiang Zemin and Li Peng and then by Hu Jintao and Wen Jiabao steered Chinas rise.

The Xi Jinping-Li Keqiang duo was anything but collective, and the proceedings of the 19th party congress last October and the 13th national peoples congress now leave no doubt that Xi, the core, is in the driving seat. From day one, Xi was projected as first among equals and he has rapidly increased his lead over his increasingly dispensable team members. The succession of new leaders during the 19th party congress was at wide variance with established conventions, including on age of retirement, which means that the next succession in 2022 can be highly volatile.

The last few examples show how, each time, while amendments have become decisive, the minuscule contrarian voices have just dried up. In the amendments of 1999, 21 of the 2,860 delegates had voted against and 24 had abstained from incorporating the theory of Deng. In 2004, only 10 of the 2,890 delegates voted against and 17 abstained from adding President Jiangs theory of three represents as also from providing formal protection to private property. After a gap of 14 years, amendments, this Sunday, altered the basic structure of Chinas constitution, yet just two of the 2,964 delegates voted against, three abstained and one ballot was declared invalid.

While leaders may celebrate this growing unanimity, nothing is more dangerous for rulers than citizens being resigned to their fate and giving up constant questioning of their official make-believe. Conversely, ruling-by-rhetoric always ends up unleashing jingoistic impulses and brinkmanship. Mao and Deng had long innings but never needed official titles as they had ushered new eras in Chinas life.

Does Xi show that promise?

Swaran Singh is professor, School of International Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi

The views expressed are personalThe United States-produced F-35 stealth fighter seems to be the flavour of the moment in Delhi. Much of this has to do with a wink-wink, nudge-nudge campaign on since 2011 when it was reported that the US had offered a fixed price contract for the F-35A basic variant. Washington, at that point, swiftly dismissed rumours stating that the F-35 was not on the table right now. In private, top officials have been much more forthright giving us an emphatic no.... there is a lot that needs to happen in the relationship before that conversation. Surprisingly, more daydreaming by the air force has made manufacturer Lockheed Martin claim again that the F-35 is available to India, contrary to facts reinforced by official US government denials. This begs three questions: what are the operational impediments of the F-35? What are the associated costs? and what are the political sensitivities?

Operationally, the stealth tag merely makes it a great tactical fighter, while the real punch comes from the 5th generation tag, making it a node in a highly networked system of systems.

An inexact analogy is the iPhone X  its got great call quality, stunning visual, excellent camera, but imagine if it couldnt interface with Gmail, Twitter, Paytm, Uber, or connect to Wi-Fi or 4G. In the F-35s case not only is it unable to refuel from our current generation of tanker aircraft, it also cannot interface with Indias Integrated Air Command & Control System (IACCS) comprising ground and airborne radars, with customised data-links. Additionally the level of customisation for its target discrimination system that allows it to tell friend from foe, would have to be replaced completely as would all radio communications equipment. Logistically, almost none of our current weapons would be compatible with the F-35, meaning investing vast amounts in new air-to-air, ground and sea munitions, further complicating our already shambolic logistics.

But the real killer is control: India will not have control over anything on this plane  not the weapons, not the integration of new weapons, not even upgrading the threat database for the electronic warfare systems to jam forcing India to share our most sensitive signals intelligence with the US.

This brings us to the critical issue of cost. Why would something as simple as buying a new plane mean that our entire extant communications, logistics, equipment and infrastructure have to be changed? Technologically-speaking, again an Apple analogy. If you desperately want a seamless Apple experience with your iPhone X, you have to buy a Macbook and an iPad. The F-35 is such an incredibly integrated platform that changing its sensors would be like asking Apple to manufacture an iPhoneX just for you  with a Google pixel camera, a Samsung galaxy OLED screen and a Nokia touch sensor, just to make it compatible with your Windows laptop and Android tablet. All of this shoots the price up exponentially with no quality assurance of it working as intended at the end.

A few years back, Nato threatened Turkey with severe consequences for attempting to integrate a Chinese air defence system into its networked hub, ultimately forcing it to abandon the deal. For India, whose equipment is overwhelmingly Russian, the belief that the Americans will sell their crown jewel to interface with Russian equipment is laughable, especially in the wake of Russias sophisticated hacking of US elections, and Indias notoriously lax data hygiene and operational security.

Right now the level of political trust without India signing the Communication and Information Security Memorandum of Agreement (CISMOA) stands at F-16 transfer and that is all. For India to qualify for the F-35 politically, it would either have to abandon all its Russian equipment and strategically autonomous networks, and make all equipment CISMOA compatible, or it would get a hollowed out aircraft, at a significant cost escalation with vastly reduced capabilities.

In short, the F-35 is a brilliant plane thatll either wreck the budget or wreck our operational capability for decades to come with a very high political cost. Any talk of acquiring it therefore is deeply misguided, incredibly uninformed and incredibly dangerous.

Abhijit Iyer-Mitra is senior fellow, Institute of Peace and Conflict Studies and Angad Singh is deputy director, Project Adhira: an airpower focussed think-tank

The views expressed are personalBihar government has sought the Centres help to chalk out an export strategy to promote the landlocked states trade with Nepal in a bid to offset revenue losses it incurred due to liquor ban and slump in taxes from sand mining activities.

A demand to this effect was made by the state to the Centre last month during the meeting of the Council for Trade Development and Promotion (CTDP), which was held under the auspices of the ministry of commerce.

Principal secretary of the state industries department S Siddharth said Bihar had pleaded for formation of an inter-ministerial panel to examine import requirement of Nepal and arranging support mechanism for local traders willing to export to the neighbouring country.

Being a landlocked state, Bihar has little option to exploit the trade possibilities with other countries without the Centres assistance. In the last meeting of the CTDP, we had asked for the Central governments assistance in this regard, but nothing tangible has come out so far, added Siddharth.

Though manufactured goods worth Rs 30,000 crore are exported annually to Nepal via customs check-posts located in Bihar, the state has a minuscule share in it.

This is mainly because industrialists from the state do not have the details of importers and the list of articles, which Nepal is importing from other countries, said Ram Lall Khaitan, president of Bihar Industries association.

President of Bihar Chamber of Commerce and Industries PK Agrawal supported the state governments initiative and said such strategy would encourage entrepreneurs to set up manufacturing units in Bihar.

Currently, limited articles, such as PVC pipes, biscuits, cardboards, ayurvedic products, vegetable oils, etc, are exported to Nepal from Bihar. Besides petroleum products, Nepal, is major importer of cars, motorcycle, vehicle chassis, heavy and construction vehicles and medicines from India, he added.

As the state does not have major industrial units to rely on earning forex, a comprehensive strategy is required to tap the export opportunities of the manufactured goods, which Nepal imports from other countries like UK, UAE, Bangladesh, and Vietnam. Bihar has strong potential of exporting garments, packaged foods and jewelleries to Nepal, said Siddharth.

A senior officer of the state finance department too supported the industries departments demand saying that export of manufactured goods to Nepal could help Bihar make up for the revenue loss to the tune of Rs. 5000 crore incurred in 2017-18 on account of liquor ban and slump in taxes from sand mining activities

The state faces a challenge to compensate the revenue loss of Rs 4000 crore which the excise department used to get as tax on liquor production, he said.

The state suffered an estimated loss of another around Rs 1000 crore in 2017-18 following a ban on sand mining, officials said.

Production, sale and consumption of liquor products have been banned since April 2016. The government is finding it difficult to meet revenue collection target of Rs 34,000 crore for the current fiscal.

Citing declining share in imports of Indian goods last year, another senior officer of the industries department said the inter-ministerial panel could help the state conduct market survey in Nepal and identify the export possibilities for Bihar, which shares good relations with the people of the Himalayan republic.

Bihar shares a total 601 km of its border with Nepal and people on either sides of the border have family connections.All six candidates for six Rajya Sabha seats in Bihar filed their nominations on Monday and are set to be elected uncontested. Polling is scheduled for March 23, but with just six candidates for six seats, it may not be required at all.

Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) candidates Manoj Jha and Ashfaque Karim were the first to file their nominations. While Manoj Jha is a professor at Delhi University and national spokesman of the RJD, Ashfaque Karim is the managing director of Katihar Medical College and Hospital.

Former CM Rabri Devi accompanied the two party candidates for filing the nominations.

Former Union minister Akhilesh Prasad Singh, the Congress candidate, was the next to file nomination. It is the first time since 2002 that the Congress, an ally of the RJD, will send a member to the Rajya Sabha from Bihar. R K Dhawan was the last Rajya Sabha member from the state, though there was a time when Bihar alone sent up to four members of the Congress to the upper house of Parliament.

Later on Monday, ruling Bharatiya Janata Partys (BJP) candidate and Union minister Ravi Shankar Prasad filed his papers. The BJPs ally Janata Dal-United (JD-U) retained its candidates from Bihar  Bashishth Narain Singh and tycoon Mahendra Prasad. popularly known as King Mahendra, who also filed their papers.

Prasad later said that the BJP was in the government in 21 states of the country, with 15 chief ministers of their own. It is all because of peoples trust and we will continue to work to live up to peoples expectations by working with honesty and integrity. In Bihar, the government under Nitish Kumar is working for a change in the state and we will together take it forward, he added.

While there is only one Muslim candidate from the Grand Alliance in the fray, five others are from the upper caste. There is none from the Dalit, extremely backward classes, other backward classes or women categories this time from any party.

RJDs Manoj Jha said the party had sent a clear message this time that theirs is not a party of Muslims and Yadavs only as some people have projected it. It is a party of the poor and downtrodden. There is a clear message that those who believe in broadening the horizon of social justice should come together. It is a fight between those who believe in the Constitution and those who want to decimate it, he added.

On the RJD not fielding anyone from the Dalit or EBC/BC category, Jha said it was high time politics moved away from symbolism. My surname may be Jha, but I dont support Manuvadi tradition, he added, expressing gratitude to RJD chief Lalu Prasad for nominating him as RS candidate.

Congress candidate Akhilesh Singh, whose name was approved by Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Monday morning, exuded optimism that he had the backing of 40 legislators and would wrest the seat by the largest margin. He dismissed the remarks of former Bihar Congress president Ashok Choudhary, who is now in JD-U, that a split was imminent in the Congress. I thank the Congress president and Sonia Gandhi for reposing faith in me, Singh said.

Having faced desertion of four out of its six Bihar legislative council members earlier this month, the Congress was considered vulnerable in the event of a contest for the sixth seat. But the poll arithmetic in the Bihar Vidhan Sabha and RJDs surplus votes prevented it.

To win a Rajya Sabha seat, each candidate will require 35 votes. Based on party strengths, the six Rajya Sabha seats are evenly divided between the NDA and the UPA. The Congress with 27 MLAs, is banking on the RJD which has nine surplus members with 79 MLAs. JD-U has just as much (70 seats) to secure victory of its two candidates, while the BJP with 52 seats has 17 extra members.

Three seats are currently vacant in the 243-member .Bihar assembly.Nearly a month after the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) notified amended recruitment rules for the post of director-principal of Government Medical College and Hospital, Sector 32, the UT administration has yet to initiate the process for the selection of the new director-principal.

The UPSC had limited the maximum age for appointment to 56, following which a section of the college faculty met the home secretary to voice their dissent against the rule.

Since the term of Dr Atul Sachdev got over in April 2017, the hospital does not have a regular director-principal. Even he was given a one-year extension after his three-year tenure expired.

Dr AK Janmeja, was given the additional charge for eight months, and after his retirement in December 2017, the additional charge was handed over to Dr BS Chavan, head of the psychiatry department.

The process to appoint a regular director-principal was delayed after the UT sent amended recruitment rules to the UPSC for approval. In the proposal, the UT administration had asked to increase the age for recruitment from 56 to 59 as the retirement age of doctors was enhanced to 62.

But the UPSC refused to enhance the age and sent the revised notification to the college. The administration sent it back again for reconsideration, but the UPSC on February 15 returned it without any alteration.

The maximum age limit for appointment by deputation shall not exceed 56 as on the closing date of receipt of applications, mentioned the UPSC letter.

Replying to a message on the delay, Anurag Aggarwal, UT home-cum-health secretary, wrote, Not yet issued advertisement. When asked about the reason, he wrote, Some faculty members have represented against the rules approved by the UPSC. We are examining it.

With the UPSC limiting the maximum age to 56, at least seven professors, including Dr BS Chavan, are out of the race for the next director.

While Dr Chavan will turn 56 on March 25, Dr Chavan, Dr Arjun Das, Dr Suman Kochar, Dr Jagdish Chander, Dr Satinder Gomber, Dr Sukanya Mitra, and Dr Ram Singh also dont meet the criteria for appointment due to the new age limit.Cutting their snatching spree short, police nabbed four people, including a school student and a diploma student, on Sunday

The accused were indentified as Harinder Singh, 19, resident of Sector 22 and a Class-12 student; Deepak Mehra, 24, resident of PEC campus, Sector 12, and a mechanical diploma student at a Dera Bassi college; Amritpal, 20, resident of Sector 20, Chandigarh, and Sarvesh, 35, resident of Sector 25.

Police said all accused were drug addicts and took to snatching and to fund their drug habit.

They said Harinder and Deepak were arrested following a tip off. They were stopped at a checkpost near Kiran Cinema in Sector 22, while they were riding a Honda Activa.

Facts 63 snatching cases in Chandigarh since January 1 19 cases solved

Harinder was also arrested on February 26 in a case of theft reported at Sector-36 police station. But was released on bail. During interrogation, a Samsung mobile phone was recovered from their possession, which they confessed to have snatched on January 19. The duo also disclosed that they, along with their aides Amritpal and Sarvesh also snatched a mobile phone from a pedestrian in Sector 22 on January 13.

Based on their disclosure, Amritpal and Sarvesh were arrested, and the said mobile phone was recovered.

The accused were on Sunday produced before a court that sent them to two-day police remand.

Theft at Sector-17 jewellery shop cracked

With the arrest of the four men, police claim to have cracked a theft at a jewellery store in Sector 17 on March 10.

Shop owner Harman Arora had reported disappearance of eight gold chains, weighing 85.55 grams, from counter number 9 of his shop, following which a case of theft was registered.

During questioning, Sarvesh, who worked as a sweeper in the shop, confessed to the crime, and led investigators to nine gold chains, weighing 81.27 grams, valuing approximately Rs 2.5 lakh, concealed at his house.

Juvenile held for stealing mobile phone

Police have apprehended a 15-year-old boy for allegedly snatching a womans mobile phone near Universal Enclave, Sector 48, on March 8.

Poonam of Faidan village, had complained to the police that a cyclist had snatched her Samsung mobile phone. The stolen phone and bicycle were recovered from the teenagers possession. The juvenile was produced before the Juvenile Justice Board and sent to Juvenile Home, Sector 25, till March 12.

Purse snatched at Sector 19 market

Two motorcycle-borne men allegedly snatched a womans purse near Sadar Bazar in Sector 19 on Sunday evening. The victim, Meena, hailing from Mumbai, was at the market with her husband, when the snatchers struck. She claimed her purse contained an Apple iPhone, Rs 40,000 in cash, air tickets to Mumbai, an ID card and a PAN card, besides other documents.

Meena said she was in the city to meet her son, and was to leave for Mumbai on Monday. A case of theft has been registered at the Sector-19 police station.It is considered one of the toughest departments to run due to the pressure that lobbies and employee unions exert. But the state health department in the one-year rule of Captain Amarinder Singh-led Congress government has been successful in making a good start having made some crucial strides.

Run by Brahm Mohindra, the senior-most minister in Amarinders cabinet, the department took some important decisions  such as introduction of biometric attendance in hospitals to check absenteeism, especially among doctors  whose successful implementation may go a long way in sorting out basic problems the department is riddled with.

Three Key Promises Health Insurance for all

Status: Provision of Rs 100 crore made in current budget. Likely to be launched this year. Opening of five new medical colleges.

Status: The process has started. The first medical college will come up in Mohali. Mohalla clinics for every 1,000 population in rural and urban areas

Status: Yet to see the light of day. However, 200 wellness centres have come up.

The doctors have been opposing the biometric attendance system tooth and nail.

Also, the governments decision to initiate free dialysis facilities at all district and sub-divisional hospitals, open health wellness centres in rural areas, make all blood banks online besides e-monitoring of drug stocks to check corruption at the level of civil surgeon offices also earned praise.

Since the Punjab government pays only basic salary to its employees in the first three years of their service, the department was not able to attract fresh batches of doctors due to meagre salaries during their contract period. Many doctors leave the job midway or were not ready to join the services in the first place.

But the department also overcame this impediment by aggressively taking up the matter with the chief minister and got permission to pay full salaries to doctors as a special case. It also claims to have recruited in 48 specialist doctors, 38 medical officers and 11 hospital administrators in the past six months.

The authority health minister Brahm Mohindra enjoys in this government has made a huge difference. During the previous two governments, the department was run by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) ministers who had less authority as compared to their counterparts from the partys senior alliance partner Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD). Things are moving quite faster now, a senior specialist doctor posted in Jalandhar stated.

The previous govts misrule had crippled the sector. Machinery worth hundreds of crores was procured without having specialists running it. No efforts were made to recruit doctors. But in just one year, you can see the change at the grassroots level.

 Brahm Mohindra, Punjab health minister

A long way to go

However, the department is still a long way to go when it comes to meet the shortage of doctors with posts of 473 specialist doctors and 360 MBBS doctors lying vacant, taking a heavy toll on services at the rural level.

It has failed to control the alleged loot by private hospitals  a major concern the public has been flagging from time to time.

The claims to introduce an Act to regulate the functioning of private hospitals have remained on paper only. The number of cases of dengue was also recorded at an all-time high in 2017.

The department even started outpatient opioid-assisted treatment (OOAT) to provide free medicines to drug addicts but it is yet to work in tandem with the special task force (STF) formed by the government to make a joint strategy to fight the drug menace.After making a splash in Tamil filmdom last year with Mani Ratnams Kaatru Veliyidai, Aditi Rao Hydari is eagerly looking forward to her Telugu debut this year. Being directed by National award-winning filmmaker Indraganti Mohan Krishna, the project is titled Sammohanam, which roughly translates to attraction.

A romantic drama, the project also stars Sudheer Babu in the lead and has been confirmed to hit the screens on June 15, the makers have announced.

Aditi has pinned high hopes on the project as she wants to use this opportunity to leave a mark in Tollywood. Not much is known of Aditis role as of now but one can expected Indraganti to write better roles for women in his films. Having recently completed her portion for the film, she joined the sets of Mani Ratnams Chekka Chivantha Vaanam, which also stars Arvind Swami, Vijay Sethupathi, Arun Vijay, Simbu, Jyothika and Aishwarya Rajesh in the lead.

In December 2017, Ratnam began prepping for the film with his actors. A picture from his acting workshop, featuring Simbu, leaked online. The project also stars senior actors Prakash Raj and Jayasudha, who will be seen playing pivotal roles. To be bankrolled by Madras Talkies, double Oscar-winning music director AR Rahman has been roped in compose the music, while lensman Santosh Sivan, in his sixth collaboration with Ratnam, will crank the camera. The industry grapevine is that Lyca Productions, the makers of Rajinikanths 2.0, may come on board as releasing partner of the film.

Follow @htshowbiz for more

ott:10:ht-entertainment_listing-desktopActor Tovino Thomas, the current heartthrob of Malayalam cinema, recently made inroads into Tamil with Dhanushs Maari 2, in which he plays the antagonist. The Mayaanadhi actor doesnt want to stop here and aims to make inroads into Hollywood. As Tovino awaits the release of his upcoming Tamil-Malayalam bilingual film Abhiyum Anuvum, he recently clarified that his first preference will also be Malayalam cinema. However, nothing would stop him from exploring opportunities in other industries as hes keen to expand his base.

Hollywood is my aim, so I will take effort to reach there. However, no matter which industry I go to I will always be there in Malayalam. He stressed that he wants to be the Malayali presence in other film industries. Why would I say no to good projects in other languages?

Tovinos performance in Mayaanadhi won over critics and audiences alike. In a recent press interaction, he spoke proudly of being part of a film that addresses very important society-related issues and in turn will raise pertinent question. According to the industry grapevine, Abhiyum Anuvum will touch upon the issue of impotency and how it affects the life of a young couple.

Follow @htshowbiz for more

ott:10:ht-entertainment_listing-desktopAfter three years, director Prakash Kunte and actor Vaibhav Tatwawaadi will be seen together in a film once again. The duo last worked together on Coffee Ani Barach Kahi (2015) and the new film is set to go on the floors this month. Vaibhav has played several romantic roles so far, but this time, he will be seen in a different avatar. The actor says, I play an architect who is pursing a Masters in the same stream. He is a laid back guy. I am looking forward to playing this character. It is unlike all the characters I have played so far.

The film will be shot in Nashik, Dubai and Mumbai. I just got done shooting for my Hindi film. I will begin shooting for this film with Prakash next week, and then there are more projects which I will announce soon.

Speaking about how it is to work with Prakash, Vaibhav says, Prakash is currently one of the most sought-after directors in the Marathi film industry. I have a special connection with him off and on-screen. It is his humility that makes me connect with him. It goes without saying that he is an exceptional director.

ott:10:ht-entertainment_listing-desktopFrom gay-friendly honeymoon destinations to party escapes, tourism has long catered to LGBT travellers. But as acceptance grows, so do calls for the industry to broaden its offers, and avoid cliches.

All too often travel professionals remain stuck on stereotypical views of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transsexual guests as hedonistic holidaymakers, Thomas Boemkes of the consulting agency Diversity Tourism said at Berlins ITB fair, the worlds largest travel trade show. Hotel owners still ask me how to be gay-friendly, and if, for example, they should be offering condoms, said Boemkes.

I tell them all they have to do is be tolerant and welcoming, as you would be with any other clientele, without being intrusive, he said, adding that it is appreciated when reception staff asks two male guests whether they would like twin rooms or a shared bed.

The World Tourism Organization estimated in a 2016 report that LGBT travellers account for five to 10% of global tourists. It describes them as a group that travels with greater frequency and demonstrates higher-than-average patterns of spending, making them and their so-called pink dollars welcome visitors in many countries.

Barcelona is reputed as a gay-friendly spot. (Shutterstock)

It is less typical for gay travellers to have children, and they do have more money and time to travel, said John Tanzella, head of the International Gay and Lesbian Travel Association (IGLTA). LGBT tourism has exploded since it burst onto the scene more than four decades ago, when a US travel firm offered the first gay-only tour of the Grand Canyon in 1973.

Ten years later, the US-based IGLTA was founded and today is among the most prominent exhibitors at the influential ITB trade fair  evidence of a sector in full expansion. Over the years, many cities around the world have cultivated a reputation as LGBT-friendly vacation spots, like Berlin or Barcelona  whose buzzing Eixample district has been dubbed Gayxample.

Its destinations like these that Juan Julia has targeted for his chain of Axel Hotels aimed at LGBT travellers. It means a place where you feel free, welcome, inclusive. You can meet with the local community, like a sanctuary, he said. And inclusion goes both ways. We are also straight-friendly, he added.

But although some hotspots remain perennial favourites, the community is increasingly looking to expand its horizon. Ever more countries are becoming safer and welcoming, Tanzella said, allowing intrepid LGBT travellers to escape the gay bubble effect and explore previously hidden gems.

Thailand offers yoga retreats for LGBT couples. (HT file photo )

Among the top emerging destinations is Colombia, which Tanzella described as already very well-known in our community, with plenty of gay dance clubs. Colombia is very much forward-thinking, he said. And the entire country is beautiful.

From surf lessons in Brazil, a guided tour of the Tel Aviv start-up scene, or yoga retreats in Thailand, travel operators are falling over themselves to court the affluent LGBT traveller. By far, the most popular packages are those linked to weddings and honeymoons, driven by the legalisation of gay marriage in nations around the world.

At the ITB fair, tourism officials from California were among those actively trying to woo same-sex future newlyweds, hoping to hear cash tills ringing as much as wedding bells. A 2015 survey by Community Marketing found that the main criteria for LGBT tourists were quality, price and location  the same as for heterosexual travellers. LGBT families with kids meanwhile put child-friendly accommodation at the top of their list.

But alongside the booming business of LGBT-friendly tourism, the Berlin tourism show also shone a light on tour operators offering a different type of holiday, aimed at taking a stand in places still hostile to gay, bisexual, transsexual or transgender people.

Tanzella said his travel federation had created a foundation to help emerging LGBT destinations in difficult contexts, and sponsors small gay pride parades in countries where the community is working to find more acceptance. In Uganda, where homosexuality is illegal, Tanzella said the federation had a local member, a very brave guy, who was trying to encourage LGBT travel. Uganda is one of the most homophobic states in the world, said Tanzella. But he is doing great and we are helping him. We also want to see the gorillas.

Follow @htlifeandstyle for moreA top UN rights expert warned on Monday that the crackdown on Myanmars Rohingya minority bears the hallmarks of genocide and insisted the government should be held accountable.

Nearly 700,000 Rohingya Muslims have fled northern Rakhine state to Bangladesh since Myanmar launched a brutal crackdown on insurgents six months ago amid accounts of arson, murder and rape at the hands of soldiers and vigilante mobs in the mainly Buddhist country.

Myanmar has vehemently denied US and UN allegations of ethnic cleansing, insisting it was responding to attacks by the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army in late August.

But on Monday, UN special rapporteur to Myanmar Yanghee Lee suggested that term was not strong enough.

I am becoming more convinced that crimes committed ... bear the hallmarks of genocide, and call in the strongest terms for accountability, she told the UN Human Rights Council.

The South Korean academic, who has been barred from visiting Myanmar, called for a UN-backed investigation based in Bangladesh.

UN human rights chief Zeid Raad Al Hussein also called last week for the creation of a new body tasked with preparing criminal indictments over atrocities committed in Myanmar.

The quest for accountability must be aimed at the individuals who gave the orders and carried out violations against individuals and entire ethnic and religious groups, Lee said.

The government leadership who did nothing to intervene, stop or condemn these acts must also be held accountable, she added.

Myanmars civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi has been the target of global vitriol for a perceived failure to stand up for the stateless minority.

But she remains a heroine for most of her compatriots, who largely consider the Rohingya as unwanted illegal immigrants from Bangladesh.

Today, Myanmar Ambassador Htin Lynn stressed to the rights council that Suu Kyi, a Nobel Peace Prize laureate, was committed to human rights.

It is unreasonable to assert that our leadership, whose mission has human rights at its core, remains indifferent to the allegations of grave human rights violations, he said, insisting that the government was ready to take action where there is clear evidence.

He meanwhile slammed Lee for presenting sweeping allegations and unverified information, and insisted there is a clear need to replace her.

Lee also called Monday for a comprehensive review of actions taken by the UN before, during and after the latest crackdowns on Rohingya in Myanmar.

The violence and suffering calls not just for accountability but also for self-reflection by the UN, and the question: Could we have prevented this? she said.The hardline activist group Sikhs For Justice has protested the taking down of its page on Facebook, alleging that action was taken at the behest of the Indian government.

SFJs legal advisor Gurpatwant Pannun said the page, News Punjab 2020, was taken down on Facebook on Saturday but restored on Sunday after an email campaign and messages to the social media giant. While the page was accessible on Sunday evening, it was again apparently barred later in the night.

Pannun said the page had nearly 100,000 followers and was the prime platform of online referendum 2020 campaign. That reference is to the vote the SFJ plans to organise that year.

SFJs own page was blocked by Facebook in India in 2015, according to Pannun. As the group challenged that action in courts in the US, judges ruled on two occasions that Facebook could not be forced to carry content against its wishes. That page remains available in North America, including in Canada.

Pannun accused the Indian government of being behind the taking down of their media platform. They have a full social media team there and they force them (Facebook) to remove our pages, Pannun alleged.

He said the recent actions were presaged by Facebook scrubbing videos off the News Punjab 2020 page during the recent visit of Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to India.

Pannun said those videos were aimed at countering the Indian propaganda of targeting Canadian PM Trudeau during his recent visit to Punjab and for advocating Sikhs' right to self-determination and demanding independence referendum in the state of Punjab.

Trudeau faced considerable criticism for being seen as soft on hardline Sikh groups based in Canada, including those backing a call for Khalistan or an independent Sikh homeland.

The Canadian government was also embarrassed when convicted Khalistani terrorist Jaspal Atwal received an invitation hosted for Trudeau in New Delhi by the Canadian high commissioner. The invitation was later rescinded but Atwal was photographed with Trudeaus wife and Canadian lawmakers at another event in Mumbai.Appointment

12 March 2018

Professional Convention Management Association (PCMA) has appointed Tonya Almond as its Vice President of Knowledge and Experience Design.

Almond will lead the events and education teams and will engage with its global audience to help PCMA evolve its education content and event experiences. She reports to Joyce Winnecke, PCMA's Chief Content Officer.

Almond has extensive knowledge of the association. She first served on the Greater Midwest Chapter Board and more recently has served on the PCMA Board of Directors. Since 2014, Tonya has served on several of PCMA's committees including the Annual Meeting Program Committee, the Nominating Committee, Annual Giving Taskforce and the Foundation Dinner Taskforce (now Visionary Awards).

Almond has more than 22 years of experience leading meetings, sponsorships and education. She joins PCMA from her position as Vice President of Meetings and Continuing Education at the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry (AAPD). Before the AAPD, she was previously Director, Meetings and Events Services at the American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (AAPMR).The PCMA Board of Directors unanimously approved Kirsten Olean, CMP, CAE, Director of Meetings - American Society for Microbiology, to fill Almond's vacated seat on the board.Appointment

12 March 2018

In his new role, Alessandro will oversee all culinary operations at the hotels signature restaurant, sixonesix, Mixology Lounge and the jdek  the hotels waterfront patio and bar. Classically trained in French cuisine and a native of Italy, Alessandros cooking and management style is heavily influenced by his European roots and global culinary experience ranging from restauranteur to culinary instructor. Alessandro began his career as an instructor of fine dining in Southern California before moving to the East Coast to pursue an executive sous chef position in North Carolina. Upon his return to California, Alessandro opened an Italian eatery and cafe, bringing the menu concepts and interior layouts from ideation to reality. Alessandro will assist in bringing new menu concepts to the hotels restaurant inspired by his experience with French cuisine. Most recently, Alessandro served as executive chef at Notos Old World Italian Dining in Grand Rapids and held executive chef and chef de cuisine roles in in Italy and California. A graduate of Santa Barbara City College and the Culinary Academy Marco Polo in Genoa, Italy, Alessandro received degrees in restaurant, hotel and culinary management.External Article

12 March 2018

Traveling with pets is increasingly common, especially in certain countries; so many hotel establishments are including in their service options the possibility for travelers to stay with their own pets. The 2017 Report by Trabber, assessed 50,000 hotels in 30 countries, and revealed a slow but steady growth in the demand of pet-friendly hotels by travelers. A 7.4% of hotel rates searches registered in Trabber in Spain and Latin America during this year looked for the hotel's pet policies.



Travelers are willing to pay extra money for hotels that welcome dogs and cats, according to experts. In this sense, Europe is a paradise for travelers seeking pet-friendly travel destinations and businesses. In Germany, France, Italy and Austria more than 40% of hotels accept pets. The fifth place in this ranking of countries with the most pet-friendly hotel establishments is Canada (34%) according to an offer analysis carried out by Trabber's transparent price meta-search engine in 50,000 hotels in 30 countries.

In Brazil, the figure of hotels with pet-friendly accommodations is 18%, in Uruguay 16%, and 13% in Mexico, mainly for internal travelers since crossing their borders with pets usually involves a taxing paperwork. In Colombia and Argentina, less than 1 out of every ten tourist accommodations offers this option. Chile (7%) and Peru (5%) are at the end of the list.External Article

12 March 2018

Venice loses its cruises, Barcelona tightens control of the rents, and Dubrovnik imposes quotas on its visitors. Faced with the plague of excessive tourism, professionals in the tourism sector are looking for urgent solutions.

"In 2030, there will be 1,800 million tourists in the world. Something is certain: this infinite growth is impossible in a space that is limited, which generates more and more visible conflicts," states Roland Conrady, scientific director of the ITB, annual conclave of tourism professionals.

From 1995 to 2016, the number of international travelers has gone from 525 million to over 1,200 million thanks to low-cost airlines, and to tourists from growing markets such as China, India or the Gulf countries.

2017 has been marked by a record increase of 7% in the number of tourists in the entire world, and by unprecedented movements of rejection of excessive tourism, with several repercussions, like the distortion and ousting of local populations from their homelands.

And the first consequences or events have not taken long to manifest: in Thailand, the coral reefs of the famous Maya Bay have not survived the swimmers, and the place is now threatening with closure. In Bhutan, the government imposes tourism quotas, and in Dubrovnik the mayor forbids more than 8,000 people from entering the historic city compound per day.Press Release

12 March 2018

An economic boost from Berlin  All signs point to growth and a record year  ITB Berlin reaffirms its standing as the World's Leading Travel Trade Show

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With a five per cent increase in business volume at ITB Berlin 2018 compared to last year, and excellent business being forecast for the coming months, the international travel industry is well on course for a record year. As ITB Berlin concluded, the global travel industry presented itself in good health and in an optimistic mood, more so than for a long time. The results of the five-day exhibition on the Berlin Exhibition Grounds mirrored the good atmosphere. The show, which had been booked to near capacity for months, impressively confirmed its role as a reliable economic indicator and forward-looking trendsetter. With around 110,000 trade visitors from Germany and abroad, ITB Berlin was able to reaffirm its standing as the World's Leading Travel Trade Show. Despite the warm spring weather around 60,000 members of the general public flocked to the display halls on the weekend to find out about the wide range of information available from exhibitors. The ITB Berlin Convention, which examined current issues such as overtourism and digitalisation, also underlined its role as the global travel industry's leading think tank.

The main reason for the industry's positive mood is the positive economic climate in the eurozone which according to leading economic institutes is better than at any time since the turn of the millennium. Dr. Christian Goke, CEO of Messe Berlin GmbH: "The consistent forecasts of sustained global economic growth for the next two years decisively contributed to the positive mood among exhibitors and visitors these past few days. Against the backdrop of a booming economy, record low employment and good wage settlements, more and more consumers are willing to spend money. Furthermore, because of the strong euro and correspondingly weak dollar holidaying in numerous countries outside the eurozone is becoming noticeably cheaper."

Dr. Christian Goke continued: "The extremely positive economic trend in the travel industry should not blind us to the fact that the industry faces great challenges around the world. The digital transformation of an entire industry continues to move forward apace and affects every company and provider, regardless. On the other hand, issues such as the need for greater security on one's travels, the increasingly important and controversial phenomenon of overtourism, and the globally changing face of travel brought about by companies such as Airbnb are decisively influencing the social discourse on the future of tourism. This year, ITB Berlin again presented itself as a platform that without exception debated all the important trends and the current issues in accordance with the industry's future needs."

From 7 to 11 March 2018, over a period of five days, more than 10,000 companies and organisations from 186 countries and regions exhibited their products to visitors in 26 halls on the Berlin Exhibition Grounds. Once again, there was a high percentage of buyers in a decision-making capacity: two-thirds of trade visitors said they were directly authorised to make buying decisions for travel products. Around 74 per cent of the ITB Buyers Circle attended in a decision-making capacity, with budgets that exceeded one million euros. More than one-third of the buyers present even had ten million euros and more at their disposal.

At this year's ITB Berlin attention focused on the partner region Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. It organised the opening ceremony, which for the first time left a zero-carbon footprint. Over the five days of the show the German federal state exhibited its wide range of tourism products in two halls. With its Baltic coastline and well-known Lakeland region, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern is one of Germany's most attractive federal states. Ever since 1991 the state has been an important exhibitor at ITB Berlin. In Berlin the aim of the federal state in Germany's northeast was to attract greater international attention and at the same time to increase awareness for tourism in Germany. Harry Glawe, Economics Minister of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern: "Mecklenburg-Vorpommern overall successfully attracted the attention of visitors with its diversity and wide range of tourism attractions. The opening gala, the state's participation as a whole and its involvement with activities and events were well received at the show. This was clear from the many conversations and reactions from visitors. The show again demonstrated how important it is to draw attention to oneself. We would like to thank everyone involved who helped make the state's appearance an unforgettable event. We look forward to being back next year."

The huge prospects that medical tourism has to offer the global tourism industry were highlighted at ITB Berlin. Due to high demand this segment, which was introduced only last year at the World's Largest Travel Trade Show, was relocated to a larger hall (21b). This year again, Travel Technology was one of the segments which displayed strong growth. Exhibitors including eNett, Traso,Triptease and Paymentwall, which increased their display areas, returning exhibitors, among them Travelport, as well as the Hospitality Industry Club, a newcomer, highlighted the excellent prospects of this fast-growing segment. The large increase in Chinese exhibitors there was particularly noticeable. The online portal Ctrip displayed its products in Berlin for the first time.

Two new formats celebrated their debut in Berlin, reflecting strong growth in the Luxury Travel segment. With the new Loop Lounge @ ITB (www.bit.ly/2p6eZLi) organised in collaboration with Loop, the trade show for luxury products, ITB Berlin had created a new platform for networking in an exclusive atmosphere with a select group of exhibitors, and with the first ITB Luxury Late Night the show provided an opportunity for visitors to cultivate contacts. Currently, luxury travel accounts for seven per cent of the market and annual growth is in double-digit figures. David Ruetz, head of ITB Berlin: "Luxury travel is booming and with our innovative formats we are responding to this welcome development. With this initiative we are also establishing ourselves in a role that devotes even more attention to this growth market and are showcasing this trend on the exhibition grounds."

For the third year running ITB Berlin organised the ITB Chinese Night, where visitors were able to find out more about the Chinese travel market, exchange views and establish new contacts. The event was held in collaboration with Jin Jiang International and Ctrip for around 300 representatives of the travel industry. Potential exhibitors also received information about ITB China 2018, which from 16 to 18 May will be taking place for the second time in the major city of Shanghai.

For the ITB Berlin Convention, the global travel industry's leading think tank, which hosted around 150 sessions featuring over 300 outstanding speakers, the event was also a success. Messe Berlin had been able to secure Zambia as the Convention & Culture Partner. Situated in the middle of southern Africa, this country is still largely untouched by tourism. However, it is gradually establishing itself as a popular travel destination. Other partners of the ITB Berlin Convention included the World Tourism Cities Federation (WTCF) in the role of co-host, Ctrip.com International, the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), and the Ministry for Culture and Tourism of the Republic of Turkey.

Malaysia will be the official partner country of ITB Berlin 2019. "We want to increase tourism and establish Malaysia as a tourism destination", said DatoSri Abdul Khani Daud from Tourism Malaysia at ITB Berlin.

Wolfgang Waldmuller, president of the Regional Tourism Association of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern: "In its role as the partner region of ITB Berlin, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern was able to focus international attention on the diversity of the state that is Germany's most popular tourism destination. By showcasing the best of everything that Mecklenburg-Vorpommern has to offer between the Baltic and Lakeland region, particularly its nature attractions, we were able to attract the attention of international buyers, opinion-formers and potential visitors on an unprecedented scale and drew a huge response from the media. Whether it was the spectacular opening gala to which more than 3,000 guests from 110 countries had been invited, our participation in the first Berlin Travel Festival, or the ITB Grand Finale, Germany's northeast left a lasting impression. We will continue where we left off and ensure that this tourism destination profits from the contacts we established."

Norbert Fiebig, president of the German Travel Association (DRV): "The desire of German citizens to travel could be felt in every hall at ITB Berlin and the foundation has been laid for 2018 to be a great success. ITB Berlin is not only a place for marketing destinations, but also an early indicator of how tourism bookings will develop for the summer travel season. In that respect the basic mood within the industry was very positive. This year, overtourism was a key topic at the show. Growth and responsibility go hand in hand and the travel industry is keenly aware of its responsibility. Once again, ITB Berlin picked up on the current trends and formulated new ones."

Dr. Michael Frenzel, president of the Federal Association of the German Tourism industry (BTW): "At ITB Berlin 2018 we witnessed everything: impressive figures, dominant themes and innumerable outstanding tourism products from Germany and around the world. Over the past few days reports of record figures, positive survey results and inspiring tourism products for upcoming holidays have made us optimistic that providers and visitors can look forward to 2018 being an outstanding year for tourism. ITB Berlin again proved that in our industry nations and people working together to understand each other goes without saying, and not just on the exhibition grounds. Hospitality, a cosmopolitan outlook and bringing people and cultures together  that is what we and our tourism products stand for."

The next ITB Berlin will take place from Wednesday, 6 to Sunday, 10 March 2019

.Elon Musk has been touted as a true visionary, paving new and unexpected paths into the future. His ceaseless thoughts have brought about innovative technological advancements that push the boundaries of design, function, and form. Most recognizable for his Tesla automobile, Musk routinely invests sizeable sums of money into developing and exploring the possibilities of the human mind via technological intervention.

Fittingly, Musk was invited to engage in a question and answer session during this years' South by Southwest Festival in Austin, Texas. Many people are fascinated by the SpaceX creator's ability to think outside the box in terms of scope and vision. Engaging in a conversation with Musk provides an endless amount of food for thought surrounding the potential for creativity.

The moderator of this informative question and answer session probed Musk on who has inspired him. He jokingly admits that Kanye West has had a formidable influence over his oeuvre.

However, when evaluating both Musk and West, one may begin to find some unexpected similarities between the two. Yeezy is continuously reshaping the boundaries of hip-hop by working with a collective of individuals who look beyond the genre's established sonic palette. Similarly, Musk is constantly striving to forgo the established parameters of technology in order to work out its potential in a more futuristic manner. Both of these individuals are insanely intuitive, and aren't afraid to experiment.The iHeartRadio Music Awards last night were home to memorable performances, notable awards and unexpected announcements. Among those performing, Eminem tore the house down, showing off exactly why he became the first rapper to move over 100 million song units in history. Marshall enlisted Kehlani to sing "Nowhere Fast," a track from his latest album Revival that details the current state of the country and slamming the NRA. It was only appropriate, given the content of Em's lyrics, for Parkland Shooting survivor Alex Moscou to introduce the rap God, along with fellow Detroit rapper Big Sean.

Moscou gave a touching speech beforehand, saying, "On February 14th, a gunman armed with a legally purchased semi-automatic rifle murdered 17 people at my high school, Marjory Stoneman Douglas in Parkland, Florida. We're tired of hearing politicians send their thoughts and prayers to us and doing nothing to make the necessary changes to prevent this tragedy from happening again." Eminem took to Instagram to say that he was inspired and honored by Moscou's introduction, and directly quoting part of the student's words. Em's captions reads, "#NOWHEREFAST @KEHLANI #IHEARTAWARDS "We are going to be too loud for them to ignore - Alex Moscou."

Eminem's performance was one of the strong points of the show, offering his brand of realness to compliment a movement of students who have been nothing but authentic in their efforts to move things forward when it comes to gun control in America. Check out Eminem's IG post and the full performance below.Following up on YBN Almighty Jay's claims last week that he initially met girlfriend Blac Chyna on Christian Mingle, TMZ caught up with the young rapper to ask him about the comments. Jay continued to preach the good word of the lord, saying that he did indeed meet Chyna on the religion-based dating website, adding that many of your dream girls are hiding there. Clearly, we've been spending too much time on the wrong apps and sites because YBN added that Kim Kardashian and Amber Rose could also be found via the medium.

While many people are untruthful about their age as they get older, Jay says that in order to bag the older women, you need to fib and say you're a little older than your actual age: "If you too young, the h-es not gon' f-ck with you. That's the key." There is an eleven year age gap between YBN Almighty Jay and Blac Chyna, but that doesn't appear to bother either one of them in the slightest.

YBN claims that he is not being paid to endorse Christian Mingle, telling everyone to sign up so they can finally find girls like Amber, Chyna or Kim. He may not be getting Christian Mingle money yet, but he closed out his talk with the photographer saying, "I need that check. I'm giving y'all n---as hella attention." He's not wrong - at this point, Christian Mingle might want to think about paying up their guy YBN Almighty Jay for all this promotion.Houstonians Nick Ravanbakhsh and Dylan Senter are among a new generation of entrepreneurs bypassing traditional venture capital or bank financing for their cryptocurrency-related startups.

They are using blockchain - the technology behind Bitcoin and similar digital currencies - to sell digital tokens. The process is called an initial coin offering, a new take on the more familiar initial public offering.

In the same way that IPOs grew from the 60s onward, we may be seeing the similar beginnings of ICOs growing now, said Jim Joseph, a senior associate at consulting firm Sutton Stone. And thats really exciting to get in early on something that may be a permanent new way of allowing entrepreneurs to get access to funding.

RELATED: Cryptominers in Houston spin virtual currency with video cards

The digital tokens are commonly purchased with bitcoin or another cryptocurrency called ether. But unlike stocks purchased during IPOs, these tokens dont always provide equity in the company. Many people buy tokens to use products or services offered by that specific business.

Think of it like using cash to buy ride tickets at a fair. Bitcoin or some other cryptocurrency is the cash and digital tokens are the ride tickets.

Ravanbakhsh and Senter have used such a model to receive 11,200 ether, valued at about $9 million when the ICO was completed, by selling a token primarily designed to cut out advertising intermediaries such as YouTube and Facebook. Their Signal token allows advertisers to directly and instantaneously pay content creators - and even people sharing that content - when an ad is viewed.

In addition to the token, the duo created Spectiv VR as the first platform to use Signal. Spectiv VR allows people to share and watch virtual reality videos for free, but viewers can use Signal to tip video creators that they like. In the future, Ravanbakhsh and Senter hope to offer a pay-per-view-type experience where Signal can be redeemed for livestream concerts and sporting events. Advertisers will ideally use it to get their message onto virtual reality headsets, too.

Launching an ICO helped them start the business without venture capitalists or giving up equity.

We get to just build our grassroots community through forums and blogs and Twitter, etc., Ravanbakhsh said. People get really enthusiastic and say, I want to see this become a thing. And thats all we ever really needed.

Yet ICOs can be controversial. Critics point to the hazy distinction between utility tokens, which are integral for using or accessing the entrepreneurs product, and security tokens that often involve equity in the company itself. The latter are used to raise money and, with some exceptions, are supposed to be registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

As of now, many tokens have not been registered with the SEC. Its unlikely that all are utility tokens.

Merely calling a token a utility token or structuring it to provide some utility does not prevent the token from being a security, SEC Chairman Jay Clayton wrote in a December statement.

Craig Pirrong, a professor of finance at the University of Houston's C.T. Bauer College of Business, said that distinction will ultimately come down to some key questions: Is the money actually in exchange for the companys product or service? Or is it a way to raise funds to develop that product or service? What if its a mix of both?

Oftentimes, he said, ICOs are a way of raising money without being subject to the kinds of regulation a securities offering, for example, would involve. Or without involving the kind of scrutiny that a bank would give.

Because of their growing popularity - and the potential for less-savvy investors to lose a lot of money - SEC policies are inevitable, he said.

Virtual conversation: Is cryptocurrency the future of money, or a sucker's bet?

Sutton Stone co-founder Adam Richard said utility tokens should never be advertised as a way to get quick returns without offering a product or service, and they should never be tied to equity.

Richard said some ICOs are beginning to register their security tokens with the SEC. His firm helps entrepreneurs with their cryptocurrency and initial coin offering endeavors. Richard believes the interest for ICOs will continue to grow, especially as the SEC creates more concrete guidelines.

Theyre beginning to become clearer, which is nice. And I actually kind of like what theyre saying, Richard said. Every time they say something else, something new, its good because it gives a little more clarity.

Richard said the SEC has acknowledged the existence of utility tokens, but it hasnt decided if a utility token will be subject to regulation. So Signal, the utility token created by Ravanbakhsh and Senter, is being issued from Mauritius, an island country off the southeast coast of Africa, where theres more ICO clarity.

All of the ICO clients at Sutton Stone are issuing tokens from another country in order to protect the entrepreneurs and those purchasing the tokens. So far, only entrepreneurs with utility tokens have approached Sutton Stone. If the company gets a security token client, then that client will be advised to register with the SEC.

And theres no question that ICOs are gaining traction. Some hedge funds specialize in cryptocurrencies and ICOs. San Francisco-based BitBull Capital has even created a fund of funds so investors can diversify their money across various cryptocurrency hedge funds.

For the less affluent, crowdfunding website Indiegogo is helping people participate in ICOs. Richard said he likes that ICOs are open to everyone, but he cautions only the diligent should participate.

Participants should understand the technology and the risks. They should audit the ICOs smart contract coding that details exactly what theyre getting. He said smart contracts are key to making ICOs transparent and trustworthy.

Its important to do due diligence in order to understand what the token issuance does and does not give you, Richard said.Travelers to George Bush Intercontinental Airport are now met with that Texas perfume - the scent of low-and-slow barbecue infused with pecan and oak wood smoke.

Q, a new barbecue restaurant in Terminal E, is the latest dining spot aiming to give IAH travelers an authentic taste of H-town. Headed by Houston pitmaster Greg Gatlin of Gatlin's BBQ on Ella, Q is a recent addition to IAH's upgraded culinary experience, a partnership between United Airlines and OTG hospitality group.

Q is a big step for the Gatlin barbecue brand and the airport's showiest food destination. Follow your nose to Gate 2 of Terminal E, and you can't miss Q. The 106-seat restaurant is steampunk glam: a copper-coated mash-up between a giant liquor-pot still and a vintage ocean liner. Those copper tubes crowning the top of the restaurant aren't just decorative; they vent the wood smoke from the heart of the operation (a smoke room where two Oyler pits, nicknamed Maverick and Goose, work their magic) to the terminal exterior.

With its iconic status, barbecue isn't something one approaches lightly.

"That's why it was so important to get this right," said Michael Marchese of OTG. "You can't present mediocre barbecue in this market and get away with it."

More for you Building the perfect barbecue joint: service style

Gatlin wanted Q to reflect the same standards as his family's barbecue restaurant.

"It's a different world here, but our goals are the same: high-food quality and an environment of hospitality," Gatlin said recently at Q.

MENU: Gatlin's BBQ pushing the envelope with new items

The Q menu features smoked brisket, ribs, sausage, turkey and pulled pork (meats and sides platters are $12-$19); grilled and bake half chicken with sides ($19); barbecue sandwiches (pork, brisket or turkey, $9-$12); and grilled burger ($10). The prices are comparable to Gatlin's BBQ, where sandwiches are $7.49-$9.99, and barbecue plates with two sides range from $10.99-$15.99.

The restaurant is already a hit, said Al Lucas, OTG's vice president of restaurants. It's become the most popular restaurant with United crew members, he said, and the most Instagram-ed venue at IAH. The ramp workers get hungry just smelling the fragrant smoke.

Gatlin said it's thrilling to think that visitors to Houston might eat some of his succulent brisket before flying halfway across the world, taking a taste and aroma of the city with them. Or that his barbecue might be one of the first things people taste when they land at IAH.

"There's such a diversity of different cultures and different flavors in Houston," he said. "And now we're able to reflect that at the airport."

THE LIST: Houston pitmasters make great showing in ranking of Top 50 barbecue joints in Texas

Smorgasbord of restaurants

Gatlin's is one of OTG's highest-profile moves in the re-envisioning of the airport experience.

Last year the new C-North terminal, a partnership between United and the Houston Airport System, opened with five restaurants with ties to some big names on the Houston food scene: Vida Taqueria from Roland Laurenzo of El Tiempo Cantina; Pala, a Neapolitan pizza concept from Ryan Pera of Coltivare; Bam Bam, a Vietnamese-Cajun eatery from John Nguyen of Cajun Kitchen; Olio, a panini bar from Monica Pope of Beaver's and the former Sparrow Bar & Cookshop; and Ember, a Houston tavern from Chris Shepherd of Underbelly.

Terminal E's culinary upgrade is the next wave at IAH. Tanglewood Grille, already open, has the stamp of Seth Siegel-Gardner and Terrence Gallivan of the Pass & Provisions. It opened in November along with Q. Next comes Yume, a sushi kitchen and ramen bar from chefs Chris Kinjo of MF Sushi and Mike Tran, whose Asian restaurants include Tiger Den, Mein, Ohn Korean Eatery and Night Market Thai. It will open in April followed by Gavi, another casual Italian concept from Pera.

Then, in Terminal C-South, Magnolia Meatball Shop - a project with chef Christopher Williams of Lucille's- will open., and Agave, a taqueria concept with Sharon Haynes of Tacos A Go Go fame, joining H-Burger, a "ranch-to-table" restaurant already in place with Antoine Ware, formerly of Harold's.

These new restaurants represent a seismic shift in the food offerings at IAH to reflect the culinary diversity of Houston.

Where fast-food and faceless eateries once reigned, the dining options now include local flavor such as The Breakfast Klub, Hubcap Grill, El Real Tex-Mex, Ray's BBQ Shack, Hugo's Cocina (from James Beard Award-winning Hugo Ortega) and even a bistro and wine bar from legendary Houston restaurateur Tony Vallone.Just after Hunter Bedfords heifer won big at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, his mom snapped a photo.

Striding across the main arena, Hunter was all long legs and Ariat boots as he led his grand champion heifer, Gig Em Aggie, through a sea of green wood shavings.

The 14-year-old moved with confidence, looking like a kid who has always moved easily through life. But this moment was a victory in more ways than one  and something his family couldnt have imagined just a few years ago when he was using a wheelchair.

Later, Carrie Bedford looked at the photo again on her phone. Hunter grinned as he held up the banner that declared Aggie a Grand Champion Miniature Hereford.

And Aggie, who had just beat out nearly a dozen other Herefords for the top junior prize?

I think she was smiling, Carrie said in disbelief. Yeah. She was smiling as big as him.

A deeper bond

Every year, thousands of young children and teens show their animals in Houston, from rabbits and goats to heifers and bulls. In big cities and small towns across the state, theyve spent a lot of early mornings and cold nights in the barn tending to their animals  and they often form a strong bond, dissolving into tears when their animals go up for sale on market day.

PHOTOS: Kids having fun at the rodeo

But for some, including Hunter, the bond with an animal becomes something even stronger and more significant. Hunters heifers have changed the direction of his life.

Nobody in the Bedford family thought Hunter would ever show cattle.

For several years, he used a wheelchair much of the time. He wore noise-canceling headphones because crowds and loud noises made his senses go haywire. He didnt lift anything heavier than a couple of books.

We couldnt even go to a stock show, much less show at one, Carrie said.

Hunter, wholl be 15 in April, was diagnosed with autism when he was 8. The diagnosis was finally an answer for why he struggled at school, why he didnt interact with adults or kids his own age.

About the same time, an accident with a skateboard broke Hunters tailbone, and for months it just never seemed to get better.

One morning he woke up and he couldnt move, the pain was so bad, Carrie said. He couldnt get out of bed.

Emergency room doctors examined him, then a pain specialist. He had an MRI, but the sedative made him sick. He took pain medication, but it made him hallucinate. He tried a pain patch, muscle relaxers, ibuprofen  for Hunter, everything that might help the pain just made him feel worse.

DOWN NOT OUT: A special teenager finds bliss at Houston rodeo

It was a rheumatologist who finally figured out the diagnosis: sacroiliac joint disease, which inflames the two joints that connect the spine to the pelvis and help distribute the bodys weight as it moves.

Hunter started physical therapy three times a week, but his pain didnt improve.

They couldnt get anything to work, Carrie said. He was just real loose  his muscles wouldnt get strong. The core muscles that protect the spine didnt work.

Hed use a wheelchair more often than not, unable to walk when the pain was too much. The Bedfords figured that in a few years, hed be using a wheelchair all the time.

He went through a lot of suffering, his mother said.

And then, when he was 11, Hunter decided to show a lamb.

I love cows

The Bedfords live on a few acres in north Fort Worth and were no strangers to livestock. Carrie used to show horses, and Hunters dad, Jason Bedford, did some rodeo riding.

Jason now works for an iron door and staircase company, and Carrie homeschools Hunter and his little sister. It was time for a new generation to take the livestock reins.

In 2014, Hunter got a lamb and started spending time in the barn. Thats when everything started to change.

Within a few weeks, that muscle started working, Carrie said. He was walking better, using the wheelchair less.

He showed the lamb and loved it. But about five years ago, when he was 10, Hunter decided he wanted to show something bigger  maybe a heifer.

I just love cattle  I love cows, Hunter said. But cattle are so big, his doctors and his family discouraged it. He didnt have the strength to work with a heifer. What if he got stepped on or couldnt move her out of the way?

Hunter came up with a compromise: What about a Miniature Hereford?

Miniature Herefords are smaller than standard Herefords, but theyre still cattle: A heifer might weigh between 650 and 800 pounds.

Herefords are one of the most docile breeds of cattle, and the idea, Carrie said, was to get an animal that was nice enough that Hunter wouldnt have to struggle with her.

Thats where Quinton Dee Wilson came in. He and his wife, Gena Wilson, own Triple D Cattle Company in Montgomery, and they sold the Bedfords their first heifer.

Really, it was a trade.

In 2015, with money from a GoFundMe account, the Bedfords had purchased a heifer from a breeder in Oklahoma.

She was supposed to be ready for a special-needs kid, Carrie said. She was mean. She kicked me in the head. She kicked everybody.

This wasnt going to work.

Eventually they approached Wilson about a heifer he owned that they couldnt afford. Could he come down on the price at all?

Wilson wanted new blood lines in his stock anyway, so he offered them a trade. I said, Look, if you can get (the other heifer) down here, Ill gladly trade you.

Wilson didnt benefit financially from that deal. But he never doubted his decision.

The day the Bedfords showed up on his property, he watched Hunter get out of the car and into a wheelchair. The boy was wearing a helmet and those big headphones to protect him from sensory overload.

It was the first time Id seen him, Wilson recalled. At that point it was like, Man, Ill do whatever I can for these people.

Thats how the Bedfords ended up with Cowgirl.

Little by little

Hunter named his heifer Cowgirl because she was a cow and she was a girl. And when he started working with her, hed spend as much as eight hours a day in the barn.

At first, he was still spending a lot of his time in a wheelchair; his back hurt too much to walk. But slowly, day by day, as he worked with Cowgirl to get her ready for shows, Hunter started getting better.

The pain didnt just stop, Carrie said. But it did improve, little by little. Within a couple of years, Hunters pain was no longer keeping him from doing anything he wanted to do.

Testosterone may have had something to do with Hunters healing. Practical Pain Management, a publication devoted to chronic pain and its treatment, says testosterone has a direct pain-relieving effect on the central nervous system. Its often prescribed as a patch, a gel or an injection  but Hunters may have occurred naturally.

When Hunter hit puberty, Carrie said, his body released an extraordinary amount of testosterone, which acted like a steroid shot to the spine. Hes been pain-free now for more than a year.

Hunters parents also believe his healing had a lot to do with that heifer.

He was motivated enough that he knew he didnt want to be in that chair, Carrie explained. That animal needed him. For once, he didnt have to need somebody  somebody needed him.

As Hunter started spending more time in the barn, he started talking to other kids about their animals. He came out of his shell. As he got older and stronger, he also started looking people in the eye and interacting more often.

Carrie chokes on unshed tears when she talks about Hunter.

I cant explain it, she said. It is a miracle.

Josh Hargis has seen this happen before. Hes the executive director of Agvocates, a nonprofit based in Oklahoma that helps pair special-needs kids with livestock to show.

Agvocates helped Hunter find his first animal, and then paired him with peers in Fort Worth who might teach him how to work in the barn.

Hargis used to teach agriculture in a southeast Texas high school. He started Agvocates after an experience he had with a student, a freshman who had autism. He helped the student get a pig and showed him how to care for it.

The kid ended up learning how to interact with his classmates and started brushing his hair for the first time in his life. The pig, meanwhile, won grand champion at the Jasper County Fair.

The place went nuts, and he deserved it, Hargis said of his student. The pig and his work deserved to win.

Agvocates, Hargis said, will help the kids get started with an animal. But then we try to step out of the picture completely, to where they start to do the daily chores by themselves and start to grow in that. You see that childs self-esteem shoot through the roof.

Hargis recalled how Hunter was when they first met a few years ago.

Its not the same kid, he said. Its simply not.

Hunter still deals with his autism and had a few meltdowns along the way, his mother said. But hes functioning at a much higher level.

Wilson, meanwhile, has made good on his decision to help the Bedfords however he can. He has continued his relationship with the family, breeding their heifers from his stock and helping Hunters 11-year-old sister, Maddison, show her own livestock.

To see him today, walking around and talking to you like a grown man  every time I see it, I just know the Lords there, Wilson said.

Thinking about another lamb

Hunter made the stock show circuit, showing Cowgirl for a couple of years all over North and Central Texas. When she gave birth to Aggie last year, Hunter started showing the her.

For the Bedfords, getting to the Houston livestock show was a big deal.

This is our granddaddy of them all, Carrie said. We do others that are smaller, but this is it for us.

In the next few years, Hunter wants to go to Texas A&M University and earn a business degree, then become a rancher. For right now, though, he wants to add to his portfolio, maybe start showing another kind of animal.

Im thinking about getting a lamb, maybe, he said, looking over at his mom.

She waved her hand at the winner of a buckle, a trophy and a $1,000 check.

Youve got money, honey.Spring break is right around the corner and for many South Texans that means escaping to destinations across the border.

The U.S. Department of State is warning road trippers and jet setters visiting Mexico to exercise increased caution and avoid travel in certain places. All 31 states in Mexico currently have warnings in place, while five states are listed as "Do Not Travel" under the Mexico Travel Advisory.Amazon encouraged cities to think boldly about how its second headquarters (HQ2) can enhance and transform their communities.

We urge both Amazon and the bidding cities to adopt the same enterprising and transformative mindset regarding HQ2's role in shaping the future of energy.

Amazon has impressive green credentials. The e-commerce giant is a top corporate purchaser of clean energy and is on its way to being 100 percent renewable. Buildings at its Seattle campus incorporate LED lighting and waste-heat recovery, operating at the forefront of energy efficiency. Now, by choosing which city will host its coveted HQ2, Amazon is paying close attention to sustainability criteria such as utility incentives for clean energy development and mass transit options for employees.

We encourage Amazon to reward proposals that extend clean energy benefits beyond the borders of HQ2, to enhance sustainability throughout the host city and state.

Equally important, we call on the 20 finalists to make public all sustainability provisions of their HQ2 proposals. We understand that cities are keeping certain incentives confidential in order to maintain a competitive edge. However, clean energy commitments should not be treated as private trade secrets, but rather as public best practices to promote and share.

NEVER HAD A CHANCE: Why Houston failed to score with Amazon

The U.S. cities and regions vying to attract HQ2 demonstrate widely varying degrees of commitment to sustainability in their proposals. For example, Boston touts its top rank in energy efficiency and its Climate Action Plan to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050. For its proposed site at Suffolk Downs, Boston presents a vision that features subway access, rooftop solar panels, geothermal energy and data center waste-heat recovery.

Philadelphia trumpets its abundant mass transit and bike lanes. Its proposed uCity Square site could integrate a combined heat and power plant, and the Navy Yard site already features a nationally recognized electricity micro-grid with on-site solar generation and battery storage.

Beyond promoting the Colorado Energy Plan, Denver details its utility's investment in energy innovation and ability to provide 100 percent renewable energy services.

Other cities' proposals offer little in the way of clean energy provisions, or have not divulged such elements publicly. For example, Raleigh does not seem to discuss clean energy in its public proposal. New York City highlights its extensive subway system but does not outline specific clean energy plans. Austin has kept most of its proposal a secret, providing only vague references to sustainability in its public materials. Columbus proposes self-driving electric vehicles for sustainable transportation, but the environmental benefits of this strategy would likely be insignificant because Ohio relies on coal to produce more than half its electricity.

"WAKE-UP CALL": Amazon shrugged, Houston lost

On Amazon's end, HQ2 can serve as a catalyst to accelerate citywide and statewide clean energy initiatives, extending well beyond the new campus's perimeter. Even though HQ2 might add up to 8 million square feet of office space, its energy consumption will be small relative to a large metropolitan area. It would only require a fraction of the power output of a typical coal or natural gas power plant.

One venue where Amazon could maximize its sustainability impact is through securing access to renewable energy. Aside from covering HQ2 rooftops with solar panels, Amazon's ability to procure renewable power varies with the local electricity market structure. The company has an important choice to make.

Amazon can conveniently locate HQ2 in one of 13 American cities where deregulated power markets allow customers to choose their renewable energy suppliers. Alternatively, if located within a regulated market such as Atlanta, Denver or Raleigh, Amazon can buy renewable energy from the utility through existing "green tariff" programs.

LISTEN: The silver lining to Amazon's snub

Here, Amazon has the opportunity to join Google and others in using its corporate influence to expand green tariffs statewide, including to residential customers. Even more ambitiously, Amazon can leverage HQ2 in Indianapolis, Miami or Nashville to enable renewable energy purchase by all state residents, pressing state energy commissions and utilities to either establish green tariff programs from scratch or allow retail choice.

As Amazon HQ2 promises to bring 21st century jobs to its new host community, we hope that it also brings the 21st century energy ecosystem with it: carbon-free, smart and accessible energy infrastructure, technologies and markets.

Benjamin D. Leibowicz is an assistant professor of operations research and industrial engineering at The University of Texas at Austin, and Karim Farhat is an energy consultant and a former graduate research fellow at the Steyer-Taylor Center for Energy Policy and Finance at Stanford University.

Bookmark Gray Matters. Its rooftop is covered with solar panels.Education leaders are optimistic Houston ISDs cachet as the nations seventh-largest district will attract high-level candidates for its soon-to-be vacant superintendent job, even as the district faces unprecedented financial and governance challenges from the state.

HISD trustees likely will have no shortage of potential candidates from the across the country willing to take over for Superintendent Richard Carranza, who announced last Monday that he will leave the district this month to become chancellor of New York City public schools. Board members also could consider several internal and regional candidates with long histories of service in Houston education or experience as a superintendent, albeit on a smaller scale.

I truly believe that there are folks out there internally, in this state and this nation that are very capable and are committed for the long haul to ensure theres progress, HISD Trustee Sergio Lira said.

HISDs superintendent will face myriad obstacles: an education finance system that is draining money from the district, the threat of a state takeover due to chronically failing schools, and a burgeoning class and racial divide over allocation of resources.

EDITORIAL: Carranza bails on Houston. Good luck, New York

Those issues will be well-known to internal or regional candidates. Dan Domenech, executive director of the American Association of School Administrators, said national candidates also would be prepared for the chaos that comes with a running large, urban school district.

The folks that are applying understand its a challenge and know the difficulties, like the lack of resources and the politics, Domenech said. These are not easy districts to run.

HISD trustees will have several selling points to offer potential candidates.

As the largest school district in the nations second-largest state, with a student population of about 215,000 children, the position of HISD superintendent offers immense prestige. Board members have signaled they want to become more cohesive after years of division. City leaders also have pledged to become more engaged in aiding the district, particularly with low-performing schools that are drawing scrutiny from state leaders.

I think we, as a city, need to demonstrate that were on the same page in terms of focusing on the most vulnerable children and communities that need to be served, said Juliet Stipeche, director of Houston Mayor Sylvester Turners Office of Education and a former HISD trustee. It will require somebody thats up and ready for a strong challenge in an area thats filled with opportunity.

Board members have not named an interim superintendent or identified any candidates for the permanent position. Trustees are expected to meet March 22 to discuss the districts leadership.

HISD Board President Rhonda Skillern-Jones said trustees have three immediate options: name a short-term interim superintendent, pick a long-term interim or select a permanent replacement. Skillern-Jones said trustees believe they can employ the same search firm they used to identify Carranza for a second time, free of charge, because Carranza left before completing two years of service.

If trustees appoint an interim and commence a national search, they will have competition for top candidates.

The Los Angeles Unified and Clark County (Las Vegas) school districts, which have the nations second- and fifth-largest student populations, respectively, also are in the market for new leaders. Los Angeles Unified is about two months into its search, while Clark Countys superintendent announced last September that she will step down at the end of the school year. Rumors swirled that Carranza was a candidate for both positions, and he would not say this week if he had been contacted about the two jobs.

Im sure that for all three systems, there will be a lot of overlap in terms of the people theyll be looking at, so that does create a bit more competition if HISD performs a national search, Domenech said.

The upper echelons of HISD contain a few leaders who could garner consideration, though none are seen as surefire candidates.

The districts second-in-command under Carranza, Deputy Superintendent Samuel Sarabia, is a lifelong HISD employee who has worked as a teacher, principal and administrator. However, the 57-year-old has not been a forward-facing public presence in Carranzas administration.

Chief Academic Officer Grenita Lathan, 48, is considered a top candidate to become interim superintendent if the district appoints one, though her candidacy for the permanent job may be more tenuous. Lathan filled in as interim superintendent of the San Diego Unified School District in 2009, and spent five years as superintendent of Peoria (Ill.) School District 150. She joined HISD in 2015.

The districts chief of staff, Cynthia Wilson, has worked in HISD for nearly 25 years over two stints and served as superintendent of a 7,000-student school district in South Carolina. Wilson, 61, served as chief of staff in Dallas ISD before taking the same job in HISD in March 2017.

Regardless of who trustees pick, the districts next superintendent immediately will face hurdles forced on the district by state legislators.

Under Texas school finance system, HISDs recapture bill could approach $300 million next fiscal year, requiring even deeper cuts than those proposed this year. Recapture is the states method of redistributing local tax revenues from property-wealthy districts to poorer ones. Although property values continue to rise in HISD, the districts recapture bill is increasing at a faster rate than its growth in property tax collections.

HISD also risks forced campus closures or a state takeover of its locally elected school board if the district does not make drastic changes at 10 of its lowest-performing campuses. The district could delay those changes if Texas Education Agency Commissioner Mike Morath grants HISD and other districts a one-year reprieve from state accountability ratings due to Hurricane Harvey. If that happens, the next superintendent will face the same possibility of state sanctions one year from now.

In an interview last week ahead of his departure, Carranza said his decision to leave had nothing to do the states funding formulas or the possibility of sanctions. Nevertheless, Carranza warned that legislators must change their approach toward HISD if they want the district to thrive.

There has to be a serious reckoning thats going to happen in Houston and in Texas about what we believe in terms of public education, he said.

Carranzas replacement also will face questions about whether he intends to continue his predecessors push to tweak HISDs magnet system and overhaul its campus funding model.

Berlinda Mojica, a strategy team member for the grass-roots advocacy group ONE Houston, said she hopes the next superintendent carries out key parts of Carranzas agenda, including his push for resource equity and support for undocumented students in the Latino-majority district.

I would say we do just want the best candidate, whether its local or not, Mojica said. Its more about the issues that are pressing for our students in HISD.WASHINGTON - The White House on Sunday vowed to help provide "rigorous firearms training" to some schoolteachers and formally endorsed a bill to tighten the federal background checks system, but backed off President Donald Trump's earlier call to raise the minimum age to purchase some guns to 21 years old from 18 years old.

Responding directly to last month's gun massacre at a Florida high school, the administration rolled out a series of policy proposals that focus largely on mental health and school safety initiatives. The idea of arming some teachers has been controversial and has drawn sharp opposition from the National Education Association, the country's largest teachers lobby, among other groups.

Many of the student survivors have urged Washington to toughen restrictions on gun purchases, but such measures are fiercely opposed by the National Rifle Association, and the Trump plan does not include any substantial changes to gun laws.

Rather, the president is establishing a Federal Commission on School Safety, to be chaired by Education Secretary Betsy DeVos, that will explore possible solutions, such as the age requirement for purchases, officials said.

DeVos characterized the administration's efforts as "a pragmatic plan to dramatically increase school safety."

"We are committed to working quickly because there's no time to waste," DeVos said on a Sunday evening conference call with reporters. Invoking past mass school shootings, she continued, "No student, no family, no teacher and no school should have to live the horror of Parkland or Sandy Hook or Columbine again."

The administration's proposals come after 17 people were shot and killed last month at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, a massacre that spurred officials in Washington to reevaluate gun laws.

Trump has said he was personally moved by the shooting - and by the persistent and impassioned calls for action from some of the teenage survivors as well as parents of the victims - and elevated the issue of school safety in his administration. He has called for raising the minimum age for purchasing an AR-15 or similar-style rifles from 18 to 21 years old.

"Now, this is not a popular thing to say, in terms of the NRA. But I'm saying it anyway," Trump said in a Feb. 28 meeting with lawmakers. "You can buy a handgun - you can't buy one; you have to wait until you're 21. But you can buy the kind of weapon used in the school shooting at 18. I think it's something you have to think about."

But the White House plan released Sunday does not address the minimum age for gun purchases. Pressed by reporters about the apparent backtracking, a senior administration said the age issue was "a state-based discussion right now" and would be explored by DeVos's commission.

At a political rally Saturday night in Pennsylvania, Trump mocked the idea of commissions to solve the nation's drug epidemic.

"Do you think the drug dealers who kill thousands of people during their lifetime, do you think they care who's on a blue-ribbon committee?" Trump said. "The only way to solve the drug problem is through toughness."

Administration officials demurred Sunday night when asked why Trump found commissions an inadequate response to the drug epidemic but an appropriate way to respond to gun massacres.

"There are not going to be one-size-fits-all approaches and solutions, and I think that that is a very cogent argument for having a commission," said a senior administration official, who would only answer questions from reporters on the condition of anonymity.

The centerpiece of the administration's plan is Trump's vow to "harden our schools against attack." Since almost immediately after the Parkland shooting, the president has advocated arming some teachers as a solution to stopping future massacres.

"A gun-free zone to a maniac - because they're all cowards - a gun-free zone is, let's go in and let's attack, because bullets aren't coming back at us," Trump said during a Feb. 22 listening session at the White House with teachers, students and parents.

The administration will start working with states to provide "rigorous firearms training" to teachers and other school personnel who volunteer to be armed, said Andrew Bremberg, director of the White House Domestic Policy Council. The White House has not proposed offering states new funding for this training.

Lily Eskelsen Garcia, president of the NEA, the teachers lobby, said last month that "bringing more guns into our schools does nothing to protect our students and educators from gun violence. Our students need more books, art and music programs, nurses and school counselors; they do not need more guns in their classrooms."

The NRA supports the idea of allowing armed teachers in schools.

Bremberg said the administration is backing two pieces of legislation: A bipartisan bill by Sens. John Cornyn, R-Texas, and Chris Murphy, D-Conn., that is designed to improve the accuracy and effectiveness of the National Instant Criminal Background Check System; and the STOP School Violence Act, which would authorize state-based grants to implement violence prevention training for teachers and students.

The administration also is urging all states to pass risk protection orders, as Florida recently did, allowing law enforcement officers to remove firearms from individuals who are considered a threat to themselves or others and to prevent them from purchasing new guns, Bremberg said.

Lastly, the administration wants to better integrate mental health, primary care and family services programs, and the president has ordered a full audit and review of the FBI tip line, he said. The FBI has said it ignored a warning that 19-year-old Nikolas Cruz might attack a school just weeks before he allegedly carried out the rampage in Parkland.

"The president is determined to get to the root of the various societal issues that lead to violence in our country," Bremberg said. "No stone will be unturned."

At the Department of Justice, meanwhile, Attorney General Jeff Sessions on Saturday took an incremental step toward banning bump stocks, devices that can make semiautomatic weapons fire like fully automatic firearms.

Sessions submitted to the Office of Management and Budget a proposed regulation on bump stocks. The proposal still requires that office's approval, and once that is complete, it must be published and public comments considered before it becomes reality.

While some gun control advocates welcomed the move, others argued that it would still be better for Congress to pass legislation banning the devices. Federal officials had in years past concluded they could not legally regulate bump stocks, and the new move to do so is likely to be met with lawsuits from manufacturers of the devices.

For its part, the NRA does not oppose regulating bump stocks under existing law, but does object to new legislation.

In Florida, Gov. Rick Scott, R, defied the NRA last Friday by signing into law a new set of gun regulations that imposes a three-day waiting period for most purchases of long guns, raises the minimum age for buying those weapons to 21 and bans the possession of bump stocks.

"I am going to do what I think are common-sense solutions," Scott said after the signing. "I think this is the beginning. There is now going to be a real conversation about how we make our schools safe."

But the new Florida restrictions have drawn opposition from some Republicans nationally. Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., said Sunday on CNN's "State of the Union" that he does not support raising the age to purchase long guns, such as AR-15 rifles that have been used in many of the recent mass shootings.

"We send our sons and daughters over to Afghanistan, in Iraq," at age 18, Johnson said. "They defend our freedoms. I think if they do that, they ought to be able to buy a hunting rifle."

Trump has vacillated in his public pronouncements about guns. He and Republican leaders in Congress have been afraid to cross the National Rifle Association ahead of the November midterm elections because the gun lobby has long been a powerful force mobilizing conservative activists in elections.

At his Feb. 28 meeting with lawmakers, Trump sounded open to new restrictions on gun purchase. "Take the guns first, go through due process second," he said, winning the approval of Sen. Dianne Feinstein, Calif., and other Democrats who have long sought to toughen gun laws and ban semiautomatic assault rifles.

But NRA leaders then met privately with Trump and the president had an apparent change of heart and backed off more restrictive proposals. Last week, Trump met personally in the Oval Office with Kyle Kashuv, a Stoneman Douglas student who has become one of his school's few pro-gun rights activists with his frequent appearances on Fox News Channel.

---

The Washington Post's Matt Zapotosky contributed to this report.Jacquelyn Martin/STF

ST. LOUIS - Police who find suspected drugs during a traffic stop or an arrest usually pause to perform a simple task: They place some of the material in a vial filled with liquid. If the liquid turns a certain color, it's supposed to confirm the presence of cocaine, heroin or other narcotics.

These chemical field tests have been standard procedure for decades but provide only preliminary findings that must be confirmed by a lab. Still, prosecutors rely on the results to jail suspects, file criminal charges and sometimes convince suspects to plead guilty before the initial results are confirmed.Houston firefighters on Monday asked a judge to force the city secretary to validate signatures on an equal pay referendum petition that has been backlogged in City Hall for eight months.

The referendum would require firefighters to receive the same pay as police officers of corresponding rank. It was first submitted to the city in July but wasn't validated before the November election. In December, leaders of the Houston Professional Fire Fighters Association sued, asking a judge to give City Secretary Anna Russell 30 days to count and validate the petition signatures.

State District Judge Dan Hinde did not issue an immediate ruling after a three-hour trial Monday.

City attorneys argued the firefighters claim lacks the urgency needed to secure a court order.

State law forced Russell last year to count a petition related to alcoholic beverages in the Heights within 30 days, after which she returned to tallying a pension-related petition to amend the city charter that her office received in April, said Assistant City Attorney Brian Amis.

The firefighters petition, which also would amend the charter, was submitted in July. State law sets no deadline by which charter petitions must be validated.

When neither petition was verified in time for the November 2017 ballot, Amis said, that removed any urgency behind the count, as the next municipal election will not be held until November 2019.

The petitioners argument is, On this one back in 2010 or 2012 you managed to turn that around pretty fast, so we want to hold the city secretary to the same standard going forward, he said. If they wanted to prove that case, they would have had to put on evidence of what that petition looked like, if there were any issues, how easy it was to verify, what kind of manpower she had. Theres no proof that could have been done in 30 days.

David Gunn, an attorney for the firefighters, pushed back, noting that the petition has now failed to qualify for both the November 2017 and May 2018 ballots.

Petitions can be counted in 30 days; its just a matter of prioritizing them, he said. There are of course other obligations in the city secretarys office, but it can be done and for that reason we think it should be done. Were asking the court to step in so that, after weve missed two trains, we dont miss the third train.

The fight over the petition comes as the fire union is suing the city over stalled contract talks. Firefighters have been without a contract for almost four years, and have received just a 3 percent raise since 2011.

Every paycheck that passes it damages firefighters, Marty Lancton, president of the Houston Professional Fire Fighters Association, testified Monday.

The firefighters accuse Mayor Sylvester Turner of preventing Russell from counting and validating the signatures on the petition.

Turner has said Russell -- who has served under 12 mayors in her 65 years at the city -- is conducting her work without interference from him, an account Russell has confirmed and repeated again several times under oath Monday.

Russell said she always counts citizen petitions in the order she receives them and has her staff do so in their spare time. She testified that she has eight full-time employees, only three or four of whom have spare time to work on petitions during a regular week.

No one has ever told her not to count the firefighters petitions and she has never discussed the implications of missing ballot deadlines with anyone at the city, she said. To speed up her count, Russell said she would need overtime money for her staff, which she has not requested because she was not told to meet a specific deadline.

In response to questions from fire union attorney Patrice Childress, Russell said several methods to speed up her work are unpalatable to her.

That includes, she said, an offer from the fire union last fall to cover her staffs overtime pay.

I figured that, anyone circulating a petition, itd be a conflict of interest to receive any payment to handle that differently than any other petition, Russell said.

State law also permits Russell to use statistical sampling rather than counting each name up to the required 20,000 signatures (in the case of a charter amendment petition) to verify petitions. She testified she has not done so since the advent of the desktop computer, however.

"Ive found that theyre usually on very political issues, Russell said. I find that its more fair to do the 20,000, if its a charter (amendment petition). I think it cuts down some complaints as to whether or not it was done properly.

Russell said an employee did begin numbering the pages on the fire petition, a standard part of the verification process, three weeks ago, because she wanted to make some effort to respond after the firefighters lawsuit.

Her staff still hasnt begun counting the firefighter petition, however, because she said they are still working on the first of three boxes submitted with the pension petition.

Turner has estimated the annual cost of the pay parity proposal at more than $60 million. Houston faces projected deficits of more than $100 million in each of the next five years.Scourge of opioid abuse

Regarding "Only prescribe opioids for short durations, advises Texas hospital group" (Chron.com, Friday), Texas physicians agree we all must work together to stop the epidemic of opioid abuse that is killing so many Americans. As a prescribing emergency physician and a Texas Medical Association leader, I can assure you my colleagues and I understand how important it is for doctors to prescribe the right amount of pain medication for our patients suffering from intense pain.

I am encouraged by recent Kaiser Family Foundation statistics indicating Texas is on the right path to addressing the national scourge of opioid abuse. Texas had the nation's second-lowest rate of overdose deaths from prescription opioid drugs in 2016 (2.8 deaths per 100,000). Texas' overall opioid overdose death rate tied for third-lowest in the nation.

Yes, Texas doctors prescribe fewer addictive painkillers than most other states. And yes, Texas doctors often consult the state's Physician Monitoring Program registry before prescribing.

While our numbers are better than most of the country's, we want to do the best we can to help curb the opioid addiction issue. Pain medication will still need to be prescribed for serious pain such as broken bones and kidney stones and, of course, cancer-related pain.

Diana L. Fite, Austin

A real scare

Regarding "'Horrific, horrific day': 17 slain at Florida school" (Page A1, Thursday), fourteen years ago my daughter was a high school exchange student from Houston living in Italy.

One day at school, in her small town in southern Italy, someone shot off fireworks. My daughter was the only person who fled to hide in the bathroom, certain that the fireworks were gunshots. Her friends came to find her and to assure her that the noise was fireworks. It took her a while to be consoled because she had been born and raised in the United States of America where she had been taught that any such noise was most certainly gun shots. Italian children had no such worry, no such reality.

When President Trump asks why more Europeans aren't seeking a new home in the United States, maybe it's time to tell him that this may not be the time to ask why more Europeans might not want to live here.

As we witness yet another school shooting and watch while yet another line of young people flee their high school, maybe it's time to say we are not protecting our children and we have, therefore, shirked our highest duty.

K. Susie Adams, Livingston

Problems beyond guns

Regarding "School shooting suspect's life: guns, depression and trouble" (Page A1, Friday), it appears the shooter had a significant inferiority feeling, and he attempted to relieve that feeling by creating fear and intimidation in other humans and in animals.

He appears to have had no ambition for achieving long-term goals. He had no role model in his life and no respect for rules of conduct and authority. There is no indication that he had any exposure to religious teaching or training.

None of this suggests to me that the problem is with gun laws.

Earl Kirk, HoustonStanding on the end of the robotic arm outside the International Space Station, the Earth appears as a vast, azure expanse 250 miles below. Staring down, it feels as though you could easily, maybe even happily, fall into that glow. Its intoxicating.

But look up, and the total blackness of space  dotted by stars and planets bright enough to overcome the reflected glare of sunlight off the space station  is even more overwhelming. Out here there is majesty above and below, and in the strata between is the technological marvel of the station itself, prickly with antennae, solar panels, puffy insulation, wiring and a docked Soyuz spacecraft, which is ultimately your ride back home.

The sight is beautiful, awe-inspiring, humbling and a hundred other joyful adjectives, none of which do the scene justice.

Too bad its not real.

Remove the virtual reality headset, and youre back on Earth. Specifically, youre in a small office in Building B9 on NASA's Johnson Space Center campus, surrounded by high-tech hardware  sensors, cameras, large display monitors  and the mundane furnishings of government life: aging desks, beige walls, plywood dividers, fluorescent lighting. Its a jarring comedown after frolicking in simulated orbit.

From the archives: NASA was on the cutting edge with virtual reality in 1992

But this is one of many rooms at NASA where astronauts come to train for flights to the International Space Station and, maybe in the near future, to the moon and Mars. Here, NASAs modern knights go over processes theyll employ in spacewalks and ISS procedures. Some of what they learn here may save their lives.

For almost 30 years, NASA has been building a virtual reality universe behind these 1960s-era walls at Johnson Space Center, cobbling makeshift headsets and writing homegrown software to train astronauts for life in space long before they suit up. Those early efforts were crude and expensive, but kept the space agency on the cutting edge of virtual reality even as the technology seemed to vanish for a while for consumers.

Now Playing: NASA's Virtual Reality lab at the Johnson Space Center where astronauts come to train for EVA, Extravehicular activities. Video: Steve Gonzales, Houston Chronicle

$40K headset now $500

The technology is now enjoying a renaissance, and NASA is rushing to take advantage of it. VR headsets that gamers purchase for a few hundred bucks and connect to off-the-shelf personal computers are supplanting those that used to cost NASA tens of thousands of dollars to design and build.

And NASAs VR software, which allows the stunning recreation of the ISS, the Earth below it and cosmos above, is slowly being nudged out by commercial and open-source 3D software thats also used to build popular video games. Besides the cost savings, NASA can take advantage of advances in VR technology almost as fast as it comes to market.

You can leverage all the work the commercial world is doing, instead of paying an expensive engineer to maintain complex software, said Eddie Paddock, the manager of the VR effort at Johnson Space Center. The four employees and two interns who work with him are responsible for creating simulations and training astronauts with them.

Paddocks lab is dotted with artifacts from VRs earlier epoch. There are headsets that look like steampunk props from a Terry Gilliam movie, but theyre very real  NASA engineers built them by hand back in the day, at a cost of $30,000 to $40,000 each. Now, you can bring home from Frys or MicroCenter a consumer headset with dramatically better resolution and faster displays for less than $500.

The space agencys interest in virtual reality dates to the early 1990s, though some old-timers say NASA was exploring the concept even before the term virtual reality was coined in the mid-1980s.

Steve Gonzales/Houston Chronicle

The VR lab, founded in the early 1990s by David Homan, was involved in training astronauts during the Space Shuttle era. Homan made his earliest mark by using VR to train the astronauts who were involved in the spacewalk to repair the Hubble Space Telescope.

One of the contraptions built for that mission is still used in the lab: Charlotte, a metal cube with handles on it thats attached to a web of cables. It simulates the feel of an object that has no weight, due to the lack of gravity in space, but still has substantial mass. Astronauts who spacewalk to do work outside the space station spend time wearing VR headsets, pushing and pulling on Charlottes handholds, and in their VR headsets they might see a satellite or other mission hardware instead of a spartan metal cube  just as their predecessors did 25 years ago.

Paddock says astronauts who go through the training report back after they return home that they felt as though they had already been there thanks to this training. They can practice difficult and even risky procedures in the comfort of an air-conditioned office.

more techburger Get more tasty tech news at TechBurger. And follow us on Twitter and Facebook. Subscribe to the Chronicle for regular access to TechBurger stories and to be able to comment. See More Collapse

Space is a dangerous place, Paddock says. The lab is an environment that is much less hazardous.

Problem to solve: Research shows lungs heal more slowly in space

Before its time

Virtual reality first hit public consciousness in the mid-1980s. Jaron Lanier, considered the father of VR, founded VPL Research in California in 1984 with a goal of bringing virtual reality to the masses.

VPLs equipment looked remarkably like modern VR gear today. A headset with a pair of video displays fits on the users head. Headphones are placed over or in the ears. Both the sights and sounds of the real world are replaced by images and audio generated by a high-powered computer.

The system tracks head, hand and sometimes full-body movement in a variety of ways, giving the user the feeling of moving through and interacting with the virtual world.

In its earliest days, virtual reality was more frustrating than fascinating. The computers of the time struggled to keep up with human movement, creating a lag in the visuals that could produce motion sickness. And the visuals were primitive, looking more like crude cartoons than anything resembling reality, virtual or otherwise.

Steve Gonzales/Houston Chronicle

It was also expensive. The earliest VR rigs cost hundreds of thousands of dollars. By 1992, though, a Houston company called Spectrum Dynamics was selling virtual reality systems to home and business users for $25,000, according to a Chronicle story from that year.

But the initial VR wave crested and died for consumers, who couldnt justify the cost and were turned off by the quality of virtual worlds. However, that wasnt the case at NASA, which continued to explore it for both training and evaluation of design.

NASA has always been on the cutting edge of virtual reality, said Zvi Greenstein, general manager for consumer virtual reality at Santa Clara, Calif.-based Nvidia, which makes hardware and software NASA uses in its VR lab.

Not just off-the-shelf

While a lot of the VR training happens on the ground, some of it needs to take place in space. Because astronauts spend months on the space station, Paddock says, their training needs to be refreshed periodically. Or, if a spacewalk is required to fix something outside the station, he and his team can put together a VR training routine and upload it to the ISS.

Exploration: NASA wants your help in search for new planet beyond Pluto

Right now, the VR gear used on the space station is a hack in the old-school NASA VR tradition. The headset used by the ISS crew is a full-sized Lenovo ThinkPad laptop mounted onto a headpiece with the screen fixed in front of the wearers face. What would be clumsy and awkward on Earth is not a burden in the microgravity of orbit. But still, its not the best setup, Paddock says.

Photo courtesy of NASA

So, in April, a SpaceX supply mission will bring the ISS residents some newer gear: Two VR headsets made by Oculus, the company credited with rebooting public interest in virtual reality, and a pair of faster HP ZBook laptops to power them.

The headset, a model called the Oculus Rift, sells for $399. The ZBook has a price tag on HPs website of around $2,000.

The newer equipment costs a lot less than the $30,000 to $40,000 we used to spend building these things in the 90s, Paddock says.

Still, off-the-shelf doesnt always cut it in the unique demands of space. For example, the Oculus headsets motion-tracking system uses a feature similar to the accelerometer in a smartphone that counts your steps or knows when youre traveling in a car. However, that technology requires gravity to work, and . To get around that, the VR team has affixed an ordinary Logitech webcam to the front of the headset, which gives the system visual cues about movement instead. The ZBook, while powerful, doesnt quite have the muscle needed to create a realistic environment, so software tweaks had to be written.

Steve Gonzales, Houston Chronicle / Houston Chronicle

Paddock says the overall cost of the newer rigs are about half that of the laptop on the head design. And he says his team is looking forward to future headsets that will incorporate cameras built into the headsets, which will make it much easier to develop the software to translate motion in the VR world.

One of the uses for the onboard VR system: Refreshing crew members on use of SAFER, a jetpack built into the suits used in spacewalks. SAFER, or Simplified Aid for EVA Rescue, allows an astronaut to return to the shuttle should she or he become untethered and float away. Its a safety feature thats never had to be used, and hopefully never will be, but astronauts need to keep up their training on the feature. The ISS crew dons their VR gear and regularly simulates having to activate SAFER.

Its a lot easier, and a lot safer, to do it in VR than to have them suit up and do it in a spacewalk, Paddock said.

Space doll: Mattel unveils Barbie inspired by NASA's 'hidden figure' Katherine Johnson

Two-way payoff

The software that has long been used to display the virtual worlds in NASAs universe is called DOUG, which stands for Dynamic Onboard Ubiquitous Graphic. It both renders the spectacular images seen in NASAs VR system, as well as handle the physical rules of how objects behave. It looks as good as any rendering engine found in commercial applications, such as computer games.

But it is expensive to update and maintain, and NASA is starting to turn to the same kind of graphics engines found in popular video games. The space agency is working with two in particular: the Unreal engine, developed by Epic Games, and Unity, an open-source engine that claims to be the most-used game renderer in the world.

EDITORIAL: Ground control to Major Don -- Your NASA pick lacks the right stuff

In addition, NASA is using an Nvidia application called the Holodeck  named after the virtual reality playground in Star Trek: The Next Generation  to begin evaluating designs for the Deep Space Gateway, a space station that is planned to orbit the moon and ignite the agencys manned exploration efforts in deep space.

In a room called the PIT (Prototype Immersive Technology) in another Johnson Space Center building, a user can don an off-the-shelf VR headset from Vive  which has a list price of $599  and explore both the inside and outside of the Gateway. Nvidias Holodeck software lets multiple people explore a virtual environment at once, and even annotate what they see.

It makes virtual reality a collaborative experience, Nvidias Greenstein said.

NASA is awaiting designs from the companies who have won bids to provide modules for the Gateway, and will be able to drop those proposed designs into the Holodeck software to evaluate the process.

Better that we find out about issues this way than when were actually building from the designs, Paddock said.

In another location at Johnson, the Unreal engine is helping provide astronauts with a feel for different types of gravity. ARGOS, or Active Response Gravity Offload System, utilizes a harness system that can simulate the gravity of the moon or Mars, or the microgravity of orbit. Its similar to NASAs famed Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory, a giant swimming pool in which astronauts have trained for years to simulate weightlessness.

Commercial space: Falcon Heavy launch fortifies resolve of other commercial space projects

This helps NASA move away from the challenge of having an astronaut submerged in water for training, said Simon Jones, director of enterprise for Epic Games. At the same time, they can recreate the International Space Station in virtual reality, so its much more realistic.

NASAs work with these technology companies pays off for them as well. They learn from NASA, and vice versa, Paddock said.

For example, during a recent visit to NASA, Oculus Chief Technical Officer John Carmack was interested in the tweaks Paddocks team made so virtual reality software runs more smoothly on the HP ZBook laptop. Carmack was one of the co-founders of Dallas-based id Software, and wrote the graphics engines for the classic first-person shooters Doom and Quake. Those tweaks could potentially help the gear made by Oculus, which is now owned by Facebook, run on home computers that are less powerful, and thus less expensive.

While NASA's homegrown DOUG software will live on until the ISS is decommissioned, Paddock and his team are proud of the fact that it still outperforms both of the commercial engines NASA is moving to. That won't happen until 2024, unless the station gets another extension, and by then commercial products will have gotten even better  and probably cheaper, too.

"I look forward to seeing what's coming," Paddock said.

Dwight Silverman is the technology editor for the Houston Chronicle and the grillmaster for the TechBurger tech news site. Follow him on Twitter and Facebook.

Get more tasty tech news at TechBurger. And follow us on Twitter and Facebook.

Subscribe to the Chronicle for regular access to TechBurger stories and to be able to comment.Diljit Dosanjh Does Not Give a 'Damn' About His Career in Bollywood, Read to Know WhyDriving thru? How about walking in? Getty Images

Absurdly Driven looks at the world of business with a skeptical eye and a firmly rooted tongue in cheek.

Isn't everyone on a health kick these days?

And doesn't that include restaurants and food manufacturers?

They seem to go out of their way to underline the healthier aspects of their offerings.

This includes McDonald's, which has recently turned to fresh beef and to making its Happy Meals less happy with the salt and sugar.

Yet a damning new report suggests that a trip to McDonald's hasn't really become healthier over time.

The Sun says it examined a leaflet from 1989 and compared it to the amounts of sugar, salt and calories in McDonald's food today.

What it found was that sugar levels were 221 percent higher in, for example, Big Macs than they were 30 years ago.

Regular French Fries, says the paper, now contain 43 percent more calories, 17 percent more fat and 24 percent more salt.

And a Quarter Pounder with Cheese enjoys a giddy 285 percent more sugar.

I contacted McDonald's for its reaction.

"For more than 30 years we have provided clear nutritional information, at point of sale and on tray liners, to help our customers make informed choices, and our menu has evolved over the years so it provides more choice than ever from salads, to wraps, to coffee, to fruit bags.," a spokeswoman told me.

I wonder how many people know, say, the calorific content of, say, their Big Macs.

McDonald's, though, told me that it had "worked hard to improve our recipes and to reduce fat, salt and sugar across our entire menu, without compromising on the taste that our customers love."

90 percent of its offerings said its spokeswoman, had fewer than 500 calories.

I fear some people may translate that as: "Hey, you like sugar, salt and fat, so we're just giving you what you want. And we don't hear you complaining."

Moreover, a company spokesman told the Daily Mail that the comparison wasn't entirely fair as its menu has "evolved in many ways including portion size, breadth and nutritional content."

Your task for today: define evolution.

The spokesman, however, was insistent: "Since 2005, we've reduced the salt content across our entire menu by nearly 35 per cent, the trans-fat content of our cooking oil by 94 per cent and saturated fat by 83 per cent, and almost 90 per cent of our standard food and drink items now contain fewer than 500 calories."

Obesity rates in the United States aren't exactly shrinking. Data suggests that almost 40 percent of adults in some states are obese.

For its part, the U.K. is said to be the most overweight nation in Western Europe.

Yet it's a touch too facile to just blame McDonald's and the like for everything.

Many people make specific choices about what they're going to eat.The word on new film Annihilation - now available to stream on Netflix in the UK - is extremely positive

Concerns were sparked following the news that the Paramount Pictures film - from Ex Machina director Alex Garland - was to bypass an international cinema release for a streaming service launch in countries outside of the US.

Breathe your sighs of relief - the first reactions praised Garland's film as nothing short of a sci-fi classic.



Even The Last Jedi filmmaker Rian Johnson loves it...



Annihilation - an adaptation of the first book in Jeff Vandermeer's Southern Reach trilogy - stars Natalie Portman as a biologist who volunteers for a secret mission into alien territory of which previous attempts to explore met with disastrous results. The film also stars Tessa Thompson, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Gina Rodriguez and Oscar Isaac.

IndieWire critic Zack Sharf described the film as "another auteur studio gamble" akin to Darren Aronosfky's mother!.

The groundbreaking deal between the streaming service and Paramount sees the film available to view on Netflix 16 days after it was released international release in the US, Canada and China.

27 horror films that will actually terrify you Show all 27 1 /27 27 horror films that will actually terrify you 27 horror films that will actually terrify you The Orphanage (2007) Directed by J.A. Bayona J.A. Bayona Both my selections on this list mark the two instances in which I've actively cried in a cinema out of fear, if you can believe that's possible. Though J.A. Bayona's ghostly tale is a beautiful throwback to Gothic conventions, which lace its hauntings with powerful emotions and warnings, that kid with the sack on its head traumatised me for life. Worse, I came back home and remembered the flat I'd newly moved in to had a cupboard with no key, and no clue as to what may be contained inside; considering what's eventually found to be hiding in the basement of The Orphanage - yeah, I didn't sleep that night - Clarisse Loughrey 27 horror films that will actually terrify you Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956) Directed by Don Siegel Don Siegel Another film that doesn't rely upon (or need) special effects to make you a bit scared to turn the telly off when you've finished watching it. So disturbing in fact that the studio insisted the ending was changed to make it less dark before it was released. The 1978 remake is very good too - Jon Di Paolo 27 horror films that will actually terrify you House of Usher (1960) Directed by Roger Corman Roger Corman I'm a huge fan of Roger Corman's House of Usher (1960), the first in a series of Edgar Allan Poe adaptations the schlock producer made with the gloriously hammy Vincent Price. The latter stars as Roderick Usher, a sickly aristocrat living in queasy isolation with his sister in the crumbling mansion of the title. Corman's Poe films became increasingly formulaic and campy but this one really delivers - Joe Sommerlad 27 horror films that will actually terrify you The Exorcist (1973) Directed by William Friedkin William Friedkin There have been countless movies about demonic possession but none of them have managed to be quite as memorable as William Friedkin's The Exorcist. This film has received as much critical acclaim as it has attention from terrified audiences decade after decade. Every sequence will offset your internal rhythm while scenes of a disfigured little girl (Linda Blair's Regan) crawling on the ceiling will haunt you for many nights to come - Zlata Rodionova 27 horror films that will actually terrify you The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974) Directed by Tobe Hooper Tobe Hooper I am living proof that Tobe Hooper's seminal horror should not be watched at the age of 11; between the horrifying dinner table scene - where the cries of Marilyn Burns' Sally are laughed at by her cannibalistic captors - and that final shot of Leatherface (Gunnar Hansen) flailing his chainsaw about aimlessly in the air, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre is the horror film I would least like to watch again - Jacob Stolworthy 27 horror films that will actually terrify you The Shining (1980) Directed by Stalney Kubrick Stalney Kubrick This Stanley Kubrick classic doesn't necessarily fit into the horror box but for audiences chasing a real sense of unease, The Shining fits the bill. Based on Stephen King's novel of the same name, the film tells the story of the Torrance family who hole up in an isolated hotel for the closed winter season. Things take a macabre turn as an evil presence begins to influence father Jack (Jack Nicholson) to undertake a murderous rampage. In typical Kubrick style, nothing is as it seems - Megan Townsend 27 horror films that will actually terrify you The Watcher in the Woods (1980) Directed by John Hough John Hough I really enjoy watching horror films even though they never scare me; that's not including The Watcher in the Woods, of course. Yes - Disney film The Watcher in the Woods. There's just something inherently unsettling about the film's frequent use of mirrors that freaked me out and the way writing and apparitions suddenly appear in them. Who knew a Disney film could give you nightmares for weeks? - Richard Williams 27 horror films that will actually terrify you Brazil (1985) Directed by Terry Gilliam Terry Gilliam Every Halloween I consider wearing one of the hideous baby face masks from Brazil and every year I chicken out for fear of my reflection. A sinister Michael Palin is also extremely disorientating. But nothing beats the sinking dread of a tyrannical, behemoth bureaucracy swallowing you whole and turning your dreams into nightmares. Having said that, Brazil is also my favourite film - Joe Vesey-Byrne 27 horror films that will actually terrify you Candyman (1992) Directed by Bernard Rose Bernard Rose I was waaay too young when I first saw Bernard Roses Candyman and it still scares me to this day. Its the story of a PhD student (Virginia Madsen) who visits an impoverished Chicago tenement building to investigate an urban myth whispered among the residents about a hook-handed ghost stalking the corridors. Naturally, she soon realises the phantom is all too real. Philip Glasss delicate music box score is eerie indeed and Tony Todd utterly mesmerising in the lead. Candyman manages to be both sincerely frightening and an important statement about the legacy of slavery and the injustices still endured by Black America, as relevant now as it was in 1992. Say his names three times before the mirror, I dare you - Joe Sommerlad 27 horror films that will actually terrify you Screamers (1995) Directed by Christian Duguay Christian Duguay Screamers is based on a Philip K Dick story, and his trademark other-worldliness and fascination with the dark side of AI/human nature give it some genuinely chilling twists. Plus there's robots with sharp blades that tear out of the ground and chop you to bits - Jon Di Paolo 27 horror films that will actually terrify you Scream (1996) Directed by Wes Craven Wes Craven Okay, hear me out. Scream might not be a high-quality film or achieve anywhere near the art of modern indie horrors being made on a fraction of the budget, but its antagonist still haunts me and I'll tell you why: zombies don't scare me, demons don't scare me, ghosts don't scare me, but humans do. None of horror's cliched evil beings are as terrifying as a human on a murderous rampage with no apparent motive. Ghostface is gangly, awkward, fallible and all the scarier for it. The way he runs around like a toddler, blindingly slashing at the air, is chilling and an unwelcome reminder that, if you did die at the hands of a psychopath, it wouldn't involve a cinematic, well-placed spike but a floundering struggle - Christopher Hooton Sportsphoto Ltd./Allstar 27 horror films that will actually terrify you Funny Games (1997) Directed by Michael Haneke Michael Haneke Whilst not the first film that comes to mind when considering the horror genre, this film for me is as scary as it gets. At first, the violence seems irrational and nihilistic, but the most terrifying thing about Michael Hanekes Austrian psychological thriller about two men who randomly torture a middle-class family in their idyllic vacation home is the fact that we become the driving force behind the horror. Breaking down the fourth wall (spoilers ahead), one of the oh-so-polite psychopaths rewinds a scene that doesnt go his way, and gives us a much more gruesome ending to the film, otherwise, as he says straight to camera: wed all be deprived of our pleasure - Kirsty Major 27 horror films that will actually terrify you Ringu (1998) Directed by Hideo Nakata Hideo Nakata Make no mistake: if the Hollywood version of Ring is a decent remake, the Japanese original is far more petrifying. There is just something inexplicable about Asian horror films rooted in Japanese folklore and ghost stories that makes them far creepier. Watching it for the very first time is like living a nightmare; as Sadako crawls out of the well, youll find yourself automatically pushing against the back of the sofa in the hope she will not eventually end up in your living room. The movie put me off watching TV and picking up the phone for a couple of weeks, at least - Zlata Rodionova Photograph: Allstar/Omega 27 horror films that will actually terrify you Mulholland Drive (2001) Directed by David Lynch David Lynch For me the scariest moment in any movie ever has to be from David Lynch's Mulholland Drive. The scene happens around 10 minutes into the film but is sold bold and confident in it's ability to scare you it actually tells you exactly how it is going to do so. By using dream logic, distorted sound and strange camera movements, the scene transports you into a nightmare, turned reality for one of the characters in the scene. These five minutes are exhausting to behold but it is a masterclass in how to effectively use the jump scare. This segment perfectly encapsulates the rest of this beautiful, confusing and surreal movie as you never know what lies around the corner on Mulholland Drive - Greg Evans 27 horror films that will actually terrify you The Others (2001) Directed by Alejandro Amenabar Alejandro Amenabar This chiller doesn't rely on CGI or special effects to be scary - it's all about building tension through old-fashioned dramatic tricks and it does it brilliantly. Nicole Kidman delivers an absolute tour de force and it is riveting and affecting as well as liable to make you jump out of your seat - Jon Di Paolo 27 horror films that will actually terrify you Dark Water (2002) Directed by Hideo Nakata Hideo Nakata One of the horror films that still scares the heck out of me. Its by Hideo Nakata, who made the equally as scary The Ring. Hollywood did a remake with Jennifer Connelly in 2005, but there is definitely something about the original Japanese version that leaves you with a haunting feeling - Mars El Brogy 27 horror films that will actually terrify you Signs (2002) Directed by M. Night Shyamalan M. Night Shyamalan Seeing that alien for the first time as he gets unceremoniously booted from a Brazilian kids birthday party still gets me, just as it did when I ran from the room the first time I saw it. I still resent that broadcaster's blatant flouting of TV dogma by playing so much tension-inducing build up before the action itself - Charlie Atkin 27 horror films that will actually terrify you Paranormal Activity (2009) Directed by Oren Peli Oren Peli The only film Ive ever watched where I considered switching off halfway through out of sheer terror. The tension ratchets up endlessly as the found footage style adds to the claustrophobia. A decision was made long ago never to watch it again - Tom Embury-Dennis Or: a cautionary tale for leaving your leg dangling out of your bed. Injecting fresh life into the found-footage formula, the first Paranormal Activity managed to induce chills the world over by the simple - and rather frugal - use of a static camera set up by couple Katie and Micah, all in the hope they can learn what's going 'bump' in the night. With every new nighttime scene - each displaying more demonic hauntings than the last - your sounds of terror will become more audible. - Jacob Stolworthy Available on Netflix 27 horror films that will actually terrify you Black Swan (2010) Directed by Darren Aronofsky Darren Aronofsky Guaranteed to make your skin crawl, Darren Aronofsky's 2010 take on classic ballet Swan Lake is a textbook example of psychological horror. Ballerina Nina (Natalie Portman) lands the coveted role of the Swan Princess, only to find she cannot engage with her evil alter-ego - the Black Swan. When Nina attempts to engage with her dark-side, she loses herself altogether - Megan Townsend 27 horror films that will actually terrify you V/H/S (2012) Directed by Various Various The rising crop of horror filmmakers (Adam Wingard and Ti West included) teamed up to make V/H/S, an anthology film comprised of six disturbing vignettes; if one doesn't scare you senseless, it's a sure bet the next will. The opening two linger in my memory, each taking familiar concepts - a night out with your pals and a honeymoon - and adding a slant of depravity that'll chill you to the core. Next time someone tells you they "like you," run a mile - Jacob Stolworthy 27 horror films that will actually terrify you Oculus (2013) Directed by Mike Flanagan Mike Flanagan Psychological thrillers can be terrifying enough as they are, but throw in a spooky supernatural storyline and you'll have nightmares for days (or at least, I did). Oculus tells the story of a woman determined to clear her brother's name in the brutal murder of their parents. The siblings suspect supernatural forces are at play, with an antique mirror being at the root of all the evil. Suffice to say, the first thing I did as soon as I got home from the cinema was to throw a blanket over the giant mirror sitting in my room - you know, just in case - Chantal DaSilva 27 horror films that will actually terrify you It Follows (2014) Directed by David Robert Mitchell David Robert Mitchell David Robert Mitchell's synth-encrusted nightmare shows sound's essential role in the genre. It Follows premises itself on the very simple idea that something is out there, something indistinguishable from your fellow man, except that they're always headed straight for you. No matter where you may be, and no matter where you may run to. A figure walking down the street may seem ordinary at first, but Disasterpeace's score here turns that image into paralysing fright. Seeing this in the cinema, tucked up right next to the loudspeaker as the synths reached their climax and blood pooled the screen, unashamedly made me cry like a kid left behind in a shopping mall - Clarisse Loughrey Available on Netflix 27 horror films that will actually terrify you Green Room (2015) Directed by Jeremy Saulnier Jeremy Saulnier Patrick Stewart isnt the first name that comes to mind when I think of horror; but 2015s Green Room left me terrified; suspense from start to finish with an uncharacteristically dark turn from Stewart as detached neo-Nazi leader Darcy Banker - Ronan O'Shea Available on Netflix 27 horror films that will actually terrify you The Invitation (2015) Directed by Karyn Kusama Karyn Kusama You look great.  I've started this new class, it's changed my life. We've all been there. A dinner party with old friends, someone you deliberately haven't seen in a while proselytizing about their latest fad diet, class, or retreat. The Invitation takes that a step further: Will takes his new partner for dinner at his ex-wife's house, joining a cast of friends who haven't seen each other since he lost his son over a year ago. As the wine flows, and two new guests join the old crew, Will begins to realise that they've been brought here for another reason all together - Kirsty Major Available on Netflix 27 horror films that will actually terrify you Under the Shadow (2016) Directed by Babak Anvari Babak Anvari For anyone who has seen Under the Shadow, it should come as no surprise that Iranian-born Babak Anvaris film is Britains Oscar entry for best Best Foreign Language Film. Though short in length (a brief 74 mins), every scene drips with intensity. The 80s set film follows a mother and her young daughter as they struggle with a demon haunting their apartments building in war-torn Iran. Alongside the nightmarish torment of the Djinn, the building is being bombed by militant forces, meaning the threat comes from both inside and out, culminating in one of the years best horror films - Jack Shepherd Available on Netflix 27 horror films that will actually terrify you The Witch (2016) Directed by Robert Eggers Robert Eggers The Witch is set in 17th contrary New England and follows a family banished from their Puritan plantation. When the youngest suddenly disappears, the blame falls upon Anya Taylor-Joys young character, though she knows something more is at play. As the film progresses, stranger and stranger things start to happen, all with a heavy twang of religious imagery. The jump scares may not be frequent but the atmosphere is utterly terrifying - Jack Shepherd 27 horror films that will actually terrify you Raw (2017) Directed by Julia Ducournau Julia Ducournau All good horror reflects our deepest collective fears back at us, and Raw gives us this with a side of human flesh. Justine is a first-year veterinary student, who at once fasts and purges, lets loose and withdraws, scaling the highs and lows that coming of age brings. She throws herself with abandon at human flesh, both literally and metaphorically - with an older sister whose destructive behaviour leaves her with little in the way of a role model to help navigate her newly burgeoning desires - Kirsty Major

Deadline reports that the decision was inspired by the release of Garland's critically-acclaimed directorial debut Ex Machina which grossed just $11.4m internationally - debuting on Netflix potentially means Annihilation will be seen by a far larger audience than it would had it been released in cinemas.

Garland's previous writing credits include the cult 90s novel The Beach as well as the screenplays for 28 Days Later..., Never Let Me Go and Dredd.

Annihilation is available to stream now.

Follow Independent Culture on FacebookJames Corden has hit back at critics who suggested Beatrix Potter would dislike the film adaptation of her book The Tales of Peter Rabbit, branding them snobby.

Corden, who provides the voice for the much-loved character, said the film is primarily about acceptance so could not understand those who viewed it as anything other than positive.

His comments come after it was suggested the rabbit comes across as a bit of a bully in the film and that the author would not have approved.

It is the first time the character will be featured in a film as creator Potter had previously denied permission for all those who asked for the rights, including Disney.

Now the Potter Estate has given permission for Sony Pictures to make the film, but not everyone feels it has done the book justice.

Speaking at the London premiere of the film, Corden told the Press Association: Those mixed views I have never have understood, really.

I sort of felt some reticence about doing it when I got offered it simply because of what it means to so many people in this country and across the world.

But then when [permission was given by] the Beatrix Potter estate, who have turned down I think maybe over 20 proposals, even Walt Disney at one point wanted to make a Peter Rabbit film and they felt it didnt capture the essence of the character and this script did.

27 films to look out for in the first half of 2018 Show all 27 1 /27 27 films to look out for in the first half of 2018 27 films to look out for in the first half of 2018 Black Panther Released: 12 February 12 February Director: Ryan Coogler Cast: Chadwick Boseman, Michael B. 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Some have said that the film changes the essential character of the rabbit.

Matthew Dennison, who wrote a biography of Beatrix Potter, called Over the Hills and Far Away, said the author would not have approved of the film, telling The Guardian: Peter Rabbit emerges as a bully, and there really isnt any evidence for that in the story.

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He added: [The author] was not exactly possessive, but she had a very clear idea in her head of how the books should be.

A particular scene which has drawn criticism features Peter and his rabbit pals pelt the nephew of his arch-nemesis Mr McGregor, Tom (Domhnall Gleeson), with blackberries, despite him being allergic to the fruit. The victim starts to have an allergic reaction but stops it with an Epipen.

The movie moment has led to calls to boycott the movie from allergy sufferers who fear it makes light of the condition, which can be life-threatening.

Kids with Food Allergies Foundation wrote on their Facebook page: Making light of this condition hurts our members because it encourages the public not to take the risk of allergic reactions seriously, and this cavalier attitude may make them act in ways that could put an allergic person in danger.

Sony Pictures, who are behind the movie said in a statement that it should not have made light of Mr McGregor being allergic to blackberries.

But the host of The Late Late Show who voices the character, said: What I love most about what Will [Gluck, the writer and director] has done and I think the Beatrix Potter estate responded to is there are so many small vignettes across the film that he has taken from all of those books.

At its core, at its actual core, what the film is about, aside from all the big comic set pieces and the brilliant soundtrack and the animation is wonderful, what the film is actually about is acceptance.

Its about going, people will look different to you and sound different to you and be different to you and actually if you accept your differences you will find lots of similarities.

What people do is go, Im going to put up a wall and this is mine and that is yours and you dont come in here, and actually what you should do is open your arms and go, well I dont look like you or understand you but perhaps we can find some common ground.

That is what the film is actually about, so anyone who is being what I would consider snobby about such an experience, I cant find anything that can be anything other than positive in such a message for young children.

Star Wars actress Daisy Ridley, who voices Cotton-Tail, also said she believed Potter would have been pleased with the results.

I think she would be thrilled, I think it shows all of the character that we know and love in a different sort of setting and there are bits that the original books are animated within and its beautiful.

Peter Rabbit is released in UK cinemas on 16 March.

Additional reporting by the Press Association.The day after The Beatles Cardiff show, manager Brian Epstein and the bandmates met with Walter Shenson, the producer who brought them to the big screen in A Hard Days Night and Help!

While the meeting was certainly less climactic than the previous evenings concert, the days events held great portents nonetheless. Brian had arranged the meeting so that Walter could pitch a third feature film to the group. This time, the deal involved another property for United Artists titled A Talent for Loving.

Based on Richard Condons novel of the same name, A Talent for Loving would depict the four lads from Liverpool transplanted into an 1870s-era western as pioneering frontiersmen. But for the first time, the Beatles werent having it, voting unanimously  all for one and one for all, as was their practice  to reject Shensons gambit outright.

And in so doing, for the first time since achieving global fame, they upset Brian and producer George Martins formula divining their annual output to be a pair of studio albums, a fresh parcel of singles, and a major movie release. Simply put, there would be no Beatles feature film in 1966. The winds of change were clearly blowing in the bandmates camp.

The release of the Rubber Soul album had ushered in a new era for the Beatles all right, and in more ways than one. The Granada television special, The Music of Lennon and McCartney, had celebrated John and Paul as the most renowned popular songwriters of their day. As Martin unabashedly remarked, Great talent it was. They were the Cole Porters and George Gershwins of their generation, of that there is no doubt.

Somebody compared them to Schubert, which sounds a bit pretentious, but I would go along with that to the extent that their music was perfectly representative of the period in which they were living. By then, even John and Paul knew it, too.

After the accolades had been heaped upon Yesterday and Rubber Soul, there was really no looking back. For so long, they had been writing in close quarters  nose to nose and eyeball to eyeball  but even those days were rapidly coming to a close.

For Lennon and McCartney, the stakes of authorship  and the myriad rewards that it brought  were growing ever more competitive with each new recording.

The increasing shifts in the bands calculus  and the role of authorial stakes in these changes  were hardly lost on EMI engineer Norman Smith, either. For his part, Smith had had just about enough of the Beatles by this time.

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For a while, he had chalked it up to being at a creative impasse with the group: Rubber Soul wasnt really my bag at all. But in truth, it was much more than that.

In a less guarded moment, he would admit that when Rubber Soul came around it was taking a lot longer to record each title.

I could see the friction building up and I didnt like it at all. I thought, To hell with this, and I told George Martin, I dont like what I see and I want to get off this train. He said, Theyre going to be very upset about this, but I said, Well, thats the way it is.

In the engineers reckoning, something had happened between Help! and Rubber Soul. There had been one hell of a change in the relationship between the boys  mainly between John and Paul. It was very noticeable, and it made me quite sad in actual fact.

In earlier days, the four boys, George, and myself had formed a sort of family, and, as you can probably imagine, it was wonderful to be part of all that. But as far as he was concerned, the writing was already the wall  and had been for a while.

Smith had recognised a change in the bands chemistry as McCartney, in particular, seemed to be emerging as the main musical force. Even Harrison  the junior member in The Beatles songwriting contest for so long by this point  was getting into the act. None of this was lost on Martin, of course.

George Martin with his first wife Sheena (Courtesy of the Martin family)

He may have been hoodwinked by the smutty backing vocals in Girl, but by this juncture he had observed the group up close, day after day, for literally hundreds of hours inside and outside the studio.

No, he knew exactly what was going on. But at the same time, he recognised their increasing tension as a central element in the Lennon-McCartney partnership  and in a larger sense, in the music of The Beatles.

Imagine two people pulling on a rope, smiling at each other and pulling all the time with all their might, he once observed. The tension between the two of them made for the bond.

Ever true to his word, Smith made his exit from The Beatles brain trust in the new year. I told George and George told Eppy [Brian Epstein], and the next thing I received a lovely gold carriage clock inscribed: To Norman. Thanks. John, Paul, George and Ringo.

But on 3 January 1966, as George Martin celebrated his fortieth birthday, the effects of such changes had yet to be realised, and wouldnt be for days  if not weeks or months, or even years.

With the triumph of Rubber Soul still fresh as the album reigned atop the charts, the man who had brought Parlophone [Records] back from the brink of obsolescence had succeeded beyond his wildest dreams, having crawled out from behind EMIs shadow and made a name for himself in the wide world of pop music and Western culture.

And he had done so with a beat-music band of his own  with a group of Liverpool musicians upon whom the rest of the industry had turned its back. He had piloted them beyond their modest Mersey-sound origins into something that none of them could have even reasonably imagined.

Yes, they had come a long way from the simple, bluesy sound of Love Me Do, and eclipsed Georges expectations many times over. With each passing session  from Please Please Me through Rubber Soul  they had marched into the studio, brimming with new and often breathtaking compositions, and unveiled a seemingly endless array of musical riches in the friendly confines of Studio 2. And to think that by January 1966 they were only just getting started.

Ringo Starr's photos of The Beatles Show all 7 1 /7 Ringo Starr's photos of The Beatles Ringo Starr's photos of The Beatles Ringo Starr's photos of The Beatles John Lennon 'looking thoughtful' www.RingoPhotoBook.com Ringo Starr/Genesis Ringo Starr's photos of The Beatles Ringo Starr's photos of The Beatles 'These people are looking at us in our car, so I photographed them' www.RingoPhotoBook.com Ringo Starr/Genesis Ringo Starr's photos of The Beatles Ringo Starr's photos of The Beatles Paul McCartney: 'He was a great poser. Mr Rock'n'Roll, with the shades and the action' www.RingoPhotoBook.com Ringo Starr/Genesis Ringo Starr's photos of The Beatles Ringo Starr's photos of The Beatles Paul and John in the studio www.RingoPhotoBook.com Ringo Starr/Genesis Ringo Starr's photos of The Beatles Ringo Starr's photos of The Beatles George Harrison, 'who liked a laugh' www.RingoPhotoBook.com Ringo Starr/Genesis Ringo Starr's photos of The Beatles Ringo Starr's photos of The Beatles Paul McCartney with Brian Epstein in a Beatles wig www.RingoPhotoBook.com Ringo Starr/Genesis Ringo Starr's photos of The Beatles Ringo Starr's photos of The Beatles Paul 'being very Liverpool' with Jane Asher www.RingoPhotoBook.com Ringo Starr/Genesis

As George marked his birthday, there was much to be thankful for and even more untold possibilities lurking just beyond the horizon. Fewer than four years earlier, he had begrudgingly taken a risk on the band, and the bet had paid off handsomely and then some.

While George and girlfriend Judy celebrated the producers birthday, The Beatles were, for the most part, taking a much-deserved break from the studio and that wearisome road that they knew so well. But come April, they were poised to fire the whole enterprise up again and see where it might lead to next.

As for George, having finally been untethered from the EMI group and with his divorce from Sheena finalised the previous February, The Beatles producer was at a crossroads. With marriage to his beloved Judy no doubt in the offing, George could afford to look at the world with a gleam in his eye and plenty of untapped ambition left in that secret, working-class heart of his.

With Len Wood and EMI in his rearview mirror, and his partners at AIR studios eager to support his vision for unbridled pop-music production, one thing was certain: after years of toiling at the behest of others, he was finally going into business for himself.

Maximum Volume: The Life of Beatles Producer George Martin, The Early Years (1926  1966) by Kenneth Womack is out now via Orphans PublishingEven God seems happy channelling the ethereal quality that has made Tilda Swinton so unique among the stars of cinema. The actor is being feted with a tribute to her classy oeuvre at the Cartagena Film Festival, the oldest festival in South America, and moments after she starts to talk a Catholic sermon begins and the noise from it threatens to drown out her voice, but even the congregation seems differential and the singing is done at a level where it only manages to serve as a perfect otherworldly backing track to Swinton.

Its Swintons first visit to Latin America. The trip to this beautiful port town on the Caribbean coast is also allowing the actor to acclimatise and get to know the country where next year she will be returning to star in Thai Palme dOr winner Apichatpong Weerasethakuls Memoria, which he has said will explore colonial history and how collective memory can lead to fear.

Swinton says that she and Weerasethakul have been talking about making this film for over a decade. Fast friends, they curated the 2012 film festival Films on the Rocks Yao Noi together. Yet Swinton admits she was slightly thrown when a Colombian citizen had asked if the Academy Award winner was really going to act in a film made in the country. I was struck by the fact that this person assumed that I was maybe going to drop this film for another project or another job, Swinton says. But I learned something from this comment about what we are used to, we are used to actors moving from project to project in a slightly detached way, or that they are looking over their shoulder for a more interesting project, or more money, but that is not how I approach projects, I need to work with people that I can trust.

Swinton voices one of the dogs in Wes Andersons new film Isle of Dogs, which follows a boys journey to find his pooch after dogs have been banished to a Japanese island

She needs to know that when shes travelling at 6am on a bus to the airport with a director promoting a film over several months that she likes to spend time in their company. Its why her CV is full of repeat visits to directors. She put herself in front of the late Derek Jarmans camera seven times in nine years after she burst onto the cinematic scene playing Lena in 1986s Caravaggio.

Later this month, she lends her voice to play the Oracle, a dog who might be able to see into the future in Wes Andersons Isle of Dogs, her third outing with the unique director. Call Me By Your Name director Luca Guadagnino has called her up again to collaborate for a fourth time on his upcoming reinterpretation of Dario Argentos surreal horror classic Suspira. There have been revisits to the Coen Brothers, Jim Jarmusch and Bong Jooh-ho.

I always choose the people first, she says of the choices she has made. I knew from the beginning that out of fellowship comes conversation and then comes the project.

Guadagnino used the personal touch when he first tried to persuade Swinton to collaborate with him. I approached her in 1995 through her agent, and so the agent gets a letter from an unknown Italian, who is not even writing in proper English, to ask for one of your most brilliant performers that you represent, what do you expect him to say, says Guadagnino. Then I read in a newspaper that she was in Rome, at the time, presenting a collection of independent British films and I went there, to talk to her. She was so open that we started a conversation that is still in the making.

She put herself in front of Derek Jarmans camera seven times in nine years after she burst onto the cinematic scene playing Lena in 1986s Caravaggio (Zeitgeist Films)

Born Katherine Matilda Swinton in 1960, the androgynous actor comes from aristocracy. Her family can chase their family tree back to the Middle Ages and she was a classmate of Diana, Princess of Wales, at West Heath Girls School . But from her time in boarding school, she knew she wanted another life. I grew up in a happy environment but I knew that I would need to find a different world, and I knew that I would not live my life in their world.

She wanted the collective experience and to tell stories. She joined the Communist Party when at Cambridge University. After graduating she joined the Royal Shakespeare Company appearing in Measure for Measure. Her early successes were on stage, although she always imagined herself in film. The transition happened first on the small screen appearing in Gothic mini-series Zastrozzi: A Romance before landing a role in Derek Jarmans Caravaggio in 1986. She was now living in London and had entered the world of artists; Nick Cave and John Maybury were among her peers. It was an era lived in the shadow of David Bowie, whose gender fluidity and performances were as challenging as they were spectacular. Swinton was inspired; Bowie was the leader of the tribe. Even if he wasnt there at the time, he was around.

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Her philosophy towards life and art is captured in her comment that, I dont have much use of the word normal. I dont know what it means. I only see the problems it causes people and to the same extent I think the word beauty is also problematic as its difficult to imagine anything not being beautiful.

She won the Academy Award for Best Supporting actor for her performance as ruthless lawyer Karen Crowder in the 2007 film Michael Clayton with George Clooney (Rex)

She is critical of the human instinct to reject new foreign things, that fear overcomes curiosity. She has also challenged gender norms throughout her career, following her work with Derek Jarman by exploring gender in Sally Potters adaptation of Orlando. Swinton plays the immortal nobleman who one day wakes up to discover that she was a woman. For Swinton its not the androgynous change that is most interesting but the way that artists are viewed according to their gender: I know Virginia Woolfs interest in her working life and in particular in the book she wrote was not in the nature of androgyny, she talked about the nature of genius being beyond gender.

She won the Academy Award for Best Supporting actor and the BAFTA Award for Best actor in a Supporting Role for her performance as ruthless lawyer Karen Crowder in the 2007 film Michael Clayton. Swintons other memorable hits include her performance in The Deep End (2001), as a mum protecting her son from being found guilty in a murder investigation, and the psychological thriller We Need to Talk About Kevin (2011), playing the mother of a teenager who commits a massacre at his high school. She is also known for her performance as the White Witch in The Chronicles of Narnia series (2005-10), based on CS Lewiss books. And of course, Only Lovers Left Alive (2013), in which she plays a vampire opposite Tom Hiddleston.

Isle of Dogs is set in the near future in Japan where dogs have been banished by humans to an island in Japan. The film won praise at the Berlin Film Festival for its comment on the rise of fascism and the animal nature of humanity. The connection of humans with the animal kingdom is one that interests Swinton in her every day and her approach to her craft. I think, and I cant remember the Latin term, I think we are storytelling apes rather than wise apes, she says of our ancestral past. We need to tell stories and tell stories about our day and our lives, we need structure and to fit in the world we live in every day.

And the older she has become, the more her views are being cemented. I feel more and more that nature is all we have. We are animals and freaks and monsters and the better and sooner we acknowledge that the happier we will be.

Swinton also revealed that shes been secretly reprising another collaboration shes had with a director that started more than three decades ago. In 1986 an unknown Swinton starred in British director Joanna Hoggs graduation film Caprice and said that she worked on Hoggs upcoming film The Souvenir, which stars Robert Pattinson, Ariane Labed and Richard Ayode.

The Souvenir is the first of a proposed two-part project and Swinton saw similarities in the way that Jarman used to improvise and Hoggs approach. She is an interesting director who lets you improvise and I loved working on it. There are some directors who love to do 1000 takes and I love that too. Im really lazy in that respect, I like everything.

Tilda Swinton spoke at the Cartagena Film Festival (www.ficcifestival.com) this month; Isle of Dogs is out 30 March, Suspiria and The Souvenir are out later this yearEd Sheeran fans have criticised officials at Melbourne's Etihad Stadium after they refused to open the stadium roof, with several concertgoers fainting as temperatures soared in the venue.

According to Yahoo 7, several fans were carried out of the stadium even before the musician had come out on stage, with attendee Ally Meli adding: "I had called Etihad Stadium myself and was told that there was no air conditioner and that the promoter had chosen to keep the roof closed."

Temperatures in Melbourne reached 35 degrees on Saturday, when the concert took place, with approximately 65,000 people packed into the stadium to see Sheeran.

Melanee Jardine said her seat on level three gave her a "bird's eye view" of events. "In the first act they had to stop and get security to help someone who had fainted. Then it just kept happening all show," she said.

"We had a young girl in our row pass out from the heat too. It was terrible and unnecessary when they had access to having the roof open."

Ambulance Victoria confirmed that a number of people were treated by first aiders at the venue for dehydration. One woman was taken to hospital due to a leg injury.

People flooded social media with their frustrations over the heat, while also complaining about the fact bottles of water were being sold at $5. Other attendees, however, have said security guards were handing out bottles for free to some fans.

"Terrible that I spent over $250 dollars to take my children to Ed last night. Only to spend the entire evening fanning them and bathing them down with water due to the heat inside your stadium!," one user wrote. "Ended having to leave because my children had headaches from being so hot. Really poor form Etihad."

 BRIT Awards 2018: Ed Sheeran wins Global Success Award award

Another wrote: "Water was $5.30 per 500 ml bottle! No air conditioning, no air. And they wouldnt allow lids on my bottle. You are making enough profit on $10 beers and seriously overpriced food. Do you have to make 400 % on water? Greedy! Shameful."

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An Etihad Stadium spokesperson has said the roof was closed at the request of the touring management. "Patrons health and safety is always our number one priority and we were continually monitoring the situation. The temperatures inside the stadium was not at a level that put Eds fans at risk," they said.

"Free water stations were available throughout the venue for fans to continually hydrate throughout the concert and they were encouraged to do so. On the stadium floor there was free water being handed out throughout the night to fans."

Sheeran also performed on Sunday night. He will perform once more at the Etihad Stadium on Monday night, with shows in Sydney and Brisbane, before the tour heads to New Zealand.

A representative for Sheeran has been contacted for comment.

Follow Independent Culture on Facebook for all the latest on Film, TV, Music, and more.Fyre Festival's founder has been ordered to repay the $26 million he admitted to stealing from investors, according to a judgement issued against him on Friday.

Billy McFarland pled guilty to two counts of wire fraud in connection with the infamous music festival disaster, Billboard reports. He was arrested in June, following an FBI investigation, pleading not guilty to charges of wire fraud and making false statements to a bank in October.

McFarland agreed to a plea deal on Tuesday, 6 March; he told US District Judge Naomi Reice Buchwald: "I deeply regret my actions, and I apologise to my investors, team, family and supporters who I let down."

"I grossly underestimated the resources that would be necessary to hold an event of this magnitude", he admitted. "In an attempt to raise what I thought were needed funds, I lied to investors about various aspects of Fyre Media and my personal finances. Those lies included false documents and information."

McFarland also faces eight to 10 years in prison and will be sentenced 21 June.

He also admitted to giving fake information about Fyre Media's financial status to a ticket vendor last April to convince the vendor to buy $2m (1,440,000) in advance tickets.

Set on the island of Exumas in the Bahamas, Fyre Festival was initially described as the "culture experience of the decade" as a luxury event during the last two weekends of April and May in 2017. The festival boasted a lineup of Major Lazer, Disclosure, Lil Yachty, Blink-182, Migos and more.

 Promotional video for Fyre Festival

The event was promoted on social media with models like Bella Hadid, Kendall Jenner and Emily Ratajkowski trying to lure people into buying tickets ranging from $1,200 to over $100,000.

When concertgoers arrived in the Bahamas, they learned that Blink-182 and Migos had cancelled, and they were stuck in a Lord of the Flies nightmare.

Gourmet food included slices of cheese on white bread and luxurious accommodations included flimsy, leaking tents. The hashtag #fyrefraud began trending after attendees were stranded on the island or in airports on their way to the festival.

Follow Independent Culture on Facebook for all the latest on Film, TV, Music, and more.In the middle of this third night of four sold out London shows, Morrissey is about to reach the chorus of his melodramatic, sweeping ballad Home is a Question Mark, a highlight from last years album Low in High School, when a man at the front of the crowd unfurls a Union Jack flag, waving it proudly.

When he does so again during the final song of the night, a rousing Irish Blood, English Heart, the former Smiths frontman makes a beeline for it and emphatically gestures his approval. Given Morrisseys recent Ukipification  in the last 18 months he has praised Nigel Farage as a liberal educator, called the EU referendum result magnificent and peddled the conspiracy theory live on BBC 6 Music that the anti-Islam candidate Anne Marie Waters was fiddled out of the partys leadership contest  you dont have to be a bleeding heart liberal to realise how this episode could be interpreted.

That this happened on the day that the NMEs final print edition was published added a mischievous undercurrent: the magazines criticism of Morrissey for waving the flag during a concert supporting Madness in 1992, the point at which all subsequent controversy is rooted, was the first sign that Morrisseys halo was slipping.

 Morrissey: sexual harassment should be kept 'in perspective'

It was an uncomfortable moment in a show that sums up Morrissey in 2018: an intractable, unapologetic mix of unpleasantness and fading brilliance. Long-time card carrying Mozites (of which I count myself) have got used to the sinking feeling that comes whenever he opens his mouth, and the sense that the beauty and humanity he eloquently represented with The Smiths is irreversibly replaced by misanthropy. In 2010 he called the Chinese a subspecies over their animal rights record; last year he told German newspaper Der Spiegel the countrys refugee policy had made Berlin the rape capital of Europe, and appeared to defend actor Kevin Spacey against sexual assault allegations made against him.

Still smarting from the fallout, tonight he orders his band to wear T-shirts branded with the words no one likes us we dont care. Its one of several wilfully antagonistic moves (a fight between skinheads breaks out at the front) that mar the show: during the end to Low in High Schools best track, Jackys Only Happy When Shes up on the Stage, Morrissey changes the lyrics of the highly charged climax from exit, exit to Brexit, Brexit. After the dont-vote-cos-theres-no-point call to arms of 2014s World Peace is None of Your Business he makes a plea for an open debate and to bring back free speech, although given his track record you do have to wonder what exactly it is he thinks hes not permitted to say.

Does any of this matter? People would argue not: tonight Ally Pally is packed to the rafters, which suggests enough people are willing to forgive, or at least momentarily forget... though far fewer of them seem fully engaged with what theyre watching

An unbending setlist does nothing to help: three albeit astutely judged covers (Elvis Presley, Ramones and Pretenders), three B-sides (of which 1992s Jack the Ripper remains an unsettling, stirring lost classic) and an unsparing selection from the substandard Low in High School, which is too often infiltrated with his spiteful world view.

My Love, Id Do Anything for You deploys that most modern, Trumpian trope decrying the mainstream media and establishments that mean we cant live as we wish, but with its blaring horns at least the tune is memorable (if Ukip can still muster up enough members to fill a local disco hall, itd be a floor filler). Who Will Protect us From the Police is as unsophisticated musically as lyrically; the sixth form poetry of Spent the Day in Bed is his worst single since 1995s Dagenham Dave. Foulest of all is the interminable I Bury the Living, a war chronicle that imagines soldiers as too thick to understand what theyre doing, while sneering at bereaved mothers. It is unfathomably boneheaded.

That these songs are pounded into Ally Pallys cavernous, echoy space by a band, led by long-time lieutenant Boz Boorer, who have always been more iron fist than velvet glove certainly helps, though the casuals remain unmoved. It is on Morrissey himself to carry these moments: at least three shirt buttons redundant, he stalks the stage, fire evidently burning, whipping his microphone lead like a circus ringmaster. His tremulous tones have never sounded better.

There are moments of gold that make the ugliness seem like a mirage. Two songs from The Smiths are magnificent: the gothic tremor of How Soon is Now, every inflection sung in perfect accord, and the glam stomp of I Started Something I Couldnt Finish, which sees Morrissey growling from deep within. From his 30-year-old solo debut Viva Hate, Everyday is Like Sunday, a perfectly sketched vignette on the mundanity of British life, recalls a more innocent time, not least for Morrissey himself. Like the faded coastal towns the song depicts, you have to wonder if Morrissey will ever be restored to his former glories.Krispy Kreme has announced the arrival of a brand new doughnut to its line-up  the Original Glazed with Nutella.

Thats right, just when you thought the brands iconic glazed treat couldnt get more indulgent, the masterminds at Krispy Kreme decide to fill it with the best hazelnut spread in the world.

But if youre a doughnut fan prepare for disappointment because theres a catch.

A photo of the new flavour was shared on the official Krispy Kreme Dominican Republic Facebook page on Monday.

And because life is unfair, it seems that this is the only location that the doughnut is currently available.

The image of the circular ring oozing with delicious Nutella quickly circulated online with peoples reactions scaling a range of emotional ups and downs.

Some responded with sheer delight at the announcement with one person tweeting: There's a new #KrispyKreme donut filled with #Nutella and I feel like I could die happy now.

However, as news that the launch was only available in the Dominican Republic surfaced the disappointment swiftly set in.

We need this in America too! I'm gonna need y'all to act right and give this to us, ASAP, someone wrote.

Another added: Krispy Kreme offers Nutella stuffed Original Glaze...in Dominican Republic stores. Looks at flights...

But, with flights to the Caribbean nation costing around 700 we shall have to wait on its global arrival with bated breath.

Or, you could get your sugar fix from UK-based brand Doughnut Time where you can buy the Love at First Bite doughnut which comes filled with Nutella and dusted with delicious cinnamon sugar.

Of course, this isnt the first time the two have met. Back in 2016, Krispy Kreme released the Nutty Cocoa Ring which was dipped in Nutella hazelnut spread, topped off with crunchy hazelnut pieces, and drizzled with chocolate icing to create a flavour experience unlike any other.

The Independent has contacted Krispy Kreme for comment.Everyone has to start somewhere.

In 1973, legendary entrepreneur and Apple cofounder Steve Jobs needed a job. He had just dropped out of Reed College and he was still three years away from founding Apple and changing the computer industry forever.

Also, the 18-year-old needed a ride. He said his access to transportation was possible, but not probable in a job application that is currently up for auction at RRAuction.

Jobs listed computer and calculator as his skills and he also said his abilities and interests include electronics tech or design engineer.

And the inventor of the iPhone didnt even have a phone at the time.

Check out the entire job application:

The entrepreneur was only 18 at the time RR Auction

Three years after he filed this paperwork, Jobs would team up with Steve Wozniak to found Apple and release the Apple I computer, which was an instant success. That led to the Apple II, which led to the Macintosh, which led, decades later, to the iPhone  a version of which you may be reading this story on right now.

Before Apple, Jobs travelled to India and also spent some time on a commune in Oregon, all of which sounds a lot more eventful than punching the clock working on computer and calculator as a teenager.

The rest is history.

Read more:

 May tackles new Brexit Rebellion

 Philip Hammond and Mark Carney are in China to secure 1 billion of trade deals

 Facebook admits that social media can be bad for you

Read the original article on Business Insider UK.  2018. Follow Business Insider UK on Twitter.We've read the arguments for learning French, but let's be honest: Spanish, Chinese, Arabic, Russian, or any other language with growing global importance would be a better choice.

Spanish may be the best choice of all for a second language, which is why its popularity in schools is soaring worldwide.

In honour of Hispanic Heritage Month, here are some reasons why you should estudiar.

1. Spanish isn't a foreign language anymore

Hispanics will rise from 16 per cent of the US population in 2010 to 30 per cent by 2050 Shutterstock (Shutterstock)

In the US, Spanish is rising ahead of any other non-English language at a rapid pace, with a steady flow of new immigrants from Latin America and growth in the already large Hispanic population.

According to a Pew Research Center report, an estimated 37.6 million people in the US spoke Spanish as their first language in 2013 and analysts predict the Latino population will reach approximately 128.8 million by 2060.

Proportionally, Hispanics will rise from around 16 per cent of the US population in 2010 to 30 per cent by 2050.

2. Learning Spanish will help your career

With such a large Latino population in the US and booming Latin economies outside the US, employers are desperate for people who speak Spanish. There is a huge demand in the US for Spanish-speakers in nursing, construction management and media, among many other positions.

Big corporations are realising the importance of reaching a market that will represent $1.5 trillion (1.13 trillion) in purchasing power in the US by 2015. Meanwhile, Latin America received a record $174 billion of foreign investment in 2012 and companies everywhere are expanding there, such as PepsiCo, which announced a $5 billion investment in Mexico in January 2014.

3. It will unlock a world of travel destinations

There are approximately 329 million native Spanish speakers in the world and they populate some of the coolest destinations in the world. You can leave behind the touristy resorts in Cancun and explore thousands of miles of cheap and beautiful Latin America cities, beaches and trails.

Even if you do go to popular destinations in Mexico and the Caribbean, speaking the local language will help you get off the beaten path and see some real culture. And then of course you can book a trip to Spain and see the wonders of Barcelona, Madrid, Andalucia and more.

4. You can enjoy amazing books and movies

Around 100 successful authors from 54 countries voted El ingenioso hidalgo Don Quixote de la Mancha by novelist Miguel de Cervantes as the best book of all time and while the 17th-century book is widely available in other languages, it, like any book, is best in its original language.

Other Spanish-language authors you'll want to read are Chilean poet Pablo Neruda  many of whose works have not been translated  Gabriel Garcia Marquez, Roberto Bolano, Mario Vargas Llosa and many more.

And then there are the movies. Star directors Pedro Almodovar, Alfonso Cuaron and Guilermo Del Toro  who all have movies in their native language  should be enough to convince you of the richness of Spanish-language cinema.

5. Spanish is easy to learn

Arabic has a completely different alphabet, French spelling and pronunciation are incredibly specific and tricky and Chinese requires learning unique tones. Written Spanish, on the other hand, is almost completely phonetic  look at any Spanish word and you can tell how it is pronounced.

While mastering the grammar of Spanish can be a challenge, basic grammar is straightforward enough and many vocabulary words are similar to English. Since the number of Spanish speakers in the US continues to rise, chances are it will become even easier to learn and practice this language.

6. Even the British are swapping French for Spanish

The British Council's Languages of the Future report ranks non-English languages in order of importance for British citizens to learn, based on a thorough analysis of cultural, economical and diplomatic factors. Spanish topped the list, followed by Arabic, French and Mandarin.

If the home territory of the English language  which is located just miles from France and which doesn't even have that many Spanish-speaking immigrants  has decided that Spanish is the best second language, then who are we to argue?

Read more:

 May tackles new Brexit Rebellion

 Philip Hammond and Mark Carney are in China to secure 1 billion of trade deals

 Facebook admits that social media can be bad for you

Read the original article on Business Insider UK.  2018. Follow Business Insider UK on Twitter.The number of patients on trolleys or on wards waiting for admission to a bed reached a new record of 714 on Monday (Lucinda Wilcox/PA)

The Government has been urged to declare an emergency status in hospitals as overcrowding reaches record levels.

The number of patients on trolleys or on wards waiting for admission to a bed reached a new record of 714 on Monday, according to figures from the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation (INMO).

To help hospitals cope the Health Service Executive was forced to cancel all non-urgent operations on Monday.

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INMO general secretary Phil Ni Sheaghdha said warnings were not heeded and called for emergency response plans to be put in operation.

We saw record trolley figures last week with a total of 3,112 in just one week and today each daily total from that week has been surpassed by the extraordinary figure of 714 admitted patients on trolleys today, said Ms Ni Sheaghdha.

She added: This upsurge was predictable and the INMO warned against inaction or insufficient action in the wake of Storm Emma.

It is unfortunate for both healthcare staff and patients that these warnings were not heeded and that emergency measures sought have not been put in place.

Ms Ni Sheaghdha said that the INMO are, yet again, calling for emergency status to be immediately declared and emergency response plans put into operation.

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The Taoiseach said the trolley situation had deteriorated in the past three months.

Its not entirely clear why that is, given that additional beds have been provided to hospitals, Leo Varadkar said in Oklahoma.

Nearly an extra 200 beds and additional resources too, he added.

In part I think it is probably because of a very long flu season but thats not an excuse and doesnt make it acceptable.

Minister for Health Simon Harris has said he has allocated an extra 5m euro to ease hospital overcrowding.

He said the money will go towards more home care packages, home help hours and transitional care beds.

Mr Harris blamed the current overcrowding crisis on a backlog built up by Storm Emma that has not been cleared.

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The latest INMO figures showed that University Hospital Limerick had the highest number of admitted patients with a total of 80 on trolleys at 8am on Monday.

There were 45 patients waiting at University Hospital Galway, 43 at Cork University Hospital and 40 at Tallaght Hospital.

Fifteen patients at Temple Street and Crumlin childrens hospitals were also waiting admission to a bed.

Figures by the Health Service Executive on Monday morning showed there were 534 patients on trolleys in hospital emergency departments.Foreign Affairs Minister Simon Coveney is to travel to China to mark St Patrick's Day (Brian Lawless/PA)

Tanaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs Simon Coveney will later begin a visit to China as part of St Patricks Day celebrations.

His six-day tour will include engagements in Hong Kong, Shenzen, Shanghai and Beijing.

Speaking ahead of his departure, Mr Coveney said he was optimistic the visit would further strengthen relations between the two countries.

China is an increasingly prominent actor in global affairs, and increasing our mutual understanding on key bilateral and international issues, including Brexit, will feature prominently in my visit.

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Mr Coveney is expected to meet senior political figures, promote business links, encourage investment and make a number of commercial announcements during the trip.

He added: The opportunities for increased trade and investment between Ireland and China are immense, and will be further transformed with the establishment of direct flights from Hong Kong to Dublin from June 2018.

His programme also includes an address to the Hong Kong Foreign Correspondents Club and a meeting with Hong Kong chief executive Carrie Lam.

In Shenzhen he will visit the Huawei Technology Exhibition Centre while in Shanghai he will witness the signing of partnership agreements between Irish and Chinese education institutes and hold a number of meetings with Enterprise Ireland and IDA Ireland clients.

The trip ends in Beijing, where Mr Coveney will take part in St Patricks Day celebrations which include the greening of the Great Wall of China.

He said: It is a great honour for Ireland to have one of the greatest icons in the world, the Great Wall of China, join the global greening once again in 2018.

Trade between Ireland and China is expected to have been worth an estimated 15 billion euro in 2017, more than double the value of trade in 2013, led mainly by increases in Irish goods exports.

Meanwhile, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has embarked on a St Patricks trip to the United States, attending a series of events in Texas, Oklahoma, Washington and New York during the course of this week.Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar has dismissed claims that people crossing the Irish border would have to pre-register after Brexit.

Speaking from the US, where he is conducting a series of St Patricks Day engagements, the Taoiseach said: No, it is not a solution that we envisage.

Mr Vardkar was responding to questions about a controversial plan reportedly being considered by No 10 which could mean people crossing the border after Brexit would have to register in advance to avoid checks and delays.

It has been claimed anyone without so-called fast track movement clearance would also have to use approved crossing points or risk being considered to have entered the state irregularly.

The UK Government has said there would be no hard border and no return to the borders of the past when the UK leaves the European Union.

In December, Theresa May agreed to regulatory alignment across the UK to avoid border posts and checks.

Mr Vardkar said it might be helpful if senior Cabinet officials such as Boris Johnson and David Davis visited the border to see at first hand that it was invisible.

They would certainly be very welcome to visit the border, he said. I know (Northern Ireland Secretary) Karen Bradley has already done that and a delegation of British politicians from the House of Lords and House of Commons have done that too.

I think it would be a good idea, I cant see anything negative in a British cabinet minister viewing the border, seeing what it looks like.

As is always the case and this is true for any politicians or anyone in any walk of life you can read as many briefing documents as you like sometimes you need to see things with your own eyes, and I think for that reason, they would be very welcome to visit the border and see it for themselves. And to see that it is invisible.

Speaking at the South by South West festival in Austin, Mr Varadkar said if a hard border was introduced post-Brexit it could lead to vandalism.

The reality is, I dont anticipate a return to violence, but if you do have physical infrastructure, if you do have cameras and signs and border posts then you know those things will become targets, he said.

And they will become vandalised. And then what do you do? Do you accept that or do you bring in guards to stop that?The Rupert Murdoch-owned The Times, Ireland edition, has defended paying Facebook to promote pro-Brexit content to Irish users of the social media platform.

The controversial Australian media mogul's newspaper sponsored a social media post which celebrated Brexit and paid for the article to appear on Irish Facebook timelines.

Brexit is the single biggest threat to Ireland's economy since the financial crash which led to record job losses and mass emigration.

Mr Murdoch and the majority of his UK newspapers have openly supported Brexit both before and after the UK referendum.

The sponsored Facebook article was written by UK-based Times columnist Ian Martin and was headlined: 'The Rise of Juncker's chief of staff and Michel Barnier's skewed view of Northern Ireland show Brussels at its worst'.

The strapline for the post promoted to Irish social media users was 'EU arrogance shows we're right to be leaving'.

Facebook has a function which allows users to check why they have been targeted with sponsored content.

One Irish Facebook user who received the pro-Brexit article on their timeline found the content was targeted at 'people aged 33 and older who live or recently lived in Ireland'.

The article was sponsored by The Times and the Sunday Times, Ireland edition.

The Dublin based edition of The Sunday Times published an editorial in its paper calling on the British people to vote in favour of leaving the EU despite the consequence Brexit posed for Ireland. The Times in London did not support Brexit.

Last week, The Times would not say if either of their Irish titles continues to support Brexit. The newspaper would also not say who decides on the articles which are promoted on Facebook by The Times and the Sunday Times, Ireland editions.

However, a spokeswoman for The Times, Ireland edition said: "The Times is proud to publish comment pieces across the political spectrum - we let our well-informed readers make up their minds and we promote articles that showcase our breadth of coverage on Brexit and beyond.

"Also, for the record, on Brexit: The Times supported remain and the Sunday Times supported Brexit - they are separate newspapers," she added.

She also said The Times has sponsored Facebook content which opposed Brexit.

In recent weeks, the Irish edition of The Times was forced to explain why it had sponsored pro-abortion content on Facebook.

The newspaper's editor Richie Oakley also revealed the title was in favour of changing Ireland's abortion laws to allow doctors to terminate pregnancies.

The Times spokeswoman would not say if the Irish editions have ever sponsored pro-choice content on Facebook.Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has said it would be "helpful" for leading Brexiteers such as Boris Johnson to visit the Irish Border to see for themselves how it is currently "invisible".

It comes as UK Chancellor Philip Hammond restated his government's commitment to avoiding a hard Border, and admitted there was no model anywhere in the world for the kind of post-Brexit arrangements the UK is seeking.

Remarks by Mr Johnson, the British foreign secretary, comparing the 500km Irish Border to the congestion charge boundaries in London were met with derision in recent weeks.

The British government wants to leave the customs union and has rejected a so-called 'backstop' option put forward by the EU which would see Northern Ireland remain in the customs union if a comprehensive deal can't be agreed with the UK.

During the first day of his trip to the US, Mr Varadkar said Mr Johnson and UK Brexit Minister David Davis would be "very welcome to visit the Border" and that such a trip could prove "helpful".

He said Northern Secretary Karen Bradley had already done so, as have a number of MPs and members of the House of Lords.

"I can't see anything negative in a British cabinet minister viewing the Border, seeing what it looks like," he said.

Mr Varadkar said the Government has good engagement with the British cabinet and has explained how the Brexit issues are unique to Ireland but, as "in any walk of life... sometimes you need to see things with your own eyes".

Last week Mr Varadkar rejected a suggestion by British Prime Minister Theresa May that the customs arrangement between the US and Canada was among possible models for the future arrangement in Ireland.

Mr Varadkar said when he visited the US-Canada border he saw "a hard border...with customs posts, people in uniforms with arms and dogs. That is definitely not a solution that we can entertain."

ITV presenter Robert Peston put it to Mr Hammond yesterday that there's "no model for the kind of border you want, anywhere in the world".

Mr Hammond replied: "No, there isn't and that's why no existing off-the-shelf model is going to deliver what we need to deliver here." He reiterated his government's commitment that there will be no border infrastructure in Ireland and claimed this could be done even if Britain does not remain in some form of customs union arrangement with the EU.

He said that currently differences in excise duties between Northern Ireland and Ireland are "policed by an intelligence-led approach with collaboration between police forces and customs authorities on both sides of the Border".

Fianna Fail's Brexit spokesman Stephen Donnelly welcomed Mr Hammond's remarks in support of avoiding infrastructure on the Border. But he added: "Unfortunately the Brexit direction being taken by his Tory colleagues is going to make that very difficult."

He said the current arrangements for monitoring differences in excise duties are "not a solution" for a post-Brexit Border and potential divergences in tariffs and regulations are "much more complicated" than differences in excise.There is a proposal to introduce a pilot deer fencing project and to undertake a more comprehensive deer study in the county as a whole. Picture: Fergal Phillips.

Farmers in Wicklow have hit out at the extent of the deer population in the county which they say is out of control and releated to the high level of bovine TB.

ICSA rural development chairman Seamus Sherlock has called for increased TB testing on culled deer in Wicklow to ascertain the true extent of the problem.

Mr Sherlock made his comments following an ICSA meeting with officials from Coillte and the NPWS which took place in Wicklow.

"Our Wicklow members are the ones who have to cope with the ramifications of the huge numbers of deer encroaching onto their farms.

"As well as having the deer decimate their grazing pastures and feed supplies, the more serious issue remains the high levels of TB reactor cattle in those areas populated by deer.

"Farmers are at their wits end as nobody is willing to take responsibility for the problem. At the very least we need a process whereby basic post-mortem testing is carried out so levels of TB in the deer population can be tracked and monitored, Sherlock said.

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Wicklow farmer Tom Stephenson added, It would appear the priority is to boost tourism in the area at the expense of family farms. ICSA is all in favour of tourism and rural regeneration but not at any expense. The livelihoods of local farmers must be protected.

Farmers in this area have been completely abandoned. There is what can only be described as a plague upon us and we have no way of ridding ourselves of this scourge. We can restock time and time again after a lock-up but the same thing just happens again. Its a heart-breaking way of operating which just cant continue.

The Department of Agriculture has committed to undertake a three year project to quantify the damage caused to farmland by wild deer and to ascertain an appropriate annual cull level.

According to Mr Stephenson however, this does not go far enough.

There is no funding provided for professional shooters. We cannot possibly rely on leisure shooters to have a meaningful impact.

"The situation has gone beyond the tipping point. I am calling on the Department of Agriculture to introduce a proper, fully incentivised, culling programme coupled with systematic TB testing on carcasses as a matter of urgency.Access to finance is another key issue and one where policy could potentially play a role. Photo: Reuters

A major OECD study of Ireland published last week drew particular attention to the performance of domestic SMEs relative to foreign firms and raised concerns about developments in their productivity.

As a vibrant SME sector is central to balanced and sustainable economic growth, this begs the question as to whether Irish SMEs are investing enough to generate growth.

Following the onset of the financial crisis, Irish SMEs faced major challenges. Consumer demand fell and Irish households had less cash to spend.

As most SMEs do not export to foreign markets, their reliance on the spending of Irish households left them very exposed.

On the financial side, the high debt incurred during the boom became difficult to service, arrears rates increased, and new credit flows were restricted due to the banks' own challenges.

More recently, the Irish economy has begun to recover strongly. Over time, this growth has been experienced by smaller firms: survey evidence suggests SME profitability, employment and turnover are all increasing.

While many continue to face challenges, the focus is now moving onto how best to maximise the growth potential of these companies.

A question arises as to whether Irish SMEs have sufficient capacity to capitalise on opportunities following years of low investment.

To shed light on this issue, ESRI researchers have examined whether the investment activity of Irish SMEs is in line with what might be expected given the fundamental performance levels of the firms.

Using data on approximately 10,000 firms from the Department of Finance credit demand survey over the period 2013-2016, the results indicated that actual investment is below what would be expected.

The magnitude of this "investment gap" is estimated to be just over 30pc in 2016.

There are many reasons for this underinvestment (such as uncertainty and the risk appetite of entrepreneurs).

Access to finance is another key issue and one where policy could potentially play a role.

Given the difficulties in the banking sector in Ireland, the research investigated whether part of the gap could be explained by difficulties in accessing finance, indebtedness or the cost of credit.

Most of the gap is not explained by these issues and they accounted for approximately 20pc of the underinvestment.

As the Irish SME sector looks to the future, it will need to address this investment gap and ensure it has the productive capacity to continue to grow.

Uncertainties such as Brexit and the legacy of the crisis may make this more difficult but it is a critical challenge for the Irish economy.

Conor O'Toole is a senior research officer at the ESRI, Martina Lawless is an associate, and Rachel Slaymaker is a postdoctoral research fellow at the ESRIHouse prices help judge the strength of the economy. Photo: Bloomberg

Producing forecasts for the all-island economy remains an extremely difficult exercise given the high degree of uncertainty over Brexit.

Our latest EY Economic Eye forecasts for the island are based upon an assumption of free trade, or close-to-free trade agreement, and a relatively frictionless Border.

How likely either of those outcomes is remains to be seen.

The forecasts continue to reveal a stark contrast on the island, with the forecast for the Republic revised upwards since our last quarterly outlook, with growth of 4.5pc projected in 2018 and 3.8pc in 2019.

Northern Ireland is projected to grow by a much more modest 1.2pc in 2018 and pick up slightly to 1.5pc in 2019.

In the labour market, a net 51,800 jobs were added in the year to Q3 2017. We project 226,300 jobs to be added over the next five years. The vast majority of these will be in the Republic, with Northern Ireland projected to endure a slight contraction in the labour market as consumer pressures begin to weigh more heavily on what is a relatively domestically focused region.

The positivity in the Irish outlook partly reflects the strength in the global economy. Indeed Ireland may well enjoy Indo-China growth rates in 2017 - the Economic Eye forecast suggests a striking 6.7pc rate of growth.

GDP remains an unreliable indicator of overall economic performance taken in isolation.

However, tax receipts, house prices, unemployment and employment rates all corroborate the strength of the economy.

Perhaps not as strong as the GDP data would suggest, but certainly Europe's fastest growing.

Working across the island, the contrast in economic performance does not appear as stark as the headline data suggests.

Clearly the Republic is growing much faster, but the North continues to present signs of a more strongly performing region than growth figures would indicate.

The labour market continues to tighten, the skyline of Belfast remains dotted with cranes, and firms increasingly cite challenges in finding labour. Similar trends, albeit less pronounced, are being experienced in the Republic.

Hearing from our clients, I can report that Brexit is very much top of the agenda, with scenario planning remaining the order of the day for large corporates.

However, it is not the only risk. Escalating costs, particularly in Dublin, are moving up the agenda to join talent which comes up at almost every meeting.

Increasingly, the challenge of finding the right people is expanding from particular niche roles to a more broad challenge across all activities and skill levels. We forecast unemployment to fall to 5.8pc in 2018 and the last time it was this low (2008), net migration exceeded 100,000 as firms scrambled to find the people they needed.

The talent search is made increasingly complex by the changing nature of jobs across an ever-widening list of sectors.

Disruption and emerging technologies are changing business models and altering the skills mix. We still project a healthy labour market in Ireland, but the nature of the growth will be very different.

Against the backdrop of Brexit, geopolitical uncertainty and disruption, the current performance of the Irish economy appears all the more remarkable.

Fiscal policy does need to step up to meet the infrastructure challenges necessary to accommodate fast growth. Equally, care must be taken not to fuel overheating. However, given the backdrop of risks and the period of extreme cold that Ireland has endured recently, isn't it refreshing to be worrying about overheating?

Prof Neil Gibson is chief economist at EY IrelandHousing Minister Eoghan Murphy intends to prevent massive property tax increases for the majority of households by adding tens of thousands of new homeowners to the scheme, the Sunday Independent can reveal.

The minister's overhaul of the property tax system will include abolishing exemptions for 60,000 homeowners who have avoided paying the tax since it was introduced more than five years ago.

Revenue raised from the additional households will be used to fund a new system of allocating funds to local authorities based on greatest need.

Mr Murphy plans to dramatically change how centralised property tax income is allocated to local authorities to ensure a fairer distribution of the funding to city and county councils.

However, there were concerns within Government that the new system could result in increased charges for those currently paying property tax.

"Some councils are losing out. The minister is intending to design a scheme whereby no council drops its current level of funding but some will get increases," a senior government source said.

"He intends to do this without increasing the burden on local property tax payers - instead he will bring homes currently not registered for the tax into the property tax net," the source said.

The news will be welcomed by hundreds of thousands of homeowners, especially those living in Dublin, who feared massive property tax increases as a result of a more than 70pc average rise in house prices since the introduction of the charge.

However, around 60,000 homeowners now face average annual charges ranging from more than 500 in some parts of Dublin to 130 in Leitrim.

The latest figures show the Government raised 477m from property tax in 2017, and one-third of the total revenue - amounting to 171m - was paid to the four Dublin local authorities.

New homeowners who bought properties in the last five years will receive bills once the property tax freeze ends in 2019.

Any property bought in 2013 is currently exempt from the charge as are all new houses bought from a builder or developer over the past five years.

Houses in ghost estates and unsold properties are not subject to the tax.

Mr Murphy previously told the Sunday Independent he believed property tax should not be calculated based exclusively on the value of a property.

It is unclear how the tax will be calculated once the freeze ends but the minister will ensure those who currently pay the charge will not shoulder any extra costs.

The minister is also understood to consider that the current regime of how property tax funds are allocated to local authorities is unfair and needs to be reviewed.

Mr Murphy intends to introduce new 'high level indicators' which will determine how much funding each local authority will receive from the central property tax pot.

The indicators will include the level of existing resources, population, length of coastline, size of land territory and the extent of social deprivation in an area.

Councillors from rural local authorities have complained consistently they are not receiving a fair share of the revenue raised from the charge.

Each council is permitted to retain 80pc of revenue it collects from the charge, while 20pc is earmarked for a 140m equalisation fund which is then distributed to less well resourced local authorities.

The minister plans to establish a new review group which will include representation from the Council and City Management Association and Association of Irish Local Government to examine the fund.

There will also be public consultation ahead of the introduction of a new funding system.

Mr Murphy's assessment of the how property tax is allocated is happening in tandem with a review by Minister for Finance Paschal Donohoe examining how the payment is calculated.

Both reviews are expected to be completed by August.Legendary Star Wars actor Mark Hamill has been named as this years St. Patricks Festivals international guest of honour.

Hamill, known for his Star Wars role of Luke Skywalker, will be a special guest in the presidential stand in Dublin to view the national festival parade on March 17.

Susan Kirby, St. Patricks Festival CEO said: The role of International Guest of Honour is something we have been considering for a few years. There are so many examples of Irish people and the diaspora achieving eminence across many different art forms and disciplines worldwide.

Many of these have a special connection with Ireland and we want to celebrate and recognise this. Mark has a special affinity to Ireland through his filming of Star Wars and family history and has done much for our film industry. Were looking forward to welcoming him back home to celebrate our national holiday and St. Patricks Festival with us.

Hamill has researched his family history and has found that he has a double-link to Ireland.

His great-grandmother Elizabeth Keating was born in Kilkenny on December 6, 1873 and left Ireland for America when she was still a teenager.

His grandparents John Keating married Margaret Foley of Gurteen married in Carlow Cathedral in 1822.

A second family line connects Mark to the Harvey family, possibly from Donegal, who were Famine immigrants that settled in America. In 1864, Frederick Mumford, a young English sailor was married in New Jersey to Mary Harvey, a recent Irish immigrant. These are Mark's great-great-grandparents.

The young couple moved to New York City and settled in Manhattan where they had five children.

Failte Irelands Head of Festivals, Ciara Sugrue said: The Force will truly be with us on March 17 and we are delighted to hear that Mark Hamill will be joining us as the first ever St Patricks Festival international guest of honour.

Since filming Star Wars: The Force Awakens in county Kerry, Mark has been a great ambassador for Ireland and it is amazing to have someone of such universal  even galactic - acclaim in this new honorary role.

Skellig Michael, the legendary island off the coast of Kerry, features in the Star Wars film when Rey tracked down the long-lost Luke Skywalker, portrayed by Mark Hamill.

Niall Gibbons, CEO of Tourism Ireland, said: We in Tourism Ireland are extremely grateful to Mark for his wonderful comments about the Wild Atlantic Way and Ireland.

Our Star Wars campaign, including our films with Mark Hamill praising the beauty and people of Ireland, has been seen by over 8 million people around the world  whetting peoples appetites to come and visit the Wild Atlantic Way and Ireland.There are serious doubts over whether legislation to allow abortions up to 12 weeks into a pregnancy will pass a Dail vote amid ongoing uncertainty on where a sizeable chunk of TDs stand on the proposal.

Leading politicians have raised concern that this is allowing uncertainty to enter into the debate as the public seek to make up their own minds.

But despite the possibility that the Dail numbers may not stack up to pass the 12 weeks provision, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar last night said he believes laws providing for such an abortion regime could be put in place by the end of the year.

The latest Irish Independent analysis of support for the 12 weeks proposal shows 57 TDs in favour, 73 against, and 28 undeclared. The support of around 80 TDs is needed if such legislation is to pass in the Dail.

This may be out of reach unless Sinn Fein - which currently doesn't support the 12 weeks proposal - changes its position.

It has indicated that it will hold a special ard fheis, in which it may change its stance. But, crucially, it has yet to confirm that this will be before the referendum.

A spokesman said last night: "The priority for Sinn Fein at this time is to ensure that the Eighth Amendment is repealed." He said party bosses will discuss the timing of the ard fheis next week.

Meanwhile, several ministers, including Michael Ring, Heather Humphreys, Denis Naughten and Junior Minister Catherine Byrne, have yet to declare their views on the matter.

Social Democrats co-leader Catherine Murphy said it would be "helpful" if Sinn Fein and other TDs who have yet to declare their position on 12 weeks did so, "to give some extra degree of certainty" on the outcome of a future Dail vote.

Ms Murphy, who supports repeal said: "I think there's a responsibility on people who haven't declared to declare." She added: "That's what political courage is supposed to be all about."

Labour leader Brendan Howlin urged Sinn Fein to make its stance on the 12 weeks provision known before the referendum. He said the absence of clarity on the party's position allowed "people to add the notion of uncertainty" into the abortion debate.

"There should be clarity in relation to what will follow if the people vote to remove the Eighth Amendment. I think Sinn Fein has an important role to play in that," he added.

Fine Gael TD Peter Burke is the latest politician to outline his position on abortion but it potentially adds more uncertainty into the mix.

Although he supports holding a referendum, he said he can't support repealing the Eighth Amendment, which gives equal status to the life of a mother and the unborn.

He said this is because a minority government can't guarantee what kind of legislation on abortion would replace it. Mr Burke is against the 12 week proposal.

He said he does not support repeal due to that concern that, in theory, "anything could be proposed" during the legislative process by politicians on either side of the abortion debate given the Government's minority status

The 12 weeks issue was discussed on RTE's 'The Week in Politics' with junior minister Pat Breen saying he is still undecided. He indicated that he is waiting for Health Minister Simon Harris to publish the heads of the legislation that would replace the Eighth Amendment.

Pro-life Fianna Fail TD Thomas Byrne said: "It is exceedingly difficult for citizens to make up their mind when we have ministers...saying that they have to wait for the legislation to decide what their position is."

Mr Varadkar said the basic question being put to the people remains the same "regardless of what any party position is".

He said if the referendum is passed, it would allow the Oireachtas to change Ireland's laws from a ban on abortion to a regime "that is about trusting women and trusting their doctors". "Sometimes we are putting the cart before the horse in terms of talking about what the legislation is going to be. There will be no change if the Constitution is not amended."Caique Trindade De Oliveira has been missing since March 6

Gardai have appealed for the public's help in tracing a 24-year-old man missing from west Dublin.

Caique Trindade De Oliveira has been missing from Clondalkin since March 6.

He is described as 6ft tall and is of medium build with short black hair and brown eyes.

Caique is a Brazilian national.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Clondalkin Garda Station on 01 666 7600 or any garda station.Former chief financial officer of Anglo Irish Bank, Matt Moran, arrives at the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court today where he is a witness in the trial of former CEO of the bank, David Drumm who is accused of conspiracy to defraud. Pic Collins Courts

A FORMER senior Anglo Irish Bank executive was shocked at the hostile and aggressive reaction from Financial Regulator officials when they met to discuss an interbank deal done at the height of the financial crisis.

Anglo Irish Bank's then Chief Financial Officer Matt Moran said he was surprised at the tone of the tense meeting, which was held after the bank was bailed out and its CEO David Drumm and Chairman Sean Fitzpatrick had both resigned.

The impression was that Mr Moran was suddenly being asked questions as if the Financial Regulator knew nothing about the transaction.

Mr Moran was being cross-examined in the trial of Mr Drumm, who denies conspiracy to defraud over the 7.bn deal.

Mr Drumm (51) is pleading not guilty to conspiring to defraud Anglo investors by dishonestly creating the impression that the banks customer deposits in September 2008 were larger than they were.

He is alleged to have conspired with Anglos former Finance Director Willie McAteer and head of Capital Markets John Bowe, as well as then-CEO of Irish Life and Permanent (ILP) Denis Casey, and others.

The case at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court centres on multi-billion euro interbank loans which circulated between Anglo and ILP.

Mr Drumm also denies false accounting, by providing misleading information to the market.

As Mr Moran concluded his evidence after four days, the jury was shown a recording of a webcast Anglo published on the banks website on 3 December 2008 to present its year end results.

The results stated that Anglo had continued to win customers, especially retail through the turmoil.

We are going into tough times with a very strong balance sheet, Willie McAteer stated in the webcast.

In his cross-examination, the jury heard Mr Drumm had lived in the US and had a role in running that side of the operation. He had moved there with his family and put down roots, with his children attending school there.

He came back to perhaps to the surprise of some, he was selected as new CEO in 2005. Anglo had grown considerably by the beginning of the financial crisis in summer 2007.

A funding overview in September 2008 stated that the global wholesale markets were broken following the collapse of investment bank Lehman Bros in the US. The ripples started by this became a tsunami by the time it reached Irish shores, Brendan Grehan SC, defending, said.

This could not have come at a worse time for Anglo, whose financial year end was September 30.

Other funding options literally fell away like a house of cards and there was nothing left except ILP, Mr Grehan said.

Mr Moran agreed with Mr Grehan that the genesis of the Irish banks helping each other dated back to an email sent by Mr Drumm to John Bowe and other senior bankers on March 16, 2008.

The subject of the e-mail was Central Bank and in it, Mr Drumm said: Will you put some thought into what the Governor asked us to look at, how the Irish banks could help each other.

He also asked how would it work and how would it be structured...how could it be structured so as to be equitable and get support from all banks.

I want to get into dialogue with the Central Bank and other CEOs on this sooner rather than later, Mr Drumms e-mail stated.

Mr Moran mailed other Anglo officials Matt Cullen and Caran McArdle, saying: lets think what assistance we can give John Bowe on this.

Mr Moran agreed with Mr Grehan that it wouldnt work for Irish banks to circle the wagons as Ireland was a net beneficiary of foreign funds. However, banks were dealing more with a smaller number of more friendly counter parties.

Mr Grehan asked Mr Moran if it was correct that the notion of the Irish banks helping each other became known in shorthand as the green jersey agenda.

I have heard that phrase, Mr Moran said.

Mr Grehan said this was all that was intended by it, that the banks would help each other.

The jury had heard of communications between Anglo and Mary Elizabeth Donoghue from IFSRA in May 2008. Mr Moran said IFSRA was being told that the large ILP transactions were excluded from a behavioural analysis of the banks performance because they were not characteristic of Anglos normal deposit base, and were short term.

Asked when he became aware of the term funding initiatives, Mr Moran said it arose in Summer 2008.

Bonds Portfolio Manager Peter Geissel mailed him on June 17 2008 about a task team Mr Geissel was arranging to explore and manage new funding liquidity and capital initiatives.

Mr Moran told Mr Grehan he believed balance sheet management was an established practice in the market of banks undertaking transactions that would position them best at year end for reporting purposes.

Window dressing was among the terms that might be used to describe it, Mr Moran agreed.

Mr Grehan said if this was a well-known practice then market analysts must know about it.

Yes, I would believe so, Mr Moran said.

Who decides what is OK? Mr Grehan asked.

Mr Moran said it was market-driven, so investment banks or the counter parties would create the structure of these transactions.

Mr Grehan asked who decided what was acceptable when transactions had to be accounted for.

Mr Moran said Anglo had been in discussions with its auditor, Ernst and Young, who signed off on the year-end accounts on December 2, 2008.

Mr Grehan asked who was in a position to say if a transaction passed muster before it ever got to the auditors.

Mr Moran said this was a portfolio management group which structured transactions, as well as colleagues in treasury. Peter Geissel was head of the portfolio management group and was a balance sheet management specialist, the jury heard.

Mr Grehan said Mr Drumm had an accountancy qualification but there were a lot of people with qualifications in areas such as law but it did not mean they were totally proficient or had knowledge of all areas.

Mr Grehan asked who came up with the idea that these particular transactions would be in compliance with accounting standards and pass muster

Mr Moran said he believed it was Mr Geissel and other colleagues in treasury, like Matt Cullen, John Bowe and Ciaran McArdle. However, the board would have approved the transactions.

Mr Drumm had made admissions that he authorised the ILP transactions, although he denied they were fraudulent.

Mr Moran said Peter Geissel had been key to the funding initiatives.

The jury was shown a series of mails sent by Mr Drumm to Auditing and Accounting Supervisory Authority (IAASA) in summer 2008, in relation to the half year end accounts from March. While Mr Drumm signed them, Mr Moran said they would have been compiled by group finance and members of the audit committee.

Mr Moran said he was satisfied that auditors Ernst and Young were briefed on the ILP transactions.

The Financial Regulator appointed Price Waterhouse Cooper to carry out an assessment of various banks including Anglo from the last week in September 2008.

PWC produced a report which referred to the ILP transactions, saying their effect was to boost customer deposits.

Mr Moran had said in his statement if the 7.2bn had not been on the balance sheet it could have been fatal and led to a total loss of confidence in the bank.

It would demonstrate that parties werent willing to engage with the bank, it would significantly lower the level of funding vis a vis lending, it would show there was difficulty in funding the level of lending that was undertaken, Mr Moran said.

Mr Moran agreed with Mr Grehan that the subsequent reduction in customer deposits, because of the contagion effect also wouldnt be good for the whole banking system.

Mr Moran agreed that there was a change in attitude about the transactions in Anglo in January 2009.

The court heard Anglo Chairman Sean Fitzpatrick resigned in December, followed by Mr Drumm and the Government announced its scheme to recapitalise the banks.

The new Chairman, Donal OConnor denied that the transactions had been discussed at an audit committee meeting the previous November and Mr Moran challenged him on this.

Mr Grehan asked when he became aware there was a problem with the transactions from the Financial Regulator.

Mr Moran replied that he was asked to go and see the Financial Regulator around January 12 to 14, 2008. He took Matt Cullen and Kevin Kelly and met IFSRA officials Con Horan, Donncha Connolly and Bernard Sheridan.

This issue in respect of the transactions was brought up at that meeting and on a number of occasions, Donncha Connolly asked the question, why did the bank do that transaction, Mr Moran said.

I said I believed he was aware, he knew the bank had done the transaction and why the bank had done it.

The meeting was very tense I would say and I didnt go down to that meeting expecting the transaction or what happened to be brought up in such a strong or aggressive manner, Mr Moran said.

Suddenly you were being asked questions as if the Financial Regulator knew nothing about the transaction, Mr Grehan said.

That was the impression given, Mr Moran said.

You were shocked at the hostile and aggressive reaction, Mr Grehan said.

Mr Moran agreed, and said he believed IFSRA knew about the transaction.

After that meeting, issues around the transaction seemed to heighten. Mr Moran was asked to undertake a look back and to contact Mr McAteer and Mr Drumm.

He asked Willie McAteer about having raised the issue in a meeting with the Financial Regulator on September 20, 2008. Mr McAteer told Mr Moran he had told the regulator he would be managing the balance sheet with ILP.

Mr McAteer had told Mr Moran the Regulator, Patrick Neary had replied: fair play to you, Willie.

Matt Cullen told Mr Mr Moran Denis Casey brought the issue up with the Governor, saying that you know we helped Anglo over their year end.

Mr Moran had noted another comment from Mr Cullen: The nature of the transaction was not discussed.

Mr Drumm e-mailed Mr Moran back quickly, stating: We had been encouraged on a number of occasions, particularly by the Governor who felt strongly about it that we should be engaging with the other Irish banks to find an intra-Ireland market to create some liquidity.

I would relish the opportunity to sit in front of Con and ask him to tell me to my face that he didnt know about this, he said. If they insist on killing the bank with this for no reason and try to protect themselves, I will go public with it. Its not just Con, there was always a room full when you went down there to Dame Street.

Mr Moran agreed that his opinion was the Central Bank and the Regulator were aware of the transaction before the publication of the accounts.

His reasons included communications with IFSRA in May 2008 about corporate deposits in March, the PWC involvement and report, and his discussions with Mr McAteer.

I was surprised at the tone of the questioning from the Financial Regulator, Mr Moran said of the January meeting.

The jury heard Patrick Neary announced his resignation in January 2009.

Re-examined by Mary Rose Gearty SC, prosecuting, Mr Moran agreed that Mr Drumm was qualified as a chartered accountant.

The trial continues.A 34 year old man died of blood loss due to a nosebleed described by a doctor as torrential.

Joao Carlos Araujo (34) from Elton Court in Leixlip, Co Kildare died at Connolly Memorial Hospital in Dublin in July 2016.

These are usually spontaneous, they just occur. There seems to be no real reason behind them, state pathologist Prof Marie Cassidy said of the fatal nosebleed

Consultant in emergency medicine at Connolly Hospital Dr Niamh Collins said she had 'never seen anything this extreme.

Mr Araujo, originally from Portugal, went to the emergency department twice on July 6, 2016, the day before his death. Dublin Coroners Court heard he told staff hed heard a hissing sound in his right ear before the bleeding began.

He first arrived in the emergency department at Connolly Hospital at 9.10am.

He was discharged at midday after the bleeding stopped without intervention.

He returned to hospital at 12.50pm. This time he was spitting blood and doctors inserted a nasal pack to stop the bleeding. Doctors contacted an Ear Nose and Throat specialist who advised the nasal pack be left in place for between one and two hours with observation of the patient following removal of the pack. The bleeding stopped and Mr Araujo was discharged with the advice that he should contact his GP or go to Beaumont Hospital if required.

He stayed at home overnight and the bleeding continued, according to his partner Marcia Pereira.

He was really tired, full of pain, unable to eat. He had a headache, she said.

Ms Pereira said her house was full of blood stains as the bleeding continued through the next day.

There was drops of blood all over the house, she said.

At 6pm that evening she saw her partner collapse, with blood coming from his nose and mouth.

She phoned an ambulance. Mr Araujo was rushed to Connolly Hospital in cardiac arrest. The emergency medical team battled to save his life for three hours.

The bleeding was torrential, it was like turning on a tap, despite him being in cardiac arrest, Dr Collins said.

She said the team did everything possible to save him.

Other than blocking his artery, I had exhausted everything I knew how to do. Everything we did as a team, did not work, she said.

The man was pronounced dead at 10pm.

All of us involved found his case devastating... I have never witnessed anything this extreme, Dr Collins said.

An artery at the back of the nose was identified as the source of the bleeding.

Prof Cassidy gave the cause of death as hemorrhage and shock due to a nosebleed with obstruction to the airway due to blood as a contributory factor.

The pathologist said the only other fatal nosebleed she had dealt with during her career was forty years ago. Coroner Dr Myra Cullinane returned a narrative verdict setting out the facts of the case.A DUBLIN man has been remanded in custody after he was charged with the murder of Vincent Ryan during a shooting in 2016.

Paul OBeirne, 35, with an address at Colepark Drive, Ballyfermot, was accused of the murder of Vincent Ryan at McKee Road, Finglas, Dublin on February 29, 2016, contrary to common law.

Mr Ryan, a 25-year-old father, was shot dead while sitting in his car.

Dressed in a navy tracksuit, Mr OBeirne sat silently with his arms folded during his hearing before Judge Victor Blake at Dublin District Court on Monday evening.

Evidence of arrest, charge and caution was given by Det Sergeant Gavin Ross of Finglas station. He told Judge Blake the accused was arrested at his home address at 2.36pm on Monday on foot of a warrant issued by the district court.

The warrant was then handed in to court.

Det Sergeant Ross said Mr OBeirne was taken to Ballyfermot Garda station where he was charged.

The court heard he was handed a copy of the charge and in reply after caution said: Nothing got to do with me at all.

Det Sergeant Ross confirmed the Director of Public Prosecutions has directed that Mr OBeirne is to face trial on indictment in the Central Criminal Court.

Bail in murder cases can only be granted in the High Court.

Det Sergeant Ross applied to the court to remand Mr OBeirne in custody to appear at Cloverhill District Court on Friday.

Defence solicitor Padraig ODonovan consented to the Garda application.

Judge Blake adjourned the case for mention until March 16 for a book of evidence to be prepared.

Mr OBeirne was granted legal aid after his solicitor furnished the court with a statement of his means and told the judge he was on social welfare. There was no Garda objection.

Mr ODonovan told the court his client agreed to appearing via video-link at his next hearing.A friend of Ulster rugby player Paddy Jackson was today accused of being "delegated" to look after a distressed young woman and get her home.

The suggestion was made to Rory Harrison, who was also accused of displaying "misguided loyalty" to his friends, instead of a "traumatised" young woman.

Harrison (25), from Manse Road in Belfast, has been charged with perverting the course of justice, and of withholding information, in the wake of an alleged sex attack on a student.

The complainant claims she was raped by Jackson (26) in the bedroom of his Oakleigh Park home whilst being forced to perform oral sex on 24-year old Stuart Olding. Jackson has also been charged with sexually assaulting her, with the pair denying all charges against them.

As the trial entered its seventh week - and on the final day of evidence - Harrison spent his second day in the witness box, where he denied a series of accusations made by Crown barrister Toby Hedworth QC.

The Belfast man was accused of, and denied, conducting a "verbal fencing match" whilst giving a witness statement to police in June 2016 and of "circling the wagon" with his friends when he became aware the woman had been upset due to non-consensual sexual activity.

The jury has already heard around 5am on Tuesday June 28, 2016 Harrison accompanied the complainant home in a taxi. It's her version of events that after being raped by Jackson and Olding, and after Blane McIlroy exposing his penis to her, she fled Jackson's house in a state of distress.

She also made the case that as she fled, Harrison ran after her. Her version of events was rejected by Harrison.

Harrison said that at the afterparty in Jackson's, he noticed the woman was "fixated" and "staring at" Jackson and that he saw her following Jackson up the stairs. He said the next time he saw her was at the top of the stairs, as he went to say goodbye to his friends before he left.

After the then 19-year old went to police, Jackson, Olding and McIlroy were all arrested on June 30, 2016, while Harrison was treated as a witness and provided a statement on that date. However, as the investigation proceeded, Harrison was arrested in October 2016 and charged with two offences.

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Under cross-examination by Mr Hedworth QC, Harrison was asked about a text he sent to the woman minutes after leaving her home in a taxi which said 'keep your chin up, you wonderful young woman.'

Asked what he meant by that, Harrison said she was upset and he wanted to make her feel better - with Mr Hedworth saying these were "just weasel words."

When Harrison was questioned about the statement he made to police on June 30, he was asked why he didn't show police his phone. He said he was never asked, adding "if they asked to see it I would have shown them."

As Mr Hedworth turned his attention to the events in question, he was asked why he thought the young woman was so upset in the early hours. Harrison said he thought perhaps Jackson had "rejected her", adding he assumed "if something was properly wrong she would have told me."

He confirmed he took her home, but said he had no recollection of asking what had made her upset.

When it was suggested to Harrison that after the woman was subjected to an ordeal in Jackson's bedroom "you were delegated to get her home and look after her", the defendant replied "that's not right".

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When asked about a text she sent to him that morning which said what happened with his friends had been non-consensual, and whether this concerned him, Harrison said "the more I thought about it, I didn't believe it."

Regarding the witness statement he made to police, Harrison was asked why he didn't tell police about it. He was asked "did you not think that was an extremely significant piece of information?" to which he replied "I was never asked if there was contact between myself and (the complainant) the next day, or if there had been any contact by text. If I had asked, I would have answered that fully."

Mr Hedworth also quizzed Harrison about lunch he had with his three co-accused on the afternoon of June 28. He confirmed he didn't tell Jackson or Olding about the 'non-consensual' text he received from the woman. He repeated an assertion that as he didn't believe it, he didn't want to worry Jackson.

Suggesting that at this lunch "the wagons got circled", Mr Hedworth said "a general decision was taken as to what to say" and a "party line had to be adhered to." This was rejected by Harrison who said "no, there was no party line."

Mr Hedworth told Harrison "that witness statement you gave to police ... was part of the party line, because regrettably however good an upbringing you have had, or as good a family you undoubtedly came from, sadly you put loyalty to your friends first." Harrison answered "I disagree with you."

It was also put to Harrison this was "misguided loyalty" where instead he should have been "looking after the young woman that you knew full well had been traumatised by what had been done to her upstairs in that house."

He replied "that is also incorrect."A friend of two Ireland and Ulster rugby players accused of rape has "wonderful qualities," a widow has told Belfast Crown Court.

Rory Harrison (25) from Manse Road in Belfast, denies perverting the course of justice and withholding information about the alleged rape in June 2016.

Maura Cushnahan, who encountered him during a distressing situation at a Belfast bus station in 2015, said she felt it was her "duty" to give evidence on behalf of Harrison after reading about him in the press.

He had showed her "great kindness", she said.

"I know that this is just a snapshot of someone's life," Ms Cushnahan added.

"But, I can honestly say that he showed wonderful qualities...

"He came to my assistance when I needed help.

"He showed the qualities of kindness, total respect and reassurance.

"He really, to me, was a young gentleman."

Ms Cushnahan revealed she had been nursed during ill health by Harrison's mother.

She had meant to tell her about her son's kind act during subsequent medical appointments, but had forgotten.

"When I saw what had happened to Rory in the media, I felt it was my duty to tell his mother he was so very kind," she added.

The widow then wrote and volunteered herself as a character witness, the court heard.

All four defendants in the rugby rape trial deny all the charges against them.

The case continues.Gardai on duty outside the apartments where arrests were made and firearms seized in Gardener Street in Dublin

Three men, among them a former soldier in the British army, were in custody last night being questioned about conspiring to murder a man as part of the on-going Hutch-Kinahan feud.

They were arrested in an underground car park on Saturday morning when elite gardai seized four weapons and foiled an alleged planned hit on Patsy Hutch, a brother of Gerry 'The Monk' Hutch.

A fourth man, a 41-year-old 'New INLA' figure from Tallaght, was arrested driving a car close to the scene of the other arrests and he was also being detained for the same offence.

Senior sources said last night that the Tallaght man is suspected of organising the "logistics" of the foiled hit, including sourcing weapons, vehicles and personnel to be used in the murder venture for the Kinahan cartel - at least the fifth time that Patsy Hutch's life has been saved since the capital's deadly feud kicked of.

Two of the men who were in Garda custody last night are brothers - they are Gary Thompson (34) and Glen Thompson (23) from Plunkett Drive, Finglas, Dublin.

Glen Thompson was convicted in July 2014 of selling cocaine and ecstasy to undercover gardai on three occasions between December 2012 and April 2013.

Dropped

While well known to gardai, Glen Thompson has never been accused of anything nearly as seriously criminal as his older brother Gary.

Gary Thompson had been charged with the 2009 gangland gun murder of criminal Graham McNally, but the charges against him were dropped without explanation at the Central Criminal Court in December.

A former soldier in the British army aged in his late 30s was also arrested in the underground car park of the Belmont apartments in Gardiner Street shortly after 7.30am on Saturday following a massive surveillance operation involving hundreds of gardai, which had been ongoing for weeks.

The Irish Independent can reveal that the former soldier is Robert Brown, who spent around a decade in the British army and served in tours of Iraq and Afghanistan.

Brown has a current address at Phibsborough Road, but is understood to be originally from Hardwicke Street flats in Dublin's north inner city.

He has been a long-time close associate of figures in the Kinahan cartel.Gardai have preserved the scene in the Rathmullen Park estate in Drogheda, Co Louth

A 28-year-old woman is fighting for her life after suffering a serious head injury.

Gardai in Drogheda, Co Louth, said they were investigating the incident and that the woman remained in a critical condition.

The woman, who has young children, is understood to be on life support after surgery to remove pressure from her skull.

Her family are by her side in Beaumont Hospital in Dublin.

Gardai in Drogheda were called to the scene in the Rathmullen Park estate at 6pm on Saturday.

The woman was removed by ambulance to Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital before being transferred to Beaumont Hospital.

Gardai said the scene at Rathmullen Park was preserved for examination and "a full investigation on a number of lines [is] ongoing".

They have not confirmed how the woman was injured. No arrests have been made.

Meanwhile, local councillor Paul Bell said: "I would ask people to give gardai whatever co-operation they can in the course of their investigation.

"The community has expressed to me its deepest concerns and alarm and the depth of its concerns for the health and welfare of the individual now in Beaumont hospital receiving treatment."An alleged rape victim had to make a two-hour round trip to hospital for treatment because a specialist treatment unit in Dublin was closed.

The incident occurred over the weekend when a Sexual Assault Treatment Unit (SATU) in Dublin could not facilitate the rape victim being examined, the Irish Independent has learned.

The woman was brought to the Midland Regional Hospital in Mullingar, which was the closest SATU. This meant the victim had to endure a two-hour round trip to Mullingar and back to the capital after the alleged sex attack.

The event has been described as "unacceptable" by Rape Crisis Network Ireland, which said it was not an isolated incident.

The woman was allegedly raped on Friday night in Dublin's north-inner city, and reported the matter to local gardai the following day.

She was brought to the Rotunda's SATU on Saturday afternoon to undergo a forensic clinical examination.

However, it was closed as no specialist staff were available and gardai then brought the woman to the unit in Mullingar.

Officers from Store Street garda station are investigating the alleged rape and no arrests have yet been made.

Cliona Saidlear, executive director of Rape Crisis Network Ireland, described the closure of the Dublin SATU as "unacceptable" and said proper rotas must be put in place.

"This isn't the first time this sort of thing has happened. The SATUs are dependant on a number of factors being available when they are needed - they operate on an on-call basis.

"There needs to be a full rota and support around it, because when there is stress on the system then there is a lack of availability," Ms Saidlear said.

"What happened [on Saturday] does occasionally happen where a person isn't brought to the nearest SATU and instead are brought somewhere else.

"Obviously it's distressing and unacceptable," said Ms Saidlear.

There are currently six SATUs in Ireland which provide specialist care for women and men aged 14 years and older who have recently been sexually assaulted or raped.

Dr Maeve Eogan, medical director of the Rotunda SATU, said staffing issues mean certain units aren't operational 24/7. Where a SATU is not open, it is covered by another unit.

"Like many areas there is an issue with staffing, a particular unit may be 12 hours out of period. Consequently there is a crossover to ensure that there are always trained personal available. [On Friday] the Rotunda covered Mullingar and on Saturday Mullingar covered the Rotunda, while [on Sunday] each were fully available."

There are plans to recruit more forensic examiners next year.Sarah ONeill (21) is now studying at DCU, four years after her cancer diagnosis. Photo: Ciara Wilkinson

A young woman who thought uncomfortable chest pains were due to overworking in the gym was shocked to be told by doctors that she had cancer.

Sarah O'Neill (21) was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma just before her Leaving Cert year.

Sarah had been told her chest pain was due to a pulled muscle or something similar because, "I was quite active before I got sick. I would go to the gym three to four times a week".

The pain was intermittent until one night in June when she could barely breathe.

Her mother Sharon brought her to Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital, Drogheda, where an X-ray was taken and, "I was transferred to the Mater Hospital the next day and underwent a number of different tests there."

She was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and started chemotherapy the next day.

"I was 17 when I was diagnosed, it was in the June just before I went into sixth year [in school]," she said.

"I was completely shocked, I hadn't even properly realised that people so young could get cancer."

Sarah, who received huge support from parents Sharon and Darren and brothers Sam (18) and Luke (10), had six months of chemotherapy.

But there were still signs of lymphoma on scans so she went on to have open-chest surgery to have the rest of the tumour removed, followed by four weeks of radiotherapy.

Sarah was attending Loreto Secondary School in Balbriggan, north Co Dublin, and although advised to take a year out, she insisted on sitting her Leaving Cert as planned.

"I had my surgery in April 2015 and did my Leaving Certificate in June," she said. "My scans have been clear for over two years now."

Sarah says that she is now physically healthier than she has ever been and is back in the gym.

"I am really conscious of my health and how I look after myself and my body.

"I think there's a lot cancer 'survivors' go through after treatment that isn't really highlighted," she said.

"It's hard but you learn to live with your new 'normal'.

"Everyday it gets a little bit easier and I'm really excited for the future."

Sarah is now studying for a health and society degree in DCU and will never forget the fantastic care she received in the Mater Hospital.

"The nurses in the Mater Hospital are amazing, there wasn't one that I didn't love, they are really amazing people. It was them that made me consider nursing at one point," she said.

Sarah said the illness has changed her perception on life and said she now realises how "silly" it is to compare her life to others on social media.

"I shaved my head the day after I started chemotherapy because I didn't want to go through losing my hair. I really loved it," she said. "My mam actually shaved her head too at the same time. She was really amazing through it all and I think it was almost harder for her than it was for me.

"I've learned a lot and I am quite different than I was before I got sick. I've really realised how precious life is.

"I'm still so young and find myself comparing my life to others on social media but I realise how silly it is and how much I have to be grateful for. I would say to people if they are worried about their bodies to go get it checked. I had my pain for five months before I went to hospital. Don't ignore that feeling."Ireland's ancient pilgrim paths are to get a new lease of life as the Celtic Camino.

Spain's famous Camino de Santiago walking route, enjoyed by 600,000 people a year, now has an officially recognised Irish dimension.

The cathedral in Santiago is reputed to hold the tomb of the Apostle James.

Official certificates are only granted by Spanish church authorities to walkers who complete 100km of the Camino route.

They have now decreed that walking 25km on designated Irish routes can be counted as part of the 100km.

Walkers get their walking 'passports' stamped along the Camino route and these stamps will now be available on Irish pilgrim paths such as Tochar Phadraig in Mayo, Saint Finbarr's pilgrim path in Cork, and Saint Declan's Way through Tipperary and Waterford.

"It's marvellous in these cynical times of falling church attendance that there has been an explosion in numbers of people walking the Camino," said Turlough O'Donnell, chairman of Camino Society Ireland.

"The Camino is open to people of all religions and none. Walking is great for bringing people together.

"Large numbers of people in Ireland in medieval times walked the Camino.

"The pilgrims passed through Saint James's Gate in Dublin's city walls on their way to ships bound for Spain," he said.

Around 12,000 Irish people a year now travel to Spain to walk the Camino.

A new approved route leads from Bray to the Church of Saint James in Saint James's Street in Dublin. Walking passports will be stamped in Bray, at the Martello Tower in Sandycove, and in Saint James's Church.

Some of the old pilgrim paths have been given additional names such as the Kerry Camino, the Mullingar Camino, and the Cooley Camino through counties Armagh and Louth.

"Walking is an enormously healthy lifestyle. As you walk, the mind also moves and many great philosophers went walking," said Mr O'Donnell (62). "As you walk through the countryside, ideas that you haven't been able to articulate can suddenly come to mind. You have space for thinking and space for others.

"On the Camino you leave behind material things and you can see the important things are companionship, the kindness of strangers, and the beauty of nature."

Bray solicitor Joe Maguire has walked almost 800km through France and Spain over the course of several summer holidays.

"I would get bored sitting beside a hotel swimming pool all day.

"Walking the Camino is wonderful as a total switch off from everyday stresses. It's great to walk 20 or 30km a day and maybe have a chat with some kindred spirits.

"I come back refreshed and invigorated," he said. "Anyone can prepare by walking an hour a day for a month before heading off."

International walkers will be encouraged to consider including walking in Ireland before joining the Camino route in Spain, Mr Maguire added.

Ireland's first Celtic Camino Festival will take place in Westport, Co Mayo, from April 13-15.

It will include workshops, exhibitions, a film, history lectures by Irish and Spanish academics, Spanish and Irish music, and a pilgrim walk on the Croagh Patrick Heritage Trail.

Actor Mike Timms (71) said he first walked the Camino aged 64 and completed a 325km walk along the French route last year.

Dubliner Bernard Lynch (43), whose wife Yen accepted his marriage proposal on the Camino, said walking the route was "a life-changing experience".

For more details, visit www.caminosociety.ie.Gardai have closed part of the Quays this evening after the Luas broke down on O'Connell Street.

In a statement on their website Luas operators said:

"Please be advised there is no service between St Stephen's Green and Dominick due to a technical fault in tram. Tickets are valid on Dublin Bus for duration of this disruption. We apologise for any inconvenience caused."

There is no service between St Stephen's Green and Dominick. Please see https://t.co/GkL4FmFo1J for more information. We apologise for any inconvenience caused.  Luas (@Luas) March 12, 2018

Gardai are to close part of the Quays from Capel Street Bridge to O'Connell Street due to the incident.

#DUBLIN Gardai will close North Quays shortly from Capel St bridge to O'Connell St due to incident on O'Connell St. More at: https://t.co/PSzIBsvOzE  AA Roadwatch (@aaroadwatch) March 12, 2018

Motorists have been advised to avoid the area.A survivor of the Magdalene laundries who bore a daughter after being raped by a priest said she still bears the emotional and physical scars of the horrific abuse she suffered at the hands of sadistic nuns more than 70 years ago.

Mary Merritt, whose name was stripped along with her hair and clothes when she entered the High Park Magdalene laundry at the age of 16 in 1947, broke down several times as she recounted the horrors she endured to RTE broadcaster Miriam O'Callaghan on her radio show yesterday.

She was among three Magdalene laundry survivors whose stories of resilience and strength despite the horrific abuse they endured was featured as part of a special Mother's Day episode yesterday.

Historian Catherine Corless also spoke of her ongoing battle to reveal the shocking truth over 796 babies buried in a septic tank at the Mother and Babies home in Tuam, Co Galway. She voiced her disgust at five options presented by a consultant over the future of the site, one of which includes simply putting a memorial plaque over the burial site.

Ms Merritt, now aged 87, was born in a Dublin workhouse and never met her mother. She was sent to a Sisters of Mercy orphanage in Ballinasloe at the age of two for 14 years where she was whipped by a nun across the hips and back for no reason.

"To this day at the age of 87, I still have the marks on my hips and back," she said.

But that was nothing compared to the horrors awaiting her when she turned 16 and was sent to the High Park Magdalene laundry for stealing apples. Aside from working as a virtual slave, she was left blind in her right eye from the toxic material in the laundries and was later raped by a priest after trying to run away. The priest brought her back to the laundry where she was stripped of all dignity - even her name - before learning she was pregnant with the priest's child.

After giving birth to her daughter at the age of 23, she was sent to St Patrick's Mother and Baby Home in Dublin for a year where she was granted just half an hour a day to see her daughter. "You didn't get time to love your child or feed your child or do anything with your child."

She was then sent back to the Magdalene laundry at High Park where she endured the ultimate indignity of having her daughter adopted out without her permission while she worked as a virtual slave for another three years.

"We worked and we were slaved. They talk about slaves in the world today but Ireland was worse for their slavery," she said.

She eventually managed to track down her daughter Carmel 40 years after she was born.The heartbroken mother of Danielle McLaughlin has said she will "never, ever get over what happened" and may travel to India to confront her daughter's suspected killer.

Donegal woman Danielle (28) was killed while visiting India to learn to be a yoga teacher. She was found dead on March 14, 2016, and a local man, Vikat Bhagat, with whom she had been friends since 2016, is to stand trial accused of her rape and murder.

Danielle's mum, Andrea, said that it seemed "like yesterday" since she last spoke to Danielle.

"I spoke to her that day. I spoke to her every day on the phone, if I didn't speak to her on the phone she messaged me. Because I worry, she'd send me a quick message to say 'I'm OK'.

"On the 13th she messaged me and I was on the way to Dublin for a hospital appointment with her wee sister and she Facebooked me and said she was with her friend and with him, the accused, and she was safe," she said.

"She classified him as a friend, she called him brother."

Danielle was well-travelled and had spent time in Nepal, Goa and Australia.

She had planned to train in Goa as a yoga teacher and then travel to Canada in the September. It was her second time in India, a year earlier she had volunteered in an orphanage there.

"She packed a lot into her life. I wish to God I had told her to stay, to never travel nowhere, not even Liverpool but then she wouldn't have been the person she ended up being," her mother said.

Ahead of the trial, Andrea has been granted a special status which allows her to be party to proceedings, giving her the right to question witnesses.

She has hired a lawyer in India to represent her, and has engaged legal services here also. The family have already paid thousands in legal costs since Danielle's death but they will not know the full extent of the costs until the case concludes.

"I don't feel I've grieved for Danielle because of the fact that I'm always worrying about money, constantly worrying all the time," Andrea said.

"There's not a day that goes by that I'm not thinking, am I short now? Will we have no lawyer? Will it end up then that Danielle gets nothing?"

There has been consistent fundraising since Danielle's death - thanks to the family's close-knit local community and Danielle's friends - to help cover these costs, but Andrea said she would prefer to be able to concentrate on Danielle and grieving for her.

Andrea was also shocked to learn that the Department of Foreign Affairs can act only in an advisory capacity when a family lose a loved one abroad, there is no fund to cover repatriation costs, legal bills or any associated costs.

She may travel to India for the final part of the trial and also reserves the right to meet on a one-on-one basis with the accused.

"If someone asked me to describe her I couldn't explain it because she was just amazing," Andrea said.

Anyone wishing to donate can do so by visiting the website www.truthfordanielle.comDr Dermot Farrell greets people on the steps of the cathedral after being ordained Bishop of Ossory in St Marys Cathedral, Kilkenny. Photo: John McElroy

The new Bishop of Ossory has issued a strong pro-life message warning that to "extinguish the right to life of the innocent child" in the name of personal and civil rights is the "ultimate delusion".

Speaking at his ordination as bishop at St Mary's Cathedral in Kilkenny yesterday, Dr Dermot Farrell (67) told the congregation: "In these days we are all very aware of the need to protect the life of every child in the womb."

He said there was "no such thing as a human life that has no value" and he prayed people's eyes would be opened "to see the image of God in every child, at every stage of their lives".

Speaking to the media after the ceremony, which was presided over by Archbishop of Dublin Dr Diarmuid Martin and the papal nuncio Archbishop Jude Okolo, Dr Farrell described the right to life as the fundamental right on which all other rights are based.

"If we don't cherish that right you can't talk about any other rights: personal rights or civil rights or political rights, because without life you don't have any other rights," he said.

Calling for a "respectful" debate, he appealed to both sides not to resort to abusive language: "We live in a democracy and people have a right to express their views, whatever those views are. Sometimes we mightn't like them but we can have a respectful argument."

Bishop Farrell also challenged the Government on the homeless crisis, saying it should not be "an impossible dream to hope that no person, particularly no child, in this country would be left homeless or go to bed hungry".

He said he was not just referring to those in hotel rooms, but the country's immigrants in direct provision.

"With more than 3,000 children in this country who have no place they can call their home, with families who do not have a front door to call their own, who have no family table - do we not have an obligation to call those in political leadership, who hold power and carry responsibility, to act with urgency, for the well-being of our sisters and brothers?" he said.

Asked to respond to former president Mary McAleese's comments on misogyny in the Catholic Church, Bishop Farrell said her "questions come out of a conviction and a deep faith".

"I am reminded of a quip by Cardinal Newman who once said that the Church would be a very strange place without the laity - it would probably be an even stranger place without women," he told the Irish Independent.

Archbishop Martin and four other bishops declined to comment to the Irish Independent on Dr McAleese's comments.

On International Women's Day, Dr Martin acknowledged that one of the most significant factors in alienating people from Church structures today is the place of women in the Church.

He said Dr McAleese's challenge to the internal culture of the Church "was brutally stark".Tina Satchwell (46) went missing from her Youghal home in Co Cork on March 20, 2017

'Someone had to give a helping hand [to Tina] somewhere, you can't just up and leave without help from anybody' - Richard Satchwell

GARDAI have sent items of interest found in the search of woodlands for missing woman Tina Satchwell (45) to the State Laboratory for forensic testing.

The items, which are understood to include fragments of clothing, were found during the search of Mitchel's Wood outside Castlemartyr in east Cork for Tina who vanished last year.

However, a garda source said it is still unclear if the items are in any way connected to the missing person's case.

It is understood a quantity of material was illegally dumped at the sprawling forestry and detectives want the forensic tests conducted as a precautionary measure.

Expand Close Tina Satchwell (46) went missing from her Youghal home in Co Cork on March 20, 2017 / Facebook

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Whatsapp Tina Satchwell (46) went missing from her Youghal home in Co Cork on March 20, 2017

Gardai, supported by Defence Forces engineering units and Search Dogs UK, now have more than half the 40 acre search zone combed over the past eight days.

The search has been extended to include streams, rivers and bogland in the area.

These areas will be examined with the support of the Garda Sub Aqua Unit.

Gardai now have 250 different lines of inquiry in their search for Tina - an increase of 30 on last week.

Tina (45) vanished without trace from her home in Youghal, Co Cork on March 20 2017.

Richard Satchwell said he trusts gardai 100pc in their search and said that he has cooperated with them from the start, even calling them to advise that he was selling his car last September.

Appearing on the Neil Prenderville Show on Cork's RedFM this morning, Mr Satchwell said he decided to sell the car as he had become tired of journalists following him on the road.

He called gardai in Middleton at the time to advise them of his plans and said he was asked to bring the car to the garda station first.

When asked by Neil if that was the first time the gardai had searched his car, Mr Satchwell said he believes it was.

He claimed that gardai never conducted a forensic exam on his car, even without his knowledge, prior to September - six months after Tina disappeared.

A spokesperson for An Garda Siochana told Independent.ie that "it is our policy not to comment on on-going investigations".

The latest breakthrough in the search came as Mr Satchwell said being told a witness who claimed he spotted her on a Dublin beach was not credible was like "having a bucket of cold water chucked over me."

Mr Satchwell referred to the man's information on RTE's Ray Darcy Show last Saturday night - but it emerged the same individual had offered information about the case of missing schoolboy Philip Cairns.

Garda sources said the man was "genuine but either mistaken or confused."

The English-born truck driver said he was continuing with a blitz of broadcast interviews in the hope it would generate further leads on Tina's case.

But he confirmed he will not do newspaper interviews as he believes his words "were being twisted."

He also said that criticism of his media appearances is unfair.

Read More

Speaking with Gerry Murray on Youghal's Cry104 FM on Saturday, Mr Satchwell responded to those on social media who have accused him of "loving the sound of his own voice".

He said that "people are entitled to their own opinions".

"If I'm not talking I'm doing wrong and if I'm talking I'm doing wrong," he said.

Mr Satchwell has said he is a "fish out of water" when speaking to the media and said that he has turned down a number of interview requests from newspapers, TV and radio.

He said that he was asked by TV3 to visit the site where gardai are searching for missing Tina.

"The way it was put to me, basically the way I'm doing stuff people might pick up the fact I don't care when I do so I drove down and did the interview. It's not that I like the sound of my own voice, I've turned interviews down," he said.

When asked what he would say to those who believe he had anything to do with Tina's disappearance, Mr Satchwell said: "I say go and talk to people who know us. It's easy for people who don't know us, [don't] know me, [don't] know Tina, to draw conclusions.

This morning on the Neil Prenderville Show, Mr Satchwell was asked to do a lie detector test on-air but refused as he's "feeling tired and unwell". He has previously said he was would be willing to do one as he has nothing to hide.

"I've had no sleep in a week," he said this morning. "I've been up and down in Dublin. I need a break. I need a rest. I've also promised another member of the media that when I do [a lie detector test] it will be with them," he said.

Breakthrough

Expand Close Gardai searching at Mitchells Wood, Castlemartyr, Co Cork, for evidence relating to the disappearance of Tina Satchwell. Photo: Michael Mac Sweeney/Provision. / Facebook

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Whatsapp Gardai searching at Mitchells Wood, Castlemartyr, Co Cork, for evidence relating to the disappearance of Tina Satchwell. Photo: Michael Mac Sweeney/Provision.

It has emerged that Tina, in the days before her disappearance on March 20 2017, told some people that: "I would never do anything to hurt Richard - I love him too much."

Mr Satchwell insisted he does not believe his wife was having an affair - merely that she was battling depression and may have needed some time away.

The truck driver said his wife was first noted to be depressed in 2012. He said a specific incident caused her great upset. However, he has refused to speak about it out of respect for Tina and her family.

"It could be the one thing in life that could push her over the edge and I am not going to take that responsibility," he told RedFM.

Read More

He said that putting the information into the public sphere would take a lot of weight off his shoulders but refused to say anything more.

Mr Satchwell also explained that just before Christmas his wife asked him for information on his English national insurance number, his PPS number and details about their GP. He said that she wrote the information down.

When asked if he thought that was suspicious, Mr Satchwell said that he didn't. He said his wife often wrote things down in an effort to improve her memory.

"When you look back in hindsight [it's suspicious] but you don't see that at the time, you're too close. You don't spot every little thing in your relationship when you're happy," he said.

He said he was not angry at what has happened.

"She knows how I feel about her, she knows she doesn't even have to come back and say sorry. She knows if she turned up on my door this morning I wouldn't say anything," he said.

Disappearance

On the day Tina vanished, her husband had gone on a brief errand to Dungarvan and Tina was not at their home when he returned.

Expand Close Tina Satchwell from Youghal Co Cork / Facebook

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Whatsapp Tina Satchwell from Youghal Co Cork

Tina had left her keys and beloved dog, Ruby, behind.

Mr Satchwell thought she had gone away to deal with personal problems and he did not alert Gardai until four days later.

He subsequently claimed that 26,000 was missing from the property and that Tina must have had help in disappearing.

Two suitcases and clothing were also missing from the property.

He said that wife Tina and her best friend would meet around Fermoy town. Mr Satchwell assumed that she was with a friend or family and "needed space". He told Neil that he "questions the way he handled waiting four days to report her missing."

He said he never contacted her friend in the four days after Tina disappeared as his wife didn't keep her friend's number on her phone.

"I know the woman and I spoke to her many a time, even before now. I spoke to her a lot over the years. I don't know how it worked between them, I just know they were very close," he said.

"I suppose people have their own reasons for the way of getting in touch with each other. They both used to go to Fermoy swimming pool. Tina stopped going to the swimming pool when the events of 2012 happened. They still met very regularly, they meet around the town to have a talk."

Read More

Mr Satchwell also confirmed that Tina had struck him in the past.

"Tina is a great woman - I have not got a bad word to say about her."

"She could have a flash temper - she could just hit you and then she'd be crying and apologising. That is all it was. There was no intent."

Mr Satchwell insisted he never struck his wife. "Never - the most I have ever done....at the worst times, it hold her in my arms tightly until she calmed down. She is my life."

"The guards know everything about our life - including the stuff I will not talk about (publicly). They have it all."

Family

He said that he is in regular contact with his wife's relatives and said that they have supported him throughout the time that Tina has been gone.

However, he has not had the same support from his own family in England.

Mr Satchwell told Cry104 FM that he spoke to his father just before Christmas for the first time in a long time. He said his family didn't attend their wedding and claims that they never accepted his marriage to Tina.

"There was upset [with] my choice of going out with Tina. They're pretty much anti-Irish," he said.

"I've got a big family of my own in the UK. In the past 29 years I've said about 200 words [to them]. I made my choice to come here."

This morning, he told the Neil Prenderville Show that his family gave him an ultimatum when he married Tina but he chose his wife.

He said he tried to build bridges with his family in England after his mother died. He said that he never spoke to her and didn't know that she had passed away until six months after her death.

Mr Satchwell said he believes his mother "missed out in knowing a remarkable woman" in Tina. He said his grandmother in England "loved Tina to bits" and they would speak often.

He said his family "had their reasons" for not liking the Irish and said "I was brought up in school all we heard about from the Irish was IRA. People are prejudiced".

The couple got engaged two years after meeting in England and married in 1991 on Tina's 20th birthday.

They lived for a time in Fermoy, Tina's hometown, before relocating in 2016 to Youghal.Editor in Chief of INM Stephen Rae (right), Mariya Gabriel, Commissioner for Digital Economy and Society and Wout van Wijk, Executive Director, News Media Europe

ONLINE platforms such as Facebook and Twitter should have to sign up to a Code of Practice accepting responsibility for their role in fighting fake news, a new European Commissioner report says.

The European Union is set to embark on a clampdown of disinformation, which is now posing a threat beyond day-to-day political discourse.

A High Level Expert Group (HLEG), comprising of members from across the EU, has today recommended a series of actions for leaders to take in the coming months.

It acknowledges that while not necessarily illegal, disinformation can be harmful for citizens and society at large.

Expand Close Editor in Chief of INM Stephen Rae (right), Mariya Gabriel, Commissioner for Digital Economy and Society / Facebook

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Whatsapp Editor in Chief of INM Stephen Rae (right), Mariya Gabriel, Commissioner for Digital Economy and Society

The risk of harm includes threats to democratic political processes, including integrity of elections, and to democratic values that shape public policies in a variety of sectors, such as health, science, finance and more, it says.

Among the key proposals are:

- A Code of Practice for online platforms

- Media and information literacy to be added to the school curriculum

- Taxpayer support for demonstrably independent public service media

- And European Centres for monitoring the growth of disinformation.

The Committee, which includes INMs Editor-in-Chief Stephen Rae, chose not to use the term fake news as it has been appropriated and used misleadingly by powerful actors to dismiss coverage that is simply found disagreeable.

The report states that disinformation goes well beyond term fake news.

Disinformation is defined as including all forms of false, inaccurate, or misleading information designed, presented and promoted to intentionally cause public harm or for profit.

While much of the report centres on what media outlets and politicians can do to battle disinformation, there is a strong emphasis on the role of digital platforms.

It notes that online sites are becoming increasingly important as both enablers and gatekeepers of information.

The growing power of platforms to enable  and potentially interfere with  the free circulation of information comes with growing responsibilities.

The HLEG found that social media sites have enabled the production and circulation of disinformation on a larger scale than previously, often in new ways that are still poorly mapped and understood.

As a result it says companies involved should allow access to date so that independent inquires, audits and research to ensuring transparency and authenticity of information sources.

Digital intermediaries such as social networks and online video platforms can impact public opinion by sorting, selecting and ranking news and information via their algorithms.

They should therefore be able and willing to act in a responsible way that is commensurate with their powers and the impact that their activities can have on forming public opinion, the report states.

As there are no clear and binding rules of conduct in this area, the report supports the idea of sites committee to a Code of Practices without delay.

Accepting a level of public accountability is a way of building trust for platforms as intermediaries, and to help end-users make better informed choices, it says.

The report warns that disinformation is emanating from a variety of sources, including foreign governments who could be working actively to undermine the integrity of European media systems and political processes.

It says some news media contribute to disinformation problems, thereby weakening European citizens overall trust in media.

And it is also clear that some problems of disinformation area animated by citizens individually or collectively sharing false and misleading content.

To combat this, it is advised that European institutions and national governments should recognise media and information literacy as core subject, adding it into school curriculum.

The HLEG says governments should mandate teacher training colleges to include critical media literacy modules and encourage critical media literacy to become an integral part of all subject-learning, lifelong learning for teachers.

Governments are also encouraged to introduce tax breaks for reliable news outlets, such as VAT exemptions. These could be dependent on a commitment to invest in the training of journalists and innovation in news media services.

Responding to the publication, Mariya Gabriel, Commissioner for Digital Economy and Society, said: This report is just the beginning of the process and will feed the Commission reflection on a response to the phenomenon. Our challenge will now lie in delivering concrete options that will safeguard EU values and benefit every European citizen.

Irish MEP Brian Hayes welcomed the recommendations, saying it is important to ensure that the steadfast principles of time honoured journalism - accuracy and truth - remain at the heart of all forms of journalism.

These are the values which have served us so well to date in all aspects of our lives. We cannot and should not take them for granted. These principles are key cornerstones in the democracies which form the European Union (EU), he said.

I hope the proposed measures in this report will help to enhance the transparency of the online news ecosystem and develop tools for empowering users and journalists to foster a positive engagement with fast-evolving information technologies.1. Yes. Several other districts factor them in. It would provide a more complete picture.

2. Yes. Theyre not as accurate, but they can be useful in spotting a trend in infections.

3. No. The district is keeping tabs on those numbers, so the public doesnt need to.

4. No. As long as the public health district is aware of those stats, thats all that matters.

5. Unsure. The district isnt obligated to include them, but it might be helpful.

Vote

View ResultsA cyber expert has attacked the Government as a "boys club" that wants to "cosy up to big tech" by setting the digital age of consent at 13, in the wake of the jailing of online sex predator Kieran Creaven.

Dr Mary Aiken said Creaven, a former RTE producer, used Facebook to prey on girls aged between 14 and 18.

She challenged a claim by Communications Minister Denis Naughten last week that "the big social media platforms are not the problem".

"Charlie Flanagan is trying to force through a bill that lowers the digital age of consent in Ireland to 13, and yet the evidence shows that children aged 14 to 16 are most vulnerable to predators online," she said.

"Leo Varadkar has caused considerable confusion on the critical issue of the digital safety commissioner at a point in time when we desperately need an internet regulator. What is wrong with these men?

"I cannot help but think that if we had a female taoiseach or female ministers in these positions of power we would have a more consistent, protective and nurturing approach to children.

"What we have is a boys club who want to cosy up to big tech - at the cost of our children."

A UK court heard on Friday how Creaven (55) used a fake identity on Facebook to groom a 13-year-old girl online and later tried to meet up with her.

The girl turned out to be a trap set by online paedophile hunters, who set up a fake Facebook profile for her. Creaven flew to Leeds last November, thinking he was meeting the girl. Instead he was confronted by the vigilante group who handed him over to police.

The evidence against him included lewd messages he sent, such as: "Wish you were here in bed with me warm and snuggled up. I'll keep you wrapped up in my arms all night, smell your hair and kiss you."

The court also heard that Creaven contacted up to 20 girls between the ages of 13 and 18 and masturbated to child pornography involving children as a young as eight. He was jailed for 18 months after pleading guilty to two child sex offences.

Debate over the digital age of consent centres on the age at which children should be allowed to consent to the terms and conditions of online tech companies and service providers, to set up email and social media accounts.Former President Mary McAleese has revealed her younger brother was "sadistically" abused as a child by Father Malachy Finnegan.

Ms McAleese said that her youngest brother was abused by paedophile priest Fr Finnegan, who was the president of St Colman's College in Newry at the time.

She has now called for a full inquiry into accusations against the late priest and those who held senior positions within the school and diocese at the time.

Speaking on The Sean O'Rourke Show on RTE Radio One, Ms McAleese said: "My youngest brother, my baby brother, was seriously, physically sadistically abused by Malachy Finnegan.

"My mother, almost 90 years of age, had to discover that from an article in the Belfast Telegraph three weeks ago.

"Four of my five brothers went to that school.

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Whatsapp Bishop John McAreavey said he wrestled with the decision

"My youngest brother is so incredibly loved and adored by all of us and to think that he suffered and didn't think he could tell anyone."

She said that her brother is going to turn 50 next year and they only found out about the ordeal he suffered throughout his childhood in recent months.

Ms McAleese said: "It went on all of the years he was there, it was known and as he pointed out that so many people in the school would have had to have known, who could have done something about it.

"We know the very first complaints about Malachy Finnegan go back to the 1970s, not the 1990s, which means there is a body information that was available to people who could have done something.

"What frightens me is that we only find this out all these decades later, I'm the oldest of nine children and I always said my brothers could tell me anything but he didn't because the culture of silence was so oppressive and these children were so frightened.

"There are huge questions to be answered by all the people who were involved at a senior level in that school and in the diocese about what they knew and when they knew it.

"It shouts for an inquiry really and I think an independent inquiry is warranted."

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She said that there are many survivors of abuse suffering "a mountain of hurt."

Ms McAleese said: "He was 49, he was seven when I got married and left home.

"He's not the only one, there are legions of silent sufferers who carry it through their lives and it remains unresolved and causes so much suffering.

"The sad thing is that here we are, 20 years after the new guidelines were introduced, all of the secrets were supposed to be out but here we are, there's a mountain of them and a mountain of hurt."

Controversy

The Bishop of Dromore Dr John McAreavey hit headlines earlier this month after he resigned following the controversy over his officiating at Fr Finnegan's funeral.

The bishop stepped down on March 1st after weeks of anger when it emerged that he had said Requiem Mass for Fr Finnegan.

In a statement released by his solicitors Arthur J Downey, the bishop said his resignation would take "immediate effect".

In the simple two-line statement, Dr McAreavey said: "Following media reports which have disturbed and upset many people in the diocese and further afield, I have decided to resign with immediate effect.

"I shall make further comment in due course."

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The former bishop had met parents from a Co Down primary school in February, who, along with families from other schools, said they did not want him to officiate at their children's Confirmation.

Even before the parents of children from St Patrick's Primary School, Hilltown, Carrick Primary School, Burren and St Patrick's Mayobridge voiced their concerns, Bishop McAreavey admitted making "an error of judgment" by officiating at the 2002 funeral of the paedophile teacher.

Dr McAreavey described the crimes of Finnegan as "abhorrent, inexcusable and indefensible".

The bishop, who has also spoken to a victim of Fr Finnegan, said that his decision - made when he was a priest - to say the Mass "was the wrong one".

The bishop was later defended by his nephew, John McAreavey, the widower of Michaela Harte.

John McAreavey denounced what he called callous and vindictive coverage of the Bishop's resignation.

Allegations about the disgraced teacher and cleric Dr Malachy Finnegan were highlighted in a recent BBC 'Spotlight' programme, although the first allegation against him came to light in 1994.

Fr Malachy Finnegan died in 2002 and has been accused of sexual abuse by 12 people.

Fr Finnegan served at St Colman's from 1967 to 1971 and was a teacher from 1973 to 1976.

He was president of the college from 1976 to 1987.

Between 1994 and 2016, the 12 allegations of abuse were made against him.

Meanwhile, the former president also told RTE Radio One's Sean O'Rourke that she has "received neither an acknowledgement of my letter nor a reply" to a letter she wrote to Pope Francis after the Vatican declined to approve her taking part in a conference in Rome.

She said; "I accept the authority of the Pope, of course I do. But do I accept absolutely everything the Pope says? I don't have to. No."

On the 8th Amendment, Ms McAleese said she "has a lot of reading to do", having been out of the country last week.

She also said that she will not play any part in any campaigning. She said that information given by obstetricians and gynecologists raised "profound questions" for someone like her, being 'pro-life'.

She added; "I'm comfortably a member of the Catholic Church, comfortably uncomfortable sometimes. It's my home, my spiritual home... I love my church'."

The National Society for the Protection of Cruelty to Children has said they are available to provide support to survivors of child abuse.

A spokeswoman said in a statement released to Independent.ie: Many people who have suffered abuse as a child do not reveal their ordeal at the time. Physical or sexual abuse suffered in childhood can have catastrophic and lifelong effects so it is important that victims are able to access support when they are eventually able to disclose what happened to them.

Protecting children is everyones responsibility and depends on people in positions of trust over them  as well as parents, carers and the public  recognising abuse and acting to prevent it.

The NSPCCs helplines provide vital support for anyone wishing to seek advice about child safety and to report any concerns.

Anyone who has been affected by abuse or is worried about a child can contact the NSPCCs helpline 24/7 on 0808 800 5000 or text 88858The Government has hired former US congressman Bruce Morrison's lobbying group to help with resolving the issue of undocumented Irish immigrants in America.

Mr Morrison offered the services of his Morrison Public Affairs Group to prepare draft legislative language for a proposal to help Irish immigrants get work and travel rights in the US in return for reciprocal measures for Americans in Ireland.

There are around 10,500 US citizens in Ireland. Estimates of the number of undocumented Irish in the US range from 10,000 to 50,000.

A former Democratic congressman for Connecticut, Mr Morrison is famous for helping to bring in the so-called 'Morrison Visas' in the early 1990s that granted green cards to thousands of Irish citizens.

Details of his work helping with the undocumented issue are contained in documents filed with the US Department of Justice by Morrison Public Affairs Group under the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA). They include an email he wrote to an Irish Embassy official in November.

It says: "As we have discussed, Morrison Public Affairs Group will prepare draft legislative language for a provision to assist Irish undocumented in the US to gain work and travel authorisation in 'deferred action' status in recognition of a package of reciprocal measures to benefit Americans now or in the future, resident in Ireland." He said the fee would be $7,500 (6,100) payable on acceptance of the proposal.

The embassy official replied: "Thanks and will get back to you asap on this - am sure Dublin will green light."

Further FARA filings show the embassy paid a fee of $7,500 in December 2017.

A spokesperson for the Department of Foreign Affairs said the Irish Embassy liaises with a number of stakeholders including Mr Morrison on the issue of the undocumented Irish.

He said: "This is in line with the Government's objective to seek a solution to the plight of thousands of undocumented Irish citizens resident in the US."

The spokesperson added: "The Government avails of all opportunities to raise US immigration reform and the status of the undocumented Irish with the US administration and with contacts on Capitol Hill.

"The work of Mr Morrison in this regard was in conjunction with the Embassy of Ireland as part of that objective."Taoiseach Leo Varadkar is interviewed by Evan Smith, CEO of Texas Tribune at the SXSW festival in Austin Texas at the beginning of his week long visit to the United States of America. Niall Carson/PA Wire

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has announced a new scholarship programme which will allow people from the Choctaw Nation study in Ireland.

The Taoiseach made the announcement during an official visit to the Choctaw territory in Oklahoma.

Mr Varadkar, who is the first Taoiseach to visit the Choctaws, thanked the community for the support they provided to the Irish people during the Great Famine.

The Choctaw nation raised $170, which equates to thousands of dollars in modern currency, and sent it to Ireland in 1847.

The Taoiseach paid special tribute to the current Choctaw Chief Gary Batton and said the story of the communitys charity symbolises the spirit of St Patrick better than anything else.

Back in the nineteenth century, when the Irish people were oppressed, abused, neglected and degraded by our colonial master, at our lowest, your spirit of generosity was at its highest, Mr Varadkar said.

You showed compassion to a starving people, who were dying in their hundreds of thousands, or about to embark on our own Trail of Tears across the Atlantic Ocean to seek a new life in Canada or the United States.

A few years ago, on a visit to Ireland, a representative of the Choctaw Nation called your support for us a sacred memory. It is that and more. It is a sacred bond, which has joined our peoples together for all time, he added.

Saying thank you to the @choctawnationOK for their support for the Irish nation during the Great Famine. pic.twitter.com/El07bbxwEJ  Leo Varadkar (@LeoVaradkar) March 12, 2018

Mr Varadkar presented Chief Batton with a hurl and a copy of The Atlas of the Great Irish Famine.

Former President Mary McAleese previously visited the the reservation during her tenure and Minister of State for Trade Pat Breen met with Choctaw leaders last year.

During the infamous Trail of Tears almost half of the Choctaw nation perished due to starvation when they were forced to relocate by American settlers.

Now, the nation lives on prosperous reservation which generates income from a thriving casino business.

Later today, two Irish-American twins, Ireland and Declan Harber will play a bodhran and sing traditional songs.

The Taoiseach will also meet with children from the Choctaw Nation Child Development Center.

Mr Varadkar also spoke to Governor of Oklahoma Mary Fallin before the ceremony.The Department of Foreign Affairs spent almost 10,000 replenishing its wine cellars.

New figures released to the Irish Independent reveal the majority of the 10,069 spent on alcohol went on wine, with just 339.15 spent on beer and spirits.

When it comes to which wine is more popular, it seems that white wine wins hands down. Overall, 360 bottles of red wine and 490 bottles of white wine were bought last year.

The department said this put the average price per bottle at 11.44.

"At the most recent stock-take, a total of 1,305 bottles of wine were in stores," according to a spokesperson for the department.

Its figures show that a total of 178 events were held in Iveagh House last year, and a further six were hosted in Farmleigh, which is situated in the Phoenix Park in Dublin.

However, despite the price tag, the department has insisted that value for money is taken into account when alcohol stocks are being replenished.

"These events supported a broad range of Government priorities, such as the advancement of reconciliation and co-operation on this island, the promotion of Ireland's values and priorities on global themes, the promotion of Ireland's bilateral relations including political and economic interests, and cultural events, with an international dimension," the spokesperson said.

The figures revealed that in the course of 2017, some 10,069.27 was spent on maintaining stocks at both Iveagh House and Farmleigh.

The department said that it maintains a "limited stock of wine purchased at a significant discount, relative to the cost of purchasing it from caterers on an ad-hoc basis".

"Stocks are procured with due regard to the need to ensure value for money and appropriate quality and fitness for purpose. In line with all expenditure practices of this department, the purchase of new stock is assessed carefully, and kept under continuing review to ensure value for money," the department said.Amy Daly was wrongly sent to jail in a mix up over TV licence

An innocent young mother who was sent to Mountjoy Prison in a case of mistaken identity has said the ordeal will stay with her forever.

Amy Daly (27) was wrongly detained on January 9, 2015, after gardai came to her home in Tullamore, Co Offaly, with a warrant for the arrest of someone with a similar name who had failed to show up at a court appearance over a TV licence.

Amy, who is a law student, was arrested, detained at Tullamore garda station for six hours and then brought to Mountjoy Prison in a caged van.

She explained to the gardai that she had been collecting stamps for her TV licence and the TV inspector had only called to her door the day before and said everything was fine.

Amy said: "[My son] Jayden was in the house at the time, he had just turned four, and my grandparents were in Australia and my parents were working so I'd nobody to leave him with.

"The guards told me I had to find someone to leave him with because I had to go to Mountjoy. I dropped him with a neighbour and told them I would only be a few minutes to sort it out because it was a mistake.

"At the station they weren't having any of it, they didn't believe me. They took my belongings off me and processed me before I was placed in a cell.

"I was completely distraught. I suffered from panic attacks in the past and I was just so upset, plus I had had to leave my son, it was just a nightmare.

"When I was being taken out of the cell I thought, 'Thank God, I get to go home,' but that was when they said I was being transferred to Mountjoy."

When they arrived at the Dublin prison, Amy was processed and placed in a holding cell alongside other people. It was only when they were being called out one by one that officers called her by a different surname and realised it was a case of mistaken identity.

She sued the Garda Commissioner, the governor of the Dochas Centre at Mountjoy, the Minister for Justice and Equality, and the State over the incident.

The State parties had admitted liability for these breaches but there was an issue over the level of damages. The case was opened before a jury last month but was settled following talks.A mother made her young children walk more than four miles to school after they were rude to their bus driver.

The unnamed woman, from Harrow, in the Canadian province of Ontario, gave her children a cardboard sign to carry during the two-hour trek in snowy conditions.

It bore the words: Being bad and rude to our bus driver! Moms makin us walk."

Her creative punishment was shared more than 38,000 times on social media after she posted her parenting method on Facebook.

My boys have been bad for their bus driver and I got a call from the school yesterday that drew a line for me, she wrote. So this morning we did a 7km walk to show them what every day will be like for them when they get kicked off the bus.

S*** just got real for them. 2 hours later they made it.

The post also received more than 28,000 likes. Hundreds of people wrote that they approved her mothers actions.

Yup, thats the way to do it!!! Good job! wrote one commenter, Omg ur the best, added another.

However, Tina Gatt, manager of community outreach for the local Windsor-Essex branch of non-profit organisation the Childrens Aid Society (CAS), was less impressed with the punishment.

Having the children walk to school showed them the logical consequence of their bad behaviour and could be seen as a reasonable punishment, she told the Canadian Broadcasting Company.

But she said shaming the youngsters on social media was not constructive, she added.

"I don't want to judge or pretend to know all of the nuances of this situation with this parent," she said. But its something to consider when we think about putting signs on kids that says what the bad behaviour is and putting them in a position where you take their picture and put it on social media.

"We would be concerned, and not just Children's Aid, we should be concerned as adults, about shaming children."

The mother reportedly contacted the CAS to share her side of the story after some raised concerns about her Facebook post.

Ms Gatt refused to confirm whether the woman had been in contact with the child welfare organisation.When athletes perform well, they may end up with a medal or a trophy, like the coveted Sam Maguire Cup. Similarly, people who save lives are often publicly celebrated.

But what about heroism on a personal level? There are individuals who face huge challenges in their lives, but they get little recognition for their heroism. Someone who does deserve a gold medal for gutsiness in the face of adversity is 14-year-old Claudia Scanlon from Terenure.

Claudia is living with epidermolysis bullosa (EB), which is also known as 'butterfly skin' because it causes the skin to be as fragile as a butterfly's wings. It's a devastating condition, yet Claudia remains cheerful and optimistic.

There are 300 people living with EB in this country. According to Judith Gilsenan of Debra Ireland: "EB causes the skin to blister and wound at the slightest touch. There is no known cure, and the only treatment is constant, painful bandaging of the skin."

Claudia has EB because both her parents carry a recessive gene, responsible for what has been described as "the worst disease you have never heard of".

"I was still knocking around the Liberties when I was in my 30s," says Liz. "Then I met Gary. We got engaged, married, and had Claudia within three years." She explains that following the birth at the Coombe Women and Infants University Hospital in January, 2004, some of the baby's skin was damaged, so she was taken to ICU.

The next day, a consultant dermatologist broke the news that there was a good chance that Claudia had EB.

"At the beginning, they spoon-feed you," she explains. "How else do you tell parents that their baby may have a problem that is going to affect every area of their lives?" The next step was a biopsy.

In the meantime, Claudia remained in ICU, while Liz went home. "I found myself in an empty house with an empty nursery and an empty cot. All the plans we had made were meaningless," she says.

Two weeks later, Claudia was transferred to Our Lady's Children's Hospital, Crumlin. From the outset, Liz was encouraged to avoid unnecessary skin-to-skin contact with her baby.

They soon learned that there were three main types of EB - simplex, junctional and dystrophic. Liz and Gary prayed that Claudia had EB simplex, the mildest form. Finally, when she was a month old, their baby was diagnosed with severe recessive dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa. Judith says this form of EB may cause internal linings to be affected, as well as a reduction in the flexibility of joints, and fusion of fingers and toes. "It's also complicated by the high risk of an aggressive form of skin cancer from early adulthood," Judith says.

Even though they were devastated, Liz and Gary took Claudia home immediately. "They offered to keep her in [hospital], to allow us to get used to the idea," says Liz, "but we needed to get some normality back into our lives."

And so began a way of being that the Scanlons could never have envisioned. Claudia had to be cradled in cotton wool and handled with kid gloves. "EB causes a breakdown in the natural proteins that hold the skin layers together. The slightest touch can cause severe pain, blistering and sores," Judith explains.

"There was a huge sense of loss," says Liz. "Gary and I had been a happy-go-lucky couple, and then this happened. It was the toughest time ever."

Fortunately, they were helped by their families - particularly Gary's mother, Carmel, who has fostered 36 children over time. There was also great support from the dynamic community in the Liberties. "This area is steeped in history," says Liz. "I'm still friends with girls I went to school with 45 years ago. We've been through it all together - Holy Communion, engagements, weddings, deaths, being 30, 40 and so on."

In the early days, Liz attended to all Claudia's needs herself. "She had wounds like I have never seen on anyone," she says. "The whole thing was just inhuman; I was a basket case. Eventually, I hit rock bottom and had no resources left to tap into."

All along, Liz had been fighting vigorously for EB nursing care. "I knew we were entitled to support, so I fought for it. The day it was approved was like winning the Lotto. A child should only get love and care from a mother. They shouldn't be inflicting pain on their own kids."

Now, three times a week, when her school day ends, Claudia is treated by an EB nurse in a specially designated room at home. The nurse lances blisters, attends to infected wounds, and finishes with a complicated bandaging process. This takes hours, and causes Claudia a lot of pain. But Liz says severe discomfort has always been a part of her daughter's life. "She was born with pain. She has chronic wounds all over her body, and is constantly plagued with infection. Her left hand has completely fused, and she is peg [tube] fed."

But, in spite of all the problems, Claudia continues to smile and, like most teenagers, finds pleasure in clothes, make-up, pop music and social media. And travel. Shopping in New York and going to Disneyland Paris are favourite activities for Claudia. When they travel, they take lots of bandages, lotions and creams.

Liz would move heaven and earth for her daughter. "Now is Claudia's time," she says. "She has been through so much. Apart from the pain, there is all the emotional stuff. Puberty is hard enough, without all this. She has to deal with really big stuff, like her own mortality, even though she's only 14 years old. So, we try to keep things in the here and now."

Liz says Claudia never ceases to amaze her. "Gary and I are completely in awe of her. I've never seen anyone fight that hard to do what they want to do. She's like a brave, brave warrior. The irony is, she is covered in bandages like a wounded soldier, but the only war she's been in is life itself."

This coming week, Liz will face a challenge of her own when she heads off to the Arctic Circle with 20 other women, who will endure six days of extreme weather conditions, to raise funds for Debra Ireland and to increase awareness about EB.

For more information, see debraireland.orgLast night's Room To Improve featured a home in Portrane, Co Dublin

Viewers saw architect Dermot Bannon redesign an old family home on the north Dublin coast in the latest episode of Room To Improve.

Best friends and sisters Anna and Marion Linders have returned from living abroad, to move back into their childhood home with their 81-year-old mother and Annas son Michael in Portrane, Co Dublin.

But the house where they spent an idyllic childhood is in dire need of an upgrade if its to accommodate three generations of the one family.

The house is enviably located on a private headland with spectacular views of Lambay Island  but there is no sea view due to the orientation of the house.

Dermot comes up with a plan to unify a series of stone outbuildings and create a new structure with a raised level  which opens up the house to that all-important sea view.

Last night, viewers saw industrious Anna and Marion attempt to save money by getting stuck into the demolition work themselves.

Expand Close The old kitchen of the family home. / Facebook

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Whatsapp The old kitchen of the family home.

Tensions emerged on site, however, when their sledgehammers got in the way of the builder.

And Dermot, tasked with making changes on a tight budget, didn't hide his chagrin either.

Expand Close The family home in Portrane, Co Dublin, before it was transformed by Dermot Bannon / Facebook

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Whatsapp The family home in Portrane, Co Dublin, before it was transformed by Dermot Bannon

"Were screwed for budget Its 34,000! Thats a lot of money to find."

Take a look at the before and after photos from last night's show.

Expand Close Last night's Room To Improve featured a home in Portrane, Co Dublin / Facebook

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Whatsapp Last night's Room To Improve featured a home in Portrane, Co Dublin

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Expand Close The transformed kitchen and living room. / Facebook

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Whatsapp The transformed kitchen and living room.Michelle in her elegant sitting room, which is furnished in cream and wine. The curtains and other soft furnishings are all from the Ralph Lauren Collection. Michelle also has some old pieces and paintings, which she cherishes. These were given to her by her mother and other relatives. She lights the solid-fuel fire in this room every night

Michelle's welcoming outer hall, though only 10 years old, has a period feel, courtesy of the high ceilings, black and white tiled floor and the mirror. "I was reared in an open farmhouse; we were like the Waltons with a great welcome for everyone, and I wanted to recreate the feel of my childhood"

Michelle's inner hallway is floored in marble - the same marble as that on the kitchen worktops. The ceilings are the height of the house, so the area is filled with light, and it gives her ample wall space for her many paintings

Interior designer Michelle Keane in her kitchen, with its Amtico floor and units from local kitchen company Vaughans. The worktops are marble. As well as a four-oven Aga, she has a gas hob. "I'm into cooking and the Aga is the best money youll spend, if you're into it," Michelle says

'Being a Kerry man is the greatest gift that God can bestow on any man You belong to history and language and romance and ancient song," John B Keane, the 20th-Century playwright from Listowel, famously said.

Unusually for an interior designer, Michelle Keane sprinkles her conversation with literary quotes from the likes of John B; words of songs, and bits of local history - but then she, too, is a Kerry native, and like John B, is fiercely proud of her heritage.

Despite the surname, she's not related to the Listowel author, but she's from nearby Knocknagoshel, and whatever is in the water there seems to make them all silver-tongued and full of charm. It's a quality that can only have helped her become Ralph Lauren's home furnishings online representative in Ireland.

And despite having to travel all over the country for the role, as well as for her work advising clients on their decor, Michelle is based in Kerry, and she wouldn't dream of moving.

Expand Close The light-filled dining/sitting area in Michelle Keane's house in Kerry / Facebook

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Whatsapp The light-filled dining/sitting area in Michelle Keane's house in Kerry

Indeed, her lovely home, which she built from scratch, is only a stone's throw from where she grew up. "It's a very historic place. The civil war started in Ballyseedy, in the field behind my house," she says, adding with a laugh, "My father, Luke Keane, is the local historian. He bate all the history of the place into us."

Growing up on the family dairy farm, - "I'm the middle of five, the one that was deprived of everything," she jokes - Michelle also learned all about local arts and crafts. "My mother, Therese, is gifted with her hands. She's from Brosna; that place was steeped in arts and craft culture; she was brilliant at crochet. Nora, my grandmother on my dad's side, was a brilliant knitter, so I have it on both sides."

With her interest in the arts, art college was an obvious choice, and after the Leaving, Michelle went to Mallow and trained as a fashion designer, then went to NCAD, where she won a scholarship to the Scottish College of Textiles. After graduation, Michelle originally designed knitwear, but with the textiles background, it made sense to her to get into interiors, and she worked freelance, mainly in Dublin and Cork.

But Kerry lured her back. "I was 24, 25, and I decided I wanted to be back home," Michelle explains. "I always had an entrepreneurial spirit, and I decided if I wanted a job in Kerry, I had to create my own. So, in 2000, I founded my company, mibeau Interiors". She adds,"The Celtic Tiger hadn't started roaring yet, but in my blood I knew it was going to be good, and in those days I worked for the best in Ireland. There was a boom in hotels, and I got a lot of work in that area; and abroad, I worked for Oceanico Developments in Portugal. I never advertised - one job led to another."

Just as she was setting up her successful business, another good thing happened - she met her husband, Keith, an accountant. "I met him at a wedding, and came home and told my mother, 'I've met the man I'm going to marry'. We were engaged and married within a year and a half. It was 2003. He's my rock, and a dote," she says fondly, adding that he's quiet and reserved and very laid-back, the polar opposite to her.

Needless to mention, Keith, a Waterford man, had to come and live in Kerry, but apparently he absolutely loves it. They have two kids - Luke (eight), and Holly (two).

Expand Close Michelle in her elegant sitting room, which is furnished in cream and wine. The curtains and other soft furnishings are all from the Ralph Lauren Collection. Michelle also has some old pieces and paintings, which she cherishes. These were given to her by her mother and other relatives. She lights the solid-fuel fire in this room every night / Facebook

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Whatsapp Michelle in her elegant sitting room, which is furnished in cream and wine. The curtains and other soft furnishings are all from the Ralph Lauren Collection. Michelle also has some old pieces and paintings, which she cherishes. These were given to her by her mother and other relatives. She lights the solid-fuel fire in this room every night

Despite the crash in 2008, Michelle's company ticked over, but she has actively upped her game in recent years. "Two years ago, in June 2016, I felt Ireland was back where it was where it was in 2000. I felt the Tiger was going to roar again, so I said, 'What's my bucket list; what do I want to do?'"

She decided she wanted an online business, and the local enterprise office awarded her a trading-online voucher to the value of 5,000, and that helped her to launch her website. That has been a huge boost for her business, and led to something even better - the acquisition of the Ralph Lauren business.

"A client of mine in Ballybunion wanted the Ralph Lauren Cote d'Azur collection of fabrics for her holiday home," Michelle explains. "I couldn't source them anywhere here, so I flew over to London and got them. While there, I heard through the grapevine that they were looking for an online presence in Ireland." The bubbly business woman explains that she didn't let the grass grow under her feet. "I cancelled my flight home and went into the Bond Street Ralph Lauren store and spent the day researching their fabrics and wallpaper."

A week later, Michelle was called over to London for an interview. "I beat off stiff competition," she says. "I had an advantage with my background in textiles. The head of marketing for Ralph Lauren flew over the following week, and we signed the licence agreements in my studio."

Other good things have happened since, including acquiring 20 more international brands for her website. Meanwhile, Enterprise Ireland invited her on to the New Frontiers Entrepreneur Development Scholarship Programme, in conjunction with Enterprise Ireland, IT Tralee and the Tom Crean Business Centre. "It's been phenomenal," she enthuses, extolling the talents of the people who've been mentoring her.

Needless to mention, Ralph Lauren fabrics command pride of place in the home she and Keith have created from scratch. "I drew the set of plans on the sand in Ballybunion - I drew out the sizes of the rooms, and where I wanted the furniture to be. Then I went to the architect, Michael Burke, and said, 'Get light into every room, and I want the kitchen in the front of the house - which is south-facing. He did it all. He was excellent."

Expand Close A detail of the main bathroom, which is tiled in taupe and cream with white sanitaryware / Facebook

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Whatsapp A detail of the main bathroom, which is tiled in taupe and cream with white sanitaryware

Once the plans were in place, she project-managed the build herself and employed direct labour for every aspect of it. "I was pregnant at the time with Luke, and I got all local guys," she says. "It was ideal; it was 2008, it was quiet for them."

A spacious house set on its own grounds, she has four bedrooms upstairs, one of which is en suite; and downstairs, she has a stunning light-filled kitchen/living/dining room, and one elegant, classically furnished sitting room.

"I'm very practical, I was sick of going into houses that had dining rooms that no one ever used," Michelle says. "I didn't want a playroom. Whether you're going to the toilet or working at the sink, the kids want to hang around you - my kids, anyway. I wanted every room to be used," she says, adding, "I light the fire in the sitting room every night, and Keith and I relax in there once the kids are in bed."

There's a large studio to the rear of the house, and there's a strong sense that Michelle is up and at it early in the morning till late at night, but at least with all the new online business, there's less need for her to travel. And as she herself says, quoting her favourite Kerry man, "A day out of Kerry is a day wasted".

"I travel all over the country," she says. "I'm driving a lot, but I love to come home; I'd rather come home at two in the morning, than stay in a hotel. The savage loves his native shore; you can't beat it."

mibeau Interiors, tel: (086) 814-0354, or see mibeauinteriors.com.

mibeau Interiors will be appearing at house 2018, Ireland's only trend-led and style-focused interiors event taking place in Dublin's RDS, May 25-27, showcasing world-class design and the cream of Irish interiors talent. Buy your tickets now at house-event.ie/tickets. Under-12s go free

Edited by Mary O'Sullivan

Photography by Tony GavinIt took my husband three years to confess that actually he thought I had been something of a drama queen during labour. During pregnancy, I had attended the pre-natal classes at Holles Street and had fallen under the spell of enthusiasm for a drug-free labour. Given that during the class, when the actual nuts and bolts of labour were discussed, I had to leave the room to go lie on the ground with my legs up against the wall for fear of fainting, this seems in retrospect overly ambitious.

Within minutes of entering Holles Street, all thoughts of avoiding painkillers had been abandoned. It was at this point that I screamed "I can't do this" (hence the drama queen accusations), then a mere half a centimetre dilated. I now realise I had the easiest labour of all time. Pethidine was administered, and the head midwife on the labour ward agreed to write on my form that I could come back at any time for the epidural if I would only give the pre-labour ward a go. A veil should be drawn over that particular experience, suffice it to say.

Back in the labour ward, I had the most wonderful midwife who told me she wouldn't even consider going through this without medication. It was exactly the support I needed at that moment and for a week afterwards, I wanted to name our daughter after her. Twelve hours after we entered the hospital, Sarah was born, and as they placed her on my chest, making funny squeaking noises, I remember thinking "a lifetime of Christmases in one". Liadan Hynes

Helen Steele

Designer, three children

I was 23 when I had my oldest, Chloe. I went in saying "give me all the pain relief", terrified. But your natural survival mode kicks in. You get this massive urge to power through. I thought I was going to give myself a brain hemorrhage, I was pushing so hard. The second was two weeks late. My friend told me about this yoga pose, I was doing that when my waters broke. I had been swimming four times a week and doing lots of yoga and walking so I think that really helped. But, by God, she was in no panic. Near the end, I said "I'm wrecked, I can't do this level of pain for much longer" and that's when I caved in and got the epidural. My third was nearly born in the car. By the time we got to the hospital, they said it might be too late to give me an epidural. I said "I don't care, give me one", and started shouting, and they did. The most difficult part is not giving birth, it's caring for the baby afterwards, it's so fecking hard.

Sonya Lennon

Designer, two children

Eighteen weeks was supposed to be the first scan, but then I was two weeks' late, so at 20 weeks, I was told there were two babies in there. I cried for 10 days. I'm quite an organised person - every single plan was out the window. I went in at 9am and was induced, then at 5pm they whipped me up to the operating room for a caesarean. The next thing I remember was being handed the twins, then being whipped away to the recovery room. Eventually I was taken back to the ward, where I fell asleep. I slept the whole night, and woke up the next morning in a blind panic. I was like, "where are my babies?", leaping out of the bed. I was pointed in the direction of the nursery, and I went down to a chorus of nurses saying, "oh, here's mum now, dad's been fantastic".

Fiona Heaney

Designer Fee G, three children

My first was a very normal first child labour. On my second, my son was born 50 minutes after I arrived in hospital; a precipitous labour. You feel like something has blown out of your body at speed. Baby number three, I went to bed and read until midnight. Woke at about 2.30am, achy and with pains. I had asked my consultant before, "does a baby ever just burst out of you?" He probably thought I was mad. At 2.40am I told my husband, "there's something crazy going on here". I remember standing up, and on contraction number four, her head came out. She came out in the caul. Her shoulders burst out on contraction six and her head hit my husband's hands, so the impact meant the sac burst. All of this happened in 20 minutes, but we're so blessed it worked out. The ambulance people said "wrap the baby up, put her on to the mother's chest". I put her up to my boob, she literally just latched on. She was still attached with the umbilical cord. The afterbirth contraction pains were worse than the labour. I had to try not deliver the afterbirth until I got to Holles Street. So even though she's out, I'm still having contractions. For a long time, four years, if my husband was telling the story, I had to leave the room. It was the shock.

Alison Canavan

Columnist LIFE magazine, wellness coach, one child

It started with a pain in my back. I'd had that all along, so I really wasn't sure whether I was going into labour or not. I expected it to be a bit more dramatic. I went in and they gave me pethidine, it made me feel very out of it and unwell. It was a long night on my own, I just remember feeling very lonely and scared. I got up in the middle of the night and my waters broke. I was kind of freaked out; "oh my God, what's happening?". After the epidural, I fell asleep for a few hours. I woke up fully dilated and ready to go. Going to the bathroom afterwards, I couldn't believe anything could be that painful. I became terrified of drinking water. You're so emotional afterwards. Directly after birth, I was in shock. I expected it to be like a movie scene; baby arrives and I feel this rush of love. I think I had more of an adjustment period, where I was like, what just happened, I'm in a lot of pain.

Aisling O'Loughlin

Journalist, three children

The closest I came to labour, as we know it, with contractions, was my third. It was a planned C-section because I'd already had two. I did feel contractions, and it made me very grateful that I could have C-sections. I found my first the hardest, trying to sit up in bed afterwards but you can't, and you're trying to breastfeed. That was very distressing. I was thrilled to be having a caesarean. I think it's shocking for women to have to open their legs. I know it's a natural thing but I do. God above, the indignity of it. Nick took pictures and it's lovely to have those.

Joanne Hynes

Designer, four children

We have three girls and one boy. My eldest is five now. I didn't read any books, I just kind of said "well, whatever's going to happen is going to happen". I suppose I wasn't really aware of what was ahead of me, and that's the best way to be. I was having a bath when my waters broke, so I ended up in Holles Street at 35 weeks, and I stayed in for two weeks. I felt very safe. When your waters break, the doctors are nervous about infection, so they brought me back in shortly afterwards. The labour process was a completely bonding experience for John and I to go through together. I was hugely impressed with how great he was. Obviously he wasn't going through it in the same way but he got into the zone with me. I said, "let's see what happens". And I kept going, kept saying "no no no". I was 13 hours in, and then I panicked, because I was exhausted. They gave me an epidural. And she arrived 15 minutes later.

I had a still birth on my second baby, also a girl. We called her Etain. I don't really talk about it too much, but I think it can help other people. It's such a horrific thing to happen, and it does happen to people, unfortunately. I was 39 weeks. It kind of broke the magic, the bubble. I mean, it broke me, it broke us, it broke a lot of things. So my feeling now on pregnancy, it's a very personal thing, is that it's not as carefree as it was the first time. Etain is with me every single day, and we talk about her daily. She is buried in Killoughter, Co Wicklow, not far from where we live. It definitely does do something to you when you lose a baby. It does change your whole life. It was a huge thing to deal with. And I am still trying to deal with it. I dealt with Feileacain, the Stillbirth and Neonatal Death Association of Ireland. They are an absolutely incredible group of women who offer their time and services. Nobody asked me about it. It was like, I was pregnant, and then I wasn't pregnant. I really needed to recognise it; I wanted to shout out "does anybody hear me?". But it was difficult, because people are very uncomfortable. It's still a very uncomfortable situation for people to even acknowledge it. So a lot of people didn't say anything, which I understand. But it was very odd. That was October 2013, and I remember that winter, John and I just kind of staying in and it was very tough.

I've had three labours and two caesareans. I found my first caesarean hugely psychologically challenging, feeling quite robbed of the labour. But we had a healthy baby, it was great. I did have a panic attack, because I felt so out of control after the baby was born that night. Not being able to move - that was very daunting. I'm pregnant at the moment. I'm due now in 10 weeks but I will have a section at 37 weeks - please God. I could probably write a book on labour.

Jennifer O'Dwyer

Designer, Co-host of podcast, Mother of Pod, one child

I was 10 days over, and my mum decided that a long walk was what was needed. So we took off towards the hospital. We got there, and the induction process took a hold. It was a nightmare. It's like your body isn't designed for it, you need time to get to the stages. Contractions come tight and fast. I felt I was dying. I couldn't believe how bad it was.

They put me in the pre-labour ward. I was completely naked, because the feeling of clothes against my skin was too much. I was 10 centimetres dilated, but nobody had checked me, possibly nobody wanted to come near me because I was so out of control. But I knew something was happening. Eventually, they said "get her upstairs now". They put the epidural in and everything changed. I was able to talk again. They said, start trying to push. I said "I think I'm pushing, I'm not sure, I need a mirror. If I can see what's going on, I can isolate the pushing". A midwife held the mirror. That was an eye-opener. It was like a David Attenborough film. I did the whole Kardashian thing, pulling him out myself. I got his head out and the body sort of slithered out.

Maura Derrane

TV presenter, one child

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I kind of knew I was going to have a caesarean because I had placenta previa. There was always a chance I would have a haemorrhage. Holles Street were amazing. They insisted on me staying in hospital for a few weeks before the birth. I'm not a nervous person, but, in hindsight, I think I was naive in ways, thinking I was invincible. Because when it happened it happened bad. Cal was born six weeks early and I had a massive haemorrhage. It was 9.30pm and I was on the phone to my sister. I felt nothing, just this surge. I walked into the ward calmly in the middle of a pool of blood and said "call the nurse". It was really weird because, although I'm naturally calm in a scenario, my whole body went into shock. I was shaking uncontrollably, like jelly. They were amazing, they had Cal out in 15 minutes. I was knocked out, obviously. I didn't see Cal for 48 hours I was so ill, I had lost such a lot of blood. I felt like I'd been run over as it was so quick. The child was ripped out. I really didn't think Cal was going to make it when the bleed was happening. Those 20 or 30 seconds while I was lying on the bed, in blood, and they were looking for his heartbeat, I remember that like it was yesterday. Something went really wrong, but I had the right people there.

Debbie O Donnell

Xpose producer, two children

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I had warning signs that I would get preeclampsia, because I was born very premature myself. I was in an incubator for six months. When it was diagnosed in my first pregnancy, I was very careful, not doing any exercise, minding myself with work.

At about seven months, I didn't feel well and they hospitalised me at that point. I'm very active, I've a busy brain. I found that really hard, very stressful. There's nothing to do and they can't let you out. He came six and a half weeks early. In the middle of the night, my blood pressure spiked, and I had to have an emergency caesarean. The preeclampsia was very bad. I got a terrible fright. Your blood pressure goes up to a level where it's really dangerous for you and the baby. An emergency caesarean is very traumatic. You're into a full surgical team of people. You just want your baby to be okay. I was very lucky, Marcus was absolutely perfect. The whole thing was very traumatic, that's why we left five years between. I did get preeclampsia again. It wasn't quite as bad as the first time around. In the end, I had an elective section. That experience was totally different, there was a lot more calm involved.

Jules Fallon

Model agent 1st Option Models, three children

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Hand yourself over to the experts, and leave your dignity at the door. Nobody talks about the aftermath - to be prepared for the pain when you're peeing and moving your bowels. Your first bowel movement is worse than labour in my experience. But why don't we talk about it and warn each other?

My third didn't go the way the other two had. When I went to get a scan done at 15 weeks, I remember them saying "well Jules, the good news is that one foetal heartbeat is alive". I had twins, I had lost one just that week. That was horrendous, I was pretty devastated. Then six months into my pregnancy, I had 12 days of excruciating pain. I actually didn't want to live any more, only that I had two other children. I ended up at Holles Street, with Rhona Mahony at the front door waiting for me. She had a team of, at one stage, about 24 people in the room working on me. I had preeclampsia toxemia. If I hadn't gone to the doctor that day, most likely I would not have survived that night. When they took her out, she was smaller than the palm of my hand. I didn't see her for a couple of days because I was so sick. And then eventually they wheeled me up in a wheelchair. She was connected to so many machines. There were needles in her feet, in her hands. But we definitely won the lotto. Because they warned me that she would most likely have cerebral palsy, communication problems, problems with her eyes, a whole list of issues. And there is nothing wrong with her at all. We had a few stints in hospital. The first year and a half wasn't too easy, but now when you look back, it was a walk in the park in comparison to what I did see with other babies. We're so lucky to come out the other side with the perfect six-year-old. They let us sign out of the system when she had turned two years and five months. They said, go off and live your life. She is genuinely a walking miracle.

Mary Greene

Divine boutique owner, two children

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I had two very different experiences getting pregnant, and then in labour. Leo was IVF, we were trying for 10 years. Very tough years. I was just so thrilled to be pregnant that nothing would have bothered me. I was five days over. I went in for my check up. They discovered the fluid around the baby had gone down, so they weren't happy to let me leave. They induced me. I had gas and air and then the epidural.

From the years of counting every day on the calendar, when I was due injections and drugs and all the rest, once I had Leo, I didn't care about anything then. My period was late, so I thought I'd do a test just to rule it out. All the hundreds of tests that I had done previously and they were always not pregnant, and this was positive. I just couldn't believe it. I thought Leo was going to be an only child. He was our last embryo. We couldn't afford to do it again. I had said to Ray, let's just be happy with one child. I genuinely believe that I would have been content because I was just so happy to be blessed with Leo. For that decision to be taken out of my hands and for him to have a little brother, I was just over the moon.

Irma Mali

Model, two children

Both of my labours were really similar. I didn't have an epidural on either. I decided that beforehand. In the first place, I wanted to have it quicker. With Kyle, I was in the gym in the morning, with Nicolette, I felt pain in the night, but I went back to sleep. I knew there was no need to panic. I preferred to stay home, have a shower, no point staying in the hospital for hours. Before you get pains, you're kind of nervous, but when you're in it, there's no nerves anymore. I pushed Kyle out in two pushes. Because I didn't let go. From the minute I could push, I didn't let go, I thought, I'm going to push him. I was very fit. I think that made a difference. Afterwards I wasn't in a really good space, to be honest. Although my pregnancy was amazing and I was strong and I felt so good, after having the baby, I crashed. Like most of us, I got depressed. I didn't know why I was crying. I was afraid to leave the house. The fear is so physical. I'd never experienced anything like this in my life. You have to look for help.

Erin McGregor

Dancer, two children

I was 19 when I had my daughter, and hadn't a clue what was ahead of me in the labour ward. My dad drove me in at 3am. My aunties had told me to book the epidural, I did ask at one stage if I had to book it and they laughed and said no. I was scared but I was naive. On my second that's when the real nerves kicked in. When I was pregnant, every time I walked into the Coombe I would start shaking. I was quite traumatised from the first birth. The epidural only worked on one side. It was long and there were slight complications. In saying that, just after having Taylor, I remember feeling like superwoman. Like if I can do that, I can do anything. The thing is, remember it can't last forever. It can't go longer than 48 hours. I definitely found my second one easier. I felt that mentally, I'm older, I had been through trials and tribulations in my own personal life. On my first I was quite scared, I thought I was dying.TDs and Senators will now be allowed to breastfeed in the Dail and Seanad chambers for the first time.

Green Party TD Catherine Martin was informed in a letter dated March 9 last week, that TDs and Senators will now be allowed to breastfeed their infants while sitting in the chambers.

Up until now, the Oireachtas policy was such that noone except TDs and Senators themselves were allowed inside the chambers.

Independent.ie highlighted the issue in an exclusive special feature two weeks ago.

Thanks to the announcement, Ireland now joins the likes of Australia and Iceland, where parliaments accommodate breastfeeding politicians.

There are no maternity or paternity leave entitlements for TDs and Senators in Ireland.

The clerk to Dail Committee on Procedure stated in a letter to deputy Martin: I have to inform you that it is permissible for a mother to breastfeed an infant in the chamber while the Dail is in session.

The clerk Noreen Banim added: The Ceann Comhairle has no objection to a mother using the robing room for that purpose during the morning.

Members of the Committee on Procedure have been requested to inform their parties or groups accordingly, and the Superintendent of the Houses has also been informed, she said.

Deputy Martin told Independent.ie: Im delighted that this has being discussed and agreed. It should always have been that way. Were now showing that the leadership that needs to be shown.

Ireland has the lowest rate for breastfeeding in Europe.

She wrote in her letter to the Committee, asking that breastfeeding be allowed in both chambers: "The reasons behind a reluctance to breastfeed in our society are rooted in cultural choices across generations. It is up to us to lead in changing this culture, and that begins here in the Oireachtas."Almost a third of travel insurance claims made by Irish customers are lodged before the holiday has even begun, according to AA Ireland.

In an analysis of its own claims data since 2012, AA Travel Insurance found that on average, 30pc of claims made each year are lodged as a result of the holidaymaker needing to cancel or curtail their trip before departure.

"It's very easy to fall into the trap of assuming you only need travel insurance while you're actually abroad and leaving it until the very last minute before your departure to purchase cover," said AA director of consumer affairs Conor Faughnan.

"Unfortunately, taking that approach can prove exceptionally risky as you could be left with a significant hole in your wallet if you're forced to cancel your holiday at short notice ... if for example, an illness were to leave you unable to travel and you've avoided taking out travel insurance you could find yourself still having to pay considerable amounts."

The company's analysis found one in five claims made by Irish holiday-goers related to unexpected medical expenses incurred while abroad. More than one in seven claims lodged in 2017 were for lost baggage.

AA Ireland chief executive Brendan Nevin believes Brexit is likely to cause less competition in the Irish insurance market.

"Heretofore you would frequently find UK insurers entering the Irish market on a periodic basis," he told the Sunday Independent.

"I am guessing that will become more difficult because what they may well find is that while they are happy to deal with insurance intermediaries in Ireland, whether they are willing to set up a fully loaded subsidiary in Ireland might be another matter."Zip World Velocity, with speeds of over 100mph. Photo: Zipworld.co.uk.

If you're gonna have an adventure, it might as well put the heart across you, right?

We've scoured the planed for six of the world's best travel adventures, from 'SkyJumps' off communications towers to Europe's fastest rollercoaster.

Are you brave enough for these travel adventures? WATCH: Thrills, swings and zip-lines... Which terrifying travel adventure would you try? #LoveTravel in association with AA Ireland Posted by Independent.ie Travel on Saturday, March 10, 2018

Would you try the world's biggest swing? The Nevis sends you soaring through a 300m arc in a canyon new Queenstown, New Zealand.

Or what about its fastest zip-line? Velocity is closer than you think in Snowdonia, Wales - shooting riders at speeds of up to 100mph over a quarry lake...

That's just the beginning. Take a look at our video, and see which adrenaline-fuelled adventure you'd try next.

Are you brave enough?Premium

Colm McCarthy Opinion UK is not alone in its Covid failures

New cases, hospitalisations and deaths from the virus have all risen somewhat in the UK over the last week. Given the rapid roll-out of vaccination, the best in Europe, this should not have been happening. The reason seems to be the so-called Indian variant, more infectious and more widespread in Britain, and some experts are worried the government may be forced to pause, or even reverse, the lifting of restrictions.Premium

Gene Kerrigan Opinion The penny is finally dropping for the Profits before People alliance

There was a time when the Irish had no problem with building stuff. We were so good at it that we sent generations of our offspring to help the British and the Americans build their cities. Now we have a crisis  we havent enough dwellings for our people to lay down their heads in at the end of the day.Gorgeous former Miss World Rosanna Davison and hunky husband Wesley Quirke escaped Ireland's chilly temperatures by soaking up the sun in Mauritius. Rosanna revealed than Wes "bronzes in five minutes"

The rich are different from us. Or, at least, Rosanna Davison and her husband Wesley Quirke are. Last weekend, when the rest of the nation were freezing their collective proverbials off, the one-time Miss World and her beau jetted to the Indian Ocean.

"We got the worst of it," protested Rosanna - meaning the snow in Ireland. "We only arrived in Mauritius on Sunday. We were snowed in all last week," she said, adding that "it is currently 30 degrees Celsius here."

Doubtless such sunny weather will encourage her and her husband to obey The Tan Commandments. They are in Mauritius for a couple of weeks to attend the re-opening of the One&Only Le Saint Geran hotel after its big renovation last year.

Rosanna is also there to work on a new season of recipes with the Constance Hotel Group. On March 21, they fly to Dubai for a few nights, then jet out to Pakistan to attend a swish event commemorating Pakistan Day. Hilary Swank and Lindsay Lohan are also going.

Rosanna is quite cool and witty, and doesn't take herself remotely seriously. A testament to her self-deprecating sense of self was surely that she didn't hang up her mobile phone by the pool of the One&Only Le Saint Geran in Mauritius when your diarist asked her these slightly ridic questions...

Who looks better on the beach - you or Wes?

"Wes looks better on the beach. He bronzes in about five minutes," she answered, "whereas I prefer to fake it". I was terrified to ask Chris de Burgh's famous daughter what she was faking, precisely.

Who spends more time in the bathroom getting ready to go out - you or Wes? "Believe it or not," she said, "Wes spends more time in the bathroom and takes longer to get ready! I love to be make-up free with messy hair on holiday." So do I.

Daniel and Majella head North West for Easter

Where to go for Easter? You could simply copy the loved-up plan of Daniel O'Donnell and lovely wife Majella and go North West.

"We plan to spend Easter at home in Donegal with Siobhan, Gavin, Olivia and Archie," he told me.

On the subject of my own happy days, I pointed out to Daniel that my wife Aoife recently brought into the world our second child, a baby boy with an intriguing name: Daniel.

"Well named!" said Daniel O'Donnell. "Congratulations to you all. That's great news. Our grandson Archie Daniel Thomas Shield was born on January 17.

"They're about the same dates, I'd say," wee Daniel said of delightful Daniel Hugh Peter Egan, who was born on January 11. Elsewhere, Elaine Paige, Aidan Gillen and his mum, plus Niall Quinn and his wife Gillian are expected at Tommy Fleming's sold-out show at the Bord Gais Energy Theatre tonight. Tommy and his wife Tina are throwing a post-show bash at Lillie's nightclub afterwards. To celebrate the end of his equally sold-out UK tour next month, Tommy and Tina are jetting out to their second home in Portugal for a holiday. T'n'T are so loved up that they had afternoon tea a deux in the Westbury yesterday.

Dr Matt's leaving Chicago early to rejoin Leo in July

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I am probably Leo Varadkar's biggest fan. After Dr Matthew Barrett. He has done a pretty good job fixing the country so far as Taoiseach, don't you think?

It can't always have been easy with his other half - the aforementioned Matt - on the other side of the Atlantic, doing his fellowship and saving lives as a doctor of some note in Chicago while Leo saved the soul of the Irish nation 3,650 miles away.

Leo is flying out to Amerikay this week for St Patrick's Day.

"I'm missing both Six Nations matches as a result which is a bummer. So [I] will make up for it at Easter and go to Munster and Leinster matches in Thomond or the Aviva," he said.

Someone who An T presumably - and significantly - has missed of late, will, however, be joining him in the Big Apple. I speak, of course, of Dr Barrett.

"He's meeting me in New York for the weekend," Leo told me. "Private capacity. [He's] paying all his own bills, etc."

I told Leo that I hope to meet Matt some time. "You will most likely. He's not doing the second year in Chicago so will be back in July. Less than four months."

Glad to hear it, Leo. A happy Taoiseach is a happy Ireland, I always say.

Brendan and Chara: modest geniuses of Cork

There is a chance the streets of Ireland will be as empty this Wednesday evening as they were during Storm Emma. The whole country will be inside watching Brendan O'Connor's Cutting Edge which, happily, returns to RTE 1 at 9.35pm.

Merrion Private (I know, I know, it sounds like a posh wing in a hospital!) at Heritage House on St Stephen's Green was far from empty last Tuesday night as Brendan launched artist, and fellow Corkonian, Chara Nagle's latest exhibition Haystacks, which runs until March 21. Brendan noted that: "Of course, you talk to Chara and she will tell you she is just a simple straightforward artist who just creates work that makes people smile.

"Modesty is of course another hallmark of Cork people," he smiled.

"We are largely modest geniuses."

Brendan also told a packed Merrion Private (attendees included Dr Peter Boylan and his wife Jane, RTE's David Murphy and his wife Martina Devlin) that "when I think of Chara Nagle, I think about sex. I think specifically about her Moments paintings, those Celtic Tiger Irish people sitting around half naked.

"I was looking back on it, and it struck me that some of it wouldn't be allowed now in this new era. Because it wasn't black and white. It was ambiguous. Was she celebrating her subjects or sending them up?

"And it summed up the ambiguity many of us felt about these times. And of course that's the Cork person in her. Us Cork people are all about the ambiguity. We are a people who can hold in our minds at one time both a massive superiority complex and a massive inferiority complex."Last week, the Taoiseach ticked a few more items off his To Do list. Thursday's special Cabinet meeting was finally able to rubber-stamp the wording for the upcoming referendum on the Eighth Amendment, following the Supreme Court's ruling in a separate case that unborn children do not have rights in the Constitution beyond the right to life.

The main policy paper, outlining the key points that will be included in subsequent legislation, was also approved. As a result, Minister for Health Simon Harris was free to bring the 36th Amendment of the Constitution Bill 2018 to the Dail on Friday for a Second Stage reading and debate.

Independent TD Mattie McGrath, who was the first in the Dail on Friday to express his outright opposition to the Bill, opened his remarks by accusing the Government of a "mad rush" towards May 25 as the preferred referendum date when there was still no clear indication how proposed abortion services will be provided and by whom.

Be that as it may, the parameters of the argument are hardly going to change substantially no matter how much extra time there is between now and the referendum. Both sides know what must be done to sway undecided voters, and have sufficient time to do so. There's no need for "scrapping the proposal", as the Tipperary TD urged. The people will decide. That's the point.

McGrath, though, was definitely onto something when, in advance of Friday's sitting, he charged the Government with "pandering to certain elements and groups" in its approach to abortion.

Mr Harris repeated again that the Government's proposed legislation would be in line with the recommendations of the Oireachtas committee on the Eighth, namely that there be abortion up to 12 weeks on demand, and in later cases with medical approval where there is a risk to the mother's mental or physical health.

That in turn is almost a carbon copy of the findings of the Citizens' Assembly. That gathering was meant to be representative of the Irish people, but opinion polls since have consistently shown significant misgivings about allowing self-referral for abortion up to 12 weeks. It seems self-evident in retrospect, as it did to more observant critics at the time, that the Assembly over-represented the more radical end of the abortion debate. That imbalance has been replicated at each stage, first in the Oireachtas committee, and now in the proposed legislation. The damage it could cause may still prove fatal as pro-life opponents rally forces.

The only innovation is for a cooling-off period of a few days between seeking and accessing a termination.

Mick Wallace TD sharply criticised that proposal in the Dail last Friday as another "barrier" to accessing abortion, quoting the World Health Organisation which says such waiting times "demean women as decision-makers". He felt the Government was using them as a "sop to placate those who seem to think women have abortions as a contraceptive measure without giving a second thought to it".

He may be right, though "sop" is too pejorative. More likely is that the Government has realised it needs an answer to the charge that abortion on demand up to 12 weeks may be going too far, but is not quite sure how to allay fears. If this is indeed the best the Cabinet can come up with, then it suggests that they will struggle in the campaign to neutralise the issue.

They're simply not addressing those concerns. As Harris's contribution demonstrated, ministers want to emote rather than argue, with the Minister for Health even asking TDs to picture women at that precise moment in airports and ferry ports making the "lonely" journey to England for an abortion.

"She might be sitting quietly next to the hen party, the businessman or businesswoman or the honeymooners," Harris declaimed, getting into his stride, "seeming to be on a similar journey. But she is not." He even compared the current abortion regime in Ireland to that in Saudi Arabia, shamelessly playing the guilt by association card.

Nor was he alone in that. Fianna Fail's Billy Kelleher did express some concerns at how the 12-week proposal could unravel the good will around repealing the Eighth, but he too went down the same heart-rending road by raising the spectre of a woman "pregnant as a result of a vile rape" who faces 14 years in jail for inducing an abortion and causing a miscarriage under the present law, while her rapist faces a maximum sentence of only eight years.

Everyone knows this has never happened, and no one believes it ever would happen. Raising such a possibility is as much of a sensationalist trick as distributing pictures of extremely rare late abortions on leaflets, as sections of the pro-life campaign have been condemned for doing.

One moment Kelleher was warning campaigners to be "mindful of the language" they use when describing abortion, because it's "insulting and hurting (for) women who have already been through a traumatic experience". The next, he was painting word pictures of girls and women who that very night would "put a towel down, lie on a bathroom floor and induce a miscarriage". The call to take the heat out of the debate has to work both ways.

Mick Wallace was most graphic as he asked those who oppose abortion on the grounds of rape to put themselves in the position of a victim of sexual assault: "Imagine the waves of nausea and vomiting, the feeling of complete and utter contamination, the pain of vaginal penetration, the pain of vaginal ruptures and torn skin, bleeding and infection, the pain of the restraining, the hitting, punching and choking." There's far too much of this graphic embellishment on both sides, and much of it, to be blunt, insults the intelligence of voters.

Fianna Fail's Kevin O'Keeffe even told the Dail on Friday that the Government's claim to be thinking of young people when it drew up its abortion proposals was contradictory because, as a byproduct of abortion, there would ultimately be fewer of them.

"It will lead to a cull of the youth of the future," was how O'Keeffe put it melodramatically. "It is more or less telling an unborn he or she will not be here in the future." Such outlandish arguments are unlikely to sway anyone.

It was notable that left-wing female deputies who have long campaigned for abortion, such as Clare Daly, Ruth Coppinger, and Brid Smith, steered clear of the more lurid approach, using anecdote only where they had a personal connection to the woman whose experience was being cited, and sticking instead to substance. Coppinger pointed out that the countries with the lowest abortion rates, such as the Netherlands, were those with the most liberal abortion regimes, so anyone wishing to reduce the number of abortions ought logically to favour liberalisation.

They set forth a consistent message that certain rights, such as to one's own bodily integrity, are inviolable, even when they seemingly clash with other rights, while also stressing that there is already abortion on demand for those who can afford it. Together their contributions to the debate were strong, unsentimental, clear-headed and all the more effective as a result.

Too many contributors to the debate continue to sound as if they've only recently discovered the indignities that women face in crisis pregnancy. Striking the right tone matters because the referendum will ask voters to agree that "provision may be made by law for the regulation of termination of pregnancy". It's not women that voters need to trust so much as the TDs who'll be making that call at some future point, and trust in politicians is hardly at a premium anywhere right now.Already, with a couple of months still to go, the abortion referendum feels like our own Vietnam; a war that will never end.

The rote lines of both sides have beaten a country into submission. Maria Steen, Tara Flynn and Catherine Noone must be on the brink of nervous exhaustion, but they and others have, at least, moved us towards the bitter end.

Most people, it seems, have by now made up their mind. If polls can be believed, a majority now favours removal of the Eighth Amendment and more favour the proposal of 12-week unrestricted abortion than any other option.

On May 25, barring a Trump or Brexit-like upset, Irish women will no longer have to travel abroad for terminations and future generations will be spared another divisive referendum on the subject. What seems unlikely, however, is that the result will be greeted by anything like the outpouring of joy after the result of the marriage referendum.

As a nation we will have torn down another bastion of the theocracy but the debate, in which neither side will give an ideological inch, has mostly ignored the grey areas and contradictions of abortion.

The law will change but the controversy and concern around abortion will remain.

This is in large part because neither side of the debate has really ventured into the territory of the other.

Pro-life campaigners have never explained why they want to force women into later stage terminations by making them travel abroad.

In their idealism they do not grapple with the practicality and compromise that guides the rest of us: that abortion happens, and we must legislate for that reality.

They do not address the absurdity of asking a woman to bear a child she does not want.

They do not explain why we should trust them now, when they have been on the wrong side of every other social issue in living memory.

From pop culture to the Dail, repealers were the consensus this time around, but still behaved as though they were revolutionaries storming the ramparts.

They never adequately addressed the notion that abortion on request will result in it being used as a contraceptive - there are 185,000 a year in England - or a type of eugenics.

They can only dismiss the photographs of abortion as being "graphic" without addressing the grisly reality portrayed.

Online they behaved with all the measured decorum of a pitchfork mob. Repeal will come you feel, in spite of, rather than because of the campaign for it.

Both sides have commandeered the martyrs of the war - Savita, Miss X, Miss C - and both claim a monopoly on compassion.

Aside from Tara Flynn, Roisin Ingle and a few others, personal testimony has been in notably short supply.

The marriage referendum was won by stories, but the abortion referendum still feels largely like a decision on an abstraction.

We could do worse than look for guidance from the Supreme Court.

This past week it had a real, live situation in front of it and decided that, besides the right to life, the foetus only has a right to be taken into account somewhat in the making of an immigration decision.

This seems to me a nuanced way to approach the referendum vote; to take the unborn into account, but stop short of ascribing rights.

I will vote for repeal and would be in favour of a more lax regime than the 12 weeks that are being proposed, but my vote, like that of many others, is driven by selective compassion and acceptance of grey areas.

It is inarguable that nascent life, usually something with a face, ends with abortion. A heartbeat stops. And on a philosophical level, maybe this is a victory of the strong over the weak.

But the science, so often brandished by the pro-life side, is really quite pro-choice; a foetus of 12 weeks does not yet have consciousness and cannot feel pain. It is human, but not quite a person.

Women, who need abortions, can certainly feel pain, however, both emotional and physical. They are people in need, with their backs to the wall. This is why I reserve my empathy for them and trust them with the solution. And trust also works: the experience in other European countries has shown that the more liberal the abortion regime, the earlier the abortions tend to be.

The issue of Down's syndrome and abortion is more emotive and has required some intellectual gymnastics for repealers to absorb.

For me it comes down to accepting that it would be a strange society that forced people into life-changing responsibilities for which they were not able.

The pro-life side seems to think that women will just have babies and bond with them automatically but this discounts the large number of mothers who have abortions precisely because they are fully aware of the awesome responsibility of parenthood.

The journalist Caitlin Moran wrote that she had her abortion after her two children had been born. She was under no illusions by then as to what motherhood entailed.

Pro-life campaigners fear not just repeal but what is to come beyond that.

They suspect, it might become as fashionable here as it is in England, where one in five pregnancies is aborted every year. When I hear that statistic I feel grateful for abortion.

I imagine the alternative: a society with that amount of unwanted children and trapped women.

Think of the damage the best intentioned parenting inflicts, and then imagine what a parent who doesn't want a child could do. A tapestry of dysfunction extends from one generation to the next.

When we have recovered from referendum burnout, there will still be a way to go before abortion is like any other healthcare.

Perhaps part of that might be trying to find some middle ground with those who disagree with us. One of the central messages of pro-life campaigners is that society is not yet a welcoming enough place for pregnant women, who are in turn driven to a terrible decision.

Pro-choice advocates like Kitty Holland, who have been open about their abortion regret, seem to echo this sentiment, albeit with a different solution.

Perhaps the real question with abortion is not if it should be available, but why it is availed of quite so much.

If we can deliver abortion which is not just free and legal but, also, as Leo Varadkar (pictured left)promised, rare, then that will be real choice.The Pope's visit to Ireland this summer should be cancelled in retaliation for the banning of former President Mary McAleese from a conference at the Vatican.

That, at least, was being said in some quarters when news broke of her exclusion from the event - organised, ironically, by a group seeking to empower women to get "a seat at the table of decision making in the Catholic church".

Last week, the conference took place at a venue in Rome outside the Holy See, allowing Mrs McAleese to participate - but tempers have continued to rise, stoked both by the language that she used during the event, and also by a mawkish patriotic fervour determined to take umbrage at any criticism of our beloved ex-President. The Taoiseach has upped the nationalistic rhetoric when it comes to the North. Now it seems some people want to open a second front against the Vatican too.

Obviously, the attempted barring of McAleese from a conference with the title Voices Of Faith was absurd as well as counter productive. The Association of Catholic Priests had already strongly criticised the decision, taken by one US cardinal because of Mrs McAleese's vocal support for lesbian and gay rights. The word "voices" is plural, suggesting a multiplicity of views, rather than a rigid conformity.

Having said that, is it really so astonishing that some in the Vatican might see the world from a traditional Catholic viewpoint, in which such phenomena as same-sex relationships, sex outside marriage, and so on, are categorically wrong, rather than personal behaviours which are nobody else's business - God's included?

In the event, Mary McAleese's contribution to the debate last week was characteristically spirited, and she deserves credit for exploding the bizarre misconception that Pope Francis is some kind of secret metropolitan libertine on matters of sex. That myth has proved frustratingly difficult to dislodge since his election in 2013, despite repeated pronouncements proving himself to be almost the exact opposite. McAleese effectively challenged the Pontiff to prove that he means what he says when he pontificates vaguely about the church embracing diversity.

Drawing on her deep learning in church history and theology, McAleese went further, declaring that the church was an "empire of misogyny", presided over by an "hermetically sealed cosy male clerical elite" using "pure codology" to prevent the ordination of women, which she regards as historically inevitable. Addressing the Pope directly by name, she said: "The time for change is now."

As stirring as this was, though, it's hard to read accounts of what Mary McAleese said without entertaining the (no doubt heretical) thought that the cardinal who originally wanted to exclude her from the conference may have had a point.

Referring snidely to "350 male celibates" was a cheap shot unworthy of someone with her long engagement with the church. While debates about celibacy, and female clergy, and homosexuality have been going on for centuries, Mary McAleese also criticised the church for being "anti-abortion". Whatever one thinks about abortion, that's hardly an unreasonable position for the Catholic church to adopt - and if the former President wishes to argue otherwise, she will need a more persuasive argument than that this will not make it popular in a "church of the future."

It's not the church's job to be modern, but to safeguard what it regards as eternal truths.

Demanding that the Vatican embraces abortion is expecting too much. Should the Catholic church also be expected to throw open the doors to people advocating, for example, polygamy or promiscuity as things which God intended?

Surely even Mary McAleese would concede that there are some behaviours incompatible with Christian ideals, but it seems that liberal Catholics sometimes want the right to set their own rules of engagement, while denying the church the same privilege.

The Vatican is not the only place from which certain voices are excluded for non-conformity, after all. In January, when it became clear that a group of British radical feminists was planning to come to Ireland under the banner 'We Need To Talk', an open letter was issued from Feminist Ire, a collective of left-wing activists, opposing the visit on the grounds that the group in question was "transphobic" for arguing against the proposed Gender Recognition Act in the UK, which will allow people to self-declare their gender.

The Irish authors complained that the visitors were "behaving with the arrogance of imperialism", adding: "We have had enough of colonialism in Ireland without needing more of it from you."

The letter ended with a simple message: "We neither want nor need your lecture tour. You're not welcome here." The letter was signed by over 800 Irish women, many prominent in the feminist movement here, as well as by a number of major organisations, including UCD's Centre for Gender, Feminisms and Sexualities.

Where was the outcry at this crude attempt to silence dissenting opinions? There was none, just as there are no protests from self-professed progressives when controversial speakers are "no-platformed", as it's called, at university campuses for not following a particular line. Yet we're still supposed to take lectures on freedom of speech from people who enforce dogmas every bit as inflexible as those coming out of the Vatican. They too, as McAleese said of the church, have "almost no culture of self-critiquing".

There may be a certain amusement in seeing Mary McAleese suddenly hailed a heroine for sticking it to the church - by some of the same people who derided the way her Presidency was marked "by outward expressions of piety" (as an article in the Irish Left Review later put it sniffily).

But the stench of hypocrisy is too overpowering to take seriously their more fevered defences of Mary McAleese's right to speak.

If you only support the right to free speech of those who are saying exactly what you want to hear, that's not principle, it's posturing.Meghan Markle talking to children as she leaves the Commonwealth Service at Westminster Abbey, London (Yui Mok/PA)

Meghan Markle acted like a blushing bride when she told a group of schoolchildren and their principal she was very, very excited about her forthcoming wedding.

The American actresss comments came when she met pupils from across the country after her first Commonwealth Day service at Westminster Abbey.

Hundreds of youngsters were invited to the event attend by the Queen and other senior royals including the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, Prince of Wales, Duchess of Cornwall, and Prime Minister Theresa May.

Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Previous Next Close Meghan Markle meets school children in Dean's Yard after attending the Commonwealth Service at Westminster Abbey, London Jack Hill/The Times/PA Wire Prince Harry and Meghan Markle talk to Archbishop Angeaelos, Coptic Orthodox Archbishop of London in Dean's Yard after attending the Commonwealth Service at Westminster Abbey, London. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Monday March 12, 2018. See PA story ROYAL Commonwealth. Photo credit should read: Jack Hill/The Times/PA Wire Britain's Queen Elizabeth meets Liam Payne after the Commonwealth Service at Westminster Abbey in London, Britain March 12, 2018. REUTERS/Paul Grover/Pool Prince Harry and Meghan Markle talk to Archbishop Angeaelos, Coptic Orthodox Archbishop of London in Dean's Yard after attending the Commonwealth Service at Westminster Abbey, London. Jack Hill/The Times/PA Wire Prince Harry and Meghan Markle talk to Archbishop Angeaelos, Coptic Orthodox Archbishop of London in Dean's Yard after attending the Commonwealth Service at Westminster Abbey, London. Photo credit should read: Jack Hill/The Times/PA Wire Flags of the Commonwealth being paraded through the Abbey at the Commonwealth Service at Westminster Abbey in London, Britain March 12, 2018. REUTERS/Paul Grover/Pool / Facebook

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In Deans Yard close to the Abbey, Harry and Meghan chatted to the youngsters who earlier had been in the congregation, including Holly Hartley, principal of Thistley Hough Academy in Stoke on Trent, and her pupils.

Ms Hartley said: She was saying what a lovely service it had been and her first service at Westminster Abbey. We congratulated her on her engagement.

She was delighted and said she was very, very excited she stayed chatting with us for quite a while  what a lovely, lovely lady.

Harry and Meghan will wed on May 19 at St Georges Chapel, Windsor Castle and the couple have invited 1,200 members of the public, who will be chosen by lord lieutenants from across the country, into the fortress grounds to share in their day.

The principal added: She said what a lovely day shed had and we had a little joke about the rain, as we had to brave the rain earlier.

She said it was great to see people from all over the world so well represented at the service.Livia Firth and Colin Firth arrive for the Harpers Bazaar Women Of The Year Awards at Claridges Hotel on November 05, 2013 in London, England. (Photo by Stuart C. Wilson/Getty Images)

Colin Firth and Livia Firth attend the GQ Men of the Year awards at The Royal Opera House on September 2, 2014 in London, England. (Photo by Anthony Harvey/Getty Images)

Livia Giuggioli and Colin Firth attend the "Bridget Jones's Baby" world premiere at the Odeon Leicester Square on September 5, 2016 in London, England. (Photo by Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images)

If we heard that nice, handsome Colin Firth had a fling, we'd barely bat an eye. The variety of sexism that judges men less harshly for ill-judged romantic relationships is alive and well, after all.

Also he's a film star and opportunity must be in abundance - women throwing themselves at him and all that. Generations of film stars before him have found it hard to resist the appeal of adoration, so why should he be any different?

But it hasn't been in the news that nice, handsome Colin Firth had a fling. No, instead, it was his wife Livia whose love life made the headlines last week.

The couple married 20 years ago, but between 2015 and 2016, they were briefly separated - and during this time, she had a "fling" with a childhood friend, journalist Marco Brancaccia.

Brancaccia was a friend from her childhood in Italy. The fact that Livia and her former lover are both Italian seemed to matter in the coverage of this romantic revelation. The Italians having different attitudes to amore, don't you know?

The rest of the world might think Livia should count her blessings and be in awe of her nice husband's Oscar, though an Italian might not think that way. (Funnily enough, Firth himself became an Italian citizen last year following the UK vote for Brexit.)

Expand Close Colin Firth interview / Facebook

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The revelation that Livia Giuggioli (yes, she kept the hard-to-pronounce maiden name - count this woman's crimes) had a brief relationship during her brief separation came last week, on the heels of reports that she was being stalked by an old childhood friend. A criminal investigation was being conducted into Firth and Giuggioli's complaints to Italian police that this person had emailed photographs and sent threatening texts and emails. Giuggioli was also reported to be in fear that he was following her.

What followed, however, were the reports, including in Italian newspaper La Republicca, that Brancaccia wasn't just an old friend, but a former lover of Livia. Suddenly it was as if the tone of the 'poor Firths' story, had altered to the 'poor Colin Firth story'.

It was reported, after the story of the alleged stalking, that Brancaccia told an English newspaper the criminal complaint was a means of covering up a romantic relationship between him and Livia. A statement on behalf of the Firths confirmed the affair.

"A few years ago Colin and Livia privately made the decision to separate," it went. "During that time Livia briefly became involved with former friend Mr Brancaccia. The Firths have since reunited."

Plain and simple and to the point.

"Subsequently," the statement went on, "Mr Brancaccia carried out a frightening campaign of harassment over several months, much of which is documented. For obvious reasons, the Firths have never had any desire to make this matter public."

The Firths have apparently claimed that the alleged stalking on Brancaccia's part was due to his refusal to let go of the relationship. He is said to have contacted her electronically in a manner that amounted to threatening and stalker-like behaviour and also drawn Firth into his angst.

Reports say that Brancaccia, a journalist, threatened to write about his relationship with Livia Giuggioli, and sent photos to her husband.

Expand Close British actor Colin Firth (R) and his wife Livia Giuggioli pose on the red carpet as they arrive to attend the World Premiere of the film 'Bridget Jones' Baby' / Facebook

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The threat to publicly embarrass them both seems to have been part of what they allege is worthy of police investigation.

Of course, any public airing of dirty laundry is embarrassing, whether you are a public figure or not. But when image is a huge part of your career and your reputation, it's a bit different to suffer a scandal.

Image and public perception of who you are can shift very easily and very quickly. And it stands that to be a man, who is - regardless of whether he wishes it or not - generally considered to be an old-school sort, a decent chap, then it dents both ego and image to be publicly scorned.

Because it's different being a man scorned than a woman.

Even today, you won't find anyone scratching their head at the sexual peccadilloes of a man. But when it's a woman, then that's considered a rather more life-shattering risking of life and love and happiness.

And in the case of Livia Giuggioli, even though they were on a break, this fling seems to have consequences that back up a notion that women shouldn't make any missteps. Toe the line, ladies, or pay the price.

For his part, Brancaccia has contradicted the reporting of the case. The way he tells it, there was no stalking, just a relationship gone wrong. And he doesn't just mean his relationship with Livia. He also means Colin Firth's.

"We were romantically involved," Brancaccia has said, "she wanted to leave Colin for me." He also said that Giuggioli's marriage to Firth had been over "for years" before their romantic relationship began.

Well, he would say that, wouldn't he? Though they Firths have now reunited, so it's not actually over at all.

Still, however, that must smart, never mind Brancaccia's claim that Livia sent him "hundreds of messages of love, photos and videos, even a diary".

Then, what Brancaccia describes is less stalking than the agonies of romantic disentanglement when one person ends a relationship that the other wishes to continue.

"My 'stalking'," Brancaccia said, "consisted of two messages via WhatsApp after she ended our relationship in June 2016, and an email," he said.

"I wrote an email to Colin about my relationship with Livia, which I now regret sending, and she filed a complaint against me for stalking, out of fear that I could go public with what she had revealed to me about her marriage and work."

Brancaccia's lawyers have said that he has filed a legal complaint to defend his "good name and honour". Brancaccia has said that Colin Firth was "understanding" in the wake of the regretted email. Which was very decent of him, under the circumstances.

It's not a pretty state of affairs, but Colin Firth perhaps comes out unscathed. Or relatively. He is, in fact, seemingly more decent, upstanding and honourable in terms of public image, as result of what has occurred. He was wronged, he is trying to do right - even if the alleged stalker disputes the accusation - and he is honourably making his marriage work since.

Everyone else involved is perhaps a little less unsullied - but that's how it works, it seems.Wreckage of an airplane is pictured as rescue workers operate at Kathmandu airport, Nepal March 12, 2018. REUTERS/ Navesh Chitrakar

Nepalese rescuers stand near a passenger plane from Bangladesh that crashed at the airport in Kathmandu, Nepal, Monday, March 12, 2018. (AP Photo/Niranjan Shreshta)

Wreckage of an airplane is pictured as rescue workers operate at Kathmandu airport, Nepal March 12, 2018. REUTERS/ Navesh Chitrakar

Nepalese rescuers stand near a passenger plane from Bangladesh that crashed at the airport in Kathmandu, Nepal, Monday, March 12, 2018. (AP Photo/Niranjan Shreshta)

Nepalese rescuers stand near a passenger plane from Bangladesh that crashed at the airport in Kathmandu, Nepal, Monday, March 12, 2018. (AP Photo/Niranjan Shreshta)

A US-Bangla Airlines passenger plane has crashed as it landed at Nepal's Kathmandu airport, killing at least 38 people.

It is understood a further 23 people were injured, with another 10 still unaccounted for, Nepal police said.

Clouds of thick smoke could be seen rising from the plane, which was on a field at the edge of the airport.

US-Bangla is a private Bangladeshi carrier.

Expand Close Nepalese rescuers stand near a passenger plane from Bangladesh that crashed at the airport in Kathmandu, Nepal, Monday, March 12, 2018. (AP Photo/Niranjan Shreshta) / Facebook

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The flight was arriving from Dhaka, Bangladesh, an official said.Chinese President Xi Jinping drops his ballot, during a vote on a constitutional amendment lifting presidential term limits, at the third plenary session of the National People's Congress (NPC) at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China. REUTERS/Jason Lee

Xi Jinping has cleared the way to rule for life and set China on a more authoritarian course after the country's parliament voted overwhelmingly to abolish presidential term limits yesterday.

The move turns the clock back on decades of reform and reverses a system of "collective leadership" that was installed following the turmoil of Mao Tse-tung's one-man rule.

Almost 3,000 delegates of China's National People's Congress (NPC) backed the measure during a historic meeting inside Beijing's Great Hall of the People.

The Chinese president was among the first to vote, placing his orange ballot paper in a red box bearing the official seal of state at the centre of the stage. The deputies then left their seats to cast anonymous votes as jaunty music played during the 10-minute ritual.

The room erupted into loud applause when the result of the vote was passed with 2,958 in support. Two voted against, while three abstained and one ballot paper was spoiled, signifying almost total loyalty to Mr Xi's vision for strongman rule.

At least two-thirds of delegates were required to vote in favour of the constitutional changes to allow Mr Xi to rule beyond the end of his second term in 2023. Observers now believe the Chinese president is almost untouchable.

Expand Close Military delegates arrive for the National Peoples Congress in Beijing yesterday. Photo: Nicolas Asfouri/Getty / Facebook

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Andrew Nathan, a China expert at the University of Columbia, in the US, said Mr Xi has "locked up every possible source of power in the tripartite party, state, and military apparatus".

"I have no doubt, human nature being what it is, that there are many party elites who are jealous and disapproving of him, or who hate him, partly due to the anti-corruption campaign and partly due simply to his monopolising power in this way," he said.

"But they have been isolated, cowed, and silenced. Although it is hazardous to make predictions about China, I can see no sign of a brewing power struggle. Xi seems secure."

The ruling Communist Party says the move to scrap presidential limits has received widespread support from officials and ordinary people. China's tightly controlled media has presented it as a routine matter.

Expand Close Delegates cast their votes during a plenary session of the National Peoples Congress at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing yesterday. Photo: Andy Wong/ AP / Facebook

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Whatsapp Delegates cast their votes during a plenary session of the National Peoples Congress at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing yesterday. Photo: Andy Wong/ AP

But the country's huge army of internet censors has been forced to mobilise to confront criticism on social media.

Authorities have also moved to silence critics who have expressed concern about a return to one-man rule in a nation that now ranks among the most powerful on Earth.

Roderick MacFarquhar, a former China correspondent at the 'Daily Telegraph' and a current China expert at Harvard University, said Mr Xi's power grab still relied on the support of China's People's Liberation Army (PLA) in the long term.

"One bad adventure could lead to Xi being ousted," Prof MacFarquhar said. "The one group that Xi has to keep on side is the military."

The parliament also backed inserting Mr Xi's political theory into the constitution, a feat no other leader since Mao had managed while in office.

The party gave Mr Xi the title of "core" leader in 2016, a significant strengthening of his position at the time.

An emerging "cult of personality" has seen him being bestowed with a range of adulatory titles, and one local official recently likened him to a living Buddhist deity. ( Daily Telegraph, London)

Telegraph Media Group Limited [2021]Burmas military is building installations on land in villages that had been occupied by Muslim Rohingya who fled to neighbouring Bangladesh after their homes were burned down in what analysts charge was a campaign of ethnic cleansing by the authorities, Amnesty International has said.

The London-based rights group said in a report that eyewitness evidence and analysis of satellite images established that Burmas Rakhine state is being militarised at an alarming pace with the construction of army bases, helipads and roads built in villages that had been burned and bulldozed.

Rights groups and the United Nations charge that about 700,000 Rohingya Muslims who fled to Bangladesh were forced out by a scorched earth campaign by Burmese security forces that began last August after a Rohingya insurgent group carried out attacks on about 30 security outposts and other targets.

What we are seeing in Rakhine state is a land grab by the military on a dramatic scale, said Tirana Hassan, Amnesty Internationals crisis response director.

Expand Close A Rohingya refugee camp (Manish Swarup/AP) / Facebook

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New bases are being erected to house the very same security forces that have committed crimes against humanity against Rohingya.

Burma government spokesman Zaw Htay said the bulldozing is mainly to prepare burned areas for resettlement and reconstruction, and only covers areas where structures had already been burned down.

We are going to build new villages and new homes and resettle people there according to the village planningBurma government spokesman Zaw Htay

The government has denied burning down villages to drive out the Rohingya.

We are going to build new villages and new homes and resettle people there according to the village planning, Zaw Htay said by phone.

He denied separate allegations that the bulldozing was to destroy evidence of human rights abuses by the army, a major concern of human rights groups.

The bulldozing of entire villages is incredibly worrying, said Ms Hassan.

Burmas authorities are erasing evidence of crimes against humanity, making any future attempts to hold those responsible to account extremely difficult.

The operation has raised concerns among rights groups that the authorities are destroying evidence of crimes against the Rohingya, which could hinder future investigations.

Zaw Htay also rebutted the charges that the construction amounted to militarisation.

Its not true that the army is building bases in the region, he said.

There are only police posts for regional security and law enforcement reasons.

The military is not only building security force bases and roads but also bulldozing everything including houses, trees, landmarks and even graveyardsMohammad Ali, Rohingya resident

Burmas government has pledged to accept back the Rohingya who fled, and it has been constructing shelters, including dozens at a large transit camp in northern Rakhine state near the Bangladesh border.

But Amnesty International said the flattening of Rohingya villages and the new construction could make the voluntary, safe and dignified return of Rohingya refugees a distant prospect.

The military is not only building security force bases and roads but also bulldozing everything including houses, trees, landmarks and even graveyards, said Mohammad Ali, a Rohingya resident of Buthidaung town in northern Rakhine.As many as 50 people may have been killed (AP)

Dozens of people have been killed after a passenger plane carrying 71 people from Bangladesh crashed and burst into flames as it landed in Kathmandu, Nepals capital.

The death toll among those on board the US-Bangla Airlines flight remained unclear amid the chaos of the crash, with badly injured victims being rushed to nearby hospitals.

Nepal army spokesman Brigadier General Gokul Bhandari said 50 people had died and the fate of the others was unknown.

A police official said at least 38 people had died, 23 were injured and another 10 were unaccounted for.

An AP journalist who arrived at the scene soon after the crash saw the US-Bangla Airlines twin-propeller plane broken into several large pieces, with dozens of firefighters and rescue workers clustered around the wreckage in a grassy field near the runway.

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Hundreds of people stood on a nearby hill, staring down at what remained of the Bombardier Dash 8.

The plane swerved repeatedly as it prepared to land in Kathmandu, said Amanda Summers, an American citizen working in Nepal. The crowded city sits in a valley in the Himalayan foothills.

It was flying so low I thought it was going to run into the mountains, said Ms Summers, who watched the crash from the terrace of her home office, not far from the airport. All of a sudden there was a blast and then another blast.

Fire crews put out the flames quickly, perhaps within a minute, she said, though for a time clouds of thick, dark smoke rose into the sky above the city.

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The plane had circled the airport twice as it waited for clearance to land, Mohammed Selim, the airlines manager in Kathmandu, told Dhaka-based Somoy TV station by telephone.

US-Bangla Airlines operates Boeing 737-800 and smaller Bombardier Dash 8 Q-400 planes.

The airline, part of US-Bangla Group, is based in the Bangladeshi capital, Dhaka, and flies to several domestic and international destinations. The parent company is involved in a number of industries, including real estate, education and agriculture.

Kathmandus airport has been the site of several deadly crashes. In September 2012, a Sita Air turboprop plane carrying trekkers to Mount Everest hit a bird and crashed shortly after takeoff, killing all 19 on board.A police car being taken away by military personnel in Salisbury, as police and members of the armed forces probe the suspected nerve agent attack. Photo: Andrew Matthews/PA Wire

Hundreds of people could have been contaminated by the nerve agent that poisoned a Russian double agent in Salisbury, officials have confirmed, as locals questioned last night why they were not warned sooner.

A week after Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia were left in a critical condition following an attack in the English city, residents were advised to take action to protect themselves.

Anyone who visited the same pub or restaurant as the pair last Sunday was told to wash their clothes immediately and clean all jewellery, mobile phones, spectacles and other items with antiseptic wipes.

Theresa May will today lead a meeting of the National Security Council, attended by the heads of all three intelligence agencies, after which she is expected to formally link Russia to the Salisbury poisonings.

Scientists at Porton Down, the UK government's chemical warfare laboratory, are understood to have been carrying out final tests overnight that will prove beyond reasonable doubt that the nerve agent used in the attacks was made in Russia.

Mrs May is then expected to announce fresh sanctions against Russians close to Vladimir Putin, as well as the expulsion of some Russian diplomats from the UK.

Expand Close Tables and chairs remain unused inside the closed pub which Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia visited before they were found poisoned. REUTERS / Facebook

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As the police and military operation continued in Salisbury, staff at the Zizzi restaurant, where the couple dined shortly before falling ill, were told to destroy any clothes they had been wearing at the time and also visit their doctor for a health check.

There were claims last night that the nerve agent had been found all over the pair's table.

Drinkers at the popular Mill pub in the city were also urged to take similar steps if they were there between Sunday lunchtime and Monday night, when the venue was eventually sealed by police.

Traces of the nerve agent - which has been identified but that officials have refused to name - have also been found at the pub, it is believed.

Last night there was growing anger among Salisbury residents over the delay in passing on information to the public.

Maureen Jones (73) who has lived in Salisbury her entire life, said: "I can't understand why it has taken a week for them to tell people."

Dan Munday said: "Enough of this cloak and dagger stuff, let the public know what's going on. It is our city after all."

Another resident who was in the Mill pub at about the same time as Col Skripal and his daughter said he was outraged that he was only now being told to take preventive measures.

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He said: "I am not reassured because I do not know all the facts. What are the long-term effects?"

While health officials insisted the risk to the public was minimal, members of the military, wearing chemical protection suits, continued to seal off parts of the city.

Just minutes after holding a press conference intended to reassure the public, scores of military personnel, police officers and paramedics descended on Bourne Hill police station and offices in the city.

Two military tents were set up and dozens of army personnel donned protective suits as they moved a series of vehicles from the car park.

It is thought the vehicles could have been used by police officers who attended the scene of the attack last Sunday.

Det Sgt Nick Bailey, one of the first responders, remains in a serious condition in hospital, although he can sit up and talk.

Philip Ingram, a former intelligence and security officer who has studied chemical warfare, said all the indications pointed towards a liquid nerve agent similar to the one used to kill North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's half brother last year.

Mr Ingram said: "The fact that traces have been found at multiple locations suggests this is almost certainly a thickened liquid that would have a very persistent effect.

John Glen, the MP for Salisbury, said he was less than satisfied with the response: "I am somewhat frustrated that Public Health England did not inform me what was going on." ( Daily Telegraph, London)

Telegraph Media Group Limited [2021]Marine Le Pen has proposed changing the name of the Front National to Rassemblement National - loosely translated as National Rally - as part of a makeover aimed at ridding the French far-right party of its racism-tinted past and getting it ready to take power.

She made the proposal at a party conference where members voted to sever ties with her father, Jean-Marie Le Pen, the firebrand founder of the movement who has a long history of making racist and anti-Semitic remarks.

But on the same day that Ms Le Pen, who took over 10 million votes last year in her failed bid for the French presidency, spoke of a bright new future for the FN, her party had to suspend a senior official after he was caught making a racist insult.

Ms Le Pen (49) said the FN's current name was "associated with a glorious and epic history that no one can deny" but she said it was also an impediment that prevented the Eurosceptic and anti-immigration party winning power in elections.

The new name must now be approved by party members in a mail vote. The possible change is part of a broader makeover - aimed at "de-demonising' the party.

She won a major boost on Saturday when Steve Bannon - the man who helped Donald Trump ride a populist wave to power in the US - made a speech at the conference.

He praised Ms Le Pen's vision of a political spectrum that no longer spans left-right but pits "nationalists" against "globalists".

"Let them call you racists, let them call you xenophobes, let them call you nativists. Wear it as a badge of honour. Because every day we get stronger and they get weaker," Mr Bannon said. ( Daily Telegraph, London)

Telegraph Media Group Limited [2021]The helicopter crashed near the Gracie Mansion in New York (Andres Kudacki/AP)

All five passengers have been killed after a helicopter crashed into New York Citys East River.

Police say a sixth person, the pilot, freed himself and was rescued by a passing tugboat on Sunday night.

The helicopter was being chartered for a photo shoot when it went down near Gracie Mansion, the mayoral residence.

Video posted on Twitter shows a red helicopter land hard in the water and then flip on its side as its rotors struck the water.

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Witnesses on a waterfront esplanade near where the aircraft went down said the helicopter was flying noisily, then suddenly dropped into the water and quickly submerged.

But the pilot appeared on the surface, holding onto a flotation device as a tugboat and then police boats approached.

Its cold water. It was sinking really fast, Mary Lee, 66, told the New York Post. By the time we got out here, we couldnt see it. It was underwater.

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Celia Skyvaril, 23, told the Daily News that she could see a person on what looked like a yellow raft or float screaming and yelling for help.

News footage showed one victim being loaded into an ambulance while emergency workers gave him chest compressions.

A bystander, Susan Larkin, said that she went down to see rescue boats in the river and a police helicopter circling overhead, hovering low over the water.

You could clearly see they were searching, she said.

A Federal Aviation Administration spokeswoman said the Eurocopter AS350 went down just after 7pm.

A Eurocopter AS350 went down in the East River near Roosevelt Island in #NYC at 7pm today. The helicopter reportedly is inverted in the water. Local authorities will confirm the number of people on board, their names and conditions. The #FAA is investigating.  The FAA  (@FAANews) March 11, 2018

The aircraft was owned by Liberty Helicopters, a company that offers both private charters and sightseeing tours popular with tourists.Tens of thousands of farmers from across western India have arrived in Mumbai demanding, among other things, a waiver of farm loans and fair prices for their produce as Indias agriculture sector struggles amid years of declining earnings.

The farmers reached Indias business capital on Monday after marching on foot for up to six days and plan to surround the state legislature of the western state of Maharashtra.

Agriculture employs more than half of Indias 1.3 billion people but has seen earnings dwindle over the years and now only adds 15% to Indias economy.

Farming in India continues to be largely rain-fed, and apart from poorly thought out policies, has also been harmed by changing weather patterns.

Years of droughts interspersed with unseasonal rains have hit farm incomes hard.Japans finance ministry has acknowledged doctoring documents in a widening scandal linked to prime minister Shinzo Abes wife that has rattled his government.

The doctored documents related to the 2016 sale of state land to a school operator in Osaka at one-seventh of its appraised price with the alleged involvement of first lady Akie Abe, who supported the schools ultra-nationalistic education policy.

Finance Minister Taro Aso said on Monday that an investigation by the ministry and prosecutors has found 14 instances of alterations.

Reports say Akies name and a phrase calling the land deal exceptional were deleted after the scandal surfaced.

Opposition politicians allege political pressure was applied.

A top finance bureaucrat involved in the land deal resigned on Friday and another official reportedly killed himself.Melrose Industries has raised the stakes in the takeover battle for GKN with a final offer that values the UK engineering giant at 8.1 billion.

That is compared with the 7.4 billion bid previously put forward by Melrose, which is now offering GKN shareholders a total of 1.4 billion in cash and the chance to own a 60% stake in Melrose.

The turnaround specialist said it represented an attractive immediate premium of 43% on GKNs closing price on January 5 at 467p per share.

In a letter to GKN shareholders, Melrose chairman Christopher Miller hit out at the takeover targets own efforts to fight off the hostile bid, particularly GKNs recent agreement to merge its automotive business with US firm Dana in a 6.1 billion US dollar (4.4 billion) deal.

Mr Miller said: We are nearing the end of the customary offer timetable and it is now time for you to decide.

On the one hand you can join us on a journey of value creation by investing in a UK listed manufacturing powerhouse worth over 10 billion today and receiving 1.4 billion of cash.

On the other hand your Board is attempting a hasty fire-sale of GKN businesses before they have been given a chance to reach their potential and with damaging consequences, we believe, for all stakeholders.

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GKN announced the terms of the Driveline deal last week which would see Dana shareholders own 52.75% of the company and GKN the remainder, with the combined company set to be domiciled in the UK but traded on the New York Stock Exchange.

Mr Miller said some GKN investors would not be able to hold the foreign listed shares, adding that the Driveline agreement was likely to involve a lengthy and uncertain completion process with competition clearances needed in the US, EU and China.

Melroses chairman went on to criticise GKN management for the way it has handled the business and for failing to hold talks with Melrose over the offer.

GKN became a target following profit warnings in October and November after problems at its US aerospace division sent shares tumbling.

Mr Miller said: Your Board has unequivocally declined each time to enter into any such discussions with us and, as recently as Friday 9 March, was unwilling to even enquire on your behalf as to the terms of any revised proposal, a decision that no doubt you will find both surprising and disappointing.

Instead of 1.4 billion in cash and a majority investment in a stronger combined Melrose / GKN business, it appears the GKN Board prefers a minority stake in a foreign business (Dana) with no GKN management involvement. The GKN Board is suggesting this is the best option for shareholders, employees, pensioners and other stakeholders.

The deadline to accept Melroses increased offer is 1pm on Thursday March 29.Syrian government forces have divided the rebel Eastern Ghouta enclave outside Damascus into two, supporters of President Bashar al-Assad claimed yesterday.

The advance threatens to worsen an already dire humanitarian situation at the doors of the capital.

A military media outlet linked to the Syrian army and its Lebanese allies, the militant group Hezbollah, said pro-government forces broke through rebel lines to establish a corridor through the besieged region after capturing the town of Mudeira.

The advance cuts off the towns of Douma and Harasta from the rest of the enclave. Douma is Eastern Ghouta's largest settlement and residents and local authorities are considering evacuating the town, said local council member Iyad Abdelaziz.

"The idea of leaving was refused outright at first, but now with the regime advances and the siege that's been tightened, there are negotiations about something along those lines," Mr Abdelaziz said.

Government jets pounded Harasta last night according to Hezbollah's al-Manar TV station, which was broadcasting live from a lookout.

Hezbollah is one of several Shiite militias organised by Iran to support Mr al-Assad's forces and put down the rebellion sparked by the violent crackdown on anti-government demonstrations in 2011.

The government's advance followed 22 days of intensive ground and air assaults on rebels and civilians trapped inside the Ghouta enclave, which have killed over 1,100 people according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitoring group.

At least 12 civilians died under shelling and airstrikes yesterday, according to the Observatory. The Ghouta Media Centre put the toll at 17 dead.

The Civil Defence search-and-rescue group, also known as the White Helmets, said the town of Arbeen was struck 44 times, killing nine people.

The Syrian military command claimed it had established a humanitarian corridor to allow civilians to leave but few have used it.

Residents are afraid of being conscripted into the army, or being detained arbitrarily or barred from returning to their homes.

"No one feels safe turning themselves over to the regime and hoping they will be treated as a regular citizen again," said Mr Abdelaziz.

Russia's military command said it was negotiating with rebels to let them leave but one faction, Faylaq al-Rahman, declared it will refuse to surrender or leave.

Residents have been crowding into basements with little food and water to shelter from the indiscriminate bombardment.The pilot was the only survivor of the crash (AP)

A pilot who survived when his helicopter went down in Manhattans East River, killing five passengers, reported engine failure in an emergency radio transmission, it has emerged.

The pilot is heard saying Mayday, mayday, mayday during the crash on Sunday night.

He reported an engine failure over the East River and referenced a hotel, while the person at the other end of the transmission had trouble making out what the pilot was saying.

The pilot freed himself and was rescued by a tugboat, but emergency divers had to remove the passengers inside the charter helicopter which was being used for a photo shoot from tight safety harnesses while they were upside down, Fire Commissioner Daniel Nigro said.

He said: It took a while for the divers to get these people out. They worked very quickly as fast as they could. It was a great tragedy that we had here.

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The National Transportation Safety Board dispatched investigators on Monday.

Video taken by a bystander and posted on Twitter shows the red helicopter land hard in the water and then capsize, its rotors slapping at the water.

Witnesses on a nearby waterfront esplanade said the helicopter was flying noisily, then suddenly dropped and quickly submerged. But the pilot appeared on the surface, holding onto a flotation device as a tugboat and then police boats approached.

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A Federal Aviation Administration spokeswoman said the Eurocopter AS350 was owned by Liberty Helicopters, a company that offers both private charters and sightseeing tours popular with tourists.

The skies over New York constantly buzz with helicopters carrying tourists, business people, traffic reporters, medical teams and others. Crashes are not unheard of.

In 2009, a sightseeing helicopter of the same model and operated by the same company as the one involved in Sundays crash collided with a small, private plane over the Hudson River, killing nine people, including a group of Italian tourists.

The pilot freed himself. 3 people were removed in critical condition and transported to a hospital along with the pilot. 2 were pronounced dead at the scene -#FDNY Commissioner Nigro gives update on helicopter down in East River pic.twitter.com/KRlWQavdBH  FDNY (@FDNY) March 12, 2018

A crash in October 2011 in the East River killed a British woman visiting the city for her 40th birthday. Two other passengers died weeks later as a result of their injuries.

A helicopter on a sightseeing tour of Manhattan crashed into the Hudson River in July 2007, shaking up the eight people aboard but injuring no-one. In June 2005, two helicopters crashed into the East River in the same week.

One injured eight people including some banking executives. The other hit the water shortly after take-off on a sightseeing flight, injuring six tourists and the pilot.A helicopter has crashed into New York Citys East River and flipped upside down in the water, killing two of the six people aboard and leaving three others in critical condition, officials said.

Video taken by a bystander and posted on Twitter shows the red helicopter land hard in the water and then capsize, its rotors slapping at the water.

An update on the helicopter crash in the East River being provided by @NYPDONeill and @FDNY Commissioner Nigro. Watch: pic.twitter.com/lzacSjiCT2  NYPD NEWS (@NYPDnews) March 12, 2018

The helicopter, a private charter hired for a photo shoot, went down near Gracie Mansion, the mayoral residence. One person, the pilot, freed himself and was rescued by a tugboat, officials said.

The passengers were recovered by police and fire department divers, who had to remove them from tight harnesses while they were upside down, Fire Commissioner Daniel Nigro said.

Witnesses on a waterfront esplanade near where the aircraft went down said the helicopter was flying noisily, then suddenly dropped into the water and quickly submerged. But the pilot appeared on the surface, holding on to a flotation device as a tugboat and then police boats approached.

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Its cold water. It was sinking really fast, Mary Lee, 66, told the New York Post. By the time we got out here, we couldnt see it. It was underwater.

News footage showed one victim being loaded into an ambulance while emergency workers gave him chest compressions.

A bystander, Susan Larkin, told The Associated Press that she went down to see rescue boats in the river and a police helicopter circling overhead, hovering low over the water.

You could clearly see they were searching, she said.

A Eurocopter AS350 went down in the East River near Roosevelt Island in #NYC at 7pm today. The helicopter reportedly is inverted in the water. Local authorities will confirm the number of people on board, their names and conditions. The #FAA is investigating.  The FAA  (@FAANews) March 11, 2018

A Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) spokeswoman said the Eurocopter AS350 went down just after 7pm local time. The aircraft was owned by Liberty Helicopters, a company that offers both private charters and sightseeing tours popular with tourists. A phone message left with the company was not immediately returned.

The cause of the crash is unknown. The FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board are investigating.

Officials did not immediately release the names of the pilot or passengers or say how the two passengers died.

The helicopter was recovered in the rescue operation and towed to a pier.Authorities investigate an explosion at a home in Austin, Texas (Ricardo B. Brazziell/Austin American-Statesman via AP)

Package bombs that killed a teenager and wounded two women in Austin on Monday are probably linked to a similar bombing that killed a man in Texas capital city earlier this month, authorities said.

Investigators are considering whether race was a factor because all of the victims were minorities.

The first of Mondays attacks killed a 17-year-old boy and wounded a 40-year-old woman, both of them black.

As police chief Brian Manley held a news conference to discuss that blast, officers were called to the scene of another explosion that badly injured a 75-year-old Hispanic woman.

Briefing regarding explosion on Galindo. https://t.co/gkSSgME0S4  Austin Police Department (@Austin_Police) March 12, 2018

She was taken to a hospital with potentially life-threatening injuries.

Authorities suspect that both of Mondays blasts are linked to a March 2 attack that killed a 39-year-old black man, and they urged the public to call police if they receive any unexpected packages.

The latest explosions happened during the South by Southwest music, film and technology festival, which brings about 400,000 visitors to Austin each year.

The explosions happened far from the festivals main events, and there was no immediate word from organisers about additional safety precautions.

Four years ago, a driver ploughed through a barricade and into festival-goers, killing four people and injuring many others.

SXSW is heartbroken by the explosions in Austin earlier this month and today. Our thoughts are with the victims and those affected. @Austin_Police are conducting ongoing investigations related to these incidents. Please stay safe, and if you see something, say something. https://t.co/ptMu3fylec  SXSW (@sxsw) March 12, 2018

Additional security measures were taken in the aftermath, including additional policing, tougher security checks and brighter street lighting, among others.

The three explosions occurred in different parts of Austin.

Mondays first explosion happened at a home near the citys Windsor Park neighbourhood and about 12 miles (20 kilometres) from the home where the March 2 package bomb killed 39-year-old Anthony Stephan House.

His death was initially investigated as suspicious but is now viewed as a homicide.

Mondays second explosion happened in the Montopolis neighbourhood, near the airport and about five miles (eight kilometres) south of the days first blast.

A $15,000 reward is being offered for information leading to the arrest of those responsible for Austin package bombings. https://t.co/6V5lC2DF39 pic.twitter.com/Y4dplcUsn8  Gov. Greg Abbott (@GovAbbott) March 12, 2018

In at least the first two blasts, the packages were left overnight on the victims doorsteps and were not mailed or sent by a delivery service.

Mr Manley said neither the Postal Service nor private carriers such as UPS or FedEx have any record of delivering the package to the home where Mondays explosion occurred.

There are similarities that we cannot rule out that these two items are, in fact, related, he said.

Investigators have not determined a motive for the attacks, but it is possible that the victims could have been targeted because of their race, he said.

We dont know what the motive behind these may be, Mr Manley said.

We do know that both of the homes that were the recipients of these packages belong to African-Americans, so we cannot rule out that hate crime is at the core of this.

My heart goes out to the family of the individual who died & was injured from the explosion on Old Fort Hill Dr. This type of crime will not be tolerated in #ATX. If you receive a package that you are not expecting or looks suspicious, DO NOT open it, call 911 immediately. pic.twitter.com/sJSYQZMziv  Brian Manley (@Chief_Manley) March 12, 2018

Special Agent Michelle Lee, a San Antonio-based spokesman for the FBI, said the agency responded to both events and was assisting Austin police, who were leading the local investigation.

She said the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives was leading the federal investigation.

A second package was discovered near the site of the initial Monday explosion, and some residents and media members were evacuated or pushed farther from the blast site as authorities determined whether it was a bomb, Mr Manley said.

Police did not immediately identify the teenager who was killed.

Mr Manley said the woman who was injured in that attack is in hospital.A package that exploded inside a house in Austin, Texas, killing a teenager and wounding a woman, is believed to be linked to a deadly package sent to another home in Texas capital city earlier this month.

Austin police chief Brian Manley said investigators believe the attacks are linked because in each case, the package bombs were left on the victims front doorsteps, and not delivered by a mail service.

He said the US Postal Service does not have a record of delivering a package to the Austin home where the explosion occurred. He said that package was brought into the kitchen where it detonated, killing a 17-year-old boy and injuring the woman.

Mr Manley said investigators believe the explosion is linked to a similar blast that killed a 39-year-old man on March 2. That explosion occurred about 12 miles north of Mondays blast. Both explosions occurred in the early hours.

The chief said all of the victims have been black and that investigators are considering whether race could have factored into the attacks.

The FBI is helping Austin police in the investigation.Mr Renzi has stepped down after the Democratic Party's worst ever election results (AP)

Former Italian premier Matteo Renzi has formally resigned as leader of the Democratic Party following its crushing defeat in the latest parliamentary election.

Party leaders named Maurizio Martina, who has served as agriculture minister in the outgoing government, as the Democratic Partys interim leader.

Italian news agency Ansa quoted Mr Martina as saying that the Democrats would follow Mr Renzis plan to remain in opposition and not join any government.

No party or coalition won enough votes in the March 4 election to govern alone. Arduous talks will determine if either anti-establishment 5-Star Movement, the party with the most votes, or the centre-right coalition led by the anti-immigrant League, which would control more parliamentary seats, can form a stable government.

Mr Martina said the League and the 5-Stars dont have any alibis now and should take their responsibility to form a government.The scene of a helicopter crash in the East River in New York

A helicopter has crashed into New York Citys East River, killing two passengers and critically injuring three others.

Police said a sixth person, the pilot, freed himself and was rescued by a passing tugboat on Sunday night.

An update on the helicopter crash in the East River being provided by @NYPDONeill and @FDNY Commissioner Nigro. Watch: pic.twitter.com/lzacSjiCT2  NYPD NEWS (@NYPDnews) March 12, 2018

The helicopter was being chartered for a photo shoot when it went down near Gracie Mansion, the mayoral residence.

A Eurocopter AS350 went down in the East River near Roosevelt Island in #NYC at 7pm today. The helicopter reportedly is inverted in the water. Local authorities will confirm the number of people on board, their names and conditions. The #FAA is investigating.  The FAA  (@FAANews) March 11, 2018

Police and fire department divers pulled the five passengers from the helicopter.

Video posted on Twitter shows a red helicopter land hard in the water and then flip on its side as its rotors beat the water.The third edition of Tax, Accounting and Audit in India is updated for 2017, and provides an overview of the f...Srinagar, Mar 12 (IBNS): At least 3 terrorists were killed in an ongoing encounter with security forces in Anantnag district of South Kashmir during wee hours of Monday, police said.

According to official, by pursuing credible leads on presence of terrorists, forces started search in the Hakoora Village of Anantnag Town in South Kashmir.

While the search was going on the hiding terrorists fired upon the search party.

The fire was retaliated by the security forces which started an encounter.

In the said encounter ,3 terrorists were killed, which include Eesa Fazli of Srinagar, Syed Owais of Kokernag and a third militant whose Identity is not known so far.

In the process, arms and ammunition, which include AK 47 rifles ,pistols ,hand grenades etc, were recovered from the encounter site.

Further, in the said incident no collateral damage has taken place.

"It is pertinent to mention that among the killed terrorists ,one was involved in a recent attack on a police guard post at Soura in which one police constable was killed," the official said.

In this connection, a case has been registered and an investigation has been started under the relevant provisions of the law by the police.

Meanwhile, authorities have impose restrictions in some parts of Srinagar to ensure law and order while all educational institutions will remain off on Monday.



(Reporting by Saleem Iqbal Qadri)

Chennai, Mar 12 (IBNS): At least five trekkers, who were trapped in a forest fire in Kurangini hills of Tamil Nadu, died, media reports said on Monday.

39 people were trapped in the forest fire on Sunday.

Out of them, 30 people have been rescued and taken to hospital.

Rescue operation is going on to rescue the missing people.

After request from Tamil Nadu Chief Minister E Palanisamy, Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman directed the Indian Air Force to join the rescue operation on Sunday night.

"30 of the 39 trekkers trapped in the fire on a hillock have been located and being taken to the foothills for treatment," a senior police office in the region, Baskaran, told NDTV.

The identities of the deceased is not known so far.

Sources in the police and forest departments told The Hindu the identities of the deceased could not be established since the bodies were charred beyond recognition.

The group reportedly did not take permission from the police or the forest department for trekking.

Image: File Picture

Mumbai, Mar 11 (IBNS): After marching for several days, the protest rally, consisting of nearly 50,000 farmers, entered Mumbai and reached the Azad Maidan in the city on Sunday.

The protesting farmers, members of the All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS), affiliated to the Communist Party of India-Marxist, plan to 'gherao' the Maharashtra Vidhan Sabha or the state legislature on Monday to push for their demands.

They have been demanding for complete waiver of loans and electricity bills by the state government.

"We do not want to put SSC students in any trouble. But we will reach Azad Maidan. Therefore, we have decided to start walking past midnight," AIKS President Com. Ashok Dhawale, said,

Meanwhile, speaking on the traffic movement in the city, Mumbai Police said it will remain 'normal'.

"Today, Traffic mvmt will be normal like any other day. Tr R no diversions proposed on any road in limits of Mumbai 4 the proposed Long March. We will be posting updates as and when required. Dont believe in rumours. Contact @MumbaiPolice & Dial 100 for any such verification," read a tweet posted by the police.

Local reports said that the farmers, most of them wearing red caps and holding up flags with the sickle and hammer symbol, have covered 30km on foot every day to reach Mumbai.

CPI-M leader Sitaram Yechury said the farmers should get their 'rightful due' from the BJP-led state government.

"Farmers marching into Mumbai. To ensure that the BJP govt does not deceive them again. They should get their rightful due. #KisanLongMarch," Yechury tweeted.

Several political parties like Congress, Nationalist Congress Party, the Raj Thackeray-led Maharashtra Navnirman Sena and Shiv Sena have extended their supports to the demands made by the farmers.

Image: AIKS Twitter pageVaranasi, Mar 12 (IBNS): Prime Minister Narendra Modi has welcomed French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife Brigitte in Varanasi on the third day of the latter's India visit.

Modi reached Varanasi on Monday and he was welcomed by Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanth and several other officials.

The two leaders will leave for Mirzapur, where they shall inaugurate a solar power plant, before returning to Varanasi.

In Varanasi, the two leaders will visit the Deen Dayal Hastkala Sankul.

They shall interact with artisans and view a live demonstration of their crafts.

Modi and Macron will then arrive at the famous Assi Ghat in Varanasi, where they will board a boat for a ride along the Ghats of the Ganga, culminating at the historic Dashashwamedh Ghat, read an official statement.

Prime Minister Modi will host a lunch in honour of the French President.

In the afternoon, the Prime Minister will flag off a train between Maduadih Railway Station in Varanasi, and Patna.

He will launch various development projects and address a public meeting at the DLW Grounds in Varanasi.New York, Mar 12 (IBNS): At least two people died when a helicopter in which they were traveling went down in the East River of New York City on Sunday, officials said.

The police said three people were rescued and are currently undergoing treatment in hospital.

The New York City fire department said the pilot was successful in freeing himself.

New York Fire Commissioner Daniel Nigro was quoted as saying in a post tweeted by New York City Fire Department: "The pilot freed himself. 3 people were removed in critical condition and transported to a hospital along with the pilot. 2 were pronounced dead at the scene."

As per a BBC report, authorities confirmed it was carrying six people involved in a photo shoot, before it hit the water near Roosevelt Island at 19:00 local time (23:00 GMT).

The Federal Aviation Authority said it is investigating the incident.

It tweeted: " A Eurocopter AS350 went down in the East River near Roosevelt Island in #NYC at 7pm today. The helicopter reportedly is inverted in the water. Local authorities will confirm the number of people on board, their names and conditions. The #FAA is investigating."

The FAA said the National Transportation Safety Board will determine the cause of the mishap.

"The @NTSB will determine probable cause of the accident," the FAA tweeted.

Image: FDNY Twitter pageOttawa, May 12 (IBNS): Brenda Lucki has been named as Canada's first permanent female RCMP's commissioner by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale at a ceremony in Regina, Manitoba, at the RCMP's training depot, media reports said.

"Lucki has made it her mission to serve the public. She's known for being a hard worker, a dedicated officer and as someone who is constantly looking for ways to improve the status quo," Trudeau was reported to say, adding Lucki is "absolutely the best person for the job, who just happens to be a woman."

Lucki, a 32-year veteran of the force, was recipient of United National Force Commander's commendation for bravery, two UN protection forces medals and the Canadian peacekeeping service medal.

She had earlier served as the commanding officer of the RCMP's training academy in Saskatchewan, at divisions in Quebec, Ontario, Manitoba, Alberta and Saskatchewan, worked with United Nations in the former Yugoslavia and had trained police units for the UN Civilian Police Mission in Haiti.

She would be replacing for Bob Paulson, who retired in June 2017.

The candidates for the RCMP's commissioner post were screened for "Indigenous culture and a sensitivity to the issues relevant to the diversity of the Canadian population." as mentioned in the job posting.

Her selection was made by a committee of six woman and three men led by Frank McKenna, the former premier of New Brunswick who also served as Canada's ambassador to the United States.

Luki had worked with Indigenous groups, including her induction into the Order of Merit of the Police Forces for her efforts to improve relations with First Nations in northern Manitoba

Trudeu reportedly considered Luki will play an important role in promoting reconciliation with Indigenous peoples, advancing gender equality, addressing workplace harassment and protecting the civil liberties of Canadians.

Friday's appointment coincided with the time when the force's relations with Indigenous communities are strained.

Last month's acquittal of Saskatchewan farmer Gerald Stanley in the shooting death of First Nations man Colten Boushie had aroused accusations of bias by police and the justice system against Indigenous people .

"I plan to challenge assumptions, seek explanations and better understand the reasons how we operate. This means that no stone will be left unturned. And if what we find works, then we carry on until we unearth the issues that need addressing," Luki was reported to state.



(Reporting by Asha Bajaj)"Prevent Unauthorized Transactions in your demat / trading account Update your Mobile Number/ email Id with your stock broker / Depository Participant. Receive information of your transactions directly from Exchanges on your mobile / email at the end of day and alerts on your registered mobile for all debits and other important transactions in your demat account directly from NSDL/ CDSL on the same day." - Issued in the interest of investors." | "KYC is one time exercise while dealing in securities markets - once KYC is done through a SEBI registered intermediary (broker, DP, Mutual Fund etc.), you need not undergo the same process again when you approach another intermediary." | "No need to issue cheques by investors while subscribing to IPO. Just write the bank account number and sign in the application form to authorise your bank to make payment in case of allotment. No worries for refund as the money remains in investor's account."

www.indiainfoline.com is part of the IIFL Group, a leading financial services player and a diversified NBFC. The site provides comprehensive and real time information on Indian corporates, sectors, financial markets and economy. On the site we feature industry and political leaders, entrepreneurs, and trend setters. The research, personal finance and market tutorial sections are widely followed by students, academia, corporates and investors among others.In a move that signals a new era of women's empowerment for the armed forces, newly-appointment Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Sunday flagged off an all-women Navy team in Panaji attempting to circumnavigate the globe.

For the first time ever, an all-women crew 'Navika Sagar Parikrama of the Indian Navy will embark on a global journey on an Indian sailing vessel INSV Tarini.

The crew would sail over many oceans to complete the mission. The entire distance will be covered in five legs and the team will stop at four ports for replenishment of ration and repairs, as necessary, a naval spokesperson said. The crew will have stop overs at various ports like: Fremantle (Australia), Lyttelton (New Zealand), Port Stanley (Falklands) and Cape Town (South Africa), the spokesperson said.

PTI

The circumnavigation is likely to be completed around March 2018.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi also wished luck to the ladies for the historic journey.

Share your good wishes & words of encouragement for the team of Navika Sagar Parikrama, on the NM App. https://t.co/c7sLBPuzYd  Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) 10 September 2017

The entire nation comes together in wishing the all-women team of Navika Sagar Parikrama the very best in their remarkable endeavour.  Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) 10 September 2017

Nirmala Sitharaman took charge of the defence ministry on September 7, becoming the first full-time woman Defence Minister of the country.

She took charge in the presence of her predecessor Arun Jaitley who was given the additional charge of the key ministry in March after Manohar Parrikar quit the union cabinet to become the chief minister of Goa.

Sitharaman was elevated to the cabinet rank on Sunday and given the defence portfolio.

A priest held prayers in the defence minister's chamber before she assumed charge.

PTI

Senior officials of the ministry were present and she briefly interacted with them after taking over as the minister.

She became the first full-time woman defence minister and the second woman to take charge of the key portfolio. Indira Gandhi, as then Prime Minister, had also held the portfolio in the seventies.

As the Defence Minister, Sitharaman will be a member of the crucial Cabinet Committee on Security whose members include the Prime Minister, the Home Minister, the External Affairs Minister and the Finance Minister.In an exemplary show of solidarity with the protesting farmers, the famed dabbawalas and the city residents came out to help the tens of thousands of farmers, who walked for six days blazing the sun with blisters and injuries on their feet. The dabbawalas, Sikh and Muslim volunteers provided them food and water as they entered Mumbai yesterday.

The farmers walked upto the Azad Maidan in South Mumbai early this morning as a part of their 'long march' for raising demands, including implementation of the Maharashtra government's loan waiver scheme. Subhash Talekar, the spokesperson of Mumbai Dabbawala Association, said, "We thought about helping the farmers with food as they are our food-providers and have come from remote parts of the state."

According to Talekar, the Mumbai roti-bank, of which the dabbawalas are an integral part, deploys GPS-tracked vans to collect excess food from eateries, hotels, public functions and households, so that it can be distributed to the poor and hungry people.

"We asked our men working between Dadar (in Central Mumbai) and Colaba (South Mumnbai) to collect food and deliver it to our farmer brothers at the Azad Maidan," he told PTI.

Members of Sikh and Muslim communities were seen giving food and water packets to the exhausted farmers who have come here to press for their demands.

Today early morning, large groups of civilians waiting at roads greeted the #FarmersMarchToMumbai with water, dates & biscuits, to which peasants reciprocated with loud slogans of Lal Salaam, tweeted AIKS on Monday while posting a photo of some Muslim volunteers.

Today early morning, large groups of civilians waiting at roads greeted the #FarmersMarchToMumbai with water, dates & biscuits, to which peasants reciprocated with loud slogans of Lal Salaam. pic.twitter.com/tYU1IVblCW  AIKS (@KisanSabha) March 12, 2018

Sikh community in Mumbai distributes food to farmers participating in the march. #KisanLongMarch pic.twitter.com/AqAGoluCu9  AIKS (@KisanSabha) March 11, 2018

Mumbaikars showering the #KisanLongMarch with flowers from a walkway near Mulund. pic.twitter.com/YaURtZ5oNq  AIKS (@KisanSabha) March 11, 2018

On Sunday, members of the Sikh community in Mumbai distributed food to farmers participating in the march.

So glad to see Sikhs, Hindus, Muslims serving food and water in #FarmersMarchToMumbai . Thank u farmers for bringing communities together.  Ramanpal Singh (@ramanpal81) March 12, 2018

Farmers loved your kids ...so they did not disturbed them for your kids board exams ...pls understand their kids are not able to go to schools ...pls support them great #Mumbaikars #FarmersProtest #FarmersMarch #FarmersMarchToMumbai  Tony Thomas (@tonyth0mas) March 12, 2018

Not anymore Cinema & Cricket bring India together.tnx to farmers for igniting unity, glad & delight to watch Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs come on the streets as "Humans First" and distribute food,water, chappals etc. #FarmersMarchToMumbai

Govts shud resolve farmers issues on priority  Krishnakiran Modadugu (@Chasingdreamz6) March 12, 2018

Hindu, Muslim, Sikhs, and Christians

Everybody helping these farmers.

Wonder where RSS workers are? (Preparing for battle)? https://t.co/BSqxGVMYfa  Sameer Choudhury (@ChoudhurySam1) March 12, 2018

#Muslims waiting for hours with ready supply of food & water for farmers long march. They say we can understand their pain & want to do our bit.#KisanLongMarch pic.twitter.com/rCIdrxf0td  Irony Of India (@IronyOfIndia_) March 12, 2018

The protesters were greeted warmly in the financial capital of the country. Muslim women showered flowers on the tired protesters. They cheered when suddenly a few women showered flowers on them from one of the foot overbridges at Nahur. Anganwadi Sevikas from Ramabai Nagar also welcomed farmers in Ghatkopar.

The slogans such as, Shetkari Tum Aage Badho, hum tumhare sath hai, (farmers you march further, we are with you), the farmers should get loan waiver, Kisan sabha zindabad, Jamin amchya hakkachi, nahi konachya bapachi, (We are the owners of the land and not somebody else) were chanted during the march.

Most of the farmers were wearing red caps and carrying red flags in the long march that started on March 6 from Nashik to Mumbai, covering a distance of over 180 kilometres.

BCCL

Members of Sant Baba Thaker Singhji Sevak Jatha at Tagore Nagar Vikroli were waiting for the farmers in scorching heat. They served water and poha to the farmers.

City residents were seen offering Vada-pav, a popular street snack from Mumbai, other food items and water to farmers at night.India's Republic Day parade is one of the biggest displays of military might anywhere in the world. The parade takes place to mark the day when the Indian constitution came into effect. But India is not the only country where a military parade takes place. A lot of countries have a similar tradition.

1. India

Indian police "Daredevils" motorcycle riders perform during the Republic Day celebration in Jammu.

Reuters

2. Russia

Russian servicemen march during the Victory Day parade, marking the 71st anniversary of the victory over Nazi Germany in World War Two, at Red Square in Moscow.

Reuters

3. North Korea

North Korean military participate in the celebration of the 70th anniversary of the founding of the ruling Workers' Party of Korea.

Reuters

4. U.S.

The U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds fly over the Arc de Triomphe du Carrousel during the traditional Bastille Day military parade in Paris.

Reuters

5. Venezuela

Soldiers march during a military parade to celebrate the 206th anniversary of Venezuela's independence in Caracas.

Reuters

6. Iran

A military truck carrying a missile and a picture of Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is seen during a parade marking the anniversary of the Iran-Iraq war (1980-88), in Tehran.

Reuters

7. China

Soldiers of the Peoples Liberation Army (PLA) of China stand in formation as they gather ahead of a military parade to mark the 70th anniversary of the end of World War Two, in Beijing.

Reuters

8. Paris

Four Mirage 2000C and one Alpha jet flight over Paris, France, on their way to participate in the Bastille Day military parade.

Reuters

9. Sri Lanka

Sri Lankan army snipers in ghillie suits march during the War Victory parade in Colombo.

Reuters

10. Bangladesh

Bangladesh army tanks participate in the nation's 30th Victory Day parade in Dhaka.

Reuters

11. Mexico

Mexican Army special forces take part in a military parade in culmination of bicentennial celebrations in Mexico City

Reuters

12. Singapore

A F-16 fighter jet from the Royal Singapore Air Force (RSAF) Black Knight aerobatics team leaves a smoke trail over the Marina waterfront during National Day Parade celebrations in Singapore.

Reuters

13. Ukraine

Servicemen march during a military parade marking Ukraine's Independence Day in Kiev, Ukraine.

Reuters

14. Iraq

Iraqi Army soldiers march as part of a parade marking the founding anniversary of the army's artillery section in Baghdad.

Reuters

15. Pakistan

Pakistan army soldiers march during a full dress rehearsal for Pakistan Day parade in Islamabad.

ReutersMao was the "Great Helmsman", Deng the "Paramount Leader" - now meet Xi Jinping, whose growing personality cult has some calling him China's "Chairman of Everything".

On Sunday, China's rubber-stamp parliament endorsed Xi's move to abolish rules limiting the head of state to 10 years in power, paving the way for another potential title: President for Life.

AFP

Since taking over the Communist Party in 2012, Xi has steadily tightened his grip on virtually all aspects of the party, state apparatus and even how China's citizens should think.

China's Xi joins Russia, Zimbabwe in global autocrat club Along the way, he has accumulated an array of increasingly fawning titles to justify this one-man power grab.

It can be difficult to keep track of them all, but here are the key titles, honorifics and other heapings of praise that Xi will struggle to squeeze onto his crowded business card.

In a one-party state, this is the most important title in the land. Bestowed upon Xi in 2012, it gave him control over the world's most populous country and is the crucial springboard from which he launched his push for even greater power. He has not looked back.

This term is actually not used in Chinese, as all power flows from leading the party. But China introduced it for foreign consumption decades ago to provide the world with a familiar term to use and give the veneer of a state -- rather than purely party -- leader.

AP

Mao once said "power grows out of the barrel of a gun" and the chairmanship of the world's largest armed forces -- also assumed by Xi in 2012 -- is considered the all-important muscle backing up the party chief's power.

This term, roughly translated as "Big Uncle Xi", emerged soon after he took power and was amplified by state media and party organs to promote him as a warm-and-fuzzy father figure.

Xi's official titles are nice, but "core leader" of the party -- which he was declared in late 2016 -- puts Xi in historic company. Only Mao, Deng Xiaoping and Jiang Zemin have been thus anointed, which essentially makes the bearer unassailable in the party.

Following the Communists' high-stakes party congress last October, Xi began to be referred to in government meetings and state media as "Lingxiu", a reverential terms with spiritual connotations. The last person so honoured was Mao himself, confirming Xi's designs on Mao-like levels of adulation.

AP

Also on Sunday, the parliament approved the addition of Xi's guiding political philosophy -- Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era -- into the nation's constitution. Mao and Deng are the only other leaders to have their names alongside their guidelines in the constitution.

Party apparatchiks have fallen over themselves to offer praise for the ascendant Xi at the ongoing parliament meeting in Beijing, but a delegate from Qinghai province - birthplace of the Dalai Lama - may have outdone them all. Wang Guosheng, Qinghai's Communist Party boss, said commoners in the province viewed Xi as a "living Bodhisattva", someone on the path to become a Buddha.

Xi has taken control of an array of "leading groups" in the party overseeing economic, policy, foreign affairs, national security and just about everything else -- snatching ultimate control in these areas from the government itself, according to some analysts.

The Chinese Communist Party's decision to give President Xi Jinping a mandate to rule for life is further evidence of the world's slide towards more nationalist, authoritarian regimes: @AFP's @FabienZamora and @ADAMPLOW via @YahooNewshttps://t.co/XSq9aryULc pic.twitter.com/GRsVxGUVJW  Dmitry Zaks (@dmitryzaksAFP) March 11, 2018

Its a start of the new era of dictatorship in China.

President Xi Jinping to remain in office indefinitely as Chinese parliament passed a constitutional amendment that removes presidential term limits. pic.twitter.com/lo63AxbQ4T  Troll (@sabtrolled) March 11, 2018

So by the time Nigeria would be hosting the 2058 FIFA World Cup, President Xi Jinping would still be Chinese president.  Eromose Ileso (@EromoseIleso) March 11, 2018

President Xi Jinping - The Return of #Mao  HAZARD EMPIRE (@iamZedeccus) March 11, 2018Richard N. Bell of McCordsville, Indiana, had filed a Copyright infringement lawsuit in the Southern District of Indiana alleging that Jay L. Hess, an individual, of Bloomington, Indiana, infringed the Indianapolis Photo taken by Plaintiff.

Bell has become well-known for constantly filing copyright infringement claims regarding a photo of the Indianapolis skyline that he took in 2000. See the following:

In the current case, Bell initially sued Indiana University, but amended his complaint to sue Hess individually. Bell alleged that the Defendant, who is the Dean of the Indiana University Medical School, permitted employees under his control of the I.U. Medical School to publish the Indianapolis Photo in advertising which appears on a website owned by Indiana University even though the Defendant Hess individually knew he had no rights or authority to publish the Indianapolis Photo.

In response, the Defendant claimed that, despite Bells statements, he was being sued in his official capacity as the dean of the medical school and thus, was entitled to Eleventh Amendment sovereign immunity. Bell tried to argue that the Defendant was exempt from sovereign immunity because there was still an ongoing violation of federal law. However, the court found that there was no ongoing violation because the allegedly infringing photos had been taken down and were only available for viewing through web.archive.org, which Defendant did not control.

The court also agreed with the Defendants argument that he was being sued in his official capacity, despite Bells claims to the contrary. Thus, the Defendant was entitled to sovereign immunity, and the court granted his Motion for Judgment on the Pleadings.

This case was assigned to District Judge Tanya Walton Pratt and Magistrate Judge Doris L. Pryor, and assigned Case No. 1:16-cv-02463-TWP-DLP.

OpinionCorn Market Ends Lower Barchart - Mon Sep 20, 4:39PM CDT Corn prices were 1 1/4 to 5 1/2 cents lower going home. December prices ended the session 6 1/2 cents off the low as some shorts covered while waiting to see the Crop Progress numbers. The weekly Crop... ZCZ21 : 519-4 (-0.43%) ZCPAUS.CM : 5.0570 (-1.38%) ZCH22 : 527-4 (-0.42%) ZCZ21 : 519-4 (-0.43%)

Cattle Complex Mixed at Monday Close Barchart - Mon Sep 20, 4:39PM CDT Fat cattle futures firmed in the afternoon but still closed mostly weaker on Monday. December 21 contracts gained 55 cents, while the rest of the complex was 2 to 7 cents weaker. Feeder cattle futures... LEV21 : 122.775s (-0.02%) LEG22 : 131.525s (-0.02%) GFU21 : 155.000s (+0.08%) GFV21 : 156.675s (+0.19%)

Chart of the Day: DO NOT PANIC! Barchart - Mon Sep 20, 4:17PM CDT Summary Do not abandon your discipline. We are not in a "Market Correction" Prune but don't buy. Today I will not post a chart of an individual stock because someone out there just might buy it and... VTI : 225.07 (-1.73%) VTI : 225.07 (-1.73%)

The Livestock and Grain Markets - OH MY !!! Chicago Quant Technologies - Mon Sep 20, 3:27PM CDT In the face of an onslaught of downside pressure only one of these markets has held considerably well.

Grain Spreads: Corn Guesses Walsh Trading - Mon Sep 20, 3:05PM CDT Balance Sheet Questions Could Emerge through Harvest

USD Bears Are Fresh Out of Honey Pots Sunshine Profits - Mon Sep 20, 2:52PM CDT The declining medium-term outlook for gold, silver, and mining stocks will eat away at the honey pot of US dollar bears. Get ready for bee stings.Australian financial institutions are among the top global targets for cyber criminals, Summerhayes said. Australia is targeted due to its relative wealth and take-up of digital technologies, while financial institutions are attractive to criminals seeking money or personally identifiable information on customers  something insurers hold in spades.

Taking all of this into account, APRA views cyber risk as an increasingly serious prudential threat to Australian financial institutions. To put it bluntly, it is easy to envisage a scenario in which a cyber breach could potentially damage an entity so badly that it is forced out of business.

Summerhayes, speaking at the Insurance Council of Australia Annual Forum, told attendees that APRA considers the chance of a financial institution being put out of business due to a cyberattack remote but it is no longer beyond the realms of possibility.

Despite this, APRA believes cyber security is generally well-handled by the entities we regulate, Summerhayes continued. The prudential risk is less due to a lack of preparation by industry than the pervasive nature of the threat.

While Summerhayes noted that most businesses are prepared, he warned that complacency on cyber security could be fatal for businesses. Summerhayes said firms should look to adopt an assumed breach posture to help stay alert to ever-changing threats.

Adopting an assumed breach mentality will create a sharper focus on incident detection and response capabilities and planning, Summerhayes said. This accelerating risk requires a rapid response, but also recognition that your stamina will be sorely tested. The challenge requires ongoing vigilance, improvement, investment and oversight because, though this race has no finish line, its not a contest you can afford to lose.

Summerhayes also announced that APRA would launch its first prudential standard on information security.

Related stories:The Insurance Council of Australia (ICA) has made disaster assistance available to help the flood-impacted North Queensland residents recover from what has been declared as a catastrophe.

Immediately after a catastrophe had been declared in the rain-battered region, ICA activated its disaster hotline  1800 734 621  to assist policyholders with their insurance queries; mobilised ICA staff to work directly with local services and affected policyholders in affected regions; and set up an industry taskforce to identify and address issues that arise.Its a fear thats been expressed a number of times before  the prospect of insurance policies being rendered invalid unless a deal is reached or an EU subsidiary is set up for each UK insurer wishing to retain passporting rights. For Ireland, it is gearing itself up in case its  and pretty much everyone elses  hope for a positive scenario is crushed.

The Central Bank hopes for the best but we have to plan for the plausible worst, Sibley was quoted as saying. We have to plan for a hard Brexit without a transition arrangement.

He added: We are working to ensure that firms with significant books of business in Ireland have robust plans in place.

Lloyds market bulletin

Meanwhile Lloyds of London has advised the market as it relates to the writing of EU/EEA business post-Brexit.

From March 29, 2019 it is expected that Lloyds underwriters will no longer have the current licences to carry on insurance business in the EU/EEA (reinsurance business and marine, aviation and transport business need to be looked at separately and further guidance will be issued by Lloyds), read a recent market bulletin. This will require the underwriting of both new and renewal EU/EEA business to Lloyds newly established Lloyds Brussels subsidiary, Lloyds Insurance Company S.A.

Lloyds said managing agents must work with their coverholders as soon as possible to ensure that all EU/EEA located risks are written on behalf of Lloyds Brussels starting January 01, 2019. Details of how to write EU/EEA binding authority business through Lloyds Brussels will be provided.

The market bulletin also touched on the more concerning legacy business.

Lloyds continues to await clarification of the transitional arrangements from the UK government and the EU in respect of the administration of EU/EEA business after 31 December 2018 where that business was written prior to that date, it noted. Lloyds is also continuing to investigate suitable arrangements to ensure the interests of policyholders can continue to be protected in the absence of appropriate transitional arrangements being put in place.

Related stories:The Eels is taking QBE to the Supreme Court with a claim of $1,096,613 over the insurer's refusal to pay Watmough's claim  a landmark case that may potentially open the floodgates to similar claims relating to the premature retirement of NRL players, The Sydney Morning Herald reported.

I dont know why people have insurance, Eels chairman Max Donnelly told the publication. You have a [legitimate] claim and it gets denied.

The $1m claim covers the payout deal the Eels had with Watmough, which is 75% of the former Eels star's contract values for 2017 and 2018  totalling $892,509 for the third and final seasons; plus two $100,000 third-party deals for Watmough, and interest and costs, the report said.

At the time of the incident, it was understood that Watmough's doctors, the club, as well as an independent medico, had all agreed that what led to the injury was the collision between Watmough and fellow forward Beau Scott on Valentines Day of 2016.

If Parramatta wins, it could lead to insurers footing the bill for the millions-worth in payouts to players in similar situations to that of Watmough. The case will also likely set a precedent regarding what constitutes as pre-existing, as opposed to career-ending, injury, SMH said.

Related stories:With marine ecosystems at risk, the economies in coastal communities in developing and emerging countries are harmed by damage to natural capital like coral, mangroves and fisheries. Global climate change also threatens the lives and livelihoods of residents of those communities as storms grow more intense and sea levels rise.

According to Willis Towers Watson, the GERF will respond to these risks by delivering powerful analytics, incentivising environmental stewardship and providing insurance protection. The initial work of the GERF will focus on the protection of ecosystems like coral reefs, mangroves and seagrasses in the Caribbean.

Willis Towers Watson has also partnered with Cefas and the University of York to map marine ecosystems, assess risk exposure and develop risk and value models for coral reefs in Grenada and the wider Caribbean. That will allow insurance programs to be structured to encourage risk understanding, assessment, and coordination and pre-planning to allow swift post-disaster recovery.

The Global Ecosystem Resilience Facility is such an important initiative in helping to support the resilience of coastal and island communities to climate pressures, Willis Towers Watson CEO John Haley said. Dependence on the blue economy makes them particularly vulnerable to the impacts of climate-related threats and other risks, and the goal of this ground-breaking initiative is to help provide greater stability, and ultimately greater prosperity, to these communities.

The GERF acknowledges that there are two key aspects driving changes in the risk environment  human activity and natural processes, said Rowan Douglas, CEO of Willis Towers Watsons capital, science and policy practice. The facility addresses both aspects; communities build resilience through sustainable practices under their control, and disaster risk finance protects against events outside their control.

Related stories:Under Zurich's ownership, the acquired operations will form Cover-More's Latin American hub, but will continue to use the well-established Travel Ace and Universal Assistance brands.

This transaction gives us immediate access to new customers and scale across Latin America, which is among the fastest growing travel insurance and assistance markets worldwide, said Cover-More CEO Mike Emmett. It will also enable us to better support our customers travelling to Latin America.

Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed. The transaction is expected to close in the second quarter of 2018.

Related stories:"Its a recognition that the cost of vehicles has gone up, the cost of medical expenses has gone up," Mark Wenzel, Reno-based lawyer and legislative advocate for state plaintiffs attorneys who supported the increase, told The Associated Press.

A rate survey of seven unidentified companies, by the Nevada Division of Insurance for the state legislature, found that some policyholders could see rate increases of over $45 a month if they also maintain minimum coverage for uninsured or underinsured motorists.

The additional rate hike is due to insurers increasing the basic uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage to the minimum $25,000 per person and $50,000 per accident, explained Nevada Division of Insurance spokeswoman Yeraldin Deavila.

In a statement, state insurance commissioner Barbara Richardson said that several companies may already be factoring the increase into renewal bills.

State Department of Motor Vehicles spokesman Kevin Malone said that Nevada has 1.9 million drivers and 2.5 million registered vehicles. He also noted that, based on estimates, the number of uninsured motorists in the state are around 20% of all drivers.

Related stories:Ensuring women have equal access to growth, development and advancement opportunities all starts with a good education, said Erin Fry, QBE senior vice president of specialty programs. To encourage an inclusive workforce with employees of all backgrounds, its important to help build a pipeline of talented women who can step into the leadership roles of our industrys future. Our employee group wants to support one another, but also take action to solidify the growing presence of women in leadership in insurance.

Adickes, Conboy and Watroba were selected as scholarship winners by the St. Johns University School of Risk Management Scholarship Committee. Eligible applicants included undergraduate or graduate-level candidates pursuing degrees in actuarial science, risk management and insurance or enterprise risk management. All three winners are juniors majoring in risk management and insurance.

The QBE Women in Insurance Scholarship Program is designed to create a direct connection between the company and scholarship recipients, said Maureen Furlong Weber, director of the School of Risk Management, Insurance and Actuarial Science. This provides a unique value to the students well beyond financial support, including professional enrichment and quality networking opportunities as a part of their educational experience.

The success of the scholarship program has also led the QBE Foundation to expand its partnership with St. Johns University to support veteran, multicultural, and LGBTQ students.

Related stories:"The KaMMCO underwriting discipline and financial strength, combined with our pledge to provide members with superior claims protection, offers healthcare professionals a truly unique medical professional liability insurance option," said KaMMCO president and CEO Kurt Scott.

"We are proud to work with the Connecticut State Medical Society to grow our insurance business, Scott added. and we are honored they recognize us as their medical professional liability insurance Preferred Affinity Partner."

"We are excited to add KaMMCO as a proven insurance option for liability insurance and especially cyber security insurance for our members. KaMMCO is a partner we know we can count on,"commented CSMS executive vice-president and CEO Matthew Katz.

Katz noted that KaMMCOs cyber security insurance is extremely important to CSMS members after a recent rash of identity theft incidents.

"In working closely with the Connecticut State Medical Society on the development and launch of CTHealthLink, the physician-led health information exchange, it became clear that there was an opportunity to further serve the physicians and healthcare providers of Connecticut with valuable insurance products," Scott explained.

A release said that KaMMCO will be working with CSMS Insurance Agency in the distribution of the policies. The insurer is also anticipating quoting coverage later this spring.

Related stories:Risky business

The need for cyber insurance has been the hot topic of 2017 across all industries, but its an issue healthcare has faced for some time. The sector has long been a target of hackers eager to get a hold of patients valuable personal information.

The release of patient information through a cyber breach can cause so many problems, so there are myriad regulations at federal and state level that need to be coordinated, says Thomas Hayden, Midwest healthcare practice leader at Willis Towers Watson. Some health systems serve patients in multiple states, each of which has different regulations, so it can be tricky to address all of the regulatory issues in the aftermath of a cyber event.

In an attempt to mitigate their cyber risks, healthcare organizations and systems are investing heavily in cybersecurity and implementing more advanced vetting systems for contracting work to third parties. Healthcare companies have recognized the importance of ensuring that any third party they employ is properly insured and can manage their own risk appropriately, because third-party contractors are often responsible for major breaches. Some healthcare policies offer cyber as an add-on, while other firms require healthcare organizations to buy a stand-alone policy, which, according to Hayden, causes some confusion.

Our stand-alone products are proven to work, and most healthcare clients are buying stand-alone coverage, he says, but some other underwriters who specialize in property and medical malpractice are trying to demonstrate some added value by providing coverage.

Medication mix-ups are another costly exposure for healthcare systems. Despite efforts to implement strategies to reduce errors, the human factor and the susceptibility of overworked employees to make mistakes means its difficult to see an end to these types of claims.

Just last month, 16 patients and their relatives filed a negligence suit against Pittsburghs Jefferson Hospital for the theft of Oxycodone by a pharmacy technician. The drug was intended for patients who were recovering from surgery or accidents, or had been diagnosed with late-stage cancer; it was replaced with pills that are ineffective in treating pain.

[There was] at least a four-month period where patients in pain, who needed pain relief, did not get their pain relief and remained in pain, said attorney Alan Perer. It only came to light when a patients daughter looked at the pill that was being given by a nurse to her mother and said it did not look like an Oxycodone. Fellow attorney Jennifer Webber added: This isnt something that the hospital discovered, and thats whats so upsetting about this.

The pharmacy technician responsible for the crime has already pleaded guilty and been sentenced to six to 12 months in prison, plus three years of probation, but the suit looks to hold Jefferson Hospital to account for failing to prevent the Oxycodone theft.

Emerging threats

As with every industry, technology is making its mark on healthcare and changing the way services are provided. In particular, the adoption of telemedicine  where technology is used to interface with patients and deliver medical services remotely  has increased significantly in recent years.

Telemedicine has proved to be an effective tool in providing care to patients who live in remote, rural communities or who may be unable to travel to a physical healthcare site. Telemedicine services can be provided over video chat and remote monitoring devices, and many big players in the tech space are developing and launching apps to optimize these services.

The rise of telemedicine has benefited both healthcare providers and their patients, but it is creating some new risk exposures. There has yet to be a string of claims directly related to telemedicine, but underwriters are observing cautiously as the technology advances at a rapid rate.

To this point, telemedicine has only been used by licensed physicians to review patients, and the technology has not created a situation for a medical malpractice claim, Hayden says. The industry is also concerned about other cyber-related exposures that might crop up through telemedicine. For example, what would happen if a power outage occurred and a radiologist was unable to read a scan remotely? The technology is moving quickly, and we are waiting to see where and when it fails.

The increased level of consolidation is also continuing to impact the healthcare space. Larger organizations are swallowing up smaller companies in an effort to gain market share  a trend that shows no signs of abating anytime soon. The insurance implications of an acquisition can be complex and, as with issues around cyber regulation, are often geographical. If a Chicago-based health system that has only operated within Illinois acquires an organization based in Michigan, for example, it will face a slew of risks.

The potential exposures and market pressures could be completely different, Hayden says, so its important for the healthcare system to really focus on the unique risks of each geography.

The recent $3.75 billion purchase of nonprofit Fidelis Care by private healthinsurer Centene is an example of the acquisition trend. According to Centene, the purchase will expand its governmentsponsored healthcare plan into New York, effectively giving Centene a leadership position in the countrys four largest managed care states by membership: California, Florida, New York and Texas.

As more health systems enter the health plan business, they are taking on risk that traditionally has been handled by health maintenance organizations [HMOs] and other plans. Although some health systems have experienced such risk through Medicare and Medicaid contracts, for some, its a new exposure. Errors created in the operation of a managed care plan are more akin to that of a fi nancial institution than a healthcare provider.

Similarly, there has been greater scrutiny of Medicare and Medicaid bills by the federal and state governments. There is the potential for billing errors for those healthcare systems, Hayden says. If the federal government alleges that a healthcare system has over-billed or billed for too many procedures, there are all kinds of risks associated with that, including fi nes and penalties.

Although its too early to tell how claims might be impacted by Medicaid reforms, Hayden has noticed a downward pressure on revenues in the healthcare sector, which could impact how organizations approach insurance. Forward-thinking health systems are really looking at their tolerance for risk and the amount of risk to transfer, Hayden says. That might mean bigger self-insured retentions, higher limits or lower limits of liabilities. I think that using analytics to assess the tolerance of the organization is where this going.Just as any kid hates when mommy and daddy are fighting, I hate to see tempers flare between two public figures I respect. But should such a thing transpire  as it did in a March 7 hearing of the House Financial Services Subcommittee on Housing and Insurance  the least I can do as a relatively neutral third party is to try to keep score.

In one corner is Rep. Dennis Ross, R-Fla., whose bona fides as an insurance policymaker date back to his days in the Florida Legislature. In 2007, he was one of just two state House lawmakers (former R Street Senior Fellow Don Brown was the other) to vote against then-Gov. Charlie Crist and then-House Speaker Marco Rubios disastrously wrong-headed property insurance bill. I also should disclose that I testified last summer before the full Financial Services Committee in support of legislation Ross sponsored with Rep. Kathy Castor, D-Fla., to offer regulatory clarity regarding which privately underwritten flood insurance policies satisfy federal lending rules.

In the other corner is Daniel Schwarcz, a professor at the University of Minnesota Law School, and for my money, the most consistently thoughtful and engaging consumer advocate in the insurance space today. I certainly dont always agree with Dan, but whether the topic is lack of transparency in insurance contracts or inadequacies in group supervision or rethinking a modern approach to rate regulation, the concerns he raises and the arguments he makes can never be easily batted away.

The subject that brought these combatants to rhetorical blows is H.R. 5059, the State Insurance Regulation Preservation Act. Co-sponsored by Reps. Keith Rothfus, R-Pa., and Joyce Beatty, D-Ohio, the measure seeks to lift duplicative group supervision by both the Federal Reserve and state insurance regulators of roughly a dozen savings-and-loan holding companies whose members are engaged primarily in the business of insurance. Companies that qualify under the legislation would continue to see the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency serve as regulator of their thrift units, and the Fed would continue to oversee the holding company, but regulation of the group would shift almost entirely to the lead domiciliary state.

In a nutshell, Ross supports the bill and Schwarcz opposes it. More specifically, there are three areas of the law about which they clashed. I endeavor here to offer my best assessment of who won each round.

Does the bill call for less stringent regulation?

The first point on which Ross and Schwarcz clashed, and really the issue that most seemed to get Ross dander up, is whether the bill calls for less stringent regulation than the status quo. Seeking to defend the state-based system of insurance regulation as plenty stringent, or at least sufficiently stringent, Ross got himself out on a rhetorical limb in asserting that regulation under H.R. 5059 would be just as stringent as without it.

But if that really were the case, thered be little reason for the bill. The whole issue the legislation seeks to address is the belief that the status quo is excessively stringent. Im sympathetic to the argument that it is, or at least, to the argument that its costs exceed its benefits.

Another of the hearings witnessesMichael Mahaffey, the chief strategy and risk officer of Nationwide Mutual Insurance Co.testified that compliance with the Federal Reserves financial examinations and information requests amount to roughly 25 percent of the companys regulatory compliance budget, even though Nationwides thrift accounts for only about 3 percent of the companys assets. Perhaps that money would be well-spent, if the Feds supervisory process added a commensurate level of prudential safety and soundness. But does it?

While it is true that holding companies that include thrifts always have had to submit to federal oversight (before the Dodd-Frank Act, it was through the now-defunct Office of Thrift Supervision) the post-Dodd-Frank supervisory regime under the Fed has been seen as sufficiently onerous that major insurance groups like Allstate Corp. and Hartford Financial Services sold off their thrifts to avoid the additional regulatory burden, while others  most notably, Prudential Financial  have shed deposits in order to deregister. Thrift and trust functions are services these companies would otherwise offer to their consumers. To be efficient, whatever additional value Fed oversight of the group provides must exceed both that consumer loss and whatever regulatory costs are passed on to consumers through the price of insurance and other financial products. For reasons I will get to later, I am skeptical that it does.

In short, yes, H.R. 5059 would provide for less stringent regulation. Schwarcz thinks thats a bad thing and I dont necessarily agree. But by definition, if you remove a layer of regulatory oversight  even one thats duplicative, redundant and inefficient  you are making the regime less stringent. Therefore, I call this one

ADVANTAGE: Schwarcz

An and or an or

A separate debate arose over who, precisely, would qualify to become what the bill calls an insurance savings and loan holding company. This is both the area where I have my greatest concerns with the bills text and also a point on which several members of the subcommittee  including both Ross and Subcommittee Chairman Sean Duffy, R-Wis.  appeared to be under a misimpression.

The text of the bill stipulates three possible paths to qualify. One must be either:

(i) a top-tier savings and loan holding company that is an insurance underwriting company; (ii) a savings and loan holding company that held 75 percent or more of its total consolidated assets in an insurance underwriting company or insurance underwriting companies, other than assets associated with insurance for credit risk, during the 4 most recent consecutive quarters, as calculated in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles or the Statutory Accounting Principles of the National Association of Insurance Commissioners, as applicable; or (iii) a top-tier savings and loan holding company that

(I) was registered as a savings and loan holding company before July 22, 2010; and

(II) is a New York not-for-profit corporation formed for the purpose of holding the stock of a New York insurance company.

Both Ross and Duffy indicated they thought any group seeking regulatory relief under H.R. 5059 would need to have 75 percent of their assets held by an insurance underwriter, while Ross suggested the company also would have to have been registered as a thrift before July 2010. This suggests they were under the impression the requirements were additive.

Schwarcz correctly noted that, in fact, these three potential definitions are joined by an or, not an and. This prompted Ross to shoot back: So youre suggesting we put an andthat would resolve it?

But, of course, it wouldnt. Replacing the or with an and would make it so that the bill doesnt apply to anyone at all. The most obvious reason for that is that the third part of the definition clearly was written to cover a single company  one that isnt covered by either of the first two parts.

It also doesnt take much of a sleuth to figure out that company  a nonprofit New York corporation chartered before July 22, 2010, to hold the stock of a New York insurance company  is TIAA. Its top-tier holding company is not an insurance underwriter, and it wouldnt meet the 75 percent threshold test because the bulk of its assets are actually held by its very large asset management units. I have no strong feelings about whether TIAA should be subject to Fed oversight, but jury-rigging a statutory definition to cover a single firm is inappropriate and reeks of cronyism.

The bigger concern Schwarcz raised in the hearing, and its one I share, is the unintended consequences of the first part of the definition, which would qualify any group whose top-tier holding company is an insurance underwriter for treatment as an insurance savings and loan holding company. The notion makes intuitive sense, in that it describes most of the existing companies the drafters have in mind  insurance companies who happen to own thrifts.

But as Schwarcz rightly points out, this language would create a mammoth regulatory loophole. All that just about any thrift holding company would need to do to avoid Fed oversight would simply be to get itself licensed as an insurance underwriter in some state, et voila. Schwarczs specific example of JPMorgan Chase isnt quite right, both because JPMorgan is a bank, not a savings and loan, and because it is already designated a systemically important financial institution (SIFI) by the Financial Stability Oversight Council. Nonetheless, his point is well-taken and the bill should be amended to address it.

The best way to address it would probably be to strike the first and third parts of the definition, and rely entirely on the asset test laid out in the second part. The intent of the legislation is to allow a group that is predominantly insurance-focused to be overseen primarily by state insurance regulators. If 75 percent of group assets are held by insurance underwriters, thats a reasonable threshold to set for defining an insurance group. But I must note that this approach would not be without complications of its own.

How you measure assets is important and the current language is pretty vague in suggesting that they be calculated in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles or the Statutory Accounting Principles of the National Association of Insurance Commissioners. GAAP and SAP are not remotely compatible accounting systems. Among other things, the former is marked-to-market and the latter is not. Which you use, and how you use them, matters quite a bit. A depositorys highly leveraged total assets under the valuation-focused GAAP system and an insurers risk-matched net admitted assets under SAP are basically apples and oranges.

So, I would submit this section of H.R. 5059 needs a bit more work, though I think it is salvageable. But because conjunctions do matter, I award this one

ADVANTAGE: Schwarcz

Are the states up to the task?

At the heart of the Ross-Schwarcz fight is disagreement over whether state insurance regulators are equipped to do the sort of groupwide supervision provided under this legislation. Ross contends that state regulation has been the best and is also closest to consumers. Schwarcz makes essentially two points:

It has always been the case that financial services holding companies that include a thrift are subject to federal oversight; and The states group solvency regime, as embodied by the Own Risk Solvency Assessment process, is both relatively new and untested by crisis.

Both points are true, yet I dont find either especially persuasive in this case.

I actually agree with Schwarczand hes written persuasively on the topic elsewherethat insurance can be a source of systemic risk and that insurance regulators bear more responsibility for failures during the financial crisis than is commonly understood. For example, it is almost certainly the case that the securities-lending scheme undertaken by American International Groups life insurance subsidiaries would have taken down the company by itself, had the collateral calls on AIG Financial Products credit default swaps not done so first.

Moreover, the Wisconsin Office of the Commissioner of Insurance failed to catch the problems at Ambac Financial and the New York State Insurance Department was similarly negligent when it came to MBIA. The collapse of these monoline insurers in late 2007 and early 2008 were among the most important early warning signs in what became the financial crisis. For that matter, lets not forget that the crisis undisputed canary in the coalmine was the failure of New Century Financial Corp., which was regulated by the California Department of Corporations.

But taking a broader view of the crisis, one can hardly conclude that federal regulators covered themselves in glory, either. As Schwarcz himself acknowledges, OTS in particular had a lot to answer for. In addition to overseeing AIG, it also was the primary supervisor of Countrywide Financial, IndyMac and Washington Mutual.

But OTS is hardly the only federal regulator that failed to see what was coming. Most obviously, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission did nothing to avert the nuclear meltdown of the $62.2 trillion credit default swaps industry  literally more than all the money in the world, as global gross domestic product was about $60 trillion in 2007.

Then there was the Securities and Exchange Commission, the primary regulator of broker-dealers, asset managers and REITs. It failed to head off the problems at Bear Stearns, American Home Mortgage, Carlyle Capital, Merrill Lynch and Lehman Brothers. And, of course, neither the Office of Federal Housing Enterprise Oversight nor its successor, the Federal Housing Finance Agency, acted to avert the problems at Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.

For that matter, even the vaunted OCC and Federal Reserve themselves oversaw a long list of high-profile failures on their watch, including Wachovia, National City and two of the biggest bailouts of the TARP era  Citigroup and GMAC.

Nor can these problems be laid solely at the doorstep of regulatory arbitrage. The same financial crisis that gripped the United States was even deeper and more prolonged in Europe, where most nations have a unitary regulator for financial services. The widespread failures there werent just in the fringe PIIGS countries (Portugal, Ireland, Italy, Greece and Spain) but extended to the French Prudential Supervision and Resolution Authority failing to catch the problems at BNP Paribas and Britains Financial Services Authority laying down on the job when it came to Northern Rock.

Lets not even speak of the carnage that ensued in Iceland.

While state insurance regulators certainly werent flawless, I think the state-based regulatory system acquitted itself reasonably well, all things considered. We did not, for instance, experience runs on life insurers here, and such runs are possible. Indeed, AIGs AIA, ALICO and Nan Shan Life units in Asia all experienced policyholder runs to some extent or another at the height of the crisis, most acutely in Singapore.

Likewise, while it is true that it is only relatively recently that the states have delved in to group oversight in a serious way, it is just as recent that the Fed has applied its prudential oversight process to insurance enterprises. Of the two, I have more confidence in the states, largely due to two background beliefs:

That the states and the National Association of Insurance Commissioners have made greater progress in getting a handle on group solvency than the Fed has made in getting a handle on insurance; and That the states  at least, since the creation of risk-based capital standards in the 1990s  have a better track record at seeing and responding to excess risk in insurance than federal regulators, including the Fed, have at seeing and responding to excess risk at the enterprise level.

Litigating those points is beyond the scope of what is already a far too lengthy blog post. Needless to say, those who disagree with those premises are likely to disagree with my conclusion. Which is that, on this point, I score the fight

ADVANTAGE: Ross

The Little League outfield problem

One must, and I do, take seriously Schwarczs prevailing concern about the need to treat federally insured depositories as a special kind of risk. The moral hazard that accompanies both implicit and explicit taxpayer guarantees is not a small matter. I am mostly satisfied that by preserving 1. OCC oversight of the thrift itself; 2. the Feds continuing window into asset transfers into and out of the thrift; 3. the FSOC designation process for institutions that pose real systemic risk; and 4. the backstop of the Feds powers to exert emergency power in exigent circumstances, H.R. 5059 keeps in place sufficient checks on any new risks that might arise from removing the Feds day-to-day authority over insurance savings and loan holding companies and leaving state insurance regulators in charge. But I will concede that there are risks.

However, I also think there are risks to maintaining the status quo. The OTS failed to see the problems in AIG not only because it was a subpar regulator, though it was. It also failed to see them because both the OTS and AIGs state regulators acted as if the other party was exercising oversight that, in fact, it wasnt. Like Little League outfielders who blow their assignments, everyone assumed it was someone elses job to get the ball.

This lack of accountability is always a problem where you have overlapping and duplicative regulation, and I dont know that substituting the OCC and the Fed for the OTS resolves the issue. The bank-centric nature of the Feds prudential regime suggests that it will defer quite a bit to the states to catch risks that arise from insurance activities, including among members of an insurance group. Meanwhile, the looming presence of the Fed as the uber-regulator could unintentionally cause the states to be less mindful of group risks and less observant of the need to coordinate among themselves. Regulators face moral hazard, too.

Ultimately, I believe groups that are predominantly engaged in insurance are most likely to encounter risks that stem from insurance, and that their oversight is best left to those who know insurance best. After all the shouting, I believe the states fit that bill better than the Fed.

Topics Legislation New York Underwriting AIGThe sun came out across much of the Northeast on Friday as utilities tackled the arduous task of restoring power to hundreds of thousands of customers who lost electricity during the storm that hit the region this week, all with the possibility of a third noreaster in the offing.

Utilities asked for patience because of the damage caused by the storm that dropped two feet of snow in some areas, pulling down trees, branches and power lines and blocking roads.

We are making steady progress but realize if your power is out, those milestones dont mean anything to you. We completely get that, said Christine Milligan, a spokesman for utility National Grid in Massachusetts.

Power crews were working to restore electricity to more than 300,000 customers in Northeast on Friday. New Jersey and Massachusetts had the most outages, according to the poweroutage.us website, which compiles statistics from utilities across the nation.

National Grid tried to assure its Massachusetts customers it had hundreds of crews working on restorations and that power would return to the hardest hit areas, including the Merrimack Valley, by midnight Sunday. The company used helicopters on Friday to assess the damage of sub-transmission lines, which were located deep in the woods. Milligan said the wet, heavy snow caused a lot of damage. Wednesdays storm came on the heels of an earlier noreaster that brought damaging high winds.

We know that customers want their power. Were working as quickly as we can, she said. Weve had to prioritize because weve had so much widespread damage.

But there still were complaints about the pace of the restorations.

It is completely unacceptable that our citizens have to bear another night without heat or power, Mayor Jim Fiorentini of Haverhill, Massachusetts, posted Friday on Facebook. He said he contacted National Grid and demanded more crews.

Please plan to be without power for multiple days as we work through this significant restoration, Eversource posted on Twitter. The utility serves customers in Connecticut, Massachusetts and New Hampshire.

That was little consolation to some residents.

Its colder in the house than it is outside, Salem, Massachusetts, resident Cindy Peters told The Eagle-Tribune newspaper.

Robert Nixon, 83, sat in his running car to keep warm on Thursday after the senior housing complex where he lives in Norton, Massachusetts lost power.

He also had to throw out all the food in his fridge.

When youre on Social Security, that stuff hurts, he told The Boston Globe.

People without power piled into relatives homes, hung out at the local coffee shop or went to warming centers that some towns opened in libraries or senior centers.

Karl Carlo Green went to Billerica Town Hall when he lost power to enjoy a warm beverage and a snack, but told The Sun of Lowell that he was worried about his cat.

Hes like my child because I dont have kids, Green said.

The storm was being blamed for at least two deaths in New York and New Jersey.

In Maine, excessive speed on icy roads is being blamed for a 14-vehicle pileup on Interstate 95; no injuries have been reported.

The heavy wet snow was also the apparent cause of a roof collapse in a vacant building in Bridgeport, Connecticut. No one was hurt.

The rush is on to restore power as forecasters monitor another system that could move up the coast Monday. Some weather models, however, have the storm missing the mark.

Copyright 2021 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Topics Windstorm MassachusettsZurich Insurance Group accelerated the growth of Cover-More Group, its specialist global travel insurance and assistance solutions business, by entering into agreements to acquire the leading providers of traveler assistance in Latin America. The acquired businesses operate under the Travel Ace and Universal Assistance brands.

The transaction encompasses 19 legal entities operating throughout Latin America, most notably in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia and Mexico.

Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed. The transaction is expected to close in the second quarter of 2018.

Under Zurichs ownership, the acquired operations will form Cover-Mores Latin America hub, said the company in a statement. The acquired businesses will continue to use the established Travel Ace and Universal Assistance brands. Cover-More was acquired by Zurich Insurance Group in 2017.

The combined Travel Ace and Universal Assistance brands hold the leading market position in Argentina and the number two market position in Brazil. Cover-More already operates in 14 countries and is among the market leaders in Australia, India and the U.S.

Cover-More Chief Executive Officer Mike Emmett said the transaction was an opportunity to reshape travel assistance in Latin American markets by deploying Cover-Mores specialist expertise.

Cover-Mores customer offering is underpinned by proprietary technology, a strong culture of traveler assistance and a global servicing capability, he said. This transaction gives us immediate access to new customers and scale across Latin America, which is among the fastest growing travel insurance and assistance markets worldwide. It will also enable us to better support our customers traveling to Latin America.

Cover-More Group is a global specialist and integrated travel insurance, medical assistance and employee assistance provider. Cover-More has strong market positions in Australia, India and the U.S. where the group owns Travelex Insurance Services. In addition, Cover-More has operations in Canada, China, France, Germany, Indonesia, Hong Kong, Malaysia, New Zealand, the Netherlands, Spain and the United Kingdom. Cover-More has diversified distribution across retail travel, aviation, financial institutions and direct which is underpinned by optimisation technology.

Travel Ace and Universal Assistance currently serve their customers through a number of legal entities, including the following 19 that Zurich will acquire through share purchase agreements:

Argentina: World Wide Assistance S.A., Universal Assistance S.A., Derimed S.A.

Brazil: Asistbras S.A.  Assistencia ao Viajante, Universal Assistance  Assistencia Ao Viajante Ltda.

Chile: Travel Ace Chile S.A., Universal Assistance Chile S.A.

Colombia: Universal Travel Assistance S.A.S.

Mexico: UA Assistance, S.A. de C.V.

Panama: International Travel Assistance S.A.

Spain: Celta Assistance SL

Uruguay: Universal Assistance S.A., Delkir S.A., Dusfal S.A., Kouler S.A., Eritage S.A., Perunsel S.A., Travel Ace Internacional de Servicios S.A.

United States: Universal Assistance Inc.

Related:

Topics MergersA human rights lawyer plans to launch a class action lawsuit against South African food producer Tiger Brands on behalf of the families of people who died and those affected by the worst listeria outbreak in history.

South Africas health minister said on Thursday the government would support anyone intending court action over the outbreak that has killed 180 people out of 967 verified cases since January last year.

Tiger Brands said on Friday it had received a report from the department of health which confirmed the presence of the LST6 listeria strain at its factory in the northern city of Polokwane and it was appointing an expert team to identify the causes.

On Saturday, spokeswoman Nevashnee Naicker said the company had not received any notifications of any class action suits and declined to comment further.

The planned class action is being prepared by Richard Spoor, who has spearheaded legal action against gold producers over the fatal lung disease silicosis for which the companies have made 5 billion rand ($425 million) in provisions.

I expect to launch it in two to three weeks, Spoor told Reuters.

U.S. lawyer Bill Marler, who won $110 million in compensation from fast-food chain Jack in the Box for victims of a 1993 ecoli outbreak in the United States that sickened 700 people and killed four, is consulting on the case.

In the United States we would not use a class action because the variety of damages are so different for all of these people, Marler, currently in Johannesburg, told Reuters.

There are differences between people who are sick for a week and those who died or have long-term complications. But here you can do that all in one class action, he said.

A class action typically involves a large number of people who collectively band together to sue a person or company for damages.

The source is low-priced processed meats that are mostly consumed by the poor and working class, prompting a recall of such products and bans on imports of them from South Africa by several countries in the region.

Tiger Brands Chief Executive Lawrence McDougal said on Monday that there was no direct link between the deaths and its processed cold meat products.

In Malawi on Saturday, South African processed meats were set alight in large bonfires in several locations, one which was witnessed by a Reuters reporter in the capital Lilongwe.

The disease causes flu-like symptoms, nausea, diarrhea and infection of the blood stream and brain.

($1 = 11.8078 rand) (Additional reporting by Frank Phiri in Blantyre; editing by Dale Hudson)

Topics Lawsuits USAA Brazilian government-backed institute is readying new evidence of contamination near the worlds biggest alumina refiner, Norsk Hydro ASAs Alunorte, in the northern state of Para, a researcher told Reuters.

A more complete report being prepared for release next week should reveal that there was a waste leak at the plant, said Marcelo Lima, a public health researcher at the Evandro Chagas Institute, a research facility linked to the Ministry of Health.

It will tell more of the story, with new evidence, Lima said on Thursday.

Flooding at the Alunorte plant last month sparked fears of a leak of toxic bauxite waste around the facility and government warnings of contamination.

A Feb. 16 thunderstorm dropped 200 millimeters (8 inches) of rain in 12 hours, causing red-colored water to flood streets, homes and areas of Amazon rain forest near the plant.

Authorities ordered the plant, in Bacarena city, to cut output in half until it addressed government concerns, leading Norway-based Hydro to declare force majeure with no time set to restart the plant.

Hydro has so far denied any negative environmental impact.

The company said in a statement on Friday that it had received a report from federal watchdog Ibama mentioning a lateral leak. It said the leak was contained and there was no contact with the environment.

The company and government continue to present divergent accounts of what happened.

Five officials at the Alunorte facility, who asked not to be named because of company policy, said the incident began with a lightning strike leading to a power failure.

Pumps shut down as the storm, flooding the administrative area of the plant that did not contain hazardous bauxite waste, according to the officials.

A small amount of untreated water from the area leaked out of cracks in a sealed, out-of-operation drainage tube and reached the nearby forest, they said.

At a separate refinery area, which includes two large waste deposits from processing bauxite, pump units connected to waste treatment areas suffered shutdowns but were quickly reconnected, the officials said.

But according to Lima, a separate duct leak, to be detailed in the new report, would have carried waste from bauxite processing at the companys oldest waste deposit.

The institute has also collected samples showing the presence of harmful materials in soil and water, including lead, which could indicate that bauxite leaked as well, he said.

(Reporting by Marta Nogueira; writing by Jake Spring; editing by Steve Orlofsky)A Michigan company is suing AM General, alleging the vehicle manufacturer owes more than $3 million for contract work at its northern Indiana plant.

Michigan-based Allied Industrial Groups original contract called for $17.4 million in improvements at AM Generals commercial plant in Mishawaka, the South Bend Tribune reported. Allied Industrial retooled the plants assembly line in 2015 to ready it for production of the Mercedes Benz R-Class and Mobility Ventures MV-1 vehicle.

AIGs federal lawsuit filed in Indiana alleges that AM General still owes $3.3 million.

James Groves, AIGs attorney, said AM General didnt give an explanation for the unpaid bills. Groves said he had no information suggesting that AM General is financially unable to pay.

AM General sold the plant last year to electric vehicle manufacturer SF Motors, a subsidiary of Chinese automotive manufacturer Chongqing Sokon Industry Group.

The lawsuit also alleges that AM General didnt let AIG retrieve some materials, tools and equipment left on site after learning that the company planned to sell its plant. AM General eventually allowed AIG into the facility late last year, but AIG officials said they werent permitted to recover some of its materials valued at more than $1 million.

Jason Abel, an attorney representing AM General, said that the allegations are baseless and without merit. He said the company intends to fight AIGs claims in court.

AM General is also the subject of another breach of contract lawsuit, which was filed in November by Michigan-based All State Fastener Corp. The lawsuit alleges that AM General owes All State Fastener more than $232,000 for failing to pay for fasteners purchased under a minimum purchase commitment between the two companies.

Copyright 2021 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Topics Lawsuits Michigan AIGBlackstone Group LP has bigger plans for insurance companies than just managing their money. The worlds largest private equity firm is expanding into a lucrative business dominated by BlackRock Inc.: portfolio risk analytics.

Bennett Goodman, co-founder of Blackstones GSO credit unit and chairman of its new insurance-solutions business, described the plan in a Bloomberg Television interview with Erik Schatzker that aired last Friday.

How can we help these insurance companies monitor what they own, stress test what they own, plug in different macroeconomic variables, see what that does to the portfolio, Goodman said. One of the things in the laboratory under the R&D category is to try to sort out how we can do that, he said, referring to a world-class risk-analytics capability.

Money managers are jumping into data analytics as a way to both harness their own information and offer institutional investors allocation advice. While BlackRock has dominated risk analytics for publicly traded securities through its Aladdin platform, Blackstones foray will be a key test case in how to channel data from the traditionally opaque world of alternative assets.

Offerings Array

Insurance is a logical place to start. Years of low yields in the fixed-income market have insurers looking for higher returns to match their policyholder obligations. With more than $20 trillion of insurance assets potentially up for grabs, alternative asset managers such as Blackstone and Apollo Global Management LLC are eagerly structuring longer duration, yield-oriented products that meet insurers demand.

Whereas the average junk bond yields about 6 percent, Goodman said Blackstone can originate senior loans to mid-size companies at yields of 8 percent or more.

Goodman mentioned the risk-analytics initiative as part of an array of things Blackstone envisions doing with its new insurance-solutions business. The group, which launched in January with more than $22 billion of assets under the leadership of former New York Life Insurance Co. executive Chris Blunt, will offer insurers investment-grade credit products that may include corporate loans, acquisition finance or slices of structured-debt securitizations.

The business could generate $500 million a year in management fees once it scales to at least $100 billion in assets, Goodman said, and is seeking to add 10 to 15 people over the next few years to the 25 it employs now. New York-based Blackstone recently created a committee across its various businesses to meet regularly and discuss ways to create products that meet the capital, duration, liquidity and asset-liability needs of insurers. Goodman described that structure as very different from the way Blackstone was organized previously.

Now we have a new LP  the insurance community  so we need to get people focused on how does that create a situation where we can redesign the capital structures or our financing activities for what were trying to accomplish, he said.

Copyright 2021 Bloomberg.

Topics Data DrivenOver 20 years, Brian Komoto built a thriving pharmacy in Californias Central Valley. Each day, his nurses would travel the vast agricultural regions roads to help hepatitis C patients take a grueling regimen of shots.

Then, in 2016, 20 percent of Komotos business vanished, practically overnight. The insurer Centene Corp. purchased the health plan that covered his patients  many of them Hispanic farm workers who had developed a level of trust with Komotos traveling nurses. Centene had its own mail-order pharmacy, and it told the patients to go there instead, he said.

Using tactics that have drawn the attention of federal regulators and attracted lawsuits, drug plans and insurers have boxed out their smaller partners so they can take the business for themselves, independent pharmacies say.

There was nothing we could do, Komoto said of Centene steering his patients away. Its not like there were hoops we didnt meet or criteria we didnt meet. It appears they just wanted the business. Other health plans put similar pressure on Komoto, and he froze hiring to cut down on headcount.

What happened to Komotos business shows the growing pressure on small operators in the health-care industry, who are seeing their profits squeezed by a tightly interwoven web of distributors, retailers and health-plan administrators. As patient demand lower costs, bigger players such as Centene can use their size and connections to box out independents.

Squeezed Out

The drug supply chain is being drawn even more taut, and the power of the big players even greater. Last week, insurer Cigna Corp. said it would buy Express Scripts Holding Co., the U.S.s biggest stand-alone pharmacy benefit manager, or PBM. In December, drugstore chain and PBM giant CVS Health Corp. said it would buy insurer Aetna Inc.

Health plans and benefit managers say their centralized pharmacies save money and do a better job at keeping patients on complex drug regimens. For example, both CVS and Express Scripts have pharmacists that specialize in specific diseases.

Centene confirmed that it asked Komotos patients to switch, though said it was flexible with the transition so as not to impact their care.

Cignas Proposed Acquisition of Express Scripts Faces Antitrust Review

The interest by insurers and PBMs in the pharmacy business has risen in parallel with the growth of high-cost specialty medicines that need delicate handling or careful counseling of patients. Handling those drugs can be a profitable sideline.

At CVSs drug benefit unit, 60 percent of specialty prescriptions are filled through CVSs own specialty pharmacy, CVS Chief Operating Officer Jonathan Roberts said in a Feb. 8 conference call. Its the highest and fastest growing part of the pharmacy benefit, he said.

More Pressure

Komoto said that he also lost business to CVS. And a benefit manager now owned by UnitedHealth Group Inc. told him that to stay in its network, he would need a broad-reaching accreditation that would have cost hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Gradually we have been excluded from more and more PBM networks for specialtyand for no reason other than they wanted that market share, Komoto said.

It wasnt always this way. The specialty pharmacy business began to take off in the 1990s. In 1996, a Pittsburgh-area pharmacy landed an exclusive contract with Merck & Co. to distribute a breakthrough HIV drug then in short supply.

The pharmacy took a 37 percent markup, according to news reports at the time. Soon, specialty pharmacies were popping up everywhere, and big drug benefit managers gobbled up some of the most successful ones.

The markups are in the single digits now, Komoto said, but specialty pharmacies still get a spread on costly drugs, and may also get fees for their services or for selling data.

Market Concentration

The three largest pharmacy benefit managers  CVS, Express Scripts and UnitedHealth  control more than 70 percent of the PBM market, according to data from Drug Channels Institute, an industry research firm. They now also control more than half the $138 billion market for specialty drug prescriptions, according to the institute.

Its hard to imagine that the market could be less competitive than it is today, said TJ Parker, founder of the online pharmacy startup PillPack, referring to the home delivery and mail-order services that are how most patients get specialty drugs.

Drug benefit managers also say that its their employer and insurance company clients that choose the exclusive arrangements, and they always have the option to include more pharmacies if they want.

Express Scripts two-story mail order pharmacy in an office park 20 miles north of Pittsburgh specializes in infused drugs for pulmonary hypertension and other rare diseases. It stocks almost $300 million of inventory, much of it inside a 100-foot-long walk-in refrigerator. The drugs inside can cost $125,000 per vial.

On the ground floor one recent February morning, dozens of technicians in short-sleeve shirts and khaki pants gathered infused drugs, syringes, tubes, drug pumps, and other supplies on rolling metal carts. Pharmacists checked the orders and packers wrapped them in gel packs and insulated boxes and send them on a conveyor belt to UPS trucks headed for the airport.

In the more serene call center upstairs, dozens of patient representatives were on phone dealing verifying insurance coverage, coordinating authorizations, and arranging financial aid.

We try to avoid scripted types of calls. We want patients to be comfortable, says Mickey Law, a 25-year-industry-veteran who runs the facility.

Fewer Options

But when problems arise, patients locked into a single pharmacy find they have nowhere to go.

Jodi Ruehling, a school librarian in Massillon, Ohio, said her 6th-grade daughter suffered worsening hearing damage from a rare autoimmune disorder in 2016 after CVSs specialty pharmacy was a week late in shipping a crucial anti-inflammatory medicine. Ruehling says she started calling CVS a month ahead of time to insure that all the authorizations were in place, but it didnt help.

It was always a runaround, she said. They kept telling me it was the doctors fault and the doctor hadnt sent the prescription in.

CVSs takes incredibly seriously the importance of getting patients their medicines on schedule every time, said Alan Lotvin, CVS executive vice president for specialty pharmacy. When a problem occurs, we do everything possible to make it right and make sure it doesnt happen again, he said.

In Ruehlings case, CVS in late 2016 appointed a single point person to handle her calls and the service improved, she said.

Lawsuits

Some pharmacists have sued to get better access to the PBM networks.

In Arkansas, UnitedHealths PBM refused for 16 months to allow AllCare Specialty Pharmacy into the specialty pharmacy network it operated for a local insurer, according to a lawsuit AllCare filed against the PBM in 2016 accusing it of deceptive and unconscionable tactics.

Even though AllCare was already accredited, the PBM made AllCare get a second certification, which took nine months, the company said in the lawsuit. Then came new demands: it had to develop a program to monitor hepatitis C patients. AllCare submitted documents proving it had such a program, but was still turned down until it hired a lawyer to press its claim.

The lawsuit is on hold while the parties negotiate a settlement, according to court filings. Through its lawyer, AllCare declined to comment. UnitedHealth declined to comment.

The U.S. government has begun to look into whether PBMs and health plans were blocking access to some pharmacies.

In November, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services said it was concerned that health plans were manipulating the rules in a way that inappropriately limits dispensing of specialty drugs to certain pharmacies. It proposed rules to stop some of the practices in Medicare.

The Pharmaceutical Care Management Association, which represents PBMs, said in a in a January letter that the CMS proposal would undermine a competitive and well-functioning system and make it harder to keep drug costs down.

Patients with serious diseases should have a choice, says Jerry Flanagan, a lawyer at Consumer Watchdog. He has filed a lawsuit against CVS on behalf of HIV patients who claim the PBMs requirements violate their privacy and access to trusted pharmacists. CVS said the the suit is without merit.

If mail-order specialty pharmacies provide such great advantages, why not let patients choose for themselves? Flanagan said.

Copyright 2021 Bloomberg.

Topics Lawsuits Mergers Carriers Excess Surplus DrugsAn Oklahoma county will pay $6 million to settle a federal civil rights lawsuit filed by the family of an unarmed black man who was fatally shot by a white former sheriffs reserve deputy, according to court documents filed on March 9.

Tulsa County commissioners on Feb. 26 approved the settlement with the estate of Eric Harris, who was fatally shot in a Tulsa street by ex-volunteer deputy Robert Bates during an illegal gun sales sting. Harris was already being restrained by deputies when Bates shot Harris. Part of the incident was captured on a camera mounted in a pair of a deputys glasses.

The 76-year-old Bates, who said he confused his stun gun with his handgun when he shot Harris in April 2015, was convicted of second-degree manslaughter. He was released in October after serving less than half of his four-year sentence. Bates asked a state appeals court this week to rehear an appeal he lost last month.

This will send a message that not everybody gets away with it, said Harris brother, Andre Harris, in an interview. I hope this (settlement) is a deterrent.

Guy Fortney, an attorney for Bates, didnt immediately return a message seeking comment on the settlement.

Sheriff Vic Regalado said in a statement he believes the settlement will allow the process of healing to continue for the Harris family, the citizens of Tulsa County and the hard working men and women of the Tulsa County Sheriffs Office.

Harris family attorney Dan Smolen said Harris legacy brings hope for some measure of justice and accountability when a law officer violates the rights and takes the life of an African-American citizen.

Erics death, and the profound government corruption uncovered in the wake of his death, served as a wake-up call for Tulsa, Smolen said.

The Harris shooting drew thousands of county residents to petition for a grand jury to investigate allegations that Bates was unqualified to serve as a deputy but kept on the force because of his friendship with indicted ex-Sheriff Stanley Glanz.

Glanz, a fishing buddy of Bates, was indicted in September 2015, accused of failing to release a 2009 internal report that raised serious concerns about Bates ability to do its job.

The memo, which was leaked to reporters in the weeks after Harris was killed, alleged superiors knew Bates didnt have enough training but pressured others to look the other way because of the wealthy insurance executives relationship with the sheriff and close ties to the agency, which included donating thousands of dollars in cash, vehicles and equipment to the department.

Glanz eventually pleaded no contest in 2016 to a charge of refusing to perform official duty for not releasing the 2009 training memo on Bates and was sentenced to a year of jail time, which was suspended.

Harris death also uncovered a law enforcement agency in disarray.

Consultants hired by the county issued a scathing 238-page report found that the sheriffs office suffered from a system-wide failure of leadership and supervision and said the agency had been in a perceptible decline for more than a decade.

Shortcomings in its reserve deputy program were just the most-visible signs of trouble within the agency, it said.

While Andre Harris told the AP he was glad for a settlement, he doubted whether it would truly improve long-simmering tensions between black residents in Tulsa and the police. Those date to a 1921 race riot in which hundreds of black residents were killed and thousands more injured.

Its sad to say, but this (settlement) aint going to stop this, he said. It can slow it down, but I dont think the relationship between law enforcement and African-Americans is going to go away over a $6 million settlement.

Related:

Copyright 2021 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Topics Lawsuits OklahomaThe president of a Tennessee variety show venue says one of its workers has died after a carbon dioxide leak.

The Oak Ridger reports that David Fee, president and CEO of the Smoky Mountain Opry Theater in Pigeon Forge, issued a statement Thursday saying theater technician Josh Ellis has died.

The 38-year-old Ellis died at the University of Tennessee Medical Center, where he had been placed in a medically-induced coma.

Authorities said Ellis and two employees who went to check on him were found unconscious during a performance March 3. Hundreds of people were evacuated. The two surviving workers were released from a hospital within hours.

A theater official has said the leak stemmed from a valve left open on a machine that uses carbon dioxide to create fog.

Copyright 2021 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Topics TennesseeOfficials in South Carolina say a rising number of staged automobile crashes are becoming a problem in the state.

The Post and Courier of Charleston cited authorities who said faked crashes were part of a scam that resulted in charges filed in November against 10 Pee Dee-area residents for insurance fraud involving nearly $300,000 in altered medical bills.

The newspaper also cited a report in which perpetrators of fake car accidents in Dillon and Florence counties struck each other with boards and threw each other into trees to create injuries they said happened in wrecks which authorities determined were staged. Two men in Allendale County parked their car on railroad tracks so a train would hit it and then returned to the scene feigning injuries. Scammers in Anderson County underestimated the impact of crashing their vehicles into each other and unexpectedly wound up in the emergency room, according to news reports.

This is a dangerous problem that not only puts innocent drivers at risk, but also requires emergency crews to respond to these staged crime scenes, which wastes taxpayers dollars, said Alan Wilson, state attorney general, in the Insurance Fraud Divisions most recent annual report released in 2016.

South Carolina had 223 insurance claims in 2014 suspected of being staged accidents, which was nearly triple the number of that type of claim from four years earlier. The problem continued at the same pace in 2015 when some 118 questionable claims thought to staged wrecks were recorded in the first six months of the year, according to the National Insurance Crime Bureau.

The state ranks in the Top 10 for suspected fraud per 100,000 population for all types of insurance. Wilsons office received 1,915 insurance fraud complaints in 2016, which was more than triple the number of complaints in 2010. In the past two years, investigators have seen a troubling rise in organized crime rings involved in insurance scams, including staged accidents, arson and forged prescriptions for medications sold on the black market.

Premiums have also been rising because South Carolina drivers are getting in more wrecks, the damage is getting more expensive to repair and the states auto insurers have been passing along the bill. The states 10 largest auto insurers increased premiums an average of 8.9 percent in 2016, according to the Insurance Department, more than double the rate of change they recorded in 2015.

As part of the fight against costly insurance scams, the NICB and law enforcement review hundreds of questionable claims annually in South Carolina. From 1995 to 2016, insurance fraud investigations resulted in 1,498 criminal convictions.

Of particular concern, despite being in the Top 10 nationally for insurance fraud, our state ranks near the bottom in funding to fight this problem, said David Fernandez, the assistant attorney general who directs insurance fraud prosecutions.

Last year, four full-time State Law Enforcement Division agents were assigned to investigate insurance fraud, which was double the number from the previous year. But the South Carolina insurance fraud unit budget of $354,000 pales in comparison to North Carolina and Virginia with budgets of $2.8 million and $5.3 million, respectively. The Tar Heel State has 20 insurance fraud investigators, according to the 2016 S.C. Insurance Fraud Division report.

Like water, fraud and crime travel the path of least resistance, Wilson said in the report. South Carolina can no longer be a place where these criminal are able to thrive.

Copyright 2021 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Topics Auto Fraud Personal Auto South CarolinaThe insurance company for the central Oregon city of Bend will pay $800,000 in a settlement agreement with the family of a man shot and killed by a Bend police officer.

The Bulletin reports that the city in the agreement signed last week admits no liability in the shooting of 31-year-old Michael Tyler Jacques.

Bend police officers Scott Schaier and Marc Tisher in December 2016 pulled Jacques over on suspicion of drunk driving. An autopsy later found Jacques had a blood alcohol content three times the legal limit.

Schaier and Tisher reported Jacques tried to escape in his minivan, putting people at risk. Schaier fired five times, hitting Jacques in the head and shoulder.

An Oregon Department of Justice investigation concluded there wasnt sufficient evidence to find Schaier criminally liable.

Copyright 2021 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Topics Carriers Law Enforcement OregonA 20-year-old man from Oregon has filed lawsuits against Dicks Sporting Goods and Walmart, alleging the two retailers discriminated against him when they refused to sell him a rifle this week because of his age.

Dicks and Walmart restricted gun sales to people 21 and older in the wake of the Florida high school massacre. The 19-year-old accused in the school slaying legally bought the AR-15 used in the attack.

The lawsuits, obtained by The Associated Press, are believed to be the first filed over the new gun policies enacted in the wake of the Feb. 14 shooting in Florida.

Oregon law allows residents to buy shotguns or rifles starting at 18.

Tyler Watsons lawsuits filed against the retailers in two separate counties claim he faced age discrimination from Dicks and Walmart.

The lawsuits in Jackson and Josephine counties both ask a judge to put a stop to the retailers new gun sale policies and award punitive damages because of the willful nature of the discrimination.

Legal papers say a store owned by Dicks Sporting Goods in Medford, Oregon, refused to sell Watson a .22-caliber Ruger rifle on Feb. 24. The suit says a Walmart in Grants Pass, Oregon, refused to sell him an unspecified type of rifle on March 3.

Watson did not know about the restrictions when he tried to buy a rifle, his attorney Max Whittington, told The Oregonian/OregonLive. Whittington did not immediately return a call from the AP.

Watson is not part of an organized effort to push back against the retailers policy, the lawyer added.

He was really just trying to buy a rifle, Whittington told the newspaper.

Watson, of Gold Hill, Oregon, could not be reached for comment.

Walmart spokesman Randy Hargrove said the retailer plans to defend the new policy.

We stand behind our decision and plan to defend it, he said. While we havent seen the complaint, we will respond as appropriate with the court.

A representative from Dicks didnt immediately return a call from The AP.

Copyright 2021 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Topics Lawsuits OregonThe originator of American currency, debatably, is among one of Massachusetts many claims to colonial fame. In 1690, the thenMassachusetts Bay Colony printed and circulated the soon-to-be nations first colonial currency. While other colonies quickly followed suit, by 1764 the British Parliament outlawed colonial currencies, making them decidedly illegal tender. When the Revolutionary War began in 1775, the Continental Congress issued its currency to finance the fight for liberty. Unsurprisingly, the British Parliament didnt recognize this currency, either. Called continentals, these paper bills lacked the backing of gold or silver.

Since the British lost the Revolutionary War and the U.S. dollar officially became the nations legal tender, its become a lot easier to exchange currency in Boston. Whether you're an American seeking foreign currency for a trip abroad or a foreign visitor in the U.S., here's the best way to exchange currency in Boston.

key takeaways In Boston, as in most places, the best currency exchange rates are at banks and bank ATMsthough you need to watch out for fees when using the latter.



Two recommended currency exchange stores in Boston are Currency Exchange International in Copley Place and the Boylston Street Travelex.

Avoid exchanging money at the airport, where rates tend to be the poorest.

Currency Exchange Options in Boston

Whether it's dollars you needor a handful of Thai baht or Danish kroneyou could do well to head for the Boston branch of Currency Exchange International, which advertises its services with an appealing guarantee: It claims to match (or beat) any bank on the same product or service on the same day and same time of the exchange. Bills, as well as certain foreign coins, are accepted. Centrally located in Copley Place, its easily reachable by public transit, or the T: Take the Orange Line to the Back Bay Station or the Green Line to Copley Station.

Many travelers find Travelex Currency Services remains a better option than most banks, which often require a minimum transaction amount. The Back Bay location (there are others, including in Cambridge and at the airport) near the Boston Public Library, on well-traveled Boylston Street, gets good reviews for its friendly staff and social media promotions, which sometimes offer waived transaction fees for participation. Fees are also often waived for transactions of more than $150 to $200; be sure to inquire.

General Currency Exchange Tips

If you're a foreign traveler, the cheapest way to exchange money is often to use your credit card or bank debit card at an ATM. These generally offer the lowest exchange rates between your home currency and U.S. dollars. However, its crucial to research your credit card's or bank's policy on overseas withdrawals, because there may be extra fees involved. If you make numerous withdrawals, these quickly add up.

When using an ATM, if given the option, always choose for the fee to be charged in the local currency.

Many times, a traveler has returned home from a jaunt abroad to face not only jet lag but also the shock of finding countless charges on their checking account. The sticker shock doesnt always end there. Its common for banks to not only charge the equivalent of a $2 to $5 fee at foreign ATMs (one not part of their network) but also to take a small percentage on the amount of cash withdrawn. Called a foreign transaction fee, it varies from about 1% to 3% of the withdrawal. Many credit cards also sock you for foreign transactions or currency conversions.

Its for that reason, among others, that some travelers prefer to patronize a currency exchange store. While currency exchanges rarely offer exchange rates that come in as favorably as ATMs, they tend to charge lower transaction fees; so do a quick calculation and see which option yields the most favorable result. Keep in mind that currency exchanges, especially in major tourist areas, work in fierce competition with one another. The fiercer the competition, the more likely youll be able to negotiate on the transaction feeor even sweet-talk your way to a slightly more favorable rate.

That said, you may want to forgo the airport currency exchangestheyre notorious for offering the worst exchange rates. These shops trade on their conveniencethey're usually the first option you see, once you clear customsand the fact you might need the coin of the realm to catch a bus, train, or taxi into town. Plus, you haven't had a chance to suss out the going rates elsewhere. Even the Logan Airport American Express location gets low marks for exchange terms.

At best, use the airport outlets to exchange just enough money to get you into the city and the place you're staying.

Plan in Advance

An alternative is to check before your trip to see whether your bank carries foreign currency, or if it will order it for you: Many banks offer convenient currency exchange services for account holders. While the conversion rate should be on par with the market, always check online to compare, and if your banks deal seems off, mention it to your banker.

its prudent to gain a pre-departure grasp of the exchange rate between your countrys currency and the U.S. dollar. Of course, markets are volatile, and currencies can drop or rise in a day, but usuallyexcepting war, political upheavals, natural disasters or market crasheschecking in advance will give you a generally excellent picture of what youll get for your euro, pound, or yen. Once in Beantown (one of the city's affectionate nicknames), keep up on currency news by checking with the local Boston Globe or The Wall Street Journals financial pages.

Whether you're visiting Bostonor leaving it to travel outside the

U.S.it pays to research exchange rates in advance to make sure you're

being offered a fair rate. If you're an American who travels abroad regularly, it pays to open an account at an online financial institution, such as Capital One 360 or Charles Schwab (the banking side of the securities broker), that doesnt charge a transaction fee or a fee for using an overseas ATM.  Such banks are rare, however, which is why a credit card with no foreign transaction fee that lets you withdraw cash from an ATM is a good thing to have in your wallet.What Is a Foreign Institutional Investor (FII)?

A foreign institutional investor (FII) is an investor or investment fund investing in a country outside of the one in which it is registered or headquartered. The term foreign institutional investor is probably most commonly used in India, where it refers to outside entities investing in the nation's financial markets. The term is also used officially in China.

1:20 Foreign Institutional Investor (FII)

Understanding Foreign Institutional Investors (FIIs)

FIIs can include hedge funds, insurance companies, pension funds, investment banks, and mutual funds. FIIs can be important sources of capital in developing economies, yet many developing nations, such as India, have placed limits on the total value of assets an FII can purchase and the number of equity shares it can buy, particularly in a single company. This helps limit the influence of FIIs on individual companies and the nation's financial markets, and the potential damage that might occur if FIIs fled en masse during a crisis.

Foreign Institutional Investors (FIIs) in India

Some of the countries with the highest volume of foreign institutional investments are those with developing economies, which generally provide investors with higher growth potential than mature economies. This is one reason FIIs are commonly found in India, which has a high-growth economy and attractive individual corporations to invest in. All FIIs in India must register with the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) to participate in the market.

Key Takeaways A foreign institutional investor is an investor in a financial market outside its official home country.

Foreign institutional investors can include pension funds, investment banks, hedge funds, and mutual funds.

Some countries place restrictions on the size of investments by foreign investors.

Example of a Foreign Institutional Investor (FII)

If a mutual fund in the United States sees a high-growth investment opportunity in an India-listed company, it can take a long position by purchasing shares in an Indian stock market. This type of arrangement also benefits private U.S. investors who may not be able to buy Indian stocks directly. Instead, they can invest in the mutual fund and take part in the high-growth potential.

Regulations on Investing in Indian Companies

FIIs are allowed to invest in India's primary and secondary capital markets only through the country's portfolio investment scheme. This scheme allows FIIs to purchase shares and debentures of Indian companies on the nation's public exchanges.

However, there are many regulations. For example, FIIs are generally limited to a maximum investment of 24% of the paid-up capital of the Indian company receiving the investment. However, FIIs can invest more than 24% if the investment is approved by the company's board and a special resolution is passed. The ceiling on FIIs' investments in Indian public-sector banks is only 20% of the banks' paid-up capital.

The Reserve Bank of India monitors compliance with these limits daily by implementing cutoff points 2% below the maximum investment. This gives it a chance to caution the Indian company receiving the investment before allowing the final 2% to be purchased.

Foreign Institutional Investors in China

China is also a popular destination for foreign institutions seeking to invest in high-growth capital markets. In 2019, China decided to scrap quotas on the amount of the nation's stocks and bonds FIIs can purchase. The decision was part of efforts to attract more foreign capital as its economy slowed and it fought a trade war with the U.S.IRELAND: Just seven abortions have been carried out in Ireland because of a risk of suicide since the law changed in 2013, the Irish Examiner can reveal.

IRELAND: This Dail may never get to legislate for abortion even if the people vote to repeal the Eighth Amendment, ministers are privately warning.

IRELAND: No talks are under way with the manufacturer of a drug that threw a lifeline to patients with genetic emphysema, despite a commitment from the health minister to the family of a woman who died while the drug was withheld.

IRELAND: A young man killed in Co Donegal on Saturday night was walking home after celebrating the christening of his baby son.

VIEWS: A friend rang me the other day. Spitting teeth, she was, with fury. Reasonably famous, this friend, never mind in what sector of Irish life, but reasonably famous, writes Terry Prone.

BUSINESS: International hotel chain, Vienna House, is considering a move into the Irish market. It is taking on alternative accommodation providers, such as Airbnb.

SPORT: The main talking points from this weekends Allianz League action.

... SOME DISTRACTION

CULTURE: Domhnall Gleeson hopped at the chance to play a part in the new Peter Rabbit film

FEATURES: Nuala Wolfe meets some of the people involved in solving our power needs as Ireland begins to move to a low-carbon economy.

SHOWBIZ: Rob Heffernan has become the latest celeb to be voted off Dancing with the Stars Ireland.An Irish gang is accused of being behind a series of scams across Australia's Gold Coast.

Police say groups of men and women with children, have been targeting small business and elderly residents since January.Update 10.40pm: Leo Varadkar has said he will raise concerns with President Donald Trump over a possible tit for tat trade war between the EU and US.

Mr Varadkar said tariffs were a road that he did not want either Europe or America to go down.

The Taoiseach made the comments during an interview at the South by South West festival in Austin, Texas.

"As a policy I can't imagine how it would be good for anyone, I don't think it would be good for America, I don't think it would be good for Ireland or the EU," Mr Varadkar said.

A possible trade war has been mooted since Mr Trump announced a 25% import tariff on steel and 10% on aluminium.

The EU has threatened retaliatory tariffs on US goods, including bourbon and jeans.

Mr Varadkar, who began his St Patrick's Day tour of the US on Sunday, said the day before his White House meeting with Mr Trump later this week, the European Commission will announce its response to the tariffs.

"What has been hinted at is tariffs on denim jeans and bourbon whiskey," he said.

"When I hear bourbon whiskey I think the next response might be tariffs against Irish whiskey, so what you get into is a spiral of tit for tats."

Asked what he'll raise in the White House he said: "You can't cover everything but on the very top of that list, or very high on that list will be trade and the risk of a drift in relationships between Europe and America and that really, really scares me."

Update 7.51pm: Taoiseach announces extension of consulate in Texas to boost links with US

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has announced an extension of his country's consulate in Texas as part of plans to foster more links with a number of key US states.

Mr Varadkar said the move would help his stated aim of doubling Ireland's footprint globally.

The Taoiseach made the comments after a meeting with the Governor of Texas Greg Abbott in Austin on the first day of his St Patrick's Day visit to the US.

"This is a rapidly growing state, growing population, growing economy," Mr Varadkar said.

"We opened a consulate here for the first time in Austin three years ago - as part of my plan to double Ireland's footprint we're going to be expanding that mission."

The meeting was the first in the Taoiseach's week-long trip to the US for the annual St Patrick's Day festivities.

Other scheduled engagements in the Texan city on Sunday included a discussion about Irish innovation at the South By Southwest festival.

Mr Varadkar said there were about 100,000 people working for Irish companies in the US.

I think that speaks to the developing and changing relationship between Ireland and America which is one that goes both ways in terms of investment, in terms of jobs and in terms of tech in particular.

The Taoiseach said Ireland would be focusing on creating strong relationships with the states of Texas and California.

The Government's annual St Patrick's Day trip aims to advance Ireland's economic and political interests in the US. It also seeks to celebrate new and old cultural and communities ties between the two countries. This year it will incorporate four cities.

On Monday the Mr Varadkar will meet the Governor of Oklahoma and will also visit a Native American community there.

His meeting with the Choctaw Nation will commemorate the tribe's fundraising efforts for the victims of Ireland's Great Famine in the mid 19th Century.

Mr Varadkar travels to Washington DC on Tuesday where he will deliver a foreign policy address to the Brookings Institution.

That evening, the Taoiseach and Senator George Mitchell will be keynote speakers at a congressional event to mark 20 years since the signing of Northern Ireland's Good Friday Agreement peace agreement.

His Washington engagements also include meetings with senior representatives of Irish companies succeeding in the US market.

On Wednesday, the Taoiseach will address the annual American Ireland Fund gala dinner.

Keeping with recent traditions, the focus of the itinerary will be Mr Varadkar's bilateral meeting with President Trump at the White House on Thursday.

It is likely to include a discussion on the issues faced by the tens of thousands of Irish citizens who live in the US without legal residency.

It will be followed by the annual Speaker's lunch on Capitol Hill and the ceremonial exchange of a shamrock bowl between Mr Trump and the Taoiseach back at the White House.

On Friday, the Taoiseach will be guest of honour at a breakfast hosted by Vice President Mike Pence.

Mr Varadkar will end his trip in New York where his series of engagements will include the St Patrick's Day parade along Fifth Avenue on Saturday.

- PA

Earlier: Taoiseach confident Eighth Amendment legislation will be passed by end of year if there is yes vote in referendum

By Elaine Loughlin In Austin, Texas

The Taoiseach is confident legislation to replace the Eighth Amendment will be passed by the end of the year if there is a yes vote in the upcoming referendum.

Speaking in Austin, Texas where he is beginning his St Patrick's Day trip to the US, Leo Varadkar said he had tasked Health Minister Simon Harris with producing legislation which can be pushed through the Oireachtas if the public decides to take abortion out of the Constitution.

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar meets Texas Governor Greg Abbott at the Governors Mansion in Austin at the beginning of his week long visit to the United States of America. Pic: Niall Carson/PA Wire

Mr Varadkar met with the Governor of Texas Greg Abbott this morning in his first engagement in the US.

However, speaking after their meeting, Mr Varadkar said he had not raised the issue of LGBT rights with the Governor.

Last year, the Republican Governor signed a law that allows adoption or foster care agencies to refuse to place children with certain prospective parents, including same-sex couples if the provider feels it conflicts with their "sincerely held religious beliefs."

Critics said the Bill to protect the religious rights of faith-based groups in state child welfare programs could be used to discriminate against LGBT families in adoptions.

He has also sought to ban transgender people from using the bathrooms of their choice.

During their meeting, Mr Abbott 's introduced the Taoiseach to his wife Cecilia who has Irish ancestry.

Turning to domestic matters, Mr Varadkar said Government had been working on the legislation that would replace the Eighth Amendment and he is confident this legislation could be passed within the lifetime of the Government.

Mr Varadkar said: "If you remember when I was elected as Taoiseach back in June one of the things that I committed to, I gave every minister two or three things to focus on and one of the things that I gave the Minister for Health to focus on was having a referendum this year, ideally by the summer.

"Notwithstanding a few delays along the way, we are actually on track the legislation is now in the Dail and I am confident that we can have referendum in May and that would allow us to get legislation through within a matter of months.

"We have been working away on that legislation, the policy paper is already done will be able to publish a draft scheme of general scheme of the legislation, we plan to do that by the end of March and if there is a yes vote in the referendum we would then have a couple of months to get that legislation through.

"So I certainly think that can all be done within this calendar year, within the lifetime of this Government," said the Taoiseach.Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has said the US is no longer a world leader in LGBT rights.

Mr Varadkar said he believed the majority of American people would agree with him, even if the Trump administration does not.

The Taoiseach made the comments during an interview at the South by South West festival in Austin, Texas.

Mr Varadkar said he would raise gay rights when he has a bilateral meeting with President Donald Trump in the White House on Thursday.

"What I intend to say is that for the vast majority of people around the world including people from gay lesbian transgender backgrounds, we have always seen America as a beacon of freedom," the Taoiseach said.

"This is the land of the free, the home of the brave.

"This is where the LGBT rights movement began."

He added: "It is really tough to see a country that is built on freedom, and built on individual freedom somehow not being a world leader in that space anymore.

I actually think on this issue the majority of American people would agree with what I have to say, even if the administration doesn't.

Mr Varadkar added that he hoped America would one day take leadership in the area again.

- PABy Elaine Loughlin

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has met The Terminator in Texas.

Both Leo Varadkar and Arnold Schwarzenegger were speakers at the South by South West (SXSW) festival in Austin this afternoon and bumped into each other at the event.

However, before Mr Varadkar spoke at the event he met with the actor and former Governor of California and told Mr Shwarzenegger: I love your work, by the way.

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar meeting Arnold Schwarzenegger in the Hiton Hotel in Austin, Texas. Pic: Niall Carson/PA Wire

Mr Varadkar explained that he was in Austin, Texas as part of his St Patrick's Day trip to the US.

"I just got here last night so I am here for the week, based in the States, you know St Patrick's day is coming up," the Taoiseach said.

The question is are you coming to Santa Monica? asked Mr Shwarzenegger.

While the Taoiseach said he had been to Santa Monica many times adding that he "loves the beach" he told the actor he would not be making a visit this time, to which Mr Shwarzenegger said: you are always welcome, it's good to see you.My column of February 26 explained that a unique charm of the Valle Gran Rey on the island of La Gomera in the Canaries is the laid-back vibe left over from the first hippies that arrived here, Vietnam War draft dodgers in the late 1950s, writes Damien Enright.

An alternative culture has thrived ever since, welcomed by the then farmers and fishermen, now turned tourism providers with family enterprises. It might be said that some of the first businesses, trekking guides, bike rentals, and bakeries were started by foreigners who first arrived in ragged jeans, toting backpacks, and decided to stay.

The tradition of finding ways to survive in paradise continues, manifest in the way a handful of the exotic people who dwell in caves on an almost inaccessible beach far from amenities, including fresh water, trek each evening to the main beach to lay on an unrehearsed, unchoreographed drumming show as the sun sinks into the sea southwest of El Hierro, the island on the horizon.

For visitors sitting on the black sand of the unspoiled beach, the ambience clearly conjures some magic. For many, its a memorable feature of their Gomera holiday. They wont find such an ambience on resort beaches of crafted sand, backed with cafes and skyscraper hotels. The hippies thus add to the uniqueness of La Gomera.

There is no charge to listen; a hat passes around afterwards. Over the decade since the sunset drumming began, or evolved, its become a tradition. It isnt organised or promoted, but everyone who comes to the valley hears about it. The scheduling is simple: go to the main beach at sunset. Anyone with a drum can join in and share the contributions. Sometimes nappy-pantaloons-wearing, earringed and braceleted performers show up, with females hula-hooping rings of fire around their midriffs, fire-juggling or eating from flaming torches as the dark comes down. Its an open forum. Audience numbers depend on season. From pre-Christmas to Easter, they might average 60.

Gomera has no problem with its alternatives however, as I also mentioned on February 26, after an international Rainbow Gathering on a remote beach, licensed by the local town hall, ended, some stragglers arrived in the valley to wash their clothes at the beach showers and hung around naked in the nearby plaza, the authorities became somewhat uptight and cut the water to the showers.

This discommoded the tourists. Soon, the Rainbow folk wandered peaceful away and the water was restored. But, can hippies and tourists mix? So far the dilemma hasnt arisen, and one hopes it never will.

An American friend tells me that when Key West in Florida gave its alternative people the bums rush and this was not a good idea. Its ragged, Hemingway-esque characters in washed-out jeans and sun-bleached beards hanging about the waterfront was a tourist draw. They lent the place an authenticity popular with big-city visitors  here were people with a real philosophy of life whod dropped out of the rat race and gone fishin, long term.

Just being in the same space helped destress city folk, and dressing like the locals, drinking rum in shanty bars and playing guitar at impromptu gigs seemed just the thing for relaxing.

However, the Chamber of Commerce decided the bohos were giving their resort a bad image, and acted to make them feel unwelcome. The bohos moved elsewhere, and the ingredient that made Key West special moved with them.

When the visitors arrived the following year, Key West was like a hundred other resorts, nothing unique about it, its character and atmosphere gone. Visitor numbers fell. Now, what was to be done? Get back the hippies? But Key West would no longer suit them  too uptight, too sanitised, no more the rum shops, no more smoking a joint in the park.

A few businessmen got together and came up with a brainwave. Hire unemployed Hollywood actors to hang about the waterfront and be bums! Theyd pick up sanitized cigarette butts in the street, swig from half-pint rum-bottle-shaped glassware in brown paper bags, hold illegal street concerts, with the police pre-informed.

Did it work?, I asked my pal. He didnt think so. The Key West of Hemingway characters was gone.

Meanwhile, happily, in the Valle Gran Rey, the alternative culture continues to provide dream-food for the visitors. Its alive, well and unobtrusive. Its members dont litter, dont steal, dont give the place a bad name  so no Hollywood actors need apply.

As for your correspondent, hes been asked to be this years Guest of Honour at the St Patricks Day ceremonies in Courtmacsherry.

Hes flattered and hell be there  and hell try to bring some sunshine for the day!Hunited for its meat on the steppes of Central Asia, the horse seems to have been domesticated by the Botai people of Kazakhstan five and a half millennia ago. The noble beast was revered even then; horse skulls were buried with their snouts facing the rising sun, writes Richard Collins.

A thousand years later, working animals were brought to the Middle East; a Mesopotamian depiction of one with a rider dates from that time. Over the centuries, quadrillions of tonnes of soil were turned by horse-drawn ploughs. Horses helped us build civilisation, explore the world and fight wars. Until steam-trains arrived, they offered the fastest means of transport. What became of their wild ancestor? Experts speculated that it might be still alive, but a paper just published suggests that it isnt.

Horses were depicted on the walls of the Chauvet Cave about 31,000 years ago. The 17,000-year-old Lascaux paintings include 364 images of horses. Similar illustrations at Altamira are 15,000 years old. The free-roaming white herds of the Camargue, however, are not direct descendants of these ancient beasts; they derive from Celtic and Roman domesticated ones. Likewise, the wild mustangs of the American West, protected by the US Bureau of Land Management, are feral animals of colonial Spanish origin.

The great German naturalist Gmelin described a horse he saw in Russia in 1769. Its local name, tarpan, means wild horse in old Turkish. Driven into extinction in the 19th century, the last tarpan died on a Russian estate in 1909. The jury is still out as to its evolutionary status.

In 1881, the Russian geographer Nikolai Przewalski led an expedition to Mongolia. He described a type of horse living wild there which, it seemed, had never been tamed. Twenty years later, Przewalski horses were captured and taken to the West for a breeding programme. There were 31 in captivity by 1945. No Przewalski has been seen in the wild since 1966. In 1992, 12 captive-bred animals were returned to the steppes. Following further releases in Mongolia, and on the fringes of the Gobi Desert, the reintroduced horses prospered; there are now over 300 in the wild. Their IUCN designation extinct in the wild has been changed to endangered.

However, is the Przewalski a truly wild horse? Is it the primeval ancestor of all breeds alive today? Are its genes unsullied by domestication? A 47-member research team, drawn from 28 institutions worldwide, generated 42 ancient horse genomes, including 20 Botai ones. Forty-six published genomes were also examined. The results, appearing in the journal Science, show that the Przewalski is not, alas, a true wild horse. Its a descendant of those herded by the Botai people. Even its appearance has changed; the genes show that the Przewalskis coat used to have leopard-like spots but natural selection eliminated them over the centuries.

The origins of modern horses turn out to be much more diverse than was thought.

All domestic horses dated from 4,000 years to the present only show 2.7% Botai- related ancestry. This indicates that a massive genomic turnover underpins the expansion of the horse stock that gave rise to modern domesticates, say the scientists.

It coincides with large-scale human population expansion during the Early Bronze Age.

Like the auroch, whose domestic cattle descendants are the most successful large mammals in the world today, the primordial horse is gone forever. This result is a blow to Przewalski enthusiasts. With further DNA analysis, researchers may eventually uncover the horses true family tree.

Charleen Gaunitz et al. Ancient genomes revisit the ancestry of domestic and Przewalskis horses. Science. February 2018.Nuala Wolfe meets some of the people involved in solving our power needs as Ireland begins to move to a low-carbon economy.

How will my home or business be heated in the future? What kind of car will I be driving when the world runs out of oil? Will I be able to stay living rurally or will I have to move into an urban area? Will there be a clean environment to hand over to my children and grandchildren?

These are the dilemmas the average Irish citizen might ponder periodically, but thankfully policy makers, industry and academia are working on these problems right now and ground breaking energy solutions are even up and running in pilot schemes around the country. Problems, solutions and energy innovation will all be on the agenda when the 7th annual International Energy Research Centre Conference, Energy Resilence in a Low Carbon Economy meets this March in Cork to investigate how we can all decarbonise Ireland.

IERC is an industry-led technical centre, funded by Enterprise Ireland and embedded in the Tyndall National Institute at UCC, explains executive director, Professor Tony Day. Were trying to get a strong,

integrated agenda, identifying multiple energy needs, problems and solutions so as well as speakers from Irish companies Electric Ireland, ESB Networks and Gas Networks Ireland, international business leaders and energy innovators will also present at the conference so we exchange ideas and compare how were doing against other countries.

The issues to be considered in decarbonising Ireland are multi- faceted. Energy supply has to be guaranteed for industry, costs need to be reduced for continued competiveness and existing jobs have to be maintained and new ones created, but energy also needs to be cleaner for the sake of the environment, a factor which also impacts positively on peoples health.

Were aware of where we need to innovate. Ireland had a 7% growth rate last year we can afford and need to invest in better practices and new technology. Irelands lagging behind on heat and transport issues  30% of our domestic heating fuel is oil which equates to over 1,000 a year spent on fuel but people still dont insulate their attics.

Interestingly, its often inconvenience rather than cost that puts people off change so industry needs to develop services and materials which cut fuel costs and cause people the least amount of hassle and lost time to install. Hopefully, in the next round of new house builds in Ireland enforcement of building regulations will also improve as this will also benefit the end result for the householder.

By 2030/35 Ireland will have widespread electric and hydrogen cars and natural gas buses and trucks, most likely powered from bio-methane farm waste.

In the future people will be able to charge cars from batteries and when their car is not in use the energy can be directed back into the grid. In the UK theres 20 million worth of research being undertaken now on electric vehicle storage. Charging cars and feeding into the grid will radically reduce peoples fuel costs and also reduce our carbon footprint. International companies like Apple and Microsoft want to be zero carbon globally and if we work towards this well ensure multinationals stay with us, securing jobs but also creating jobs especially in software development, something Ireland is particularly good at, Professor Day adds.

Cork Company, Solo Energy, is one such Irish SME meeting the software development challenge head on with the launch of their new sustainable energy StoreNet project in Dingle, Co Kerry.

Some 20 homes will shortly have battery storage systems installed in their homes in a collaborative two-year project which includes Electric Ireland and ESB Networks. Smart charging of these batteries during off peak times will reduce pressure on the grid and will reduce costs to Dingle householders wholl be able to harness power from batteries rather than draw from the grid during peak times.

In Ireland were really good at generating power from wind but wind energy can be wasted unless its stored; the wind doesnt always blow or it might blow during a summer night when demand is low, which is a waste unless you can store that power, explains Solo, COO Killian OConnor.

The agenda for this years IERC Conference 'Energy Resilience in a Low Carbon Economy' is now online https://t.co/tE5JI8OV3Z #IERC18 pic.twitter.com/YcuekoAm3W  IERC (@IERC_Info) February 21, 2018

As well as batteries some of the 20 Dingle residents, wholl be shortly chosen for the pilot project will get solar panels and apps on their phones so they can monitor their energy consumption and see how much money theyre saving. Dingle was chosen as a pilot location because its a contained area which often gets bad weather and due to tourism, its electricity needs fluctuate. Its also in a location where the ESB are looking at ways to strengthen the existing network.

Tickets for the March 14 IERC conference at Fota Island Hotel cost 135 and the conference is open to the public as well as academics, industry and policy makersGive the oars a quick rattle in the oarlocks and settle onto the wooden seat before you undertake the 45-minute row from Ross Castle, Killarney, Co Kerry, to a stronghold of early Irish monasticism. Alighting here feels like you are stepping into the tenth century.

Innisfallen is an extraordinarily peaceful place and the row is but a precursor to an incredible calm. When the Irish Examiner visited, a herd of deer had swum across to the island from Tomies Wood and frolicked in the meadow by the Romanesque oratory.

In 640AD, St Finian founded a monastery there, though no traces remain. For a long period the island was host to a high degree of scholasticism as along with daily prayers, the monks transcribed many documents gathered from a variety of sources, many in very poor condition, in Latin or Irish, to create the priceless record of early Irish Christianity known as the Annals of Innisfallen.

Often just mere fragments as well as lengthier passages, the eponymous annals are a peerless record of Irish political and social life of the period. They are available online in UCC at the address below. They are kept in the Bodleian Library in Oxford. Here are a few extracts:

AI1249.1

A great earthquake in Ireland and Wales.

AI1170.3

Port Lairge was plundered by the oversea men, and they seized lands there. The Desmumu and Cormacs son

assembled and inflicted a slaughter upon them.

AI642.1 Kl.

The burning and slaying of Mael Duin in Inis Cain Dega. [AU 641].

A second reason for the islands importance is its churches which show a continuous early Christian presence though no traces of the earlier buildings remain. This is true of other such island sites such as Church Island in Valentia Harbour.

The abbey church is the oldest structure remaining and there is also a 12th century Hiberno-Romanesque oratory.

Innisfallen is hugely important for a third reason: One of the most famous artifacts associated with the island is the Innisfallen crozier which can be seen in the National Museum, Dublin. It was manufactured on the island and necessitated expertise in metallurgy and embossing.

UCC lecturer in adult continuing education and archaeology Griffin Murray explains its importance: It is the most complete early medieval crozier we have and one of the most lavishly decorated objects from early medieval Ireland, being largely made of silver embellished with gold. Not only that, but it is also one of the earliest complete examples surviving from Western Europe. It is probably broadly contemporary with the earliest stone church on the island and obviously relates a period of wealth and investment in the monastery at the time.

The crozier may have been connected to the nearby ecclesiastical site of Agahdoe but scholars regard its provenance as of Innisfallen. Dr Murray says it was of great significance to the community, as it was the staff of office of the abbot and handed on from one abbot to the next.

It symbolised the power of the founding saint of the monastery, St Finian, and by association the power of the abbot and the monastery itself, he says.

The story of its discovery is remarkable, having being found in the River Laune in Killarney. It was found in 1867 near Dunloe Castle by a fisherman, Denis OSullivan, who mistook it for a salmon. The local bishop, Dr Moriarty, paid him 18 for it leading OSullivan to declare it was the finest salmon he ever landed.

It was brought to Cork on the train wrapped up and being mistaken for a gun  it was 1867 the year of the Fenian Rising, when the authorities in Cork were on high alert, says Dr Murray. It must have been thrown or dropped in the river at a time of distress in the medieval period.

Innisfallen was the name of five passenger ships variously owned by the Cork Steam Packet Company and B&I.

Though he was writing about an island 300km north in Co Sligo, WB Yeatss words on Innisfree meet ring true. And I shall have some peace there, for peace comes dropping slow. Go there and you shall.The empire of misogyny referred to by Mary McAleese will not be reformed by the Pope, who thinks the genders have different, divinely ordained roles, says TP OMahony

HOURS after the death of Cardinal Carlo Martini, in August 2012, the Italian newspaper, Corrierre della Sera, published his last interview. He warned that the Catholic Church was 200 years behind the times.

The man who had served as Archbishop of Milan  Europes largest diocese  from 1980 to 2002, urged the Church to recognise its errors and to embark on a radical path, beginning with the Pope.

He had recorded the interview 47 years after the end of the Second Vatican Council (1962-65), which had, as its main aim, the modernising of the Church (aggiornamento, or updating, was one of the central themes of the council).

Cardinal Martini, who was 85 when he died, was recognising that in the post-conciliar period, sustained attempts had been made to thwart, contain, or water-down the spirit of reform unleashed by Vatican II.

In progressive circles, he had long been a favourite to succeed Pope John Paul II, but, instead of progress, he had witnessed a policy of restoration under the Polish Pope and his German successor, Pope Benedict.

Our culture has grown old, our churches are big and empty, our religious rites and the vestments we wear are pompous, said Martini, who, like the present Pope, was a member of the Jesuit order.

In Rome, last week, where she was the keynote speaker at the Why Women Matter conference, organised by the Voices of Faith, our former president, Mary McAleese, was tapping into that frustration and disaffection.

Her provocative description of the Catholic Church as an empire of misogyny would have angered Vatican officials, but when it comes to the Churchs treatment of women, Mrs McAleese would almost certainly echo Cardinal Martinis claim that it is 200 years behind the times.

The story is told that when Cardinal Leon-Joseph Suenens, of Brussels, arrived in St Peters Basilica for the opening of Vatican II (in which he would play a key role), on October 11, 1962, he looked around at the 2,800-strong, all-male assembly, and then turned to a nearby bishop and said: Where is the other half of humanity?

There have been 21 Great Councils (sometimes called ecumenical, meaning worldwide) in the history of the Church, starting with the Council of Nicaea, in 325AD. The scenes that Cardinal Suenens witnessed at the 21st Great Council (Vatican II) were a mirror-image of what had gone before.

These great gatherings resolved divisive controversies, adjudicated on claims between rival claimants to the papal throne, and decided far-reaching doctrinal questions  all in the absence of women.

Womens voices and opinions were simply not heard. Ever. Down the centuries, they have been invisible and voiceless, so far as the Churchs decision-making assemblies were concerned.

The exclusion of women from the ordained priesthood is emblematic. And it was for this reason that Mrs McAleese highlighted it, when she spoke in Rome, last week.

To dismiss the explanations for the exclusion of women as codology dressed up as theology might have been somewhat infelicitous, but there are no theological or doctrinal reasons for excluding women from ordination as priests.

This exclusion is based on tradition alone  and a very narrowly construed tradition, at that.

The model is the 12 Apostles  all men. Christ only chose men to serve as his apostles, therefore the Church is bound by this precedent. Pope after Pope has invoked this. The authority of the Petrine Office is behind it.

But it is increasingly regarded as a dubious tradition. It is famously illustrated in Leonardo da Vincis painting, The Last Supper, but scholars now question whether the absence, from a farewell meal, of the two women closest to Jesus  his mother, Mary, and Mary Magdalene  is credible. As for Mary Magdalene, she is now regarded as an apostle in all but name.

Writing in The Furrow (published monthly from St Patrick College, Maynooth) in 2003, Phyllis Zagano, senior researcher at Hofstra University, in New York, said: The concept that the maleness of Jesus takes precedence over his humanness is both insulting and wrong. Women cannot represent Jesus in expressly the same way men can, when the accidents of gender are considered, but women most clearly can  and do  represent Jesus in his human nature.

The American theologian, Elizabeth A Johnson, writing in Commonweal in 1996, put it even more forthrightly: The naive physicalism that reduces resembling Christ to being male is so deviant from scripture, and so theologically

distorted, as to be dangerous to the faith itself. In fairness to Francis, he has established a commission to examine the question of female deacons. But even this modest measure has drawn opposition from ultra-traditionalists, who fear that allowing deacons will eventually lead to women priests.

Looking back over five years of the pontificate of Jorge Mario Bergoglio, Paul Vallelly, author of Pope Francis: Untying the Knots, points out that the Popes view of women remains very traditional and very old-fashioned.

Hes an 81-year-old Argentine, a man who comes from a macho culture. He talks of his mother and grandmother minding house, fixing flowers, cleaning up. Hes rooted in the old theology of complementarity  the view that men and women are equal, but different.

This view of the Pope has also been expressed by Jamie L Manson, a columnist with the National Catholic Reporter, in the USA.

The way he talks about gender and sexuality suggests he has a deep attachment to the theology of complementarity. This was developed in a series of addresses Pope John Paul II gave at general audiences between 1979 and 1981.

It teaches that God has designed man and women for different purposes and roles in society, in the family and in the Church.

Manson says that various comments suggest that Francis is a passionate defender of complementarity. He frequently speaks of women in exaggerated, lofty terms, while simultaneously confining their role to that of wife and mother.

In fact, Franciss view of the role of women in the wider society isnt all that different from the view (much-criticised by feminists) enshrined in Article 41 of Bunreacht na hEireann, the 1937 Irish Constitution. This exalts the role of women within the home and stresses that mothers shall not be obliged by economic necessity to engage in labour to the neglect of their duties in the home.

If Francis, as the evidence suggests, is wedded to the concept of complementarity, then there is little likelihood that he can  or even wishes to  promote women in the Church.

In her speech in Rome, Mrs McAleese said: We challenge Pope Francis to develop a credible strategy for the inclusion of women as equals throughout the Churchs root-and-branch infrastructure, including its decision-making.

As he enters the sixth year of his pontificate, this is just one of many challenges the Pope from Argentina faces. The scandal-ridden Vatican Bank  known officially as the IOR (Institute for Works of Religion)  is proving very resistant to reform.

And matters are not helped by the fact that Cardinal George Pell, the prefect for the secretariat of the economy with overall responsibility for sorting out Vatican finances, is back in his native Australia, facing historical sexual offences charges.

A wider reform agenda, including nurturing a renewed Catholicism, with mercy at its core, advancing greater collegiality, and building on his programme of pastoral populism, as well as the ongoing need to reform the Roman Curia, will absorb much of the Popes energies.

So far, he has only achieved a cautious decentralisation of the Church.

Overhauling an ancient and unwieldy Roman Curia is a painfully slow process, says Christopher Lamb, the Rome correspondent of the English Catholic weekly, The Tablet.

The Pope has likened it to cleaning the Egyptian sphinx with a toothbrush.

And then there is the persistent controversy over clerical sex abuse.

Despite references to the need for zero tolerance, Francis has failed to match his words with action.

Scandals have not gone away, says Lamb.

The most serious of them  clerical sex abuse  has been poorly handled.It is more than half a century since our relationship with America reached peak sycophancy. Just months before he was assassinated, John F Kennedy spent four days in Ireland. He dazzled, charmed, and inspired on a Herculean scale. He was fondly welcomed and reciprocated, because he was, however tenuously, one of our own. He inspired, because, in the dour, blinkered Ireland of 1963, he seemed an emissary from the future, a prophet of sorts. He, and just a few others, made it possible for energetic, but frustrated Irish people to imagine something beyond an agrarian theocracy. And so it transpired. JFKs great Irish durbar was a highwater mark, in a process that began almost 175 years ago, when the Famine provoked a mass exodus, an emptying out that, at one stage, took 20,000 souls a month. Their shift across the Atlantic was the foundation of the security-blanket notion of a 35m-strong Irish diaspora. Today, that torrent has subsided to a trickle. Now, maybe a few thousand Irish people become legal emigrants to America each year.

That Irish people, today better-educated or at least better-qualified than ever, have other choices is to be celebrated, but it also means that, within a generation, the positive influence, the old-country loyalty and generosity that have been, along with the European Union, such a force in Irish society, may be greatly diminished. A new diaspora is in the ascendant, so it is hard to imagine another Chuck Feeney, who gave 1.1bn to Irish causes. At one stage, he subsidised the University of Limerick Foundation to the tune of 1m a month. It is hard to imagine another American contribution, and presence, in trying to resolve the eternal differences afflicting this island, as forceful as those led by Bill Clinton. Would there have been a Belfast Agreement without George Mitchell?Update 9.30pm: Hundreds of people in Salisbury in the UK have been told to wash their clothes and possessions.

Traces of nerve agent have been found at the Mill pub and Zizzi restaurant, where Sergei and Yulia Skripal went before they were found slumped on a bench a week ago.

A special service is being held tonight at Salisbury Cathedral, to thank British emergency services.

Bishop Nicholas Holtam says it's been a worrying time for the city.

"As well as a shocking attack on two individuals, this was a violation of our community," he said during his afternoon sermon

"The Rector of St Thomas' is planning a service in a month's time to bring together those most closely involved in the events of the last week, to pray for the cleansing and healing of the people and the place that has been violated.

"Those who uphold the law have to think a great deal about truth. 'What is truth?' asked Pilate when passing judgment on Jesus. We have all had to think about truth recently in what is said to be, 'a post-truth society', in which there are 'alternative facts' with allegedly 'fake news'.

When you can't tell truth for falsehood, trust and confidence break down. It is deeply corrosive of good relations. We all know truth can be difficult to tell, and always there is spin, but truth matters.

"Truth and justice are the touchstones of the Rule of Law. Those responsible for upholding the law have to be about the truth and seek justice even when it is difficult and personally costly."

Meanwhile, investigators wearing hazmat suits and gas masks were seen bagging up items inside The Mill pub, where traces of a nerve agent were found.

Update 3.42pm: Police tell residents 'not to be alarmed' as military remove vehicles and objects at nerve-agent attack site: Wiltshire Police told residents "not to be alarmed" as the military removes a number of vehicles and objects from in and around Salisbury.

Troops, including Royal Marines, were supported by firefighters, police and medics at Bourne Hill police station in the biggest military operation yet.

Uniformed men put on the now-familiar hazmat suits and gas masks before numbering at least eight marked police vehicles and civilian cars with white spray paint.

A military forklift truck is being used to lift the cars onto the back of low-loader trucks, where they are being covered before the military remove them from the scene.

Update: 2.15pm: Armed Forces arrive at nerve-agent attack site

The Armed Forces have arrived at Bourne Hill Police Station in Salisbury, where they set up a number of tents in the car park.

For a third consecutive day, uniformed members of the military were seen putting on protective suits.

Update: 10.30am: Wiltshire Police have charged a man who breached one of the cordons in Salisbury.

Jamie Knight, 30, from Salisbury, breached the cordon on The Maltings on Friday evening.

A police spokesman said: "He was swiftly arrested and has now been charged with assaulting a police officer, common assault, criminal damage to a police vehicle and a racially aggravated public order offence.

"He has been remanded in custody and is due before Swindon Magistrates' Court tomorrow morning.

"Robust action will be taken against anyone who breaches or interferes with any cordon or the ongoing police investigation.

"We would also like to thank a security guard who assisted officers in detaining Knight."

Meanwhile, pub-goers and diners in Salisbury are being urged to wash clothing and possessions after traces of a nerve agent were found.

Public Health England issued the advice as a precaution, but said the risk to the general public remains "low".

Anyone who was in The Mill pub between 1.30pm last Sunday and 11.10pm on Monday, or the nearby Zizzi restaurant between 1.30pm on Sunday and 9pm on Monday, are urged to follow the advice.

7.15 am: Police investigating the suspected nerve agent attack in Salisbury have identified more than 240 witnesses and 200 pieces of evidence, Amber Rudd said.

The Home Secretary revealed the scale of the probe as investigators are said to have found traces of the chemical weapon at the Zizzi restaurant in the city centre.

The eatery was hidden from view behind hoardings on Saturday as officers returned to search for evidence, with the BBC later reporting the nerve agent was detected in one part of the premises.

Spy Sergei Skripal and daughter Yulia are said to have eaten at Zizzi in the hours before they were taken ill last Sunday afternoon.

No-one else who was at the restaurant at the time is thought to be at risk, nor has it been suggested that their fellow diners had any thing to do with the suspected attack, the BBC said.

Detective Sergeant Nick Bailey, who fell seriously ill after tending to the pair, released a statement from hospital saying "he does not consider himself a hero" and was "merely doing his job".

Soldiers were seen at the South Western Ambulance Service station on Saturday after a vehicle was winched on to the back of an Army low-loader and taken away.

Cordons remain in place at a host of locations across the city, including Mr Skripal's house and the cemetery where his wife and son are buried.

There was further police activity at the London Road cemetery on Saturday, where officers in hazmat suits had removed items and covered his son's memorial stone with a forensic tent.

Scotland Yard said no exhumations had taken place.

Speaking following a meeting of the Government's Cobra emergencies committee, Ms Rudd said there were more than 250 officers from eight out of 11 of the country's counter-terrorism units involved in the investigation.

"I want to stress that they are proceeding with speed and professionalism. We are putting in enormous resources to ensure that they have all the support that they need to do that."

Ms Rudd said it was still too early to say who was responsible for the attack.

She said: "This investigation is focused on making sure that we keep people safe and also that we collect all the evidence so that when it comes to attribution (of the attack) we will be absolutely clear where it should be," she said.

"The police have said that if anybody thinks they have any additional information they would welcome them coming forward.

"There is also substantial amounts of CCTV they have to go through. This is a painstaking, detailed investigation and the police need to be given the space and time to get on with it."

Mr Skripal and his daughter Yulia are still fighting for their lives after being exposed to a toxic substance in the Wiltshire city.

Mr Bailey, who was part of the initial response by authorities, also remains in hospital, although he released a statement thanking people for their support.

The statement read: "Nick would like us to say on his behalf that he and his family are hugely grateful for all the messages of support from the public, and colleagues from the police family. People have been so kind and he has expressed that he will never forget that kindness.

"He also wishes to say that he was part of a group of officers and other emergency service colleagues who dealt with the initial incident.

"He wants to say that he does not consider himself a 'hero', he states he was merely doing his job - a job he loves and is immensely proud of - just like all of his other dedicated colleagues do, day in day out, in order to protect the public and keep people safe.

"He would like to thank everyone once again for all of their kind thoughts and best wishes, they are truly appreciated.

"He asks respectfully that the media allow his family privacy at this difficult time."

Police said 21 people had been seen for medical treatment since the incident.

The figure includes members of the public and emergency staff, some of whom have had blood tests as well as receiving support and advice.

The attack is being treated as attempted murder.

- Press AssociationMore than half do not realise that disease can be contracted from sick poultry or pets.

A survey to determine farmers knowledge of the risk of spread of infection, published in the journal Epidemiology and Infection, found younger farmers (under 45) were more likely than older farmers to know what a zoonosis is: that it is possible to catch an infection from healthy animals, sick poultry or pets.

Epi-Insight, an online publication from the Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HPSC) which picked up on the study, says of all human pathogens (virus, bacterium, prion or fungus) 60% are zoonotic, meaning they are naturally transmissible from vertebrate animals to humans.

Zoonoses are transmitted by ingestion, bite, scratch, inhalation or skin contact. Indirect transmission can take place through contact with contaminated clothing or shoes, animal bedding, flooring, barriers and other environmental surfaces.

Other members of farming households, even if not working on the farm, may also be at higher risk through direct and indirect contact with animals, the report says.

Farmers knowledge of the risk to pregnant women of infection from birthing animals was high (88%). Older farmers (over 45) were more likely to identify aborting animals as a source of infection.

The vast majority of farmers (93%) reported washing their hands before eating or smoking while on the farm. A third of respondents reported that they did not wear a boilersuit or wet gear while working.

Of those who did, almost a quarter did not remove it on entering the home. The Food Safety Authority of Ireland recommends that farm work clothes or footwear are not worn in the home because they can spread E. coli.

Almost three-quarters of farmers reported sourcing their drinking water from a private well.

Of these, 62% tested their water less frequently than once a year.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has reported that 25% of groundwater supplies in Ireland are contaminated with faecal coliforms. The EPA recommends annual testing of private well water for bacterial contamination.

Approximately 40% of dairy farmers surveyed drank unpasteurised milk once a week or more indicating that dairy farmers continue to potentially expose themselves, and their families, unnecessarily to pathogenic organisms in their milk.

Unpasteurised (raw) milk can carry harmful bacteria such as campylobacter, listeria, salmonella, verotoxigenic E. coli.

Writing in Epi-Insight, Sarah Doyle and Marrita Mahon of HSE South East said the results of the survey illustrate the need for further education, in plain language, to increase the awareness of potential biohazards on farms, and practical measures that can be taken to mitigate the risk of zoonotic infection.

The fact that most farmers accessed information on diseases on the farm from multiple sources, suggests that a multi-faceted, One Health approach to infectious disease prevention in the farming community is merited, they said.

One Health is essentially a unified human and veterinary approach to combat zoonotic diseases.

The survey involved 1,044 farmers.Bishop Dermot Farrell, aged 63, also used his episcopal ordination ceremony in Kilkenny city to call on the Government to act with urgency to deal with the homelessness crisis, which sees 3,000 children without a place to call home.

The new Bishop of Ossory is a former President of St Patricks College in Maynooth and was lately parish priest of Dunboyne in Co Meath and vicar general of the diocese of Meath. His appointment was confirmed on January 3 by Pope Francis.

The Chief Ordaining Prelate at the ceremony, attended by nearly 1,000 people at St Marys Cathedral in Kilkenny city, was Archbishop Diarmuid Martin, Archbishop of Dublin, who was assisted by the Papal Nuncio to Ireland, Archbishop Jude Thaddeus Okolo, and the Bishop of Meath, Bishop Michael Smith.

Primate of All Ireland and Archbishop of Armagh, Archbishop Eamon Martin, also concelebrated the Mass, as did Archbishop Kieran OReilly of Cashel & Emly, Archbishop Michael Neary of Tuam, and many other bishops from across the country.

Bishop Farrell said in his remarks that it was a particular joy that his mother, Carmel, was present on Mothers Day and remembered his late father, Dermot.

Speaking on abortion, he said:

There is no such thing as a human life that has no value. However, it is paradoxical and in some ways the ultimate delusion, to extinguish the most fundamental right of all, the right to life of the innocent child, in the name of personal and civil rights.

He also referred to some problems in Irish society such as homelessness and direct provision.

It is surely not an impossible dream to hope that no person, particularly no child, in this country would be left homeless or go to bed hungry, he said.

With more than 3,000 children in this country who have no place to call their home, with families who do not have a front door to call their own, who have no family table, do we not have an obligation to call those in political leadership who hold power and carry responsibility to act with urgency for the wellbeing of our sisters and brothers.

Bishop Farrell is from Castletown-Geoghegan in Co Westmeath and was ordained a priest in 1980, following eight years of study in Maynooth.

He spent time in Mullingar and in Rome, where he was director of formation in the Irish College, before returning to Maynooth as a lecturer in 1989, becoming President of St Patricks College in 1996.

From 2007 until his appointment as Bishop of Ossory, he was parish priest of Dunboyne in Co Meath, and vicar general to the diocese of Meath from 2009.Mr de Brun, who was a lifelong supporter of the arts, opened his home to many musicians, composers, and writers over the years and the record label he founded in 1959 was the first to release recordings by artists such as The Chieftains.

Mr Higgins said:

The passing of Garech de Brun will be heard with great sadness by all those interested in the performance and recording of Irish music, song, and poetry. He will be deeply missed by his neighbours and friends.

Luggala, the 18th-century estate in the Wicklow mountains where Mr de Brun lived most of his life, is currently held in a Guinness family trust and was put on sale last year, prompting calls for the State to buy it as a visitor attraction and to ensure preservation of public access to the 5,000-acre estate which Mr de Brun always granted.

It remains on the market priced at 28m.

While he particularly championed traditional Irish artists, Mr de Brun also enjoyed hosting guests such as The Beatles, Mick Jagger, and Michael Jackson. He is survived by his Indian-born wife of 37 years, Princess Harshad Purna Devi.There have been a number of incidents involving the all-terrain vehicles (ATV) over the past few months.

A video of youths on quad bikes, scrambler bikes, and mopeds, almost colliding with cars on Dublin city streets on Christmas Day, went viral.

In January, South Dublin County Council issued a warning about the driving of scramblers and quads without the wearing of proper headgear and protective equipment.

This followed two incidents, one of which was a head-on collision with a jeep, in which the driver of the quad escaped serious injuries.

Responding to a parliamentary question from Dublin North West Fine Gael TD Noel Rock, Mr Flanagan said he would be liaising with gardai, the Revenue Commissioners, and a number of government departments.

I am very concerned, in relation to the serious public-safety issues associated with the misuse of scramblers and quad bikes.

A multi-agency approach is required to tackle this anti-social issue effectively, said Mr Flanagan.

He has written to State agencies to ascertain whether there are additional legislative solutions, which can assist in dealing with this serious issue more comprehensively.

The minister said his department would chair a meeting to identify more effective, possible solutions and determine responsibility and timeframes for implementation.

Despite the existing road traffic and other relevant legislation available in this area, the garda authorities have indicated that there are issues of safety involved in enforcement of these laws, which are best-addressed through a multi-agency approach, said Mr Flanagan.

I am informed that gardai are working with local authorities, including park authorities, to examine other solutions, such as engineering solutions. Enhanced fencing and bike gates are examples of engineering measures taken to restrict access to parks.

Last year, Sinn Fein introduced a bill to address what it said were shortcomings in legislation, which allow the users of such vehicles to evade gardai, because of the definition of the lands on which they drive the bikes.

The law, as it stands, prohibits the use of these ATVs on public roads, unless fully insured and taxed, and the vehicles have to meet other regulatory requirements, said Dublin North-West TD Dessie Ellis in proposing the bill.

There is a hole in the legislation, which allows people who use these vehicles for anti-social behaviour to sidestep gardai in public spaces and avoid any penalties. This bill will deal with the issue... by extending the powers of the gardai, by increasing the definition of the public space, in regards to the road traffic act, to parks and greens.Marion Kelly, aged 52, from Tipperary, died on December 1, two weeks after the death of Anna Cassidy, aged 68, from Donegal.

Both woman had Alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency, a disease that can cause severe lung and liver damage. Both had been on Respreeza, the only drug shown to slow its progression.

The women died during a time when the drug was unavailable as the HSE and manufacturer CSL Behring rowed over who should pay the administer costs. Less than 24 hours after Ms Kellys death, the HSE backtracked and agreed to cover administration costs.

Lorraine Doherty, Annas daughter, said her mother died gasping for breath.

Johnny Hannan, aged 68, from Mallow, Co Cork, who has Alpha 1, and who is spokesman for the Alpha-1 Action group, said Health Minister Simon Harris gave a commitment to the Kelly family, at a meeting on January 29, to re-engage with CSL Behring.

Mr Hannan said Mr Harris had engaged in lip service.

Weve been hearing all this lip-service since late last year that he is personally going to ensure that negotiations take place, said Mr Hannan. But from what we can see, that is not happening.

Both the HSE and CSL Behring confirmed to the Irish Examiner that there are no talks ongoing regarding State reimbursement of Respreeza  the HSE turned down the reimbursement application in April 2017.

The drug had been available for a decade to 21 patients who took part in a clinical trial and subsequently under a compassionate access programme, as CSL awaited a decision on State reimbursement.

The HSE refused on cost grounds, and patients, other than those who take part in a second trial due to get under way around June, will lose access this year. The company has said it estimates about half of the patients will partake in the new trial.

The HSE said it is open to discussion if CSL submits a new reimbursement application with a significantly improved price offer, but said there is no expectation that will happen.

There are no formal negotiations ongoing between the HSE and the drug company on Respreeza as the company made it clear that the offer the HSE formally considered in 2017 was its best possible offer, said the HSE.

The Department of Health did not respond to a request to explain why Mr Harris had given a commitment to the Kelly family that there would be engagement with CSL.

Mr Hannan said it was 18 months before a decision was reached on the initial reimbursement application and Alpha-1 patients did not have time on their side.Official figures from the Department of Health show that since the introduction of the Protection of Life During Pregnancy Bill, a total of 77 legal abortions have been carried out.

A large majority of those legally-performed abortions were in cases where there was an emergency resulting from a physical illness, while the remainder were as a result of a risk of physical illness.

The news comes as Taoiseach Leo Varadkar sounded an optimistic note that the new legislation could be passed by the end of the year.

Notwithstanding a few delays along the way, we are actually on track, he said in Austin, Texas, at the start of his week-long tour of the US.

The legislation is now in the Dail and I am confident that we can have a referendum in May and that would allow us to get legislation through within a matter of months.

We have been working away on that legislation; the policy paper is already done.

We will be able to publish a draft scheme of the legislation. We plan to do that by the end of March and if there is a yes vote in the referendum we would then have a couple of months to get that legislation through.

So I certainly think that can all be done within this calendar year; within the lifetime of this Government.

The Taoiseach, who met Hollywood actor and former Californian governor Arnold Schwarzenegger at the South by Southwest festival, said the upcoming referendum will be a question of allowing the Oireachtas to set laws governing the practice of abortion in Ireland.

However, despite his upbeat mood, several Cabinet ministers this weekend expressed concern that the Dail may never get to legislate for abortion, even if the people repeal the Eighth Amendment.

There is deep-rooted opposition to the concept of unlimited access to abortion up to the 12th week of pregnancy, and, given the precarious nature of the minority Government, there is a growing feeling this administration is not robust enough to get the law changed.

We may never get to vote on this, one senior minister told the Irish Examiner.

Even if the Eighth is repealed  and it is a big if  will this Dail pass the 12-week rule? I am not so sure.

Another minister said: This may be a two-Dail process.

Should we get the referendum passed, it very well could be up to the next Dail and Government to legislate for change.

There was also fresh opposition to the proposal from a leading Church figure, who said it was paradoxical and in some ways the ultimate delusion to extinguish the right to life of a child.

The remarks were made by newly installed Bishop of Ossory Dermot Farrell at his episcopal ordination ceremony in Kilkenny. His appointment was made on January 3 by Pope Francis.

There is no such thing as a human life that has no value, said the 63-year-old bishop.

[quotes]However it is paradoxical and in some ways the ultimate delusion to extinguish this most fundamental right of all, the right to life of the innocent child, in the name of personal and civil rights.[/quotes]

Figures published by the Department of Health show suicide is not being widely cited as a reason for seeking an abortion legally. In total, there were 26 abortions in both 2014 and 2015 requested under the act in Irish hospitals, while 2016 saw a drop of one to 25.

In 2016, eight abortions were requested in cases where there was a risk from physical illness, a further 16 were emergency cases, while just one occurred in a case where there was a risk of suicide to the mother.

In 2015 and 2014, the risk of suicide was cited in three cases.Both Leo Varadkar and Arnold Schwarzenegger were speakers at the South by South West (SXSW) festival in Austin yesterday and bumped into each other at the event.

However, before he spoke at the festival, Mr Varadkar met the actor and former Governor of California and told Mr Schwarzenegger: I love your work, by the way.

Mr Varadkar explained that he was in Austin as part of his St Patricks Day trip to the US.

I just got here last night so I am here for the week, based in the States, you know, St Patricks Day is coming up, he said.

The question is, are you coming to Santa Monica? asked Mr Schwarzenegger.

While the Taoiseach said he had been to Santa Monica many times, adding that he loves the beach, he told the actor he would not be making a visit this time, to which Mr Schwarzenegger said: You are always welcome, its good to see you.

Earlier in the day, Mr Varadkar met with Texas governor Greg Abbott but did not raise the issue of LGBT rights with him.

However, he said he had invited Mr Abbott to Ireland and suggested he might raise this issue if the Republican governor were to visit.

Last year, Mr Abbott signed a law that lets adoption or foster care agencies refuse to place children with certain prospective parents, including same-sex couples, if the provider feels it conflicts with their sincerely held religious beliefs.

Critics said the bill to protect the religious rights of faith-based groups in state child welfare programmes could be used to discriminate against LGBT families in adoptions.

Mr Abbott has also sought to ban transgender people from using bathrooms that reflect their identity.

During their meeting, Mr Abbott introduced the Taoiseach to his wife Cecilia, who has Irish ancestry.

Mr Varadkar will travel to Oklahoma today, where he will officially thank the Choctaw Native Americans who sent money to Ireland during the Great Famine.

Speaking ahead of the meeting, Mr Varadkar said:

I have been interested and captivated by the story of the Choctaws since I first heard about it. These are Native Americans who were expelled from their lands in Mississippi and Alabama and walked the Trail of Tears to their new home on the reservation in Oklahoma, losing a quarter of their population on the way through starvation and exhaustion.

They were only 10 or 15 years in their new home in Oklahoma when they heard about what was happening in Ireland, and even though there was no blood connection between the Choctaw and the Irish, and even though some of the people who expelled them were Irish, they still felt a kindred connection with us, not through a blood connection, but through a connection of shared experience.

Mr Varadkar is also due to meet Governor of Oklahoma and strong Trump ally, Mary Fallon, today.The Irish Veterans group said they are delighted to have been loaned an Irishmans 120-year-old US Medal of Honor for display in its exhibition space at The Glen, Kinsale, Co Cork.

The medal, one of the few on display outside the US, was received by Mayo-born Michael Gibbons for heroism under fire during a special mission off Cuba during the 1898 Spanish-American War.

A fellow Mayo man, US Marine Philip Gaughan, who was in the same small boat during the mission, also received the Medal of Honor.

Gibbons medal, loaned by his family, forms the centrepiece of an exhibition which opened at The Glen over the weekend. The museum is set to become a key attraction in the Wild Atlantic Way town.

Irish Veterans spokesman Declan Hughes said that only 3,500 Medals of Honor have been awarded since its inception in 1863.

The medal is on exhibitio at the Veterans Museum in KInsale for the rest of the year. Picture Dan Linehan.

The Irish have been among the most notable of recipients  many to Irish who had left Ireland post-Famine to make better lives in America, he said.

Over 2,100 of these medals were received by men of Irish heritage. At least 258 went to Irish-born servicemen but we have no idea of the actual number, as many Irish-born immigrants gave their home of record as their first address in the US.

There is no knowledge whatsoever of these men or their stories in the Irish consciousness.

Ron Howko, a retired US Army Master Sergeant and former army broadcaster, who played a key role in securing the Medal of Honor marker for Gibbons grave in Mayo in 1999, said men like this should be recognised here.

There are medals like this hiding in closets all over the world, and in Ireland too, he said.

Its time for all those medals to come out of the closet. We need to talk about the Irish who have served in the US forces. We would love to tell the stories of these brave men.

Gibbons great grand-niece, Mary, who attended the exhibition launch, said she recalls her father telling her bedtime stories about his bravery.

Born in Newport, Co Mayo, in 1866, Michael Gibbons emigrated to New York with his father and later joined the US Navy, a move he went on to describe as the best decision of his life.

Gibbons and US Marine First Sgt Gaughan were stationed on the USS Nashville when it sailed as part of a flotilla of US warships from Florida for Cuba after the US declared war on the Spanish invaders of Cuba.

The men were among a team who volunteered for a pre-dawn suicide mission on May 11, 1889, to cut two, and possibly three, subsea communication cables at a key junction off the heavily defended port of Cienfuegos.

As dawn broke, they came under sustained fire from the Spanish on shore, but managed to sever two cables and damage a third beyond repair. One man was killed in the raid. One died later from his injuries.

Gibbons and Gaughan.Leo Varadkar also indicated that he will bring up LGBT rights with US vice president Mike Pence, who is known for his opposition to gay marriage and LGBT rights.

He said: I intend to say for the vast majority of people around the world including gay lesbian transgender backgrounds, we have always seen America as the beacon of freedom.

It is tough to see a country built on individual freedom not being a world leader in that space anymore. I hope once again America will take leadership in that area.

In a wide-ranging interview at the South by Southwest festival in Austin, Texas, the Taoiseach said tariffs are a road that I dont want either Europe or America to go down.

As a policy, I cant imagine how it would be good for anyone, he said. I dont think it would be good for America, I dont think it would be good for Ireland or the EU.

It comes after Mr Trump announced a 25% import tariff on steel and 10% on aluminium which prompted fears of a trade war. The EU has threatened retaliatory tariffs on US goods, including bourbon and jeans.

Mr Varadkar said: The day before I go to the White House, the European Commission will announce its response and what has been hinted at is tariffs on denim jeans and bourbon whiskey. When I hear bourbon whiskey, I think the next response might be tariffs against Irish whiskey, so what you get into is a spiral of tit for tats.

Asked if he would question Mr Trump about it, Mr Varadkar said: You have about 40 minutes and you have all the things that you want covered, afterwards you always get asked: Did you raise this, did you mention that? You cant cover everything but on the very top of that list, or very high on that list will be trade and the risk of a drift in relationships between Europe and America and that really really scares me.

He said Mr Trump is definitely not a career politician when asked of his view on the current president.

Asked about British prime minister Theresa May by talk moderator Evan Smith, Mr Varadkar said: If it wasnt for Brexit it would be a great relationship.

Mr Smith replied: As we say, Mr Prime Minister, thats like other than that, Mrs Lincoln, how was the play?. Other than Brexit everything is OK.

The Taoiseach said there was no way Ireland could accept a hard border.

Its not something we can really compromise on having come this far, he said, adding that if a hard border is created tensions could rise.

Having reached a stage where we have peace and relative prosperity on our island, where we have, most of the time anyway, powersharing north of the border and where borders dont really matter anymore, we cant risk going backwards, he said.The Butler Trail, predominantly based across the south of the county with a plan to grow into North Tipp later this year, has been armed with a multi-lingual audio app as Tipperary seeks to build on its tourism gains in recent years.

The app, downloadable at http://www.tipperary.com/butler-trail, takes listeners along the driving route and recounts the tales of opulence, battle, romance and more about the aristocratic Butler dynasty, which was the most powerful family in Tipperary for five turbulent centuries.

The family arrived in Ireland in the 12th century and brought with them privileges such as rights to a significant percentage of all wine imported into Ireland. They even had the right to serve the first glass of wine to the king on his coronation.

They went on to build numerous castles and houses north and south of the county, both for defensive purposes and as ostentatious displays of their wealth.

Those castles and other buildings, include the world-famous Swiss Cottage near Cahir, have now been linked in a trail thats already enjoyed visitor number growth of 13% over the past five years.

Funded by Failte Ireland, the new app has been specifically designed with the growing European market for the Tipperary Tourism product in mind. Europe is now the second-fastest growing market for Tipp behind the US. The app will have bilingual audio in French and German as well as English.

Initially, the focus is on established Butler tourism attractions such as Cahir Castle and Swiss Cottage, the Main Guard in Clonmel and the recently renovated Ormond Castle in Carrick-On-Suir.

However, its success will see it extended this year to take in the historic Butler of Ormond town of Roscrea at the northern end of the county and later to other Butler strongholds in Nenagh and Thurles.Their work with young transgender people has revealed a lack of awareness or proper recognition of the validity of trans identities.

Fiachra O Suilleabhain and Maire Leane, who lecture future social, youth and community workers at University College Cork, heard from participants in their study about frustration at education and health workers ignorance of transgender issues.

Mr O Suilleabhain said they did not talk so much about feeling unsafe, but more about discomfort at having, for example, to be careful about holding hands with partners in public.

He and Ms Leane, who is UCC dean of graduate studies, have worked over the past year with a small group of people in Cork about their experiences.

While professionals can be very understanding and inclusive, their sample group still felt that many did not know enough about the issues affecting them.

One young person, who identified as non-binary, spoke about a talk on gender that three members of their LGBT youth group gave a few years ago to a group of youth workers in Cork.

So I was like trying to give my own gender as an example and while I was in the middle of talking, one one of them was like, Yeah but I just think youre confused, said 20-year-old Lou, a pseudonym given to one participant.

Every trans person Ive heard talking about counselling have said that theyve had to explain it, theyve had to explain being trans, Lou said.

Mr O Suilleabhain said gender and sexuality awareness needs to be on pre-service training courses for a lot of disciplines, such as social work, youth and community workers, but also for those already working in these and other fields:

Weve included it here as part of modules, but it could also be rolled out for doctors, nurses, teachers, occupational, speech and language and other therapists, or any services that young people might encounter.

At the beginning of its equality week, UCC became the countrys first university to raise the transgender pride flag, signalling its support to transgender and non-binary students and staff. UCC director of equality, diversity and inclusion Karl Kitching said a gender identity and expression policy is being finalised.

Mr O Suilleabhain and Ms Leane told colleagues this week about the need for people to become trans allies or LGBT allies, as it is up to everyone to create a gender-inclusive society.

It shouldnt be up to minority groups to explain or justify their existence, its up to the majority to welcome and cherish them, Mr O Suilleabhain said.

Last Novembers Stand Up awareness week by LGBT youth service organisation BeLonG To encouraged second-level schools to develop policies that address transgender issues like uniform rules, toilets, and use of the pronouns that young people choose.

BeLonG To members recommended school staff, and counsellors in particular, be given training around trans and LGBT issues.Anna Cassidy drove a tractor and did as much work as any man on the small family farm in Mullinbuoys, Mountcharles, Co Donegal.

She and her husband, Alan, were tight-knit. They did everything together, says their daughter, Lorraine Doherty.

Lorraine idolised her mum, and, as an only child, her mother was a wee bit more precious.

Annas death, at age 68, was devastating.

Anna was not a woman to draw attention to herself, but she made headlines in her final weeks, as she struggled to access a drug, Respreeza, which had sustained her for many years.

There was a disagreement between the HSE and CSL Behring, the manufacturer of Respreeza, over who should cover the cost of administering the drug to 21 people.

Seven weeks after losing access to the drug, and as the row over payment rumbled on, Anna succumbed to her illness.

Anna hadnt been in great form in the year prior to her death. Because of genetic emphysema, a chronic lung disease, getting up and getting dressed sapped her energy and she had to take a break before sitting down to breakfast.

Her husband had rapidly become her carer, Lorraine says, and spent a lot of time in the house helping her out.

Anna Cassidy and her husband, Alan. The couple did everything together, says their daughter.

Before her diagnosis, in her mid-40s, she was very physically active and was always out and about, helping her husband.

As a nurse, she had also worked part-time outside the home, and was a carer in a nursing home, before her illness forced her into early retirement.

Around the age of 44, Anna developed rapid onset asthma. She found herself out of breath, even when walking up a very gradual slope.

Her local GP referred her to Beaumont Hospital, to consultant respiratory physician, Professor Gerry McElvaney. She was diagnosed with Alpha one antitrypsin deficiency.

Alpha-1 antitrysin (AAT) is a protein produced by the liver, which is released into the bloodstream and travels to the lungs.

The Irish Thoracic Society (ITS) says it protects the lungs from the destructive actions of common illnesses and exposures, particularly tobacco smoke.

Those who are deficient in it  as Anna was  are not afforded the same protection.

Lung-tissue damage ensues, and its irreversible. Liver damage is also a risk. The ITS says Alpha-1, an inherited disorder, is massively under-diagnosed.

Ireland has one of the highest incidences in the world. Over 2,000 Irish people have severe Alpha-1 and 200,000 are carriers.

Unfortunately for Anna, she was diagnosed with the most severe form of Alpha-1. She was also a smoker. Lorraine recalls one particularly traumatic incident. It was in 2003, before Anna went on Respreeza.

She was outside, giving Dad a hand and she started to feel really bad. She had to go back to the house.

Later on in the evening, when Dad came home, he found the whole place in darkness. He could hear this awful, loud wheezing.

Mum coughed and her lung collapsed, Lorraine says.

Anna spent the next 14 weeks in Beaumont Hospital, during which time 11 chest drains were inserted to drain air from around the lungs.

Anna underwent a number of procedures to re-inflate her lung.

They even tried sticking it to her rib cage, Lorraine says. Eventually, her lung was re-inflated, but, from then on, she was never without oxygen.

My oldest child, Emily, is 13, and she had never seen her grandmother without oxygen, Lorraine says.

Anna Cassidy and her husband, Alan, with daughter, Lorraine, son-in-law, Mervyn, and grandchildren, Zoe, Simon, and Emily

As Annas illness progressed, she had to be hospitalised with chest infections two to three times a year, for two to three weeks at a time. She found it very hard to shake the infections.

Then, in 2007, she was offered the chance to take part in a clinical trial, at Beaumont Hospital, to test the efficacy and safety of a drug that could potentially improve the lot of Alpha-1 sufferers.

Im up for it, if I can be of any use, was Annas response, when she was invited to participate. Lorraine says that from the time Anna went on Respreeza, it made such a difference.

My mum was on Resprezza for 11 years, until it was withdrawn on September 30, 2017.

During her time on the drug, her lung-function tests remained constant, mobility remained consistent, and admissions to hospital were reduced from two to three times a year to a maximum of once a year.

Overall, she experienced a reasonably good quality of life. The drug worked.

In an interview with the Donegal News, in February of last year, Anna herself said:

I cannot tell you what a difference this [Respreeza] makes to me. My breathing isnt the greatest, because of Alpha-1, but the Respreeza helps the condition from getting worse.

Lorraine, who lives on the Inishowen Peninsula, in Co Donegal, says her mother was initially on a drug called Zemaria and later Respreeza. It was administered by infusion once a week.

She was conscious that the trial was a long-term research project that could yield benefits both to her and to future generations with Alpha-1.

Professor McElvaney would come on his rounds with junior doctors and he would ask if she would mind fielding a few questions. She never said no. She felt that the more people knew about the condition, the more beneficial it would be for everyone.

They used to time the junior doctor rounds to coincide with her time in the hospital.

She never told them she was a nurse, because she wanted to be treated the same as everyone else, Lorraine says.

The Respreeza trial ended over a year ago. CSL Behring continued to make the drug available to trial participants, under a compassionate-use programme.

In the background, the company was negotiating with the HSE to have it included in the States drug-reimbursement programme  it costs 66,000 per annum, per patient.

CSL had assumed it would be reimbursed, as Respreeza had been licensed by the European Medicines Agency, but the HSE rejected it on cost grounds and questioned its efficacy, even though the trial had shown it was successful in slowing down the progression of genetic emphysema.

Lorraine says the stress and uncertainty of the decision not to fund the drug was a very difficult time.

My mum tirelessly wrote letters and emails, to TDs, the Minister for Health, Simon Harris, as did her granddaughter.

She contacted radio stations, all to raise public awareness, in the hope of a positive outcome and continued access to this drug.

In an interview with the Donegal People newspaper, last February, she said she feared for her future, if the drug was withdrawn. The chances are my condition would deteriorate very, very quickly, she said.

At the end of September, 2017, Anna lost access to the drug, when CSL announced it was no longer prepared to cover the cost of weekly infusions. The HSE also refused to pick up the tab.

Over the next number of weeks, the drug sat in a warehouse, during which time some Alpha-1 patients felt their health deteriorate significantly.

Anna Cassidy, Alpha-1 sufferer, who died last November, after her access to a drug, Respreeza, was withdrawn.

For two women, Anna Cassidy, and Marion Kelly, aged 53, from Tipperary, the deterioration was rapid and catastrophic; they died within a fortnight of each other.

Anna passed away on November 18, gasping for breath; and Marion on December 1.

Within 24 hours of Marions death, the HSE agreed to pay for the administration of Respreeza.

Lorraine says her mother fought for her own life and the lives of other Alpha-1 patients, right to the end, but that, day to day, you could see a massive difference [in her] from the time the drug was withdrawn.

She was on three courses of antibiotics, before she was admitted to Letterkenny Hospital, in the days before she died,Lorraine says.

Annas fight for life, and for the State to reimburse Respreeza, is especially poignant, when she knew her own daughter was an Alpha-1 carrier.

She apologised to me, after she was diagnosed and I was diagnosed as a carrier, Lorraine says.

Because she had the most severe form of the disease, I am open to developing it.

Lorraine remains positive and takes precautions, such as avoiding smoky atmospheres and getting the flu jab, to protect damage to her lungs.

If you know early, you can take precautions and can live a longer, healthier life, she says.

Members of the Alpha-1 Patient Action Group campaigning for approval of the life-changing therapy, Respreeza, at the HSE HQ. From left: Frank Jennings with Gerry Finnerty; Helen Jennings; Ann ORourke; Orla Keane; Brendan Gallagher; James Coffey; Mary Coffey and Johnny Hannan.

Anna leaves behind a brother, a sister, a husband, a daughter, a son-in-law, and three grandchildren, Emily, 13, Simon, 11,, and Zoe, 10.

Its never easy to lose a loved one. It has been more difficult, because of the circumstances we found ourselves in, Lorraine says.

The last month was exceptionally difficult for mum.

She was a true fighter. She never complained and was determined to live as normal a life as possible, for as long as possible.

Mum strongly believed that, instead of being withdrawn, Respreeza should have been made available to more people, particularly those who are young or newly diagnosed.

Alpha-1 isnt just an older persons disease.

I do hope mum didnt die in vain.

Currently, the remaining Alpha-1 patients who were part of the 10-year Respreeza trial continue to have access to the drug, until a new clinical trial starts, later this year.

However, CSL anticipates that just half of the current access group will be recruited.

This suggests the remaining cohort will have no access to Repreeza from around next June. Alpha-1 patients are continuing to campaign for the State to reimburse the drug.From the Archive U Win Tin's Lasting Legacy

U Win Tin, pictured in 2013. / The Irrawaddy

U Win Tin, who died four years ago, would have been 88 today. On his birthday, The Irrawaddy looks back on the enduring legacy of the beloved democracy activist, journalist and long-time political prisoner, who lives on as an emblem of persistence and bravery for those seeking true democratic change in Myanmar.

He spent 19 years in prison for his opposition to the former military regime, but his principles never wavered. With this article from The Irrawaddy archives, originally published on April 22, 2014, we revisit what it was he stood for and his relevance today.

Burma has much to learn from the life of veteran journalist and pro-democracy activist Win Tin, a man of courage and integrity who passed away on Monday morning while seeking care for several health ailments at a general hospital in Rangoon.

The 84-year-old was a founding member of the National League for Democracy (NLD) party, led by Nobel Peace Prize laureate Aung San Suu Kyi. She called him a man of courage and integrity and said he was instrumental in spearheading the countrys democracy movement.

But for any oppressive government, Win Tin was a great enemy. Due to his political activities, the former regime put him in jail for nearly two decades, tortured him, withheld medical treatment and confiscated his home. When they eventually released him in 2008, they demanded that he remain on parole. Still, despite their pressure, he never backed down from his principles.

While in prison, Win Tin created a motto, known in Burmese as Suu Hlut Twe, which laid out a simple and suitable path toward democracy. If Burmas ruling leaders are even remotely serious about their current reform process, they would do well to take his message to heart.

Suu stands for Suu Kyi and the release of all political prisoners. Hlut, a shortening of the Burmese word Hluttaw, or parliament, refers to the assembly of a national legislature with representatives who were chosen in the 1990 election, which the NLD won by landslide. Twe, the Burmese word for meeting, refers to political dialogue between the ruling government and opposition groups.

This motto was quickly embraced by political prisoners and opposition politicians, but calls for Suu Hlut Twe fell on deaf ears within the former military regime, led by dictator Snr-Gen Than Shwe. Today under President Thein Sein, the dictators hand-picked leader for a reformist government, some progress has been made on the first of Win Tins three principles. Since 2011, nearly 2,000 political prisoners have been released from jail, although some remain behind bars.

The second principle, Hlut, has never fully come to fruition. The results of the 1990 election were nullified by Than Shwes regime, which subsequently rigged the 2010 elections to ensure that the majority of seats in Parliament were filled by representatives of the ruling party. Still, free and fair by-elections in 2012 saw Suu Kyi and other NLD members earn 43 seats in the legislature, moving somewhat closer toward Win Tins vision.

Political dialogue, the last principle, is the most important. Opposition groups have called repeatedly to negotiate with ruling leaders over the past two decades, with support from the United Nations and others in the international community, but political dialogue has yet to occur. In dealing with ethnic groups, Naypyidaw continues to delay substantive talks about political issues, saying it must first secure a nationwide ceasefire. Meanwhile, Suu Kyis requests for four-way talks with Thein Sein, the army chief and the speaker of Parliament have been ignored, in an embarrassing show of the governments shaky commitment to reform.

Perhaps we should look elsewhere for advice on these matters. In particular, the Burmese today can learn from South Africas struggle to dismantle the apartheid system. During a speech in 2012 at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace in Washington, former South African President F.W. de Klerk shared how he and Nelson Mandela worked to adopt their countrys first fully democratic constitution in late 1993. He offered five lessons for transitioning to democracy.

First, if you want to break out of the cycle of violence, if you want to lay the foundations for a more prosperous society, if you want to democratize, then the departure point is that leaders must become convinced that fundamental change is necessary, he said.

The movement to end apartheid eventually won support from both black and white leaders in South Africa. But in Burma, despite some progress over the past three years, the government does not seem convinced that fundamental change is necessary, especially since limited reforms have already won praise from the international community.

Secondly, de Klerk said, any new dispensation will best succeed if it is based on agreements forged in inclusive negotiations. Why do I put the emphasis on inclusive negotiations? In most conflicts there are many parties involved in the conflict, with different agendas, with different concerns, with different fears and different aspirations.

And only if you reach an agreement based on a broad consensusone that is inclusive of an overwhelming majority of the population, who then say, We take ownership of this new constitution, of the principles of this agreement reached in negotiationscan you be sure that it will last.

In a third and related point, the former president said, Such negotiations, and the agreements reached as the result of negotiation, must accommodate the reasonable concerns and aspirations of the parties to the conflict. This means sacrifice from all sides. It means that the negotiation process should not end with victor and vanquished. The point I want to make is the negotiations must be on a give-and-take basis. Everyone has to have some pain, but everyone also has to get some satisfaction out of the negotiations.

In Burma, inclusiveness is scant. There is no give and take in negotiations, as the government allows only limited input from opposition and ethnic groups.

Fourth, de Klerk said it was necessary to strike a balance between unity and diversity.

The challenge is how to accommodate diversity, how to manage diversity. And if you want to resolve the problems, if you want to bring peace to those countries in transition, you need to strike a balance between unity and diversity, he said. Important minorities need to feel that they are not marginalized, that they are recognized as important constituent parts of the whole.

This is a complicated issue for Burma, a country comprising many ethnic minority groups which have fought against the government for several decades. The ruling party remains unwilling to establish a federal system, as ethnic groups have requested.

Finally, de Klerk spoke about finding a formula for dealing with past political crimes.

In many countries there is one big stumbling block to successful negotiation. It is one that prevents leaders from taking initiative to change the situation, to move toward democracy, toward greater freedom. It can be summed up in two questions: But if I lose power, will I go to jail? Will there be retribution against me? he said.

Burmas former generals definitely live in a similar state of fear, as do the countrys current military leaders, government officials and lawmakers from the ruling party. In this regard, the option of a mass amnesty might be discussed during political dialogue between the government and opposition groups, following in the footsteps of negotiations in South Africa. Opposition leaders here would likely be willing to let go of desires for retribution in exchange for full inclusion in a genuine reform process.

But again, this can only happen if political dialogue occurs, which brings us back to the third principle of Win Tins motto: Twe. Without dialogue, this country will never reach democracy. And unless the ruling leaders, including military leaders, believe that fundamental change is necessary, dialogue will never take place.

Unfortunately, although the ruling leaders who viewed Win Tin as hard-liner might shed crocodile tears on his death, they will likely not take his political suggestions seriously. The past three years of reform have offered little indication that the countrys military leaders believe in fundamental change.

As a pragmatist, Win Tin understood this, which is why he did not trust Thein Seins government. During an interview at his home in 2012, the veteran journalist told me that leading members of the current government could be seen as a bunch of thieves.

He added, All of us, including journalists, are still in the tunnel. Journalists must break out if there is no exit.

Living alone for many years, even before his arrest, Win Tin seemed to have just one attachment in life: the fight for democracy. I will try to dismantle the military dictatorship until my final breath, with all my remaining strength and power, he told The Irrawaddy before the 2010 elections.

Until the very end, he stayed true to that promise. With his passing, Burma has lost a great man.Asia Sri Lankan Police Ask Who Promoted Violence Against Muslims

A police officer is seen through a damaged shop's board after a clash between two communities in Digana central district of Kandy, Sri Lanka, March 8, 2018. / Reuters

KANDY/COLOMBO, Sri Lanka  Sri Lankan police said on Friday they were investigating whether 10 suspected ringleaders of a wave of attacks on Muslims by Sinhalese Buddhists had outside funding or foreign help.

The suspected leader of the group, Amith Jeewan Weerasinghe, and nine others were detained on Thursday on suspicion of involvement in attacks on mosques and Muslim-owned properties in the central Kandy district by nationalist crowds.

At least two people have been killed in the clashes, which began on Sunday.

We are investigating who funded them, their future plans, and whether they have any local political leadership and whether there was any foreign involvement behind this, police spokesman Ruwan Gunasekara told reporters in Colombo.

He said all 10 suspects had been remanded in custody for 14 days and brought to Colombo for questioning. He said three were from Kandy and the other seven from outside the district.

In the 24 hours to 6 a.m. on Friday, six properties were reported to have been damaged while 65 people were arrested across Kandy, Gunasekara said.

A Reuters reporter saw a house in a suburb of the town of Kandy that had been gutted by fire after the owner and his family left in fear of an attack.

Cabinet spokesman Dayasiri Jayasekara said police in some places had failed to carry out orders to curb the violence.

Sri Lankas Muslims make up about 9 percent of its 21 million people and mostly live in the east and center of the island. Buddhist Sinhalese account for about 70 percent and ethnic Tamils, most of whom are Hindus, about 13 percent.

Some Buddhist nationalists have protested against the presence in Sri Lanka of Muslim Rohingya asylum-seekers from mostly Buddhist Myanmar, where Buddhist nationalism has also been on the rise.

However, in some areas, Sinhalese have helped Muslims to protect mosques, Muslim community leaders told Reuters.

Hundreds of Sinhalese including monks held a rally against the violence in Colombo on Friday, while many Muslim shopkeepers closed their doors in protest at the attacks.

Police reimposed a curfew in Kandy from 8 p.m. on Friday until 5 a.m. on Saturday.

However, foreign visitors to the town, a prime tourist destination, were to be allowed out in the curfew if they had their passports with them.

Sri Lanka was for decades plagued by war between government forces and Tamil separatists. The government defeated the rebels in 2009.Burma Myanmar Monk Returns to Preaching After Ban, Denies Fueling Rakhine Violence

U Wirathu during his welcoming ceremony on Saturday in Yangon. / Chan Son / The Irrawaddy

YANGON  Myanmar Buddhist monk Wirathu said on Saturday his anti-Muslim rhetoric had nothing to do with violence in the western state of Rakhine, as he emerged from a one-year preaching ban.

Wirathu is the most prominent of Myanmars hard-line nationalist monks, who have emerged as a political force since the countrys transition from full military rule began in 2011.

Violence has hit Muslim communities across the Buddhist-majority country, but the nationalists sharpest vitriol is reserved for the Rohingya Muslim minority in Rakhine, who many see as illegal immigrants from Bangladesh, or Bengalis.

Nearly 700,000 Rohingya have fled to Bangladesh since insurgents attacked police and army posts on Aug. 25, sparking a furious military-led response the United Nations has said constituted ethnic cleansing and possibly genocide.

Rakhine was experiencing terrorism of Bengalis, Wirathu said on Saturday, dismissing claims he had created conflict there. He cited the relative peace of his hometown, Mandalay.

If Wirathu creates conflict, Mandalay would become ash. The world doesnt know this truth, the monk said, referring to himself at a ceremony in Myanmars largest city, Yangon, to celebrate his return to preaching.

The central Myanmar city of Mandalay was hit by communal riots that killed two people in 2014 after news spread of what turned out to be a false claim that Muslims had raped a Buddhist woman.

Wirathu traveled at least twice in the past year to the violence-hit northern part of Rakhine, despite Myanmars highest religious authority imposing a one-year preaching ban in March 2017.

The state-linked bodys move was seen as an attempt by the government of Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi to stifle nationalists who threaten to undermine the young administration. Another nationalist monk, Parmaukkha, was released from prison on Friday after serving three months for a 2016 protest against the US governments use of the word Rohingya.

Wirathu reacted to his silencing by posting online photographs of himself with his mouth taped over, and by continuing to post videos and comments online. But his Facebook account has not been accessible in recent months.

Facebook suspends and sometimes removes anyone that consistently shares content promoting hate, a spokesperson said in response to a question about Wirathus account.

Our community standards prohibit organizations and people dedicated to promoting hatred and violence against others based on their protected characteristics, the spokesperson said by email.

Wirathu said he would continue his nationalist work.

When Facebook shuts (me) off, I rely on YouTube. YouTube is not wide-reaching enough so I will use Twitter to continue the nationalist work, he said.Burma Police Arrest Elephant Poaching Ring in Irrawaddy Region

Elephant poachers arrested in Myittayar Forest Reserve in Ngapudaw Township. / The Irrawaddy

PATHEIN, Irrawaddy Region  The Forestry Police arrested an elephant poaching ring in Irrawaddy Regions Ngapudaw Township on March 9.

Acting on a tip, combined forces from the Forestry Police, Nga Yoke Kaung sub-township police department, the Forestry Department, village administrators and Elephant Emergency Response Units (EERU) cornered the ring in Myittayar Forest Reserve in Ngapudaw Township. Two poachers were arrested and one escaped, local village tract administrator U Kyaw Myint Tun told The Irrawaddy.

We arrested two hunters with poaching equipment. Another poacher got away, but we are going after him. We are undertaking plans to prevent elephant poaching in our region, he said.

The two hunters who were arrested are respectively from Rakhine States Taungup Township and Ngapudaw Township. The third poacher from Magwe Region is still at large.

Percussion firearms, metal bolts, iron rods, arrows, gunpowder and more were seized from the poachers, according to the Forestry Police.

It is important to arrest poachers before they kill an elephant, said Ko Sai Zaw Oo, an official of a local elephant conservation group in Ngapudaw Township.

Police have opened a case against the two poachers. Last year, 13 wild elephants were killed in Pathein, Ngapudaw and Thabaung, and Irrawaddy Region remains the main elephant poaching ground in Myanmar.

In February, the European Union urged the Myanmar government to strengthen efforts to protect its wild elephant population, warning that it is on the brink of extinction due to poaching to supply the illegal trade of ivory and skins.

EU ambassadors also urged the Myanmar government to end the open sale of elephant and other illegal wildlife parts in markets in its major cities, at popular tourist sites and along its borders.

According to WWF-Myanmar, at least one elephant is killed by hunters in Myanmar every week. Elephant skin, hair, teeth and ivory are sold at tourist sites such as the Golden Rock (Kyaiktiyo Pagoda in Bago Region), while ivory is sold in Yangon and Mandalay. Large markets also operate in the Golden Triangle border area Myanmar shares with China, Laos and Thailand.

In mid-February, the government launched The Myanmar Elephant Conservation Action Plan (MECAP), a strategy for the next 10 years (201827) with the overall aim of securing viable and ecologically functional elephant populations in Myanmar for the next century and beyond with support from international and local organizations.

According to the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Conservation, 18 wild elephants were poached in 2016, and 30 were killed last year. The current population is estimated at just 1,400-2,000, compared to 10,000 in 1997.

Translated from Burmese by Thet Ko Ko.Burma Public Lacks Understanding of Govt Finances, Groups Say

Participants attend a state- and regional-level budget transparency forum conducted by Local Resource Centre and Asia Foundation in Mandalay in January. / Local Resource Centre / Facebook

CHIANG MAI, Thailand  The Myanmar public needs to be better educated about budget information, civil society organizations said, as such information plays a key role in their advocacy, development and humanitarian support work.

As part of this awareness campaign, the national development organization Local Resource Centre (LRC) and the international development organization Asia Foundation co-organized the State Budget Transparency Forum in Naypyitaw on March 10-11.

The forum was aimed at informing CSO workers, lawmakers and public servants about the need to increase budget transparency, boosting their knowledge of public financial management and strengthening cooperation among the various states and regions of Myanmar, the two groups said in a press release.

The Public Accounts Committee also shared its view, developed at discussion forums we have held since last year, that state and regional lawmakers should work with CSOs to ensure transparency in budgeting, said U Nyi Nyi Aung, the LRCs programme director.

In recent years, Myanmars reforms to improve fiscal transparency have led to the establishment of new institutions such as the Public Accounts Committee and the Treasury Department at the Union level, as well as new practices such as the publication of citizens budgets at the state and regional levels and dissemination of the Union Budget Law on the Ministry of Finance website.

The Asia Foundation and the LRC have conducted a series of budget transparency forums at the state and regional levels since 2017. The first was held in Yangon in December of that year; over 50 people from CSOs in Bago and Magwe regions and Rakhine and Kayah states participated. They discussed the roles of CSOs in public finance management, ways to improve budget transparency and issues related to gender and disability.

In January, the second and third forums were conducted in Mandalay and Mawlamyine. In Mandalay, CSOs from Sagaing region, Shan, Chin and Kachin states participated, while the Mawlamyine event drew CSOs from Yangon and Tanintharyi regions and Mon and Karen states.

U Nyi Nyi Aung said the forums had raised the awareness of the participants, including regional lawmakers and civil society representatives, about how to access the budget and about existing laws. It also made the CSOs aware of the process, and how to take part.

He said the goal is for the public and the CSOs to become conscious that civic participation is the key to monitoring any abuses in the budget expenditures, so that we can help to decrease corruption and ensure the accountability of the government.

As the state budget is now based on taxation  despite tax receipts still being relatively rare  the public is becoming more interested in getting budget information, U Nyi Nyi Aung said.

But there is so much more that needs to be done, because some state and regional governments have not been able to release citizens budgets, while a few others [states/regions] have, he said. The parliamentarians told us that the long process and time limitations are some of the challenges they are facing.

On Sunday, the forum saw the launch of two research reports: Attitudes Towards Taxation in Myanmar: Insights from Urban Citizens and Budget Monitoring and Oversight System in Myanmar by the Asia Foundation.

Attitudes Towards Taxation in Myanmar was based on the City Life Survey conducted in five urban areas in Yangon, Paan in Karen state and Taunggyi in Shan State in 2017. It found that people are not strongly anti-tax and that urban people, who are generally more knowledgeable than rural populations, consider paying income, commercial and property taxes as fair.

However, Urban residents prefer a progressive tax system whereby the rich pay more of their income as tax than the poor, according to a summary of the studys findings. At the same time, Myanmars urban citizens have a poor understanding of the tax system, it adds.Burma TNLA Claims 3 Kills in Latest Clash with Rival Armed Group

Weapons and ammunition the TNLA says it seized after clashes with the RCSS over the weekend in northern Shan State. / PSLF-TNLA News and Information Department

YANGON  The Taang National Liberation Army (TNLA) says its soldiers killed three members of the Restoration Council of Shan State (RCSS) and seized some of the rival ethnic armed groups weapons and ammunition during two days of fighting in northern Shan State.

TNLA spokesman Colonel Tar Aike Kyaw said the two groups clashed on Saturday and Sunday, first along the border between Kyaukme and Namhsan townships  where it says the RCSS was building a new base and its three soldiers were killed  and the next day in Namtu Township.

They tried to establish a new base in our area of control, so we attacked them to make them leave our area, said Col. Tar Aike Kyaw.

Some of our members were wounded, but no one was killed, he said.

The TNLA first attacked the RCSS base in January. But is says the Myanmar Army, or Tatmadaw, attacked its soldiers to help the RCSS and drove them back.

Col. Tar Aike Kyaw said Sundays fighting in Namtu broke out when TNLA and RCSS soldiers confronted each other in a local village.

We told them not to enter our area of control, but they tried to get inside, the spokesman said.

A spokesman for the RCSS, Colonel Sai Oo, said he did not know about the fighting.

The TNLA and RCSS clashed repeatedly in northern Shan State last year, driving hundreds of villagers from their homes. Some have since returned home, but others remain in camps, mostly in Namtu.

The RCSS concentrates its forces mainly in the south of Shan State, near the Thai border. The TNLA accuses the group of deploying more of its soldiers in the north after it signed the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement with the government and Tatmadaw in 2015, though the RCSS says it has always had soldiers in the area.

The TNLA has not signed the ceasefire agreement and occasionally clashes with the Tatmadaw as well.Monday, March 12th, 2018 (9:26 am) - Score 5,571

The government has quietly delayed their new age verification rules until the end of 2018, which was set to be targeted at websites and apps that contain pornographic content. Broadband ISPs would also be required to block sites that fail to comply with the new rules.

Until a couple of days ago the Digital Economy Act 2017 (summary), specifically its plan to force an age-verification system upon commercial websites that predominantly contain pornographic content, had been due to be implemented from next month (April 2018).

Under this approach the British Board of Film Classification (BBFC), which has been handed the responsibility of regulating all this, will gain the power to force broadband ISPs and mobile network operators to block pornographic websites and apps that fail to put tough age verification measures in place (seemingly without any judicial oversight to prevent poor censorship decisions).

However its fair to say that many questions remained over how the age verification system would actually work, at least not without forcing people to share their private personal and or financial details with unreliable porn peddlers. The infamous Ashley Madison hack has already highlighted just how dangerous such information could be in the wrong hands (multiple cases of blackmail and suicide etc.).

Meanwhile MindGeek, which runs major sites like PornHub, YouPorn and RedTube, proposed to use a mix of credit card, mobile SMS, passport or driving licence based identification through their AgeID system to manage the process; this will also be licensed out to other sites (i.e. one-click verification across many sites).

Some fear that the AgeID approach proposed above could disadvantage those using other solutions that would require the user to re-verify, while MindGeeks own sites have previously been criticised for making money by allowing users to upload video content (often this is pirated from other producers) and then monetising it via advertising.

Jim Killock, Executive Director of the Open Rights Group, said: The BBFC will struggle to ensure that Age Verification is safe, secure and anonymous. They are powerless to ensure peoples privacy. The major publisher, MindGeek, looks like it will dominate the AV market. We are very worried about their product, AgeID, which could track peoples porn use. The way this product develops is completely out of BBFCs hands. Users will not be able to choose how to access websites. Theyll be at the mercy of porn companies. And the blame lies squarely with Theresa Mays government for pushing incomplete legislation. While BBFC say they will only block a few large sites that dont use AV, there are tens of thousands of porn sites. Once MPs work out that AV is failing to make porn inaccessible, some will demand that more and more sites are blocked. BBFC will be pushed to block ever larger numbers of websites.

All of this comes before we even get into the complicated question over which ISPs and what kind of systems they would be required to adopt in order to filter out the websites (its been suggested that a basic DNS filter might pass the test). Never mind the fact that ISP-level blocking of any type is also merely a placebo, the equivalent of leaving a door wide open with the words do not enter stuck outside (i.e. easy to circumvent).

Suffice to say that more than a few people have criticised the governments approach for seemingly failing to properly consult on their changes and ignoring some of the more contentious aspects (privacy etc.). With only a few weeks left until launch there were still a lot of unanswered questions.

Fast forward to Saturday and if you read all the way down to the bottom of the governments almost completely unrelated announcement about 5G Mobile trials then youd find this little surprise.

Age Verification Delay Statement (From 5G Trials Announcement) The Strategy also reflects the Governments ambition to make the internet safer for children by requiring age verification for access to commercial pornographic websites in the UK. In February, the British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) was formally designated as the age verification regulator. Our priority is to make the internet safer for children and we believe this is best achieved by taking time to get the implementation of the policy right. We will therefore allow time for the BBFC as regulator to undertake a public consultation on its draft guidance which will be launched later this month. For the public and the industry to prepare for and comply with age verification, the Government will also ensure a period of up to three months after the BBFC guidance has been cleared by Parliament before the law comes into force. It is anticipated age verification will be enforceable by the end of the year.

So instead of April, we should now expect the new rules to be enforceable by the end of 2018, although it remains to be seen whether any changes will be made as part of the consultation. Meanwhile some MPs have already begun calling for the expansion of the Age Verification approach to cover social media (Facebook, Twitter etc.). Mission creep and thats before theyve even got the first attempt working.

UPDATE 26th March 2018

The BBFC has uploaded their consultation document (here), which will run until 23rd April 2018.Monday, March 12th, 2018 (11:36 am) - Score 1,171

Last year we revealed that a new community project with Virgin Media would extend the operators 350Mbps FTTH broadband and TV network to 12 small rural villages (around 4,000 premises) in the Test and Dun Valleys of Hampshire (England). Today the build phase has finally begun.

The development comes hot on the heels of some recent concern about the operator adopting a more cautious approach to their on-going Project Lightning expansion, although todays announcement appears well timed to show that they can still cater for rural areas, albeit perhaps only in the right circumstances.

As we reported last year (here), the unique opportunity that local residents have stems from the fact that Virgin Media already owns an old cable duct along the Test Way, which is being used as a springboard to provide a genuine all-fibre network via their Fibre-to-the-Home (FTTH/P) style infrastructure.

The villages that stand to benefit include Houghton, West Tytherley, Broughton, Wherwell, Winterslow, Firsdown, Michelmersh, Timsbury, Kings Somborne, Goodworth Clatford, Chilbolton and Stockbridge. Overall Virgin Media is expected to fund the bulk of construction costs (we believe it will cost about 20m) and this is being complemented by support from a local campaign.

The TVNeed4Speed campaign approached Virgin Media in 2016 and requested it bring its ultrafast broadband network to the area, where slow speeds over Openreachs (BT) copper lines have often been a problem. Virgin then helped them confirm it was commercially viable by ensuring that local residents and businesses were committed to the initiative:

Key Criteria * 30% or more of the residents (1,200 premises) had to register their interest; * More than 1,000 local residents had to commit to take broadband services from Virgin Media. This was easily achieved with a 38% sign up across the valley, with some villages reaching a 78% sign up rate.

Work is now underway with completion expected by the end of 2019.

Rob Evans, MD of the Virgin Media Lightning Programme, said: We are extremely excited about our ultrafast broadband expansion in the Test and Dun Valleys  this is a new way of delivering our gigabit-ready network. This has been a brilliant example of us working hand in hand with the local community to deliver a solution which works for us both. We look forward to doing more of these in the future.

Mel Kendal, Hampshire County Council, said: Access to superfast broadband for Hampshire homes and businesses is an important contributor to economic prosperity. Reaching more remote areas is a challenge, which is why we have specifically invested 1million in initiatives like the Community Match funding scheme to ensure this happens. The work of the Dun and Test Valley pilot and its community champions is very welcome indeed, demonstrating what can be achieved by residents working collaboratively to find effective broadband solutions in hard to reach areas. By next year, Hampshires Superfast Broadband Programme will have benefited from 12.9million of County Council investment, together with 16.4million from the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport and 1.25 million from district councils  improving broadband connectivity to more than 100,000 premises and increasing coverage to 97.4% of Hampshire properties.

The campaign group states that the building and groundworks has commenced in Chilbolton. Following on Stockbridge, Wherwell, Goodworth Clatford, Kings Somborne and then Michelmersh and Timsbury will be built during 2018. Phase 2, which consists of Houghton, Broughton, West Tytherley, Winterslow and Firsdown, will then be built during 2019 (the building of Phase 2 is not dependent on Phase 1 being complete).

Virgin Media will always be broadly more focused on urban than rural areas and the new roll-out is still considered to be somewhat of a Proof of Concept for the operator, not least with respect to their close community engagement and the subsidy. Nevertheless they expect this to lead to similar community-backed projects across the UK, so keep your eyes peeled.Global virtualisation vendor VMware has announced an expanded cloud services portfolio, designed to help customers better manage the complexity and risk of multiple cloud environments while ensuring consistent IT operations both on- and off-premises.

Typically, the growth of cloud computing across multiple cloud providers means diverse infrastructures, disparate management tools, and associated complexity and risk, along with varying processes.

VMwares research estimates nearly two-thirds of businesses will utilise two or more cloud providers, in addition to their own on-premises infrastructure. This means organisations are moving away from single vendor lock-in and are selecting the best cloud environment for specific needs.

VMware claims its Cloud Services are uniquely designed to give customers the flexibility to leverage any cloud environment, while simultaneously providing a consistent and familiar environment and operations for managing and securing the cloud.

VMwares growing portfolio of Cloud Services is also claimed to provide visibility, operations, automation, security, and governance across any cloud.

The need to support a complex set of new and existing applications is driving cloud adoption, and the needs of the applications are driving cloud decisions, said Raghu Raghuram, chief operating officer, Products and Cloud Services, VMware.

VMware Cloud gives customers unprecedented flexibility to develop any type of application, deploy these apps to any cloud, and deliver them to any device while leveraging a consistent infrastructure across clouds and a consistent set of operations across any cloud.

Specifically, VMware announced VMware Hybrid Cloud Extension Service for Private Cloud  a SaaS offering to provide application mobility across different vSphere versions and whether the data is in the cloud or otherwise. This extends VMwares previously announced VMware Cloud on AWS, along with a Hybrid Cloud Extension service for IBM Cloud.

The VMware Hybrid Cloud Extension Service for Private Cloud product brings this same operational support and secure management to private data centre locations, delivering seamless and secure application migration across VMware environments in traditional data centres to private clouds to public clouds without modification. It even permits customers to extend their internal VMware-based environments to the public cloud for on-demand capacity.

Additional features announced include Expanded Wavefront  a SaaS-based high-scale metrics monitoring and analytics platform with an additional 45 new Wavefront integrations  and an expanded VMware Cost Insight service, and a new VMware Log Intelligence Services, delivering deep operational insights into VMware cloud-based services and VMware Cloud on AWS. This log intelligence accelerates troubleshooting and uses machine learning algorithms to scan for anomalies in data centre and cloud environments.

VMwares expanded cloud services portfolio allows organisations freedom to transition their VMware environment across infrastructure and host boundaries, meaning the best cloud environment can be used for the purpose at hand, without increasing complexity or risk.The UK has put off till "later in the year" the implementation of an age verification system for limiting access to pornography websites by its citizens.

In July last year, the UK's Digital Minister Matt Hancock said the system would take effect from April this year.

The system is to be developed by the British Board of Film Classification which was given the responsibility in February but is yet to say publicly how the system will work. The board told the BBC that it aimed to share details about the scheme in a month's time.

The government's statement about the delay of the policy was buried in a media release about fund allocation for 5G projects.

The relevant portion read: "Our priority is to make the Internet safer for children and we believe this is best achieved by taking time to get the implementation of the (age verification) policy right.

"We will therefore allow time for the BBFC as regulator to undertake a public consultation on its draft guidance which will be launched later this month.

"For the public and the industry to prepare for and comply with age verification, the government will also ensure a period of up to three months after the BBFC guidance has been cleared by Parliament before the law comes into force.

"It is anticipated age verification will be enforceable by the end of the year."

British online privacy and free speech activist organisation Open Rights Group said while it welcomed the the delay, age verification remained a huge threat to privacy for millions.

ORG's legal director Myles Jackman said: This is a chance for the government to rethink the absence of safeguards for privacy and security, but it is frightening to consider that this policy was two weeks away from launch before it was pulled.

Matt Hancock needs to introduce powers to safeguard privacy immediately before this scheme causes real damage.New Zealands largest telco Spark is set to launch its long-range Internet of Things network and has signed resource monitoring company, Levno, as its first customer.

Spark says the partnership with Levno will benefit the rural sector.

Under the agreement, originally scoped to cover New Zealands top 20 urban centres, the network is being extended to Levnos customers in Manawatu, Canterbury and Waikato.

Levno also says it anticipates reduced operating costs on the new infrastructure, allowing greater focus on developing customer experience.

Levno plan to use the network from April, initially for their fuel tank monitoring service. The system consists of a battery-powered sensor attached to the fuel tank, which immediately reports any change in volume. This information gets sent in real-time, via the cloud, to the customers device. When levels get low, the fuel distributor is notified that a delivery is needed.

Sparks general manager of IoT Solutions, Michael Stribling, says that last year, when Spark announced plans to build two IoT networks in New Zealand, the huge potential of these for businesses soon became evident.

Organisations across the country reached out to us, keen to be at the forefront of IoT.

We know that for many, this is the technology they need to take their business to the next level  whether its by keeping better track of their resources, moving off cellular technology to lower their infrastructure costs, or testing the new IoT product they've been developing.

Levno chief executive Ray Connor says that when the company created the monitoring system in 2012, a suitable low power network wasnt available in New Zealand.

Without a low power network, Levno began using available cellular networks. These were designed for higher power, higher data uses  something Connor says wasnt an ideal option back then for a start-up.

LoRaWAN lowers the cost of infrastructure for us. This is great for our business, but also for our customers because it means we can focus more resource on the stuff that directly impacts them  like building great user experience through our dashboard, says Connor.

I think this will be a trend as IoT becomes more pervasive. Development companies need to focus more on the experience for the people using their products to deliver real value to users and less on the infrastructure sitting under it.Summerville, SC (29483)

Today

Scattered thunderstorms early, then mainly cloudy overnight with thunderstorms likely. Low 72F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 80%. Locally heavy rainfall possible..

Tonight

Scattered thunderstorms early, then mainly cloudy overnight with thunderstorms likely. Low 72F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 80%. Locally heavy rainfall possible.Reddit Email 45 Shares

By Chuck Collins | (Inequality.org) |  

Blogging Our Great Divide

Americas left coast is showing how to break up concentrated wealth and fund higher education for all.

California can be an annoyingly trendy state. Think avocado toast, In-N-Out Burger, Hollywood fashion, even legal pot.

But Californians are now in the vanguard to fix the serious problem of how to pay for public higher education.

Over 44 million households in the U.S. are saddled with college debt  $37,000 on average. Together they owe over $1.4 trillion, surpassing credit card debt and auto loans.

In the 1970s, California led the world with its famously accessible public universities and community colleges. Millions of Californians received a virtually debt-free college education.

A friend of mine attended both undergraduate and grad school at the University of California in the 1970s and covered all of his tuition and expenses by painting houses during two months of the summer.

Thats not possible anymore. Decades of tax cuts for the wealthy, state budget cuts, and rising tuition and fees have pushed costs much higher  and right onto students and their families.

-

IC Bonus Video:



Student Debt Benefits No One

ABC 10 News: Free tuition at community colleges in California

-

Between 2011 and 2017, in-state tuition and fees at the University of California rose by nearly a quarter, from $10,940 to $13,509. Out-of-state costs grew to over $40,000.

San Francisco voters took a bold step in 2016 to push back on that trend.

They voted to tax luxury real estate tax transfers, generating over $44 million a year from property sales over $5 million. The city allocated a portion of this revenue to provide free tuition and stipends to San Francisco Community College, boosting enrollment by 16 percent.

I jumped at the chance, said Cynthia Diaz, a San Francisco resident studying early childhood education. I have less stress juggling work, family, and school.

Diaz has joined an effort to expand the concept beyond San Francisco. Shes collecting signatures for the California College for All initiative to expand college access for over 2.5 million California students.

If successful, the effort will generate an estimated $4 billion a year to invest in public higher education  and greatly reduce tuition and fees. Over 80 percent of the funds will be targeted to students based on need.

Funds will come from restoring a state inheritance tax on Californians with wealth over $3.5 million and couples with over $7 million. These same households just got a massive tax cut at the federal level, as Congress voted to double the family wealth exempted by the federal estate tax from $11 million to $22 million.

Student Debt Affects Everyone

Student Debt Means Less Public Servants & More Bankers

At a time of extraordinary wealth inequality, taxing wealth to pay for higher education is a powerful idea. If the California initiative passes in November, it will serve as a model to the nation for how to both reduce concentrated wealth and expand college opportunity.

It may sound radical. But the idea basically restores the formula for college access from the post-World War Two era. In the decades between 1945 and 1980, we taxed high incomes and wealth at much more progressive rates and invested in expanding public higher education.

Other states are addressing this problem too.

Tennessee created the Tennessee Promise, a scholarship and mentoring program that provides two years of last dollar assistance to college students to fill any gap not provided by Pell Grants. In Michigan, a group of anonymous donors started the Kalamazoo Promise, guaranteeing free tuition to students who graduate from that citys high schools.

Other states, such as New York and Massachusetts, are moving toward free community college.

But the California solution would be the most comprehensive initiative yet, covering millions more students at all levels of the public education system.

Thats the best idea since beach volleyball and Mickey Mouse.

This piece was originally published on Other Words.

Chuck Collins directs the Program on Inequality at the Institute for Policy Studies. He is co-editor of Inequality.org and the author of Born on Third Base: A One Percenter Makes the Case for Tackling Inequality, Bringing Wealth Home, and Committing to the Common Good.

Content licensed under a Creative Commons 3.0 License

Via Inequality.orgBy Gordon Brown | (Project Syndicate) |  

The US has decided to withhold more than half of its planned funding for the UNRWA  $65 million of the $125 million earmarked for the agency. The move, which has been called a death sentence for the agency, will deal a devastating blow to efforts to confront the education emergency that the world already faces.

LONDON  No international institution has done as much for childrens schooling on the ground for as long as the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA). And yet, no international organization has suffered an overnight funding cut as devastating as the one UNRWA now faces, after 70 years of serving the displaced and the desolate.

Today, some 60% of elementary- and middle-school children in Gaza attend UNRWA schools, their only schooling alternative being madrasas. Since Palestinian refugees do not enjoy legal protections or access to basic services under the Refugee Convention of 1951, those living elsewhere also rely on UNRWA schools. More than half of the 525,000 Palestinian refugees UNRWA supports live in Lebanon, Syria, and Jordan.

Yet the United States has now decided to withhold more than half of its planned funding for UNRWA  $65 million of $125 million, which is already far less than the $364 million delivered last year. The move will deal a powerful blow to efforts to confront the education emergency the world currently faces.

Already, there are some 75 million children in conflict and emergency zones who have had their education disrupted. Another 30 million children  ten million of whom are refugees  have been displaced, with most of them denied education. Add to that the 260 million school-age children who are not in school for other reasons, and the scale of the problem is massive. Cutting UNRWAs funding deepens this global education crisis.

And it is not just education that is at stake. When it was established in 1949, UNRWA offered a range of additional services, from food to health care, to some 750,000 Palestinians who had been expelled from their homes and lands when Israel was established the previous year. Over the last seven decades, the agency has helped more than five million people, by running schools, staffing clinics, leading sanitation efforts, and providing shelter for men, women, and children scattered across Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, the occupied West Bank, and the Gaza Strip.

Even today, while schools account for more than half of UNRWAs program budget, the agency provides other important services for children and families, including humanitarian assistance and health care, which accounts for 17% of its total budget. In 2016, its clinics had nine million patient visits.

Thus, emergency assistance for 1.5 million Palestinians in Gaza and Syria is also at risk, as a result of the funding cut. So, too, are the livelihoods of 60,000 Palestinians currently participating in UNRWAs Cash for Work program in the West Bank.

Those who receive loans through the agencys microfinance department, which supports small local businesses, will also suffer, as will the Palestinian refugees who comprise more than 95% of UNRWAs roughly 30,000 employees, many of whom work to the limits of their endurance. No one should take for granted the sacrifice UNRWA staff make. In Syria, for example, 20 employees have lost their lives, and some 25 others have gone (and remain) missing since the beginning of the war in 2011.

UNRWA now faces the gravest financial crisis in its 70-year history, with a potential deficit this year as high as $446 million. While the agency receives contributions from more than 100 donors, 80% of UNRWAs funding  a total income of nearly $1.25 billion in 2016  comes from just ten donors, with the US having long been the largest contributor. The European Union is the second largest, contributing $143 million, and Germany, Sweden, and the United Kingdom are next, each contributing more than $60 million. But it would be difficult for these countries to fill the multi-million-dollar gap that the US cut creates.

Allowing up to a half-million schoolchildren to be relegated to the streets would mean creating a lost generation of children and exacerbating instability in the region. After all, beyond providing knowledge, UNRWA schools encourage civic engagement among young people, while helping to prevent child marriage, child labor, and child trafficking. More fundamentally, they give children hope.

Hope dies when boats capsize at sea, when families freeze to death on hazardous mountain journeys into exile, or when food convoys fail to make it to beleaguered towns and villages. But hope also dies when children find school gates locked, denying them the chance they deserve to plan and prepare for a future.

Worst hit, both financially and in terms of service provision, would be the refugee community in Gaza, where the agency provides aid to nearly 75% of the population and accounts for one-sixth of gross domestic expenditure. But in Syria, too, a half-million Palestinian refugees will lose some of the help on which they relied.

To be sure, some countries have already stepped up to the plate. Denmark, Finland, Germany, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Russia, Sweden, Switzerland, and the UK have all agreed to front-load their annual contributions. Several other countries are considering doing the same. And, in order to maintain quality education for Palestinian refugees, the Education Cannot Wait fund, established in 2016 to help children displaced in emergencies, will seek to deepen its cooperation with UNRWA.

Yet measures like frontloading can take us only so far. If UNRWA does not receive additional bridge funding, it will run out of money in the next few months.

Pierre Krahenbuhl, UNRWAs commissioner-general, is determined to continue UNRWAs life-saving work. Under the banner Dignity is Priceless, he is now asking all with the means to provide the additional funding. One hopes that his call will be heeded at this months planned ministerial roundtable in Rome, with countries advancing next years contributions, as we await a change of heart by the US. Failure to bridge the funding gap would have serious consequences not just for the Palestinian children who depend on UNRWA, but also for peace and stability in the region.

Gordon Brown, former Prime Minister and Chancellor of the Exchequer of the United Kingdom, is United Nations Special Envoy for Global Education and Chair of the International Commission on Financing Global Education Opportunity. He chairs the Advisory Board of the Catalyst Foundation.

Syndicated from Project Syndicate



Bonus video added by Informed Comment:

France 24 English: UNRWA: Helping Palestinian children go to schools is a key contributor to regional developmentVANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA / ACCESSWIRE / March 12, 2018 / Margaret Lake Diamonds Inc. (TSX.V: DIA.V) (FSE: M85) ("Margaret Lake" or the "Company") is pleased to provide an exploration update on its Margaret Lake and Diagras properties located in the Northwest Territories.

Margaret Lake Property

The Company is pleased to report it has generated three high priority drill ready targets at its Margaret Lake Property (the "Property") from the ground geophysical program undertaken in 2017. Additionally, there is one other target from previous groundwork on the Property and two others targets from 2017 geophysics under consideration for possible drill testing. Preparations are now underway planning a drill program. The Company has already obtained regulatory approval to proceed with a drill program on the Property.

Figure 1. Margaret Lake Diamond Property Map and Drill Targets





In the Spring of 2017, the Company completed a series of ground gravity and OhmMapper (ground electromagnetics) surveys over nine targets previously generated from a HeliFalcon airborne gravity gradiometer survey. Physical bathymetric surveys complemented the ground gravity surveys to allow for consideration of water column in data processing.

Three of the anomalies display a gravity low, bedrock conductor, or a combination of both, while a fourth anomaly has been identified from historic groundwork, which also displays coincident gravity and electromagnetic responses. These anomalies exhibit characteristics interpreted as having the potential to represent diamondiferous kimberlite bodies.

The Margaret Lake Property comprises 23 mineral claims totaling 23,199 hectares contiguous to the north and west of Kennady Diamonds Inc.'s Kelvin and Faraday projects. Kennady was successful in using similar ground gravity and OhmMapper surveys to reveal extensions to these kimberlites not displayed in magnetic surveys.

The Company holds a 100% interest in Margaret Lake and the Property is not subject to any underlying royalties. It is located 300 kilometers east-northeast of Yellowknife in the district of Mackenzie, Northwest Territories and just nine kilometers north of Canada's newest diamond mine, Gahcho Kue, a De Beers/Mountain Province Diamonds joint venture. Investors are cautioned that mineral deposits on adjacent properties are not indicative of mineral deposits on Margaret Lake.

Diagras Property

The Company also maintains a 60/40 Joint Venture (the "Joint Venture") on the Diagras Property ("Diagras") with Artic Star Exploration Corp. (TSX.V: ADD). Diagras is comprised of 23 claims totaling 18,699 hectares located in the prolific Lac de Gras diamond field, just 22 kilometers from the Davik and Ekati diamond mines.

Diagras is host to 13 known kimberlites that were initially discovered in the 1990's by De Beers. Diagras sits along a wide corridor of diamond deposits that include numerous kimberlite pipes currently being mined or developed for future mining, including the A21, A418, A154S, A154N, Lynx, Misery, and Jay kimberlites. Each of the >1 carat per tonne diamond-bearing kimberlites exists along a 20-kilometer structural trend.

Diagras Exploration Strategy

Joint Venture field crews completed a ground geophysical program at Diagras in the spring of 2017 utilizing ground magnetics (129-line kilometers), ground gravity (23-line kilometers) and ground electromagnetics (22-line kilometers) techniques. The survey program was comprised of 11 separate geophysical surveys to further evaluate areas of known kimberlites as well as evaluate partially defined targets generated from public domain data.

Figure 2. Diagras Diamond Property Map





Margaret Lake, as manager of the Joint Venture in conjunction with Arctic Star Exploration, believes there is the potential to apply detailed, modern ground geophysical techniques in anticipation of defining additional kimberlite(s) or kimberlite phases that may not have been evaluated in the past. This approach has been successful elsewhere, such as at the Kennady Lake project, with the additional discoveries of diamondiferous kimberlites at Kelvin and Faraday. The Joint Venture partners believe that applying this successful approach used on other properties has provided data gathered during the ground geophysical surveys completed in the spring of 2017 that is indicative of kimberlite phases which have not yet been proven through drilling. At the Jack Pine kimberlite target, all three geophysical methods (ground magnetics, EM, and gravity) successfully extended the anomalous area beyond the currently known kimberlite footprint in defining additional possible kimberlite phases.

The next phase of evaluation at Diagras will be to expand the ground geophysical program to cover areas proximal to the other known, previously defined kimberlites in order to expand the number of drill ready targets. The Company has received regulatory approval to proceed with a drill program at Diagras.

Qualified Person

The technical data in this news release has been reviewed and approved by Mark Fields, P.Geo., a Qualified Person under the provisions of National Instrument 43-101.

About Margaret Lake Diamonds Inc.

Margaret Lake Diamonds Inc. (TSX.V: DIA) (FSE: M85) is a diamond exploration company focused on the Northwest Territories, Canada with two exploration properties. The Margaret Lake project is adjacent to Kennady Diamonds and in close proximity to Gahcho Kue, the newest Canadian diamond mine owned by De Beers and Mountain Province Diamonds. The Company also has a 60/40 joint venture with Arctic Star Exploration Corp. (TSX.V: ADD) to explore the Diagras property, which is comprised of 23 claims totaling 18,699 hectares located in the prolific Lac de Gras diamond field.

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS

"Paul Brockington"

Paul Brockington, President, and Chief Executive Officer

For further information, please contact:

Margaret Lake Diamonds Inc.

Paul Brockington

President and CEO

Phone: 1.604.630.2810

Web: www.margaretdiamonds.com

Forward-Looking Statements

This news release contains forward-looking information that involves various risks and uncertainties regarding future events. Such forward-looking information can include without limitation statements based on current expectations involving a number of risks and uncertainties and are not guarantees of future performance of the Company. Actual results and future events could differ materially from anticipated in such information. These and all subsequent written and oral forward-looking information are based on estimates and opinions of management on the dates they are made and expressed qualified in their entirety by this notice.

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.VANCOUVER, British Columbia, March 12, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Volcanic Gold Mines Inc. (Volcanic) (TSXV:VG) hereby provides clarification with respect to the disclosure of Mineral Resources in its March 5 News Release, Volcanic enters into option agreement to acquire gold properties in the Ivory Coast. Specifically, it is noted the Inferred Mineral Resource (the Historic Estimate cited in the aforementioned News Release (9.5 million tonnes at a grade of 1.3 g/t for 396,000 ounces of gold) is derived from an unpublished report entitled Feasibility Study in Support of a Mining Exploitation Permit in Accordance with the requirements of LAW No. 2014-138 of 24 March 2014 containing the Mining Code (the Report), dated June 10, 2016, prepared by The MSA Group (Pty) Ltd, 20B Rothesay Avenue, Craighall Park, Johannesburg, South Africa on behalf of JOFEMA Mineral Resources SARL, with an effective date of May 31, 2016.

Per the Report, the Historic Estimate incorporates drillhole, assay and geological data obtained by JOFEMA Mineral Resources SARL (JOFEMA) available as of December 9, 2015 from two prospects within their La Debo Permit in Ivory Coast. The drilling data, in the opinion of The MSA Group (Pty) Ltd, were collected in accordance with CIM Exploration Best Practices Guidelines (2000).

The Historic Estimate, compiled using Best Practice Guidelines for Estimation of Mineral Resources and Mineral Reserves (2003), was classified in accordance with the 2014 CIM Definition Standards (2014). The Historic Estimate was performed using Leapfrog Geo, and Datamine Studio software, and was stated at a cut-off grade of 0.30 g/t Au, having been derived by means of Ordinary Kriging. This approach is deemed consistent with currently applicable standards for Mineral Resource estimation of shear hosted gold deposits in Birimian sediments of West Africa. No other Mineral Resource Estimates are known.

It is noted that a qualified person has not completed sufficient work to classify the Historic Estimate as a current Mineral Resource, and Volcanic is not treating the Historic Estimate as such. In order to render the Historic Estimate current, validation of the project data through field verification of a representative selection of drill collar surveys, and re-assay of a selection of sample intervals. Such field work is ongoing. Corroboration of the Historic Estimate will be performed using industry standard resource estimation techniques.

The Agreement

Subject to Volcanic completing satisfactory due diligence and to stock exchange approval, Volcanic will have the exclusive right to acquire up to 100% of the issued shares of JOFEMA, by incurring exploration expenditures (Expenditures) on the Properties over a period of three years totaling US$5 million, and thereafter making cash and share payments to JOFEMA. The Expenditures are to be incurred according to the following schedule:

(a) within 12 months of the execution of a definitive agreement (the Definitive Execution Date) for the transaction, a minimum of US$1,666,666 in Expenditures;

(b) within 24 months of the Definitive Execution Date a cumulative minimum of US$3,333,333 in Expenditures; and

(c) within 36 months of the Definitive Execution Date a cumulative minimum of US$5,000,000 in Expenditures.

If Volcanic completes the Expenditures as set forth above, Volcanic shall have the right for 90 days thereafter to elect to acquire an interest in the Properties by either:

(a) acquiring an initial 65% interest in JOFEMA by paying US$2,000,000 in cash and US$2,000,000 in shares of Volcanic to JOFEMA, and thereafter, continuing to fund further exploration of the Properties. The other shareholders (the Minority Shareholders) of JOFEMA may elect to co-fund such exploration pro rata to their own shareholding. Where the Minority Shareholders do not co-fund further exploration, then Volcanic may dilute them to 10% by incurring an additional US$3,750,000 in Expenditures.

If the Minority Shareholders are diluted to a holding of less than 10% of the total issued share capital of JOFEMA, then Volcanic may, at any time thereafter, purchase the remaining equity of the Minority Shareholders for US$2,000,000 in cash and US$2,000,000 in shares of Volcanic, or Volcanic must, at the Minority Shareholders election at any time after a period of 6 months from when their shareholding has been diluted, purchase the remaining JOFEMA equity for US$2,000,000 in cash and US$2,000,000 in shares of Volcanic.

or:

(b) acquiring a 100% interest in JOFEMA by paying JOFEMA US$4,000,000 in cash, and US$4,000,000 in shares of Volcanic.

Volcanic is at arms length to JOFEMA and its shareholders. If a Control Person (as defined by the Exchange) will be created as a result of the issuance of shares pursuant to the Agreement, Volcanic will be required to obtain shareholder and Exchange approvals prior to issuing such shares. Volcanic may pay a finders fee in connection with this transaction.

Qualified Person

Mr. Simon Meadows-Smith is Volcanics Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument 43-101, Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects, and has approved the disclosure of the scientific and technical information contained in this news release. Mr. Meadows-Smith holds a BSc degree in geology from Nottingham University, England, and has been involved in mineral exploration since 1988, including 20 years of experience working in West Africa. He is a Fellow in good standing of the Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining in London.

About Volcanic

Volcanic brings together a deeply experienced and successful mining, exploration and capital markets team focused on building multi-million ounce gold resources in the underexplored West African countries of Guinea, the Ivory Coast and their neighbouring countries. Through the strategic acquisition of mineral properties with demonstrated potential for hosting gold resources, and by undertaking effective exploration and drill programs, Volcanic looks to become a leading junior gold resource company.

For further information, contact Alex Langer, the Companys VP Capital Markets, at 604-765-1604, or visit our website at www.volgold.com.

Volcanic Gold Mines Inc.

Jeremy Crozier, President and CEO

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor the Investment Industry Regulatory Organization of Canada accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Forward-looking statements

Certain statements contained in this news release constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of Canadian securities legislation. All statements included herein, other than statements of historical fact, are forward-looking statements and include, without limitation, statements about the Companys possible acquisition of an interest in the Properties. Often, but not always, these forward looking statements can be identified by the use of words such as estimate, estimates, estimated, potential, open, future, assumed, projected, used, detailed, has been, gain, upgraded, offset, limited, contained, reflecting, containing, remaining, to be, periodically, or statements that events, could or should occur or be achieved and similar expressions, including negative variations.

Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from any results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by forward-looking statements. Such uncertainties and factors include, among others, whether the Company will complete the acquisition of an interest in the Properties as planned; changes in general economic conditions and financial markets; the Company or any joint venture partner not having the financial ability to meet its exploration and development goals; risks associated with the results of exploration and development activities, estimation of mineral resources and the geology, grade and continuity of mineral deposits; unanticipated costs and expenses; and such other risks detailed from time to time in the Companys quarterly and annual filings with securities regulators and available under the Companys profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual actions, events or results to differ materially from those described in forward-looking statements, there may be other factors that cause actions, events or results to differ from those anticipated, estimated or intended.

Forward-looking statements contained herein are based on the assumptions, beliefs, expectations and opinions of management, including but not limited to: that the Company will complete the acquisition of an interest in the Properties as planned; that the Companys stated goals and planned exploration and development activities will be achieved; that there will be no material adverse change affecting the Company or its properties; and such other assumptions as set out herein. Forward-looking statements are made as of the date hereof and the Company disclaims any obligation to update any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or results or otherwise, except as required by law. There can be no assurance that forward-looking statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, investors should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements.Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - March 12, 2018) - Duran Ventures Inc. (TSXV: DRV) ("Duran" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that the Company has entered into a ten year Mineral Assignment Agreement ("the Lease") with a Peruvian National for the right to explore, develop and extract from a 300 hectare concession located in the La Libertad Department in Northern Peru. The concession has a mining operational certificate allowing for the extraction of mineralized material from the property. The certificate is currently considered dormant but can be reactivated upon request. Duran owns two concessions totalling 727 hectares contiguous with the 300 hectare property. The property is located about 3 hours by truck or approximately 90 kilometers by a combination of highway and dirt road from Duran's 80% owned Aguila Norte Plant (the "Plant").

The concessions are located within the Tertiary aged Calipuy Volcanic complex. This volcanic unit hosts several prolific gold producers in Northern Peru including Newmont's Yanacocha and Barrick's Laguna Norte and Pierina mines. Gold-Silver mineralization on the property is considered to be similar to the past producing Machacala Au-Ag and the current producing Salpo Mine located in area.

A well-defined structure hosts the Au-Ag mineralization on the property. The structure is observed to have a strike length of at least 700 metres and dips between 70 to 80. A 41 metre shaft was developed in the early 2000's and is still accessible. Underground development consists of three short drifts on different levels extending along strike totaling 86 metres. The bottom 41 metre level was not accessed. However a sample taken by the Company's geologist at the end of the drift on the 24 meter level returned 5.12 g/t Au (0.16 oz/t Au) and 1535 g/t Ag (49.35 oz/t Ag) over a 0.60 meter width.

Historic reports are available regarding previous sampling of the underground working. Ten non-systematic samples were taken in 2003 at various underground sites with a reported vein width ranging between 0.30 and 0.80 meters. Gold results reported in the report ranges between 4.16 g/t Au to 16.78 g/t Au averaging 8.8 grams Au/t over a weighted average width of 0.66 meters. Silver results over the same average width ranges between 111 g/t Ag to 1,038 g/t Ag averaging 412 g/t Ag. Please take caution as these results are historical in nature and should not be relied on.

Sampling by a second group in late 2009 mainly focused on metallurgical work. Four samples taken at this time returned 6.8 g/t Au and 201.1 g/t Ag with gold results ranging from 4.11 g/t Au to 7.84 g/t Au. Silver results ranged from 103.83 g/t to 279.33 g/t. One of the samples was used for metallurgical work with a head grade of 7.78 g/t Au and 233.75 g/t Ag. Two flotation metallurgical methods were used to make high grade Au-Ag concentrates. Gold and silver recoveries in the first sample returned 92.27% for Ag and 59.91% for Au. Results from the second sample showed improvement with recoveries of 94.97% for Au and 86.59% Ag. Please take caution as these results are historical in nature and should not be relied on.

The Lease is subject to satisfactory technical and legal due diligence by the Company. The Lease allows Duran to extract mineralized material from the concession without applying for a new permit. Part of Duran's initial due diligence will be conducting further metallurgical work and possibly processing a 300 to 750 tonne bulk sample at the Aguila Norte Plant. Mining equipment is available on site and can be use by the Company to extract a bulk sample. This work will aid in determining what modifications are needed for the Plant to process the mineralized material.

If the due diligence is considered satisfactory, Duran plans to develop and extend the underground workings for extraction of mineralized material. The Company also plans to conduct detailed exploration including geological mapping, geochemical and geophysical surveys, followed by diamond drilling.

The term of Lease is for ten years and includes a 2.5% Net Smelter Royalty ("NSR") payable to the title holder. The NSR is subject to a minimum payment of $100,000 US per year. An initial non-refundable payment to the title holder of $17,000 US has made by Duran. Upon successful completion of due diligence by Duran and certain conditions to be met by the title holder the formal agreement will be executed as a public deed with a payment to the title holder of $10,000 US. The Company has the option at anytime during the first five years of the Lease to purchase the concession for $400,000 US. Should Duran exercise this option, all royalties would be eliminated.

Jeffrey Reeder, CEO and President of Duran states "This is the type of agreement Duran will continue to pursue in Peru. The mineral processing business is very competitive and secure mineral feed is the key to success. Our corporate goal is to move away from processing third party ore to developing partnerships with Peruvian miners to develop their mines. This Lease allows us to develop the property and secure mineralized material feed for our Aguila Norte Processing Plant. Furthermore our recent agreement to purchase high copper content mineralized material is advancing and the Company expects the first delivery of this mineralized material at the end of March. We will be able to expand the plant size when our mineralized material supply sources exceed plant capacity"

Jeffrey Reeder, P.Geo. and a qualified person as defined in National Instrument 43-101, has prepared, supervised the preparation, or approved the scientific and technical disclosure contained in this news release.

About Duran

Duran Ventures Inc. is a Canadian exploration company focused on mineral processing and the exploration and development of precious and base metal properties in Peru.

Duran Ventures Inc. is a Canadian resource company listed on the

TSX Venture Exchange and the Bolsa de Valores de Lima: Symbol "DRV"

For additional information, contact: Jeffrey Reeder Tel: (647) 302-3290

or Oscar Pezo at (011) 511 422-1467

Website: www.duranventuresinc.com Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Disclosure Regarding Forward-Looking Statements: This press release contains certain "Forward-Looking Statements" within the meaning of applicable securities legislation. We use words such as "might", "will", "should", "anticipate", "plan", "expect", "believe", "estimate", "forecast" and similar terminology to identify forward looking statements and forward-looking information. Such statements and information are based on assumptions, estimates, opinions and analysis made by management in light of its experience, current conditions and its expectations of future developments as well as other factors which it believes to be reasonable and relevant. Forward-looking statements and information involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause our actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied in the forward-looking statements and information and accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on such statements and information. Risks and uncertainties are more fully described in our annual and quarterly Management's Discussion and Analysis and in other filings made by us with Canadian securities regulatory authorities and available at www.sedar.com.While the Company believes that the expectations expressed by such forward-looking statements and forward-looking information and the assumptions, estimates, opinions and analysis underlying such expectations are reasonable, there can be no assurance that they will prove to be correct. In evaluating forward-looking statements and information, readers should carefully consider the various factors which could cause actual results or events to differ materially from those expressed or implied in the forward looking statements and forward-looking information.167 Shares Share

I am an emergency medicine physician. I started my career in an ER that saw a significant amount of walk-in trauma. Eventually, I left that department and moved on and now primarily see medical emergencies. For a while, I truly missed being involved in treating trauma patients. I missed the adrenaline, excitement, and fervor that ensues after a penetrating trauma is dropped off in the ER driveway.

But I just dont feel that way anymore. Theres no single reason for this I imagine: Non-clinical interests? Burnout? Aging? Motherhood?

Mass shootings? This. Definitely this.

No, this is not an article about my thoughts on gun control. For today, Ill keep that to myself. I know better than to believe that my written opinions on gun control will change anyones minds. This is an article full of questions. This is an article about physicians, our humanity, our hearts, our families, our children and the communities we serve.

I know so many of my colleagues out there on the front lines at trauma centers have born witness to horrific scenes. Even more are out there wondering if it will be their turn next. Today our colleagues are crying in Florida. Before this, our colleagues shed tears in Nevada, Texas, California, South Carolina, Connecticut; the list goes on and on.

I cannot imagine how unbearable it would be to witness such tragedy. How did you do it? How did you handle watching the soul of a child being ripped away from their body? How did you formulate words to say that would forever destroy lives? How do you put one foot forward? How do you sleep, eat or laugh after what youve seen?

Every few days that I learn of another mass shooting, I grow less and less nostalgic of my days seeing trauma patients. But whether I like it or not, my decision to walk away from working at a trauma center will not protect me if a mass shooting comes to my town. I know that this is my specialtys new reality. It could be any one of us, any day, at any time that is shoved onto that front line.

Despite all my reasoning about this new reality, I cannot seem to reconcile what I know with what I feel. I just dont want to think about it. I dont want to come to terms with it. I dont want to be prepared. I dont want more disaster drill training.

I dont want to be terrified anymore.

If the conversations on social media are any indication, we will not agree on guns anytime soon. The current dialogues are exasperating. They accomplish nothing outside of creating unproductive arguments that go round and round without any resolution, agreement or plan of action to work towards stopping this madness. So what things, whether gun advocate or gun hater, what can we as physicians and healers agree on? What CAN we start to do to help? I just feel so desperately that something needs to budge. I want to move on to a conversation that works so that instead of arguing in circles we can finally start towards something, anything, that produces change.

Is it fair to assume, as a group, that we believe an increase in mass shootings is occurring in our society? That we believe in science? That we believe mass shootings are a public health emergency? That we need more research on this?

That we do not want to see masses of mothers, fathers, and children dying on our doorsteps?

So if we can agree on those points, where can we start?

Is it to find the means and funding to start real research into this matter? Is it to advocate for emotional education? Is it to tell our true stories to every news outlet that will listen, exposing the lack of resources available for the mentally ill? Is it collaboration with our pediatric and psychiatry colleagues to advocate for increased mental health care funding? Is it to implore our states for help our schools support children and parents in need? Is it to increase awareness of physical and cyberbullying? Is it to find better ways to identify at-risk patients who come through our door?

And then, what do we need to do for ourselves? Do we need to create better support systems for our colleagues who are involved in treating victims of mass shootings? Should we be trained on recognizing PTSD in our own colleagues and staff?

Where in that list should we start? And most importantly, when can we finally stop arguing and start talking like a civilization that deserves better than terror?

I hope if we can start somewhere with civility and some success, then maybe we can finally talk about the AR-15 elephant in the room.

I write this article of questions because  frankly  I dont know the answers myself. But I hope as a group of people that should be leaders in society, we can discuss and finally do something.

Dr. M.S. is a physician who can be reached on Twitter @msmemesha.

Image credit: Shutterstock.comA number of Kilkenny restaurants are celebrating after being named winners in the the first of four regional finals at this years Irish Restaurant Awards.

The event took place in the Knightsbrook Hotel, Trim, where 165 awards were presented to the countrys leading chefs, restaurants and pubs. Over 550 people attended the Leinster Regional Final on Wednesday evening where the top establishments in each county were named.

The awards covered a wide range of venues and the winners from each of Leinsters 11 counties were selected from the following categories: Best Casual Dining, Best Emerging Irish Cuisine, Best Kids Size Me, Best Free From, Best World Cuisine, Best Restaurant Manager, Best Wine Experience, Pub of the Year, Best Cafe, Best Customer Service, Best Gastro Pub, Best Hotel & Guesthouse Restaurant, Best Newcomer, Best Chef and Best Restaurant. There was also a special Regional award for Leinsters Local Food Hero.

Kilkenny Winners Are As Follows:

Best Casual Dining sponsored by San Pellegrino - Truffles Restaurant and Wine Bar

Best Emerging Irish Cuisine sponsored by Odaios Foods - Kernel Bar & Kitchen

Best Kids Size Me sponsored by Dubliner Cheese - Langton House Hotel

Best 'Free From' sponsored by Peroni Nastro Azzurro Gluten Free - Rive Gauche

Best World Cuisine sponsored by Aryzta - Indique

Best Restaurant Manager - Milko Mihaylov of Truffles Restaurant & Wine Bar

Best Wine Experience sponsored by Classic Drinks - Ristorante Rinuccini

Pub of the Year sponsored by Bushmills - Billy Byrnes Bar and Guesthouse

Best Cafe sponsored by Illy - Cakeface Patisserie

Best Customer Service - Ristorante Rinuccini

Best Gastro Pub sponsored by Coca Cola & Schweppes - Left Bank

Best Hotel & Guesthouse Restaurant sponsored by BWG Foodservice - Lady Helen Dining Room at Mount Juliet Estate

Best Newcomer sponsored by Elavon - Kernal Bar And Kitchen

Best Chef sponsored by Nisbets - Ken Harker at Lady Helen Dining Room at Mount Juliet Estate

Best Restaurant sponsored by Tindal Wine Merchants - Campagne.

Speaking at the awards, Adrian Cummins, Chief Executive of the Restaurants Association of Ireland (RAI) said:

Now in their tenth year, the Irish Restaurant Awards continue to showcase the exquisite and admirable calibre of food available in our restaurants and pubs nationwide. Online nominations have increased from 9,000 in 2013 to over 80,000 this year and with the increase in interest comes an increase in standards, making the judging process more difficult than ever.

Our small island boasts everything from fine dining to high quality gastropubs, from the exotic taste explosions of world cuisine to the comfort of traditional dishes. We have an appreciation for what we eat, for the journey of our food from farm to fork, and for the dedication of those working in the food industry to serve up Irelands finest food.Jo Moir reports:

Theres one hell of a stoush brewing in Cabinet over freshwater rights. If theres one thing water-related that Labour and NZ First will never agree on its giving Maori ownership rights to freshwater, and as for the Greens  they wont have a bar of continuing any large-scale irrigation schemes.

So Labour want to give Maori ownership rights, but NZ First do not. And Greens are against any irrigation, while the other two parties are not.

Parkers policy allows for a royalty on commercial water consumption, which will help with the cost of cleaning up waterways and resolving long-standing Treaty water claims. Its understood theres huge tension between Parker and Crown/Maori Relations Minister Kelvin Davis, who is feeling sidelined by Parkers determination to make progress on water rights quickly regardless of whether thats the right approach for iwi.

The tension must be spilling over for the media to be aware of it. I wonder which Minister is briefing against the other?

Davis is said to be furious about the pace in which the OIO changes were pushed through, leaving no time for genuine iwi consultation, and is warning Parker the brakes need to go on before he opens the floodgates on freshwater rights.

Davis doesnt want to lose his seats. He knows the Maori vote has left Labour before, and will again  if it feels sidelined.

The Greens are sitting on a supply and confidence deal with Labour that says no new irrigation schemes will be funded and the existing ones will be wound down. Irrigation scheme operators are crying out for clear information on what that means but the advice seems to be almost non-existent as Labour tries to work out how to keep them and the Greens happy.

The Greens basically dont seem to like anything that interferes with Gaia.

But thats where Davis frustration grows further. He was made deputy leader of the Labour Party during the campaign and to his credit helped unite the Maori vote behind Labour. But hes not in the inner circle in the same way Peters, Robertson and Parker are and its understood those feelings of being sidelined on issues like freshwater (where iwi relations are crucial) led to words between him and Parker ahead of Cabinets meeting on Monday. Ardern and Peters were both in the Pacific leaving Davis as acting Prime Minister and chair of Cabinet committee. But its understood things were delayed on Monday as Davis, Robertson and Parker had words about the way some issues were being progressed without fully considering the impact it would have on Maori.

Sounds like Robertson and Parker dont see Davis as important, despite him nominally being their Deputy Leader.

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By Choe Chong-dae





I had the honor of meeting the Speaker of the Senate of Parliament of the Czech Republic Milan Stech at a welcoming reception during his recent visit to Korea. The reception was hosted by the Ambassador of the Czech Republic to Korea Tomas Husak, Oct. 30, 2017, at the Four Seasons Hotel in Seoul.



I have felt attracted to and been interested in Czech culture for a long time. So at the reception I exchanged views on the excellence of the craftsmanship and the beauty of glassware and costume jewelry with Czech representatives. Later, I was fortunate to receive a unique and beautiful Bohemian crystal bowl as a gift from one of the Czech people present. It filled me with great joy, and I have put in on display in my office with great pride.



These glass manufacturing skills have history going back to 14th century Bohemia. As a consequence of the economic and cultural prosperity of the region's upper classes such as royals, aristocrats, the clergy and the bourgeoisie, demand for glass products increased gradually.



Furthermore, the production of glassware was stimulated during the 16th century when Prague became the capital of the Holy Roman Empire and Europe's center of culture and artisanship. Thus the region emerged as a prominent glass-manufacturing center alongside Venice. Their glassmaking and fashion jewelry became a globally recognized tradition of this central European region at the crossroads of east and west, north and south. Like Bohemian glass, Bohemian costume jewelry has been famous since the 18th century.



Very recently, from Jan. 25 to Feb. 24, an exhibition entitled "Handmade Dreams" about Czech-Korean jewelry design collaborations was held at Seoul Jewelry Support Industry Center Building No. 2. This unique exhibition was co-hosted by the Czech Center in Seoul and the Seoul Jewelry Industry Support Center. It featured the current trends in Czech fashion jewelry and highlighted the traditions and originality of design and production that keep it in the limelight despite the competitive global market.



The notable works on display were curated by Petr Novy of the Museum of Glass and Costume Jewelry in the town of Jablonec nad Nisou. The works ranged from the inspiration provided by traditional patterns to contemporary trends and a vision of the future represented by a selection of winning works from the Master of Crystal design competition. It also included Czech jewelry brands working with semi-products of costume jewelry.



Bohemian costume jewelry has always been a symbol of quality and it has succeeded in satisfying the tastes of customers all over the world. Also, Bohemian costume jewelers pioneered a technique for replicating the look of pearls, which were enormously popular at the beginning of the 20th century.



Contemporary Czech costume jewelry not only reflects semi-products, but also finished products inspired by contemporary fashion and design trends. As a result, the craftsmanship and unique technological knowledge of the producers from North Bohemia are also frequently used by distinctive fashion brands such as Nina Ricci, Gautier and Karl Lagerfeld.



I was deeply impressed by the great harmony between the traditional and modern in the contemporary Czech fashion jewelry. There are jewelry artists with splendid vision, a drive to experiment and a desire to explore! Czech fashion jewelry not only boasts a rich history, but also great success in the present and a big promise for the future.



It is very important and promising to strengthen bilateral cultural ties. One of the ways to do this is through our common interest in glassware art and costume jewelry.





Choe Chong-dae (choecd@naver.com) is a guest columnist of The Korea Times. He is president of Dae-kwang International Co., and director of the Korean-Swedish Association.

Kalahandi, March 12: The Odisha police have seized 1,400 kilograms of cannabis, valued at around Rs 1 crore, from a Uttar Pradesh-bound truck in Kalahandi. The seizure was made near Baddharpur village under the jurisdiction of Narla.

The driver Ajaya Singh Rajput and helper Firoj Khan of the truck were trying to escape when they were nabbed by Narla Police. The contraband in the truck was taken from Rayagada to Mathura of Uttar Pradesh.

Two arrested, 1,400 Kilograms cannabis valued at around Rs 1 crore seized by Police in Kalahandi #Odisha pic.twitter.com/H4p5vW3rv4  ANI (@ANI) March 11, 2018

Cannabis has long been used for hemp fibre, for hemp oils, for medicinal purposes, and as a recreational drug. Industrial hemp products are made from cannabis plants selected to produce an abundance of fiber.

But direct use, possession, and consumption of cannabis by individuals is banned in India. Recently, Baba Ramdev's Patanjali Enterprises CEO, Acharya Balkrishna, had said in an interview that cannabis should be allowed in India for medicinal purposes and added that cannabis has been used in Ayurveda since ancient times. This had fuelled the expectation among many that with Patanjali endorsing the idea of cannabis getting legalised, the government of India may soon consider making cannabis, also known as 'pot' legal in India. But there was no announcement by the government after it.

Here is what the CEO of Patanjali, Acharya Balkrishna, had said in an interview to Quartz, "We should ponder over the benefits and positive uses of the cannabis plant". This had sent the twitter in a frenzy. However, there are countries in the world where possession and consumption of cannabis is allowed either partially or in restricted quantity.

However, there are countries in the world which have legalised or allowed the consumption of cannabis with or without restrictions. To know the countries where cannabis is legal, click on the link to know the countries in the world which have made cannabis legal.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Mar 12, 2018 12:28 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).In a bizarre, one-of-a-kind medical case, doctors from a hospital in Ahmedabad performed a rare surgery to remove a foetus from the body of a 20-day-old baby boy. According to a report published in The Times of India, the child belonging to a couple from Sanand in Ahmedabad and was admitted , after the parents discovered a swelling in its stomach. It was later revealed to the shocked family that the infant was suffering from a rare condition called retroperitoneal mature teratoma or fetus in fetu.

Dr Bhavin Vasavada, the gastrointestinal hepatobiliary and liver transplant surgeon who conducted the surgery told TOI that it was a CT scan that revealed the presence of a mass, ostensibly a foetus, inside the baby. The mass removed from the abdomen of the infant was indeed a mature teratoma (fetus-in-fetu), which had an undeveloped hand and some parts of a spine. The operation was a success and the child is said to be recuperating well.

Whats Fetus in Fetu?

The term fetus in fetu literally means a foetus inside a foetus. Its a rare medical condition in which a foetus gets prematurely enveloped and enclosed inside the body of its twin. So far, they havent been many recorded cases of fetus and fetu. Here are some shocking facts about this developmental disorder.

Its not pregnancy: Fetus-in-fetu is not a result of sexual activity and is not akin to being pregnant. It is a developmental anomaly caused when the child is still inside its mothers womb. The embryo of the child encases and envelops that of its twin, restricting its growth.

Its very rare: Its a rare medical condition and fewer than 200 cases have been reported so far.

It usually occurs inside the abdomen: The usual site for fetus-in-fetu is the abdominal cavity area or the retropetitoneal space.

It can present some symptoms: Symptoms of fetus in fetu include abdominal swelling, jaundice, pressure on the kidneys, breathlessness and vomiting.

It can steal the embryos blood supply: It could be a parasitic twin, growing within its host twin, feeding off its blood supply.

It can have some developed organs: Commonly, fetus in fetu are found with some parts of its vertebrae or spine. But in some cases, skin structures, gastrointestinal tract and central nervous system can develop on the foetus. Rarely, gonads, adrenal glands, heart, pancreas, spleen and a basic respiratory system can be seen on the foetus.

It can sometimes have hair: A 45-year-old woman had a fright of her life when the cyst removed from her ovaries was shown to have a face and long hair like hers. It turned out that the mass growing inside her ovary was no cyst but an unborn twin.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Mar 12, 2018 04:27 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).The air crash in Nepal was reported on Monday, when a US-Bangla airline crashed while landing (Image: ANI)

New Delhi, Mar 12: Aviation disasters led to an unprecedented amount of casualties in the past 24 hours, with at least three major accidents being reported.

The most fatal accident was reported from Kathmandu on Monday, where over 50 people onboard a flight from Bangladesh were killed. This came hours after 5 people travelling on a chopper in New York died after the helicopter plunged into the East River. A day earlier, 11 were killed after private Turkish aircraft crashed in the mountainous region of Iran.

US-Bangla flight crashes in Nepal

With 67 passengers and 4 crew members onboard, the US-Bangla flight from Dhaka to Kathmandu crashed while landing at the Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu.

The plane, identified as S2-AGU, a Bombardier Dash 8 Q400, crashed at around 2:20 pm, metres away from the runway.

Eyewitnesses said the plane descended in an "unusual member" before hitting the ground at a high speed.

Turkish private plane crashes near Tehran

The Turkish flight took off from Sharjah International Airport on Sunday. Enroute to Istanbul, the flight crashed into a mountain near Shahr-e-Kord, located 370-km south of iranian capital Tehran.

All 11 onboard were killed, with their charred bodies being recovered. A DNA test would be conducted to confirm the identity of the victims.

Helicopter in New York falls into East River

Five people who hired a private helicopter for sunset sightseeing met a fatal accident as chopper plunged into the East River after developing a technical snag.

The accident occurred at 7pm on Sunday night, off the Roosevelt Island near the 90th Street.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Mar 12, 2018 07:34 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).Mountmellick is one of the eleven towns nationwide that will receive a new Family Resource Centre under new funding announced today.

Laois TD and Minister for Justice and Equality, Charlie Flanagan, has this morning announced that a new Family Resource Centre is to be established in Mountmellick Development Association.

I am delighted to announce that a new Family Resource Centre is to be established in Mountmellick Development Association.

"This is excellent news and will provide the staff of the MDA and the Mountmellick Youth Development Centre with the resources to sustain and develop the existing range of services currently being provided.

The primary purpose of a Family Resource Centre is to combat disadvantage and improve the working of the family unit. They offer core services including support to people facing unemployment, addiction and bereavement.

I wish to commend and pay tribute to the board members and staff of the MDA and MYDC who work tirelessly, on tight budgets, to create a safe environment for young people and deliver services to disadvantaged families in the area," Minister Flanagan said.

Manager of the MDA, Paddy Buggy, said he was delighted that the application for a Family Resource Centre servicing the greater Mountmellick area was successful.

Mr Buggy added that he would like to thank the different agencies and individuals who supported the application.

"This is a wonderful opportunity to develop local services for the children and families in the greater Mountmellick area. It will also be of great assistance to groups within the community to help them grow and develop.

"We are looking forward to working with Tusla to roll out the services over the coming weeks, he said.

The number of Family Resource Centres in Ireland is set to grow from 109 to 120, with the addition of 11 new centres this year.

Minister for Children and Youth Affairs, Dr Katherine Zappone, and Tuslas Chief Operations Officer, Jim Gibson, announced the locations of 11 new centres during a visit to the Hill Street Family Resource Centre in Dublin on Monday.

Family Resource Centres are the very hub of the communities which they serve  I have seen this at first hand in every part of the country.

"They provide a huge range of services by working with people from cradle to the grave. They also support those going through a difficult period in their lives including bereavement, unemployment and addiction.

"The demand for new centres speaks for itself and underlines their important role. This year I am delighted to increase funding by 21% to 16.37 million for centres nationwide," Minister Zappone said.

Jim Gibson is the Chief Operations Officer at Tusla.

Were delighted to announce the 11 new Family Resource Centres today. The expansion of our Family Resource Centre Programme will see 11 more communities supported through a range of community services including family support work, counselling, education and training courses, and youth groups.

"Family Resource Centres are rooted in and part of local communities and as a result they can identify need in families and communities early and offer appropriate interventions and supports. Tuslas Family Resource Centre Programme is an important part of our work to prioritise early intervention across our services," he said.

The additional Family Resource Centres will be supported due to additional funding provided to Tusla as part of Budget 2018. In a strong demonstration of interest, 47 applications from around the country were received and assessed by Tusla. The 11 new Family Resource Centres are:

Mountmellick, Co. Laois

Teach Dara, Kildare

Athy, Co. Kildare

North Tipperary Community Services, Co. Tipperary

Raphoe Springboard, Co. Donegal

Aster, Balbriggan, Co. Dublin

Laytown, Louth/Meath

Finglas West Barnardos Dublin North City

Carrigtwohill, Co. Cork

Roscommon Leader Partnership Company

Ballybeg CDP, Co. Waterford

Tusla is investing a total of 16.37 million into the Family Resource Centre Programme in 2018, an increase of 21% compared to 2017.

SEE ALSO - No foul play in death of Mountmellick man.Odlums mills begun in Portlaoise, Laois and now a young Portlaoise student has baked her way to become Odlums Ceist Junior Bake Off champion for 2018.

Tara Maher, 14, a 2nd year student in Scoil Chriost Ri, created a Spongebob Squarepants cake that wowed judges in the national final of the competition, held in Ardscoil na Trionoide, Athy on March 9.

One of seven regional finalists, she was stunned to win, she told the Leinster Express.

"I didn't really believe it at first, there were loads of really good cakes," she said.

She had to bake, cool and ice her novelty Spongebob Squarepants lemon madeira cake with lemon buttercream icing, in the three hour competition time.

"I got it done and cut just in time. I was very happy, it turned out better than my practices," said Tara.

Tara is already baking occasion cakes to order in the family kitchen in Market Square, with a growing customer base. She thanked her school, Scoil Chriost Ri, teachers and family for their support.

"I might go down the career route of baking," said Tara, a daughter of Cora and Joe Maher.

She was presented with an Odlums hamper, a certificate and a cash prize of 150, which she plans to put towards her savings for a high spec mixer.

Her Home Economics teacher Aine Thornton is delighted for her student.

"She is fantastic, a very talented baker and decorator. The future is bright in Portlaoise if Tara continues her business and work ethic. It is a fantastic achievement. Our Home Ec department really encourage our students to enjoy the subject and be creative," she said.

Scoil Chriost Ri to Cupcake Carnival for Irish Cancer Society's Daffodil Day.

Below: Tara shows her amazing Spongebob cake, with judge Catherine Leyden.

Hundreds of submissions were made to the Junior (1st to 3rd year) and Senior (4th to 6th) competitions from 110 schools nationwide. The senior event was won by Tipp student Niamh Doyle.

Catherine Leyden is Odlums brand ambassador, a home baking expert and one of the competition judges.

It is always encouraging to see the high calibre of entries we receive every year from students around the country, and this year was no different. Watching our 2018 finalists pour their heart and soul into their designs, their passion for perfection and desire to create something truly unique has been eye-opening. We have a highly skilled and talented number of bakers across the country. Well done to everyone who submitted entries, to those shortlisted and our overall winners Niamh Doyle (Senior 5-6th year winner) and Tara Maher (Junior 1-3rd year), it has been a fantastic effort by all," she said.

Odlums remains based in Laois, from their mill in Portarlington. CEIST, the Catholic Education, An Irish Schools' Trust is the Trustee body for 110 Voluntary Catholic Secondary Schools in Ireland.RTE journalist Claire Byrne is hoped to visit her native Laois this Sunday, to help mark a big announcement from Down Syndrome Ireland 'Laois branch'.

The Mountrath native is invited to officially turn the switch to light up Laois County Council offices in purple (the official colour of Down Syndrome) on Sunday March 18, switching it from green on St Patrick's Day.

What will follow is an official announcement that the group has found a site for its 'Field of Dreams', to build a job training centre for adults with Down Syndrome.

"The Laois Field of Dreams Sheltered Employment Training Facility will give our adults with intellectual difficulties the opportunity to gain the basic skills to get and hold down meaningful employment in our community for a living wage," said Chairperson Margaret Miron.

The light-up and announcement will be done in conjunction with Laois County Council.

Celebrity solicitor Gerald Kean who has previously pledged 10,000 for the Laois Field of Dreams, will also attend the afternoon. Also in attendance will be Down Syndrome Ireland President Mary Doherty and the new CEO Gary Owens.

Portlaoise teen baker wins CEIST Bake Off

DSI Laois branch is expecting to shortly sucessfully conclude negotiations with Laois County Council for a lease on an identified site in Abbeyleix.

"This project will give our adults the opportunity to complete the life cycle which will help to maintain their good mental health and well-being going forward," said branch PRO Michael Gorman, who along with Antoinette Dowling are directors on the Board of Down Syndrome Ireland.

Down Syndrome Ireland 'Laois Branch' will march in the Abbeyleix St Patrick's Day Parade, with the theme 'inclusion and employment'.

The branch held their AGM recently. More in Tuesday's Leinster Express print edition.A young Kildare girl has won a award at a film festival in the USA.

Isabel Connolly (9) from Clane has won Best Actor at the First Glance Film Festival in Los Angeles for her role in a short twenty two minute film, A Timely Gift.

Isabel went up against some very tough competition including an eighteen year old girl who starred in The Hulk.

Maria Barry of Barry Talent Agency, where Isabel attends, said We are all very proud of this fantastic achievement for a girl just turned nine years old. Onwards and upwards for the career of this talented actor.

Vicky Barry, who has had Isabel and her sister, Ruby, in her Clane classes for a few years now said she was thrilled and proud at the news.

Isabel has been walking the red carpet and doing interview. She took it in her stride...a true little pro, said Vicki.

Isabel was nominated for best young actor at the Los Angeles film festival earlier this year.

At first it did not look as if she would make it to the ceremony but it then emerged that Isabel and her mother Mandy would attend and they flew out last Wednesday for the festival which ran from March 8-11. It was too good an opportunity to miss, said Vicki.

Last Friday, Mandy told us us that First Glance films released Isabels red carpet interview to YouTube.

The short film, A Timely Gift, is directed by Paireac Keane, Isabel (9), daughter of Mandy and Peter.

The lead actor, Degnan Geraghty, was nominated as best actor.

This film tells the story of a woman suffering from amnesia who receives a gift left for her by her grandfather before he died.

The film was also selected for the Canada Short Film Festival in December where it received an award of excellence.

Isabel had a lead role in the Expressway television commercial in 2016 directed by Hollywoods John Moore.

Her sister, Ruby, has also been involved in film.

Both Ruby (4) and Isabel feature on the new billboards in the departure lounge at Dublin Airport.

Both attend drama, singing and dance lessons with Vicky Barry Performing Arts in Clane.

Ruby has appeared RTE Junior programme, Pop Goes the Weekend.

Since its inception in 1996, the First Glance Film Festival one of the fastest growing truly independent film fests in Philadelphia and Los Angeles. This years festival ran from March 8-11.

The organisers say they work to get filmmakers the attention they deserve. They say over 97% of feature films acquire distribution after screening at First Glance Film Festivals.The new school for St Pauls, which was due by March 2020, has been kicked down the road for at least another year according to a local councillor.

Cllr Thomas Redmond tabled a motion at the Athy Municipal District meeting held earlier today to support the need for a new school and to write to the Minister for Education to highlight the overcrowding crisis at the current school in Monasterevin.

Members heard that meetings are on-going at St Pauls over delays in planning for the new school site at Moore Abbey.

The new school has been kicked down the road, said Cllr Redmond.

What ever needs to be done must be done. There are 252 school boys who have to share the one toilet, there is no staff room and there is horrendous overcrowding. Some of the teachers have to keep their coats on in the class rooms when teaching and if they are cold you can be sure the students are too.

Mayor of Kildare Cllr Martin Miley said that he supported the motion. The problem is the requirement of the site at Moore Abbey  there seems to be a legal issue with the vendour and the Department of Education. We need that process to move forward as soon as possible. The timescale for the new school was March 2020  this is now likely to be missed.

Cllr Wall said the new school is going to be delayed by one year.

He added that the Minister for Education needs to visit St Pauls school or at least write to the school to inform them what is going on.

The new school is going to be delayed by one year, he said.

"The Minister needs to clarify what is the hold up and if it is a legal matter -lets clarify that once and for all.

The Department of Education confirmed recently that every effort is being made to finalise the new site for St Pauls Secondary school in Monasterevin.

A statement said that "every effort is being made to expedite the process and bring this transaction to a successful conclusion. The Department will shortly be issuing a letter to the school outlining proposed dates for tender and construction.

READ MORE Meeting held at St Paul'sPlease allow ads as they help fund our trusted local news content.

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Support our mission and join our community now.A PLUMBER took a boiler he had installed out of a house because he wasnt paid for it, Kilmallock Court heard.

Jason McCarthy, aged 35, of Cloghready, Emly pleaded not guilty to entering a building in Bilboa, Cappamore with intent to commit an offence.

Adam Walsh told the court that he made a complaint to gardai after his boiler, valued at 2,500, was removed on January 5, 2017.

It was situated at the back of the house. It was only built in 2015/ 2016. Anyone can drive in, said Mr Walsh.

Brigid ODonnell, solicitor for Mr McCarthy, said her client had the receipt for the boiler and had retention of ownership.

Mr Walsh said he paid Mr McCarthy for works carried out in June 2016 minus 2,500, which was the cost of the boiler.

There was no contact from him until he entered the back of my house and took the boiler. Zero contact, said Mr Walsh.

Ms ODonnell said her client sent a number of invoices to Mr Walsh and made it clear he was going to repossess it if the 2,500 wasnt paid.

No, said Mr Walsh.

The thought crossed my mind [McCarthy took the boiler] but I gave him the benefit of the doubt. I never mentioned him to gardai. A day later I found out it was him, said Mr Walsh.

Garda Brian McNamara said he received a report of a theft of a boiler. He made enquiries in the locality and a person told him they had witnessed a van with the name Jason McCarthy plumber entering Mr Walshs property on the day in question.

I called to Mr McCarthys home. He said he had not taken the boiler. I got a phone call from him a short time later to say he had taken it and he believed it was his because it was not paid for, said Garda McNamara.

Ms ODonnell said her client had no previous convictions and asked Garda McNamara could he have panicked when a garda called to his door.

Yes, said Garda McNamara, who also agreed that Mr McCarthy had rang him very quickly after he left the house, was very co-operative and caused no damage when he was removing the boiler.

Mr McCarthy took the stand and said he sent three invoices to Mr Walsh.

He just did not want to pay it. My father was terminally ill, my wife was not working, we had a year-old baby girl. Things were tight, said Mr McCarthy.

Acting Bruff Superintendent, Inspector Dermot OConnor put it to Mr McCarthy that he should have pursued a civil route.

Maybe I should have. I thought the boiler was mine, I had the receipt, said Mr McCarthy.

Insp OConnor asked if he accepted that he overstepped the mark as trespasser?

No. I wanted to get some money back. He had a secondary heating system, said Mr McCarthy.

Insp OConnor said Mr Walsh gave Mr McCarthy no permission to take the boiler back.

Mr McCarthy said on the date in question he knocked on Mr Walshs door to give him another invoice.

There was no answer. I was sick of looking for my money. I disconnected my boiler. It is at my home place. I told him on two or three occasions I was going to do it, said Mr McCarthy.

Insp OConnor said it was the States case that the defendant overstepped the mark.

Ms ODonnell said the charge is trespass to commit an offence, namely theft.

It cant be theft. He has the receipt and didnt cause any damage, said Ms ODonnell.

Judge Marie Keane said it was a plumbing contract that had gone pear-shaped.

The accused - Mr McCarthy - in essence took the law into his own hands.

Mr Walsh did not give his permission. The activity of Mr McCarthy on January 5, 2017, represents a great error of judgment. I can understand why he took the boiler but there were a number of civil remedies available to him. He is entitled to be paid for his goods but I am not here to adjudicate on that, said Judge Keane, who found the facts proven.

Mr McCarthy is self-employed with a young family. Criminalising him would be unfair and unjust in the circumstances. I find it extraordinary that Mr Walsh believes that Mr McCarthy would install a boiler and simply walk away with 2,500 outstanding. That is beyond the bounds of credibility. This should have been resolved by civil remedy. No conviction, said Judge Keane.THE town of Bruff will boast an international dimension to its St Patricks Day parade by featuring messages from expats living abroad.

As part of its Bruff Connects initiative, local school children have been getting in contact with people who originally hailed from the local area but are now living overseas.

We are calling it Bruff Connects because we are getting in contact with people from abroad to get them involved in the Bruff parade this year, explained Tom Bulfin, former principal of Scoil Dean Cussen primary school in Bruff.

We are going to carry a message from them, in the parade. The messages include things like best wishes to Bruff on St Patricks Day or their memories of Bruff, Grange Meanus, Knockainey and the surrounding areas.

The children in the primary school have written to their relations all over the world - Japan, the United States, New Zealand, Australia and England - all over the world, he emphasised.

While some messages have already arrived in Bruff, more are on the way.

Their message will be laminated and carried on the day of the parade by the children. We hope to send the people a photo back then from the parade, just as a memento, Tom added.

The children wrote to their relatives both by snail mail and also by email.

We have also used our Bruff Community Page and Facebook to get the message out, Tom added.

Once again the popular Bruff St Patricks Day parade  one of the largest in the county - will feature groups and floats from the town along with surrounding areas including Grange, Meanus and Knockainey.DOCUMENTS found in bags of rubbish dumped in the woods in Limerick were traced back to two individuals.

Claudia Hayes, of Mullally Grove, Cappamore and Trevor McKenna, of Inse Bui, Cappamore were prosecuted in relation to the dumping by Limerick City and County Council.

John Mullane, environmental control officer with the council, told Kilmallock Court he was made aware of illegal dumping at Meentulla Woods, Murroe on May 9, 2017.

There was a large quantity of waste in a remote wooded section in Murroe. We found evidence relating to Ms Hayes. We sent two letters to her but there was no response, said Mr Mullane.

On January 4, Mr Mullane said he called out to Ms Hayess address.

The house was vacant. I was told she lives in Inse Bui, Cappamore. I met her there. She was very evasive. She said she had resided there and that there had been a large accumulation of waste at the back of the house. She said she left 400 with the landlord to remove the waste, said Mr Mullane.

The court heard there were a number of bags with quite a lot of evidence found in Ms Hayes name.

Will Leahy, solicitor for the council, said costs had amounted to 1,018.55. Judge Marie Keane fined Ms Hayes 500 for transfer control of waste and ordered she pay 1,018.55 in costs to the council.

Mr Mullane said evidence relating to Mr McKenna was also found in the dumped rubbish at Meentulla Woods.

Judge Keane asked was evidence found in a number of bags like was the case with Ms Hayes. It was isolated in one bag, said Mr Mullane.

Judge Keane fined Mr McKenna 200 for disposing of waste in a manner likely to cause environmental pollution and ordered he pay 1,018.55 in costs to the council.

Recognaissance was fixed in the event of an appeal.THE SEARCH is on to find Limerick's best chowder and to represent the treaty county at a national cook-off event.

A call-out for entries is inviting chefs across the county to apply to represent Limerick at this years All Ireland Chowder Cook-Off. The first stage of the competition is a local heat to find Limericks Chowder Champion, which will take place in LIT on March 20.

Limerick's Local Enterprise Office (LEO) together with Limerick City and County Council, Innovate Limerick, LIT, and Limerick Food Group have put out the call to find the best chowder, with the winning representative chowder on the day, as voted for by a discerning panel of judges, to go on to represent Limerick at the 8th All-Ireland Chowder Cook-Off on Sunday, April 22 in Kinsale.

This competition is an excellent event for local chefs to demonstrate their skills and the quality of their work whilst also providing an opportunity for one of them to go on and represent Limerick in a national competition," said Eamon Ryan, Head of Enterprise, LEO Limerick.

Places for the Limerick Chowder Cook Off are limited and interested chefs are encouraged to apply for the competition as soon as possible. Closing date for applications is this Friday at noon.

Tom Flavin, Executive Chef, Limerick Strand Hotel said: The Chowder Cook Off is a brilliant opportunity for Limerick to showcase what we have to offer from a culinary perspective and put Limerick on the map as a quality food destination. Ive been to Kinsale for the finals and it will be a fantastic experience for the Limerick winner.

"The Irish winner won the World Chowder Cook-Off last year so who knows how far Limerick could go.

The winner of the local heat will receive a bursary from LEO Limerick towards their participation at the All Ireland Chowder competition in Kinsale in April.

Entry forms for the Limerick Chowder Champion can be requested by contacting Eithne Gavigan in LIT on eithne.gavigan@lit.ie.UNIVERSITY Hospital Limerick has matched its overcrowding record as 80 patients were being treated on trolleys in the emergency department and wards, this Monday morning.

And according to a spokesperson for the UL Hospitals Group, hospitals in Limerick and the Mid-West battling the worst flu on record as the outbreak continues 12 weeks past the projected baseline.

According to daily figures published by the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation, it has the highest rate of overcrowding in the country.

The second highest overcrowding is at Cork University Hospital with 43 people on trolleys.

The trolley numbers at UHL makes up 11.2% of the countrys overcrowding this Monday.

The figure of 80 patients on trolleys at UHL was first recorded on March 22, 2013.

The UL Hospitals Group said that attendances has been very high following the severe weather two weeks ago.

A spokesperson said that it is currently managing high volumes of patients including significant volumes of frail elderly patients with chronic conditions and complex care needs.

Across the hospitals in the Mid-West, there are 16 patients being treated for the flu.

While the flu rates are on the decline we are now 12 weeks above the baseline which makes it the worst flu on record in terms of its longevity. This is leading to a significant increase in isolation requirements.

It also confirmed that some non-urgent elective procedures will be cancelled over the coming days as we prioritise inpatient beds for those patients waiting in the ED. All patients affected are being contacted and their appointments will be rescheduled.

There will be some curtailment of non-urgent elective procedures over the coming days

The UL Hospitals is now appealing to members of the public to consider all their care options before presenting to the emergency department in Dooradoyle.

UL Hospitals Group is appealing to members of the public to consider all their care options before presenting to the Emergency Department at UHL.

UL Hospitals apologises for any distress or inconvenience caused to patients or their loved ones who have experienced long wait times in the ED at UHL, and we would like to reassure patients and their families that we are working to alleviate the situation.

UL Hospitals Group has seen a sustained increase in attendances year to date. It should be noted that prior to Storm Emma, the increase in attendances was up 17% in Feb 2018 which has created significant pressure for beds. The numbers of patients attending the ED following the severe weather over the last week has been very high, with very ill patients presenting leading to an increasing number requiring admittance to a ward.

UL Hospitals Group confirmed that at 8am on Monday, there were 55 admitted patients in the emergency department at UHL. This included patients who were being accommodated in some of the 49 single rooms/designated bays within the new department.

It included 11 patients who were appropriately isolated in single rooms in the ED for proper infection prevention and control. A shortage of appropriate isolation facilities elsewhere in the hospital makes this the best solution in the interests of all patients.

In addition there were 24 patients accommodated on extra beds and on trolleys on wards.

Additional surge capacity was being used to accommodate admitted patients in beds in the Acute Medical assessment Unit (15), the Surgical Day Ward (10). These units have appropriate inpatient accommodation and their use in this manner forms part of the hospitals escalation plan, which is put into effect at times of high demand.

Transfers continue to Ennis, Nenagh and St Johns hospitals with these hospitals also operating to capacity.

The spokesperson said that injury units in St Johns, Ennis and Nenagh hospitals are open for appropriate injuries. Injury Units are open in Ennis and Nenagh Hospitals from 8am to 8pm, Monday to Sunday and 8am to 6pm Monday to Friday at St. John's Hospital.

Others with a less serious illness can be treated by their GP or out of hours GP service where their GP can refer them to an Assessment Unit the following day if required.

However, if you are seriously injured or ill or are worried your life is at risk the ED will assess and treat you as a priority.A LIMERICK descendant of Peadar Kearney has launched High Court proceedings against a fund appointed receiver seeking the return of items including an original copy of Amhran na bhFiann signed by the composer.

The action has been bought by Lorcan Bourke against receiver Anne ODwyer of Duff Phelps Ireland Ltd who he claims took charge of the property where he had operated Bourke's Bar at Catherine Street in Limerick city until its closure in 2014.

Mr Bourke, a former Garryowen rugby player and a grandson of the late Jack Bourke, three-time Mayor of Limerick, was represented in Court by Richard Kean SC, Gareth Robinson Bl instructed by Georgina Robinson Solicitor is a great grand nephew of Peadar Kearney who wrote the lyrics of the national anthem.

At the High Court on Monday Mr Kean said Mr Bourke is very concerned about the whereabouts of what are very valuable items that had been on display in the bar.

The items include the signed copy of Amhran na bhFiann, which has been in Mr Kearney's family for many years. The copy was dedicated by Peadar Kearney to Mr Bourke's grandfather Lorcan Bourke, whom the plaintiff is named after.

The copy is an important family heirloom and is extremely valuable, counsel said.

Other items of value that were on display in the pub include two framed pictures with the lyrics of The Fields of Athenry and Dublin in the Rare Auld Times autographed to him by his relative through marriage composer Pete St. John.

His client had been in talks about getting items that had been in the bar returned to him, but has been unable to get them back, counsel said.

Mr Bourke had attended at the property last September and had assumed he would be allowed take what he says are his possessions with him.

Counsel said while inspecting the premises several items were missing and a security official that met with his client made it clear to Mr Bourke that no property was to be removed.

Mr Bourke is concerned that the items may be sold if the receiver is not prevented by the court from doing so, counsel said.

His client's concerns were heightened because he believes that the premises has been sold and will re-open on St Patrick's Day under new management, counsel said.

In his proceedings against the receiver, Mr Bourke seeks injunctions restraining the receiver from selling his chattels in the pub until the case has been resolved.

He also seeks declarations including that, any sale of any of Mr Bourke's items is null and void, and damages.

In a sworn statement to the court Mr Bourke said the pub closed in 2014 after the firm he had leased the premises from got into financial difficulties.

Despite always paying his rent on time and running a successful business he was not able to renew his lease due to the premises owner's difficulties with its bankers.

Following the closure Mr Bourke said he remained in contact with the relevant parties in regards to getting his items, or chattels returned to him.

He said his former landlord's debts were acquired by a fund called Penture Property Finance DAC, who he said appointed Ms O'Dwyer as receiver over the premises in January 2017.

He said following the pub's closure he had to move to Dublin out of economic necessity. Arranging for the removal of all of his items in the pub was extremely difficult.

He said he had left the matter in the hands of professional advisors and had kept in contact with the relevant parties about the items.

He said when he inspected the premises last September several items were missing and he does not know where they are.

As well as the framed song lyrics he said he does not know where other items in the bar that belong to him are, including a grandfather clock, enamel pub signs, bar equipment, sound and light system and furniture.

He says he does not know where many of the items including the signed copy of the national anthem are currently located.

The matter came before Mr Justice David Barniville who, on an ex-parte basis, granted Mr Bourke permission to serve short notice of the proceedings on the receiver.

The Judge agreed with Mr Kean that it would not be appropriate in this matter to grant any orders until both sides have been heard by the court.

The Judge made the matter returnable to Wednesday."Cosmos" host and astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson recently shot down the ideas of anyone who still thinks the Earth is flat. In a new YouTube video on the scientist's StarTalk channel, he used examples ranging from space observations to ancient Greek experiments in a conversation with stand-up comedian Chuck Nice.

"So, tell me, Neil, is the Earth flat?" Nice said to open the conversation.

"We have video from space of the rotating, spherical Earth. The Earth is round," was Tyson's laconic response. [Even a Kid Can Prove the Earth Is Round: Here's How]

Satisfied, Nice joked, "Thank you for joining us on this episode," and pretended to wrap things up. But the co-hosts continued their conversation in a 9-minute video that is based on a chapter in Tyson's new book, "Astrophysics for People in a Hurry" (W.W. Norton, 2017).

The science argument

Astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson wants everyone to know that the world is round. (Image credit: National Geographic Channel)

"What's odd," Tyson continued, "is there are people who think that Earth is flat but recognize that the moon is round. Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune and the sun are all spheres. But Earth is flat ... something doesn't square here."

Tyson explained that because of the laws of physics and the way energy works, the universe "favors the sphere" when forming planets and other bodies. Sometimes, a sphere might be distorted because it's rotating very fast. But almost everything in the universe, he added, is spherical or almost spherical.

Tyson did not address asteroids, which are small bodies of ice and rock and are irregularly shaped. It is widely recognized, however, that these asteroids have a gravity too low to pull their mass into a sphere. Worlds orbiting the sun that do have spherical bodies are sometimes called planets, but only if they meet certain criteria set by the International Astronomical Union.

In the example of Pluto  once considered a planet  the IAU ruled in 2006 that the body is not big enough to clear debris from its path and therefore should be reclassified as a dwarf planet. That's a controversial definition, one that Pluto's New Horizons spacecraft team does not agree with. But for his part, Tyson (as shown in many other sources, such as this 2017 clip from "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert ") really, really doesn't believe Pluto fits the definition of planethood.

Tyson was similarly outspoken in the new StarTalk video. He said there are people in the U.S. who believe in a flat Earth for two reasons: the country protects free speech, and its educational system doesn't teach students to think critically about the evidence.

The geometry argument

There's even more evidence that the Earth is round, Tyson said. During lunar eclipses, the moon passes into the Earth's shadow and lies directly opposite to the sun. The shape of the Earth's shadow is always round in these eclipses. If Earth were a flat planet, at times, you would see a flat shadow on the moon. But that's never happened, Tyson added. The Earth must be a sphere, because that's the only thing that casts a perfect circle every time.

Or think about a ship sailing toward the horizon, Tyson said  it gradually disappears, because the Earth is curved. Or, he said, if he were to send co-host Nice on a journey around the Earth, Tyson could turn his chair 180 degrees and eventually see Nice arriving back where the comedian had started. (Nice quipped that would take him 150 years to accomplish the trip, because "I'm no Forrest Gump. It would take me that long to run the Earth.")

Tyson further described an ancient experiment by the Greek Eratosthenes, who lived in Alexandria around 250 B.C. Eratosthenes noted that in an Egyptian city called Syene (near modern-day Aswan), you could see right to the bottom of a well at noon during the summer solstice. On the same day, you couldn't see to the bottom of a well in Alexandria.

There are two possible explanations for that observation, Tyson added. The first is that the Earth is flat and has a small sun, close to the planet. The second is that the Earth is curved, with a sun further from the planet. But if you were to extend the argument to three wells, there's no way a flat Earth's geometry would fit the experiment's results, he added.

So, what if people still believe the Earth is flat?

"That's OK," Tyson quipped, "as long as you don't run NASA."

Follow us @Spacedotcom, Facebook and Google+. Original article on Space.com.A famed archaeologist well-known for discovering the sprawling 9,000-year-old settlement in Turkey called Catalhoyuk seems to have faked several of his ancient findings and may have run a "forger's workshop" of sorts, one researcher says.

James Mellaart, who died in 2012, created some of the "ancient" murals at Catalhoyuk that he supposedly discovered; he also forged documents recording inscriptions that were found at Beykoy, a village in Turkey, said geoarchaeologist Eberhard Zangger, president of the Luwian Studies Foundation. Zangger examined Mellaart's apartment in London between Feb. 24 and 27, finding "prototypes," as Zangger calls them, of murals and inscriptions that Mellaart had claimed were real.

"He used the same approach for over 50 years," Zangger told Live Science. "He would first acquire a tremendously broad and deep knowledge [about the area he was interested in]. Then, he would try to use this knowledge to develop a coherent historic panorama," Zangger said. This process in itself is not uncommon for an archaeologist or historian. The only difference is that legitimate researchers then look for evidence that either supports or refutes their ideas. Instead, "Mellaart would fabricate drawings of artifacts and translations of alleged documents to reinforce his theories," Zangger said. [See Photos of the Remains of Catalhoyuk]

Request from beyond the grave

In 1995, Mellaart wrote to Zangger about several inscriptions, supposedly from a Turkish village called Beykoy, that were written in an ancient language called Luwian. Mellaart claimed that he could not read or write Luwian but that he was planning to describe his finding in a scientific publication. Mellaart had mentioned the inscriptions briefly in an article he published in 1992 in the Bulletin of the Anglo-Israel Archaeological Society journal. [Cracking Codes: 5 Ancient Languages Yet to Be Deciphered]

In a note that Zangger found in the apartment, Mellaart wrote that, should the Beykoy inscriptions not be fully published before his death, researchers should publish them for him. Zangger, along with Fred Woudhuizen, an independent researcher, took up the project and published details about one lengthy inscription in December, in the journal Proceedings of the Dutch Archaeological and Historical Society. That inscription supposedly dates back 3,200 years and tells of a Trojan prince named Muksus. Some scholars suspected it could be a forgery.

It now appears that many, if not all, of the unpublished inscriptions are forgeries, Zangger said, noting that he can't be totally certain that the inscription published in December was completely made up. The documents found in Mellaart's apartment show that far from being unable to read Luwian, Mellaart was skilled in the ancient language, Zangger said.

The alleged cuneiform documents of the Beykoy Text created by Mellaart. Left: Individual items of historic information on cardboard. Center: handwritten first draft. Right: the finished alleged translation, signed: "I, Artahulas, wrote (this tablet) in the day of Ura-Tarhundas." (Image credit:  Luwian Studies)

Zangger said he feels betrayed by the fact that Mellaart asked researchers to publish his forgeries for him after his death. "I feel abused," Zangger said. Correspondence found in his apartment indicate that Mellaart tried to get others interested in publishing the forgeries before he died, Zangger said, adding that "he had no scruples when it came to harming other people's careers."

In the apartment, Zangger also found pieces of schist engraved with initial sketches of murals that Mellaart claimed to have discovered at Catalhoyuk  suggesting these were also forgeries. Pictures of the sketches were published online by the Luwian Studies Foundation.

Mellaart first published descriptions of the Catalhoyuk murals in 1962 in the magazine Archaeology, and published more examples over the following decades. Some of the murals that Mellaart described in publications showed only drawings and no actual photographs.

How many of the Catalhoyuk murals are fake is not yet clear. Mellaart "produced a melange of published facts, unpublished data and imagination. It is virtually impossible to disentangle," Zangger said.

'Harry Potter' kind of world

Mellaart's career was not without controversy. In 1964, he was accused of inadvertently aiding smugglers trying to sell stolen artifacts and was barred from excavating in Turkey. "He still had half a century to live. During this time, he appears to have increasingly entered an imaginary world. Maybe he wanted to somehow retaliate by misleading his colleagues in the field," Zangger said.

The 1995 letter to Zangger shows both the depth of Mellaart's historical knowledge and imagination. It provides a detailed description of what the Beykoy texts say, naming numerous ancient places, people and events. Mellaart created an elaborate backstory for the texts, getting around his false claim that he couldn't read Luwian by saying that the texts had been partially deciphered by other researchers who were all dead by 1995. "Fred Woudhuizen and I identified about 260 people and place names. It is much like a Harry Potter kind of world. The names are consistent and apparently make sense. Mellaart was evidently a genius in some ways. But he misused his talents, thereby causing tremendous damage to the field," Zangger said.

Ian Hodder, who currently leads excavations at Catalhoyuk, declined to comment on the situation.

Editor's Note: An earlier version of this story said that there is no photograph of a mural from Catalhoyuk that shows a volcano exploding. In fact, there is a published photograph of that mural that appears to have been taken at the time of excavation.

Originally published on Live Science.The power deviations in Europe are impacting digital clocks like those found in alarms by up to 6 minutes.

Europe's digital clocks are running behind schedule, and it's the former Yugoslavia's fault.

A squabble over a shared power grid between Serbia and its erstwhile territory Kosovo is to blame for "continuous significant power deviations" across most of Europe, causing certain types of electric clocks to run up to 6 minutes slow, according to the European Network of Transmission System Operators for Electricity (ENTSO-E), the Brussels-based organization responsible for the continental grid.

Digital clocks such as those found in alarms, heaters, ovens and microwaves rely on the frequency of a power grid, rather than a quartz crystal, to keep time. Europe, like most of Africa and Asia, taps an alternating current of 50 hertz; as such, every 50 oscillations of alternating current in these places equals 1 second of grid time. For the United States, which maintains a standard frequency of 60 hertz, 60 oscillations is the equivalent of a second. [5 of the Most Precise Clocks Ever Made]

Even an infinitesimally minor deviation in this flow can add up. When power fluctuations led the European network's frequency to fall to 49.996 hertz in the middle of January, for instance, it resulted in 113 gigawatt hours of lost energy.

The disruption has affected much of the continent  as clocks in 25 countries have lost time  with the exception of the United Kingdom, the Nordic countries and parts of the former Soviet Union, which are not as beholden to the continental grid.

The problem began when a power plant in Kosovo, which seceded from Serbia in 2008, went down for repairs, diminishing the electrical supply. Serbia, despite a 2015 agreement to preserve the integrity of the European grid, refused to make up the difference.

Still, there are signs that this wrinkle in timekeeping will smooth over. "Deviation stopped yesterday after Kosovo took some steps, but it will take some time to get the system back to normal," ENTSO-E spokeswoman Susanne Nies told Reuters Tuesday (March 6).

The political row is far from over, however, given that Serbia doesn't support Kosovo's independence.

"We will try to fix the technicalities  but the question of who will compensate for this loss has to be answered," Nies said.

Originally published on Live Science.(Editor's Note: This story was updated on March 15 at 1:15 pm E.T. Here is an updated article about Live Science's errors in reporting this study.)

Scott and Mark Kelly are identical twin brothers  at least, they were until Scott spent a year living in space.

When Scott Kelly returned to Earth after a 340-day voyage aboard the International Space Station (ISS) two years ago, he was 2 inches taller than he'd been when he left. His body mass had decreased, his gut bacteria were completely different, and  according to preliminary findings from NASA researchers  his gene expression had changed significantly. (Interestingly, Scott Kelly has since shrunk back down to his initial prespaceflight height.)

A new NASA statement suggests the physical and mental stresses of Scott Kelly's year in orbit may have activated hundreds of "space genes" that altered the astronaut's immune system, bone formation, eyesight and other bodily processes. While most of these genetic changes reverted to normal following Scott Kelly's return to Earth, about 7 percent of the astronaut's gene expression remained altered  and it may stay that way permanently. [Seeing Double: 8 Fascinating Facts About Twins]

The changes are "thought to be from the stresses of space travel, which can cause changes in a cells biological pathways," the NASA statement said. "Such actions can trigger the assembly of new molecules, like a fat or protein, cellular degradation, and can turn genes on and off, which change cellular function."

Two Brothers

Scott spent nearly a year aboard the ISS as part of a unique NASA project called the Twins Study, which aims to reveal the long-term effects of space travel on the human body and mind. In March 2015, he flew up to the ISS to begin what would become the single longest space mission any astronaut has ever accomplished. Most astronauts stay aboard the ISS for six months at a time. Scott Kelly stayed in orbit for 340 days.

Meanwhile, Scott Kelly's identical twin brother, Mark (a retired astronaut, himself), remained on Earth as a control subject. The Kelly brothers are the only twin astronauts in history, NASA said. Because identical twins are born with identical DNA  the genetic code that tells cells when and how to work  the Kellys made ideal subjects for before-and-after comparison.

Researchers tested both Kelly brothers before, during and after Scott's year in space to map specific changes in the astronauts' physical and mental health. Most of Scott's physical changes  including his 2-inch height gain  proved to be temporary responses to the low-gravity, low-oxygen environment of space, NASA said.

However, genes involved in bone formation, oxygen deprivation, immune system responses and DNA repair remained transformed after Scott Kelly's return to Earth, NASA reported. The reason behind this could involve a complicated reaction to an unusual type of stress: the stress of space.

"Oftentimes, when the body encounters something foreign, an immune response is activated," Christopher Mason, a Twins Study researcher and an associate professor at Weill Cornell Medical College, told Business Insider. "The body thinks theres a reason to defend itself. We know there are aspects of being in space that are not a pleasant experience, and this is the molecular manifestation of the body responding to that stress."

Understanding why and how these "space genes" activate will be crucial to planning longer manned space missions. The way NASA sees it, Scott Kelly's year in space is a significant "stepping stone to a three-year mission to Mars."

More than 200 researchers in 30 states are helping to analyze the Kelly brothers' various test results, looking for space-induced changes in Scott Kelly's cognition, metabolism, microbiome and many other physiological processes. NASA will publish the comprehensive findings of these tests in a single study later this year.

Editor's Note: This story was corrected to note that Scott Kelly's gene expression changed by 7 percent in space, rather than his genetic code.

Originally published on Live Science.A lawsuit filed in San Francisco on Monday challenged the Trump administrations plan to deport more than 200,000 people from El Salvador, Haiti, Nicaragua and Sudan in the U.S. after disasters in their homelands, arguing that the decision was motivated by racism and would coldheartedly tear parents from their children.

With the stroke of a pen, this administration upended the lives of hundreds of thousands of people lawfully residing in the United States for years and sometimes decades, said Emi MacLean, a lawyer for the National Day Laborer Organizing Network, which filed the federal court suit with the American Civil Liberties Union and private attorneys.

As evidence of the administrations motives, the lawyers cited President Trumps vulgar insult to African nations and Haiti at the White House meeting in January and his evidence-free assertion in June 2017 that Haitian immigrants all have AIDS.

They are contesting the administrations decision to revoke a program called Temporary Protected Status, established by a 1990 law that allowed people fleeing catastrophic conditions in their native countries to live and work in the U.S. under permits that have been renewed every 18 months.

The largest group, 195,000 people, are from El Salvador, whose residents were granted U.S. protection after a series of earthquakes in 2001. About 46,000 Haitians were granted protected status after a 2010 earthquake, 2,550 Nicaraguans were admitted after a 1999 hurricane, and 1,040 Sudanese gained protection after fleeing their countrys civil war in 1997.

The lead plaintiff in the suit is 14-year-old Crista Ramos, who was born in Marin County and is an eighth-grader living in San Pablo. Her mother, Cristina Morales, 37, also a plaintiff, came to the U.S. in 1993 with her mother, who was fleeing domestic violence in El Salvador, and was granted protected status in 2001. Cristina Morales runs the extended care program at the school her daughter attends.

Overall, more than 400,000 people from 10 nations are living in the U.S. under Temporary Protected Status. The Trump administrations revocations have prompted other lawsuits, but this is the first to challenge the withdrawals for all four countries.

Past administrations of both parties have reapproved protections for nations on the list, citing new dangers and hardships in those countries. But the Trump administration reversed course last year when its Homeland Security secretaries  John Kelly, then Elaine Duke and now Kirstjen Nielsen  said the protections should be withdrawn, and the foreigners deported, once the original disaster and problems related to it had ended.

They declared that protected status for Sudan would end in November 2018, for Nicaragua in January 2019, for Haiti in July 2019 and for El Salvador in September 2019.

Such a sudden and unexplained departure from decades of decision-making practices violates U.S. law and the rights of the entrants who rely on it, the suit said.

It also argued that the action was an unconstitutional expression of the Trump administrations repeatedly expressed racism toward non-white, non-European people from other countries.

Trump uttered his slur of Haiti and African nations while discussing the temporary-protection program with lawmakers, a week before his administration revoked protected status for Haitians, the suit said. It also cited the presidents comparison of immigrants to snakes and his reported prediction that Nigerians would never go back to their huts if they were allowed to enter the United States.

In addition to violating the rights of adults whose protections would be rescinded, the suit said, revocation would also intrude on the rights of tens of thousands of children born in the U.S. who would have to choose between leaving for countries most of them have never seen or separating from their parents.

If the Trump administration is allowed to remove protected status for entrants from the four nations, the suit argued, the courts must at least continue protections for parents whose U.S. citizen children are school-aged, between 5 and 18.

The Department of Homeland Security declined to comment on the suit.San Francisco began its celebration of the 10-year anniversary of Sunday Streets with a five-hour event in the Mission District, reclaiming streets usually congested with cars for children and adults to run, bike and enjoy free activities provided by nonprofits, community groups and businesses. Sunday Streets will return to the Mission on July 15. Seven other events are planned, starting with March 25 in the Excelsior neighborhood, on Mission Street, from Silver Avenue to Geneva Avenue.Last year, the National Rifle Association released its now infamous "The Clenched Fist of Truth" video in which a brief clip of Anish Kapoor's sculpture "Cloud Gate" appeared as a stand-in for Chicago and the city's most famous recent resident, Barack Obama. As NRA spokeswoman Dana Loesch chanted in a hypnotically angry voice, "they use their ex-president to endorse the resistance," Kapoor's shiny steel doughnut form, which sits like a bulbous arch in Millennium Park, flashed on the screen for barely a second. But that was more than enough to anger Kapoor, who has fought and failed to force the powerful gun advocacy group to remove it. Monday, in a statement, Kapoor condemned "the NRA's nightmarish, intolerant, divisive vision" that "perverts everything that Cloud Gate - and America - stands for."

Kapoor, one of the most significant and celebrated artists working today, holds copyright over the commercial use of images of Cloud Gate, according to the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events. Although tourists can freely photograph the sculpture, advertisers who want to film it are directed to Kapoor's office for permission, which he never gave to the NRA. But after looking at his legal options, and considering the financial and emotional cost of battling the "extremely aggressive, legalistic" advocacy group, Kapoor has given up hope for successful negotiation or litigation. "I decided it wasn't worth the effort, much to my shame, because one does want to defend the ethical integrity of the work."

Instead, he has released a blistering statement in collaboration with the gun control advocacy group Everytown for Gun Safety.

"It plays to the basest and most primal impulses of paranoia, conflict and violence, and uses them in an effort to create a schism to justify its most regressive attitudes," wrote Kapoor, a British sculptor born in Mumbai. "Hidden here is a need to believe in a threatening 'Other' different from ourselves."

The video's tone, rhetoric and imagery suggest a troubling evolution of NRA strategy. "Cloud Gate" appears along with other iconic images of urban America, including architect Frank Gehry's Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles, the Lincoln Memorial in Washington and a brief glimpse of Spanish-born American artist Jose de Creeft's beloved "Alice in Wonderland" sculpture in Central Park.

Some images appear to be shot with an infrared filter, giving them a spooky, surreal quality, with dramatic sky effects and tree leaves appearing bright white. The video producers also use time-lapse to speed up the motion of people and cars in the foreground, a device reminiscent of the opening sequence to the Netflix drama "House of Cards," with its intimation of stylish evil and corruption in the nation's capital.

But despite the haunted quality of the visuals, the NRA's urban imagery isn't particularly scary. Indeed all of the scenes used in this call to arms against urban America show successful urban spaces. These are picture postcard sites sought out by tourists from both red and blue states, and they are teeming with life. Unlike the anti-urban rhetoric of a generation ago, which stressed scenes of urban decay - ramshackle buildings and trash-strewn empty streets - the NRA focuses not on blight but vibrancy. In the language of urban designers, they represent the city with scenes of "activated" urban design.

Kapoor sees that as part of an "invidious" effort to recast urban space as threatening. Speaking from his studio in London, he said the NRA videos seem designed to rebrand "emblems of liberal America" as "foreign objects," and thus threatening. Lauren Markowitz, a spokeswoman for Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel, agrees, saying, "Rather than using a picture of our great city to sell their awful propaganda, the NRA should use this moment to reflect on their disgraceful efforts to block meaningful gun reforms that would save lives in Chicago and across the nation."

The NRA's visual logic suggests a new twist in the culture wars. Cities, today, are thriving and the old rhetoric of the city as a kind of cancer spreading into the heartland no longer works. So the NRA has adopted a new narrative: The city, no matter how successful, is a pernicious collective endeavor that will ultimately decay into violence and oppression. The video in which "Cloud Gate" appears is succinct in this prediction: From its opening images of public sculpture and architecture it moves directly into images of protest and violence and finally an urgent exhortation from the narrator, "The only way we save our country and our freedom is to fight this violence of lies with the clenched fist of truth," with marked stress on the repeated use of the word "our."

Public sculpture is integral to the larger claim that urban success leads inexorably to individual repression. Kapoor's "Cloud Gate" took years to design and build and was mounted in an enormously ambitious $475 million public park built over railroad tracks near the shore of Lake Michigan. By some accounts, this could be seen as civic folly and a waste of public and private funds. But "Cloud Gate" was also part of a symbolic 21st-century act of urban "healing" performed on the broken, industrial landscape of the early 20th century.

The use of time-lapse and black-and-white images may be designed to undermine faith in this kind of collective action toward better urban design and well-structured, activated public places. It makes crowds of people seem spectral and vanishing, while urban objects like "Cloud Gate" take on ominous, fetishistic power. The suggestion is that efforts at improving public space aren't just vain and "utopian," they are doomed to fail, dragging the rugged libertarian ethos of American individualism down with them.

But there may be a message even darker than that one: These beloved urban icons aren't just symbols of a hated cosmopolitanism, but trophies to be captured. Unlike other NRA videos, which stress patriotism, American values and the sacrifice of veterans, Loesch speaks explicitly of defeating an enemy. "They will perish in the political flames of their own fires," she says in another video, which juxtaposes the Golden Gate Bridge (declared a "wonder of the modern world") with a chaotic political protest.

The implication is subtle: We won't just defeat urban elites, we will appropriate what they have built. Given the stark and widening inequalities between many red and blue states when it comes to longevity, educational opportunity and quality of life, it's a disturbing but not surprising development.

Given the success of "Cloud Gate" - the city of Chicago claims it is the most popular tourist site in the Midwest - it can't easily be recast as an oppressive urban vanity project. But in the new culture wars, in which one side must win and the other must lose, it can be held up as an object up for grabs. Just as the NRA hopes to pass legislation that will allow states' concealed carry permits to be valid even in other states that don't allow concealed carry, there is the suggestion that one day, perhaps, these great urban icons will belong not to the cities that built them, but to the larger gun culture. To its members, the organization offers through-the-looking-glass promise. When the battle is won, you will look into the brilliant, reflective surface of this sculpture and see not the hated elites, but you, triumphant.David Robinson and two Duck Dynasty personalities are among the group of business moguls who will aim to teach San Antonians the tricks of the trade on April 5.

Get Motivated Seminars are touted as "mega events" packed with training on sales, marketing, development "and so much more." The San Antonio event will be hosted at the Lila Cockrell Theatre.Years before Julissa Arce moved to New York City where she would climb the corporate ladder to become a vice president at Goldman Sachs, she was selling funnel cakes in San Antonio's Market Square as an undocumented teenager.

The Washington Post best-selling author of "My (Underground) American Dream," was in San Antonio on Saturday for a Pod Save America event at the Majestic Theatre. The trip provided a full-circle moment for Arce when she returned to Market Square on Saturday.

"This is the spot where I sold funnel cakes to pay for college, when I was still undocumented and I didn't know what my future held," she Tweeted, accompanied by a photo. "Look at me now with the @PodSaveAmerica crew roaming the streets of San Antonio. Never give up on you."

Prior to publishing her book in 2016, Arce's story made national headlines when publications like Bloomberg revealed her rise on Wall Street while using a fake green card and social security number.

Arce's story of being an undocumented executive, earning six figures starts in the Alamo City, where she moved from Taxco, Mexico as an 11-year-old on a tourist visa.

After graduating from Roosevelt High School with honors, she attended the University of Texas at Austin and took over her parents' funnel cake stand in downtown San Antonio. The teen would take a Greyhound bus from Austin to San Antonio every weekend to work the booth, according to The Guardian.

RELATED: During Women's History Month, meet the women who run San Antonio

Eventually, the booth lost its spot in Market Square and her tourist visa expired. Faced with the reality of deportation, Arce bought a fake green card and social, according to Bloomberg and The Guardian.

She graduated from UT with a degree in finance and landed the New York internship with the help of non-profit Sponsors for Educational Opportunity, The Guardian reported.

The documents she bought in a San Antonio apartment went undetected in the Wall Street offices as she submitted paperwork to payroll. After completing a successful internship, Arce was offered a series of positions within the firm that eventually culminated in her role as a vice president that came with six-figure pay. The moment of celebration was clouded with fear that her truth would be discovered.

Aside from dealing with the daily grind of working for the heavyweight firm in her early 20s, Arce was also dodging questions about her status, which meant facing hardships like being unable to fly to Mexico to be with her dying father or out of the country on business trips and being blackmailed by ex-boyfriends who threatened to report her.

When The Guardian asked Goldman Sachs for comment, CEO Lloyd Blankfein told the publication, "Wouldn't it be great if we could give a home to more of the talented young people who come to this country for an education and want to apply their energy and skills to supporting our economy?"

Two anonymous Goldman Sachs employees told the publication that the firm verifies applicant information against government records.

Arce eventually married a U.S. citizen in 2009 and became a U.S. citizen in 2014, according to Bloomberg.

Along with publishing her book in 2016, Arce is a writer, speaker and social justice advocate. She is also the co-founder of the Ascend Educational Fund, which provides scholarships for immigrant students regardless of status, according to her website.

Madalyn Mendoza is a digital reporter for MySA.com. Read more of her stories here.| mmendoza@mysa.com | Twitter: @MaddySkyeA bright, multifaceted new talent has joined KSAT-TV news.

Japhanie Gray of Arkansas started last week as a reporter at San Antonios No. 1 station.

Prior to getting hired at the ABC affiliate, Gray spent five years at the ABC station in Jonesboro, Arkansas  KAIT Region 8 News. There, she worked her way up from camera operator to producer to reporter and, finally, to fill-in anchor.

RELATED: KENS-TV newest anchor has some startling secret sides

According to KSAT spokesman David Cuccio, there are no plans for her to anchor at this time. However, he added in an email: Opportunities always exist for all our on-air staff  so theres always a possibility.

Before moving to TV, Gray was an on-air personality at various hit music radio stations in Arkansas, where she grew up.

She attended Arkansas State University, where she participated in many organizations, such as the National Association of Black Journalists and Spanish honor society Sigma Delta Pi. She was program director of the colleges radio station, Red Wolf Radio, and station manager at ASU-TV.

RELATED: Current and former San Antonio TV news anchors come clean: No makeup!

While in college, Gray hosted and produced two community-based programs, You, Me, and the Community, which highlighted community nonprofits, and Cultural Express, which provided a closer look at Hispanic culture.

In May 2015, Gray graduated with honors with a degree in multimedia journalism. At the top of her class with a 4.0 grade point average, she delivered her classs commencement address.Fort Bend County is partnering with private entities to build a four-lane road connecting Interstate 10 and FM 1093 that could open in 2020 to offer north/south traffic another option to presently congested FM 1463 and the Grand Parkway.

Fort Bend County commissioners approved on March 6 an agreement for regional road improvements with eight private entities and interlocal agreements with the cities of Katy and Fulshear. Both passed with no discussion.

"This is a great example of a public/private partnership that has come together to benefit everyone in Fort Bend County," said Doug Goff, president/chief operating officer Johnson Development Corp., the developer of Jordan Ranch, which is one of the eight private entities. The developer will donate land for the right of way, he said. "The landowners adjacent to the parkway are collectively contributing 50 percent of the cost to design and construct the 6+ mile 4-lane divided roadway," he added.

"The first phase of the The Heritage Parkway will span from the Westpark Tollroad north to I-10 at the Pederson Road intersection. This will be the next north-south collector roadway west of the Grand Parkway and will greatly enhance mobility in the region," Goff said. "In several cases, the Texas Heritage Parkway will provide a connection to tracts of land that currently don't have any means of access."

In addition to Fort Bend Jordan Ranch, LP, the participating entities listed are CCR Texas Holdings LP; Cathexis RE Holdings, LP; Ronald W. Henriksen "A" Trust & Ronald W. Henriksen "B" Trust; D.R. Horton  Texas, Ltd.; DJH Ranching, LP, CAT HIL Allen, LLC; and CAT HIL Fulshear, LLC.

Richard Muller, attorney for the private entities, said, "Private/public partnership happen all the time. This is a bit unique because it involves such a large project and so many different participants in that private/public partnership."

He acknowledged that reaching agreement was difficult because so many people were involved. "Everybody realized development is coming," said Muller. "We either do this project now or lose the opportunity."

Katy Mayor Chuck Brawner said he was glad that Fort Bend County was able to take care of the major hurdle so that the project can move forward. He added, "The first part of the project is already built in Young Ranch." Katy City Council approved last June resolutions authorizing the mayor to sign interlocal agreements with the Katy Development Authority to build and maintain the parkway and with the county for construction of the road within city limits. Katy's share of the cost is about $5.6 million.

Fulshear Mayor Jeff W. Roberts said, "The Parkway project is an excellent opportunity to leverage public and private dollars to expedite the development of a critical mobility and development corridor for our community and region." Fulshear City Council approved an agreement with the county last May. Fulshear's cost is about $5.8 million. County Precinct 3 Commissioner Andy Meyers said Katy is contributing its portion and the county is covering Fulshear's share which the city will repay.

Project cost of $48.8 million includes construction and design. Landowners will put up 50 percent of cost and the cities and county collectively will put up the other half, Muller said. The breakdown is the county at 27 percent of cost or about $14 million, Katy at 11 percent and Fulshear at 12 percent. The project also will include a regional trail 10 to 12 feet wide for hikers and bikers. Muller and Meyers said landowners will pay for the trail without contributions from the county or cities, bringing the cost close to $52 million.

The design makes the project unique because it will have roundabouts and no signalized intersections, said Muller. Roundabouts exist but not a 6.2-mile road with every major intersection a roundabout, he said. All roundabouts will have tunnels under them so people using the trail will not have to cross roadways. The right of way will be 200 feet instead of 120 feet to leave room for bioswales, the trail and landscaping. "It's going to be a cool project," said Muller. "The larger median heavily landscaped with trees will look more like country not just pavement," added Meyers.

A purpose of the parkway is to move more traffic more quickly. FM 1463 and the Grand Parkway which carry north/south traffic both are congested and the Texas Department of Transportation has proposed road-widening projects for each.

Meyers expects June completion of the Cane Island Parkway which will directly connect I-10 to FM 1463 and will offer some congestion relief.

Meyers said, "We look forward to getting it complete and helping move traffic. It will help both cities and is going to help Waller and Fort Bend counties. All the areas are going to benefit significantly from this road."

Roberts said, "THP will provide enhanced mobility for our rapidly-growing population by adding a direct connection between Interstate 10 and FM 1093 between FM 1463 and FM 359."

West Fort Bend County is rapidly developing and is one of the fastest growing parts of the region, Muller said.

Meyers said he knows people are coming to west Fort Bend. He explained the county already has signed plats for development. "Plats usually are signed a couple years in advance from the time they're signed till developers start selling lots. We've signed enough plats so we know how many acres are being developed and how many houses. We're simply trying to keep pace with growth. We're always kind of behind the curve."

The parkway project is divided into three phases. Muller said the first phase was completed over the last four years and involves schematic designs, preliminary plans and getting commitments from all the landowners and right of way. He and Meyers said negotiations continue for one small parcel.

Phase 2 will be the full design construction drawings with a set of plans that can be put out for bid. Muller anticipates seeking bids in January 2019 with construction taking 18 months.

"Public entities are not on hook for any money until the project is completely designed and right of way secured and actually ready to go to construction," said Muller. The private entities take all risk until the road is ready to be built, he added.

Roberts said, "Completion of a project of this nature in a single phase, versus various portions being built out as specific developments progress, accelerates opportunities for commercial development and the additional tax base and revenues it brings."

If the road were built in a normal way in sections as development progressed, it probably would take a decade or more before it's complete, said Muller. The private/public road will not only be built more quickly but also more economically.

"It's done ahead of development instead of being always behind it," he added.

Muller said "CDS Market Research did a study in 2015 that concluded that, the Texas Heritage Parkway would increase property tax and sales tax revenues to the county, Katy and Fulshear by $815 million over a 25-year period."

Meyers said the anticipated tax revenues from development plus bond funds will pay the county's share of the project. The Fort Bend County Mobility 2013 project summary list included an earlier version of the Heritage Parkway - Fulshear Parkway. The list showed a bond amount of $4.5 million for the 6.3-mile, four-lane concrete road at a total project cost of $47 million.A Mont Belvieu woman was killed and her husband was severely injured when weather caused a tree branch to fall on the family's tent at an East Texas campground Saturday.

The couple and their three children were staying at the Brushy Creek Campground northeast of Longview when extreme thunderstorms and high winds came through the area, the Marion County Sheriff's Office said in a news release.

The wind blew down a large tree, which struck Mary Pinney, 40, killing her. The three children in the tent were not injured, the sheriff's office said.

HOMES LOST: Houston residents grieve after fire destroys 16 apartments

Pinney was the volunteer chief operating officer for Project Blue, a nonprofit organization that raises money to help police officers fund treatment for illnesses and injuries sustained outside of police duty, said Kelly Bomersbach, a representative of the organization.

Bomersbach said Pinney was one of the driving forces behind the organization, which is based in Mont Belvieu.

"She was definitely a force to be reckoned with," Bomersbach said.

Pinney was the event director of Jail Break Run, a yearly half-marathon put on by Project Blue. The announcement of Pinney's death garnered dozens of comments on the half-marathon's Facebook page from people who knew her or simply wanted to offer prayers.

"Mary was a daughter, a sister, a mother, and a great friend to all," a post on the Jail Break Run Facebook page states.

Pinney was one of two people who died in East Texas during the storm. Another person died in Longview on Sunday morning after a tree fell on his trailer house, Longview police said.

The storms swept through much the easternmost part of Texas, near the Louisiana border, Saturday night and Sunday morning. Many of the cities in the area were under a severe thunderstorm warning, with hail and high winds expected, according to the National Weather Service's Shreveport, La. office, which responds to East Texas.

Jefferson, a city east of the Brushy Creek Campground, was expected to have golf ball-sized hail and winds reaching up to 60 mph, the National Weather Service predicted.

Marshall and other cities south of the campground were expected to have lime-sized hail and winds reaching up to 70 mph.

The sheriff's office said other people suffered minor and moderate injuries at the campground, which was full for the start of spring break. An exact number of injuries was not provided.

Numerous power lines were downed in the area, and roads were blocked by fallen trees and debris. Debris cleanup and damage assessment will continue for several more days, along with removal of the numerous damaged RV's and vehicles.

Bomersbach said Pinney's husband remains in intensive care. Funeral arrangements for Pinney have not yet been determined.

Dana Burke is a digital reporter at Chron.com. You can read more of her stories here and follow her on Twitter at @danapburke.It wasn't the first time, Sen. Cheryl Kagan, D-Montgomery, said, that she experienced an uninvited and inappropriate touch while working in Annapolis, Maryland.

A lobbyist once grabbed her thigh while they sat in the governor's reception room waiting for a bill-signing ceremony. Another allegedly stroked her stomach a couple of times when the two talked.

Kagan, a first-term senator who served in the House of Delegates from 1995 to 2003, did not speak up about those incidents.

But when lobbyist Gil Genn allegedly groped her this month, Kagan decided she could not remain silent, galvanized by the national #MeToo movement and the increased discussion of alleged sexual harassment in the Maryland General Assembly.

"Unfortunately for him, he picked the wrong person at the wrong time in the wrong way," said Kagan, 56, a longtime political and community activist who grew up in Potomac, Maryland, and has taught at Montgomery College in Montgomery County, Maryland, and directed the Carl M. Freeman Foundation.

Genn, a former delegate turned lobbyist, vehemently denied the allegations.

Kagan's claim launched what for Maryland is an unusual public battle over alleged harassment, pitting two well-known Annapolis personalities against one another and breaking open what many female lawmakers, advocates and General Assembly staffers have described as a pervasive culture of silence.

Kagan is the first woman in the State House to publicly accuse a man of sexual misconduct since the nation began its current conversation on harassment.

She says Genn put his hand on her back and slid it down to her buttocks when they ran into one another recently at karaoke night at Castlebay Irish Pub.

"Damn - I can't believe it just happened again!," Kagan wrote on Facebook hours after the alleged incident. "With all the conversation, awareness, and press about #MeToo, did a lobbyist truly just put his hand on my back and slide it down down down. . . ? #DefinitelyNOTacceptable."

She was encouraged by followers to name names. "If not you, who? If not now, when?" wrote one.

Kagan later edited her post, adding "I am SO tempted to start naming names as a consequence!"

Top staffers for Senate President Thomas "Mike" Miller, D-Calvert, saw the post, Kagan said, and encouraged her to file a complaint with Lori Mathis, the General Assembly's manager of human resources.

Within hours the senator did so, and circulated a statement naming Genn as her alleged perpetrator.

Genn, who did not respond to multiple requests for an interview, released a three-page statement that said he attended the legislative karaoke night with his girlfriend and he kept his hands to himself when he saw Kagan.

"I didn't even shake her hand," the statement said. "I assure you I did not commit the acts of which I have been accused. I welcome the opportunity to prove that truth to you - and to all others - through the due process of the complaint filed against me."

Genn's statement said he saw Kagan when he was leaving the reception. "There were dozens of people in the immediate vicinity walking by," he wrote. "It was crowded and noisy. I was carrying my coat, umbrella and belongings when I left. . . I did not run my hand down her back or down to her tush."

In an earlier interview with The Baltimore Sun, he called Kagan's claim "delusional," a characterization that he apologized for in his statement.

Kagan told a much different story. She said and her former aide, Justin Fiore, had moved to a quiet area of the restaurant to catch up with each other. The area was not crowded, she said. There was no way, in her mind, that she could have mistaken who touched her.

"Gil Genn came over to say hello, and he put his hand on my back and moved it down to my tush," she said. "I turned my body toward Justin, kind of wanting to freeze Gil out, to send the message, 'I'm in a conversation, leave now, please.' "

Fiore said he didn't see where Genn's hands were but did notice Kagan's "body language and facial expression both changed at one point in the conversation."

He said after Genn left, Kagan told him what happened. She said she then went back to the area where a few other people were gathered and told them.

"I have no stake in this," Kagan said late last week. "Sticking my neck out is only causing me headaches, and it's a distraction. I'd rather be talking about my 911 bills. . . I don't want to talk about Gil Genn."

It is not clear what will happen next. The legislature's anti-sexual harassment policy does not cover lobbyists. The legislature's Human Resources department - where Kagan filed her complaint - handles complaints for and against legislators and staffers, but it does not specifically deal with lobbyists, whose conduct is governed by the state Ethics Commission.

Michael Lord, executive director of the Ethics Commission, said the commission does not investigate claims of sexual harassment.

Kagan said she filed the complaint with Mathis so there would be a record of it and because she did not have a better option. Since filing her complaint, Kagan said, women have thanked her for coming forward and shared their own stories of being harassed.

Del. Ariana Kelly, D-Montgomery, the president of the Women Legislators of Maryland caucus, said the case shows the flaws in the system and why there is a need to further update the state's policy.

"It highlights the opportunity we have to improve our current system," said Kelly, who has sponsored legislation that would strengthen the reporting and investigation of harassment allegations and would include sanctions for those who engage in that behavior. "Right now we don't have a system for effectively investigating what happens with a lobbyist and holding them accountable."

The bill had a hearing last week, and must pass out of at least one chamber by March 19 to have a realistic chance of passage.

Legislative leaders said this session that they did not expect the bills put forward by the women's caucus to pass this year. But Kelly said she has been told more recently, as the issue continues to be debated in Annapolis, that they may have a chance.

Nina Smith, a former Annapolis staffer who testified before the women's caucus about being harassed while working in the capitol, said she was "sympathetic" to Kagan's experience.

"One of the best ways she can help prevent something like that from happening to any of her colleagues or those working in the General Assembly is ensuring that we have a concrete bill that moves through the legislature," Smith said. "She's a sitting senator who can get this legislation passed."

Kagan has made small public gestures to show her impatience with the traditional ways business is sometimes conducted in the State House, where female lawmakers remain a distinct minority even though their numbers have grown.

In 2015, her first year in the Senate, she was visibly uncomfortable with the annual Valentine's Day ceremonies, in which Miller bought presents for and posed for a picture with the female lawmakers in his chamber, whom he often called "the lady senators."

This year, as discussion of workplace harassment edged into the public sphere, Miller - the longest-serving state Senate president in the country - has made a significant effort to drop the "lady" honorific and address female lawmakers simply as "senator," like he does their male counterparts.

One time, when he forgot, he looked over at Kagan and said, "I'm trying."The day before he died in a plane crash Thursday in Laredo, pastor Kelle Hein was as a special guest in the 406th District Courts Veterans Treatment Program graduation ceremony.

Hein gave the invocation.

The treatment program aims to help veterans who find themselves in the criminal justice system overcome their addictions to drugs or alcohol.

Judge Oscar J. Hale Jr. told Laredo Morning Times that he met Hein at the ceremony. He said Hein was the pastor of one of the graduates, who asked him if he could deliver the invocation. Hale agreed.

READ ALSO: Video: Two people killed when plane crashes, explodes at Laredo airport

Our Father, in Jesus name we thank you for the wonderful day youve given us here and this opportunity to be here, Hein said as he led the events attendees in prayer.

Hale said Hein was glad that the Laredo community had a program in place designed to help veterans who are afflicted with alcoholism or drug addiction.

Hein was excited about partnering up with the court and getting involved with the program, Hale told LMT.

He was a very genuine individual, Hale said. You could see that. You could hear it in his voice and his words. He was very passionate about veterans and wanted to help them.

Hale added that before leaving the graduation, Hein told him, Looking forward to working with you and seeing you again.

He said he never expected those to be the last words they shared.

The other victim of Thursdays plane crash was Bruni High School graduate Robert Christopher Marshall, 19. He was a sophomore at Baylor University in Waco, majoring in aviation sciences with a professional pilot concentration.

Baylor University released a statement regarding the passing of one of their own.

Our hearts are broken at this tragic loss of life. Robert was in his first semester at Baylor and he already was known as an outstanding student and a fine young man. Our Baylor family joins together in prayer for both families as they grieve their loss, said Lori Fogleman, assistant vice president of media communications at Baylor.

READ ALSO: Social media shares support, condolences after death of Laredo Heat soccer coach

Marshall graduated as the valedictorian from Bruni High School, said Severita Sanchez, former superintendent for the Webb Consolidated Independent School District.

Sanchez recalled Marshall as a wonderful man with a kind soul.

He was gentleman and scholar to the fullest sense of the word, Sanchez said. He was a star athlete and a star in the classroom. He excelled in the academics and in the playing field.

People could find a helping hand in Marshall.

He helped out everybody and treated everyone with dignity and respect, Sanchez said.

Marshall and Hein were the only two aboard a small plane when it crashed at the Laredo International Airport. The twin-engine Piper PA-31 was attempting to return to the runway after smoke was reported coming from the aircraft's left engine. Videos of the crash showed the plane hitting the ground at a high rate of speed and bursting into flames upon impact. Marshall and Hein were pronounced dead at the scene.

The plane was registered to Marshalls parents, Robert and Amy Marshall. The two operate Marshall Aviation, which was established in 2016, according to its website.

Hein, 56, had been a pastor at Family Baptist Church in Laredo since 1999. He was a father of five and a licensed commercial pilot.

Hein also served on the board of directors of the Laredo Life Pregnancy Center, according to the organizations website.

His obituary states that he and his wife of 32 years, Tammy Waldrop, dedicated their lives to the Lord and were missionaries to Nuevo Laredo and Laredo.Firehouse Subs recently announced the grand opening of its second location in Laredo at 2402 Bob Bullock Loop under the ownership of local business entrepreneur Elias Saucedo.

In 2017, Firehouse Subs received Technomics Chain Restaurant Consumers Choice Award as No. 1 Overall Brand and was recognized as No. 1 among the Top 10 Most Craveable Sandwich Chain Sandwiches by Technomic for its signature Hook & Ladder Sub.

In addition to its signature subs, the restaurant offers a variety of catering options from sandwich and dessert platters to salads and snacks to fuel any occasion.

READ ALSO: Bad hygienic practices, cross contamination highlight Laredo restaurant inspections for January

This is the second restaurant for Saucedo, who looks forward to continuing to grow in the South Texas area.

I chose to join the Firehouse Subs family because I realized how truly unique their restaurants are, said Saucedo. Every time I walked into a restaurant I just knew I would one day become an owner  people love the food and connect immediately to the entire experience, from the friendly greeting you receive as you walk in, to a product that is not only delicious, but also makes a difference through the commitment to serving the local community. I couldnt ask for a better place to open my second restaurant than my wifes hometown, or a more perfect brand to invest with and grow.

Saucedo said he looks forward to continuing Firehouse Subs commitment to helping public safety organizations through Firehouse Subs Public Safety Foundation, which has donated more than $2.2 million in grants in the state of Texas.

READ ALSO: Texas Monthly names 10 best new restaurants in the state

The Laredo Firehouse Subs restaurant is open Sunday through Thursday from 10:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Friday through Saturday from 10:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. This location will house a drive-up window. Saucedo also owns a location off Monarch Drive in Laredo.

Founded by former firefighting brothers, the new Laredo restaurant decor reflects the founding familys decades of fire and police service. It boasts a custom, hand-painted mural by Chief Mural Artist Joe Puskas depicting five firefighters from the Laredo Fire Department in full turnout gear, with a firefighter shown in the center holding both an American flag and a flag flying the department logo in his hand, along with a fellow firefighter to the far left holding a flag with the Texas A&M International University Dustdevils and a firefighter to the far right carrying a flag with the Laredo Community College Palominos.When Michael Zwirn recently booked tickets for his family to travel from Washington, D.C., to Chicago to Boston, he snagged what he thought was a great deal - until he read the fine print. It turned out he'd inadvertently purchased "basic economy" tickets on United, which meant no changes, no access to the overhead bins and, most critically, no guarantee the three of them would be seated together.

Those "perks" were available only with higher-priced tickets.

For Zwirn, a think-tank program director who travels frequently for work and prides himself on keeping up with the latest in transportation trends, it was an important lesson.

"If your first cut is on the basis of price, you have to read very carefully," he said.

Call it the age of a la carte flying.

What was once exclusively the domain of ultra-low-cost carriers such as Spirit and Allegiant is now being embraced by the nation's biggest carriers. Delta Air Lines was the first to experiment with no-frills fares on select flights in 2014. Last year, United and American adopted the model. Now all three have expanded such offerings, with American offering the fares on selected international flights.

Airlines have long worked to differentiate themselves, encouraging loyalty by offering generous perks for frequent fliers and those who can afford to fly first class. But the reality is the vast majority of the nation's travelers fly infrequently, and for them, price is paramount.

That's part of what's driven the success of bare-bones carriers such as Spirit and Allegiant.

Airlines say basic economy fares are about offering choice. Travelers can pick and choose the options that appeal to them instead of having to pay for things they don't want.

"Carriers are responding to the increased competition by offering customers a variety of additional amenities, price combinations and service offerings to choose from that meet individual needs, and basic economy is an example of that," said Alison McAfee, spokeswoman for Airlines for America, or A4A, a trade group that represents several of the nation's largest carriers.

United spokesman Jonathan Guerin said, "It's a competitive product designed to compete with other carriers who offer unbundled product, another opportunity to offer our customers a choice in how they are traveling."

What you get for the price of a basic economy ticket varies by airline and in some cases is still evolving. Generally, though, basic economy gets you a seat but not much else. No changes are allowed, and if you don't use the ticket, you lose what you paid.

Consumer advocates and some members of Congress argue this new class of fares is simply an attempt to squeeze more money out of travelers at a time when airlines are already making healthy profits.

"While these basic economy fares may seem to the average traveler to be a good deal, in reality they may end up costing you more," said Sen. Bill Nelson, D-Fla.

Nelson, the ranking Democrat on the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, recently released a report that examined basic economy fares.

In a 2015 earnings call, Glen Hauenstein, now Delta's president, emphasized that basic economy is not necessarily a lower fare but the lowest fare the airline has available.

"We want people to buy the products and services they want, and this is really not about lowering fares but allowing people to select what features that Delta offers they want," Hauenstein told investors.

Said Jeff Klee, founder of CheapAir.com, an online travel agency: "I absolutely think this is the new normal. It is kind of sad - things we now consider perks used to be given for free." But overall, he said, the trend is a positive one, opening the door for cheap travel for more people.

Others disagree.

"I don't see an upside, to be honest," said Zach Honig, editor at large for The Points Guy, a travel advice website. "It's great for airlines and their shareholders, either from people buying up or paying [extra fees] later, but it's a no-win for customers. The airlines will suggest they have lowered fares, but they haven't. They are the same economy fares as before."

It is hard to know how much airlines make, since they are required to report revenue only from baggage, cancellation and change fees. In 2017, U.S. carriers made $2.2 billion on those fees alone.

But there's no denying that a la carte flying has proved profitable.

According to the report released by Nelson, basic economy fares contributed roughly $20 million in incremental revenue for Delta during the first quarter of 2016. United said it expected adding a no-frills fare option would lead to $200 million in incremental revenue in 2017.

For larger carriers, the shift to charging for options that were once included in the price of a ticket began nearly a decade ago in 2008, when a spike in fuel prices prompted American Airlines to begin charging baggage fees. Other airlines followed.

Airlines soon discovered they could charge for other services - early boarding, extra legroom, premium seats.

Public sentiment has been mixed.

"Providing you the option to customize your trip is a good thing, but I also worry that airlines use this as an excuse to give you few things for the same price," said District resident Maggie Brown, 33, who works for a trade association and flies traditional and discount carriers.

Ike Smith, a 29-year-old consultant from Fairfax County, Virginia, said that "if it's cheap enough, it might be worth it."

The shift has made it even more important for travelers to pay attention when booking flights, Klee said. "It does make the process of buying a ticket much more difficult," he said. "It's very hard to make sure you're comparing apples to apples."

His website, CheapAir.com, does its best to differentiate between standard economy fares and basic fares, listing for example whether there are extra charges for carry-on bags, advance seating assignments, priority boarding or ticket changes.

A recent search for a round-trip ticket between Baltimore-Washington International Marshall Airport and Los Angeles International via United yielded three options: a basic economy seat priced at $307, economy at $334 and economy flex (a refundable option) at $457. But the basic economy price did not include the cost for seats with more legroom ($99 to $119 on the outbound flight; $34 to $95 for the return flight), priority boarding and check-in options ($88) or baggage charges ($25 for the first bag, $35 for the second).

A passenger flying basic economy on United who brings a large carry-on, in addition to a small personal item, will be charged an extra $50 - the standard fee of $25 and an additional $25 for checking it at the gate.

A few months ago, Smith, the consultant from Fairfax, was headed to San Antonio to meet friends. He used Google Flights to check airfares and spotted a cheap ticket on Delta and clicked "purchase."

"I just thought it was a really good deal," he said. It was only when he tried to pick his seat that he realized it was a basic economy fare.

But it wasn't so bad. On the way to Atlanta, he ended up in a "premium economy" seat toward the front of the plane. The connection to San Antonio was fine. But on the trip home he was assigned a middle seat toward the back of the plane. There was less legroom and the seat had less cushion than those closer to the front, he said. Given his recent experience, however, Smith said he'd book basic economy again.

"Fortunately, it worked out great for me," Smith said, "but I know there are stories where people think they're getting a great deal and then once they add all the other extra fees, it's not that great."

As for Zwirn, he ended up rebooking the tickets so he could guarantee his family would be seated together. The cost was nominal - only about $60 more - so it was worth it.

And that's what the airlines are counting on - that given the option, travelers will opt to pay more.The catch of the day is the broadcast premiere of the documentary Jane, at 8 p.m. on the National Geographic and Nat Geo Wild Channels, commercial-free. Brett Morgens film, augmented by a score by Philip Glass, focuses on Jane Goodall, beginning with her first experiences in Tanzania in the 1960s. Her future husband, Hugo van Lawick, shot film of those early visits and the film was only recently discovered in a storage unit. Van Lawicks film is interwoven with present-day filmed interviews with the world-renowned primatologist and anthropologist.

American Idol settles in to its regular 8 p.m. time slot on ABC today, with a continuation of the auditions phase.LONDON - Prime Minister Theresa May said Monday that British investigators have concluded it was "highly likely" that Russia was responsible for the poison attack that left a former Russian double agent and his daughter comatose on a park bench last week.

The British leader said police identified the poison as a "military-grade nerve agent of a type developed by Russia."

She said Russia either engaged in a direct attack against Britain or lost control of the nerve agent it developed. Britain will not tolerate such a "brazen attempt to murder innocent civilians on our soil," she warned.

As she addressed the House of Commons, the British leader stopped short of announcing retaliatory actions, saying she would give Russia a chance to respond to her government's findings and would return to Parliament on Wednesday with a plan for specific action.

But in her remarks, May described a "reckless" and "indiscriminate" attack, which not only endangered the lives of its two principal victims, Sergei Skripal, 66, and his daughter, Yulia, 33, but potentially exposed scores of others, including a police officer who remains hospitalized.

Skripal was jailed in Russia in 2006 for selling state secrets to British intelligence for 10 years, but he was released in 2010 as part of a high-profile spy swap. His daughter has been living in Russia but has also spent long periods in England.

May strongly signaled that the already frosty relations between Britain and Russia were headed toward lows perhaps not seen since the Cold War. Lawmakers in Parliament called for sanctions and condemnations of Russia from the United Nations, European Union and United States.

Immediately after May's remarks, the Russian government denounced her speech as a spectacle designed to mislead.

"It is a circus show in the British Parliament," the Tass news agency quoted Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova as saying.

"The conclusion is obvious: It's another political information campaign, based on a provocation."

At a news briefing in Washington, White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders called the attack "an outrage" and said that "right now we are standing with our U.K. ally." But she declined to say whether the United States shares the British assessment implicating Russia, and she did not mention Russia in her replies to questions about the attack.

The assault on a former Russian agent and his daughter was as public as could be.

British authorities were forced to cordon off a restaurant and pub near where the pair was found in downtown Salisbury, a quiet medieval town in southern England, best known for its nearby ruins, Stonehenge.

Over the weekend, days after the initial attack on March 4, British public health officials advised anyone who had patronized the businesses during a two-day window to wash their clothes, double-bag articles for dry cleaning and wipe down items such as jewelry.

They assured the public that the danger was "minimal," but the specter of a nerve agent wafting around a pub created a wave of anger and unease.

During her question-and-answer session in Parliament, members of May's government and the opposition took turns denouncing the attack as a "murderous" assault "with impunity" by a "Russian mafia state."

May promised it would not be "business as usual" and that by Wednesday her government would offer detailed measures, depending on what the Russians said.

May said British investigators have concluded that the chemical used in the attack was part of a group of Russian nerve agents known as "Novichok."

"Based on the positive identification of this chemical agent by world-leading experts at Porton Down, our knowledge that Russia has previously produced this agent and would still be capable of doing so, Russia's record of conducting state-sponsored assassinations, and our assessment that Russia views some defectors as legitimate targets for assassinations, the government has concluded that it is highly likely that Russia was responsible for the act against Sergei and Yulia Skripal," she said.

Novichok was developed in Moscow in 1987 at the State Union Scientific Research Institute for Organic Chemistry and Technology. That government laboratory was described by one of its top officials in the 1990s as "the leader in the technology of chemical destruction."

The Soviet Union, under Mikhail Gorbachev, renounced the development and use of chemical weapons, but research continued in secret. In 1992, a scientist named Vil Mirzayanov, in interviews with the Moscow News and the Baltimore Sun, disclosed the existence of the chemical weapons program. The Sun confirmed later the existence of an agent then called "Novichok No. 5." American chemical weapons experts had been unaware of its existence.

In 2000, under an agreement with the United States, a joint program to dispose safely of all of Russia's chemical weapons stocks was launched. It is unlikely that this program succeeded in eradicating all chemical weapons.

May said she instructed Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson to demand that Moscow "immediately provide full and complete disclosure" of the Novichok program to the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons.

Mathieu Boulegue, a research fellow with the Russia and Eurasia program at Chatham House, a London-based think tank, said he doubted that Russia would provide any detail, beyond denials. But the two-day pause was likely designed as "a way for the British government to prepare everyone for a robust response."

He said it was difficult to know what Britain's response would be exactly, "but there could be a signaling and testing of Russia's pain threshold."

Several lawmakers suggested that Britain pass its own version of America's 2012 Magnitsky Act, which allows the U.S. government to impose sanctions, seize assets and blacklist foreign officials implicated in human rights abuses.

President Vladimir Putin's government has strongly denied any involvement in the case and has responded by accusing Britain of stirring anti-Russian hysteria.

A BBC reporter quoted Putin as saying Monday, "Get to the bottom of things there, then we'll discuss this," when asked about the alleged poisoning.

Before May's address, the Russian Embassy in London said: "We are outraged by the anti-Russian media campaign, condoned by the government, that influences the investigation and has a psychological effect on British residents."

In its statement, Russia warned that the British government was playing "a very dangerous game" with public opinion and that this "unhelpful political track . . . also bears the risk of more serious long-term consequences for our relations."

The Russian Embassy said that Russian nationals and others living in Britain are worried about their future in the country and that Russian journalists based in Britain are receiving threats.

On Monday, a popular anchor on Russian state TV accused Britain of masterminding the poisoning of the former spy and his daughter to undermine Russia as it prepares to host of the soccer World Cup tournament this summer.

Dmitry Kiselyov, the broadcast journalist, suggested it was all a plot to ruin the games for Russia and get British allies to boycott the World Cup.

"Why not poison him?" said Kiselyov. "Is he so valuable? And do it with his daughter to turn it into a real tear-jerker for the public."

- - -

The Washington Post's Will Englund in Washington and Karla Adam in London contributed to this report.Austin police have asked for the community's help finding the person or group behind a string of incidents where packages left on doorsteps exploded, causing two deaths and injuring several people.

Officials also warned Austin residents to call police if they encounter a suspicious package and to avoid opening packages they weren't expecting.

On Monday, a teenager was killed and two women were sent to the hospital with injuries after two packages delivered by unknown sources exploded on opposite ends of the city. The two incidents come 10 days after a man was killed after a package he had received March 2 exploded on his front porch.

"We are imploring the community, if you know anything about these attacks, it is imperative that you come forward and let us know," Austin Police Chief Brian Manley said.

RELATED: 1 suspect arrested, 1 still at large after robbing 3 people at gunpoint, San Antonio police say

Manley said investigators believe the three incidents are related. He said investigators are searching for a motive and trying to determine the ideology or victimology behind the attacks.

No official mail service, like the U.S. Postal Service, dropped the packages off, he said. All three were cardboard boxes that exploded when they were moved or opened.

Gov. Greg Abbott is offering $15,000 for information leading to the arrest of the person or persons behind the packages. Tips must be submitted to Texas Crime Stoppers, through the DPS Mobile App, through the DPS website or buy texting "DPS" to 274637.

Each incident occurred in a different area of Austin. The first explosion, on March 2, was in the 1100 block of Haverford Drive on the city's far North Side. Ten days later and roughly 11 miles southeast, the second explosion occurred in the 4800 block of Oldfort Hill Drive.

Roughly six hours later, the third explosion, in which a 75-year-old woman was seriously injured, occurred in the 6700 block of Galindo Street, about 5.5 miles south of the morning incident.

RELATED: Austin police fatally shoot man who allegedly charged at them with pickax

San Antonio Police Chief William McManus said local residents should call the police if they receive anything suspicious.

"I wouldnt say that we (San Antonio) should be worried, I would say that we should be cautious," he said.

Manley said the FBI and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives were assisting in the investigation. The victims have not yet been identified.

The police chief also addressed visitors in town for the South by Southwest festival, saying they should be aware explosions. He said if residents receive a suspicious package, they should call the police.

"We will leave no stone unturned because we are not going to allow this to go on in our city," he said.

Kelsey Bradshaw is a digital reporter for mySA.com. Read more of her stories here.| kbradshaw@express-news.net | Twitter: @kbrad5SWEETWATER  Now in its 61st year, the Sweetwater Rattlesnake Roundup has thrived while others have faded, despite being anathema to biologists and animal rights advocates.

The snake roundup attracts a reported 30,000 visitors who want to get up close and personal to a deadly pit viper.

Some are appalled, other are fascinated at an event which includes the bloody public slaughter of thousands of Western Diamondbacks for their skins and other parts.

Except for the very gory part, the worlds largest roundup somewhat resembles a Texas county fair with pit vipers instead of livestock, and snake handlers replacing ranch kids.

RELATED: Miss Texas, Margana Woods gets into snake pit, skins rattlesnake because why not

Theres cotton candy and turkey legs, beauty queens and evening dances, cookouts and eating contests, a gun and knife show and plenty of souvenirs.

For three days, the Nolan County Coliseum, normally used for rodeos and horse shows, is dedicated to all things rattlesnake.

We get visitors from Australia, Japan, China, Germany, and all over Europe. And a lot of foreign media comes, said Rob McCann, 47, the Jaycees spokesman for the event.

The big question is, are these snakes fake? Then they ask, Are you sewing their mouths shut? That would be cruel, he added.

McCann said you almost have to be born here to understand the roundup.

Its something uniquely West Texas. I grew up with it as a kid. We got in free if we skinned snakes. I know all these guys who handled snakes, and they taught us how to hunt snakes at an early age, he said.

Go here to read more about the this years rattlesnake roundup.Going leadfoot all the way down to the Gulf Coast is both dangerous and illegal. Nobody likes to share the road with speedsters suffering from leadfoot syndrome.

And Texas' highways are guaranteed to be jammed packed this weekend.

So, it's a good thing Texas law enforcement agencies will be out in force, forgive the pun, to try and keep those roads safe, and sane.

RELATED: Best stops for food off I-10 in Texas from El Paso to Beaumont

If you are one of those who tries to make the best time on your road trips by going 90 mph, then don't look through this gallery.

But if you are just looking to enjoy your family vacation and do not want to get caught up with the po-po and their quest for speeders, here is a list of areas you might consider avoiding.

Click through the gallery to see the worst speed traps in San Antonio and Texas:

And while there is no cure of leadfoot syndrome, Texas law officers across the state are deployed and ready to help motorists alleviate the symptoms.

Or you could just slow down before it comes to that.A current project for the Albertland Museum involves transcribing unpublished manuscripts from our Edwin Stanley Brookes (Jnr) collection. The following is an edited excerpt from

A Trip to the Bay of Islands, Whangaroa and Mangonui.

On 4 April 1892, Edwin went to the Auckland office of the Northern Steamship Company and booked a passage to Russell. Asking for a guide to the district, he was unimpressed to be told there werent any, but there were views on the wall. Edwin believed such a historic place as the Bay of Islands should be a major tourist destination.

Carpet bag in hand, Edwin wended his way to Queen Street wharf looking for SS Clansman, having been told hed find her at the wharf. It was nearly time to leave, the last of the north-bound cargo, including horses, being shipped aboard.

Edwin Stanley Brookes pencil sketch of Waitangi, 1892. Copyright Albertland Heritage.

Passengers arrived with their luggage and a warning whistle announced imminent departure. Lines were cast off, the propeller brought her round and she steamed down Waitemata Harbour in the moonlight.

Edwin described Clansman as a fine vessel, with a saloon and smoking cabin on deck.

Officers were courteous to passengers. Tourists found good accommodation plus a stewardess for the ladies. Most passengers were northern settlers and storekeepers, though there were some steerage passengers with their gumdigging gear and a Maori group on their way to a major meeting at Waitangi.

Passing Tiritiri lighthouse, Clansman took a course to the east of Kawau. Edwin wrapped up in a top coat walked the deck until it got chilly then went below. His little cabin had every convenience, which made travelling very pleasant.

The ship rounded Cape Brett at daylight and headed to Russell some 16 miles away. Edwin wrote, Russell is a very pretty place looking at it from the Bay. He noted historical associations with the Flagstaff and Church.

Interested in helping transcribe these manuscripts? Phone Peter Marsh at the museum, 423 8181 or 0274 979 290.

Lyn Johnston, Albertland Museum

www.albertland.co.nzA rare species of lizard has been spotted at Parry Kauri Park in Warkworth.

It is believed to be the first time the Forest gecko has been seen at the park and conservationists are hailing it as a triumph of predator-control efforts.

The lizard was seen by Warkworth resident Nola Kenny during one of her regular walks through the park.

Nola says she has always had a fascination with lizards and had a hunch that this was a rare one.

She hurried back to her car to get her mobile phone to take a photograph, all the while desperately hoping the gecko would remain where it was.

Forest geckos are extremely well camouflaged and sightings are unusual.

Fortunately, the gecko did not move and Nola was able to get some photos.

She later showed the pictures to Ray Jensen of the The Kauri and Native Bushmens Association, whose volunteers are active in eliminating predators at the park.

The pictures were then passed on to Thelma Wilson, the Department of Conservations senior bio-diversity ranger based in Warkworth, who identified the creature as a Forest gecko.

Thelma says its an exciting find and indicates predator numbers must be low, since reptiles are the first to vanish from forests when predators are in abundance.

Geckos are vulnerable to rats, cats, stoats, weasels and ferrets.

Thelma declined to disclose where exactly the gecko was found in the park as their scarcity means they are prone to being stolen and traded illegally.

The gecko has not been sighted since Nola found it.

Ray Jensen says he is hugely encouraged that the Bushmens efforts to eliminate predators is paying off and the sighting is encouraging them to step up their efforts to ensure preservation of the gecko population.

He says that in addition to geckos, the kauri snail population in the park has increased a 100-fold, which he also attributes to the successful war against predators.

Auckland Council has also taken an interest in the gecko sighting and will supply plans to the bushmen showing how their predator-control efforts can be enhanced even further.The end of an era beckons in Granard later this month with the closure of arguably the oldest business in the county.

Pettit's has been a feature on the town's Main Street since 1708 and it is an extraordinary feat for a business to have remained in the same family for 310 plus years.

Proprietor, John Joe Pettit, has been there for fifty years and in recent years has been ably assisted by Marie Beatty, a familiar and popular staff member in the shop for more than twenty years.

Paying tribute to John Joe Pettit and wishing him well in the next chapter of his life, Cllr Joe Flaherty said: It is indicative of the pressures on small business and especially retail in our towns and villages. Research from RGDATA shows that small retailers are unfairly carrying the burden of the cost of Rates by as much as 60% of the overall cost.

The Fianna Fail General Election candidate added: I have been arguing that the Council in conjunction with local trader groups and Chambers, needs to establish a dedicated task force with the express aim of making it easier to do business in our main towns - Longford, Granard, Ballymahon, Edgeworthstown and Lanesboro. In time the process then spreads to the villages.

Cllr Flaherty believes that recently launched Town Teams can be the perfect vehicle for this project, which urgently needs to look at rates, street scapes and a suite of supports that will enable new and existing businesses to seek out the expertise and mentoring that will help them through the difficult times.

He added: It is extremely tough for retail in rural Ireland at the moment and the undeniable shift towards online shopping won't make it easier.

Every shop, every business we lose is another nail in the local community.

Yes we've had some good news in Longford town over recent weeks but the pluses are still outweighed by the minuses.

The demise of the commercial hearts of our towns and villages is now as big an issue as jobs, crime and broadband.

When the snow finally clears, we'll see that we are losing another historic business premises. Another shop that was full of memories for generations of Granard people.

And the reality is that it is impossible to replace a business of the character and tradition such as Pettits.The 300+ members, including Granard based Pat The Baker, of Guaranteed Irish, the not-for-profit business membership organisation championing homegrown and international businesses operating in Ireland, are calling on the Irish government to better recognise and acknowledge the contribution made by these businesses to local communities and the overall Irish economy.

The organisation is also calling for government funding to support their objective of showcasing Irelands exceptional reputation  at home and abroad - as a great place to work and do business.

This call for increased support from the Irish government will be re-iterated during a Meet Guaranteed Irish event in Buswells Hotel in Dublin on Tuesday, March 27, which is taking place to coincide with the fact that March has been designated the first ever Guaranteed Irish Month.

ALSO READ: Longford commercial property sold for 200,000 in BidX1 auction

The Meet Guaranteed Irish event will showcase the wide range of businesses operated by members. Guests, including political representatives, will be invited to learn first-hand about the contribution Guaranteed Irish members make to the Irish economy.

Currently, the 300+ members of Guaranteed Irish employ nearly 50,000 people in Ireland, generating a turnover of 11bn. Globally, members generate a turnover of 25.84bn, with 46% currently exporting, primarily to the UK, US and mainland Europe.

A range of Guaranteed Irish members will be available at the event to share their unique experiences of how operating out of Ireland has added a competitive advantage to their business  at home and overseas. They will highlight how availability of top talent, strong access to Government support, and an inherent culture of innovation has also been extremely beneficial for their operations. This event will also offer members an opportunity to network with political representatives, as well as other Guaranteed Irish members. Companies interested in joining the organisation are also very welcome to attend.

International expansion is a key focus for Guaranteed Irish members in 2018, and as a result, the organisation will be using the Meet Guaranteed Irish event to call on the Irish Government to work closely with them to:

Recognise the significant contribution Guaranteed Irish businesses make to the national and regional economies in the form of jobs, community and provenance

Promote and endorse members of Guaranteed Irish at home and abroad as best in class when it comes to delivering products, services, talent and innovation

A new Guaranteed Irish website will be unveiled at the event, along with a Guaranteed Irish Partner Programme for members. During Guaranteed Irish Month, the organisation is also calling on business leaders at home and the Irish diaspora abroad, to register with Guaranteed Irish to assist member companies who are considering exporting to new markets. Businesses or individuals can sign up to the Guaranteed Irish Global Register via www.guaranteedirish.ie.

ALSO READ: Cavan Institute hosting Open Day on Thursday, March 15

Brid O Connell, CEO of Guaranteed Irish, says: In the current economic climate, it has never been more important for the Irish government to champion best-in-class businesses who are making a significant contribution to Irelands economy and building our reputation internationally as a great place to work and do business. As confidence and the Irish economy grows, our outlook becomes more global. International expansion will be a key focus for Guaranteed Irish members in 2018 as Ireland aims to remain competitive.

This is why now more than ever, it is essential that Guaranteed Irish businesses receive extra government support and endorsement to ensure businesses continue to invest in Ireland. We are looking forward to meeting political representatives from all over the country at our Meet Guaranteed Irish event and offering them the chance to witness first-hand the economic and social contribution made by our members.

Guaranteed Irish Month  March - is set to become an annual event which will put the spotlight on businesses in Ireland which create sustainable jobs and add significant value to their local communities.

ALSO READ: Improve your communication skills with Longford Toastmasters

Only member companies, which are required to meet a range of criteria before attaining membership, are given permission to display the Guaranteed Irish symbol as a badge of provenance and trust. As a result, the Guaranteed Irish symbol is very much worn as a badge of honour by homegrown and international businesses across multiple sectors

Membership of the Guaranteed Irish organisation spans all sectors including pharmaceutical; healthcare; technology; construction; energy; professional services; manufacturing; tourism; food and drink; craft and design; retail; lifestyle; and more.



Members include KPMG, FBD, Dairygold, MSD, Matheson, Ervia, Dublin Port Company, Irish Cement, Roadstone, Tegral Building Products, Foxford Woollen Mills, Rathborne Candles, Ballymaloe Foods, Manor House Hotels, Kingspan, Bord na Mona and Brennans Bread.



The organisation considers three core criteria when assessing an applicant for membership - jobs, community and provenance.During the 1987 General Election campaign, Fianna Fail ran advertising on billboards, bus stops, and in newspapers, commenting that Health cuts hurt the old, the sick and the handicapped.

I always enjoy the guilt-free recess that a snowstorm presents.

The whole idea of a shutdown from the madness of modern living allows calm to fill the void, and batteries to be renewed.

Most importantly it brings out the best in people - people i.e. human beings - being way down the list of importance in this country.

Top of my list for those deserving of the highest acclaim are those in the caring profession - hospital staff and home help practitioners who never fail to show dedication even in the hardest circumstances. Their dedication to their work is humbling.

Number two must go to the farmers who have no choice but to look after their livestock through all kinds of storms and dangers and without whom there would be no basic foods on the shelves - bread, milk, flour, porridge, vegetables, etc.

In third place comes the army and emergency services of which there are many, who, again put themselves on the front line to alleviate the problems that the storm brought.

Including thuggery in Tallaght.

The meteorological service excelled in their interpretation of the signs and dangers they forecast, with many helpers in broadcasting their advice, getting the message out clearly and informatively.

In that theres no doubt but that An Taoiseach Leo Varadkar showed great example, as did Minister Eoghan Murphy.

In both cases they came across as genuine and sincere.

Personally I saw no adverse reason not to have them accompanied by the Gardai and others. Nobody should complain about that.

This was a time for Ireland to stand tall, and almost to a person they did.

One cant say anything meaningful to those whose recklessness hindered the works of the services trying to clear the roads.

Theres always a clown somewhere, even when no circus involved.The number of people signing on the Live Register in Longford has dropped by 14% in the last year, TD Peter Burke has said.

Unemployment has fallen steadily from a peak of 16% in 2012 to 6% in February 2018. Ireland is a stable, competitive, secure economy that is open for business. In February 2018, there are 472 people in Longford who are working who were not last year, that is countless families who now have an income, or an extra income where before they had not.

Deputy Burke said: It is very positive to see that the number of people signing on the Live Register in Longford has reduced by 14% in the last year.

Furthermore, since Fine Gaels Action Plan for Jobs was launched in February 2012, the Longford Live Register has decreased locally by 43%. This is 2250 people who are back making a living, to the benefit of themselves, their families and the local communities in which they live.

We can see clearly that the Action Plan for Jobs is continuing to work. Recent jobs data indicates that there are 48,100 more people at work since this time last year. Our enterprise-based economy is now creating over 900 jobs a week.

Fine Gael is committed to driving this down further. Ireland is experiencing continued solid economic growth with 3.5% Real GDP growth forecast in 2018.

This good news for Longford comes as the CSO revealed that the Live Register has fallen below 234,000 nationally, the lowest since 2008. This figure represents a year on year decrease of 14%.

We will continue this success into the future because we are investing in our talented people, in our drive for innovation and in the future of our infrastructure.

Jobs are also growing in rural Ireland, with 9 out of every 10 jobs created in the past year outside of Dublin. And these are not just in the commuter belt, with 7 out of every 10 jobs created outside of Dublin, Kildare, Meath and Wicklow.

We are also investing in our future as a society, organised and resourced for the challenges and opportunities ahead. Project Ireland 2040 aims to ensure that Ireland is ready for the future with a society that has sustainable and balanced growth, nurtures talent, serves the welfare of our people, and offers opportunity for all.

We are moving towards full employment and we will ensure that all parts of Ireland can share in our prosperity and economic growth, including in Longford.Music, Movies & Entertainment, Local News, Arts & Culture

By Long Island News & PR Published: March 12 2018

Acclaimed writer/director, Rebecca Miller, will be Tom Needhams exclusive guest on Thursday at 6 P.M. on WUSBs The Sounds of Film.

Stony Brook, NY - March 12, 2018 - Arthur Millers daughter, Rebecca Miller, will be joining Arthur Millers daughter, Rebecca Miller, will be joining Tom Needham on The Sounds of Film in order to discuss her HBO documentary, Arthur Miller: Writer. The film is an intimate portrait of one of our nations greatest playwrights told from the unique perspective of his own daughter. The documentary brings to light a wealth of personal archival footage never seen before.

Arthur Miller: Writer is a breathtaking documentary which tells the complex story of Arthur Miller through a series of home movies and in-depth interviews shot over twenty years by his daughter, acclaimed filmmaker Rebecca Miller. The film provides essential insights into his artistic process and turbulent family life. The film bravely covers Millers time with his three wives, including Marilyn Monroe. The documentary also provides remarkable footage of Miller discussing his classic plays like Death of A Salesman, The Crucible, and All My Sons. In addiction, it shows a frustrated Miller when his later plays did not receive the same critical praise as his earlier works. Some of the best parts of the film, though, are when one gets to see the Pulitzer Prize winning writers reactions to the House of Un-American Activities Committees antics. Arthur Miller: Writer provides invaluable insight into one of Americas true geniuses, Arthur Miller.

Rebecca Miller is a critically acclaimed director and author. Her movie Angela won the Sundance Film Festivals Trophy Award. Her film Personal Velocity starring Parker Posey won the Sundance Grand Jury Prize. She also directed the films The Ballad of Jack and Rose with Daniel Day Lewis, The Private Lives of Pippa Lee with Robin Wright and Maggies Plan with Greta Gerwig. In addition, she is the author of the novels The Private Lives of Pippa Lee, and Jacobs Folly. Rebecca is married to Daniel Day Lewis, who she met on set during the film production of Arthur Millers The Crucible.

About the Sounds of FilmLong Island Braces for Yet Another Nor'easter; Snow, Wind, and Possible Flooding Expected Monday Evening into Tuesday

Nature & Weather, Local News

By Chris Boyle Published: March 12 2018

National Weather Service issues winter storm warnings for parts of Long Island; read below for the latest forecast.

Long Island, NY  March 12, 2018  Long Islanders just cant seem to catch a break lately, as the winter season seems determined to go out with a bang a mere seven days from the official start of spring.

According to the National Weather Service (NWS), yet another nor'easter is set to hit our region starting Monday night, with snow, strong gusts of wind, and potential coastal flooding forecast into Tuesday evening. Suffolk County is expected to bear the brunt of the storm, with snowfall totals anticipated to be much higher there than on other parts of the island. Nonetheless, officials are urging both Nassau and Suffolk County residents to exercise caution when traveling at all times, especially during the Tuesday morning commute when snow and wind conditions may be at their highest level.

Currently the NWS has issued the following warnings and advisories for Long Island:

A winter weather advisory is in effect for Nassau County from 8 p.m. Monday until noon Tuesday. A total of 3-5 inches of snow is expected.

A winter storm warning is in effect for western Suffolk County from 8 p.m. Monday until 6 p.m. Tuesday. A total of 4-7 inches of snow is expected.

A winter storm warning is in effect for eastern Suffolk County from 8 p.m. Monday until 6 p.m. Tuesday. A total of 6-9 inches, with localized amounts up to 12 inches, of snow is expected.

The NWS issued a statement regarding the potential impact of the storm upon the New York area.

A mixture of snow and rain is possible Monday evening, but a quick changeover to all snow is expected, they said. The wet nature of the snow, combined with winds gusting up to 40 mph, will likely result in downed tree limbs and power lines, especially in Suffolk County where winter storm warnings have been issued.



Photo Credit: NWS



However, the NWS was quick to note that tonights nor'easter will take a more southern and eastern track than last week's storm, and there remains considerable uncertainty regarding how far off the coast the storm will track. A shift in track 50 miles closer to the coast would result in 6+ inches of snow across the entire area, whereas a shift in track 50 miles farther offshore would result in lower snow amounts across the entire area. As a result, the current forecast may alter as weather conditions change; residents can get up-to-the-moment information here .

After a comparatively mild winter thus far, Long Island has recently been forced to endure two back-to-back nor'easters this March  with both storms resulting in wind, rain, snow, coastal flooding, and power outages  and tonights storm will be offering March its third bout of extremely inclement weather in just under two weeks time.

PSEG Long Island Vice President of Transmission & Distribution John OConnell issued a statement today, noting that PSEG employees have completed a full restoration of power to all customers affected by last weeks nor'easter, and stand at the ready to immediately address any outages that may result from tonights storm as well.

We are monitoring the forecast closely and our emergency preparedness plans are activated, OConnell said. While snow and wind normally dont pose a serious problem to the electric system, icing on lines and trees can increase the possibility of downed wires and power outages. While the forecasted conditions may make it difficult for our crews to get around, our customers should be comforted knowing our crews stand at the ready to begin restoring service, in the event of any outages, as safely and quickly as conditions allow.

To report and receive status updates on an outage from PSEG Long Island, residents can text OUT to PSEGLI (773454) or to report an outage online, visit www.psegliny.com Residents are advised to prepare for possible power outages with blankets, flashlights, non-perishable food, water, and battery operated radios for storm and news updates.

Here is the complete forecast for the affected days this week, courtesy of the National Weather ServiceSchool & Education, Local News, Crime, Politics

By Long Island News & PR Published: March 12 2018

School Districts Offered the Ability to Connect their Existing CCTV Cameras Directly to the Police Department.

Suffolk County, NY - March 12, 2018 - Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone today announced a new school safety initiative that would allow school districts the ability to connect their existing CCTV camera systems directly to the Suffolk County Police Department. The initiative, which was unveiled at the Suffolk County Police Academy in Brentwood, would enhance the efficiency of a Police Department response to an active shooter scenario. This would also foster more collaboration and information sharing so that police officers will be directed towards specific entry points and locations in a school building to neutralize or prevent an incident from occurring in a much more rapid manner.

We will do whatever it takes to protect our schools by utilizing every available tool and partnership at our disposal, said County Executive Bellone. The S.H.A.R.E. initiative will provide law enforcement the enhanced capabilities needed to respond to a security risk, and I look forward to working with our Superintendents and stakeholders on how we can keep our schools safe."

In an effort to engage school officials, County Executive Bellone also announced that Suffolk County will convene a meeting of all School Superintendents on March 15 to formally seek voluntary consent agreements with each school district that are interested in participating in the program. The meeting will provide an opportunity for school officials to meet directly with Geraldine Hart, the head of the Federal Bureau of Investigations Long Island office and nominee to become Suffolk County Police Commissioner, as well as officials from the Suffolk County Police Department; Suffolk County Department of Fire, Rescue and Emergency Services; and Suffolk County Department of Health. This will ensure School Superintendents build on their longstanding history and working relationships and ask any questions or raise concerns directly to county officials.

Additional outreach to other community stakeholders will continue beyond the March 15 meeting to include presentations from the County Executives office, Police Department, and Sheriffs Office in conjunction with the District Attorneys office. This will include extensive engagement with Parent Teacher Associations and law enforcement so that parents have confidence that best practices are being utilized.

Suffolk County District Attorney Tim Sini said: We have been preparing and training for the nightmare scenario that we hope never happens. In the Police Department, we enhanced our readiness for an active shooter scenario or a terrorist attack, but most importantly to take measures to prevent those incidents. I want to thank the County Executive for his leadership.

Suffolk Acting Police Commissioner Stuart Cameron said: The Suffolk County Police Department has been working diligently for many years to protect the children of our county from harm. This new technology is a great leap forward. It would assist our department should we ever need to respond to a school emergency.

Suffolk County Sheriff Errol Toulon said: I applaud Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone for his leadership on this issue and for launching the SHARE initiative as a proactive approach to collaboration between our schools and county police agencies.

Suffolk County Legislator Monica Martinez said: The coordination and cooperation between law enforcement and educators is essentials to produce a safe environment which is conducive to learning. It is our responsibility as adults to safeguard the well-being of our children but we need to do it collectively. By teaching and training educators and students in schools to know what to do in the event of an active shooter, we are helping prepare to deal with one of the worst nightmares of our time.

Additional Safety Measures

The Suffolk County Police Department employs a number of methods to ensure the safety of all residents. These include regularly conducting active shooter trainings for police officers so that they understand the proper procedures and protocol to deal with an incident. The Police Department also deploys tactical and medical response vehicles to enhance the departments ability to respond to various emergencies. This includes The Police securing a $200,000 grant from the New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services to fund the purchase of ballistic helmets and armor plate vests to provide the equipment necessary to deal with an active shooter situation.This year marks the 170th anniversary of the Communist Manifesto. Yet the content of this booklet has never been more relevant than today. The capitalist system has become a monstrous obstacle weighing down on the shoulders of humanity.

DONATE TO THE IMT!

In the Communist Manifesto Marx explained:

The modern labourer [under capitalism - ed], instead of rising with the process of industry, sinks deeper and deeper below the conditions of existence of his own class. He becomes a pauper, and pauperism develops more rapidly than population and wealth. And here it becomes evident, that the bourgeoisie is unfit any longer to be the ruling class in society, and to impose its conditions of existence upon society as an overriding law. It is unfit to rule because it is incompetent to assure an existence to its slave within his slavery, because it cannot help letting him sink into such a state, that it has to feed him, instead of being fed by him. Society can no longer live under this bourgeoisie, in other words, its existence is no longer compatible with society. 

It is a great paradox that at a time when the development of technology such as artificial intelligence and modern robotics could revolutionise production and thus raise living standards, reduce working hours and end unemployment once and for all, the exact opposite is happening. If, as we are told, capitalism is the best system humanity can hope for, then why is only 62 percent of the global labour force economically active while billions rot in desperation? Why do more than 3bn people live on less than $2.50 a day? Why are 22,000 children dying each day due to poverty? Why are 850m people worldwide going hungry?

And while all this is happening, the richest 1 percent of super-rich own more wealth than the rest of the 99 percent of the worlds population, and 8 multi-billionaires hold more wealth than the poorest half of humanity. This is capitalism in all its glory. While this parasitic class is constantly getting richer, the billions who produce the wealth struggle to survive in ever-worsening conditions.

Why are 22,000 children dying each day due to poverty? Why are 850m people worldwide going hungry? / Image: PXhere

All of this reveals a profoundly irrational system that has reached a dead end. The only way to solve these problems are by a revolutionary overthrow of the capitalist class and by the expropriation of the means of production they control, to be put under the control of the working class as a whole. In this way the enormous productive capacity that capitalism has developed could be used to solve all of the pressing problems faced by humanity in a relatively short period of time.

But as Marx also explained:

The development of Modern Industry, therefore, cuts from under its feet the very foundation on which the bourgeoisie produces and appropriates products. What the bourgeoisie therefore produces, above all, are its own grave-diggers. Its fall and the victory of the proletariat are equally inevitable.

Throughout the world there is a dramatic rise in anti-establishment sentiments. In a survey last year covering 580,000 respondents in 35 countries, more than half of all participants between 18-34 years said that they Would you actively participate in large-scale uprising against the generation in power if it happened in the next days or months. There is an explosive mood of anger building up everywhere, looking for an outlet.

In some countries it has already found a partial expression, like in Greece through the short-lived movement around Syriza, or the similar movement around PODEMOS in Spain. In the Arab world and throughout Africa, the backlash against decades of capitalist attacks expressed itself via a series of revolutions from 2011 onwards. Again and again, the masses have shown that they are willing to struggle to change society, but none of the movements we have seen have yet solved any of the fundamental problems. The bankers and capitalists maintained a firm control of the state, the protests died down and everything remained as before.

Arab Spring was a backlash against decades of capitalist attacks / Image: Caron

The central problem can be simply stated: it is a problem of leadership. It is an irony of history that the leaders of the mass workers parties are clinging to decrepit capitalism and the market even when they are collapsing before our eyes. The workers and youth have done everything in their power to change society. But they can find no organized expression for their efforts. At every step they find their path blocked by the old bureaucratic organisations and leaderships that have long ago abandoned any pretence to stand for socialism.

What is needed is something more than solidarity campaigns, demonstrations and occupations. What is needed is the building of a revolutionary International that is capable of giving an organised expression and political guidance to the struggle against imperialism and capitalism, for socialism. That is the task we have set before us.

The International Marxist Tendency (IMT) is a Marxist revolutionary organisation represented in more than 30 countries. Our website, www.marxist.com (In Defence of Marxism) is the most successful Marxist site and widely read throughout the world with millions of visits each year. From Brazil to the USA and Canada, from Greece to Venezuela, from Mexico to Britain and France, the IMT is building the forces of Marxism.

Throughout last year we celebrated the centenary of the October Revolution. While many on the left buckled in the face of the campaign of the ruling class against the legacy of the revolution, the IMT stood firm in defending its legacy as the best guide for revolutionaries today. Our campaign was hugely successful worldover. We published a series of very important books about the history of the Bolshevik party, Leon Trotskys biography of Stalin and the history of the Soviet Union, and also developed a website providing videos, timelines, reading guides and theoretical material for the study of the lessons of the revolution. At the same time the comrades of the IMT organised hundreds of meetings, reading groups and social events involving thousands of participants throughout the world. There is no doubt that the IMT organised the most effective campaign in defence of the October Revolution internationally.

The British comrades organised the Marxist Student Federation (MSF) annual conference, which drew more than 100 participants / Image: MSF

Our success has continued this year where we have already organised two very important events. Firstly the comrades in Austria organised yet another successful Karl Marx seminar, which in the past period have become annual rallying points for many on the left. Then our British comrades organised the Marxist Student Federation (MSF) annual conference, which drew more than 100 participants. It is clear that our firm emphasis on Marxist theory and revolutionary politics has made the MSF the main point of reference amongst revolutionary students in Britain. Finally, our Canadian comrades of Fightback organised their most successful Montreal Marxist Winter School ever, which drew close to 230 people for a weekend of discussions on Marxist theory and revolutionary politics, making it the biggest left-wing event in Canada today.

All of this is on top of all the regular meetings, reading groups, events and interventions in the movement on the ground that our comrades carry out on a regular basis. And we are gaining an echo.

The Marxists were reduced to a small minority during the post-war period, but now history is on our side. The time has never been better for revolutionary politics. However, in spite of our successes, the forces of Marxism are still far too small for the tasks ahead. We need to dedicate our energy on building up our forces. The world needs the ideas and revolutionary programme of genuine Marxism. It falls to us to give these ideas flesh and blood  to build the forces of Marxism internationally to make this possibility a reality.

The Austrian cormades organised a successful Karl Marx seminar / Image: Der Funke



IMT comrades put a lot of effort and dedication into producing analysis and Marxist educational material in the form of books, high quality articles, videos as well as organising big events such as our world schools and developing new fields of work. We visit and support groups throughout the world in places such as Morocco, Indonesia, Pakistan, Nigeria, South Africa, Venezuela and many more. Furthermore, we have been developing work in new areas such as Honduras, Guatemala, Norway, Poland, Nepal and elsewhere. All of this is putting greater demand on our resources than ever before. Nothing is free under capitalism and we have no wealthy backers. We rely solely on the support and dedication of workers and youth who have a genuine interest in our ideas and our struggle, but we need to strengthen this.

Canadian comrades at Fightback's Montreal Marxist Winter School, which drew close to 230 people / Image: Fightback

If you agree with our ideas, with our programme, and the struggle we are carrying out to build the forces of Marxism around the world, we ask you to support us financially by making a donation to the IMT, or better still, by setting up regular monthly contributions. We also ask you to consider joining the IMT and participating actively in the struggle for socialism.

With your help we can spread the ideas more widely and build the Marxist Tendency in all countries and prepare the forces to put an end to this barbaric capitalist system once and for all.

DONATE TO THE IMT!Researchers at the Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU) are developing an artificial heart that may one day serve as a long-term replacement for failing natural hearts. This would be a major development, as the only FDA approved artificial heart, the SynCardia temporary Total Artificial Heart , is only meant as a bridge to a transplant. OHSUs device is intended to be applicable to patients as young as 10 years old and should also fit most adults.

Unlike many previously designed artificial hearts, the new device has few parts that are subject to failure. A rod made of a titanium alloy oscillates back and forth within a tube, moving blood to absorb oxygen in the lungs and transport it to the rest of the body. It is the only moving component of the artificial heart, and to prevent damage to blood cells it causes little turbulence to blood flow. Moreover, the moving rod doesnt even touch the tube within which it moves back and forth, helping to prevent breakdowns. There are no valves to wear out or become calcified, further extending the utility of the new heart.

Because of the oscillating motion of the rod pumping the blood, the device restores the natural pulse that alive and healthy humans have. This is in contrast to other artificial hearts that create a continuous blood flow. The benefits of a pulse are not fully established, but they seem to include reduced chances for GI bleeds and stroke.

The OHSU heart is powered by an external electric source thats backed up by a battery that can be carried by the patient. The battery can be used as the sole power source, and the researchers on the project believe that, once more capable batteries are created, their heart will be capable of letting a patient travel and live a relatively normal life.

The new device was initially designed at OHSU, then passed to a spinoff company called OregonHeart, only to return to OHSU when the company was disbanded.

Moving forward, the researchers pushing forward the development of the new heart plan on trying it on sheep during short-term studies, the success of which would permit studies lasting up to three months. If everything works out well in sheep, clinical studies would follow.

Check out the new heart in action:

Heres a video that explains the device in a bit of detail:

Via: OHSUby Laurie Sullivan @lauriesullivan, March 12, 2018

London-based Adthena, which focuses on artificial intelligence and machine learning in search, opened its first U.S. office in Austin, Texas, on Monday in the downtown area. The office will become home to sales, recruiting, customer success, and marketing. The opening takes place in the midst of South By Southwest Interactive (SXSWi).

Ian ORourke, CEO and Founder of Adthena, put the companys roots down in Austin in hopes of capitalizing on the citys innovation and dynamic pool of talent.

Adthena stepped into the U.S. in late 2017, supporting brands like Hotels.com, AutoTrader, Burberry and others. It now processes more than 10 terabytes of new data daily, while indexing 500 million advertisements and 200 million keywords in 15 different languages. The launch builds on the companys presence in EMEA and APAC, and will allow it to expand rapidly in the U.S.

advertisement advertisement

With the ability to analyze millions of keywords, Adthena released the study -- The Rise of Google Shopping Search Advertising Report for Q1 2018 -- last week. It benchmarks the financial investments of some 267,000 advertisers in the United States and the United Kingdom between January and February in 2018, for about 40 million Google Shopping product listing ads (PLA) and 1 million search terms.

The study estimates that Google Shopping product listing ads (PLAs) now make up about 76.4% of all search spend for U.S. retailers that generate about 85.3% of all search clicks on Google AdWords and Google Shopping. In the UK, that number jumps to 82% of retail ad spend, attracting 87.9% of clicks.

Interestingly, the reports findings stand in contrast to recent analyses from Forrester suggesting that Googles share of retail shopping clicks continues to erode, with Amazon taking market share.

In Adthenas report, consumer electronics retailers are the biggest spenders. During the time analyzed, these U.S. advertisers spend about 86.1% of all search advertising dollars in PLA, with only 13.9% of ad spend on text ads. In that UK that number falls to 78.3% for Google Shopping ads.

Fashion and apparel in the U.S. also have a strong showing on PLAs. U.S. fashion and apparel advertisers were one of the most dedicated users of Google Shopping ads, with PLAs fueling 84.6% of all search ad spend in the category and taking 89.7% of all clicks.

The category of beauty and personal care in the U.S. spent the least amount on PLAs, with 64.4% of ad spend.

Other important findings from the report include the fact that mobile shopping ads now make up 38.6% of retailers total search ad spend, with these campaigns receive 41.8% of the share of clicks across all search in the U.S. These ads on mobile fueled 79% of device ad spend, with 87.2% of clicks.by Sarah Mahoney @mahoney_sarah, March 12, 2018



Its hard to imagine a less consumer-friendly idea than an annual celebration of irrational numbers, but its true: America is falling in love with the idea of Pi Day, and more marketers are trying to take advantage of this unlikely math hit.

Pi Day, which wonderfully coincides with the birthday of Albert Einstein, has long been the favorite of the slide-rule set.

But iQuanti, an agency that specializes in search, says that even as brands like Dominos, Pizza Hut, Boston Market and Whole Foods Markets do more with their pie-themed campaigns, Americans keep googling for more. Last year, between February and March, searches for pi increased 69%, and searches for pi day grew 96%. On a year-over-year basis, searches for national pi day rose 33% year-over-year, and searches around pie day deals are also up.

advertisement advertisement

Pi Day is the celebration of the mathematical constant , and observed on March 14, because 3, 1 and 4 are the first three significant digits. The growth of pi for some brands is easier to understand: Pieology, for example, became the first company to break into the top 20 pi-related search terms last year, with a 93% increase from the previous year, while Dominos got a 45% increase, and Blaze Pizza, a 44% gain in searches.

And tech brands, such as Microsoft and Newegg, often offer 3.14% discounts.

Pi Days appeal is probably as simple as people wanting to sound smart, says Mashal Thariani, outreach SEO/public relations manager for iQuanti, which is based in Jersey City, N.J. Nor does it hurt that consumers have a growing awareness of the importance of STEM studies. In Princeton, for example, they celebrate Pi Day along with Einsteins birthday, with everything from Einstein look-alike contests to musical events, tied to his love of music. There are a lot of ways to celebrate, and we expect to see marketers get more creative. Some of her favorites this year? A bookseller offering The Life of Pi at a 95% discount, or restaurants hawking pi-scream sundaes.

Social media has also been key in building awareness for the day, says Samanvay Sharma, manager of iQuantis marketing and digital solutions. (He gets a special kick out of the number of people searching for and sharing songs about pi.)

For others, its likely a badge of geekiness, and one of the most important holidays on the calendar. Its the day Massachusetts Institute of Technology famously mails out its acceptance letters, for example, and mathletes everywhere will celebrate with pi recitation showdowns (the latest record has calculated pi to more than 22 trillion digits) and pie-eating contests.

In Princeton, N.J., Einsteins hometown in the U.S., celebrations happen on a much grander scale, with some 18 events attracting between 6,000 and 8,000 people each year. (That includes the only youth pi recitation contest offering cash prizes, $314.15, says Mimi Omiecinski, owner of Princeton Tour Company, who organizes the events.)

Theres even romance: She tells Marketing Daily she got her online ordination so she could help couples renew their vows at the towns Princeton Pi pizza restaurant, starting at 3.14 pm on Pi Day. Couples come in wigs, and then celebrate with heart-shaped pizzas.

Bad news for fans of irrationality, though: Once the pie is eaten, nobody cares. IQuanti says pi searches plunged 232% between March and April 2017.Do you have problems sleeping but you dont know why? A new study may provide some answers. Researchers have discovered specific genes that could make us more susceptible to insomnia.

Share on Pinterest Researchers have identified genes associated with insomnia.

What is more, the researchers  led by Murray Stein, of the University of California, San Diego  found that these genes may also be tied to mental health disorders and metabolic heath conditions.

Stein and team recently published the results of their study in the journal Molecular Psychiatry.

It is recommended that for optimal health and well-being, adults get around 79 hours of sleep every night.

However, many of us do not meet this recommendation; around 5070 million adults in the United States have some form of sleep disorder, with insomnia being the most common.

Insomnia is characterized by trouble falling asleep or staying asleep. It is estimated that around 30 percent of adults in the U.S. have short-term insomnia. Around 10 percent of U.S. adults have chronic insomnia, which is defined as sleep problems that persist for at least 1 month.Advertisement

Jin WooJun, Se ChangPark, AnuWicklund, and MikaelSkurnik. Bacteriophages reduce Yersinia enterocolitica contamination of food and kitchenware. International Journal of Food Microbiology (2018) DOI:10.1016/j.ijfoodmicro.2018.02.007

The study was conducted at the University of Helsinki and Professor Mikael Skurnik from the University has been studying bacteriophages and phage therapy for a very long time.Now, in collaboration with scientists at the Seoul National University in South Korea, Professor Mikael Skurnik has been investigating to use phages in eradicating foodborne pathogens and in the prevention of food poisoning.The research team mainly focused on thewhich is the most common cause of yersiniosis and is usually transmitted through raw or undercooked pork and milk.Yersiniosis, an infectious disease caused by a bacterium of the genus Yersinia occurs all over the world.The symptoms of yersiniosis include fever, severe abdominal pain, and diarrhea, which can last up to three weeks. Sometimes, yersiniosis can also cause arthritis as a secondary disease, which can last for several weeks.Kitchenware used in handling contaminated food can also infect individuals.Four bacteriophages that infect thehas been identified by the research team.Thehas proved to be the most effective of this quartet and was selected for the next stage of the study.In the new study, the efficacy of fHe-Yen9-01 phage in decontaminating food and kitchenware contaminated by bacteria were investigated.Skurnik explained that they focused on foodstuffs that often transmit infections and also those kitchen utensils, which are commonly used to handle these foodstuffs.Everyday products like raw or grilled pork and milk that are available in grocery shop were inoculated withThe contaminated food was later subjected to phage treatment and the number of bacteria and phages were monitored for three days."Phage treatment was effective in inhibiting bacterial growth in food, while the number of phages in the food grew, indicating that phages infect bacteria and grow in them also when refrigerated," said Skurnik.Later, even the kitchen utensils like wooden and plastic cutting boards, knives and surgical gloves were inoculated with the bacteria and phages, and the number of bacteria and phages in the kitchen utensils were monitored for two hours.The research team found that the phages have inhibited bacterial growth efficiently.Similar studies on the application of phages in food treatment have not been conducted before, said Skurnik.However, treating food with phages is not entirely a new idea. A phage product is already on the market in the United States and is sprayed on raw food products to prevent Listeria bacteria growth.Skurnik explained that it not an urgent call to prevent Yersinia infections in Finland. However, this study serves as a model for the prevention of other and more serious foodborne infections through phage treatment.In the future, decontamination with phages can be part of the routine in food processing."One option is a phage mixture effective against several bacteria, such as the Salmonella and Campylobacter species, as well as the most common food poisoning bacteria in the gut. This mixture could also be administered in a preventive manner to farm animals, for example, mixed in their drinking water," muses Skurnik.Source: MedindiaFor years we have seen love stories about hugs, kisses, two people falling head over heels for each other. But what if you come across a film that's not a love story but a story about love?

Well, the thought sounds pretty much interesting and can grab your attention really. We can't agree that Bollywood really needs to get over the old cliche and bring us a story that's mature, fresh and yet gives us a slice-of-life feel.

Shoojit Sircar's 'October' is all that you have been looking for. When we first watched the teaser the gloomy world of Varun Dhawan and Banita Sandhu did break our heart a little and the trailer does the left job for us.

Wonder what's so wonderful? Not even once the trailer talks about love or attraction but what it does talk about is care, respect and missing someone's presence. It talks about human emotions and presents us with different shades of relationship in our daily lives.

The story simply revolves around people in hotel management. Varun wants to grow but is not being given a chance to prove his worth and is often asked to clean and sweep the hotel rooms. Banita is his colleague who works along with him. A tragedy strikes and Banita ends up in the hospital fighting for her life. While everyone resume with their lives carefreely, you see Varun caring and failing to understand how can people instantly get over someone so easily.

Here's the Hindi poster of #october. Sirf ek din trailer ka liya pic.twitter.com/TObAUzZmdN  Varun DAN Dhawan (@Varun_dvn) March 11, 2018

From the first to the last frame, the trailer totally keeps you hitched to the story. The way the sequences have been picturised leaves an imprint on your heart. The highlight of the clip is, of course, its background music that stays with you for some reason.

Sometimes the greatest way to say something is to say nothing at all but baby I can't help myself. #OctoberTrailer out tomorrow @BanitaSandhu @ShoojitSircar @ronnielahiri @writeonj pic.twitter.com/LOpuiyFqnD  Varun DAN Dhawan (@Varun_dvn) March 11, 2018

And lastly, Varun and Banita are so good in every frame that you just want to watch them over and over again. What's even more stunning is watching Varun in a way we have never seen before. He totally leaves you impressed, to say the least. And Banita is like a breath of fresh air.

Check out the trailer yourself and celebrates love, nature and the autumn season in the most unseen manner.

The film slated to release on 13 April and we eagerly look forward to watching it.For 7 days and nights, an estimated of 35,000 farmers marched from Nasik to Mumbai. With blistered feet, parched throats and tired souls, they entered Mumbai in the hope of asking their government a chance for a better life, something that they already deserved. The hands that provide us food are benevolent hands. The farmers marched all night so as to not cause a traffic jam and inconvenience students who had their board exam the next day.

 BCCL

While our hearts bled looking at their bleeding feet, the city of Mumbai stepped up to show solidarity with the hands that feed us. Residents of Mumbai have come forward to distribute food items and water to the marching farmers.

 Twitter_KisanSabha

When the farmers reached the Byculla junction at 4.30 a.m., Muslim residents were standing with packets of biscuits and water to distribute to the exhausted kisans. At a time when the social fabric of the country is being threatened by caste politics, the 'aam junta' has once again proved it considers humanity as the only religion.

As they marched into Thane on Saturday night, residents turned up to welcome them and offered them foodgrains and footwear for their bleeding feet. We were shocked to see the farmers walk barefoot on the highway. Some of us removed our footwear and offered it to the women, while others decided to donate shoes the following day, said Nita Karnik, who took it upon herself to arrange 100 pairs of shoes for the farmers.

 Twitter_KisanSabha

The Sikh community, like always, stepped up this time too. Sikh volunteers came forward with food and water, and gurudwaras lent out a helping hand in making the march less painful for the farmers.

#KisanLongMarch gets a warm welcome from Mumbai's Sikhs. The Sikh community in Mumbai serves water and distributes food to farmers participating in the march! pic.twitter.com/IgzaTjtv2c  Harjinder Singh Kukreja (@SinghLions) March 11, 2018

Lending their support in whichever way they could, the residents of Mumbai sent out a heart-warming gesture to the peasants who toil in the sun day and night to grow food for us. Mumbaikars showered flowers on the marching farmers near Mulund.

Mumbaikars showering the #KisanLongMarch with flowers from a walkway near Mulund. pic.twitter.com/YaURtZ5oNq  AIKS (@KisanSabha) March 11, 2018

The farmers are demanding a complete waiver of loans and electricity bills, as their crop has been destroyed by bad rainfall this year. Farmer suicides due to inability to pay loans is not something we haven't heard before. Among these protesting farmers are many who have lost their sons and fathers to suicide. Walking among them is 77-year-old Vishwanath Bagare, whose 38-year-old son Somnath committed suicide in 2011 after failing to pay a loan of Rs 1.5 lakh.

The plight of our farmers is not hidden and the city of Mumbai just proved that it respects the hand that feed us. Ajit Navale, state secretary of All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS) said, We are humbled by the love showered on us by Thane residents...We are happy that those living in the city have understood the plight of poor farmers living in villages.The current assessments - Aluminium P1020 cif South Korea and Aluminium P1020 fca South Korea - include both duty-free and non-duty free aluminium.Metal Bulletin proposes to only include in both assessments aluminium which can be imported into South Korea duty-free under free-trade agreements (FTAs).If the proposal is adopted, the assessments will be renamed Aluminium P1020, duty-free, cif main South Korean ports and Aluminium P1020, duty-free, fca South Korea.All historical data related to both assessments prior to their amendments will remain available in the pricing section of the Metal Bulletin website and in the FastMarkets historic data section.Duty-free aluminium in South Korea is aluminium that is imported into the country free of the countrys 1% import tax due to FTAs.South Korea has FTAs with several aluminium-producing countries, including India, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Malaysia and Indonesia.The proposed change is to reflect industry feedback that duty-free aluminium is strongly preferred over non-duty free aluminium in South Korea. This is evident from duty-free aluminium accounting for around 70-90% of the aluminium imported into South Korea, according to market participants.In 2017, imports from Australia, India, Canada, Malaysia, Indonesia and New Zealand accounted for around 80% of all South Korean aluminium imports, which totalled 1.14 million in 2017 according to data from the Korea International Trade Association.India was the largest exporter of aluminium to South Korea, supplying 385,816 tonnes, or 34%, of the total, followed by Australia, which shipped 318,656 tonnes, or 28% of the total.The exclusion of non-duty free aluminium from the assessment will more accurately reflect the premiums of the most dominant form of aluminium imports into South Korea.The consultation period for this proposed amendment will end one month from the date of this pricing notice on April 9, 2018, with the proposed changes taking place from April 10, 2018, subject to market feedback.To provide feedback on this proposal or if you would like to provide price information by becoming a data submitter to this price, please contact Vivian Teo by email at: pricing@metalbulletin.com . Please add the subject heading FAO: Vivian Teo, re: duty-free aluminium premium in South Korea.To see all Metal Bulletins pricing methodology and specification documents go to https://www.metalbulletin.com/prices/pricing-methodology.htmlCIS export billet prices continued to climb during the week, supported by strong demand, lower supply of the semi-finished material and rising scrap costs.Mills were selling material mainly within the range of $540-550 per tonne fob Black Sea.Turkey continued to be one of the most active destinations for CIS billet over the week. Russias Metalloinvest sold a cargo to the country within the range of $565-570 per tonne cfr, equivalent to $545-550 per tonne fob Black Sea.Recent offers from CIS mills came in at $545-560 per tonne fob Black Sea, amid reduced availability.Russias Abinsk Electric Steel Mill resumed operations, but no new orders for billet or finished long steel have been taken, a company source said.Ukraines Elektrostal is also not offering any material at the moment due to tight supply of scrap feedstock in the country.In Egypts billet import market, prices rose although demand stayed moderate CIS-origin billet was on offer in Egypt at $545-550 per tonne cfr, while buyers were bidding $525-530 per tonne cfr.The biggest steel producer in Egypt, Ezz Steel, has increased its rebar price to E12,226 ($693) per tonne ex-works including 14% VAT, from the previous E11,970 per tonne ex-works.Beshay Steel increased its rebar price during the week to E12,426 per tonne ex-works, from the previous weeks E12,180 per tonne ex-works, including 14% VAT.In Turkey, strong demand, costlier scrap and thinning supply pushed up the prices of billet imports CIS suppliers raised their offers to $550-560 per tonne cfr, although Turkish customers were bidding only $540-545 per tonne cfr.A number of cargoes were sold into Turkey around $550 per tonne cfr early last week, sources said.Meanwhile, Turkeys domestic and export billet prices went up during the week. At least two steel mills were heard selling 15,000 tonnes of billet to local buyers at $585-590 per tonne ex-works.Bookings were heard concluded for Iran-origin exports at higher prices. And the uptrend persisted amid reduced availability of billet in the market.Several cargoes of Iranian billet were reported sold to the Middle East and East Asia at $518-520 per tonne fob. A total of 40,000 tonnes of billet was also booked by one trader for sale to Oman at $520 per tonne fob southern ports of Iran.Customers in Indonesia booked a cargo of Iranian billet at $550 per tonne cfr, equivalent to $520 per tonne fob southern ports of Iran.Iranian mills were offering billet to the United Arab Emirates at $545-550 per tonne cfr . Oman-origin billet was on offer in the UAE at $555 per tonne cfr, with bids coming at $550 per tonne cfr.In terms of rebar imports in the UAE and Saudi Arabia, there was no demand last week, and no new prices were heard.China bucked the global uptrend with its domestic billet market weakening. Falling billet prices and big losses in the futures market pushed Chinas domestic and export rebar prices down during the week Billet was traded at 3,630 yuan ($574) per tonne including VAT in Tangshan on March 9, down by 70 yuan per tonne from Thursday.Chinese mills kept their rebar offers flat at $585-600 per tonne fob China on Friday. Buyers lowered their bids by $10 per tonne to $560-565 per tonne fob on seeing the drop in Chinas domestic prices.A deal involving several thousand tonnes of rebar was concluded at $570 per tonne cfr Singapore on a theoretical weight basis, equivalent to $565 per tonne fob China on an actual weight basis. This transaction was partially responsible for buyers lower bids.China will have more chances to export [rebar] in the week [beginning March 12] because its export prices have fallen further to track the domestic market losses. Other suppliers, such as Turkey, are offering rebar at very high prices, an export trader in eastern China said.In the Southeast Asia billet import market, limited offers and thinner trading activity resulted in prices edging up during the week Most of the cargoes booked by Southeast Asian customers were bound for the Philippines, with Indonesian buyers staying on the market sidelines during the week because they still could not accept the higher offers, sources said.Deals involving Russian and Middle Eastern cargoes were heard concluded at $570-575 per tonne cfr Manila during the week ended March 9.China restarted its billet exports to the region during the week, which resulted in some buyers not submitting bids because they believed that offers from other countries would soon fall to match Chinese offer levels, traders in Asia said.A position cargo of India-origin billet was heard offered at $575 per tonne cfr Manila.Vlada Novokreshchenova in Dnepr, Jessica Zong in Shanghai, Felipe Peroni in Sao Paulo, Serife Durmus in Bursa and Cem Turken in Mugla contributed to this report.JOURNALIST: The Government does not want to turn the incident with the two Greek soldiers into a diplomatic incident. But the question remains; when can we expect them to be released?



N. KOTZIAS: Every day that goes by is one more day in the continuation of a provocative act on the part of Turkey. An act that currently represents an attempt at creating a low-intensity crisis. Greek diplomacy, without fanfare and declarations, is taking all the necessary steps to defend the national interest and the rights of the Greek officers. We are keeping track of Turkeys provocative behaviour at our expense and at the expense of third parties, such as the intervention in Syria and Iraq, the shooting down of the Russian plane, the lengthy detentions of German nationals, the inclination towards conflict with the US. We call upon Turkey not to attempt to create a big political event and a drawn-out violation of international law out of such a situation.



JOURNALIST: How close or far is a solution to the naming dispute of the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia?



N. KOTZIAS: We still have a lot of work to do. The odds, though, of finding a solution are greater than in previous years. I would like to be cautious in my optimism. I am aware of the difficulties and the many twists and turns negotiations always go through. You dont need excessive enthusiasm when everything looks easy, but neither do you need to drown in disappointment when difficulties arise. The job of everyone working in the field of diplomacy is to turn enthusiasm into positive energy and to tackle difficulties in order to overcome them.



JOURNALIST: Why is it that a solution may finally be found?



N. KOTZIAS: There are many factors. First of all, to the political principles we have adhered to this entire time. We did not meddle in the domestic issues of our neighbouring country. Even during its greatest crisis, we did not express our views, unlike other EU member states. We exhibited responsibility and self-control due to the special conditions of our relations. Most importantly, since 2015, we have initiated the Confidence-Building Measures, which greatly contributed to the creation of an improved climate. Important also, of course, is the role of the change in government that took place in our friendly neighbouring country.



JOURNALIST: What do the Confidence-Building Measures concern?



N. KOTZIAS: They pertain to multiple areas of social and economic action. From the creation of a new natural gas pipeline and the cleaning of the existing oil pipeline, to cooperation between universities, cultural associations, municipalities, and fire-fighting forces. All this constitutes living proof of how we can strengthen relationships between our two countries, as well as how much this will benefit them.



JOURNALIST: The neighbouring countrys leadership, at least in rhetoric, seems to not accept amendments to its Constitution. Do alternatives exist?



N. KOTZIAS: The amendment of the Constitution of our neighbour and friend means, first of all, the implementation of erga omnes; in other words, the use of the new name in all cases, internationally and domestically, as well as avoiding future friction that would have resulted barring this amendment. Secondly, it avoids, in the future, a different Government in our neighbouring country requesting answers for violation of the Constitution should the international agreement deviate from the constitutions provisions.



JOURNALIST: Why should friction arise?



N. KOTZIAS: Because when, in this age of globalization, two different names are used, one for international/foreign use and another domestically, friction is to be expected. In this age of globalisation, domestic documents are also used internationally, and this will cause constant friction as regards breach or non-breach of the agreements. Today, for example, in dozens of countries, we travel with our identity card, a domestic document, and not necessarily with a passport, a document to be used internationally. The solution, therefore, does not lie in imposing ones view on others, but in a package deal in which necessary reciprocal compromises will be made. Not for things to become seemingly easy, but to find a lasting and stable solution. In international politics, one must make good and creative compromises that withstand the test of time, and not rotten ones.



JOURNALIST: Will it be requested that the changes be made in one go and for the compromises to be implemented at once, or will there be timetables?



N. KOTZIAS: The agreement must be a package agreement. It must include issues that we are discussing with the UN, the elimination of irredentism, and the provision of measures and conditions to prevent its return, support of our neighbouring country's accession to international organisations, common actions. The latter, together with the existing Confidence-Building Measures, will be concentrated into an action plan which will include positive elements of our future cooperation in all areas of international politics, economic and social policy, such as culture and healthcare. All these things, of course, require timetables in order to be implemented. The world does not change in one day; even God needed six days to create it, according to Scripture. Of course, something like this does not constitute implementation of some abstract piecemeal approach, but an element of pragmatism, realism, determination, and a sense of responsibility.



JOURNALIST: Perhaps an international agreement between the two countries would suffice in order for fYROM not to be required to proceed with constitutional amendments?



N. KOTZIAS: Based on article 27 of the Vienna Convention on Treaties, the content of the latter supersedes national law. But this principle is increasingly not applied. We are familiar with the decisions of the national constitutional courts of EU Member States with regard to the subordination or non-subordination of national legislation to European legislation in issues that affect the hard core of the constitution, and the name issue is such. According to these, the Constitution supersedes any international agreement.



JOURNALIST: The opposition accuses you of secret diplomacy. What is your response?



N. KOTZIAS: I replied ten days ago, in Parliament. I tried to explain what even first-semester International Relations students know; namely, that secret diplomacy is not diplomacy as such, which we must protect. Secret diplomacy is when two or more States come to secret agreements at the expense of a third, agreements that will be immediately revealed during a particular situation, as occurred among the various camps during World War I. It is not secret diplomacy when a negotiation is carried out with the goal of having an agreement result, which will come to Parliament itself for approval; or a negotiation where the competent institution, the UN, is aware of all the aspects and details of the said negotiation. When the negotiation takes place under the instructions of the political leadership, and with the exclusive participation of the competent official agents. During the course of which the countrys Prime Minister has already responsibly informed the leaders of all parties. In contrast, secret diplomacy is a negotiation that is carried out by non-official agents, outside the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, even by members of the secret services, as had repeatedly been done in the past by political parties that are pointing fingers at us today.



JOURNALIST: Has a request for an update been submitted to you by the opposition?



N. KOTZIAS: All requests are dealt with appropriately. Just at the beginning of last week, we updated the competent Parliamentary committee on developments in the Cyprus issue and Greek-Turkish relations. Moreover, just ten days ago, I answered a question on the part of New Democracy on the course of negotiations with Albania.



JOURNALIST: Will a meeting of the Council of Political Leaders be convened?



N. KOTZIAS: This goes beyond my area of competence. What I can certainly assure you of is that all competent bodies will be informed, when the time comes, regarding this negotiation as well as any other. Of course, some people will need to stop the leaks of everything that is said in these updates. They need to get serious.



JOURNALIST: Why does the Government consider, at the present time, that conditions have matured so as to open two large national issues, those of Albania and fYROM?



N. KOTZIAS: First of all, from the first day of the salvation government in January 2015, we sought to find solutions on all open fronts. Discussions with Albania have been taking place for two years now. At this point, the solution of these issues has matured. The same is the case for fYROM. We have sought a fair compromise with our neighbour for three years. Now it seems that a window of opportunity is opening. We are taking advantage of this. Furthermore, it is becoming increasingly understood by Greek society that our differences with the two neighbouring countries to the North/North-West pertain to historical and cultural issues of heritage, and so on. In contrast, with our neighbour to the east, the issues that have arisen are more difficult. They are directly related to our geopolitical and geostrategic interests. Our decision, therefore, is to solve whatever issues are pending and can be solved, and to focus our attention on the truly difficult problems. Difficult not because of us, but because of the abrasive nature of third parties.



JOURNALIST: Do you say these things just for those abroad?



N. KOTZIAS: I say this also with regard to third parties here in Greece. Who were ready to make bad compromises when they were in power, but point their finger at us every morning for the good compromises that we seek to make, while they like to add new issues every so often, which they had never raised as a Government. I suspect they do not want a solution to the problem. This is deeply irresponsible.



JOURNALIST: Is this perhaps not the best time, due to our seeking a clean exit from the memoranda, for one to try to solve the major national issues?



N. KOTZIAS: On the contrary, now that we are coming out of the financial crisis, we need to develop our partnerships for maximum growth in the wider region, something that will have positive benefits for all the countrys workers. Eliminating the barriers that exist to the development of these partnerships will have a positive impact on the countrys prospects and will strengthen its role in the regions stability and growth.



JOURNALIST: Recently, the American Ambassador in Athens, Geoffrey Pyatt, did not hide his concern over the possibility of conflict between Greece and Turkey. Do you share his concern?



N. KOTZIAS: For three years now, I have been stressing to all sides that Turkeys behaviour may lead to an accident and/or a mistake. And, additionally, that one must have open channels of communication in order for this mistake not to turn into a heated incident. As I have explained, Turkeys restlessness is very great and can create situations that are anything but peaceful and rational. When your next-door neighbour is going through a period with strong feelings of arrogance and the sense that they can do whatever they want in conjunction with fear and feelings of insecurity, you have to be very cautious. This is not weakness, but rather a stance of great responsibility.



JOURNALIST: But was it a good choice on the part of the Greek Government and the Foreign Ministry to keep the channels of communication open with Turkeys leadership, a choice on which the recent visit on the part of the Turkish President to Athens was also based?



N. KOTZIAS: In foreign policy, you must do what is right and rational, and not just what your emotions prompt you to do. When you decide, as an individual, whom you will go out with in the evening, you decide to do it with your friends. When you exercise foreign policy, however, you dont speak only with whomever it pleases you to speak with, but rather with anyone you must speak with. In foreign policy, you dont act based on your preferences, but based on what is necessary, and what is in the interest of the country. You do many things that you dont necessarily like, but which are necessary for the country, peace in the region, and stability. The country does not need a Minister of Foreign Affairs who meets only with those he likes. Foreign policy requires responsibility, moderation, patience, temperance, sufficient knowledge, and experience. You also need to know when to speak and why.



JOURNALIST: What conclusions did you draw from Turkeys behaviour related to the drilling in Cyprus exclusive economic zone, and how do you intend to proceed from now on in order to assist the Republic of Cyprus in exploiting its resources?

N. KOTZIAS: I think the main conclusion is (something that we fully agree on with the Government of the Republic of Cyprus) that we correctly broached the issue, in Crans-Montana, of the Turkish guarantees and intervention rights. Can you imagine what would happen today if Turkey enjoyed such rights, and indeed legitimately, from Greece and the Republic of Cyprus? The reverse conclusion is what Turkish ultra-nationalism and authoritarianism represent.N. KOTZIAS: I would like to thank my friend Teodor for the invitation and hospitality, for the kindness and wisdom with which he raised the issues we discussed. I would like to thank the interpreter/translator and the other translators, because without them we would not be able to do our work here.

I would like to express my support for Bulgaria and Romanias accession to the Schengen Area. In Europe we will feel much better with them in the Schengen Area. I would like to thank the Bulgarian Presidency and wish the best of luck to the Romanian Presidency.

In my understanding, when we are talking about EU enlargement, we should also be thinking on ways to deepen European integration. And I understand the modern history of our states in the region in three periods. In the first period, with the collapse of the communist regimes, we focused on rebuilding our relations here in the Balkans, our investments, banking, human and family networks. For the first 15 years of the 21st century, everyone focused on preparing to become member states of the European Union.

Our meeting today -and all the work being done- endeavour to combine these two periods. For the all states in the region to become member-states of the European Union, but also for us to develop the relations between us in a way that benefits everyones presence in the European Union.

And this is why we underscored, each of us in turn, that enlargement and the Eastern Neighbourhood also interest us. This is why, on 11-12 May, we are holding an international conference on the future of Europe  the second we have held  together with the candidates for EU membership. Because we want to create the future together. We, the member states, and those who will be joining.

In our view the ten years  ending next year  since the initiation of the Eastern Neighbourhood Policy play and important role, and we are very pleased to have agreed on a number of initiatives, especially to support the states that are next to us and belong to the Eastern Neighbourhood.

I listened very carefully to and support the Romanian Minister of Foreign Affairs thoughts, particularly regarding Moldova. I am also pleased that we will be discussing the Middle East issues. Greece has five trilateral cooperation schemes with countries of the Middle East, and we bring them together in Rhodes every year, where my friends the Ministers participate. All the Arab countries of the region and eight European countries.

So, we have a lot of work ahead of us. We will meet often to implement our initiatives for the countries of the Eastern Neighbourhood, for the countries of the Western Balkans, in a three-state collaboration that comes from very far back in history and will go far into the future. Thank you very much.

REPORTER: (off microphone)

N. KOTZIAS: I agree with everything I heard. The matter of funding is linked to the kind of Europe we want. The model of Europe you want is discernible in the size of its budget. If you want a more federal Europe, you increase the budget. If you are moving backwards in Europe, you think about how to reduce funding. This is a separate matter from the good management of money. But sometimes people confuse the two. By good management they mean reduction. We have the issue that in the first two enlargements  from 10 to 12, with Spain and Portugal; and from 12 to 15, with Austria, Finland and Sweden  the money increased, at that time with the Mediterranean Programmes and with the Cohesion Fund, because wealthy countries joined. Now the wealthy countries dont want to increase the funds the poorer countries receive. This is why I say yes to the rule of law, but a rule of law implemented in a European Union that is evolving and not retreating.

REPORTER: What are Greeces next steps going to be following the tension Turkey is creating?

N. KOTZIAS: We didnt talk about third countries outside of Southeast Europe. This is understandable, since we must develop our initiatives in our immediate region. As Ms. Zaharieva rightly said, we talked about Turkey at the informal Council [of EU Ministers of Foreign Affairs] in Sofia. At that meeting I underscored that a further criterion should be added to the Copenhagen criteria. That a candidate state for membership in the European Union or a state that wants a Customs Union with the European Union needs to: First, follow a peaceful and not an aggressive policy  particularly foreign policy. Second, implement international law and accept it creatively. Third, implement the International Law of the Sea. It is up to Turkey itself whether it will stop violating international law, the Law of the Sea and the rules of peaceful foreign policy. My other comments arent for this meeting.As I read the Huron Daily Tribune online and receive calls from friends and family in Michigan, I have my doubts about the news that spring is ready to arrive. I checked the weather online at Accu-weather for Bad Axe and, as I write my column, the report says; "Snow; Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday." The predictions ended on Friday, so I don't know if you will see snow today, but it seems likely if you have had it all week.

I see on the calendar that Daylight Savings begins tomorrow, and we will all celebrate St. Pat's day next Saturday. But will spring really arrive on the 20th? Be sure to give me a call and tell me the tulips and daffodils are in bloom and green grass has pushed up through that ugly brown stuff that has covered the ground (when it wasn't white).

While waiting for it to warm up so I can head home, I want to relate some occurrences that seem to never get any better. Do you notice when you arrive for an appointment on time at a doctor's office  because that's what a considerate person usually does  you get to wait for an often lengthy amount of time? While patiently waiting, do you also notice a person dressed very fashionably, carrying a briefcase or pulling a small suitcase, breezes right in without hesitation? You probably have guessed whom I am describing  a pharmaceutical company representative.

When you are called into the inner office, you will also note the person who was able to gain immediate entry is now chatting with your doctor you are anxious to see. Granted, the doctor usually receives free samples and of course any "new" drugs just introduced to the marketplace. I can appreciate all physicians need to be made aware of new drugs and the benefits they offer for their patients.

As I see it, why couldn't the meetings with the drug company representatives be at a scheduled time that does not interfere with patient appointments? To me, it's a matter of whose time is valuable. Why would a person selling drugs time be more important than that of a patient?

Another beef I have with the Pharma folks is their poor packaging of OTC medications. My doctor directed me to begin taking a particular medication that was available over-the-counter. When I inquired at the drugstore prescription counter, they sent me to a specific aisle saying I would find what I needed there. Yes, I did but there were numerous choices; different types  capsule, coated or uncoated, different sizes, colors, variable dosages. Some pills were in bottles so you had a chance of seeing the size unless they were in dark glass (we are told that protects the pills from damaging light) so there was no chance to determine the type or size. Many, however, were in boxes that you would have to disturb the packaging to be able to look at them. Funny, they will be in a very large box and when you take the bottle out and check inside the number of pills does not warrant such a big box. Why do they do that?

There is no uniformity whatsoever and product labeling is totally inadequate. With just one item, I found six different containers all offering the same thing. One pill, that was visible, was so big it would choke a horse. Of course the package said; "do not split or crush." How would a person possibly swallow it? I'm aware many people complain about the size of some of their meds. It can't be necessary for them to be mega sized. One that I noted, that was super-sized, had a companion one alongside it in a normal capsule size. How can that make sense?

Of equal concern is when a directive is given by your doctor to "split the pill in half." Scoring of OTC pills by the manufacturer is not common and if you try cutting them, you will wind up with a crumbled mess. Two things I have noticed; the aisles containing the OTC medications have vastly increased and their cost has skyrocketed. It used to be we all waited for our high-priced medications to be offered as generics. Often, that option now seems to be side-stepped because many treatments provide an OTC medication.

Does anyone else share my frustrations? I bet you do and I've only mentioned one event. How many trips do we all make to those OTC aisles?

A retired charter captain, Capt. Fred Davis writes a bi-weekly column for the Huron Daily Tribune.Middletown police reported the following arrests:

HINDERING: Shaquanna Hagwood, 27, of Dove Lane, was arrested Feb. 27 on an active warrant and charged with hindering prosecution. She was released on $5,000 bail and issued a court date for March 21.

OUI: Paul Dzialo, 58, of Millbrook Road, was arrested Feb. 22 and charged with operating under the influence and evading responsibility. He was released on $500 bail and issued a court date of March 13.

LARCENY: William Mignault, 53, of Pleasant Street, was arrested Feb. 28 and issued a misdemeanor summons for sixth-degree larceny for allegedly shoplifting beer and two jars of peppers. He was released on a promise to appear March 27 in court.

OUI: Melissa Swan, 36, of Hayes Road, East Hampton, was arrested Feb. 25 and issued a misdemeanor summons for operating under the influence, evading responsibility, insufficient insurance and failure to drive in the proper lane. She was released on $1,500 bail and issued a court date of March 26.

OUI: Rachel Morin, 27, of West Street Terrace, Cromwell, was arrested Feb. 28 and issued a misdemeanor summons for operating under the influence. She was released on $500 bail and issued a court date of March 14.

OUI: Melissa Ranger, 24, of Azalea Drive, was arrested Feb. 26 and issued a misdemeanor summons for operating under the influence. She was released on $500 bail and issued a court date of March 28.

OUI: Raymond McDonald, 51, of Friend Street, Waterbury, was arrested Feb. 24 and issued a misdemeanor summons for operating under the influence, improper brake lights and failure to maintain lane. He was released on $500 bail and issued a court date of March 9.

VIOLATION: Darien Rosario, 22, of Burgundy Hill Lane, was arrested March 1 on an active warrant and charged with violation of probation. He was released on $30,000 bail and issued a court date of April 3.

LARCENY: Samiel Rosado, 28, of Hubbard Street, was arrested March 4 on an active warrant and charged with sixth-degree larceny for allegedly shoplifting. He was released on $5,000 bail and issued a court date of March 14.

ASSAULT: Robert Scrivano, 31, of Boston Road, was arrested March 5 on an active warrant and charged with risk of injury to a minor, third-degree assault and reckless endangerment. He was released on $75,000 bail and issued a court date of March 26.

EVADING: Joseph Muzik, 52, of Guarino Drive, was arrested March 2 and issued a misdemeanor summon for evading responsibility, failure to carry registration and failure to carry proof of insurance. He was released on $1,000 bail and issued a court date of April 4.

OUI: Jon Johnson, 46, of Terrace Road, West Hartford, was arrested Feb. 28 and charged with operating under the influence, operating with a suspended license, evading responsibility and failure to drive right. He was released on $500 bail and issued a court date of March 28.

DISORDERLY CONDUCT: Benjamin Gilliand, 19, of Hunting Hill Avenue, was arrested March 3 and charged with disorderly conduct for allegedly punching a man he knew numerous times. He was released in a promise to appear April 6 in court.

FAILURE: Dennis Higgins, 54, of Ocean Avenue, New London, was arrested March 4 on eight active warrants and charged with five counts of failure to appear, two counts of failure to respond to a payable violation and failure to respond to an infraction. He was held in lieu of $16,592 bail and issued a court date of March 22.

OUI: Jacob Kerner, 31, of Evergreen Street, was arrested March 3 and issued a misdemeanor summons for operating under the influence and failure to obey traffic signal. He was released on $500 bail and issued a court date of March 19.

ASSAULT: Geoffrey Rios, 20, of Ferry Street, was arrested March 5 on an active warrant and charged with second-degree assault, disorderly conduct and criminal mischief. He was released on $10,000 bail and issued a court date of March 23.

ASSAULT: Steven Stolfi, 23, of East Main Street, was arrested March 9 on an active warrant and charged with third-degree assault, disorderly conduct, strangulation, interfering with a 911 call and possession of drug paraphernalia. He was held in lieu of $50,000 bail and issued a court date for the same day.

VIOLATION: Kaitlyn Arce, 21, of Pearl Street, was arrested March 8 and charged with criminal violation of a protection order. She is accused of violating the protection order by getting into a verbal argument with a woman, who is the protected person in an active order. She was held in lieu of $10,000 bail and issued a court date for the following day.

DISORDERLY CONDUCT: Sanjida Shanto, 22, of Stoneycrest Drive, was arrested March 9 and issued a misdemeanor summons for disorderly conduct. She is accused of getting into a verbal argument with a man she knows and throwing items around the house. She was released on a promise to appear in court the same day.iStock/Thinkstock(ATLANTA) -- Atlanta police are searching for a man they say impersonated a police officer and sexually assaulted at least one woman early Friday morning.



The victim told police that she was pulled over around 1 a.m. After asking for her license and registration, the suspect told the victim to step out of her vehicle and sexually assaulted her, Atlanta Police Major Crimes Maj. Michael OConnor said at a press conference Monday.



A second woman also reported being sexually assaulted by a man impersonating a police officer in Cobb County, Georgia.



The assaults happened within a few hours of each other and Atlanta Police Department investigators are working closely with Cobb County investigators to determine if the impersonator in both cases is the same man.



Both victims reported the vehicle as a dark-colored, four-door sedan with a light bar on top, according to Atlanta police. The suspect is described as a white male, approximately 6 feet tall, wearing dark-colored clothing and a star-shaped badge.



Any of the vehicles that we have with light bars on top of them are marked and clearly say 'Atlanta police' on the side of them, OConnor said. Our unmarked vehicles dont have light bars on the top.



Atlanta police advise anyone uncomfortable with a police stop to indicate to the officer you intend to stop and call 911. Let the dispatcher know you are being stopped and ask them to verify there is a legitimate officer stopping you.



We want to make sure the public knows how to keep themselves safe if they are uncertain if the person who pulls them over is a police officer, OConnor said.



Copyright  2018, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.Operation Fuel recently received the following donations for its energy assistance programs:

HCC Global Financial Products has donated $10,000. HCC Global, of Farmington, is a specialty insurance company. The Gryphon Fund, of West Simsbury, has donated $10,000 for energy assistance in Hartford County. The Connecticut Health Foundation, of Hartford, has donated $5,000. The William and Alice Mortensen Foundation, of West Hartford, has donated $5,000 for residents of Greater Hartford. The United Bank Foundation, which is based in Hartford, has awarded a grant of $2,000. The McPhee Foundation Inc., of Bristol, has donated $2,000 for Bristol households. The Bruyette Family Foundation has donated $2,000. The Franklin Conklin Foundation has awarded a grant of $2,000. The Fuller Family Foundation has donated $2,000. The Hartfords Windsor Grant Committee has awarded grants of $1,500 and $1,000. The American Eagle Financial Credit Union has awarded a grant of $1,000 for households in Hartford, Middlesex and Tolland Counties. The Sandra and Arnold Chase Family Foundation Inc., which is based in Hartford, has donated $1,000.

Operation Fuel is a statewide nonprofit organization that provides emergency energy assistance year-round to lower-income working families and individuals, the elderly, and disabled individuals who are in financial crisis. Individuals who need energy assistance should call 211. For more information on Operation Fuel or to make a donation, go to www.operationfuel.org.

Lieberman fund seeks applications

MINNEAPOLIS, MIN  Scholarship America announced that the Joe Lieberman Connecticut Scholarship Fund, which assists outstanding high school seniors from Connecticut who plan to pursue postsecondary education, is now open for its fifth year of student applications.

Each recipient is awarded a $1,500 scholarship, renewable for up to three additional years or until a bachelors degree is earned. To date, 25 students have received renewable awards, with the first class of Lieberman Scholars now graduated. For 2018, up to five more Connecticut high school students will be selected for this prestigious award.

To be eligible, students must be United States citizens or permanent legal residents, be high school seniors who reside in and receive their high school education in Connecticut, plan to enroll in full-time undergraduate study at an accredited two-year or four-year college, university or vocational-technical school for the upcoming academic year, have a minimum grade point average of 3.5 on a 4.0 scale (or its equivalent), and demonstrate outstanding leadership potential and a record of community service.

The scholarship is administered by Scholarship America, the nations largest designer and manager of scholarship and tuition assistance programs for corporations, foundations, associations and individuals. Awards are granted without regard to race, color, creed, religion, sexual orientation, age, gender, disability or national origin, and scholarships will be awarded for full-time study at an accredited institution of the students choice.

Because only the first 500 applications received will be opened and processed, Scholarship America encourages students to apply for the scholarship as soon as possible. Applications close on April 1, 2018. The application and additional information can be found at www.scholarsapply.org/lieberman.

About Scholarship America For nearly 60 years, Scholarship America has worked directly with students, parents, colleges, businesses and communities to empower people to fulfill their college dreams. As the nation's largest private education support organization, having distributed over $3.5 billion to more than 2.2 million students, Scholarship America is now working to further engage the private sector to support programs and policies that advance equity in postsecondary education and help students overcome barriers to access, persistence and attainment. More information is available at scholarshipamerica.org or by following @scholamerica.

Nursing scholarships

The Wethersfield-Rocky Hill Professional Nurses Association is pleased to announce its 2018 nursing scholarships program.

These scholarships are available to qualified nursing students currently enrolled in an undergraduate degree in nursing and to registered nurses currently enrolled in RN to BSN programs. For further information or for an application packet, contact Judith Sartucci, WRHPNA Scholarship Committee Chairman at nursescholarships@cox.net. Deadline for submission of applications is March 16.

Kenny scholarship applications

NEW BRITAIN  The Robert T. Kenney Scholarship Program at the American Savings Foundation is currently accepting applications from current high school seniors, current college students, and nontraditional adult students who will be enrolled in college for the 2018-19 academic year. Applications are due by March 31. Students can apply online at www.asfdn.org.

Scholarships are awarded primarily based on financial need, with consideration given to academic performance, community involvement, and other indications of a strong desire to achieve goals through education. Applicants must live in one of the 64 Connecticut towns served by American Savings Foundation. High school seniors must be ranked in the top third of their graduating class or have a 2.5 GPA or higher. Current college students must be maintaining a 2.5 GPA or higher.

The foundation accepts applications from 64 Connecticut towns: Andover, Ashford, Avon, Barkhamsted, Beacon Falls, Berlin, Bethlehem, Bloomfield, Bolton, Bristol, Burlington, Canton, Chaplin, Chester, Clinton, Colebrook, Columbia, Coventry, Cromwell, Deep River, Durham, East Granby, East Hampton, East Hartford, Essex, Farmington, Glastonbury, Granby, Haddam, Hebron, Killingworth, Madison, Manchester, Mansfield, Marlborough, Meriden, Middlebury, Middletown, Naugatuck, New Britain, Newington, Old Saybrook, Oxford, Plainville, Portland, Prospect, Rocky Hill, Seymour, Simsbury, Southbury, Southington, Thomaston, Tolland, Torrington, Waterbury, Watertown, West Hartford, Westbrook, Wethersfield, Willington, Winchester, Windham, Wolcott, and Woodbury.

For more information and to apply, students and parents can visit www.asfdn.org or call the foundation at 860.827.2556.MIDDLETOWN  The 21st Century Learners in Action Program of Keigwin and Wilson Middle Schools is hosting the second annual Career Showcase on Thursday, April 5th from 2:30-5 at Woodrow Wilson Middle School. Students from both Keigwin and Wilsons programs will meet at Wilson for the program. Local residents are asked to consider sharing their career path with these students.

Presenters will be seated at small tables and will meet with three groups of approximately five students for approximately 15 minutes. During that time presenters will share a typical day on the job, the path they took to get there, and will respond to student questions. Presenters might consider bringing some sort of visual support or tools of the trade for students to see and explore.

All are encouraged to share this invitation with colleagues and friends. If interested, respond to this invitation or email Program Coordinator Beth Kilian at kilianb@mpsct.org by Friday, March 30.

DOT Engineers to present Route 9 plans

MIDDLETOWN  Engineers from CT DOT will present revised plans to Rt. 9 in Middletown on Thursday, March 22, at 7 p.m. in the auditorium of Middletown High School, La Rosa Lane.

The Jonah Center led opposition to the previous proposals 23 foot wall at the bottom on Washington St. The new, revised plan avoids that feature and is much improved. Removing the traffic signals would bring many benefits such as reduced pollution and fuel consumption, fewer accidents, and less wasted time sitting in traffic jams, members of the center said in a statement.

Vaillancourt hired at KeyBank

NEW HAVEN  KeyBank recently hired Gregg D. Vaillancourt as vice president, Senior Payments & Solutions Advisor, in its Enterprise Commercial Payments (ECP) group.

In his new role, Vaillancourt will establish new and deepen existing business banking relationships through the delivery of customized treasury and payment solutions to meet clients cash management needs. He works in Keys Manchester office at 923 Main Street, and will serve business clients throughout Connecticut and Western Massachusetts, bank officials said in a release. Vaillancourt brings to Key an extensive treasury and cash management background working with clients of all sizes and industries. He has more than twelve years of experience growing and managing client relationships through similar treasury sales roles with Citizens Bank and Webster Bank.

Vaillancourt is a member of the Association for Financial Professionals (AFP) and is currently pursuing a Certified Treasury Professional (CTP) designation. He can be reached at 860-645-2131 or Gregg.Vaillancourt@key.com.

Pegasus takes part in environmental managment system

MIDDLETOWN  Pegasus recently announced its participation in Leggett & Platts Eco Initiative an environmental management system developed to advance the companies already strong environmental performance, according to a press release.

The Eco Initiative is a voluntary environmental management system (EMS) that was created to keep the industry in step with the pulse of the regulatory world. EMSs are gaining wide acceptance by industry and regulatory agencies that are developing benefits for companies who already have an EMS in place.

Through the Eco Initiative we will be able to analyze and better understand the environmental impact of our processes, raw materials, finished product and overall inputs and outputs on our community, said Glenn Suprono, facilities manager, in a statement,. We want to go beyond simply complying with environmental legislation and regulations; we want to become leading supporters in our community and among our manufacturing peers.

As part of the commitment Pegasus has arranged for each employee receive an Eco Initiative training program to learn more about the companys goal and how they can become involved.

Lions Club offer annual scholarship

EAST HAMPTON  The East Hampton Village Lions Club will offer a scholarship to a high school senior graduating in 2018. Students must be a resident of East Hampton to be considered.

For the past few years, the Village Lions have presented a monetary award to a student. The club considers the applicants financial need and service to their community and school as the two top criteria.

Applications are now available at the East Hampton High, Mercy High, Xavier High, and Vinal Technical Schools guidance departments or by calling Linda at 860-267-2012. Applicants are also required to write a brief essay about a topic they are passionate about. The scholarship committee is accepting applications until Monday, April 16.

Cats in the Castle fundraiser is April 14

PLANTSVILLE  Cat Tales presents the Annual Cats In The Castle, a fundraising event benefiting homeless cats and kittens, will be held Saturday, April 14, 6-10 p.m. at the Aqua Turf Club, Plantsville.

Tickets are $75 per person, $700 for a table of 10, and include appetizers, dinner, beer amd wine, desserts, silent Auctions and raffles.

For information and reservations, call 860-344-9043 or email events@CatTalesCT.org; or visit www.CatTalesCT.org/CITC

See the Cat Tales video at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x1-1zXrEOB4 

All funds raised go directly to homeless cats and kittens under the care of Cat Tales Non-Profit Rescue in Middletown. Guests must be 21 years or older to attend. 

Conservation district to hold annual plant sale

OLD SAYBROOK  The Connecticut River Coastal Conservation Districts 27th annual plant sale fundraiser will take place April 27-29 at Old Saybrook Shopping Center in Old Saybrook, at the corner of Boston Post Road and Elm Street.

For a copy of the 2018 brochure and order form, as well as photos and more information about the extensive selection go to our website at www.conservect.org/ctrivercoastal. A new online ordering option will be available soon.

Quantities of certain plants are limited; order early for the best selection. Orders are due April 6. There are also extras available the days of the sale. For information or to to receive a hard copy of the brochure and order form, contact the District office at 860-346-3282. All proceeds from the plant sale support conservation work. For more information about district programs and services, go to www.conservect.org/ctrivercoastal.---------

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Klikk bildet og gi en gave med din mobiltelefon pa noen fa sekunder. Belastes din neste mobilfaktura.

Du kan ogsa gi en gave med a sende kodeordet GAVE med SMS til 1948. Standard 250 kroner, skriv eventuelt annet belp etter GAVE i meldingen.1. NORTH KOREA MUM ON SUMMIT WITH TRUMP

From Richard Sisk at Military.com:

"Days after news emerged of a proposed summit between North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and President Donald Trump, Kim's government has yet to make a formal response. But North Korean propaganda outlets are keeping up a drumbeat against U.S. sanctions and military threats.

The North's silence contrasted with a Twitter burst from Trump Saturday in which he expressed his enthusiasm for face-to-face talks with Kim and touted international backing for a meeting that would be the first between a U.S. president and the head of the Stalinist state.

'North Korea has not conducted a Missile Test since November 28, 2017 and has promised not to do so through our meetings,' Trump tweeted. 'I believe they will honor that commitment!'

Trump's overtures have thus far been ignored by North Korean outlets in favor of routine pronouncements of the North's strength and resolve."

2. CONGRESS WANTS NATO MEMBERS TO PAY THEIR DUES

From Military.com's Matthew Cox:

"The Trump administration has long criticized some NATO members for failing to invest enough money into defense and relying on the United States to shoulder the majority of the burden. Members of the Senate Armed Services Committee on Thursday continued to share that concern at a hearing with Gen. Curtis Scaparrotti, commander of United States European Command.

Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-New Hampshire, asked if there are acceptable alternatives to investing in defense.

'One of the things our European allies in NATO have suggested is, rather than looking at sort of an arbitrary 2 percent of GDP contribution to NATO, that we ought to be looking at capabilities instead,' she said.

Scaparrotti said that NATO really needs three requirements from its members -- cash, contributions and capabilities.

'It's not one or the other, or more of one and less of the other two; 2 percent is a reasonable percentage of GDP given the threat we are under today, in my opinion,' he said."

3. TANKS OUT FOR TRUMP'S MILITARY PARADE

From Military.com:

A Pentagon memo that surfaced March 9 reveals the first official guidance for President Donald Trump's controversial military parade in Washington, D.C. The memo tells planners to include wheeled military vehicles, but skip tanks, for fear of damaging local infrastructure. An air element will be included, but the memo calls for "older aircraft as available."

The memo appears to offer a budget-conscious approach to a parade event that has been estimated as likely to cost between $10 and $30 million. Other guidance dictates that Trump, observing the parade, will be joined by Medal of Honor recipients, and that nods be made to history, with period uniforms and a section on the evolution of women in the military.

In the memo, the Joint Staff are tasked to plan the parade, while U.S. Northern Command is instructed to execute it.

"This parade will focus on the contributions of our veterans throughout the history of the U.S. Military, starting from the Revolutionary War and the War of 1212 to today, with an emphasis on the price of freedom," the memo reads.

4. A-10 PILOTS EARN AWARDS IN ISIS FIGHT

From Military.com's Oriana Pawlyk:

"Two A-10 Thunderbolt pilots were recently awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross for providing close-air support to U.S. Army forces in the fight against the Islamic State in Syria last May.

Maj. Tyler Schultz and Capt. Samantha Harvey, with the 354th Fighter Squadron at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, were presented with the military's fourth-highest medal by Air Combat Commander Gen. Mike Holmes at the Arizona base on March 2, according to a news release.

Schultz and Harvey got a call from a Joint Terminal Attack Controller near al-Shaddadi in northeast Syria that ISIS fighters had surrounded U.S. forces and begun a direct assault on their location on the night of May 2, 2017.

With Harvey's command and Schultz's response under pressure, the team was able to save more than 50 U.S. personnel with zero casualties, the release said.

5. NAVY CHARGES AHEAD ON RAILGUN

From Military.com:

"Following a flurry of reports in December predicting the Navy's $500 million electromagnetic railgun experiment was dead on arrival, the chief of Naval Operations told lawmakers this week that the death of the program was greatly exaggerated.

'[We are] fully invested in railgun; we continue to test it,' Adm. John Richardson told the House Appropriations subcommittee on defense during a Wednesday hearing on Navy and Marine Corps budget issues. 'We've demonstrated it at lower firing rates and ... shorter ranges. Now we have to do the engineering to, sort of, crank it up and get it at the designated firing rates, at the 80- to 100-mile range.'

Photos showing what appears to be a railgun mounted on the Chinese landing ship tank Haiyang Shan emerged in February. The evidence of what appears to be deployable Chinese railgun technology came to light following a handful of reports indicating the Navy's own gun development program was losing steam.

The Navy has never acknowledged a loss of interest in railgun technology, however. Last July, officials with the Office of Naval Research told reporters that the power behind the gun would be increased to 32 megajoules over the summer, giving the weapon a range of 110 miles."

-- Richard Sisk, Matthew Cox and Oriana Pawlyk contributed to this report.What Is ISIS-K? Two Experts on the Group Behind the Kabul Airport Attack and its Rivalry with the Taliban

By 2018, the group had become one of the top four deadliest terrorist organizations in the world.The military services are on the brink of becoming the most integrated they've ever been, thanks to more collaborative strategies and a willingness to leverage one another's technologies, officials say.

But more work is on the horizon, according to the top civilians of each service.

Speaking before an audience at the Center for Strategic and International Studies on Monday, Air Force Secretary Heather Wilson, Navy Secretary Richard V. Spencer and Army Secretary Mark Esper agreed that aligning each service's fiscal budget requests with the National Defense Strategy and stopping time wasted competing for ideas is a main focus.

Wilson said she, Esper and Spencer get together every two weeks for breakfast and have identified "about a dozen things we're doing together" already, in the science and technology and research realms.

"When I started out my career as a young officer, when they said, 'Well you have to do more things that are joint'  joint meant, 'OK, you take the east of this line and you guys take the west of that line,'" she said at the Washington, D.C.-based think tank event.

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"We moved from that to [being] more interdependent -- and I would say the services are on the cusp of becoming integrated, not just interdependent, not just joint, but integrated in our operations," Wilson said.

The goal is to stop competing with one another for the best weapons or technology and instead be able to gather data faster and make battlefield decisions faster "to prevail in 21st-century conflict," she said.

Spencer said the effort has helped the Navy see some stovepiped decisions made during drills or war games and propelled his service to think outside the box.

"We are sitting there at the S&T level going, 'OK, who should be the lead dog in distributed energy [lasers]?' 'Who in the portfolio is doing the primary job where we can say, OK you lead instead of all of us trying to match each other?' And this is happening at the secretary level," Spencer said.

Esper added, "I'll be there and I'll ask myself, 'Is that something we can shoot out from an Army vehicle?' And we have a discussion about it, about how we can share technologies between us."

A critical interest has been how they can all share the fight in space.

"We all have roles in protecting it," Esper said.

Wilson, for example, said one of the major changes in the Air Force's fiscal 2019 budget is the accelerated move toward defending space, along with a new focus on multi-domain command and control with sensor fusion data from a variety of platforms in the air, on land and the sea.

Her comments come as the Air Force intends to scrap its plans for an E-8C Joint Surveillance Target Attack Radar System, or JSTARS, recapitalization program.

When asked what Congress could do to help the services remain more integrated and joint in these efforts, Wilson specifically mentioned that readiness -- not just in end strength, but training and innovation programs -- to do these missions needs to remain a priority.

Defense personnel reform, for example, has become a distraction for the services as they try to move forward with innovative ideas, she said.

The backlog for security clearances, Wilson said, has doubled in the last 18 months, stifling the service's ability to grab at new talent for its civilian ranks.

"Congress has done quite a bit in acquisition reform," she said. "I would also say that there's something they need to pause, which is organizational change. There's been a lot of it in the Pentagon, and we need to just let the [organizational] chart boxes stay where they are this year, and focus on things like personnel reform and some fine-tuning of acquisition."

-- Oriana Pawlyk can be reached at oriana.pawlyk@military.com. Follow her on Twitter at @Oriana0214.Military members and veterans can get up to four free months of Apple Music through the Apple Music military discount -- but...Defense Minister Song Young-moon speaks to U.S. Pacific Fleet Commander Admiral Scott Swift during the latter's visit to the ministry, Thursday. / Yonhap



By Oh Young-jin



Defense Minister Song Young-moo, 70, is a loose cannon. The former chief of naval operations has exploded occasionally but so far without irreparable damage. But left alone, he may bring the roof down, ultimately the house, too.



The latest escapade took place at his office Friday when he received a courtesy call from outgoing U.S. Pacific Fleet Commander Admiral Scott Swift.



While being open to reporters at the beginning of their meeting, Song told Swift that the U.S. shouldn't bring "strategic assets" to the ROK-U.S. joint exercises.



According to reports, Swift responded: "We are ready." Song obviously thought Swift didn't get what he meant and repeated himself.



Confronted with inquiries about whether future drills will be reduced in scale as Song indicated, the ministry said Song's remark was a joke to tell the admiral that he could take it easy until he retires in May.



It said that Swift was expected to get a promotion to head of the Pacific Command. The Pacific Fleet controls the Seventh and Third Fleets  which would serve as spearheads of a counterattack, with strategic assets such as aircraft carriers and submarines, in case the North invades.



Now, there are at least two things wrong with Song's behavior.



First, he should have known better. A man in his position can't speak of sensitive military affairs then dismiss it as a joke, especially now that Seoul and Washington maintain that the drills  Key Resolve and Foal Eagle  will be conducted as planned at an undiminished scale after the Olympics.



Making the situation tricky are the latest developments, including the two Koreas' agreement to hold a summit in late April. Meanwhile, the Song snafu happened before Friday's announcement of the U.S.-North Korea summit.



Considering U.S. pressure tactics  the significant part being ROK-U.S. military exercises  played a key role in Pyongyang's sudden peace initiative, Song's remarks were not just inappropriate but raised questions about his qualifications.

Then, having said it in public also should be seen in the context of whether he leaked military secrets.



It is not the first time Song has not lived up to the standards expected of a defense minister. He was reprimanded by Cheong Wa Dae for criticizing Moon Jung-in, President Moon Jae-in's senior adviser, during his parliamentary testimony.



Some say Song still drinks a lot, dulling his wit, while others say his naval background has alienated much of the military leadership with an Army background.



Song got his job thanks to his affiliation with President Moon as his military adviser during the presidential campaign. During the hearing, it was revealed that he was a heavy drinker and there were many problems caused by it.



As President Moon is preparing for the April summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, he should reconsider taking Song as member of the entourage because he may make mistakes, embarrassing himself and the nation.

State-owned Andhra Bank today said it had classified Sterling group companies as non-performing in March 2015 and reported the matter to the RBI, and subsequently a case has also been lodged with the CBI.

The bank said it was the lead bank of the consortium in case of two group companies of Sterling Group and the exposure to these companies is Rs 578.57 core (fund based) and Rs 568.35 crore (non-fund based) as on date and not as Rs 5,000 crore appeared in media reports.

The bank was responding to a clarification sought by stock exchanges in a news article about loans to Sterling group.

On report that the Enforcement Directorate has filed charges against a bank executive, the bank clarified that "Anup Prakash Garg was the chartered accountant director nominated by the government under Banking Acquisition and Transfer of Undertaking Act and held office from October 13, 2006 to October 12, 2009".

"He was neither an employee nor a whole time director in the bank at any point of time," it said in a regulatory filing.

Meanwhile, in a separate filing, Bangalore-headquartered Canara Bank said Abhijeet Group was declared a wilful defaulter on October 6, 2017.

On the chronological order with relation to loan to Abhijeet Group, Canara Bank said it had extended working capital limits under consortium to Abhijeet Projects on June 13, 2011 and renewed it on December 4, 2012.

"The account became NPA on September 30, 2013. Fraud in the account reported to RBI on July 13, 2015 and criminal case was filed on August 21, 2015 before CBI. Recovery suit was filed before DRT, Bengaluru on September 14, 2015," it said in a BSE filing.

Further, the Enforcement Directorate has sought details on February 26, 2018 about transactions details and the same has been furnished on February 27, 2018.

Andhra Bank said its exposure to the Sterling group companies was classified as non-performing assets since March 2015 onwards based on the conduct of the account.

"As on December 31, 2017, out fund based exposure to the group companies is to the tune of Rs 515.19 crore and stands classified as non-performing asset," it said.

The lender said that during December 2017, it reported the group accounts as fraud to Reserve Bank amounting to Rs 515.19 corre alleging diversion of funds and money laundering on the part of the companies.

"We have already lodged formal complaint with CBI against the companies," the bank said.

Andhra Bank shares closed 6.88 per cent down at Rs 35.85 apiece on BSE while Canara Bank was up 1.42 per cent at Rs 238.55.live bse live

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Malay Mukherjee had a nearly two-decade stint at ArcelorMittal, where he was often called Lakshmi Mittal's right-hand man. Later, the steel industry veteran served as the CEO of Essar Steel for two years.

Now a global consultant, Mukherjee says that the Indian steel industry has suffered because many promoters think only about themselves. That is why, adds Mukherjee in an interview with Moneycontrol, the sale of stressed assets is a great opportunity to strike a balance and ensure that the Indian steel industry fulfills its promise.

With an insider's knowledge of Essar Steel, Mukherjee has no doubt who is the best fit to buy the stressed steel company, and that is ArcelorMittal. Excerpts...

The Indian steel industry at present is engrossed in the sale of stressed assets, some of which have got global attention. How do you see this phase?

I certainly believe that it is a good thing for the Indian steel industry. We are far from exploiting the total potential of the industry, especially if we have to cater to the increasing demand. Even now our per capita consumption of steel is about 80 kg, way below the world average, or China's.

To reach these targets we must have a balanced steel manufacturing industry.

Unfortunately, what has happened is that some promoters have not applied financials controls, were over-leveraged and created a pretty unfavourable judgement of the Indian steel industry, vis-a-vis the global market. Many of the promoters think only about themselves.

This step is in the right direction, to increase transparency and finding the right investor who has professional and technical expertise in running the companies, in keeping view interests of all the stakeholders.

You mentioned that we need to have a balanced steel manufacturing industry. What does that mean?

For balance in the steel industry, we need a level playing field  in access to infrastructure, raw materials. And this should be done in a manner where we dont promote one company, and create inefficiency in another. For instance, there can't be a structure where someone who didnt have capital to buy a mine, is now barred from buying iron ore forever.

Talking about promoters, many of them blame the steel cycle for the distress.

But the steel business is such that you have to contend with the business cycle. You cant really blame the cycle when others have been able to manage.

I went to a few of the stressed assets being auctioned. If the total capital is USD 100, promoters have spent USD 95 in assets and just USD 5 in building the infrastructure to support the assets. That is a wrong way to allocate capital.

In one of the plants, the promoter wanted to bring the raw material by road. Now instead of spending money on building roads, he could have built a rail network.

In another plant, there was no proper infrastructure to handle raw materials, which is 65 percent of the total costs.

Basically, many of these promoters thought steel is a money making machine. They had no expertise.

Some of the stressed assets have seen intense competition. Tata Steel's bid for Bhushan Steel is deemed high. What is your observation?

Tata Steels bid for Bhushan Steel may look like a over-bid at the first glance. But then the Tatas have certain basic advantage over other companies. They have access to captive mines, and in Odisha  where they already have a facility  they can create a major hub. (Bhushan Steel also has facilities in Odisha).

So the capital spend will be compensated by lower operating costs. Tata Steel has the bandwidth to tune the operations and make marketing more structured.

If it was any other company that has bid so high, then the analysis would have been different.

Do you think JSW Steel could have been more aggressive (Mukherjee is an independent director at the company)?

In JSW Steels case, they have always been building assets. They are very good in building world class assets at lower costs. So they are not going to pay extra to buy an asset. It is a choice.

Coming to Essar Steel's auction, ArcelorMittal, which is one of the bidders, has highlighted its global experience in turning around operations. Given your experience at the company, could you give an insight into this?

From a historical point of view, ArcelorMittal took over plant facilities that were owned by Governments, and turned them around. This was the model in Trinidad, Mexico, Kazakhstan, and even in developed markets like Germany.

The turnaround was operational  increase capacity and bring down costs.

Later on, ArcelorMittals strategy was to make the best product in steel, in addition to turning around operations. This was the case in the US.

Overall, ArcelorMittals turnaround strategy has been about operations, financial discipline and products. It also helps that they have the worlds largest R&D facility for a steel company.

If you have all this, then its a no-brainer that the best partner for Essar Steel is ArcelorMittal.

You were Essar Steel CEO. How do you assess the asset?

Essar Steel is a wonderful asset. There is the dependence on gas, but with another blast furnace that can decrease.The Income Tax department has busted an about Rs 5,200-crore scam of fake receipts, which were used to inflate books and avail loans.

According to sources, Mehul Choksi and Nirav Modi - who are at the centre of the Punjab National Bank fraud - also used these fake receipts to show fictitious revenue turnover in their books.

When contacted by Moneycontrol Mehul Choksi's lawyer said, "I am not aware of the development but I can say it is not true." Nirav Modi's lawyer Vijay Aggarwal also said he is not aware of the development and so will not comment on it.

Two weeks ago, the Income Tax (I-T) department raided a company based in the Bharat Diamond Bourse, in Mumbai's Bandra Kurla Complex in connection to the scam. This company allegedly issued the fake receipts.

Bharat Diamond Bourse is home to about 2,500 diamond traders.

A senior official of the I-T department told Moneycontrol, There are some businesses that issue sales and purchase invoices, and charge 1 percent of the total value as commission. These invoices are used to inflate revenue in the books. These invoices are used to draw pre and post shipment credit from banks.

Another source in the investigation agency added: Department has found that Mehul Choksi and Nirav Modi used fake receipts for inflating volumes in their books. Inflated books helped them take larger amount of loan from banks.

These fake receipts, issued between 2011 and 2016, could be worth about Rs 5,200 crore.

An executive from a listed diamond company explained the modus operandi. In diamond market, there are about 10-12 companies that actively use fake receipts."

"These companies issue fake invoices for sales and purchase, without any movement of inventory, for a commission of 1-2 percent. These invoices are used to inflate the sales, and draw higher credit limits from the banks, against receivables. These companies offer local as well as export bills, from their entities based in overseas locations such as Hong Kong, Dubai and Singapore."

Another executive from the industry pointed out that a similar investigation was conducted about two years ago, but was dropped due to immense political pressure.A disgruntled British traveller expressed his anguish over being charged EUR 120 for a name change by the Norwegian Airlines in a scathing poem and got an equally soothing reply from the low-cost carrier.

The Cornwall-based musician, Gus Dolding started his complaint with the following introductory lines: Why can't you be fair/Norwegian Air/No headphones do you include/Nine hours with no free food.

I admit it was wrong to put his first name as Bill/William Edward Gabriel, the seat who's bum will fill/One hundred and twenty euros for what?/For two minutes of typing that's rather a lot, he added later.

In the poem composed and posted from New Orleans, US, he also criticised Kiwi.com, the travel services website which booked his flight for him.

Dolding, in a comment on the same Facebook post, explained his ordeal. Sorry for the scathing poem but I feel the name change fee is extortionate given that it's the same person flying, the flight in question has had a schedule change of around five/six hours, on your website it says we are entitled to a flight change or refund which is a greater amount of admin than a name change which you are offering for free, will you consider letting us change the name for free?

The Norwegian airline later refunded the fee and admitted that their vision is sometimes blurred, but in style. The carriers social media team drafted a poem to apologise to Dolding.

We are sorry for any inconvenience that may have occurred/It can seem like our vision is sometimes blurred/But I can promise you that we try to fly like a bird, it said.

Gus Dolding wrote another poem (in the picture above) thanking the Norwegian airline for listening to the complaint and waiving the fee.The Union Cabinet has approved the setting up of independent regulator National Financial Reporting Authority (NFRA), aimed at taking over the regulatory responsibilities of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI).

In Macro@Moneycontrol, we attempt to explain the role of the new regulator and the powers it shall have over the ICAI going forward.

The ICAI currently serves as the self-regulatory body for accounting in India. In light of the increased number of scams surfacing over the last couple of decades, there have been multiple calls for the redefinition of ICAIs role as a regulator and the setting up of a new regulator.

In the past, despite their integral role in each of these scams, auditors have never been pulled up to the extent they should have been. After the NFRA is set up, it will act as a deterrent for errant auditors because unlike earlier, there will be someone actively looking only for discrepancies in accounting practices.

Although there are concerns that the establishment of NFRA will render ICAI powerless, the government has reiterated that ICAIs role is quite well-defined and that the only thing NFRA will take away from it will be the power to penalize its members.

On the other hand, ICAI will still have control over its educational operations, thereby making sure that it can groom young, upcoming accountants to avoid similar errors on their part in the future.

The setting up of the NFRA can only take place once there is a legislation on it. The bill is expected to be introduced and passed in Parliament in the next three weeks. Important details like what will be the minimum size of a company for it to come under the ambit of the NFRA are still to be decided.Representative Image

The ongoing protest by thousands of farmers in the heart of Mumbai may just be the beginning. For, leaders of farmers associations in several states are planning to hold similar marches in their respective states  in the lead-up to a mega protest in the national capital in April.

The governments anti-farmer stand needs to be challenged. We will hold a rally for the same in Guwahati very soon. Also, all state farmer heads are in close collaboration and we are planning to hold a big protest in New Delhi sometime in April. Farmers from all over India will be present in that rally. State farm heads are meeting in Guwahati this month itself, said Akhil Gogoi, a Northeast-based farmer rights leader.

Indias Northeast has been reeling under farmer crisis caused by land erosion, floods and the general terrain of the land. The state government does not buy our output, which results in heavy losses to our farmers. The issues that have been raised in Maharashtra apply to farmers all over the country. The Mumbai march was a plan well-conceived and all of us had planned it keeping in mind the governments stand, said Gogoi.Tea plantation

Tea exports to Pakistan during the 10 months of 2017-18 during the period April to January stood at 12.73 million kilograms (mkgs) as compared to 9.65 mkgs during the same period of 2016-17.

Total exports from India during April to January 2017-18 also increased to 200.67 mkgs from 188.10 mkgs in the correspond period previous fiscal, according to Tea Board data.

Among the major importers were CIS countries, where exports fell to 46.92 mkgs during April to January 2017-18 from 49.63 mkgs in the similar period of 2016-17.

Iran importers lifted 24.62 mkgs during the period in current fiscal, as compared to 21.06 mkgs in the previous financial year.

Other prominent importers were the UAE (16.44 mkgs), the UK (13.66 mkgs) and the USA (11.89 mkgs) in the first 10 months of 2017-18.

In value terms, exports were to the tune of Rs 3970 crore in the first 10 months of current fiscal, which was higher than Rs 3874 crore in the similar period of previous fiscal, according to the data.

Unit price realisation per kilogram during the period April to January 2017-18 was lower at Rs 197.86 from Rs 206 in the previous period of 2016-17.The government owes over Rs 325 crore to cash-strapped Air India with bills pending for VVIP chartered flights to foreign countries, according to an RTI response.

The national carrier, which is on the verge of being privatised, has provided details of pending bills towards various ministries responsible for the VVIP visits in its latest response to the information sought by Commodore (retd) Lokesh Batra.

The details provided in the response dated March 8 shows that Rs 325.81 crore worth of bills for VVIP charter flights are pending as on January 31, 2018.

Of the total pending bills, Rs 84.01 crore have been carried forward from last financial year while the remaining Rs 241.80 crore are from bills generated this year.

The chartered aircraft for VVIPs -- the President, the Vice President and the Prime Minister -- for their visits abroad are provided by Air India which modifies its commercial jets to suit the needs of the travelling dignitaries.

The bills for these aircraft are to be paid from the exchequer by the Defence Ministry, the Ministry of External Affairs Ministry, the Prime Minister's Office and the Cabinet Secretariat.

The response from Air India said that the highest outstanding amount of Rs 178.55 crore was due from the External Affairs Ministry, followed by the Cabinet Secretriat and the PMO (Rs 128.84 crore), and the Defence Ministry (Rs 18.42 crore).

The reply stated that outstanding bills of Rs 451.71 crore were carried forward while bills of Rs 553.01 crore were generated this year -- a total of Rs 1004.72 crore. Out of this, the government made a payment of Rs 678.91 crore this year.

The payment of Rs 678.91 crore includes Rs 367.70 crore paid towards Rs 451.71 crore bills carried forward from last year and Rs 311.23 crore payment towards bills of Rs 533.01 crore generated this year.

After the payment, the outstanding as on January 31, 2018 stands at Rs 325.81 crore.

In a separate response dated March 5, three days before Air India's reply, the Civil Aviation Ministry has said the total outstanding bills to be Rs 345.946 crore as on December 31, 2017.

In addition to the VVIP flights, the amount of 345.946 crore also includes outstanding bills of Rs 20.966 crore towards services offered to visiting dignitaries and evacuation missions.

In its response, Air India has given outstanding bills only for VVIP flights till January 31, 2018.

The response provided by the Civil Aviation Ministry also includes a break up of outstanding amount towards various ministries and details of invoices which shows that out of outstanding invoices of Rs 182.22 crore towards flights of the President, Rs 174.22 crore was paid and Rs 8 crore was pending.

In the case of the Vice President, out of outstanding invoices of Rs 414.28 crore, Rs 216.02 crore was paid and payment of Rs 198.254 crore was yet to be made as on December 31, 2017, it said.

For the visits of the Prime Minister, out of total outstanding invoices of Rs 272.80 crore, Rs 154.07 crore was paid while a payment of Rs 118.724 crore was still awaited, it said.

In addition to the services for the VVIP flights, the bills of Rs 11.594 crore for daring Air India operations to evacuate Indian citizens from Cairo, Iraq, and Malta (for citizens stuck in Libya) between 2011 and 2014 are still pending with the MEA, the civil aviation ministry said.

A bill of Rs 23 lakh for the fuel charges of the flight to the United States carrying relief material in the aftermath of Katrina hurricane in September 2005 is also pending with the Defence Ministry, it said.In 2014, Time.com had done an extensive research to determine the wealthiest people in the history of civilisation. Below is the list of 10 super-rich people, who have had billions at their disposal. Although their wealth is adjusted to inflation, it is not possible to put a figure to the fortunes of some of these people. Nonetheless, read on to find out who had the most wealth. (Image: Reuters)

Mansa Musa (12801337 AD) | Country: Mali | The King of Timbuktu was the largest producer of gold in the worldat a time when gold was in especially high demand. Reports suggest that he was so rich that converting his wealth into figures is a struggle. According to the Time report, his pilgrimage to Mecca cost so much that it caused a currency crisis in Europe. (Image: Wikimedia Commons)

Augustus Caesar (63 BC14 AD) | Country: Rome | Wealth: estimated at $4.6 trillion. Caesars Rome comprised around 30 percent of the worlds economic output at the time. His personal wealth is believed to have been close to one-fifth of the empires economy, which could be around $4.6 trillion as of 2014. (Image: Wikimedia Commons)

Emperor Shenzong | (10481085 AD) | Country: China | The emperor belonged to the Song Dynasty that possessed between 25 to 30 percent of the worlds economic output at its prime. The highly centralized system of rule, coupled with his efficient tax system meant that Emperor Shenzong was one of the wealthiest rulers in the world. (Image: Wikimedia Commons)

Akbar | (15421605 AD) | Country: India | The greatest emperor of Indias Mughal dynasty, at one time had a quarter of the global economic output, mostly attributed to his collection of taxes. It is believed that Indias wealth at the time was equivalent to that of Elizabethan England. (Image: Wikimedia Commons)

Joseph Stalin | (18781953 AD) | Country: USSR | Although the leader of the USSR could not be attributed to having that much of personal wealth, he handled 9.6 percent of the global GDP by taking up the affairs of the USSR. The figure as of 2014 amounts to $7.85 trillion. (Image: Wikimedia Commons)

Andrew Carnegie | (18351919 AD) | Country: USA | Carnegie could well be the richest American of all time. The Scottish immigrant, who had sold his company US Steel to JP Morgan in 1901 for $480 million, could be sitting on as much as $372 billion in terms of 2014. (Wikimedia Commons)

John D. Rockefeller | (18391937 AD) | Country: United States | Rockefeller was one of the richest oil barons of the time. His Standard Oil Company was running 90 percent of the Americas pipelines, which amounted to $357 billion as of 2014. (Image: Wikimedia Commons)

Alan Rufus | (10401093 AD) | Country: England | $203 billion | The nephew of William the Conqueror, Rufus amassed a sum of 11,000, which was 7 percent of Englands GDP at the time. That would amount to $203 billion in 2018 dollars.

Jeff Bezos | (1964 -present) | Country: United States | The founder and CEO of e-commerce giant Amazon, Bezos' is neck and neck with Microsoft founder Bill Gates for the title of the richest person in the world. According to Bloomberg Billionaires Index, both Gates' and Bezos wealth at present is pegged at $114 billion. (Image: Reuters)BF-3, a short take-off and vertical landing F-35 Lightning II, releases an inert 1,000 lb. GBU-32 Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM) separation weapon over water in an Atlantic test range in Patuxent River, Maryland August 8, 2012. A Lockheed Martin Corp F-35 Joint Strike Fighter aircraft has dropped its first bomb in a new test stage of the Pentagon's costliest weapons purchase, officials said August 9, 2012. REUTERS/Andy Wolfe/Lockheed Martin/Handout (UNITED STATES - Tags: MILITARY TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY) FOR EDITORIAL USE ONLY. NOT FOR SALE FOR MARKETING OR ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS. THIS IMAGE HAS BEEN SUPPLIED BY A THIRD PARTY. IT IS DISTRIBUTED, EXACTLY AS RECEIVED BY REUTERS, AS A SERVICE TO CLIENTS - GM2E88A0LJR01

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State-owned Bharat Dynamics has opened its initial public offer for subscription on Tuesday, with a price band of Rs 413-428 per share.

Here are 10 things you should know before subscribing the issue:-

Company Profile

Hyderabad-headquartered Bharat Dynamics is one of the leading defence PSUs in India engaged in the manufacture of surface to air missiles (SAMs), anti-tank guided missiles (ATGMs), underwater weapons, launchers, countermeasures and test equipment.

It is the sole manufacturer in India for SAMs, torpedoes, ATGMs; and it is also the sole supplier of SAMs and ATGMs to the Indian armed forces, according to F&S Report.

Additionally, it is also engaged in the business of refurbishment and life extension of missiles manufactured.

The defence company currently has three manufacturing facilities located in Hyderabad, Bhanur and Vishakhapatnam.

About the Public Issue

The initial public offering of 2,24,51,953 equity shares is an an offer for sale by the promoter, The President of India, acting through the Ministry of Defence.

The company has reserved a portion of 4,58,203 equity shares for allotment to eligible employees. The issue will close on March 15.

The price band for the offer is at Rs 413-428 per share. Employees and retail investors will get shares at a discount of Rs 10 per share on offer price.

Bids can be made for a minimum lot of 35 equity Shares and in multiples of 35 shares thereafter.

Equity shares are proposed to be listed on BSE and NSE. The book running lead managers to the offer are SBI Capital Markets, IDBI Capital Markets & Securities and YES Securities (India).

Fund Raising

Bharat Dynamics aims to raise Rs 927.27 crore at lower end of price band and Rs 960.94 crore at higher band, through the issue.

Objects of the Issue

It is an offer for sale; hence the company will not receive any proceeds from the offer and all the proceeds will go to the selling shareholder.

Main objects of the Offer are to carry out the disinvestment of 22,451,953 equity shares by the selling shareholder and to achieve the benefits of listing the equity shares on the stock exchanges.

It is a part of divestment programme for which the government revised its target to Rs 80,000 crore (from Rs 72,500 crore earlier) in the recent Union Budget.

Strengths

> The infrastructure at manufacturing facilities combined with vast expertise enable the company to cater to the needs of the Indian armed forces in a timely manner.

> The implementation of 'Make in India' policy has enabled it to improve supply chain management in order to meet long term commitments to primary customer, the MoD and ensured transparency in identifying and developing new vendors. Increase in indigenisation will enable the company to reduce reliance on imports and the cost of products.

> In order to ensure that products qualify the trials by the Indian armed forces, it has set up various quality control processes such as multi-level inspection at vendors plants, inspection of outsourced materials / components, subassembly checks and final checks of our products in order to ensure highest success rates of products.

> It has a diversified Board with directors and each of key management team having several years of experience in the defence industry.

> As of January 31, 2018, its outstanding order book was Rs 10,543 crore. It has delivered consistent growth over the last five financial years both in terms of financial and operational metrics.

Financials

The state-owned defence company has posted profits continuously in the last five fiscals. It has reported a CAGR of 39.4 percent and 10.8 percent on revenue and net profit fronts respectively over FY14-FY17.

Promoter and Management

Its promoter is the President of India acting through the Ministry of Defence.

Udaya Bhaskar has been associated with the company in the capacity of a Chairman and Managing Director since January 30, 2015. He holds a bachelors degree in plastics technology and chemical engineering from H B Technological Institute, Kanpur University and holds masters degree in technology from Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi. He joined the company in the year 1990.

Shareholding

The promoter currently holds 100 percent of the pre-Offer equity share capital of the company.

The government will dilute 12.25 percent stake through the issue.

Post completion of the offer, promoter's shareholding will be reduced to 87.75 percent of the post offer paid-up equity share capital.

Dividend Policy

Bharat Dynamics has consistently declared dividends for the last five fiscals.

Risks and Concerns

Here are some risks and concerns highlighted by several brokerage houses:-

> BDL is primarily dependent on a single customer, the Indian armed forces through the Ministry of Defence. A decline or reprioritisation of the Indian defence budget, the reduction in their orders, termination of contracts or failure to succeed in tendering projects and deviations in the short term and long term policies of the Ministry of Defence or the Indian armed forces in the future will have a material adverse impact on company's business, financial condition, and results of operations, growth prospects and cash flows.

> The company operates in a highly regulated environment and interference from the government is quite high as it involves national security concerns.

> It is dependent on its information technology infrastructure to conduct its business activities, manage risks, implement its internal control systems and manage and monitor its business operations.

> Government of India intention to open FDI in the defence sector is expected to increase the competition intensity among players operating in the sector.

> Cost overruns/delays in delivery may lead to loss under fixed-price contracts.

> The company is dependent on key original equipment manufacturers for sub-assemblies/ component, single source supplier and sub contractors.In an interview to CNBC-TV18, Mark Matthews of Bank Julius Baer and James Glassman, Senior Economist at JPMorgan spoke at length about the strong jobs data in the US and the latest happenings in the global markets.

Glassman said that we see a lot of stimulus for the US economy.

He further said that February jobs data is good news for the US economy.

Talking about emerging markets, he said we expect India to grow faster than China in years to come.

Matthews of Bank Julius Baer said that we expect a rate hike by the US Fed in March.

He further said that there is an increasing chance of 4 rate hikes in the US instead of 3 going ahead.

Talking about India, he said we have not changed structural call on India.

According to him, majority of weakness can be attributed to alleged public sector banks (PSB) scam in India.

On earnings front, he said we expect earnings in India to be strong for this year and the next.

We believe 3 largest Indian PSU banks to be able to raise enough capital to cover non-performing assets (NPAs), said Matthews.

He further mentioned that we expect big bond buying from pension fund which will stop yields from rising further.live bse live

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Bears ruled Dalal Street in the week gone by but this week could well belong to the bulls, suggest technical experts tracking the market. The Nifty50 which closed with a loss of 2.2 percent for the week ended March 9 but the pullback rally could take Nifty towards 10300-10400 levels, they say.

A large part of the decline was led by banking stocks as more bad news flowed into the sector. The banking regulator penalised four banks including State Bank of India (SBI) and Airtel Payments Bank for breaching RBI norms.

On the global front, the market sentiment remained weak amid weak global cues on the prospects of trade wars initiated by the US President Donald Trump which led to weakness in markets across the globe.

The BSE-30 Index dropped over 2 percent to close at 33,307 while the Nifty50 slipped by 2.2 percent for the week ended March 9. The index breached key support levels but managed to defend its 200-days exponential moving average which was placed around 10070.

After a sharp correction seen throughout in the month of March, analysts feel that the Nifty could see a bounce back which could take the Nifty towards 10300-10400 levels. But, that would just be a Dead Cat Bounce as the pain is not yet over.

This was clearly an action-packed week for our traders as we once again saw some trended move after a consolidation of nearly three weeks. This was clearly on cards; but as we all know, timing such moves is not as easy as it looks in the hindsight.

For a positional trader, it is always a prudent strategy to remain with the trend when it is in the early stages. The near-term trend turned lower after confirming the Bearish Engulfing pattern at the end of the Budget week, Sameet Chavan- Chief Analyst, Technicals and Derivatives at Angel Broking

Addition to this, the RSI-Smoothened slipped below the 70 mark and now we can see prices closing below the 20-EMA on the weekly time frame for the first time after January 2017.

We would continue with our sell on rise approach and would expect the index to the first slide towards 10033 and then eventually to enter sub-10000 levels quite soon. However, before this, 10140  10350 has become a no-trade zone for the market. If any negativity has to resume, it would only happen after violating the 10140 mark, said Chavan.

He further added that the ideal scenario to initiate short position would be either below this crucial junction or after seeing a decent relief rally towards the higher end i.e. 10350  10400. As of now, we do not expect the Nifty to surpass these hurdles in coming days.

Traders should remain light and avoid taking undue risks in such kind of uncertainty and in case of some relief rally within the consolidation range, traders should focus on individual stocks.

We have collated a list of ten trading ideas which can give up to 14% return in the short term:

Sameet Chavan- Chief Analyst, Technicals and Derivatives at Angel Broking

Bank of Baroda Ltd: BUY| Target Rs142| Stop Loss Rs128| Return 8%

We are not trying to make any kind of bottom fishing as the entire PSU banking basket is like a falling knife for the last three weeks. But, the way this stock behaved in the last three sessions, we tempted to take a trading punt with a small stop loss.

The stock is extremely oversold as reflected on the daily time frame charts along with a couple of Doji candles around the 130 mark.

Since, the risk is very small i.e. hardly a couple of percent from current prices, it calls for a good contra-buy for the coming week. In case of a bounce back, we may see a good relief move towards Rs.142 levels.

However, considering the recent underperformance, traders are advised to follow a strict stop loss placed below Rs.128 for this trade.

Ultratech Cement Ltd: SELL| Target Rs3896| Stop Loss Rs4174| Return 7%

The stock prices consolidated for nearly a month after witnessing a sharp correction from the all-time high of 4600. On Friday, there were some hints that the stock could break below this consolidation range and therefore, confirms a resumption of a downward move.

The momentum oscillators in the weekly time frame are sloping southwards, which adds conviction to the cautious stance on the counter. We advise going short for a target of Rs.3896 for the coming week, and one should place a strict stop loss below Rs.4174.

Tata Steel Ltd: SELL| Target Rs625| Stop Loss Rs647| Return 9%

Looking at Fridays sharp fall, it is no brainer going short on this counter. But, we have been quite vocal on the probable correction before the Budget time and have been advising traders exiting longs around their recent highs.

In fact, Tata Steel was the one stock that we advised going contra-short around its peak. This was mainly after prices entering its major resistance zone of 161% reciprocal retracement on the monthly chart. It is good to see the real impact of this important Golden Ratio.

Now, finally, prices confirmed its bearish trend after breaking down below recent make or break level of 632. We continue to expect this stock sliding towards 570  550 in days to come.

Since the stock has already fallen a lot, its advisable to wait for some bounce back towards 620  625, which will make the risk-reward ration a bit favorable. One can look to go short around it with a strict stop loss of Rs.647.

Jay Purohit -Technical & Derivatives Analyst, Centrum Broking Limited

Motherson Sumi: BUY| Target Rs350| Stop Loss Rs298| Return 10%

The stock has corrected sharply in the last few days and has reached to its strong support zone of Rs300-305. The stock made a double bottom formation and has started rebounding from the mentioned support zone to form a couple of 'Hammer' candles on the daily time frame charts.

This was followed by a positive momentum in the last couple of trading sessions, which indicates a possibility of a reversal in the short term trend.

Also, the momentum oscillator RSI is showing positive divergence on the daily chart and is showing strength in the counter. Looking at the current chart structure, we are expecting a bounce in the stock towards Rs350 levels in coming couple of weeks.

Any decline towards 310 should be used as a buying opportunity with a stop-loss of 298.

Bharti Airtel: BUY| Target Rs445| Stop Loss Rs379| Return 11%

The stock is moving in a corrective phase from the last ten weeks and has also corrected by more than 25 percent in the same time. Currently, we are witnessing a formation of a Bullish Harmonic pattern called Bullish Bat on the daily charts.

The Potential Reversal Zone (PRZ) is placed in the zone of Rs387  393. The RSI oscillator is showing a series of positive divergence on the daily chart, indicating a possibility of a short-term reversal.

Looking at the above technical evidence, traders are advised to buy the stock on declines for the target of Rs435  445 with a stop-loss below 379.

Jubilant FoodWorks: BUY| Target Rs2350| Stop Loss Rs1960| Return 14%

The stock has outperformed the broader market in the recent past as it didnt correct too much in the ongoing correction seen in the market.

From the last two sessions, the stock is showing strength and is now coming out of a short-term consolidation phase. Also, the RSI on the weekly chart is showing a positive reversal and thus indicating resumption in the uptrend in the coming weeks.

Considering current chart structure, we advised traders to buy the stock with the stop-loss of 1960, and on the upside, we may see targets ranging from 2300  2350 levels.

Dinesh Rohira, Founder & CEO, 5nance.com

Vakrangee Ltd: BUY| Target Rs216 | Stop Loss Rs180 | Return 10%

After trading in a downward momentum for a series of consecutive session, Vakrangee took a strong bottom base at 154 levels and continued to rebound in a positive trajectory.

The scrip breached its short-term moving average placed at 174 levels with substantial growth in volume which signalled a positive momentum.

On the weekly price chart, the scrip made a strong bullish candlestick pattern coupled with bullish crossover on MACD made during last weeks trade.

Further, the RSI level at 58 up from earlier level sign positive cues. The scrip is currently holding support at 179 and resistance level is seen at 225. We have a BUY recommendation on the counter which is currently trading at Rs. 195.75

Geojit Financial Services Ltd: BUY| Target Rs109 | Stop-loss Rs90 | Return 8%

Geojit Financial witnessed a robust momentum towards the weekend session despite trading in a sideways direction for a week, as it made a positive breakout from its 20-days EMA level.

Further, Bollinger bandwidth suggests a positive breakout from its upper band placed at 117 which is likely to build the uptrend trajectory. After closing on about 6 percent gain on an intraday basis, the scrip made a solid bullish candlestick pattern on its daily price chart.

Further, the RSI at 51 levels has given a favourable buying regime coupled with positive cues on MACD.

With price trading above crucial levels, the scrip is now facing a resistance at 118 levels and support level at 89. We have a BUY recommendation for Geojit Financial which is currently trading at Rs100.95

SMC Global Securities Ltd

Pidilite Industries Ltd: BUY| Target Rs980| Stop Loss Rs820| Return 12%

The stock closed at Rs878.70 on 9th March 2018. It made a 52-week low at Rs680 on 10th March 2017 and a 52-week high of Rs. 971.70 on 26th December 2018.

The 200-days Exponential Moving Average (EMA) of the stock on the daily chart is currently at Rs. 831.87. The stock is continuously trading in higher highs and higher lows on weekly charts which is bullish in nature.

From the past few weeks, it was consolidating in the range of 840-910 levels and formed a Triangle pattern. Although, the stock has not given the pattern breakout bias is looking positive for the stock.

Therefore, one can buy in the range of 865-875 levels for the upside target of 960-980 levels with SL below 820.

Tata Elxsi Ltd: BUY| Target Rs1120| Stop Loss Rs930| Return 12%

The stock closed at Rs. 1002.35 on 09th March 2018. It made a 52-week low at Rs. 641.17 on 24th May 2017 and a 52-week high of Rs. 1123.25 on 24th January 2018. The 200-days Exponential Moving Average (EMA) of the stock on the daily chart is currently at Rs. 913.83

The stock is forming an Inverted Head and Shoulder pattern on the weekly charts, which is considered to be bullish. It took more than 2 years to form the pattern so the potential of rise is quite strong.

Apart from this, technical indicators such as RSI and MACD are also suggesting buying the stock. Therefore, one can buy in the range of 980-990 levels for the upside target of 1100-1120 levels with a stop loss below 930.

The views and investment tips expressed by investment experts 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.After the government's announcement of disinvestment of Air India, many players have expressed interest in acquiring the national carrier. In a recent development, a consortium of three airlines: Jet Airways, Air France  KLM and Delta Airlines have submitted an expression of interest in acquiring debt-ridden Air India. Before this, the government has received interest from IndiGo, a low-cost leading domestic airline, and an unidentified foreign airline.

The national carrier has been struggling on the back of operational inefficiencies, high employee cost and high level of net debt (Rs 54,715 crore) incurring huge losses for long.

Repeated attempts to restore efficiency have not yielded results and the government had to finally decide on privatising it along with five of its subsidiaries - Air India Engineering Services, Air India Air Transport Services, Air India Charter Limited, Airline Allied Services and Hotel Corporation of India. However, the contours of the stake sale are yet to be finalised. Subsidiaries are expected to be hived off separately, which will help pare mammoth consolidated debt.

To expedite the disinvestment process, the government has also relaxed the FDI (foreign direct investment) norm allowing foreign investment up to 49 percent in Air India through the approval route. This is expected to widen the universe of bidders thereby making disinvestment easier and faster and probably in FY19 itself.

We believe the Indian aviation industry is in a sweet spot, clocking double-digit growth in domestic passenger for last 42 months and the trend continues with the industry witnessing 19.9 percent (YoY) growth in January 2018. This is expected to generate lot of interest in Indian aviation industry from foreign players.

There are multiple reasons Air India is generating significant interest. Firstly, Air India has domestic passenger market share of around 13.3 percent and international traffic share of 44 percent. Acquiring the airline would give immediate access to high-growth Indian markets.

Secondly, Air India will strengthen its partners reach and give access to highly coveted prime slots on the foreign soil. Reportedly, Air India has eight pair of slots at London Heathrow (LHR) and some others airports in the USA and Europe.

Thirdly, the buyer will get access to aircraft parking/hangars facility in most of the important domestic and international airports. Lastly, Air India has the biggest MRO (Maintenance and Repair Operations) set up in India for all engineering repair requirements for aircrafts.

Our back-of-the-envelope calculations indicate that if Air India is valued using EV/ EBITDA multiple of 10x and EV/ sales multiple of 1.5x (both discount to that of the leader, IndiGo), the company will fetch Rs22,075 crore and Rs34,954 crore, respectively. The blended value (by giving 50 percent weight to each method of valuation) works out to Rs 28,500 crore.

However, after adjusting for net-debt, which is Rs 54,715 crore, there is no value left for the equity shareholder. This would demand sizeable haircut to be taken by the lenders to leave something on the table to generate enough interest from the new buyers.

Follow @agrawant

For more research articles, visit our Moneycontrol Research Pagelive bse live

nse live Volume Todays L/H More 

Nearly 30 banks are said to have paid out funds based on letters of undertaking (LoUs) issued by Punjab National Bank on behalf of jewellers Nirav Modi and Mehul Choksi and their companies,

A parliamentary committee's report names banks such as State Bank of India, Union Bank of India, Allahabad Bank and Axis Bank among those that honoured the PNB guarantees, the Economic Times reported today.

The parliamentary committee's report also includes foreign lenders.

"International branches of many other Indian banks, it is believed as many as 30, including State Bank of India, Union Bank of India, Allahabad Bank, Axis Bank and some foreign banks, lent money to a particular entity or many entities or companies based on these alleged fraudulent guarantees," the committee said in its report.

The committee has also asked the finance ministry to launch an inquiry into human and systemic elements of the alleged scam, the ET report said.

The government will discuss all the recommendations made by the committee with the regulator and other stakeholders, sources told the newspaper.

"A multi-agency probe has already been ordered and letters of request to 13 countries have been sent seeking details of properties, bank accounts of companies," the official added.

The fraud is estimated at Rs 12,700 crore. It was initially estimated at Rs 11,300 crore. The scam was brought to the public attention after PNB statement last month.The bulls were in control as the Indian markets extended its intraday gains with the Nifty jumping over 200 points at 10,429 while the Sensex was up 636 points.

The Nifty Auto index gained 1.38 percent led by Tata Motors which jumped 3 percent while Hero MotoCorp was up 2.6 percent. Amara Raja Batteries and Exide Industries were the other top gainers.

The Nifty Energy index gained 2 percent as stocks like NTPC added 3.4 percent closely followed by Indian Oil Corporation which was up 3.3 percent. HPCL and Oil & Natural Gas Corporation were the other performing stocks.

According to research firm Stewart & Mackertich, Tata Motors can be picked up as a BTST trade with target at Rs 359 and stop loss below Rs 347, thereby yielding a return of 2 percent in the short term.As many as 62 member nations of the ISA committed that they will increase share of solar power in their energy mix to deal with climate change and provide energy to underprivileged in the society.

The Delhi Solar Agenda launched here at founding summit of International Solar Alliance (ISA).

Under the ISA framework as many as 32 countries have ratified the agreement, while 30 have joined the group of nations, which aim to promote solar energy as means of development particularly in developing nations.

The agenda said that these countries will pursue an increased share of solar energy in the final energy consumption in their respective national energy mix, as a means of tackling global challenges of climate change and as a cost effective solution by supporting and implementing policy initiatives and participation of all relevant stakeholder.

Besides, they will also facilitate affordable finance, access to appropriate, clean and environment friendly technology and undertake capacity building, including forging mutually beneficial partnerships with reputable international institutions and reputable financial institutions for the benefit of developing countries.

They committed that they would explore innovative financing mechanisms that can generate a sustainable market for the deployment of cost effective solar technologies, coupled with constructive policy initiatives to catalyse public and private investments to reduce the cost of solar projects in developing countries.

These nations will also facilitate joint 'research and development' efforts among member states and other stakeholders to develop appropriate business models, cost effective standards, innovative technical applications, equipments and storage designs to suit members' climatic conditions and to realise clean and low cost operations under the agenda.

As per the agenda they will also consider off-grid solar applications to cater to the energy requirements of poorer and/or remote communities and also facilitate awareness and skills enhancement of local communities in the monitoring and maintenance of solar technologies in the member countries.

They have also decided to leverage and emphasise the key characteristics and strengths of solar energy in their national energy plans and strategies and to assist through the implementation of solar strategies.

They will proceed with the designation of National Focal Points and strengthen ISA to become an action-oriented and member-driven multilateral organisation.

Meanwhile, India said that it has set up a Project Preparation Facility (PPF) to assist its development partner countries towards preparation of viable projects that can be considered for concessions financing under Lines of Credit.

The PPF fills the capacity gap in identifying a need, conceiving a project and preparing a proper proposal.

The PPF will provide consultancy support on grant basis to requesting governments for project formulation. It is a demand-responsive mechanism and a quick access facility to address priority needs of requesting governments.

It said that the selection of consultancy firms for undertaking activities such as project identification, project formulation, pre-feasibility study etc. under the PPF will be done from among the list of consultancy firms empanelled by Exim Bank of India. The selected firm would then be quickly deployed to undertake the requested activity.

At present as many as 13 projects worth USD 143 million are financed under the line of credit provided by India.

India has announced about 27 proposed projects at the founding conference of International Solar Alliance, which entail funding of USD 1.4 billion. Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi mentioned about these projects and the investment in his inaugural address of the conference.Managing Director of Telenor's India partner Unitech, Sanjay Chandra (C) leaves a court in New Delhi April 13, 2011. An Indian court on Wednesday put on trial the first set of officials and businessmen indicted in the country's biggest corruption case, a multi-billion dollar telecoms scandal that has weakened the government and put off some foreign investors. (REUTERS)

Moneycontrol

The Supreme Court on Monday ordered embattled real estate company Unitech Ltd to furnish the complete list of its unencumbered assets in India and abroad. The company agreed to submit the list within a fortnight. The apex court will then consider auctioning these properties to refund money to distressed homebuyers.

The next date of hearing has been fixed for March 26.

The Supreme Court on March 5 had ordered the real estate firm to file a detailed affidavit with respect to its company and sister concerns unencumbered properties in India and abroad by March 12. It had also warned it against making any false declaration in the affidavit.

The apex court on Monday ordered that once the list was made available, it would auction those properties to raise money and pay homebuyers who are seeking a refund and whatever remains will be used for construction, said Pawanshree Agarwal, amicus curiae in the case.

The bench headed by Chief Justice Dipak Misra on Monday also imposed a cost of Rs 25 lakh on JM Financial ARC Ltd for wasting the courts time and diverting its attention from homebuyers issue.

Dismissing the intervention application, the court directed JM Financial ARC Ltd to deposit Rs 25 lakh as it was not in the interest of justice for them to move such an application and waste the courts time and divert the courts attention to such financial institutions instead of focusing the issues pertaining to homebuyers, said Varun Chopra, a Supreme Court advocate.

Last week, Unitech had informed the Supreme Court through its counsel that JM Financial Asset Reconstruction Company has evinced interest in financing its under-construction projects to which the court ordered that its managing director be present at the next date of hearing. Its counsel Mukul Rohatgi and Ranjit Kumar had informed that the company had signed a deal with JM Financial Ltd which would enable it to complete under-construction projects and allot flats to buyers.

As with regard to the civil matter, the court ordered that the Rs 30 crore that has been submitted in court should be distributed on the pro rata basis, Agarwal said.

The SC last week had asked Pioneer to deposit Rs 40 crore, Rs 30 crore by March 30 and the balance by April 5 for development of its Gurgaon-based housing projects. It said, The said amount shall be distributed amongst homebuyers who have claimed refund in respect of the concerned projects before the national commission.

The co-developer, Pioneer, through its counsel submitted that there was a development agreement between it and Unitech for a Gurgaon project under which its liability was limited to only 40 percent whereas Unitechs liability was 60 percent. The co-developer has contested National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commissions (NCDRC) orders under which it was asked to discharge 100 percent liability, sources said.

Last year, the SC had told Unitech that it would consider grant of interim bail to Chandra if the company deposited Rs 750 crore in court by December.

On January 29, Unitech had informed the Supreme court that it had finalised a Rs 400 crore deal for the sale of two land parcels in Chennai that would enable it to complete unfinished projects and refund buyers. Omshakthy Agencies Pvt Ltd has been asked to deposit Rs90 crore for the sale of land in Chennai by March 31.

The real estate company was required to deposit Rs 750 crore by December to secure bail for Chandra, who is in jail in a case of alleged forgery lodged by buyers of a Unitech housing project in Gurugram. It has deposited Rs 18 crore till date.

Chandra is seeking interim bail from the apex court after the Delhi High Court on August 11 had rejected the plea in a criminal case lodged in 2015 by 158 home buyers of Unitech projects' -- 'Wild Flower Country' and 'Anthea Project' -- in Gurgaon.Prakash Gaba of prakashgaba.com told CNBC-TV18, "I have two stocks, both in the banking sector, looking weak. Andhra Bank looks like it can see a slide to around Rs 25 zone, it may take a couple of days for that, keep stop loss above Rs 37."

Union Bank of India is also looking weak. We should be able to see a slide to around Rs 82 zones in a day or two, keep stop loss above Rs 94. It is basically PSU basket which is weak," he added.MCaffeine, a Mumbai-based caffeinated personal care brand, has raised USD 500,000 in its latest funding round.

The pre-series A investment round was led by Wazir Advisors, Let's Venture and Calcutta Angels. The funds will be utilised towards product research and development, inventory buildup and expansion of its product portfolio.

MCaffeine was launched in 2015 by Vikas Lachhwani and Tarun Sharma.

"We see a potential market in the young millennials, which we believe is underserved by the incumbent brands and products. Hence, we are looking to build a brand which reflects the millennial lifestyle and aspirations. MCaffeine is sensitive to the social message it communicates and does openly detest fairness products. Our aim is to make a compelling proposition in the consumer products market in order to drive our product and brand philosophy, " said Vikas Lachhwani, Co-founder of MCaffeine.

The company is digitally native vertical brand (DNVB) which sells on more than 20 e-commerce websites in India.

MCaffeine as a brand has the pulse of the new generation. They understand the physical and emotional needs of their market. What they have been able to achieve in such a limited time is really commendable," said Harminder Sahni, Founder of Wazir Advisors.CNBC-TV18 brings you a brand new week of Bull's Eye. It's the popular game show where market experts come together to dish out trading strategies for you to make your week more exciting and compete with each other to see whose portfolio is the strongest.

Remember these are midcap ideas not just for the day, but stocks that look attractive in the medium-term as well.

This week, Ruchit Jain, Rakesh Bansal and Jay Thakkar battle it out for top honours.

Below their top stock picks and analysis:

Ruchit Jain of Angel Broking

Buy TV18 Broadcast with a stoploss at Rs 60.70 and target of Rs 68

Buy Astral Poly with a stoploss at Rs 835 and target of Rs 925

Sell Dish TV with a stoploss at Rs 69.50 and target of Rs 61

Sell Idea Cellular with a stoploss at Rs 82 and target of Rs 73

Rakesh Bansal of RK Global

Buy IDBI Bank with a stoploss at Rs 66.8 and target of Rs 84

Buy Gravita with a stoploss at Rs 149.8 and target of Rs 168

Buy IIFL Holding with a stoploss at Rs 778 and target of Rs 858

Buy TV18 Broadcast with a stoploss at Rs 59.8 and target of Rs 67

Jay Thakkar of Anand Rathi Securities

Buy Ashok Leyland with a stoploss at Rs 144 and target of Rs 155

Buy Kajaria Ceramics with a stoploss at Rs 549 and target of Rs 599

Buy NIIT Tech with a stoploss at Rs 853 and target of Rs 912

Buy UPL with a stoploss at Rs 702 and target of Rs 735

Disclosure: Reliance Industries Ltd. is the sole beneficiary of Independent Media Trust which controls Network18 Media & Investments Ltd.The Nifty50 index slipped by about 8 percent from the record highs so far in the year 2018 but the bull markets still remain intact, Edelweiss said in a strategy note authored by Sahil Kapoor, and Shobana Krishnan.

This short-term correction seen in Indian equity markets, tough severe will only be a speed bump in the ongoing bull market in India, it said.

Backed by the revival in global earnings. MSCI World EPS indicates CAGR growth of 19-20 percent by FY20. This is likely to get replicated in India which is expected to see an earrings revival in FY19 to FY21, added the note.

Edelweiss expects the Nifty earnings per share (EPS) of FY18/19/20 to be 500/600/700. The brokerage firm is of the view that there are short-term risks which are likely to lead to correction and consolidation in the short term.

However, the long-term bull market is still intact and will exert itself once this short-term correction plays out. Eventually, the correction will provide an opportunity to enter sustainably profitable business with a lot of margin of safety.

Edelweiss revises their Nifty target price for FY19 to 11,500 from 12,000 earlier giving it a PE multiple of 16.5, 1-Yr Forward at an EPS of Rs 700 for FY20.

What are the macros suggesting?

India is gaining share in World GDP (on a Purchasing Price Parity basis) and is supposed to be the third largest economy by FY20. Fiscal Consolidation in India till FY17 has been better than its EM peers.

The government has been performing a fine balancing act by keeping subsidies flat and revenue collections especially direct tax collections have been steadily going.

Fiscal deficit target for FY19 stood at 3.2 percent of GDP and 3.5 percent of GDP in FY18. Any shortfall in revenue collections due to GST and expansion in expenditure led to slippage of fiscal deficit target.

DBT Efficiency Gains had reduced leakages and increased impact of fiscal stimulus. Governments thrust on rural and infrastructure is likely to boost consumption and private capex respectively.

Broad-based earnings recovery, revival in growth, higher government expenditure and strong domestic & foreign inflows should keep the bull market intact in India, said the note.A parliamentary panel has recommended the simplification of procedures in a central health scheme so that cancer patients are not made to run from pillar to post to complete the paperwork required for their treatment.

It also asked the Ministry of Health to initiate strict action against hospitals harassing senior citizens and pensioners suffering from cancer, and to de-empanel them from the Central Government Health Scheme (CGHS) if such instances recur.

The panel, in its 106th report on Demands for Grants 2018-19 for the department of health, expressed concern over problems that elderly cancer patients face in getting proper treatment in CGHS-empanelled hospitals.

It said apart from being given the correct treatment, such patients needed to be handled sensitively and with empathy.

Instead of the harassment meted out to them by the hospitals for factors such as incomplete paperwork, they should be treated on a priority basis and the hospitals should take cognizance of the new rules and regulations of the Ministry which seek to simplify the process of treatment, it said in its report submitted to the Rajya Sabha on Friday.

"The Committee, therefore, recommends that the Ministry should work more towards simplification of paperwork/procedure involved in treatment of cancer patients so that they are not subjected to running from one centre to another to complete the formalities for continuance of their treatment," it said.

In its report, it said action should be taken against errant hospitals.

"The Ministry should also take action against hospitals harassing senior citizens/pensioners who are cancer patients and depanel them from CGHS if similar instances occur repeatedly," it said.

The committee also asked the department to make efforts to resolve the problem of shortage of staff at the CGHS centres and further formulate motivating strategies to enhance the workforce under the scheme to ensure that it helps CGHS beneficiaries.

The CGHS is a critical scheme with a beneficiary base of more than 32.12 lakh people and serves more than 10 lakh card-holders, according to the Healthy ministry's annual report of 2017-18.

The Committee pointed out that despite the ministry's efforts to make more doctors join the CGHS, out of 1,848 sanctioned posts of allopathic doctors, 436 posts were lying vacant.

"The Committee feels that the shortage of doctors at CGHS wellness centres is a perennial problem and would continue to exist if concrete measures are not taken at the right time," it said.

Pointing out that the allocations for CGHS for 2018-19 had been reduced by 15 per cent, the committee recommended that the department assess fund requirements as the lack of funds affected the execution of ongoing projects and activities under the scheme.

The allocation for CGHS for 2018-19 is Rs 1304.69 crore, about 15 per cent lower than the projected amount of Rs 1530.24 crore.

"The committee is of the considered view that reduced funds would definitely affect the execution of on-going projects and activities under CGHS," the report said.Representative Image

A meeting between Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and a delegation of agitating farmers here today over their demands was nothing but a "sort of match fixing", a senior Congress leader said.

The Congressman, who was part of the meet, alleged leaders of the Opposition were made to wait out for an hour, while both parties (the government and the All India Kisan Sabha representatives) held a closed-door meeting after lunch.

"Not just the Opposition, even the ministers were kept waiting outside when the farmer organisation's representatives and the chief minister met for around 2 hours in the latter's ante-chamber.

"This has raised suspicion that the whole meeting was a sort of match-fixing," said the senior leader, who did not wish to be identified.

The Kisan Sabha, affiliated to the CPI(M), led the protest march to Mumbai from Nashik, about 200km away, in support of their demands which included an unconditional loan waiver and transfer of forest land to tribal cultivators who have been tilling it for years.

Meanwhile, Leader of Opposition in the Assembly Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil of the Congress raised questions over senior CPI leader and former MLA Narsaiya Adam's act to urge Fadnavis not to announce the details of the meeting in public.

Adam had claimed the Opposition may bring a breach of privilege motion if the CM speaks outside the House about the meeting details, he said.

The state legislature is currently having its budget session.

"I and Ajit Pawar (senior NCP leader) assured him that we were ready to give him in writing that we will not bring such a motion. However, he remained adamant on his stand," Vikhe Patil said, speaking to select media persons.

NCP leader Dhananjay Munde said the Opposition was never satisfied with the way the loan waiver scheme, announced by the BJP-led government last year, was being implemented.

"The government assured farmers that their demand pertaining to forest land rights will be sorted out in six months. We were supporting the march but we were not its organisers.

"The organisers seemed to be convinced with the government's offer," said Munde, who is Leader of Opposition in the Legislative Council.

Earlier, the BJP-led government announced that demands raised by farmers, including the one related to forest land rights, will be accepted.NEW YORK, NY - JUNE 07: Hillary Rodham Clinton speaks at the 2017 Stephan Weiss Apple Awards on June 7, 2017 in New York City. (Photo by Monica Schipper/Getty Images for Urban Zen Foundation)

Former US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton arrived here on Sunday on a three-day private visit to Madhya Pradesh.

She arrived at the Devi Ahilya Bai Holkar Airport at around 8:00 pm in a private plane amidst tight security, an official said.

She left for Maheshwar, a town on the banks of the Narmada river in Khargone district a little later.

Clinton is scheduled to visit the state's erstwhile Holkar kingdom, where apart from a boat ride along the scenic Narmada river, she would also watch the world renowned Maheshwari saree being weaved, an art started by Queen Ahilya Bai to help the downtrodden, an official said.

She would stay tonight at the Ahilya Fort Hotel in Maheshwar. This is a private visit, Khargone Collector Ashok Kumar Verma told PTI.

Tomorrow morning, Clinton would be in Dhar district where her itinerary includes a visit to Mandu, home to historical monuments frequented earlier by Mughal rulers, officials said.

She would return to Maheshwar in the evening and interact with children of a local school before halting for the night at the holy town, they added.

"She will visit the place where the famous Maheshwari sarees have been weaved for long. It is an art started by Ahilya Bai Holkar, the ruler of the kingdom, to help the downtrodden. She will also have a boat ride on the Narmada," Verma said.

"On Tuesday morning, she will leave for Indore from where she will fly back," he added.

Maheshwar, some 91 kilometres from here, was the capital of the erstwhile Holkar kingdom till January 6, 1818, after which Indore was designated as the capital under the reign of Malhar Rao Holkar III.

The former US Secretary of State is in Maheshwar at the invitation of Richard Holkar, scion of the erstwhile Holkar kingdom.Karti Chidambaram, son of former finance minister P. Chidambaram, gestures as he leaves a court after a hearing in New Delhi, India, February 28, 2018. REUTERS/Adnan Abidi - RC1336C523F0

A Delhi court today sent Karti Chidambaram to judicial custody till March 24 in the INX Media corruption case, while dismissing his plea for early hearing of his bail application.

Special judge Sunil Rana pronounced the order after the CBI said that he was not required for custodial interrogation.

On his plea seeking separate cell and protection in Tihar Jail, the court said the jail manual would be followed.

It also said that his bail plea would be heard on March 15 as scheduled.

The court denied Karti's request for home food in the jail.

Meanwhile, Karti's CA S Bhaskararaman, who is currently in jail in a case filed by the Enforcement Directorate (ED), has moved the court for anticipatory bail in the CBI case of INX Media.

Karti, the son of senior Congress leader P Chidambaram, was produced before special judge on expiry of his three-day police custody.

Karti has already spent 12 days in police custody since his arrest on February 28 from Chennai airport.

Karti Chidambaram's father P Chidambaram was also present in the courtroom.

He was arrested on his return from the United Kingdom in connection with the FIR lodged on May 15 last year. It alleged irregularities in the Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) clearance to INX Media for receiving overseas funds of about Rs 305 crore in 2007 when his father was Union finance minister.

The CBI had initially alleged that Karti Chidambaram received Rs 10 lakh as bribe for facilitating Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) clearance to INX Media. It, however, later revised the figure to USD 1 million (about Rs 6.50 crore at the current exchange rate and Rs 4.50 crore in 2007).

The fresh evidence in the case, which triggered Karti Chidambaram's arrest, was based on the statement of Indrani Mukerjea, former director of INX Media (P) Ltd, who recorded it under section 164 of the CrPC before a magistrate on February 17.Karti Chidambaram

A trial court will pronounce its order on CBI's plea to sent Karti Chidambaram to judicial custody in the INX Media corruption case later today.

The court will also pass order on Karti's plea seeking a separate cell in Tihar Jail and urgent hearing of his bail plea today itself.

Karti, the son of senior Congress leader P Chidambaram, was produced before special judge Sunil Rana on expiry of his three-day police custody.

The CBI did not seek any further custodial interrogation of Karti, who has already spent 12 days in its custody since his arrest on February 28 from Chennai airport.

The CBI has sought 15-day judicial custody of Karti who in turn has asked the court to hear his bail plea today itself instead of scheduled March 15.

Karti Chidambaram's father P Chidambaram was also present in the courtroom.

Senior advocate Dayan Krishnan, appearing for Karti, pressed for hearing on he bail application today itself in case the court was considering sending him to judicial custody.

He also moved another application seeking a separate prison cell for Karti if he is sent to judicial custody saying that "he is the son of former union home minister and many terrorists have been prosecuted during his (P Chidambaram) tenure and there is a clear threat perception to Karti".

"His (Karti) father P Chidambaram has dealt with stringent penal laws including TADA and MCOCA, posing a huge security threat to Karti," the senior advocate said, adding that he needs to be secured in a separate prison and be given a separate bathroom.

"He cannot be exposed to any of these criminals," his advocate said.

"There is a threat. Petitioner (Karti) himself is the member of Congress. The threat exists, I hope the court to protect us. We have contemplated a situation and brought it to the court's notice. I cannot be sent to a common bathroom. And adequate security must be given," Krishnan submitted.

When the CBI opposed the plea for separate cell on the ground that if at all there was any threat, it was to P Chidambaram and not his son, Krishnan expressed shock and said the CBI's objection has enhanced the threat perception.

CBI opposing a separate prison, gives me further apprehension and shows political motive and enhances my threat perception. Organisation investigating me should be concerned about my security. Mala fide intent is there. I'm shocked that CBI can oppose my plea for security. Can it be denied? Karti's counsel said.

He was remanded in CBI custody for three days after the investigative agency claimed it had recovered some incriminating documents and CD from the Chennai office of Advantage Strategic Pvt Ltd., a company linked to him.

Karti Chidambaram has been in CBI custody for questioning since his arrest from Chennai Airport on February 28.

He was arrested on his return from the United Kingdom in connection with the FIR lodged on May 15 last year. It alleged irregularities in the Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) clearance to INX Media for receiving overseas funds of about Rs 305 crore in 2007 when his father was Union finance minister.

The CBI had initially alleged that Karti Chidambaram received Rs 10 lakh as bribe for facilitating Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) clearance to INX Media. It, however, later revised the figure to USD 1 million (about Rs 6.50 crore at the current exchange rate and Rs 4.50 crore in 2007).Rajnath Singh

Mizoram Chief Minister Lal Thanhawla today wrote to Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh seeking his intervention in the Mizoram-Assam border dispute so that peace is restored at the earliest, an official said.

Lal Thanhawla asked Singh to intervene for resumption of boundary at the earliest, Press Advisor to the Chief Minister L R Sailo said.

The Mizoram chief minister in the letter described the alleged firing by the Assam Police on Mizo youths as "unfortunate and uncalled for", Sailo said.

Lal Thanhawla said that there had been border disputes with Assam like other such instances with neighbouring states which sometimes culminated into violent clashes causing hardships especially to those in the fringe areas.

Chief secretaries of the two states had held talks on the border dispute in 1995-96 and it was then decided that the talks should be taken up at the chief ministers' level, he said.

"Unfortunately, the chief minister of Assam declined," Lal Thanhawla said.

The Mizoram Congress legislature party last night passed a resolution to send state police personnel to occupy the land at Zophai area near the Mizoram-Assam border town of Bairabi, a party leader said.

Protestors from the Mizoram had clashed with the Assam Police in Bairabi, he said.

Members of the meeting chaired by Lal Thanhawla, who is also the CLP leader, felt that the Mizo Zirlai Pawl (MZP) or Mizo Students Federation should be allowed to build a guest house on the land belonging to the first chief minister of Mizoram Ch Chhunga, the Congress leader said.

The land was donated to the student organisation by his widow, he said.

The Mizoram Police had alleged on Saturday that a Mizo student was injured in firing by the Assam Police at Zopui in Kolasib district.

The Assam Police had denied the charge and claimed that the Mizo students were pushed back when they tried to intrude into the state.

The administration of Hailakandi in Assam had clamped prohibitory orders under section 144 of CrPC on March 7 in certain pockets of the district apprehending encroachment attempts from the Mizoram side.

Meanwhile, the Mizo Zirlai Pawl (MZP), the apex Mizo student body and other student organisations today organised rallies across Mizoram to protest the alleged firing and lathi-charge by Assam Police on the students, a MZP leader said.

In Aizawl, the protesters demanded the resignation of the state government accusing Lal Thanhawla of ''sleeping'' while the Assam government was ''encroaching on Mizo territory in Kolasib near Hailakandi district by constructing schools and police outposts''.

MZP leaders and activists have been camping in the area to construct a rest house to be called 'Zofate Chawlhbuk' on the land donated by Ch Chhunga's widow to the student organisation, the leader said.19:58 Govt has accepted our demands, we are happy. Leaders of every party and people of Mumbai supported us. Our strength combined with theirs hence this result: Sanjay Sukhdev, Nashik farmer who was participating in the protest.

19:44 We are very happy. Our demands have been met. We will be getting back our land which is like mother to us: Suresh Jairam,

Nashik farmer who was participating in the protest. (ANI)

18:55 JUST IN: Maharashtra farmers call off protest after state agrees to their demands

18:16 We have accepted most of their demands and have given them a written letter: Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis on Maharashtra farmers' agitation

17:38 Only promising to fulfill the demands won't work, it's now the duty of the govt to work towards fulfilling what they've committed. They should think about the welfare of farmers so that they don't have to take it to the road next time: Anna Hazare on farmers agitation.

17:37 Farmers ki shikayat hai ki jo humari zameen hai us se kum unke naam par hai, toh jitni bhi zameen woh cultivate kar rahe hain woh unke naam par honi chahiye. CM has agreed. Chief Secretary will follow-up on this & implementation will start in 6 months: V Savra, minister.

16:30 Ashok Gulati says only 19 percent of farm land in Maharashtra has irrigation coverage and sugarcane comprises 75 percent of land with irrigation coverage in Maharashtra.

16:28 Loan waivers won't fix anything, it's an atonement for not reforming agriculture, and government needs to do capital investment in agriculture, Gulati told CNBC TV18.

16:26 Ashok Gulati says agriculture investment will suffer due to loan waivers; Modi govt needs 13 percent agriculture growth for 5 years to double farm income, doubling farm income by 2022 is a pipe dream, reports CNBC TV18.

16:22 Ashok Gulati says it's a crisis boiling over in Maharashtra, lip service won't work, & it is an emergency on the agriculture front, reports CNBC TV18.

16:05 Farmers' protest likely to be called off after agreement with government, reports CNN News18 quoting sources.

15:40 Apart from the loan waiver and better Minimum Support Price, these farmers want the implementation of the Forest Rights Act to secure the rights of the people working on community lands and to help the farmers secure loans to opt for basic irrigation facilities.

15:13 Congress leader Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil and NCP leader Ajit Pawar will be part of the governments talks with farmers.

Vidhan

Bhawan

Meeting with delegation of farmers and all political parties begins atunder the chairmanship of

Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis.

14:58 Accept demands of farmers and tribals: Rahul Gandhi to PM, Fadnavis

Congress president Rahul Gandhi today urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis to shed their egos and accept the "just demands" of the thousands of farmers and tribals protesting in Mumbai.

The mammoth farmers march to Mumbai is a "stunning example of people's power", Gandhi said on Twitter. The Congress, he added, stands with the farmers and tribals marching to protest against the apathy of the central and state governments.

"I appeal to PM Modi and the CM to not stand on ego and to accept their just demands," Gandhi tweeted.

14:46 Maharashtra just the beginning, farmers from across India planning 'mother of all protests' in Delhi

The ongoing protest by thousands of farmers in the heart of Mumbai may just be the beginning. For, leaders of farmers associations in several states are planning to hold similar marches in their respective states  in the lead-up to a mega protest in the national capital in April.

The governments anti-farmer stand needs to be challenged. We will hold a rally for the same in Guwahati very soon. Also, all state farmer heads are in close collaboration and we are planning to hold a big protest in New Delhi sometime in April. Farmers from all over India will be present in that rally. State farm heads are meeting in Guwahati this month itself, said Akhil Gogoi, a Northeast-based farmer rights leader.

Indias Northeast has been reeling under farmer crisis caused by land erosion, floods and the general terrain of the land. The state government does not buy our output, which results in heavy losses to our farmers. The issues that have been raised in Maharashtra apply to farmers all over the country. The Mumbai march was a plan well-conceived and all of us had planned it keeping in mind the governments stand, said Gogoi.

Read the full report here.

14:27 Heavy police security in Mumbai for farmers' march

The Mumbai police is leaving no stone unturned to maintain law and order as thousands of farmers converged at the Azad Maidan here after walking around 180 km from Nashik to press for their various demands.

More than 35,000 farmers from across Maharashtra, who embarked on a 'Long March' last Tuesday, reached the Azad Maidan early today, after camping at the K J Somaiya Ground in Sion area.

"Some more farmers are expected to join the march from neighbouring districts. The police personnel are on their toes and prepared enough to maintain law and order," Deven Bharti, the joint-commissioner of police (crime), told PTI.

"The march has came all the way peacefully to the country's financial capital," Bharti said, adding that the police hope to disperse the protesters also in a peaceful manner. As a huge number of protesters have gathered in the city, the police is keeping a tab to ward off any possible anti-social elements from taking advantage of the situation, another official said.

14:26 According to Talekar, the Mumbai roti-bank, of which the dabbawalas are an integral part, deploys GPS-tracked vans to collect excess food from eateries, hotels, public functions and households, so that it can be distributed to the poor and hungry people.

Meanwhile, city residents were also seen offering 'Vada-pav' (a popular street snack), other food items and water to farmers last night. A Mumbai resident also posted on social media a picture of food and water being distributed to farmers. Several political parties like the Congress, the NCP, the Shiv Sena and the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena have extended their support to the protesting farmers.

14:24 Dabbawals, Mumbaikars provide food to protesting farmers

The famed 'dabbawalas' of Mumbai and the city residents came out to help the thousands of farmers, who walked for six days to reach here from Nashik to raise their various demands, by providing them food and water.

The farmers walked upto the Azad Maidan in South Mumbai early this morning as a part of their 'long march' for raising demands, including implementation of the Maharashtra government's loan waiver scheme.

Subhash Talekar, the spokesperson of Mumbai Dabbawala Association, said, "We thought about helping the farmers with food as they are our food-providers and have come from remote parts of the state."

"We asked our men working between Dadar (in Central Mumbai) and Colaba (South Mumnbai) to collect food and deliver it to our farmer brothers at the Azad Maidan," he said. Dabbawalas, the tiffin-carriers known for their efficient delivery service, provided food to the protesters as a part of their 'roti-bank' initiative.

14:17 Farmers need to be heard, says Yuva Sena president Aaditya Thackeray

Thackeray said that when he spoke to them, he did not see red flags but red blood. "Whichever the flag they carry, whoever their political hero, government has to hear them."

"They are farmers who need to be heard. Its unfortunate to be insensitive to those who feed us and put ideological cages on them. Im proud of my fellow Shiv Sainiks who are with them nursing their wounds, and voicing the farmers in the Assembly too, only seeing their need.," he tweeted.

14:10 Govt positive towards farmers' demands: Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis today said his government was "sensitive and positive" towards the demands of farmers and tribals, who have marched from Nashik to Mumbai to draw the administration's attention towards their problems.

Fadnavis was responding to a discussion in the Assembly, initiated by Leader of Opposition Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil, who lauded the farmers participating in the 'Kisan Long March' for their peaceful protest while demanding a complete loan waiver and compensation for hailstorm and pink bollworm pest attack on crops.

The Azad Maidan in South Mumbai turned into a sea of red this morning as thousands of farmers, carrying red flags, converged here after walking around 180 kms from the neighbouring Nashik district over the last six days.

The farmers plan to surround the Assembly complex to press for their demands of an unconditional loan waiver, and transfer of forest land to tribal farmers who have been tilling it for years. The CPI(M)-affiliated All India Kisan Sabha is spearheading the protest.

"They (the protesting farmers) reached the Azad Maidan early this morning from the K J Somaiya Ground in the eastern suburbs so that students appearing for their board exams are not hassled due to traffic jams. The Mumbaikars are also taking care of them," Vikhe Patil said in the House.

13:52 We're positive in fulfilling demands. Since the first day of the Morcha we tried to discuss various issues with them. Girish Mahajan was in touch with them from day one. But they were firm on taking out the March: CM Devendra Fadnavis said, reports ANI.

13:52 Farmers will not fall prey to any of the tactics, says Shiv Sena

"However, seeing their persistence it can be gauged that farmers will not fall prey to any of the tactics," Shiv Sena said on Monday.

The Sena added that it would not give importance to what thoughts, organisation and colour the agitation represents.

"They do not have any caste, religion or political ideology...Farmers have red flags in their hands. How can the Sena support them is the question?" it said.

"We may have differences... however, their active participation in the state's agitation, especially for Mumbai, cannot be forgotten...those who do (forget), should be considered enemies of the state," the Sena said.

mrut

Dange

Ahilya

Rangnekar

It noted that Shreepad Aand

Shahir Annabhau Sathe were leaders with communist ideologies. "Mill workers and farmers were ready to spill their blood for the Maharashtra movement (held in the 1960s for creation of a separate Marathi-speaking state). Today, they are despondent and committing suicide," the Sena lamented.

13:50 Sena backs farmers' protest march Mumbai

The Shiv Sena today threw its weight behind the thousands of farmers who marched from Nashik to Mumbai to highlight their problems and said the party would back them regardless of their red flags.

The saffron party also said the role of leaders with communist ideology -- a red flag usually symbolises communism -- in the agitation for a separate Maharashtra cannot be forgotten.

The CPI(M)-affiliated All India Kisan Sabha is spearheading the protest that turned south Mumbai's Azad Maidan into a sea of red today as thousands of farmers carrying red flags converged there after walking around 180 km from neighbouring Nashik district.

The farmers plan to surround the state Assembly complex to press for their demands of an unconditional loan waiver and transfer of forest land to tribal farmers who have been tilling it for years. "It is possible that the government may talk of assurances to farmers and even deploy some of its ministers to temporarily confuse them," the Sena, an ally of the ruling BJP in Maharashtra and at the Centre, said in an editorial in its mouthpiece 'Saamana'.

13:35 Mammoth farmers' march an example of people's power. Congress stands with farmers protesting against government apathy: Rahul Gandhi said.

13:30 Congress MP Nana Patole is addressing the morcha at Azad Maidan, reports Firstpost.

13:21 'No question of compromise, will go back only when demands are fulfilled': Ajit Navale, Kisan leader

"This is not a political issue. The government must respect farmers. We have marched more than 100 kilometres and will go back only when all our demands are fulfilled, AIKS general secretary Ajit Nawale said, reported Hindustan Times.

13:01 Farmers delegation reached Maharashtra Assembly for the meeting with the State Govt formed six-member committee to discuss their demands, reports ANI.

12:56 "There'll be a meeting with farmers at 1 pm. I think we'll give solutions for 80-90 percent of their issues. We're serious about the demands including loan waiver and will come up with best decisions. Written assurance will be given for accepted demands," Girish Mahajan, Maharashtra Minister said.

12:50 Maharashtra farmers' protest propelled by urban Maoists. They are carrying red flagsThey are influenced by Urban Maoists: Poonam Mahajan, BJP MP, told CNN News18.

12:43 A twelve-member delegation of the farmers will be meeting the six-member committee in Vidhan Bhavan at 1 pm. Leader of Opposition will also participate in the meeting. The CPI(M)-affiliated All India Kisan Sabha said it will consider what the government has to offer, reports CNN News18.

12:37 "Central government, I think, is the biggest criminal on all these issues of farmers today. They have done nothing for farmers. These whole thing about implementing 1.5 times minimum support price (MSP) is a hoax. We have seen it in the Rabi crops, what they have done. It (MSP) is no where coming close to C2 + 50 as said by the Swaminathan Commission," Dhawale told CNBC TV18.

12:32 Here are the key demands that Ashok Dhawale listed:

tribals

Marathwada

Vidarbha

programmes

1. An extension of the loan waiver scheme which they had announce last year.2. The implementation of the Forest Rights Act, which says that whatever land is cultivated byto be vested in their names.3. Pension for poor farmers and agriculture workers.4. Immediate relief to farmers who lost nearly Rs 12,000 crore due to the pink ball worm attacks on Bt cottons inand5. Oppose land acquisitionfor schemes like Bullet trains.

6. Oppose major river linking projects which are creating problems.

12:22 "We will not leave Mumbai until our demands are satisfied," CPI(M) leader Ashok Dhawale told CNBC TV18. 

12:21 The major demands include pension for poor farmers, increased compensation for hailstrom affected farmers, relief to Marathwada and Vidarbha farmers who are suffering due to pink worm in Bt cotton, CPI(M) leader Ashok Dhawale told CNBC TV18.

11:29 "State is positive about demands of farmers. Over 95 percent of the protesters are tribals, so technically they are not farmers," Devendra Fadnavis, Maharashtra CM said in the State Assembly today, reports CNN News18.

Fadnavis added that he will meet the farmers' representatives at 1 pm today.

11:05 Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has stated that it will provide 20 additional mobile toilets at Azad Maidan. Currently, 20 such toilets are installed. Furthermore, four water tankers will be put in place at the ground. Pay toilets near Azad Maidan and Mantralaya have been instructed to provide free services for two days, reports CNN News18.

11:01 Attacking the government in relation to the Maharashtra farmers' protest, Congress Chief Rahul Gandhi said, "Not only in Maharashtra, farmers across India are suffering under BJP," reports CNN News18.

10:52 A quick recap of the farmers' protest march:

The long march was initiated by the Akhil Bharatiya Kisan Sabha (ABKS), affiliated to the CPI (M). On Friday, the farmers reached Bhatsa river in Thane district where over 5,000 people from Palghar district joined the march.

Their demands include a transfer of forest land to tillers, implementation of the Swaminathan Commissions recommendations, and a compensation of Rs 40,000 per acre for farmers affected by the hailstorm and pink bollworm, and putting a stop to sharing the states water with Gujarat.

In other events, Maharashtra's congress workers hold banners in Mumbai to welcome protesting farmers that are expected to converge in the thousands on Monday.

10:33 The farmers walked at night to reach Azad maidan to avoid trouble to students

"We do not want to put SSC students in any trouble. But we will reach Azad Maidan. Therefore, we have decided to start walking past midnight," AIKS President Com. Ashok Dhawale had tweeted.

10:21 Around 15,000 farmers are camping at Mumbai's Azad Maidan, gearing up for a massive protest outside the Maharashtra Assembly in a few hours to press for farm loan waivers and implementation of the Swaminathan Commission's recommendations.

10:17 All issues to be resolved says Girish Mahajan on Maharashtra farmers' protest

"We want this issue to be resolved. The government will look into the demand and government will fulfil demands. Officials have been called for the meeting tomorrow," Maharashtra Cabinet Minister Girish Mahajan had told CNN News18 on Sunday.

Prtoesting farmers in the thousands, led by the All India Kisan Sabha's protest march crossed Thane Mulund Check Naka on Sunday to reach Mumbai.

10:03 The All India Office bearers of AIKS including president Ashok Dhawale, Vice President, Amra Ram, joint Secretaries Vijoo Krishnan, Jithendra Choudhury MP and KK Ragesh MP and senior columnist P Sainath will join the struggle in front of Manthralaya at Mumbai today.

10:03 The main demands of the ongoing struggle includes comprehensive loan waiver, strict implementation of Forest Rights Act within stipulated time frame, implementation of M S Swaminathan Commission recommendations including minimum support price to all crops at 50 percent above cost of production, stop forced acquisition of agriculture land in the name of mega infrastructure projects to aid real estate business, ensure monthly pension to peasants and agriculture workers and minimum wage and strict implementation of MNREGA.

09:48 The representatives of the Maharashtra farmers' protest led by All India Kishan Sabha (AIKS) will meet Maharashtra Chief Minister Devender Fadnavis at 11:30 am, reports CNN News18. The farmers will take a call after the meeting on whether to march towards the State Assembly or not.

09:41 While there is no likelihood of all farmers being allowed to proceed to the Assembly complex from Azad Maidan, a delegation of farmer leaders will be allowed to meet Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, reports PTI.

09:38 Last year, the state government had announced a farm loan waiver of Rs 34,000 crore, terming it the "biggest loan waiver in Maharashtra's history". State Governor Vidyasagar Rao told the state legislature that the government has transferred over Rs 12,000 crore into bank accounts of 31 lakh farmers until last month.

09:34 Maharashtra minister Girish Mahajan, who welcomed the march at Mulund in suburban Mumbai yesterday, said the government, which has met earlier demands by farmers, will consider their latest ones.

09:30

Azad Maidan in south Mumbai turned into a sea of red this morning as thousands of farmers, carrying red flags, converged here after walking around 180 kms under blazing sun over the last six days.

The farmers plan to surround the Assembly complex to press for their demands of an unconditional loan waiver, and transfer of forest land to tribal farmers who have been tilling it for years.

They reached Azad Maidan early today, after camping at KJ Somaiya Ground in Sion area. The CPI(M)-affiliated All India Kisan Sabha, which is spearheading the protest, said it will consider what the government has to offer. CPI(M) leader Ashok Dhawle said over 50,000 people have joined the protest.

"We will begin our rally after 11 am today so that students appearing for their Class 10 board exam don't face any difficulties," he said. Tribals from Thane district have joined the farmers from Nashik district in the protest.

In line with our expectation and views, the budget focused on addressing the post-harvest issue to provide relief and bargaining power to the farmer, improve farm incomes and rejuvenate rural demand. Though a lot would depend on the implementation of the schemes, the current allocation indicate a boost to rural incomes which would ripple through to farm inputs and rural consumption.

Despite an improvement in production, income in the hands of the farmers has remained substantially subdued over the past decades. The budget introduced several measure focused on improving the income and demand in rural India which we believe would benefit several companies.

Read the full report here.

09:01 Here's why farmers are protesting:

The march has been organised to protest the failures of the state BJP government on the farm front, including issues like farm loan waivers, remunerative prices for produce, non-implementation of the recommendations of the Swaminathan Commission as well as the Forest Rights Act, he said.

Protesting farmers have demanded a change in the plan to link rivers in Nashik, Thane and Palghar to ensure that tribal lands are not submerged and water from the scheme be made available to these areas as well as other drought-prone districts, organisers said.

They said that farmers were also protesting against the state government's land acquisition for projects like high speed rail and super highways.

08:55 Maharashtra farmers, who have now reached Azad Maidan after walking overnight from KJ Somaiyya ground in Sion, are reportedly dehydrated from travelling in the scorching sun for 30 kilometres on Sunday in Mumbai. There is a medical dispensary set up at Azad Maidan. "Farmers were suffering from blood pressure and diarrhea," doctors told CNN-News18.

08:51 Opposition Congress, NCP, Raj Thackeray-led Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) and AAP, as well as ruling ally Shiv Sena have extended support to the farmers' march.

Patidar leader from Gujarat Nikhil Sawani, who joined the march, said his community supported the protesters. As the march reached suburban Vikhroli, the phalanx of farmers  comprising both men and women  extended for almost three kilometres.

08:28 Senior Shiv Sena leder and cabinet minister Eknath Shinde and Yuva Sena (Shiv Sena's youth wing) chief Aditya Thackeray also greeted the protesters in suburban Vikhroli.

Thackeray said the Shiv Sena stood "shoulder to shoulder" with farmers in their struggle. It was wrong to say that farmers were demanding loan waiver, as they are not criminals that they should need a `waiver', Aditya said, adding "farmers are fighting for `freedom from debt'."

As so many farmers have marched to Mumbai despite the government's grand loan waiver, Sena leaders have demanded to see the list of actual beneficiaries of the scheme, he said.

08:21 JUST IN | Shiv Sena says they are not going to let the assembly function today until the farmers' demands are met, reports CNN News18.

08:12 Senior BJP leader and Finance Minister Sudhir Mungantiwar also assured that the chief minister will meet the protestors' delegation, and blamed the "apathetic" approach of past governments for the farmers' woes.

"Our government is committed to address all the grievances of farmers, which have accumulated due to the apathetic approach of the last several years...We are very sensitive towards farmers and two ministers (Tribal Development Minister Vishnu Savara and Mahajan) have already been asked to look into their demands," Mungantiwar told PTI.

08:11 From the government's side, Water Resources Minister Girish Mahajan, who is also guardian minister for Nashik district, met farmers' leaders in Mulund as the march entered Mumbai, and assured that most of their demands will be met.

"The Chief Minister (Devendra Fadnavis) has sent me to meet you. Most of your demands will be met. We will take a delegation to the chief minister," Mahajan said, addressing the protesters.

08:09 The government had reached out to farmers, promising to meet their demands, but farmers' leaders said they will press on with today's protest at the Vidhan Bhavan (Legislature Complex).

08:08 No govt can be insensitive to farmers' problems : RSS

Farmers' problems should be understood sensitively and practical solutions found for them, the RSS said on Sunday.

Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) General Secretary Bhaiyyaji Joshi said there was a need to change the agrarian policy and the government has to ensure that farmers get a proper price for their produce. However, he noted that there were a few obstacles in doing so.

Replying to a query on farmers' issues, he said their problems should be understood sensitively and practical solutions found for them. "No government can be insensitive on the questions related to farmers and it has to be sensitive towards farmers and find ways to address their problems. It is their job to think and find a solution," Joshi told reporters here at the Akhil Bharatiya Pratinidhi Sabha (ABPS) of the RSS, the ruling BJP's ideological mentor.

His remarks assume significance as they come against the backdrop of thousands of farmers from various districts of Maharashtra marching towards Mumbai to protest outside the state assembly. Joshi said the farmers also need to change their mindset and while farming, they must keep government policies in mind.

08:04 The traffic will be normal like any other day. So far, no diversions are proposed on any road in limits of Mumbai for the proposed Long March, tweets Mumbai Police.

08:02 This govt can't do anything for you: Raj Thackeray

Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief Raj Thackeray on Sunday came out in support of the farmers who have reached here after undertaking a 'Long March' to Mumbai from Nashik to press their various demands including full loan waiver.

"This government is incapable of doing anything," the MNS chief said, addressing thousands of farmers who rested at Somaiya Ground in Sion area after reaching the city this evening.

"I have come to greet you. You have come all the way in this heat. Give me the reins of power and I will show what can be done," the MNS chief said.

"Don't forget your bleeding feet. These people (the BJP-led Maharashtra government) have shown you dreams, but have not kept their word," Thackeray said.

"Don't fall prey to their promises. They value you only during elections. Farmer suicides haven't stopped in this state yet. Tomorrow the government will try to fob you off with some promises. But the government itself is pauper, so what can it offer you?" Thackeray said.

07:59 Apart from opposition parties, Shiv Sena, a partner in the ruling coalition, too has vocally supported the agitation, isolating the ruling BJP.

07:51 Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis will likely meet the protesting farmers at noon on Monday, reports CNN News18. Fadnavis on Sunday night had said his government will talk to the farmers who have undertaken a `Long March' to the city to press their various demands. The chief minister also appealed agitators not to hold up the traffic tomorrow so that students appearing for Std 10th exams in the city are not delayed.

07:47 "On Sunday, our number was over 35,000. Over 20,000 farmers from other parts of the state will join on Monday," Kisan Gujar, president of the state council of AIKS, said, adding that the farmers were also protesting against land acquisition for projects such as high-speed railway and super-highways.

07:46 The farmers, led by All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS), are demanding, among other things, proper implementation of the Maharashtra government's loan waiver scheme. Braving scorching heat, they have covered around 180 km on foot in six days.

"We will gherao (lay siege to) the Vidhan Bhavan to demand a complete loan waiver, fair price for farm produce, implementation of the Swaminathan Commission's recommendations, compensation for hailstorm-affected farmers among other things," Kisan Gujar, president of the state council of AIKS, said.

Over 35,000 farmers from across Maharashtra, who embarked on a 'Long March' from Nashik on March 6 to press their various demands, will lay siege to the legislature today.pm: A large number of people were present at river banks to welcome PM Modi and Macron. The two leaders accepted their warm welcome by waving at them. PM Modi was also seen talking about the ghats to Macron during their boat ride.

02:35 pm: PM Modi along with French President Emmanuel Macron reached Assi ghat where they were welcomed in a traditional manner. The two leaders then took a boat ride from the river bank to historic Dashaswamedh ghat.

02:20 pm: For the welcome of the two leaders, the banks of river Ganga in Varanasi has been decorated with flowers. The posters of Modi and Macron have also been placed at the river banks to welcome them. Meanwhile, the operation of the boats in the river has been completely closed to the public.

01:55 pm: PM Modi with Emmanuel Macron will now reach Assi ghat in Varanasi where they will be given traditional welcome. It will be followed by a boat ride to Dashaswamedh ghat.

01:30 pm: Emmanuel Macron visited Deen Dayal Upadhyay Hastkala Sankul in Bada Lalpur on his visit to Varanasi. He viewed the work of artisans and wrote about his experience in the visitor's book at the center.

01:15 pm: During the visit at the facilitation centre, PM Modi and Frend President Macron will reportedly hold an interaction with artisans. They will also view a live demonstration of their crafts.

12:55 pm: PM Modi and French President Emmanuel Macron arrived at Deen Dayal Upadhyay Hastkala Sankul - a trade facilitation centre for handicraft - in Bada Lalpur, Varanasi, as per ANI.

12:35 pm: Built at a cost of around Rs 500 crore by French firm ENGIE, the 75 MW solar plant has come up at Dadar Kalan village on the hilly terrain of the Vindhyas range. Some 1,18,600 solar panels have been set up in over 380 acres.It will generate 15.6 crore units of electricity annually, about 1.30 crore units per month, reported PTI quoting officials familiar with it.

12:10 pm: The solar power plant is said to be the biggest in the Uttar Pradesh.

11:52 am: PM Modi jointly inaugurated a solar power plant with French President Emmanuel Macron in Mirzapur.

11:42 am: The two leaders arrived at Mirzapur, They will inaugurate a Solar Power Plant here

11:35 am: PM Modi and French President Macron will now head to neighbouring Mirzapur district to inaugurate a solar power plant.

11:20 am: The two leaders are scheduled to visit the Deen Dayal Upadhyay Trade facilitation Centre at Badalalpur on the day.

11:00 am: PM Narendra Modi received French President Emmanuel Macron at the airport. UP CM Yogi Adityanath and other dignitaries were also present on the occasion.

10:50 am: Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath welcomed PM Narendra at the airport.

10:40 am: PM Modi and Macron will get a traditional welcome at Assi ghat with Shehnai recital and chanting of Shukla Yajurveda mantras by a team of 121 priests says a Times of India report before starting the boat ride from Assi to Dashaswamedh ghat. The two leaders will watch the episodes of Ramleela and recital of Ramcharit Manas, while passing through Tulsi Ghat.

10:25 am: PM Modi will also address a public gathering in his parliamentary constituency later on the day.

09:55 am: Preparations are on to welcome PM Modi and French President Emmanuel Macron in Varanasi.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and French President Emmanuel Macron will visit Varanasi - the parliamentary constituency of the PM - on Monday. The two leaders are scheduled to jointly inaugurate a solar plant in Mirzapur district and also visit the Trade Facilitation Centre. They are also scheduled to take a boat ride from Assi to Dashashwamedh ghat.The International Monetary Fund logo is seen inside the headquarters at the end of the IMF/World Bank annual meetings in Washington, U.S., October 9, 2016. REUTERS/Yuri Gripas - RTSRHRQ

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has said banking reforms like insolvency code and recapitalisation will be ineffective unless governance standards are improved.

"Reforms like the IBC Code, bank recapitalisation have taken place. However, for a lasting impact, these efforts are not enough and should be accompanied by governance reforms particularly for public sector banks," the multilateral body's deputy managing director Tao Zhang said at an event at the NSE here this evening.

There is a need to look at the "deeper issue" of governance at the banks, he told reporters later.

Without naming the Punjab National Bank, he said the scam has "revealed the necessities and urgencies to improve the internal controls", which is crucial not only for improving banks but also "financial stability".

Banks should continue working on improving their balance sheets on a priority basis, he said, stressing that the asset quality situation of the domestic banks has deteriorated compared to their peers elsewhere.

He said the financial regulators in India should focus on monitoring and regulating services instead of only institutions.

The Rs 12,700-crore PNB scam, allegedly perpetrated by diamond trader Nirav Modi and his uncle Mehul Choksi in collusion with a few officials of a branch of the state-run bank came to light last month, wherein the duo is alleged to have used a key loophole on the international trade finance front (SWIFT) to defraud the bank.

The duo and thier officials allegedly got letters of undertaking from the Brady House branch of PNB without having the required securities and also proper trades records in place for many years.

The Fund official also spoke about financial technology firms, saying capital invested in the over 1,500 firms in the country is expected to go up by 1.7 times by the turn of 2020.

India should focus on rapidly developing the sector so that efficiencies get enhanced but also safeguard against risks and also fight misconduct, he added.The Reserve Bank today tightened the guidelines for hedging commodity price risks and freight risks in overseas markets, which will come into effect next financial year, by limiting the tenor of all bank instruments in trade finance areas.

Accordingly, a central bank circular said, "banks can issue standby letters of credit (SBLCs)/guarantees, for a maximum period of one year, in lieu of making a remittance of margin money for commodity hedging transactions. Banks should ensure that these SBLCs/guarantees are used by their clients for the intended purposes only".

The guidelines come within a month of the nation's largest banking fraud coming out in the open involving such instruments issued by a Punjab National Bank branch in the megapolis to diamond trader Nirav Mod and his uncle Mehul Choksi and their companies during the past many years by getting letters of understaking without proper records or guarantees.

The Rs 12,700-crore PNB scam, allegedly perpetrated by Modi and Choksi in collusion with a few officials of a branch of the state-run bank came to light last month, wherein the duo is alleged to have used a key loophole in the international trade finance front (SWIFT) to defraud the bank.

The duo allegedly got letters of undertaking from the Brady House branch of PNB without having the required securities and also proper trades records for many years.

With the new guidelines coming into force, all the previous circulars stand withdrawn from April 1, 2018, the Financial Markets Regulation Department of the central bank said in the circular.

"Residents (non-indivuduals) hedging their commodity price risks and freight risks under a specific approval from RBI given under the approval-route based on the previous set of guidelines would be permitted to continue hedging under the said approval till June 30, 2018 or the last date specified in the approval, whichever is earlier," RBI said.

It can be noted that the central bank had earlier constituted a working group under the chairmanship of Chandan Sinha to review the existing guidelines on the matter. The report was shared with all stakeholders on January 12, 2018.

Hedging means undertaking a derivative transaction to reduce identifiable and measurable risks which could be a direct or an indirect exposure.

Eligible commodities whose price risks may be hedged include all commodities, except gold, gems and precious stones in case of direct exposure, and in regard to indirect exposures, whose price risks could be hedged include aluminum, copper, lead, zinc, nickel, and tin.

The quantity proposed to be hedged and the tenor of hedging are in line with the exposure. In case of OTC derivatives, the requirement to undertake OTC hedges is justified. In case of hedging using a benchmark price other than that of the commodity exposed to, the requirement to undertake such hedges is also justified, RBI said.

OTC contracts shall be booked with a bank or with non-bank entities which are permitted to offer such derivatives by their regulators.

Structured products may be permitted to eligible entities who are listed on recognised domestic stock exchanges or fully owned subsidiaries of such entities or unlisted entities whose networth is over Rs 200 crore, subject to the condition that such products are used for hedging as defined under these directions.

"All payments/receipts related to hedging of exposure to commodity price risks and freight risks shall be routed through a special account with the bank for this purpose," RBI said, adding banks shall keep on full details of all hedge transactions and related remittances made by the entity.

The new rules also entail banks to obtain an annual certificate from the statutory auditors of the entity to ensure that the hedging and the margin remittances are in line with the exposure.

Banks shall undertake immediate corrective action in case of any irregularity or misuse of these directions and any breach should be reported to the RBI.Representative image. (REUTERS)

Today marks the 25th anniversary of the Bombay blasts that occurred in a dozen spots, killing 257 people and leaving more than 700 people injured.

The event took place on March 12, 1993 when the bombs, suspected to be smuggled in by the sea, were let off in what is termed as one of Indias deadliest terrorist attacks.

Key locations include the Bombay Stock Exchange, the Air India building, Zaveri bazaar and other locations.

The main conspirators identified by the Supreme Court are underworld kingpin Dawood Ibrahim, his close aides Anees Ibrahim and Tiger Memon.

Close to 100 people were tried under a special TADA (Terrorist and Disruptive Activities) court. Of these, 23 people were acquitted and 12 were given the death sentence.

The Supreme Court overturned the sentence for 10 people, and were served the life sentence in 2013. Yakub Memon, the brother of Tiger Memon, was hanged in 2015. Abu Salem was arrested in 2005.

Among those accused was actor Sanjay Dutt. He was charged with possession of weapons, supposedly bought through Abu Salem, a close aide of the key conspirators.

Dutts defence was that he bought these weapons to protect his family. He was sentenced to five years in jail, and was given an early release in 2016, after serving his sentence.

According to an NDTV report, Supreme Court stated that the Police, customs and coast guards were to share the blame for the event and that it was Devastating that Pakistan being a neighbor had encouraged terror against India.

The key conspirators are expected to be hiding in Pakistan, as according to an ex-CBI official who spoke to Mint.

The official further added that the main conspirators were hiding in countries that had extradition laws that were difficult to pin them down.

He said that Dawood being in Pakistan means there is little chance of extraditing him, whereas Ibrahim Mirchi, another one of the accused, died in 2013 without being extradited from the United KingdomFarooq Takla, a close aide of Dawood, was arrested by the CBI on 8 March.Congress president Rahul Gandhi today urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis to shed their egos and accept the "just demands" of the thousands of farmers and tribals protesting in Mumbai.

The mammoth farmers march to Mumbai is a "stunning example of people's power", Gandhi said on Twitter.



The mammoth #FarmersMarchToMumbai is a stunning example of peoples power. The Congress party stands with the Farmers & Tribals marching to protest against the Central & State Govts. apathy. I appeal to PM Modi and the CM to not stand on ego and to accept their just demands.

 Office of RG (@OfficeOfRG) March 12, 2018

The Congress, he added, stands with the farmers and tribals marching to protest against the apathy of the central and state governments.

"I appeal to PM Modi and the CM to not stand on ego and to accept their just demands," Gandhi tweeted.

Fadnavis said today his government was "sensitive and positive" towards the demands of farmers and tribals, who have marched from Nashik to Mumbai to draw the administration's attention towards their problems.

Fadnavis was responding to a discussion in the Assembly, initiated by Leader of Opposition Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil, who lauded the farmers for their peaceful protest.

The Azad Maidan in South Mumbai turned into a sea of red this morning as thousands of farmers, carrying red flags, converged here after walking around 180 km from neighbouring Nashik district over the last six days.

The farmers plan to surround the Assembly complex to press for their demands of an unconditional loan waiver, and transfer of forest land to tribal farmers who have been tilling it for years.

The CPI(M)-affiliated All India Kisan Sabha is spearheading the protest.

The Shiv Sena has also lent its support to the farmers stir.Former Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu has decided to give the event a skip. Naidu also declined invitation to Jagan Mohan Reddy's swearing-in ceremony.

Insisting on his demand for special category status to Andhra Pradesh, Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Monday urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to honour the promises made by the centre at the time of bifurcation of the state.

Addressing the Legislative Council, he also said the TDP wanted the Centre to review the implementation of the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act and the promises made.

Naidu said that he recalled Modi's speech that "the Congress killed the mother (Andhra Pradesh) by delivering a baby (Telangana)."

The TDP aligned with the NDA hoping Modi would take the responsibility for protecting the "mother", he said days after pulling out of the BJP-led government at the centre over the special category status issue.

"We reposed faith in Modi but he is not in a position to make it a reality," he said in his reply to the motion of thanks to the Governors Address.

"Hence we are strongly asking him (to honour the promises made in the Reorganisation Act as well as those made in Rajya Sabha by the then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh), Naidu said. He also charged the Centre with "deliberately" postponing things and finding excuses and propagating that he had accepted (what all they said)"...All this is not correct.

He maintained that special category status was a right of Andhra Pradesh, which was bifurcated to carve out separate Telangana state in 2014.

"We are not in the (Central) government but we are still part of the NDA. So I am requesting...Andhra should be immediately granted special category status," the chief minister said. He asserted that there was "no turning back" as the fight for the states rights would continue "till we achieve everything thats due."

Referring to Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley's sentiment remarks, the TDP supremo said Telangana state was formed only on sentiment. "You cant forget that fact. When the state was divided based on sentiment, is it not the Centres responsibility to honour the sentiment now? he asked.

While explaining the government's stand on the special category demand, Jaitley had last week said, "Every state in India has the right to the central fund in the same manner. Sentiment does not decide quantum of funds, it is the Constitutional award of the Finance Commission which decides on the quantum of funds that the states get."

He, however, had promised Andhra Pradesh funds equivalent to what a special category state receives and said his government was committed to meeting all promises made to Andhra Pradesh at the time of carving out Telengana.

Referring to BJP leaders' statements that funds for various development works and schemes were coming from the Centre, the Chief Minister said all that was peoples money.

"That is not your money or our money. Its peoples money, paid as taxes. The Centre gets more from south India as tax revenue but it spends more in north India," he observed. TDP has pulled out its ministers from the Modi government, but said it would remain a part of the NDA.Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray shakes hands with his well-wishers at his residence in Mumbai October 22, 2008, after being released from a jail earlier today. Protesters in northern and eastern India set alight trains, blocked roads and damaged the home of the head of a Tata Motors factory on Wednesday, in retaliation for attacks on migrants in western India. In Mumbai on Tuesday, regional politician Thackeray, head of the small but vocal MNS, was arrested on charges of rioting and provoking attacks on migrant workers. REUTERS/Stringer (INDIA) - GM1E4AM1RTR01

Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief Raj Thackeray came out in support of the farmers who have reached here after undertaking a 'Long March' to Mumbai from Nashik to press their various demands including full loan waiver.

"This government is incapable of doing anything," the MNS chief said, addressing thousands of farmers who rested at Somaiya Ground in Sion area after reaching the city this evening.

"I have come to greet you. You have come all the way in this heat. Give me the reins of power and I will show what can be done," the MNS chief said.

"Don't forget your bleeding feet. These people (the BJP-led Maharashtra government) have shown you dreams, but have not kept their word," Thackeray said.

"Don't fall prey to their promises. They value you only during elections. Farmer suicides haven't stopped in this state yet. Tomorrow the government will try to fob you off with some promises. But the government itself is pauper, so what can it offer you?" Thackeray said.

Leader of Opposition in Maharashtra Assembly, Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil also lashed out at the government and asked why it "waited so long" to understand farmers' woes.

"Govt has woken up so invited farmers for talks. Why didn't they show such understanding earlier. Come what may government has to fulfil all demands of farmers. All Congress legislators (are) with the farmers," the Congress leader said.live bse live

nse live Volume Todays L/H More 

Desperate to make a mark in the world's largest two-wheeler market, major bike companies such as Yamaha, Aprilia, KTM, BMW and Suzuki are launching bikes that look like their famous superbike brands, but with one-tenth the engine size.

These bikes, which typically have a 150cc engine, are designed and styled on the lines of one of the big engine superbikes. While the price of these superbikes fall in the range of Rs 15 lakh and above, making them the most expensive and desired models globally, their 150cc sibling costs one-tenth the price at under Rs 1.5 lakh.

Aprilia, a performance two-wheeler brand owned by Italian company Piaggio, will launch a 150cc variant of the RSV4, Aprilias flagship race bike. The bike which will be launched next year is named RS 150. To go along with it, a scaled down version of the Tuono V4 named Tuono 150 will also be launched.

Suzuki Motorcycles India claims to have received an impressive response for the Intruder 150, a scaled down version of the Intruder 1800, with the bike already hitting long waiting list. The Intruder 150 and the Gixxer (derived from its elder brother GSX-R1000R) will not be the last of such models.

The Japanese giant has plans to bring to India the Burgman Street, a 125cc version of its famous Burgman 650, one of worlds most powerful scooters on sale in the US.

BMW G 310 GS

Likewise, German heavyweight BMWs motorcycle division BMW Motorrad is clearing the deck for bringing in the G 310 GS and G 310 R in India by the middle of this year. Expected to be priced in the region of Rs 2.5- Rs 3 lakh both bikes are scaled down versions of R 1200 GS and R 1200 R, both of which are also available in India through the imported route. The smaller versions, however, are made by TVS Motor Company in Tamil Nadu and exported to European markets.

The stranglehold of top four bike makers, who control 90 per cent of the domestic two-wheeler market, has been too strong for any other foreign brand to break. With the exception of Honda (thanks to the Activa), no other bike brand has been able to make a mark in India.

Instead of going in for developing yet another 100cc bike from scratch these international bike makers rely on their international range which have been iconic brands for brand building and for volumes. It easier and cost effective than investing in an all new bike, said a Bengaluru-based auto analyst.

The trend of launching scaled down versions of superbike models was started by Yamaha when it launched the R15, a derivative of R1, worlds most favoured superbike with a 1000cc engine. This was followed by FZ and Fazer, both watered down versions of FZ1 and FZ600.

KTM alongside Bajaj Auto responded with the Duke 390 (derived from the 1290 Super Duke R), which besides sale in India is also exported to Europe and US from Bajajs Chakan plant in Pune.Law professionals | Corporate lawyer- Rs 6,10,000 | Senior attorney- Rs 9,50,000 | Interpreting and using the rule of the law to win arguments in favour of the client is a lucrative profession. The best lawyers earn several lakhs, even crores for a case. So much so that lawyers give up offers to become a judge so that they can maintain their incomes as lawyers! Being a lawyer requires a high level of patience, education and communication skills.

The Delhi High Court today sought a response from the Centre on an American woman's plea challenging her deportation to the US and denial of entry in to India despite having a valid business visa.

Justice Rajiv Shakdher issued the notice to the central government seeking its stand as to why the 48-year-old American entrepreneur has been blacklisted and was being denied entry to India, where she had been residing for over a decade prior to her deportation on January 5.

The government's lawyer orally told the court that the woman, Kasha Elizabeth Vande, was deported as she was running an NGO instead of a business for which she was granted the visa valid till the year 2027.

The government lawyer said the business visa was given to the woman to come here to set up and run a business and not to live here for over a decade.

However, the woman's lawyer, Kamlesh Kumar Mishra, said that his client was running an organisation which was promoting tourism in Puducherry with the support and permission of the government there.

He urged the court to pass interim orders allowing the woman to enter the country, a relief which was opposed by the government.

The court declined to pass any interim order at this stage and listed the matter for further hearing on May 22.

A plea was earlier moved in January challenging her detention at the Chennai airport when she had returned from the US.

However, by the time the matter reached the court, she had already been sent back.

According to her lawyer, Kasha was running a cafe and boutique named Kasha ki Asha in Puducherry.

On her arrival to Chennai via Kuwait Airlines on January 5, she was detained at the airport after which she informed her acquaintance Lal Babu Lalit about the incident who then filed a habeas corpus petition in the high court seeking that she be produced before it.Prime Minister Narendra Modi and French President Emmanuel Macron will jointly inaugurate a solar plant in Mirzapur district and also visit the Trade Facilitation Centre here on Monday.

Prime Minister Modi will receive the French President, who will arrive by a special plane at the Lal Bahadur Shastri International airport on Monday morning, the official said.

From the airport, both the leaders will fly by a helicopter to Mirzapur, where they will jointly inaugurate the 75-megawatt solar plant and then will return back to Varanasi.

The two leaders are scheduled to visit the Deen Dayal Upadhyay Trade facilitation Centre at Badalalpur here.

Both the leaders will also visit the Assi ghat, where they will enjoy a boat ride from Assi to Dashashwamedh ghat and will then head to the Taj Hotel, where Modi will host a dinner for the French president, the official said.

Modi will leave the hotel for the DLW helipad and the French president will stay at the hotel for the next few hours after which he will fly back to Delhi by the his special plane.

From DLW helipad, Modi will reach the Manduadih railway station by road, where he will flag off the Varanasi-Patna intercity train.

The prime minister will also address a public meeting and then will fly back to Delhi from the Varanasi airport, the official said.A day after winning the mandate to become China's leader for life, President Xi Jinping today ordered the two-million strong military to abide by the Constitution, which has been amended to remove the term limit for him.

Xi 64, also the general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, has ordered the armed forces to firmly support the Party.

Meeting the military officials today, Xi asked every member of the armed forces to uphold the Constitution, and be its loyal supporter, active follower, and firm defender, state-run Xinhua news agency reported.

Unlike the other countries, the Chinese military functioned under the CPC like all other organs of the country.

Yesterday, China's rubber stamp parliament the National People's Congress (NPC) overwhelmingly voted for a constructional amendment removing the two-term limit for president and vice president.

The amendment would virtually make Xi a leader for life.

In his meeting with the military officials Xi said efforts to build the system of rule of law in Chinese military should be strengthened.

He said party committees and governments at all levels should do more to support the cause of defence and military advancement, while the armed forces should render their service to economic and social development.

He stressed practical efforts to further deepen military-civilian integration to provide impetus and support for realizing the Chinese dream and the goal to build a strong military.

"Implementing the strategy of military-civilian integration is a prerequisite for building integrated national strategies and strategic capabilities and for realizing the Party's goal of building a strong military in the new era," Xi said.

He called for efforts to promote military development featuring higher quality, efficiency, and scientific and technological levels.

Highlighting coordinated sci-tech innovation in key areas between the military and civilian sectors, Xi asked related parties to promote integrated reasoning and implementation on key sci-tech projects and race to occupy the strategic high ground in terms of sci-tech innovation.

China has achieved a revolutionary restructuring of the military organization and services amid deepened reform on national defense and the armed forces since the 18th CPC National Congress in late 2012, Xi said.

Xi said efforts should be made to speed up the establishment of a modern military policy system.Kathmandu: Nepalese rescuers and police are seen near the debris after a passenger plane from Bangladesh crashed at the airport in Kathmandu, Nepal, Monday, March 12, 2018. The passenger plane carrying 71 people from Bangladesh crashed and burst into flames as it landed Monday in Kathmandu, Nepal's capital, killing dozens of people, officials said. AP/PTI(AP3_12_2018_000143B)

At least 50 people were killed after Bangladesh US-Bangla Airlines aircraft, carrying 67 passengers and four crew members, crashed at the Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu, Nepal on Monday.



#BREAKING #Nepal: A US-Bangla airlines aircraft has crashed in the eastern side of the Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA) in the #Kathmandu on Monday. Details yet to come. https://t.co/qsxgS4w3sG pic.twitter.com/ODr8L2xS9X

 Pradeep Bashyal (@pdpbasyal) March 12, 2018

Several others were rushed to the hospital, Nepal police had said.

Tourism Ministry Joint Secretary Suresh Acharya had said earlier that around 17 injured passengers were rescued and sent to various hospitals for treatment, The Kathmandu Post reported.

FlighRadar24 stated in a tweet that the doomed plane was a Bombardier Q400.

The aircraft crashed while landing and caught fire on the eastern side of the airport.

"We are trying to bring the fire under control. Details are awaited," airport spokesman Birendra Prasad Shrestha said shortly after the crash, according to News18.

Citing unnamed airport officials, The Kathmandu Post reported that the plane crashed due to suspected technical faults.Donald Trump

US officials on Sunday defended President Donald Trump's decision to meet North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, saying the move was not just for show and not a gift to Pyongyang, as one senator insisted.

"President Trump isn't doing this for theatre. He's going to solve a problem," said Central Intelligence Agency Director Mike Pompeo said on the "Fox News Sunday" program.

The United States expects North Korea to halt all nuclear and missile testing in advance of any meeting, according to Pompeo and Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin, who also spoke on a Sunday morning TV program.

The goal of the meeting remains denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula, something Kim has agreed to discuss, they noted. Pompeo said US military exercises in the region will continue in the lead-up to the talks.

The Republican president agreed on Thursday to accept an invitation from the North Korean leader to meet by May after months of escalating tensions over Pyongyang's advancing nuclear and missile programs.

Trump would become the first sitting US president to meet with a leader of the reclusive country after having exchanged insults. Trump called Kim "Little Rocket Man" and Kim referred to Trump as a "mentally deranged US dotard."

On Saturday, Trump said his meeting could fizzle without an agreement or could result in "the greatest deal for the world," with a denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula.

No venue or date for the meeting has been determined.

Travelling in Oman on the Arabian Peninsula, US Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said he will not discuss issues related to North Korea because the situation was too sensitive and the Pentagon was not directly involved in the diplomatic outreach.

Trump's action drew concern from Democrats as well as fellow Republicans, who said the United States should have demanded concessions before granting North Korea a meeting. The North's leaders have sought a face-to-face meeting with a US president for decades.

"Before they get that kind of prize, we should insist that they make some real changes, verifiable changes to their programs," like showing they have frozen their nuclear program, Democratic US Senator Elizabeth Warren said on NBC's "Meet the Press."

Warren said she was worried the North would "take advantage" of Trump. Pompeo and Mnuchin said the United States will make no concessions and will continue to push economic sanctions against Pyongyang before the meeting.

The US officials dismissed criticism that Trump's decision to meet elevated the North Korean leader's international standing.

They said decades of diplomatic efforts have failed and Trump was keeping up tough sanctions and a strong US defence posture while taking a diplomatic step toward containing the North's nuclear ambitions.

"This administration has its eyes wide open, and the whole time this conversation takes place the pressure will continue to mount on North Korea," Pompeo said on the CBS "Face the Nation" show.

Mnuchin said Trump has been criticised for not using more diplomacy to contain Pyongyang's nuclear ambitions.

"Now we have a situation where the president is using diplomacy but we're not removing the maximum pressure campaign," Mnuchin said on "Meet the Press." "So the president is going to sit down and see if he can cut a deal."

Six Republican senators last week sent a letter to Trump to share his plan with Congress that keeps up pressure on "this heinous regime."

One of them, Republican Cory Gardner, told CBS on Sunday it was important to see "concrete and verifiable steps" from North Korea before the meeting occurs. "After this meeting, there's going to be very little left of that diplomatic runway," he said.COPENHAGEN, DENMARK - JULY 10: Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe during his meeting with Danish Prime Minister Lars Loekke Rasmussen at the PM's Office on July 10, 2017 in Copenhagen, Denmark. The two heads of state discussed the situation on the Korean peninsula and how Japan and Denmark could enhance their strategic partnership further. The Japanese PM said during their joint press conference that North Korea undermines the international order seriously. (Photo by Ole Jensen - Corbis/Corbis via Getty Images)

Japan's finance ministry on Monday acknowledged that documents in a suspected cronyism scandal had been doctored, said a senior ruling party official, as pressure mounts on Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and his ally Finance Minister Taro Aso over the case.

Abe, now in his sixth year in office, had tried to put behind him questions over the sale of state-owned land at a huge discount to a school operator with ties to his wife, Akie, behind him. His ratings had rebounded from a slump last year, but doubts have revived with a series of fresh revelations.

Abe has repeatedly denied he or his wife did favours for school operator Moritomo Gakuen, which bought the land, and has said he would resign if evidence were found that they had. The issue last year sharply eroded Abe's popularity.

Suspicions of a cover-up could slash Abe's ratings and dash his hopes of a third term as leader of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP). Victory in the LDP September leadership vote would put him on track to become Japan's longest-serving premier. The doubts have also sparked calls for Aso to resign.

A March 9-11 survey by the Yomiuri newspaper showed support for Abe's cabinet fell to 48 percent, down six points from a month earlier. Non-support rose to 42 percent and 80 percent said that the matter had not been handled appropriately.

LDP parliamentary affairs official Hiroshi Moriyama told reporters that he had been briefed by finance ministry officials that the documents related to the land sale had been altered.

Media have said the changes were made after February last year - when the suspected scandal broke - and that words describing the "special nature" of the deal were excised along with the names of several politicians.

"If this is true, isn't political responsibilityunavoidable?" said Akira Nagatsuma, a senior lawmaker in theopposition Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan, on Sunday. Former Moritomo Gakuen head Yasunori Kagoike and his wife were arrested in July on suspicion of illegally receiving subsidies.

ULTIMATE RESPONSIBILITY

On Friday, National Tax Agency chief Nobuhisa Sagawaabruptly resigned over his remarks in parliament about the case.

Also on Friday, media said police were investigating aspossible suicide the death of a finance ministry official whoselocal office had handled the land sale.

"If Minister Aso signed off on National Tax Agency chiefSagawa's resignation knowing about the falsified documents,moves seeking his resignation are inevitable," Yuichiro Tamaki,leader of the opposition Democratic Party, said on Sunday.

Some LDP members also suggested politicians had ultimate responsibility.

"It is inconceivable that the bureaucrats on the spot had such authority (to alter the documents)," media quoted Shigeru Ishiba, an LDP lawmaker who has made no secret of his desire to challenge Abe in the party race, as saying on the weekend. "If we don't make clear who did this, trust in the LDP will waver."

Sagawa headed the ministry division that submitted thedocuments before he was tapped as tax agency chief in July, anappointment critics saw as a reward for his efforts to diffusethe issue with his statements to parliament last year.

Aso and Abe have both defended the appointment as"appropriate" and Aso has said he will not resign.

Abe, 63, swept back to power in December 2012 promising to revive the economy and bolster its defence.

It was a rare comeback for the conservative lawmaker, who quit abruptly in 2007 after a year in office marked by scandals in his cabinet, a deadlocked parliament and ill health.

His ruling bloc won a two-thirds "super majority" in a October lower house poll, helped by opposition disarray.An Australian mans joy of purchasing a Porsche fizzled within 10 minutes as he was detected over speeding by the police and his vehicle was impounded by the Victoria police.

The man was allegedly caught going at 100 kmph in a 40 kmph speed limit zone in Albert Park on Saturday.

In a media release, the police said that Prahran Highway Patrol officers observed the driver of a 2013 Porsche Cayenne filming himself on his phone while driving about 9.55 am. A short time later he was detected going at more than double the speed limit along the Aughtie Drive.

The police intercepted the car and impounded it for 30 days. The driver, a 37-year-old Yallambie man, is expected to be charged on summons with speeding and using a mobile phone while driving, Luke Zammit, media officer for the police said.

The vehicle has been impounded under Victoria Police's traffic security drive.Pakistan and Iran today said they would boost links between Gawadar and Chahbahar ports that are being developed by China and India.

This was decided in a meeting between Pakistan's Foreign Minister Khawaja Asif and his Iranian counterpart Javad Zarif who is on an official visit here.

Pakistan's Foreign Office (FO) spokesman said in a statement that the two foreign ministers held consultations on bilateral relations and regional peace and security.

"The foreign ministers underlined that as two brotherly neighbouring countries Iran and Pakistan would deepen connectivity between the two sister ports of Gawadar and Chahbahar to benefit from their complementarities," the FO said.

The two ministers also exchanged views on important developments on regional and international peace and security.

Zarif also called on Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi and discussed efforts for strengthening of bilateral relations and issues related to peace and security in the region.

Radio Pakistan reported that a 30-member business delegation comprising representatives from economic, trade and business sectors is accompanying the Iranian foreign minister.

His visit comes weeks after Pakistan announced that it would send troops to Saudi Arabia, Iran's arch rival.North Korean leader Kim Jong Un watches the test of a new-type anti-aircraft guided weapon system organised by the Academy of National Defence Science. Photo: Reuters

US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un will ultimately decide what arrangements are acceptable for their meeting, America's top spymaster said today but asserted that the US will make no concessions to the dictator for the talks.

CIA Director Mike Pompeo suggested that Pyongyang is buckling under the pressure of US-led international sanctions.

Never before have we had the North Koreans in a position where their economy was at such risk, and where their leadership was under such pressure that they would begin conversations on the terms that Kim Jong Un has conceded to, Pompeo told Fox News.

"Make no mistake: while these negotiations are going on, there will be no concessions made," he said.

"This first meeting is between Trump and the leader of North Korea, the two people who are the decision-makers, who will ultimately decide what arrangements are acceptable, Pompeo said.

CIA, he said has an important role to play in this and keep the president well informed.

"The CIA has an important role as these conversations take place. We need to make sure that we can inform the president of the history of deceit of this regime, where they have committed to things in the agreed framework and that subsequently, we need to make sure that we go into this discussion understanding those risks, he said.

The nature of Kim Jong-un himself, he's still a very young leader, but clearly in charge of his country. Those are the kinds of things that we can share publicly about him and Trump is now committed to having at least a first conversation, Pompeo said in response to a question.

"We know a fair amount about him. We know that he is rational in the sense of the response to stimulus. We have seen this. We've watched this at administration apply pressure and now, we've watched him come to the negotiating table, the CIA head said.

Pompeo said he briefs the president nearly every day.

We have shared with the president every bit of information we have about the country, about its economy, about its missile systems, about how Kim Jong-un might react and how North Korea might respond, how the globe might respond. And the president has built an enormous coalition aimed at the singular outcome, which is the denuclearisation of the peninsula, he said.

Trump, he said, is doing this not for theater, but to solve the problem.

"The location of the meeting will determine the exact timing of the meeting. The president and the team will figure out. But what's most important is what's discussed and the clarity and the strength and resolve of this president and this administration to achieve the outcomes that America so desperately deserves, the CIA director said.

White House principal deputy secretary Raj Shah today said no arrangement for the between Trump and Kim was being "ruled out," including having the dictator visit the White House.

"It is going to be a time and a place to be decided. We don't have an announcement right now, but we have accepted this offer and we hope that it can be the part of an important breakthrough, Shah told ABC news.

When asked whether Trump would consider travelling to Pyongyang, he said, "I don't think that that's highly likely but again, I'm not going to rule anything out."

Shah clarified that no additional preconditions had been imposed on the meeting should North Korea keep its promise not to conduct missile and nuclear tests, nor publicly oppose planned military exercises between the US and South Korea.

Shah said when Trump took office a little over a year ago, inherited a policy that was not working for the previous eight years.

He adopted a policy of a maximum pressure on the North Korean regime. Over the last year, we've seen a lot of success, he said.

"We've seen China dramatically reduce trade with North Korea. We've seen the UN impose some of the toughest sanctions on the North Korean regime. It's been increasingly isolated both diplomatically and economically, with dozens of countries chipping in," he said.Breaking with integrated peers that have committed to restraining capital spending and increasing cash returns to shareholders, ExxonMobil (XOM) plans to ramp up capital spending from $24 billion this year to $28 billion in 2019 and $30 billion on average through 2025, with the goal of doubling earnings and cash flow from 2017 levels by 2025 and delivering a return on capital employed of 15% compared with 7% in 2017. While investors have been clamoring for greater capital discipline from integrated oils, Exxons view is that it holds a host of high-return projects that can leverage its superior integrated model and thus warrant investment.

This reasoning is sound, in our opinion. We have long argued, supported by historical returns, that Exxon is the highest-quality integrated overall and that its downstream and chemical segments are key differentiators, so it stands to reason that the company should invest to maximize those advantages. Integrated oils have a spotty record of delivering on long-dated volume and return targets, and execution risk is high. That said, Exxon is one of the better operators and developers in the world, and its plan includes a high portion of operated projects, increasing the chances for success, in our opinion. Also, while oil prices are likely to be volatile during the next seven years, Exxon can cover its spending requirements and dividends at $40 a barrel, ensuring their safety.Paramount, however, is ensuring house hunters get preapproval first. Brookes says too many of her clients are approaching home buying the way they would have prior to January 1.

Just make sure you get the new preapproval under the new stress test rules, she said. Use a bank or broker whos doing an official preapproval. Theres a pre-qualifier and a preapproval, which is when you look at income documents up front, so submit them all up front during the preapproval process because a lot of people are missing that. They go to the bank and only get pre-qualified and they cant actually afford the home because the bank didnt look at all the income documents up front.

Clients who enter into agreements to purchase a home they subsequently realize they cannot affordbecause they didnt get preapprovedare susceptible to lawsuits.

Youre liable and youll lose your deposit. Even the realtor can get sued. If the seller sells to someone else for less youll have to pay for the difference, she said. You dont walk into a grocery store without knowing how much moneys in your wallet, so dont buy a half-million dollar house without knowing whether or not you can afford it.

Brookes also suggests clients who dont qualify for their dream home with a chartered bank can go to the alternative channel. While it will be more costly, stretching amortization can reduce the monthly payments.Spring break in Panama Beach, Fla. is great and all, but nothing beats a Texas-sized party week.

As school districts, colleges and universities get ready for a week off, young adults from all over will be heading to the closest beach.AUSTIN  Pipe bombs hidden inside packages left at two separate Austin houses killed a teenage boy and seriously injured two women within hours Monday morning, spurring an investigation by Austin police who believe the attacks are linked to an earlier attack and may be racially motivated.

The first box detonated Monday in the Springdale Hills neighborhood of east Austin after the teenager brought it from the front porch into the kitchen to open it. The 17-year-old was killed, and a woman in her 40s was injured, police said.

Five hours later, as police were investigating the first explosion, another blast occurred at a home about five miles southeast in the Montopolis neighborhood near the airport. A 75-year-old woman suffered life-threatening injuries after she picked up a package left at her front door.

The explosions appeared similar to an explosion on March 2 that killed a 39-year-old northeast Austin man. In each case, the explosions came in the early morning hours from boxes left on front doorsteps. None was delivered by a mail service, police said.

We are looking at these incidents as being related, based on similarities that we have seen in the initial evidence that we have on hand here today, compared to what we found on the scene of the explosion that took place a week back, Austin Police Chief Brian Manley said.

The explosions Monday come as tens of thousands of people have descended on the states capital for the annual South by Southwest conference and festival. The explosions did not occur near any of the SXSW events.

Manley said investigators are working to determine if the bombings were hate crimes because the victims in the early-morning explosion and the one a week ago were black. The third victim was Hispanic. Two law enforcement sources said all three explosions were caused by pipe bombs.

We don't know what the motive behind these may be, Manley said. We do know that both of the homes that were the recipients of these packages belong to African-Americans, so we cannot rule out that hate crime is at the core of this. But we're not saying that that's the cause as well.

Austin police warned residents to immediately report any suspicious packages and not to touch or move them. Houston Police Chief Art Acevedo offered similar warnings to Houstonians.

What can happen there can happen here, and its a moment we can all learn from: Be suspicious of things you dont expect in the mail, he said.

Acevedo, the former police chief in Austin, said he had spoken with Manley and offered the support of the Houston Police Department.

It breaks your heart that you see people getting killed by a cowardly act, somebody so callous they would send a package with explosive devices in it, he said.

$15,000 reward offered

In response to the bombings, federal law enforcement officials from the FBI and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives joined the investigation, moving in from Houston, San Antonio and Dallas.

Were aware of the explosions, were present and were assisting APD, said Rosanne Hughes, spokeswoman for the FBIs San Antonio Field Office.

Nicole Strong, an ATF spokeswoman, said agents from the bureaus National Response Team were also on their way to Austin, bringing experience in fire origin and cause, forensic chemistry, explosives, fire protection and fire accelerants. The team responded to the 2001 terrorist attack on the Pentagon and high-profile bombings such as the 1996 blast at the Olympics in Atlanta.

Gov. Greg Abbott said his office is offering a $15,000 reward for information leading to the identification and arrest of anyone involved in the incidents.

I want to assure all Texans, and especially those in Austin, that local, state and federal law enforcement officials are working diligently to find those responsible for these heinous crimes, Abbott said in a statement. As the investigation continues, the State of Texas will provide any resources necessary to ensure the safety of our citizens, and quickly bring those guilty to justice.

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, like Abbott, called on all residents in the state to be cautious.

Call 911 immediately if you receive something suspicious, he said on Twitter.

'We want the answers'

Concerns among Austin residents grew by the hour.

It could have easily happened in our home, said Corazon Renteria, whose son went to school with the teenage victim killed by the first bomb in East Austin. She later heard the bomb go off at the second home in the Montopolis neighborhood near the airport but thought a gas stove had exploded.

We want the answers, she said. Why these people? Why that home?

Answers were few Monday, but officials said they were working to track down whoever is responsible.

We do not have a specific victimology or ideology that we have identified, so assigning a motive to this at this point, were not able to do that at the stage were at in the investigation, Manley said. If you know anything about these attacks, it's imperative you come forward and let us know.

Neighbor Brandon Rendon was making breakfast with his family Monday morning when he heard the explosion go off four houses down the street.

I don't feel safe, said Rendon, a 27-year-old contractor, as he stood on a neighbors lawn outside the police tape that blocked off his street. It just feels overwhelming.

Michael Booker, 76, who lives about a block away from the house where the first blast occurred Monday, said he didnt find out about the explosion until a friend called to check on him. After learning of the second blast, he questioned what was happening.

What are they trying to do, send us a message? he asked.

Booker said the neighborhood is extremely quiet and predominately black, but that homes have been selling quickly and more white families are moving in. Its safe and neighbors know one another, he said.

A few houses down, Lamont Tucker, 45, said he was pretty concerned.

A lot of us have lived here 40-plus years. Weve never heard of such a thing, Tucker said. I am not trying to live my life scared of everything, but its shocking.

At the scene of the third explosion, Isaiah Guerrero, 15, said he heard an explosion after 11 a.m. just one street over.

It shook my house and my body, said Guerrero, who is on spring break from school.

Neighbors said the 75-year-old victim lived at the home as a caretaker for her aging mother, whom children on the street affectionately called abuela, meaning grandmother. The neighborhood is largely Latino, filled mostly with older residents or multigenerational families who have owned homes there for years.

Ongoing concerns

Officials made efforts to reassure the revelers at South by Southwest, a popular event that draws celebrities and others from across the country.

Its important for those who are here in Austin to be aware of whats going on, said Manley, adding that conference visitors should have fun while theyre in Austin. There is no reason to believe you are at greater risk.

Civil rights advocates said they were monitoring the developments Monday and had been in touch with authorities but were waiting for more information.

Were very concerned, based on what has happened, but were upset about all human life at this point and until we know something more specific, said Nelson Linder, with the Austin chapter of the NAACP. But of course the fact that it appears two African-Americans so far were targeted is a major concern.

St. John Barned-Smith, Allie Morris and Peggy Fikac contributed to this report.At the top of Hancock Hill out west in Alpine, Texas sits a school desk with a unique lineage.

It was in 1981 that Sul Ross Industrial Tech Education students Jim Kitchen, Bill Wagner and Travis Miller lugged the desk up to the top of the hill.

RELATED: These tours of Houston show off the coolest parts of the Bayou City

According to the Sul Ross website entry on the desk, the trio were looking for a quiet place to study away from others. It didn't hurt that the view was rather pretty, too.

Kitchen left a notebook in the desk and soon others were venturing to the top of the hill to study and leave notes in the notebook.

It's a 20-minute hike to the desk from a parking lot near the school's Bryan Wildenthal Memorial Library.

RELATED: The biggest fish caught off the Texas coast according to Texas Parks and Wildlife

The desk is popular enough these days to have its own TripAdvisor entry too. Alpine's location just east of Texas-mecca Marfa means that it gets plenty of visitors from all walks of life. It's on Texas Monthly's list of top ten things to do Alpine.

Recently syndicated Texas travelogue show, The Texas Bucket List, went to the top of Hancock Hill to visit the desk among rocks and brush.

Alpine's official website has plenty of photos and information on other fine things to do in the area if anyone gets an itch to drive way out west.

Just look for the bike tree and the desk is nearby, according to visitors.

Craig Hlavaty is a reporter for Chron.com and HoustonChronicle.com.The race for Illinois attorney general has become a battle of who in the a crowded field of candidates is most politically and financially independent  and whos most willing to take on public corruption in a state with a long history of it.

Among the candidates facing off in the March 20 primary are a former governor, state legislators, a police reform leader, a mayor, attorneys and a one-time Miss America. Theyre vying for a chance to replace Democratic Attorney General Lisa Madigan, whose surprise announcement that she wouldnt seek a fifth term prompted the large group of hopefuls to get into the race.

Some of the harshest criticisms have been exchanged between state Sen. Kwame Raoul and former Gov. Pat Quinn, seen as the front runners in the Democratic primary, whove accused each other of pay-to-play and other improper actions.

Raoul released an attack ad against Quinn, saying the former governor left Illinois a broken mess and referenced the fact that Quinns administration repeatedly hired politically connected workers to the state transportation agency.

Quinn released an ad of his own soon thereafter, accusing the Chicago senator of major conflicts of interest over thousands in campaign contributions from tobacco, utility companies and other organizations the attorney general would likely have to prosecute during his or her tenure.

Raouls campaign said the contributions dont reflect on his ability to be an independent voice in Springfield, adding the senator is a supporter of campaign finance reform.

He has a 13-year record on voting on legislation and has never allowed a campaign contribution to influence his vote, said Raouls spokesman Pete Matuszak. He is not for sale.

But many of the candidates have been quick to use Raouls robust campaign war chest and backing from Democratic party officials against him.

Aaron Goldstein, the defense attorney for indicted former Gov. Rod Blagojevich, has similarly taken aim at Raoul, saying the senators connections put his independence and true beliefs into question.

The infighting highlights how the campaign itself is a race to see which candidate is the most independent voice free from outside influence.

The less high-profile candidates use their anonymity in Springfield to their favor , such as former federal prosecutor Renato Mariotti who says he will not be beholden to special interests or the Democratic machine.

Highland Park Mayor Nancy Rotering similarly emphasized the need for an independent, principled and effective leader in the position.

Even Quinn, likely the most established candidate, has taken a similar strategy. The Chicago Democrat has trailed in fundraising and failed to secure establishment backing. But he uses that as proof he is running a grassroots campaign that gets the most out of a limited amount of money.

Candidates are not just brushing up against Raoul, but also Madigan, who in some respects represents the old guard of the Democratic Party.

As Illinoiss chief legal officer, candidates say theyll take up the issue of public corruption in a way their predecessor has not. Madigans tenure has largely come under scrutiny in this race. Candidates say she didnt focus enough on public corruption, instead making her main issue consumer advocacy, like suing big banks over mortgage practices.

Many have called for expanding the attorney generals corruption-fighting powers, empowering the office with the ability to investigate and indict without permission from states attorneys.

Other states have passed laws that empower their attorney general to act as a government watchdog, with the ability to step in when state or local officials violate their oath of office, said Democratic candidate Jesse Ruiz, former chairman of the Illinois State Board of Education. We need that same level of protection here in Illinois.

The attorney general acts as the states chief prosecutor in Rhode Island, Alaska and Delaware, according to Harvard lecturer and former Maine Attorney General James Tierney. He adds that attorneys general are in a unique position to prosecute cases as they have more resources and are independent officials not affected by the pressures of local politics. Across the country, state attorneys general have garnered more national attention as the federal government isnt having much success prosecuting corruption.

But expanding investigatory powers in Illinois is easier said than done. Madigan has tried to pass legislation to give the office the ability to independently prosecute public corruption crimes, according to spokesman Maura Possley, but to no avail.

Some candidates, including former head of Chicagos Civilian Office of Police Accountability Sharon Fairley, note its possible to combat corruption within the offices constitutional bounds by working closely with local attorneys and providing them the resources they need.

Democratic state Rep. Scott Drury, took direct aim at Madigan saying the attorney general has broad powers that include the power to investigate and prosecute corruption but that the current administration has taken a different view in recent years.

The Highwood lawmaker has also run ads saying hes not like other Democrats and would stand up to machine politicians.

On the Republican side, candidates also are arguing theyre best fit to battle public corruption.

Attorney and former Miss America Erika Harold calls herself a reform-minded political outsider, despite the fact her top donors are Gov. Bruce Rauner and the Republican Party.

Grasso said that we have had nothing but talk about ending public corruption under Lisa Madigans tenure, and that electing a Democrat would yield more of the same.To Illinois College alum Mark Janus, who is at the center of a history-making Supreme Court case, its about standing up for what he believes is right.

Its that belief that resulted in his fight against the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees union to the U.S. Supreme Court. The high courts decision could play a pivotal role in how union dues are handled for non-union employees.

My parents raised me believing that if you start something you need to finish it and that we need to stand up with our principles, Janus said. Its part of what I learned in scouting as a boy scout growing up. After I got older and became a scout leader, its a lesson that I taught my scouts: That they have to stand up for what they believe in.

Janus is a lifelong native of Springfield, excluding his four-year education with Illinois College where he majored in business administration. He spent some time working for the Jacksonville Journal-Courier after his graduation in 1975 and then moved briefly to Peoria before coming back to work for his dad at his company Jaeger Beauty Supply Company.

After the company closed, Janus went to work for the state in the Department of Commerce and Community Affairs, issuing small business loans for economic development purposes. He then went on to do accounting for a Springfield printing company, started his own business selling spiral binding, and then landed back at the state as a child-support specialist after selling his company.

It was as a specialist he started noticing a line-item on his checks that read union dues.

My initial thought was, Whats going on here? Im not a member of the union, he said. I never signed a pledge card. I never signed to join up. I asked a member of my peers and they said that whether youre a member or not you have to pay this fee. I didnt like it, but it was a condition of my employment.

As time went on, and as more money kept coming out, I kept seeing what was going on with the state and its fiscal chaos, if you will, and I became more and more dissatisfied, Janus continued. It got to the point that I finally said Ive just got to stand up for my principles. I dont agree with this. Then, through my various contacts, I learned about the Liberty Justice Center.

Janus is represented by the National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation and the Liberty Justice Center in Janus v. AFSCME which challenges the precedent set by Abood v. Detroit Board of Education in 1977 that has allowed unions to impose dues on non-member employees on a state and local level.

Initially, Janus explained, he and his litigation team thought that their case might be over as the 2015 case Friedrichs v. California made its way to the Supreme Court. Rebecca Friedrichs sued the teachers union at her school over a nearly identical complaint that the collection of dues from a non-union employee was a violation of First Amendment rights.

However, Justice Antonin Scalias death in Feb. 2016 lead to a 4-4 split decision and Janus case moved forward. The Supreme Court agreed to hear the case on Sept. 28, 2017.

If they had ruled in favor on her case, our case would not have to proceed because that would have satisfied everything we were looking for, he said.

As the case came to the Supreme Court, two plaintiffs that were originally attached the case were dropped. Jacob Huebert, one of Janus attorneys, said that Department of Health executive Marie Quigley stopped participating early in the case and Department of Transportation land acquisition engineer Bryan Triggs case was thrown out by the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals due to a previous case he held against a union regarding religious beliefs.

This left Janus as the sole plaintiff in the case, which left both widespread attention and criticism to sit squarely on his shoulders.

Unions criticize Janus for being a free rider, or someone who would benefit from collective bargaining without paying union dues. Pro-union advocates argue that by stripping unions of the power to collect such fees, they would essentially encourage workers to not pay.

Janus said that the case has caused a rift between himself and the union employees at the state, where he continues to work to this day, but that the criticism has only strengthened his resolve. He explained that the case isnt about unions, with which he has no issue, but about his rights as an individual.

This whole case is about freedom of choice, Janus said. I openly admit, and Ive stated it numerous times, that Im not against collective bargaining and Im not against unions. Theyve been a part of this country for years. Where I draw the line is the fact that I dont have a choice in the matter. This is mandatory. This is coercion. The unions look at it like Im going to try and end all collective bargaining and that its going to end unions.

If the unions are as good and benevolent as they lead people to believe, why do they have to force and coerce people to pay a fee?, he asked.

The courts heard the cases oral arguments on Feb. 26. Until then, its a lot of waiting for Janus and his attorneys until the court issues a decision by the end of its term toward the end of June. Huebert said that theyre optimistic about the case that they have made and eagerly await the decision.

The constitution is on our side, Huebert said. Of course, you cant predict these things, but were hopeful.

Nick Draper can be reached at 217-245-6121, ext. 1223, or on Twitter @nick_draper.A television reporter got a bit snippy with an Illinois gubernatorial candidate the other day and informed her that Rock Island and Moline are not in downstate Illinois.

I lived in Rock Island for almost a decade and I considered myself a downstater. In fact, most of the folks I knew there did. But times change so I called up longtime Quad-City journalist John Beydler and asked him.

Of course, the Quad-Cities is downstate, he said with a sigh.

Downstate is a geopolitical term, Charles Wheeler III, a journalism professor at the University of Illinois at Springfield, added.

Traditionally, downstate Illinois is the 96 counties in Illinois that arent Cook County or one of the counties touching Cook. That means that Rockford is just as much Downstate as Carbondale, he said.

No argument here.

I grew up on a hog farm near Galesburg. We were 199 miles from Chicago and 288 from Carbondale. But we always referred to ourselves as downstaters.

Its a sociological term more than a geographic one.

Downstate is what geographers refer to as a vernacular region. There isnt anything negative about the term. It simply refers to the area of Illinois that isnt as closely tied to Chicago as those in the immediate metropolitan area. So, places like Quincy, Galesburg, Peoria, Carbondale, Rockford and the Quad-Cities are all considered part of Downstate Illinois, said Norman Moline, who taught culture and geography at Augustana College in Rock Island for 45 years.

Illinois is hardly unique in these geopolitical designations that dont always make sense by just looking at map. For example, San Francisco is considered northern California even though it is closer to Mexico than to the Oregon border.

In Maine, the area of the state known as down east is north of where most Mainers live. Go figure.

I chatted with Wally Haas, editorial page editor of the Rockford Register Star and asked him about this downstate designation for Illinois most northern major city.

Just about everyone in Rockford knows that when the term downstate is used, it includes Rockford even though we are about as far north as you can get in Illinois. Youll hear some folks who dont like the term, but everyone knows it includes us.

Rich Morthland, a communications professor at Black Hawk College in Moline and a former state legislator, said, Of course the Quad-Cities is in downstate Illinois. People in the area know that. When I was in Springfield, I was a member of the Downstate Caucus.

Morthland, by the way, is the running mate of Jeanne Ives, the candidate who was corrected.

Peoria is in the north-central part of Illinois. But for decades, the Peoria Journal-Stars front page proclaimed it Downstate Illinois largest newspaper.

So, am I picking on this young KWQC reporter who corrected a candidate about what is or isnt downstate?

No. But it is important for all of us to remember that meanings of words can be nuanced. And sometimes their definition is not quite what one might think.

Scott Reeder is a veteran statehouse journalist. He works as a freelance reporter in the Springfield area and produces the podcast Suspect Convictions. 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(2) Apr 13 (2) Apr 12 (2) Apr 11 (3) Apr 10 (3) Apr 09 (2) Apr 08 (2) Apr 07 (2) Apr 06 (2) Apr 05 (3) Apr 04 (2) Apr 03 (2) Apr 02 (2) Apr 01 (2) Mar 31 (1) Mar 30 (1) Mar 29 (2) Mar 28 (2) Mar 27 (2) Mar 26 (3) Mar 25 (3) Mar 24 (2) Mar 23 (2) Mar 22 (1) Mar 21 (1) Mar 20 (2) Mar 19 (2) Mar 18 (2) Mar 17 (2) Mar 16 (4) Mar 15 (2) Mar 14 (2) Mar 13 (2) Mar 12 (2) Mar 11 (3) Mar 10 (3) Mar 09 (3) Mar 08 (2) Mar 07 (1) Mar 06 (2) Mar 05 (3) Mar 04 (3) Mar 03 (8) Mar 02 (2) Mar 01 (1) Feb 28 (2) Feb 27 (4) Feb 26 (1) Feb 25 (1) Feb 24 (2) Feb 23 (2) Feb 22 (4) Feb 21 (2) Feb 20 (2) Feb 19 (2) Feb 18 (2) Feb 17 (2) Feb 16 (2) Feb 15 (1) Feb 14 (1) Feb 13 (1) Feb 12 (2) Feb 11 (1) Feb 10 (2) Feb 09 (1) Feb 08 (1) Feb 07 (1) Feb 06 (1) Feb 05 (5) Feb 03 (1) Feb 02 (1) Feb 01 (1) Jan 31 (4) Jan 30 (4) Jan 29 (4) Jan 28 (2) Jan 27 (5) Jan 26 (5) Jan 25 (5) Jan 24 (3) Jan 23 (4) Jan 22 (4) Jan 21 (3) Jan 20 (3) Jan 19 (4) Jan 18 (3) Jan 17 (2) Jan 16 (4) Jan 15 (3) Jan 14 (5) Jan 13 (5) Jan 12 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Jul 07 (1) Jul 06 (1) Jul 03 (1) Jul 01 (1) Jun 28 (1) Jun 24 (2) Jun 20 (1) Jun 19 (1) Jun 18 (1) Jun 15 (1) Jun 14 (2) Jun 11 (1) Jun 09 (3) Jun 08 (1) Jun 07 (1) Jun 06 (1) Jun 04 (2) Jun 03 (1) Jun 02 (2) Jun 01 (1) May 31 (3) May 30 (1) May 29 (1) May 28 (2) May 26 (1) May 25 (1) May 18 (1) May 17 (1) May 15 (1) May 09 (1) May 07 (2) May 02 (1) May 01 (1) Apr 30 (1) Apr 27 (1) Apr 26 (2) Apr 23 (1) Apr 22 (1) Apr 19 (1) Apr 18 (1) Apr 12 (1) Apr 11 (1) Apr 09 (1) Apr 07 (1) Apr 05 (1) Apr 01 (1) Mar 30 (1) Mar 27 (1) Mar 25 (1) Mar 22 (2) Mar 19 (1) Mar 18 (1) Mar 16 (1) Mar 15 (2) Mar 13 (1) Mar 12 (1) Mar 11 (1) Mar 10 (1)President Donald Trump View Photos

President Trump delivered his Weekly Address and was Mondays KVML Newsmaker of the Day. Here are his words:

My Fellow Americans,

Protecting the safety and well-being of American Citizens is my highest duty as President. Yet, lawless sanctuary jurisdictions are nullifying federal law, obstructing immigration enforcement, and releasing thousands of criminal aliens into U.S. communities to prey on innocent victims. Its absolutely terrible.

For example, in recent days, San Francisco officials denied ICEs request to turn over a criminal alien with a prior conviction for battery and a charge for driving under the influence.

In another city in California, local law enforcement recently denied ICEs request to turn over a criminal alien convicted of Sexual Battery who had a history of domestic violence. A truly violent person.

And last week, the mayor of Oakland warned criminal aliens of a coming ICE enforcement action giving them time to scatter and hide from authorities. The mayors conduct directly threatened the safety of federal immigration officers and the law-abiding Americans in her community.

The State of California is sheltering dangerous criminals in a brazen and lawless attack on our Constitutional system of government. Every state in our Union is subject to the laws and Constitution of the United States including California. Yet Californias leaders are in open defiance of federal law. They dont care about crime. They dont care about death and killings. They dont care about robberies. They dont care about the kind of things that you and I care about.

In other recent cases, New York authorities released illegal aliens who were previously charged with assault, criminal possession of a weapon, possession of poisonous drugs, and strangling a person in each case, New York officials had refused to turn these dangerous illegal aliens over to ICE or notify ICE about their release with enough time for them to be safely arrested.

Just this week, the city of Denver refused ICEs request to turn over a criminal illegal alien charged with vehicular homicide for killing another driver in a horrific hit-and-run.

Sanctuary jurisdictions are the best friend of smugglers, gang members, drug dealers, human traffickers, killers, and other violent offenders.

We want our cities to be sanctuaries for Americans, not safe havens for criminals. That is why I am calling on Congress to block funds for jurisdictions that shield dangerous criminals.

It is time to end the bloodshed brought about by reckless sanctuary policies and it is time to save American lives and American cities.

Thank you. God bless you. And God bless America.

The Newsmaker of the Day is heard every weekday morning at 6:45, 7:45 and 8:45 on AM 1450 and FM 102.7 KVML.Governor Jerry Brown At CA High Speed Rail Groundbreaking In Fresno View Photos

Update at 2:30pm: Protests in the works around President Donald Trumps California visit on Tuesday to view border wall prototypes have been confirmed down south.

While President Trump has not yet responded to Governor Jerry Browns invitation to visit the Central Valley tomorrow and the White House has not appeared to release any further details about Trumps itinerary, this afternoon the Associated Press reports that dozens of immigrant activists, church leaders and local elected officials, while attending a press conference inside San Diegos Chicano Park are planning demonstrations to show Trump that border communities oppose his plans to build a barrier wall on the boundary line between California and Mexico.

The attending groups are asking people to join a peaceful protest against the project during Trumps planned

tour at the US-Mexico border to look at eight 30-foot tall border wall prototypes located near the existing wall in Otay Mesa.

Among those gathered at the park was Democratic U.S. Congressman Juan Vargas, whose district covers the entire California-Mexico border. He stated to reporters that Trump is not welcome in his jurisdiction.

Original Post at 9:17 am: Sacramento, CA  Ahead of President Donald Trumps first visit to California since his election, Governor Jerry Brown is inviting him to visit communities like Madera and Fresno.

President Trump will arrive in California on Tuesday to look at border wall prototypes and to hold a fundraiser in Los Angeles. This morning, Governor Brown sent a letter reading, After youve examined your wall prototypes on the border, I invite you to head north to the Central Valley  the heart of California. Here in cities like Fresno and Madera more than a dozen bridges and viaducts are being built for the nations first and only High-Speed Rail line. We are already putting 1,700 Americans to work. You have lamented that we dont have one fast train in our country. Well, Mr. President, in California we are trying to fix that. We have a world-class train system under construction. We invite you to come aboard and truly Make America Great Again.

The Trump Administration has given no indication it will accept Governor Browns invitation. The two sides have been at odds over recent months because of a variety of contentious issues. The federal Justice Department recently filed a lawsuit over sanctuary city legislation, and California has filed a suit at the federal government over plans to expedite construction of the border wall.

Last week it was announced that the cost of the high speed rail project ($77-billion) is increasing and the project timeline is extended. Click here to view the earlier story.San Antonio author Jan Jarboe Russell has spent five years researching and writing The Train to Crystal City, a book that exposes a secret and sordid WWII prisoner-exchange program centered on a South Texas internment camp for families of German, Japanese and Italian descent.

From 1942 to 1948, the U.S. government ripped thousands of American families from their homes across the country, herded them onto closed train cars and shipped them like cattle to Crystal City in the desolate South Texas desert 120 miles from San Antonio.Several high-profile, high-impact public deaths shook San Antonio throughout the years, from Wild West shootouts to night club violence.

Looking through news archives, we found that certain suicides and murders made a big impact on others, by ridding stigmas and causing reform.

For example, two suicides that happened at a parking garage on the intersection of East Commerce and North Presa streets downtown resulted in an investigative piece from the Express-News that examines mental health and impact of suicide.

The goal is to make sure people know they are not alone, that there is help, Shari Sinwelski of the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, told the Express-News in August 2013.

In another case, the Express-News covered a shooting on a VIA bus in 1992, when a young Hispanic male was killed. That year, criminal incidents at VIA Metropolitan Transit bus stops and aboard buses peaked, with 1,616 incidents reported.

The large number made VIA officials reform their security measures with better on-board security and stronger penalties.

Click through the slideshow to view 15 public deaths that shook San Antonio.

rsalinas@mysa.comAlamo officials have discovered a clue to the building's mysterious past, right over the doorway some 3 million visitors pass through each year.

Experts believe 1802 might have been scratched into the wall when the Alamo was a mission under Spanish rule, or perhaps decades later, after the U.S. Army added a second floor and roof in the mid-1800s.

Or, as Alamo historian and curator Bruce Winders suggests, it could have been left by an Alamo defender who kept watch from a ledge by a window during the 1836 siege and decided to mark the year of his birth.

More than likely, it's evidence of a little-known period between 1793, when Mission San Antonio de Valero was secularized; and 1803, when Spanish troops began to occupy the former mission that later would be known as the Alamo, Winders said.

If you look at historic graffiti at face value, people usually put the date when they did it, he said. Americans at that time were kind of notorious for leaving behind something that says, I was here.'

The Alamo's on-site conservator, Pam Jary Rosser, made the discovery last week while removing dust and mold from a wall with a sponge and distilled water.

She spotted the date, the earliest ever found in the building, etched in numbers nearly an inch high into the mission-era plaster and limestone wall.

Also by the window above the Alamo's main doorway were etchings of WVA, and what appears to be 54 or SA, and TEX. Since W rarely is used in Spanish, and West Virginia didn't become a state until 1863, Winders could not explain the markings.

The find was the latest of several intriguing discoveries Rosser has made while working as the Alamo's on-site conservator for more than a year.

As a contractor in 2009, she uncovered an arched doorway leading to one of the side rooms of the Alamo that dates to the 1700s. She and her mother, Cisi Jary, also discovered remnants of mission-era frescoes about a decade ago.

Rosser said it's exhilarating to find clues to the past at the Alamo, which is filled with markings and etchings, including many that can be seen only with ultraviolet lamps.

Some historic graffiti she's uncovered might date to the Civil War era. Alamo officials believe markings in ink or paint might have been left by the Knights of the Golden Circle, a secretive organization in the South that had a chapter in San Antonio.

More Information The Alamo See More Collapse

Thursday's announcement of the discovery came less than a week after Gov. Rick Perry signed a bill giving the state oversight of the Alamo for the first time in 106 years.

Though some members of the Daughters of the Republic of Texas opposed the change, the DRT has officially embraced the new law and appointed a transition team to forge an agreement with the General Land Office to remain as Alamo custodians.

The DRT recently adopted a master plan for the state-owned Alamo complex that identified a need for $19.8 million in restoration and maintenance work, including $11.2 million for the Alamo church.

DRT President General Karen Thompson said the DRT hopes to work with the land office to keep doing preservation work that is adding to what's in our history books.

The Daughters are refurbishing the shrine, adding a gray sealant to its ceiling for appearance and to keep out rainwater. In response to concerns about structural stability, the DRT hired a contractor to investigate the flat roof on the building's north side, to see if it needs more steel reinforcing.

Crews are soon expected to begin applying an acrylic waterproofing product called Hydro-Stop to the vaulted portion of the roof's exterior to control leaks. An engineer's report has called water intrusion the single largest threat to the continued viability of the Alamo structure.

Aside from the change in management structure, the new law authorizes the land office to form a nine-member Alamo preservation advisory board. Some of the law's verbiage alters the Alamo's role as a patriotic symbol.

The law directs the board to: educate the public on the historical significance and factual record of the Alamo complex; inspire virtues of honor and Texas pride; preserve the memory and achievement of individuals who served at the Alamo; and honor all Texans who have served in the armed forces or died in service to ensure the freedom of the people of this state.

Under the 1905 law that gave the DRT custodianship, the Daughters were required to keep the Alamo in good order and repair without charge to the State, as a sacred memorial to the heroes who immolated themselves upon that hallowed ground.The state agency that is assuming oversight at the Alamo says it wants to put the shrine's staff back under the supervision of a paid executive director.

Under a law that takes effect today, the General Land Office has just four months to negotiate a contract with the Daughters of the Republic of Texas that could run up to 10 years for day-to-day operations at the state shrine. If a contract isn't signed by Jan. 1, control of the Alamo and the site's equipment and property acquired with state funds must be transferred to the Land Office.

Many questions linger as the DRT remains the subject of a Texas attorney general's investigation. But many believe the new law will improve conditions at the state's 4.2-acre complex, which has up to 3 million visitors annually.

I can't help but believe any organizational structure birthed by the Land Office has got to be better than what currently exists, said Rudi Rodriguez, founder of the Hispanic Heritage Center of Texas.

One idea the Land Office is exploring is restoring an Alamo director's position to oversee staff. The Daughters have had direct oversight of the Alamo's roughly 100 employees since David Stewart retired as director in 2009.

The subject of an executive director has been discussed and will continue to be discussed, said Mark Loeffler, Land Office communications director.

Rumors have swirled about financial operations at the Alamo and the fiscal viability of the DRT's statewide organization. In a throwback to the DRT's early 1900s roots, some say its Alamo Mission Chapter, rather than the state organization, could manage the Alamo under contract with the Land Office.

Regarding the DRT's main association, as with any large nonprofit organization in light of this economy, contributions vary, DRT President General Karen Thompson, the only Daughter authorized to speak for the group, said in a statement.

She denied rumors of a hiring freeze affecting nonessential staff at the Alamo.

Although Thompson said gift shop sales that support the Alamo's $6 million operating budget have been stable, capital fundraising has been a concern of the state.

The law signed in June by Gov. Rick Perry allows the Land Office to hire a nonprofit to raise funds, and gives the DRT an option to charge admission.

Critics say the Alamo, site of a Spanish mission and an 1836 siege and battle, has fallen behind other restored sites.

Local restorations include a $21 million upgrade of San Fernando Cathedral in 2003; a new $2.2 million project at Mission San Jose; a $775,000 renovation last year at the Spanish Governor's Palace; and 1990s restorations of more than $3 million at City Hall, and of $10 million at the Majestic and Empire theaters.

The Alamo also has been troubled with unrest in the DRT, state-appointed custodians since 1905. But sources within the Daughters said the AG's office may release a report on its nearly 15-month investigation this month, letting dust settle as the DRT and Land Office confer on terms of a contract.

Land Commissioner Jerry Patterson, who is leading the negotiations, seems pleased with the DRT's stewardship of the grounds, Loeffler said.

If you're asking whether he's happy with the financial management, that answer probably is no, Loeffler said. The agency's primary concern relates to ensuring that any money raised on behalf of the Alamo ... is used solely for the benefit of the Alamo.

After failing to raise $400,000 for a 175th anniversary Alamo concert in March and falling behind on payroll at its Austin headquarters, the DRT has entered a $491,000 roof repair contract at the Alamo and spent many thousands of dollars in legal fees.

On May 31, two days after the bill passed the Legislature, the DRT was charged $23,000 in legal fees that were paid out of Alamo funds for consultations, responses to media inquiries and conference calls with lawyers and legislators.

An Alamo employee, speaking anonymously, said the DRT and staff managers are not taking care of the Alamo, and have told employees not to talk to the media.

They're good people trying to do the right thing, but they're not qualified, said the employee, one of many required since last year to sign a two-page nondisclosure agreement at the Alamo.

Daughters with the Alamo Mission Chapter and DRT Library Committee recently began taking inventory of furniture, books and materials belonging to the lineage group in case a contract with the Land Office is not signed by the deadline.

Under the law, the Land Office may create a nine-member Alamo preservation advisory board, with the city of San Antonio and Bexar County each having an appointee.

Rodriguez, of the Hispanic Heritage Center, said he supports having a mixed group of people that will bring different perspectives on the Alamo.

But Loeffler said Patterson can move faster without the board to establish the kind of infrastructure that the Alamo and Daughters need. A board might later be seated, he said.

This summer, the DRT has had contractors study and repair leaks in the Alamo chapel's roof, replace old mortar on its exterior walls, clean its interior walls and reseal its ceiling. But the Aug. 4 filming by the Bravo network of Pee-wee Herman for a Top Chef segment raised legitimate questions about the Alamo's portrayal by the media, Loeffler said.

After the filming, Daughters with the Mission chapter found Alamo Hall, a structure on the grounds that the DRT renovated in 2009, in disarray, with damage from broken glass, curtains on the floor and a portrait of Clara Driscoll, the savior of the Alamo, moved from its place.

The well-funded chapter already had begun a process in June of forming its own nonprofit corporation, fueling speculation that it could assume the role of Alamo manager if the statewide organization loses the tax-exempt status the new law requires it to maintain.

Meanwhile, a lawsuit filed against the DRT by former Alamo Ranger Roberto Sustaita has put a spotlight on the shrine's security force. Sustaita claimed the Daughters ignored complaints from staff about sexual harassment and discrimination.

We do believe they turned a blind eye. Absolutely, said Ali Hakeem, Sustaita's lawyer.

The rangers have guarded the shrine for more than 40 years. But the force has been dogged at times with personnel issues, including reports of rangers dating other employees or DRT members, and alleged theft of petty cash  even quarters scooped from the Alamo's concrete fish canal.

A slander suit filed against the DRT in 2003 by former Ranger Tomas Padilla ended with an undisclosed settlement. Last month, Rangers Glenn McGuinness and Elizabeth Arce, the first woman ever promoted to sergeant on the force, resigned.

Even C.C., a 15-year-old cat touted as the Alamo's mouse catcher, hasn't lived up to her legendary status. The DRT recently hired Home Team Pest Defense to catch rats in the DRT Library and basement below the Sales Museum.

One rat chewed a utility line in May, interrupting the Alamo's Internet service, employees said. The Land Office didn't know of the rodents but wasn't concerned, since rats are common in basements.

Not aware and not surprised, Loeffler said.TOKYO  Getting hired seemed like the tough part.

Then Maho Nishioka showed up for her new job at a Japanese construction site. The workers she supervised refused to talk to her and ignored her instructions. Once, an angry client stopped her from inspecting a concrete bridge, disregarding the fact that she was the only engineer on site qualified for the job.

He yelled at me and asked why a woman was doing the work, Nishioka said. I was mortified.

Even in a country where female workers are chronically underemployed and underpaid, the construction industry has long stood out as among the unfriendliest to women. But two decades after Nishioka started that first job, a declining birthrate and Japans reluctance to open up to immigrants have left the construction industry  and the economy as a whole  with its deepest labor shortage in years.

Both the industry and the government see women as a possible solution. Through a public push and a marketing campaign, together they are trying to double the number of women in construction, perhaps the ultimate challenge in the countrys broader effort to involve more women in the economy.

So far the government has fallen short. Female participation in the workforce has improved only slightly. Structural issues such as long hours and relatively low wages remain major barriers.

Then theres the governments effort itself, which many women in the industry describe as ham-handed at best.

As part of the campaign, Japan created a pastel-colored website to get young women interested in various types of positions in the industry. To promote female welders, for example, the site links to a cartoon that shows a woman wearing a pink, heart-patterned uniform and holding a pink, heart-shaped welding mask.

The industry is also providing female workers with portable toilets and dressing rooms  but to the frustration of many, the toilets are sometimes pink and adorned with floral patterns.

I always think its clearly an idea thought up by men, said Nishioka, 46, who now runs the diversity promotion office in the human resources department of the Shimizu Corp., one of Japans biggest construction companies. I think the government should simply pursue things that would make it easier for both women and men to work.

Hiroki Watanabe, one of the officials at the Japan construction ministry who is in charge of increasing female participation in the industry, said the overall direction of Japans public outreach had not missed the mark. Its other efforts include awarding public works projects to selected companies that employ women, hiring consultants to hold seminars for construction executives and taking surveys of female workers.

We will continue to do more to improve working conditions for workers and make it easier for women to enter the industry, he said.

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has sought to bolster women in the workplace through an effort called Womenomics, which encourages companies to promote diversity and promote female managers.

More women than ever are joining Japans workforce, which now has a higher female labor force participation rate than the United States. In Japan, more than three quarters of working-age women are in the workforce. But construction industry efforts show how difficult it will be to integrate women more broadly into the economy.

Four years into the push to double the number of female construction engineers and skilled laborers to 200,000 by 2019, the total number of women in the industry has risen by less than one-seventh. They make up only about 3 percent of the industrys workforce.

Attitudes remain difficult to change.

Japans construction industry still rejects the idea of women actually working on the ground, said Junko Komorita, chief executive of Zmken, a small contractor in southwestern Japan.

There are still plenty of men who dont want to take orders from women, Komorita said. Recently, she said, one of her female employees was mocked by workers she supervised as being hysterical when she demanded that a certain project be completed in time.

Wages also remain a problem. Despite the labor shortage, construction workers earn on average 25 percent less than their peers in other industries. And women in construction earned 30 percent less on average than their male counterparts, according to a 2016 government report.

With these wages, you can earn the same or even a bit more money at supermarkets or factories, said Hirotake Kanisawa, a professor in the department of architecture at Shibaura Institute of Technology, and compared to those kinds of jobs, construction is much harder.

Most construction laborers are hired by smaller firms that are at the bottom rung of projects, where employers sometimes steal wages to cover their other costs, Kanisawa said.

But one of the biggest challenges remains the hours the job requires. Work is irregular and often involves weekends.

You can make the work seem glamorous, but many women end up quitting when they see it for what it is, said Natsuko Fukuyoshi, a 32-year-old plasterer in Tokyo. The hours and the physical nature of the job make it tough to keep both men and women, she said, noting that many young recruits in her company quit during their four-year apprenticeship.

Fukuyoshi began working in construction after finishing high school. She leaves her two young children at 5:30 a.m. and heads to a different project site every day. She rarely knows in advance how late she will need to stay at work.

Larger companies like Shimizu provide subsidized child care, shorter work hours and parental leave. Another general contractor, the Takenaka Corp., built a childrens waiting room next to one of its big construction sites.

Our staff bring their children here on Saturdays when they have to come in to work, said Miku Shimoda, a construction manager for Takenaka. Some of the male workers have begun using it, too.

Shimoda, 27, is a member of her companys Kensetsu Komachi initiative, an industry term translating to construction belles. The initiative, which was conceived by an industry group, encourages small teams of female engineers and employees at individual construction sites to push for improved working conditions for women there.

But even after such improvements,motherhood can often sideline a womans career. Rising to senior supervisory roles at big projects often requires long hours and domestic transfers.

Yuho Nakamura, a 25-year-old structural work supervisor for Shimizu, sometimes spends weeks working until midnight during busy months. She and her fiance, who works at another construction company, spend at least one day of their weekend at their sites.

Theres definitely this image of construction being a macho industry, said Nakamura, who was hired by Shimizu three years ago, but I heard that more women were joining, and I always dreamed to be one of them.

She said she hoped someday to oversee an entire building site as a lead supervisor. For now, of the roughly 300 workers at the busy construction site in Tokyo where she works, she is frequently the only woman.

Nishioka, the Shimizu diversity promotion executive, once had a similar hope.

I used to dream about going back to the field, she said. But now, I leave it up to the younger generation.Dear Mr. Premack: My mother was in the hospital for surgery, and was discharged home with some dressings that need to be changed and a drainage tube that needs to be kept clear. I was with her when they released her, and the nurses did not give her any instructions, so she didnt know how to handle her care and I certainly didnt know how, and we ended up in the emergency room. The doctor there knew immediately what to do and then sent her home again, this time with instructions and after showing me how to clear the drainage tube. Shouldnt the hospital have done the same before she was sent home?  H.L.

Yes, the hospital should have made every effort to provide her with a care plan and to be sure that she (or a caretaker) was aware of what she would need. In fact, they have a legal obligation to do so ever since the Legislature passed Chapter 317 of the Texas Health and Safety Code. The legislature felt the need to give guidelines to hospitals was so pressing that they expedited the new laws effective date. Instead of becoming law in September 2017 like most other bills, this took effect on May 26, 2017 when it was signed by the Governor.BRIDGEPORT  In the 1950s, flying saucers and mental telepathy were all the rage. People went in droves  often to drive-ins  to see movies like The Man from Planet X and Invaders from Mars.

It was in this backdrop of fascination with life on other planets that Bridgeport resident and UFO researcher Albert K. Bender, along with about 600 members of his International Flying Saucer Bureau, attempted to contact beings from outer space using  for lack of a better term  mind waves.

This took place on March 15, 1953, said Bridgeport librarian Michael Bielawa, whose book, Wicked Bridgeport, explores the quirky and nutty aspects of the Park Citys past.

Bielawa will be observing the 65th anniversary of Benders Contact Day with a public reading of the UFO fanatics Calling Occupants of Interplanetary Craft proclamation.

The brief ceremony will take place at 12:15 p.m. Thursday at the site of Albert Benders home  long since demolished for I-95  near the corner of Broad Street and North Frontage Road, across the street from the Housatonic Community College bookstore, in downtown Bridgeport.

It was Bender who came up with the term Men in Black and were hoping that the people who attend the reading will be dressed in black suits, which shirts, black ties and sunglasses, Bielawa said.

Most people have heard about Men in Black, but what they dont know is that it all originated right here in downtown Bridgeport, Bielawa said. Men in Black  Made in Bridgeport.

Most people first learned of the Men in Black through the series of Hollywood science fiction comedies by that name, the first debuting in 1997.

Bielawa said that 65 years ago on Thursday, Bender and the 600 members of his International Flying Saucer Bureau  at the exact same time and from their own homes all projected this thought: Calling occupants of interplanetary craft  we of the IFSB wish to make contact with you. We are your friends.

Afterwards, Bender was visited, he said, by three men in black suits, who urged him to stop his UFO contacting efforts.

At first he thought the three were U.S. agents, but he soon came to believe the MIBs were not of this Earth.

Bender wrote the book Flying Saucers and the Three Men, which is still in print. Its considered one of the most influential UFOlogist books of the Atom Age.

Bielawa hopes that March 15 will become an annual Men in Black Day in Bridgeport, perhaps with the showing of schlocky sci-fi movies like Invasion of the Saucer-Men and Cosmic Monsters.1 Campaign 2018: Democratic Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts told NBCs Meet the Press Sunday that she has no intention of running for president in 2020, but she also is leaving herself room to reconsider. Warren refused to pledge to complete a second six-year Senate term if shes re-elected in November. The high-profile liberal is often discussed as a potential 2020 rival to President Trump. Trump derisively refers to Warren as Pocahontas to mock her claim about being part American Indian.

2 Pump prices: The average price of a gallon of regular gasoline remained steady over the past two weeks, at $2.59, according to the Lundberg Survey released Sunday. Gas in San Francisco was the highest among the cities surveyed at an average of $3.44 a gallon. The lowest was $2.19 in El Paso, Texas.For many visually impaired kids, sharing in the fun of a typical Easter egg hunt is difficult or impossible.

But the Deer Park Lions Club and Friends of Laura organization have planned a March 25 hunt designed especially for those age 6 months to 13 with vision problems and their siblings. The eggs emit a beep to help the kids find them, and volunteers are on hand to help if need be.

The event was started shortly after Darla Haygood's visually impaired niece, Laura Pilkington, died at age 5 in 1999.

"Laura was legally blind and she attended the Houston (beeping Easter egg hunt) and thoroughly loved it," Haygood said. "She just had a great time and there were so many kids there that were able to participate in something they hadn't been able to participate in before. So after she passed away, a teacher that worked with her suggested we start the event in Southeast Harris County as a way to honor her memory and let other visually impaired kids experience the happiness she experienced with the egg hunt she got to do."

The Beeping Easter Egg Hunt has changed venues from year to year depending on space and availability, but has remained in the Clear Lake-Pasadena-Deer Park area.

The eggs are specially made by volunteers.

"We drill holes in the eggs - there's about 150 of them - and put a batter with a beeper from Radio Shack inside each of them," Haygood said. "Right before the hunt, our volunteers go and turn each of them on and hide them. Then they stand around the area to help kids who might need some extra help finding them."

More Information wANT TO GO? What: Beeping Easter Egg Hunt for visually impaired children When: 2-4 p.m. Sunday, March 25 Where: Jimmy Burke Activity Center, 500 W. 13th St., Deer Park, TX 77536 Price: Free Details: Traditional egg hunts for siblings without visual impairments will also occur. Preregister by emailing Lisa Wright at Lwright0905@icloud.com or call 281-235-7215. See More Collapse

After they find the eggs, the kids bring their haul to the Easter Bunny, who gives them a basket full of candy and a gift in return.

"We let them hunt the eggs over and over again," said Haygood, "and we separate the age groups so you don't have an excited 12-year-old accidentally mowing over a 3-year-old."

Local high school students get involved by dressing up as the famous bunny.

"We tell them, 'OK, make sure you don't talk.' They're going to be feeling you to get an idea of what you look like, and if you talk they'll know you're not the bunny,' " Haygood said.

The group also hosts a simultaneous traditional egg hunt for siblings who don't have visual impairments.

"We wanted to make sure their brothers and sisters weren't just standing around watching their siblings have fun," Haygood said.

The event also provides free food, a petting zoo and bounce houses.

Those interested in involvement should preregister by contacting Lisa Wright either by phone at 281-235-7215 or email at Lwright@0905@icloud.comAbstract

A four year-old Muslim boy was brought to a local Cologne emergency room by his mother, who was concerned about minor bleeding around the site of a circumcision.



A District Court there found that circumcision, notwithstanding parental consent or religious motivation, constituted a criminal bodily injury and child abuse. Ultimately, on July 19, 2012 the Bundestag resolved that Jewish and Muslim religious life be viable in Germany, and in December a bill was passed that legislatively overrode the ruling of the District Court and recognized circumcision as a non-punishable undertaking when undertaken for religious reasons by someone professionally trained.



Two years of rancorous debate revealed a whole range of historical and contemporary fissures.



This essay examines the dynamics of the debate and its various outcomes. In particular it asks whether the conflicts generated by practices like male circumcision can in immigrant societies be assimilated to prevailing religious freedom models.



The key questions aired were: (1) Germanys relations with its Muslim immigrants; (2) Germanys relations with its fragile Jewish minority; (3) proper weightings of the relationship among parents, child, and state; and (4) the deference owed medical thinking. Immigrant integration, religious freedom, group rights, and the meaning of enlightenment all remain sharply contested.

KJNine-year-old Faye Meadows took her seat at the stage with the crowd booming loudly all around her. The little girl sat still waiting for the clippers to eventually start buzzing as hair stylists braided her long, brown hair into sections.

Then, her hair was gone-shaved off as part of the St. Baldrick's Day fund-raising for charity.

Faye was one of more than 40 green-clad and face-painted participants that shaved their heads on the patio of the Goose's Acre Bistro and Irish Pub on Sunday afternoon, March 11, to round out a season of fund-raising for the St. Baldrick's Foundation. St. Baldrick's is a non-profit organization that, to date, has collected and donated more than $230 million in grants for children's cancer research. Sunday's event in The Woodlands was one of at least four across the greater Houston region.

"Every two minutes a child is diagnosed with cancer," organizer Johnny Hennigan told the crowd before the first round of shaving. "One out of those five will not survive."

The Woodlands St. Baldrick's Day event has raised more than $408,500 since its inception in 2007, averaging about $38,000 to $40,000 each year. Hennigan, who earned the nickname "Topless Johnny" for his own head-shaving efforts, stepped down from organizing the event in The Woodlands in 2013, but helped this year and has been heavily involved for more than 10 years.

Hennigan, who owns the Woodlands-based bt Marketing, said he was inspired to help with the charity because of the impact cancer has had on his family. Hennigan's brother died from cancer-the same kind of cancer U.S. Sen. John McCain has been diagnosed with-and his daughter, Kelly, was diagnosed with cancer at 12 years old.

Goose's Acre owner Brian Young approached Hennigan a little more than a decade ago and asked him to start the event, where green beer flows all around and cash is tossed toward the stage as the master of ceremonies calls for more donations while donors get their heads cleaned of hair.

"When you own an establishment, you want to give back," Young said. "We have a good venue for it and it helps us be a part of the community."

Early on in the event Sunday, Hennigan declared Faye, who is a student Alief Montessori Community School, as his "favorite person."

With the help of a Facebook video shared by her mother, Tiffany Clark, and through sheer determination, Faye raised more than $1,000 to be donated to the St. Baldrick's Foundation.

"I shaved my head for all the kids that have cancer," Faye said.

Clark shaved her own head at the event in 2013, inspiring Faye to follow in her mother's steps as soon as her hair was long enough.

For a nine-year-old girl, shaving her head could be seen as scary or something that could change her in the eyes of her friends, Clark said, but Faye has been brave throughout the process, even encouraging her supportive classmates to join her.

"I would tell them that there's nothing to be afraid of," Faye said.

Although the scene Sunday was rowdy, this year was nowhere near to the biggest and loudest St. Baldrick's event at the Goose Acre, Hennigan reported.

A few years ago-Hennigan said he can't quite remember what year it was-a total of 91 people shaved their heads, including 19 children and 22 women.

"The rest were drunks that wanted to give me their money," Hennigan said.

The monetary figures for this year's event won't be final for a day or two, Hennigan said, but as silent auction items wait to be finalized and deposits continue to be made, the amount is set to rise by at least $1,500, he added.

"Today we have $15,285 in the bank," Hennigan said on Monday.PARIS - Marine Le Pen has unveiled a new name for France's National Front, the far-right party she seeks to rebrand and re-energize after reaching the final round of the French presidential elections last year. Her choice, however, carries echoes of a dark past.

The new name, "Rassemblement National," which translates roughly to National Gathering or National Rally, had critics drawing immediate parallels to a World War II-era faction that collaborated with France's pro-Nazi Vichy government.

Le Pen's announcement Sunday came a day after a visit to a National Front conference in Lille by former Trump administration adviser Steve Bannon, who encouraged the party to stick to its nationalistic roots. "Let them call you racists. Let them call you xenophobes. Let them call you nativists," he told an audience Saturday as Le Pen stood alongside. "Wear it as a badge of honor. Because every day, we get stronger and they get weaker."

Le Pen - whose father co-founded the National Front in 1972 - appears to seek a new image for the party in hopes of staying relevant as populist movements make gains elsewhere in Europe, most recently in Italy with the insurgent Five-Star Movement taking second place and earning a seat at the table in forming a new government.

"The nation is the heart of our commitment and our project," Le Pen said. "The new name I want for the National Front should express our support for the nation and the call to the rally."

But her attempt at looking ahead only served to dredge up memories of past anti-Semitism and Nazi ties.

In 1941, the "Rassemblement National Populaire," or Popular National Rally, became a major collaborationist party in support of the Vichy government, a regime that controlled France's so-called "unoccupied zone" but allied with Nazi Germany all throughout.

At the party congress in Lille on Sunday, Le Pen suggested that changing the name would help change the party's image from a fringe faction of extremists into a more powerful bloc with a real chance to grab power. In May 2017, Le Pen was soundly beaten by Emmanuel Macron in the presidential runoff. A month later, the National Front took its biggest haul of seats in France's parliament, winning eight spots in the 577-seat assembly.

"It must become clear to all that we have become a party intent on governing," she said Sunday. "More than a project, this name must be a rallying cry, a call to join us."

"De-demonizing" the National Front has long been her aim. In 2015, she formally expelled her father, Jean-Marie Le Pen, from the party he founded, after he repeated - yet again - his remark that the Nazi gas chambers were merely a "detail" in the history of World War II.

Over the weekend, the elder Le Pen was formally stripped of his title as the party's honorary president. Yet she borrowed a bit of his old strategies. The phrase "Rassemblement National" was already used by the National Front in 1986 during a parliamentary campaign.

Like other Nazi-allied parties during World War II, the "Rassemblement National Populaire" saw the war - and the experience of occupation - as a chance to cleanse and purify France from within. It was no stranger to overt anti-Semitism and open admiration for Nazi Germany.

The party used a logo using elements of the Nazi swastika, displayed on a similar red backdrop. One of the earliest members of the "Populaire," Roland Gaucher, went on to co-found the National Front with Jean-Marie Le Pen.

Observers across the political spectrum immediately recognized the connection.

"A desired reference? Who knows," Alexis Corbiere, a parliamentary deputy from the leftist France Unbowed party, wrote on Twitter.

But in her speech, Marine Le Pen made no mention of the history behind the label she picked.HARTFORD  Supreme Court Justice Andrew J. McDonalds nomination to become chief justice survived a razor-close, nearly partisan vote in the state House of Representatives on Monday, sending the issue to the Senate, where he is likely to face another tough challenge.

The 75-74 House vote came after more than three-and-a-half hours of debate including speeches critical of the 2012 repeal of the death penalty, which McDonald had supported when he was a state senator.

Rep. Livvy Floren, R-Greenwich, was the lone Republican to join Democrats in confirming McDonald.

I have always been impressed with how Andrew conducts himself, she said. In my opinion, Andrew J. McDonald would be a wonderful chief justice.

Five Democrats, including Rep. Bruce Morris, of Norwalk, voted against the nomination. Rep. Tom O'Dea, R-New Canaan, a lawyer, was absent from the debate and vote, citing a professional conflict.

McDonalds chances in the Senate are in doubt, with Democratic Sen. Gayle Slossberg of Milford recusing herself over a six-year-old personal conflict with McDonald, when he was Gov. Dannel P. Malloys chief legal counsel. The Senate is tied 18-18, and with the absence of Slossberg, a party-line vote would kill McDonalds candidacy.

Echoes of Washington

He has a deep understanding of the role and the impact that the justice system has on the everyday lives of Connecticut residents, and the value of ensuring equality and fairness through the courts many responsibilities, Malloy said after the vote on his nominee. He called for a substantive and objective assessment of facts in the Senate.

Malloy warned that the extreme partisanship of Washington politics was infiltrating Connecticut.

I am most concerned about Washington coming to Hartford, Malloy said. Thats whats played itself out in the last several months, and well see what happens.

The issue highlights a deep national divide that echoes the final year of the Obama administration, when congressional Republicans ignored Obamas nominee for the U.S. Supreme Court and waited for the presidential election. In April, Malloy announced he would not seek re-election this year.

After McDonalds nomination, Republicans accused him of judicial activism. Democratic leaders responded with cries of potential homophobia over McDonald, who would become the first openly gay chief justice in the nation if confirmed in the Senate.

Republicans said their opposition to McDonald was based on his record and not politically motivated, but the Republican State Central Committee posted on social media the phone numbers of House and Senate Democrats, under a headline that said Do you want Dan Malloy to become the next Chief Justice of Connecticuts Supreme Court?

Taking the high road

The debate began at 1 p.m. and ended at 4:30 Tuesday, and none of the personal issues that marred the discussion over the past several weeks were raised in the House debate.

The nomination itself is a great honor, said Rep. Rosa Rebimbas, R-Naugatuck, ranking member of the Judiciary Committee, which voted against McDonald. The sexual orientation of this or any other nominee who comes before us, is not a factor.

After Mondays vote, Speaker of the House Joe Aresimowicz, D-Berlin, said he was optimistic McDonald will be the next chief justice.

I know (former) Sen. McDonald has enjoyed very good friendships with many of the senators on both sides of the aisle, Aresimowicz said. Some of the objections that are being raised I know have been discussed privately between Justice McDonald and some of the senators and I hope it can move forward.

Rep. William Tong, D-Stamford, co-chairman of the Judiciary Committee who introduced the nomination, said that McDonald is fully qualified.

We answered that question five years ago, Tong said, reminding the House that McDonald has been on the high bench since 2013 and has sat on hundreds of cases. Judges have to be able to make tough decisions without influence from the other branches, he said.

Rep. Richard Smith, R-New Fairfield, a former attorney, accused McDonald of acting improperly as a Supreme Court Court justice. He cited cases in which McDonald may have considered facts not raised during a lower court trial to make his Supreme Court decisions.

Smith said he could not allow an individual who has clearly flaunted the rules  created his own rules to suit his own purposes  to lead the Judicial Branch.

Republicans charged that McDonald should never have sat on the case that led to the expansion of the death-penalty repeal to include Death Row inmates because he voted for the death penalty as a legislator.

Rep. Bob Godfrey, D-Danbury, who has been a member of the Judiciary Committee since his 1988 election, said that the high court followed the General Assemblys bill, which was aimed at future death-penalty cases.

The court didnt do away with the death penalty, he said. The legislature did.

The Senate will vote on McDonalds future later in the month.The employees of Members First Credit Union recently gathered for their annual Make A Difference Day.

MADD is a day full of a staff education of the strategic plan, celebrating successes, looking forward to the future, personal development and community impact, the credit union stated.

MFCU impacts the community through its Community Difference Project, which was created to impact people's lives in positive ways, the credit union stated. MFCU will donate $5,000 to be split among the following organizations: Make-A-Wish of Michigan, American Cancer Society, Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Great Lakes Bay Region, Humane Society of West Michigan and Special Olympics of Michigan. During the day, employees were able to earn MADD Bucks and decide how much MFCU should donate to each organization.

Members First employees committed to more than $8,000 in donations for the Michigan Credit Union League Action Fund. Various fundraisers will continue to grow their total donation throughout the year.

We were very excited to have support from our Executive Vice Presidents Carrie Iafrate and Anna Marie Zielinski," said Joe McLosky, MFCU employee. "They even offered to receive a pie in the face once our goal had been reached.

Last year, employees recorded a total of 1,129 volunteer hours with 84 different organizations, impacting 12 counties in Michigan. MFCU donated to 159 different organizations, totaling over $85,000. The donations focused on, but were not limited to, education, economic development and community involvement.

Collectively, as employees we are reminded of the strength in our MFCU core values," Zielinski said. "As individuals, we take the time to celebrate who we are. Together we embrace the pride we feel while continuing to serve our communities.

Iafrate said she was proud of the staff.

Our team members work with care and enthusiasm through every single member interaction day in and day out. Make A Difference Day allows us to all come together to focus on that amazing service, reward them for their accomplishments, educate and inspire them to continually improve, and make a large community impact as a team," Iafrate said. "The day reminds us that though we may work with the same people on a daily basis, we are 210 strong across the state of Michigan with a genuine desire to help others find their happy.Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said the U.S. expects North Korea to be in direct touch after President Donald Trump agreed to Kim Jong Un's invitation to meet, urging patience as preparations for the potentially historic handshake are worked out.

"We've not heard anything directly back from North Korea, although we expect to hear something directly from them," Tillerson said in Abuja, Nigeria, in response to a reporter's question about the timing and location of the meeting. "I know those are all questions that people are anxious to have answers to. I would say just remain patient and we'll see what happens."

Tillerson's remarks that these things take time contrast with Trump's on-the-spot acceptance of Kim's invitation when South Korea's national security adviser informed him about it at the White House last week. Trump dispensed with decades of U.S. foreign policy orthodoxy with his decision, particularly given that the North Korean leader made only a vague offer -- conveyed via a South Korean delegation that visited him -- to discuss giving up his nuclear weapons program.

The decision to meet drew support from countries seeking to defuse tensions between North Korea and the U.S., along with warnings that Kim may be playing for more time to develop his weapons while seeking relief from U.S.-led international sanctions.

Tillerson has been working the issue several time zones ahead of the U.S. East Coast during a five-nation swing through sub-Saharan Africa. Dealing with the North Korea issue is one reason he decided Monday to cut short the trip by a day and return home. Trump's announcement has raised speculation about whether the meeting will actually go ahead, what North Korea will demand from the U.S. and even where the two leaders might meet.

"Nothing's been agreed and I don't want to start floating ideas out through the media," Tillerson said in Abuja alongside Foreign Minister Geoffrey Onyeama. "I think it's going to be very important that those kind of conversations are held quietly through the two parties."

Among the unverified reports so far is that Kim hopes to sign a peace treaty with Trump - a long-held goal of the North Korean regime. Kim is likely to raise the possibility of such a treaty along with establishing diplomatic relations and moving toward nuclear disarmament, during a meeting with the U.S. leader, the Dong-A Ilbo newspaper said Monday, citing an unidentified senior official in South Korea's presidential office.

Koh Yu-hwan, who teaches North Korean studies at Dongguk University in Seoul, said the regime has long sought a peace treaty to end the more than 60-year-old cease-fire between the two sides and help guarantee its safety.

"There were agreements between the U.S. and North Korea to open up discussion on a peace treaty, but they never materialized," Koh said, saying the conditions were key. "The U.S. wants a peace treaty at the end of the denuclearization process, while for the North, it's the precondition for its denuclearization."

Signing a peace treaty would require addressing issues regarding the U.S. military's presence in South Korea and its transfer of wartime operational control to South Korea and United Nations forces there, Koh said.

South Korean President Moon Jae-in has accepted Kim's offer to meet near their shared border later next month, a meeting in which Kim was expected to suggested resuming cultural exchanges and family reunions. That session will provide more insight for the Trump-Kim meeting that South Korean National Security Council chief Chung Eui-yong said will take place by May.

The U.S. and the South Korea are also discussing how to conduct upcoming military drills in a way that won't provoke Kim, whose regime views the exercises as a rehearsal for war. The allies had agreed to delay the drills until after the Winter Paralympics end later this month. The South Koreans who met with Kim said he accepts that the next round of joint exercises will go ahead.

The U.S. is unlikely to deploy an aircraft carrier, which is considered a "strategic asset," during the drills, the Yonhap News Agency reported Monday. The South Korean Defense Ministry declined to comment on the planned drills.Update 5:10 p.m.:

Houston Police have cleared the scene of any danger after a suspicious package sparked a scare at an apartment complex in the Museum District Monday.

Original Story:

The Houston Police Department is investigating a suspicious package found in the parking lot of an apartment complex in the Museum District.

Houston firefighters were called out to The Carter Apartments on Chelsea Boulevard, near Montrose Boulevard, to a suspicious substance call around 3:45 p.m. When they arrived, they called for assistance from HPD about a half hour later, according to HPD Spokesperson Jodi Silva.

Investigators are unsure if HPD's bomb squad will be called out.

The suspicious package arrived on the same day as two packages sent to homes in Austin exploded, killing a teenager and injuring an elderly woman. Austin police believe the explosions are connected.

No other information was available. Check back for updates on this developing story as they come in.

Jay R. Jordan is a breaking news reporter at Chron.com. Follow him on Twitter at @JayRJordan.PADRE ISLAND NATIONAL SEASHORE  As Spring Break was about to begin for many Texans, 12 juvenile green sea turtles that had suffered cold-stunning this winter on the coast were released into the surf Friday morning after they were nursed back to good health by the Texas State Aquariums Wildlife Rescue and Recovery Center.

A crowd of about 125 people lined the path to the waters edge Friday for the release of the turtles that ranged in size from 12-18 inches. Many snapped photos as they got a close-up look at the turtles on their way to freedom.

Employees from the aquarium and National Park Service carried the reptiles along the edge of the crowd before they were gently released into the waves to swim away. It was the last group to be released from the cold-stunning event that resulted in 3,664 turtles picked up in December and January in Texas  many of them in the north end of the Laguna Madre near Corpus Christi or in the bay.

This winters cold-stunning event was the largest one in Texas since the Sea Turtle Stranding and Salvage Network was established and started keeping records in 1980, according to Donna Shaver, chief of the Division of Sea Turtle Science and Recovery in the National Park Service. She has spent her career researching and helping protect Kemp Ridley sea turtles and green sea turtles.

The sea turtles have been released in groups  a recent one included a couple of hundred, compared with the dozen in the last group to be released.

At one point during the cold-stunning event, turtles were being brought in by the hundreds, resulting in 450 to 600 turtles filling a giant 50,000-gallon tank at the aquariums rescue and recovery center.

Working together

This really took a village, said Jesse Gilbert, the aquariums senior vice president and chief operating officer. The Corpus Christi facilities worked with many others in caring for the turtles, including the Coast Guard, SeaWorld, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National Park Service, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Brownsvilles Gladys Porter Zoo.

Aquarium CEO and President Tom Schmid, one of several employees who helped carry the green sea turtles to the surf to be released, said the aquarium hopes to expand again to add a facility on-site to care for turtles.

Schmid is busy trying to spread the word that Corpus Christi and the aquarium are open for visitors, having suffered little damage compared with the devastation that Hurricane Harvey wreaked on Port Aransas and Rockport in the fall. The aquarium is about 30 miles away from where the brunt of the hurricane hit, which meant it was hit with winds of only about 100 mph, compared with the 140-mph winds that ripped through smaller coastal towns. The aquarium was built to survive a Category 5 hurricane and suffered virtually no damage, Schmid said. It reopened just a couple of days after the hurricane, which was a Category 4 when it hit land.

Schmid said the release of the 12 turtles on the beach Friday was something a lot of people dont get to see.

This was an important event for South Texas and the Coastal Bend, Schmid said after the turtle release. Im really proud of how our staff responded. We were able to care for more than 1,000 turtles and release them back into the wild, he said. He also gave credit to the aquariums many partners who worked on rescuing and caring for the green sea turtles.

Thats what an aquarium can do  not just display animals, but actually save animals, Schmid said.

Shaver also praised the aquariums care for the turtles and thanked the many volunteers who helped report cold-stunned sea turtles and those who watch the beaches in the spring for turtle trails that indicate a mother has laid a nest of eggs that need to be relocated and protected. She said those volunteers are very important to the operation.

In Fridays crowd was a group of 12 students from Vanderbilt University in Nashville finishing up a week of Alternative Spring Break. They spent their time in Texas building a corral about 40 miles south of the Malaquite Visitor Center for baby sea turtle eggs at an incubation facility.

Lucas Anderson, 22, a senior computer science major from Denver, said watching the turtle release was the perfect end to their trip.

They were the first turtles weve seen, he said after members of his group posed for photos with turtles and cheered the release. Anderson said he and fellow students felt incredibly lucky to get to work on the beach project during their Spring Break, which included camping together. We learned a lot, he said.

Stay alert

When turtle nesting season begins in April, volunteers will be looking for fresh nests to report so eggs can be taken to the incubation center and protected from predators. The NPS announces dates on its website when people can come to early morning hatchling releases to watch Kemp Ridley turtles smaller than the palm of you hand scamper toward the surf.

Shaver encouraged people to call 1-866-turtle5 to report cold-stunned turtles in the winter or fresh nesting sites for the Kemp Ridley turtles in the spring so rescuers can get to them as soon as possible.Growing up in the heavily Hispanic Southeast Side, Charlotte A. Hampton embraced the culture from the start, when the blonde, green-eyed girl from Wichita Falls made San Antonio her home as a toddler.

My mother grew up during a time when prejudice was heavy, but not on the Southeast Side. All her friends were Hispanic and they never saw her different, daughter Denise Reiter said. She was welcomed in the Hispanic culture.

Hampton died from heart failure on March 8. She was 71.

Along with being embracing the culture, Hampton learned to master cooking Mexican food.

My mother made the best sopa de fideo. She loved cooking and having company over, Reiter said. My mother even taught her home-health nurse, who happened to be Hispanic, how to make carne asada.

Wed at the age of 16 to her first husband, Charlie Saenz, Hampton had their first daughter at 17.

More Information Charlotte A. Hampton Born: Sept. 8, 1946, Wichita Falls Died: March 8, 2018, San Antonio Preceded by: Sisters, Mary Flores and Carolyn Hoggatt Survived by: Daughter Denise Reiter; son Charlie Saenz Jr.; six grandchildren and three great-grandchildren Services: Visitation 11 a.m. to noon Tuesday with memorial service at noon, Mission Park Funeral Chapels North, 3401 Cherry Ridge Drive. Immediately following memorial, procession to Mission Burial Park North for graveside service. See More Collapse

It wasnt until she was 21 and with her second child, that Hampton, who had been working at HemisFair selling flowers, went to college to obtain her associates degree in business from San Antonio College.

My mother was great at math and she had a friend that worked in the banking industry who helped guide my mother in that field. Thats what motivated her to go back to school to get her degree.

Hampton worked in the banking industry for 21 years until she was required to take a medical retirement due to her multiple sclerosis, which she battled since 1977.

Hampton was also known for her great work ethic. During her employment from 1980 to 1986 at General Electric Credit Corporation, she worked her way up the ladder to become to the first female manager in the credit department.

She always strived for perfection and stayed on top of everything, Reiter said, adding that she plans on passing on the work ethic her mother taught her and her brother onto my daughter so she knows what hard work can lead to.

When Hampton was not working she was always adventurous.

Growing up, my mother hardly ever sat down one moment. We would be doing something and next she would want to take a drive to visit a family member or to the Hill Country to enjoy the scenery. Reiter said.

Hamptons unique trait was her contagious laugh, according to her daughter.

My mother was very easy to amuse and she had this unique laugh that would get everybody laughing with her. She was always full of life and laughter, Reiter said.A San Antonio man is accused of causing injury to two boys with an electrical cord because their bedroom was not clean, police say.

Ossie Fields, 31, was arrested by officials Saturday afternoon after Child Protective Services contacted police and stated that the two victims, who are brothers, were being excessively disciplined by Fields, according to an affidavit.One of the most jarring images to resurface the carnage that occurred on the U.S.-Mexico border more than a century ago is a 1910s postcard titled 'Dead Mexican Bandits.'

Three Texas Rangers are perched on their horses, standing over the dead bodies of four Tejanos of Mexican descent; the Ranger seem to have killed them at random in retaliation. This bloody state-sanctioned racial violence is the crux of "Life and Death on the Border, 1910-1920," an exhibit at the Bullock Texas State History Museum in Austin intended to provoke dialogue on border security.This website is inclusive of tolerant people of all faiths, without exception. Neither anti-Semitism nor Islamophobia nor homophobia should ever be acceptable to anyone. We must all strive to live in peace and harmony with each other, regardless of religious affiliations, or none. Intolerance is the mother of strife and conflict.   Mark Alexander

We Britons are Europeans!Wir Briten sind Europaer! Nous, les Britanniques, sommes europeens !  Mark AlexanderEmail me at:markalexander.librabunda@gmail.comBack in the day, Pearl Brewery workers could stop by a little tiled bar called the Sternewirth to quaff some suds during the day. Management allowed them to drink during the workday, as long as they didnt get drunk.

But the policy didnt always work out. Heres a true story: In the 1950s, a tight worker was scolded by a Pearl Brewery manager for getting drunk at work. The worker replied, Respectfully, sir, I did not get drunk on the job ... I was right drunk when I got here!Bexar County Judge Nelson Wolffs recent comments about how much regulations add to the cost of housing in San Antonio were a big red flag and should instill a sense of urgency in all who care about the city.

Developers will tell you 25 percent of the cost of building a new home today is because of the city of San Antonio regulations, he said, according to the Express-News.

That means a $250,000 home would be a $187,500 home without the citys regulatory costs. And a $1,000 apartment would be a $750 apartment. And those are just the hard costs.

RELATED: An open letter to San Antonio's mayor on short-term rentals

In fact, from San Antonio to California to the East Coast, there is ample evidence that a hefty portion of the affordable housing shortage across the country is self-inflicted, with devastating results.

The creeping web of these (land-use) regulations has smothered wage and gross domestic product growth in American cities by a stunning 50 percent over the past 50 years, wrote Chang-Tai Hsieh, a professor of economics at the University of Chicago, and Enrico Moretti, a professor of economics at the University of California, Berkeley, last September in the New York Times. Without these regulations, our research shows, the United States economy today would be 9 percent bigger  which would mean, for the average American worker, an additional $6,775 in annual income.

It gets worse.

The cost for the country of too-stringent housing regulations in high-wage, high-productivity cities in forgone gross domestic product is $1.4 trillion. That is the equivalent of losing New York States gross domestic product, the economists concluded. Because of the prohibitive cost of housing caused by these regulations, innovative companies in Silicon Valley and Boston do not grow as much as they could, and new businesses do not get created. This means slower economic growth, fewer jobs and lower wages across the nation.

RELATED: Nirenberg announces creation of major housing task force, lays out vision for city

The culprits arent only elected officials or the staffs that support them. Besides the ever-expanding reach and costs of regulations, the NIMBY  not in my backyard  attitude is a major force. For every new development that could create affordable housing as well as jobs, there seems to be a local activist group ready to shut it down. They rail about alleged traffic nightmares, gentrification, destruction of historic neighborhoods, property taxes and viewsheds.

Some also bring up the ugliest of gripes: We dont want low-income housing near us.

Meanwhile, they slow the development process to a crawl, which adds cost upon cost, and guess who pays the bill. The buyer or renter, of course.

In Texas, we also have a property appraisal problem. First, the appraisers across the state are massively overloaded, often with thousands of parcels per appraiser and an impossible task of appraising each one without enough information or time. In addition, the appraisal review boards  where you go if you protest your valuation  are simply not sophisticated enough to understand the complexities of real estate, market dynamics and other factors affecting value. These positions should be elected by the very taxpayers who appear before them  with transparency as to their voting and educational background.

Bexar County Commissioner Tommy Calvert should be applauded for pushing, successfully, for the countys hiring of a housing consultant and the creation of an advisory committee of citizens. But hiring consultants is just a start. It simply is not enough.

Its not hard to see how decent housing became out of reach for far too many people. Now is the time to heed the warning signals and unwind many of the regulations, attitudes and codified processes behind the skyrocketing costs of housing.The state has little to show by the way of public school finance reform as we approach the second anniversary of a Texas Supreme Court ruling that found the system deeply flawed but constitutional.

Forgive us for being naive, but we expected state leaders to get moving quickly on improving the antiquated public school finance system after the May 2016 ruling.

Its message seemed pretty clear.

Texas more than 5 million school children deserve better than serial litigation over the increasingly Daedalean system. They deserve transformation, top-to-bottom reforms that amount to more than Band-Aid on top of Band-Aid. They deserve a revamped, nonsclerotic system fit for the 21st Century, the court said in its 100-page ruling.

RELATED: Editorial: Public school finance woes carry long-term implications

In last years legislative sessions since then, both regular and special, lawmakers spent more time debating the merits of a bathroom bill than it did tackling the decades-old problem of school funding.

We now have another committee attempting to come up with recommendations. It convened for its first meeting in January.

If we are fortunate, substantive legislation from the 86th Legislature will result from that effort.

Reform cannot come soon enough. The students who began as first-graders in 2013  when the latest public school finance lawsuit was filed  will be entering middle school in the fall of 2019.

The only thing the foot dragging in Austin has produced is a growing list of school districts forced to seek tax increases to balance their budgets.

Since 2006, more than 685 tax ratification elections have been held among the 1,018 Texas public school districts that impose a property tax, according to information compiled by Joe Smith, owner of texasisd.com, a clearinghouse of news and information for school officials.

State law caps the maintenance and operations tax rates of districts at $1.17 per $100 of property value, and requires districts that want to levy a tax rate higher than $1.04 to seek permission from voters through a tax ratification election, or TRE.

RELATED: Gov. Greg Abbott takes fresh aim at local officials' ability to raise property taxes

Not all TREs are successful; some school districts, including the San Antonio Independent School District, have had to go to the voters multiple times to get approval.

Smiths data indicate 534  slightly more than half of the school districts that collect state taxes  have been successful with their tax-hike requests. In Bexar County, in addition to SAISD, Edgewood, Somerset, Southside, Harlandale and Alamo Heights ISDs have had successful TREs.

Two others may soon join their ranks.

The South San Antonio Independent School District is considering asking taxpayers for a property tax increase this summer to counter a decline in enrollment. Without the hike, the beleaguered school district will have to cut more than $7 million from next years budget, school district officials said.

Schertz-Cibolo-Universal City Independent School District trustees are also considering asking voters to approve a tax ratification election. The projected $5.8 million in revenue would help counter decreased enrollment and an anticipated reduction in state funding next year.

State lawmakers like to brag they are keeping taxes down, but are they really?

The states share of public school funding has slowly dwindled over the last decade. In the 2016-17 school year, the state picked up only 48.4 percent of the tab, and that share it is expected to keep going lower.

There is simply no cost savings in that when the taxpayers back home have to vote to impose a higher tax on themselves to make up the difference. And any bill  as some have proposed  that would cap the tax increases a district could levy would simply be counterproductive, shortchanging students. The Legislature must fix this.Seems the president of San Antonios firefighter union could have much better use of his time than taking on the city charter. Foolish of me to think his focus would be on his members skills, training and professionalism  oh, yeah, not to mention wrapping up good-faith negotiations for a firefighter contract that is fair but keeps the city fiscally sound, something the police union responsibly saw fit to do awhile back.

Instead, he expands his portfolio to make unwise recommendations on city governance and financial stewardship. Lets see  starting an external war to divert attention from the unresolved issues at hand. Seems like a pretty transparent political tactic from the failed-leader playbook.

Brian Clearman

Picking new targets

I have long lamented the rapid decline of civility in politics, but this primary election brought some justice to the equation: District Attorney Nico LaHoods vicious, false and vile campaign ads brought his candidacy to a screeching halt!

He can now employ his offensive tactics against some poor wretch in the private sector.

Michael Aratingi

Ad the culprit

As an 88-year-old woman with no clout whatsoever, I was unfortunately not a beneficiary of George Soros generosity, so my vote in Joe Gonzales favor in the Democratic primary for district attorney cant be attributed to that.

I think Nico LaHood needs look no further than his own disgusting advertising to find the culprit. (Well, he might have had a little boost along the path to his loss from Brian Chasnoff  thank you, Brian!)

Barbara Ridgeway

Empty caroling

A man with no shame also has no conscience.

When Carlos Uresti was convicted, it was not the verdict he was expecting. Hooray for the jury and the judge who will give Uresti some long years (hopefully) to think about how he did nothing wrong. Could it be the tip of the iceberg that will soon emerge?

I guess singing Christmas carols didnt show you had a heart.

Fred Machado

Its about fairness

Re: Not so biased, Your Turn, Thursday:

A reader claims that out of 143 letters the Express-News published in February, 42 percent were pro-Trump, thinking it was mildly biased. In a current CNN poll, Trump has an approval rating of 35 percent, so 42 percent does not seem biased at all.

Perhaps it was even generous of former CIA chief John Brennan to call Donald Trump an unstable, inept, inexperienced and unethical man.

We know that for years the Express-News has maintained fairness to all sides, but these are unusual times for us with this current chaotic administration, and we do need these letters to inform the majority opinions.

Adam Castillo

Smoke indicates fire

There are a couple of things that make me wonder if Russia has compromising material on Donald Trump.

I will begin with Trumps decision not to offer Mitt Romney the position of secretary of state. Was it Trumps decision, or could it be that Vladimir Putin vetoed the choice? After all, Romney had called Russia our No. l geopolitical foe back in 2012.

Then there is the fact that the House voted 419-3 and the Senate 98-2 for Russian sanctions, and yet the president has refused to implement them.

I, for one, am not willing to accept Trumps portrayal of Robert Muellers investigation as a witch hunt. To repeat a cliche, Where theres smoke, theres usually a fire!

Carl Lloyd

Share gun blame

Both Democrats and Republicans need to take some of the responsibility for these mass shootings. They never extended the ban on assault weapons. Lives should be more important than the NRA.

Brian Kelly

NRA not infallible

Re: Attack NRA and youre also attacking hero, Marc A. Thiessen, Other Views, March 3:

If assault-style weapons, weapons of war, were not available to any citizen, good and bad, there would be little need to defend against them.

Mr. Thiessen advances the provocative argument that to criticize the NRA, for any reason, is to not recognize the sacrifice and heroism of Stephen Willeford, the citizen-savior of the Sutherland Springs massacre.

One can praise his decisive action, and one can also acknowledge the good the NRA does writ large on gun safety, yet still criticize the NRA for the stranglehold it has on our legislators in crafting meaningful gun safety legislation that the majority of citizens are demanding. Mr. Thiessens less than nuanced viewpoint dumbs down the seriousness that good policy requires.

We owe this to the thousands of our fellow Americans who have been killed and maimed by these weapons of war.

Pamela Wessel, Bulverde

Regulation the key

The NRA says, The only way to stop a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun.

How about no one carrying a gun except law enforcement?

The constitution allows a well-regulated militia, regulated being the key word.

Vicki Seifert, Fredericksburg

Its a pro-life issue

The issue of unlimited gun rights should be a pro-life issue. There is simply no way to justify being fiercely protective of unborn children while turning a blind eye to the slaughter of Americas school-age children.

Alonso Buitron

No enlightenment

I thought that, at 75, I would understand most everything, be it life, religion or politics.

But now I see that I know less than when I started.

Frank C. Zieglar, HondoTHE South African Sunday Times reports that Thokozani Khupe, the MDC-T deputy president was talking to Robert Mugabe before Morgan Tsvangirais death. The MDC-T Alliance leader Nelson Chamisa says that this is news to the party as this was done behind their back.

The revelation that Khupe has been talking to Mugabe shouldnt surprise anyone who understands how the Machiavellian old fox has always operated. He plays his worst enemy against an enemy who now thinks he is a friend. That is vintage Robert Mugabe.

Khupe had an avalanche of pity and sympathy come her way during the battle to succeed Morgan Tsvangirai; this was after we all focused on the constitutional issues that she raised in her fight with Chamisa for the leadership of the MDC-T.

However, all that sympathy will now go down the tubes after the revelation that she was talking to Mugabe behind the back of her MDC-T party. Khupe has refused to confirm or deny that she went to Mugabes Blue Roof multi-million-dollar mansion in Borrowdale.

When I wrote about Mugabes descriptive nature as the ultimate evil uncle who shouldnt be listened to or allowed to influence local politics, a lot of MDC-T supporters who thought that Bob would split the vote in Mashonaland and damage Emmerson Mnangagwas fight pushed back on social media.

They shouted from imaginary rooftops about Mugabes constitutional rights, rights that he denied us through rigged elections and many other terrible acts of commission. What they didnt realize was that Bob is a narcissist who thinks only about himself and advancing his own narrative which says that, only him is destined to rule Zimbabwe.

What we are now seeing is an attempt by Bob and his G40 gang to bring their project back on track. They are aiming for real power and hoping to consign Mnangagwa to the Midlands and Masvingo provinces hoping that they will get the three Mashonaland and Matebeleland provinces through Khupe; a pipe dream if you ask me.

Bob has been meeting and talking not only to General Ambrose Mutinhiri and Khupe; he also had two meetings with Makhosini Hlongwane and Walter Mzembi. This was revealed after the security services went through the visitors book at the Blue Roof. People closer to these former ministers are saying that they have rejected the idea that they are part of the NPF project, they are saying that they only went to meet Mugabe to dissuade the old dictator from forming a political party.

Khupe has also been talking to APA with the hope of taking her Matebeleland parliamentary troops to Nkosana Moyo. The deal crushed and burned when she expected Nkosana Moyo to pay their parliamentary salaries for the remainder of the parliamentary term in exchange for dumping the MDC-T last year.

Nkosana Moyos reason for entering into the presidential race was articulated when he launched his party APA saying that he intends to change the current political culture of corruption; so, he refused to enter into a deal with Khupe which involved money as he saw the idea an act of corruption. He told them that they could work together only if their desire was to help effect change but not in exchange for money according to one of the MPs who was supposed to cross the floor with her.

These attempts by Khupe to leave the MDC-T were motivated by her fight with the late Tsvangirai over the Alliance agreement, which saw their erstwhile friends like Tendai Biti and Welshman Ncube come back to the MDCT under a coalition agreement. Now the latest manoeuvres with Mugabe are premised on the thinking that the NPF must have a Vice President from the southern region, a 1987 ZANU PF Unity Accord template which all the big parties are aping.

It doesnt mean that Mugabe believes in Khupe as a capable leader; as always with Mugabe, he needs someone to use in order for his selfish plans to come to fruition. He has always used politicians as pawns and pitted them against each other including Mnangagwa, Simon Muzenda, Edison Zvobgo, Josiah Hungwe and many others.

Mugabe will never forgive Mnangagwa and the military for removing him from power as president of the country, a position he believed that he was ordained for, despite the destruction he caused to Zimbabwe in his 37-year rule. The ethnic Mugabe never envisaged handing over power voluntarily or by force to a Karanga. This he said would never happen to many of his confidantes; more so handing over power to Mnangagwa.

His hatred for Mnangagwa came through in the last months of his rule when he sent his wife to verbally abuse Mnangagwa at every rally which was part of the so-called Youth Interface rallies. Some of the rallies became ethnic bashing shindigs when the G40 outfit sang Zezuru Unconquerable and Bob and his wife kept quiet, a sign that they approved of what was being said. Thankfully, all right-thinking people condemned the act with the contempt that it deserved.

This is dangerous politics for a country like ours; it divides communities on ethnic lines and it will take us back to the Stone Age. As I have said on numerous occasions, Mugabe does not care about the welfare of his compatriots, he only cares about himself and the power he had over us. Allowing such a man to be part of our political life again is dangerous and reckless because we know what he will do, we have seen him repeat it for 37 years.

Some have opportunistically spoke about Mugabes constitutional rights to participate in domestic politics, thinking that his re-emergence would only take votes from ZANU PF. The idea that his return would only serve to stop Mnangagwa proves that they dont know the real Mugabe and his G40 outfit. Bob wants his power back and he thinks that he can pull it off by using proxies. A utopian dream driven by the likes of Jonathan Moyo who havent woken up to the reality that they have lost power and that they will not get it back.

In many countries which are the historical bedrock of democracy, people like Mugabe and his proxies would have been banned from political life.

A recent example is when Italy banned its former Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi from taking part in Italian political life or running for any public office. This is because, we the public, must be protected from such dangerous schemers who will ignite the country to burn in their evil pursuits for power.

Some have questioned how that can be done when the current rulers were Mugabes foot soldiers. My answer is to ask whether we want to subject ourselves and lives to academic exercises or we want to be pragmatic and move ahead by extracting ourselves from the political cesspool that Mugabe left us in.

Mnangagwa and General Constantino Chiwenga were part of Mugabes team, but they removed us from his evil grip which was turning into a Mugabe dynasty with Grace Mugabe lined up to rule us. Shall we spite ourselves to prove a point to Mnangagwa and Chiwenga, or shall we give our country a chance to become normal again?

I find the cheering on of Mugabe morbid and an act of irresponsible citizenship. It is not a surprise that most of the people finding fascination in the idea of Mugabes return dont currently live in Zimbabwe. They wont be directly affected by the chaos his return will cause.

This to me is a time when we should choose between applying common sense or irrational political exuberance. We have to make a choice that should be determined by applying reasonable and pragmatic ideas in finding the best way forward to prosperity and a better life for all.

There are many of us who have survived economically through this crisis making speeches and writing papers for 17 years and being called specialists on the Zimbabwean crisis; some of these people will selfishly defend Mugabes right to remain in politics.

The Zimbabwean crisis has become a money-making industry for many who, to this very day, continue to weave tired legalistic arguments. This crisis requires a political solution, not lofty legalistic ideas. Mugabe and his lot should be stopped and if it means his former lieutenants who are now in power are the ones to do it, so be it; as long as it brings peace and prosperity to this country.

The time for being lenient and respectful with Mugabe is over, he has no respect for the citizens of Zimbabwe and he will do anything regardless of how destructive it is to the prospects of our country being revived economically and emotionally. This is a man who is still demanding his pension in cash when we cant get a dollar from the ATMs. He was paying himself in cash and yet he was preaching that we tighten our belts and use Bond Notes and plastic money. He was so detached from the everyday realities of the common man and woman.

Mugabe, his wife and their group committed many crimes, both political and criminal. The political indemnity that he got should be lifted and the prosecutors should be allowed to do their work. The fact that the current administration also has people who committed crimes does not indemnify Mugabe and his gang from prosecution. He should be prosecuted and if found guilty banned from seeking public office.

The idea that he should be stopped at the polls forgets to remember and understand how the human mind works. There are people who will give him legitimacy by voting for him through his surrogates. There are people today in Germany who will vote for Adolf Hitler, people who believe in his supremacist and racist views. Such people are not allowed anywhere near a ballot paper because of the vile views that they stand for.

That said, the current government should shoulder some of the blame for what is happening. They were used to dealing with such tricky situations through the use of a hammer. This time the weapon should be the intellect. As Alex Magaisa said in his insightful article on Saturday, Mugabe would be happy to draw Mnangagwa into a muddy bath fight and then expect to milk sympathy from citizens who will ask whether it is necessary to use force on a 94-year-old man.

The government has had so much goodwill both locally and internationally, but that goodwill is now disappearing because the government is failing to implement things that do not need any money. These things include repealing or amending repressive legislation like the Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act (AIPPA) and The Public Order and Security Act (POSA). Ordering ZBC to return to professionalism and ethical reporting does not require money, only political will.

Many people are asking the same question; if the government is genuine in its promises, then why is it not doing these things that require very little to implement? Failure to implement these reforms is what is making a lot of people start to become doubtful whether the president is genuine in his call for change.

A lot of people had decided to give President Mnangagwa a chance on the premise that he was being blocked by Mugabe to implement a progressive agenda. That confidence in the administration is now receding. The President shouldnt fall victim to Mugabes disease of wanting to be told what he wanted to hear only, instead of being told what he needed to hear.

As Mugabe soldiers on with the same political attitude of not knowing when to stop, the president should move the opposite direction and start implementing the changes that will make citizens believe in what he is saying. Failure to do so will bleed urban votes for him and his party if he doesnt act quickly. This will force them to return to the past template of coercion. Only intellect will work this time if they want to retain legitimacy.

As for Thokozani Khupe, her actions have closed the leadership issue in the MDC-T. She has endorsed Nelson Chamisa as the new leader by talking and entertaining someone as vile as Robert Mugabe.

The MDC-T needs to separate themselves from her as she has become politically toxic. ZANU PF will easily point to her talks with Mugabe on the campaign trail as the reason why they cant be trusted. They cant talk about Gukurahundi whilst working with the chief architect of the massacres as people like Jonathan Moyo are deceitfully doing.

Hopewell Chinono is an award-winning Zimbabwean journalist and documentary filmmaker. He is a CNN African journalist of the year and Harvard University Nieman Fellow. His next film, State of Mind looking at mental illness in Zimbabwe is coming out in March. He can be contacted on hopewell2@post.harvard.edu or on twitter @daddyhope

 NewZimbabwe- The US Embassy confirmed that Tillerson will arrive in Abuja on March 12

- A statement from the embassy revealed Tillerson's programme while in Nigeria

- The American government official is visiting Nigeria for the first time

The U.S. Secretary of State, Rex Tillerson, will arrive in Abuja on Monday, March for his first official visit to Nigeria.

A Press Advisory from the U.S. Embassy said Tillerson would hold talks with President Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday.

When he arrives, Tillerson will become the highest ranking official in the Trump Administration to visit Nigeria.

The secretary is expected to hold a press conference at the Presidential Villa on Tuesday by 11.45 a.m.

READ ALSO: Governor Bello sacks all commissioners, 21 council administrators and SEC members

Tillerson is expected to be joined in the press availability by Minister of Foreign Affairs Geoffrey Onyeama, the embassy stated.

Tillerson has been on a week-long tour of Africa.

He has visited the Horn of Africa just days after he announced a new 533 million dollars aid package for Africa out of which 128 million dollars was earmarked for Nigeria and countries of the Lake Chad region.

When Tillerson meets Buhari, both men are expected to discuss counter terrorism efforts and humanitarian issues in Nigerias Northeast and the Lake Chad basin.

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He is also expected to discuss how to advance peace and security, promote good governance, and spur mutually beneficial trade and investment with the president

During his trip, he is expected also to meet with U.S. Embassy personnel and participate in events related to U.S. government-supported activities.

Legit.ng reported some days back that the US Secretary of State Tillerson departed the north American country for Africa on a week-long four-country official visit to Nigeria, Kenya, Ethiopia and Djibouti.

The visit will end March 13. Tillerson, during the visit, would engage with President Muhammadu Buhari and other top government functionaries, and the leaders of the three other countries.

The trip, Tillerson's first official visit to Africa, as Secretary of State, would take him first to Ethiopia and then to Djibouti from where he would go to Kenya, and then to Chad, before coming to Nigeria.

How would you feel if Donald Trump bombed Boko Haram like Syria? - on Legit.ng TV

Source: Legit- The Nigerian Army has arrested a suspected kidnapper Okene local government area of Kogi state

- The kidnapper is said to have been involved in the killing of an Army Corporal, Mamman

The Nigeria Army on Monday, March 12, said it arrested a member of a kidnapping gang, Mohammed Bashir, in Kogi state.

The Army said Bashir who allegedly killed a corporal, Mamman of the AHQ Special Forces on February 28, was arrested during a raid operation at Irovochinomi / Egee communities in Okene local government area of Kogi state.

READ ALSO: Shehu Sani in trouble as National Assembly confirms Senators receive N13.5 million monthly

A statement by the director of army public relations, Brigadier General Texas Chukwu, said Bashir's arrest followed reports on criminal hideouts on Sunday, March 11.

Mohammed Bashir was arrested in Okene area of Kogi state. Photo credit: Nigerian Army

The Army spokesperson said troops of the headquarters command Army record supported by the special forces made the arrest.

READ ALSO: Tension in Delta as cow goes berserk, many injured Tension in Delta as cow goes berserk, many injured

Weapons recovered from Bashir who is suspected to have killed an Army Corporal. Photo credit: Nigerian Army

"Items recovered includes, 2 AK 47 rifles with registration number 58008731 and 45 rounds of 7.62mm special was recovered. A follow up on the operation led to recovery of additional 2 AK 47 rifles," the statement said.

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Legit.ng earlier reported that some herdsman were apprehended with riffle in Plateau state.

The spokesperson for the Plateau police command said the herdsman, Muhammadu Musa, was arrested by mobile police officers on March 8, at Daffo.

The suspect has also been transferred from Bokkos to the state Criminal Investigation Department (CID) in Jos and was already being interrogated.

Legit.ng visits kidnappers' den discovered in Lagos - on Legit.ng TV

Source: Legit Newspaper- The Nigerian Air Force has continued to stand out in the area of Research and Development (R&D)

- The NAF showcased its innovativeness and achievements at the just concluded Technology and Innovation Expo 2018

- Its contributions and progress in science and technology were also well appreciated

The innovativeness and achievements of the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) in the area of Research and Development (R&D) were on display at the just concluded Technology and Innovation Expo 2018.

The NAF, which was invited by the Ministry of Science and Technology to the 5-day exhibition, had on display various innovative products such as the Unmanned Ground Vehicle (UGV), Air Marshal SB Abubakar Aviation Power Pack and Hydraulic Diaphragm for the Mi-Series Helicopter.

The exhibition, which held from March 5 to 9, 2018 at the Eagle Square Abuja, had as its theme, Fast Tracking Sustainable Development of Nigeria Through Science and Technology.

The Nigerian Air Force showcased its innovative products at the expo. Photo credit: NAF

READ ALSO: Air Force clarifies misconceptions about newly inducted fighter drone known as TSAIGUMI

Apart from showcasing its innovative products, the NAF was also invited as an assessor along with other reputable research organisations and members of the academia due to its immense contributions and progress in science and technology.

Students from the Air Force Girls Comprehensive School, Abuja, taking notes at the NAF stand during the expo. Photo credit: NAF

Legit.ng gathered that the products on display were the efforts of the Air Force Research and Development Centre and the Air Force Institute of Technology in partnership with universities and research institutions in the country.

Some of the NAF products showcased at the expo. Photo credit: NAF

The event was attended by representatives of various research institutes, industries, schools and private organisations.

The opening and closing ceremonies of the exhibition were attended by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, the speaker of the House of Representatives, Honourable Yakubu Dogara, minister of science and technology, Dr Ogbonnaya Onu, among other dignitaries.

Cross section of participants at the expo. Photo credit: NAF

The NAF research team was led by the director of research and development, Group Captain Ahmed Shinkafi, who also delivered the goodwill message on behalf of the Chief of the Air Staff, Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar, during the engineering day organised by National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI) at the event.

At the end of the exhibition, certificates of participation and prizes were presented to participants.

READ ALSO: Newly inducted fighter drone will boost security operations - Buhari

Only recently, the NAF inducted its indigenous operational UAV nicknamed, TSAIGUMI as part of its resolve to promote innovation and enhance its Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) capabilities.

President Buhari commissions first Nigerian drone on Legit.ng TV

Source: Legit- Some migrants have been rescued by some international charity and Libya coastguard

- The rescuers intercepted three migrants boats which had broken down

- The boats had 125 migrants on board off Zawiya, west of the capital, Tripoli

Some international charity ships and the Libya's coastguard has picked up several hundred migrants near Libya border with Tunisia.

Reuters reports that the Libyan coastguard vessels intercepted three migrant boats which had broken down with 125 people on board off Zawiya, west of the capital, Tripoli.

The spokesperson for the coastguard, Ayoub Qassem, said the second boat had turned back off Garabulli with 112 people on board while a third boat with 98 migrants on board was intercepted off Abu Kamash.

READ ALSO: Shehu Sani in trouble as National Assembly confirms senators receive N13.5 million monthly

Qassem added that a boat with more than 100 migrants made it to the Aquarius rescue ship about 21 miles from the coast to the west of Tripoli while preparing the migrants to Italy. It was gathered that the boat was on the verge on sinking when the rescuers reached the migrants.

One of the rescuers said: "All but one of the five balloons holding the boat up was either completely deflated or deflating and there were still about 120 people inside the boat, so a very, very precarious condition."

One of the migrants - a Palestinian - was said to have be thrown into the water by other migrants after he tried to convince them that they would be saved by the coastguard.

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Legit.ng earlier reported that some Nigerians have started to return to Libya after been repatriated by the Nigerian government.

Some of the returnees from Edo state said their colleagues began to return to Libya following the Edo state government's failure to take care of them. They accused the state government of failing to fulfill its promise of empowering them with funds after giving them initial training.

What is working well and what needs improvement in Nigeria? - on Legit.ng TV

Source: Legit- The alignment and realignment of various political interests in the country are still subjects of speculation

- Former president Olusegun Obasanjo is reportedly making moves to woo top APC chiefs to the Social Democratic Party (SDP)

- The SDP is said to be a platform of choice for most political orphans

A report by Daily Independent suggests that former president Olusegun Obasanjo is leading the move to bring top chieftains of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to join the SDP, otherwise known as the Third Force movement.

Among those reportedly approached by Obasanjo are Senate president Bukola Saraki; speaker of the House of Representatives Yakubu Dogara, and Governors Samuel Ortom and Aminu Tambuwal of Benue and Sokoto states respectively.

While Saraki and Dogara left the PDP for APC in 2013, Tambuwal who was a former speaker of the House of Representatives joined the ruling party in October 2014.

The move is said to have sent panic in the camps of the APC and the major opposition party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

OBJ remains one of the major political influencers in Nigeria. Source: Twiter

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The SDP which already has key leaders of the PDP such as Jerry Gana, former minister of information; Tunde Adeniran, former minister of education and a former minister of Niger Delta affairs, Elder Godsday Orubebe and others in its fold has said many leaders of the APC and PDP will soon publicly declare for the party.

Obasanjo's Coalition for Nigerian Movement (CNM) is also said to be already in talks with the SDP.

A source quoted in the report said: I believe Saraki will quit the APC. It is just a matter of time. He has to be careful of making the move now owing to possible persecution from those that will be negatively affected by the move.

Before now, we believe that the only alternative available to him is the PDP, especially now that the partys longstanding leadership tussle was resolved and after the conduct of its convention but in the last few months, I can tell you that the permutations have changed especially with the coming on board of the SDP, better known as the third force movement.

Dont also forget that Obasanjos coalition is now part of SDP and they have said they will field a governorship candidate in the forthcoming Ekiti election under SDP. I heard Obasanjo has been given the task to reach out to Saraki and other aggrieved APC leaders. Given the kind of respect Saraki has for Baba (Obasanjo), I dont think there is nothing he tells him that he wont acquiesce to.

The SDP is ready to accommodate every Nigerian who is ready to serve the people selflessly, who believe in the principle of genuine democracy and particularly due process and rule of law. Everybody is welcome. We are reaching out to everybody.

But what is important is that they must be ready to obey the rules and regulations of the party and the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Moreover, we are a very disciplined party. Those coming must subject themselves to the dictates of the party but we are ready for everybody irrespective of their political divide.

READ ALSO: 2015: How plot by GEJ's loyalist to abduct Jega, cause chaos failed

Meanwhile, the national publicity secretary of the SDP, Alfa Mohammed, said on Sunday, March 4, that the party is expecting five governors and twenty senators and several House of Representatives members to join the party soon.

The party spokesperson, who spoke in Minna, Niger state, also said he will confirm in three weeks if former vice president, Atiku Abubakar, will be joining the party or not, Punch reports.

Mohammed said: I need two to three weeks to confirm the issue of the former vice president as it concerns our party. However, it may interest you to know that many prominent politicians from Adamawa State have joined us.

APC chieftain give reasons why his party could be voted out in 2019 on Legit.ng TV

Source: Legit NigeriaEditor's note: Public commentator, Taiwo Balogun, writes on the political feud between Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso and Governor Umar Ganduje, which reared its head again following the wedding of Ganduje's daughter to Governor Abiola Ajimobi's son.

Read below:

In the last couple of days, I have read with keen interest, mixed reactions trailing Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso's remark about Governor Ganduje's daughter, Hajia Fatima's colourful wedding ceremony to Governor Ajimobi's son, Alhaji Idris.

The wedding Fathia, held on Saturday, March 3 at the Kano Central Mosque, saw in attendance the who is who in Nigerian politics, including President Muhammadu Buhari, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Senator Bukola Saraki and other top wigs in the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), among others.

The former governor of Kano state and a serving senator, Kwankwaso reportedly mocked the couple, describing them as zawarawa, an Hausa language translated to mean "non-virtuous" people. Unfortunately, this statement has been misinterpreted by some elements who want to take advantage of the cold war between the estranged political friends to score cheap political points.

One Adeleke Oyetola wrote that the immediate past governor of Kano state and a presidential hopeful, Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, who ordinarily should have been hosting dignitaries at the marriage ceremony, elected to use a forum in Kaduna to "mock" the couple and bring the dignity of the Yoruba race, and, indeed, the principles of national unity and one Nigeria to gross disrepute.

Kwankwaso and Ganduje when the going was good. Source: Twitter

READ ALSO: Opinion: How politicians threaten Nigerias electoral democracy by Moshood Isah

But the writer failed to acknowledge the fact that Senator Kwankwaso has been warned by the police to shelve his proposed visit to Kano, which according to the state police commissioner, Rabiu Yusuf, may lead to chaos. If the former governor could cancel his visit to his state for security reasons, it is irrational for anyone to suggest that he should ignore the warning by attending the wedding of Governor Ganduje's daughter.

Kwankwaso, a two-time governor (from 1999-2003 and 2011-2015) and his friends cannot enter Kano due to security reasons, so they said, but it was safe for the governor to bring all his political friends and bigwigs to Kano for his daughter's wedding, while no one saw that as a double standard. Rather, they threw caution to winds by saying the senator brought the dignity of the Yoruba into disrepute.

There is nowhere the statements attributed to Senator Kwankwaso suggested such. It was just a figment of the imagination of the writer, purportedly blown out of proportion to malign the former governor and present him as an enemy of the Yoruba. Whatever statement he made about the couple has nothing to do with the lineage of the groom, who is Yoruba. Such statement was informed by the on-going bitter rivalry between Senator Kwankwaso and Governor Ganduje, who were once said to be the best of friends. It was an internal matter between the duo, and was not in any way meant to ridicule the Yoruba race, as being misrepresented in some sections of the media, particularly social media platforms. This situation can be succinctly captured by the Yoruba adage which says: Oro lo de, torin do we.

It is equally important to state that it wasn't only Senator Kwankwaso that threw tantrums about the presence of the high and mighty in the society at the wedding, with more than 20 state governors, several first class monarchs and President Buhari himself attending the wedding, by describing them as people who are "less busy." So many Nigerians, including religious leaders such as Sheikh Ahmad Gumi and Pastor Tunde Bakare, Buhari's former running mate in the 2011 presidential election, did.

Many Nigerians criticized Mr President. They even likened President Buhari's attendance at the wedding in Kano to the former President GEJ's now infamous "dance of shame," when he also visited Kano in the wake of the abduction of the Chibok girls, similar to the recent abduction of the Dapchi school girls. Like Shehu Sani, the senator representing Kaduna Central put it, those criticizing President Buhari only "want him to be in the right place at the right time as our leader, as a human being, as a father; for history and for morality. Hence, it is so cheap for anyone to single out Senator Kwankwaso with the intent of sowing seeds of discord between him and the Yoruba race.

Evidently, the relationship between Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso and the Yoruba race could be dated back to the Second Republic. He was a close political ally of the late MKO Abiola of blessed memory during the SDP days. Kwankwaso openly and vehemently supported the late MKO Abiola, who is from Ogun state and a Yoruba against Bashir Tofa of the NRC, a northerner from Kano state.

READ ALSO: We are making our population an asset in Kano - Governor Ganduje

Senator Kwankwaso lost his 2003 re-election bid as governor of Kano state largely due to his tacit support for the former President, Olusegun Obasanjo - a Yoruba man and a southerner - who later appointed him as minister of defence. At the time, he was tagged as a Yoruba man with the name Rabiu Idowu Musa, which his political foe, Ibrahim Shekarau used against him just to score cheap political points. At a point, Senator Kwankwaso was even tagged as someone who is anti-Islam, simply because of his close relationship with Obasanjo.

In conclusion, Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso has maintained a very good and cordial relationship with top Yoruba leaders, including Bola Ajibola, former minister of justice, Bisi Akande, late Lamidi Adedibu, late Isiaka Adeleke, Olusegun Osoba, Gbenga Daniel, Segun Oni, Niyi Adebayo and Kayode Fayemi, among others. As such, it will be in the best interest of all media and political actors to maintain utmost decorum, and stop all attempts to extrapolate the Kwankwaso/Ganduje feud beyond its original parties, while exporting such to the Yoruba peoples, with whom Senator Kwankwaso happens to enjoy a robust and ever-bourgeoning relationship.

Your own opinion articles are welcome at info@naij.com - drop an email telling us what you want to write about and why. More details in Legit.ngs step-by-step guide for guest contributors.

Were ready to trade your news for our money: submit news and photo reports from your area using our Citizen Journalism App.

Contact us if you have any feedback, suggestions, complaints or compliments. We are also available on Facebook and Twitter.

How workaholic Governor Ganduje is transforming Kano state on Legit.ng TV

Source: Legit- Following the revelation by Shehu Sani about the remuneration package of legislators, Femi Falana has sent a message to President Muhammadu Buhari

- The senior advocate asked the president to stop the payment of such jumbo salaries and allowances

- Falana stated that Sanis revelation had affirmed the statement made by Prof Itse Sagay, that Nigerian legislators were the highest paid in the world

President Muhammadu Buhari has been urged by foremost human rights lawyer Femi Falana (SAN), to stop the jumbo salaries and allowances of federal legislators.

According to The Nation, Falana made his comments in a statement released on Sunday, March 11.

Legit.ng gathers that Falana opined that the revelations by Senator Shehu Sani on the remuneration package for senators, provides an opportunity for Nigerians to review the cost of governance.

READ ALSO: Customs issues ultimatum to importer of alleged Kogi military items

He stated: According to the senator (Shehu Sani), the running cost of each senator is N13.1 million in addition to a consolidated salary of N750,000 per month. Apart from the monthly package of N13.8 million, each senator is given the opportunity to execute constituency projects to the tune of N200 million per annum.

However, the disclosure made by Senator Sani does not cover the allowances for cars, housing, wardrobe, furniture etc running to several millions of Naira approved for each senator.

According to him, Sani's revelation should provide an opportunity for the Nigerian people to review the entire costs of governance under this democratic dispensation which he described as rickety.

The Buhari administration owes the nation a duty to ensure that no political officer is paid salaries and allowances that have not been approved by the Revenue Mobilization Allocation Fiscal Commission.

The members of the Revenue Mobilization Allocation and Fiscal Commission empowered by section 70 of the Constitution to approve the salaries and allowances of the legislators have always washed off their hands like Pontius Pilate, while the Budget Office has never questioned the payment of unauthorised salaries and allowances to federal legislators.

While we commend Senator Shehu Sani for exposing the secrecy which had enveloped the salaries and allowances of federal legislators in Nigeria before now, it is crystal clear that the statement credited to Professor Itse Sagay, the chairman of the Presidential Advisory Council not too long ago to the effect that Nigerian legislators are the highest paid in the world cannot be faulted," he added.

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Recall that Legit.ng previously reported that Senator Shehu Sani revealed that he and his colleagues receive N13.5 million monthly as running cost.

Sani disclosed that apart from the running cost, senators also earn N750,000 monthly salary. He stated that there was no specific instruction on what the running cost should be used for, but that lawmakers must provide receipts to back up their expenses from the running costs.

Should the Nigerian Senate be scrapped? - on Legit.ng Street Gist:

Source: Legit Newspaper- The Action Democratic Party has challenged Niger state governor, Abubakar Sani Bello on how he spent N481 billion received from the federal government

- In defence, the governor's senior special assistant on media said the state government had been effectively utilising the funds

Governor Abubakar Sani Bello of Niger state has been challenged by Action Democratic Party (ADP) to come out clean on how his government spent N481 billion, Daily Trust reports.

Niger state had allegedly received N481 billion from the federal government as monthly statutory allocations, the Paris Club Refund, among others.

Legit.ng gathered that Alhaji Tanimu Sarki Kwamba, ADPs state chairman, threw the challenge at the partys stakeholders meeting over the weekend in Minna.

READ ALSO: It's nothing new - Senate confirms senators receive N13.5m monthly running cost

The party chairman said ADP and indeed Nigerlites were worried that despite receiving the whooping sums, the state government had not been able to provide basic infrastructure across the state, adding that the people needed to know how the monies were spent.

He also asked the governor to explain the scandal which led to the removal of heads of the School Feeding Programme (SFP), and that the inability of the state government to judiciously utilise the accruals from the Federal Government brought to question the commitment of the governor to the ongoing fight against corruption.

Jide Orintunsin, the senior special assistant on media to the governor, in reaction said the state government had been effectively utilising all the funds it so far received from the federal government.

He said: The document guiding the states financing is the budget and the governor has always implemented the budget to the latter through infrastructural development and other projects that have direct bearing on the people.

In a previous report by Legit.ng, the convoy of Niger state governor, Abubakar Sani Bello, was on Thursday, March 8, 2018, attacked by angry youths from Bida local government area of the state and the governor and his entourage stoned by the mob.

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The mob attacked the governor over alleged non-performance and constant travels outside the country on the claim of inviting foreign investors to in the state, Tribune reports.

Should President Buhari seek reelection in 2019? - on Legit.ng TV.

Source: Legit.ng- Unknown gunmen have reported whisked away an Apostolic Church pastor, Mfon Udoneke in Akwa Ibom state

- kidnappers have yet to establish contact with the church or the family as per their demands and where the abducted priest is being kept

- The police public relations officer in the state, MacDon Oguche, however, said he has not been briefed about the incident

An Apostolic Church pastor, Mfon Udoneke at Akoa Idem in Ukanafun local government area of Akwa Ibom state on Monday, March 14, reportedly kidnapped by unknown people suspected to be kidnappers.

Punch reports Udoneke was abducted around 5 pm while preparing for womens fellowship prayer meeting in the church.

An eyewitness, who pleaded not to be named, said the kidnappers stormed Udonekes residence and whisked him away in the presence of his family members.

READ ALSO: Buhari holds meeting with Farmers, Miyetti Allah in Benue

According to him, the whereabouts of the abducted priest is unknown, as kidnappers have yet to establish contacts with Udonekes family or the church.

The source said: ''The family and the church are in a state of confusion right now, because the kidnappers have yet to establish contact with the church or the family as per their demands and where the abducted priest is being kept.''

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The police public relations officer in the state, MacDon Oguche, said he has not been briefed about the incident.

Oguche, however, promised to get in touch with the divisional police officer in charge of the area on the matter.

Meanwhile, Legit.ng had reported that Chief of Staff to President Buhari, Abba Kyari, announced via his Facebook page that a gang of kidnappers operating along the Abuja-Kaduna-Kano express way had been arrested.

He said: "Today is my happiest day since the arrest of Africa's most notorious kidnapping kingpin, Evans. "

After weeks of unrelenting follow up and deploying advanced technology, IRT special teams deployed to Jigawa, Katsina, Niger and Kaduna states arrested the most deadly kidnapping group operating along Abuja-Kaduna-Kano expressway.

Evans the kidnapper lands in Kirikiri prison after first appearance in court - on Legit.ng TV:

Source: Legit.ngHis Excellency, Ogbeni Rauf Adesoji Aregbesola needs no introduction in the Nigerian political parlance. The workaholic former Commissioner for Works in Lagos state is regarded by many as an arrow head in the Jagaban political dynasty of distinguished political leaders endorsed by Asiwaju Ahmed Bola Tinubu.

Governor of Osun state, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola

Whatever he lacks in bogus frame and physical stature, he makes up for with his uncommon intellect and political astuteness. Speaking to HC Anthony Eshemokhai, Head of Government Relations and Public Sector Group of Legit.ng, the pervading feeling is like one sitting among worlds great philosophers like Julius Caesar and other great sages. Little wonder apart from governance, Ogbeni Rauf has brought a positive mental change of attitude to an average indigene of Osun through the "Omoluabi" concept. A pious revolution where citizens embark on self check and willingly conduct themselves to effect and portray positive change. Little wonder crime rate in that state is the lowest in the country. There is a conscious but gradual psychological and social behavioural change among Osun indigene. Mr Governor is a change agent in the state of Osun.

HC Anthony Eshemokhai and Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola

Greatest legacies

When asked what his greatest legacies will be when he leaves office, the Governor said its the Human Capital Development. This he achieved very well through programmes like OYES(Osun Youth Empowerment Scheme) and his Education policy. In a documentary done for the State June 2017, Legit.ng can confidently say that the State of Osun has the best education policy in Nigeria. That is why he will wish whoever his successor will be, the education policy must never be discarded as that is the foundation for future development.

Why Ogbeni and not 'Your Excellency'

The governor is one of the few who chose to demystify the exalted office of an Executive Governor and make it ordinary just to connect with the common man. He consequently rejected the usual prefix of Your Excellency and rather preferred to be called MR which in the Yoruba language is 'Ogbeni'. To him, its a global best practice as even the President of the United States is usually simply addressed in gatherings as 'Mr. President. Bogus titles according to him usually beclouds the bearer from servant leader to being a ruler. This caused a little drama during the interview as he initially tolerated several 'your excellency' from Anthony until the Governor said please just call me 'Mr' and not 'Your Excellency.

Proper ways to name states

The governor explained in details as can be seen in the attached video, why the state is called 'The State Government of Osun' rather than the erroneous ways Nigerians refer to the state and other States by putting the word 'State' as a suffix. He pointed out that it is a fallout of military arbitrariness as Nigeria, Burma and Sudan are the only countries in the world operating that error on state naming. The 3 countries all have long years of military regime. In the USA for instance, what is obtainable are the State of California, State of Arkansas, State of Florida and State of Texas' Even local Nigerian languages called states properly. Example is Yoruba will say Ipinle Osun and not Osun Ipinle. Hausa will say Gia Kano' and not 'Kano gia'.The Ibos will say 'Obodo Enugu' and not 'Enugu obodo'. Thus, the governor decided not just to be the 'odd one out' but 'the correct one in'. He explained that the Constitution of Nigeria never gave directives on prefix or suffix so adopting 'State of Osun' is not a violation of constitutional provisions. Recall that there is a case in court on the correct naming of Osun.

Other Sundry Issues

Legit.ng posed to the governor what his next political step will be, he is not in a hurry as according to him, contesting as a governor was orchestrated by a committee of patriots who called him to serve the state in that capacity. At the end of his tenor which is very soon, he will go back to these patriots to render stewardship and accountability. The next political step can then be decided. He responded to the question on who is anointed candidate is in the next election. Shaking his head, he made it clear it is undemocratic'. The people of Osun should decide who rules them after him.

HC Anthony Eshemokhai is Head, Government Relations and Public Sector Groups, Legit.ng.

Source: Legit- Delta state chief judge, Justice Marshal Umukoro, has advocated for reforms in the EFCC

- Umukoro made the suggestion when he received officials of the anti-graft agency

Delta state chief judge, Justice Marshal Umukoro has advocated for an independent department within the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) that will prosecute suspects following conclusion of investigations.

Justice Umukoro made the call in Asaba recently when the anti-graft agency, Benin zone paid him a courtesy call in his office, The Nation reports. He described corruption as a cancer which has infected the socio-economic and political fabric of the Nigerian society.

According to him, one of the ways to tame corruption is to tailor the operations of the EFCC towards the prosecutorial architecture of England Police and adopted by the states Ministry of Justice where the police arrest, investigate and handover to the Crown Prosecution Service for prosecution.

The Magu-led EFCC has been advised to have a department to prosecute suspects after investigations

READ ALSO: EFCC docks 3 INEC officials over N163.9 million election bribe

He opined that this procedure will reduce the human element vulnerable to corruption, bias and power abuse. He also decried the media trial of suspects, lamenting why the EFCC uploads whole proof of evidence unto the social media pages, thereby jeopardizing unbiased assessment of facts and figures.

Umukoro stated that once the damaging evidence has been uploaded and tested before a court, it becomes evidence.

Earlier in his address, the head operations, EFCC Benin zone, Mailafa Yakubu said the agency was in Asaba to appreciate the judiciary in the fight against corruption by speedily disposing of cases brought before it.

Meanwhile, the state governor, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa has urged Nigerians to support the anti-corruption war of the EFCC in order to secure the nation's economy.

According to the governor, one area where economic crime has assumed a frightening dimension is illegal oil bunkering.

READ ALSO: EFCC reveals how Alison-Madueke collected N23 billion from three oil marketers

Nigerians react as snake reportedly swallows N36million | Street Gist

Source: Legit.ngEditor's note: Public commentator, Okanga Agila, writes on the recent controversy surrounding the Deputy Senate President, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, after he allegedly made a statement suggesting a possible takeover by the military due to some anti-democratic actions of the current government.

Read below:

Deputy Senate president, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, is an interesting character. He is always excited, haughty and very mouthy. If Nigerians perceive the current Senate more as a punishment chamber than a parliament, its because of leaders like Ekweremadu.

His soul mates in the red chamber have conspiratorially turned the Senate into an undemocratic mental torture chamber for senators, where voices opposed to its leadership are muzzled and dubiously punished. Sadly, Ekweremadu is failing to check his tongue.

Senator Ekweremadu belongs to the clan of senators who are irretrievably tied to the old order of impunity and disorderliness on issues of public governance, famed with the PDP. For them, its not possible to change anything.

He is therefore naturally blind to the illumination provided by the change government of the APC led by President Muhammadu Buhari. Under the expired national government of the PDP, nothing was impossible provided it serviced the egos of its minions. That era has gone, but since Ekweremadu is yet to purge himself of the PDP mendacious inclination, he still functions under such false illusions.

Therefore, a few days ago, Senator Ekweremadu had the effrontery to foul the air by dragging the Nigerian military and specifically, the Nigerian Army into politics. Senator Ahmed Ogembe, representing Kogi Central had a raised a motion alleging that Kogi state governor, Yahaya Bello, sponsored thugs to disrupt his empowerment programme for constituents.

Ekweremadu has since denied calling for a military takeover of the country. Photo credit: Nigerian Senate

READ ALSO: Deputy Senate President Ekweremadu denies calling for military coup in Nigeria

But in a rather asinine twist, while contributing to the debate, Ekweremadu deviated from the core issue by declaring, The problem in Nigeria is that our democracy is receding. Who says army cannot take over? Let us not joke with our democracy.

There was no correlation at all. So, the reference to the army by Ekweremadu was spiteful and intended to stir enmity and air of disloyalty between the Commander-in-Chief of the Nigerian Armed Forces, President Buhari and the Nigerian military.

And it has exposed the extent Ekweremadu has lost touch with the reality in Nigeria, a country, which signed a creed in 2015 to severe itself from the culture of the past, by its embrace of democracy and building of strong or thriving military and democratic institutions.

Perhaps, steeped in the sentiments of opposition politics, and the desire to blackmail, Ekweremadu is oblivious of the changes around him. He neither knows the new face of the Nigerian military under the leadership of the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Gabriel Olonishakin nor the Nigerian Army, under the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt. Gen. Tukur Yusufu Buratai.

To again redirect the attention of the likes of Ekweremadu to the reality they have refused to acknowledge, the Nigerian military have been disciplined and re-professionalized. It has consistently demonstrated to the world in words and actions that there is no alternative to democracy. It cannot be persuaded by such outbursts to discard their toga of professionalism and support to democratic institutions.

The Nigerian Army particularly have elected upon itself to serve as guardians of Nigerias democracy evident in the struggles to protect and preserve Nigerians democracy and the absolute subordination to civil authorities.

The current leadership of the Nigerian military led by General Olonishakin as well as the Nigerian Army under the guidance of General Buratai, much as other service chiefs have proven beyond doubt the military is an integral part of this great nation. It exudes more interest in assisting Nigerias democracy to blossom to full maturity.

It has confined itself to its core professional duties and values of safeguarding the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Nigeria. The Nigerian military has proven to be a responsible and responsive fighting force, patriotically defending the country from both external and internal aggressors, with delight.

And this streams from carefully articulated and implemented re-orientation measures, like professionalism, discipline, integrity, and seamless civil/military relations anchored on international best practices. The Nigerian Army under General Buratai has no reason to harbor thoughts of dabbling into partisan politics.

It is much more remote that the army would even ruminate scuttling democracy as insinuated by Ekweremadu. Buratais mastery in leadership of the army has tackled explosive issues which hitherto served as baits or motivation for soldiers to engage in coups.

For instance, soldiers are no longer under the yoke of stalled promotions. They are now promptly promoted and this itself is a great moral booster for any army anywhere in the world. The current leadership of the army under Genral Buratai has consistently provided incentives to soldiers by appreciating and decorating deserving officers with medals for exceptional performances.

General Buratai worships and rewards merit, and has completely deleted favouratism in the administration of the army, as glaringly reflected several times in the ongoing counter-insurgency operations in the north-east. To say the least, the commitment of the army leadership to reward officers and men of the Nigerian Army is unflinching and indiscriminate.

READ ALSO: Governor Wike blames security agencies for alleged environmental degradation of Rivers

The inculcation and enforcement of the values of discipline in soldiers have been General Buratais topmost agenda from the outset. What leads the army into coups most times is indiscipline. The anger is fired in instances where some officers and soldiers are favoured on either ethnic or religious affiliations.

The rules and internal control measures apply to all and sundry, as circumstances demand, without sentiments, as evident in routine reshuffling of the executive command positions without recourse to religion or tribe.

So, the army leadership has assiduously worked and conquered these defects and there is no possibility that such soldiers would nurture any coup ambition.

Furthermore, the army leadership has prioritized welfare and introduced various incentives to personnel. General Buratai extends welfare of soldiers to even their families. The famous warlord, Sun Tsu said, Treat your men as you would your own beloved sons. And they will follow you into the deepest valley.

Therefore, when soldiers face the hardest of tasks assigned to them courageously and victoriously; its because they have no psychological trauma on hanging welfare packages. The facelift of military barracks and the improved general living conditions of officers and men are motivations for the army, which have voluntarily made army personnel to remain apolitical and loyal to civil authority in Nigeria.

And above all, General Buratai has ensured transparency and accountability in the leadership of the Nigerian Army. He has blocked loopholes that enabled looting or misappropriation of army resources at the expense of the well-being of personnel. This previously accounted for mutiny on the battlefield in protest of neglect and deprivation. The army now is a contented force.

The era of a few officers and soldiers getting rich quick is gone. The prudent management of lean resources by the Lt. General Buratai led leadership has restored confidence, respect and accorded dignity to army personnel whose first and last focus is concentration on their constitutionally defined professional roles.

PAY ATTENTION: Read best news on Nigerias #1 news app

No Nigerian, moreso, a leader, like Ekweremadu who is aware of these changes would deliberately attempt to rejig the narrative with the flavor of his bizarre idiosyncrasies. Let it be known to Senator Ekweremadu that the army has been re-professionalized and disciplined.

Your own opinion articles are welcome at info@naij.com - drop an email telling us what you want to write about and why. More details in Legit.ngs step-by-step guide for guest contributors.

Were ready to trade your news for our money: submit news and photo reports from your area using our Citizen Journalism App.

Contact us if you have any feedback, suggestions, complaints or compliments. We are also available on Facebook and Twitter.

Street Gist: Should the Nigerian Senate be scrapped? - on Legit.ng TV

Source: Legit- Senator Ben Murray-Bruce has revealed how he was resisted when he advocated for lower wages

- Senator Shehu Sani had disclosed that a member of the Senate receives N13.5million monthly as running cost

- Murray-Bruce said he told other senators that if Nigerian legislators earn higher than European legislators then Nigerian workers should be paid higher than European workers

A senator representing Bayelsa east constituency, Ben Murray-Bruce, on Monday, March 12, said that he was resisted by his colleagues when he advocated for lower wages and allowances for public officials and a higher minimum wage for the Nigerian worker.

Legit.ng gathered that Shehu Sani, the senator representing Kaduna central, had disclosed that a member of the Senate receives N13.5million monthly as running cost.

READ ALSO: Buhari holds meeting with farmers, Miyetti Allah in Benue

Ben Bruce in a tweet said he was shut down when he demanded for a higher minimum wages for Nigerian workers, adding that if the legislators are paid higher than European legislators then the workers's salary must be higher than that of European workers.

"From the first day I got to the Senate, I advocated for lower wages and allowances for public officials and a higher minimum wage for the Nigerian worker. I was resisted and made the personal decision to share my allowances with widows in my constituency.

"If we must pay our legislators higher than they pay European legislators then we must pay our workers higher than they pay European workers," he said.

PAY ATTENTION: Read the news on Nigerias #1 news app

Meanwhile, Legit.ng had previously reported that President Muhammadu Buhari was urged by foremost human rights lawyer Femi Falana (SAN), to stop the jumbo salaries and allowances of federal legislators.

Should the Nigerian Senate be scrapped? - on Legit.ng TV

Source: Legit.ngA Ugandan MP, Onesimus Twinamasiko, has been told to apologise to victims of domestic violence after saying men should "beat" their wives.

BBC reports that Twinamasiko said on Ugandan television channel NTV that, "as a man, you need to discipline your wife. You need to touch her a bit, you tackle her, beat her somehow to really streamline her."

Legit.ng gathered that his words have met with strong criticisms from social media users, with one leading women's rights group in Uganda saying he should seek therapy.

READ ALSO: Senators' salary: I warned my colleagues against jumbo pay but they refused - Ben Bruce

"Mr Twinamasiko should make a public apology to all women who have experienced violence," Diana Kagere of the Center for Domestic Violence Prevention (CEDOVIP) told the BBC.

"He should do the honourable thing and withdraw that statement. It's really a shock that a member of parliament would justify violence in any way. This is about crime."

Ugandan MP Onesmus Twinamasiko. Photo credit: BBC

More than one in five women aged 15-49 have experienced domestic or se.xual violence in Uganda, according to a government report published last year.

In an interview with BBC Focus on Africa, Twinamasiko attempted to clarify his comments with reference to his own marriage, saying:

"I don't mean beatings which cause injuries or death - but a slap - I would feel fine! Because it's calling me to order. We would sit down and sort it out.

"I was slapped once by my wife and it was OK with me, because we sorted out our differences. I also slapped her once. She had wronged me."

But Kagere said that Twinamasiko's attitude was damaging.

"We believe there is no violent solution whatsoever. You never know how far a slap can go."

She said there are other ways to resolve conflict, including "time out, speaking out and finding amicable solutions.

"As a couple they can go for couple's counselling," Kagere said regarding the violence the MP describes in his own marriage.

"Many men... their own inner pride stops them from seeking our services, but we want to encourage them that it's OK to reach out for support in this matter.

"But the fact is that it is usually the man (who is the one) with power and authority who beats his wife."

She added that MPs like Twinamasiko were the "key bottlenecks" preventing changes to marriage and divorce laws in Uganda.

It appears that Twinamasiko was responding to comments made last week by Uganda's President Yoweri Museveni, who said men who beat their wives or girlfriends were "cowards".

PAY ATTENTION: Read the news on Nigerias #1 news app

"Men who beat women are foolish and cowardly," he told crowds gathered to mark International Women's Day, according to Ugandan Christian News.

Meanwhile, Legit.ng had previously reported that Nollywood actress, Mercy Aigbe's hotelier husband, Lanre Gentry was arrested for beating up his wife. The couple have been together as husband and wife for seven years and this is the second time Lanre was accused of battering his wife, Mercy.

Adesua Etomi, Kemen, Klint Da Drunk, others wade into whistle blowing trend - on Legit.ng TV

Source: Legit NewspaperIt should come as no surprise that the European Council is getting hardnosed. What is surprising is that it has taken this long. Recall that the UK and EU were at loggerheads, with May looking terminally damaged via her inability to cow the EU with her Governments bluster. Bizarrely, Barnier worked with May to craft an utterly unworkable fudge of Ireland that the UK press praised to the sky, as if shed scored a tremendous victory. In fact, the European Councils December guidelines said the Government needed to come back with a worked-out solution to Ireland by the March negotiating round, which is due to start in the next two weeks.

I was at a loss to understand why the EU, even minimally, reinforced the UKs self-destrutive antics.

The UK is as always mule-y, refusing to advance at all after the EU rejected of some of its demands. That might be a viable tactic if the UK could afford to run out the clock, but its the side that has much more to lose in a crash-out Brexit.

I thought I would throw it out to readers what might happen later this month. Both Vlade and PlutoniumKun highlighted that the EU has drawn a line in the sand, and unlike December, when it blinked on Ireland, is sending much stronger signals than ever that the UK needs to get real. As weve pointed out, the deadline for getting both the exit agreement and a transition deal in final form is October. The EU27 have approval processes that are rigid. There may be some limited room to push back the date for both sides to send the text out for ratification, but its unwise for the UK to presume that there is much latitude. So

Specifically, as weve embedded at the end of the post, the General Secretariat of the European Council released its draft guidelines and European Council President Donald Tusk also made some statements to the press. The message was clear: the UK isnt going to be cut any more slack.

Even though I am loath to resort to framing like losing patience, since it implies that the EU negotiators are getting emotional, if you read the draft text, it is striking how often in the first pages it underscores that the EU is having to reaffirm things the UK has already been told.

Tusk was similarly blunt. Not only did he say last week that Ireland had to be resolved first, but also that the UKs financial services fantasies were a non-starter. Weve said for quite a while that negotiating a pact around goods is far simpler, and could be done faster than one that included services, and therefore it was quite possible theyd be concluded separately. Tusk confirmed that reading. Per Politico:

Tusk said he had offered the U.K. a robust free-trade agreement covering goods in all sectors, with zero tariffs, but added: Services are not about tariffs. Services are about common rules, common supervision and common enforcement to ensure a level playing field, to ensure the integrity of the single market and, ultimately, also to ensure financial stability. This is why we cannot offer the same in services as we can offer in goods. Its also why FTAs dont have detailed rules for financial services. We should all be clear, he said, summing up in blunt fashion: When it comes to financial services, life will be different after Brexit. Tusk also pushed back hard, and directly, at U.K. Chancellor Philip Hammond, who gave a speech on Wednesday urging a deal on financial services and asserting it would also benefit the EU. I fully respect the chancellors competence in defining whats in the U.K.s interest, Tusk shot back. I would, however, ask to allow us to define whats in the EUs interest.

Ouch.

Yet having again been told no in no uncertain terms to the UKs Of course youll protect the City delusion, Hammond, on Andrew Marrs show yesterday, prattled on about how the UK would secure a trade deal on financial services, with the only caveat apparently being the question is how financial services are included.

The question is whether the EU turning up the pressure on the UK will work, given the irreconcilable contradiction in the Tory party: neither the Remain nor Leave side is willing to give into the other, yet having Labour form a government is to be avoided at all cost. But they cant hold on to both positions for much longer. The Government is having yet another go at its fairy tale technology solution to prevent a hard border in Ireland, even as the EU has fined the UK 2.4 billion for allowing Chinese gangs to smuggle goods in through UK ports at gross undervaluations, then move them into the EU and sell them at vastly higher market prices. The fine looks, and almost certainly is, meant to tell the UK that it doesnt have much credibility as far as its customs practices are concerned, and any newfangled solutions will have to be demonstrably better.

That is a long-winded intro to the reader question: what will trigger the crunch, and what might happen next? As it stands, the EU isnt willing to talk to the UK unless it presents a workable Ireland solution. The only option is the sea border which the DUP has rejected. Some readers argued in December that even with its Unionist hard line, the DUP would be unwilling to bring the Government down.

How do you game this out? Is anyone on the UK side going to blink? And if not, what happens next? Does everyone start hoarding tinned goods and dried beans in preparation for a crash out?Lambert here: Readers, I apologize for the original post I had promised; unfortunately I had a formatting debacle that I couldnt climb back from in time. I chose this cross-post since readers both because it concerns European stability, and readers might be interested in comparing the metrics for European core and periphery to those for out own coastal metropolises and flyover states.

Nauro Campos, Professor of Economics, Brunel University London; Research Professor at ETH-Zurich; and Research Fellow, IZA-Bonn, Corrado Macchiarelli, Lecturer in Economics and Finance, Brunel University London. Originally published at VoxEU.

The protracted economic crisis in Europe fuelled demands for a deeper understanding of the dynamics of core and periphery in the EU, and in its Economic and Monetary Union (EMU) in particular (De Grauwe 2018). We introduce a new framework to study these asymmetries, generating a novel, theory-based measure that is time-variant and continuous (i.e. it departs from static binary classifications of core and periphery). The framework captures the probability of a country being classified as peripheral. We construct it for a set of European countries for every year since 1989 and document the formation and evolution of a core and periphery. We unearth an increasingly integrated core next to an entrenched periphery, with a third set of countries in between that is characterised by in-and-out movements (Campos and Macchiarelli 2018).

Searching for Convergence

Our starting point is the seminal paper by Bayoumi and Eichengreen (1993), who identify a core-periphery pattern in the run-up to the formation of EMU. Motivated by optimal currency area theory, they identify demand and supply shocks using long-run restrictions in a structural framework (Blanchard and Quah 1989) and yearly data over 1963-1989. They find a core where supply-side shocks are highly correlated (Germany, France, Belgium, Netherlands, and Denmark) and a periphery where shocks are uncorrelated (Greece, Ireland, Portugal, Spain, Italy, and the UK). They forewarn that if persistent, this divide would be detrimental to EMU.

The vast literature that follows relies on static binary classifications where, for tractability purposes (i.e. exactly identified models), output-related restrictions are seldom imposed (De Haan et al. 2008, Santos and Tenreyro 2010, and Campos et al. 2017).

The novelty of our approach is that we treat these output considerations as over-identifying restrictions on the supply side. Augmenting the original Bayoumi and Eichengreen (1993) framework, we test whether output is quantitatively (magnitude) and qualitatively (sign) affected by supply-side shocks across countries.

This generates an absolute measure of asymmetries that is theory-based, time-variant, and not binary. It reflects the probability of a country being classified as peripheral, and in so doing allow us to ascertain a changing European core and periphery, yearly from 1989 to 2015. Importantly, this does not rely on choosing a particular country, such as Germany, as the anchor.

The more frequently the model under the proposed over-identifying restriction is rejected, the more peripheral a country is said to be. Conversely, the lower this frequency (i.e. the less often the model is rejected for a given country in a given year), the higher the probability of a country being classified as core.

This is implemented by calculating the share of the models rejections of the supply-side shock restriction in the total number of bootstrap replications.1 The sample is, with a fixed 25-year window, then shifted one observation up and the structural model is re-estimated so as to obtain a new number of rejections. The procedure is performed iteratively until the end of the sample. We call this index NORD as it reflects the number of rejections dynamics in our sample.

In the Beginning, There was Periphery

We use NORD and the Phillips and Sul (2007) framework to study convergence dynamics. One of this procedures outcomes is to separate our sample into three groups of countries. All countries in the first set show a commonly sustained decline in the probability of being classified as peripheral. We call it the core.

Using the 50% cut-off point for convenience, the first three countries to enter the core are Germany, France, and Austria, all by 1999  which is the year the euro was introduced. Belgium joins the core in 2000, and Italy and the Netherlands join in 2005 and 2007, respectively.

If one associates the likelihood of being classified as core with that of optimal currency area membership, these results show the formation over time of an endogenous optimal currency area (Frankel and Rose 1998), as countries only start joining the core after the currency union is in place.

Figure 1 When and how did the core form?

Note: NORD for Austria, Germany, France, Belgium, Italy and Netherlands, 1989-2015.

The second set of countries given by the Philips-Sul procedure is shown in Figure 2. Not only do these countries have high levels of NORD, but their series are trend-less. We call this the periphery. This result strongly confirms Bayoumi and Eichengreens early warning about EMU, specifically about the possibility of an entrenched periphery. Note that neither Norway nor Switzerland is a member of the euro area, although Portugal, Finland, and Ireland are.

Figure 2 A very entrenched periphery

Note: NORD for Norway, Switzerland, Portugal, Finland, and Ireland, 1989-2015.

The Philips-Sul procedure also identifies a third, intermediary set of countries. Within this group, we distinguish between two main subsets: one for which NORD does not display a sustained movement in or out (trendless), and another one for which it does (trending).

Figure 3 shows the two countries in the middle/trendless sub-set. The figures for Denmark change very little over time, while the opposite happens for the UK where NORD displays one of the highest volatilities in our sample, with the UK moving in and out of the core.

Figure 3 How did the middle trendless group fare?

Note: NORD for Denmark and UK, 1989-2015; OLS trendline added.

Figure 4 shows the trending/middle sub-set with intermediate levels of NORD. Spains NORD is flat until 1999 and starts to decline afterwards, moving towards the core (linear interpolation suggests it may join circa 2020). Inversely, Greece and Sweden move away from the core. In other words, they become more peripheral over time. Note that between the introduction of the euro in 1999 and the onset of the financial crisis in 2007, Greece was moving in the right direction  that is, it was core-bound.

Figure 4 How well did the middle trending group perform?

Note: NORD for Spain, Sweden, and Greece, 1989-2015; OLS trendline added.

The Correlates of NORD

What are the factors that help explain the variation in NORD across countries and over time? These correlations are suggestive of whether NORD is doing a good job in capturing core and periphery dynamics.

Using a specification based on endogenous OCA theory, our panel estimates indicate that euro membership and looser product market regulations make countries more likely to be classified as core (Campos and Macchiarelli 2018).

To elaborate on the latter result, we also find that trade openness and, to a lesser extent, foreign direct investment help to import competition and in so doing substitute for product market regulations. Imports  but not so much exports  increase the probability of a country being classified as core.2

Conclusions

The results above show that the core and periphery pattern in EMU has changed considerably since 1989, both in terms of relative strengths and distances between main groups of countries, but also in terms of the trajectories of individual countries. For example, it is interesting that different countries join the core in different years.

Overall, our new theory-based index, NORD, decreases over time for the set of countries that the Philips and Sul (2007) procedure singles out  this set of countries is what we call core. NORD remains high and basically constant for what we define as a peripheral group (worryingly confirming Bayoumi and Eichengreens warning about a deep-seated periphery). Finally, NORD varies substantially for an intermediary set of countries since 1989. In the latter, Denmarks NORD remains constant around the 50% mark while the UKs moves in and out of the core over time.

The results for Spain are encouraging as they show that although the country should still be classified as periphery, it is clearly moving towards the core. This contrasts with the experiences of Sweden and Greece which, according to their NORD scores, are slowly moving away from the core, or in other words, are gradually becoming more peripheral in the EU.

References available at the original post.(Natural News) At 45 years of age, the decades-old Nicholas U. Mayall Telescope was due for an upgrade. This four-meter reflector telescope will be given just that this year. Though instead of a new eyepiece or objective lens, the Nicholas U. Mayall Telescope was instead outfitted with about 5,000 fiber optic sensor-equipped, pencil-sized robots. By adding these onto the telescope, located at the Kitt Peak National Observatory in the Arizona-Sonoran Desert, scientists hope to unravel the secrets of our universe.

These robots serve as the primary component of the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI), an instrument that will gather data from billions of galaxies. According to LiveScience.com, the DESI will work like this: Each of the fiber optic sensors will capture light from objects far off in space. Namely, sequences of galaxies and quasars that have already been programmed into the robots systems. The sensors will then carry the light to 10 spectrographs for analysis, which will include measuring the properties of this light to gauge the distance and speed of the object. A new spectrum will be captured every 20 minutes when the light-capturing robots reposition themselves.

Putting all of these calculations together will help us create cosmological map of immense complexity and scale, one expected to span a distance of about 10 billion light years. Moreover, those involved with the DESI believe that it will survey over 30 million galaxies and quasars during the course of its five years of operation.

All this is the result of over 465 researchers hailing from 71 institutions working together to answer the most burning questions about what lies beyond our stars.

One of the primary ways that we learn about the unseen universe is by its subtle effects on the clustering of galaxies. The new maps from DESI will provide an exquisite new level of sensitivity in our study of cosmology, explained Daniel Eisenstein, a professor of astronomy at Harvard University and DESI Collaboration co-spokesperson. (Related: Worlds biggest telescope is almost ready for its launch next year  scientists are hoping it will spot alien life.)

Brenda Flaugher, DESI project scientist, added: During its planned five years of operations, DESI will measure velocities of some 30 million galaxies and quasars  supermassive black holes surrounded by a disk of orbiting material. Instead of one at a time, we can measure the velocities of 5,000 galaxies at a time.

As of writing, the installation of the DESIs components are underway and expected to finish by April 2019. It will then be seeing first light by September of that same year.

DESI Collaboration co-spokesperson, Risa Wechsler, stated that this upgrade will put the Nicholas U. Mayall Telescope at the heart of major cosmological discoveries in the next decade. The amazing 3-D map it will measure may solve some of the biggest outstanding questions in cosmology, or surprise us and bring up new ones, remarked Wechsler.

Why the Nicholas U. Mayall Telescope?

The Nicholas U. Mayall Telescope was chosen for this grand endeavor due to its rich history. When it was first put to use in 1973, the telescope was one of the most massive optical telescopes on Earth. Thanks to its ability to observe large portions of the sky at a time, the telescope became instrumental in numerous astronomical discoveries.

Among these are the measurements that support the existence of dark energy, and the detection of dark matter based on calculations obtained from galaxy rotations. Together, dark energy and dark matter are said to compose about 95 percent of all the mass and energy found throughout the universe.

Its scope, combined with its sturdiness and size, have made it the perfect candidate to host the nine-ton DESI.

Stay up-to-date on any news about the DESI by visiting Space.news.

Sources include:

LiveScience.com

NewsCenter.LBL.gov(Natural News) The cancerous spread of political correctness in Western society is creeping its way into private education, according to new reports.

The University of Dayton, a moderately-sized college with Roman Catholic roots, is apparently adopting the ways of the world in pushing its students not to use gendered pronouns like husband and wife when referring to the nuclear family unit.

Instead, the college wants students to remain gender-neutral in the way they speak so as not to offend anyone  taking a page from the manifesto of cultural Marxism that has all but completely infected the realm of public education.

In a statement posted to the University of Daytons Womens Center web page  because where else would such nonsense live?  the school tried to defend its new recommendations towards political correctness with even more PC-speak:

As a Catholic [and] Marianist university, we are guided by our mission to foster an educational community that welcomes and includes all people, the page states. As a Christian and educational community, we recognize that every person has innate dignity because all people are made in the image and likeness of God, and we seek to create an environment where all persons feel respected, safe and valued, it adds.

A few examples of the gender inclusive language that the school is pushing based on this argument include:

 No longer using the term man-made, but rather referring to everything as being manufactured or synthetic

 Avoiding the use of the word manpower, and instead calling it a workforce or labor

 Abandoning all references to things like best man for the job and gentlemans agreement that refer to men, and replacing such references with persons or people

 Ditching common words like mailman, fireman, and salesman  because men are evil, of course  and using generic terminology like mail carrier, firefighter, and sales associate

 Scrapping the use of words like husband and wife, and replacing them with spouse, partner, or significant other

Many early Christians were martyred for resisting far less than this latest blasphemy

And the list goes on and on, grossly twisting the Word of God that Catholics claim to follow in petitioning those reading this manifesto to be more accepting and inclusive  like Jesus was, they hilariously claim.

These Womens Studies apologists seem to have overlooked the fact that early Christian martyrs were burned at the stake or stoned for resisting and not accepting this type of heresy.

Nevertheless, this clearly misguided institution is trying to argue that removing all references from the English language to the two sexes of human beings that God created is somehow the Christian thing to do  and, no, its not a joke.

While the University of Dayton does not necessarily endorse what its Womens Center is suggesting, the school has yet to address it. By its silence, in other words, it can only be assumed that the University of Dayton does, indeed, support this nefarious gender-bending agenda.

What this further suggests is that the University of Dayton no longer agrees with the traditional definition of marriage between a man and a woman that Roman Catholics claim to support. Even the American College of Pediatrics holds a more conservative view on the matter, its president openly denouncing the use of gender-neutral language.

Whoever controls the language controls the culture, Dr. Michelle Cretella, M.D., is quoted as saying by Lifezette.com.

This is why linguistic engineering always precedes social engineering. The revolutionaries are able to alter our thinking and behavior by first altering the language. In this case the weapon of choice is the word gender.'

See Gender.news for more coverage of gender-bender language indoctrination.

Sources for this article include:

Lifezette.com

UDayton.edu

NaturalNews.com(Natural News) Along with other legacy media outlets, The Washington Post continues to solidify its reputation as a thinly-disguised Marxist agitprop rag posing as a legitimate news organization.

The latest example of this is an actual story  not an opinion piece  claiming that gun ownership is racist and that whites use the Second Amendment today to keep people of color in their places.

Twisting facts and reshaping historical data to fit his wild claim, writer Nathan Wuertenberg  co-editor of the book Demand the Impossible: Essays in History as Activism and founder of the online journal The Activist History Review  asserts that gun rights are about keeping white men on top, and adds: It shouldnt surprise us that mass shootings have increased as minorities and women strive for equality.

He begins his essay thusly:

Gun violence is rooted in white supremacy. We cant solve the first without understanding its connection to the second.

Discussions of gun rights in the United States usually revolve around debated interpretations of the Second Amendment. But if we truly want to understand the influence of guns in our society, we need to center the debate in a much earlier period, one before the Constitution or the Bill of Rights.



In Colonial America, gun ownership equaled power. More specifically, it meant the power to control the means of violence and use those means to suppress the voices of the disenfranchised.

He goes onto say that 17th-century laws forbade women and slaves from owning guns and did not permit the sale of guns to Native Americans. True enough; women were not treated as equals then, slaves were property, and Native American tribes were often hostile to European settlers  so why would colonists arm them? (Related: The American Pravda media isnt merely biased against Trump  its HYPER-biased, which is why most Americans cant stand them.)

As for the claim that gun ownership equaled power, what it really signified was domestic security. Todays National Guard actually began in 1636; the first muster  as depicted in a painting  of that year was organized as a means of defending the young, vastly outnumbered colonies.

[The] General Court of the Massachusetts Bay Colony ordered the organization of the Colonys militia companies into three regiments: The North, South and East Regiments. The colonists had adopted the English militia system which obligated all males, between the ages of 16 and 60, to possess arms and participate in the defense of the community, says the National Guards website.

The growing threat of the Pequot Indians to the Massachusetts Bay Colony required that the militia be in a high state of readiness. The organization of the North, South and East Regiments increased the efficiency and responsiveness of the militia. Although the exact date is not known, the first muster of the East Regiment took place in Salem, Massachusetts, the site noted further.

The founding fathers understood that the right to self-defense was God-given, not government granted, which is why they included an amendment in the Constitution specifically recognizing the right of men and women to possess arms for their defense (and as a check against authoritarian government).

No free man shall ever be debarred the use of arms, Thomas Jefferson wrote in the first draft of the Virginia Constitution.

What country can preserve its liberties if their rulers are not warned from time to time that their people preserve the spirit of resistance. Let them take arms, he later wrote in a 1787 letter to the father of the Constitution, James Madison.

Democracy is two wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch. Liberty is a well-armed lamb contesting the vote! Benjamin Franklin was quoted as saying.

And so forth.

As to the issue of slavery, our country convulsed and fought a war with itself to right that wrong. Later, via the constitutional amendment process, legislation, and the civil rights movement, our people used the freedoms we were provided by our founders to make the social changes necessary in order to perfect our liberty. Today, gun rights are truly colorblind, as they should be; they arent being used by white men to suppress people of color. Thats just insane to even suggest.

But today, agitprop media like the Post and Left-wing activist historians like Wuertenberg abuse their freedom of expression to keep the people riled up, at each others throats, and divided.

Its disgusting and pathetic. And I refuse to let such detestable behavior go uncontested.

J.D. Heyes is a senior writer for NaturalNews.com and NewsTarget.com, as well as editor of The National Sentinel.

Sources include:

ConcealedCarry.com

WashingtonPost.com

NewsTarget.com(Natural News) Yellowstone National Park is one of Americas most treasured natural resources  its incredible geysers, among other breathtaking features, drawing millions of visitors to the park every single year. But what a great many may not realize is that Yellowstone is actually a super volcano that will one day undergo a massive eruption  and as of late, the terrain surrounding it has been rumbling up a storm in terms of earthquake activity.

More than 200 earthquakes, in fact, were reported to have struck the area around Yellowstone between February 8  15, according to the United States Geological Survey (USGS). This high frequency of quakes in such a short period of time is unprecedented, raising fresh fears about the stability of the super volcanic land mass, which some experts believe is beginning to show signs of a potentially imminent eruption called the big one.

The area seeing the most activity is located about eight miles northeast of West Yellowstone, Montana, though many of these relatively tiny quakes didnt even show up on the official seismometers. They were, however, picked up by other detection equipment, news of which quickly spread across the internet.

Swarms typically have two ultimate causes: shifting at major tectonic plates; or movements of water, gas or magma under the surface, reports LiveScience.com. As the abundance of hot springs and mud pots reveals, Yellowstone has plenty of fluid and gas just beneath the grounds surface. Yellowstone is also in a region that is being stretched and pulled apart, according to the USGS.

Natural disasters like earthquakes and volcanic eruptions could happen at any moment. Stay informed and prepared by visiting Preparedness.news.

An even bigger earthquake swarm occurred at Yellowstone last summer

This wouldnt be the first time that Yellowstone has started moving in frequent, rapid succession. Last summer beginning in June, an earthquake swarm struck the Yellowstone area and didnt really stop until about three months later. The tally of tremors from that swarm event reportedly topped 2,400, which is even bigger than this most recent swarm.

But people really shouldnt worry, according to Michael Poland, the scientist-in-charge at USGSs Yellowstone Volcano Observatory in Vancouver, Washington. While increased seismic activity is normally something to pay attention to, Poland wants the public to be at ease, suggesting that this is not indicative of an imminent mega-quake.

This is what Yellowstone does, he reportedly stated. This is Yellowstone being Yellowstone. It experiences swarms all the time.

According to the National Park Service (NPS), the Yellowstone area is hit by anywhere between 1,000 and 3,000 quakes annually, and these oftentimes occur as cluster swarms like the one that recently occurred there. The biggest quake on record thus far is a 7.3-magnitude one that occurred back in 1959 at Hebgen Lake, a 15-mile-long, four-mile-wide fishing lake in Montana.

This particular area, especially, is a hotbed of swarm seismicity, and it has been for quite a while, Poland adds, further attempting to diffuse the thought that Yellowstone is overdue for a massive quake-eruption. One of the potential explanations for why this area is so swarmy is that the whole crust in the area is still adjusting to the big earthquake in 1959.

Still, theres no saying for sure what could happen, as Yellowstone is a highly unpredictable landscape where anything is possible. And even if there isnt a mega-quake anytime soon, theres always the possibility of another Hebgen Lake-type quake that could strike that area at any moment, which means people need to be prepared.

When they do happen, theyre going to shake the region pretty severely, so people should be prepared for that, Poland says, noting that should the volcano itself blow, ash would quickly spread and devastate large swaths of the country.

Sources for this article include:

LiveScience.com

NaturalNews.comFive suspects have been apprehended, but four other suspects are still at large following armed home invasion robberies in Petaluma Monday morning, according to the Sonoma County Sheriff's Office.

A group of roughly nine suspects around 3 a.m. went to three different homes along the 100 and 200 blocks of Eugenia Drive in Petaluma, busted in doors and confronted homeowners while searching for marijuana, the sheriff's office stated.

At least one homeowner was tied up during the home invasions and reportedly pistol-whipped, according to the sheriff's office.

The sheriff's office indicated that the suspects are from North Carolina and were looking for marijuana, but none of the homes targeted actually cultivate marijuana.

"People come from states where marijuana is illegal or treated very seriously," Sgt. Spencer Crum said. "They can get two to three times the amount for marijuana that they can here in California. The price has gone down so they consider us a soft target."

Following the home invasion robberies, two vehicles believed to be associated with the crimes were later spotted by Petaluma police, according to the sheriff's office. A police pursuit followed before coming to an end in Novato.

One vehicle came to a stop on southbound Highway 101 just before the San Marin exit, sheriff's officials said. Five men jumped out of the vehicle and fled the scene. One of those suspects was captured.

A number of firearms were found in and around the vehicle, according to the sheriff's department.

A second vehicle believed to be connected to the early morning home invasions was spotted in the Novato Costco parking lot, sheriff's officials said. Three suspects were taken into custody at that time.

Another suspect was captured during a subsequent search in Novato, according to police.

Police said the suspects still at large may have left the area.

Residents in the area of Novato's Wood Hollow Drive were asked to shelter in place due to the ongoing police activity, but that order was lifted at 12:45 p.m., according to the city's police department.

Further information was not available.As vaporizers  or vapes  continue to become smaller and easier to conceal, some bold students are testing the limits in classrooms.

In California, people have to be 21 in order to buy a vaporizer, but some vapes are still confiscated from students, including some in the Morgan Hill Unified School District.

The district's resource officer recently held a presentation for teachers and staff to show them that the devices can look like thumb drives or styluses.

Officer Jeff Brandon with the Morgan Hill Police Department said some students have been found to be charging the devices in class, telling teachers that the chargers were for their cell phones. Some students were also reportedly blowing vapor behind their teachers' backs.

"It dissipates so quickly," Brandon said. "By the time the teacher turns around, its gone. Theres very little odor, so it's not like a regular cigarette or a marijuana joint where it's very obvious in the smell lasts for a long time."

A recent USSF study found cancer-causing chemicals in the bodies of teenagers who use e-cigarettes.

Brandon advises parents to talk with their teens about the health consequences of vaping, keep an eye on their purchases and look for chargers with circular ports.Russia is "highly likely" to blame for poisoning a former spy and his daughter with a military-grade nerve agent, Prime Minister Theresa May said Monday, demanding that Moscow give a compelling explanation or face "extensive" retaliation.

May told lawmakers in a strongly worded statement that without a credible response from Russia by the end of Tuesday, Britain would consider the attack on Sergei Skripal and his daughter in a quiet English city "an unlawful use of force by the Russian state against the United Kingdom."

"There can be no question of business as usual with Russia," she said, without saying what measures Britain might take.

Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova dismissed May's allegations as a "circus show in in the British Parliament."

Later, U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said the poisoning of Skripal "clearly came from Russia" and "certainly will trigger a response."

Tillerson said he doesn't know whether Russia's government had knowledge of the poisoning. But he is arguing the poison couldn't have originated anywhere else. He said the substance is known to the U.S. and doesn't exist widely. He said it's "only in the hands of a very, very limited number of parties."

Tillerson called the poisoning "a really egregious act" and said it's "almost beyond comprehension" that a state actor would use such a dangerous substance in a public place.



Skripal, 66, and his 33-year-old daughter, Yulia, remain in critical condition after being found unconscious March 4 in Salisbury. A police detective who came in contact with them is in serious but stable condition.

May said British scientists have determined that Skripal and his daughter were poisoned with Novichok, a class of nerve agent developed by the Soviet Union near the end of the Cold War.

She said it was "highly likely" the substance came from Russia, and there were two possible explanations.

"Either this was a direct act by the Russian state against our country, or the Russian government lost control of this potentially catastrophically damaging nerve agent and allowed it to get into the hands of others," she said.

May said Britain had given the Russian ambassador in London a deadline of Tuesday to explain which version is true. She said Russia must also "provide full and complete disclosure" of its Novichok program to the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, the oversight body for the international chemical weapons convention.

May spoke in the House of Commons after she chaired a National Security Council meeting to hear the latest evidence in the case. She has been under mounting pressure to hit Russia with sanctions, diplomatic expulsions and other measures in response to the poisoning, the latest in a string of mysterious mishaps to befall Russians in Britain in recent years.

May said Britain would consider tough action if Russia's explanation is inadequate, though she didn't give details.

She said Britain would be prepared to take "much more extensive measures" than the expulsions and limited sanctions imposed after the death of former Russian agent Alexander Litvinenko, who was poisoned by drinking tea laced with radioactive polonium in London in 2006.

"We will not tolerate such a brazen attempt to murder innocent civilians on our soil," May added.

Opposition lawmakers are urging Britain to adopt a version of the United States' Magnitsky Act, a law allowing authorities to ban or seize the assets of individuals guilty of human rights abuses. It is named for Sergei Magnitsky, a lawyer who died in a Russian prison after exposing a $230 million fraud involving organized crime and a Russian government official in 2008.

Critics of the British government say the U.K.'s response to Russian wrongdoing has been muted because London's property market and financial sector are magnets for billions in Russian money.

James Nixey, head of the Russia program at think-tank Chatham House, said Britain has for years avoided tough decisions about Russia.

"There has been a lot of tough talk over the years and almost no action to protect our national security and integrity," he said. "We have sent mixed signals to Russia. We have talked tough by calling it names and expressing our dislike of the regime, but at the same time we have been very much open for business with Russia, of any kind."

He said May will have a difficult decision on Wednesday, when she has to spell out how Britain will respond.

Many see echoes between the Skripal case and the killing of Litvinenko, which a British inquiry concluded was the work of the Russian state, probably on the orders of President Vladimir Putin.

The Kremlin has denied involvement in Litvinenko's death, and it dismissed claims it was behind the attack on the Skripals.

Putin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters that Sergei Skripal worked for British intelligence and was poisoned on British soil, and therefore the incident "has nothing to do with Russia, let alone the Russian leadership."

Skripal was a Russian military intelligence officer when he was recruited to spy for Britain in the 1990s. He was jailed in Russia in 2006 for revealing state secrets before being freed in a spy swap in 2010. He had settled in Salisbury, 90 miles (140 kilometers) southwest of London.

Almost 200 troops, including soldiers trained in chemical warfare and decontamination, have been deployed to Salisbury to assist the police investigation into where the nerve agent came from and how it was delivered.

British officials have said the risk to the public is low, but urged people who visited the Zizzi restaurant or Mill pub, where the Skripals went before their collapse, to wash their clothes as a precaution. Some have questioned why it took health authorities a week to issue the advice.

Andy Harder, 63, who works in a coin and stamp collector's shop in Salisbury, was in the Mill pub the day after the Skripals fell ill and before police cordoned off the area.

Harder said he washed his jacket off with an antiseptic cleaner after authorities gave the guidance Sunday.

"So I've washed all my clothes, I've taken my jacket and done that with Dettol  I mean I don't know what to use, really," he said, referring to a brand of disinfectant. "That's supposed to kill most things. I've had a good scrub up, so it should be OK."Is President Donald Trump planning to visit New Hampshire next week? That's what some officials are saying.

Manchester Fire Chief Dan Goonan told the Union Leader that he spoke with Secret Service personnel, and a visit is "very likely." He said Trump is expected to visit a fire station and discuss the city's "Safe Station" program, which helps opioid addicts seek aid without the fear of facing criminal charges.

Goonan participated in the White House Opioid Summit on March 1 in Washington, D.C.

The White House press office said only that they have no information on the rumored visit right now.

Vice President Mike Pence is already confirmed to visit the state on March 22, when he is scheduled to attend a fundraiser for Republican Gov. Chris Sununu in Manchester.Three people are dead and at least 13 more have been wounded in shootings across the city of Chicago this weekend.

On Saturday evening, two men were shot and killed in the 3300 block of South Lawndale Avenue. The incident occurred at an auto body repair shop, according to police, and officers responding to a call of shots fired found both men dead at the scene.

The victims, a 33-year-old man and a 56-year-old man, were both shot in the head, according to authorities. No one is in custody.

The citys first fatal shooting occurred just before 4 p.m. in the 9500 block of South Vincennes on Saturday afternoon. A man was driving northbound when an unknown vehicle pulled up alongside him, and one of the occupants fired shots into the car, striking him in the chest.

The man was pronounced dead at the scene, and police are still investigating with no suspects in custody.

The citys most recent shooting occurred in the 2200 block of South Trumbull, when a 27-year-old man was shot during a robbery attempt. After the man was shot, he was robbed by the suspects, who fled the scene.

The victim was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital in stable condition with a gunshot wound to his left thigh. Police are still investigating the shooting.

Friday:

A 15-year-old boy was shot in the left leg on the 5200 block of North Winthrop at approximately 6:10 p.m. The boy was standing on a sidewalk when he was approached by three men, and was shot. He was taken to Lurie Childrens Hospital in stable condition.

In the 3000 block of South St. Louis at approximately 6:30 p.m., a 30-year-old man was shot in the chest by a person in a red colored SUV. The victim was taken to Mount Sinai in critical condition, according to police.

A 22-year-old man was walking on a sidewalk in the 2800 block of West 19 th Street at approximately 6:45 p.m. when he was shot in the upper right shoulder, police said. He walked to St. Anthony, and was listed in good condition according to police.

Street at approximately 6:45 p.m. when he was shot in the upper right shoulder, police said. He walked to St. Anthony, and was listed in good condition according to police. In the 7300 block of South Winchester at approximately 7:15 p.m., a 24-year-old man was shot in the left elbow while standing on a gangway. He was taken to Christ Hospital in stable condition.

A 33-year-old man was shot after a verbal altercation in the 10700 block of South Perry, police said. He was taken to Christ Hospital in stable condition.

A 17-year-old boy was driving a car when a vehicle pulled up alongside him and someone inside fired shots, striking him in the arm. He was taken to Western Suburban Hospital in serious condition, according to police.

Saturday:

A 32-year-old man was shot in the chest while he was walking in the 6600 block of South Evans at approximately 4:14 a.m., police said. He was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital in serious condition.

A 9-year-old girl was accidentally shot by her 3-year-old cousin, police said. The incident occurred at 11:20 a.m. in the 3200 block of West Fulton. The victim is in good condition at Stroger Hospital, and police are still investigating.

Just before 4 p.m. in the 600 block of North Leamington, a 35-year-old man was approached by another man, who fired shots at him and fled the scene. The victim was taken to Stroger Hospital in good condition with a gunshot wound to his leg, police said.

At approximately 3:50 p.m. in the 900 block of North Richmond, a 27-year-old man who was sitting in a car was shot by a man who walked up to the vehicle and opened fire, police said. The man was taken to Mount Sinai, where he was listed in critical condition with gunshot wounds to his neck and chest.

A 23-year-old man was in the parking lot of a gas station in the 3000 block of South Halsted when he heard shots and felt pain in his leg. He was taken to Stroger Hospital in stable condition, police said.

Sunday:U.S. President Donald Trump's trade envoy is meeting Saturday with top officials from the European Union and Japan, who are pushing back against new U.S. steel tariffs that have unleashed fears of a broader trade war.

The EU is seeking clarity from Washington about whether the 28-nation bloc will be exempt from the U.S. tariffs, which come into force in two weeks. If not, the EU has threatened retaliatory tariffs on U.S. products like peanut butter and orange juice.

EU Trade Commissioner Cecilia Malmstroem met Saturday in Brussels with Japanese Economy, Trade and Industry Minister Hiroshige Seko, before U.S. trade representative Robert Lighthizer arrived to join them for three-way talks as well as individual discussions with the EU and Japanese trade chiefs.

The meeting had been previously planned but took on greater importance because of Trump's announcement of a 25-percent tariff on steel imports and 10 percent on aluminum imports.

Key U.S. trading partners and businesses have warned the tariffs could backfire, provoking a trade war and hurting allies like the EU and Japan more than China, their main target.

Japan's government has warned the measure could hurt its economic relations with the U.S. But ahead of Saturday's talks, Seko also cautioned that "falling to exchanges of unilateral measures will not be in the interest of any country," according to the Kyodo news agency. He was apparently referring to the EU threats of retaliation.

Trump argues the tariffs are designed to protect U.S. jobs and national security. He said Canada and Mexico are exempt for now, and other countries could be spared if they can convince the administration that their steel and aluminum exports don't threaten American industry.

The EU insists that it is committed to open, global trade. Malmstroem said the real problem is an oversupply of steel on global markets, and she rejected Trump's assertion that the tariffs are needed to protect U.S. national security, especially when most EU countries are members of NATO.

"We are friends. We are allies. We work together. We cannot possibly be a threat to national security in the U.S., so we are counting on being excluded," she said Friday.

The EU exported about 5.5 million tons of steel to the U.S. last year. America bought 5 percent of Japan's steel last year but just 1.1 percent of China's steel.

Foreign steel producers are not only concerned about losing access to the U.S. market but also that steel from other exporters will flood already saturated markets, threatening jobs elsewhere.

The EU has warned that it stands ready to slap "rebalancing" tariffs on about 2.8 billion euros ($3.4 billion) worth of U.S. steel, agricultural and other products, like peanut butter, cranberries and orange juice.Special counsel Robert Mueller's team is asking witnesses pointed questions about whether Donald Trump was aware that Democratic emails had been stolen before that was publicly known, and whether he was involved in their strategic release, multiple people familiar with the probe told NBC News.

Mueller's investigators have asked witnesses whether Trump was aware of plans for WikiLeaks to publish the emails. They have also asked about the relationship between GOP operative Roger Stone and WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, and why Trump took policy positions favorable to Russia.

The line of questioning suggests the special counsel, who is tasked with examining whether there was collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia during the 2016 election, is looking into possible coordination between WikiLeaks and Trump associates in disseminating the emails, which U.S. intelligence officials say were stolen by Russia.

Trump has repeatedly denied any collusion and has described the special counsel's investigation as "illegal" and a "witch hunt." John Dowd, the presidents outside attorney, told NBC News, "We do not discuss our knowledge of or communications with the Special Counsel."The Connecticut State House of Representatives narrowly approved current Associate Justice Andrew McDonalds elevation to chief justice, with one Republican acting as the de facto deciding vote.

McDonald won approval from the House by a 75-74 margin. Four Democrats defected and voted with Republicans, as the nomination now heads to the Connecticut Senate for consideration.

"Justice McDonald is not only eminently qualified, but he is ready," Rep. William Tong, who shares the city of Stamford as a hometown with McDonald, said as he brought him up for confirmation on the Senate floor.

McDonald is a longtime ally of Governor Dannel Malloy. He served as corporation counsel for the city of Stamford when Malloy was mayor, represented Stamford in the State Senate, and later took a job in the Malloy administration as his top legal adviser.

Republicans, nearly unanimous in their opposition, refused to entertain the notion that politics was the reason they did not want McDonald at the top of the judicial branch.

This is not political because of a political party, Rep. Rosa Rebimbas, the ranking member of the Judiciary Committee.

Rebimbas beat back accusations from McDonald allies that Republican opposition was rooted in the fact that McDonald was openly gay, and would become the first openly gay chief justice in the United States, if confirmed.

"Id like to make it clear that the sexual orientation of this or any nominee that comes before us is not a factor," Rebimbas said.

Republicans instead pointed to his decisions in the states death penalty, and refusal to recuse himself, as a top reason for opposing his nomination. They said they viewed that as a possible ethical violation or at least a poor judgment on his part.

Democrats countered by discussing at length how McDonald has been endorsed by just about every legal institution in the state including most of the largest law firms in the state, as well as all three deans of the states law schools: Yale, Quinnipiac and UConn.

Speaker of the House Joe Aresimowicz said the opposition appeared to be viewed through the lens of the 2018 election.

Since Malloy is so unpopular in the state, Republicans felt they could make a safe vote against McDonald, knowing it would help them in the Fall, he opined.

Aresimowicz said that tack was straight out of the Republican playbook in Washington D.C.

"They picked the wrong fight," Aresimowicz said. "The judiciary is clearly not a political subdivision of the legislature and by doing this, this is going to cost them in the general election."

Senate President Pro Tem Martin Looney announced Monday afternoon that the Senate would consider McDonalds nomination before the end of March.

McDonalds nomination could face long odds in the Senate, as one Democrat has recused herself from voting on the nomination, leaving Republicans with a one vote majority.The White House announced Friday that President Donald Trump has pardoned a Navy sailor who took photos of classified areas inside a submarine and served a year in federal prison.

White House spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders said Kristian Saucier was pardoned by Trump and the president was "appreciative" of his service to the nation. "He has been recognized by his fellow service members for his dedication skill and patriotic spirit," Sanders said.

Trump has referenced Saucier's case often when criticizing Democratic rival Hillary Clinton for her use of a private email server. In a January tweet, he referred to the "Deep State Justice Dept" and criticized the federal system for going after a sailor instead of a top Clinton aide.

It was Trump's second pardon as president. He pardoned Joe Arpaio, a former six-term sheriff of metro Phoenix, in August.

[[476564243,C]]

Saucier's attorney, Ronald Daigle Jr., said his client was "ecstatic. He's so grateful that the president saw there was an injustice in this matter and he took action on it."

Saucier pleaded guilty in 2016 to unauthorized detention of defense information for taking photos inside the USS Alexandria while it was stationed in Groton, Connecticut, in 2009.

Saucier had said previously that he had only wanted service mementos. But federal prosecutors argued he was a disgruntled sailor who had put national security at risk by taking photos showing the submarine's propulsion system and reactor compartment and then obstructed justice by destroying a laptop and camera. Saucier claimed his prosecution was driven by sensitivity about classified information amid the scandal involving Clinton's emails.

Saucier, of Arlington, Vermont, was a 22-year-old machinist mate on the nuclear-powered attack submarine when he took the photos. His lawyers said he knew the photos would be classified but he wanted to show his family what he did in the Navy. He denied sharing the photos with any unauthorized recipient.

After Trump won election, Daigle discussed the case at Trump Tower with Michael Flynn, the president's former national security adviser, who encouraged a formal pardon request. Trump was later asked about the case during an interview with Fox News' Sean Hannity and said it was "very unfair."Toy-maker Mattel was in a dispute Thursday with a distant relative of the late Mexican artist Frida Kahlo over rights to a Frida Barbie doll released as part of the company's Inspiring Women series.

Kahlo's great-niece Mara de Anda Romeo said Mattel doesn't have the rights to use Kahlo's image.

Pablo Sangri, a lawyer for de Anda Romeo, said his client doesn't seek money, but wants Mattel to talk about redesigning the doll.

"We will talk to them about regularizing this situation, and by regularizing I mean talking about the appearance of the doll, its characteristics, the history the doll should have to match what the artist really was," Sangri said.

Critics complain the doll doesn't reflect Kahlo's heavy, nearly conjoined eyebrows, and they say its costume doesn't accurately portray the elaborate Tehuana-style dresses the artist wore.

That is, it's more Barbie-like than Frida-like. Barbie is an American icon that has often been criticized as promoting an unrealistic body image and consumerist lifestyle. Kahlo was a life-long communist who died in 1954 before the doll was introduced.

Mattel said in a statement that it worked with the Panama-based Frida Kahlo Corp., "which owns all the rights."

"The Frida Kahlo Corporation actively participated in the process of designing the doll, Mattel has its permission and a legal contract that grants it the rights to make a doll of the great Frida Kahlo," the company's statement said.

The corporation said it got the rights through Kahlo's niece, Isolda Pinedo Kahlo, more than a decade ago.

The corporation said in a statement that it "celebrates the ideological contributions of Frida Kahlo which have transcended the borders of art and which will influence new generations as a world icon through the Frida Kahlo Barbie, which conserves the essence of Barbie and the legacy of Frida Kahlo."What to Know Two North Texans were killed Sunday when the helicopter they were passengers in crashed into New York's East River.

The pilot managed to escape and is the only survivor of the crash.

The pilot speculated one of the passengers inadvertently hit the fuel cut-off switch, causing the chopper to plunge into the river.

A Dallas firefighter and a recent Southern Methodist University graduate were among five passengers killed in a helicopter crash Sunday in New York City.

The helicopter went down in the East River at about sunset Sunday with six people aboard -- only the pilot survived.



The dead include four men and one woman. Two of the victims have been identified as North Texans Brian McDaniel, a 26-year-old Dallas firefighter, and his longtime friend, 26-year-old Trevor Cadigan.

Trevor Cadigan/Instagram

In the seconds after liftoff, Cadigan shared a short video on his Instagram page showing he and McDaniel in the flight's first moments.

Cadigan Family

Cadigan, the son of a Dallas broadcaster, graduated from Southern Methodist University in 2016 and moved to New York in October of last year to start working at a business magazine, "Business Insider," his father, Jerry Cadigan, told NBC 5 on Monday.

Upon learning of his death, the magazine released the following statement: "We were devastated to hear about the death of Trevor Cadigan. Trevor was an intern at Business Insider until a few weeks ago. He was a smart, talented, and ambitious young journalist and producer who was well-liked and made a big contribution. Our hearts go out to his family and friends."

Dallas Fire-Rescue spokesman Jason Evans confirmed McDaniel worked C-shift at Station 36 and was coming up on his two-year anniversary with the department.

Dallas Fire-Rescue

"Despite his short tenure, hearts are heavy with grief as we not only try to come to grips with his loss departmentally; but to also be there in every way that we can for his family," said Evans.

McDaniel was single and had no children. He is survived by his father, of Dallas, and his mother and brother, of Denver.

Firefighters at Station 36 gathered Tuesday morning for a press conference to talk about McDaniels' life. His parents wanted his story to be told by those who interacted with him every day, Evans said.

Lt. Judson Ray Smith talked about how the crew called him "Goose," as a reference to the Top Gun character, for his energy and likability. Smith said he always had a smile on his face.

Firefighters at Station 36 gathered Tuesday morning to talk about the life of Brian McDaniels, the firefighter killed in a helicopter crash in New York City Sunday.

Firefighters who worked with Brian McDaniel, the Dallas firefighter killed in a helicopter crash in New York City, say it's tough coming back to work at the station and seeing his coat on the wall.

"It's tough coming back to the fire station and seeing his coat with his name on the back of it, seeing that this morning, knowing he's supposed to be back to work today," Smith said.

"You looked forward to seeing him -- every time I'd come to the fire station," Smith said. "He always said good morning and always had a smile on his face. He was an outgoing, energetic kind of guy."

Tuesday afternoon, the United Airlines plane carrying McDaniel's body arrived at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport to a water cannon salute from D/FW firefighters, and several Dallas Fire-Rescue firefighters met the plane at the gate, where the casket draped in an American flag was transferred to a hearse.

Firefighters gave a water cannon salute at D/FW airport to the plane delivering the body of Dallas firefighter Brian McDaniel - who was killed in a helicopter crash in New York City.

Longtime Friends Remembered by Teachers, Coaches



McDaniel and Cadigan went to Bishop Lynch High School together and graduated in 2010. McDaniel was visiting Cadigan this past weekend. They had been touring the city and were sightseeing when they went on the helicopter ride.

Nearly eight years after the pair graduated from the Dallas Catholic high school, teachers and coaches were devastated to learn about the men's deaths.



Its a hard feeling because I loved him. I loved him very much. Im very close to his parents as well and it's very sad on so many levels," said Michele Longoria, a journalism teacher who taught Trevor, who was also the son of a Dallas broadcaster. Anyone who knew Trevor, if you say the name Trevor Cadigan, the first thing theyre going to do is laugh and then giggle, because he just was larger than life.



Cycling coach Andrew Vidales, who coached McDaniel, said he was "crushed" to learn of his former student's passing.



Whenever you lose a family member, and we were all family members here at Bishop Lynch, it just hurts. And it's just the pain that we have to go through," said Vidales. He always had a smile on his face. Very talkative, very cheerful, optimistic and displayed an attitude that was really a wonderful attitude to be around."



We are really a family, and as cliche as that might sound, we really, really are. We are really that close and so losing any student or any person is like losing your own child," Longoria said.

Family of Trevor Cadigan, who was killed in a New York City helicopter crash, are shown leaving the medical examiner's office.

Passengers Found Strapped-In Inside Overturned Helicopter

The five helicopter passengers became trapped when the chopper overturned in the frigid waters of New York's East River. They were pulled from the helicopter by divers, officials said. Three of them were taken to area hospitals in critical condition, while the other two were pronounced dead at the scene.

Fire Department of New York spokesman Jim Long said shortly before 1 a.m. Monday that the three critically injured passengers had died.

The pilot of the helicopter, Richard Vance, who managed to escape, was the only survivor. Vance was released from the hospital at some point overnight and details of his injuries were not known.

A senior law enforcement official told NBC 4, WNBC-TV, that Vance speculated in an initial interview that it was possible one of the passengers inadvertently hit the fuel cut-off switch with a piece of equipment, which may have caused the engine to sputter and the chopper to plunge into the river.

[NATL-NY]Rescuers Rush to East River After Helicopter Goes Down in Deadly Crash

"Mayday...Mayday...Mayday...East River engine failure!" the pilot says in a distress call moments before losing control of the helicopter and plummeting into the water, NBC 4 reported.

Witnesses said the pilot was waving both arms and yelling "Help!" from the water. A Long Island woman having dinner with her sister and brother-in-law at their apartment near 92nd street captured the exact moment of the crash on video.



Passengers on such flights are usually strapped in and shown a safety video before flying. The video instructs the passengers to use a cutter on the harness to break free during an emergency, NBC 4 reported.

Divers found the victims still tightly strapped into their harnesses in the submerged helicopter.

"Five people besides the pilot were tightly harnessed, so these harnesses had to be cut and removed in order to get these folks off the helicopter, which was upside down at the time and completely submerged," FDNY Commissioner Daniel Nigro said.Voters in El Paso, Texas, may get another chance to cast a ballot for a district judge.

The El Paso Times reports that incumbent 243rd District Court judge Luis Aguilar had tried unsuccessfully to remove his name from the ballot before the vote last Tuesday. He received enough of the votes in the crowded field to stop front-runner Selena Solis from receiving more than half the votes.

Aguilar was second in the race, receiving 23 percent of the votes. He did not return calls from The Times asking whether he planned to withdraw from the runoff.

Aguilar was reprimanded by state authorities in November after allegedly being "impolite and disrespectful" to lawyers, jurors, defendants and other court officials after nine complaints over the course of a about 18 months.Passengers on board a Dallas-bound Southwest Airlines flight used escape slides to evacuate the plane after smoke filled the aircraft's cabin, prompting an emergency landing in New Mexico.

Southwest flight 3562 departed Phoenix Sunday night and was headed for Dallas Love Field when passengers reported smoke in the Boeing 737's cabin.

The plane was forced to land in Albuquerque after what might have been an electrical fire.

Passengers on board a Dallas-bound Southwest Airlines flight used escape slides to evacuate the plane after smoke filled the aircraft's cabin, prompting an emergency landing in New Mexico.

The Albuquerque Fire Department tweeted that two people were taken to local hospitals. The extent of their injuries was not immediately known.

Several emergency vehicles could be seen on the runway after the plane landed.

"A flight to remember," said Brandon Cox, who tweeted video of himself and other passengers jumping off the aircraft's wing. "Something I hope I never experience again. You see these things in movies and never expect it to happen to you!"

"Most importantly everyone is out safe but man what a scare," he wrote.

Passengers arrived in Dallas early Monday morning.

Just made an emergency landing in Albuquerque. Had to open the emergency door and catch people sliding down from the wing. Thanks to the @SouthwestAir pilots and crew to get us safe. #flight3562 pic.twitter.com/704x75ORgN  David Fleck (@fleckd) March 12, 2018

Southwest Airlines issued the following statement:

"Flight 3562 traveling last evening from Phoenix Sky Harbor to Dallas Love Field diverted to Albuquerque International Sunport after our Crew noted an unusual smell the cabin. The Captain declared an emergency to receive priority handling from air traffic controllers after deviating from the filed flight plan. After safely landing, 140 passengers evacuated the aircraft on a clear taxiway. Initial reports indicate five Customers requested assessment by medical personnel. Our People in Albuquerque worked to get Customers onboard another aircraft to continue their journey to Dallas. The diverted aircraft will remain in Albuquerque until our Mechanics inspect and clear its return to service."

A Dallas police officer aboard the flight tweeted that Dallas-based Southwest's flight attendants "did a great job!"

NBC 5's Tim Ciesco contributed to this report.

Texas officials are investigating whether a Dallas-area notary properly signed off on Stormy Daniels agreement to stay quiet about her alleged affair with President Donald Trump.

The notary issue is the latest in a string of curiosities surrounding the murky deal involving Trump personal lawyer Michael Cohen and the adult-film actress, whose real name is Stephanie Clifford.

A notary in Forney, where Daniels lives, did not sign and date the 2016 agreement, which was finalized a few days before the presidential election.



Read more on this from our partners at The Dallas Morning News.

The man who killed three women after a daylong siege at a Northern California veterans home had trouble adjusting to regular life after he returned from the Afghanistan war and had been kicked out of the treatment program designed to help him.

As family and friends of the victims tried to make sense of the tragedy, authorities offered little information Saturday about why Albert Wong, 36, attacked The Pathway Home and whether he targeted his victims. Those who knew the women said they had dedicated their lives to helping those suffering like Wong, and they would've been in a good position to assist him had Friday's hostage situation ended differently.

"We lost three beautiful people yesterday," Yountville Mayor John Dubar said. "We also lost one of our heroes who clearly had demons that resulted in the terrible tragedy that we all experienced here."

Authorities said Wong, a former Army rifleman who served a year in Afghanistan in 2011-2012 and returned highly decorated, went to the campus about 50 miles (85 kilometers) north of San Francisco on Friday morning, slipping into a going-away party for some employees of The Pathway Home. He let some people leave, but kept the three.

Police said a Napa Valley sheriff's deputy exchanged gunshots with Wong around 10:30 a.m. but after that nothing was heard from him. From a vet-center crafts building across the street from the PTSD center, witness Sandra Woodford said she saw lawmen with guns trained outside, but said the only shots she heard were inside Pathway early Friday. "This rapid live-fire of rounds going on, at least 12," Woodford said.

Hours later, authorities found four bodies, including Wong.

His victims were identified as The Pathway Home Executive Director Christine Loeber, 48; Clinical Director Jennifer Golick, 42; and Jennifer Gonzales Shushereba, 32, a clinical psychologist with the San Francisco Department of Veterans Affairs Healthcare System. A family friend told The Associated Press that Gonzales was seven months pregnant.

"These brave women were accomplished professionals who dedicated their careers to serving our nation's veterans, working closely with those in the greatest need of attention after deployments in Iraq and Afghanistan," The Pathway Home said in a statement.

Wong always wanted to join the Army and serve his country and was "soft-spoken and calm," said Cissy Sherr, who was Wong's legal guardian when he was a child.

Sherr and her husband became Wong's guardians after his father died and his mother developed health problems, she said. He moved back in with them for a little while in 2013 after he returned from his deployment in Afghanistan and kept in touch online.

"He always had a great smile on his face," she said. "He didn't have a traditional upbringing but still he just became a fine young man. I can't imagine what happened. It doesn't make any sense to me."

Wong wanted to go back to school to study computers and business and thought the Pathway House program would help him readjust after the Army, she said.

Dunbar, a member of The Pathway Home's board of directors, said the program has served over 450 veterans in more than a decade. Six members are currently in the nonprofit men's residential recovery program for veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars who suffer from PTSD or traumatic brain injuries, he said.

The program is housed at the Veterans Home of California-Yountville in the Napa Valley wine country region. The largest veterans home in the nation cares for about 1,000 elderly and disabled vets.

Golick's father-in-law, Mike Golick, said in an interview she had recently expelled Wong from the program. After Wong entered the building, Golick called her husband to say she had been taken hostage by the former soldier, her father-in-law said.

He didn't hear from his wife again.

Marjorie Morrison, the founder of a nonprofit organization known as PsychArmor, recalled Gonzales Shushereba as a "brilliant" talent who did amazing work with veterans with PTSD, and also focused on helping college campuses successfully reintegrate veterans when they return to school.

Gonzales Shushereba, a mother-to-be, had planned to travel to Washington, D.C., this weekend to celebrate her wedding anniversary, family friend Vasiti Ritova said.

"Jennifer and her colleagues died doing the work they were so passionate about  helping those in critical need," her husband, T.J. Shushereba, said in a statement.

Loeber, who had taken over The Pathway Home 18 months ago, was known by all as dedicated and caring.

"She would sleep in her office more often than not because she had to be there to fill a shift, that's the kind of personal dedication she showed all of us," Dunbar said.

Family friend Tom Turner said Loeber would be helping others understand and deal with the tragedy if she were still alive.

"She'd have a better perspective than I would," he said. "And she wouldn't be as angry I am."

Dunbar said all three of the women were excellent at what they did, and will be sorely missed. He added that veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan come home with "a lot of need for special care."

Dunbar did not answer questions about why Wong was removed from the program. There was no answer at the small, neatly kept Napa ranch house listed on property records as Wong's most recent address. A neighbor told a reporter he hadn't lived there for a couple years, but declined to say more.

President Donald Trump tweeted Saturday morning: "We are deeply saddened by the tragic situation in Yountville and mourn the loss of three incredible women who cared for our Veterans."

California Secretary of Veterans Affairs Vito Imbasciani said some veterans and employees at the home were traumatized and Gov. Jerry Brown had offered the state's employee assistance program, which had already sent counselors to the campus.

When asked whether armed CalVet guards might have stopped Wong, he said that such questions were akin to politicizing the tragedy, though a union representing guards at veterans homes had raised the issue Friday. But Imbasciani said he would take input from every reliable source, including law enforcement.

At the veterans home, those who served in earlier wars passed the building that houses The Pathway Home, which was surrounded by crime tape.

Muriel Zimmer, an 84-year-old Air Force veteran of the Korean War, said she feels badly for Wong, saying she "cannot blame him. It's because of the war."

Older vets didn't always interact with the Iraq and Afghan vets at The Pathway Home, because older vets tended to bring up their own war stories too much with the younger ones, Zimmer said. But she would exchange encouraging words and hugs with vets at The Pathway Home when she could.

"That PTSD program has helped so many, and we are so afraid this is going to affect it," she said.

Forliti reported from Minneapolis. Associated Press writers Frank Baker and Michael Balsamo in Los Angeles also contributed to this report.American Airlines is canceling hundreds of flights ahead of a predicted Nor'easter expected to hit the East Coast Tuesday.



The Fort Worth-based airline said Monday they, along with regional partners, have canceled 330 flights scheduled for Tuesday from five airports.



Bangor, Maine (BGR)

Boston, Massachusetts (BOS)

Burlington, Vermont (BTV)

Manchester, New Hampshire (MHT)

New Haven, Connecticut (HVN)

American Airlines said the cancellations represent about five percent of their daily traffic.



They have also reduced operations at three other airports in Hartford (BDL), Portland, Maine (PMW) and Providence (PVD).



The travel alert allows passengers at affected airports to rebook without change fees. See the most updated list of affected airports here.



Additional cancelations and/or delays are possible and travelers are encouraged to check the status of their flight on aa.com.

Ninety years ago this week, the worst civil engineering failure in California history claimed more than 450 lives and left a path of staggering destruction.

The St. Francis Dam in San Francisquito Canyon, about 40 miles northwest of Los Angeles, collapsed just before midnight on March 12, 1928. The breach unleashed 12 billion gallons of water that spread across the region, carrying mud and debris through towns and farming communities on a terrifyiing rampage that lasted more than five hours and stretched to the Pacific Ocean in Oxnard.

The man-made flood marks the second-largest loss of life in a single disaster in California. Only the 1906 San Francisco earthquake accounted for more fatalities.

St. Francis dam construction began in 1924 at a location that is upstream from what is now the Six Flags Magic Mountain theme park in Valencia. The dam reached a height of 205 feet and a width of 1,300 feet when the concrete barrier, a key piece of Los Angeles chief water engineer William Mulholland's water system that transformed the city into what it is today, was completed two years later.

Water supplied from the Los Angeles Aqueduct, which allowed water to flow south from reservoirs in the eastern Sierra Nevada Mountains to the dry southern part of the the state, entered the dam in May 1926, giving Los Angeles a reserve system that could last at least a year.

It appeared Mulholland had achieved governance over nature -- but there were early signs that was only a fantasy.

Residents and workers near the dam, including damkeeper Tony Harnischfeger, noticed problems from the start. Harnischfeger, who lived below the dam with his family in a small cottage, called Mulholland to the site to inspect a muddy leak, according to the Los Angeles Times.

Mulholland's chief assistant declared there was no threat from the leak following the inspection.

A few hours later at about midnight, the Harnischfegers were among the first to die when a wall of water roared down on the canyon. The water carried debris, boulders, mud, trees and anything else in its path away in an unrelenting wave of destruction. Hundreds of houses, bridges, roads and other buildings were destroyed, according to the California Department of Water Resources. The force of the water and debris was so powerful, it twisted a stretch of railroad track between Castaic Junction and Piru.

An estimated 37.5 square of farmland was swept away. The avalache of water flowed into the Santa Clara Riverbed and followed it through several towns, including Filmore, Santa Paula and Castaic. There was nothing resembling an advanced warning system, which might have provided residents downstream from the rush of water with time to evacuate. Instead, telephone operators called communities in the water's path and motorcycle officers raced ahead to communities in jeopardy, the Los Angeles Times reported.

The water continued on its deadly path until around 5:30 a.m. a day later.

All that remained of the dam was a single column, standing like a tombstone among the devastation. That section, featured in a front-page photo in the March 14, 1928 Los Angeles Times, was later blasted to pieces.

The death toll was estimated at more than 450, but experts say that figure could be much higher. Bodies were discovered years after the collapse, others were washed out to sea.

The saga marked what was effectively the end of Mulholland's storied career, one that forever left its mark on Los Angeles' water infrastructure. When he testified at the coroner's inquest, Mulholland said, "I envy the dead."

The inquest jury did not recommend prosecution, but heaped blame on Mulholland for the disaster.

"The construction of a municipal dam should never be left to the sole judgment of one man, no matter how eminent," the jury said.

A state commission later determined that the dam was poorly built in a geologically unstable site. A year after the disaster, lawmakers created what would become the Division of Safety of Dams under the California Department of Water Resources. The division's geologists and engineers review and approve dam construction plans and conduct regular inspections.

A memorial next to San Francisquito Power Plant No. 2 on San Francisquito Road is dedicated to the victims. California Historical Landmark No. 919 is about a half-mile south of the site of the dam, which can be located by looking for mostly buried strips of concrete.President Donald Trump attended a fundraiser Tuesday in the Los Angeles area during his first stop in the nation's most populous state since taking office.

The West Coast visit comes amid another days of shakeups for the administration with the announcement Tuesday morning that ex-CIA Director Mike Pompeo will be tapped to replace Rex Tillerson as U.S. Secretary of State.

The President's California swing started out in the San Diego area. Trump arrived at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar in San Diego County and spoke to troops at the base at 2 p.m. Trump also paid a visit to Otay Mesa to view the 30-foot-tall border wall prototypes that have been erected there.

He landed in Los Angeles at 3:30 p.m., and visited the Los Angeles-Beverly Hills area Tuesday night for a Republican National Committee fundraiser. The location had been disclosed. According to an invitation obtained by the Los Angeles Times, tickets for the event ranged from $35,000 just for the dinner up to $250,000 for the chance to meet Trump, attend a roundtable discussion and have a photo taken with him.

The fundraiser was hosted by RNC Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel, national finance chairman Todd Ricketts and deputy national finance chairman Elliott Broidy, The Times reported.

The following downtown Los Angeles streets were closed ahead of the president's visit.

Figueroa Street between Sixth and Eighth streets

Wilshire Boulevard between Flower Street and Beaudry Avenue

Seventh Street between Flower Street and Bixel Street

The Department of Transportation and LAPD also warned the public that downtown LA would be "extremely congested" and to "avoid the area of 5th Street to Olympic Boulevard and Union Avenue to Grand Avenue."





The Seventh and Figueroa street entrance to the Metro Seventh Street station in downtown LA was also to be closed for the rest of the evening. An alternate way to access the station is to enter on Flower Street and Hope Street.



Supporters, Protests Greeted President in Los Angeles

Police said they were prepared to respond to any troubles when President Trump made his first visit to LA since taking office.

"We are working with all of our local and federal partners to ensure that all security safeguards are in place for the president's visit, both along his route of travel and at the locations where events will take place,'' Los Angeles any threats against the president's safety.''

Aguilar said the president's travel route, details of which are never fully disclosed for security reasons, were set by the U.S. Secret Service.

Supporters rallied in Beverly Hills near the intersection of Wilshire and Santa Monica boulevards.

Protesters were based in Beverly Gardens Park in the 9400 block of Santa Monica Boulevard.

The visit was Trump's first as president to California, a state with which his administration has clashed on issues of border security and immigration.

Gov. Jerry Brown sent a letter to Trump Monday, saying, "California thrives because we welcome immigrants and innovators from across the globe.''

"You see, in California we are focusing on bridges, not walls,'' Brown wrote. "And that's more than just a figure of speech.''

Brown invited Trump to visit the Central Valley and see bridges and viaducts being built for a proposed north-south high-speed rail line.A California woman and her daughter are suing a New York City parking garage and a couple of its employees over a violin that got run over.

Beth Bergman filed the suit in Manhattan Supreme Court on Friday.

She claims she and her daughter were taking their possessions out of a car at the West 51st Street garage in August. They had put the expensive Degani violin in its case on the ground.

The suit says an employee drove over the instrument and caused damage in excess of $85,000.

A call to the garage company was not immediately returned on Sunday.

An employee named in the suit, Victor Asitimbay, told The New York Post the daughter was "crying like somebody died."

"We didn't do anything wrong. If you have something very special, you don't put it on the floor," he told the Post.What to Know The elderly man was reported missing on Sunday.

The 79-year-old man has Alzheimer's disease and was last seen in Miami.

Anyone with information is urged to call Miami police at 305-603-6300.

Police are searching for a missing elderly man and need the help of the community to help find him.

Officials said Rigoberto Villalonga, 79, went missing Sunday night from the 700 block of Northeast 82nd Street in Miami.

Police said the man was last seen wearing a light blue shirt with a surfing logo, beige pants and black Nike shoes.

Police say the man has Alzheimers disease.

Anyone with information is urged to call Miami Police at 305-603-6300.What to Know A tour helicopter went down into the East River near East 86th Street on Sunday evening; all five passengers died

The pilot managed to escape and is the only survivor of the crash; two of the five victims were longtime friends from Texas

Though chopper crashes in the East and Hudson rivers aren't uncommon, Sunday's crash has become one of the deadliest in city history

All five passengers aboard a tour helicopter died when the aircraft crashed into the East River Sunday evening, authorities said, marking one of the worst civilian aviation fatalities of any kind in the United States in the last few years.

The pilot of the helicopter, who managed to escape the overturned chopper, was the only survivor. Law enforcement sources identified him as Richard Vance, 33. A senior law enforcement official told News 4 that Vance speculated in an initial interview it was possible one of the passengers inadvertently hit the fuel cut-off switch with a piece of equipment, which may have caused the engine to sputter and the chopper to plunge into the river.



The five passengers became trapped in the inverted aircraft and had to be pulled from frigid waters by divers, officials said. Three of them were taken to area hospitals in critical condition and died early Monday, while the other two were pronounced dead at the scene. The dead were four men and one woman; the victims have been identified as Brian McDaniel, a Dallas firefighter, and his longtime friend Trevor Cadigan, whom McDaniel was visiting this weekend. Also killed: 29-year-old Argentinian tourist Carla Vallejos Blanco, 29, and two helicopter employees, Tristan Hill and Daniel Thompson.

Law enforcement sources said Vance was released from the hospital at some point overnight. He was said to be in OK condition, but no one answered an email sent to him by the Associated Press on Monday.

The National Transportation Safety Board later said it would look at the switch, the chopper's flotation devices and even the photos on passengers' cameras to figure out what caused the crash Sunday in New York City's East River.

NTSB member Bella Dinh-Zarr said the agency hasn't spoken yet to the pilot but hopes to do so.

The helicopter went down in the waters near East 86th Street and the FDR Drive shortly after 7 p.m., according to officials, who said police received dozens of 911 calls in the minutes after the crash.

"Mayday... Mayday... Mayday... East River engine failure!" the pilot said during a distress call moments before losing control of the helicopter and plummeting into the water.

Witnesses said the pilot was waving with both arms and yelling "Help!" from the water.



A Long Island woman having dinner with her sister and brother-in-law at their apartment near 92nd Street captured the exact moment of the crash on video.



"It was unbelievable to watch because you don't believe it is actually going to hit it and then the next thing you know, it's hitting the water," Arineh Nazarian said.



Her video shows the chopper hovering in the air, then suddenly descend toward the river, where it crashes, its half-submerged propellers madly spraying water. It overturns, then sinks. Other videos show emergency responders rushing to the water as crowds of onlookers gather at the shore.



The helicopter was owned by Liberty Helicopter Tours.



We are focused on supporting the families affected by this tragic accident and on fully cooperating with the FAA and NTSB investigations," the company said in a statement. "These agencies have asked us to respect the investigative process by referring all press inquiries to them for any further comment."

The company paid $23,576 in fines in 2010 and 2011 for violating maintenance, record-keeping and flight operations rules, according to the FAA. Three subsequent maintenance violations in 2011 and 2012 didn't result in any fines.

Chopper 4 reporter Kai Simonsen says passengers on such flights are usually strapped in as they take photos of the city. The passengers are normally shown a safety video before going up that instructs them to use a cutter on their harness to break free during an emergency, Simonsen says.

But after FDNY and NYPD harbor and aviation units descended on the crash site, divers discovered the five passengers still strapped into their harnesses inside the submerged helicopter. FDNY Commissioner Daniel Nigro said the East River had currents of 5 mph and waters below 40 degrees at the time.

Helicopter down. Search continuing at 83rd Street in East River pic.twitter.com/FEcbRSWGnD  Mary Beth Hogan (@mbhogan) March 11, 2018

"The five people besides the pilot were all tightly harnessed, so these harnesses had to be cut and removed in order to get these folks off this helicopter, which was upside down at the time and completely submerged," Nigro said.

The Coast Guard and a private tugboat also assisted in the rescue, according to NYPD Commissioner James O'Neill, who said the tugboat crew were the first to arrive after the crash.

The helicopter was recovered and towed to 23rd Street and the FDR Drive. Crews hauled it from the river Monday afternoon.

The crash happened right in front of Gracie Mansion, the official residence of Mayor de Blasio, who was out of town this weekend.

In a statement earlier Sunday evening, Gov. Cuomo said he was monitoring the situation.

"Our thoughts and hope for safe recovery are with those who were aboard. We are thankful for our first responders at the scene," Cuomo said.

The National Transportation Safety Board is leading the investigation in determining what caused the crash; a team of 14 agents arrived at the scene Monday morning. The NTSB has asked for any witnesses to come forward.

The Aviation Safety Network, which tracks flight accidents and fatalities, had recorded at least 11 other fatal crashes worldwide involving AS350 variants over the last 18 months alone.

According to that same database, Sunday's crash is likely the biggest U.S. civil aviation fatality since a December 2016 Cessna crash in Ohio. Though chopper crashes in the East and Hudson rivers aren't necessarily uncommon, Sunday's crash has become one of the deadliest in the city's history.What to Know A tour helicopter went down into the East River near East 86th Street on Sunday evening; all five passengers died

The pilot managed to escape and is the only survivor of the crash

Though chopper crashes in the East and Hudson rivers aren't uncommon, Sunday's crash has become one of the deadliest in city history

Two of the five passengers killed when their tour helicopter plunged into the East River Sunday, marking one of the deadliest civilian aviation crashes in New York City history and one of the worst in America in the last few years, are high school friends who were doing sightseeing in the city this past weekend.



Brian McDaniel, a nearly two-year veteran of the Dallas Fire-Rescue Department who worked at Station 36, was visiting his longtime friend Trevor Cadigan, who had been living in New York since October 2017 after taking a job with a business magazine, Cadigan's father said. The two friends were both 26; they went to Texas' Bishop Lynch High School together and graduated in 2010.



The lone female victim has been identified as Carla Vallejos Blanco, an Argentinian tourist who just celebrated her 29th birthday 10 days ago, according to the Argentinian Consul's secretary. Two helicopter employees -- 29-year-old Tristan Hill and 34-year-old Daniel Thompson -- also died.



The chopper was owned by Liberty Helicopter Tours.

Liberty issued its first statement on the crash shortly before 1 p.m. Monday, saying, "We are focused on supporting the families affected by this tragic accident and on fully cooperating with the FAA and NTSB investigations. These agencies have asked us to respect the investigative process by referring all press inquiries to them for any further comment."



The Eurocopter AS350 carrying the five passengers and their pilot went down in the East River near the northern end of Roosevelt Island around sunset Sunday. Only the pilot, identified by sources as 33-year-old Richard Vance, survived.



The pilot called "Mayday!" several times and reported the chopper had experienced engine failure right before the crash, according to the distress call.



Video captured by multiple witnesses shows the chopper hovering in the air, then suddenly descending toward the river, where it crashes, its half-submerged propellers madly spraying water. It overturns, then sinks. Vance managed to escape the flipped chopper. The five passengers were trapped in the inverted aircraft and had to be pulled from frigid waters by divers, officials said.



Cadigan, 26, graduated from Southern Methodist University in 2016 with a bachelor's in journalism. He was an intern at Business Insider until a few weeks ago, the company said, adding it was devastated to hear of his death.



"He was a smart, talented, and ambitious young journalist and producer who was well-liked and made a big contribution," Business Insider said in a statement. "Our hearts go out to his family and friends."



McDaniel is survived by his parents and older brother.



"Officer McDaniel was single, and had no children, but was immediately survived by his Father, of Dallas; and his Mother and older Brother, of Denver, CO," the Dallas Fire-Rescue said in a statement. "Despite his short tenure, hearts are heavy with grief as we not only try to come to grips with his loss departmentally; but to also be there in every way that we can for his family. The family asks for privacy during this trying time."

Hill, 29 and engaged to be married, was most recently working at a sightseeing tour company but had previously been a basketball operations assistant with the Westchester Knicks, a Development League affiliate of the New York Knicks.

He "brightened every room he entered, with a contagious smile and an unparalleled enthusiasm for life," the team said in a statement.

The National Transportation Safety Board is leading the investigation. A news briefing is expected later Monday. No cause has been officially suggested.

A senior law enforcement official, however, tells News 4 that Vance speculated in an initial interview it was possible one of the passengers inadvertently hit the fuel cut-off switch with a piece of equipment, which may have caused the engine to sputter and the chopper to plunge into the river.

What to Know Mount Vernon mayor was arraigned Monday morning, accused of stealing at least $12,000 from his own campaign fund for personal use

Thomas has agreed to surrender his passport and will appear back in court in May

In a press conference, Thomas denied the accusations against him

The mayor of a city in upstate New York was arraigned on criminal charges for allegedly stealing money from his own campaign fund, according to the New York Attorney General's Office.

Mount Vernon Mayor Richard Thomas was arraigned Monday morning, accused of stealing about $12,900 from his 2015 campaign committee for his personal use. The Attorney General's Office says Thomas also diverted more than $45,000 from his inaugural committee for personal use.

Thomas is also charged for allegedly lying on his reports to the Board of Elections and on his City of Mount Vernon financial disclosures.

The New York State Attorney General's Office charged Thomas with grand larceny in the third degree, offering a false instrument for filing in the first degree and offering a false instrument for filing in the second degree.

Mayor Thomas used his campaign and inaugural accounts as personal piggybanks  part of a long-running scheme that began during his 2015 campaign and continued throughout his time in office, Attorney General Eric Schneiderman alleged in a statement, saying Thomas used the funds to pay for cars, dinners and a Chanel purse.

Thomas has agreed to surrender his passport and will appear back in court in May.

"The allegations are not true. I want to reassure the people of Mount Vernon that this has nothing to do with my service in office as it relates to the campaign," Thomas said in a press conference outside Mount Vernon City Court shortly after his arraignment.

Thomas has become at least the eighth current or former New York or New Jersey mayor to face criminal charges in the last 16 months, following: Alex Blanco, from Passaic, New Jersey; Julianne Beckerman, from Muttontown, New York; Joey Torres, from Paterson, New Jersey; Nicholas Poliseno, from Spotswood, New Jersey; Rick Nelson, from Stillwater, New York; Dayton King, from Gloversville, New York; Thomas Cox, from Cohocton, New York.

In 2017, Thomas made headlines by feuding with his city comptroller, alleging she mismanaged city funds that lead to bounced checks for city employees.

He also made headlines in 2016 when he had a feud with a councilman over who was responsible for the skyrocketing cost of an emergency operations center that was taking longer than expected to retrofit and complete.What to Know Police are searching for Orlando Tercero, the former partner of a nursing student found killed near Binghamton University

Authorities say Tercero used to be romantically involved with the 22-year-old Haley Anderson

They say he left the U.S. by plane before her body was discovered

The person of interest wanted for questioning in the death of a Binghamton University nursing student from Long Island found dead at a home near the upstate college last week fled the U.S. to Nicaragua before the young woman's body was found, authorities said Monday.



Police identified that person of interest as 22-year-old Orlando Tercero, a U.S. citizen they say was romantically involved with Haley Anderson before she died. Anderson's body was found by cops performing a welfare check at a home in Binghamton Friday afternoon; police say Tercero had flown out of the country before authorities made the grisly discovery.



Police had said they believed Anderson, also 22, was killed by someone she knew, though they did not say how she died.

She was a registered nursing student at Binghamton, as is Tercero.

The college, which is about 200 miles northwest of New York City, released a statement Saturday saying there was no threat to public safety and that an investigation into the tragic death is ongoing.

Our entire University community extends our deepest condolences to Haleys family and friends, both here in Binghamton and in her hometown of Westbury, New York, the statement read.After the New York Times reported that President Donald Trump was unhappy with his legal team in the Russia probe and was seeking outside help, Trump attacked the publication on Twitter and defended his three lawyers.

"The Failing New York Times purposely wrote a false story stating that I am unhappy with my legal team on the Russia case and am going to add another lawyer to help out. Wrong," Trump wrote Sunday morning. "I am VERY happy with my lawyers, John Dowd, Ty Cobb and Jay Sekulow. They are doing a great job and..... ...have shown conclusively that there was no Collusion with Russia..just excuse for losing. The only Collusion was that done by the DNC, the Democrats and Crooked Hillary. The writer of the story, Maggie Haberman, a Hillary flunky, knows nothing about me and is not given access."

The president was responding to a Saturday report in the Times that claimed, citing four unnamed sources, that Trump met with Emmet T. Flood in the Oval Office this past week to talk about him joining the White House to help deal with the special counsel Robert Mueller's probe. Flood is a veteran Washington lawyer who represented Bill Clinton during his impeachment process.

The White House did not respond to the Times' request for comment, and Flood declined to comment for the story.

NBC has not independently verified the Times' report.

Haberman defended her reporting on Twitter, writing, "Several people close to Trump confirmed our story. Trump also met with Emmet Flood in the Oval last week for purpose of potentially hiring him. Our story was confirmed by other outlets."

She added that Trump's tweets "raises possibility Flood has turned him down."

Haberman concluded: "lol."Democrat Conor Lamb went to Pennsylvania's coal country for help in the final days before the first congressional election of 2018, telling union members Sunday that he won't forget their support in a close race widely viewed as a key test of support for Republicans ahead of November's midterms.

Lamb's race against Republican Rick Saccone has crystallized the debate over whether a younger, charismatic Democrat appealing to win back traditionally Democratic voters can overcome a veteran Republican counting on party loyalty to carry him to victory in a GOP-leaning district at a time when President Donald Trump is pushing hard for the Republican, but remains a divisive figure.

Lamb, wearing muddy work boots, jeans and a green fleece top, told those inside a packed cinderblock building on the fairgrounds that keeping promises to fully fund labor union pensions, Medicare and Social Security is ``non-negotiable.'' He attacked Republicans as forgetting what it means to honor a promise.

"People have paid into these programs over the course of a lifetime,'' Lamb told more than 300 retired coal miners and Democratic activists in Waynesburg, 40 miles south of Pittsburgh. "I do not believe, as (House Speaker) Paul Ryan does, that these are entitlements or another form of welfare.''

Trump has visited the district twice _ including a rally Saturday night _ in an effort to buoy Republican Saccone in a southwestern Pennsylvania district Trump won by nearly 20 percentage points over Democrat Hillary Clinton in 2016. Republican groups have heavily outspent Democratic groups on the race, a sign of the GOP's fear of losing.

Polls suggest the race is effectively tied and will come down to the last-days' scramble to get voters out in Tuesday's election in a one-time Democratic bastion with a long history of coal mining and steel-making. Democrats need to flip 24 GOP-held seats this year to regain a House majority, and a Lamb victory would boost those prospects.

The seat is open after eight-term Republican incumbent Rep. Tim Murphy resigned amid the revelation that the strongly anti-abortion lawmaker had urged a woman with whom he was having an affair to get an abortion when they thought she might be pregnant.

A key difference between Murphy and Saccone: Murphy tended to have labor union support. Saccone does not.

Lamb, a 33-year-old Marine veteran and former federal prosecutor, thanked labor unions for their support and said it has helped overcome the "dark money'' and negative campaign tactics helping Saccone.

"You have been the heart and soul of this campaign,'' Lamb told the crowd. "Our volunteers are literally running into men and women from the labor unions in our streets, sometimes at the same doorstep. ... I will never forget what you've done for me.''

For Saccone, the closing argument is aimed squarely at the district's heavily Republican leanings, framing the race as a way to boost Trump and prevent national Democrats like House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi from gaining traction.

Saccone had no previously announced events Sunday, opting instead for the local media afterglow of his Saturday night rally with Trump, who warned Pennsylvania Republicans not to be "conned by this guy Lamb'' and his pitch as an independent-minded Democrat.

Despite Saccone's low profile, the national Republican machine backing him remained in full force, with ads still blanketing television screens. The Republican National Committee and the Ryan-allied super PAC _ the Congressional Leadership Fund _ has had staff and volunteers on the ground for weeks knocking on doors and manning phone banks.

In one heavily GOP neighborhood in Westmoreland County, east of Pittsburgh, campaign materials from the RNC and CLF hung on nearly every door Sunday.

"It's a little scary as tight as it is, but Republicans are still enthusiastic to keep this seat,'' said Carol Heinecke, a 57-year-old engineer. Heinecke said she's drawn to Saccone's wide-ranging resume _ he is a state legislator and retired Air Force counterintelligence officer _ but added that his most important pitch may be his support for the president.

"What Trump is doing is good for the country,'' she said, "and Rick's going to support everything he's doing.''

And for Republicans who aren't full-throated Trump supporters, Saccone hews closely to GOP orthodoxy and is leaning on party loyalty. Jeffrey Snelling, a 54-year-old Republican who works in finance, says he's still skeptical of Trump's ability to govern and doesn't ``know a lot about Saccone.'' But, as he holds a CLF campaign push card that urges him to "Stop Hillary'' and "Stop Pelosi,'' he adds, "I'm not voting for a liberal.''

At Sunday's Lamb rally, Cecil Roberts, the president of the United Mineworkers of America, delivered a rousing endorsement of Lamb, a noteworthy endorsement since the union sat out the 2016 election rather than back Clinton.

Roberts said Lamb would help miners' efforts to win federal funding for pension and benefit funds depleted by coal company bankruptcies.

"You elect this man to Congress and you won't have to lobby him one minute,'' Roberts shouted, raising Lamb's hand in his. "This is a `yes' vote!''

None of the retired coal miners and family members attending Sunday's rally said they foresaw the dying industry turning around, as Trump has pledged to do. Rather, they were focused on the pension legislation and said Lamb will be helped by his opposition to gun restrictions.

"I think the Democrats are losing touch with the working guys,'' said Bill Leskosky, a 59-year-old state transportation department employee who attended the rally with his father-in-law, a retired coal miner. ``The gun issue for one thing is the most common thing around here.''



Rebecca Guerreros brother has served two tours in Afghanistan. He is now a base security guard over there.

Guerrero was shopping around Escondido for her brothers favorite treats before shipping them all overseas. Girl Scout Cookies, Ding Dongs with the white fudge, but his favorite chips are the ranch Ruffles, the jalapeno," she told NBC 7.

After hours of searching, she finally found them at the AM/PM off East Grand Avenue. I talked to one of the employees and told them we were looking to purchase a whole box, Guerrero said. That employee ordered a box for her.

The owner of the AM/PM, Billy Torr tells us when he saw the box and found out it was for a veteran he immediately took care of it, He was like 'really?' I said 'really,' Torr explained.

The owner said they were on him, free of charge. Guerrero was completely shocked and grateful. Its emotional you know, that kind of generosity, its really touching, she continued.

After sharing her story with her friends on Facebook, the post now has over 2,000 likes and almost 100 comments, all thanking Torr.

He tells NBC 7 his employee was the first to tell him about the post. Everybodys thanking me, 'go shop over there,' and I finally put a post up: 'no dont thank me, thank the people fighting for us and keeping us safe here.'"

Torr added, we gave a box of chips, whats the big deal?"

For him, it may be a small gesture but for Guerrero and her brother, theyre hoping people will be inspired as they continue to pay it forward. I feel like these little things need to be recognized so other people can follow in those footsteps, Guerrero tells NBC 7.President Donald Trump will travel to California Tuesday for his first visit since taking office and days after his administration filed a lawsuit against the state.

The president will spend part of his time at the U.S.-Mexico border in Otay Mesa inspecting designs for his proposed border wall, and law enforcement officials are expecting protesters to show up the visit.

The San Diego County Sheriff's Department has released road closures and no parking zones as well as other precautions they are taking to avoid any violence.

In the areas closed to traffic, the following items are prohibited, according to deputies: Firearms, knives, daggers, clubs, pepper spray, axes, pics, axe handles or pick handles, explosives, slingshots, bricks, rocks, baseball bats, shields, fireworks, stun guns or bear spray.

They are also not permitting banners, flags or signs that use poles, sticks, staffs, dowels or boards. Glass bottles or containers are also prohibited.

While many San Diegans were reluctant to share their feelings in our countrys ultra-polarized landscape, two San Diegans voiced their opinions about the president, the wall and the U.S. attorney generals lawsuit against our state.

Andy Bleichwehl said he doesnt support the wall. I personally don't think a wall is what we need, but if that's what he's doing, I gotta support the president. He is the president, he told NBC 7. But he added, "did the Berlin Wall work? They tore it down. So, why are we trying to reinvent the wheel? We know what it does and what it doesn't do.

Troy Maddry is a proponent, saying, What I am hoping for is that he will choose [a border wall prototype] and we can start construction on that. I want our state and our country to be safe and I want people to come here legally.

Maddry said he has four young children and he worries about their future.

To me it shows that it is still moving forward, he said of the president coming to survey wall prototypes built last fall. That was a big issue for us. So the fact that the prototypes are being built and he's looking at them and seeing what will work, I support that.

Although the presidents visit is scheduled as a quick overnight trip, the last time he was in the state was as a candidate. There were a lot of protests, (including thousands who protested when he was in San Diego) and the possibility of more unrest is a concern for some, including Bleichwehl.

I can certainly see a lot of negativity, he said. We are right on the border. We have a high  Mexican population in San Diego. We are very multicultural.

Trumps visit also comes just a week after Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced a lawsuit against California, asserting state leaders are defying federal law and hindering Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents in their job.

I do support him suing California, Maddry said. I think we have people in the state that are making decisions for our entire state and putting our safety at risk for political reasons.As schools around the country brace for student walkouts following the deadly shooting in Parkland, Florida, principals and superintendents are scrambling to perform a delicate balancing act: how to let thousands of students exercise their First Amendment rights while not disrupting school and not pulling administrators into the raging debate over gun control.

Some have taken a hard line, promising to suspend students who walk out, while others are using a softer approach, working with students to set up places where they can remember the victims of the Florida shooting and express their views about school safety and gun control.

The first large-scale, coordinated national demonstration is planned for 10 a.m. Wednesday, when organizers of the Women's March called for a 17-minute walkout -- with one minute for each of the 17 students and staff members killed in Florida. Many organizers and participants are using the #enough hashtag.

Amanya Page, a student member of the Prince George's County School Board and a junior at Parkdale High School, worked to ensure students at her school and others in the county could participate.

"A lot of people underestimate the student voice," Page said. "Theres something that needs to be done if somebody can come into a school with a machine gun and just start shooting randomly.

Dr. Ronald Hollis, an assistant principal at Parkdale, told News4 he believes the walkout is a positive way for students to express their views.

"They're learning how to speak out in constructive ways," he said. "Not destroying anything."

Here's how school districts in the D.C. area say they are preparing for potential walkouts, and what consequences students may face for participating.

DC Public Schools: D.C. is encouraging families to discuss with their children any plans for the children to walkout. "If your child plans to participate, please notify us using the normal attendance procedures. For high school and middle school students: If your child leaves class, it will be counted as an absence. To have this count as an excused absence for your child, please provide a note and ensure your student is back in class by 10:30 a.m. Otherwise, the absence will count as an unexcused absence," a letter to families said.

Alexandria City Public Schools: "ACPS is committed to providing an inclusive, safe, caring and challenging learning environment for all students. In anticipation of potential student walkouts at our middle and high schools on March 14, we want to inform you of how we will ensure the continuity of classroom instruction for those who remain in class and the student safety for those who choose to participate," a letter to parents said. Schools have designated supervised assembly points.

Arlington County Public Schools: "Our secondary schools will support students participation in a brief national walkout on March 14, to allow them this one additional time to convey their feelings on school property and without greatly disrupting the school day," a letter to families said. "Students who participate will not be penalized for taking part in their schools brief demonstration, and we will work to ensure that any students who are not interested in participating will not be pressured to do so."

Charles County Public Schools: If middle school or high school students choose to walk out of school, there will be a designated, supervised area for them to assemble, Superintendent Kimberly A. Hill said in a letter to parents. They then will be expected to return to their classes. "Students who choose to walk out of their classes will not be permitted to make up any work that they miss," the letter said. This week, the school district launched a "see something, say something" campaign to urge students to report anything unusual to an adult.

Fairfax County Public Schools: "Principals have been directed to work with students to find safe opportunities to facilitate the observance by students who choose to do so, while minimizing the disruption to the instructional day," a district spokesman said.

Loudoun County Public Schools: School officials hope students will opt for alternatives to walkouts, like walking around the school track and making T-shirts. Students who do walk out can expect to get detention.

Montgomery County Public Schools: The district is working with students to provide "on-property alternatives" to walkouts, including letter writing, moments of silence and dialogue sessions. Students will receive an unexcused absence for leaving school property without permission," a district spokesman said.

Prince George's County Public Schools: The district supports "the spirit" of the National School Walkout, schools CEO Kevin Maxwell said in a letter. Staff members are asked to give students outlets for expression on school grounds. "Leaving school grounds unaccompanied presents significant risks to student safety," the letter said. "Please follow normal attendance procedures; any student absent after the walkout will be considered unexcused."

Prince William County Schools: Students can "hold group protests/walk-outs on school grounds, in a safe area designated by the principal. They wont be marked absent or tardy as long as demonstrations dont exceed 30 minutes, or another reasonable time period established by the principal," a letter to families said.

Stafford County Public Schools: Principals are talking with student leadership teams about potential walkouts. "Each school will establish a safe place for students to gather within the school building. SCPS does not condone students exiting the building, due to a significant safety risk, especially in light of the specificity of time and date of the 'Walk-Out,'" a letter to parents said. School officials are encouraging sit-ins in lieu of walkouts. "Schools may choose to provide an opportunity for writing during this time, for students who wish to advocate for their perspective in a written format," the letter to parents said. Students are asked to return to their classrooms. "Principals will enforce the Code of Conduct for non-compliant behavior," the letter said.A 70-year-old man died after he was pulled from a burning home in Prince George's County, Maryland, late Sunday night.

Neighbors saw the fire coming from the roof of the home in the 4200 block of Monroe Street in Colmar Manor just after 10 p.m. Sunday.

"They did everything they possibly could including banging on the front door of the house, calling 911 and reporting what they were seeing but there was nothing more they could do," according to a release from Prince George's County Fire & EMS officials Monday.

Officials have identified the victim as William Mobley.



Firefighters found Mobley inside the home, where fire had already reached into the attic and through the roof. Mobley was unconscious as he was treated at the scene and was then rushed to a local hospital in critical condition.

Mobley died a short time later despite "the very best efforts of firefighters, medics and hospital staff," Prince George's County Fire spokesman Mark Brady said in a tweet shortly before 8 a.m. Monday.

Brady said the cause of the fire is undetermined. The blaze caused about $150,000 in damage, he said.

Crews found no smoke alarms inside the home, fire officials said in a release.

Officials are reminding residents to have 10-year smoke alarms on every level of their homes, especially in hallways just outside of sleeping areas and in every bedroom.

Officials also recommend testing alarms on the first day of every month.

Prince George's County residents who can't afford a 10-year smoke alarm in their homes should call 311 and ask about the free smoke alarm installation program, officials said.

Firefighters were planning to return to the neighborhood Monday afternoon to go door-to-door, asking to check smoke alarms and answering questions from residents, Brady said.

Fire officials previously said the house was in Brentwood, Maryland.Five midshipmen at the United States Naval Academy are under investigation for alleged drug use, and another four midshipmen face potential discipline for failing to report them.

The five midshipmen are accused of using cocaine, mushrooms, ecstasy and ketamine, a Naval Academy spokesman said in a statement Monday afternoon.

"The United States Navy and the Naval Academy both have a zero tolerance policy when it comes to the use of illegal substances and take all allegations of misconduct seriously," the Academy's statement said.

The Naval Academy and Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) began investigating after two midshipmen made a report in late November.

The midshipmen accused of drug use and those accused of failing to report them face potentially being expelled from the Academy, which is located in Annapolis, Maryland. Courts-martial and other military justice avenues also are an option.A North Carolina man suspected of killing a Massachusetts teenager in 1986 reportedly waived rendition during a court hearing Monday.

Michael Hand, 61, of Troutman, was taken into custody on Friday and charged with murder in connection with the death of 15-year-old Kingston high school freshman Tracy Gilpin.

Hand was formally charged in North Carolina on Monday and will now be brought back to Massachusetts to be prosecuted for Gilpin's killing.

A court official told the Boston Globe that Hand represented himself during Monday's hearing. Plymouth County District Attorney Timothy Cruz said his office is in the process of returning Hand to Massachusetts, where he will be arraigned in Plymouth District Court and charged with murder.



According to state police detectives, as well as Plymouth and Kingston police, information led them to travel to North Carolina recently in the investigation of Gilpin's murder. Over the past week, state police investigators, with assistance from the Troutman and Mooresville police departments in North Carolina, extensively interviewed Hand.

Statements made by Hand during the interviews led authorities to arrest him at his home on Friday. He was charged as a fugitive from justice based on an arrest warrant issued for the murder of Gilpin.

Hand was then transported to the Iredell County Detention Center where he was brought before a magistrate. Based on the charges against him and his potential to be a flight risk, he was given no bond.

Gilpin, the sister of current state police Col. Kerry Gilpin, disappeared on Oct. 1, 1986. Her body was found in Myles Standish State Forest in Plymouth three weeks later.

Col. Kerry Gilpin issued a statement on behalf of her family:

"My family and I would like to thank Plymouth County District Attorney Tim Cruz, the Plymouth County State Police Detective Unit, the Massachusetts State Police Crime Lab, the Kingston and Plymouth Police Departments, police in North Carolina, and all of the investigators who have worked diligently over the last 31 years to solve Tracys murder," read Col. Gilpin's statement.An African-American historic site has been vandalized with racist graffiti.

The outside of the 19th century African Meeting House in Nantucket was spray-painted with racist and sexually explicit slurs.

The Nantucket Police Department investigated the incident and gathered evidence before dozens of community members and employees of the Department of Public Works scrubbed the paint off the front door on Sunday morning.

The director of the African meeting house Charity-Grace Mofsen told the Cape Cod Times, "I broke down,'' as she reacted to seeing the graffiti.

Nantucket police chief William Pittman called the vandalism "a senseless crime,'' on Sunday, and said this appears to be "a hate crime directed at persons of color.''

Police believe it happened sometime between 4 p.m. Saturday and 7 a.m. Sunday.

State Senator Julian Cyr, who represents Nantucket, said a lot of islanders are shaken. "I think this speaks to broader hate and the white supremacist resurgence across the nation.''

Mofsen said if she had an opportunity to speak with the person or people responsible, she would invite them inside the building to show them the rich history of Africans-Americans on Nantucket.

The building was constructed around 1827. A restoration of the meeting House was completed in 1999.

In a Facebook post, Mofsen wrote, "NO. Not here. Not now. If you're one of those who think this stuff doesn't happen, open your eyes!''

Thousands of islanders and members of the public agreed on Facebook, enraged by the incident. Police are asking the public for any information involving the vandalism and have increased patrols around the site.Massachusetts State Police say they have solved a 32-year-old cold case involving the 1986 murder of a 15-year-old girl from Kingston.

State police detectives, as well as the Plymouth police and Kingston police departments, had continued to investigate Tracy Gilpin's murder for the past three decades, resulting in information that led them to travel to North Carolina recently.

There, over the past week, state police investigators, with assistance from the Troutman and Mooresville police departments in North Carolina, extensively interviewed their suspect, Michael Hand, 61, of Troutman.

Statements made by Hand during these interviews led authorities to arrest him at his home on March 9. He was charged as a fugitive from justice based on an arrest warrant issued for the murder of Tracy.

Hand was then transported to the Iredell County Detention Center where he was brought before a magistrate. Based on the charges against him and his potential to be a flight risk, he was given no bond.

Authorities have already begun rendition proceedings to have Hand brought back to Massachusetts to be prosecuted for Tracy's killing.

Hand is expected to appear in court in North Carolina on Monday to determine extradition. Once returned to Massachusetts, Hand will be arraigned at Plymouth District Court and charged with Tracy's murder.

Tracy's older sister, Col. Kerry Gilpin, is the superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police.

For the past three decades, we have remained hopeful that Tracys murderer would be identified. The much-welcomed news of an arrest in the case leaves us cautiously optimistic that justice for Tracy is within reach," Col. Gilpin said. "My thoughts today are not just with my own family, but also with all the families who have lost loved ones to violence. We will continue to work tirelessly to find justice for all murder victims.

On Oct. 1, 1986, Tracy headed out to a party not far from her house. She left the party with two friends around 10:30 p.m. to head home. Her friends walked with Tracy until they reached their homes, and she then continued walking by herself. She stopped to buy cigarettes at a local Cumberland Farms, but never made it home.

Three weeks later, on Oct. 22, a woman stumbled upon Tracy's body in Myles Standish Park in Plymouth, about 14 miles from where she had gone missing.

Authorities later said Tracy had been murdered, and the cause of death was determined to be a massive skull fracture. Its believed she was killed on the night she disappeared.A Massachusetts student was arrested Sunday for making a threat to Lowell High School.

It's unclear what kind of threat was made but we do know it was on Facebook.

The interim head of school Marianne Busteed sent out a tweet Sunday alerting all students, staff and parents that a student had been arrested for making a threat to the high school but that it was safe for everyone to come to school Monday.

There will be extra police on hand Monday to reassure everyone, she said on Twitter.

"Thanks to the quick work of the LPD, LHS Admin and heads up from a staff member and student - See Something, Say Something!" the tweet said.

Lowell police are investigating and say they do not anticipate any issues at school Monday.

No other information was immediately available.A portion of Interstate 391 in Holyoke, Massachusetts, is closed as police investigate an incident where the occupants of two vehicles were reportedly shooting at each other on Monday.

Massachusetts State Police said I-391 south is closed from High Street to Main Street as they continue their investigation.

No one was injured, but state police spokesman David Procopio told Mass Live that a bystander's vehicle was hit by gunfire.

No arrests have been made at this time.A Vermont police department says two people are facing animal abuse charges after a dead dog was found in the Swanton apartment where they had been living.

Swanton police were called to the Depot Street apartment March 7 after receiving a report that a dog had died after it was mistreated at the apartment.

Police and the town health officer made contact with the owners who let officials inside where they discovered the dog carcass. Police say the dog had been starved and was killed by having its skull cracked open with a sharp object.

The dog's owners, 26-year-old Kevin Cosgrove and 24-year-old Brittany Weston of Swanton, are scheduled to appear in court next month to answer a charge of aggravated cruelty to animals. It's unclear if they have attorneys.This Wednesday will see a national day of youth activism around gun violence.

At 10 a.m. across the country, students are planning to walk out of school, both to honor the victims of the Parkland, Florida, shooting massacre, and to call on lawmakers to do more to reduce gun violence.

"We are not complicit in the mass murder of school children," said Hannah Frasure, a sophomore at Champlain Valley Union High School in Hinesburg, Vermont, who plans to join classmates in a walkout.

Those Vermont students and peers nationwide are pledging to head outdoors briefly and demand legislative action aimed at reducing the chances of another mass shooting, including tighter controls on assault weapons.

Frasure said her peers will observe a moment of silence for the 17 Parkland victims and spend 17 minutes speaking out against the scourge of gun violence in the country and decrying inaction from elected officials.

CVU's normal class schedule will pause during the demonstration, according to administrators.

"Gun reform, in the sense of paying attention specifically to people's mental health and previous tendencies which they have exhibited, is very important," Frasure told necn, describing one change she would like to see develop from Wednesday's action.

In a memo sent last week to principals, superintendents and teachers across the state, Vermont's education secretary addressed the walkouts.

"Students have every right to use their voices to advocate for the things they believe in, so long as they don't disrupt the learning environment," Rebecca Holcombe wrote in the memo. "The potential for unsupervised or unplanned walkouts, however, poses several concerns."

Holcombe warned if some students end up off-campus without guidance, they're at greater risk  noting different communities and different students could face unique challenges.

Holcombe also said big displays could set a tricky precedent when it comes to policies around leaving school without permission.

At CVU, administrators said they worked closely with student walkout planners to try to get ahead of any potential problems, including ensuring that kids who don't want to participate still feel respected.

"Students are encouraged to have a voice," CVU curriculum director Katherine Riley said. "Obviously, we have plans in place to keep the students who do choose to walk out safe, and the students in the building safe."

Holcombe urged districts to promote open dialogue around important issues, suggesting a "talk-out" instead of a walkout.

"What if, instead of walking out, students committed to talking it out?" Holcombe asked in the memo. "What if students sat down to discuss with educators all the challenging and critical public issues that have come to the surface over the past few months, and in doing so created a safe space for different points of view? Wouldn't that leave them better prepared to find solutions to complex problems in the future  problems that current leaders have been unable to solve?"

Frasure said at her school, student organizers plan to keep advocating for safer schools beyond this one day of national action. One way, she added, is through educating peers  regardless of their political leanings  about how to contact the elected officials who represent them, so the young people can tell the politicians their opinions.

"It's just so very important that students are able to put their voice out there," Frasure said.

Many colleges and universities have announced that they will not hold it against high schoolers who join these peaceful protests against gun violence.

One of those schools, Vermont's Saint Michael's College, recently tweeted, "Students accepted to the college can be assured that their peaceful, responsible protest will not negatively impact decisions on admission."

In a previous memo about student voice in policy matters, Vermont Education Secretary Holcombe encouraged students to take part in civil debates about critical issues affecting their wellbeing.

In that Feb. 23 memo, Holcombe wrote, "At a time like this, we need to hear our students' voices more than ever."Vicar of Baghdad tells Norwich of his love of God

Canon Andrew White, a former doctor and well-known Middle East peace envoy, known as the Vicar of Baghdad, who has faced numerous kidnap and death threats, told a Norwich audience that it was the love of God and love for people that drives me on. Mike Wiltshire reports.

Norfolk Steve's 6000-mile floating school mission

A Norfolk man, who admits he is rubbish at DIY, has travelled 6,000 miles to help build a desperately needed floating school in Cambodia. Jenny Seal reports.

'God in the science lab' topic of Norfolk event 'God in the science lab' topic of Norfolk event

Over sixty people gathered to hear Dr Ruth Bancewicz reflect on how science helps to satisfy human curiosity about the workings of the natural world and how it also points towards the deeper questions about our existence.



Report by Patrick Richmond & Nick Brewin

Ruth Bancewicz spoke at the Science and Faith in Norfolk meeting on March 5. She presented three short videos of interviews with working scientists who are also people of faith. She works at the Faraday Institute for Science and Religion in Cambridge and previously helped to develop the Test of FAITH materials for use in schools and churches.



Each scientist that she interviewed highlighted some interesting and challenging topics at the interface of science and faith. She noted that Science and Faith typically explain the mysteries of the natural world in different but complementary ways. Scientists try to discover the mechanisms and laws that underpin the workings of nature. On the other hand, Christian faith is more concerned with Why? things exist: - what is the purpose of their being so? As an illustration of this distinction, we can think about a kettle boiling: this might be explained, scientifically, in terms of energy, temperature, and the properties of water; on the other hand, it could be explained, philosophically, in terms of purpose: - in order to make nice a cup of tea. Both explanations have their place.



A life-friendly universe

The first of Ruths interview was with Stephen Freedland, an astrobiologist interested in the evolution of the genetic code. He pointed to the fact that the laws of physics and chemistry that underpin our universe seem to be precisely fine-tuned for the evolution of life. Because we can now see how life evolved, does this mean that we dont need to believe in a creator God? Or should we believe that God has made our wonderful universe to be so fruitful? With the guidance of Dr Bancewicz, the audience divided into small groups to discuss and to raise their own questions. For example, if there is intelligent life in other solar systems, how could this relate to our own experience of Christ and salvation? Dr Bancewicz noted that CS Lewis and others have offered several ways in which a Christian faith could accommodate the possibility of alien forms of intelligent life.



Order from randomness

Another interview was with Dr Rhoda Hawkins, a biologist studying the growth and organisation of structural filaments in living cells. At one level, this process seems to be almost random although it results in cells that have a coherent structure and function. She asked how God can create a purposeful universe using random processes based on the unpredictability of quantum mechanics, atomic behaviour, etc. Her answer to this perplexing question is that the random nature of processes at one level, for example, the molecule or the individual cell, becomes an intrinsic component of organisation at a higher level. The higher level of organisation has emergent properties that are more ordered and predictable than the random behaviour of its component parts. As an example, individual air molecules move in random ways, but heating air in a room predictably increases the temperature of the room as a whole.



A purposeful world

Jeff Hardin researches the development of sea urchins and worms, discovering processes that are similar enough to those in humans to be helpful to medical research. In his video, he wanted to explore the concept of a purposeful world. He explained that he, personally, had faith in the purposes of Gods universe, which includes generating creatures like us capable of developing a relationship with its creator. On the other hand, and at a much lower level, some agnostic scientists consider that our only evolutionary purpose is simply to propagate our own DNA. In common with most biologists, Prof Hardin did not want to suggest that God needs to interfere with or tweak the mechanisms of the world for life to evolve. Rather, he believed that God has imbued creation with rich, complex capabilities of its own.



Dr Bancewicz used these examples to show how scientists who are Christians deal with matters that raise questions about their faith. These questions go beyond the merely scientific, mechanistic issues that they deal with professionally, causing them to wonder about the purposes that might be served by the existence of the universe itself.



All welcome to next meeting - June 25

The open lecture and discussion was organised by Science and Faith in Norfolk. The next meeting in this series will be on Monday 25th June (7.30  8.45 pm) at Trinity Meeting Place, Essex St. Norwich NR2 2BJ. Dr Jeremy Lindsell will give a talk entitled Conservation and Hope for the Earth: A Christian understanding of planetary stewardship. This will explore the impact of climate change, environmental pollution and the mass extinction of species.



For further information contact Professor Nick Brewin (07901 884114); sfnorfolk1@gmail.com; https://sites.google.com/site/scienceandfaithinnorfolk/

BRIDGEPORT - A Fairfield University student/ amateur swim suit model, who gained international attention when police said she broke her rugby player boyfriends nose when he tried to break up with her, just wants to be left alone.

She is asking that her privacy be respected at this time, said Frank Riccio II following a brief court hearing Monday for 19-year-old Kathryn Mahoney.

State prosecutors upped the charge against Mahoney, of Nashua, N.H., from third to second-degree assault, a felony, because of the seriousness of the victims injuries.

During Mondays hearing, Superior Court Judge Kevin Doyle agreed to modify the no contact provision of the protective order placed on Mahoney to allow for any incidental contact the two might have at the school.

The facts as reported in the media are incorrect and once the court hears all the relevant facts we are confident the case will be resolved in Miss Mahoneys favor, Riccio said as he left the Golden Hill Street courthouse.

Both Mahoney and her boyfriend, whose name is being withheld by Hearst Connecticut Media, are freshmen at Fairfield University. The boyfriend , a rugby player from the Isle of Wight in Great Britain, posted a photograph of his bloody nose on Snapchat with the caption, The Katie thing comes with a broken nose, lol.

Until her arrest, Mahoney posted photographs of herself wearing swimsuits on Barstool Sports.

Police said on March 1 they were called to the Fairfield University campus. The boyfriend told officers Mahoney had punched him in the nose and stomach after he told her he wanted to break up with her, police said. He then ran to a friends dorm room for help.When the new Harding High School opens next fall, it will not only welcome just shy of 1,000 teenagers, but as many as 24 infants and toddlers as well.

Plans are in the works to create a licensed and fully accredited Early Learning Center day care in the new school. Its clientele will be the children of teen parents in the district, followed by children of staff members and  on a space available basis  the East End neighborhood.

The goal is to keep our young parents engaged in high school, attending on a daily basis, said Natisha Vidal, a school social worker who works with teenage parents in the district.

The full board is expected to approve the plan when it meets Monday.

Although the teenage birthrate in Bridgeport and the state has been on the decline, the city currently outpaces the state. There are currently 41 teen parents  boys and girls  enrolled in Bridgeport schools.

Statewide, nearly 2,800 children were born to teen mothers in 2008, a rate of about 22.6 births per 1,000 Connecticut girls and women ages 14 through 18. By 2014, that number had declined to 1,420, a rate of 11.5 per 1,000  a drop of 49 percent.

In 2014, 37 births by teens under the age of 18 were reported in the city  31.4 percent less than the 54 recorded in 2013, according to statistics collected by the Bridgeport Child Advocacy Coalition. The 2010-14 birthrate of city teens ages 15 to 19 was 34.9 births per 1,000 teenaged girls.

This fall, three teens dropped out of school because they did not have child care, Vidal said.

The idea of the new child care center is working its way through school board committees but eventually a Request for Proposals is expected to be issued this spring. The hope is established day care providers will vie to run the center using state child care subsidies, including Care4Kids, which was not available before the state budget passed.

The agency winning the bid would be responsible for getting funding and providing slots free or on a sliding scale fee to parents. The districts only cost would be providing the space.

Vidal said the district has long provided supportive services to teen parents enrolled in Bridgeport Public Schools but has not had a school-based day care for at least nine years.

At one time, we had the Center for Interim Education which was a school for pregnant girls, Vidal said, but state and federal funding cutbacks, led to its closure.

One of the recipients of Vidals teen pregnancy counseling was Nadine Colon, a 2011 graduate of Harding.

It taught me a lot, Colon said.

Then, her son was enrolled in a day care run by Action for Bridgeport Community Development Inc. while Nadine and her sons father went to school.

Her son will be 8 in May. Colon, 24, graduated from Housatonic Community College, is a junior at the University of Bridgeport and works as a property manager.

Without the program, Colon said she doubts she would have completed her senior year at Harding.

Many of these teen parents are resilient and continue to attend school despite tremendous challenges, Vidal said. Having a safe, reliable and convenient place for their child while they attend, would remove one of those challenges.

Of the districts three comprehensive high schools, Harding has always had the largest number of pregnant teens. When the new school opens in the fall, the idea is to have three classrooms with eight slots each  one for infants age 6 weeks and older, one for toddlers and one for preschoolers. An observation room will be available for teen moms and dads to see their children and a separate parenting class they can take.

To get a slot for their child, the parent or parents would have to agree to attend school on a consistent basis.

They cant use it as a drop-off and then go get a job, Alan Wallack, the districts school construction coordinator, said at a meeting of the school boards Teaching and Learning Committee.

Members of the committee call the plan a wonderful opportunity to help teen parents stay in school but want details ironed out before a request for proposal is issued.

We need a process in place to make sure the seats are given out equitably, Maria Pereira, a board member said.

Board members said they wanted to see policies drawn up to address what happens if there is a greater demand than available seats, what happens to the slot once a teen parent graduates and how teen parents from other high schools can transfer into Harding.FAIRFIELD  Eight months ahead of a crucial election, two months ahead of the party conventions and weeks ahead of delegate selection, Democrats are packing the house at open forums featuring candidates for a wide open governors race.

More than 180 people turned out for a forum at Fairfield Woods Middle School Sunday afternoon, with the majority of the audience made up of concerned Democrats spurred by the results of the most recent presidential election.

The reason were here is because of the last election, said Debby Sheldon of Fairfield. I have great concern politically, and that has gotten me more involved than Ive ever been. I want to become more involved as a Democrat in politics and the state.

Sheldon attended the open forum with her neighbor, Beth Tracosas. The pair talk politics in increasing frequency on their daily walks, and after years of getting information on the candidates from the respective political parties and local news outlets, they decided it was time to get involved earlier in the process. As a result, theyre attending forums early in the election cycle for the first time ever, and have plans to join the Democratic Town Committee.

In the current political climate I want to be more involved with the DTC, Tracosas said. I dont want to take government for granted or elections for granted. In the past Ive relied more on local news and the information put out by the parties closer to the election and I just thought it was time to get out here myself.

The forum, hosted by Democratic Town Committees from Fairfield, Westport, Wilton and Trumbull alongside Indivisible Connecticut 4, featured seven Democratic gubernatorial hopefuls, and was moderated by Fairfield DTC Chair Steve Sheinberg and Westport Selectman Melissa Kane.

The participating candidates included Bridgeport Mayor Joe Ganim; Sean Connolly, a lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Army Reserve and a former commissioner of the state Department of Veterans Affairs; Hartford Mayor Luke Bronin; Jonathan Harris, a former West Hartford mayor and state senator; Susan Bysiewicz, a Middletown lawyer and a former secretary of the state; Greenwich executive Guy Smith; and Ned Lamont, the Greenwich businessman and progressive crusader who fell to Dannel P. Malloy in the 2010 Democratic gubernatorial primary.

The states fiscal crisis and unfunded pensions dominated the first half of the forum.

Thats why were in this race, Connolly said. To ensure and expand the Connecticut opportunity that the last three generations of my family enjoyed right here in Connecticut.

Bronin said honesty and transparency about the fiscal problems facing the state will be the key to sending a Democrat to the governors office in November.

If you look at what happened in municipalities last year, and the race in Stratford this year, people are paying attention, Bronin said. I think the key to Democrats winning is being honest and transparent about the challenges we face, and to take the Republicans head on and tie them to the leader of their party, Donald Trump. You have to be willing to not just say what we think people want to hear.

Weve had a budget crisis that has consumed this state and cast pessimism on the future, Lamont said. I think you need someone who hasnt been part of that Hartford political class. My whole life, Ive been a business creator and a job creator.

Ganim said he believes his collective 14 years in government will serve him well has governor.

Taking the largest city from fiscal crisis as a young mayor, Ganim said.

Smith cited his experience working for the Clinton Administration and as a businessman for two global companies.

Im not a career politician, and Im not a career candidate, Smith said. Ive been to every hellhole on the planet. I know how to help people.

We cannot just run against Donald Trump, Harris said. We have to be able to show a pathway out of this fiscal crisis. We have to show a vision that we all share.

Bysiewicz said government experience will be crucial for the next governor.

Weve seen what happens when you send someone to Washington to do a job, an important job, that has not one wit of government experience, she said.

While Republican candidates for governor have been grappling on televised stages in the run-up to the May convention, Democratic hopefuls have been meeting in smaller, more-intimate gatherings around the state to explain their visions for the future of Connecticut.

The people attending these forums are citizens that are interested in hearing what the next governor has to say, Sheinberg said. Yes, its insiders (attending) but its open to the public. I would think there are plenty of people that are not political, that wont be delegates, that are interested in being here.Gunn Historical Museums Washington History Club in the Morning will next meet March 19 at 10 a.m.

The group will meet at the Washington Senior Center, Bryan Hall Plaza, to discuss the history of the Washington Supply Company.The New Milford Historical Society & Museum will present a program, They Called Her Reckless: A True Story of War, Love and One Extraordinary Horse, March 22 at 7 p.m.

The program will focus on the real warhorse named Reckless as told by Janet Barrett, author of the first full biography of the warhorse

Enriched by the memories of more than 60 Marines who knew her in Korea and thereafter, They Called Her Reckless tells of a human-horse connection, and the power it unleashed when the U.S. Marine Fifth Regiment Recoilless Rifle Platoon acquired a small Korean pony to haul ammunition up the steep hills to the front lines.

The horse stood with her buddies for two years during the Korean War, saving lives, raising spirits, and winning the love and respect of all who knew her.

She came on base in October 1952, disrupting a softball game and capturing the attention of everyone around.

Immediately named for the rifles she would supply, she began life with the Marines as Private First Class Reckless, and in short order was an integral member of the platoon.

In skirmishes and firefights, and ultimately in the savage Battle for Outpost Vegas, Reckless showed her bravery and resilience.

In that last bloody fight, surpassing all expectations, she hauled ammunition for three days and nights wherever it was needed.

For wounds sustained, she was awarded two Purple Hearts.

Ever the character, she also shared her buddies C-rations and mess hall chow, beers and an occasional whiskey, and on cold nights, their warm tents.

She was promoted to sergeant by the Commander of the Marine First Division, and soon thereafter, sailed for San Francisco, a heros welcome, and a new life.

Copies of the book, signed by the author, will be available to purchase.

Refreshments will be served.

For more information, call the 6 Aspetuck Ave. museum at 860-354-2069.Peter Green of Sherman has announced the release of his latest book, Everybody Lies.

The book is available for $19.95 at Amazon and $6.95 for kindle. It is also available at the New Milford, Sherman and New Fairfield libraries.

The 105,000-word mystery novel begins with Nigel Butler, a hairdresser, who is found dead in a trash can in front of Columbia Library.

Jimmy Dugan, the only detective in the small Westchester town of Columbia, visits the salon where the deceased worked and discovers that one of his former clients - a man he had a disagreement with - is Joey Davies, a retired Mafioso and Columbias most prominent citizen.

Davies denies any connection to Butlers murder, but hes offended the mafia by loan sharking on their territory.

Dugan is tipped off about a contract that has been put out on Davies and warns him.

The crew responsible for killing Butler is given the contract. A shootout occurs, and Dugan kills one of them.

Witnesses provide descriptions of the remaining two people and an artist comes up with likenesses.

A manhunt ensues, with many twists and turns throughout the remainder of the story.

Green was born in England and came to the United States with Vidal Sassoon as part of the British Invasion.

Since then, he has been a hairdresser, stockbroker, student, businessman, entrepreneur and, for the last 25 years, a writer.

He has written The Hit and Run, A Shot in the Dark, A Simple Ride Home and Things Have a Habit.

He and his wife of 47 years have three children and four grandchildren.Among patients with persistently high cholesterol despite high-intensity statin therapy, the proprotein convertase subtilisin-kexin 9 (PCSK9) inhibitor alirocumab reduced rates of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) by 15 percent compared with placebo, in a study presented at the American College of Cardiology's 67th Annual Scientific Session. The drug's effect was even greater for patients at highest riskthose who started the study with LDL, or "bad" cholesterol, of 100 mg/dL or higherwho saw a 24 percent reduction in cardiovascular events, including heart attack and stroke, compared with placebo.

The trial, called ODYSSEY Outcomes, was conducted in patients who had recently had an acute coronary syndrome (ACS), an umbrella term that includes heart attack and unstable angina. Such patients face a substantial risk of further cardiovascular problems and related death, particularly if their cholesterol level is not adequately controlled.

Alirocumab is a fully human monoclonal antibody that works by blocking PCSK9. This action of the drug allows the liver to remove more LDL from the blood and lowers the concentration of LDL cholesterol in the blood. Previous research has shown that PCSK9 inhibitors reduce LDL levels by about halfbut ODYSSEY Outcomes is only the second large, randomized trial to investigate whether this LDL reduction translates into improved cardiovascular outcomes. It's the first study with a PCSK9 inhibitor to show an associated mortality benefit, researchers said.

FOURIER, the first outcomes trial, presented at ACC.17, similarly reported that evolocumab, a different PCSK9 inhibitor, reduced the risk of death, heart attack, stroke, hospitalization for angina or revascularization procedures to clear blocked arteries by 15 percent. Compared with FOURIER, the ODYSSEY Outcomes trial enrolled a higher-risk group of patients, had a longer duration of follow-up (ranging from two to five years), involved a different dosing strategy and had a slightly different primary endpoint.

In addition to significantly reducing the primary endpointa combined rate of heart attack, stroke, hospitalization for unstable angina or death from coronary heart diseasealirocumab was also associated with a 15 percent reduction in death from any cause among the full patient population and a 29 percent reduction in death from any cause among those who started the trial with LDL cholesterol above 100 mg/dL. The study did not raise any major safety concerns for alirocumab.

"We were really pleased to see the treatment was effective and associated with a reduction in mortality. It is remarkable that such a potent intervention is also so safe," said Philippe Gabriel Steg, MD, chief of cardiology at Hopital Bichat in Paris and co-chair of the study. "Because the treatment effect was so much more marked in the patients with the highest LDL cholesterol, we believe that these patients are the optimal candidates for therapy."

Researchers enrolled nearly 19,000 patients at more than 1,300 centers in 57 countries. All patients had ACS within one month to one year before enrolling in the study. The trial included those whose LDL cholesterol remained 70 mg/dL or above, non-HDL cholesterol 100 mg/dL or above, or apolipoprotein B 80 mg/dL or above despite treatment with a high or maximum-tolerated dose of a high-potency statin (atorvastatin or rosuvastatin).

Patients were randomly assigned to receive injections of either alirocumab or placebo every two weeks. Neither patients nor doctors knew who received the drug. To mimic the adjustments a doctor might make when using the drug, those patients randomized to receive alirocumab had their doses adjusted in a blinded fashion (neither patients nor doctors were aware of the adjustments) in efforts to reach LDL cholesterol levels of 25-50 mg/dL. If LDL cholesterol levels dropped consistently below 15 mg/dL, the patient was switched to placebo, again in a blinded fashion.

Patients were tracked for at least two years, with 44 percent tracked for three years or more. Overall, the primary endpoint occurred in 9.5 percent of those receiving alirocumab and 11.1 percent of those receiving placebo, while 3.5 percent of those receiving alirocumab and 4.1 percent of those receiving placebo died. When researchers looked at causes of death separately, there was no significant difference between the two groups in terms of coronary heart disease and cardiovascular disease deaths. However, Steg noted there may not have been enough events in each subcategory to show a definite difference.

Patients starting the trial with LDL cholesterol levels above 100 mg/dL saw improvements in all outcomes that were assessed, including rates of heart attack, stroke, unstable angina requiring hospitalization, coronary heart disease death, cardiovascular death and death from any cause. Among these patients, the primary endpoint occurred in 11.5 percent of those receiving alirocumab and 14.9 percent of those receiving placebo, while 4.1 percent of those receiving alirocumab and 5.7 percent of those receiving placebo died.

In terms of safety and tolerability, the only significant difference between the two study groups was minor local site reactions (mild itching, redness or swelling) at the injection site, which occurred in 3.1 percent of those receiving alirocumab and 2.1 percent of those receiving placebo.

Researchers will use the trial data to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of alirocumab. PCSK9 inhibitors cost tens of thousands of dollars per year and are often not covered by insurers.

"Now that we have two trials that consistently show benefits from PCSK9 inhibitors, and given the mortality benefit that we are reporting here for the first time, I think these results may change the equation for these drugs," Steg said. "We're not just talking about preventing nonfatal events such as heart attacks but actually preserving life."

Researchers will continue to track patient outcomes for up to 10 years to determine whether the benefits continue after stopping the drug.Ten finalists showcase innovative advancements spanning across all areas of laboratory science

Pittcon, the worlds leading conference and exposition for laboratory science, is pleased to announce the selection of ten finalists in the annual Pittcon Today Excellence Awards conducted by CE Communications, the official publishers of Pittcon Today and the Pittcon Buzz.

These awards recognize innovations at this years exposition and offer a channel for exhibitors to showcase their scientific advancements. From portable instruments, to wireless temperature sensing, to time-saving innovations, judges viewed all types of scientific products and selected finalists out of a diverse pool of submissions.

The Gold, Silver and Bronze awards were categorized in three groups based on company reported sales. The winning companies and products were:

Less than $10,000,000 in sales category

GOLD  Gate Scientific, Inc.  Wireless smartSENSE Stirbar

SILVER  RotaChrom Technologies.- RotaChrom rCPC and iCPC

BRONZE  Axcend Corporation  Axcend Focus LC

$10  $100,000,000 in sales category

GOLD  B&W Tek  STRaman

SILVER  Metrohm- 946 Portable VA Analyzer

BRONZE  CEM Corporation  EDGE

Greater than $100,000,000 in sales category

GOLD  HORIBA Scientific  Duetta

GOLD  Xylem, OI Analytical  1080 Combustion Total Organic Carbon Analyzer

SILVER  Fluid Imaging Technologies, Inc.  FlowCam Nano

BRONZE  Shimadzu Scientific Instruments  IRSpirit

Gold Excellence Award recipient Xylem, OI Analytical commented:

We are honored that the Xylem OIA 1080 combustion TOC analyzer was chosen as a finalist for the Pittcon excellence award. As a company concerned about the global community, Xylem puts innovation in the forefront to develop laboratory solutions through smart technology for a changing world. We have a passion for pushing the boundaries of analytical instrumentation and look forward to meeting the future challenges of our customers with their scientific endeavors.

The blue chip panel of judges, consisting of thought leaders from across academia, industry and trade media selected this years winners based on the products ingenuity, creativity, implementation and outcomes, as well as the projected impact on the industry and wider public.

When asked to comment on their winning the Gold, Gate Scientifics Morten Jensen, CEO & Cofounder, stated:

At Gate Scientific we strive to design products that enable great science. We are honored to be picked as a finalist for the Excellence Award at Pittcon 2018. Our Precision hotplate/stirrer platform with temperature sensing wireless smartSENSE Stirbar technology will make control of any bench formulation or reaction easier than ever.

Another Gold recipient, HORIBAs Joanne Lowy, Marketing Manager commented:

We are honored to have received the Pittcon Excellence award for our new Duetta fluorescence and absorbance spectrometer. It is very gratifying to know that all of the hard work and dedication that went into the development of this new fluorometer concept has been so well received by our customers and our peers.

This years finalists were among the exhibitors at the Orlando event. Pittcon attracts attendees from industry, academia and government from 90 countries worldwide. Pittcon 2019 will be held March 17-21, 2019, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Source: https://pittcon.org/recipients-of-the-pittcon-today-excellence-awards-revealed/Username: Password: or Register Thread Rating: 4 Vote(s) - 3 Average

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Page: 1 2 Deadly Nerve Agent Attack In UK Was Inside Job Black [email protected]

We All Watching

User ID: kaput

03-12-2018 12:42 AM



Posts: 15,199









Post: #1 Deadly Nerve Agent Attack In UK Was Inside Job

Advertisement



The deadly nerve agent attack in the UK that contaminated over 500 residents was an inside job designed to frame Russian President Vladimir Putin, according to reports.



On Sunday afternoon, emergency services were called to a man in his 60s with a woman in her 30s, slumped against each other on a public bench, in the picturesque Wiltshire town of Salisbury.



Swiftly, matters escalated, as it became clear they had been poisoned in some way: even more so when their identities were established.



Sergei Skripal, Russian Defector, who was swapped for Russian Spy Anna Chapman in an exchange between the United Kingdom and the Russian Federation in 2010: and his daughter, Yulia, visiting her father from Moscow.



http://yournewswire.com/deadly-nerve-age...nside-job/ Deadly Nerve Agent Attack In UK Was Inside JobThe deadly nerve agent attack in the UK that contaminated over 500 residents was an inside job designed to frame Russian President Vladimir Putin, according to reports.On Sunday afternoon, emergency services were called to a man in his 60s with a woman in her 30s, slumped against each other on a public bench, in the picturesque Wiltshire town of Salisbury.Swiftly, matters escalated, as it became clear they had been poisoned in some way: even more so when their identities were established.Sergei Skripal, Russian Defector, who was swapped for Russian Spy Anna Chapman in an exchange between the United Kingdom and the Russian Federation in 2010: and his daughter, Yulia, visiting her father from Moscow. LoP Guest

lop guest

User ID: 1337

03-12-2018 12:46 AM











Post: #2 RE: Deadly Nerve Agent Attack In UK Was Inside Job













yournewswire ?!! LoP Guest

lop guest

User ID: 1337

03-12-2018 12:46 AM











Post: #3 RE: Deadly Nerve Agent Attack In UK Was Inside Job

ya think ? ya think ? LoP Guest

lop guest

User ID: 1337

03-12-2018 01:29 AM











Post: #4 RE: Deadly Nerve Agent Attack In UK Was Inside Job

Duh.

It's telling how they refer to him incorrectly as a "Russian spy" and not accurately as a "British spy". LoP Guest

lop guest

User ID: 1337

03-12-2018 01:36 AM











Post: #5 RE: Deadly Nerve Agent Attack In UK Was Inside Job

His son and brother have both been murdered in Russia within the last couple of years. Anyone who doesn't see Putin's fingerprints on this is a dupe or one of Putin's sockpuppet army. LoP Guest

lop guest

User ID: 1337

03-12-2018 01:38 AM











Post: #6 RE: Deadly Nerve Agent Attack In UK Was Inside Job

If I'm Christopher Steele I'm having my wife start my car. LoP Guest

lop guest

User ID: 1337

03-12-2018 01:48 AM











Post: #7 RE: Deadly Nerve Agent Attack In UK Was Inside Job

LoP Guest Wrote: (03-12-2018 01:36 AM) His son and brother have both been murdered in Russia within the last couple of years. Anyone who doesn't see Putin's fingerprints on this is a dupe or one of Putin's sockpuppet army.

Putin could have had him killed or disappeared while he was in the gulag. Why wait until he was released and had time to spill everything he knew to the Brits? Putin could have had him killed or disappeared while he was in the gulag. Why wait until he was released and had time to spill everything he knew to the Brits? LoP Guest

lop guest

User ID: 1337

03-12-2018 01:53 AM











Post: #8 RE: Deadly Nerve Agent Attack In UK Was Inside Job

LoP Guest Wrote: (03-12-2018 01:38 AM) If I'm Christopher Steele I'm having my wife start my car.

It's all related.



Poisoned Russian spy was close to Christopher Steele consultant.

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/world/po...-1.3862516 It's all related.Poisoned Russian spy was close to Christopher Steele consultant. LoP Guest

lop guest

User ID: 1337

03-12-2018 01:59 AM











Post: #9 RE: Deadly Nerve Agent Attack In UK Was Inside Job

LoP Guest Wrote: (03-12-2018 01:53 AM) LoP Guest Wrote: (03-12-2018 01:38 AM) If I'm Christopher Steele I'm having my wife start my car.

It's all related.



Poisoned Russian spy was close to Christopher Steele consultant.

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/world/po...-1.3862516

Clintons covering their tracks. Clintons covering their tracks. LoP Guest

lop guest

User ID: 1337

03-12-2018 02:12 AM











Post: #10 RE: Deadly Nerve Agent Attack In UK Was Inside Job

LoP Guest Wrote: (03-12-2018 01:59 AM) LoP Guest Wrote: (03-12-2018 01:53 AM) It's all related.



Poisoned Russian spy was close to Christopher Steele consultant.

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/world/po...-1.3862516

Clintons covering their tracks.

Now draw the connection between Steele and the Clinton funded Fusion GPS, then note that Nellie Ohr worked for Fusion whose husband Bruce Ohr was the director of the DOJ Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force. The involvement of Comey Lynch, Brennan, and Clapper. Then note the relationship between US intel. and the British GCHQ. Think "Five Eyes". Who pulls the strings? This is too large for most to believe it actually exists. Now draw the connection between Steele and the Clinton funded Fusion GPS, then note that Nellie Ohr worked for Fusion whose husband Bruce Ohr was the director of the DOJ Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force. The involvement of Comey Lynch, Brennan, and Clapper. Then note the relationship between US intel. and the British GCHQ. Think "Five Eyes". Who pulls the strings? This is too large for most to believe it actually exists. LoP Guest

lop guest

User ID: 1337

03-12-2018 02:14 AM











Post: #11 RE: Deadly Nerve Agent Attack In UK Was Inside Job

LoP Guest Wrote: (03-12-2018 02:12 AM) LoP Guest Wrote: (03-12-2018 01:59 AM) Clintons covering their tracks.

Now draw the connection between Steele and the Clinton funded Fusion GPS, then note that Nellie Ohr worked for Fusion whose husband Bruce Ohr was the director of the DOJ Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force. The involvement of Comey Lynch, Brennan, and Clapper. Then note the relationship between US intel. and the British GCHQ. Think "Five Eyes". Who pulls the strings? This is too large for most to believe it actually exists.

Good post.

Good post. LoP Guest

lop guest

User ID: 1337

03-12-2018 02:35 AM











Post: #12 RE: Deadly Nerve Agent Attack In UK Was Inside Job

Your propaganda smells like Borscht Roddy's Creed

Registered User

User ID: 1337

03-12-2018 02:40 AM



Posts: 5,410









Post: #13 RE: Deadly Nerve Agent Attack In UK Was Inside Job

LoP Guest Wrote: (03-12-2018 01:48 AM) LoP Guest Wrote: (03-12-2018 01:36 AM) His son and brother have both been murdered in Russia within the last couple of years. Anyone who doesn't see Putin's fingerprints on this is a dupe or one of Putin's sockpuppet army.

Putin could have had him killed or disappeared while he was in the gulag. Why wait until he was released and had time to spill everything he knew to the Brits?

THIS ^^ THIS ^^ I do not label myself. What I stand for is based on my own convictions, and I don't care which box - the left one or the right one - they happen to belong. LoP Guest

lop guest

User ID: 1337

03-12-2018 03:11 AM











Post: #14 RE: Deadly Nerve Agent Attack In UK Was Inside Job

Roddy Wrote: (03-12-2018 02:40 AM) LoP Guest Wrote: (03-12-2018 01:48 AM) Putin could have had him killed or disappeared while he was in the gulag. Why wait until he was released and had time to spill everything he knew to the Brits?

THIS ^^

Yup Yup Black [email protected]

We All Watching

User ID: 1337

03-12-2018 03:15 AM



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Post: #15 RE: Deadly Nerve Agent Attack In UK Was Inside Job

Lots of chatter of "Isis" and its buddies of doing attacks in Europe and America

They saying they have agents located in the areas already

We are most likley going to see some Huge events with bio/chemicals this year

Pay attention to this summer its going to CRAZY

We already seeing some events happens with the earth

Watch the food prices and gas prices skys the limit

CDC is going to have heck of a time this summer Advertisement

















Doctors caring for severe stroke patients need to take account of their psychological needs and help prepare families for the possibility that they may not recover, a study suggests.

Patients and their families experience debilitating feelings of loss and uncertainty following a major stroke that impact on their quality of life, the findings show.

The results, from repeat interviews carried out over six months, also suggest that healthcare professionals should not shy away from sensitive discussions about death.

The study by the Universities of Edinburgh and Glasgow followed patients in Scotland over the course of a year following a severe form of stroke. Healthcare staff and family carers were also interviewed.

More than half of the patients in the study died within six months of admission to hospital. Families reported that - despite the high risk of death - care was overly focused on physical recovery with little attention to emotional needs or preparation for death.

A carer who took part in the study and whose father died from severe stroke, said: "If they had told us the magnitude of the stroke as far back as the first hospital visit we would have done things differently, rather than pushing for something that was never going to happen."

As so many patients with major stroke die within six months, researchers suggest that care should reflect the possibility of death and disability.

They also say that rehabilitation should incorporate principles of palliative care to address the emotional, social and spiritual - as well as the physical - needs of patients.

Stroke accounts for more than six million deaths per year worldwide.

The study is published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal and was funded by Chief Scientist Office, part of the Scottish Government Health Directorates.

Professor Scott Murray of the University of Edinburgh's Usher Institute of Population Health Science and Informatics, who led the study, said: "It is a sad fact that many people with a severe stroke die, despite excellent and speedy medical care. Whilst we hope for a good recovery, relatives and patients also should be supported in preparing for the worst to help them to focus on quality of life."

Professor Gillian Mead, of the Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences at the University of Edinburgh, said: "Stroke occurs suddenly and patients may face death or survival with major disability. Staff must have sensitive conversations with patients and family to find out their views and agree on which treatments are appropriate. This is an important education and training topic for everyone in the stroke team."A key cell process that could cause damage to bile ducts and help explain some liver diseases has been identified by scientists.

Experiments showed that triggering the process harms vital cells in bile ducts, while blocking the process reverses liver damage in mice.

The findings could help develop new treatments for bile duct diseases, which are linked to increased risk of cancers and liver failure, researchers say.

Scientists sought to better understand how disease is caused in bile ducts. Damage to the ducts - small channels running through the liver that help the body dispose of waste - can result in tissue scarring and liver failure.

Researchers at the University of Edinburgh examined liver tissue donated by patients with chronic bile duct disease. They found evidence of a cell process known as senescence, which was not seen in healthy people.

Senescence - when aged cells no longer undergo natural division - has an important role in the normal function of the body.

However, the research shows that senescence also contributes to disease, preventing repair of damaged bile ducts caused by wear and tear, leading to liver failure.

Tests in mice found that inducing senescence in bile duct cells - mimicking the process seen in human bile duct disease - led to liver scarring and damage of liver function.

Blocking chemical messages sent out by cells during senescence restored liver function in mice, pointing towards new treatment targets.

The study, published in the journal Nature Communications, was funded by the Medical Research Council (MRC).

Professor Stuart Forbes, Director of the MRC Centre for Regenerative Medicine at the University of Edinburgh, said "Bile duct disease has been poorly understood and this has severely hampered the development of effective treatment. This work takes meaningful steps towards understanding this debilitating disease, identifying a potential target for future therapies."To prevent cardiac death, people with certain cardiac disorders are implanted with electronic devices designed to automatically stimulate the heartbeat or counteract serious arrhythmia if necessary. Nowadays these devices also permit to monitor heart function from a distance. In case of conspicuous recordings, the physician may take additional therapeutic measures.

However, it remains unclear whether this so-called telemonitoring has advantages for patients with cardiac failure or heart rhythm disorders with a fast heart rate (ventricular tachyarrhythmia). This is the conclusion reached in the final report of the German Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care (IQWiG).

Data on adverse events and quality of life are still lacking because only incomplete study results have been published. Even IQWiG's public request did not change this. Regarding other outcome criteria, treatment results with telemonitoring were neither better nor worse than without telemonitoring.

Electrical impulses to stabilize cardiac function

Cardiac failure is a common disease, particularly in older people and is one of the most common causes of death in Germany. So-called ventricular tachyarrhythmia is common in cardiac failure. Tachyarrhythmia is a combination of a heart rhythm disorder (arrhythmia) and a fast heart rate (tachycardia) that starts in one of the two lower chambers of the heart (ventricles). In the worst case, it can cause sudden cardiac death.

Both diseases are treated by implanting the patients with active cardiac devices. If the heartbeat is irregular, the devices transmit electronic impulses to either give defibrillation shocks or cause overstimulation (ICDs), or synchronize the contraction of left and right ventricle (CRTs). A third type of device combines both functions (CRT-Ds).

Telemonitoring to support follow-up care

Irrespective of the type of implant, regular (outpatient) follow-up care is necessary, where patients have to visit their physician at fixed intervals of usually three months. In principle, all types of devices nowadays also permit so-called telemonitoring. With telemonitoring, physiological data are radio-transmitted to the practice or to another medical center and monitored. If necessary, visits independent from the regular follow-up visits can be scheduled to initiate diagnostic or therapeutic interventions. Telemonitoring is also designed to partly replace visits to the physician, however.

No relevant differences in most outcome criteria

A comparatively broad database - for non-drug interventions - had been available to the Institute already for the preliminary report. One further study was found in a search update. A total of 17 studies with 10 130 participants were now included in the assessment. Participants in these studies received either standard follow-up care alone or additional telemonitoring.

For most outcome criteria, the data showed no or no relevant differences between both treatment groups. This was the case for mortality and occurrence of strokes or heart attacks as well as for hospitalizations or occurrence of mental problems.

Particularities in the study design of IN-TIME

Yet there was one exception: One of the 17 studies (IN-TIME) produced results in favor of telemonitoring regarding mortality (all-cause mortality and cardiovascular mortality). The design of the IN-TIME studies was particular, however: On the one hand, the participants were monitored more closely than in the other studies included. On the other, follow-up care in the control group was less intense compared with the usual care in Germany: The first time the patients had to see their physician for examination was only after 12 months.

It therefore remains unclear whether the results of IN-TIME were caused by the particularly close monitoring in the telemedicine group or by the - compared with other studies - less frequent follow-up visits in the control group. The Institute therefore derived no benefit from the IN-TIME study either.

Quality of life: no data from 82% of study participants

In the overall consideration of the studies, still no conclusions can be drawn on benefit or harm for two key outcomes, namely side effects and quality of life, because data were missing for a considerable proportion of the patients.

Regarding serious adverse events, including side effects of the treatment, no results were available for 42% of the participants. This proportion was as high as 82% for health-related quality of life.

It would be inadequate to only include those participants in the assessment for whom data are available because the probability of a biased result is very high if such a large proportion of data is missing.

Several studies still unpublished

Data of study participants are not the only information that was missing, however. Three studies that are probably relevant for the assessment were not yet published at the editorial deadline. In addition, IQWiG identified five more completed studies that were not yet published. Their relevance was unclear, however. The EVATEL study was one of these studies: It was completed more than six years ago, but only an abstract has become available since.

Although IQWiG had criticized this fact before the commenting procedure, neither the manufacturer nor the study authors from publicly financed institutions subsequently provided data. "Particularly the industry has wasted the opportunity to show a benefit of their devices", says Stefan Lange, IQWiG's Deputy Director. "Clinical studies are not an end in themselves, but all their results have to become publicly available as quickly as possible. This is the only way for us to be able to assess the benefit and harm of the medical interventions. And without this knowledge, patients are not able to make informed decisions", he adds.

Process of report production

IQWiG published the preliminary results in the form of the preliminary report in August 2017 and interested parties were invited to submit comments. At the end of the commenting procedure, the preliminary report was revised and sent as a final report to the commissioning agency in January 2018. The written comments submitted are published in a separate document at the same time as the final report. The report was produced in collaboration with external experts.Whilst many people in Europe were enduring unprecedented Arctic conditions, laboratory scientists from around the world enjoyed warmer climates, having gathered in sunny Orlando for the globally acclaimed Pittcon Conference and Expo 2018. The Orange County Convention Center was buzzing as scientists of numerous disciplines discussed current research projects with their peers and discovered the latest advances in instrumentation and technology.

Pittcon 2018 provided a packed academic program incorporating more than 2,000 technical presentations detailing a diverse selection of methodologies and over 90 skill-building short courses. In addition, there was the opportunity to meet over 700 exhibitors and attend interactive presentations and virtual reality demonstrations of the latest products.

A range of great networking events were also incorporated into the Pittcon 2018 itinerary to allow colleagues from across the globe to meet in person and provide the opportunity for new contacts to be made. These included the Universal Island of Adventures networking event at which delegates had exclusive access to rides and attractions at Universals Islands of Adventure and could explore the magical, world of Harry Potter wizardry in the dark.

Some highlights from the vast array of technical sessions at Pittcon 2018 are presented below.

Keynote speakers

This year's Wallace H Coulter Lecture, entitled Analytical Science in Precision Medicine: Facing the Challenges of the 21st Century Healthcare was given by Professor Jeremy Nicholson, Head of the Department of Surgery and Cancer and Director of the MRC-NIHR National Phenome Centre Faculty of Medicine. He discussed how analytical chemistry will become increasingly important in delivering tailored healthcare solutions across the world. For example, the precise combination of microorganisms within an individual can predict health outcomes, including the risk of developing obesity and cancer prognosis.

2014 Nobel Prize winner Dr Stefan Hell, Director at the Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry in Gottingen and for Medical Research in Heidelberg, delivered the plenary lecture with a last-minute title change to Far-field fluorescence nanoscopy post-nobel in which he described the new concept of MINFLUX he developed to enable true molecular resolution with visible light and standard objective lenses in fluorescence microscopy.

Award winners

We also had the opportunity to speak to many of this years award winners.

The first was the inaugural Advances in Measurement Science Lectureship Award, presented to Prof Neil Kelleher, Director of the Proteomics Center of Excellence, for developing The Consortium for Top-Down Proteomics. In his presentation at Pittcon 2018, "Structural Mass Spectrometry and Top Down Proteomics" he provided details of The Cell-Based Human Proteome Project that aims to characterize all proteins of the human body using a new workflow he developed for studying whole proteins.

Parastoo Hashemi, an Assistant Professor in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry at the University of South Carolina, was awarded the Pittsburgh Conference Achievement Award for her work in the development and optimization of in situ electrochemical methods for analyzing biologically and environmentally impactful molecules. In her presentation at Pittcon 2018, she detailed cutting edge technologies for studying the brain and diagnosing depression.

Chi Li Arizona State University was awarded the 2018 Metrohm Young Chemist Award for his work developing a multimarker biosensor that can be used to precisely characterise multiple diseases. Monitoring a single biomarker is often inadequate for providing a comprehensive picture of the pathophysiological changes that occur in complex disease states. Li's a panel of sensitive and rapid biosensors will provide a cost-effective tool for personalizing medicine and care, whereby increasing the efficiency of the medical system.

Other interviews

We also had the opportunity to speak to a range of other scientists presenting their recent work at the event. Interviews will follow soon, but in the meantime, heres an overview of the people we spoke to and the topics covered.

Jack Gilbert of the University of Chicago explained how the microbial organisms present on an individual's skin have a unique composition determined by their life experiences. In order to develop this as a forensic tool, his team is conducting a systematic analysis to determine whether elements of a person's life can be predicted from their microbiome, both on their bodies, and on surfaces with which they have come into contact.

Jonathan Wingfield of AstraZeneca described a novel high-throughput mass spectrometry (MS) platform developed in collaboration with Labcyte and Waters. The Echo-MS system generates a droplet spray comparable to standard electrospray and can run at sampling speeds of three samples per second enabling label-free, high throughput screening.

Susan Richardson of the University of South Carolina detailed her latest research into the identification of new disinfection by-products in drinking water utilising liquid chromatography and gas chromatography. In order to reduce human health issues arising from drinking water, she is determining the formation mechanisms of new disinfection by-products to facilitate their toxicological characterization and improve the safety of drinking water. In addition, she is assessing the presence of wastewater contaminants, such as pharmaceuticals and pesticides, that are not removed during drinking water treatment.

John Richie from Penn State College of Medicine presented data from a recent study showing that the aerosols from electronic cigarettes contain high levels of free radicals that are very damaging to cells and can increase the risk of developing cancer. Using electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy (EPR) with the spin-trap phenyl-N-tert-butylnitrone (PBN) his team assessed the presence of reactive, short-lived free radicals in the aerosols of a range of electronic cigarettes. The amount of free radicals produced varied according to the design and composition of the electronic cigarettes, but was sufficient to pose a risk to human health.

Video symposia

We also had the opportunity to cover some of the incredibly interesting symposia on offer during the week. Karen Faulds of the University of Strathclyde described the advantages of Surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) for the detection of specific DNA sequences, which is key to the diagnosis of several diseases. In particular she demonstrated how the technique can identify the presence of multiple analytes in solution.

Julie Kowalski of Trace Analytics detailed the problems associated with accurately quantifying the potency of cannabis and demonstrated how the selectivity of liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry could provide the solution.

Dr Bruce McCord, Professor of Chemistry at Florida International University, presented his latest research showing that forensic analysis of epigenetic DNA methylation from trace levels of body fluids collected from crime scenes permits the determination of body fluid type, suspect age, and other information.

Sam Nugen of Cornell University described how advances in nanotechnology and synthetic biology can provide powerful tools to ensure food safety by enabling reliable, cost-effective early detection of pathogens. Such tools could help reduce food-borne illness by giving food producers and suppliers rapid knowledge about the presence or absence of pathogens in their products.

Exhibitor demonstrations

The exhibition space included booths for many of the worlds leading analytical instrumentation companies who presented numerous state-of-the-art technologies and innovative solutions to meet a range of analytical requirements.

Bruker

For more than 50 years, Bruker has been striving to provide the best technological solutions for every analytical task. Bruker is one of the only companies to have a portfolio that includes both nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and mass spectroscopy instrumentation.

At the Bruker press conference at Pittcon 2018, we learned that Bruker is one of the only companies to have NMR and Mass Spectrometry as part of its portfolio. Bruker systems cover a broad spectrum of applications in all fields of research and development and are used across numerous production lines to ensure product quality and process reliability. They have even tailored their technologies to meet the specific needs of different industries with their newest releases, such as the NMR FoodScreener for food analysis, BioPharma Compass 3.0 for pharmaceutical quality control, and IVDr-by-NMR for  clinical phenomics and proteomics.

Horiba

At Pittcon 2018, the HORIBA group demonstrated their latest breakthrough in nanoparticle tracking analysis  ViewSizer 3000. By incorporating three variable light sources, this instrument is able to select the optimum conditions for any sample analysis providing high resolution particle size distribution and visualisation.

Metrohm

Metrohm offers a complete line of analytical laboratory and process systems for titration, ion chromatography, electrochemistry and spectroscopy. At Pittcon 2018, they demonstrated the Mira P handheld Raman spectroscope and their Vision Air Software that simplifies operation and accelerates instrument implementation for accelerated near infrared spectroscopy.

MKS Instruments

The latest addition to MKS Instruments portfolio is a gas analyzer that uses Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy to detect toxic gases at very low levels within 20 seconds. The AIRGARD analyzer gives fewer false positive readings caused by every-day ambient chemical compounds, such as cleaning agents, and includes an extensive database of chemical compounds to which newly identified threats can be easily added.

Shimadzu

The Shimadzu IRSpirit FTIR spectrophotometer comes with numerous built-in software macros to enable either a quick spectrum or identification of a contaminant in a complex mixture. Shimadzu also produces a range of high performance liquid chromatography systems for potency testing of cannabis. A single-phase liquid-gas system including their Rxi-624Sil MS column accurately determines cannabis terpene content.

Exhibitor tradeshow talks

We also had the opportunity to speak to some other exhibitors in our Pittcon Tradeshow Talks feature, where we were able to conduct mini interviews on the products they are showing off at Pittcon this year. You can find the News Medical tradeshow talks interviews here, and the AZoM ones here.

Looking forward

This year's Pittcon has only just drawn to a close, yet preparations are already underway for Pittcon 2019, which will showcase further developments and innovations across analytical chemistry and spectroscopy, food safety, environmental sciences, bioterrorism and pharmaceutical production.

Pittcon - Real World Analytical Chemistry Play

Pittcon - Real World Analytical Chemistry from AZoNetwork on Vimeo.

Charles Gardner has been appointed president of the organizing committee for Pittcon 2019, which will be held in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania from 17 to 21 March 2019.

About Pittcon

Pittcon is a registered trademark of The Pittsburgh Conference on Analytical Chemistry and Applied Spectroscopy, a Pennsylvania non-profit organization. Co-sponsored by the Spectroscopy Society of Pittsburgh and the Society for Analytical Chemists of Pittsburgh, Pittcon is the premier annual conference and exposition on laboratory science.

Proceeds from Pittcon fund science education and outreach at all levels, kindergarten through adult. Pittcon donates more than a million dollars a year to provide financial and administrative support for various science outreach activities including science equipment grants, research grants, scholarships and internships for students, awards to teachers and professors, and grants to public science centers, libraries and museums.

Visit pittcon.org for more information.

Sponsored Content Policy: News-Medical.net publishes articles and related content that may be derived from sources where we have existing commercial relationships, provided such content adds value to the core editorial ethos of News-Medical.Net which is to educate and inform site visitors interested in medical research, science, medical devices and treatments.Cooperation with Geely will depend on the "desire" of Mercedes-Benz executives and is not a precondition of an investment in German carmaker Daimler, Geely Chairman Li Shufu told Bloomberg news.

Li revealed last month he had built up an almost 10 percent stake in Mercedes-Benz maker Daimler, hoping to access electric and self-driving car technology in a move which caught the German carmaker by surprise.

"How do we generate synergies with them going forward? That will depend on whether they have such a desire. If they do, we'll collaborate with them. If they don't, then we won't," Li was quoted as saying.

"Collaboration is not the only issue and is not a precondition," Li told Bloomberg.

"Why do people think we shouldn't make an investment if there are no synergies? Why shouldn't we? Many people around the world have put money into Daimler. Why shouldn't we," Bloomberg quoted Li as saying.

The chairman's remarks come after executives at Daimler and Volvo Cars questioned the viability and industrial logic of a collaboration, and after Daimler moved to strengthen its partnership with China partner BAIC.

Also WatchMumbai: Tata Sons, the holding company of salt-to-software Tata conglomerate, is set to sell more than $1 billion worth of shares in flagship Tata Consultancy Services in a block deal on Tuesday, a source with knowledge of the matter told Reuters.

Tata Sons owned 73.5 percent of TCS as of end-December.

It is planning to sell the TCS shares for 2,872 rupees to 2,925 rupees each, CNBC TV18 reported on Monday.

That would be a discount of 4.2 to 5.9 percent to TCS's Monday closing price of 3,052.15 rupees.New Delhi: Venezuela wants to trade with India using Indian rupee, its Foreign Minister Jorge Arreaza said on Monday.

Arreaza said Venezuela wants India to buy its oil using Indian rupee, which the South American country in turn can use for trading Indian food products and medicines.

The arrangement to trade in Indian rupee currently exists between Iran and Bhutan and Venezuela wants a similar arrangement with India.

"We don't want to use dollar at all," Arreaza told reporters.

Arreaza said his country has a similar arrangement with Turkey, China and Russia. He said a proposal in this regard was discussed with the finance and the petroleum ministries of India.

"We want to import technology, food products and medicines by paying (Indian) rupees and they will pay us (Venezuela) not in (US) dollars but in rupees," he said.

The reason cited behind the move was the sanctions imposed by the US.

Nearly 44 Venezuelans have now been sanctioned by the United States government, including President Nicolas Maduro himself, whom the Trump administration has branded a "dictator".

Currently, the trade between India and Venezuela takes place using dollar.

India through its oil Public Sector Undertaking has invested substantially in the oil sector of that country. The South American country is the second largest oil supplier to India.

The Venezuelan foreign minister, who was here to attend the Founding Conference of the International Solar Alliance, said President Maduro wanted to attend the event but he had to drop the plan due to the polls back home.

Maduro is seeking a re-election.

"After President Maduro hopefully gets re-elected, he will visit India and also extend an invitation to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to visit Caracas," he said.

The foreign minister said during his visit he met his Indian counterpart Sushma Swaraj and discussed ways to enhance cooperation.Thousands of protesting farmers have set up camps in Mumbai's Azad Maidan, demanding complete loan waivers and the implementation of the MS Swaminathan Committee's recommendations.

The Long March has now turned into an indefinite sit-in Dharna in front of the Manthralaya and will continue till all the demands are met with.

The protesting farmers, led by the Communist Party of India (Marxist)-affiliated Akhil Bharatiya Kisan Sabha reached Mumbai on Sunday after walking a distance of 180 km from Nashik.

The rally which includes men, women and children have gathered to press the government on the agrarian distress.

As farmers shared their heartwrenching stories with News 18, here's how Mumbai joined hands to support only one cause. Humanity.

#KisanLongMarch gets a warm welcome from Mumbais Sikhs. The Sikh community in Mumbai serves water and distributes food to farmers participating in the march! pic.twitter.com/IgzaTjtv2c Harjinder Singh Kukreja (@SinghLions) March 11, 2018

It's 4.30 am. When #KisanLongMarch reached Byculla junction, a large group of Muslim brothers distributed water, dates and biscuits to the marching https://t.co/AjIbNdij2I was an extraordinary act of solidarity, which the peasants reciprocated with loud slogans of Lal Salam. pic.twitter.com/teIOnA76iq  Sudeep Sudhakaran (@SudeepSudhakrn) March 11, 2018

Sikh community in Mumbai distributes food to farmers participating in the march. #KisanLongMarch pic.twitter.com/AqAGoluCu9  AIKS (@KisanSabha) March 11, 2018

Mumbaikars showering the #KisanLongMarch with flowers from a walkway near Mulund. pic.twitter.com/YaURtZ5oNq  AIKS (@KisanSabha) March 11, 2018

The Thane Matadata Jagran Manch provided nearly 500kg of food grains to the farmers who camped for the night at BMC octroi ground, reported TOI. We had been in touch with the protestors since the rally started from Nashik on Tuesday. The organizers had refused to accept donation, but we were determined to help them as we are aware how they struggle to ensure food on our plate, said Unmesh Bagawe to TOI.

According to the same report, putting social media to good use, a concerned group mobilised footwear for the farmers after reading about their blistered and cracked feet, that eventually became a symbol for the farmers' Long March. We were shocked to see the farmers walk barefoot on the highway. Some of us removed our footwear and offered it to the women, while others decided to donate shoes the following day, said Nita Karnik, a resident of Flower Valley who volunteered to deliver 100 pairs of shoes.

According to Talekar, the Mumbai roti-bank, of which the dabbawalas are an integral part, deploys GPS-tracked vans to collect excess food from eateries, hotels, public functions, and households, so that it can be distributed to the poor and hungry people. Meanwhile, city residents were also seen offering 'Vada-pav' (a popular street snack), other food items and water to farmers last night.

As for the farmers, they returned the favour with a gesture that is now being lauded by many on social media. Starting Sunday night, the farmers marched all night to Azad Maidan so that students appearing for school exams were not inconvenienced.

If it is indeed true that the farmer's march was quiet so people could sleep and students appearing for exams the next morning wouldn't be disturbed, then it is such a lovely way to do it. Harsha Bhogle (@bhogleharsha) March 12, 2018

Original plan of the #KisanLongMarch was to camp in Sion tonight and march to Vidhan Sabha tomorrow morning. But there are 10th board exams starting tomorrow and the Farmers are worried about inconveniencing the students. So, they are going to march tonight itself to Azad Maidan. pic.twitter.com/DCgEvadvpu  Noushad C (@IamDinkoist) March 11, 2018

50,000 farmers walked 180kms, asking for the rightful compensation for their crop. On their last stretch they walked all night making sure they didnt disturb the SSC board examinations. #Compassion #respect #Salute #JaiKisan -  pic.twitter.com/epa0a90A6u  Riteish Deshmukh (@Riteishd) March 12, 2018

Mumbai, they have walked across the night to spare you inconvenience. The least you could do is stand in solidarity #KisanLongMarch pic.twitter.com/tD8GTCCmOD  Aparna (@chhuti_is) March 12, 2018

To make sure their march doesn't go in vain, social media shared powerful visuals from the historic march.

The feet that traversed 200 kilometres from Nashik to Mumbai! Nothing can fail them! #KisanLongMarch reaches Mumbai city. #_ pic.twitter.com/YrWdg3G8tn #KisanLongMarch is https://t.co/1n5H4Peq6F's 3 am. The March has stopped for rest at the Dadar flyover. We have 5 more km to cover to reach Azad Maidan. pic.twitter.com/2j0LqUS8Qs  Sudeep Sudhakaran (@SudeepSudhakrn) March 11, 2018

Original plan of the #KisanLongMarch was to camp in Sion tonight and march to Vidhan Sabha tomorrow morning. But there are 10th board exams starting tomorrow and the Farmers are worried about inconveniencing the students. So, they are going to march tonight itself to Azad Maidan. pic.twitter.com/DCgEvadvpu  Noushad C (@IamDinkoist) March 11, 2018

Farmers marching into Mumbai. To ensure that the BJP govt does not deceive them again. They should get their rightful due. #KisanLongMarch pic.twitter.com/YKVEDNvZ1g  Sitaram Yechury (@SitaramYechury) March 11, 2018

This is breathtaking. #KisanLongMarch has all it takes to shake the financial capital of India. Mehnat kare kisan mahajan Bante hai dhanwan pic.twitter.com/INeX5xSvjI  Aparna (@chhuti_is) March 11, 2018

Stunning photograph by Vijayanand Gupta of @htTweets showing about 35,000 farmers marching through the night in Bombay towards Azad Maidan. This is the kind of image that really lights up the city. #KisanLongMarch #nightmarch #Mumbai #photojournalism pic.twitter.com/cgC5uqx0Ep  Paroma Mukherjee (@ParomaMukherjee) March 12, 2018

Walk from 8 in the morning till 6 in the evening. Sleep like this in the night. Repeat for six days and nights #KisanLongMarch pic.twitter.com/LAolvPnSfG  Nidhi Jamwal (@JamwalNidhi) March 11, 2018New Delhi: Two men were killed and three women injured when their car crashed into a traffic signal pole in northwest Delhi's Mukherjee Nagar area.

The incident occurred at around 2.45 am on Sunday when the driver of the car lost control over the vehicle and ended up hitting the central verge at T-Point, Hudson Lines, they said.

The deceased have been identified as Ritesh Dahiya (21) and Siddharth (20). Three women occupants of the car, including the driver, sustained injuries, police said.

According to a Times of India report, Diksha Dadu, the 19-year-old who was allegedly driving without a valid licence, and another friend, Joshita Mohanty (19), survived due to airbags. The fifth friend, Rashi Sharma (20), who was seated between Dahiya and Singh, suffered a fractured collarbone.

The driver was under the influence of alcohol, said Aslam Khan, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Northwest). Police said the woman driver was arrested after being discharged from Sushrut Trauma Centre near Civil Lines.

The newspaper report further said that the friends first attended a college festival in Noida, then went to a pub in CP. Around 1am they drove towards Murthal (about 50km from Delhi) to eat. Citing Dikshas statement, police said she lost control of the speeding car at a T-point and crashed into the divider. The car turned turtle and stopped after hitting a traffic signal.

She had a learner's license. The car belonged to Dahiya's father, they said.

While the three girls were first year law students at Amity University in Noida, Singh was a student of Maharaja Surajmal Shiksha Sansthan and Dahiya was a second-year B.Sc student of Sri Venkateswara College.

The bodies of the two students were handed over to the families on Sunday evening after an autopsy. Dahiya is survived by his father and mother, who run a boutique in Sonipat. Singh was also the only child of his parents. His father works in a private company in Noida.

(With inputs from PTI)Username: Password: or Register Thread Rating: 2 Vote(s) - 3 Average

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Page: 1 2 3 4 MEANWHILE ... Falling Chinese Space Station expected to hit Michigan The Ghost Of LOP

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Post: #1 MEANWHILE ... Falling Chinese Space Station expected to hit Michigan

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DeumyOzKqgI







Will the free-falling 8.5 ton Chinese space station crash into lower Michigan? Experts say that the state falls among 'the highest probability'

The Tiangong-1 spacecraft has been out of control since September 2016

Agencies around the world have been monitoring the doomed craft's descent

Lower Michigan among regions with highest probability of being hit by debris

Experts from Aerospace say it will re-enter earth on April 3, give or take a week

Around 10 to 40 per cent of the satellite is expected to survive re-entry





An out-of-control Chinese space station with 'highly toxic' chemicals onboard that is currently hurtling toward earth may crash into lower Michigan, it has been revealed.



It is believed China's first prototype station, Tiangong-1, will come crashing back to the planet around April 3, experts say.



US research organization Aerospace Corporation revealed that parts of southern Lower Michigan are among the regions that have the highest probability of being hit by falling debris, according to MLive.com.





http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-...ation.html I am so confused !!! Will the free-falling 8.5 ton Chinese space station crash into lower Michigan? Experts say that the state falls among 'the highest probability'The Tiangong-1 spacecraft has been out of control since September 2016Agencies around the world have been monitoring the doomed craft's descentLower Michigan among regions with highest probability of being hit by debrisExperts from Aerospace say it will re-enter earth on April 3, give or take a weekAround 10 to 40 per cent of the satellite is expected to survive re-entryAn out-of-control Chinese space station with 'highly toxic' chemicals onboard that is currently hurtling toward earth may crash into lower Michigan, it has been revealed.It is believed China's first prototype station, Tiangong-1, will come crashing back to the planet around April 3, experts say.US research organization Aerospace Corporation revealed that parts of southern Lower Michigan are among the regions that have the highest probability of being hit by falling debris, according to MLive.com.I am so confused !!! (This post was last modified: 03-12-2018 02:41 PM by The Ghost Of LOP .) LoP Guest

lop guest

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03-12-2018 02:34 PM











Post: #2 RE: MEANWHILE ... SKY FALL ALERT: Falling Chinese Space Station expected to hit Michigan

The Ghost Of LOP

Registered User

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03-12-2018 02:35 PM



Posts: 41,215









Post: #3 RE: MEANWHILE ... SKY FALL ALERT: Falling Chinese Space Station expected to hit Michigan

UFO REPORTS IN



3... 2... 1... I am so confused !!! LoP Guest

lop guest

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03-12-2018 03:17 PM











Post: #4 RE: MEANWHILE ... Falling Chinese Space Station expected to hit Michigan

LoP Guest

lop guest

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03-12-2018 03:25 PM











Post: #5 RE: MEANWHILE ... Falling Chinese Space Station expected to hit Michigan

Maybe itll hit farrakhan's farm. LoP Guest

lop guest

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03-12-2018 03:43 PM











Post: #6 RE: MEANWHILE ... Falling Chinese Space Station expected to hit Michigan

Where dafuq did my post go? Hamburgerwagon

lop guest

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03-12-2018 03:48 PM











Post: #7 RE: MEANWHILE ... Falling Chinese Space Station expected to hit Michigan

I think the title is a bit Woo Woo bro. Its not expected to hit there, but if it does, it will fly right over my head! LoP Guest

lop guest

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03-12-2018 03:49 PM











Post: #8 RE: MEANWHILE ... Falling Chinese Space Station expected to hit Michigan

The Ghost Of LOP Wrote: (03-12-2018 02:31 PM) The Tiangong-1 spacecraft has been out of control since September 2016

Revelation:

8:10 And the third angel sounded, and there fell a great star from heaven, burning as it were a lamp, and it fell upon the third part of the rivers, and upon the fountains of waters;



8:11 And the name of the star is called Wormwood: and the third part of the waters became wormwood; and many men died of the waters, because they were made bitter.





What "Tiangong" means? Wormwood? Revelation:8:10 And the third angel sounded, and there fell a great star from heaven, burning as it were a lamp, and it fell upon the third part of the rivers, and upon the fountains of waters;8:11 And the name of the star is called Wormwood: and the third part of the waters became wormwood; and many men died of the waters, because they were made bitter.What "Tiangong" means? Wormwood? LoP Guest

lop guest

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03-12-2018 03:50 PM











Post: #9 RE: MEANWHILE ... Falling Chinese Space Station expected to hit Michigan

LoP Guest Wrote: (03-12-2018 03:43 PM) Where dafuq did my post go?

Your thoughts did not meet appropriate posting standards citizen. Therefore you have been erased.

Only the appropriate thoughts are allowed here at lop .



Refer to your manual citizen before speaking. Your thoughts did not meet appropriate posting standards citizen. Therefore you have been erased.Only the appropriate thoughts are allowed here at lop .Refer to your manual citizen before speaking. Hamburgerwagon

lop guest

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03-12-2018 03:50 PM











Post: #10 RE: MEANWHILE ... Falling Chinese Space Station expected to hit Michigan

LoP Guest Wrote: (03-12-2018 03:49 PM) The Ghost Of LOP Wrote: (03-12-2018 02:31 PM) The Tiangong-1 spacecraft has been out of control since September 2016

Revelation:

8:10 And the third angel sounded, and there fell a great star from heaven, burning as it were a lamp, and it fell upon the third part of the rivers, and upon the fountains of waters;



8:11 And the name of the star is called Wormwood: and the third part of the waters became wormwood; and many men died of the waters, because they were made bitter.





What "Tiangong" means? Wormwood?

Does the stupid hurt? Does the stupid hurt? LoP Guest

lop guest

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03-12-2018 03:55 PM











Post: #11 RE: MEANWHILE ... Falling Chinese Space Station expected to hit Michigan

Sarah beat you.



Existing thread. LoP Guest

lop guest

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03-12-2018 03:55 PM











Post: #12 RE: MEANWHILE ... Falling Chinese Space Station expected to hit Michigan

http://lunaticoutpost.com/thread-16358.html



HERE HERE RiskyRob

( Lop V.I.P.)

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03-12-2018 04:07 PM



Posts: 8,137









Post: #13 RE: MEANWHILE ... Falling Chinese Space Station expected to hit Michigan

Hamburgerwagon Wrote: (03-12-2018 03:48 PM) I think the title is a bit Woo Woo bro. Its not expected to hit there, but if it does, it will fly right over my head!

Lots of fake DOOM pinned. This is NOT expected to hit Michigan. No enormous solar storm on the way. This site has far more misinformation than Main Stream Media. Lots of fake DOOM pinned. This is NOT expected to hit Michigan. No enormous solar storm on the way. This site has far more misinformation than Main Stream Media.  Ascended Master eatinmraw

lop guest

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03-12-2018 04:18 PM











Post: #14 RE: MEANWHILE ... Falling Chinese Space Station expected to hit Michigan

RiskyRob Wrote: (03-12-2018 04:07 PM) Hamburgerwagon Wrote: (03-12-2018 03:48 PM) I think the title is a bit Woo Woo bro. Its not expected to hit there, but if it does, it will fly right over my head!

Lots of fake DOOM pinned. This is NOT expected to hit Michigan. No enormous solar storm on the way. This site has far more misinformation than Main Stream Media.





yeah...but just don't hate it man...







yeah...but just don't hate it man... RiskyRob

( Lop V.I.P.)

User ID: 1337

03-12-2018 04:23 PM



Posts: 8,137









Post: #15 RE: MEANWHILE ... Falling Chinese Space Station expected to hit Michigan

eatinmraw Wrote: (03-12-2018 04:18 PM) RiskyRob Wrote: (03-12-2018 04:07 PM) Lots of fake DOOM pinned. This is NOT expected to hit Michigan. No enormous solar storm on the way. This site has far more misinformation than Main Stream Media. yeah...but just don't hate it man..

I guess if you want to fill your mind up with nonsense, who can stop you?

This notice is for the less stupid people. I guess if you want to fill your mind up with nonsense, who can stop you?This notice is for the less stupid people.  Ascended Master Advertisement

















Srinagar: Three militants were killed in an encounter with security forces in Anantnag district of Jammu and Kashmir on Monday, the army said.

An anti-militancy operation was launched in Hakura area of Anantnag district late last night following information about the presence of militants in the area, an army official said. He said three militants were killed in the pre-dawn encounter with security forces.

A police spokesman said two of the slain militants were identified as Eesa Fazli of Srinagar and Syed Owais of Kokernag in Anantnag. The identity of the third militant was being ascertained.

"In the process, arms and ammunition which include AK 47 rifles, pistols, hand-grenades, etc. were recovered from the encounter site. There was no collateral damage during the operation, " the spokesman said.

He said one of the slain militants was involved in a recent attack on a police guard post at Soura in the city, in which one police constable had been killed.

Meanwhile, authorities ordered closure of schools and other educational institutions as a precautionary measure. A senior official of the administration said the schools and colleges have been closed to maintain law and order.

Kashmir University has suspended classes for the day and postponed examinations as well. A spokesperson of the university said the revised date for examinations scheduled for on Monday will be announced later.Mumbai: Around 30,000 farmers, led by the All India Kisan Sabha, descended on Mumbai on Sunday afternoon to protest against the failure of the BJP-led government to address agrarian distress.

The huge crowd that was camping at the KJ Somaiya Ground, plans marching overnight to Azad Maidan.

Braving scorching heat, they have covered around 180 km on foot in six days.

"We don't want to create a problem for exam going students of 10th standard, we don't mind suffering more but we don't want our students to suffer," said Ashok Dhawale, president, AIKS.

The farmers will stage a protest outside the State Assembly on Monday, demanding fair remuneration and loan waiver. These farmers will seek answer from the government for non-implementation of the demands that were promised by the government, said Ajit Nawale, state general secretary of AIKS.

The 180-km long foot march was launched with around 12,000 farmers and the number has reached to 30,000 now. (Image: Network18)

"Farmers in the state are reeling under the ripples of agrarian distress and they are under huge financial burden. The government has not done anything to provide them any relief. So they are left with no option but to express their anguish through the protest march," Nawale said.

As the sea of red neared Mumbai, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis appointed minister Girish Mahajan as the governments representative to talk to the leaders of the march when they reach Vikhroli.

The opposition Congress and BJPs estranged ally Shiv Sena have extended their support to the protest, dubbed the Long March of Farmers.

The agitating farmers take a break to enjoy their meals. (Image: Network18)

"Today, our number is over 35,000. Over 20,000 farmers from other parts of the state will join tomorrow," said Kisan Gujar, president, state council of AIKS.

Complete loan waiver and profit of 1.5 times input cost for all major agriculture commodities are the major demands of the AIKS.

These farmers want an immediate implementation of M.S. Swaminathan committee's recommendations, which ensures fair remuneration.

These farmers want an immediate implementation of M.S. Swaminathan committee's recommendations, which ensures fair remuneration. (Image: Network18)

The agitating farmers are also demanding compensation of Rs 40,000 per acre for destruction of crops due to hailstorm and pink-worm, allocation of forest land under cultivation to farmers and implementation of Forest Rights Act.

In June last year, similar protests had boiled over most parts of the state, forcing the Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis-led government to announce a conditional Rs 34,000 crore loan waiver, which farmers said has not been implemented properly.Guwahati: In a first for Assam, the state will present a unique digital budget on Monday with tablets available in the Assembly for legislators. This is the first time in India that a government will draft the budget with citizens' participation while live streaming the session on Twitter and Facebook.

"The government will present the first e-Budget in the Assembly and each legislator will be provided with a tablet

(computer) with details of the Budget," Finance Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said, adding that the MLAs will be able to access the tablets during discussions and cut motion on the Budget inside the House.

According to Press Trust of India, the Assam finance department had called for suggestions from the public regarding the Budget provisions, and more than one thousand people submitted their suggestions, the best of which have been sorted out for incorporation in this year's Budget.

The mediapersons covering the Budget presentation will be given 8GB pen drive with all the details, while the entire budget will be made available on Google Play Store.

"For citizens who are on the move and may not have the time to watch the live-stream on TV or social media, the budget will be available on the Google app," Sarma was quoted as saying by Times of India.

Even as Andhra Pradesh became the first state to present an e-budget, "but it was limited to the legislators - who got the budget documents on tablets - and was not in the public domain".

"We are going beyond that. For the first time in the country, the proceedings of the budget presentation will go live on Twitter and Facebook," Sarma said.

In another first, the budget will have separate chapters on gender, child, Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and outcome budgeting. A report in Telegraph stated that separate budgeting will ensure that the government allocates adequate funds for welfare of women and children, and achieves the goals.Thiruvananthapuram: Four days after the Supreme Court upheld Hadiya's marriage to Shafin Jahan, the woman at the centre of the Kerala Love Jihad row said on Monday that some people were using her father Ashokan for their political gains.

Hadiya said, It all happened due to the intervention of some anti-Islamic forces. Some people used my parents as a tool for their political benefit. I left my parents only because they were under the control of some forces. I am asking the government that compelled me to fight a legal case for years, to compensate me for the same. Our judiciary put me under house arrest.

After getting a favourable verdict from the court last Thursday, Hadiya went to Malappuram with husband Shafin and met the leaders of Popular Front of India (PFI) on Sunday. She had earlier thanked the PFI, stating that the organisation had helped her in the struggle.

The Islamic organisation has been under the NIA scanner and the investigating agency had earlier said in its dossier that there is a pattern in the cases of conversion and that Hadiya's conversion to Islam is not an isolated incident.

Hadiya on Monday said that she had filed an affidavit in the Supreme Court not to put anyone in trouble, but to ensure that no one ever faces the same hardships that she had faced.

She said, I did what I felt was correct. I am an ordinary woman. In a country like India I was put under house arrest. I stand by the affidavit.

Hadiya also said that many people came to see her and counsel her during the house arrest.

"Many people came to counsel me but I did not want to meet these people. They wanted to teach me sanathana dharama. There were psychiatric doctors who came to teach me this. I was not allowed to contact anyone that I wanted to talk to."

She added that even after her father had filed a habeas corpus. Hadiya further alleged that the Kerala High Court bench, in its controversial verdict, did not consider her feelings but only considered her parents' feelings.

She said that she converted to Islam in 2013 and even had a certificate that said she is a Muslim.

However, while upholding her marriage, Supreme Court has let the NIA continue with its investigation into the love jihad angle while Ashokan still claims that there are plans of Islamist organisations to take Hadiya to Syria and use her as a human bomb.New Delhi: A trial court on Monday sent Karti Chidambaram, the son of former Union minister P Chidambaram, to 12-day judicial custody in the INX Media case.

Karti will now be lodged at Tihar Jail till March 24 and his pleas for separate cell and home-cooked food were also denied. CBI Special Judge Sunil Rana in his order stuck to equal treatment of prisoners, denying the request for separate jail cell and washroom as it would lead to Karti being "treated differently than other accused persons".

In his application, Kartis counsel Dayan Krishan had said that "he is the son of former union home minister and many terrorists have been prosecuted during his (P Chidambaram) tenure and there is a clear threat perception to Karti".

"His (Karti) father P Chidambaram has dealt with stringent penal laws including TADA and MCOCA, posing a huge security threat to Karti," the senior advocate said, adding that he needs to be secured in a separate prison and be given a separate bathroom. "He cannot be exposed to any of these criminals," his advocate said.

"There is a threat. Petitioner (Karti) himself is the member of Congress. The threat exists, I hope the court to protect us. We have contemplated a situation and brought it to the court's notice. I cannot be sent to a common bathroom. And adequate security must be given," Krishnan submitted.

When the CBI opposed the plea for separate cell on the ground that if at all there was any threat, it was to P Chidambaram and not his son, Krishnan expressed shock and said the CBI's objection has enhanced the threat perception.

Karti Chidambaram has been in CBI custody for questioning since his arrest from Chennai Airport on February 28. He was arrested on his return from the United Kingdom in connection with the FIR lodged on May 15 last year. It alleged irregularities in the Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) clearance to INX Media for receiving overseas funds of about Rs 305 crore in 2007 when his father was Union finance minister.

The CBI had initially alleged that Karti Chidambaram received Rs 10 lakh as bribe for facilitating Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) clearance to INX Media. It, however, later revised the figure to USD 1 million (about Rs 6.50 crore at the current exchange rate and Rs 4.50 crore in 2007).

The fresh evidence in the case, which triggered Karti Chidambaram's arrest, was based on the statement of Indrani Mukerjea, former director of INX Media (P) Ltd, who recorded it under section 164 of the CrPC before a magistrate on February 17.New Delhi: The ongoing protest by thousands of farmers in the heart of Mumbai may just be the beginning. For, leaders of farmers associations in several states are planning to hold similar marches in their respective states  in the lead-up to a mega protest in the national capital in April.

The governments anti-farmer stand needs to be challenged. We will hold a rally for the same in Guwahati very soon. Also, all state farmer heads are in close collaboration and we are planning to hold a big protest in New Delhi sometime in April. Farmers from all over India will be present in that rally. State farm heads are meeting in Guwahati this month itself, said Akhil Gogoi, a Northeast-based farmer rights leader.

Indias Northeast has been reeling under farmer crisis caused by land erosion, floods and the general terrain of the land. The state government does not buy our output, which results in heavy losses to our farmers. The issues that have been raised in Maharashtra apply to farmers all over the country. The Mumbai march was a plan well-conceived and all of us had planned it keeping in mind the governments stand, said Gogoi.

More than 30,000 farmers and members of tribal communities from across Maharashtra have covered a distance of more than 180 km on foot to table their demands before the Maharashtra government.

Azad Maidan in south Mumbai turned into a sea of red on Monday morning as thousands of farmers, carrying red flags, converged there after walking for almost a week. They are scheduled to meet a government committee later on Monday.

Farmers have suffered a loss of more than 50% this year. There was a severe pest attack on Kapas or raw cotton that has destroyed crops. The government has made a joke of MSP. Farmers are not given any sort of MSP at all. There is a severe problem of loan waiver. If the farmer does not get money from his produce, how will he return the loan? said Raju Shetti, a farmer leader in Maharashtra.

Farmer leaders from Gujarat and Tamil Nadu also confirmed the mega rally in New Delhi and expressed their displeasure with government policies on farmers.

The general farmer is unhappy today. What do you expect them to do? They are still peacefully marching. The government has to do something about this as soon as possible, said Sagar Rabari, farmer leader in Gujarat.

Shiv Kumar Sharma from Madhya Pradesh, also known as Kakkaji, said all states are in solidarity with the Mumbai protest and if the government does not pay heed, there are bigger protests coming up. We have just two demands  loan waiver and providing us with 1.5 times the cost of production. The situation is such that farm produce is sold at a price lesser than the production cost which is obviously a loss to farmers. The government has been talking about implementing the Swaminathan Commission report since 2006 and it has not touched ground till date, said Kakkaji.

MS Swaminathan, chairing the National Commission on Farmers, during the release of the report had said, "We will change the Minimum Support Price (MSP). There will be a new formula  the entire cost of production and 50 per cent profit. It will not only help farmers but this step will also not allow anyone to loot farmers."Theni (Tamil Nadu): Nine people, who were part of a trekking expedition, have been killed in a forest fire in the Western Ghats, the Tamil Nadu government said on Monday.

"Nine persons are dead, while 17 of the rescued have been hospitalised and 10 did not require hospitalisation," Commissioner of Revenue Administration K Sathyagopal told PTI. Among the dead, six were from Chennai and three from Erode, local police said.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister K Palaniswami is rushing to Theni to oversee rescue operations.

A 36-member team  24 people from Chennai and 12 from Tiruppur and Erode districts  on a trekking expedition reached Kurangani hills on March 10. The team included 25 women and three children, according to Theni District Collector Mariam Pallavi Baldev.

The number of people rescued now stands at 27. People with serious burn injuries have been shifted to Madurai hospital for specialised treatment, said Health Minister C Vijayabhaskar.

Four helicopters of the IAF and their 10 commandos are involved in the rescue operation, according to a tweet by Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman. Health Secretary J Radhakrishnan said rescue teams comprising officials and health department personnel were camping in the hills.

Besides the IAF which has deployed four choppers from its Sulur Air base in Coimbatore, personnel drawn from fire and rescue and forest departments, police, and local officials are involved in the rescue operations assisted by local tribals and employees of nearby tea estates.

According to Pallavi Baldev, the trekkers after staying overnight at an estate in Kozhukumalai started their return journey to the plains on Sunday morning when they heard about the sudden forest fire and got separated while attempting to find a safe way.

Kurangani-Kozhukumalai hills in the Western Ghats are located near Bodinayakanur, about 40 kms from here. State health minister C Vijayabhaskar said the injured trekkers were received at Kurangani by a medical team.

"There is a medical team. Nine patients have already been shifted to Government Hospital in Bodi and they are all stable," he told reporters.

The minister said one of the injured identified as Anu Nithya sustained 90% burns injury, while other two Ilakiya and Sabitha have got 15-20 per cent burn injuries.

Madurai District Collector Veeraraghava Rao said medical teams comprising plastic surgeons have been deployed to provide treatment at the Madurai Government Rajaji Hospital.

A defence press note said 16 Garud commandos were in action from the morning.

Eight commandos had already reached the top and had started dousing the fire, it said.

One helicopter completed the first round of action and continuing it, the release said, the fire was still razing. Four choppers had been pressed into service.For Vijoo Krishnan, 44, farmers issues have always been close to his heart. After-all, he has grown up listening to stories of the first major uprising in the Malabar region by the peasants.

The Joint Secretary of All-India Kisan Sabha (AIKS) belongs to the same Karivellur village in Kannaur where farmers rose against the British imperialism and feudal system in 1946, and fought the landlords who wanted to smuggle paddy from the village at a time of acute starvation.

Seven decades after the Karivellur Struggle, similar demands helped Krishnan reach out to over 50,000 farmers in Maharashtra and convince them to stand up for their rights  an issue extremely close to his ideologies.

News18's Chandrakanth Viswanath speaks to Vijoo Krishnan, a former President of Jawaharlal Nehru University Students Union (JNUSU) and a firebrand leader of the Students Federation of India (SFI) who is now the Joint Secretary of All-India Kisan Sabha (AIKS), the largest farmers' organisation in the country that led the Long March from Nashik to Mumbai this week.

Krishnan is probably the youngest member of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) as an invitee. After completing a doctoral programme on the changing Indian agrarian economy, he joined St Joseph's College, Bengaluru, as the Head of the Post Graduate Department of Political Science. However, after a couple of years in teaching, he quit his job to become a full-time activist.

It was during his tenure as the president of JNU Students' Union that the administration was forced to rent a hotel outside the campus and also pay the students for their transit facing a protest over the issue of hostel fee hike.

Vijoo Krishnan was also a member of the first Gender Sensitisation Committee Against Sexual Harassment (GSCASH) after the union amended the JNUSU constitution for the first time since 1978.

Amidst his busy schedule as one of the helmsmen of the historic farmers agitation in Maharashtra, Vijoo Krishnan spoke to News18 from ground zero of the massive protest  Azaad Maidan.

Q. One of the tweets from CPM on the Long March was You can cut all the flowers but you cant stop the spring from coming! How do you see this?

A. This is an uprising of the agrarian sector and it has been happening for the last two years. It is happening in many parts of the country such as Rajasthan, Karnataka and Madhya Pradesh apart from Maharashtra. There were various kinds of agitations prior to this and now we have an active participation of about 50,000 farmers. The participation in Rajasthan was almost equal to this or even more, however, the mainstream media had to take a note of the agitation with this. Of course this gives us hope for the future and it shows the strength of All-India Kisan Sabha.

Q. Can the Long March by farmers be considered as a resurgence of the CPM, especially in the post-Tripura scenario?

A. This is a protest by the farmers for their day-to-day survival. An atmosphere has been created against the BJP due to its policies thus it has taken a political colour. However, it cannot be linked to electoral politics. Certainly it adds strength to all forces who wish to defeat the BJP.

Q. When you say all forces against BJP, it obviously includes the Congress party too. But how can the Congress be absolved from its anti-farmer policies?

A. Both the Congress and BJP are following neo-liberal policies against the farmers. However, the BJP has infused its communal elements, too, with its programmes such as gauraksha into it. Our agitations are not limited to the BJP-ruled states only. We have also organized agitations in Karnataka, which is a Congress-ruled state.

Q. You have Maoists in the platform for the Long March while CPM has a different attitude towards Maoists in Kerala, where it is in power. Do you see the irony in this?

A. Our approach to Maoism is that it is an issue which should be addressed politically. It is a fact that a lot of comrades are also killed by the Maoists. This is an agrarian uprising where all like-minded people are associating with it in order to fight against the anti-farmer policies. It may include organizations with ultra-Left ideologies such as CPI(ML). However, in no way, can we share the credit of this march with the Maoists.

Q. How does your native village Karivelloor and its historical agrarian uprising influence this Long March?

A. The uprisings in Karivelloor, Kayoor along with Punnapra Vayalar in Kerala are a great source of energy for uprisings across the nation. This march also gives an impetus to the decision of Kisan Sabha that it should have a presence in all the villages and all the farmers should be its members.Mar 12, 2018 13:44 (IST)

Sena backs farmers' protest march | The Shiv Sena today threw its weight behind the thousands of farmers who marched from Nashik to Mumbai to highlight their problems and said the party would back them regardless of their red flags. The saffron party also said the role of leaders with communist ideology -- a red flag usually symbolises communism -- in the agitation for a separate Maharashtra cannot be forgotten.The CPI(M)-affiliated All India Kisan Sabha is spearheading the protest that turned south Mumbai's Azad Maidan into a sea of red today as thousands of farmers carrying red flags converged there after walking around 180 km from neighbouring Nashik district. The farmers plan to surround the state Assembly complex to press for their demands of an unconditional loan waiver and transfer of forest land to tribal farmers who have been tilling it for years. "It is possible that the government may talk of assurances to farmers and even deploy some of its ministers to temporarily confuse them," the Sena, an ally of the ruling BJP in Maharashtra and at the Centre, said in an editorial in its mouthpiece 'Saamana'.Lunaticoutpost.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program , anaffiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.Amazon, the Amazon logo, MYHABIT, and the MYHABIT logo are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates.Don't be a pest to the forum.No profanity in thread-titles or usernamesNo excessive profanity in postsNo Racism, Antisemitism + HateNo calls for violence against anyone..This website exists for fun and discussion only. The reader is responsible for discerning the validity, factuality or implications of information posted here, be it fictional or based on real events. The content of posts on this site, including but not limited to links to other web sites, are the expressed opinion of the original poster and are in no way representative of or endorsed by the owners or administration of this website. The posts on this website are the opinion of the specific author and are not statements of advice, opinion, or factual information on behalf of the owner or administration of LunaticOutPost.Com. The owners or administration of this website can't be hold responsible for content hosted on sites that posters link to in; including, but not limited to, posts, signatures, private messages and such. This site may contain content not suitable for minors and if you feel you might be offended by such content, you should log off immediately.This site may contain copyrighted material the use of which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. Users may make such material available in an effort to advance awareness and understanding of issues relating to civil rights, economics, individual rights, international affairs, liberty, science & technology, etc. We believe this constitutes a 'fair use' of any such copyrighted material. The material on this site is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes.In accordance with industry accepted best practices we ask that users limit their copy / paste of copyrighted material to the relevant portions of the article you wish to discuss (no more than 50% of the source material) provide a link back to the original articleIf you are a legal copyright holder or a designated agent for such and you believe a post on this website falls outside the boundaries of "Fair Use" and legitimately infringes on yours or your clients copyright please contact [email protected] This website is owned by :Marco ZwaneveldDrijfriemstraat 522516 XR The HagueNetherlands.I will not rent, sell, share or otherwise disclose your personal information to any third party.We might contact you from time to time regarding your purchases or the services (like forums and announcement lists) you have subscribed to.Some of the 3rd party advertisers on lunaticoutpost.com may use cookiesto track peformance and/or to serve relevant ads.If you wish to read more and/or opt out of such cookies, please visit: http://www.networkadvertising.org/choices/Srinagar: The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Monday dropped finance minister Haseeb Ahmed Drabu from the council of ministers, a day after he said that Kashmir isnt a political one but a society with social issues.

The statement had set of a political storm in the state and had drawn the ire of lawmakers from the PDP and the opposition alike. It came at a time when the PDP and its coalition partner, the BJP, are at loggerheads on a range of issues, and Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti has openly pressed for talks with Pakistan.

At an event, Kashmir: The Way Forward, organised by the PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry at New Delhi, Drabu had said, Dont see J&K as a conflict state and a political issue. It is a society which has social issues right now. We are trying to find our own space and we are going through a process which many other countries are also going through.

It (J&K) is not a political issue as far as I can see. They have been barking up the wrong tree for the last 50 or 70 years by talking about the politics of it, that the political situation has never improved. We seriously need to look at in terms of how it is a society that is in search for itself, he said.

The PDP had demanded an explanation from Drabu and asked him to retract his statement immediately as it was contradictory to their stand. Drabu was said to be close to the BJP leadership at the Centre.Varanasi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi and French President Emmanuel Macron will jointly inaugurate a solar plant in Mirzapur district and also visit the Trade Facilitation Centre here on Monday.

Prime Minister Modi will receive the French President, who will arrive by a special plane at the Lal Bahadur Shastri International airport on Monday morning, the official said.

From the airport, both the leaders will fly by a helicopter to Mirzapur, where they will jointly inaugurate the 75-megawatt solar plant and then will return back to Varanasi.

The two leaders are scheduled to visit the Deen Dayal Upadhyay Trade facilitation Centre at Badalalpur here.

Both the leaders will also visit the Assi ghat, where they will enjoy a boat ride from Assi to Dashashwamedh ghat and will then head to the Taj Hotel, where Modi will host a dinner for the French president, the official said.

According to a Times of India report, Macron will be given a traditional welcome at Assi Ghat with showering of flower petals, Shehnai recital and chanting of Shukla Yajurveda mantras by a team of 121 priests. Amidst sound of shankh and damru, he will be shown the Pushpak Viman. After boarding Bajra for a 20-minute boat ride with the PM, Macron will watch the episodes of Ramleela and recital of Ramcharit Manas, while passing through Tulsi Ghat.

Modi will leave the hotel for the DLW helipad and the French president will stay at the hotel for the next few hours after which he will fly back to Delhi by the his special plane.

From DLW helipad, Modi will reach the Manduadih railway station by road, where he will flag off the Varanasi-Patna intercity train.

The prime minister will also address a public meeting and then will fly back to Delhi from the Varanasi airport, the official said.New Delhi: The Pakistan High Commission here has lodged complaints of harassment with the External Affairs Ministry, which has assured them of an investigation, official sources said on Sunday and alleged that several Indian mission staffers in Islamabad have been severely "harassed and intimidated".

"Harassment is the new normal for Indian High Commission personnel in Islamabad. The High Commissioner's car was recently stopped by Pakistani agencies in the middle of a busy road to prevent him from attending an event," a source said.

Noting that the Pakistan High Commission has brought to the Ministry of External Affair's notice some incidents of alleged harassment over the last few days, sources said these will no doubt be investigated.

"India makes all efforts to provide a safe, secure and hospitable environment for diplomats to work in. Unfortunately, this cannot be said of Islamabad. The Indian High Commission in Pakistan has been facing tremendous harassment for long, particularly in the last year," the source said.

"Aggressive surveillance, violation of physical space and tailing of officers in close and dangerous proximity is a perennial issue. Agency personnel keep shooting videos of the officers thrusting phones on their faces. Obscene phone calls and messages are constantly received on phones. In view of such an atmosphere of intimidation, most families have returned to India and children have been withdrawn from schools," the source added.

In more trouble, over the last few months, several Indian High Commission staffers have been severely harassed and intimidated, the source said, adding that in one case an official's home was broken into and a laptop stolen.

However, Indian diplomats chose to tackle this matter with quiet and persistent diplomacy rather than by airing issues in the media, the source said.

The strong reaction came after Pakistani news paper Dawn quoted Pakistani officials of accusing India of harassing its diplomats and their families in the country and threatened to pull out the families if the intimidation did not stop.

A demarche was made to the Indian High Commission in Islamabad and the external affairs ministry in Delhi, a diplomatic source was quoted as saying by the Dawn.

However, sources here said India has repeatedly requested Pakistan to mutually ensure that High Commissions are allowed to do their job in an atmosphere free of harassment and intimidation, that staff be allowed to work and that construction projects get completed on time.

"We would like to continue the fine tradition of allowing diplomats to do their jobs," the source said.

Sources also said that on February 16, the Indian High Commissioner met the Foreign Secretary of Pakistan to lodge a strong protest against multiple acts of hooliganism against Indian properties and personnel.

"India's residential complex in Islamabad was raided by Pakistan agencies who expelled all Pakistani service providers and later disconnected power and water supply.

"Despite the Foreign Secretary's assurance, the power supply was not restored for over two weeks. The Pakistan High Commission faces no such disruptions," the source said.New Delhi: It's not often that you see thousands of farmers walking even at night, some barefoot, to claim their "legitimate right". Walking over six days from Nashik and travelling for over 180 km, the farmers are in Mumbai now.

Over 40,000 farmers, led by the Left-affiliated All India Kisan Sabha, have a demand which is a tad different from those made by other farmer organisations.

Apart from the loan waiver and better Minimum Support Price, these farmers want the implementation of the Forest Rights Act to secure the rights of the people working on community lands and to help the farmers secure loans to opt for basic irrigation facilities.

News18 takes a detailed look at this demand:

What is the Forest Rights Act, 2006?

India is home to millions who drive their sustenance from India's forest lands but could never claim any legal right over their homes or lands they worked on. Scheduled Tribes and other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, also known as Forest Rights Act (FRA), 2006, recognises the rights of the people who live and work in such lands.

What are the basic features of the Act?

The act grants legal recognition to the rights of the people who have traditionally live near the forests. This was primarily done to iron out the problems caused by the forest laws ushered in by the British. People who have been living in the scheduled forest areas and the ones who work on such lands are covered under this act.

However, one has to be either from the Scheduled Caste or living there or be from a forest-dwelling Scheduled Tribe.

But the final decision on whom to include under the Act depends on the Gram Sabha, which recommends the names to the taluka and district committee. After the screening committee vets them, the names of the entitled persons are listed.

What kind of rights are recognised under the Act?

The law recognises three forms of rights land rights, user rights and the rights to conserve.

No one gets rights to any land that they have not been cultivating prior to December 13, 2005 [see section 4(3)] and that they are not cultivating right now. Those who are cultivating land but dont have a document can claim up to 4 hectares, as long as they are cultivating the land themselves for a livelihood [section 3(1) (a) and 4(6)].

Rest of the farmers who work on minor forest produce like tendu patta, herbs and medicinal plants etc that has been traditionally collected" can claim user rights apart from rights claimed by nomadic or pastoralist communities.

What is the problem of the farmers with FRA, 2006?

Under the legislation, land titles were granted to farmers when elections were near and was used to appeal to the farmers for votes. But as elections got over, these titles could never be allocated due to procedural errors.

Even the management of forest resources was to be divided between the Gram Sabha and the Forest Department, but lately the scales of responsibility have tilted towards the government, making the Gram Sabha less relevant.

As representatives of the Devendra Fadnavis government meet protesting farmers on Monday, these issues are most likely to be discussed.

Another complaint among farmers is that many of them have been cultivating land for generations, but are not declared as owners of the land as promised by the Forest Rights Act.

Sruledfarmers have rued that when production cost for an acre is Rs 12,000, the price is Rs 1000 a quintal, and hence many cannot battle this price difference without being accorded the ownership of the land.

Most of the farmers are scared of the fact that the lands they have been working on for decades will be taken over by the Forest Department.

Some leaders have also alleged that as per the Act, only 5 or 10 gunthas are being given to farmers and that the tribal farmers only want the right to till their land and the ownership over the same which is not restricted to acres.

When was the first time the forest dwellers came to know about the "injustice"?

In August 2010, the Union Ministry of Tribal Affairs released a status report. Of the 2.9 million claims settled under FRA, only 1.6 percent (46,156) gave community rights and most of these did not include rights over Minor Forest Produce (MFP). All other titles were for agricultural land and dwellings in forestland.

In Chhattisgarh alone, out of the 214,918 claims processed in the state, only 250 relate to community rights and none of them grant rights over MFP.

A different study on the implementation of the FRA in Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh by non-profit Samarthan in Bhopal said, "No community claims were approved in districts that have dense forests and high concentration of tribal population."

Many farmers are also of the view that the Forest Department earns huge amount of revenue from the MFP and hence the reluctance and delay in transfer of title.More than 30,000 farmers and tribals from across Maharashtra have marched on Mumbai from Nashik. They intend to surround Mantralaya, the states seat of power, on Monday, to protest against what they call the governments breach of promises to them.

Young and old peasants, men and women are on the streets, halting along the roads or rivers, sleeping under the open sky, eating together, some of them walking bare feet, some of them playing the drums and flutes and singing folk songs, but briskly walking on to knock on the governments doors.

The 180-km protest march, christened the Long March of Farmers, steered by the Maharashtra unit of the CPMs farmers wing, the All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS), is the latest in a string of farmers protests Maharashtra has seen in a year.

The peasants are in Mumbai when the state legislature is in Budget Session. The state finance minister Sudhir Mungantiwar presented yet another farmer-friendly Budget for 2018-19, a day after the Economic Survey for 2017-18 showed a severe constriction of farm economy last fiscal.

Clearly, the marching protestors arent impressed. Acche Din, alas, are nowhere to be seen, they say.

SHRINKING FARM ECONOMY

While the Devendra Fadnavis government claims it has delivered on its loan waiver promise and is doing more than what previous governments did for agriculture, why are farmers in Maharashtra angry?

Ravaged fields, sluggish delivery of loan waiver, and the Economic Survey yield some answers.

Vidarbha and Marathwada have seen an unprecedented devastation of cotton crop due to pink-worm attack  governments estimates district to district hover between 30% and 70%.

The tribal areas of north and eastern Maharashtra are witnessing a strong opposition by the BJP-Shiv Sena government to grant the community forest rights to the tribal communities under the Forest Rights Act. There has been a severe dent to rural and agriculture economy this past fiscal, following a 16% drop in long-term annual average rainfall furthering a sharp decline in farm yields across all commodities, save sugarcane that is witnessing bumper production, but it occupies barely 6 lakh ha of nearly 20 million ha cultivable land in the state.

Notably, Mungantiwar announced a raise in farm and allied sector spending in his 2018 budget to Rs 23,621 crore, but it was still only less than 6.5% of the total budgetary outlay.

In 2016-17, Maharashtras farm sector grew, riding on good monsoon and bumper harvests, by 22.5%, pushing its overall growth to 10%. Even that year, sections of informal farm economy got hit by demonetisation.

Yet, that jump was due to preceding years of drought. In 2017-18, the farm economy contracted 8.3%, the Economic Survey said, owing to weak monsoon  it indicated growing distress. This decline in growth of agriculture and allied activities brought down the states overall economic growth to 7.3%.

During the Kharif season of 2017, the survey said, sowing was completed on 15 million ha with minor increase over the previous year. The area under cereals, pulses, oilseeds and cotton decreased by 3, 3, 1 and 0.1%, respectively, while sugarcane acreage increased by 43% over the previous year.

The production of cereals, pulses, oilseeds and cotton, the Survey predicted, is expected to decrease by 4, 46, 15 and 44%, respectively, while the production of sugarcane crop would increase by 25% over the previous year. Maharashtra has cotton on a whopping 13 million hectares of land.

Same applies to the Rabi crops: The Survey says, as on January 5, 2018, the acreage is 31% less over the previous year. The area of cereals, pulses and oilseeds dwindled by 42, 6 and 60%, respectively, over the previous year. The production of cereals, pulses and oilseeds in Rabi is expected to fall by 39, 4 and 73% , respectively, as compared to previous year.

Small and marginal farmers  growing food crops and cash crops like cotton and soybeans  are taking a hit.

LONG-TERM STRUCTURAL PROBLEMS

Like the rest of India, Maharashtras farm woes that are pushing farmers distress are structural and they need more than band-aids.

Lets take this: The share of agriculture & allied activities sector in the total Gross State Value Added (GSVA), according to the Economic Survey, stood at 12.2% as against 15.3% during 2001-02, marking a declining trend over the period while a large part of the population is still dependent on this sector.

These were the years of a high incidence of the farmers suicides, particularly in its dry and arid regions.

In the same period, or more, Maharashtra saw a steady reduction in average size of land-holding.

As Mungantiwar himself put it in his Budget Speech, In 2010-11 agriculture census, the state, with average size of 1.44 hectare of operational land holding, is ranked 10th among all states.

In 1971, Maharashtra had an average land holding of 4.28 hectares and the total agriculture land was distributed among only 4.9 million landholders. Today, the average land holding stands at 1.44 hectares and the number of land holders is 13.7 million. Thus, more than 8.9 million hectares of farmland in the state, accounting for 45.2% of total cultivable land, falls in the category of small and marginal (up to 2 hectares), the survey points out, but more than 10.7 million farmers hold this land.

In other words, 78% of the states 13.7 million farmers are small and marginal. Add to that the abysmal irrigation of 20%.

How do you turn dryland small farms that comprise a bulk of the peasantry is a problem successive state governments are grappling with.

The Fadnavis government has pinned its hope on Jal-Yukta-Shivar, a local sector rain-water conservation programme in drought-prone regions that it says is an alternative to big dams. Yet, the mounting farm losses coupled with a struggling rural economy is triggering unrest.

AGER BOILING OVER

Last June, bowing down to the pressure from farmers and political parties in the wake of growing anger and protests all over, CM Fadnavis announced a farm loan waiver that was then pegged at Rs 34,022 crore.

It was anticipated that about seven million small and marginal farmers will benefit from the scheme under the prescribed rules. A year has passed, but not all farmers have got a loan respite.

As of today, as the finance minister admitted in his budget speech, the banks have been permitted to grant loan waiver to 4.64 million farm households, amounting to Rs 23,102.19 crore.

The banks have passed on Rs 13,782 crore to 3.57 million beneficiary accounts, Mungantiwar said. That comes to a waiver of less than Rs 40,000 per household, far lower than the Rs 1.5 lakh cap that the government promised.

More than half the farmers are still waiting for a waiver amid confusion over the amount, the time within which they would get it, and whether they would be eligible for fresh loans.

Meanwhile, 2017-18 saw a decline in crop yields, massive devastation due to pest attack, and a recent onslaught of incessant rains that were accompanied by hails in parts of Maharashtra.

The governments promise on crop insurance, remunerative prices, doubling of income, compensation against pest-attack, and long-term investments in agriculture sector has turned hollow.

Maharashtra saw hundreds of cotton farmers fall ill due to accidental inhalation of pesticides in districts like Yavatmal, nearly 50 of them die during July-November period, triggering unrest among peasantry.

Last December, during the winter session of the state legislature, state agriculture minister Pandurang Phundkar, announced a per hectare compensation of Rs 39,000 to cotton farmers reeling under the pink-worm attack. Not a pittance has come through. It was a lofty promise on the floor of the House that would never be met by a government whose debts are piling up to over Rs 4.13 lakh crore.

None of the cabinet ministers has commented on the AIKS protest march yet or shown any inclination to talk to the protestors to dissolve the protests.

More peasants are joining the march every day. When it reaches Mumbai on Sunday, the gathering is expected to be over 50,000 farmers and forest dwellers.

In 2015, we had protested for the farmers to get their [rights to the] forest land, better rates for crops, a loan waiver and so on, says Ajit Nawale, the state secretary of the AIKS and one of the farm leaders steering the ongoing march. The government is pretending to fulfil its promises, but is not.

The demands include a total loan waiver, implementation of the Swaminathan Commissions key recommendation on paying 50% of the production cost as MSP to the farmers, and granting of individual and community forest rights to the tribal dwellers under the FRA, among others.

We gave enough time to the government, Nawale has said. Now we want concrete action. We wont call off this agitation until our demands are met.

(The author is a Nagpur-based journalist and a volunteer for the Peoples Archive of Rural India. Views are personal)Bengaluru/Hyderabad: TDP chief and Andhra Pradesh chief minister Nara Chandrababu Naidu has killed two birds in one stone. Firstly, he silenced his critics by withdrawing the ministers from the Modi government at the Centre, and then poured cold water over his main rival YSRCP chief Y S Jaganmohan Reddys dreams of going with the BJP.

Chandrababu Naidu knows what he does. He wont do anything without calculating the risks involved. Taking on the ally BJP and withdrawing the ministers, Naidu has not come as a surprise to anyone who understand the style of politics --Telugu Bidda practices.

The TDP came back to BJP-led NDA a month before the 2014 Lok Sabha polls. It had severed ties with the BJP after its debacle at the hands of Dr Y S Rajasekhara Reddy-led Congress in 2004. Naidu had even called BJP a communal party which had drowned him with it.

The popularity of Jaganmohan Reddy and the Modi wave in urban pockets of AP forced Naidu to go for an alliance with the BJP. He had taken a huge risk and it had paid off finally.

But the relationship has never been the same post results. Naidu was miffed with Modi over allocation of portfolios to no special aid to Andhra Pradesh.

Realising that BJP was keeping back channel talks with the YSRCP open, Naidu decided to pull the plug. After Jaganmohan Reddy gave an explosive interview to News18 clearly saying that he is willing to go with the BJP if the special status to AP is granted by the Centre in last January, Naidu decided to act. But he was aware of what was going to happen and had been preparing his party for that.

Naidu, Indias first chief minister to master the art of effective communication through perception management was quietly working on a plan for the past one year. He had used every opportunity to tell the voters that BJP was responsible for their plight and an alliance with them was of no use.

Without using the word betrayal, he had conveyed the subtle message to the people a year ago. Closer to the final show down, Naidu became more and more vocal directly attacking the BJP for not granting the special status to AP.

In fact, Jagan was the first to use special category state card to embarrass Naidu. He had said that Naidu had compromised the interests of AP by aligning with the BJP for the sake of power. It actually worked for some time and the TDP was on back foot. A shrewd politician Naidu quickly realized the dangers of allowing such a narrative to grow and turned the tables on Jagan by pulling out of Modi Cabinet. Walking out of the NDA alliance is now just a matter of days and Naidu has successfully arrested the slide.

Commenting on this, Dr M V Mysura Reddy, former AP Home Minister and a veteran leader said Naidu is extremely intelligent. He has now put a resurgent Jagan on back foot. Jagan cant go with the BJP even in 2019 elections because the public mood is against them. He will have to fight on his own. Jagan had dared Naidu to back a no confidence motion against the Modi government. Even before Jagan could act upon that, Naidu has pulled the plug. Now Jagan cant do anything. Cant attack Naidu. Cant even attack the BJP. He is now in a fix.

Dr. Reddy feels that Jagans overtures to the BJP will be seen as a betrayal by the people of AP and he will have to fight the battle on his own. If he says something against BJP, his cases will come back to haunt him. Because of that they will be forced to remain quiet. It helps Naidu to improve his position once again.

According to another leader film star Pavan Kalyans Jana Sena may go for an alliance with the Congress and Communists in the 2019 elections. Commenting on this Dr. Reddy said going with them makes his party an all caste and religion party. Otherwise it will be treated like a Kapu party. If they fight well, they can even create a hung Assembly in the 175 member house forcing TDP and YSRCP to go for a post poll deal with them.

A top leader of the YSRCP who spoke to News18 on condition of anonymity agreed with Dr. Reddys assessment of the situation. He said now we cant go with the BJP before the elections. If we praise BJP or go with them it will go against us. We need to play our cards carefully. He has attempted to take the steam out of Jagans ongoing Padayathra across the state.

However the YSRCP is confident of giving a good fight in the next years elections. A senior MP of YSRCP said in 2014, TDP, Janasena & BJP together got 45% votes and we alone got 44% votes and lost by a slender margin. Minus an alliance, the TDP will get less votes and it will help us.

Last time Naidu won because of his tactical alliances. This time he cant repeat it. And Jagans public meetings are drawing a huge crowd everywhere. Left with no other choice Naidu left Modi Cabinet. Not on his own. And the people of AP are not fools. They understand everything.

But all players in AP politics know that Chandrababu Naidu can spring a surprise any time.In 2019, agriculture distress could be the nemesis of the BJP government at the Centre and in several other states, including Maharashtra.

Firstly, the Narendra Modi government did a complete volte-face on the MS Swaminathan Commission recommendations. Secondly, it failed to ensure that farmers get Minimum Support Price (MSP) for pulses and oilseeds. And thirdly, it did not respond to farmers demand of complete and unconditional loan waiver.

The Centre asked the state governments (both BJP and non-BJP alike) to face the music.

In, Maharashtra it all started in June last year, when the farmers in Puntamba village in Ahmednagar district resorted to strike and decided not to send farm produce like milk and vegetables to the cities.

The village received spontaneous support from dozens of farmers organisations and political parties. The state government had no choice but to accept the demand of loan waiver.

The Farm Loan Waiver Scheme was announced on June 24, 2017 and it was to benefit 89 lakh farmers across the state with burden on the state exchequer to the extent of Rs 34,000 crore. However, seven months after the announcement of the scheme, only 31 lakh farmers have been the beneficiaries and loans worth Rs 12,262 crores have been waived. The banks had to furnish the data of farmers in 66 columns in the software provided by the government and hence glitches happened.

Later, the government changed the methodology, but that did not work either. In December, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis admitted that his government made some mistakes in the implementation of the Chhatrapati Shivaji Shetkari Sanman Yojana (Farm Loan Waiver Scheme).

NCP chief Sharad Pawar kick-started Halla Bol Andolan in January this year from Marathawada region, which witnessed the highest number of farmers suicides, intensifying the protest on the issue of farm loan waiver.

This was followed by rallies in Nagpur, Aurangabad and Nasik. Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad addressed the Nagpur rally, giving clear indication that the Congress and NCP, along with other like-minded parties, would come together to fight the forthcoming assembly and general elections.

The Kisan Sabha of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) has its cadre in few pockets of tribal belts in Nandurbar, Dhule, Nasik and Thane districts.

Sensing that agrarian distress could be the nemesis of the BJP government, the Marxists mobilised their cadre and resorted to a Long March to encircle the state legislature on Monday. They meticulously worked on logistics and other arrangements, including supplies and medical emergency for nearly 30,000 tribal farmers, highlighting new dimension of agrarian crisis.

They have threatened to camp in the state capital till their demands are met. The main demands are complete and unconditional farm loan waiver, remunerative prices for crops, implementation of the Swaminathan Commission recommendations and, more importantly, transfer of forest land to those have been tilling it for years, i.e. implementation of PESA [Provisions of the Panchayats (Extension to Scheduled Areas) Act, 1996].

There are three principal factions of the erstwhile Shetkari Sanghatana  Raghunathdada Patil, Raju Shetty and Sadabhau Khot. Raju Shetty had allied with the BJP in 2014 elections and got elected to Lok Sabha, but on farmers issues, he has parted ways with the BJP. His confidant Sadabhau Khot refused to fall in line as he became minister of state in the Fadnavis cabinet.

Raghunathdada Patil, a veteran leader, has considerable following in Nasik district and is well respected across the Shetkari Sanghatana cadre. He, too, is likely to announce the agitation.

In 2014 Assembly elections, it was a four-cornered contest and the BJP could garner 27.8% votes and 122 seats, while its bete noire and partner in the government Shiv Sena cornered 19.3% votes and 63 seats. The Congress (18% votes and 42 seats) and NCP (17.2 % votes and 41 seats) together won 83 seats.

As per the agriculture census, the total number of farmers in Maharashtra is over 1 crore and total number of voters in the state is over 7 crore. The farmers hold the key in turning the tables on the BJP in 2019, provided the Congress and the NCP together steer the farm protest while managing internal contradictions of ideologies and different sections of farmers.

(The author is a senior journalist. Views are personal)Lucknow: Days after senior BJP MP Vinay Katiyar suggested that Muslims should not stay in the country, the saffron party has decided to set him aside and instead give Rajya Sabha ticket to two Samajwadi party turncoats.

The BJP released a list of 18 candidates from various states for the upper house of the Parliament, but Katiyars name was missing from it. Among the eight candidates chosen from Uttar Pradesh, former SP leaders Ashok Bajpai and Harnath Singh Yadav were also a part of the list.

Bajpai, who was once considered quite close to SP patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav, quit his Vidhan Parishad seat last year to join the BJP. Interestingly, Bajpais name was preferred over some senior leaders like Sudhanshu Trivedi and Laxmikant Bajpai, who were also in the race for Rajya Sabha seat. On the other hand, Yadav had left Samajwadi Party just a few days ahead of Lok Sabha elections in 2014.

A total of 10 Rajya Sabha seats are getting vacant from Uttar Pradesh.

Speaking to News18, the BJP MP said that he will follow the words of the saffron party collectively. I dont want to comment on the Rajya Sabha candidate list. I have already been a Member of Parliament for five years -- two times from Rajya Sabha and three times from Lok Sabha. I will follow whatever the party asks me to do. Right now, I cannot discuss my political plans, you will have to wait and watch.

The former BJP state president was elected as a member of Lok Sabha from the Faizabad (Ayodhya) constituency in 1991, 1996 and 1999 and is currently a member of Rajya sabha from Uttar Pradesh.

The saffron partys MP, who is one of the key campaigners for a Ram temple at the disputed site in Ayodhya, is known for his controversial remarks.

Five days ago, the 63-year-old leader had said, Muslims should not stay in this country. They have partitioned the country on the basis of population. So why are they here? Muslims have been given their share. They should go to Bangladesh or Pakistan... they have no business being in India.

Earlier, the leader had said that the Ram temple in Ayodhya will be constructed on the spot where Ram Lala is resting.

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."

Katiyar had also claimed that Taj Mahal stands at the site of a temple and suggested that it should be re-named Tejo Mandir.

Enraged over the leaders statements, more than 70 social activists had demanded Rajya Sabha Chairman Venkaiah Naidu in February to revoke the membership of the leader from the Upper House for violating the Constitution.

In a letter to Naidu, they alleged that Katiyars hate speech was the recent example as several BJP MPs and MLAs have been repeatedly making remarks and threatening the secular fabric of the country.

The senior BJP leader is the founder member and president of Bajrang Dal, an affiliate and youth wing of Vishwa Hindu Parishad. He is one of the top BJP leaders who are facing charges in the Supreme Court for criminal conspiracy in Babri Masjid-Ayodhya Ram Temple issue.Username: Password: or Register Thread Rating: 1 Vote(s) - 5 Average

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FBI Insiders Blow Whistle on Las Vegas Cover Up- Agents Told Not to Investigate LoP Guest

lop guest

User ID: kaput

03-12-2018 07:31 PM











Post: #1 FBI Insiders Blow Whistle on Las Vegas Cover Up- Agents Told Not to Investigate

Advertisement



The official narrative youve been fed by the FBI and Las Vegas officials about the massacre at Mandalay Bay that claimed 58 lives is purely fiction, a polished story contrived to cover up the disturbing facts surrounding the worst mass shooting ever in the United States, according the FBI insiders and high-ranking intelligence officials.



Its a movie script that was written after the shooting to rewrite what really happened, one FBI agent said. The investigation is an entirely different story that we are not allowed to talk about. If we do and get caught, we get fired and probably charged (criminally).



The major, shocking revelations include:



* The FBI uncovered specific evidence showing that Paddock was anti-Trump and had an affiliation with ANTIFA, though it never was divulged to the public and agents did not follow such leads, per orders of their superiors.

* When FBI brass was given evidence that the shooting was possibly linked to ANTIFA radicals working with an ISIS-linked terror faction  including the full identities of some of the suspects with ties to both radical groups and at or near Mandalay Bay the night of the deadly shooting  agents were never instructed to follow up on the investigation and pursue the suspects.



Much more at link:



https://truepundit.com/fbi-insiders-blow...-massacre/ FBI Insiders Blow Whistle on Massive Las Vegas Cover Up; Agents Told Not to Investigate Key Evidence Including ISIS Terror Link to Mandalay Bay Massacre.The official narrative youve been fed by the FBI and Las Vegas officials about the massacre at Mandalay Bay that claimed 58 lives is purely fiction, a polished story contrived to cover up the disturbing facts surrounding the worst mass shooting ever in the United States, according the FBI insiders and high-ranking intelligence officials.Its a movie script that was written after the shooting to rewrite what really happened, one FBI agent said. The investigation is an entirely different story that we are not allowed to talk about. If we do and get caught, we get fired and probably charged (criminally).The major, shocking revelations include:* The FBI uncovered specific evidence showing that Paddock was anti-Trump and had an affiliation with ANTIFA, though it never was divulged to the public and agents did not follow such leads, per orders of their superiors.* When FBI brass was given evidence that the shooting was possibly linked to ANTIFA radicals working with an ISIS-linked terror faction  including the full identities of some of the suspects with ties to both radical groups and at or near Mandalay Bay the night of the deadly shooting  agents were never instructed to follow up on the investigation and pursue the suspects.Much more at link: LoP Guest

lop guest

User ID: 1337

03-12-2018 07:40 PM











Post: #2 RE: FBI Insiders Blow Whistle on Las Vegas Cover Up- Agents Told Not to Investigate

I believe it. The FBI has been proven to be Trump haters so they would do anything they could to keep from incriminating fellow degenerates. LoP Guest

lop guest

User ID: 1337

03-21-2018 08:33 PM











Post: #3 RE: FBI Insiders Blow Whistle on Las Vegas Cover Up- Agents Told Not to Investigate

https://www.eastonspectator.com/2018/03/...ll-answer/



#1) RAMBO.

How did an overweight, out of shape, 60-year old, anonymous guy (on no ones radar) with no military training and no military or law enforcement history become Rambo overnight?

...



#3) The Police Homicide Division isnt Investigating the worst mass shooting in U.S. history?

...



#10) Child porn.

Police say they found child porn on Paddocks computer. But it was announced after the shooting, Paddocks hard drive was gone. Removed from his computer. Nowhere to be found.



https://www.theunitedwest.org/2018/03/15...heir-dead/







Something is funny about the investigation.



I'm suspicious that some basic truth about what happened is being buried.



And a detailed analysis of the evidence issues.





Something is funny about the investigation.I'm suspicious that some basic truth about what happened is being buried.And a detailed analysis of the evidence issues. The Ghost Of LOP

Registered User

User ID: 1337

03-21-2018 08:34 PM



Posts: 41,215









Post: #4 RE: FBI Insiders Blow Whistle on Las Vegas Cover Up- Agents Told Not to Investigate

... WHY ? I am so confused !!!















Lucknow: Senior Samajwadi Party leader and Rajya Sabha MP Naresh Agarwal has defected to the BJP after he was snubbed in favour of Jaya Bachchan for re-entry to the upper house of the parliament in the upcoming elections.

The seven-time MLA from Hardoi constituency, known for his controversial statements, announced that he was joining the BJP at a press conference in New Delhi in the presence of railway minister Piyush Goyal. His son Nitin Agarwal, the current MLA from Hardoi, also joined the BJP.

Addressing a press conference, he said, I am joining the BJP as I think that until you are in National Party, you cannot do anything for the society. I am also impressed by PM Modi, BJP president Amit Shah and UP CM Yogi. I still respect Mulayam Singh Yadav and Ram Gopal Yadav, but the current scenario in SP where it is doing coalition with Congress and sometimes BSP is very sad.

He also made yet another controversial remark, this time aimed at Bachchan. "My ticket was denied and it was given to a someone who dances in films. That is even more painful. My son Nitin who is a SP MLA is also joining BJP and will vote for BJP in Rajya Sabha. I would like to thank PM Modi and Amit Shah for showing faith in me.'

The Samajwadi Party has 47 MLAs in the Uttar Pradesh Assembly and can send just one candidate to the upper house. The SP had chosen Bachchan over Agarwal to placate the faction led by SP Chief Akhilesh Yadavs uncle Shivpal Singh Yadav, who is said to be upset with Agarwal for allegedly colluding with the BJP.

Speculation that Agarwal may join the BJP had first surfaced in January after he met home minister Rajnath Singh. The SP leader denied the rumours at the time and alleged that the saffron party was spreading "rumours" for the fear of losing voters among the traders.

The switch by Agarwal can also affect the BSPs chances of sending its candidate to the Rajya Sabha as it is being speculated that cross voting might take place in favour of the BJP.

Agarwal, who is from Hardoi, had first become an MLA on a Congress ticket in 1980. He had left the Congress in 1989, after which he formed the All India Democratic Party in 1997. Post this he joined BSP before finally joining Samajwadi Party.

Agarwal also held the post of Minister of Tourism in Mulayam Singh Yadav government from 2003 to 2004 and was elected to Rajya Sabha in March 2010. He had resigned in March 2012, but was elected again in the year 2012 on a Samajwadi Party ticket.

He praised the PM Modis stewardship of the country on Monday, but just a month ago, he had triggered a row by making remarks about the PM's caste. At a programme organised by traders in Lucknow, Agarwal had said, Tell them to make laws in favour of the community (Business Community)... Amit Shah is from our community, but Modi is a 'Teli'.

The casteist remarks had prompted a strong reaction from some members of the audience.

Later, speaking to reporters, Agrawal in an apparent defence of his comments, said, Every person has a caste, and there is nothing new in this. If any leader is not telling his caste, then public will tell his caste.Bhopal: Keeping an eye on the upcoming Assembly elections, Congress has meticulously opted for Kurmi leader Rajmani Patel as its Rajya Sabha nominee from Madhya Pradesh. Patel filed his nomination along with four others from BJP, including Union ministers Thavar Chand Gehlot and Dharmendra Pradhan, on Monday.

Given the strength in the Assembly, all the five are expected to be elected unopposed.

Even as senior Congress leaders lobbied hard to send state president Arun Yadav to the Upper House, Yadav backed out at the last moment, thus prompting the party to field another OBC candidate Rajmani Patel  a native of the Vindhya region, a three-time state minister and four-time MLA from Rewas Sirmour Assembly constituency.

Known to be a politician with a strong ground connect, Patel, according to sources in Congress could prove handy for the party to woo the Kurmi community for the Madhya Pradesh elections.

A former close aide of late Union minister Arjun Singh, Patel was elected to the Assembly for the first time in 1972 and was made the revenue minister in 1986. He, however, went into political oblivion after Congress lost power in 2003.

Patel, who was the last to file his nomination on Monday  the last day of filing the papers  told the media that he was given a chance to represent the party in Upper House as the Congress traditionally believes in the upliftment of the Dalits and backward classes.

In MP, farmers are given bullets when they demand their rights, martyrs are not offered due honours while youths are killed in the Vyapam scam when they demand jobs, he said.

With CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan still standing ground as the poster boy of OBCs in Madhya Pradesh, Patels nomination to Rajya Sabha is being seen as another attempt by the Congress to dent Shivrajs pet vote bank.

However, according to political observers, the BJP  which had tossed up a surprise while nominating Union Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Dharmendra Pradhan from MP  is part of larger scheme of things. He could even be given a key responsibility ahead of the Assembly polls.

After filing his nomination on Monday, Pradhan said, Madhya Pradesh has remained a laboratory for implementing welfare schemes in BJP rule.

On being asked about his earlier remarks of bringing petroleum products into GST, the Union minister said that this would be deliberated upon collectively.

Last time, the BJP had nominated HRD Minister Prakash Javadekar from MP and was sure to be given another term from MP, but it was not the case.

His cabinet colleague and Union Minister Thavar Chand Gehlot also filed his nomination on Monday. BJP General Secretary Ajay Pratap Singh, who is considered close to Union Minister Narendra Singh Tomar, was also among those who submitted their nomination papers.

Senior BJP leader and the close aide of outgoing RS member Meghraj Jain, Kailash Soni also filed the nomination. Soni is also known as a strong opponent of former Union Minister Prahlad Patel, who also hails from Narsinghpur like Soni and shares strenuous relations with the chief minister. CM Shivraj recently had inducted Patels brother Jalam Singh into his cabinet.

Soni has earlier lost the Madhya Pradesh assembly polls twice and remained the BJP district president for years.

Four candidates from BJP and one from Congress filed nomination within the stipulated time on Monday. Two Independents had also secured nomination papers but did not file them till 3pm, said Principal Secretary of state Assembly, Bhagwandev Israni.Ahmedabad: The election of four members to the Rajya Sabha from Gujarat will not be as thrilling as last year when Congress Ahmed Patel was elected to the Upper House in a fiercely fought battle. However, it will also not be a straightforward nomination of two candidates each from the BJP and Congress.

For the four Rajya Sabha seats from Gujarat, a total of six candidates will be in the poll fray - three from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), two from Congress and an Independent candidate supported by the Congress.

Meanwhile, even the process of filing nominations was not spared without some drama. Around noon, news filtered that senior Congress leader Rajiv Shukla has been asked to rush to Gujarat to file his nomination as there were discrepancies in those of the partys other candidate, Naran Rathwa.

However, with the Ahmedabad airport runway undergoing some maintenance work, no commercial flights could land in Ahmedabad between noon and 7 pm. In the meantime, Rathwa claimed that he had completed all the required formalities and would file his nomination before the stipulated the 3 pm deadline.

Until 2.45 pm on Monday, two candidates from the BJP and two others Congress had filed their nominations for the Rajya Sabha elections. However, saving the drama for the last few minutes, the BJP fielded a third candidate, Kiritsinh Rana, while the Independent candidate being supported by the Congress, PK Valera, also filed his nomination just minutes before the deadline. While Rana is the sitting BJP MLA from Limbdi constituency of Saurashtra, Valera is a retired IAS officer.

Speaking to News18, Naran Rathwa said, "There was no drama whatsoever. Reports that Rajiv Shukla was being rushed to Gujarat are also wrong. There was a slight delay in preparing my papers but I have filed my nomination in time."

He added that the Congress has fielded just two candidates. "We have the numbers to get two persons elected. The BJP resorts to such drama every time and has now fielded three candidates. It will fail," he said.

Meanwhile, the BJP believes there is a strong possibility that Naran Rathwa's nomination papers might be rejected and has fielded three candidates.

Senior BJP leader and Deputy Chief Minister Nitin Patel, while speaking to the media, said that there is also a possibility that the Congress might move its MLAs to a safe location like it did during Ahmed Patels election.

"The BJP has fielded its third candidate as we sense an opportunity to have a third member elected. There is a possibility that Naran Rathwa's nomination papers will be rejected and that is perhaps the reason why the Congress has decided to field P K Valera in the form of an independent candidate," Patel said.

Speaking to News18, Kirtisinh Rana, BJP's third candidate, expressed confidence that he will win.

The process of scrutinisation of forms will be taken up by the returning officer on Tuesday.

As of now, both BJP and Congress have adequate numbers to send two candidates each to the Rajya Sabha from Gujarat. However, with both parties having propped an additional candidate, the election process is likely to take an interesting turn.Thiruvananthapuram: On December 14, 2015, the historic Thekkinkadu Maidan at Thrissur in central Kerala witnessed a mammoth crowd replicating the annual festival at the venue, Pooram, as Prime Minister Narendra Modi kickstarted his battle for Kerala prior to the Assembly elections.

Minutes after beginning his address, from the response of the crowd, Modi could read that the Malayalam translation by a young leader was not in tandem with his Hindi. PM enquired him what went wrong. The reply was, he couldn't listen properly. Then Modi turned to the dais and asked, 'Aapne suna?' (Did you hear?) and invited the one who swiftly replied in affirmative to continue the translation.

The "new recruit" took no time in retaining the tempo of the speech which went on to electrify the party cadre. It was nothing unusual for Vellamvelly Muraleedharan, the one who led the State unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party for nearly six years then. Because the tryst with such opportunities during adverse conditions was normal. "

The state which does not send a member to Lok Sabha is getting a fourth member to Rajya Sabha. It shows the special consideration and importance of the party to the state of Kerala. This will also increase my responsibility to the party as well as the people whom I share a close contact as a field worker for a long time," Muraleedharan told News18.com before leaving to Maharashtra, a state which has close connections as a leader of ABVP, to file the nomination papers to RS on Monday.

A native of Thalassery in the Marxist fort of Kannur, Muraleedharan is known as a fighter who could take any challenge as well as a teacher who could be at ease with the ideological discourses of the party. Hence, when Muraleedharan who was implicated by the LDF government and was kept in judicial custody for two months in 1980, in retaliation, Chief Minister E K Nayanar was locked up and gheraoed by ABVP activists at Delhi Kerala House. The case against him had invited wide public attention and was later dismissed by a court.

He held various positions in ABVP from 1981 to 1996 before becoming the Vice Chairman of Nehru Yuva Kendra in 1999 and later its Director General for two years from 2002.

Hailing from a lower-middle-class family, the 59-year old was associated with RSS from a very young age. When the family fell in crisis following his fathers death, a graduate in English Literature from Govt. Brennan College, Thalassery entered government service as a Lower Division clerk at District Industries Centre, Kannur as advised by his organization. However, he soon returned to politics.

He was the Vice President of the state unit for four years from 2006 and then its President before stepping out in 2015 December. Then he had a grand fight at Kazhakkottam Assembly seat in Thiruvananthapuram where he came second to present State Minister Kadakampalliy Surendran of CPM for nearly 7,000 votes. However, he set the ground ready for the party to send its first member to the state Assembly. On being asked about the higher responsibilities which may be bestowed upon him by the party in future, Muraleedharan said, "I am not expecting bigger as I think even this itself is a big responsibility."Onavo, the data-security app maker that Facebook acquired in 2013, has launched a new Android app that let users lock other apps on their devices using a PIN code, pattern or fingerprint. 'Bolt App Lock' -- from the Israeli company that provides analytics products for mobile apps -- adds to the long list of mobile applications that help users lock other apps on their smartphones.

"Like the others in this space, the 'Bolt App Lock' lets you lock down other apps that contain personal information, such as private photos or payment details," Tech Crunch reported late on Friday. With the resources of Facebook behind it, Onavo appears to have built a more polished, modern alternative to the existing apps, the report added.

But Onavo -- and Facebook's -- primary interest apparently is not on personal security but about monitoring users' mobile activity and learn what new apps could be taking attention away from Facebook's social network. The app's listing on Google Play explained that Onavo would "collect info about your mobile device and the apps installed on it" and share that with Facebook.

Facebook recently began advertising 'Bolt App Lock' directly within Facebook's main navigation on iOS, under the menu item "Protect". When clicked, the link would take you to the download page for Onavo Protect on the App Store. The company has also featured a similar "Protect" link in its Facebook app for Android in the past.

WATCH VIDEO: Samsung Galaxy S9, S9+ First Impressions Review: Best Android Flagships of 2018?Google has rolled out a feature in Maps that will turn any ride into a fun trip as users can now include a Mario Kart on the navigation interface while using the app. Munish Dabas, User Experience (UX) Engineer at Google Maps, said the company has collaborated with the team at Japanese video game company Nintendo "to let Mario accompany you on all of your driving adventures on Google Maps this week".

Scouting out a new course...Wherever you go today, share with #MarioMaps pic.twitter.com/KSqN7e9Wyq Google Maps (@googlemaps) March 10, 2018

Also Read: Nokia 9 to Sport In-Display Fingerprint Sensor, Large Bezel-less Display: Report

The company is celebrating the mustachioed plumber-turned-racer on his special day MAR10 Day -- also known as March 10, he said in a blog post late on Friday. To get started, users need to first update Maps app from Google Play or the App Store. Click on the yellow "?" icon found on the bottom right of Google Maps app on Android or iOS. Users would then see a prompt to enable Mario Time!

Also Read: Micromax to Enter Refrigerators, Washing Machines Segment in India

Once enabled, users would notice that the regular navigation arrow has morphed into Mario -- the 1990s' video game character. The update would reportedly be available in India from Monday.

Also Watch: Juho Sarvikas, Chief Product Officer, HMD Global | Interview at MWC 2018Micromax Informatics Ltd. has announced that the homegrown company will be entering the refrigerator and washing machine segment in India. Targeting the mass segment, Micromax will launch 8 models of refrigerators, 16 models of Washing Machines, 10 models of air conditioners and 8 models of air coolers. With this diversification, the company aims to achieve 2000 crore revenue by 2020, with a 30 percent share for Consumer Electronics segment by March 2019.

With this launch, the company is expanding its product portfolio. For Refrigerator and Washing Machine category, Micromax will be aiming for 3 percent market share in the first year, 5 percent market share in the second year and 7 percent in the third year. The company is planning to launch Semi-automatic washing machines and Direct Cool Refrigerators by March 2018.

Also read: Here's Why New Nokia Phones Are Even Stronger Than Before; Interaction With Juho Sarvikas

Commenting on the launch, Rajesh Agarwal, Co-founder, Micromax Informatics Ltd. said, With our new category and expansion of our existing products, we are working towards becoming a leading consumer electronics brand and are very confident that 2018 will be a landmark year for us in this segment.

As per the company, it has already invested around 300 crores in the last 2-3 years and is planning to invest around 200 crores more in the next couple of years. Micromax has also set up dedicated service centres and a special customer service application for the new product segment to take care of the after-sales services.

Watch: Juho Sarvikas, Chief Product Officer, HMD Global | Interview at MWC 2018Germany's incoming minister with responsibility for digital policy says she will push social media giants to make users' information feeds more diverse and timely to avoid creating "echo chambers" for the like-minded. Companies such as Facebook have come under pressure from regulators around the world as evidence has emerged of how the recirculation of a particular selection of news and views on their platforms can narrow perceptions of the world and voter behaviour.

The minister, Dorothee Baer, said she would open talks with Facebook and Google on the way that posts on social media platforms were sequenced. "At the moment, the algorithms sort according to relevance or popularity," she told the newspaper Die Welt in an interview published on Saturday. "That pushes to the top old posts that often have little to do with the truth.

"I want to see real-time timelines again that confront people not with what they want to know, but what they need to know, what is happening at this moment." The shock victories of Donald Trump in the 2016 U.S. elections and of the "leave" camp in Britain's referendum on European Union membership have led to widespread concern that 'social media bubbles' make it impossible to discern what voters are reading and whether it is true or not.

In Germany, where the experience of living under two different totalitarian regimes in the 20th century has created enormous concern at the privacy implications of social media, platform usage is lower, but growing.

WATCH VIDEO: Samsung Galaxy S9, S9+ First Impressions Review: Best Android Flagships of 2018?At Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2018 in Barcelona more than 2,400 companies showcased cutting-edge products at Fira Gran Via. Smartphone majors like Nokia, Samsung, Sony, LG among others showcased their flagship smartphones along with their 2018 lineup. More than 3,500 international media and industry analysts attended the event to report on the significant industry announcements made at the Congress. Preliminary independent economic analysis indicates that the 2018 Mobile World Congress will have contributed approximately 471 million and over 13,000 part-time jobs to the local economy. We have covered MWC 2018 extensively and Episode 33 brings you some of the most anticipated unveilings and launches.

WATCH VIDEO: 'Tech and Auto Show' EP 33: MWC 2018 Special

Don't forget to tune into the show every Saturday 7:30 PM and Sunday 1:30 PM only on CNN-News18.Paris: France is prepared to launch targeted strikes against any site in Syria used to deploy chemical attacks that result in the deaths of civilians, President Emmanuel Macron said.

Shortly before the United Nations was due to discuss Syria, Macron said Moscow, a close ally of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's government, had not done enough to permit relief efforts into the rebel-held Damascus suburb of eastern Ghouta.

Asked about the Syrian conflict at a news conference in India, Macron said France would be ready to strike if it found "irrefutable evidence" chemical weapons had been used to kill.

"The day we have, in particular in tandem with our American partners, irrefutable proof that the red line was crossed -- namely the chemical weapons were used to lethal effect -- we will do what the Americans themselves did moreover a few months ago; we would put ourselves in position to proceed with targeted strikes," Macron said.

The French leader has made the threat before but has so far made little headway influencing events in Syria.

"We are cross-matching our own information with that of our allies but to put it very clearly we have an independent capacity to identify targets and launch strikes where needed."

Syria signed a Russian-brokered deal to give up its arsenal of chemical weapons to avert U.S. air strikes after a nerve gas attack killed hundreds of people in 2013. Last year, the United States again accused Damascus of using nerve gas and launched air strikes.

Since then, Washington has repeatedly accused Damascus of using chlorine gas in attacks. Chlorine is far less deadly than nerve agents and possession of it is allowed for civilian purposes, but its use as a weapon is banned.

Damascus and Moscow have been carrying out a fierce bombing campaign and ground assault against the besieged rebel-held eastern Ghouta enclave since mid-February, despite a U.N. Security Council resolution calling for a countrywide ceasefire.

"This is a debate we will have in the coming hours at the United Nations, where it will be shown that the concessions on the ground from Russia, but first and foremost the Syrian regime and its Iranian allies, are insufficient," Macron said.Washington: Porn star Stormy Daniels and special counsel Robert Mueller are among the most talked about figures in Washington these days. At this point, they are central figures in separate stories, but could it be long before their paths intersect?

The White House continues to wade through the political fallout from secret payments before the 2016 election to buy the silence of Daniels, who claims to have had an extramarital affair with Trump in 2006. But there are new questions about whether the salacious scandal could attract the attention of Mueller's team, which is investigating Russian meddling and related matters.

Much of this speculation revolves around Trump's long-time personal attorney Michael Cohen, who signed the agreement with Daniels and is also under scrutiny in the Russia investigation. Here's a step-by-step guide of how the Daniels affair could potentially creep into the Mueller probe:

STEP 1: MUELLER INVESTIGATES COHEN'S TIES TO RUSSIA

First things first, an investigation of Cohen could open the door to examining the payments.

The New York Times reported that Cohen is under FBI scrutiny in the Russia investigation. The Washington Post reported that Mueller has requested documents and interviewed witnesses about Cohen, specifically regarding pursuit of a Russian business deal during the campaign and his involvement in an effort to craft a "peace plan" for Ukraine.

CNN has previously reported that Mueller's team asked witnesses about the failed efforts to build a Trump-branded tower in Moscow. Cohen played a leading role in those negotiations.

Cohen is also mentioned in the controversial dossier, written by former British spy Christopher Steele, that alleges widespread collusion between the Trump campaign and the Kremlin. Cohen vehemently denies all the allegations in the dossier. CNN has reported that members of Mueller's team met last summer with Steele, presumably to learn about the dossier claims.

STEP 2: MUELLER BROADENS HIS COHEN INQUIRY

If investigators are already looking into Cohen's activities during the campaign, it is possible they could broaden their inquiry to include his financial arrangement with Daniels.

Mueller was authorized by the Justice Department to investigate Russian interference in the 2016 election, any potential ties between Trump associates and the Russians, potential obstruction of justice and "any matters that arose or may arise directly from the investigation."

That last phrase is how Mueller could investigate the payment to Daniels. To do that, in all likelihood, Mueller would first seek permission from Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, who oversees the special counsel because of Attorney General Jeff Sessions' recusal.

"Even though Stormy Daniels is not Russian, this is enough to go to Rosenstein and bring it into the orbit of the inquiry," said Michael Zeldin, a CNN legal analyst who has worked for Mueller. "Based on the evidence that is available, prosecutors have a reasonable basis to investigate whether the payment by Michael Cohen to Stormy Daniels violated federal election laws."

STEP 3: MUELLER FINDS WRONGDOING BY COHEN

The next step would be for Mueller to investigate the arrangement between Cohen and Daniels. This could include subpoenas to the banks involved in the payments, and interviews with Daniels and others with knowledge of the arrangement, the timing, and its purpose.

It's already known that the $130,000 payment was made shortly before the 2016 presidential election, and that the stated purpose was to keep Daniels quiet. Buying her silence could be legally interpreted as an in-kind donation to the Trump campaign -- creating a potential legal issue.

It is against the law for an individual to donate more than $2,700 directly to a presidential campaign. Furthermore, the payment was never disclosed to the Federal Election Commission.

The special counsel could consider charging Cohen with conspiracy to defraud the FEC, arguing that his actions impeded the commission's ability to regulate political spending, Zeldin explained. If Cohen were tried and convicted on that charge, he could face five years in prison.

"Mueller has already charged people with that," Zeldin said, referring to the new indictment brought last month against former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort, and the indictment against 13 Russians who allegedly used social media to influence American voters in 2016.

It's also possible Mueller could pursue other violations of campaign finance laws. At the same time, it's possible Mueller's prosecutors could conclude that Cohen did nothing illegal.

STEP 4: MUELLER TRIES TO SQUEEZE COHEN

Above all, Cohen is known for his unyielding loyalty to Trump and the Trump family, even once saying that he would be willing to "take a bullet" for his boss-turned-president. That means Mueller would need to apply significant pressure on Cohen if he wants Cohen to "flip" on Trump and cooperate with the broader investigation of Russian meddling and potential collusion.

"You have someone under investigation for one thing but you find out that they have done something else -- so you indict them for that," Zeldin said. "Mueller could say, 'I have now potentially caught Cohen in unrelated criminal acts, and I'm going to use it as leverage.'"

If Mueller has the evidence, he could threaten to bring criminal charges against Cohen, stemming from the payments. At that point, Cohen would need to decide between protecting Trump and protecting himself from costly legal proceedings and potential jailtime.

That being said, in this hypothetical situation, Cohen could always fight the charges.Seoul: North Korea's silence on its upcoming summits with the United States and South Korea is likely due to caution over organising its stance regarding the meetings, South Korea's Ministry of Unification said on Monday.

"We have not seen nor received an official response from the North Korean regime regarding the North Korea-U.S. summit," said Baik Tae-hyun, spokesman for the ministry, in a regular press conference.

"I feel they're approaching this matter with caution and they need time to organise their stance."

North Korean media noted a visit by a senior delegation from South Korea last week but no coverage has been seen of Kim Jong Un's invitation to meet U.S. President Donald Trump or South Korean President Moon Jae-in to discuss the future of Pyongyang's nuclear weapons programme.

Trump agreed to meet with Kim Jong Un by the end of May and the two Koreas will hold a summit by end-April. A location has not been decided for the North Korea-U.S. summit while Kim Jong Un and Moon will meet at the truce village of Panmunjom straddling the border between the two Koreas.

North and South Korea agreed to hold working talks to hammer out the details of the inter-Korean summit, but the two Koreas have not officially spoken since the South Korean delegation returned from the North last week, Baik said.

The North's official news agency has been lauding efforts between the North and South to thaw relations, but state media has continued to warn the United States and Japan against war-mongering.

Rhetoric in the North's state media has been tame, however, compared to previous threats last year that went as far as saying Pyongyang would fire missiles to the vicinity of the U.S. territory of Guam if provoked.

The South Korean officials who carried Kim's invitation to Washington will visit the leaders of China and Japan this week to update them on the talks.Islamabad: The ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) suffered a major setback on Monday when its candidate for Senate chairmanship was defeated by an independent candidate supported by the opposition parties.

Polling to elect the new chairman and his deputy was held in the parliament building.

Presiding Officer Sardar Yaqoob Khan Nasar announced the result of contest for the Senate chairman after all senators had cast their vote.

Muhammad Sadiq Sanjrani got 57 votes against Raja Zafarul Haq (of PML-N) and has been elected as chairman, said Nasar.

Sanjrani from Balochistan province was supported by the Joint Opposition, including Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P), Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf and independents from Balochistan and the Federally Administered Tribal Areas.

He is the first ever chairman of Senate from impoverished Balochistan province.

Nasar also administered oath to Sanjrani who immediately took the seat and announced to conduct the elections of deputy chairman.

Saleem Mandviwalla (PPP) from Sindh province was elected as deputy chairman after receiving 54 votes against Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party's Usman Khan Kakar who got 44 votes.

Kakar was supported by PML-N. Five senators of Mutahidda Qaumi Movemen (MQM) abstained from the deputy chairman's election due to differences with PPP.

Earlier, 51 newly elected senators took oath of office.

Only former Finance Minister Ishaq Dar was not present to take the oath as he was away in London due to poor health.

PPP's Krishna Kumari Kolhi scripted history when she was sworn-in as Pakistan's first-ever Hindu Dalit woman Senator. Her arrival was a spectacle as she reached the parliament house with her family in traditional Thari dress, a trademark of Tharparker district of Sindh province.

She told the media that she would work to improve the healthcare and water shortage issues along with efforts to resolve problems faced by the women of Tharparkar.

The strength of the house reduced to 103 from 104 due to absence of PML-N senator-elect Ishaq Dar, who is in London for medical treatment. Hence, winner needs 52 votes.

Initial surveys, media reports and announcement by the PML-N leaders had suggested that Haq will win by a thin margin but in the end he lost by a big margin.

The political parties were scrambling till last minute to get the upper hand through election of Senate chairman.

The ruling PML-N and allies after final consultation in the morning nominated veteran politician from Rawalpindi, Senator Raja Zafarul Haq, as chairman and Usman Kakar from Balochistan as deputy chairman.

Earlier, PPP chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari announced to support independent Sadiq Sanjrai, while fielding his party's Mandiviwalla as deputy chairman.London: Two people were hospitalised on Monday as a precautionary measure after they came in contact with white powder sent to an office within the UK Parliament building.

Scotland Yard said they were informed about the suspicious package that had been delivered to an office within the Palace of Westminster this morning, days after a Russian spy was allegedly poisoned with a deadly nerve agent.

The package was later described as a letter which contained a white powder, which has been assessed by specialists and found not to be noxious, the Metropolitan Police said.

Detectives from the Met's Counter Terrorism Command have been informed and are investigating, the statement said.

The letter was delivered to an office at the Norman Shaw Buildings, where many British MPs have their offices.

"We are aware of a potential situation involving a suspicious substance which the Met Police are investigating. There has been no evacuation, but the affected area has been cordoned off. Access to the building is otherwise unaffected. We cannot provide any more details at this stage," a parliamentary spokesperson said.

London Ambulance Service said it had attended the scene and taken a man and a woman to a nearby hospital as precaution.

The incident comes days after a Russian spy was allegedly poisoned with a deadly nerve agent.

Former Russian spy Sergei Skripal, 66 and his daughter Yulia, 33 were found collapsed after being poisoned on Sunday afternoon.

Skripal and Yulia remain in a serious condition along with a police officer who came in contact with the same substance. Last month, UK home secretary Amber Rudd had white powder sent to her office in Parliament which was also assessed and found to be not dangerous. Rudd was not in the country at the time.Washington: The Donald Trump administration has been very clear of "pushing back" against the Chinese threat, CIA director Mike Pompeo said on Monday as China's rubber-stamp parliament allowed President Xi Jinping to rule indefinitely by abolishing the two-term limit.

Pompeo said the Trump administration is prepared and engaged in pushing back against the Chinese threats so that America can have a good relationship with China in a way that the world desperately needs.

"If you look at the president's national security strategy, it was very clear that what the Chinese are doing, whether that would be on trade or the theft of intellectual property or their continued advancement in East and South China Seas, this administration is prepared and engaged in pushing back against the Chinese threats so that we can have a good relationship with China in a way that the world desperately needs," he told Fox News.

Asked about China's parliament ratifying a constitutional amendment that abolishes the two-term presidential limit, he said, "It's the case that Xi Jinping has created an enormous personal power. He has taken many of the levers of power that were from time to time more dispersed. But from America's perspective, this administration has been very clear on pushing back against the Chinese threat."

China's country's rubber-stamp parliament today ratified a historic constitutional amendment abolishing the two-term limit for President Xi Jinping, paving the way for his continuation in power perhaps for life.

Set for his second five-year term as President this month, 64-year-old Xi, the most powerful leader in recent decades heading the ruling Communist Party of China (CPC) and the military, will now be the first Chinese leader after the founder chairman Mao Zedong to remain in power lifelong.The farmers were to march to the Assembly today morning, but decided to undertake an overnight march to reach Azad Maidan so as not to inconvenience Class 10 and Class 12 students who would be heading to exam centres today morning. (Image: Manish Dubey/News 18)404

We're sorry! The page you were looking for couldn't be found.The last days of the Sorcerer Supreme unveiled in Death of Doctor Strange #1 preview

And Magik teams with Marvel Comics' Sorcerer Supreme in his final moments with Death of Doctor Strange #1 previewInstead of pocketing a free $20, members of Leadership Danbury pooled the cash, dug deeper into their own wallets and donated more than $1,200 to Family & Childrens Aid.

Steven Greenberg, vice president and mortgage loan officer with Newtown Savings Bank, gave a $20 bill during the orientation meeting to each member of Leadership Danbury, a program of the Greater Danbury Chamber of Commerce. Greenberg, a 1993 graduate of Leadership Danbury, also shared a story during the meeting about how nonprofit organizations helped him and his first wife while she battled cancer.

I told them they could buy lunch or dinner or some cocktails. If that would help their mental health, thats great, Greenberg said. But I said if a few got together and pooled their money it would be worth more than on its own.

Each of the approximately 30 members of Leadership Danbury donated the money to FCA in memory of Casey Rose Shanahan, a former employee of the nonprofit organization who died in January. She was the daughter of Terence Shanahan, former deputy police chief in Danbury and a member of Leadership Danbury in 1993.

(Greenberg) encourages the members to think about what they can do with that $20, Joann Cueva of the Greater Danbury Chamber of Commerce said.

Current Leadership Danbury participant Lt. Michael Sturdevant of Danbury Police said each member gave their $20 and many donated more.

It just expanded beyond that. It was amazing, he said. Everyone from Leadership really stepped up huge.

Greenberg, whose first wife died in 1999, welcomed the news.

The reality is, this is why the Danbury community is so great, he said when told of the donation. Plus, they gave on their own, too. People are more and more amazing. God bless every one of them. You have to stand up for people in life and Im proud they stood up.

Cueva of the Danbury Chamber of Commerce said philanthropy and community is a big part of Leadership Danbury each year. The program develops the regions local leadership potential through a nine-month course that includes themes such as media, health care, education, economic development, law enforcement and transportation.

The donation is a prime example of what the program is supposed to do, Amelia Anderson of the Greater Danbury Chamber of Commerce said.

Family & Childrens Aid is based in Danbury and has offices throughout the state, including Bridgeport, Shelton and New Milford. It is a child-focused nonprofit offering mental health, therapeutic support, safe homes and other services for children and their families.

Its 21,000-square-foot facility in Danbury includes updated areas for children to play such as Playmaker Village and Harmony Station.

Allison Carballo, director of development at Family & Childrens Aid, accepted the check from Leadership Danbury during a brief presentation at the organizations Danbury headquarters. The presentation also included Cueva, Anderson, Sturdevant, Lynn Michaelson of FCA and Sabrina DeFazio, president and CEO of Western Connecticut Federal Credit Union and member of the current Danbury Leadership class.

We are so grateful that the Leadership Danbury Class of 2018 chose to remember Casey Rose Shanahan in this way. As a member of our team at Family & Childrens Aid, Casey Rose brought so much creativity and compassion to her role, she said. We miss seeing her sweet smile the most. All funds raised in her memory will go toward our PeaceLove Expressive Art Studios.New York Times best-selling author Marie Bostwick tells the heartfelt, uplifting story of an unlikely friendship between three special women in her new book, Just in Time.

United by losses theyve experienced in life, they meet at a grief support meeting, but decide to ditch the group and form their own little circle.

Through their newfound friendship, and spurred by a series of events, these support group dropouts wind up facing their greatest fears, revealing their deepest secrets, and helping each other find a second chance at happiness.

Bostwick is known for her compelling characters and this book delivers. Nan is a widow with seven grown kids and a beloved rescue dog, while feisty Monica, who has a biting sense of humor, describes herself as the pissed-off widow of a cheater. Then theres Grace, whose life was torn to shreds when her husband nearly died in a hiking accident.

Just in Time delves into such issues as drug addiction and teens and bosses who try your patience. But its also filled with funny, lighthearted moments, and shows how friends truly are the family we choose for ourselves.

The Hickory Stick Bookshop in Washington Depot is where Bostwick will sign copies of her new book on Saturday, March 24. The signing is a homecoming of sorts; Bostwick lived in Connecticut for many years  her entire writing career  before recently returning to her home state of Oregon.

Fans may pre-order Just in Time (Kensington, $15.95) through the bookshop to receive an autographed copy and a free party favor from Bostwick. The author is also known for her Cobbled Court quilting series, among others.

The Hickory Stick Bookshop, 2 Green Hill Road, Washington Depot. Saturday, March 24, 2 p.m. Book $15.95, event free. 860-868-0525, www.hickorystickbookshop.comCarol Kaliff / Hearst Connecticut Media

BROOKFIELD  Brookfield High School students are again promising to shave their heads to raise money for cancer research at an upcoming event.

The school is hosting the annual St. Baldricks Foundation fundraiser at 6 p.m. March 27 in the cafeteria.BROOKFIELD  Democratic candidates for governor will discuss important issues facing the state at Brookfield High School next month, the Brookfield Democratic Town Committee announced Monday.

The forum will be at 7 p.m. April 9 in the high school auditorium.A Danbury native has been identified as the pilot of a helicopter that crashed in the East River in New York City, killing five people Sunday night.

The Daily News reported that Richard Vance, 33, was the pilot and only survivor of the crash.

Vance told investigators the crash might have been caused by a passenger's bag accidentally hitting the emergency fuel shutoff button, CNN reported.

Tragedy in the skies is unfortunately not new news in Connecticut. There have been a number of small plane crashes, many in the Danbury area where the local airport caters to small, private planes.

This past summer, two crashes in Danbury led U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal to call on the federal government to tighten regulations regarding private aviation. But pilots and experts from around Danbury, which saw fatal crashes on July 30 and Aug. 11, said they weren't sure that more regulation is the answer.

"It's an unfortunate and tragic spike, not necessarily a trend," Mike Safranek, assistant administrator of Danbury Municipal Airport told Hearst in September. "I don't think there are more or less if you go back statistically, but when it comes in a spike it may look like more."

/ PR NEWSWIRE

Stratford-based Sikorsky has seen misfortune around the globe. In March 2017, a Sikorsky S-92 helicopter crashed during an overnight mission by the Irish Coast Guard to help a fishing vessel requiring a medical evacuation, killing the pilot. In Ireland and the United States, S-92 helicopters have been subjected to intensified inspections, following multiple incidents of pilots reporting loss of control of tail rotors.

In 2016, Connecticut-based Sikorsky Aircraft Corp. agreed to settle wrongful death and negligence claims in a lawsuit filed over the 2014 crash of a Navy helicopter that killed three of the five crew members on a training exercise off the coast of Virginia.

Sikorsky reached a "settlement in principle" with the widows of the three crewmen and a survivor of the crash who filed the lawsuit in federal court in Connecticut last year, according to court documents obtained by The Associated Press.

The MH-53E Sea Dragon helicopter crashed on Jan. 8, 2014, about 18 miles off the coast of Virginia Beach during what the Navy said was routine mine countermeasure training.

In 2004, the families of two men killed in a 2002 helicopter crash off the coast of England filed a wrongful death suit against Sikorsky Aircraft. The suit, filed in U.S. District Court in Bridgeport, saught millions of dollars in damages from Stratford-based Sikorsky and Composite Technology Inc., a Texas company that inspects and tests rotor blades for Sikorsky.

In the court papers, lawyers for the families of Philip Dearden and Mark Wake, who worked as crew members on the Sikorsky S-76 helicopter that crashed in the North Sea, said a flaw in the rotor blade that went undetected in an inspection caused the disaster that killed 11. An initial investigation by authorities in England found that the blade had been hit by lightning in 1999, aggravating the defect, the lawsuit says.

In 2000, Sikorsky and Composite Technology certified the blade as repaired and airworthy. It was then installed on the helicopter operated by Bristow Helicopters that crashed on July 16, 2002.

Additional reporting by various Hearst Newspapers staff.HARTFORD - Gov. Dannel P. Malloy is not happy with President Donald Trumps gun control and school safety initiatives.

"Just days after he looked the American people in the eye and promised real action to prevent gun violence, President Trump is proposing a plan that will appease his allies in the NRA but do very little to keep our children safe." Malloy said.

Just three weeks after the Parkland, Florida school massacre that left 17 students and adults dead, the Trump administration proposed providing some school personnel with "rigorous" firearms training and left out increasing the minimum age to purchase firearms, a goal Trump had previously endorsed.

The plan includes forming a commission chaired by Education Secretary Betsy DeVos charged with recommending funding and polices for school violence prevention, including possible age restrictions on firearm purchases.

The Trump administration also called for states to adopt "extreme risk protection orders" that allow law enforcement, with court approval, to remove firearms from people judged to a threat to themselves or others.

Malloy said Trump is not going far enough to protect schools, adding arming teachers is the worst possible idea.

"Putting guns in the hands of educators is the wrong way to go about making our learning environments safer and healthier places for children to grow and thrive," Malloy said.

"In Connecticut, we serve as an example that it is possible to fortify our schools without turning them into fortresses, the governor added. "Its time for the Trump Administration to drop the NRA talking points and get serious about engaging in a real discussion about school safety, which entails talking about positive school climates."

Dianna Wentzel, state department of education commissioner, said fostering a better school environment will help reduce violence.

"As education leaders it is our responsibility to foster a school climate that supports student achievement and well-being in which children feel welcome, accepted, valued and  above all  safe and secure," Wentzell said.

"That is why I have always been proponent of, among other safety measures, utilizing school-based health and wellness centers to ensure students are happy, healthy and ready to learn," she said. "Schools are not prisons or fortresses and so my definition of safe schools keeps the focus where it belongs: on teaching and learning."

Lt. Gov. Nancy Wyman added "The country is demanding action on gunscivic groups are raising their voices in state houses and on Capitol Hill, student groups are marching for their lives, and influential members of the business community are stepping up for the public safety."China has voted to remove term limits on Presidents of China.

Xi Jinping will turn 65 this year. Xi Jinpings father was Xi Zhongxun. His father lived until he was 89.

Xi Jinping will likely be President of China for the remainder of his life. This will likely be for an average of another 25 years. This will mean that instead of 10-year term limit. Xi Jinping will be President of China for 30 years. This would be until 2043.

If there is new radical life extension technology for boosting the lifespan, then this could increase by another ten years or more.

In meetings in April 1979, Zhongxun convinced Deng Xiaoping to permit Guangdong to make its own foreign trade policy decisions and to invite foreign investment to projects in experimental areas along the provincial border with Hong Kong and Macau and in Shantou, which has a large overseas diaspora. As for the name of the experimental areas, Deng said, lets call them, special zones. Deng added, The Central Government has no funds, but we can give you some favorable policies. Xi submitted a formal proposal on the creation of special zones, later renamed special economic zones and in July 1979, the party center and State Council approved the creation of the first four special economic zones.

In 1981, Xi Zhongxun was elected the deputy chair of the Standing Committee of the National Peoples Congress and also held the chair of the legal affairs committee. He oversaw the drafting of numerous laws. In September 1982, he was elected to the Politburo and the party secretariat. In 1987, Deng Xiaoping and Chen Yun were dissatisfied with the liberal inclination of Hu Yaobang, and called a meeting to force Hu to resign. Xi was the only one that defended Hu. He retired from public service in April 1988 and spent most of his retirement years in Shenzhen.Attorneys for Rose McGowan appeared in a Loudoun County, Virginia courthouse Monday morning seeking to have a drug charge against the actress and anti-sexual-harassment advocate dismissed. Their motion was denied.

McGowan was accused of cocaine possession after the drug was found in her wallet, which she left on a plane at Dulles International Airport after the Women's March in January of last year. She says she was unaware there was a warrant out for her arrest until October, when it was publicly reported.Press release

English French German Swedish

7 October 2002

The Nobel Assembly at Karolinska Institutet has today decided to award

The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for 2002 jointly to

Sydney Brenner, H. Robert Horvitz and John E. Sulston

for their discoveries concerning genetic regulation of organ development and programmed cell death

Summary

The human body consists of hundreds of cell types, all originating from the fertilized egg. During the embryonic and foetal periods, the number of cells increase dramatically. The cells mature and become specialized to form the various tissues and organs of the body. Large numbers of cells are formed also in the adult body. In parallel with this generation of new cells, cell death is a normal process, both in the foetus and adult, to maintain the appropriate number of cells in the tissues. This delicate, controlled elimination of cells is called programmed cell death.

This years Nobel Laureates in Physiology or Medicine have made seminal discoveries concerning the genetic regulation of organ development and programmed cell death. By establishing and using the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans as an experimental model system, possibilities were opened to follow cell division and differentiation from the fertilized egg to the adult. The Laureates have identified key genes regulating organ development and programmed cell death and have shown that corresponding genes exist in higher species, including man. The discoveries are important for medical research and have shed new light on the pathogenesis of many diseases.

Sydney Brenner (b 1927), Berkeley, CA, USA, established C. elegans as a novel experimental model organism. This provided a unique opportunity to link genetic analysis to cell division, differentiation and organ development  and to follow these processes under the microscope. Brenners discoveries, carried out in Cambridge, UK, laid the foundation for this years Prize.

John Sulston (b 1942), Cambridge, England, mapped a cell lineage where every cell division and differentiation could be followed in the development of a tissue in C. elegans. He showed that specific cells undergo programmed cell death as an integral part of the normal differentiation process, and he identified the first mutation of a gene participating in the cell death process.

Robert Horvitz (b 1947), Cambridge, MA, USA, has discovered and characterized key genes controlling cell death in C. elegans. He has shown how these genes interact with each other in the cell death process and that corresponding genes exist in humans.

Cell lineage  from egg to adult

All cells in our body are descendents from the fertilized egg cell. Their relationship can be referred to as a cellular pedigree or cell lineage. Cells differentiate and specialize to form various tissues and organs, for example muscle, blood, heart and the nervous system. The human body consists of several hundreds of cell types, and the cooperation between specialized cells makes the body function as an integrated unit. To maintain the appropriate number of cells in the tissues, a fine-tuned balance between cell division and cell death is required. Cells have to differentiate in a correct manner and at the right time during development in order to generate the correct cell type.

It is of considerable biological and medical importance to understand how these complicated processes are controlled. In unicellular model organisms, e.g. bacteria and yeast, organ development and the interplay between different cells cannot be studied. Mammals, on the other hand, are too complex for these basic studies, as they are composed of an enormous number of cells. The nematode C. elegans, being multi-cellular, yet relatively simple, was therefore chosen as the most appropriate model system, which has then led to characterization of these processes also in humans.

Programmed cell death

Normal life requires cell division to generate new cells but also the presence of cell death, so that a balance is maintained in our organs. In an adult human being, more than a thousand billion cells are created every day. At the same time, an equal number of cells die through a controlled suicide process, referred to as programmed cell death.

Developmental biologists first described programmed cell death. They noted that cell death was necessary for embryonic development, for example when tadpoles undergo metamorphosis to become adult frogs. In the human foetus, the interdigital mesoderm initially formed between fingers and toes is removed by programmed cell death. The vast excess of neuronal cells present during the early stages of brain development is also eliminated by the same mechanism.

The seminal breakthrough in our understanding of programmed cell death was made by this years Nobel Laureates. They discovered that specific genes control the cellular death program in the nematode C. elegans. Detailed studies in this simple model organism demonstrated that 131 of totally 1090 cells die reproducibly during development, and that this natural cell death is controlled by a unique set of genes.

The model organism C. elegans

Sydney Brenner realized, in the early 1960s, that fundamental questions regarding cell differentiation and organ development were hard to tackle in higher animals. Therefore, a genetically amenable and multicellular model organism simpler than mammals, was required. The ideal solution proved to be the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans. This worm, approximately 1 mm long, has a short generation time and is transparent, which made it possible to follow cell division directly under the microscope.

Brenner provided the basis in a publication from 1974, in which he broke new ground by demonstrating that specific gene mutations could be induced in the genome of C. elegans by the chemical compound EMS (ethyl methane sulphonate). Different mutations could be linked to specific genes and to specific effects on organ development. This combination of genetic analysis and visualization of cell divisions observed under the microscope initiated the discoveries that are awarded by this years Nobel Prize.

Mapping the cell lineage

John Sulston extended Brenners work with C. elegans and developed techniques to study all cell divisions in the nematode, from the fertilized egg to the 959 cells in the adult organism. In a publication from 1976, Sulston described the cell lineage for a part of the developing nervous system. He showed that the cell lineage is invariant, i.e. every nematode underwent exactly the same program of cell division and differentiation.

As a result of these findings Sulston made the seminal discovery that specific cells in the cell lineage always die through programmed cell death and that this could be monitored in the living organism. He described the visible steps in the cellular death process and demonstrated the first mutations of genes participating in programmed cell death, including the nuc-1 gene. Sulston also showed that the protein encoded by the nuc-1 gene is required for degradation of the DNA of the dead cell.

Identification of death genes

Robert Horvitz continued Brenners and Sulstons work on the genetics and cell lineage of C. elegans. In a series of elegant experiments that started during the 1970s, Horvitz used C. elegans to investigate whether there was a genetic program controlling cell death. In a pioneering publication from 1986, he identified the first two bona fide death genes, ced-3 and ced-4. He showed that functional ced-3 and ced-4 genes were a prerequisite for cell death to be executed.

Later, Horvitz showed that another gene, ced-9, protects against cell death by interacting with ced-4 and ced-3. He also identified a number of genes that direct how the dead cell is eliminated. Horvitz showed that the human genome contains a ced-3-like gene. We now know that most genes that are involved in controlling cell death in C. elegans, have counterparts in humans.

Of importance for many research disciplines

The development of C. elegans as a novel experimental model system, the characterization of its invariant cell lineage, and the possibility to link this to genetic analysis have proven valuable for many research disciplines. For example, this is true for developmental biology and for analysis of the functions of various signaling pathways in a multicellular organism. The characterization of genes controlling programmed cell death in C. elegans soon made it possible to identify related genes with similar functions in humans. It is now clear that one of the signaling pathways in humans leading to cell death is evolutionarily well conserved. In this pathway ced-3-, ced-4- and ced-9-like molecules participate. Understanding perturbations in this and other signaling pathways controlling cell death are of prime importance for medicine.

Disease and programmed cell death

Knowledge of programmed cell death has helped us to understand the mechanisms by which some viruses and bacteria invade our cells. We also know that in AIDS, neurodegenerative diseases, stroke and myocardial infarction, cells are lost as a result of excessive cell death. Other diseases, like autoimmune conditions and cancer, are characterized by a reduction in cell death, leading to the survival of cells normally destined to die.

Research on programmed cell death is intense, including in the field of cancer. Many treatment strategies are based on stimulation of the cellular suicide program. This is, for the future, a most interesting and challenging task to further explore in order to reach a more refined manner to induce cell death in cancer cells.

Using the nematode C. elegans this years Nobel Laureates have demonstrated how organ development and programmed cell death are genetically regulated. They have identified key genes regulating programmed cell death and demonstrated that corresponding genes exist also in higher animals, including man. The figure schematically illustrates the cell lineage (top left) and the programmed cell death (below) in C. elegans. The fertilized egg cell undergoes a series of cell divisions leading to cell differentiation and cell specialization, eventually producing the adult organism (top right). In C. elegans, all cell divisions and differentiations are invariant, i.e. identical from individual to individual, which made it possible to construct a cell lineage for all cell divisions. During development, 1090 cells are generated, but precisely 131 of these cells are eliminated by programmed cell death. This results in an adult nematode (the hermaphrodite), composed of 959 somatic cells.

To cite this section

MLA style: Press release. NobelPrize.org. Nobel Prize Outreach AB 2021. Mon. 20 Sep 2021. <https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/medicine/2002/press-release/>Albert Einstein Questions and Answers

Question: When was Albert Einstein born?

Answer: Albert Einstein was born on 14 March 1879.

Question: Where was he born?

Answer: He was born in Ulm, Germany.

Question: When did he die?

Answer: He died 18 April 1955 in Princeton, New Jersey, USA.

Question: Who were his parents?

Answer: His father was Hermann Einstein and his mother was Pauline Einstein (born Koch).

Question: Did he have any sisters and brothers?

Answer: He had one sister named Maja.

Question: Did he marry and have children?

Answer: He was married to Mileva Maric between 1903 and 1919. They had three children, Lieserl (born 1902), Hans Albert (born 1904) and Eduard (born 1910). He married Elsa Lowenthal in 1919 and they lived together until her death in 1936.

Question: Where did he receive his education?

Answer: He received his main education at the following schools:

Catholic elementary school in Munich, Germany (1885-1888)

Luitpold Gymnasium in Munich, Germany (1888-1894)

Cantonal school in Aarau, Switzerland (1895-1896)

Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich, Switzerland (1896-1900)

Ph.D. from Zurich University, Switzerland (1905)

Question: When was Albert Einstein awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics?

Answer: The Nobel Prize Awarding Institution, the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, decided to reserve the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1921, and therefore no Physics Prize was awarded that year. According to the statutes, a reserved prize can be awarded the year after, and Albert Einstein was awarded the 1921 Nobel Prize in Physics in 1922.

Question: Did Albert Einstein attend the Nobel Prize Award Ceremony?

Answer: The Nobel Prize was announced on 9 November 1922. Being too remote from Sweden, Albert Einstein could not attend the Nobel Prize Award Ceremony in Stockholm on 10 December the same year.

Question: For what did he receive the Nobel Prize?

Answer: Einstein was rewarded for his many contributions to theoretical physics, and especially for his discovery of the law of the photoelectric effect.

Question: What is the photoelectric effect?

Answer: The photoelectric effect is a phenomenon in which electrons are emitted from the surface of matter (usually metals) when light shines upon it. Einstein explained the effect by proposing that light consists of small particles, or quanta, called photons, which carry energy that is proportional to the frequency of light. The electrons in the matter that absorb the energy of the photon get ejected. These findings were published in 1905 in the paper On a Heuristic Viewpoint Concerning the Production and Transformation of Light. Einsteins observations that the photoelectric effect could only be explained if light behaves like a particle, not a wave, was instrumental in establishing the hypothesis that light can behave both like a wave and a particle.

Question: What are the practical applications of the photoelectric effect?

Answer: The photoelectric effect is very important for our daily life. It is the basis for photosynthesis, which is like a very effective solar cell where sunlight is absorbed by plants to make them grow. The effect also forms the basis for a variety of devices such as photodiodes, which are used in light detection within fibre optics, telecommunications networks, solar cells, imaging and many other applications.

Question: When did he deliver his Nobel Lecture?

Answer: He gave his Nobel Lecture on 11 July 1923 in Gothenburg, Sweden.

Question: What other scientific accomplishments is Albert Einstein known for?

Answer: Albert Einstein is one of the most influential physicists in the 20th century. In 1905 Einstein published four landmark papers in physics  on the photoelectric effect, Brownian motion, the special theory of relativity and equivalence of matter and energy (E=mc2). The year 2005 was named the World Year of Physics in recognition of the 100th anniversary of Einsteins publications. Einstein is also well known for his general relativity theory published 1915 that complements his special relativity theory of 1905.

First published 25 January 2008

To cite this section

MLA style: Albert Einstein  Questions and answers. NobelPrize.org. Nobel Prize Outreach AB 2021. Mon. 20 Sep 2021. <https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/physics/1921/einstein/questions-and-answers/>North Augusta, SC (29841)

Today

Showers this evening becoming a steady light rain overnight. Low 72F. Winds E at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 70%. Locally heavy rainfall possible..

Tonight

Showers this evening becoming a steady light rain overnight. Low 72F. Winds E at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 70%. Locally heavy rainfall possible.Most incredibly, it does, if only for a while. Gabriel happens upon what the skeptical would deem incredible strokes of luck, first locating antibiotics next to a suicide victims corpse and then that persons car keys. In one commendably tense set piece, Gabriel sharp-shoots a zombie off Dr. Carson with his eyes closed  a miracle, by anyones definition. These are textbook examples of darkness in service of a greater good, and in Gabriels estimation, they are irrefutable evidence of Gods enduring love. Hes too pious to gloat about being right, but when their fortunes take a turn for the better, the priest smiles and tells the doctor, Im not going to say anything.

But just as it looks as if theyre out the woods, everything goes wrong and upends Gabriels interpretation. Negans troopers capture both men and return them to the stronghold from which they made their daring escape, the futility of it all compelling Carson to take his own life. Watching the only person with whom he had a genuine emotional connection die proves to be the last straw for Gabriel, who returns to Negans compound a shell of himself. Whenever characters dare to open themselves up to another person on the show, theyre punished not by their confidante, but by crueler forces in the universe itself. The writers wield irony like its a dagger.

Hope is in awfully short supply on multiple fronts this week. Gabriels fears that he has been abandoned by God form poetic echoes with a handful of scenes portending grim things to come. After having piked Gavin through the neck at the close of last weeks episode, Henry seems worrisomely unfazed about what he has done, causing concern about the boys empathy in Carol and Morgan. Having received a vicious dressing-down from Negan, the closet turncoat Eugene straightens out and returns to his Savior ways, coolly issuing insulting orders to those scuttling beneath him at their makeshift bullet factory.

The episode ends by mocking the very notion of hope in such bleak times, as Negan gives what would be a rousing and inspirational speech if it werent for the content of his words. He strides before his army like General Patton, readying them to take back the day, but hes ranting about poisoning his enemies by dipping his signature bat in the zombies toxic blood.

Elsewhere, gestures of humanity suggest that decency has not been completely extinguished from the world. After some pathetic begging from a contrite (and yet, no less detestable) Gregory, Maggie finds a bit of pity left in herself and allows him and his fellow captives a bit of food and time outside their pen. Dwight and Tara tromp through the woods, their conflicting affiliations keeping a distance between them. Even so, Dwight is being sincere when he tells Tara that he is sorry her lover Denise had to die the way she did. Such little passages of empathy are what have made the series worth getting invested in, though theyre a bit too few and far between this season.Investors hoping for the chance to buy a piece of Aramco, Saudi Arabias state-owned oil behemoth, will probably have to wait.

Aramco had indicated that it expected to begin trading on a public stock market later this year, but, according to three people briefed on the companys planning, that is now likely to happen in 2019. The delay reflects the difficulties in arranging what would easily be the worlds biggest-ever initial public offering.

The companys potential market debut, a centerpiece of an ambitious economic overhaul of Saudi Arabia by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, has drawn the interest of investors around the world  and political leaders hoping to win the listing.

In November, President Trump publicly courted Saudi officials to list Aramco on the New York Stock Exchange on Twitter. British government officials met with their Saudi counterparts during Crown Prince Mohammeds visit to Britain last week. Shinzo Abe, the prime minister of Japan, has privately made entreaties for consideration of the Tokyo Stock Exchange as well.It was not immediately clear what caused the helicopter to crash. Witnesses said it caught their attention because it was traveling faster and at a lower altitude than the helicopters that normally fly along the East River between Manhattan and Queens. The National Transportation Safety Board said Monday that 14 of its employees were en route to investigate the crash.

The helicopter, a Eurocopter AS350 owned by Liberty Helicopters, was flying as a private charter to take photos, Police Commissioner James P. ONeill said at the news conference. A brochure for Liberty Helicopters, which is based in New Jersey, says it is the only company licensed to fly within 1,000 feet of the Statue of Liberty on all of its tours.

Its pilots have been flying safely for 28 years, according to the brochure. The company could not be reached for comment on Sunday night.

People who witnessed the crash said they saw emergency responders pull one person out of the water  a man who was wrapped in a white blanket  and place him in an ambulance at about 8 p.m. About an hour later, three people were taken out of the water and placed on stretchers. Emergency responders were seen performing CPR on them as they were placed into ambulances.The decision by the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum to rescind its human-rights award to Daw Aung San Suu Kyi is sad, and proper.

Few people in modern times had evoked as much admiration and support as the courageous daughter of Myanmars founding father when she defied the dictatorial junta in Myanmar through 15 years of house arrest. And few people have been as disappointing in their subsequent failure to act against, or even to acknowledge, the horrific persecution of the Rohingya Muslim minority in her country.

We had hoped that you  as someone we and many others have celebrated for your commitment to human dignity and universal human rights  would have done something to condemn and stop the militarys brutal campaign and to express solidarity with the targeted Rohingya population, the Holocaust Museum wrote in an open letter explaining why it was taking back the Elie Wiesel Award it had presented five years earlier. Instead, the letter said, the ruling party Ms. Aung San Suu Kyi leads refused to cooperate with United Nations investigators, used hateful rhetoric against the Rohingya and cracked down on journalists trying to report on the vicious suppression of the group.

Like many other former admirers of Ms. Aung San Suu Kyi, the museum said it understood the pressures on her from a military establishment that still holds most of the countrys power, and a Buddhist majority which regards the Rohingya as trespassers who have no historic place in Myanmar. Hundreds of thousands of Rohingya have fled to Bangladesh to escape a campaign of execution, rape and arson, which the United Nations and the United States have termed ethnic cleansing.WASHINGTON  The Iranian and North Korean nuclear programs, drastically different but often spoken of in the same breath, are now being thrust together, as President Trumps determination to kill the landmark 2015 accord limiting Tehrans capabilities is colliding with his scramble to reach a far more complex deal with Pyongyang.

For years, as the Iranians watched the North Koreans build an arsenal and make deals with the West only to break them, they learned what the world was prepared to do  or was unwilling to risk  to stop them. More recently, the North Koreans picked apart what Tehran got in return for agreeing to a 15-year hiatus in its nuclear ambitions, weighing whether the promised economic benefits were worth giving up its nuclear capabilities.

The North will be watching especially closely in May, when Mr. Trump will face another deadline on deciding whether to abandon the Iran deal, which he has called a disaster.

The same month, if all goes as Mr. Trump plans, he will head into a face-to-face negotiation with North Koreas dictator, Kim Jong-un  the first time an American president has ever spoken with the leader of that country  confident in his ability to do what his predecessors could not: persuade the North Koreans to denuclearize.NAIROBI, Kenya  Secretary of State Rex W. Tillerson laid a wreath on Sunday at the August 7th Memorial Park here that commemorates a suicide truck bombing 20 years ago that killed more than 200 people. That attack may have done more to transform the State Department than any other event of the past 50 years.

In the wake of the 1998 attack, the department hired tens of thousands of security guards for posts around the world and made other changes that today cost nearly $7 billion annually, which is almost half of the $15 billion that Mr. Tillerson wants eliminated from the departments budget.

Mr. Tillerson has twice proposed slashing the departments budget to about $35 billion from about $50 billion, saying that doing so would return spending levels to those before the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. He is expected to testify on Capitol Hill in the next two weeks to explain his reasons for the proposed cuts, which have received a chilly reception in Congress.

Critics say those cuts are misguided and could even cost lives.



Mr. Tillerson is in the midst of a five-nation tour of Africa, his first as secretary of state, and the visit to the memorial park  an island of green space where the damaged American embassy once stood  was the most somber event of the trip. He laid a wreath at a wall with the names of the victims inscribed and then gave brief remarks.When Philine Hofman was hired a decade ago to head the merchandising and retail department at the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam, she was given the dual mandate of finding new ways to get the institutions art out to the public and improving sales at the gift shop.

As an initial step, Ms. Hofman, a former product development executive in the Dutch food industry, commissioned a new line of Rijksmuseum-branded merchandise.

In addition to upgrading the postcards and coffee mugs that are standard fare at museum shops everywhere, she ordered origami puzzles styled from old masters imagery, silk scarves with the colors of those in Rembrandts The Jewish Bride, and pencil sets coordinated to the palette of The Milkmaid by Vermeer.

A lot of these were, quite frankly, souvenirs, Ms. Hofman recalled in a telephone interview from Amsterdam. Till recently, many museum shops were really souvenir shops. A large segment of our visitors are tourists. We hope that after a meaningful experience in our galleries, theyll buy an object based on something theyve seen and that they can take home.The Metropolitan Opera fired the conductor James Levine on Monday evening, ending its association with a man who defined the company for more than four decades after an investigation found what the Met called credible evidence that Mr. Levine had engaged in sexually abusive and harassing conduct.

The investigation, which the Met opened in December after a report in The New York Times, found evidence of abuse and harassment both before and during the period when Mr. Levine worked at the Met, the company said in a statement.

It was an extraordinary fall from grace for a legendary maestro, whom many consider the greatest American conductor since Leonard Bernstein.

[With James Levine Fired, Should We Rethink Maestro Worship]

The Met did not release the specific findings of its investigation, which it said had included interviews with 70 people. But the statement said that the investigation had uncovered credible evidence that Mr. Levine engaged in sexually abusive and harassing conduct toward vulnerable artists in the early stages of their careers, over whom Mr. Levine had authority. It said that it was terminating its relationship with Mr. Levine, who is currently the companys music director emeritus and the artistic director of its young artists program.Brett Morgens documentary about the British scientist Jane Goodall is on National Geographic. And Oprah Winfrey appears with the A Wrinkle in Time co-stars Mindy Kaling and Reese Witherspoon on The Late Late Show.

Whats on TV

JANE (2017) 8 p.m. on National Geographic and Nat Geo Wild. When Jane Goodall journeyed into the forests of East Africa to research chimpanzees, it was the early 1960s, she was 26 and had no scientific degree. But, despite her lack of traditional training, Ms. Goodalls quiet observations of primate interactions would help significantly deepen human understanding of chimps and our connections to them. Brett Morgen (Kurt Cobain: Montage of Heck) directs this documentary, which consists primarily of historical footage of Ms. Goodall taken by the wildlife photographer Hugo van Lawick, Ms. Goodalls first husband. In his review for The New York Times, Ben Kenigsberg wrote that the film is such an absorbing account of her experiences at a reserve in what is now Tanzania that you may not pause to think about how its imagery was captured. It has a score by Philip Glass, and includes a present-day interview with Ms. Goodall. Now in her 80s, she has spent her career pursuing her research and living as an outspoken conservationist. It is a jolly tough way to live, she told The Times in 2010, but its worthwhile. The Philadelphia Museum of Art will highlight the creations of a number of women who work in varied media. An exhibition (March 24 to July 15) by Jean Shin marks the museums first single-artist display of works by a contemporary female Korean-American artist. Ms. Shin, who works in New York, is known for the huge installations she makes by deconstructing and rebuilding everyday objects, like clothing and shoes, to tell stories about identity, society and community. In April, the museum will present two large sculptures by the German-born artist Ursula von Rydingsvard in a yearlong show that coincides with a major exhibition at the Fabric Workshop and Museum, also in Philadelphia, from April 27 to Aug. 26. On display at the art museum will be Bronze Bowl With Lace, which is nearly 20 feet tall, and Elegantka II. A third show will look at works by the abstract painter Agnes Martin (May 19 - August) And, finally, a new video installation by Rachel Rose (May 2 - Aug. 19) will have its premiere at the museum. The project, set in 16th-century agrarian England, examines the links between reality and perception, history and coincidence.The affair of this novels title is an incident that looms over the narrative while remaining hazy in its details. In the mid-1960s, Johnnys father, by then a captain of industry, is caught in a tabloid scandal involving a Tory MP and male prostitutes. There is a trial. Books are written about the mess. The older Sparsholt retreats from the novels view to lick his wounds while the incident reverberates through other lives.

Image Alan Hollinghurst Credit... Robert Taylor

When Hollinghurst picks up an aspect of human experience, however banal  riding a bus, sitting for a portrait, being on a sailboat  he is so exacting that its as if no one has described these things before.

Do we have a better appraiser of how the world sounds? Here is a young woman, Johnnys daughter, on place names: Fullum, they said, a dead footfall, flour shaken in a Tupperware box (unlike sugar, with its quick shoosh, which to her mind was the sound of Chelsea.) Good grief.

Of course the sex writing is good. Sometimes its brutal, other times fond and funny. About an older man living with a younger one we read: The cheeky taunt, Come on, old man! that had once thrilled them both during sex was now barely usable for its note of pathos and criticism.

He also catches sexs afterglow, what he calls the slight invalidish luxury of having been had.

One aspect of social life Hollinghurst closely considers here is this one: the problems of being truthful but kind. (In terms of verity I tend to follow the advice contained in the title of a book by the great journalist and critic George Seldes: Tell the Truth and Run.)

The truth about The Sparsholt Affair is that it is not among this writers more successful novels. It is intricately patterned on the sentence level yet moves tentatively, at the rate of afternoon sunlight creeping across a floor.Last month, Goldmans board met at its headquarters and evaluated the two candidates. Mr. Blankfein offered his view, and the directors decided that Mr. Solomon was their man, according to a person who was briefed on the meeting.

The anticipated elevation of Mr. Solomon, a Goldman veteran who moonlights under the name D.J. D-Sol, spinning electronic-dance music, marks a strategic shift for the bank.

Mr. Solomon, a native of Westchester County, N.Y., was a rare outsider to join Goldman as a partner when he was hired from Bear Stearns in 1999. He is a schmoozer who recognizes the importance of projecting a positive, inclusive image of the bank to its clients, its employees and the public. Unlike Mr. Blankfein and Mr. Schwartz, Mr. Solomon is not steeped in the firms cutthroat trading culture.

Hes client-centric, direct and candid, Bennett Goodman, a senior managing director of the private-equity firm Blackstone, said in an email. You never doubt hell tell you what he really believes even when its not what you want to hear.

The leadership transition comes at a time when Goldmans traditional business model is under siege. Its bond-trading business, once a huge component of the firms revenue, which hit nearly $1 billion a week in 2009, is now a shadow of its former self. The banks limited presence in countries like Saudi Arabia and Mexico has meant Goldman has been left out of some lucrative transactions. And its belated attempts to muscle its way into businesses such as consumer lending have failed to transform the company into a real competitor of commercial banks like JPMorgan Chase and Citigroup.

Since his elevation to president was announced in late 2016, Mr. Solomon has been working to address those shortcomings. Last spring, he and Mr. Schwartz presented directors with a plan to generate $5 billion a year in additional revenue starting in the fall of 2020. It called for expanding Goldmans investment-banking franchise to midsize cities including Dallas and Seattle.

At the same time, Mr. Solomon strayed beyond the traditional mold of a Wall Street power broker. He demanded, for example, that Goldmans recruiters increase their hiring of women with the goal of eventually reaching total gender parity.WASHINGTON  Larry Kudlow, a CNBC television commentator who has informally advised President Trump on economic issues, is currently the top contender to head the National Economic Council, according to three people close to the president.

Mr. Kudlow emerged Monday as the latest favorite in a changing rotation of potential replacements for Gary D. Cohn, who said he would resign after losing a battle over the presidents longstanding desire to impose large tariffs on steel and aluminum imports.

Mr. Trump spoke with Mr. Kudlow on Sunday and again on Monday, according to two of the people close to the president. The job has not been formally offered, but the president was encouraging of Mr. Kudlow, the people familiar with the discussions said, and he is likely to interview him in the coming days.

Mr. Kudlow declined to comment. I cant talk to you, he said when reached on his cellphone. Mr. Kudlows emergence as a top candidate to run the National Economic Council was first reported on Monday by CNBC.The interest in such firms reflects how easy it is to fake popularity on platforms like Instagram, where bots seem to run unchecked even on accounts where people have not paid for them. While many advertisers have become aware of this, and tried to place more emphasis on content quality or favorable comments, follower numbers still tend to loom large.

Even though brands are looking for engagement more, the actual pay and compensation that influencers are getting is still based on the follower number, said Alivia Latimer, a photographer with about 102,000 Instagram followers. Ms. Latimer, who has worked with brands including Lush Cosmetics and Hollister, said that she charged about $1,200 for a branded post. She added that she knew people with two million followers who charge $40,000 per post.

That means new kinds of detective work are needed for brands that still want the endorsements of the young and hip online. Dovetale said it uses more than 50 metrics to analyze the Instagram followers of popular accounts, including the language in the bios, the rate at which they hit like and follow, and their country of origin. (An influencer with a high number of followers from Turkey, Brazil and China, for instance, can raise red flags for Dovetale, which has frequently seen fake followers come from those countries.)

The clues can be complex. Dovetale flagged one account that claimed to be someone named Meg Cragle because it was part of a group of profiles that had made one or two unrelated posts and contained similarly worded bios of exactly 99 characters that ended with ellipses. The discovery was reinforced by a Google search for phrases in the accounts bio like award-winning bacon fanatic, which matched the terms in a now-deleted Twitter bio generator online.

Dovetale acknowledged that its methods were not foolproof, but they are valuable enough in a murky landscape that the agency 360i said it was now unlikely to hire influencers for campaigns if Dovetales database said more than 2 to 3 percent of their followers were bots. Dovetale said that, on average, 16.4 percent of the followers on Instagrams top 20 accounts were fraudulent.

Sylo, which requires influencers to share access to their public and private post statistics, said it had rejected 77 percent of influencers who have tried to register on its platform after their accounts showed issues like abnormal spikes in engagement on posts or a large number of generic, emoji-laden comments that bots are known for.

In the absence of direct pressure on the platforms, its a way for advertisers to take more control of their own spend and not be at the mercy of the platforms themselves, said Jeff Semones, head of social media at MediaCom, which has recommended Sylo to clients. While he said Instagram had removed many accounts that were flagrantly violating its terms and conditions, a lot of one-off activity goes unchecked.Mr. Cohen and Mr. Rosen did not immediately respond to calls seeking comment.

As we have always said, this is about a search for the truth and the ability of Ms. Clifford to tell the American people what really happened so they can make their own determination, Mr. Avenatti said in a statement. Our offer proves this out.

The offer puts the president and Mr. Cohen  who deny that Mr. Trump had an affair with Ms. Clifford  in a challenging position.

If they agree to Mr. Avenattis terms, Ms. Clifford can speak openly about not only the sexual relationship she claims to have had with Mr. Trump shortly after his wife, Melania, gave birth to the couples son, Barron, but also about what she describes as an effort to silence her with hush money.

The money, which Mr. Cohen has said came from his own personal funds, is the subject of complaints lodged by the group Common Cause with the Federal Election Commission and the Justice Department. Common Cause argues that the payment violated campaign finance laws.

New York States professional standards for lawyers require that they take settlement offers directly to their clients. That means Mr. Cohen is under a legal obligation to share the proposed deal with Mr. Trump, who has kept his distance from the matter since news of the contract broke in January.

If they reject the offer, they could be seen as effectively acknowledging the existence of a continuing effort to keep Ms. Clifford silent about an affair that Mr. Cohen and the president say did not happen.Recently, the Museum of Modern Arts Design Store collaborated with students in the product-design program at the School of Visual Arts in New York on new items for its shops and catalog. Among them is a clever and generous lab-glass mug printed with the proportions of coffee, milk and water needed to prepare various drinks, like a macchiato, an Americano and a flat white. Irish coffee? Youre on your own: Multi-ccino Mug, $16 ($14.40 for members), MoMA Design Stores, 800-851-4509, store.moma.org.

Follow NYT Food on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Pinterest. Get regular updates from NYT Cooking, with recipe suggestions, cooking tips and shopping advice.On the cocktail stage, lemon and lime juice have long owned the starring roles as mixers. Orange juice frequently takes a supporting part. And grapefruit catches a cameo from time to time.

Pineapple juice has played another circuit altogether. Youd occasionally encounter it in quasi-classic cocktails like the Algonquin (rye, dry vermouth) and the Mary Pickford (gin, maraschino liqueur, grenadine). But mainly it found steady work at tiki bars, where it had a home in everything from the Blue Hawaii to the Painkiller.

Recently, however, the juice has branched out. At cocktail bars of every variety, its a rare menu that doesnt have at least one drink using pineapple juice, which the bartenders press themselves.In 1883, Jose Rizal, the future hero and martyr of the Philippine Revolution, was a homesick medical student abroad in Madrid. His longing for bagoong, a paste of seafood salted and left to ferment until it exudes a fathomless funk, grew so great that his worried family in Manila dispatched a jar. But it broke on the ship, releasing its pungent scent and, reportedly, terrifying the passengers.

Today, bagoong and other Filipino foods are finally entering the American mainstream, more than a century after the United States Navy sailed into Manila Bay, sank the Spanish Armada and took control of the archipelago, a restive colony of around 7,100 islands and 180 languages. Americans of Filipino heritage now make up one in five of all Asian-Americans, second only to Chinese in number, and the largest percentage of immigrants serving in the United States military were born in the Philippines.

Other Asian cuisines have been part of the American landscape for decades. But only in recent years have Filipino dishes started gaining recognition outside immigrant communities, at restaurants like Maharlika in New York; Bad Saint in Washington, D.C.; and Lasa in Los Angeles.Local Hive, a company in Greeley, Colo., that was started as a family-run business in 1924, specializes in raw, unfiltered honey from across the United States. You will find subtle differences in color and taste. Honey from the Northeast is earthier than the fruity honey from Florida, for example. The company is donating some of the proceeds of every jar to PACE, a nonprofit global initiative to restore, protect and encourage pollination by bees and butterflies: Local Hive by Rices Honey, $6.99 for 16 ounces, localhivehoney.com.

Follow NYT Food on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Pinterest. Get regular updates from NYT Cooking, with recipe suggestions, cooking tips and shopping advice.Recently, a colleague introduced me to Otokomae Tofu, imported from Kyoto, Japan. For someone like me, who tends to regard tofu as either soft or firm and as lacking personality in particular recipes, this brand is a revelation. Its on the firm side, with the silky texture of custard. And it has a playful side: The packages, which come in single servings or a group of three, have dude-worthy names like Johnny Tofu, Three Guys in a Row and Strong Ken. Eat this tofu  most of which has an earthy, somewhat edamame flavor  as you would Greek yogurt, for dessert, topped with good preserves, even yuzu marmalade, or coated with a spoonful of caramel sauce: Otokomae Tofu, $1.99 to $6.89, Sunrise Mart, sunrisemart-ny.com, 646-380-9280, and Dainobu stores, dainobu.us, 212-645-0237.

Follow NYT Food on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Pinterest. Get regular updates from NYT Cooking, with recipe suggestions, cooking tips and shopping advice.Six years ago, more than a dozen men with AK-47s shot their way into Akinbode Oluwafemis home in Lagos, Nigeria. They killed his house guard and his brother-in-law, and briefly held a muzzle to the head of one of his year-old twins.

I do not know why I was not killed that day, said Mr. Oluwafemi, who as deputy director of Environmental Rights Action/Friends of the Earth Nigeria has been one of his countrys leading antismoking activists.

He was one of several tobacco control advocates at last weeks 17th World Conference on Tobacco or Health in Cape Town who in telephone conversations described violence or threats they faced as they fought the expansion of smoking in their countries.

No arrests were made in any case, and none of the victims could prove that the men assaulting or threatening them worked for the industry. But the pattern was consistent.At a meeting with reporters last week, Mr. Azar said that other priorities, like fighting the flu and Ebola, also competed for funds. He did not specify which subjects would be a priority, how much money he might ask Congress to allocate to gun violence research, or whether he will transfer money from other health agency programs.

There is no shortage of ideas  or criticism of the time lost in studying gun violence.

We have repeatedly and consciously turned our back on the problem, said Garen Wintemute, a professor of emergency medicine who in July started the Firearm Violence Research Center at the University of California, Davis, with funding from the state. How many thousands of people are dead today who might have been alive if that research effort had been put in place and we had answered critical questions and set prevention measures in motion?

Its a question that haunts researchers. In the aftermath of the Sandy Hook school shooting in 2012, President Obama directed the C.D.C. to reconsider gun violence research. The agency commissioned a report from the Institute of Medicine outlining priorities, but never followed up.

The most pressing questions cited by the institute, now known as the National Academy of Medicine, still have no answers. Who is most likely to use a gun in a crime, and where does the gun come from? How often are guns used in domestic violence cases? How often are the people who are arrested for gun crimes the same individuals who actually bought the weapons?

Then there is a separate set of questions about what kind of policy changes or prevention efforts actually reduce gun-related deaths and injuries.

Andrew R. Morral, a senior behavioral scientist at the RAND Corporation, directed a recent study that found moderate evidence that background checks do reduce both firearm suicides and homicides. The report also said there is moderate evidence that stand-your-ground laws, which allow people to use guns to defend themselves without first trying to retreat, may increase the murder rate.Given the partisan tumult of 2017, many Americans probably feel like they could use a cold shower or a hot bath. In stressful times like these, it can help to find a relaxation regimen, which might explain the popularity of Eastern traditions like tai chi, qigong and yoga.

The photographer Andy Richter, a Minnesota native and former ski patrolman, has been devoted to his yoga practice since 2004. In 2012, he set out on a mission to deeply explore yoga, including visiting with many masters.

The times were living in, theres a lot of pressure on us that is really nonstop, he said. We need tools and ways to be able to control our inner state. Im not just there trying to illustrate a posture or pose. Im trying to tune into whats going on before me, and really transmit this inner experience that the yogi in front of me is having.The five passengers who were killed when a helicopter without doors splashed into the East River on Sunday night were cinched into heavy-duty harnesses and tied to the helicopter floor with only a knife to free themselves from frigid waters. Given little more than a brief safety video beforehand, they were left at the mercy of a stiff current as the helicopter dragged them 50 blocks south, upside down and underwater, before rescue divers could cut them free.

The crash  the deadliest involving a helicopter in New York City since 2009  exposed what aviation experts called startling safety gaps in the fast-growing industry of doors-off photo flights, once reserved for professional photographers but increasingly marketed to tourists looking to dangle their feet outside and share stomach-churning pictures of the skyline on Instagram. In major cities, including Miami, Los Angeles and San Francisco, sightseers who are untrained, unaware of proper escape maneuvers and underdressed for wind-whipped conditions routinely climb into the doors-off helicopters, with regulatory agencies providing scant oversight.

Before circling the Statue of Liberty and heading toward Manhattan on Sunday night, passengers watched a roughly 10-minute video that showed them a knife in their harnesses they could use if they got trapped. But the briefing did not include any discussion about how to saw through the nylon ties should the helicopter need to ditch in the water surrounding Manhattan. And one passenger who watched the presentation before boarding a different flight said the staff never pointed out the knives once they were strapped in, leaving him oblivious to where his was.

The harnesses, tangles of thick straps and metal clasps that let tourists lean out over the skyline without worry, quickly became underwater death traps.At the request of The New York Times, Ms. Packes compared the average price per square foot for Trump buildings with the average prices of similar condominiums built at roughly the same time.

The prices most Trump condos are now selling for no longer merit the luxury designation, the CityRealty report said. In part, this is simply a function of the age of the buildings, as luxury buildings built over the past decade sell for more, the report said.

But, brokers say, the difference is about more than just age. The features, amenities and styles that define ultraluxury have changed drastically since Trump Tower on Fifth Avenue opened in 1983, or Trump World Tower opened in 2001, near the United Nations. And foreign buyers, who dominate the top of the residential market in New York, are gravitating to the latest buildings on the market.

Everybody wants the newest, coolest apartment with the most amenities, the newest architect, said Dolly Lenz, a broker who represents high-end buyers and sellers. The aesthetics have also changed. Back then, brass and gold was cool. Today, the aesthetic is much more minimalist. They show their status through art, so they need very high ceilings.

All this is a far cry from how the Trump brand was perceived in the 1980s and 1990s, when Mr. Trump was building his condominium portfolio.

He started building his first eponymous building in 1980, the Trump Tower on Fifth Avenue, between 56th and 57th Streets, when the city was emerging from a long period of economic and fiscal crisis. He was one of the rare developers at the time to build luxury condos. But he thought he had a great location and a hefty tax break to boot.

Even before he sold the first condo at the Trump Tower, Mr. Trump told The New York Times in 1980 that projects with his name on them were 25 percent more valuable.Ethel Stein, a weaver who created countless intricate textile artworks and one particularly influential sock puppet, died on Friday in Cortlandt, N.Y. She was 100.

Her son, Carl, said the cause was complications of pneumonia.

Working largely out of the artistic limelight at her home in Croton-on-Hudson, N.Y., Ms. Stein resurrected historical weaving techniques and merged them with 20th-century Bauhaus design sensibilities.RESENDING WITH FULL SCRIPT Oskar Groening, a 94-year-old German who worked as a bookkeeper at the Auschwitz death camp, is convicted of being an accessory to the murder of 300,000 people and sentenced to four years in prison, in what could be one of the last big Holocaust trials. SHOWS: LUENEBURG, GERMANY (JULY 15, 2015) (REUTERS POOL - ACCESS ALL) 1. VARIOUS OF PEOPLE SEATED IN TEMPORARY COURT AT LUENEBURGS RITTERAKADEMIE CONFERENCE CENTRE 2. VARIOUS OF 94-YEAR-OLD OSKAR GROENING ARRIVING IN COURT WITH WALKING FRAME, SITTING DOWN AND ADJUSTING HIS SHIRT 3. JUDGES ENTERING 4. LAWYERS STANDING STORY: A 94-year-old German man who worked as a bookkeeper at the Auschwitz death camp was convicted on Wednesday (July 15) of being an accessory to the murder of 300,000 people and sentenced to four years in prison, in what could be one of the last big Holocaust trials. Oskar Groening did not kill anyone himself while working at the camp in Nazi-occupied Poland, but prosecutors argued that by sorting the bank notes from trainloads of arriving Jews he helped support the regime responsible for mass murder. White-haired Groening, who has been on trial since April, has admitted moral guilt but said it was up to the court to decide whether he was legally guilty. He said earlier this month he could only ask God to forgive him as he was not entitled to ask this of victims of the Holocaust. The trial went to the heart of the question of whether people who were small cogs in the Nazi machinery, but did not actively participate in the killing of 6 million Jews during the Holocaust, were guilty of crimes. Until recently, the answer from the German justice system was no. During his time at Auschwitz, Groenings job was to collect the belongings of the deportees after they arrived at the camp by train and had been put through a selection process that resulted in many being sent directly to the gas chambers. Groening, who was 21 and by his own admission an enthusiastic Nazi when he was sent to work at the camp in 1942, inspected peoples luggage, removing and counting any bank notes that were inside and sending them on to SS offices in Berlin, where they helped to fund the Nazi war effort. The charges against him related to the period between May and July 1944 when 137 trains carrying roughly 425,000 Jews from Hungary arrived in Auschwitz. At least 300,000 of them were sent straight to the gas chambers, the indictment says. Many Germans are keen to draw a line under the Holocaust and seal the post-war democratic identity of their nation. Some find distasteful the pursuit of old men, often in poor health, for crimes committed nearly 70 years ago. Groening, who uses a walking frame, is frail and in May the court decided to limit the time he spent in court to three hours a day in view of his health problems, which had led to delays.The reasons Douglass offered in support of this conclusion reveal that unlike most libertarian thinkers, he did not accept the idea that human beings are free insofar as they are able to act without unjust interference of others. This is what philosophers like to call freedom as noninterference, and it is at the foundation of most libertarian theories of justice. While Douglass certainly believed that it was important to protect individuals from unjust interference, he did not believe this was sufficient to make human beings free.

In the context of the post-Civil War United States, Douglass explained, negative liberty was not enough because of the significant differences in power between former slaves and their former masters. The old master class had not lost the power of life and death over the human beings it used to claim as property, he said, because it retained the power to starve them to death. You shall serve me, the former master was still able to say to the former slave, or starve. This was slavery by another name.

It should be clear by now that the alternative theory of liberty defended by Douglass, which philosophers often call freedom as non-domination, poses serious problems for those wishing to defend the idea that he was a libertarian. What makes libertarians uncomfortable about freedom as non-domination is that it opens the door to the idea that the state may have an important role to play in counteracting the power of economic elites, who left unchecked might use their power to dominate others.

But lets step down out of the clouds of theory to see the practical implications of Douglasss view. Recall that in his libertarian reading, Sandefur argues that Douglass never joined in efforts by some leaders, including Charles Sumner, to confiscate plantation land and divide it among the former slaves. Douglass was too well versed in the history and theory of freedom, Sandefur explains, not to know that destabilizing property rights in such a way would in the long run harm the freedmen more.

Sandefur is right that in the immediate aftermath of the Civil War, Douglass did not join with Sumner and the other Radical Republicans in their call for confiscation and redistribution. Perhaps Sandefur is also right that Douglasss theory of freedom led him to reject this path in those years. What Sandefur does not tell us, though, is that Douglass changed his mind.

In the 1880 Emancipation Day speech, Douglass said the threat to liberty presented by economic inequality was seen and felt by Thaddeus Stevens, Charles Sumner, and leading stalwart Republicans, and had their counsels prevailed, the terrible evils from which we now suffer would have been averted. It is hard to imagine Douglass stating this more clearly. By 1880, he was looking back and saying, they were right, I was wrong. His theory of freedom had evolved.New York could soon join seven other states that have done away with the unjust policy of letting employers pay waiters, bartenders and other tipped workers less than the minimum wage, a move that would help lift thousands of low-income families out of poverty.

In much of the country, tipped workers live in a parallel universe as far as labor law is concerned. Under federal law, employers can pay such workers as little as $2.13 per hour  a rate that has not changed since 1991  as long as their hourly wages plus tips add up to $7.25 an hour. This discrepancy hurts workers by putting them at greater risk of wage theft, sexual harassment and other workplace exploitation  bosses can easily withhold or steal tips, especially from workers they dont like or who refuse their propositions. These are hardly idle threats, as demonstrated by the recent allegations of abuse against prominent chefs and restaurant owners and the multimillion-dollar wage theft settlements workers have secured in recent years by suing unscrupulous employers. The Department of Labors wage and hour division estimated that nearly 84 percent of full-service restaurants it investigated between 2010 and 2012 had violated labor standards, including but not limited to tip violations.

Most states, including many of the 29 that have a higher minimum wage than is federally required, maintain a subminimum wage for tipped workers, who number about 4.3 million nationwide. In New York City, the minimum wage for tipped workers at businesses with 11 or more employees is $8.65, compared with $13 an hour for other workers. Gov. Andrew Cuomo has directed his labor commissioner, Roberta Reardon, to hold hearings starting next month on whether the state ought to eliminate that discrepancy through administrative action.

The restaurant industry asserts that raising the tipped wage would hurt small businesses, forcing some to close. Mr. Cuomo and Ms. Reardon should not be swayed by this scare tactic. While there is no doubt that bringing tipped workers up to the minimum wage could reduce profits for some businesses, the experiences of other states show it would not devastate the industry. Consider California. It has for decades required businesses to pay tipped employees the same minimum wage other workers get, yet the state has a thriving restaurant scene that includes everything from mom-and-pop taquerias to fine dining establishments  look no further than the heated debates in foodie circles about the relative merits of eating out in New York versus Los Angeles and San Francisco.In Navarros version of the world, for example as expressed in a campaign white paper, VATs give European companies a huge, unfair trade advantage. U.S. products sold in Europe have to pay VAT  for example, they must pay a 19 percent tax if sold in Germany. This, says the white paper, is just like an import tariff. Meanwhile, German producers pay no VAT on goods they sell in America; this, the paper says, is just like an export subsidy. Im pretty sure thats what Trump means when he talks about horrific tariffs.

But what this story misses is the fact that when German producers sell to German consumers, they also pay that 19 percent tax. And when U.S. producers sell to U.S. consumers, they, like German producers, dont face any VAT. So the tax doesnt tilt the playing field at all, in either market. In reality, a VAT has nothing to do with competitive advantage; its basically a sales tax  a tax on German consumers  which is why VATs are considered legal by the World Trade Organization.

So how does someone who misunderstands such a basic, well-understood point about taxes and trade get to be a key economic adviser? As I said, its because he tells the boss what he wants to hear. More than that, hes willing to abase himself in extraordinary ways.

Heres what he told Bloomberg recently: My function, really, as an economist is to try to provide the underlying analytics that confirm his intuition. And his intuition is always right in these matters. Wow.

I mean, one expects White House aides to share many of the presidents views and defend him in public. But this goes far beyond that. Not only is Navarro proudly declaring that hes a propagandist, not a policy analyst  that his role is solely to confirm Trumps prejudices  hes also engaging in an utterly un-American level of sycophancy. Since when has it become acceptable to declare that Dear Leader is infallible?

Now, its a commonplace, but also a euphemism, to say that Trump has authoritarian instincts. A more accurate statement would be that he expects the kind of treatment tin-pot dictators demand, free from any criticism inside or outside his government and greeted with constant hosannas of praise.

And everyone who isnt willing to play the full game, who has tried to play by something resembling normal democratic rules, seems to be fleeing the administration. Soon only the shameless sycophants will be left. This will not end well.NASA has been without a permanent leader for more than a year. Now the agencys temporary leader is leaving, too.

In an email to the space agencys employees on Monday, Robert M. Lightfoot Jr., the acting administrator, announced that he would retire on April 30.

Mr. Lightfoot said he was leaving with bittersweet feelings, but did not say why he was retiring.

I cannot express enough my gratitude to the entire NASA team for the support during my career and especially the last 14 months as your acting administrator, Mr. Lightfoot wrote.More than 5,500 miles from the site of the Toba supereruption in Southeast Asia, Curtis Marean, an anthropologist at Arizona State University, and his colleagues discovered signs of its debris at two archaeological sites on South Africas southern coast. The appearance of microscopic glass shards once ejected by the Toba event amid layers of ancient bones, complex stone tools and evidence of human fires allowed the team to directly observe the volcanos impact on the human population for the first time.

The results surprised Dr. Marean. Should Dr. Ambroses theory be correct, there would be fewer signs of human occupation in the layer of soil above the one with the signs of the Toba supereruption. Dr. Mareans team saw the opposite: After the catastrophic event, there were more signs of human occupation. Not only did humans appear to adapt to the trauma caused by the event, they thrived, said Eugene Smith, an author of the study and a retired geologist.

That doesnt mean Tobas volcanic winter never occurred. Dr. Marean speculates that an ensuing global chill may have driven these prehistoric humans to the coast where they were able to survive.

But not all experts agree with that interpretation.

Although Dr. Petraglia praised Dr. Mareans work, he said it did not buttress the case for a global climate catastrophe following the Toba eruption. He pointed to a study published this year of a similar ash layer within Lake Malawi in East Africa. There, scientists found no signs that the lakes temperature dropped significantly after the event  suggesting that there was no volcanic winter, and further challenging the idea of a human population decline resulting from the Toba eruption.

And hes not alone.

I personally lean toward the idea that Toba just didnt have sufficient impact to have a significant impact on Homo sapiens in East Africa, period, says Thomas Johnson, a retired paleoclimatologist at the University of Minnesota, Duluth, who was not involved in the study. The large majority of the information that keeps coming out keeps putting nails in the Toba coffin.The Coyote Ugly Saloon, the East Village bar that became an early 2000s cult film, proved it takes work to keep a wild reputation alive. On a Sunday in January, about 350 guests celebrated the bars 25th anniversary at a party that included appearances from a contortionist, Times Squares Naked Cowboy and a performance from the rapper Justina Valentine.

Its the year of the woman, Ms. Valentine declared from atop the bar to the crowd of former bartenders, regulars, some who have been patrons since the 90s, and fans of the film. Its the decade of the woman.

The owner , Liliana Lovell, was there catching up with the customers who frequented her saloon 25 years ago , when she was the one dancing on the bar. Its like getting into an old shoe, she said about being back.

A fter Ms. Valentine and two backup dancers performed a few songs from on top of the bar, a bartender slipped her a note to roast the crowd , something shes used to doing to her castmates on M.T.V.s Wild N Out, a hip-hop comedy improv show.ON A FALL afternoon at De Maria, a year-old restaurant in New Yorks NoLIta neighborhood, the flat city light pours in from a wall of windows onto square tables covered in worn pistachio-green and navy leather. Diners can sit on squat wooden chairs, a tan-leather banquette or felt-topped stools at the bar, which is lit by orblike pendants and backed by a Bauhaus-via-Brazil geometric tile mural. They might order a chai latte, which arrives in a stoneware mug made by Brooklyns Workaday Handmade, or a cured-salmon and coconut grain bowl, off seasonal menus that are available from early in the morning until late at night.

Beyond the virtuous food, the space itself is somehow salubrious, as if solely by being here you are improving your life. Along with places like Kismet in Los Angeles, Junes All Day in Austin and Res Ipsa in Philadelphia, De Maria is part of a new class of American restaurants  or rather, all-day cafes  that combine highly specific, instantly recognizable decor with visually pleasing riffs on health-store classics like flaxseed banana bread and acai. These new cafes, all of which owe a debt to New Yorks abstemious Dimes, which opened in Chinatown in 2013, present amiable aesthetic experiences that feel ready-made for Instagram: Many of these rooms share the same natural light, blond wood chairs and copper details that have come to evoke a kind of Scandinavian-inflected, aspirational millennial apartment, which the cafes themselves tend to resemble.

De Marias interior, in particular, is the work of the MP Shift, a Chinatown-based design and branding studio that, since its founding three years ago, has created variations on this look for several New York City restaurants and is now expanding throughout the country  as well as to Paris, London and Sydney. The studio was established by Amy Morris and Anna Polonsky (the M and P of the name, plus shift as in late), who met a decade ago through mutual friends, when Morris was a marketing consultant and Polonsky was a managing partner at a culinary events company. The young chefs and restaurateurs they encountered in those jobs were often interested in developing independent projects but lacked the proper guidance, so the two women decided to build an agency that consolidated graphics, interiors and brand-direction.The mermaid has long swum in the sea of our collective imagination, appearing in stories ranging from fourth-century B.C. Chinese mythology to the fairy tales of Hans Christian Andersen. Most often she is a princess of the depths, with alabaster skin, a giant fin in place of legs and breasts covered by a mess of long, tangled hair. Her appeal, though, is not merely aesthetic. For centuries, men have braved the open waters, knowing full well they may never make it home, and the mermaid has served as either a kind of ballast in times of trouble, saving sailors from floods and deadly storms, or a figure of seduction, luring them to their deaths at the bottom of the ocean. Her passivity, as well as her beguiling exoticness, is an escape from whatever drudgery awaits these men back on land  the mermaid is a fantasy, yes, but also a way to explain the unexplainable in nature. The admiral on one of Christopher Columbuss expeditions once mistook a manatee, its silky gray curves moving gently through the Caribbean waters, for one.

Lately, though, its the mermaids male counterparts whove surfaced as objects of desire. In Guillermo del Toros The Shape of Water, Sally Hawkins plays a mute woman named Elisa who works as a cleaning lady at a government laboratory. She falls for a mysterious amphibian captured at sea  hes less merman, more creature of the lagoon, complete with webbed fingers and gills, but he enchants her nonetheless, gently swaying in his tank to the jazz music Elisa plays for him. The film echoes Rachel Ingallss recently reissued 1982 novel Mrs. Caliban, in which a lonely California housewife falls for a sexy frog man (  as for the rest of the body, he was exactly like a man  a well-built large man  except that he was a dark spotted green-brown in color and had no hair). Finally, Melissa Broders racy debut novel, The Pisces (out this May), tells of a young woman who, strolling Venice Beach one night, meets a handsome merman named Theo. The tail starts below all that, he reassures her. Their love, as in all of these stories, is doomed, but it is passionate and refreshingly free of judgment.

Are real men these days so unwanted? In these interspecies romances, women arent looking to be saved by convention (these frogs dont turn into princes when kissed). Their love also demonstrates a kind of compassion that feels profoundly absent right now. In light of #MeToo, such narratives of feminist reclamation force us to ask ourselves: Who is actually dangerous, and what is truly safe? What we fear most may not be these so-called monsters of the sea.He has a lot at stake on the production, which is set to debut on March 15. He has booked the capitals former symphony hall for at least a year. If its successful, it would become Romes first permanent theatrical production along the lines of Broadway in New York or the West End in London.

The Vatican has approved the project, on the condition that it would respect the artistic, religious and spiritual values that the Sistine Chapel embodies. Mr. Balich has to live up to that promise.

The Vatican Museums, which house the Sistine Chapel, provided high-definition digital reproductions of the frescoes in the hall at a reduced rate because they acknowledged the educational value of the project. Experts from the museum consulted on historical and other questions. This I liked, because it showed that they were serious, said Barbara Jatta, the director of the Vatican Museums. At the same time, Mr. Balich had to create something that will enchant Romans (who, surrounded by beauty, are reluctant to pay for it), tourists, cardinals and teenagers. Hes got a private investment of 9 million euros, or around $11 million, and years of planning riding on it.

Mr. Balich also has to convince Italys traditionally skeptical art conservators that hes not out to circumvent visits to the real chapel with a glitzy concoction that includes theater, ballet and many, many bells and whistles. Italy has all these very conservative art critics, and they are against the idea of spettacolarizzazione, he said, using an Italian expression for putting on a big show.They enter, marching, as one  seven individuals welded into the singleness of a shared purpose. Their movements are as synchronized as those of soldiers in formation; their voices, a harmonic convergence that finds the melody in anger.

But because they are seven, which in this case stands for multitudes, these young South African university students are destined to be divided. Their cries will fragment into separate, argumentative voices, each with its own thorny grievances, and they will run  not with, but away from, one another.

That is until, however fleetingly, the sweetness of being one with like-minded others returns again.

Such are the rhythms of The Fall, the stirring ensemble theater piece from South Africas fertile Baxter Theater Center at St. Anns Warehouse in Brooklyn. Created by its cast (with Thando Mangcu and Kgomotso Khunoane), The Fall is an account of the events surrounding the removal of the statue of Cecil Rhodes from the campus of the University of Cape Town.Just before New Years Eve, my wife and I left our two young children at home with my parents and sneaked down to Havana for a brief getaway. You might be familiar with this uncanny sensation of kidlessness, as if you are getting away with something reckless and potentially illegal. More than once, I felt as if we had discovered a cheat code that had opened a portal into a parallel universe. Suddenly, we were allowed to get a drink. We were allowed to sip this drink. We could read more than a single page in a book at one time. We could enjoy a meal without cleaning yogurt off the ceiling.

Yet this odd feeling of defeating space and time came as much from our destination as anything. Cuba, that elusive island unfurling across the Caribbean like a tangled flag, sits barely 100 miles south of Key West. 100 miles! And yet, in some respects, it might as well be 10,000 miles. The countrys complex identity is inherently bound up in the duality of this proximity, in its ability to feel both so close and yet so far away at the same time.

Our visit came at a strange time for Cuban-American relations, as the country languishes in a period of post-Fidel, post-Obama uncertainty. Many Cubans we talked to cited President Obamas 2016 visit as a watershed moment, a critical first step in normalizing relations between the two countries. But such optimism has given way to a kind of stagnant waiting game, filled with more questions than answers: Is the sudden explosion of private businesses (like Airbnb) on the island a sign of things to come or merely window dressing on what remains a totalitarian regime? What will happen when Raul Castro finally steps down? In this age of Trump, are Americans even allowed to go to Cuba anymore? And if I did go to Cuba, would my capitalist mind be turned into mush?Staying safe while traveling is a topic which continues to be relevant as terrorist attacks are no longer a surprise and mass shootings seem to be increasingly common. Is almost every destination in the world a potential danger?

In fact, according to the latest Safe Cities Index, some places pose considerably more risk than others. The report was released late last year by The Economist Intelligence Unit, the research and analysis division of The Economist Group, a London-based company that specializes in international business.

The index ranked the safety of 60 international cities across four categories, including personal security, which scored each city on factors such as the number of terrorist attacks, crime rates, threat of military conflict and threat of civil unrest.

The Safe Cities Index was first published in 2015, and the not-so-good news in the second version released in 2017 is that levels of personal security appear to have declined in the past two years, said Christopher Clague, a managing editor at The Economist Intelligence Unit and the creator of the index.Dr. Cetron said its also important for doctors seeing patients who have recently returned from Brazil to think about the virus as a possible cause if they develop a fever.

The mosquitoes that carry yellow fever normally stay in the upper canopies of the forest, said Dr. Edward Ryan, the director of Global Infectious Diseases at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston. But for unknown reasons, in early 2017, mosquitoes with the virus began turning up in unexpected spots, including coastal areas.

Officials are now worried that the Aedes aegypti mosquito, which can also carry Zika, dengue and chikungunya, will pick up the virus. Aedes aegypti live close to the ground in cities and like feasting on humans, so if they become infected, it puts the population of major cities at high risk, Dr. Ryan said.

Theres no specific treatment for yellow fever, just supportive care, Dr. Ryan said.

Early symptoms include fever, chills, headache, backache and muscle aches, according to the C.D.C.

In about 15 percent of victims, the virus reaches a fulminant form, which causes liver damage that turns the whites of the eyes yellow, hence its name, Dr. Ryan said. The liver is where clotting factors are made, so liver damage can causes blood-thinning which can trigger bleeding. Yellow fever can kill as many as 20 to 50 percent of its victims, he said.More people in the United States are on antidepressants, as a percentage of the population, than any other country in the world. And yet the drugs efficacy has been hotly debated.

Some believe that the short-term benefits are much more modest than widely thought, and that harms may outweigh benefits in the long run. Others believe that they work, and that they can be life-changing.

Settling this debate has been much harder than you might think.

Its not that we lack research. Many, many studies of antidepressants can be found in the peer-reviewed literature. The problem is that this has been a prime example of publication bias: Positive studies are likely to be released, with negative ones more likely to be buried in a drawer.

In 2008, a group of researchers made this point by doing a meta-analysis of antidepressant trials that were registered with the Food and Drug Administration as evidence in support of approvals for marketing or changes in labeling. Companies had to submit the results of registered trials to the F.D.A. regardless of the result. These trials also tend to have less data massaging  such as the cherry-picking of outcomes  than might be possible in journals.Two people have been killed and three injured in three separate package explosions at homes in Austin, Tex., this month  crimes that have put the capital city on edge and prompted the police to warn residents not to even touch any unexpected packages.

Two of the blasts occurred on Monday just miles, and hours, apart, killing one person and injuring two others. The residents of the homes found a package outside their door that contained a powerful explosive device.

The police believe those attacks are connected to a deadly blast at another nearby Austin home on March 2.

The Austin interim police chief, Brian Manley, held two news conferences on Monday, one after each explosion, warning residents not to touch, move or handle any unexpected or suspicious packages. Call 911, he said. Its appropriate for residents to be concerned.To some, free speech on college campuses appears to be under attack, but what do the students themselves think? A study released on Monday offers some answers based on a survey of more than 3,000 of them.

The survey, a collaboration among five groups, finds that college students feel increasingly stifled on campus and online, and while they equally value free speech and inclusivity, they wrestle with how best to balance the two.

What you see is a generation thats struggling with really deep questions about how to be a pluralistic society and a pluralistic campus and how to be an open society and an open campus, said Sam Gill, vice president of communities and learning at the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, which led the effort with Gallup, the polling company.

Students differed widely on how to strike that balance. Heres a look at some of the findings of the survey, which was co-sponsored by the American Council on Education, the Charles Koch Foundation and the Stanton Foundation.Many of the electric shock devices used by law enforcement are meant to be out of sight, but every once in a while comes a reminder that their use is widespread.

This time, it happened in Fort Worth. A conviction there was overturned last month because the judge had ordered the defendant to be electrically shocked by a device on his ankle three times during his trial, court documents show.

These devices have been referred to as stun belts, shock belts or stun cuffs. Some of the devices, which are used to restrain inmates, are strapped to the ankle and others around the torso. When triggered, the shock is comparable to that of a Taser; it is usually enough to knock a person to the ground, sometimes prompting involuntary defecation or urination.

Supporters of the devices say they deter inmates from attempting violence or escape. Ideally, the devices are strapped on, the inmates behave and no jolts are needed.But after consulting some of the same city and state engineers who devised the connector, he concluded that the McBride bridge was no longer safe or needed, and that it might cost some $6 million to fix, more than he believes this straitened city can afford.

Preservationists angrily reject the mayors figures, conjecturing a far lower cost to keep the bridge open just for pedestrians and bikes. They point to a new $5 increase in vehicle registration fees that promises Erie an additional $1.4 million a year for infrastructure improvements, a fund that could help pay to fix the bridge.

We have serious problems on the east side, Mr. Schember said. If the city is going to put money to work there, there are much more worthwhile things to spend it on than the viaduct.

He has yet to spell those things out. In place of the viaduct, the city has been contemplating larger parking lots.

For East Side residents  many of whom cannot afford cars and who often take their lives into their hands dashing on foot across the multilane expressway, scrambling over its concrete Jersey barriers to get home or to the neighborhood Walmart  the viaduct remains not just a way to get where they are going. It is a measure of where the city is headed.Im going to write the bump stock, essentially, write it out. So you wont have to worry about bump stock. Shortly, thatll be gone. I like taking the guns early, like in this crazy mans case. Id just like to ask Joe and Pat  in your bill, what are you doing about the 18 to 21? We didnt address ... We dont change that. O.K. Are you going to leave that? Thats ... whatever you want to do, sir. I think youre going to have to iron out that problem, because Im asked that question more than almost any other question. Are you going to 21 or not? Some of you people are petrified of the N.R.A. You cant be petrified. They want to do whats right. And theyre going to do whats right. I really believe that. And they do have great power, I agree with that. They have great power over you people. They have less power over me. Ive been here for a little more than a year. What surprises me more than anything else is that nothings been done for all these years, because I really see a lot of common ground. You can buy a TEC-9. I mean, you can buy all these weapons. Well, this is what youre going to have to discuss. Light triggers. Many bullets. Joe, yeah, Joe and Pat, youre going to have to discuss that. Youll sit down with Dianne and everybody else, and youll come up with something. Id rather have you come down on the strong side instead of the weak side. The weak side would be much easier. Id rather have you come up with a strong, strong bill  and really strong on background checks.We want change, we want change ... I dont understand why I could still go in a store and buy a weapon of war. Theres no better time than now to talk about gun control. These are calls the American public has heard before. After Orlando  Democrats and Republicans we spoke with agree, suspected terrorists, like the Orlando shooter, should not be allowed to purchase firearms. After Sandy Hook  90 percent of Americans support universal background checks. After each mass shooting, theres a surge of public support for stricter gun control. A new poll from Quinnipiac University shows record high support for stricter gun laws. So why hasnt Washington put stricter gun laws on the books? There are several factors, ranging from partisan divides to gun owner activism to the N.R.A.s political clout. No. 1: Theres broad support, but also big divisions on gun control. The most comprehensive data is from 2017, and it shows that 60 percent of Americans say they want stricter gun laws. Support is even higher for things like a 30-day waiting period for gun sales and universal background checks. But dig deeper, and you find the devil is in the details  and the divides. Most Democratic voters want stricter gun laws. But less than 1 in 4 Republicans agree. Most Americans who dont own firearms say easy access to legal guns fuels gun violence. Fewer than half of gun owners agree. Non-owners want to ban assault-style weapons, while most gun owners dont. The person is the criminal, not the weapon. Gun owners may be a minority, but theyre a very focused and vocal minority. Only about 3 in 10 Americans own a gun. But to them, gun control is not merely a policy issue  its personal. Nearly 40 percent say they always have a loaded firearm at the ready in their home. 74 percent say the right to own a gun is essential to their freedom. Gun owners are much more likely to contact lawmakers about gun policy, compared to non-owners, and far more likely to donate to gun advocacy and policy groups. No. 3: The N.R.A. is a formidable force in politics. Less than 20 percent of gun owners in America say they belong to the N.R.A., but its big enough, and disciplined enough, to turn elections and to end political careers. Part of what makes the N.R.A. so formidable is the money it spends helping friendly politicians and attacking those deemed enemies. Ross voted against your gun rights. The N.R.A.s vast marketing efforts have helped turn gun ownership into a badge of cultural identity. It is not about politics. It is a way of life. I feel like we should be able to express that. And their catchphrases have become ubiquitous. You know, the guns dont kill people, people kill people. No. 4: The N.R.A.s leaders are more hard-line than its members. Polls show that N.R.A. members do support some gun control policies, like outlawing sales to the mentally ill and people on terror watch lists. Most also favor universal background checks. But time and time again, N.R.A. leaders in Washington work to kill these proposals. After Sandy Hook, N.R.A. leaders flipped the script on mass shootings. Instead of combating calls for new gun control, they actually demanded more gun rights. The only thing that stops a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun. And finally, No. 5: Are Americans really clamoring for more gun control? Maybe not. We see spikes and public support for stricter laws in the wake of mass shootings like Columbine, Sandy Hook and Las Vegas. But in a matter of weeks, the bumps fade. In fact, overall Americans have actually grown less supportive of gun control over the past 25 years. The shootings, meanwhile, continue.Over the past 14 months there have been at least eight complaints against White House officials for potential violations of the statute, according to a review by the agency charged with enforcing it. That number has put the Trump White House on a pace to far surpass the complaints against the staff of his predecessor.

A handful of high-profile violations and the increased number of complaints suggest that, more than a year after taking office, Mr. Trump  who has openly defied many norms of government ethics and transparency  is surrounded by aides who blur the line between their roles as partisans and public servants, sometimes skirting or disregarding altogether decades-old standards that govern the behavior of senior White House officials.

This is an overall attitude this White House has about these rules, that they are just not all that important or they do not apply, said Lawrence M. Noble, the senior director and general counsel of the Campaign Legal Center, the nonpartisan ethics watchdog group that filed the complaints against Ms. Conway. There are clearly gray areas, but its not like occasionally they stumble into the gray areas; this seems to be willful ignoring of the rules.

The Office of Special Counsel, the federal agency which enforces the Hatch Act, has an email inbox and telephone hotline devoted to fielding complaints, and, according to one official, has heard about more potential violations since Mr. Trump was sworn in than is typical, particularly three years before a general election campaign. Over the eight years of Barack Obamas presidency, for example, the office received a total of six complaints about conduct by White House officials  a number Mr. Trumps administration has already surpassed.

Not every complaint has led to a finding of a violation, and Mr. Trumps aides argue that many are meritless claims by political opponents looking for ways to undercut the president. They also point to the increase in the use of Twitter and other platforms that make it more difficult to maintain a bright line between the official and the political.Her older sister, Col. Kerry Gilpin, went on to become the superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police. On Sunday, Colonel Gilpin praised the many law enforcement agencies that worked to identify and arrest a suspect.

Image Michael A. Hand was arrested on Friday for the 1986 murder of a 15-year-old girl. Credit... Iredell County Sheriff's Office

For the past three decades, we have remained hopeful that Tracys murderer would be identified, Colonel Gilpin said in a statement. The much-welcomed news of an arrest in the case leaves us cautiously optimistic that justice for Tracy is within reach. My thoughts today are not just with my own family, but also with all the families who have lost loved ones to violence. We will continue to work tirelessly to find justice for all murder victims.

Mr. Hands neighbors on Klutz Street in Troutman described him as argumentative and unable to hold down a job.

He was always hard up for money, Shirley Parker, 81, said in a phone interview on Monday.

Ms. Parker has known Mr. Hand for about a decade, she said, ever since he moved to the neighborhood. She recalled him walking around with a gun on his hip, before he eventually dropped the habit.

He was different from Southerners. He was loud, and he always had an opinion, she said.

He lived alone with his dog and had a collection of nice guns, she said.Similar demonstrations are expected again. Protesters  and some supporters  are planning rallies in the San Diego area before the presidents visit on Tuesday. One group, Womens March San Diego, is planning to erect a large sign in opposition to the border wall that the president would see from the air, should he fly in by helicopter. Another group, which calls itself San Diegans for Secure Borders, is planning a rally on Tuesday in support of the presidents immigration policies. Among those scheduled to attend, the group said, are parents whose children were murdered by illegal aliens who crossed our unsecured border illegally to kill our citizens.

Los Angeles is girding for protests as well, though demonstrators may be confused over where to go. The location of Mr. Trumps fund-raiser, and where he is staying, has been kept secret. A spokeswoman for the Los Angeles Police Department, Officer Rosario Herrera, said no permits had been issued for major protests as of Monday morning, and that any road closings would be determined later in consultation with the Secret Service.

We are prepared for anything that arises in the city of L.A., she said.

Indeed, California Democrats seem eager for Mr. Trumps arrival: the state Democratic leader, Kevin de Leon, who is running for Senate, called for a demonstration even before Mr. Trump takes off from Washington, on Monday next to the Beverly Hills sign, with labor and civil rights groups.

The White House expressed no hesitation about Mr. Trump finally visiting the state that has been leading the opposition to him. Sarah Huckabee Sanders, the press secretary, said that while Mr. Trump may not have won California, there is certainly a lot of support for this president, not just there but across the country.

Ms. Sanders also said that Mr. Trump had no second thoughts about pressing ahead with the border wall. The president campaigned on this, he talked about it extensively and hes the president, she said, adding it was something that he is not going to back away from.

Tensions between California and Washington have been high since Mr. Trump was elected, reflecting the decidedly different political philosophies between the president and many Democrats here. A poll by the Institute of Governmental Studies at the University of California, Berkeley, in December found that only 30 percent of respondents approved of his job performance; his national job approval rating has hovered around 40 percent, depending on the poll.Jane

When to watch: Monday at 8 p.m., on National Geographic.

Add it to your Watchlist

This is a fascinating documentary about Jane Goodall and her groundbreaking research on chimpanzees  and a quietly probing documentary about the eclipsing power of a true calling. The footage is often extraordinary and draws on over 100 mostly unseen hours shot by the wildlife photographer Hugo van Lawick, dispatched by National Geographic in 1965 to document Goodalls work in Gombe, Tanzania.

I wont spoil the arc of narrative here, but I will warn you that there is a nonzero amount of chimpanzee death in this movie, and it is a tremendous bummer. The doc is wonderful, but I not only felt inspired after watching it, I also felt genuine sadness because of chimps who died 50 or so years ago.Dr. Megan Moreno, a pediatrician who is vice chair of digital health at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, said: My main message would be for parents to step back for a minute from the alarmist nature of the word sexting and think about developmentally appropriate foolish romantic things teenagers do. Parents might, for example, think about the risky things they did themselves when they were younger, and when they discuss it with their teenagers, try to view sexting through that lens: here is something that might feel like a normal thing to do and a normal thing to ask, and other people are doing it, but its a risky thing for you to do and if you find yourself in that situation we can talk about it.

As kids get older, the parenting guide by Dr. Moreno in the journal suggests, conversations can  and should  become more direct. Let kids tell you what they know, what they think, what theyre seeing, what theyre feeling. Its part of talking about safety, online and offline, and part of talking about social behavior, friendships and romantic relationships and how people treat others and want to be treated. For teenagers themselves, there is a thorough handbook available from Common Sense Media, which will walk a kid through the scarier scenarios.

Parents are very invested in the idea that sexting is a terrible thing, Dr. Englander said. They want to be able to turn to their kids and say, this could be the end of your life as we know it, it could ruin your chances for college, it could ruin your chances for jobs.

By focusing on those possible but worst case scenarios, parents are not necessarily addressing the much more common problems: About 13 percent of sexters report bad experiences, and another 7 to 8 percent mixed experiences; the negatives are for the most part emotional.

So those conversations should include the what if scenarios: What if you feel pressured to send a sext and you dont want to, what are the right strategies? Who would you turn to, how could you get help and advice?

The most upsetting statistic to come out of these studies is that one in nine teenagers report forwarding sexts without consent. Those are the scenarios parents worry about most; images end up in someone elses hands, or made public. The senders trust has been violated, and there can be legal implications.

But Dr. Ellen Selkie, an adolescent medicine specialist in the University of Michigan department of pediatrics, said, Its far more common for kids to be doing it as part of a relationship with a boyfriend or girlfriend. When she is counseling parents about sexting, she said, I do try to present it as a manifestation of typical adolescent development  sexual experimenting is something kids have always done, and now we have digital media.SANTA MARIA, Cape Verde  Secretary of State Rex W. Tillerson on Monday called the poisoning of a former Russian spy in Britain an egregious act and added, It appears that it clearly came from Russia.

The statement, made in an interview with reporters at the end of a five-nation tour of Africa, was the clearest statement yet from the Trump administration, after several days of equivocation in which American officials declined to explicitly blame Russia for the March 4 attack.

Ive become extremely concerned about Russia, Mr. Tillerson said in the interview. We spent most of last year investing a lot into attempts to work together, to solve problems, to address differences. And quite frankly, after a year, we didnt get very far. Instead what weve seen is a pivot on their part to be more aggressive.

He added: And this is very, very concerning to me and others, that there seems to be a certain unleashing of activity that we dont fully understand what the objective behind that is. And if in fact this attack in the U.K. is the work of the Russian government, this is a pretty serious action.Voters also offered a drubbing to a newly created party of the former rebels. The Common Alternative Revolutionary Force, which kept its wartime acronym FARC, got just a fraction of a percentage of votes. That would not have won it any legislative seats at all had it not been for a deal with the government that guaranteed the group five in each chamber.

With Congress elected, attention now turns to the presidential race, whose first round of balloting will be in May. The match appears set to be dominated by the right-wing candidate Ivan Duque and Gustavo Petro, a leftist former mayor of Bogota, the capital, each of whom won primaries on Sunday for their respective coalitions.

Also prominent in polls is Sergio Fajardo, another former mayor campaigning on a centrist platform who is known for fighting poverty and significantly improving infrastructure in his city, Medellin.

The election has been dominated by issues including street crime and corruption scandals involving public funds. A main punching bag has also been the peace deal with the FARC, which was narrowly voted down in a referendum in 2016, but forced through Congress by Mr. Santos after minor changes to the text.

While it is unlikely that major changes to the deal would be easily achieved under the new government, its divisions could mean that parts of the accord, like grants to former coca farmers who switch crops, could find themselves in the cross hairs as the next government puts them into effect.The overall situation in Afghanistan probably will deteriorate modestly this year in the face of persistent political instability, sustained attacks by the Taliban-led insurgency, unsteady Afghan National Security Forces performance, and chronic financial shortfalls, Dan Coats, the director of national intelligence, told the United States Senate last week.

Mr. Coats said Afghan forces probably will maintain control of most major population centers with coalition force support, but the intensity and geographic scope of Taliban activities will put those centers under continued strain.

President Trump, under his new strategy for the region, has expanded the presence of American military advisers in Afghanistan by a few thousand troops, making more available to work with the Afghan forces at a smaller unit level.

Capt. Tom Gresback, a spokesman for the United States military in Afghanistan, said new specialized units were arriving to assist Afghan forces at the battalion level across the country. Already, about 800 such service members  many of whom have done previous tours in Afghanistan and have received specific training for this kind of mobile advisory mission where they will be sent from one part of the country to the next  have arrived.

We are in the process of deploying them throughout the country, Captain Gresback said.

Officials in northern Afghanistan said that already more American advisers were arriving to help in the battle.

Said Sarwar Hussain, a spokesman for the Afghan police in the north of the country, said a unit of about 300 American special forces would be based in the restive province of Faryab.

They will advise in our operations and assist with air power, Mr. Hussaini said, adding that 120 of them have arrived by air, and the rest are waiting for the main highway to be cleared before they go to Faryab.HONG KONG  Hong Kongs pro-democracy lawmakers have lost two seats in the territorys legislature, another setback for the bloc whose members were previously disqualified after modifying their oaths of office to defy Beijing.

While the pro-democracy camp widely anticipated losing one of the four vacated seats up for a vote in Sundays by-election, a second loss, by a margin of just over 1 percent after a recount, was a less expected and more painful blow.

The vote came on the same day that Chinas Communist Party-controlled legislature approved a measure to drop term limits for president, clearing the way for President Xi Jinping to rule indefinitely.

Hong Kongs democracy advocates framed the vote in the semiautonomous territory as a way to stand up to the authoritarianism of Chinas central government. What they were left with, however, was a further erosion of their already limited power.Airline officials said they were investigating what caused the plane to miss the runway.

US-Bangla Airlines said the pilot was experienced, with 5,000 hours of flying, and that there had been no evidence of a mechanical failure.

An airline executive said there might have been some confusion between the pilot and the airport control tower. However, this is a matter of investigation. The probe committee will look into it, said the executive, Mohammad Kamrul Islam, general manager of marketing support for the airline.

An audio recording was posted on YouTube on Monday night that Mr. Islam said seemed to be the last conversation between the pilot and the control tower. In the recording, the pilot requests to land but the control tower tells the pilot that there is traffic on the runway. Mr. Islam added that he could not confirm if the audio recording was authentic and that the black box will unveil everything.

Aviation experts said the recording indicated that the pilot was disoriented, possibly by unclear directions from the control tower. He seemed to be heading for the wrong runway when the control tower canceled his permission to land. The pilot then tried to go around to the right runway but was flying too low and plowed into the ground.

The crash shut down the airport, with all operations grinding to a halt.

This airport can get quite busy: It is the entry point for hundreds of thousands of tourists each year. Many come to trek in the Himalayas, and on Monday afternoon, several large jetliners were sitting on the tarmac, about to take off, while arriving planes circled pending permission to land.

Some were short on fuel as they waited. The airport reopened about two and a half hours later.

The posted schedule of the crashed plane identified it as Flight 211, a Bombardier Dash 8 from Dhaka, scheduled to land at 2:15 p.m., around the actual time of the crash. The plane, a twin-engine turboprop, can carry as many as 78 passengers.TOKYO  Prime Minister Shinzo Abe of Japan offered to resign a year ago if evidence emerged linking him to a sweetheart land deal. No such evidence ever surfaced, allowing him to ride out the scandal and hang on to power.

But a government report released on Monday suggests that some crucial evidence may have been deleted  and that has put Mr. Abe back in the hot seat. An internal investigation by the Finance Ministry concluded that unidentified officials tampered with official documents related to the land deal by deleting references to Mr. Abes wife and senior members of his party.

The findings caused an uproar in Japan, where critics called for the finance minister, Taro Aso, to resign. At a news conference on Monday, Mr. Aso, a former prime minister, said he would stay in his post. But analysts said the latest revelations would be politically damaging for Mr. Abe as he prepares to seek a third term.

This materially changes the outlook for Abes future, said Tobias Harris, a Japan analyst at Teneo Intelligence, a political risk consultancy based in New York. The basis for him seeking a third term is evaporating.HONG KONG  Among the many questions about a meeting between President Trump and Kim Jong-un, the North Korean leader, is where it might happen.

Mr. Trump is known for being a reluctant traveler. Mr. Kim is even more of a homebody, not leaving North Korea since he took over after his fathers death in 2011.

But if the two do meet, which some White House officials believe will never happen, they will need a venue suitable for such a historic moment. Here are a few options:

The Demilitarized Zone

The village of Panmunjom in the Demilitarized Zone between the two Koreas might be the most promising location. Occasional meetings have been held in a small conference room that straddles the dividing line in the Joint Security Area and that has entrances on either side of the border.

The Peace House on the South Korean side of Panmunjom is a larger building perhaps more suitable to a meeting between the two leaders. North and South Korean representatives met there to plan the Norths participation in the Winter Olympics last month in the South. And Mr. Kim has said he would go there to meet South Koreas president, Moon Jae-in.BRATISLAVA, Slovakia  Trying to maintain its grip on power, Slovakias governing party announced on Monday that the interior minister would step down, and pledged a thorough investigation into the killing of a young journalist who was investigating government corruption in the small Central European nation.

It was unclear whether the moves would be enough to salvage the government of Prime Minister Robert Fico and his party, SMER-SD, coming days after tens of thousands of people took to the streets, many of them calling for Mr. Fico to resign.

His coalition partner, the party Most-Hid, had demanded the resignation of the interior minister, Robert Kalinak, who oversees the police and was widely seen as an impediment to a thorough investigation into the killing. President Andrej Kiska has said that there are only two ways out of the crisis: a deep reconstruction of the government, or early elections.

Mr. Kalinak, speaking at a news conference Monday morning, acknowledged the governing partys precarious hold on government.LONDON  Britains prime minister said on Monday that it was highly likely that Moscow was to blame for the poisoning of a former Russian spy attacked with a nerve agent near his home in southern England, and she warned of possible reprisals.

The remarks by Prime Minister Theresa May, delivered in an address to Parliament, were an unusually direct condemnation of a country that Britain has, in the past, been loath to blame for attacks on its soil. Critics say the British authorities took only modest countermeasures after Russian agents poisoned a former MI6 informant in 2006 with the rare isotope polonium 210.

The prime minister, who as home secretary resisted an open inquiry into Russias role in that case, is under pressure to show more resolve this time. The March 4 nerve agent attack on Sergei V. Skripal, once an informant for Britains foreign intelligence service, and his daughter, Yulia, exposed untold numbers of bystanders to risk around public spaces in the city of Salisbury. Traces of the poison have been found at a pub and a pizza parlor visited by the Skripals.

It is now clear that Mr. Skripal and his daughter were poisoned with a military-grade nerve agent of a type developed by Russia, Mrs. May said in the House of Commons. The government has concluded that it is highly likely that Russia was responsible for the act against Sergei and Yulia Skripal.American military officials confirmed that the Islamic State, as well as the Taliban, has now established training camps in Jowzjan Province.

In October, the Justice Department unsealed charges against three Islamic State operatives in a plot for coordinated attacks in New York in summer 2016. Two of the men, according to the charges, said they were working with the Islamic State Khorasan in Afghanistan; one said he received authorization from the Afghanistan group for the planned attacks.

Most of the concerns about safe havens focus on the Islamic States move into Afghanistan.

The Islamic State, a successor to Al Qaeda in Iraq, has joined a battle for turf and power among about 20 terrorist groups in Afghanistan, many of them with designs on the West. Together, they make up the highest concentration of extremist groups worldwide among 98 that have been designated as terrorist organizations by the United States or the United Nations, according to Gen. John W. Nicholson, the commander of American and NATO forces in Afghanistan.

Many experts say that General Nicholsons data may be conflated. Yet no one questions that the number of terrorist groups in Afghanistan has increased sharply in recent years  despite the 17-year presence of American troops.

The Afghanistan war is almost old enough to vote, and we have more groups that want to launch attacks against the U.S. operating there than we did when we started, said Caitlin Forrest, an Afghanistan expert with the Institute for the Study of War.

This was not supposed to happen.

Weeks after the Sept. 11 attacks, President George W. Bush sent a small group of Special Operations troops into Afghanistan. Ever since, top officials have repeatedly justified the war as necessary to ensure that Afghanistan never again allows safe haven for groups that targeted American interests.BEIRUT, Lebanon  As five warplanes circled on Monday, Marwan Habaq, trapped in a shrinking rebel-held enclave near Damascus, the Syrian capital, agonized over how best to reunite with his wife and infant daughter.

The Syrian government and its allies had managed overnight to split the enclave, eastern Ghouta, into three blocs, each surrounded and besieged, leaving Mr. Habaq suddenly separated from his family, he said by phone.

The fracturing of the enclave, one of the last major rebel-controlled areas in Syria, could be a turning point after three weeks of a relentless scorched-earth campaign by pro-government forces, backed by heavy Russian airstrikes. In the pivotal battle for the northern city of Aleppo a year and a half ago, a government advance that divided the rebel-held pocket in two signaled the beginning of the end for insurgents.

The sense of chaos has grown in recent days in eastern Ghouta. Government advances have sent residents fleeing into the remaining rebel territory, especially its main city, Douma, some accompanied by their livestock as agricultural areas were lost, and trying to squeeze into already crowded basements.50,000 protesting farmers in Mumbai: We will talk to them, sort out issues, says Maha CM

India

oi-Oneindia Staff

By Oneindia Staff

50,000 Farmers Have Marched To Mumbai | OneIndia News

Mumbai, March 12: Finally, the Maharashtra government seems to have woken up to the plight of the farmers who are planning to gherao the state Assembly on Monday to press for their demands, including complete waiver of loans. On Sunday, at least 50,000 farmers, who started their 180-km journey on foot from Nashik district last week (March 6), reached Mumbai. The sea of farmers holding "red flags" and shouting slogans started their midnight march from KJ Somaiya Ground to Azad Maidan in Mumbai on Monday. Reports say they have reached Azad Maidan at around 5 am on Monday.

Along with complete waiver of loans, other demands of the agitating farmers include fair pay and transfer of Adivasi land to farmers, to name a few. On Sunday, Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis said the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government will talk to the protesting farmers who have undertaken a "Long March" to the city to press their various demands.

He also appealed to the agitators not to hold up the traffic on Monday so that students appearing for their class 10th exams in the city don't get caught up in the traffic jam. In fact, the protesters started their midnight march to Azad Maidan to avoid blocking the morning traffic for the students rushing to reach to their exam halls on time.

"We will talk to them and sort out their issues. The Government is positive on their demands. Most of the agitators are tribals, and their main demand is forest land rights," Fadnavis said.

"We have set up a committee of ministers to hold discussions on their demands. I have invited them (farmer leaders) for talks," he said. "I have only made an appeal that they should not cause any problem to the traffic since it's an exam day and more than one lakh students will get affected," Fadnavis added, referring to the ongoing exams.

On Sunday, Mumbaikars showed their solidarity with the protesting farmers by providing them food and water. Some youngsters and students also joined the farmers in their march. Political parties like the Shiv Sena and the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena have announced their support for the farmers.

OneIndia NewsLockdown without aid package is inhuman and will cause huge suffering and damage: AAP

Is Navjot Singh Sidhu joining AAP: Prove it he says

Report on oxygen utilisation: What APP and BJP are sparring over

Arvind Kejriwal makes 4 promises to people of Goa; All related to electricity, check details

AAP, Maharashtra extends official support to farmer's long march

India

oi-Shreya

The Aam Aadmi Party on March 11 extended it's official support to the Farmer's Long March, which is in its seventh day today.

Thousands of farmers have walked hundreds of miles in the sweltering heat and hostile conditions to demand their rights. Several have sustained injuries and others are badly hurt and exhausted, yet the apathetic Government has still not heard their demands.

The AAP said, "Fadnavis government has not only fallen on their election promises, but now displays extreme insensitivity,"

Aam Aadmi Party, Maharashtra extended full support to the farmers long march. AAP, Maharashtra leader Mr.Dhananjay Shinde handed over official support letter to Dr Ashok Dawle, President Akhil Bharatiya Kisan Sabha.

"Aam Aadmi Party stands behind the cause of the farmers and demand the Fadnavis government to get up from their slumber and put an end to this cruelty!" AAP demanded.

OneIndia NewsInside Srinagar jail, NIA finds, Hizbul poster, Pakistan flag and dozens of cell phones

India

oi-Vicky Nanjappa

The National Investigation Agency conducted searches inside Central Jail Srinagar. During the search 25 mobile phones, SIM cards, 5 SD cards, 5 pen drives, 1 ipod and a large number of incriminating documents were seized.

A poster of the Hizbul Mujahideen and a Pakistani flag was also found inside the jail. The raids were conducted by 20 teams assisted by the Jammu and Kashmir police. The teams carried out an extensive search inside the jail and they were accompanied by magistrates and doctors as well.

The NIA says that the search was carried out in connection with investigation in the Danish Ghulam case. It was found that fresh recruits of the al-Badr were being sent across for arms training in furtherance to a conspiracy hatched from inside the Srinagar jail.

The searches started early morning and continued till late afternoon. All the barracks and the open ground were thoroughly searched with the help of well-trained teams and deep search metal detectors. A close watch on the entire operation was kept with the help of drones.

OneIndia NewsFrom plotting a hijack to creating the JeM, why Pakistan guards Masood Azhar so much

With a Taliban takeover, what is the JeM demanding in Afghanistan

What does the meeting between Taliban and Jaish-e-Mohammad mean for India

Jaish plan to strike outside Kashmir foiled

India

oi-Vicky Nanjappa

The Jaish-e-Mohammad had plans on attacking places outside of Kashmir. Officials say that the killing of Mufti Waqas the mastermind of the recent suicide attacks including the one at Sunjuwan was a major breakthrough as he had plans of striking outside Kashmir.

Barely 21 km away from the state capital of Srinagar, Waqas, who moved around under the 'code name' of Abu Ansar, was killed in one of the swiftest operations carried out by the Jammu and Kashmir police and the Army on March 5 in Haitwara village of south Kashmir's Pulwama district.

After February 10 attack at the Sunjuwan Army camp in Jammu, Waqas, an Afghan war veteran, was high on the radar of security agencies as he was giving continuous updates to 'handlers' in Pakistan and also assuring them that "the next attack" would be in the hinterland of the country.

A crack team was formed by the police with the specific job to trail Waqas -- dubbed as a 'killing machine' for his skills in motivating youths to become suicide attackers.

It was found that he was instrumental in brainwashing and radicalising Fardeen Khanday, 16, and Manzoor Ahmed Baba, 21, to turn them into 'fidayeens' (suicide bombers).

The duo along with a Pakistani national stormed a CRPF camp on the intervening night of December 30 and 31, 2017, in South Kashmir's Lethpora, killing five security personnel.

All the three terrorists were killed in the retaliatory operation of the security forces.

Waqas had the capability to create many more suicide bombers, officials said.

A search was already on for three Kashmiri youths who had joined Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) last year, they said.

Swayam Prakash Pani, who has the distinction of becoming the youngest Inspector General of militancy-hit Kashmir Valley, refused to comment on the details of the March 5 operation which ended barely in 20 minutes.

"I can only say that after eliminating Noor Mohammed Tantray, Tallah Rashid and now Waqas, Jaish has suffered significantly," Pani said.

Officials in the know of the developments said Waqas's next target was to hit a strategic installation in the hinterland.

His phone, which was sent for analysis, showed that he was constantly in touch with a few people believed to be Jaish terrorists.

After the news of his death spread, tributes were paid to Waqas by Jaish cadres for his 11-month tenure in Kashmir.

The events leading to the March 5 success were based on a series of raids carried out by police in the highly-sensitive Tral area, which has turned into a Jaish bastion.

This put Waqas on the run and he started moving out of Tral area in South Kashmir.

After roaming for a few days, he chose Haitwara village as his hideout as it provided him easy access to Budgam area in central Kashmir.

Before closing in on Waqas, police with the help of the Army and the CRPF had tightened the cordon so that he could not escape.

"This was a make or break mission as we knew if we get him alive, it will be a goldmine of information and if he gets killed, the backbone of Jaish terror group would be broken," said an official involved in the operation.

OneIndia NewsKarnataka: Will Congress not allow Kumaraswamy to be CM for full 5-year term?

Is it chief minister Kumaraswamy or chief manager of Congress Ktaka ATM? BJP has an answer

All is well between Congress, JD(S)? Kumaraswamy meets Rahul as Karnataka waits for full cabinet

BJP Candidates List for Karnataka Assembly Elections 2018

India

oi-Chennabasaveshwar

By Chennabasaveshwar

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has released five lists of candidates ahead of 2018 Karnataka assembly elections. The fifth list has names of eight candidates. The fourth list has the names of seven candidates, 59 in the third list, 82 names in the second list and 72 candidates were announced in the first list.

Actor-turned-politician Jaggesh gets the ticket to contest from Yeshvanthapura constituency. The party is yet to announce candidates for four constituencies, including Varuna and Badami.

The BJP's first list of 72 names for the Karnataka Assembly elections does not feature any Muslim, Christian or Jain, candidate. The list has 21 Lingayat, 10 Scheduled Caste, 10 Vokkaligas, 19 OBC, 6 Scheduled Tribe, 5 Brahmin and one Kodava candidate.

Karnataka Elections 2018: BJP releases 5th list of 8 candidates

BJP's Candidates Lists (220 candidates)

Janata Dal (Secular) has already released the list of 126 candidates.

Karnataka Assembly Election dates Date of notification April 17 Last date to file nominations April 24 Last date to withdraw nominations April 27 Date of polling May 12 Date of counting May 15

OneIndia NewsKarnataka elections 2018: Probable list of BJP candidates that's doing rounds on WhatsApp

India

oi-Deepika

By Deepika

Karnataka Assembly Elections 2018 is round the corner. The Election Commission has not declared the schedule for assembly polls, but political parties are frantically exploring all options to grab the maximum number of seats.

Janata Dal (Secular) has already released the list of 126 candidates. The full list is likely to be released after Ugadi. The first list, however, features names only from the JD(S). Its alliance partners BSP and NCP are likely to be accommodated in the second list as the JD(S) will only contest from 58 of the remaining 98 seats.

While the Congress and the BJP are still struggling to scrutinise aspirant's application, a list of candidates has already gone viral on social media.

Earlier, a list of candidates for the 80 constituencies of the Congress went viral on social media. However, the party had not reacted to the issue.

Similarly, the list of 40 candidates for the BJP in January was viral on the social networking site. Now the list of district wise candidates is doing rounds in the Whats App groups.

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is expected to release the list of candidates ahead of 2018 Karnataka assembly elections. BJP will finalise the name of the candidates after three rounds of the survey.

The term of the 224-member Karnataka assembly ends in May. The BJP wants to wrest power from the Congress which rules the state now.

Note: These are the candidates name doing rounds in the social media, not officially declared by the party. BJP leaders have refused to comment on the viral names.

Here is the list of district-wise probable BJP candidates doing rounds on social media.

Belgaum district:

Nipani: Jolle Shashikala Anna Saheb

Chikkodi: Sadalaga

Athani: Laxman Savadi

Kagawada: Bharamagowda Kaage

Kudachi:

Raibag: Aihole Duryodhana

Hukkeri: Ramesh Katti

Arabhavi: Balachandra Jarakiholi

Gokak:

Yamakanaradi: Maruti Mallappa

Belgaum (South): Abhay Patil

Savadathi Yallamma: Anand, Vishwanath Mamani

Bailhongal: Dr. Vishwanath Patil

Kittur: Shivarudrappa Marehal

Belgaum (North): Sanjay Patil

Ramdurga: Shivalingappa Mahadevappa

Belgaum (Rural):

Bengaluru district

Malleshwaram: Dr. Ashwath Narayan

Yalahanka: SR. Vishwanath

Hebbal: YA Narayanaswamy / Kattasubramanya Naidu

Rajajinagar: Suresh Kumar

Mahalakshmi Layout: M. Nagaraj / Harish

Vijayanagara: Ravindra / Ashwath Narayana

Govindarajanagar: Umesh Shetty

Padmanabhanagar: R. Ashok

Basavanagudi: Ravisubrahmanya

Dasarahalli: Muniraju

Bommanahalli: Satish Reddy

KR Puram: Nandish Reddy

CV Raman Nagar: Raghu

Shivajinagar: Nirmal Kumar Surana / Saravanana

Jayanagar: Vijay M. Krishnappa

Anekal: Narayanaswamy

Mahadevapura: Aravind Limbavali

Sarvagnanagar: Padmanabha Reddy

Rajarajeshwara Nagar: Shambhavi SM Krishna

Battarayanapura: A Ravi

Shantinagar: Srinivasa Murthy

Gandhinagar:

Chamarajpet:

Pulakesinagar:

BTM Layout:

Yashwantpur:

Bangaluru Rural District

Nelamangala: Nagaraju

Devanahalli: Chandrapappa

Hosakote: Bachhegowda

Doddaballapur: Narasimhaswamy

Bagalkot district

Mudola: Govinda Kaarajola

Theradala: Shankar Bidari / Siddhu Savadi

Jamakhandi: Srikanth Kulkarni / Murugesh Nirani

Bilagi: Murugesh Nirani

Badami: MK Pattanashetty

Bagalkot: Errana Charanthimatha

Hunagund: Doddanna Gowda Patil

Vijayapura

Muddebahala:

Devara Hippargi:

Basavanabagawadi: SK Bellubbi,

Babaleshwar:

Bijapur (City): Appu Pattana Shetty

Nagatana:

Indi: Ravikant Patil

Sindagi: Bhusanur Ramesh

Kalburgi

Afzalpur: MY. Patil,

Jevargi: Doddappa Naribola,

Chitrapur: Valmiki Nayak,

Sedam: Rajkumar Patil

Chincholi: Sunil Vallyapur

Gulbarga (Rural): Rayu Nayak Belmangi

Gulbarga (South): Dattatreya C. Patil Revura

Gulabarga (North): Naseer Hussain Ustad

Raichur

Raichur (Rural): Thipparaju,

Raichur: Shivaraj Patil

Manvi:

Devdurga: K.Shivanagowda Nayak,

Lingeshaguru: Manappa Vajjal

Sindhanur:

Maski:

Gadag

Gadag: Anil Prakash Babu Menasinakai

Shirahatti: Rappappa Lamani,

Rona: Kalakappa Bandi,

Narangunda: CC Patil,

Dharwad

Navalagund: Patil Munenakoppa Shankar

Kundagola:

Hubli- Dharwad (East): Veerabhadrappa Haala Aravi

Hubli-Dharwad (Central): Jagadish Shettar

Hubli-Dharwad (West): Arvind Chandrakant Bellad

Kalagatagi:

Uttar Kannada

Haliyala: Sunil Hegde

Sirasi: Vishweshwar Hegde Kageri

Bhatkal: Shivanand Nayak

Kumta:

Yallapur:

Karwar:

Shivmogga district

Shimoga (City): KS Eshwarappa,

Shimoga (Rural):

Shikaripura: BS Yeddyurappa,

Tirthahalli: Araga Gyanendra,

Bhadravathi:

Sagara: Kumar Bangarappa

Davanagere district

Honnali: M P Renukacharya,

Channagiri: Madalaru Virupakshappa,

Harihara: BP Harish,

Harapanahalli: Karunakara Reddy,

Jagalur: SV. Ramachandra,

Mayakonda: Basavaraju Nayak,

Davangere (North): SA. Ravindranath,

Davangere (South): Arvind Jadhav.

Bellary

Bellary (City): Dr. BK Sundar

Kudlagi:

Vijayanagar:

Kampli: Suresh Babu

Hagaribommanahalli: Nemiraj Nayak

Shiraguppa: MS Somalingangappa,

Huvinahadagali: Chandranayak.

Chiradurga district

Chitradurga: Tippareddy

Molakalmooru: S. Thippeswamy

Challakere: KT Kumaraswamy

Holalkere: M. Chandrapappa

Hiriyur

Hosadurga

Udupi district

Udupi - B Sudakar Shetty / Raghupathi Bhat,

Kundapur - Haladi Srinivas Shetty,

Byndoor - Jayaprakash Hegde,

Kapu - Lal G R. Mendon,

Karkala - Sunil Kumar.

Chikmagalur district

Chikmagalur: CT Ravi,

Sringeri: DN. Jeevaraj,

Moodigare: M.P. Kumaraswamy,

Tarikere: Suresh,

Kadur: Belli Prakash

Dakshina Kannada district

Sullia: Angaara,

Bantwal: Rajesh Naik,

Puttur: Arun Puttila

Belthangadi: Harish Poonja,

Mangalore North: Satyajit Suratkal

Mangalore South: Badrinath Kamath

Moodbidre: Umanath Kotian

Kodagu district

Madikeri: Appachu Ranjan,

Virajpet - KG Bopaiah

Chamarajanagar district

Chamarajanagar: Prof. Mallikarjunaiah,

Hanuru: V. Somanna,

Kollegal: Nanjundaswamy,

Gundlupete: Niranjan Kumar

Tumkur district

Tumkur (Rural): Suresh Gowda,

Tumkur (City): Jyoti Ganesh / Shivanna,

Chikkanayakanahalli: J.Maduswamy,

Shira: Kiran Kumar,

Tiptur: BC Nagesh,

Kunigal: Krishnamurthy,

Turuvekere - Masale Jayaram.

Chikkaballapur district

Gauribidanur:

Baagepalli: Jyothi Reddy,

Chikkaballapur:

Shidlaghatta:

Chintamani: MC Sudhakar,

Mysuru district

Varuna; Kapu Siddalingaswamy

Periyapattana:

Krishnaraja Nagar: SA. Ramadas

Hunasur: Manjunath

Heggadevevana Kote:

Nanjangud:

Chamundeshwari:

Krishnaraja:

Chamarajah:

Narasimharaja:

T Narasipura:

Mandya district

Srirangapatna: Nanjundegowda

Maddur: Laxman Kumar

Mandya: Siddaraju Gowda

Malavalli: B Somashekar

K. R.Pete: Arvind

Nagamangala: Kishan Gowda

Melukote: Balakrishna Guruji

Haveri district

Haveri - Nehru Olekar,

Hanagal - CM Udasi,

Shiggavi - Basavaraja Bommai,

Byadgi - Shivaraj Sajjan,

Hirekerur- Banakar

Yadgir

Yadgir- Veerabasanth Reddy

Shahapura: Gururaja Patil Shiraval

Surapur:

Gurmatkal:

Kolar

Srinivaspur:

Mulabagilu:

KGF: Ramalka

Bangarapete: Narayanaswamy

Kolar Malur

Bidar

Basavakalyana:

Humanabad:

Bidar (South):

Bidar:

Balkhi:

Aurada:

Hasan

Shravanabelagola:

Belur

Hassan

Holenarasipura:

Arakalgudu

Sakaleshpur

Karnataka Assembly Election dates Date of notification April 17 Last date to file nominations April 24 Last date to withdraw nominations April 27 Date of polling May 12 Date of counting May 15

OneIndia NewsKarti Chidambaram sent to Tihar jail till March 24

India

oi-Vicky Nanjappa

A special court has remanded Karti Chidambaram to judicial custody till March 24th. This means he will be lodged at the Tihar jail until March 24.

The court directed the Tihar jail authorities to provide adequate security to Karti. His application for home cooked food has not been allowed by the court.

The court was hearing the INX Media case. The CBI today did not file an application for extension of remand.

Karti was produced before the court after his remand in CBI custody ended today. The CBI had secured his custody twice and had questioned him for several hours. He was also taken to Mumbai where he was brought face to face with INX Media promoter, Indrani Mukerjea.

The CBI had both occasions complained to the court that Karti was non-cooperative during questioning. The CBI also had brought him face to face on Sunday with his chartered accountant, Bhaskararaman.

OneIndia NewsKisan Long March: Mumbaikars distribute food, water to farmers

India

oi-Chennabasaveshwar

By Chennabasaveshwar

Aamchi Mumbai came together to serve dehydrated and tired farmers, who reached the city Sunday midnight after traversing 180 km for six days. Thousands of farmers from Maharashtra's Nashik reached Azad Maidan around 5 am this morning. They are planning to surround state assembly today.

Mumbai's Sikhs extended a warm welcome to the farmers with water and food to farmers participating in the Kisan Long March. Also, groups of Muslims waited on the route of Kisan Long March and distributed food at Byculla junction early morning.

It's 4.30 am. When #KisanLongMarch reached Byculla junction, a large group of Muslim brothers distributed water, dates and biscuits to the marching https://t.co/AjIbNdij2I was an extraordinary act of solidarity, which the peasants reciprocated with loud slogans of Lal Salam. pic.twitter.com/teIOnA76iq  Sudeep Sudhakaran (@SudeepSudhakrn) March 11, 2018

The farmers marched from 1 am to 6 am from Sion to Azad Maidan to avoid inconvenience to SSC students attending exams today. AIKS President Com. Ashok Dhawale, tweeted, "We do not want to put SSC students in any trouble. But we will reach Azad Maidan. Therefore, we have decided to start walking past midnight."

#KisanLongMarch gets a warm welcome from Mumbais Sikhs. The Sikh community in Mumbai serves water and distributes food to farmers participating in the march! pic.twitter.com/IgzaTjtv2c  Harjinder Singh Kukreja (@SinghLions) March 11, 2018

According to NDTV, government sources said protesters will not be allowed to proceed to Vidhan Bhavan beyond Azad Maidan to meet Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis. Only a delegation of farmer leaders from the All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS) will be allowed to meet Fadnavis around noon. The Left-affiliated peasant organisation, which is leading the protests, said they are open to considering what the government offers them.

OneIndia NewsParam Bir Singh plea against Maha govt inquiries can be adjudicated by CAT says HC

Maharashtra farmers call off strike as government agrees to demands

India

oi-Deepika

By Deepika

The Maharashtra farmers have called off strike after the government agreed to give written assurances that it would address their grievances within the next two months.

Maharashtra Irrigation Minister Girish Mahajan said, "We've had a positive meeting with farmers in which all their demands were discussed. They made around 12-13 demands out of which we've accepted some while rest were not acceptable due to technical issues. We will be giving them a written draft of it. I think they're satisfied with our decisions."

Earlier, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said his government was "sensitive and positive" towards the demands of farmers and tribals, who have marched from Nashik to Mumbai to draw the administration's attention towards their problems.

The Azad Maidan in South Mumbai turned into a sea of red this morning as thousands of farmers, carrying red flags, converged here after walking around 180 kms from the neighbouring Nashik district over the last six days.

Apart from the Opposition parties, the Shiv Sena, a partner in the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party-led coalition, also vocally supported the agitation.

The farmers had surrounded the Assembly complex to press for their demands of an unconditional loan waiver, and transfer of forest land to tribal farmers who have been tilling it for years.

"Around 90 to 95 per cent of the participants are poor tribals. They are fighting for forest land rights. They are landless and can't do farming. The government is sensitive and positive towards their demands," the chief minister said.

"A ministerial committee has been formed to discuss the demands with protesters. We will take a decision to resolve their issues in a time-bound manner," he said.

Fadnavis said his government was in touch with the march organisers since March 6.

The committee formed to resolve the farmers' issues includes revenue minister Chandrakant Patil, water resources minister Girish Mahajan, co-operation minister Subhash Deshmukh, public undertakings minister Eknath Shinde and tribal welfare minister Vishnu Savra.

The farmers protested against the alleged failures of the BJP government on the farm front, including non-implementation of recommendations of the Swaminathan Commission and the Forest Rights Act.

The farmers have demanded a change in the plan to link rivers in Nashik, Thane and Palghar districts so as to ensure that tribal lands are not submerged and water from the scheme be made available to these areas and other drought-prone districts.

They are also protesting against the state government's land acquisition for projects such as high speed rail and super highways.

"We are demanding an increase in pension schemes for poor peasants and farm workers, compensation for losses due to pink bollworm and pest attacks and rehauling of the public distribution system," the march organisers had earlier said.

OneIndia NewsIn touch with all concerned: India on reports of kidnapping of Indian national in Kabul

WHO Experts' Group to take a call on EUL for Covaxin on October 6

New low: Indo-Pak spat results in harassment of envoys

India

oi-Vicky Nanjappa

The diplomatic spat between India and Pakistan has hit a new low. This time it is pertaining to harassment of diplomats and their families, with both sides lodging protests on the matter.

Harassment is the new low for Indian diplomats posted in the high commission in Islamabad, sources in Delhi said. A strong protest was lodged a month back with Islamabad against acts of hooliganism on Indian properties and personnel, the source also said.

In view of such acts, several families have returned to India and children have been withdrawn from schools. India has also complained that Pakistan agencies had raided India's residential complex who in turn expelled all Pakistani service providers and later disconnected power and water supply.

Indian government sources also said Pakistani security agencies are resorting to "aggressive surveillance, violation of physical space and tailing of officers in close and dangerous proximity".

Indian government sources said the car of India's high commissioner was stopped recently in a busy road to prevent him from attending an event, while another Indian diplomat's house was broken into and a laptop stolen.

Meanwhile, Pakistan too has accused India of harassment of its officials posted in New Delhi. Pakistan says at least 6 incidents of harassment have been reported following which a note verbale was issued. India said that these complaints would be probed, but also added that it could not expect the same from Islamabad.

OneIndia NewsPlease, spare a thought for protesting farmers of Maharashtra, dont politicise poor mens tragedy

India

oi-Oneindia Staff

By Oneindia Staff

Mumbai, March 12: Have you ever experienced hunger pangs? I mean the real ones, not greed for mouth-watering food. Most probably, those who are reading this piece are unlikely to have gone through such a harrowing experience. God forbid, nobody goes through such bad times that you don't even have enough money to buy food for your family. It is the same hunger that has forced at least 50,000 debt-ridden, poor farmers of Maharashtra to leave their homes and cover a distance of 180 kms on foot to tell the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government in the state that their issues need immediate address.

The protesting farmers who are patiently waiting at Mumbai's Azad Maidan to get a response from chief minister Devendra Fadnavis on Monday represent India's underbelly often eclipsed by shining malls and swanky corporate offices dotting our cities. When these poor farmers rise in revolt to demand their basic rights which include complete loan waiver, fair pay, implementation of the Swaminathan Committee report and transfer of Adivasi land to farmers, to name a few, a section of urban Indian crowd cries foul.

It is very easy for a person sitting in an air-conditioned office, sipping coffee from Starbucks and denouncing the agitation as "politically motivated" on social media.

The opponents of the protest have alleged that the farmers are "politically motivated" as they have been gathered together under one umbrella by the All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS) which is affiliated to the Left.

According to the conspiracy theorists, who are going wild on social media, the farmers fight for justice in Maharashtra is the Left's revenge against the right (the ruling BJP), because the latter has demolished the former in the Tripura elections. If that is the case, then farmers' suicide too are politically motivated? Isn't it? According to the official figures, between 2015 and 2016, nearly 12,602 farmers have committed suicide in the country.

Is a farmer's suicide politically driven? Thus a farmer embraces death voluntarily because of some ideology? Or is it his failure to repay loans and never-ending poverty? What is wrong if an organisation affiliated to a particular political party is guiding the farmers? Aren't there farmers' associations affiliated to the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) which is the ideological wing of the BJP? Did not CM Fadnavis promise a loan waiver of Rs 34,000 crore to farmers last year?

The answers lie in the questions itself. The conspiracy theorists themselves seem to be politically driven to save the BJP governments (both at the Centre and in the state) from embarrassment over the farmers' protest. Suggestions like "who is financing the farmers' protest?" to "one day middle class Indians would ask for loan waiver" on Twitter are simply to politicise the whole debate over the agrarian crisis in India.

#FarmersMarchToMumbai

Wonder who's actually financing this farmers' march ...with their flags, caps, enroute food &water for 30000, the medical care , the massive organizational arrangements et al..? Voluntary contributions? That's a laugh. Any guesses?  ashok (@ashokpurandare) March 11, 2018

#FarmersMarchToMumbai

Why Loan waiver ? I think one day middle class salaried too should demand loan waiver ...housing, education, medical.

Are we becoming country of parasites ......reservation, loan waiver, subsidies....!!!  Shivaji Shukla (@shivajishukla44) March 12, 2018

Instead of working towards a solution to farmers' woes in the country, a political debate has started over whether the protest is to weaken the Narendra Modi government ahead of the assembly elections in several states this year and the all-important General elections in 2019.

Sadly, till now PM Modi has remained silent over the protest which has got a good amount of media attention from across the world. BBC has covered the protest with the headline--Thousands of protesting India farmers converge on Mumbai. The New York Times has carried the story on protest with the headline--Thousands of Indian Farmers March to Mumbai Seeking Govt. Support. Other well-known international media houses too covered the event well. Unfortunately, in India, a section alleges that poor men's tragedy has got some political affiliation. If this is the popular sentiment, a day is not far away when all our farmers will kill themselves and we will be too poor to import food from outside. And, we make this statement with a heavy heart. Sigh!

OneIndia News'Strong resurgence of Congress in Hindi heartland', says Scindia

India

oi-Staff

By Oneindia Staff Writer

There are very strong signs of a Congress resurgence in the Hindi heartland, party leader Jyotiraditya Scindia feels. Buoyed by the party's victory in the recent by-polls in the Mungaoli and Kolaras Assembly seats in Madhya Pradesh, he also said the people had decided to end the 14-year BJP rule in the state where elections are scheduled to be held later this year.

Scindia, widely seen as the front-runner among the Congress's chief ministerial candidates for Madhya Pradesh, also urged "like-minded" parties to join hands to oust the Shivraj Singh Chouhan government in the state.

In an interview to PTI, he said the Assembly poll outcome in Nagaland and Tripura came as a "shock".

In Meghalaya, he pointed out, the Congress had emerged as the single largest party.

"...but the BJP true to its game believes in forming governments by default and a party that has won only two seats in that Assembly was trying every trick in the book to put together a government," he said.

However, "having said that, I think you've had very strong signs of resurgence in the Hindi heartland," the 47-year-old leader said.

The Congress drew a blank in Tripura and Nagaland, while in Meghalaya it failed to form the government. The BJP has come to power in all the three states forming coalition governments.

Scindia also asserted that the Gujarat Assembly poll result was "truly inspiring". The MP from Madhya Pradesh's Guna said this was followed by the results in the Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh by-polls, won by the Congress.

"These are all states which are crucial to the Congress party going ahead. So I think the barometer and the portent that these states portray are very important signs for the Congress party," he said.

However, the Congress's chief whip in the Lok Sabha said there was still a lot of work to be done by party workers as "we must never take our opponent lightly".

Scindia also dismissed talk of infighting within the party in MP, saying the Congress was a united house in the state.

"We have been working together for the last year, year and a half. We are strategising, planning every activity together, which is what you have seen in these two by-elections. Every single leader of the Congress party was present in this by-election," Scindia said.

"So, I can understand why the BJP is extremely concerned," he added.

Asked if Congress should name a chief ministerial candidate in MP, Scindia said, "I am not going to speak on this issue because I don't think it would be apt. This is a decision that has to be taken by the general secretary and by the Congress high command."

Terming the recent by-poll win in Madhya Pradesh a "very important triumph", he said the Congress won despite the BJP throwing "everything but the kitchen sink" into the election.

It was the might of the government versus the ordinary Congress worker, Scindia said.

"I also do believe that in Madhya Pradesh voters have made up their minds to see the end of the BJP rule in our state for a multitude of reasons," he said.

Asked about his statement during the bypolls campaign that it was a direct fight between him and Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Scindia said, "When I say it is a battle between Shivraj Singh ji and me, in many ways it is also a metaphor because it is for the people to decide."

"It was either a Shivraj Singh ji model of promising the earth and being able to deliver nothing or it would be my model -- promise less and deliver more," he said.

The Congress last month retained both the Assembly seats in Madhya Pradesh where by-polls were held.

Brajendra Singh Yadav of the Congress defeated his BJP rival Baisahab Yadav by 2,124 votes to win the Mungaoli seat while in Kolaras, Congress candidate Mahendra Singh Yadav prevailed over Devendra Jain of the BJP by 8,083 votes.

OneIndia NewsSuresh Prabhu takes charge of Civil Aviation Ministry

India

oi-Vikas

By Vikas

Commerce and Industries minister Suresh Prabhu on Monday took charge of the Civil Aviation Ministry, which was left vacant after the resignation of TDP's Ashok Gajapathi Raju.

Raju and another Telugu Desam Party (TDP) MP Y S Chowdary resigned from the council of ministers on Friday after party supremo and Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu decided to pull out his ministers from the NDA government. Naidu took the decision after facing relentless attacks from the opposition for "failing" to secure special category status for Andhra Pradesh.

The two TDP ministers in the Union Cabinet to met PM Narendra Modi on Thursday and submitted their resignation letter.

Naidu directed two Telugu Desam Party ministers to resign from Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led cabinet amid the growing strain in ties between his party and the Bharatiya Janata Party over alleged neglect of the state in the Union Budget.

Naidu earlier said he had tried to reach out to PM Modi to convey his party's decision before publicly announcing it, but in vain.

"We have shown patience for four years. I tried to convince the Centre... The Centre is not in a mood to listen," Naidu told reporters in Amravati on Wednesday.

"FM Jaitley today not only denied special category status to Andhra Pradesh as promised under the state reorganisation Act but also spoke in a way of insulting and humiliating the state by trying to project as if we were making unjustified demands against national interests," said the Andhra CM.

[TDP pulls out of NDA, Naidu asks 2 ministers to resign from Union Cabinet]

Jaitley had said the Centre was committed to meeting all promises made to AP at the time of carving out of Telangana four years back but rejected its demand for a special status.

OneIndia NewsSonia Gandhi benefited the most from Rajiv Gandhi's killing: Swamy

India

oi-Vikas

By Vikas

Taking a strong exception to Rahul Gandhi's statement that he had "forgiven" the killers of their father, former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, BJP leader Subramanian Swamy on Monday asked why the Gandhi family was "showing such sympathy". Swamy alleged that the leniency is given to the killers of Rajiv Gandhi give rise to suspicions about the latter's assassination.

Rahul had on Saturday said that he and sister Priyanka Gandhi Vadra had "completely" forgiven their father's killers as they found it difficult to hate people.

Swamy launched a scathing attack on Rahul and said that the Congress president's statement showed "lack of patriotism".

"He (Rajiv) was a true nationalist, and those responsible for killing him in the prime of his life should be shown no leniency. Initially, Nalini, one of the killers, was awarded a death sentence, but this was reduced to life imprisonment. I fail to understand why we should be lenient towards someone who collaborated with foreigners to kill our former Prime Minister. Rahul's statement lack patriotism; he should understand that the punishment was awarded to the killers of the former Prime Minister, not his father," Swamy told news agency ANI.

Swamy also reportedly demanded a probe into the matter and hinted that there could be some "understanding" with the LTTE, the group which claimed responsibility for Rajiv Gandhi's assassination.

"Why did Priyanka (Gandhi) visit the convicts in jail; only the relatives of convicts are allowed to visit them, which she is not. Furthermore, Sonia (Gandhi) took care of Nalini's daughter's education in England. Nalini was also awarded a scholarship to study computer science in the Indira Gandhi University. I don't understand why they are showing such sympathy. I suspect there is something wrong," he added.

SC ne Nalini ko mrityudand diya tha, inhone Rashtrapati ko chitthi likhi ki usey aajivan kaarawas dena chahiye. Unke bayan se saare parivaar par sandeh aaya hai. Rajiv Gandhi ki hatya se sabse zyada fayda Sonia Gandhi ko hua tha:S Swamy on Rahul Gandhi's statement on Rajiv Gandhi pic.twitter.com/qagUp1xgRE  ANI (@ANI) March 12, 2018

Rajiv Gandhi was blown up by an LTTE woman suicide bomber at an election rally near Chennai in 1991.

Rahul, during an interaction with alumni of the Indian Institutes of Management in Singapore, went on to say that his family "knew" that his father and grandmother, former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, were "going to die" by virtue of being in politics and trying to bring about change.

OneIndia NewsNot Sanskrit alone, Tamil is also language of Gods: Madras HC

Tamilnadu government likely to reopen school for the class 6 to 8 th?

TN CM will take a call on reopening the schools for classes 1 to 8th after consulting with medical experts

9 killed in Theni forest fire: Kerala bans trekking, TN orders probe

India

oi-Madhuri

Tamil Nadu : Fire breaks out in Theni forest, Student trekkers trapped in the area | Oneindia News

Around 9 trekkers have been killed and 27 people have been rescued from the forest-fire in Tamil Nadu's Kurangani area.

"Nine persons are dead, while 17 of the rescued have been hospitalised and 10 did not require hospitalisation," Commissioner of Revenue Administration K Sathyagopal told reporters.

Among the dead, six were from Chennai and three from Erode, local police said.

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami on Monday ordered a probe into the incident. Speaking of stepped up rescue operations, Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said an advanced light helicopter had been sent to save those trapped in the forest fire.

The trekkers, mostly students, were caught in a massive forest fire in Theni district of Tamil Nadu on Sunday evening. The Indian Air Force (IAF) has been pressed into service for rescue operations.

The incident happened when the students were climbing down the hills from Munnar in Kerala to Theni when they got trapped in the forest fire. The expedition was organised by a Chennai-based trekking club, which had not taken permission from the forest department.

The defence ministry swung into full force by fielding 16 commandos of the Garud Commando Force and four choppers from the Indian Air Force to fasten the rescue operation of those stuck in Kurangani forest fire in Theni district.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister K Palaniswami is rushing to Theni to oversee rescue operations.

Kurangani-Kozhukumalai hills in the Western Ghats are located near Bodinayakanur, about 40 kms from here.

OneIndia NewsThe attack on India's 'Swadharmas' will be fought in the battlefield of politics: Yogendra Yadav

India

oi-Shreya

Youth For Swaraj, on March 12 organised a Youth Dialogue on the topic 'Youth and Politics' in Patna Science College, in which a large number of students conducted a dialogue with Swaraj India National President Yogendra Yadav.

Addressing the students, he spoke about three swadharmas of India and the unprecedented nature of the threats we face. These ideas are: democracy, diversity and development. It's for the first time that these three are under direct and simultaneous attack. This is an attack at the very root of India. So its our Swadharma to save the very Idea of India.

Today, there is no force in the country which thinks holistically about India.The attack on India's swadharmas will be fought in the battlefield of politics, he said.

"Today, farmer and youth are on roads. If goons and criminals have entered politics, then saints too will have to enter politics. Be it the question of unemployment or education or women security, if there will be no politics on these issues, reforms won't be possible. Today, the country needs political saints.

These saints won't come from parliament but from colleges and universities, from villages and small towns. Yogendra Yadav's appeal to both student and non-student youth was to come forward and contribute two years of their life for nation building," he added.

Addressing the gathering, National President of Youth For Swaraj, Manish Kumar said, "Youth For Swaraj has been engaged in building a new kind of leadership for the nation by nurturing thought, creating work and struggle. He expressed hope that this very leadership will usher in a new political culture.

Yogendra Yadav also visited the students protesting against the corruption in SSC. He saluted their fight against injustice. He also said that this struggle has the seeds of transforming the national politics of India, encouraging them to take their struggle forward.

OneIndia News

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Story first published: Monday, March 12, 2018, 21:33 [IST]Ugadi 2018: Date, Muhurat, Puja Vidhi, significance

India

oi-Deepika

By Deepika

Ugadi which falls on March 18 this year is an important festival that is celebrated by the people from Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. As India is known for its versatile culture and the way it is celebrated, even the New Year fest has different names and times in different parts of the country. A festival that is known by the name of Gudi Parva in Maharashtra, is celebrated as Ugadi in some other states.

Clear with its name Udagi, which is literally translated as the start of the new calendar Yug (new) and adi (the beginning), falls on the first day of Chaitra- the first month in Hindi calendar.

Significance

The significance of Ugadi stems from mythological times when Lord Brahma, the creator of the universe, began a series of wonderful creations, including that of the earth and all the life forms that live in it.

The festival of Ugadi is celebrated to acknowledge that very day on which Lord Brahma started with the task. It is not only a New Year according to the Hindu calendar, but also sets the new astronomical cycle into motion.

The celebrations and prayers that follow fill people's hearts with joy and contentment. Leaving the past behind and starting afresh with positive expectation is one of the key aspects of Ugadi.

The day also marks the beginning of spring season, which is considered to be the first of all seasons, with plants, shoots, and leaves coming to life and therefore, the day is believed to set things rolling for a fresh and successful new beginning.

Devotees perform ritualistic pujas and seek blessings from God for health, wealth, prosperity, and success in businesses and work as well. It is for this reason that it is considered the best time to take on new ventures or personal goals for the betterment of oneself.

Puja Vidhi

The festival is celebrated with much pomp and preparations for it begin days before when people clean and paint their house for the New Year. To mark the festival people first take a traditional oil-bath followed by prayers. As suggested by scriptures, oil bath and eating of neem leaves are some rituals followed by the people.

Though, the northern region of the country does not celebrate Ugadi but holds a nine-day long Chaitra Navratri Puja on the same day. Even in north India, the Chaitra Navratri Puja is celebrated by eating Neem with Mishri on the very first day.

Ugadi celebrations end in the evening when people gather around to listen to the religious panchangam or almanac of the New Year.

Prasadam

As no celebration is complete with special food, Gudi Padwa is no exception. Traditionally, Maharashtrian make and eat Sakkar Bhaat (sweet rice), Shrikhand and Puri and Puran Poli on this day. The Konkanis make Kanangachi Kheer which is a sweet dish made of sweet potato, coconut milk, jaggery and rice.

Neem Buds/flower -Sadness

Salt- Fear

Green chilli- Anger

Unripened Mango- Surprise

Tamarind- Disgust

Jaggery- Happiness

The day is also believed to be auspicious for 'Vaastu puja' and for beginning new business ventures.

OneIndia NewsUttar Pradesh: Modi, Macron on a boat ride in Varanasi

India

oi-Madhuri

PM Modi & French President Macron Inaugurate UP's Biggest Solar Power Plant In Mirzapur | OneIndia

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and French President Emmanuel Macron visited Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh today. Among several programmes, the two leaders jointly inaugurated Uttar Pradesh's largest solar plant at Mirzapur.

Modi will receive the French President, who will arrive by a special plane at the Lal Bahadur Shastri International airport on Monday morning. From the airport, both the leaders will fly by helicopter to Mirzapur, where they will jointly inaugurate the 75-megawatt solar plant and then will return back to Varanasi.

Reports say that Modi and Macron will visit the Deen Dayal Hastkala Sankul and interact with artisans. They will also witness a live demonstration of their crafts. Both the leaders will also visit the Assi Ghat, where they will enjoy a boat ride from Assi to Dashashwamedh ghat and will then head to the Taj Hotel, where Modi will host a dinner for the French president.

Modi will leave the hotel for the DLW helipad and the French president will stay at the hotel for the next few hours after which he will fly back to Delhi by his special plane.

From DLW helipad, Modi will reach the Manduadih railway station by road, where he will flag off the Varanasi-Patna intercity train.

The prime minister will also address a public meeting and then will fly back to Delhi from the Varanasi airport, the official said.

OneIndia (with PTI inputs)Who will address hunger of poor mother who left newborn to take part in Mumbai farmers protest?

India

oi-Oneindia Staff

By Oneindia Staff

Mumbai, March 12: She is one among the hundreds of women who left their homes to take part in the farmers' protest in Mumbai, Maharashtra on Monday. She is a mother of a newborn baby. The tragedy is that she can't breastfeed her child because she herself is on an empty stomach. Such is the agony of a young woman from Nashik district that she decided to leave her baby at home to register her protest against the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government which has failed to address the agrarian crisis in the state.

A tweet by noted journalist Rana Ayyub states that a woman (a nameless mother) has decided to join the farmers' protest after her cotton farm was destroyed by a pest attack. The woman farmer's family had taken two loans from a local bank. Still, nothing solved her problem. Her difficulties grew with each passing day. She is so poor that she can't even feed her month-old child because "most days she sleeps on an empty stomach."

"A new mother has left her month old baby home to walk with the #KisanLongMarch . Her cotton farm was destroyed by a pest attack, the family had taken two loans from a local cooperative bank. She cannot feed her newborn because most days she sleeps on an empty stomach," tweeted Ayyub.

A new mother has left her month old baby home to walk with the #KisanLongMarch . Her cotton farm was destroyed by a pest attack, the family had taken two loans from a local cooperative bank. She cannot feed her newborn because most days she sleeps on an empty stomach.  Rana Ayyub (@RanaAyyub) March 11, 2018

Such reports, highlighting the deplorable situation of debt-ridden farmers of Maharashtra, are telling reminders that the system has badly failed the farming community of the country.

On Monday, at least 50,000 farmers from Nashik district are waiting for a response from chief minister Devendra Fadnavis in Mumbai's Azad Maidan. The protesting farmers are demanding a complete loan waiver, fair pay, implementation of the Swaminathan Committee report and transfer of Adivasi land to farmers, to name a few.

On March 6, the agitating farmers started their foot march from Nashik to Mumbai. The farmers on foot covered a distance of 180 km under the blazing sun with little food, water and sleep. Holding red flags and shouting slogans, the peaceful demonstration by farmers has woken up the ruling BJP from its slumber. The CM has promised to talk to the farmer leaders and address their issues.

Last year in June, CM Fadnavis had announced loan waiver of Rs. 34,000 crore to pacify the agitating farmers. However, till now he did not fulfil his promise. Since the General elections and state Assembly elections are due next year, the BJP government is under tremendous pressure to honour the demands of the farmers.

Around 1,753 debt-ridden farmers have committed suicide in the western state since June last year, claims the All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS). The AIKS, affiliated to the Left, has organised the farmers' protest.

OneIndia NewsWill BJP-TDP spat play out on Telugu voters in Karnataka?

India

oi-Vicky Nanjappa

Will the BJP-TDP in Andhra Pradesh play out in the Karnataka Assembly Elections 2018? There is a sizeable chunk of Telugu voters in places such as Bellary, Kolar, Kalaburgi and Bidar and the BJP would not want the spat to impact the voting pattern.

It has been made to look as though the BJP is responsible for AP's problems. There is a nativity factor and many have very strong ties back home. The BJP feels that if it does not address this concern, it could impact the voting pattern.

The party would be sending its leaders from both Telangana and Andhra Pradesh to Karnataka over the days to come. The leaders would visit the places where the Telugu voters are high in number and convince them not to vote against the party.

The leaders would also make the voters understand what the problem in AP is and more importantly convince them that the BJP is not behind the problem. BJP leaders say that for now, they do not see any major damage. However, this would be a pre-emptive move to ensure that these votes do not fall out of the BJP's kitty.

Karnataka Assembly Election dates Date of notification April 17 Last date to file nominations April 24 Last date to withdraw nominations April 27 Date of polling May 12 Date of counting May 15

OneIndia NewsBritish-Iranian sentenced to 6 years for allegedly spying in Iran

International

pti-PTI

Tehran, Mar 12: An unnamed British-Iranian national has been sentenced to six years in prison on spying charges, the official news agency of Iran's judiciary has reported.

Mizan news agency quoted Tehran prosecutor Abbas Jafari Dolatabadi announcing the sentencing, though he did not elaborate on what the charges entailed. However, there is no known case of a British-Iranian national being sentenced to six years in prison, suggesting this is a new case. The British Foreign Office said in a statement early Monday it was "currently investigating the reported sentencing," without elaborating.

A number of dual nationals with Western ties have been arrested since Iran's 2015 nuclear deal with world powers. Analysts and family members of dual nationals and others detained in Iran have suggested that hard-liners in the Islamic Republic's security agencies use the prisoners as bargaining chips for money or influence.

A UN panel in September described "an emerging pattern involving the arbitrary deprivation of liberty of dual nationals" in Iran, which Tehran denies. Iran does not recognize dual nationalities, so those detainees cannot receive consular assistance. Others with ties to the West detained in Iran include Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, a British-Iranian woman serving a five-year prison sentence for allegedly planning the "soft toppling" of Iran's government while traveling with her young daughter.

Zaghari-Ratcliffe was detained in April 2016 and served a third of her sentence by January 2018, making her eligible for release. However, she remains held. Her family says Zaghari-Ratcliffe remains held as Britain negotiates a settlement with Iran over 400 million pounds ($530 million) held by London, a payment the late Iranian Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi made for Chieftain tanks that were never delivered.

PTIA secret trip to an ISIS medical camp in Syria changed the course for this Bengaluru doctor

'Over 350,000 killed in Syria war in 7 years'

International

pti-PTI

Beirut, Mar 12: Seven years of conflict in Syria have left more than 350,000 people dead, according to an updated overall death toll released today by the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. The Britain-based monitoring group, which relies on an extensive network of sources on the ground across Syria, said 353,395 people have been killed since March 15, 2011.

Meanwhile, the United Nations has said that children are at more risk than ever in Syria's devastating conflict as the war approached its eighth year. Twice as many children were killed in the war in 2017 than in the previous year, the UN children's agency UNICEF said in a report.

"In 2017, extreme and indiscriminate violence killed the highest ever number of children -- 50 per cent more than 2016," it said, adding that 2018 was off to an even worse start.

More than 200 children have been killed in bombardment of the rebel-held enclave of Eastern Ghouta by Syrian regime and allied forces since February, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. The monitoring group says children account for around a fifth of all civilian victims of the assault.

PTIPrivate jet going from UAE to Turkey crashes in Iran, killing 11

International

pti-PTI

Tehran, March 11: Eleven people were killed after a Turkish private jet flying from the United Arab Emirates to Istanbul carrying a group of young women crashed tonight in a mountainous region of Iran during a heavy rain, authorities said. The doomed aircraft days earlier carried a bachelorette party bound for Dubai.

Iranian state television quoted Mojtaba Khaledi, the spokesman of the country's emergency management organisation, as saying the plane hit a mountain near Shahr-e Kord and burst into flames. Shahr-e Kord is some 370 kilometers south of the capital, Tehran. Khaledi later told a website associated with state TV that local villagers had reached the site in the Zagros Mountains and found 11 badly burned bodies in the wreckage.

He said DNA tests would be needed to identify the dead. Villagers near the crash earlier said they saw flames coming from the plane's engine before the crash, according to a report by Iran's state-run judiciary news agency Mizan. The plane took off around 4:41 p.m today and reached a cruising altitude of just over 35,000 feet, according to FlightRadar24, a flight-tracking website.

At around 6:01 p.m something appears to have gone wrong with the flight as it rapidly gained altitude and then dropped drastically within minutes, data published on the website showed. Iranian officials said the plane took off from Sharjah International Airport on its way to Istanbul.

A private company that handles public relations for the Sharjah airfield, the home of low-cost airline Air Arabia, declined to immediately comment. Sharjah is a neighbouring emirate of Dubai. Turkey's private Dogan News Agency identified the plane as a Bombardier CL604, tail number TC-TRB.

Turkey's Transport Ministry said the plane belongs to a company named Basaran Holding, which The Associated Press could not immediately reach. Basaran Investment Holding is active in the food, finance, energy, construction, tourism and travel industries, according to the company's website.

Mina Basaran, the 28-year-old daughter of Basaran's chairman who is part of the company's board of managers and is in line to run the business, posted photographs on Instagram of what appeared to be her bachelorette party in Dubai.

Among those photographs was an image of the crashed plane posted three days ago. The last videos posted to her account showed her and friends enjoying a concert by the British pop star Rita Ora at a popular Dubai nightclub.

There was no further activity on her account after that. It wasn't clear who was on the plane at the time of the crash, though Iranian emergency management officials described all the passengers as being young women, according to IRNA.

Sunday's crash comes after an Iranian ATR-72, a twin-engine turboprop used for short-distance regional flying, crashed in southern Iran, killing all 65 people on board in February.

PTICases of Lambda COVID-19 variant found in Canada but too early to know how widespread it is

Covid: Indians with travel plans to Canada struggling with the norm to take RT-PCR test in third country

These Canadian doctors are protesting against pay hike, say spend it elsewhere

International

oi-Vikas

By Vikas

There seriously is a lesson to be learned from these doctors. In times when almost everyone is behind money and where there is seemingly no end to greed, hundereds of doctors from the Canadian province of Quebec have signed a letter protesting against plans to raise their pay.

More than 700 people have added their names to the petition since it was published on February 25. Initially, a group representing Quebec doctors and advocates for public health started an online petition citing that they get paid enough.

The group has reportedly stated that good conscience prevented them from accepting a pay hike when working conditions continued to be difficult for others in their profession and patients.

"We, Quebec doctors, are asking that the salary increases granted to physicians be cancelled and that the resources of the system be better distributed for the good of healthcare workers," the letter, originally in French, reportedly says.

They also expressed concern over the pays of others in the medical profession such as nurses, who were increasingly being overworked.

The Quebec doctors' association, called the Medecins Quebecois Pour le Regime (MQRP), further dubbed recent pay raises negotiated by their professional associations as "shocking", given the "draconian cuts" that have left nurses, orderlies and others overworked and underpaid, said reports.

The Quebec government recently announced increases of 1.4% and around 1.8% for specialists and general practitioners respectively.

OneIndia News

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Story first published: Monday, March 12, 2018, 18:24 [IST]About 200 US companies to move manufacturing from China to India

Talks with China will not help says USA NSA on situation on Ladakh

20 members of a family removed from US flight after mask of 1 slipped under nose

US-Bangla plane crashes at Kathmandu airport; 50 dead

International

oi-Chennabasaveshwar

By Chennabasaveshwar

Kathmandu: US-Bangla Plane Crashes, Many Feared Dead

At least 50 passengers were killed after US-Bangla Airlines aircraft crashed while landing at Kathmandu International Airport on Monday. The flight had 72 passengers on board. The flight skidded off the runway while landing, according to a Nepali daily report. The flight, UBG 211 was en route to Kathmandu from Dhaka, Bangladesh.

Nepal army spokesman Brigadier General Gokul Bhandari said 50 people had died and the fate of the others was unknown.

According to Nepali Times, the aircraft crashed after having crossed the threshold of Runway 02 (south-to-north) and apparently touched down. A plume of black smoke marked the site of the crash at the start of the runaway.

Tourism Ministry Joint Secretary Suresh Acharya said 17 injured passengers have been rescued and sent to different hospitals for treatment.

The condition of over two dozen people who were admitted to the hospital in Kathmandu is said to be serious.

A turbo-prop passenger aircraft of the US Bangla airline has crashed upon landing at Tribhuvan International Airport this afternoon at 2:20 pm. https://t.co/8us2HXBbh0

Photo by Bishnu Sapkota.#planecrash #Kathmandu #Dhaka pic.twitter.com/CCtEhM0Xc4  Nepali Times (@nepalitimes) March 12, 2018

"The plane shoot off the runway while it was about to crash into the hanger and immediately caught fire," an airport official was quoted by PTI as saying. The officials, however, have suspected technical glitch as the cause of the incident. The black box of the aircraft was recovered from the spot.

According to Tribhuvan airport, 25 injured passengers have been rescued and sent to different hospitals for treatment. TIA said there were 37 males, 27 females and 2 child onboard the aircraft. Nepali Prime Minister and Home minister reached the airport to coordinate the rescue effort.

The airport has been closed following the crash.

The Dhaka-based US-Bangla Airlines is a private carrier that launched in July 2014 with the motto "Fly Fast Fly Safe".

(With agency reports)Would you like to know how many people have read this article? Or how reputable the author is? Simply sign up for a Advocate premium membership and you'll automatically see this data on every article. Plus a lot more, too.

Rock Newman of the Rock Newman Show interviewed Palestinian teen activist, Ahed Tamimi's father, Bassem Tamimi, via Skype. Bassem is a principal organizer of the Palestinian resistance. He has been arrested nine times for the crime of organizing peaceful demonstrations, and in one incident, nearly died from the violent torture inflicted upon him during interrogation.

Referencing Ahed's detainment and rumored abuse in Israeli military prisons, Rock asks, "As a father who is responsible for the wellbeing and the care and the support and the protection of a daughter, how does this make you feel?"

Bassem seems poignantly weary as he replies, "It is hard and complicated to be a father--and a husband, to your wife and your daughter in a prison in the hands of your enemy. You feel scared, worried, and don't know what will happen...I am also feel proud, because every parent in the world would like their daughter to be strong as Ahed and face an armed man by this way that she faced (him), and to protect herself from this soldier...yes, I feel proud, I feel worried, it's complicated, but also, we haven't any choice, there is no safe place in Palestine, and the enemy of our humanity is the Israeli occupation."

In closing, Rock asked, "Do you see or have any hope at all for peace; for Israel and Palestine to be able to live peacefully?"

Bassem replied, "For me, I fight for the two-state solution since long time in my life, I have been in jail nine times in my life, I lost my sister, I lost my brother-in-law; my wife and my daughter are in jail, they arrested 20 persons from my family (and) killed more than 22...since (the) 1967 occupation. But also I have a hope, I have hope that peace will finally become the solution of this situation...my hope (is) to free our minds and our thoughts and our beliefs from all the thoughts that don't accept each other...(to) build a state of peace for everyone living in this land, despite his religion, his color or his ethnicity. We believe that the main and the important part of this struggle is the human being. For that we need to follow our humanity, to follow justice...and freedom until we reach the goal that everyone lives in this land in peace, to be an example of the land of peace in the homeland of the prophet of peace."

The Skyped Bassem interview runs thru 11:22, then Rock discusses the Tamimis as well as the topic of Israel's deportation of Africans with Raed Jarrar of Amnesty International and Melvin Foote, CEO and President of Constituency for Africa. ("Human Rights in Israel" video published March 8, 2018.)

The Rock Newman Show is live on Wednesdays at 8 pm EST, via Howard University Television.Would you like to know how many people have read this article? Or how reputable the author is? Simply sign up for a Advocate premium membership and you'll automatically see this data on every article. Plus a lot more, too.

At no other time in history have we had access to so much information. Unfortunately, even with 24-hour news channels and the Internet, our news media provides us with very little depth. As an example, you probably heard plenty in the past week about trade wars, White House staffing turmoil and a possible summit with North Korea. But how many times did the talking heads and Internet pundits mention the following aspects of the stories:

U.S. Trade Deficit Widened in January to Post-2008 High

Trump's supporters like to give him credit for anything that is going well and either blame Obama for news that is less flattering or just dismiss the data as insignificant. The stock market provides a perfect example as it was considered a top accomplishment while soaring but now receives little attention. Could this be because at this same point in the Obama presidency it was performing better?

Another data point that has been ignored by Trump's fans is the widening trade deficit under a presidency that was supposed to make America great again. In fact, January "was the fifth straight month of a rising deficit, reaching its highest level in more than nine years." Exports decreased by 1.3% while imports remained steady.

The first shots fired in Trump's trade war will do little to solve the problem of unequal trade policies. China accounts for "half the overall trade gap" and in January "the monthly trade deficit in goods with China widened to its highest level since September 2015". While "the combined tariff and tax rate for exports to the U.S. is 9 percent, on average", goods exported to China face a tax-tariff total of 27 percent. Yet, Trump is focused on steel, of which China is not among the top ten suppliers to our country. Instead of taking direct action to ensure a more fair trading relationship with China, Trump has "asked to develop a plan for the year of a One Billion Dollar reduction in their massive Trade Deficit with the United States." In other words, China gets the carrot while our friends and allies get the stick.

Kellyanne Conway violated the Hatch Act, Office of Special Counsel says

With the departure of Gary Cohn, much focus was given to the 43% of Trump's top staffers who have left the White House (a record-breaking number), but little attention was paid to a remaining member's violation of federal law. When Kellyanne Conway stood on the White House grounds in November and told Fox viewers not to be "fooled" by "Doug Jones in Alabama" and that "He will be a vote against tax cuts. He is weak on crime. Weak on borders. He is strong on raising your taxes. He is terrible for property owners", she violated the Hatch Act which "bars federal employees from using their government positions to sway an election in favor of or against a particular candidate in any election." As a result, Special Counsel Henry J. Kerner referred "her violations" to the White House for "consideration of appropriate disciplinary action."

While "removal is the only penalty authorized for violation of the Hatch Act", Conway remains in her position. In fact, the White House seems intent on ignoring the violation since the first official response was that she "did not advocate for or against the election of any particular candidate". Not a surprising defense of the person who coined the term "alternative facts".

President Trump claims North Korea called him -- but it was really South Korea

Trump's supporters are already calling for a Nobel Peace Prize because he has agreed to meet with the North Koreans. This seems to be a case of counting chickens before they hatch as the specifics of this meeting have not even been worked out. In fact, the President is not always clear about which Korea he has spoken with.

At a speech at the Gridiron Club on March 3, Trump made the astounding announcement that North Korea had "called up a couple of days ago and said, 'We would like to talk.'" According to the President, he personally responded that "So would we, but you have to denuke." However, according to an official of the National Security Council, "President Trump did not have a call with the North Koreans." Instead, he had had a "phone call with South Korean President Moon Jae-in."

It will be an amazing achievement if the Dotard and the Rocket Man are able to turn their Kindergarten Diplomacy into a peace treaty. If it happens, let's hope that it is signed with the correct countries.

Honorable Mention: Revolution Books in Berkeley becomes target for right-wing groups

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From Strategic Culture

The mysterious apparent murder bid on an ex-Russian spy in Britain has taken on a wider European dimension.

Predictably, the incident was used to whip up anti-Russian claims in the British media. But, in addition, the European Union soon came under pressure to show "solidarity" with Britain in the supposed Russian assault on its sovereignty.

Former British officials were reported bemoaning the lack of solidarity from EU states over the alleged Russian violation on British soil. The EU then responded with an obligatory statement of "solidarity" with Britain, with the tacit acceptance of Russian malfeasance at play.

The allegations of Russian state involvement in the apparent lethal poisoning of exiled Kremlin agent Sergei Skripal in England last Sunday have been leveled with deplorable disregard for due legal process.

Within hours of the incident -- which saw 66-year-old Skripal and his adult daughter rushed to intensive hospital care -- British media were speculating that Russian agents had carried out a revenge assassination attempt.

Skripal was exiled from Russia in 2010 after being convicted for treason as a double agent for Britain's foreign intelligence service MI6. He was living in the southern English town of Salisbury, where he was found paralyzed in a public park along with his 33-year-old daughter.

British counter-terrorism officers have disclosed that the pair were victims of a toxic nerve agent attack, without identifying the chemical used. They have claimed that the attacker or attackers must have been state-sponsored to carry out such a lethal operation. British police have not yet specified any particular agency for the attack, but as noted the British media quickly jumped to reckless speculation of Russian involvement. The speculation has been fueled by government ministers like Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson using innuendo.

Russia's Foreign Ministry dismissed the allegations of Moscow's involvement as "more irresponsible Russophobia."

The notion that Russia would carry out a risky operation on the eve of its presidential elections this month in order to avenge a disgraced former spy who had been living openly in England for the past eight years defies credibility. It's frankly absurd given the already heightened anti-Russia hysteria in the Western media that the Kremlin would even contemplate such a scheme.

Nevertheless, the evidence does point to an assassination attempt on Skripal using a military-grade chemical weapon. Senior British toxicologist Dr Alistair Hay told Radio Free Europe this week that the chemical substance used in the attack was most likely one of the organophosphate poisons, such as soman or tabun, which are related to sarin and VX. These are nerve agents that can kill from exposure of human skin to a single droplet.

Hay, who is an advisor to the British government on chemical warfare agents, cautioned against rushing to accusations against Russia. "In my view, it's much, much too early to point a finger at anybody at this stage," said the expert.

All that the internationally respected toxicologist would venture to say is that the nature of the attack had "military capability" because of the extreme lethality of the substances involved.

If we assume that Russia was not involved -- which is a fair assumption given the above reasoning -- then the question is: what state agency could have carried it out? For what objective?

In particular, focus is drawn here to agencies which are seeking to sabotage Europe-wide relations with Russia. As noted above, one of the ramifications from the anti-Russian allegations over the poisoning incident was [to] prompt pressure on the EU to show a tough response towards Moscow.

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From No More Fake News



Companies are spending more and more on drug ads

(Image by YouTube, Channel: Newsy) Details DMCA



Television viewers are inundated with drug ads from Big Pharma. It's a flood.

Have you ever heard of these drugs? Otezla, Xeljanz, Namzaric, Keytruda, Breo, Cosentyz? Not likely. If you have, do you know what conditions they treat? Highly unlikely. But there they are, splashed in commercials.

Why? Who is going to remember to ask their doctor whether these and other obscure meds are right for them?

What's going on here?

The answer is: IT DOESN'T MATTER WHAT DRUGS ARE BEING ADVERTISED.

If Pharma can pay enough TOTAL money for ads, for ALL drugs, and dominate the allotted TV time for commercials, it can control the news -- and that is exactly what it wants to do.

Pharmaceutical scandals are everywhere. Reporting on them, wall to wall, isn't good for the drug business. However, as an industry ponying up billions of dollars for TV ads, Pharma can limit exposure and negative publicity. It can (and does) say to television networks: If you give us a hard time on the news, we'll take our ad money and go somewhere else. Boom. End of problem.

Face it, the billions of dollars Pharma is paying for TV ads are a drop in the bucket, compared with its profits gained from selling the drugs. The ads are a good investment. As a bribe.

Control the news.

There is another reason for the insane flood of TV drug ads:

By their sheer number, they convince viewers that medical drugs (no matter what they are) are absolutely necessary.

Hour by hour, viewers numbly watch drug commercial after commercial. The overall message is: To keep illness from your door, to cure illness, to alleviate illness, you must take these medicines. THIS IS LIFE IN THE 21ST CENTURY. You're all sick, and you need help, and this is the ONLY kind of help there is.

The drug companies could invent names of fake drugs that don't even exist, advertise them in a cascade on television, with the same intent. DRUGS ARE AS VITAL TO LIFE AS WATER OR AIR.

But what about all those dire warnings of side effects from the drugs? By law, the companies must include them in their commercials. Well, the companies have calculated that, on balance, the stark, front-line, unending message of DRUGS, DRUGS, AND MORE DRUGS will outweigh the warnings in viewers' minds.

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From Paul Craig Roberts Website

Identity Politics is turning white people into a delegitimized group that it is permissible to hate and to discriminate against. White Americans are being turned into undesirables and are being delegitimized just as Jews were delegitimized in Nazi Germany. Curiously enough, as I understand it, the Identity Politics being used to delegitimize white people has its roots in the Jewish cultural Marxism of the Frankfort School.

Most Americans are unaware of Identity Politics, and those who hear about it dismiss it as something silly. But it is the core politics of the Democratic Party and the liberal/progressive/left that is rivaling the neoconservatives for control over the American psyche.

I wrote about the article in the Texas Tech student newspaper that declared white DNA to be abominable. We should all take notice that Identity Politics has reached into a deep South technical school. The article was approved by the paper's editors and also perhaps by the faculty advisers. An article that declared black or Jewish DNA to be abominable would most certainly not have been approved, and anyone who wrote such an article would at a minimum have been sent for sensitivity training.

The situation appears to be far worse in the prestigious, formerly WASP universities, such as Yale and Stanford. I don't know the website, but this article seems truthful and not a spoof... Both universities, along with top rank state universities such as the University of Wisconsin and many other universities and colleges teach that white people, not global robber baron corporations or Wall Street crooks or corrupt politicians (unless they are white) are the source of evil, of oppression, of racism and enslavement of women.

Curiously, white women are considered simultaneously to be oppressors and enslaved by men. But this inconsistency does not trouble the Identity Politics ideology that is now a powerful political movement in America that has placed a target on the back of every white heterosexual male and every statue of a white male. Even plaques commemorating the attendance of George Washington and Robert E. Lee at Christ Church, Alexandria, Virginia, have been removed because they are "offensive." Identity Politics has succeeded in obliterating the memory of America's first president, who won the War of Independence from the British, from the pre-revolutionary church that he attended.

Twenty-three years ago Lawrence M. Stratton and I predicted in our book, The New Color Line that that the racial and gender quotas established by Alfred W. Blumrosen, compliance chief of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, in blatant violation of the 1964 Civil Rights Act, which explicitly prohibited quotas, would destroy the American goal of equality before the law by establishing legal privileges that would exclude white men. No prediction has ever been more correct.

The 1964 Civil Rights Act was passed in order to give a legal basis to the 14th Amendment to the Constitution requiring equality under the law. Congress understood that equality under law precluded special privileges, such as quotas for university admissions, employment and promotions based on alleged past discrimination.

However, Alfred Blumrosen, a Jew, who found himself in control of the regulatory agency designated as the enforcer of the Civil Rights Act, decided to ignore the law and to create a quota regime that violates equality under the law. Blumrosen reasoned, and turned out to be correct, that, based on the New Deal experience, Federal courts would defer to the regulatory authority, which was him, in place of the intent of Congress.

In place of equality under law, Blumrosen went for equality of result. To Blumrosen that meant that the same proportion of blacks had to have middle class educations and incomes as whites. The consequence was federal lawsuits against universities and employers that did not have quotas that advanced less qualified blacks and women over white men.

Stratton and I have heard that Blumrosen praises us for designating him as the person who made second class citizens out of white males as he regards it as a high achievement.

The next step in the delegitimization of white people, especially heterosexual males, occurred following the collapse of the Soviet Union and the transformation of Mao's China to capitalism. This destroyed the ideological basis of the Western left wing. The exploitative, imperialist capitalist had been the target for decades, but now that history had proved Karl Marx wrong, revealing that there was no alternative to "democratic capitalism," the need to hate that is concentrated in the liberal/progressive/left had to find a new target. They found it in Jewish cultural Marxism's analysis of institutions associated with the Frankfort School, which moved from Germany to Columbia University in the 1930s. The Frankfort School placed the source of oppression in the institutions of Western society.

Members of the Frankfort School saw themselves as analyzing real problems. Identity politics, seeing the institutions of Western society as white, male-dominated institutions, simplified the analysis by defining the problem as whiteness. Thus, white males became the oppressive force to be overthrown. The working class, redefined by Hillary Clinton as "the Trump deplorables," has been abandoned by the liberal/progressive/left.

Just as with Marx, truth is "class truth," with Identity Politics, truth is race, gender, and sexual preference truth, and just as the capitalists didn't have objective truth, under the Identity Politics form of Marxism whites do not have truth. Even science is being unmasked as a tool of white oppression. Truth resides with the "racial minorities" (actually a large majority in the world) and the LGBTQ+ minority in America.

The effect of this hostility toward whites, especially white boys in the American public school system, is devastating. Essentially, the public school system is committing genocide against white males. Tucker Carlson reports the effects here.

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"We are in the midst of a profound change of paradigms: from seeing the world as a machine to understanding it as a network. Rob Kall has interviewed many of the leaders, both thinkers and activists, of this global cultural transformation. In this eminently readable book, he weaves their statements, values, and ideas into a coherent and inspiring whole. Bottom-Up is a joy to read!"



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An Egyptian Kangaroo court Saturday (March 10) sentenced 10 people to death and five others to life in prison for allegedly forming a "terrorist group" to plot attacks on security forces and other institutions.

The state-run MENA news agency said the defendants are affiliated with the outlawed Muslim Brotherhood. MENA said three of the 15 defendants were sentenced in absentia.

Egypt has cracked down on anti-government elements since the overthrow in July 2013 of Mohammad Mursi by General Abdel Fattah al-Sisi who later assumed the title of Field Marshall. Mursi was the first democratically elected President of Egypt.

US-client Sisi took over as president a year later and is expected to be re-elected later this month in a vote against only token opposition, according to Reuters news agency.

Along with Israel and Afghanistan, Egypt is one of the three biggest recipients of US funding and weapons.

With Egypt facing an insurgency in the Sinai Peninsula, Sisi has ordered the military to clear the region of militants ahead of the March 26-28 presidential election, the agency said.

Hundreds of anti-government people, including Muslim Brotherhood supporters and members, have received death sentences since 2013, and Egypt has carried out dozens of executions, according to security sources and rights groups.

According to Cornell Center on the Death Penalty Worldwide database, in recent years there has been a sharp increase in Egyptian courts' use of capital punishment, with the number of death sentences jumping from 109 in 2013 to at least 509. Since the beginning of 2015, there have been reports of at least 354 death sentences.

The Cornell Center believes there are at least 1,700 people under sentence of death, but no official figures are available due to intense state secrecy surrounding capital punishment. Amnesty International indicates that at least 1,413 death sentences were issued between 2007 and 2014.

European Parliament condemns

Last month, the European Parliament condemned Egypt for its use of the death penalty and called for all planned executions to be halted pending a review of the cases.

Egypt is restricting "fundamental democratic rights", members of the European Parliament (MEPs) said in a statement on February 7, adding Cairo should abolish capital punishment.

"The European Parliament " calls for the end to all acts of violence, incitement and hate speech, reminding the Egyptian government that the universal protection of human rights and long-term prosperity go hand in hand," it said.

UN human rights experts have also expressed concern that Egyptian officials are using evidence obtained through torture or ill treatment, often during periods of enforced disappearance, to sentence prisoners to death in military courts.

Egyptian judicial system here has become a joke

In January this year CNN quoted an Egyptian attorney as saying that Egypt is using death sentences to settle scores.

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(Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher).Aroma Organic Packaging Systems Introducing Innovation for Manufacturers

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The Aroma Organic Packaging Company is gaining new grounds in the industry with the introduction of a new packaging system organic that utilize a spray created by scientists based in California. The world is evolving at a fast pace, and there is a need for brands that are specialized in the production of items that will stay on the shelves for an extended period to preserve their products. If these products are not adequately maintained with the right materials, it could cause damage to the products which will result in loss of revenue for the manufacturers.This challenge was identified by the Aroma Organic Packaging Company and has motivated the brand to work on an innovative product that will ensure the preservation of products for a more extended period. The packaging system which utilizes a spray and designed by the Aroma Organic Packaging Company was put together by a team of scientists from California. These packaging items are available in clear cans, plastic paper, and metal. The essence of the spray is to help the product to retain its excellent form for an extended time and prevent it from getting spoilt.The ingredients used in producing these preservatives are sourced from fresh fruits and sealed adequately into clear cans which will be used by different producers to ensure the preservation of their products and keep it in good shape for the consumption of their clients. Use of these packaging materials will help producers to maintain their stronghold on the market and promote their brand image.The Aroma Organic Packaging Company is founded by the renowned billionaire with incredible business acumen, Tarik Freitekh and his long-time associate, Ahmed Sary. The reputable billionaire who has various investment portfolios across all vibrant sectors of the economy is renowned for his ability to discover new opportunities saw an opportunity in the manufacturing industry and want to help more manufacturers with a viable solution that will control the wastage of products when they are not preserved very well. It is a known fact that firms that are into production lose a significant part of their revenues when their goods are messed up and ruined. The introduction of the aroma organic spray which is available in various can sizes will help different producers to preserve their products and ensure they make more money.For more information, please visitMedia Contact:Francois HUYNH, PR ManagerPRGLOBALMEDIA3030 Elmside DrHouston, TX 77042408-427-3005fhuynh@prglobalmedia.comAudio Graphic Equalizer Market Research Report 2018

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Audio Graphic Equalizer Report by Material, Application, and Geography  Global Forecast to 2022 is a professional and in-depth research report. Evening out includes the method for changing the harmony between recurrence segments. In genealogical circumstances, the balance procedure used to require enormous and overwhelming instruments known as equalizers, yet these days, things can be easily done by means of sound equalizer programming and sound equalizer expansions in the event that you are utilizing Chrome. There are a couple of sound equalizer expansions for Chrome available that can play out the fundamental errands in only a couple of moments. We selected five of the best, and we'll acquaint you with their decent arrangements of highlights underneath.Sample Copy of This Report:The report firstly introduced the Audio Graphic Equalizer basics: definitions, classifications, applications and market overview; product specifications; manufacturing processes; cost structures, raw materials and so on. Then it analyzed the world's main region market conditions, including the product price, profit, capacity, production, supply, demand and market growth rate and forecast etc. In the end, the report introduced new project SWOT analysis, investment feasibility analysis, and investment return analysis.The report includes six parts, dealing with:1.) basic information;2.) the Asia Audio Graphic Equalizer Market;3.) the North American Audio Graphic Equalizer Market;4.) the European Audio Graphic Equalizer Market;5.) market entry and investment feasibility;6.) the report conclusion.Full report with Table of Content:Table of ContentPart I Audio Graphic Equalizer Industry OverviewChapter One Audio Graphic Equalizer Industry Overview1.1 Audio Graphic Equalizer Definition1.2 Audio Graphic Equalizer Classification Analysis1.2.1 Audio Graphic Equalizer Main Classification Analysis1.2.2 Audio Graphic Equalizer Main Classification Share Analysis1.3 Audio Graphic Equalizer Application Analysis1.3.1 Audio Graphic Equalizer Main Application Analysis1.3.2 Audio Graphic Equalizer Main Application Share Analysis1.4 Audio Graphic Equalizer Industry Chain Structure Analysis1.5 Audio Graphic Equalizer Industry Development Overview1.5.1 Audio Graphic Equalizer Product History Development Overview1.5.1 Audio Graphic Equalizer Product Market Development Overview1.6 Audio Graphic Equalizer Global Market Comparison Analysis1.6.1 Audio Graphic Equalizer Global Import Market Analysis1.6.2 Audio Graphic Equalizer Global Export Market Analysis1.6.3 Audio Graphic Equalizer Global Main Region Market Analysis1.6.4 Audio Graphic Equalizer Global Market Comparison Analysis1.6.5 Audio Graphic Equalizer Global Market Development Trend AnalysisChapter Two Audio Graphic Equalizer Up and Down Stream Industry Analysis2.1 Upstream Raw Materials Analysis2.1.1 Upstream Raw Materials Price Analysis2.1.2 Upstream Raw Materials Market Analysis2.1.3 Upstream Raw Materials Market Trend2.2 Down Stream Market Analysis2.1.1 Down Stream Market Analysis2.2.2 Down Stream Demand Analysis2.2.3 Down Stream Market Trend AnalysisPart II Asia Audio Graphic Equalizer Industry (The Report Company Including the Below Listed But Not All)Chapter Three Asia Audio Graphic Equalizer Market Analysis3.1 Asia Audio Graphic Equalizer Product Development History3.2 Asia Audio Graphic Equalizer Competitive Landscape Analysis3.3 Asia Audio Graphic Equalizer Market Development TrendChapter Four 2013-2018 Asia Audio Graphic Equalizer Productions Supply Sales Demand Market Status and Forecast4.1 2013-2018 Audio Graphic Equalizer Capacity Production Overview4.2 2013-2018 Audio Graphic Equalizer Production Market Share Analysis4.3 2013-2018 Audio Graphic Equalizer Demand Overview4.4 2013-2018 Audio Graphic Equalizer Supply Demand and Shortage4.5 2013-2018 Audio Graphic Equalizer Import Export Consumption4.6 2013-2018 Audio Graphic Equalizer Cost Price Production Value Gross MarginChapter Five Asia Audio Graphic Equalizer Key Manufacturers Analysis5.1 Company A5.1.1 Company Profile5.1.2 Product Picture and Specification5.1.3 Product Application Analysis5.1.4 Capacity Production Price Cost Production Value5.1.5 Contact Information5.2 Company B5.2.1 Company Profile5.2.2 Product Picture and Specification5.2.3 Product Application Analysis5.2.4 Capacity Production Price Cost Production Value5.2.5 Contact Information5.3 Company CRequest Discount@About Market Reports Center;Market Reports Center is an e-commerce platform obliging the needs of knowledge workers, experts, professionals who are subject to market research information for their work, or to make strategic business decisions. We are dedicated to create a comprehensive offering of market research which is accurate, credible and affordable.Connect for more details:Sam CollinsMarket Reports Center1-646-883-3044 (US)Email: info@marketreportscenter.comWebsite:GCC Motion Control Encoder Market Research Report 2018

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The GCC Motion Control Encoder Market Research Report 2018 is a professional and in-depth study on the current state of the Motion Control Encoder industry.Firstly, the report provides a basic overview of the industry including definitions, classifications, applications and industry chain structure. The Motion Control Encoder Industry analysis is provided for the international market including development history, competitive landscape analysis, and major regions development status.Secondly, development policies and plans are discussed as well as manufacturing processes and cost structures. This report also states import/export, supply and consumption figures as well as cost, price, revenue and gross margin by regions (United States, EU, China and GCC), and other regions can be added.Then, the report focuses on global major leading industry players with information such as company profiles, product picture and specification, capacity, production, price, cost, revenue and contact information. Upstream raw materials, equipment and downstream consumers analysis is also carried out. Whats more, the Motion Control Encoder industry development trends and marketing channels are analyzed.Finally, the feasibility of new investment projects is assessed, and overall research conclusions are offered.In a word, the report provides major statistics on the state of the industry and is a valuable source of guidance and direction for companies and individuals interested in the market.If you are interested in our report or have any special requirements, please let us know and we will offer you the report as you want. Email: tinaning@qyresearch.com.The global Motion Control Encoder market is valued at XX million USD in 2017 and is expected to reach XX million USD by the end of 2025, growing at a CAGR of XX% between 2017 and 2025.GCC plays an important role in global market, with market size of xx million USD in 2017 and will be xx million USD in 2025, with a CAGR of xx%.This report studies the Motion Control Encoder development status and future trend in GCC, focuses on top players in GCC, also splits Motion Control Encoder by type and by Application, to fully and deeply research and reveal the market general situation and future forecast.The major players in GCC market includeABBParker HannifinAerotechMrmocoRG Speed...On the basis of product, this report displays the sales volume, revenue, product price, market share and growth rate of each type, primarily split intoIncremental EncoderAbsolute EncoderOn the basis of the end users/Application, this report coversConsumer ElectronicsChemicalsAerospace & DefenseElectronicsGet a full report sample:Table of contents:Chapter One Motion Control Encoder OverviewChapter Two: GCC Motion Control Encoder Market Competition by Players/ManufacturersChapter Three GCC Motion Control Encoder Sales and Revenue (Value) by Type (2013-2018)Chapter Four GCC Motion Control Encoder Sales by Application (2013-2018)Chapter Five GCC Motion Control Encoder Players/Suppliers Profiles and Sales DataChapter Six Motion Control Encoder Manufacturing Cost AnalysisChapter Seven Industrial Chain, Sourcing Strategy and Downstream BuyersChapter Eight Marketing Strategy Analysis, Distributors/TradersChapter Nine Market Effect Factors AnalysisChapter Ten GCC Motion Control Encoder Market Size (Sales and Revenue) Forecast (2018-2025)Chapter Eleven Research Findings and ConclusionRelated Reports:Europe Motion Control Encoder Market Research Report 2018China Motion Control Encoder Market Research Report 2018GCC Motion Control Encoder Market Research Report 2018GCC Motion Control Encoder Market Research Report 2018USA Motion Control Encoder Market Research Report 2018GCC Motion Control Encoder Market Research Report 2018Contact Details:Company Name: QYResearch CO.,LIMITED | focus on Market Survey and ResearchTina| Sales ManagersTel: 0086-20-22093278(CN)Email: sales@qyresearcheurope.com or tinaning@qyresearch.comWeb:QYResearch established in 2007, focus on custom research, management consulting, IPO consulting, industry chain research, data base cand seminar services. The company owned a large basic data base (such as National Bureau of statistics database, Customs import and export database, Industry Association Database etc), experts resources (included energy automotive chemical medical ICT consumer goods etc industries experts who own more than 10 years experiences on marketing or R&D), professional survey team (the team member with more than 3 years market survey experience and more than 2 years depth expert interview experience),Excellent data analysis team (SPSS statistics and PPT graphics process team); QYResearch has always pursuit product quality, adhere to the quality is the soul of business.Room 2901 VILI International Building No.167 Linhe West RoadAll Local Michigan Businesses Need a Reliable Commercial Cleaning Partner

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Industry Veteran with 30 Years of Food Sales and Distribution Experience Selected to Expand Mi Rancho's Retail Channel.San Leandro, CA, USA -- Mi Rancho (a Bay Area food innovator in the production and global distribution of tortillas and Mexican foods, today announced the appointment of Dennis Cole to the position of Director of Retail Sales. Cole will replace the retired Frank Palladino, who launched Mi Rancho's retail expansion in 2010. Cole brings 30 years of retail sales and distribution experience to Mi Rancho, mostly in the food and grocery business, and will assume responsibility for Mi Rancho's expanding retail sales channel.Cole comes to Mi Rancho from Peet's Coffee, where he served as Operations Manager - DSD/CPG Grocery Division. Over the past three decades, Cole has worked for a variety of name brands such as Pepsi Cola and Kraft Foods. He also has extensive experience in tortilla sales and distribution having managed retail sales for one of the largest tortilla suppliers in the United States."We are delighted to welcome Dennis to the Mi Rancho family," said Manuel Berber, owner and President of Mi Rancho. "Dennis knows the tortilla business and has the expertise we need to build sales through retail outlets across California and the western US. His tenure in the business also means he has the contacts and expertise to help us expand to other regions when the time comes. Mi Rancho maintains a high standard, both in the quality of our products and in our business relationships, and we know Dennis has what it takes to open the right doors for the Mi Rancho brand.""When I was approached about the opportunity with Mi Rancho, I recognized the opportunity to promote an amazing product line," said Cole. "The Berbers have a real passion for the business and for the quality of their tortillas, and I welcome the challenge of helping promote Mi Rancho as a premium tortilla brand up and down the west coast."Mi Rancho has been producing high-quality specialty foods since 1939 and has always used the finest ingredients and centuries-old production methods to make authentic tortillas.About Mi RanchoMi Rancho is an innovator in the specialty foods market specializing in tortillas and Mexican food products. Founded as a family-run Mexican bakery and grocery store in Oakland in 1939, Mi Rancho started to expand in the 1950s, providing tortillas to local restaurants. Today the company remains family owned and operated by the third generation of the Berber family, with plans of succession to the fourth generation currently working within the company. Mi Rancho produces 4.5 million tortillas each day or 1.3 billion tortillas each year, serving various segments including foodservice, retail, industrial, and international. Despite Mi Rancho's growth, the company is still operated with a passion for excellence and a commitment to produce the best quality tortillas made from local California ingredients.For more information, visit Mi Rancho on the web atContact:Tom WoolfDirector of PR, Gumas Advertising for Mi Rancho99 Shotwell StreetSan Francisco, CA94103-3625415-621-7575twoolf@gumas.comMar 12, 2018: PU Insulation Board Market Forecast 2018-2025 Huntsman, Finehope, Nicolaides & Kountouris

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Refrigeration Compressor Motor Market Research 2018A market study "Global Refrigeration Compressor Motor Market" examines the performance of the Refrigeration Compressor Motor market 2018. It encloses an in-depth Research of the Refrigeration Compressor Motor market state and the competitive landscape Globally. This report analyzes the potential of Refrigeration Compressor Motor market in the present and the future prospects from various angles in detail.The Global Refrigeration Compressor Motor Market 2018 report includes Refrigeration Compressor Motor market Revenue, market Share, Refrigeration Compressor Motor industry volume, market Trends, Refrigeration Compressor Motor Growth aspects. A wide range of applications, Utilization ratio, Supply and demand analysis are also consist in the report.It shows manufacturing capacity, Refrigeration Compressor Motor Price during the Forecast period from 2018 to 2025.To Get Sample Report Click Here:Manufacturers Analysis and Top Sellers of Global Refrigeration Compressor Motor Market 2018 :1. A.O. Smith2. Sisme3. Rechi4. Fusheng Electrical5. Dibay6. WolongRefrigeration Compressor Motor Market : By Application Refrigerator freezer compressor Commercial compressorRefrigeration Compressor Motor Market : By Type Fully enclosed compressor motor Semi  enclosed compressor motor Open compressor motorFirstly, the report covers the top Refrigeration Compressor Motor manufacturing industry players from regions like Global, EU, Japan, and China. It also characterizes the market based on geological regions.Further, the Refrigeration Compressor Motor report gives information on the company profile, market share and contact details along with value chain analysis of Refrigeration Compressor Motor industry, Refrigeration Compressor Motor industry rules and policies, circumstances driving the growth of the market and compulsion blocking the growth. Refrigeration Compressor Motor Market development scope and various business strategies are also mentioned in this report.Browse Full Report Here:The Refrigeration Compressor Motor research report includes the products that are currently in demand and available in the market along with their cost breakup, manufacturing volume, import/export scheme and contribution to the Refrigeration Compressor Motor market revenue worldwide.Finally, Refrigeration Compressor Motor market report gives you details about the market research findings and conclusion which helps you to develop profitable market strategies to gain competitive advantage.About US:"QY Research Store" is a leading market intelligence team which accredits and provides the reports of some of the top publishers in the field of technology industry. We are as a firm expertise in making extensive reports that cover all the necessary details about the market assessments such as major technological improvement in the industry.Contact Us5001 Spring Valley Road,Suite 400 East,Dallas, TX 75244, USAWeb:Email: sales@qyresearchstore.comNorth America to Dominate the Global Skin Rejuvenation Market in Terms of Adoption and Market Share During 2017 and 2022

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The report also feature the specific expert opinion which will further help the analysts to present the global skin rejuvenation market with accurate data.Global Market Study on Skin Rejuvenation: Segmental Analysis & Regional ForecastThe research report segregate the worldwide market for skin rejuvenation on the basis of region, end-user, by product. Based on product, the report divides the global market for skin rejuvenation into LED devices, IPL devices, ultrasound devices, RF devices, laser based devices, and energy based devices On the basis of end use, the study categorizes the skin rejuvenation market into beauty clinics and dermatology clinics In terms of region, the international market for skin rejuvenation is bifurcate into Asia Pacific excluding Japan, North America, the Middle East & Africa, Latin America, and EuropeFurthermore, the report also provide the pricing analysis, supply chain, regulation, proceeding number by geographical region. the report provide the major trends, drivers, restraints along with the opportunities to assist the reader to get exact picture of the present and future analysis of the market place.Browse Full Global Skin Rejuvenation Market Report with TOC :Global Market Study on Skin Rejuvenation: Key PlayersThe final section of report provide prominent players and competitive landscape in the global market for skin rejuvenation. The research report also presents the key business strategies applied by the top players, current development, portfolios of product, innovation in product, their expansion of the market, the collaboration and acquisition, key personnel, market share analysis of the key players, and financial overview. The report also showcase a dashboard view to the client present in the worldwide market for Skin Rejuvenation, along with the market dynamics, enabling the readers to get the current and future status of the market. The report profiles the top players functioning in the international market for skin rejuvenation such as Alma Lasers, Ltd., EL.En. S.p.A., Cutera Inc., Lutronic Corporation, Cynosure, Inc., Sciton, Inc., Strata Skin Sciences, Inc., Solta Medical Inc., Lynton Lasers Ltd, Venus Concept Canada Corp., Fotona d.d., Syneron Medical Ltd., and Lumenis Ltd.About (MRRSE)Market Research Reports Search Engine (MRRSE) is an industry-leading database of Market Research Reports. MRRSE is driven by a stellar team of research experts and advisors trained to offer objective advice. Our sophisticated search algorithm returns results based on the report title, geographical region, publisher, or other keywords.MRRSE partners exclusively with leading global publishers to provide clients single-point access to top-of-the-line market research. MRRSEs repository is updated every day to keep its clients ahead of the next new trend in market research, be it competitive intelligence, product or service trends or strategic consulting.Contact UsState Tower90, State StreetSuite 700Albany, NY  12207 (United States)Telephone: +1-518-730-0559 (US- Canada Toll Free)Email: sales@mrrse.comWebsite:Read More Industry News At:Substation Automation 2018 Global Industry Key Players - ABB Limited , Siemens AG , Alstom SA , General Electric ,Eaton Corporation Plc Market Analysis And Forecast To 2025

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Global Substation Automation MarketIn this report, the global Substation Automation market is valued at USD XX million in 2017 and is expected to reach USD XX million by the end of 2025, growing at a CAGR of XX% between 2017 and 2025.Global Substation Automation market competition by top manufacturers, with production, price, revenue (value) and market share for each manufacturer; the top players includingABB LimitedSiemens AGAlstom SAGeneral ElectricEaton Corporation PlcCisco Systems, Inc.Schneider Electric SEEchelon CorporationNovaTech LLCEncore Networks, Inc.Request a Sample Report @Geographically, this report is segmented into several key Regions, with production, consumption, revenue (million USD), market share and growth rate of Substation Automation in these regions, from 2013 to 2025 (forecast), coveringNorth AmericaEuropeChinaJapanSoutheast AsiaIndiaOn the basis of product, this report displays the production, revenue, price, market share and growth rate of each type, primarily split intoSCADACommunication NetworkIntelligent Electronic DeviceOn the basis of the end users/applications, this report focuses on the status and outlook for major applications/end users, consumption (sales), market share and growth rate for each application, includingTechnologyPower Line CommunicationOptical Fibre CommunicationCopper Wire CommunicationEthernet ( Copper or Fibre)Table of Contents-Key Points CoveredGlobal Substation Automation Market Research Report 20181 Substation Automation Market Overview1.1 Product Overview and Scope of Substation Automation1.2 Substation Automation Segment by Type (Product Category)1.2.1 Global Substation Automation Production and CAGR (%) Comparison by Type (Product Category)(2013-2025)1.2.2 Global Substation Automation Production Market Share by Type (Product Category) in 20171.2.3 SCADA1.2.4 Communication Network1.2.5 Intelligent Electronic Device1.3 Global Substation Automation Segment by Application1.3.1 Substation Automation Consumption (Sales) Comparison by Application (2013-2025)1.3.2 Technology1.3.3 Power Line Communication1.3.4 Optical Fibre Communication1.3.5 Copper Wire Communication1.3.6 Ethernet ( Copper or Fibre)1.4 Global Substation Automation Market by Region (2013-2025)1.4.1 Global Substation Automation Market Size (Value) and CAGR (%) Comparison by Region (2013-2025)1.4.2 North America Status and Prospect (2013-2025)1.4.3 Europe Status and Prospect (2013-2025)1.4.4 China Status and Prospect (2013-2025)1.4.5 Japan Status and Prospect (2013-2025)1.4.6 Southeast Asia Status and Prospect (2013-2025)1.4.7 India Status and Prospect (2013-2025)1.5 Global Market Size (Value) of Substation Automation (2013-2025)1.5.1 Global Substation Automation Revenue Status and Outlook (2013-2025)1.5.2 Global Substation Automation Capacity, Production Status and Outlook (2013-2025)..7 Global Substation Automation Manufacturers Profiles/Analysis7.1 ABB Limited7.1.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base, Sales Area and Its Competitors7.1.2 Substation Automation Product Category, Application and Specification7.1.2.1 Product A7.1.2.2 Product B7.1.3 ABB Limited Substation Automation Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2013-2018)7.1.4 Main Business/Business Overview7.2 Siemens AG7.2.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base, Sales Area and Its Competitors7.2.2 Substation Automation Product Category, Application and Specification7.2.2.1 Product A7.2.2.2 Product B7.2.3 Siemens AG Substation Automation Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2013-2018)7.2.4 Main Business/Business Overview7.3 Alstom SA7.3.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base, Sales Area and Its Competitors7.3.2 Substation Automation Product Category, Application and Specification7.3.2.1 Product A7.3.2.2 Product B7.3.3 Alstom SA Substation Automation Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2013-2018)7.3.4 Main Business/Business Overview7.4 General Electric7.4.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base, Sales Area and Its Competitors7.4.2 Substation Automation Product Category, Application and Specification7.4.2.1 Product A7.4.2.2 Product B7.4.3 General Electric Substation Automation Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2013-2018)7.4.4 Main Business/Business Overview7.5 Eaton Corporation Plc7.5.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base, Sales Area and Its Competitors7.5.2 Substation Automation Product Category, Application and Specification7.5.2.1 Product A7.5.2.2 Product B7.5.3 Eaton Corporation Plc Substation Automation Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2013-2018)7.5.4 Main Business/Business Overview7.6 Cisco Systems, Inc.7.6.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base, Sales Area and Its Competitors7.6.2 Substation Automation Product Category, Application and Specification7.6.2.1 Product A7.6.2.2 Product B7.6.3 Cisco Systems, Inc. Substation Automation Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2013-2018)7.6.4 Main Business/Business Overview7.7 Schneider Electric SE7.7.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base, Sales Area and Its Competitors7.7.2 Substation Automation Product Category, Application and Specification7.7.2.1 Product A7.7.2.2 Product B7.7.3 Schneider Electric SE Substation Automation Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2013-2018)7.7.4 Main Business/Business Overview7.8 Echelon Corporation7.8.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base, Sales Area and Its Competitors7.8.2 Substation Automation Product Category, Application and Specification7.8.2.1 Product A7.8.2.2 Product B7.8.3 Echelon Corporation Substation Automation Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2013-2018)7.8.4 Main Business/Business Overview7.9 NovaTech LLC7.9.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base, Sales Area and Its Competitors7.9.2 Substation Automation Product Category, Application and Specification7.9.2.1 Product A7.9.2.2 Product B7.9.3 NovaTech LLC Substation Automation Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2013-2018)7.9.4 Main Business/Business Overview7.10 Encore Networks, Inc.7.10.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base, Sales Area and Its Competitors7.10.2 Substation Automation Product Category, Application and Specification7.10.2.1 Product A7.10.2.2 Product B7.10.3 Encore Networks, Inc. Substation Automation Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2013-2018)7.10.4 Main Business/Business OverviewContinued..Complete Report Details @Wise Guy Reports Is Part Of The Wise Guy Consultants Pvt. Ltd. And Offers Premium Progressive Statistical Surveying, Market Research Reports, Analysis & Forecast Data For Industries And Governments Around The Globe. Wise Guy Reports Features An Exhaustive List Of Market Research Reports From Hundreds Of Publishers Worldwide. We Boast A Database Spanning Virtually Every Market Category And An Even More Comprehensive Collection Of Market Research Reports Under These Categories And Sub-Categories.Wise Guy Research Consultants Pvt LtdOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersMagarpatta Road, HadapsarPune - 411028Maharashtra, IndiaGlobal Application Management Services Market to Witness High Growth in the Near Future

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Market Research Reports Search Engine (MRRSE)s latest addition to their vast reports inventory is a comprehensive study of the global application management services market for the duration 2017 to 2022. The report is structured in a systematic manner and begins with the executive summary and market overview.Free Sample Copy of Report @The overview section presents the market definition, market taxonomy, and the revenue forecast of the global application management services market for the period 2012 to 2022, wherein the period 2012 to 2016 is a historical analysis of the global application management services market and the years from 2017 to 2022 denote the assessment period for which revenue estimations have been systematically drawn. This report also presents detailed information on the year over year growth in revenue and value chain of the global application management services market. A dedicated section on the market dynamics provides information on the various drivers, restraints, trends, and opportunities in the application management services market.Report MethodologyThis report follows a systematic research process comprising an integration of primary and secondary research to gather and validate data from multiple sources. Data pertaining to the global application management services market is gathered through in-depth secondary research and this data is validated after extensive primary interviews with key market stakeholders. The final data is re-validated using advanced tools to glean useful insights on the global application management services market.Key Metrics Tracked in this ReportThe report on the global application management services market tracks the performance of the global market by estimating key market numbers such as Y-o-Y growth, market share, basis point share, incremental dollar opportunity, absolute dollar opportunity, and market attractiveness index. These metrics indicate the growth direction of the global application management services market and are useful to derive pertinent qualitative insights into the global market for application management services over the period of study.Global Application Management Services Market: SegmentationThe global market for application management services is categorized based on Services Type into Cloud Management Market, Testing Management Market, Modernization Market, Outsourcing Management, and Other Services (Architecture management & Support Services). Market segmentation on the basis of Industry comprises Manufacturing Market, Automotive Market, Engineering Market, Government Market, Retail & Consumer Goods, IT & Telecom Market, Healthcare, BFSI, and Other Industries Market. Regional market segmentation includes Latin America, Middle East & Africa, Europe, Japan, North America, and Asia Pacific Excluding Japan. The report provides detailed forecasts for each of the market segments with key statistics such as market share comparison, year over year growth and value growth over the period of assessment.Browse Full Global Application Management Services Market Report with TOC :Global Application Management Services Market: Key CompaniesThere is a dedicated section in the report on the global application management services market featuring the vendor fabric of the global market. This section profiles some of the leading market companies and provides information such as an overview of the companys business, key financial data, short-term and long-term growth and expansion strategies, and also recent developments in the application management services market. A detailed SWOT analysis is also included to enable readers to evaluate the strengths, threats, weaknesses, and opportunities of the leading companies currently dominating the global application management services market. The following companies have been profiled in this report: Hexaware Technologies Limited KPIT Technologies Limited Wipro Limited CA Technology Inc. Infosys Limited Capgemini SE IBM Corporation NTT Data Corporation HCL Technologies Accenture PLCAbout (MRRSE)Market Research Reports Search Engine (MRRSE) is an industry-leading database of Market Research Reports. MRRSE is driven by a stellar team of research experts and advisors trained to offer objective advice. Our sophisticated search algorithm returns results based on the report title, geographical region, publisher, or other keywords.MRRSE partners exclusively with leading global publishers to provide clients single-point access to top-of-the-line market research. MRRSEs repository is updated every day to keep its clients ahead of the next new trend in market research, be it competitive intelligence, product or service trends or strategic consulting.Contact UsState Tower90, State StreetSuite 700Albany, NY  12207 (United States)Telephone: +1-518-730-0559 (US- Canada Toll Free)Email: sales@mrrse.comWebsite:Read More Industry News At:Global Peristaltic Pumps Market: Fixed Speed Pumps Segment Expected to Dominate in Terms of Revenue Share during 2017 - 2022

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The corrosion-resistant properties, seal-less model, as well as low maintenance cost will drive the growth of the Peristaltic Pumps market. The first hand report on Global Peristaltic Pumps Market has been covered by the Market Research Reports Search Engine (MRRSE)s extensive research repository. The increase in technologies innovation, acquisition and escalating move for collaboration among the companies are anticipated to drive the contribution and competition for the growth of the market. Local dealers and regional dealers are providing particular products for several end use. The innovation in technologies is the key opportunity, enabling the prominent players expand their market operation in various geographical region.Free Sample Copy of Report @Global Peristaltic Pumps Market: Report OverviewThe research publication on the peristaltic pump market comprises the qualitative analysis of the complete market which covers the aspects describing the market force including porters five analysis, opportunities, key trends, restraints, drivers along with the major threat prevailing in the Peristaltic Pumps Market.However, the report also highlights the market opportunity analysis for type of product, end user, as well as growth in the prominent companies are also featured in details. the study highlights the important event which are organized by the companies, along with the event that are likely to take place in near future, which are predicted to hamper the market growth are also discussed. The report include the chance of regulation in the global market for peristaltic pumps.Global Peristaltic Pumps Market: Segmental Analysis & Regional OutlookThe report categorizes the global market for Peristaltic Pumps into end-use sector, discharge capacity, product type, and region Based on region, the worldwide peristaltic pump market is segregated into the Middle East and Africa, Japan, Asia Pacific Excluding Japan (APEJ), Latin America, Europe, and North America. The report offers the current estimation of the market and market share in terms of revenue share by the Peristaltic Pumps Market, around the world On account of product type, the report bifurcates the international peristaltic pump market into variable speed pumps and fixed speed pumps. Among all the product type, fixed speed pump market is expected to dominate the Peristaltic Pumps market, across the globe over the period of forecast. Based on end-use, the study segregate the international market for peristaltic pump into oil and gas, industrial process, medical and biotechnology, the water and wastewater treatment and other end use, such as poultry farms, laboratories.Furthermore, the report also throws light on the market attractiveness index and key findings, enabling the reader to understand the global market on regional basis.Browse Full Global Peristaltic Pumps Market Report with TOC :Global Peristaltic Pumps Market: Competitive AnalysisThe report provide the competitive analysis of the key competitors in the peristaltic pump market, across the globe, along with the total percentage share has been mentioned. The research publication offers analysis of the new entrants and the present competitors to expand their market, across the world, while expanding their revenue share at the global level. The report also analysis the dominating contributors in different key measure such as recent development by the prominent players, product portfolios, key strategies adopted by the players, financial analysis, company outline. Few of the key leading operator functioning in the worldwide market for peristaltic market include ProMinent GmbH, Albin Pump AB, Flowrox, Inc., PCM Group UK Ltd, Verder Holding B.V, Wanner Engineering, Inc., Seko Spa, Cole-Parmer Instrument Company Limited, Graco, Inc., and Watson Marlow Limited.About (MRRSE)Market Research Reports Search Engine (MRRSE) is an industry-leading database of Market Research Reports. MRRSE is driven by a stellar team of research experts and advisors trained to offer objective advice. Our sophisticated search algorithm returns results based on the report title, geographical region, publisher, or other keywords.MRRSE partners exclusively with leading global publishers to provide clients single-point access to top-of-the-line market research. MRRSEs repository is updated every day to keep its clients ahead of the next new trend in market research, be it competitive intelligence, product or service trends or strategic consulting.Contact UsState Tower90, State StreetSuite 700Albany, NY  12207 (United States)Telephone: +1-518-730-0559 (US- Canada Toll Free)Email: sales@mrrse.comWebsite:Read More Industry News At:Mar 12, 2018: Protein Engineering Market Forecast 2018-2025 Agilent, Bruker, Perkin, Thermo Fisher

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Protein Engineering Market Research 2018A market study "Global Protein Engineering Market" examines the performance of the Protein Engineering market 2018. It encloses an in-depth Research of the Protein Engineering market state and the competitive landscape Globally. This report analyzes the potential of Protein Engineering market in the present and the future prospects from various angles in detail.The Global Protein Engineering Market 2018 report includes Protein Engineering market Revenue, market Share, Protein Engineering industry volume, market Trends, Protein Engineering Growth aspects. A wide range of applications, Utilization ratio, Supply and demand analysis are also consist in the report.It shows manufacturing capacity, Protein Engineering Price during the Forecast period from 2018 to 2025.To Get Sample Report Click Here:Manufacturers Analysis and Top Sellers of Global Protein Engineering Market 2018 :1. Agilent2. Ab-Sciex3. Bio-Rad4. Bruker5. Ge6. Perkin7. Sigma-Aldrich8. Thermo Fisher9. WatersProtein Engineering Market : By Application Academics Institutes CrosProtein Engineering Market : By Type Rational Protein Design Irrational Protein DesignFirstly, the report covers the top Protein Engineering manufacturing industry players from regions like Global, EU, Japan, and China. It also characterizes the market based on geological regions.Further, the Protein Engineering report gives information on the company profile, market share and contact details along with value chain analysis of Protein Engineering industry, Protein Engineering industry rules and policies, circumstances driving the growth of the market and compulsion blocking the growth. Protein Engineering Market development scope and various business strategies are also mentioned in this report.Browse Full Report Here:The Protein Engineering research report includes the products that are currently in demand and available in the market along with their cost breakup, manufacturing volume, import/export scheme and contribution to the Protein Engineering market revenue worldwide.Finally, Protein Engineering market report gives you details about the market research findings and conclusion which helps you to develop profitable market strategies to gain competitive advantage.About US:"QY Research Store" is a leading market intelligence team which accredits and provides the reports of some of the top publishers in the field of technology industry. We are as a firm expertise in making extensive reports that cover all the necessary details about the market assessments such as major technological improvement in the industry.Contact Us5001 Spring Valley Road,Suite 400 East,Dallas, TX 75244, USAWeb:Email: sales@qyresearchstore.comM-Commerce Payments Market - by Product, Technology, Market Share, End-Use Sector, Opportunities and Global Forecast 2022

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The global m-commerce payments market is prognosticated to flourish exceptionally within the forecast period from 2107 to 2025. Due to advent of smartphones and other electronic gadgets such as tablets, laptops, and so on, the global m-commerce payments market is foreseen to prosper with robust CAGR of 46.9% in coming years.Download the Brochure @The broader reach because of mobility, rise in usage of smart devices, for example, smartphone and tablets, rigorous efforts for the collaboration between offline and online activities, and improved transmission capacity, which has helped the transaction process are to name a few leading factors propelling the global m-commerce market.Brows the Report @Apart these, some other advantages of m-commerce payment methods are improved security, speedier checkout, and loyalty integration. Those are encouraging the growth of m-commerce. Moreover, m-commerce is anticipated to become less expensive than customary services, for example, managing an account, marketing and advertisements, banking, and purchasing.Download TOC @These aspects are expected to have a positive impact on the demand for m-commerce payments. Different online networking platforms have likewise installed buy buttons, which causes the marketers generate leads much quickly.About TMRTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a global market intelligence company providing business information reports and services. The companys exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trend analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of analysts, researchers, and consultants use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather and analyze information.Contact TMR90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:Buchu Oil Market Key Growth Factors and Industry Analysis 2017-2025

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Buchu essential oil is derived from the Agothosma betulina it is from the Rutaceae family. Buchu oil has a very strong scent of black current. Buchu is an aromatic shrub with modest wrinkled leaves. The different types of chemical components of Buchu oil are -pulegone, iso-pulegone, diosphenol, 4-diosphenol, iso-menthone and menthone. The oil from Buchu leaves is derived by distillation process from the dried leaves. Buchu is grown in the mountains of the cape province of Africa. The oil extracted from the buchu shrub is has a very strong smell due to which it is often used as an insect repellent. The essential oil derived from Buchu is poisonous in nature and are not used in aromatherapy.Request to view Sample Report:Buchu Oil Market: SegmentationThe Buchu oil market can be segmented on the basis of Type and Application.On the basis of type Buchu oil market is segmented as Round leaf Buchu (Agothosma Betulina or Barosma Betulina) and Oval Leaf Buchu or True Buchu (Agothosma Crenulata or Barosma Crenulata)It is used for a variety of applications such as Antiseptic, Anti-Rheumatic & Anti-Arthritic, Carminative, Digestive, Diuretic, Insecticide, Massage oil, Sunscreen and others. The others segment consists of (ingredient for weight loss and Anti-inflammatory)Buchu Oil Market: Drivers, Restraints, and TrendsThe Buchu oil market is currently experiencing a growth in demand due to factors such as its use as an ingredient in the off the shelf herbal preparations (diuretic preparations). The major factors driving the growth of the market are its ability to cure urinary tract ailments and other health issues such as prostatitis and urethritis prophylaxis. The European and African markets are the largest contributors to the growth of the Buchu oil market. Growth in increased use of Buchu oil in regions like North America and Asia pacific is also expected to boost the growth of the overall Buchu oil market.Buy this Report at:Buchu oil Market: Regional OutlookIn North America, the trend in the essential oil industry and the usage of Buchu oil as a massage oil or as a medicinal ingredient acts as a major factor in fuelling the growth Buchu oil market, as the North America and Latin America is a very potential market for Buchu. In Asia Pacific, China is the biggest market for Buchu as the imports and exports of Buchu were greatly affected by Chinas macroeconomic conditions. Apart from China, India and Japan are also expected to contribute to the growth of the Buchu oil market. In Middle East and Africa, Buchu oil is mostly used as an herbal medicinal product and the Buchu oil market is expected to have a very slow growth in the forecast period. In Europe, the Buchu oil market is expected to grow steadily despite declining economies.Buchu oil Market: Key PlayersSigmaAldrichPiquet BuchuGrassRoots GroupSkimmelberg (Pty) Ltd.Phoenix Aromas.OthersAbout UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a market intelligence company, providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of analysts, researchers, and consultants, use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather, and analyze information. Our business offerings represent the latest and the most reliable information indispensable for businesses to sustain a competitive edge.US Office Contact90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:Cloud Radio Access Network Market - Zest for 4G and 5G Access Driving Demand

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The growing ubiquity of smartphones has radically increased data consumption in the recent past and thereby escalated the need for stronger networks. According to a recent business intelligence report by Transparency Market Research, the players operating in the global cloud radio access network market will have strong new opportunities to replace the conventional RAN architecture with cloud-RAN in order to meet consumer demands. For instance, in November 2017, Ericsson, a Sweden-based telecommunication company, declared in its mobility report that North America owns the highest share of LTE subscriptions (nearly 80%) and some of the leading operators in the region have started their expansion in pre-standardized 5G in 2017.Request Sample:Companies Expanding via Strategic PartnershipsOver in the emerging economies of Asia Pacific, similar strategic alliances are being observed to upgrade the services offered by both the parties. For example, in January 2017, Ericsson signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with China Mobile Research Institute (CMRI), which is a research division of China Mobile. The MOU involves collaborative research and development on Cloud RAN with an aim to deploy new services based on this technology. The report identifies and profiles some of the other notable companies in the global cloud radio access network market, such as Hitachi Data Systems Ltd., Intel Corporation, Agilent Technologies, Inc., Telco Systems, Actix International Limited, Aricent Inc., Ceragon Networks Ltd., Cisco Systems, Inc., Nokia Corporation, Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd., and ZTE Corporation.Global Cloud-RAN Market to be worth US$1,870.8 mn by 2025If the projections of the TMR report are to be believed, the demand in the global cloud radio access network market will expand at a formidable CAGR of 10.9% during the forecast period of 2017 to 2025. The analysts of the report have evaluated that the opportunities in the global C-RAN market translated into a revenue of US$814.8 mn in 2017 and have estimated it to swell up to US$1,870.8 mn by the end of 2025. Among various components pertaining to this market, remote radio units have been anticipated to provide for the maximum demand where services segment is also gaining traction. Application-wise, large public venues is the most profitable category. Geographically, North America is a highly lucrative region, promising to provide for a demand worth of US$781.6 mn by 2025.Browse Our Report:Capability to Reduce Power Consumption Driving AdoptionOn the back of growing inclination of consumers towards video content, that too on the move, the demand for 4G and 5G access is escalating and providing the strongest traction to the global cloud radio access network market. In addition to that, the ability of these components to provide for energy efficiency and reduce power cost are some of the other factors expected to reflect positively, prompting network operators to upgrade from their conventional RANs. On the other hand, need to comply with governance and security standards, issues pertaining to Bbu cooperation and cell clustering, and the need for high fronthaul capacities are some of the restraints obstructing the market from attaining its true potential. Nevertheless, the analysts of the report have highlighted that increasing adoption of cloud technology and consistent innovations by the telecom operators will open new revenue avenues in the global cloud-RAN market in the near future.Get TOC of This Report:Key Takeaways:The demand in the global cloud radio access network market projected to multiply at a notable CAGR of 10.9% during the forecast period of 2017 to 2025.North America, driven by the developed country of the U.S., to remain most profitable region until 2025, although Asia Pacific is another region of focus.Competitive Landscape moderately consolidated with strategic partnerships to determine the leader in the near future.Transparency Market Research (TMR) is a market intelligence company, providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of analysts, researchers, and consultants, use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather, and analyze information. Our business offerings represent the latest and the most reliable information indispensable for businesses to sustain a competitive edge.US Office90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:Pitaya Juice Market: Important Health Fruit with High Antioxidants

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Introduction:Pitaya fruit also known as dragon fruit is native to Mexico and cultivating in countries such as Vietnam, Malaysia, Thailand and South American countries including Ecuador and Colombia. The verities of the fruit vary in color from yellow to pink, and the juice extracted from the fruit is popularly pink to purple colored. The juice of dragon fruit/ pitaya is also used with other fruit juices as well as alcoholic beverages. Various health benefits are associated with this fruit juice and is often marketed as a super fruit with rich antioxidant content, this has attracted consumers and led to a high value demand from health conscious consumers across the globe.Download PDF Brochure @Pitaya juice Market SegmentationPitaya juice are segmented on the basis of nature, distribution channel and region. The fresh consumption of pitaya is relatively large, however the demand for the juice as well as powdered forms has been increasing at a significant rate as well. The market for pitaya is segmented based on its form as organic and conventional, where the organic segment has attracted consumers to a large extent. Based on the distribution channel the market is segmented as: Supermarkets/Hypermarkets, specialty stores, standalone shops, departmental stores and other retail formats. The market is segmented based on regions as North America, Latin America, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, Asia Pacific excluding Japan, Middle East and Africa and Japan.Pitaya juice market Global Market Trends and Market Drivers:Exotic fruits makes up for a relatively small share fruit production and exports, moreover a very less proportion of the same is goes for processing, but this has still created a high demand from major import markets in the European region where the consumption demand remains very high. Markets for the fruit as consumed fresh as well as processed is concentrated in the Asian region, countries such as Vietnam, China, Thailand, Indonesia, Korea and Japan. China is the single largest importer the fruit and constitutes high consumption of pitaya juice in terms of volume consumed. However a high demand surge is derived from countries such as Germany, France, Italy, U.K. and the U.S., these countries constitute the biggest importers of this fruit outside Asia, in both fresh and processed forms. Vietnam has a high popularity of pitaya juice and is considered an important health fruit with high antioxidants, the rarity of the fruit makes it unique and exotic across the globe. Considering the global demand for pitaya on a rise, Vietnam which the major supplier of pitaya and pitaya juice has increased its production area and the total output drastically in the last five years. Nearly ten-fold increase has been registered in the total area under production for pitaya. The North American region has most of its suppliers of the fruit from the South American countries, Ecuadorian and Colombian pitaya are imported into the U.S. as juice concentrates and mostly fresh fruits. In the Middle East, Israel, is one of the important producer as well as consumer of pitaya juice and the organic variant of Israeli pitaya has gain popularity in the local as well as European market. The shelf life of pitaya is also relatively less and this creates a challenge in transporting the fruit globally, this is creating a hindrance achieving the efficient supply of the fruit. The juice format also struggles with same and the overall supply remains restricted.Buy this Report at:Pitaya juice Market Key Players:Most of the production of the processed fruit products is done locally, however overseeing the demand in the global market for these exotic fruits, some International players have also started a dedicated product for such fruits juices, powders and concentrates. New innovative companies throughout the globe have also emerged as powerful brands in the respective regions. Moreover growth in organic fruit consumption, has created a rise in demand for different processed products made from these fruits and vegetables. A great potential for market is observed as the major producers of finished goods demand for a large supply of organic fruits including organic pitaya. The market for pitaya juice is small but promising and thus manufacturers have to adapt a product development and diversification strategies. Some of the key players in the market for pitaya juice are: Great Sun Pitaya Farm Sdn. Bhd., Pitaya Plus, Bai Brands (Dr Pepper Snapple Group, Inc.), Welch Foods Inc., Juicy Juice (Harvest Hill Beverage Company), Nam Viet Foods & Beverag Co., Ltd., Madam Sun Sdn.Bhd, Biourah Herbal (M) Sdn Bhd among others.About UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a market intelligence company, providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of analysts, researchers, and consultants, use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather, and analyze information. Our business offerings represent the latest and the most reliable information indispensable for businesses to sustain a competitive edge.US Office Contact90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:Organic Berries Market - The Biggest Trends to Watch out for 2017 - 2025

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Introduction:Organic berries are small pulpy edible fruits that are free from synthetic additives such as pesticides, chemical fertilizers, and dyes. These are not processed under industrial solvents, irradiation, or genetic engineering. Its content should is generally 95% or more certified organic. The remaining 5% can only be foods or processed with additives from an approved list.Download PDF Brochure @Organic land use in Europe has witnessed high growth in terms of percentage area/land in use for organic farming. Countries such as Austria, Estonia, Sweden, Italy, Latvia and Czech Republic have a large percentage of agricultural land for organic farming, the percentage of land in use in these countries are as high as 15-20% of total agricultural land. Fruit farming also occupies a large share of organic land in use, countries such as Spain, Russia, Poland, Germany, Italy and the U.K. having a large proportion dedicated to organic strawberry farming. The consumption organic strawberries in these countries also remains high. Poland, Germany, France and the Netherlands have a high volume share of organic blueberries production. Romania, Latvia and Ukraine have a high organic cranberry production and consumption. Germany, Russia and Poland for gooseberries whereas Russia, Poland, Serbia and Ukraine have a relatively higher demand for raspberries. The organic farming of these berries have witnessed a strong positive growth in terms of volume. The area under organic farming has grown throughout Europe including countries such as Bulgaria, Croatia, Serbia and Italy showing higher growth rates. Globally, the North American region including Canada and the U.S are the largest producer and consumer of raspberries, blueberries, strawberries and cranberries. The organic farming of these berries have seen a significant rise in production as the demand for these berries has grown for both fresh and processed consumption. Food processing companies including breakfast cereals manufactures have introduced separate segments of all organic ingredient cereals with added berries of organic nature. The consumers demand for such products have pushed the market growth and a better part of organic berries is being consumed in finished products such as Muesli, jams and essentially cereals. In terms of import of organic berries, countries such as the U.S., China, Japan, Canada, Belgium and some South Asian countries hold a major share of organic berries import. The trade flow for organic berries originate from countries such as Vietnam, Thailand, Spain, Italy, and certain Oceania countries.Organic Berries Market SegmentationOrganic berries are segmented on the basis of type, application, and region. Based on the type, the market for organic berries is segmented as blueberries, strawberries, cranberries, gooseberries and raspberries. These organic berries make up for an important ingredient in various food items as well as for fresh consumption and based on its application, the market is segmented as fresh and processed. The processed organic berries are further sub segmented as beverages, breakfast cereals, jams and sauces, bakery and confectionary, ice-cream and yoghurt and others.Buy this Report at:The market is segmented based on regions as North America, Latin America, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, Asia Pacific excluding Japan, Middle East and Africa and Japan.Organic Berries market Global Market Trends and Market Drivers:In the current scenario, organic products have a relatively low share compared to its conventional counterparts, but the organic trends have widely picked up and has been on an exponential growth with consumers willing to pay high amounts for organic fruits and organic fruit in the processed products as well. Manufacturers of breakfast cereals and baby food have focused in particular to this organic demand. A positive market growth for organic berries is highly likely due to its large share of usage in these products. Europe and North America are projected to be rapid growing markets for organic berries in terms of both fresh and processed organic berries consumption. Another usage of organic berries in fruit smoothies has led to a boom in demand in the developed countries which has had a positive impact in the market for fruit products and the demand from fast food chains is estimate to be on a continuous growth.Organic Berries Market Key Players:A rise in demand for different flavors and healthy fruits in Europe has shown great potential for market growth and some of the major berries producers and suppliers in the European region have reported major increase in demand from local end-product manufacturers. Some of the key manufacturers of organic berries include; Royal Ridge Fruits, SunOpta, Inc., Rainier Fruit Co., Driscoll's, Inc., Wish Farms Inc., Small Planet Foods, Inc. (General Millls) among others.About UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a market intelligence company, providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of analysts, researchers, and consultants, use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather, and analyze information. Our business offerings represent the latest and the most reliable information indispensable for businesses to sustain a competitive edge.US Office Contact90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:Mar 12, 2018: Potassium Hydrogen Oxalate Market Forecast 2018-2025 Oxaquim, Hefei Asialon Chemicals

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Potassium Hydrogen Oxalate Market Research 2018A market study "Global Potassium Hydrogen Oxalate Market" examines the performance of the Potassium Hydrogen Oxalate market 2018. It encloses an in-depth Research of the Potassium Hydrogen Oxalate market state and the competitive landscape Globally. This report analyzes the potential of Potassium Hydrogen Oxalate market in the present and the future prospects from various angles in detail.The Global Potassium Hydrogen Oxalate Market 2018 report includes Potassium Hydrogen Oxalate market Revenue, market Share, Potassium Hydrogen Oxalate industry volume, market Trends, Potassium Hydrogen Oxalate Growth aspects. A wide range of applications, Utilization ratio, Supply and demand analysis are also consist in the report.It shows manufacturing capacity, Potassium Hydrogen Oxalate Price during the Forecast period from 2018 to 2025.To Get Sample Report Click Here:Manufacturers Analysis and Top Sellers of Global Potassium Hydrogen Oxalate Market 2018 :1. Oxaquim S.A2. Shandong Baofeng Chemicals Group Corp3. Hefei Asialon Chemicals4. Shandong Fengyuan Chemical5. Zhengzhou PMP HuaQing XinPotassium Hydrogen Oxalate Market : By Application Biochemical Research Cleaning(Metal,Wood,etc.)Potassium Hydrogen Oxalate Market : By Type Reagent-grade Industrial GradeFirstly, the report covers the top Potassium Hydrogen Oxalate manufacturing industry players from regions like Global, EU, Japan, and China. It also characterizes the market based on geological regions.Further, the Potassium Hydrogen Oxalate report gives information on the company profile, market share and contact details along with value chain analysis of Potassium Hydrogen Oxalate industry, Potassium Hydrogen Oxalate industry rules and policies, circumstances driving the growth of the market and compulsion blocking the growth. Potassium Hydrogen Oxalate Market development scope and various business strategies are also mentioned in this report.Browse Full Report Here:The Potassium Hydrogen Oxalate research report includes the products that are currently in demand and available in the market along with their cost breakup, manufacturing volume, import/export scheme and contribution to the Potassium Hydrogen Oxalate market revenue worldwide.Finally, Potassium Hydrogen Oxalate market report gives you details about the market research findings and conclusion which helps you to develop profitable market strategies to gain competitive advantage.About US:"QY Research Store" is a leading market intelligence team which accredits and provides the reports of some of the top publishers in the field of technology industry. We are as a firm expertise in making extensive reports that cover all the necessary details about the market assessments such as major technological improvement in the industry.Contact Us5001 Spring Valley Road,Suite 400 East,Dallas, TX 75244, USAWeb:Email: sales@qyresearchstore.comFermented tea Market Trends and Opportunities for the Industry by 2027

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Fermented tea Market Introduction:Fermented tea is often called dark tea which is different from black tea. The process of making this kind of tea involves secondary fermentation process. The fermented tea or the dark tea leaves undergoes aging in the presence of bacteria which changes its aroma, taste and appearance. The process can take months and even years to define a specific class of post fermented tea. Different varieties of tea are popular in the region of production, China produces the most popular of them such as Pu-erh cha, Fu Zhuan cha and Liu An cha. Other producing regions include Japan, Myanmar, Thailand and southern Yunnan. Due to its complex production process the market for post fermented teas is highly valued and can fetch high prices depending on the variety of fermented tea.Download PDF Brochure @Fermented tea Market Segmentation:The global fermented tea market is segmented on the basis of its product type, and region. Based on the product type fermented tea is segmented as: Piled teas, Toyama kurocha and other fermented teas. The piled teas is the Chinese variety of fermented tea, whereas the toyama is the Japanese variety produced by fermentation with naturally occurring fungus under dry conditions. The other fermented teas include varieties from Thailand, Japan and Korea.Fermented tea Market Regional Outlook:The post-fermented is highly popular in the regions of Asia Pacific, specifically China, Japan, Korea and south East Asian countries. The demand for the Asian tea has generally been high in Western Europe as well as in North America. Considering the rise of fitness and health craze among consumers in these region, the sales of different varieties of tea has picked up in the recent past. The benefits pertaining to the use of post fermented tea has attracted many consumers and is gaining traction among consumers through the globe. On the basis of regions, the global fermented tea market is segmented as following key regions; North America, Latin America, Western Europe, Asia Pacific, Japan Middle East and Africa.Buy this Report at:Fermented tea Market Drivers and Trends:In the recent past, due to hectic schedule and changing lifestyle patterns, there is a steady increase in incidence of lifestyle diseases such as diabetes, obesity, and high blood pressure. Thus, consumers are taking preventive measures for reducing effects of lifestyle diseases. Demand for fermented tea is increasing owing to its properties such as high content of anti-oxidants. Marketers calming effects such as higher antioxidants content in a single cup of fermented tea and thus increasing consumer perception towards post-fermented tea. The increasing number of people spending time on activities which do not involve physical actions like; watching TV, working on computer etc. has led to shift towards consumption of healthy food and further pushed the demand as a need for a healthy alternative as a stress reliever. This is where the fermented tea has been trending, consumers inclination towards convenient health products to match the lifestyle has supplemented the growth of fermented tea market.Increasing number of quick service restaurants and cafe owing to demand from millennial population and increasing disposable income has created healthy trends in the eating and drinking heath food outside. Companies are focusing on offering fermented tea in such cafes and restaurants in order to increase value and volume sales. Furthermore the global marketing of weight healthy tea has been widely popularizes in the social media and Internet usage has been increasing at a faster pace. The International Telecommunication Union estimated that almost of half of the world population would be online by the end of this year. Owing to this factor, retailers, manufacturers, or producers have been offerings products online to sell or promote their product and services. As a result, the consumers can, not only easily access these products but, can also gain insights about the products such as source, manufacturer, distributor etc. This is driving a positive growth in the sales of post-fermented tea.Fermented tea Market Key Players:Some of the key players participating in the global fermented tea market includes; Menghai Tea Factory, Liming Tea Factory, Kunming Tea Factory, Buddha Teas among others.About UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a market intelligence company, providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of analysts, researchers, and consultants, use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather, and analyze information. Our business offerings represent the latest and the most reliable information indispensable for businesses to sustain a competitive edge.US Office Contact90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:Mar 12, 2018: Parsley Seed Oil Market Forecast 2018-2025 Berje, Elixens, Albert Vieille, Ernesto Ventos

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Parsley Seed Oil Market Research 2018A market study "Global Parsley Seed Oil Market" examines the performance of the Parsley Seed Oil market 2018. It encloses an in-depth Research of the Parsley Seed Oil market state and the competitive landscape Globally. This report analyzes the potential of Parsley Seed Oil market in the present and the future prospects from various angles in detail.The Global Parsley Seed Oil Market 2018 report includes Parsley Seed Oil market Revenue, market Share, Parsley Seed Oil industry volume, market Trends, Parsley Seed Oil Growth aspects. A wide range of applications, Utilization ratio, Supply and demand analysis are also consist in the report.It shows manufacturing capacity, Parsley Seed Oil Price during the Forecast period from 2018 to 2025.To Get Sample Report Click Here:Manufacturers Analysis and Top Sellers of Global Parsley Seed Oil Market 2018 :1. Albert Vieille2. Berje3. Elixens4. Ernesto Ventos5. Fleurchem6. H.Interdonati7. INDUKERN INTERNACIONAL8. Penta Manufacturing Company9. Robertet Group10. Ultra international11. Treatt Plc12. PerfumersWorld13. Ungerer & CompanyParsley Seed Oil Market : By Application Medical Spa & Relaxation OthersParsley Seed Oil Market : By Type Therapeutic Grade OthersFirstly, the report covers the top Parsley Seed Oil manufacturing industry players from regions like Global, EU, Japan, and China. It also characterizes the market based on geological regions.Further, the Parsley Seed Oil report gives information on the company profile, market share and contact details along with value chain analysis of Parsley Seed Oil industry, Parsley Seed Oil industry rules and policies, circumstances driving the growth of the market and compulsion blocking the growth. Parsley Seed Oil Market development scope and various business strategies are also mentioned in this report.Browse Full Report Here:The Parsley Seed Oil research report includes the products that are currently in demand and available in the market along with their cost breakup, manufacturing volume, import/export scheme and contribution to the Parsley Seed Oil market revenue worldwide.Finally, Parsley Seed Oil market report gives you details about the market research findings and conclusion which helps you to develop profitable market strategies to gain competitive advantage.About US:"QY Research Store" is a leading market intelligence team which accredits and provides the reports of some of the top publishers in the field of technology industry. We are as a firm expertise in making extensive reports that cover all the necessary details about the market assessments such as major technological improvement in the industry.Contact Us5001 Spring Valley Road,Suite 400 East,Dallas, TX 75244, USAWeb:Email: sales@qyresearchstore.comWhitefish Market Driven by Increasing Health Consciousness & Developing Interest for Seafood

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Market Introduction:Whitefish is a commercial fisheries term which is used to denote various edible fish species that possess pure white meat. The whitefish differs from oily fish as it possess oils only in liver while oily fishes also possess oil in gut as well. Whitefish includes various species such as Tilapia, Catfish, Haddock, Cod, Seabass and others which are used in preparing variety of dishes and salads. Asia accounts for approximately 87% of the global production of freshwater whitefish owing to Chinas largest contribution in world production. Owing to increasing awareness of health benefits of fishes and taste developed for whitefishes among individuals across the globe is expected to increase the demand for whitefish over the forecast period. Owing to relatively longer shelf life of whitefish species than that of oily fishes, the whitefish market is expected to expand with relatively high CAGR over the forecast period.Request to view Sample Report:Owing to increasing demand for seafood domestically as well as globally, the producers finds a robust opportunity of growth of whitefish market over the forecast period.Whitefish Market: SegmentationWhitefish market is segmented on the basis of species, product type, sales channel and region.On the basis of species, whitefish market is segmented into Tilapia, Catfish, Haddock, Cod, Seabass and others. Tilapia, Cod and Seabass collectively holds the relatively high share and expected to dominate the market over the forecast period.Whitefish market is segmented on the basis of product type into fresh and processed. The processed segment is further sub-segmented into frozen, canned, smoked and others. The smoked whitefish is exclusively used for salads and dressings.Whitefish market is further segmented on the basis of sales channel into direct sales and retail sales. Retail sales is further sub-segmented into modern trade, convenience stores, specialty outlets, modern grocery stores, online retailing and other retailing formats. Modern trade segment is expected to exhibit relatively high value CAGR over the forecast period.Buy this Report at:Whitefish market: Drivers, Restraints, and TrendsIncreasing health consciousness and developing interest for seafood and whitefish among individuals across the globe is expected to drive the growth of whitefish market across the globe. Whitefish possess multiple vitamins, proteins as well as essential fatty acids, owing to which it is preferred by individuals. Whitefish also possess low content of fat and oils which are mainly concentrated in the liver, hence it is an excellent option for individuals looking for healthy food. Millennial demographic of the world is increasingly inclined towards natural source of proteins and snacks which are clean label, which is a factor driving growth of whitefish market. Increasing use of whitefish in salads, stews etc. is also expected to boost the sales of whitefish over the forecast period. Because of all these factors, people are preferring to consume whitefish, which is driving growth of the whitefish market and this is expected to continue over the forecast period.On the other side, climatic conditions could possibly affect the production of whitefish, hence could be considered as a restraint, impeding the markets trajectory over the forecast period and affecting the growth of whitefish market.Whitefish Market: Regional OutlookOn the basis of region, Whitefish market is segmented into five different regions: North America, Latin America, Europe, Asia Pacific and MEA. Among these regions, Asia-Pacific Whitefish market is expected to dominate with relatively high value and volume share. China holds relatively high value share of whitefish market among the Asia-Pacific as well as global whitefish market. Europe and the U.S. is also expected to have the significant value share of whitefish market, as both of these regions accounts for significant consumption of whitefish. The Latin America whitefish market is expected to grow significantly over the forecast period. The MEA whitefish market is also expected to increase with substantial value CAGR over the forecast period.Whitefish Market: Key PlayersSome of the key players in Whitefish market are Selonda Aquaculture S.A., Amacore B.V., Leroy Seafood, American Seafoods Group, Belardi Food Trading, Vinh hoan, Bien dong seafood, Navico, Hung Vuong Corp, Seafood Denmark, Scanfish Danmark A/s, Marine Foods (NZ) Ltd and others.About UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a market intelligence company, providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of analysts, researchers, and consultants, use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather, and analyze information. Our business offerings represent the latest and the most reliable information indispensable for businesses to sustain a competitive edge.US Office Contact90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:Mar 12, 2018: Mining Equipment Tire Market Forecast 2018-2025 Camso, Aichi, Titan, Continental, Trelleborg

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Mining Equipment Tire Market Research 2018A market study "Global Mining Equipment Tire Market" examines the performance of the Mining Equipment Tire market 2018. It encloses an in-depth Research of the Mining Equipment Tire market state and the competitive landscape Globally. This report analyzes the potential of Mining Equipment Tire market in the present and the future prospects from various angles in detail.The Global Mining Equipment Tire Market 2018 report includes Mining Equipment Tire market Revenue, market Share, Mining Equipment Tire industry volume, market Trends, Mining Equipment Tire Growth aspects. A wide range of applications, Utilization ratio, Supply and demand analysis are also consist in the report.It shows manufacturing capacity, Mining Equipment Tire Price during the Forecast period from 2018 to 2025.To Get Sample Report Click Here:Manufacturers Analysis and Top Sellers of Global Mining Equipment Tire Market 2018 :1. Camso2. Titan3. Continental4. Trelleborg5. Michelin6. Aichi7. Mitas8. Advance9. HankookMining Equipment Tire Market : By Application OEM AftermarketMining Equipment Tire Market : By Type Pneumatic Solid PolyurethaneFirstly, the report covers the top Mining Equipment Tire manufacturing industry players from regions like Global, EU, Japan, and China. It also characterizes the market based on geological regions.Further, the Mining Equipment Tire report gives information on the company profile, market share and contact details along with value chain analysis of Mining Equipment Tire industry, Mining Equipment Tire industry rules and policies, circumstances driving the growth of the market and compulsion blocking the growth. Mining Equipment Tire Market development scope and various business strategies are also mentioned in this report.Browse Full Report Here:The Mining Equipment Tire research report includes the products that are currently in demand and available in the market along with their cost breakup, manufacturing volume, import/export scheme and contribution to the Mining Equipment Tire market revenue worldwide.Finally, Mining Equipment Tire market report gives you details about the market research findings and conclusion which helps you to develop profitable market strategies to gain competitive advantage.About US:"QY Research Store" is a leading market intelligence team which accredits and provides the reports of some of the top publishers in the field of technology industry. We are as a firm expertise in making extensive reports that cover all the necessary details about the market assessments such as major technological improvement in the industry.Contact Us5001 Spring Valley Road,Suite 400 East,Dallas, TX 75244, USAWeb:Email: sales@qyresearchstore.comWestern Blotting Market is Projected to Reach US$ 5.50 Billion By 2022

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New York, March 12, 2018: The Global Western Blotting Market is expected to exceed more than US$ 5.50 Billion by 2022 at a CAGR of 5.5% in the given forecast period.The Global Western Blotting Market is segmented on the lines of its design, type, crop type and regional. Based on product Analysis segmentation it covers Consumables and Instruments. Based on Application Analysis segmentation it covers Biochemical & Biomedical Research, Disease Diagnostics, Agriculture and Other Applications. Based on End-user analysis Academic and Research Institutes, Pharmaceutical and, Biotechnology Companies, Diagnostic Laboratories and Other End Users. The Global Western Blotting Market on geographic segmentation covers various regions such as North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, Middle East and Africa. Each geographic market is further segmented to provide market revenue for select countries such as the U.S., Canada, U.K. Germany, China, Japan, India, Brazil, and GCC countries.You Can Browse Full Report:The major driving factors of Global Western Blotting Market are as follows: Increasing analysis Activities and R&D disbursement By Pharmaceutical and Biotechnology corporations Rising Prevalence of HIV/Aids Growing genetic science Market Growing range of Industry-Academic analysis Collaborations Increasing Demand for customized drugs New Product LaunchesThe restraining factors of Global Western Blotting Market are as follows: Alternative TechnologiesThis report provides:1) An overview of the global market for Global Western Blotting Market and related technologies.2) Analyses of global market trends, with data from 2013, estimates for 2014 and 2015, and projections of compound annual growth rates (CAGRs) through 2022.3) Identifications of new market opportunities and targeted promotional plans for Global Western Blotting Market.4) Discussion of research and development, and the demand for new products and new applications.5) Comprehensive company profiles of major players in the industry.REPORT SCOPE:The scope of the report includes a detailed study of global and regional markets on Global Western Blotting Market with the reasons given for variations in the growth of the industry in certain regions.The report covers detailed competitive outlook including the market share and company profiles of the key participants operating in the global market. Key players profiled in the report include BioTelemetry, Philips, GE Healthcare, Suzuken, Fukuda Denshi, Welch AllynMortara Instrument, EDAN, Spacelabs Healthcare, Mindray Medical, Schiller AG, Innomed and NIHON KOHDEN. Company profile includes assign such as company summary, financial summary, business strategy and planning, SWOT analysis and current developments.The Global Western Blotting Market has been segmented as below:By Product Analysis: Consumables Reagents Kits Other Consumables Instruments Gel Electrophoresis Instruments Blotting SystemsWet Blotting SystemsSemi-Dry Blotting Systems ImagersChemiluminescent ImagersFluorescent ImagersOther ImagersBy Application Analysis: Biochemical & Biomedical Research Disease Diagnostics Agriculture Other ApplicationsBy End User Analysis: Academic and Research Institutes Pharmaceutical and Biotechnology Companies Diagnostic Laboratories Other End UsersBy Regional Analysis: North America Europe Asia-Pacific Rest of the WorldRequest Sample Report:Table of Contents1 INTRODUCTION2 Research Methodology3 Executive Summary4 Premium Insights5 Market Overview6 Global Western Blotting Market, By Product7 Western Blotting Market, By Application8 Western Blotting Market, By End User9 Western Blotting Market, By Region10 Competitive Landscape11 Company Profiles11.1 Introduction11.2 Bio-Rad Laboratories, Inc.11.3 Thermo Fisher Scientific, Inc.11.4 GE Healthcare11.5 Advansta Inc.11.6 Li-Cor Biosciences11.7 Perkinelmer, Inc.11.8 Bio-Techne Corporation11.9 F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd.11.10 Merck Kgaa11.11 Cell Signaling TechnologyAbout MarketResearchEngine.comMarket Research Engine is a global market research and consulting organization. We provide market intelligence in emerging, niche technologies and markets. Our market analysis powered by rigorous methodology and quality metrics provide information and forecasts across emerging markets, emerging technologies and emerging business models. Our deep focus on industry verticals and country reports help our clients to identify opportunities and develop business strategies.Media ContactCompany Name: Market Research EngineContact Person: John BayEmail: john@marketresearchengine.comPhone: +1-855-984-1862Country: United StatesWebsite:Address: 3422 SW 15 Street, Suite #8942, Deerfield Beach, FL 33442, United StatesAutomotive Metal Wheel Market 2017-2022: New Research Reports Offers Market Opportunities and Threats Faced by Key Vendors

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A fresh study, covering Automotive Metal Wheel Market Forecast, Trend Analysis & Competition Tracking: Global Review 2017 to 2022 has been broadcasted to wide online repository of Fact MR, which presents deep focus on the Automotive Market. This smart study contains precise data that offers a clear insight about market current scenario and future projections for the benefit of readers. Moreover, the study enclosed significant data which tends to make the research a powerful source for analysts and industry experts who are looking to gain necessary knowledge about the prevailing market trends, opportunities and drivers present in the Automotive Metal Wheel Market.Request for Sample Report-Increasing demand for vehicles equipped with heavy wheels in cold countries has led to an upsurge in demand for metal wheels in the automotive sector. However, metal wheels are subject to rust and corrosion due to changing weather and need to be replaced before deterioration. Such factors are likely to impact growth of the global market of automotive metal wheel negatively. According to a recently published report by Fact.MR, the global automotive metal wheel market is projected to reflect a sluggish CAGR over the projected period, 2017  2022.Casting to Represent a Leading SegmentSteel wheel is expected to register a relatively high revenue growth in the global automotive wheel market by the end of 2022. This segment is predicted to represent nearly US$ 11,000 Mn in terms of revenue during the predicted period. APEJ is expected to remain the largest market for metal wheel materials globally. Steel wheel is predicted to register the highest CAGR growth among other materials in the global market, followed by aluminum alloy wheel. In terms of revenue, aluminum alloy wheels is expected to reflect the second highest growth in the global automotive metal wheel market by 2022  end.Aftermarket is predicted to register the highest CAGR in the global automotive metal wheels through 2022. In terms of revenue, this segment is expected to reflect the highest growth, and is predicted to represent over US$ 18,000 Mn in 2017. OEM is expected to register the second highest revenue growth in the global automotive metal wheel market.Throughout 2022, luxury passenger car is expected to register the highest CAGR growth in the global automotive metal wheel market, followed by heavy commercial vehicles. Compact passenger car is predicted to reflect the highest revenue growth, and is predicted to represent over US$ 8,500 Mn by the end of 2022. In terms of revenue, mid-sized passenger cars is expected to reflect the second highest growth among other vehicles in the global automotive metal wheel market by 2022  end. Light commercial vehicles and mid-sized passenger cars is expected to register parallel CAGR growth in the global market.In terms of technology, casting is expected to register the highest revenue growth in the global automotive metal wheel market. This segment is expected to represent over US$ 19,000 Mn in the global market in 2017. Further, casting is predicted to register the highest CAGR in the global automotive metal wheel market throughout 2022. Forging among other technologies is predicted to register the second highest revenue growth in the global automotive metal wheel market by the end of 2017.Browse Full Report with TOC-Table of Content:1. Global Automotive Metal Wheel Market - Executive Summary2. Global Automotive Metal Wheel Market Overview2.1. Introduction2.1.1. Global Automotive Metal Wheel Market Taxonomy2.1.2. Global Automotive Metal Wheel Market Definition2.2. Global Automotive Metal Wheel Market Size (US$ Mn) and Forecast, 2012-20222.2.1. Global Automotive Metal Wheel Market Y-o-Y Growth2.3. Global Automotive Metal Wheel Market Dynamics2.3.1. Drivers2.3.2. Restraints2.3.3. Trends3. Global Automotive Metal Wheel Market Analysis and Forecast By Material3.1. Global Automotive Metal Wheel Market Size and Forecast By Material, 2012-20223.1.1. Steel Wheel Automotive Metal Wheel Market Size and Forecast, 2012-20223.1.1.1. Revenue (US$ Mn) Comparison, By Region3.1.1.2. Market Share Comparison, By Region3.1.1.3. Y-o-Y growth Comparison, By Region3.1.2. Aluminium Alloy Wheel Automotive Metal Wheel Market Size and Forecast, 2012-20223.1.2.1. Revenue (US$ Mn) Comparison, By Region3.1.2.2. Market Share Comparison, By Region3.1.2.3. Y-o-Y growth Comparison, By RegionContinued.Request Discount on This Report-About Fact.MRFact.MR is a fast-growing market research firm that offers the most comprehensive suite of syndicated and customized automotive market research reports. We believe transformative intelligence can educate and inspire businesses to make smarter decisions. We know the limitations of the one-size-fits-all approach; that's why we publish multi-industry global, regional, and country-specific research reports.Contact UsFact.MRSuite 988427 Upper Pembroke Street,Dublin 2, IrelandTelephone: +353-1-6111-593Email: sales@factmr.com/Web:Automotive Glazing Market Trends, research, Analysis and projections for 2018-2022

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This report studies Automotive Glazing in Global market, especially in North America, China, Europe, Southeast Asia, Japan and India, with production, revenue, consumption, import and export in these regions, and forecast to 2022.The latest report on the Automotive Glazing industry takes a closer look at the value chain assessment for the forecast period, 2018 to 2022. Along with the detailed analysis of the performance of the prominent market players, the study brings to light their winning strategies. Apart from this, the researchers behind the market intelligence report examine the weaknesses, strengths, opportunities, and restraints expected to shape the progress of the Automotive Glazing market for the forecast period, 2018 to 2022. The market intelligence report includes detailed statistics on market segmentation based on product value, application, classification, and sale.Get 15% Discount on this Report @Scope of the Report:Furthermore, application of Porters Five Forces Analysis to determine the status of various aspects such as the capability of both the suppliers and customers, threats posed by different substitutes, the intensity of competition and promising new vendors makes the study a valuable resource. Extensive analysis of data pertaining to the current as well as emerging trends offers clarity regarding the Automotive Glazing market dynamics. Besides, information on the performance of different companies, profit, gross margin, strategic initiative and more are presented through various resources such as tables, charts, and infographic.Market segment by Application, Automotive Glazing can be split into Front & Rear Windshield Sidelites SunroofMarket segment by Type, Automotive Glazing can be split into Tempered Glass Laminated Glass PolycarbonateBuy This premium Report @This report focuses on the top players in global market, like Pilkington Fuyao Group Asahi Glass Co. Ltd. Central Glass Pittsburgh Glass works LLC Xinyi Glass holdings Limited Covestro A G. Saudi Basic Industries Corporation(SABIC) Webasto Roof Systems Inc. Mitsubishi Engg Plastics Corp. Trinseo S.A. CHI MEI CorporatCompany Guardian Industries Corp. Saint Gobain S.A Nippon Sheet Glass Company Limited (NSG) Corning IncorporatedIn market segmentation by geographical regions, the report has analysed the following regions-North America, China, Europe, Japan, Southeast Asia, IndiaFull Report With TOC:The study further offers a comprehensive assessment of the revenue generated by the various segments across different regions for the forecast period, 2018 to 2025. To help business owners gain a thorough understanding of the current momentum the research taps hard to find data on aspects including but not limited to demand and supply, distribution channel and technology upgrades. Most importantly, evaluation of stringent rules and regulations and government initiatives shaping the progress of the Automotive Glazing industry offers an understanding of what is in store for the business owners in the years to come.The research provides answers to the following key questions: What will be the market size of the Automotive Glazing industry by 2022? What will be the estimated market share over the next few years? What are the key driving forces fueling the growth of the Automotive Glazing industry across different regions? Who are major vendors expected to dominate the market for the forecast period 2018 to 2022? What are the current and emerging trends likely to influence the progress of the industry worldwide? What are the type of opportunities market vendors can rely on to stay competitive over the years?Follow us on LinkedIn:Follow us on Twitter:Follow us on Google Plus:Follow us on Facebook:About UsPlanning to invest in market intelligence products or offerings on the web? Then marketexpertz has just the thing for you - reports from over 500 prominent publishers and updates on our collection daily to empower companies and individuals catch-up with the vital insights on industries operating across different geography, trends, share, size and growth rate. There's more to what we offer to our customers. With marketexpertz you have the choice to tap into the specialized services without any additional charges.Contact Us40 Wall St. 28th floor New York City,NY 10005 United States+1-800-819-3052Study Diabetes Disposable Insulin Pen Industry Trends, Product Type, Formulation, Applications, Major Segments, Top Competitors In Market and Demand Forecast to 2022

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Diabetes Disposable Insulin Pen Market by Country (Germany, United Kingdom, France, Italy, Spain) Analysis, Growth Potential & Demand Forecast 2017  2022 report provides comprehensive understanding and unprecedented access to the Diabetes Disposable Insulin Pen Industry entered by the world leading healthcare companies.Diabetes Disposable Insulin Pen Market is anticipated to surpass US$ 4 Billion across the top 5 European countriesof the France, Germany, Italy, Spain and United Kingdom by 2022.The research report examines the market, demand, competitive landscape and trends of the top 5 European markets of the diabetes disposable insulin pen market. It provides an all-round analysis of overall number of patients with diabetes and insulin users. It offers information on users of insulin pens, specifically focusing on prefilled(disposable) insulin pen users. Annual estimates and forecasts are provided for the period 2017 through 2024. Also, a five-year historic analysis is provided for these markets. The report also explores detailed description of growth drivers and barriers of the diabetes disposable insulin pen market.Request For Sample Report@The report concludes with the profiles of major players in the insulin pen market such as Novo Nordisk, Eli Lilly and Sanofi. The major market players are evaluated on various parameters such as company overview, product outlook and latest development and trends of the diabetes disposable insulin pen market.Top 5 European Countries Covered in the Report Have Studied from 4 Viewpoints:1. Overall Diabetes Population (2011  2022)2. Insulin Users (2011  2022)3. Prefilled (Disposable) Insulin Pen Users (2011  2022)4. Prefilled (Disposable) Insulin Pen Market (2011  2022)Top 5 European Countries Covered in the Report are as follows:1. United Kingdom2. France3. Italy4. Spain5. GermanyKey Companies Covered in the Report are as follows:1. Novo Nordisk2. Eli Lilly and Company3. SanofiEarly Buyer Get 10% Instant Discount@Short Review On TOC Of Report:1. Executive Summary2. Top 5 European Countries Prefilled (Disposable) Insulin Pen Market Analysis & Y-o-Y Growth, 2011 - 20222.1 Prefilled (Disposable) Insulin Pen Users Analysis2.2 Prefilled (Disposable) Insulin Pen Market Analysis3. Top 5 European Countries: Prefilled (Disposable) Insulin Pen Market Share Insights,2011 - 20223.1 Prefilled (Disposable) Insulin Pen Users Share Insights3.2 Prefilled (Disposable) Insulin Pen Market Share Insights4. Prefilled (Disposable) Insulin Pen Market in Top 5 European Countries: Drivers and Restraints4.1 Market Drivers4.2 Market Restraints5. Prefilled (Disposable) Insulin Pen Market in Top 5 European Countries: Geographical Landscape5.1 Germany5.2 France5.3 Italy5.4 Spain5.5 United Kingdom6. Key Companies Analysis6.1 Novo Nordisk6.2 Eli Lilly and Company6.3 SanofiRead More About Report@About Us:Research for Markets indulges in detailed and diligent research on different markets, trends and emerging opportunities in the successive direction to cater to your business needs. We have established the pillars of our flourishing institute on the grounds of Credibility and Reliability. RFM delve into the markets across Asia Pacific, North America, South America, Europe, Middle East and Africa.Our purpose is to serve you, the most customized in-depth Market access data. Our plethora of titles made us one of the most searched market research library across the globe. We work with the most esteemed Publishers around the globe who caters vast industries. We are quick and fragile, when it comes to your various queries, and we ensure our team caters your needs to the best of our abilities, we promise to stay by your side for both pre and post sales servicing, as we believe in long everlasting symbiotic relationship.Contact Us:Mr. Alan NaiduRESEARCH FOR MARKETSEmail: alan.naidu@researchformarkets.comAutomotive Transmission Market - Rising Focus on Achieving Improved Fuel Economy Drives Major Developments in Market

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The global automotive transmission market is largely consolidated in terms of its vendor landscape, partly owing to the presence of very few manufacturers that solely operate in the field and the preference of several leading auto-makers to in-house manufacturing of transmission systems in collaboration with some tier-I companies, observes Transparency Market Research in a recent report. This has led to a scenario wherein other transmission system manufacturers are left with very little scope of expansion. For sustainable returns, companies could benefit from strategic alliances with leading auto-makers. Some of the leading players in the market are Eaton Corporation, Continental AG, Allison Transmission, ZF Friedrichshafen AG, Borg Warner, Magana International Inc., JATCO, and Aisin Seiki.According to the report, the global automotive transmission market was valued at US$30.02 bn in 2016 and is projected to rise to US$53.20 bn by 2025, registering a CAGR of 6.6% from 2017 to 2025.Request Sample Report@In terms of the type of transmission chiefly used in automobiles, namely manual and automatic, the segment of manual transmission is presently the clear leader. Low cost of vehicles with manual transmission, well-established market for manual transmission vehicles, and lack of awareness among consumers regarding the vast benefits of automatic transmission have worked in favor of the manual transmission segment so far.Geographically, the rising uptake of passenger vehicles across emerging economies such as India and China, the market for automotive transmission in Asia Pacific is likely to emerge as the most lucrative one. The market in North America is also expected to exhibit a promising pace of expansion owing to the demand for vehicles with advanced transmission systems.Rising Focus on Achieving Improved Fuel Economy Drives Major Developments in MarketWhile the continuous rise in demand for passenger vehicles across emerging economies forms the central factor driving the steady expansion of the market, a number of factors are also leading to vast changes in the way the market is developing. Factors such as changing preferences of consumers in terms of vehicle performance, the need for improved fuel economy of vehicles, and higher power requirements are pushing automotive companies and transmission system manufacturers to invest more in research and development activities. Moreover, automobile manufacturers are also continuously undertaking research efforts to improve vehicle performance so as to reduce transmission power response time and meet carbon emission norms.Browse Market Research Report @The scenario has resulted in the development of technologically advanced products such as continuous variable transmission (CVTs), 9-speed automatic transmission, and dual shafts gearboxes (DSG). The increased demand for automatic transmission in entry-level vehicles, especially across emerging economies such as India, Brazil, and Mexico owing to the added convenience and comfort offered by automatic transmission, is also working in favor of the market.Lack of Awareness Regarding Benefits of Automatic Transmission Continues Limit GrowthThe market struggles to exploit its full potential across regional markets that feature consumer that lack the awareness regarding the vast benefits of advanced transmission systems and are highly sensitive regarding the cost of advanced vehicles. Several economies with a thriving automotive industry due to the rising disposable incomes and increased uptake of passenger vehicles, such as India, China, Mexico, and Brazil, still showcase the dominance of vehicles boasting manual transmission. While lack of awareness is largely attributable for this scenario, the high cost of vehicles with advanced transmission systems also plays a notable role.About TMRTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a global market intelligence company providing business information reports and services. The companys exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trend analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of analysts, researchers, and consultants use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather and analyze information.Contact TMR90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:Photocatalyst Market- Size, Share, Growth, Trends and Forecast 2018 - 2022

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To understand the Photocatalyst Industry Status worldwide, MarketExpertz has included the latest Forecast report titled Global Photocatalyst Market Research Report 2018 to its vast database.The latest market analysis report on the Photocatalyst market performs industry diagnostic as a way to accumulate valuable data into the business environment of the Photocatalyst market for the forecast period 2018 - 2022.Get 15% discount On This Report@The subject matter experts behind the research have collected vital statistics on the market share, size and growth as a way to help stakeholders, business owners and field marketing personnel identify the areas to reduce costs, improve sales, explore new opportunities and streamline their processes. Unbiased perspective on intangible aspects such as key challenges, threats, new entrants as well as strengths and weaknesses of the prominent vendors too are discussed in this market intelligence report.Scope of the Report:To offer granularity, the study accurately screens through and validates various information pertaining to this business vertical including the important definitions, product types, and application. The research further looks into other critical factors such as investment feasibility, estimated return on investment, supply chain management, consumption power, product pricing and import and export status to enable business owners to reach the right conclusion for successful returns. Data on core competencies to the prominent market players and market opportunities are presented through self explanatory charts, tables and graphic images.Photocatalyst Market segmentation by manufacturers, the report covers the following companies- TOTO Corporation (TOTO LTD.) JSR Corporation Showa Denko K.K. Ishihara Sangyo Kaisha, Ltd. BASF SE Kronos Worldwide, Inc. Green Millennium CRISTAL TiPE Nanoptek Corp. Osaka Titanium Technologies Co., Ltd.Market Analysis by Type: Titanium Dioxide Zinc Oxide OthersMarket Analysis by Applications Air Purification Water Purification Self-cleaning OthersIn market segmentation by geographical regions:North America, China, Europe, Japan, Southeast Asia, IndiaBuy This Premium Report@A thorough diligence and probe into market segmentation, customer preference, production capability and gross margin are discussed with the aim to ensure business owners are positioned to successes. The study considers, in particular, the impact of technology innovation, recent collaborations and product launches for the forecast period of 2018 - 2022. Assessment of various factors on a targets ability to meet the forecast results forms the basis of evaluation of this market intelligence report on Photocatalyst market.The research provides answers to the following key questions: What is estimated growth rate and market size of the Photocatalyst industry for the forecast period 2018 - 2022? What are major driving factors impacting the Photocatalyst market worldwide? How have prominent market leaders been able to maintain a competitive edge over their competitors? Which market trends from the yesteryears and the future are likely to keep the prospect of the Photocatalyst market high for the forecast period 2018  2022? Which factors will pose challenges and restrict the growth of the market across different regions? Which opportunities are the major vendors operating in the Photocatalyst market banking on for the years to come?Full Report @Follow us on LinkedIn:Follow us on Twitter:Follow us on Google Plus:Follow us on Facebook:About UsPlanning to invest in market intelligence products or offerings on the web? Then marketexpertz has just the thing for you - reports from over 500 prominent publishers and updates on our collection daily to empower companies and individuals catch-up with the vital insights on industries operating across different geography, trends, share, size and growth rate. There's more to what we offer to our customers. With marketexpertz you have the choice to tap into the specialized services without any additional charges.Contact Us40 Wall St. 28th floor New York City,NY 10005 United States+1-800-819-3052Hemangioma Market 2018  Size, Share, Trends; Major Players: are Akrimax Pharmaceuticals, Novartis AG, Pfizer Inc. and other

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The Hemangioma Market is growing mainly due to the rising cases of hemangioma. According to a recent study report published by the Market Research Future, The hemangioma market is booming and expected to gain prominence over the forecast period. The market is forecasted to demonstrate a spectacular growth by 2023, surpassing its previous growth records in terms of value with a striking CAGR during the anticipated period (2017  2023).Hemangioma is the birthmark or benign tumors of infancy that occurs due to an abnormal collection of blood vessels. This occurs in 5-10% of infants worldwide. Hepatic hemangiomas are mesenchymal, and usually are solitary. Hemangioma affect internal organs such as the liver, other parts of the gastrointestinal system, the brain, or organs of the respiratory system. The treatment options of hemangiomas include corticosteroid medication, beta-blockers, laser treatment, medicated gel, and surgery.Hepatic hemangiomas are more common in females than males, and they can be seen in any age group, but mostly diagnosed in between the age of 30 to 50 years i.e. 60 % to 80%.Notably, rising prevalence of hemangioma, and other related complications, and rising healthcare expenditure in developed countries are the key drivers promoting the growth of the market. According to a report suggested by the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, in the year 2016, the U.S. health care expenditure had increased by 4.3% i.e., USD 3.3 trillion, and USD 10,348 per person. Out of this amount, 32% share was of hospital care, 20% for physician and clinical services, 10% for prescription drugs, 3% for other professional services, 4% for dental services, 2% for durable medical equipment, and others.The great economic development has also been observed in Asia Pacific region. According to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, during 201516, the total health expenditure was USD 170.4 billion, which is 3.6% higher than expenditure of 201415.Other push factors such as, rising research funding, growing rates of early detection and awareness, and reimbursements and growing health insurance are also fuelling the growth of the market.Despite these drivers, poor efficacy, cure rates and side effects of present treatment, and high cost of laser treatment are expected to decline the market growth. High cost of the laser systems is followed by high procedural cost. According to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons in 2016, the estimated physician fee for laser skin resurfacing is about USD 3,361.Hemangioma Market - Competitive AnalysisAngiodynamics, Inc. (U.S.), Biolase Inc. (U.S.), Valeant (Canada), IRIDEX Corp. (U.S.), Cutera (U.S.), Coherent, Inc. (U.S.), Alma Lasers (Israel), Allergan Plc (Ireland), Bayer (Germany), Akrimax Pharmaceuticals, LLC. (US), AstraZeneca (UK), Cutting Edge Laser Technologies (US), Linline Medical Systems (France), Novartis AG (Switzerland), Pfizer Inc. (US), Pierre Fabre (France) Quanta System S.p.A. (Italy), are some of the prominent players at the forefront of competition in the hemangioma market and are profiled in MRFR Analysis.The hemangioma market is currently dominated by various players. Hemangioma are the most common benign mesenchymal tumors of the liver. They are lined by endothelial cells with a thin fibrous stroma. Owing to the rising cases of hemangioma various existing and new marketers are continuously coming up with innovative products to control this condition. For instance, Pierre Fabre S.A., a France based company, designs, develops, produces, and markets pharmaceutical products for customers in France and internationally. The company offer drugs for various treatment fields, such as diabetes, cardiology, urology, gynecology, neuropsychitry, pneumo-allergology, and rheumatology, as well as dermatology, and onco-hematology/oncology to health care professionals and their patients. On March 17, 2014, Pierre Fabre Pharmaceuticals, Inc. received FDA approval for hemangeol (propranolol hydrochloride) oral solution for the treatment of infantile hemangiomas requiring systemic therapy.Try Sample Report Here @Pfizer is another US based renowned bio pharmaceutical organization. In July 2016, Pfizer and Western Oncolytics announce immuno-oncology research collaboration. This collaboration has the aim to investigate novel oncolytic virus technology. Under terms of agreement, Pfizer and Western Oncolytics will collaborate on preclinical, clinical development of WO-12 through Phase I trials. Financial terms of agreement are not disclosed.Valeant is another multinational, specialty pharmaceutical and medical device company. Valeant develops, manufactures, and markets a broad range of branded, generic and branded generic pharmaceuticals, over-the-counter (OTC) products, and medical devices which are marketed directly or indirectly in more than 100 countries. In 2015, The Company acquired Amoun, one of the largest domestic company in the Egyptian pharmaceutical market.Key Players for Global Hemangioma Market:Some of the key players in this market are: Akrimax Pharmaceuticals, LLC. (US), AstraZeneca (UK), Cutting Edge Laser Technologies (US), Linline Medical Systems (France), Novartis AG (Switzerland), Pfizer Inc. (US), Pierre Fabre (US) Quanta System S.p.A. (Italy), and others.Segments: Global Hemangioma Market has been segmented on the basis of type which Capillary hemangioma, Cavernous hemangioma (Cerebral cavernous malformations, Liver cavernous hemangioma, Eye cavernous hemangioma), Compound hemangioma, Lobular capillary hemangioma (pyogenic granuloma), and others. Cavernous hemangioma is further sub-segmented into cerebral cavernous malformations, liver cavernous hemangioma, and Eye cavernous hemangioma.On the basis of diagnosis, it is segmented into Ultrasound, MRI, CT scan, and others.On the basis of treatment, the market is segmented into medical therapy, laser therapy, surgery, and others. Medical therapy is further sub-segmented into systemic, intralesional and topical. Laser therapy is sub-segmented into Flash lamp pulsed dye laser, intralesional laser, carbon dioxide laser.Regional Analysis of Global Hemangioma Market:Considering the global scenario of the market, due to continuous innovation and rapid adoption of new drugs and therapies, North America is holding largest market for Hemangioma. In North America region, US attributes largest market share. European market is second largest, and especially the growth rate is higher in west European countries. On the other hand, developing healthcare infrastructure, and increasing healthcare spending, the Asia-Pacific (APAC) is fastest growing market for Hemangioma and expected to grow significantly during the forecast period. Middle East and Africa (ME&A) is likely to have a limited growth in the market due to less awareness of treatment and products.Get Discount on Report @About Market Research Future:At Market Research Future (MRFR), we enable our customers to unravel the complexity of various industries through our Cooked Research Report (CRR), Half-Cooked Research Reports (HCRR), Raw Research Reports (3R), Continuous-Feed Research (CFR), and Market Research & Consulting Services.In order to stay updated with technology and work process of the industry, MRFR often plans & conducts meet with the industry experts and industrial visits for its research analyst members.Contact:Market Research FutureOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersMagarpatta Road, Hadapsar,Pune  411028Maharashtra, India+1 646 845 9312Email: salesteam@marketresearchfuture.comIQF Vegetable Market will Register a CAGR of 4.5% through 2026

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The commercial advantage of keeping individually quick frozen (IQF) vegetables in stock continues to drive their demand among retailers, grocery stores and independent vegetable & fruit vendors from around the world. The global demand for IQF vegetable is expected to rise on the account for their longer shelf lives, speedy processing of foods, and robust supply chain. Future Market Insights projects that such factors will instrument a steady growth in global consumption of IQF vegetables. By the end of 2026, more than 25 thousand tonnes of IQF vegetables will be sold across the globe, bringing in revenues worth over US$ 2,000 Mn.Request For Report Sample:Future Market Insights report, titled IQF Vegetable Market: Global Industry Analysis and Opportunity Assessment, 2016-2026, estimates that the global market for IQF vegetables is presently valued over US$ 1,288.3 Mn, recording global sales of a little over 16,900 tonnes of IQF vegetable in the world. However, in terms of volume and value, the global IQF vegetable market is expected to showcase a moderate growth over the forecast period. Registering a value CAGR of 4.5% and a volume CAGR of just over 4%, the global demand for IQF vegetable is expected to be inhibited byincreasing risk of consuming Listeria monocytogene bacteria through IQF vegetable,strict regulations that forbid the use of IQF vegetable due to rising occurrence of bacteria and viruses, andfluctuating prices & availability of raw materialsThe report also reveals that out of prominently-consumed IQF vegetables in the world, IQF potatoes, tomatoes and broccoli & cauliflower will remain in great demand. Although, peas are expected to be observed as top-selling vegetable in the global market, registering fastest revenue growth at 5.8% CAGR.Over 70% of global IQF vegetable revenues are anticipated to be accounted by food applications. During the forecast period, the demand for IQF vegetable in food production is expected to gain traction. Towards the end of 2026, close to 60% of global IQF vegetable revenues accounted by food applications will be accounted by cooking food applications. Among the beverage applications of IQF vegetables, juices are expected to dominate global revenues by the end of 2026.Global IQF Vegetable Market: Regional InsightsLarge population coupled with preference towards frozen food and high disposable income contributed to a large share of U.S. in IQF vegetable market. Around 71% of vegetables sold in U.S. are in frozen form due to knowledge of frozen food and high income of individuals in the country. Many developing countries such as India and Russia are following the footsteps of U.S. and people living in these countries started preferring frozen vegetables. Since a large portion of population in India and Russia can afford locally-produced IQF Vegetable, the market will foresee a rise in demand.Key findings in the report currently indicate Western Europe as the largest market for IQF vegetable in the world. However, the region will witness a marginal decline in its market share towards the end of 2026. North Americas IQF vegetable market is also expected to show a sluggish revenue growth at 2.2% CAGR. Latin America and the Asia-Pacific excluding Japan (APEJ) region, on the other hand, are projected to remain fast-growing IQF vegetable markets, depicting an impressive value CAGR of over 7%. The most lucrative region for growth of IQF vegetable will be Middle East & Africa (MEA), revenues from which are slated to soar at 8.7% CAGR.Global IQF Vegetable Market: Vendor InsightsCapricorn Food Products India Ltd. is trying to increase the production of IQF vegetables from their existing facilities located in IndiaConAgra Foods Inc. is continuously buying small scale IQF vegetable manufacturers of China to increase the supply and reduce the pricesRequest For Report Table of Content (TOC):In 2015, Dole Food Co. and Pinnacle Foods Inc. imposed a collective company share of nearly 25% on global IQF vegetable marketOther key players of global IQF vegetable market include B&G Foods Holdings Corp., Greenyard NV, J.R. Simplot Co., Kerry Group Plc., SunOpta Inc., and Uren Food Group Limited.You can now buy a single user license of the report :ABOUT US:Future Market Insights (FMI) is a leading market intelligence and consulting firm. We deliver syndicated research reports, custom research reports and consulting services, which are personalized in nature. FMI delivers a complete packaged solution, which combines current market intelligence, statistical anecdotes, technology inputs, valuable growth insights, an aerial view of the competitive framework, and future market trends.Contact Us:Future Market Insights616 Corporate Way,Suite 2-9018,Valley Cottage,New York 10989,United StatesTel: +1-347-918-3531Fax: +1-845-579-5705Email: sales@futuremarketinsights.comWebsite:Acai Berry Market Estimated to Exhibit 12.6% CAGR through 2026

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Nowadays, consumers are becoming more aware about the benefits of acai berry, particularly to the use of acai berry products in production of organic cosmetics. Gradually yet resolutely, consumers are getting accustomed to the fact that acai berry promotes healthier skin with youthful-look and elasticity. Acai berry products are rich in vitamin A, C and E, and help in regeneration of the skin. In addition to this, acai berry has numerous skin benefits, owing to which they are used in various products such anti-aging creams. Future Market Insights latest report projects that increasing usage of acai berry in organic cosmetics products will play an instrumental role in boosting global acai berry sales in the future.Request For Report Sample:The report, titled Acai Berry Market: Global Industry Analysis & Opportunity Assessment, 2016-2026, estimates that in 2016, more than 300,000 tonnes of acai berry products were sold across the world. Future Market Insights anticipates an impressive rise in global consumption of acai berry products, and expects the global sales to surpass 1 million tonnes by the end of 2026. During this forecast period, the global market for acai berry will reflect a volume CAGR of 12.5%. In terms of value, the global acai berry market has been estimated to be valued at US$ 696 Mn in 2016, and is expected to reach US$ 2,285.7 Mn towards the end of 2026, exhibiting a CAGR of 12.6%.In addition to the rising use of acai berry in production of organic cosmetics, the report also observes that robust nutritional content of acai berry products have helped them to gain applicability in production of protein drinks and other beverages. Likewise, sales of acai berry increased over past three years due to the positive perception towards super-food, which consists enormous amount of nutritional content. The report predicts that in the years to come, the demand for acai berry pulp will be considerably higher than dried acai berries. Higher nutritional content of acai berry pulp will help it procure more than 80% of global acai berry sales throughout the forecast period.Increasing demand for All Natural preserving for frozen fruits, coupled with rising preference for acai with guarana (in Latin America) has also propelled the application of acai berry. In 2017 and beyond, acai berry products will be largely used for food & beverage applications, revenues from which are expected to surge at 13% CAGR. Application of acai berry in production of nutraceuticals is also expected to gain traction, showcasing an absolute $ opportunity of close of US$ 137 Mn between 2016 and 2026.Request For Report Table of Content (TOC):According to the report, the largest market for acai berry is expected to be Latin America. With more than 55% share, Latin America will dominate the global acai berry sales towards the end of forecast period. Brazil-based Acai Frooty is among the key players in the global acai berry market. South Africas Phyto Nutraceuticals Inc. is also observed as prominent manufacturer of acai berry products, while US-based companies such as Sambazon, Inc., Acai Roots, Inc., Nativo Acai, Acai Exotic LLC., Jamaba Juice, Inc., Sunfood, Naked Juice Company and The Coca-Cola Company are also profiled in the report as active participants of global acai berry market. Owing to the dense presence of US-based acai berry manufacturers in global market, North America is also expected to be at the forefront, registering rampant growth at 12.8% CAGR.You can now buy a single user license of the report :ABOUT US:Future Market Insights (FMI) is a leading market intelligence and consulting firm. We deliver syndicated research reports, custom research reports and consulting services, which are personalized in nature. FMI delivers a complete packaged solution, which combines current market intelligence, statistical anecdotes, technology inputs, valuable growth insights, an aerial view of the competitive framework, and future market trends.Contact Us:Future Market Insights616 Corporate Way,Suite 2-9018,Valley Cottage,New York 10989,United StatesTel: +1-347-918-3531Fax: +1-845-579-5705Email: sales@futuremarketinsights.comWebsite:Dental Prosthetics Market 2018 to 2022 by Global Service Provider Leaders: Carl Zeiss, Inc. (Germany), LaserSight Technologies, Inc (U.S.), Nidek Inc and More

Dental Prosthetics Market

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Worldwide Dental Prosthetics Market Overview:The International Dental Prosthetics Market report has been segmented on the basis of type which comprises of denture, crown, bridges, veneer, abutment, inlays. On the basis of type of material it is segmented into Porcelain-fused-to-metal (PFM), Metal, All ceramic, and others. On the basis of End User it is segmented into Dental Hospitals & Clinics Market, Dental Research Laboratories.The Global Dental Prosthetics Market is poised to have a steady growth in upcoming years. CAGR wise, the market is expected to develop at the rate of above 5.3% from 2018 to 2022. It is estimated to earn more than USD 5657.2 million by 2022. The Global Dental Prosthetics Market has been evaluated as moderately growing market and it is expected that the market will continue to grow similarly in the near future. Dentistry is one of the oldest medical professions and it became more defined and professional after 1700s. Dental prosthetics is also known as prosthodontics.Global Dental Prosthetics Market Players:There are plenty of large and small market players which operate in this market all over the globe. Henry Schein, Inc. (US), DENTSPLY Sirona (US), 3M (US), Institut Straumann AG (Switzerland), Zimmer Biomet (US), Nobel Biocare (Part of Danaher corporation) (US), Ivoclar Vivadent AG (Liechtenstein), Osstem Prosthetics (South Korea), Planmeca OY (Finland), CAMLOG Biotechnologies AG (Switzerland)Get Exclusive Sample Copy @Dental prosthetics are used for replacement of missing or damaged teeth. Growing overall population and increasing demand for dental care treatments are leading the growth for the dental prosthetics market. Rapidly increasing aging population is another important driver for the dental prosthetics market, because after certain age, elderly people may face some dental problems and it is necessary to take some dental treatments. Increasing consumer awareness is major driver for the growth of the market. Cosmetic dentistry is one of the niche sub segment of dentistry and is growing rapidly. Consumers are becoming more conscious about oral health and appearance for which they are opting for cosmetic dentistry. Dental prosthetics manufacturers are spending huge money on R&D to develop new and innovative product for the market which is causing competition among the companies. Growing dental tourism is a key factor for the growth of the market.Increasing per capita income, increasing expenditure, and growing middle class population are driving the growth for the dental prosthetics market. Hospitals are also providing advance facilities to the patients which are helping them to attract more number of patients. Dental Prosthetics Market was around US$ 3882.4 million in 2016 and it is expected to reach US$ 5659.4 million by 2023 at a CAGR of 5.5% during the forecast period.Worldwide Dental Prosthetics Market Regional Analysis:Considering the global scenario of the market, North America region is believed to be the largest market for Dental Prosthetics. Moreover the European market is also growing and second largest market for Dental Prosthetics. On the other hand, Asia-Pacific market is expected to grow at fast rate in the market of Dental Prosthetics during the forecasted period. Middle East and Africa is likely to have a limited but steady growth in the market.Dental Prosthetics Market Key Findings:The Dental Prosthetics global market is expected to reach $ 5659.4 million by 2023.Dental bridges segment holds the largest share of the market.North America holds the largest market share of around 38.4% of global dental prosthetics market.Globally, Asia-Pacific are expected to be fastest growing region and are anticipated to grow at the rate of ~6.3% during the forecast period.Top 5 Reasons to Get this Report:Company profiling with detailed strategies, financials, and recent development activitiesMarket Strategic Business Influence DataMarket Research Future recommendations in key business segments based on the market estimationsMarket share analysis of the top industry playersMarket forecasts for a minimum of 5 years of all the mentioned segments, Trends and the regional markets With SWOT AnalysisGet Discount @Major TOC Dental Prosthetics Market Research Report - Global Forecast To 2023:1 INTRODUCTION1.1 Definition1.2 Scope Of Study1.3 Research Objective1.4 Assumptions & Limitations1.4.1 Assumptions1.4.2 Limitations2 RESEARCH METHODOLOGIES2.1 Research Process2.2 Primary Research2.3 Secondary Research3 MARKET DYNAMICS3.1 Introduction3.2 Growth Drivers3.2.1 Increasing Number Of Dental Care3.2.2 Increasing Per Capita Income In Emerging Markets3.2.3 Rising Dental Tourism3.2.4 Increasing Cosmetic Dentistry Treatments3.3 Restraint3.3.1 Cost Of Dental Procedures3.3.2 Grey Market Of Dental Prosthetics3.3.3 Slow Adoption Of New Technology3.4 Opportunities3.5 Macroeconomic IndicatorsAsk Questions to Expertise @About US:Market Research Future (MRFR), enable customers to unravel the complexity of various industries through Cooked Research Report (CRR), Half-Cooked Research Reports (HCRR), Raw Research Reports (3R), Continuous-Feed Research (CFR), and Market Research & Consulting Services.Contact Us:Market Research FutureOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersMagarpatta Road, Hadapsar,Pune - 411028Maharashtra, IndiaPhone: +1 646 845 9312Email: sales@marketresearchfuture.comLASIK Eye Surgery Market 2018 to 2022 by Global Service Provider Leaders: Carl Zeiss, Inc. (Germany), LaserSight Technologies, Inc (U.S.), Nidek Inc. (Japan), Alcon Laboratories Inc. (U.S.) and Others

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Worldwide LASIK Eye Surgery Market Division:The global LASIK eye surgery industry is divided into four portions end users, vision errors, types & geographies. On the basis of end users, the market is segmented into eye care clinics, LASIK centers & hospitals. The vision errors section comprises of astigmatism, myopia & hyperopia. Astigmatism is further bifurcated into mixed astigmatism & hyperopic astigmatism. The myopia segment is separated into degenerative, acquired, psuedomyopia & nocturnal. On account of types the market is fragmented into all laser, wave front boosted, topography-guided & wave front guided.Global LASIK Eye Surgery Market Synopsis:The Worldwide LASIK eye surgery market is expected to improve massively over the projection period of 2018-2022. Experts believe that the market will grow at a CAGR of around 5.9%. At present this industry is valued at a staggering USD 1.4 billion and is projected for growth in near future.The high growth rate of this market can be attributed to a number of drivers. The rising figures of people getting affected with eye diseases are a major growth factor amongst others. If reports are to be trusted, it is said that above 284.6 million people across the globe suffer from optical disorders. These people get eye diseases due to constant computer exposure, atmosphere changes & modern lifestyle.Get Exclusive Sample Copy @Regionally the market for LASIK eye surgery spans across many countries. Some of the major ones include America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Middle East & Africa & Rest of the World. Amongst these, Americas is at the forefront in terms of market share. It is because of heightened use of technology, higher number of eye-disease sufferers & better healthcare set ups. After this region, Europe is second in command. Furthermore, the Asia Pacific region is also expected to grow steadily in the coming years.LASIK Eye Surgery Market Segmentations:The global LASIK Eye Surgery market is segmented on the basis of types, vision error and end user.On the basis of the type, it is segmented into the wavefront optimized, wavefront-guided, topography guided, all laser.On the basis of the vision error, it is segmented into myopia, hyperopia, astigmatism, and others. Furthermore, myopia is sub-segmented as simple, induced or acquired, pseudomyopia, nocturnal, degenerative, and others. Hyperopia is also sub-segmented into physiologic hyperopia, pathologic hyperopia, and others. Astigmatism is sub-segmented into myopic astigmatism, hyperopic astigmatism, mixed astigmatism, and others.On the basis of the end user, it is segmented into hospitals, eye care clinic, LASIK centers, and others.LASIK Eye Surgery Market Regional Analysis:The Americas dominate the Global LASIK Eye Surgery Market owing to well-developed technology, increasing population affected with vision problem, high healthcare spending, and increasing government support for research & development. Furthermore, increased R&D activities and the concentration of major companies in this region have fuelled the growth of the market. Major players in this market have their focus to capture a huge share of the emerging markets such as India and China.Europe holds the second position in the global LASIK Eye Surgery market owing to the government support for research & development and availability of funds for research. This is expected to continuously drive the European market over the forecasted period. For instance, countries like Germany and France are increasing their investments in the healthcare domain.Asia Pacific is the fastest growing LASIK Eye Surgery Industry owing to the presence of rapidly developing healthcare technology, huge patient population, and high healthcare expenditure. Moreover, increasing demand for new treatment methods in countries like India and China is likely to emerge as the fastest growing market across the globe.On the other hand, in the Middle East and Africa, hold the least share of global market owing to limited ignorance of diseases, and poor access to treatment.Major TOC LASIK Eye Surgery Market:1. Report Prologue2. Market Introduction2.1 Definition2.2 Scope of the Study2.2.1 Research Objective2.2.2 Assumptions2.2.3 Limitations3. Research Methodology3.1 Introduction3.2 Primary Research3.3 Secondary research3.4 Market Size Estimation4. Market Dynamics4.1 Drivers4.2 Restrains4.3 OpportunitiesAsk Questions to Expertise @About US:Market Research Future (MRFR), enable customers to unravel the complexity of various industries through Cooked Research Report (CRR), Half-Cooked Research Reports (HCRR), Raw Research Reports (3R), Continuous-Feed Research (CFR), and Market Research & Consulting Services.Contact Us:Market Research FutureOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersMagarpatta Road, Hadapsar,Pune - 411028Maharashtra, IndiaPhone: +1 646 845 9312Email: sales@marketresearchfuture.comExpansion of Automotive Aftermarket Poised to Reflect a CAGR of 9.6% for 2016 - 2026 Period

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In Future Market Insights market report titled, Automotive Aftermarket: ASEAN Industry Analysis and Opportunity Assessment, 2016-2026, poor road infrastructure and extended vehicle life have been identified as profitable factors for the growth of the automotive aftermarket in ASEAN. On account of growing out-of-warranty car parc, the US$ 19.3 Bn ASEAN automotive aftermarket is predicted to surpass US$ 48 Bn in revenues by 2026 end, increasing at a healthy CAGR of 9.6% through 2026.Key Trends Impacting the ASEAN Automotive AftermarketGrowing popularity of new, lightweight vehicle modelsAdvances in OEM technology and OEM globalisationRequest For Report Sample@Adoption of remote vehicle diagnostic systems, growing awareness about self-inflating tyres, and widespread acceptance of electric vehicle technologyOnline sales of automotive parts and accessoriesEstablishment of franchises in emerging countries, especially those where vehicle parc is steadily gaining tractionSegmentation Highlights: Tyres Will Remain Highest Selling Parts; Indonesia to Remain the Largest MarketBy type, tyres will continue to account for the largest revenue share. In the accessories segment, the interior accessories segment  which includes steering wheels, seat covers, seat belts, liners, floor mats, liners, gauges, dash boards, and shift knobs  will reportedly hold a major share of over 66%, crossing a value of US$ 9.0 Bn by 2026 end.By service, general automotive repair is estimated at over 86% value share during the forecast period, maintaining dominance over automotive transmission repairs. By vehicle type, passenger cars will continue to attract higher revenues compared to commercial vehicles. Indonesia will remain the largest market accounting for 35% revenue share of the market in 2026. Thailand and Malaysia, the other key markets will collectively account for over 50% revenue share of the market.Fundamental Shift in Consumer Preference and Drivers Choice Will Impact the MarketWith driverless car technology and dashboard pyro techniques steadily gaining traction, consumers are likely to have more aftermarket channels to shop. Consumer behaviour is expected to shift from a conventional way of buying vehicle parts, accessing repair services, and selecting accessories. Moreover, evolving driver preferences also reflect a new set of revenue generation opportunities for automakers, auto part suppliers, repair shops, and accessory retailers. Consumers are increasingly becoming aware of the latest launched products and thus, will access a plethora of aftermarket product offerings to cater to their comfort, aesthetics, and infotainment-related requirements.Request For Report Table of Content (TOC):Key Players Focussing on Boosting Expansion CapacityThe key players highlighted in the ASEAN automotive aftermarket include Denso Corporation, Hella KGaA Hueck & Co., Continental AG, Delphi Automotive PLC, ACDelco, Faurecia SA, Magneti Marelli SpA, Robert Bosch GmbH, Aisin Seiki Co., Ltd., and Bridgestone Corporation. Bridgestone, one of the top companies, announced expansion of its international manufacturing capabilities in Germany this year. Post-acquisition of Speedy France, the company also launched a new manufacturing plant based in Indonesia. Continental AG also opened its new production plants in India and China this year.ABOUT US:Future Market Insights (FMI) is a leading market intelligence and consulting firm. We deliver syndicated research reports, custom research reports and consulting services, which are personalized in nature. FMI delivers a complete packaged solution, which combines current market intelligence, statistical anecdotes, technology inputs, valuable growth insights, an aerial view of the competitive framework, and future market trends.CONTACT:Future Market Insights616 Corporate Way, Suite 2-9018,Valley Cottage, NY 10989,United StatesT: +1-347-918-3531F: +1-845-579-5705Email: sales@futuremarketinsights.comWebsite:Global Pneumatic Components Market 2018 - SMC, Festo, CKD, EASUN, JELPC

Global Pneumatic Components Market

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Apex Market Reports, recently published a detailed market research study focused on the Pneumatic Components Market across the global, regional and country level. The report provides 360 analysis of Pneumatic Components Market from view of manufacturers, regions, product types and end industries. The research report analyses and provides the historical data along with current performance of the global PP Pipe industry, and estimates the future trend of Pneumatic Components on the basis of this detailed study. The study shares Pneumatic Components performance both in terms of volume and revenue.The market research report explores the Pneumatic Components Market across the globe along with major regions and countries. The research report provides a detailed study on each and every aspect of Pneumatic Components Market. The research report studies the entire value chain from raw material to end user industries. The report also shares import/export statistics along with production and consumption for all major regions and countries. Moreover, the research study classifies the Pneumatic Components Market based on major product types, application and end users industries of Pneumatic Components. Besides, the report also covers geographical segmentation for Pneumatic Components Market. The report further provides production, capacity, price per region, gross margin, production cost, for all major regions and countries listed in report.Get Free Sample Copy of Report Here:Top Manufacturers Analysis of This ReportSMCFestoParkerNorgrenBosch RexrothCamozziCKDAirTACEASUNFangdaWuxi HuatongJELPCDongshengCNSNSYaguangThe competitive landscape of the global market for Pneumatic Components is determined by assessing the major industry participants, production capacity, production capacity utilization rate, Pneumatic Components Markets production chain, pricing by each manufacturer and the revenue generated by each manufacturer in the Pneumatic Components Market globally.Inquire Before Buying @The Global Pneumatic Components Market 2018 is further analyzed on the basis of product pricing, Pneumatic Components production volume, data pertaining to demand and Pneumatic Components supply, and the revenue garnered by the product. The report provides upstream and downstream analysis covering major raw material used in manufacturing of Pneumatic Components along with detailed manufacturing sources. The report also shares list of major raw material manufacturers along with their manufacturing locations. Detailed raw material price trend analysis along with manufacturing cost analysis is also incorporated into the report. Various methodical tools such as investment returns, feasibility, SWOT analysis and market attractiveness analysis has been implemented in the research study to present a comprehensive, detailed study of the industry for Pneumatic Components across the world.About UsApex Market Reports offers elevating market research globally. We have collection of various syndicated reports of different categories. Apex Market Reports provides you to best services, weather youre searching for new trends in market or competitive scenario in emerging market.Customers can buys different reports across various categories such as Chemical and Material, Biotechnology, Healthcare, Food and beverages, Automobile and various sectors. Our Website offers safe and secure online ordering experience, convenient payment options.Contact UsFrank ValadezCorporate Sales Specialist155 North Wacker Drive, Suite 4250Chicago, IL 60606Phone: +17739042683Email id - sales@apexmarketreports.comWebsite -South Africa Country Intelligence Report 2018

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Summary:South Africa Country Intelligence Market report provides in-depth Industry by shading light on all major factors like Key Players, Demand for Products, End User & Applications, Future Growth & Forecast.Description:"South Africa: Country Intelligence Report", a new Country Intelligence Report by GlobalData, provides an executive-level overview of the telecommunications market in South Africa today, with detailed forecasts of key indicators up to 2022. The report provides detailed analysis of the near-term opportunities, competitive dynamics and evolution of demand by service type and technology/platform across the fixed telephony, broadband, mobile and pay-TV segments, as well as a review of key regulatory trends.Request a sample of this report @In 2017, South Africa will generate total telecom service revenue of $10.2bn. Going forward, we expect the telecom service revenue in South Africa to decline at a CAGR of -3.6% in USD during 2016-2022. However, in local currency, the revenue will expand by 4.6%, reflecting currency depreciation. This growth will come from a steady rise in adoption of mobile and fixed broadband services. Mobile voice will remain the largest revenue-contributing segment in 2017. Mobile data will grow at a CAGR of 0.7% during 2017-2022, driven by rapid growth of smartphones and growing adopton of LTE/LTE-A services. Going forward, operators will focus on investments in LTE and fiber-optic network expansions to increase broadband penetration in the country.Browse the full Report@The Country Intelligence Report provides in-depth analysis of the following -Demographic and macroeconomic context in South Africa.The regulatory environment and trends: a review of the regulatory setting and agenda for the next 18-24 months as well as relevant developments pertaining to spectrum licensing, national broadband plans, tariff regulation and more.Telecom services market outlook: analysis as well as historical figures and forecasts of service revenue from the fixed telephony, broadband, mobile voice, mobile data and pay-TV markets.Make an enquiry before buying this report @The competitive landscape: an examination of the positioning of leading players in terms of revenue market shares across segments in the telecom services market.Company snapshots: analysis of the financial position of leading service providers in the telecommunications markets.Underlying assumptions behind our published base-case forecasts, as well as potential market developments that would alter, either positively or negatively, our base-case outlook.ScopeThe overall telecom service revenue in South Africa will decline at a CAGR of 3.6% during 2017-2022.Mobile revenue will account for 76.6% of the total telecom revenue in 2022, driven by a projected rise in adoption of LTE/LTE-A services.3G will be the leading mobile technology segment by subscriptions over 2018-2022. Increasing demand for faster data services and LTE network expansion will drive 4G subscriber growth over the forecast period.The top three mobile operators, Vodacom South Africa, MTN South Africa and CELL C, will account for 94.2% share of overall mobile subscriptions in 2017. Operators will continue to focus on network investments and coverage expansion, fiber deployments and appealing prepaid and postpaid plus value-added services offerings to acquire customers and drive telecom market revenue.Some Points from Table of Contents1. Market highlights2. Demographic, macroeconomic and regulatory context3. Demographic and macroeconomic context4. Regulatory environment and trends5. Telecom and pay-TV services market outlook6. Total telecom service revenue7. Mobile services market8. Fixed services market9. Pay-TV services market10. Competitive landscape and company snapshots11. Competitive landscape12. Vodacom South Africa13. MTN South Africa14. Telkom South Africa15. Cell C16. Research methodologyContinuedOrbis Research (orbisresearch.com) is a single point aid for all your market research requirements. We have vast database of reports from the leading publishers and authors across the globe. We specialize in delivering customized reports as per the requirements of our clients. We have complete information about our publishers and hence are sure about the accuracy of the industries and verticals of their specialization. This helps our clients to map their needs and we produce the perfect required market research study for our clients.Hector CostelloSenior Manager  Client Engagements4144N Central Expressway,Suite 600, Dallas,Texas -75204, U.S.A.Phone No.: +1 (214) 884-6817; +912064101019Specialty Food Ingredients : Important changes in market dynamics 2018 and Key Players segments - (Prinova Group, LLC, Roquette Freres S.A)

Specialty Food Ingredients

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Press Release - 12 Mar 2018Global Research and Development News --. .Report Description-' '** Specialty Food Ingredients Market: Snapshot**Specialty food ingredients are those additives or ingredients that are utilized and designed for a certain objectives and operations, which differ that those ingredients used in the traditional recipes. The specialty food ingredients are of a high quality and are used for the production of food products of high value. The advantages of these food products is that they have improved taste, shelf life, production value, texture, and good for health among others.. . Get Sample Report' 'The global market for specialty food ingredients could be segmented in terms of the different types of ingredients, type of application, and type of product. The global market could also be segmented in terms of the end user industry and geography. Such in depth and precise segmentation of the global specialty food ingredients market offered by the report helps in grasping the all-round growth prospects and the future outlook of the different segments of the market and thus, helping the potential buyers to make informed decisions while investing in the market.The report on specialty food ingredients market provides the analysis and forecast on regional as well as global level. It offers historical data of the year 2016 along with the anticipated data of 2017, and a forecast data up to year 2025 in terms of revenue as well as volume. The report also provide vital driving and impeding factors for the development of the global specialty food ingredients market and their impact on each region over the duration of the given forecast period. The report also offers the value chain analysis of the market with a list of key players. The research report on the global market for specialty food ingredients provides vital growth prospects and key trends and opportunities that may come up in the market over the course of the given forecast period. The research report is the result of in-depth and extensive primary as well as secondary research methodologies backed by crucial market insights offered by the industry professionals.** Specialty Food Ingredients Market: Trends and Opportunities**The global market for specialty food ingredients is expected to grow at great pace on a backdrop of growing awareness among consumers about healthy food as well as the increasing use of natural products. The chief driver of the global market for specialty food ingredients is projected to be its capacity improve the quantity as well as the quality of a finished food product and in turn lead towards the production of an enhanced consumer product. In addition to this, growing populace of middle class and increasing demand for better quality of food products is also expected to drive the growth of the market in the coming years of the forecast period.** Specialty Food Ingredients Market: Geographical Segmentation**From a geographical standpoint, the global Specialty Food Ingredients Market can be segmented into key regions such as North America, Western Europe, Latin America, Eastern Europe, Asia Pacific, and the Middle East and Africa. The market is expected to be dominated by the North America market for Specialty Food Ingredients owing to its outstanding capacity of production and growing preference of consumers in the regions towards eating healthier food. This growth is expected to be followed by Europe and Asia Pacific.** Specialty Food Ingredients Market: Key Players**Some of the key players in the global Specialty Food Ingredients Market include names such as Archer Daniels Midland Company, Tate & Lyle PLC, Prinova Group, LLC, Roquette Freres S.A, Ingredion Incorporated, Cargill Inc., Specialty Commodities Inc., E. I. Dupont De Nemours and Company, Sensient Technologies Corporation, AmTech Ingredients LLC, Koninklijke DSM N.V., KF Specialty Ingredients, Woodland Foods Inc., Kerry Group Plc, and Vidhi Specialty Food Ingredients Limited.The report offers a comprehensive evaluation of the market. It does so via in-depth qualitative insights, historical data, and verifiable projections about market size. The projections featured in the report have been derived using proven research methodologies and assumptions. By doing so, the research report serves as a repository of analysis and information for every facet of the market, including but not limited to: Regional markets, technology, types, and applications.** The study is a source of reliable data on:**1. Market segments and sub-segments2. Market trends and dynamics3. Supply and demand4. Market size5. Current trends/opportunities/challenges6. Competitive landscape7. Technological breakthroughs8. Value chain and stakeholder analysis** The regional analysis covers:**1. North America (U.S. and Canada)2. Latin America (Mexico, Brazil, Peru, Chile, and others)3. Western Europe (Germany, U.K., France, Spain, Italy, Nordic countries, Belgium, Netherlands, and Luxembourg)4. Eastern Europe (Poland and Russia)5. Asia Pacific (China, India, Japan, ASEAN, Australia, and New Zealand)6. Middle East and Africa (GCC, Southern Africa, and North Africa)The report has been compiled through extensive primary research (through interviews, surveys, and observations of seasoned analysts) and secondary research (which entails reputable paid sources, trade journals, and industry body databases). The report also features a complete qualitative and quantitative assessment by analyzing data gathered from industry analysts and market participants across key points in the industrys value chain.A separate analysis of prevailing trends in the parent market, macro- and micro-economic indicators, and regulations and mandates is included under the purview of the study. By doing so, the report projects the attractiveness of each major segment over the forecast period.Highlights of the report:1. A complete backdrop analysis, which includes an assessment of the parent market2. Important changes in market dynamics3. Market segmentation up to the second or third level4. Historical, current, and projected size of the market from the standpoint of both value and volume5. Reporting and evaluation of recent industry developments6. Market shares and strategies of key players7. Emerging niche segments and regional markets8. An objective assessment of the trajectory of the market9. Recommendations to companies for strengthening their foothold in the market. . More Clear Details get Table of Contents..ResearchMoz is the worlds fastest growing collection of market research reports worldwide. Our database is composed of current market studies from over 100 featured publishers worldwide. Our market research databases integrate statistics with analysis from global, regional, country and company perspectives. ResearchMozs service portfolio also includes value-added services such as market research customization, competitive landscaping, and in-depth surveys, delivered by a team of experienced Research Coordinators.Researchmoz Global Pvt. Ltd.90 State Street,Albany, NY 12207,United States,Tel: 866-997-4948 (Us-Canada Toll Free),Tel: +1-518-621-2074Data Center Market in Brazil to Worth $528 Million By 2023 | Arizton

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The data center market in Latin America is anticipated to reach values of over $1 billion by 2023 and is projected to grow at a CAGR of more than 11% during the forecast period.Ariztons recent market research report on the data center market in Latin America identifies ABB, Eaton, GE, Rittal, Schneider Electric, STULZ, Vertiv, AECOM, KKR Investment Group (Aceco TI S.A.), Flex Enclosure, ZFB Group, Data Center Investors, Equinix, Ascenty, Odata (Patria Investments), TigoUne (UNE EPM), and Axtel as the leading vendors that are likely to dominate the market during the forecast period. This research report provides detailed analysis of market segmentation by electrical infrastructure (UPS systems, generators, transfer switches & switchgear, rack PDU, and other electrical infrastructure), by mechanical infrastructure (cooling systems, rack, and other infrastructure), by general construction (building development, installation and commissioning services, building design, physical security, and DCIM), and by geography (Brazil, Colombia, Chile, and rest of Latin America).Request for your free sample today!The data center market in Latin America is divided into four major segments that consist of electrical infrastructure, mechanical infrastructure, general construction, and geography.Brazil to dominate the data center market size in Latin America during the forecast periodThe data center market in Latin America by geography is segmented into Brazil, Colombia, Chile, and rest of Latin America. Brazil occupied the largest market size in 2017 and is estimated to grow at a CAGR of approximately 10% during the forecast period. The extensive use of cloud-based services and expansion operations by several data center operators is augmenting the growth of the Brazilian market in Latin America. Ascenty and Equinix are most prominent vendors in the Brazilian market. The two major submarine cable projects that establish strong connectivity between the US and the Brazilian market is expected to complete in 2018. The deployment of modern data centers built of tier 3 standards with a minimum of N+1 redundancy in power infrastructure will transform and create lucrative opportunities for leading vendors in the Brazilian market. The development of grid supply in various countries will drive the development of the data center market in Latin America.Rack PDUs to grow at the fastest CAGR in the data center market in Latin America during the forecast periodThe electrical infrastructure segment in the data center market in Latin America is classified into UPS systems, generators, transfer switches & switchgear, rack PDU, and other electrical infrastructure. Rack PDU is the fastest growing segment of the market at a CAGR of over 12% during the forecast period. The different types of rack PDUs available in the market are basic PDUs, metered PDUs, monitored PDUs, switched PDUs, and automatic transfer switch PDUs. The introduction of intelligent PDUs with power monitoring and switching capabilities will boost the growth of this segment in the Latin American market. The leading vendors are investing in developing advanced rack PDUs for larger data center facilities with 2N redundancy to boost their revenues and gain a larger data center market size in Latin America. The players are also offering accessories such as mounting brackets, circuit breakers, whip cables, and outlet covers to attract a larger consumer base and increase sales in the Latin American market.Request for your free sample today!DCIM to grow at an impressive CAGR in the data center market in Latin America during the forecast periodThe data center market in Latin America by general construction is divided into building development, installation and commissioning services, building design, physical security, and DCIM. DCIM is the fastest growing segment of the market at a CAGR of around 20% during the forecast period. The rise in carbon emissions and high OPEX charges is boosting the adoption of DCIM solutions in the Latin American market. The adoption of DCIM and automation solutions will develop the data center market in Latin America. The key players are offering integrated monitoring solutions in a single software to gain a larger market size and consumer base in the Latin American market. These solutions are designed to monitor critical elements in facilities and offer real-time analysis of the systems in the Latin American market.The other prominent players in the data center market in Latin America are Active Power (Piller Power Systems), AIRSYS, Alfa Laval, Caterpillar, Cummins, Cyber Power Systems, Daikin Applied (Daikin Industries), Delta Group, Generac Power Systems, Geist Global, Legrand, Mitsubishi Electric Corporation, Munters, Nortek Humidity (Condair Group), Toshiba, Pentair, Afonso Franco Engineering, Fluor Corp., Jacobs Engineering Group, Holder Construction, Mortenson Construction, HostDime, Telefonica, Entel, and Antel.The complete overview of the latest market research report on Latin American data center market by Arizton is now available.The report also offers a detailed study of major trends, drivers, challenges, and also provides the market size and forecast for major geographical regions and key countries.Order a report now:About Arizton Advisory & IntelligenceArizton  Advisory and Intelligence is an innovation and quality-driven firm, which offers cutting-edge research solutions to clients across the world. We excel in providing comprehensive market intelligence reports and advisory and consulting services.Arizton has gained a paramount standpoint in the market research arena as it offers top of the line solutions to clients to assess market landscape and to finalize foolproof business strategies. We are committed to provide inclusive market research reports and consulting services to clients from diversified industries including Consumer Goods & Retail Technology, Automotive and Mobility, Smart Tech, Healthcare and Lifesciences, Industrial Machinery, Chemicals and Materials, IT and Media, Logistics and PackagingArizton comprises a team of exuberant and well-experienced analysts who have mastered in generating incisive reports. Our specialist analysts possess exemplary skills in market research. We train our team in advanced research practices, techniques, and ethics to outperform in fabricating impregnable research reports.Arizton Advisory & IntelligenceChicago, Illinois, 60605Mail: enquiry@arizton.comCall: +1-312-465-7864New investments expected to boost the Silent Cancer Therapeutic Market between 2015-2021

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Silent cancer refers to those types of cancer which are undiagnosed in early stages. This is due to asymptomatic nature of the disease which makes it difficult to identify the disease till it progresses to advanced stages. Major silent types of cancer include brain, cervix, esophagus, mouth and larynx, ovarian, pancreatic, kidney, and liver cancer. Some silent types of cancer such as ovarian cancer, esophageal cancer, and pancreatic cancer show symptoms in their early stages.Ovarian cancer occurs in epithelium or lining cells of the ovary. Major signs and symptoms of ovarian cancer include pain or cramps in the belly, nausea, abnormal vaginal bleeding, and bloating. Pancreatic cancer is one of the fastest growing types of cancer worldwide. Esophagus cancer is more common among the older population, compared to adults. This cancer is mainly treated by chemotherapy, surgery, and radiosurgery. Moreover, physicians also use combination therapy for the treatment of silent cancer. For instance, the combination of radiation therapy and chemotherapy is very effective in the treatment of silent cancer.Read Report Overview @The global silent cancer therapeutic market is categorized based on type, and mode of treatment. Based on type, the report covers tumors, brain, mouth and larynx, esophagus, liver, renal, pancreatic, cervix, and ovarian cancer. Based on mode of treatment, the report covers chemotherapy, targeted therapy, pharmaceutical drugs, surgery, and radiotherapy.North America has the largest market for silent cancer therapeutic, followed by Europe. This is due to technological advancements in cancer treatment devices, increasing prevalence of cancer, rise in aging population and improved healthcare infrastructure in the region. The silent cancer therapeutic market in Asia is expected to experience high growth rate over the next few years.This is due to evolving R&D activities in the field of cancer, increasing government support for research, rise in number of cancer patients, growing awareness about various types of silent cancer, increasing elderly population and developing healthcare infrastructure in the region. Moreover, growing demographics and economies in developing countries such as India and China are expected to drive the silent cancer therapeutics market in Asia.Technological advancements such as non-invasive radiation therapy and increasing prevalence of cancer are key drivers for the global silent cancer therapeutics market. Also, increasing government support in the form of funding and research in oncology has fueled the market growth. Furthermore, growing aging population and rising obesity are driving the growth of the silent cancer therapeutics market.Request Sample Report @However, high costs involved in research activities and the expiry of patents of some blockbuster drugs (drugs that have an annual sale of USD 1.0 million and above) are hindering the growth of the market. Despite the high costs involved in R&D, pharmaceutical companies are showing interest in this field, which, in turn, has increased investment in the development of novel therapeutics for silent cancer.Increasing number of mergers and acquisitions and rapid product launches are some of the latest trends in the global silent cancer therapeutic market. Some of the major companies operating in the market are Abbott Laboratories, Amgen Inc., Bayer AG, Bristol-Myers Squibb Company, GE Healthcare, F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd., Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd., GlaxoSmithKline plc, CTI BioPharma Corp. and AstraZeneca plc.ABOUT US:Persistence Market Research (PMR) is a third-platform research firm. Our research model is a unique collaboration of data analytics and market research methodology to help businesses achieve optimal performance. To support companies in overcoming complex business challenges, we follow a multi-disciplinary approach. At PMR, we unite various data streams from multi-dimensional sources. By deploying real-time data collection, big data, and customer experience analytics, we deliver business intelligence for organizations of all sizes.CONTACT:Persistence Market Research305 Broadway7th Floor, New York City,NY 10007, United States,USA  Canada Toll Free: 800-961-0353Email: sales@persistencemarketresearch.comWeb:Boost in Technology Driving the Baby Food Packaging Products Market globally (2015-2021)

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Baby food packaging products are designed to target the manufacturers dealing with baby and toddler food products. It is also designed to provide convenience to consumer in terms of carrying food products form one place to another. Increased consumer preference towards spending on packaged baby food product is expected to drive the demand of baby food packaging product market in the near future.Baby food packaging product market is segmented on the basis of raw material which includes glass packaging material, rigid plastic packaging material, flexible plastic packaging material paperboard packaging material, and metal packaging. Among all these segment flexible packaging material is expected to occupy major market share followed by rigid plastic packaging material during the forecast period.Baby food packaging product market is further segmented on the basis of type which includes bottles, cans, liquid cartons, pouch/sachet and others. Among all these segment pouch/sachet is expected to contribute major share in terms of revenue. Pouch/sachet packaged products are easy to use and convenient to carry which is predicted to support the growth of pouch/sachet packaging segment in baby food packaging product market. Moreover, liquid cartons is also expected to show a substantial growth in the near future. Increasing demand of flavored milk and juices for toddlers is predicted to support thre4 growth of liquid cartons segment in baby food packaging market.Read Report Overview @Baby food packaging product market is also segmented on the basis of application which includes, milk formula, dried baby food, prepared baby food, ready to feed baby food and others. Among all these segment milk formula is expected to contribute the major share in terms the usage of baby food packaging material. Moreover, ready to feed product is also expected to show a substantial growth in the near future. Increasing urbanization and rising disposable income has led the consumer to get inclined towards more convenient product which is supporting the growth of ready to feed baby product market. Thus is expected to simultaneously support the growth of baby food packaging material market across the globe.On the basis of geography, Europe is expected to contribute to the highest in terms of market share in baby food packaging product market. Moreover Latin America is expected to show a substantial growth in the near future. In Latin America Brazil is expected to contribute the major share in terms of revenue. Increased demand of baby food products especially prepared baby food across the country is expected to support the demand of baby food packaging product market within next five to six years. Whereas, Asia pacific is concerned it is expected to register a healthy double digit growth by 2020.In Asia pacific region China is expected to be the most dominant market for baby food packaging product market followed by Japan and India. Increasing awareness regarding the nutritional benefits for packaged baby food product is predicted to drive the growth of baby food packaging product market across the region. Moreover, rising demand for convenience baby edible products due to increased number of working women is predicted to drive the growth of baby food packaging product market in Asia Pacific region.Request Sample Report @Rising disposable income coupled with increased number of working mother has raised the demand of baby food which is expected to support the growth of baby food packaging material across the globe. However, packaging manufacturers need to consider food perishability, which is expected to restrict selection of packaging material, and thus predicted to restraints the overall market growth.Some of the major player operating in baby food packaging material market includes Prolamina Packaging, Tetra Laval, RPC Group, Silgan Holdings, Rexam PLC, CAN-PACK S.A, Winpak among others.ABOUT US:Persistence Market Research (PMR) is a third-platform research firm. Our research model is a unique collaboration of data analytics and market research methodology to help businesses achieve optimal performance. To support companies in overcoming complex business challenges, we follow a multi-disciplinary approach. At PMR, we unite various data streams from multi-dimensional sources. By deploying real-time data collection, big data, and customer experience analytics, we deliver business intelligence for organizations of all sizes.CONTACT:Persistence Market Research305 Broadway7th Floor, New York City,NY 10007, United States,USA  Canada Toll Free: 800-961-0353Email: sales@persistencemarketresearch.comWeb:Global Mascara Market Analysis, Growth, Share, Industry Trends, Supply Demand, Forecast and Sales to 2025

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In this report, the global Mascara market is valued at USD XX million in 2017 and is expected to reach USD XX million by the end of 2025, growing at a CAGR of XX% between 2017 and 2025.Geographically, this report is segmented into several key Regions, with production, consumption, revenue (million USD), market share and growth rate of Mascara in these regions, from 2013 to 2025 (forecast), coveringNorth AmericaEuropeChinaJapanSoutheast AsiaIndiaRequest a Sample Report @Global Mascara market competition by top manufacturers, with production, price, revenue (value) and market share for each manufacturer; the top players includingLOrealProcter & GambleEstee LauderAvonPIASDHCShiseidoLVMHThefaceshopRevlonGurwitchAmore PacificDiorChanelElizabeth ArdenCarslanFlamingoMarie DalgarOn the basis of product, this report displays the production, revenue, price, market share and growth rate of each type, primarily split intoWater ResistantWaterpoofRegularOn the basis of the end users/applications, this report focuses on the status and outlook for major applications/end users, consumption (sales), market share and growth rate for each application, including12-1718-2425-4445-64If you have any special requirements, please let us know and we will offer you the report as you want.Table of ContentsGlobal Mascara Market Research Report 20181 Mascara Market Overview1.1 Product Overview and Scope of Mascara1.2 Mascara Segment by Type (Product Category)1.2.1 Global Mascara Production and CAGR (%) Comparison by Type (Product Category)(2013-2025)1.2.2 Global Mascara Production Market Share by Type (Product Category) in 20171.2.3 Water Resistant1.2.4 Waterpoof1.2.5 Regular1.3 Global Mascara Segment by Application1.3.1 Mascara Consumption (Sales) Comparison by Application (2013-2025)1.3.2 12-171.3.3 18-241.3.4 25-441.3.5 45-641.4 Global Mascara Market by Region (2013-2025)1.4.1 Global Mascara Market Size (Value) and CAGR (%) Comparison by Region (2013-2025)1.4.2 North America Status and Prospect (2013-2025)1.4.3 Europe Status and Prospect (2013-2025)1.4.4 China Status and Prospect (2013-2025)1.4.5 Japan Status and Prospect (2013-2025)1.4.6 Southeast Asia Status and Prospect (2013-2025)1.4.7 India Status and Prospect (2013-2025)1.5 Global Market Size (Value) of Mascara (2013-2025)1.5.1 Global Mascara Revenue Status and Outlook (2013-2025)1.5.2 Global Mascara Capacity, Production Status and Outlook (2013-2025)2 Global Mascara Market Competition by Manufacturers2.1 Global Mascara Capacity, Production and Share by Manufacturers (2013-2018)2.1.1 Global Mascara Capacity and Share by Manufacturers (2013-2018)2.1.2 Global Mascara Production and Share by Manufacturers (2013-2018)2.2 Global Mascara Revenue and Share by Manufacturers (2013-2018)2.3 Global Mascara Average Price by Manufacturers (2013-2018)2.4 Manufacturers Mascara Manufacturing Base Distribution, Sales Area and Product Type2.5 Mascara Market Competitive Situation and Trends2.5.1 Mascara Market Concentration Rate2.5.2 Mascara Market Share of Top 3 and Top 5 Manufacturers2.5.3 Mergers & Acquisitions, Expansion3 Global Mascara Capacity, Production, Revenue (Value) by Region (2013-2018)3.1 Global Mascara Capacity and Market Share by Region (2013-2018)3.2 Global Mascara Production and Market Share by Region (2013-2018)3.3 Global Mascara Revenue (Value) and Market Share by Region (2013-2018)3.4 Global Mascara Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2013-2018)3.5 North America Mascara Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2013-2018)3.6 Europe Mascara Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2013-2018)3.7 China Mascara Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2013-2018)3.8 Japan Mascara Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2013-2018)3.9 Southeast Asia Mascara Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2013-2018)3.10 India Mascara Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2013-2018)4 Global Mascara Supply (Production), Consumption, Export, Import by Region (2013-2018)4.1 Global Mascara Consumption by Region (2013-2018)4.2 North America Mascara Production, Consumption, Export, Import (2013-2018)4.3 Europe Mascara Production, Consumption, Export, Import (2013-2018)4.4 China Mascara Production, Consumption, Export, Import (2013-2018)4.5 Japan Mascara Production, Consumption, Export, Import (2013-2018)4.6 Southeast Asia Mascara Production, Consumption, Export, Import (2013-2018)4.7 India Mascara Production, Consumption, Export, Import (2013-2018)5 Global Mascara Production, Revenue (Value), Price Trend by Type5.1 Global Mascara Production and Market Share by Type (2013-2018)5.2 Global Mascara Revenue and Market Share by Type (2013-2018)5.3 Global Mascara Price by Type (2013-2018)5.4 Global Mascara Production Growth by Type (2013-2018)ContinuedAccess Complete Report @ABOUT US:Wise Guy Reports is part of the Wise Guy Consultants Pvt. Ltd. and offers premium progressive statistical surveying, market research reports, analysis & forecast data for industries and governments around the globe. Wise Guy Reports features an exhaustive list of market research reports from hundreds of publishers worldwide. We boast a database spanning virtually every market category and an even more comprehensive collection of market research reports under these categories and sub-categories.ADDRES:WISE GUY RESEARCH CONSULTANTS PVT LTDOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersMagarpatta Road, HadapsarPune - 411028Maharashtra, IndiaRemote Asset Management Market 2017-2022 Key Leaders by: IBM Corporation, Cisco Systems, AT&T Intellectual Property, Hitachi, Verizon Communications, PTC Inc

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Market Scenario:The software opens up two-way communication between the asset and the central application for better control and management of assets. It opens up a range of potential applications in new fields, creating new possibilities in service and business.They are tracked and monitored over a central system and the assets are deployed with Vodafone SIMS. The Vodafone Remote Asset Management Market enables monitoring, maintenance of assets, machines and systems and also help in transforming the business. The main feature of remote asset management is two-way communication. Also, the main functions of this solution include intrusion detection, access control systems, asset tracking, asset recovery, real-time monitoring, real-time notifications, and others.The key drivers contributing to the growth of the remote asset management market are the growing demand for the adoption of IoT based asset management, enhancing asset lifecycle and declining cost of IoT components which helps in cost-effective remote asset management solutions.Geographically, North-America accounted for the largest market share for the global remote asset management market.The global remote asset management market is expected to reach USD ~27 billion by the end of 2022 with ~27 % CAGR during forecast period 2017-2022Request a Sample Report @Key Players: IBM Corporation (U.S.), Cisco Systems, Inc (U.S.), AT&T Intellectual Property (U.S), Hitachi, Ltd. (Japan), Verizon Communications, Inc. (U.S.), PTC Inc. (U.S.), SAP SE (Germany), Rockwell Automation, Inc. (U.S.), Schneider Electric SE (France), Infosys Limited (India)Market Segments:For the purpose of this study, Market Research Future has segmented the market of Remote Asset Management into application, solution and region.By Solution- Surveillance and security Network Bandwidth management Asset Performance management Application management Connectivity management Professional services Managed services Real-time location tracking Asset condition monitoring Predictive maintenanceBy Application- Automation Healthcare and wellness Smart retail Utilities and grids Production monitoring Connected logistics Fleet management OthersBy Region- North-America Europe Asia-Pacific RoWRegionally, North-America accounted for the largest market share because of the technological advancements followed by proper internet infrastructure, adoption of new technology and presence of strong local solution providers.Access Report Details @Intended Audience Manufacturers Distributors Research firms Consultancy firms Software Developers Vendors Semiconductor Manufacturers Stakeholders End-user sectors Technology InvestorsTABLE OF CONTENTS1 MARKET INTRODUCTION1.1 INTRODUCTION1.2 SCOPE OF STUDY1.2.1 RESEARCH OBJECTIVE1.2.2 ASSUMPTIONS1.2.3 LIMITATIONS1.3 MARKET STRUCTURE2 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY2.1 RESEARCH NETWORK SOLUTION2.2 PRIMARY RESEARCH2.3 SECONDARY RESEARCH2.4 FORECAST MODEL2.4.1 MARKET DATA COLLECTION, ANALYSIS & FORECAST2.4.2 MARKET SIZE ESTIMATION3 MARKET DYNAMICS3.1 INTRODUCTION3.2 MARKET DRIVERS3.3 MARKET CHALLENGES3.4 MARKET OPPORTUNITIES3.5 MARKET RESTRAINTSContinue...LIST OF TABLESTABLE 1 GLOBAL REMOTE ASSET MANAGEMENT MARKET, BY COMPONENTTABLE 2 GLOBAL REMOTE ASSET MANAGEMENT MARKET, BY APPLICATIONTABLE 3 GLOBAL REMOTE ASSET MANAGEMENT MARKET, BY GEOGRAPHYTABLE 4 NORTH AMERICA REMOTE ASSET MANAGEMENT MARKET, BY COMPONENTTABLE 5 NORTH AMERICA REMOTE ASSET MANAGEMENT MARKET, BY APPLICATIONContinue...LIST OF FIGURESFIGURE 1 RESEARCH APPLICATIONFIGURE 2 GLOBAL REMOTE ASSET MANAGEMENT MARKET, BY COMPONENT (%)FIGURE 3 GLOBAL REMOTE ASSET MANAGEMENT MARKET, BY APPLICATION (%)FIGURE 4 GLOBAL REMOTE ASSET MANAGEMENT MARKET, BY REGIONS (%)FIGURE 5 NORTH AMERICA REMOTE ASSET MANAGEMENT MARKET, BY COUNTRY (%)Continue...About Market Research Future:At Market Research Future (MRFR), we enable our customers to unravel the complexity of various industries through our Cooked Research Report (CRR), Half-Cooked Research Reports (HCRR), Raw Research Reports (3R), Continuous-Feed Research (CFR), and Market Research & Consulting Services.MRFR team have supreme objective to provide the optimum quality market research and intelligence services to our clients. Our market research studies by Components, Application, Logistics and market players for global, regional, and country level market segments, enable our clients to see more, know more, and do more, which help to answer all their most important questions.Contact Us:Market Research FutureOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersPune  411028Maharashtra, IndiaPhone: +91 841 198 5042Mail: sales@marketresearchfuture.comMobile Resource Management Market Industry Analysis Report, Regional Outlook, Competitive Market Share & Forecast, 2017  2024

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North America and Europe are dominating the mobile resource management market due to their established economy, technological advancements, and the increasing need for reliability, efficiency, and customer safety. Many companies in the U.S. make use of mobile resource management services to track and monitor their fleet and other heavy vehicles. APAC is anticipated to witness a high growth rate during the forecast period owing to its huge population and increasing need for safety and optimization.Some of the major vendors present in the MRM market include AT&T, Inc., Masternaut, Garmin International, Inc., CalAmp corporation, Telogis, Inc., Spireon, Inc., SkyBitz, Inc., Trimble, Inc. and Verizon Communications, Inc. The growing demand for MRM solutions has intensified the competition amongst the market players. The players are adopting strategies such as new product launches in developing economies and partnerships with local providers to gain market share and improve its brand value. For instance, in August 2016, AT&T entered into a partnership with Toronto-based Fleet Compete to offer AT&T Fleet compete, which offers customer solutions such as asset tracking, fleet tracking, and resource tracking.Request for an in-depth table of contents for this report @Mobile Resource Management (MRM) Market size is growing due to rapid industrialization and population growth across the world. MRM enhances the performance of the organizations as it assists in tracking and monitoring the mobile assets and employees thus increasing the accountability and reducing the time and cost. It assists in the real-time tracking of mobile resources, which helps in serving customer demands and reducing fuel costs by locating better routes. The safety of the driver and operator performance is also maintained by detecting unsafe driving and identifying vehicle operators, who require additional training to prevent accidents. It also helps the managers in reducing risks and decreasing insurance cost by immediately detecting the problem as it arises.The demand for mobile resource management market is growing as it is necessary for industries of all sizes, which majorly include transport companies, construction sites, police and fire service departments, oil and natural gas, government, and public work. MRM allows fleet operators to minimize the fuel consumed and miles traveled and increase the number of deliveries per day.Various initiatives taken by the government to reduce the daily traffic and accidents have also given a boost to the MRM market. For instance, the government developed a National Safety Program, which assists GSA fleet vehicles operators by reducing crashes and minimizing costs. It provides messages of safety awareness amongst GSA fleet vehicle drivers, reducing risks and accidents.Make an inquiry for buying this report @Other benefits of investing in mobile resource management include automatic vehicle locating, strategic delivery planning, monitoring driver behavior, and fuel-efficiency maintenance. Furthermore, the mobile resource management market aids in the real-time communication in areas related to deliveries, on-site inspection, and inventory maintenance, enhancing the efficiency and improving the organizational profitability. There is a major opportunity for the growth of asset tracking in fields such as pharmaceuticals, waste disposal containers, and medical shipments.The technological shift from hardware to 3G and 4G cellular services, reduced hardware costs, and wireless data also boost the demand for the MRM market. The introduction of GPS and GIS devices has increased the integration in vehicle fleets, assisting vehicle tracking and routing. Cloud computing is also adopted to convert data from vehicle sensors into useful vehicle information, which can be used by managers to determine alternative ways to avoid traffic, reduce fuel consumption, and improve safety. Moreover, it assists in discovering the best time window to trade in a vehicle by analyzing the previous and projected costs, monitoring geographic zones when planning delivery fleets and thus improving efficiency. However, cross-border vehicle tracking and data security are some of the factors that hinder the market growth.Request for customization @About Global Market InsightsGlobal Market Insights, Inc., headquartered in Delaware, U.S., is a global market research and consulting service provider; offering syndicated and custom research reports along with growth consulting services. Our business intelligence and industry research reports offer clients with penetrative insights and actionable market data specially designed and presented to aid strategic decision making. These exhaustive reports are designed via a proprietary research methodology and are available for key industries such as chemicals, advanced materials, technology, renewable energy and biotechnology.Contact Us:Arun HegdeCorporate Sales, USAGlobal Market Insights, Inc.Phone: 1-302-846-7766Toll Free: 1-888-689-0688Email: sales@gminsights.comWeb:Blog:Global Thermally Conductive Plastics Market Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends, and Forecast 2017 - 2025

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New research report offers a comprehensive analysis of the Thermally Conductive Plastics Market - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends, and Forecast 2017 - 2025The main objective of this report is to deliver insightful information and clear-cut facts pertaining to the growth trajectories of the market.Request to view Sample Report @Request to view Sample Report @ Global Thermally Conductive Plastics Market: SnapshotPlastics are the most widely used materials in the world. These offer better weight to strength ratio when compared to traditional materials such as metals, wood, ceramics and glass. Rapid development in the plastic industry have made plastics capable of withstanding high pressure, and temperature situations, which makes it a material of choice for a variety of industrial applications. In recent times, various factors such as increase in demand for better thermal management in the electrical and electronics appliances, demand for lightweight vehicles etc. has led to the development of thermally conductive plasticsThe thermally conductive plastics market is expected to grow in the forecasted period due to increasing demand from end use industries such as electrical and electronics, automotive, industrial, healthcare and aerospace industries. The vast rise in production and uptake of vehicles is anticipated to drive the demand for thermally conductive plastics products in the automotive industry. Typical applications of BN-based thermally conductive plastics include heat sinks for LEDs and other heat sources, electronic device housings, heat exchangers, battery housings and temperature sensors and cooling systems. As devices become smaller and gain more functionality, demand for these applications is growing. Replacing aluminum and other metals with TCPs will provide the advantages of the light weight as well as design and color freedom. As costs come down, TCPs will also become more viable in the coming days.According to the report, the thermally conductive plastics market is expected to expand at an impressive CAGR of 13.8 % from 2017 to 2025.Electrical and Electronics Industry to Remain Key Consumer of Thermally Conductive PlasticsIn terms of type, the thermally conductive plastics can be classified into Polyamide (PA), Polybutylene terephthalate (PBT), Polycarbonate (PC), Polyetherimide (PEI), Polyphenylene Sulfide (PPS), and others (PEEK, PEKK). Of these, the segment of polybutylene terephthalate (PBT) accounted for the dominant market share in the global thermally conductive plastics and is likely to see high demand over the forecast period as well. The overall demand for polycarbonate and polyetherimide is also propelling owing to demand from electrical and electronics and automotive industries.Browse Full Report with TOC @In terms of the application, the thermally conductive plastics market is segmented into electrical and electronics, automotive, industrial, healthcare, aerospace and others. The electrical and electronics segment accounted for the highest share of the market in 2016 in terms of volume while industrial segment is anticipated to exhibit the fastest growth during the forecast period.Asia Pacific to Remain Dominant Force in Global MarketGeographically, the thermally conductive plastics market has been examined in the report for regions such as North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Middle East and Africa, and Latin America. In terms of volume, Asia pacific dominates the market for thermally conductive plastics followed by Europe and North America. Factors such as the increasing demand for smart electronics and personal vehicles in the region is projected to raise the demand for thermally conductive plastics. The well-established electronics manufacturing sector and a steadily expanding automotive manufacturing industry are also expected to work well for the regional market.North America holds significant share in the thermally conductive plastics market due to the strong presence of thermally conductive plastics plastic manufacturers in the region. Similarly, Europe, and Latin America are also developing regions and expected to witness remarkable growth during the forecast period.Key players operating in the global thermally conductive plastics market include Celanese Corporation, Koninklijke DSM N.V. (Royal DSM), Poly One Corporation, Kaneka Corporation, Toray Industries Inc., SABIC Group, Exxon Mobil Corporation, E.I.du Pont de Nemours and Company, Arkema Group , Compagnie de Saint-Gobain SA etc.About (MRRSE)Market Research Reports Search Engine (MRRSE) is an industry-leading database of Market Research Reports. MRRSE is driven by a stellar team of research experts and advisors trained to offer objective advice. Our sophisticated search algorithm returns results based on the report title, geographical region, publisher, or other keywords.MRRSE partners exclusively with leading global publishers to provide clients single-point access to top-of-the-line market research. MRRSEs repository is updated every day to keep its clients ahead of the next new trend in market research, be it competitive intelligence, product or service trends or strategic consulting.Contact UsState Tower90, State StreetSuite 700Albany, NY - 12207United States Telephone: +1-518-730-0559Email: sales@mrrse.comWebsite:Read More Industry News At:Copper Oxychloride Market will Observe Substantial Growth by 2025

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Global Copper Oxychloride Market: SnapshotCopper oxychloride, scientifically named as dicopper chloride trihydroxide are used as fungicide on several crops such as cotton, cardamom, tea, coffee, orange, and rubber. Copper oxychloride forms a barrier on the plants protecting them from fungi and prevents fungi from entering the plant host. It is produced using copper in the oxidation of Nacl  Cucl solution. Copper oxychloride exists in various forms and can be prepared by several procedures. It is also used as a green or blue coloring agent in pyrotechnics and as a catalyst for various reactions such as production of vinyl chloride.Farmers in developing countries are unaware of the various types of fungicides available in the market. Hence governments are taking initiatives to educate farmers about the use and benefits of fungicides such as copper oxychloride. Moreover, development of agriculture sector and technological advancements are contributing towards growth of the global copper oxychloride market. Copper oxychloride with low ph is used for tea, whereas higher ph values are used as fungicides to protect other types of crops. Initially used as a substitute for Bordeaux mixture, copper oxychloride is used for soil drenching applications too. Copper oxychloride is also used for manufacturing of Copper Hydroxide.Request Sample Copy of the Report @Currently, North America leads the global market for copper oxychloride. However, in the coming years, Asia Pacific is expected to contribute a significant share to the global market. The increasing demand for food products and the demand for advanced farming applications are expected to drive the global market of copper oxychloride in the future.Currently research is carried out on magnetic interactions and structural distortion in the layered copper oxychloride, microbial communitys response to copper oxychloride in acidic sandy loam soil, response of the microbial community to copper oxychloride in acidic sandy loam soil, and effect of fungicides on seed borne pathogens of groundnut, which are expected to discover new applications of copper oxychloride.Global Copper Oxychloride Market: OverviewThe global copper oxychloride market is growing at a significant pace, owing to the rising demand from the agriculture sector. Copper oxychloride is used widely as fungicide on several crops, including rubber, orange, coffee, tea, cardamom, and cotton. In addition, it is also used for a large number of fruits and vegetables. The increasing number of advancements and innovations in order to enhance the production using copper oxychloride is anticipated to supplement the growth of the overall market throughout the forecast period.Request TOC of the Report @Global Copper Oxychloride Market: Key TrendsThe growing demand for yield-improving agrochemicals, owing to the rising food requirement is one of the major factors anticipated to augment the growth of the global copper oxychloride market in the next few years. In addition, the rising demand for an excellent quality of fungicides and good-quality fruits and vegetables is estimated to supplement the growth of the overall market in the coming years. On the flip side, the easy availability of substitute products is likely to restrict the growth of the overall market in the forecast period. Nonetheless, the favorable government initiatives are likely to offer promising growth opportunities for market players.Global Copper Oxychloride Market: Market PotentialThe lack of awareness among farmers regarding the availability different types of fungicides, especially in developing economies is anticipated to curtail the growth of the copper oxychloride market in the near future. However, the rising number of initiatives by government bodies and market players to create an awareness is predicted to boost the demand for copper oxychloride across the globe. Advancements in technology and the development of the agricultural sector to contribute towards the development of the market in the near future. In addition, the rising number of applications of copper oxychloride in several industries is estimated to encourage the growth of the overall market throughout the forecast period.Read Comprehensive Overview of Report@Global Copper Oxychloride Market: Regional OutlookFrom a geographical point of view, the North America market for copper oxychloride is estimated to lead the global market and register a significant growth in the coming years. A substantial contribution from the U.S. is one of the key factors predicted to enhance the growth of the North America market in the next few years. Tremendously rising food demand is expected to result in the rising need to increase food production. This is projected to accelerate the growth of this region in the forecast period.On the other hand, Asia Pacific is likely to experience a strong growth in the coming years. The robust rate of industrialization, improving food habits, and the rising demand for fruits and vegetables are estimated to supplement the growth of the Asia Pacific copper oxychloride market in the forecast period.Global Copper Oxychloride Market: Competitive AnalysisAs per the research report, the global market for copper oxychloride is moderately consolidated in nature with three prominent players holding a massive share of the global market. In order to maintain their leading position, these players are entering into long-term agreements with several raw material manufacturers across the globe. Moreover, the rising focus on the expansion of the application base is estimated to benefit the key players operating in the global market in the next few years.Some of the key players operating in the copper oxychloride market across the globe are Vimal Crop Care Pvt. Ltd., Biota Agro Solutions Private Limited, IQV, Killicks Pharma, Syngenta, Manica S.p.A., Albaugh, LLC., Greenriver Industry Co., Ltd., Isagro S.p.A., and Spiess-Urania. Detailed profiles of these players have been provided in the scope of the research report, along with the business strategies adopted by them.About UsTMR Research is a premier provider of customized market research and consulting services to business entities keen on succeeding in todays supercharged economic climate. Armed with an experienced, dedicated, and dynamic team of analysts, we are redefining the way our clients conduct business by providing them with authoritative and trusted research studies in tune with the latest methodologies and market trends.Our savvy custom-built reports span a gamut of industries such as pharmaceuticals, chemicals and metals, food and beverages, and technology and media, among others. With actionable insights uncovered through in-depth research of the market, we try to bring about game-changing success for our clients.Contact:TMR Research,3739 Balboa St # 1097,San Francisco, CA 94121United StatesTel: +1-415-520-1050Email: sales@tmrresearch.comDimer Acid Market is projected to be around $ 2.57 billion by 2025

Dimer Acid Market

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A research study titled, Dimer Acid Market by Products, Application - Global Industry Analysis and Forecast To 2025 published by Crystal Market Research, states that the Dimer Acid Market is projected to be around $ 2.57 billion by 2025.Report Overview:The Global Dimer Acid Market was valued roughly USD 1.43 billion in 2016 and is likely to reach around USD 2.57 billion by the end of 2025 while compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 6.70% during the forecast period. Dimer acids are also known as dimerized fatty acids. They are dicarboxylic acids made from dimerizing unsaturated fatty acids produced from tall oil, frequently on clay catalysts. The Chemical Abstracts Service (CAS) registry number of the material is [61788-89-4].For more information, click on the below link @Dimer acids are primarily employed for deriving polyamide resins. They are also used in adhesives, surfactants, alkyd resins, as lubricants, fuel oil additives, etc. It is a yellow or light yellow viscous transparent fluid. It is non-toxic in nature. Dimer acid generally contains primarily a dimer of stearic acid. It is also known C36 dimer acid. Dimer acids can be transformed to dimer amines by the help of chemical reaction of ammonia and following diminution. Dimer acids are produced by dimerizing unsaturated fatty acids that are obtained from canola oil, oleic acid, tall oil, cottonseed, tallow and rapeseed amongst others. Dimer acids are extensively used to blend hot melt adhesives and polyamide resins.The global dimer acid market is anticipated to witness rapid growth due to increasing demand for polyamide resins in adhesives and coatings industries. The demand for dimer acid is likely to boost owing to its widespread applications in industries, such as adhesives, paints, and oilfield chemicals amongst others. These industries would experience a constant growth in the outlook, thereby fueling the growth of global dimer acid market.Get Sample Copy of the Report here @Regional Outlook:The escalating number of drilling across the world to fulfill extra energy demand is anticipated to optimistically impact oilfield chemicals and dimer acid demand. Presently, non-reactive polymer dominates the application section in the dimer acid market. Though, reactive polymers are estimated to demonstrate the maximum CAGR owing to its rising popularity in marine coatings and construction, particularly in Asia-Pacific region. In spite of its affirmative position, the dimer acid market is prone to experience fluctuations in the cost of raw materials such as cottonseed oil, soybean oil, and rapeseed oil that can hinder the growth of the global market during the forecast years.Top Major Market Players:The key market manufacturers in global dimer acid market includes; Harima Chemicals, Arizona Chemicals, Nissan Chemical America Corp., Aturex Group, BASF, Novepha Co. Ltd., Emery Oleochemicals, Oleon N.V., Anqing Hongyu Chemical Co. Ltd., and Florachem Corp.The Global Dimer Acid Market is segmented as follows-Applications: Oilfield chemicals, Non-reactive polyamides, Reactive polyamides and others.By products: Standard, Distilled and Distilled & hydrogenated.Purchase the report @About Crystal Market Research:Crystal offers one stop solution for market research, business intelligence, and consulting services to help clients make more informed decisions. It provides both syndicated as well as customized research studies for its customers spread across the globe. The company offers market intelligence reports across a broad range of industries including healthcare, chemicals & materials, technology, automotive, and energy.Contact Us:Judy304 South Jones Blvd, Suite 1896,Las Vegas NV 89107, United States.Toll Free: +1-888-213-4282Website:For More Discounts Offers Email at sales @ sales@crystalmarketresearch.comFinancial Risk Management Software 2018 Global Market Key Players  IBM, Oracle, SAP, SAS, Experian, Misys, CreditPoint Software-Analysis And Forecast To 2025

Financial Risk Management Software Market 2018

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Financial Risk Management Software Market 2018Wiseguyreports.Com Adds Financial Risk Management Software  Global Market Demand, Growth, Opportunities, Manufacturers, Analysis of Top Key Players and Forecast to 2025 To Its Research Database.Description:This report studies the Financial Risk Management Software market status and outlook of global and major regions, from angles of players, regions, product and end Application/industries; this report analyzes the top players in global and major regions, and splits the Financial Risk Management Software market by product and Application/end industries.The Global Financial Risk Management Software market is valued at 1329.96 million USD in 2017 and is expected to reach 2063.03 million USD by the end of 2023, growing at a CAGR of 7.59%between 2017 and 2023.The Asia-Pacific will occupy for more market share in following years, especially in China, also fast growing India and Southeast Asia regions.United States will still play an important role which cannot be ignored. Any changes from United States might affect the development trend of Financial Risk Management Software.EU also play important roles in global market, with market size of 353.24 million USD in 2017 and will be 526.27 million USD in 2023, with a CAGR of 6.88%.The major players in global market includeIBMOracleSAPSASExperianMisysFiservKyribaActive RiskPegasystemsTFG SystemsPalisade CorporationResolverOptialRiskturnXactiumZoot OriginationRiskdataImagine SoftwareGDS LinkCreditPoint SoftwareRequest for Sample Report@Geographically, this report split global into several key Regions, with, revenue (million USD), market share and growth rate of Financial Risk Management Software for these regions, from 2013 to 2023 (forecast)North AmericaEuropeAsia-PacificSouth AmericaMiddle East and AfricaOn the basis of product, the Financial Risk Management Software market is primarily split intoOn-PremiseCloudOn the basis on the end users/Application, this report coversSmall BusinessMidsize EnterpriseLarge EnterpriseOtherComplete report details @If you have any special requirements, please let us know and we will offer you the report as you want.Table of Contents:1 Industry Overview 11.1 Financial Risk Management Software Market Overview 11.1.1 Financial Risk Management Software Product Scope 11.1.2 Market Status and Outlook 11.2 Global Financial Risk Management Software Market Size and Analysis by Regions (2013-2023) 21.2.1 North America Financial Risk Management Software Market Status and Outlook 31.2.2 EU Financial Risk Management Software Market Status and Outlook 41.2.3 Asia-Pacific Financial Risk Management Software Market Status and Outlook 61.2.4 South America Financial Risk Management Software Market Status and Outlook 71.2.5 Middle East and Africa Financial Risk Management Software Market Status and Outlook 81.3 Classification of Financial Risk Management Software by Product 81.3.1 Global Financial Risk Management Software Revenue (Million USD) and Growth (%) Comparison by Product (2013-2018) 81.3.2 Global Financial Risk Management Software Revenue (Million USD) Market Share (%) by Product in 2016 91.3.3 On-Premise 91.3.4 Cloud 101.4 Financial Risk Management Software Market by End Users/Application 111.4.1 Small Business 121.4.2 Midsize Enterprise 121.4.3 Large Enterprise 132 Global Financial Risk Management Software Competition Analysis by Players 142.1 Global Financial Risk Management Software Market Size (Million USD) by Players (2013-2018) 142.2 Competitive Status and Trend 182.2.1 Market Concentration Rate 182.2.2 Product/Service Differences 192.2.3 New Entrants 192.2.4 Mergers & Acquisitions, Expansions 20.3 Company (Top Players) Profiles and Key Data 213.1 IBM 213.1.1 Company Profile 213.1.2 Main Business/Business Overview 213.1.3 Products, Services and Solutions 223.1.4 IBM Financial Risk Management Software Revenue (Million USD) (2013-2018) 233.2 Oracle 253.2.1 Company Profile 253.2.2 Main Business/Business Overview 263.2.3 Products, Services and Solutions 263.2.4 Oracle Financial Risk Management Software Revenue (Million USD) (2013-2018) 293.3 SAP 303.3.1 Company Profile 303.3.2 Main Business/Business Overview 313.3.3 Products, Services and Solutions 313.3.4 SAP Financial Risk Management Software Revenue (Million USD) (2013-2018) 333.4 SAS 343.4.1 Company Profile 343.4.2 Main Business/Business Overview 353.4.3 Products, Services and Solutions 353.4.4 SAS Financial Risk Management Software Revenue (Million USD) (2013-2018) 373.5 Experian 383.5.1 Company Profile 383.5.2 Main Business/Business Overview 393.5.3 Products, Services and Solutions 393.5.4 Experian Financial Risk Management Software Revenue (Million USD) (2013-2018) 403.6 Misys 423.6.1 Company Profile 423.6.2 Main Business/Business Overview 423.6.3 Products, Services and Solutions 423.6.4 Misys Financial Risk Management Software Revenue (Million USD) (2013-2018) 433.7 Fiserv 453.7.1 Company Profile 453.7.2 Main Business/Business Overview 463.7.3 Products, Services and Solutions 463.7.4 Fiserv Financial Risk Management Software Revenue (Million USD) (2013-2018) 473.8 Kyriba 493.8.1 Company Profile 493.8.2 Main Business/Business Overview 493.8.3 Products, Services and Solutions 503.8.4 Kyriba Financial Risk Management Software Revenue (Million USD) (2013-2018) 513.9 Active Risk 523.9.1 Company Profile 523.9.2 Main Business/Business Overview 533.9.3 Products, Services and Solutions 533.9.4 Active Risk Financial Risk Management Software Revenue (Million USD) (2013-2018) 543.10 Pegasystems 563.10.1 Company Profile 563.10.2 Main Business/Business Overview 563.10.3 Products, Services and Solutions 573.10.4 Pegasystems Financial Risk Management Software Revenue (Million USD) (2013-2018) 583.11 TFG Systems 593.11.1 Company Profile 593.11.2 Main Business/Business Overview 603.11.3 Products, Services and Solutions 603.11.4 TFG Systems Financial Risk Management Software Revenue (Million USD) (2013-2016) 613.12 Palisade Corporation 623.12.1 Company Profile 623.12.2 Main Business/Business Overview 633.12.3 Products, Services and Solutions 633.12.4 Palisade Corporation Financial Risk Management Software Revenue (Million USD) (2013-2018) 653.13 Resolver 673.13.1 Company Profile 673.13.2 Main Business/Business Overview 673.13.3 Products, Services and Solutions 683.13.4 Resolver Financial Risk Management Software Revenue (Million USD) (2013-2018) 693.14 Optial 713.14.1 Company Profile 713.14.2 Main Business/Business Overview 713.14.3 Products, Services and Solutions 713.14.4 Optial Financial Risk Management Software Revenue (Million USD) (2013-2018) 743.15 Riskturn 763.15.1 Company Profile 763.15.2 Main Business/Business Overview 763.15.3 Products, Services and Solutions 763.15.4 Riskturn Financial Risk Management Software Revenue (Million USD) (2017-2018) 783.16 Xactium 803.16.1 Company Profile 803.16.2 Main Business/Business Overview 803.16.3 Products, Services and Solutions 813.16.4 Xactium Financial Risk Management Software Revenue (Million USD) (2013-2018) 843.17 Zoot Origination 853.17.1 Company Profile 853.17.2 Main Business/Business Overview 863.17.3 Products, Services and Solutions 863.17.4 Zoot Origination Financial Risk Management Software Revenue (Million USD) (2013-2018) 883.18 Riskdata 893.18.1 Company Profile 893.18.2 Main Business/Business Overview 903.18.3 Products, Services and Solutions 903.18.4 Riskdata Financial Risk Management Software Revenue (Million USD) (2013-2018) 913.19 Imagine Software 933.19.1 Company Profile 933.19.2 Main Business/Business Overview 933.19.3 Products, Services and Solutions 943.19.4 Imagine Software Financial Risk Management Software Revenue (Million USD) (2013-2018) 953.20 GDS Link 973.20.1 Company Profile 973.20.2 Main Business/Business Overview 973.20.3 Products, Services and Solutions 983.20.4 GDS Link Financial Risk Management Software Revenue (Million USD) (2013-2018) 993.21 CreditPoint Software 1003.21.1 Company Profile 1003.21.2 Main Business/Business Overview 1013.21.3 Products, Services and Solutions 101Continued..Contact US:NORAH TRENTPartner Relations & Marketing Managersales@wiseguyreports.comPh: +1-646-845-9349 (US)Ph: +44 208 133 9349 (UK)About Us:Wise Guy Reports Is Part Of The Wise Guy Consultants Pvt. Ltd. And Offers Premium Progressive Statistical Surveying, Market Research Reports, Analysis & Forecast Data For Industries And Governments Around The Globe. Wise Guy Reports Features An Exhaustive List Of Market Research Reports From Hundreds Of Publishers Worldwide. We Boast A Database Spanning Virtually Every Market Category And An Even More Comprehensive Collection Of Market Research Reports Under These Categories And Sub-Categories.Addres:: Wise Guy Research Consultants Pvt Ltd: Pune  411028: Maharashtra,: Ph: +91 841 198 5042Ultrasound Sensors Market Survey and Trend Research 2018

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The increasing number of applications in healthcare such as Renal Denervation and Sonography along with the miniaturization of these devices particularly for minimally invasive procedures is predicted to drive the market for these sensors in the coming years. Other drivers are the non-invasive procedures performed by HIFU or High Intensity Focused Ultrasound devices which may not even require contact of the device. Acceptance in medical community particularly with regards to safety and efficacy of ultrasound is expected to be a significant driver for these sensors in the coming years.Request Brochure of Report:Ultrasound has been an integral part of healthcare since its first use in 1942 when Doctor Karl Theodore Dussik of Austria published the first paper on medical ultrasonics on his research. In Sweden Inge Edler and Carl Hellmuth Hertz used ultrasound in cardiology. Ultrasound sensors are used for a variety of medical devices and healthcare. The use of medical ultrasound can be broadly classified into diagnostic ultrasound where high frequency waved penetrate the skin and are received back and converted by the transducer or sensor into an image with the help of an interface device. The other facet is the therapeutic ultrasound sensors which are used to damage tissue through a process called ablation. This ablation is used to removal of tumors, cauterization and other procedures.The sensor consists of a core piezoelectric crystal placed inside the device. These crystals have the property of changing size when a current passes through them. Thus when an alternate current is passes through them, they increase and decrease in size at a very high rate of speed. This oscillation creates vibrations at a high frequency consequently emitting sound waves beyond the hearing range of most animals. Another property of these crystals is that the vibrations or severe change in size in turn create voltage which is converted by computer software to render images. There are over 20 classes of crystals which are considered piezoelectric and are used for a variety of purposes. Therapeutic ultrasonic sensors are used in catheter based ablation or in treatment of gall stones, kidney stones and uterine fibroids. These devices are also used for numerous cosmetological applications such as acne removal, treating varicose veins and others such as disinfection and cleaning of equipment.Request TOC of Report:Some of the major companies producing these sensors make them for a variety of medical applications and range from sizes such as hand-held sensors to large ultrasound beds used for therapeutic purposes. Some of the major companies making ultrasound sensors are Migatron Corp, Rockwell Automation, Maxbotix, Pepperl+Fuchs, Omron, Blatek Inc, Vermon, Philips, GE, Acuson, Esaote, among many others.Enquiry for discount on this report About UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a market intelligence company, providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of analysts, researchers, and consultants, use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather, and analyze information. Our business offerings represent the latest and the most reliable information indispensable for businesses to sustain a competitive edge.US Office Contact90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA  Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:Home Medical Equipment Market Survey and Trend Research 2018

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The global home medical equipment consumption pattern will depend on demographic and epidemiological development. Increased efforts in the fight against chronic illnesses such as respiratory diseases, kidney disorders, and cancer will boost the demand for home therapeutic devices. Products such as portable oxygen concentrators, continuous positive airway products, ventilators, and other accessories will undergo the fastest growth in sales in this market. Increasing numbers of baby boomers and an increase in the population of aged people on a global scale will also assist in the growth of this market.Request Brochure of Report:Development in the convenience in handling and usage of these equipments due to the increase in chronically ill patients will create a rapid increase in demand. The home IV devices segment will also experience upward growth as intense control in outpatient visits and shorter hospital stays will lead to an increase in the number of cancer and other chronic disease patients to be administered parenteral nutrition, and other therapeuticmodalities at home.It is estimated that the U.S. will be the largest market for home medical equipments owing to its wide base of home healthcare equipment providers, good reimbursement policies, better healthcare infrastructure and high healthcare expenditure. Moreover, the recent changes in the healthcare industry due to Obamacare will also boost the demand for such equipment, since almost 30 million uninsured Americans will now enjoy medical coverage.Request TOC of Report:Emerging economies such as the BRIC countries will be the fastest growing market for such products as the economic condition of such countries is rapidly improving. On the other hand, the already developed markets of Europe, Canada, Japan, Australia, and South Korea will show fair demand for therapeutic, monitoring, and support products as the sales levels in these markets will rise.Enquiry for discount on this report About UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a market intelligence company, providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of analysts, researchers, and consultants, use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather, and analyze information. Our business offerings represent the latest and the most reliable information indispensable for businesses to sustain a competitive edge.US Office Contact90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA  Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:Digital Breast Tomosynthesis Market to Register Substantial Expansion by 2019

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Breast cancer is one of the most common cancers among women, with an estimate of about 500,000 mortalities in 2011 according to the World Health Organization (WHO). Although Breast cancer is considered as a disease of developed countries, its prevalence is rising rapidly in the developing countries owing to urbanization and adoption of sedentary and stressful lifestyle. According to WHO, in 2012 an estimated of 70,000 females in India died due to Breast cancer, while in China about 48,000 deaths were recorded and in the U.S. 44,000 deaths were recorded for Breast cancer. The survival rate varies across the globe based on diagnosis time and rate along with the availability and affordability of services, with about 80% in North America and 60% in middle income countries. High prevalence globally has led doctors and scientists to take serious measures for early detection for the cancer so that proper care and treatment can be given to the patient.Developing technology is adding various innovative devices which have helped in early diagnosis of cancers. Digital Breast tomosynthesis also referred to as 3D mammography, is one of the technologies being developed for detection and characterization of Breast lesions. The technique involves multiple projection images which allow visualization of thin Breast sections which reveals cancers buried within normal tissue, allowing better diagnosis of Breast cancer. FDA approval of digital Breast tomosynthesis, Selenia Dimensions System by Hologic, Inc. in 2011 has boosted the Digital Breast Tomosynthesis Market. Quick adoption, fewer recalls and simultaneous market penetration supported the market growth. In 2013, GE received CE mark for SenoClaire, and entered the European market.Request to View Brochure of Report -The company also plans for regulatory approval in the U.S. Currently the digital Breast tomosynthesis market has been more inclined towards North America and Europe where expensive devices can be afforded by medical institutes. An article published by The Boston Globe in 2012 mentions that by 2012 the device was sold to about 300 institutes in the U.S. According to the U.S. FDA, each year about 40 million mammography procedures are performed in the U.S. alone. These procedures may be replaced with digital Breast tomosynthesis as it is a better alternative and delivers better results.As the demand for better Breast cancer diagnosis increases, the market will hold grounds in Japan, China, India and Brazil, which are considered to be the most profitable opportunities in the future. High cost of the device is the major restraining force for the market growth in Asia-Pacific and Rest of the World. Majority of the buying of expensive medical devices is supported by funding from investors and government. Hence these intermediaries will decide the fate of digital Breast tomosynthesis in the developing economies.Request to View ToC of Report -Rising incidences of Breast cancer will also contribute to the market expansion in the future. Thus entry in this lucrative market is also easier, if the device has been successful in the U.S. market. Increasing trend for medical tourism in these regions will also pressurize medical institutes to upgrade to newer technology to deliver better medical services. Countries in Latin America such as Brazil, Mexico, Venezuela and Colombia are developing rapidly.Regulatory scenario in these regions is also favorable, where most of the countries taking support of U.S. FDA and CE approvals. In Mexico, New Health Accord came into effect in the year 2010 which stated that medical devices approved in the U.S. or Canada will receive quicker approval in the country. Chile also demands no additional regulatory and accepts devices approved in the U.S. Key players in the market include Hologic, Inc., GE Healthcare, Siemens, and Dexela Ltd. (subsidiary of Perkin Elmer).View Report -About UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a market intelligence company, providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of analysts, researchers, and consultants, use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather, and analyze information. Our business offerings represent the latest and the most reliable information indispensable for businesses to sustain a competitive edge.US Office Contact90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA  Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:Artificial Implants Market Survey and Global Trend, Segments, Competitors, Research Report 2018

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Artificial implant is the procedure of replacement of a biological structure through a medical device. This medical device can be heart, dental fixtures or similar body parts enhancing or strengthening the damaged or existing biological structure. Medical implants are artificially manufactured or so called as manmade, contrast to the transplanting organs or tissue. Some of the implants include electronic devices too such as pacemaker while others are bioactive. The advent of the artificial implants has opened new horizons for the medical sector helping the patients with damaged biological structure to recover quickly with the embedded support. This new technique is getting popular as a result of the quick recovery catered by it.Request Brochure of Report:The reduction in the recovery period is appraised by the medical practitioners supporting the research and development of this newly formulated techniques across the globe. The efficient recovery helps the patient to get back to their routine life quickly as compared to the traditional methods which extended for a longer period of time. The artificial implants market is changing the trends across the U.S, U.K, and Europe with the implantation of various body tissues thereby turning their body muscular. This new trends has fuelled the artificial implants market and is spreading like a wild fire across the globe. Artificial implants consumes less amount of time and support the damaged biological structure than the traditional autologous technique thus it is been widely accepted by the medical practitioners and the patients all around the globe. However, these implants can lead to irritation or adverse reaction on the body if the body refuses in accepting the artificial implant. This is the major factor that is acting as the inhibitor to the artificial implants market.Certain failures in the silicone breast implant has led to devastating results refraining many people and medical practitioners from adopting artificial implantation. The silicone implants in the U.S. region affected the patients undergone implantation with breast cancer and ultimately leading to permanent damage of the biological structure and finally death. This has led to harsh regulations by government dampening the artificial implants market over the time. Owing to the fast recovery, low cost and transformation of the damaged biological structure into a new biological structure, artificial implants market is estimated to excel in the near future with upcoming developments especially in the bone and dental implants.Request TOC of Report:Some of the major players in this industry are Cochlear Limited, Exactech Inc., Aesculap Implant Systems, Biomet, Biomet 3i, Boston Scientific Corporation, Advanced Bionics Corporation, DSM Biomedical, Dentsply International, Addition Technology, DePuy Spine Inc., Abiomed Inc., GS Medical LLC, Japan Medical Dynamic Marketing Inc and others.Enquiry for discount on this report About UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a market intelligence company, providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of analysts, researchers, and consultants, use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather, and analyze information. Our business offerings represent the latest and the most reliable information indispensable for businesses to sustain a competitive edge.US Office Contact90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA  Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:Blood Glucose Test Strips Market to Register a Stout Growth by End 2025

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Blood glucose testing or blood glucose monitoring is used to measure the quantity of sugar or glucose in the patients bloodstream. Glucose testing is conducted to check for gestational diabetes, type 1 and type 2 diabetes. Blood glucose test strips or diabetes test strips are important tools used in blood glucose testing. These small strips play a crucial role in assisting people with diabetes to view and keep their blood sugar levels under control. A blood glucose test strip is made up of numerous layers that help in providing accurate test results. The top layer of the strip serves like a mini sponge which is used to soak the blood sample. The middle layers act as a filter and help in channelizing the sample of blood to the reaction center. The next layer consist of three parts, an enzyme which reacts with the blood glucose present in the sample, a mediator chemical that helps in driving the electrons alongside the strips circuit so as to provide an accurate reading and a mixture of chemicals that work to preserve and stabilize the mediator chemicals and enzyme. At the bottom of the strip is the palladium and gold covered circuit that transfers the electrons to the meter for final analysis.The major factor driving the growth of the Blood Glucose Test Strips Market is the rising prevalence of diabetes among the general population. According to World Health Organization (WHO), the number of people affected with diabetes have risen to 422 million in 2014 from 108 million observed in 1980. A total of 1.6 million estimated deaths were caused due to diabetes in 2015. Diabetes is known to cause kidney failure, blindness, heart attacks, lower limb amputation, and stroke. The prevalence of the disease is rising rapidly in low and middle income countries. According to International Diabetes Federation, Western Pacific region and South East Asia are expected to have the largest population of people with diabetes by 2040. Western Pacific region will have 214.8 million people with diabetes up from 153.2 million in 2015, while South East Asia will have 140.2 million people with diabetes a rise from 78.3 million as observed in 2015.Request to View Brochure of Report -The growth in the diabetes population is expected to drive the demand for better screening and monitoring methods. This in turn is expected to fuel the growth of the market for blood glucose test strips. The concentrated efforts by health care professionals, pharmaceutical companies and governments to educate people about the importance of diabetes test strips is also anticipated to have a positive impact on the growth of the market during the forecast period. Advances in testing technology for blood glucose testing is also making it convenient and easier to perform tests among patients who are hesitant to perform tests due to infection, and excessive bleeding. On the contrary, it is observed that it is quite difficult to educate the diabetes patients about the importance and criticality of frequent testing of blood glucose levels, so as to better manage their diabetes levels. This factor can have a negative impact and can hinder the growth of the blood glucose test strips market during the forecast period.The global blood glucose test strips market is segmented based on technology, by distribution channel and by geography. In terms of technology, blood glucose test strips market is categorized into wicking technology and channel technology. In terms of distribution channel, the market is classified into retail pharmacies, hospital pharmacies, and online pharmacies.Request to View ToC of Report -Geographically the global blood glucose test strips market is segmented into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America & Middle East and Africa. North America accounted for the largest share of the market due to the growing awareness levels among the population about the necessity of frequent blood glucose testing. Asia Pacific is expected to witness the fastest growth rate due to increase in the population of diabetes patients in the region. According to International Diabetes Federation, 5 out of the top 10 countries with the highest percentage of people with diabetes were found in Asia. Also the improving economic scenario in countries like China, India and other countries in the region is expected to create new avenues of growth for the market for blood glucose test strips.The major players reported in the market include Abbott Laboratories, Bayer Healthcare AG, B.Braun Melsungen Ag, HMD Biomedical, LifeScan, Inc., and F.Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd.View Report -About UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a market intelligence company, providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of analysts, researchers, and consultants, use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather, and analyze information. Our business offerings represent the latest and the most reliable information indispensable for businesses to sustain a competitive edge.US Office Contact90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA  Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:Spine Surgery Devices Market Research 2018: Application and Global Industry Analysis

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Spine surgery devices market is one of the major sub segments of the orthopedic industry. It forms one of the most important segments of the orthopedics, which helps in joining and curing one or two vertebrae. It is a procedure wherein the supplementary bone tissue from the patient itself or a donor is utilized along with the patients bone growth to fuse in the vertebrae. This process is called as osteoblastic. The spinal surgery is mostly performed on the lumbar, cervical and thoracic vertebraes. The complications in the spine region arise as a result of lack of lubricants causing friction between bones. This ultimately leads to cracking of bones.Request Brochure of Report:Spine surgery devices market is classified into five major classes as spine biologics, spinal decompression, vertebral compression fracture treatment products, non-fusion, and fusion. The fusion class is further divided into spinal bone stimulators and spine fusion and fixation. Owing to the recent developments and usage North America constitutes the largest market share which is succeeded by Europe. The spine surgery devices market is however experiencing a fuelled growth in the Asian region as a result of the growing population, awareness of newly developed technologies, increased per capita income of the hospitals and the people, improved medical literacy and tourism.The current scenario of economic slowdown in the European countries U.S. coupled with the pricing pressures are some of the driving factors that will fuel the spine surgery devices market in the Asian region. The high initial cost and complicated machines of the spine surgery devices are some of the major inhibitors of the market slowing the growth rate across the globe. Ageing population and the growing health concerns has led the government in various countries to take several initiatives thus providing several opportunities for this market.Request TOC of Report:Some of the major key players are Alphatec Spine Inc., DePuy Spine, Medtronic Inc., Stryker Corporation, Smith & Nephew Plc, Orthovita Inc., Zimmer Spine Inc and others.Enquiry for discount on this report About UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a market intelligence company, providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of analysts, researchers, and consultants, use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather, and analyze information. Our business offerings represent the latest and the most reliable information indispensable for businesses to sustain a competitive edge.US Office Contact90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA  Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:Computed Radiography Equipment Market Progresses For Huge Profits During 2019

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Computed radiography (CR) is an imaging technique that uses electromagnetic radiation such as X-rays. Computed radiography is a computer aided technique that uses irradiation process to produce three dimensional representations of scanned objects internally or externally. Computed radiography equipment is used in various applications such as medical facilities and industrial purpose. CR equipment comprises imaging plate that is made up of photostimulable phosphor. This plate is placed under body parts and then is exposed to electromagnetic irradiation such as X-ray. In addition, digital image can be enhanced in terms of brightness, filtration, contrast and zoom, by using variety of software applications.The Computed Radiography (CR) Equipment Market is witnessing positive growth owing to emergence of novel digital imaging modalities by various key players. In addition, introduction of new equipment by various key players will drive the market growth. For example, Jones X-Ray, Inc. offers Vita LE CR System. This system is comparatively light weighted and designed specifically for small space environments. In addition, Konica Minolta, Inc. offers variety of computed radiography models like REGIUS a, REGIUS MODEL 210, REGIUS MODEL 190 and REGIUS MODEL 370. Thus, introduction of new products will increase the uptake of computed radiography equipment and hence supports the market growth. In addition, computed radiography reduces the time for imaging and optimize image quality which will further increase the acceptance of CR equipment and hence drives the market growth.Request to View Brochure of Report -Advancement in technologies in computed radiography equipment will drive the market growth. For example, Phillips Healthcare introduced PCR Eleva CosimaX. This equipment allows throughput up to 165 plates per hour. Additionally, this equipment is an ideal option for variety of applications such as intensive care units, pediatrics, mammography and others. However, high cost of the equipment will restrain the market growth of computed radiography equipment.Geographically, North America dominates the global computed radiography equipment market due to increasing adoption of computed radiography equipment coupled with technological advancements. In addition, many key players like Fujifilm Corporation and Siemens Healthcare have strong presence in the North American market. This factor would help North American market to develop consistently owing to incessant launch of novel computed radiography equipment by these key players. Europe is considered as the second largest market of computed radiography equipment. The growth is mainly attributed to introduction of novel computed radiography equipment by domiciled key players coupled with increasing utilization of CR equipment by medical facilities.Request to View ToC of Report -For example, GE Healthcare is a major key player in Europe and has introduced CRFlex Computed Radiography Scanner that features with GE sensing and inspection technologies. In addition, this equipment also offers more flexibility, dynamic range and ease of use as compared to conventional scanners. In addition, Asia-Pacific countries such as India, China and South-East Asia are the emerging regions for the global computed radiography equipment due to economic growth and increasing attention of Asia-Pacific government for the development of healthcare infrastructure. Additionally, countries like India and China are focusing on investing in advanced and new medical imaging equipment. Thus, this factor may eventually stimulate the market growth of computed radiography equipment.Some of the major players competing in the global computed radiography equipment market are Siemens Healthcare, Jones X-Ray, Inc., Konica Minolta, Inc., GE Healthcare, EuroTeck Systems Ltd., Multi Imager Service, Inc., All Star X-ray, Inc., Fujifilm Corporation, Desert Health Imaging Technologies, LLC, Phillips Healthcare and others.View Report -About UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a market intelligence company, providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of analysts, researchers, and consultants, use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather, and analyze information. Our business offerings represent the latest and the most reliable information indispensable for businesses to sustain a competitive edge.US Office Contact90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA  Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:Drugs for Osteoarthritis Pain Market- Pfizer, AbbVie, Abiogen Pharma, Horizon Pharma, iCeutica, Iroko Pharmaceuticals, Merck

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Qyresearchreports include new market research report Global Drugs for Osteoarthritis Pain Market Size,Status and Forecast 2025 to its huge collection of research reports.The research study on the global market for Drugs for Osteoarthritis Pain recently added to our vast repository of market reports is a veritable treasure trove for success-hungry key companies looking for useful information to frame production and marketing strategies. The report uncovers all the information on the market for Drugs for Osteoarthritis Pain through exhaustive primary and secondary research in order to gain useful insights into the various trends in it.The report starts out with a broad overview of the global market for Drugs for Osteoarthritis Pain which includes product/service description and sales and revenues realized in the market. The report then goes on to describe the various factors promoting or offsetting market growth.In order to gather insights on the competitive landscape in the market for Drugs for Osteoarthritis Pain, the report studies the prominent players operating in the market and then profiles them in detail. It throws light on the products/services of the companies, their strategies for growing sales and revenues, and also their production methods. The report leverages popular analytical tools, namely SWOT analysis and Porters Five Forces too, to find out where the opportunity and danger lurks in the market for Drugs for Osteoarthritis Pain.Download Free exclusive Sample of this report:Market segmentation based on different parameters has also been leveraged by the report to understand which of them holds out maximum promise in the future. This would enable savvy players to bet right on the global market for Drugs for Osteoarthritis Pain. The report also offers valuable information on the size and share of various segments and the overall size of the market. Banking upon historical and current data, it attempts to understand the opportunity in the market for Drugs for Osteoarthritis Pain by the end of the forecast period in 2025.The various information in the business report on the global market for Drugs for Osteoarthritis Pain is packaged into digestible chunks through images, graphs, tables, and proper segmentations so that stakeholders can easily spot the trends.The research report on the global market for Drugs for Osteoarthritis Pain makes valuable forecasts on it after studying it from different angles. For the purpose of study, it has divided the market into segments based on different parameters such as product/service type, application areas, and geographical segments. It delves into each segment and presents a comparative analysis of those in every category. This is to enable companies understand which segment holds out maximum opportunities for them.Table of ContentsGlobal Drugs for Osteoarthritis Pain Market Size, Status and Forecast 20251 Industry Overview of Drugs for Osteoarthritis Pain1.1 Drugs for Osteoarthritis Pain Market Overview1.1.1 Drugs for Osteoarthritis Pain Product Scope1.1.2 Market Status and Outlook1.2 Global Drugs for Osteoarthritis Pain Market Size and Analysis by Regions (2013-2018)1.3 Drugs for Osteoarthritis Pain Market by Type1.3.1 Oral1.3.2 Injection1.3.3 External1.4 Drugs for Osteoarthritis Pain Market by End Users/Application1.4.1 Youth and Middle-Aged Person1.4.2 ElderlyGet more information from Table of Content:2 Global Drugs for Osteoarthritis Pain Competition Analysis by Players2.1 Drugs for Osteoarthritis Pain Market Size (Value) by Players (2013-2018)2.2 Competitive Status and Trend2.2.1 Market Concentration Rate2.2.2 Product/Service Differences2.2.3 New Entrants2.2.4 The Technology Trends in Future3 Company (Top Players) Profiles3.1 Abbott Laboratories3.1.1 Company Profile3.1.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.1.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.1.4 Drugs for Osteoarthritis Pain Revenue (Million USD) (2013-2018)3.1.5 Recent Developments3.2 Johnson & Johnson3.2.1 Company Profile3.2.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.2.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.2.4 Drugs for Osteoarthritis Pain Revenue (Million USD) (2013-2018)3.2.5 Recent Developments3.3 Novartis International3.3.1 Company Profile3.3.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.3.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.3.4 Drugs for Osteoarthritis Pain Revenue (Million USD) (2013-2018)3.3.5 Recent Developments3.4 Pfizer3.4.1 Company Profile3.4.2 Main Business/Business OverviewList of Tables and FiguresFigure Global Drugs for Osteoarthritis Pain Market Size (Million USD) Status and Outlook (2013-2018)Table Global Drugs for Osteoarthritis Pain Revenue (Million USD) Comparison by Regions (2013-2018)Figure Global Drugs for Osteoarthritis Pain Market Share by Regions (2013-2018)Figure United States Drugs for Osteoarthritis Pain Market Size (Million USD) and Growth Rate by Regions (2013-2018)Figure EU Drugs for Osteoarthritis Pain Market Size (Million USD) and Growth Rate by Regions (2013-2018)Figure Japan Drugs for Osteoarthritis Pain Market Size (Million USD) and Growth Rate by Regions (2013-2018)Figure China Drugs for Osteoarthritis Pain Market Size (Million USD) and Growth Rate by Regions (2013-2018)Figure India Drugs for Osteoarthritis Pain Market Size (Million USD) and Growth Rate by Regions (2013-2018)Enquiry For Discount Visit @QYResearchReports.com delivers the latest strategic market intelligence to build a successful business footprint in China. Our syndicated and customized research reports provide companies with vital background information of the market and in-depth analysis on the Chinese trade and investment framework, which directly affects their business operations. Reports from QYResearchReports.com feature valuable recommendations on how to navigate in the extremely unpredictable yet highly attractive Chinese market.1820 AvenueM Suite #1047Brooklyn, NY 11230United StatesToll Free: 866-997-4948 (USA-CANADA)Tel: +1-518-621-2074Web:Email: sales@qyresearchreports.comOstomy Products Market: Business Opportunities, Current Trends, Market Challenges & Global Industry Analysis by 2023

Ostomy Products Market

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Market has as of late declared the addition of another research report to its growing foundation. The research report, titled "Worldwide Ostomy Products Market Report 2025," offers an unmistakable understanding of the topic. The exploration report tries to appreciate the leading-edge techniques taken by vendors in the overall market to offer product detachment through Porter's five forces analysis. It likewise points out the courses in which these associations can strengthen their stand in the market and increment their livelihoods in the coming years. Consistent technological progressions and the enduring penetration of Internet in the remote corners of the world are moreover responsible for the astounding advancement of the Global Ostomy Products Market.The major players of the Ostomy Products market were identified across regions, and their offerings, distribution channels, and regional presence are understood through in-depth discussions. Also, average revenue generated by these companies, segmented on the basis of region, is used to arrive at the overall market size. This overall market size is used in the top-down procedure to estimate the sizes of other individual markets through percentage splits from secondary sources directories, databases, and primary research.Some of the most prominent Key Vendors:Coloplast, ConvaTec, Hollister, B. Braun, Salts Healthcare, CliniMed, Stimatix GI, Marlen, ALCARE, Torbot, Nu-Hope, Flexicare, Genairex, Steadlive, 3LGet Sample Copy of this report:The Global Ostomy Products Market is an astoundingly efficient, forte market with the presence of a preset number of dealers. Providers in the market competition in the context of esteeming, types of progressions, benefits, reputation, dispersal, and advancement. As the market is still in its development stage, small-scale merchants with innovative solutions have the odds of being acquired by pervasive pioneers in the market.The report moreover includes the growth trends in the overall Ostomy Products market. Variables, for instance, new project speculations, the achievability of new tasks, import, export, supply, and sale cost are moreover explored in the report. The consumption value and consumption volume of the market is investigated on the premise of application, type, and region.An increase in the varieties of management solutions from both driving and new associations is relied upon to make new advancement opportunities for the Ostomy Products industry in the coming years. The entry of new associations is foreseen to make the business competitive in the next five years. The industry is exceedingly competitive and partitioned into the top three players, who are expected to dominate with their new advancements.To get more information, Ask for Sample PDF illustration with TOC, Tables, Figures and Charts @Table Of Content:Chapter 1 Ostomy Products Market OverviewChapter 2 Global Economic Impact on IndustryChapter 3 Global Market Competition by ManufacturersChapter 4 Global Production, Revenue (Value) by RegionChapter 5 Global Supply (Production), Consumption, Export, Import by RegionsChapter 6 Global Production, Revenue (Value), Price Trend by TypeChapter 7 Global Market Analysis by ApplicationChapter 8 Manufacturing Cost AnalysisChapter 9 Industrial Chain, Sourcing Strategy and Downstream BuyersChapter 10 Marketing Strategy Analysis, Distributors/TradersChapter 11 Market Effect Factors AnalysisEarly buyers will receive up to 40% Discount on this reportOstomy Products Market, Ostomy Products Market trend, Ostomy Products Market development, Ostomy Products Market forecastAbout Healthcare Intelligence Markets:At HealthCare Intelligence Market, we supply market intelligence reports in the domain of personalized drugs & diagnostics after going through a rigorous research process. The healthcare industry is constantly evolving as trends are getting replaced at a rapid pace.These new trends along with the changing demands of patients and healthcare organizations, are collectively contributing to the development of the global healthcare industry.Contact usShreyas TannaHealthcare Intelligence Markets601, Winterberry Purple, Koregaon Park, Pune, 411001sales@healthcareintelligencemarkets.com+91 7400242424Dental Caries Treatment Market Size, Share, Trends, Market Growth, Global Analysis And Industry Forecast 2018 - 2026 - Research Corridor

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Dental Caries Treatment Market: Global Industry Trends, Market Size, Competitive Analysis and Forecast - 2018  2026, this study is recently published by Research Corridor covering global market size for Dental Caries Treatment market for the key segments and further cross-regional segmentation of these segments for the period 2016 to 2026.Browse the complete report atAccording to Research Corridor this study will provide in-depth analysis of segments on the basis of current trends, market dynamics and country level analysis of Dental Caries Treatment industry. This report provides market estimates and forecast for the period 2016-2026, along with respective CAGRs for each segment and regional distribution for the period 2018-2026. In depth analysis of competitive landscape, porters five forces model, value chain analysis, and pricing strategies are also covered in the report scope.Report Synopsis: Dental Caries Treatment MarketThis report provides an exhaustive market analysis of the Dental Caries Treatment industry presented through sections such as1. Dental Caries Treatment: Market Summary2. Key Developments in the Dental Caries Treatment Industry3. Market Trends and Dynamics of Dental Caries Treatment Industry4. Attractive Investment Proposition for Dental Caries Treatment Market5. Competitive Landscape of Key Market Players in Dental Caries Treatment Industry6. Current Market Scenario and Future Prospects of the Dental Caries Treatment Market7. Mergers and Acquisitions in Dental Caries Treatment Market8. Dental Caries Treatment Market Revenue and Forecast, by Segment A Type, 2016 to 20269. Dental Caries Treatment Market Revenue and Forecast, by Segment B Type, 2016 to 202610. Dental Caries Treatment Market Revenue and Forecast, by Segment C Type, 2016 to 202611. Dental Caries Treatment Market Revenue and Forecast, by Segment D, 2016 to 202612. Dental Caries Treatment Market Revenue and Forecast, by Geography, 2016 to 2026For more details with charts and figures:Key Takeaways:1. Market size and forecast of the Dental Caries Treatment market for the period from 2016 to 20262. Compounded annual growth rate (CAGR%) for each segment in several regional markets by year 20263. Market share analysis combined with competitive landscape of key players4. Profiles of key market players covering overall business operations, geographic presence, product portfolio, financial status and news coverage.Latest Reports:About Research CorridorResearch Corridor provides End to End Solution for Market Research Consulting and Custom Research Reports. Database of Over 47000 Global Market Reports Research Corridor is world leading company in syndicated market Research Reports.Media ContactCompany Name: Research CorridorContact Person: Vikram ChauhanEmail: sales@researchcorridor.comWebsite:Flat Steel Market is Expecting Worldwide Growth by 2025

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Flat steel is rolled from a semi-furnished material such as ingots or billets, and slabs. It is commonly used in consumer durable, white goods, construction as well as automotive industry. Flat steel is used by various manufacturers such as light bar industries, cable trays, truck trailers, automobile industry, railways, tippers, grating manufacturers, and other engineering industries. Flat steel enhances the quality, ductility, toughness, reliability, consistency of end product along with reduces the waste as well as a rework of production process. Moreover, it helps in maximized yield, trouble-free processing, improves product shelf life, and enhance the overall performance of the end product. According to World Steel Association, the overall steel products consumption in Asia & Oceania market was estimated around 990 Mn metric tons in 2015.Request for Table of Contents @Flat Steel Market: Drivers and RestraintsInnovative steel production techniques, expansion in the manufacturing capacity, and steel companies are inclining towards electric arc furnace manufacturing process which will provide them an operating flexibility are a primary factor driving the growth of global flat steel market. Moreover, extensive use of flat steel in the construction of factories, roads, and engineering structure, and growing automobile and construction industry globally which account about two third of steel consumption are some of the prominent factors fueling the growth of flat steel market over the forecast period. However, the high fixed cost of blast furnace production process have a severely adverse impact on the profitability of steel manufacturers, and fluctuation in product price may limiting the growth of the flat steel market during the forecast period. For Instance, In February 2017, the average price of flat steel in Asian market was increased by around US$25 per ton compared to previous month.Flat Steel Market: SegmentationThe flat steel market has been classified by product type, production process, and end user.Based on product type, the flat steel market is segmented into the following:SheetsCold Rolled CoilHot Rolled CoilGalvanized CoilPlatesBased on the production process, the flat steel market is segmented into the following:Blast Furnace (BF)Electric Arc Furnace (EAF)Based on the end user, the flat steel market is segmented into the following:AppliancesAutomobileConstructionTransportationAgriculture EquipmentShipbuildingOthersFlat Steel Market: OverviewFlat steel market revenue is expected to grow at a rapid growth rate, over the forecast period. The market is anticipated to perform well in the near future owing to the low cost of cold rolled steel sheets compared to hot rolled sheets and expanding industrialization. Moreover, increasing public sector expenditure and the rise in infrastructure investments are some of the factors that can propel the market revenue growth of flat steel soon. Based on product type, sheets segment is projected to lead the global flat steel market over the forecast period attributed to the extensive use of hot rolled steel sheets for the development of the major sized structures such as heavy equipment, construction, and railroads, and high malleable property. On the other hand, the cold rolled sheets are a finished form of the sheet used when a surface finishing is required automotive parts. The cold steel is processed in cold reduction mills at room temperature along with tempers rolling which make steel closer dimensional tolerance, improve surface finish, and enhance the tensile strength.Flat Steel Market: Region-wise OutlookDepending on the geographic region, flat steel market is divided into seven key regions: North America, Eastern Europe, Latin America, Western Europe, Japan, Asia-Pacific, and the Middle East & Africa. North America dominates the flat steel market followed by Europe, and Japan is owing to expanding automotive output, high adoption of oil and gas tubular, and government initiatives. The market in Asia Pacific and Japan is expected to grow at significant CAGR owing to expanding construction and automobile industry, the presence of prominent players in these regions. Additionally, increasing exports of steel from developing countries such as India which has escalated by 78% during April 2016 to February 2017 are the factors which are anticipated to drive the growth of flat steel market throughout the forecast period.Get Sample Copy of this Report @Flat Steel Market: Key PlayersSome of the prominent players in the flat steel market are ArcelorMittal S.A., Allegheny Technologies Inc., Zeeco Metals, Inc., SSAB AB, Clingan Steel, Inc., United States Steel Corporation, AK Steel Holding Corporation, Hascall Steel Co., Essar Group ThyssenKrupp AG, Posco Co. Ltd., Precision Brand Products, Inc., Johnson Bros. Metal Forming Co., Voestalpine AG, Jindal Steel and Power Limited, JSW Steel Ltd., Tata Steel Limited, Nippon Steel & Sumitomo Metal Corp, Hyundai Steel Co., and Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL), and many more.About UsPersistence Market Research (PMR) is a third-platform research firm. Our research model is a unique collaboration of data analytics and market research methodology to help businesses achieve optimal performance.To support companies in overcoming complex business challenges, we follow a multi-disciplinary approach. At PMR, we unite various data streams from multi-dimensional sources. By deploying real-time data collection, big data, and customer experience analytics, we deliver business intelligence for organizations of all sizes.Contact UsPersistence Market Research305 Broadway7th Floor, New York City,NY 10007, United States,Telephone - +1-646-568-7751USA  Canada Toll Free: 800-961-0353Email: sales@persistencemarketresearch.comWeb:Global CMOS Power Amplifier Market Investigation, Growth Analysis & Future Prospects till 2026

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With rapid development and adoption of 4G wireless communication, performance requirements have increased due to the rising need for increased bandwidth and quicker data speeds. CMOS power amplifier is recognized as a prominent solution to meet the need for low cost, low power and high capacity of 4G technology. A new research report titled as CMOS Power Amplifier Market: Global Industry Analysis and Opportunity Assessment, 20162026 has been recently added to the huge portfolio of Market Research Reports Search Engine (MRRSE). This report covers the important factors driving the growth of the global CMOS power amplifier market, untapped opportunities for market players in this market, trends and developments influencing the dynamics of the global CMOS power amplifier market and other insights across various segments.Request for Sample Copy of CMOS Power Amplifier Market Report @The global CMOS power amplifier market will grow at an impressive CAGR of 16.6% between 2016 and 2026. Rising at this pace, the market is likely to reach a valuation of nearly US$ 5000 million by the end of 2026 from US$ 1100 million in 2016. The report begins with an overview of the global CMOS power amplifier market in terms of value. It further includes analysis of key trends, drivers, challenges and restraints from the supply, demand and economy perspective, which are impacting the global CMOS power amplifier market. Impact analysis of key growth drivers and restraints on the basis of the weighted average model is included to facilitate readers with relevant decision-making insights. The report segregates the market based on module, application and region. Based on module, the major market segments are GSM/EDGE, UMTS, LTE, CDMA 2000, TD-SCDMA and FOMA. A detailed analysis is provided for every segment in terms of market size for CMOS power amplifiers across the various regions.The final section of the report is devoted to the study of the competitive landscape to provide readers with a dashboard view. This section is primarily intended to provide detailed comparative analysis of key vendors specific to a market segment in the global CMOS power amplifier value chain. The report includes segment-specific vendor insights to identify and evaluate major competitors based on an in-depth assessment of capabilities and success in the global market. Detailed profiles of providers are included in the report to evaluate their long-term and short-term strategies, key offerings and major recent developments in the global CMOS power amplifier market. Some of the key players profiled in the report include Qualcomm Technologies, Inc., Skyworks Solutions, Inc., Toshiba Corporation, Broadcom Ltd., ACCO Semiconductor, Inc., DSP GROUP, Murata Manufacturing Co. Ltd., Qorvo, Inc. and Texas Instruments Inc.Read Detailed Index of full Research Study at:About MRRSEMarket Research Reports Search Engine (MRRSE) is an industry-leading database of market intelligence reports. MRRSE is driven by a stellar team of research experts and advisors trained to offer objective advice. Our sophisticated search algorithm returns results based on the report title, geographical region, publisher, or other keywords.MRRSE partners exclusively with leading global publishers to provide clients single-point access to top-of-the-line market research. MRRSEs repository is updated every day to keep its clients ahead of the next new trend in market research, be it competitive intelligence, product or service trends or strategic consulting.ContactState Tower90, State StreetSuite 700Albany, NY - 12207United StatesTelephone: +1-518-730-0559Email: sales@mrrse.comWebsite:Global Set to Digital Freight Brokerage Market Record Exponential Growth by 2025

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A latest research report titled as Digital Freight Brokerage Market - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends, and Forecast 2017 - 2025 has been recently added to the vast portfolio of Market Research Reports Search Engine (MRRSE) online research offerings. This report is a professional and in-depth analysis on the present state and future prospect for the global market. It provides valuable information to the industry insiders, potential entrants or investors. It includes an exhaustive enquiry with the reliability of logic and the comprehensiveness of contents.Click here For Free Sample Report @The freight brokering industry, in which freight brokers match shippers to the carriers, has been around for quite a while now. However, emergence of digital freight broker companies in the recent past have revolutionized the industry.Currently, the competition in the relatively new digital freight brokerage market is moderate. However, in the years ahead, the competition will likely intensify on account of the foray of numerous solution providers.Serving to boost the global digital freight brokerage market is the rising uptake of sophisticated smartphones, improved wireless connectivity, and advantages accorded by digital platforms such as better efficiency and reduced costs. This helps to save time and the brokerage money too. In the traditional freight brokerage market, carriers and the loads are forced to remain idle till the deal is finalized by brokers through phone or mail.A noticeable trend in the global digital freight brokerage market is the technological progress. However, a drawback is the upfront capital required for building the software. Once the company is up and running, there are some logistic hurdles to overcome as well.Being in a nascent state, the growth prospects in the global digital freight brokerage market is high. A research study by Transparency Market Research projects the market to expand at a mind-boggling 61.7% CAGR during the period between 2017 and 2025. Expanding at this pace, it will likely attain a value of US$10,964.3 mn by 2025 from US$144.5 mn.Full Utilization of Cargo Space in Trucking Industry Will Propel Road Transport SegmentDepending upon the mode of transportation, the global market for digital freight brokerage can be segmented into roadway, seaway, airway, and railway. Among them, the segment of road transportation is slated to expand considerably in the forecast period and also rake in maximum revenue. This is because of the rising use of digital applications to avoid hefty brokerage fees and desire to utilize unutilized cargo space in trucking industry.Browse Full Report with TOC @When it comes to industry verticals, the main sections of the global market for digital freight brokerage are automotive, food and beverages, manufacturing, retail and e-commerce, healthcare, and others such as aerospace and defense. Of these, the retail and ecommerce sector is expected to contribute the most to the market. Proliferation of organized retail in the upcoming years, particularly in the fast expanding large economies of India and China, will drive the market in Asia Pacific.North America Dominates Global Market due to Presence of Key PlayersFrom a geographical standpoint, North America accounts of maximum revenue share in the global digital freight brokerage market at present. The expansion in the region is being primarily driven by the U.S., which is home to a copious number of players. The high demand in the region is also serving to boost demand. The revenue in the region is slated to become US$4.70 bn by 2025-end. Vis-a-vis growth rate, however, Asia Pacific is forecasted to outshine all other regions by registering a 64.4% CAGR from 2017 to 2025, mainly on the back of uptake of digital freight brokerage in India, China, and Japan.Europe is another key market which is predicted to rise at 62.6% CAGR to become worth US$3.478 bn by 2025.Key players in the global market for digital freight brokerage are Echo Global Logistics Inc., Coyote Logistics, Transfix, LLC, Convoy, Cargomatic Inc., Trucker Path Inc., J.B. Hunt Transport, Inc., Cargocentric Inc., Uber Freight and TGMatrix Limited.Enquire about this Report @About Market Research Reports Search EngineMarket Research Reports Search Engine (MRRSE) is an industry-leading database of Market Research Reports. MRRSE is driven by a stellar team of research experts and advisors trained to offer objective advice. Our sophisticated search algorithm returns results based on the report title, geographical region, publisher, or other keywords.MRRSE partners exclusively with leading global publishers to provide clients single-point access to top-of-the-line market research. MRRSEs repository is updated every day to keep its clients ahead of the next new trend in market research, be it competitive intelligence, product or service trends or strategic consulting.Contact UsState Tower90, State StreetSuite 700Albany, NY - 12207United States Telephone: +1-518-730-0559Email: sales@mrrse.comWebsite:Read More Industry News At:New on Plesk Onyx: SEO, AI on WordPress, Performance and Security

Plesk Onyx version 17.8

Plesk introduces the brand-new Plesk Onyx major update at CloudFest, a world-leading conference geared toward the cloud, hosting, and service provider industries.Schaffhausen, Switzerland and Rust, Germany - March 12, 2018 - Plesk designed their innovative platform especially for web professionals, digital agencies, and service providers. They provide online businesses of any size with the right tools to simplify their daily operations. Today, they release the new Plesk Onyx with enhancements in four key areas: SEO, Site Performance, Server Security, and WordPress Smart Updates with the help of AI.Your visibility is our responsibilityGetting found with the help of search engine optimization (SEO) is a key success factor for all online businesses. Its not easy competing for rankings with so much keyword competition and full transparency for customers. Your users are smart - they know what to look for and how to get it.So, you need to stand out from the crowd if you hope to accelerate your online sales. Thats why Plesk Onyx v17.8 now integrates its own SEO Toolkit, helping your form and execute your SEO strategy. By enabling you to monitor your keyword rankings and benchmark yourself against your competitors  all from one place.Check out the SEO Toolkit for free to explore more premium features, like the Logfile Analyzer and Competitor Analysis.Performance and Security are keyMore and more web professionals enter the community with a broad range of skill levels. However, server and infrastructure management still slips through the cracks. To bridge these gaps and guide you, the team created Plesk Advisor.Now, no matter your skill level, you can boost your web projects with state-of-the-art security and performance settings in your corner. No need to be a server guru or security expert because Plesk Advisor shares the best practices with the entire web pro community around the globe. Just follow the recommended actions and fix all detected gaps grouped by sections with just a few clicks.With Plesk Advisor, you get: HTTP/2 to speed up all your hosted websites loading times. Security alerts for early warnings about potential reliability and security issues. Plesk Advisor will analyze and compare your server configuration to thousands of live servers around the world. The Google Authenticator Extension to enable two-factor authentication for extra protection around user accounts. Non-disruptive Kernel updates to protect your server against security flaws and vulnerabilities with zero downtime. Because it installs Linux kernel updates without rebooting the server. SSL/TLS Certificates because a trusted Certificate Authority not only adds to your security, but also boosts your customers confidence in your business. The Secure CMS to automatically and safely remove malware and patch vulnerabilities in most common content management systems (CMS) like WordPress, Joomla! and Drupal.Have Artificial Intelligence update your WordPressHardly any other technology is changing lives more than AI nowadays. We have machines steadily getting better at learning and processing info, similar to and sometimes even faster than, humans. Naturally, we got in on the action and found a way to automate WordPress using Smart Updates, powered by AI.WordPress takes the cake for being the most popular CMS to build websites. Thus, a preferred target for malicious attacks. Although there are many WordPress security plugins out there, it still remains a primary concern for the WordPress community.Using AI, the new Smart Updates feature helps mitigate these attacks by keeping your plugins, themes and WP core up to date. Smart Updates runs a staged simulation to analyze and verify the compatibility of each available update, comparing the before-after screenshots to check for differences, before applying the update to your production environment.Machine Learning is not the future, its already here, says Nils Hueneke, CEO at Plesk. AI will transform major parts of the internet. From doing rudimentary update tasks and helping to secure websites, it might someday automate security operations of an entire web presence.Jan Loeffler, Plesk CTO, adds Were thrilled to announce that WordPress Toolkit on Plesk Onyx 17.8 uses machine learning based artificial intelligence to check if the WordPress update procedure is likely to break something. And it's all done without breaking the production site.With the Plesk WordPress Toolkit, youll get: Overview and manage all your WordPress sites from one dashboard Singularly or mass-execute updates to the WordPress core, themes or plugins Stage, clone, sync, update, migrate and execute other complex tasks with one click. No more stressed-out dev teams, no more high-risk activities and no more cowboy coding Hardens your site by default, further enhanced with the Toolkits security scanner. No security expertise necessary.Available on Plesk Onyx version 17.8 only: New interface for managing WordPress instances, getting a faster and focused WordPress Toolkit experience Smart Updates: WordPress updates will be analyzed by a machine learning based Artificial Intelligence to ensure the update procedure wont break the production site Configuration of caching for WordPress instances can be easily done witha single clickFind your fit with the new Plesk Onyx version 17.8Were a leading WebOps and Web Hosting platform for a reason. Want to effortlessly build projects, secure against vulnerabilities and automate daily tasks  all in a days work? Then let us help!About Plesk:Plesk is the leading WebOps platform to run, automate and scale applications, websites and hosting businesses. Plesk is running on more than 380,000 servers, automating over 11 million websites and 19 million mailboxes. Available in more than 32 languages across 140 countries, more than 50 percent of the top 100 service providers worldwide are partnering with Plesk.Where can you get Plesk? Visit either one of our 2.500+ hosting partners, or find us on Amazon Web Services, Microsoft Azure, Google Cloud, Alibaba Cloud and Vultr.Plesk International GmbHVordergasse 598200 SchaffhausenSwitzerlandPresscontact Jan Loffler, CTO Plesk, jan@plesk.com, ++49 1632696923Triacetin Market is Progressing Towards a Strong Growth by 2025

https://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/toc/16684

https://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/samples/16684

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Triacetin is a chemical compound, also known as glycerine triacetate. The IUPAC name of triacetin is 2,3-diacetyloxypropyl acetate. It can be prepared in laboratory and naturally it occurs in cod-liver oil i.e. in fishes etc. Triacetin is also approved as GRAS i.e. Generally Recognized As Safe by the Food and Drug Association (FDA).MARKET DYNAMICSTriacetin has increasing demand because of its versatile properties and various advantages such as its compatibility with natural and synthetic rubber, triacetin can dissolve many organic substances into it, triacetin can solidify cellulose fibres of acety, triacetin has resistance for light, triacetin can plasticize cellulose-based paints. Triacetin has hazardous impact when exposed to eyes and skin. Triacetins inhalation and ingestion is also injurious to vital organs of the body.Other hazards from any substance or product containing Triacetin is that it easily catches fire and is explosive in nature. The development of biodiesel is an opportunity for triacetin manufacturing companies; as triacetin is one of the major components for preparation of biodiesel.Request for Table of Contents @With constant increase in global warming and harmful emissions from vehicles, number of respiratory disorders are increasing in humans. Triacetin is one of the major component of drugs and medicines used to treat and fight such disorders.There is a rising demand for triacetin manufactured from non GMO i.e. Genetically Modified Organism products, thereby making triacetin safer for food, beverages, packaging, pharmaceutical and many other applications.SEGMENTATION OVERVIEW:On the basis of applicationFood Industry: Triacetin is used as a leavening agent to promote fermentation in baked foods. Another use of triacetin is as an emulsifier to promote emulsification in dairy products. Triacetin is also used as a plasticizer in bubble gums or chewing gums. It is also used as a food additive in hard candy.Beverage industry: Triacetin is used as a flavor enhancer to enhance flavors as an emulsifier to promote emulsification.Pharmaceuticals: Triacetin is used largely used to as an anti-fungal agent to inhibit fungal infections. It is also used as a plasticizer to plastify capsules and coat tablets. Catalysis of various chemical reactions.Cosmetics: Triacetin is used as a humectant to maintain moisture in the cosmetics. It is used as a plsticizer in nail colors to plastify them. Also used for preparing fragrances for perfumes and deodorants. It is also used as a luminant in hair dyes and colors.Textile industry: Synthesis of chemicals like Optical Brightening Agents (OBAs), Flourescent Brightening Agents (FBAs) or Flourscent Whitening Agents (FWAs) which are further used in preparation of-Fabric whitenersFiber whitenersTextile whitenersMetals and mining: Triacetin is used as a core sand binder in the metal-foundry. It is also used in processing of metals after they are extracted from their ores.Packaging: Triacetin is used for manufacture of adhesives.Triacetin is used in various other industries as well. For example as a binder in cigarette filters to plastify and solidify. Triacetin is also used as a gelatinizng agent in explosives.On the basis of chemical type:Triacetin is used as an emulsifier, plasticizer, humectant, solvent, leavening agent, stabilizaer agent, binding agent etc. based on its different chemical properties.Get Sample Copy of this Report @Few of the market players are as follows:Anhui Hongyang Chemical Co. Ltd.Jinlong Technolgy Group Co. Ltd.Shanghai Innojade International Co. LtdEastman Chemical CompanyEmery OleochemicalsPolynt CompositesLanxess Energizing ChemistryRubexco Chemical ImportsHenkel AG & CoZhonglan Industry Co. Ltd.Daicel CorporationMultichem Specialities Pvt. Ltd.REGIONAL OVERVIEW:Based on the geographic, global triacetin market is segmented into seven key regions namely North America, Latin America, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, Asia Pacific, Japan, and Middle East & Africa. Among the aforementioned regions, North America is expected to dominate the triacetin market over the forecast period. In North American countries such as in U.S. & Canada, industries such as paper & pulp, personal care, pharmaceuticals, food and beverage are growing and hence giving a traction to triacetin market. The Indian sub-continent especially China followed by India are emerging manufacturers as well exporters of triacetin around the globe. From India, triacetin is exported to Netherlands, UK, Malaysia, Japan, Portugal, Israel etc.About UsPersistence Market Research (PMR) is a third-platform research firm. Our research model is a unique collaboration of data analytics and market research methodology to help businesses achieve optimal performance.To support companies in overcoming complex business challenges, we follow a multi-disciplinary approach. At PMR, we unite various data streams from multi-dimensional sources. By deploying real-time data collection, big data, and customer experience analytics, we deliver business intelligence for organizations of all sizes.Contact UsPersistence Market Research305 Broadway7th Floor, New York City,NY 10007, United States,Telephone - +1-646-568-7751USA  Canada Toll Free: 800-961-0353Email: sales@persistencemarketresearch.comWeb:Biomaterial Coating Market- Trends, Outlook, and Opportunity Analysis, 20162024

https://www.coherentmarketinsights.com/insight/request-sample/249

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Biomaterials are biological materials that are implanted into the body to replace missing tissue or repair the tissue or as part of implanted medical device. The metals are implanted into body during various treatments, however, this implantation sometimes generate intrinsic problems like corrosion and toxicity etc. To address these issues, biomaterial are used for coating the metal surface, which improves performance of the metal and avoids the issues related with implantation of metals.The biomaterial coating have various applications in orthopedic, cardiovascular, plastic surgery, dental, neurology, tissue engineering, wound healing, and ophthalmology. The failure rate of medical implantation is very high, which is around 40% only in hip implants. These failures occur due to formation of biofilm during first time of insertion of implant into the body. These biofilms a group of microorganisms that stick to the implant and prevent the healthy cells from attaching to the implant, which results in rejection of the implant by the body. Currently, antibacterial silver coating is widely used for implants, which are expected to favor the biomaterial coating market over the forecast period. However, excessive concentration of silver can kill mammalian cells and in turn be toxic to humans. Biomaterial coating helps reduce these failures by inhibiting bacterial growth and attracting healthy cells towards the implant.Biomaterials may be natural or created in laboratory and they mimic the function of human tissue. These factors are leading to increasing traction of the biomaterial coating market. Biomaterials may also be subjected to surface treatment it to change its surface chemistry or topography by addition of materials with desirable functions or removal of substance that are not suitable for the particular implantation process. Also, through surface modification, the performance of biomaterial can be increased. It is an inexpensive process as only the surface of biomaterial is modified. So, overall surface treatment is mainly increases the biocompatibility of the biomaterial. No any fixed treatment is followed for surface modification, as it can be altered as per the application and function of the biomaterial. The properties of the biomaterial may vary depending on various factors such as component design, coating thickness, and process temperature.Get The Holistic SAMPLE With TOC:Biomaterial coating market taxonomy:Global Market by Type of MaterialMetallicPolymersCeramicNatural BiomaterialsGlobal Market by ApplicationOrthopedicCardiovascularPlastic SurgeryDentalWound HealingTissue EngineeringNeurologicalOthersGastrointestinalBariatric SurgeryUrinaryDrug Delivery SystemsGlobal Market by GeographyNorth AmericaEuropeAPACLatin AmericaMiddle EastAfricaIncreasing demand and intrinsic problems related to implanting metal will lead biomaterial coating market towards positive direction in the near futureDifferent types of biomaterial are used for different application. Among metallic types of biomaterials, gold, stainless steel, cobalt-chrome alloys, silver, titanium & titanium alloys, and platinum. Polymer biomaterial coating includes polyethylene, polyvinyl chloride, polymethylmethacrylate, polyester, nylon, silicone rubber and polyetheretherketone. The ceramic type of biomaterials include glass, zirconia, calcium sulphate, calcium phosphate, carbon and aluminum oxide. The collagen & gelatin, cellulose, hyaluronic acid, alginate, fibrin, chitin and silk type of biomaterial comes under natural type of biomaterials. Metallic segment accounts for larges market share, owing to its wide application and relatively easy processing.The growth factors behind the increasing biomaterial coating industry are government support, technological advancements, increased research, rising number of implantation which is supported by increasing population.Biomaterials coating market is projected to witness double-digit compound annual growth rate during the forecast period (2017-2024). The North America region holds the largest share of the worldwide biomaterials market, followed by Europe and Asia Pacific, respectively.Blood compatibility issues in cardiovascular biomaterials and stringent safety and validation regulations are some of the key inhibiting factors in the global biomaterial coating market.Some are the leading players in the market are Wright Medical Group N.V., Royal DSM (Koninklijke DSM N.V.), Zimmer Biomet, Corbion (CSM N.V.), Bayer AG, Covalon Technologies Ltd., Carpenter Technology Corporation (CRS Holdings Inc), Evonik Industries AG, BASF SE, CAM Bioceramics BV, Invibio, Berkeley Advanced Biomaterials, Inc. and Collagen Matrix, Inc.Get More Details On this Report:Catch us at 3rd International Conference on Separation + Drying Technologies for Milk & Whey at Cologne, March 19 and 20, 2018About Coherent Market Insights:Coherent Market Insights is a prominent market research and consulting firm offering action-ready syndicated research reports, custom market analysis, consulting services, and competitive analysis through various recommendations related to emerging market trends, technologies, and potential absolute dollar opportunity.Contact Us:Mr.ShahCoherent Market Insights1001 4th Ave,#3200Seattle, WA 98154Tel: +1-206-701-6702Email:sales@coherentmarketinsights.comVisit our news Website:Gynecological Devices Market: Leading Players Strive to Introduce Novel Products to Up Share

https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=S&rep_id=613

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https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/gynecological-devices-market.html

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The global gynecological devices market is marked by a fragmented business landscape as top players mostly cater to the demand in regional markets. This leaves ample room for new companies to foray into the market and focus on niche market segments, says a new report by Transparency Market Research (TMR). The top three companies, namely Boston Scientific Corporation, Olympus Corporation, and Cooper Surgical held over 25.5% revenue of the overall market in 2014. Leading players in the market are vying to serve the demand for innovative products and non-invasive devices that will help expand their market share. Increasing number of patients seeking medical help for women-centric health issues, especially in developing countries is likely to open vast opportunities for vendors in the global gynecological devices market.Request for Sample Copy of Report @While currently, regional and small players account for a significant share in the overall market, increasing entry barriers are limiting new companies to enter the market. Stringent regulations and long hauls for product approval are also limiting the entry of new companies. Furthermore, an insufficient number of venture capitalists willing to provide funding in the gynecological devices sector is posing challenges for new companies to enter this market.The TMR report estimates the global gynecological devices market to rise at a CAGR of 4.8% for the forecast period between 2015 and 2023, for the market to become worth US$22.5 bn vis-a-vis revenue by 2023-end. The opportunities in the market translated into a revenue of US$14.9 bn in 2014. By device type, gynecological surgical devices accounted for the leading market share in 2014 and is expected to continue to lead over the forecast timeframe. North America, among the key regions, led the gynecological devices market in 2014. Early adoption of advanced devices will lead the region to maintain its lead position until 2023.Increasing prevalence of gynecological disorders such as cervical cancer, menorrhagia, uterine fibroids, and a number of small ailments is the foremost factor driving the gynecological devices market. Rising availability of diagnostic services and rising awareness about therapeutics for gynecological diseases is displaying demand for gynecological devices in developing countries.Enquiry for discount on this report @Global health organizations and efforts of voluntary organizations for the betterment of women health in underdeveloped countries is also stoking demand for gynecological devices. These organizations conduct women health check-ups periodically for preventive care.In addition, modern lifestyle and personal and professional stress have also been key factors behind gynecological disorders. Women in urban areas tend to seek medical help for women-centric ailments that may impact the quality of life. This is fuelling the gynecological devices market. The growing population of elderly women is also a key factor stoking demand for gynecological devices.Increasing healthcare expenditure and efforts of governments in developing economies to improve women health is also providing a significant boost to the growth of gynecological devices market in these countries. Women health in these countries have drawn the attention of health departments that are conducting mass health programs and free check-up camps, especially for women of economically weak strata.Report Overview @Lastly, Increasing R&D initiatives by leading companies for the introduction of highly reliable and non-invasive devices is also stoking the growth of the gynecological devices market.About UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a market intelligence company, providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of analysts, researchers, and consultants, use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather, and analyze information. Our business offerings represent the latest and the most reliable information indispensable for businesses to sustain a competitive edge.Each TMR syndicated research report covers a different sector - such as pharmaceuticals, chemicals, energy, food & beverages, semiconductors, med-devices, consumer goods and technology. These reports provide in-depth analysis and deep segmentation to possible micro levels. With wider scope and stratified research methodology, TMRs syndicated reports strive to provide clients to serve their overall research requirement.US Office Contact90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:Increasing Portability and Newer Applications of Blood Gas and Electrolyte Analyzers Drive Overall Market Momentum

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https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/blood-gas-electrolyte-analyzers.html

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The competitive landscape of blood gas and electrolyte analyzer manufacturers is extremely consolidated, with the top three players taking up 75% of the total market value in 2014. Radiometer Medical ApS led the market at the time with over 41% of the market, followed by Siemens Healthcare and Instrumentation Laboratory. Radiometer Medical ApS has consistently held the top position in blood gas and electrolyte analyzer production and sales through a broad product portfolio and a high rate of market penetration.Request for Sample Copy of Report @A common trend shown by all top players in increasing their production and R&D efforts in point-of-care devices, according to Transparency Market Research. While these device types will not entirely replace the conventional tabletop analyzers, they will be used across a much wider application spectrum.The introduction of portable blood gas and electrolyte analyzers was one of the bigger steps taken for this market, explains a TMR analyst. It means that healthcare organizations can use them in ambulatory and other emergency care applications, rather than conventional use in high priority hospital care.It is only one of the major changes that have occurred in blood gas and electrolyte analyzer technology recent times. The adoption of point-of-case diagnosis in healthcare, for instance, has allowed these devices to attain an important position next to patient beds. Additionally, blood gas analyzers are becoming increasingly smarter and more synchronized, allowing them to help maintain patient record management a lot easier.One of the key restraints to the growth of blood gas and electrolyte analyzers still remains to be the use of badly calibrated blood gas analyzers, especially the portable ones. Their use by inexperienced non-laboratory personnel significantly increases the changes of the devices going without regular maintenance and recalibration, creating a large scope for error in diagnosis.Enquiry for discount on this report @Another issue that blood gas and electrolyte analyzer companies are struggling with is to resolve the issue of personnel using faulty samples. The two leading causes of misdiagnosis through blood gas and electrolyte analyzers is to use arterial blood with air bubbles or the use of mixed venous blood or even venous blood.North America held the leading revenue collection in 2014 and 2015. By the end of 2016, it is expected to cross US$605 mn, and is expected to progress at a CAGR of 9.86% between 2014 and 2023. This is the top growth rate among all geographical segments for blood gas and electrolyte analyzers and will therefore maintain its leading position till 2023.Combination analyzers and consumables are expected to contribute a huge chunk of revenue of blood gas and electrolyte analyzer players by being propelled at high CAGRs. Revenue generation of consumables such as electrolytes and electrodes is expanding at a strong CAGR of 13.02% from 2015 to 2013.Report Overview @The global blood gas and electrolyte analyzer revenue generation is expected to expand at a CAGR of 9.66% between 2015 and 2023. The total revenue expected by the end of 2016 is around US$1.8 bn. By the end of 2023, this market is expected to reach US$3.4 bn.About UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a market intelligence company, providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of analysts, researchers, and consultants, use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather, and analyze information. Our business offerings represent the latest and the most reliable information indispensable for businesses to sustain a competitive edge.Each TMR syndicated research report covers a different sector - such as pharmaceuticals, chemicals, energy, food & beverages, semiconductors, med-devices, consumer goods and technology. These reports provide in-depth analysis and deep segmentation to possible micro levels. With wider scope and stratified research methodology, TMRs syndicated reports strive to provide clients to serve their overall research requirement.US Office Contact90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:Aleekia the unique Dress only fashion brand for kids now available at noon.com

www.noon.com

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Aleekia is a leading online name in the kid's fashion scene globally. The store is offering trendy and stylish designer kids clothing for both girls and boys starting from the newly born up to 8 years, clothing that can never be gotten anywhere else.The Kids of today are really conscious when it comes to clothes and fashion. The rise of social media, influence of celebrities and increasing popularity of the "mini-me" trend has seen children's clothing evolve into trend-led products. Parents are relally having a hard time in finding perfect fashionable clothes for their smart kids today. Aleekia understands the tiny tots are really fashion conscious these days which make it difficult for the parents to impress the little ones with their expected style and fashion. Thus, as the name implies, it came up online with its fantastic selection of amazing little clothes exclusively from apparently unreachable famous designers.When founders Soumen Biswas and Swati Biswas was desperately looking for an elegant dress for their daughter Aleeka at best shop in the city and did not get it, they immediately discovered and felt the gap in the market of beautiful dresses for the fashion conscious kids. More importantly, they also agreed on how a kid's fashion brand should work with today's well aware kids."Aleekia is a unique Dress only fashion brand for kids. Taking our name from a word meaning "beautiful ornament," we recognize that dress is more than just an article of clothing: it is a statement." Soumen Biswas, CEO- Aleekia & Founder, said.Though parents are the main purchasers, kids hold a lot of sway in shaping their buying decisions. Children are more aware of designer and luxury brands, exposed to fashion media and changing trends. With this heightened fashion awareness among kids and parents alike, Aleekia as a name that stands for staying beautiful and outstanding fashion satisfies this need by offering trend setting styles, and good quality kids clothe for all occasions which will wear well through time.Currently, there are no other premium high street Kids wear brand that provides trendy and elegant dresses for every occasion, which, at the same time, combine luxurious quality, a strong brand identity and an attractive price as the company.Aleekia is available Now in middle east throughand products can be found at Aleekia Store. For more information, please go tosend an email to info@aleekia.comGC Apparel specializes in SMALL QUANTITY, FAST FASHION and Product RE-ENGINEERING for online retailers only.1138 Chang an Road, shanghaiAuto Injectors Market: Global Market Estimation, Dynamics, Regional Share, Trends, Competitor Analysis 2012-2016 and Forecast 2017-2023

Auto Injectors Market

https://www.precisionbusinessinsights.com/market-reports/global-auto-injectors-market/#ulp-4H8Z4LpNMLEuOnnx

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Auto Injector is a medical device that is used to self-inject dose of drug, typically life-saving drugs. Auto injector keeps the needle tip covered before to inject and also has a safety mechanism to prevent accidental injection. Auto injectors are gaining importance these days to manage the severe conditions like anaphylaxis, rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis, and others. Most of the auto injectors are single dose and spring loaded syringes. The site of injection depends upon the drug loaded. Auto-Injectors are easy to use and intended for self-administration by patients or any other care taker or personnel at home.Global auto injectors market is mainly driven by increase in incidence of the life threatening conditions such as anaphylaxis, multiple sclerosis and other food allergies that need an emergency medication. In addition, advancements in auto injectors like introduction of jet injectors, growing home healthcare segment, and increase in demand for the self-injectors expected to bolster the market growth. Furthermore, new formulations, new drug delivery systems, and advancements in targeted drug delivery systems, favourable government policies are expected to boost the auto injectors market. Many biologics are administered as intravenously hence, many manufacturers are adopting auto injectors for the life-saving biologics. However, stringent regulatory requirements, recent product recalls, and presence of substitute products are hampering the global auto injectors market.A sample of this report is available upon request @Auto injectors market has been segmented based on type, technology, usability, distribution channel, and applicationBased on type, auto injectors market is segmented into Fillable Pre-FilledBased on technology, auto injectors market is segmented into Automated ManualBased on usability, auto injectors market is segmented into Disposable ReusableBased on application, auto injectors market is segmented into Anaphylaxis Rheumatoid Arthritis Multiple Sclerosis OthersBased on distribution channel, auto injectors market is segmented into Hospitals Retail Pharmacies Online Pharmacies OthersTo view TOC of this report is available upon request @Auto injector manufacturers are diversifying the product portfolio by introducing low-cost auto injector products, incorporate advanced features into products, and with new product launches. For instance, Mylan N.V. introduced generic version of epipen by reducing the price to half of its original product price. Initial pack of two was sold at US$ 600 until December 2016 that will be sold at US$ 300 from January 2017. Bayer AG introduced betaconnect, an electronic auto injector to treat relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis in 2016. Companies are actively involved in collaborations, and taking license agreements for auto injectors technology. In September 2016, Aptar Pharma (AptarGroup, Inc.) collaborated with Becton, Dickinson and Company (BD) to develop auto injector using prefillable syringes from BD and Aptar Pharmas two-step auto-injector technology.Geographically auto injectors market segmented into following regions viz. North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Latin America, and Middle East & Africa. North America expected to be a major market due to prevalence of anaphylaxis, favourable reimbursement policies and increase in healthcare expenditure. In Europe region, growth of auto injectors market is due to consumers shift from hospital based treatment to home care. Countries like China and India have huge growth potential due to increase in healthcare awareness, expenditure and regulatory initiatives to prevent needle stick injuries. However, various initiatives have been taken by World Health Organization (WHO) and regulatory agencies of the countries globally to create healthcare awareness and accelerate the adoption rate of auto-injectors in the Asia-Pacific region. The Middle East and Africa auto injectors market is expected to gain lucrative growth owing to increase in incidences of anaphylaxis and needle stick injuries due to poor healthcare practices in countries like South Africa.Need more information about this report @Some of the players in auto injectors market are Becton, Dickinson and Company (U.S), Sanofi (France), Pfizer, Inc. (U.S.), Mylan N.V. (U.S.), Novartis AG (Switzerland), Bayer AG (Switzerland) , Johnson and Johnson Services Inc., (Janssen Global Services) (U.S.), Antares Pharma, Inc. (U.S.), Amgen Inc. (U.S.) and Eli Lilly and Company (U.S) to name a few.About Precision Business InsightsPrecision Business Insights is one of the leading market research and business consulting firm, which follow a holistic approach to solve needs of the clients. We adopt and implement proven research methodologies to achieve better results. We help our clients by providing actionable insights and strategies to make better decisions. We provide consulting, syndicated and customised market research services based on our client needs.Contact to Precision Business Insights,Kemp House,152  160 City Road,London EC1V 2NXEmail: sales@precisionbusinessinsights.comToll Free (US): +1-866-598-1553Feed Phytogenics Market: Global Market Estimation, Dynamics, Regional Share, Trends, Competitor Analysis 2012-2016 and Forecast 2017-2023

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Feed phytogenic are the several varieties of plant derived products like spices, herbs which are used as animal feed for the better performance of livestock. Feed phytogenics have antioxidant property and protects feed lipids from the oxidative damage. Other benefits of feed phytogenics are antiviral, antifungal, antimicrobial etc. Feed phytogenic are available in ground or dried forms or like essential oils or extracts.Intense practice of selective breeding and growing awareness among the consumers regarding quality of the meat and increased consumption of meat around the world are the major driving factors of the market. Furthermore, growing demand for nutritive feed, increasing number of livestock, sustainable animal nutrition products, growing management of feed operating costs are expected to improve revenue share of the feed phytogenics. However, lack of efficacy of these products because of their complex nature and unpleasant taste and odour will hamper the growth of the feed phytogenics market.A sample of this report is available upon request @The feed phytogenic market is classified on the basis of type, livestock, function and geography.Based on type, feed phytogenics market is segmented as Oleoresins Essential oils Herbs & spicesBased on livestock, feed phytogenics market is segmented as Ruminants Swine Equine Poultry Canine Faline AquaticsBased on function, feed phytogenics market is segmented as Palatability enhancers Performance enhancersTo view TOC of this report is available upon request @Feed phytogenics market is less concentrated and moderately competitive because of the presence of few firms. Companies are adopting various growth strategies such as new product developments and launches, acquisitions, collaborations, agreements etc. to ensure their presence in the market. Palatability enhancers are attaining significant position in feed phytogenics as they have high influence in enhancing the intake of food in animals. The use of essential oils as feed phytogenics in animal feed is increasing due to antibiotic growth promoters are banned as feed additives in EU since 2006 and by U.S.FDA by December 2016.Need more information about this report @On the basis of geographical regions, feed phytogenics market is classified as into five key regions as Europe, Asia- Pacific, North America, Middle East & Africa and Latin America. APAC region is projected to acquire relatively high market share in feed phytogenics market globally owing to the continuous investments by the manufacturers to expand their geographical presence in emerging economies. Europe is anticipated to show rapid growth in feed phytogenics market due to ban of antibiotic feed additives by the European Union. North America is also experiencing rapid growth in production capacity of phytogenic feed as a rise demand for the poultry products.Few players in Feed Phytogenics Market are Dupont (U.S.), Cargill, Inc. (U.S.), Phytosynthese (France) , Kemin Industries, Inc. (U.S.), BIOMIN Holding GmbH (Austria.), Delacon Biotechnik GmbH (Austria), PANCOSMA SA (Switzerland), DOSTOFARM GmbH (Germany), Phytobiotics Futterzusatzstoffe GmbH (Germany), and A&A Pharmachem Inc. (Canada).Get access to full summary @About Precision Business InsightsPrecision Business Insights is one of the leading market research and business consulting firm, which follow a holistic approach to solve needs of the clients. We adopt and implement proven research methodologies to achieve better results. We help our clients by providing actionable insights and strategies to make better decisions. We provide consulting, syndicated and customised market research services based on our client needs.Contact to Precision Business Insights,Kemp House,152  160 City Road,London EC1V 2NXEmail: sales@precisionbusinessinsights.comToll Free (US): +1-866-598-1553Website @Elevation Gimbal System Market: Key Trends and Forecast Research Report 2025

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Tracking systems are used to measure the relative position and velocity of the target, which in turn, is monitored by keeping track of their future values. Elevation gimbal system is concerned with generation of targets angular position in the elevation and azimuth coordinates through continuous measurements.The elevation gimbal system incorporates a mirror that is used for characterization of precision optical sensors, target tracking and laser based qualification. The system provides high accuracy, movement and direct-reading rotary encoders over the full travel range due to features such as RV Series Rotation Stages.Read Report Overview @The major application of elevation gimbal system is in military and commercial use. In military use, elevation gimbal systems are used for missile guidance and fire control. Other than this, these tracking systems finds commercial usage in civilian airport traffic control depicting the incoming and departing airplanes.Elevation Gimbal System Market: DriversFor efficient & effective monitoring of the terrorists, a proper elevation gimbal system is a much necessary device. It will be more convenient for armies to fight with the terrorists using elevation gimbal systems. The aforementioned reason is expected to boost the demand for elevation gimbal system and thus in turn, propel the growth of elevation gimbal system market. Moreover, since its precise mechanical design, motion and fabrication control meet the requirements of customer, these features are anticipated to fuel the demand of elevation gimbal system market in near future.Elevation Gimbal System Market: RestraintsInaccuracy of device and its inability to work in critical environmental conditions remain as one of the major challenges to the elevation gimbal system market for target tracking. Further, high initial cost of the system is also restraining the growth of the elevation gimbal system market. These reasons are expected to hinder the growth of elevation gimbal system market.Elevation Gimbal System Market: SegmentationThe global elevation gimbal system market can be segmented on the basis of axis, operation type, weight, range, application and regions. On the basis of axis, the market can be segmented into single axis and double axis. On the basis of operation type, the global elevation gimbal system market can be segmented into manual operation and automatic operation. On the basis of weight, the market can be segmented into super lightweight (less than 1 lb), light weight (1 lb  10 lb), medium weight (10 lb -50 lb) and heavy weight (more than 50 lb).On the basis of range, the market can be segmented into long slant range and short slant range. On the basis of application, the global elevation gimbal system market can be segmented into defence and military and commercial vehicles. On the basis of regions, the global elevation gimbal system market can be segmented into North America, Asia Pacific excluding Japan, Latin America, Eastern Europe, Western Europe, Japan and Middle East & Africa.Elevation Gimbal System Market: Region wise OutlookBased on regions, North America is expected to be the most promising revenue generating region for global elevation gimbal system market. However, during the forecast period, this region is expected to witness sluggish growth owing to reduction in the defence budget of many countries.Asia Pacific is forecasted to witness significant growth in near future due to continuous increase in the defence budget of many countries. Moreover, China dominates the worlds in terms of troops. This, coupled with the increasing adoption of elevation gimbal system is expected to fuel the growth of elevation gimbal system market in APAC. Europe is expected to show steady growth over the forecast period. Middle East & Africa is anticipated to witness significant growth in near future.Request to View TOC and Sample of Research Report @About UsPersistence Market Research (PMR) is a third-platform research firm. Our research model is a unique collaboration of data analytics and market research methodology to help businesses achieve optimal performance.To support companies in overcoming complex business challenges, we follow a multi-disciplinary approach. At PMR, we unite various data streams from multi-dimensional sources. By deploying real-time data collection, big data, and customer experience analytics, we deliver business intelligence for organizations of all sizes.Contact UsPersistence Market Research305 Broadway7th Floor, New York City,NY 10007, United States,USA  Canada Toll Free: 800-961-0353Email: sales@persistencemarketresearch.comWeb:Boundary Scan Hardware Market: Worldwide Industry Analysis and New Market Opportunities Explored

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Boundary scan hardware market is gaining popularity in broad level electronics product manufacturing test applications. In recent years, boundary scan hardware has rapidly become the technology of choice for building reliable high technology electronic products with a high degree of testability. Due to availability of low cost and IC level access of capabilities of boundary scan hardware, use of boundary scan hardware products has expended beyond traditional board test application into product design and services. Because of increasing fault coverage boundary scan hardware are becoming essential in electronics product test applications. In addition, boundary scan hardware are used to reduce development and production costs, speeding test development through automation, and improving product quality.For more information about this Report visit @Boundary scan hardware provides a mean to test interconnects between integrated circuits on board without using physical test probes. Boundary scan hardware adds a boundary-scan cell that includes a multiplexer and latches to each pin on the devices.Boundary Scan Hardware market: Drivers and ChallengesThe major growth drivers of the Boundary Scan Hardware market include rise in demand from manufacturing industry, utility sector, power generation and mining. Increasing penetration of consumer electronic devices in various region is expected to drive the growth of global Boundary Scan Hardware market. In addition, rising demand from the developing countries is projected to fuel the growth of Boundary Scan Hardware over the forecast period.Major challenges of Boundary Scan Hardware market is excessive cost of products. In parallel, worldwide financial uncertainty and macroeconomic situations such as currency exchange rates and economic difficulties are some of the major factors which may hinder the growth of Boundary Scan Hardware market.Boundary Scan Hardware market: SegmentationSegmentation on the basis of End-user:Further Boundary Scan Hardware market is segmented on the basis of end-user. In now days Boundary Scan Hardware are used in various industrial applications. On the basis of end-user Boundary Scan Hardware market segmented as consumer electronics, manufacturing, healthcare, utility and others.Request to Sample of Report-Competition LandscapeKey PlayersSome of the major players in global Boundary Scan Hardware market are Cambridge Technology Group, Corelis, Texas Instruments, Intel Corporation, Intellitech Corporation, ASSET InterTech, Polaris Systems Engineering Co. Ltd., Ep-TeQ and Acculogic Inc.About UsPersistence Market Research (PMR) is a third-platform research firm. Our research model is a unique collaboration of data analytics and market research methodology to help businesses achieve optimal performance.Contact UsPersistence Market Research305 Broadway7th Floor, New York City,NY 10007, United States,USA  Canada Toll Free: 800-961-0353Email: sales@persistencemarketresearch.comWeb:Global Flat Panel Displays Market Pegged to Attain the Revenues Worth US$ 135 Mn by the end of 2020

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A latest research report titled as Global Market Study on Flat Panel Displays: Liquid Crystal Display(LCD) Segment Estimated to Remain Dominant Throughout the Forecast Period has been recently added to the vast portfolio of Market Research Reports Search Engine (MRRSE) online research offerings. This report is a professional and in-depth analysis on the present state and future prospect for the global market. It provides valuable information to the industry insiders, potential entrants or investors. It includes an exhaustive enquiry with the reliability of logic and the comprehensiveness of contents.Click here For Free Sample Report @Flat panel display, a thin, lightweight display, has been a consumer preference since the past few years. Applications of an FPD are more a commonplace in televisions, desktop monitors, laptops, digital cameras, smartphones, and other electronic devices. Superior to conventional CRTs, these flat panel displays gain a competitive edge owing to increased brightness, improved contrast settings, higher pixel resolution support, and lower power consumption. With flourishing consumer electronics industry, FPDs are currently witnessing dramatically high demand on a global level. PMR forecasts promising growth prospects for the global flat panel display market over a five-year forecast period 2015-2020.The global flat panel display market is pegged to attain the revenues worth US$ 135 Mn by the end of 2020. However, the growth of the global market for flat panel display will be moderate at a CAGR of 5.8% over a five-year forecast period 2015-2020. The market for FPD witnessed a slight decline in the last few years; however, PMR indicates steady recovery of the market through 2015 to 2020.Market DynamicsBrisk rebound in the prices of flat panel displays within the past few years has been a major factor that will continue to favor the growth of the global flat panel display market. Another strong driver propelling the demand for flat panel display is the exploding consumer electronics market. Rising demand for laptops, smartphones, high quality television sets, in addition to flat screen monitors in the automotive sector, will together accelerate the market growth over the forecast period. Moreover, the growth of consumer electronics sector spurs a parallel demand for HMI technology, which is again foreseen to escalate the need for flat panel displays.Siemens AG recently launched two new industrial flat panel (IFP) monitors with widescreen, IP650 protection, and capacitive multi-touch glass fronts. Introduction of such innovative FPD models will continue to push the flat panel display market further. In addition, emergence and promising adoption of superior technologies such as OLED over LCD will also accelerate the market growth during the forecast period. After 2K and 4K resolutions, the 8K UHD is anticipated to soon enter the mainstream market, eventually fostering the market for flat panel display. Besides electronics and automobiles, there has been a surge in discovery of various application of FPDs in the advertising industry as well as education field. This is expected to create new growth opportunities and support the market growth over the five-year forecast period.Browse Full Report with TOC @In addition to remarkable proliferation of mobile computing devices, advancements in semiconductor manufacturing technology will also play an important role in driving the flat panel display market ahead. The medical sector has also been increasingly using FPDs in order to address high resolution imaging requirement. This will provide a strong opportunity in the next few years. The flat panel display market is likely to be the most concentrated in emerging Asian countries, attributed to the major cluster of consumer electronics manufacturers in the APAC region. This will continue to boost the market growth to a large extent.Segment AnalysisThe global flat panel display market is segmented on the basis of technology and application. By technology, LCD (liquid crystal display) segment are estimated to remain the clear dominator with the revenues beyond US$ 116 Mn by 2020 end and over three-fourth of the market share as well. However, OLED (organic light emitting diode display) segment will witness the strongest CAGR over 2015-2020.Based on application, the global market for flat panel display is categorized into consumer electronics, automotive, and others i.e. healthcare, military, and defense. Consumer electronics application segment will remain dominant, whereas automotive application segment is likely to thrive at a higher CAGR during 2015-2020.Regional AnalysisGeographically, the global FPD market is classified into Americas, Europe, Asia Pacific (excluding Japan), Japan, and Middle East and Africa. APEJ is projected to continue dominance with more than 85% share of the entire market by 2020 end. This region will be led by China, which is the topmost manufacturer of consumer electronics. While APEJ is foreseen to expand at a CAGR of 6%, Japan  the second largest FPD market will witness a sluggish growth at a CAGR of 1.2% during 2015-2020. Europe and Americas are also predicted to see significant growth over the forecast period.Key Players AnalysisSome of the key players in the global flat panel display market include Sony Corporation, LG Display Co. Ltd., Panasonic Corporation, Sharp Corporation, Emerging Display Technologies Corp., Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd., Innolux Corp., AU Optronics Corporation, Universal Display Corporation, and Japan Display Inc.Enquire about this Report @About Market Research Reports Search EngineMarket Research Reports Search Engine (MRRSE) is an industry-leading database of Market Research Reports. MRRSE is driven by a stellar team of research experts and advisors trained to offer objective advice. Our sophisticated search algorithm returns results based on the report title, geographical region, publisher, or other keywords.MRRSE partners exclusively with leading global publishers to provide clients single-point access to top-of-the-line market research. MRRSEs repository is updated every day to keep its clients ahead of the next new trend in market research, be it competitive intelligence, product or service trends or strategic consulting.Contact UsState Tower90, State StreetSuite 700Albany, NY - 12207United States Telephone: +1-518-730-0559Email: sales@mrrse.comWebsite:Read More Industry News At:Passenger Stairs Market: Global Industry Trend Analysis 2012 to 2017 and Forecast 2017 - 2025

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According to the United Nations, fifty percent of the global population lives in cities and the number is expected to reach up to seventy percent by the next 40 years. Eventually, people will need better transportation to commute from one city to another, which will drive the demand for aircrafts along with an increase in the demand for ground support equipment (i.e. passenger staircase). Passenger staircases are used by ground handling staff at airports to facilitate boarding and departure of passengers to and from an aircraft.Read Report Overview @Over the years, the passenger staircase has become an important equipment in handling passengers movement at airports. Some budget airlines use passenger stairs instead of airstairs or aerobridges to reduce the cost and turnaround time. Unlike traditional staircases, these staircases are ergonomically designed and reliable for long term ownership. Such staircases are safe, efficient, stable and efficient for the long run. Additionally, a variety of these passenger stairs are diesel powered due to strict emission norms in European countries.Owing with the increasing emission standards for the aviation industry, HKAI (Hongkong International Airport) uses solar powered passenger staircases and electric loaders by JATS (Jardine Air Terminal Services). Additionally, companies such as Darmec Technologies Srl are designing ground support equipment powered by diesel or electricity. Also, agencies regularly recommend and mandate conditions for ground support equipment. For instance, the California Environmental Protection Agency issued a new air regulation for ground support equipment, via the CARB (California Air Resources Board).Passenger Stairs Market: DynamicsBurgeoning number of airlines and airports are the primary factors expected to drive the passenger stairs market. Expansion of existing airports and advancement in technology are also projected to boost demand for the passenger stairs market. However, an increasing number of automated systems (aerobridge) are entering the market, which may hamper growth of the passenger stairs market.Passenger Stairs Market: SegmentationBroadly, the passenger stairs market can be segmented on the basis of type: self-propelled and towable.The global passenger stairs market can be segmented on the basis of whether they are manually towed or powered by a diesel/petrol engine or electricity. Wherein, the self-propelled segment is estimated to dominate the global passenger staircase market in terms of volume over the forecast period, owing to fast movement of aircraft services. Also, the increase in demand for aircrafts in countries such as India, Brazil and China is growing steadily, which will eventually propel the passenger staircase market.Additionally, the global passenger stairs market can be segmented by use as: military, airport and others (mining, construction). Application wise, the airport segment is estimated to grow at a high CAGR due to rising demand from airlines. The market for airports is large in Western Europe, Asia Pacific and North America, owing to the increase in expansions and rise in the number of airports.Over the forecast period, the region-wise global passenger stairs market is expected to grow at significant rate owing to the increase in demand for airports. Key economies in the Asia-Pacific region that are expected to contribute largely to the growth of the market are South Korea, China, India and Japan. Europe and North America are forecasted to remain dominant markets over the forecast period.Request to View TOC and Sample of Research Report @About UsPersistence Market Research (PMR) is a third-platform research firm. Our research model is a unique collaboration of data analytics and market research methodology to help businesses achieve optimal performance.To support companies in overcoming complex business challenges, we follow a multi-disciplinary approach. At PMR, we unite various data streams from multi-dimensional sources. By deploying real-time data collection, big data, and customer experience analytics, we deliver business intelligence for organizations of all sizes.Contact UsPersistence Market Research305 Broadway7th Floor, New York City,NY 10007, United States,USA  Canada Toll Free: 800-961-0353Email: sales@persistencemarketresearch.comWeb:Solar Water Heater Market: Industry Trends, Survey, Growth and Forecast to 2020

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The solar water heater (SWH) uses solar energy to heat water. Solar water heater (SWH) is made of solar power collector panels and a water storage tank. It supplies hot water for various house hood activities such as washing, bathing and cleaning. Apart from the domestic use solar water heater is widely in use in commercial places such as hotels and public institutions. The innovation in the field of hybrid water heater is making it as one of the prefer choice among manufacturing industries. It is generally installed at the top of the roof in order to get sufficient exposure of the sun light.For more information about this Report visit @On the basis of the solar plate technology the Asia Pacific solar water heater market is segmented into plate collection type water heater, and evacuated tubes collection type water heaters. Based on the various product segments the market can be categorise in two broad categories namely active solar water heater and passive solar water heater. In active solar water heaters external water pump is needed for water circulation. Passive solar water heater doesnt need any pumps for water circulation.Increased market demand of solar water heater is mainly driven by increasing awareness about various cost and environment related beneficiaries of solar energy, as it is free of cost, green and renewal source of energy. More over the various supports from government and United Nations (UN) to developing economies is boosting global solar water heater market.The efficiency level of solar water heater varies from one climatic region to other climatic region based on intensity of sun light. Limitation of solar water heater in winters and cold climatic region is one of major restrain of the market.China is by far the largest market of solar water heater (SWH) constituting about 50% of the total market. It is followed by India, Japan and Australia. Asia Pacific is the fasted growing market owing to the large potential of solar power generation in this region. Over the past few years both India and China are investing heavily on the development of solar power generation and solar power based appliances.Request to Sample of Report-Some of the leading companies operating in Asia Pacific solar water heater market include, EMMVEE Solar, Systems, Genersys, Nuetech Solar System, Phoneix Solar System, Siemens AG, GE Co., Heat Transfer Products Inc., Rheem Manufacturing Co., and Rinnai Corp.About UsPersistence Market Research (PMR) is a third-platform research firm. Our research model is a unique collaboration of data analytics and market research methodology to help businesses achieve optimal performance.Contact UsPersistence Market Research305 Broadway7th Floor, New York City,NY 10007, United States,USA  Canada Toll Free: 800-961-0353Email: sales@persistencemarketresearch.comWeb:Back Pain Therapy Market - Global Industry Insights, Trends, Outlook, and Analysis, 2017-2025

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Back pain is mainly caused due to muscular strains, strained ligaments, and muscular spasms in any region of the back. Chronic diseases such as herniated discs, arthritis, and osteoporosis can lead to back pain. Depending on the severity of the symptoms, back pain can be categorized- into acute and chronic back pain. Acute pain is most common type of back pain, which can be treated by medication.To get holistic SAMPLE with TOC @Increasing prevalence of back pain among geriatric population is expected to boost growth of the global back pain therapy marketAccording to study published by Centre for Disea0se Control and Prevention (CDC) in 2012, around 20.3% of population was suffering from lower back pain in U.S. Moreover, according to study published by American Chronic Association in 2010, around 80% of population is projected to experience back pain once in a life. Therefore, increasing prevalence of back pain is expected to propel demand for back pain treatment, which in turn is expected to drive growth of global back pain therapy market over the forecast period. Furthermore, increasing ageing population is also expected to drive growth of the market, as chances of back pain increases with the age. According to study published by National Centre for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) in 2015, around 19.6% of individuals aged between 20 to 60 years were suffering from low back pain worldwide. According to the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) 2016, around 547 million people were above 60 years in Asia Pacific region and number is projected to reach around 1.3 billion by 2050. Increasing geriatric population in key regions such as North America, Europe, and Asia Pacific is expected to drive growth of the global back pain therapy market.North America is expected to hold a dominant position in global back pain therapy market, owing to development of new therapiesIn 2017, U.S.-based Pfizer Inc. and Eli Lilly and company received the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) fast track designation for its drug tanezumab, which is indicated for the treatment of chronic low back pain. Tanezumab is a humanized monoclonal immunoglobulin G2 (IgG2), which could be used as an alternative to opioids. The development of such novel drugs in the U.S. is expected to drive growth of the market in North America. Asia Pacific is expected to be the second largest market for global back pain therapy market due to increasing prevalence of back pain in ageing population. According to a study published by United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) in 2016, Asia Pacific region constitutes around 60% of the worlds geriatric population. According to study published by World Health Organisation (WHO) in 2016, an estimated one out of six people in India are projected to suffer from arthritis once in life.Key players operating in back pain therapy market include Celebrex, H.J. Harkins Company, Inc., Pfizer, Inc., Cipla Ltd., Apotex Inc., Jubilant Generics Ltd, Purdue Pharma L.P., Johnson & Johnson, Lupin Ltd., and Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd.Complete Report Details @Catch us at 3rd International Conference on Separation + Drying Technologies for Milk & Whey at Cologne, March 19 and 20, 2018About Coherent Market Insights:Coherent Market Insights is a prominent market research and consulting firm offering action-ready syndicated research reports, custom market analysis, consulting services, and competitive analysis through various recommendations related to emerging market trends, technologies, and potential absolute dollar opportunity.Contact Us:Mr. ShahCoherent Market Insights1001 4th Ave,#3200Seattle, WA 98154Tel: +1-206-701-6702Email: sales@coherentmarketinsights.comVisit our news Website:Future Trends and Growth Analysis of Flame Retardant Market by 2021

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Flame retardants are the compounds which when added to materials such as plastics products, electrical devices, construction materials or textiles delays the production of flames to prevent the spread of fire. There are various types of flame retardant such as aluminum trihydrate, antimony oxides, brominated flame retardant, chlorinated flame retardant, organophosphorus flame retardants, and other flame retardant chemicals. Usage of flame retardant market is increasing in the electronic industry due to its property of decreasing the flammability of combustible substances. Some of the major end user applications of flame retardant market include building & construction, electronics, automotive & transportation, wires & cables, textiles & other applications.For more information about this Report visit @Some of the major factors driving the flame retardant market are high demand from current & emerging applications, demand from emerging economies, advancement in technology, increased security measures and the new regulatory guidelines for reducing toxic chemicals. Governments across the globe are setting improved safety standards for smoke and flammability range in different products. The growth in automotive, construction and other major end use industries are increasing the demand of flame retardant market globally. Nanotechnology is expected to play a major role in improving performance of a flame retardant market in the years to come.The major growth opportunities for the flame retardant market includes equipment & electronics, automotive & construction, in the emerging economies especially the one which are expanding in the infrastructure applications. The growth in these segments in emerging economies is likely to increase the market demand for flame retardant and the products based on it.A major factor restraining the market growth is rise in the prices which may lead to further decrease in demand. The key producers are raising the prices of flame retardant market due to the rise in feedstock costs. In addition, there is a toxicity issue at the time of flame retardant production process which could hamper the market further.Asia Pacific is the largest sales market for flame retardant. China alone accounts for about 24% of the global demand of flame retardant. High demand in China is driven by growth in the chemicals and automobile industry in the country. India is also expected to increase its share in the global market on the basis of increasing foreign investment which will result in increasing number of new industries in the country. Asia Pacific is expected to continue in its leadership position in the forecasted period due to the growing end-user markets in countries such as China and India. North America continues to be the second largest sales market followed by Western Europe. Currently, the Middle East and South American countries have a very low market share; however it is expected to increase in the coming years.Request to Sample of Report-Some of the major companies operating in the global flame retardant market include Akzo Nobel NV, Albemarle Corporation, Almartis GmbH, BASF SE, Borealis GmbH, Budenheim Iberica SLSC, Campine NV, Chemtura Corporation, China Antimony Chemicals, Clariant International Limited, Cytec Industries Incorporated, Daihachi Chemical Industry Company, Dover Chemical, and Glencore International AG. Among which, Albemarle Corporation, Chemtura Corporation, and Clariant International Limited are the most active companies in the flame retardant chemicals market.About UsPersistence Market Research (PMR) is a third-platform research firm. Our research model is a unique collaboration of data analytics and market research methodology to help businesses achieve optimal performance.Contact UsPersistence Market Research305 Broadway7th Floor, New York City,NY 10007, United States,USA  Canada Toll Free: 800-961-0353Email: sales@persistencemarketresearch.comWeb:Global Digital Health Market  Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends and Forecast 2025, StemCyte, CBR Systems, ViaCord, Cryo-Cell International, LifeCell International, Celgene Corporation

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Digital Health Industry Report offers detailed analysis of the market over the last five years, and provides extensive market forecasts by region and key players. It covers the key technological and market trends.Market Definition:Digital health is the collaboration of the genomic and digital evolutions with health, healthcare society, Society healthcare, and living. As we are experiencing, and seeing digital health is allowing us to track better, manage, and improve personal and our familys health, to live better, more productive lives, and improve society. Its also helping to reduce inefficiencies in healthcare delivery, improve access, reduce costs, increase quality, and make medicine more personalized and precise.Get PDF with Technological trends atMarket Segment:The global market for digital health is evaluated on the basis of the product, component, end user, and the geography. On the bases of product, the market is bifurcated into healthcare information systems and wearable devices. Amongst the two, healthcare information systems leads the global digital health market due to the substantial rise in the implementation of technologically advanced products, such as EHR/EMR, telehealth, and population health management. Additionally, the healthcare information segment is divided into non-clinical solutions and clinical solutions. EHR/EMR, computerized physician order entry (CPOE), Clinical decision support system (CDSS) mHealth, telehealth, and population health management are the major segments of clinical solutions. mHealth is predicted to propel at a suggestively high growth rate on an account of the growing penetration of smartphones across the world and the augmenting levels of consciousness about fitness and health amongst people globally.Based on the component, the digital health market is bifurcated into hardware, software, and services. The necessity for digital health services is growing when compared to other digital health components and is anticipated to remain highest over the forecast period. On the basis of end users, the market has been segmented into B2C and B2B. The B2B segment has developed as the major contributor to this market over the yeaster years. Providers, payers employers, , and pharmaceutical companies are the main components of the B2B segment, whereas, the B2C segment includes caregivers and patients.Obtain Report Details with technological advancement atRegional Analysis:Based on regions, the global Digital Health market is divided into North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific (APAC), Middle East & Africa (MEA), and Latin America. Among these, North America, has been leading the global digital health market. Several factors, such as the prescience of a large pool of players and increasing partnership between them are influential behind the important growth of this regional market. With the high demand from Germany and the U.K., the Europe market for digital health is anticipated to continue on the top position over the next few years. Going onward, Asia Pacific is likely to offer profitable opportunities for the development of the global market for digital health in the forecast period.Major Key Players:Europe commands the second largest share in the global Digital Health market owing to the high expenditures by the European countries such as U. K. Germany among other countries. The major companies that provide Digital Health include Cisco Systems Inc, Agfa-Gevaert N.V., Siemens Healthineers, McKesson Corp., Allscripts Healthcare Solutions Inc., Cerner Corp., Philips Healthcare, GE Healthcare, Epic Systems Corp., Truven Health Analytics, Qualcomm Inc are some of the key players in this market.Major Points from Table of content: Executive Summary Research Methodology Market Dynamics Industry Overview Global Digital Health Market, By Product (2017-2025) Global Digital Health Market, By Regions (2017-2025) Market Competition AnalysisAbout Us:Xpodence Research have the most extensive collection of market research reports of many categories. Xpodence Research provides the best market research solution for every industry by publishing the best possible results of great market research firms worldwide. For every particular problem, theres a particular solution, so according to the customer needs, we provide the best possible results to them from different market research organization, whether its a Custom Research or Syndicated Research reports because the product that wins is the one that bridges customers to the future, not the one that requires a giant leap.Every organization, whether it is related to Pharmaceuticals, Technology, Eatables, Consumable Goods and many more demands a market research results so that they can take important decisions for more productivity and better output in this swift world. Xpodence Research gives the best possible outcome, perfect forecast, analysis and insights of market research in the form of report which is beneficial for various organisations and also to the manufacturing companies in taking the best decisions for quality production.Contact Us:Xpodence Research244, Madison AvenueNew York City, NY - 10016United StatesToll Free +1- 844-445-2861Email: sales@xpodenceresearch.comChromatography Resins Market is likely to register double digit CAGR during  2015 to 2021

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Chromatography resins are used in the purification and separation of proteins and other bio-molecules in biotechnology, pharmaceutical, food manufacturing, and environmental analysis.Chromatography resins are of three types: Synthetic, natural and inorganic media. Natural polymers include agarose, cellulose and dextran, among others, while synthetic resins include ion exchange resins. The natural and synthetic typesare the more preferred chromatography resins as compared to inorganic media.For more information about this Report visit @Chromatography resins are used in affinity, mixed-mode, ion-exchange,hydrophobic interaction and size exclusion techniques.In terms of revenues,Protein A resins accounted for the highest share of the market.In technology terms, ion-exchange chromatography witnessed the highest consumption in the past few years. On the other hand, affinity chromatography resins held the key share by revenue largely due to the higher selling costsassociated with affinity resinsThe main driver for the chromatography resinsis huge demand for monoclonal antibodies.There has been a huge demand for monoclonal bodies owing to a growing number of critical diseases resulting in thesetypes of therapeutics to swiftly gain significance.Food analytics is also one of the major drivers for the chromatography resins market. Chromatography resins are used in nutraceuticals and nutritional chemistry. Chromatography resins are used to detect food additives (adulteration) which has been major issue in the food industry.Biotechnology & pharmaceuticals are the leading end-users for chromatography resins and are likely to gain more importance in the near future.Chromatography resins are also used in industrial applications such as water treatment and environmental analysis. Some of the academic uses of chromatography resins are in genetic engineering and drug recovery which can provide various opportunities for the chromatography resins market. In spite of numerous applications, regulations associated with these applications can act as a major restraint for the chromatography resins market in the coming years.In terms of demand, North Americawas the leading region for the chromatography resinsmarket. The demand in this region was mainly driven by biotechnology and pharmaceutical applications. The U.S. exhibited a major demand for chromatography resins and this regions increasing health expense trendshave been indirectly driving the market for chromatography resins.Europe was the other leading market for chromatography resins in the past few years and is expected to show good growth numbers over the near future.Pharmaceuticals and food analytics were the major applications for the chromatography resins in this region. The major European countries such as Germany, UK, France and Italy were the major consumers of chromatography resins in the past decade. There is currently a huge demand for chromatography resins in Asia Pacific, particularly from China, South Korea and India due to the growing pharmaceutical industry in these countries.Additionally, the emergence of CMOs and CROs is further driving the chromatography resins market in the Asia Pacific region. The Rest of the World is likely to exhibit stable demand for chromatography resins market over the forecast period. South America and The Middle East region are anticipated to be the potential markets for chromatography resins.Request to Sample of Report-Some of the key players in the chromatography resins market are Bio-Rad Laboratories Inc., GE Healthcare Life Sciences, Tosoh Corporation, Merck KGaA, Life Technologies Corporation, Repligen Corporation, and Pall Corporationamong others.Lower prices with higher productivity and new innovative products had been the key strategies for the manufacturers to gain the competitive advantage in the market. Life Technologies is expected to unveil POROS chromatography resins in Biopharmaceutical Development & Production Week Conference (BPD) to be held in California. Purolite International Ltd. announced its plans to develop bio-separation chromatography resins based on the agarose media. The new product line is likely to meet growing demand of the biomolecules market.About UsPersistence Market Research (PMR) is a third-platform research firm. Our research model is a unique collaboration of data analytics and market research methodology to help businesses achieve optimal performance.Contact UsPersistence Market Research305 Broadway7th Floor, New York City,NY 10007, United States,USA  Canada Toll Free: 800-961-0353Email: sales@persistencemarketresearch.comWeb:Cellulose Acetate Fibers Market Estimated to Flourish at by 2021

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Cellulose acetate is the acetate ester of cellulose. It is processed from wood pulp for commercial purposes. The wood pulp is first processed using an acids known as acetic anhydride which goes on to form acetate flakes from which products are then manufactured. As this fiber is processed from wood pulp, which is a renewable source, it is biodegradable unlike other fabricated fibers. Besides wood pulp, the other technique involved in the manufacture of cellulose acetate is treating cotton with acetic acid and using sulphuric acid as the catalyst.For more information about this Report visit @The main applications of this fiber include its use in spectacle frames, film media, use in some coatings, synthetic fibers, cigarette filters among others. Its main use lies in the textile and cigarette-manufacturing industries as these industries are rapidly growing. The key properties of cellulose acetate fibers include high transparency, very lustrous, good toughness and a very soft and natural feel. Its biodegradable quality makes it the most wanted fiber globally. The trade name for this acetate includes Acele, Avisco, Celanese, Chromspun and Estron.This acetate has very similar properties as that of rayon and were earlier believed to be the same textile. However, the two textiles differ from each in the use of acetic acid in the production of acetate fibers. The two fabrics are now treated and used very differently. Rayon resists heat while cellulose acetate burns or melts when heated. Cellulose acetate fiber textiles should be laundered gently and either hand washed or dry cleaned. Due to its rich and smooth, satiny texture is is a good synthetic alternative to silk and is usually used in bridal clothing and other attire.The main factors that drive the market for cellulose acetate fibers is its use in cigarette products. The demand for cigarettes is increasing rapidly for the past few years. Cellulose acetate fibres are used in the production of cigarette buds and hence the demand for this material is expected to grow rapidly in the near future. The textile industry also makes use of this fiber in the manufacturing of garments and as the material is rich, smooth and satiny, it is a cheaper alternative to silk with similar qualities. the use of this material in textile industries is expected to drive the market continually especially its use in wedding gowns as the wedding industry is also a huge multimillion industry and generates huge revenues throughout the year.This material is considered biodegradable as it is made from wood pulp. Hence more industries would prefer to use this material as a raw material in order to manufacture their end product. The end users for this market include ophthalmologists, textile industries, cigarette industries which are rapidly growing industries globally and demand for these end product is still high and is expected to grow over the next few years.The key segments for this market include North America, Europe, Asia Pacific and Rest of the World. the usage of this fiber in the U.S. was the maximum for the past few years and was a mature market for this material.China follows the U.S, after which comes the rest of Asia Pacific and then Europe. The market for cellulose acetate fibers is expected to rise in Asia pacific countries as the number of textile industries is increasing and is anticipated to rise in the next few years. The demand for biodegradable fabric is very high and its use will enhance the sale of end products especially in North America and Europe as there wont be any stringent regulation against its use.Request to Sample of Report-The main companies profiled for the manufacture of cellulose acetate fibers include BASF AG, Formosa Plastics Group, Sinopec, Du Pont- Akra Polyester LLC, Bayer AG among others.About UsPersistence Market Research (PMR) is a third-platform research firm. Our research model is a unique collaboration of data analytics and market research methodology to help businesses achieve optimal performance.Contact UsPersistence Market Research305 Broadway7th Floor, New York City,NY 10007, United States,USA  Canada Toll Free: 800-961-0353Email: sales@persistencemarketresearch.comWeb:Law Enforcement & Firefighting Protective Clothing Fabrics 2018 Global Market Size,Status,Analysis and Forecast to 2025

Law Enforcement & Firefighting Protective Clothing Fabrics

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WiseGuyReports.Com Publish a New Market Research Report On  Law Enforcement & Firefighting Protective Clothing Fabrics 2018 Global Market Size,Status,Analysis and Forecast to 2025.Description:In this report, the global Law Enforcement & Firefighting Protective Clothing Fabrics market is valued at USD XX million in 2017 and is expected to reach USD XX million by the end of 2025, growing at a CAGR of XX% between 2017 and 2025.Geographically, this report is segmented into several key Regions, with production, consumption, revenue (million USD), market share and growth rate of Law Enforcement & Firefighting Protective Clothing Fabrics in these regions, from 2013 to 2025 (forecast), coveringNorth AmericaEuropeChinaJapanSoutheast AsiaIndiaGet a Sample Report @For more information or any query mail at sales@wiseguyreports.comGlobal Law Enforcement & Firefighting Protective Clothing Fabrics market competition by top manufacturers, with production, price, revenue (value) and market share for each manufacturer; the top players includingMillikenTencateDupontMount VernonSSM IndustriesCarringtonKlopmanTreviraGoreSafety ComponentsDelcotexITIMarina TextilArvindWaubridge Specialty FabricsSchuemerGlen RavenKermelXinxiang XinxingXinxiang YulongXinxiang XinkeXinxiang ZhuochengHangzhou XiangjunXinxiang Patron Saint Special FabricXinxiang JinghongXinxiang YijiaSRO ProtectiveOn the basis of product, this report displays the production, revenue, price, market share and growth rate of each type, primarily split intoInherent FabricTreated FabricOn the basis of the end users/applications, this report focuses on the status and outlook for major applications/end users, consumption (sales), market share and growth rate for each application, includingPoliceFire ServiceAmbulance/EMTMilitaryOtherReport Details @Table Of Contents  Major Key PointsGlobal Law Enforcement & Firefighting Protective Clothing Fabrics Market Research Report 20181 Law Enforcement & Firefighting Protective Clothing Fabrics Market Overview1.1 Product Overview and Scope of Law Enforcement & Firefighting Protective Clothing Fabrics1.2 Law Enforcement & Firefighting Protective Clothing Fabrics Segment by Type (Product Category)1.2.1 Global Law Enforcement & Firefighting Protective Clothing Fabrics Production and CAGR (%) Comparison by Type (Product Category)(2013-2025)1.2.2 Global Law Enforcement & Firefighting Protective Clothing Fabrics Production Market Share by Type (Product Category) in 20171.2.3 Inherent Fabric1.2.4 Treated Fabric1.3 Global Law Enforcement & Firefighting Protective Clothing Fabrics Segment by Application1.3.1 Law Enforcement & Firefighting Protective Clothing Fabrics Consumption (Sales) Comparison by Application (2013-2025)1.3.2 Police1.3.3 Fire Service1.3.4 Ambulance/EMT1.3.5 Military1.3.6 Other1.4 Global Law Enforcement & Firefighting Protective Clothing Fabrics Market by Region (2013-2025)1.4.1 Global Law Enforcement & Firefighting Protective Clothing Fabrics Market Size (Value) and CAGR (%) Comparison by Region (2013-2025)1.4.2 North America Status and Prospect (2013-2025)1.4.3 Europe Status and Prospect (2013-2025)1.4.4 China Status and Prospect (2013-2025)1.4.5 Japan Status and Prospect (2013-2025)1.4.6 Southeast Asia Status and Prospect (2013-2025)1.4.7 India Status and Prospect (2013-2025)1.5 Global Market Size (Value) of Law Enforcement & Firefighting Protective Clothing Fabrics (2013-2025)1.5.1 Global Law Enforcement & Firefighting Protective Clothing Fabrics Revenue Status and Outlook (2013-2025)1.5.2 Global Law Enforcement & Firefighting Protective Clothing Fabrics Capacity, Production Status and Outlook (2013-2025)2 Global Law Enforcement & Firefighting Protective Clothing Fabrics Market Competition by Manufacturers2.1 Global Law Enforcement & Firefighting Protective Clothing Fabrics Capacity, Production and Share by Manufacturers (2013-2018)2.1.1 Global Law Enforcement & Firefighting Protective Clothing Fabrics Capacity and Share by Manufacturers (2013-2018)2.1.2 Global Law Enforcement & Firefighting Protective Clothing Fabrics Production and Share by Manufacturers (2013-2018)2.2 Global Law Enforcement & Firefighting Protective Clothing Fabrics Revenue and Share by Manufacturers (2013-2018)2.3 Global Law Enforcement & Firefighting Protective Clothing Fabrics Average Price by Manufacturers (2013-2018)2.4 Manufacturers Law Enforcement & Firefighting Protective Clothing Fabrics Manufacturing Base Distribution, Sales Area and Product Type2.5 Law Enforcement & Firefighting Protective Clothing Fabrics Market Competitive Situation and Trends2.5.1 Law Enforcement & Firefighting Protective Clothing Fabrics Market Concentration Rate2.5.2 Law Enforcement & Firefighting Protective Clothing Fabrics Market Share of Top 3 and Top 5 Manufacturers2.5.3 Mergers & Acquisitions, Expansion3 Global Law Enforcement & Firefighting Protective Clothing Fabrics Capacity, Production, Revenue (Value) by Region (2013-2018)3.1 Global Law Enforcement & Firefighting Protective Clothing Fabrics Capacity and Market Share by Region (2013-2018)3.2 Global Law Enforcement & Firefighting Protective Clothing Fabrics Production and Market Share by Region (2013-2018)3.3 Global Law Enforcement & Firefighting Protective Clothing Fabrics Revenue (Value) and Market Share by Region (2013-2018)3.4 Global Law Enforcement & Firefighting Protective Clothing Fabrics Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2013-2018)3.5 North America Law Enforcement & Firefighting Protective Clothing Fabrics Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2013-2018)3.6 Europe Law Enforcement & Firefighting Protective Clothing Fabrics Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2013-2018)3.7 China Law Enforcement & Firefighting Protective Clothing Fabrics Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2013-2018)3.8 Japan Law Enforcement & Firefighting Protective Clothing Fabrics Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2013-2018)3.9 Southeast Asia Law Enforcement & Firefighting Protective Clothing Fabrics Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2013-2018)3.10 India Law Enforcement & Firefighting Protective Clothing Fabrics Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2013-2018)4 Global Law Enforcement & Firefighting Protective Clothing Fabrics Supply (Production), Consumption, Export, Import by Region (2013-2018)4.1 Global Law Enforcement & Firefighting Protective Clothing Fabrics Consumption by Region (2013-2018)4.2 North America Law Enforcement & Firefighting Protective Clothing Fabrics Production, Consumption, Export, Import (2013-2018)4.3 Europe Law Enforcement & Firefighting Protective Clothing Fabrics Production, Consumption, Export, Import (2013-2018)4.4 China Law Enforcement & Firefighting Protective Clothing Fabrics Production, Consumption, Export, Import (2013-2018)4.5 Japan Law Enforcement & Firefighting Protective Clothing Fabrics Production, Consumption, Export, Import (2013-2018)4.6 Southeast Asia Law Enforcement & Firefighting Protective Clothing Fabrics Production, Consumption, Export, Import (2013-2018)4.7 India Law Enforcement & Firefighting Protective Clthing Fabrics Production, Consumption, Export, Import (2013-2018)5 Global Law Enforcement & Firefighting Protective Clothing Fabrics Production, Revenue (Value), Price Trend by Type5.1 Global Law Enforcement & Firefighting Protective Clothing Fabrics Production and Market Share by Type (2013-2018)5.2 Global Law Enforcement & Firefighting Protective Clothing Fabrics Revenue and Market Share by Type (2013-2018)5.3 Global Law Enforcement & Firefighting Protective Clothing Fabrics Price by Type (2013-2018)5.4 Global Law Enforcement & Firefighting Protective Clothing Fabrics Production Growth by Type (2013-2018)ContinueFor more information or any query mail at sales@wiseguyreports.comABOUT US:Wise Guy Reports is part of the Wise Guy Consultants Pvt. Ltd. and offers premium progressive statistical surveying, market research reports, analysis & forecast data for industries and governments around the globe. Wise Guy Reports features an exhaustive list of market research reports from hundreds of publishers worldwide. We boast a database spanning virtually every market category and an even more comprehensive collection of market research reports under these categories and sub-categories.Office No.528,Amanora Chambers,Magarpatta Road,Hadapsar,Pune-411028.Intravenous Solutions Market - Global Industry Insights, Trends, Outlook, and Opportunity Analysis, 2025

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Intravenous solutions are the chemically prepared fluids, which are administered in the body through venous circulation to maintain or replace the lost body fluid level. There are various types of IV solutions that have different effects on a human body. Majority of intravenous solutions constitute of solvent and solute out of which solvents are sterile water and solutes are electrolytes such as sodium, potassium, and chloride. Intravenous solutions market is expected to grow at high rate over the forecast period, owing to increasing diseases causing fluid loss, dehydration and malnutrition, increasing rates of chronic diseases, and surgeries.To get holistic SAMPLE with TOC @Increasing prevalence of Diarrhea is expected to boost the growth of intravenous solutions market in near futureAccording to World Health Organization (WHO) in 2017, diarrhea is the second largest cause of death around the globe. Around 1.7 billion people suffers for diarrhea every year and causes around 525,000 deaths. IV solutions are given to the patients suffering to maintain their body fluid level as diarrhea causes dehydration, malnutrition, and excess fluid loss from the body. Thus, increasing prevalence of diarrhea is expected to rise demand for IV solutions and fuel its market growth in near future. According to WHO in 2017, around 180,000 people suffer from burns yearly and between 20 and 50 million people suffers from severe injuries and blood loss due to road accidents. Burns, shocks and blood loss due to trauma or road accidents causes severe fluid loss from body, which can be retained by giving IV solution to patients. Increasing incidents of burns, shocks and excess fluid loss due to trauma and accidents are expected to boost the growth of IV solutions market in near future. Rising prevalence of chronic diseases and surgeries are also expected to fuel IV solution market as IV fluids are given to the patients suffering from chronic diseases for recovery after the surgery. However, the presence of domestic players which provide low quality products that does not provide optimum results are hampering the market growth.Asia Pacific is expected to dominate IV solution market due to high ratio of diseases related to fluid lossRegional market for the intravenous solutions market by Coherent Market Insights is segmented into North America, Latin America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Middle East, and Africa. Asia Pacific expected to hold the dominant position in market due to highest rate of diarrhea, chronic diseases, and increasing rate of surgeries. According to the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF) in 2016, every two children out of four in Asia is suffering from diarrhea and malnutrition. Rate of diarrhea is very high in Bangladesh, China, and Pakistan. The rate of chronic diseases in Asia is high with increasing population in China in India. Africa is expected to be the second largest contributor to the IV solution market, owing to high ratio of diseases such as metabolic acidosis, hyponatremia, and fistula drainage due to poor sanitation and improper healthcare system. Prevalence of road accidents and trauma is very high in Africa that resulting excess loss of body fluid, which can be retained with IV solutions. According to WHO in 2015, Africa had highest prevalence of road accidents among all others regions.Key players are collaborating with different organizations to increase the market penetration of productsMajor players in global intravenous solutions market are B. Braun Melsungen AG, Baxter, Fresenius Kabi AG, Grifols, ICU Medical, Inc., Omnicare, JW Life Science, Hospira Inc, Sichuan Kelun Pharmaceutical, and Vifor Pharma. Key players are collaborating with different organizations and working with them to reduce malnutrition by supplying their product. In 2017, Baxter collaborated with American Society for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition (ASPEN) an organization, which drives the science and practice of clinical nutrition to reduce the incidents of malnutrition in America.Browse The Complete Report @Catch us at 3rd International Conference on Separation + Drying Technologies for Milk & Whey at Cologne, March 19 and 20, 2018About Coherent Market Insights:Coherent Market Insights is a prominent market research and consulting firm offering action-ready syndicated research reports, custom market analysis, consulting services, and competitive analysis through various recommendations related to emerging market trends, technologies, and potential absolute dollar opportunity.Contact Us:Mr. ShahCoherent Market Insights1001 4th Ave,#3200Seattle, WA 98154Tel: +1-206-701-6702Email: sales@coherentmarketinsights.comVisit our news Website:Kids Walkie Talkie Market Share,Trends,Supply,Sales,Key Players,Demand and Forecast 2025

Kids Walkie Talkie Industry

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WiseGuyReports.Com Publish a New Market Research Report On  Kids Walkie Talkie Market Share,Trends,Supply,Sales,Key Players,Demand and Forecast 2025.Description:In this report, the global Kids Walkie Talkie market is valued at USD XX million in 2017 and is expected to reach USD XX million by the end of 2025, growing at a CAGR of XX% between 2017 and 2025.Geographically, this report is segmented into several key Regions, with production, consumption, revenue (million USD), market share and growth rate of Kids Walkie Talkie in these regions, from 2013 to 2025 (forecast), coveringNorth AmericaEuropeChinaJapanSoutheast AsiaIndiaGet a Sample Report @For more information or any query mail at sales@wiseguyreports.comGlobal Kids Walkie Talkie market competition by top manufacturers, with production, price, revenue (value) and market share for each manufacturer; the top players includingKidzlaneBELLSOUTHBaoFengSpy GearKIDdesignsRetevisSpy Gear UltraLuitonOn the basis of product, this report displays the production, revenue, price, market share and growth rate of each type, primarily split intoTransmissionABOUT US:Wise Guy Reports is part of the Wise Guy Consultants Pvt. Ltd. and offers premium progressive statistical surveying, market research reports, analysis & forecast data for industries and governments around the globe. Wise Guy Reports features an exhaustive list of market research reports from hundreds of publishers worldwide. We boast a database spanning virtually every market category and an even more comprehensive collection of market research reports under these categories and sub-categories.Office No.528,Amanora Chambers,Magarpatta Road,Hadapsar,Pune-411028.Fall Detection System Market is Projected to Grow at a CAGR of 6.13% by Latest Trend, Share Analysis, Growth, Application and Forecast to 2024

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Worldwide Fall Detection System Industry 2017 Market Research Report centers around value, deals, income and development rate of each sort, and in addition the sorts and each compose cost of key producers, through talking key makers. Second on premise of sections by producers, this report centers around the business, cost of each sort, normal cost of Credit Insurance, income and piece of the overall industry, for key makers.The Global Fall Detection System Market accounted for USD 412.7 million in 2016 growing at a CAGR of 6.13% during the forecast period of 2017 to 2024. The upcoming market report contains data for historic year 2014, 2015, the base year of calculation is 2016 and the forecast period is 2017 to 2024.Request for Free Sample Report @Global Fall Detection System Market, By Geography (North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Europe, South America, Middle East and Africa), Component (Accelerometers & Gyroscopes, Other Unimodal/Bimodal Sensors, Multimodal Sensors); Algorithm (Simple Threshold, Machine Learning); System (Wearable Systems, In-Home Landline System, In-Home Cellular Systems); End-Users (Senior Citizens  Home, Senior Citizens  Outside, Hospitals, Nursing, and Senior Assisted Living Facilities, Lone Workers)  Industry Trends and Forecast to 2024Complete report on Global Fall Detection System Market Research Report 2017-2024 spread across 350 Pages, profiling Top companies and supports with tables and figuresMajor market drivers: Global Fall Detection System Market Better accessibility to assistance in case of fall, leading to reduced medical expenses. Increasing demand for multimodal technology Increasing demand for smartphone and wearable technology based fall detection system. Use of data from simulated conditions for designing the fall detection system algorithm Low practicality and acceptability of the technology among eldersMarket Definition: Global fall Detection System MarketFall detection system is the system used in alerting emergence in the incident of fall. Fall detection system such as automatic fall detection system and manual fall detection system are used in such detection. Such devices have the potential to diminish some of the adverse consequences of a fall. It has its application in hospitals, nursing, senior assisted living facilities, lone workers, and others. Increased demand for multimodal technology is the major driver for the growth of fall detection system market. On the other side low practicality of the technology among elders somewhere hinders the market.Request for Detaild TOC:Key Questions Answered in Global Fall Detection System Market Report:-Our Report offers:- What will the market growth rate, Overview and Analysis by Type of Global Fall Detection System Market in 2024? What are the key factors driving, Analysis by Applications and Countries Global Fall Detection System Market? What are Dynamics, This Overview Includes Analysis of Scope, and price analysis of top Vendors Profiles of Global Fall Detection System Market? Who are Opportunities, Risk and Driving Force of Global Fall DetectionSystem Market? Who are the opportunities and threats faced by the vendors in Global Fall Detection System Market? Business Overview by Type, Applications, Gross Margin and Market Share What are the Global Fall Detection System Market opportunities, market risk and market overview of the Market?Top Key Players: ADT Corporation Bay Alarm Medical Blue Willow Systems Connect America Koninklijke Philips N.V. Lifefone Mobilehelp Semtech Corporation Tunstall Healthcare Group Ltd. Vital Connect Inc. Alertone Services, LLC Intel Corporation Marigroup Oy Medical Guardian LLC Mytrex, Inc. DBA Rescue Alert Singapore Technologies Electronics Limited LifeWatch USAFor more insightful information visit @Customize report of "Global Fall Detection System Market" as per customers requirement also available.Market Segmentations:Global Fall Detection System Market is segmented on the basis of Components Algorithm System End User Geography.Market Segmentations in Details:On the basis of Components into accelerometers & gyroscopes, other unimodal/bimodal sensors, multimodal sensors, and others.On the basis of Algorithm into simple threshold, machine learning.On the basis of System global fall detection system market is segmented into wearable systems, in-home landline system, in-home cellular system, and others.On the basis of End User the global fall detection system market is further segmented into senior citizens  home, senior citizens  outside, hospitals, nursing, and senior assisted living facilities, lone workersOn the basis of geography North America South America Europe Asia-Pacific Middle East & AfricaCompany Share Analysis: Global fall Detection System MarketThe report for global fall detection system market include detailed vendor level analysis for market shares in 2016 for Global, North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Middle East and Africa and South America specifically. Also impact and development analysis of key vendors is registered in the market and factored on the basis of Vendor Positioning Grid Analysis which measures the vendors strengths and opportunities against present market challenges, measure providers ability to identify or satisfy present market needs, map providers market vision to current and upcoming market dynamics among others. The report also measures technology life line curve and market time line to analyze and do more affective investments.Speak to Author of the Report @Other ReportGlobal Fitness Equipment Market  Industry Trends and Forecast to 2024Global Fitness Equipment Market, By Type (Cardiovascular Training Equipment (Treadmills, Elliptical Trainers, Stationary Cycles, Rowing Machines, Stair Steppers, Others), Strength Training Equipment (Single Stations, Plate Loaded Equipment, Free Weights, Benches and Racks, Multistations, Accessories), Body Composition Analyzers (Bioimpedance Analyzer, Skinfold Caliper, Dual Emission X-Ray Absorptiometry (Dexa), Hydrostatic Weighing, Air Displacement Plethysmography), Fitness Monitoring Equipment), By End-User (Health Clubs, Gyms, Home Settings, Corporate Settings, Apartments, Hotels, Hospitals, Clinics), By Geography (North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, South America, Middle East and Africa, Rest of the World)  Industry Trends and Forecast to 2024.Report Access:About Data Bridge Market ResearchData Bridge Market Research set forth itself as an unconventional and neoteric Market research and consulting firm with unparalleled level of resilience and integrated approaches. We are determined to unearth the best market opportunities and foster efficient information for your business to thrive in the market. Data Bridge endeavors to provide appropriate solutions to the complex business challenges and initiates an effortless decision-making process.Contact:Data Bridge Market ResearchTel: +1-888-387-2818Email: sopan.gedam@databridgemarketresearch.comX-ray Equipment Market, By Product Type (Computed Tomography, Mobile X-Ray Devices, C-arm Devices, Dental X-ray, Mammography, and Others) Global Industry Insights, Trends, Outlook, and Opportunity Analysis, 2017 - 2025

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X-ray equipment in healthcare is mainly used for imaging of bone structures, tumors, and breast cancer during surgeries, for detecting fractures in bones and teeth, as well as detecting pneumonia. Increasing prevalence of fractures due to osteoporosis, orthopedic disorders, dental problems, and increasing cases of tumor and cancer are expected to boost demand for x-ray equipment in the near future. Rampant advancements in technology and adaptation of advanced medical systems in hospitals, diagnostic centers, and ambulatory surgeries are also expected to drive growth of the market over forecast period.Emerging prevalence of fractures and orthopedic disorders is expected to boost market growthPrevalence of fractures and orthopedic disorders is increasing globally and x-rays are majorly used to trace such fractures or disorders in bones. According to World Health Organization (WHO), 2017, around 37.3 million falls occur every year, it may lead to fracture or bone injuries. Increasing incidence of diseases such as cancer, pneumonia, osteoporosis, and dental problems are expected to fuel demand for x-ray equipment, which in turn, is expected to fuel growth of the x-ray equipment market in the near future. High cost of advanced x-ray equipment have influenced inclination towards cheap x-ray equipment supplied by domestic manufacturers, which in turn, poses as a major restraint for growth of the market.To get holistic SAMPLE with TOC @North America is expected to dominate x-ray equipment market due to increasing problem of osteoporosisNorth America is expected to hold a dominant position in the x-ray equipment market due to increasing prevalence of osteoporosis in the U.S. According to National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2017, fractures due to osteoporosis are a serious concern in the U.S., followed by bone deformity among the rapidly growing aging population, this in turn, is expected to create a lucrative environment for growth of the x-ray equipment market over forecast period. Asia Pacific is expected to be the second-largest market due to increasing prevalence of breast cancer, for instance, near to a quarter, i.e., 24% of all the breast cancers were diagnosed within the Asia-Pacific, i.e., around 404,000 cases at a rate of 30 per 100,000. China with the rae of 46%, Japan 14% and Indonesia 12%, Australia 86 per 100,000 and New Zealand 85 per 100,000 also had much higher incidence rates than any of the other major countries in Asia Pacific region. Other major factor causing increase in the X-Ray market are dental related ailments, and orthopedic diseases, which are more predominant in China and India.Product launches to play a vital role in the x-ray equipment marketKey players in x-ray equipment market include Siemens AG, Philips Healthcare, Canon USA Inc., Toshiba Medical Systems, Hitachi Medical Corporation, Fuji Medical Systems, Shimadzu Corporation, and Carestream Healthcare. Kiran Medical System, the radiography division of Trivitron Healthcare, launched Ultisys, its latest range of radiography products during Arab health convention in Dubai in 2017.Complete Report Details @Catch us at 3rd International Conference on Separation + Drying Technologies for Milk & Whey at Cologne, March 19 and 20, 2018About Coherent Market Insights:Coherent Market Insights is a prominent market research and consulting firm offering action-ready syndicated research reports, custom market analysis, consulting services, and competitive analysis through various recommendations related to emerging market trends, technologies, and potential absolute dollar opportunity.Contact Us:Mr. ShahCoherent Market Insights1001 4th Ave,#3200Seattle, WA 98154Tel: +1-206-701-6702Email: sales@coherentmarketinsights.comVisit our news Website:$789.7 billion Injectable Drug Delivery Market 2018: Global Growth Factors, Applications, Regional Analysis, Key Players And Forecasts to 2024

Global Injectable Drug Delivery Market 2018-2024

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Data Bridge Market Research presents publish new report of Global Injectable Drug Delivery Market Avail 10% Discount on Direct Purchase Or kindly send the email @ sopan.gedam@databridgemarketresearch.comGlobal Injectable Drug Delivery Market is expected to reach USD 789.7 billion by 2024 from USD 330.6 billion in 2016, at a CAGR of 11.5% in the forecast period 2017 to 2024. The new market report contains data for historic years 2015, the base year of calculation is 2016 and the forecast period is 2017 to 2024. Injectable drug delivery market has the largest market segment in Drug delivery market.North America Injectable Drug Delivery Market is expected to reach USD 354.53billion by 2024 from USD 154.05 billion in 2016, at a CAGR of 5.4% in the forecast period 2017 to 2024.Europe Injectable Drug Delivery Market is expected to reach USD 265.0 billion by 2024 from USD 107.4 billion in 2016, at a CAGR of 11.9 % in the forecast period 2017 to 2024.Click Here For Free Sample Report @:Some of the Top Key Players:Baxter International, Inc., Becton, Dickinson and Company, Gerresheimer AG, Pfizer, Inc., Schott AG, Alkermes Plc., Eli Lilly and Company, Sandoz, Terumo Corporation, and Teva Pharmaceuticals Industries Ltd.Pfizer:Incorporated in June 1942 and headquartered in New York, U.S. Pfizer Inc., is engaged in discovering, developing and, manufacturing of healthcare products. Pfizer Inc., operates through two segments: Pfizer Innovative Health (IH) and Pfizer Essential Health (EH). The Companys IH segment concentrates on creating and commercializing immunizations and prescriptions that enhance patients lives, and in addition products for the end user health care.To Know More About in short click here:Becton, Dickinson and Company:Founded in 1897 as Becton, Dickinson and Company and head quartered in New Jersey, U.S. is focused on developing, manufacturing and sales of medical supplies, devices, laboratory equipment and diagnostic products. The company operates through two business segments: BD Medical and BD Life Sciences.Request for Detail TOC@Company Share Study:The report also includes companys share analysis for the major companies operating in this market by major regions as North America, Europe and Asia Pacific. The details of mergers and acquisitions, product launches, expansions, and product life cycle matrix are also a part of this report.The Injectable drug delivery market is highly fragmented and the major players have used various strategies such as new product launches, expansions, agreements, joint ventures, partnerships, acquisitions, and others to increase their footprints in this market.Recent Growths:The major factors driving the growth of this market are the increasing use of biologics, rising prevalence of chronic diseases, increasing occurrence of needle stick injuries, and the benefits of injections (convenience, ease of use, and reduced pain). These factors increase the demand for devices such as safety syringes, prefilled syringes, and auto-disabled syringes. On the other hand, safety concerns regarding the use of injectable, increased risk of blood-borne infections due to injectable and presence of other drug delivery methods (such as oral and transdermal) may hinder the growth of the market.Have Any Query? Ask Our Expert:Other Market Insights:North America injectable drug delivery market is expected to reach USD 354.5 billion by 2024 from USD 154.0 billion in 2016, at a CAGR of 11.0% in the forecast period 2017 to 2024.Read More:About Data Bridge Market Research:Data Bridge Market Research set forth itself as an unconventional and neoteric Market research and consulting firm with unparalleled level of resilience and integrated approaches. We are determined to unearth the best market opportunities and foster efficient information for your business to thrive in the market. Data Bridge endeavors to provide appropriate solutions to the complex business challenges and initiates an effortless decision-making process.Contact:Vishal DixitData Bridge Market ResearchTel: +1-888-387-2818Email: sopan.gedam@databridgemarketresearch.comWhat will the market growth rate, Overview and Analysis by Type of Global GPS Tracking Device Market 2024

Global GPS Tracking Device Market  Industry Trends and Forecast to 2024

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Global GPS Tracking Device Market accounted to USD 1.5 billion in 2016 growing at a CAGR of 13.0% during the forecast period of 2017 to 2024. The upcoming market report contains data for historic years 2015, the base year of calculation is 2016 and the forecast period is 2017 to 2024.Global GPS Tracking Device Market By Type (Standalone Tracker, PBD Device, Advance Tracker) By Deployment type (Commercial Vehicle, Cargo and Container, Others), By Application (Transportation & Logistics, Construction, Oil & Gas, Metals & Mining, Government, Others) By Geography (North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Europe, South America, Middle East and Africa)  Industry Trends and Forecast to 2024FREE | Request Sample Copy is Available at @Market Definition:A GPS tracking unit is a device, normally carried by a moving vehicle or person, that uses the Global Positioning System to determine and track its precise location, and hence that of its carrier, at intervals. The latest trend in this market is growth in commercial vehicle leading to the growth of GPS system, they are in small in size, easy to carry, which may further develop the market in future. There is need of GPS tracking devices for several applications like Transportation & Logistics, Construction, Oil & Gas, Metals & Mining, Government, Others will create a huge market for the GPS tracking devices.Competitive Analysis:GPS Tracking Device Market is highly fragmented and is based on new product launches and clinical results of products. Hence the major players have used various strategies such as new product launches, clinical trials, market initiatives, high expense on research and development, agreements, joint ventures, partnerships, acquisitions, and others to increase their footprints in this market. The report includes market shares of flow cytometry market for global, Europe, North America, Asia Pacific and South America.Any Questions? Talk to our Expert @Major Market Drivers and Restraints: Commercial Vehicles increment leading to large supply of GPS system Smaller Size, Longer Life, and High ROI Low Prices Several Environmental Factors Leads to Poor User Experience Advancement in the SoftwareGet a Detail TOC of Report @Market Segmentation:On the basis of type Standalone Tracker, PBD Device, Advance Tracker.On the basis of deployment type:- Commercial Vehicle, Cargo Container, Others.On the basis of application:- Transportation & Logistics, Construction, Oil & Gas, Metals & Mining, Government, Others.On the basis of geography:- North America South America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Middle East & Africa.Some Major Countries Covered in This Report:- U.S., Canada, Germany, France, U.K., Netherlands, Switzerland, Turkey, Russia, China, India, South Korea, Japan, Australia, Singapore, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Brazil among others.In 2017, North America is expected to dominate the market.Major Market Competitors: Calamp Corporation, Sierra Wireless, Inc., Orbocomm Inc., Queclink Wireless Solutions Co., Ltd, Shenzhen Concox Information Technology Co., Ltd, Laird PLC., Tomtom International Bv, MeitrackGroup, Teltonika UAB, Atrack Technology Inc., Trackimo LLC,Geotab Inc., Shenzhen Coban Electronics Co., Ltd, Xirgo Technologies, Inc., Maestro Wireless Solutions Ltd., Ruptela UAB, Spy tech, Inc., Verizon Wireless among others.In 2017, Volkswagen sign a deal with Sierra wireless Inc. to use the GPS tracking devices in their cars.Read more about This Report @About Data Bridge Market Research:Data Bridge Market Research set forth itself as an unconventional and neoteric Market research and consulting firm with unparalleled level of resilience and integrated approaches. We are determined to unearth the best market opportunities and foster efficient information for your business to thrive in the market. Data Bridge endeavors to provide appropriate solutions to the complex business challenges and initiates an effortless decision-making process.Contact:Data Bridge Market ResearchTel: +1-888-387-2818Email: sopan.gedam@databridgemarketresearch.comAdult Vaccines Market, By Types of Vaccines (Monovalent and Multivalent) - Global Industry Insights, Trends, Outlook, and Opportunity Analysis, 2017-2025

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Vaccination is one of the most effective and safest therapy that protects from diseases and reduces the prevalence of infectious diseases. There are rare side effects associated with vaccinations. Most of the vaccines are recommended on the basis of persons age, lifestyle, travel destinations, and health conditions such as diabetes, heart diseases, asthma, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). According to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), in 2013, around 226,000 people are hospitalized every year and between 3,000 and 49,000 people die due to influenza and its complications, with major population of adults. Moreover, around 900,000 people are infected by pneumococcal pneumonia every year, among which, around 400,000 people get hospitalized and 19,000 people die, and around one million cases of shingles occur annually. CDC estimated that financial burden of adult vaccine preventable diseases (VPD) in the U.S. at around US$ 10 billion annually. However, CDC recommends that adult must be vaccinated against various infections such as influenza, pertussis (whooping cough), chickenpox, diphtheria, measles, hepatitis A and B, meningococcal disease (meningitis), human papillomavirus, mumps, pneumococcal disease (pneumonia), rubella, shingles, and tetanus.To get holistic SAMPLE with TOC @Initiatives by state authorities against viral and bacterial infections and innovation of novel vaccines is expected to fuel growth of the marketIn August 2017, GlaxoSmithKline and Ali health promoted HPV/Cervarix  which is a part of online shopping program named Taobao. It offer many features, which include pediatric and adult vaccine information and links of 1500 health clinics for consultations and appointments in China. This in turn, is expected to fuel growth of the adult vaccine market in the near future. Moreover, Dallas County Health and Human Services (DCHHS), in August 2017, is offering seasonal flu vaccine for adults. It provides all-in-one shot vaccine for multiple flu strains, including H1N1, after recommended by CDC for flu prevention. Thus, various initiatives by the health authority reduces flu impact in the U.S., which in turn, is expected to fuel growth of the adult vaccines market.In 2016, Protein Science Corporation announced 2016/17 formulation of Flubok influenza vaccine approved by FDA for 18 years and above.According to Public Health England (PHE), in September 2017, it was reported that vaccine shot given for influenza were ineffective in patients over 65 years of age, as it was inactivated form of vaccine. However, nasal influenza vaccine reduced risk of influenza in children. PHS suggest the development of new vaccines, which may provide better protection from infections in geriatric population. Thus, it provides an opportunity to key players operating in adult vaccine market to develop effective vaccines for geriatric population.In 2017, World Health organization (WHO) published a list of candidate vaccines in development for seven pathogen areas such as HIV, malaria, tuberculosis, Shigella, Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV), Enterotoxigenic E. Coli (ETEC), and Norovirus. Development of new vaccines against range of severe infections, is expected to propel growth of the adult vaccine in the near future.Increasing prevalence of viral or bacterial communicable and non-communicable infections in adults, fuels growth of the adult vaccine marketAccording to the Immunization Action Coalition (IAC), which is a member of the WHO-led project Vaccine Safety Net (VSN), an incidences took place, followed in 2017, around 166,000 cases of flu were reported in the U.S. and around 71 people died in September 2017. Moreover, in 2016, around 91,000 people were impacted from flu in last five years. Moreover, in Canada, Vancouver Coastal Health issued a warning to teens and young adults against mumps in 2017. As per IAC, February to August 2017 approximately 80 cases of mumps were reported. According to World Health Organization (WHO), in 2016, pregnant women and elder individual, aged 65 years and above, and health workers are always at higher risk of infections. Moreover, according to CDC, people traveling for vacations every year for business and volunteerism have higher risk for development of infections. Vaccination is made compulsory for travelers by state and local health departments, which in turn, is expected to fuel growth of the adult vaccines market.Key players operating in the global adult vaccines market include GlaxoSmithKline, plc, Panacea Biotec, Pfizer, Inc., Protein Sciences Corporation, Merck & Co., Inc., Daiichi Sankyo, Sanofi Pasteur SA, Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma Corporation, Astellas Pharma Inc., Bavarian Nordic, CSL Limited, Serum Institute of India Pvt. Ltd., ), Emergent BioSolutions, Inc., MedImmune, LLC, and Johnson & Johnson.Complete Report Details @Catch us at 3rd International Conference on Separation + Drying Technologies for Milk & Whey at Cologne, March 19 and 20, 2018About Coherent Market Insights:Coherent Market Insights is a prominent market research and consulting firm offering action-ready syndicated research reports, custom market analysis, consulting services, and competitive analysis through various recommendations related to emerging market trends, technologies, and potential absolute dollar opportunity.Contact Us:Mr. ShahCoherent Market Insights1001 4th Ave,#3200Seattle, WA 98154Tel: +1-206-701-6702Email: sales@coherentmarketinsights.comVisit our news Website:Zinc Bacitracin Market share will expand till 2024

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Zinc bacitracin is a mixture of high-molecular-weight polypeptides (bacitracin A, B, C, and several minor components). Zinc bacitracin occurs as a yellowish gray-brown to brown powder. It has characteristic odor. It is freely soluble in dilute hydrochloric acid, water, pyridine, and methol. Bacitracin has antibacterial effect on Gram-negative bacteria, actinomycetes, and leptospirae, and strong antibacterial effect on Gram-positive bacteria. It has growth-promoting effect on chickens (including broilers), pigs, and cattle.View Report Preview:Based on product type, the zinc bacitracin market can be segmented into light brown and tan. The light brown segment accounted for a significant share of the zinc bacitracin market in 2015. The growing animal feed sector is expected to boost the demand for zinc bacitracin in the near future. The increasing demand for poultry farming, pig farming, and calf farming has fueled the demand for animal feed. This, in turn, has augmented the zinc bacitracin market. Promotional efforts taken by governments to encourage animal farming are likely to fuel the demand for animal feed. This, in turn, is estimated to propel the demand for zinc bacitracin during the forecast period.Based on application type, the zinc bacitracin market has been segmented into poultry, pigs, and calves. In 2015, the poultry segment accounted for a significant share of the zinc bacitracin market, due to the increasing number of poultry farms. The increasing demand for milk has driven the demand for calve farming. This, in turn, has boosted the demand for zinc bacitracin.In terms of region, the global zinc bacitracin market has been segmented into Asia Pacific, North America, Europe, Middle East & Africa, and Latin America. Asia Pacific dominated the global zinc bacitracin market in 2015, followed by Europe and North America. Asia Pacific is expected to dominate the global market during the forecast period, due to increase in demand for feeds from developing economies in the region such as China, India, and Japan. Growth of the agro industry in Asia Pacific is anticipated to augment the demand for zinc bacitracin in the region during the forecast period. The market in Asia Pacific is likely to expand also due to growth of the feed industry in the region. The zinc bacitracin market in Asia Pacific is projected to witness rapid growth during the forecast period, due to efforts from local governments to promote the agro industry in the region. The market in Latin America is also anticipated to expand substantially during the forecast period. France held a significant share of the zinc bacitracin market in Europe in 2015. The country is projected to dominate the market in the region in the near future.Demand for zinc bacitracin is anticipated to rise significantly all over the world in the near future, thereby offering high growth opportunities for the global market. Rapid increase in demand from end-use applications, competitive manufacturing costs, and high economic growth rate are propelling the zinc bacitracin market in Asia Pacific. These factors are prompting companies to adopt expansion and R&D strategies in the region. Companies are focusing on Asia Pacific to gain higher market share. Producers of zinc bacitracin have been compelled to adopt expansion and acquisition strategies to meet the rise in global demand. A large number of producers are shifting their plants to countries such as China and India, due to factors such as high demand and low costs of raw material and labor in these countries.Major players operating in the global zinc bacitracin market include Akorn Pharmaceuticals, Perrigo, Pfizer, Shenzhou Animal Medicine, Youhua Pharmaceutical, and Lifecome Biochemistry.Request to view Sample Report:The report offers a comprehensive evaluation of the market. It does so via in-depth qualitative insights, historical data, and verifiable projections about market size. The projections featured in the report have been derived using proven research methodologies and assumptions. By doing so, the research report serves as a repository of analysis and information for every facet of the market, including but not limited to: Regional markets, technology, types, and applications.About UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a market intelligence company, providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMR's experienced team of Analysts, Researchers, and Consultants, use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather and analyze information.Our data repository is continuously updated and revised by a team of research experts, so that it always reflects the latest trends and information. With a broad research and analysis capability, Transparency Market Research employs rigorous primary and secondary research techniques in developing distinctive data sets and research material for business reports.Contact UsTransparency Market Research90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:Bio plastics and Biopolymers Market to observe high growth by 2025

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Bio plastics and Biopolymers are defined as the type of plastics and polymers which are obtained from renewable biomass source such as vegetable oils and fats, starch corn, technology that has an intrinsic network, intelligent control system and home automation system as its basic components. This technology is equipped with home appliances, digital devices and other components that are interconnected and are accessed with the help of a smart gadget from a far off location. The Bio plastics and Biopolymers market has been segmented by product type, by end user industry and geography.View Report Preview:In terms of product type the Bio plastics and Biopolymers market has been has been segmented into Bio-PET, Bio-PE, PLA, PHA, Starch Blends, Biodegradable polyster and Regenerated Cellulose among others. Moreover, in terms of end user industry, the Bio plastics and Biopolymers market has been segmented into packaging industry, bottling industry, agricultural industry, automotive industry and consumer products among others. Furthermore, in terms of geography, the Bio plastics and Biopolymers market has been segmented into five geographies namely North America, Europe, Asia Pacific (APAC), Middle East and Africa (MEA) and Latin America.Increased usage of Bio plastics and Biopolymers as consumer products and increase in investment on agricultural industry by the key vendors across the globe has contributed to the growth of Bio plastics and Biopolymers market. Moreover, the concept of smart cities and smart buildings and connected cities are also going to drive the demand in Bio plastics and Biopolymers market. Due to these concept there is an increase in demand of Bio plastics and Biopolymers for waste and water management and renewable energy management among others. Increased awareness and stringent laws across the globe, has increased the demand of Bio plastics and Biopolymers. Also frequent price fluctuation of petroleum is also contributing to the growth of the Bio plastics and Biopolymers market. Important factor is that this is recyclable, environment friendly and exhibits similar properties as petroleum based PET. Increase in demand of ecofriendly bio based polymer packaging is actually boosting up the growth of Bio plastics and Biopolymers market. Large and smooth distribution network along with strong distribution partner has led to the growth of increase in demand of Bio plastics and Biopolymers market. Rising concern for green environment and environmental safety has compelled the governments of various developed and developing nations to take safety measures which in turn has increased the usage and demand of Bio plastics and Biopolymers market significantly.By geography, Bio plastics and Biopolymers market has been segmented into five regions as North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific (APAC), South America and Middle East and Africa (MEA). Europe is the dominant segment in the global Bio plastics and Biopolymers market followed by Asia-Pacific and North America. In terms of revenue and market share, Europe leads the market globally. Russia is estimated to witness the highest CAGR in the European market. Expansion of the agriculture and packaging industry and rise of regional players has led to the expansion of the Bio plastics and Biopolymers market. South Korea, China, Japan are expanding consistently in the Bio plastics and Biopolymers market... The U.S. is among the leading contributors to the North America Bio plastics and Biopolymers market.The top players in the market include the key players, manufacturers, raw material suppliers and end users in the global Bio plastics and Biopolymers market such as BASF SE, Eastman Chemical Company, Solvay SA, Celanese Corporation, and many others. The manufacturers include various companies such as Braskem SA (Brazil), Corbion NV (Netherlands), BASF SE (Germany), Metabolix Holdings Group Inc. (U.S.), Nature Works LLC (U.S.) and others. The end users include industries such as packaging, agriculture, automotive, consumer products, and many others.Request to view Sample Report:The report offers a comprehensive evaluation of the market. It does so via in-depth qualitative insights, historical data, and verifiable projections about market size. The projections featured in the report have been derived using proven research methodologies and assumptions. By doing so, the research report serves as a repository of analysis and information for every facet of the market, including but not limited to: Regional markets, technology, types, and applications.About UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a market intelligence company, providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMR's experienced team of Analysts, Researchers, and Consultants, use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather and analyze information.Our data repository is continuously updated and revised by a team of research experts, so that it always reflects the latest trends and information. With a broad research and analysis capability, Transparency Market Research employs rigorous primary and secondary research techniques in developing distinctive data sets and research material for business reports.Contact UsTransparency Market Research90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:Steel Flat Rolled Products Market Intelligence with Competitive Landscape 2025

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Steel flat rolled products are made of steel and these products have flat surfaces instead of grooved faces. These products include cold rolled coil, hot rolled coils, slab, coated steel products among others. With the help of melting, steel flat rolled products are manufactured and these products have their extensive applications in automotive, construction, packaging and heavy machinery industries. Zinc coating is applied with steel to prevent it from any kind of corrosion. Steel flat rolled product market witness growing demand in coming years.View Report Preview:With the rising population base coupled with increasing disposable income, global steel flat rolled product market experience growing demand overtime. Emerging economies such as China, India and South Korea have witnessed significant economic growth rate and that high growth rate is translated into infrastructural development. With the growing base of infrastructure, demand for steel flat rolled products is likely to increase overtime. Industrialization based economic growth has been a growth strategy for many economies including advanced and emerging economies. Higher concentration of industries in these economies spur the demand for steel flat rolled products thus projecting higher growth trajectory for this market. Real estate industry is a booming sector in these economies and use of steel flat rolled products in residential and non-residential buildings accelerate the growth prospect of this market during the forecast period.Steel is an expensive material and this factor limits its uses. Hence, contractors switch their preference from steel flat rolled products to other type of products. Moreover, when steel is exposed to environment, this can lead to corrosion and that adversely impacts the life time of these steel products. These factors limit the use of steel in construction industry thus hindering the market prospect of this products in coming years.With the rising vehicular population, market for steel flat rolled products is expected to witness growing market share overtime. Coated steel have increasing application for making the structural parts of cars and these type of products primarily serves the purpose of corrosion resistance. Cold rolled coils have extensive application in car body parts and in these cases corrosion resistance is not primary objective; rather maintaining certain level of strength to weight ratio is the prerequisite. Hence, cold-rolled steel have their maximum application in seat belt components and auto transmission components. Hence, growing market share of automotive industry in advanced and emerging economies is triggering the growth prospect of steel flat rolled products market during the forecast period.Steel flat rolled products market is segmented on the basis of end users industry and the segments are construction, infrastructure and transport, consumer goods, packaging, automobile and defense. Construction segment held the largest market share in recent days. Steel flat rolled products are generally used in residential and commercial buildings as roofing, walling and ceiling materials. With the rising manufacturing of residential and non-residential buildings, market for steel flat rolled products is expected to follow steep growth rate during the forecast period.On the basis of geographic locations, global steel flat rolled products market is segmented into five regions such as North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Middle East and Africa (MEA) and Latin America. North America and Europe held considerable market share in steel flat rolled product market as these regions have higher concentration of industries including real estate sector. Key automobile manufactures belong to these regions thus increasing the use of steel products as auto parts. However, Asia Pacific is the fastest growing segment as this region consists of emerging economies such as China, India which have their increasing share on construction, renewable energy sources and automotive sectors.Some of the key market players are POSCO, United States Steel, ArcelorMittal, JFE Steel, Shanghai Baosteel Group and others.Request to view Sample Report:The report offers a comprehensive evaluation of the market. It does so via in-depth qualitative insights, historical data, and verifiable projections about market size. The projections featured in the report have been derived using proven research methodologies and assumptions. By doing so, the research report serves as a repository of analysis and information for every facet of the market, including but not limited to: Regional markets, technology, types, and applications.About UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a market intelligence company, providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMR's experienced team of Analysts, Researchers, and Consultants, use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather and analyze information.Our data repository is continuously updated and revised by a team of research experts, so that it always reflects the latest trends and information. With a broad research and analysis capability, Transparency Market Research employs rigorous primary and secondary research techniques in developing distinctive data sets and research material for business reports.Contact UsTransparency Market Research90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:Global Currency Sorter Market By Manufacturers, Countries, Type And Application, Forecast To 2022

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A currency sorter is a kind of financial machines and tools used for sorting cash, mainly including banknote sorter and coin sorter. Some currency sorters are designed to simultaneously scan, denominate, authenticate, count, sort, face, strap and distribute cash with high speed. The primary users are banks, financial institutions, casinos, and large theme parks.Request for discount @Scope of the Report:This report focuses on the Currency Sorter in Global market, especially in North America, Europe and Asia-Pacific, South America, Middle East and Africa. This report categorizes the market based on manufacturers, regions, type and application.Market Segment by Manufacturers, this report coversGiesecke & DevrientGloryLaurelDelarueToshibaKisan ElectronicsJulongXindaGRG BankingGuao ElectronicHarbin BillMarket Segment by Regions, regional analysis coversNorth America (USA, Canada and Mexico)Europe (Germany, France, UK, Russia and Italy)Asia-Pacific (China, Japan, Korea, India and Southeast Asia)South America (Brazil, Argentina, Columbia etc.)Middle East and Africa (Saudi Arabia, UAE, Egypt, Nigeria and South Africa)Market Segment by Type, coversSmall SizeMiddle SizeLarge SizeMarket Segment by Applications, can be divided intoBanknote SorterCoin SorterRequest Sample Copy of Report @There are 15 Chapters to deeply display the global Currency Sorter market.Chapter 1, to describe Currency Sorter Introduction, product scope, market overview, market opportunities, market risk, market driving force;Chapter 2, to analyze the top manufacturers of Currency Sorter, with sales, revenue, and price of Currency Sorter, in 2016 and 2017;Chapter 3, to display the competitive situation among the top manufacturers, with sales, revenue and market share in 2016 and 2017;Chapter 4, to show the global market by regions, with sales, revenue and market share of Currency Sorter, for each region, from 2012 to 2017;Chapter 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9, to analyze the key regions, with sales, revenue and market share by key countries in these regions;Chapter 10 and 11, to show the market by type and application, with sales market share and growth rate by type, application, from 2012 to 2017;Chapter 12, Currency Sorter market forecast, by regions, type and application, with sales and revenue, from 2017 to 2022;Chapter 13, 14 and 15, to describe Currency Sorter sales channel, distributors, traders, dealers, Research Findings and Conclusion, appendix and data sourceBrowse Complete Report @Who we areResearch Trades has team of experts who works on providing exhaustive analysis pertaining to market research on a global basis. This comprehensive analysis is obtained by a thorough research and study of the ongoing trends and provides predictive data regarding the future estimations, which can be utilized by various organizations for growth purposes.We distribute customized reports that focus on meeting the clients specific requirement. Our database consists of a large collection of high-quality reports obtained using a customer-centric approach, thus providing valuable research insights.Contact us:Email: sales@researchtrades.comCall us: +1 6269994607 (USA), +91 7507349866 (IND)Web:Skype ID: researchtradesconGoose Creek, SC (29445)

Today

Scattered thunderstorms this evening becoming more widespread overnight. Low 72F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 80%. Locally heavy rainfall possible..

Tonight

Scattered thunderstorms this evening becoming more widespread overnight. Low 72F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 80%. Locally heavy rainfall possible.Dear Carolyn:

Recently began an invigorating flirtation with a woman at work -- movies, jogging after work, dinner at home, etc. Last week she told me she'd been involved in an extended affair with a married man three or four years earlier. She was also living with another man at the time. The news came as a huge disappointment, and I'm wondering how much importance to attach to her history of lengthy deception.

-- Portland, Oregon

I think there's a risk of your blowing this out of proportion, so I'll be conservative and put its importance somewhere between "staggering" and "colossal."

Integrity isn't just a four-syllable word. If this woman doesn't have it, the jogging better be awfully good.

Note the flagrant use of "if." I could argue that her long-term deceptions guarantee she's integrity-starved, but that would deny her the opportunity almost every one of us wants out of life at least once: to be able to make a godawful mistake, to have an epiphany as a result, and to be accepted ever after for both the epiphany and the mistake, and not merely for the mistake.

So about that epiphany. Did she have one? Specifically, did she treat her behavior with the appropriate dose of self-loathing, and is she living proof that it worked? It isn't too early to tell; just recall what else she said when she delivered the news of her ugly behavior. Context speaks louder than words.

Dear Carolyn:

I'm in a long-distance relationship with someone younger and still in school. I know I want to spend the rest of my life with this person, but I worry I am a crutch keeping them from getting to the same point in maturity and independence that I am at now. How can I stop enabling dependence without potentially harming our relationship?

-- Far Away

Be willing to harm the relationship. Sounds callous, but look at it this way and it's the only unselfish course: Which is better, to want what's best for each other at the possible expense of your relationship, or to want the relationship at the possible expense of each other?

If you believe your student belovedness isn't ready for long-term commitment, end the commitment. I know some will cry condescension since it appears you're deciding unilaterally what's best for your younger, less-mature partner. And that's a fair accusation.

But you're really deciding how to look out for yourself. Either you're comfortable with this person's maturity and independence, or you think s/he has a way to go. Either you think staying together is healthy, or you think freedom will be. Either this person makes you happy as-is, or it's better, for you, to stay in touch but see other people. Just be honest in how you word that: "I want you to choose me after you've lived more of life."



Carolyn:

I have a group of four friends I've been with since I was 18 (I'm now 24), and one friend has stopped maturing somewhere along the way. Her constant high school behavior usually leaves the other three of us constantly complaining about her to one another. Is there any way to approach this situation without its seeming like we are attacking her three-on-one?

-- Burbs

Right, can't stand that high school behavior.

You're already attacking her three-on-one, just behind her back. The fair, and decent, and adult way to treat her is to attack her one-on-one, to her face. With "attack" being shorthand for raising calm, specific, well-thought-out objections to her behavior, with explicit examples, and then hearing her side of the story. And then steering the friendship accordingly.



Carolyn:

I recently started a relationship with a woman who seemed great until her jealous side became visible. While at a group happy hour, every time I talked to a female friend she'd insert some snide comment. We talked about this and she apologized, saying she hadn't slept much and was cranky. A few weeks later, a couple of my female friends stopped by our table to say hi. She glared at both of them and stormed off to the restroom. She later yelled at me for "hitting on them" in front of her. This is laughable, as both are married and have been platonic friends of mine for years. Is this something she needs to sort out herself or can I help her?

-- Maryland

Both. Theoretically. It's her insecurity to sort, but you can help yourself (and her) by implementing the nicest little zero-tolerance policy ever. "These women are my friends. This is the way I interact with my friends. I mean no disrespect, and ask that you please respect my friendships."

I say theoretically, because this just defines your limits on jealousy. What you also have is a woman either too rude or too childish to stay civil when she's upset. I doubt you can help her with that.Pinecrest Farms has success serving as a clinical site for two local colleges.

Now, after a vote by the Midland County Board of Commissioners, Pinecrest will be adding a third source, Career Quest Learning Center. The center educates students in healthcare, information technology, business and law.

Currently, Pinecrest serves as a clinical site for Saginaw Valley State University and Davenport University students.

These have been very successful programs, wrote Pinecrest Administrator Joe Blewett in a letter to the county board. The addition of students provides energy, enthusiasm and activities for our residents. The additional students provide more care support for our residents as well.

The agreement with Career Quest would be for a medical assistant externship. The program would require that the county aid externs as they continue their education. The agreement would be at no cost to the county. The medical assistant will assist administration and nursing supervisors with the residents coordination of care, regulatory compliance and customer service aspects of the facility.To the editor:

During the Clare Irish Festival, please support the Kathy Rynearson Memorial Food Drive on Wednesday, March 14, through Saturday, March 17, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

A Northern Logistics Truck will be in the Witbeck's Family Foods parking lot on McEwan Street in Clare to accept donations.

Kathy was one of the original Irish Festival committee members. She always gave back to the community and was always ready to lend a helping hand.

All donations will go to MidMichigan Action Agency's Food Warehouse and will help families in Clare County.

PENNY COLOSKY

ClareTo the editor:

I read with interest the article submitted by Emma Johnson a while back. She did a lot of detailed research and came up with some interesting figures and how our taxes are spent. It is very interesting on how the U.S. military aid from Midland to Israel is calculated.

I also have been to Israel and seen the walls and checkpoints that have been erected. They weren't erected to separate families and make it difficult for students to attend university. They were erected to primarily protect lives, which seems to be a very good reason, and one I wholeheartedly support.

Understanding much of the history and struggles of the country of Israel and the city of Jerusalem, it is easy to see why the modern Israel has faced a constant security challenge, especially in recent years. It has been forced to address tough dilemmas, especially as Jerusalem's custodian.

History shows the terrible things radical Islam has done to many holy sites around the world as well as in Israel. Circumstances require that a delicate balance be maintained between the needs of vigilance and a policy of wide open entry to sensitive sites in Jerusalem. Israel has taken action against the tiny internal faction that does not care about the holy sites of others. The wall was erected to prevent Hamas suicide bombers strolling into the heart of the city to attack people gathered in public places. If the Palestine Authority was serious about dismantling the terrorist groups in the areas under its jurisdiction there would be no need for walls and checkpoints.

It's been 50 years since Israel reunited Jerusalem after the 1967 Six-Day War. Access to Jerusalem has become open to multitudes of visitors including peace-loving pilgrims from every continent. Holy shrines have been restored and the city's ancient heritage has been unveiled like never before.

It seems quite evident to me that Israel protects, and should continue protecting, the peace and religious pluralism of Jerusalem  Jewish, Islamic and Christian. I believe they are using whatever is deemed necessary to protect lives and holy sites. What about the thousand-plus Israelis that have died from attacks since the Oslo Agreement was signed? I can't put a dollar value on a life. I am very glad to see my tax money is doing good in the world. I only hope and pray that some day there will be peace on Earth and all can be free from fear.

CHARLES F. ZEMANEK

MidlandThe United States just sued California. To anyone born before, say, 2016, that sentence sounds a little insane. The suit concerns the states sanctuary immigrant policies, which make it harder for the feds to go after undocumented Americans there. The Department of Justice argues this violates federal authority under the constitution. Specifically, the government claims that three state laws reflect a deliberate effort by California to obstruct the United States enforcement of federal immigration law.

At least thats what its about in name. The suit doubles as political revenge on the hippies, commies, techies, and Hollywood elites that singlehandedly cost Trump the popular vote by three million. (Or wait, wasnt it millions of illegal votes in states such as New Hampshire that robbed him?) Note also that cities in other states such as Texas and Iowa have granted sanctuary status, but Trump hasnt targeted them. But the choice to sue California itself is particularly dumb, because the lawsuit certainly does nothing to ingratiate the Trump administration or Republicans in general to Californias 55 electoral votes. Typical Trump: Vengeance over logic.

But still, this is an important and controversial lawsuit. So lets see what those damn dirty hippies have done this time, and figure out whether the DOJ has a case.

There are more than 140 sanctuary cities and counties in the U.S., including New York, Chicago, and Boston. In California, San Francisco, Sacramento County, and Los Angeles are all sanctuaries. Many Americans, however, either dont understand or misunderstand what sanctuary cities are. Part of that is branding: On both sides of the political spectrum the term signals something like all refugees are welcome here. The word sanctuary creates mental hyperlinks to amnesty and asylum, which the right wing fears and hates. (This despite the fact that Ronald Reagan granted amnesty to millions of undocumented Americans.) Conversely, lefties associate those words with kind and heroic acts, perhaps unconsciously associated with the righteous resistance of the underground railroad, harboring Jews during the holocaust, and so on.

But the term doesnt have a consistent definition. Many areas embrace the broader definition above, but for others the term more technically refers to their refusal to comply with federal government policies that empower (and, judging by this lawsuit, require) law enforcement officials to go to lengths to target, detain, and deport undocumented people. When President Trump signed an executive order last year that stripped states of certain federal grants if they dont enforce those policies, many states and cities quickly made it clear that they wouldnt go along with it. Those areas are sanctuary cities.

In short, the DOJ claims California law (specifically SB 54) conflicts with federal laws regarding immigration enforcement. The U.S. government has ultimate jurisdiction over immigration, and federal law establishes that (stick with me here) state and local governments cant prevent employees from sharing certain information with federal immigration officials.

The DOJs suit hinges on that fact, because California law now forbids local and state law enforcement from sharing with the feds certain information, such as the release dates of incarcerated immigrants or personal information about immigration status. The law also prevents local law enforcement from sending undocumented immigrants straight to the feds without a warrant. California granted an exception here, however, if the person committed serious crimes.

The DOJ also has in its sights state law that prevents private businesses and their employees from voluntarily cooperating with ICE raids. According to legal experts, theres no federal law that compels employers to cooperate with ICE whenever they want to have a raid party. In that case, Jeff Sessions doesnt seem to have legs to stand on.

In a larger and slightly less complicated sense, though, the whole thing is a weird political reversal on states rights. The federal government must respect a states sovereignty, meaning the states responsibility to care for all citizens. And yes, this includes people who live in the state who arent citizens. Its a provision of the Fourteenth Amendments due process clause, which, it might surprise some to learn, doesnt only protect American citizens: It says the government cant deny any person of life, liberty, or property without due process of law; nor to apply to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.

Any person.

And just a few years ago, in 2012, twenty heavily GOP states sued the federal government over President Obamas immigration policy, which they said usurped their right to criminalize immigration and enforce those laws as they see fit. One of those cases, Arizona v. the U.S., went all the way to the Supreme Court, which ruled in the administrations favor. The Courts decision cites the constitutions supremacy clause, which essentially says federal laws trump state laws. Now the Trump administration is using that same ruling as an instrument to go after Californias immigrant-friendly policy. At the same time, of course, the famously liberal state has swapped sides in favor of states rights.

If you think all this local resistance stems from lily-livered leftist politicians, it doesnt: Many law enforcement officials, including sheriffs in notorious liberal bastions such as Texas and Polk City, Iowa, reject the policy, arguing that if anything it makes their areas less safe. In fact, the sheriffs of every major city in Texas opposed the states recent law requiring local law enforcement to ask people their immigration status.

These officials, which include governors, mayors, and sheriffs, say the federal policy conscripts and misallocates local police resources, already stretched thin. According to many sheriffs, this will also corrode critical but delicate relationships between local police and members of immigrant communities. After all, you cant expect those communities to cooperate with police if they worry that local officers, acting as de facto federal agents, might break up their families or those of their friends. Additionally, in the words of one Texas sheriff, it will encourage racial profiling and, in the words of another, direct officers to go after cooks and nannies, instead of hardened criminals. We have ICE for a reason. Local police, these officials argue, cant be expected to do their work for them, much less prioritize it.

But police are supposed to go after criminals, and arent these people criminals? I mean its called illegal immigration. Not so fast. Heres a passage from an editorial written by that Polk City sheriff, Bill McCarthy (emphasis mine):

...the fact is that being an undocumented person in our state is not a criminal offense as defined in the Iowa Code. The proponents of this bill claim this is a technicality, but it is a fact. Moreover, and more important, it does not exist in the United States Criminal Code. While being undocumented is an administrative rule violation, local law enforcement agencies do not enforce these types of violations any more than when a person cheats on their income tax, another federal administrative rule violation. To date, Congress has not acted on this distinction.

And once more: Any person.

Sessions case will likely go to the Supreme Court, but a final decision isnt clear-cut.

Californias argument:

This the states rights argument: In short, California has the right to use its resources as it sees fit, and that under the constitution the administration cant conscript state and local officials and private businesses to carry out federal policy.

But we also have to understand that the federal government does indeed have precedent over the states when it immigration policy. And though the Supreme Court seemingly held up this precedent in Arizona v. the U.S., California legislators had that case specifically in mind when they crafted these new laws. Unlike the legislators in Arizona, they didnt directly target immigrants. Instead California focused on the federal governments requirements that local law enforcement and businesses cooperate and share certain information with, and to a certain extent carry out the will of, federal immigration authorities. This includes reassurance to undocumented immigrants that the state wont automatically and immediately deport them if theyre convicted of a crime.

The DOJs argument:

The DOJ will argue that the California laws indirectly affect immigrants to a degree significant enough to fall under the Arizona ruling. After all, the laws are clearly designed to impede the DOJs ability to enforce immigration law. Legal experts, however, argue that this might not be enough to fit the terms of the Arizona decision.

It will likely all come down to some combination of interpretations of the Fourteenth, Fourth, and Tenth Amendments. (The latter defines federalism: The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people). This would seem to give California a slight edge over Arizona, but it will be up to the Court to determine whether states (and private businesses) must take a further and constitutionally shakier step to fully cooperate and actively participate in the enforcement of federal immigration policy.

Which also happens to be racist as hell.See some of the top Michigan high school football performers from Week 4Szymon Godziek - Charged:

Farmer on Patrol 2:

Kendall McLean - Awakening:

Max McCulloch - Winter is Tough on Vancouver Island:

Scott Thornhill - Indoors:

No EXIF 5 - Slow Down Photography:

Weird & Revered: The Lost "Far North" Tapes:

Just Another Day - A Film About Mountain Biking in the Bay Area:

Cruising Maydena Bike Park:

Joe Nation #sundaysizzle.

La Poma Bike Park - Game of Bike:

Simple Sessions 2018:

Calvin Kosovich 'Ain't No Love' in L.A.

It's a Woman's World - Angie Marino & Perris Benegas:

Classics: Rodney Mullen - Virtual Reality:

Classics: Chad Muska - Fulfill the Dream:

Shots From Above:

Cold:

Seeking Nirvana 3.1 - The Lost Craftsmen:

The Long Way:

Get charged with Szymon Godziek and the NS Bikes Fuzz. Pure big mountain freeride feast!Big thanks to Bob Mackay and Rob Kennerley for the help.Kendall came out of hibernation to attack the fresh Vancouver Island forests.Winter is tough on Vancouver Island... not! T-shirt weather, tacky trails, and good times. The entire video was filmed over one weekend at Harbourview and Bear Mountain.Shredding in Calgary.The photos from 2007 are anything but brilliant. But the decade has added a historical aspect. It doesnt make the photo better, but it tells a story.Back in 2016 I decided that rather than attending my University graduation, I should road trip up to Alaska. It seemed like an appropriate way to celebrate my freedom from studying. This is a video documenting my travels atop two wheels in The Far North.My friends and I riding our bikes in the Bay area. Nothing more, nothing less.GoPro mash up of footage from Maydena Bike Park. Highly recommend checking this place out.We teamed up with Joseph Nation on his new Specialized Bicycles Enduro for adown a slightly greasy Shredzilla track at Christchurch Adventure Park. In true Sunday fashion, crack a beer, click HD, and enjoy!Watch the boys battle it out in a game of B-I-K-E at the famous La Poma Bike Park in Barcelona, Spain. Who took the win, and who ended up taking a dip in the ocean? Watch, and find out!Director: Dmitri Shushuyev."Downtown Los Angeles is one of the most documented cites in the world, and easily one of the most hectic when it comes to filming. I've always wanted to shoot a film that really captures the vibe and feel of this fast paced city, so I hit up Calvin Kosovich for a cruise and this is what we came up with! Hope you enjoy - Christian Rigal"BMX is for for everyone that wants it. Don't matter what you ride. We're especially proud to add these two badass girls to the CultCrew Family. Here's a weekend of shredding in the SoCal area from Angie Marino and Perris Benegas.Plan B followed up "Questionable" by making yet another of the best skate vids ever.Muska had some ads and interviews, but it was only after this 1998 Shorty's part that a star was born and a legend was made.As much we admire the explorers traveling to the ends of the Earth on large scale Expeditons its the everyday man (or women) exploring their own backyard that often inspire the most. Guys like Chris Dahl-Bredine, who built an experimental aircraft in his garage in order to bring a new perspective to his life & creative vision. There isnt much glamour in this type of exploration. No sponsors footing the bill. Just hard work, cold mornings & sometimes a bit of duct tape. Part cowboy, part photographer, part mechanic, Chris' work blends a blue collar work ethic with a special eye for landscapes and the interconnectedness of it all.Over the past 26 years, 16 expeditions have tried and failed to climb one of Pakistan's 8,000 meter peaks in winter. In February 2011, Simone Moro, Denis Urubko, and Corey Richards became the first to achieve this alpine dream by summiting Gasherbrum II, surviving -50 degree temperatures and a massive avalanche. Richards captured both the glory and the pain of their adventure in this raw and moving, first-person look at modern super-alpinism.A journey into Japan's rich maker culture and legendary powdery winter. A look at the past, present and future of craftsmanship intertwined with the search for carving the perfect turn.Sam Schultz has driven south every winter for the past 11 years, leaving Montana's snow-covered landscape behind in exchange for Arizona's dry Sonora Desert. His road trip has always had an end game; to clear his head, build some perspective, and get back on the bike. He'll be the first one to tell you he loves a good road trip, and that the best ones are filled with deviations, stops, and adventures along the way.Title Photo by: ns-bikes To check out videos submitted by fellow Pinkbike members that didn't quite make Movie Mondays here2.6k SHARES Facebook Twitter Whatsapp Pinterest Reddit Print Mail Flipboard

One of the reasons why the Pennsylvania House special election is so close is that Democrats who voted for Trump in the 18th District are coming home to Conor Lamb.

Video:

John Micek editorial and opinion editor of Penn Live and the Patriot-News explained why this election is so close on MSNBC.

Micek said, Youre right. This is a plus 19 Trump district in 2016. As recently as two months ago Rick Saccone had a 12% lead, and by Monday that had tightened to 3% point by Conor Lamb. Within 4.8% margin of error. What they are fighting over is 7% block who are undecided in this race. It has come down to personality and to policy. And in large part due to weakness for one, Conor Lamb is a strong out of central casting Democrat but a lot of weakness on the part of Rick Saccone. Who has been a reliable conservative vote in Pennsylvania state legislature for about 3 1/2 terms now. What was interesting is Tim Murphy, the Republican congressman who held the seat previously, one of the reasons he was successful was he built bridges to organize labor and is strong on that part of the district. Saccone while a member of the Pennsylvania house cast toxic anti-labor votes. Talking to people on the ground there that cost him support. There is a Republican state senator out knocking doors out there Im told not too long ago. These Republican voters who answered the door said Im voting for you but not for Rick Saccone. And conversely now sort of these labor voters from these labor activist now Democrats who are trump voters in 2016 are now coming home to Conor Lamb in part at least because of some of the anti-labor votes that Rick Saccone made in the assembly.

Democrats are coming home to Lamb. This is a district that the Republicans should be winning with ease, but as we have seen in previous special elections, Republicans have struggled to get out the vote and mobilize their voters to support a series of lackluster candidates. Some are saying that this election doesnt mean much because the new Pennsylvania map phases this district out, but this race matters because it is a great barometer of where the electorate stands.

If Republicans cant hold a House seat in a district that Trump won by 20, and Romney by 17, they might not stand a chance in other districts around the country that are much more competitive.

Democrats are coming home, and they are supporting Conor Lamb.

PoliticsUSA has positions open for writers. Click here to apply.

To discuss this story and more join our Rachel Maddow and MSNBC group.524 SHARES Facebook Twitter Whatsapp Pinterest Reddit Print Mail Flipboard

This years race for the U.S. Senate will be a hard-fought battle throughout the country. But a surprising new poll shows that vulnerable Democratic senators may be in better shape than most people expected. According to Axios, this could be a deciding factor in control of the Senate.

The poll from Axios and Survey Monkey looked at ten states that went for Trump but which have Democratic senators up for re-election in 2018. In all ten states the great majority of respondents said that undocumented immigrants should be offered a chance to obtain legal status.

In addition the majority of respondents in nine of the ten states are in favor of DACA. The only state with a majority not supportive of DACA was North Dakota, which has only 3 electoral votes.

Immigration issues are extremely important since Democrats must defend so many vulnerable seats in Trump states in this years midterm elections. They need to pick up two seats to take control of the Senate from the Republicans but most people expect them to lose seats since they have to defend Democratic seats in the 10 states that went for Trump. They easily could lose several seats in these states.

For the majority of voters to support Democrats positions on these two immigration issues appears to be an unexpected bright spot for Democrats right now despite President Trumps bellicose and divisive rhetoric. He may have a core of support of about 30% but the majority do not support him.

Additional polling done in February by Axios and Survey Monkey was also surprising and good for Democrats: the majority of Americans support Democrats in their fight to protect Dreamers. They blame Republicans for not finding a solution to this problem which affects so many young people. In addition, they are against Trumps position  most think that Trump wants to deport the Dreamers, and the majority of Americans are strongly against that.

Clearly if the majority of voters in these 10 states support both DACA and a pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrants, then this could not only help the vulnerable Senate Democrats keep their seats, it could also POSSIBLY result in Democrats taking back control of the Senate.

This table shows the percentage of poll respondents in each state in favor of undocumented immigrants obtaining legal status:

Florida: 72% in favor Pennsylvania: 72% in favor Ohio: 69% in favor Michigan: 71% in favor Wisconsin: 75% in favor Missouri: 67% in favor Indiana: 67% in favor West Virginia: 62% in favor Montana: 63% in favor North Dakota: 60% in favor453 SHARES Facebook Twitter Whatsapp Pinterest Reddit Print Mail Flipboard

After getting kicked out of the Trump Administration and his right-wing news website Breitbart, Steve Bannon is now touring Europe fomenting populist discontent.

In recent weeks Bannon has toured Europe, getting to know European far-right leaders. For example:

In Zurich Tuesday he had a meeting with top people from Germanys populist AfD party. (The AfD party made big gains in the 2017 German federal election with a very strong anti-immigrant, anti-Muslim platform.)

In Italy populists won over 50% of the vote in recent elections, and Bannon has been complimenting the success of the Lega Nord and Five Star parties.

He is planning to meet Hungarys prime minister Viktor Orban, a strong populist, at a later time.

French National Front leader Marine Le Pen met Bannon at her partys convention in the French city of Lille on Saturday. It was rumored that Bannon would be allowed to speak at the convention.

And now it is being reported that Bannon is considering purchasing an outlet like Newsweek or starting a new media brand with a focus on global news and populist issues.

Bannon told The New York Times that he wants to create a European media network, modeled on Breitbart, to spread populist ideology. His dream is to have an army of what he calls social media foot soldiers. All Im trying to be, he said, is the infrastructure for the global populist movement.

Bannon said that European populist movements have great demand for a news website with populist content similar to Breitbarts.

They see what Breitbart did and now they want to see it in their own language, he said. Thats the key. Right now my sites are in English, they want one in their own language.

Whether I do it or a local entrepreneur does it  there are going to be these populist nationalist news sites that pop up in the next year on line. That will only take these things to the next level, he told the Times.

Breitbart News took a very strong populist position in recent years and has pushed right-wing content aimed at attacking American globalists for undermining the United States economic interests. Bannon and Breitbart also strongly promoted the presidential campaign of Donald Trump and are considered to have played a significant role in helping him get elected.2k SHARES Facebook Twitter Whatsapp Pinterest Reddit Print Mail Flipboard

Trump has convinced himself that he can lie to Robert Mueller under oath and get away with it.

Video of Dep. Press Sec. Raj Shaw on Trumps plans to testify under oath:

Transcript via ABCs This Week:

KARL: All right, well lets get to another topic where you can give me specifics, the Russia investigation. The president has told me twice now, once last year and once this year, that he will meet and talk to the special counsel, answer questions under oath. I assume the president plans to keep his word on that?

SHAH: Well, look, hes also said that that will be in consultation with his attorneys. They have been in touch with the special counsel and they are  theyre going to be communicating back and forth 

KARL: But he said 100 percent to me, 100 percent yes. Is that  is there any 

SHAH: Im sure he intends to. But  but what Im saying is that his attorneys are communicating with the special counsel on the specifics regarding that.

Trumps lawyers have admitted that they have to lie to him about the Russia investigation in order to keep him calm, so the president probably still believes that he would be able to sit down with Special Counsel Robert Mueller and lie to him while under oath.

Trump and those around him have gotten away with lying in civil suits for decades. They have never been in a situation as grave as a special counsel investigation. I have no doubt that the president that he can beat the wrap on the Russia investigation, but Robert Mueller is the attorney for some contractor that Trump decided not to pay.

If Trump lies to Mueller, it will be the worst mistake of his life.

PoliticsUSA has positions open for writers. Click here to apply.

To discuss this story and more join our Rachel Maddow and MSNBC group.According to his stated positions the Democratic candidate for Congress in Pennsylvanias 18th district sounds like a moderate, yet traditional, Democrat.

He says he is for the following things:

taking immediate action to fight the heroin crisis, creating and protecting good jobs, making health care more affordable, protecting Medicare and Social Security, and reforming our broken student loan system.

None of these positions would make people say that Lamb is a wild-eyed liberal Democrat. They all seem reasonable to the average voter.

And this is exactly what Lamb is going for as he hopes to win a seat for Congress in a district that Trump won by 20 percentage points. He has even said he would not support Nancy Pelosi as Speaker of the House.

One particular issue that seems to set Lamb apart from the national Democratic Party is Medicare. Not just the current Medicare program but the proposed expanded Medicare program which has been proposed in Congress.

Instead of supporting any of the current bills in Congress such as Bernie Sanders Medicare for All Lamb is pointing out that the Republicans in Congress led by Paul Ryan actually want to cut back on the Medicare program we have now. This is a program relied upon by the nations elderly and disabled populations, and it has been shown to be the most popular of all government programs.

As a result, Lamb has been using this tried-and-true Democratic Party wedge issue in his campaign to flip a red congressional seat to the Democratic column. In his stump speeches he has been citing $1.5 trillion in entitlement cuts which both Ryan and Trump have proposed in their Republican budget.

These cuts in Medicare and Medicaid, they are no longer just chapters in Paul Ryans book. They are there in black and white in actual bills that are sitting in the U.S. Congress that are awaiting a vote, Lamb has told his campaign audiences. We know the next attack on these so-called entitlements will be on Social Security.

This seems to be a winning formula for Lamb, and one that might be used to good effect in other swing congressional districts around the country.

Former vice president Joe Biden recently went to the district to help the photogenic 33 year-old former Marine. Biden said Lamb is a champion for workers and that he would protect labor unions and fight against cuts to Social Security and Medicare funding.

If union members come out in strength to vote for Lamb we may well be experiencing the start of a sea change in American politics. This would mean that Lambs message would be what is needed for Democrats to win back the voters who left them decades ago as Reagan Democrats.

This young and inexperienced candidate may be setting a winning agenda for the national Democratic Party without even realizing it. The results in tomorrows special election in Pennsylvania will be closely analyzed regardless of the outcome.189 SHARES Facebook Twitter Whatsapp Pinterest Reddit Print Mail Flipboard

By Mica Rosenberg

(Reuters)  Migrants separated from their children after they were detained for illegally entering the United States filed a class action lawsuit on Friday, claiming there are hundreds of parents in the same situation, and that the Trump administration is violating their due process rights.

The lawsuit, brought by the American Civil Liberties Union and filed in U.S. District Court in southern California, expands on the claim of a single Congolese asylum seeker filed last week. Ms. L, as she is referred to in the complaint, had been detained in San Diego while her 7-year-old daughter was sent to Chicago four months ago by federal authorities. But on Tuesday, just days after the initial lawsuit was filed, Ms. L was released.

The class action seeks to represent all adult parents in immigration custody who have a minor child separated from them without a hearing to prove the parent is unfit to care for them.

The Justice Department declined to comment on pending litigation.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said that it does not currently have a policy of separating families but that it does so at times if a child may be at risk.

There have been numerous intelligence reports and cases where kids have been used and trafficked by unrelated adults in an effort to avoid detention, Tyler Houlton, a DHS spokesman, said in a statement. If we are unable to confirm this relationship we must take steps to protect the child.

In the class action complaint, Ms. L is joined by another anonymous lead plaintiff. Ms. C. is a woman from Brazil who crossed the border and told officials she hoped to apply for asylum in the United States. She was prosecuted on a misdemeanor charge of entering the country illegally and served a 25-day sentence in jail, while her 14-year-old son was sent to a facility in Chicago, the lawsuit says. On Sept. 22, she was transferred to immigration detention in Texas and has still not been able to reunite with her son.

The administration has floated the idea of separating families at the border in an attempt to deter migration.

But Democratic lawmakers have spoken out against that idea and the American Academy of Pediatrics said in a statement that family separation measures are harsh and counterproductive.

(Reporting by Mica Rosenberg in New York; Editing by Sue Horton, Susan Thomas and Lisa Shumaker)As more and more classic metal bands grind to a halt, Judas Priest seems not just to survive but prosper. Their discography starts in 1974 with

Rocka Rolla. Since then they have endured numerous shifts in musical climate, political oppression via the Parents Music Resource Center (Eat Me Alive earned a spot on their Filthy Fifteen list), and a much publicized court trial in which they were accused of adding subliminal messages to their records encouraging listeners to kill themselves (the trial lasted about a month and ended with the judge dismissing the lawsuit), and lineup changes including Rob Halford leaving the band for two studio albums in the 1990s and founding guitarist K.K. Downing departing the band for good in 2011.

Angel of Retribution (2005) was the first Priest album with Halford back in the fold. While it may not be their most magnificent work, it signaled a return to the lineup many fans preferred and recaptured the attention of those who tuned out during the albums Tim Ripper Owens sang on.

The two-album

Nostradamus (2008) is a concept album centered on the writer and seer Nostradamus. A better album than Angel, it still has its uneven points. Redeemer of Souls came next (2014). A pivotal album, it proved that Priest could continue despite the loss of Downingthe very capable Richie Faulkner came in to replace himand is the best album since Halfords return to the band.

Firepower welcomes fans of previous Priest records, but it also sounds modern. Thats not surprising given that the band used two producers for the album. Tom Allom worked with Priest on 1979s Unleashed in the East and stayed with them through the 1980s. Andy Sneap has produced albums by Accept, Megadeth, Testament, and Nevermore, so he has a thorough understanding of delivering a classic metal aesthetic in a contemporary context. Despite the two producers, the overall sound of the album is consistentperhaps too consistent. The songs tend to follow each other obediently but not always distinctly or urgently.

Firepower begins with the title track, a solid riffer that invites more than it ignites. Lightning Strike surpasses on all levels and would have made a better opener. The brief bursts of upper-register screams summon peak Halford. Evil Never Dies slips back a half a gear. Never the Heroes is a mid-tempo number that builds up to a catchy chorus while the blah Necromancer falters at the chorus. Children of the Sun follows the example of Never the Heroes. The short instrumental Guardians starts with piano and builds into a guitar lead. In and of itself, its not needed, but it does provide a point of entry into Rising from Ruins, which moves through almost spoken-word verses, and then launches into riff-heavy choruses.

One would expect a song with the title of Flame Thrower to sound heavier, fierier, hotter. This track is warm, but it doesnt burn. Thats the same thing we can say about Spectre. Traitors Gate tries to pull things up a notch and succeeds until the chorus. The vocal and instrumental bridge before the solo both get interesting, and one wonders what a song built around them might sound like. No Surrender is a highlight with its anthemic chorus. The Pantera-esque Lone Wolf could have been a song from Fight, Halfords 1990s band that he formed after leaving Priest. The acoustically-based Sea of Red bobs around and then shifts to electric guitars and drums, which keeps the track from completely sinking, but Never Surrender would have been the better finish.

Coming in at 14 tracks,

Firepower might be a stronger album if it followed the lead of previous albums such as British Steel, Screaming for Vengeance, or Painkiller, each of which contains ten tracks or fewer.

Nonetheless,

Firepower demonstrates that Priest has a place in current metal and that they are not just riding their past glories. With Halford closing in on 70, Downing retired, and co-guitarist Glenn Tiptons recent announcement that he will not tour due to Parkinsons, every round has to count. Its not the nuclear assault of Painkiller, a touchstone for many Priest fans, or the late-day resurrection of Redeemer of Souls, but Firepower proves Judas Priest still pack some heavy artillery and can still hit the target even if not every shot is a bullseye.I felt reasonably well prepared for Wadada Leo Smiths concert. I was familiar with the recordings, Id interviewed him recently, attended a lecture hed given, and had another brief chat with him. Seeing Smith and his Golden Quintet create something  in this case at the world premiere performance of Americas National Parks in Charlottesville, Virginia  requires some extra effort. Trumpeter, composer, Pulitzer-nominated Smith doesnt work in the normal way, and traveling with him offers unusual surprises.

Understanding Smiths work begins with his idiosyncratic scores. The most striking works involve his Ankhrasmation symbolic language. These scores are their own sort of art, pages of images in which shapes and colors depict the music to be played. An artist using one of these scores will have to learn a new language. Smith explained to me that reading these scores requires a lot of care and explanation. Its a new language where people have to do their own research, and through that research, they determine what portion theyre going to use for that performance.

At the public lecture, part of his residency and the Impulse Festival at the University of Virginia, Smith walked us through the interpretive process, explaining the connections between pyramid designs, the connection between the color blue and our associations with blueberries, and the sequences to follow. An hour of study only opens up the beginnings of the conversation youd need to have. An artist studying a piece might find the connections to references in nature, signs, or ones imagination, and that marks the start of being able to play the piece.

If those ideas arent complex enough, Smith also utilizes a variation on the more traditional notation that he calls a sonic stack, a collection of staves that show not chords, but a stack of sound that sets that tone for a given piece (some works also incorporate typical Western notation). Smith remains interested in intervals that dont work [in typical] tonality. His Lyndon B. Johnsons Great Society and the Civil Rights Act of 1964 from Ten Freedom Summers includes a 64th interval that relies on higher harmonics to make the leap. Pushing into Smiths compositions  something that percussionist Pheeroan akLaff describes as a shape in an evolutionary continuum  may induce vertigo, but it also opens up unique opportunities for musical exploration. As akLaff adds, Smiths scoring suggests a refreshing ethos connecting the player and the score.

Cellist Ashley Walters explains another style he uses: Wadadas cello solo, Sweet Bay Magnolia [part of Walterss Sweet Anxiety release], uses notes on a staff but not quite in the traditional sense. For example, black notes on the page are short notes and white notes are long notes; the spacing of the notes conveys information about gesture and expression rather than a specific rhythm. This seems easy in concept but it takes great care to cultivate an interpretation.

I know from talking to Smith that he can also combine various forms of notation. He pointed out that the scoring for his solo Reflections and Meditations on Monk, even though some of it comes from Thelonious Monk originals, has Ankhrasmation within it. Its the same person, Smith says, Its the same me, and its the same mindset. In Americas National Parks, a couple of [the pieces] have Ankhrasmation notated inside of the five-line staff idea  Theyre thoroughly integrated works.

Golden Quintet bassist John Lindberg has known Smith for 40 years and has interacted with him in more ways than with any singular artist Ive been involved with, from various conversations to working as sidemen on other artists pieces to direct collaboration, as on 2015s duo recording Celestial Weather. Hes been watching Smiths work develop, first noting a particular shift starting when Lindbergs String Trio of New York commissioned a piece from Smith around 1992.

Ive always been aware of his developing toward this full symbolic language from the earlier use of rhythm. There was a period when he was using the term Ankhrian invention  which are things that got incorporated into this more fully formed Ankhrasmation language symbology  A lot of these symbols about the velocity units, rhythm units, the tower structures were starting to come into his music [in the early 90s]. In the last 12 years, Ive delved into it and its blossomed to a whole other level.

With all of these possibilities and even the necessity of learning a new language, its not surprising when Walters says, Nothing has been more important in learning Wadadas music than being in rehearsal, on stage, and recording with him  it is some of the best education I have received as a musician.

Photo: Jimmy Katz (Courtesy of artist)

When I settle into my uncomfortable seat for the evenings performance [little known fact: at the time Old Cabel Hall was constructed, the average human being was 4 feet 10 inches tall], Im pleased that Ill be able to see pianist Anthony Daviss music. The sheets are a mix of types, sometimes with the left-hand page having sonic stacks and the facing page having an Ankhrasmation image. Smith has spoken about performances that worked or succeeded, and the idea that five world-class musicians could see a performance fall apart adds some tension to the pre-concert feel.

The biggest challenge may come to the timing, and the musicians must necessarily read each other as well as Smith in order to move and finish together. Smiths studies of proportional rhythms that are non-metrical as well as patterns that are self-generative like fractals means that his ensemble has to stay keyed to how a performance develops. A pattern of long and short cycles gives them opportunities to stay together, but the process remains a far cry from improvised jazz (and Smith strongly favors the term create over improves to describe what he and his ensembles do). As New Orleans: The National Culture Park USA moves through its opening paces, I notice Davis and Walters connect before their joint entrance. The two will interact steadily throughout the evening, one of the ways the ensemble makes sure to proceed together.

While Davis and Lindberg have worked with Smith for decades, Walters has only recently arrived, turning a quartet into a group of five just in 2016 for the Parks recording. Smith said, I selected the cello because it has that range that goes into the bass area and into the treble area. I have four instruments that are melodic, from the bottom of the bass to the upper register of cello, piano, trumpet up to the top E and F. What I have now done is overlapped the ensemble clef-wise, [allowing me] to write for these four melodic instruments, with the introduction of the percussion sound [specifically utilizing the percussion overtones]. I can create a sound thats just as vast as a symphony orchestra. This gives us a new beginning.

The musicians have certainly figured out how to use that overlap. Smith occasionally takes the lead, but he allows plenty of space for his peers explore and interact.

One of the many things thats very unique about his music is that it requires individual research and preparation to be brought to every performance, says Lindberg. Compared to jazz, Smiths pieces can be so completely different every time, that its an amazing quality. From a listeners point of view, there are certain things you are going to hear every time that are inherent to these pieces, but how they might be interpreted can be so different.

With even the performances of the musicians varying so much, the whole process takes on a very unusual feel. As Lindberg puts it, The way Wadada puts the music together and the way he thinks about it: there are things you wouldnt see visually or hear anywhere else. To a point, even the scores nature in itself is changing through this process.

Its like a living score, he continues. The scores there, the structure is there, there are all these things that were going to go through, yet its a living score. By different cues and gestures  musically, physically, any kind of way  we might drop a section out, we might repeat something eight times, we might skip over a section and come back to it. That score is completely alive. [Smith] is the one whos conducted that flow. He can look at me, as he did at one point, and I had this long unaccompanied solo. That could have happened or could not have happened. That doesnt throw anybody for a loop  it happens every time. You say, Oh! Were going to come in here! You can never have an inactive moment in your attention. Youre playing all the time, even if youre silent.

More noticeably on stage than on CD, perhaps, Walters is at the center of these interactions. At one point, she makes a frantic run up her instrument and, guided by a slight shift of tone, we realize that bassist John Lindberg (from the String Trio of New York, among many other projects) has matched her pitch, moving out of his groove into a sonic spaced passed from Davis to Walters and not to Lindberg, from which the root of the ensemble can restore order. Its a moment impossible for the untrained eye (meaning mine) to see in the score, though the group succeeds remarkably in such feats.

Watching that process leads me to think about the origin of residency (which then tied in with the Impulse Festival, organized by UVas Greg Howard, known for his Chapman stick teaching and playing). George Sampson, an assistant professor of Arts Administration at UVa tries to bring in artists like these every 18 months or so, ideally drawing artists that might be out of his students comfort zones. Bill Cole and the Untempered Ensemble, for example, visited in 2016). The minute he picks up the phone, his enthusiasm for this work comes across.

Its a long-standing part of how I teach, Sampson told me. My approach is to give my students periodically a chance to work with living artists, work with artists who I personally know, because of luck and my background I try to fill in gaps. Many of the artists I brought here are of color. I try to get my students to deal with these people directly.

Sampsons work isnt just pedagogy. Hes happy to think back on his own origins in this field.

As part of communicating with the community, particularly after the events of last summer in Charlottesville, Sampson recognizes the use of highly creative artists operating on advanced intellectual, often spiritual, and human planes, which I think together illustrate some of the pinnacles to which human beings can aspire. I happened to encounter incredible people in my high school years actually. A life-changing thing for me took place when I was 17 and I had the occasion to spend nearly an afternoon with Buckminster Fuller. I realized that human beings can be really extraordinary visionaries. I wanted to spend my life working with people like that ever since.

Sampson wants to make sure these presentations are not to be didactic. The art in the residency and the festival spans an array of disciplines and offers ways to think through big ideas from different perspectives.

Smith himself does just that. As part of the Parks project, he reconsiders what it means for something to be a national park. He explained that when the Parks system began, the idea was that it would be common ground for all Americans. For me, that means something different than they intended. That means Americans that passed on before this idea came about and the Americans that will come in the future. Who is the recipient of this common ground? People take just physical property as the potential for a park. I tried to expand the idea to include a city like New Orleans because of its culture. It was the beginning of culture in America.

He goes further, with the works second piece being Eileen Jackson Southern,1920-2002: A Literary National Park. He sees her work as a literary property, acknowledging her writing as demonstrating the idea of African-Americans to this culture, particularly the music  how people think about themselves through music an art. Its a deeper view of that idea.

Photo: Jimmy Katz (Courtesy of artist)

Smiths work seems to always be about something bigger than just musical ideas (see Ten Freedom Summers or Divine Love for obvious examples). When he speaks at the lecture about Dr. Southern, he digs into the historiography of blues scholarship. He notes that the blues scale utilizes nine tones, but that when researchers came upon it, they couldnt believe untrained people could do that. The study and recording of history determined who can be a part of [a cultural] structure. Listening to Smith, Im reminded of an argument I had in a high school with my most musically gifted friend over whether Michael Jackson was off-key or using a blue note in I Want You Back. These sorts of discussions arent filtered only through musicology; they carry the weight of race and culture as well.

Looking at the stage during the performance, you can see Smiths response to closed structures. Hes included a variety of people even in a quintet. He connects that sort of variety to something transcendent in the production of his art.

With the five people in the ensemble, all of us have different backgrounds. It has men in it and a woman. It has African-Americans and it has European-Americans in it, he says, adding that in this process, the people creating the music should be changed by it. Musically, the structured work is constructed in a non-metrical way; therefore it has the opportunity to be not recomposed but reshaped and reconditioned each time we play it. Through that reshaping that occurs in a performance, we are able to reach our purest form as a human being. It accents our exceptions as being part of a larger collective of humanity.

Concerns about the bigger collective flow through this and other works by Smith. During the concert, he pauses after the first three tracks to talk a little before The Mississippi River: Dark and Deep Dreams Flow the River  a National Memorial Park c. 5000 BC, the 30-minute centerpiece of the evening.

The Mississippi River has a history thats profound. A lot of it is based around commerce, but also based around a lot of tragedy, specifically a tragedy that up until recently, it was a reservoir for dumping African-American bodies, said Smith, adding that the location should be canonized as a memorial site.

As the performance continues with the dark opening of the piece, I consider my own associations with the big river, largely drawn from Mark Twain and New Orleans jazz  essentially a cartoon steamboat. As a white, younger Northerner, my connections dont match Smiths. Its a moment that questions our received history.

Smiths music deals with these issues, but the concert isnt strictly an auditory experience. The Golden Quintet performs along with visual artist Jesse Gilbert, who uses his own Spectral GL software to create memorable backgrounds as the evening progresses. For much of the show he manipulates images related to the topics of the songs (a cityscape morphs into a swamp for New Orleans), but he also uses real-time video of the musicians, slowing it down to create a classical feel, as if were watching old footage of the event were also watching now.

His skills with visual composition is based off the same kind of research that we do, Smith said. For every piece, theres probably 10-15 hours of searching through photographs followed by a process of narrowing down the selection. During the show, Gilbert, working from two computers and a set of area mics, sends out an image from the computer, that image is affected by the sound coming from the ensemble, and he visually incorporates in the same kind of create-moment that we have created  a whole different view of what reality is.

After the music finishes for the evening, Smith explains that these images are meant to transcend space and time and to transport us to these zones while we hear whats on stage. The combination of sounds, imagines, and explanations make a unified statement that basic information wouldnt. Smith talks about his interest in our national parks, thinking about the way that humans didnt have the skills to resist causing extinction and the place that were in now.

That idea links back to his lecture, where he considered that before creation was created, there was a zone where everyone was created. Religion, to Smith, offers realignment, where the spiritual passes through the physical and becomes spiritual again (to simplify it). His work with create music, as opposed to improvising, all relates to the big cosmic creation.

Photo: Michael Jackson (Courtesy of artist)

Taking on that work sounds heavy, and I wonder during the show if the musicians are finding this sort of art to be very stressful or to be an incredible and rewarding challenge (or maybe both). Smith provides minimal direction, primarily leading entrances or decrescendos, but at times his frustration is obvious. The art, even after all these years, is a new thing. The artists, through their research and practice, become able to create something new, sometimes utilizing pictures and ideas about the light spectrum. At the same time, theres a structure and a vision of Smiths that holds it all together that cant give way. The whole enterprise feels both shaky and, perhaps in its tenuousness, marvelous.

Wadadas music is not completely fixed nor completely free: it lies somewhere in the middle where parts can slide across each other or align depending on the performance, Walters says, but its the opportunity the performance that stands out. In this way, performing with Wadadas ensemble is the ultimate chamber music experience: you know each part so well that you can react and create music with each other in real time.

Lindberg likewise finds excitement in the work and agrees its likely that people who feel differently wouldnt become involved in this sort of project. For me, the reward playing that music is the high level of challenge. Its not stressful or tense. Its an enormous challenge, but I happen to love challenges. I dont like comfort or convenience. To be challenged is a reward in itself.

As akLaff concludes, There are challenges in concentration, structure, and novelty in this notation system [but] it allows for a projection of values which live on after the music has been played, and those values stay central to Smiths work.

The musical, philosophical, and historical elements of the week offer plenty of challenges, but Smith boils it down to a big picture of unsentimental love, a true and authentic notion of love  which is not about this romantic idea, but is a profound notion of love that transcends every difference and resolves every issue. Smith musters these complex ideas toward a process of transformation.

I believe that that same notion is actually the glue that holds this world together today, he told me. Otherwise theres no reason for it to hang together. Its because of people who have that true clear vision and act upon that true, clear vision of this authentic thing called love.

Acting upon that vision provides demands and challenges, whether its protecting our natural areas (National parks should not be under the control of Congress, Smith says), proclaiming a literary heritage, or bringing people together in unexpected ways, theres work to be done, and Smiths music can be a part of that.

In the meantime, his ensemble, brilliant as it is, needs to pull off a performance of it.

Given the challenges of the timing and the complicated score, a proper finish remains an element of the performance that will define the success or failure of a piece. Ive watched the ensemble work all night to stay together; its been admirable. As Yosemite: The Glaciers, the Falls, the Wells and the Valley of Goodwill 1890 and the concert near their end, I wait in suspense to see what the group does. The band hits a flurry not in the recorded version and blasts a sharp finish. A woman to my left gasps. Smith and his fellow artists have made a rare statement.Charleston, SC (29403)

Today

Scattered thunderstorms early, then mainly cloudy overnight with thunderstorms likely. Low 73F. Winds ESE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 80%. Locally heavy rainfall possible..

Tonight

Scattered thunderstorms early, then mainly cloudy overnight with thunderstorms likely. Low 73F. Winds ESE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 80%. Locally heavy rainfall possible.PR-Inside.com: 2018-03-12 14:57:03

- Using magnetic resonance technology to generate and transfer energy from the cup to electronic devicesDaejeon, KOREA, Mar 7, 2018 - (ACN Newswire) - A cup holder that wirelessly charges electronic devices in a 3D space has been developed by ETRI in South Korea. It is dubbed as 'E-Cup' and can charge multiple devices placed inside the 10 cm-wide holder at the same time, at the same rate as wired chargers, regardless of orientation or position of the devices.Shaped just like a circular cup holder, the wireless charger generates and maintains a constant and uniform magnetic field. The electric current wirelessly flows to the batteries inside the electronic devices based on the magnetic resonance."The newly developed technology has a wide range of potential applications including phones, although it is still in infancy. But at the same time it has a great potential to be improved," says Dr. Ho-Jin Lee, the AVP of the Radio & Satellite Research Division of ETRI.The team debuted the E-Cup at the Consumer Electronics Show 2017 (CES2017) held in Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S. While it matches the speed of wired chargers, it is less efficient; its power conversion reaches to about 60% when calculated in terms of DC-to-DC conversion systemwise. The team is working on raising that to 70% before the product can be commercialized. When this technology comes to market, people can easily and freely charge the cellular phone wirelessly.ETRI has been working on wireless charging for several years. From 2015, ETRI developed a 3D wireless charging technology based on magnetic resonance for electric bikes, drones and smart devices. They succeeded to overcome the limitations of its 2D design and expand to 3D design to accelerate the freedom of charge without a loss of efficiency.The research team considers this a 'generic' technology that can be applied to all areas of industry. The market for wireless charging devices is expected to grow to nearly 1 billion USD in 2022, according to the U.S.-based firm Markets and Markets. Besides smartphone chargers, ETRI is focused on developing highly efficient and safe wireless energy transfer technologies applicable to charge multiple devices in huge spaces, such as living rooms.Enquiries:ETRIDr. In-Kui ChoE: cho303@ etri.re.kr T: +82-42-860-1242About ETRI - the Electronics and Telecommunications Research InstituteEstablished in 1976, ETRI is a non-profit Korean government-funded research organization that has been at the forefront of technological excellence for 40 years. In the 1980s, ETRI developed TDX (Time Division Exchange) and 4M DRAM. In the 1990s, ETRI commercialized CDMA (Code Division Multiple Access). In the 2000s, ETRI developed Terrestrial DMB, WiBro, and 4G LTE Advanced, which became the foundation of mobile communications. As a global ICT leader, ETRI has been advancing communication and convergence by developing SAN (Ship Area Network) technology, Genie Talk (world class portable automatic interpretation; Korean-English/Japanese/Chinese), and automated valet parking technology. ETRI has about 2,000 employees where about 1,800 are researchers. Please visit https://www.etri.re.kr/eng/main/main.etri Topic: Press release summarySectors: Electronics, Science & Research, Mobility/Wireless, Engineering, DigitalFrom the Asia Corporate News NetworkCopyright  2018 ACN Newswire. All rights reserved. A division of Asia Corporate News Network.PR-Inside.com: 2018-03-12 05:15:02

Fusionex Drives Digital Insurance Initiative For Major Insurance Player

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Visithra Manikam

www.pipr.com.my

Fusionex, a multi-award-winning, leading data technology provider specializing in Analytics, Big Data, Machine Learning, and Artificial Intelligence (AI), has commenced a digital insurance initiative for leading Takaful insurance company STMB. Takaful Malaysias online sales portal Click for Cover was launched at a grand ceremony and signalled the digital transformation of their business processes with Fusionex technology. The launch ceremony was officiated by Datuk Seri Johari Abdul Ghani, Finance Minister II, and marked the beginning of a seamless customer experience in purchasing and renewing insurance policies online via data-centric approach.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/201803110050

(L-R): Encik Khairul Kamarudin, Chief Executive Officer of Bank Islam, Datuk Seri Johan Abdullah, Group Managing Director of Tabung Haji, Dato Sri Mohamed Hassan Kamil, Group Chief Executive Officer of Takaful Malaysia, Datuk Seri Johari Abdul Ghani, Finance Minister II, Tan Sri Dato Ahmad Fuzi Haji Abdul Razak, Chairman of Takaful Malaysia, Dato Seri Ivan Teh, Group Chief Executive Officer of Fusionex International, Ms. Na Jia, Chief Executive Officer of ReMark International (Photo: Business Wire)

Leveraging Fusionex technology, Takafuls digital insurance initiative is able to help customers process their applications, issue quotations, perform underwriting, send cover notes and e-documents via a customer-focussed and seamless online platform. The platform focuses on providing the best service to its customers, with the ability to understand each customer in a more personalized way. This is in line with Takafuls strategy of reaching out to its prospects and customers anywhere, anytime and anyhow, while having the ability to introduce newer products and targeted features that their customers will find more useful and relevant to their specific needs.

The launch also witnessed the signing of a memorandum of agreement between Fusionex and Takaful, as well as signings between Takaful and Remark, a digital marketing company. Collaboration agreements for online distribution with Lembaga Tabung Haji (LTH) and Bank Islam (BIMB) were also signed to introduce online Takaful products to depositors of LTH and customers of BIMB.

Fusionex Group CEO Dato Seri Ivan Teh said, Innovation needs to be at the core of businesses, as this differentiates the leaders versus the followers. Today, we are pleased to witness Takaful Malaysia making great strides in this direction. Fusionex is delighted to be a key partner in Takaful Malaysias exciting digital transformation journey, and we are confident that this initial success will lead to many more success stories with Takaful Malaysia.

Takaful Malaysia Group CEO Dato Sri Mohamed Hassan Kamil said, Todays launch of our digital strategy plan signifies our commitment towards revolutionizing the way we will grow our business by digitally transforming our sales and operations. By embracing digital tools and technology to offer up differentiated product offerings and services, we will delight our customers with a better user experience, enhanced protection products and high quality service. Our customers will benefit from an integrated multi-channel experience and this is part of our ongoing efforts to stay ahead of the curve.

Datuk Seri Johari Abdul Ghani, Finance Minister II stated, Todays launch of Takaful Malaysias digital strategy is very much in line with the overall digital strategy outlined by the Government in growing the digital economy.

The Click for Cover portal, which is powered by Fusionex technology, provides a data-centric, easy-to-use interface for customers to access the companys products online with e-payment facilities and real-time underwriting capabilities. Click for Cover has the first fully integrated medical underwriting engine online in Malaysia where rating decisions will be generated online. Currently, the portal offers Motor, Personal Accident (PA) and Medical products. More products such as Term Life, Critical Illness and Travel PA Takaful will be made available later this year.

Dato Sri Hassan Kamil said, Our strategic partnership with Fusionex and Remark is in line with our business goals to make our digital strategy the key driver of our innovation efforts, thereby boosting our competitiveness and powering future growth.

Dato Seri Ivan Teh commented, In this data-driven age, embracing data technology is no longer a luxury, but rather a must if one wants to remain relevant and competitive. The ultimate goal of digital transformation is great user experience; hence its crucial that we work with our customers to focus on the consumer and the user journey, leveraging powerful technology. We believe that it is only through this lens and a user-centric approach will businesses be able to thrive and scale to greater heights.

View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/201803110050Crop Protection Pesticides Market

PR-Inside.com: 2018-03-12 13:24:17

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The Crop Protection Pesticides Market: By Product Type (Insecticides, Herbicides, Fungicides, Others) By Origin (Bio Pesticides, Synthetic) By Mode of Application (Soil Treatment, Foliar Spray, Seed Treatment) By crop type (Grains and Cereals, Fruits and Vegetable, Pulses and Oilseeds) By Geography (Latin America, North America, Asia Pacific, the Middle East and Africa and Europe)  Crop Protection Pesticides Market Estimation, Dynamics, Regional Share, Trends, Competitor Analysis 2012 to 2016 and Forecast 2017 to 2023Market Dynamics: Crop Protection Pesticides MarketGrowing awareness among the farmers regarding crop protection pesticides, increase in adoption of innovative agricultural practices is witnessed to accelerate the demand for Crop Protection Pesticides. Rise in prevalence of crop diseases because of pests, innovations in the farming equipment, increase in population globally propels Crop Protection Pesticides market growth. However, lack of awareness among the farmers, stringent regulatory environment, posing bans on usage of pests and unfavourable government subsidies are expected to hinder the growth of the Crop Protection Pesticides market.A sample of this report is available upon request @Market Scope: Crop Protection Pesticides MarketThe Crop Protection Pesticides Market is classified on the basis of origin, type, crop type, mode of application, regionsBased on Origin, market is segmented as Biopesticides SyntheticBased on Type, market is segmented as Insecticides Herbicides Fungicides OthersBased on Crop Type, market is segmented as Cereals and Grains Fruits and Vegetables Pulses and OilseedsBased on Mode of Application, market is segmented as Soil Treatment Foliar Spray Seed TreatmentBased on Region, market is segmented as North America Latin America Europe Asia Pacific The Middle East and AfricaTo view TOC of this report is available upon request @Regional Analysis: Crop Protection Pesticides MarketCrop Protection Pesticides Market is segmented as Latin America, Europe, Asia Pacific, North America, and The Middle East Africa. North America crop protection pesticides market has a moderate growth rate over the forecast period due to ban on Crop Protection Pesticides by FDA such as carbendazim. However, increase in the farming of cereals, fruits, and vegetables. Rise in R&D for innovation of newer Crop Protection Pesticides, frequent product approvals from EPA, and rise in demand for quality food products are anticipated to fuel the Crop Protection Pesticides market in North America. Moreover, Europe market has a significant share due to development in the farming techniques, increasing the focus on quality products with better yield, and high adoption of newer products are expected to propel the crop protection pesticides market. Asia Pacific has a significant growth due to increase in production and supplying of crop protection pesticides in China. Increase in demand for food products and decrease in arable land due to increased population, and high dependence on agriculture farming are expected to bolster the Crop Protection Pesticides market.Need more information about this report @Competition Assessment: Crop Protection Pesticides MarketSome of the players in Crop Protection Pesticides Market are DuPont (U.S.) Monsanto Company (U.S.) Novozymes (Denmark) Syngenta AG (Switzerland) Akzonoble N.V. (Netherlands) Bayer CropScience AG (Germany) Brandt Consolidated (U.S.) Solvay SA (Belgium) The Dow Chemical Company (U.S.) Croda Chemicals (India) Arysta Life sciences (US)Notable Market Developments In June 2017, Bases crystal crop protection has launched crop protection pesticides in Bangalore namely Apex 50, Abacin, Azotrix, Toggle Plus and Crystorhiza.Key Features of the Report: The report provides granular level information about the market size, regional market share, historic market (2012-2016) and forecast (2017-2023) The report covers in-detail insights about the competitors overview, company share analysis, key market developments, and their key strategies The report outlines drivers, restraints, unmet needs, and trends that are currently affecting the market The report tracks recent innovations, key developments and startups details that are actively working in the market The report provides plethora of information about market entry strategies, regulatory framework and reimbursement scenario The report analyses the impact of socio-political environment through PESTLE Analysis and competition through Porters Five Force Analysis in addition to recent technology advancements and innovations in the marketGet access to full summary @About Precision Business InsightsPrecision Business Insights is one of the leading market research and business consulting firm, which follow a holistic approach to solve needs of the clients. We adopt and implement proven research methodologies to achieve better results. We help our clients by providing actionable insights and strategies to make better decisions. We provide consulting, syndicated and customised market research services based on our client needs.Email: sales@ precisionbusinessinsights.comFact.MR

PR-Inside.com: 2018-03-12 16:01:41

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Suite 988427 Upper Pembroke Street,Dublin 2, IrelandMarketing Manager+353-1-6111-593

Eugenol is found in essential oils of various plants. Eugenol is considered as versatile molecule used as an ingredient in various products including pharmaceutical, food industry, fragrance, flavor, cosmetics, etc. Eugenol also exhibits antioxidant, antibacterial, anti-microbial, anti-cancer, and anti-inflammatory activities. Around 80-90% of eugenol is present in clove bud oil, while around 82-88% of eugenol is present in clove leaf oil. Hence, clove is considered as the main source of eugenol. Manufacturers are also practicing new methods for extracting eugenol from clove oil. Solvent extraction, microwave-assisted extraction, and hydro-distillation are some of the highly-preferred extraction processes employed by producers. The food industry is moving towards the application of eugenol in food preservation owing to its antimicrobial properties. The rise in foodborne diseases worldwide is driving the demand for eugenol as a part of an effective preservation strategy.Request for Sample Report  https://www.factmr.com/connectus/sample?flag=S&rep_id=513 Meanwhile, pharmacological properties of eugenol are also driving the demand for eugenol in the pharmaceutical industry. Various studies have also been carried out to show the mechanism behind the activity of eugenol. Eugenol also has the capability to reduce viral infection. It has also been found that the epoxide from of eugenol is one of the potential drug candidates in order to induce apoptosis in breast cancer cells. Having a natural bioactive compound, eugenol is being considered on a large scale in the treatment of several disorders.As per the latest report by Fact.MR , the global market for eugenol is expected to witness robust growth during 2017-2026. The global eugenol market is also projected to increase to 5.4% CAGR in terms of volume. It is estimated to reach US$ 745.1 million revenue by the end of 2026.Clove and Cinnamon to Emerge as an Important Source of EugenolBased on the source type, clove is likely to emerge as a vital source of eugenol. By the end of 2026, clove is estimated to surpass US$ 600 million revenue.On the basis of end use, the food industry followed by the pharmaceutical industry is expected to witness the highest growth during the forecast period. The food industry is projected to bring in exceed US$ 200 million revenue towards 2026 end.Based on the application, eugenol is likely to find the largest application as the base ingredient. By the end of the forecast period, eugenol as the base ingredient is estimated to bring in more than US$ 200 million revenue.Asia Pacific Excluding Japan (APEJ) to Witness Robust Growth in the Global market for EugenolAPEJ is likely to witness the significant growth in the global eugenol market during the forecast period 2017-2026. Clove is considered a precious spice in APEJ and is also used in various food products to enhance the taste. Clove has one of the richest sources of phenolic compounds known as eugenol. Hence, the production of eugenol is increasing in APEJ region. Indonesia, China, and India are the countries in APEJ witnessing the highest growth in eugenol. Manufacturers are also looking for investing in these countries due to the large availability of sources for eugenol including cloves, nutmeg, cinnamon, basil, etc. Increasing application of essential oils in perfumes, cosmetics, and medicines in APEJ region for a long time is also driving demand for eugenol in essential oils, owing to its various anti-microbial properties.Browse Full Report with TOC  https://www.factmr.com/report/513/eugenol-market Key CompetitorsSome of the leading companies operating in the global eugenol market are Boc Sciences, Vigon International, Penta Manufacturing Company, Extrasynthese, CV. Indaroma, Berje, Nusaroma Indonesia Essential Oil, Sigma-Aldrich, Nile Chemicals, and Van Aroma.Check Discount on this Report  https://www.factmr.com/connectus/sample?flag=D&rep_id=513 About Fact.MR Fact.MR is a fast-growing market research firm that offers the most comprehensive suite of syndicated and customized market research reports. We believe transformative intelligence can educate and inspire businesses to make smarter decisions. We know the limitations of the one-size-fits-all approach; that's why we publish multi-industry global, regional, and country-specific research reports.Halal Cosmetics Market

PR-Inside.com: 2018-03-12 12:15:48

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# 632 Words

Kemp House,152  160 City Road,London EC1V 2NXLead-Marketing+1-866-598-1553

Global Halal Cosmetics Market: By Type (Personal Care, Makeup, Fragrances), By Application (Hair, Skin, Body, Face, Lips, Eyes), By Usage ( Men, Women, Unisex), By Distribution Channel (Supermarkets, Hypermarkets, Drugstores, Online Stores) and Geography  Halal Cosmetics Market Estimation, Dynamics, Regional Share, Trends, Competitor Analysis 2012 to 2016 and Forecast 2017 to 2023Market Dynamics: Halal Cosmetics MarketHalal means permissible and lawful. Halal industry is expected to create new avenues for the market players due to increased awareness in the Muslim community. With increasing Muslim population across the globe, halal become one of the most vital factor in population. Rising inclination towards halal cosmetics is expected to drive the market. The cosmetics manufactured without using pork, dog or alcoholic ingredients expected to create huge demand by population. Furthermore, inclination towards organic and ecofriendly, healthy cosmetics, increase in investments on R&D activities, increase in usage of cosmetics by Muslim population propels the market growth for halal cosmetics. However, lack of awareness, low adoption rate, stringent regulatory framework enables hamper the growth of halal cosmetics market.A sample of this report is available upon request @Market Scope: Halal Cosmetics MarketHalal Cosmetics market is segmented on the basis of Type, Usage, Application, and Distribution channel and Geographical regionsBased on the Type, Halal Cosmetics market is segmented into the following Personal Care Makeup FragrancesBased on the Application, This market is segmented into the following Hair Skin Lips Body Face EyesBased on the Usage, This market is segmented into the following Men Women UnisexBased on the Distribution Channel, Halal Cosmetics market is segmented into the following Supermarkets Hypermarkets Drugstores Online storesTo view TOC of this report is available upon request @Regional Analysis: Halal Cosmetics MarketHalal Cosmetics market is segmented into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, and the Middle East and Africa. Middle East and Africa is expected to dominate the halal cosmetics market over the forecast period due to increased R&D investments in halal cosmetics, rising awareness among the people, increased demand for natural cosmetics. Europe halal cosmetics market is anticipated to show significant growth owing to ban on animal testing for beauty care products in 2009, which has led to the usage of natural organic ingredients in cosmetics and beauty care products. North America is expected show steady growth rate owing to increase in beauty consciousness and inclination towards usage of organic and natural products. Amara, was the first North American company to offer completely halal cosmetics which were certified by Islamic Food and Nutrition Council of America. Asia Pacific, Latin America expected to offer lucrative opportunities over the forecast period owing to presence of high Muslim population.Need more information about this report @Competition Assessment: Halal Cosmetics MarketKey players profiled in the global halal cosmetics market include Amara Cosmetics (U.S.) Saaf Skin Care (UK) Clara International (Malaysia) INIKA (Australia) Talent Cosmetic Co., Ltd. (Korea) MMA Bio Lab Sdn Bhd (Malaysia) The Halal Cosmetics Company (UK) Prolab Cosmetics (Brazil) Martha Tilaar Group (Indonesia) IBA Halal Care (India)Notable Market Developments: Halal Cosmetics Market In 2015, Depilex Beauty Clinic and Beauty Parlor launched new range of Halal Makeup Products in Pakistan.Get access to full summary @About Precision Business InsightsPrecision Business Insights is one of the leading market research and business consulting firm, which follow a holistic approach to solve needs of the clients. We adopt and implement proven research methodologies to achieve better results. We help our clients by providing actionable insights and strategies to make better decisions. We provide consulting, syndicated and customised market research services based on our client needs.Email: sales@ precisionbusinessinsights.comPR-Inside.com: 2018-03-12 10:17:01

MetLife Launches Global Innovation Challenge  Collab 3.0 EMEA

MetLife

Europe:

Jo Riddell, +44(0)7557286265

jriddell@metlife.com

or

Jonathan Bunn, +44 (0) 7557 161018

jbunn@metlife.com

or

Asia

Yvette Marmur, +852 5716 8533

ymarmur@metlife.com

MetLife, today launched collab 3.0 EMEA, a global open innovation platform inviting entrepreneurs and insurtechs to scale their business with MetLife, while solving some of the insurers biggest innovation challenges across its business in Europe, the Middle East and Africa.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/201803120054

The company is inviting insurtech startups to compete for a USD 100,000 contract to develop solutions across insurance value chains in areas such as customer engagement, sales, and operations, and to pilot these solutions with MetLife EMEA.

Created by LumenLab, MetLife Asias innovation center, collab 3.0 EMEA follows two successful collab programmes in Singapore (2016) and Japan (2017), which attracted 250 applications from insurtechs in more than 35 different countries.

We are serious about transforming the insurance industry and the way we interact with our customers  but we know we cannot do it alone. You can never innovate faster than the market. We are building a stronger ecosystem for the future by engaging insurtechs through programmes like collab, said Zia Zaman, LumenLabs chief executive officer and chief innovation officer of MetLife Asia.

Following a rigorous selection process, MetLife will determine eight finalists and pair them with MetLife EMEA employee champions to help develop their solutions.

To date, MetLife has awarded more than half a million U.S. dollars worth of contracts through collab in Asia. These business contracts have gone into developing practical solutions that are delivering value to MetLifes business and customer experience.

MetLife continues to be at the forefront of innovation and collab 3.0 EMEA is a great example of this. We are matching real business challenges from across our global enterprise with external ideas to build the best solutions for our business and customers. Crucially, our employee champions will support and collaborate with the finalists throughout the process, said Michel Khalaf, President of MetLifes EMEA and U.S. Regions.

Finalists will be invited to attend the collab Summit EMEA and Demo Day in London on 11-12 July, 2018 to present their solutions where the ultimate winner will be announced.

Applications opened via the collab website today and will close on 20 April, 2018. To learn more and apply for collab 3.0 EMEA, please visit: collab.lumenlab.sg.

About MetLife

MetLife, Inc. (NYSE:MET), through its subsidiaries and affiliates (MetLife), is one of the worlds leading financial services companies, providing insurance, annuities, employee benefits and asset management to help its individual and institutional customers navigate their changing world. Founded in 1868, MetLife has operations in more than 40 countries and holds leading market positions in the United States, Japan, Latin America, Asia, Europe and the Middle East. For more information, visit www.metlife.com

About LumenLab

As MetLifes pioneers for disruptive innovation, LumenLab is charging ahead to create new businesses in health, wealth and retirement. Lumen, a measure of light, symbolizes our commitment to illuminating a new path for solving the problems that the people of Asia face today. Through our focus on building new products and services grounded in technology and data, we aim to help people achieve richer and more fulfilling lives. For more information, visit www.lumenlab.sg

View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/201803120054Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Market

PR-Inside.com: 2018-03-12 11:40:12

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Cancer is the disease in which cell grows abnormally and may cause a tumor. In lung cancer, the cells of lungs starts to grow in uncontrolled manner later form a tumor and can be spread into other body parts. Small cell lung cancer and non-small cell lung cancer are the two main types of lung cancer. As per the stats of Lung Cancer Alliance (leading nonprofit organization dedicated to fighting lung cancer), out of overall lung cancer, around 80 to 85% cases found are of non-small cell lung cancer type and 15-20% cases found are of small cell lung cancer type.The different, commonly diagnosed types of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) are adenocarcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma, large cell carcinoma, large cell neuroendocrine tumors. Out of all these types adenocarcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma accounts around 60% of lung cancer.There are no exact reason defined till yet by doctors behind lung cancer but some possible reasons are smoking, air pollution, mineral and metal dust, radiation treatment of chest or breast. The lung cancer symptoms are not noticeable in its early stage because they are considered for other type of illness for example pneumonia or collapsed lung. Some symptoms of lung cancer are chest pain, harsh/raspy sound during breathing, wheezing, weight loss, continuous coughing, hoarseness or voice changes, shortness of breath, lung problems like bronchitis or pneumonia etc. might be the symptoms of lung cancer. Also, if it spreads in other parts of the body then it shows symptoms like bone pain, weakness in arm or leg, yellow skin, yellow eyes, headache and balance problems.Some diagnosis test are performed by doctors to detect the lung cancer includes diagnostic imaging test like X-ray, MRI, Ultrasound, CT scan and PET scan, also by checking the mucous when the patient cough up for cancer cells which is called as sputum cytology or also by taking the cells of your lungs from abnormal growth area of your lung or from the fluid of lungs which is called as fine needle aspiration biopsy, bronchoscopy and Mediastinoscopy.Get The Holistic SAMPLE With TOC:Increasing research and development on drugs and the prevalence of lung cancer are the major factors driving the growth of non-small cell lung cancer marketNon-small cell lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer related mortality in U.S. According to the data of American Cancer Society, Inc. (ACSI), NSCLC is the second most common type of cancer found in both men and women. As per the estimation of ACSI, in the year 2017 there will be around 222,500 new cases of lung cancer and 155,870 deaths will happen due to lung cancer in the united states.Therefore, U.S. holds the largest market share of non-small cell lung cancer market followed by Europe as the large number of smokers are present in this region but in last few years the APAC region showed increased number of smokers. According to the stats of International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer (IASLC), China is the worlds largest consumer of tobacco having around 301 million smokers. While in western region the growth in number of smokers. According to the data published by World Health Organization (WHO), for the year 2012 there were around 58% of cases occurred in less developed regions.The increasing prevalence and incident rate of lung cancer and emerging drugs will drive the market towards positive direction, also the increasing awareness about the treatment will support the growth of non-small cell lung cancer market. There are some growth restraining factors are also available that are less awareness about treatment options in emerging countries, availability of generic drugs, lack of research and development about drugs and increased expenditure on advertisements of tobacco products. According to the stats of IASLC, in 2012 tobacco industry spent $ 9.6 billion on tobacco products advertising and promotion which is 40 times greater than NIH research which spent $ 233 million on lung cancer research.Some are the leading companies in non-small cell lung cancer are AstraZeneca Plc, F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd, Eli Lilly and Company, Agennix AG, ArQule Inc, GlaxoSmithKline Pharmaceuticals Limited, Daiichi Sankyo Co. Ltd., Sanofi-Aventis, and Boehringer Ingelheim GmbH. Also as per U.S. Food and Drug Administration some latest drug approvals in Market of non-small cell lung cancer by USFDA are on October 24, 2016 pembrolizumab (Merck & Co., Inc.) received approval, also FDA approved atezolizumab for the treatment of NSCLC on October 18, 2016.Get More Details On this Report:About Coherent Market Insights:Coherent Market Insights is a prominent market research and consulting firm offering action-ready syndicated research reports, custom market analysis, consulting services, and competitive analysis through various recommendations related to emerging market trends, technologies, and potential absolute dollar opportunity.Contact Us:Mr. ShahCoherent Market Insights1001 4th Ave,#3200Seattle, WA 98154Tel: +1-206-701-6702Email: sales@ coherentmarketinsights.com Visit Coherent Market Insights Blog @ https://blog.coherentmarketinsights.com Connect with us on LinkedIn @ https://www.linkedin.com/company/coherent-market-insightsPR-Inside.com: 2018-03-11 23:30:02

Hydro has no indications of leaks or overflow from Hydro Alunorte's bauxite residue deposit areas. In order to release excess rainwater from the factory area, Alunorte released rainwater through the Canal Velho water canal. There is no indication of negative environmental impact from the release.

On 17 February, during the heavy rainfall that started the day before, and periodically between February 20-25, Hydro used a canal called Canal Velho to discharge pH treated rainwater from the factory area into the Para river. The water was pH treated at the inlet to the canal, before it was released and then merged with water from the water treatment plant, as well as surface water from the Albras aluminium factory.

Rainwater from the refinery area may contain bauxite dust and traces of caustic soda, but the water had not been in contact with the bauxite residue deposit areas.

External review to conclude first week of April

"First of all, it is important to emphasize that we have no indication of leak or overflow from our bauxite residue deposit areas. We released rainwater from the factory area. The release was done as a controlled measure which we communicated to SEMAS, the state environmental agency," says President and CEO, Svein Richard Brandtzg.

He adds that Hydro, based on collected water samples, has no indication that the controlled release led to any negative environmental impact.

"We are now awaiting the report from internal task force, as well as the independent external environmental review by SGW Services, which will be presented in the first week of April," says Brandtzg.

He emphasizes that Hydro is committed to establishing a complete fact overview, and that the company's main focus now is to protect and ensure that people at and around the plant feel safe and secure.

State environmental authorities notified

Canal Velho is a canal, adjacent to the water treatment plant in Alunorte, which occasionally also is used to discharge water separated from the bauxite slurry which is transported by pipeline from Hydro's bauxite mine in Paragominas.

The controlled release of treated rainwater through this canal was done to relieve the water treatment plant during the heavy rain. The discharges of treated rainwater on February 17 and periodically between February 20-25 are not covered under the current license. Alunorte notified environmental authorities of Para, SEMAS, twice during the current situation. Local communities were not informed as the rainwater was discharged into the Para river.

The channel has also been used before to discharge rainwater in extreme rainfall events, last time in in May 2017. SEMAS was also notified after this event.

pH treated before discharge

The water was pH treated at the inlet to the channel, before it was released and then mixed with water treated in the water treatment plant. Rainwater in the refinery area may contain bauxite dust and traces of caustic soda.

The use of the canal and notifications are part of the ongoing internal investigations and the independent external review.

Background

In just 12 hours during February 16-17, the city of Barcarena, home to Hydro's Alunorte alumina refinery, was hit by an extreme rainfall, flooding the region

Hydro has commissioned Brazilian environmental consultancy SGW Services to perform an independent review of the water treatment and effluent management systems at the Alunorte alumina refinery

The independent environmental review is part of actions announced by Hydro in response to the challenging situation at Alunorte, where authorities have ordered several measures due to concerns that the period of extraordinary rainfall had led to harmful spills into surrounding areas, including the nearby Para river

Among these measures by federal, state and local authorities, Alunorte has been ordered to reduce production by 50 percent and halt operations at its DRS2 bauxite residue disposal



Investor contacts

Stian Hasle

+47 97736022

Stian.Hasle@hydro.com

Even Simonsen

+47 97953364

Even.Simonsen@hydro.com

Press contact

Halvor Molland

+47 92979797

Halvor.Molland@hydro.com





This announcement is distributed by Nasdaq Corporate Solutions on behalf of Nasdaq Corporate Solutions clients.

The issuer of this announcement warrants that they are solely responsible for the content, accuracy and originality of the information contained therein.

Source: Norsk Hydro via Globenewswire

PR-Inside.com: 2018-03-12 07:01:02

Appoints New Director of Investor Relations in the UK

OurCrowd Expands Global Operations, Opens Office in London

Press:

OurCrowd:

Leah Stern

Dir. Of Communications

UK: +44 747 0196826 / US: +1 703 626 4310

E: leah@ourcrowd.com

OurCrowd, a global leader in equity crowdfunding, today announced the opening of a new office located in Mayfair, London, the 10th dedicated location worldwide. The new office will support OurCrowds growing community of British investors interested in funding early stage high-growth companies.

With a current reach of 25,000 global investors across its platform, OurCrowd expects to add hundreds of new UK investors through exclusive events, increasing UK deal flow, close collaboration with leading venture capital funds, and helping Israeli startups penetrate the UK market.

The UK is Israels second largest trading partner, and OurCrowd has already proven to be a true bridge between these two countries, said Hugo Bieber, Chief Executive, UK Israel Business. UK Israel Business have helped our member OurCrowd navigate the UK market, and we are proud to see these efforts culminate in their investment in a UK office, creating new British jobs.

OurCrowds new UK operations will be head by former Goldman Sachs banker Lina White, the newly appointed Director of investor relations, UK. Prior to joining OurCrowd, White was responsible for the sourcing, creating, marketing and providing ongoing investor relations for the alternative investments offered by the firm. White graduated from University College London with a Bachelor of Science in Economics.

I am delighted to be part of the next generation of venture capital investing and look forward to helping UK investors get access to the most innovative tech startups both in Israel and globally, said Lina White, OurCrowd Dir. Of Investor Relations, UK. OurCrowd has a truly unique and disruptive model, bringing together a wide range of investors, VCs, institutions, and entrepreneurs to make this exciting asset class accessible.

If you are interested in learning more about OurCrowd UK, please contact Lina White, lina.white@ourcrowd.com. For information on any of OurCrowds other 10 offices, email info@ourcrowd.com.

Notes to Editors

About OurCrowd: OurCrowd is the leading global equity crowdfunding platform for accredited investors. Managed by a team of seasoned investment professionals and led by serial entrepreneur Jon Medved, OurCrowd vets and selects opportunities, invests its own capital, and brings companies to its accredited membership of global investors. OurCrowd provides post-investment support to its portfolio companies, assigns industry experts as mentors, and takes board seats. The OurCrowd community consists of almost 25,000 accredited investors from over 112 countries. OurCrowd has raised over $650M and invested in 145 portfolio companies and funds. To join OurCrowd as an accredited investor visit www.ourcrowd.com and click Join.

View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/201803110050PR-Inside.com: 2018-03-12 01:02:01

Edwards provides interactive engagement through animations, demonstrations, and virtual reality gaming on ways to effectively adhere to environmental regulations and improve fab safety

Safety and Environmental Responsibility are Key Themes for Edwards at SEMICON China 2018

Edwards

Company:

Karen Fei (China), +86 136 8180 8367

Karen.fei@edwardsvacuum.com

or

Agency:

Sandy Fewkes, 408-224-4024

sandy@mind-write.com

Safety in the sub-fab and environmental responsibility are important topics at SEMICON China this year, taking place at the Shanghai New International Expo Centre, 14-16 March 2018. Visit Edwards (Hall N1 #1601), one of the worlds largest manufacturers of integrated vacuum and abatement solutions, to learn about effective approaches to improve fab safety and adhere to ever-evolving and stiffer environmental regulations.

Safe and effective management of process exhaust is a growing concern today, especially in the case of next-generation device manufacturing, such as 3D NAND, that require high flows of process gasses, said Jason Xu, general manager, Edwards China. We will be presenting solutions to these problems, in terms of both hardware and value-added services, and providing approaches to reduce risk.

Andrew Chambers, senior product manager, and Ma Zhen, applications manager China, will present the poster, Managing Safety and Cost in Dielectric CVD Process Tool Exhausts  Future Sub-fab Integration Trends. In their booth, Edwards will also be demonstrating the science of detecting leaks and discuss managing condensable gases in the exhaust line. Additionally, visitors at the Edwards booth can try out the Molecule Blaster, an immersive virtual reality experience that illustrates the abatement of greenhouse gases to reduce their impact on the environment; this also demonstrates how virtual reality can help training of service personnel.

Edwards customers truly benefit from Global Knowledge, Locally Applied, with more than 4,000 employees world-wide and over 300 across China, said Xu. It is the broad experience and deep application knowledge of our tightly integrated network of global employees that allows us to develop industry-wide best-known-methods and then adapt them to the particular needs of each customers process, ensuring their safety, conserving the environment and helping to reduce risks.

Visit Edwards (Hall N1 #1601) to learn more about innovative sub-fab solutions and value-added services. Further information about Edwards can be found at www.edwardsvacuum.com.

About Edwards

Edwards is a leading developer and manufacturer of sophisticated vacuum products, exhaust management systems and related value-added services. Edwards solutions are integral to manufacturing processes for semiconductors, flat panel displays, LEDs and solar cells. They are also used within an increasingly diverse range of industrial processes including power, glass and other coating applications; steel and other metallurgy; pharmaceutical and chemical; and for scientific instruments in a wide range of R&D applications.

Edwards has over 4,000 employees worldwide engaged in the design, manufacture and support of high technology vacuum and exhaust management equipment. Edwards has state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities in Europe, Asia and North America.

View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/201803110050PR-Inside.com: 2018-03-12 05:11:01

SINGAPORE, March 12, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- YPO, the premier global leadership organization of chief executives, hosted more than 2,800 business leaders from more than 130 countries at the 2018 YPO EDGE, its flagship event in Singapore this month. YPO business leaders gathered with world-renowned thought leaders and innovators to address key issues in business, politics, science, philanthropy and humanities.

Chief executives from different industries learned about unique groundbreaking approaches to challenges and opportunities in business and beyond from world leaders, philanthropists and business legends, including:

Lee Hsien Loong, Prime Minister of Singapore

Orit Gadiesh, Chairman, Bain and Company

Victor Fung, Ph.D., Chairman, Fung Group; Honorary Chairman, Li and Fung LTD

Rahul Gandhi, MP, President of the Indian National Congress

Datin Paduka Marina Mahathir, Author and Activist

Yoshi Hori, President of GLOBIS University and Managing Partner of GLOBIS Capital Partners

Billie Jean King, Founder of Billie Jean King Leadership Initiative and former World No.1 tennis player

"As one of Asia's fastest-growing cities, Singapore is not only recognized as a world-class destination but admired around the world for its growth and evolution, making Singapore an ideal host city for the 2018 YPO EDGE, the world's largest gathering of chief executives," said Scott Mordell, CEO of YPO. "The YPO EDGE encouraged participants to alter their paradigms to deliver significant impact within the global community in the form of economic opportunity, sustainable environmental change and compassionate leadership."

Other speakers, including Michael Fertik, CEO of Reputation.com; Mark McDonald, Co-Founder of Appster; Maura O'Neill, Ph.D., Faculty Director of UC Berkeley Executive Education and Former Chief Innovation Officer of USAID; and Pattie Sellers, Co-Founder of SellersEaston Media and Former Assistant Managing Editor of "Fortune," inspired YPO leaders to take new risks as they shared their breakthroughs in reputation and brand management, humanitarian leadership, innovative technology and more.

"The 2018 EDGE is designed to challenge business leaders from around the world to defy convention, achieve the extraordinary and enrich their personal leadership," said N.K. Tong, 2018 YPO EDGE Chair. "Now, 2,800 global business leaders will return to their home countries ready to make a difference and transform lives."

The 2018 YPO EDGE marks the second time Singapore has hosted this signature YPO leadership gathering.

"The YPO Singapore chapter and its members were honored to welcome our peers from across the globe for the YPO EDGE," said Terry O'Connor, 2018 Host City Chair. "As a regional hub, Singapore is the heart of the regional economy, and the EDGE was the perfect event to showcase the culture, diversity and areas of opportunity in Singapore and Southeast Asia to business leaders and young entrepreneurs."

Past EDGE events have been held in Vancouver, Dubai, Melbourne, Los Angeles, Istanbul, Singapore, Barcelona, Miami, Sydney, Toronto, and other major cities. Speakers at previous YPO EDGE events include Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau; Sir Richard Branson, founder and chairman of the Virgin Group; Muhtar Kent, chairman and CEO of the Coca-Cola Company; Malala Yousafzai, Nobel Peace Prize laureate; and Archbishop Desmond Mpilo Tutu, Nobel Peace Prize laureate.

The 2019 YPO EDGE is slated for Cape Town, South Africa.

About YPO

The premier leadership organization of chief executives in the world.

YPO is the global platform for chief executives to engage, learn and grow. YPO members harness the knowledge, influence and trust of the world's most influential and innovative business leaders to inspire business, personal, family and community impact.

Today, YPO empowers more than 25,000 members in more than 130 countries, diversified among industries and types of businesses. Altogether, YPO member-run companies employ more than 16 million people and generate USD6 trillion in annual revenues.

Leadership. Learning. Lifelong. For more information, visit YPO.org.

Contact:

YPO

Linda Fisk

Office: +1 972 629 7305 (United States)

Mobile: +1 972 207 4298

press@ypo.orgNigerias Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola, on Monday said he was not afraid of going to the law court over allegations of preferential treatment offered two power generating companies.

Mr. Fashola made this known at the 25th Monthly Meeting with Operators in the Power Sector hosted by Ibom Power at the Ibom Hall, IBB Way, Uyo, Akwa Ibom State on Monday.

The minister was reacting to suit filed by the power generating companies (GENCOs) last week.

GENCOs had on March 6 sued the Nigerian government for alleged discriminatory treatment of the companies and their gas suppliers with intent to harm their business interests.

The GENCOs, in their suit, also accused the government of conferring preferential treatment on Azura Power West Africa Limited and Accugas Limited to the detriment of the Nigerian Electricity Supply Industry and the power sector as a whole.

Azura Power West Africa Limited is the operator of Azura-Edo, Nigerias largest independent power plant (IPP) exposed for suspicious use of offshore funds in the infamous Paradise Papers global investigation.

The suit filed at the Federal High Court, Abuja, has the GENCOs represented by Mainstream Energy Solutions Limited (Mainstream), Transcorp Power Limited (Transcorp Power), Egbin Power Plc (Egbin) and Northsouth Power Company Limited (Northsouth) as the plaintiffs in the suit.

The defendants were named as the Federal Government of Nigeria (1st defendant), Central Bank of Nigeria (2nd defendant), Minister of Power, Works & Housing (3rd defendant), Nigeria Bulk Electricity Trading Plc, NBET, (4th defendant), Azura Power West Africa Limited (5th defendant) and Accugas Limited (6th defendant).

On Monday, Mr. Fashola said while they have the right to go to court, GENCOs should be concerned about the court of public opinion.

Lately, I have read reports that some Generation Companies (GenCos) (not Ibom Power) have gone to court, filing claims against the government. That is their right and their prerogative. It is better than self-help, and it is consistent with the rule of law, which underpins our democracy, he said.

While they seek refuge in a court of law, they must be ready to face scrutiny in the court of public opinion. The court of public opinion is a court of conscience and morality. In the court of public opinion, they must be ready to tell the citizens how they felt when other groups went to court to stop the implementation of tariffs approved by NERC in 2016.

They must explain to this public court whether they went to court before government approved a N701 Billion payment Assurance Guarantee to pay their monthly power bills. They must disclose to this court that they owed debts, from the pre-Buhari era, because their income had reduced to less than 50 per cent.

They must disclose to this court that they now receive about 80 per cent income, and that this Government is now paying them revenues collected from international customers from the Republics Benin, Niger and Togo, in Dollars, as against the Naira payment they used to receive.

The minister argued that in both courts, the GENCOs must disclose how they felt when some DisCos went to court to stop the enforcement of Provision of Promissory Notes, which was a condition that denied them access to the CBN low interest loans.

He said, They must tell the court of public opinion that the reason for going to court is because Government is making 100 per cent payment to a new GenCo who has a different contract with a Partial Risk Guarantee, which they do not have. They must also disclose to both courts that they held a meeting with government and tabled their demands, which government promised to look into one week before they went to court.

They must, in good conscience, tell the two courts whether one week was enough time, to go to court and whether this action at the time when the sector is making progress does not suggest an intention to blackmail government and hold the citizens hostage.

Mr. Fashola also alleged that the GENCOs are planning to disrupt energy supply to sabotage government efforts.

Let me say very clearly to all operators that I get reports of many of the clandestine meetings that some of them are holding with a view to disrupt supply for political capital, he said.

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I will close by imploring those that are truly ready to run the business they have acquired voluntarily to continue to do so with the assurance of government support and partnership. As for those who entered the business without understanding it, please brace up for hard work and help us rebuild this country.

Those who choose to hide temporarily in the courts of law can do so, but the court of public opinion will scrutinise you and its verdict may be very scathing, unkind, and enduring. I say this because you may not have noticed that Nigerians are increasingly taking their destiny in their hands.

This is the essence of privatisation. If you bother to look up and around you, you will see solar panels on rooftops. The mini grid regulations allow them to procure 1MW without license. This is bigger than what many traditional generators supply. There is no law that compels them to take public power.

I am not afraid of the law courts, and will meet you there to vigorously defend our position.The Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority on Monday said it acquired a fully integrated maize and soya beans farm in Panda, Nasarawa State to expand its investment portfolio in agriculture in the country.

The Managing Director/Chief Executive of NSIA, Uche Orji, said in a statement sent to PREMIUM TIMES the investment would promote income-generating opportunities for small holder famers under an out-grower scheme and related services.

The acquisition under the UFF-NAIC Agriculture Fund jointly owned by NSIA and UFF Agri Investment, an Old Mutual Specialist Fund, is a farm comprising large acreage of farms integrated into a system of feed mills and storage silos.

Mr. Orji said the new investment underscores NSIA and UFFs interest in Nigerias agricultural sector, underpinned by a shared vision of existing significant socio-economic opportunities.

Agriculture is Nigerias largest source of employment and remains a key focus area for the NSIA given its potential to contribute towards stimulating the economy, Mr. Orji said.

The UFF-NAIC Agriculture Fund is seeking to enhance the sector by attracting capital and modern technology to critical aspects of the value chain to stimulate production and related economic activities.

This modest investment represents a prudently structured entry for the Fund into the domestic agriculture sector, which we believe will prove lucrative and transformational for stakeholders and the sector at large, he said.

He said the Fund would acquire and develop a 3,500 hectares of land, out of which 2,300 hectares would cover arable area, in a region recognised for its superior soil types, access to reliable irrigation water and history of consistent productivity.

Key elements of infrastructure investments include purchase and installation of an irrigation system covering about 80 per cent of the land area, along with surface drip lines covering the remaining 20 per cent.

Other facilities include water distribution systems, water reservoirs, pumps, and the distribution systems over 2,300 hectares; grain storage and dryers, made up of 50 to 75,000 metric tons of maize and soya bean storage silos, plus dryers and ancillary equipment.

Also, sundry processing assets, include a fish feed mill, a new factory building, and improvements to the existing soya bean crushing facility, and other relevant asset.

Mr. Orji said additional capital would be deployed to expand the farms existing infrastructure, to increase its installed capacity and enhance the overall quality and quantity of output.

He said the feed mill name plate would be increased by 60 per cent to raise the output tonnage from 61,330 tons to 96,400 tons, while the oil and maize mills installed capacity would increase by 300 per cent and from 8,800 tons to 35,000 tons respectively.

Equally, the fish feed capacity would be raised from zero to 26,300 tons, the expected social impact of creating 10,000 direct and indirect jobs as well as 500 support services and small businesses.

The capital injection will be used to construct and install state of the art irrigation infrastructure, water reservoirs, grain storage and processing facilities. Also, the farming operations will be expanded to serve as input sources to the processing plant.

By modernizing the farms operations and backward integrating, it is expected that crop yield will improve significantly and a two season (wet and dry season) farming will be achieved going forward. Overall the investment is expected to stimulate economic activities that will lead to the creation of jobs and improvements in quality of life, he said.

UFF Joint Managing Director, Erwin Bouland, said the investment provides the first co-investment opportunity in Nigeria, while the asset is complementary to existing portfolio holdings, as it offers geographic, climatic and farming type diversification.

The lease model, coupled with the water security provided, fits our objectives of reduced risk and consistent income provision for our institutional client base.

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UFF leverage highly productive assets by introducing investment in technology that creates exciting long-term opportunities for the Fund, Mr. Bouland said.ADVERTISEMENT

The United States is developing mechanisms in the form of Public Private Partnerships (PPP) for infrastructure development as alternatives to Chinese loans for African nations, an American official said Monday.

The United States Secretary of State, Rex Tillerson, disclosed this when speaking at a press conference after a closed-door meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari in his office at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

When responding a question on alternatives to Chinese loans, he said if the Nigerian government could create the right conditions around infrastructural investments, it could access loans from the U.S.

There are also great potentials for public-private sector co-investing in infrastructure and we are developing mechanisms and the President (Donald Trump) has charged some of his executive staff back home to begin to develop alternative financing mechanisms that will also create alternative opportunities to what China is offering, he said.

Mr. Tillerson said the U.S. government does not seek to stop funds flowing into countries that need investments but to encourage countries borrowing to be cautious.

I think it is important to clarify that we do not seek to stop Chinese investments from flowing to countries that need those investments but what we are cautioning countries to do is to look carefully at the implications of the level of debts, the terms of the debts, and whether the arrangements around the local financing are in fact creating local jobs and local capacity or are the projects being carried out by foreign labour being brought to your country?

Is the structure of the financing such that you will always be in control of your infrastructure? Are there mechanism to deal with the faults so that you do not lose ownership of your own assets? These are national assets whether there are ports, railways, or major highways.

We have seen this occur in other countries that were not so careful and as a result they got themselves in a situation where they awfully lost control of their infrastructure, lost the ownership and the operation of it.

And that is the precaution that we talking about. That there are international rules and norms and financial structure to deal with unforeseen circumstances and I think we are just cautioning countries to look carefully.

The secretary of state, before embarking on the African tour had earlier warned African countries to be wary of the Chinese government and its loan facilities. China has since replied the U.S., saying it hopes other countries can emulate Chinas role in helping Africa develop.

The Americans and Chinese have over the years, been intense rivals in the unending search for durable investments in the business terrain of the African continent.ADVERTISEMENT

Hubert de Givenchy, the aristocratic French fashion designer famous for the Little black dress and styling Audrey Hepburn and Jackie Kennedy, has died aged 91, his partner said Monday.

Givenchy set the template for ladylike chic in the 1950s and 1960s, and his restrained style still informs the way Britains Queen Elizabeth II and older American and Chinese socialites dress.

His partner, the former haute couture designer Philippe Venet, announced his death through the Givenchy fashion house, saying he had

died in his sleep on Saturday.

The pair lived in a Renaissance chateau near Paris.

It is with huge sadness that we inform you that Hubert Taffin de Givenchy has died, it said in a statement to AFP.

The designers nephews and nieces share Mr Venets grief, it added.

At 6ft 6in tall, Givenchy, whose full name was Count Hubert James Marcel Taffin de Givenchy, was a giant of the fashion world in every sense.

In 1969, the designer launched a menswear line called Givenchy Gentleman. He sold the Givenchy house to luxury conglomerate LVMH in 1988, staying on until he retired in 1995.

Not only was he one of the most influential fashion figures of our time, whose legacy still influences modern day dressing, wrote.

Givenchy artistic director Clare Waight Keller on his passing, but he also was one of the chicest most charming men I have ever met.ADVERTISEMENT

Nollywood actor John Okafor, aka Mr Ibu, has urged the Nigerian Film Corporation (NFC), to live up to its mission statement of developing an industry that is globally competitive.

NFC, established in 1979, is a parastatal of the Federal Government of Nigeria under the Federal Ministry of Information and Culture.

The Decree establishing it empowers the Corporation to lay a solid foundation for the development of a viable and sustainable Film industry and Cinema culture in Nigeria.

The Corporation is therefore charged with the responsibility of planning, promoting and organising an integrated and efficient development of the Nigerian Film Industry.

However, Mr Ibu in an interview with News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja, said the NFC was not living up to its mandate and needed to redouble its efforts.

He alleged that there is a non-existent relationship between the Actors Guild of Nigeria and the NFC and other bodies.

He further alleged that they are not doing anything to help the industry except for selective few; the NFC is a ghost body.

I have never seen anybody from the NFC willing to genuinely cooperate with any actor, actress or producer involved in Nollywood.

The veteran actor expressed his concerns for the absence of strict laws governing and ensuring the NFC carry out their duties.

There are no laws ensuring that The Nigerian Film Corporation carry out their duties.

There are no checks holding the agency accountable, which is the major reason why they can afford to neglect the film industry.

Mr. Ibu bemoaned the ongoing issues within the industry and the inability of the NFC to aid the industry in sorting out those longstanding issues.

The cinematographers, marketers union, the continuity editors and writers are all in disorder.

The NFC does not have the film industries best interest because it has not shown interest in the unity of this very important sector.

(NAN)The National Electoral Commission of Sierra Leone on Sunday released 75 per cent of the result of the presidential election held in the country on Wednesday, showing the opposition candidate, Julius Maada Bio, is now ahead, with a narrow lead over the candidate of the ruling party, Samura Wilson Kamara.

Chairman of NEC, Mohammed Conteh, declared the progressive result at the commissions headquarters in Freetown.

Mr. Conteh said that result representing 75 per cent of the polling stations in each of the 16 districts in the country had been cleared by NEC Tally Centre Information Technology Systems.

He said the detail result are partial and does not represent the complete outcome of the election.

According to him, Mr. Maada Bio, the candidate of the opposition, Sierra Leone People Party (SLPP), has taken the lead with 848,438 (43.33 per cent) votes, followed by the candidate of the ruling All Peoples Congress (APC), with 833,519 (representing 42.7 per cent).

Kamaraimba Mansaray, candidate of the Alliance Democratic Party (ADP), has secured 20,234 votes; Musa Tarawally of Citizens Democratic Party (CDP) 8,740 votes and Samuel Sam-Sumana of Coalition for Change (C4C), 67, 132 votes.

Chernoh Bah of National Democratic Alliance (NDA), 6, 532 votes; Kolle Yemkulla of National Grand Coalition (NGC) 136,009 votes, John ODwyer of National Progressives Democrats (NPD) 3,307 votes.

Patrick Sandy, National Unity and Reconciliation Party (NURP), 1,816 votes and Baba Conteh of Peace and Liberation Party (PLP), 3, 373; Francis Margai, Peoples Movement for Democratic Change (PMDC)7, 521 votes and Victor Williams of Republic National Independent Party (RNIP) 1,976 votes.

Jemba Ngobeh of Revolution United Front Party (RUFP) got 9,866 votes ; Mohamed Sowa-Turay, United Democratic Movement, 4,477; Henry Kabuta, United National Peoples Party (UNPP), 2, 369 votes.

Olufemi Claudius-Cole of Unity Party (UP), scored 2,891 votes.

Mr. Conteh assured that the full certified result would be announced as soon as possible, under the one-week timeframe stipulated by the countrys electoral law.

Mr. Conteh also said the commission has continued to tally result at its five regional centres.

He said while majority of the results had now been entered into presidential election result sheet, NEC had identified some forms that require examination before they could be accepted as a genuine results.

He added that the processes were built into the system to ensure integrity and accuracy of the final results.

The Public Electoral Act 2012 allows NEC to take any necessary steps in examining these results. These can include the recount of these ballot papers in affected polling stations.

He disclosed that recount were underway now in relevant districts offices.

NEC will take any necessary step to ensure accuracy of results and to safeguard votes legitimately cast by Sierra Leoneans on 7 March.

NEC commissioners are also aware of allegations against our own staff and we take these allegations very seriously.

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In addition to the numerous safeguards that are already in place, we will continue to monitor the tally process at every stage.

Mr. Conteh said the commission believes that trust is paramount. It also understands the danger of speculations and that false allegations have the potential to damage public confidence in the electoral process

We appeal to all citizens to respect the integrity of the electoral process, to refrain from speculations, to remain patient and uphold peaceful environment that has come to characterise Sierra Leone.

He said the commission in carrying out its functions would continue to honour the choice of the electorate, which was the votes that they cast on election day.(NAN)ADVERTISEMENT

Burundis ruling party, CNDD-FCC, on Monday anointed President Pierre Nkurunziza their supreme eternal leader whose decisions may not be opposed.

The new title will allow the 54-year-old president to veto all decisions made by the ruling partys central committee.

He is our elder, our father, our counselor, Evariste Ndayishimiye, General Secretary of the ruling CNDD-FDD, said in explaining the decision.

Mr. Nkurunziza, who became president in 2005, deserved the title because he has ensured significant progress in Burundi, said Mr. Ndayishimiye.

The move garnered much criticism from opposition parties, which argue that Burundis constitution does not allow for a monarchy of divine right.

Nkurunziza has already opted for a path that jeopardises Burundis democratic gains of the past 25 years  Nkurunziza will impose himself as a king, Jeremie Minani, leader of opposition party Rally of Burundi Democrats (RDB), said.

Mr. Minani was referencing Mr. Nkurunziza securing a third term in office in 2015, contrary to the provisions of the constitution, which triggered a violent crisis that caused hundreds of thousands of people to flee their homes.

The East African nation is scheduled to hold a constitutional referendum to extend the presidential term in May, aimed at allowing Mr. Nkurunziza to stay in power until 2034.

The changes would see the current five-year term amended to seven years, meaning that Mr. Nkurunziza, whose current term is up in 2020, could stay in power for another two seven-year terms.

(dpa/NAN)A UN rights watchdog on Monday called on Saudi Arabia to end discriminatory practices against women, including its pervasive system of male guardianship and give them full access to justice.

After reviewing the deeply conservative kingdoms record, the independent experts welcomed recent decisions to allow women to launch their own businesses and to lift a de facto ban on them driving a car, set for June.

Saudi Arabia is still one of the most restrictive countries for women in the world.

It has no women ministers and retains a guardianship system requiring women to have a male relatives approval for important decisions.

In its conclusions, the UN Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) urged the Saudi government to abolish practices of male guardianship.

It should enforce a recent order that would entitle all women to obtain a passport, travel or study abroad, choose their residency, and access health care without having to seek their guardians consent.

We asked for the abolition of the system, because even though they said they had passed a law, we realised that in practice the system still continued, Hilary Gbedemah, a panel member, said.

A Saudi delegation told the panel in February that it had implemented rules and laws tailored to traditions and religious values that allowed women more independence as they played a growing economic role.

Laws concerning justice and child protection had been strengthened.

But the experts said that Saudi Arabia should implement a comprehensive strategy to eliminate patriarchal attitudes and stereotypes that discriminate against women.

Rape and all forms of violence against women should be made crimes under Saudi law, they said.

Child marriages, forced marriages and the compulsory dress code for women should be ended, it said.

Women should have the right to choose their dress and not face violence or threats by the religious police and their male guardian.

Discussion of the guardianship issue had been very wide with the delegation, Ms. Gbedemah said.

We saw it where women were deemed to be disobedient to their guardians, where they needed their consent to marry, where the guardians could enforce dress codes, and in the area of domestic violence, she said.

So, in a nutshell, these are the four important areas that we asked for follow-up on, within two years, she said.

Ms. Gbedemeh, asked about the planned lifting of the ban on driving, said: Even if it is symbolic, it is a positive step.

Because for so long it was taken for granted that women could not and would not drive.

I am positive that once this is done, it will open the gates for leverage for removal of other restrictions, she said.

(Reuters/NAN)

ADVERTISEMENTAbout 1300 displaced Borno women have, in a letter to Nigerias President, Muhammadu Buhari, accused the Nigerian military of wrongly arresting their husbands and children, as Boko Haram suspects, after which they were raped and made to trade sex for food in camps.

We were not allowed to leave the camp (managed by soldiers) and not given enough food but instead asked to pay for extra food when we didnt have anything left, they asked for sex; young women were to have sex with the Civilian-Joint Task Force (CJTF) members and soldiers to be able to feed their children, they wrote.

This allegation was contained in an open letter dated March 1, written by a group of displaced women, who are mostly wives or mothers of arrested Boko Haram suspects who are still in various military detention centers in Bornno state.

But the military command in Borno state has vehemently dismissed the allegations which it described as a cheap and baseless allegation possibly crafted to dampen the morale of troops.

The women want the federal government of Nigeria to release their husbands whom they said were wrongly arrested and held in military detention facilities.

In the 4-paged letter, which was also made available to PREMIUM TIMES, the aggrieved women said they have unionised under a group known as Knifa Movement.

They claimed the Nigeria military was holding 1,269 persons who are either their husbands or children, on the allegations that they were members of Boko Haram.

The women said their relatives were arrested between July and December 2015 and had since been in detention in Giwa barracks detention center as well as the Maiduguri maximum security prisons.

The women, who are all IDPs from Bama local government area of the state, wondered why their husbands and children would be kept in detention for such a long time without trial.

The women claimed that apart from the psychological trauma that they had to suffer due to the long absence of their husbands, the military kept them in locked camps where they and their daughters were forced to trade sex for food.

Our story is a story of suffering: In 2015 and 2016, we were kept in the horrific conditions in Bama Hospital camp, which was at that time run by the military and CJTF. We were not allowed to leave the camp and were not given enough food but instead, asked to pay for extra food. First, we sold our jewelry. Then we sold our clothes. When we didnt have anything left, they asked for sex. Young women were to have sex with the Civilian-JTF members and soldiers to be able to feed their children. Rape by the Civilian-JTF and soldiers were rampant.

We were starved and forced to give our bodies in exchange for food. We saw our children die and there was nothing we could do. Hundreds of people lost their lives in Bama Hospital camp  we in our group alone know 799 people who died. We were the silent witnesses of immense suffering, they wrote.

In the last months, many of us have gone out of the camps to farm and collect firewood to earn a living. But there has been several attacks by Boko Haram nearby. One of our members lost her husband who went out to collect firewood. He had been released from the Giwa barracks some months ago. We are scared to go out of the camp but we do need to eat.

Most of us lived with Boko Haram for months and we know what they we are capable of. They killed our relatives, abducted our sons, raped our daughters. We consider ourselves lucky that we came out alive. Living under Boko Haram was hell.

The women said they were deeply worried that Boko Haram members who were held at Operation Safe Corridor in Gombe state are now being sent to their communities.

How can those criminals who killed and raped our people be allowed to live amongst us again, while our husbands, who are innocent, are still detained, they wrote.

We want to offer our best cooperation to prosecute the real Boko Haram members. But no one has asked us for our statement on what happened in the past years. We are pleading with you to give all victims of this (these) conflicts the opportunity to testify before a court of law.

They said they were ready to participate in any further investigation.

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We are not rapists

Onyema Nwachukwu, who is the spokesman of the military at the Theater Command headquarters of the Operation Lafiya Dole, described the allegations as unfounded and misplaced and probably calculated to dampen the morale of soldiers on the frontline.

On the claims that their relatives were kept in military custody, he said that cannot be true.

We dont keep peoples relatives in custody; those that we have in custody are terrorism or insurgency suspects, he said.

And if anyone is not culpable after our investigation, they are released. But those who have been found to have either actively or passively participated in terrorism activities by bearing arms or providing other forms of supports to aid terrorism and insurgency are those in custody and would be prosecuted.

On the issue of non-trial of the detained suspects, the military said the concerned relatives should have appropriately channelled their demand to the federal ministry of justice which is the organ of government empowered by constitution to do so.

Trial of suspects lies with the judiciary and I believe that they are handling it accordingly. We are all aware that the federal government had instituted some special courts to try the suspects. It is not our responsibility to try any of them. But if somebody is found wanting after our investigations, it is not our duty to pronounced him guilty or not guilty. But we tender our reports as the case may be to those that will be prosecuting them.

Mr. Nwachukwu, a colonel, also said that the women or the relatives of the detained suspects do not have the luxury of determining the guilt or innocence of their arrested spouses.

The public must understand that the onus is not on the complainant to determine whether their relatives are guilty or not guilty, he said.

It is the court that determines that. The dynamics of the counterinsurgency war is such that we have different kinds of terrorists, like I earlier said that are either active or passive supporters. Yes, you may not have an arm with somebody, but the person may be aiding terrorism, either by providing information to the terrorists as an informant, or may be supplying logistics to the terrorists in their hideouts, and all these the wives at home might not even know.

We have arrested several persons who take logistics to terrorists as their means of trade; so they should not look at the issue on the face value and conclude that their husbands are innocent, or they dont have anything to do with Boko Haram. We really dont profile suspects as somebodys husband or relative; all we know is a terrorist is a terrorist, and anyone found wanting would be prosecuted.

Reacting to the issues raised by the women on their sufferings in the camp, the military said though it was unfortunate, but the public should know that it was not the military that initiated the circumstances that led to their present plight.

The public must know that it was not Operation Lafiya Dole that initiated that suffering, Colonel Nwachukwu said.

In as much as we sympathise with their unfortunate situation, their misfortune was not orchestrated by the operation Lafiya Dole troops; rather it was by Boko Haram terrorists who had been killing, and abducting their children; using their men and kids as foot soldiers, burning their houses. We have been the ones paying the price to protect these women and their families. We are the ones that have been at the forefront to ensure their safety, at the expense of our own lives. We have gone out of our line of duty to provide aid support to these people, we have opened schools in the camps to ensure that their children whose schools were burnt down and denied access to learning get educated. Our soldiers teach them in the schools in camps! We have brought measurable succor to these people. We have carried out several medical outreach to help them remain healthy.

So they should not see us as their adversary; they should face the issue squarely, Boko Haram is their enemy and a common enemy.

We have also rescued several women and children and their husbands from captivity, we have liberated them, he said, adding that this is what they represent and not the other way round.

On the alleged cases of rape in the IDP camp, Mr. Nwachukwu said the military takes such allegation with all seriousness even as he mentioned that the claims were illogical given the role the military plays in the protection of camps.

I want to categorically state it that our soldiers are not rapists; we have no rapists amongst us, he said.

It is high time we began to address the issue of gender based violence very squarely. People should not wake up and start making blanket allegation on troops. If you find anybody wanting, take up the issue and make a report immediately; and not to sleep on it only to come out tomorrow or after several months to come and say troops raped people. We are not rapists.

The people must help themselves by addressing any issue of gender based violence very squarely and promptly, and avoid making blanket allegations. If anybody is found to be involved in such atrocious act, you immediately report that person, and so far we have not received such report in the headquarters.

However, he said the military does not rule cases of bad eggs in the counterinsurgency operations which he said was the reason the military court martial was put in place.

On the allegations of soldiers using food as bait to have sex with female IDPs, the military spokesman said such allegation cannot be true because soldiers do not have access to food in camp.

Troops dont share food in the IDP camp, they are not in charge of sharing food, he said.

There are other agencies who carry out all those responsibilities; you cant say our soldiers, troops or personnel are exchanging food for sex. In the first place, we are not in charge food. Our troops are at the outside cordon of the IDP camps. They dont have custody of food, talk more of having portion they trade for sex.

And anywhere our troops are deployed, they are fed centrally by the military caterers who cook for them he said, adding that no soldier has dry ration that he would use in exchange for sex. So that allegation does not hold water as far as the military is concerned, he said.

PREMIUM TIMES could not immediately get the officials of the Civilian-JTF who were also joined in the food for sex allegation in camps, to react on this matter. Efforts to get them to speak on phone was not successful, as the lines remained switched off.ADVERTISEMENT

Nigeria prefers to have schoolgirls abducted by Boko Haram from Chibok and Dapchi back alive, and that is why it has chosen negotiation, rather than military action, says President Muhammadu Buhari.

Receiving the American Secretary of State, Rex Tillerson, at State House, Abuja, Monday, Mr. Buhari added that Nigeria was working with international organisations and negotiators, to ensure that the girls were released unharmed by their captors.

We are trying to be careful. It is better to get our daughters back alive, the president said, according to a statement released by his office.

He thanked the United States for assistance rendered in the fight against insurgency, noting that Nigerian forces are good, but need assistance in the areas of training and equipment.

Mr. Buhari promised that his administration would continue to do its best to secure the country, adding that he would be in Yobe State, from where Dapchi schoolgirls were abducted, later this week as part of my condolence and sympathy visits to areas where we have had unfortunate events.

He pledged free and fair polls in 2019, recalling that former American Secretary of State, John Kerry, had visited before the 2015 polls, and he told the party in government then, and those of us in opposition, to behave ourselves, and we did.

The visiting Secretary of State commended President Buhari on his effort in the anti-corruption war, the statement by Femi Adesina said.

Mr. Tillerson said Nigeria was a very important country to the U.S, stressing: You have our support in your challenges. We will also support opportunities to expand the economy, commercial investments, and peaceful polls in 2019.Nigeria to benefit from U.S. $533m charity fund for Africa

Nigeria will benefit from about 533 million dollars to be released by the United States to some African countries humanitarian assistance.

The benefactors are Nigeria, Ethiopia, Somalia, and South Sudan, as well as countries in the Lake Chad region.

U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said these additional funds will provide emergency food, nutrition assistance, and other aid.

Of the newly announced funds, more than $128 million is for affected populations from Nigeria and countries in the Lake Chad region.

Treatment of Lassa fever is free  Federal Government

The Federal Government has debunked a Newspaper report published by the Guardian of Sunday, March 11, 2018, which stated that the high cost of treating Lassa fever was responsible for the high mortality rate recorded so far in the country.

In a statement issued by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control, NCDC, and signed by its Chief Executive Officer, Chikwe Ihekweazu, he stated that Federal Government of Nigeria has ensured that Ribavirin, the major drug used for the treatment of Lassa fever has been provided free-of-charge to patients, for every single case of Lassa fever reported in Nigeria.

Ihekweazu acknowledge the high cost of treating Lassa fever cases in Nigeria, especially the cost of the drug Ribavirin. He however, stated that the Federal Government of Nigeria has ensured that Ribavirin has been provided free-of-charge to patients, for every single case of Lassa fever reported in Nigeria in 2018.

Nigerian bakeries still use cancer-causing chemical in bread  Food expert

A food expert in Nigeria has alerted the Federal Government on the continuous use of a banned substance, potassium bromate, in bakeries.

Oladunni Akinnawo, a professor of food chemistry at Ajayi Crowther University, Oyo State, said a recent study she conducted in Ibadan and Oyo towns, for instance, indicated the use of potassium bromate in 72 per cent of bread samples.

She said the substance, which is added to bread dough to strengthen it, increase loaf volume, and improve the texture, can cause sore throat, abdominal pains, diarrhoea, nausea, and vomiting. In extreme cases, it could lead to kidney failure and heart failure, she said.

She added that studies have linked the compound in the chemical to cancer in experimental animals and humans and has been classified as a potential carcinogen.

Ex-Speaker Etteh, others inaugurated as board chairpersons

The Federal Ministry of Health on Tuesday in Abuja inaugurated the Governing Boards and Councils of some tertiary health institutions and agencies.

Among the board chairpersons inaugurated is the controversial former speaker of the House of Representatives, Patricia Etteh, who was appointed to head the National Hospital in Abuja.

The Minister of Health, Isaac Adewole, in his inaugural address urged the appointees to support the vision and core values of President Muhammadu Buhari on transparency and accountability.

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Mr. Adewole also tasked the appointees to key into the Buhari administrations zero tolerance for any form of corruption.

Vitamin D, secret weapon against heart attack- Scientists

A new study published in the journal Heart Lung and Circulation has revealed that Vitamin D, which is often called the sunshine vitamin, can prevent a heart attack.

Vitamin D also performs other physiological roles in the body and the sun is the major source of vitamin D as few foods contains it .

Specifically, studies have linked low levels of vitamin D to coronary artery disease and heart failure.

Although research into vitamin D and its cardio-protective powers is in its infancy, the results are encouraging.

Women drug addiction on the increase in Kebbi- NDLEA

The rate of women indulging in drug abuse in Kebbi state is on the increase, the National Drug and Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) in the State, says.

The Commandant of the agency in the State, Suleiman Jadi, when receiving officials of the National Council of Women Societies (NCWS) said the trend has now taken a new turn as the number of women addicts is on the increase.

Mr Jadi, however, did not disclose the number but called on the group to support relevant agencies in the fight against drug abuse among the youths and women in particular.

Studies on HIV prevention in women assuring  UNAIDS

UNAIDS is elated with mid-way results from two studies that show a vaginal ring releasing long-acting antiretroviral medicine to prevent HIV infection in women.

Reports say that the results show that studies is up to 54 per cent effective in preventing HIV.

The ring, which is replaced monthly, slowly releases the antiretroviral medicine dapivirine and could give women an additional HIV prevention option that is discreet and that they can control.

However, the final results from both studies are expected in 2019, according to the UN HIV/ AIDS agency.

Influenza virus causes panic in Kenya

Kenyan health officials have issued an alert after samples taken from patients confirmed the presence of H1N1 prototype 9 influenza virus.

The samples were taken from the patients suffering from flu in Laikipia County, Central Kenya.

Mr Donald Mogoi, a chief officer in charge of health in the area, said a child is suspected to have died of the flu two weeks but the deadly virus was confirmed on Tuesday by the National Public Health Laboratories.

The diseased is characterised by high fever, diarrhoea, vomiting, dry cough and general body weakness.ADVERTISEMENT

The Nigerian Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, has denied calling for military intervention in the country.

According to a statement signed by his Special Adviser (Media), Uche Anichukwu, Mr. Ekweremadu made the denial while speaking at the 74th Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (Africa Region) Executive Committee dinner, hosted by the Bayelsa State Governor, Seriake Dickson, in the state capital, Yenagoa.

He stated that his comments on the floor of the Senate, unambiguously in defence of democracy, were either being twisted or misconstrued by some persons.

A few days ago, Mr. Ekweremadu, while contributing to a motion sponsored by Ahmed Ogembe (PDP, Kogi Central), said the countrys democracy is receding and it is not unlikely for the military to takeover.

Mr. Ogembe had alleged that the Kogi State governor, Yahaya Bello, sponsored thugs to disrupt an empowerment programme he organised for his constituents.

The deputy senate president explained that such incidents show that efforts must be made to protect the countrys democracy, adding that democracy must not be turned into a joke.

If he doesnt stop, there is no how he will come back in 2019, never, no he will not. God will show him that he is a God of justice and this is a message to all those people who have caused all kinds of problem in Nigeria at different levels. The problem in Nigeria is that our democracy is receding. Who says army cannot take over? Let us not joke with our democracy that is the issue, Mr. Ekweremadu said.

Stating his respect for the Nigerian Armed Forces, he explained that comments made by lawmakers in the course of their duty should be situated within the proper context before any form of reaction.

He added that parliamentarians had a duty to continue to defend democracy in the country, hence he clearly cautioned fellow politicians against the mistakes of the past, which inevitably led to the abrupt end of the previous republics.

We had one of our colleagues from Kogi, who was hosting a constituency briefing and empowerment. He alleged that the state government sponsored thugs to chase away people, disrupt the programme, and destroy the equipment he bought for his people.

We condemned such acts, especially where in a particular case, the house of a parliamentarian was pulled down. We condemned a case whereby parliamentarians were stopped from holding meetings and where a parliamentarian was stopped from coming to a state where he was governor for eight years.

We warned that it was such reckless abuse of power and impunity that scuttled our previous republics, especially the first republic and I cautioned politicians not take our democracy for granted.

Of course, some people took it out of context and said I was calling for a military coup. I never called for a military coup. I never said the military was planning any coup. Even the militarys statement admitted that my statement was only cautionary and that we were sincere. But they went as far as saying that the international community should ignore my words of caution, he said.

He further said, I hold the Nigerian Army and the Armed Forces in high regard. They have defended our democracy, our people and have acquitted themselves creditably. If they need anything now, it is encouragement because this is not the best of times for them.

He also chided the military for rushing to make public comments on the matter.

But we do hope that when parliamentarians make statements, they (the military) should be able to know exactly what they said before reacting so that we dont overheat the system.

Our debate is circulating on the internet, unedited, and I never said the army was planning a coup and I never invited them to plan any coup. But I strongly hold the view that our political leaders should err on the side of caution by refraining from past mistakes and actions inimical to democratic practice.ADVERTISEMENT

The Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria at the weekend warned that it would resist any illegal and undemocratic takeover of the government in Nigeria.

The group said it was disturbed by some subtle insinuations from some quarters that the military would venture into the politics of the country.

The labour group cautioned those mooting the idea to desist from throwing Nigeria into anarchy.

The labour groups position came on the heels of comments made last week by the Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, during a debate on the floor of the Senate, in respect of the political crises in parts of the country.

Mr. Ekweremadu had said, The problem in Nigeria is that our democracy is receding. Who says army cannot take over? Let us not joke with our democracy, that is the issue.

In a reaction, the Defense Headquarters said Nigerians should ignore Mr. Ekweremadu because the military had no intention to take over government.

Reacting to the criticism that trailed his comments, Mr. Ekweremadu denied calling for military intervention in the country.

Speaking at the 74th Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (Africa Region) Executive Committee dinner, hosted by the Bayelsa State Governor, Seriake Dickson, in the state capital, Yenagoa, at the weekend, he stated that his comments on the floor of the Senate unambiguously in defence of democracy, were either being twisted or misconstrued by some persons.

But in a statement issued in Lagos, ASCSN president, Bala Kaigama, and the Secretary-General, Bashir Lawal, said that any takeover of government by the military again would take the country 50 years backward.

It is common knowledge that since the military toppled the democratically elected government of Sir Tafawa Balewa in 1966, suspended the 1963 Federal Constitution and imposed a unitary system of government, the countrys growth has been stunted, the statement read in part.

We are also aware that all democracies in the world including that of the United States of America, Canada, Europe, etc, are not perfect but are still evolving and being improved upon.

The shortcomings being experienced in building democratic institutions in Nigeria were not peculiar and that with time, some of the flaws would be rectified.

Thus, under no circumstances should individuals, no matter how highly placed, should begin to hint of military takeover of government in Nigeria.This is because most of the social dislocations we experience today, such as corruption, deterioration of power supply, collapse of railway, basterdization of the education system, destruction of the Civil Service, etc, were exacerbated by military dictators.

The labour movement therefore vowed to protect the nations democracy.ADVERTISEMENT

President Muhammadu Buhari is currently meeting with the United States Secretary of State, Rex Tillerson, in his office at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

The meeting started some few minutes after 4 p.m. after Mr. Buhari returned

from an official visit to Benue State.

After the meeting, Mr. Tillerson will hold a press conference with his Nigerian counterpart, Geoffrey Onyeama.

The U.S. Secretary of State is expected to depart the country after the press conference.ADVERTISEMENT

No fewer than 100 candidates missed writing the ongoing Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) in Adamawa State.

Danladi Aliyu, the Adamawa Zonal Coordinator of Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) confirmed the development to News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in an interview on Monday in Yola, the state capital.

Mr. Aliyu said since the commencement of the examination last Friday, the affected candidates had not showed up and there was no official complaint from the candidates.

Since the examination commenced last Friday, a total of 3,115 candidates sat for the examination in five designated centres in the state.

Also, according to our records, about 100 candidates did not show up to write the examination, Mr. Aliyu said.

He said the examination was going on smoothly in all the five centres across the state without any problem regarding network.

Mr. Aliyu said that the centres were located in Federal Polytechnic Mubi; Federal College of Education, Yola; American University of Nigeria, Yola; Aliyu Mustapha College Yola and Modibbo Adama University of Technology, Yola.

He however; complained of lack of conducive atmosphere at American University of Nigeria centre, where candidates were writing the examination under excessive weather condition.

The excessive hot condition at the centre will likely affect the performance of the candidates, Mr. Aliyu said.

Meanwhile, security operatives were seen screening candidates entering the premises of the examination

(NAN)ADVERTISEMENT

The Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) in Niger says it has mobilised over 1,500 operatives to ensure a hitch-free visit of President Muhammadu Buhari to the state on Thursday.

NSCDC Commandant in the state, Philip Ayuba, disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Minna on Monday.

Mr. Ayuba said the command had made robust security arrangements with sister agencies to ensure a successful visit of the president to the state.

He explained that security personnel would be positioned in strategic locations to ensure peaceful atmosphere before, during and after the visit.

I appeal to members of the public to be law abiding as they come out massively to welcome the president who is visiting the state for the first time, he said.

Mr. Ayuba solicited the cooperation of the residents with the security agencies as they discharge their duties.

Mr. Buhari is expected to inaugurate the multi-million naira Sunti Sugar Company, a subsidiary of Golden Flour Mill in Mokwa Local Government Area of the state during the visit. (NAN)A row has broken out over the language of a signpost installed at the grave site of those killed in violent attacks on communities in Benue State early January.

Burial site for 73 victims of Fulani herdsmen massacre in Guma and Logo Local Government Areas was inscribed in white and brown block letters on a metal board with isolated green background.

The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) installed the signpost at the mass grave along Achusa Road just south of Makurdi, the state capital.

On January 11, the Benue State Government conducted a mass burial for 73 villagers killed in suspected herdsmen attacks on several villages between January 1 and 2.

Residents said the attacks left more than 100 villagers dead, but the state was only able to evacuate 73 bodies for mass burial because some villagers had summarily buried some of those killed in their communities.

The bodies that were taken to the mass grave were either of those who arrived dead at Benue State University Teaching Hospital in Makurdi or those who died while receiving treatments.

The concrete vaults at the mass grave are identical in their horizontal dimensions, and occupy less than half of the total 2.5 acres hurriedly cleared by the state government along the untarred road.

But weeks after the Benue State chapter of CAN erected the signpost, some Nigerians are raising concerns over the tone of inscriptions.

The attacks were carried out and the police are still investigating, said Shettima Mohammed, secretary of herders association in Benue. It is hasty, and therefore, wrong, for the Christian Association of Nigeria to say the Fulani are the killers.

Mr. Mohammed said CANs action further entrenches his fears that the farmers-herders crisis across the north-central is being increasingly politicised.

But for the Christian body, the sign was the least that could be done to keep the memories of the victims of the attacks and no one should see it beyond that purpose.

Theres no hidden agenda behind the signpost, said Samson Ayokunle, the CAN president, in a telephone interview with PREMIUM TIMES Sunday afternoon. We put it there strictly for history.

The Christian leader said the signpost accurately recorded what happened to the villagers in Benue, a position he said was bolstered by the pronouncements the Minister of Defence, Mansur Dan Ali, and the Inspector-General of Police, Idris Ibrahim.

Shortly after the people were killed, the Minister of Defence, Mansur Dan Ali, said the killings were due to the enactment of anti-open grazing law in Benue State and did not deny that herdsmen were responsible, he said.

Other Fulani leaders have never said the attacks are not being carried out by their people, they only said the anti-open grazing law was the cause, he added.

Mr. Ayokunle said CAN put up the signpost because the victims were Christians and those responsible for their demise are known even though they have not been arrested.

Those against blaming Fulani for the attacks said the signpost could evoke memories of the aftermath of the 1966 coup, but acknowledged that Nigerian history must be appropriately told.

Those who erected the signpost in Benue were lazy, said Cheta Nwanze, a security analyst with SBM Intelligence in Lagos. As lazy as the Northerners who 50 years ago punished all Igbo for the actions of Kaduna Nzeogwu and Emmanuel Ifeajuna, or the Igbo who blame all Northerners for the actions of Murtala Mohammed and Ibrahim Taiwo.

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Naming the perpetrators of massacres and mass murders is something we should aim for rather than collectively assigning guilt, he added.

Mr. Nwanze said the Nigerian state has worsened tribal tensions in the country by failing to address past occurrences.

In the absence of justice, such a collective guilt mindset will continue to prevail, and when we keep shutting down people who want to remember their dead, rather than let them air their grievances, we only add more heat to the pressure cooker without letting steam to escape, Mr. Nwanze said. It will blow up. Some day.

Some bereaved families interviewed by PREMIUM TIMES said they had no reservations about the memorial since some of them had long identified their attackers as Fulani and the police had identified suspects arrested in similar attacks across the region as Fulani.

The police in Benue declined comments about the signpost when reached by PREMIUM TIMES between Sunday and Monday.

The state government, however, sees nothing wrong with the sign, saying the Fulani had threatened large scale attacks long before the early January killings.

Who else do you want us to blame for the killings if not the Fulani? Tahav Agerzua, a media adviser to Governor Samuel Ortom, told PREMIUM TIMES Monday afternoon. The Miyetti Allah threatened attacks over the anti-grazing law several months before they were carried out.

The controversy comes as President Muhammadu Buhari arrives the state on a condolence visit over the attacks. The killings had pitted the governor and the president, both of the ruling All Progressives Congress, against each other.

Mr. Ortom openly criticised the Buhari administration for doing too little to end the killings, and, in some cases, blamed the police for conspiring with the attackers.

The president has denied dithering over the crisis, saying his government would work to protect Nigerians at all times.

Mr. Mohammed said his association would work with other Fulani leaders in Benue to ignore the message on the signpost and live in peace.

We will tell our people to ignore their provocative signpost and remain peaceful, Mr. Mohammed said, but said they would continue to push to upturn the anti-open grazing law that commenced in the state last November.ADVERTISEMENT

The National Universities Commission (NUC) has granted approval for establishment of Zamfara State University, Talata-Mafara, as the 162nd university in Nigeria.

The Executive Secretary of NUC, Abubakar Rasheed, announced the approval during a meeting in Abuja with the governor of the state, Abdulaziz Yari, and his technical committee.

According to Mr. Rasheed , the university will become the 47th state university in the country with effect from March 12.

The Executive Secretary urged the state government to adhere strictly to the technical advice which includes the rules and regulation of the commission.

He said JAMB, TETFUND and NYSC had been informed of the creation of the university.

He said Zamfara is the last state to establish a state university in Nigeria.

There are 161universities in the country, 41 are owned by the federal government, 46 are owned by state government, 74 are privately owned but there is only one private university in the North West geo-political zone. There are 270 application for establishing more universities, hopefully two or three are from Kano and Kaduna, he said.

In his remarks, Mr. Yari said the emergence of the new university will not affect the development of the existing state university.

He said his administration has earmarked N3billion as a take off grant for the university, aside the provision of the minimum required structures.

Out of the N3billion, N1billion is for the staff training, N1billion is for the procurement of equipment and the last N1billion is for stabilisation funds. The reason for the delay in establishing the university is that the government had to focus on primary and secondary education in order to improve the sector, he said.

The governor said the university will kick off for the 2018/2019 academic session.

Zamfara State was created in 1996 and was the only state that did not own a university until this approval.

The NUC was established in 1962 as an advisory agency in the Cabinet Office. In 1974, it became a statutory body.DALLAS, March 12, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- ACE Cash Express, Inc. announced that on March 19, 2018, it will provide financial results for the year ended December 31, 2017 to TMI Trust Company, the trustee under the Indenture dated as of December 15, 2017 governing the Company's 12% Senior Secured Notes due 2022. The Company also announced it will host a conference call for Noteholders on Tuesday, March 20, 2018, at 10:00 a.m. CT to discuss the financial results.

Noteholders should contact David Sternblitz, Vice President, Treasurer of ACE Cash Express, Inc. to obtain access to the Company's financial statements and information concerning the conference call.

About ACE

ACE Cash Express, Inc. is a leading financial services provider serving consumers online and through a network of retail store locations. ACE provides a range of retail financial products and services including short-term consumer loans, check cashing, card services, money transfers, bill payments and money orders. ACE Cash Express, Inc. is one of the largest owners and operators of check cashing stores in the United States.

SOURCE ACE Cash Express, Inc.

Related Links

http://www.acecashexpress.com

CHICAGO, March 12, 2018 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- There is still time to partner with American Ladder Institute (ALI) and participate in the second annual National Ladder Safety Month. For the entire month of March, ALI is promoting ladder safety through the provision of multiple, helpful resources; all of which are available to the public for free. National Ladder Safety Month kicked off on February 25 with an emphasis on the importance of ladder safety, and last week, ALI focused on educating company leadership. The rest of March will dive into three areas of learning:

March 11  18: Ladder Safety at Work With a Focus on the Employee

 18: Ladder Safety at Work With a Focus on the Employee March 19  24: Ladder Safety at Home

 24: Ladder Safety at Home March 25  31: Ladder Inspection and Disposal

For all of these weeks, participants are encouraged to take advantage of the following free resources: ladder safety training, ALI's ladder safety checklist, the Ladders 101 webpage and posters. This week's focus encourages employees to take safety into their own hands by educating themselves using these resources.

"There are a lot of exciting and useful resources available to everyone during National Ladder Safety Month, with even more to come," said Ronald Schwartz, ALI Board Member and Vice President at TRI-ARC Manufacturing. "This month is great, not only because of the important information that is discussed, but also because it draws attention to free resources that ALI provides year round. Which I think is appropriate, because ladder safety is always important."

National Ladder Safety Month was also featured on Daytime TV and The Lifestyle List on March 10. The short videos outlined the top five misuses of ladders that can result in injuries or deaths, and some suggestions on how to avoid these mistakes. View the Daytime TV video here and The Lifestyle List video here.

Individuals, companies and government organizations are encouraged to participate in National Ladder Safety Month by taking advantages of the resources above.

Learn more about how you can participate in National Ladder Safety Month by visiting www.laddersafetymonth.com.

About the American Ladder Institute

Founded in 1947, the American Ladder Institute (ALI) is a not-for-profit trade association dedicated to promoting safe ladder use through ladder safety resources, bilingual safety training, the development of ladder safety standards and National Ladder Safety Month held annually in March. ALI also represents the common business interests of its members who are comprised of the leading ladder and ladder component manufacturers in the United States and Canada.

ALI's free education and training resources provide guidance on the proper selection, care and safe use of ladders in the workplace and at home. ALI also serves as secretariat for the ANSI A14 Committee, comprised of industry experts who develop safety standards for the appropriate design, manufacture, testing, care and use of various types of ladders.

For more information, contact:

Claire Sereiko

Senior Marketing Coordinator

American Ladder Institute

312.673.4984

[email protected]

SOURCE American Ladder Institute

Related Links

http://www.americanladderinstitute.org

ROHNERT PARK, Calif., March 12, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Education research reveals that students from affluent families are far more likely to go to college and complete their degrees than students from poor families. But for poorer students who make it to college and obtain a bachelor's degree, does their family background remain important? It's hard to tell, but possibly. For college graduates with federal student loans who are struggling, though, there are opportunities for changing repayment plans. Ameritech Financial, a private document preparation company which assists borrowers in applying for federal repayment plans, encourages borrowers of all economic backgrounds to explore repayment possibilities.

"Success post-graduation may not just be tied to how well you did in school, but also to the connections you made, which parents might step in to help with," said Tom Knickerbocker, executive vice president of Ameritech Financial. "However, for students who don't necessarily have all the help in the world through family, there are still resources when it comes to student loan repayment."

A new study shows that not just economic background, but direct parental involvement during their kid's college years, might affect post-graduation outcomes. College students from affluent families in the study had received guidance on social and extracurricular activities which seemed to position them for success beyond college. Graduates of affluent families went on to be employed more often and for higher wages than their less wealthy counterparts.

This somewhat conflicts with another study that shows that poorer students' post-graduation outcomes match wealthier classmates' when the students all attended elite colleges. College, in this case, seems to be an equalizer rather than a divider along class lines.

As more research is conducted, perhaps a clearer picture of family wealth, parental involvement and post-graduation outcomes will emerge. In the meantime, students with student loans who are facing uncertainty after graduation may need assistance. Federal student loan borrowers have repayment options in the form of income-driven repayment plans (IDRs), which calculate monthly loan payments based on income and family size. These IDRs can potentially lower a borrower's monthly payment to a more affordable amount.

Ameritech Financial helps borrowers make sense of these options and provides concrete support in the application and recertification processes. Ameritech Financial keeps track of clients' recertification timelines so that no deadlines are missed and borrowers who wish to remain in their IDRs can receive assistance from the company regarding recertification in a timely manner. Paperwork for applications and recertifications are prepared by Ameritech for the client's review and approval.

"Ameritech Financial is here to help borrowers who may need guidance when it comes to repayment," said Knickerbocker. "Our clients come to us from various backgrounds and with different histories, and we provide a service to work with their specific student loan situation."

About Ameritech Financial

Ameritech Financial is a private company located in Rohnert Park, California. Ameritech Financial has already helped thousands of consumers with financial analysis and student loan document preparation to apply for federal student loan repayment programs offered through the Department of Education.

Ameritech Financial is a member of the Association for Student Loan Relief (AFSLR), and each representative on the phone has received the Certified Student Loan Professional certification through the International Association of Professional Debt Arbitrators (IAPDA).

Ameritech Financial prides itself on its exceptional customer service.

Contact

To learn more about Ameritech Financial, please contact:

Ameritech Financial

5789 State Farm Drive #265

Rohnert Park, CA 94928

1-800-792-8621

[email protected]

Related Links

Ameritech Financial home page

SOURCE Ameritech FinancialROLLING MEADOWS, Ill., March 12, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. (NYSE: AJG) today announced the acquisition of Palmer Atlantic Insurance Ltd (Palmer Atlantic), located in New Brunswick, Canada. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

Founded in 1976, Palmer Atlantic is a retail property/casualty broker specializing in the transportation and logistics sector, and a leading trucking insurance specialist in Atlantic Canada. For more than 40 years, Palmer Atlantic has provided commercial insurance and risk management solutions to a wide range of industries and clients in the Atlantic region. Joe Palmer and his associates will continue to operate from their current location under the direction of Phillip Gaunce, head of Gallagher's Atlantic Canada retail property/casualty brokerage operations.

"The Palmer Atlantic team's significant strength in transportation and logistics, reputation for delivering superior client service and strong market relationships make them a terrific addition to our expanding Canadian operations," said J. Patrick Gallagher, Jr., Chairman, President and CEO. "I am very pleased to welcome Joe and his colleagues to our growing Gallagher family of professionals."

Arthur J. Gallagher & Co., a global insurance brokerage, risk management and consulting services firm, is headquartered in Rolling Meadows, Illinois. The company has operations in 33 countries and offers client service capabilities in more than 150 countries around the world through a network of correspondent brokers and consultants.

Investors: Ray Iardella Media: Linda J. Collins VP  Investor Relations VP  Corporate Communications 630-285-3661/ [email protected] 630-285-4009/ [email protected]

SOURCE Arthur J. Gallagher & Co.

Related Links

http://www.ajg.com

Resources Corp. general manager Emil Q. Puerto (right) and Anna Karenina Lim-Puerto.

LARC Community Relations and External Affairs manager, lead the cleanup in Barangay Bambang, Los Banos Laguna together with barangay officials and Sheila Segui, CREA Specialist. Roy Tomandao

LOS BANOS, LagunaTwelve barangays and volunteers from various local sectors of Los Banos joined the town-wide Linis Ilat or canal cleaning on Saturday here. The cleanup activity is a project of Laguna Water District Aquatech Resources Corp. and Laguna Water District and was made possible with the support of the Los Banos Municipal Office headed by Mayor Caesar P. Perez for the celebration of World Water Day. The aim is to protect environment because the water comes from nature. We are engaging the communities to protect the water resources here, LARC general manager Emil Q. Puerto said. Anna Karenina Lim-Puerto, LARC Community Relations and External Affairs manager, said the program involves barangays officials and other government agencies as it stresses the importance of waterway cleanups, not only along the shoreline of Laguna Lake but on the tributaries to the lake as well. This is the second year LARC and LWD have conducted the waterway clean-up in Los Banos to celebrate World Water Day, an annual event held every 22nd of March as organized by the United Nations. The theme for World Water Day 2018 is Nature for Water-Exploring Nature-Based Solutions to the Water Challenges We Face in the 21st century.Residents of barangays Anos, Bambang, Batong Malake, Baybayin, Bayog, Lalakay, Maahas, Malinta, Mayondon, San Antonio, Timugan, and Tuntungin-Putho and volunteers from the Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Management Councils and University of the Philippines Los Banos participated in the cleanup. Part of LARC and LWDs month-long celebration of World Water Day are several activities for their service area, to promote awareness and inspire action to face water issues. It includes the Laguna Lake Clean Up on March 15 in partnership with the Municipality of Bay, and a Tree Planting Activity on April 7 in partnership with the Municipality of Calauan and the Laguna Lake Development Authority. LARC and LWDs Photo Contest is also open to all grades 7 to 10 of Los Banos, Bay, Calauan, Victoria, and select barangays of Nagcarlan, Laguna. Winners of the contest will be announced on LARCs Facebook Page on March 22. The activities are under LARCs campaign entitled, Dalayday: Lingapin Yamang Tubig. The campaign is focused on responsible water management and the benefits this entails to nature, the environment, to future generations, and especially to human health.COLUMBUS, Ga., March 12, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- National K9 Veterans Day on March 13 honors the day when the U.S. military officially recruited its first Military Working Dogs in 1942. Now the dog considered the forerunner to the official working dog program, Sgt. Stubby, is the subject of the new movie Sgt. Stubby: An American Hero. On April 13, the computer-animated feature film will be released on approximately 3,000 screens across the U.S. and Canada, coinciding with the year-long centennial commemoration of the United States' role in the "War to End All Wars."

In Sgt. Stubby: An American Hero, opening in theaters nationwide on April 13, Army "doughboy" Robert Conroy's (voiced by Logan Lerman) life is forever changed when a little stray dog with a stubby tail wanders into a training camp in New Haven, Conn. Conroy gives his new friend a meal, a name, a family and the chance to embark on an adventure that would define a century. Photo credit: Fun Academy Studios The real Sgt. Stubby and Private First Class Robert Conroy, who took in the stray off the streets of New Haven, Conn. in 1917. Sgt. Stubby is still recognized today as the first dog promoted to the rank of Sergeant in the U.S. Army; the most decorated dog in American history; and is widely considered the forerunner to the U.S. Army's working dog program. Photo courtesy of the Division of Military History, National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution. SGT STUBBY Official US Trailer: In Theaters April 13, 2018

Sgt. Stubby: An American Hero is based on the incredible true story of the unbreakable bond between a young Soldier and a stray dog who, for his valorous feats, is still recognized today as the first dog promoted to the rank of Sergeant in the U.S. Army and the most decorated dog in American history. Set against the backdrop of America's entry into World War I, this computer-animated feature shows the world that the greatest heroes can come from the unlikeliest of places.

Directed by award-winning documentarian Richard Lanni in his feature film debut, Sgt. Stubby: An American Hero stars Logan Lerman (Fury, The Perks of Being a Wallflower, Percy Jackson & The Olympians), Helena Bonham Carter (Ocean's 8, Harry Potter, The King's Speech) and Gerard Depardieu (Life of Pi, Cyrano De Bergerac, The Man in the Iron Mask).

Featuring an original score by Patrick Doyle (Brave, Thor, Cinderella, Harry Potter), Sgt. Stubby is produced and distributed by Fun Academy Motion Pictures with animation by Mikros Animation, a Technicolor company. Screenwriters are Richard Lanni and Mike Stokey II (Band of Brothers, The Pacific, Alexander, Born on the Fourth of July), with editing by Mark Solomon (Frankenweenie, Chicken Run, Shark Tale, the upcoming Sherlock Gnomes). Produced by Laurent Rodon and Emily Cantrill; and executive produced by Frank Lumpkin III, Tom Sheehan and Richard Lanni.

Sgt. Stubby: An American Hero has been selected as an official project of the United States World War One Centennial Commission and its French counterpart, La Mission du Centenaire 1914-18; additional endorsements and educational partners include the Connecticut State Library, the National Infantry Museum Foundation, the National World War I Museum & Memorial and the Lowell Milken Center for Unsung Heroes.

Beyond his military exploits, Stubby's status as an adopted stray has resulted in nearly a century of recognition by animal rescues and welfare organizations, and Fun Academy has partnered with over 70 regional and national animal organizations across all 50 states to shine a light on the human-animal bond.

About Sgt. Stubby: An American Hero  Army "doughboy" Robert Conroy's (Lerman) life is forever changed when a little stray dog with a stubby tail wanders into a training camp in New Haven, Conn. Conroy gives his new friend a meal, a name, a family and the chance to embark on an adventure that would define a century.

Narrated by Robert's sister Margaret (Bonham Carter), Stubby and his new best friend quickly find themselves in the trenches of France. Befriended by French poilu Soldier Gaston Baptiste (Depardieu), Stubby accompanies the duo along their epic journey through harsh conditions and incredible acts of courage.

About the Real-Life Stubby  Before he was a hero, Stubby was homeless, scrounging for scraps on the streets of New Haven, Conn. in 1917until he was taken in by Private First Class Robert Conroy of the 102nd Infantry Regiment, 26th "Yankee" Division.

In France, Stubby saw frontline action. He found wounded Soldiers, saved an entire company by alerting the men to don gas masks and even caught a German spy. Stubby earned the rank of Sergeant, the first time an animal is recognized as having been promoted through combat. Returning home to a hero's welcome, Stubby and Conroy toured the country leading parades and met three sitting U.S. presidents, among other honors.

Media Contact :

Three.Sixty Communications

Carol Holdsworth

805.252.1848  [email protected]

SOURCE Fun Academy Motion PicturesSAN RAMON, Calif., and HOUMA, La., March 12, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- BioVentrix, Inc., a pioneer of technologies and procedures for less invasive treatment of heart failure (HF), today announced successful treatment of the first patient at the Cardiovascular Institute of the South in the ALIVE pivotal clinical trial. The trial is designed to demonstrate the safety and effectiveness of the Revivent TC TransCatheter Ventricular Enhancement System; a hybrid closed-chest procedure to treat patients suffering from heart failure symptoms related to cardiomyopathy. BioVentrix previously received an Investigational Device Exemption (IDE) approval for the study from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

The Less Invasive Ventricular Enhancement or LIVE procedure was performed at Terrebonne General Medical Center in Houma, LA by interventional cardiologist Dr. Peter Fail and cardiothoracic surgeon Dr. Donald Netherland. The device was successfully implanted with three anchor pairs in a 58-year-old male patient who suffered a heart attack which resulted in scarring and subsequently developed ischemic heart failure.

"The Revivent TCTM System, as a less-invasive therapy, is a viable solution for patients who suffer from ischemic heart failure. It may provide relief for their symptoms by immediately reducing the volume of their abnormally-dilated heart and also by increasing their ejection fraction. There is no other device on the market that can achieve these significant clinical improvements within a matter of hours. We are very pleased with our first case experience and look forward to being a leader for this technology in the U.S," said Dr. Fail.

"CIS prides itself on being a global leader for utilizing new technologies in the heart failure landscape. We feel that this therapy fills a void in the spectrum of treatment for ischemic patients. A critical parameter to survival for these types of patients is cardiac volume. The LIVETM procedure achieves that by reshaping the left ventricle and excluding the scar from the cavity. Since the procedure is performed via catheters and through a small incision in the chest, more patients can be treated as it greatly reduces the procedural risk," said Dr. Fail.

The ALIVE trial plans to enroll 120 patients at up to 20 sites in the U.S. with a primary endpoint analysis at 1 year. The trial endpoints include positive effects on volume reduction, ejection fraction, quality of life (QOL), New York Heart Association (NYHA) Class, 6 minute walk test, and rehospitalization. Readmission rates following heart failure hospitalization remain high using standard therapies, with  50% of patients readmitted to the hospital within 6 months of discharge. Left Ventricular volume reduction has been shown to significantly impact short and long-term survival rates1. Annually, over 1 million patients are hospitalized with a primary diagnosis of heart failure, accounting for a total Medicare expenditure exceeding $17 billion2.

About BioVentrix and the Revivent TCTM System

BioVentrix, a privately held medical technology company headquartered in San Ramon, Calif., is focused on developing and commercializing minimally invasive therapies for treating HF. The company has received CE mark certification for its closed-chest Revivent TCTM TransCatheter Ventricular Enhancement System for plication of scar tissue in post-MI, ischemic cardiomyopathy patients. Placement of the Revivent TCTM System via the LIVETM procedure obviates the need for more invasive surgery. Instead, small titanium anchors are placed along the outer surface of the heart and along one of the interior walls via a catheter-based approach. The anchors are then pulled towards one another, effectively excluding the scarred and non-functioning heart wall. Ventricular volume is immediately reduced as a result of the exclusion, by as much as 30-40 percent3.

Click here for corporate video with animation

Note: The Revivent TCTM System is approved for sale in Europe. It is currently an investigational device in the United States and is not approved for sale.

About Cardiovascular Institute of the South

Founded by Dr. Craig Walker in 1983, Cardiovascular Institute of the South (CIS) is a world-leader in preventing, detecting, and treating cardiovascular and peripheral vascular disease. CIS offers a comprehensive heart and vascular program with expert physicians trained in many specialties, including internal medicine, nuclear cardiology, electrophysiology, lipid management, coronary artery disease, peripheral vascular disease, valve disease, and interventional cardiovascular procedures. CIS has earned international acclaim as a pioneer of research, development and education, as well as an innovator in the treatment of peripheral vascular disease. With a dedicated team of more than 700 team members, CIS provides comprehensive cardiovascular care at 20 locations, eight of which offer telemedicine services, across three states, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas. CIS remains at the forefront of technology, providing the highest-quality, compassionate care. This mission has guided the institute for nearly 35 years of excellence. For more information about CIS, call 1-800-425-2565 or visit www.cardio.com.

1White, HD, et al; Left ventricular end-systolic volume as the major determinant of survival after recovery from myocardial infarction. Circulation; 1987 Jul;76 (1):44-51.

2Desai et al., Rehospitalization for heart failure. Circulation. 24 July 2012 (126:501-506).

3Wechsler, A. et al., Clinical benefits twelve months after less invasive ventricular restoration operations without ventriculotomy. Annual meeting of the European Society of Cardio-Thoracic Surgery, 07 Oct. 2013, Vienna, Austria.

SOURCE BioVentrix, Inc.

Related Links

http://www.bioventrix.com

TORONTO, March 12, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- BMO Financial Group (TSX: BMO) (NYSE: BMO) today announced that it has filed its 2018 Notice of Annual Meeting of Shareholders and Management Proxy Circular with applicable securities regulators and has mailed it to common shareholders of Bank of Montreal. The document is available on the Bank's website at https://www.bmo.com/home/about/banking/investor-relations/annual-general-meeting, as well as on SEDAR at www.sedar.com and on EDGAR at www.sec.gov.

BMO's Annual Meeting of Shareholders will be held at the BMO Institute for Learning, in Toronto, on Thursday, April 5, 2018, at 9:30 a.m. EDT. The Management Proxy Circular contains key information for shareholders regarding the meeting and the items to be voted on, which are the election of directors, the appointment of auditors, and the advisory vote on the bank's approach to executive compensation, a detailed description of which is contained in the circular.

BMO performed well against its performance goals in 2017 with reported net income up 16% and adjusted net income up 10%. The Bank's financial performance reflects good progress against our financial and strategic objectives and the benefits of our strong and diversified businesses.

BMO's business is anchored by fundamentals that don't change  stakeholders can count on the bank to always demonstrate principled behaviour that is guided by our values and allows us to do a better job running our business.

Earlier this year, BMO was named to the Bloomberg Gender-Equality Index (GEI). The index measures gender equality across internal company statistics, employee policies, external community support and engagement, and gender-conscious product offerings.

The bank has also been recognized by the Ethisphere Institute as one of the 2018 World's Most Ethical Companies. BMO is one of only two companies in Canada and one of only four banks worldwide to have been named to the list, underscoring the bank's commitment to values-based leadership and ethical business practices.

About BMO Financial Group

Serving customers for 200 years and counting, BMO is a highly diversified financial services provider  the 8th largest bank, by assets, in North America. With total assets of $728 billion as of January 31, 2018, and a team of diverse and highly engaged employees, BMO provides a broad range of personal and commercial banking, wealth management and investment banking products and services to more than 12 million customers and conducts business through three operating groups: Personal and Commercial Banking, BMO Wealth Management and BMO Capital Markets.

For Media Relations Enquiries: Paul Gammal, Toronto, [email protected], (416) 867-3996; For Investor Relations Enquiries: Jill Homenuk, Toronto, [email protected], (416) 867-4770; Christine Viau, Toronto, [email protected], (416) 867-6956; Internet: www.bmo.com

SOURCE BMO Financial Group

Related Links

http://www.bmo.com

"Easter and the arrival of spring are an ideal time for reflecting over a traditional holiday meal," stated Boston Market Vice President of Marketing, Tim Hartmann. "With multiple festive offers and ways to celebrate, consumers can find everything they need at Boston Market to serve a truly special and delicious Easter meal this year. After all, less cooking time means more family time."

The full menu of Boston Market Easter meals include:

Heat & Serve : Chilled complete meals, entrees, sides or pies to feed four to twelve are fully cooked and can be ordered ahead of time for pick up at any Boston Market restaurant on March 29 and March 31 from 11:00 a.m.  8:00 p.m. or Easter Sunday from 8:00 a.m.  4:00 p.m. Complete Easter Dinners or Essential Easter Dinners include ham, turkey or both starting at $69.99 . Complete Easter Dinners feature everything needed for a complete feast, including entrees, sides, cornbread and dessert; Essential Easter Dinners include an entree, sides and cornbread.

Chilled complete meals, entrees, sides or pies to feed four to twelve are fully cooked and can be ordered ahead of time for pick up at any Boston Market restaurant on and from  or from  Complete Easter Dinners or Essential Easter Dinners include ham, turkey or both starting at . Complete Easter Dinners feature everything needed for a complete feast, including entrees, sides, cornbread and dessert; Essential Easter Dinners include an entree, sides and cornbread. Home Delivery: Anyone in the continental United States can now order a chilled complete Boston Market meal and have it shipped directly to their door. Choose from six pre-cooked Easter feast options at BostonMarket.com and place your order before March 27 . Each order will ship frozen and once fully thawed, be ready to heat and serve within two to three hours.

Anyone in the continental can now order a chilled complete Boston Market meal and have it shipped directly to their door. Choose from six pre-cooked Easter feast options at BostonMarket.com and place your order before . Each order will ship frozen and once fully thawed, be ready to heat and serve within two to three hours. A La Carte : Enjoy chilled, fully cooked main dishes, individual sides or desserts, which can be picked up at Boston Market locations nationwide between March 29 and April 1 .

Enjoy chilled, fully cooked main dishes, individual sides or desserts, which can be picked up at Boston Market locations nationwide . Easter Meal: Join Boston Market March 30  April 1 for a honey-glazed, hand-carved ham meal served with a choice of two sides, fresh-baked cornbread and a slice of apple pie for $12.99 while supplies last. The full menu will also be available.

Join Boston Market  for a honey-glazed, hand-carved ham meal served with a choice of two sides, fresh-baked cornbread and a slice of apple pie for while supplies last. The full menu will also be available. Catering: For as low as $10.49 per person, Boston Market can cater hot, Easter meals for pick up or delivery from March 12 through April 1 . Perfect for groups of five to 5,000, the create your own Easter buffet option includes a choice of ham, rotisserie turkey and signature rotisserie chicken.

For additional information on Boston Market Easter meals, a la carte selections, or to find your nearest location please visit BostonMarket.com. Follow us @BostonMarket.

About Boston Market

At Boston Market, dinner is always ready. Headquartered in Golden, Colorado, Boston Market Corporation has given time back to busy families and individuals for more than 30 years with quality, home style meals at a convenient value in more than 450 U.S. locations. Known as the experts in rotisserie cooking, the company prepares fresh chicken and all natural turkey in signature rotisserie ovens and features an extensive selection of home style sides and made-from-scratch cornbread. As one of the country's largest providers of catering services, Boston Market offers convenient, same-day orders and delivery for corporate and personal events of all sizes. In January 2017, Boston Market officially launched its "Quality Guarantee," which acts as a continued commitment to all guests that Boston Market will serve all-natural and fresh, never frozen, gluten-free, whole chicken with no added hormones, steroids, antibiotics or MSG. For more information, visit the company's website at www.bostonmarket.com. For the latest news and deals, follow @bostonmarket on Twitter or join us on Facebook.

Media Contact

Seth Grugle, ICR

646-277-1200

[email protected]

SOURCE Boston Market

Related Links

https://www.bostonmarket.com

GREENVILLE, S.C., March 12, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- At the Annual Shareholder Meeting of Canal Insurance Company, held March 2, 2018, shareholders re-elected Mr. Lansing Crane, Mr. Paul Brocklebank, Mr. Victor Lund, Mr. David Pauly, Mr. John Pollock, Mr. William Timmons, III, Ms. Ann Pelham Cullen, Mr. Charles M. Timmons, Jr., and Mr. William H. Pelham to the Company's Board of Directors. In addition, the shareholders elected Mr. Gregory Vezzosi, a well-respected leader in the insurance industry, as its newest director.

Mr. Vezzosi joins Canal's Board with extensive experience in the insurance industry. He is recently retired from CNA Insurance Company, where he served as Senior Vice President. Prior to CNA, Mr. Vezzosi was EVP and Chief Operating Officer for the Argonaut Group. He has also served as Senior Vice President for Specialty Commercial Lines at St. Paul Travelers and as SVP and Chief Underwriting Officer for the Royal & SunAlliance Insurance Companies. He began his insurance career at the Chubb Insurance Group, where he rose to more progressive leadership roles over his 20 years there.



Lanse Crane, Chairman of the Canal Board, welcomed Mr. Vezzosi. "We are excited to have Greg join our Board, bringing his insurance expertise, judgement and strong personal values. Canal, its people, and its family owners are committed to serving the long-term needs of our transportation customers. Adding Greg to our team underscores our focus on offering superior products and performance to our customers and the market."

About Canal Insurance Company

Canal Insurance Company has specialized in providing insurance to commercial trucking and specialty transportation insureds through selected professional agents for more than 75 years. Visit canalinsurance.com for other news and information.



Media/Legal Contact:

Christopher Greene

Senior Vice President, Chief Claims Officer, General Counsel & Secretary

864.250.9254

[email protected]

SOURCE Canal Insurance CompanyINDIANAPOLIS, March 12, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- CareSource, a nonprofit health plan, was recently named as one of the 2018 Best Places to Work in Indiana by the Indiana Chamber of Commerce and Best Companies Group. This statewide survey and awards program was designed to identify, recognize and honor the best employers in Indiana, benefiting the state's economy, workforce and businesses.

"We are extremely honored to be included in this list of distinguished companies," said Steve Smitherman, Executive Director, CareSource Indiana. "This award is a true testament to our hard-working CareSource staff and the mission that we strive to embody: to make a lasting difference in our members' lives by improving their health and well-being."

Companies from across the state entered the two-part survey process to determine the Best Places to Work in Indiana. The first part consisted of evaluating each nominated company's workplace policies, practices, philosophy, systems and demographics. This part of the process was worth approximately 25 percent of the total evaluation.

The second part consisted of an employee survey to measure the employee experience. This part of the process was worth approximately 75 percent of the total evaluation. The combined scores determined the top companies and the final rankings. Best Companies Group managed the overall registration and survey process in Indiana, analyzed the data and determined the final rankings.

The final rankings will be announced at an awards dinner on Thursday, May 3, 2018, at the Indiana Convention Center in Indianapolis.

For more information on the Best Places to Work in Indiana program, visit www.BestPlacestoWorkIN.com.

About CareSource

CareSource is a nonprofit nationally recognized as an industry leader in providing member-centric health care coverage. Founded in 1989, CareSource administers one of the nation's largest Medicaid managed care plans. Today, CareSource offers individuals and families comprehensive health and life services including Marketplace and Medicare Advantage plans.

Headquartered in Dayton, Ohio, CareSource serves nearly 2 million members in Ohio, Kentucky, Indiana, West Virginia and Georgia. CareSource understands the challenges consumers face navigating the health system and works to put health care in reach for those it serves.

For more, visit caresource.com, follow @caresource on Twitter, or like CareSource on Facebook.

Media Contact:

Paige Liston

317.275.2049

[email protected]

SOURCE CareSource

Related Links

http://caresource.com

NEW YORK, March 12, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Nikkei Inc. and CB Insights today announced a business partnership in providing news and information. Nikkei will select reports published by CB Insights and provide the Japanese translation. Potential areas of collaboration include joint research.

To mark the beginning of the partnership, Nikkei will publish the translated research briefs in the Nikkei, the Nikkei Online Edition and Nikkei Business Daily. Nikkei's editorial team will select topics that are expected to draw attention from the Japanese readers and publish the translations every Monday. Graphics will also be used in the translated articles for the readership's benefit.

Yoshihiro Hirata, Managing Director, Nikkei Inc. said: "It is our great pleasure to enter a business partnership with CB Insights. CB Insights has a great machine intelligence platform which synthesizes data on startups, technology companies and venture capital firms as well as has excellent technology and analytics that contribute to publish investigative reports. Our Japanese readers will receive significant benefits from the reports and we intend to continue our collaboration with CB Insights."

"We are excited to partner with the venerable Nikkei to bring CB Insights' data-driven intelligence to their institutional clients in Japan and throughout Asia," said Anand Sanwal, CEO of CB Insights. "Japan is a hugely influential economy with a very large number of prominent corporations. We're looking forward to using our machine intelligence platform and the research it enables to help them see where technology and business model trends are going."

CB Insights is a machine intelligence company that provides fact-based insights on the latest business and technology trends by analyzing millions of documents. CBI analysts also draft high-quality strategic reports on trends and industries.

Nikkei Inc. has been leveraging this resource for business reporting on startups. The collaboration will enable Nikkei to bring more stories and features in the Nikkei Online Edition and Nikkei Business Daily and will help readers find more stories about the latest business news.



About Nikkei

Nikkei Inc. is a trusted media brand in Asia, known for its quality journalism and capability in providing business news and information. Founded as a market news media in Japan in 1876, Nikkei has grown to be one of the largest media conglomerate with 37 foreign editorial bureaus and approx. 1300 journalists worldwide, with another global media brand, Financial Times, joining in our group in 2015. Nikkei has always been embracing digitization and technology to find a new way to deliver news and information as a reliable source of information to the global community.



About CB Insights

At CB Insights, we believe the most complex strategic business questions are best answered with facts. We are a machine intelligence company that synthesizes, analyzes and visualizes millions of documents to give our clients fast, fact-based insights. From Cisco to Citi to Castrol to IBM and hundreds of others, we give companies the power to make better decisions, take control of their own futureand capitalize on change.

SOURCE CB Insights

Related Links

http://www.cbinsights.com

Staying in touch with friends, consulting with a physician, and getting a lot of rest, among others are helpful in coping with depression.

There are 300 million people in the Philippines living with depression according to the recent World Health Organization-Philippines statistics. Despite the number, discussing depression, Bipolar Disorder, and other mental health issues are often done in hushed tonesas if its shameful to have such disorders. Though there are many who are already undergoing treatment for these ailments, many remain in the dark, fearful of the possibility that they will be shunned or ostracized for their condition. In this case, it is more important to let them know they can openly approach experts for treatment and management of their condition. With the advice of a psychotherapist they can have a better handle of their situation and reduce the risk of self-harm.Some studies suggest that staying in touch with friends and family and having an active lifestyle help lift their mood and take their mind off the constant struggle they deal with. It may also help them to look at possible stressors and what steps they can take to stray away from it, as suggested by Erik Nelson, MD, a psychiatrist and assistant professor of clinical psychiatry at the College of Medicine of the University of Cincinnati in Ohio.Experts also recommend sticking to a schedule which may help fuel productivity and a positive outlook as this helps avoid the feeling of being unaccomplished. Sleeping can also greatly affect ones mood. It has been studied that getting a lot of rest can help, but sleep should still be on a regular schedulenot too much and not too little. Various medications in prescribed doses are also highly suggested. Antidepressants may be beneficial to those who struggle with mental illnesses like Schizophrenia, acute manic or mixed episodes with Bipolar Disorder, a brain disorder that causes unusual shifts in mood, energy, activity levels, and the ability to carry out day-to-day tasks. According to Dr. Marge Gealoni, PHILUSA Corporations company physician, it is suggested that preventive drugs should be considered as maintenance therapy. For more health tips and advice, visit RHEA Generics PH on Facebook.Chili's Celebrates its Birthday on March 13 with $3.13 Presidente MargaritasORLANDO, Fla., March 12, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- AliveCor, the leader in FDA-cleared personal electrocardiogram (ECG) technology, today announced findings from two new studies that further support the use of its portable ECG devices to provide groundbreaking health monitoring capabilities.

A new Cleveland Clinic study -- which marks the first time Apple Watch's role in health care has been studied in a peer-reviewed manuscript -- affirms KardiaBand's ability to accurately detect atrial fibrillation (AFib), a leading cause of stroke. The Cleveland Clinic study, which has been accepted for publication in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, set out to determine whether the KardiaBand for Apple Watch could differentiate between AFib and normal heart rhythm. Researchers found that KardiaBand successfully detected Atrial Fibrillation and normal sinus rhythm with an accuracy level comparable to physicians interpreting the same ECGs. In the study, the Kardia algorithm correctly interpreted AFib versus normal sinus rhythm with 93 percent sensitivity and 84 percent specificity. With physician review of KardiaBand recordings, sensitivity increased to 99%. KardiaBand, introduced in November, is the first and only FDA-cleared medical device accessory for Apple Watch.

Additional new research, presented today, reveals that, when paired with new artificial intelligence technology, AliveCor's ECG device is able to perform non-invasive detection of high potassium levels in blood, a condition known as hyperkalemia. The study used over 2 million ECGs linked with 4 million serum potassium values collected between 1994 to 2017, as well as prospective data from an AliveCor smartphone ECG device, to develop an AI algorithm to detect hyperkalemia. The sensitivity for hyperkalemia detection ranged between 90 to 94 percent.

Hyperkalemia is commonly associated with congestive heart failure, chronic kidney disease, diabetes, and with the medications used to treat these conditions. The condition, associated with significant mortality and arrhythmic risk, is often missed because it is frequently asymptomatic, making detection of hyperkalemia challenging. Until now, the only means of testing for hyperkalemia was through a blood test.

This capability, which over time may be commercialized through AliveCor's KardiaBand for Apple Watch, could help to save more lives as AliveCor changes the way patients monitor their own health.

Both studies were presented at the American College of Cardiology's 67th Annual Scientific Session.

"As our team continues to push the bounds on innovation in digital health, we are on a path to changing the way AFib and hyperkalemia can be detected, and to defining the ways in which products like Apple Watch can play a role in the future of health care," said Vic Gundotra, CEO, AliveCor.

In February 2018, AliveCor was recognized for transforming digital health and named the No.1 artificial intelligence company in Fast Company's Top 50 Most Innovative Companies. It also ranked 20th overall in an evaluation of thousands of companies worldwide.

About AliveCor

AliveCor, Inc. is pioneering the creation of machine learning techniques to enable proactive heart care. The FDA-cleared KardiaMobile is the most clinically validated mobile ECG solution in the world. KardiaMobile, and KardiaBand, when paired with the Kardia app, provide instant detection of atrial fibrillation and normal sinus rhythm. Atrial fibrillation is the most common cardiac arrhythmia and one that leads to a five times greater risk of stroke. AliveCor is a privately-held company headquartered in Mountain View, Calif. For more information, visit alivecor.com.

SOURCE AliveCor

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WESTMINSTER, Colo., March 12, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Coalfire, a trusted provider of cybersecurity advisory services, today announced the 2017/18 winners of the Richard E. Dakin Cybersecurity Scholarship Fund, established in December 2015, in memory of cybersecurity visionary and Coalfire co-founder Rick Dakin. Mr. Dakin was dedicated to advancing the field of cybersecurity, and the Fund carries his commitment forward through skills training and educational programs to feed the funnel of cybersecurity talent in the United States.

The Fund was established by Mr. Dakin's family, friends and business associates following his unexpected passing in 2015. Managed by the Denver Foundation, the Fund's mission is to provide scholarships for students who show promise in the field of cybersecurity at several leading higher-educational institutions in the United States.

"The Dakin Scholarship makes a real difference in the lives of many highly talented students who wish to pursue a career in the cybersecurity field," said Alan Ferguson, Executive Vice President, Sales, and Co-Founder of Coalfire. "Dakin Fund scholarships are designed to identify and nurture talent, creating opportunities to help talented and capable students pursue a career in cybersecuritystudents who may not have had the financial means to do so otherwise."

"As breaches continue to escalate and the cybersecurity skills gap gets deeper and wider, the Dakin Fund supports promising students, helping to build the ranks of trained talent in the right areas to meet the demand," said Kennet Westby, Co-Founder and Chief Strategist of Coalfire.

The Dakin Fund broadly supports non-profit organizations with a focus on cybersecurity education. Each institution administers its own application process and selection of scholarship recipients. To date, the Fund has provided support for scholarship programs at several universities that have demonstrated excellent cybersecurity curricula and made significant investments in the field.

SCHOLARSHIP WINNERS

For the 2017-2018 academic year, the Dakin Fund selected five higher education institutions as recipients for scholarship grants: Georgia Institute of Technology; the University of Denver; the University of Colorado, Colorado Springs; the University of Washington; and Cascadia College.

These institutions in turn awarded eight students the Richard E. Dakin Cybersecurity Scholarship for the current academic year due to their outstanding academic performance and commitment to the field of cybersecurity:

Sara Friedfertig , Georgia Institute of Technology

Master of Science in Cybersecurity Candidate: Information Security (Technology) track

, Master of Science in Cybersecurity Candidate: Information Security (Technology) track Nadia Sharifi , University of Denver

Master of Science Candidate: Cybersecurity

, Master of Science Candidate: Cybersecurity Darien McGuirk , University of Denver

Master of Science Candidate: Cybersecurity

, Master of Science Candidate: Cybersecurity Steve Cruz , University of Colorado, Colorado Springs

PhD in Engineering Candidate, Security

, PhD in Engineering Candidate, Security Dania Tanzil , University of Washington

Master of Science Candidate: Information Management (Cybersecurity)

, Master of Science Candidate: Information Management (Cybersecurity) Sainzaya Batkhu, Cascadia College

Associate of Applied Science Candidate: Networking Infrastructure

Associate of Applied Science Candidate: Networking Infrastructure Christopher Megrey , Cascadia College

Associate of Science Candidate: Computer Engineering

, Cascadia College Associate of Science Candidate: Computer Engineering Blaise Ballew , Cascadia College

Associate of Applied Science Candidate: Networking Infrastructure

DAKIN FUND DONATIONS:

Donations to the fund can be mailed to The Denver Foundation: Richard E Dakin Fund, 55 Madison Street, 8th Floor, Denver, CO 80206. Donations are eligible for charitable tax deduction. For wire transfers, or information about making a stock contribution, please contact The Denver Foundation.

About Coalfire

Coalfire is the cybersecurity advisor that helps private and public-sector organizations avert threats, close gaps and effectively manage risk. By providing independent and tailored advice, assessments, technical testing and cyber engineering services, we help clients develop scalable programs that improve their security posture, achieve their business objectives and fuel their continued success. Coalfire has been a cybersecurity thought leader for more than 16 years, and has offices throughout the United States and Europe.

For more information, visit Coalfire.com.

Press Contact:

Mike Gallo

For Coalfire

212-239-8594

[email protected]

SOURCE Coalfire

Related Links

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VALLEY COTTAGE, New York, March 12, 2018 /PRNewswire/ --

Future Market Insights (FMI), in its new research report titled "Dairy Products Packaging Market: Global Industry Analysis (2012-2016) and Opportunity Assessment (2017-2027)" has included analysis on various market segments of the dairy products packaging market. The analysis unveils major revenue pockets that the reader can tap in order to grab major hold in the global market. Moreover, the research report also covers opportunity assessment along with vital insights on each market segment, developments and innovations in the current packaging solutions as well as growth drivers positively influencing the expansion of the global dairy products packaging market.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20161020/430874LOGO )



Growth in the Packaging Industry Coupled with a Growing Dairy Industry to Fuel the Adoption of Packaging Solutions for Dairy Products

According to the research, the global packaging industry was valued at about US$ 880 Bn in 2016. The main trends impacting the growth of the packaging industry is the increasing focus on wellness of consumers. Among various types of packaging, flexible and rigid packaging are gaining high steam. The application of packaging in various end use industries has been on the rise since past years. Among the end use industries and respective applications, the food and dairy products sector has shown high inclination towards use of packaging solutions and also accounted for a higher market share in the overall packaging sector. The growth in the dairy industry across regions around the globe is expected to create significant demand for packaging of dairy products for the purpose of distribution and storage, thus fuelling the growth of the global dairy products packaging market.

Request a Sample Report with Table of Contents and Figures: https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-638

FMI Recommends Key Players to Focus on the Markets in Asia Pacific Excluding Japan

Asia Pacific excluding Japan (APEJ) has been a lucrative region for the growth of the packaging industry as a whole. With respect to dairy products, this region has been at the forefront since several years. The APEJ region is anticipated to reflect maximum growth in the market for packaging of dairy products owing to increasing consumption of dairy products across countries in this region. China and India are the major growth pockets for the dairy products packaging market, with China leading the market in APEJ. Moreover, there has been an increasing the number of outlets across countries in Asia Pacific excluding Japan, which is another aspect contributing to the market's growth in this region. The dairy products packaging market in APEJ is projected to expand at a high value CAGR of 6.4% throughout the period of assessment.

"We expect the global market for dairy products packaging to grow at the rate of 4.5% during the 2017-2027 timeline with growth largely driven by milk and yogurt packaging products."

Preview Analysis on Global Dairy Products Packaging Market Segmentation By Product Type - Liquid Cartons, Bottles and Cans, Pouches, Cans and Jerry Cans, Cups and Tubs,Folding Cartons, Films and Wraps, Others; By Material Type - Plastic, PE, PP, PA, PET, Others, Paper and Paperboard, Glass, Metal; By Application - Milk, Cheese, Cream, Butter/Ghee, Yogurt, Ice Cream, Other Dairy Products: https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/dairy-products-packaging-market

Growing Demand for Aseptic Packaging in the Dairy Industry to Drive Global Market Growth

Aseptic packaging enhances the shelf-life of several dairy products, both solid and liquid. Consumers are focusing on healthy lifestyle along with food safety. Growing focus on food safety has compelled manufacturers of dairy products to use healthy packaging formats. This has spurred the use of aseptic packaging. Aseptic packaging formats include pouches, liquid cartons, bottles, cups, jars, composite cans and metal cans. The increasing adoption of aseptic packaging for dairy products is expected to bode well for dairy products packaging market at a global level.

Competition Analysis

The research report covers analysis of various key players involved in the packaging of dairy products. Key companies such as Amcor Limited, Sealed Air Corp., Tetra Pak ITC Ltd., Greiner Packaging GmbH, General Films, Inc., RPC Group Plc., KOROZO Ambalaj San. Ve Tic. A.S., Sonoco Products Company, Bemis Company, DS Smith Plc., Smurfit Kappa Group PLC, Huhtamaki Oyj, Schur Flexibles Holding GesmbH, Stora Enso Oyj, Berry Global Group, Inc., Constantia Flexibles GmbH, Winpak Ltd., and Uflex Ltd., are profiled in this research report.

Our advisory services are aimed at helping you with specific, customised insights that are relevant to your specific challenges. Let us know about your challenges and our trusted advisors will connect with you: https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/askus/rep-gb-638

More from FMI's Cutting-edge Intelligence:

Beverage Packaging Market Beverage Packaging Market Segmentation By Material Type -Glass, Plastic, Metal,Paper/Paperboard; By Product Type - Liquid Cartons, Beverage Cans, Glass Bottles, Plastic Bottles,Others; By Application Type - Alcoholic drinks(Beer,Wine,Spirits,Other Alcoholic Beverages),Non-Alcoholic drinks(Fruit Juices,Carbonated Drinks/Soda,RTD Beverages,Bottled Water,Tea & Coffee,Milk Products): https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/global-beverage-packaging-market



Beverage Packaging Market Segmentation By Material Type -Glass, Plastic, Metal,Paper/Paperboard; By Product Type - Liquid Cartons, Beverage Cans, Glass Bottles, Plastic Bottles,Others; By Application Type - Alcoholic drinks(Beer,Wine,Spirits,Other Alcoholic Beverages),Non-Alcoholic drinks(Fruit Juices,Carbonated Drinks/Soda,RTD Beverages,Bottled Water,Tea & Coffee,Milk Products): https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/global-beverage-packaging-market Pharmaceutical Packaging Market Pharmaceutical Packaging Market Segmentation By Product Type - Bottles (Packer Bottles,Liquid Bottles),Vials & Ampoules,Blisters,Bags & Pouches,Prefilled Syringes & Cartridges,Sachets,Trays,Tubes,Container, Jars & Others; By Material Type - Plastics ( PE,HDPE,PVC,PP,PS,PET,Others (Polycarbonate),Glass,Metals,Paper: https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/pharmaceutical-packaging-market



Pharmaceutical Packaging Market Segmentation By Product Type - Bottles (Packer Bottles,Liquid Bottles),Vials & Ampoules,Blisters,Bags & Pouches,Prefilled Syringes & Cartridges,Sachets,Trays,Tubes,Container, Jars & Others; By Material Type - Plastics ( PE,HDPE,PVC,PP,PS,PET,Others (Polycarbonate),Glass,Metals,Paper: https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/pharmaceutical-packaging-market Confectionery Packaging Market Confectionery Packaging Market Segmentation By Confectionery Type - Chocolate Confectionery (Courtlines,Slabs/bars/blocks,Boxed assortments,Tablets,Chocolate with toys,Others), Sugar Confectionery( Gums, Jellies & Pastilles,Medicated confectionery,Mints,Boiled sweets,Toffees, caramels,Lollipops,Other sugar confectionery),Gums(Chewing gum,Bubble gum);By Material Type - Plastic,Paper & Paperboard,Metal,Aluminum Foil,Glass; By Packaging Form Type - Flexible Packaging, Rigid Packaging: https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/confectionery-packaging-market

About Us

Future Market Insights (FMI) is a leading market intelligence and consulting firm. We deliver syndicated research reports, custom research reports and consulting services which are personalized in nature. FMI delivers a complete packaged solution, which combines current market intelligence, statistical anecdotes, technology inputs, valuable growth insights and an aerial view of the competitive framework and future market trends.

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SOURCE Future Market InsightsBOULDER, Colo., March 12, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Dcntral.ai, a Boulder, Colorado software provider offering a Blockchain and AI-based Cybersecure transactive platform for edge computing environments, announced today that it has established a partnership with the SmartMesh Foundation, which has created a next-generation Internet protocol enabling smart mesh networking solutions. Dcntral is founded by David A. Cohen, a pioneer in decentralized software platforms with co-founder and internet protocol pioneer James Barry. Dcntral and its Token dcX that will be launched later this year will democratize cybersecurity, enabling the safe transfer of value between people, machines, and devices in the emerging machine economy.

Dcntral's platform will be integrated into SmartMesh's MeshBox platform, which enables Cybersecure exchange of value and automated transactions for Internet of Things (IoT) networks. The SmartMesh protocol and MeshBox technology enables smart devices to connect to each other without internet or telecom services through self-organizing Mesh networks. This will allow users to connect to P2P networks with their smartphones.

The Dcntral solution is deployed using a unique combination of patent-pending next-generation cybersecurity features that we call Entry-to-Endpoint Security which includes enhanced scalable blockchains; software-defined security; and artificial intelligence used to deliver smart contracts between machines, humans, devices, and systems within Edge Computing environments. Our SDKs will be used to provide critical business and operational services within privacy critical, life-critical, and mission-critical environments such as Smart Cities, SmartGrids, Healthcare, Connected Vehicles, Supply Chains, and now Mesh Networks.

"With SmartMesh's MeshBox technology, we can now truly extend our reach to far edge computing environments in areas without internet service which provides much-needed internet and transaction service to users in remote areas, providing a valuable addition to SmartMesh's customers," says David A. Cohen, Founder and CEO of Dcntral.ai.

"Integrating Dcntral's platform into SmartMesh Ecosystem will add a secure layer to SmartMesh. This is very important because most transactions will occur off-chain on Mobile Raiden Network Nodes which reside in MeshBoxes in the future. David is currently an adviser for Hashgraph. I am looking forward to working with David on building our ecosystem together in the areas of Mesh Networking, IoT, Edge Computing, Industry 4.0, Cybersecurity, the Machine Economy and beyond!" added Henry Wang, CEO of SmartMesh.

About Dcntral.ai

Dcntral is developing a blockchain-based software platform that enables true cybersecure exchange of value and automated transactions for the machine economy. This will allow machines to use self-optimization, self-configuration, and peer-to-peer coordination to autonomously complete complex tasks in a secure and safe environment. The Dcntral solution is deployed using a unique combination of patent-pending cybersecurity features: enhanced blockchains; software-defined security; and artificial intelligence used to deliver smart contracts between machines, humans, devices, and systems within Edge Computing environments offering next-generation cybersecurity. Dcntral will launch using blockchain and DLT technologies from Hyperledger Sawtooth, Hashgraph, and SmartMesh. Our software ecosystem includes a planned launch of our Open Source Foundation in Q2 to increase market share and provide crowdsourced enhancements offered under the Foundation, dcntral.org. In the future, we will launch our Commercial Software Marketplace for developers and users to deploy enhanced enterprise applications offered under Dcntral.ai. Stay tuned for upcoming news at www.dcntral.ai as well as our Dcntral Medium Blog.

About SmartMesh Foundation

SmartMesh is the first blockchain-based Mesh project in the world. Relying on the underlying notion of Internet of Things (IoT), SmartMesh enables smart mobile phones and other smart devices to connect each other without internet. SmartMesh has embedded blockchain light nodes inside to extend the secondary structure network protocol of blockchain such as the Raiden Network to support micropayment of tokens without the Internet. With this token incentivization, SmartMesh is able to establish a flexible, decentralized and self-healing Mesh Network. It provides a better near field velocity and bandwidth. Moreover, it is usually free. SmartMesh is assisting blockchain technology to break through the border of the internet. The era of Internet of Everything (IoE) is Emerging.

MeshBox is a mining capable hardware box based on SmartMesh protocol. It combines Mesh network routing with content storage and distribution functionality and is the next generation decentralized version of HUAWEI and CISCO technology. It interfaces directly with community users and enables everyone to become operators. Following this paradigm, decentralized blockchain Mesh networks will gain worldwide prevalence. The MeshBox can be put anywhere a network is required and can connect to devices (smartphones, IoT hardware, etc. and act as a gateway to internet connectivity for these devices. With MeshBox's technology, locations that currently have limited or no access to the internet can harness a mesh network to facilitate the connection, as well as to develop an internal, closed network that allows the transfer of data between connected devices. Blockchain integration facilitates the use of tokens as a means of payment for access to the network, access to content shared across the network, internet access and more.

For more information on SmartMesh and MeshBox please visit www.smartmesh.io and www.meshbox.network.

Media Contact:

David Cohen

Email: [email protected]

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Dcntral.ai

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Dcntral Network

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Valentine is a senior cardiologist at the Stroobants Cardiovascular Center of Centra Health in Lynchburg, Virginia, where he specialized in cardiac catheterization and intervention, device placement and arrhythmia therapy, clinical quality, leadership and practice development. He first became involved with the ACC in 1993 and has worked his way up through the leadership ranks, including previously serving on the Advocacy Committee, as Virginia Chapter governor, as Board of Governors chair, treasurer and on the Board of Trustees.

During his year as president, Valentine said he will attempt to achieve several critical goals of the College, including guiding the Board of Trustees in delivering and executing the College's next five-year Strategic Plan, leading the Board in successfully completing the 2018 Strategic Priorities and working with the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Selection Committee in choosing the next great staff leader for the College. Valentine is also passionate about advancing member and staff leadership development, partnerships with sister society members and ACC's International teams around the globe.

"The ACC has an immensely talented Board and the most dedicated staff of any medical association in the country, now led by Interim CEO Cathy Gates," he said. "We have developed new Core Values together that will help us focus on driving strategy and innovation to meet some major challenges and achieve our new Vision."

Valentine said he is very excited for the opportunities that come with the College's new diversity initiative in shaping how the College will look in the very near future.

Valentine received his undergraduate degree from the University of Georgia and went on to earn his medical degree from the University of Virginia School of Medicine. Valentine completed his medical residency and fellowship in cardiovascular disease at Emory University in Atlanta. After fellowship, Valentine joined private practice in Virginia in 1990. The group ultimately developed into an advanced system, participating in over 90 clinical trials and leading quality and advocacy efforts in the Commonwealth. It became one of the early integrated practice models in the U.S., joining Centra Health in 2005.

"Being ACC President is a tremendous honor and privilege, not only for me, but for our group practice and health system at Centra," he said. "This recognizes the importance and responsibility of community systems to lead with the highest quality care and clinical research. It also encourages grassroots members who work at the local chapter level to further advance the Mission of the College."

Dr. Valentine is married to the Honorable Shannon Valentine, Secretary of Transportation for the Commonwealth of Virginia and former member of the Virginia House of Delegates, with whom he has three adult children: Catherine, Jack and Brooke.

Other ACC officers for 2018-2019 are Board of Governors' Chair Andrew P. Miller, MD, FACC; Vice President Richard J. Kovacs, MD, FACC; and Treasurer Howard T. Walpole Jr., MD, MBA, FACC.

The American College of Cardiology is the professional home for the entire cardiovascular care team. The mission of the College and its more than 52,000 members is to transform cardiovascular care and to improve heart health. The ACC leads in the formation of health policy, standards and guidelines. The College operates national registries to measure and improve care, offers cardiovascular accreditation to hospitals and institutions, provides professional medical education, disseminates cardiovascular research and bestows credentials upon cardiovascular specialists who meet stringent qualifications. For more, visit acc.org.

SOURCE American College of CardiologySANTA MONICA, Calif., March 12, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Edmunds, the leading car shopping and information platform, today announced the 2018 Edmunds Five Star Dealer Awards, recognizing 363 car dealers nationwide for their outstanding customer satisfaction ratings. This year, Edmunds also honored 25 dealers with the prestigious Edmunds Five Star Premier Dealer designation, which recognizes the dealers with the highest overall satisfaction ratings.

"Car shopping is a daunting task for many, but finding the right dealer shouldn't be," said Avi Steinlauf, CEO of Edmunds. "We raised the bar on what it takes to become an Edmunds Five Star dealer in 2018, making it easier for shoppers to find a local dealer that shares our commitment to superior customer service and support."

To be eligible, dealers must participate in the Edmunds Dealer Partner program and must have earned at least 30 five-star sales reviews on Edmunds over the past two years, up from 20 reviews in 2017. To earn the new Five Star Premier designation, dealers must have earned at least 150 five star reviews over the past two years. Additionally, both Edmunds Five Star and Edmunds Five Star Premier dealers must have maintained at least a 4.5-star average continuously between January 1, 2016, and December 31, 2017, to qualify.

"Earning Edmunds Five Star Premier status is a rare feat  less than 1 percent of Edmunds' dealer partners ever reach that milestone. The 25 dealers that achieved this pinnacle in 2018 represent the best-of-the-best in their industry and a willingness to go above and beyond for their customers," continued Steinlauf.

To find the full list of 2018 winners, visit the Edmunds' Dealer Center. Edmunds Five Star Dealerships are organized by state, making it easy to find local winners. Car shoppers can look up the reviews and ratings for any dealer in their area on the Find a Dealer page on Edmunds.com. Winning dealerships are distinguished by the 2018 Five Star Dealer badge.

About Edmunds

Edmunds is on a mission to make car buying easier. With industry-leading vehicle reviews and shopping tips from an in-house team of experts, plus a 20-year-old forums community of car shoppers and enthusiasts, Edmunds helps millions of shoppers each month find their perfect car. Edmunds provides transparent pricing from thousands of dealers and continually embraces new technologies to help shoppers buy smarter. Regarded as one of America's best workplaces by Fortune and Great Place to Work, Edmunds is based in Santa Monica, California, and has a satellite office in Detroit, Michigan. Follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

Contact:

Leah Polk

Edmunds Public Relations

Media Hotline: 310-309-4900

[email protected]

SOURCE Edmunds

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TSX: ELD NYSE: EGO

VANCOUVER, March 12, 2018 /PRNewswire/ - Eldorado Gold Corporation, ("Eldorado" or "the Company") today announces several changes to its senior management team to support the Company's strategy of focusing on delivering production and earnings growth from its portfolio of high quality assets.

Fabiana Chubbs, Eldorado's Chief Financial Officer ("CFO") since 2011, will leave the Company at the end of April 2018. Mrs. Chubbs will continue to serve as CFO until her departure and will work during the coming weeks to ensure an orderly transition of her responsibilities. The Company has commenced a search for her successor.

"I want to thank Fabi for her contributions to Eldorado over the past decade," said George Burns, Eldorado's President and Chief Executive Officer. "She has been instrumental in managing Eldorado's finances in order to position us to deliver on the pipeline of projects in our portfolio. We appreciate Fabi's commitment to ensuring a smooth transition and wish her well in her new endeavors."

Timothy Garvin has joined Eldorado as Executive Vice President and General Counsel. Mr. Garvin has extensive experience as senior in-house legal counsel, having worked for a number of large companies in the resource sector in a range of international jurisdictions. He will be responsible for overseeing the legal function Company-wide and providing strategic legal advice to the business units, management and the Company's Board of Directors.

Andor Lips has joined the Company, as Vice President, Government Relations Europe, and is based in Eldorado's Amsterdam office. Mr. Lips brings over 20 years of experience in mineral exploration, project development, mining finance and stakeholder engagement, most recently holding senior positions with Lydian International Ltd., ING Bank N.V., and the Commodity Discovery Fund. He is responsible for providing comprehensive advocacy to support the growth of Eldorado's business interests in Europe.

After nearly 20 years with Eldorado, Dawn Moss, Executive Vice President, Administration, retired from Eldorado's management team at the end of February 2018.

Also departing the Company at the end of February after more than 20 years was Eduardo Moura, who served as Vice President and General Manager of Greece for more than five years and most recently as Vice President, Special Advisor to the President and CEO for the past four months.

George Burns concluded, "On behalf of our employees and the Board of Directors, I would like to thank Dawn and Eduardo for their contributions, hard work and dedication to the Company. We wish Dawn well in her retirement and wish Eduardo all the best as he moves forward to pursue new opportunities. Finally, I am pleased to welcome Tim and Andor and look forward to their contributions to the leadership team."

About Eldorado Gold

Eldorado is a leading intermediate gold producer with mining, development and exploration operations in Turkey, Greece, Romania, Serbia, Canada and Brazil. The Company's success to date is based on a highly skilled and dedicated workforce, safe and responsible operations, a portfolio of high-quality assets, and long-term partnerships with the communities where it operates. Eldorado's common shares trade on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX: ELD) and the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: EGO).

Cautionary Note about Forward-looking Statements and Information

Certain of the statements made and information provided in this press release are forward-looking statements or information within the meaning of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and applicable Canadian securities laws. Often, these forward-looking statements and forward-looking information can be identified by the use of words such as "plans", "expects", "is expected", "budget", "continue", "projected", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "intends", "anticipates", or "believes" or the negatives thereof or variations of such words and phrases or statements that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will" be taken, occur or be achieved.

Forward-looking statements or information contained in this release include, but are not limited to the Company's changes to its senior management team including statements or information with respect to: our expectation as to future financial and operating performance, including future cash flow, ; and our strategy, plans and goals, and related timelines.

Forward-looking statements and forward-looking information by their nature are based on assumptions and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements or information.

Furthermore, should one or more of the risks, uncertainties or other factors materialize, or should underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those described in forward-looking statements or information. These risks, uncertainties and other factors include, among others, the following: geopolitical and economic climate (global and local), mineral tenure and permits; gold and other metal price volatility; mining operations and development; foreign country operations; sovereign investment; regulatory environment and restrictions, including environmental regulatory restrictions and liability; discrepancies between actual and estimated production, mineral reserves and resources and metallurgical testing and recoveries; the sale of our Chinese assets on the Company's operations; the acquisition of Integra Gold Corp.; additional funding requirements; currency fluctuations; litigation and arbitration risks; climate change; community and non-governmental organization actions; speculative nature of gold exploration; dilution; share price volatility; competition; loss of key employees; and defective title to mineral claims or property, as well as those factors discussed in the sections entitled "Forward-Looking Statements" and "Risk factors in our business" in the Company's most recent Annual Information Form and Form 40-F. The reader is directed to carefully review the detailed risk discussion in our most recent Annual Information Form filed on SEDAR under our Company name, for a fuller understanding of the risks and uncertainties that affect the Company's business and operations.

Even though our management believes that the assumptions made and the expectations represented by such statements or information are reasonable, there can be no assurance that the forward-looking statement or information will prove to be accurate. Many assumptions may be difficult to predict and are beyond our control.

Forward-looking statements and information is designed to help you understand management's current views of our near and longer term prospects, and it may not be appropriate for other purposes.

There can be no assurance that forward-looking statements or information will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, you should not place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements or information contained herein. Except as required by law, we do not expect to update forward-looking statements and information continually as conditions change and you are referred to the full discussion of the Company's business contained in the Company's reports filed with the securities regulatory authorities in Canada and the U.S.

SOURCE Eldorado Gold CorporationDENVER, March 12, 2018 /PRNewswire/ - Energy Fuels Inc. (NYSE American: UUUU; TSX: EFR) ("Energy Fuels" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that, effective today, Barbara A. Filas has been appointed to serve as a Director of Energy Fuels, filling the vacancy created by the resignation of Ames Brown earlier in 2017. Ms. Filas brings an impressive array of executive and technical experience to Energy Fuels in both the public and private mining sectors.

From 2003 to 2009, Ms. Filas served as the President and Chief Executive of Knight Piesold and Co., a leading global mining and environmental consulting firm, where she held various roles of increasing responsibility from 1989 to 2009. From 2011 to 2013, Ms. Filas served as the President of Geovic Mining Corp., a publicly-traded mining company with an advanced cobalt, nickel and manganese exploration project in Cameroon, among other exploration ventures. From 2015 to 2016, she was a Director of Moroccan Minerals Ltd., a private company that explored copper, gold, and silver prospects in Morocco and Serbia. Ms. Filas' operational background includes hands-on experience with operating gold and coal mines and processing facilities; executive experience in consulting, public companies, and non-profits; and technical expertise in base and precious metals, coal, uranium and industrial metals in various engineering and environmental capacities.

In addition, Ms. Filas was the first female President of the Society for Mining, Metallurgy and Exploration ("SME"), the world's largest technical mining organization. She currently serves as the Nominations Chair and Chair of the Board of Governors for the National Mining Hall of Fame and Museum in Leadville, Colorado and is a part-time Professor of Practice at the Colorado School of Mines in Golden, Colorado. She is internationally recognized as a thought-leader on a variety of topics including mining, waste management, environmental and social responsibility, leadership, and sustainability, and she has experience in both developed and developing countries on six continents. Ms. Filas is a graduate of the University of Arizona, and a Licensed Professional Mining Engineer in Colorado and Nevada.

Mark S. Chalmers, President and CEO of Energy Fuels Stated: "We are very pleased that Barb has agreed to serve on Energy Fuels' Board of Directors, as she is universally recognized as a leader in the global mining industry. We look forward to benefitting from her perspectives on Energy Fuels' many opportunities, including our 232 Petition on uranium, land cleanup work, vanadium production potential, and of course continuing to be the leader in U.S. uranium production."

About Energy Fuels: Energy Fuels is a leading integrated U.S. uranium mining company, supplying U 3 O 8 to major nuclear utilities. Its corporate offices are in Denver, Colorado, and all of its assets and employees are in the western United States. Energy Fuels holds three of America's key uranium production centers, the White Mesa Mill in Utah, the Nichols Ranch Processing Facility in Wyoming, and the Alta Mesa Project in Texas. The White Mesa Mill is the only conventional uranium mill operating in the U.S. today and has a licensed capacity of over 8 million pounds of U 3 O 8 per year. The Nichols Ranch Processing Facility is an in-situ recovery production center with a licensed capacity of 2 million pounds of U 3 O 8 per year. Alta Mesa is an in-situ recovery production center with a licensed capacity of 1.5 million pounds of U 3 O 8 per year, which is currently on care and maintenance due to low uranium prices. Energy Fuels also has the largest uranium resource portfolio in the U.S. among producers, and uranium mining projects located in a number of Western U.S. states, including one producing in-situ recovery project, mines on standby, and mineral properties in various stages of permitting and development. Energy Fuels also produces vanadium as a by-product of its uranium production from certain of its mines on the Colorado Plateau, as market conditions warrant. The primary trading market for Energy Fuels' common shares is the NYSE American under the trading symbol "UUUU", and the Company's common shares are also listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the trading symbol "EFR". Energy Fuels' website is www.energyfuels.com.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements: Certain information contained in this news release, including any information relating to: the Company benefitting from Ms. Filas' perspectives; and any other statements regarding Energy Fuels' future expectations, beliefs, goals or prospects; constitute forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable securities legislation (collectively, "forward-looking statements"). All statements in this news release that are not statements of historical fact (including statements containing the words "expects", "does not expect", "plans", "anticipates", "does not anticipate", "believes", "intends", "estimates", "projects", "potential", "scheduled", "forecast", "budget" and similar expressions) should be considered forward-looking statements. All such forward-looking statements are subject to important risk factors and uncertainties, many of which are beyond Energy Fuels' ability to control or predict. A number of important factors could cause actual results or events to differ materially from those indicated or implied by such forward-looking statements, including without limitation factors relating to: the Company benefitting from Ms. Filas' perspectives; and other risk factors as described in Energy Fuels' most recent annual report on Form 10-K and quarterly financial reports. Energy Fuels assumes no obligation to update the information in this communication, except as otherwise required by law. Additional information identifying risks and uncertainties is contained in Energy Fuels' filings with the various securities commissions which are available online at www.sec.gov and www.sedar.com. Forward-looking statements are provided for the purpose of providing information about the current expectations, beliefs and plans of the management of Energy Fuels relating to the future. Readers are cautioned that such statements may not be appropriate for other purposes. Readers are also cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, that speak only as of the date hereof.

SOURCE Energy Fuels Inc.

Related Links

http://www.energyfuels.com

Ernesto Perez-Carrillo personally oversaw every aspect of the creation of this cigar, from sourcing the impeccable 100 percent Nicaraguan tobacco blend, and insisting on the implementation of 26 quality control metrics to ensure perfection during the aging and production process.

"I like to make blends that are not only going to activate your senses around the palate, but stimulate your senses everywhere, making it a whole body experience. With this wrapper, I believe we have delivered," Perez-Carrillo said. "It's always interesting when you smoke it, within every inch you will find a different complexity, and you find that it changes as you smoke. It keeps you coming back to the cigar. Some cigars you smoke and you smoke and you forget you're smoking it, not Encore."

"My father blends from the soul and challenges himself with every blend. The Encore's name came from the concept of that last song at a concert, the one we all want to hear after a great performance. Being a former musician, my dad could relate to that very well," says Lissette Perez-Carrillo, Ernesto Perez-Carrillo's daughter and co-owner of E.P. Carrillo. "For the Encore, my father decided to honor his grandchildren, the future of this endeavor, in the names of each Encore size  El Primero, Celestial, Valientes and Majestic. The Encore's sizes are based on a quality associated with each of his grandchildren's names and is truly that last song we ache to hear, bringing us such joy and satisfaction."

Filled with spice and richness that exudes a woodsy, earthiness and a subtle sweetness, experts agree this is a great medium-plus cigar that makes it an ideal special-occasion cigar that will continue to enrich with age in a personal collection. The Encore also offers tremendous value that can be enjoyed regularly, either after a good meal or accompanied by a fine bourbon, scotch or other libations. The wrapper offers a satin finish that locks in essential moisture and flavor.

Since 2009, E.P. Carrillo has been known for its vast and satisfying assortment of cigars. The founder, Ernesto Perez-Carrillo, is dedicated to producing only the finest cigars, taking pride in adding uniqueness and differentiating his cigars from those of his "big brand" competitors.

For more information about E.P. Carrillo, including products, retailers and events, visit http://epcarrillo.com.



About E.P. Carrillo

E.P. Carrillo was founded in 2009 by cigar-making legend and master blender, Ernesto Perez-Carrillo, along with his two children, Lissette and Ernesto III. Perez-Carrillo has been involved in the cigar industry since he was child, learning his craft from his father. With over 20 blends including La Historia, INCH, and Dusk, E.P. Carrillo is known for its full-flavored, premium cigars hand-crafted in Dominican Republic. Follow and 'like' E.P. Carrillo on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/epcarrillo, become a fan on Instagram @epcarrillo_cigars and @EPCarrillo on Twitter, and subscribe on YouTube. For more information, visit www.EPCarrillo.com.

Media Contact:

Ashley Soto

305-631-2283 x1005

[email protected]

SOURCE E.P. Carrillo

Related Links

http://epcarrillo.com

EcoWaste Coalition warns the public against mercury-laden skin whitening products

Individuals who desire to have fairer skin often resort to skin whitening topical products. But not all whitening cosmetics are safe for use. Watch group EcoWaste Coalition cautions the public against mercury-laden cosmetics, particularly skin whitening facial creams, that are being sold in the Philippines and other Asean nations despite a regional ban on mercury above the trace amount of one part per million (1 ppm) under the ASEAN Cosmetic Directive. The group cited the Asean Post-Marketing Alert Systems Reports disseminated by the Food and Drug Administration of the Philippines that listed cosmetic products, including 11 skin whitening creams laced with mercury, which health authorities in Brunei and Indonesia recently banned. Health authorities in Hong Kong, Malaysia, and the United Arab Emirates this year also banned six brands of skin whitening cosmetics due to their mercury content, the group added.Based on EcoWaste Coalitions monitoring, the FDA has banned over 135 mercury-containing skin lightening creams since 2010, including 80 brands discovered by the group through its periodic test buys and product analyses. The trade in skin whitening cosmetics tainted with mercury in the Philippines and elsewhere poses a serious health threat to women who are lured into using such products that are often marketed as remedy to all skin maladies, said Thony Dizon, chemical safety campaigner of EcoWaste Coalition. It is not only teenage and adult women who suffer from mercury exposure through the use of such cosmetics but also developing fetuses and babies, he added. The group cited the Asean PMAS report which said, Nursing mothers are doubly vulnerable because mercury is passed on to nursing babies through breast milk, which can affect the babys development.People exposed to mercury exhibit symptoms including, but not limited to, tremors, numbness and tingling in hands and feet, gingivitis or inflammation of the gums, pink discoloration of the hands and feet, irritability, and photophobia or sensitivity to light, according to the Asean alerts. According to the report Mercury in Women of Child-Bearing Age in 25 Countries, published by Biodiversity Research Institute and IPEN (a global civil society network for a toxic-free future that includes EcoWaste Coalition), the harmful effects that can be passed from the mother to the fetus when the mothers mercury levels exceed 1 ppm include neurological impairment, IQ loss, and damage to the kidneys and cardiovascular system. At high levels of mercury exposure this can lead to brain damage, developmental disabilities, blindness, seizures, and the inability to speak, the report said. To prevent exposure to mercury among women, fetuses, and babies through mercury-laden skin lightening cosmetics, the EcoWaste Coalition urged Filipinos to be happy and satisfied with our natural skin tone. There is beauty and dignity in our kayumangging kaligatan, the group emphasized. If whiter skin tone is preferred, the group advised the public to consult with a licensed dermatologist, and to abstain from using skin lightening products that lack the FDA-required cosmetic product notifications and are not guaranteed safe from mercury and other hazardous substances like hydroquinone and tretinoin.CLEVELAND, March 12, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Futuri Media, a global leader in SaaS technology designed to drive audience and revenue growth for broadcasters, today announced several key additions to its fast-growing team.

Jim Tarantine, Jim Roberts, and Michael Sharkey (l to r) are the latest additions to Futuri Media's fast-growing team.

Michael Sharkey joins as Product Manager, #engage and Futuri Mobile. Sharkey, known to many in the industry as "Shark," has more than 25 years experience in programming and brand management positions for radio broadcasters, including 14 years at Cox Media Group. There, he was Rock Format Leader and Program Director/Brand Manager for Tampa Bay's 97X (WSUN) and 102.5 The Bone (WHPT). Sharkey also has co-founded and advised for multiple technology startups designed to drive audio consumption and audience engagement. At Futuri, he'll lead the product teams for #engage, the interactive broadcasting platform designed to drive tune-in occasions using social media, and Futuri Mobile, which develops highly-customized and engaging mobile apps.

Jim Roberts joins as National Account Manager. Roberts joins Futuri Media from Mid-West Family Broadcasting, where he spent more than 20 years in Sales and Programming executive positions with their South Bend stations. Roberts has extensive experience on both the content and sales side of the broadcasting business. A graduate of the NAB's Broadcast Leadership Training program, Roberts has extensive experience managing converged media and a track record of proven success in driving ratings and revenue growth.

Jim Tarantine joins as National Account Manager. Tarantine joins Futuri Media from Nielsen Audio, where he spent more than 12 years, most recently as Director, Client Solutions, leading key initiatives including TV/audio integration, digital audio measurement, audio enhancements, and media analytics offerings. Driven by a desire to help his clients win, Tarantine has worked across Sales, Programming, and Corporate divisions to help them meet and exceed revenue and audience goals. Over the last six years, he was exclusively dedicated to the success of CBS Radio.

"Futuri's fast-growing team builds solutions to deliver the ROI our media industry partners require: audience engagement, ratings, and revenue," said Daniel Anstandig, Futuri Media CEO. "Collaborating with local managers and corporate leaders to help them develop the future of our industry is the most important and rewarding part of our mission."

ABOUT FUTURI MEDIA

Futuri Media is a global leader in SaaS technology designed to drive audience and revenue growth by deepening consumers' trust in, affinity for, and loyalty to brands and the teams who represent them. Futuri Media's audience engagement and sales technology, for which it holds 11 published or pending patents in 151 countries, is used by thousands of broadcasters and publishers worldwide. Named to the Inc. 5000 List of America's fastest-growing private companies for four consecutive years, Futuri Media's best-in-class customer support is a key driver of its growth. Founded by CEO Daniel Anstandig in 2009, Futuri Media is dedicated to driving measurable success for its partners through innovative SaaS technology, proactivity, speed, and trust in all of its relationships. http://www.futurimedia.com

CONTACT

Zena Burns / Moxie Coalition

[email protected] / 917.720.7943

SOURCE Futuri Media

Related Links

http://www.futurimedia.com

SPRINGFIELD, Mo., March 12, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Got Your Six Coffee has officially announced the availability of Oakland Police Officer Appreciation Packs to support the Oakland Police Department, in the wake of Hasta Muerte Coffee stating it would no longer serve police officers.

As reported by CNN, Hasta Muerte Coffee, a worker-owned, predominantly POC-run, coffee shop in Oakland, California, refused service to a uniformed Hispanic police officer on February 16, 2018, and admits to having a policy of asking police to leave the premises. The owners posted to Instagram stating a "police presence compromises our feeling of physical & emotional security."

"It's strange to hear of coffee shops turning away officers," explained Got Your Six Coffee owner and CEO, Eric Hadley. "On the website, they promote the business as being a POC, collectively-run, worker-owned shop committed to nurturing the community, but they're turning community away. I think it's wrong. Their website says they support solidarity, but they are dividing. I would like to flood the Oakland Police with coffee."

Got Your Six Coffee offers individuals several ways they can show their support, from $25 to $500. From donating two bags of coffee to donating a full fledge founding members package that includes a year's supply of coffee, Got Your Six Coffee offers four different options for supporting the Oakland Police Department.

The support for law enforcement is nothing out of the norm for Got Your Six Coffee. A "coffee company with a purpose," they have a history of supporting charitable organizations, and delivering aid in the face of natural disasters, including a fundraiser called Operation Safe Haven, which seeks to build tiny homes for veterans on 270 acres in New Jersey. Visit https://www.GotYourSixCoffee.com to learn more.

About Got Your Six Coffee: Founded as a "coffee company with a purpose," Got Your Six Coffee is committed to increasing the #PowerOfCoffee, supporting military, law enforcement and first responders, and building community.

Contact: Eric Hadley

Name: Got Your Six Coffee

Web Address: https://www.GotYourSixCoffee.com

Email: [email protected]

Phone: 417-425-6061



SOURCE Got Your Six Coffee

Related Links

https://www.GotYourSixCoffee.com

BOSTON, March 12, 2018 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Energy Storage Association (ESA), the leading national voice for companies that develop and deploy the energy storage technologies we rely on every day, announced that Governor Charlie Baker of Massachusetts will keynote the Energy Storage Association's 28th Annual Conference and Expo on April 18 at the Hynes Convention Center in Boston. Governor Baker will address the importance of innovation, sustainability and clean energy legislation.

"Massachusetts has a rich history of leadership in innovation and alternative forms of energy," said Governor Baker. "I look forward to spending time at ESA's annual conference and discussing the efforts underway in Massachusetts to develop energy storage projects that will reduce costs for ratepayers and help create a clean and resilient energy future."

ESA invited Governor Baker to share his vision for a modern energy infrastructure in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Governor Baker has been named America's most popular governor by the Morning Consult, due in part to his support of the development of offshore wind energy and advanced energy storage technologies. Most recently, Governor Baker has motioned to enact policies that will result in increased deployment of renewable technologies.

"The energy storage industry is ready for business and is honored to be welcomed to Massachusetts by Governor Baker," stated Kelly Speakes-Backman, CEO of ESA. "The Commonwealth has a long history of clean energy leadership, and programs such as the Energy Storage Initiative Advancing Commonwealth Energy Storage (ESI ACES) are examples of how his Administration values storage. Programs and policies such as these help to advance our industry toward the goal of 35 GW by 2025."

The 28th Annual Conference will convene more than 2,000 attendees from across the energy storage industry. The conference schedule includes more than 150 leading industry speakers, 40 insightful education sessions, site tours to advanced energy storage projects and multiple workshops led by renowned experts.

To register or learn more about the 28th Annual Conference and Expo, visit our website at http://esacon.energystorage-events.org

About Energy Storage Association

The Energy Storage Association (ESA) is the national trade association dedicated to energy storage, working toward a more resilient, efficient, sustainable and affordable electricity grid  as is uniquely enabled by energy storage. With more than 150 members, ESA represents a diverse group of energy service companies, independent power producers, electric utilities, financiers, insurers, law firms, installers, manufacturers, component suppliers and integrators involved in deploying energy storage systems around the globe. More information is available at: www.energystorage.org.

SOURCE Energy Storage Association

Related Links

http://www.energystorage.org

SACRAMENTO, Calif., March 12, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Come and celebrate the grand opening of Jyros Twisted Gyros on March 15, 2018. Jyros is doing things that have not been done before with Greek and Mediterranean food. A couple "twists": Jyros uses naan (a fluffy white Indian flatbread) in addition to the traditional Pita bread and Jyros is also doing an Al Pastor (Mexican) pork, Sriracha sauces and things like our Garlic Mayo and Twisted Fries (with meat, toppings and sauce). Get a Gyro, Bowl, Salad, Twisted Fries or Medusa Nachos.

This is owner Jared Katzenbarger's first independent concept. "It was fun to develop the concept on my own, taking the foods I love and creating a fun, new and exciting concept. I have been a franchisee for years and you do not have the flexibility and creativity that your own concept allows." Katzenbarger elaborated, "For example, the first couple weeks we were open I received a lot of feedback. I was able to make immediate changes and the guests were appreciative of us keeping their suggestions in mind."

On Thursday, March 15, Jyros will be offering 50 percent off all food items and also doing $2 beer and wine. In addition, they will be giving away prizes and swag, and for anyone that dresses up in a Toga, they will get a free Sando. Please visit us on Facebook /JyrosTwistedGyros or Instagram /jyrostwisted.

1901 J Street, Sacramento, CA 916-462-1002 11a.m. - 9 p.m.

Jared Katzenbarger, 916-546-4399, [email protected]

Related Files

Jyros-menu-print.pdf

MainMenu2.pdf

Related Images

image1.jpg

twisted-fries-with-beef-lamb.jpg

Twisted Fries with Beef/Lamb

twisted-gyro-sando-with-al-pastor.jpg

Twisted Gyro Sando with Al Pastor Pork

pita-chips-and-roasted-red-bell.jpg

Pita Chips and Roasted Red Bell Pepper Hummus

Related Video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RIyyZAkRlNI

SOURCE Jyros Twisted Gyros

Related Links

http://jyrosgyros.com

- HRA is powered by Figshare and Dimensions, Digital Science platforms

The Health Research Alliance today announced a new application called "HRA Open" powered by Figshare, a cloud-based repository for academic research.



(Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/652434/Digital_Science_HRA.jpg )



HRA Open is an HRA-sponsored web-based service that promotes open science by providing a space for awardees to upload and share other materials related to funded projects, including figures, datasets, presentations, and other funder-approved research outputs. In addition to being able to deposit publications into PubMed Central (PMC), awardees can search the database of grants and awards for their awarded funding and submit their research outputs under that grant.

HRA has partnered with The National Library of Medicine (NLM) to enable HRA member-funded awardees to deposit their publications into PMC using the HRA Open platform. Links that have been made between awards from HRA member organizations and their awardees are provided to the NLM to facilitate open and public access of awardees' publications and research outputs.

Awardee information is provided by HRA Reporter, HRA's awardee database. HRA Reporter is powered by Dimensions, a Digital Science platform that connects awards, grants, publications, clinical trials and patents. From Dimensions, HRA Open enables users to explore information on over $1.3 trillion of grant funding from 250+ research funders around the world.

From Maryrose Franko, Executive Director of HRA:

"HRA is excited to partner with the NLM to advance science by making peer-reviewed articles from HRA member-funded research publicly available on PubMed Central. But HRA Open will also enable awardees of HRA members to link research outputs to their funding AND make those outputs open. That is a game-changer."

Mark Hahnel, CEO and Founder of Figshare, said:

"This is an excellent development for members of the Health Research Alliance. We're pleased to be able to help HRA Open showcase their research outputs in an easy-to-use application."

This application is live now and research outputs are available at https://hra.figshare.com/ .

Contact

Please get in touch if you are interested in learning more about Figshare for Funders by contacting [email protected].

About The Health Research Alliance

The Health Research Alliance is a collaborative member organization of ~ 80 nonprofit research funders, all committed to maximizing the impact of biomedical research to improve human health. See www.healthra.org for additional information.

About Figshare

Figshare is a web-based platform to help academic institutions manage, disseminate and measure the public attention of all their research outputs. The light-touch and user-friendly approach focuses on four key areas: research data management, reporting and statistics, research data dissemination and administrative control. Figshare works with institutions in North America and internationally to help them meet key funder recommendations and to provide world-leading tools to support an open culture of data sharing and collaboration. For more information, visit http://figshare.com and follow @figshare on Twitter. Figshare is a Digital Science portfolio company: https://www.digital-science.com/.

About Dimensions

Dimensions is a discovery and analytics platform that re-imagines discovery and access to research. Developed in partnership with over 100 leading research organizations around the world, Dimensions aims to break down barriers to innovation by enabling users to find and access the most relevant information faster, analyze the academic and broader outcomes of research, and gather insights to inform future activities. Find out more at https://dimensions.ai and follow us on Twitter @DSDimensions.

About Digital Science

Digital Science is a technology company serving the needs of scientific and research communities, at the laboratory bench or in a research setting. It invests in and incubates scientific software companies that simplify the research cycle, making more time for discovery. Its portfolio companies and investments include a host of leading and admired brands including Altmetric, BioRAFT, Figshare, GRID, IFI CLAIMS, Labguru, Peerwith, Overleaf, ReadCube, Symplectic, TetraScience, Transcriptic, and UberResearch. It is operated by global media company, the Holtzbrinck Publishing Group. Visit www.digital-science.com and follow @digitalsci on Twitter.

SOURCE Digital ScienceHILLSDALE, Mich., March 12, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Hillsdale College congratulates alumnus Joseph Cella on his nomination by President Donald Trump to serve as U.S. ambassador to the Republic of Fiji, the Republic of Kiribati, the Republic of Nauru, and the Kingdoms of Tonga and Tuvalu.

"It's always exciting to see a former Hillsdale student putting their education to use in service of their country," said Ken Koopmans, executive director of career services at Hillsdale College. "We hope for a speedy confirmation of this nomination and wish Joe all the best in his new endeavor."

Cella graduated from Hillsdale College in 1991. Since 2010, he has served as a principal at the Pontifex Consulting Group. He previously worked in a variety of political positions in Washington, including roles on the staff of Michigan Rep. Thad McCotter and senior adviser to the House Republican Steering Committee and Republican Policy Committee.

Cella also co-founded Catholic Vote, a Catholic advocacy organization with more than 700,000 members, and is a founder and board member of the National Catholic Prayer Breakfast. He was instrumental in conducting outreach to Catholics during Trump's presidential campaign.

A native of Michigan, Cella grew up in Richmond before attending Hillsdale. He currently resides in Augusta Township near Ann Arbor. If confirmed by the U.S. Senate, Cella would serve as representative to several Pacific Island nations from the American embassy in Suva, Fiji.

Hillsdale College is an independent liberal arts college located in southern Michigan. Founded in 1844, the College has built a national reputation through its classical liberal arts core curriculum and its principled refusal to accept federal or state taxpayer subsidies, even indirectly in the form of student grants or loans. It also conducts an outreach effort promoting civil and religious liberty, including a free monthly speech digest, Imprimis, with a circulation of more than 3.7 million. For more information visit hillsdale.edu.

SOURCE Hillsdale College

Related Links

http://www.hillsdale.edu

THE WOODLANDS, Texas, March 12, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Huntsman Corporation (NYSE: HUN) today announced the appointment of Daniele Ferrari as a new independent director to its Board of Directors effective March 7, 2018. The Huntsman Board now comprises eight directors, seven of whom are independent directors.

Daniele Ferrari serves as Chief Executive Officer of Versalis S.p.A., a chemical manufacturer, and as Chairman of Matrica S.p.A., a joint-venture with Novamont focusing on renewable chemistry, positions he has held since March 2011. He is a former employee of Huntsman Corporation and has over 30 years of experience in the chemical industry. He worked for the Company in various levels of increasing responsibility from 1997 to 2011, where he ultimately served as President of its Performance Products division. Prior to joining Huntsman in 1997, Mr. Ferrari worked for Imperial Chemical Industries (ICI) and Agip Petroli (Eni group).

Mr. Ferrari is President of PlasticsEurope, an association of plastics manufacturers, and a board member of Conseil Europeen de l'Industrie Chimique (CEFIC). He also serves as a director, Chair of the Compensation Committee and a member of the Audit Committee of Venator Materials PLC, which separated from Huntsman in 2017.

Commenting on the Board appointment, Peter Huntsman, Chairman, President and CEO said, "I hold Daniele in high regard, as does the chemical industry. His 14 years of prior experience working within Huntsman combined with his 30 years in the industry will bring invaluable experience to our Board of Directors. I look forward to his counsel on the Board."

About Huntsman:

Huntsman Corporation is a publicly traded global manufacturer and marketer of differentiated and specialty chemicals with 2017 revenues of approximately $8 billion. Our chemical products number in the thousands and are sold worldwide to manufacturers serving a broad and diverse range of consumer and industrial end markets. We operate more than 75 manufacturing, R&D and operations facilities in approximately 30 countries and employ approximately 10,000 associates within our four distinct business divisions. For more information about Huntsman, please visit the company's website at www.huntsman.com.

Social Media:

Twitter: www.twitter.com/Huntsman_Corp

Facebook: www.facebook.com/huntsmancorp

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/huntsman

Forward-Looking Statements:

Statements in this release that are not historical are forward-looking statements. These statements are based on management's current beliefs and expectations. The forward-looking statements in this release are subject to uncertainty and changes in circumstances and involve risks and uncertainties that may affect the company's operations, markets, products, services, prices and other factors as discussed in the Huntsman companies' filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Significant risks and uncertainties may relate to, but are not limited to, volatile global economic conditions, cyclical and volatile product markets, disruptions in production at manufacturing facilities, reorganization or restructuring of Huntsman's operations, the ability to implement cost reductions and manufacturing optimization improvements in Huntsman businesses, and other financial, economic, competitive, environmental, political, legal, regulatory and technological factors. The company assumes no obligation to provide revisions to any forward-looking statements should circumstances change, except as otherwise required by applicable laws.

SOURCE Huntsman Corporation

Related Links

http://www.huntsman.com

The 2,000-year-old terraces, a series of tiered rice paddies carved into the mountains of Ifugao, face deterioration due to commercialism. Photo from Imgur.com

Business woman and farmers advocate Dr. Mila O. How

Ifugao performers join the launch of 2018 Banaue International Music Composition held at Makati Shangri-la.

Images By Sonny EspirituCan an environmentally-motivated music save the Banaue Rice Terraces from further degradation? Efforts to help save the world-renowned Banaue Rice Terraces from further deterioration has shifted from physical rehabilitation to cultural awareness via an international music competition organized by Universal Harvester, Inc., together with the local government of Banaue. Called the 2018 Banaue International Music Composition Competition, the music event invites composers around the Philippines and all over the globe to create Banaue-inspired symphonic works, which revolve around its people, traditions, landscapes, unique rituals and dances.We want to let the world know that the Philippines is home to great wonders not just in terms of natural resources but also in inspiring talents from all over the world, Dr. Milagros O. How of International Harvester said during a media launch held at Makati Shangri-la on Thursday. Dr. How, through the competition, aims to create awareness of the current situation of the heritage site and encourage people to participate and help restore and maintain its magnificence. The biggest of its kind in the country, the competition has already attracted composers from several countries who have signified their intention to submit their entries.Competition chairman Maestro Chino Toledo said that they have already received queries from Canada, Colombia, France, Italy, China, Russia, Armenia, Malaysia, Greece, the US, South Africa, and Hong Kong. He added that USD 12,000 is the grand prize and a consolation prize of USD 6,000 will be given to the finalists.Twenty selected composers will be part of the Banaue Immersion Program where they will have a week to experience local culture and music. The composers will rehearse their pieces with the orchestra selected by Toledo in Banaue Hotel, which will be open to the public. During the immersion, they will be allowed to revise their composition for the semi-final round. The grand showcase of their works will take at the Cultural Center of the Philippines on July 25. The competition is open to all composers and there are no age and nationality restrictions. However, applicants should be at least at the early stages of their professional careers, Toledo noted. Applicants must send a 10 to 15 minute work for symphony orchestra, single or multi-movement work. Each composer may submit only one score. For complete guidelines visit https://www.banauemusic.org.NEW YORK, March 12, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- New research from the International Alumni Job Network (IAJN) and Nielsen of 5,232 international student graduates shows that 89% are satisfied with their overall experience as international students, yet only 72% are satisfied with the return on investment from their international education.

The International Student & Alumni Satisfaction Survey interviewed graduates from Mainland China, India, Hong Kong SAR, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore and Vietnam.

The 56-page Global Comparison Report compares Australia, UK, USA, Canada and New Zealand as study destinations for international students.

The research covered three areas:

Employment and Earning Data for International Students After Graduation & Current Income

Satisfaction with the Country of Education

Satisfaction with the University / College Experience

The research used Net Promoter Score (NPS) to determine if international student graduates recommend their University/College and Country of Education to future students.

Kruskal Driver Analysis is then used to determine the percentage of International Graduates who Promote, Detract or are Neutral of their University and Education Country when it comes to recommendation and the Key Drivers for this decision to recommend or not recommend.

Click here to view the sample report.

IAJN founder Shane Dillon said the "reverse culture shock" of returning home and the lack of support in terms of securing employment lowered graduates' satisfaction with the return on investment from their international education.

"Student recruitment needs to be managed better by universities to make sure the promises made by recruiters are accurate in terms of pathways to citizenship, work rights in the country of education and likely income, so that students have realistic expectations from the beginning," said Mr Dillon.

Other reports produced from the research cover specific Countries of Education (Australia, UK, USA) and individual University Alumni Reports (Available on Request).

Lieve Kooijman | Head of Communication

International Alumni Job Network (IAJN)

Email: [email protected]

Phone: + 61 (0) 467 961 095 / +84 (0) 121 746 5972

Website: http://www.ia-jn.com/

SOURCE International Alumni Job NetworkENSE-PARSIT, Germany, March 12, 2018 /PRNewswire/ --

Kettcars are popular toy cars for children. In order to absolutely guarantee their quality and safety, the manufacturer KETTLER is informing its customers about this precautionary safety information: We cannot entirely rule out the possibility that, on certain Kettcar models with pneumatic tyres, it is possible that the plastic wheel rims may burst, resulting in splinters that could cause injuries in unfortunate cases. The likelihood of this happening is increased if the Kettcar is subject to excessive loads or when the tyres are being pumped up.

For this reason, customers are asked to stop using their Kettcars for the time being and to gather more information at http://service.kettcar.de. Further information is provided on this web page, which has been specially set up for the purpose of this safety information: Customers can use the item and serial number of their Kettcar to check whether it is affected and, if necessary, to find out how to go about replacing the wheels.

The article and serial numbers required for identification can be found on the type plate beneath the front axle on the Kettcar. The website also provides assistance in locating and reading the type plate.

This safety information only applies to a certain number of Kettcar models with pneumatic tyres.

Serial numbers with the identifier B-2503 or above are not affected , e.g. B-2802, C-0204 etc. Kettcars with plastic tyres are also not affected.

Press contact:

KETTLER GmbH

Stefanie Risse

Hauptstrasse 28

59469 Ense-Parsit

Germany

Email: [email protected]



SOURCE KETTLER GmbHIRVINE, Calif., March 12, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, Morinaga America, Inc., manufacturer and distributor of the popular soft candy HI-CHEW, has launched an East Meets West Flavor Challenge. The challenge invites candy fanatics to participate in choosing which unique Japanese HI-CHEW flavor they would like to see available in the United States in 2019. Since the parent company of Morinaga America, Inc., Morinaga & Co., first launched HI-CHEW in 1975, the product has been available in over 170 flavors. For the first time, American consumers will have the opportunity to cast their vote and select from a list of exotic HI-CHEW flavors including Banana Fizz and Strawberry Cheesecake. Voting begins today on www.voteeastmeetswest.com and runs through March 31, 2018. The winning flavor will be revealed on April 10, 2018 and will be available for United States consumers to purchase next spring.

The East Meets West Flavor Challenge pays homage to the brand's Japanese heritage and its success over the past decade of growing HI-CHEW in the United States. Taichiro Morinaga originally traveled to the United States to learn the secrets of candy making in the late 1800s before returning to Japan to establish Morinaga & Co., now a leading confectionary and frozen desserts manufacturer.

"The United States has always been a very special country for Morinaga, as it was where my grandfather fell in love with candy making," said Gota Morinaga, Chairman of Morinaga & Co. "All these years later, we are honored to call America our home and to celebrate this tremendous milestone. We look forward to the next 10 years and beyond to continue to innovate, excite and deliver deliciously fruity, chewy HI-CHEW and more to our fans here."

The spirit of Taichiro Morinaga returned to the United States in 2008, which brought the founder's love for sweets back to where it all began. Since HI-CHEW first launched in the United States 10 years ago, Morinaga America, Inc. has experienced year-over-year double-digit growth, a testament to the "can't-get-enough" chewy candy. Today, 22 pieces of HI-CHEW are eaten every second. That's 1,320 pieces per minute, 79,200 pieces per hour, 1,900,800 per day and almost 700 million pieces of HI-CHEW per year!

HI-CHEW  : Behind the Flavors

In Japan, it is considered impolite and somewhat taboo to remove food from one's mouth. This is why HI-CHEW was originally created in 1975 as a substitute for chewing gum. It quickly became an instant success across Asia and has since launched internationally because of its true-to-fruit flavor offerings and one-of-a-kind chewy texture.

HI-CHEW flavor concepts begin through a very careful and detailed research and development process. Qualitative and quantitative research is conducted to identify consumer wants and trends within each market. Once demand is identified, HI-CHEW's team of flavor experts create multiple rounds of flavor profiles to achieve the most real fruit flavor options. Offerings are particularly selected according to consumers' palates.

"The Japanese consumer's palate is uniquely fickle, which allows for innovation and experimentation when it comes to different flavor offerings," said Mr. Norio Otsuki, Chief Operating Officer of Morinaga America, Inc. "As the American palate expands and global cuisine becomes more widely appreciated, we look forward to potentially introducing even more distinctly Japanese flavors to the United States market."

Through the East Meets West Flavor Challenge, consumers will choose from 20 Japanese flavors to determine which one has what it takes to make it here in the United States. Fans will pick from fruit-forward flavors like Watermelon, Cantaloupe, Dragon Fruit, Lilikoi and Lychee, as well as dessert-like offerings such as Cotton Candy, Strawberry Cheesecake and Chocolate Covered Banana. Every vote counts!

To learn more about the East Meets West Flavor Challenge and to enter your vote, please go to www.hi-chew.com. You can also like us on Facebook, and follow us on Instagram (@HICHEWUSA) and Twitter (@HICHEW).

About Morinaga America, Inc.:

Established in 2008, Morinaga America, Inc. is the official manufacturer and distributor of HI-CHEW in the United States. With over 170 flavors of HI-CHEW having debuted in Japan, Morinaga America, Inc. has introduced the United States market to the best of Japanese confectionery. Morinaga America, Inc. (marketing and sales) and Morinaga America Foods, Inc. (manufacturing) are wholly owned subsidiaries of Morinaga & Co., Ltd., which began in 1899 as the first, modern candy maker and producer of chocolates in Japan. In 2015, Morinaga America, Inc. opened its first United States manufacturing facility in North Carolina.

About HI-CHEW:

The history of Morinaga stretches back over a century, when company founder Taichiro Morinaga brought his candy making skills to Japan from America in the 1800s. HI-CHEW has long been the best-selling soft candy in Japan and continues to see year-over-year growth throughout other parts of Asia and in the United States. In the United States, HI-CHEW is currently offered in the following flavors: Strawberry, Green Apple, Mango, Grape, Banana, Melon, and Kiwi. HI-CHEW also offers Sours in Lemon, Lime and Grapefruit and Fizzies in Cola and Orange Soda. HI-CHEW is made with real fruit juice and purees and is 100% free of gluten, cholesterol and artificial colors. HI-CHEW continues to expand fruity, chewy flavor offerings annually.

SOURCE HI-CHEW

Related Links

http://www.hi-chew.com

BENGALURU, India, March 12, 2018 /PRNewswire/ --

The company's American Depositary Shares will continue to be listed on NYSE

Infosys (NYSE: INFY; BSE, NSE: INFY) today announced its intention to voluntarily delist its American Depositary Shares ("ADS") (ISIN: US4567881085) from the Euronext Paris and Euronext London exchanges. The primary reason for seeking the proposed delisting is the low average daily trading volume of Infosys ADS on these exchanges, which is not commensurate with the related administrative requirements. During the 5-year period of the company's listing on Euronext Paris and Euronext London, the average daily trading volume of the company's ADS was significantly lower than its average daily trading volume on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE). The proposed delisting is subject to approval from Euronext Paris S.A. and Euronext London Limited. There will be no change to the Infosys share/ADS count, capital structure and float, as a result of the proposed delisting from the above exchanges. Infosys ADS will continue to be listed on the NYSE under the symbol "INFY" and investors can continue to trade their ADS on the NYSE as before.

(Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/633365/Infosys_Logo.jpg )



Subject to the approval of the proposed delisting by Euronext Paris S.A. and Euronext London Limited, a sales facility will be provided by the company to the holders of ADS trading on the Euronext Paris and Euronext London exchanges. ADS holders, who opt for the sales facility will be able to sell their ADS on the NYSE in accordance with Euronext Paris and Euronext London rules. ADS holders who do not opt for the sales facility can continue to keep their ADS and will be able to trade their ADS on the NYSE. Further, until the date of completion of the proposed delisting, the ADS holders can continue to trade their ADS on the Euronext Paris and Euronext London exchanges.

About Infosys Ltd.

Infosys is a global leader in technology services and consulting. We enable clients in 45 countries to create and execute strategies for their digital transformation. From engineering to application development, knowledge management and business process management, we help our clients find the right problems to solve, and to solve these effectively. Our team of 200,000+ innovators, across the globe, is differentiated by the imagination, knowledge and experience, across industries and technologies that we bring to every project we undertake.

Visit http://www.infosys.com to see how Infosys (NYSE: INFY) can help your enterprise thrive in the digital age.

Safe Harbor

Certain statements in this press release concerning our intent to voluntarily delist from the Euronext Paris and Euronext London exchanges, expected or hoped for results or actions with respect to the Euronext Paris and Euronext London exchanges, and the availability of a sale facility are forward-looking intended to qualify for the 'safe harbor' under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, which involve a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in such forward-looking statements. The risks and uncertainties relating to these statements include, but are not limited to, risks and uncertainties regarding the Euronext Paris and Euronext London exchanges' approval process and the timing thereof. Infosys may, from time to time, make additional written and oral forward-looking statements, including statements contained in the company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission and our reports to shareholders. In addition, please note that any forward-looking statements contained herein are based on assumptions that we believe to be reasonable as of the date of this press release. The company does not undertake to update any forward-looking statements that may be made from time to time by or on behalf of the company unless it is required by law.

SOURCE InfosysCINCINNATI, March 12, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Aquiire, Inc., a leader in real-time eProcurement and supplier relationship management solutions, announced today that a leading international church has implemented the Aquiire real-time procure-to-pay (P2P) software solution to enhance their global indirect procurement operations. Aquiire's real-time B2B marketplace is deployed in 68 countries in two languages, with plans for future expansion.

Aquiire's intelligent real-time Procure-to-Pay suite brings the convenience and simplicity of the consumer shopping experience to the business user with unparalleled compliance and savings. Aquiire features patented, real-time B2B e-commerce shopping from a single search, advanced machine learning to improve search relevance and spend visibility and cutting-edge supplier relationship management technologies to automate buyer/seller collaborations.

"They picked Aquiire because of our distinctive approach to the B2B e-commerce marketplace," said Gary Wilson Aquiire Head of Customer Operations. "No one in the industry has the real-time universal search capability that Aquiire delivers. The organization was also impressed with the simple format of the user interface and how easy it is for suppliers to use this solution. The church has implemented Aquiire globally to provide more value to their stakeholders and to achieve additional savings on the organization's annual procurement spend."

Wilson said the key reasons for selecting the Aquiire eProcurement solution included the industry-leading real-time search capabilities, modern user interface and advanced supplier and catalog management functionality. The Church's missionary program is considered to be the largest and most recognized in the world.

About the Aquiire eProcurement Suite

Aquiire's intelligent real-time Procure-to-Pay suite brings the convenience and simplicity of the consumer shopping experience to the business user with unparalleled compliance and savings. Aquiire features patented, real-time B2B e-commerce shopping from a single search, advanced machine learning to improve search relevance and spend visibility and cutting-edge supplier relationship management technologies to automate buyer/seller collaborations. Aquiire's best-in-class, intuitive user interface and real-time lower-price comparisons from alternative suppliers deliver untapped savings on indirect spend. The patented, real-time processing of structured and unstructured data also powers advanced capabilities like instant alerts, risk analysis, analytics and price/product compliance enforcement.

Aquiire's patented real-time technologies are powerful search and supplier relationship management innovations that are unequaled in the industry. They include patent US7756750, a method and system for providing online procurement between a buyer and suppliers over a network, and patent US 9070164, the integration of buy-side procurement with web-enabled remote multi-format catalog sources. Aquiire has several other patents pending.

About Aquiire, Inc.

We are more than procurement thought leaders and disrupters. We are technology entrepreneurs, innovators, and collaborators. Aquiire's eProcurement SaaS platform was developed through real-world collaboration with procurement leaders from some of the largest global enterprises and public institutions. We believe procurement should move in real-time, just like your business. Named the 2017 PayStream Advisors Innovative Procurement Technology of the Year, Aquiire is MBE Certified and one of several portfolio companies of Vora Ventures. More information is available at www.Aquiire.com. Twitter: @Aquiire.

Aquiire Downloads and Resources:

Contact: Paulie Anthony, Director of Marketing

[email protected] | 513/285.8385

SOURCE Aquiire

Related Links

http://www.aquiire.com

ATLANTA, March 12, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Invesco Ltd. (NYSE: IVZ) announced today the addition of three senior executives to its Global Solutions Team. Alexandre Mincier joins as global head of insurance client solutions development; Mark Humphreys as head of EMEA client solutions development; and Vincent de Martel as a solutions strategist focused on North America. They will report directly to Neil Blundell, global head of client solutions development who joined Invesco in 2017.

Invesco's Global Solutions Team continues to grow and expand. It is now comprised of over 45 investment professionals focused on developing and managing customized active and passive, multi-asset investment strategies for clients. By leveraging Invesco's knowledge of and experience in global markets, the team provides differentiated and outcome-oriented solutions to help clients meet their financial goals. Through model portfolios, risk and portfolio analytics, and practical implementation, the Solutions team offers a timely and relevant way to develop customized investment solutions.

"As investments become increasingly complex, diverse, and regulated, we are growing the team to better position ourselves to help clients make sense of their asset allocation mix, such as how to uncover hidden risks or optimally implement factors and alternatives into their portfolios," says Duy Nguyen, head of global advisory solutions and chief investment officer for Invesco's Global Solutions Team.

Alexandre Mincier previously served as global chief investment officer for HSBC Insurance overseeing a portfolio of over $100bn of assets globally. Prior to HSBC he was head of hedging and global head of investment solutions for AXA. He is based in Paris.

Mark Humphreys, who is based in London, joins from Schroders Investment Management, where he was head of fiduciary management, prior to which he held the role of head of UK strategic solutions. He has held previous positions at Watson Wyatt Ltd. and Aon Consulting.

Prior to joining Invesco, Vincent de Martel was a managing director and head of product strategy for BlackRock's multi-asset risk parity/factor suite, which grew to over $10bn under his tenure. Previously, he created and led the LDI business at AXA in Europe and was head of European LDI strategy at Barclays Global Investors. He is based in San Francisco.

"We are pleased to add three seasoned executives to our growing team," says Blundell. "Serving our clients is our first priority, and we are committed to building a best-in class team to develop leading investment solutions."

About Invesco

Invesco is an independent investment management firm dedicated to delivering an investment experience that helps people get more out of life. NYSE: IVZ; www.invesco.com

SOURCE Invesco Ltd.

Related Links

http://www.invesco.com

JOHANNESBURG, March 12, 2018 /PRNewswire/ --

The second edition of the Internet of Things Forum Africa (#IOTFA2018), organised by IT News Africa, will be nothing short of insightful and informative. The two-day conference set to take place on 14 and 15 March 2018 will be held at the Gallagher Convention Centre in Midrand, South Africa.

Under the theme, "Powering a new era of operational transformation", visionaries, thought leaders, industry luminaries and expert practitioners will gather at the #IOTFA2018 where they will share their profound knowledge of real-world IoT trends, challenges and solutions with you.

IoT Forum Africa 2018 and will showcase some of the latest technology solutions by Africa's biggest IoT players. The event will tackle IoT strategies to unlock true business value, realizing positive outcomes and digital transformation with IoT as well as how Artificial Intelligence drives IoT to the next level amongst other topics.

For the first time ever, the event will feature industry tracks with speakers discussing the potential impact of IoT in manufacturing, energy, finance, transportation, retail, security, mining and in government. During these sessions, there will be in-depth discussions on growth opportunities with insights on IoT disruption and innovation in the public and private sectors.

Some of the organisations that will be represented at #IOTFA2018

SAP Africa, Darktrace, Avnet South Africa, Deloitte, ABSA Bank Limited, Sqwidnet, NybSys, ITA, Dimension Data, NEPAD, Arrow Altech Distribution, RS Components, Institute of Information Technology Professionals,

Gauteng Provincial Government, F-Labs, Trinity Telecomms, Vulatelematix Information Technology Association of South Africa, Informed Decisions, HERE, Avnet, COMSOL, Yodiwo, Info Build, Avnet among others.

Confirmed speakers include:

Reshaad Sha , CEO, SqwidNet

, CEO, SqwidNet Dr. Rado Kotorov , VP & CIO at Information Builders (international)

, VP & CIO at Information Builders (international) Yolisa Kani , Public Policy Head SA: Uber

, Public Policy Head SA: Uber Abdul Baba , Group IT Director at TBWA Africa

, Group IT Director at TBWA Africa Xolani Hadebe , IT Director and CIO at University of Pretoria

, IT Director and CIO at University of Dr Gaurav Pradhan , CIO at Time Tunnel Consulting

, CIO at Time Tunnel Consulting Luyanda Ndlovu , CIO at Department of Public Service and Administration

, CIO at Department of Public Service and Administration George Kalebaila, Director, Telecoms & IoT - Africa at IDC

To register visit http://iotforumafrica.com/

For more information, follow Twitter updates on @iotforumafrica

About IT News Africa



IT News Africa is a dynamic media company that specialises in publishing, events as well as marketing and advertising solutions for the information age. We have a global publishing network and international client base, which we service from offices in Johannesburg.

Media Contact:

Philani Moyo

+27-110-260-982

[email protected]

SOURCE IT News Africa"Fifteen million is a big number, but we're a big bourbon," said Fred Noe. "When Jim Beam, my great grandfather, filled his first barrel of whiskey at our Clermont distillery after Prohibition, I doubt he would have predicted that one day we would be a brand known and enjoyed the world over."

The historic milestone, achieved less than two years after the filling of Jim Beam's 14 millionth barrel  the shortest period of time between milestone barrel fills  serves as a testament to the continued global bourbon boom. The growing momentum can be attributed to continued strong sales spurred by rising global demand and the excellent performance of the entire Jim Beam portfolio across the United States, Europe and Southeast Asia.

"We're reaching these milestones faster and faster," said Craig Christenson, vice president global marketing, Jim Beam. "From Russia and Germany to Japan and China  not to mention the United States where Jim Beam is gaining substantial market share, bourbon has become the spirit of choice around the world and we're happy to oblige them by making more. We're the first to reach 15 million and we're not slowing down."

The 15 millionth barrel, signed by employees at the company's Clermont, Boston and Frankfort plants, will join the nearly 2.3 million barrels of bourbon currently aging in Jim Beam's rackhouses across the Commonwealth. It will be stored inside the distillery's historic rackhouse D, a nine-story warehouse rebuilt by Jim Beam after Prohibition on the Clermont distillery grounds. The rackhouse is open to visitors as part of the Jim Beam American Stillhouse tour.

Consumer Demand Fuels Category Growth

According to the Kentucky Distillers' Association, bourbon is now an $8.5 billion state industry, supporting more than 17,500 jobs and generating more than $1.8 million in tax revenues annually.

At one time known for one primary product, the iconic Jim Beam portfolio now offers a wide range of award-winning expressions including Jim Beam Black, Jim Beam Distillers Cut, Jim Beam Double Oak, Jim Beam Devil's Cut, Jim Beam Single Barrel, Jim Beam Bonded, Jim Beam Rye and Jim Beam Distiller's Masterpiece.

Jim Beam has continued to expand its operations in Kentucky, fueled by a commitment to innovate and meet surging global consumer demand.

For more information on Jim Beam, follow Jim Beam on Twitter (@jimbeam) and Instagram (@jimbeamofficial) or visit http://www.jimbeam.com.

About Beam Suntory Inc.

As the world's third largest premium spirits company, Beam Suntory is Crafting the Spirits Brands that Stir the World. Consumers from all corners of the globe call for the company's brands, including the iconic Jim Beam and Maker's Mark bourbon brands and Suntory whisky Kakubin, as well as world renowned premium brands including Knob Creek bourbon, Yamazaki, Hakushu and Hibiki Japanese whiskies, Teacher's, Laphroaig, and Bowmore Scotch whiskies, Canadian Club whisky, Courvoisier cognac, Sauza tequila, Pinnacle vodka, and Midori liqueur.

Beam Suntory was created in 2014 by combining the world leader in bourbon and the pioneer in Japanese whisky to form a new company with a deep heritage, passion for quality, innovative spirit and commitment to Growing for Good. Headquartered in Deerfield, Illinois, Beam Suntory is a subsidiary of Suntory Holdings Limited of Japan. For more information on Beam Suntory, its brands, and its commitment to social responsibility, please visit www.beamsuntory.com and www.drinksmart.com.

Drink Smart

Jim Beam Original Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey, 40% Alc./Vol.

2018 James B. Beam Distilling Co., Clermont, KY

SOURCE Beam Suntory Inc.

Related Links

http://www.jimbeam.com

ATLANTA, March 12, 2018 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Kool Smiles, a leading provider of quality dental care in underserved communities nationwide, today announced the winner of its second annual My Kool Smiles Scholarship Fund essay contest, sponsored by the Benevis Foundation. Kool Smiles awarded Heather Howell, a dental student at Oregon Health and Science University, a $5,000 scholarship for her winning essay about the lack of accessibility being one of the biggest dental health challenges facing children in the United States.

"Thank you, Kool Smiles for selecting my essay and supporting my dental school journey," said Howell. "I look forward using this scholarship to continue my education and help address dental health accessibility problems across America."

In her winning essay, the OHSU dental student addressed some of the major obstacles children face in accessing dental healthcare, including distance, office hours availability and financial barriers. Howell saw many of these issues first-hand while growing up on the Flathead Indian Reservation in Montana. The solutions she provides in the essay include moving dentists beyond the confines of a dental office and into communities, establishing more flexible dental work hours and decreasing the cost of private health insurance.

"Although we can't fix the lack of accessibility issue immediately, these are all key steps that we can begin taking to help kids achieve the dental care that they need," wrote Howell.

"The 2018 essay contest asked students to identify and provide solutions to some of the biggest dental health challenges facing children in the United States," said Dr. Dale Mayfield, Chief Dental Officer of Kool Smiles. "This year's winner Heather Howell offered effective steps towards making dental healthcare more accessible to children in rural and low-income areas."

Kool Smiles is proud to offer this scholarship as part of its continued dedication to dental health education, community outreach, and charitable support for the next generation of inspiring leaders who are passionate about making a difference.

Kool Smiles is also awarding a $500 book stipend to first runner-up, Vanessa Thai, a graduate student at Boston University currently pursuing a Masters in Endodontics at Harvard.

To read the winning and first runner-up essays, click here.

The My Kool Smiles Scholarship Fund is made possible for a second year by the generous support of the Benevis Foundation.

For more information about the My Kool Smiles Scholarship Fund, please visit https://mykoolsmiles.com/l/scholarship.

About Kool Smiles

Kool Smiles is dedicated to creating a world of happy, healthy smiles. As a leading dental care provider, Kool Smiles' mission is to improve lives by providing high quality dental care in a fun, compassionate environment. Kool Smiles dentists are proud to offer care to kids and adults with almost any insurance plan, including State Children's Health Insurance Programs (SCHIP), Medicaid and Tricare. Kool Smiles, with support from the Benevis Foundation, also provides oral health education programs through partnerships with community schools and organizations. For more information, please visit www.mykoolsmiles.com.

About the Benevis Foundation

The Benevis Foundation is committed to improving dental care access and outcomes for underserved communities in the United States through research, education and outreach. The foundation sponsors ongoing research on the role of Medicaid dental providers in improving access to preventative care, early intervention, and dental health education among traditionally underserved pediatric populations, as well as research on the cost savings associated with improving access to dental care among these patient populations in both federal and state healthcare systems. Through these research efforts, the Benevis Foundation hopes to provide data that informs and strengthens public policy related to dental access and affordability. For more information, visit http://benevis.com/benevis-foundation/.

SOURCE Kool Smiles

Related Links

http://www.mykoolsmiles.com

Guards at the Iranian embassy in the Austrian capital, Vienna, on Sunday shot dead an Austrian national who attempted to attack a guard at the building with a knife.

The guard, soldier from Tyrol region of Austria sustained injuries following a brawl with the alleged attacker who stabbed him repeatedly, according to the Doha-based news network, Al Jazeera.

The soldier managed to use his service weapon in the fight and shot fires, killing the attacker, the Austrian police spokesperson contacted by Reuters said.

Austrian authorities have beefed up security measure at the embassy and around other missions following the attack.

The motive behind the attack has not been established and security authorities are yet to analyze video footage of the incident.

The attack comes just days after two knife attacks in Vienna, including one that left a couple and their 17-year-old daughter with severe injuries, al Jazeera reports.

A 23-year-old Afghan confessed to the attacks but denied any political motive, the network adds.SHANGHAI, March 11, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- China-based Jiayin Fintech, parent company to Niwodai, one of chinese largest P2P lending companies, applied delisting from National Equities Exchange and Quotations (NEEQ) in China on 7 March.

Jiayin Fintech's main business is offering micro-finance services solution, among which, the part accounting for the largest income is tying qualified individual borrowing needs with the investing demands through Niwodai platform. So this delisting may indicate some trends of P2P industry, according to media in China.

Founded in 2011 in Shanghai, Niwodai is one of the pioneering P2P lending platforms in China to provide online credit microlending services. Depending on the massive data resources and risk-management models, the platform targets for promoting the efficiency of financial services. Up til now, Niwodai has had almost 40 million registered users totaling more than 80 billion RMB trading volume, with the net profit of 400 million RMB in 2017, making it the most progressive one in the country.

According to Jiayin Fintech's delisting bulletin, the reason of delisting is "for the sake of long term development in capital market." In its another official explanation, also indicated "in order to match up with the needs of capital development."

As is well known, the industry had undertaken a fast and furious growth in China in the past several years. However, its attempt to seek access to the capital market has been consecutively uneasy due to regulator's prudence on account of the wildness and unpredictable risks in this new born industry.

Take Niwodai for instance, listed in NEEQ in 2015, it has almost no trading volume because of high investment threshold, lack of liquidity and the barrier to transfer to mainboard. In such a dilemma, more and more P2P companies decided to switch path to meet their financing demands.

In the early and the end of 2017, there are respectively one P2P lending platform delisting from NEEQ, seeking other financing path. Jiayin Fintech is the last company with P2P lending as main business that delists, which implies the temporary end of the financing trial for P2P company in China domestically.

Besides, from the industry perspective, regulatory policy has been increasingly stringent, compliance costs much more while inter-platform competition has been fierce. For P2P lending companies, only breaking through the siege to get the recognition of capital market, can he be the survivor or winner. Niwodai's strategic adjustment may just kick off the new tide of listing abroad.

SOURCE NiwodaiNEW YORK, March 12, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- The 4A's flagship conference, formerly known as Transformation, relaunches this April as 4A's Accelerate.

Accelerate, slated for April 810 at the Loews Miami Beach Hotel, will bring together Clevel executives and industry leaders from across the advertising, marketing and media worlds. It will celebrate creativity, its impact on commerce and its influence on culture with a mix of keynotes, panels, fireside chats and more.

Accelerate will feature the following prominent speakers, among others:

Unlike previous years, when the conference offered a dedicated Media Day and Creativity Day, Accelerate 2018's day-to-day programming reflects a mix of sessions themed around addressing core industry hot topics: new agency models, brand safety, trust, agency/client partnerships, AI and machine learning, creativity and innovation and diversity and female leadership.

The first day of programming, the Management Practitioners Forum on Sunday, April 8, is for 4A's members only.

"The new nameAcceleratereally illustrates the speed of change required to thrive in today's ever-changing marketplace," said Marla Kaplowitz, president and CEO of the 4A's. "With things moving so quickly, we want Accelerate to offer moments of reflection, conversation and critical thought that illuminate clear paths forward for the industry. Above all else, we want to make sure we deliver the most value to attendees and respond to their needs. One addition is immersive workshops and learning tracks that allow attendees to actively participate in the conference experience."

Learning track sessions include "Introduction to Courageous Conversations about Race," which offers a preview of part of the learning series component of the 4A's Enlightened Workplace Certification, and "Improv with the Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre," through which attendees can experience some of the workshops offered through the 4A's partnership with the Upright Citizens Brigade. Quebec-based Cirque du Soleil will also host an interactive workshop designed to stimulate creativity, curiosity and innovation.

Also at Accelerate, the 4A's will reveal the winners of the fourth annual 4A's Partner Awards, the industry's only awards program that recognizes the collaboration and partnerships that power great creative work.

For more details on the agenda, confirmed speakers and registration details, please visit https://accelerate.aaaa.org/.

ABOUT THE 4A's

The 4A's, founded in 1917, is the leading authority representing the marketing communications agency business. It provides leadership, advocacy and training that empower agencies to innovate, evolve and grow. It serves 740 member agencies across 1,400 offices that control more than 85 percent of total U.S. advertising spend. The 4A's is committed to protecting the best interests of its members, their employees and the industry at large. Its benefits division insures more than 164,000 agency professionals, and the D.C. office advocates for policies that best support a thriving advertising industry. With its best-in-class learning and career development programs, the 4A's and its foundation fuel a robust diversity pipeline of talent for its members and the marketing and media industry, fostering the next generation of leaders. For more information, please visit www.aaaa.org.

Contact:

Nikki Kria

Havas PR

Tel. 646-643-2948

[email protected]

SOURCE 4A'sNEW YORK, March 12, 2018 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Wings Club Foundation, Inc. and IAWA (International Aviation Women's Association) will honor Distinguished Service Cross and Medal of Honor recipient, Major General Patrick Henry Brady (US ARMY Ret.) with the 2018 annual Outstanding Aviator Award. The presentation of this year's Award will take place during The Wings Club Foundation's Annual Meeting, to be held on the evening of Wednesday, March 28, 2018, at The Yale Club in New York City.

Major General Patrick Henry Brady (US ARMY Ret.) joined the army in 1959 and volunteered for service in Vietnam right out of flight school in January 1964. His work there was exclusively in helicopter evacuation, known in the field as "dust off."

He had the reputation as one of the most skilled and gutsy pilots in Vietnam whose extraordinary flying techniques enabled him to navigate through conditions other pilots would not attempt. Both his skill and guts were put to the test on a foggy day in January, 1968, during his second tour of duty as part of the 54th Medical detachment in Chu Lai.

After seven unsuccessful attempts to rescue wounded soldiers from a fog shrouded evacuation site, he volunteered for his first mission of the day  a day that would end with Major General Brady flying four separate sets of missions under what seemed impossible conditions. He went through three different helicopters, riddled with four hundred bullet holes and evacuated 51 men to safety.

In recognition for his act of valor, Major General Brady was awarded the Medal of Honor which was presented to him on October 9, 1969 by President Richard Nixon. His most significant aviation accomplishments were over 2,500 combat missions and 5,000 rescues. He retired from the US Army as major general in 1993 after 34 years of service.

Recognizing significant achievements that contribute to the advancement of aeronautics and aviation, The Wings Club Foundation recognizes and honors people throughout the year with the Distinguished Achievement Award, Distinguished Scholar Awards and the Outstanding Aviator Award.

Since its inception in 2010, the annual Outstanding Aviator Award has been presented to iconic recipients such as: the Tuskegee Airmen, the Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASP), the Doolittle Raiders, Patty Wagstaff, Robert A. "Bob" Hoover, Suzanna Darcy-Hennemann, Colonel Edward T. Rock (USAF Ret.) and Major Heather Penney (USAF Ret.).

The Wings Club Foundation, Inc., is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization. Its mission is to focus on initiatives aimed at supporting scholarships for students pursuing a career in aviation or aerospace; providing programs to educate in the field of aviation and supporting charitable organizations that use aviation to help those in need. The Wings Club Foundation serves over 1,300 members including industry leaders, pilots, professionals in related service organizations and students of aviation.

The International Aviation Women's Association (IAWA) is a non-profit association with members in 38 countries representing 257 major companies and aviation authorities. IAWA is dedicated to promoting the advancement of women in the aviation and aerospace industries at all levels across the globe. In addition to providing annual scholarships, IAWA sponsors informative meetings, publishes newsletters, and hosts receptions, connects, regional forums, and annual conferences all over the world.

If you are interested in attending this year's presentation of the award to Major General Patrick Henry Brady and would also like to attend the Annual Meeting, please RSVP to Lea MacDougall at (212) 867-1770 or email [email protected]. For more information on The Wings Club visit www.wingsclub.org. Members and guests are invited.

SOURCE The Wings Club Foundation, Inc.

Related Links

https://www.wingsclub.org

BOSTON, March 12, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- A Massachusetts Superior Court decision appears to establish that an at-will employee may owe a fiduciary duty to an employer in some circumstances, according to Nancy M. Reimer, a Member in the Boston office of national law firm LeClairRyan.

Nancy Reimer

"Even if the employee is a CPA, who is generally considered to be independent of his or her client, an 'at- will' employee may be liable for breach of fiduciary under the correct circumstances under the theories of agency law," she explains. "This had been demonstrated in opinions issued by courts in other jurisdictions, like Delaware, which have also ruled that 'at-will' employees may be subject to a breach of fiduciary claim."

"In Christensen, et al v. Cox, et al, the plaintiffs asserted six claims against Shawn E. Cox  a CPA and former employee of Clayton and Matthew Christensen  including breach of fiduciary duty," notes Reimer, who defends professional malpractice claims against accountants, attorneys, financial advisors and other professionals, as well as breach of fiduciary duty claims and claims against corporate directors and officers. (LeClairRyan was not involved in this case.)

Cox moved to dismiss the complaint, contending, among other things, he did not owe the Christensens a fiduciary duty. "Generally, when a CPA engages in an audit or other activity on behalf their client, the CPA is considered to be independent by virtue of their position," Reimer notes. "But in this case, Cox was acting in an in-house role, so he couldn't rest on an assumption that he was independent. The facts and circumstances indicated he was acting as an employee and therefore owed a duty of honesty and fair dealing to his employer."

"Cox was hired by Clayton and Matthew Christensen to run the daily operations of their company Rose Park, the Disruptive Innovation Fund and Disruptive Innovation, LLC (collectively "Rose Park") in 2010," Reimer writes in the firm's Accountant and Attorney Liability News Brief - Winter 2018. "Cox's responsibilities included working with outside legal counsel to prepare, review, and approve company documents on the Christensen's behalf. The Christensens trusted Cox to ensure the accurate and complete implementation of their instructions and intentions."

But in April 2013, without authorization, Cox instructed a junior lawyer at the law firm representing Disruptive Innovation to amend the company's operating agreement, adding Cox as a "member" without disclosing this to the Christensens or to Disruptive Innovation, Reimer relates. Cox left his job at Disruptive Innovation at the end of May.

"Sometime thereafter, Cox shocked the Christensens when he demanded payment as a Class B Unit holder," notes Reimer. Cox provided no consideration for the units and the Christensens claimed he had enough industry experience to know it would be unprecedented for a non-founding, non-investment, short-tenured employee to be gifted a permanent entitlement to profits, she adds.

The Massachusetts court agreed to dismiss some of the claims, but found the complaint plead sufficient facts to render the fiduciary duty claim plausible at the motion-to-dismiss stage, even though Cox was an 'at-will' employee. Among other cites, the court noted a Delaware decision, Triton Const. Co. v. Eastern Shore Elec. Servs., Inc., 2009 WL 1387115, which recognized that "key managerial employees" and even non-managerial employees may be liable for breaches of fiduciary duty based on hallmark principles of agency law. That decision also noted that "hallmark principles of agency law apply to traditional corporate fiduciaries, such as officers and directors, and to key managerial personnel."

"With respect to the fiduciary duty claim, the court found the Complaint plead sufficient facts to render the fiduciary duty claim plausible at the motion-to-dismiss stage," Reimer writes in the newsletter article. "As a fiduciary, Cox was obligated to disclose all material facts to the Christensens regardless of whether the Christensens could have discovered the facts by reading the documents. Although this case is in the early stages of litigation it is significant because it confirms that an 'at-will' employee, even one who is a CPA, may owe an employer a fiduciary duty depending on his or her role in the company and the facts and circumstances of the case."

The full article is available at: https://www.jdsupra.com/legalnews/accountant-and-attorney-liability-57897/

About LeClairRyan

As a trusted advisor, LeClairRyan provides business counsel and client representation in corporate law and litigation. In this role, the firm applies its knowledge, insight and skill to help clients achieve their business objectives while managing and minimizing their legal risks, difficulties and expenses. With offices from coast to coast, the firm represents a wide variety of clients nationwide. For more information about LeClairRyan, visit www.leclairryan.com.

NOTE TO MEDIA: Nancy M. Reimer is available as a resource for your coverage of malpractice issues involving accountants, attorneys, financial advisors and other professionals.

Press Contacts: At Parness & Associates Public Relations, Bill Parness, (732) 290-0121, [email protected] or Lisa Kreda, [email protected]

SOURCE LeClairRyan

Related Links

http://www.leclairryan.com

SUNNYVALE, Calif., March 12, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Micro Focus (LSE: MCRO;NYSE: MFGP) today published its fifth annual State of Security Operations Report 2018, which reveals, for the first time since the report's initial publication, an upward trend across all assessment areas. Despite the volume of threats rising, the report's findings indicate that more mature Security Operational Centers (SOCs) are becoming more efficient in detection with greater ability to recover from breaches than ever before.

While the report reflects positive momentum in organizations adopting and deploying security solutions, it also indicates that 20% of the cyber defense organizations assessed over the past five years failed to score a Security Operations Maturity Model (SOMM) level 1, which according to the model translates to a complete lack of capability. These organizations continue to operate in an ad-hoc manner with undocumented processes and significant cracks in security and risk management.

"Over the last five years, we have watched organizations attempt to achieve a complete security transformation by applying Band-Aids  such as the purchase of peripheral products or dismantling of solutions  only to find poor results and poor business alignment," said Matthew Shriner, vice president, Security Professional Services for Micro Focus. "With that in mind, it is refreshing that when it comes to cyber defense capability, Micro Focus is seeing a much higher degree of operational sophistication than ever before. Nearly 25% of organizations assessed are meeting business goals, representing a nearly 10% year-over-year improvement."

The Micro Focus State of Security Operations Report provides deep analysis on the effectiveness of organizations' SOCs and best practices for mitigating risk in the evolving cybersecurity landscape. Over the last five years, Micro Focus has shared findings from 200 assessments of 144 discreet SOC organizations in 33 countries. It includes organizations in the public and private sectors, enterprises across all industry verticals, as well as managed security service providers. This is the largest available dataset to draw conclusions about the state of cyber defense and enterprise security operations around the globe.

Each SOC is measured on the Micro Focus SOMM scale that evaluates the people and processes, technology, and business capabilities. According to the report, organizations are beginning to see a return on their security investments and are seeing more value out of the security solutions they have deployed, reporting an average 8% improvement across people and processes, the two dimensions measured that have historically struggled most.

Key observations include:

SOCs are quickly shifting to co-managed operations. This approach has allowed cyber defense programs to overcome the greatest challenge: a global shortage of cyber security talent. By setting up an operational relationship with a partner that includes regular interactions, SOC leaders can narrowly focus on the assets they want to protect and work with the partner operationally to perform the technology integration to make it happen.

This approach has allowed cyber defense programs to overcome the greatest challenge: a global shortage of cyber security talent. By setting up an operational relationship with a partner that includes regular interactions, SOC leaders can narrowly focus on the assets they want to protect and work with the partner operationally to perform the technology integration to make it happen. SOCs running short on personnel are adopting security orchestration, automation, and response (SOAR) solutions. Organizations are investing in automating security incident investigation and management toolsets, and with deliberate implementation goals in mind, are experiencing positive results. The concept is sound, yet adoption is slow due to operational knowledge gaps.

Organizations are investing in automating security incident investigation and management toolsets, and with deliberate implementation goals in mind, are experiencing positive results. The concept is sound, yet adoption is slow due to operational knowledge gaps. Private sector organizations are systematically investing in the development of fusion centers. In its initial form, fusion centers took the "One SOC to Rule Them All" approach. This model continues to serve decentralized organizations well along with those that have grown quickly through M&A activity. Over the past year, fusion centers have evolved into combined disciplines that most organizations would deliberately separate in the past. The new form includes fusion centers that are preparing to combine data security monitoring & incident response and compliance reporting for GDPR.

In its initial form, fusion centers took the "One SOC to Rule Them All" approach. This model continues to serve decentralized organizations well along with those that have grown quickly through M&A activity. Over the past year, fusion centers have evolved into combined disciplines that most organizations would deliberately separate in the past. The new form includes fusion centers that are preparing to combine data security monitoring & incident response and compliance reporting for GDPR. The use of deception grids and impact on operations maturity has increased over the last year. It is because of the shift in the economy of an attack that deception grid solutions can be very attractive. Misinformation about target systems can alter the findings of scripted reconnaissance and cause attackers to deploy resources that are ineffective on the target system. Organizations are also starting to learn much about the attacker and the target of their campaign by analyzing the behavior of the attacker in the deception-oriented environment.

Methodology

The methodology for assessments is based on Micro Focus's (formerly HPE's) Security Operations Maturity Model (SOMM), which focuses on multiple aspects of a successful and mature security intelligence and monitoring capability including people, process, technology, and business functions. The SOMM uses a five-point scale  a score of "0" is given for a complete lack of capability while a "5" is given for a capability that is consistent, repeatable, documented, measured, tracked, and continually improved upon. The ideal composite maturity score for a modern enterprise is "3", while managed security service providers (MSSPs) should target a maturity level between "3" and "4". The reliable detection of malicious activity and threats to the organization, and a systematic approach to manage those threats are the most important success criteria for a mature cyber defense capability.

For more, the full methodology is detailed in the report, as well as feedback on key factors to the success that contributed toward the upward shift in this year's report based on feedback from leaders that performed year-over-year assessments.

More Information

For more information about the Micro Focus Security products and services, visit: https://www.microfocus.com/solutions/security/.

Follow along with Micro Focus on LinkedIn and on Twitter at @MicroFocus.

About Micro Focus

Micro Focus is a leading global enterprise software company uniquely positioned to help customers extend existing investments while embracing new technologies in a world of Hybrid IT. Providing customers with a world-class portfolio of enterprise-grade scalable solutions with analytics built-in, Micro Focus delivers customer-centered innovation across DevOps, Hybrid IT Management, Security & Data Management, and Predictive Analytics. For more information visit www.microfocus.com.

Contact:

Bret Fitzgerald, Micro Focus

801-550-1745

[email protected]

SOURCE Micro Focus

Related Links

https://www.microfocus.com

The company was previously awarded a $225,000 Phase I SBIR grant in July 2016, the results of which were published in ACS Energy Letters in January 2018. The publication highlights UbiQD's novel quantum dot laminated glass concept and the first-ever third-party certified solar window efficiency.

"With NSF's support we demonstrated a novel, high-performance sunlight-harvesting window concept in Phase I," said Dr. Hunter McDaniel, Founder and CEO of UbiQD. "Now with continued funding in Phase II, we plan to optimize for a higher performance-to-cost ratio, scale-up product prototypes, and deploy our windows in pilot installations."

To further accelerate glazing market exploration, UbiQD has hired Jeffrey Granato as an Advisory Board Member. Granato, who worked for DuPont for more than three decades, is a highly energetic leader with proven experience in developing new and growing markets, and has deep knowledge of the window industry.

"I am excited to be back in the glass industry and working with UbiQD," said Granato. "Quantum dot technology has the potential to be a game-changer by turning curtain walls into solar collectors without sacrificing optical quality."

About UbiQD, Inc.

UbiQD is a nanotechnology company based in Los Alamos, New Mexico that manufactures high-performance cadmium-free quantum dots and composite materials. While the company's primary focus is on sunlight-harvesting applications, UbiQD also currently sells its materials for R&D purposes and provides materials technology development services. Spun out of technology developed at Los Alamos National Laboratory, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, The University of Washington, and Western Washington University, UbiQD envisions a future where quantum dots are ubiquitous in a wide spectrum of applications. For more information visit UbiQD.com.

MEDIA CONTACTS

UbiQD, Inc.

[email protected] | 505.310.6767

SOURCE UbiQD, Inc.

Related Links

http://ubiqd.com

COLUMBIA, S.C., March 12, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- A new airport transportation service that runs daily from Columbia, SC to Columbia, Charlotte, Greenville, Charleston and Augusta airports is gaining momentum.

SC Shuttle vans

SC Shuttle Services offers an affordable, clean, comfortable and hassle-free way to get to and from the major airports in the South Carolina area. Shuttle service is available from 6am  10pm daily with fares starting as low as $34. The most popular route from Columbia to Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT) is only $54 one way. Passengers can easily reserve their seats online at SCShuttle.com 24/7 or call a reservation agent at (803) 606-0999 between 8am  9pm daily.

"We believe that most airport travelers are looking for an affordable, stress-free way to get to and from the airport. They already have to deal with overcrowded planes and long TSA lines, and just need a relaxing trip getting to their final destination."  Kieron Riley, SC Shuttle Services CEO

Some major benefits include saving time, and relaxing or sleeping during the ride. Passengers can also save money on high fuel costs or mileage and avoid depreciation of their vehicles. There is also no worrying about finding a space in the parking lot or paying exorbitant parking fees. An added bonus is that ride-sharing promotes a cleaner environment.

SC Shuttle Services has an average review rating of 5 stars on Yelp with earned respect and loyalty

SC Shuttle Services is a South Carolina family owned and operated shared ride business based out of Columbia SC, which began serving passengers in May 2017. SC Shuttle Services was born when the CEO realized that there was a lack of affordable options regarding transportation between the major airports in the south and Columbia. They offer the most comfortable and affordable shuttle service in South Carolina. Their vans also offers hassle-free convenience and are fully insured. In addition, they are licensed by the State of South Carolina and the City of Columbia as a Class C Charter service (#ORS9270).

If you would like more information about this topic, please contact Kieron Riley at (803) 606-0999 or email at [email protected].

Contact: Kieron Riley

Telephone: (803) 606-0999

Cell: (803) 447-5906

Email: [email protected]

Website: www.scshuttle.com

SOURCE SC Shuttle Services

Related Links

http://www.scshuttle.com

CHARLOTTE, N.C., March 12, 2018 /PRNewswire/-- Divorce, death, job loss, illness, accidents and financial reversals are just some of the storms affecting virtually every human being. When awful events occuroften without warningpeople often ask: "Why is this happening to me? Why now? What is the purpose of this tragedy?"

Book Cover Nate Stevens

In his new book, Deck Time with Jesus: Navigating Life's Storms from a Place of Peace and Rest, an Amazon bestseller, Nate Stevens explores the adversity of Jesus and several other biblical characters as compass points for readers to navigate their own life storms as opportunities for faith and personal growth.

Stevens, who spent nine years working on Deck Time with Jesus, is an avid, lifelong student of Scripturehaving read the Bible cover to cover more than 25 times. The book title refers to Mark 4:35-41 when Jesus and His frightened disciplines were sailing and in danger of being swamped by an unexpected squall. Jesus challenged the disciples to have faithto rest peacefully with Himbefore He calmed the wind and waves.

Stevens, the son of missionary parents, uses his book to answer such questions as:

Could tragic circumstances be divine reminders that we are but one heartbeat away from meeting God face to face?

What can people do when a stormy day or two extends into weeks, months or years?

What are the five primary categories of life storms and why do they occur?

At Easter, what takeaways can be learned from the horrible storms Jesus faced on the cross?

About the author

In addition to Deck Time with Jesus, Nate Stevens has authored Matched 4 Life and contributed to Divine Moments, Spoken Moments, Christian Moments and other books in that series. He writes online devotionals for Christian Devotions and Single Matters. A popular speaker and teacher at conferences, seminars and Bible study groups, Nate has enjoyed a 36-year-career as an executive in the banking industry.

Availability: North Carolina, nationwide by arrangement and via telephone

Contact: Nate Stevens, (803) 546-4457; [email protected]

NateStevens.net, www.amazon.com/Deck-

SOURCE Nate Stevens

Related Links

https://natestevens.net/

LIVONIA, Mich., March 12, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Advanced Periodontics Institute (API), a premier clinical and education center in Michigan, organized a special hands-on workshop for dentists on the topic 'Implant Esthetics- Placement & Provisional' in Livonia, MI on 10th March 2018. The hands on course focused on key new procedures that create pleasing and long-lasting esthetics in implants and provided 6 CE credits to dentists. Dr. Monish Bhola (DDS, MSD), a Diplomate of the American Board of Periodontology and Director of API (www.advancedperiodontics.com), regularly holds hands on courses in Periodontics and Implantology for dental professionals from all over the world to improve their knowledge, skills and patient care delivery. He stated, "API conducted this exclusive workshop because in today's age of Implant Dentistry, patients expect high quality esthetic results from their Implant dentist and are driven by the desire to look good and appealing."

Dr. Bhola, who has been voted Detroit Hour Magazine's Top Dentist every year since 2010 remarked, "According to the American Academy of Implant Dentistry (AAID), it is estimated that 69 percent of Americans between ages 35 and 44 have at least one missing tooth and one in four Americans above the age of 74 have lost all their natural teeth. Furthermore, the American Dental Association (ADA) declares that dental implants are the next best thing after a person's natural teeth. They are strong and stable and look, function and feel like a natural tooth, when placed by an experienced Implantologist."

Dr. Monish Bhola, a world-renowned expert in dental implants and bone grafting, informed, "All aspects of esthetics in implant treatment are geared towards maintaining and preserving more bone and soft tissue. Implant esthetics depend on two fundamental components: appearance of the implant crown and proper establishment of soft tissue (gums) that intimately embrace the crown." In order to achieve and maintain good soft tissue esthetics (esthetics of the gums) around implants, Dr. Bhola taught dental professionals some important and new soft tissue management and enhancement procedures such as 'dual-zone grafting' and 'biotype modification' techniques. "These techniques create a natural emergence profile around implants and an excellent and customized emergence profile turns the implant into a natural-looking tooth," affirmed Dr. Bhola.

During the one day hands on workshop, the Periodontist & Implantologist, who has been practicing Clinical Periodontics and Implant Dentistry for the past twenty one years commented, "Today, in the era of practicing evidence-based dentistry, there is adequate long term evidence that immediate implants reduce the overall treatment time, the number of surgeries required by the patient and also help preserve more bone and soft tissue. He taught dental professionals all the intricacies of successful placement of immediate implants; the management of different types of tooth socket anatomies and fabrication of screw retained esthetic provisional restorations. Dr. Bhola, whose areas of interest include dental implants and advanced bone & soft tissue grafting for teeth and implants asserted, "Bone grafting in conjunction with immediate implant placement has tremendous esthetic benefits."

About API and Dr. Monish Bhola

API is a premier clinical and education center in Michigan with locations in Livonia and Plymouth. It is leading the field in educating practicing dentists on socially relevant topics such as preventing the overuse of opioids and recognizing and responding to human trafficking in Michigan. Dr. Bhola (DDS, MSD) served as a Professor & Director of Graduate Periodontics & Implantology at The University of Detroit Mercy, School of Dentistry. He is the recipient of the prestigious Bud and Linda Tarrson Fellowship award given by the American Academy of Periodontology Foundation and a fellow of the Pierre Fauchard Academy and the OKU Nu Nu Chapter, a National Honor Dental Society. Dr. Bhola conducts several training courses in Periodontics and Implantology for dentists from all over the world (http://www.drbhola.com) and has over thirty peer-reviewed publications in leading dental journals. Other API dentists Dr. Kolhatkar and Dr. Jacobs also conduct Periodontics and Implantology courses for dentists and regularly publish research in leading dental journals.

Myra Franklin

Advanced Periodontics Institute

734-459-4077

[email protected]

SOURCE Advanced Periodontics

Related Links

http://www.advancedperiodontics.com

King Salman has signed a decree setting up legal units tasked with investigating corruption-related cases, one month after the end of the anti-corruption purge, which rounded up some 200 people including 11 Princes, top state officials and business big-wigs.

The departments will be supervised by the kingdoms attorney general Sheikh Saud bin Abdullah Al-Muajab.

Sheikh Saud reportedly told the information ministry that the establishment of the units is intended to increase effectiveness and accelerate the process of combating corruption.

The state-run news agency, SPA, points out that King Salmans decision was dictated by his concern to combat corruption in all its forms with the aim to protect the homeland and its resources, preserve public money and protect the integrity of the public service.

Sheikh Saud in November ordered the arrest of 11 princes including billionaire al Waleed bin Talal and several other officials in what the royal court called an anti-corruption campaign.

The detainees were held for several months. Most of them signed monetary agreements in exchange for their release, according to authorities.

Several analysts said the anti-corruption campaign was aimed at numbing potential opponents to Crown Prince Mohamed bin Salman who is believed behind the move.

Saudi Arabia ranks 57 out of 180 countries on Transparency Internationals Corruption Perception index, for scoring 49 over a total of 100. The kingdom was ranked 62nd the previous year.RANCHO CUCAMONGA, Calif., March 12, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- New World Medical, Inc., a privately-held ophthalmic company dedicated to developing cutting-edge glaucoma medical devices intended to alleviate the suffering of patients globally, is proud to announce the winners of their annual Humanitarian Project Award and Fellowship Award. The Humanitarian Project Award is designated for a non-profit or academic institution that provides ophthalmic care and skills-transfer. The Fellowship Award provides medical mission travel support for an incoming or current glaucoma fellow dedicated to humanitarian work. These recipients, who will be honored at a New World Medical EyeWorld event on Saturday, April 14th, truly represent the company's mission to preserve and enhance vision by delivering innovations to all of humanity.

The University of Colorado Ophthalmic Global Outreach Program was selected to receive the Humanitarian Project Award to provide advanced surgical glaucoma training in the Dominican Republic .

The Humanitarian Project Award will provide $50,000 to the University of Colorado Ophthalmic Global Outreach Program. This program seeks to combat worldwide blindness from glaucoma, with focused efforts in the Caribbean and South America. The award will benefit the Elias Santana Hospital in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. This hospital provides care to the impoverished throughout the region, averaging 600 patients a day, half of whom are being seen for glaucoma-related issues. The funding will be utilized to educate faculty, fellows, and residents on the most advanced and up-to-date ab interno glaucoma surgical techniques.

"We are grateful for New World Medical's support of our mission to develop world-class physicians abroad. You would be hard pressed to find a brighter, more talented group of surgeons than at Elias Santana Hospital," said the program's director, Cristos Ifantides, MD, MBA. "This award will allow us to propel them to the forefront of glaucoma care. The outcome will be countless ophthalmologists fully trained and capable of tackling a crippling disease like glaucoma. Because Elias Santana Hospital trains ophthalmologists from many different countries, this is truly an opportunity to elevate glaucoma care throughout the world."

Avni Shah , MD, a skilled and passionate glaucoma fellow committed to humanitarian work, was selected to receive the Fellowship Award to support her upcoming medical missions.

The Fellowship Award of $10,000 in travel support will be given to Avni Shah, MD, a glaucoma fellow at Tufts Medical Center & Ophthalmic Consultants of Boston. Dr. Shah, who has been accepted to the Moran Eye Center's International fellowship program next year, has a passion for both medicine and service. Her interest in outreach was sparked early in medical school through her involvement in urban community glaucoma screenings. "My draw to ophthalmology as a specialty was in the context of teaching and service," she said. "My experience during medical school and exposure to individuals who dedicated their time and energy to helping cure preventable blindness led to a deep and urgent sense of what I wanted to devote myself to, and laid the foundation for my eventual career goals."

Dr. Shah has made two trips to the Elias Santana Hospital in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic and is planning a visit to the Aravind Eye Hospital in India where she will train in manual small-incision cataract surgery and study one of the most successful models of sustainable eye care delivery in the developing world. As part of her Moran fellowship, Dr. Shah will travel to several international sites, including Tanzania and Ghana. "In Tanzania, I plan to provide the first glaucoma-specific surgical training to the only ophthalmologist at the University of Dodoma."

"As we recognize World Glaucoma Week, New World Medical could not be more excited and proud to announce this year's Humanitarian Project Award and Fellowship Award winners," said Bilal Khan, President of New World Medical. "We sincerely thank the members of our selection committee that had the tough task of choosing the recipients from a large pool of world-class applications, which doubled in size from last year. Our selection committee included Hunter Cherwek, MD, Wendy Hofman, MD, Scott Lawrence, MD, Oluwatosin 'Tosin' Smith, MD, and Malik Kahook, MD."

"The University of Colorado Ophthalmic Global Outreach Program is well positioned to effectively and efficiently enhance eye care in one of the poorest barrios of Santo Domingoconsistent with our humanitarian mission. We are also honored to support young ophthalmologists like Dr. Avni Shah. Her commitment and passion have already driven her to secure a coveted international fellowship," said Mr. Khan. "We seek to provide eye care where it's needed most, which often means developing nations and underserved populations. This can only be achieved through collaborations with like-minded organizations and eye care professionals who are dedicated to alleviating the burden of blindness around the globe."

The 2017 Humanitarian Project Award recipient was Sight for Souls, a US-based charity dedicated to catalyzing blindness alleviation and building capacity through residency and subspecialty training of ophthalmologists in Ethiopia. Jeanie D. Ling, MD, glaucoma fellow at the University of Texas-Houston Health Science Center, was the winner of the 2017 Fellowship Award.

About New World Medical

New World Medical was founded by Dr. A. Mateen Ahmed, who was determined to develop, manufacture, and market cutting-edge medical devices to alleviate ophthalmic ailments globally. New World Medical's mission is to preserve and enhance vision by delivering innovations to all of humanity, and achieves this through partnerships with surgeons and eye care professionals who are dedicated to alleviating the burden of blindness around the globe. The company's flagship devices include the market-leading glaucoma drainage device, the Ahmed Glaucoma Valve, as well as the single use disposable Kahook Dual Blade, which is used for goniotomy procedures to excise trabecular meshwork via an ab interno approach. To learn more about the unique mission of New World Medical or their innovative product line, please visit http://www.newworldmedical.com

SOURCE New World Medical

Related Links

http://www.newworldmedical.com

NASHVILLE, Tenn., March 12, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- OnlineSchoolsCenter.com has recently released their list of the Best Online Schools for Doctor of Occupational Therapy, a comprehensive index of the finest distance education institutions offering doctoral degrees in this discipline.

You may view the list, along with a description of the benefits of each institution, by clicking the link below:

https://www.onlineschoolscenter.com/best-online-schools-doctor-occupational-therapy/

Occupational Therapy is a holistic health science that involves the rehabilitation of patients with physical and/or mental illnesses so that they can function normally in their daily lives. This practice is a crucial part of the medicinal sciences and is massively beneficial for individuals of all ages. Earning a doctoral level degree in this area of study will give individuals all of the most prestigious and state-of-the-art techniques and knowledge surrounding occupational therapy. They will have the status and networking connections to enter into hospitals and clinics of all kinds upon exiting one of these twenty online schools.

These schools represent some of the finest programs and faculty members in the nation and, in some cases, the world over. Students have access to all of the finest resources and advantages of on-campus students, all of which will drastically enhance their understanding of the field through any one of these twenty curricula.

According to lead researcher and writer, Rowan Jones, "Occupational Therapy helps millions of people everyday to function throughout their lives with ease. Earning a degree of this nature is not only fiscally and economically responsible, it provides the world with a much needed area of medicine."

Below we have listed the schools that have made the Best Online Schools for Doctor of Occupational Therapy:

Creighton University  Omaha, NE

 Chatham University  Pittsburgh, PA

University  Quinnipiac University  Hamden, CT

 A.T. Still University of Health Sciences  Kirksville, MO

Concordia University Wisconsin  Mequon, WI

 Eastern Kentucky University  Richmond, KY

 University of Utah  Salt Lake City, UT

 Mount Mary University  Milwaukee, WI

George Washington University  Washington, D.C.

 Boston University  Boston, MA

 University of Kansas  Lawrence, KS

 Loma Linda University  Loma Linda, CA

 Misericordia University  Dallas, PA

Texas Woman's university  Denton, TX

 University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences  St. Augustine, FL

for Health Sciences  Salus University  Elkins Park, PA

Nova Southeastern University  Fort Lauderdale, FL

 Jefferson  Philadelphia, PA

 Temple University  Philadelphia, PA

 Towson University  Towson, MD

Contact:

Rowan Jones

Researcher/Writer

OnlineSchoolsCenter.com

Email: [email protected]

Cell: (931) 636-4286

SOURCE OnlineSchoolsCenter.comDUBLIN, Ohio, March 12, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Sarnova Holdings, Inc., parent company to four fast-growing business units: Bound Tree Medical, Cardio Partners, Emergency Medical Products and Tri-anim Health Services, announced today that the company has signed an agreement to be acquired by Patricia Industries, which is part of the Swedish industrial holding company, Investor AB. Patricia Industries will acquire the majority of Sarnova from Water Street Healthcare Partners and Sarnova founder Matthew D. Walter who will remain minority investors in the business.

Sarnova was formed in 2008 when Mr. Walter and Water Street merged two leading specialty distributors, Bound Tree Medical and Tri-anim Health Services. Over the next ten years, Sarnova completed eight acquisitions to expand its suite of medical products and services. Today, Sarnova is the nation's premier national distributor of health care products.

"I am so proud of our team's success. This new partnership with Patricia Industries will further strengthen Sarnova's capacity to serve our customers, vendors and employees and fulfill our mission to save and improve patients' lives. Simply put, the Wallenberg family and the Investor Group have a values-oriented culture, much like Sarnova's culture, and we foresee a very bright future as a part of their family," says Sarnova CEO Jeff Prestel.

Chris Sweeney, partner, Water Street, added, "It has been an honor to work with Matt, Jeff and the entire Sarnova team over the past ten years. Together, we created and executed a strategic plan that grew the company into a market leader that is making a meaningful impact in the acute care and emergency medical services markets. Patricia consistently demonstrated its cultural alignment with us throughout our discussions and will be a strong home for Sarnova."

"In Sarnova, we see a great company that has both impressive historical performance and significant, durable long-term growth potential. Its asset-light business model makes the company highly cash generative," says Noah Walley, Co-Head of Patricia Industries. "We are looking forward to working with Sarnova's executive team to further invest in and develop the company."

Cain Brothers & Company, a division of KeyBanc Capital Markets, served as sole financial advisor to Patricia Industries and facilitated its strategic acquisition of Sarnova on a proprietary basis.

About Sarnova

Sarnova is the leading national specialty distributor of healthcare products in the emergency medical services (EMS) and acute care markets. The company is comprised of four major business units: Bound Tree Medical, Cardio Partners, Emergency Medical Products and Tri-anim Health Services. For more information, visit www.sarnova.com.

About Patricia Industries

Patricia Industries, a part of Investor AB, makes control investments in best-in-class companies with strong market positions, brands and corporate cultures within industries positioned for secular growth. Our ambition is to be the sole owner of our companies, together with strong management teams and boards. We invest with an indefinite holding period, and focus on building durable value and capturing organic and non-organic growth opportunities.

About Investor AB

Investor, founded by the Wallenberg family a hundred years ago, is the leading owner of high quality Nordic-based international companies. Through board participation, our industrial experience, network and financial strength, we strive to make our companies best-in-class. Our holdings include, among others, ABB, Atlas Copco, Ericsson, Molnlycke, and SEB.

About Water Street

Water Street is a strategic investor focused exclusively on health care. The firm has a strong record of building market-leading companies across key growth sectors in health care. It has worked with some of the world's leading health care companies on its investments including Johnson & Johnson, Medtronic, Smith & Nephew and Walgreen Co. Water Street's team is comprised of industry executives and investment professionals with decades of experience investing in and operating global health care businesses. The firm is headquartered in Chicago. For more information about Water Street, visit www.waterstreet.com.

SOURCE Water Street Healthcare Partners

Related Links

https://www.waterstreet.com

SPRINGVILLE, Utah, March 12, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Prestige Wellness Institute is pleased to announce they now offer GAINSWave! This breakthrough noninvasive medical therapy uses low-intensity shockwave therapy to enhance sexual performance and to treat Erectile Dysfunction symptoms.

As men age, the vessels in their penis weaken, contract and fill with micro-plaque, which can lead to Erectile Dysfunction. As these tiny vessels become clogged, the penis decreases in sensitivity, making it harder for men to achieve and maintain an erection. Thankfully, the GAINSWave protocols can enhance a man's performance by using high-frequency acoustic waves to repair existing blood vessels and improve blood flow.

Thanks to the numerous clinical studies on Low-Intensity Extracorporeal Shockwave Therapy (Li-ESWT), we can see that this therapy improves not only erectile dysfunction symptoms but also sexual performance. "GAINSWave is an ideal solution for men looking to improve spontaneous erections without the use of Viagra or Cialis," says Ray Andrew, MD Owner. Patients receiving GAINSWave therapy have reported improved erection quality, enhanced sexual performance and decreased refractory times between orgasms, which is why this a great alternative to ED medications.

This drug and surgery-free procedure only takes about 20 minutes and can enhance a man's sex life while addressing the root cause of Erectile Dysfunction. Prestige Wellness Institute is now treating men with the GAINSWave Therapy in their offices located at 1220 North Main Street, Ste 6, Springville, UT 84663.

Dr. Andrew is a board-certified family physician in private practice since 2002. He specializes in Functional, Metabolic, and Anti-Aging Medicine. Like our many other services, GAINSWave revolutionizes the lives of our patients. Not only does it restore youthful vitality to our male patients, but it revitalizes their relationships with those they love. This alone, independent from everything else we do, helps couples feel younger and more alive.

GAINSWave has many advantages over other treatments for Erectile Dysfunction. For example, no surgery is required. There is no recovery time. Intimacy doesn't have to be scheduled on the calendar. GAINSWave brings spontaneity back into the relationship. Confidence returns. Embarrassment becomes a thing of the past. Improved erectile function isn't limited to a period of hours or days. And the damage that caused the problem in the first place is actually reversed. GAINSWave is a scientifically-proven technique that uses high-frequency acoustical waves, providing a breakthrough solution for men seeking better erections and optimal sexual performance.

For More Information Contact:

Alexandra Schapiro

Marketing Account Manager

[email protected]

305-918-1886

SOURCE GAINSWaveNINGBO, China, March 12, 2018 /PR Newswire/ -- In response to the massive growth taking place across the PV sector, on December 5, 2017, A-share market-listed PV module producer and China industry leader Risen Energy Co., Ltd. announced that the company has signed an agreement with the government of Jintan district, Changzhou, Jiangsu province, to invest 8 billion yuan in building 5GW solar cell and 5GW PV module manufacturing facilities in the area. On February 22, the company announced that it signed a framework agreement with Yiwu Information and Optoelectronics High-Tech Industrial Park on an investment in a 5GW solar cell module manufacturing base. Along with a 200 million-yuan, 30,000-ton PPE modification and PV module production line in Ruicheng, Shanxi province, Risen Energy's total investment has exceeded 10 billion yuan.

PV module makers are realizing they need to rapidly improve their technologies and equipment capacity. Their steady growth gave impetus to the accelerated capacity expansion. Risen Energy's recently announced 2017 performance forecast shows revenue for the fiscal year is expected to break the 10 billion-yuan mark, while net profit attributable to shareholders (excluding non-recurring gains and losses) is in the 645-705 million yuan range, up 25.5-37.19%.

Risen Energy has begun pushing ahead with its capacity expansion plan, while maximizing control of underlying risks. The firm plans to bring together a team of qualified professionals, build high-profile technology research centers, strengthen collaborative efforts between Chinese and foreign experts, develop and master new processes, apply new technologies and develop new products, manage intellectual property rights, while constantly enhancing core competitiveness to address various technical risks.

"Among many boats vying to overtake one another, only the most hard-working one can be the winner," said Risen Energy president Wang Hong. "In a period that is key to us in our move to accelerate our industrial transformation, we must increase our investment in R&D, continuously improve the cost performance of our products, strengthen cost controls, further differentiate our products, and provide customers with value-added services, to maintain our products' competitive advantage. At the same time, we must always be prepared, and actively explore new markets, to, in our role as one of China's leading industry player, contribute to the optimization of the structure of the entire sector at a global level."

SOURCE Risen Energy Co., LtdCHICAGO and LONDON, March 12, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- R.J. O'Brien & Associates (RJO), the oldest and largest independent futures brokerage and clearing firm in the United States, announced that Elena Patimova today joined its London-based affiliate, R.J. O'Brien Limited (RJO Limited), as Senior Vice President, Business Development.

In that role, Patimova will help the firm further grow its electronic sales, clearing and voice execution business while also raising the profile of RJO in the Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) region. Patimova reports to Adam Solomons, RJO Limited Chief Customer Officer, EMEA.

Solomons said: "Elena is one of the most driven, dynamic and determined professionals I have met in this business. We're thrilled to have her on board and know she will be a great addition to our team here. She has an impressive track record of accomplishments, along with an extensive knowledge of what customers want and need through her experience at London's futures exchanges, as well as on the client side."

Patimova said: "Taking on this role is a very exciting new page in my career, allowing me to reinforce my client relationship skills and apply them to the clearing and execution side of the market. At the same time, I can participate in the further development of a successful and long-standing brokerage and clearing business at R.J. O'Brien. This gives me the opportunity to cover all derivative asset classes and many different types of financial clients based in the EMEA region, using the skill set I have gained from my previous roles in the marketplace."

Patimova most recently served as Senior Vice President and Head of Financial Market Sales for the London Metal Exchange (LME) until earlier this month. She joined LME in 2015 as Head of Commodity Buy-Side Sales. She was Business Development Manager for global proprietary trading firm OSTC Ltd in the UK from 2012 to 2014. From 2009 to 2012, Patimova was Business Development Manager, Commodity Derivatives for NYSE Liffe in London.

Prior to her work at exchanges, Patimova established expertise in Russian and emerging markets, including Poland, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Vietnam, Malaysia, South Africa, Turkey and China. From 2007 to 2009, she was Sales & Marketing Manager as well as Analyst for the Russian & CIS (Commonwealth of Independent States) Markets for GFMS Ltd, now part of Thomson Reuters. Patimova began her career in Russia at the Institute of Economics, Urals branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences. She served as the Senior Economic Researcher in the Department of Economic Security.

Patimova earned a Bachelor of Finance and Banking degree from the Economics and Management School at Urals State Technical University in Yekaterinburg, Russia. She then received a Master of Science degree in Marketing from the Birmingham Business School of the University of Birmingham in England.

About R.J. O'Brien Limited and R.J. O'Brien & Associates

R.J. O'Brien Limited provides clearing and settlement services to professional and eligible counterparty clients who transact business on the world's leading futures and options exchanges. It offers clearing and execution-only services, risk management and electronic trading access to exchange-listed financial and commodity derivatives worldwide, as well as proximity and colocation services. RJO Limited is the UK affiliate of R.J. O'Brien & Associates, the oldest and largest independent futures brokerage and clearing firm in the United States. Founded in 1914, RJO offers state-of-the-art electronic trading and 24-hour trade execution on all major futures exchanges worldwide, as well as a full range of clearing services to more than 80,000 clients in Europe, Asia and the Americas.

R.J. O'Brien Limited is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FRN 114120).

SOURCE R.J. O'Brien & Associates

Related Links

http://www.rjobrien.com

"We live in a culture of food enthusiasm, and hummus lovers are particularly passionate about expressing their love for this plant-based dip," said Sara Braca, marketing director for Sabra Dipping Company. "The campaign celebrates the feelings hummus fans articulate about why they love our brand. For some it's about sharing something better for you, for others it's about staying satisfied during a busy day, but for everyone it comes down to the joy of not having to compromise  the ability to savor fantastic flavor and feel great about your choice. We heard our Sabra fans, and we are proud that this campaign voices the sentiments they share with us via social media, in store and at home."

The national broadcast, print and digital campaign, called Feel Good Food, debuts March 12th with :15 and :30 spots portraying Sabra fans so pleased to be enjoying Sabra hummus that they are compelled to sing its praises and then hold it close to their heart. The lighthearted and charming tone portrays this very real, accessible food in idealistic everyday settings, illustrating the various benefits of enjoying Sabra. Feel Good Food spotlights the notion that Sabra fans don't settle. They appreciate a great food experience while feeling fantastic about what they are eating or sharing with those they care about  friends, guests, family. Fully integrated print, digital, PR, social and experiential activations will deliver campaign messaging across platforms. The takeaway? If you eat Sabra, you know you will feel good.

"Sabra is known for inspiring a fresh way of eating flavorful, feel good food," said David Muhlenfeld, VP, Creative Director for The Martin Agency. "Feel good food is food that doesn't compromise. It tastes better and is better for you. This is no small feat for food in a world where we don't always get to enjoy something that tastes fantastic without feeling bad about it. So of course, it only made sense to sing about it."

The campaign aims to evoke spontaneity, wittiness and accessibility. Across a variety of consumer groups, hummus lovers attest that Sabra tastes great and feels indulgent while still delivering a better-for-you experience. That consumer sentiment allows Sabra to expand the creative concept to multiple platforms spanning wholesomeness, kid-friendliness and convenience. "With flavorful ingredients and crave-worthy options like Roasted Red Pepper and Olive Tapenade, Sabra hummus makes consumers feel so good, they can't help but spread their love for it through song," continued Braca.

Enthusiasm for hummus in the United States continues to swell, yet with household penetration in the United States hovering around 30%, there is ample growth potential for the category and for Sabra as category leader.

The Feel Good Food campaign was created in partnership with Sabra's creative agency of record, The Martin Agency, based in Richmond, VA, home to Sabra's hummus manufacturing facility and Center of Excellence.

About Sabra Dipping Company

Sabra Dipping Company is the leader in the Fresh Dips category and producer of America's top-selling hummus. Sabra's award-winning products offer consumers fresh new ways of eating and connecting and include more than a dozen flavors of hummus and a wide range of refrigerated dips including salsa, guacamole and tzatziki. Sabra's range of offerings includes items that are non-GMO, vegetarian, organic, gluten-free, kosher and vegan and can be found nationwide in club stores, supermarkets, specialty retailers and through food service. Sabra operates a gold LEED certified factory in Virginia. Find Sabra at www.sabra.com, www.youtube.com/sabra, www.facebook.com/sabra, www.instagram.com/sabra, www.twitter.com/sabra and www.pinterest.com/sabradips.

Sabra Dipping Company is a U.S./Canadian joint venture between PepsiCo and Strauss Group.

SOURCE Sabra Dipping Company, LLC

Related Links

http://www.sabra.com

SCHAUMBURG, Ill., March 12, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Sasser Family Holdings, Inc. (Sasser), a fourth-generation, family-held transportation asset services and management company based in Schaumburg, Ill., today announced that it has named Susan Buchanan senior vice president and CFO. Buchanan will be responsible for all areas of Sasser's finance function, including providing guidance to and ensuring alignment between Sasser's subsidiary business units and their finance leadership teams. She will report to CEO Jeff Walsh.

"I couldn't be more excited about joining Sasser Family Holdings, a dynamic organization with a 90-year tradition of innovation, high-performing teams, and continuous improvement. Sasser's commitment to putting its rail, fleet, and aviation customers first is rooted in a culture driven by stewardship. What also resonated with me was Sasser's focus on people. Employees are given the tools and freedom to thrive in an opportunity-based culture, and encouraged to volunteer their time to support causes and organizations that help children and families in need. That level of employee engagement along with leadership's approach to decision makingplaying the long gamemade joining Sasser an easy decision and a privilege. I'm looking forward to getting to work analyzing, refining, and executing financial strategies that will further strengthen and enhance our business," Buchanan said.

Buchanan began her finance leadership career in 1987 as a senior financial analyst for Navistar Financial Corporation and spent 11 years at Duchossois Industries, Inc. in a variety of financial roles. Prior to joining Sasser, Buchanan was vice president, CFO and treasurer for Carus Group, Inc., a privately-held, family-owned environmental company. Buchanan was a key member of the executive management team, with responsibilities for the company's overall financial welfare, policies, risk management, accounting practices, information technology and relationships with financial community. Previously, Buchanan was vice president, Finance and Business Operations, for Nalco Company, a water, energy, and air technologies company. There, she led all financial aspects for Nalco's global Water and Process Services Division.

Buchanan earned an MBA from Northern Illinois University and a bachelor's degree in business/finance from Elmhurst College.

"Along with high-performing teams throughout Sasser, our culture enables us to attract and retain top-level talent like Sue. We are intentional and highly selective in adding experienced professionals to our leadership team to support our strategic objectives and opportunity-based culture. Sue comes to us from a family-held company, which makes her a natural fit for our uncompromising integrity, highly customer-centric approach, and relentless improvement. I know that she will be a strong business partner and thought leader and am looking forward to working closely with Sue," said CEO Jeff Walsh.

About Sasser Family Holdings, Inc.:

Sasser Family Holdings is a fourth-generation, family-held transportation asset services and management company with roots dating to 1928. Its other subsidiary business units include Chicago Freight Car Leasing Co., Union Leasing Inc., CF Rail Services LLC, CF Asia Pacific Group PTY Ltd, Xced Aviation Services, and NxGen Rail Services LLC. The subsidiary units are leaders in providing commercial and industrial focused rail, vehicle and aviation transportation equipment solutions including asset leasing, fleet administration management, asset repair and maintenance, and innovative technology services throughout North America, and Australia. For more information about Sasser Family Holdings, visit www.sfhsinc.com.

SOURCE Sasser Family Holdings, Inc.

Related Links

http://www.sfhsinc.com

The Egyptian army claimed it neutralized over 100 jihadists in its vast operation in the Sinai seeking to flash out members of the local Islamic State group (IS).

Launched early February, the operation led to the killing of approximately 130 IS militants, the army indicated in a video clip.

The clip describes the armys alleged capture of militants, raids on hideouts and airstrikes against targets. The account could not be verified because the army banned covering of the operation.

The video released Sunday also alleges the armys seizure of weapons, missiles and explosive material, including books that assert the takfiri ideology.

Sixteen highly dangerous militants were reportedly killed over the past four days in shootouts while three key leaders of the terror group were also arrested.

Sixteen army personnel have been killed since the beginning of the operation that mobilized security forces and medical personnel.

President AbdelFattah al-Sisi in December gave the army three months to overcome the militant group after it was blamed for the massacre of over 300 people in November, in a mosque.

The Egyptian leader also allowed the military to use brute force.Chris has more than 20 years of experience as a B2B sales professional focusing on combining technology and people to solve business problems. Throughout his career, Chis has built new skills by working in several areas of the industry including hardware sales, software solutions, managed print, managed IT and sales management.

"We are thrilled that Chris has accepted this new role as Director of the Central Region for MFPs. We are looking forward to seeing him take on the challenges that come with his new position," said John Sheehan, Vice President of Channel Sales. "Chris' experience makes him uniquely qualified to lead our sales team in this region and we expect continued success there."

In 2004, Chris joined the U.S. Army Reserves as a Psychological Operations Specialist. He was deployed as a member and team leader of the Tactical Psychological Operations Teams to Afghanistan from 2005  2006 and to Iraq from 2009  2010. Chris joined the Sharp team in 2016 as a regional manager with a focus on working with dealer partners to grow major account business in the Central Region.

About Sharp Electronics Corporation

Sharp Electronics Corporation is the U.S. subsidiary of Japan's Sharp Corporation. Sharp is a worldwide developer of one-of-a-kind home appliances, networked multifunctional office solutions, professional displays, robotics and energy systems. Sharp Imaging and Information Company of America, a division of Sharp Electronics Corporation, markets Sharp's business products, including MX Series multifunction printer (MFP) systems, professional and commercial displays and Skywell atmospheric water generators.

For more information on Sharp's business products, contact Sharp Electronics Corporation, 100 Paragon Drive, Montvale, N.J., 07645. For online product information, visit our website at siica.sharpusa.com.

Become a fan of SIICA on Facebook, follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn and Instagram and watch us on YouTube .

Peppercomm for Sharp

Matt Luzuriaga

212.931.6187

[email protected]

SOURCE Sharp Electronics Corporation

Related Links

http://www.sharpusa.com

Demonstrating the initiative to introduce students to opportunities in the arts, the High School Nation Tour is a Music & Arts Festival that travels to high school campuses across the country. Designed exclusively for public school students, the High School Nation Tour is a first-of-its-kind program aimed to provide students with an engaging event featuring live music and interactive presentations that educate teens about careers in the arts. Now in its seventh year, the spring and fall tours will span across 50 high schools, engaging approximately 150,000 high school students across the nation.

"To have the opportunity to impact so many schools nationwide with our traveling teen music festival is a true passion of ours at High School Nation," said Jimmy Cantillon, Founder of High School Nation. "Donating 50 full music recording studios to high schools in 2018 is how we will continue our mission of keeping the arts alive in public schools. The support Sparkling Ice has shown HSN over the past two years is unparalleled, and we're thrilled to have them on board this year once again!"

This year, Sparkling Ice will bring back the popular "Spin Art Stations," where participants will have the opportunity to create bold spin art on LP records. As a new element to the tour, students will also be invited to the Sparkling Ice Mix Station, where they can create a custom recording using DJ mixing boards by Pioneer. In addition to the creative components, students can sample various flavors of Sparkling Ice, including a new flavor set to debut this spring.

Sparkling Ice will also host the High School National Dance-Off, where students are encouraged to showcase their best moves in a 30-second, on-stage dance competition in front of the whole school. A winner is selected based on crowd reaction.

"Sparkling Ice is thrilled to have the opportunity to support music and arts in schools as a three-time sponsor of the High School Nation Tour," said Nina Morrison, VP of Community and Customer Relations at Talking Rain Beverage Co. "We admire HSN's mission and the impact it has had on students and local communities, and we're proud to continue supporting these initiatives through our partnership with this wonderful organization."

For more information about Sparkling Ice's participation in the High School Nation Tour, visit www.HighSchoolNation.com and www.facebook.com/SparklingIce.

About Sparkling Ice Beverages

Sparkling Ice beverages are made with zero sugar, and combine sparkling water, real fruit flavor, vitamins and antioxidants to offer great tasting, lightly carbonated beverages. Available in sixteen fizzy, fruity flavors, including: Black Raspberry, Orange Mango, Pink Grapefruit, Kiwi Strawberry, Coconut Pineapple, Pomegranate Blueberry, Peach Nectarine, Lemon Lime, Crisp Apple, Classic Lemonade, Strawberry Lemonade, Cherry Limeade, Strawberry Watermelon, Black Cherry, Grape Raspberry and new in 2018, Ginger Lime. Sparkling Ice is part of the Talking Rain family of beverages, and retails for $1.19-$1.29. To locate Sparkling Ice, visit www.sparklingice.com/locate/.

About High School Nation

High School Nation has donated more than $3.5MM in support of public high school music & arts programs in the US since the 2012 inception of the High School Nation Tour. Providing the most unique way to mesh teens with brands, HSN is quickly becoming the go-to organization for reaching the most influential demographic in the country, in an inspiring and life-changing way. For more information, contact Jimmy Cantillon (310) 734-6527 and visit www.highschoolnation.org.

SOURCE Sparkling Ice

Related Links

http://www.sparklingice.com

In proportions rarely seen in statewide opinion research, more than 80 percent of California voters say that when it comes time to vote, they are more likely to support a gubernatorial candidate who has a plan for aging Baby Boomers and seniors that effectively addresses their growing demand for healthcare, dental and social services.

"Now is the time for California to stand with our rapidly growing senior population," said Shelley Lyford, CEO and president of West Health. "It's time for candidates running for governor and other statewide offices to develop a concrete plan to provide for the healthcare needs of vulnerable seniors. And it's time for voters to hold politicians accountable at the ballot box in November."

According to the Public Policy Institute of California (PPIC), the state's 65-and-older population is projected to grow nearly 90 percent, or by four million more people, by 2030, which spans the next three gubernatorial terms.

"In a time when we see so much political polarization, it's encouraging to see that California Democrats, Republicans and independent voters of all ages can all agree on one thing: We need to provide better care for our older adults," said Bruce Chernof, MD, CEO and president of The SCAN Foundation. "Now we must work together to enact policies and create an environment that reflects our shared commitment to the well-being of older Californians."

This poll comes as West Health and The SCAN Foundation launch "We Stand With SeniorsWill You?" a public awareness and education campaign on the specific challenges seniors and their families face in accessing high-quality, affordable healthcare, dental care and supportive services and the cost to the state if these challenges are not addressed.

In the months leading up to the election, the campaign will convene seniors, advocates and policy makers for educational forums throughout the state and conduct periodic surveys on how well the gubernatorial candidates are addressing the issues.

Summary of Poll Findings

67 percent of voters feel that California is NOT prepared to care for its aging population.

87 percent of voters agree that providing dental care for seniors is as important as access to healthcare.

83 percent of voters would be more likely to support a gubernatorial candidate who has a vision and a long-term investment plan to address the increasing demand for senior services for California's aging population.

82 percent of voters are more likely to support a gubernatorial candidate committed to making high-quality healthcare for seniors more accessible and affordable.

80 percent of voters support the state investing in caregiver programs that assist those who care for senior family members.

79 percent of voters support the state making in-home healthcare service investments that allow seniors to age successfully in place, including medication delivery, telehealth and house calls.

The poll also showed voters want state legislators to support seniors. Eighty-two percent are more likely to support legislative action that improves seniors' access to dental care, a benefit Medicare does not provide. Voters also want to see improvements in independent living services, mental and behavioral health and other senior services.

"California can lead the country on aging and senior issues, just as it has on so many other issues," said Tim Lash, chief strategy officer of West Health. "There is tremendous support for it across the state. Now we need a governor who will tap into that support and prioritize the needs of California's aging population now and into the future."

Survey Methodology

From Friday, January 12, 2018 through Sunday, January 15, 2018, J. Wallin Opinion Research conducted a telephone survey of voters throughout California. One thousand voters were interviewed using live, professional interviewers, speaking both English and Spanish languages and calling both mobile and landlines. The sample is stratified (the demographic composition of our results matches the demographic composition of the state's voting population) and has a margin of error of +/-3.1 percent (95 percent confidence interval).

About We Stand With Seniors

West Health and The SCAN Foundation's "We Stand With Seniors Will You?" public awareness and education campaign focuses on the specific challenges seniors and their families face in accessing high-quality, affordable healthcare, dental care and supportive services and the cost to the state if these challenges are not addressed. Visit www.WeStandWithSeniors.org for more information. Keep up with #StandWithSeniors on social media via Facebook @WeStandWithSeniors and Twitter @WeStandWSeniors.

About West Health

Solely funded by philanthropists Gary and Mary West, West Health includes the nonprofit and nonpartisan Gary and Mary West Health Institute and Gary and Mary West Foundation in San Diego, and the Gary and Mary West Health Policy Center in Washington, D.C. These organizations are working together toward a shared mission dedicated to enabling seniors to successfully age in place with access to high-quality, affordable health and support services that preserve and protect their dignity, quality of life and independence. For more information, visit westhealth.org and follow @westhealth.

About The SCAN Foundation

The SCAN Foundation is an independent public charity dedicated to creating a society where older adults can access health and supportive services of their choosing to meet their needs. Our mission is to advance a coordinated and easily navigated system of high-quality services for older adults that preserve dignity and independence. For more information, visit www.TheSCANFoundation.org and follow @TheSCANFndtn.

SOURCE West Health; The SCAN Foundation

Related Links

http://www.westhealth.org/

NEW YORK, March 12, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Tenth Avenue Commerce ("TAC"), a Connecticut and New York-based consumer driven e-commerce holding company focused on authentic brands, announced today that it has acquired a majority interest in Horsemen's Pride's business, along with that of Jolly Pets.

"The investment in Horsemen's Pride including Jolly Pets expands our suite of consumer goods companies. Jolly Pets joining the Tenth Avenue Commerce team means TAC now offers a variety of top-quality consumer and online products to all members of your family, including your pet," said Michael Chapin, CEO of Tenth Avenue Commerce. "Jolly Pets is a pioneering company that will offer us an opportunity for growth in a new product category. I am proud to partner with Jolly Pets to offer innovative products, including the Jolly Ball, Jolly Tug and Jolly Bone."

Horsemen's Pride, led by Robert Miavitz, specializes in creating dynamic pet toys aimed at enhancing pets' lives. The company, founded in 1976, prides itself on their ability to raise the bar in the pet toy industry, constantly creating new products when new information comes forward. In 1994, Horsemen's Pride saw an opportunity to expand their offerings from horses to dogs by creating Jolly Pets, which offers 20 different dog toys including the Jolly Ball, Jolly Romp-n-Roll and more. Jolly Pets toys are sold in 50 countries worldwide and are manufactured primarily in Ohio.

"I am thrilled to join forces with TAC, as is the entire Horsemen's Pride Team. It has always been our mission to seek new and innovative ways to develop superior products for your companion," said Robert Miavitz, CEO of Horsemen's Pride. "We're always moving forward and raising the bar, which is why we have decided to partner with TAC, a leader in consumer-facing companies."

About Horsemen's Pride

Horsemen's Pride was founded in 1976 by the Miavitz family and is currently run by Robert Miavitz. Initially a manufacturer of horse buckets, feeders and tubs, Horsemen's Pride has expanded their product line to include pet toys with the founding of its subsidiary company Jolly Pets in 1994. Based in Streetsboro, Ohio many of Jolly Pets' toys, including the popular Jolly Ball, are manufactured locally.

About Tenth Avenue Commerce

Tenth Avenue Commerce is a consumer driven e-commerce holding company based in New York and Connecticut. Founded in 2011, Tenth Avenue Commerce invests in brands that are leaders in their industry. TAC incorporates the brand's knowledge while bringing its expertise in data-driven digital marketing. Led by CEO Michael Chapin, Tenth Avenue Commerce currently owns and operates From You Flowers, Eve's Addiction, Kerrits, H. Bloom, Brook & York, Send Flowers, FaceVase and Social Media Link. Tenth Avenue Commerce is an affiliate of Tenth Avenue Holdings, LLC.

SOURCE Tenth Avenue Commerce

Related Links

http://tenthavenuecommerce.com

Rachel Marie Thompson is the grand-prize winner of the competition with her "Deflextion" design, which is a unique chair meant to give the illusion of movement as it is observed from every angle and uses three different Formica Laminate designs: Bright White, Graphite Grafix and Black. Kimberly Wheeler's "Carrara Bellis" design took second place and Sara Camacho's "Cebra Chair" took third. The top three students all attend Michael Graves College at Kean University.

"When creating 'Deflextion,' I was determined to seek out a way to create a curvature form in a new and unique way," Thompson said. "This design was inspired by pieces that were created with laser-cutting techniques and origami forms."

Submissions from around the U.S. were judged by Melodie Leung from Zaha Hadid Architects, Rob Van Varick and Donald Strum from Michael Graves Architecture & Design, R. Roger Remington from the Vignelli Center for Design Studies and Rochester Institute of Technology, Raphaela Platow from the Cincinnati Contemporary Arts Center and Renee Hytry Derrington, global design lead at Formica Group.

"Having been involved in the first competition in 2008, I very much enjoyed reviewing the range of student design proposals," Leung said. "These proposals reminded me of the versatility and creative potential of working with Formica Brand products."

The Contemporary Arts Center in Cincinnati, where Formica Corporation is headquartered, will run an exhibition from March 23 to April 8 featuring the winning student's fabricated design, renderings of other finalists' designs, and works by Massimo Vignelli, Michael Graves and other prominent architects from the original FORM competition.

"We are thrilled to give the next generation of great architects the opportunity to share their work," Hytry Derrington said. "The quality and thoughtfulness of the designs submitted to the competition was astounding, and makes us very excited for the future of design."

The FORM Student Innovation Competition opened on Sept. 5, 2017, to college students across the U.S. and Canada, and the entry submission period closed Nov. 10, 2017. Entries were judged on their use of Formica Laminate colors and patterns, overall design aesthetics, the intersection of design and function, and the project statement submitted by each student. The competition awarded a total of $3,000 in prize winnings to the top three finalists. More information about the winning students' designs is available at formica.com/studentcompetition.

Details about the 2019 FORM Student Innovation Competition will become available on that site later this spring.

About Formica Corporation

Founded in 1913, Formica Corporation, part of the Formica Group of companies, is a leader in the design, manufacture and distribution of innovative surfacing products for commercial and residential applications. For more information about Formica Corporation, its products, special programs and promotions, visit www.formica.com or call 1-800-FORMICA.

About Formica Group

Formica Group is a global group of companies consisting of Formica Canada Inc., Formica Corporation, Formica de Mexico S.A. de C.V., Formica IKI Oy, Formica Skandinavien AB, Formica Limited, Formica S.A., Formica S.A.S., Formica Taiwan Corporation, Formica (Thailand) Co., Ltd., Formica (Asia) Ltd., Formica Decorative Materials (China) Co., Ltd. and Homapal GmbH, among others. The Formica Group of companies is part of the Laminates & Panels division of Fletcher Building.

Please Note: Formica, Formica Surfaces. For Real, and the Formica Anvil Logo, are registered trademarks of The Diller Corporation. 1-800-FORMICA, is a trademark of The Diller Corporation.

All rights reserved. 2018 The Diller Corporation. A member of the Fletcher Building Group.

Contact:

Dana Chinnici

Carmichael Lynch Relate

212-414-8640

[email protected]

[email protected]

SOURCE Formica Corporation

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CHICAGO, March 12, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- The employee benefits industry has been on a roller coaster ride of disruption. Climbing costs and health reform uncertainty create a wild ride. Employers depend on their employee benefits brokers to keep them on track.

The thirteenth year for the Risk & Insurance Power Broker awards proved lucky for HUB International. Senior vice presidents, Eric Barthel and Matthew Creighton, are among 12 Power Broker winners named in the Employee Benefits category. Risk & Insurance also recognized HUB senior vice president, Randy Rider, as a finalist in this prestigious award.

"What makes the Power Broker award particularly gratifying," said Linda Keller, national chief operating officer of employee benefits, HUB International, "is it's based on the strength of client testimonial. We thank Eric, Matt, and Randy, who epitomize the expanded role of today's broker as a strategic partner in our clients' success."

Eric Barthel learned employee benefits from the ground up. Starting his career as an insurance claims processor, Barthel quickly advanced to service and sales management positions. That hands-on experience was invaluable when he transitioned to his broker/consultant role. Barthel helps clients discover the value of investing in health care. Clients appreciate how Barthel changed their view from just "buying health insurance," to now "buying health care."

Problem-solving is like a leap off the high dive. Matt Creighton's clients admire how he dives right in, even if that means a complete makeover of one nonprofit's health plan. With over 20 years of experience, Creighton has worked on both the carrier and the brokerage side. But, it is his ability to adjust to each client's needs that have clients saying, "Matt Creighton understands us."

Mergers and acquisitions hit nearly every industry. Developing the best employee benefits program amid so much chaos is extremely challenging. One of Randy Rider's clients faced such a challenge. Rider's 15-year experience in employee benefits, specializing in cost management, compliance, and communication meant he was up for the challenge. Rider helped design an attractive benefits portfolio that also generated over $1.9 million in annual cost savings.

HUB International congratulates Eric Barthel, Matthew Creighton, and Randy Rider. We thank Risk and Insurance for their ongoing dedication to promoting the risk management and commercial insurance industry.

About Risk & Insurance Power Broker

The Risk & Insurance Power Broker Awards are an annual selection of the most effective and influential commercial insurance brokers. The Power Broker designation is based on nominations provided by brokers and risk managers, and is judged based on the quality of the application and on references by risk managers in each industry sector. Hundreds of risk managers and risk executives are interviewed in the process of identifying and soliciting, evaluating and judging the nominees. Brokers are judged primarily on their creativity in solving risk-related problems during the previous year, their demonstrated industry knowledge and their high level of client service.

About Hub International

Headquartered in Chicago, Illinois, Hub International Limited is a leading global insurance brokerage that provides property and casualty, life and health, employee benefits, investment and risk management products and services from offices located throughout North America. For more information, please visit hubinternational.com.

MEDIA CONTACTS: Jordan Schill, [email protected], 858-768-7309

SOURCE HUB International

Related Links

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BOSTON, March 12, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Tufin, the market-leading provider of Network Security Policy Orchestration solutions, announced its 2017 results, reporting 35 percent revenue growth year-over-year (YoY) with positive cash flow. The company also reported strong customer renewal rates of over 90 percent.

2017 was a record-setting year for Tufin, as the company closed nine deals worth over $1 million, including the largest deal in company history  a $15 million multi-year agreement with a Fortune 500 customer. Tufin now has more than 2,000 customers across the globe, including more than 300 customers in the Global 2,000.

Enterprises increasingly see the need for and the value of automation solutions as they seek ways to become more agile and secure. At the same time, adoption of cloud platforms also continues to grow. As evidence of these trends, Tufin saw nearly 80 percent of product bookings in 2017 from automation solutions and reported that its cloud business more than doubled YoY.

"Our continued growth in 2017 is proof that more and more organizations are turning to a policy-based approach to keep pace with the frequency of network security change requests," said Ruvi Kitov, CEO, Tufin. "Our automation solutions enable even the largest, most complex enterprises to increase business agility while tightening security. These customers trust Tufin to manage their network security in the face of increased threats and constant change, and as such, we look forward to another year of rapid growth."

As a testament to Tufin's growth in 2017, the company won a Cybersecurity Excellence Award in the category of Fastest Growing Cybersecurity Company.

Continued Innovation through Technological Partnerships

Tufin continued its commitment to innovation, strengthening its leadership position in the NSPM market with two new patents, increasing its total to 14 patents.

Responding to the market demand for automation and cloud, Tufin made major updates to the award-winning Tufin Orchestration Suite. This continued investment included advancing Tufin's technological partnerships with industry leaders. Major updated offerings include:

Firewall cleanup automation, including server decommissioning and rule decommissioning, easing the demand on the firewall administrator's time and ensuring that a high security posture is maintained through identification of needed changes and the automated provisioning of these changes.

Expanded support of Palo Alto Networks Next-Generation Security Platform with the introduction of ContextID automation and LDAP user groups for the enforcement of access restrictions and privileges.

Became the first NSPM vendor to offer full automation with provisioning for Check Point R80 and R80.10. Additionally, Tufin is the only NSPM vendor to offer Identity Awareness automation for the Check Point platform.

Enhanced support for hybrid cloud platforms, allowing users to define and enforce a cloud tag policy across private and public cloud infrastructures. Additionally, Tufin enabled customers to identify tagging violations and recognize instances without valid tags in Amazon Web Services (AWS).

As a result of its continued innovation, Tufin Orchestration Suite received a five-star rating from SC Magazine in November 2017. In addition, IT Central Station has ranked the Tufin Orchestration Suite as the top firewall security management solution.

Expanded Geographic Presence and Executive Management Team

In June 2017, Tufin announced the opening of its new U.S. headquarters in Boston, along with the relocation of CEO Ruvi Kitov from Israel to Boston. Massachusetts has forged a strong relationship with the Israeli cybersecurity community  and with the move, Tufin became the latest in a long list of successful Israeli-founded cybersecurity companies to establish roots in the Boston technology ecosystem.

In August, Tufin announced the appointment of Raj Motwane as Vice President of Global Services and Support. Raj leads Tufin's services, support and customer success organizations, ensuring that all Tufin customers derive the greatest value from their Tufin Orchestration Suite deployments. Raj brings a track record of building and growing professional services, pre-sales, and customer support functions.

In addition, Tufin continued its hiring initiatives, growing its employee base by more than 25 percent. The company plans to expand its workforce to more than 400 employees in 2018.

Worldwide Customer Events

In order to fully engage with customers and users of Tufin Orchestration Suite, Tufin launched its first-ever user conferences, Tufinnovate.

Tufinnovate brought together network security professionals within the NSPM market, including users of Tufin Orchestration Suite, representatives from Tufin's technology partners Cisco, Fortinet and VMware, and channel partners. With events in Chicago and Frankfurt, Tufinnovate drew more than 200 attendees from around the world.

"The many events we hosted this year gave us the opportunity to engage with hundreds of security professionals from around the world," said Raj Motwane, Vice President, Global Services and Support, Tufin. "This level of customer engagement is invaluable. It's helped to not only provide direct user feedback to Tufin's product teams, but also to empower network security professionals across the globe."

About Tufin

Tufin is the leader in Network Security Policy Orchestration for enterprise cybersecurity. More than half of the top 50 companies in the Forbes Global 2000 turn to Tufin to simplify management of some of the largest, most complex networks in the world, consisting of thousands of firewall and network devices and emerging hybrid cloud infrastructures. Enterprises select the company's award-winning Tufin Orchestration Suite to increase agility in the face of ever-changing business demands while maintaining a robust security posture. The Suite reduces the attack surface and meets the need for greater visibility into secure and reliable application connectivity. Its network security automation enables enterprises to implement changes in minutes with proactive risk analysis and continuous policy compliance. Tufin serves over 2,000 customers spanning all industries and geographies; its products and technologies are patent-protected in the U.S. and other countries. Find out more at www.tufin.com.

Follow Tufin on Twitter: @TufinTech

Read more on Tufin's blog: Suite Talk

Contact:

Dan Gaffney

fama PR for Tufin

(617) 986-5036

[email protected]

SOURCE Tufin

Related Links

www.tufin.com

AUSTIN, Texas, March 12, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- TurnKey Vacation Rentals, Inc. today announced it has secured $31 million in Series D funding to fuel the company's continued market expansion, development of new vacation rental technologies and positioning as a leading vacation rental hospitality brand in the U.S. In the five years since its launch, TurnKey has grown to provide full-service property management to more than 3,500 premier vacation rental homes in top U.S. travel destinations.

The funding was led by current investor Adams Street Partners, with participation from existing investor Altos Ventures and two new institutional investors. This financing round brings TurnKey's total capital raised to $72 million since 2013.

"TurnKey is exceptional in that their rapid growth has been organic, as opposed to growing through acquisitions," said Jeff Diehl, managing partner and head of investments at Adams Street Partners. "This is a seasoned online travel management team that knows how to scale and execute with precision in the $100 billion vacation rental industry. Our additional investment demonstrates our belief in the promise of the TurnKey brand, its leadership and its model."

TurnKey provides full-service vacation rental property management through smart home technology combined with local teams to deliver 24/7 service. The company's proprietary technology platform integrates its smart locks, decibel monitors, FieldSync housekeeping scheduler and HomeDroid tablets installed in every TurnKey home to automate time-consuming property management tasks, giving homeowners and guests a reliable, fine-hotel experience in a vacation rental.

This combination of technology and refined management processes enables TurnKey to charge an industry-low commission rate, typically half the 35-50 percent charged by most vacation rental property managers.

"At TurnKey, we've doubled our growth each year since 2013, while expanding into 55 top markets across the U.S.," said T.J. Clark, TurnKey co-founder and CEO. "We are thrilled by the continued support of our investors to help us further establish TurnKey as the hospitality brand of choice for vacation rental guests and homeowners."

"Our growth is validation of our hospitality brand and our ability to delight guests each and every time they book a TurnKey property," Clark continued. "Today, the hotel industry has a high percentage of bookings going through a few major brands that consumers trust. Homeowners and travelers are looking for a brand they can trust to deliver consistency and quality in vacation rentals as well, and this is what TurnKey provides."

According to Wells Fargo Private Equity Research, professional property management can drive more than a 20 percent improvement in net revenue for vacation rental homeowners when compared to self-management, yet fewer than half of vacation rental homes are currently property managed.

"The vacation rental industry is still in its infancy but growing rapidly  by 2020, it will represent approximately 20 percent of total worldwide accommodation bookings," said Jen Ford, Chief Financial Officer at TurnKey. "In the U.S. alone, there are well over a million vacation rental homes. This capital investment will enable us to bring our proprietary technology and best-in-class management to more of those homes."

About Adams Street Partners

Adams Street Partners is one of the largest and most established private markets investment firms in the world. Adams Street commenced its investment program in 1972, and manages $29 billion of assets across five strategies  primary and secondary private equity fund investments, co-investments, private credit investments, and direct venture/growth investments. Adams Street employs 145+ professionals in Chicago, London, Menlo Park, Munich, New York, Singapore, Beijing, Boston and Tokyo.

About TurnKey Vacation Rentals

TurnKey Vacation Rentals is a full-service vacation rental property management company for premier vacation rental homes in top U.S. travel destinations. As a leading vacation rental hospitality brand, TurnKey provides guests with the consistency and quality of a fine hotel experience, while optimizing the management, marketing and return on investment for vacation rental homeowners. Our proprietary smart home technology  digital smart locks, FieldSync housekeeping scheduler, HomeDroid tablet, noise decibel monitors and more  integrates with local, in-market teams to ensure extraordinary vacation rental experiences for every home, every stay, every time. TurnKey is based in Austin, Texas, and venture-backed by Adams Street Partners, Silverton Partners, Altos Ventures and institutional and angel investors. To learn more, visit www.turnkeyvr.com.

SOURCE TurnKey Vacation Rentals

Related Links

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NEW YORK, March 12, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Report Description



Global Ultra-low Alpha Metal Market: Overview



Read the full report: https://www.reportlinker.com/p04760055





Ultra-low alpha metals possess the alpha emission rate of 0.002 cph/cm2 (the unit cph/cm2 stands for counts per hour per centimeter square) or less. Alpha emission of a material can be defined as transformation or decaying of one atom into another with mass number reduced by four and atomic number reduced by two. The rate of alpha emission determines the grade of the metal as low alpha (



<0.02 cph/cm2), ultra-low alpha (><0.002 cph/cm2), or super ultra-low alpha (><0.001 cph/cm2). >Ultra-low alpha metals are segmented on the basis of product as ULA tin (tin alloys with the proportion of tin (Sn) being 99% or greater), ULA tin alloys (the proportion of tin (Sn) being less than or equal to 95% in the alloy and other constituent metals being silver (Ag) and copper (Cu)), ULA lead alloys (alloys with varying compositions of lead (Pb) and tin (Sn)) and ULA lead-free alloys (alloys that do not contain lead (Pb) at all or contain lead in a very low proportion (0.1%)).



Global Ultra-low Alpha Metal Market: Market Study

Ultra-low alpha metals are predominantly employed in soldering fabrication in the flip chip technology sector. They are also used in plating, bumping, PCBs, semiconductor packaging, and circuit boards. The requirement for these components is mainly in the industries including electronics, medical, aviation, automotive, and telecommunication.



The report estimates and forecasts the ultra-low alpha metal market on the global and regional levels. The study provides forecast between 2017 and 2025 based on volume (tons/kilograms) and revenue (US$ Mn/US$ thousand) with 2016 as the base year.



The report comprises an exhaustive value chain analysis for each of the segments. It provides a comprehensive view of the market. Value chain analysis also offers detailed information about value addition at each stage.



The study includes drivers and restraints for the ultra-low alpha metal market along with their impact on demand during the forecast period. The study also provides key market indicators affecting the growth of the market. The report analyzes opportunities in the ultra-low alpha metal market on the global and regional level.



Drivers, restraints, and opportunities mentioned in the report are justified through quantitative and qualitative data. These have been verified through primary and secondary resources. Furthermore, the report analyzes substitute analysis of ultra-low alpha metal and global average price trend analysis.



The report includes Porter's Five Forces Model to determine the degree of competition in the ultra-low alpha metal market. The report comprises a qualitative write-up on market attractiveness analysis, wherein end-users and regions have been analyzed based on attractiveness for each region.



Growth rate, market size, raw material availability, profit margin, impact strength, technology, competition, and other factors (such as environmental and legal) have been evaluated in order to derive the general attractiveness of the market. The report comprises price trend analysis for ultra-low alpha metal between 2017 and 2025.



Global Ultra-low Alpha Metal Market: Segmentation

The study provides a comprehensive view of the ultra-low alpha metal market by dividing it into product, end-user industry and geography segments. The products have been segmented into ULA tin, ULA tin alloys, ULA lead alloys and ULA lead-free alloys.



The end-user industries are segmented into aviation, automotive, electronics, medical, telecommunication and others. These segments have been analyzed based on historic, present, and future trends.



Regional segmentation includes the current and forecast consumption of ultra-low alpha metal in North America, Latin America, Europe, Asia Pacific, and Middle East & Africa (MEA). Market segmentation includes demand for consumption in all the regions individually.



Global Ultra-low Alpha Metal Market: Research Methodology

Secondary research sources that were typically referred to include, but were not limited to, company websites, financial reports, annual reports, investor presentations, broker reports, and SEC filings. Other sources such as internal and external proprietary databases, statistical databases and market reports, news articles, national government documents, and webcasts specific to companies operating in the market have also been referred for the report.



In-depth interviews and discussions with a wide range of key opinion leaders and industry participants were conducted to compile this research report. Primary research represents the bulk of research efforts, supplemented by extensive secondary research.



Key players' product literature, annual reports, press releases, and relevant documents were reviewed for competitive analysis and market understanding. This helped in validating and strengthening secondary research findings. Primary research further helped in developing the analysis team's expertise and market understanding.



Global Ultra-low Alpha Metal Market: Competitive Landscape

The report covers detailed competitive outlook that includes market share and profiles of key players operating in the global market. Key players profiled in the report include Indium Corporation, Honeywell International Inc., Mitsubishi Materials Corporation, Pure Technologies, and Alpha Assembly Solutions. Company profiles include attributes such as company overview, number of employees, brand overview, key competitors, business overview, business strategies, recent/key developments, acquisitions, and financial overview (wherever applicable).



The global ultra-low alpha metal market has been segmented as follows:



Ultra-low Alpha Metal Market  Product Analysis

ULA tin

ULA tin alloys

ULA lead alloys

ULA lead-free alloys



Ultra-low Alpha Metal Market  End-user Industry Analysis

Aviation

Automotive

Electronics

Medical

Telecommunication

Others



Ultra-low Alpha Metal Market  Regional Analysis

North America

U.S.

Canada

Latin America

Mexico

Brazil

Rest of Latin America

Europe

Germany

France

U.K.

Spain

Italy

Rest of Europe

Asia Pacific

China

Japan

ASEAN

India

Rest of Asia Pacific

Middle East & Africa

GCC

South Africa

Rest of Middle East & Africa



Read the full report: https://www.reportlinker.com/p04760055



About Reportlinker

ReportLinker is an award-winning market research solution. Reportlinker finds and organizes the latest industry data so you get all the market research you need - instantly, in one place.



__________________________

Contact Clare: [email protected]

US: (339)-368-6001

Intl: +1 339-368-6001

SOURCE Reportlinker

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ORLANDO, Florida, March 12, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Univonix, announced today at Enterprise Connect 2018, enhancements to Univonix Migrate, enabling customers to evaluate, plan and migrate legacy communication systems (e.g. Cisco, Avaya, Nortel, Mitel, Siemens, Alcatel Lucent etc.) to Microsoft Teams.

"Univonix is excited to add support for Microsoft Teams to its migration readiness and automation tools," said Efrat Greenberg, Vice President of Business Development and Sales, Univonix. "Microsoft Teams is evolving as the primary service for Intelligent Communications in Office 365. We are pleased to help customers looking to retire their legacy telephony system, a fast, reliable and cost-effective route to achieve smarter calling experiences with Microsoft Teams."

Univonix Migrate is an automation tool that helps reduce time, cost, complexity and risk associated with telephony migrations, from IP PBX to Microsoft Skype for Business and Teams.

Hosted on Microsoft Azure, Univonix Migrate offers the ability to deliver the migration for all users and sites remotely, with a low entry cost and enterprise grade security & compliance.

Univonix Migrate has a track record of delivering:

50% Cost & Time Savings

Increased Data Accuracy

Seamless Telephony Migration

Easier End-user Adoption

Reduced Post-migration IT Support

Enterprise Connect takes place in Orlando, Florida March 12 -15. Attendees are invited to visit Univonix at booth #736 to get a firsthand look at the company's assessment and migration automation solutions for Microsoft Teams and Skype for Business.

About Univonix: Univonix an Independent software vendor, ISV, founded by a passionate team of Unified Communications and VoIP veterans, seeking to provide simpler solutions to common problems in the market today.

Univonix is a privately held corporation based in Israel. For more information, visit http://www.univonix.com/?utm_source=PR_EC18

Univonix, Univonix Migrate, and the Univonix logo are trademarks of Univonix Corporation. All other trademarks herein are the property of their respective owners.

Contact:

Efrat Greenberg

Univonix Ltd

[email protected]

SOURCE Univonix

Related Links

http://www.univonix.com/

The Turkish national flagship carrier is queuing up for 50 aircraft from France-based Airbus and US-based Boeing with the two manufacturers to secure orders for 25 planes each.

The announcement confirmed by the airliness CEO Ilker Ayci notes that the airline has also signed up for optional 10 others from both suppliers  meaning a total of 60 aircraft split half and half between the two rivals, Airbus and Boeing.

The orders will concern Airbuss wide body A350-900 aircraft and Dreamline B787-9 aircraft.

The deliveries will be made in batches: six in 2019, 14 in 2020, 10 in 2021, 12 in 2022, 11 in 2023 and 7 in the year 2024, AFP reports.

Ayci welcomed the move, which falls in the line with the ambition of the airline to strengthen its fleet and meet up passengers needs at Istanbul third airport to be unveiled in October this year.

Turkey hopes to make Istanbul third airport located by Black Sea coast a global hub that will enable the airline to increase its number of passengers.

In 2017, the airline flew 67 million passengers, up from 14 million in 2005.

With the new airport, the target is set at 74 million. The Turkish Airlines currently operates 329 aircraft. With the intention to rival Emirates Fly, airline officials envisage to ramp up the fleet to 424 planes by 2023.DUBAI, United Arab Emirates, March 12, 2018 /PRNewswire/ --

VFS Global has agreed to take over 100% of the Middle Eastern Facility Management Company (FMC) Al Etimad from TasHeel Group as per a binding agreement signed between both parties.

(Logo: http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/624234/VFS_Global_Logo.jpg )

Al Etimad operates as a FMC partner for VFS Global in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Bahrain, Libya and Tunisia. The company serves 25 diplomatic missions and operates more than 90 visa application centres across the five countries. Al Etimad is since 2009 active in the visa outsourcing market and employs around 650 professionals. Al Etimad owns the travel concierge services company Vega, which is part of the transaction. The Al Etimad visa operations in Pakistan are not included in the acquisition.

To benefit from operational efficiencies and synergies with VFS Global, Al Etimad will be integrated in VFS Global's operations after completion of the transaction. This will enable further development of services and solutions and improving the overall service to the missions served and the visa applicants in the five countries.

VFS Global is the pioneer and market leader of the outsourced visa services industry, serving 58 governments and with operations across 137 countries, as at 31 January 2018. VFS Global is part of the Swiss Kuoni Group, whose principal owner is EQT, a leading global investment firm, headquartered in Stockholm, Sweden. EQT is firmly committed to the growth and development of VFS Global, and this transaction will ensure that visa services will be further benefitted from VFS Global's innovative strength, its well diversified service portfolio, investments in technology and the acknowledged quality of its global offerings.

Subject to customary approval from the competition and regulatory authorities, the transaction is expected to complete later in 2018.

Message from Zubin Karkaria, CEO VFS Global Group: "We are very pleased to take over complete ownership of Al Etimad and Vega. It will enable us to accelerate the further development of the business and improve overall performance through greater integration. I would like to thank the TasHeel Group for partnering us in successfully managing the visa services operations in these five countries."

About VFS Global

VFS Global is the world's largest outsourcing and technology services specialist for governments and diplomatic missions worldwide. With 2,530 Application Centres, operations in 137 countries across five continents and over 163 million applications processed as on 31 January 2018, VFS Global is the trusted partner of 58 client governments. VFS Global's worldwide operations are certified ISO 9001:2008 for Quality Management System, ISO 27001:2013 for Information Security Management System and ISO 14001:2004 for Environmental Management System. For more information, please visit http://www.vfsglobal.com .

Media Contact:

Peter Brun

Chief Communications Officer

Peter [email protected]

VFS Global



SOURCE VFS GlobalNEW YORK, March 12, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Visible Alpha today announced Emma Margetts was named Startup Professional of the Year at WatersTechnology's Women in Technology and Data Awards in London. Ms. Margetts won the award after founding Alpha Exchange in 2016 and then selling the company to Visible Alpha late last year.

"I'm honored to be recognized for our work on Alpha Exchange," said Ms. Margetts. "Starting a business takes a vision, but turning that vision into a reality requires hard work, facing down the competition, overcoming adversities and seizing opportunities."

Visible Alpha Inbox (formerly Alpha Exchange) is a next generation technology platform that provides solutions to asset managers and investment banks to make the discovery and exchange of investment insights accessible, transparent and compliant. The addition of the advanced platform to Visible Alpha's existing services has created a unified consumption and collaboration experience reaching across research reports, analyst models and corporate access events backed by a robust compliance framework.

"Emma and her co-founders have brought an innovative, cutting-edge technology to the way research can be managed and shared," commented Scott Rosen, CEO of Visible Alpha. "We were delighted to add the platform to our services, and we salute Emma on her accomplishments and award."

Ms. Margetts is no stranger to fintech or startups. In 2008, she started The Business Learning Network, the first women's accelerator for female entrepreneurs in the townships of South Africa. She is on the steering committee for the Harambe Catalyst Fund, an African venture fund. Alpha Exchange was also chosen as one of 10 global companies selected for the leading Techstars Barclays Accelerator program in 2016.

About Visible Alpha

Visible Alpha is transforming the way Wall Street firms collaborate on research, financial models and corporate access events by providing breakthrough tools for discovery, analysis and valuation. With more than 400 employees globally, the rapidly growing company combines advanced data technology, a secure distribution network and sophisticated analytical tools to drive efficiencies and transparency into the research process while also enabling firms to generate alpha in new and differentiated ways. Visible Alpha is backed by the world's leading investment banks. For more information on Visible Alpha, please visit www.visiblealpha.com.

Media Contact

Eric Soderberg

Forefront Communications for Visible Alpha

914-414-2884

[email protected]

SOURCE Visible Alpha

Related Links

http://www.visiblealpha.com

HOLMDEL, N.J., March 12, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Vonage (NYSE: VG), a business cloud communications leader, today introduced skills-based communications routing and real-time sentiment analysis - intelligent communications technologies that enable businesses to create their own routing plans and analytical view of agent and customer interactions for the contact center via building blocks. Developed as a part of the Nexmo Partner Program for Vonage's API Platform, these new technologies are first in a line of planned building blocks that enable greater flexibility and efficiency to create more meaningful customer relationships and better business outcomes.

Skills-based routing and real-time sentiment analysis capabilities, paired with the Nexmo Voice API, can be used on their own, or to augment Vonage's or a third-party's contact center solution, allowing customer service representatives and agents to better engage with their customers in real-time.

"Our new skills-based routing and real-time sentiment analysis offerings represent a brand new way for the industry to think about building an intelligent contact center  one that reflects the unique requirements of individual businesses," said Omar Javaid, Chief Product Officer for Vonage. "Vonage is redefining the contact center industry by providing businesses with building blocks to implement intelligent routing technology and the flexibility to determine where and how that routing is set up to deliver better business outcomes to their own customers."

For enterprise contact centers, intelligent communications based on contextual information is becoming a core need as they strive to improve the customer experience and address customers' increasing demand for personalized, contextual communications. Digital native companies and Independent Software Vendors (ISVs) are also looking for the ability to design these experiences themselves, adding to and building upon their existing solutions as needed.

Skills-based communications routing, as a fully open source building block, can bring enhancements to contact center capabilities which are flexible and limitless, and can be initiated from Vonage, its technology partners or the developer community. They easily extend to support new capabilities to differentiate a contact center's ability to engage with customers in meaningful, customized ways. In addition, because there are no license fees associated with the building block, significant cost savings can accrue compared to traditional options.

Vonage's sentiment analysis building block can be added to any existing contact center solution in order to provide real-time analytics to agents and supervisors. With these capabilities, contact center managers can better monitor the interactions between customers and agents to ensure a smoother customer journey.

With skills-based routing and real-time sentiment analysis, Vonage is providing applications to businesses to build customized, intelligent contact center capabilities according to their call routing and analytics preferences and specifications. For example, through skills-based routing, the developer decides which agent(s) has the best skillset to field a call from a Spanish-speaking customer, or which agent(s) would be best suited to field a sensitive call to a customer to collect fees. With the Nexmo voice API, skills-based routing technology can also enlist real-time sentiment analysis capabilities via APIs to gauge the temperature of a customer interaction, pulling in a supervisor or escalating a customer issue if needed, in real-time, creating a smoother customer journey for deeper relationships and increased loyalty.

About Vonage

Vonage (NYSE:VG) is redefining business communications. True to our roots as a technology disruptor, we've embraced technology to transform how companies communicate to create better business outcomes. Our unique cloud communications platform brings together a robust unified communications solution with the agility of embedded, contextual communications APIs. This powerful combination enables businesses to collaborate more productively and engage their customers more effectively across messaging, chat, social media, video and voice.

The Company also provides a robust suite of feature-rich residential communication solutions.

Vonage Holdings Corp. is headquartered in Holmdel, New Jersey, with offices throughout the United States, Europe, Asia and Israel. Vonage is a registered trademark of Vonage Marketing LLC, owned by Vonage America Inc.

(vg-a)

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NEW YORK, March 12, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Bayard Advertising Agency, Inc., a full-service digital brand agency, is pleased to announce the addition of Shane O'Donnell to the team as Vice President, Strategy. Shane has been involved in HR and HR tech since 2000 and has been fortunate enough to be a key leader in the success of startup companies ASG, Indeed, and Recruitics.

Shane started his career in HR as a partner with ASG, a commercial staffing firm, that he helped scale to $90m in sales and led to the successful sale of the firm in 2007. While at Indeed, Shane was one of the top 5 sales leaders that helped the company grow revenues significantly and ultimately sell for over $1B. In 2013, he joined HR tech start-up, Recruitics (A leader in programmatic ad buying), as VP of Sales. There he helped scale the organization to more than ten times its original size in just 2.5 years. Shane has also advised numerous HR startups over the years by helping them identify the right team, ideal customer profiles and establish the go to market strategies.

"After meeting Shane on a number of occasions, we felt his knowledge and experience in the recruitment marketing industry would be invaluable to Bayard. As we look to continue our growth in 2018 and beyond, we look forward to Shane's skill set playing a pivotal role in our future success," says Louis Naviasky, Bayard's Chief Executive Officer.

Shane will work closely with our business development team and explore how we can continue to be forward-thinking and innovative with the go to market strategies that we bring to our clients. Congratulations to Shane on his new role at Bayard and for his exemplary work in the industry to date. We are excited to see what comes next.

To learn more about Bayard Advertising, click here.

Contact:

Zachery Tweddell

Director, Marketing & Innovation

[email protected]

1430 Broadway, 20th Floor

New York, NY 10018

212.228.9400 x241

SOURCE Bayard Advertising Agency, Inc.

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HOLLAND, Mich., March 12, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Yanfeng Automotive Interiors, the world's largest supplier of automotive interiors, honored 26 of its suppliers recently during the Americas Supplier Performance Awards Ceremony at its technical center in Holland, Mich.

"We are honored to recognize our top suppliers and their teams, for their hard work and dedication," said Jim Bos, vice president, global procurement, for Yanfeng Automotive Interiors. "Their commitment enables us to better supply our customers with products that meet and exceed expectations."

The Supplier Performance Awards honor the company's top suppliers for their outstanding track record in the areas of quality, cost, logistics, development, technology and service.

Distinguished Supplier recipients:





A&K Finishing, Inc. Grand Rapids, Mich. CS Manufacturing Cedar Springs, Mich. Display Pack, Inc. Cedar Springs, Mich. Everwill Industrial Ltd. Shenzen, China GDC, Inc. Goshen, Ind. JD Norman Industries Addison, Ill. Sunway Novi, Mich. Team 1 Plastics, Inc. Albion, Mich. US Farathane Corporation Auburn Hills, Mich.

Supplier Excellence- Quality recipients:





Acoustek Nonwovens Statesville, N.C. MultiTech Industries Carol Stream, Ill.

Supplier Excellence - Service recipients:





Buckland Global Trade Services Port Huron, Mich. Clarion Technologies Holland, Mich. ExxonMobil Chemical Company Spring, Texas Total Fleet Solutions Perrysburg, Ohio TR Fastenings Houston, Texas West Michigan Molding Grand Haven, Mich.

Supplier Excellence - Technology Innovation recipients:





Helcor-Leder-Tec GmbH Hehlen, Germany Koops, Inc. Holland, Mich.

Supplier Excellence- Customer Satisfaction recipients:





American Autocoat, Inc Hudsonville, Mich. Canadian General Tower Cambridge, Ontario, Canada Derby Fabricating Louisville, Kentucky Eagle Industries Wixom, Mich. Hitop Mold Industrial Co., Ltd ChanAn Dongguan, China Informs Holland, Mich. SGE Cordova, Tenn.

About Yanfeng Automotive Interiors:

Yanfeng Automotive Interiors (YFAI) is the global leader in automotive interiors. Yanfeng Automotive Interiors is redefining how people relax, work and play inside their vehicle interiors  today and decades from now. Headquartered in Shanghai, the company has approximately 110 manufacturing plants and technical centers in 20 countries and more than 33,000 employees globally. They design, develop and manufacture automotive interior components for all automakers. Established in 2015, Yanfeng Automotive Interiors is a joint venture between Yanfeng, one of the largest automotive suppliers in China and Adient, the global leader in automotive seating. For additional information, please visit http://www.yfai.com

SOURCE Yanfeng Automotive Interiors

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"Yealink's new phones with the Microsoft Teams application are a great addition to their existing line of phones for Skype for Business," said Ilya Bukshteyn, Partner Director, Microsoft Teams Devices. "We are excited to see Yealink's ongoing commitment to Microsoft's communications and collaboration experiences, and look forward to working together to help our joint customers realize the vision of Intelligent Communications."

The T56A and T58A Teams edition desk phones are designed for today's busy executives and professionals in various vertical markets. The T56A desk phone is ideal for personal desks while the premium T58A model is perfect for C-level and executive rooms. Both phones feature an industry-unique design paired with high-definition audio quality.

The CP960 Teams edition conference phone combines Harmon's cutting-edge acoustic engineering with Yealink's own HD voice technology. This phone is specifically designed for use in huddle rooms and mid- and large-sized meeting rooms. Customers working in a wide variety of work scenarios will find the Yealink Teams edition phones to be the perfect choice.

Because these Teams Ready voice solutions are embedded with the calling and meeting features of Microsoft Teams and the unique Teams user interface, they offer an enhanced collaboration experience for users.

"It is an honor to extend our relationship with Microsoft by working on these Microsoft Teams solutions," said Stone Lu, Yealink's co-founder and vice president of Sales and Marketing. "These devices affirm our continued commitment to the success of Microsoft's collaboration ambitions," added Mr. Stone.

Yealink has led VoIP innovation for more than a decade, delivering high-quality solutions and products that are easy to use, Yealink will continue to offer unified communications solutions for improving business efficiency for our customers.

"In the near future, we will deepen the collaboration with Microsoft, looking forward to providing a best-in-class, high-quality, feature rich, end-to-end portfolio for Microsoft Teams." said, Stone Lu, Co-founder, EVP of Sales & Marketing, Yealink.

To learn more about Yealink Teams ready voice phones, visit Yealink's solutions for Microsoft Teams page.

Yealink will be exhibiting at Enterprise connect in Orlando from March 12 to 15 in booth 701, showcasing the future proofing Teams ready voice solutions (T58A, T56A, CP960).

About Yealink

Yealink, the global leading unified communication (UC) terminal solution provider, helps businesses of all sizes make the most of their UC experience and embrace the power of "Easy Collaboration." Yealink One-stop UC Terminal Solutions unify voice, video and data, and satisfy diverse customer needs and usage scenarios. The company's comprehensive product portfolio includes video conferencing systems, conference phones, desk IP phones, wireless DECT phones and accessories. Customers from more than 100 countries enjoy Yealink's reliable UC terminal solutions through its global sales and service network. For more information, please visit: www.yealink.com.

Linkedin | Facebook | Twitter

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EVANSTON, Ill., March 12, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Peter Manoogian, an associate principal at ZS, recently earned a position on Consulting magazine's "Rising Stars of the Profession" list. The award honors the best young talent in consulting, and commended Manoogian as a standout in the client service category.

"Receiving this award is an acknowledgement of the passion and enthusiasm I have for client service," Manoogian said. "It's also recognition of my broader team and the hard work we do together to deliver solutions that help our clients and their customers thrive."

This prestigious recognition of Manoogian's dedication to client service comes as no surprise to the teams that work with him. His mentors and colleagues know client service is more than a function of his jobit's his passion. He is keenly invested in the success and outcomes of his client engagements. That level of genuine interest and care continue to contribute to the evolution of ZS.

Over the past few years, Manoogian was instrumental in growing the firm's presence with financial services organizations. Today, he leads a team dedicated to a Fortune 200 insurance company.

Most recently, his team managed the rollout and adoption of a new technology platform for their client's sales team through a multi-year program. Manoogian's methodical approach, insight and dedication generated impressive operational efficiencies and financial results for the client.

"Working as a consultant, I have the flexibility to break free from the status quo to transform how clients engage with the market and their customers," said Manoogian. "Knowing that the work we do is making a difference is very satisfying."

This award may be his most recent accolade, but it isn't his first for client service. The team's insurance client recognized the group's work with a Partner of the Year award for client service this time last year.

Read more about Manoogian and other recipients of the Rising Stars of the Profession award in the March 2018 issue of Consulting. A Gala Awards Dinner in Chicago will also honor the group on April 19.

About ZS

ZS is the world's largest firm focused exclusively on helping companies improve overall performance and grow revenue and market share through end-to-end sales and marketing solutionsfrom customer insights and strategy to analytics, operations and technology. More than 5,000 ZS professionals in 22 offices worldwide draw on deep industry and domain expertise to deliver impact for clients across multiple industries. To learn more, visit www.zs.com or the Life at ZS blog.

Media Contact: Carla Keppler

[email protected]

312-729-4435

SOURCE ZS

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If you are new to iQ you can schedule a demo and learn more about this opportunity.

PSFK iQ - Where Innovators Turn for Research. Our professional-grade research platform is designed specifically for Retail and CX leaders who want to know whats next. Whether youre staying current on trends or need a real-time research partner to help you get ahead, count on PSFK iQ to deliver the info you need to make your next move.Morocco and Qatar signed on Monday eleven cooperation agreements, memoranda and action programs destined to foster partnership between the two countries in the fields of agriculture, trade, transport, finance, banking, education, media, youth and handicraft.

These agreements were signed Monday by Head of the Moroccan Government Saad-Eddine El Othmani and his Qatari peer Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa Al thani at the end of the 7th session of the Moroccan-Qatari High Joint Commission convened in Rabat.

This session was an occasion for the two countries top officials to hold intensive talks on bilateral relations, look into ways of strengthening cooperation in various sectors and coordinating stands on issues of common concern.

Qatar has renewed its support for Moroccos sovereignty over its Sahara, stressing that any solution to this regional conflict can only be made within the framework of Moroccos sovereignty and unity.

Qatari minister of Municipality and Environment Mohamed bin Abdullah Al Rumaihi said his country wants to increase its imports of Moroccan agriculture products.

The rich-Gulf State is seeking to ensure its food security as its neighboring countries, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, plus Egypt cut diplomatic and economic ties with Doha last June.

Qatar used to import 80 percent of its food from bigger Gulf Arab neighbors before the diplomatic shutdown.

During this difficult moment, Morocco stood by Qatar and sent last June food to this country. Rabat also offered to mediate between the Gulf countries, which are all close allies to the North African kingdom.

Yet, the Gulf rift was not brought up during the works of the joint cooperation commission.

Relations between Morocco and Qatar have witnessed a steady improvement in recent years, as shown by Qatari soaring investments in the North African country.

The latest investment was announced last February when the Qatari government declared its decision to invest $150 million in building a dam in the province of Guelmim in southern Morocco. The project is scheduled to be completed by 2021.The wait is over for Kate DiCamillos legions of fans: Candlewick Press is officially revealing to the trade in this weeks print issue of Publishers Weekly the cover of the two-time Newbery Medalists next novel. DiCamillos eighth novel for middle-grade readers, Louisianas Way Home, is a companion novel to her Raymie Nightingale, which was published in 2016 to much critical acclaim, including a starred review in PW. Raymie Nightingale was a finalist for that years National Book Award in Young Peoples Literature.

Louisianas Way Home will be released worldwide in print and digital formats on October 2. The cover, by Amy June Bates, is revealed here.

According to a release, the 240-page Louisianas Way Home, which is edited by senior editor Andrea Tompa, places at the center of the story 10-year-old Raymie Clarkes best friend, Louisiana Elefante, an orphan with a rich imagination who lives in poverty with her grandmother. Louisiana claims to be the daughter of the famous Flying Elefantes trapeze artists. Together with a third girl, Beverly Tapinski, the trio, who live in 1975-era central Florida and meet over baton-twirling lessons, call themselves The Three Rancheros.

When Louisianas granny wakes her up in the middle of the night to tell her that the day of reckoning has arrived and they have to leave home immediately, Louisiana isnt overly worried. After all, Granny has many middle-of-the-night ideas. But this time, things are different. This time, Granny intends for them never to return. Separated from her best friends, Raymie and Beverly, Louisiana struggles to oppose the winds of fate (and Granny) and find a way home. But as Louisianas life becomes entwined with the lives of the people of a small Georgia townincluding a surly motel owner, a walrus-like minister, and a mysterious boy with a crow on his shoulder  she starts to worry that she is destined only for good-byes. A possible curse on Louisiana and Grannys heads also may have an impact upon their lives, the release concludes, but that is a story for another time.

This novel marks the first time that DiCamillo has revisited in her fiction the human characters and a world she has created in a previous novel, although Candlewick says fans have asked her to do so for years. DiCamillo, of course, has written six novels about Mercy Watson in that chapter book series for young readersbut Mercy is a pig.

DiCamillo explains that the inspiration for Louisianas Way Home was sparked when she was preparing on her next writing project and was leafing through notebooks, re-reading all the phrases and images that I had written down that I thought might turn into a story.

Disclosing that the words,  'I am going to write it all down so that you will know what happened to me, showed up again and again in her notebooks, DiCamillo said that she had written next to the sentence, Louisiana? And it was Louisiana. It was her voice.

Although DiCamillo initially did not intend to write a companion novel to Raymie Nightingale, Louisianas voice was so strong and insistent, she said. And her need to tell her story was so profound, that I gave in. And boy, am I ever glad that I did. I loved spending time with her again.Im in Rome at the American Academy. I have a column to do. Im lost in a sea of beauty, despairing of a storyuntil I meet Irma Boom. An academy fellow and internationally famous Dutch graphic designer, Boom makes books, or more accurately, builds them; she makes model after model in her process, like an architect. Her books are in the permanent collection at MOMA, and in July, Taschen will publish her latest: Elements of Architecture, which puts together 15 books that Boom designed for Dutch architect Rem Koolhaas for the 2014 Venice Architecture Biennale.

I went to hear Booms talk, Boom on Books, at MAXXI, Italys national museum of contemporary art and architecture in Rome. What is a book? A book is a story, an edited bound stack of paper, a frozen moment in time, she said. It never changes, unlike digital. The permanence of print books suits Boom, who says that shes rigid but is always looking for creative freedom and that she has defied authority and convention throughout her long career of making more than 300 books.

What Boom does with books breaks all the rules. She designs them without page numbers (Without page numbers, you discover other things that you were not looking for, she says); she designs them without ink, without text (as in her homage to artist Ellsworth Kelly), or with text that spills over into the margins. She makes fat books of thousands of pages; she makes books so tiny they fit in the palm of a hand. She doesnt think of an audience. If its good, she says, the audience will appear.

Boom works with what she calls commissioners, never clients. When the commissioner talks, I see the book, she says. If I dont see it, there is no book. She thinks of possibilities, never problems, and is always looking for inspiration. Andy Warhol, she notes, was inspired by The Last Supper.

Booms career out of art school (she studied painting) began at the Dutch Government and Printing Office, where she landed the plum assignment of making a stamp book. The Netherlands is famous for design policy, she tells me, and the very best people were enlisted to design stamps: painters, architects, artists. The series of stamp books, which included the background story of the stamp designs, started in 1970; Boom did the years 19871988. Her experimental style (translucent paper, text crossing multiple pages, no punctuation) brought an outcry and hate mail but established her as a force.

It was before the internet and involved much image research, Boom says. The book took five years and, in what would be a significant feature of her work, ended up being several hundred pages long. It was supposed to be 96, she says. It was also then that she began making models.

In 1991, Boom was commissioned by SHV Holdings, the Dutch trading company, to produce a book that was to be a tool for clients. She says that when considering a commission, she needs to know what the function of the book is. She also only takes on projects she believes she will enjoy. I always think, whats in it for me? she adds. Boom was given her freedom, and SHV Think Book made her international career. Published at more than 2,000 pages, it is a narrative history of the company.

Ferrari contacted Boom to create a book of engines in 2002, and she says she thought, Here they ask a female Dutch designer to do this book; we dont even have Ferraris in the Netherlands. She adds that when the Ferrari people arranged to pick her up, she asked how she would know them. You will hear it, they said. Boom laughs. The sound of the engine was so loud, so fantastic, I thought, I will do whatever you ask!

Every book tells a story, according to Boom, but her books have particularly amazing backstories. The textile artist Sheila Hicks commissioned Boom, and they worked together without a deadline for four years (Boom made more than 30 models of the book) and without a publisher, until Bard became interested. Academic publishers are conservative, Boom says. They have definite ideas.

The Hicks book had no cover image, no title. How will people know to pick it up? the publisher asked. Booms response was that a cover image restricted the book to people who were interested in the subject and that Hicks should be discovered by all. Hicks fired Boom and told her she would never work with her again. Boom kept working anyway. Now we are best friends, she says. Sheila Hicks: Weaving as Metaphor, published in 2006, won the gold medal as the Most Beautiful Book in the World at the 2007 Leipzig Book Fair and is now in its fifth printing.

Chanel hired Boom to design a book for its 2013 exhibition in Paris. No.5 Culture Chanel was produced without ink: the book is completely white; its pages are embossed and their edges are rough. It must be touched to be experienced. The company gave me carte blanche, Boom says. And I took complete advantage.

The paper book is more relevant than ever, Boom insists. Paper books have qualities that cant be duplicated digitally. Size is irrelevant with a digital book, for one thing, and size figures prominently in Booms work.

Boom makes miniature models of her books (I have hundreds and am very attached to them, she says) and always wanted to publish a miniature book, which no publisher saw as practical. Boom produced a minibook for her retrospective in Amsterdam in 2010, and a slightly updated version for her 2013 Paris show. Irma Boom: The Architecture of the Book is an 800-page miniature catalogue of her work. I take it everywhere, she says, holding it out for me to touch when we sit together in the salon of the academy. It is tiny with a red faux-leather cover, and its pages and cover are well thumbed. I always have it with me, she saysmy book and my red lipstick, which she applies before she gets up to leave.

Booms time in Rome at the Vatican library was about discovery. She worked with manuscripts, which I never really liked, she says. But, she adds, with a handwritten manuscript, anything is possible: there are no restrictions. And I believe everything has been done before, so I wanted to find, in the past, what I do now. For instance, the manuscripts have no page numbers.

Boom is all about the work. When the German publisher Hatje Cantz wanted a catalogue with 180 pages, she said it was impossible; it needed to be longer. Hatje Cantz said it would only pay for 180 pages. Boom said fine, and Everything Design was produced at 800 pages.

Boom is serious about her work, yet lighthearted. At the museum talk, when the projection screen froze, she looked up. Deadpan, she faced the audience and said, This is why I love books: they always work. I wanted to write a novel that paid attention to history; I wasnt entirely certain what that meant.

After my first novel came out, I sent copies of the book to a half dozen or so mentors who had helped me along the way. All of them wrote back saying how proud they were. All except for one, a distinguished professor of Middle Eastern history whose seminar had been my first introduction to the Ottoman Empire.

It wasnt that he didnt like the book, he said, but that certain parts of the novel didnt pay so much attention to well-established basic information. His critique stung, but I wasnt especially surprised. While writing the book, I had been somewhat cavalier with the historical record. I had moved around a few palaces, made up an international incident or two. And most significantlyfor my professorI had transformed the authoritarian sultan Abdul Hamid II into a bumbling dilettante.

I had my rationalizations for the tweaks. I was playing with history, I told myself, creating a new world. I was working within a long literary tradition, building on authors such as Calvino, Rushdie, Marquez, and Grass. I had sprinkled little winks and nods throughout the book, alerting the reader to my historical infidelities. And anyway, this was fiction, not history.

I held on to these justifications but eventually realized my professor was right. As someone who had lived under an authoritarian regime himself and had been thrown in jail for what he wrote about the past, my professor understood that history isnt something to be screwed with. He wasnt saying that all novels needed to be 100% historically accurate. He just wanted me to pay attention, to recognize the power of stories. Because, regardless of my intentions, and my winks and nods, my version of Abdul Hamid II would be, for most readers, the only one there was.

My professors email was at the front of my mind when I started writing my second book, a multigenerational novel centered on a 1,000-year-old synagogue in Cairo. I wanted to write a novel that paid attention to history; I wasnt entirely certain what that meant, but I was pretty sure the first step was to read everything I could find about the history of Cairo and its Jewish community.

I spent a month on the bottom floor of UCBerkeleys main library reading through books that hadnt been checked out in decades. I took careful notes on oversize index cards. Eventually, I set the cards aside and started writing.

It was thenin the messy process of imagining characters and conflicts, in building out the world and bringing it to lifethat the inaccuracies began to seep in. I did my best to pay attention. And the final product is very much true to the historical record. But I would be lying if I said that I checked every fact. There were times I couldnt find something I was pretty sure I remembered, times I was too lazy to look up a small detail. And then there were a few times when the dictates of fiction overruled history.

At the heart of the novel, for example, is a Muslim family who, for hundreds of years, served as watchmen of the Ibn Ezra Synagogue. Its a nice image and serves as the through line connecting various the parts of the book. The trouble is, theres no indication that such a family ever existed. The idea came to me from a woman I met on a plane, whose family had served as watchmen for a synagogue in Kolkata.

Upon further research, I learned about other Muslim families who had watched over other synagogues in the Middle East and North Africa. But I wasnt able to find evidence of such a family in Cairo. Even so, I kept them in.

I agree with my professor. A novelist should pay close attention to history, especially in our current historical moment. But novels are not history books; they are works of imagination, containing thousands of tiny detailsthe accumulation of which is a truth much broader than what makes it into history books.

Michael David Lukass next novel, The Last Watchman of Old Cairo, will be published by Spiegel & Grau in March.Amid allegations of sexual misconduct, author Sherman Alexie has declined the American Library Associations 2018 Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Nonfiction. Alexie was announced as the winner of the literary award on February 11, at the 2018 ALA Midwinter Meeting in Denver, for his book You Don't Have to Say You Love Me: A Memoir.

In a second development surrounding the memoir, Alexie's publisher, Hachette Book Group, said that they are postponing the paperback edition of the book at Alexie's request. The publisher, added, however, it will keep the rest of Alexie's titles in print.

ALA officials told PW that they were notified of Alexies decision via his agent, although it was unclear whether the author was in discussions with ALA, or took the decision on his own, preemptively.

"We acknowledge his decision," reads a statement from the ALA, "and will not award the Carnegie nonfiction medal in 2018.

The move by Alexie relieves ALA officials from having to make a tough call. Though the Carnegie selection committee had settled on Alexie prior to the misconduct allegations against the author being widely known (the accusations began with anonymous comments posted to a January 3 article on the School Library Journal website), ALA officials were still going to have to decide whether to invite the author to a reception this summer. Carnegie winners typically address librarians and accept their medals at a reception at the ALA Annual Conference, which this year is set for June 2125 in New Orleans.

Asked about the allegations after the Carnegie announcement last month, Jessica Hughes, executive director of the Reference & User Services Association (RUSA), the ALA division that co-sponsors the Carnegie Medals, told PW in a February 13 message that ALA had only recently learned of these concerning allegations against the author," and was "taking the matter seriously" and "looking into it.

On February 28, Alexie released a statement in which he apologized for his past conduct, while denying some of the allegations against him. I have made poor decisions, Alexie conceded in his statement, and I am working hard to become a healthier man who makes healthier decisions."

But the pressure has continued to mount on Alexie. Earlier this month, a number of women went on the record with their accusations against him, and the allegations have become widely reported in the media.

Now in their seventh year, The ALAs Carnegie Medals have become a coveted literary prize, and the awards reception has become known for great speeches. This years fiction winner is Jennifer Egan, who won for her novel Manhattan Beach.

HBG 'Surprised and Troubled by Allegations

In announcing the decision to postpone the paperback edition of You Don't Have to Say You Love Me, a HBG spokesperson said the publisher was "surprised and troubled to hear the allegations that have recently emerged [against Alexie], and are concerned about the distress this situation has caused so many."

The statement went on to say that HBG is "encouraged" that Alexie has apologized to those he has hurt and that he has "dedicated himself to becoming a healthier man."Crush treason ruthlessly, crush it mercilessly.

Modest Mussorgsky, Boris Godunov (1874), Act IV, Scene 2

In theory, Russia prohibits capital punishment  even mass murderers are jailed for life. But in practice, some Russians accused of treason or seen as a threat to the state, or to its present custodians, are condemned to death.

Suspicions around an apparent nerve-agent attack on a former Russian spy in Britain are born of bitter experience.

In his memoir, former KGB general Oleg Kalugin relates that the assassination of defectors, and some dissidents, was the established policy of the KGB  the predecessor of the current Russian Federal Security Service (FSB)  and that he knew of eight instances of its implementation. Kalugin also tells of how, in the early 1970s when he was head of its First Directorate, responsible for counter-intelligence, the KGB tracked down a defector in Australia and proposed his execution.

This defector was almost certainly Vladimir Petrov. Kalugin writes that then KGB head Yuri Andropov ordered him to focus on taking-out more recent defectors. One can only speculate on the consequences for Australias relations with Russia had Andropov given his assent.

The policy of assassinating those abroad deemed traitors goes back to the Cheka, the secret police set up by Vladimir Lenin in 1917, succeeded by the KGB and todays FSB. Throughout the 1920s and 1930s, Cheka agents carried out hundreds of assassinations, especially in Western Europe. Leon Trotsky was perhaps the Chekas most famous victim, but by the 1950s the ice pick with which he been killed had given way to methods designed to conceal traces.

The use of sophisticated poisons by Russian assassins has a considerable history in which the Alexander Litvinenko case is but a recent example. In 1961 a KGB defector, Bohdan Stashinsky, gave details of a miniature pistol firing cyanide that he had used to kill two Ukrainian nationalists living in western Europe.

Following so soon after Vladimir Putins truculent and bellicose arms-bazaar address to a rapturous audience in Moscow, yet another assassination would again underline that for the first time in its history, Russia is ruled by an espionage officer supported by a cabal with the collective outlook and values of the Russian secret police.

In Putins case, this mentality is coloured by what a well-informed Russian journalist described as a quest to revenge the humiliation of the Soviet Unions defeat in Afghanistan and its subsequent collapse. This attitude is captured by the Russia word obida, which has no equivalent in English. Obida connotes an unforgivable insult and the smouldering resentment that it fuels.

The tribal notion of the Russian state to which Putin and the FSB/GRU (Main Intelligence Directorate) cleave makes Russia the supreme moral value, above God, or at least identified with the deity. Under this sacralisation of the state, the Russian people serve the Motherland, and not the other way around.

To traduce the state is tantamount to heresy  the most heinous of crimes. Putin has shown that he is a determined and vengeful repository of this tradition: in 2010 he assured a TV audience that all traitors would die; and he once vowed publicly to hang the president of Georgia by his testicles.

Similarly, according to this outlook, service in the FSB, the sword and shield of the state, is the highest, most noble vocation. Putins biographers make much of the fact that this was his vocation as a young man. As former deputy-head of Putins Secretariat Vyacheslav Volodin said, without Putin there is no Russia (in recent years, Putins cult of personality has become even more Orwellian).

Treason, therefore, is not only the worst of crimes but also obida  to the state and to Putin himself, the personification of the state, a man chosen in 2017 as the second greatest figure in history (after Stalin) by a clear majority of 1600 Russians in a reputable opinion poll.

If, as now seems likely, former Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia prove to be the latest victims of the tradition of hunting down those accused of treason, the brazen nature of the assassination was presumably designed to demonstrate Putins unhindered reach and resolve to protect the state by crushing treason. Our bungling enemies, the patrons to whom you have betrayed the Motherland, can never protect you.

Putin has repeatedly asserted Russias right to protect not only its citizens but also any inhabitants of other countries who consider themselves to be part of what he calls Russkiy Mir (the Russian World); that is, the global Russian diaspora, and others who identify with Russia and support his policies. By ordering or authorising the murder of defectors such as Litvinenko and Skripal, Putin is also asserting the right to take the lives of Russians wherever they may be. He has revived the practices of the Cheka and the Cold War KGB. (Given the concentration of power in Putins hands, the nod for such acts, with their potential consequences for Russia, almost certainly come from him.)

In the past, targets of assassination have included non-Russians. Russo-British relations have a fraught, centuries-long history, including the Crimean War and numerous incidents in the silent war of the intelligence services. Many Russians and escapees from the Soviet-Russian empire have chosen the UK as their place of asylum; some have been pursued there, and some more live in fear.

In Putins time, the UK has repeatedly granted asylum to figures he sees as sworn enemies, including a number that have died in unexplained circumstances. Over recent years, Kremlin commentators have taken to referring to Anglo-Saxons as Russias particular enemy. The propaganda on television stations Russia 1 and NTV, bellicose enough when I last saw it, has acquired a fervid and paranoid tone exemplified the outburst on Russia 1 by retired colonel Igor Korotchenko, The Anglo-Saxons are a breed that understands only one thing  force!

Commentators have noted that the Kremlin has reason to bear a special grudge against Christopher Steele, the former MI6 officer who wrote the dossier on ties between Donald Trump and the Kremlin that lead to the Mueller inquiry. Steele may now have reason to feel uneasy.

Kyle Wilson studied at the ANU, Moscow State and Leningrad State universities. He worked in DFAT from 1981 to 2004. His postings for DFAT included four years in Moscow 1988-92; and five in Beijing, 1995-99, including a year at the Beijing Institute for Economic Management. From 2000-2004 he worked on China and Mongolia in DFATs North Asia Division. From 2004 to 2013 he was the Senior Analyst for Russia and Central Asia at ONA and is now a Visiting Fellow at the Centre for European Studies at the ANU.

This article appeared originally at Lowy Institute's the interpreter.The Bush administration, which labeled North Korea part of the Axis of Evil, was much cooler on high-level talks. The Obama administration achieved breakthroughs with the Cuban and Iranian regimes through high-level contacts, but gave up on diplomacy with the North Korean regime because of its unwillingness to denuclearize. It adopted a policy of pressure instead of engagement, and until now, the Trump administration had stuck to that policy and escalated itWAYNESBURG, Pa.  Conor Lamb, the Democrat running in a Republican stronghold that overwhelmingly supported President Trump in 2016, likely needs everything to go right Tuesday to win the special election in Pennsylvanias 18th Congressional District.

Some of his supporters are gaining confidence that everything might, indeed, go right.

If we get everybody out to vote, if it doesnt rain or snow, were going to win, said Linda Andrews, the chair of the Washington County Democratic Committee.

That sense of optimism was palpable as Lamb rallied here with about 300 supporters and members of the United Mine Workers union Sunday afternoon, hoping to shore up his standing with labor, a constituency that will need to support him in droves Tuesday if hes going to defeat state Rep. Rick Saccone.

Lamb spoke only briefly, praising the union members in the hall as the heart and soul of his campaign and promising to protect Medicare and Social Security benefits and to support legislation safeguarding their pensions. The event came two days after he held a get-out-the-vote rally with the steelworkers union, which itself came just days after he campaigned with former Vice President Joe Biden and other union members.

President Trump won PA-18 by nearly 20 points in 2016, and remains relatively popular here. Though the president looms over most discussions of this race nationally, Lamb didnt mention him once at Sundays rally, even though the Trump visited the district the night before to support Saccone. There, Trump criticized the Democratic candidate extensively, nicknaming him Lamb the sham and saying hed be a party-line Democrat in Congress.

Rather than take the bait, Lamb instead pushed back against the more than $10 million GOP groups have put into the race. In television ads, Republicans have attacked his record as a prosecutor and compared him to Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi. Several national Democratic groups have invested in the contest, though to a much smaller degree. But Lamb has outraised Saccone by a 5-to-1 margin, and it has mostly been his campaign pushing back against the onslaught.

They use these same tactics everywhere around the country but I think when they came to Western Pennsylvania, they werent counting on what they were going to find here, said the 33-year-old Marine veteran.

Some voters have grown frustrated with the hardball tactics. John Rigi, 63, a Greene County member of the mine workers union, wouldnt say if he voted for Trump in 2016, but said he liked some of the things the president has done, including shaking up Washington. But Rigi said he plans to vote for Lamb and criticized the attack ads.

That mudslinging, thats no way to win, he said. I think our forefathers would roll over in their graves. People have got to learn to get along.

Still, some of the attacks have worked to a degree. Lamb ran a TV ad where he faced the camera directly to remind voters that he wouldnt support Pelosi as leader, which Republicans took as a sign their efforts to link the two had moved the needle.

Paul Berginc, a retired airline mechanic, had been a Democrat for most of his life, but switched parties and supported Trump in 2016, saying that the Democratic Party left me. Asked about Lamb at the Trump-Saccone rally Saturday, he scoffed, dismissing the candidate as a Pelosi Democrat. When a reporter pointed out that Lamb had said he would not support the California congresswoman, Berginc shrugged it off:

I dont care what he says. I would say anything too, if I were in his shoes, to get elected and thats what hes doing. I dont believe it one bit.

Lambs lack of support for Pelosi isnt the only thing separating him from the national party. With increasing fervor, many lawmakers and Democratic officials have been pushing for new gun control measures after a gunman killed 17 people last month at a Florida high school. But Lamb, who featured himself shooting a rifle in an early TV ad, said after the shooting that he doesnt support new gun laws. And Bill Kortz, a state legislator, said he tried to allay the concerns of some steelworkers who want the Second Amendment protected.

Come on, man -- hes a Marine! Kortz said he told them. Marines love guns, lets go. Cmon, man. What are you talking about? This man is good with the Second Amendment and anybody that tells you that, theyre full of crap.

Republicans hope that could be the biggest issue to drive a wedge between Lamb and his partys base voters, perhaps depressing turnout. Though Lamb needs to win crossover Republicans and blue-collar workers to be successful Tuesday, he also needs strong turnout from reliable base Democrats.

Candice Buchanan, 39, who works at the courthouse in Waynesburg, said gun control is one of the issues thats most important to her, and acknowledged that she and Lamb disagreed on it. But that didnt affect her support.

I am not a single-issue voter, even though that does bother me, Buchanan said at the rally. Im not a person who wants to take guns completely away, Im just a person who wants common-sense gun control. I feel like theres more room to work with Conor Lamb than [with] the opponent.

Overall, Buchanan said she is excited about Lambs candidacy. She praised his youth, and said he is in touch with issues she cares about, including student loan debt. She said the race has given her and her friends with similar viewpoints a reason to be enthused about politics.

In the last couple years, Ive just started to feel so powerless, so its been nice to just see a candidate that I respect, Buchanan said. Because a lot of the time I dont trust so many of them.The Senegalese government will disburse about 30 billion CFA francs to promote entrepreneurship and employment of women and youth, including a better womens access to land in the West African nation.

According to President Macky Sall, the 30 billion FCFA program will kick-off at the end of March with consultations on the basis of the gender approach, so that rural women and women in general can have access to land.

Once completed, the program called UNIFORSHE (United for her) should allow the increase of womens contribution to the countrys economy.

Earlier this year, Senegals Agricultural and prospective rural initiative (IPAR) and the National Council for Rural Collaboration and Cooperation (CNCR) launched an action research project to contribute to the improvement of womens access and control on land and their participation in decision-making institutions.

Women, who constitute 52% of the total Senegalese population, when addressing access to resources, strive for sustainable development and food security.

The Economic Community of West African States, OXFAM, and the Food & Agriculture Organization, late last year, pledged to enhance policies, with special attention to the need to close the gender gap in access to land.Russell Edwards, Tim Denson, and other family members and supporters walk from City Hall to the Board of Elections office to apply for county commissioner positions in Athens, Georgia, on Monday, March 5, 2018. (Photo/McGee Nall, www.mcgeenall.com)Got some scoop for our reporters or editors? Click on the link below to send us your information.

Send your newsHARTFORD  Months after welcoming thousands of families from hurricane-ravaged Puerto Rico, Connecticut legislators are pushing for more aid to help the relocated U.S. citizens now calling the state home.

The legislatures Black and Puerto Rican Caucus will make aiding Puerto Rican families one of its top priorities this session, caucus leaders announced Monday at the Capitol. The organization proposed restoring funding to Hispanic agencies and providing disaster assistance to those affected by the storm.

We cannot turn our back on these fellow American citizens, said Rep. Christopher Rosario, D-Bridgeport, chair of the caucus.

More than 1,700 students displaced from Puerto Rico enrolled in Connecticut schools after Hurricane Maria struck in September.

Connecticut welcomed the second highest number of families from the U.S. territory, only behind Florida, putting pressure on the state's school districts to make room for new students.

Bridgeport Public Schools, where Rosario attended, took in more than 200 students from Puerto Rico in the fall, according to the district. Some 128 students displaced from the island still attend the public schools.

The minority caucus will also champion pay equity, creating liveable wages and protecting womens health care, Rosario said.

Vice chair of the caucus Rep. Brandon McGee, D-Hartford, said the caucus is concerned about the erosion of the states Medicaid system, which provides health insurance to low-income residents, due to eligibility changes.

The 29-member group is pushing several education initiatives, including recruiting and retaining more teachers of color and changing staffing requirements for child care providers.

Advocating for a second chance society, McGee said the caucus also produced bills that would require the state Department of Corrections to offer opioid treatment to inmates, create a working group to study housing options for former inmates and give tax credits to businesses that employ them.

Criminal justice reform and economic measures, like paid family leave, disproportionately affect black and Latino families, McGee said.

Rosario said caucus members would support toll, marijuana and sports gambling revenue to fund these initiatives, although the caucus does not have a formal stance on these issues.

The caucus held a forum in February to seek input from these communities about issues they would like to see the General Assembly address.The Ethiopian army on Sunday killed nine civilians and injured 12 others after mistaking them for rebels, local media reports.

The civilians were killed near a town along the countrys border with Kenya as the soldiers were in pursuit of Oromo Liberation Front fighters who had crossed into Ethiopia from three locations.

The Oromo Liberation Front is an organization established by Oromo nationalists to promote self-determination for the Oromo people against Abyssinian colonial rule.

It was the culmination of over 70 years of uncoordinated resistance by Oromos against what they see as oppression and suppression of the Oromo people and their culture. The group has been outlawed and labelled a terrorist organization by the Ethiopian government.

Ethiopia has been experiencing anti-government protests since 2016, mostly in the Oromia and Amhara region. The countrys parliament voted in February to impose a six-month nationwide state of emergency.

Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn has resigned last month saying he had done what he was able to do to solve the problem in the country. Political prisoners including opposition figures have recently been released to ease tensions.As China's reliance on foreign petroleum continues to grow, it claims to have rights to more oil abroad than it produces at home.

China's "equity oil" overseas from investments and loans is likely to top 200 million metric tons this year, or 4 million barrels per day, state-owned China National Petroleum Corp. (CNPC) said in December.

The volume from China's two decades-old "go out" strategy may mark a tipping point for the policy as domestic oil production in 2017 fell to 191.5 million tons, or 3.8 million barrels per day (bpd), after stagnating for years around the 4-million mark.

As a leading importer, China has long since passed the tipping point in its dependence on foreign oil with overall imports rising 10.1 percent last year to 8.4 million bpd, according to customs data.

China relied on imports for 67.4 percent of its oil in 2017, the CNPC Economics & Technology Research Institute said in January, predicting that the proportion will rise to 70.1 percent of supplies this year.

The estimate suggests that China has already taken a running start on the International Energy Agency (IEA) forecast that import dependence will reach 80 percent by 2040.

In its medium-term outlook released last week, the IEA said that China's domestic oil production will meet 29.7 percent of demand this year and just 25 percent in 2023.

Energy experts like Edward Chow of the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington have said that China's heavy reliance on foreign oil represents a significant security risk.

"The Chinese position is actually much worse than the American position ever was," Chow told RFA last year.

But CNPC's report on equity oil appears to be aimed at arguing that the rising import ratio should not be a security concern because the combination of "owned" oil and domestic production will cover nearly two-thirds of China's demand in 2018.

That might be true if China imported all of the oil that it could claim from more than 30 countries where it has invested.

But in practice, there is no one-to-one correspondence between China's investments and the oil that it imports.

Studies have found that import decisions on equity oil depend on case-by-case commercial considerations and a host of factors including contract provisions, pipeline and port access, transport costs, market opportunities, and refining needs.

Assets in Kazakhstan

China's petroleum assets in Kazakhstan are a case in point.

CNPC has invested heavily in the neighboring country since the 1990s, representing the earliest and perhaps the largest concentration of equity oil acquisitions under the government's "go-out" strategy to secure energy resources abroad.

But since most of the assets are in western Kazakhstan, some 2,300 kilometers (1,429 miles) from the Chinese border, much of China's equity oil has flowed west through Russia to the port of Novorossiysk on the Black Sea or north to Samara.

Only a portion of the 5.1 billion cubic meters of associated gas produced last year by CNPC-AktobeMunaiGas, the main subsidiary in western Kazakhstan, was exported to China. The rest was supplied to the Aktobe and south Kazakhstan regions, Interfax reported in January.

An analysis by the Oxford Institute for Energy Studies in December 2016 found that up to 3.3 million bpd of foreign oil was available to Chinese traders in 2015 as a result of investments by the country's national oil companies (NOCs) and oil-backed loans.

Diversity of supply remains the major remedy for energy security risk rather than reliance on imports from specific sources of equity oil, the study suggested.

"To be sure, the NOCs recognize that bringing back overseas crude production plays well with the government, but they will try to do so when the economics align as well," the study said.

A paper by the China University of Petroleum-Beijing School of Business Administration, published in January, cited a report that "only one-eighth to one-tenth of the overseas equity oil production (OEOP) was shipped back to China due to the NOCs' profits expectation and optimization and the high shipping cost."

"In this sense, although only a small part of the OEOP was shipped back to China in the past, it may undertake many functions including a backup for national oil supply and oil security," the paper said.

Still another paper by the IEA in 2011 explored the question of the government's control over NOC investments and the energy security mission.

"No evidence suggests that the Chinese government currently imposes a quota on the NOCs regarding the amount of their equity oil that they must ship to China," the paper said.

"Decisions ... are mainly based on commercial considerations, in some cases, carried out by marketing subsidiaries located outside the headquarters of the NOCs," it said.

The competing interests may raise doubts about whether the equity oil issue is relevant to China's energy security at all.

Security risks the same

Philip Andrews-Speed, a China energy expert at National University of Singapore, noted that security risks are the same for maritime shipping of imports from Africa and the Middle East whether the oil is owned by China or not.

A difference is possible in the extreme case of a supply disruption, he suggested, since China could justify sending its navy "to protect its own tankers carrying equity oil more easily than the tankers of other nations."

China's overland pipeline imports of oil and gas, mainly from Central Asia and Russia, have raised fewer security concerns. But Andrews-Speed wonders whether such routes could pose the risk of entanglements as import reliance grows.

"If one of the Central Asian states descends into chaos or civil war, would China send its army to protect the pipelines?" he asked.

The uncertainty may raise questions about cooperation and competing energy interests with Russia that have yet to be resolved.

In a recent posting, Andrews-Speed explored the economics of China's foreign oil investments, some of which turned to folly after world prices plummeted from over U.S. $100 (634 yuan) per barrel in 2014 to less than U.S. $40 (253 yuan) per barrel in early 2016.

"The fall of oil prices in 2014 saw a plunge in the annual value of overseas acquisitions from about U.S. $40 billion (253 billion yuan) in 2013 to effectively zero in 2016," Andrews-Speed said.

The slump saddled the NOCs with some wildly overpriced acquisitions. It also coincided with the anti-corruption probe and ouster of former security chief Zhou Yongkang and his power base in the oil industry.

"This ensured that no senior executive had the appetite or time to take any risks, let alone undertake overseas investments," Andrews-Speed said.

The high cost of the go-out policy may raise further doubts about its contribution to China's energy security.

Andrews-Speed estimated that the total value of China's overseas energy investments may approach U.S. $200 billion (1.2 trillion yuan) over the past 20 years.Authorities in Cambodias Kratie province on Monday released eight villagers who were detained amid a violent clash over a land dispute, on the condition that they refrain from holding future demonstrations, according to one of those held.



On March 8, police in Kraties Snuol district opened fire on a group of people protesting over the long-running dispute with a rubber plantation, killing as many as eight people and injuring dozens of others, according to sources, and prompting a call from United Nations Special Rapporteur Rhona Smith, who happens to be visiting Cambodia, for an independent investigation into the incident.



Resident Tin Pheak told RFAs Khmer Service last week that more than 400 residents of Snuols 2 Thnou commune blocked National Road 76A for three hours, beginning around 9:00 a.m., after workers from the Memot Rubber Plantation and security forces burned down the huts and razed the farms of 300 villagers locked in a dispute over ownership of the land.



Around 150 soldiers, police and military police were deployed to remove protesters from National Road 76A and security forces fired on residents during the ensuing confrontation, Tin Pheak said, adding that she saw two people were killed right away and another two injured. The villager was taken into custody a day later and recanted her claims in an interview with government-aligned Fresh News media.



Authorities arrested eight people for their role in the clash and seven were questioned about their role in the incident in court on Saturday.



All eight were later released, one of those detained told RFA on Monday, after a court official warned them they would be arrested and face jail time if they do not stop protesting over the land dispute.



The resident of 2 Thnou commune, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said he believed the courts threat and expressed fear for my safety, adding that he and the others who were detained are required to meet with Snuol district authorities on Wednesday.



The Phnom Penh Post said in a report Monday that it had independently verified the identities of five of those who were detained: Leak Sat, 44; Kim Nai, 23; Poung Phal, 36; Vem Duy, 64; and Buth Vorn, 55, who it said is currently receiving treatment in hospital and has yet to be questioned. It quoted Kratie Provincial Court director Din Sivuthy as saying the eight were facing two or three charges, without elaborating.



The Post also cited Kratie Provincial Court prosecutor Keo Socheat, who led an investigation into the incident, as saying Tin Pheaks admission that she lied proved claims about the killings were untrue.



When asked if he had interviewed other villagers or visited the protest site, Socheat he had not carried out any further investigation, as he had just searched to find out the truth whether there are people dead as the media said. He also refused to answer questions about why police had opened fire on the villagers and whether the use of force was justified.



Meanwhile, security personnel have denied members of civil society organizations and the media access to the site of the incident, hampering efforts to investigate the death toll as reported by villagers.



But, as of Sunday, residents involved in the land dispute continued to assert that at least two people had been killed on the spot in last weeks shooting, and six seriously injured, despite denials from local officials.



Local analyst Hang Vitou told RFA Monday that authorities should conduct a proper investigation of the incident to provide justice for the residents, instead of blaming the media for false reporting.



I think this is a mistake by the state prosecutor, who failed to properly manage the armed forces, he said.



It is particularly egregious that they deployed soldiers, whose job is to defend the country against foreign aggression, to open fire and crackdown against their own citizens. This is not the right approach, because it will damage their reputation and cast doubt on the independence of the armed forces.



Farmer petitions



Also on Monday, farmers from 37 communities in four different provinces gathered in Phnom Penh today to submit petitions to the Council of Ministers, the Ministry of Land Management, and the National Assembly, requesting that the three institutions speed up resolution of their protracted land disputes.



More than 300 farmers joined Mondays protest, representing nearly 7,000 families involved in disputes over a total of some 20,000 hectares (49,400 acres) of land from communities in Tboung Khmum, Kandal, Svay Rieng, and Preah Sihanouk provinces.



The farmers raised banners and marched together to submit their 37 petitionsone for each communityto the three government bodies, saying the disputes had left them impoverished after they lost their farms, homes and employment, and urging officials to visit their communities to investigate their claims.



We are here to insist and beg your excellences as relevant authorities to help resolve our problems, one representative said while delivering a petition.



Theng Savoeun, secretary-general of the Coalition of Cambodian Farmer Community (CCFC), which organized Mondays event, told RFA that the government appeared to be stalling in its resolution of the countrys land disputes.



They seem not to pay much attention to land dispute problemsin particular to the [farmers] rights to life, he said.



The right to life means that villagers are in need of land to build their residence, to farm and to earn their livings. Yet, authorities appear unwilling to help solve the problems on the basis of legal principles and actual evidence.



Theng Savoeun noted that many of Mondays farmers had been involved in disputes for up to a decade.



We also see that those [companies and individuals] who are involved in land disputes with farmers tend to have connections with senior officials and authorities, he added.



The farmers returned home on Monday after representatives of the three state institutions accepted their petitions, but warned they would return to protest in the capital if there were no resolutions in their cases.



Land disputes



The seizure of land for developmentoften without due process or fair compensation for displaced residentshas been a major cause of protest in Cambodia and other authoritarian Asian countries, including China and Myanmar.



Rural villagers and urban dwellers alike have been mired in conflicts that the U.N.s special rapporteur for human rights in Cambodia has warned could threaten the countrys stability.



Cambodias land issues date from the 1975-79 Khmer Rouge regime, which forced large-scale evacuations and relocations, followed by a period of mass confusion over land rights and the formation of squatter communities when the refugees returned in the 1990s after a decade of civil war.



Reported by RFAs Khmer Service. Translated by Sovannarith Keo. Written in English by Joshua Lipes.Cambodias Beehive Social Democratic Party (BSDP) has reelected its founder Mam Sonando as party president in the lead up to general elections widely seen as illegitimate, following the Supreme Courts ruling to dissolve the main opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP).



In an extraordinary congress held Sunday in Kandal provinces Kien Svay district, with more than 300 party members from across the country in attendance, the BSDP named as its leader the former owner and director of Beehive Radio, who was living in self-imposed exile in Francewhere he holds dual citizenshipuntil his return to Cambodia last week.



The BSDP also elected Phat Sikan and Heang Kimsoeun as vice-presidents, and Lay Narin as the partys secretary-general.



On Monday, Mam Sonando told RFAs Khmer Service that he had decided to return to politics after the Supreme Court disbanded the CNRP in November for allegedly plotting to overthrow the government, because he felt the need to take hold of the democratic flag in Cambodia.



I cannot replace the CNRP, which is already dead, but I can replace those democrats and those Cambodians who love democracy, he said, adding that if the CNRP still existed, I would not have returned to the BSDP presidency.



My only ambition is to protect our citizens rights and freedom, and multiparty democracy in Cambodia. I will let our citizens judge whether to support me or not. It is their freedom of choice.



In August, Mam Sonando, who is 76, resigned from his position as BSDP president after the party failed to secure a seat in the countrys June 4 commune elections. On Jan. 1, he additionally announced that he was withdrawing from politics and severing his ties to Beehive Radio, saying he believed that the younger generation deserved a chance to lead the country and that he was only interested in humanitarian work.



His decision to end political activity stemmed in part from a court summons issued in December, while he was in France, ordering him to testify at the Phnom Penh Municipal Court on Jan. 11 as a witness in the treason case against CNRP President Kem Sokha, who was arrested in September.



At the time, Mam Sonando, who has expressed criticism of Prime Minister Hun Sen and his ruling Cambodian Peoples Party (CPP), said he would not return to Cambodia because he believed he would be arrested and jailed.



However, last week, he announced his intention to return to politics after Hun Sen encouraged him to lead his former party in the general elections set for July 29, and pledged that he would not be arrested if he came back.



On Monday, Mam Sonando claimed that Hun Sens promise had nothing to do with his decision to lead the BSDP.



I want to underline that it is not about the fact that Hun Sen gave me a green light, he said.



Even without his green light, I would still have returned to politics.



Analysts have warned that Mam Sonandos decision to rejoin the political stage may provide legitimacy to the upcoming elections, which both the U.S. and EU have withdrawn funding for in response to the arrest of Kem Sokha and the dissolution of the CNRP.



In March 2013, an appeals court in Cambodia freed Mam Sonando from prison after serving eight months of a 20-year sentence for alleged involvement in a secessionist plot.



Reported by RFAs Khmer Service. Translated by Sovannarith Keo. Written in English by Joshua Lipes.Pro-democracy parties in Hong Kong were unable to win back two of the four seats stripped from them during the past two years in elections over the weekend.



Voters instead backed two pro-Beijing candidates for Legislative Council (LegCo) by-elections in one geographical and one professional constituency, after pan-democrats campaigned in the hope of a protest vote over the move.



Turnout was just 43 percent, far less than the 58 percent seen in the 2016 LegCo elections, when Democratic politicians won 29 out of 70 seats.



The result of 's poll means that pro-democracy lawmakers in the former British colony will no longer wield any veto power over motions and amendments, while new rules have limited their use of filibustering in the LegCo chamber, paving the way for shelved legislation on sedition and subversion to be tabled by the government at Beijing's behest.



Political analysts had expected Edward Yiu, one of those previously disqualified over his oath of allegiance, to regain one seat, but he was narrowly beaten by Vincent Cheng of the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong (DAB) in Kowloon West.



"I would like to apologize first of all to my supporters," Yiu told reporters, blaming his "less-than-perfect" campaign. "I take full responsibility for this result."



Pan-democratic candidate Paul Zimmerman also lost to pro-establishment candidate Tony Tse in a constituency representing architects, surveyors and related professionals.



Assistant professor Ma Ngok, a political analyst at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, said the pan-democrats had been relying on public anger over the disqualification of popularly elected lawmakers following a high-profile intervention by Beijing's National People's Congress (NPC) standing committee.



"I think the pan-democrats thought that a lot of voters would be very angry about the disqualifications, and this would boost them in the elections," Ma told RFA. "But it seems that the pan-democratics have seen a huge decrease in their ability to motivate voters."



"It seems that they no longer have any special advantage when it comes to a head-to-head battle for votes between the two camps," he said.



Factional strife

He said factional strife within the broader pan-democratic camp meant that voters won't necessarily back a candidate within their preferred camp but not from their preferred party.



But pan-democrat candidate Gary Fan said he thought popular anger was a factor in his victory in New Territories East.



"The government's plan to rob us [of our seats] by stripping the LegCo members of their seats has succeeded," Fan said. "It is with a heavy heart that I say this: it gave an opportunity to the ... pro-establishment faction to take a seat that should have belonged to the pan-democrats in LegCo."



"We may have beaten the ... pro-establishment camp in New Territories East, but we have to review and make changes to the way we operate."



Following an election campaign marred by controversy over the disqualification of candidates by government officials for allegedly holding pro-independence views, veteran pro-democracy candidate Au Nok-hin delivered a comfortable victory in the Hong Kong Island geographic constituency, however.



Charles Mok, convenor of the pan-democratic camp in LegCo, said the biggest blow came to the loss of veto power over proposed legislation put forward by the government.



"I think this the biggest damage done was the loss of Kowloon West, which will have the biggest direct impact in terms of the veto," Mok said. "We have all seen during the past few months that there has been a change in the LegCo rules of procedure, which will mean that the pro-establishment camp will be able to do whatever it wants to do."



"I fear that over the course of the next few months, before the next by-election, we will see them use the same tactics again," he said.



The results were taken as a sign by pro-Beijing politicians that voters largely agreed with the decision to strip the LegCo members of their seats over their oaths.



"At the start of the campaign, some people were trying to make this election into a referendum about the so-called stripping of seats from LegCo members," Federation of Trade Unions vice-president Wong Kwok-kin told journalists after the results were announced.



"The question of the disqualifications remained as a topic throughout the campaign, but our victory in Kowloon West has shown that ... the public think the government was right to strip those LegCo members of their seats," Wong said.



High-level intervention from Beijing



Six pan-democratic lawmakers were stripped of their seats and ordered to pay back salaries and expenses after courts judged them to have broken Hong Kong's Oaths and Declarations Ordinance, following a controversial interpretation issued by China's National People's Congress (NPC) standing committee.



"Solemnity and sincerity" were qualities required retroactively by the NPC standing committee, in a move that has been criticized by the rights group Hong Kong Watch as a breach of the Sino-British treaty governing the 1997 handover to China.



The Kowloon West and New Territories East constituencies were vacated by pro-independence lawmakers Sixtus Leung and Yau Wai-ching in, who were formally barred from taking up their seats last year following a high-level intervention from Beijing.



The pair, both members of the youth group Youngspiration, had vowed allegiance to the "Hong Kong Nation" and carried banners saying "Hong Kong is not China" during their swearing-in ceremonies, while Yau swore in her reference to China.



s by-election came about after four pro-democracy lawmakers  Nathan Law, Leung Kwok-hung, Lau Siu-lai, and Edward Yiu  were ousted in July after a court ruling that voided their oaths of office for reasons including speaking too slowly, inserting extra words, and using a tone deemed disrespectful to China.



The Hong Kong Island constituency seat was vacated by Law, a former student leader of the 2014 Occupy Central pro-democracy movement and member of the Demosisto party, which espouses "self-determination" for Hong Kong.



Law, Leung Kwok-hung, Lau Siu-lai, and Edward Yiu were also disqualified after a court found that their oaths were invalid because they spoke too slowly, inserted extra words, or used a "disrespectful" tone.



Au was selected to run in Hong Kong Island after the government rejected Law's Demosisto colleague Agnes Chow as a candidate.



Reported by Lam Kwok-lap and Lau Siu-fung for RFA's Cantonese Service, and by Chen Pan for the Mandarin Service. Translated and edited by Luisetta Mudie.The vote by China's rubber-stamp parliament, the National People's Congress (NPC), to abolish any limits to President Xi Jinping's term in office over the weekend was entirely predictable, and has ushered in a new era of imperial-style rule, Chinese political analysts and commentators told RFA.



The real decision had already been made by the ruling Chinese Communist Party's central committee before the legislature convened on.



"Revising part of the constitution is a major decision made by the ... Central Committee from the overall and strategic height of upholding and developing socialism with Chinese characteristics in the new era," state news agency Xinhua quoted Xi as saying.



Just two out of 2,964 NPC delegates voted against the constitutional amendments, while three abstained.



Hong Kong political commentator Liu Ruishao said the result of the vote had never been in doubt.



"The fact that Xi Jinping has been able to use his personal power to pass amendments to the constitution ... means that this one man holds the reins of the party, administration and the military," Liu said.



"The constitutional amendments also mean that Xi Jinping Thought is now inscribed in the national constitution, which means that he also controls the fourth power; that of ideology," he said.



"It's worthwhile to note that Xi Jinping wields an iron rule for the time being, but further opposition to his rule can't be ruled out in the case of major economic damage to China, or widespread popular discontent and rebellion," Liu said.



Many of those who commented on the president's new status since's vote were reluctant to be fully identified.



Reprisals for 'no' votes?

A Chinese academic who asked for anonymity said that there was never much chance of NPC delegates voting against the plan, given that reprisals were all too likely now, as they were in China's recent past under late supreme leader Mao Zedong.



"Back in the time of Mao Zedong, if there was so much as a single vote against [his proposal], they would find out who it was," the academic said.



He cited reprisals against Mao-era NPC delegates Zhang Heci and Liang Shuming who dared to vote against the Chairman.



"Leaders, from emperors to the strongman model we have now, always behave this way in a one-party dictatorship," the academic said. "It is basically a restoration of imperial rule. Under Mao Zedong, you had an imperial system of leadership."



A former journalist with China's tightly controlled media, who gave only his surname , said many people in China are still in a state of shock at Xi's latest power grab.



"It is very clear that we are heading in the direction of lifelong leadership; a restoration of imperial rule," said. "His power will definitely be consolidated now that he has abolished term-limits. He will be able to hire whomever he wants to do whatever he wants."



Xia Ming, a political science professor at the City University of New York, agreed.



"It is extremely risky for an NPC delegate to cast an opposing vote, because investigations into economic corruption are often linked to political investigations," Xia said. "I think the two people who cast the only opposing votes are heroes."



Staged votes against amendments

New York-based China scholar Xie Xuanjun said the two votes "against" the amendments were likely staged to give the effect that delegates had a choice, however.



"This would have been deliberately orchestrated by the Chinese Communist Party, because if it was passed unanimously, it would look unrealistic," Xie said. "Those two votes were just a fig leaf to lend more credibility to the overall result."



Xia said many delegates would have been in favor of indefinite rule by Xi anyway.



"Indefinite rule by Xi Jinping is in their economic interests," he said. "They will take a share in the dividends of dictatorship."



A rights activist who gave only his surname Yu said he doesn't regard the vote as legitimate, because the general population wasn't consulted on the changes.



"Constitutional change should only take place with the agreement of the majority of citizens," Yu said. "If they can just change the constitution whenever they like without that agreement, then how is that different from having no constitution at all?"



But state-run media defended the changes, saying democratic forms of government don't suit China.



"We are increasingly confident that the key to Chinas path lies in upholding strong party leadership and firmly following the leadership of the party central committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at the core," the Global Times, a nationalistic tabloid published by the Communist Party mouthpiece the People's Daily, said in an editorial on .



"In these years we have seen the rise and decline of countries and particularly the harsh reality that the Western political system doesnt apply to developing countries and produces dreadful results," it said.



A lawyer surnamed Chen said the opinions of ordinary Chinese officially count for nothing now.



"It's nothing less than a return to imperial rule, where a single person dictates everything, and nobody else is allowed an opinion," Chen said. "Actually, we weren't allowed one before, but now they're being very open about it."



"Xi Jinping has set up 12 different task forces since he took power, and the organs of party and state have crumbled," he said. "This started a while back ... I think democracy activists ... will pay an even heavier price in future."



Since Xi took the helm of the party in 2012, formally assuming the presidency in , authorities in China have stepped up nationwide "stability maintenance" measures targeting anyone with a critical opinion of the government and cracking down on civil society groups fighting discrimination and social injustice.



And in a move reminiscent of the Mao-era Anti-Rightist campaigns, more than 300 lawyers, law firm staff, rights activists and relatives have been detained, questioned, or placed under surveillance or other restrictions in a nationwide police operation targeting the legal profession launched in 2015.



Reported by Gao Shan, Yang Fan and Qiao Long for RFA's Mandarin Service, and by Wen Yuqing for the Cantonese Service. Translated and edited by Luisetta Mudie.Myanmar construction workers build the Taungpyo Letwe center for processing Rohingya refugees returning from Bangladesh in a field on the outskirts of Maungdaw township in Rakhine state, Jan. 24, 2018.

An international rights group has charged that the Myanmar army is building bases on the site of torched villages once occupied by Rohingya Muslims who fled northern Rakhine state last year during a brutal crackdown by security forces, a claim rebutted by a Myanmar lawmaker.

London-based Amnesty International said in a report issued on Monday that the region is being militarized at an alarming pace, with authorities constructing security force bases and bulldozing land where Rohingya communities were burned out months ago, along with vegetation and trees.

The rights group cites eyewitness testimony and analysis of satellite images as proof of the leveling of the remains of Rohingya villages. The images show that new structures and roads have appeared since January in areas where hundreds of thousands fled the militarys scorched-earth campaign.

The military crackdown in response to deadly attacks on police outposts by a militant Muslim group, the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army, in August targeted Rohingya civilians in a campaign of killing, rape, and arson that drove nearly 700,000 members of the despised minority group across the border to Bangladesh.

Myanmar and Bangladesh have agreed to repatriate those who wish to return to northern Rakhine, but Amnesty International said the new structures being built on their razed land will make it even less likely that refugees, already fearful and reluctant, will want to return to their homes.

What we are seeing in Rakhine state is a land grab by the military on a dramatic scale, Tirana Hassan, the groups crisis response director, said in a statement. New bases are being erected to house the very same security forces that have committed crimes against humanity against Rohingya.

This makes the voluntary, safe and dignified return of Rohingya refugees an even more distant prospect, she said. Not only are their homes gone, but the new construction is entrenching the already dehumanizing discrimination they have faced in Myanmar.

Amnesty International also said that the building activity raises serious concerns that authorities are destroying evidence of crimes against the Rohingya, making it impossible to conduct investigations and hold accountable those who perpetrated the atrocities.

Even more troubling than the destruction is what is being built in its place, said the report. Authorities have launched an operation to rapidly expand security infrastructure across Rakhine state, including bases to house the military and border guard police and helipads.

Satellite images show the construction of at least three new security bases being built in northern Rakhines Maungdaw township and one in Ah Lel Chaung village in Buthidaung township, where eyewitnesses told Amnesty International that soldiers evicted Rohingya to make way for the construction, forcing them to flee to Bangladesh.



It is not true

Myanmar lawmaker Hla Tun Kyaw, who represents Maungdaw township, rebutted the report, saying that when he was last in his constituency in February, he did not see any of the clearing and construction that Amnesty International mentions in its report.

When I call people in Maungdaw and talk with them these days, they dont say anything about it either, he told RFAs Myanmar Service. But before I left for parliament, I saw authorities working in two villages that had been burned down in south Maungdaw.

Hla Tun Kyaw, who spends most of his time at the national parliament in Myanmars capital Naypyidaw, said he speaks with authorities in Maungdaw two or three times a week, and they have denied reports about the construction activities.

[S]ome people have posted [online] that the military is building army bases, helipads, and roads in villages that have been burned and bulldozed, he said. Because of those posts, I called authorities in Maungdaw and asked about it, and they said it is not true.

The lawmaker, whose denials echoed Myanmars stock official response to all questions about the conflict, did not address the satellite images.

Myanmar has built two repatriation centers at Taungpyo Letwe and Nga Khu Ya and a transit camp at Hla Pho Khaung to handle returning Rohingya refugees from Bangladesh once the repatriation program gets under way.

Repatriations were scheduled to begin during the fourth week of January, but have yet to start on account of various delays for which officials from each side have blamed the other.

Amnesty International's report comes as Yanghee Lee, the United Nations independent investigator on human rights in Myanmar, told the U.N. Human Rights Council on Monday that the Myanmar government appears to be using a policy of starvation in Rakhine state to force out remaining Muslims, Reuters reported.

She called on the Council to create a body in Bangladesh to collect evidence for potential trials of those who perpetrated abuse against the Rohingya, the report said.

Htin Lynn, Myanmars permanent representative to the U.N. in Geneva, rejected Lees remarks, called on the Council to fire her, and said that Myanmars de facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi is committed to human rights, the news agency reported.

In a report to the Council on Friday, Lee said she believes that events in northern Rakhine bear the hallmarks of genocide based on interviews she had with Rohingya living in displacement camps in Bangladesh.

The Myanmar government has temporarily barred Lee from visiting the country on her periodic missions to evaluate rights developments, particularly in violence-wracked Rakhine state.



Housing for ethnic returnees

In related news, nearly 300 ethnic Rakhine Buddhists and ethnic Mro people originally from Myanmar recently left their farms in Bangladesh and returned to Maungdaw township, local administrators said Monday.

The two groups, who began returning to Rakhine on March 6, had been living in southeastern Bangladeshs Chittagong region for generations from the time when the territory was part of the old Rakhine kingdom.

They have been living in Bangladesh for a long time as [ethnic] minorities, said lawmaker Hla Tun Kyaw. They worked on farms, and their farms were destroyed by locals. When they reported the destruction to the authorities, they didnt take any action.

I have heard that local majority people threatened them and didnt let them buy their products, he said. They returned because they were facing difficulties trying to survive there.

Immigration officials have tallied 290 returnees so far and ordered village heads to help them resettle.

The ethnic Rakhine are staying temporarily in a school in Aung Thapyay village, while the Mro have been placed in Thu Pannaka Mro and Thitton Ngakwasone villages, Hla Tun Kyaw said.

Thein Shwe Oo, administrator of Aung Thapyay village, said the returnees have asked village administrators to allow them to live in Maungdaw.

They worked on farms in Bangladesh, and they were experiencing difficulties trying to survive, he told RFA.

So far, civil society organizations and local communities have provided the returnees with enough food for a month, Hla Tun Kyaw said.

Diplomats from the Indian embassy in Myanmar survey land where their government will build homes for ethnic minorities in Maungdaw township in western Myanmar's Rakhine state, Feb. 10, 2018. Credit: RFA India to build homes

In a related development, Indian diplomats met with Myanmar officials in Naypyidaw on Monday to discuss the building of 250 prefabricated houses for displaced residents in Maungdaws Kyeinchaung Taung, Nant Tha Taung, and Shwezar villages.

Win Myat Aye, Myanmars minister of social welfare minister, and Vikram Misri, Indias ambassador to Myanmar, agreed on the construction plan during a meeting in Naypyidaw in February.

On March 10, B. Shyam, deputy chief of mission at the Indian embassy in Myanmar, a first secretary who was identified as Muthukumarasamy B., and other officials visited Nant Tha Taung village and inspected the chosen site where the donated homes will be built, according to a Facebook post by Myanmar International TV.

The Indian diplomats later met with officials of the General Administration Department in Taungpyo Letwe, the post said.

Reported by Khin Khin Ei and Min Thein Aung for RFAs Myanmar Service. Translated by Khet Mar. Written in English by Roseanne Gerin.Police say a man has been shot dead outside the Iranian ambassador's residence in the Austrian capital, Vienna, after he attacked a guard with a knife.

Police spokesman Harald Soeros told AFP early on March 12 that the 26-year-old assailant "died on the spot" after being shot by the guard, who was in a sentry box outside the building.

The guard suffered a wound to his upper arm in the attack, which took place just before midnight in a residential area of the capital.

The motive for the attack was not immediately known.



The spokesman said the guard initially used pepper spray before opening fire on the assailant.

A spokesman from the Defense Ministry said early indications are that the guard acted within the rules."

The ambassador's residence is located in the Villa Blaimschein, a building that was confiscated from its Jewish owners by the Nazis during World War II.

Security has been heightened at all diplomatic missions in the city, police said.

Based on reporting by AFP, dpa, and Press TVThe works of the 7th session of the Moroccan-Qatari High Joint Cooperation Commission, held in Rabat Monday (March 12) were crowned by the signing of a dozen agreements, memoranda of understanding and programs of action, covering the political, economic and cultural realms.

Under these accords, the two countries will enhance their cooperation in the fields of agriculture, housing, industry, tourism, handicrafts, vocational training, cultural and artistic education, youth and media.

The two sides also agreed to set up a joint ministerial committee on trade, as Qatar expressed the wish to increase its imports from Morocco, primarily of agriculture products.

In this connection, they decided to open shortly a shipping line between Casablanca and Hamed ports to give momentum to trade exchanges between the two countries.

The oil rich-Gulf State is seeking to ensure its food security and diversify its partners after its neighboring countries, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, plus Egypt cut diplomatic and economic ties with the Emirate in June last year.

Qatar used to import 80 percent of its food from its Gulf neighbors before the diplomatic shutdown.

At the level of counterterrorism, the two countries decided to bolster their cooperation in the fight against money laundering and terrorism financing and to upgrade the exchange of financial information.

Bank-al Maghrib and the Qatari Central Bank on their part concluded an agreement on the monitoring of financial institutions.

The session of the cooperation commission, held under the co-chairmanship of Head of the Moroccan Government Saad-Eddine El Othmani and Qatari Prime Minister Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa Al Thani was an opportunity for the two countries officials to hold intensive talks on ways of strengthening cooperation in various sectors and coordinating stands on issues of common concern.The BBC says it is appealing to the United Nations to protect the human rights of its journalists and their families amid an escalation of persecution and harassment by Iranian authorities.

The British broadcaster said in a statement on March 12 that it filed an urgent appeal to UN Special Rapporteurs David Kaye and Asma Jahangir on behalf of BBC Persian staff in October 2017.

It claimed that in 2017, the harassment escalated when Iranian authorities commenced a criminal investigation, alleging BBC Persian Service journalists work was a crime against Irans national security.

This was accompanied by an asset-freezing injunction citing 152 named individuals, comprising mainly of current and former BBC Persian staff. The injunction prevented journalists and their families from buying or selling their homes and other property in Iran.

The BBC is taking the unprecedented step of appealing to the United Nations because our own attempts to persuade the Iranian authorities to end their harassment have been completely ignored, BBC Director General Tony Hall said in a statement on March 12.

In fact, during the past nine years, the collective punishment of BBC Persian Service journalists and their families has worsened.

In the coming days, BBC journalists will address the Human Rights Council session to call upon member states to take action to protect BBC staff and to ensure their ability to report freely, it said.

This is not just about the BBC -- we are not the only media organization to have been harassed or forced to compromise when dealing with Iran, Hall said.

In truth, this story is much wider: it is a story about fundamental human rights. We are now asking the community of nations at the UN to support the BBC and uphold the right to freedom of expression, he added.

Jeremy Dear, deputy general-secretary of the International Federation of Journalists, noted in the statement that Iranian journalists have been forced into hiding, fled into exile, been arrested, jailed, and subjected to routine harassment, violence, and intimidation for many years.

This is forcing Iranians to increasingly turn to the international media to find out what is happening in their own country, he said.

Targeting family members in Iran in an attempt to silence journalists working in London must be stopped; the international community must act now, the statement quoted Dear as saying.

BBC launched its Persian Service, which broadcasts from London, in 2009.Georgian Interior Minister Giorgi Gakharia has unveiled plans to increase the efficiency of the country's police force. But the proposed reforms have led to doubts about their ability to reverse a steady decline in public trust in the police, and to suggestions that Gakharia is not the right person for the job.

The 42-year-old Gakharia, a former economy minister with degrees in political science and business management from Moscow State University, was named interior minister four months ago as part of a sweeping cabinet reshuffle.

He has previously served as business ombudsman, and then, from November 2016 to November 2017, as minister of economy and sustainable development, but had absolutely no previous experience in law enforcement.

Despite this, Prime Minister Giorgi Kvirikashvili predicted that he would cope successfully with his new duties, noting his management capabilities.

In a recent interview he gave to the website Civil.ge, Gakharia stressed that he sees himself first and foremost as a manager responsible for the efficient functioning of the ministry.

He singled out as its primary function guaranteeing security in a region where doing so is both "a huge challenge" and the precondition for economic growth. He also emphasized the need for absolute political neutrality.

Structural Changes, New Techniques

To meet those objectives, Gakharia plans to implement within the next couple of months a reform of the ministry that focuses on its three main departments: the traffic police, the criminal police, and the border police. Those reforms, he explained, will entail both structural changes and introducing new techniques (including digitization) to improve human resources procedures and render investigations more effective.

Gaakharia also plans a new 12-person unit within the ministry that will focus exclusively on human rights abuses, first and foremost domestic violence, the news portal Caucasian Knot reported on January 25.

One change that is apparently not on the cards, however, is the introduction of the post of police chief, which would enable the interior minister to concentrate on policy issues. Gakharia declined to offer an explanation for that omission, while admitting that he currently spends up to 60 percent of his time on day-to-day affairs, meeting every morning with the heads of the three police departments.

Gakharia had earlier acknowledged "certain problems" with regard to public perceptions of the police, problems that he said could hinder the reform process. Public trust in the Georgian police has fallen from 67 percent in 2011 (the year before the parliamentary election that brought the Georgian Dream coalition to power) to 51 percent in 2017, according to Civil.ge.

Irakli Gharibashvili, who was named interior minister in the wake of that election victory, described the ministry in early 2013 as "a closed system that was under political diktat" and that functioned as a tool for "repressing" political opponents; he pledged to make it "transparent [and] open to public scrutiny."

Accordingly, Gharibashvili launched a sweeping reform of the police which, he claimed in November 2014, had transformed the way the police interact with the public at large.

Then in 2015, the security and intelligence services, which had been subsumed into the Interior Ministry in 2004, were decoupled from it to form a separate State Security Service, a move that then Interior Minister Vakhtang Gomelauri predicted would provide for "the de-concentration of excessive power within [a single ministry] and  have a positive effect on the efficient protection of human rights." Gomelauri added that, if necessary, further reforms would be implemented gradually within the slimmed-down Interior Ministry.

When the separation took place in the summer of 2015, however, Gomelauri was named head of the new State Security Service, and former Penitentiaries Minister Giorgi Mghebrishvili, who had worked at the Interior Ministry as an investigator in 1998-2004, succeeded him as interior minister.

Damning Statistics

In January 2016, Mghebrishvili appointed three new deputies in what he described as the first stage of fundamental staff and systemic reforms in the criminal and border police intended to produce better results in the fight against crime. A few weeks earlier, Mghebrishvili had admitted that the number of grave crimes had risen "to a certain extent."

It appears, however, that whatever further changes Mghebrishvili implemented failed to achieve the required result. In January 2018, the Interior Ministry published detailed crime statistics for the first time in two years. That data revealed a 5.4 percent increase in the total number of crimes committed in 2017 compared with 2016, while the percentage of crimes solved fell from 57.4 percent in 2016 to 53.2 percent in 2017, according to InterPressNews.

Two further initiatives are intended to underpin Gakharia's planned reform of his ministry. The first is a draft bill initiated by the Interior Ministry that will intensify the penalties for abetting or protecting so-called "thieves-in-law," meaning influential crime bosses who succeed in operating with impunity thanks to protection from senior government officials.

The second is the introduction, in January 2019, of an independent State Inspector Service that will probe suspected crimes committed by police officers. The rationale cited for that initiative is that the Prosecutor-General's Office has an appalling track record with regard to such investigations: Out of a total of 91 cases concerning the suspected use of force by police officers to which NGOs and the human rights ombudsman alerted the prosecutor's office in 2014-2017, only two ever came to trial, according to the news portal Caucasian Knot.

The views expressed in this blog post do not necessarily reflect those of RFE/RL.

CHISINAU -- The new OSCE envoy for the Transdniester conflict says that Russia and Ukraine have equally important roles in resolving the decades-old dispute between Moldova and its eastern breakaway region.

Separatists in pro-Russian Transdniester, a sliver of territory on Moldovas border with Ukraine, declared independence from Moldova in 1990 amid concerns that Chisinau would seek reunification with Romania.

Moldovan government forces and separatists in Transdniester fought a brief war in 1992 in which some 1,000 people were killed.

The conflict has been frozen since Russian troops stationed in Transdniester during the Soviet era intervened on the side of the separatists.

Transdniester's independence is not recognized by any internationally recognized country, but Moscow has been unofficially backing the separatists self-declared government.

A 1992 cease-fire agreement established the presence of a contingent of Russian peacekeepers in Transdniester along with Moldovan and Transdniestrian counterparts.

Separately some 1,400 Russian troops remain in Transdniester guarding Soviet-era arms depots, although Russia pledged to withdraw them at an OSCE summit in 1999.

"Russia's role is as important as that of Ukraine, the other co-mediator in the 5+2 negotiations process, and that of the two international observers, the United States and the European Union," Franco Frattini, the OSCE's special representative for the Transdniester settlement process, told RFE/RL on March 9.

Frattini did not respond directly to an RFE/RL question about why Russia hasnt fulfilled the withdrawal promises it has made to the OSCE.

Instead, Frattini said it was important to clarify the definition of "the Russian army under the cease-fire agreement.

Frattini said: "There is a clear difference between the trilateral Moldo-Russian-Transdnestrian peacekeeping forces and the Operational Group of Russian Troops (GOTR) who guard the depots in Transdniester.

"The peacekeeping contingent is deployed in the Security Zone under the 1992 cease-fire agreement," Frattini said. "The GOTR is deployed outside the Security Zone and is not part of the joint peacekeeping mission. The OSCE statement from 1992 refers specifically to the GOTR."

Frattini also reiterated that the OSCE is prepared to offer its support for the removal and destruction of Russian munitions in Transdniester -- a process which was halted in 2004.

Asked about how his publicly acknowledged friendship with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov could influence a settlement in Transdniester, Frattini said he has a vast network of contacts and I regard it as an advantage that will help advance the settlement process.

Yes, I do have good relations with Mr. Lavrov, similar to those with politicians and officials from the United States and Europe, he said.

Frattini also voiced confidence that during Italy's 2018 presidency of the OSCE, he will build on the groundwork laid out last year, when five agreements from a "list of eight" priorities were signed by representatives of Moldova and Transdniester after negotiations in Vienna under the auspices of the OSCE.

"I see my task, in tandem with the OSCE Mission to Moldova and our international partners in the '5+2' process, to have all eight agreements implemented this year," Frattini said.

Frattini, a former Italian foreign minister, served as the EU commissioner for justice, freedom, and security from 2004 to 2008.Estonia says a Russian military cargo plane has violated its airspace near Vaindloo Island in the Baltic Sea.

The incident on March 12 was the first alleged airspace violation of Estonia by a Russian plane this year after the Baltic nation reported several similar intrusions in 2017 and 2016.

Estonia's military said the Il-76 plane spent less than a minute in the country's airspace.

It said the aircraft's transponder was switched on and a flight plan had been presented to Estonian authorities, but the plane maintained no radio contact with Estonia's air navigation service.

Estonia's Foreign Ministry handed Russia's ambassador a protest note over the incident, though the Russian Defense Ministry denied violating Estonian airspace.

The flight was performed in strict compliance with the international rules of the use of airspace. The borders of other states were not violated, which was confirmed by objective monitoring means," the ministry said in a statement.

Vaindloo is near a corridor where Russian military and cargo planes fly to get from the St. Petersburg area to the Russian Baltic Sea enclave of Kaliningrad.

Based on reporting by AP and TASSBRUSSELS -- The European Union on 12 March officially prolonged its asset freezes and visa bans against 150 Russian officials and Russia-backed Ukrainian separatists.

The six-month extension also continues sanctions against 38 entities.

The sanctions were first imposed by the EU against people involved in the violation of Ukraine's territorial integrity in 2014 when Russia occupied and illegally annexed Ukraine's Crimea region. The sanctions have been extended every six months since then.

Those on the sanctions list include Russian Ambassador to the United States Anatoly Antonov, Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin, Armed Forces General Staff chief Valery Gerasimov, and state TV presenter Dmitry Kiselyov.

The entity list is dominated by Russia-backed battalions operating in eastern Ukraine and Crimea as well as companies from Crimea.

EU economic sanctions against Russia, which mainly apply to the country's energy and banking sector, are up for renewal in July.

But a decision on those sanctions is expected to be reached in late June at a meeting of EU leaders.

The EU also is expected to revisit the bloc's ban against investments in Russia-occupied Crimea.A detained opposition activist from Russia's North Caucasus region of Ingushetia has started a hunger strike to protest being held for trial on charges of illegally possessing weapons and insulting an official.

Magomed Khazbiyev wrote on Facebook on March 12 that he has begun a "dry hunger strike," meaning he is refusing both food and water. He wrote: "I do not have any other tools to obtain justice."

Khazbiyevs lawyer, Khedi Ibriyeva, told the Mediazona website that Khazbiyev started the hunger strike because authorities were refusing to provide him with medical services that he needs.

Ibriyeva said a court in Ingushetia refused to transfer Khazbiyev to house arrest in January despite the fact that he suffers from a stomach hemorrhage.

Khazbiyev was detained in his native Ingushetia in January upon his arrival there from neighboring Chechnya, where he had been under the protection of the Chechen government since 2015.

Khazbiyev, a fierce critic of Ingush officials and President Vladimir Putin, maintains that he is innocent. He says the charges against him in Ingushetia are politically motivated.

Chechen authorities placed Khazbiyev under protection after unidentified gunmen opened fire on his car in February 2015 in Grozny.

Khazbiyev, a former chairman of the opposition PARNAS party's branch in Ingushetia, has faced pressure from the authorities for years.

With reporting by MediazonaIran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) says three men who attacked a military checkpoint in southeastern Iran have been killed.

An IRGC statement on March 12 said the attack took place near the city of Saravan, about 50 kilometers from Pakistan's border.

Describing the attackers as "terrorists," the statement said one of the men was a suicide bomber who died when he detonated an explosive vest.

The IRGC also said two members of Iran's Basiji paramilitary force were wounded by the attack.

An Iranian news website earlier reported that Revolutionary Guard troops thwarted a double suicide attack on a border post near the Pakistani border overnight, killing both would-be bombers.

Sepahnews.com said one attacker was driving an explosive-laden truck and the other was wearing explosives on a belt.

Iranian security forces in Sistan-Baluchistan Province, where Saravan is located, have been targeted repeatedly by Sunni militants thought to be crossing into the region from Pakistan and Afghanistan.

Security forces also frequently clash with drug traffickers in the province.

Based on reporting by AP and AFPAfghan officials say government forces have retaken control of a district headquarters in western Afghanistan that was briefly seized by Taliban militants.

Defense Ministry spokesman Dawlat Wazeri told RFE/RL on March 12 that Afghan forces had withdrawn from the center of Farah Province's Anardara district after hours of fighting against Taliban militants.

But Nusrat Rahimi, deputy spokesman for the Interior Ministry, later said that security forces retook control of the district headquarters after the militants were targeted by air strikes.

Rahimi said 56 militants were killed and dozens of others were injured in the air strikes.

Eight police officers, including a local police commander, were killed and 10 others were wounded in the morning attack, he said.

Rahimi said Taliban fighters held parts of the district for only about 30 minutes.

Fared Bakhtawer, the head of the Farah's provincial council, said initial reports indicated that about 15 members of the government security forces were killed and wounded in the assault, which was launched late on March 11.

The Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack, saying 15 police officers were killed and several military vehicles seized along with a large quantity of ammunition.

The battle was the latest in a series of Taliban attacks in the province, which is situated on the border with Iran and is one of the poorest in Afghanistan.

On March 10, officials said dozens of people were killed after Taliban militants ambushed Afghan security forces in the Bala Buluk district, sparking an hours-long gunbattle. Some 40 militants were also killed, officials said.

In the eastern province of Nangarhar, seven civilians, including three children and two women, were reported killed late on March 11 when their vehicle was hit by a grenade or a rocket.

Attahullah Khogyani, spokesman for the provincial governor, said two other people in the vehicle were wounded in the attack, which was in the Bati Kot district.

The victims are all members of a single family, Khogyani added.

Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid denied that Taliban militants had carried out the attack.

Both the Taliban and rival militants from a branch of the so-called Islamic State regularly attack local officials and security forces in Nangarhar Province.

With reporting by AP, Reuters, Tolo News, and dpa

The European Union's foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini has pressed Ukraine to do more to fight corruption and establish an anticorruption court that is in accordance with recommendations of independent experts.

The EU and the Ukrainian citizens expect and want to see more consolidated progress in the fight against corruption, Mogherini said on March 12 at a joint press conference with Prime Minister Volodymyr Hroysman in Kyiv.

Ukraine's parliament on March 1 approved the first reading of legislation creating an anticorruption court that has been demanded by protest groups and international institutions that provide Ukraine with financial support.

After the vote, President Petro Poroshenko said a final reading of the law should be definitively approved in the spring.

However, some reformers within Ukraine and allies in Europe have said the legislation does not meet standards set by the Council of Europes Venice Commission, a group of independent experts in constitutional law, and the requirements of the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

In January, the IMF said that "several provisions [of the bill] are not consistent with the commitments of the authorities."

"In its current formwe would not be able to support the draft law," the IMF added.

Critics have charged that the current legislation does not ensure the selection of independent anticorruption judges.

Mogherini said in Kyiv said that Ukraines anticorruption institutions must be allowed to do their work independently, with enough powers and resources to investigate, prosecute, and eventually ensure the conviction of those responsible for corruption.

She insisted that establishing an independent anticorruption court, fully in line with the recommendations of the Venice Commission, would also help the business environment and the investment climate.

Poroshenko said after his talks with Mogherini that the anticorruption court law will comply with the standards of the Venice Commission and would not violate Ukraine's constitution.

The IMF has called the establishment of an anticorruption court a "benchmark" of Ukraine's progress toward Western legal standards, and has said it would help ease the release of its loans in the future.

On March 9, the European Commission said it had adopted a proposal for a new Macro-Financial Assistance (MFA) program worth up to 1 billion euros ($1.23 billion) to support Ukraine's economic stabilization and structural reforms.

But a statement said all disbursements under the proposed program would be conditional on the implementation of reforms, including steps to intensify the fight against corruption.

The proposal still needs to be approved by the European Parliament and European Council.

Since 2014, the bloc has pledged 12.8 billion euros to support the reform process in Ukraine, including 2.8 billion euros through three previous MFA programs.

Kyiv failed to meet all the conditions for the disbursement of a final tranche of loans under the previous aid program, which expired in January.

Ukraine in 2017 was ranked 130th out of 180 countries rated by Transparency International's Corruption Perception Index.Novichok, the powerful nerve agent that British Prime Minister Theresa May says was used in the attack on former Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter, Yulia, means "newcomer" in Russian. But the military grade chemical is anything but.

Developed in the Soviet Union in the 1970s and 1980s, novichoks are a group of advanced nerve agents designed to circumvent chemical weapons treaties and penetrate protective gear used by NATO forces.

They are made of two nontoxic components that become lethal only when mixed together, making them difficult to detect and relatively safe and easy to transport and store. Once mixed, however, they are believed to be five to eight times more potent than the notorious nerve agent VX.

Dan Kaszeta, a London-based expert in chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear defense (CBRN), said on Twitter that novichoks were "specifically developed to evade the West/NATO's detection capabilities and foil intelligence collection efforts.

Russia has vehemently denied any connection to the attack, which has left the 66-year-old Skripal and his 33-year-old daughter in a "critical but stable condition" at a Salisbury hospital after being exposed to the chemical on March 4.

'Enough To Kill Tens Of Millions'

Novichoks gained notoriety in the early 1990s when Soviet scientist Vil Mirzayanov revealed that the country had secretly developed the powerful binary nerve gas that is believed to take effect rapidly by penetrating through the skin and respiratory system.

Mirzayanov, a chemist, told The New York Times in 1994 that the Russian stockpile of chemical weapons, some 60,000 tons, "would be enough to kill tens of millions."

Colonel Hamish de Bretton-Gordon, the former head of Britain's Chemical, Biological, Radiation, and Nuclear regiment, told the Daily Express that novichoks are "designed to be undetectable for any standard chemical security testing."

"Skripal would only have needed to touch it, as he opened a parcel, for it to be absorbed into his bloodstream," he said.

Despite the fact that novichoks were not developed in large quantities, de Bretton-Gordon said the Russians may have enough of them to kill several hundred thousand people.

He also warned that there could be hidden costs as well for those who come into contact with it such as "mutations in the next generation or future generations."

The effects of novichoks are similar to other nerve agents.

It is believed that they attack muscles, especially around the heart and lungs, causing the collapse of body functions, including respiratory and cardiac arrest.

With reporting by The Independent, Daily Express, Daily Mirror, and The New York Times

Permanent Representative of Belarus V.Rybakov participates in the meeting of the Like-Minded Group of Supporters of Middle-Income Countries with the UN Under-Secretary-General

09-03-2018

On March 8, 2018 the Permanent Representative of Belarus to the United Nations, Valentin Rybakov, participated in the meeting of the Like-Minded Group of Supporters of Middle-Income Countries with the UN Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs, Liu Zhenmin.

The meeting was held in accordance with the Roadmap of Activities of the Group on MICs, adopted at the second Ministerial Meeting that took place in New York in September 2017.

The interlocutors exchanged views on ways to expand interaction of the UN system with MICs and, in particular, discussed an appointment of a focal point on MICs in the UN Secretariat, which had been previously initiated by Belarus and supported by the Secretary-General during the meeting with the Group in January 2018.

The Belarusian diplomat called for a more systematic role for the UN in assisting this category of countries, noting the importance of the elaboration of a long-term UN strategy aimed at facilitating sustainable development in MICs.

   

print versionRussian President Vladimir Putin is scheduled to visit Crimea on March 14, the last day of his presidential election campaign, in order to attend events linked to the fourth anniversary of the disputed referendum Russia staged when it seized the region from Ukraine.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told Russia's Dozhd TV on March 12 about the gathering, which is expected to be attended by thousands of people.

Putin's government moved swiftly to seize control of Crimea in March 2014 after pro-Russia Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych was pushed from power after months of street demonstrations by pro-Western Ukrainians.

Russia sent troops without insignia to the Black Sea peninsula and orchestrated the takeover of government bodies, then staged a referendum to take control of the peninsula on March 16, 2014, a move that was denounced by the UN Security Council and General Assembly. The referendum was deemed illegitimate by at least 100 countries.

In March 2017, Russian lawmakers moved the date of the presidential election from March 11 to March 18 -- the fourth anniversary of what Moscow describes as the formal accession of Crimea into the Russian Federation.

Answering a journalist's question about possible circumstances under which Crimea might be returned to Ukraine in a new film that was shown on social networks on March 11, Putin said returning the region to Ukraine will never be possible.

"You must be going out of your mind," Putin said. "There are no such circumstances and never will be."

Eight candidates are on the ballot in the presidential vote. But Putin -- who has been president or prime minister of Russia since 1999 -- appears certain to win another six-year term as president.

Based on reporting by Dozhd TV, AFP, and InterfaxRussian President Vladimir Putins recent suggestion that Jews and other minorities in Russia could have been behind the meddling in the 2016 U.S. presidential election has prompted a backlash in the United States.

The U.S.-based Anti-Defamation League (ADL) on March 11 voiced hope that Putin swiftly clarifies his remarks made in an interview with NBC News, before they cause further damage to those communities he has singled out.

In the interview aired late on March 9, Putin was repeatedly asked about Russian interference in the election. At one point, Putin suggested that Ukrainians, Tatars, or Jews with Russian citizenship may have been involved.

"Maybe they are not even Russians, but Ukrainians, Tatars, or Jews with Russian citizenship, which should be also checked. Maybe they hold dual citizenship, or green cards. Or maybe Americans paid them for this job. How can you know? I do not know," Putin said.

In the Russian language, there are different words for citizens of Russia (Rossiyane) and ethnic Russians (Russkiye), though the latter -- which was used by Putin in the interview, according to the Kremlin transcript -- sometimes has a broader connotation. In English, the single word "Russian" can describe a Russian citizen, an ethnic Russian, or both.

ADL CEO Jonathan A. Greenblatt said in a statement that "President Putin bizarrely has resorted to the blame game by pointing the finger at Jews and other minorities in his country."

Greenblatt also said it was deeply disturbing to see the Russian president giving new life to classic anti-Semitic stereotypes that have plagued his country for hundreds of years.

Putin's comment also caught the attention of the American Jewish Committee, which said it was eerily reminiscent of the Protocols of the Elders of Zion -- a forged tsarist-era, anti-Semitic pamphlet that purported to describe plans for Jewish domination of Europe.

Meanwhile, U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (Democrat-Connecticut) called on world leaders to denounce "soundly and promptly" what he called Putin's "repulsive" remarks.

Since the U.S. intelligence community concluded in January 2017 that Russia engaged in a wide-ranging hacking-and-propaganda campaign to sway the presidential election, there has been mounting evidence pointing to an organized state effort. Russia denies the charges.

In February, U.S. Special Counsel Robert Mueller indicted 13 Russians and three Russian companies for allegedly meddling in the vote, charging them with conspiracy to defraud the United States.British Prime Minister Theresa May says evidence shows that it is "highly likely" that Russia is behind the nerve-agent attack on a former Russian spy and his daughter in the city of Salisbury despite Kremlin denials that Moscow was involved in the incident.

May said in a speech to parliament on March 12 that either the Russian state was responsible for poisoning 66-year-old Sergei Skripal and his 33-year-old daughter Yulia in the city of Salisbury, or that it allowed the military grade nerve agent Novichok, developed in the Soviet Union near the end of the Cold War, to get into the hands of others to carry out the attack.

She added that Russia's ambassador had been summoned to explain how the nerve agent came to be used against the former spy and given until the end of March 13 to explain how the chemical made its way to Britain.

"Should there be no credible response, we will conclude that this action amounts to an unlawful use of force by the Russian state against the United Kingdom," May said, calling the attack a "reckless and despicable act."

"We will not tolerate such a brazen attempt to murder innocent civilians on our soil," she added.

White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders said the United States stands by the countrys "closest ally."

"The use of a highly lethal nerve agent against U.K. citizens on U.K. soil is an outrage," Sanders said during a daily White House briefing. "The attack was reckless, indiscriminate and irresponsible. We offer the fullest condemnation."

Officials say the pair remain in a "critical but stable condition" at a Salisbury hospital after being exposed on March 4 to a nerve agent.

A police officer who fell ill after attending the Skripals also remains seriously ill.

Russias Foreign Ministry was quick to denounce Mays speech, saying in a statement that the accusations were politically motivated and based on a provocation.

"It is a circus show in the British parliament," the TASS news agency quoted Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova as saying.

Even before Mays comments, the Kremlin had strongly denied any notion of involvement, asserting that anti-Russian hysteria is being whipped up by the British media.

President Vladimir Putin, speaking just hours before the British meeting, said officials in the United Kingdom should first figure out what exactly occurred in Salisbury before blaming Russia for the incident.

"Get to the bottom of things over there first, and after that, then we can discuss it," he told a BBC journalist in response to a question about Skripal during a tour of a greenhouse at the National Grain Center in the Krasnodar region.

Earlier in the day, Putins spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters that, since Skripal worked for British intelligence and was poisoned on British soil, the incident had "nothing to do with Russia, let alone the Russian leadership."

"The odds that #Russia's govt lost control of #Novichok stocks and this was used by some murderous mavericks to go after #Skripal are minimal," Russia analyst Mark Galeotti said on Twitter.

Skripal, a retired Russian military intelligence colonel, was convicted by a Moscow military court in 2006 of "high treason" for passing secrets to Britain's Secret Intelligence Service. He was one of four Russian prisoners released in 2010 in exchange for 10 Russian sleeper agents detained in the United States.

Englands chief medical officer said during the weekend that traces of the nerve agent used to poison Skripal and his daughter had been found in a pub and a restaurant the two visited before falling ill.

Sally Davies, the chief medical officer, on March 11 urged an estimated 500 people who may have come into some contact with the substance to wash their clothes as a precaution and clean items such as mobile phones, handbags, and eyeglasses.

"There has been some trace contamination by the nerve agent," Davies said. "I am confident this has not harmed the health of anyone who was in The Mill pub or Zizzi's [restaurant]."

Trace amounts of the substance were found on and around a table where the pair had eaten in the restaurant, the BBC reported.

Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson has said that Britain might step up sanctions against Russia if it finds that Moscow was involved.

Home Secretary Amber Rudd said on March 10 that it was still "too early" to say who was behind the poisoning.

She has said police were examining more than 200 pieces of evidence, had identified more than 240 witnesses, and were looking through security camera footage.

With reporting by AFP, The Independent, AP, Reuters, and the BBCRussian actor and theater director Oleg Tabakov has died at the age of 82, the Moscow theater he led as artistic director says.

The Tabakerka Theater posted a photograph of Tabakov on its website, against a black background, and a statement saying he died on March 12.

Tabakov was extremely popular and well-known across the former Soviet Union as a cinema and stage actor.

He played prominent roles in iconic films and TV series including Clear Skies, War and Peace, Seventeen Instants Of Spring, D'Artagnan And The Three Musketeers, and Moscow Does Not Believe In Tears, which won the Academy Award for best foreign language film in 1981.

Tabakov supported Russian President Vladimir Putin on Moscow's annexation of Crimea and military intervention in eastern Ukraine in 2014.

With reporting by Interfax and RIAThe Serbian state is in the "worst moment" of its recent political history.

At least that's what an ultranationalist political group and its thousands of members in the landlocked Balkan country of around 7 million believe.

And while the Zavetinici, or Oath Keepers, failed to make their mark in terms of votes in March 4 municipal elections in Belgrade, nationwide their profile is increasing as they ride a wave of far-right nationalist sentiment that has washed over the United States and Europe.

"The Zavetnici movement has its prime ratings during the election period. During this period this movement is very visible in the media and very active, much more than in non-election periods," said Ivo Colovic, direction of operations at The Center for Free Elections and Democracy (CeSID) in Belgrade, a nonprofit that seeks to encourage democratic institutions and the rule of law.

"Since we had five major elections in last six years, this can be one of the reasons that they seem more relevant today than before," Colovic added, noting that the movement remains far from any decision-making process in the country.

Touching A Nerve

Launched in February 2012, the Oath Keepers learned quickly how to touch nationalist nerves with their claims that Serbians are being confronted with the "military occupation" of part of their territory, a thinly veiled reference to minority Serb enclaves in former Yugoslav republics such as Kosovo and Bosnia-Herzegovina, as well as with forms of economic, media, and cultural occupation.

The group blames a struggling economy on the "destructive foreign policy of the road to the European Union at all costs" that has been implemented by "all the ruling structures" for more than a decade, warning it will have "lasting consequences" such as the demolition of "the value system of the Serbian people."

During the Belgrade election campaign, the Zavetnici began attacking NGOs, pulling a page out of the Russian government's playbook by accusing them of being foreign agents.

They protested the recent Nobel Peace Prize nomination of Serbian human rights activist Natasa Kandic and her Belgrade-based Humanitarian Law Center by pasting posters of Kandic on a building that houses several NGOs in the capital under the headline: "A Nobel Prize For The Betrayal Of The Serbian people!"

While they actually had the wrong address for Kandic's center, which documents crimes committed by all sides during the Yugoslav wars, some parts of Serbia's media backed up their sentiments by criticizing the nomination and quoting threats by the far-right politician Vojislav Seselj, who is not a member of the group.

"Statehood acquired and defended for centuries is today questioned," the Oath Keepers say on their website.

Serbia's political scene has been dominated by President Aleksandar Vucic, a formerly outspoken nationalist, and allies who have sought to preserve close ties to Russia while pressing for EU membership despite lingering mistrust among Serbs of Western institutions.

'Foreign Agents Law'

Milica Djurdjevic Stamenkovski, a senior member of the Zavetnici, points to the country's continued drive toward European Union membership as a reason her group is at about 25,000 members and growing given the results of the Belgrade elections, where it received over 27,000 votes in the capital alone.

She denies the Zavetnici espouse hate, instead claiming NGOs are anti-Serbian, for example accusing some rights groups of ignoring Serbian victims of Balkan atrocities committed during the bloody breakup of Yugoslavia.

"We think that the half of the Serbian population which follows the euroskeptic point of view is not able to identify itself to the ruling party led by President Aleksandar Vucic," she says, adding that the Zavetnici want laws passed to refer all the NGOs financed from abroad as "foreign agents," echoing a controversial law in Russia that has been used to tar a wide range of groups since its introduction in 2012.

Moscow's Influence

Although their influence in Serbia is seemingly minor, the Zavetnici are seen as a major tool by Moscow in its battle to hold on to its sway with a traditional ally.

Serbia is a target of Moscow's anti-Western activities in Europe because the two Slavic and predominantly Eastern Orthodox Christian nations share deep cultural and historical ties.

A recent sign of how concerned the Kremlin is about losing its influence with its ally came last month when Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov repeatedly argued during a visit to Serbia that EU membership isn't all just privileges.

But the Zavetnici already knew how closely Moscow was watching developments. Two years earlier, Lavrov met briefly with three of the group's supporters and even posed with them for a photo after a wreath-laying ceremony in Belgrade to honor fallen Russian soldiers.

Djurdjevic Stamenkovski told RFE/RL that the meeting was no accident.

The presence of the Zavetnici at the spot had been prearranged with the Russian Embassy in Belgrade and the Serbian Labor Ministry.

"It seems to me that Russia has an understanding for marginal groups that show love or loyalty to it," says Dusan Spasojevic, who teaches at the University Of Belgrade's Faculty of Political Sciences.

He suggests that meetings like the one with Lavrov, or incidents such as the attacks on NGOs, only embolden the Zavetnici.

"Nobody is reacting toward their aggression. The state does nothing despite their pressure on nongovernmental organizations," he warns.

With reporting by RFE/RL's Balkan Service

Slovak Interior Minister Robert Kalinak says he has decided to resign amid political tensions sparked by the murder of an investigative journalist.

Kalinak made the announcement on March 12, bowing to demands of a junior coalition partner, the Most-Hid (Bridge) group, which had demanded Prime Minister Robert Fico dump his close ally by the end of the day.

Ficos government has been shaken by street demonstrators protesting the perceived lack of progress in an investigation into the death of Jan Kuciak and his fiancee in February, as well as allegations of persistent corruption.

Kuciak was investigating fraud cases involving politically connected businessmen and organized crime.

Critics say Kalinak, a founding member of Fico's Smer party, could not guarantee an independent probe into the killings.

On March 9, an estimated 50,000 people rallied in the capital, Bratislava, and thousands more in other Slovak cities to demand the resignation of Fico's cabinet and a full investigation into the deaths of Kuciak and his fiancee.

Based on reporting by Reuters and AFPOSKEMEN, Kazakhstan -- Heavy rains and melting snow have converged to cause massive flooding in eastern Kazakhstan.

Zhadyra Amanghaliqyzy, a spokeswoman for the East Kazakhstan regional Emergency Situations Department, told RFE/RL on March 12 that 110 kindergartens, 150 homes, and about 70 other buildings were damaged by high waters in the regional capital, Oskemen, and in the districts of Ayagoz, Glubokoye, Kurshim, Zaisan, and Urzhar.

Several houses in the town of Ayagoz also were ruined by the flooding.

Hundreds of residents have been evacuated from dozens of houses in the town of Ayagoz, but there were no immediate reports of deaths or injuries.

In southern Kazakhstan, in the Qazaly district of the Qyzylorda region, floods forced local authorities to close at least one school on March 12.BRUSSELS -- The European Commission's high-level expert group on fake news has called for a code of principles that online platforms and social networks should commit to.

But the March 12 report does not blacklist specific media companies or identify those responsible for spreading fake news.

Speaking in Brussels, where the report was submitted to the commission, the group's chairman ruled out blacklisting media platforms involved in spreading disinformation.

Group chairman Madeleine de Cock Buning -- a Dutch professor of copyright and media law -- said the experts were advising the opposite of a blacklist.

For us, freedom of the press is the most important aspect, she said. What we do advise is fact checking. But we advise that in a very transparent an open sourced kind of way.

The report also fails to mention sources of disinformation from online bots and troll farms, or whether state players or political parties have been behind disinformation campaigns.

"We were asked to look into the best practices of the things that are now going on with regards to disinformation, and also to find solutions," she said.

"We didn't do any empirical research towards the actual sources," she said.

"That is something else," she said, admitting that there isn't enough research in Europe about "the exact sources and the exact impact" of fake news.

Among 10 key principles described in the study, the group called for online platforms to explain how algorithms select news put forward.

In cooperation with European news outlets, social networks also were encouraged to take effective measures to improve the visibility of reliable, trustworthy news -- and to facilitate users' access to it.

The group also recommended the establishment of "a multistakeholder coalition to ensure that the agreed measures are implemented, monitored, and regularly reviewed."

Other recommendations include media literacy to counter disinformation, the development of tools for empowering users and journalists to tackle disinformation, and further research on the impact of disinformation in Europe.

The group, which started its work in January, consists of 39 experts from media groups and Internet companies such as Google and Facebook.

The findings support preparations of a European Commission plan on tackling online disinformation that is expected in April.Internal Affairs says no organized crime or terrorist cell in Barcos Caribe ferry incident

Playa del Carmen, Q.R.  The Attorney General of Internal Affairs says that the February 21 Playa del Carmen Barcos Caribe ferry explosion was not related to organized crime or a terrorist cell.

In a press conference, Alberto Elias Beltran, Deputy Attorney General for International Affairs, explained that since the explosion, the General Prosecutors Office has moved the evidence to the office of the Criminal Investigation Agency.

There, experts in forensic photography, explosives and forensic chemistry continue to look into the devices found on the Barcos Caribe ferries. Derived from the investigations, it can be concluded that the remains of the explosive device show a similarity with the one found days before and it is clear that it is a rudimentary or homemade artifact.

Based on expert reports and investigations, the incident was not part of terrorist organization or organized crime. However, those investigating the case say they are still working on possible perpetrators.

In regards to the possibility that the explosion was self inflicted by the Borge family who owns the company Barcos Caribe, Elias Beltran said he cannot comment on who is being investigated, but did say that all lines of investigation remain open and that that possibility or some other situation may arise.

I cannot comment on other details of insured goods or the scope of the investigation he said. He thanked the American FBI and the ATF for their contributions in the investigation

According to Integral Port Administration of Quintana Roo, the Playa del Carmen-Cozumel ferry service has seen an increase in usage this year. Figures show that during the first two months of 2017, just over 721,000 used the crossing service.

During January and February of 2018, that number increased more than 43,000 with the Port Administration showing over 765,000 passengers crossing between the mainland and the island.

With the two main ferries, Ultramar and Barcos Mexico, its business as usual with a normal flow of tourism.Firefighters battled to extinguish the burning wreckage and rescue passengers. Live footage posted on Facebook showed the towering columns of smoke rising behind the runway, where another plane stood waiting on the tarmac.71 persons, including four crew members, were on-board the aircraft and twenty-five people were rescued and taken to Kathmandu Medical College, Teaching Hospital in Sinamangal, but later eight of those rescued were pronounced dead.

The airport has been closed. Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli, Home Minister Ram Bahadur Thapa and Ambassador of Bangladesh to Nepal Mashfee Binte Shams have reached the airport. It was flying so low I thought it was going to run into the mountains, she said. She said it was unclear if it had reached the runway when it landed. All of a sudden there was a blast and then another blast, a witness said. US-Bangla Airlines is a unit of the US-Bangla Group, a US Bangladeshi joint venture company. The Bangladeshi carrier launched operations in July 2014 and operates Bombardier Inc and Boeing aircraft. Nepal has suffered a number of air disasters in recent years, dealing a blow to its tourist industry.Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Belarus A.Dapkiunas participates in the 61st session of the UN Commission on Narcotic Drugs

12-03-2018

On March 12, 2018 the 61st session of the United Nations Commission on Narcotic Drugs (CND) started its work.The Belarusian delegation led by the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Belarus, Andrei Dapkiunas, participates in it.

Over one hundred delegations of the UN member states, intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations take part in the event.

In his statement, the Head of the Belarusian delegation, the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Andrei Dapkiunas, emphasized the drug-related harm to security, stability and socio-economic development of states.

The Belarusian diplomat informed of the priorities of the anti-drug policy of the Government of Belarus, the active Belarus contribution to the international drug control. He recalled that Belarus is the only state in the world in which 98 per cent of known narcotic drugs are prohibited by law.

The Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs stressed the particular attention given in Belarus to the prevention of drug use among children and adolescents, efforts of Belarus at the international level aimed at implementing family- and school-based programs and strategies related to the prevention of drug use.

At the first plenary session of the CND the Ambassador, Permanent Representative of Belarus to the International Organizations in Vienna, Alena Kupchyna, was elected as the Deputy President of the UN Commission on Narcotic Drugs. This election is the evidence of the high international authority of Belarus in the international drug control efforts.

The preparation for the Ministerial Meeting on the Review of the Implementation of the UN Political Declaration and Plan of Action on Drugs in March 2019 is the priority for this session.

Participants of the meeting will discuss the key aspects of the world drug problem  drug prevention, drug abuse treatment, fight against drug trafficking and money laundering, law enforcement cooperation, alternative development programs.

The CND will give special attention to new narcotic drugs and psychoactive substances. It is expected that twelve such substances will be placed under the international control.

print version

With the first gun control measure signed into law in decades, a key Republican member of the Florida Constitutional Revision Commission has drafted a proposal to make sure the age limits and waiting period stand up to any constitutional challenge from opponents.

The proposal, by Miami attorney and CRC member Roberto Martinez, was filed with the CRC on Friday, just moments after Gov. Rick Scott signed SB 7026 into law, which bans the sale of any firearm in Florida to anyone under the age of 21, imposes a three-day waiting period on all handgun purchases and bans bump stocks.

The CRC meets once every 20 years with the goal of updating the state constitution. It has the power to put directly onto the November 2018 ballot proposed constitutional amendments. The group holds its final public hearing Tuesday, March 13, in St. Petersburg at the University of South Florida University Student Center. Martinezs proposal will be amended to one of the three dozen existing proposals under consideration. Story here.The sixth edition of The Tobacco Atlas and its companion website TobaccoAtlas.org finds the tobacco industry is increasingly targeting vulnerable populations in emerging markets, such as Africa, Asia, and the Middle East, where people are not protected by strong tobacco control regulations. The report was released at the 17th World Congress on Tobacco OR Health in Cape Town, South Africa.

The Atlas, which is co-authored by American Cancer Society (ACS) and Vital Strategies, graphically details the scale of the tobacco epidemic around the globe. It shows where progress has been made in tobacco control, and describes the latest products and tactics being deployed by the tobacco industry to grow its profits and delay or derail tobacco control efforts. In response to an evolving tobacco control landscape, the Sixth Edition includes new chapters on regulating novel products, partnerships, tobacco industry tactics and countering the industry.

In 2016 alone, tobacco use caused over 7.1 million deaths worldwide (5.1 million in men, 2.0 million in women). Most of these deaths were attributable to cigarette smoking, while 884,000 were related to secondhand smoke. The increase in tobacco-related disease and death has been outpaced by the increase in industry profits. The combined profits of the world's biggest tobacco companies exceeded US $62.27 billion in 2015, the last year on record for all the major companies. This is equivalent to US $9,730 for the death of each smoker, an increase of 39% since the last Atlas was published, when the figure stood at US$7,000.

"Every death from tobacco is preventable, and every government has the power reduce the human and economic toll of the tobacco epidemic," said Jeffrey Drope, PhD, co-editor and author of The Atlas and Vice President, Economic and Health Policy Research at the American Cancer Society. "It starts by resisting the influence of the industry and implementing proven tobacco control policies. The Atlas shows that progress is possible in every region of the world. African countries in particular are at a critical point -- both because they are targets of the industry but also because many have opportunity to strengthen policies and act before smoking is at epidemic levels."

"Tobacco causes harm at every stage of its life cycle, from cultivation to disposal," said Dr. Neil Schluger, Vital Strategies' Senior Advisor for Science and co-editor and author of The Atlas. "It is linked to an ever-increasing list of diseases, burdens health systems, and exacerbates poverty, especially when a breadwinner falls ill and dies from tobacco use. At a conservative estimate, there are more than 7 million tobacco-related deaths and global economic costs of two trillion dollars (PPP) each year, not including costs such as those caused by second-hand smoke and the environmental and health damages of tobacco farming. The only way to avert this harm is for all governments to vigorously implement the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control and to enforce the proven strategies that reduce tobacco use."

Tobacco use and exposure to secondhand smoke costs the global economy more than two trillion dollars (PPP) every year -- equivalent to almost 2% of the world's total economic output. More than 1.1 billion people are current smokers, while 360 million people use smokeless tobacco. Low and middle income countries represent over 80% of tobacco users and tobacco-related deaths, placing an increased share of tobacco-related costs on those who can least afford it. A growing proportion of that burden will fall on countries across Africa in the future, if governments do not implement tobacco control policies now to prevent it.

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Africa is at a tipping point

The Sixth Edition of The Tobacco Atlas reveals that the tobacco industry deliberately targets countries that lack tobacco control laws and exploits governments, farmers and vulnerable populations across Africa. In Sub-Saharan Africa alone, consumption increased by 52% between 1980 and 2016 (from 164 billion to 250 billion sticks). This is being driven by population growth and aggressive tobacco marketing in countries like Lesotho, where prevalence is estimated to have increased from 15% in 2004 to 54% in 2015. Economic growth has increased consumers' ability to afford tobacco products and there is a lack of tobacco control interventions to deter tobacco use. Furthermore, in countries like Ethiopia, Nigeria, and Senegal, smoking is now more common among youth than adults -- potentially increasing the future health and economic burden of tobacco in these countries.

Yet Africa has also seen real successes in tobacco control recently, according to The Tobacco Atlas. Ghana and Madagascar have introduced comprehensive bans on tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship. Burkina Faso, Djibouti, Kenya, and Madagascar have implemented graphic warnings on cigarettes, an important intervention in countries with multiple dialects and for citizens in those countries who have low levels of literacy. South Africa has implemented consecutive tobacco tax increases to deter consumption and Kenya has implemented a highly effective track-and-trace system to track and reduce illicit trade. These countries are setting an example to others across the world.

Other examples of effective tobacco control policies

In spite of the tobacco industry's efforts to impede progress, global cigarette consumption and tobacco use prevalence have declined recently thanks to an overall increase in the adoption of proven and innovative tobacco control measures. Tobacco taxes alone could deliver a 30% relative reduction in smoking prevalence by 2025. This would save 38 million lives and $16.9 trillion, just from former smokers becoming healthier.

In 2013, the Philippines implemented one of the largest tobacco tax increases in a low and middle income country, leading more than 1 million smokers to quit. Kenya implemented a successful track and trace system for tobacco products, which helped to stem the illicit market.

Turkey's comprehensive tobacco control strategy reduced smoking prevalence from 39.3% in 2000 to 25.9% in 2015.

Analysis by Australia's government found that plain packaging alone resulted in 108,228 fewer smokers between December 2012 and September 2015.

Brazil has banned all tobacco additives such as flavors used to attract children. WHO predicts that there will be 3 million fewer smokers in Brazil between 2015 and 2025.

"We are proud that our two organizations have worked together for almost two decades to engender a healthier world," said Dr Otis Brawley, Chief Medical Officer, American Cancer Society. "The data in The Tobacco Atlas depict a sobering look at the daunting magnitude of the epidemic, but also show considerable progress in places where governments take up solutions that are proven to work. For the first time, more than two billion people are protected by at least one WHO MPOWER measure, but very few countries have taken up every measure. The data are clear that measures like raising taxes and enacting 100% smoke-free air laws indisputably work, but too many governments have not yet committed to adopting them. Our life-saving opportunity lies in that gap."

"The ultimate path to improved tobacco control is political will," said Jose Luis Castro, President and CEO, Vital Strategies. "Strong tobacco control policies deliver a significant return on investment, and The Tobacco Atlas offers the best and most recent data on the tobacco epidemic as a resource for governments to pursue effective strategies. The answer does not lie with the industry: as The Atlas makes clear, there is a complete disconnect between the tobacco industry's claims about harm reduction and its actual work to grow tobacco use among vulnerable populations. Governments must be accountable to their citizens in reducing tobacco use and improving health. They must prepare to rebuff the tobacco industry's challenges to legislation, seek the appropriate assistance to build capacity, and be transparent about the industry's inevitable approaches. We urge governments, advocates, organizations and people who care about health, the environment and development to stand together to reduce this man-made epidemic in pursuit of a healthier planet."Fear of making mistakes and wider concerns about their social responsibility are among reasons why older people are rejecting digital technologies, a new study reveals.

Despite increasing numbers of older adults accessing the Internet, and many recent retirees having used computers during their careers, the digital divide between older adults and younger people still exists. Older adults use significantly fewer digital applications and spend less time online than younger adults.

Following interviews with older adults, researchers from Lancaster University have discovered that resistance to using digital technologies is not primarily rooted in accessibility issues, as widely believed.

Researchers found that personally held values to do with the desirability of technology, wider concerns regarding its impact on society, and fears of getting things wrong when using software are also significant factors holding back technology use among older adults.

Some older people are put off using online tools because they see them as being arduous and time consuming. They feel that the trend toward online services such as comparison websites places a greater burden on themselves to become experts in all manner of things, whereas previously one could seek out trained professionals to assist with decision making.

And security concerns were omnipresent among the older adults interviewed, with many of them lacking confidence in their own knowledge of how to use online tools properly, in particular online banking.

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To attend to this the researchers, Dr Bran Knowles and Professor Vicki Hanson in their paper 'The Wisdom of Older Technology (Non) Users', which has been published by the Communications of the ACM journal, recommend that the designers of online services do more to offer better safety nets that will offer actual protection and more reassurance to older users.

A strong sense of social responsibility may be a more important factor underlying many older people's rejection of digital technology. They worry that online shopping takes business from local shops, threatening the town centres in which they can socialise with their friends. They also worry that if they don't go into the bank or the post office they may close and people may lose their jobs.

Dr Knowles said: "The fact that digital technologies can and do make certain jobs obsolete is a common concern for older adults who worry about their grandchildren's job prospects. Developing solutions to attend to this wider societal problem appears to be key to fostering acceptance of digital technologies among older adults."

Social isolation is another concern. Some older people are rejecting online shopping as they welcome the social benefits of daily face to face contact when shopping in person.

Professor Vicki Hanson said: "The efficiency gained by conducting online interactions is not a powerful motivator for technology adoption by older adults who may be experiencing loneliness and isolation. In many cases, making digital technologies appealing for older adults means ensuring that digital engagements do not replace social interactions, and if possible, facilitate new social and community-building opportunities where they can meet people."

Researchers also found some older people use their age as a cover for other personally-held reasons not to engage with technology. For example, someone who doesn't like social media because they think it can enable cyberbullying may say they are 'too old' as a convenient and socially acceptable way to justify not using it, as there are fewer expectations for an older person to use social media.

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Dr Knowles and Professor Hanson call this 'playing the age card' and acknowledge the utility in older adults blaming their age for their non-use of digital technologies.

Dr Knowles said: "Older adults themselves are often the worst perpetuators of the myth that old age precludes engagement with a myriad of digital technologies. Doing so allows older adults a privilege not available to most working-age adults to take personal stands against the aspects of technology they find worrying, threatening or just plain annoying."

The research was supported with funding from the UK's Research Council's Digital Economy Theme, led by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC), and also the EU's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme.

The paper's authors are Dr Bran Knowles and Professor Vicki Hanson, both of Lancaster University's Data Science Institute. Dr. Knowles is a Lancaster 50/50 Lecturer and Prof Hanson a Visiting Professor from the US, based at the Rochester Institute of Technology in New York.Flows of molten metal can generate magnetic fields. This so-called dynamo effect creates cosmic magnetic fields, like those found on planets, moons and even asteroids. Over the coming years, a globally unique experiment, in which a steel drum containing several tons of liquid sodium rotates around two axes, is intended to demonstrate this effect. It will be carried out in the new DRESDYN facility at the Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR), an independent German research laboratory. A recently published study in the scientific journal Physical Review Letters confirms the experiment's chances of success.

Similarly to how a bicycle dynamo converts motion into electricity, moving conductive fluids can generate magnetic fields. The so-called magnetic Reynolds number (the product of the fluid's flow velocity, expansion and conductivity) primarily determines whether a magnetic field is actually generated.

During a spectacular experiment, scientists in Frank Stefani's team at the HZDR's Institute of Fluid Dynamics aim to achieve the critical value required for the occurrence of the dynamo effect. For this purpose, a two-meter diameter steel cylinder containing eight tons of liquid sodium will rotate around one axis up to ten times per second and once per second around another, which is tilted with respect to the first. The technical term for this movement, which is often compared to a tilted spinning top, is precession.

"Our experiment at the new DRESDYN facility is intended to demonstrate that precession, as a natural driver of flow, is sufficient to create a magnetic field," says Andre Giesecke, lead author of the study. In his simulations and during accompanying water experiments -- the mock-up was six times smaller than the large dynamo -- scientists examined the structure of precession-driven flow.

"To our surprise, we observed a symmetrical double role structure in a specific range of the precession rate, which should provide a dynamo effect at a magnetic Reynolds number of 430," says the physicist.

Unresolved: the role of precession in the geodynamo

The center of the Earth consists of a solid core surrounded by a layer of molten iron. "The molten metal induces an electric current, which in turn generates a magnetic field," explains Giesecke. The common belief is that buoyancy-driven convection, together with Earth's rotation, is responsible for this geodynamo. However, the role played by precession in the formation of Earth's magnetic field is still completely unclear.

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The Earth's rotational axis is tilted by 23.5 degrees from its orbital plane. The rotational axis changes position over a period of approximately 26,000 years. This precessing motion through space is thought to be one of the possible sources of energy for the geodynamo. Millions of years ago, the Moon also had a powerful magnetic field, as indicated by rock samples from the Apollo missions. According to experts, precession could have been the main cause of this.

The liquid sodium experiments at HZDR are expected to start in 2020. Unlike earlier geodynamo laboratory experiments, there will be no propeller inside the steel drum, as was used in the first successful dynamo experiment in Riga, Latvia in 1999, in which HZDR scientists were heavily involved. This and other experiments in Karlsruhe, Germany and Cadarache, France provided ground-breaking research for a better understanding of the geodynamo.

"In principle, we can define three different parameters for the experiments at DRESDYN: rotation, precession and the angle between the two axes," says Giesecke. On the one hand, he and his colleagues expect to get answers to the fundamental question of whether precession actually produces a magnetic field in a conductive fluid. On the other hand, they are interested in finding out which flow components are responsible for the creation of the magnetic field, and the point at which saturation occurs.

Double role in the Container

"In simulations, we discovered that stationary inertia waves occur in a wide parameter range. Within a certain range, however, we have now noticed a characteristic double role structure that proves to be extremely efficient for the dynamo effect. In principle, we are already aware of such a velocity structure thanks to the French dynamo experiment, in which it was artificially produced by two propellers, while in our precession experiment it should emerge naturally."

The HZDR researchers used special ultrasound technology to measure the flow structure. "We were very surprised at how well the data from the experiment matches the results of the simulation. We therefore have an extremely robust prediction for the major DRESDYN experiment. For example, we know at which rotational rates the dynamo effect occurs and which magnetic field structures we can expect," says Giesecke.

The scientific community involved with dynamos is eagerly awaiting the results of the planned experiment, which will operate at the limits of technical feasibility in many respects. "We also expect detailed insights into the general dynamics of liquid metal flows under the influence of magnetic fields. This will allow us to draw conclusions about flows in the industrial sector," according to Giesecke.

And last but not least, the magnetic flow tomography developed at the HZDR as part of its dynamo research is of interest to many areas of steel casting and crystal growing. The work has been partially funded by the Helmholtz Alliance "Liquid Metal Technologies" (LIMTECH).Imagine a year in Africa that summer never arrives. The sky takes on a gray hue during the day and glows red at night. Flowers do not bloom. Trees die in the winter. Large mammals like antelope become thin, starve and provide little fat to the predators (carnivores and human hunters) that depend on them. Then, this same disheartening cycle repeats itself, year after year. This is a picture of life on earth after the eruption of the super-volcano, Mount Toba in Indonesia, about 74,000 years ago. In a paper published this week in Nature, scientists show that early modern humans on the coast of South Africa thrived through this event.

An eruption a hundred times smaller than Mount Toba -- that of Mount Tambora, also in Indonesia, in 1815 -- is thought to have been responsible for a year without summer in 1816. The impact on the human population was dire -- crop failures in Eurasia and North America, famine and mass migrations. The effect of Mount Toba, a super-volcano that dwarfs even the massive Yellowstone eruptions of the deeper past, would have had a much larger, and longer-felt, impact on people around the globe.

The scale of the ash-fall alone attests to the magnitude of the environmental disaster. Huge quantities of aerosols injected high into the atmosphere would have severely diminished sunlight -- with estimates ranging from a 25 to 90 percent reduction in light. Under these conditions, plant die-off is predictable, and there is evidence of significant drying, wildfires and plant community change in East Africa just after the Toba eruption.

If Mount Tambora created such devastation over a full year -- and Tambora was a hiccup compared to Toba -- we can imagine a worldwide catastrophe with the Toba eruption, an event lasting several years and pushing life to the brink of extinctions.

In Indonesia, the source of the destruction would have been evident to terrified witnesses -- just before they died. However, as a family of hunter-gatherers in Africa 74,000 years ago, you would have had no clue as to the reason for the sudden and devastating change in the weather. Famine sets in and the very young and old die. Your social groups are devastated, and your society is on the brink of collapse.

The effect of the Toba eruption would have certainly impacted some ecosystems more than others, possibly creating areas -- called refugia -- in which some human groups did better than others throughout the event. Whether or not your group lived in such a refuge would have largely depended on the type of resources available. Coastal resources, like shellfish, are highly nutritious and less susceptible to the eruption than the plants and animals of inland areas.

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When the column of fire, smoke and debris blasted out the top of Mount Toba, it spewed rock, gas and tiny microscopic pieces (cryptotephra) of glass that, under a microscope, have a characteristic hook shape produced when the glass fractures across a bubble. Pumped into the atmosphere, these invisible fragments spread across the world.

Panagiotis (Takis) Karkanas, director of the Malcolm H. Wiener Laboratory for Archaeological Science, American School of Classical Studies, Greece, saw a single shard of this explosion under a microscope in a slice of archaeological sediment encased in resin.

"It was one shard particle out of millions of other mineral particles that I was investigating. But it was there, and it couldn't be anything else," says Karkanas.

The shard came from an archaeological site in a rockshelter called Pinnacle Point 5-6, on the south coast of South Africa near the town of Mossel Bay. The sediments dated to about 74,000 years ago.

"Takis and I had discussed the potential of finding the Toba shards in the sediments of our archaeological site, and with his eagle eye, he found one," explains Curtis W. Marean, project director of the Pinnacle Point excavations. Marean is the associate director of the Institute of Human Origins at Arizona State University and honorary professor at the Centre for Coastal Palaeoscience at Nelson Mandela University, South Africa.

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Marean showed the shard image to Eugene Smith, a volcanologist with the University of Nevada at Las Vegas, and Smith confirmed it was a volcanic shard.

"The Pinnacle Point study brought me back to the study of glass shards from my master's thesis 40 years earlier," says Smith.

Early in the study, the team brought in expert cryptotephra scientist Christine Lane who trained graduate student Amber Ciravolo in the needed techniques. Racheal Johnsen later joined Ciravalo as lab manager and developed new techniques.

From scratch, with National Science Foundation support, they developed the Cryptotephra Laboratory for Archaeological and Geological Research, which is now involved in projects not only in Africa, but in Italy, Nevada and Utah.

Encased in that shard of volcanic glass is a distinct chemical signature, a fingerprint that scientists can use to trace to the killer eruption. In their paper in Nature, the team describes finding these shards in two archaeological sites in coastal South Africa, tracing those shards to Toba through chemical fingerprinting and documenting a continuous human occupation across the volcanic event.

"Many previous studies have tried to test the hypothesis that Toba devastated human populations," Marean notes. "But they have failed because they have been unable to present definitive evidence linking a human occupation to the exact moment of the event."

Most studies have looked at whether or not Toba caused environmental change. It did, but such studies lack the archaeological data needed to show how Toba affected humans.

The Pinnacle Point team has been at the forefront of development and application of highly advanced archaeological techniques. They measure everything on site to millimetric accuracy with a "total station," a laser-measurement device integrated to handheld computers for precise and error-free recording.

Naomi Cleghorn with the University of Texas at Arlington, recorded the Pinnacle Point samples as they were removed.

Cleghorn explains, "We collected a long column of samples -- digging out a small amount of sediment from the wall of our previous excavation. Each time we collected a sample, we shot its position with the total station. We could then precisely compare the position of the sample to our excavated cultural remains -- the trash ancient humans left at the site. We could also compare our cryptotephra sample position with that of samples taken for dating and environmental analyses."

In addition to understanding how Toba affected humans in this region, the study has other important implications for archaeological dating techniques. Archaeological dates at these age ranges are imprecise -- 10 percent (or 1000s of years) error is typical. Toba ash-fall, however, was a very quick event that has been precisely dated. The time of shard deposition was likely about two weeks in duration -- instantaneous in geological terms.

"We found the shards at two sites," explains Marean. "The Pinnacle Point rockshelter (where people lived, ate, worked and slept) and an open air site about 10 kilometers away called Vleesbaai. This latter site is where a group of people, possibly members of the same group as those at Pinnacle Point, sat in a small circle and made stone tools. Finding the shards at both sites allows us to link these two records at almost the same moment in time."

Not only that, but the shard location allows the scientists to provide an independent test of the age of the site estimated by other techniques. People lived at the Pinnacle Point 5-6 site from 90,000 to 50,000 years ago. Zenobia Jacobs with the University of Wollongong, Australia, used optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) to date 90 samples and develop a model of the age of all the layers. OSL dates the last time individual sand grains were exposed to light.

"There has been some debate over the accuracy of OSL dating, but Jacobs' age model dated the layers where we found the Toba shards to about 74,000 years ago -- right on the money," says Marean. This lends very strong support to Jacobs' cutting-edge approach to OSL dating, which she has applied to sites across southern Africa and the world.

"OSL dating is the workhorse method for construction of timelines for a large part of our own history. Testing whether the clock ticks at the correct rate is important. So getting this degree of confirmation is pleasing," says Jacobs.

In the 1990s, scientists began arguing that this eruption of Mount Toba, the most powerful in the last two million years, caused a long-lived volcanic winter that may have devastated the ecosystems of the world and caused widespread population crashes, perhaps even a near-extinction event in our own lineage, a so-called bottleneck.

This study shows that along the food-rich coastline of southern Africa, people thrived through this mega-eruption, perhaps because of the uniquely rich food regime on this coastline. Now other research teams can take the new and advanced methods developed in this study and apply them to their sites elsewhere in Africa so researchers can see if this was the only population that made it through these devastating times.NIH-funded researchers at Stanford University used the gene editing tool CRISPR-Cas9 to rapidly identify genes in the human genome that might modify the severity of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD) caused by mutations in a gene called C9orf72. The results of the search, published in Nature Genetics, uncovered a new set of genes that may hasten neuron death during the disease.

Accounting for nearly 40 percent of inherited cases of ALS and 25 percent of inherited FTD cases, disease-causing mutations in C9orf72 insert extra sequences of DNA, called hexanucleotide repeats, into the gene. These repeats produce potentially toxic RNA and protein molecules that kill neurons resulting in problems with movement and eventually paralysis for ALS patients and language and decision-making problems for FTD patients.

Led by Aaron D. Gitler, Ph.D., and Michael C. Bassik, Ph.D., the researchers used CRISPR to disable each gene, one-by-one, in a line of human leukemia cells and then tested whether the cells would survive exposure to toxic proteins derived from the hexanucleotide repeats, called DPRs. Any disabled genes that caused cells to live longer or die faster than normal were considered suspects in DPR toxicity. They confirmed that genes that control the movement of molecules in and out of a cell's nucleus may be partners. They also identified several new players, including genes that modify chromosomes and that help cells assemble proteins passing through a maze-like structure called the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). A second CRISPR search conducted on mouse brain cells confirmed the initial results. Disabling the top 200 genes identified in the leukemia cells helped neurons survive DPR exposure.

Finally, further experiments highlighted the importance of the ER genes, especially one called TMX2. For instance, the researchers could cause neurons derived from the skin cells of ALS patients with C9orf72 to live longer than normal when they silenced the TMX2 gene, suggesting it could be exploited in designing novel therapies for ALS. Decreasing TMX2 in cells caused an increase in the production of "survival proteins" that the authors hypothesized protected the cells against DPR toxicity.

Previously such studies needed a few months to find candidate genes and could only be performed on yeast, worm, and fly genomes. With CRISPR, the researchers in this study needed just about two weeks to conduct a complete search of the human genome. The results suggest that this faster and more comprehensive approach may be used to rapidly identify genes that may be involved in other neurological disorders.

This study was supported by the NIH (NS097263, NS097850, NS069375, HD084069); the National Human Genome Research Institute Training Grant; the National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship; the Department of Defense (W81XWH-15-1-0187); the Robert Packard Center for ALS Research at Johns Hopkins; Target ALS; the Stanford Brain Rejuvenation Project of the Stanford Neurosciences Institute; the Muscular Dystrophy Association; and the New York Stem Cell Foundation.Researchers at William & Mary's Virginia Institute of Marine Science are launching new web-based "report cards" to monitor and forecast changes in sea level at 32 localities along the U.S. coastline from Maine to Alaska. They plan to update the report cards in January of each year, with projections out to the year 2050.

The lead on the project, VIMS emeritus professor John Boon, says the report cards are designed to add value by providing sea-level updates that are more frequent and localized than those generated by NOAA or other scientific bodies. Boon and colleagues also take a statistical approach that incorporates evidence for recent acceleration in the rate of sea-level change at many U.S. tide-gauge stations.

Boon and his team furthermore stress their use of relative sea-level measurements -- changes in water level relative to the land surface on which people live and work -- rather than the absolute sea-level measures used in many global models and predictions. The relative sea-level rise in Virginia and other East and Gulf coast areas is due to both rising water and sinking land.

Joining Boon on the project are Ph.D. student Molly Mitchell and VIMS research scientist Derek Loftis. Mitchell is lead author on the 2012 sea-level report requested by Virginia's General Assembly, while Loftis helps direct StormSense, a project to monitor and model coastal flooding in and around Hampton Roads. Boon created VIMS' popular Tidewatch network and has literally written the book on the analysis of tides and tidal currents.

The value of an annual, localized report card

Because long-term changes in sea level are incremental in nature -- typically a few millimeters per year -- researchers have traditionally felt little need to issue frequent forecasts of sea-level changes. Moreover, many sea-level projections are global in scope, with a forecast horizon of 2100 -- far enough off to allow for readily discernible linear change. Thus the IPCC's oft-reported prediction of 65 centimeters (2.1 feet) of global sea-level rise by the end of the century.

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The VIMS team has purposefully taken a more localized and timely approach, one designed to add maximum value for coastal residents, businesses, and government agencies.

Says Boon, "Our report cards show what sea level has been doing recently, what's happening now at your locality. Numerous studies show that local rates of sea-level rise and acceleration differ substantially from the global rates published by the IPCC and NOAA -- a key result because local rates of relative sea-level rise give a direct indication of the extent to which homes, buildings, and roads are at risk of flooding."

The team's decision to use a subset of available tide-gauge data runs counter to the traditional approach taken by researchers at NOAA, the agency that operates the nation's official network of tidal stations.

"NOAA should be commended for their care in ensuring the continuity, consistency, and availability of the nation's long-term tidal datasets," says Boon. "But at the same time, a longer record isn't always better, especially when there's evidence of recent non-linear changes in the rate of sea-level rise like we see along the U.S. East Coast."

An earlier analysis by Boon showed that this non-linear change or acceleration began in 1987, at the center of a 36-year sliding window beginning in 1969 -- thus setting the start date for the VIMS report cards. This is decades after many U.S. tide-gauge stations began operation.

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Mitchell explains further, "If you cross a threshold in terms of something like sea-level rise, what came before -- say a tide-gauge record that began in 1900 -- is biased in terms of seeing where you're going. We think the ice sheets are melting faster today than they ever have before, and if that's true then the previous 90 years of data won't accurately predict the future."

The difference between the linear rates used in NOAA's sea-level forecasts and the non-linear, accelerating rates used in VIMS' report cards is much more than a statistical subtlety -- it leads to sharply different forecasts of our sea-level future.

A good example can be found in VIMS' backyard, using data from NOAA's Sewells Point tide gauge in Norfolk, Virginia. Extending NOAA's linear sea-level projections to mid-century indicates that sea level here will be 0.29 meters (11.42 inches) higher by 2050, while the VIMS forecast -- using a non-linear, accelerating rate -- is 0.49 meters, or 19.3 inches. That extra 20 centimeters (8") of sea-level rise would have major implications for the low-lying region.

The VIMS team moreover cautions that sea level is likely to experience short-term variations in the future just as it does today. Thus, coastal residents and planners in Virginia and other areas likely to experience significant sea-level increases by 2050 must also account for storm surges and other transient forces raising sea level even higher than the projected mean rise value.

Anatomy of a Sea-Level Report Card

VIMS' Sea-Level Report Cards have three components: the projection of sea-level height to the year 2050, a display of recent trends in the rates of sea-level change, and an explanation of processes affecting sea level at each locality.

The report card website, http://www.vims.edu/sealevelreportcard, explains the data and statistical approaches used in the 2050 projections.

The trend charts help users keep track of changes in the rate of sea-level rise and acceleration at each locality (or sea-level fall and deceleration in some places) -- as these will very likely change from year-to-year due to hurricanes and other short-term weather events, as well as longer-term, decade-scale processes such as the El Nino-Southern Oscillation or the North Atlantic Oscillation. A projection to 2050 made during an upturn in a decadal signal will be higher than it would be if the decadal signal was nearing or at a low.

The final report card component explains for each locality and region (U.S. East, Gulf, or West coast) the long-term processes that force changes in the mass, volume, and regional distribution of seawater; changes in shoreline elevation; or both. Complex interactions among these processes can lead to significant differences in sea-level trends in different regions, or in some cases at localities relatively near each other. Alternatively, these interactions can result in similar sea-level trends in areas that lie far apart.

Full details of VIMS' Sea-Level Report Cards are provided in an accompanying technical report -- Anthropocene Sea Level Change: A History of Recent Trends Observed in the U.S. East, Gulf & West Coast Regions -- available through the Hargis Library at VIMS. The report also provides management recommendations. The team plans to add these to their report cards in the near future.

Anthropocene -- from the Greek "anthropo" (human) and "cene" (recent) -- is a newly coined term that recognizes a growing view among scientists that humanity's influence on Earth's environmental processes warrants adding a new epoch to the geologic time scale. If formally adopted, the term would supersede the current Holocene epoch, which began about 12,000 years ago with the melting of the Pleistocene ice sheets.

"The Anthropocene is a time of rapid change when we should really be keeping a close eye on sea level," says Boon.SCOTT KEELER | Times Senate President Joe Negron and Senator Rob Bradley talk to reporters during the last week of the 2017 Florida Legislative session. In the last 45 minutes of the 2018 legislative session, lawmakers on Sunday approved creating a new section of law on behalf of a powerful lobbyist. The amendment, sponsored by Sen. Rob Bradley, R-Fleming Island, created a new chapter of the Florida statutes for online handyman services like Handy. The new statutes make clear that the handymen used by Handy are independent contractors, not employees. Senators approved it after barely 10 minutes of discussion. Immediately after, Sen. Dennis Baxley, R-Ocala, walked across the Senate floor to shake Bradley's hand.

When asked after why the amendment didnt go through the full committee process, like most bills, Bradley said he believed the amendment didnt change anything.

He said all it did was make sure that companies did not get sued over such employee-contractor questions. Uber has been sued in multiple states, including in Florida, over whether its drivers are employees or independent contractors, raising questions over whether the company owes unemployment and other benefits.

"I dont think anybodys rights or responsibilities changed with what we did, he said. "What we did is ensure that there will not be litigation on these questions.

He said that the app Handy, being represented by the powerful lobbyist Brian Ballard, came to him asking for the change. He said he supported the change because of he is a fan of such apps.

"Ive always been a big fan of Uber, Lyft, he said. "So when it was brought to my attention, it fit right in to my general worldview when it comes to these types of economic freedom matters."

Senate President Joe Negron defended the last-minute attachment of the amendment to benefit one particular company.

"It is a recognition that the Uber model is going to spread to other industries and we were recognizing that fact to clarify that doesn't create an employment situation," he said.

He also defended the decision to present it as a last-minute amendment, rather than a stand-alone bill. "This issue has been around for several weeks and has been discussed and we were looking creatively for an opportunity to address it and the tax package seemed to be a good fit," Negron said.

Herald/Times staff writer Mary Ellen Klas contributed to this report.San Francisco Board of Supervisors President London Breed wants to know whether Mayor Mark Farrell will commit to funding a pair of her legislative priorities in the citys upcoming budget.

Breed submitted two formal inquiries to the mayors office last week, which Farrell will respond to Tuesday as part of Question Time, the mayors monthly appearance before the board.

Breed asked whether Farrell would commit $14 million to raise the wages paid to contract workers covered by the citys Minimum Compensation Ordinance to $15.50 per hour by July 1. The ordinance applies to around 21,880 San Francisco International Airport, in-home care and nonprofit workers whose unions have been lobbying for a pay raise. The citywide minimum wage will rise to $15 July 1, but the ordinance is intended to ensure that city contractors pay at least slightly more than the bare minimum.

A proposed ordinance introduced last year by Supervisor Jeff Sheehy would lift the hourly rate for contract workers to $16.86, but the legislation has stalled at the boards Budget and Finance Committee. The city controllers office estimates that raising contract workers wages to $16.86 all at once would cost the city around $45 million next year.

Breed has advocated for a more gradual approach, but shes seeking Farrells commitment to phasing in the remainder of the proposed wage increase with new revenue sources in the coming year.

Shes also looking for the mayors budget office to commit to funding half of the estimated costs of implementing legislation she introduced with Sheehy to provide attorneys for city residents facing eviction  or about $4.3 million.

The two requests, Breed said in an email sent through an aide, will help us provide the housing stability so many of our residents need and ensure we can continue to support our nonprofit and in-home supportive care workers and their families.

 Dominic Fracassa

Stepping back a bit: A bill by state Sen. Scott Wiener prompted a raucous debate at City Hall on Monday, as progressive activists and west-side homeowners attacked the core idea: that dense development near transit corridors will help solve a regional housing crisis.

Leading the charge was Supervisor Aaron Peskin, who co-sponsored a resolution with three progressive colleagues: Hillary Ronen, Norman Yee and Sandra Lee Fewer  to oppose Wieners bill. They say it would impede the citys ability to impose affordable housing quotas and other restrictions on developers.

But when their resolution went before the supervisors Land Use and Transportation Committee Monday, Chairwoman Katy Tang, a moderate, persuaded Peskin to soften his stance. Instead of outright condemning Wieners proposal, the supervisors will call for amendments to help preserve the character of San Franciscos neighborhoods.

That compromise seemed designed to placate neighborhood associations in Cow Hollow and residents living west of Twin Peaks, who united with the progressives on this issue. They packed the committee hearing Monday hurling colorful insults at Wiener.

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One person called state Senate Bill 827 an undemocratic power grab. Another compared it to a hydrogen bomb that will blow San Francisco to bits.

On the other side were the Yes In My Backyard activists, an ascendent, younger group of political players who argue that dense housing is good for the environment, and that it will help stabilize rents.

If theres one thing the debate showed, its that housing and land use are the most polarizing issues in the city. SB827 inflamed a long-stewing fight that is shaping the June 5 mayors race. Of the three leading candidates, Supervisor London Breed  the moderate pick for mayor  was the only one to support Wieners legislation unequivocally in a YIMBY questionnaire. She got the groups sole endorsement.

One of Breeds mayoral opponents, progressive Supervisor Jane Kim , is a member of the Land Use and Transportation Committee, but she was absent Monday. Supervisor Ahsha Safai , a moderate who constantly stumps for more housing, left the committee meeting early. He represents the Excelsior, which could be broadly affected by the state Senate bill.

 Rachel SwanSan Francisco Supervisor Jane Kim is surging in the upcoming mayors race, and is now hot on the heels of front-runner Board of Supervisors President London Breed, a new poll shows.

Former state Sen. Mark Leno, whose fundraising sprint out of the gate helped make him a co-leader in early polls, has dropped to third place, the latest survey indicates.

The poll found Breed leading with 29 percent of first-pick votes, with Kim at 26 percent and Leno at 19 percent. Former Supervisor Angela Alioto had 8 percent.

Leno, who is seeking to become the citys first openly gay mayor, led among LGBT voters  with 37 percent. That compares to Breed at 27 percent and Kim at 21 percent.

Breed and Kim have really moved ahead of the pack here, said pollster David Metz. Leno, who folks early on thought might be the favorite, is struggling to get traction.

Four other candidates picked up a combined 3 percent in the survey, with the remaining respondents undecided.

The city firefighters union commissioned the poll by Fairbank, Maslin, Maullin, Metz & Associates. The landline and cell phone survey of 462 likely voters was taken from Feb. 22 to 28 and was conducted in English and Chinese. It has a 4.6 percentage point margin of error.

Breed also came out on top when the pollsters ran the voters second and third picks to take into account San Franciscos ranked-choice system.

Under the ranked results  in which bottom finishers are sequentially eliminated and their votes redistributed until someone gets a majority  Breed bested Kim by 56 to 44 percent.

The results indicate Breed is in a strong position to win, Metz said.

Im surprised  I really thought it was a Breed-Leno race, and now it shows London and Kim ... in a horse race, said Tom OConnor, president of the firefighters union, which has endorsed Breed.

One potentially telling finding of the poll was how respondents answered when asked whether they were looking for a candidate to build consensus on problems like affordable housing and homelessness, or one who would shake things up and change the direction of the city  be it pushing special interests out of City Hall or fighting neighborhood displacement.

By better than 2 to 1, people picked build consensus.

The race is less about ideology and more about being able to deliver on fixing the things voters want fixed, Metz said.

It could be the Kim campaign is picking up on that sentiment  she criticized the late Mayor Ed Lees decision to clear out the sprawling Division Street homeless encampments in 2016, but now shes pushing a San Francisco Loves Clean Streets effort to make sidewalks more presentable.

The poll backs up an informal survey following a mayoral forum earlier this month at the Irish Cultural Center. The 425 attendees took part in an email survey.

The results: Breed, 36 percent; Kim, 32 percent; Alioto, 24 percent  and Leno, 8 percent.

As both polls show, the race is up for grabs.

Jessica Christian / The Chronicle 2014

High flier: For all the talk about political action committees and hidden money in the mayors race, the biggest San Francisco spender to date in this years election cycle appears to be District Two supervisor candidate Nick Josefowitz .

Records show the solar power entrepreneur and member of the BART Board of Directors has spent upward of $400,000 on his bid to take the supervisors seat vacated by Mayor Mark Farrell.

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The biggest chunk of Josefowitzs money, $392,000, went into promoting a June ballot initiative to bar a possible rival  former Supervisor Michela Alioto-Pier  and other termed-out supervisors from returning to the board.

The air went out of that drive when Farrell appointed his former aide Catherine Stefani to his vacated seat and Alioto-Pier bowed out of the race.

Josefowitz then spent an undisclosed sum suing the city over its decision to allow Stefani to run for the seat in November rather than in a June special election. Josefowitz lost at trial, then on appeal.

Josefowitz says he isnt trying to buy his way onto the board. Money doesnt buy you elections, he said.

He says his real currency is from the nearly 800 supporters who have contributed a total of $250,000 to his District Two campaign.

Meanwhile, Stefani kicked off her money drive recently with a breakfast fundraiser hosted at Original Joes by progressive Supervisors Aaron Peskin and Hillary Ronen. She raised $6,300.

Guests included Farrell; representatives from the firefighters union, the Residential Builders Association and the Building Owners and Managers Association; and people from neighborhood groups from the Marina, Nob Hill and Cathedral Hill.

Ronen said her support for Stefani was less about politics and was more about the friendship the two forged when both were supervisorial staffers.

Peskin told us he didnt agree with all of Stefanis politics but cant stand Josefowitz or his tactics.

It ought to be an interesting  and expensive  race.For all the talk about political action committees and hidden money in the mayors race, the biggest San Francisco spender to date in this years election cycle appears to be District Two supervisor candidate Nick Josefowitz.

Records show the solar power entrepreneur and member of the BART Board of Directors has spent upwards of $400,000 on his bid to take the supervisors seat vacated by Mayor Mark Farrell.

The biggest chunk of Josefowitzs money, $392,000, went into promoting a June ballot initiative to bar a possible rival  former Supervisor Michela Alioto-Pier  and other termed-out supervisors from returning to the board.

The air went out of that drive when Farrell appointed his former aide Catherine Stefani to his vacated seat and Alioto-Pier bowed out of the race.

Josefowitz then spent an undisclosed sum suing the city over its decision to allow Stefani to run for the seat in November rather than in a June special election. Josefowitz lost at trial, then on appeal.

Josefowitz says he isnt trying to buy his way onto the board. Money doesnt buy you elections, he said.

He says his real currency is from the nearly 800 supporters who have contributed a total of $250,000 to his District Two campaign.

Meanwhile, Stefani kicked off her money drive recently with a breakfast fundraiser hosted at Original Joes by progressive Supervisors Aaron Peskin and Hillary Ronen. She raised $6,300.

Guests included Farrell, representatives from the firefighters union, the Residential Builders Association, the Building Owners and Managers Association and people from neighborhood groups from the Marina, Nob Hill and Cathedral Hill.

Drought Map Track water shortages and restrictions across Bay Area Check the water shortage status of your area, plus see reservoir levels and a list of restrictions for the Bay Areas largest water districts.

Ronen said her support for Stefani was less about politics and was more about the friendship the two forged when both were supervisorial staffers.

Peskin told us he didnt agree with all of Stefanis politics but cant stand Josefowitz or his tactics.

It ought to be an interesting  and expensive  race.

S an Francisco Chronicle columnists Phillip Matier and Andrew Ross appear Sundays, Mondays and Wednesdays. Matier can be seen on the KPIX TV morning and evening news. He can also be heard on KCBS radio Monday through Friday at 7:50 a.m. and 5:50 p.m. Got a tip? Call (415) 777-8815, or email matierandross@ sfchronicle.com. Twitter: @matierandrossJavonte Francis used to judge people by what they wore.

If students approached his group in elementary school wearing clothes from Target or Walmart, they could be shut out, he said.

Javonte, now a 15-year-old sophomore at Oakland Technical High School, realizes what he did was wrong. He advocates for students to be more inclusive and embrace their differences, rather than be divided by them. On Sunday, Javonte, along with more than 100 other people, marched along Lake Merritt to speak up and help students who are socially isolated in schools. If the issue isnt addressed, they believe that isolation could lead to suicide, depression and possibly violence.

The students marched along Lake Merritt on Sunday morning, chanting Success. Embrace. Create the same space. Some carried signs that embraced how they are different, such as one made by a student that pointed out his own dyslexia.

Being here today, this makes me feel good because Im helping people who feel different  who feel like they have no place in society sometimes, said Javonte, a teen board member with nonprofit Beyond Differences, which organized the event at Lake Merritt. I feel like this will actually help them break through and be themselves, he said.

After the participants did about a miles walk by the lake, they were encouraged to mingle with people they didnt know. Then the nonprofits student leaders program commenced with several speakers, including Lateefah Simon of the BART board of directors.

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The event comes as a wave of students are voicing their thoughts and proposing solutions in light of last months shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla., that killed 17 people. Several participants at the Lake Merritt event Sunday said they believe social isolation could have played a role in the shooting. Social isolation can occur if a student is shunned by others and left to hang out by themselves, or it could be a students emotional perception where the student may have friends but feels like they cant be themselves.

It really impacts you, being alone, Javonte said. You see everyone hanging out with friends and going to places and you are never invited to those places. If you think about it, you start getting thoughts like, If I dont matter, why should any of their lives matter? so it could lead to very violent thoughts.

Beyond Differences was founded in 2010 by Laura Talmus and Ace Smith, in memory of their daughter, Lili. Lili had a genetic disorder that affected her appearance, and when she entered middle school, she chose to be homeschooled because she felt like she was treated differently. After she died, her friends asked what they could do to honor her memory.

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Beyond Differences brings together student leaders to push back against social isolation and has teen board members in Portland, Ore., Marin County and Oakland. The nonprofit works with schools to roll out activities such as an annual event where students are encouraged to eat lunch with others outside of their friend groups.

Caheri Gutierrez, with the city of Oaklands Oakland Promise program, told the students about how she was shot in the face when she was 18. During her recovery, some people didnt want to associate with her due to her appearance, and if it werent for her family and her therapist supporting her, Gutierrez says she would have stayed in a dark place.

She applauded programs like Beyond Differences for building communities of young people who can support each other.

Programs like these are so important, Gutierrez said.Jared Moskowitz seethed in anger as he met with the families of students at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School on the evening of Feb. 14 as they waited in agony for police to tell them if their child was one of those murdered at school.

My colleagues will do nothing, he predicted, a jaded and discouraged response informed by the Republican-led Legislatures lack of action after the 49 murders at Orlandos Pulse nightclub 19 months earlier.

But Parkland, the town where Moskowitz grew up, attended the very same high school and was elected as state representative along with his fiery left-leaning assertiveness, proved him wrong. Read how Parkland's grieving students and parents changed Florida law.

Photo: Left to right: Marjory Stoneman Douglas parents Andrew Pollack, Gena Hoyer, Tony Montalto and Ryan Petty meet with reporters after the bill signing at the Capitol, Friday, March 9, 2018. Tony Montalto read a statement on behalf of the parents.When he first heard the words Silicon Valley in the mid-1970s, Scott Kildall imagined a magical world of silvery lines, like the metal traces in computer chips his father showed him. Gary Kildall, a technology pioneer who founded Digital Research, an early software company near Monterey, took his son on trips to see chipmakers in Santa Clara and Cupertino. For Scott, the reality of strip malls and office parks was disappointing: It was kind of bland, not very exciting.

The future was being built at Intel and Xerox PARC, places Scott, now a multimedia artist, remembers visiting. But it was hard to see. Even then, Silicon Valley was more of a promise than a picture.

When a Chronicle business columnist first tried to describe Silicon Valley in 1973, he struggled for words: the deep Peninsula electronics cluster was one formulation, with a tenuous link to geographic reality. Seven years later, in a five-part series called Silicon Power, The Chronicle reported that the region was choking on its own success.

Jump forward four decades, and Silicon Valley is many things: a force demolishing politics and media, an entrepreneurial philosophy being replicated around the world, a hip label embraced by consumer products, even a well-loved show on cable TV. Its home to companies collectively worth trillions; socially awkward founders worth billions; and run-down houses worth millions. All of those clash and collide in the Bay Area.

Leave it to Hollywood  another place increasingly unmoored from its geographic tether  to create a vision of technologys heartland that, though fictive, is a compelling proxy. In the opening sequence to HBOs Silicon Valley, Teslas Fremont factory sits next to Facebooks Menlo Park headquarters, as the Snapchat ghost, the symbol of the app made by Snap Inc. of Los Angeles, floats overhead. YouTube of San Bruno sits next to San Franciscos Twitter. Slack, the work chat software company, is 51 miles away from eBay in the real world, but next door on television.

The mishmash may not map to reality, but it reflects both the way Silicon Valley works and the way the world thinks about the tech industry anchored in Northern California. Increasingly, tech companies are claiming space in San Francisco. Salesforce, Uber and Twitter, with headquarters in the city, compete with companies like the South Bays Cisco and LinkedIn for the services of engineers and app designers who spend their weekends in Dolores Park and Crissy Field. Venture capitalists, too, are moving north, following their dollars. San Francisco has outpaced the South Bay in startup fundraising for several years.

When I first wrote about Silicon Valley, you could safely say that Silicon Valley was just Santa Clara County, said AnnaLee Saxenian, dean of the UC Berkeley School of Information and author of Regional Advantage, an exploration of the areas rise to tech dominance. Over the first 30 or 40 years, it has grown to include Fremont, the East Bay, Alameda County, certainly San Francisco in the last 10 years.

The old Silicon Valley is still there. Google, Apple and Intel have their headquarters in places that the Kildalls would have recognized as part of 1970s Silicon Valley. Their Space Age campuses may look ready to launch into orbit, but the calculus of multibillion-dollar real estate investments means they are not moving anywhere.

Yet even Steve Wozniak, the Apple co-founder, recently declared that Silicon Valley is synonymous with the whole Bay Area. Startups are colonizing Oakland and other parts of the region that are not exactly deep in any peninsula. The networks of shuttle buses roving Highway 101 and Interstate 280 form a kind of circuitry linking a computing workforce distributed across an area far larger than the original valley, yet inextricably tied together.

Silicon Valleys linguistic creep is uncomfortable for many longtime residents. Jeremy Owens, the San Francisco bureau chief of MarketWatch, outraged many when he wrote a piece with the headline When this rapper got priced out of his Silicon Valley home, he made a music video about it. The issue: The home was in West Oakland.

Yes, the point was that money generated in Silicon Valley was forcing Stephen Zumbi Gaines out. But Owens, who lives in Alameda, said he would have avoided the formulation were he to write the story now, though he doubts his readers elsewhere care either way. People in the Bay Area see it as a geographical thing, while everyone else sees it as an industry, he says.

The other strange development with the term Silicon Valley is the way its thrown around as a label for things that happen in the Bay Area that have little to do with tech. The examples are endless. When the New York Times and Washington Post write about trends like raw water or backyard chickens, the headlines say Silicon Valley, but the stories are situated in San Franciscos Mission District or Inner Sunset. Brit Morin of the online DIY crafts empire Brit & Co. is called Silicon Valleys Martha Stewart  never mind that she works in San Francisco and lives in Mill Valley. A Burlingame clothing maker, Ruby Ribbon, touts its swimwear and bras as Silicon Valley apparel.

The silvery sheen Scott Kildall once imagined now reflects off of the bay, infusing everything with a digital halo.

Who gets the right to call a place by a certain name? asks Tanya Kelley, a lecturer in foreign languages at the University of Missouri at Kansas City. Its a question that has generated arguments since the dawn of cartography.

The first person thought to have assigned the region a name was Don Hoefler, the journalist who popularized the phrase in a 1971 series, Silicon Valley, USA. He had picked it up, or so the legend goes, from East Coast sales reps visiting Northern Californias emerging computer-chip industry. For him, it was descriptive  a group of companies, in a valley, that made their money on silicon.

Layer by layer, as chips begat hardware, as hardware begat software, as software begat networks, as networks begat apps, the label became less description and more aspiration. As Saxenian puts it, Silicon Valley is hardly an industry, because its not silicon anymore. The words began to exert their own specific gravity. In his memoir Sunnyvale, Jeff Goodell described the valley as a vast electronic hive, where the honey is time: faster chips, faster software, faster wires. That quest for an ever-accelerating pace of change is the essence of Silicon Valley.

Aaron Levie, CEO of Box, worried that his company would lose something ineffable if it strayed from its Palo Alto roots . In fact, nothing untoward happened when it relocated from Los Altos to Redwood City; the company is now public and worth about $2.5 billion. And the venture capitalists themselves are on the move: After migrating from San Francisco to Menlo Park in the 1960s and 1970s to be closer to Stanford and the new cluster of tech companies, big names like Benchmark and Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers now have offices on Market Street and in South Park.

For the strivers who come from around the world and plant their roots here, these are mere details of geography, solved by a short drive or an Uber ride. San Francisco or San Jose  and sorry, even Oakland  to someone coming from Hyderabad or Chengdu, its all the place where change is made.

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There are moves afoot to replicate the virtues of Silicon Valley in the Midwest, paired with fretting about the regions future. Saxenian is skeptical: Ive spent a lot of time going around the world to Silicon Whatevers. Theres no other place that has generation after generation of people who have been involved in these industries.

What those cloning efforts miss are a number of factors, from academic Richard Floridas observations about the creative class to the economic theory of increasing returns, as Saxenian notes.

Experts in a field cluster together, seeking both the company of their peers and maximum economic opportunity, as they flit from company to company. One reason Amazon is avoiding the Bay Area for its second headquarters, experts say, is the ruthless competition that has characterized Silicon Valley for decades. (Its something people complained about in the 70s and 80s, too.)

If past is prologue, then it seems like there will be a Silicon Valley decades hence, still choking on its own success. (Why change now?) But what will people mean when they say Silicon Valley?

There is the myth of Silicon Valley, Saxenian says. There is something that has become bigger than the physical place in peoples minds, theres no doubt of that.

Some in the Bay Area who pine for the fruit orchards of the Valley of Hearts Delight might want to keep Silicon Valley as a replacement label. But the rest of the world will likely mean a tech hub with San Francisco as its capital; sprawling office parks to the south housing armies of workers; and startups taking root everywhere from the grassy fields of the Presidio to the gritty streets of Oakland to revived stretches of the Peninsula, wherever office space goes unclaimed by the giants.

Despite predictions that the technology industry would outgrow its origins and be forced to expand elsewhere, it will be earthbound and rooted in Northern California as long as people like to gather around shared interests and seek new opportunities.

Its about a set of human beings, and a set of institutions around them, that happen to be very well adapted to the world that we live in, says Saxenian.

But Silicon Valley will also be caught between place and idea, between the analog and the digital, the physical and the virtual.

No one knows the boundaries of Silicon Valley, says Scott Kildall, who now lives in the Mission District and works at Autodesks Pier 9 workshop when hes not creating his own art. You cant look them up on the map. Its not like youre driving down the highway and theres a sign, Welcome to Silicon Valley.

Invisible and ubiquitous, you see it in the traces.Editor s note: Here are three Bay Area startups worth watching this week.

Its always lunchtime at Eat Club.

This Redwood City startup coordinates food deliveries for companies that offer free or discounted lunch as an employee perk. It is trending on startup database Crunchbase this week because it just expanded its services to New York City. It is now in three cities, the others being San Francisco and Los Angeles.

Eat Club, founded in 2010, is one of several Silicon Valley companies capitalizing on a very popular trend in the tech world: free food. Along with lunch  and sometimes dinner options  many Bay Area startups are fully equipped with snack and drink stations. The idea behind a stocked kitchen is simple: Well-fed employees are more productive, especially when they dont need to leave the office for 30 minutes to go grab something to eat.

Eat Club is similar to competitors ZeroCater and Zesty, both of which also offer catered lunch deliveries. The difference is that Eat Clubs meals are boxed and individualized, whereas competitors typically serve food family-style. Some of Eat Clubs food comes from restaurants, and the rest from company chefs.

Founder Rodrigo Santibanez said free food can help companies retain top talent and create a more collaborative workplace: Companies understand the value of offering lunch as their benefits, he said.

How it works: Each morning, employees can scroll through Eat Clubs daily offerings  ranging from a miso shrimp bowl dish to a chicken tostada salad  and use the app to choose what they want. If they order by 10 a.m., it will arrive in their office by lunchtime.

Funding: $46.5 million

Employees: 650

Deal of the week

Data analytics service provider Splunk, a public company, acquired Palo Alto startup Phantom for $350 million.

Why this happened: Phantom, founded in 2014, uses machine learning to help companies automate responses to digital threats. Automation in cybersecurity is increasingly important as the number of human experts falls short of demand.

Haiyan Song, Splunks senior vice president of security markets, said the acquisition will help customers accelerate their response to security threats. Security is very much a team sport, Song said.

On another note: Last year Splunk paid $2.7 million to settle allegations from the U.S. Department of Labor that it had discriminated against African American and Asian job candidates between 2010 and 2012. Since then, the company said, it has undertaken several initiatives, including diversity training for the entire company. It reports its breakdown as: Male: 75 percent; female: 25 percent; white: 65.1 percent; Asian: 25.1 percent; Hispanic 4.4 percent; black: 2.1 percent.

As with many Silicon Valley companies, employees are still overwhelmingly white and male. On its website, Splunk says, Publishing our data will help hold us accountable ... and further influence our industry to drive positive change.

Employees: More than 3,000 worldwide, according to the company

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A dash of cash

What happened: DoorDash, a 5-year-old San Francisco food-delivery company, recently received $535 million in additional funding.

Whats it going do with all that money? DoorDash delivers from 100,000 restaurants and operates in 600 cities. But that isnt enough for CEO Tony Xu, who said the firm will use the extra investment to triple its reach. DoorDash plans to add around 250 people, bringing it to about 800 employees across the U.S. and Canada.

Stiff competition: DoorDash is trying to dominate the extremely crowded space of food delivery. Other front runners include GrubHub, UberEats and, of course, online behemoth Amazon.

Trisha Thadani is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: tthadani@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @TrishaThadani

How we pick the companies

Every week, The Chronicle and Crunchbase, a San Francisco firm that tracks key businesses in technology, analyze private Bay Area companies based on their financial backing, employees and activity on Crunchbase. We feature three that are moving up in the ranks. For more information on the companies: www.crunchbase.comAs the North Bay rebuilds from Octobers deadly wildfires, many residents would like to see more power lines buried underground, where raging windstorms cant touch them.

But Pacific Gas and Electric Co. has a history of doing less of this work, year by year, than city officials and state regulators want. Instead, money earmarked for undergrounding power lines often gets diverted to other uses.

Last year, for example, regulators approved spending $60 million to move existing electrical lines underground, according to the California Public Utilities Commission. PG&E spent less than half that amount  $28.3 million.

The ratio was worse in 2016, when PG&E spent $31.1 million of its $75 million undergrounding budget. Since 2000, the utility has spent all the money allocated for undergrounding in only three years: 2000, 2005 and 2006.

The company undergrounds around 30 miles of overhead lines in a typical year.

PG&E funds all undergrounding projects once theyre shovel ready, and uses the rest of the money on other high-priority system improvements, said company spokeswoman Lynsey Paulo.

The utilities commission, however, has ordered an audit to track where the money goes. The commission has also started a process to consider making changes to the way undergrounding programs work at all of the states investor-owned utility companies, not just PG&E.

Meanwhile, city officials fume about long project timelines, which can stretch seven years or more.

PG&E has been a slowpoke delivering projects, said Morad Fakhrai, who recently retired as Haywards public works director. Its a very one-sided process where local agencies dont have much say. PG&E says, It is what it is  take it or leave it.

The process needs to speed up, say some North Bay officials. They want more electrical lines buried, in cities and rural areas alike.

Although state fire investigators have not yet announced the causes of any of last falls Wine Country wildfires, PG&Es power lines, felled or damaged in a powerful windstorm, are considered a strong possibility. Mendocino, Napa and Sonoma counties have sued PG&E over the damage. And Sonoma County Supervisor Susan Gorin said that extra funding to bury power lines could be part of a settlement agreement with PG&E, if one is reached.

Yes, undergrounding is very expensive, but the estimate is $10 billion damage from the fires, said Gorin, who lost her home in one of the blazes. Is undergrounding less expensive than that? Probably. And there were (45) lives lost.

The costs are considerable.

By PG&Es estimate, moving an overhead line underground costs an average of $2.3 million per mile, while stringing up an overhead line costs $800,000 per mile. It can be more expensive in a big city: When San Francisco moved 46 miles of overhead lines underground, from 1996 through 2006, the costs averaged $3.8 million per mile.

PG&E earns the same profit rate on underground and overhead lines, Paulo said. Almost one quarter of PG&Es 107,000 miles of electrical distribution lines now lie underground  largely a product of requirements since the late 1960s that new housing developments be built with underground lines, with most costs borne by the developers. Such new projects are less complex than undergrounding existing lines and therefore cheaper, averaging about $1.16 million per mile.

Paulo said PG&E is ready to discuss with North Bay officials the possible increased use of undergrounding, as communities rebuild. The long timelines that so frustrate city governments, she said, are due to the complexity of the work, not foot-dragging by PG&E. The utility has half a dozen employees dedicated to the program, plus managers for individual projects.

Sometimes these projects are delayed or dont even materialize, and it can be for factors outside of PG&Es control, Paulo said. Sometimes there are delays on our end as well, and that could be due to higher priority work that constrains our resources.

In contrast, San Diego and the electric utility that serves it  San Diego Gas & Electric Co.  have made placing lines underground a high priority. In 2003, for reasons including reliability and aesthetics, city officials adopted a special surcharge on residents that helps fund the work. As a result, almost 65 percent of SDG&Es electric distribution lines, in both the city and the countryside, run underground.

Californias process for replacing overhead power lines with underground ones began in 1967 and, at first, had nothing to do with preventing fires. Instead, in the wake of first lady Lady Bird Johnsons beautification efforts, state officials saw it as a way to fight the visual blight of poles and wires.

For communities that have overhead lines and wanted to move them underground, regulators created several options, with the most commonly used process referred to as Rule 20A. In it, cities and counties receive annual allotments of credits  overseen by the utilities commission  that city officials liken to an airlines frequent flier miles.

Michael Macor/The Chronicle

Once a city accumulates enough credits to cover the cost of an undergrounding project, the city will assemble a proposal, and PG&E will vet it to see if it meets the states criteria. The process favors projects along heavily traveled streets and roads as well as places with an unusually high concentration of overhead wires. Cities can borrow against their future credit allotments for particularly large projects.

PG&E currently has more than 120 projects that have met the criteria and are either in planning or active construction, nine of them in Napa and Sonoma counties.

They can spend a long time in that queue. San Leandro has an undergrounding project on East 14th Street that was first proposed in 2003, said Keith Cooke, the citys engineering and transportation director. City officials substantially expanded the project in 2010, and that larger version is now in the engineering phase, with construction possibly beginning in December.

The undergrounding program, Cooke said, does not seem to be a priority for PG&E.

Weve done projects before, he said. Its just since the 2000s that PG&Es been really slow.

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Paulo said the San Leandro project was particularly complex and at one point was held up by a change in federal energy regulations that required PG&E to revise its engineering plans. At first, PG&E didnt have the staffing resources to redo those plans, Paulo said. The company finally completed its revisions by the end of 2016, she said, and is now waiting for the city to finish the civil engineering designs.

There were a number of factors that added to the length of that project, some on our end, Paulo said.

Santa Rosa officials gave up several years ago on an undergrounding project, on College Avenue, because they didnt think PG&E would move quickly enough. The city was working with Caltrans on widening the street, and there was no way we could coordinate it with PG&Es timeline, said Jason Nutt, the citys director of transportation and public works.

Cooke and Nutt expressed frustration with a relatively recent change to the way Rule 20A works.

From 2006 through 2010, PG&E distributed a total of $81 million each year in undergrounding work credits to the cities and counties in its territory. But in 2011, the utilities commission cut the annual allotments roughly in half to just over $41 million, to let PG&E catch up on its backlog of projects. After debate last year, the commission decided to keep it at that level for now.

City officials complain that the lower annual allotments wont keep pace with the rising cost of construction. Rather than slowly building up enough credits to cover the cost of their projects, they fear theyll actually lose ground the longer their projects languish in line.

How do I say this nicely? We can use all the help we can get, and more credits would help us do more of this work, Nutt said. More credits wont help speed up PG&Es process, however. Its a two-pronged issue.

Meanwhile, some public officials say they want to improve not just the pace, but also the scope of undergrounding, tweaking the program to include more rural areas. The biggest October fires, after all, started in the countryside before burning their way into Santa Rosa and the city of Sonoma. Santa Rosas Coffey Park neighborhood, destroyed by the flames, had underground lines.

Its something we need to consider both in the burned areas and what I call the as-yet-unburned areas, said Sonoma County Supervisor Lynda Hopkins. I represent the West County, and its a matchbox waiting to go up.

Partly to make the costs more palatable, she wants the work combined with bringing broadband Internet service to more rural communities, something she considers a critical need.

Theres a potential for synergy there, Hopkins said. Broadband today is what electricity was a century ago, where the cities are lit up, but the rural areas arent.A lawsuit by a former Yahoo manager accusing the Sunnyvale company of gender discrimination has been dismissed.

Scott Ard, a former senior editorial director at Yahoo, raised concerns about how Yahoo evaluated its employees, believing the system could be manipulated to favor women over men. Ard said he was later told he lost his job due to poor performance but did not receive information on how he fared in an employee rating system, according to his 2016 lawsuit.

The case, filed in the U.S. District Court in San Jose, was dismissed this month with prejudice, meaning that Ard will be unable to file the same claim in court against Yahoo in the future. Magistrate Judge Nathanael Cousins, who recently also ruled on another former Yahoo employees gender discrimination claim, presided over the case.

Ards attorney did not immediately return a call for comment. Yahoos attorney declined to comment.

Lisa Klerman, a clinical professor at USC Gould School of Law who is not involved in the case, said a frequent reason that a dismissal with prejudice might appear on a docket sheet without explanation is because there is a settlement.

Former Yahoo editorial director Gregory Anderson also filed a gender discrimination lawsuit against Yahoo. Cousins ruled against Anderson, writing that Anderson has not provided any evidence that his termination had anything to do with his gender other than his feelings that he was being discriminated against.

Anderson said in an interview he felt he had compelling evidence that showed Yahoo was using its employee rating system in a discriminatory way. In addition, Anderson said his lawsuit was about calling attention to Yahoos employee rating system, which he said did not follow state law requiring large employers to report mass layoffs because it classified certain terminations as firings rather than layoffs.

Its disappointing I didnt get my day in court, he said.

Air Quality Tracker Check levels down to the neighborhood Ratings for the Bay Area and California, updated every 10 minutes

Spokespeople for Oath, which is a division of Verizon that includes the Yahoo brand, did not respond to requests for comment on Andersons or Ards cases.

Anderson said even though the ruling went against him, he felt his lawsuit pushed Yahoo to report mass layoffs to the state in 2016.

He said he knew his odds of winning were not great, but added, I feel like I won in the court of reality.

Anderson said he is considering an appeal and plans to write a book called Stacked about Yahoos employee rating system.The people who attended the annual Magic Theatre fundraiser gala on Friday, March 9, were a little bit different from the people who attend most other formal galas. The patrons were loud and casual, laid-back and drenched in individual style. More than one gala guest was overheard telling jokes and stories that included not only punch lines but also wacky voices. And perhaps most noticeably, Magic Theatre gala patrons enthusiastically and theatrically participated in the nights cheeky masquerade theme.

Managing Director Jaimie Mayer watched as her guests arrived at the Julia Morgan Ballroom, a historic, lush and wood-paneled event space 15 floors above downtown San Francisco. Mayer couldnt believe how many people wore masks, costumes or some variation thereof.

I thought maybe 5 percent would wear a mask, Mayer said and grinned as about half of the nights 150 guests greeted one other in feathered masks or theatrical costumes. From the outset, the night was a hit. Nothing says Im ready to have a good time like a sparkly dress and a bedazzled mask.

Architect and Magic board member John Marx happily dressed up for the event, donning a feathered owl mask and a custom fur-trimmed jacket designed to be an exact replica of one Jimi Hendrix wore in the 1960s. Marx was one of the nights two recipients of the inaugural Sam Shepard Legacy Award, and as a 35-year fan and patron of the theater, was especially honored to be so.

After all, Shepard is a touchstone for the Magic. The late playwright and actor forged his early career as a Magic playwright-in-residence. While there, Shepard wrote some of his seminal works, like True West and Fool for Love. To the 51-year-old San Francisco theater company, an award named after Sam Shepard is the highest honor they could ever bestow.

Tonight is especially poignant, said Marx, because I started coming to the Magic in 1983 and I saw Fool for Love with Ed Harris and Kathy Baker  and Sam Shepard directed it!

Before an elegant sit-down dinner, guests knocked back cocktails named after former Magic production characters, and bid on artsy silent auction items like designer jewelry or tickets to a dress rehearsal of the Tony Awards. The atmosphere, even in the sophisticated and luxurious Morgan Ballroom, was familial and intimate, more in line with a small beloved theater event than a big city arts organization gala. But at its heart, despite its many awards and its staying power and its repeat performers like Harris and Taylor Mac, the Magic still regards itself as a hometown theater, rolling up its collective shirtsleeves to put on brand-new and often risky plays.

What I love about the Magic, said Marx, having pushed his owl mask over his long tufts of white hair, is that its fiercely independent, its uncompromising.

The nights other honoree was Toni Rembe, a former Magic board member and a longtime supporter of theater. My love for theater, gushed Rembe, is like my love for breathing, almost.

Following a hearty dinner in the ballroom, guests were treated to a Shepard tribute performance starring five Magic Theatre actors and directed by Artistic Director Loretta Greco. The tribute was a stirring assemblage of short selections from Shepard plays and letters. Rather thrillingly, several of the actors performed from podiums set up among the dinner tables. A black-and-white photo of a smoldering young Shepard was projected onto a screen above the stage, as if the playwright, who died last year, was looking down on the proceedings with approval.

And Greco didnt just direct the show. She cheerily made the rounds from table to table, greeting her guests and answering questions about next months debut of playwright Jessica Hagedorns The Gangster of Love, a play that Greco is directing.

In addition to honoring Rembe and Marx, the gala served as a vital fundraiser for the Magic. Guests forked over upward of $500 to attend  and then they kept giving. One of the nights most popular live auction items was two tickets to Burning Man, the Nevada desert community and art event thats a personal favorite of Marxs. The Burning Man bidding war was so exciting, it might just become a future production at the Magic.

As the night wound down, guests discarded their masks and kicked back with the stellar smores-style dessert. Magic Theater supporter Jennifer Raiser placed her intricate gold masquerade mask on a dinner table and looked around the ballroom, still buzzing with laughter and a little liquor.

I mean, look at these wonderful people, smiled Raiser. How can you not love the Magic?Ever the cordial host, Gov. Jerry Brown invited President Trump to take a side trip during his visit to California Tuesday. Browns offer: Come to Fresno to check out high-speed rail.

You see, in California, we are focused on building bridges, not walls, Brown wrote in a letter to Trump on Monday that he also posted on Twitter, perhaps to better ensure the president saw it in time.

After youve examined your wall prototypes on the border, I invite you to head north to the Central Valley  the heart of California, Brown wrote. Here in cities like Fresno and Madera more than a dozen bridges and viaducts are being built for the nations first and only high-speed rail line. We are already putting 1,700 Americans to work.

Unmentioned in Browns note: The high-speed rail line is expected to cost $77.3 billion  $13 billion more than estimates from just two years ago  and the project is four years behind schedule. Perhaps high-speed rail isnt the best example to show how Californias economy is, as Brown puts it, thriving. Also unmentioned is that the 8.7 percent unemployment rate in Fresno County is nearly twice the state and national averages.

No word from the White House yet about whether Trump has accepted the invitation.

 Joe Garofoli

Democrats duke it out: The news Monday wasnt just that state Treasurer John Chiang was endorsed by the Southern California, 20,000-member American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees District Council 36. It was that for the second time in the past few days, Chiang took a swing at a fellow Democrat, former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa.

One of the reasons Chiang was endorsed over rival Antonio Villaraigosa was because of the many anti-labor and anti-union policies Villaraigosa pushed as mayor, Chiangs campaign said Monday in a news release. Villaraigosa laid off city employees, tried to hike the retirement age for newly hired city workers and crossed picket lines, resulting in union leaders and members calling him a scab, a union buster, and even comparing the former mayor to Republican Gov. Scott Walker of Wisconsin, saying the two were separated at birth.

The Chiang campaign, which has been stuck in the middle of the pack in most polls, has turned more aggressive in recent days  particularly toward Villaraigosa, who was in a virtual tie with Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom in a January survey by the Public Policy Institute of California.

Replied Villaraigosa spokesman Luis Vizcaino Monday: Antonio Villaraigosa is proud to be endorsed by Southwest Regional Council of Carpenters and United Farm Workers, along with Congresswoman Karen Bass, Los Angeles Supervisor Sheila Kuehl and Los Angeles City Council President Herb Wesson because they agree  we need a governor focused every day on economic opportunity and equality.

 Joe Garofoli

Gingrich checks in: Former GOP House Speaker Newt Gingrich weighed in on Californias gubernatorial race Monday, endorsing business executive John Cox of San Diego County.

John has excellent reform ideas that will rein in the corrupting influence of special interest money and return control of government to the people, Gingrich said of his fellow Republican.

While the endorsement may not be all that surprising  after all, Cox was the California finance chairman for Gingrichs 2012 presidential run  dont forget that Gingrich also has lavishly praised another California gubernatorial candidate: Democratic Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom.

Well, not Newsom exactly, but Newsoms 2013 book, Citizenville, on how to use technology to improve government. Gingrich said the book is a blueprint for a Republican Party focused on a better future for all Americans, with more freedom, more prosperity and lower cost.

Reaction from the Newsom camp on the endorsement: LOL.

 Joe GarofoliA San Francisco fertility clinic acknowledged Sunday that it suffered a liquid nitrogen failure in a storage tank that may have damaged thousands of frozen eggs and embryos and the aspirations of people hoping to have children.

Hundreds of patients whose eggs or embryos were stored in the tank for future use have been notified, said a spokesman for the Pacific Fertility Clinic. The number of eggs and embryos affected was not disclosed.

The spokesman, Tom Becker, confirmed a Washington Post report of the March 4 incident. Pacific Fertility said in a statement that the vast majority of the eggs and embryos in the lab were unaffected, and the facility is operating securely.

The incident was the second liquid nitrogen failure at a fertility center reported in the same week. Officials at the University Hospital Fertility Center in Cleveland said Thursday that a similar failure may have damaged 2,000 eggs and embryos.

The Post reported that the San Francisco clinic notified about 400 patients who had all of their eggs or embryos stored in the affected storage tank and 100 who had some stored in the tank. Others, whose specimens were unaffected, were also notified.

Carl Herbert, a doctor and clinic president, told the newspaper that the clinics laboratory director discovered during a routine inspection that the level of liquid nitrogen in the tank was low, which can cause the temperature to rise. Herbert could not be reached by The Chronicle for comment.

The lab director transferred the eggs and embryos to a spare storage tank filled with nitrogen.

This was a terrible incident, Herbert told the Post, but I was reassured that he did everything anybody could ever want to do.

In its statement, Pacific Fertility said an independent investigation is in progress and apologized for the incident.

Our patients and the safety of their eggs and embryos are our highest priorities and we are reaching out to inform them of this incident. In addition, we have completed a physical inspection of all of the lab equipment and have also thoroughly reviewed all cryo-preservation protocols with staff. We are truly sorry this happened and for the anxiety that this will surely cause.

The clinic is uncertain how many of the eggs and embryos are damaged, he said, and cant be used for in-vitro fertilization. Herbert told the Post some of the eggs in the tank had been tested and were undamaged.

In addition to the emotional toll of patients not knowing whether the specimens are usable, the financial cost could also be high.

According to the Pacific Fertility website, egg-freezing costs $8,345 for the first round and $6,995 for each subsequent round.

Sean Tipton, chief policy, development and advocacy officer for the American Society for Reproductive Medicine, which represents people working in fertility clinics, said the first priority is to work with patients to see whether some of their eggs or embryos were stored in other tanks or at other facilities.

Tipton said he was unaware of similar malfunctions that damaged thousands of eggs and embryos. With two occurring almost simultaneously, he said, further investigation is necessary.

With two apparently happening on the same day, we have to find out what other types of commonalities there were, he said. There are a lot of questions we need to find out answers to so we can prevent these occurrences from happening again.PRINEVILLE, Ore.  A decade ago, when five shuttered sawmills and 20 percent unemployment defined Crook County, Ore., nobody envisioned that the path to recovery would be tied to Facebook and Apple.

But on the rimrock summit overlooking this city, the county seat and home to 10,000 residents, Facebook is sinking the footings for the first of two 450,000-square-foot data centers that together will cost $1 billion when completed in 2021. The immense buildings will join the four existing data centers, totaling 1.27 million square feet, that Facebook has built here since 2010 at a cost of $1.1 billion. They are among 11 centers the company has built in the United States and overseas.

Nearby, Apple built its own $988 million, 660,000-square-foot data center, which the company will soon expand to 1 million square feet. It is one of seven built by Apple in the United States. One more is under construction in Iowa, and three others are planned in China, Denmark and Ireland, according to an Apple spokeswoman.

The Facebook and Apple projects here are part of a wave of global data center construction and development, a market valued at $88 billion last year, according to Synergy Research Group, a market research firm in Reno.

Theres not much architectural excitement about a data center. But the windowless, big-box buildings form the climate-controlled central nervous system of online commerce and communications. They are as essential to the basic economic infrastructure of the 21st century as iron ore mines and auto assembly plants were to the 20th.

What distinguishes them is their size. Prinevilles Facebook and Apple centers are among 386 hyperscale data centers around the world, built and operated by the 24 biggest Internet and technology companies, including Alibaba, Alphabet, Amazon, eBay, Microsoft and Yahoo. A study this year by San Joses Cisco projected the number of hyperscale data centers to grow to 628 by 2021. Those centers could command more than half of all data center Internet traffic. The United States accounts for more than half of all data center construction, Cisco said, followed by Asia, Western Europe and Latin America.

A study in 2017 by CBRE Research found that certain metropolitan regions  Chicago, Detroit, New Jersey, New York, Northern Virginia and Silicon Valley  were the most active areas for data center construction in the United States.

Like the big industrial projects of the previous century, the investments that Facebook, Apple and their competitors have made in land, buildings and equipment are considerable, typically more than $1 billion each. The centers consume prodigious amounts of electricity and water, just like factories. Property tax breaks that Oregon and other states use to lure data centers also are comparable. What is different is slim staffing.

Facebook employs around 200 people here to manage buildings 1,000 feet long. Inside are aisle after aisle of computer servers networked to receive, store, stream and transmit the flood of digital bytes that steer daily life for more than 2 billion people.

The market is very big because the demand is huge, said Rob Johnson, chief executive of Vertiv, a $4 billion global technology company in Columbus, Ohio, that designs, builds and supplies equipment to data centers. Data centers serve the requirements for all the smartphones, streaming, high-definition video and all the new applications like autonomous vehicles. The technology is driving immense amounts of data and traffic.

Lucrative tax incentives are the rare area of data center development that has come under criticism. Iowa last year awarded Apple $208 million in tax breaks to build a $1.3 billion center in rural Waukee that would employ 50 people.

The big tech companies are getting huge tax breaks to build things they would build anyway, said Greg LeRoy, executive director of Good Jobs First, a research group in Washington. The cost to taxpayers is enormous for data centers that create very few permanent jobs.

Oregons incentive package allows both companies to avoid property taxes for 15 years, saving Facebook and Apple roughly $45 million each over that period. State law also has a sweetener for cities. Companies receiving the tax break are required to pay employees 150 percent of the median regional wage. Prineville data center workers earn at least $60,000 a year.

Prineville counts 400 permanent jobs in the data centers, influencing its small-town culture, filling the municipal treasury and transforming its sagebrush and juniper landscape.

Mayor Betty Roppe noted that Facebook and Apple provided Prineville with income from other municipal accounts. For instance, the city receives a 5 percent franchise fee on all electricity sales in its jurisdiction. Because Facebooks and Apples centers consume nearly $40 million in electricity annually, total franchise fees last year reached $2.2 million, up from $340,000 in 2010.

When the abatements expire midway through the 2020s, the value of Prinevilles taxable property will increase by roughly $2 billion, more than doubling the total from the $1.5 billion in property currently assessed by the city. Revenue is projected to reach $9 million annually, up from $4 million currently.

We were a cowboy and timber town, said Steve Forrester, Prinevilles city manager and a former sawmill executive. We went from I got to go feed my cows to the most technically advanced companies in the world siting data centers in our little town. It freaked some people out.

Once-struggling Prineville has become a factor in turning central Oregon into a dynamic region of demographic and economic transition. It is becoming a bedroom community for Bend, 36 miles away, where the population has nearly doubled since 2000, making it the sixth-fastest-growing city in the country.

The data centers also are changing the regions electrical market. Avangrid Renewables just opened one of Oregons largest solar-generating stations outside Prineville, a $120 million, 56-megawatt plant to supply clean energy to Apple. Crook County authorities say they have entertained inquiries for building four more solar stations of similar size to supply data center needs.

In 2009, when Roppe was a member of the City Council, she convened planning meetings with city executives to save Prineville from sawmill shutdowns and a deep recession. Her economic goals were straightforward: diversifying the economy and seeking companies willing to pay living wages.

Our unadjusted employment was 24 percent, she said. So we did whatever we had to do to change that.

When seven lawyers arrived in town to scout land for a company called Vitesse, she learned how competitive Prineville was to data center developers. The city and region fill all basic requirements  available land, ample electricity, access to fresh water, proximity to markets and generous tax breaks. Another advantage was cool summers  Facebook cools its data centers with fresh air.

Roppe and her aides soon were made aware that Vitesse was a disguise for Facebook. The company bought 127 acres near the airport for $2.7 million and publicly revealed itself at a groundbreaking ceremony in January 2010.

A year later, Apples scouts arrived as agents of a front company called Pillar. We always were left guessing as to who we were dealing with, Roppe said. In 2012, after buying 160 acres for $3.6 million, Apple started construction of its big data center.

The presence of two big Silicon Valley companies once unnerved Prineville. Though most data center employees are from Crook County, young people wearing hoodies and driving late-model electric hybrid cars were a new presence in bars and on streets where cowboy hats and pickups once dominated.

There was anxiousness, Forrester said. The mill types were going around saying: We dont want the Mark Zuckerberg types. Theyre going to ruin our town.

Anxiety about newcomers has been replaced by relief over local business generated by the data centers, and new stress over rising housing costs. Residential and office vacancy rates are under 5 percent.

Facebook and Apple brought a lot to this community, said Erika Vaughan, the owner of Cougar Cuts barbershop. They are big, but they support small business.A 29-year-old man was in the hospital with life-threatening injuries after being assaulted early Sunday in San Franciscos Marina District, authorities said.

The incident occurred about 4:15 a.m. at the intersection of North Point and Buchanan streets, near Fort Mason Golden Gate National Recreation Area, according to the San Francisco Police Department.The Army veteran who killed three caregivers at a Napa Valley rehabilitation center for soldiers was licensed by the state to work as a security guard and carry a pistol on his hip for nearly a decade, but he failed to renew the permits last year, records show.

The lapse came as the former serviceman, Albert Cheung Wong, 36, struggled to adjust to civilian life in California after returning from the war in Afghanistan, according to friends and family members. He had difficulty sleeping and couldnt keep a normal schedule, and plans to study computers in college fell through as he bounced between the Bay Area and Sacramento, they said. Last spring, his mother died.

The hardship steered Wong to the Pathway Home in Yountville, where after nearly a year of residential treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder he was recently expelled over unspecified concerns about threatening behavior. Two weeks later, on Friday morning, he returned to take five employees hostage before fatally shooting three of them and turning the gun on himself.

The state records do not detail Wongs career as an armed guard, or say exactly why he didnt renew his license or pay the required fees. His motive for storming the rehabilitation center remains unknown, and authorities have revealed little of an investigation headed by the California Highway Patrol. But those who knew Wong said he had struggled emotionally for a long time, and some said he showed signs of becoming violent.

He was starting to feel like he was in a hopeless circle after a while. You can only think about that for so long without snapping, said Cissy Sherr of Millbrae, who was Wongs legal guardian for several years after his father died and his mother became ill.

Sherr and her husband, Matthew, hadnt seen Wong much since he stayed with them for several months after his military service ended in 2013.. But they kept in touch, and most recently he shared with them his anxiety about earning a degree before his veterans education benefits expired. The death of his mother, who suffered from untold medical problems, also weighed on him.

I know how devoted he was to his mom his whole life, Sherr said. He would bring her meals whenever he could. ... Even before he left for the service, he was very active in spending time with her. She always had to be in assisted living. I just know how when you have a purpose for taking care of somebody, it guides you.

Still, Sherr said she didnt see Fridays outburst coming.

In 2008, Wong successfully applied for licenses to carry a 9mm semiautomatic pistol and work as a private security guard. The permits require a 12-hour course with classroom and shooting instruction and a criminal background check. The security license lapsed in September and the firearm license in October, records show.

Under California law, mental health professionals can keep people who pose a danger to themselves or others from possessing a gun, but its unclear whether any such steps were taken with Wong. The weapon used Friday was described in 911 dispatches as a semiautomatic rifle, but authorities have not said whether Wong bought or possessed it legally.

Wongs life was marked with problems long before his return from the battlefield.

After living with the Sherrs for several years following the death of his father, the family was unable to continue caring for him because of their work schedules, Cissy Sherr said. Wong spent his teen years in a number of Bay Area foster homes.

Over the span of four short years of high school, he might have lived in four different places, Sherr said. But he graduated high school. Thats admirable.

After high school in Daly City, Wong enlisted in the Army, serving in the reserves from October 1998 to December 2002, miltary records show.

He became active in May 2010 and was deployed to Afghanistan from April 2011 to March 2012. Upon his return, he was awarded an Army Commendation Medal, as well as accolades for marksmanship and good conduct. His service ended in August 2013.

His latest residency was Sacramento, according to the Napa County Sheriffs Department.

As the investigation continues, the family of Jennifer Golick, a 42-year-old St. Helena resident who was slain by Wong, expressed sorrow and thanked the community for its support.

She was a beloved mom, sister, daughter, colleague and friend, said her husband, Mark Golick, who briefly addressed reporters in her hometown. She is missed terribly.

Golick reportedly told Wong to leave the treatment program over fears of violence. A friend of the family, who did not want to be named, told The Chronicle that the veteran had become a threat.

Golicks mother, Lani Gray, said, I feel sadness throughout my entire body. Im still crying inside, and I will be forever.

The other two victims were the Pathway Homes executive director, Christine Loeber, 48, of Napa, and Jennifer Gonzales, 32, who was six months pregnant.. Gonzales was a clinical psychologist with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.

The Pathway program, run by a nonprofit that leases space on the campus of the state-run Veterans Home of California-Yountville, remained closed Monday, with its future uncertain. The six residents have been moved to other facilities, and they are staying at hotels throughout Napa County, said organization spokesman Larry Kamer. The facilitys board members have begun scrutinizing security at the facility.

Wong killed the women after bursting into a morning gathering and exchanging gunfire with a Napa County sheriffs deputy, authorities said. On Friday afternoon, when officers entered a room where Wong had been holed up for nearly eight hours, they found him and the three remaining hostages dead. All four had been shot.Five people eluded capture Monday after allegedly robbing at least three marijuana grow houses in the North Bay and setting off a nearly seven-hour manhunt in Novato. Authorities suspect the heists are part of an out-of-state crime invasion focused on Californias lucrative cannabis industry.

At about 3 a.m. Monday, officers were dispatched to the 100 block of Eugenia Drive in Petaluma after reports of nine invaders breaking down the doors of at least three homes, reportedly looking for marijuana, Novato police said.

The suspects fled the scene of the robberies before leading police on a chase that ended near the 700 block of San Marin Drive in Novato, police said. Residents in the vicinity of the old Firemans Fund and in the Wood Hollow neighborhood were asked to stay indoors and report anything suspicious.

Four people were arrested Monday, police said, but an extensive search for the remaining five suspects  four men and one woman  ended with authorities lifting the shelter-in-place alert and saying the suspects had probably left the area.

The robberies early Monday morning bear a striking resemblance to two home invasions Feb. 8 in Santa Rosa that left one man dead, said Misti Harris of the Sonoma County Sheriffs Office. Those incidents were also linked to people targeting residential marijuana grows, authorities said.

Its a product in demand throughout the United States, and here its legal and easier to grow and obtain, and its not legal throughout much of the rest of the nation, Harris said.

At least one homeowner was tied up and pistol-whipped Monday, police said. Two vehicles seen fleeing the area reportedly refused to stop when officers attempted to initiate traffic stops.

The suspects led officers on a chase to Novato, where police say they abandoned their vehicles. One white rental minivan was left behind on Highway 101 near the San Marin exit, Harris said, while another was left behind in a Costco parking lot.

A coordinated effort between the Novato and Petaluma police departments, as well as the Sonoma County Sheriffs Office, used helicopters, SWAT teams and foot patrols to search for the suspects, who were not identified. But all of the suspects in Mondays crime spree are from elsewhere in the country, Harris said.

In February, two violent home invasions carried out by five suspects  some of whom were from the East Coast  were carried out to steal guns and cannabis. In one of the robberies, Jose Luis Torres, 54, was shot and killed inside his Santa Rosa home. Four suspects were arrested after those invasions and one woman fled the scene. Its unclear if that woman was involved in Mondays crime spree.

The suspects were residents of Mississippi, New York and Virginia.

While cannabis became legal at the start of the year for adults 21 and over in California, only nine states in total  as well as Washington D.C.  have signed off on recreational marijuana, which remains a Schedule 1 drug illegal under federal law.

The product is still in demand everywhere, Harris said, so that conflict between state and federal laws is challenging.Oakland police shot and killed a man armed with a semiautomatic weapon Sunday evening a half-mile from the MacArthur BART Station, authorities said.

Officers were dispatched about 6:15 p.m. to the 900 block of 40th Street, where a man was reportedly armed, according to the Oakland Police Department.

Officers spotted the man and ordered him to drop the weapon, police said.

He has a semiautomatic in his right hand, an officer said in radio communications.

When the suspect did not comply with commands, police said, officers fired their weapons.

The suspect, who was not identified, died from at least one gunshot wound. A handgun was recovered at the scene, police said, but no other details are known about the weapon.

California prohibits the sale of dozens of specific semiautomatic and automatic models, and in an effort to stop gunmakers from circumventing the law, legislators have prohibited certain characteristics of weapons as well.

The officers involved in the shooting were not identified.

The Police Departments Criminal Investigation Division and Internal Affairs, as well as the Alameda County district attorneys office, are investigating the shooting.Santa Rosa police arrested an 18-year-old driver Sunday suspected of hitting four pedestrians while driving under the influence of alcohol and leaving the scene.

Jose Gil Ortiz-Ortiz was driving his Ford Explorer early Sunday morning, when he struck four pedestrians on the sidewalk outside a restaurant on Fourth Street and Brookwood Avenue in Santa Rosa, according to police, who were dispatched to the scene at 1:48 a.m. He then left on Brookwood Avenue, traveling about two blocks before his car stopped, according to police. Ortiz-Ortiz fled on foot but a police dog later found him hiding in bushes on Second Street, Santa Rosa police said.They left their hearts in San Francisco.

The saying is trite but true for many, who leave the Bay Area for reasons we've all heard before: it's expensive, crowded, tech-filled.

But it's also complicated.

"There's a lot out there but it's still not the Bay Area," said Gary Pischke. He moved back to the region this fall, after a decade in Oregon.

Over the past year, I've written a series of stories about folks leaving the Bay Area for elsewhere. Is the grass really greener in Austin? Sacramento? Portland? Many of those I interviewed responded with a resounding, yes!

Sacramento's got craft beer bars, too, they said, and Austin is the land of plentiful tech jobs and housing. But have you heard what's happening in Atlanta? Up-and-coming, indeed.

We read their stories, and sometimes daydreamed about moving ourselves. Yet so many of us stayed, resigning ourselves to sweat on cramped BART trains and cloister with roommates in short-term rentals.

There's got to be some magnet in this city that keeps us here, in spite of it all  or rather, a series of micro-charges that add up to a pull we couldn't deny if we tried. But where, exactly, can one locate these hypothetical currents?

They might be in the stalls at the Ferry Building or the seals on the pier. They could be in the sounds of the early-morning foghorn or the fog itself. Or, maybe, it's not about the place at all, but the people who assemble within it, like a West Coast Island of Misfit Toys.

I spoke with a handful of longterm Bay Area residents who left and came back. The answer to my inquiries, I thought, might be found in their reasons for returning.

"The Bay Area is like a self-selected crew of quirky misfits, and when you're a quirky misfit yourself, it's hard to imagine a better place to be," said Oakland resident Marion Denny, 41.

Denny moved to Atlanta for a work opportunity in May 2016. He didn't last long, and moved back to the East Bay in October, without the thing he left for in the first place  a job.

"We had the best of everything at our fingertips in the Bay," he said. It took leaving to realize that.

When you move away, he said, "a lot of stuff just feels like a step down." Food and weather, sure, but politics especially.

The recent election only heightened this sense for Denny, who considers himself more conservative than most Bay Area residents. It doesn't matter if you're in a blue dot such as Atlanta, a "hostile state government" made him realize the place could never be a home like California.

A West Coast state like Oregon, Pischke found, also lacks the political openness of the Bay Area.

"Even the liberal types were conservative there," he said of his 10 years "abroad" in Roseburg, a city in Oregon's Umpqua River Valley.

Pischke and his wife enjoyed the first half-decade in the Oregon town, but time  and a devastating mass shooting at Umpqua Community College  made them realize there's no place like home, especially when it comes to finding like-minded folks.

"We ended up living in an area that sounded great on paper, but was not what either of us had anticipated," he said.

"So back to California for us."

No place is perfect, but some are better than others (at least subjectively speaking). It's not always a matter of finding "the right city," but one that's simply more tolerable than others. No matter where you live, concessions must be made, priorities codified.

Family was the first priority for Mike Lee, 62, a San Francisco native in the process of returning to the Bay Area after more than a decade in Honolulu. He and his partners recently bought a house in Pleasant Hill, a shorter commute to Lee's elderly mother in Marin, compared to a five-hour flight from the islands.

"Being back, just to be close to her, is an important value to me," he said, speaking by phone from Hawaii.

Plus, the Bay Area modus operandi is "imprinted" on him. "Here, I can express my values and be around people of like mind," he said. "That's special."

That is the exact reason Annie Gray, a 25-year-old Marin native, cites for having to leave the Bay Area after college: "I needed to remove myself from the bubble I grew up in."

Gray says her two years in Boston taught her valuable lessons, like don't complain about the Bay Area's weather unless you've experienced an East Coast blizzard. Weather notwithstanding, Gray said a few years away made her realize "what a West Coast brat I was."

"Not everyone wants to be a Californian," she said.

She eventually moved back, too, buoyed by a common phenomenon she observed in Boston. Many of her friends lived with their parents, often into their late-20s. She decided to do the same and moved back in with her parents in Marin for a few months before securing a place in San Francisco.

"In Boston, I came to respect people who have strong relationships with a multigenerational unit," she said.

So she returned, and in her short time away, the Bay Area felt very much changed. That's a risk you take when you leave and come back: Sometimes you find your city looks different from the one you left.

"Everything has changed [in the last 10 years], even the freaking skyline! The Bay Bridge!" said Jen de Lumen, a 35-year-old Emeryville resident who spent a brief stint in Los Angeles a few years ago.

But, "you've got to expect that in a big city like this," she said. "I think it's always been that way in San Francisco."

San Francisco, as Herb Caen famously wrote, "isn't what it used to be, and it never was."

The city changes and, in turn, changes those who live in it.

"Did it ruin me?" mused Denny, a native of the southern U.S. "Yes. I would say I'm hooked."

"It's hard to imagine leaving again," he continued. "I learned my lesson the first time."

Michelle Robertson is an SFGATE staff writer. Email her at mrobertson@sfchronicle.com or find her on Twitter at @mrobertsonsf.After San Francisco club DNA Lounge canceled a metal show featuring a controversial opening band, Goldenvoice-run venue Social Hall has reportedly picked up the booking.

The band, called Destroyer 666, has come under fire in recent years for being fronted by a band member who voices racist and misogynistic viewpoints during concerts.

Two years ago, that musician, going by the moniker K.K. Warslut, was quoted by a music site called Invisible Oranges and others as making comments that appeared to support homophobia, sexism, and in a disputed claim, racism.

Such comments led the SoMa District's DNA Lounge to cancel the show in mid-February.

As owner Jamie Zawinski wrote in a lengthy blog post Saturday, "I told my team, 'Destroyer 666 is not playing on my stage. If you can get them off the bill great; if not, cancel the whole show.'"

It seems that didn't happen, so DNA Lounge scrapped the show.

"The agent representing the headliner represents some other bands that we do care about, so my team took their time trying to work it out with him," Zawinski's post continues. "The agent dragged his feet on it for months [and] the problem didn't go away, so we removed them from the bill in mid-February ... A couple of weeks ago people finally noticed that they were not on the bill."

According to Destroyer 666 (and to DNA Lounge), the show was thereafter moved to Social Hall.

"So here's the story as far as I know it folks," reads a post on the band's website. "Someone up decided that F--- the DNA lounge it's either the full package or go f--- yaself [sic]. Thus we have a new venue with Destroyer, Degial and Watain playing. Our deepest gratitude to Lani and co for taking matters into their own hands and telling these PC censors to eat s--- and die."

The relocated show is not listed on calendars for Social Hall or for Goldenvoice, although the band is listed for a show at the Goldenvoice-booked Fonda Theatre in Los Angeles on March 17.

SFGATE has reached out to Goldenvoice for more information.

Alyssa Pereira is an SFGATE staff writer. Email her at apereira@sfchronicle.com or find her on Twitter at @alyspereira.

WASHINGTON  The Democratic Partys hierarchy acknowledged the perceived influence of insiders over voters in picking a presidential nominee, but dont know yet how to settle an issue that bedeviled the bitter nomination fight between Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders in 2016.

At issue is the role of Democratic National Committee members, elected officials and other party dignitaries  known collectively superdelegates at presidential conventions. They overwhelmingly favored Clinton, who won the nomination, though her wide advantage among this group ultimately saddled her with charges of favoritism.1 Smog ruling: A federal judge in Oakland ruled Monday that the Trump administration violated federal law when it failed to meet a deadline to identify all parts of the U.S. with dangerous smog levels. U.S. District Judge Haywood Gilliam ordered the Environmental Protection Agency to complete the designations by the end of April. He ruled in two lawsuits, including one filed by California, thirteen other states and the District of Columbia. The agency had until Oct. 1, 2017, to designate what parts of the country were in and out of compliance with smog standards adopted during the Obama administration. The designations trigger a process that forces polluted regions to take steps to improve air quality.

2 Storm evacuations: With heavy rains in the forecast, evacuation orders were issued Monday for areas of Santa Barbara County that were devastated by Januarys deadly mudslides. A mandatory evacuation order was in effect for foothill neighborhoods in and around Montecito, Summerland and Carpinteria that are at high risk for loss of life and property. Officials was ordered out by 8 p.m. A recommended evacuation warning was in effect for a wider area. Residents in that zone were not under orders to leave but were at risk for flooding. A storm coming Tuesday is expected to bring rain heavy enough to potentially cause mudslides in the fire-scarred area where debris flows killed more than 20 people earlier this year.AUSTIN, Texas  Two package bomb blasts a few miles apart killed a teenager and wounded two women in Austin on Monday, less than two weeks after a similar attack left a man dead in another part of the Texas capital.

Investigators said the bombings are probably connected, and they are looking into whether race was a factor because all of the victims were minorities.

The first of Mondays attacks killed a 17-year-old boy and wounded a 40-year-old woman, both of them black. As Police Chief Brian Manley held a news conference to discuss that attack, authorities were called to the scene of another explosion that injured a 75-year-old Latino woman. She was taken to a hospital with potentially life-threatening wounds.

Authorities suspect that both of Mondays explosions were linked to a March 2 attack that killed a 39-year-old black man, and they urged the public to call police if they receive any unexpected packages.

This is the third in what we believe to be related incidents over the past 10 days, Manley said while briefing reporters near the site of Mondays second explosion. He at first suggested that the blasts could constitute a hate crime, but later amended that to say authorities had not settled on a motive and could not rule anything out.

Manley said the intended targets were not clear since multiple people live in the homes where explosives were placed. We are willing to investigate any avenue that may be involved, he said.

The police chief declined to elaborate about the explosives, citing the ongoing investigation. But he said they were an average size letter box and not particularly large. In all three cases, he said, the packages did not appear to have gone through the U.S. Postal Service or private carriers like UPS but were left on doorsteps without a knock or ringing of doorbells.

The blasts unfolded just as the city was swelling with visitors to the South by Southwest music festival. The explosions happened far from the main events, which draw about 400,000 visitors to Austin each year. The police chief urged visitors to be aware of whats going on.

In a tweet, organizers of the festival said SXSW is heartbroken by the explosions in Austin, and they urged visitors to stay safe. Gov. Greg Abbott offered a $15,000 reward for information leading to an arrest.

The three explosions occurred in different parts of east Austin. Mondays first blast happened at a home in Springdale Hills, a leafy neighborhood of houses mostly from the 1960s and 1970s.

That was about 12 miles from the home where the March 2 package bomb killed 39-year-old Anthony Stephan House. Houses death was initially investigated as suspicious but is now viewed as a homicide.

The days second explosion occurred around the Montopolis neighborhood, about 5 miles south of the days first blast.

FBI teams from Austin, San Antonio and Dallas were investigating, as was the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Manley said anyone receiving a package they were not expecting should call 911.

The victims in Mondays blasts were not immediately identified.No life is too small to save  even that of a massive spider bigger than a human hand.

Locals in Queensland, Australia spotted a giant arachnid clinging to life, both literally and figuratively, above a surging river last week. They endeavored to save it.

Andrew Gilberto captured the rescue on camera, and the footage quickly went viral. It has since spurred an online philosophical debate: Which lives should be saved and which left to the raging waters?

"While the spider clinged to a branch, I'd risk my life wading through flood waters to smack it with a newspaper," wrote a cynical Twitter user.

The Queenslanders  fearing not the fast-flowing water nor the eight-legged behemoth  plucked the spider, branch and all, from its perch above the river and placed it safely beside an avocado tree near a supermarket.

Thanks to the lucky break, the spider now resides in what most Millennials would consider paradise.

The arachnid is thought to be a whistling spider, named for the hissing sounds it makes. It is not venomous.

The Queensland region was pounded by heavy rains last week, leading to widespread flooding and the whistler's predicament.

Michelle Robertson is an SFGATE staff writer. Email her at mrobertson@sfchronicle.com or find her on Twitter at @mrobertsonsf.SAN JOSE (BCN)

The controversial Christopher Columbus located inside San Jose's City Hall building was removed and placed into a hall of the Italian American Heritage Foundation on Saturday, according to the City Hall building manager.

At the City Council meeting on Jan. 30, Mayor Sam Liccardo and the City Council decided on a six-week deadline to remove the 9-foot-tall statue and find a new location.

The topic was discussed after Councilmember Raul Peralez recommended in a September 2017 memo that the statue be moved to "a more appropriate location, with input from the community" since it had become the subject of several security issues beginning in 2001.

As recently as Oct. 12, a handful of protesters entered City Hall and confronted visitors and city staff with their opposition to the statue. Security staff and police worked to disperse the protesters.

Four options were considered by councilmembers for relocation: storing the statue at the History San Jose Collection Center on city-owned land until it could be later donated to an accepted recipient, moving it to Terminal A of the Mineta San Jose International Airport, moving it to the Bank of Italy in Kelley Park and lastly keeping it in the current location.

Building manager Walter Lin said that the Council would accept a private location for the statue's relocation and that the Italian American Heritage Foundation expressed great interest in having the statue in their hall.

In accordance with this authorization, the statue was moved just days before the deadline, which would be this Tuesday, Lin said.

The statue's breakdown, transportation and reassembly took approximately six hours in total, beginning when a fine arts moving company arrived at City Hall around 9:30 a.m. and ending when the statue was restored just after 3:10 p.m., according to Lin.

The statue itself is comprised of three pieces that weigh nearly 3,000 pounds in full, so lots of equipment was brought into City Hall to move the fragile figure, Lin said.

The 6-foot reconstruction of Columbus, the flat bottom and a cylinder-shaped base were all placed in special traveling crates and strapped inside a moving truck. Lin said the locations are less than a mile away from each other, but the driver drove extremely slowly to ensure nothing happened.

The Italian American Heritage Foundation plans to build a protective enclosure to deter the public from having the ability to deface the statue, which happened multiple times at its City Hall location, Lin said. The city will not be a part of the building of the enclosure.

In total, the process cost the city around $10,000, according to Lin.

At this time, there are a simple table and chairs where the statue once sat, but the city is looking into rotating public displays about each city department to provide more information about what they do to constituents, according to Lin.

The building manager also said that organizations often ask to display art in City Hall, so this may open up a space to do that as well.

###

535-3808SAN FRANCISCO (BCN)

A pedestrian suffered life-threatening injuries when a vehicle struck her in San Francisco's Pacific Heights neighborhood on Friday evening, according to police.

The collision was reported at about 7:40 p.m. Friday at the intersection of California and Baker streets.

A 22-year-old woman was crossing the street in a crosswalk when a vehicle turning west onto California Street hit her, police said.

The victim was taken to a hospital to be treated for her injuries.

The driver, whose name was not immediately released, was issued a citation at the scene for failing to yield to the pedestrian, police said.

###SAN FRANCISCO (BCN)

A former Oakland Raider, released from the team after a domestic violence incident at an apartment in San Francisco's Nob Hill neighborhood last week, pleaded not guilty to the charges against him in court this afternoon.

Aldon Smith, 28, has been charged with domestic violence, assault, false imprisonment and vandalism in connection with an incident on the evening of March 3 in the 600 block of Bush Street.

In addition to his not guilty plea, a protective order was issued, prohibiting Smith from contacting the victim.

"Domestic violence is a major problem in our community and we want to send a very clear message," District Attorney George Gascon said.

"We want to make sure we also protecting the survivor in this case," Gascon said regarding the protective order.

Officers first began investigating after someone reported to police around 8:30 p.m. that Smith was involved in a domestic violence incident. When officers responded to the Bush Street residence, Smith had already left, according to police.

The victim in the incident suffered injuries not considered life-threatening.

Smith turned himself in three days later after a warrant was issued for his arrest.

Two days after the incident, the Raiders released Smith from his contract. He previously played for the San Francisco 49ers starting in 2011 before being released by the team in August 2015 following an arrest for a DUI hit-and-run in Santa Clara.

He signed with the Raiders the following month, but was suspended for a year in November 2015 for violating the NFL's substance abuse policies.

Smith is due back in court on April 5.

###SAN FRANCISCO (BCN)

Nine immigrants and five citizen children sued the administration of President Donald Trump in federal court in San Francisco today in a bid to end the termination of their permission to remain in the United States.

The immigrants are from El Salvador, Haiti, Nicaragua and Sudan and currently have temporary protected status, or TPS, granted to people from countries facing natural disasters, armed conflict or other upheaval.

Over the past 14 months, the Trump administration has terminated that status, effective at various times in 2019.

More than 300,000 people from the four counties have been granted TPS approval and some have been in the U.S. for up to 20 years. They have more than 200,000 children who are citizens.

The lawsuit claims that the termination of TPS status violates the constitutional rights of due process and equal protection as well as the federal Administrative Procedure Act, which prohibits arbitrary and capricious actions by administrative agencies.

The citizen children born in the U.S. also claim the action impairs their liberty rights to remain in the United States and to be with their families, by forcing them to choose between leaving the country and being raised by their parents.

The lawsuit also alleges Trump's decision was motivated by racism. It cites the president's alleged reference in January to Haiti, El Salvador and certain African nations as "s---hole countries."

The TPS termination "arises from the Trump Administration's repeatedly expressed racism toward non-white, non-European people from other countries," the lawsuit claims.

Plaintiff Sherika Blanc, 27, of Valrico, Florida, came to the U.S. from Haiti at age 8 and is now a nursing assistant and health unit coordinator at a hospital.

At a news conference outside the federal courthouse in San Francisco this morning, she said, "I'm not asking him (Trump) to give us equal rights, I'm asking him to stop denying the rights that everyone has."

Plaintiff Mazin Ahmed, 19, who came from Sudan six years ago and is now a college student in Maine, said, "We're not doing this just for ourselves, but for everyone to get their rights."

The lawsuit asks for a court order declaring that the TPS termination was unconstitutional and illegal and cannot be enforced.

A lawsuit challenging the termination of the program for Haitians was filed in federal court in Boston in January and a second lawsuit on behalf of Haitians and Salvadorans was filed in federal court in Baltimore in February.

But today's case is the first to claim the constitutional rights of citizen children whose parents have had TPS rights. The defendants in the lawsuit are the United States and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

###SAN FRANCISCO (BCN)

San Francisco police arrested a man in the Tenderloin neighborhood on Saturday for being a suspected drug dealer, police reported.

The man was arrested on the 400 block of Ellis Street. Police seized an undisclosed amount of cocaine, brass knuckles and over $1,000 in cash.

He was booked into San Francisco County jail for possessing cocaine for sale and for having an outstanding arrest warrant for selling cocaine.

###Four suspects are in custody and five remain at large following a series of armed home invasion robberies in Petaluma that led to a pursuit to a neighborhood in Novato where residents are being asked to shelter in place this morning, authorities said.

Sonoma County sheriff's deputies responded shortly after 3 a.m. to multiple reports of armed home invasion robberies on Eugenia Drive and learned that the suspects targeted three different homes, according to the sheriff's office.

The suspects kicked in doors and confronted homeowners while looking for marijuana, and at least one homeowner was tied up and allegedly pistol-whipped, sheriff's officials said.

Petaluma police spotted two vehicles leaving the area and tried to pull them over but a pursuit ensued. One vehicle, a white rented minivan, stopped on southbound U.S. Highway 101 prior to the San Marin Drive exit and five suspects fled west from the vehicle, according to the sheriff's office.

Investigators found multiple firearms in and around the van. One suspect was captured nearby but the other four remain at large, sheriff's officials said.

The second suspect vehicle was found in the Novato Costco parking lot at 300 Vintage Way, where three suspects were taken into custody and one remains at large, according to the sheriff's office.

Novato police said shortly after 5:45 a.m. that they were assisting the sheriff's office in searching for suspects near the Fireman's Fund campus at 777 San Marin Drive.

At 7:20 a.m., police said they were asking residents in the area of Wood Hollow Drive to shelter in place.

Train traffic is badly congested in the East Bay this morning after an Altamont Corridor Express train struck a vehicle in Fremont, resulting in a death, ACE officials said.

"There's a lot of congestion backed up -- our trains, Capitol Corridor, freight," ACE spokesman Chris Kay said. "It's going to be a couple hours."

ACE officials initially reported on Twitter at 6:15 a.m. about a "vehicle strike" involving ACE train 1 between the Fremont and Great America stations.

Fremont police said the collision occurred about a half-mile north of the Auto Mall Parkway crossing south of Stevenson Boulevard.

At 7:41 a.m., ACE officials reported the death and said all ACE trains would be further delayed while the Alameda County coroner's bureau responded.

Trains began moving again shortly after 9:15 a.m., but significant delays can be expected on the railway.

ACE runs four westbound trains in the morning from Stockton to San Jose.

Additional details about the fatality were not immediately available.

A 60-year-old man from San Pablo who was killed in Walnut Creek on Thursday night while working as a security guard at a construction site has been identified by the Contra Costa County coroner's office as Harry Edward Swayne III.

Swayne was pronounced dead at the scene of the crime after police responded to a call from the 1800 block of Lacassie Avenue just before 7 p.m.

Concord resident Hakim Madjour, 34, was arrested on suspicion of murder in connection with Swayne's death.

The two men were coworkers, and Madjour allegedly attacked Swayne with a metal pole, resulting in severe head injuries. Madjour was treated for minor injuries before being booked into jail on $1 million bail.

Contra Costa County prosecutors were not immediately available today to provide an update on Madjour's case.

A woman who was killed in a hit-and-run collision in West Oakland early Friday morning was identified by the Alameda County coroner's bureau today as 43-year-old Tanya Peterson.

Peterson was struck and killed in the 3200 block of San Pablo Avenue in a collision reported at 2:08 a.m. Friday.

The driver who hit Peterson fled from the scene and is still at large.

Oakland police haven't released additional information about the collision.

The coroner didn't list a city of residence for Peterson.

A pedestrian suffered life-threatening injuries when a vehicle struck her in San Francisco's Pacific Heights neighborhood on Friday evening, according to police.

The collision was reported at about 7:40 p.m. Friday at the intersection of California and Baker streets.

A 22-year-old woman was crossing the street in a crosswalk when a vehicle turning west onto California Street hit her, police said.

The victim was taken to a hospital to be treated for her injuries.

The driver, whose name was not immediately released, was issued a citation at the scene for failing to yield to the pedestrian, police said.

Fire investigators are still working to determine the cause of a fire that broke out at a single-story home in San Jose on Saturday morning, according to a fire captain.

San Jose firefighters received their first call about the blaze at 10:54 a.m. when they got reports from neighbors of a loud bang and flames coming from a home in the 2100 block of Bel Air Avenue, spokesman Capt. Daniel Vega said.

When the first crews arrived, they found smoke and fire coming from the left backside of the home, Vega said. The house to the left was threatened, but ultimately sustained no damage.

The fire was knocked down by 12:39 p.m. and fully extinguished by 1 p.m., according to the fire captain.

Crews completed new cancer prevention techniques of using wet wipes for the skin, a new policy for the fire department as a result of recent research indicating that cancer rates in responders was not resulting from smoke inhalation but from skin absorption, and finished clean up efforts just before 3 p.m., Vega said.

One of the walls of the home partially collapsed, so a search and rescue team was called but was consequently canceled, leading Vega to believe that there were no injuries.

Vega said there was original speculation that the fire was caused by a gas explosion, at which time the two-alarm fire was reported by firefighters as going to three alarms. However, when that fact could not be confirmed, the level was bumped down to two alarms.

The Palo Alto Unified School District is "applauding students' commitment to be on the forefront of driving social change" by accommodating those who wish to take part in the national walkout planned for this Wednesday, according to the district superintendent.

Interim Superintendent Karen Hendricks in her weekly message to the community addressed the 17-minute-long walkout scheduled to take place across the country at exactly 10 a.m. Wednesday to voice the need for gun reform legislation.

The 17 minutes are meant to symbolize one minute for every student or staff member lost in the shooting on Feb. 14 at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, Hendricks said.

Hendricks said that while neither the district nor the schools themselves sanction the demonstrations, the students are permitted to exercise their right to participate.

She said the district has provided guidance to school principals and staffs in order to make sure that students can be heard in an age-appropriate manner.

According to Hendricks, most middle and high school schedules in the district already accommodate the majority of the walkout time. However, school leaders have worked with each school's student council to collaborate on the demonstration and support their free speech.

Students in grades 6-12 will be allowed to exit their classrooms and congregate in a designated area on campus in order to express their feelings about the Parkland shooting, Hendricks said.

Though there will be no punishment for participation, school officials expect peaceful activity echoing that of Gunn High School's protest before school on Feb. 23.

Students in fifth grade and younger will not be permitted to participate in the walkout since Hendricks said that the district believes "participation in such events may increase the sense of fear and anxiety and would create additional safety concerns in ensuring sufficient supervision."

Parents with children in any grade of a school in the district can remove them from school for the designated 17 minutes or any other portion of the day if they contact their child's school office to make arrangements in advance, according to the superintendent.

Another walkout is planned for April 20 at 10 a.m. in honor of the 19th anniversary of the Columbine shooting, but details about that event will be sent out in a future weekly message from the superintendent, she said.

"Details about the event vary across social media from a full-day absence to signing children out (or having students walk out)," Hendricks said in the statement.

The school district will bring a resolution to Tuesday's routine board meeting demanding that state and federal representatives reinstate an assault weapon ban and adopt stricter controls governing sales, transfers, possession, manufacturing and distributions of all firearms, dangerous weapons and ammunition.

"Those stricter controls include not only comprehensive and thorough background checks of all purchases of firearms... but also an outright ban on semi-automatic firearms, high-capacity magazines, armor-piercing ammunition, bump stocks and any other equipment," Hendricks states in her proposed resolution.

Hendricks backs her resolution up with statistics about mass shootings, including the fact that there have been nearly 300 shootings in school communities since 2013.

"It is our hope that March 14 provides an impactful opportunity for us to come together as a community to address the urgent and prevalent needs related to the safety of our youth," Hendricks said in her weekly message.

Vallejo firefighters say they are working forced overtime -- up to 100 hours in a row -- due to shortage of staff and a high volume of calls.

The department extinguished a three-alarm fire at about 5 a.m. Sunday, and said in a Facebook post that "fatigued firefighters" responded to the blaze at 110 Corporate Place.

Firefighters said Saturday's fire is a "looming reminder" that their department is unable to hire enough personnel to serve Vallejo's citizens.

Only three new recruits are currently training to become firefighters, leaving nine positions vacant, according to the department.

In the post, Vallejo firefighters said "long outstanding contract issues" are hindering the department.

A motorcyclist led police on a chase and was injured after a crash in Martinez on Saturday, police reported.

Police attempted to stop the driver for vehicle code violations at about 9:55 p.m. near Alhambra High School on Saturday, according to police.

The suspect allegedly did not yield on Alhambra Avenue, but made a u-turn and fled north on the street.

Police began pursuing the suspect, but said they stopped the pursuit due to safety reasons when the person approached the downtown area of Martinez.

Police said the suspect then continued north on Alhambra Avenue while running stop signs and speeding.

When the motorcycle neared the dead end of Alhambra Avenue and Buckley Street, police said the driver crashed after being unable to make a left turn.

Police said the injured person was transported to the hospital with injuries that were not considered life-threatening.

They said the person was likely intoxicated when the accident happened. Police said they will not release the suspect's identity because of an ongoing investigation for a DUI and felony evading.

The controversial Christopher Columbus located inside San Jose's City Hall building was removed and placed into a hall of the Italian American Heritage Foundation on Saturday, according to the City Hall building manager.

At the City Council meeting on Jan. 30, Mayor Sam Liccardo and the City Council decided on a six-week deadline to remove the 9-foot-tall statue and find a new location.

The topic was discussed after Councilmember Raul Peralez recommended in a September 2017 memo that the statue be moved to "a more appropriate location, with input from the community" since it had become the subject of several security issues beginning in 2001.

As recently as Oct. 12, a handful of protesters entered City Hall and confronted visitors and city staff with their opposition to the statue. Security staff and police worked to disperse the protesters.

Four options were considered by councilmembers for relocation: storing the statue at the History San Jose Collection Center on city-owned land until it could be later donated to an accepted recipient, moving it to Terminal A of the Mineta San Jose International Airport, moving it to the Bank of Italy in Kelley Park and lastly keeping it in the current location.

Building manager Walter Lin said that the Council would accept a private location for the statue's relocation and that the Italian American Heritage Foundation expressed great interest in having the statue in their hall.

In accordance with this authorization, the statue was moved just days before the deadline, which would be this Tuesday, Lin said.

The statue's breakdown, transportation and reassembly took approximately six hours in total, beginning when a fine arts moving company arrived at City Hall around 9:30 a.m. and ending when the statue was restored just after 3:10 p.m., according to Lin.

The statue itself is comprised of three pieces that weigh nearly 3,000 pounds in full, so lots of equipment was brought into City Hall to move the fragile figure, Lin said.

The 6-foot reconstruction of Columbus, the flat bottom and a cylinder-shaped base were all placed in special traveling crates and strapped inside a moving truck. Lin said the locations are less than a mile away from each other, but the driver drove extremely slowly to ensure nothing happened.

The Italian American Heritage Foundation plans to build a protective enclosure to deter the public from having the ability to deface the statue, which happened multiple times at its City Hall location, Lin said. The city will not be a part of the building of the enclosure.

In total, the process cost the city around $10,000, according to Lin.

At this time, there are a simple table and chairs where the statue once sat, but the city is looking into rotating public displays about each city department to provide more information about what they do to constituents, according to Lin.

The building manager also said that organizations often ask to display art in City Hall, so this may open up a space to do that as well.

Residents in Pleasanton can now apply for passports through the City Clerk's office, city officials said.

To set up an appointment, people should use the city's website at http://www.cityofpleasantonca.gov/gov/depts/clerk/passportservices.asp. No walk-ins will be accepted, city officials said.

Appointments are available Monday through Thursday, 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. and 1:30 to 4 p.m., according to city officials.

The city doesn't process renewal forms, only new applications, according to Pleasanton officials.

###A pedestrian was killed when they were struck by a vehicle this morning in unincorporated Santa Cruz County, according to California Highway Patrol officials.

The collision was reported at 9:20 a.m. and occurred in the area of state Highway 236 and Jamison Creek Road northwest of Boulder Creek, CHP officials said.SAN FRANCISCO (BCN)

Police are investigating two separate carjackings in San Francisco on Saturday, both involving victims being threatened by guns.

The first occurred around 10:15 a.m. near the corner of California and Broderick streets, according to police.

A 37-year-old man was in his vehicle when a suspect approached him while pointing a gun at him and demanded that he get out of the car and hand over his wallet and cellphone.

The victim complied and the male suspect fled in the man's vehicle, heading west on California Street, police said.

The victim was uninjured, according to police.

The second carjacking was reported at 7:07 p.m. in the 500 block of Madrid Street.

A 77-year-old man was getting out of his vehicle when two suspects approached him and asked him for directions. As the man was giving them directions, one of the suspects took the man's keys and both suspects began attacking him.

The pair also threatened him with a gun, although no gun was seen, police said.

The suspects then got into the man's car and fled south on Madrid Street, according to police.

One suspect was described as being 19 years old and the other as being between 16 and 17 years old.

The victim suffered injuries not considered life-threatening, but refused medical attention, police said.PALO ALTO (BCN)

The Palo Alto Unified School District is "applauding students' commitment to be on the forefront of driving social change" by accommodating those who wish to take part in the national walkout planned for this Wednesday, according to the district superintendent.

Interim Superintendent Karen Hendricks in her weekly message to the community addressed the 17-minute-long walkout scheduled to take place across the country at exactly 10 a.m. Wednesday to voice the need for gun reform legislation.

The 17 minutes are meant to symbolize one minute for every student or staff member lost in the shooting on Feb. 14 at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, Hendricks said.

Hendricks said that while neither the district nor the schools themselves sanction the demonstrations, the students are permitted to exercise their right to participate.

She said the district has provided guidance to school principals and staffs in order to make sure that students can be heard in an age-appropriate manner.

According to Hendricks, most middle and high school schedules in the district already accommodate the majority of the walkout time. However, school leaders have worked with each school's student council to collaborate on the demonstration and support their free speech.

Students in grades 6-12 will be allowed to exit their classrooms and congregate in a designated area on campus in order to express their feelings about the Parkland shooting, Hendricks said.

Though there will be no punishment for participation, school officials expect peaceful activity echoing that of Gunn High School's protest before school on Feb. 23.

More for you Students ready for Wednesday walkouts to protest gun violence

Students in fifth grade and younger will not be permitted to participate in the walkout since Hendricks said that the district believes "participation in such events may increase the sense of fear and anxiety and would create additional safety concerns in ensuring sufficient supervision."

Parents with children in any grade of a school in the district can remove them from school for the designated 17 minutes or any other portion of the day if they contact their child's school office to make arrangements in advance, according to the superintendent.

Another walkout is planned for April 20 at 10 a.m. in honor of the 19th anniversary of the Columbine shooting, but details about that event will be sent out in a future weekly message from the superintendent, she said.

"Details about the event vary across social media from a full-day absence to signing children out (or having students walk out)," Hendricks said in the statement.

The school district will bring a resolution to Tuesday's routine board meeting demanding that state and federal representatives reinstate an assault weapon ban and adopt stricter controls governing sales, transfers, possession, manufacturing and distributions of all firearms, dangerous weapons and ammunition.

"Those stricter controls include not only comprehensive and thorough background checks of all purchases of firearms... but also an outright ban on semi-automatic firearms, high-capacity magazines, armor-piercing ammunition, bump stocks and any other equipment," Hendricks states in her proposed resolution.

Hendricks backs her resolution up with statistics about mass shootings, including the fact that there have been nearly 300 shootings in school communities since 2013.

"It is our hope that March 14 provides an impactful opportunity for us to come together as a community to address the urgent and prevalent needs related to the safety of our youth," Hendricks said in her weekly message.CONCORD (BCN)

An alleged wanted felony suspect who was shot in Concord by an officer as he fled arrest Saturday is in the hospital with injuries not believed to be life-threatening, police said today.

Joshua Robertson, 40, of Antioch, was in a car that was stopped around 5:30 p.m. in the 1500 block of Allegro Avenue near Clayton Road, according to police.

Officers stopped the car because they were looking for a man wanted in a domestic violence incident, police said. The Concord officers were helping Antioch officers who were also looking for him. Robertson was identified as one of the passengers, according to police.

Suspect Robertson allegedly had a felony warrant for his arrest on suspicion of robbery, terrorist threats and dissuading a witness through the express or implied threat of force or violence, police said.

As officers placed Robertson under arrest, he fled, and the officer-involved shooting occurred, according to police. Officers provided medical aid until paramedics arrived and took over.

The Contra Costa County District Attorney's Office is conducting an investigation into the officer-involved shooting, as is the normal protocol in such cases, police said.

Anyone who witnessed the incident is asked to call Detective Mahan of the Concord Police Major Crimes Unit at (925) 603-5817.

###RICHMOND (BCN)

A wanted suspect surrendered peacefully to police after he barricaded himself in a home in Richmond this afternoon, a police spokesman said.

At 4:15 p.m., police received a call about a suspect with an outstanding arrest warrant at a home in the 200 block of South 15th Street, according to Richmond police spokesman Lt. Felix Tan.

Officers arrived at the home, but the unarmed male suspect barricaded himself inside, Tan said.

Relatives of the suspect were also inside, but they exited the home early on in the standoff, Tan said.

Officers negotiated with the suspect for about 2 hours and 30 minutes before he surrendered peacefully, Tan said. No one was injured during the standoff, Tan said.

Further details were not immediately available.

###iStock/Thinkstock(YOUNTVILLE, Calif.) -- The former Army sharpshooter who allegedly killed three hostages, including a pregnant woman, during a nearly eight-hour siege of a Northern California veterans home was a highly decorated military veteran who had a tough time readjusting to civilian life after serving in Afghanistan, his former legal guardian told ABC News.



Suspected gunman Albert Wong, 36, who also died Friday in the Wine Country region of Napa County, served in Afghanistan from April 2011 to March 2012, but returned from the battlefield suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder, his former guardian said.



"We had long talks when he first came back. It was horrible what he saw over there. The way he explained it, it was like a movie but worse," Cissy Sherr, who was Wong's legal guardian and help raise him as a child, told ABC News.



Sherr, who lives in the Bay Area, said Wong had a difficult time readjusting to civilian life, explaining he suffered from insomnia and anxiety over his everyday surroundings.



"I think he realized that it started to catch up with him," Sherr said. "He and I had talks about PTSD and I encouraged him to look into transcendental meditation."



She said Wong's father died when he was 8 years old and his mother had physical disabilities that prevented her from caring for him. Sherr said she and her husband, who knew Wong's parents, agreed to become Wong's legal guardian.



She said when Wong became a teenager he went to live at a foster care home, but always stayed in touch.



She said Wong, after returning from combat, had sought help at a nonprofit program called Pathway Home in Yountville, which provides post-9/11 military veterans counseling and assistance in reintegrating into civilian life.



"He was really, really trying. He seemed to be getting the help that he needed," Sherr said.



Wong's foster care brother, Tyrone Lampkin, told the Santa Rosa Press Democrat that Wong was asked to leave the Path Home program about two weeks ago after he was caught with a knife. He said Wong was angry about being dismissed from the program.



Whatever happened out there, he didnt say he was going to shoot anybody, Lampkin told the newspaper. He said he wanted to get back at them, talk to them, yell at them, not to kill them. He didnt mention that.



Citing privacy laws, Yountville Mayor John Dunbar, who serves on the board of directors of the Pathway Home, told ABC News on Sunday that he could not discuss any aspect of Wong's treatment. But he confirmed Wong "was dismissed from the program a few weeks earlier."



Armed with a rifle and numerous rounds of ammunition, authorities said, Wong burst into an employee going away party at the Veteran Home of California about 10:30 a.m. on Friday and took hostages, including some who had tried to help him cope with PTSD, officials said.



During the standoff, Wong traded gunshots with a Napa County sheriff's deputy whom officials credited with keeping the gunman confined to a room he barricaded himself in on the 600 acre-property. When SWAT team members finally breached the room where Wong was holding the hostages about 6 p.m. Friday, they found Wong and three victims dead.



The victims were identified as Pathway Home executive director Christine Loeber, 48; the program's clinical director, Jennifer Golick, 42, and psychologist Jennifer Gonzales, 32, who was six months pregnant.



It remained unclear on Sunday whether Wong died from a wound suffered in the gunfight with the sheriff deputy or from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.



Sherr, who says she last spoke to Wong several months ago, said she learned of the hostage incident from a reporter while the standoff was occurring.



"We were hopeful that there was going to be a peaceful resolution. When we found out how it ended, I just pretty much fell apart," Sherr said.



"I don't understand. I don't know the person they were describing," she said. "Growing up, he was so soft spoken and polite."



She said Wong always had a desire to join the military, saying, "He wanted to serve his country."



According to his military record, Wong served in the Army reserves before enlisting as an active service member of the Army in May 2010.



He was deployed to Afghanistan from April 2011 to March 2012, according to his service record. He received an Army Commendation Medal, a Good Conduct Medal and the Afghanistan Medal. He also received the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, a NATO Medal, a Combat Infantryman Badge and an Expert Marksmanship Badge.



Sherr said she wishes Wong had reached out to her for help.



"But it wasn't his habit to ask for handouts. He was always a young man with character," Sherr said. "He was a really good boy. It's sad that it had to be this way. It's a sad waste of a life."



Mayor Dunbar said he and the staff at Pathway Home are focused on supporting the six veterans residents who are currently going through the program and assisting the families of the three women who were killed.



"They dedicated their lives to serving others, particularly our veterans," Dunbar told ABC News, adding that the victims were all friends. "They wanted to make sure that the veterans who came back, who needed support, got that support. They personally committed themselves to whatever it took to help our veterans heal, to return to family, to return to society."



He said that in the 10 years since the Pathway Home program was founded "we've never had a violent episode anywhere near this."



"These are warriors who come back that have behavioral health and mental health challenges," Dunbar said, "but we have staff that are professionals, that are dedicated to helping those that need that type of help."

Copyright  2018, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.The Raiders are releasing cornerback Sean Smith, according to multiple reports, parting with a player who would have been due a significant contract next season and is mired in legal issues.

The move clears $8.5 million in 2018 salary cap space for the Raiders, two days before the start of free agency. Teams were allowed to start negotiating with prospective free agents beginning Monday morning.

Smiths release was first reported by Raiderssnakepit.com. Also Monday morning, The Los Angeles Times reported that Smith, 30, is expected to serve jail time for his role in an altercation that occurred last year in Pasadena.

Smith was arrested last Aug. 17 for allegedly assaulting his sisters then-boyfriend, Christopher Woods, last July 4. He was charged with assault by means of force to produce great bodily injury and battery with serious bodily injury, and was due for his next court date Tuesday, according to the Los Angeles County Superior Court.

The Times reported that Smith is expected to plead guilty to a felony count of assault with great bodily injury, and will be sentenced to one year in jail and three years probation as part of his plea agreement.

On the field, Smiths play last season was inconsistent. That combined with his 2018 salary not being guaranteed likely contributed to the Raiders releasing him.

The Raiders had about $15.8 million in cap space before shedding Smiths contract, according to overthecap.com, though that figure was likely smaller after they agreed last Friday to a new contract with defensive tackle Justin Ellis reportedly worth $15 million over three years.

Smiths release underscores the Raiders needs at cornerback this offseason. Their only players under contract at cornerback from last years active roster are Gareon Conley (their 2017 first-round pick who played in two games as a rookie because of a shin injury), Dexter McDonald and Antonio Hamilton. The Raiders released David Amerson, a starter last season when he was healthy, in February. TJ Carrie, who started all 16 games in 2017, is set to become a free agent.

The window for teams to sign free agents opens Wednesday at 1 p.m. PT, when the new league year begins.This two-story industrial urban loft has all the hip accoutrements a buyer should expect: metal siding, cheerful orange accents, a feature in Dwell magazine, and an AIA award.

What an aspiring loft-dweller might not expect, however, is that the dwelling is located in the decidedly nonurban setting of Burleson, TX, a tiny suburb of Fort Worth.

The one-bedroom, 1.5-bath, 1,173-square-foot loft is "something you don't usually see in a small town like Burleson," says listing agent Trey Freeze. And with an asking price of $159,999, it's in extreme demand.

"People were falling all over themselves trying to get ahold of it," says Freeze. "People were trying to write me offers without even seeing it." The one-of-a-kind loft is currently pending sale.

The property, which features a main two-story loft and a second structure that could be used as an office or guesthouse, looks of-the-moment, but it was actually designed and built 18 years ago by architect Rick Wintersole.

"Whoever had the idea to build it was ahead of their time," says Freeze. "It was before any of the tiny-house stuff or any of the current trends."

Obviously, even for Texas, 1,173 square feet is not a tiny house, but there is definitely a vibe in common.

"It's like a tiny house on steroids," says Freeze. "It doesn't feel like a tiny house, but it has that aesthetic."

It's such a cool property that, in addition to trying to buy it, people have been contacting him asking for the plans to replicate it.

The main house and the second structure are joined by multilevel decking, which also provides usable outdoor space. There's also a heated above-ground pool and a covered patio, key for enjoying the warm Texas summers.

Inside, wood floors, stucco walls, and an open metal staircase give the loft an airy, minimalist feel.

The house was actually purchased by a friend of Freeze's a few years ago in a sale by the owner, so neither the friend nor Freeze anticipated the overwhelming response this time around.

"It's definitely a one-of-a kind property," says Freeze, who received seven offers over asking price in the first two days of the home being listed. "I thought to myself, I need to get the plans and start building these."

In the end, perhaps it's the rural setting that makes 408 Pecan Dr. such a desirable property.

"You can't find stuff that looks like this around here for anywhere near this price," says Freeze. "I'm lucky to have a friend that has good taste."

The post Familiar Faces in Odd Places: Meet an Urban Loft in a Small Texas Town appeared first on Real Estate News & Insights | realtor.com.History, industrial elements, classical details and high-end design converge at a dramatic townhome across the street from Dolores Park.

Set inside a structure known as The Light House, the residence boasts distinctive flair throughout its more than 5,000 square feet of living space.

The great room is awe-inspiring, said Marcus Miller of Hill & Co. Real Estate, who is co-listing the 651 Dolores St. with John Woodruff for $6.149 million. It has a 30-foot ceiling, original arched alcove windows, exposed brick and original woodwork.

Originally the Second Church of Christ Scientist, the Neoclassical structure dates to 1917. Architect William Crim designed the building that served as a place of worship for nearly a century. San Francisco building inspectors ordered the church be retrofit in 2006, but the congregation could not afford costs associated with the undertaking.

The property changed hands in 2011 and was converted to residential use a couple of years later. A total of four residential units were created with this particular three-bedroom being the last part of the quartet still on the market.

Its the best of both worlds, Miller said. A lot of the home has original elements dating back to 1917, and thats mixed with modern finishes installed when it was completed in 2016.

The eight-room residence offers entrances on both Dolores and Cumberland streets, and the townhome enjoys access to a private park shared by the three other tenants.

An expansive foyer with gray marble flooring and coffered walnut wall paneling introduces the condo. Dual sets of double doors open to the great room, a palatial gathering space accented with Juno LED track lighting attached to suspension steel cables and recycled timber.

Polished concrete flooring lines the great room, and the grand public space connects to both a library and a media room. Nearby, a chefs kitchen hosts Miele appliances and granite counters. A scratch-resistant material made of recycled glass finishes the custom cabinetry, and a library ladder that discreetly rolls into the pantry helps access the tall double cabinets positioned beneath the 15-foot ceiling.

An owners suite with a walk-in closet, limestone Roman tub and a walk-in shower highlight the upper level. A pair of skylights brighten the sleeping area, and the suite enjoys an expansive loft area overlooking the great room. Timber and glass reclaimed from the building fashion the lofts railing, and the lounge space could easily accommodate a home office or library.

The entrance on Cumberland Street opens to the lower level. Here, a bedroom with massive steel beams, hardwood wainscoting and exposed brick dominates the floor. The lower level also includes a home theater and a laundry room.

Learn more at www.651dolores.com.

Listing agent: John Woodruff, Hill & Co. Real Estate, (415) 999-9827, jwoodruff@hill-co.com; Marcus Miller, Hill & Co. Real Estate, (415) 516-5760, mmiller@hill-co.com.

Details

Address: 651 Dolores St., Dolores Heights, San Francisco.

Price: $6.149 million.

Features: Set across the street from Dolores Park, this former church blends classical design and contemporary functionality. The three-bedroom, three-bathroom offers more than 5,400 square feet of living space, highlighted by a palatial great room with arched windows and a 30-foot ceiling. The owners suite includes a loft area overlooking the great room and features a walk-in closet, limestone Roman tub, and a walk-in shower.

Open home: 2 to 4 p.m., Sunday.Would it surprise you to know that San Ramon commands higher median rent than San Francisco?

Well, perhaps it's true: The Bloomberg View, citing 2016 census data, found that Contra Costa's San Ramon fetched a higher gross rent than San Francisco did.

Bloomberg author Justin Fox noted that based on these data, which are the most recent the government provides, the median rent in San Francisco was $1,632 month in 2016, while in San Ramon, it was $1,987 per month.

First off, why so low?

Locals will note those figures seem more aligned with 1996 than 2016. But as Curbed SF points out, census data includes "rent-controlled units and older leases that never show up on sites like Zumper or Craigslistat least, not at the prices that renters are presently paying."

Now, why more in San Ramon?

Based on the same census, San Ramon median household income was $151,327 in 2016. This East Bay suburb was home 75,639 people, and according to Bloomberg, the city is "probably best known outside the Bay Area as the headquarters of oil and gas giant Chevron Corp."

In the number of people living in the city alone, we already note a disparity with San Francisco. The 2016 estimated population of San Francisco is now 864,816, says the World Population Review.

That means a lot more folks renting a lot more places in San Francisco.

The Bloomberg data show only 28.5 percent of San Ramon residents are renters. In SF, 2016 census data show 65 percent renting.

Further, San Ramon, being a suburb, is likely to rent more single-family homes, which will fetch higher rents than the studios and one bedrooms of San Francisco.

VIDEO: The most expensive zip codes in the Bay Area

So what about those one bedrooms?

Justin Fox acknowledges that the proclamation "San Ramon rent is higher than SF" is a bit flawed, precisely because of the factors mentioned here.

But what's interesting is that using the same census data, which again finally take into account rents people are actually, currently paying (so, those rent controlled rent number as well as new market value numbers that are so much higher), SF still isn't the priciest city to rent in.

Readers will note in the gallery above that the top seven cities are all in California, but S.F. is actually sixth. San Ramon, not pictured (see the full table here ) comes in ninth.

In comparison, rental site Zumper (which will pull only from current market rate listings) calculated the March, 2018, rent for a one-bedroom at $3,400. In San Ramon, Zumper found a one bedroom renting for an average of $2,045.





The gallery above includes snapshots of the Bloomberg data, as well as typical San Ramon rentals.

Readers, your thoughts?

Anna Marie Erwert writes from both the renter and new buyer perspective, having (finally) achieved both statuses. She focuses on national real estate trends, specializing in the San Francisco Bay Area and Pacific Northwest. Follow Anna on Twitter: @AnnaMarieErwertBERLIN  Chancellor Angela Merkel promised Monday to work for a strong Europe and said shes hopeful talks can resolve the standoff over U.S. tariffs, declaring its finally time to start work as Germanys new government prepares to take office.

Merkels Christian Democratic Union, its Bavaria-only sister party the Christian Social Union, and the center-left Social Democrats signed their coalition agreement Monday. Parliament is due to elect Merkel for her fourth term as chancellor on Wednesday, a record 171 days after Germans voted.

Merkel has been only a caretaker chancellor since October, and many unresolved issues await the new government. Those include U.S. tariffs on foreign-made steel and aluminum announced by President Trump, along with threats of taxes on German automakers.

Merkel welcomed talks the European Union has already started, and said the new German government will hold talks of its own. Such differences of opinion over whether situations are fair or not have to be resolved in talks, I think, and not if it can be avoided in some way by unilateral actions, she told reporters in Berlin.

In Europe, French President Emmanuel Macron has been awaiting a German response to his calls for an ambitious European Union reform agenda.

Merkel said she and her finance minister-designate, Olaf Scholz, would visit France after being sworn in.

She said that we need Europe  a Europe that shares the same values and acts together, particularly toward the outside world, and we ... will make our contribution. And she said she hopes for progress in implementing the long-troubled peace deal for Ukraine after this weekends Russian presidential election.TEHRAN  Investigators on Monday found the black box from a Turkish private jet that crashed in an Iranian mountain range on its way from the United Arab Emirates to Istanbul, killing all 11 people on board that included a Turkish bride-to-be and her bachelorette party.

Authorities recovered all the dead from the crash site in the Zagros Mountains outside of the city of Shahr-e Kord, some 230 miles south of Irans capital, Tehran, according to a report by the state-run IRNA news agency.

Officials have so far identified eight bodies, including that of Mina Basaran, the 28-year-old daughter of the chairman of Turkeys Basaran Investment Holding, the semiofficial Mehr news agency reported Monday.

Families of the victims arrived Monday in Shahr-e Kord, accompanied by Turkish diplomats, IRNA reported.

The flight took off Sunday from Sharjah International Airport in the UAE. A little over an hour into the flight, the aircraft rapidly gained altitude and then dropped drastically within minutes, according to FlightRadar24, a flight-tracking website.

It remains unclear what caused the crash, though a witness told state television the Bombardier CL604 was on fire before it went down.

Finding the aircrafts black box will help investigators trying to piece together what happened. The equipment records cockpit conversations and radio transmissions, as well as other data from a flight.

Sharjah civil aviation authorities said in a statement late Sunday that the planes eight passengers were six Turks and two Spaniards. Three others were the flight crew.

The plane did not apply for maintenance procedures while on the ground of the airport, their statement said.

Basaran and her friends had celebrated her bachelorette party in Dubai. Turkeys Transport Ministry said the aircraft belonged to Basaran Investment Holding.

Mina Basaran recently posted photographs on the photo-sharing app Instagram of what appeared to be her bachelorette party, which included eight women. Among the photographs was an image of the plane posted three days ago. In it, Basaran posed on the tarmac carrying flowers, wearing a denim jacket reading Mrs. Bride and the hashtag #bettertogether.

On Saturday, Basaran posted a picture with smiling friends from a Dubai resort. The last videos posted to her account showed her enjoying a concert by the British pop star Rita Ora at a popular Dubai nightclub.

Sundays crash came less than a month after the crash of an Iranian ATR-72, a twin-engine turboprop, which killed all 65 people aboard.VATICAN CITY  Whenever Pope Francis visits prisons, during his whirlwind trips to the worlds peripheries or at a nearby jailhouse in Rome, he always tells inmates that he, too, could have ended up behind bars: Why you and not me? he asks.

That humble empathy and the ease with which he walks in others shoes has won Francis admirers around the globe and confirmed his place as a consummate champion of the poor and disenfranchised.

But as he marks the fifth anniversary of his election Tuesday and looks ahead to an already troubled 2018, Francis faces criticism for both the merciful causes he has embraced and the ones he has neglected. With women and sex abuse topping the latter list, a consensus view is forming that historys first Latin American pope is perhaps a victim of unrealistic expectations and his own culture.

Nevertheless, Francis first five years have been a dizzying introduction to a new kind of pope, one who prizes straight talk over theology and mercy over morals  all for the sake of making the church a more welcoming place for those who have felt excluded.

I think hes fantastic, very human, very simple, Marina Borges Martinez, a 77-year-old retiree, said as she headed into evening Mass at a church in Sao Paulo. I think hes managed to bring more people into the church with the way he is.

Many point to his now famous Who am I to judge? comment about a gay priest as the turning point that disaffected Catholics had longed for and were unsure they would ever see.

Others hold out Francis cautious opening to allowing Catholics who remarry outside the church to receive Communion as his single most revolutionary step. It was contained in a footnote to his 2016 document The Joy of Love.

I have met people who told me they returned to the Catholic faith because of this pope, said Ugandan Archbishop John Baptist Odama. Simple as he may be, he has passed a very powerful message about our God who loves everybody and who wants the salvation of everyone.

Another area in which Francis has sought change extends into global politics, with his demand for governments and individuals to treat migrants as brothers and sisters in need, not as threats to society and security.

His call has gone largely unanswered in much of Europe and the United States, though, where opposing immigration has become a tool in political campaigns. Italians in the popes backyard voted overwhelmingly this month for parties that have promised to crack down on migration, including with forced expulsions.

The Pew Research Center found that while Francis still enjoys a consistently high 84 percent favorability ratings among U.S. Catholics, an increasing number on the political right believe him to be too liberal and naive. Despite all the talk of the Francis effect bringing Catholics back to church, Pew found no evidence of a rise in self-proclaimed Catholics or Mass-goers.KATHMANDU, Nepal  A plane carrying 71 people from Bangladesh swerved erratically and flew dangerously low before crashing and erupting in flames as it landed Monday in Kathmandu, Nepals capital, killing at least 49 people, officials and witnesses said.

A senior airport official said the pilot of US-Bangla Airlines flight BS211 did not follow landing instructions from the control tower and approached the airports one runway from the wrong direction.

The airplane was not properly aligned with the runway. The tower repeatedly asked if the pilot was OK and the reply was yes, said Raj Kumar Chetri, the airports general manager.

A recording of the conversations between the pilot and air traffic controllers indicated confusion over which direction the plane should land. In the recording, posted by the air traffic monitoring website LiveATC.net, conversation veers repeatedly about whether the pilot should land on the airports single runway from the south or the north.

Just before landing the pilot asks, Are we cleared to land?

Moments later, the controller comes back on, using a tone rarely heard in such conversations  perhaps even panic  and tells the pilot: I say again, turn!

Seconds later, the controller orders firetrucks onto the runway.

The exact number of dead and injured remained unclear amid the chaos of the crash and the rush of injured to nearby hospitals. Police spokesman Manoj Neupane said Tuesday that 49 people were confirmed to have been killed and 22 injured. They were being treated in several hospitals in Nepals capital.

US-Bangla Airlines flight BS211 from Dhaka to Kathmandu was carrying 67 passengers and four crew members, according to an airline spokesman.

An AP journalist who arrived at the scene soon after the crash saw the twin-propeller plane broken into several large pieces, with dozens of firefighters and rescue workers clustered around the wreckage in a grassy field near the runway. Hundreds of people stood on a nearby hill, staring down at what remained of the Bombardier Dash 8 aircraft.

The plane swerved repeatedly as it prepared to land in Kathmandu, said Amanda Summers, an American working in Nepal.

It was flying so low I thought it was going to run into the mountains, said Summers, who watched the crash from the terrace of her home office, not far from the airport. All of a sudden there was a blast and then another blast.

The plane had circled Tribhuvan International Airport twice as it waited for clearance to land, Mohammed Selim, the airlines manager in Kathmandu, told Dhaka-based Somoy TV by telephone.

US-Bangla spokesman Kamrul Islam said the plane was carrying 32 passengers from Bangladesh, 33 from Nepal and one each from China and the Maldives. He did not provide the nationalities of the four crew members.KABUL  Afghan security forces recaptured a district headquarters in western Farah province on Monday, just hours after the Taliban militants overran police and administrative offices, killing eight officers, a spokesman said.

The development came as insurgent attacks against security forces have stepped up across Afghanistan, including in Farah province.

In Mondays assault, the Taliban launched a multipronged attack and stormed the district headquarters in Anardara, which they were able to hold for a few hours before Afghan reinforcements arrived.

Nasrat Rahimi, deputy spokesman for the Interior Ministry, says that along with the eight killed in the assault, 10 security forces were wounded.

Right now the district headquarters and the area around it are under control of the Afghan security forces, Rahimi said, adding that fighting is ongoing in three different parts of the district as Afghan forces pursue the Taliban.

Afghan forces also carried out heavy air strikes during the day in Anardara and more than 50 Taliban fighters were reported killed so far, he added.

Fared Bakhtawer, the head of the provincial council in Farah, confirmed the developments and said the Taliban have been surrounded in other parts of the district.

The Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack shortly after it began, according to a media statement from Qari Yusouf Ahmadi, a Taliban spokesman.

The Anardara attack followed a weekend assault in Bala Buluk district that killed 15 Afghan forces.To continue, please log in, or sign up for a new account.

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A subscription to our digital content is so much more than just access to our valuable content. It means youre helping to support a local community institution that has, from its very start, supported the betterment of our society. Thank you very much!Oklahoma City, OK - Authorities have arrested one of two people accused of luring high school students into an Oklahoma City prostitution ring, according to KFOR.

On Thursday, officials announced that warrants had been issued for a man police say was "one of the most well-known pimps in Oklahoma City at one time," 45-year-old Germaine Coulter, and one of his main alleged prostitutes, 35-year-old Elizabeth Andrade.

Police said the two have been recruiting Edmond Santa Fe students to work for them from the inside.

According to court documents, police learned of their plan after arresting Andrade in a prostitution sting. When she was arrested, they discovered alarming photos of young girls on her cell phone. Some of those photos included two teenage Santa Fe students.

"He lures them in with jewelry, getting their nails done, buying them clothes, putting them into nice cars," Brian Bates, who exposes prostitution in Oklahoma City, said.

Andrade is currently on probation, and Coulter was recently released

In a statement, a spokesperson for Edmond Public Schools said:

"Edmond Public Schools was unaware of an OCPD investigation into allegations of human trafficking involving student(s) at Edmond Santa Fe High School. The School School Resource Officer (SRO) was contacted on March 1, 2018 to assist OCPD with an investigation involving the identification of a photo of a female student.

The SRO provided the identification sought by OCPD, and there was no further information provided to the SRO or Santa Fe High School until today, March 8, when news outlets began calling the school district to gather information germane to the probable cause affidavit filed in OK County district court earlier this week which referenced the female student."

When KFOR asked if there would be any further action taken at this time, the spokesperson said in a statement, "We have not determined what additional actions the school district will take because we were just made aware of this investigation late this afternoon."

On Friday, Oklahoma City police announced that Germaine Coulter was taken into custody.

Officials say Coulter was arrested by officers with the Wichita Police Department in Kansas on Thursday. However, they say Elizabeth Andrade is still on the run.

Police said there are three vehicles they may be driving, a 2013 Tan Cadillac XTS - OK Plate GBH236, a 2014 Gray Cadillac CTS - OK Plate CIT835, and a 2017 White Ford F250 - OK Plate EFD371.

If you have any information about Andrade's whereabouts, call CrimeStoppers at (405) 235-7300.Lawyers chasing hundreds of thousands of dollars from Doughnut Time say they have been unable to get in touch with the embattled businesss creator, delaying court action.

Sydney company Frasers Central Park Land is seeking $404,000 from the business, fallen hospitality entrepreneur Damian Griffiths and a host of his former companies, some of which are in liquidation, over breach of contract and unpaid rent.

Damian Griffiths, the founder of Doughnut Time, with one of his $6 doughnuts. Credit:Robert Shakespeare

As he confirmed last weekend the company's former chief executive had agreed to buy the company, Mr Griffiths told Fairfax Media he would not fight the lawsuit.

But on Monday, no one representing the former lawyer or his former business showed up for a Supreme Court hearing for the matter in Brisbane.Canada is shaping as a fresh hotspot in a world of budding trade wars thanks to a battle over Australian wine exports.

Australian trade officials recently met with their Canadian counterparts to object to extra taxes and mark-ups on imported wine sold in Canada that the Australian wine industry believes breach international trade rules and threaten Australian wine sales.

Australia's wine industry is concerned about access to the Canadian market.

The Canadian measures, which Australian trade minister Steve Ciobo has criticised for discriminating against Australian wine imports also include the adoption of separate distribution channels reserved for Canadian wine only, and extra fees on imported wines.

The discussions, which occurred over two days early this month in Geneva, came at a sensitive time in global trade, coinciding with the worldwide outrage generated by US President Donald Trumps comments that the worlds biggest economy would introduce stiff new steel and aluminium tariffs."I want to be remembered as a failure," said Ai WeiWei, the artist and Chinese dissident whose work is headlining the Sydney Biennale. "That means, that guy made an endless effort but failed."

An activist who has persisted despite the lingering effects of a Chinese police beating before he went into exile an international celebrity, Ai has a clear sense of his place in the art world.

"My role is very simple," he said. "I defend human rights, human dignity. I defend people who are voiceless or silent or will never even have a chance to speak from a platform.

"I'm lucky enough that I have both a Chinese and a western education and practise contemporary art, which led me to the edge of modern philosophy about how an individual can survive or how a modern state should function ... It's individual struggle."Washington DC may not be a typical setting for a gritty rap album detailing murder, violence, drug culture and life spent on the mean streets. We more likely expect a backdrops like Los Angeles or New York.

DC is, of course, more famous for its politics and for who lives there, but one of US rap's rising stars, 24-year-old Goldlink (real name D'Antony Carlos), who grew up in DC and its neighbouring suburbs of Maryland and Virginia (known as the DMV area), builds his breakthrough solo album, At What Cost, around his old neighbourhood. He says Washington DC may not be what you might expect.

Rising star: GoldLink, AKA D'Antony Carlos, had the vision of an album themed around Washington DC for some time. Credit:Sony

"The President lives there and it's a political city, and it's driven by capitalism and economics and politics," he says, "but at the same time, every street has a lot of poverty, a lot of murder and a lot of drugs. It's where so many problems are, America's problems, and you wouldn't think that a lot of the things that happen in DC happen so close to such a prominent symbol of America.

"It's all happening just down the street from the whole political thing and they spill over into each other sometimes."Much has been said about the endless gift to comedians that is the Trump presidency. But less attention has been given to its impact on performers such as musicians.

"It's an interesting time to be a songwriter, for sure," says Sheryl Crow by phone from her home in Nashville, Tennessee, where she lives with her two sons and a menagerie of horses, dogs and other pets.

Sheryl Crow. Credit:MARK SELIGER

"How can someone work every single day to make sure the country is divided? It breaks my heart," she says.

"I think most of the things he stands for are completely antithetical to what the US is based on and founded on, the dreams of the people that founded this country and the backs that this community was built on.Chan Ouy did not grow up particularly proud of his culinary heritage. He never meant to be a restaurant owner, or the person who introduced many Melburnians to Cambodian food.

In 1976, six-year-old Ouy and his family fled the Khmer Rouge in Cambodia and were among the first boat refugees to be resettled in Australia. "Assimilation was important," Ouy says, explaining that growing up, he was embarrassed of his family's culinary differences.

Bopha Devi Docklands owner Chan Uoy. Credit:Eddie Jim

When he went to university he studied accounting, but working in that field for a few years made him realise: "Oh dear, this is not for me." After a lot of soul searching, he decided he wanted to create something. And in 1999 he opened his first restaurant, Bopha Devi, in Yarraville.

At the time Ouy was cooking mainly from family recipes. "Cambodia wasn't a place to go for a long time," he explains. "It was closed off to tourists, and to people who had left. That's why people don't know much about Cambodian food  because it was closed off to the outside world for so long."A Canberra doctor who hugged and kissed a female patient has been banned from treating women for up to 18 months after being found to be a "real risk to females".

Mohamed Helmy, a general practitioner who formerly practised in Conder, was reprimanded by the ACT civil and administrative tribunal this month after it formally found his behaviour amounted to unprofessional conduct

A Canberra doctor has been banned from treating females. Credit:Jim Rice

He will only be allowed to practice at an approved location and will not be allowed to treat female patients for either 18 months or six months after he has completed an education course.

Dr Helmy must also be supervised by another doctor for 24 months.He has his own convertible Mercedes, a personalised merchandise line and thousands of fans on Instagram - could Canberra rabbit Cocobunbuns be the Kanye West of the pet world?

With an attitude to rival the US-based rapper - including those infamous tantrums - three-year-old Cocobunbuns has racked up more than 12,400 Instagram followers, has an entire line of merch on design website Society6 and sleeps in a minimalist teepee in his very own bedroom.

Cocobunbuns in his teepee with owner Sarah Pineda. Credit:Dion Georgopoulos

The chocolate mini lop is the pride and joy of Canberra student Sarah Pineda, 23, and lives with her in a three-storey apartment in Lawson that he pretty much has full reign over.

Coco's bedroom has its own ensuite and his daily special treat - pineapple pieces - are hand-dried and dehydrated by Pineda.Lindsay Knowles was a Manuka Pool regular, champion swimmer and class-topping alumnus of Telopea Park School. To Merv Knowles, he was a "bonza" older brother and good bloke.

"He did an arts course in Sydney then said to Father 'I want to fly'," Mr Knowles, now 95, said.

Honour Role unveiling at Manuka Pool. From left, Merv Knowles and his wife Beth, and Barry Browning and his siter Judy Stevenson. Credit:Jamila Toderas

"By the time the [Second World War] came he was fully equipped. He was a fighter pilot."

Lindsay was just 24 when he was killed in aerial combat with a German Messerschmitt fighter over Libya in 1941 - one of nine members of the Canberra Amateur Swimming Club who died in World War Two.Greens senator Jordon Steele-John says it is time for the Australian public service to commit to a target to increase the number of employees with a disability.

"I think whether it's a target or a quota, when you're looking at things like this you've got to put your money where your mouth is," he said.

Greens Senator Jordon Steele-John says there should be a target for public service employees with a disability. Credit:Fairfax Media

Senator Steele-John was elected as a Greens senator for Western Australia after former senator Scott Ludlam was found to be ineligible due to his New Zealand dual citizenship.

In the job since November, the 23-year-old uses a wheelchair to get around due to cerebral palsy. His presence in parliament house has highlighted how ill-equppied the building is to cater for employees with accessibility requirements. A refurbished office was due to be finished at the start of February, but it is now set to be ready at the end of March.Documents obtained by the Queanbeyan Age show Queanbeyan-Palerang mayor Tim Overall was once a member of the NSW Liberal Party despite claims he is apolitical.

Prior to the council election in September last year Tim Overall and his ticket campaigned on a strict platform opposing political parties in local government.

Queanbeyan-Palerang mayor Tim Overall said he did not recall his one-time membership of the NSW Liberal Party until reminded by Fairfax Media. Credit:Jamila Toderas

Cr Overall has confirmed that he was a member of the NSW Liberal Party in 2005 and 2006 but claims he had no recall over it until presented with the document.

Documents obtained by the Queanbeyan Age under the Government Information (Public Access) Act 2009 show Cr Overall was a member of the party from May 2005 to December 2006.No matter how cynical people choose to be about the news Donald Trump has agreed to meet with Kim Jong-un over a possible end to North Korea's nuclear weapons program, it is hard to deny this an improvement on what we have seen to date.

Regional peace and security has hung by a thread for the better part of a year while Pyongyang fired off a succession of intercontinental ballistic missiles, some of which allegedly had the capacity to reach Australia and the U.S., and detonated nuclear explosions in underground testing.

The escalation in North Korea's offensive capacity, seen by many as a pre-emptive attempt to secure the rogue state's long term survival by elevating it to nuclear power status, prompted a war of words between the two leaders.

This included childish insults and threats to launch devastating attacks against each other's countries.Italian restaurant chain Vapiano is expanding into Canberra, opening a new venue on Bunda Street before Easter.

Serving up handcrafted pizza, pasta and salads, the restaurant is focussed on fresh food - all ingredients will be sourced within a 150 kilometre radius of Canberra and pasta, pizza dough, sauces, salad dressings, and desserts are all made- in-house daily.

Italian restaurant chain Vapiano?is expanding into Canberra, with a restaurant opening on Bunda Street.

The Canberra restaurant will be different to those elsewhere in the country - instead of ordering directly from chefs and having your pasta cooked right in front of you, diners will order at a central point and then be seated, with meals and drinks delivered to the table.

Vapiano Canberra is opening on the dining strip outside Canberra Centre's Monaro Mall beauty precinct, alongside Raku and Espresso Room.When it was pointed out to me last year that I was the only female editor of an Australian daily metropolitan masthead, I was initially quite chuffed. But I quickly realised that such a fact is a pretty sad indictment on the broad state of journalisms senior ranks in 2018.

The Herald has had only three female editors in its 187-year history. The first, Amanda Wilson, was appointed in 2011, just shy of the mastheads 180th birthday. A reason to celebrate for Amanda, and female journalists here generally, but far too late. I dont know why it took 180 years to appoint a female into the top job, but thankfully it didnt take another 180 for the second - Judith Whelan - who was appointed in 2016.

While that makes it sound like there are just a smattering of women around the place, I want to use this International Womens Day-eve to highlight all the wonderful newsroom leaders who support me, and our journalism, each day. Our digital editor, managing photo editor, Good Weekend editor, Spectrum editor, Good Food editor, opinion editor, weekend features editor, state political editor, and health editor are all women - and there are plenty of other female role models for young journalists everywhere.

This years IWD theme of #PressforProgress is important - while Im proud of the representation of females in senior roles across the newsroom, more can always be done.

"[It] is a pretty sad indictment on the broad state of journalism's senior ranks in 2018."This should be a breeze. Marshall Johnson of St Ives asks: "On the forecourt of Customs House at Circular Quay, there is a tall metal pole on the top of which is a metal arrow which turns in the breeze. Does anyone know what it represents?"

More initiation errands (C8), this time from Robyn Dalleywater of Sanctuary Point whose friend "was once sent to the bakery for 'half a dozen randy tarts' " and Alastair Wilson of Balmain who writes: "In an office I worked in back in Scotland, the office-boy was sent out for a pint of pigeon's milk, a can of tartan paint, and a gross of 35mm sprocket holes from the camera shop."

Still on newbies, Garry Robinson of Mannering Park reminisces: "The year was 1964 and the new girl for the Bank of NSW turned up in her uniform at our Commonwealth Bank branch at Boolaroo. It wasn't until after making our morning tea that we redirected her across the road when her manager called to see if we had seen her. Later on I asked her out. She said no."

A proud local, Judith Hansen notes: "Port Macquarie has it all. Domain has advertised a house with an idealistic north-east aspect."

It's not all Greek to the alert Roma McDonald of South Maroubra, who says: "I enjoyed George Mangerton's suggestion of charging an extra 14 cents for a pie (C8). If he lived in the United States, the price could be a once only on March 14."Passengers on Sydney's ferries and light rail can now use credit cards and smart phones and watches to pay for their trips but will miss out on the benefits of regular Opal card users.

Following a trial on ferries between Circular Quay and Manly, the so-called contactless technology has been expanded to ferries across the city and the inner west light rail line between Central Station and Dulwich Hill. The state government hopes to extend it to trains by the end of the year.

The cost of a journey using so-called contactless payments is the equivalent of an Adult Opal single-trip ticket, and will allow tourists and infrequent public transport users to avoid queues to buy single tickets or top up Opal cards with credit.

However, using credit cards to pay for travel on ferries or light rail will not offer the same benefits as using an Opal card, which includes half-price travel after eight trips in a week, or a transfer discount when switching modes of transport such as from a bus to a train.A thief with magician-like skills in misdirection has been caught on camera as he bamboozles a fruit shop cashier into handing over more than $100 in undue change.

The man brought half a pumpkin to the counter of Papa Joes Fruit and Deli in Thirroul Plaza, Wollongong, about 10.50am on Sunday.

He paid using a $100 note and the teenage cashier gave him change including a $50 note and coins.

As he received the change, he handed the cashier a few coins, possibly to appear to be rounding up the coins he had been given in change so he would be given a note instead.Michael Brack was just 16 when he was fatally stabbed in the neck during a botched drug deal on the Gold Coast in November 2015.

The man he had planned to sell 14 grams of marijuana to for $160 is now on trial charged with his murder.

Police arrest accused killer Ryan John Howes on a Gold Coast rooftop in 2015. Credit:Seven News Queensland

Ryan John Howes pleaded not guilty to killing the teen on the opening day of his Brisbane Supreme Court case on Monday.

The jury heard he'd been drinking during the afternoon and night of Saturday, November 14, before arranging to meet Mr Brack at a nearby shopping centre.Former captains and vice captains of Trinity Grammar School have condemned the sacking of the school's deputy principal and accused the school of an "apparent lack of concern" for the student whose hair he cut.

Rohan Brown was dismissed last week after more than 30 years' service at the school for cutting a student's hair before school photos.

The school's own alumni association is demanding the principal and school council stand down after the incident.

Rohan Brown, the former deputy principal at Trinity Grammar. Credit:Josh Robenstone

Opposition education spokesman and Member for Kew Tim Smith has also weighed in, telling radio station 3AW Mr Brown had been "hung, drawn and quartered on the altar of political correctness".A Perth man is facing huge medical costs after being punched in a bar in Bali.

According to 9 News Perth, Aden Field was assaulted in a one punch attack by a stranger in a bar in Seminyak.

Aden Field in hospital. Credit:9 News Perth

Mr Field has reportedly had 23 screws and three metal plates put into his jaw.

He has no travel insurance.Big Bob, the erstwhile foreign minister, was on hand to proffer his long-standing view that we need to be smaller for a while before we get bigger. A questioner asked: We've seen a sharp decline in our living standards in the past five to 10 years. Unaffordable housing, overdevelopment, low wage growth, and overcrowded schools, hospitals and public transport  do you think our politicians understand how angry Australians are about our mass immigration program? Tony Jones: Lets start with Bob Carr. Why not, indeed! Big Bob did not mind in the least. I thought I was a lonely voice for a long time, he said.

"The message has sunk in and the key message is this. Immigration is good. We are a migrant nation. Would it be such a tragedy if instead of adding a million to our population every three-and-a-half years, we took six years about it? Could we achieve the benefits of immigration with a more manageable annual intake? Big Tony intervened: Bob, to interrupt for a moment - the former political elite, former prime minister Tony Abbott, came out and asked for the migration intake to be cut in half. It sounds like you're on song with him, is that what you are saying? Tony Abbott suggested the migrant intake be cut in half. Big Bob: More or less, I would leave it to the experts to work out and address the different categories. Hurrah! Bob Carr in agreement with Tony Abbott surely signalled a dramatic shift in the national narrative - a move to detente?

Well, yes. Possibly between Big Bob and Big Tony (Abbott), but not Big Bob and Big Tony (Jones), between whom there seemed lingering discord. Another questioner asked: What risks are there in applying population growth and high density into the peri-urban areas such as the Blue Mountains and Wollondilly? I'm asking this in the context of the Wilton priority precinct, which aims to build a new city of 50,000 people with no access to public transport. Tony Jones wisely wondered why all these houses were being built before there was a bus or train within cooee of a dunny. Big Bob: "It happens precisely when you run immigration at double the rate it ought to be run  the infrastructure struggles to keep up. And what government pours into infrastructure is adequate to cope with an existing population, but struggles to cope with the needs when it is the highest rate of immigration in the developed world." Big Tony was curious: You were premier for 10 years, why didn't you build a world-class railway system to look after all of these people?

Big Bob: "Let me answer that question." Big Bob cited "a Treasury assessment", which for some reason he promised to tweet to Q&A - "so they go up and everyone can have access to them". Indeed, Big Bob - or someone on his behalf - was actually life-tweeting during the show. But Big Tony had thrown out the hard question on what an ambitious premier might have foreseen. Big Bob: "It would have been impossible for any premier, not just this one, during 10 years to increase capital works outlay by above 40 per cent in real terms"

Big Tony: "Unless you were looking into the future?" The what? As it was, the nation came away from this debate wondering whether our political leaders, past or present, had our best interests at heart. And is the national habit now, the knee-jerk response was to hear a politician speak, and then respond: Hang on a minute. In this regard, Big Tony (Jones) hit the nail on the head.Lille, France: French far-right leader Marine Le Pen has proposed that her National Front party be renamed the "Rassemblement National", which can be translated as "National Rally" or "National Gathering", in a bid to shed a brand associated by many voters with racism and anti-Semitism and to facilitate alliances with other parties.

Speaking on Sunday at a party congress meant to help her reassert her authority following her defeat to President Emmanuel Macron last May, Le Pen said the party's priority should be to gain power, which could only be achieved through a coalition with allies.

French far right leader Marine Le Pen delivers a speech during the weekend's party congress in Lille. Credit:AP

"Our goal is clear: power," Le Pen told party members gathered in the northern city of Lille, who cheered her speech denouncing immigration, globalisation and a federal Europe.Suspected Islamic insurgents have opened fire on a school bus, wounding nine people, including eight Muslim teenagers in Thailand's restive south, police said.

The bus was driving the students - aged from 13 to 18 years - home from a private Islamic school in Yala province's Yaha district when an unknown number of assailants in a pickup truck opened fire on them, seriously wounding the driver, said police Lieutenant Dularit Chuchae. Eight students on the bus were slightly injured.

Dularit said initial investigations indicated the assailants were targeting the bus driver, who is also a member of an armed civilian defence force hired by the government to support security personnel in the insurgency-wracked southern provinces.

Yaha is one of the two districts in the area that has been put under curfew since March, following a burst of violence directed at civilians.

An Islamic insurgency in Thailand's southernmost provinces of Yala, Pattani and Narathiwat has led to more than 2,300 deaths in the past three years. Muslims form the majority in the area, but have long complained that they are treated as second-class citizens in the Buddhist-dominated country.Washington: The White House has vowed to help provide "rigorous firearms training" to some schoolteachers and formally endorsed a bill to tighten the federal background checks system, but backed off President Donald Trump's earlier call to raise the minimum age to purchase some guns to 21 years old from 18 years old.

Responding directly to last month's gun massacre at a Florida high school, the administration rolled out a series of policy proposals that focus largely on mental health and school safety initiatives. The idea of arming some teachers has been controversial and has drawn sharp opposition from the National Education Association, the country's largest teachers lobby, among other groups.

People pray around one of 17 crosses, after a candlelight vigil for the victims of the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, in Parkland, Florida. Credit:AP

Many of the student survivors have urged Washington to toughen restrictions on gun purchases, but such measures are fiercely opposed by the National Rifle Association, and the Trump plan does not include any substantial changes to gun laws.TerraX winter drilling extends Sam Otto zone with 1.5 km step-out hole, confirming a 2.2 km long mineralized zone open along strike and at depth

Posted by Publisher Internet

TerraX Minerals Inc. (TSX-V: TXR; Frankfurt: TX0; OTC Pink: TRXXF) is pleased to announce assay results from the first 5 holes (2,003 m) of its 2018 winter drill program now underway on the Yellowknife City Gold project.? Two of these holes (688 m) tested the Sam Otto South extension, confirming a 2.2 km mineralized zone that remains open along strike and at depth. ??These holes were drilled as a follow up to our surface sampling program done in 2017 (news release of Sept 26, 2017). That program indicated the Sam Otto zone may extend for 3.5 kilometers south of the main zone which was drilled over 750 m of strike length in 2016. ??Hole TSO18-035 was collared 1.5 kilometer south of the Sam Otto main zone and intersected a broad zone of deformation and alteration (150 m wide) that contained a mineralized zone assaying 2.16 g/t Au over 27.16 m, including 1 m of 23.1 g/t Au, and 2.44 m at 7.99 g/t Au.

The second hole, TSO18-037, drilled 377 m north along strike from TSO18-035 also intersected a broad deformation and alteration zone (231.5 m wide), and contained a mineralized zone assaying 1.92 g/t Au over 11.52 meters, including 2.89 g/t Au over 3.64 meters. ??A map of drill hole locations is available here.?

Joseph Campbell, the CEO of TerraX, stated ?The extremely long step out for hole TSO18-035 confirmed our exploration targeting. The higher grade multi-gram intersections reported here exceed the grades typically seen in the Sam Otto main zone and confirm continuity within this large mineralizing system. ?With several kilometers of strike length to explore, we are excited about the potential for a large tonnage deposit.?

Three holes totaling 1,315 m were also drilled on the Sam Otto Main zone testing the down dip extension of previous TerraX drilling to a vertical depth of 350 meters. These three holes were drilled over 230 meters of strike length below previous drilling at the Sam Otto main zone.? All holes hit typical Sam Otto main zone deformation and alteration, extending the Sam Otto main zone to depth, but with an increase in mineralized quartz veins relative to the mineralized zones in the previous shallower holes. ?Hole TSO18-032 intersected deformation and alteration over 247.5 m, with a well mineralized zone of 0.85 g/t Au over 62.24 m, including 2.04 g/t Au over 13.95 m. ?Hole TSO18-033 intersected deformation and alteration over 216.5 m, with two well mineralized zones of 0.52 g/t Au over 21.50 m and 0.50 g/t Au over 40.00 m.? Hole TSO18-034 intersected deformation and alteration over 176.2 m, with well mineralized zones that included 0.51 g/t Au over 31.80 m.? The following table provides a listing of all significant drill results.

All holes were drilled approximately normal to projected strike and dip of the zones of mineralization and are interpreted to be approximately 75-80% of true thickness.

Drilling on the Northbelt property is currently being carried out by two drills on multiple targets. The initial 2018 drill campaign is planned to be approximately 6,300 meters.

For the 5 holes reported today, TerraX collected 1,587 samples for assay from the drilling reported here. Results ranged from below detection to 23.1 g/t Au. Drill hole collar locations were surveyed to sub-meter accuracy. Down hole surveying was completed on all holes. TerraX inserts certified standards and blanks into the sample stream as a check on laboratory QC. Drill core samples are cut by diamond saw at TerraX\-\-s core facilities in Yellowknife.? A halved core sample is left in the core box. The other half core is sampled and transported by TerraX personnel in securely sealed bags to ALS Chemex\-\-s (ALS) preparation laboratory in Yellowknife. After sample preparation, samples are shipped to ALS\-\-s Vancouver facility for gold and ICP analysis. Gold assays of >3 g/t are re-assayed on a 30 gm split by fire assay with a gravimetric finish. ALS is a certified and accredited laboratory service. ALS routinely inserts certified gold standards, blanks and pulp duplicates, and results of all QC samples are reported.

The technical information contained in this news release has been approved by Joseph Campbell, the Chief Executive Officer of TerraX, who is a Qualified Person as defined in \National Instrument 43-101, Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects.\

About the Yellowknife City Gold Project

The Yellowknife City Gold (\YCG\) project encompasses 772 sq km of contiguous land immediately north, south and east of the City of Yellowknife in the Northwest Territories. Through a series of acquisitions, TerraX controls one of the six major high-grade gold camps in Canada. Being within 10 km of the City of Yellowknife, the YCG is close to vital infrastructure, including all-season roads, air transportation, service providers, hydro-electric power and skilled tradespeople.

The YCG lies on the prolific Yellowknife greenstone belt, covering 70 km of strike length along the main mineralized break in the Yellowknife gold district, including the southern and northern extensions of the shear system that hosted the high-grade Con and Giant gold mines. The project area contains multiple shears that are the recognized hosts for gold deposits in the Yellowknife gold district, with innumerable gold showings and recent high-grade drill results that serve to indicate the project\-\-s potential as a world-class gold district.?

For more information on the YCG project, please visit our web site at www.terraxminerals.com.

This news release contains forward-looking information, which involves known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual events to differ materially from current expectation. Important factors  including the availability of funds, the results of financing efforts, the completion of due diligence and the results of exploration activities  that could cause actual results to differ materially from the Company\-\-s expectations are disclosed in the Company\-\-s documents filed from time to time on SEDAR (see www.sedar.com). Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this press release. The company disclaims any intention or obligation, except to the extent required by law, to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, events or otherwise.hte and Instituto de Tecnologia Quimica announce successful commercialization of Micro Downflow Unit for FCC Catalyst Testing

hte ? the high throughput experimentation company and Instituto de Tecnologia Quimica (ITQ) in Valencia, Spain, a joint research center of the Universitat Politecnica de Valencia and the Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Cientificas, have entered the stage of commercializing micro downflow technology for testing fluid catalytic cracking (FCC) catalysts. This new technology is cost-efficient as only small amounts of catalysts and feeds are required. It offers an entrained catalyst flow concept, flexible handling of feedstocks, and operation under typical pressures for FCC.

In 2013, hte and ITQ signed a joint agreement for developing a new lab-scale technology in the field of FCC catalyst testing. The parties are proud to announce that after several years of development the micro downflow technology has now reached its commercialization stage.

The micro downflow unit (MDU) offers an entrained catalyst flow reactor system analogous to commercial fluid catalyst cracking units (FCCUs). It can be operated within a wide range of process conditions, including elevated pressures which are typical for FCCUs. The unit is fully automated and cost-efficient as only small amounts of catalysts and feeds are required. Processability of a broad range of feedstocks has been demonstrated, ranging from naphtha and vacuum gas oil to residue feeds and crude oils. It includes the latest software solution myhteTM for integrating, storing, retrieving, analyzing, and visualizing data.

?We selected hte for this task of commercialization because of its long-term reputation as technology leader in the market and its fundamental understanding of the FCC process,? says Avelino Corma, Professor at ITQ. ?We are excited about opening our technology to the market.?

Wolfram Stichert, CEO at hte, comments: ?We are confident that this technology significantly reduces the costs for FCC catalyst testing for refiners. We will offer this technology to our customers within our R&D Solutions business at our site in Heidelberg.?

About hte

At hte ? the high throughput experimentation company, we make R&D in the area of catalysis faster and more productive. We enable cost-effective innovations and reduced time to market for new products, thereby allowing our customers in the energy & refining, chemical & petrochemical, and environmental industry to keep ahead of the competition. Our technology and services comprise:

 R&D Solutions: highly efficient contract research programs at hte?s state-of-the-art laboratories in Heidelberg, Germany

 Technology Solutions: integrated hardware and software solutions, enabling our customers to establish high throughput workflows in their own laboratories.

Our customers benefit from a broad technical and scientific expertise, an exceptional customer orientation, complete end-to-end solutions, and an outstanding data quality. Our close ties with BASF guarantee long-term orientation and stability. For more information, visit our website www.hte-company.com.

About the Instituto de Tecnologia Quimica

The Instituto de Tecnologia Quimica (ITQ) is a joint research center created in 1990 by the Universitat Politecnica de Valencia and the Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Cientificas. ITQ is an international reference center in the area of catalysis and new materials (especially zeolites) and also in photochemistry. Due to its excellent fundamental and oriented research level and its multidisciplinary character, ITQ has the possibility to develop research in different disciplines having an extraordinary flexibility and capability to adapt itself to new research challenges.Headquartered in a designated facility, the Compton Unified School District (USD) Police Department is committed to providing a safe and secure educational environment for students, staff, and parents. It strives to prevent criminal or delinquent behaviour that has a negative impact on the educational process within the schools and community.

Located in a suburban Los Angeles community with a high crime rate, Compton USD is among the 75 percent of schools that have adopted video surveillance solutions, an important tool for ensuring safety on school grounds. Schools facing challenges, such as violence or vandalism on campus, find security cameras an indispensable aid to identifying and resolving issues as they arise.

Benitez designed a customised Dahua Technology security system that monitors the premises from the outside perimeter facing inward

IP surveillance infrastructure



The jungle of outdated and damaged cabling from a defunct analogue video surveillance system that hangs from buildings throughout the grounds serve as a reminder of both the budgetary and technology challenges once facing the Compton USD Police Department.

Mario Benitez, an Authorized Dahua Dealer for Advanced Alarm in Santa Fe Springs, California began to explore building an IP surveillance infrastructure that would span the long-distance 2.5-acre grounds without the need for trenching cables.

This area houses the Compton USD Police Department buildings, police vehicles, evidence sheds, and other municipal structures. Benitez sought an economical yet scalable solution that would eventually allow officers to remotely monitor video feed directly from Compton school campuses, adding another layer of security to the departments functionality.

Customised security system

Compton USD Police Department officials chose to work with Benitez, who approached the project with an innovative solution: incorporating the newest ideas and the most up-to-date surveillance systems available. Benitez designed a customised Dahua Technology security system that monitors the premises from the outside perimeter facing inward, a configuration that provides better views of the four buildings, three gates, and grounds of the Command Center.

The Dahua IP cameras and NVR proved to be beneficial because they dont require physical cabling to connect

Partnering with Dahua sales and engineering staff, Benitez deployed a total Dahua solution that included 20 Pro Series 4MP WDR fixed lens Wi-Fi cameras, a 32-channel NVR, three smart switches, one surveillance management centre, two 2.4 and 5.6GHz indoor access points, and four 5.6GHz wireless video transmission devices to create a locked wireless connection.

The first unit wirelessly connects six to eight IP cameras on the remote end. The second unit is connected to the NVR network and transmits a signal from the remote cameras. The bridge requires an unobstructed line of sight to create the link. The Dahua IP cameras and NVR proved to be beneficial because they offer a flexible solution that doesnt require physical cabling to connect.

Mapping of project

The project required months of planning, a process that involved mapping the project on paper, strategic alignment of networked devices, an audit to ensure operability, and final integration and deployment. This is one of those projects where the heavy lifting comes in the planning stages. It was a complex project, but the Dahua team was very knowledgeable and helped us put together a powerful solution, said Benitez. So, when it came time for the installation it was fast and everything went smoothly.

With strategic placement, the video surveillance cameras can capture both the perimeter and interior of the Compton USD Police Station grounds

The plan included leveraging a motor on the back gate of the property to access a 110-volt circuit for power to send a signal across a wireless bridge. With strategic placement of cameras elevated on support poles, the video surveillance cameras can capture both the perimeter and interior of the Compton USD Police Station grounds.

The NVR is housed in a rack within the police station command centre, allowing officers to closely monitor the grounds, buildings, and vehicles at a glance to safeguard the facility and its assets. I was determined to use only Dahua products for this project. They worked with me to deliver a unique, customised solution, said Benitez.

Networked video surveillance solution

With the addition of a networked video surveillance solution, the Compton USD Police Department gained a valuable resource for long-term success by implementing a scalable system that meets both immediate security needs and provides for future improvements. The collaboration between Advanced Alarm Inc. and Dahua Technology USA to deploy a top-of-the-line and easy-to-use system resulted in a creative solution that will continue to offer ROI and protect both people and property.

Dahua cares about the installer. They design software with practical functions that are easy to demonstrate, easy to operate, and easy for my customers to understand, said Benitez. And that makes my life easier.

Benitez was able to bridge the camera across long distances, delivering seamless connectivity

Revolutionary new protocol

Benitez worked closely with Dahua sales and engineering representatives to identify solutions that reinforced his problem-solving skills to design and deploy an innovative networked solution. He established a revolutionary new protocol for designing a video surveillance system with camera placement on the outside perimeter facing inwarda model that is gaining popularity with his customers, setting him apart, and increasing demand for his services. In addition, he was able to bridge the camera across long distances using wireless access points and smart switches to deliver seamless connectivity.

After 25 years in the business, I can finally say Ive found a brand I like, he said. Now I only use Dahua products. Theyre very user-friendly and work right out of the box.With about 5,000 visitors circulating through its facilities every day, the Hard Rock Hotel in Riviera Maya needed to strengthen its video surveillance system.

The Hard Rock Hotel in Riviera Maya receives celebrities from all over the world, including couples celebrating anniversaries and families enjoying their vacation. The property covers 37 hectares and can host up to 3,800 guests in its 1,264 bedrooms. Additionally, several events are held at the hotel, from concerts to private celebrations, making the hotel a very crowded place. 5,000 visitors circulating through its facilities every day, the Hard Rock Hotel in Riviera Maya needed to strengthen its video surveillance

Outdated security system

During those busy periods, the amount of people walking through the hotel really underlined the fact that the old security system was unable to monitor certain areas of the property, as there were only 16 cameras installed. Out of those 16 cameras, only 12 worked properly, which diminished this luxury propertys capacity to react to any incident captured by its outdated security system. With such large amounts of people walking through the hotel, ensuring effective and comprehensive security surveillance monitoring was becoming a big issue, one that needed to be resolved. For that reason, three years ago the hotel decided to invest in better security, so that its guests would not just feel comfortable, but also safe, especially those visitors arriving with expensive goods or with privacy requirements.

In the analysis of the property, Julio Herrera Lopez (security manager at the Hard Rock Hotel, Riviera Maya), along with his team, evaluated the security conditions at the hotel and invited integrators to propose solutions. Out of the proposals submitted, equipment from Hikvision was chosen because the system fitted the parameters of the hotels project perfectly. Another factor in favor of the worlds leading supplier in video surveillance and security solutions was their favorable warranty terms. Out of the proposals submitted, equipment from Hikvision was chosen

Installation process

The installation process of the new security system was developed in phases. In the first stage, 89 Hikvision cameras were mounted. Later, 30 additional units were installed and currently, the hotel has 324 EXIR Series IP cameras, two DS-9664NI-I8 NVRs and two DS-96256NI-F16 NVRs, and one 4-channel video wall.

With the new Hikvision surveillance system now installed, the hotel can effectively monitor common areas, entrances, sectors with high flow of personnel and areas dedicated to hosting events, as well as external hotel areas. With the support of the new cameras it has been possible to protect 349 invaluable objects, including the Memorabilia collection displaying celebrities items. These items include a guitar and a jacket from Elvis Presley, drums from Aerosmith and Matchbox Twenty, guitars from The Police and Bon Jovi (who starred in the inaugural concert at the hotel), and articles from Black Sabbath and the Rolling Stones. In the first stage, 89 Hikvision cameras were mounted

Guest satisfaction

Some guests have also expressed their satisfaction about the fact that thanks to the coverage of the security cameras, the hotel has the capability to avoid losses of guests belongings.

The challenge was to implement a system with the most up to date security technology, says Gilberto Rocha, Operations Manager at Opcom, the systems integrator in charge of the project. We installed a 10Km optical fiber trunk network for optimum video fidelity, which makes this project the first of its kind to use such an amount of Hikvision only IP cameras.

Video surveillance system

Thanks to this video surveillance system we can be aware of any event happening at the hotel, so for example, we can provide timely first aid when required, or keep an eye on children and our hotel staff to make sure they are safe. Similarly, we can react to any disturbance in our premises. The new security system has remarkably improved security at the hotel and we are now also able to record evidence of any situations or accidents that occur, says Herrera Lopez.

With this camera solution, the hotels 106 strong security team is able to monitor 2,300 hotel staff and 3,800 guests that occupy the hotel on a normal day, and if is necessary, up to 4,500 visitors during special events, such as concerts.

With this camera solution, the hotels 106 strong security team is able to monitor 2,300 hotel staff

Hikvision equipment

According to Herrera Lopez, Hikvision has worked hand in hand with the hotel from the very moment the installation of the system began. Engineers from the company traveled to Mexico to supervise the operation of the security system. At the same time, integrator Opcom were prompt to provide any assistance required by the hotel.

The Hard Rock Hotel, Riviera Maya is so satisfied with the performance of the new system, that Hikvision equipment has been chosen for the security system for the Wood Ward Campsite, which is due to open soon, as well as for the Unico Hotel. This establishment is currently under construction and located less than 15km from Tulum, in Kantenah beach (Riviera Maya). Following the parameters of the video surveillance system and monitoring model deployed at the Hard Rock Hotel, Riviera Maya, 164 cameras will be installed at the Unico Hotel.Initially settled in the 1840s, the City of Coppell has grown to a mid-size Dallas suburb of over 40,000 residents. With dozens of parks, public facilities, and over 7 miles of trails to maintain and protect, the City of Coppell has a strong need for a robust and reliable video surveillance system.

For the third year in a row Coppell earned the top spot in the mid-sized city category of the Its Time Texas Community Challenge, a program that encourages Texas communities to compete over the ability to demonstrator the greatest commitment to healthy living.

Nationally, the City of Coppell has ranked as one of the best places to live, one of the best places to be a kid, and shown a top 3 commitment to community safety through their participation in National Night Out. Coppell has also been ranked as one of the best places to find a job in Texas. Such accolades necessitate a posture of safety and security to continue to attract growth and continued community development. A manageable and effective video surveillance system is a key factor.

The citys various VMS were all brought together under one view, so all systems and information is accessible from a single location

Reliable video surveillance

The citys various VMS were all brought together under one view, so all systems and information is accessible from a single location. Numerous outdated and non-functioning cameras were replaced with the latest IDIS cameras, providing a reliable and relatively seamless integration with the VMS systems used, complemented with technologies including License Plate Recognition (LPR) to maximise situational awareness.

This deployment of next-generation technology, with IDIS cameras as the tip of the spear, as part of a newly robust video surveillance solution, increases the ability to mitigate risks, as well as see, understand, and react to incidents quicker and more comprehensively

Integrated public safety system

Improved technology, and the full integration of IDIS cameras within the enhanced solution facilitates better, faster, clearer image capture and review. This increases not only law enforcement capability in Coppell, but creates both immediate benefit and increased potential for how the newer, more integrated system can be leveraged to support even more requirements. The new solution allows public safety and law enforcement to use IDIS footage and the full complement of integrated features and technologies available to them to better assemble a picture, gather evidence, and ultimately make the City of Coppell a safer place.

The citys surveillance systems consisted of a mixed bag of disparate systems scattered around the city. In addition to the complexities of managing and maintaining such a patchwork system, antiquated hardware added additional challenges. Many of the cameras used throughout the city and their corresponding systems where no longer supported, and in some cases, were no longer functioning. This non-functioning equipment meant the city didnt always have the coverage they wanted or needed leaving gaps in their footage and data collection.

The system has already played a key role in multiple crime investigations"

Crime prevention

Before the system, they had several major crimes (armed robberies) committed in public areas but upon investigation, found that they had no camera footage. Since the new cameras and systems were brought online, they have had at least two incidents that were caught on video. The new system has also been used for a number of other investigative actions around the city.

Albert Gauthier, Chief Information Officer of the City of Coppel, remarked that The system has already played a key role in multiple crime investigations. During the opening of the citys two largest parks, which were closed for renovations, the system was used extensively to ensure the safety and security of the 25,000 people in attendance.

"We are delighted with the new cameras and systems. We got what we expected and we hope to get a lot more out of the system as we finish this multi-phase project. Currently, we are only using a small fraction of the capabilities available to us, but see multiple avenues for improving the efficiency of investigations through automation. There is a bit of learning curve integrating all of these technologies, but we have already gotten value out of the system, even before its complete and fully operational.Georgetown, SC (29440)

Today

Scattered thunderstorms this evening becoming more widespread overnight. Low 73F. Winds ESE at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 90%. Locally heavy rainfall possible..

Tonight

Scattered thunderstorms this evening becoming more widespread overnight. Low 73F. Winds ESE at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 90%. Locally heavy rainfall possible.The new documentary "Searching for Skylab" aims to tell the story of the first U.S. space station, "America's forgotten triumph."

Before the International Space Station and before the space shuttle, but after the last astronauts walked on the moon, nine Americans took the first steps to establishing a U.S. foothold in Earth orbit.

Skylab was the first U.S. space station, but today, beyond a few museum exhibits and the occasional reference to its eventful end, the orbital workshop is largely missing from public view. A new feature-length documentary, "Searching for Skylab," is aimed at correcting that oversight.

"Skylab was a crucial element in human space exploration  which happened to fall in the immediate shadow of the Apollo lunar missions," explains director and writer Dwight Steven-Boniecki. "Hundreds of hours of video and audio recordings exist from it, yet it is unlikely that you've seen or heard much of it."

"If you thought landing on the moon was great, wait to you hear what we did on Skylab," says Ed Gibson, who served as the science pilot on third and final mission to Skylab, in the trailer for "Searching for Skylab." [Skylab: The First U.S. Space Station in Pictures]

To finish the documentary so it can be ready to help mark Skylab's 45th anniversary, the filmmakers have turned to Kickstarter to raise the remaining $20,000 they need.

Skylab orbital workshop, America's first space station. (Image credit: Searching for Skylab)

Orbit becomes a destination

Built out of a converted upper stage from one the Saturn V rockets designed to send the first astronauts to the moon, Skylab provided the United States with its first platform for longer duration missions in space.

"Skylab is the first time that orbit becomes a destination," states David Hitt, co-author of "Homesteading Space: The Skylab Story," in a clip from "Searching for Skylab."

Three crews of three astronauts each lived and worked on Skylab between May 1973 and February 1974. Each flight set a record for the amount of time crew members spent in space  Skylab 1 for 28 days, Skylab 2 for 59 days, and Skylab 3 for 84 days.

Surviving members from all three crews were interviewed for "Searching for Skylab," including Gibson, Joe Kerwin, Jack Lousma, Owen Garriott and the late Paul Weitz prior to his death in October 2017.

Steven-Boniecki also spoke with members of the ground crew whose ingenuity and quick work were instrumental to saving Skylab before its science mission could begin.

A meteoroid shield was ripped off Skylab during its launch, which in turn took out one of the space station's two solar arrays.

"It looked like a perfect launch to us... but something bad was going on," recalls Kerwin, the science pilot on the first Skylab crewed mission.

Searching for Skylab" director Dwight Steven-Boniecki editing the documentary. (Image credit: Searching for Skylab)

Crowdfunding a 'forgotten triumph'

Steven-Boniecki was born and lived for a time in Australia, where debris from Skylab rained down after its destructive re-entry into the atmosphere in 1979. He previously edited the NASA Skylab mission reports for mass publication and authored two books, "Live TV From The Moon" and "Live TV from Orbit," detailing how the television footage filmed in space reached audiences on Earth. [Space Station Evolution: 6 Amazing Orbital Outposts]

He has wrapped filming on "Searching for Skylab," but the production still requires the service of an experienced color grader and needs to acquire archival NASA footage to be ready for its scheduled debut at the Spacefest convention in Tucson, Arizona in July.

Those who back the "Searching for Skylab" crowd-funding campaign will see their names listed in the film credits and will receive digital or Blu-ray copies of the documentary, as well as patches, posters and exclusive copies of the music composed for the film, depending on their pledge level.

"Searching for Skylab" will be funded if its goal of 15,000 (about $20,855 US) is met on Kickstarter by April 6.

A similar approach was adopted by a different anniversary-timed space documentary. "First to the Moon: The Journey of Apollo 8" from director Paul Hildebrandt surpassed its $50,000 goal on its second try on Kickstarter, with a week still remaining before the campaign ends on March 17.

Watch the trailer for Dwight Steven-Boniecki's "Searching for Skylab" at collectSPACE.

Follow collectSPACE.com on Facebook and on Twitter at @collectSPACE. Copyright 2018 collectSPACE.com. All rights reserved.A deal to buy 171 Greenwich Ave. closed last week in far less time than its taken to secure tenants for some neighboring storefronts.

The three-story property, which houses luxury retailer Club Monaco on the first floor, sold for $6.55 million, according to town property records. The listing generated interest from local and out-of-town buyers, according to its exclusive agent, Tom Torelli of Allied Property Management.

After around three months on the market, the building attracted New York City-based Highpoint Property Group, a real estate developer and operator, to snatch it up for a price very attractive to the seller, Torelli said. The sellers, who have moved away from Greenwich, decided to retire, he said.

Buildings along Greenwich Avenue seldom come on the market, with around one or two typically trading per year, said Torelli, whos also listing nearby 151 Greenwich Ave for $15.25 million.

A buildings location and condition, along with its tenants and leasing status, are important to buyers, he said. Club Monaco has a long-term lease for the prime, first-floor space at 171 Greenwich Ave., while apartments make up the second and third floors. Theres the opportunity Highpoint could choose to extend the top two floors and increase its square footage by several thousand square feet. The building is also one of several Greenwich Avenue properties that has municipal parking access from the rear entrance.

In 1999, Ralph Lauren announced plans to buy Club Monaco, which it still owns. While Club Monaco represents a stable presence at 171 Greenwich Ave., its parent companys name brand shop closed suddenly last year. The shuttered Ralph Lauren at 265 Greenwich Ave. is the largest vacancy on the street.

Witnessed by its pockets of empty storefronts, Greenwich Avenue has seen higher than normal vacancy rates over the last year. Torelli, though, said its retail market is bound to recover, and this recent building sale shows investors believe in its future.

Theres retail, and then theres retail, Torelli said. Theres not much vacancy on these two blocks. Most buyers think, long term, that retail will bounce back to where it was. Whether thats in one year or two or three doesnt matter as much for someone who plans to own a building for 10 to 20 years.Larry Kudlow is among those under consideration to replace Gary Cohn as director of the National Economic Council, with Kudlow a CNBC TV personality with residences in New York City and Redding.

The White House announced Cohns resignation last week, with President Donald Trump quoted Tuesday by Bloomberg saying Kudlow has a very good chance of taking the place of Cohn. According to multiple reports, others under consideration include former Microsoft executive Chris Liddell and Peter Navarro, an advisor pressing for the U.S. to impose tariffs on steel imports.As a playwright, Ken Ludwig has many wonderful qualities: Hes intelligent, charming and theatrically savvy. Hes incredibly well read in dramatic literature and has studied his favorite playwrights and filmmakers thoroughly. An unabashed Old Soul who likely keeps his TV tuned to TCM night and day, Ludwig flaunts his love of the past in his original plays Lend Me A Tenor, Moon Over Buffalo and Shakespeare in Hollywood.

Ludwigs presence here today is due to his affinity for Arthur Conan Doyle, specifically his 1902 novel The Hound of the Baskervilles, one of his best-known Sherlock Holmes capers. Ludwigs adaptation, Ken Ludwigs Baskerville: A Sherlock Holmes Mystery, which continues through March 25 at Long Wharf Theatre, is a nifty example of Ludwigs silliness, fondness for sight gags and playful love of words. Its typical Ludwig, polishing up a dusty chestnut for an audience totally nuts about the mystery genre.

Yet, for all of his devotion to Doyles story, Ludwigs Baskerville dolefully exposes Ludwigs own lack of invention. This show will invariably suffer in comparison to The 39 Steps, the 2008 play adapted by Patrick Barlow, Simon Corble and Nobby Dimon from Alfred Hitchcocks 1935 film. Ludwig not only appears to capitalize on the coattails of that feisty, ingenious adaptation of Hitchcocks suspenseful classic, but he gets caught picking its pockets in at least one instance.

Under Brendon Foxs deftly paced direction at Long Wharf, Ludwigs Baskerville retains Doyles story of Holmes (Alex Moggridge) and Dr. Watson (Daniel Pearce) arriving in dark, dank Devonshire to investigate a murder, a family curse and a menacing super-sized canine given to serenading the obscured moon in ominous tones. Doyles sleuthing duo encounters a large assortment of motley characters, red herring and hostile elements. The gimmick is that three supporting actors  Kelly Hutchinson, Christopher Livingston and Brian Owen  portray roughly 37 different characters in all. In the style of Irma Vep and numerous subsequent Velcro comedies, these three actors transition from one persona to another instantly. In one instance, Livingston, dressed as a grubby charwoman, becomes a Rococo dandy, fresh off the wrapping of a Three Musketeers bar, before our very eyes, thanks to costume designer Lex Liangs cleverness.

As inspired as this parlor trick is, pretty much everything else looks recycled from The 39 Steps, or other plays of this ilk. The most egregious case of theft arrives toward the middle of the second act when Watson and Livingston trudge headlong into a presumably typically stiff wind through the moors. As both actors manually flap their coats in synch with sound designer Victoria Deiorios recorded storm effect to create the illusion of gale-force winds, any theatergoer familiar with The 39 Steps instantly recalls the bit as performed during that earlier plays signature train-top scene. In The 39 Steps, the device is pure genius. Here, one cringes at Ludwigs blatant thievery. Its not as with Lend Me A Tenor, where Ludwig lovingly borrows from The Marx Brothers and any number of George Abbott Broadway farces 50 years gone by. Thats homage. This mimicry looks dishonorable, as a stolen device from a better, still-current hit play.

Does such a trespass sink Ludwigs ship? Not really. While fans loyal to The 39 Steps may resentfully endure the rest of Ludwigs Baskerville as if forced to climb back into a wet bathing suit for another chilly hour at the beach, theatergoers unfamiliar with The 39 Steps laugh riotously at this scene because it is funny. What they dont know wont hurt Ludwig. I mean, cmon! Look how long Milton Berles career lasted!

The other rub against the grain of 39 Steppers is that the Hitchcock film was adapted in such a manner that actors readily perform it seriously and without non-verbally commenting on their actions. In other words, the actors pursue their characters objectives in straightforward, poker-faced fashion, as if oblivious to the humor of the piece. Ludwigs Baskerville differs in that the actors are not only aware of their comic context, but also go so far in some instances to sell the jokes like concession hawkers during intermission. The one genuine exception is that battling-the-breeze bit, where the actors play it as straight as if delivering a saints eulogy. In the absence of any wink or nod to the audience, it gets the biggest laugh of the performance.

It must be said three fine performers comprise Foxs three-person ensemble. Specifically, Livingstons manic behavior is disarmingly charming. Hutchinson, who draws the short straw on zany characters, nonetheless invests her subjects with full heart and soul, proving herself a fine actor. Owen, who has previously performed in this show with and without Fox, stands out for his fearless commitment to his characters regardless how demented. He is a physically imposing figure who can move as gracefully as a ballet dancer while delivering his lines in a booming, elastic voice. Indeed, hes got a stage worthy Falstaff in him, as well as a Quasimodo, and perhaps even a Lear.

Oddly enough, the actors playing Holmes and Watson appear in service to the flexible trio playing in support of them. Its simply the nature of the beast in Ludwigs Baskerville. Moggridge is nothing like the lean, authoritarian, leading men of deep, seductive voices, such as Basil Rathbone of the old movies, or Paxton Whitehead, the contemporary gold standard for Holmes. The balding Moggridge comes across more like a pleasant character actor making the most of his leading role during his busmans holiday from playing the fop. Yet his sense of spontaneity and command of the language render a credible, if nontraditional, Holmes. Pearce, with his unmanageable gray-white thicket and goatee, does a fine job as a Watson who, through much of the play, finds himself the primary detective on this case while Holmes reportedly works on another case closer to home on Baker Street.

Exactly how Ludwigs Baskerville strikes one just might depend on ones familiarity with previous shows of this genre. Either way, Fox and company put on a fast-pasted, giddy performance meant to lighten the burden of even the world-weariest theatergoer.If you're like most entrepreneurs, chances are you probably pay little attention to the federal tax code -- unless, of course, your business is knowing the tax code -- or you love self-punishment.

Related: 10 Tax-Savings Hacks That Small Business Owners Often Miss

The tax code is long and complicated, and the reality is, an entrepreneurs time and energy is better spent focusing on his or her companys vision and strategy rather than trying to understand whether it's permissable to deduct a dogs grooming expenses (turns out it's not).

For this reason, some entrepreneurs may have missed the fact that an important deadline is approaching this week, which could have a significant impact on their 2018 tax returns.

With the recent changes resulting from the tax reform law passed last year, entrepreneurs must immediately decide whether to change their corporate structure (by choosing between a C corporation and a pass-through company like an S-Corp or LLC) to benefit from the new law's changes.

The deadline is March 15 and is retroactive to January 1, 2018.

Certainly, entrepreneurs should consult with their accountant or tax specialist to fully understand the impact on their specific businesses. But, for a quick overview, I consulted with William Norwalk, tax partner-in-charge at Sensiba San Filippo LLP in San Francisco. Norwalk provided the following simple advice and considerations entrepreneurs should make:

Related: This Financial Hack Could Save You Thousands of Dollars in Taxes

When not to revoke your S corp status: If you are currently operating as an S corporation, and it is a very close decision whether to change from an S corporation to a C corporation, don't revoke your S corporation status. You can always do this in the future, but once the S corporation election is revoked, you may not reelect an S corporation status for at least five years without IRS permission. And if you've ever worked with the IRS, you know how troublesome that might be.

When to be taxed as an S corp: If your company is not distributing profits to owners and instead reinvests profits, it is generally better to be taxed as a C corporation. If more than two-thirds of the profits will be distributed to the shareholders, however, it will generally be more beneficial to be organized as a pass-through entity. The precise calculation for each business should consider both the federal and state income tax burden and will differ depending on the state in which the business operates.

Why you shouldn't overlook your exit strategy: An entrepreneurs exit strategy for the business should not be overlooked. If the entrepreneur wishes to sell its shares, a C corporation will always be more conducive for this. C corporations, however, generally sell for less than pass-through entities (S corporations or LLCs) when a potential buyer wishes to purchase only the assets of the company rather than stock (which includes debt). Not sure about your exit strategy? Maybe it is time to create your own long-term plan for your business.

That alluring business deduction: The new business deduction for for pass-through entities is a very nice change, especially if you are a small business considering incorporation. The reason is that it effectively reduces the business tax rate from the individual 39 percent to 20 percent on income generated by the business. This deduction is only for qualified businesses, however; and to receive the full benefit, your taxable income must be below $157,500 if you are single, or $315,000 if you're married and file jointly. If your business is generating more, talk to your accountant to determine if it qualifies.

Entrepreneurs probably never consider changing the type of business structure they originally selected, because that move involves complicated and expensive steps and should generally be avoided unless you're forced to change due to new income levels or partners -- and those are good "problems" to have.

Related: Before You Form an S Corp, Consider These Points

With tax reform, however, changes in regulations can offer opportunities to small businesses, and while it is a painful endeavor to make changes, the long-term benefit and value added could make for a nice bonus -- one that could be used toward a new bookshelf for your tax code books.

Related:

The Important Tax Reform Deadline That Entrepreneurs Should Know About Now

This Financial Hack Could Save You Thousands of Dollars in Taxes

The New Tax Law Has Made It a Great Time to Invest in Real Estate. Here's How to Get the Most From Your Investment.



Copyright 2018 Entrepreneur.com Inc., All rights reserved



This article originally appeared on entrepreneur.com

D eliveroo launched an attempt to beat the crunch in the restaurants sector on Monday, playing landlord to some of Londons hottest street food brands.

The takeaways unicorn is to host a series of the capitals food start-ups in its Editions Kitchens, the facilities it runs on industrial estates which help restaurants who dont already have sites in those areas to expand.

The kitchens across London, as well as Brighton, Reading and Leeds, normally play host to chefs from established chains including Gourmet Burger Kitchen and Franco Manca.

Now the tech firm is making a deliberate push to collaborate with independents and has got four brands into its Canary Wharf site.

They are vegan specialists SpiceBox and the Vegan Matcha Burger Bar, as well as Japanese fusion brand SuBuSake. Kabab, a healthy specialist started by a New Zealander keen to break from the late-night kebab mould, will also feature. The brands will pop up on the Deliveroo app for 12 weeks. It is estimated it can require up to 250,000 up front to open a restaurant.

Deliveroo founder and chief executive Will Shu said: Starting a business is tough but Deliveroo will be able to help these talented new chefs showcase great food over the 12 weeks they are with this. The move comes as casual dining firms, and a string of retailers, find conditions on the High Street tough.A n Italian luxury streetwear brand fronted by actress Pamela Anderson, today joined a throng of designers investing in London and inked a deal to open its first UK store in Mayfair.

Milan-headquartered GCDS, which counts One Direction star Liam Payne as a fan, will open at 47 Albemarle Street in April. Currently its 505 (452) bomber jackets can only be bought via concessions in Britain.

Boss Giordano Calza said: "London is a very eclectic city and we think we can win new customers here."

Its neighbours will include labels that have recently made UK shop debuts, including Self Portrait, whose clobber is worn by Meghan Markle, and US firm Thom Browne. Up to 40 overseas upmarket apparel and jewellery brands are considering opening their first London stores this year.

Matt Farrell of property investor Trophaeum, which manages most of the buildings on Albemarle Street, said the area is a hotspot for "wealthy millennial shoppers, who are increasingly becoming the highest spending consumers of luxury goods".

He revealed the GCDS deal to the Evening Standard ahead of going to Cannes, where the Mipim real estate conference takes place this week.S cotland's desire to create a new national investment bank is curiously timed.

It used to have one: Royal Bank of Scotland. But RBS outgrew its home in infamous style.

If Holyrood had had to mount its own bail-out of the institution whose balance sheet ballooned to 2.2 trillion at its peak, Scotland would be as bust as Greece.

Even after its rescue, the former RBS chief executive Stephen Hester thought a detoxified investment banking division had a place in the nationalised bank.

In all likelihood it would have accelerated the lenders exit from taxpayers hands, which today is still a long time off. But the powers that be ruled that investment banking of virtually any sort was too racy, hastening Hesters departure.

Despite renewed interest north of the border, investment banking remains in the doghouse. As I write, the walls are going up to protect retailers deposits from undue risk.

Last week, Barclays became the first UK bank to gain approval from the High Court for the ring-fencing of its day-to-day consumer and small-business banking activities within a new legal entity.

The deadline for the largest UK banks, including HSBC and Santander, to install this structure with its own board of directors is the start of next year, more than a decade after the clean-up which followed the financial crisis began.

The closer the ring-fence gets, the odder it looks. Retail depositors were judged to need saving most from proprietary trading, where casino bankers raided their institutions piggy banks to play the market themselves.

But the Volcker Rule  a piece of US legislation with global impact  has banned proprietary trading since 2015. In addition, Basel rules on capital adequacy have damped all forms of trading by making it more expensive.

However, the Bank of England has stuck doggedly to the ring-fence since its recommendation by Sir John Vickers Independent Commission on Banking passed into law in 2013. There are shades of do-it-yourself about this  and not just because the chairman of the newly ring-fenced Barclays UK is Sir Ian Cheshire, the former boss of B&Q owner Kingfisher.

The UK might once have expected other jurisdictions to follow its lead. In fact the European Union finally ditched similar plans last October, letting the likes of Deutsche Bank and BNP Paribas off the hook after three years of deliberation.

The proposals were drawn up by Michel Barnier when he was financial services commissioner but now he is somewhat taken up with Brexit negotiations. In the US, President Trump has yet to make good on his threat to revive something akin to the Glass-Steagall Act that prevented US banks from owning both High Street banks and investment banking operations until it was scrapped in 1999.

The upshot is that our largest lenders are being forced to manage increased complexity and cost which goes far beyond doling out new sort codes or account numbers to up to a million customers.

An arms length relationship between two sides of the fence is undoubtedly safer but creates a strategic headache when it comes to thinking through how capital can be used.

The best example is syndicated lending, a bread-and-butter activity that can no longer use retail deposits to fund deals. UK companies still need this facility and are more likely to borrow from eurozone or other international investors that are more competitively priced. No wonder share buybacks are in vogue. Returning cash is less hassle than investing in customers.

And then there is Brexit, which comes into force three months after the ring-fence. Though the UK has offered to let European banks operate their UK divisions through a branch structure instead of requiring them to set up costly new subsidiaries, continued passporting into the eurozone from London remains a distant dream.

The EU is asking foreign banks to prepare for another reorganisation. It wants them to set up new holding companies so that regulators can track them more closely, similar to a US plan. Might UK lenders eventually have to comply too?W OULD-be occupiers are still scouring the capital for office space despite Brexit uncertainty, experts said today.

The latest snapshot from commercial property agent Colliers International come as the property world decamps for the annual Mipim festival in Cannes, underlining the capitals attraction despite uncertainty over the UKs relationship with the EU.

Take-up by European firms hit a 15-year high last year, bolstered by major deals such as Deutsche Bank choosing a new headquarters. Overall occupiers snapped up 12.2 million square foot of space  the highest since 2014.

But there are still a raft of firms which are on the look out for a new home including interdealer broker TP Icap and custodian bank BNY Mellon, as well as Warner Music and cosmetics giant LOreal. Facebook is meanwhile close to sealing a deal to secure a new headquarters near Kings Cross.L ondon remains in pole position to land the $2 trillion float of Saudi Aramco, despite a move to delay it until next year.

The Saudis had been looking to float 5% of the giant oil business this year as part of plans to open up the economy and raise money to diversify it away from oil.

Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman was in the UK last week and is said, reports the FT today, to have signalled that a delay is likely.

City sources confirmed a shift in tonality about when the float might happen, but bankers still think London, rather than New York or Hong Kong, is likely to win the business.

Thats a hugely controversial move among London bankers and regulators, since a float of at least 25% of the shares would normally be required for a premium listing.

The Financial Conduct Authority, perhaps under pressure from top politicians, has already indicated it is willing to bend the rules in this case.

The Saudis are said to be concerned that a New York listing would open them up to more legal actions, given the USs notoriously litigious culture.

Royal London Asset Management is among the voices which have said London should not change its rules to land a prestigious and lucrative float.

The management of Saudi Aramco, including chief executive Amin Nasser, say the float is part of the process by which a closed society and company becomes more open and more modern.M elrose launched its final assault on engineering giant GKN on Monday with a sweetened 8.1 billion offer to try to seal the bitterly fought deal.

The Mayfair firm, under fire from politicians and unions for trying to buy GKN, added 710 million of Melrose shares to its offer, boosting the price to 467p per share from 430.1p, or 7.4 billion.

That would give GKN's shareholders 60% of the combined group, up from 57%.

The bid boost is designed to convince GKN shareholders to snub a shake-up by the incumbent management team, led by chief executive Anne Stevens.

The shake-up was given added impetus on Friday with a deal to sell its car parts business to US giant Dana Corporation.

It is now time for you to decide, said Melrose executive chairman Christopher Jock Miller, who leads the firm alongside chief executive Simon Peckham and financier David the Grinder Roper.

We are more convinced than ever that the Melrose team, who have decades of experience in successfully transforming businesses, are the only real choice of team to re-energise and refocus GKN to unlock its full potential.

GKN shareholders have two weeks to decide who to support ahead of a deadline on 29 March.

The 260-year-old company, which makes parts for the likes of BMW and Boeing, made its final pitch to convince investors to reject Melrose.

It says the company is worth closer to 8.6 billion, or 503p per share, much higher than the Melrose offer.

Your board believes that Melrose lacks experience in several critical areas and that its priorities are inappropriate for running a global technology-based business like GKN, said chairman Mike Turner.

GKN said it was evaluating the latest 467p offer, having previously rebuffed the 430.1p bid.

And in a sign of the increasing hostilities between the two sides, Melrose took aim at GKNs board for rebuffing talks, attacking the decision as surprising and disappointing.

Since Melrose launched a bid in early January, GKN has stitched up a three-pronged defence to try to convince shareholders to refuse the offer.

The company plans to sell the Driveline business, which makes driveshafts, to Dana in a cash-and-shares deal, flog off the powder metals business and other smaller bits for 2.5 billion and then shake up its aerospace arm with a overhaul on margins dubbed Project Boost.

In comparison, Melrose wants to dispose of the business over a longer period of time after lifting the margins at the units.

The bid battle has a political dimension after the business select committee started a probe to assess the impact on jobs and pensions.A 230-strong group of firms in east London will launch a campaign on Tuesday to reduce business costs as they face being squeezed out of the capital.

The East End Trades Guild  which includes firms from mechanics to retailers  will tomorrow meet the mayor of Hackney and Tower Hamlets in an attempt to make them commit to stopping independent businesses being driven out of London.

Rising rents and rates, as well as hard-pressed consumers and Brexit uncertainty, have caused headaches for firms in the area  and even led to suicide.

A study from the EETG and New Economics Foundation cited a case in Haggerston where a 200% rent increase was blamed for a suicide, as well as a stationery manufacturer, Baddeley Brothers, which moved out of east London after 150 years there last year.

Rosie Wolfenden BME, co-founder of Tatty Devine which has a shop on Brick Lane, said: This campaign is really important and closely linked to the London Living Wage. If it can be established what a person needs to earn to live in London, it must be possible to establish what a small business can afford to pay in rents and rate.

Increases in rent and rates bears no relation to what you can charge for products. If we were to inflate our prices to march the rent and rate rises, we would go out of business.W e reside in different political parties and rarely inhabit the same voting lobby in the House of Commons but on Brexit we are as one.

An issue that continues to divide our country also forges new alliances and a determination to put the interests of the country over and beyond traditional tribal politics and party loyalty.

It is frustrating to be urged on in private by ministers and those who should know better in the dark corners of Westminsters long corridors, muttering well done  keep on going, without this being matched by public action.

We assure you we will, but the time has now come for them to say in public what they whisper to us in private.

Given a free vote, we believe our colleagues would support Britain staying in both the single market and customs union  not just because that is what they believe in but because their constituents are desperate for an outcome that secures the economic future of their children and grandchildren.

We also believe that if we dont get this right there will be profound adverse consequences not just for our economy and place in the world but also on the way we do politics in Britain.

Too many government ministers bury their Brexit fears under piles of ministerial papers, shy away from debate in interministerial groups and get whisked away from difficult discussions in cosy cars. Too often their excuses for ducking the difficult decisions are parroted by the Opposition frontbench.

Too often their excuses for ducking the difficult decisions are parroted by the Opposition frontbench

For the first time ever, a Government is set upon a course which, on its own admission, will make us less prosperous. We were promised the exact same benefits by David Davis, but now in a welcome blast of Brexit reality Mrs May admits we will have reduced access to the single market and there will be no passporting for Londons financial services. And that, of course, is her opening pitch.

The EUs response has brought no surprises. They have always been clear. We will end up with only a free trade agreement unless we have the good sense to take the single market and customs union options the EU put on the table at the outset.

Last week, the select committee of MPs which oversees the Department for Exiting the European Union published part of the Governments own analysis of the various Brexit deal options.

The Governments preferred and overly ambitious option was not modelled  perhaps because ministers know that in reality it is not achievable.

The analysis shows growth would be reduced by some four per cent if we secure an free trade agreement, by two per cent if we remain within the customs union and single market and the no deal scenario pressed for by some senior ministers, would cut growth by some eight per cent.

Our constituencies voted differently in the Brexit referendum. One of us is the Conservative MP for Broxtowe, in Nottinghamshire, a key marginal seat in which the incumbent MP is almost always a member of the party in power.

We calculate the leave vote in Broxtowe was about 52 per cent, which pretty much matched the national result. The other is the Labour MP for Streatham, which is estimated to have scored a 75.9% remain vote, the highest in the country. But as Brexit unfolds and we have the debate we should have had long before June 23, 2016, many Leave voters are becoming increasingly concerned.

TfL bans Brexit advert urging businesses to leave London for France

Leaving the EU is more complicated than any of us was ever told, it will make us less prosperous and they can see how damaging a hard border between Ireland and Northern Ireland would be.

Many of our older constituents remember with respect, the original Common Market. It never fell out of favour, but the perceived power grab by huge bastions of bureaucracy annoyed them.

It wasnt long before the economic benefits were forgotten as Eurosceptic sections of the media stoked up antagonism towards the EU.

The name change from European Economic Community to European Union rather confirmed the shift. In short, many Leave voters are not so much regretting their vote as wanting to be sure we now do the right thing  they are worried we wont and so they are right to want, along with the rest of us, a vote on the final deal.

There was, of course, a democratic deficit in the EU and it extends to our country. The disconnect between huge tracts of our country and the politicians and parties that claim to represent them was a significant factor in the Leave vote.

This deficit will grow, on whatever basis we leave the EU. Not just because the vote to take back control will not, in reality, give them more control over their lives, but because Brexit exposes the failings of our two main parties.

Its an uncomfortable truth that many millions of voters feel neither represent them. On Brexit, the Labour leadership has shifted to support a customs union whereas the Conservative Party manifesto at last years election pledged a customs arrangement. You may conclude there is little real difference.

History will not be kind to those who led us into the referendum on the EU  and that includes us given we voted for the legislation as MPs.

It will chide those who have led us since the vote for Brexit for their failure to build a consensus on how best to make it happen.

And it will condemn those who stand by and say nothing. But the biggest condemnation will come from voters and especially the generation that will bear the cost of Brexit more than any other  the young. They will declare a plague on both of our parties.Donatella Versace says she loves London and her work is often inspired by the capital's unique street style.

The Versace chief designer, 62, told the Standard: Going to London for me is like going on a new adventure every time. When I am in town I love to people watch: I look at what people are wearing, how they move and interact.

Londoners are very good in mixing and matching and wearing whatever they feel like without constrains from society. It is a very independent and unique fashion sense, which you also find in Versace.

She said Annabels was her go-to club visiting the capital, where she catches up with her A-list friends.

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I obviously love to go shopping and to visit the many London art galleries. I love the new Annabels in Mayfair  I even did a shoot there when it was not open yet.

And it goes without saying that I do not miss the chance to catch up with my girls if they are in town: Naomi [Campbell], Gigi [Hadid]"

Versace, who took over her brother Giannis fashion label after his death in 1997, reflected on last months London Fashion Week, saying her favourite pieces from the runway were created by her former protege, rising star Christopher Kane.

He has a great talent that he continues to show in each and every collection, she said. I am very proud of him  he has come a long way.

The Assassination of Gianni Versace - in pictures 1 /8 The Assassination of Gianni Versace - in pictures Edgar Ramirez as Gianni Versace BBC/ A 2018 Fox and its related entities. Ricky Martin as Antonio D'Amico BBC/A 2018 Fox and its related entities. Penelope Cruz as Donatella Versace BBC Ricky Martin as Antonio D'Amico and Edgar Ramirez as Gianni Versace BBC/Jeff Daly/A 2018 Fox and its related entities. Darren Criss as Andrew Cunanan BBC/A 2018 Fox and its related entities. Annaleigh Ashford as Elizabeth, Darren Criss as Andrew Cunanan and Nico Evers-Swindell as Phil BBC/ A 2018 Fox and its related entities. Penelope Cruz as Donatella Versace BBC Darren Criss as Andrew Cunanan BBC/Jeff Daly/A 2018 Fox and its related entities.A rtist Ai Weiwei has installed a 200ft inflatable life raft crammed with 300 figures in Sydney to highlight the plight of refugees.

The Chinese activist unveiled the giant artwork, his contribution to this years Biennale of Sydney, on Cockatoo Island today.

Law Of The Journey portrays the perilous journey that thousands of refugees take to escape conflict and poverty by crossing the Mediterranean.

Weiwei, 60, called on the Australian government to be more compassionate towards migrants and criticised its use of detention centres.

He said: It gives Australia such a bad image, about who Australia is, what the Australian culture is all about.'

For 20 a drop-in workout, you can get your day off to the best possible start at 1Rebel, Londons hottest gym at the moment, offering a no-contract, high intensity workout to a house music playlist curated by top London DJs. The session is intense and guaranteed to get your endorphins flowing, but happily the deal is sweetened with a cold press juice bar, heated benches and floors in the changing rooms, swish toiletries and even a free beer as you leave.

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Stretch and lunch al fresco

La Muella / La Muella

Having pushed your limbs to the limit in London, make sure you arrive at La Muella in Ibiza in time for a recuperative yoga class before lunch al fresco. La Muella sits on the road between San Lorenzo and San Juan in the islands north, and behind the unassuming whitewashed facade lies an enchanting, thoroughly bohemian Ibizan den. Shop the swish boutique for crystals and handwoven textiles, then settle down for spectacular salads such as the Lubina, served on a pumpkin and lemongrass puree with wild rice, caramel chilli, almonds and a courgette salad.

Retail therapy at The Rose

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Gypsy Westwood / Gypsy Westwood

The Rose is less of a boutique and more of a museum of nice things, with eclectic artwork, handmade garments and beautiful ceramics and homeware. Look out for the handmade silk items designed by co-owner Claudina Damonte, including kaftans, palazzo pants and ruffled maxi dresses. The Rose is a favourite among visiting designers  Isabel Marant comes here every time she visits the island.

Roam medieval ruins

Alamy / Alamy

Much of Ibizas modern day character has been minted since the hippies first arrived on the island in the Sixties, but visitors are rewarded for delving into the islands history. A good place to start is the Unesco World Heritage-listed Dalt Vila (literally "high town), strolling the medieval ruins amid a maze of cobblestoned lanes and whitewashed walls.

Get your zen on at the Nobu spa

Nobu / Nobu

Youve worked your body hard today, so reward those weary limbs with a soak and a massage at the most envy-inducing spa on the island: the in-house spa at the new Nobu Hotel. A Six Senses spa, this is easily the best place to restore body and soul, perhaps with an outdoor massage in a balmy pavilion overlooking the bay, or go glam at the blow-dry bar. Outdoor roof terraces and beach cabanas mean you can have your treatment wherever you please.

Refuel on raw organic juice

Sofia Gomez Fonzo

For decades Ibiza was associated with hedonism, but today its also renowned as the heart of the raw, paleo vegan culinary scene. Potion was one of the first cold-pressed juice bars on the island, and its still one of the very best, with a wide range of juices and nut milks. A particular favourite is the Black Magic, packed with charcoal to cleanse and flush out any excesses from the night before.

Sunset swim at Cala Bonita

Cala Bonita / Cala Bonita

Unwind with a sunset dip at Cala Bonita, a secluded cove with one of the prettiest beach restaurants on the island, Restaurant Cala Bonita. Picturesque S'Estanyol beach on the south is within easy reach of Talamanca Bay, Ibiza Town and Jesus, but it feels a world away from the bustle. And the restaurant is beloved by both locals and returning visitors, serving sophisticated Balearic cuisine in a rustic setting.

With a central location and check-in just 20 minutes before departure, youll have time to fit in a morning workout before you fly from London City Airport.I t's a spring afternoon in Johannesburg and Im basking in the sun in an olive grove, recovering from a lunch of steak and gelato. Its not the picture most people have of Joburg  the ugly crime-ridden sibling to glam Cape Town, goes the standard narrative. Neither is it the Jozi most tourists know, a place of soulless, mall-filled suburbs, utterly devoid of a sense of place.

This mix of architecture  repurposed, low-rise brick warehouses here, sassy modern high-rises there  has something of the feel of a major US city. So does this gravelled courtyard, Arts on Main, where a restaurant, design shops, small museum and an architectural practice sit around the olive trees.

But the biggest surprise is the racial diversity. Ive spent the best part of a week in those suburbs, where the restaurants and shops are inevitably filled with black staff and white customers; here, its closer to reflecting the countrys own ethnic mix.

Maboneng  which means place of light in Sotho  wasnt always like this. Its deep in the city centre, which was largely abandoned after apartheid crumbled and business was shunted to the suburbs. After decades of lying empty, many buildings being hijacked (taken over by criminals and illegally sublet), it wasnt the chicest part of town.

The new Main Street

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But after a concentrated regeneration project, Maboneng is emerging not only as the trendiest part of Johannesburg but also an example of the new, more tolerant, less segregated South Africa.

Arts on Main  with the olive-groved courtyard  was where it all started in 2009. Today, the once dilapidated warehouse is home to a hipster coffee shop,

trendy restaurant and shops that simply dont exist in other parts of Johannesburg. I Was Shot in Joburg riffs on the citys reputation for a good cause, selling photography and gifts shot and made by former street children from nearby Hillbrow.

Alamy Stock Photo

Meanwhile, Hello Africa is a hub for South African (plus a few African) artisans, from skincare handmade on a farm near Cape Town, leather jewellery from Joburg and stuffed animal toys from Pretoria, to Ethiopian tops, Ghanaian baskets and Maasai blankets. The thread holding them together? The artisans are all African, all without international reach, and theyre all black. White suppliers have a better shot, says owner Sandra Matutoane. And anyway, as she says, people visit Maboneng for a black experience.

Pan-African influences

Shes right. I may have got my steak at Che, an Argentinian parrilla, but in the days to come in Maboneng Ill gravitate to Pata Pata, a pan-African restaurant where burgers and steak are dubbed light meals and things like pap and malva pudding rule the menu. Close by is Little Addis, a dinky Ethiopian cafe. Bridge Books does a roaring trade in African and diaspora literature, and Black Bottom Couture Black Bottom designs clothes with a retro look, some of them using traditional patterns.

But people come to Maboneng for the hipster experience as much as for a black one  this is a place where one block of flats is made from shipping containers, where a crumbling 19th-century hotel has been turned into a modern art gallery, where theres a vintage shop here and a speakeasy jazz bar there, and where Sundays are for the insanely popular Market on Main. That speakeasy, by the way, sits within Hallmark House, the new David Adjaye-designed, foliage-covered tower block that includes a hotel.

The aim, says Bheki Dube, one of the precincts movers and shakers, is to make millennials connect with urban spaces. Theyre doing that with public artwork  from the 10-storey Mandela-as-a-boxer mural on a block of flats to the Maboneng Man sculpture, lying on a traffic island in the main road that cleaves Maboneng in two.

Controversial changes

Gentrification is always controversial, of course. Theres conflict between Maboneng and Mai Mai, the traditional healers market nearby. Most business owners are white. And when the area was flooded late last year, some tenants raised concerns about the standards of their buildings. But developers are keen to talk about how theyve integrated the people who were already there into their plans  building a school and giving street vendors their own premises, for starters.

Lording above it all is the Living Room Living Room, a fifth-floor, open-air bar with plant-covered living walls, and views over main drag Fox Street and the once-dodgy cityscape beyond.

Once theres a huge stigma about a place, it takes generations to change, says Dube. I think by 2020 this will be a city everyone is flocking to  it has a huge vision. And it looks like Maboneng will be at the centre.

Details: JohannesburgT his is the moment an acid attacker's reign of terror across London came to a stop as he crashed his scooter into the back of a parked lorry.

Derryck John, 17, from Croydon, was jailed for 10 and a half years on Monday for carrying out "despicable" acid attacks against moped riders in the north and east of the capital.

He repeatedly squirted his victims with strong acid through their helmet visors in a bid to steal their scooters and gave away his identity when he stopped for petrol during the robbery spree.

The attacks across only ended when, riding pillion with an accomplice, he crashed into the back of a parked lorry in Dalston. He fled on foot but was arrested.

CCTV footage of the moment the scooter crashes to a halt in Dalston

Video footage released by police after the sentencing showed the moment the scooter ploughs into the back of the lorry and the pair then fled on foot.

CCTV images of him lifting his helmet allowed police to identify him and link him to the attacks.

John, who appeared at Wood Green Crown Court via video link, carried out "grave crimes", Judge Noel Lucas QC said.

In his sentencing remarks, the judge said John's actions were "despicable and cowardly".

Judge Lucas said: "You and your accomplice chose to attack members of the public who were going about their lawful business.

"These were grave crimes. You attacked members of the public with what appears to have been an acid at the strongest end of the scale of acids.

"You have not revealed the name of your accomplice or the precise nature of the corrosive fluid used or where you and your accomplice obtained it."

The judge also commented on the prevalence of acids attacks.

"I can state from my own knowledge of the offences arriving at this Crown Court that such offences have risen sharply in the last 12 months," he said.

"This is the second major corrosive fluid case I have had to deal with in the past three months."

The judge added: "It is clear to me that the carrying and use of corrosive liquids is rapidly becoming a serious and growing problem in London and in particular, in this part of London.

"So too are crimes committed using scooters."

Johns rampage on July 13 last year took him from Stratford to Islington, Shoreditch, Stoke Newington and Hackney.

After crashing he fled on foot but was arrested. His accomplice is still at large.

He left some victims with life-changing injuries and stole two bikes during the attacks. One man lost 30 per cent of his vision, the Crown Prosecution Service said.

Others described searing pain and burning and had to quit their jobs.

John admitted six counts of throwing a corrosive liquid with intent to cause grievous bodily harm, two counts of robbery, and four counts of attempted robbery in January.T he Parsons Green bombing suspect said it was his "duty to hate Britain" before he planted a bomb on a rush-hour District line train, a court heard.

Iraqi asylum seeker Ahmed Hassan, 18, arrived in Britain in October 2015, two years before he left the improvised device packed with shrapnel in a busy Tube carriage, the Old Bailey heard.

During that time, he studied media at Brooklands College in Weybridge, Surrey, and was found a foster home with a couple in Sunbury, the court heard.

Even though Hassan had been named student of the year in June 2017, his lecturer and mentor Katie Cable became concerned about his behaviour, the court heard.

CCTV shows the moment a fireball ripped through a Tube train at Parsons Green station

Ms Cable even alerted the Prevent team after she saw a WhatsApp message on his phone saying: "IS has accepted your donation" in August 2016.

He also told her he blamed Britain for the death of his parents in Iraq and said: "It's my duty to hate Britain," the court heard.

Giving evidence, Ms Cable said Hassan was initially "incredibly conflicted, frightened, confused, plagued by boredom".

A sketch of Parsons Green Tube bombing suspect Ahmed Hassan in court

When he first started at Brooklands in April 2016, he would snap pens and walk out of the classroom, she said.

Ms Cable told jurors: "I believe Ahmed said his father was blown up and his mother had been shot."

He talked about Tony Blair and expressed "anger" at events in Iraq, she said: "I believe the anger was very clear. He referred to being angry several times."

He allegedly told her "the British" were responsible for his parents' death.

An image of the homemade bomb after it partially detonated

He would suffer "flashbacks" and "depression", so she organised a place on the National Citizenship Scheme during the summer of 2016.

But he declined holiday offers in the 2017 break and by September 7 last year, Ms Cable said she was becoming "really concerned about his mental state".

The day before the bombing, he gave her presents for children, which she found "strange".

Ms Cable told jurors Hassan was "very clever" and made great academic progress.

Prosecutor Alison Morgan asked: "Did you think he was straight with you?"

She replied: "I don't know. If you had asked me in September I would have said yes."

The court heard Hassan had earlier given Barnardo's workers differing accounts about his background while at a children's hostel.

And in an immigration interview in January 2016, he told officials that IS had trained him "to kill".

CCTV footage as an orange fireball fill the Tube carriage

Barnardo's worker Youseff Habibi told jurors: "His father was a taxi driver and one morning he went to work and a bomb fell on him and he died.

"And his mum died when he was much younger. He said 'I don't remember my mum'."

Ms Morgan asked: "Did Mr Hassan ever say who he blamed for that?"

Mr Habibi replied: "America. He said it was American soldiers and American army bombing.

Another Barnardo's worker, Zoe Spencer, accompanied Hassan to an immigration interview at Lunar House in Croydon in January 2016.

The Tube carriage following the explosion

Officials asked Hassan: "Have you previously or are you any part of a terrorist group, for example, Isis?"

He replied: "Yes, I was recruited by Isis for three months."

Asked how she felt about it, Ms Spencer said: "Disheartened, sickened, as if he did not understand the question, so I stopped the interview."

During a second interview, with an interpreter, Hassan added that he had been "forced" to go with IS, and denied he had been sent to Europe to work for them.

Miss Spencer said Hassan was "very nervous" afterwards and told her he was not OK, adding the man at the interview was "no good".

About a week later, Miss Spencer said she saw Hassan looking at a picture of people in balaclavas with guns and the black flag of Isis.

Hassan denies attempted murder and using the chemical compound TATP to cause an explosion that was likely to endanger life. The trial continues.T heresa May heads to a crucial European Union summit this month with six in 10 Britons believing she will fail to get a good Brexit deal.

An exclusive poll by Ipsos MORI reveals that just 37 per cent are confident she will succeed for the country in the negotiations.

The findings come almost exactly a year after the Prime Minister triggered Article 50 on March 29, 2017, to send Britain hurtling towards the EU exit door and set ministers scrambling to negotiate a new relationship with their former partners.

Mrs Mays current score is markedly lower than it was when she signed the Article 50 letter last March.

A similar survey by Ipsos MORI that month found 51 per cent of people were expecting failure.

Theresa May heads a meeting of senior ministers at her country residence of Chequers / PA

But a silver lining for the Prime Minister is that voters are more confident in her than in Jeremy Corbyn to get a good deal.

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Moreover, the Conservatives have a strong lead over Labour as the party best suited to handle future relations with the EU, chosen by 37 per cent, compared with just 25 per cent who would rather Mr Corbyn was at the table in Brussels.

The Conservatives also have substantial leads over Labour for running the economy (41 to 25) and championing British business (43 to 25), which will boost Tory hopes that the party can pull clean ahead of the Opposition when Brexit is over and the political focus turns to domestic issues.

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Todays research suggests that more voters support Mrs May on leaving the customs union than oppose her.

Asked whether the UK should have the freedom to strike trade deals outside the EU in the next five to 10 years  even if that results in barriers to trade with EU states, which is the Governments position  some 49 per cent agreed.

Asked if free trade with the EU was more important, even if that meant being unable to strike deals with countries such as the US and China, 36 per cent agreed. London was the only region in Great Britain where people chose to prioritise EU trade, probably reflecting the capitals cosmopolitan population and the importance of services exports to the EU, which generate a 17 billion surplus.

More than half of people in the capital  some 56 per cent  said keeping up trade with the EU was better for Britain.

Theresa May: UK can 'set example to world' in Brexit negotiations

Only a third of Londoners said the right to free trade deals with countries outside the EU would be in the countrys interests. In the North of England, support was reversed, with just 23 per cent prioritising trade with Europe, and 64 per cent wanting free trade deals elsewhere.

Business groups and the Treasury agree that trade with the European market of 500 million consumers is more beneficial to the British economy. Last month Sir Martin Donnelly, who was permanent secretary of the Department for International Trade until March 2017 said quitting Europes trade bloc was like swapping a three-course feast for a packet of crisps.

Gideon Skinner, head of political research at Ipsos MORI, said: Britons lack confidence in both Theresa May and Jeremy Corbyn to get a good deal for Britain, but the Prime Ministers party still has the edge overall when it comes to Brexit.T heresa May has said it is "highly likely" that Russia is responsible for the poisoning of former double agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter in Salisbury.

The Prime Minister told the House of Commons she has summoned Russia's ambassador to the Foreign Office to explain whether the attack was "a direct action by the Russian state" or whether it was a result of Moscow "losing control" of its stock of nerve agents.

Mrs May also revealed in the Commons that 66-year-old Mr Skripal and his 33-year-old daughter were poisoned with the nerve agent Novichok.

She said: "Based on the positive identification of this agent, our knowledge that Russia has previously produced this agent, its record of conducting state-sponsored assassinations abroad, and its view of of some defectors as legitimate targets for assassination...it is highly likely that Russia was responsible.

Russian spy poisoning: Military forces work on a van in Winterslow / AP

What is Novichok? 'Novichok', which literally translates as 'newcomer' or 'newbie', was developed by the Soviet Union in the 1970s It has been described as one of the most deadly nerve agents ever Novichok agents were designed to be undetectable by standard NATO chemical detection equipment The agent causes 'the involuntary contraction of all muscles', usually followed by cardiac arrest

"Either this was a direct action by the Russian state against our country or the Russian government lost control of the agent and allowed it to get into the hands of others."

The Prime Minister said that Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson has told the Russian ambassador that Moscow must "immediately provide full and complete disclosure" of its Novichok nerve gas programme.

"We saw promises by the Russian government to assist in the investigation but we were met instead by obfuscation.

"We must now stand ready to take much more considered action. This action amounts to an unlawful use of force by the Russian state against the United Kingdom.

"We will not accept such a brazen attempt to murder civilians on our soil."

British troops arrive near Salisbury District Hospital / Getty Images

Former Conservative Party leader Iain Duncan Smith told Mrs May the Commons would "back her" to take "the most severe action as is required" against Moscow.

He added: "This country, Russia, is now as close to being a rogue state as any. It occupies Crimea, it has helped occupy eastern Ukraine, it has created hell on earth in Syria and is even now overseeing worse action.

"This is a country locking up its members of the opposition, it is a country, frankly, we've learned this lesson before, if we appease a country like this then we expect even worse."

Mrs May responded: "He is absolutely right, nobody should be in any doubt of the various activities that the Russian state is involved in across the continent of Europe and elsewhere.

"It is important that this Government, that this country, stands up very clearly and not only calls out actions by Russia but also ensures that we have a robust response to them."

It came as police in decontamination suits and military chemical weapons experts cordoned off part of a Wiltshire village about eight miles from Salisbury. Experts were pictured in the Winterslow village on Monday afternoon.

Local postmaster Bella Thomas said: "The press keep saying about sleepy Salisbury city centre, and we're obviously a sleepy village, it's a bit of a shock. It's like a scene from the Twilight Zone, something you would see in the movies."

The Prime Minister called for 'more considered action' / Getty Images

She said that the massive police investigation, supported by the military, has crippled some businesses in the city centre.

"I do feel for the shopkeepers. They are really suffering. It's not cheap having a business in town and it has crippled some of their businesses," she said.

Police also sealed off the top level of the car park of a branch of Sainsbury's supermarket, which is in the same shopping precinct where Mr Skripal and his daughter Yulia were found ill eight days ago.

At the weekend hundreds of diners and pub-goers who had been at the same venues as the Russian pair were urged to wash clothes and other items a week after potentially coming into contact with a Novichok nerve agent.

Putins press secretary Dmitry Peskov said: 'We consider inappropriate any mention of the Russian government in the context of what happened to Sergei Skripal' / Reuters

The "precautionary advice" was issued after traces of the substance were found in The Mill pub and the nearby Zizzi restaurant, in Salisbury.

The Russian government continued to deny any involvement in the attack in a statement released earlier on Monday.

A statement from the Russian Embassy reads: "The investigation is being concluded in a non-transparent manner, whenever for the Russian side nor for the public. Quite naturally, this is a source of concern.

"We would like to stress once again that we are outraged by the anti-Russian media campaign, condoned by the Government, that influences the investigation and has a psychological effect on British residents.A mber Rudd has sort of crept up on us, hasnt she? Shes seeped into our consciousness as Home Secretary, barely off radio and TV, responding to atrocities, responding to questions about policing and immigration, talking about serious crime  knives, acid attacks  calling for a sea change in the way we view domestic abuse.

Yet its striking how little we know her.

This week shes consumed by the case of Sergei Skripal, the Russian spy still in a coma in Salisbury with his daughter after both were exposed to a nerve agent.

Last year she fielded three terrorist incidents (Manchester, Westminster and London Bridge)  two during the election campaign. Generally, shes out there, seemingly a rare Cabinet minister absorbed by the day job, as opposed to, say, dark-room plotting or scribbling secret letters to Theresa May about Brexit.

Amber Rudd at the scene where Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia were found after having been poisoned by a nerve agent / REUTERS

Its the television politician we encounter first at the Home Office: fresh from a Cobra meeting, hard-eyed, focused, direct; burgundy silk shirt, burgundy polished nails. She has the brisk air of someone who would drop everything on a Saturday night to huddle with police and MI5, then deliver a crisp statement to camera. She doesnt have long, were told, but there are no off-topics, no questions we cant ask  unusual for a British politician.

Rudd, now 54, was a latecomer to politics, one of the 2010 intake, looming into view first as Energy Secretary before taking the Home Office in July 2016 under Theresa May. Her seat is ultra-marginal Hastings (her majority was cut to 346 in 2017: I was saved by a member of Labour who stood as an independent Marxist and got 410).

She was married to The Sunday Times writer and critic AA Gill, who died in December 2016, with whom she had two children, Flora and Alasdair, 24. From 2010 she was in a relationship with Kwasi Kwarteng, 42, the Conservative MP for Spelthorne, 12 years younger, but says today that is over. Is she currently single? Yes.

Military personnel wearing protective coveralls carrying out their work in Salisbury / AFP

Her passage in politics has been by no means smooth: she faltered with a damaging conference speech on immigration in October 2016 in which she said she wanted to make it harder for British firms to employ migrants and to ensure foreign workers were not taking jobs British workers could do.

Is it fair to say she wouldnt make that speech now? It is, she says. She takes full responsibility. It was my speech. The whole language of immigration you have to tread so carefully on.

Amber Rudd campaigning in 2005 with her ex-husband, the late Adrian Gill / Reuters

Eighteen months on, Rudd is a moderating voice on immigration policy. A White Paper has been put off to the end of the year, prompting questions from business about where they stand. Recent falls in net EU arrivals and the decision to grant rights to settled EU citizens have taken away the urgency, she says. And business needs to recruit talent. That is as critical to me as getting the numbers down.

Certainly she is more decisive. She describes the horrors of 2017 as quite a baptism in terms of the whole area of extremism and counter-terrorism and stuff and that makes you more confident about your area if you get through it.

Of course following Theresa May as the longest-serving Home Secretary must have been tough, especially given Mays obsessive attention to detail. Did the PM backseat-drive? When you take on a new department the former secretary of state always has an interest, its just unavoidable. She does the same to Greg Clark in energy, wanting, occasionally, to lean in a bit and give some advice.

Ms Rudd listening to the Prime Ministers party conference speech in October / Getty

Its like when youve sold a house and you meet the new owner and you say, Oh but youve turned the blue room red. Did you think that was a good idea? [May] does a little bit of that.

At the same time having a PM who knows the complications of the Home Office brief is a great thing. She doesnt make demands. Shes interested in saying, have you thought about this? or Oh I found that when I was in the Home Office. Advice like that is a help.

Fears within the party that Rudd is too similar to May must evaporate at close range. For instance one cant imagine May writing poetry to promote sexual health, as Rudd did (achieving the rhyming couplet But why dear heart, did you not mention, What well do for contraception?) or indeed appearing on IMDB as both aristocracy consultant and an extra in Four Weddings and a Funeral (while on maternity leave in 1994, she was asked by a friend to round up 20 friends for a wedding scene in a small British film).

Home Secretary Amber Rudd arrives ahead of a National Security Council (NSC) meeting at Downing Street today / Getty

Fashion we broach with caution, but Rudd embraces the subject instantly. I like clothes, she says. I like shoes  perhaps not as much as the Prime Minister but there we are. All these things matter a bit and are also quite fun. If I only thought about immigration, terrorism, policing. She would be limited?

I think about what I should wear, what would look good, what would be appropriate. Do you remember Hillary Clinton once started a lecture at Vassar to all these brilliant women saying: Hair matters? They were like, Ooof.

Its clear she prefers block colours to fussiness, and her hair is clean and brushed as opposed to Theresa Mays grey hairsprayed thunderclap.

Does Isabel Spearman, who advised Samantha Cameron, have a hand in her wardrobe? A lot of girlfriends want to help, she says, reluctant to be drawn. They send me bits of advice, little links that might help.

In background Rudd is closer to Cameron (father a stockbroker, mother a magistrate), although she doesnt seem so posh  shes neither sibilant or plummy and avoided that Oxford scene by going to Edinburgh. Her family were political, if not exactly Conservative. Her brother Roland Rudd, founder of PR firm Finsbury, was a Labour donor and member. Do they debate? He wouldnt describe himself necessarily as Labour, she says, brusque, but were a family of activism and political conversation. International discussions while youre grabbing something out of the fridge wouldnt be unusual. Everyday engagement in public life was considered part of our family. Weve passed that on to our children.

Of her parents, only her mother, Ethne, was Conservative, My mother never saw me become a member of parliament and I miss that. I wouldve loved it, I must say. She describes Ethne (a great friend of Alan Clark, the controversial Conservative MP, historian and wit), as quite strict, quite loving with high standards. She was always someone who would say, if you want to do something, get up and do it.

Her father Tony, on the other hand, was a liberal. He died last year. Two days later she stood up and did the leadership debate in place of Theresa May. Why? It didnt occur to me not to do it, she says. I can see, looking back now, that I mustve have just been on auto-pilot. We had arranged for my father to go to my brothers to watch the debate and to have a little family do and cheer me on. They had the party without him, and I did the debate.

She didnt stop to cry, or process his death, but stresses he was 94 and unwell. He lived a marvellous full life, she says. He was wonderful with me: I used to have dinner or lunch with him every week. Sometimes I had to tell him again I had become Home Secretary and he was always slightly surprised. She repeats: It didnt occur to me not to do the debate. And thats probably part of who I am. And [who] my family [is] in terms of, Why would you let everybody else down?

Rudd, one imagines, is someone who has probably always held things together  her children, Gill, when they were married. Actually Gill was still finding his feet after battling alcoholism when they met. Rudd was working at JP Morgan. She was pregnant when they married and while the kids toddled, Gill ran cooking classes at home and threw flamboyant parties with canapes of crispy coils of pigs tail.

Fun? Yes, well it was quite hard work at the time. Adrian was doing the cooking but I was doing everything else.

Did she pay for everything? At the start, yes. Yes. But, she adds, He was fantastically engaging, colourful, witty and amusing but also. Hard work? I had a busy time having children, getting married, getting divorced over a five- or six-year period.

Gill left Rudd suddenly for model Nicola Formby, with whom he had twins, now 10. It took a bit of time to recover, she says. Gill called their separation positive divorce. What did he mean? Its one where you soon make up as friends and you realise you have two fantastic children and get on with your lives separately but wishing each other well. It took time, but we got there. Thats why I felt such a loss when he died.

His sudden death from cancer was devastating. It was terrible. Terrible. Incredibly upsetting. I felt very sad for my children and for his wife Nicola and for their children.

The two women have drawn support from each other. One of the surprising outcomes is that we occasionally all do things as a family  me with my two, Nicola and her two; for lunch or to a gallery  which is a very nice feeling.

It comes back to family, the family unit is such a supportive way of getting through difficult situations. And it was very difficult: a little difficult for me, but I didnt feel it as acutely as Nicola or the children.

Her children are pretty well (they keep in touch by WhatsApp, the messaging service she once criticised): You know how it is with children, there are ups and downs, but they are both in a reasonably good space at the moment, Im happy to say.

Shes funny about Mothers Day, saying she is not expecting a card, or flowers  I expect I will get nothing  but she doesnt mind because she feels proud that they are off doing their own thing. She halts: I may be doing them a terrible disservice and they may have sent me great bunches of flowers.

The children were in their teens when she went into politics. She remembers her sister saying to her son, You must be so proud now your mother is an MP. He was 17 at the time  he said, Yes its fantastic, shes never home. I am still so never home that he wont move out, she laughs. Hes 24.

Home Secretary would be tough as a single mother with small children, she says. I was thinking today on the way from Hastings it helps having children who are grown up when your weekend is taken over by your work abruptly.

Its a difficult job with small children because the Home Office is all encompassing. Being a member of parliament is pretty full on, being a minister adds to that responsibility, but the Home Office takes over. Its not as though you can postpone decisions because they are often about operational matters.

Still, she has downtime. She jettisons her phone for a book for 30 minutes before she sleeping and goes to the theatre with friends (although sometimes has to leave suddenly).C anadian far right activist Lauren Southern has been refused entry to the UK.

Ms Southern was held by Border Force officials in Coquelles, France, this morning.

She was refused entry after it was deemed her presence was not conducive to the public good, the Home Office said.

Following the decision, Ms Southern wrote on Twitter: They just locked me out and said "au revoir"... Officially banned from UK for "racism".. doing fine though, all the cool people are being banned anyway.

According to reports, Ms Southern had been planning to meet Austrian Martin Sellner of the Generation Identity group and American commentator Brittany Pettibone in the UK.

The pair were also refused entry at Luton airport on Friday.

They were removed from the country on Sunday, a Home Office spokeswoman said.

The Home Office said they were unable to specify why the trio had been refused entry.

However, in a video interview with former English Defence League leader Tommy Robinson Mr Sellner said he had planned to appear at Speakers Corner in Hyde Park on Sunday.

Ms Pettibone had allegedly been planning to interview Mr Robinson.

Piers Morgan and Tommy Robinson clash on Good Morning BritainM edia watchdog Ofcom is set to review Russian news network RT's British broadcasting licence following developments in the Salisbury poisoning investigation.

Prime Minister Theresa May said on Monday it was "highly likely" the Russian government was responsible for the nerve agent attack which left former spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter, Yulia, hospitalised last Sunday.

Following her statement, a spokesman for the British broadcast regulator Ofcom said: "The Russian news channel RT broadcasts in the UK under licences issued by Ofcom as the broadcasting regulator.

"Ofcom has an ongoing duty to be satisfied that all broadcast licensees are fit and proper to hold a licence.

Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell said he would no longer appear on the channel / PA

"We have heard the Prime Minister's statement in the House of Commons this afternoon and we await her further statement on Wednesday. We will then consider the implications for RT's broadcast licences."

The announcement follows a wave of criticism from MPs on each side of the political divide, with foreign affairs select committee chair Tom Tugendhat saying it was "time to crack down on RT".

He told BBC Radio 5 Live: "Ofcom needs to look at whether it is a genuine news network when it is considering whether it should hold a licence or not.

"I see no reason why we should allow information warfare to be carried out on UK soil by hostile agents."

Meanwhile, in an appearance on the BBC's Andrew Marr Show on Sunday, shadow chancellor John McDonnell said he would no longer appear on the channel because it "goes beyond objective journalism".

He said: "What we are seeing from Russia Today sometimes goes beyond objective journalism.

"I have been looking at some of whats happening in terms of the change in coverage on Russian television in particular and I think we have to step back now."

Mrs May earlier told the House of Commons the nerve agent used in the attack, revealed to be the incredibly deadly 'Novichok', was "previously produced" in Russia and that its use was "either... a direct action by the Russian state against our country or the Russian government lost control of the agent and allowed it to get into the hands of others".

She said the British government would take "much more considered action" as a result of its findings.B ritain faces more years of austerity despite Philip Hammond seeing the budget deficit falling more quickly than expected, economists warned today.

Paul Johnson, director of the Institute for Fiscal Studies, stressed more spending cuts or tax rises were in the pipeline, as the Chancellor seeks to balance the overall budget by the mid-2020s and cut Britains debt of about 1.8 trillion.

Ahead of his Spring Statement tomorrow, Mr Hammond hailed light at the end of the tunnel. He is expected to signal an end to the budget deficit on day-to-day spending. Overall annual borrowing this year is expected to be in the low 40 billions, less than the 50 billion predicted in November.

But Mr Johnson made clear ministers are unlikely to be opening the spending taps  as borrowing will simply have come down from a post-war record to normal kinds of levels.

He told BBC radio: Austerity is still certainly coming because the Chancellor wants to get all the way to a budget balance by the mid-2020s. Even though borrowing is only around 40 billion, that is still going to be pretty tough, that will require more spending cuts or tax rises, not least as the pressures on the NHS and pension spending and so on continue to rise.

Nicky Morgan, Tory chairwoman of the Commons Treasury committee, also warned against believing the end of austerity had arrived. I would caution against this, she told the Conservativehome website.

There may be spending decisions which are now easier to take  such as ... for nurses and teachers, and in financially overstretched areas such as social care, childrens social services and mental health. But if we relax too much then we undermine our criticism of the last Labour government. Mr Hammond has lifted the one per cent pay cap on public sector wages but has said he is adopting a balanced approach involving addressing the debt problem, reducing taxes for hard-working families and putting money into public services.

Mr Johnson also warned: The thing that really matters over the next three or four years is not actually quite how fast the deficit comes down, its how the economy reacts to Brexit and all the uncertainties around it.A merica's spy chief insists Donald Trump has his eyes wide open to the risks of a face-to-face meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.

CIA director Mike Pompeo also said the president isnt doing this for theatre, he is going there to solve a problem.

Critics have warned the planned summit - the first ever meeting between a sitting US president and North Korean leader - could backfire if negotiations fail.

But Mr Pompeo said it is the perfect time to open talks as the Pyongyang regime has been battered by US sanctions.

President Donald Trump wants 'concrete action' on North Korea promise to 'denuclearise' / REUTERS

Never before have we had the North Koreans in a position where their economy was at such risk, where their leadership was under such pressure, he told Fox News.

By accepting the Norths offer for talks Mr Trump even took his own administration by surprise. But Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin also backed the gamble last night, stressing the clear objective was to get rid of nuclear weapons on the Korean peninsula.

The US was confident there would not be a missile or nuclear test ahead of a meeting, he added.

CIA director Mike Pompeo / AFP/Getty Images

South Korean envoys were today briefing the Chinese and Japanese governments on the proposed negotiations amid concern on Capitol Hill that Mr Trump may be in over his head.

Democratic senator Elizabeth Warren said she feared the decimated US state department lacked officials familiar with North Koreas methods.

Last month Mr Trump put forward a proposal to slash state department funding by a quarter from about $53.1 billion (38.3 billion) a year to $39.3 billion (28.3 billion). More than a year after his election he is yet to nominate about 30 ambassadors  including a permanent one for South Korea.

Trump says he 'believes' North Korea Kim Jong Un

The US and North Korea do not have formal diplomatic relations.

Ms Warren said: I want to see our president succeed because if he succeeds, America succeeds. The world is safer. But I am very worried that theyre going to take advantage of him.

No date or place has been set for the meeting with Kim, despite initial reports it would be by the end of May. At a weekend rally for a Republican candidate in Pennsylvania the president said: Hey, who knows whats going to happen? I may leave fast or we may sit down and make the greatest deal for the world.

Mr Trumps administration has proposed rigorous weapons training for some teachers and school staff following the Florida school shooting that left 17 dead. But it appeared to backtrack on his claim that he would support raising the minimum age for buying guns from 18 to 21.F ive people have been killed after a helicopter chartered for a photoshoot crashed into New York City's East River.

The pilot managed to scramble to safety and was rescued by a passing boat after the helicopter came down near to mayoral residence Gracie Mansion on Sunday night.

But five other people travelling in the aircraft were killed after they were unable to free themselves from their safety harnesses and escape.

Two of the five passengers died at the scene and three were rushed to local hospitals where they later died, a spokesman for the New York City Police spokesman confirmed on Monday.

Video posted on Twitter shows a red helicopter land hard on the surface of the river before flipping on its side, with its propeller still spinning.

Witnesses said it had been flying noisily before suddenly dropping into the water and sinking fast. According to reports the pilot put out an emergency mayday call shortly before the crash - saying the aircraft was experiencing engine failure.

Crash: The red taillight was still flashing as the aircraft began sunking into the river

After the helicopter sank, the pilot appeared on the surface of the river clinging onto a flotation device as a tugboat and then police boats approached.

"It's cold water. It was sinking really fast," Mary Lee, 66, told the New York Post. "By the time we got out here, we couldn't see it. It was underwater."

New York: Paramedics and members of the NYFD perform CPR on a victim of the crash / REUTERS

"It kind of hit sideways and just flipped over," Brianna Jesme, 22, an Upper East Side resident who witnessed the crash, added.

Celia Skyvaril, 23, told the Daily News that she could see a person on what looked like a yellow raft or float screaming and yelling for help.

Rescue attempt: New York Fire department emergency responders on the scene / EPA

News footage showed one victim being loaded into an ambulance while emergency workers gave him chest compressions.

A bystander, Susan Larkin, said that she went down to see rescue boats in the river and a police helicopter circling overhead, hovering low over the water. "You could clearly see they were searching," she said.

Crash: New York emergency responders on the scene / EPA

New York Fire Commissioner Daniel Nigro at a press conference late Sunday described the incident as a great tragedy and said it took a while for the rescue divers to get the passengers out of the helicopter.

He said when the divers reached the helicopter it was inverted under 50 feet of water that was below four degrees centigrade in temperature.

Crash: Fire Commissioner Daniel Nigro speaks during a press conference alongside NYPD Commissioner James O'Neill / REUTERS

He said passengers were tightly harnessed and they had to be cut out of their seats before emergency services could remove them.

The Federal Aviation Administration said the Eurocopter AS350 went down near the northern end of Roosevelt Island at about 7 p.m. and was investigating. The National Transportation Safety Board said its investigative team would arrive on Monday.S paceX founder Elon Musk says he could start short test flights of his Mars mission spaceship as early as next year.

The Tesla bosss privately funded mission aims to send a rocket to the Red Planet by 2022.

During a surprise question and answer session in Austin, Texas, on Sunday billionaire Mr Musk told crowds: We are building the first Mars, or interplanetary ship, and I think well be able to short trips, flights by first half of next year."

He told attendees at the annual technology and culture festival SXSW that he hoped his bid would encourage other companies to venture into space travel.

He added: In the short-term, Mars is really about getting the spaceship built.

SpaceX Falcon launch - In pictures 1 /14 SpaceX Falcon launch - In pictures SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket lifts off from pad 39A at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral AP SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket climbs towards space Reuters Incredible footage shows the SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket passing Earth AP SpaceX's CEO Elon Musk Getty Images SpaceX's gigantic Falcon Heavy rocket successfully blasted off from its launch pad SpaceX SpaceX livestream video shows "Starman" sitting in SpaceX CEO Elon Musk's cherry red Tesla roadster after the Falcon Heavy rocket delivered it into orbit around the Earth Incredible footage shows the SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket in orbit AFP/Getty Images Printed on the circuit board of a car in deep space Incredible footage shows the SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket in orbit AP SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket lifts off from pad 39A at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral AP The crowd cheers at Playalinda Beach in the Canaveral National Seashore, just north of the Kennedy Space Center, during the successful launch of the SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket AP Visitors have staked out spots near to the fishing pier at Jetty Park to watch the rocket launch Reuters SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket lifts at Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral AP A red Tesla Roadster is seen during preparations to use it as a mock payload for the launch of a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket in Cape Canaveral, Florida REUTERS

They currently dont think its possible, so if we show them that it is, theyll up their game and build interplanetary transport vehicles, as well.

Mr Musk, who launched his cherry red Tesla convertible into orbit last month on the back of his Falcon Heavy rocket, denied Mars travel would be an escape hatch for rich people.

He said of aspiring space travellers: For the early people that go to Mars, it will be far more dangerous. It kind of reads like (Ernest) Shackletons ad for Antarctic explorers: Difficult, dangerous, good chance youll die. Excitement for those who survive.

The coolest things from Elon Musk's Falcon Heavy SpaceX launch

Joking with the audience, he also added that he is inspired by Kanye West.

Thousands gathered to watch the launch of Falcon Heavy from the Kennedy Space Centre in Florida on February 6.

Despite overshooting its orbit around Mars the launch is still said to have paved the way for commercial space travel.

Elon Musk's cherry red Tesla launched into space / AFP/Getty Images

Business magnate Musk, who runs the private rocket company Space X, said that before lift-off in Florida he had half-expected disaster.

I had this image of a giant explosion on the pad, a wheel bouncing down the road, the Tesla logo landing somewhere, Mr Musk said.

However, apart from one of the three booster rockets failing to land, as planned, the launch itself went like clockwork.

The $100,000 car is the first wheeled vehicle in space apart from moon buggies.

A space-suited mannequin was at the wheel, named Starman after the David Bowie song. A sign on the dashboard repeated the Hitchhikers Guide To The Galaxy mantra Dont panic! while Bowies Life On Mars? plays on a loop on the radio. One of the circuit boards on the car has the message Made on Earth by humans.

Stunning footage of the launch showed the rocket blast off as its monstrous engines roared during take-off at 3.45pm EST (8.45 UK time).

Before revealing the rocket exceeded the planned orbit, Mr Musk said the rocket was due to go into a huge oval orbit around the Sun that will take it close to Mars in about six months time before heading back towards Earth.M ichael Caine is the latest actor to say that he won't work with Woody Allen again after the sexual assault allegation made against him by Dylan Farrow.

The 84-year-old, who won an Oscar for his role in Allens film Hannah and Her Sisters said he was stunned when he heard about the accusations.

Speaking to the Guardian, he said: Im a patron of the NSPCC and have very strong views about paedophilia.

I cant come to terms with it, because I loved Woody and had a wonderful time with him.

Denied: Allen has slammed the allegations against him / Evan Agostini/Invision/AP

I even introduced him to Mia [Farrow]. I dont regret working with him, which I did in complete innocence; but I wouldnt work with him again, no.

Filmmaker Allen has been accused by his adopted daughter Dylan Farrow of sexually assaulting her when she was a child, a claim which he vehemently denies.

No more: Caine has shut down working with the director again (Warner Bros. Pictures)

The news comes after Love Actually actor Colin Firth joined a host of stars who have publicly denounced Allen.

The British actor, who appeared in Allens 2013 film Magic in the Moonlight, has said that he will not work with the prolific filmmaker on any future projects.

Resurfaced: Farrow rehashed the claims against Allen / CBS

On the same day that Dylan Farrow gave her first televised interview accusing her adoptive father of sexually assaulting her when she was a child, Firth told the Guardian: I wouldnt work with him again.

Firth follows in the footsteps of stars including Timothee Chalamet and Rebecca Hall, who have decided to donate their salaries from Allens forthcoming film, A Rainy Day in New York, to the Times Up campaign.

I dont want to profit from my work on the film, and to that end, I am going to donate my entire salary to three charities: TIMES UP, The LGBT Center in New York and RAINN, Chalamet wrote on Instagram.T he man accused of stalking Colin Firth's wife Livia Giuggioi after a brief relationship with her has claimed he received a sympathetic email from the actor.

Reports claim that the Kings Speech star emailed Marco Brancaccia in the wake of the reveal, saying: You have made me suffer but I know you are suffering too.

According to The Sun, Mr Brancaccia sent details of his alleged affair with Ms Giuggioi and received a reply from the actor.

The publication quotes him as speaking from his Brazilian home, detailing: I was angry and upset. I sent an email to Colin and it had a picture of Livia.

Married: Colin Firth and his wife wed in 1997 / Dave Benett

I wanted him to know what happened. I had a reply which was very understanding.

Then police are at my house and theyve taken my computer and phone.

On Thursday evening 48-year-old Ms Giuggioi revealed she had embarked on a relationship with Mr Brancaccia during a short separation with Firth.

Reports: Mr Brancaccia claims he had an email from Colin Firth / Han Myung-Gu/Getty Images

Giuggioli claimed that her former flame had begun sending her threatening texts and calls after she reconciled with the British actor.

A spokesperson for the couple said: A few years ago Colin and Livia privately made the decision to separate. During that time Livia briefly became involved with former friend Mr Brancaccia. The Firths have since reunited.

Subsequently, Mr. Brancaccia carried out a frightening campaign of harassment over several months, much of which is documented. As a consequence of his stalking, threats and refusal to desist, the legal complaint was lodged with the Italian authorities.P rince Harry raised his eyebrows to Meghan Markle after watching Liam Payne celebrate his performance at Westminster Abbey by fist-bumping his band.

The One Direction star covered John Mayers Waiting on the World to Change in honour of the occasion.

Following his rendition of the song, Payne turned around to fist-bump his band in celebration of the successful performance in front of the Royal family.

Prince Harry and Markle could be seen exchanging glances at one another, with the former raising his eyebrow at his soon-to-be wife.

Happy days: Payne celebrated the successful performance / BBC

The glance was met by a giggle from Markle who attempted to disguise her amusement.

The event, which marked Commonwealth Day was the former actress' first official royal engagement with the Queen.

Giggle: The pair shared a private laugh / BBC

Markle, who is to wed Prince Harry in May, arrived arm-in-arm with the Prince at the Westminster Abbey event on Monday afternoon.

The Commonwealth Day service was also attended by the Prince of Wales, Duchess of Cornwall, Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and the Prime Minister.

Commonwealth Day 2018 Service at Westminster Abbey - In pictures 1 /14 Commonwealth Day 2018 Service at Westminster Abbey - In pictures Meghan Markle arrives to attend a Commonwealth Day Service at Westminster Abbey AFP/Getty Images Meghan Markle receives flowers as she leaves after attending the Commonwealth Service at Westminster Abbey, London PA The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle attend the Commonwealth Service at Westminster Abbey, London PA The Duchess of Cambridge, Prince William, Duke of Cambridge arrive with Prince Harry and Meghan Markle to attend a Commonwealth Day Service at Westminster Abbey AFP/Getty Images Prince Harry and Meghan Markle arrive for the Commonwealth Service at Westminster Abbey AFP/Getty Images Prince Harry and Meghan Markle arrive for the Commonwealth Service at Westminster Abbey PA Meghan Markle arrives to attend a Commonwealth Day Service at Westminster Abbey AFP/Getty Images Meghan Markle talking to children as she leaves the Commonwealth Service at Westminster Abbey PA Prince Harry and Meghan Markle arrive for the Commonwealth Service at Westminster Abbey PA The Duchess of Cambridge, Prince William, Duke of Cambridge arrive with Prince Harry and Meghan Markle to attend a Commonwealth Day Service at Westminster Abbey AFP/Getty Images Prince Harry and Meghan Markle arrive for the Commonwealth Service at Westminster Abbey PA Meghan Markle arrives to attend a Commonwealth Day Service at Westminster Abbey Getty Images Prince Harry and Meghan Markle leave following the Commonwealth Service at Westminster Abbe PA Prince Harry and Meghan Markle as they leave after attending the Commonwealth Service at Westminster Abbey, London PA

American Markle joined the royals in singing the National Anthem at the start of the service.I f watching The Great British Bake Off makes you feel terrible about your cake-making skills, then new Netflix show Nailed It could be just the thing to boost your confidence.

While most cooking shows are dedicated those who can pull off complicated patisseries with aplomb, the brand new series is all about less than brilliant baking skills.

Named after a phrase used by social media users in memes documenting their baking fails, the show sees amateur bakers attempt to replicate and intricate cake design.

The contestant who best matches the decoration wins a $10,000 prize.

Baking fail: One of the contestant's creations / Netflix

The American series is hosted by comedian and actress Nicole Byer, and judged by expert baker Valerie Gordon and chocolatier Jacques Torres.

A little like Bake Offs signature challenge, the bakers arent given any tips on how to best recreate the design making for surprising and hilarious results.

The show may have been greenlit by Netflix as a replacement for the US version of Bake Off The Great American Baking Show which was dropped after judge Johnny Iuzzini was accused of sexual misconduct by four former employees.

A spokesperson for broadcaster ABC told CNN: "In light of allegations that recently came to our attention, ABC has ended its relationship with Johnny Iuzzini and will not be airing the remainder of 'The Great American Baking Show' episodes."

"ABC takes matters such as those described in the allegations very seriously and has come to the conclusion that they violate our standards of conduct."

Iuzzini denies all the accusations, calling them inaccurate in a statement.Countries & Areas

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Dr. Alan Braid of San Antonio has been sued by a former lawyer from Arkansas and a "pro-choice plaintiff" from Illinois for performing an abortion that violates Texas' new ban on the procedure.It works! For so many years the calls for putting an end to arms control erosion and reviving a security dialogue with Moscow despite the existing divisions have been falling on deaf ears in Washington. The danger of unfettered arms race has become imminent. Other menaces emerge. In theory, they should top the Russia-West security agenda but they dont. Now it looks like there is some light at the end of the tunnel. But why now? What is so special about March 2018?

Evidently, Vladimir Putins landmark address on March 1 did it. In words it was condemned and strongly criticized in the West but in practice sharing the information about the Russian super weapons spurred positive reaction. Those who never missed an opportunity to denigrate Russia and blame it for all the wrong things in the world are suddenly changing the tune. Looks like this time the Russian president nailed it.

Right after his speech, a group of senators called for reviving a strategic dialogue with Russia something unthinkable just some time ago. US lawmakers never missed the opportunity to demonstrate their zeal to attack Moscow. Now they are emphasizing the urgency of jumpstarting the talks! The letter, addressed to State Secretary Rex Tillerson, was published on March 8.

The senators believe that the New START Treaty, the one decried by the administration, should be extended. It expires in 2021. The document contains a provision saying it can be extended for five years.

Its not the New START only. The senators want to talk about Russias nuclear-powered cruise missile with unlimited range and nuclear underwater drone  the weapons not included in any agreement but mentioned in the address. They are actually calling for a much broader agenda.

Are there other signs of positive changes? Taking a close look at other related events, the answer is yes. The Russian embassy in Washington reported that Ambassador Anatoly Antonov and President pro tempore of the United States Senate Orrin Hatch had held a meeting to emphasize the need to normalize the bilateral relations.

NATO leadership chimed in. On March 7, Gen. Petr Pavel, chairman of the blocs Military Committee, said Russia and the North Atlantic Alliance can reinvigorate their relationship. The general believes the parties need an impulse to get the process off the ground. Reviving the Russia-US strategic dialogue could be just the thing.

Despite the deterioration of relations, some contacts have always been maintained. In late January, three chiefs of Russian leading intelligence agencies visited the US simultaneously. At least, one of them was under the sanctions but the meeting was important enough to make President Trump waiver the restrictive measures. The US president believes that Putin is very important.

He is important and ready to talk on security issues, especially arms control. The Russian president confirmed it once again in his eye-opening address. After all, Moscow has always supported the idea of extending the New START, keeping in force the INF Treaty, and maintaining the regime of nonproliferation. It believes that gradual progress in the field of arms control is achievable despite the existing mistrust and overall deterioration of relations. The extension of New START would keep in force the crucially important verification measures and revive the fading hopes for saving the arms control regime.

Both Russia and the US are pursuing overhauls of their strategic triads. None of their plans are inhibited by New START but its imperative to preserve the limitations and verification procedures in place to prevent the process from getting out of hand to provoke an unfettered arms race. The extension would promote a positive atmosphere to improve the overall relationship.

President Putins revelations could prompt the US to realize that there are other issues it has been imprudently refusing to address. Just a few days ago, Washington wrecked cybersecurity talks. There is an urgent need to address the problem of preventing the looming hypersonic arms race. The militarization of space is another issue of paramount importance to be tackled by the two powers. Progress is hardly achievable without restricting the US global ballistic missile defense. Nuclear nonproliferation is in trouble. It cant be saved without Russia and the US working together.

In his comments on the senators letter, Russias Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Moscow is ready to launch talks on strategic stability. The letter and Russias response are good things but there had been no progress seen until Vladimir Putin mentioned the new weapon systems, making his speech have such a sobering effect. This is the lesson to learn: you have to be really strong and have something up your sleeve when dealing with the US.In early 2018 the U.S. Air Force ordered another $21 million worth of their 14 ton deep penetrator bomb (the MOP or Massive Ordnance Penetrator, officially the GBU-57). Based on past purchases this would be 5-10 GBU-57s. Earlier purchases had included a lot of additional equipment as well as modifications to the B-2 bomber that is the only aircraft that carries this bomb. There is no official data on the number of MOPs the air force has because data on bombs used for tests and training are kept secret.

It is known that GBU-57 underwent modifications in 2013 and 2017 that required one of more of them to be used to ensure the mods had the desired effect. While the 2013 mods were apparently to increase penetration and effectiveness against Iranian underground facilities the 2017 mods apparently took the characteristics of North Korean (or even Chinese) underground facilities into account. The 2013 tests were apparently against an accurate replica of the main Iranian nuclear weapons development facility at Fordo. Some of the results of this test were distributed to American allies with the intention of sending a message to Iran. There is no indication that a similar message about GBU-57 performance was sent to North Korea after the 2017 tests.

The first eight GBU-57s were ordered in 2011 and by 2018 at least twenty had been purchased. In early 2013 the U.S. Air Force announced that because of unspecified improvements to the GBU-57. Seven of the first eight production model bombs were used for tests, which resulted in a classified list of tweaks to the existing design and these upgrades have been added regularly since 2011. All this apparently paid off during the 2013 test against the Fordo replica.

The GBU-57 contains 2.4 tons of explosives and costs $1.5 million each just for the bomb. Over $400 million has been spent on developing MOP, including continuing upgrades. Since 2011 most of the twenty B-2 bombers have been modified to carry these weapons (two bombs per B-2). This was apparently meant to send a message to Iran and North Korea. Other countries, like China, Russia and Pakistan, also have some important underground military facilities that could only be taken out by a MOP. But there the greatest number of such targets in Iran and North Korea.

The B-2 is important for the MOP because this bomb is meant to be used in an unexpected attack and by an aircraft that can slip past heavy air defenses. Thus even if there were deep bunkers in Somalia or Afghanistan you would not need a stealth bomber to deliver a MOP. The enemy in those countries have no way of detecting a high flying B-52, much less a stealthy B-2. But Iran and North Korea do have radars, and a B-2 could slip past those radars and take out the air defense system command bunkers, or any other targets buried deep. The United States has made it clear that any attack on North Korea would involve B-2s delivering MOPs.

The 6.2 meter (20.5 foot) long MOP has a thick steel cap, which was originally designed to penetrate up to 8 to 61 meters (26-200 feet) before exploding. The smaller number is for concrete (highest degree of hardness) or up to 61 meters of rocky earth. This was the original spec, which is now supposed to be improved. The 2013 modifications apparently addressed the fact that the then new Iranian nuclear facility (Fordo) was supposed to be buried beneath 90 meters of earth and rock.

The U.S. has not (officially) sold any GBU-57s to Israel, so any use of this bomb would have to be by American aircraft.The countries supplying the peacekeepers in Somalia (Kenya, Uganda, Burundi, Ethiopia and Djibouti) are asking the UN to reverse its decision to gradually shut down the operation. The African nations point out that that the 21,000 peacekeepers are holding the country together and without these foreign troops (most from neighboring countries) Somalia would collapse into chaos again. The UN position is that that are many nations needing peacekeepers, more peacekeepers than the UN budget can support. Moreover Somalia is the most corrupt and violent nation UN peacekeepers have to deal with and the stability situation in Somalia is improving too slowly. The U.S. recognizes the pattern and refuses to station many troops in Somalia. There are currently about 500 American troops in Somalia and only 7,500 in all of Africa. These belong to AFRICOM and most of those troops are based in Djibouti, Somalias northern neighbor.

Al Shabaab, and the usual clan feuds, remain a threat, mainly because of the difficulty in creating and maintaining effective army and police forces. Somalia has never before had a national military or police force and ancient tribal (or clan) rivalries and rampant corruption make it extremely difficult to create any national institutions. The United States alone has invested over $700 million in recruiting, training and maintaining a Somali Army and that force currently has 20,000 troops on the payroll. Because of the corruption an unknown number of these soldiers do not exist except as payroll entries. This is a notorious scam (phantom soldiers) in corrupt areas for officers to steal money. There are many other more direct ways and it is considered bad manners to not steal, especially when someone in your family or clan is in desperate need. Family comes first and to hell with everyone else. The corruption hurts everyone and a major appeal of groups like al Shabaab is the promise to eliminate corruption via the establishment of a religious dictatorship and implementation of sharia (Islamic law). That has been tried many times in the past and never worked. Islamic scripture insists it will and the most faithful Moslems should keep trying, at whatever cost. That is where al Shabaab is coming from and what keeps them going. That and a lot of criminal activity and corruption.

The current, reformist, Somali president is trying to get al Shabaab factions to accept amnesty deals and disarm. More of the leaders are willing to make deals than are the many al Shabaab gunmen out there and their local leaders. Most al Shabaab operate more as bandits than Islamic terrorists these days and that is pretty normal for Somalia. In rural areas al Shabaab extorts cash and goods from villagers. The al Shabaab groups are large enough to intimidate any armed force a village can muster and extort as much as they can without causing the villagers to die from starvation or flee. Then there is the recruiting of children, usually boys, to become bandits. Teenage girls are also kidnapped for sex and free labor. Al Shabaab in rural areas let it be known what they charge for vehicles to pass safely through their territory. There are not enough Somali police or soldiers to protect these rural populations so locals pay the bribes or starve. Sending in foreigners to supervise the distribution of aid is a dangerous move because Somalis will intimidate such officials with murder and kidnapping. Efforts, so far, to break this cycle have not made much progress. There has been some improvement over the last decade but too slow to justify the amount of foreign aid required, not when there are other areas that use the aid more effectively and with less risk (of getting killed) to the aid providers. Despite laws and UN regulations against it foreign aid groups continue to pay bribes and protection fees demanded by al Shabaab to allow aid into rural areas. Al Shabaab then demands a portion of that aid from the recipients as taxes. Thus al Shabaab survives as a major security problem in rural areas. From these rural bases the more dedicated al Shabaab members can plan terror attacks in or near the capital (Mogadishu) and other large urban areas. Mogadishu is the preferred target because attacks there get the most international media coverage. Thus the capital, Mogadishu, is regularly hit with al Shabaab attacks. There were 45 such attacks in 2017, nearly four a month. That rate of attacks has continued into 2018.

March 10, 2018: Outside Mogadishu a roadside bomb killed four soldiers and wounded four others.

March 8, 2018: The United States designated two senior al Shabaab officials (Ahmad Iman Ali and Abdifatah Abubakar Abdi) as international terrorists and made it illegal for anyone to do business with these two or for them to travel internationally. This makes it more costly for these men to move around and do business.

March 7, 2018: Outside Mogadishu a roadside bomb killed two government officials and their two bodyguards.

March 4, 2018: About 240 kilometers west of Mogadishu Ethiopian forces clashed with al Shabaab near Baidoa leaving many dead on both sides.

March 2, 2018: An al Shabaab suicide car bomb was used to attack an army base 30 kilometers 0utside Mogadishu. The base security worked and the explosion killed the bomber and one soldier.

In the southeast (Jowhar, 90 kilometers from Mogadishu) al Shabaab ambushed peacekeepers killing three and wounding seven. Al Shabaab then briefly occupied parts of the nearby town of Balad, where they wrecked the broadcasting facilities of a radio station hostile to al Shabaab. The Islamic terrorists were driven out by army forces later in the day.

March 1, 2018: Some 15 kilometers outside Mogadishu al Shabaab used a suicide car bomb at a checkpoint to wound five people.

In the southeast (across the border in Mandera country Kenya) al Shabaab attacked two police bases near the coast and killed five policemen.

February 28, 2018: In Mogadishu al Shabaab fired several mortar shells into a residential neighborhood, killing three civilians and wounding several more.

February 26, 2018: In the south (near Jilib about 260 kilometers south of Mogadishu) an American UAV used a missile to kill two al Shabaab men and wound another. This is the third such attack this month. The other was on the 21st, outside the southern port of Kismayo. On the 19th a UAV hit al Shabaab outside Jilib killing four al Shabaab men. There were two UAV attacks in January. There were 31 such attacks in 2017, most of them directed at al Shabaab but two hit ISIL (Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant) targets. There were 15 UAV attacks in 2016 and three in 2015. It is expected there will be more of these attacks in 2018.

February 23, 2018: In Mogadishu al Shabaab used suicide car bombs and over a dozen gunmen to attack the presidential palace and a hotel. Both attacks failed but not before over fifty people were killed, including about a dozen of the Islamic terrorists.

About 300 kilometers off the east coast a speedboat full of Somali pirates approached and fired on a tanker. The onboard security crew fired back and the pirate speedboat turned away. This was the second such attack this month and both attacks failed. These two attacks in one month were unusual because such attacks are rare these days. There were more than three times as many pirate attacks off Nigeria (and the Gulf of Guinea in general) than off Somalia during 2017. Actually most of the pirate attacks in 2017 were in Southeast Asia (Indonesia and the Philippines). Despite that worldwide pirate activity hit a 22 year low (188 attacks) in 2017 and most of it was far away from Somalia, where the piracy boom there ended in 2012. Those 188 attacks created damage worth $7 billion, most (80 percent) of it was absorbed by the ships and their owners. Higher insurance rates and operating costs were the major additional costs. This is especially true off Nigeria where there is a lot more commercial shipping than off Somalia and the insurance rates are still higher because of the piracy risk. That is why most large ships passing near Somalia have a team of armed security specialists to handle pirates who get too close. No ship with these security teams aboard have ever been taken for ransom.

February 16, 2018: In the south (across the border in Wajir country Kenya) al Shabaab attacked a primary school compound and killed three teachers and wounding several others. Al Shabaab is hostile to all secular education and any education for girls.

February 12, 2018: In the south al Shabaab killed two of their own, ethnic Somalis from Kenya, after accusing the men of spying for the Kenyan military. In 2017 there were four such executions and over the last five years or so at least twenty.The Senate will meet today (Monday) here in Islamabad to elect chairman and deputy chairman for the Upper house of the parliament.

President Mamnoon Hussain has already summoned a session of the Senate today, in which newly-elected senators will sworn in at 10 am.Nomination papers for Senate chairman and deputy chairman will then be submitted in the Senate Secretariat at noon.

The nomination papers will be reviewed at 2 pm after which another session will be summoned at 4pm the same day, when the chairman and deputy chairman will be elected.

Following the election, the Senate chairman will take oath, and will then swear in his deputy. After the oath-taking, the session will be adjourned until further notice.Earlier on Sunday night, Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) announced to support Balochistan independent candidate Sadiq Sanjrani for the Senate chairman slot.

Speaking to media here, PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto said that it will field Saleem Mandviwalla on the deputy chairman seat.

Earlier, the PPP and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf had given Chief Minister Balochistan Abdul Quddus Bizenjo the authority to bring forth a joint candidate for the slots with help of the newly-elected independent senators from Balochistan.PTI had also announed to throw its weight behind Sanjrani. Chief minister of Balochistan, Abdul Quddus Bizenjo, held a meeting with Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan at his Bani Gala residence earlier today along with independent senators from the province.Following the meeting, the PTI spokesperson informed the media that the party will support Sadiq Sanjrani, an independent senator-elect from Balochistan for the Senate chairman.

Whereas, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) held a meeting under the chair of party supremo and former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, to decide on their candidates for senate top posts on Sunday.

The meeting was attended by senior party leaders, including Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi.The reply stated that parts of the speech that he had given were misconstrued by the media and posted on different platforms. It is regret to say that this conviction is against all laws, morals and ethics of this country, the reply read.

To treat an unconditional apology under the inducement of Honorable Judges of the Honorable Court and there after treated as a plead guilty and later to use the same as ground for conviction, it is tantamount to a contempt of his [Justice Khosa] own court, it further added.

The reply also combated the Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Mian Saqib Nisars remarks during the last hearing. When asked why Hashmis law license shouldnt be cancelled, the respondent stated that it was the source of rozi for is children. The CJP then went on to say, Is ka bandobasht bhi woh hi karey ga jis ke liye naaray lagatey ho. The petition stated that the same judge has made his mind against Hashmi.

The top court, while rejecting his reply, decided to frame charges of second contempt case on March 26. Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Mian Saqib Nisar observed that this court will issue exemplary judgments.

You are maligning the apex court of the country, said Justice Ijaz ul Ahsan. The bench observed that Hashmis reply was not satisfactory.

On March 7, the top court issued another contempt notice to Hashmi for hurling verbal abuses and being uncivil towards the judiciary. A three-judge bench, headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Mian Saqib Nisar, also indicated that Hashmis law practice licence could be cancelled.

Hashmi was summoned after a video of him surfaced in which he was heard using abusive language against the judges after his release from jail. Hashmi served a month-long jail sentence over contempt of court.

During the hearing on Wednesday, the video was played in the courtroom. Hashmi, a former senator, first regretted and then apologised to the court.

I was stressed out and felt disoriented. I never uttered those words for the judges. I am ashamed [of my behaviour], he told the bench.

Unconvinced, the chief justice had rejected Hashmis apology. He said it was evident just how ashamed the politician was.

It has become everybodys habit to make such comments and then apologise, remarked Justice Ijaz ul Ahsan. First you had said you were fasting, and now you are saying you were mentally upset.Imam-e-Kaaba Sheikh Saleh bin Muhammad Al Talib had a meeting with Army Chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa in Rawalpindi on Monday.

They discussed matters of mutual interest.

Speaking on the occasion, the Imam-e-Kaaba said Pakistan has a significant place in the Muslim world and it is playing its vital role for peace and stability in the region.

The Army Chief said relations between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia are based on mutual trust and brotherhood. They will continue to play part for peace , prosperity and betterment of Muslim Ummah.

Meanwhile, Chief of South African Army Lieutenant General Lindila Yam called on Army Chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa in Rawalpindi on Monday.

Both sides agreed to enhance mutual defence relations.

The visiting dignitary was briefed about Pakistan`s contribution in towards regional peace.

He acknowledged the sacrifices and achievements of Pak Army in fighting terrorism.The Federal Investigation Agency registered a case against former ambassador to the United States Husain Haqqani, sources said on Monday.

The case was registered in the Anti-corruption circle by the FIA in relation to the Memogate scandal, sources revealed.

According to sources, Husain is accused of embezzlement in the secret fund worth $7.2 million.

The FIA asked the Foreign Ministry for details on the Pakistani embassy to investigate the matter further, sources added.

In February, the Supreme Court issued arrest warrants for the production of former ambassador of Pakistan to the US in relation to the Memogate scandal.

In the hearing, the apex court had directed secretaries of the interior and foreign ministers, as well as the FIA chief, to furnish a report on Haqqani's return in one week.

Responding to reports of the warrants, Haqqani stated on Twitter that it was "sad that highest court of Pakistan persists with such antics for local TV news coverage. Such political 'warrants' have not been honored abroad in the past, won't work now".

The Memogate scandal erupted in 2011 when Pakistani-American businessman Mansoor Ijaz claimed to have received an 'anti-army' memo from Haqqani, the then-Pakistan envoy in Washington DC, for US joint chiefs chairman Admiral Mike Mullen.Bay of Plenty

Tired of lock down and want to get back too work? Are you looking to step up and become Supervisor? Well, my client might...



View or Apply on GoodWork.co.nzSeveral telecommunications stores were broken into in the Tauranga CBD and Bayfair on Sunday night, with a number of phones stolen.

Bayfair Shopping Centre confirms the centre was broken into while closed overnight.

The offenders gained entry through force and targeted three specific retailers, forcing entry into Vodafone and Spark before leaving the centre four minutes later, says Bayfair Shopping Centre manager Steve Ellingford.

Our security team and the police were alerted as soon as the alarm was triggered.

We are working with the affected retailers to determine the level of damage and theft, and with the police to ensure they have everything they require to conduct a thorough investigation, including providing CCTV footage.

He says the centre remains open.

A Spark spokesperson says the Bayfair store is still open for business, while a spokesperson for Vodafone says their retail stores in Tauranga and Mount Maunganui would hopefully be re-opened later on Monday.

A 2degrees spokesperson confirms their Devonport Road store was broken into during the early hours of the morning with a number of handsets taken, as well as an attempted break in at the Bayfair store.

All three companies emphasised that the stolen handsets would be blocked on all New Zealand networks.

We advise consumers against purchasing handsets that are being sold outside of usual retail outlets, as these handsets will stop working on any New Zealand network.The Crown has spent more than $1 million on a seven-year battle to extradite a Korean-born New Zealander accused of murdering a woman in China.

Kyung Yup Kim has been fighting attempts to send him back to China since his arrest in 2011, and spent five of those years in custody.

No New Zealander has ever been extradited to China.

Mr Kims lawyer, Tony Ellis, says the Crown wanted to set a precedent so it was easier for China to have so called "economic criminals" sent back to stand trial.

Since May 2011, when China first requested that New Zealand send Mr Kim back, there have been six hearings relating to the legality of his detention, two judicial reviews and one appeal to the extradition order.

Figures given to RNZ show Crown Law spent $661,535 on the extradition hearing and $90,019 representing the Department of Corrections, defending the legality of Mr Kims detention.

The Ministry of Justice has spent $387,521 on judicial reviews, bail hearings and providing advice to the justice minister.

Another $95,747 has been spent on legal aid for Mr Kims defence.

Dr Ellis is representing Mr Kim and fighting the extradition on grounds that include concerns he would not get a fair trial.

Mr Kim was receiving legal aid but the battle was one-sided, Dr Ellis said.

"I thought how modest my fees were - $96,000 - and theyve spent $1.2 million, theyve spent 12 times as much as we have," he says.

Canterbury University law professor Neil Boister says the amount spent in Mr Kims case was not exorbitant by extradition standards, but extradition was a notoriously expensive process, because it involved two countries and took a lot of time.

Dr Ellis suspected the Chinese were pursuing Mr Kim to fulfill a broader agenda, specifically the 100 fugitives China says it wants to answer charges of corruption and other alleged crimes, with suggestions up to 20 of them may be living in New Zealand.

"They published a wanted list of 100 economic criminals and most of them on that list, were talking about hundreds of millions of dollars," Dr Ellis says.

"They want to set a precedent that its all right to extradite to China and Mr Kim [is] probably a useful precedent for them."

Professor Boister says China has pursued economic criminals in Canada and Australia, in a bid to send a clear message that those who engage in corruption in China cant seek refuge overseas.

If Mr Kim lost his appeals, it would make it easier to extradite others, but not for any legal reason, he says.

"It will simply familiarise the two states involved that are party to this extraditon process, with each others procedures. They will begin to understand how the other works."

Justice minister Andrew Little would not comment on Mr Kims case, which is currently subject to an appeal in the Court of Appeal.

However he was unlikely to overturn the decison of his predecessor Amy Adams, who had agreed to extradite Mr Kim, he says.

"It would be very unusual for a new minister coming in to just unilaterally overturn an extradition decision by a previous minister, theres got to be public confidence in the process and it should not be politicised."

Dr Ellis says his client could appeal to the United Nations once all avenues in New Zealand had been explored, meaning any final decision could still be several years away.Vous etes confrontes a une infestation par la puce, la punaise de lit ? Voici plusieurs actions qui sont a mettre en uvre pour faire []Methamphetamine is currently more available in New Zealand than cannabis.

Preliminary findings from New Zealands first online Drug Trends Survey has found the class A drug is easily available in the Bay of Plenty, Northland, Hawkes Bay, Gisborne, Waikato, Manawatu-Wanganui, West Coast and Southland.

The study, carried out by researchers from Massey Universitys SHORE and Whariki Research Centre, aimed to measure the availability of alcohol and drugs and demand for help services for substance use problems in all regions of New Zealand.

Detailed analysis of the findings will be presented to the Ministry of Health and other government agencies later this month.

The anonymous online survey, promoted via a targeted Facebook campaign, was conducted from November 2017 to February 2018.

A total of 6100 people completed the survey. Participants were asked a series of questions about the availability of the drugs they had used in the past six months. Anonymised surveys were carefully reviewed to ensure high quality and consistent data.

"While there have been anecdotal reports around the country that meth is easier to obtain than cannabis, to date there had been no data available to verify these claims, or confirm the extent of the issue throughout New Zealand," says Lead researcher, Associate Professor Chris Wilkins.

"These findings suggest a need to further prioritise the focus on meth, rather than on cannabis. This could include increasing access to help services for substance use problems for people living in the regions."

Overall, 14 per cent of those who used cannabis described the current availability to be "very easy", while 54 per cent of methamphetamine users reported the current availability as "very easy".

"Only 14 per cent of the cannabis users could purchase cannabis in 20 minutes or less, while 31 per cent of the methamphetamine users were able to purchase methamphetamine in 20 minutes or less.

This raises some serious questions concerning the supply of drugs and policy settings in relation to different drugs types, says Chris.

"Is the higher availability of methamphetamine the result of an intentional strategy by drug dealers who are seeking to maximise profits by promoting the sale of a more addictive drug type with a higher profit margin? Does the current supply reduction strategy need to be refocused on methamphetamine rather than cannabis?

"Methamphetamine is widely considered to be the more harmful drug, but cannabis is more vulnerable to routine law enforcement activity due to the space and time required to cultivate it, and its bulky and distinctive physical appearance and smell.

Higher availability of methamphetamine relative to cannabis was found in all regions.

"In Northland, 65 per cent of users described the current availability of methamphetamine to be very easy compared to only 15 per cent for cannabis.

Thirty two per cent of the Northland respondents could purchase methamphetamine in 20 minutes or less, compared to only 13 per cent who could purchase cannabis in 20 minutes or less.

Regions where lower availability of methamphetamine was found were in Auckland, Taranaki, Wellington, Nelson/Marlborough, Canterbury and Otago.

Survey demographics

*Forty-five percent of the sample was female and the average age was 29 years old (range 16-87 years).

*Twenty-one per cent identified as Maori and 72 per cent Pakeha.

*Thirty-five percent had completed high school education, 33 per cent a polytech or trade qualification and 28 per cent had a university degree.

*Eighteen per cent were students, 11 per cent unemployed or on a sickness benefit and 65 per cent were employed.Late last week an interesting story emerged surrounding Nvidia and the GeForce Partner Program (GPP). The GPP was quietly established by Nvidia as a means of working closer with OEMs and add-in board (AIB) partners on new products, product launches, marketing and so forth. At least, that is the intention of the program at the surface level, but an investigation by HardOCP has exposed a much less savory purpose behind the GPP, with elements of an anticompetitive and anti-consumer nature.

The story begins around two weeks ago, after HardOCP began their investigation into GPP. Getting ahead of the story, Nvidias director of partner marketing, John Teeple, put up a blog post outlining Nvidias new initiative.

Most of the blog post is pure Nvidia marketing speak, but a couple of lines are interesting. Nvidia claims the GPP is designed to ensure that gamers have full transparency into the GPU platform and software they're being sold, and can confidently select products that carry the NVIDIA GeForce promise. The blog post continues:

"This transparency is only possible when NVIDIA brands and partner brands are consistent. So the new program means that we'll be promoting our GPP partner brands across the web, on social media, at events and more. And GPP partners will get early access to our latest innovations, and work closely with our engineering team to bring the newest technologies to gamers Partners are signing up, fast. They see the benefit of keeping brands and communication consistent and transparent. The program isn't exclusive. Partners continue to have the ability to sell and promote products from anyone. Partners choose to sign up for the program, and they can stop participating any time. There's no commitment to make any monetary payments or product discounts for being part of the program.

Nvidia mentions transparency several times, but its not clear what Nvidia is referring to exactly. Is it transparency into who Nvidia partners with for the GeForce Partner Program? Does the GPP now provide transparency into the partnerships Nvidia have held with OEMs and AIBs for years? As HardOCP points out, despite this transparency claim, its actually not clear which companies are part of the program.

A second interesting point is Nvidias statement that the GPP isnt exclusive. Partners can continue to sell and promote products from anyone, according to the blog post. This is an important statement and well get into why shortly.

Now on the surface, it doesnt sound like there is anything inherently wrong with the GPP. It just sounds like a typical partnership arrangement between Nvidia and OEMs, delivering both sides mutual benefits like additional marketing and brand placement. But when HardOCP started talking to the companies involved, questions of anticompetitive and anti-consumer behaviour became apparent.

Note: MSI may or may not be part of the GeForce Partner Program. We don't know.

While investigating the GPP, Kyle Bennett from HardOCP spoke with seven companies, none of which wanted to go on the record. However they did speak anonymously about the GPP, and, according to Bennett, all the people he spoke to had similar opinions about the program.

Bennett summarizes the opinions as follows:

The terms of the GPP agreement are potentially illegal

The GPP will hurt consumer choices

The GPP will hurt a partners ability to do business with other companies like AMD and Intel

These opinions stem from a key component of the GPP agreement document, which Bennett read but decided not to publish. This component states that GPP partners must have their gaming brand aligned exclusively with GeForce. In other words, if a company like Asus wanted to join the GPP, they would not be allowed to sell AMD graphics cards as Republic of Gamers products. No more ROG-branded Radeon video cards, no more ROG laptops with AMD graphics inside.

Of course its up to the partners whether they want to be part of the GPP and accept these terms  Nvidia isnt explicitly forcing anyone to sign up  but there are some pretty significant consequences to not signing up. Specifically, the GPP provides benefits to partners such as launch partner status, high-effort engineering engagements, marketing development funds, social media and PR support, game bundling and more.

Let's not forget Nvidia holds a dominant market position in the GPU market and has not only held but solidified that position in recent years -- due in large part to a superior product offering.

The GPP requires participants to align their gaming brands exclusively with GeForce, and if they dont sign up to the program, their direct competitors that are part of the GPP will get special treatment from Nvidia. So there is a pretty strong incentive for OEMs and AIBs to sign up otherwise theyll be left in the dust by the dominant player in the graphics market.

And it allegedly goes beyond the terms outlined in the GPP document. Some AIBs expressed concerns that it they do not sign up to the GPP, Nvidia would restrict GPU allocations and preference GPP members instead. This isnt in the GPP agreement itself, but is allegedly happening through under-the-table agreements.

The biggest issue that stems from this kind of arrangement is that OEMs and AIBs are essentially forced into signing up to remain competitive among Nvidia partners. If they dont join the GPP, they wont get benefits like marketing development funds or launch partner status. And if a competitor does join, they will receive a genuine advantage, which puts anyone that decides not to join the GPP in a disadvantageous position.

Nvidia is requiring participants to align their gaming brands with GeForce exclusively, so in joining the GPP to remain competitive, OEMs and AIB partners wouldn't be able to use their gaming brand on AMD, Intel or any other competitors products. Technically a larger company would still be able to sell AMD GPUs under a non-gaming brand or run parallel promotions and push two brands, though evidently that would translate into higher costs and the gaming brands are almost always the most attractive to gamers.

The potential end result is less competition and less consumer choice. An everyday buyer looking for a graphics card for gaming would see almost exclusively Nvidia products from partners that join the GPP. AMD products would be pushed over to the side by an agreement that most manufacturers would find very difficult not to sign.

Theres a stark difference between what Nvidia is saying publicly about the GPP, and what the actual document allegedly states. Nvidia claims the program isnt exclusive, yet the agreement asks for exclusivity with a partners main gaming brand. Nvidia claims partners can stop participating at any time, but in reality if they do, they will put themselves in a disadvantageous position. Nvidia claims the program is about transparency, but no one is saying which companies are part of the GPP.

This sort of behaviour is a prime candidate for investigation by regulators. Intel has been stung and stung hard by regulators in the US and Europe for anticompetitive conduct in the past.

The situation is a bit puzzling on the motives. Nvidia holds a dominant market position with their GeForce graphics products: they are already the most popular brand among buyers, they are essentially unopposed at the high end and aspects of their technology are ahead of their nearest competitor. There is no need to force OEMs into selling Nvidia products; buyers were already buying mostly Nvidia stuff anyway.

But like with Intels rise to power, Nvidia is finding itself in a dominant position and they're coming up with ways of crippling the competition. Perhaps its not the first time weve seen these sort of practices either...

GameWorks has famously been a source of angst among the gaming community, with Nvidia partnering with game developers to integrate their effects that mostly cripple performance on AMD GPUs  and sometimes hurt Nvidia performance, too  while providing little visual benefit.

HairWorks, for example, notoriously overused tessellation to harm AMD performance while AMDs competing technology, TressFX, actually provided better performance on both Nvidia and AMD hardware. TressFX was an open technology that didnt gain much traction while Nvidia signed partnerships to ensure HairWorks was used in games instead.

AMD are clearly concerned about the GPP, as they were the ones that shopped around this story in the first place, as HardOCP acknowledges. Its always interesting when a company pitches publications like ours with a negative story on a competitor. It doesnt happen too often, but when it does, someone at the company is usually pretty annoyed with the practices of their competitor (to say the least).

It's a fine line that divides fierce competition and the sort of practices that end up hurting consumer choice in the long run. Competition is healthy and were all a bit sick of companies abusing their dominant position to further their own interests rather than using it to create a vibrant hardware landscape.Although Americans worry about the threat that immigration and outsourcing pose to the nations jobs, most citizens are more concerned about the effects of new technologies. According to Gallup survey results released last week, 58 percent of respondents said AI, robotics, and automation would cause more job losses over the next ten years than new workers entering the country and companies moving overseas.

3297 Americans responded to the survey, which Gallop created in collaboration with Northeastern University. It was split into four categories: age, political party, education, and job type.

According to the results, white-collar workers (62 percent) and Democrats (67 percent) are the demographics most concerned about new tech eliminating jobs, though its worth noting that only 3 percent fewer blue-collar workers feel the same.

Those under 35 also think tech is more likely to cost people their livelihoods than outsourcing/immigration. 61 percent are concerned about technologys effect on US jobs, whereas 39 percent chose immigration and offshoring as a bigger threat. For those over 35, 57 percent think automation will take more jobs, compared to 43 percent who believe otherwise.

The only category that saw technology as a lesser threat than immigration and offshoring was the Republicans, 52 percent of whom picked the latter option as their bigger concern.

The surveys results match those of a similar study by Pew Research last year, which found that 72 percent of US adults are worried about a future where robots and computers replace humans in the workforce, but only 30 percent of those surveyed thought their jobs were under threat.

Despite the results, it seems that most people are still fans of technology and the benefits it can bring. 77 percent of respondents said they believed artificial intelligence would have a positive impact on their lives over the next ten years.

It is clear that while Americans are optimistic about the positive impact that AI may have on peoples jobs and lives, many are also concerned about the short-term effect on jobs. However, the relatively low proportion of U.S. workers who are worried about their own jobs suggests some may be underestimating the likely impact of this technology, reads the studys conclusion.With Samsung having unveiled the new versions of its flagship phones, the Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9+, the new handsets are available to preorder as of March 2 and can be purchased later this week starting March 16. The question for many then becomes for how much and when will their prices drop?

What are the specs for the Galaxy S9?

On the surface, the Samsung Galaxy S9 looks pretty similar to its predecessor, the Galaxy S8. It features the same Super AMOLED panel with a 2960x1440 resolution, and has almost exactly the same dimensions. It comes with 64GB of storage and a microSD card slot, 4GB (S9) or 6GB (S9+) of RAM, and either an octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 processor, or an octa-core Samsung Exynos 9810 processor.

Improvements made to the camera and the camera app are the Galaxy S9's big selling points. It's the first phone to sport a mechanically adjustable aperture, which can switch between f/1.5 and f/2.4. The 12-megapixel camera also features dual-pixel autofocus and the the ability to record slow-motion video at up to 960 frames per second.

It also has a feature called Intelligent Scan, which uses facial recognition and iris scanning to lock and unlock your phone. The fingerprint sensor has been moved to below the rear camera and the Galaxy S9+ also comes with a second rear camera.

What does the Galaxy S9 cost right now?

If you order directly from Samsung, the new S9 is $719.99, while the S9+ is $839.99. You can break the price down into 24 monthly payments of $30 for the S9 (or $35 for the S9+), which ends up being a penny more. Amazon has it listed for pre-order for the same list price.

T-Mobile will have the same prices as Samsung, and you'll also be able to break this cost out into 24 monthly payments of $30, with no money down for the S9, and $120 due up front for the S9+. That's a significantly better price than what Verizon ($800 or $930), AT&T ($790 or $920), and Sprint ($792 or $912) will charge.

All of the carriers will also offer credit when you trade-in your old phone, with newer trade-ins  like the Galaxy S8  fetching as much as $350. Best Buy also offers credit for your old phone and will knock $100 off the price if you preorder your S9.

When will the Galaxy S9 go on sale?

But what if you don't want to drop more than $720 on a new phone? As the saying goes, good things come to those who wait. If last year's prices on the Galaxy S8 are any indication, you won't have to wait very long.

We saw prices begin to creep down from that phone's $750 list price shortly after its April release. By July, the S8 had reached an all-time low of $479  a 36% drop. The Galaxy S8+ took a little longer to come down in price, but it had fallen to $500 by November.

You could save as much as $200 on the Galaxy S9+ if you wait until June to buy it.

If you can exercise a little patience, you should be able to score a deal on the Galaxy S9; the best prices will most likely come this summer. And if you can wait until the fall, you'll get the best price for the Galaxy S9+. Still, you could save as much as $200 on the S9+ if you at least wait until June to buy it.

How much will older Galaxy phones cost?

After the S8 was announced last year, we found deals on the unlocked 32GB Galaxy S7 for as low as $380 (currentlly it's selling for $600). We expect that once the S9 is released, there will be similar discounts on the S8, taking a few hundred dollars off.

Because the Galaxy S7 was mired by the Note 7's troubles, it's possible that the S7 was more aggressively discounted than the S8 will be. Still, as we get closer to when the Galaxy S9 will be available in stores, look for wireless carriers to at least discount the monthly installment costs of the S8.

Stephen Slaybaugh is a staff writer at dealnews. Republished with permission.Vietnam will thus become the first country outside Cuba to produce this medicine, whose emergency use was approved on Saturday. | Read MoreIllustration: John Shakespeare Credit:

After a long and very colourful corporate career, the former Queensland Business Woman of the Year, Jenny Hutson, is finally being brought back down to earth with a thud.

G8 Education sent out a statement on Monday acknowledging that Hutson, its former chairwoman, is facing criminal charges following ASICs investigation into her sterling stewardship of the child care operator.

The group confirms that Ms Hutson has been named in the charges and that no allegations have been made against G8 or any current board member or staff. G8 has had no contact from ASIC on this matter since 2016.

G8 boss Gary Carroll told CBD that all the allegations are about her.The creators of Netflix hit Stranger Things have apologised after a former production member accused them of verbally abusing "multiple women" on set.

"We are deeply upset to learn that someone felt uncomfortable on our set," Matt and Ross Duffer, the series creators and showrunners, said in a statement to the Hollywood Reporter.

"Due to the high-stress nature of production, tempers occasionally get frayed, and for that, we apologise," the statement reads.

The allegations came to light on Friday, in an International Women's Day Instagram post from production member Peyton Brown.A Lyneham man spent the weekend in custody after beating his friend unconscious outside Canberra strip club Wanderlust.

Surveillance footage from a nearby brothel captured the early Saturday morning assault.

Documents tendered in court say the footage shows Patrick Jason Merritt hitting the victim in the head before he falls to the ground. Merritt, 29, bends over and punches the man several more times before he and another man drag the victim to the side of the road.

"The punches appear forceful," the documents say.

He and another man ran off when an employee from one of the nearby establishments said she had called police.Possible legal action looms over a government decision to select a disputed site at the centre of an unsolved arson mystery as the new home of the pesticides authority in Armidale.

Agriculture Minister David Littleproud and Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority chief executive Chris Parker on Monday said 91 Beardy Street, where the Armidale Club stood before a suspicious fire tore through it in September 2016, will host the agency's new building.

Designs for the APVMA's new building at 91 Beardy Street and 102 Taylor Street, Armidale. Credit:APVMA

The government has chosen the site, where 150 staff are expected to work by mid-2019, despite a live argument as former club owner-manager Kate Richards presses on with a claim that her 25-year lease there remains.

Ms Richards said she doesn't intend to stop the APVMA from moving into newly-built offices at the site but confirmed she will proceed with legal action pressing for compensation over alleged damages arising from loss of profits and the building owner's failure to insure the building.A "sadistic" rapist who attacked and choked two women then refused for years to be treated in jail will not be able to change his appearance without permission for the next five years after an order was made by the Supreme Court.

Luke Daniel Slater, 36, was sentenced to a maximum of 15 years and 6 months behind bars for the "premeditated" rapes in April and November 2001, which a court found were "intended to cause [the victims] to fear for their lives".

In the first attack, Slater - then 19 - followed a 24-year-old woman from a train station at Ingleburn and dragged her into a public toilet block, where he raped and indecently assaulted her. According to facts tendered to the court, he gripped her throat so tightly she became faint and could not speak or breathe, and told her: "I could snap your f---ing neck".

The woman begged for her life. When Slater left, she ran sobbing and distressed to a nearby fire station, where firefighters helped her and attempted to track down a man they had seen sprinting away.

Seven months later, Slater met his second victim - an 18-year-old woman - at a nightclub in Sydney's south. The pair left the club together at 5am and began to have consensual sex nearby, however when the woman pushed Slater away and said "no" he grabbed her throat with both hands and choked her for more than a minute, saying "I want you to die slowly".It only took a minute but it left a young boy fighting for his life and a woman facing serious charges.

A two-year-old was run over in the driveway of a home at Woodberry, near Maitland, on Saturday, leaving him with critical injuries.

The stomach-churning incident  captured on a neighbours CCTV security system  shows the young boy and other neighbourhood children crowded around a Holden Commodore in the front yard of a home in Segenhoe Street, Woodberry, shortly after 6.30pm.

Footage captures the immediate aftermath of the toddler being hit in the driveway.

The other children walk away from the car, but the toddler is seen to walk behind it.I am worried, even terrified, I tell you. And only Border Forces strong and manly hands will unclench my worrified buttocks of fear. A foreign crime wave full of foreigners is sweeping our fair city and I quake in anticipation of the swift and terrible action by the Department for Blaming Foreigners for Everything. It is time for the blacksuits to go to war with the Irish.

For too long now, or since January anyway, bar and cafe owners have lived in constant fear of brassy Irish scrubbers rolling into their establishments at all hours of the afternoon and demanding free drinks and sandwiches to make up for all the drinks and sandwiches they ate yesterday that were full of broken glass to hear them tell of it.

This same slobber of mots have routinely stuffed dozens of tubes of Pringles into the oversized nappy bags on their robbery prams while honest Brisbane shopkeepers have been distracted by the shenanigans of their tiny feckin snot-nosed barrow-wights.

Meantime, their scheming boyos clog up innocent Australian toilets with large tonnages of potatoes. To what end I could not tell you, since the Irish do not wash their potatoes before boiling them, preferring the natural gravy that a thick layer of soil adds to the cooking pot, but it surely cannot be good, a potato having no reasonable excuse to be growing out of an otherwise perfectly good toilet even when an Irishman is involved in the matter.Several of the brazen Irish scammers accused of ripping off Brisbane restaurants and businesses to the tune of tens of thousands of dollars have left the country, police say.

The revelation from police came as audio emerged of a voicemail reportedly left on the phone of the property manager responsible for several apartments they allegedly trashed across Brisbane.

Landlord Clara Carmichael told Seven News on Friday the accused fraudsters ditched four apartments on the citys south side after failing to pay rent, leaving holes in the walls and clogging toilets with potatoes.

So you wont be able to get any more payouts on your big plastic lips or your plastic rubber face, a man with an Irish accent says in the audio, broadcast by the Nine Network's Today program on Monday.I don't really know what Trinity Grammar was like 10 or 20 years ago, nor do I think it particularly relevant to my son's experience at the school in 2018. The Old Trinity Grammarians Association should not presume to speak for me or my son. The criticism that the school is too focused on year 12 results is curious given that assisting a student achieve their best is surely a key objective for any senior school and every parent's expectation. In my experience in 2 years to date, the focus on academic results certainly hasn't been at the expense of more holistic pursuits. Mark Hughson, Camberwell Decades on, little has changed

If Trinity Grammar can suspend a student for two weeks in 1972 for taking a small yellow plastic token from a science room tap, then anything is possible. This was done to my son two weeks before the school holidays. As both his father and I were working at the time we had no option but to remove him altogether and find a more suitable school closer to home. The school was adamant that this was a suitable punishment. Nothing much has changed at Trinity. Margot Sherwood, Malvern East Fashion rules: hair today, gone tomorrow Fashions can change. My grammar school in London had the same rule as Trinity and I copped a few detentions, trying to emulate some '50s pop stars' hairstyles. How ironic was it then in the late '80s in Melbourne that my son got kicked out of the rowing boat for having hair too short. Tony Davies, Berwick

Nothing wrong with academic excellence As a former student, what is wrong if Trinity is pursuing academic excellence over and above anything else? If parents want to pay exorbitant fees for something else, then perhaps they should send their sons to another school. In an increasingly competitive job market, a high ATAR score is the very least a school like Trinity should be aiming for. As for cutting a student's hair, every workplace has some sort of dress code. Raimond Aide, Merricks Beach FORUM Misplaced praise

It is impossible to imagine what Paul Keating has been reading when he can claim Donald Trump is surprisingly good at foreign policy ("Keating full of praise for Donald Trump", The Age, 10/3). The New York Times reported that Trump's "outpouring of militarism and chauvinism" threatened "to turn the world's sole superpower into an unabashed purveyor of violence and exploitation". By recognising Jerusalem as Israel's capital Trump was accused of dealing a "death sentence" to any peace process for the Middle East. American allies France, Germany, Italy declared it a mistake. He has ravaged the State Department. In childish, obscene language he has dismissed much of the African continent. He took the US out of UNESCO. He has alienated Muslims and much of his attempted immigration legislation has been racist based. He took America out of the Paris Accord, and so on. For an analysis of his policies, foreign and domestic, one will search in vain  apparently he can only express himself through Twitter. John Nicholson, Carlton North Taking stock With wars, natural disasters and the effects of climate change, the world's growing and shifting population has to live somewhere. Sadly, there is no "stocking rate" (Letters, 2/3) for our Earth.

David Johnston, Healesville Execs all areas April Baragwanath (Letters, 12/3) it's perhaps not surprising that a magazine supplement in The Age titled Executive Style, Smart Men, Cool Things has mostly pictures and articles about, well, men and men's stuff. Just as, if you were to buy a copy of say Women's Weekly, you might perhaps expect to find mostly articles about women and women's stuff, traditionally pigeonholed as that may be. Let's see if The Age does an edition of Executive Style about women execs and see how many articles about women and their interests make the cut or even just an edition of Executive Style that doesn't specifically mention gender in the title. Duncan Cameron, Parkdale

Conduct unbecoming No, Amanda Vanstone (Comment, 12/3), the reason parliamentarians are held in such low regard is not the "24-hour news cycle". It's their own conduct. The incessant bickering, the self-absorption, the undergraduate barracking of question time, the self-aggrandisement, the evasion of journalists' questions, the weasel words, the constant focus on point-scoring, the phoney outrage and calls for resignations, the overreaching, the endless in-fighting, the desperate fawning need for public approval, the lame sound-bites, the scripted party lines, the travel rorts, the expenses claims, the dodgy corporate deals, the endless electioneering, the pettiness, the egos, the destructive bitterness, the focus only on gaining/retaining power rather than good governance for the sake of good governance, and the total lack of anything that looks like the conduct of leaders  political or otherwise. That's why. Jonathan Maher, Carlton North Bring back MMBW

Nicholas Low (Letters, 12/3) is spot on, and we did have such a body  the Melbourne and Metropolitan Board of Works that served the state well for so many years until its abolition. Let's turn the clock back to this one. Graham Reynolds, Ballarat North Leaving footprints Hooray for Professor Low and his proposal for a Melbourne Metropolitan Planning Authority, independent of political whims, which would address residential, mobility, education, open space, heritage and climate needs. However, along with other correspondents on the same day, I have concerns with his assumption of population growth". Cities cannot expand endlessly. Melbourne is already over 150 kilometres across. It has devoured valuable agricultural and water resources; and each new resident, whether living in high rise or suburban house, adds to the footprint that humans leave on this dry continent. Elizabeth Meredith, Surrey Hills

Coke and coal I am sure I am not the only one heartily sick of the seemingly endless debate surrounding the Adani/Carmichael coal mine. But there appears to be one aspect totally missing in the debate. There are in fact two distinctly different types of coal. One is thermal coal, burnt in furnaces to generate electricity. The other is coking, or metallurgical coal, used to produce coke, an essential ingredient in the production of steel. By now there is little doubt that the days of thermal coal are numbered. Surely no one in their right mind would invest heavily in a mine producing only this type of coal. But coking coal is an entirely different story. So even although the demand for steel (and therefore coking coal) is somewhat muted at present, inevitably this demand will increase, as steel (and lots of it) is needed in virtually every infrastructure project and this will continue for the foreseeable future. This increasing demand for steel brings with it an increasing demand for coking coal. Clearly, the "anti-coal" lobby should recognise this difference and not throw out the baby with the bathwater. So where does the Carmichael mine stand in all this? Unfortunately, it is labelled a "thermal coal mine" and if this is accurate it clearly should not go ahead. But if it is capable of producing coking coal, even if on a much smaller scale, then this aspect should be retained and developed at the appropriate time. Brian Wilson, Doncaster East

Is this home? I find it incredible that on the one hand, Australia has this week pledged at the UN, to promote human rights around the world while our record of abuses not only towards our Indigenous peoples but our incarceration and treatment of people asking for asylum, has been vehemently criticised by the very same organisation. Adding to my shock and in the same week, the incredible story of a refugee couple with their two children (nine months and two years old) woken, without warning at 5am on Monday by Border Protection guards and police, given 10 minutes to grab some belongings and forcefully removed from Biloela, Queensland, to the detention centre in Broadmeadows, Melbourne. On the plane the children, despite being upset, were not allowed to be with their mother. In the detention centre they are incarcerated in a room with guards outside to make sure they do not go out. Residents in Biloela, where the family have lived in harmony for a number of years, where the children were born, have been left stunned, confused and devastated by the raid.

I find the utter hypocrisy shocking and not understandable in this country I call home. Joan Lynn, Williamstown Temple prayer Vale Peter Temple. Your broken-hearted, ironic, articulate detective Jack Irish will no more walk the streets of Fitzroy, solving others' petty, selfish mysteries, yet still in search of the answer to the much greater question of his own. PJ Bear, Mitcham

Go underground Wooden power poles that carry not only electricity but, much more critically to the economy, data, act as kindling for bushfires, particularly in the height of summer when they are completely dried out. The cost of bushfires to the Australian economy over the years is inestimable. It's time governments made a start to putting all data and power conduits underground ("Pole flaws still pose blaze risk", The Age, 12/03). Brian Sanaghan, West Preston Balanced lives Margit Alm (Letters, 12/3) might like to reflect on the awkward fact that her life revolves directly or indirectly, around the benefits of the internal combustion engine, steel, water harvesting and energy production. Presumably she arrived in Australia either by plane or ship. It's easy to tread lightly for thousands of years in the absence of these developments. The difficult trick is to thoughtfully balance the costs and benefits of living a contemporary and modern life (including writing letters to The Age) and not sheeting the blame home to everyone else.

Joanna Wriedt, Eaglemont Pyne flaws Christopher Pyne's personal highlights seem to confirm the electorate's opinion of MPs. They're interested in winning government, staying in government and pursuing promotion; little of his satisfaction list involves benefit for our nation. Wendy Knight, Little River Population points

The contrast between viewpoints on immigration, as expressed in the letters page yesterday is striking and indicates the serious problem we are having in instituting a sensible population policy. Two correspondents rightly praise the enriching of national life that has occurred from immigration to date. What is worrying, however, is that each totally ignores the dangerous realities mentioned by three other correspondents if such immigration continues. Our dry continent has only a limited carrying capacity of human beings and the overcrowding of our major cities threatens the quality of life and personal security of more and more urban residents. Left-wing idealists, please come down from cloud cuckoo land. Nigel Jackson, Belgrave Who is for beauty?

While developers are uglifying Melbourne and hiring lobbyists to get what they want from government, there is no one lobbying for aesthetic values. What we need is an ombudsman for beauty and style. Meg Williams, Alphington AND ANOTHER THING Trade

Memo to the two Ts. Real mates don't need to do deals with each other. That's why they are really mates. Helen McTaggart, Seaford Why worry about a tariff on alloominum? We make aluminium! Stephen Baldwin, Frankston How much did our PM have to give up in order to swing the steel deal? Will Australia be the front line in the next illegal war? In a war with China? Mr Trump, this is about lives and nations, not profit and real estate.

Maggie Morgan, Northcote Trinity A solution for Trinity Grammar: employ your own hairdresser; a hair cut they can well afford. Peter McIntosh, Ballarat So Trinity Grammar has multiple stadiums to "mould young gentlemen"? How comforting.

Andrew Jones, Torquay Vanstone Barnaby Joyce's lewd affairs "titillating", Amanda Vanstone (Comment, 12/3)? I don't think so. Henry Herzog, St Kilda East Amanda Vanstone is right for a change (Comment, 12/3). Let's cut the rubbish out of the media starting with her opinion pieces.

James Lane, Hampton East Amanda Vanstone writes perfectly about the media, heartening to know we will have a brighter view. An excellent article. Diana Goetz, Mornington Furthermore The ACTU ad campaign should target worker exploitation and underpayment, not low wages.A man who was woken by the sound of someone rummaging through his car boot has made an unusual citizen's arrest, thwarting a burglary in the city's inner south-west.

The resident, a man in his 50s, caught a thief by restraining him in a storage cupboard, normally used for rubbish bins, until police arrived at his Port Melbourne home on Tuesday.

About 3.30am, the man heard his car boot pop and then noises from his secure courtyard.

The resident confronted the alleged thief and pushed him into the bin cupboard.

The thief allegedly had multiple stolen bank cards and cash, which he tried to bin while in the cupboard.Dealing with crossbenchers who hold the balance of power in WA's upper house has proved trickier than expected, Premier Mark McGowan has admitted on his one-year anniversary in office.

After eight years of Liberal reign, Labor won last year's state election in spectacular fashion, securing 55 per cent of the vote.

How did the premier fare after one year in the job? Credit:Alex Ellinghausen

But it didn't gain control of the Legislative Council, which has three One Nation MPs and one Liberal Democrat among its ranks.

The McGowan government has twice failed to get a gold royalty hike through the upper house, "no body, no parole" laws have stalled and a taxi plate compensation plan designed to ease the impact of new competition from Uber has already been opposed by the Liberals, which label it a new tax and therefore a broken election promise.Cory Bernardis Australian Conservatives and Pauline Hansons One Nation are among the 19 parties who will contest next year's state election, as both sides of politics brace for the possibility of a hung parliament with right-wing parties holding the balance of power.

The deadline closed last week for parties to register to run candidates in the March 2019 election in order to be eligible for electoral funding.

Senator Pauline Hanson during an estimates hearing in federal parliament. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen

Other parties that have registered include Keep Sydney Open, which has campaigned against lock-out laws, the Voluntary Euthanasia Party and the Flux Party, which proposes a direct democracy model, where NSW residents would use an app to vote on every bill in Parliament, with MPs casting their vote based on the result in their electorate.

But it is the return of One Nation, as well as the Australian Conservatives, that is making senior Liberal strategists nervous.A summary of the 'outcomes' of an investigation into sexual harassment allegations made against former lord mayor Robert Doyle is expected to be handed to Melbourne City councillors on Tuesday.

The council has spent what is believed to be approaching $1 million on its investigation into Mr Doyle, who resigned in February after allegations were made against him by multiple women.

Former lord mayor Robert Doyle. Credit:Eddie Jim

The report was written by barrister Ian Freckelton, who was supported by a team of lawyers from Minter Ellison. The report is understood to have now been handed to the council's chief executive Ben Rimmer.

Mr Rimmer said last week that he wanted to see the report finished as soon as possible.The Greens' reputation as tree huggers may be at risk due to overzealous campaigners in the byelection for the Melbourne seat of Batman.

The party has landed in a spot of gentle bother with the local council, which has asked the party to leave its trees alone.

The council has stepped in to protect its flora after campaign posters of its candidate Alex Bhathal were found screwed to the trunks of trees in the electorate.

The City of Darebin, which covers much of the electorate, has issued a cease-and-desist to the Greens on trees on public land in the electorate.Kigali: At least 16 people have been killed and 140 others injured when lightning struck a Seventh Day Adventist church in Rwanda's south, a provincial governor says.

Rose Mureshyankwano said 140 churchgoers were injured and rushed to a nearby hospital, where two are in serious condition.

Mureshyankwano said 17 of those injured are still in the hospital while the rest have been discharged.

Rwanda's hilly landscape makes it a site of frequent lightning strikes, including one that killed at least 16 people at a church on Saturday. Credit:AP

Lightning strikes are frequent across Rwanda, which has many hills and mountains, and the country's police record a number of human and livestock deaths.Berlin: German security agencies are on alert for signs of violence against Turkish facilities in Berlin, Stuttgart and other cities, the Interior Ministry said, after fires damaged several Turkish-run mosques over the weekend.

Firefighters battled for more than 90 minutes to extinguish a blaze at the Koca Sinan mosque in Berlin early on Sunday. It was the latest in a series of incidents police say may be linked to demonstrations by hundreds of people against Turkey's military operation in the northern Syrian region of Afrin aimed at sweeping the Syrian Kurdish YPG militia from the Turkish border.

A Kurdish demonstrator in Cyprus shouts slogans in protest against the Turkish offensive targeting Kurds in the city of Afrin in Syria. Credit:AP

"The events in the region can stoke passions among Kurds living here in Germany," a ministry spokeswoman said, noting that conflicts between Turks and Kurds were also playing out in Germany, which is home to about 3 million people with ties to Turkey, including many ethnic Kurds.

The ministry appealed to demonstrators to avoid violence, and said protesters needed to abide by German laws.Paris: Hubert de Givenchy, the French fashion designer who dressed Jackie Kennedy and Audrey Hepburn and whose name became synonymous with modern elegance, has died.

Givenchy was 91 years old. Agence France-Presse was first to report the designer's death, citing a statement from his partner, Philippe Venet.

The aristocratic couturier founded the House of Givenchy in 1952 and became an icon of French fashion during the prosperous decades following World War II. He sold the brand to LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton in 1988 and has been succeeded there by designers including Alexander McQueen and Riccardo Tisci, who was named artistic director of Burberry March 1.

"Hubert de Givenchy has brought together two rare qualities: to be innovative and timeless," LVMH Chief Executive Officer Bernard Arnault said in a statement. "He was among those designers who placed Paris firmly at the heart of world fashion post-1950."Washington: Stormy Daniels, the porn star who claims an affair with President Trump, on Monday offered to give back the $130,000 payment to Trump's lawyer Michael Cohen.

In return, she wants to walk away from an agreement she reached in October 2016 with Cohen to keep quiet about the alleged tryst.

Daniels, whose legal name is Stephanie Clifford, has given Cohen until noon on Tuesday to respond and says she will wire the money by Friday "to an account designated by the president," according to a letter Daniels' lawyer Michael Avenatti sent to Cohen and his lawyer, Lawrence Rosen. The New York Times first reported Daniels' offer.

Daniels also wants assurances that Trump's team will not take any action to keep a recent 60 Minutes interview she taped from airing publicly.Medellin: In the first election since a 2016 peace deal ended a long-term conflict with guerilla group FARC, Colombia produced a fragmented congress with no clear majority or established power bloc.

The non-result came after an election day marred by controversy and low turnout but little violence.

Voters queue up to vote in Colombian national legislative and presidential primary elections in Medellin, Colombia on Sunday 11 March. Credit:Andrew J. Wight

The major controversy of the day came around on Sunday morning, local time, when it became clear that election authorities had not printed enough ballot papers for the Presidential primary election being held concurrently with the legislative elections.

"For reasons of costs and resources, not enough of these [ballots] were printed," Carlos Galindo, the current Registrador Nacional del Estado Civil told local radio.Rolls-Royce Takes On Ultimate Luxury Winter Road Trip To Courchevel, France

LONDON - March 12, 2018: H.R. Owen dealership Rolls-Royce Motor Cars London is celebrating completing the ultimate luxury winter road trip to the stunning French Alps ski resort of Courchevel.

Staff from the iconic showroom set off from Mayfair early in the morning to take on the 700-mile drive to Courchevel, but managed it without issue in just 13 hours behind the wheel of a Rolls-Royce Dawn Black Badge.

Once greeted by partners from the Six Senses Residences, H.R Owen set about laying on the ultimate apres-ski event in the company of six of the finest motor cars in the world.

Rolls-Royce Motor Cars London invited VIP guests to the five-star Le Lana hotel for an elegant evening of champagne, canapes and conversation. The new Phantom took centre stage, while the Ghost, Wraith and Dawn also went on display.

Following a successful night at Le Lana, Rolls-Royce took its small fleet over to Courchevel Heliport  home of the smallest runway in Europe  and put the cars through their paces ahead of the most spectacular backdrop.

Claus Andersen, Rolls-Royce Brand Director, said: Courchevel is one of the most stunning resorts in Europe, and a truly fitting location to display the finest motor cars in the world. The new Phantom was a massive hit with our VIPs, who thoroughly enjoyed being part of the most elegant of elegant apres-ski events  with champagne and five-star food adding to the opulence. Were already looking forward to taking on another road trip and bringing the unique taste of Rolls-Royce back to the region.

About H.R. Owen

H.R. Owen is Britains leading luxury motor dealer group, dealing with some of the worlds most sought-after premium car brands  Bugatti, Rolls-Royce, Aston Martin, Bentley, Ferrari, Maserati, Lamborghini and BAC.

The H.R. Owen Group not only operates in sales and service of premium luxury cars, but it also offers a number of related divisions across all brands including Chauffeur Drive and Insurance Services.

The H.R. Owen flagship dealership, Jack Barclay, has been operating in Mayfair since 1927 and although traditionally just a London-based business, the company now has locations in five counties in addition to their six London showrooms  Cheltenham (Gloucestershire), Pangbourne (Berkshire), Byfleet (Surrey), St. Albans (Hertfordshire) as well as Stockport (Greater Manchester).Linda Tracy Gillman. Photo: Salt Lake County Jail

We all have our vices: eating too much sugar, for instance, or binging Netflix way past our bedtimes. For one elderly Utah woman, its a bit more complicated: she allegedly cant stop hiring hit men.

Linda Tracy Gillman, 70, was charged on Friday with hiring her third hitman in two years and now faces anywhere from five years to life in prison, KSL reports.

This all started in December 2016, when she allegedly attempted to hire her employee and tenant to kill her ex-husband and his new wife. The man said Gillman gave him $5,000 and promised him $100,000 more once the deed was done and she had her exs life insurance money; instead, he went to the police and she was charged with criminal solicitation.

Then, in June of last year, while she was in jail, police say she then approached another inmate  who she believed was associated with a white supremacist gang  trying to get him to find a way to off the first attempted hit man. She allegedly said it would make all her dreams come true, among other things:

Gillman referred to herself as the bank, and said that she could make everything happen if he would take care of the man who went to the police, charging documents say.

That case was dismissed but, on Friday, the Salt Lake County District Attorneys Office accused her of trying to hire another hit man from jail a few weeks ago:

She wanted to have the prosecutions key witness in her original case murdered, as well as an attorney, according to court documents.

D.A. Sim Gill said, Ive never seen anything like it.

Its just like the saying goes: Hire a hit man once, shame on you. Hire a hit man three times, the shame is still on you.6-Year-Old Boy Raised Nearly $7,000 for Slain Officers Family

A boy from Kokomo, Indiana, has raised nearly $7,000 for the family of a slain deputy.

Malachi Fronczak, 6, earned the funds by selling lemonade and hot cocoa on Friday and Saturday.

All of the money raised will go to the family of Deputy Jacob Pickett, who was laid to rest at Crown Hill Cemetery on Friday, March 9, FOX59 reported.

Pickett, 34, was shot by a fleeing suspect on March 2 in Lebanon, Indiana, after rounding a corner during a foot chase, the IndyStar reported. Officers at the scene tried CPR on him but his wounds were fatal.

According to the boys Facebook page, Malachi raised $5,200 on Friday and $1,700 on Saturday, totaling about $6,985.

In total, the boywith the help of his familysold the beverages for four hours.

It blew our minds, the boys father, Jason Fronczak, told the IndyStar. We were blown away by it, too. It says a lot about the Kokmo community, and greater Indiana as a whole.

The father said that officers from across the state, including Indianapolis, Carmel, and Fishers showed up to chip in.

On Sunday, Malachi and his family headed to Boone County to visit the fallen deputys memorial. The boy signed a flag tribute for Pickket and left behind a bottle of lemonade as well.

Its wonderful. Anytime your kids have a big heart, want to serve others, I think its important as a parent to support that. Its great to see him out wanting to do that, Jason Fronczak told FOX59.

A touching photo also showed Malachi saluting the memorial.

Thanks to everyone who joined together to honor a hero this weekend, a post on the boys Facebook page said.

This is not the last time Malachi will be doing this. Next Saturday he will be at the Kokomo Library South Branch. The library is located at 1755 E. Center Rd.

From NTD.tv

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Corvette Chase6th Grade Mississippi Student Takes Dramatic Action After Being Bullied

The family of a 6th-grader in Mississippi confirmed this week that he committed suicide on March 6 over what was termed continuous bullying.

Cheryl Hudson, the mother of 12-year-old Andrew Leach, told WREG that Leach was found by his 16-year-old brother.

Leach left a note for his family before hanging himself.

Hudson told the outlet that bullying at Southaven Middle School has developed into a serious problem and resulted in at least one other death in recent years, a girl who hung herself from a water tower, as well as several suicide attempts by other children.

From what we are hearing, there was a group of kids that would go around calling him fat, ugly and worthless, she said.

Hudson added in a photo caption, My heart has been ripped out of my chest and shattered in a million pieces.

Law enforcement officials are investigating the case.

Mississippi 6th grader commits suicide over bullying https://t.co/nMbs84FSk7  Clarion Ledger (@clarionledger) March 12, 2018

A GoFundMe was launched by a family friend to raise money for the family of Leach.

Our hearts are saddened as Andy has went [sic] to be with the Lord this evening. Andy was a fun loving, outgoing 12-year-old little boy. He will be missed deeply by all that knew and loved him. No words could come close to expressing what this family is enduring. I hope to raise funds to help with his final expenses. All money will go for arrangements and to help his family in the days ahead, wrote Tiffany Allison.

If you cant contribute monetarily I ask that you pray for his mom, dad, brothers, family, and friends. I ask that you kiss your kids and hug them a bit tighter. We never know when God may need them back. Please feel free to share the campaign and Thank You all for the love and support as we struggle to find peace in the days ahead. God Bless.

According to the government, between 25 percent and 33 percent of students in the United States say theyve been bullied at school.

Most bullying happens in middle school. The most common types are verbal and social bullying, the Stop Bullying website stated. There is growing awareness of the problem of bullying, which may lead some to believe that bullying is increasing. However, studies suggest that rates of bullying may be declining. It still remains a prevalent and serious problem in todays schools.

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Boiling Water Turns to Snow9-Year-Old Girl Accidentally Shot Dead by Younger Brother in Wisconsin

A 9-year-old girl in Wisconsin died over the weekend after being shot by her younger brother.

The Milwaukee Police Department said in a statement that officers arrested the parents of Miyanna Jelks after she died from the gunshot wound.

The parents, a 29-year-old woman and a 32-year-old man, who have not been named, were arrested on multiple charges.

MPD will present this case to the Milwaukee County District Attorneys Office in the coming days for review, the department stated.

Our preliminary investigation has revealed the victims minor brother accidentally shot her.

The younger brother was taken to the Milwaukee County Childrens Court Center. His age and name have not been released.

Investigators have not released any information about how the boy got ahold of the gun or what led up to the shooting.https://t.co/LVeZykwWxe  WXOW News 19 (@WXOW) March 12, 2018

The shooting happened in a home on the 4500 block of N. 38th Street around 12:10 p.m. on March 10.

Police officers blocked off the home for nearly five hours on Saturday to collect evidence, reported Fox6.

Neighbors expressed sadness and shock over the death of the girl.

Oh my. So children playing with guns? Thats not good, said neighbor Lachelle Dominec. Parentskeep these guns away from the children. Im keeping my babies next to mevery close. I cried all night and was so glad it was not my daughter.

Family members and friends also mourned the death.

Im definitely going to miss her. Im definitely not ready, you knowIm not ready for this at all, family friend Jay Jones told WIS-TV.

Jones said that the girls father has been in trouble with the law before, but he said that he doesnt think the father knew there was a gun inside of the home.

Jones also said that seven children in total lived in the home with their parents.

From NTD.tv

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At Least 50 Killed in Nepal Plane Crash

KATHMANDUA Bangladeshi airliner with 71 people on board crashed on Monday while coming in to land at the airport in the Nepali capital, Kathmandu, killing at least 50 people, officials said.

The plane, operated by US-Bangla Airlines, was on a flight from Dhaka when it hit an airport fence and burst into flames, said Raj Kumar Chettri, general manager of the hill-ringed airport, which is prone to bird strikes and other hazards.

We have recovered 50 dead bodies so far, said army spokesman Gokul Bhandari. Several people had been rescued from the burning wreckage of the Bombardier Q400 series aircraft but nine people were still unaccounted for, he said.

The aircraft burst into flames and came to rest in a field near the tarmac of Tribhuvan International Airport.

Many of the bodies that lay on the tarmac covered by cloth were charred, witnesses said. Thick plumes of smoke could be seen from the aircraft.

Later, photographs showed the fire had been put out, with army personnel and rescue workers at the scene.

Data from tracking website Flightradar24.com showed the aircraft was 17 years old. The aircraft descended to an airport altitude of 4,400 feet and then ascended up to 6,600 feet before crashing about two minutes later, the website said.

Mountainous Nepal is notorious for air accidents. Small aircraft often run into trouble at provincial airstrips.

A Thai Airways flight from Bangkok crashed while trying to land in Kathmandu in 1992 killing all on board.

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U.S. Imposes More North Korea SanctionsA Canadian flag flies above another industry site with ArcelorMittal Dofasco in the background in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada on March 9, 2018. (Reuters/Peter Power/File Photo)

Canadas Steel City Still Worried After US Tariff Exemption

Times already tough for steel industry

HAMILTON, OntarioA temporary exemption from U.S. tariffs is little comfort to the Canadian steel city of Hamilton, coping with months of uncertainty as U.S. President Donald Trump has threatened a potentially devastating 25 percent duty unless the North American Free Trade Agreement is renegotiated.

Canadian negotiators are weighing the interests of the relatively small sector, responsible for about 22,000 direct Canadian jobs and C$9.0 billion in U.S. exports, against those of bigger industries like auto manufacturing and politically influential groups like dairy farmers.

I dont think were at the end of it. Now its being used as leverage, said Hamilton Port Authority chief executive officer Ian Hamilton. President Trump is putting a lot of pressure on everybody.

Hamilton, population 700,000, has pushed to diversify its economy, with better transit links to Toronto and affordable homes that are attracting families priced out of Canadas biggest city.

A C$139-million project is underway to clean up coal tar that contaminates the harbour and condos are replacing once empty downtown storefronts.

When Canadian steel escaped U.S. steel tariffs in 2002, the duties had diverted some cheap steel into Canada. In recent years, a global steel glut has made it difficult for Canadian mills to compete.

But ArcelorMittals Dofasco mill, coking and finishing operations at Stelco, and a collection of smaller operations still directly employ 10,000 people in Hamilton.

The North American steel industry is heavily integrated, with raw materials, steel, and parts crossing the U.S.-Canadian border several times before a finished product such as a vehicle or refrigerator is sold to consumers. About 65 percent of the Hamilton ports tonnage is iron ore and coal used to make steel.

Related Coverage Canada Said to Negate Belief It Is a Conduit for Chinese Steel, Aluminum

Hamilton, the port president, said one steel company called after Trump first signalled the tariffs on March 1, when it was unclear whether Canada would be exempt at all. The firm wanted to know if the agency might be willing to take over management of its warehouse and find different cargo to fill it.

Hamilton Chamber of Commerce president Keanin Loomis, a former Washington lawyer, is part of a new generation in the city who have never worked in a steel mill. But like much of the city, he has a personal connection to steel, a father-in-law retired from the Dofasco mill.

If a tariff is imposed, Loomis expects imports to lower domestic steel prices, potentially driving some employers south of the border, where tariffs are expected to boost prices.

Loomis said high labour costs, environmental regulations, and a looming carbon tax already make it difficult for the steel industry to compete.

This could be the thing that puts it over the edge, he said.

The citys United Steelworkers Local 1005 has only about 550 active members, down from more than 13,000 in its heyday in the 1970s.

The local union represents workers at Stelco, but not Dofasco, which never organized. Since 2004 it has weathered the closure of Stelcos Hamilton mill, Stelcos two trips through bankruptcy protection, and two new owners. Members at another plant, Max Aicher North America, have been locked out for almost five years over proposed wage and benefit cuts. And union president Gary Howe sees choppy waters ahead.

With Trump being in there, its probably never going to be over, he said.

The Canadian government has vowed to continue lobbying Washington until the threat of duties disappears.

Pressed on Trumps decision to link the exemption to NAFTA, Canadian Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland said on Thursday that Canada considers the two issues to be totally separate.

I think they should get some more backbone, Steve Kajganic, a retired veteran of the Stelco mill and a second-generation steelworker, said of the Canadian government. Stand up for our country, instead of selling it out.

Reporting by Allison Martell

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How Doctors in China Turn into MurderersCollege Student Kicked out of Class for Saying There Are Only Two Genders

A college student in Pennsylvania was kicked out of class recently for saying there are only two genders, infuriating a professor.

Lake Ingle, a senior at the Indiana University of Pennsylvania, said he was silenced and punished by professor Alison Downie for what he said after a lecture on Feb. 28.

Downie showed a 15-minute TED talk by Paula Stone Williams, a transgender former pastor who railed against sexism from men and male privilege, among other topics.

After the video was shown, Ingle said that Downie opened the floor to women only, barring men from speaking until the women in the class have had their chance to speak.

Ingle said no woman spoke for some time. So he took this opportunity to point out the official view of biologists who claim there are only two biological genders, and refuted the gender wage gap idea.

The floor was opened, and not a single woman spoke. Thirty seconds or so passed and still no woman had spoken. So, I decided it was permissible for me to enter the conversation, especially because I felt the conversation itself was completely inappropriate in its structure, Ingle told Campus Reform.

I objected to the use of the anecdotal accounts of one womans experience to begin a discussion in which they were considered reality. It was during my objection that Dr. Downie attempted to silence me because I am not a woman.

Student kicked out of class for saying there are only two genders https://t.co/LbHgFzbRM0  lorraine (@lorrainewatmou1) March 12, 2018

He also told the class that the official view of biologists is that there are only two genders, reported Fox News.

Ingle said the class soon ended but he was asked to meet with Downie the next day. During the meeting, she gave him an Academic Integrity Referral Form and Documented Agreement. The form said that Ingle committed multiple violations, including angry outbursts in response to being required to listen to a trans speaker discuss the reality of white male privilege and sexism and disrespectful references to the validity of trans identity and experience.

The document states that Ingle would be required to write an apology and read it during class, after which he would have to listen in silence as the professor and any students who wanted to spoke about how he or she felt during what Ingle said.

A letter from the universitys provost soon arrived and informed Ingle he was barred from the class.

Ingle said he believes the incident is a free speech issue and has hired a lawyer to represent him.

My professor is violating my First Amendment rights because of the fact that my views and ideology is different from hers, Ingle told Fox News. So she took it on herself to silence and embarrass mebully mefor speaking up in class.

According to Downies page on the universitys website, she has a PhD in Systematic Theology from Duquesne University with a concentration in Christian Feminist Theology.

Her academic interests include ecofeminist theologies, disability theologies, religious understandings of self and memoir, religious themes in literature and film, and interfaith dialogues. She is also active in the scholarship of teaching and learning, the page states.

Downie has not commented on the incident publicly.

Downie and Ingle had an initial hearing on Friday and a ruling is set for March 19.

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Wranglers Wrestle With Alligator to Remove Eggs From NestEstimated 1,000 Children Sexually Abused by Pedophile Rings in Just One UK City: Report

Widespread sexual abuse, rape, and even murder of girls as young as 11 have stained the UK city of Telford, according to an investigation by the Mirror.

The papers 18-month probe uncovered that an estimated 1,000 children suffered at the hands of pedophiles, lured from their families, drugged, beaten, and raped.

The investigation linked three murders and two other deaths to the epidemic going as far back as the 1980s in a city of a mere 170,000 residents.

Reporters talked to 12 victims that identified over 70 abusers.

One 14-year-old was groomed and abused after her phone number was sold to pedophiles.

I hated what was happening and my abusers made my skin crawl but I was told that if I said a word to anyone theyd come for my little sisters and tell my mum I was a prostitute, she said.

The paper stated it has documents revealing authorities knew about the abuse but took a decade to start an investigation. It also said authorities treated the children simply as prostitutes and therefore criminals.

Based on the evidence, professor Liz Kelly, from the Child and Woman Abuse Studies Unit at London Metropolitan University, estimated 1,000 children fell victim to the pedophiles in Telford alone.

The problem is not limited to one city though. Similar child sex abuse was also exposed in Rochdale and Rotherham. An estimated 1,500 were abused in Rotherham, the report states.

When police finally investigated the problem, they identified over 100 potential victims between 2007 and 2009 and said there could be 200 perpetrators. But only seven were jailed and the case was closed. The sentences added up to 49 years, seven years each on average. The men were of Pakistani origin, the towns Parliament Member Lucy Allan said, according to BBC.

The pedophile rings mostly target white children, the paper stated, though some victims were Asian, which UK media use to describe people of Pakistani origin too.

Some victims ended up dead.

In 2000, 16-year-old Lucy Lowe was murdered along with her mother and 17-year-old sister. Their house was set on fire.

Azhar Ali Mehmood, 26, was imprisoned for the murders, but it turned out hed been sexually abusing Lucy since 1997. She even gave birth to his child when she was 14. Still, he was never arrested or charged for child sex crimes.

Lucys death had a silencing effect on other victims.

I was scared my family would die like Lucys. I thought theyd only be safe if I killed myself, said one victim, who attempted suicide.

In 2002, 13-year-old Becky Watson died in a car accident in Shropshire. At the time, it was described as a prank gone wrong.

But the Mirror obtained the girls diaries, where she talked about her two years of sexual abuse by a grooming gangsince the age of 11. The initial Mirrors expose only described the gang as Asian. From further reporting it became apparent the gang was of Pakistani origin.

Girls like Becky were treated like criminals, said her mother Torron Watson. I was crying out for help but it felt like I had nowhere to turn. If Beckys abuse had been properly investigated by the authorities more girls could have been saved from going through this hell.

Police said they take child sex exploitation cases extremely seriously.

Tackling such horrific offences is the number one priority for police in Telford and we have not only increased officer numbers to tackle this type of offending, but use all of our resources and technology available to prosecute anyone who sexually offends against children whether that offending took place today, yesterday, or decades ago, said Martin Evans, assistant chief constable for West Mercia Police.

Correction: The article was updated to reflect that the alleged perpetrators identified only as Asian were of Pakistani origin.

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Texas Sheriff Andy Louderback Talks About MS-13Father Charged With Murder in DWI Crash With Three Children in Truck

A Texas father has been charged with murder after admitting to drinking a beer before crashing his vehicle and killing another driver.

Elmer Quintanilla, 26, allegedly told a police officer after the crash that he was traveling at around 90 mph at the time of the crash, reported ABC13.

Quintanilla, who had his wife and three children, ages 6, 5, and 1, with him, also said he drank a beer just before taking the wheel.

Investigators said that Quintanillas truck exited the West Sam Houston Parkway on Sunday afternoon, March 11, and slammed into a red Acura sedan, killing the driver.



The impact sent the sedan through a brick sign and into a Toyota, which was exiting a church parking lot. The female driver of the Toyota was rushed to the hospital and is expected to survive.

Quintanillas truck then veered into a utility pole, which led to a power outage in the area.

The Harris County Sheriffs Office said at a probable cause hearing that Quintanilla was committing a felony by driving while intoxicated with children under 15 in the vehicle, reported The Houston Chronicle.

Prosecutors said that because Quintanilla was committing a felony while causing a mans death, he was charged with murder.

Elmer Quintanilla, accused of driving drunk, crashing with kids in truck walks out during court appearance > https://t.co/yG7Txfe0cP pic.twitter.com/2iBqeA9x6X  KPRC 2 Houston (@KPRC2) March 12, 2018

Quintanillas three children and his wife were taken to the hospital with nonlife-threatening injuries following the multi-vehicle crash.

Quintanilla was asked on Monday morning during the hearing if he did indeed refuse the assistance of a public defender, reported ABC13, to which he responded, No comment.

He also apparently walked away from the judge in the middle of the hearing.

The broadcaster said that the suspect put his head down when the prosecutor started talking about his family in court.

Click2Houston reported that Quintanilla is not a U.S. citizen, citing court documents.

Quintanilla is being held on a $150,000 bond.

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Texas Sheriff Talks About Why Sanctuaries Dont Help Public SafetyFirst Victim of Deadly NYC Helicopter Crash Identified

The five people who were killed in a helicopter crash just off the Manhattan shore over the weekend have been identified. Two were a Dallas firefighter and his friend.

The chopper went down late Sunday with five passengers and one pilot into New York Citys East River.

The pilot was the only survivor.

As federal authorities investigate the cause of the crash, NBC reported that Dallas firefighter Brian McDaniel, 26, was one of the victims.

Dallas Fire-Rescue spokesman Jason Evans confirmed with the broadcaster that McDaniel had worked there for nearly two years before his sudden death.

Despite his short tenure, hearts are heavy with grief as we not only try to come to grips with his loss departmentally; but to also be there in every way that we can for his family, said Evans.

McDaniels longtime friend Trevor Cadigan, also 26, was one of the others who died.

Trevor Cadigan, an SMU grad and former Dallas resident, and Dallas firefighter, Brian McDaniel, were among the passengers killed in a helicopter crash in New York City.https://t.co/cWZAfgiG1j  Vinita Nair (@VinitaNBC5) March 12, 2018

His father said he moved to New York City in October to work at Business Insider.

We were devastated to hear about the death of Trevor Cadigan. Trevor was an intern at Business Insider until a few weeks ago, the magazine said in a statement.

He was a smart, talented, and ambitious young journalist and producer who was well-liked and made a big contribution. Our hearts go out to his family and friends.

Cadigan posted a video to his Instagram account from the helicopter as it took off from Kearny, New Jersey.

[EN LINEA] Roxana Blanco, tia de Carla Vallejos Blanco, la joven argentina que fallecio en el accidente del helicoptero en Nueva York. "Nos enteramos de palabras del consul argentino. Estaba con una amiga y tomaron distintos paseos, a Carla le gustaba sacar fotos" pic.twitter.com/dqYyYUFVOX  Pulxo 95.1 (@Pulxo951) March 12, 2018

The pair went to Bishop Lynch High School together and both graduated in 2010.

McDaniel was visiting his friend in the city for some sightseeing.

The helicopter was part of a company that gives aerial tours of Manhattan.

A police source told the New York Daily News that the other three victims were Carla Vallejos Blanco, a tourist from Argentina, and two helicopter employees, Tristan Hill and Daniel Thompson.

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Boy Accidentally Razors Off Chunk of Hair During TutorialAn F/A-18 Hornet lands on the deck of the USS George H.W. Bush aircraft carrier in the Atlantic ocean on Oct. 25, 2017. (Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP/Getty Images)

Footage Released Allegedly Shows UFO Encounter by US Military

Newly released footage allegedly shows a U.S. Navy encounter with a mysterious object flying over the Atlantic Ocean.

The 35 second clip was reportedly captured by an infrared camera aboard a F/A-18 fighter jet travelling at 25,000 feet in 2015.

What the [expletive] is that thing?! a pilot exclaims after the sensor locks-on to the fast moving object. Look at that flying!

Oh my gosh dude! says the weapons system operator.

Footage Said to Describe Navy Encounter With UFO Released

The video was released online by To the Stars Academy of Arts and Sciences, a private scientific research company. While the organization did not state how it was obtained, it is apparently available to the public through a Freedom of Information request to the Department of Defense.

In December 2017, two similar videos were released to the public, amid the Pentagons acknowledgement of a $22 million program that investigated UFOs, funded from 2008 to 2012.

The pair of videos showed an encounter by U.S. Navy fighter jets with a white, oval shaped flying object off the coast of San Diego in 2004. One of the pilots involved in the incident, retired Commander David Fravor, told CNN that he saw what looked like a 40-foot-long Tic Tac maneuvering rapidly and changing its direction.

In October 2017, fighter jets were dispatched to investigate a strange object caught by radar, and sighted by pilots, flying along a commercial route in broad daylight over Oregon. The fighter jets however found nothing.

Christopher Mellon, a former defense official in the George W. Bush and Clinton administrations and an adviser to the Stars Academy, wrote in a Washington Post op-ed that these videos appear to provide evidence of the existence of aircraft far superior to anything possessed by the United States or its allies.

Defense Department officials who analyze the relevant intelligence confirm more than a dozen such incidents off the East Coast alone since 2015, he wrote.

Yet not enough is being done by the government to investigate these encounters, Mellon contends in the piece.

Reports from different services and agencies remain largely ignored and unevaluated inside their respective bureaucratic stovepipes. There is no Pentagon process for synthesizing all the observations the military is making, he wrote.

If the origin of these aircraft is a mystery, so is the paralysis of the U.S. government in the face of such evidence.

Mellon observed that military departments and agencies have instead treated such incidents as isolated events rather than as part of a pattern requiring serious attention and investigation.

One of the problems hampering development was the stigma associated with conducting research in this field, Mellon observed.

Nobody wants to be the alien guy in the national security bureaucracy; nobody wants to be ridiculed or sidelined for drawing attention to the issue. This is true up and down the chain of command, and it is a serious and recurring impediment to progress, he said.

It is time to set aside taboos regarding UFOs and instead listen to our pilots and radar operators.

In October 2017, Luis Elizondo, the former head of the Pentagon intelligence program investigating UFOs resigned to protest what he described excessive secrecy surrounding the program, and internal opposition to it, the New York Times reported.

Mellon asked in his op-ed if the US has been technologically leap-frogged by Russia or China? Or might these released videos be evidence of some alien civilization.

Unfortunately, we have no idea, because we arent even seeking answers.

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Texas Sheriff Talks About Why Sanctuaries Dont Help Public SafetyGirlfriend Shares Tragic Last Words of Teenager Found Dead in Bahamas

The last words of the teenager who was swept out to sea in the Bahamas recently were revealed by his girlfriend.

Jonathan Brussow, 19, met Athena Williams, 20, during the summer after eighth grade.

Within several months, they started dating, and their relationship progressively grew more serious.

Williams told WXMI that Brussow, who was on vacation with his girlfriend and her family, sat down with her family after she went to bed one night and asked permission to marry her.

When we started dating he always told me, he said, Since the first time I saw you, I knew I was gonna marry you,' Williams said. We had everything planned out already. He had our whole wedding planned out, too and we werent even engaged or anything.

The next day, before sunrise, Brussow went hiking with his girlfriends brother Eric and asked him for permission as well.

Just moments later, though, the pair were swept out into the water. Eric was able to grab onto a rock and get back ashore but Brussow disappeared. According to Fox, he ran a mile to get help for Jonathan before being taken to the hospital with broken ribs and cuts to his body.

A search of several days involving dozens of people eventually led to the discovery of Brussows body.



Williams said shell never forget Brussow.

He absolutely loved his life. He had no regrets. He had no complaints, Williams says. Ive never, ever experienced or seen anybody love somebody so genuinely like he actually loved me. It just blows me away, the person he was. The person he still is.

The families have started a fundraiser on GoFundMe that will in part pay for the installation of a safety device on the Glass Window Bridge, located near where Brussow was swept out to sea.

Brad [Brussows father] would like to offer the Bahamian people a memorial in Jonathans honor of safety gear at the bridge so that others may be offered help quicker, wrote a family friend.

The ideas continue to pour inand they all take money.

Family members praised the help by locals and said some of the money will go toward reimbursing expenses.

From NTD.tv

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Timelapse Video Captures Ocean of Clouds Over Vancouver, British ColumbiaHow a Cold Turned Into a Quadruple Amputation for This Utah Mother of 6

A Utah mother diagnosed with a cold was left without limbs.

Tiffany King, 38, was diagnosed with a cold but that eventually turned into pneumonia, her niece Rielly Fonohema told KUTV.

The pneumonia later turned into sepsis, which prompted doctors to perform a quadruple amputation.

King has Ankylosing Spondylitis, a form of arthritis that primarily affects the spine, according to the Spondylitis Association of America. It causes inflammation of the spinal joints (vertebrae) that can lead to severe, chronic pain, and discomfort, the group stated.

King was taking Humira to treat the condition but the medication weakens the immune system, which her family believes led to her getting the cold.

But family members said doctors at the hospital made a decision when trying to save her life that led to the amputations. The doctors put King on Levophed, which is meant to treat low blood pressure and heart failure. The drug cut off blood from Kings extremities, leading to the rare quadruple amputation.

To save her life, they put her on Levophed, a drug which helps regulate blood pressure; it shunted all of the blood from her extremities to her major organs to keep her alive. This resulted in a quadruple amputation. A quadruple amputation is very rare, but necessary. All 4 prosthetics she will need comes to $225,000, which is not covered by her insurance, Fonohema wrote on GoFundMe.

These last 3 months have been difficult for our family because we were dangerously close to losing her, Fonohema told KUTV.

At this point, the medical bills, the cost of the prosthetics, the renovating of the home to accommodate to Tiffany and other things that our family will need to financially support her family, we need all the financial support we can get. There is no one youll find more deserving, more loving and humble than Tiffany Fonohema [King].

The family has created a GoFundMe to help assist with the huge medical costs associated with months of hospital care and the amputations.

The funds will also go toward renovating Kings home to accommodate her new life without limbs.

The family has set a goal of $300,000.

So far, theyve raised almost $30,000 at the time of this publication.

From NTD.tv

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A Mother Shares the Story of Her Sons Heroin OverdoseHuman Remains Found in Backyard of Missing Disney World Worker

Authorities have uncovered human remains under concrete in the backyard of a Disney worker, who had vanished three years ago in Florida.

On Friday, March 9, investigators discovered an arm bone outside the home of Micahel Shaver, 35, who had been missing since 2015, the Orlando Sentinel reported. Shaver worked as a monorail mechanic for Walt Disney World.

Lake County Sheriffs Lt. John Herrell told the Sentinel that detectives also discovered articles of clothing. The remains were sent to the Medical Examiners office to find out the identification and cause of death.

A friend of Shaver recently contacted authorities after he became concerned that he had not heard from him in years.

UPDATE: During search for missing man, deputies find human remains behind his home. Lake Co Sheriffs Office saysbits found additional remains, clothing  and are now searching the home Michael Shaver shared with his wife. https://t.co/PwHSCPcrJX @MyNews13 pic.twitter.com/zwsm5a4Wir  Greg Angel (@NewsGuyGreg) March 10, 2018

Authorities then went to Shavers home in Lake County on Feb. 16. His 35-year-old wife, Laurie Shaver, initially allowed deputies to look inside their home, CBS News reported. But later she stopped cooperating and asked for a lawyer.

Sheriffs deputies said they saw what appeared to be new concrete near a fire pit in the backyard. They asked the wife if they could bring a cadaver dog but she refused. Deputies returned later with a warrant and dug up the bones.

We eventually made our way to a fire pit area in the back of the home and it had  it was just a shoddy concrete job, poured around this fire pit, so we began focusing our efforts there, and I can tell you we found what appears to be a bone that is consistent with that of a human upper arm bone, Lt. John Herrell with the Lake County Sheriffs Office told CBS affiliate WKMG.

Even though Shaver vanished back in 2015, he was not reported missing until last month, FOX35 Orlando reported.

#Breaking: Lake County Sheriff PIO told me they found more remains and articles of clothing in backyard of home where Investigators have been searching for Michael Shaver. Shaver hasnt been seen in nearly 3 years.#WFTV pic.twitter.com/ydUDsg2tDK  Jeff Levkulich (@jlevkulichWFTV) March 10, 2018

His sister, 46-year-old Stacie Shaver, said that they did not want to involve authorities because we thought we could find him on our own, she told the Orlando Sentinel.

According to FOX35 Orlando, the wife is being called a person of interest at this stage of the investigation.

More details have not been released yet.

From NTD.tv

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How Doctors in China Turn into MurderersMan Arrested in 1986 Murder of Teenager

On Oct. 1, 1986, 15-year-old Tracy Gilpin went to a party in Massachusetts, and never returned home.

Her battered body was discovered in the woods three weeks later.

More than 31 years since her death, an arrest has been made. On Saturday, March 10, police arrested Michael Hand, 61, in Troutman, North Carolina, for Tracys murder, reported WSOCTV.

According to Boston 25 News, Tracy left a party in Kingston to buy cigarettes at a convenience store. That was the last place she was seen alive.

The clerk at the store told Boston 25 News that they remembered Tracy talking to someone in a Jeep in the parking lot. She also used a payphone to make a call after she left the store.

When the store closed at 11 p.m., the clerk offered the high-school freshman a ride home. She declined and started walking, the station reported.

A nearby neighbor heard what they thought was a scream and a car taking off. Tracy never came home that night, said Plymouth County District Attorney Timothy Cruz, reported Boston 25 News.

More than 30 yrs later, NC man accused of Boston-area teenagers death. Tracy Gilpin was 15 years old. https://t.co/AgoraGsVA2 @wsoctv pic.twitter.com/6H50ioizuA  DaShawn Brown (@DaShawnWSOC9) March 11, 2018

On Oct. 22, 21 days later, Tracys body was discovered by a woman walking her dog. She was found more than 14 miles away in the woods of the Myles Standish State Forest in Plymouth.

Tracy had a brutal death, Cruz previously told Boston 25 News.

She had significant brain trauma. She had died due to a massive blow to her head, Cruz said.

The evidence suggests she was abducted. She was abducted from a place that she was, and taken to another section of our county where she was brutally murdered.

WSOCTV reports that over the past week investigators conducted extensive interviews with Hand, in which he made some statements which prompted his arrest.

Hand is currently in jail without bond in North Carolina. He is due in court on Monday, March 12, when authorities will commence action to send him back to Massachusetts to face charges.

Tracys sister is Kerry Gilpin, 47, who is now a Massachusetts State Police Colonel. It was Tracys murder that led Kerry to pursue a career in law enforcement, the Boston Globe reported.

In a statement, Kerry said: For the past three decades, we have remained hopeful that Tracys murderer would be identified. The much-welcomed news of an arrest in the case leaves us cautiously optimistic that justice for Tracy is within reach.

My thoughts today are not just with my own family, but also with all the families who have lost loved ones to violence. We will continue to work tirelessly to find justice for all murder victims.

From NTD.tv

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A Mother Shares the Story of Her Sons Heroin OverdoseMan Tells Police He Killed His Grandmother Then Wrapped Her Body in Plastic

A 32-year-old man told police in Louisiana that he killed his 73-year-old grandmother before wrapping her body in plastic.

The New Orleans Police Department said the elderly woman was found shot dead on Sunday and wrapped in plastic in her Little Woods home, according to an arrest warrant obtained by NOLA.com.

Ernest Richardson was found by the police, arrested, and charged with second-degree murder.

The elderly woman was identified as Beverly Wilkerson.

Richardson confessed to shooting Beverly Wilkerson, and subsequently wrapping her body in plastic inside her residence during the early morning hours of Sunday, according to the arrest warrant.

Man tells NOPD he killed his grandmother, wrapped her body in plastic on Sunday: warrant https://t.co/ci63Afqd1X  NOLA.com (@NOLAnews) March 12, 2018

Richardson called 911 after killing Wilkerson and summoned them to a church in the Milan neighborhood, where he confessed to the crime, reported The Advocate.

Officers found Wilkersons vehicle there, and then went to her home and found her body wrapped in plastic.

Court records didnt indicate a motive behind the shooting. He was described in the court records as being a construction laborer.

Richardsons bond was set at $350,000 at his first appearance hearing on Monday, March 12. He is being held at Orleans Parish Prison.

If convicted, Richardson faces mandatory life imprisonment.

Anyone with any additional information is asked to contact the NOPD Homicide Unit at 504-658-5300 or call Crimestoppers anonymously at 504-822-1111 or toll-free at 1-877-903-7867.

From NTD.tv

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Timelapse Video Captures Ocean of Clouds Over Vancouver, British ColumbiaNY Nursing Student Homicide: Police Seek Ex-Boyfriend Who Left Country

Police investigating the death of a 22-year-old nursing student are trying to trace her former boyfriend, who left the United States prior to the discovery of her body.

Haley Anderson was a registered nursing student at State University of New YorkBinghamton. Her body was discovered on Friday, March 9.

Her death was ruled a homicide after an autopsy over the weekend, and police are now seeking a male nursing student after he flew overseas.

This incident and the circumstances of the death were not a random act. The victim and male student had a previous domestic/romantic relationship, said a police statement, according to WEBO. On Saturday, March 10, after an autopsy of Haley Anderson at Lourdes Hospital, the death was declared a homicide.

There is a person of interest who is a male nursing student at Binghamton University; no name will be released at this time.

Anderson was a senior student and would have graduated in May.

The university issued a message of condolence on its Facebook page, offering free counseling to grieving friends.

The Binghamton University community is deeply saddened to learn of the death of senior nursing student Haley Anderson, whose death is being investigated by the Binghamton Police Department. There is no threat to public safety at this time.

A longtime friend of Anderson, Emma Derbin, told CBS that losing her was very hard.

This is not an easy loss at all, Derbin said. She was literally like the greatest person ever. She never didnt have a smile on her face.

This year she did an internship at a hospital here on Long Island and she told me about all the operations that she witnessed. (Its a) tragic loss, added neighbor John Doran.

Anderson worked at Jazzmans Cafe on the university campus for three years, reported WICZ. A colleague, Athena Anadnostakos, said she had last seen Anderson the day before she died.

Everybodys sad. A lot of students came who work together, they cried today. The supervisor and Haley were so close. We are very sad, Anadnostakos said.

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Officer Saves Woman Who Was PinnedPackage Explosion in Texas Home Leaves One Dead and One Wounded

A package explosion at a Texas home on Monday left one person dead and another seriously wounded as officials worked to investigate whether the blast was related to a similar explosion just two weeks ago in Austin that left a man dead.

A teenager was killed by the explosion while a woman in her 40s was rushed to Dell Seton Medical Center with potentially life-threatening injuries, a local EMS said.

Police officers received a call just before 6:45 a.m. and rushed to the home on Oldfort Hill Drive in East Austin, reported Fox7.

Residents in the immediate area were evacuated.

Officials with the FBI also responded to the incident, reported the Austin American-Statesman. Officials are working to try to determine any similarities between the packaging and explosive material.

Investigators are also working to determine if the package explosion is related to the package that exploded two weeks ago, also in Austin.

FBI, ATF, @Austin_Police investigating another package explosion. This one killed one a teenage boy and sent a woman to the hospital in the 4800 block of Oldfort Hill Dr in East Austin. pic.twitter.com/AfC6qHJASv  Jenni Lee (@JenniL_KVUE) March 12, 2018

#Breaking: Some of the first images out of Austin, TX, after package explodes, killing teen & wounding woman. Potential second suspicious package nearby. Case is similar to another package explosion that killed a man last week in Austin. Bomb squad & robots on scene. #KOMOnews pic.twitter.com/OWkAqQCrWM  Cayle Thompson, KOMO (@CayleThompson) March 12, 2018

Austin police officers are in charge of the investigation with federal agents assisting them.

Police said that following an investigation that an explosive device was inside a package, and blew up, killing 39-year-old Anthony House in his home.

Right now, were trying to determine how did the package get there and who was the intended target? Assistant Chief Joseph Chacon with the Austin Police Department said at the time.

We do feel that this was targeted at somebody. Were still trying to figure out whether that was the individual who died or not.

Officers said anyone who believes a certain package is suspicious, can call the police to come and check it out.

From NTD.tv

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Cookie-Crazed Squirrel Attacks New York PolicemanEmergency responders work at the scene of a helicopter crash in the East River March 11, 2018, in New York City. (Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images)

Pilot in Deadly New York City Helicopter Crash Made Frantic Mayday Call

The pilot of a helicopter in New York City was the only survivor of the crash over the weekend.

Richard Vance, 33, escaped as his Eurocopter AS350 went down near 88th Street with five passengers inside.

Everyone died except for Vance.

Vance told investigators later that the crash was caused by engine failure.

Vance has been flying with Liberty Helicopter, a New Jersey-based company, for a couple of years, his father told the New York Post.

Hes a very good pilot, the elder Vance said, adding that his son has flown for a lot of years with a commercial pilots license.

@cnn @FoxNews just witnessed a helicopter crash into the East River .. hope everyones ok. Caught it all on tape! pic.twitter.com/saHOMTLR69  JJ Magers (@JJmagers) March 11, 2018

Richard Vances LinkedIn page says that he worked for Liberty starting in April 2016.

From July 2012 to March 2016, his job was listed as assistant chief flight instructor for Northeast Helicopters, which describes itself as one of the most reputable helicopter schools in the country.

After the helicopter started going down, Vance sent out a distress call.

Mayday  Mayday  Mayday! Vance said, according to the Post. East River engine failure!

Vance said that a passengers bags may have inadvertently hit the emergency fuel shutoff button, an unnamed official told CNN.

The helicopter floated in the East River water for several minutes before sinking and killing everyone on board. Its unclear if Vance attempted to save any of the passengers.

Officials later used a crane to pull the chopper out of the water.

Video footage shows survivor emerging from the helicopter crash in New York City's East River, officials tell CBS New York. https://t.co/363xIKBsYe pic.twitter.com/aV4r67gBaP  CBS News (@CBSNews) March 12, 2018

One of the most difficult parts of the rescue were that five people were tightly harnessed, Fire Department of New York Commissioner Daniel Nigro said. People had to be cut out.

Liberty Helicopters posted a statement on its website, saying it is focused on supporting the families affected by this tragic accident and on fully cooperating with the FAA and NTSB investigations.

The Federal Aviation Administration confirmed that its involved in the investigation, as did the National Transportation Safety Board.

WABC reported that the crash was the third involving a Liberty Helicopters chopper in the past 11 years.

The last crash took place in August 2009, when a sightseeing helicopter carrying nine people slammed into a small plane over the Hudson River.

Investigators later determined that the helicopter was flying too high. All nine people were killed.

The other crash took place in July 2007, when a Liberty Sightseeing helicopter carrying eight people dropped into the Hudson River. Everyone survived the incident.

From NTD.tv

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Lost World War I Submarine Found 103 Years LaterPolice Officers Pulled From New York City Schools After Florida Massacre

Police officers were pulled from New York City public schools after the massacre in Florida, prompting outrage from some parents and teachers.

The NYPD officer assignments were eliminated by Mayor Bill de Blasio because he said the new community policing units will go into schools instead, while patrolling neighborhoods.

The decision predated the Feb. 14 massacre in Parkland that left 17 people dead but that shooting has left parents and teachers advocating for the positions in the city to be restored.

My colleagues think its outrageousand really stupid, teacher Arthur Goldstein told The New York Post. Were not enthusiastic about arming teachers, but we liked having a cop around.

The Parents-Teacher Association is calling for the NYPD to restore the full-time police officer positions in schools, and leaders have collected more than 1,000 signatures.

Its ridiculous. All over the country they are telling you arm the teachers, get an officer in your school. New York City had a designated officer and they are actually cutting the program . . . they are making us less secure, co-president Linda Lovett said. You are talking about 5,000 people in a one-block radius, and youre telling me you cant designate one officer?

Councilmen Steven Matteo and Joe Borelli have asked de Blasio to place armed officers in all of the citys 1,700 schools, but the mayor previously said that it would cost too much.

Parents up in arms after NYPD removes cops from schools https://t.co/pxBb7RcjC2 pic.twitter.com/0dgqpEeLgH  New York Post (@nypost) March 11, 2018

All schools have at least one school safety agent, but safety agents do not carry guns.

The school safety agents are great and they do a phenomenal job and they do a very important job of monitoring the front door but unfortunately we have seen school shootings like this one in Parkland and of course Sandy Hook before this, Borelli told Pix11.

The New York State Sheriffs Association called after the Parkland attack for funding at the state level to place armed school resource officers at every grade school and high school in the state, reported The Epoch Times.

But de Blasio told state lawmakers in February that it would cost $1.2 billion a year to place just one armed officer in each school, reported the New York Post.

There was an armed resource officer at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, but he did not enter the building when the shooting occurred.

The officer, Scot Peterson, was later suspended, then abruptly resigned.

Peterson claimed that he thought the gunfire was happening outside on campus, as opposed to inside the building, but internal radio dispatches obtained by The Miami Herald showed that Peterson focused on Building 12 and said that gunfire was happening inside.

Budget cuts in Florida caused many districts across the state to cut the number of school resource officers in each school, reported TC Palm.

For instance, in Escambia County, all high schools had two officers but after the cuts they only had one.

From NTD.tv

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Corvette ChasePolice Say Suspicious Substance at UK Parliament Not Hazardous

LONDONA suspicious substance at the British parliament in Westminster was deemed non-hazardous, police said on Monday, in the latest of a string of packages to politicians and royals that have sparked security alerts.

Last month, police investigated a mysterious substance sent to Meghan Markle, fiancee of Prince Harry, in an incident treated as a racist hate crime. White powder was also sent to an office in parliament, but the substances in both cases were found to be harmless.

Police said they had investigated reports of a suspicious package at the Norman Shaw Buildings on Monday, where many lawmakers have their offices on the parliamentary estate.

A suspicious substance was investigated by the Met Police and was found not to be hazardous, a spokesman for parliament said in a statement.

The affected area was temporarily cordoned off but no evacuation was necessary. Two people attended hospital as a precaution.

A Conservative lawmaker, speaking in parliament, said the target of the letter was Mohammad Yasin, a Muslim lawmaker from the opposition Labour party. The government, Metropolitan police, and Labour did not comment on whether he had been targeted. Calls to Yasins office were not being answered.

There have been several reports of hate mail sent to Muslims across Britain in recent weeks, according to monitoring group Tell MAMA (Measuring Anti-Muslim Attacks), and police said on Monday they were taking them extremely seriously.

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Driver Maxes Out Audi S4 as Police Give ChaseKentucky Governor Matt Bevin speaks at the unveiling of a new $80 million Toyota engineering headquarters in Georgetown, Kentucky, on Oct. 30, 2017. Kentucky is home to Toyotas largest vehicle manufacturing plant in the world. (Bill Pugliano/Getty Images)

Pro-Business Policies Make Kentucky an Attractive Investment Hub

The state is home to nearly 500 foreign companies that employ more than 110,000 people

States across the country are ready to reap the benefits of rising business and investor confidence and are racing to attract foreign and domestic investors. States like Kentucky, which was hard hit by the downturn in coal and manufacturing in the last two decades, have started seeing a record level of investments.

Kentucky announced $9.2 billion in corporate investment last year, which led to the creation of more than 17,000 jobs, the highest since 2000. And the state is well-positioned to attract more investors in the coming years, thanks to its skilled workforce and improving business climate, according to Kentucky Gov. Matt Bevin.

We have a great workforce. I have invested $250 million in workforce development in the last two years, Bevin told The Epoch Times.

Kentucky is one of the top states in attracting foreign direct investment, according to Bevin. The state has nearly 500 international companies that employ more than 110,000 people.

Bevin is committed to investing in education and workforce development. In order to encourage more investments, the state and local jurisdictions will spend an additional $250 million in workforce development in the next two years, he said.

Kentucky is a prime location for manufacturing and major logistics companies. It is the third-largest automotive producing state in the country, with Toyotas largest vehicle manufacturing plant in the world located in Kentucky.

Part of the reason for the states success has been its central location and access to key transportation routes. Kentucky is at the center of a 34-state distribution area in the eastern United States, and its borders are within a days drive of over 65 percent of the nations population, personal income, and manufacturing establishments, according to Kentuckys Cabinet for Economic Development.

Hence, expanding and upgrading the infrastructure is critical to the states business climate.

Public-private partnerships are the best vehicles for funding key infrastructure projects, according to Bevin. In order to encourage private-sector investments, the state passed public-private partnership legislation last year.

The state has also started streamlining the state regulations. After Bevin was elected in 2015, he launched a red tape reduction initiative in an effort to spur investment and job creation.

In addition, tax reform is expected to make the United States a more competitive and better place to do business, and Kentucky will be one of the primary beneficiaries. The full expensing provision of the new tax code, which allows immediate expensing of capital investment, is an important incentive for manufacturers in Kentucky.

There is no question at all that trillions of dollars will be invested in the United States by small-size, mid-size, and large companies, Bevin said. It is already happening.

As part of tax reform, a program called Opportunity Zones has also been created to help rural regions suffering from a lack of jobs and businesses. The program offers significant tax breaks to private investment in these struggling regions.

It is a tremendous opportunity for states like ours where we have a lot of rural areas, Bevin said.

The provision calls for governors to establish Opportunity Zones in their states. They are asked to identify a certain number of census tracts, which will be eligible to receive investment through the program over the next decade.

Recommended Video: President Donald Trumps Weekly AddressMarch 10, 2018President Donald Trump speaks to reporters before leaving the White House en route to Camp David, Md., on Dec. 15, 2017. (Samira Bouaou/The Epoch Times)

Trump Slams Gun-Free School Zones, Signaling He May Deliver on Campaign Promise

President Donald Trump lambasted the Gun-Free School Zones act in a Monday morning Twitter message, condemning them as a failed measure that invites violence.

If schools are mandated to be gun free zones, violence and danger are given an open invitation to enter. Almost all school shootings are in gun free zones, Trump wrote. Cowards will only go where there is no deterrent!

The gun-free school zones prohibit people from carrying or discharging a firearm on school grounds unless they are authorized. The bill was introduced by then-Senator Joe Biden in 1990 and signed into law by former president George H.W. Bush the same year.

Trumps administration is working on several fronts to prevent another mass shooting in the wake of last months massacre at a Florida high school. The president proposed, among other measures, to allow properly trained teachers and staff to carry weapons on school property.

Since then, the deadliest school shootingsincluding the massacres at Sandy Hook Elementary, Stoneman Douglas High School, and Columbine High Schoolall happened in gun-free school zones.

Opponents of gun-free school zones point out that maintaining a full-time police presence at every school is costly. Four out of 10 public schools currently have an armed safety officer, according to John Lott, an economist and gun rights advocate.

But Lott says even one officer may not be enough since the uniform screams shoot me first to a would-be attacker.

Concealed carry comes with the benefit that attackers wont know who is armed, and wont know who they need to attack first, Lott wrote in an editorial for New York Daily News.

The Supreme Court ruled that the Gun-Free School Zones Act was unconstitutional in 1995, but then-Attorney General Janet Reno drafted several measures that circumvented the Supreme Courts decision.

Rep. Ron Paul introduced bills in 2007, 2009, and 2011 that would repeal the act, but none ever made it out of committee. Last month, Rep. Thomas Massie introduced the Safe Students Act which would repeal the Gun-Free School Zones Act.

On the campaign trail, Trump vowed to end gun-free zones.

You know what a gun-free zone is to a sicko? Trump asked at a campaign rally in Vermont in January of 2016. Thats bait.

After the deadly shooting at Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, Trump called for a ban on bump stocks, tougher background checks with a focus on mental illness, arming teachers, and raising the minimum age to buy a rifle to 21.

The Justice Department took the first step to ban bump stocks late last week. Trump said on Monday morning that work on tightening background checks and arming trained teachers is moving forward. Several states and municipalities already allow teachers and staff to carry weapons in schools.

Very strong improvement and strengthening of background checks will be fully backed by White House. Legislation moving forward. Bump Stocks will soon be out. Highly trained expert teachers will be allowed to conceal carry, subject to State Law. Armed guards OK, deterrent! the president wrote.

On 18 to 21 Age Limits, watching court cases and rulings before acting, Trump added. States are making this decision. Things are moving rapidly on this, but not much political support (to put it mildly).

From NTD.tv

Recommended Video: President Donald Trumps Weekly AddressMarch 10, 2018Trumps Mexico Border Wall Would Pay For Itself, Studies Show

President Donald Trumps signature proposal to build a wall along the southern border with Mexico will pay for itself by reducing the amount of government welfare paid to illegal immigrant households, according to several recent immigration studies cited by New York Post.

If Trumps proposed $18-billion border wall curbed illegal border crossings by just 12 percent over the next decade, the structure would pay for itself through fiscal savings from welfare, public education, and tax refunds given to illegal immigrants from Mexico and Central America, reports by the Center for Immigration Studies show.

The wall could pay for itself even if it only modestly reduced illegal crossings and drug smuggling, Steven A. Camarota, director of research at the Center for Immigration Studies, told the Post.

The effectiveness of a physical barrier on the southern border is already backed by federal data. A two-story fence in El-Paso, Texas, has already cut illegal border crossings by 89 percent over the course of five years when it was built.

Trumps taller, tougher, and more expansive wall wouldnt have to be as effective to pay for itself. Even if the barrier prevented just 50 percent of illegal crossings, it would save American taxpayers $64 billion, more than four times the cost of the wall.

When you look at what a wall will do in allowing us to apprehend the vast majority of those individuals that are coming across the border, it will cut down on how much the taxpayer burden will be, which then will go straight into funding the wall, Brandon Judd, president of the National Border Patrol Council, told Fox News. Its a brilliant way to go about it. And thats the business strategy that President Trump brings to the American people.

An estimated 1.7 million illegal immigrants are expected to cross into the United States in the next decade if no wall is built, according to the Department of Homeland Security.

On average, 75 percent of the illegal crossings are by aliens from Mexico and Central America, a population that is largely poor, uneducated, and lacks English skills, according to Camarota. As a result, these illegal aliens end up working low-wage jobs and paying no taxes. If they then have U.S.-born children, the household will receive government welfare and services, including food stamps, Medicaid, and public education.

A large share of the welfare used by immigrant households is received on behalf of their US-born children, Camarota said. This is especially true of households headed by illegal immigrants.

On average, an illegal alien would end up costing U.S. taxpayers $72,000 over the course of his or her lifetime and more than $94,000 if the person ends up having American-born children.

There is simply no question that households headed by illegal immigrants access a good deal of welfare. In fact, illegal immigrants use of some programs is quite high, Camarota said.

Some 62 percent of households headed by illegal aliens already receive federal benefits, more than double the average rate for legal citizens, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

From NTD.tv

Recommended Video: President Donald Trumps Weekly AddressMarch 10, 2018Almost a half-century ago, Paul Morganstern, a Brien McMahon High School grad and law student, went to work in Mississippi to crusade for civil rights. He was killed in a late-night car crash, and many have wondered since whether or not it was an accident. A group of friends and relatives recently visited the town where he died seeking clarity.

NORWALK  Paul Morganstern was cool, the kind of guy who could wear white loafers and pull it off. Hailing from Village Creek in Norwalk, Morganstern joined the NAACP as a Brien McMahon High School student in the 1960s. He had met Martin Luther King Jr.  literally run into him at the reflecting pool during the historic March on Washington  and had a picture to prove it. He had sworn to protect the reverend from violence, though he never had the chance. Instead, upon graduating from Boston University, he enrolled in law school at Howard University, a lanky white Jewish boy in a historically black college, to fight for civil rights.

He encouraged others to do the same. When 51 male students at Brien McMahon were suspended in 1968 for wearing their hair long, Morgansterns brother filed for a temporary injunction that would allow the students to continue going to school while the courts mulled the case over. Morganstern came back home from law school to offer his support (they lost). Their effort was part of a larger movement against racial injustice, the Vietnam War, gender inequality and a host of other types of repression (Norwalks city council believed the boys were being punished because they refused to submit to authority and control). Students across the country felt an urgency to take a stand for a cause.

So it was no surprise to anyone when Morganstern applied and was accepted to the Law Students Civil Rights Research Council, an organization that placed law students from around the country in the Deep South to advocate for civil rights. As summer days grew long, he packed his bags and headed to Jackson, Miss.

That summer followed Kings assassination in Tennessee. Though President Lyndon B. Johnson had just signed the Civil Rights Act into law that May, the Ku Klux Klan bombed a Jewish synagogue less than 100 miles from Jackson for supporting black churches. When Morganstern arrived in Mississippi, he witnessed a white defendant tell a jury he had beat a black man  then walk out of the courthouse with a not-guilty verdict for assault.

Morganstern went to work. He investigated police brutality and aided students who had been expelled from college without due process. He looked into discriminatory hiring practices and swimming pools that banned black kids, and, in his free time, he taught neighborhood kids how to swim. As part of his internship he collected sworn statements proving that black citizens were being denied their right to register to vote.

That was what he had been doing in Sunflower County late into the night on Aug. 17, 1968. Around midnight, as he drove back from assignment, a car struck Morgansterns head-on. His new red Chevrolet was so badly mangled it had to be pulled apart to free his body. The next day, his ashes were shipped back to Norwalk.

When Tito Craige, a friend of Morgansterns cousin, Warren Mersereau, heard of Morgansterns death, he felt it couldnt have been an accident. During Morgansterns time in Mississippi, the FBI had foiled a KKK plot to bomb a Jewish businessmans home there; a young civil rights activist from the North was sure to have drawn the wrong kind of attention.

But Morgansterns family did not have the means to investigate. Time passed, and the Law Students Civil Rights Research Council, where he worked, eventually dissolved. Civil rights progressed and students at Brien McMahon gradually began being able to wear their hair long after all, until that trend passed as well.

It wasnt until 49 years later, when Craige was working as a civics teacher at Durham Technical Community College in North Carolina, that he received a call from his old college friend.

Hey, why dont we go down to Mississippi and find out what happened to Paul? Mersereau asked.

Honoring a Norwalk civil rights activist

What remains half a century after a life has ended?

Newspaper articles, letters, memos and the memories of contemporaries who are still alive provide a place to begin.

As Craige searched through archives and called Morgansterns former colleagues, it increasingly appeared the activists death had been an accident. Newspaper articles at the time suggested Morganstern had been hit by an approaching car that had drifted out of its lane. Morganstern had left vivid notes of his experiences at the internship that summer, including his time playing with neighborhood children and people beat with wrenches by police.

As they drove down to Jackson, Craige and five members of Morgansterns family  including Mersereau and Morgansterns sister, Barbara Morganstern Sammons  went on a civil rights tour of the South. They visited the church where King was once a pastor in Atlanta and the hotel in Memphis where the leader was shot, and they stopped at markers of others who were killed in the fight for civil rights.

Finally, they arrived in Jackson, the last stop of their tour, just in time for Valentines Day.

That morning over their hotel breakfasts, they badgered one another to contact their loved ones and drove to the Yazoo Sheriffs Department, which had responded to Morgansterns accident decades before.

To Craiges surprise, every officer he saw in the formerly all-white office was black. After the group explained who they were, Sheriff Jacob Sheriff said, If it werent for people like Paul, none of us would be in the sheriffs office. Craige didnt know whether to laugh or cry.

The group was told there was no documentation of the accident, neither with the police or with the medical examiner, but all of the details  the place, the towing company, the funeral home  were familiar to the officers. Sheriff and Chief Deputy Joseph Head offered to take them to the crash site.

Craige glanced at Morganstern Sammons, who had previously said revisiting the site would be too much. But she nodded, and the group filed after Sheriff and Head into two police cars to head to a steep stretch of former highway known as Kill Hill.

The road was abandoned when a newer, safer highway was built to replace it, and it was strangely empty under the bright midday sun as they got out of the car.

They walked down the middle of the street and stopped at a pine tree covered in ivy, where Morganstern Sammons laid down a stone carved with the words: Paul Morganstern Jr. Advocate.

Sheriff assured them he would come back to place a cross at the site, and Craig recalled him telling the family that those who die for others live a longer than normal life.

As the eight of them drove back to the station, Sheriff turned up the radio. Brent Joness Midnite was playing.

Hello, my child

See you on your knees

It must be midnight

I know youre sad

But Im so glad

You took the time out to call me.

Back in Jackson, Craige and Morgansterns family headed to a hip southern diner, Hal and Mals, to meet up with a writer they had encountered through their research.

That night, a live band was playing, and the writer knew the banjo player, who happened to be a civil rights lawyer by day. She waved him over to hear Morgansterns story.

When he learned who the group was, the banjo player looked as though he had discovered a lost relative  he had had the exact same internship as Morganstern two years later. He put his arms around Craige and told him how happy he was they had come. Sheriff had been right.

Everybody, listen, the banjo-playing lawyer called out. This song is for Paul.

Read Craiges account of Morgansterns life and work at www.eurasiareview.com/28022018-honoring-a-civil-rights-activist-in-yazoo-mississippi/.EDWARDSVILLE  Madison County residents will be asked to vote on the March 20 ballot if they want a county-wide 1 percent School Facilities Sales Tax. This retail sales tax is projected to generate over $4 million annually for Edwardsville District 7 but can only be used for school facilities.

This will be the third time the 1 percent School Facilities Sales Tax has been presented to Madison County voters. The idea was first presented on the 2011 ballot but was overwhelmingly defeated. Then again last April the sales tax narrowly lost by less than 300 votes.

If approved this time, the sales tax will divert one penny of every dollar spent on eligible items sold in Madison County to Madison County schools for facility use only.

Items that can not be taxed include services, unprepared food (groceries), cars, trucks, ATVs, boats, RVs, motorcycles, mobile homes, prescription drugs including over-the-counter medicine and vitamins, farm equipment, implements and parts.

District 7 has been given estimates that the sales tax would generate approximately $4.5 million annually.

Local school boards can use this tax revenue to pay for capital improvements, issue new bonds for school needs, restructure debt or retire existing debt from other capital projects. Examples of how school districts can use the tax revenue include items such as roof repairs, ongoing maintenance, energy efficiency, parking lot construction and repair, school security, safety and ADA compliance as well as school additions, renovations and new construction of facilities.

Revenue from this sales tax cannot be used for movable equipment, textbooks and other instructional costs, furniture and fixtures, computers, laptops, tablets, printers, salaries and benefits, utility and other operational costs, buses and transportation nor custodial and cleaning expenses.

Proponents of the sales tax estimate that 30 to 40 percent of sales tax revenue generated in Madison County already comes from those that live outside the county. They also point out that 47 other counties in Illinois already have this sales tax in place therefore area residents are contributing to schools in these other counties by purchases made while in these counties.

The way the collection process would work is that the Illinois Department of Revenue would withhold the tax and then distribute the funds to the Madison County Regional Office of Education based on the number of resident students. Each school district would then receive tax revenue proportionate to the number of students enrolled. This figure would fluctuate following student enrollment increases and decreases. District 7 would receive approximately 18 percent of the total revenue generated in Madison County.

During the last District 7 School Board meeting, the board discussed the opposing viewpoint of some community members who hope to defeat the sales tax. I guess theres been some discussion and questions that this actually allows the school district to increase our bonds and put additional taxes upon the community, but ultimately that is not our goal in passing the 1 cent sales tax, school board member Terri Dalla Riva said.

Thats an argument that people use saying that the school district will go out and bond $20 or $30 million and then use those (sales tax) funds to pay that debt off, but what weve talked about as a board is doing the life safety projects that we have deferred, then looking at tax avoidance by not having to borrow to do those projects. And then looking at a combination maybe in the future or in conjunction with that a possible debt service reduction based on our existing bond debt, and then getting to the point where we do some other facility improvements or enhancements including security all the way up to or down to including actual facility construction. Thats what we have talked about, District 7 Assistant Superintendent of Business Operations Dave Courtney stressed.

There are some people that would argue that the bonding of the district would go up and we would bond out in advance, Courtney added. We have not talked about that. Thats the argument against it. That well borrow $50 million and then well pay the $50 million off over 10 or 15 years based on the collections we get from the sales tax. In essence they are trying to say that were potentially trying to increase the tax rate, but thats not what we are talking about.

What were trying to do is prevent the tax rate from increasing and then to try to allocate and pay down the existing debt and lowering property tax obligations on that debt, Dalla Riva inquired.

Correct, Courtney said.

Thank you for that reassurance, Dalla Riva added. Ive been in a lot of discussions about how were going to create more debt and actually thats quite the opposite.

Voters will have an opportunity to make their voice heard on March 20. The ballot will have a heading that states, Proposition to Impose County School Facility Sales Tax, and underneath it will state, Shall a retailers occupation tax and a service occupation tax (commonly referred to as a sales tax) be imposed in the County of Madison, Illinois, at a rate of 1 percent to be used exclusively for school facility purposes. Yes or No.Suncor Energy Inc. operates as an integrated energy company. The company primarily focuses on developing petroleum resource basins in Canada's Athabasca oil sands; explores, acquires, develops, produces, transports, refines, and markets crude oil in Canada and internationally; markets petroleum and petrochemical products under the Petro-Canada name primarily in Canada. It operates in Oil Sands; Exploration and Production; Refining and Marketing; and Corporate and Eliminations segments. The Oil Sands segment recovers bitumen from mining and in situ operations, and upgrades it into refinery feedstock and diesel fuel, or blends the bitumen with diluent for direct sale to market. The Exploration and Production segment is involved in offshore operations off the east coast of Canada and in the North Sea; and operating onshore assets in Libya and Syria. The Refining and Marketing segment refines crude oil and intermediate feedstock into various petroleum and petrochemical products; and markets refined petroleum products to retail, commercial, and industrial customers through its other retail sellers. The Corporate and Eliminations segment operates four wind farm operations in Ontario and Western Canada. The company also markets and trades in crude oil, natural gas, byproducts, refined products, and power. The company was formerly known as Suncor Inc. and changed its name to Suncor Energy Inc. in April 1997. Suncor Energy Inc. was founded in 1917 and is headquartered in Calgary, Canada.

Read MoreWaddell & Reed Financial, Inc., through its subsidiaries, provides investment management and advisory, investment product underwriting and distribution, and shareholder services administration to mutual funds, and institutional and separately managed accounts in the United States. The company acts as an investment adviser for institutional and other private investors, and provides sub advisory services to other investment companies; and underwrites and distributes registered open-end mutual fund portfolios. It also offers fee-based asset allocation investment advisory products to advisors channel customers; distributes business partners' variable annuity products, and retirement and life insurance products to advisors channel customers; and sells life insurance and disability products underwritten by various carriers. The company distributes investment products through its wholesale channel comprising other broker/dealers, various retirement platforms, and registered investment advisors, as well as through independent financial advisors; and markets investment advisory services to institutional investors directly or through consultants. Waddell & Reed Financial, Inc. was founded in 1937 and is based in Overland Park, Kansas.

Read More4 hours ago

Stocks drop the most since May on worries over China, Fed

Stocks on Wall Street closed sharply lower Monday, mirroring losses overseas and handing the S&P 500 index its biggest drop in four months. Worries about heavily indebted Chinese real estate developers  and the damage they could do to investors worldwide if they default  rippled across markets.

Read ArticleCanadians collective household debt has climbed to $1.8 trillion as an international financial group sounds an early warning that Canadas domestic banking system is at risk from rising debt levels.

Canadian consumers now owe $1.821 trillion including mortgages as of the fourth-quarter of 2017, marking a six per cent increase from a year earlier, says Equifax Canada.

Although nearly half of Canadians reduced their personal liabilities, roughly 37 per cent added to their debt load to push the average amount up 3.3 per cent to $22,837 per person, not including mortgages.

These fresh numbers come as an international financial group owned by the worlds central banks says Canadas credit-to-gross-domestic-product and debt-service ratios show early warning signs of potential risk to the domestic banking system in the coming years.

The latest report by the Bank of International Settlements says Canadas credit-to-GDP gap and debt-service ratios have surpassed critical thresholds and are signalling red, pointing to vulnerabilities.

The group, however, cautions that these indicators should not be treated as a formal stress test, but as a first step in a broader analysis.

Read more:

Canadas debt-to-household-income ratio rises to 171 per cent, StatCan says

Rising household debt could put long-term growth at risk, CMHC document says

Non-mortgage debt spikes for Canadian consumersSamuel Tiras Wainaina is the first CEO of the Women Enterprise Fund (WEF). He is a resource person with the Capital Markets Authority where he teaches young people in chamas about investment and the operations of the capital markets. He has published four books on entrepreneurship.

He spoke to myNetwork about the five financial principals every budding entrepreneur should possess and everything finances.

What valuable lessons can young people draw from your 25-year career in the financial sector?

Patience and persistence. One must also have the humility to start very small, work diligently, professionally and loyally to reach the top. Career life is a process, there are no short-cuts to a place worth going to. Money is not everything. Fulfillment from a job well done and lives transformed is the best demonstration of duty to humanity, and the best enduring legacy. Integrity is your true north. There is no reward, monetary or otherwise, that should dent your character. Always stand up for something.

You interact with young people a lot. What do you appreciate most about them?

I appreciate their desire to thrive in business and their appetite for information to help them make the right investment decisions. The youth appreciate the leverage power of pooling resources in pursuit of a common purpose. Unlike the conservative older generation, they are more inclined to try out new financial products, which is good for our financial market.

What five financial principles should every budding entrepreneur possess?

Guard your money religiously through record keeping and internal controls. Endeavour to earn relevant basic skills in business management because ignorance is the number one killer of start-ups. Whereas risks cannot be eliminated, they can be mitigated, therefore be proactive in identifying the inherent risks in your chosen line of business. You cant grow a sustainable business purely from your own funds. Debt finance is a very good leverage that enables an investor to achieve bigger dreams faster. Learn to use other peoples money by borrowing loans. Most importantly, work with individuals with the right attitude, people who can make the right decisions for better results.

What was your experience like heading Women Enterprise Fund, a women-focused organisation?

Initially, some had questioned the wisdom behind contracting a man to head a women affirmative action fund. But my response was simple: progress means promoting womens interests without discriminating against men. It was a satisfying experience working with Kenyan women, especially because some who had never borrowed money were eventually able to access collateral and interest-free loans to start businesses. With a 92 per cent repayment rate, we proved that without political interference and with persons of integrity in charge, government-lending programmes can succeed.

Tell us about your latest book.

The book, 52 Weekly Powerful Conversations, is my first title, which I wrote in 2014. The thrust of the message is to transform individuals and teams to unleash their potential in their quest to attain personal and collective organisational goals. During my time at WEF, I discovered how difficult constructive communication is in large organisations because of the bulk of information involved. Weekly communication resulted in 52 different conversations per year. My colleagues advised me to package the conversations in book format, hence the title.

There are so many financial literacy books in the market. Why hasnt this translated to wiser investment decisions among budding entrepreneurs?

Information is only potential power. You may read all finance literature in books and on the Internet, but how you use that information ultimately makes the difference between success and failure. The youth should employ such information to become more efficient and effective in creating solutions needed by the market. Lack of humility to seek information from the right people leads to poor investment decisions, while lack of patience makes the youth easy prey to quack advisors and fraudulent quick money scams. Blatant disregard of the principle of the process is also dangerous.

What sort of books do you read?

I read fiction, motivational, autobiographies, psychology and finance-related books. Im currently reading, What Money Cant Buy, by Michael J. Sandel and 50 Ways to Wealth, by John Lowe.

How can Kenyas youth keep positive energy amid the worsening state of unemployment and poor governance in Kenya?

The youth are an integral component of our political and socioeconomic spheres, and as such, they should focus their mental and physical energies by inventing practical solutions to our perennial challenges, for instance by revamping the rural economy in agriculture to enhance food security. They shouldnt allow themselves to be used as pawns in the political chess game or to cause mayhem.

Women and the youth in Kenya lag behind economically despite intervention measures including funds established for them. How can this scenario be explained?

There has been little enthusiasm towards loans set up by the national and county governments. The free-things mentality is, sadly, deeply entrenched in our national psyche such that the targeted persons are disinclined to take loans because of the interests they attract. Enterprise development is about risk-taking, yet most Kenyans have a risk-averse predisposition. Corruption and bureaucracies also tend to scare people away from government programmes. Lastly, theres a misplaced notion that every woman and young person has an entrepreneurial spirit.MONTREAL  The growth of the gig economy is making it easier for Canadians to earn extra cash driving for Uber, renting out their homes on Airbnb or making crafts to sell on Etsy, but people new to the side-hustle game may be in for an eye opener when it comes to tax season, say experts.

Thats because new self-employed workers are often ignorant about their obligation to report all income and pay the appropriate taxes and Canada Pension Plan contributions.

Certainly when theres a surprise tax bill at the end of the year, people are shocked, says Bessy Triantafyllos, a tax partner with Deloitte.

While employers remit deducted taxes to the government, self-employed workers are responsible for these expenses.

The number of people working on the side has more than doubled in the last 40 years, rising to nearly one million Canadians as of 2015, says Statistics Canada.

Emilie Coulombe says the high cost of housing in urban centres has prompted young entrepreneurs like herself to work tens of hours each week on top of their regular work schedule.

The 28-year-old accountant started a business last year making baskets from recycled fibres and winter clothing from knitting or crochet.

Coulombe expects to lose money for several years, which will allow her to reduce the taxable income from her main job and receive a large refund.

But she says many people who make crafts are woefully unprepared for the business side of their exploits.

A lot of people start into business because they like the creative sidebut they dont think about the corporate side of things, she said in an interview.

They incorrectly believe that no taxes have to be paid because their sales are less than $30,000. In fact, all income has to be reported, but no GST has to be collected until sales reach that threshold.

She urges newbies to consult with a tax professional to fully understand the rules, including deductions that can be claimed to offset income.

Valorie Elgar, senior tax professional at H&R Block says the most common mistake self-employed workers make is not keeping proper records of income and expenses.

She said workers often fail to fully tabulate their employment expenses, including car payments, gas, insurance, fuel, repairs, utilities and property taxes based on the percentage of the car or home that is used for the business.

Elgar said the most successful moonlighters dont realize that their second jobs could put them in a higher tax bracket.

I think people probably dont think about it a lot until they get to do their taxes and then they realize, she said from Calgary.

Uber driver Mathieu Visser says he turned to an accountant when he started driving in 2014 and now keeps detailed records of his mileage and expenses.

I have a strange book with a lot of numbers and at the end of the year I count the number of kilometres I did for Uber, he said during a break in his schedule.

So it needs a little organization but its not too hard.

Uber has a partnership with tax advisers including H&R Block and Turbo Tax, to assist drivers. In Quebec, the ride-sharing program agreed to collect all relevant sales tax on behalf of drivers and remit it directly to the provincial government.

Triantafyllos says the biggest surprise people face come Aprils tax deadline is being forced to come up with money to pay taxes after failing to set aside funds.

For those in the service industry, estimating that tips amount to 10 to 15 per cent of a servers salary no longer cuts it. The government assumes that most servers earn one to four times their salary in tips, unless records show otherwise, she said.

Many restaurants already report tips remitted from credit card receipts, and could be required to do so under a Canada Revenue Agency audit.

With a cashless economy, every transaction is traceable, she said.

Read more about:A Fukushima-scale meltdown at the Pickering nuclear power plant would exact a devastating human and economic toll on the province, causing 26,000 cases of cancer  nearly half of them fatal  and the evacuation of 154,000 homes in York and Durham regions and east Toronto.

Some areas would be uninhabitable for 100 years.

Losses from uninsured housing alone would be in the range of $125 billion.

Thats the catastrophic scenario outlined in a report by the Ontario Clean Air Alliance, published on Sunday to coincide with the seventh anniversary of the earthquake that triggered the Japanese nuclear disaster.

The non-profit coalition, which opposes nuclear power generation, wants Ontario to dismantle its oldest nuclear generating station in Pickering and buy water-generated electricity from Hydro Quebec. But provincially-owned Ontario Power Generation (OPG) has applied to have the Pickering plants operating licence extended beyond its Aug. 31 expiry.

Could Fukushima happen in the Toronto area? It wouldnt take the precise circumstances of the Japanese disaster to result in a similar accident here, said Jack Gibbons, chair of the Clean Air Alliance.

Theres a risk. No one can say for sure what the exact probability of a serious accident is but everyone knows the probability is greater than zero, he said.

Nobody is suggesting there will be a tsunami in Lake Ontario, said Gibbons. But the Toronto region is subject to some seismic activity. It could also be vulnerable to a plane crash or a cyberattack. Then theres the possibility of human error, the number one cause of nuclear accidents, according to the report, in which Gibbons wrote the forward and British expert Ian Fairlie modelled the potential radiation impacts it outlines.

Could an accident happen? Accidents do happen. The nuclear industry told us Chernobyl would never happen. They told us Three-Mile Island would never happen. They told us Fukushima would never happen. But they did, Gibbons said.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the FBI reported that a Kansas plant, known as Wolf Creek, was the target of one such attack, according to the New York Times.

Cleaner electricity could be supplied more cheaply without the risk of human and economic devastation, said Gibbons.

The Clean Air Alliance says that the 47-year-old Pickering facility, the oldest nuclear generating station in the province, is running on 1960s and 1970s technology.

OPG has applied to the federal Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission to extend the operation of Pickering for 10 years with commercial operations ending in 2024, followed by steps toward shutting down the plant.

The government says it has taken every precaution to ensure the safety of its nuclear facilities.

Safety and security of the provinces nuclear supply have always been the top priority for the government and Ontarios nuclear operators, said a statement from the press secretary for Energy Minister Glenn Thibeault, in response to Star questions about the licence extension.

Nuclear facilities in Ontario regularly seek reviews and audits not only from the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC), as well as from groups like the International Atomic Energy Agency, the Operational Safety Review Team, and the World Association of Nuclear Operators, said an emailed statement attributed to Colin Nekolaichuk.

A statement from OPG said, The Pickering Nuclear Station received the highest safety rating, Fully Satisfactory, from the federal Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC), which licences and oversees nuclear operations in the country. Pickering Nuclear received the highest safety rating for the last two years (2017 and 2016).

In 2016 OPG took the plant out of service to conduct $75 million in maintenance. A news release at the time said OPG had invested more than $200 million in the Pickering station since 2010. The agencys website says that Pickering provides 14 per cent of the provinces electricity. Last year, the plant was running 80 per cent of the time, above its target of 71.5 per cent.

Thats not good enough, said Gibbons.

If you believe in nuclear power you should be building brand-new, state-of-the-art nuclear stations, which are much safer than Pickering, he said.

You wouldnt drive up and down the 401 in a 47-year-old car. I dont think its reasonable to continue to operate a 47-year-old nuclear station that was only designed to last for 30 years.

The Ontario Liberal government says the plant will save the electricity system up to $600 million and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by at least 8 million tonnes, while protecting 4,500 jobs in Durham Region.

Gibbons says the government, which eliminated coal plants, is appealing to voters, who like the high-paying jobs at Pickering. OPG says there are about 3,000 jobs at the nuclear plant. Those jobs could be transitioned to the decommissioning and dismantling of the plant  a process that would take more than a decade, says the Clean Air Alliance.

Its report overlays the impacts of Fukushima on the Pickering area. It notes that about 80 per cent of the Fukushima radioactive emissions were carried out to sea. If Ontario were subject to the same contamination levels and weather conditions as Japan, the highest doses of radiation would cover an area north of Lake Ontario between Toronto and Oshawa toward Barrie, and then southwest near London and Kitchener. Toronto to Hamilton would receive lower doses.

Pickering, Markham, Newmarket, Whitchurch-Stouffville, Aurora and northern Scarborough would suffer the most devastating impacts. About 653,000 people would need to be evacuated and key transportation routes such as highways 401, 404 and 407, as well as CN, CP and GO Transit rails, would run through contaminated areas, says the report.

In 2015, the Durham Region Health Department and OPG did a mass mailing of potassium iodide tablets, known as K1, to residents and businesses within 10 kilometres of the Pickering and Darlington nuclear generating stations. Those within 50 kilometres of those facilities can order the tablets from preparetobesafe.ca any time, says the health unit.

OPG has an arrangement with Canada Post to automatically send the tablets to new addresses or to address changes registered with the post office that are within 10 kilometres of a nuclear plant.

OPGs liability is capped at $1 billion  leaving most property losses unrecoverable, said Gibbons.

The Insurance Bureau of Canada confirmed to the Star that private insurers do not offer coverage for nuclear accidents. Earthquake insurance is not part of a standard homeowner policy although it is available as an add-on. About 31 per cent of Canadian policyholders buy it, said the industry group. That includes 45 per cent of policyholders in British Columbia and 4 per cent in Quebec, the areas most vulnerable to seismic activity.OTTAWA A stylish criminal defence lawyer from Brampton is gearing up to win an election for the New Democratic Party. Must be Jagmeet Singh, right?

Wrong.

Its his brother, Gurratan Singh, who told the Star on Friday that he is seriously considering a run for the Ontario NDP in Brampton East.

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The newly redrawn riding includes much of the constituency that Jagmeet Singh represented during his six-year stint at Queens Park. That means Gurratan would be running to win the rough equivalent of his brothers old seat if he could repeat the suburban breakthrough that started Jagmeets political career and eventual rise to federal NDP leader.

Since becoming leader of the federal NDP, Jagmeet Singh has kept younger brother Gurratan by his side. Gurratan says he encouraged Jagmeet to go into politics. (The Canadian Press)

I could continue that legacy, Gurratan, 33, said in an interview Friday.

I love this riding, I love the people in the riding, and Ive been connected to it for so long, he said. I know the issues that they face, and I think I could be the voice to really advocate for them.

While hes never held elected office, Singh is no political newbie. He has been a close advisor to his older brother through his entire political career, including his runaway victory in last years federal NDP leadership campaign, when the Singh machine raked in by far the most money and he won on the first ballot. Jagmeet has credited Singh with pushing him into politics in the first place and has called him one of my strongest allies and greatest supporters.

Gurratan Singh also ran for a Peel Regional Council seat in Brampton in 2014, when he lost in a close race to John Sprovieri.

A spokesperson with the Ontario NDP said this week that Singh was seeking the Brampton East nomination in the upcoming provincial election. But Singh said he hasnt made a final decision yet, even though hes been speaking to the party about the nomination and doorknocking in the community.

People are fed up, theyre really fed up with the Liberals, he said. This is an amazing opportunity for the NDP right now.

Like Jagmeet, the younger Singh is a criminal defence lawyer who graduated from Osgoode Hall and runs his own legal practice. In 2015, he worked under Toronto lawyer and social activist James Lockyer, who is known for his work defending people who have been wrongfully convicted.

Singh also sits on the Peel Art Gallery advisory board, is the chair of the City of Bramptons Inclusion and Equity Committee, and co-founded a pop-up restaurant called the Grand Trunk Road, which specializes in Punjabi comfort food, according to his LinkedIn profile.

He added that he shares many of the same values as his older brother, and is proud of his vision as a political leader. Asked how he is different from Jagmeet, Singh described himself as a community organizer and joked that hes younger but cooler than his bespoke suit-wearing older brother.

People may not realize were two separate people, he laughed. I think its important that people look at me independently.

The riding he may run in was created in 2015 from two Brampton constituencies: BramaleaGoreMalton, where Singhs brother Jagmeet held the seat for the Ontario NDP from 2011 until 2017, when he became federal leader and resigned from Queens Park; and BramptonSpringdale, which has been held by the Liberals since it was created in 2007.

Singh said that he will campaign for Andrea Horwaths NDP this spring even if he isnt a candidate himself. Ontarians go to the polls June 7.

Read more about:MONTREAL  A non-profit group that advocates for sensible alcohol consumption chided the federal and provincial governments Monday for what it calls their inaction on sugary alcohol drinks following the death of a Quebec teen.

Educalcool director Hubert Sacy said hes not impressed with the response from lawmakers after the death of 14-year-old Athena Gervais, who reportedly consumed such a product last month.

Sacy said he was alarmed last fall when reports from emergency room doctors and ambulance technicians suggested teens being transported to hospitals with alcohol poisoning after consuming similar products was becoming a weekly occurrence.

The sad thing was that both governments said to each other its not me, its you, instead of saying what they could do, Sacy said of Gervais death.

Read more:

Quebecs Geloso Group announces end of sweetened alcoholic drink FCKD UP

Couche-Tard pulls alcoholic drink after Quebec girls death

She was found dead in a stream behind her high school in Laval, and Montreal La Presse reported she had been drinking stolen cans of FCKD UP, a sweetened alcoholic beverage whose sugary taste masks the 11.9 per cent alcohol content  the equivalent of four drinks.

Police are still awaiting a toxicology report.

Sacy said Ottawa should ban the sale of alcoholic, sugary, premixed drinks or at least reduce their sizes and add stricter labelling.

Ideally, every alcoholic beverage product that hides the taste and effect of alcohol should not be allowed on the market, Sacy said. If authorized, they should be allowed to have the contents of one standard drink.

Geloso Group, the Montreal-area producer of the beverage Gervais had reportedly been drinking, announced last week it would stop producing the drink.

It said in a statement it had entered the market in order to compete with a U.S. company  Chicago-based Phusions Four Loko  that at the time sold a similar drink in Quebec.

Four Loko was removed from store shelves because it ran afoul of Quebecs alcohol laws last year, but the company announced last week it has suspended the re-introduction of the product into the Quebec market.

However, other similar products remain on convenience store shelves.

Last week, Health Canada issued a reminder about the associated risks that come with consuming large-volume, single-serve beverages that are high in alcohol.

It called on parents to talk to their teens about alcohol consumption and said it will review products on the market with Quebec authorities and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency to assess their safety.

Many single-serve alcohol products are intensely flavoured and are high in sugar, which could cause consumers not to realize how much alcohol they are actually consuming, Health Canada warned.

Gervais godmother launched a petition calling for corner stores to be prohibited from selling drinks with more than 6.5 per cent alcohol.

And Emilie Dansereau-Trahan of the Quebec Association for Public Health said the products shouldnt be allowed to be sold next to a regular beer.

Im not sure people know they are drinking the equivalent of four portions of alcohol with one drink, said Dansereau-Trahan.

As for the Quebec government, Sacy said it can legislate on the minimum price of such products as well as making such premixed drinks only available at government-run liquor stores.

Sacy said similar products are sold elsewhere in Canada, but only in governmental stores and at a much higher price.

He also added that the advertising and promotion of the products should be subject to stricter regulations.Bombardier will investigate after planes built by the Montreal-based company crashed in Iran on Sunday and in Nepal on Monday, killing a total of about 60 people.

Forty-nine people were killed Monday when a U.S. Bangla Airlines passenger plane carrying 71 people from Bangladesh crashed and burst into flames as it landed in Kathmandu, Nepals capital, officials and witnesses said. In Iran, all 11 people on board a private, out-of-production business jet owned by the private holding company of Turkish businessman Huseyin Basaran were killed when it crashed on a mountainside.

Those on board included Basarans daughter Mina, 28, and seven of her friends, all flying back from a party ahead of her wedding next month.

The plane in the Nepal crash has been identified as the Q400 turboprop, which is built in Toronto, and a Challenger business jet in the Iranian crash.

Read more:

At least 50 people killed after passenger plane crashes at Kathmandu airport

Joseph DCruz, a Rotman School of Management professor emeritus who specializes in aviation, said Q400s are used by Porter Airlines and that he flies in them all the time.

Air Canada also uses the plane, with its website saying the airline has a total of 44 Q400 turboprop aircraft in its fleet.

A spokesperson for Westjet said Westjet Encore, a regional carrier owned by Westjet, uses the Q400. It also has 44 in its fleet.

If the plane was recognized as having a deficiency, Transport Canada wouldnt allow Porter to fly, DCruz said. The plane is certainly considered airworthy. I have never given a second thought to flying (in) it.

Nathalie Siphengphet, spokesperson for Bombardier, told the Star the company has delivered 29 Q400s to Porter.

A senior investigator and a field service representative will depart in the morning to Nepal, she said.

The causes of both crashes were not immediately available.

It (Q400) has been designed to be robust and reliable in consideration to high cycle demands of regional airlines, Siphengphet said in an interview with The Canadian Press.

Mark Masluch, director of communications and public affairs for Bombardier, said more than 1,000 Challenger 600 series planes have been delivered and that they are one of the most robust and reliable aircrafts in business aviation.

He called the back-to-back crashes an unfortunate coincidence, adding that it would be inappropriate to comment on any links between the two accidents.

The Q400, or Dash 8, is the largest prop plane made by Bombardier and can hold 86 passengers, Siphengphet said. More than 500 planes have been delivered to about 60 owners and operators in over 90 countries, she said, and have transported 500 million passengers since they first entered service in 2000.

In 1992, Bombardier acquired de Havilland Canada, according to its website, which had made different iterations of the plane.

Since the acquisition, however, the plane has had several technical malfunctions around the world, particularly with its landing gear. Two accidents proved fatal.

In 2009, a Q400 crashed near Buffalo, killing 50 people. Initially, Colgan Air, the airline, attributed the crash to pilot error, linking it in part to a warning system malfunction, which failed to alert the pilots that they were flying too slowly. The plane had stalled and crashed into a house while preparing to land at the airport. However, the National Transportation Safety Board ultimately concluded that pilot error, including the response by the captain, was the primary cause of the accident, and determined that no aircraft issues caused the crash.

In Japan, pilots had to make an emergency landing after a Q400s landing gear malfunctioned in 2007. Less than a week later, the crew of another Bombardier-built turboprop, a smaller iteration of the Q400, had to drop landing gear manually when the automatic system failed. There were no fatalities.

The same year, in Denmark, a Q400, flown by Scandinavian Airlines, underwent an emergency landing when part of one of its landing gears collapsed. Five people received minor injuries, the airline told the Star. A spokesperson said on Monday, that since 2007, Scandinavian Airlines have discontinued to use the Q400.

In South Korea in 2007, a Q400 slammed into a drainage ditch after a rudder malfunction, which caused the plane to veer off course, according to Aviation Safety Network, a database listing aviation accidents.

Clarification - March 15, 2018: This article was edited from a previous version to make clear the National Transportation Safety Board determined in February 2010 that the 2009 Colgan Air crash near Buffalo was caused by pilot error, not airline issues.

With files from Star staff, The Canadian Press and The Associated Press

Read more about:OTTAWA The federal government will offer new payouts to about 240 residential school survivors who were unfairly compensated for alleged student-on-student abuse, the Star has learned.

Crown-Indigenous Affairs Minister Carolyn Bennett was set to announce the move Tuesday, which will see the government pursue negotiated settlements with former students who may not have received fair compensation for abuse perpetrated by other students at the notorious church-run schools for Indigenous children.

This means that roughly 240 student-on-student abuse claims will be settled outside the special process for compensation, the Independent Assessment Process (IAP), where claimants need to show that they reported this abuse to a school staff member, or that a staff member should have known it was going on  a higher bar for compensation than is required in staff-on-student cases, which only need to show that the abuse occurred.

The abuse suffered by former residential school students is tragic and unacceptable, Bennett said in a statement to the Star. We will continue to work with survivors and their representatives to bring closure to this dark and tragic chapter in Canadian history as we continue on the shared path of reconciliation with Indigenous peoples.

The announcement was slated for the same day that the years-long case involving former St. Annes Residential students returns to court in Toronto. Former students from the school have been arguing their compensation claims should be reopened because the government withheld thousands of police and court documents relating to abuse at the school until an Ontario judge ordered their release in 2014.

In January, however, a B.C. Supreme Court Justice ruled that compensation claims that have already been closed cant be reopened if new evidence comes to light.

That ruling details how an adjudicator at the IAP had underscored systemic prejudice against claimants of student-on-student whose cases are closed before all evidence is available to the panel. It outlines a claim from an unnamed former student whose request to re-open a compensation claim for student-on-student abuse was denied in 2014 because of failure to prove the requisite staff knowledge that abuse was going on. Another compensation claim was blocked from being reviewed because, while an adjudicator determined that student-on-student abuse occurred on school premises, the claimant couldnt prove whether staff knew or should have known about the abuse.

Sen. Murray Sinclair, the former chair of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission that examined the impact of Canadas residential school system, has said student-on-student abuse remains a taboo subject in some communities. He told that The Canadian Press last year that, many people didn't want to talk to (the commission) about student-on-student abuse because they were often still living in the community with their abuser.

More than 150,000 Indigenous children attended residential schools from the late 19th century until the last one closed in 1996. Children were taken from their parents and home communities as part of a long-standing government effort to extinguish Indigenous languages and cultures that the Truth and Reconciliation Commission deemed cultural genocide.

An unknown number of students  estimated to be in the thousands  died while attending the schools, and thousands experienced physical and sexual abuse, according to the commission.OTTAWAPrime Minister Justin Trudeau is raising diplomatic eyebrows for not meeting with Belgian royalty and business leaders during their week-long visit to Canada.

Trudeau has no plans to meet with the Belgian royal couple, King Philippe and Queen Mathilde, or their delegation of 150 business leaders, academics and political leaders, who arrived Sunday.

While senior members of the Quebec and Ontario governments and business leaders are scheduled to meet with the group, sources tell the Star the delegation feels snubbed by the federal Liberals.

With CETA, were even closer to Europe right now. We should be aligning ourselves on the political front, said one source, refering to the free trade deal between the European Union and Canada.

The source, who spoke on background due to diplomatic sensitivities, said the delegation was obviously disappointed that Trudeau didnt make time to meet.

The prime minister this week is touring steel and aluminum facilities in Quebec and Ontario communities to voice opposition to potential American tariffs on those industries.

U.S. President Donald Trumps administration said last week Canada would be exempt from those tariffs, at least for now.

An official with the Prime Ministers Office noted three cabinet ministers will receive the delegation during their time in Canada, including International Trade Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne, Treasury Board President Scott Brison and Veterans Affairs Minister Seamus ORegan.

Only Champagne, however, has a foreign affairs portfolio.

The Belgian delegation includes seven ministers, including Vice Prime Minister and Foreign Affairs Minister Didier Reynders, as well as representatives from the countrys three regions.

The visit by King Philippe and Queen Mathilde to Canada is the first state visit by Belgian royals since the 1970s. Last month, Raoul Delcorde, Belgiums ambassador to Canada, posted a photo on Twitter of Belgian King Baudouin meeting with former prime minister Pierre Trudeau in 1977.

From the standpoint of diplomatic protocol, Governor General Julie Payette is the official host of the Belgian royal couple.

But sources tell the Star it was expected that Trudeau would make time for the delegation, given the strong trade ties between the two countries.

Bilateral trade between Canada and Belgium totaled almost $6.5 billion last year, according to Global Affairs Canada.

That relationship is expected to grow with the ratification of the Canada-E.U. free trade deal.

While in Canada, the Belgian delegation will hold meetings at the MaRS building in Toronto, hold a Canadian-Belgian CEO roundtable at Power Corporations headquarters and meet with pension fund giant Caisse de depot to talk science co-operation.

Trudeaus approach with the Belgians contrasts with his effusive welcome of Jordans King Abdullah last year. Trudeau met with him and held a joint news conference to publicly highlight Canadas close ties with the Middle East country and personally praise Abdullah as a friend.

Its been an honour and a pleasure to host His Majesty and his delegation in Ottawa, and we look forward to continuing our strong partnership with Jordan in the years ahead, Trudeau told reporters last August.

Trudeau used that visit to announce $45 million to support economic development, initiatives to gender equality and aid for refugees, using a news release to underscore the strong partnership between the two countries. So far, theres no been no official statement from Trudeau about the Belgian visit.

When King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima of the Netherlands visited Ottawa in 2015, they were met by then prime minister Stephen Harper and wife Laureen on Parliament Hill.

In a statement, a spokesperson for Global Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland said the Canadian government was delighted to welcome the Belgian royal family.

Canada and Belgium have excellent bilateral relations based on bonds of friendship and trust, as well as the shared values of liberty, democracy, solidarity and diversity, wrote Adam Austen in an email to the Star.

This visit is an important opportunity to build upon our strong relations and the bonds that tie our countries together.

Read more about:Durham Region police have arrested two teenaged suspects after a day-long manhunt following a robbery of a Scotiabank branch in Clarington on Monday.

Police confirmed the arrests on Twitter about four hours after the robbery took place Monday. A third suspect is still at large.

Two of the suspects allegedly walked into the Scotiabank, on Highway 2, at around 1 p.m., armed with handguns, police said in a release. They demanded cash and fled the scene. No bank employees or customers were injured.

Police chased a vehicle with three occupants to Highway 401 and Salem Rd., and eventually managed to box in the vehicle with their cruisers  but the suspects allegedly tried to ram them.

At one point, a Durham Regional Police officer opened fire on the suspects as they allegedly tried to ram him, police said.

The suspects managed to break free from police and drive westbound on Hwy. 401, lost control of their vehicle, and drove into a ditch east of Salem Rd.s off-ramp in Ajax, police said. All three suspects ditched their vehicle and fled into a patch of nearby woods.

While police initially said the suspects opened fire on officers during the chase, they later confirmed that this did not happen. Two officers suffered minor injuries during the chase.

A handgun was found in the vehicle, while a replica firearm was found near a Hwy. 401 on-ramp in Oshawa.

At least 16 cruisers were reported to be in the area and a number of streets were closed. The police helicopter, OPP and canine units were assisting with the search, along with heavily-armed tactical officers.

Police later found two suspects  an 18-year-old and 17-year-old  hiding in a residential Ajax neighbourhood at around 4:30 p.m. Monday.

The right westbound lane of Hwy. 401 was closed near Salem for much of the day, and Durham police have officers stationed at various roads in the area.

No charges have been announced.

With files from Whitby This WeekToronto police have identified a man who was shot and killed over the weekend.

Dwayne Anthony Vidal, 31, died in hospital after he was shot Saturday afternoon in Etobicoke.

The incident occurred just after 5:40 p.m. on Mount Olive Dr., near Martin Grove and Albion Rds.

Vidal was rushed to hospital in critical condition with a gunshot wound to his chest.

Police said Sunday morning that he was pronounced dead in hospital.

Multiple shell casings were found at the scene.

No arrests have been made.

Police said, over the weekend, that they are searching for a suspect described as a Black male, between 59 and 6 tall, and wearing a black hoodie with a covering on his face.

This is the citys 11th homicide this year.

With files from Brennan Doherty, Jenna Moon and Fakiha Baig.When Luzviminda Alicbusan came to Canada in 2008 to work as a caregiver, she left her family in the Philippines, including her son who has a mental disability.

When she applied for permanent residency two years later, she said she was rejected because of her sons condition.

Why are they doing this to us, what did we do wrong?, she asked. Is having a child with a disability a crime?

Alicbusan was among a small group of protesters who spent Monday morning holding signs and chanting outside immigration minister Ahmed Hussens constituency office in North York.

They were protesting a 40-year-old section of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act that says foreign nationals are inadmissible if their medical condition might reasonably be expected to cause excessive demand on health or social services.

Alicbusan said the government considers her son a burden on Canadas health system. She visits the Philippines every two years to see him.

Our children with disabilities are not a burden here, she said. They are a blessing to us, they are the reason why we become stronger, they are the reason we work so hard.

Mary-Jane De Jesus, another caregiver from the Philippines, left her 19-year-old daughter Mary-Claire eight years ago. Her daughter has Down syndrome, which De Jesus says prevented her from getting permanent residency.

They said my daughter is going to be a burden here in Canada, she said. They said shes going to cost a lot of money if she comes here. But shes not a burden, she can do the normal things children do.

Protesters plastered the door to Hussens office with signs calling for the end of that law, and displayed pictures of people with their children who they had to leave behind.

Hursh Jaswal, special assistant in the Ministry of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, said the government is undertaking a fundamental review of the policy.

We understand the concerns raised by families looking to make Canada their home who are faced with this situation, he said. Our goal is to strike the right balance between welcoming new members into Canadian society through a fair and compassionate immigration system while also protecting our publicly funded health and social services.

Anna Malla, a spokesperson at Caregivers Action Centre, said she is fighting for caregivers to get permanent residency upon arrival.

The fact that caregivers have to leave their families right from the beginning is the main problem, she said. People who come here as caregivers to care for other peoples family members who are sick and disabled are then not allowed to bring their family members? Thats ironic and discriminatory.Nominated Senator Isaac Mwaura has come out to reveal pretty interesting stuff about his campus life. The politician is an alumnus of Kenyatta University and says life was good during his 6-year stay.

Read his story below:

I joined Kenyatta University in 2001 and graduated in 2007. I would have graduated in 2006 had lecturers not forced the university to postpone the graduation to a later date.

At the university, I studied Special Education. I must confess that life was generally good, save for the few moments when lecturers made it unbearable for some of us.

I led a fairly comfortable life in campus, and had many friends. This is because my Room 4B in Longonot hostel had a TV, a printer, scanner, a three-seat sofa set and a blender. I also had quite a number of female visitors.

Young female students liked me a lot. It was only during the first year that some of them were a bit afraid to approach me because I am an albino. In fact, my first girlfriend dumped me because of my skin colour. Still, I dated more than one girl in campus, but none of them became my mama watoto.

During meal times, I would go to the mess and have ugali and soup for just Sh4. This however changed when I became a student leader. I could now even afford to visit Kilometer Market (KM) for chapati madondo or eat for free at the mess.

As a student leader, I had a lot of money  a cash allowance of Sh2,500, another Sh2,500 from my old man, plus Sh60,000 from Helb. Life was truly good for Mwaura.

My saddest moment came when I vied for the Kenyatta University Students Association (KUSA) chairmanship and lost. I spent all my savings on the campaigns and was very broke after that. Even getting Sh5 for mandazi was a task.

It was rough, but when I finally joined KUSA as a special member, I left a mark in the student leadership. About my lecturers, I still remember Dr. Kamaree Kilosho, he was so good as a teacher, but his exams were really hard.

Then there was one Dr. Ogechi (he taught us French), whom I hated with passion. He was the most arrogant Congolese I have ever met in my life. I remember I lost some marks simply because he had misplaced my exam paper. I didnt understand why I was being punished for someones mistake.A suspended Hamilton police officer fed drug traffickers sensitive information and favours in return for cash payments, a Crown attorney said Monday during his opening address to a Toronto jury.

Craig Ruthowsky, a former member of the Hamilton Police Services guns and gangs unit, has pleaded not guilty to obstruct justice, bribery, breach of trust, trafficking and conspiracy to commit an indictable offence.

He became ensnared in a Toronto Police Service wiretap investigation called Project Pharaoh aimed at gathering evidence of drug and firearm trafficking in Torontos west end, Crown attorney John Pollard said in Superior Court.

Read more:

Fellow officer testifies he was 'shocked' by actions of cop now on trial

The information he allegedly supplied to drug dealers included times and locations of pending search warrants, the identity of confidential informants, the working hours of certain police units and covert investigative techniques, Pollard said during his nearly hour-long, detailed summary of the expected evidence.

That shared intelligence allowed those who were party to the scheme to evade detection and prosecution, Pollard said. It made them better, more effective, drug traffickers.

The prosecution alleges Ruthowskys conduct compromised police investigations both big and small, from roadside traffic stops to large, sprawling, wiretap-based projects.

In so doing, Ruthowsky breached his statutory duties under the Police Services Act, duties that require him to investigate diligently and prevent the commission of criminal offences, as well as his duty to apprehend those responsible, Pollard said.

The Crown also alleges Ruthowsky participated in two separate drug trafficking schemes, in one instance by allegedly letting a drug trafficker enter a marijuana grow operation and leave with half of a harvest.

Ruthowsky also participated in cocaine trafficking by taking an unknown cutting agent to a private lab for identification, Pollard said. The identification allowed the dealer to obtain the agent at substantial cost saving, allowing him to turn a greater profit, he said.

The Crowns main witness, a Hamilton-based drug dealer, will testify that he negotiated the terms of the cash-for-protection scheme and made monthly payments to Ruthowsky. His identity is protected under a provisional, court-ordered publication ban.

The witness will testify that after Hamilton police arrested him for drug trafficking in 2011, he worked out an cash-for-protection arrangement with Ruthowsky, Pollard told jurors.

He will testify Ruthowsky agreed to supply inside police information in return for cash, Pollard said. Other criminals also looking for police protection agreed to chip in on the scheme, and together they pulled together $20,000 for monthly payments, Pollard said.

The Crown will tender evidence that the Ruthowsky familys net worth in 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2014 grew by at least $25,000 each year due to unknown sources of income, the Crown said.

The jury will also hear Ruthowskys former friend and colleague testify he invested heavily in improvements to his home, notably the backyard, the prosecutor said.

Also during the time of the alleged protection scheme, the colleague will testify Ruthowsky bought a new F-150 pickup truck and made deposits, with his wife, on two condo developments in Hamilton and Oakville.

The trial continues.In a country where space seems endless, it can be difficult to grasp the reality that suddenly every square inch matters. But thats the position Toronto finds itself in today. Though the city is not nearly as dense as many, it can no longer ignore questions about how best to use the land it occupies.

Long neglected parts of Toronto are now being examined and, where possible, reclaimed. Prominent examples include Underpass Park and the Bentway both beneath the Gardiner Expressway. At the other end of the scale, the 800-acre wasteland known as the Port Lands is up for redevelopment. Before that there was the West Don Lands.

So perhaps the Public Space Incubator was inevitable. The recently launched program has Park People, the citys most effective public realm advocacy group, turning to Torontonians for ideas about how to make better use of urban space. Big and small, in and out of the box, all submissions are welcome. Some time later this year, a jury will chose five or six schemes and award grants of between $15,000 and $50,000 to implement these proposals.

Its very exciting, says Park People founder and CEO, Dave Harvey. When we started (in 2011), there was a culture of no at the city. The city had basically abandoned public spaces. We were willing to put up with ugly. But thats changed.

With donations from the Balsam Foundation and well-known resident urbanists and two-person bike riders, Eti and Ken Greenberg, Park People will hand out $340,000 over the next two years.

This is a tremendous opportunity to unleash a lot of creative thinking, says Greenberg. The results could be pretty significant. The hope is that these projects wont be a series of one-offs, that they will show the need for change and prove that change is good. Eti and I are deeply impressed with this young generation and we want to give them a leg up. We want to give them a platform.

Of course, this is Toronto, which means that the hardest part of the process will likely be getting approval for the winning projects. Not only might that take an eon, it could also run into obstacles only civic bureaucrats and their political masters, the ward bosses, could think of. What will Councillors David Shiner and Denzil Minnan-Wong make of attempts to make their fiefdoms more livable? Chances are theyd dismiss them out of hand if for no other reason than their fear of an increase in property taxes.

Then theres the possibility that many proposals could fall within the purview of multiple municipal silos  everything from parks and roads to public works and planning. That in turn means the chances of confusion, contradiction and chaos are huge. Potential sites range from community housing lands, hydro corridors, private property and tower communities to the spaces along the edge of King St. where the transit pilot is in effect. Examples from other cities include one in Montreal that involves musical swings and a giant crokinole game in Guelph played with curling stones. The worry is that by the time each city department has had its kick at the can, the ideas could be watered down beyond recognition.

Regardless, Harvey remains optimistic. Weve had good discussions with various city departments, he says, including the mayors office. Theyve agreed to help shepherd these projects along. Nice words, but when one thinks of the mayors opposition to a plan to urbanize Yonge St. between Finch and Sheppard, its clear that allies like John Tory might not be so helpful.

Were hoping to spur people to talk and work together, Harvey explains. We want to encourage ideas from across the city and give people an opportunity to see for themselves how these spaces could be used.

Anyone who underestimates the importance of the public realm should think back to how Waterfront Toronto began the revitalization process with interventions such as Sugar Beach, Sherbourne Common and the Wavedecks. These projects helped change the way people see the waterfront. Today, its transformation is well underway.

Torontos record on civic space is spotty. Its importance eludes many in positions in power; they care about little more than potholes, mill rates and getting elected. So its no surprise that leadership has moved out of City Hall. The best thing it can do is stay out of the way.

For information on the Public Space Incubator, email info@parkpeople.ca.

Christopher Humes column appears weekly. He can be reached at jcwhume4@gmail.comAlmost half of Ontario voters disapprove of Doug Ford as leader of the Progressive Conservatives, but the party is still poised to win a majority in the upcoming provincial election, according to a new public opinion poll.

Of the 923 Ontario voters surveyed Sunday by the Forum Poll, 48 per cent said they disapprove of Doug Ford, 36 per cent said they approve and 16 per cent said they dont know.

If an election were held on Sunday, the Liberals would lose, securing only 23 per cent of the vote, or 11 seats, according to the poll. The New Democrats would come in second, with 27 per cent, and the PCs would win with 44 per cent.

Share your thoughts

It seems that Ontarians are not so much accepting Doug Ford and his leadership as they are rejecting the other alternatives, said Lorne Bozinoff, president of Forum Research.

While the PCs have a shot at winning the June 7 election, they didnt get a bounce, or uptick in support, as traditionally happens with a leadership result, Bozinoff said.

If it hadnt been such an awkward ending, they would have gotten a bounce in the polls, he said, referring to a tumultuous leadership contest and a heated ballot dispute at the party convention Saturday.

The PCs are actually down five points from the Forum Polls last survey, conducted in mid-February, just after former leader Patrick Brown announced hed be joining the race to reclaim his old job, Bozinoff said. (Brown later dropped out of the race.) Then, 49 per cent of Ontario voters said theyd vote Conservative.

The PCs need to secure 40 per cent of votes to win a majority, and they should be concerned about having Ford as their leader, Bozinoff said.

Doug Ford is a divisive figure, he said. His disapproval rating is already high and he has been leader for only a day.

Read more:

Christine Elliott concedes PC leadership vote to Doug Ford

Doug Fords road to leader of Ontario PC party paved with controversy

Opinion | Cohn: After a wild PC leadership race, dont rule out Premier Ford

Survey participants most likely to approve of Fords leadership included males; those between 35 and 54 years of age; Toronto residents; and PC supporters, the Forum Poll reported.

Groups most likely to disapprove of Ford included females; those between 55 and 64 years of age; those living in the 905 region; and Liberal supporters.

Bozinoff warned that Fords socially conservative leadership campaign rhetoric (on the subject of abortion, for example) could cause trouble for the party later on.

We know in the past, you need to be centre (on the political spectrum) to win Ontario, he said.

Forty-eight per cent of Ontario voters said having Ford as party leader makes them somewhat or much less likely to vote PC, according to the poll. A quarter said it wouldnt impact their decision and 20 per cent said theyre somewhat or much more likely to vote PC because of Ford.

Results based on the total sample are considered accurate, plus or minus three percentage points, 19 times out of 20.

Read more about:TEHRAN, Iran - Investigators on Monday found the black box from a Turkish private jet that crashed in an Iranian mountain range on its way from the United Arab Emirates to Istanbul, killing all 11 people on board that included a Turkish bride-to-be and her bachelorette party.

Authorities recovered all the dead from the crash site in the Zagros Mountains outside of the city of Shahr-e Kord, some 370 kilometres south of Irans capital, Tehran, according to a report by the state-run IRNA news agency.

Officials have so far identified eight bodies, including that of Mina Basaran, the 28-year-old daughter of the chairman of Turkeys Basaran Investment Holding, the semi-official Mehr news agency reported Monday.

Heavy rains and wind in the mountain range since the crash Sunday made it impossible for helicopters to land in the area, though officials hoped to bring the bodies down from the mountain later in the day, IRNA said.

Families of the victims arrived Monday in Shahr-e Kord, accompanied by Turkish diplomats, IRNA reported.

The flight took off Sunday from Sharjah International Airport in the UAE, home to the low-cost carrier Air Arabia. A little over an hour into the flight, the aircraft rapidly gained altitude and then dropped drastically within minutes, according to FlightRadar24, a flight-tracking website.

It remains unclear what caused the crash, though a witness told state television the Bombardier CL604 was on fire before it hit the mountain.

Finding the aircrafts black box will help investigators trying to piece together what happened. That equipment, typically painted in a bright colour to allow searchers to easily find it, records cockpit conversations and radio transmissions, as well as other data from a flight.

Sharjah civil aviation authorities said in a statement late Sunday night that the planes eight passengers were six Turks and two Spaniards. Three others were the flight crew.

The plane did not apply for maintenance procedures while on the ground of the airport, their statement said.

Turkeys Hurriyet newspaper and other media reports said the planes three crew members  two pilots and one flight attendant  were all women as well.

Basaran and her friends had celebrated her bachelorette party in nearby Dubai. Turkeys Transport Ministry said the aircraft belonged to Basaran Investment Holding, which The Associated Press has not been able to reach since the crash.

Basaran recently posted photographs on the photo-sharing app Instagram of what appeared to be her bachelorette party, which included eight women. Iranian authorities previously said the flights passengers were all young women.

Among those photographs was an image of the plane posted three days ago. In it, Basaran posed on the tarmac carrying flowers, wearing a denim jacket reading Mrs. Bride and the hashtag #bettertogether. In another picture, she holds heart-shaped balloons inside the plane.

On Saturday, Basaran posted a picture with seven smiling friends from a Dubai resort. The last videos posted to her account showed her enjoying a concert by the British pop star Rita Ora at a popular Dubai nightclub.

Other victims included 28-year-old architect Zeynep Coskun, who also recently was engaged and would have married in the summer, Turkeys private Dogan news agency said.

Melike Kuvvet, the planes co-pilot, was a former Turkish air force captain who was dismissed from the military but was hoping to be re-instated in May, Dogan reported.

Sundays crash came less than a month after an Iranian ATR-72, a twin-engine turboprop used for short regional flights, crashed in southern Iran, killing all 65 people onboard.

Read more about:The federal government has ensured cybersecurity will be top-of-mind for a news cycle or two with the half a billion-dollar line item for cybersecurity in the recent federal budget, acknowledging the growing need for cyber protection as part of the public commons. The proposed investment raises awareness of this crucial issue.

While the government updated its cybersecurity strategy, businesses need to take an equally hard look at their own practices. Now is a good time to broaden the discussion beyond government roles and responsibilities for data security to include all Canadians  especially companies and employees.

A new survey of 1,505 Canadians on workplace security found employees are confused as to who is responsible in the workplace for protecting company information. The Citrix Cloud and Security Survey shows Canadians are split on who should safeguard the security of corporate data.

Forty per cent of employees believe they bear zero responsibility for securing information, pointing to the need for a more comprehensive strategy that makes security everyones business.

The findings show that companies are increasingly vulnerable to breaches from unsafe practices. Six-in-10 employees have accessed personal or work data using public WIFI networks, which may be unsecure, and half have been the victim of a phishing email or online virus.

Regardless how secure a companys workplace technology is, there are risks if employees are not fully aware of security protocol (which is the case with nearly one-in-three employees).

As data breaches become increasingly commonplace, companies must develop proactive solutions from both individual and business perspectives.

Individuals can always benefit from security awareness, regardless of an employees level of digital literacy. The most tech-savvy may in fact be the biggest security risk, given they are likely to spend more time on their devices, have the capacity to work around company security protocols and are likely to access company data on their personal devices for convenience.

So, what can be done from an organizational perspective? Three guiding principles can be applied to all workplace security practices.

First is fostering a strong corporate culture around security: updating policies and procedures, an overall risk strategy to account for mobile devices and remote access, and a process for managing the use and security of employee-owned devices.

Second is to equip employees with security training and education, highlighting the human factor to ensure security protocols are followed and avoiding threats such as phishing or malware.

Last is to implement secure technology that limits opportunities for breaches from the outset and allows for quick resolutions.

Risks can never be eliminated completely, but they can be mitigated to reduce the impact of threats and breaches. The needle on cybersecurity is moving in the right direction, the question is whether Canadian companies are ready to use the government investment as a launching pad and lead the charge.

Jim Willis is a director with Citrix Canada. He is an enterprise security expert with over 20 years of experience in the tech and cybersecurity industry in Canada.

Read more about:The entrepreneur Warren Buffett once wrote, It takes 20 years to build a reputation and five minutes to ruin it. Buffetts math might not be exact, but the sentiment highlights the current dilemma facing Toronto police. A series of public relations gaffes during the Bruce McArthur investigation have fuelled concerns about police legitimacy.

Heres a recap, in case you havent been following the news:

In December, Police Chief Mark Saunders downplayed the existence of a serial killer in Toronto. This may have been a strategic choice to further their investigation, but it looked bad when Bruce McArthur was arrested and charged with multiple murders about a month later.

At the end of January, the Globe and Mail published an interview in which Chief Saunders said Toronto Police might have solved this case sooner if more people came forward with information. Even though this was likely a plea for help from community members, his comments came across as textbook victim blaming. Never once did he mention what police might do to improve their outreach and relations with LGBTQ and other communities in Toronto.

These gaffes might not seem like much on their own, but when held up next to other recent events, they amount to a public relations black eye for TPS.

Toronto police are still dealing with the fallout after off-duty Toronto police officer Michael Theriault beat and disfigured Dafonte Miller. TPS is also reeling after a Toronto Star report showed that they lied about using Stingray technology to snoop on peoples cellphones. These violations of public trust have happened in short time, leaving little space for reconciliation, and have reflected poorly on TPS.

At the end of the day, these gaffes and indiscretions matter because they shape peoples confidence in the police. When people believe the police are trustworthy, they are more likely to assist them during investigations.

I have spent the last decade observing firsthand what happens in cities where police have lost the trust of communities. My research in gangland South Central Los Angeles and in Philadelphias underground drug markets reveals how communities become alienated from the police  these are places where any perceived affiliation with the cops is frowned upon and sometimes punishable by violence.

Although Toronto is certainly not suffering from the same levels of violence I observed in these communities, there is cause for concern moving forward. If the police dont clear the air and make amends to communities that feel betrayed by them, people will become less likely to report crimes and co-operate with them during investigations. There are already communities in Toronto where this code of silence exists. We dont want this to spread.

The pioneering Canadian sociologist, Erving Goffman, spent much of his career writing about spoiled reputations. He showed that people work hard at managing public impressions because negative reputations are so durable. Once seen in a negative light, it becomes difficult for a person to reestablish themselves as trustworthy and morally upstanding. To make amends, Goffman argued, people have to show they can be trusted again in the future.

Even though Goffman was writing about individuals, he can help us understand the challenges ahead for Toronto police. TPS will need to come clean, admit to its shortcomings, and reach out to the communities that it has alienated across the city. These include the LGBTQ community, racialized communities, and citizens who are concerned about how theyve handled the McArthur investigation.

This means that it will need to look in the mirror and ask what it could do to improve relationships with marginalized groups. From there, the force ought to create opportunities to work closely with these groups, particularly when people come forward with news about abuse, suspicious activities, and missing persons.

Trust and confidence are tough to mend, but a public apology  however small  could be the first step toward mending its damaged reputation. It would be a small gesture, but something that many in the city are still waiting to hear.

Jooyoung Lee is an associate professor of Sociology at the University of Toronto. He writes about gun violence and serial homicide and is author of Blowin Up: Rap Dreams in South Central.

Read more about:The appointment of Brenda Lucki as new commissioner of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police was just cause for celebration.

The 52-year-old Edmonton native, 24th commissioner of the force, is the first woman to hold the post on a permanent basis. And after 32 years on the job, in an impressive range of challenging positions across Canada and abroad, it looks to be a promotion well-earned.

As the commanding officer of the RCMP training academy in Regina since 2016, Lucki attended a graduation ceremony for cadets almost every Monday.

Every Monday I start my speech with, Wow! What a great day! she said in the heady moments after her appointment was announced by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

And I cant think of anything better to say right now than, Wow! What a great day!

As with many such high-profile appointments, however, Commissioner Lucki can reasonably expect that her elation might never again reach the heights it did on the first day.

The RCMP is one of this countrys iconic symbols. It is the local municipal force in more than 150 Canadian communities and many First Nations, the provincial force in eight provinces and three territories, and the federal force responsible for everything from national security to international policing.

But the force has been savaged in numerous reports over many years for workplace dysfunction and a toxic culture, problems so entrenched as to prompt repeated demands for civilian governance and oversight.

The extent of the challenges facing Lucki were bluntly acknowledged by Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale.

Abuses of power, racial bias, infringements on civil liberties, bullying, and workplace harassment and sexual misconduct have harmed the RCMPs reputation and damaged the morale of its members, Goodale said.

Not least of the morale problems involve the RCMPs comparatively low pay. Officers are in the process of unionizing and expected to seek significant raises to catch up with other forces.

The new leadership, Goodale said, will be expected to guide the force through a period of transformation to modernize and reform its culture, to make its workplace safe and free from harassment, to enhance its role in reconciliation with First Nations communities.

It was the latter theme on which the prime minister focused during his remarks at Luckis appointment.

Trudeau stressed his customary theme of diversity, both in the need to seek greater gender balance in a force in which just over 20 per cent of regular members are female, and the need to improve relations with First Nations communities, even as the Civilian Review and Complaints Commission conducts a review of the RCMP investigation into the shooting death of 22-year-old Cree man Colten Boushie.

As commanding officer of Depot, Lucki has been focused on ensuring that cadets receive the best possible training, including diversity training, he said.

She is known, moreover, as someone who is constantly looking for ways to improve the status quo.

Lucki indicated shes game for the challenge.

While making clear her pride in the force, she spoke frankly about the challenges facing the RCMP and declared herself eager to take them on.

I will not have all the answers, but I definitely plan on asking all the right questions, and maybe some difficult ones, she said.

I plan to challenge assumptions, seek explanations and better understand the reasons how we operate. This means that no stone will be left unturned.

I am confident that together we will meet our challenge head on and move forward to continue to modernize our organization.

Lucki said that when she graduated from Depot and wore the famous red serge for the first time, in the very same drill hall in which she took on the commissioners job Friday, I dreamt of making a difference in the world.

She will get the chance now to make a difference in the beleaguered force that has been the sometimes troubled heart of her working life.In the time of Trump, Ontarios Tories have chosen Doug Ford to lead a populist revolt in Canadas biggest province, starting in its biggest city.

After losing the last four elections, the Progressive Conservatives are heading into the next campaign convinced they can win on June 7 with a wild-card candidate  armed with the same powerful message that propelled Donald Trumps triumphant run to the U.S. presidency.

Dont rule out Premier Ford.

The party can truly be said to be in his thrall. Ford set the agenda for the campaign, goading his rivals into abandoning attempts by the PC caucus to remake themselves as a modern party  no longer reconciled to a modernized sex education curriculum or a future-minded approach to carbon pricing to fight global warming.

Read more:

Doug Ford wins Ontario PC leadership after chaotic party race

Doug Ford is not just setting the partys agenda, hes undoing it: Cohn

Like a skilled magician, Ford pulled off the remarkable feat of sounding like he meant it: Cohn

Assuming that the Russians didnt hack the PC leadership race, but are merely exercising mind control over Tory bots from afar, Fords surprisingly strong finish is a powerful protest vote that amounts to a stunning declaration of war by the PCs against the established order  inside and outside their own party and province.

Either way, the spirit of Trump has crossed back across the border into Ontario, whence the whirlwind originated all those years ago with little brother Rob Ford.

It could presage a similar surprise victory in the spring election, given the partys impregnable hold across rural Ontario  and the enduring strength of Ford Nation in urban and suburban pockets of the province. Few thought Ford could come from nowhere to take over the PC party, and perhaps fewer can fathom him as Ontarios next premier, but like Trump, the Ford brothers do best when blessed with weak or weakened opponents.

Now, the PC party that has just rendered judgment on the candidates is itself about to be judged  along with its new leader  by voters across the province. Despite the energizing effect of any leadership race, and the extra burst of publicity, the real scrutiny is about to get infinitely more intense.

Mere months before the election, the provinces official Opposition sacrificed its leader in a scandal over sexual misconduct allegations; surrendered its official campaign platform in a policy panic; revealed the rot and internal wrongdoing in its nominations and machinations; and, finally, bungled the vote count virtually from start to finish, and ultimately in the aftermath.

Today, the PCs are seeking a mandate to take over the reins of government  not so much on their supposed strength, but on the presumed fatigue of the incumbent Liberal government led by an unpopular Premier Kathleen Wynne. For all the excitement that arises with any new leader, Ford now presents himself to the province as a remarkably empty vessel  with little to say on coherent policy, offering not so much renewal as reversal on key policies that characterize a modern province.

Instead, Ford is casting himself as a fearless fighter for the underdog and against imaginary elites, rather like Trump on the stump.

The key to Fords surprisingly strong showing may have been the paltry appeal of his PC opponents. He was up against two-time leadership loser Christine Elliott, whom many had thought better suited in temperament and tenor, ability and likability  just not winnability.

Much like Hillary Clinton in the U.S. presidential election, Elliott showed herself once again to be an uninspiring politician, lacking the common touch or energizing rhetoric to compete with Fords fire-breathing populism. Sensing her weakness, Ford didnt hesitate to take on Elliott in campaign debates, pointing out her own improbable policy contortions and contradictions.

Nor did the other candidates (notably Caroline Mulroney) rise above the noise to inspire frustrated Tories. Instead, they mostly gravitated  over and over again  to the core message that they have the power to turn back the clock, whether on a sex education curriculum or a carbon pricing system. The obsession with sex and carbon was a proxy for serious policy pronouncements about the provinces economic and social challenges.

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The difference between this leadership campaign and the upcoming election campaign is that Ford cannot count on the same kind of policy emptiness and equivocation he encountered among his Tory rivals when he faces off against Wynne. The Tory candidates cannibalized their platform  egged on by Ford  and looked back into the past; by contrast, the governing Liberals have cobbled together a coherent campaign package anchored on pharmacare and a $15 minimum wage that are proving popular with voters.

But the biggest challenge for Ford may come not from the Liberals but from Tories themselves, for they are in greater disarray and disunity than at any time in recent memory. Elliott has a history of abandoning the party, as she did after losing to Patrick Brown in 2015. And MPPs in the Tory caucus have thinly disguised contempt for Fords personality and policy offerings. Some candidates may not run again, and some MPPs will be biding their time, waiting for Ford to falter before going through yet another leadership campaign to right the wrongs of the partys rightward drift.

Martin Regg Cohn's political column normally appears Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. mcohn@thestar.ca, Twitter: @reggcohn

Read more about:If there is one lesson I learned during my time in politics, its that when it rains, it pours. Rarely did I receive one piece of bad news without a few more unpleasant surprises by the end of the day. A crisis in the health portfolio would soon be followed by a meltdown by a backbench MPP, or some other unexpected turn of events.

So it has gone with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

February was not a particularly kind month to the Liberal government. I can only assume that their issues management team did not have much chance to sleep. As soon as it had solved one challenge, it seemed that another emerged.

Of course, the most problematic was Trudeaus ill-fated official visit to India. The prime minister, who has proven that he is remarkably adept at demonstrating authenticity, came across as almost comically out-of-touch.

Dressed in traditional Indian garments, the entire Trudeau family spent the entire week clothed in a way that many Indians took as insulting. The parade of outfits, combined with an attempt by Trudeau to literally dance for a crowd, made for endless mocking on social media and tut-tutting in traditional media.

But more challenging still for the visit was the Indian governments subtle, or not-so-subtle, attempts to undermine the trip and demonstrate its antipathy toward Trudeaus government.

Narendra Modis government got quite close with the former Conservative government and has not been secretive in its disapproval of several moves by the Trudeau government. It set about sabotaging the Trudeau tour as subtly as it could, as when it sent only a junior minister of agriculture to greet Trudeau (Modi usually makes a personal appearance to greet foreign dignitaries), or when it sent low-ranking bureaucrats to accompany the Trudeaus.

While those were minor frustrations, they received minimal attention at home. The trip officially went from bad-to-worse when Jaspal Atwal turned up at a reception hosted by the Canadian government to celebrate our bilateral relationship with India. Atwal is a persona non grata with the Indian government, having attempted to murder an Indian cabinet minister visiting Vancouver in 1986.

His presence, for good reason, caused a major scandal among the Indian government, and afforded them the opportunity to once again accuse the Liberals of running a government that is weak on the issue of Sikh extremism.

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The issue unsettled Liberal MPs, but the federal budget promised to turn the page on Feb. 27. The problem was that the budget was a wholly unremarkable document, and one that did little to refocus the media onto the positive work done by the government.

The last week has been no more kind to the government. President Trumps haphazard and aggressive announcements that he would be imposing trade tariffs on steel in allied nations came as unwelcome news. The fact that he wrote specifically about Canada was even more unwelcome development.

The government, to its enormous credit, successfully pushed back on the imposition of tariffs, offering Canada a temporary reprieve. But the potential imposition of such damaging tariffs will now be used as a sword of Damocles, an implicit threat dangling over the head of Canada as our government attempts to negotiate NAFTA.

And to cap off several weeks of unpleasantness, several polls emerged that showed the Liberals trailing the Tories for the first time in years.

Now, let it be known that polls taken this far away from an election are minimally important in understanding what will actually happen in the 2019 election.

What those polls, and the successive bad news, can actually do is unnerve the Liberal MPs. While people dismiss the power of MPs on the agenda of the government, they actually have remarkable power to shape its priorities. An agitated and restless caucus can spell major issues for a government.

While we havent yet approached that moment, the disquiet among the Liberal backbench is evident  both based on their faces during Question Period, and in murmurs around the Hill.

To remedy that discontent, Trudeau needs to reclaim the narrative. The question is how he goes about accomplishing that.

Jaime Watt is the executive chairman of Navigator Ltd. and a Conservative strategist.

Read more about:TAMPA, FLA.Shot! Shot! Shot! Mom! God!

A boy at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, on the phone with his mother, whos relaying the call to a 911 dispatcher.

Because, petrified and hiding and trying to make themselves very small, the kids called home, most of them, in whispered and panicked conversations. They wanted Mom. They wanted Dad. They wanted to be comforted, as if Mom and Dad could make everything OK, even when theres an active shooter roaming the hallways.

Only one from among the 10 calls to 911 that have been released, in excerpts, by the Broward County Sheriffs Office  and kudos to them because media in Canada would have to jump through hoops to get a law enforcement agency to disclose such evidence without a court order  was from a student at the school directly to 911.

That boy gasps for breath, choking on sobs.

Someones shooting up the school at Stoneman Douglas.

But the dispatcher cant make out what hes saying. Im sorry, I cant hear you. Whats happening?

Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School is being shot up.

Are you at the school?

The line goes ominously dead.

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Imagine the horror as parents receive calls and messages from their kids and try to relay that information to authorities, the chaos and heartbreaking dread, as one parent stays on the line and another, or a friend, makes contact with 911, triangulating conversations, reading texts aloud, trying their damnedest to calm and reassure even as their own hearts are pounding and their worst fears seeming to be realized.

Be advised, we have possible, could be firecrackers, I think we got shots fired.

That alert from Scot Peterson, the school resource officer at Marjory Stoneman Douglas who didnt go inside the school, didnt confront the shooter, didnt attempt to lead any of the students to safety. In fact, in one of the excerpts, Peterson advises police to stay away.

Do not approach the 12 or 1300 building, stay at least 500 feet away at this point. That was at 2:25 p.m.

Dispatcher, to police responding: Stay away from 12 and 1300 building.

At first  after the Valentines Day massacre of 17 people, including 14 students  officials had claimed the school resource officer believed the shooter was outside the building. But in a detailed timeline released last week by the sheriffs office, Peterson clearly states he thinks the shooter is inside.

Many, including the sheriff, are furious about Petersons failure to act and the lag which subsequently occurred. Initial calls about the shooting came in to 911 at 2:22 p.m. It would be 11 minutes before any officers entered the school  five minutes after the shooting had stopped. Five minutes after the suspect, 19-year-old Nikolas Cruz, had left the building.

What I saw was a deputy arrive at the west side of building 13, Sheriff Scott Israel told reporters on Thursday, take up a position and he never went in.

At least 81 calls came in to 911 during, as the shooter stalked the hallways, shooting randomly into classrooms, and afterwards, when police finally entered and began ushering the students outside.

Theres no place to hide  theyre crouched (under) the window.

From a friend, relaying to 911 what a mother is being told by her daughter, whos inside a room with another student. The door window to the classroom has been shot out. There are no closed-sided desks, no closets. The girls hear someone moving in the corridor.

The mother can be heard in the background: Can you play dead? If he shoots, you need to play dead. If he shoots, play dead. I love you, I love you, I love you.

About 50 uniformed officers marched into Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Wednesday, just one aspect of the heavy security as classes resumed for the first time since 17 students and teachers were killed by a troubled teenager with an AR-15. (The Associated Press)

This mothers other daughter, she discovers, is hiding in the auditorium.

Another mother, it seems (although this is unclear), to 911: My daughter just texted me from the school, shes at Stoneman Douglas  and she says theres an active shooter  She says shes behind the desk right now but the shots were close.

The dispatcher wants all the information the girl can provide. But she needs to girl to remain quiet, text only, make no noise that could attract the shooter. Tell the mother to keep her on the phone, the dispatcher instructs through a go-between. If she hears anything, she needs to tell her.

Friend, from the mothers received text: She hears people walking in the hallways.

Dispatcher: Keep that phone line open. Tell her to be quiet, be quiet. In the background, furious typing by dispatchers as the calls, pleas for help from parents, come pouring in, emergency responders directed to the scene. Dont do nothing. I need everybody quiet in that room. Put the phone on silent. Dont move. Stay hidden.

Its the girls birthday.

The chaos and the confusion are palpable. Sheriffs officers and the Coral Gables Police Department are on separate 911 systems. They cant communicate with each other.

A heavily panting police officer gives a description of the spotted shooter: white male with ROTC uniform, burgundy shirt. Last seen in the three-storey building (12) north parking lot. Yet a minute later, another officer is asking if anyone has a description of the suspect or a possible whereabouts.

Multiple agencies descending on the scene in a muddle of information. The governor has ordered an inquiry into the police response.

A mother, on the phone, hyperventilating. Her son has called about a shooter at the Parkland school.

Dispatcher: Maam, where is your son inside the school? What room is he in?

Mom: He said hes in one of the math classes  he said hes locked in a math class.

Names are exchanged of the kids but deleted from the tapes. Its unknown if any of them were among the murdered.

A man reports hes heard two separate bursts of gunfire. Another man says hes just got a text from his fiancees little sister. Shes upstairs (at the school), scared.

At one of the classrooms, theres somebody at the door, a girl texts her mom. Somebody is coming inside. Everybody holds their breath. Thank heavens, its the police.

Theyre taking some of the injured out.

Mom: Tell everybody to be calm.

Mom disconnects from 911.

Dispatcher: Oh my God.I think the parking is the only thing they need to adjust on it right now, Lobo said of the design. Larger parking spots and not enough handicapped spaces, thats a big issue right now. The current school has only two such spaces, she said.

Overall, I think they have a pretty good plan in place, she said.

Another parent asked during the Q&A portion of the meeting if the new school will be safe for his children. Im very much concerned about security and access, he said.

The current Napa Junction was the first school in the district to have fencing and front gate installed as part of funding from Measure H, the $269 million school bond approved in 2016.

Win told the audience that the new school will be fenced off, and that all visitors would have to go through the administration building to access the campus.

She added that gates would be installed between buildings for an added layer of security inside the school.

District officials are also talking to city planners about rerouting Commerce Boulevard so that any truck traffic goes around and behind the new school to avoid commercial vehicles passing by in front of it.Theres one upside to Donald Trumps use of bully-boy tactics against Canada. They may force us to rethink our failed trade strategy with the U.S.

Since the first Canada-U. S. free trade deal of 1988, this country has concentrated on integrating itself seamlessly into the American economy.

Any attempt to foster an independent manufacturing capability was abandoned. Instead industry was rationalized.

Canadian plants no longer existed to serve the Canadian market. Instead, they were part of a continentwide production process that rewarded low costs and low wages.

Those that didnt fit in with the new reality were forced out of business.

Things that Canada used to make, from toasters to furniture to canned fruit, were replaced by imports.

By the time China began flooding the world with cheap goods, the damage to Canadian manufacturers had already been done.

But more than manufacturing was affected. Every Canadian government policy, including those dealing with national security and defence, focused on keeping the border open so that goods and parts could traverse North America effortlessly.

Canada sent troops into the losing Afghan War to convince the Americans to keep the border open to trade.

Maher Arars torture ordeal occurred because a border-obsessed Canadian government ordered its intelligence services to share all security information, no matter how flimsy, with the U.S.

Some Canadians were wrongly barred from air travel in large part because Ottawa was unwilling to challenge Americas deeply flawed no-fly list.

The assumption behind this drastic restructuring of Canadas political economy was that America would keep its word  that it would grant special status to Canada (and to Mexico when that country joined what is now called the North American Free Trade Agreement).

And with some notable exceptions, such as softwood lumber, America did keep its word.

But Trump has changed all of that. His decision to threaten Canada and Mexico with steep tariffs on two metals unless they give him everything he wants in the NAFTA negotiations is essentially blackmail.

In effect, hes telling Ottawa that if it doesnt cave in, he will do dire damage to Canadas steel and aluminum industries.

Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland gamely insists that the tariff issue has no bearing on the NAFTA talks, that the two are unrelated.

Shes wrong. The U.S. president has linked them and, in doing so, placed Canada in a terrible bind.

Either it gives in and agrees to an asymmetrical deal that benefits only the U.S. or Trump will shoot the hostages.

Its a classic example of bad-faith bargaining. More to the point, it indicates that the U.S. cannot be trusted  that if it fails to get its way through normal channels, it will invent an excuse.

I suspect that if Canada had been presented with this ultimatum when the first free trade deal with the U.S. was being negotiated in the 1980s, it would have walked out.

Its not so easy for Canada to do that today. The entire economy has been restructured around the U.S. market.

The federal Liberal government would also face heat from business if it walked out of the NAFTA talks. Its politically safer to let Trump walk out first.

Still, some boldness is needed here. An end to NAFTA would not mean an end to Canada-U. S. trade. Most would continue unabated.

It would, however, mean an end to the charade. NAFTA was never a good deal for Canada. Trump has made it impossible.

Thomas Walkom appears Monday, Wednesday and Friday.

Read more about:The chipmaker now said it will officially be redomiciled in the U.S. by April 3, a move that could make it harder for the government conclude that its offer violates national security. But a report saying that Broadcom has violated a government order suggests the government could step in to block the deal sooner.

Broadcom Ltd. (AVGO) - Get Broadcom Inc. Report moved up the day it will officially be redomiciled in the U.S. to April 3, a move that could make it much harder for a U.S. inter-agency, cross-border review council to continue to examine the chipmaker's hostile $79-a-share bid to buy Qualcomm Inc. (QCOM) - Get QUALCOMM Incorporated Report .

The move comes after the Committee on Foreign Investment in the U.S., a review panel that traditionally examines cross-border deals for national security concerns, earlier this month took the unusual, if not unprecedented, step of ordering Qualcomm to postpone its annual meeting by 30 days so it could take a closer look at the deal.

And according to CNBC on Monday, Cfius has accused Broadcom of violating an interim order issued by the interagency' panel last week, on three counts. The review panel and chipmaker are set to meet Monday. According to the report, Cfius said it will consider taking further action including but not limited to referring the action to the president and that its concerns about national security have been "confirmed."

Broadcom has six dissident directors up for election and is seeking to take control of Qualcomm's board at the meeting in a boardroom brawl, now set for April 5. A Broadcom boardroom election win would most likely result in Qualcomm accepting its hostile bid.

On Friday, Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin, who heads Cfius, suggested that the government is "fully prepared" to use its powers to protect national security when it comes to Broadcom's bid. On March 5 the Department of Treasury outlined its concerns about the potential hookup, including a critical worry that the transaction could jeopardize Qualcomm's spending on research and development and U.S. leadership in the bodies that set mobile standards amid the launch to 5G wireless.

However, Cfius experts argue that the most the interagency panel could do, based on its statutory authority, after its 30-day review is completed around April 5, is require Qualcomm to postpone its annual meeting again so it could launch a formal 45-day investigation, followed by a recommendation to President Trump to reject the deal.

The authority to launch a 45-day investigation will be severely diminished if CFIUS doesn't reach a conclusion before Broadcom succeeds at completing its redomiciling effort by April 3, two days before the most recently scheduled annual meeting and proxy fight.

Cfius experts contend that should the reincorporation be completed there would be no statutorily-mandated basis for Cfius to review the deal because the interagency review panel's mandate is to review foreign acquisitions of U.S. assets on national security grounds, not mergers among U.S. companies. Broadcom pointed in its letter to many qualities that suggest that it is indeed a U.S. company, including its headquarters in San Jose, Calif. and the fact that its board is made up nearly of all U.S. citizens while more than half its workforce is in the U.S. across 25 states. In its most recent statement, Broadcom said its plan to redomicile was first announced in a televised White House meeting with president Trump in the Oval Office on Nov. 2.

"When Broadcom is a U.S. company and given that it is not controlled by any foreign citizen, it will not be a 'foreign person.'" said Clif Burns, attorney at Bryan Cave in D.C. "And therefore the purchase of Qualcomm stock after that date will not be a covered transaction subject to CFIUS review."

Nevertheless, the Trump administration has an unconventional approach in many areas, so it is a distinct possibility that it could wrap up its review of the possible deal before Broadcom completes its redomicile effort. Alternatively, Cfius could ask Qualcomm to postpone its annual meeting again to review the deal further even if Broadcom has officially redomiciled in the U.S. Cfius could also ultimately make a recommendation to President Trump suggesting that they would most likely reject the deal if it were ever consummated. In response to a question on Friday about whether the deal was dead, Mnuchin said: "I'm not going to comment on that."

The expedited redomicile date also comes after a Wall Street Journal report Friday, March 9, suggesting that Intel Corp. (INTC) - Get Intel Corporation (INTC) Report could make an offer for Broadcom if it looked like Broadcom's hostile bid for Qualcomm will succeed.

Should Cfius drop its review, it would set the stage for Broadcom's proxy war at the annual meeting April 5. It is a distinct possibility that concerns over national security could ultimately drive Qualcomm shareholders to elect a minority slate of dissident Broadcom-backed directors instead of the full change-of-control six-person director slate. What happens then? TheStreet's sister publication, The Deal, found that hostile bids coupled with proxy fights mostly haven't worked out for the unsolicited bidder, even if they got directors elected.

Subscribe on Youtube for extended interviews, Cramer Replays, feature content, and more!Goldman Sachs Group Co-President and former CFO Harvey Schwartz will retire April 20, the company said Monday in a press release. The announcement came just days after the Wall Street Journal reported that CEO Lloyd Blankfein is preparing to step down, possibly later this year.

Goldman Sachs Group Inc.'s (GS) - Get Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. (GS) Report board of directors has picked Co-President David Solomon to succeed CEO Lloyd Blankfein when he steps down, likely in the next couple years, a person familiar with the matter said.

The board chose Solomon, 56, over fellow Co-President Harvey Schwartz, 53, at a meeting in February, the person said. The decision was communicated to the Wall Street firm's senior managers at a meeting Monday, the person said, and the firm then issued a press release announcing Schwartz's retirement.

"Harvey has been a mentor to many, and his influence has made an indelible impact on generations of professionals at Goldman Sachs," Blankfein, 63, said in the statement. "I look forward to continuing to work closely with David in building our franchise around the world, serving our expanding client base and delivering strong returns for our shareholders."

Schwartz will step down on April 20, according to the statement.

The announcement came just days after the Wall Street Journal, citing people familiar with the matter, reported that Blankfein was preparing to depart, possibly later this year. Later in the day, Blankfein appeared to distance himself from the story, asserting that it was the Wall Street Journal's announcement, not his.

Blankfein is likely to depart this year or next year, the person familiar with the matter said. On Friday, after Blankfein's planned departure was reported, Goldman shares jumped, signaling that investors might not be sorry to see him go.

The management transition comes as Goldman pushes to overhaul its business strategy after a 2017 that was one of its worst years since the financial crisis a decade ago.

The stock price has severely lagged that of its big-bank rivals, gaining just 8% as JPMorgan Chase & Co. (JPM) - Get JPMorgan Chase & Co. (JPM) Report surged 28% and Morgan Stanley (MS) - Get Morgan Stanley (MS) Report rose 25%. The firm, historically a Wall Street powerhouse, turned in a worst-in-class performance last year in the highly profitable business of trading stocks and bonds.

Goldman's juggernaut fixed-income division saw revenue plunge 30% last year, including the worst performance in commodities trading in the company's history as a public company. The firm's stumbles allowed JPMorgan Chase, Bank of America Corp. (BAC) - Get Bank of America Corp Report , Citigroup Inc. (C) - Get Citigroup Inc. Report and Morgan Stanley to steal market share.

Making things worse, revenue in Goldman's stock-trading division slipped by 4.5% on the year, also more than peers experienced. Goldman's total trading revenue was down 18% on the year, more than double the average decline among the biggest Wall Street firms.

The performance was so abysmal that analysts including Dick Bove of Vertical Group had called for Blankfein, who has run the firm for a dozen years, to step down.

Schwartz and Solomon were considered the two likeliest internal successors.

The departure of Schwartz, who came from the trading side of the business, may represent the ascendancy of the investment-banking business that Solomon helped to lead.

In December 2016, after Blankfein's longtime No. 2, Gary Cohn, departed to become head of President Donald Trump's National Economic Council, the company named Solomon, who was co-head of investment banking, and Schwartz, who had served as CFO, to become co-presidents. At the time, Blankfein pledged to work with them in "formulating and executing our global strategy."

At the time, Blankfein had no plans to leave anytime soon, trapping Cohn in his deputy job and thus precipitating his departure.

Cohn quit his job at the White House last week, reportedly due to frictions with the president over a plan to impose big tariffs on steel and aluminum imports. At Goldman, Cohn had been a champion of free trade.

After last year's trading underperformance -- and the corresponding pall over the share price -- sparked so much concern among Goldman investors that Blankfein might have lost his touch, the company announced a growth plan to invest $5 billion in such things as increased corporate lending. Goldman also promised to reduce its reliance on fast-moving hedge fund clients as unusually small price swings in global markets sapped demand for new trades.

Goldman also promised to seek more trading business from corporate clients -- a pledge that drew immediate skepticism from some analysts, given the aggressive competition from rival Wall Street firms.

Solomon, who helped to build and expand Goldman's debt-underwriting business, has a roster of corporate CEOs as clients, the person familiar with the matters said. And over the past two years he has worked closely with Goldman's trading division to better understand how that crucial business. He also had 25 meetings with investors, according to the person -- key since Schwartz was well-known to investors as a former CFO.

Goldman is a holding in Jim Cramer's Action Alerts PLUS Charitable Trust Portfolio. Want to be alerted before Cramer buys or sells the stock? Learn more now.WOOD RIVER  A dispute over political signs at the entrance to Kendall Hill subdivision resulted in a police report being filed with the Madison County Sheriffs Office.

Stacey Roach, of the first block of Kendall Drive in the subdivision, located off of Illinois Route 143 southeast of Illinois 255, called the Madison County Sheriffs Office Saturday.

She alleged Michael Ufert, a candidate for the Republican race for County Board District 15, threatened her children with arrest for removing his political signs from her yard, and then photographed her house, vehicle and license plate and threatened her with arrest.

Ufert said he had asked a youth at the house Friday night about his signs, which he claimed were on public right-of-way.

On Monday, there was a Ufert sign on the opposite side of the road from Roachs house, and a sign supporting incumbent Chrissy Dutton, Uferts opponent, in Roachs yard.

Officials with the Madison County Sheriffs Office confirmed Monday the report had been filed, and that it was being referred to the Madison County States Attorneys Office to determine if any charges would be filed.

Roach said the original incident occurred Friday when she said Ufert went to the door of Roachs home in the first block of Kendall Drive and inquired on the whereabouts of political signs he had placed in the yard.

Roachs son told him the signs had been placed in the yard without permission and had been thrown away. According to Roach, Ufert became angry and threatened to have him arrested.

Ufert allegedly came back to the house and photographed the house, Roachs car and its license plate number. Roach called the Madison County Sheriffs Office and when a deputy arrived, Ufert came back and attempted to have Roach arrested.

The deputy arrived at approximately 2:45 p.m. Saturday. Eventually, Ufert was told to leave, and was told to delete photographs he had taken at the scene, according to Roach.

Ufert said his signs had been at the entrance of Kendall Hill for about six weeks, then one had disappeared.

He said on Friday there were several children in the yard and he asked if they had seen his signs. They said yes and retrieved them from a garbage can, according to Ufert.

He then went to the house and talked to a youth telling him it was against the law to pull up signs and he would call the Sheriffs Office.

The next day the sign was gone again, and a friend told him that a sheriffs deputy was at the house.

I got in my truck and went down there, talked to the officer and told him what happened, Ufert said.

Ufert said he had signs nearby, and would not replace any more until he received confirmation of the location of property lines.

Ive lost several signs, he said. I just replace them, but Ive run out of replacements.

Ufert is attempting to unseat Dutton, the Republican incumbent. The winner of the March 20 primary will face off against Democrat Michael E. Sabolo Jr. in the November general election.

Reach reporter Scott Cousins at 618-208-6447.GODFREY  Lewis and Clark Community College will welcome approximately 60 colleges and universities, proprietary schools and armed forces during the upcoming Illinois Regional College Fair (IRCF).

This years event is being held from 6-7:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 13, in The Commons.Primary season is just around the corner, and your local school district might be asking your family for more money at the ballot box.

Later this month, there will be at least four school district property tax increases and 14 bond issues up for a vote across the state, according to the Illinois State Board of Elections.

At the same time though, many Illinois property taxpayers are tapped out. Can they shoulder even higher bills? And what type of bang are they getting for their property tax buck?

One example in Chicagos northwest suburbs shows how instead of pursuing cost-saving reforms, school districts are often reliant on large tax hikes.

Pennoyer District 79  which serves a patchwork of neighborhoods containing about 400 K-8 students  is asking the typical owner of a $250,000 house to shoulder a $1,000 property tax hike to pay for a sweeping overhaul of school facilities. The proposed $25 million bond deal constitutes about $62,500 per student.

Its true that this district  and many across the state  are in need of some help. Pennoyer has serious problems, including lead found in sinks, asbestos and failing HVAC systems.

But its also true that spending priorities have been out of whack for some time in Illinois education. And there are commonsense solutions on the table that could offer property tax relief while still delivering a quality education.

Pennoyer District 79, for example, oversees a single school: Pennoyer Elementary. This districts bureaucracy is a wasteful layer of government. And its not alone. More than 360 of Illinois 852 school districts serve just one or two schools.

Meanwhile, Florida  with about 8 million more people than Illinois  is home to fewer than 70 school districts.

Sound too extreme? Maybe compromise with the Virginia model. The Old Dominion is home to 132 school districts, despite average enrollment per school being very similar to Illinois.

Administrative spending in Illinois is crowding out money that could be used in the classroom, on school improvements or for property tax relief. The Land of Lincoln ranks among the top states in the nation when it comes to the share of education dollars that flow to administrative costs.

There are other areas ripe for reform as well.

The latest Pennoyer teachers contract provides end-of-career salary bumps of 6 percent in each of the last three years before retirement. This practice, called pension spiking, is also prevalent throughout the state.

Its not fair to force taxpayers to pay $1,000 in additional property taxes while offering such a benefit.

But those opposed to collective bargaining reform and consolidation sing a common refrain. They argue that the state does not pay its fair share for schools. But thats missing the bigger picture. The real question is how much money do schools receive? And how do they spend it?

Illinois state and local governments combined send more money to public education per student than any surrounding state, by a healthy margin. This holds true even when taking Illinois property-rich school districts  where taxpayers shell out big dollars for special amenities  out of the equation.

And yet, Illinois students college readiness is below the national average, according to ACT testing data.

Instead of endless referendums asking for more, school districts need to get creative, and reprioritize spending away from administrative coffers.

Consolidation is more than just possible; its crucial if the state is to get property taxes under control. One small glimmer of hope: A recent independent study commissioned in Eureka, about 20 minutes outside Peoria, recommended the consolidation of four local school districts in the face of declining enrollment.

Before your school district asks for another penny in property taxes, ask your school board what theyre doing to get their own house in order.

Austin Berg is a writer for the Illinois Policy Institute and wrote this column for the Illinois News Network. He is also the writer of the 2016 documentary, Madigan: Power. Privilege. Politics.If anything happens to me, please tell my story. This was...Japan aims at attracting a large number of Indian IT companies and around 2 lakh IT professionals to overcome the shortage of IT professionals in the country. Currently, there are 71 Indian companies in Japan out of that a sizable are IT and ITES such as Hinduja Tech, Tata Elxsi and Wipro. There is also great potential for Indian companies to collaborate with Japanese industries in the fields of finance, manufacturing, electronics, automobile, tourism and agriculture. There are also technologies such as fintech, auto driving, big data, Artificial Intelligence, where Indian companies have a lot of scope to work in Japan. These interesting observations were made by Shigeki Maeda, Executive VP, JETRO during an India-Japan Business Partnership Seminar organised jointly by Bangalore Chamber of Industry and Commerce and JETRO in Bengaluru recently. Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO) is a Japanese government backed organization that promotes mutually beneficial trade and investment relations between Japan and other nations. JETRO does not charge any commission from the companies and helps them set up their business free of cost in Japan.

Maeda also informed that Japan had set up an IoT Acceleration Lab where many Indian companies such as Flutura Business Solutions Private Limited, Linkeddots Engineering Solutions Private Limited, Preva Systems Limited, Srishti ESDM Limited andTeevr Data Limited among others have already participated. The country is also issuing a Japanese Green Card for highly skilled Indian IT professionals which will also help them settle down in Japan.

Currently, there are around 9,20,000 IT professionals in Japan and there is an immediate demand for more than 2 lakh IT professionals from India which is likely to swell up to 8 lakh IT professionals by 2030. This is being necessitated due to the advent of rapid technological innovations in the societal needs in Japan. On the other hand around 1400 Japanese companies have established their presence in India and represent different sectors such as machine tools, automotive and automotive components, electrical and electronics. Companies such as Panasonic, Toshiba, Hitachi are also in the process of establishing R&D centres in India, pointed out Maeda.

One of the recent entrants in the Japanese market, Bengaluru based Utthunga Technologies, has already developed strong business with three Japanese companies after having started to explore the Japanese market in 2017. The company is expecting 13 new business relationships this year in Japan. This company took the help of JETRO in making its entry into the Japanese market. Having a registered office in Japan helps and the knowledge of Japanese language helps in building strong business relationships. At the same time understanding the business etiquette and Japanese culture and having a subject matter expert during sales discussion, hiring native Japanese consultant or employees helps in making inroads in Japan, explained Smitha Rao, Director, and Co Founder, Utthunga Technologies.

Similarly, Swastik Kulkarni, India Desk In Charge, Invest Japan Department at JETRO Tokyo noted that the Indian population in Japan is growing stronger at an average of 2,000 people per year and in the year 2017, around 134,400 tourists from India visited and it was increasing at 9.3 per cent YoY. There are localities such as little India in the western part of Tokyo which is home to around 8,000 Indians. Though in smaller cities only Japanese language is spoken but off late English is becoming an integral part of the Japanese education system. The Japanese government is also taking steps in changing the workaholic culture in the country, remarked Kulkarni.Indian cab hailing firm Ola today said it has started operations in Sydney, expanding its services in the Australian market.

Last month, the company had kickstarted its services in Australia with Perth. In January, the SoftBank-backed company had announced its plans to foray into the Australian market.

Ola is now officially operating in Sydney and has hired a local team to build partnerships and support driver-partners, it said in a statement.

Ola's focus is on investing in driver-partners and supporting them with new technology, training, and ways to increase earnings, it added.

Uber is Ola's main competitor in the Australian market. Interestingly, SoftBank is also an investor in Uber.

Uber launched its operations in Australia in 2012 and currently operates in 19 Australian cities including the major cities of Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide, Perth and Canberra.

The companies are already locked in an intense battle for leadership in the Indian market. They compete not only in the ride-sharing space in India but also food delivery, with Ola acquiring Foodpanda's India business. US-based Uber, which is one of the world's most valued startups, runs on-demand food delivery app UberEATs in select Indian cities.

Ola said, since the launch in Perth, the service has received over 7,000 registrations from driver-partners.

We are excited to officially start operating on the east coast with the launch in Sydney. We've been very pleased with how the service has been received by customers, driver-partners and the community in Perth, and can't wait to continue building on these experiences and learning for our second city launch, Chandra Nath, Ola Vice President, Head of International, said.

The Bengaluru-based company said in the coming weeks, it will continue to roll out a number of new initiatives for both customers and driver-partners in Sydney, including promotions, earnings programme and feedback sharing.The International Monetary Fund has said banking reforms like insolvency code and recapitalisation will be ineffective unless governance standards are improved.



"Reforms like the IBC Code, bank recapitalisation have taken place. However, for a lasting impact, these efforts are not enough and should be accompanied by governance reforms particularly for public sector banks," the multilateral body's deputy managing director Tao Zhang said at an event at the NSE here this evening. There is a need to look at the "deeper issue" of governance at the banks, he told reporters later.

Without naming the Punjab National Bank, he said the scam has "revealed the necessities and urgencies to improve the internal controls", which is crucial not only for improving banks but also "financial stability".

Banks should continue working on improving their balance sheets on a priority basis, he said, stressing that the asset quality situation of the domestic banks has deteriorated compared to their peers elsewhere. He said the financial regulators in India should focus on monitoring and regulating services instead of only institutions.

The Rs 12,700 crore PNB scam, allegedly perpetrated by diamond trader Nirav Modi and his uncle Mehul Choksi in collusion with a few officials of a branch of the state-run bank came to light last month, wherein the duo is alleged to have used a key loophole on the international trade finance front (SWIFT) to defraud the bank.

The duo and their officials allegedly got letters of undertaking from the Brady House branch of PNB without having the required securities and also proper trades records in place for many years.

The IMF official also spoke about financial technology firms, saying capital invested in the over 1,500 firms in the country is expected to go up by 1.7 times by the turn of 2020.

India should focus on rapidly developing the sector so that efficiencies get enhanced but also safeguard against risks and also fight misconduct, he added.Given Napas increasing desirability to builders as well as vacationers, city directors urged the council to use its leverage to support projects in and near downtown, rather than in more distant areas where more hotel rooms are likely to increase traffic congestion and other stresses.

Capacity is not the issue; we have the capacity, said Parness. We need to get the message out (to developers) about what kinds of hotels we want and where we want them, and where we dont want them.

Councilman Peter Mott agreed, stating his wish to move away from projects such as the Meritage, which opened in 2006 near the Napa Valley Commons office park and has expanded several times since. For such developments, he said, at this point Im like, no, it doesnt support our downtown and we need our industrial land.

Finance Director Brian Cochran predicted the continuing importance to Napas bottom line of hotel room taxes, which already account for a quarter of the general fund. From the current level of $22.9 million a year, bed taxes should supply $38.8 million by the 2023-24 fiscal year  nearly as much as the $39.3 million predicted to be drawn from property taxes, and well ahead of the $21.8 million projection for sales taxes.Actress Sridevi's sudden demise in Dubai on February 24 had sent shock waves across the country. As the film fraternity grieved the loss of a superstar, her family struggled to come to terms with the irreplaceable loss of a mother, wife, daughter. Everyone came together to support her husband Boney Kapoor and daughters Khushi and Janhvi.

Now as prayer meetings are getting done with, and Janhvi returns to work on her debut film Dhadak, controversies have been springing up. The latest being Sridevi's uncle Venugopal Reddy saying Sridevi passed away in grief. In an exclusive interview to a Telugu channel, he reportedly said they were going through a rough patch due to Boney Kapoor's financial status. Sridevi's sister Srilatha, however, continues to maintain her silence over the actress's sudden demise.

However, Srilatha's husband Sanjay Ramaswami has broken silence and refuted all claims of Reddy. According to a report in DNA, Sanjays statement reads, I have been married to Srilatha (Sridevi's sister) for 28 years and never once have we heard of this individual Venugopal Reddy. The family is in grief and chooses to not make any comments through this painful time. There is no truth to this man's claims and the entire family is in support of Boney Kapoor and are with him through this challenging phase. Some sections of the media questioned my wife's silence and attributed all kinds of ridiculous allegations. I am sure that they have loved ones that they lost. Did they stand up on the wall and shout. We mourn in silence and do not seek any publicity and that should not be misconstrued. We are a very close knit family. Sridevi was an inspiration to all of us and all in the family loved her very much.Gujarat is all set to witness an acrimonious battle as four Rajya Sabha seats will fall vacant in April. The BJP will be putting up three candidates, the Congress two, and there will be an independent candidate. If necessary, the elections will be held on March 23.

The BJP decided to field Parshottam Rupala and Mansukh L. Mandaviyatwo Union ministersand

former minister Kirit Sinh Rana. The Congress candidates are former Union minister Naran Rathwaa tribal leaderand Ami Yagnik who is a lawyer and a media face for the party.

However, soon after the names of candidates were announced, the Congress witnessed an internal fight with Gujarat Congress women's wing president Sonal Patel resigning from her post. Though she cited personal reasons for the resignation, sources close to her said women in the party and she herself were disappointed with the manner in which the party chose Yagnik, who is not connected with electoral politics. They further said this affected the morale of party workers.

Amid high drama, Rathwa finally managed to file his nomination in the last hour. However, there was a technical hitch in his nomination papers, with the returning officer asking the Congress leader to produce a 'no due' certificate from the bank from which he had taken a loan and repaid it. Yagnik too filed her nomination.

There were also rumours that Rajiv Shukla would be flown in to file the nomination papers. Reports suggested that his chartered plane was not granted permission to land, owing to maintenance of runway of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport in Ahmedabad.

Congress spokesman Shaktisinh Gohil, however, said Shukla was not going to file nomination and added that the party's candidates are Rathwa and Yagnik.

Not wanting to take any chances, the Congress has also fielded party leader P. K. Valera as an independent candidate, as a backup arrangement.

All the four seats are held by the BJP. While the BJP retained Rupala and Mandaviya, it dropped MP Shankarbhai Vegad and moved Finance Minister Arun Jaitley to Uttar Pradesh.

With the BJP's tally in the state assembly only being 99, it has the strength to get only two candidates elected. The Congress, on the other hand, has 77 MLAs, and the support of four independents and one MLA of Bharatiya Tribal Party. The Congress can also send two candidates.

Gujarat's Deputy Chief Minister Nitin Patel said there was huge discontent within the Congress and that there are chances of cross voting. Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani, Patel and state party president Jitu Vaghani, who is also an MLA, held a meeting. Rana's candidature was announced thereafter.

The ruling BJP in Gujarat would want to defeat the Congress for the setback it suffered after Ahmed Patel managed to win the Rajya Sabha seat in 2017. Fearing defections and allegedly facing threats, the Congress had then packed off its MLAs to a luxury resort near Bengaluru. Despite this measure, 12 of the party MLAs had cross voted. Patel, however, emerged victorious.

Patel's victory had proved to be a morale booster for the Congress in the assembly elections in 2017 and the party put up a good show, ensuring that the BJP's tally did not touch three digits.

A former minister of state for railways at the Centre, Rathwa had lost Lok Sabha election in 2014. His wife and son lost local elections recently. However, it is said that Rathwa, hailing from Chhotaudepur, a tribal belt, was assured Rajya Sabha ticket during 2017 assembly elections. Rathwa had staked claim on one of the seats of the tribal belt.

Yagnik, though a Congress member, has not been active with the party and is seen mostly on television debates.

Sources said the Congress had decided not to nominate any of its leaders, who had lost the 2017 assembly election.There's something unique about Prime Minister Narendra Modi's brand of hospitality. He doesn't repeat the special effects, and always offers something different to his special guests. For Emmanuel Macron, his new young friend from France, the PM opened up his constituency Varanasi, giving him a cruise of the Ganga on board a flower bedecked boat. The last time he'd hosted a special guest here was in December 2015, when Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe visited. Modi had then organised a spectacular aarti for him. And who can forget that famous swing on the banks of the Sabarmati, in which Modi sat with Chinese Premier Xi Jingping in 2014? Or the special edition of Mann ki Baat on radio with his 'friend' Barack Obama.

President Macron and PM Modi arrived in Varanasi separately on Monday, from where they flew together by a helicopter to Mirzapur to inaugurate the largest solar plant in the state. With identical handwoven stoles around their shoulders, the two definitely looked a power team. Returning to Varanasi, they visited a handicraft facilitation centre before cruising down a surprisingly clean Ganga from Assi Ghat to Dashashwamedh Ghat. What more, the two lunched privately before moving off to individual engagements.

Macron flies back to Paris with wife Brigitte, having strengthened ties that were already rather special, and getting increasingly closer. As a French official had mentioned, there are very few countries left in the world with whom France has shared values of democracy, multilateralism and rule of law.

The most important tangible result from the visit is the agreement of reciprocal sharing of logistic facilities at each others' bases for the armed forces. With French territory on the Indian Ocean (Reunion Islands, Djibouti), this is of great significance for India. A similar agreement with the US is already operational. The decision to recognise each other's degrees is another important takeaway. It opens the doors for extensive student exchange, which ultimately strengthens people to people connects. So far, there were only 5,000 Indian students in France and 1,500 French students in India. Macron is keen on doubling Indian students in Paris, within the next couple of years. The announcement of a third joint satellite, TRISHNA, for ecosystem stress and water use monitoring, commemorates 50 years of joint space missions. The International Solar Alliance's first summit, held on March 11, gave Macron the opportunity to not just refer to his new friend on a first name basisNarendrabut also to take a dig at another fair weather friendDonald Trumpwho has taken the US away from the climate deal without a qualm.A futile last ditch effort was made by Karti Chidambaram on Monday when he cited grave threat to his safety and security in Tihar jail, by virtue of being the son of P. Chidambaram, former finance minister and sitting member of Rajya Sabha. It was a day of loss for Karti Chidambaram who was sent to judicial custody in the INX Media case till March 24 by the special CBI court on Monday. The court has also disallowed Karti from carrying books, clothes and personal toiletries to jail, after a plea made by his counsel seeking permission for the same was declined by the special judge Sunil Rana.

All that Karti will be carrying are his spectacles and medicines as he left for Tihar jail where he will now be lodged with fellow prisoners without any special facilities being extended to him. P. Chidambaram was present in the court when the judge announced his order.

Kartis counsel pleaded to the Special CBI court that he may be lodged in a separate jail inside Tihar as he may face threats from under trials and fellow prisoners. Kartis plea was that since his father dealt with various stringent penal laws like TADA, MCOCA, UAPA (Unlawful Activities Prevention Act) and NDPS (Narcotics Drugs and Psychotropic Substances) Acts and many of these prisoners are facing prosecution under the same laws, he may face a threat from them.

However, the court threw this plea out of the window and directed the Tihar jail authorities to ensure his safety and security in jail. The special CBI court acknowledged that the accused is a son of a former union minister, however it said that his social status cannot be the basis of providing him any special facility like a separate jail.

The apprehension raised by the senior counsel of the accused cannot be ignored keeping in view the social status of the accused and his family, more specifically his father, who is a former union minister. However, only keeping in view the fact of social status of the accused and his father, he cannot be treated different from other accused persons and cannot be allowed to be kept in a separate prison, said the special CBI judge. The lock up incharge and the jail superintendent of Tihar jail, are directed to provide and ensure proper safety and security to the accused during the judicial custody as per rules, he said.

Trashing Kartis contention that he faces a threat in jail, the CBI argued that if the accused has been traveling abroad did not face any personal threat, then how is it possible that he would he face threat to his life inside a jail where there are tight security measures in place.

The CBI on Monday did not seek further police custody of Karti and said that the accused may be sent to judicial custody citing sufficient material clearly implicting him in the serious economic offence.

The CBI made out its case for 15 day judicial custody of Karti Chidambaram saying that the accused has not been cooperating with the investigating agency and was non cooperative and evasive through out the period of his questioning during police remand. It has submitted its investigation proceedings in the form of a case diary to the court.

Meanwhile, Karti will now have to wait for his bail plea to be heard, which has been slated for March 15, to get any reprieve. The son of the former finance minister has been in custody since his arrest on February 28 in the INX Media corruption case where he is alleged to have used the office of his father, then finance minister, to favour INX Media in getting FIPB clearances. Karti has alleged political vendetta and denied all allegations.A CPI(M) Politburo member in West Bengal has alleged Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee's outrage at the destruction of a statue of Russian revolutionary Lenin in Tripura last week was nothing but 'crocodile tears'.

Surya Kanta Mishra, CPI(M)'s West Bengal secretary, says the TMC, after coming to power in 2011, had demolished multiple statues of Lenin in West Bengal.

The chief minister now thinks that Lenin statues should be there. But how could we forget that after two Assembly elections in 2011 and 2016, her party had, along with attacking leftists, destroyed Lenins statue in (Kolkatas) Jadavpur and Garbeta (in West Midnapore), Mishra said.

He further said, There is no reason to be happy seeing her concern towards leftists. In fact, we are not (happy), said the senior CPI(M) leader.

No Trinamool Congress leader could be found to be accepting the fact that the party workers had destroyed Lenins statues in Bengal.

A TMC MP said, Had such incidents taken place, it would have been the direct reflection of peoples anger. We did not do anything like what BJP did in Tripuradestroying a statue and raising slogans like Bharat Mata ki jai, said the MP.

Meanwhile, the CPI(M) is also miffed at the cooperation between Trinamool Congress and Congress in a fifth Rajya Sabha seat that is due for elections.

While the CPI(M) state committee had openly asked for a non-political candidate for the seat, so that both CPI(M) and Congress could cast their vote in favour of that candidate, Congress wanted the candidature of CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury.

I even asked Yechury to contest the seat, so that we could support him. But he told me that he would not be able to contest, the reason for which I should have known. I understood that his party would not allow him, state Congress president Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury said.

However, sensing a deal between Congress and the comrades in Bengal, Banerjee dialled Sonia Gandhi and offered support. Shortly after the phone call, Abhishek Manu Singhvi, who fights many cases of Trinamool Congress leaders in Supreme Court, has been declared as a Congress candidate and Banerjee lost no opportunity to announce support for his candidature. Rahul Gandhi was away in Singapore then.

The coordination between Congress and Trinamool Congress, which Singhvi has maintained to be nothing but an 'adjustment', could lead to a broad alliance between Congress and Trinamool Congress in next year's Lok Sabha election. Even if the left seems to be going into oblivion, the Congress has some vote share in Murshidabad and Malda districts in West Bengal and few 'enclaves' of influence in North Bengal, where Trinamool Congress is pitted against a raging support base of the BJP.

It remains to be seen whether Congress in Bengal accepts the TMC's support or not.

However, a state Congress leader and member of AICC said, If BJP is the main enemy here in Bengal, we will support TMC.Drones were hovering over Srinagar Central Jail on Monday, as twenty teams of the National Investigation Agency assisted by the counter terror NSG and state police swooped down upon the central jail to carry out an unprecedented search inside the complex. This operation was carried out by the central agency in connection with its case related to the arrest of Danish Gulam Lone and Sohail Ahmed Bhat by Kupwara Police, in which it was found that fresh recruits of Al-Badr, a proscribed terrorist organization, were being sent across for arms training as part of a conspiracy hatched from inside the Central Jail in Srinagar.

The terrorists lodged in jails in the insurgency hit state have become the latest cause of worry for the central security agencies after arrested Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorist Naveed Jutt alias Abu Hanzala escaped police custody while being taken to a city hospital in Srinagar for a check up on February 6.

The inteligence agencies have warned that these terrorists continue to remain a security threat inside jails in Kashmir. The concern of the central agencies was that the jails could be used as breeding grounds for terrorist activities and had flagged the issue to the Union home ministry which adviced that they should be shifted to jails outside the valley.

Last month, the Union home ministry issued a stern advisory to the state government asking it to shift dreaded Pakistani terrorists lodged in various jails in Kashmir to other states.

The entire search operation on Monday was being monitored by the central investigation agency through the images captured by the drones. The teams were also accompanied by magistrates, witnesses and doctors.

The searches started early morning and continued till late afternoon. All the barracks and the open ground were thoroughly searched with the help of well-trained teams and deep search metal detectors. A close watch on the entire operation was kept with the help of drones, said the NIA spokesperson.

The NIA has seized 25 mobile phones, some SIM cards, five SD cards and five pen drives, one iPod and large number of incriminating documents including a poster of Hizbul Mujahideen and a Pakistani flag besides jihadi literature.

In its communication to the Jammu and Kashmir government last month, the MHA had also asked the state government and jail authorities to conduct a security audit of all jails. The MHA handed over the probe to the NIA asking it to investigate a possible conspiracy angle to Naveeds escape. The MHA also termed it a terror incident as two police officials were killed when militants who where helping Naveed had fired upon them outside the SMHS hospital in Srinagar. As many as 25 terrorists lodged in various jails in the Valley have already been shifted to jails outside the valley.The remaining military veterans at The Pathway Home have been moved out the facility in the wake of the shootings Friday in Yountville that left three employees, a child in the womb, and the gunman dead, directors announced Sunday.

Six clients who were being treated at Pathway, an inpatient center for veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars suffering from post-traumatic stress and other disorders, have been shifted to temporary housing and are receiving care from Napa County, the federal Department of Veterans Affairs and other providers, according to Larry Kamer, a volunteer and former board member for the program.

The six men are in temporary housing at an undisclosed location in Napa, Kamer said Sunday night. The San Francisco Chronicle reported later that the remaining clients were staying at different hotels across the county.

Pathways headquarters inside the Madison Building at the Veterans Home of California  where a recently expelled client killed the program director, two clinicians and himself  remained closed off as a crime scene.

Where Pathway will house and treat veterans in the future  and what new security measures may be added  remained unsettled in the wake of the killings, but Kamer emphasized its leaders intention for the program to continue  even if the emotional trauma linked to the Madison Building proves too much for therapy to continue there.

Pathway will continue in one way, shape or form, but we are taking the situation day by day right now, said Kamer, whose wife Devereaux Smith, also a Pathway employee, escaped from the gunman  Army veteran Albert Wong, 36  along with several other people.  We want to be there for them; weve experienced a great tragedy that points up the need for this care in a very high-profile way.

People may not want to live or work there (at the Veterans Home) after something like this has happened, he added. But we are in active talks with the Veterans Home, CalVet and the VA to see if theres another facility thats appropriate.

In the wake of the killings, Pathways board of directors has taken over daily operations and is working overtime and reaching out to both veterans agencies and the community for houses and apartments that can house these guys, said Kamer.  Its not as if ready-made facilities are available for this kind of treatment. We have an urgent need to just be sure our veterans have a place to stay and a place to receive care.

Wong, who reportedly had recently been dismissed from The Pathway Home, entered the Madison Building with a gun at about 10:20 a.m. Sunday and took three workers hostage: executive director Christine Loeber, clinical director Jennifer Golick and psychologist Jennifer Gonzales Shushereba, who was 26 weeks pregnant. All were found dead by gunshot at about 6 p.m.

Our highest priority continues to be to care for the veterans, to make sure they have a place to stay, to make sure they get therapy and care and try to keep them together, because keeping them together is a really important thing, Kamer said.

Pathway and CalVet directors said it was too early to know what new security measures might be put in place at the Veterans Home. Well wait for the outcome of the investigation and let law enforcement do their job, CalVet spokesperson June Iljana said Monday morning.

The programs building includes surveillance cameras and a check-in desk, but guards on the Yountville campus are not armed  a fact that irked the group representing security personnel there and at CalVets other retirement homes across the state.

To date, administrators have been willing to risk public safety rather than provide trained law enforcement officers with firearms, the California Statewide Law Enforcement Association (CSLEA) said in a statement. Rather than the state taking a proactive approach to adequately protect their residents, staff, and visitors, CSLEAs fears have been, and continue to be, that it will take a tragic event to force administrators to finally act.

During the Pathway boards emergency meeting Saturday, relatives, friends and co-workers of the three victims met with members of the VA, state Department of Veterans Affairs, Napa County Mental Health, California Highway Patrol and the town of Yountville, staff members said in a statement posted to the programs website Sunday.

The Pathway Homes Board of Directors is developing a long-term plan for these Veterans so they do not experience a lapse in services, the statement read. We are grateful to the San Francisco VA for stepping in so quickly to provide ongoing resources.

Social workers and therapists also were assigned to work with current Pathway residents as well as staff members who escaped harm on Friday. Seven staff members remain active, according to Kamer.

Pathway board members have announced a memorial service for the victims at 6 p.m. March 19 at the Lincoln Theater, 100 California Drive in Yountville. In addition, Pathway and Yountville officials along with mental health providers are planning a community forum on mental health and public safety next week at a date and location to be announced.

A fund has been opened to support the families of Loeber, Golick and Shushereba. Donations can be sent to the 3 Brave Women Fund, c/o Mentis, 709 Franklin St., Napa, CA 94559.

Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy.Is frequent political interference demoralising the police force in Karnataka? At least the Indian Police Service (Karnataka) Association feels that the recent incidents in the state are showing the IPS and police force in poor light and this has a definite pattern.

A letter by a senior police officer, detailing the declining law and order situation due to the increasing political interference in the form of frequent transfer of officers and growing incidents of violence and hooliganism and the need for the police force to 'return to the path of duty', has caused a major embarrassment to the Congress government in the state. The BJP has demanded that the chief secretary convene a meeting immediately as the concerns raised by the association are 'serious'.

Dr Rajvir Pratap Sharma, president of the association, in his letter, dated March 8, has requested Karnataka Chief Secretary Ratna Prabha to convene a meeting of all IPS officers to discuss 'threadbare' and evolve a strategy considering the immediate goal of conducting a free and fair election and the long-term goal of infusing professional values in the service and police force of the state.

The chief minister's office on late Sunday evening issued a clarification stating that the issues raised by Sharma were his 'personal views' and did not have the backing of the executive committee members of the IPS Association.

The secretary of IPS Association, Pronab Mohanty, is not aware of the issues raised by Mr R.P. Sharma as they are his personal views. No discussion or board meeting was held to issue the letter to the chief secretary. Sharma has misused the letterhead of the association. The same has been conveyed to the CM over phone by Mr Mohanty who is in Delhi, said a clarification from the CMO.

Sharma has drawn attention to the recent attack on the Lokayukta in his office and stated it cannot be seen in isolation. From the attack, it is apparent that there is something missing in the functioning of the police force and as the managerial service (IPS), we cannot remain disassociated with such happenings. A stronger and professional mechanism could have averted such happenings, said Sharma, elaborating many more incidents to substantiate his claim.

Citing the assault on IAS officer Rashmi in Mysore, attack on Mysore DC Shikha, who was also kept waiting for hours before an FIR was registered, the UB City attack case (involving a Congress MLA's son), attempts to set fire to a government office, Cauvery riots and murders in broad daylight in Bengaluru, Sharma said, the incidents only indicated serious 'chink in the armour of the security fabric'.

The IPS in Karnataka has had a strong tradition, but is now a pale shadow of the past, rued the officer stating, There is a perception that IPS no longer commands the same stature. The tenure of the police officer, despite the elaborate exercise done by the Supreme Court in the Prakash Singh case, has been reduced to one year, which is no good as discussed in the senior officers' conference. The tenure policy is one of the facts in policing. Instead of building public confidence by allowing cops to assume leadership roles, IPS officers have been punished for discharging their duties.

Citing the example of the Bengaluru city commissioner's post, Sharma stated that senior officers were frequently transferred and the tenure had become a casualty. Even the Bengaluru CP's post has been occupied by six officers in the last four-and-half years and thus the continuity, the command formation, and, of course, the intrinsic confidence in the service members, is all abysmally low. The recent attack on Lokayukta indicates that the cops are fulfilling their contractual obligations to the people in power and not discharging their statutory duty or constitutional obligation, charged Sharma.

Expressing concern over the legacy to the next generation, Sharma said, I am unsure as eccentric location of power, with the loss of chain of command and decline in sense of responsibility and increasing loyalty to men in power, had little for service leaders to leave behind as legacy.

Making a serious allegation that raises concerns over the investigations and outcomes, the senior officer noted that investigation had been hijacked by the politicians in important cases and the lawbreakers had lost the fear of police. Not citing specific instances, Sharma asserted that 'flow of investigation' was changed at the political behest. The specialised agencies headed by IPS officers had also become redundant due to political interference, he added.

Reminding that a course correction was possible provided one accepts the flaws and is sensitive towards such a correction, Sharma said, The association wants the officers to decide the path in accordance with statutory and constitutional obligations and return to the path of duty from where they have deviated in the public eyes. Many senior and retired officers share this concern.

Meanwhile, BJP leaders have demanded that the chief secretary should convene the meeting as sought by the police officers.

Said former law minister S. Suresh Kumar, The letter written by the IPS officers to the chief secretary is full of concern. Every sentence in the letter will be endorsed by every citizen of Karnataka as it has raised the relevant issues at the right time. As mentioned, the police system is under strain. No ruling party has a right to destroy a system or administration machinery, just for its survival and to appease its followers. In Karnataka, which is claimed to be the No.1 state in the country by our chief minister, the common man is not safe, the officers are unsafe, the Lokayukta is not safe.

IAS officer Rashmi was attacked in the office premises and now the Lokayukta attacked in his office. In the last four years, the Bengaluru police commissioner's post was occupied by six officers; it is a telling comment on the system. It is high time the CS agrees to this meeting, to create an atmosphere of confidence for the police system to function fearlessly. Ultimately, systems and administration are bigger than any one person, Kumar argued.Senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Subramanian Swamy on Monday claimed that the act of Congress president Rahul Gandhi in forgiving the killers of his father, Rajiv Gandhi, raised suspicion of a 'supari killing' or a plotted murder for financial gains.

Speaking to reporters, Swamy urged that a probe be conducted into the death of the former prime minister.

"The reason given by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) for the assassination was that the Indian Army was sent to Sri Lanka to fight them. However, he (Rajiv Gandhi) was only acting upon a motion passed in Parliament, stating that Sri Lanka had asked for assistance to fight the LTTE, as they could not do so alone," he said.

The Congress president in an earlier interaction with Indian Institute of Management (IIM) alumni in Singapore had reportedly stated that he and his sister, Priyanka Gandhi, have 'completely forgiven' his father's killers, as they found it difficult to hate people, although the assassination had deeply angered and hurt them for several years.

In this regard, Swamy, while launching a scathing attack at Rahul, alleged that the leniency given to the killers of Rajiv Gandhi gave rise to suspicions about the latter's assassination, and added that the Congress president's statement on forgiving the accused lacked patriotism.

"He (Rajiv) was a true nationalist, and those responsible for killing him in the prime of his life should be shown no leniency. Initially, Nalini, one of the killers, was awarded a death sentence, but this was reduced to life imprisonment. I fail to understand why we should be lenient towards someone who collaborated with foreigners to kill our former prime minister? Rahul's statement lack patriotism; he should understand that the punishment was awarded to the killers of the former prime minister, not his father," he said.

The senior BJP leader further alleged that there was some 'understanding' with the LTTE, and therefore, urged a probe into the matter.

"Why did Priyanka (Gandhi) visit the convicts in jail? only the relatives of convicts are allowed to visit them, which she is not. Furthermore, Sonia (Gandhi) took care of Nalini's daughter's education in England. Nalini was also awarded a scholarship to study computer science in the Indira Gandhi University. I don't understand why they are showing such sympathy. I suspect there is something wrong," he added.

For the unversed, Rajiv was assassinated by a suspected LTTE suicide bomber, during an election rally in Tamil Nadu's Sriperumbudur in May 1991.A new technology has been introduced in India for dynamic patient monitoring and recovery.

Introduced by Medanta - The Medicity in association with a US-based medical technology firm, Masimo Corporation, the technology is said to be a first-of-its-kind critical patient monitoring and recovery technology in South Asia.

Named as 'Radius-7', it is a wearable tether-less Pulse CO-Oximeter that works in conjunction with a bedside monitor to provide continuous non-invasive monitoring, while allowing patients freedom of movement.

On a constant, dynamic, real-time basis this wearable tool helps ensure patient stability, besides aiding faster recovery through minimum time in bed.

The technology additionally allows supplemental remote monitoring and clinician notification system that enables monitoring patient data remotely, as well as relaying alarm notifications to clinicians, wherever they may be.

It significantly reduces false alarms and increases true alarm detection, allowing clinicians to focus on the patients and alarms that need the most attention.

Announcing the adoption of the technology, Dr. Naresh Trehan, Chairman and Managing Director, Medanta said, "Medanta abides by the best possible patient recovery ecosystem benchmarked to global standards. State-of-the-art technology is an essential aspect of this value. Adoption of Radius-7 illustrates our deep commitment to patient-centric clinical excellence".

Mr. Jon Coleman, President, Worldwide Sales, Masimo Corporation, added, "We are very proud to be associated with Medanta which is one of the most admired healthcare delivery brands internationally. Masimo's technologies have had a tremendous impact on patient care globally and we want to be part of India's efforts to make healthcare safer, better and more accessible".

Studies have shown that patient mobility is a key factor in accelerating recovery. It reduces the need for physical nursing assistance since there is no need to disconnect from or re-connect to a bedside monitor. The device continuously and non-invasively monitors vital parameters.

Data is then sent to a server which communicates with a central system stationed in the ward where clinicians/nurses can view the vital parameters of the patient. In the event of any breach of vital parameter thresholds, the assigned nurse receives a notification on the pager.

There is an escalation protocol if the primary nurse does not respond within a stipulated time. This ensures that no events are missed.North Koreas silence on its upcoming summits with the United States and South Korea is likely due to caution over organising its stance regarding the meetings, South Koreas Ministry of Unification said on Monday.

We have not seen nor received an official response from the North Korean regime regarding the North Korea-US summit, said Baik Tae-hyun, spokesman for the ministry, in a regular press conference.

I feel theyre approaching this matter with caution and they need time to organise their stance.

North Korean media noted a visit by a senior delegation from South Korea last week but no coverage has been seen of Kim Jong Uns invitation to meet US President Donald Trump or South Korean President Moon Jae-in to discuss the future of Pyongyangs nuclear weapons programme.

Trump agreed to meet with Kim Jong Un by the end of May and the two Koreas will hold a summit by end-April. A location has not been decided for the North Korea-US summit while Kim Jong Un and Moon will meet at the truce village of Panmunjom straddling the border between the two Koreas.

North and South Korea agreed to hold working talks to hammer out the details of the inter-Korean summit, but the two Koreas have not officially spoken since the South Korean delegation returned from the North last week, Baik said.

The Norths official news agency has been lauding efforts between the North and South to thaw relations, but state media has continued to warn the United States and Japan against war-mongering.

Rhetoric in the Norths state media has been tame, however, compared to previous threats last year that went as far as saying Pyongyang would fire missiles to the vicinity of the US territory of Guam if provoked.

The South Korean officials who carried Kims invitation to Washington will visit the leaders of China and Japan this week to update them on the talks.All of that has to be on the table, Kamer said. Anytime you have a tragic incident like this, you go back and see what it was that you did and what it was that didnt work, because obviously something like this should never have happened.

Pathway is a treatment program run by a nonprofit that leases space on the sprawling campus of the state-run Veterans Home of California-Yountville.

Roaming, unarmed 24-hour security personnel currently patrol the Veterans Home campus. The Pathway facility also has surveillance cameras at the front door and in the hallways, as well as a sign-in desk where people are required to stop before entering the premises, Kamer said.

Law enforcement is trying to figure out exactly how (the gunman) was able to get around that, he said. He did live in that facility for almost a year, so he was knowledgeable about the place. Exactly what failed is something I know law enforcement is interested in and we are very interested in as well.

The security review comes after 36-year-old Albert Wong of Sacramento, armed with a rifle, burst into a morning gathering at the center on Friday and took five hostages after exchanging gunfire with a Napa County sheriffs deputy, authorities said.Two bomb threats phoned in around noon Monday prompted the evacuation of all Solano Community College campuses for the rest of the day, Solano County sheriff's officials said.

Classes have been canceled for the day at the campuses in Fairfield, Vacaville and Vallejo, according to the school.

Sheriff's officials wrote on Twitter that all students and staff are safe, and that school administrators issued the mandatory evacuation order out of an abundance of caution.

No other information about the nature of the threats was immediately available.ALBANY  A lawsuit filed by a labor union for the New York Police Department that seeks to block the release of footage from officers' body-worn cameras without a court order may have far-reaching implications for public access to videos of police incidents, including fatal shootings.

Multiple news organizations  including the Hearst Corp., which owns the Times Union  have moved to intervene in the case and are fighting the lawsuit, which was filed against Mayor Bill de Blasio and the city of New York by the NYPD's Patrolmen's Benevolent Association.

The case was filed in January in state Supreme Court after the PBA complained that de Blasio and police Commissioner James P. O'Neill were intentionally violating a 1976 statute that has blocked the disclosure of police officers' personnel files. The law, known as section 50-a of the state Civil Rights Law, has been a virtually impenetrable shield that has prevented the release of records related to misconduct and even criminal behavior by police officers.

Through the years, courts have broadened the reach of the statute. In a seminal case from 1999, the Court of Appeals, the state's highest court, cited 50-a in ruling against the release of records in a case in which 18 off-duty Schenectady police officers were disciplined for throwing eggs at passing cars as they rode a bus to a bachelor party.

In 2013, an appellate court panel in Albany issued a startling ruling finding that the records of former police officers also are shielded by 50-a. In that case, the court blocked efforts by the Times Union to obtain internal State Police records from the investigation of an off-duty state trooper who admitted leaving the scene of a fatal crash after his pickup truck ran over a man along an isolated two-lane highway in Fulton County.

The former trooper, who was fired during the internal investigation, said the man he ran over may already have been dead, but later acknowledged drinking "three or four beers" about an hour before the fatal encounter.

The former trooper later became a police officer for another agency.

In the past decade, civil rights abuses and fatal police encounters with unarmed civilians have spurred the introduction of body-worn cameras in many departments. But in New York, policies on whether footage from those cameras are public records remain unwritten and many departments are uncertain how to handle the issue.

"We definitely have been trying to figure out the best way to deal with it because of both sides," said Albany police Chief Robert Sears, whose department last year adopted a policy requiring officers to wear body cameras. "I'm very interested in this case down in New York City because it will more than likely have a direct impact on how we handle things."

New York City officials have released footage of police shootings without notifying officers or allowing the PBA or other "interested parties" to be heard on whether those records should be made public, the PBA said in its petition.

"This conduct disregards not only the clear prohibitions of (civil rights law) 50-a, but also the very serious safety, privacy, due process, and other interests of police officers, the subjects of recorded videos and their families, those investigating the conduct at issue, and regular people innocently captured on released footage," the PBA argued.

Robert J. Freeman, executive director of the state Committee on Open Government, said the definition of a "personnel record" for police officers has been expanded so much that nearly any action taken by an officer is considered by some departments to be confidential.

"I doubt that most people would say that a video of a police officer making an arrest or being involved in some other incident on the street could be characterized as a personnel record," Freeman said. "Members of the public have said to me that unless there is some sort of disclosure of body-cam footage  something that enables the public to be sure that public employees are doing their jobs appropriately  why use a body cam at all?"

Backed by their labor unions, firefighters and correction officers also obtained the same shield under 50-a that applies to police officers. Freeman noted that the police and correction officers are government employees "who have the most power over people's lives but are the least accountable. That, in my opinion, is backwards."

Two years ago, the former state senator who sponsored the legislation that created 50-a 41 years ago said it was never intended to block public disclosure of records on police misconduct.

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Shine a light This is Sunshine Week, an annual initiative - spearheaded by the American Society of News Editors and the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press - to educate the public about the importance of open government and the dangers of excessive and unnecessary secrecy. Look for more stories on related topics throughout the week. See More Collapse

Frank V. Padavan, a former state senator from Queens who was the chief sponsor of the legislation, told the Times Union that the sole intention of the statute was to stop private attorneys from using subpoenas to gain unfettered access to the personnel records of police officers.

"That was the intent," said Padavan, 84, who was a Republican member of the Senate from 1973 to 2010. "If the law is being misused, then obviously an amendment might be in order."

Indeed, a review of the statute's legislative memoranda and other supporting materials on file in the state library indicate lawmakers who voted in favor of the statute never considered that it would be used to conceal misconduct by police or correction officers.

In a memorandum filed two weeks ago in state Supreme Court, attorneys for Reporters Committee For Freedom of the Press and multiple news organizations said the PBA's lawsuit, which seeks to block access to the video footage from four NYPD shootings, is seeking to broaden the shield of 50-a beyond its intent.

The request, the attorneys for the news organizations argued, "poses a real and substantial threat" to the ability of news outlets "to report on matters of substantial concern to the public."

The use of body-worn cameras by police has its origins in a 2013 ruling in a class-action lawsuit in which a U.S. District judge, Shira A. Scheindlin, found the NYPD's stop-and-frisk policies were unconstitutional and racially discriminatory. Scheindlin's ruling, in response to a 2008 lawsuit filed by the Center for Constitutional Rights, included a separate recommendation that the NYPD implement a pilot program for body-worn cameras.

Bobby Hodgson, a staff attorney for the New York Civil Liberties Union, said the NYPD case is the first legal test in New York to ask whether 50-a applies to body-worn camera footage. But Hodgson said the PBA's arguments are flawed, and that it's wrong to assert every police record that may someday be used to evaluate an officer's performance is a personnel record.

"This case demonstrates that 50-a needs to be repealed by the state Legislature," Hodgson said. "It's been misinterpreted and misused long enough. ... As long as it exists, it will be used in this way  as a tool by opponents of transparency and accountability."Bethlehem

The Delmar nonprofit School's Out is working to rally public support for its plans to purchase a property near Glenmont to help it meet the needs of its popular child care programs in Bethlehem.

School's Out, which operates before- and after-school child care programs at Bethlehem's five elementary schools and at an "enrichment center" on Delaware Avenue, wants to purchase a 13-acre horse farm on Kenwood Avenue near the Delmar Bypass.

The property, at 81 Kenwood Ave., includes a large home and several green horse barns, including an indoor riding arena. The current owners, John and Holly Lutz, have been seeking to sell the property since 2015 without success. It is currently on the market for $849,999.

School's Out has the property under contract pending government approvals, although the contract price has not been made public.

One of the approvals that is needed is a variance from the town's zoning board since the area where the property is located is designated a residential area under the town's zoning laws. Day care centers aren't allowed there without zoning board permission.

The zoning board is holding a public hearing on the proposal on Wednesday, March 21, at town hall. The zoning board meeting begins at 6 p.m. that night, with the public hearing scheduled for 6:10 p.m.

To build support for the proposal, School's Out is asking parents to sign petitions put out at School's Out locations this week. The School's Out board of directors also sent an email to parents asking them to write letters of support, and attend next week's zoning board meeting and possibly speak in favor of the proposal.

"Let the Zoning Board of Appeals know just how many people within our community support our program and its future!" the email, sent Friday, states.

Working parents in the Bethlehem district rely on School's Out to provide care for their children either before the school day begins or after dismissal. As well, the organization provides programming during school vacations, including the summer, and also provides respite care for parents with students with special needs.

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Sites are located at elementary schools and at the Delaware Avenue building where School's Out has its main office. Spots for the popular service fill up fast, and School's Out brings in roughly $1.3 million in program fees each year, making it a significant contributor to the local economy with roughly 150 employees.

The email that was sent to parents who send their children to School's Out says that the 81 Kenwood Ave. property was selected "after years of searching and evaluating" properties that fit its needs to meet the demand for its services.

"Don't worry, the five (School's Out) school locations will continue to operate as usual during this process and beyond," the email states.

Back in 2013, School's Out had tried to purchase the old school district administrative offices on Adams Place in Delmar in a residential area near the Four Corners. At the time, some residents opposed the move, which also needed zoning board approval, due to traffic and noise concerns. The building, once the town library, ultimately was bought by the Stram Center for Integrated Medicine.

The newly proposed School's Out site is located on a largely rural stretch of Kenwood that includes a radio tower, the local Little League fields and the Kleinke Farm, along with a handful of other homes.New York

Anti-opioid activists unfurled banners and scattered pill bottles on Saturday inside the Sackler Wing of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, which is named for a family connected to the powerful painkilling drug OxyContin.

The protest, organized by a group started by the celebrated photographer Nan Goldin, started just after 4 p.m., when several dozen people converged at the Temple of Dendur.

The wing is named after Arthur, Mortimer and Raymond Sackler, brothers who in the 1970s donated $3.5 million toward its construction. Their scientific and marketing skills also transformed a small business into what became Purdue Pharma, the company that developed OxyContin, which has been widely prescribed and abused. The drug is among the most common painkillers involved in prescription opioid overdose deaths, which have become a national crisis.

On Saturday the protesters called for cultural institutions to reject money from the Sackler family. They also demanded, among other things, that Purdue, which has been accused of using deceptive and aggressive tactics to market OxyContin, fund addiction treatment.

Protesters brandished black banners with the phrases "Shame on Sackler" and "Fund Rehab" and hurled yellow pill bottles with white labels that read "OxyContin" and "prescribed to you by the Sacklers" into the wing's reflecting pool.

Goldin  whose intimate photographs documenting drug use, violence and deaths from AIDS are displayed in numerous museums, including the Metropolitan  started an anti-opioid group called Prescription Addiction Intervention Now, or PAIN, after recovering from OxyContin addiction.

A spokesman for the museum declined to comment, and a spokeswoman for the Sackler family did not respond to a request for comment. A Purdue spokesman said the company is "deeply troubled by the prescription and illicit opioid abuse crisis" and is dedicated to helping solve it by paying for prescription-drug monitoring programs and collaborating with law enforcement.

OxyContin has accounted for tens of billions of dollars in sales since entering the market in 1996.New York

At least two people were killed after a helicopter with six people on board crashed into the East River off Manhattan on Sunday night, authorities said.

Witnesses said they saw a red helicopter rapidly descend near the north end of Roosevelt Island, which is between Manhattan and Queens, and plunge into the river shortly after 7 p.m.

Emergency responders, including divers with the New York Police Department and fire-rescue boats, were searching for survivors.

Eric Phillips, a spokesman for Mayor Bill de Blasio, said at least two people were killed and another person had been rescued. Divers were still searching for other passengers, he said.

The U.S. Coast Guard said in a statement that six people were on board. One person was rescued by a tugboat, it said.

People who witnessed the crash said they saw emergency responders pull one person out of the water  a man who was wrapped in a white blanket  and place him in an ambulance at about 8 p.m.

About an hour later, three people were taken out of the water and placed on stretchers. Their conditions were not immediately known, but emergency responders were performing CPR on them.

Video and photos posted on social media showed several police and fire boats shining their lights on the water.

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A spokeswoman for the Federal Aviation Administration identified the helicopter as a Eurocopter AS350, a single-engine helicopter that can hold up to six passengers. A Fire Department spokesman said that after the crash, the helicopter was tied up to a tugboat.

Stephen P. Davis, chief spokesman of the New York Police Department, said the helicopter was a commuter helicopter and that a tugboat would likely take it to the East 34th Street Heliport.

Xinran Jiang, who lives on Roosevelt Island with her husband, said they saw a red helicopter rapidly descending near the north end of the island at about 7:08 p.m.

She said the helicopter showed no obvious signs of trouble, such as smoke or erratic flying, before it went into the river.ALBANY  With three weeks until the states April budget deadline, school education funding has become a flash point in the discussions.

But in addition to the perennial fight over how much to spend on the states K-12 system, this one will be over whether school districts need to provide granular building-by-building details over where the money goes.

The battle is pitting Gov. Andrew Cuomo against much of the states vast education lobby and it presents the possibility of a high-stakes showdown  first because it is an election year for both the governor and legislators; and secondly because this years deadline is March 29, rather than April 1, if lawmakers want to go home for the Easter and Passover breaks.

Cuomos budget director, Robert Mujica, fired the first shot Sunday afternoon reemphasizing a proposal the governor floated with his budget presentation in January: under this plan schools that get more than half their funding from the state would have to detail where the money goes on a building-by-building basis.

That, Mujica said, should ensure that the biggest increases go to the schools serving the poorest and neediest students, who generally need more academic help.

Additionally, the proposal would, according to public school officials, allow the governors budget office to hold back state money if they disapproved of the school districts spending statement.

There can be no budget resolution this year without addressing this issue, Mujica said in a statement released Sunday.

We spend more money than any other state in the country but we dont know where that money is going, Mujica added on Monday, after a group of African-American pastors and activists, some who ran parochial or charter schools, met privately with Cuomo.

Wed like to know by school how much is going to each school and we think everyone needs to understand that, Mujica said, noting that the governor has proposed a 3 percent increase atop the more than $26 billion already being spent. Legislators want a larger increase.

All the governor is attempting to do is to begin this conversation that should have begun years ago, said Bishop C. Nathan Edwers of the Friendship Worship Center in Mt. Vernon.

Public school representatives quickly blasted the idea.

Who do we want to decide local school budgets  state bureaucrats in Albany or local boards of education? Timothy Kremer, executive director of the State School Boards Association, asked in a prepared statement.

The New York State School Boards Association does not believe that the state should be empowered to override the decisions of school boards, Kremer added.

"What he is asking for is that our budget would have to get approved by the State Education Department and the Division of Budget," Schenectady school district Superintendent Larry Spring said.

Spring added that he's OK with the idea of building by building breakdowns. And he said federal education law requires schools develop building by building breakdowns, although those are being phased in.

Because of the federal rule, the state Education Department is working on developing those programs on a state level.

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But Mujica, during an interview on the Capitol Pressroom news show, said those rules wont be in effect until 2020 at the latest.

We are saying do it now and do it prospectively, he said.

The Board of Regents, who were meeting on Monday, said they were working with other states to design a reporting system and they hoped to have guidance for reporting by the time schools set their 2018-19 budgets, which happens in July.

The debate came with a bit of showmanship and amid a political background that could elevate questions over school funding.

Billy Easton, executive director of the Alliance for Quality Education, which has advocated to increase funding for needy schools, noted that the biggest affected district would be New York City, whose mayor, Bill de Blasio, has been tangling with Cuomo on a number of fronts. The disclosure would be phased in, starting with the 1-million-student NYC district, the nations largest single system.

If the governor and Bill de Blasio were fighting, they could veto the spending, Easton said.

As African-American pastors spoke with reporters after their meeting with Cuomo, a group of Broadway performers were at the Capitol putting on brief theatrical performances that included songs calling for more state education funding.

It also came as actress Cynthia Nixon, who has long pushed for more school funding, especially in New York City, is said to be considering a primary run against Cuomo in November.

rkarlin@timesunion.com 518 454 5758 @RickKarlinTUBETHLEHEM  A Delmar man was arrested Saturday as part of an ongoing sexual abuse investigation, according to Bethlehem police.

David B. Wood, 52, of Delmar was arrested after an investigation revealed that he had inappropriate sexual contact with two victims, who were under 15. Both victims were known to the defendant. Wood was charged with one felony count of sexual conduct against a child and misdemeanor counts of sexual abuse, sexual misconduct, forcible touching and endangering the welfare of a child.TROY  Johnny Oquendo told a courtroom Monday he was not guilty of killing his stepdaughter and throwing her body in the Hudson River.

State Supreme Court Justice Andrew Ceresia didn't see it that way and sentenced Oquendo to the maximum  27 years to life in prison  for the 2015 murder of Noel Alkaramla.

In a rambling address to the judge, Oquendo, who is a convicted sex offender, insisted he was innocent, claiming media coverage of his case and poor work by the defense were to blame for his conviction in November. The jury delivered the verdict within hours of getting the case.

Before the sentence was imposed, Alkaramla's mother spoke, telling the judge she picked her daughter's name because she felt like a gift.

Debra Napoli called Oquendo, her ex-husband, a menace to society who carried out a killing of unimaginable brutality.

Alkaramla vanished Nov. 22, 2015. She had finished a waitressing shift at a city restaurant hours before Oquendo killed her at his Troy apartment. He then stuffed her body in a suitcase and threw it into the Hudson River. Her remains were found when the suitcase surfaced months later in Albany.

Oquendo was convicted of second-degree murder in November, but his sentencing faced repeated delays because of flaws in the preparation of pre-sentencing reports.

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Last week, Ceresia agreed to let Oquendo to represent himself. On Thursday, he was in court for sentencing, but Ceresia postponed the proceedings because the Rensselaer County Probation Department filed the pre-sentencing report just three hours before the case reconvened.

It was the second time problems in the probation department had an impact on the case.

Oquendo was originally sentenced last year, but the judge ruled he had to be resentenced because the probation department used part of Oquendo's record as a juvenile offender in the initial presentencing report.CAMBRIDGE  In his 39-year career, Cambridge-Greenwich Police Chief George Bell never missed a day at work. But for the past few weeks, his wife encouraged him to take time off because he was having trouble shaking the flu.

"He said he would consider it," Karen Bell said Monday.

On Sunday, the 64-year-old Bell felt poorly enough to head over the state line to Bennington Hospital in Vermont. He was discharged, but suffered a heart attack that night. He died early Monday.

The chief rose to prominence for his dogged leadership in the search for 12-year-old Jaliek Rainwater, who disappeared in 2007. Bell's career in Washington County law enforcement was punctuated in its final decade by the high-profile investigation, which remains unsolved.

The Post-Star of Glens Falls reported, and local officials confirmed, that Bell died after suffering the heart attack at his girlfriend's home. A neighbor said the Bells were estranged but remained friendly; a relative said the family would not discuss the status of their relationship.

On Karen Bell's way to the funeral home Monday, she said she was numb. That feeling appeared to be shared by the rest of the Cambridge community and Washington County law enforcement, many of whose members gathered to console each other at the Cambridge police station.

"This is a huge loss for the community," Cambridge Mayor Carman Bogle said. "He was passionate about not just the job itself, but his duty to the community. He was on-call all of the time. He made himself available. He was there for everyone all of the time."

Washington County Sheriff Jeffrey Murphy called Bell irreplaceable. "He had a rapport with everyone in the community and in law enforcement," Murphy said. "He was so respectful and responsive of families and victims. He was the quintessential small-town chief."

Karen Bell said her husband kept a police scanner on at all times at their home. It was over that radio that she learned of her husband's death.

"When I heard where they were and that they were administering CPR to a 64-year-old, I knew," she said.



Cambridge Central School Superintendent Vince Canini, who had just watched Bell lead a championship parade for the girls' basketball team Saturday night, was overcome with emotion on Monday.



"I've known the chief for a long time," Canini said. "He was so entrenched in the community and the school. He had a way of balancing safety with respect for everyone. It's tough  it's tough for me to talk about."

Bell's death was crushing for Rainwalker's grandmother, Barbara Reeley, who for years hoped someone would be brought to justice for the boy's disappearance. In Bell, she found a dedicated sleuth.

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"He worked tirelessly," Reeley said. "And even though it's been more than 10 years, I would just pick up the phone and talk to him. Or if I saw his car at the office, I would stop in.

"I used to tell him that he should have a degree in psychology because he always made me feel better after talking to him," Reeley said. "He kept me from falling apart."

For years, Bell scrutinized Rainwalker's adoptive father, Stephen Kerr, but neither he nor anyone else faced charges in connection with the case.

Reeley said Bell was the linchpin in the investigation, leading dozens of searches from Troy to Greenwich. He took every lead and tip seriously, even those from psychics who wanted to help, she said.

Reeley is not sure anyone can replace him.



"He was there 100 percent," Reeley said. "He put his whole heart into it."



Karen Bell said the case was "constantly on his mind. ... Any time a body was found, he wondered."



Last year, Bell, who had changed the probe from a missing person case to a homicide investigation, had a glimmer of hope that he was closer to solving the mystery when a skull was found by a hiker in a Coxsackie swamp along the Hudson River. State officials initially said the skull appeared to be a child, but State Police later ruled it belonged to an adult. While disappointed, Bell remained confident that he would eventually solve the case.



Sunday's heart attack was Bell's third, and his second since May. His widow said she believes the stress was getting to him.



Bell had "seen the worst of everything in his career," Karen Bell said. "He was thinking of retiring in a year. I don't know if he would."



Plans for a service are underway, likely to be held at St. Patrick's parish in Cambridge, his widow said. Sheriff Murphy said he expected the outpouring would be so large Cambridge Central School might be the only place in the village big enough to handle the crowd of people whose lives he touched.

"He was around a long time and had a lot of friends," Murphy said. "He was so easygoing, so friendly. George was involved."Albany

The Legislature is in session Monday through Thursday this week. That will be the longest work week for lawmakers so far this year as they work to pass a state budget by the April 1 deadline.

One bill on the agenda is the Senate's proposal to overhaul sexual harassment rules. The legislation, from Republican Sen. Catharine Young, would create a new, uniform policy for all levels of state and local government. The bill could get a vote as soon as Monday.

In other Capitol news: Republican Marc Molinaro could be getting closer to formally announcing his campaign for governor and Gov. Andrew Cuomo's plan to require more information about online political ads gets a boost from Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar. Here's a look at the stories:

Molinaro maybe?

Is this the week that Marc Molinaro makes it official?

The Republican Dutchess County executive has told party leaders he's running for governor but has yet to announce his plans to the voters he hopes to serve.

Last week, Molinaro put out nearly a dozen press releases announcing endorsements from county GOP leaders, but still hadn't had a public campaign kickoff or even a press release announcing his intentions.

Back-to-back nor'easters may have disrupted his schedule.

In a letter to GOP leaders obtained by The Associated Press, Molinaro wrote that he plans to make a formal campaign announcement "in the near future."

Molinaro had been considered a top potential challenger to Cuomo in the fall election, but in January he said that he wouldn't run.

Meanwhile, Republican state Sen. John DeFrancisco is promising to stay in the race at least until Republicans pick their nominee this spring.

Klobuchar on Cuomo

Cuomo's proposal to subject political ads on social media to the same kinds of reporting requirements as print, radio and TV ads picked up the endorsement of U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar last week. The Minnesota Democrat has raised concerns about nefarious attempts to use online ads to sway U.S. elections.

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Klobuchar and Cuomo held a joint teleconference with reporters to discuss Cuomo's idea and their call for greater transparency when it comes to the groups behind political ads on Facebook and other sites.

Cuomo is proposing new rules requiring internet platforms and social media companies to maintain a public file of political ads, including information about the groups paying for ads. He also wants groups paying for online election ads to register as independent campaign organizations. Foreign groups would be prohibited from placing ads in the first place.

"This is not only a good idea for New York but it's something the federal government needs to strongly consider," Klobuchar said.

Moscow on the Hudson?

During that teleconference, Cuomo was asked whether he worries that Russia, or another nation or organization, might try to meddle with New York elections.

"Short answer is yes," he responded. "I don't think the Russians say, 'We're only going to interfere in federal elections.' We know they were targeting 21 states. ... I think part of the goal is: Wreak havoc."Kobach asked the witness, Charles Stricker, why he couldn't just take his birth certificate to the local election office during his lunch hour and thereby comply with the law. That must have seemed a natural sort of question for Kobach, whose job appears to impose few, if any, actual requirements. But Stricker, who works at a hotel, said that he frequently works 12-hour days and eats lunch at his desk.

Of course, making voting difficult for people who don't control their work schedules or don't have ready access to transportation or don't have a birth certificate or passport on hand or are otherwise overburdened is the whole point of the law Kobach is defending. Yet even when certain people produce their long-form birth certificates to prove their citizenship, Kobach turns out to be strangely skeptical about the very form of identification that he insists is necessary to prevent fraud in the first place.

In an April 2016 episode of his radio show (yup, he even found time for that), Kobach listened as a caller - "Jim from Iowa" - complained about Barack Obama having been "born in Africa" and obtaining a college scholarship reserved for foreigners before the president showed us all his "fake birth certificate."The winter storm warning has been extended westward into the Taconics of eastern Rensselaer County, with some towns  Grafton, Petersburgh and Berlin  getting as much as 5 to 10 inches of snow through tomorrow evening.

The warning area also includes the southern half of Washington County and the eastern half of Columbia County, as well as almost all of New England.

"We're still expecting three to seven inches of snow in the Capital District tonight and tomorrow," said meteorologist Tom Wasula of the Albany National Weather Service office.

The rest of the Capital Region is under a winter weather advisory from 11 p.m. Monday through 8 p.m. Tuesday. One plus for shovelers: the snow is expected to be lighter and drier than the snow that fell during the two previous storms.

SCHOOL CLOSINGS AND DELAYS

A couple more inches of snow may fall Tuesday night and Wednesday in the Capital Region, with two to five inches in higher terrain, Wasula said.

Amtrak has canceled Tuesday's Lake Shore Limited trips between Albany and Boston ahead of the storm.

Amtrak trains #448 and #449 won't operate between the two cities, the passenger railroad announced. The Lake Shore Limited's New York section, between New York City and Chicago via Albany, will operate.

Greyhound has advised travelers on its Albany-Boston route that services may be delayed or canceled because of the storm. More information: 833-233-8507.

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Southwest Airlines' 5:15 a.m. Tuesday departure to Ft. Myers, Flight #142, was listed as canceled on the Albany Airport departures site, but it wasn't clear whether the storm was the reason.

But FlightAware reported more than 1,100 flights have been canceled nationwide for Tuesday, including 17 at Albany.

Airline passengers are advised to check the status of their flight before heading to the airport.

Spring technically arrives at 12:15 p.m. March 20, a week from Tuesday. But Wasula said it may not feel like it.

As the storm exits, gusty winds out of the Northwest will make for cold, blustery weather. Wasula said below-normal temperatures will be here for awhile.Tipperary County Museum is to present a one-day seminar entitled 'Power & Privilege - The Butlers of Ormond, on Saturday, March 24th next.

Noblemen, Chief Butlers to the King, property and titles  from the arrival of Theobald Fitzwalter with Prince John in the 12th Century to the heights of Earls and Dukes, the Butlers of Ormond gained power and influence with almost every generation. Their legacy has given us some of our greatest national monuments, and personalities such as Elizabeth Poyntz Lady Thurles, and the First Earl. This seminar aims to shine a spotlight on some of these stories and to look at the legacy of the family

This event will take place in Damer House, Roscrea. Admission 5. Booking is required with payment in advance. Contact julia.walsh@tipperaryco.ie, or 07 61 06 5254.

Payment can be made at Tipperary County Museum or through Tipperary County Council Cash desks in Nenagh, Clonmel, Thurles, Tipperary Town or Roscrea.

The introductory lecture will be delivered by David Edwards, Senior Lecturer in the Department of History in University College, Cork. His research interests include developments in 16th and early 17th century Ireland from a variety of local and regional perspectives. His 2003 study of The Ormond Lordship in Co Kilkenny 1515  1642 drew on the enormous Ormond archive in the National Library of Ireland and the Bodleian Library and explored the fortunes of the family and its subjects through both the Tudor and early Stuart colonisation and Protestantisation of the country. He has published widely. Drawing on his research of the family for his book 'The Rise and Fall of Butler Feudal Power', he will discuss key issues concerning the fortunes of the Butler dynasty.

Guest speaker Dr Jane Fenlon has lectured in TCD, UCD, UCC and published extensively on Irish Art and Architecture of the 16th and 17th centuries. Dr Fenlon will speak on Elizabeth Poyntz Lady Thurles, a Lady of Wit and Spirit. Elizabeth (sometimes Helen), Lady Thurles was the daughter of Sir John Poyntz of Iron Acton, Gloucestershire, and married Thomas Butler, Viscount Thurles, before 1610. By this marriage she had four daughters and three sons. She was widowed in 1619. A year later she married again, to Captain George Mathew of Radyr, Llanda and Thurles. He died in 1636. She lived on through the difficult times of the 1640s and 50s when her estate of 4,000 acres in Tipperary, including Thurles Castle was sequestered and she narrowly escaped being transplanted to Connaught. Her lands were restored to her following the restoration of Charles II and the creation of the Dukedom of Ormond for her eldest son James Butler (1610-88).

Guest speaker Regina Sexton is a food historian, food writer, broadcaster and cook. She has been researching and publishing in the area of Irish food andculinary history since 1993. Her research interests include food and identity, food and tradition and food and the Irish country house. She has published widely at academic and popular levels. Her publications include 'A Little History of Irish Food' (Gill & Macmillan, 1998) and 'Irelands Traditional Foods' (Teagasc, 1997). Ms Sexton will explore 'The Food and Culinary Cultures of Powerful and Privileged Families in Later Medieval Ireland.'

The fourth guest speaker is Jean Farrelly, an archaeologist working for the Archaeological Survey of Ireland, National Monuments Service, Dept. of Arts, Heritage & the Gaeltacht. Jean is an MA graduate from UCD. She has directed the Urban Archaeological Survey of counties Kilkenny and Tipperary and in 2002 published the Archaeological Inventory of North Tipperary with co-author Caimin OBrien. She recently completed the archaeological survey of South Tipperary and is currently working on the archaeological survey of Co. Kilkenny. Ms Farrelly will discuss one of the most influential Anglo-Normans in the first wave of conquest, Theobald Walter, who founded the Butler dynasty, and examine the contribution that the Butlers made to the built landscape of North Tipperary.Our resident racing writer has run the rule over the runners and riders for some of the big races at the 2018 Cheltenham Festival and these are the horses he's backing:

Day 1 - Tuesday, March 13

Arkle Chase - 14:10

Footpad is perhaps the most fancied Willie Mullins runner on Day 1 of the festival, and will be in many people's multiple bets on Tuesday. Since finishing third behind Uknowwhatimeanharry at Punchestown last year in a Grade 1 hurdle, he has been foot perfect over fences. He has recorded three wins from three starts since November. He slammed Brelade by 11 lengths on chasing debut, Any Second Now by 11 lengths next time out, and Petit Mouchoir by five lengths most recently. No horse has come close to laying a glove on him and he has won all three races without hitting top gear. This year's renewal of the Arkle is far from vintage and Footpad's main opposition will be Petit Mouchoir. The challengers from England in this race this year don't look up to much to me and I think it could be a 1-2-3 for the Irish.

1. Footpad (6/4)

2. Petit Mouchoir (9/4)

3. Kemboy (25/1)

Champion Hurdle - 15:30

In fairness to last year's winnner, Buveur D'Air, he hasn't put a foot wrong in the 12 months since, while former champion Faugheen has endured a massively disrupted preparation. Buveur D'Air is a worthy favourite, but is now 1/2, not least because of Faugheen's woes. Buveur D'Air has won his four starts since last year's Cheltenham festival, while Faugheen has had just three runs and one win since January 2016. He was thought to have been amiss when pulled up at Leopardstown over Christmas, while he just seemed to be missing his old spark when outfought by Supasundae in the Irish Champion Hurdle in February. That was on soft ground and the horse was coming back after that disaster at Christmas, and given the fact Supasundae is favourite for the stayers hurdle at Cheltenham this year, that race represented Faugheen's best run in a long time. He had beaten Jezki by 16 lengths in November 2017, but it's clear that horse is nowhere near the force he was when landing the 2014 champion hurdle. Willie Mullins has plugged away with his former star and he's well aware that Cheltenham brings the best out in him. He's won both of his starts at the track and like Willie, I'd be willing to give a horse of such class one more chance, especially at odds of 5/1.

1. Faugheen (5/1)

2. Buveur D'Air (1/2)

3. Melon (14/1)

Mare's Hurdle - 16:10

This year, it looks like Gordon Elliott's Apple's Jade is once again the horse to beat at 4/7. She could very well have been sent to the Champion Hurdle and had a good chance, but Elliott has chosen to enter her in the race she won last year. She saw off Vroum Vroum Mag that day in a head-bobbing finish, and remains unbeaten since. She's beaten the likes of Nichols Canyon and Supasundae in that time, and should have far too much for anything thrown at her here. An interesting outsider for each-way punters is Jer's Girl. She hasn't had the best time of things injury wise in recent years, but has put together two pleasing warm-up efforts for this race. Most notably, she was just two lengths behind Apple's Jade in the Grade 2 Lismullen Hurdle at Navan in November. It's also worth pointing out that despite falling in this race at Cheltenham last year, she was travelling smoothly on the inside before she came down three from home. She could well have been in the frame had she stayed upright and I believe she could run into a place this term.

1. Apple's Jade (4/7)

2. Jer's Girl (20/1)

3. Augusta Kate (14/1)

Day 2 - Wednesday, March 14

Ballymore Novices Hurdle - 13:30

Samcro has been labelled a monster, a freak, and a 'sure-thing' by many a shrewd judge, and by all accounts, the hype is justified in this instance. Gordon Elliott himself has been taken aback by his quality and admits he was purchased to be a big three-mile chaser, meaning we could see him wearing the Gigginstown colours to victory in the Cheltenham Gold Cup in the coming years. For now, he sets his sights on the Ballymore and looks a cut above the rest of this field. If the hype is real, and I think it is, this one will be bounding up the hill to victory at Prestbury Park. Next Destination lines up here instead of the Albert Bartlett, and he has the class to give him a race.

1. Samcro (4/7)

2. Next Destination (4/1)

3. Vision Des Flos (20/1)

RSA Chase - 14:10

Looking at the RSA, I was tempted by an each-way bet on Black Corton after seeing his recent win at Ascot, but odds of 7/1 are just a little short. The value is still available on my idea of the nailed on winner, Presenting Percy. You may even get 3/1 about about this fella closer to race time. He would be close to odds-on if fellow Irish raider Monalee wasn't in the field. This is considered a match between those two in some quarters, and perhaps that does a disservice to the British horses, but I would be very surprised if the winner didn't come from those two. I've sided with Presenting Percy because he has considerable course form having won the Pertemps here last March. That was a good Pertemps Final and Pat Kelly's charge bounded up the Cheltenham hill looking like a horse that could win a Gold Cup in time. The ground should be similar this year, but he's performed on heavy too, so even if there's a deluge, he'll get through it. Monalee is no slouch and won a good Grade 1 novice chase at Leopardstown last time out, and was second behind Penhill in the Albert Bartlett last season. It will be a good battle, but I think Presenting Percy will outstay his rival up the hill.

1. Presenting Percy (5/2)

2. Monalee (10/3)

3. Black Corton (7/1)

Champion Bumper - 17:30

Last year's champion bumper was won by Gordon Elliott's Fayonagh, a horse that looked a future star until an untimely demise through injury. The race did produce some great talent including Next Destination who was fourth on that occasion. The same owner, Malcolm Denmark, has another horse entered here again this year. Mercy Mercy Me is trained by Fergal O'Brien and there's a lot to like about the six-year-old son of Shirocco. He's had just one run ahead of a tilt at this but is highly thought of. That run came last November when he easily saw off the challenge of Classic Ben, a horse that has gone on to win twice since. There will be unknowns with all of these horses, but at a big price, I think Mercy Mercy Me is worth siding with ahead of the Irish horses.

1. Mercy Mercy Me (25/1)

2. Blackbow (5/1)

3. Know The Score (20/1)

Day 3

JLT Novices Chase - 13:30

Finian's Oscar will wear the colours of the late Alan and Ann Potts this year, and they are famous silks worn to victory many times up the Cheltenham hill by the likes of Sizing Europe and Sizing John. This horse hasn't had the ideal preparation for this race having been pulled up in a race won by Agrapart at Cheltenham in January, but before that he looked a good prospect. He was an excellent hurdler, winning four of his six starts over timber, and has already notched two wins in four starts over fences. He's also shown he can perform at Cheltenham having seen off Movewiththetimes at the track last November, despite making a series of mistakes over the obstacles. Movewiththetimes is a decent yardstick, and you'd have to expect that further schooling has sharpened up Finians Oscar's jumping, although that looked far from certain at Ascot in December. Nevertheless, he seems able to be competitive regardless and he'll definitely like soft ground. If his jumping holds up, this could be an emotional winner for the Potts family.

1. Finian's Oscar (7/1)

2. Invitation Only (10/3)

3. Terrefort (5/1)

Stayers Hurdle - 15:30

A race dominated by the likes of Big Bucks for so long, this year's Stayers Hurdle looks hugely competitive. Once again, an Irish raider, Supasundae, who beat Faugheen in the Irish Champion Hurdle last time out, is among the market leaders, but there are a host of horses lining up to take a cut off him. Sam Spinner is vying for favouritism with Jessica Harrington's runner, and there is nothing to dislike about his preparation, but the one I like at an each-way price is L'Ami Serge for Nicky Henderson. Notably, he was second in last year's County Hurdle behind Arctic Fire, a horse that finished second to Faugheen in the 2015 Champion Hurdle. Ivanovich Gorbatov was 6th in that County Hurdle, which looks like a particular strong renewal in hindsight. L'Ami Serge has been a model of consistency since that race, winning twice and finishing in the front three in six of the seven races he's run in that intervening period. He finished second to one of the market leaders for this race, Sam Spinner, at Ascot in December, finishing ahead of the likes of Unowhatimeanharry and Lil Rockerfeller. You cannot ignore consistency, course form and odds of 12/1 when it comes to the Cheltenham Festival. A big run beckons.

1. L'Ami Serge (12/1)

2. Supasundae (3/1)

3. Yanworth (5/1)

Mare's Novices Hurdle - 16:50

Like many of Willie Mullins recent mares, Laurina is a french import who has been hugely impressive in her two Irish starts. She made her debut over two miles at Tramore in December, and despite the heavy ground in the south east, she bolted up to win by 15 lengths. In late January she went to Fairyhouse, again on heavy ground, and demolished a decent field, including next-time-out winner Alletrix who was 11 lengths behind her in second. The manner in which she went clear on the bridle that day and won without really breaking sweat suggests she could be of the ilk of Vroum Vroum Mag or even Annie Power in time. For that reason, many a shrewd judge has pegged her as their festival banker, and the fact that she'll handle the ground, which could be soft come Thursday, is a major plus for a young horse.

1. Laurina (4/7)

2. Countister (11/1)

3. Stormy Ireland (7/1)

Day 4

Gold Cup - 15:30

With Sizing John out of the Gold Cup, it looks an extremely competitive renewal. Last year's second Minella Rocco will be back hoping to go one better, the ever reliable Djakadam may get his ground, while Might Bite is 'the horse that would be king' with all the potential to be a superstar. However, last year's third Native River is going somewhat under the radar despite being the 4/1 second favourite. Those in Britain are talking up Might Bite while many in Irish circles are saying last year's Irish Grand National winner Our Duke looks like a Gold Cup winner. That puts five or six horses in the frame before you even mention Road to Respect or Definitely Red. Native River has been laid out for this and was given just the one prep run ahead of his second tilt at the Gold Cup. That came in the Grade 2 Denman Chase at Newbury in February and he was magnificent, beating Cloudy Dream by 12 lengths. Saphir Du Rheu, who was fifth in last year's Gold Cup behind Sizing John, was a full 36 lengths behind Native River in that Newbury race. The one thing about this horse is he's an out and out stayer, and in fact was second in the four-miler at Cheltenham in 2016. He'll love the soft ground and has the engine to see off all comers on Gold Cup day.

1. Native River (4/1)

2. Might Bite (3/1)

3. Djakadam (25/1)The value of tourism to the local economies across Tipperary towns, villages and rural communities was highlighted by Tipperary County Cathaoirleach Cllr Phyll Bugler, at a seminar organised by Tipperary Tourism.

The seminar, part of Local Enterprise Week, was held in the Anner Hotel, Thurles, and attracted stakeholders from across the Premier County.

"In 2013, 323,000 domestic and international visitors came to Tipperary worth 74m to the economy. In 2016, the latest figures available from Failte Ireland shows us this has grown to over 400,000 visitors worth over 110m annually," Cllr Bugler revealed.

She noted the importance of sustainability and added: "We need to have a sustainable tourism product that can continue to attract visitors supporting employment and growth in the industry for the future."

Una Ryan, Tipperary Tourism, told the seminar that in the past 18 months, Tipperary Tourism had published a new map and guide for the county, as well as a walking guide; commissioned illustrations of the top tourist attractions used in postcards; was working with the tourism trade to create experiential offers that can be sold to domestic and international visitors with the support of Failte Ireland and Tourism Ireland, and had engaged in a marketing and PR campaign.

Over the next three years, Tipperary Tourism will target the market segments most appropriate to the county as identified by Failte Ireland, including the Culturally Curious, Connected Families and Great Escapers.

Marie Phelan, tourism development officer with Tipperary County Council, showcased the work of Tipperary County Council in relation to tourism development projects across Tipperary, including the Munster Vales, Lough Derg and The Butler Trail.

She also spoke about the importance of food tourism and the work to date in partnership with the Tipperary Food Producers Network including the production of The Tipperary Food Tour book and the development of a new food tourism trail.

Joe MacGrath, chief executive with Tipperary County Council reiterated the Councils commitment to the further development of tourism in the county.

Before the event began, participants were treated to afternoon tea featuring the Tipperary Food Producers Network.

Luke Murtagh, chair of Tipperary Tourism, made a presentation to Birdhill Tidy Town's to acknowledge their success in winning the National Tidy Towns award.Mercedes-AMG is setting its sights on lofty goals with the Project One hypercar. The German automaker revealed its plans for the hypercar at the 2018 Geneva Motor Show, and at least one of those plans involves becoming the fastest car to ever lap the Nurburgring. Notice that we didnt write production car in that previous sentence? Thats because AMG isnt settling for that piece of the pie. It wants the whole pie, including becoming faster than the Porsche 956 race car that Stefan Bellof used to lap the Ring in a staggering 6:11.13.

Speaking in Geneva, the AMG chief admitted that the Project One can generate as much as 1,488 pounds (675 kilos) of downforce at speed

As far as ambitions go, Mercedes-AMG is definitely shooting for the stars. Company boss Tobias Moers believes that not only is it possible for the Project One to beat the overall lap record at the worlds most famous race track, but its also actually possible to do it with very minimal tweaks to the overall composition of the current hypercar. In his mind, the most important thing to eclipse the record is to find the right driver, an important piece to achieving that goal, no doubt, but has nothing to do with the car itself.

Thats a serious proclamation of the Project Ones physical makeup and capability, but Moers may actually be on to something here. Speaking in Geneva, the AMG chief admitted that the Project One can generate as much as 1,488 pounds (675 kilos) of downforce at speed. Thats literally a little over half the overall weight of the 2,866-pound (1,400 kilos) car. With that kind of capability, it is reasonable to expect, as Moers told Autocar, that the Project One is capable of achieving something that no car in the last 35 years has ever done.

Given what its reportedly capable of, its going to be interesting to see how it does on once Mercedes-AMG finds that right driver.

Throw in the fact that the Project One has a 1.6-liter, turbocharged, V-6 engine and four electric motors powering it and you have the makings of a car thats capable of achieving great things. That powertrain, mind you, is capable of producing close to 1,100 horsepower. All that power is sent to all four wheels courtesy of a quick-shifting automatic gearbox. If its ever possible for a car to finally unseat the iconic Porsche 956 race car as the fastest car to ever lap the Nurburgring, would you put your money on the Mercedes-AMG Project One?

Given what its reportedly capable of, its going to be interesting to see how it does on once Mercedes-AMG finds that right driver. At the very least, we could be in for quite a spectacle. Its very rare these days for a car that costs $2.6 million to have that kind of expectations on its shoulders. Heres to hoping that we get to see that run sooner than later. The 956s record has stood long enough. Its time another car takes that top step on the podium.

References

Read our full review on the 2020 Mercedes-AMG Project One.

Read more Mercedes-Benz news.Toyota Might Take on the Ford Focus ST and VW Golf GTI with Corolla GR Hatchback

The Yaris GRMN is just the tip of the icebergThe planets fastest female motorcycle racer will travel 8,500 miles from her hometown in Scottsdale, Arizona, all the way to Southern Australia with the BUB Seven Streamliner and her crew. They will attempt to break the land-speed record at the World Speed Trials at the 28th Annual Speed Week which is a new motorcycle-only event regulated by the Federation Internationale de Motocyclisme (FIM) and the AMA.

To be referred to as Americas Queen of Speed is a feat that might require a lifetime of sweat and blood. But even after achieving a land-speed record for seven times in her lifetime already, Valerie Thompson doesnt seem to pull back on the throttle anytime soon. She and her All American Team "7" Racing crew are traveling to Australia to break the all-time land-speed record of 376.363 mph.

Thompson raced the BUB Seven Streamliner at Bonneville in 2017. BUB Seven Streamliner is an American-built streamliner motorcycle that held the motorcycle land-speed record from 2006 to 2008 and again from 2009 to 2010. It is a 500+hp monster built around a 21 ft carbon fiber monocoque frame and is powered by a 3000 cc, dual overhead cam, 4 valve, turbocharged V4 engine.

The event is scheduled for March 17-19, 2018 at Lake Gairdner salt flats in Southern Australia. The team is reaching there well in advance to conduct mock runs and other tests to streamline her final attempt run on March 18th. The whole world-record ordeal is set to become a feature-length documentary in 2019 under the (working) title: Rockets and Titans.

Thompsons current top speed achieved on a motorcycle is 304.263 MPH on the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah, on September 1, 2016 that made her the Worlds Fastest Female Motorcycle Racer. She has earned the famed Red Hat in the Bonneville 200 MPH Club, and is a member of the prestigious Bonneville BUB Speed Trial 201 MPH Club. Valerie has also earned her place in the Mojave Magnum 200 MPH Club, the ECTA 200 MPH Club, the Texas Mile 200 MPH Club and the Colorado Mile.

We wish Valarie the best of luck as she tries to attempt to beat the 376.363 mph record set by the Ack Attack Team. Stay tuned with us, and we will keep updating you with this event.The Good Guy with a Gun argument is flawed on many counts:

A handgun (most popular weapon for self-protection) is not always the best response weapon. A person going up against a high-powered military assault-style weapon is at a huge disadvantage.

In Las Vegas (2017), 59 people were killed and over 500 wounded when a shooter rained bullets down on a country music concert from the 32nd story of a nearby hotel. Modified AR-15s fitted with bump stocks, converted them into machine guns. This mass murderer committed suicide rather than be apprehended. People were not sure where the shooter was and small sidearms would have been ineffective against this kind of firepower from so high up.

The president recently stated that if a deranged individual intent on performing another mass school killing knows that the school zone is protected by people with guns, they would never go near the place. Youre kidding, right? More than 50 percent commit suicide and the rest die in a shoot-out with the police or are captured, so fear of death doesnt seem to be a hindrance.The deal you were looking for is no longer available.Who represents these both sides? With the exception of one speaker, every single person who spoke against Measure C was being paid for being there from wine industry pockets, and every single person who spoke in favor of protections of our shared water resource was a concerned citizen. I hope Napa voters take note of this discrepancy.

Our everyday kind of citizen should be very concerned that this one-industry county, which used to be a farming community, is now controlled by the few powerful and rich voices who are concerned about personal profit above shared public resources like water. We voters lament the days when traffic wasnt a nightmare, when vintners and growers anxiously shared their knowledge and resources, when our hillsides remained undisturbed by vineyard development, and when local reservoirs and the Napa River were not yet impaired by sediment and pollutants. That was back when democracy was the rule in Napa; now we face the same political angst we see coming out of Washington: this is class warfare and the little guys are losing.The rivers in Nigeria are not having an easy time of it. None of them, as in zero, meet the water quality standard set by the World Health Organization (WHO)  the country has one of the worst river degradation conditions of any nation on the planet. Not only is this dire for the rivers themselves, but for the humans who depend on them, as well as the inland and coastal ecosystems with which the rivers interact.

Of Nigerias rivers, River Ethiope stands out. It is believed to be the deepest inland waterway in Africa. Not only does it serve as a sacred site for many, but local communities rely upon it for drinking, bathing, fishing, medicine, and other gentle uses. Sadly, the river has been abused as well, thanks to industrial contamination, oil spills, solid waste disposal, pollution from agricultural byproducts like chemical fertilizers and pesticides, and general overuse.

While efforts to help the river have been going on for years, River Ethiope just cant seem to get ahead. But now, maybe her time has come.

Earth Law Center and the River Ethiope Trust Foundation (RETFON) have launched an initiative to establish legal rights for this special river. If successful, the River Ethiope would be the first waterway in Africa to be recognized as a living entity.

As noted in a press release for the initiative,

Amongst the rights sought for the River Ethiope are rights to be free from pollution, to restoration, to native biodiversity, and others. The River would also have standing to be heard as a party in a court of law. Finally, one or more guardians would be appointed to enforce its rights.

 Earth Law Center

It is our sincere desire to achieve permanent sustainability for Nigerias rivers, says Irikefe Dafe, President and Founder of RETFON. Such a desire, however, can only be realized with the effort and cooperation of everyone. It is for this reason that we are advocating for a joint effort to combat pollution and other river harms, which are peculiar not only to Nigeria but also the world.

While it would be the first waterway in Africa to earn legal rights, there is an increasing number of rivers around the world that have already secured the status. Earth Law Center notes that New Zealands Whanganui River is recognized as a legal person and has rights. Meanwhile, Colombias Atrato River possesses inherent rights to protection, conservation, maintenance, and restoration.

On a similar note, Ecuador and Bolivia recognize that nature has rights  and why shouldnt it? Just because we dont understand the language it speaks doesnt mean we should squander it to the point of no return. Who gave humans that right? And it's a sentiment that is gaining increasing momentum.

Establishing legal rights for rivers and other natural systems is the next great rights-based movement, says Grant Wilson, Directing Attorney at Earth Law Center. I believe that the rights of all major rivers will be recognized in the next 20 years, resulting in their permanent restoration.

To be honest, it can't come a minute too soon.ON Republic Day, activist Jerome Alexander will run a marathon from OMeara Road in Arima to South Quay, PoS to raise public awareness about the dangers of pornography. Alexanders idea to run the 26-mile marathon was in part inspired by a friend of his in the US who ran 30 marathons in 30 days.Do you have a news tip?

Want to share good news story, or do you have information that should see the light of day? Then we want to hear from you.

More here>>easy to locate places for nursing or diaper changing etc..<<

Places like shopping centres and tourist attractions usually have 'mothers rooms'. People with babies live in Tasmania and the rest of Australia and manage. I think common sense would tell you activities like tandem skydiving and clubbing might not suit you when travelling with a baby. But otherwise Australia is a great destination for young families. As mentioned, advance planning is important, but we cannot help you very much with that until we know more about where you are going and what you are doing.

.

>>For sight Seeing purpose<<

What sort of sights? 'Sightseeing' is not one activity. 'Sightseeing' is a very vague description of a large variety of things. Are you able to provide more detail in response to my specific questions about how long, your interests, desired activities, preferred mode of transport, budget?

.

So that we can help you, we want to understand, why have you chosen Tasmania?

.

You asked for other ideas and I replied Canberra. What do you think about that?The mother and husband of Jennifer Golick, a victim in Fridays Yountville killings, held two brief press conferences on Monday outside Golicks St. Helena home.

Leilani Gray spoke without notes, while Marc Golick read from a prepared statement about Fridays tragedy at The Pathway Home where his wife and two other staff members were killed.

Speaking of her daughter, mother Leilani Gray said, What a great lady she was and still is in my heart. I still miss her. She added, I feel sadness throughout my entire body. I woke up yesterday morning crying through my sleep and when I got up I was still crying. Im still crying inside and will be forever.

She added, Im just hoping we can get through the next couple of weeks, couple of months and couple of years with as little as possible going on to try to get back to a normal life.

Golicks husband Marc said, Its with an incredibly deep sadness that I mourn the loss of my wife, Dr. Jennifer Golick. She was a very beloved mother, sister, daughter, colleague and friend. We appreciate the outpouring of love and support from our St. Helena community and outlying communities as well. She is missed terribly.What telco do you use? When wse are overseas my partner gets a local sim for data, GPS etc and I simply keep my Optus phone on for anyone who wants to call ... a call is $1.50 a minute and a text is .50 cents ... for the amount of use it gets it works out very cheap.

When you are on the cruise will you actually have phone access?Nosara is a great place...good road all the way until the detour by the gas station at the Samara entrance...around 10 kms of dusty road and some pot holds...great surfing area...you can surf...Guioes and Playa Pelada plus Nosara....and of course monkies and TURTLES a lot of them...just check Nosara arrivadas.

Nice rice about 4 hours from SJO...you can take road 27 then conect with Pan Am Hwy ...all the way to Limonal maybe a nice stop at restaurant MI FINCA some great ara macaws flying FREE as they are supposed to be...

Then take the road right across MI FINCA that is the AMISTAD bridge...all the way to Nicoya...go to ton then about 45 mintes to the Nosara detour..

Then to Mnuel Antonio...back to Nicoya...back to AMISTAD bridge road,,,back to Pan Am Hwy all the wat to the road 27 detour...all the way passing Caldera....take the detour to road 34 in Orotina then about 1,45 miinues to Paquita then to Manuel Antonio....can be around 4.30 minutes.

Back to SJO take road 34 then in Orotina take the detour to road 27th all the way until you see Coyol detour ...back to Pan Am Hwy///then 15 minutes to SJO

I based my driving times in my well over 50 years driving in my country...firs hand advice 100%.

My driving times can be minutes more minutes less...and of course based on weather, traffic, etc

Sorry I can not offer any links.

roadadvsiorHi there,

My husband and I are travel to Vietnam for the first time this coming April. We fly in and out of HCMC and have 9 nights. We generally like to mix things up a bit, my husband is interested in the war history, we like a bit of the hustle and bustle of the city but also would like a few days at a beach somewhere. We like to be able to eat outside the hotel and prefer places with a bit of life and not dead quiet. We're not really the kind of people to sit on the beach all day everyday, we like to walk, etc, drink and take in some of the local history.

I was thinking a few days in HCMC, then then a trip to the Mekong Delta and the war tunnels and then Nah Trang or other beach area or islands that has some life and isn't too remote then one or 2 nights back in HCMC before flying out. Alternatively, rather than Nah Trang we could fly up to Da Nang and Hoi An.

We only have 9 nights so don't want to be moving around too much so would appreciate it if anyone has suggestions for an itinerary that doesn't involve to much flying around.

Many thanks!I will travel to Cambodia in April, stay for 3 weeks, then continue to Singapore and later Vietnam.

For Vietnam I just applied for an eVisa (Germany is included in the list of countries)>

Thing is, on June 3rd, I will re-enter Cambodia again for 2 days.

1) Will I have to hand in another 30 buck and a passport picture to enter Cambodia.

Basically issue a brand new Visa, even I only stay for 2 days and then fly back to Thailand.

2) also. does anybody have info on Mekong Delta Tours?

Should I travel from Saigon to Ben Tre, Can Tho and finally Chau Doc *border crossing and speedboat to Phnon Penh) on my own?Re: 8 days in Japan flying in and out of Narita) - Jan 2019

5. Re: 8 days in Japan flying in and out of Narita) - Jan 2019

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We remove posts that do not follow our posting guidelines, and we reserve the right to remove any post for any reason.A huge thank you for this forum

A huge thank you for this forum

Many, many thanks to everyone. Not only those who replied to my posts or private messages, but to everyone contributing, as I got so many great tips from reading other travelers doubts!

I took as a base for planning this article:

We are a family of 4. 2 adults and 2 girls (12 & 8 yo).

We visited:

- Tokyo (hotel in Shinjuku, explored Shibuya, Ueno, Asakusa, Odaiba, Ginza, Harajuku, among others)

- Takayama (Visited town and did Shinhotaka tour - incl ropeway, shack, onsen and bus)

- Kyoto (moved through the city and visited countles wonderful shrines, incl Kinkaku-ji, Arashiyama, and others)

- Nara (great day trip from Kyoto)

- Osaka (Got to move around the city a lot. Finished our tour by Dotonbori for dinner)

- Hiroshima (Spent only one night, but it was so worth it. Had Okonimiyaki Hiroshima Style. Hotel across peace memorial park and the dome)

- Miyajima (As a side trip from Hiroshima. Ropeway was off but had a great time and loved it!)

- Hakone (Stayed at a Ryokan. It was perfect. Got the Hakone free pass and did the whole tour, had black eggs!)

- Tokyo (Disney both parks - Crazy busy but lovely! - We skipped our last afternoon to go back to Takeshita St. and Shibuya Crossing).

Everything was perfectly timed, we used Ta Q Bin (from Tokyo to Kyoto) and JP Post from Kyoto back to Tokyo and went smoothly. This made our life so much easier!!

JR pass is a blessing. We reserved all our seats the day we got to Tokyo, prior to boarding the Narita Express.

We had a mobile wi fi device and got connection throughout the whole trip. Even Takayama and in the mountains.

We may have missed some attractions / visits, but we got back home very satisfied with our tour. We loved Japan.

Ready to answer any questions future travelers may have!

Thanks again to everyone.

Mx

Edited: 3 years agoHi everyone! My husband and I were planning to book a trip to the Maldives this July to celebrate our 5th Wedding Anniversary. But, given the political unrest there, we are looking at an alternative and we have landed on Fiji.

We would still love the same sort of intimate/private experience that the resort islands in Maldives offers with freestanding villas/burres and not very crowded/secluded beach.

We are looking for luxury accommodations with a great view, and possibly a pool. In our research thus far, we've got two hotels on the short list: Royal Duvai and Tokoriki. I like that each offer the possibility of going to a private island for a day. We also need a resort with a gym. Otherwise, we are pretty easy as far as activities go. We are looking to do an all-inclusive/meal plan.

Can anyone recommend either resort? Have you been and are the meal plans truly all-inclusive or do you need to also pay for drinks? Are there any other resorts we should consider? (Budget is approx. $1,000/night with meals).

I appreciate any and all insight!Hi all - taking a short trip into NY. We will be traveling to Annapolis to pick my kiddo up after her STEM camp at the Naval Academy and then spending the weekend in NY.

Ive been debating where to stay. Im currently booked in NJ with access to the Secaucus Station - taking it to Penn Station.

What I deliberate on is paying quite a bit more per night to stay in the City but the cost of parking is crazy! Ive also wondered about staying in VRBO but while the rates are decent, I dont know where Id park my rental car.

The hotel we have in NJ has free parking and use of their shuttle to the train station and is about $150 per night.

Travel would take place third weekend in June and wed need a rental because were flying in and out of BWI. Im truing to stay under $250 per night all in.

Need opinions on staying where I currently am or moving into the city given our short stay.- Identity of a Kenyan man who stole KSh 137 million in Dubai has been released

- Photos of the man, identified as Charles Karanja have fast gone viral on social media with most Kenyans praying for his safety

- As reported by TUKO.co.ke earlier, Karanja who was working as a security guard, distracted his colleagues before making away with the money en-route ATMs

The identity of a Kenyan man who recently made worldwide headlines after stealing KSh 137 million in Dubai has finally been revealed.

TUKO.co.ke has learnt that the man, who has been on the run following the heist has been identified as Charles Karanja.

Send 'NEWS' to 40227 to receive all the important breaking news as it happens

READ ALSO: Seneta wa Jubilee amtahadharisha Ruto kuhusu 2022 kufuatia maridhiano ya Uhuru-Raila

His identity was released by Dubai security agents who also shared his photos.

Kenyan man who stole KSh 137 million in Dubai identified.Photo: Mombasa Toa Dongo Lako/Facebook

READ ALSO: Hessy puts yet another group of pretty Nairobi gangsters on his radar, asks them to surrender or face bullets

Photos of Karanja excited quite a number of Kenyans on social media, with many praying that he gets off the hook.

Reports from Dubai intimated that the guard intercepted a vehicle ferrying money at a mall in Dubai on Saturday, March 3 then proceeded to flee.

The vehicle was supposed to take the money to an ATM.

READ ALSO: NTV news anchor Larry Madowo nursing injuries after surviving an accident

Kenyan man who stole KSh 137 million in Dubai identified.Photo: Mombasa Toa Dongo Lako/Facebook

READ ALSO: Kenyan soldier evokes anger online after firing gun and risking lives on live Facebook video

As reported by TUKO.co.ke earlier, Karanja who was working as a security guard, distracted his colleagues before making away with the money.

Karanja is said to have lied to his colleagues that he had gone to the restroom but was not seen again after that.

Kenyan man who stole KSh 137 million in Dubai identified.Photo: Kilimani Mums/Facebook

It is then when his fellow guards knew they had been robbed. A manhunt for Karanja who is of Kenyan descent was launched by Dubai authorities, with his whereabouts remaining a mystery.

ALSO WATCH: Kenyan's defend disabled hawker arrested by police

Source: Tuko- PSV night drivers and long haul motorists are set to undergo a refresher course training

- NTSA launched the new standardised curriculum targeting PSV motorists especially night drivers in the country

- This comes barely days after the government rolled out a vetting process on all matatu Saccos and operators

- NTSA had embarked on a vetting exercise on all driving schools in an attempt to curb road carnage that continue to haunt Kenyan roads

The National Transport and Safety Authority rolled out a new standardised curriculum which will see all Public Service Vehicles (PSV) night drivers and long distance motorists undergo a refresher training course.

This after a series of freak accidents witnessed recently on Kenyan roads.

PSV night drivers undergo fresh training after a series of deadly accidents: Photo: NTSA/ Facebook

READ ALSO: NTSA to vet all driving schools within 14 days

The move comes hot in the heels after NTSA began a massive vetting exercise on all matatu operators and Saccos in the country.

According to the Safety Authority, the exerise was intended to ensure Saccos and companies comply with law and at the same time to deregister those who contravene the set rules and regulations.

READ ALSO: Injera, Ouma make Vancouver Dream Team as Kenya bags silver at World Rugby Sevens in Canada

PSV night drivers undergo fresh training after a series of deadly accidents. Photo: NTSA/ Facebook

Early this month, the road watchdog had launched a crack down on all driving schools in an effort to curb the high rate of road traffic crashes attributed to incompetency of drivers.

The exercise was further expected to weed out the driving schools operating without the set requirements.

ALSO WATCH: Kenyan's defend disabled hawker arrested by police

Source: Breaking NewsHis Highness Sheikh Abdullah bin Hamad Al Thani, Deputy Emir of the State of Qatar, attended this mornings opening ceremony of the sixth edition of the Doha International Maritime Defence Exhibition and Conference (DIMDEX 2018), being held at the Qatar National Convention Center, representing His Highness Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, Emir of the State of Qatar.

His Highness Sheikh Abdullah bin Hamad Al Thani, Deputy Emir of the State of Qatar, attended this mornings opening ceremony of the sixth edition of the Doha International Maritime Defence Exhibition and Conference (DIMDEX 2018), being held at the Qatar National Convention Center, representing His Highness Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, Emir of the State of Qatar.

Opening ceremony of the sixth edition of the Doha International Maritime Defence Exhibition and Conference (DIMDEX 2018)



His Highness inaugurated the 10th anniversary edition of DIMDEX in the presence of H.E. Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa Al Thani, The Prime Minster and Minster of Interior; H.E. Dr. Khalid bin Mohammad Al Attiyah, Deputy Prime Minster and Minster of State for Defense Affairs; and H.E. Major General Abdullah bin Hassan Al Sulaiti, Commander of the Qatar Emiri Naval Forces; in addition to various VIP officials, Diplomatic dignitaries, Ambassadors, Military officials, corporate delegates, as well as several military and naval officers.

H.E. Major General Abdullah bin Hassan Al Sulaiti, Commander of the Qatar Emiri Naval Forces, gave an opening speech and said: DIMDEX is the direct result of our Leaderships wise vision that reflects Qatar's continuous role in enhancing the regions security and stability, and unifying naval efforts for the major impact it has on the regional and global security. He added: The conditions and turmoil witnessed today across this vital region of the world certainly calls the need for combining efforts, enhancing coordination, and exchanging information and experiences to achieve the objectives we all aspire to.

His Highness Sheikh Abdullah bin Hamad Al Thani, Deputy Emir of the State of Qatar, inaugurated the 10th anniversary edition of DIMDEX in the presence of H.E. Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa Al Thani, The Prime Minster and Minster of Interior; H.E. Dr. Khalid bin Mohammad Al Attiyah, Deputy Prime Minster and Minster of State for Defense Affairs; and H.E. Major General Abdullah bin Hassan Al Sulaiti, Commander of the Qatar Emiri Naval Forces. Navy Recognition picture.



H.E. Major General Al Sulaiti concluded his speech thanking the Emir of the State of Qatar, in which under his wise guidance the standards of the sixth edition of DIMDEX exceeded all previous editions.

Mr. Nasser Hassan Al Naimi, Managing Director of Barzan Holdings, the recently announced strategic partner of DIMDEX 2018, said that Barzan Holdings comprises of three key pillars including investing in defence and security companies, research and development, and participating in strategic military forces procurements. He also highlighted the company was established by the Ministry of Defence as a strategic military investment company aimed at supporting Qatar in becoming a hub for the development of next-generation defence products, by enhancing national sovereignty, human capital, and transfer of knowledge.

Official delegation at DIMDEX 2018



Following the speeches, H.E. Dr. Khalid bin Mohamed Al-Attiyah presented His Highness Sheikh Abdullah bin Hamad Al Thani with a ceremonial shield, followed by a tour around the participating stands at the exhibition viewing the latest defence equipment, tools and systems.

The Doha International Maritime Defence Exhibition and Conference 2018 runs from 12 to 14 March at the Qatar National Convention Center. In its sixth edition, DIMDEX 2018 is celebrating its 10th anniversary, under the theme World-Class Platform for Technology, Maritime & Defence Industry Capabilities. At the exhibition, DIMDEX is featuring many activities including the Middle East Naval Commanders Conference, which will be held tomorrow March 13th, the exhibiting of the visiting warships at the Hamad Port, as well as VIP and senior officials visits from various parts of the world.

The Doha International Maritime Defence Exhibition and Conference is considered one of the regions leading events that reaffirms the importance of mutual benefits related to global security and defence. The event offers industry leaders valuable information about the protection of vital maritime infrastructure and commercial roads which global economies depend on. DIMDEX also supports in the strengthening of Dohas position as a business hub by attracting visitors, exhibitors, decision makers, and VIP members from across the world. DIMDEX also offers global companies exceptional trading and business opportunities in vital and active markets.

Barzan Holding was officially launched today during DIMDEX 2018, and was established by Ministry of Defence aimed at enhancing military capabilities and investment in the defence industry. The company would also support research and development efforts in the field of military technology.- Kalonzo Musyoka,Musalia Mudavadi and Moses Wetangula finally agreed to the Raila Odinga and President Uhuru Kenyatta's new found camaraderie

- The three said Raila had briefed them on what transpired between him and Uhuru during secret talks which happened in their absence

- The principals who spoke during a press briefing attended by Raila said they were for a structured dialogue to take Kenya forward

- The briefing came after a joint meeting attended by all the NASA principals on Monday,March 12

NASA co principals have finally found some common ground regarding the future of Raila Odinga and President Uhuru Kenyatta's new found camaraderie.

TUKO.co.ke has learnt that the co-principals, during a high stake summit held on Monday, March 12, agreed that the best way to take the country forward was to engage with the Jubilee regime.

Send 'NEWS' to 40227 to receive all the important breaking news as it happens

READ ALSO: Mambo 7 yaliyomo kwenye makubaliano mapya kati ya Uhuru na Raila

NASA co-principals Mudavadi,Kalonzo,Wetangula finally welcome Raila-Uhuru political deal. Photo: Facebook.com/NASA

READ ALSO: Raila attends NASA summit despite earlier reports indicating he won't be present

There was initial bad blood between Raila and his three other co principals Musalia Mudavadi, Moses Wetangula and Kalonzo Musyoka.

Raila's co principals were left disgruntled for being left in the dark regarding a possible truce with Uhuru.

Kalonzo and other NASA co principals were left pondering after Raila-Uhuru meeting. Photo: Facebook.com/Kalonzo

READ ALSO: Government reinstates NASA leaders' security detail, passports after Uhuru-Raila unity deal

ANC party leader Mudavadi however said in a statement that the leaders had decied to support the move for dialogue as a way to end the political stalemate.

"Following a briefing by Raila Odinga on the talks between him and the President, the summit registers its appreciation on the opening of the doors for constructive dialogue as initiated by the two leaders and the framework for and consequent steps to be taken to address the issues of national concern," said Mudavadi while reading a brief statement on behalf of the NASA co-principals.

NASA co principals during the media briefing after holding an intense summit to iron out issues . Photo: Kalonzo/Facebook

READ ALSO: Uhuru should be very careful with his deal with Raila - Mutahi Ngunyi warns

Things were however looking bleak earlier in day when Railas spokesperson Dennis Onyango told media that the NASA leader was not aware of any summit.

Despite the reports, Raila arrived at the meeting to iron out matters with his co-principals.

The leaders could even afford a laugh despite the hostilities that had been going on in the last few days. Photo: Kalonzo/Facebook

READ ALSO: MPs from Nyanza region support Uhuru-Raila pact, urge Kenyans to rally behind the two leaders

A number of significant developments have occured barely 48 hours after Uhuru and Raila announced before Kenyans that they would be willing to work out a solution for the political standoff.

NASA strategist David Ndii announced the suspension of the People's Assembly, and at the same time, NASA legislators had their security detail reinstated.

Mudavadi and the rest of the co-principals have now made it clear that while they were left in the dark about Railas meeting with Uhuru, they were fully behind constructive dialogue.

Have anything to add to this article or suggestions? Share with us on news@tuko.co.ke

Kenyan's defend disabled hawker arrested by police:

Source: Tuko Breaking News Latest- One of Kenya's hottest preachers, Monica Nyambura walked down the aisle with her better half on Friday, March 9

- The two are currently on their 10-day honeymoon in Dubai

- Pastor Monica had previously made headlines with her astonishing beauty and flamboyance

- Monica is among the new breed of hot female pastors who have been rocking the airwaves in the recent past

Kenya's hottest preacher Monica Nyambura Kibui finally walked down the aisle with the love of her life Samuel Gichuki Kariuki on Friday, March 9.

The two exchanged their marital vows in an invite-only wedding held along Kiambu road, TUKO.co.ke has learnt.

Send 'NEWS' to 40227 to receive all the important breaking news as it happens

READ ALSO: Namtaka mwanaume wa kushiriki ngono naye mara kwa mara, kama wataka nitumie ujumbe - mwigizaji wa Afrosinema atangaza

The Prophetic Hour Ministry preacher had previously made headlines with her astonishing beauty and flamboyance.

Self-styled prophetess Monica Kariuki weds in a colourful ceremony. Photo: Monica Kariuki/Facebook

Self-styled prophetess Monica Kariuki weds in a colourful ceremony. Photo: Monica Kariuki/Facebook

READ ALSO: Pregnant Lilian Muli gives fans a sneak peak of her flamboyant living room and its classy AF

Photos of her left countless men high and not so dry as they made rounds on social media a couple of months ago.

Well, pastor Monica seems to have found her better half whom she wants to spend the rest of her life with and make a lot of babies while at it.

Self-styled prophetess Monica Kariuki weds in a colourful ceremony. Photo: Monica Kariuki/Facebook

Self-styled prophetess Monica Kariuki weds in a colourful ceremony. Photo: Monica Kariuki/Facebook

READ ALSO: Kenyans demonstrate raw hatred for Waiguru after being featured on True Love magazine as an inspirational figure

TUKO.co.ke has learnt that monica and her hubby have known each other for three years and have been in a serious romantic relationship for the past 6 months.

Their grand wedding came barely days after Kariuki made to Monica's home and paid the bride price, as it is with the African tradition.

Self-styled prophetess Monica Kariuki weds in a colourful ceremony. Photo: Monica Kariuki/Facebook

Speaking in an interview with a local daily prior to her big day, pastor Monica revealed that she would be heading for a 10-day honeymoon in Dubai where they would make babies.

TUKO.co.ke managed to get a hold of photos from Pastor Monica's wedding and honeymoon.

READ ALSO: Identity of Kenyan man who stole KSh 137 million in Dubai revealed

Monica is among the new breed of hot female pastors who have been rocking the airwaves in the recent past.

Others in her league include the hot pastor Natasha who recently broke the internet with her flamboyant lifestyle.

ALSO WATCH: Kenyan's defend disabled hawker arrested by police

Source: Breaking News- Uganda's President Yoweri Musevei appears to believe that the main reason why most Africans are poor is because they spend too much time enjoying their slumber instead of working

- The president argues that though African countries are blessed with abundance of natural resources such as land, water and minerals, the resources remain underutilized because of sleep

- The president challenged Ugandans and Africans in general to change their sleeping habits

That Africa is blessed with abundance of natural resources such as water, land, minerals and oil is not in doubt, but if that is the case then why are most Africans still wallowing in poverty?

Addressing residents of Dokolo District in Uganda over the weekend, President Yoweri Museveni said the main reason why Africans in general are poor, despite being surrounded by resources, is because they spend too much time sleeping.

Send 'NEWS' to 40227 to receive all the important breaking news as it happens

Africa is so rich because we have got water, land, minerals, good weather, name it. So, how does this poverty come about? It is because of 'oversleeping', he said as quoted by Uganda's Daily Monitor.

READ ALSO: Namtaka mwanaume wa kushiriki ngono naye mara kwa mara, kama wataka nitumie ujumbe - mwigizaji wa Afrosinema atangaza

President Yoweri Museveni argued though African countries are blessed with abundance of natural resources , the resource remain underutilized because of sleep.Photo:The Insider.

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The Ugandan strongman blamed Africans, and more specifically Ugandans, for their poverty and even supported his position with a verse from prayer book.

"Africans, as the prayer book of the Church of Uganda says, 'leave undone as they ought to do and they do things that they are not meant to do. That is why you get poverty in places that have got a lot of wealth, he said.

READ ALSO: President Museveni stuns Ugandans and the world yet again

From Museveni's point of view, people should spend less time resting and more time working if they want to become rich or avoid poverty.

Not everyone is, however, likely to fully agree with the Ugandan president on grounds that poverty may also be as a result of several other factors such as corruption, poor access to quality education, to mention a few.

READ ALSO: Museveni requests Ugandan Women to produce not more than 4 children

As was previously reported by TUKO.co.ke, Museveni himself is on record urging Ugandans to embrace family planning because he understands that overpopulation can also result in poverty and other challenges.

Uhuru Kenyatta and Raila Odinga: Full Speech at Harambee House - On Tuko TV

Source: Tuko.co.keIt looks like the Gary Griffith vs the PSC matter is set to go all the way to the Privy Council. But Griffith's lead attorney, Senior Counsel Ramesh Lawrence Maharaj tells TV6, the determination should be quick, as he has already put the Privy Council on alert.President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko has stated that a UN peacekeeping mission should be deployed in Donbas as soon as possible.

In a post on his Facebook page, he wrote: I will do everything possible so that a UN peacekeeping mission be deployed in occupied Donbas as soon as possible. This is the only option that can stop the murder of Ukrainians, both civilians and servicepersons, and that can resume the Ukrainian sovereignty in occupied Donbas".

President Poroshenko stressed that for this Russias withdrawal from the occupied territories would be enough.

iyRussian-backed militants launched four attacks on positions of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the anti-terrorist operation (ATO) area in Donbas over the past day.

This is reported by the ATO Headquarters press center.

In Luhansk direction, illegal armed formations opened fire from grenade launchers and heavy machine guns on the Ukrainian strongholds near Troitske (69km west of Luhansk), Luhanske (59km north-east of Donetsk) and Novozvanivka (70km west of Luhansk).

In Donetsk direction, the enemy used large-caliber machine guns and small arms to shell the ATO forces in the area of Verkhniotoretske (22km north-east of Donetsk).

As a result of the enemy attacks, one Ukrainian serviceman was killed. Other three soldiers were wounded. They were taken to a military mobile hospital and received the necessary amount of medical aid.

ishPrime Minister of Ukraine Volodymyr Groysman has said that Ukraine and Latvia may double the level of commodity turnover up to $800 million.

Ukraine and Latvia are ready to double mutual commodity turnover - up to $800 million. We are working on the projects of joint companies to enter third-country markets. We discussed this with businessmen from Riga, Liepaja and other cities of the Republic of Latvia last week," Groysman wrote on his Facebook page.

According to him, agricultural producers, representatives of the cosmetic and pharmaceutical industry, IT sector and transport industry attended the meetings.

I'm interested in business success. It is the basis of economy, the source of investment, and the key impetus for the development of the state, Groysman stressed.

As Ukrinform earlier reported, Prime Minister Volodymyr Groysman was on an official visit to Latvia on March 1-2. In particular, the Ukrainian prime minister held meetings with Latvias President Raimonds Vejonis and Prime Minister Maris Kucinskis. The delegations of the two countries agreed to strengthen the political dialogue and enhance economic cooperation in the context of mutual commodity turnover, as well as implement common projects in third-country markets.

iyUkraine demands that Russia should fulfill the Stockholm Arbitrations decision on gas transit contracts.

Prime Minister Volodymyr Groysman stated this at a joint briefing with High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Federica Mogherini, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.

We have discussed the decision of the Stockholm arbitration - Ukraine adheres to the position that the courts decision should be fulfilled. We, as a democratic civilized country, do not give estimations [of decisions] of the court, but we say that it should be fulfilled, and we demand that Russia, Gazprom should comply with the decision of the Stockholm arbitration, the prime minister said.

As Ukrinform earlier reported, on February 28, the Arbitration Institute of the Stockholm Chamber of Commerce obliged Gazprom to pay NJSC Naftogaz $4.63 billion in compensation for the failure to meet its gas transit obligations. According to Naftogaz, this ruling means that Gazprom must pay Ukraine about $2.56 billion, taking into account the final payment for gas supplied in 2014 and 2015.

Gazprom, after the Stockholm arbitration decision not in its favor, had launched the process of terminating contracts for the supply and transit of gas with Ukraine's Naftogaz.

iyAt DIMDEX 2018, the Doha International Maritime Defence Exhibition & Conference currently held in Doha, Qatar, BAE Systems is showcascing for the very first time the proposed design for the Type 31e frigate competition in the UK. BAE Systems has brought together its warship design and engineering capability and combat systems expertise with Cammell Laird, the commercial shipbuilder, in a Teaming Agreement to bid for the contract to deliver Type 31e, the UKs adaptable general purpose frigate.

At DIMDEX 2018, the Doha International Maritime Defence Exhibition & Conference currently held in Doha, Qatar, BAE Systems is showcascing for the very first time the proposed design for the Type 31e frigate competition in the UK. BAE Systems has brought together its warship design and engineering capability and combat systems expertise with Cammell Laird, the commercial shipbuilder, in a Teaming Agreement to bid for the contract to deliver Type 31e, the UKs adaptable general purpose frigate.

BAE Systems is showcasing its Type 31e on an interactive screen at DIMDEX 2018



A key part of the Type 31e programme is configuring the new frigate and its Combat Management System to be attractive to potential international customers.

BAE Systems design of this highly capable multi-mission warship demonstrates the flexibility of the ship to meet all warfare roles. Using a flexible mission bay that can be reconfigured at short notice it can perform constabulary, disaster relief, maritime interdiction, counter-piracy and joint taskforce operations.

Type 31e can accommodate one Wildcat helicopter



With a proposed top speed in excess of 25 knots and a range of more than 7,500 miles, BAE Systems design is equipped with some of the most modern and effective weapons systems available, and has been designed to operate in international waters, including the Gulf. It is capable of operating both independently for significant periods and as part of a task group, offering enormous value in bringing together allied maritime nations.

Type 31e mission bay (pictured here) is similar in concept to the one BAE Systems designed for the Type 26



The Type 31e design being proposed for the UK Royal Navy will also feature an enhanced BAE Systems combat system. Building on the pedigree of the systems installed across the UK Royal Navys fleet this combat system will add enhanced features through its open, secure, flexible and extensive architecture, ensuring it can be upgraded as new technology develops, adapting to ever-evolving threats.

Angus Holt, BAE Systems Type 31e Programme Director, said: We are proud to be displaying our Type 31e design at DIMDEX, the first opportunity for international audiences to see this highly capable ship. Our Type 31e design builds on the proven design and quality of our ships, including Type 45, Offshore Patrol Vessels and the Khareef vessels delivered to the Royal Navy of Oman. It also draws upon the invaluable experience of our Type 26 Global Combat Ship programme, giving us the confidence that we are able to offer a highly advanced ship that can be deployed for a variety of purposes around the world.

At DIMDEX, Type 31e is shown fitted with a 76mm main gun, 12x VLS for Sea Ceptor, 8x Harpoon anti-ship missiles, Mk 41 VLS, 2x secondary artillery mounts and a Phalanx CIWS. Configuration is highly adaptable and depends on customer requirements.



According to BAE Systems, the Type 31e will be a highly capable multi-mission warship, designed to deliver the full range of warfare from complex combat operations to maritime security and humanitarian assistance. The flexible mission bay means these ships can be adapted to support different missions within a short space of time.

The ship will be equipped with some of the most modern and effective weapons systems available and will take full advantage of open systems architecture so it can easily be upgraded as new technology develops, ensuring it is adaptable to the evolving threats of tomorrow.

It will be capable of operating independently for significant periods or as part of a task group. With the potential to accommodate sub-systems to meet individual country needs, the design offers enormous value in bringing together allied maritime nations.



Type 31e basic specifications:

Displacement: 3,677 tonnes

Speed: 25+ knots

Range: in excess of 7500 nautical miles

Length: 117 meters

Beam: 14.6 meters

Crew: 98 (variable depending on requirements)

Accommodation: 138 berthsOn March 12-13, a considerable avalanche danger is expected in Lviv and Zakarpattia regions of Ukraine.

The State Emergency Service reported this with a reference to the Ukrainian Hydrometeorological Center's forecasts.

On March 12-13, a considerable (III) level of avalanche risk is expected in mountainous areas of Lviv and Zakarpattia regions, the report reads.

ishUkrainian Prime Minister Volodymyr Groysman has invited EU High Representative for Foreign Policy and Security Policy Federica Mogherini to attend an international conference on reforms in Ukraine that will be held in Copenhagen, Denmark, in June.

He said this at a joint briefing on Monday, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.

"The second conference on reforms in Ukraine will be held in Copenhagen in June, the first one was in London in 2017. I invited Ms. Mogherini to participate in this conference. I am confident that this will be a very productive event," Groysman said.

Groysman and Mogherini discussed the state of affairs on the implementation of the Association Agreement with the EU and outlined plans for cooperation for 2018.

In addition, the Ukrainian PM also told the EU High Representative that the growth of Ukraines national economy at the level of 5% was a priority for the government. He recalled that 3% of GDP was budgeted this year.

ishUkraine needs to create an Anti-Corruption Court as soon as possible, and it should be completely independent.

EU High Representative for Foreign Policy and Security Policy Federica Mogherini said this at a meeting with Ukrainian Prime Minister Volodymyr Groysman in Kyiv, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.

"An Anti-Corruption Court should be completely independent in accordance with the recommendations of the Venice Commission. This is very important for the country, for the business environment, investment climate, reforms in the energy sector and land reform. This will open up a high potential of Ukraine," Mogherini said.

According to her, non-governmental organizations play an important role in the fight against corruption, since it is impossible to overcome such a negative phenomenon without them.

ishThe United Kingdom intends to keep sanctions on Russia until the return of Crimea to Ukraine.

The UK Embassy in Ukraine informed this on its Twitter page.

"Four years ago Russia began its illegal annexation of Crimea and has been forcing its influence on the population ever since. We must maintain Crimea-related sanctions until its return to Ukraine," the statement reads.

Previously, the British Embassy in Ukraine called on Russia to release the Ukrainian political prisoners.

ishOn February 1, 2016, French commercial channel Canal+ was the first to show a scandalous film by director Paul Moreira "Ukraine: The Masks of the Revolution." The film was shown despite the request of the Ukrainian Embassy in France since it misrepresents events in Ukraine during the Revolution of Dignity and is a "powerful propaganda weapon." The film sparked sharp criticism from France's influential media, prominent intellectuals, the Ukrainian community, and French journalists who cover events in Ukraine.

It happened so that Anna Jaillard-Chesanovska, a Ukrainian journalist, translator who has lived in France for a long time, worked on the translation of two interviews for the film. Without knowing it, Anna joined the creation of a propaganda product, but at the same time she became the only witness to the process of its creation, who had the courage not to keep silent about it. Film director Moreira filed a lawsuit against Anna, and a court obliged the journalist to pay the director 13,000 euros in moral damages. An appeal was considered a few days ago, and a court ruling is expected in a month.

Anna Jaillard-Chesanovska spoke in an exclusive interview with Ukrinform about the details of this case, Russia's influence in France on the perception of events in Ukraine, and about why the French know about Russia more than about Ukraine.

Q: Anna, how did it happen that many people spoke out against the film, it was criticized by French journalists, intellectuals, but the film director filed a lawsuit against you?

A: I think that there are two reasons for this. The first one is personal. I worked on the translation of two interviews for this movie. Moreira then contacted me with the request to translate an interview with Mosiychuk (Ihor Mosiychuk, a former spokesman of the Azov battalion, a deputy of the Verkhovna Rada, who called the film falsified and asked the SBU to ban Moreira from entering Ukraine) and Biletsky (Andriy Biletsky, former commander of the Azov battalion, deputy of the Verkhovna Rada). I used to work for this production company. I did the translations of media reports for them. I knew that they were produced a good product. At the time Canal+ was more adequate than it is now. When it was bought by Vincent Bollore, a French tycoon, changes were made there. For example, it is indicative that some of the archival videos criticizing National Front leader Marine Le Pen, which could be viewed on the Internet, were removed. That is very strange.

When we negotiated with Moreira, I did not know about changes on the channel, they were still in the process. When I started working, I was sure that French journalists and television workers would make a good report. For several years now, I have been working for French television specifically for projects dealing with Ukraine and Russia, and the quality of the final product has never been thrown into question.

I also assume that the film director was very offended by the fact that a girl-translator touched him on the raw. Unlike all other journalists who criticized the film itself, I was the only person involved in the process, saw the real video clips, and had something to compare.

The second reason is that I am the most vulnerable target, because I do not have the support of journalist unions, my name is unknown and, of course, it is much easier to win a lawsuit against a Ukrainian woman than against any well-known French journalist who criticized Moreira's work.

Q: Did Moreira tell you about the plot of the movie?

A: Yes, I asked him about it. He described it as a movie about volunteer battalions and volunteers. He also said that it would be about the Right Sector and Azov. I then replied to him that it was very good to make such a report, because there are many myths and legends about volunteer battalions, and that objective information should be provided on this topic. So I translated two interviews that did not contain anything shocking. There were some phrases that could not be said on French television, but there was nothing special about it.

The film was shown for the first time on February 1, 2016. Just a week before the release of the movie, some French journalists asked me how it turned out that I was working on a propaganda film. I was surprised. My colleagues passed the movie to me, because Moreira sent it to them before the screening so that they could appreciate it. After I watched the film, I was shocked.

I had a feeling that the author was going to shoot something scandalous and focus on a specific topic. That is, he shot a film about the far right, about the Right Sector, about Azov, but he presents them as forces that govern Ukraine, that the Revolution of Dignity was organized by them. These are theses disseminated by Russian propaganda against Ukraine.

Q: What about your part of work? In what form were the interviews that you translated?

A: As I wrote for Liberation: "The editing of the interview completely distorted the original words and was made so as to coincide with the picture of Ukraine that the author wanted to present. It was difficult to recognize the original version of the conversation and understand the true meaning of statements made by persons interviewed. Thanks to clever deception, sharp cut-off phrases, tragic music and depiction of violence, two people whose words I translated looked like wild creatures obsessed with stupid and malicious nationalist ideas." Moreira filed a lawsuit against me for this criticism.

It takes a lot of time to describe in detail, because very delicate work was done, and they produced a film that pours water on the Kremlin mill. In general, I wrote two articles, the first one for Liberation about manipulation with film editing, about how a journalist can take an interview.

The second article was published on the Huffington Post blog. It was a translation of an interview of producer Yulia Serdyukova with Hromadske TV, in which she accused Moreira of having stolen a few clips from her documentary "All Things Ablaze." I translated this interview and published it with a short description.

A few months later, I was summoned to court, because Moreira sued me for libel.

Q: What else do you remember about the work that was done for this film?

A: When I watched the film for the first time, I saw that in the titles there is only my last name as a translator. In fact, one more translator also worked on the film. She translated completely the rest of the material for this film, organized all interviews in Ukraine, but her name were not mentioned in the titles.

I then wrote to Moreira and asked him to remove my last name from the titles for this movie, because I did not want to give the impression that I participated in the work he did. When the movie was released, there was no surname there.

Q: Do you have original interviews that you translated?

A: No, unfortunately, I have nothing left, because when translators go to work on television, in the studio, they do translations at the computer of a journalist who is engaged in the material. Therefore, I do not have any clips or translations, unfortunately. I have no evidence except that I know and remember this. He (Moreira) also knows this, so it hampers him.

Q: What are accusations from Moreira's lawyers built on?

A: Moreira's defense team is very aggressive, because, in my opinion, when people do not have facts and evidence that they are right, they attack. Their defense is based not on evidence, but on personal accusations that have nothing to do with the case, like, for example, my civic position or circle of my friends, etc. They also represent Moreira as a well-known, objective journalist who works very objectively. They defend the scenario that in Ukraine there are many fascists and neo-Nazis who have a great influence on power, because the whole film is built on this. In order to prove this, they refer to this film and some of the articles that were written in France about the far right. Of course, we have them, but the question is how much influence they have in society. We know perfectly well that in the last election they gained a very small percentage of votes.

Moreira's representatives are trying to prove that I am connected with ultra-right forces. As evidence they use the fact that on Facebook I had a photo with Vasyl Slipak, a close friend of me and a fighter who died in the east, which was taken against the background of yellow-blue and red-black flags. They call this red and black flag the flag of the Right Sector, because they do not even know what the flag really means. My explanations that the flag of the Right Sector differs from this flag and that the one on the photo has existed since the Cossack times are not taken into account by judges.

In fact, the problem is that Ukraine is little known in France. That is, judges consider the case as my point of view and his (Moreira's) point of view, because they cannot rely on their knowledge or facts about Ukraine.

Q: But Moreira has the videos that you translated, and showing them in court may prove who is right. Were they added to the case?

A: Moreira's defense team does not provide those video interviews that I translated, despite the fact that my lawyer asked about this. They refused to do so. I stressed in court that these videos can prove that I'm not lying. But they do not provide them. At the same time, they speak about fascists, about what does not concern the case, and also make absurd accusations against me, for example, that I am funded by the Right Sector, that I am a neo-Nazi, that I was a spokesperson for the influential Euromaidan organization, which managed to get a ban on Moreira's movie in a certain country. Judges do not know how it really happened, what our Euromaidan generally means. Of course, when a person argues something so convincingly, even if he has no evidence, then the judges may have the impression that this may be a reality or inspire a suspicion.

What also "pleasantly" impressed me was a statement by the prosecutor that Moreira has no ties with Ukraine or Russia, so he is objective, because he is a French journalist and he has no reason to invent anything. But I, according to the prosecutor, have grounds for this, because I am Ukrainian, I have a biased vision and opinion, and I want to protect Ukraine. She said that I just did not like the movie and so I decided to write about it in such a manner.

I respond to such accusations that I did not like the film not because I am a Ukrainian or I am protecting Ukraine in any way, but because it does not reflect the real situation in Ukraine. Of course, this cannot be liked.

Moreira's lawyer said that when there is no money, you have to think twice before criticizing someone. That is, it turns out that if you have money, you can say anything, and when you have no money, it's better to keep silent.

Q: At what stage is the trial now, and what to expect next?

A: There has recently been consideration in a court of appeal, and its ruling will be received on April 4. Unfortunately, I do not count on a positive ruling, because I see and said this in court that this struggle is similar to confrontation between David and Goliath. Such a super-famous film director is against an activist, who, according to their claims, is financed by right forces.

Therefore, if there is a negative ruling, there is still a cassation court, and even after the cassation court, if everything is left as it was last time, it is possible to apply to the European Court of Human Rights. Moreover, everything in the European legislation is much clearer about freedom of speech, freedom of the press, slander. The lawyer explained to me that due to the fact that everything is much clearer there is a much greater chance of winning the case.

Q: I understand that the amount of a fine is high and you do not have the funds to pay it, but I know that you are actively supported by Ukrainians in France - and this amount, with the help of the community in France, and Ukraine, can be collected. Is it not just about money?

A: It's not just about money, but it's also important, because I do not have that amount. On the other hand, why should Ukrainians or anyone else pay a film director who so offended Ukraine? In fact, I am very supportive of Ukrainians both in France and Ukraine, and I am very grateful to them for that, because it gives me even more strength to continue the struggle. I, in turn, do not want a journalist who produced a biased film about Ukraine win this case.

He can assert in relation to this film that this was his opinion, but then I do not understand why a person who is confident that he is right is compelled to defend himself through a lie. After all, at the trial, for example, he said that he was sending the complete transcript of my translation to journalists of the Liberation blog in order to prove that my article is a lie. But it was not the case. I know pretty much that this is not the case, because I contacted people from Liberation and asked them whether they received a message with the transcript from Moreira and they replied that this was not the case and they did not receive anything. And if he had this script, why did not he bring it to court?

In this case, we cannot say that he was wrong. No, here he deliberately notes what does not exist. And that is the most shocking thing.

We also observe a very sneaky approach to the case. This is evidenced, for example, by the fact that Moreira's lawyer has handed over to us the latest elements of the case - the new ones that can be submitted to court before an appeal - just before the hearing. We had no time to read them carefully and respond adequately, and to think about what answer should be better given.

Q: Tell a little bit about yourself. How did you get to France? How did you start working as a journalist here?

A: I cannot say that I work in French journalism. I am not a French journalist. I am a Ukrainian journalist. I work with French journalists, write for Ukrainian media outlets about France, here I have a blog in French, but I do not deal with journalism as a profession.

I came to France 18 years ago to study, first of all, with the intention to learn French, return to Ukraine and work there, because I was already a journalist at the time. But it happened so that I stayed here and now I work here, more as a translator. That is, this is my official profession.

Q: I know from my own experience that a large number of French people are sympathetic and interested in everything that concerns Russia. What can explain this?

A: Yes, this Russophilia and interest in Russia have existed for a very long time, especially since the era of Napoleon, his campaign in Russia. Cultural ties between France and Russia have existed for several centuries. Our country was independent for a very short time and was viewed as a separate state. Some people here still perceive Ukraine as part of Russia.

In general, the French often view Russia as something exotic - snow, bears, black caviar. One can even say that the French love these exotica, not knowing how dangerous this love can be now.

Also, Russophilia in France is supported thanks to the strong Russian lobby, in which a lot of money is invested. There are exhibitions, concerts, various allegedly cultural events, to which, by the way, some indiscriminate Ukrainians are invited in order to create a picture of "one people."

This is manifested in detail. For example, they translate the name of "Kyivan Rus" in French as "Russie Kievienne" and "Russia" as "Russie." That is, we have a difference between Rus and Russia, and here we do not have it. I think that it was thought up very delicately.

Q: Is there any significant difference in the perception of the world, contemporary events by ordinary French people?

A: We have to admit that between French and Ukrainians, as well as between French and Russians, there is a huge chasm that cannot be overcome so easily. The mentality is very different, our history is very different. Ukrainian history is, in fact, very tragic. There are such things: if they are not experienced historically, not recorded at the DNA level of each representative of the nation, then it's impossible to understand this. It's like the full understanding the hungry. They did not experience this, therefore they cannot understand this, for example, the totalitarian nature of Russia. Yes, they read in books about the Gulag and repressions, but this remains something abstract for them. We all have some relatives who were expelled to Siberia, repressed, or those who died of the Holodomor. This is our story and it is at the same time the story of each, a personal tragedy, we experienced this and understand this with all the cells of our body.

French cannot even imagine that in the 21st century these abstract things for them can still exist on the European continent, and that in Moscow, in which you can arrive in a few hours by plane, there is a real dictator whose hands are in blood up to his elbows. They do not understand that Russia, which is the heir to the totalitarian Soviet regime, has in fact been left with such a regime, despite new technologies, despite the victory of democracy in Europe. And now the situation in Russia is returning more what was recorded in the 1930s, before the time of "Stalin's terror." Even the everyday life of a Russian in modern conditions or a Ukrainian under war conditions is something for the French that can no longer exist today.

Q: Listening to you, I cannot help but ask you. Did you associate Paul Moreira's suit against you and the imprisonment of Ukrinform's correspondent in France Roman Sushchenko with the fact that this might be a counteraction to those who can tell in France the truth about events in Ukraine?

A: I thought about it, and not only me. There are many friends of Roman, our mutual friends who support him. These are historians, journalists, and intellectuals. Of course, we spoke on this topic, because somehow this is all weird. It began with the trial of Moreira, and then they imprisoned Roman. I cannot say clearly, but it is very convenient when in France, in particular in Paris, there are no people who can write without fear about what they know and do not need explanations about the mechanisms of the Kremlin propaganda, because we know this due to our historical experience. This is definitely what distinguishes us from our French colleagues. As for Ukraine, for us these are our realities, which we know not from retellings. We do not have to first understand and then write about it. Therefore, such journalists are dangerous for the Kremlin, because they can decipher a lie, and this is the reason why I worry about my Ukrainian colleagues who work in France. I have the impression is that work is being done to discredit Ukrainian journalists.

Q: How did you work while Roman was in Paris?

A: Roman is a person I most often saw at all events. He ensured daily coverage of events in France as a representative of the news agency, and he worked very actively. Be it cultural events, exhibitions, events in the cultural center, concerts, political events, meetings, or negotiations, Roman was everywhere. When they accused him of being allegedly an intelligence colonel, it looked very absurd for us. That is, knowing how Roman works every day, how long time it takes for him, then in order to work as someone else, especially as an intelligence colonel, you need to have some super-possibilities so as to split up, simultaneously attending events and doing something else. I think it's the case - the bigger the lie is, the more absurd the information is given, the easier it can be believed. In fact, these accusations are even funny, but that would be funny if it weren't so sad.

Roman is always ready to share his contacts and tell about events. It is not very widespread in journalism, because journalists often love to keep information for themselves. Roman was not like that. He is a very generous, intelligent and reliable person. These are my memories of him. I was deeply shocked when he was arrested. And the first thing that came to my mind is that they are trying to kill a Ukrainian journalist.

Q: What would you like to tell Roman?

A: I want to say that we are very proud of him, that he is a man of great service, reliable, sincere. He is a great professional, a very glorious journalist and we lack him very much. This emptiness is felt. We lack him in the information sphere, in our friendly and professional circles. He should hold on and not lose hope and faith. We look forward to his release, and we hope that he will return to France and will be able to work even more, having his own terrible and important experience. Roman, hold on, we love you, wait for you and believe in you.

Olha Budnyk, Strasbourg-ParisThe EU also supports the idea of deploying a United Nations peacekeeping mission to Ukraine's east.

High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Federica Mogherini says that the Minsk agreements should be a major peace plan for Donbas, eastern Ukraine.

"The Minsk agreements have not yet been implemented in full, and we still believe that they should be. This is the aim of negotiations in the Trilateral Contact Group and the 'Normandy' format discussions. The Minsk agreements did manage to halt a dangerous escalation of violence, as was desperately needed. Secondly, they have provided the blueprint to resolving the situation we are faced with, in a way that fully respects Ukraine's territorial integrity and sovereignty," she told UNIAN in an interview on March 11.

Read alsoMogherini: No Ukraine fatigue in EUShe says that the EU knows that fighting continues with terrible consequence. "We are working to build the conditions to guarantee that a full ceasefire holds and quicker progress is made in parallel by all parties in implementing their commitments. We are consistently making this point in our contacts with both the Ukrainian authorities and in particular Russia. This is also why our sanctions are important; they are in place to add political and economic pressure, to dissuade from further escalation and eventually help bring about a change in Russia's behaviour and in its approach to the Minsk process," she said.

Answering a question whether the EU could consider the Hudson Institute's report with concrete proposal regarding a UN peacekeeping mission for Ukraine, Mogherini explained that a decision on such a mission "would be for the United Nations Security Council to take, not the European Union as such."

"We would like the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to have full access to the whole territory of Ukraine, including along the Ukrainian-Russian border, in line with its mandate. If a UN Security Council-agreed mission could facilitate all this, and help to advance the implementation of the Minsk agreements, we would of course be in favour," she said.

Describing relations between the EU and Russia, Mogherini said that "relationship with Russia is not what it was."

"Russia used to be a strategic partner for the European Union, but that is no longer the case. It is clear that our relationship with Russia is not what it was, nor what it could be: the full implementation of the Minsk agreements is a key element for any substantial change in our relations," she said. "But we as the EU know that selective engagement with Russia is also necessary, where there is a clear EU interest."Suraykin visited Kyiv to meet with Ukrainian communists.

Maxim Suraykin, a Russian presidential candidate from the Communists of Russia party, and Maxim Shevchenko representing a candidate from the Communist Party of the Russian Federation Pavel Grudinin have squabbled during a pre-election debate.

The cause behind the incident was Suraykin's trip to Kyiv, the Russian news agency RIA Novosti reported.

Read also"Schizophrenia": Klimkin slams Sobchak's request to visit Crimea

Suraykin announced he had "met with many pro-Russian activists" in Ukraine's capital. At that very moment, Shevchenko began interrupting him, loudly asking how Suraykin had been allowed to travel to Kyiv.

"We'll listen with interest what they talked about in Kyiv, where the Communist Party is outlawed, where communists were covered with tar, shot; what they were talking about with the 'liberal-fascist Bandera regime' of Kyiv," Grudinin's representative exclaimed.

The presidential election in Russia is scheduled for March 18, 2018.The documents were delivered to the suspects via an international courier service and by e-mail.

Ukrainian Prosecutor General Yuriy Lutsenko says the Main Military Prosecutor's Office of the Prosecutor General's Office of Ukraine has sent indictments to the chairman and 18 judges of the Constitutional Court of the Russian Federation as part of the case of the annexation of Crimea by Russia.

"On March 6, indictments together with legal handouts on the procedural rights and duties of the suspect, as well as summonses for investigative actions on March 13 and March 19, 2018, were delivered to the place of work of the suspects via an international courier service and by e-mail (an employee of the Constitutional Court of the Russian Federation received the documents)," Lutsenko wrote on Facebook on Monday, March 12.

Read alsoPutin not to return Crimea to Ukraine under any circumstances

According to him, the chairman and 18 judges of the Constitutional Court of the Russian Federation are suspected of committing a crime under Part 5 Article 27 and Part 3 Article 110 (complicity in deliberate acts committed with the aim of redrawing the borders of the territory and the state border of Ukraine in violation of the procedure established by the Constitution of Ukraine, by representatives of the authorities, by prior conspiracy of a group of persons that led to serious consequences) of the Criminal Code of Ukraine.

If the suspects do not appear on the said dates without reasonable excuse, they will be put on the wanted list and a request will be filed in court for the issue of their arrest warrants.The EU will continue to support Ukraine in the issue of territorial integrity and sovereignty.

High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Federica Mogherini says that the European Union is ready to do more on the reconstruction of Donbas and facilitate the full implementation on the Minsk peace agreements.

Read alsoMogherini on peace plan for Donbas: Minsk agreements "should be"

"Apart from reforms, we also discussed with the prime minister the situation in the east of Ukraine. The European Union continues to support the full implementation of the Minsk agreements. In our talks with the prime minister, we underline Russia's responsibility in this. As you know, the European Union sanctions on Russia are directly linked to the full implementation of the Minsk agreements. And we are ready, as the European Union, to do more, including, for instance, on reconstruction, but most of all to move forward on the full implementation on the Minsk agreements," she said at a joint briefing with Ukrainian Prime Minister Volodymyr Groysman in Kyiv, an UNIAN correspondent reported.

In addition, Mogherini stressed the EU would continue to support Ukraine, in particular, in the issue of territorial integrity and sovereignty.Exactly four years after Crimea's illegal annexation, Russia is holding yet another so-called presidential election. Artists diligently play their roles in a play called "election race", while the final is evident to all - the tsar retains his seat in the Kremlin for at least another six years. UNIAN spoke with a Russian opposition politician Leonid Gozman to hear his views on how this will all go down what is likely to follow.

UNIAN sat down with Leonid Gozman, the former co-chairman of the Pravoye Delo [Just Cause] Party and ex-member of the political council of the Union of Right Forces, to find out what the international community, Ukraine, and ordinary Russians should expect from Putin's next six years in power. Today, Leonid is a member of the public council of the Russian Jewish Congress and also one of the few public politicians left in Russia who keeps openly criticizing the Russian president for invading Ukraine and pursuing his aggressive foreign policy.

Next Sunday, Vladimir Putin will be once again re-elected. What is the key message of his new presidential term?

Putin announced his willingness to defend the country to the last man and the last drop of blood, despite the fact that no one really threatens the country in reality. Putin presents such an eerie, frightening picture of the world where we [Russia] are the source of light and good, justice and so on, while the rest are all enemies craving to destroy us. The saddest thing is that this is exactly the message that lies in the core of his popular support. Now he needs a high share of votes and high turnout. We should not rule out that after March 18 [the election date] he will try to change the Constitution in order to remain in power for life and become someone of the type of Iran's spiritual leader, the Ayatollah In order to achieve his goal, he needs to see top results as a moral justification. Therefore, he tells the public about thing that he deems most important for the people - our missiles (existing or non-existing, but that's a separate matter) and the country's readiness to wage war. These are the ideologems on which the current president of the Russian Federation stands.

When Putin showed his animations with flying missiles, it was important to understand what he was appealing to. The Soviet Union appealed to fears that the bourgeoisie, German revanchists, American imperialists, or Israeli Zionists would unleash a world war, and bombs would fall on our land as it was in WW2. Today, our leaders do not appeal to fear. I don't hear from them any claims that the adversaries intend to wipe out Moscow, and things like that. Today they appeal to complacency. They boast being powerful. So it's not about "them" being a threat to us, it's about "them", bastards, not liking us. But we are strong, and we will knock them out, those "pindosy" [a derogatory term for Americans] and "Ukrops" [same for Ukrainians]. This is a feast of boorish and repugnant self-righteousness. In my opinion, this is a betrayal of the great Russian culture, the best that our country had. Aggressive pride is real boorishness.

Experts often talk about Putin's evolution, and after his castling with Medvedev in 2012, we heard messages about Putin 3.0. What was Putin like ahead of his third term and what should we expect from Putin 4.0?

The castling story is simple. In 2008, Putin's second presidential term expired, and he chose not to formally violate the Constitution, so he appointed a successor, who was Dmitry Medvedev, a man who had no serious weight among the elite, and he still has none. In this sense, we can say that he is a weak politician, although perhaps a very clever man, but his political weight is just too insignificant. So, from 2008 to 2012, when Putin was prime minister, the head of government was a more important person than the president. We even had such a joke: "If you have a serious question, you should address the president, but if it's a very serious one, than you might want to try to go to a prime minister." In 2012, they switched back, and then Putin offered the public nothing spectacular, similar to today's war. It was kind of like a natural thing: Putin is more important, and according to the law, he can do it, so why not?

But Putin did evolve. In his early days, perhaps, he already was an authoritarian ruler, but, nevertheless, oriented toward the West. It seems to me that in 2000-2001, he saw his mission in integrating Russia into Western structures, even speaking of the possibility of joining NATO. Putin was the first leader to reach out to George W. Bush in the wake of 9/11. Not only did he express his condolences, he also provided some intel on Afghanistan. He agreed to the U.S. deploying their military base in Kyrgyzstan. This did not further work out, for various reasons, including because of the mistakes the West made as they pursued policies far from thoughtful. Although one should rather look at oneself. Apparently, Putin expected gratitude for his actions and some special preferences, for example, to be deemed as equal among Western leaders. But it turned out that if someone considered admitting him to the club, there were certain club rules to be respected, which Putin did not want to do.

It seems to me that in his relations with the West, there is a lot of personal resentment. Foreign policy of any country is more authoritarian than the internal one. Negotiations with partners are held behind closed doors, and very often, even in developed democracies, the parliament is put before the fact of agreements already reached, for the deputies to only approve or disapprove them. The negotiations themselves are invisible to a public eye, so any country's leader, of course, affects foreign policy, but in an authoritarian country, their influence is huge. The whole country becomes a hostage or a reflection of its leader's personal qualities. See, people keep talking about Hitler's Germany, while no one talks about Merkel's Germany, although she has been in power for so long, being such a powerful leader... No one will later talk about Trump's America, despite the U.S. president's peculiarities. People talked about us as "Stalin's Soviet Union" the same way, unfortunately, as they are now talking about "Putin's Russia".

I'm afraid that the real goal of Putin's foreign policy is not the usual things - security, business promotion or raising the standards of living - but rather psychological, immaterial concepts: respect, love, recognition, and fear. Putin always says: "They don't listen to us, they don't respect us, they don't pay attention to us, but now they will hear us alright." It's like neighborhood teens trying to show off who's the toughest.

Today, the core of his policy and legitimacy is war. His legitimacy is not being disputed at the elections, and he doesn't want it to be. When he returned to power in 2012, he was told and advised to hold normal elections without any falsifications as he would certainly win anyway. Putin refused, and not because he was afraid to lose. Now he refused to admit [opposition's Alexei] Navalny to the election race despite the fact that the latter certainly wouldn't have won. I think he doesn't want to get legitimacy from the people. If these were fair elections, and he won them, then he would have legitimacy given to him by people. He doesn't want this. If people endowed him with power, they can take it away, as it happens in any normal country. That's what happened with [Viktor] Yushchenko in Ukraine, for example. Putin wants to be the leader appointed by God, and war is a very important and convenient thing in this context. He was able to mobilize the population and elite very well, and this is what his legitimacy stands on. That is why he can't change this policy. Once he changes it, he will lose the basis of his very existence, the base of his legitimacy.

In such a situation, what should the world expect once elections are over?

There's nothing good to expect. The general task of the West, Ukraine, and ours, too, is actually the same: to survive through all this without war. Without a big war This means that the West must prepare for war. Si vis pacem, para bellum ("If you want peace, prepare for war"). The West must be strong enough to deter any brazen steps. The thing is that there is one red line for Vladimir Putin (if he doesn't resort to a nuclear war, of course), which is also important for Ukraine: Putin cannot allow a significant death toll. So far, the war in Ukraine, although "we are not there", and the war in Syria, where the troops are deployed officially but not everywhere (in some locations there are private military companies), continue without a large number of victims. I personally haven't met any families that have lost their sons in Donbas, although Russian citizens are being killed and injured there. Also, I haven't yet met a family who has lost their son or husband in Syria. During the Chechnya and Afghanistan wars, I met such people. Low and high death toll is not just numbers, it's how many of us have met such families. Say, if I know that last week some guy from my neighborhood was buried after he was killed in Afghanistan and that there was another burial of which my families' friends know, this means that there's a high death toll, this means our people are being killed. So far, I haven't seen this as regards Ukraine or Syria. Of course, that's also because of a peculiar social background of those who go to fight in Donbas. These are specific people. I don't mean, senior officers who are being deployed there  they fulfil orders. Therefore, the support that Putin enjoys over [wars in] Ukraine and Syria is largely based on the fact that this policy "sees no losses". People in Russia turn a blind eye to the fact that their fellow citizens shed blood there. And no one actually cares about Syrians or Ukrainians.

Putin cannot allow a large number of victims in Ukraine. Therefore, combat readiness of the Ukrainian army is a very important thing because then, he will not attack. The TNT equivalent of the Russian Armed Forces is larger than that of the Ukrainian army by scales. If we imagine a full-out war, I think  and I don't mean to offend anyone - Russia would win, although it would also lose a lot of its soldiers because Ukrainians will resist, while the Ukrainian army's capacities have increased. That's why Putin does not go for it.

For the West, the primary task is to be ready to repel an attack if it suddenly happens. Putin earlier complained about vast territories we had lost. Of course, this sounds insane, but what if someone suddenly decides to return the Baltics? The argument that sounds in relation to many countries is about how much blood of Soviet soldiers was spilled  in this regard, all territories up to the Elbe are "ours" and , in part, Ukraine's. After all, the soldiers who perished [in WW2] were from all Soviet republics, and ethnic Ukrainians made a huge contribution to victory.

The second task, however unexpected it may sound, is the need to cooperate with the Russian Federation. Russia's isolation strengthens the hawks and aggressors within our leadership. Any contacts: intellectual, scientific, or cultural - erode this aggressive line. The more contacts, the better. I realize that, taking into account the policy pursued by our leadership, these contacts will inevitably be limited. It is clear that one cannot help [Russia] produce weapons. But I have a complex attitude toward sectoral sanctions, and I'm not sure that this is a good thing. At the same time, I endorse personal sanctions.

The third task is the moral support of those of us in the country who stand for freedom, human dignity, and Russia's European path. There are plenty of such people, and it would be wrong to perceive our country as a kind of scorched desert or a huge swamp. This is not true. Our points of view vary, and all people are different. In the Soviet era, moral support that the West provided to dissidents was extremely important. I think that this should continue.

There is also a task for us, the Russians. There's hardly anyone here who can help us out with this. We must keep our people. The policy of the Russian leadership is much smarter than that of the Soviet Union. They do not keep the boiler shut, thus preventing an explosion. They constantly open up the lid. If someone does not like something, they have an opportunity to leave: the world is open to them. As a result, people, like hot molecules, fly out of a boiling pot, and the water cools down.

The most active and strongest ones leave for the U.S., Germany, Israel, and Ukraine. It is important that all of them don't flee eventually. This will end one day. In the worst case, Putin changes the Constitution, becomes a spiritual leader indefinitely, but he will not stick around forever. We are all mortal, and so is he. This regime will end, and we should be ready for it, not to allow someone else to come to power who will be worse than Putin. Our Russian regime today is similar that of Mussolini, and no one guarantees that it will not look like Hitler's Germany. We must make sure that, after Putin is replaced by someone else, this will not be Hitler.

What do the Russian expect from Putin's fourth term? Will repression worsen?

I think that there will be no mass repression. There is no state machine to make it happen and the system doesn't need that. Targeted repression will intensify, while general ideological control will strengthen. When I look at my publications from two or three years ago, I understand that there was a completely different country back then; it turns out that there were on a streak. But we were not aware of this back then.

In 2012, mass protests were held in Moscow and across Russia. Why is everything so quiet now?

Mass protests took place after election fraud, not before. Our elections have not yet been held.

It all began after the elections to the State Duma in 2011, and people with white ribbons on their shoulders took to the streets. We can recall the rally on Bolotnaya ahead of Putin's inauguration May 7, 2012...

Then there was the feeling that the ice was getting thinner... One of the slogans really popular those days was: "Rascals and thieves, you've got 5 minutes to pack your stuff." It seemed that a bit more pressure will make everything collapse. When there is such a feeling, there is enthusiasm and a desire to participate. Now there's a sense of hopelessness, but no one knows what will happen after March 18. The only thing we know about revolution is that we never know when it's going down.

Are voting falsifications needed for a convincing victory of the main candidate, or will everything go smooth?

It will go smooth, but election fraud is still needed. I think they need better results than the actual ones  both in respect of turnout and support for the main candidate. I think that there will be relatively few of them in Moscow, St. Petersburg, and Yekaterinburg. Over the years, a control system has been developed in big cities, to avoid scandals. Recently, a Russian polling agency reported on the fall of the president's rating in big cities. That polling agency, VTsIOM, is the one feeding the Kremlin information more favorable than, for example, the Levada Center. So, the fact about the rating drop in big cities became public. Perhaps this is indeed a decline in the level of Putin's support, or perhaps a preparation for the fact that in big cities, they will be fewer falsifications and that they are prepared for a worse outcome there.

Roman Tsymbaliuk, Moscow

If you see a spelling error on our site, select it and press Ctrl+EnterMBDA is showcasing its latest naval defence solutions at the 2018 DIMDEX exhibition in Doha, Qatar, from 12 to 14 March (stand H4-108).

MBDA is showcasing its latest naval defence solutions at the 2018 DIMDEX exhibition in Doha, Qatar, from 12 to 14 March (stand H4-108).

The MBDA coastal defence system



MBDA has a long-lasting consolidated cooperation with Qatar, where a great number of MBDA land, sea and air products are currently in service. At DIMDEX 2018 the Company is showcasing its coastal defence system, which was contracted by the Qatar Emiri Naval Forces in 2016, and that is going to provide Qatar with the latest generation and technology for interdiction of territorial waters, homeland integrity, protection of vital assets and heavy strike retaliation. This system will replace a coastal defence system operated by Qatar and that was supplied by MBDA almost 20 years ago based on the Exocet Block 1 antiship missile. The new system will be able to deploy two different ammunitions: the Exocet MM40 Block 3 and the Extended Range version of the Marte anti-ship missile. The Marte ER version differs mainly from the second-generation of Marte anti-ship missile family with the introduction of a turbojet engine as to achieve a tremendous new effective range.

The coastal system will provide an all-weather, 24/7 protection of national shores against any surface vessel (such as FPB/FAC, Corvettes, Frigates, Landing vessels). It is being developed to include a modular, scalable and mobile package of sensors, C2, communications and effectors, tailored to the customers specific needs while providing maximum situational awareness, operational effectiveness and net-centric warfare capabilities. A mock-up of the new MBDA coastal defence system is also on display on the Qatar Emiri Naval Forces stand.

For the Navy MBDA is also providing its naval based air defence systems for the new ships procured from Fincantieri: multi-role corvettes, Landing Platform Dock and patrol vessels, will be equipped with Exocet MM40 Block 3 anti-ship missiles as well as Aster 30 Block 1, which is also the cornerstone of MBDA medium range ground based air defense systems, and VL MICA air defence missiles. The programme will be comprehensive and it will include training, test stations and maintenance facilities as well as integrated logistical support. The contract was signed within the framework of a Government to Government agreement between the Minister of Defence for Italy, Roberta Pinotti and the Minister of State for Defence Affairs for Qatar, H.E. Dr Khalid Bin Muhammad Al-Attiyah.

Yet MBDA is also demonstrating its mastery of all layers of air defence with systems such as Mistral and Mistral Simbad RC in the VSHORAD (very short range air defence) domain; VL MICA and EMADS system (Enhanced Modular Air Defence Solution) operating the brand new CAMM ER missile in the SHORAD (short range air defence) domain and the Aster family in the IAMD (integrated Air and Missile Defence) domain.

The MBDA Exocet and Marte ER missiles at DIMDEX 2018Under international laws, Russian elections in occupied Crimea are illegal.

Chairman of the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar People Refat Chubarov says that the Crimean Tatars, despite the pressure and blackmail, will not take part in the illegal presidential election in Russian-annexed Crimea on March 18.

"The Crimean Tatars will not take part in the illegal elections on March 18, 2018, which will be conducted by Russian invaders in the temporarily occupied Crimea," he wrote on Facebook.

Read alsoPutin visiting occupied Crimea on March 14, pending presidential electionChubarov added that the people would not go to the polls, despite the pressure they face. "The Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar People sees unprecedented pressure and direct threats against the Crimean Tatars by Russian invaders and local collaborators who force them into illegal voting," Chubarov wrote.

According to him, religious leaders, teachers, doctors, entrepreneurs, employees of municipal enterprises and organizations, students, athletes and pensioners are encountering "cruel moral and psychological blackmail."

"At the same time ... the absolute majority of the Crimean Tatars are full of dignity and courage to resist the blackmail and threats that come from the Russian invaders," Chubarov wrote.

He stressed that Russian presidential elections in the temporarily occupied territory of Crimea is illegal.

"Accordingly, citizens who are directly involved in their preparations and organization will be considered as those who have violated the current legislation of Ukraine," Chubarov added.

The chairman of the Mejlis also expressed confidence that "time is inexorably coming when Russia ... will be forced to withdraw from Crimea and other occupied areas in Ukraine."

The Russian presidential election is scheduled for March 18, 2018.The EU will continue to call for the respect of human rights of all Ukrainian citizens in Crimea, including Crimean Tatars.

High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Federica Mogherini has said the European Union does not recognize the so-called Russian presidential elections in Russian-occupied Crimea.

"For us, and for me personally also, it is extremely important that this visit I pay to Kyiv is happening just a few days before the fourth anniversary of the illegal annexation of Crimea and Sevastopol," she said at a joint briefing with Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko in Kyiv, according to the official website of the European Commission.

Read alsoPutin visiting occupied Crimea on March 14, pending presidential election

"We do not recognize the annexation. We will continue in our implementation of the non-recognition policy of the annexation. And we continue to condemn this violation of international law," she said.

"We do not recognize the so-called 'elections' there and we remain committed to the full implementation of our non-recognition policy, as I said, including through sanctions related to this."

"We will continue to call for the respect of human rights of all Ukrainian citizens in Crimea, including Crimean Tatars, and we will continue to call for the immediate release of all those who have been detained and sentenced in breach of international law," Mogherini added.Volodymyr Ruban has turned from a negotiator beloved by some media outlets into a major terrorist threat. Petro Poroshenko promised a decade of the rise of Ukrainian language and chatted with a group of loyal bloggers. Mikheil Saakashvili is trying to sit on two chairs, engaging in politics in two different countries. Seven Ukrainian nationals are part of the Forbes billionaire list.

One of the features of the hybrid war is that many characters happen to be someone totally different from what they may seem at first glance. Mass media back in 2014 saluted the head of the "Officers Corps" , Volodymyr Ruban (sometimes attributing a military rank "Colonel-General"), who was engaged in the direct prisoner exchange in the heat of the Donbas conflict. He appeared to be an example of officer's dignity in its purified form. However, over time, the image of this "knight without fear and reproach" has somewhat faded, and on March 8, Ruban plunged down to being detained at one of checkpoints along the contact line in Donbas when trying to smuggle in an entire arsenal of weapons and ammo from militant-occupied areas.

Ukraine's top security official, SBU chief Vasyl Hrytsak stated, confirming his words with candid camera footage, that Mr Ruban plotted a huge terrorist attack downtown Kyiv with the use of 120mm mortars. Hrytsak was echoed by MP Ihor Mosiychuk, who not so long ago sustained shrapnel wounds in an IED blast outside the Espresso TV HQ. Meanwhile, Ruban remains defiant, claiming he was only there to drive a minivan full of what he believed was furniture. MP Nadiia Savchenko, who attended the court hearing in the Ruban case, openly supported the detainee.

There are plenty of conspiracy theories around the whole case. Many paid attention to Viktor Medvedchuk, since Ruban had not really hidden his ties with Medvedchuk's "Ukrainian Choice" political project and its ideological leader. The latter chose not to voice any public support for Ruban. Interestingly enough, Prosecutor General Yuriy Lutsenko assured that the raid on the contact line was no accident, and promised a high-profile follow-up to the already exciting detective story.

Petro Poroshenko in a TV address spoke about Ukraine's willingness to achieve energy independence (the crisis in relations with Gazprom proved to be another lesson for Kyiv, although a brief one, this time) and to recover the debt from the Russian energy monopoly in line with the Stockholm Arbitration award. The head of state also held an informal meeting with a group of Ukrainian bloggers, which long resonated on social networks. As it turned out, even those claiming to be like-minded fellows hate violators of informal agreements. The president could not lay flowers at the monument to Taras Shevchenko, where protesters gathered against him on March 9, but promised a decade of the rise of the Ukrainian language, noting the quality growth of local film production and literature.

The latest moves by former Georgian president and Odesa governor Mikheil Saakashvili, who continues to comment on Ukrainian politics from the Dutch far away, recently saw a new vector. The politician intends to simultaneously influence the internal politics in two countries by also calling on his Georgian supporters to take a pro-active stance in presidential elections, although this country's head of state today has rather symbolic powers.

Seven Ukrainian citizens are on the Forbes billionaire list. Rinat Akhmetov traditionally topped the list of Ukrainians, although his assets shrank considerably compared with 2014. Interestingly, two parliamentarians - non-factional Kostyantyn Zhevago and Opposition Bloc's Vadym Novynsky - have also overcome the 1 bln bar.

Yevgeny Magda

If you see a spelling error on our site, select it and press Ctrl+EnterThe OSCE SMM did not open a separate office in Uzhgorod.

OSCE observers have intensified their monitoring of the situation in Uzhgorod, at the same time characterizing it as generally calm, according to Deputy Principal Chief of the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine, Alexander Hug.

Speaking on Novoe Vremya Radio, Hug stated the "fact" that over the past two weeks, the mission had been updating information on a number of incidents recorded at the premises of the Zakarpattia Hungarians Union. In general, according to the latest observations, the situation in the area remains calm, according to Hug.

He noted that OSCE observers had intensified their monitoring efforts in Uzhgorod after the February arson attacks at the office of the Society of Hungarian Culture, deploying patrols from another regional center, Ivano-Frankivsk.

Read alsoZakarpattia authorities unaware OSCE opens local permanent monitoring missionAt the same time, the organization did not open a separate office. The OSCE posted its mission reports as of February 28, March 1, 5 and 7.

Hug noted that the OSCE SMM had been operating in Ukraine since March 2014 in 10 cities. Its observation posts monitoring the situation in western Ukraine are located in Lviv, Chernivtsi, and Ivano-Frankivsk.

According to earlier reports, on March 10, Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto said that the OSCE had informed him about the opening of an observation mission in Zakarpattia. In particular, it was reported that the 12-strong OSCE mission would allegedly be based in Uzhgorod.

As UNIAN reported, on the night of February 27 in Uzhgorod, an arson attempt was carried out at the office of the Hungarian Culture House in Uzhgorod. No one was hurt in a fire.

Local Governor Gennady Moskal stated that the Russian intelligence services are behind the attack.

Ukraine's Ambassador to Hungary was summoned to the Hungarian Foreign Ministry in connection with the second arson attack against the Union of Hungarians.

Foreign Minister Pavlo Klimkin condemned the attempted arson and called it a provocation. Later, Polish security forces apprehended two suspects who are believed to have committed the attack in Ukraine.According to Andriy Parubiy, there is a pressing need to boost security measures in and around Parliament premises.

The threat of an armed attack on the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine is quite high, Parliament Speaker Andriy Parubiy said at a Kyiv briefing Monday, responding to UNIAN's question about the latest developments around the high-profile arrest of an alleged attack plotter Vladimir Ruban.

Parubiy took an opportunity to thank the SBU Security Service and other law enforcement agencies for conducting the successful raid, which "once again confirms that Putin's intentions to destabilize the situation in Ukraine remain on top agenda, including those providing for a huge number of casualties."

"I have always stressed that their main target is the Ukrainian parliament, and unfortunately these weapons that were seized show how vulnerable the Ukrainian parliament can be to such attacks, [for example, from] mortars that can launch mines from several hundred meters," Parubiy said.

Read alsoRuban arrested until May 6According to the Speaker, such mortars could attack Parliament remaining invisible to the existing security system.

"In my opinion, there is a very high threat," Parubiy said.

According to him, it is extremely important that security measures in and around Parliament premises be strengthened, but "it is also very important to understand that only one scenario, one of the destabilizing streams was hindered, while this is not the only one as similar scenarios can be implemented in the future".

He also noted the importance for deputies and journalists to realize the existing threat and take "joint action not to allow for such scenarios in the Rada hall".

He noted that, according to the plan drawn by terrorists, the scenario had to be implemented both outside and inside the parliament.

Read alsoSBU chief to Poroshenko: Level of terrorist threat for Ukrainians highest since independenceAs UNIAN reported earlier, Head of the Ukrainian "Officer Corps" center for the exchange of prisoners of war Volodymyr Ruban was detained on the contact line with the so-called "Donetsk People's Republic" at the Maiorsk checkpoint in Donetsk region on March 8.

It was reported he tried to smuggle into a government-controlled territory a huge arsenal of weapons from the militant-occupied areas.

Ruban is being charged with preparing a terrorist attack and illegal possession of weapons.

In addition, he is suspected of plotting an assassination of the president of Ukraine and a number of top officials in Kyiv.

Ruban has denied all charges, claiming he merely acted as a truck driver and knew nothing about the weapons concealed in furniture in the back of the vehicle.The truce was observed in the Donetsk sector.

One Ukrainian soldier was killed and another two were wounded in action in Donbas, eastern Ukraine, on Sunday, March 11.

"The Russian occupation forces continue shelling the Ukrainian army's positions, violating the agreed ceasefire. Since the beginning of the day, there have been three attacks on Ukrainian defenders' positions," the press center of the headquarters of Ukraine's military operations said in an evening update on Facebook on March 11.

Read alsoSelf-proclaimed republics in Donbas pledge "absolute ceasefire" from March 5

In particular, the enemy used grenade launchers and large-caliber machine guns to fire at Ukrainian strongholds near the villages of Troyitske, Luhanske and Novozvanivka in the Luhansk sector. One Ukrainian soldier was wounded in an attack on Novozvanivka.

Despite the truce observed in the Donetsk sector, one Ukrainian soldier was killed in a landmine blast amid a combat-related task to relocate property. Another soldier received a shrapnel wound during mine clearance.

Both wounded soldiers were immediately hospitalized and received necessary medical assistance.

As UNIAN reported earlier, one Ukrainian soldier was wounded on March 10. Five enemy attacks were recorded on that day.The enemy continued to use proscribed weapons against the Ukrainian army.

Russia's hybrid military forces mounted four attacks on Ukrainian army positions in Donbas in the past 24 hours, with one Ukrainian soldier reported as killed in action (KIA) and another three as wounded in action (WIA).

Read alsoUkrainian army's casualties in past day: One soldier killed, two wounded in Donbas

"In the Luhansk sector, the militants fired grenade launchers and heavy machine guns at the Ukrainian fortified positions near the villages of Troyitske, Luhanske and Novozvanivka," the press center of the headquarters of Ukraine's military operations reported on Facebook on Monday morning.

In the Donetsk sector, the Russian-led forces attacked Ukrainian troops near the village of Verkhniotoretske, using heavy machine guns and small arms.The missile has been deployed in the Southern Military District since December 1.

Russia says it has successfully test-fired a "hypersonic" missile, which President Vladimir Putin earlier this month claimed flies 10 times faster than the speed of sound.

The Kinzhal (Dagger) missile was launched from a MiG-31 aircraft that took off from an airfield in Russia's Southern Military District, the Defense Ministry said on March 11, RFE/RL reported.

Video footage released by the ministry shows two pilots gearing up for a flight and then running toward a jet carrying a large missile under its fuselage. The video then shows a missile detaching from the airborne plane and gliding across the sky.

"The launch went according to plan, the hypersonic missile hit its target on a testing ground," the ministry said.

Read alsoPutin announces successful testing of brand new nuclear-powered missile

The Kinzhal missile was one of an array of new weapons Putin unveiled in his state-of-the-nation address on March 1, ahead of a presidential election on March 18.

The missile can deliver nuclear and conventional warheads at a range of more than 2,000 kilometers, the Russian president said, contending that it can overcome air-defense systems.

The missile has been deployed in the Southern Military District since December 1, he added.

Using colorful graphics and video, Putin said Russia had also tested a nuclear-powered cruise missile and a high-speed underwater drone capable of carrying a nuclear warhead that, he claimed, would be impossible to intercept.

Putin said that the country also tested a new heavy intercontinental-ballistic missile, called Sarmat, with a range and number of warheads exceeding its predecessor.

Pentagon spokeswoman Dana White downplayed Putin's comments, saying the U.S. military was capable of defending the country from any threats.

U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis noted that some of the comments were little more than election rhetoric, saying that he saw no change to the Russian military capability and that they won't change the military balance.

"They do not impact any need on our side for a change in our deterrent posture," Mattis said in comments during a March 9 flight to Oman that were released by the Defense Department on March 11.

Putin has rattled Russian sabers repeatedly in the past, and military analysts said a lack of detailed information made it difficult to assess his statements about weapons.Punjab Finance Minister Dr Ayesha Ghaus Pasha on Monday said that Connected Agriculture Platform Punjab Programme was all about digitizing the small/landless farmer community to make them well connected, aware, and well controlled farming workflow.

LAHORE, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 12th Mar, 2018 ) :Punjab Finance Minister Dr Ayesha Ghaus Pasha on Monday said that Connected Agriculture Platform Punjab Programme was all about digitizing the small/landless farmer community to make them well connected, aware, and well controlled farming workflow.

She said this after inaugurating the programme at a local hotel on Monday.The Punjab government was striving hard, in accordance with the vision of Punjab Chief Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif to make agriculture sector modernized and equipped with latest technology in the interest of farming community, she added.

She said that under this scheme, during initial stage 110,000 smart phones would be distributed among registered farmers of Kissan package and during next stage all registered farmers would get smart phones which would be equipped with special apps that would help farmers to interact with agriculture experts for seeking guidance regarding improvement of crops, getting information about weather conditions and would be able to see videos about latest production technology of crops.

A first of its kind program in the Asia-Pacific region, Connected Agriculture Platform Punjab Programme was launched for the benefit of farming community, she added. Punjab Agriculture Secretary Muhammad Mahmood said that this phase of the scheme was designed because a lack of a systematic and efficient way to educate/inform the farmers was observed.

A man-based, slow flow of information was the norm, resulting in farmers making not proper decisions based on poor information which was leading to financial losses, he added. He said the Punjab department of Agriculture, in collaboration with Telenor and PITB (Punjab Information Technology board) had developed a carefully crafted mobile apps services, keeping its unique target audience in mind, to enable technology to rapidly assist and cater to farmer needs.

The Secretary said that it would create a technology-driven echo system that would give confidence to the farmers deciding what to sow, when and where to sell, adding that applications in the phones would also help farmers to receive alerts about weather conditions, crop diseases and protection and timely use of fertilizers and pesticides.

He said the Agriculture department would also establish "Facilitation Centers" in collaboration with Telenor Pakistan where farmers would be trained regarding its efficient usage of Agri apps, adding that Agriculture department was planning to provide this technology to the farming community so they be able to enter in the new world of information.

Small farmers would benefit from this initiative in a big way as the smartphones would display agriculture related information to them within no time, he added.(@FahadShabbir)

Extending its expert support to the Government of Punjab in the latters Empowerment of Kissan through Digital & Financial Inclusion initiative, Telenor Pakistan and Department of Agriculture  Punjab have launched the Connected Agriculture Platform for Punjab (CAPP)

ISLAMABAD (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 12th Mar, 2018 ) Extending its expert support to the Government of Punjab in the latters Empowerment of Kissan through Digital & Financial Inclusion initiative, Telenor Pakistan and Department of Agriculture  Punjab have launched the Connected Agriculture Platform for Punjab (CAPP).

The platform aims to resolve the longstanding challenges faced by the Pakistani farmers through a suite of digital solutions that improve their access to information, financial resources, and market besides enhancing supply chain efficiency.

Under CAPPs mAgri ecosystem, a suite of Android apps including onboarding, mobile wallet, weather, crop Calendar, video on demand, expert opinion, marketplace, supply chain tracking, and agriculture subsidy will be designed by Telenor Pakistan and Inbox Business Technologies.

In the first phase of the project, up to 110,000 mobile phones with said apps preinstalled as well as Telenor GSM and data SIMs with special packages, will also be disbursed. Since a majority of the farmers also need education on the use of the mechanism, around 500 on-ground training sessions will be conducted in 72 facilitation centers to train 25,000 farmers across 144 Tehsils of Punjab.

CAPP also comes with an incentive program for the most connected farmers whose engagement will be gauged on most mobile notification views, most time spent on apps, most tutorials/videos viewed, most transactions made through Marketplace, and most number of queries generated for experts.

We at Telenor Pakistan, being one of the largest cellular operators and mobile financial services providers in the rural areas of the Punjab, believe that we are the natural partners for the Government of Punjab in their efforts to uplift the status of the Pakistani farmers, said Irfan Wahab Khan, CEO Telenor Pakistan.

Given that we already have a dedicated business unit focusing on mobile agriculture and enabling digital solutions for the agriculture value chain, we hope to support further development of this sector for the empowerment and inclusion of the Pakistani farmers through CAPP and our extended mAgri services, he added.

We are aware of the challenges faced by our Pakistani farmer with growing crops, raising livestock, and struggles to find reliable sources of information that have no vested interests, said Mr.

Shahbaz Sharif, Chief Minister Punjab. The Punjab Agriculture Department and PITB are fully aware of these issues and how they result in significant productivity and financial yield gaps between the small-holder farmers and the progressive ones and hence affect their ability to improve their livelihoods.

CAPP may contribute greatly to our Empowerment of Kissan through Digital & Financial Inclusion initiative and we are confident in our partners, especially Telenor Pakistan, for the projects success, he added.

CAPP incorporates a unique 3E strategy to engage the farmers i.e. Educate, Engage, and Excite, said Dr. Umar Saif, Chairman, PITB. The services under the project will be supplemented by a dedicated Call Centre Helpline and a Digital Operations Control Centre.

We at PITB and the government of Punjab will be able to keep full track of CAPPs success and progress via a dedicated portal featuring a user-friendly dashboard with real-time visual data and analytics on farmer listing profiles, feedback, transactional reports, loan performance reports, farmer listing profiles, and complaint reporting.

It will be for the first time ever that we have all the vital information at our fingertips. In addition to seeing where we are going with the project, we will be able to make informed decisions that are essential to transformation of our agricultural landscape, he added.

We are proud to collaborate with the Government of Punjab and Telenor Pakistan to launch the Connected Agriculture Platform for Punjab (CAPP), said Mr. Shahid Mustafa, President & CEO, Telenor Microfinance Bank.

Being aware of the challenges faced by our agricultural sector and farmers today despite being the backbone of Pakistans economy and society, we are delighted to partner-up with the Punjab Agriculture Department to make a difference in the lives of more than half a million households associated with agriculture by providing them easy access to formal and credible credit resources through this platform.

Besides helping them improve their standard of living, the platform will help Pakistani farmers improve their farming practices and increase their agricultural yield, he added. It is pertinent to note that Pakistans Primary natural resources have been cultivable land and water emphasized by 34% of the land under cultivation and with roughly 43% of the labor force (64% of households) employed in the agriculture sector accounting for 21% of GDP.

Punjab, being the most populous province, contributes roughly 70% of Pakistans agriculture produce where approximately 60% of the farmers hold less than 5 acres of land. In todays world, mobile is the force behind every emerging innovation changing lifestyles.

Keeping the aforementioned farmers challenges in mind, mobile technology offers immense potential to make a huge difference. Mobile agricultural services are becoming more valuable for development because they can increase the reach, while reducing the costs, of implementing livelihoods programs.

Platforms like CAPP can play a key part in improving access to knowledge and farming practices and linking farmers to markets.At DIMDEX 2018, the Doha International Maritime Defence Exhibition & Conference currently held in Qatar, Italian shipbuilding group Fincantieri is showcasing for the first time the multi-role air defence corvettes for the Qatari Navy.

At DIMDEX 2018, the Doha International Maritime Defence Exhibition & Conference currently held in Qatar, Italian shipbuilding group Fincantieri is showcasing for the first time the multi-role air defence corvettes for the Qatari Navy.

The future multi-role air defence corvette of the Qatar Emiri Naval Forces. Fincantieri image.



Qatar confirmed in August 2017 its order for seven vessels from Fincantieri following the signing of a preliminary contract in June 2016. The deal consists in four air defence corvettes of over 100 meters in length, one amphibious vessel (LPD - Landing Platform Dock acting as mobile radar station for the corvettes), and two patrol vessels (OPV - Offshore Patrol Vessel).

Fincantieri is showcasing for the very first time a scale model of the future corvette on its stand at DIMDEX 2018



The corvette design selected by the Qatari Navy has a length of 107 meters, a maximum breadth of 14.70 meters, a draft of 4.20 meters for a full load displacement of 3250 tons.

Its maximum speed is set to be 28 knots, its range 3500 nautical miles (at 15 knots). The propulsion system will be CODAD type. It will have an endurance of 21 days.

The crew complement will be 98 sailors with accommodations for a total of 112 persons. The flight deck and hangar are sized for one NH90 helicopter.

A scale model of the corvette is also present on the Qatari Navy booth



In terms of weapon systems, the corvettes will be fitted with a 76mm main gun by Leonardo, 16x VLS cells for ASTER 30 surface to air missiles (by MBDA), two Marlins 30mm remote weapon stations (Leonardo), 8x Exocet MM40 Block III (MBDA) and RAM launcher (21 missiles) by Raytheon for short range air defense.



Leonardo is responsible for the integrated supply of the new naval units combat system (Athena), main radar system (Kronos) and on-board sensors and defence sub-systems, including the anti-torpedo protection system and the Thesan mine avoidance sonar.

A total of four Sylena Mk2 decoy launchers by Lacroix will protect the vessels against anti-ship missile threats.

These corvettes will become the backbone and the most potent surface combatants of the Qatari Navy fleet.



First steel cutting is set to take place in June 2018 while delivery of first of class vessel is expected in 2021.

These corvettes will become the backbone and the most potent surface combatants of the Qatari Navy fleet.



The contract also includes support services in Qatar for 15 years after the delivery of the vessels. All the units will be entirely built in Fincantieri Italian shipyards starting from 2018, ensuring 6 years of work and an important impact on the main Italian defense companies.

Fincantieri and the Qatari Navy are also showcasing for the first time the designs of the OPV and LPD. Stay tuned for Navy Recognition's coverage of these two new vessels.(@rukhshanmir)

Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) Prime Minister Raja Muhammad Farooq Haider Khan said that the incumbent government was taking necessary measures to promote business activities in the State.

MIRPUR, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 12th Mar, 2018 ) :Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) Prime Minister Raja Muhammad Farooq Haider Khan said that the incumbent government was taking necessary measures to promote business activities in the State.

Prime Minister expressed this views in the oath taking ceremony of Traders Joint Action Committee (TJAC) in the capital town Monday. He stated that foreign investment in AJK especially share of corporate banks and Diaspora would create new employment opportunities for the masses.

"State does not progress with the creation of public sector job opportunities but it develops with trade and business" he said. Farooq reiterated that "we will set some conditions for scheduled banks to give loans on easy terms and conditions for the promotion of business activities in the state." The government of AJK has started several schemes for promoting new businesses under Azad Kashmir small industries corporation and Bank of Azad Jammu and Kashmir and providing loans to all small, medium and larger level traders on easy terms.

"The basic facilities will be provided for the promotion of business activities" he added. PM AJK also added that the proposal for making a ware house for commercial goods coming through LOC trade was under consideration.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister also announced to establish nursing schools along with Muzaffarabad and Rawalakot Medical colleges in next fiscal year. Prime Minister cautioned that some public sector employees had been observed responsible for favoritism and nepotism, such employees would be made accountable.

Moreover, Prime Minister also apprised the traders that he was aware of the load shedding issue being faced by the people and the progress on the projects to control load shedding in AJK is in progress on Federal level.He European Union on Monday extended by a further six months sanctions against Russian and Ukrainian officials over their suspected involvement in the conflict in eastern Ukraine

Brussels, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 12th Mar, 2018 ) :The European Union on Monday extended by a further six months sanctions against Russian and Ukrainian officials over their suspected involvement in the conflict in eastern Ukraine.

Asset freezes and travel bans now affect 150 individuals, up one from six months earlier, and 38 "entities", which include businesses, organisations and political parties. "An assessment of the situation did not justify a change in the sanctions regime," the EU's 28 member states said in a statement.

The individual sanctions are part of measures taken by the EU to punish Moscow for its support for pro-Russian separatists in the conflict in eastern Ukraine, which began in early 2014. Sweeping economic sanctions targeting the Russian oil, defence and banking sectors, imposed in summer 2014, were extended by six months in December.

The EU imposed the economic sanctions against Russia after Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 was shot down over Ukraine in July 2014, killing 298 people, an attack the West blamed on pro-Russian rebels.

The conflict between Russia-backed fighters and Ukrainian troops has killed more than 10,000 people since 2014, when pro-Russian forces in eastern Ukraine rebelled against Kiev and Russia annexed Crimea.

Clashes continue despite the signing of peace accords in Minsk in 2015 and regular ceasefires, which both sides accuse each other of breaking. The EU also has individual sanctions in force against Russia over its 2014 annexation of Crimea from Ukraine.French car giant PSA announced Monday it would start assembling Peugeot and Opel brands in Namibia in the second half of 2018. Under an investment agreement with the Namibian government, PSA whose brands also include Citroen, DS and Vauxhall will reach output capacity of 5,000 vehicles per year at the plant in the port town of Walvis Bay by 2020, it said in a statement

Paris, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 12th Mar, 2018 ) :French car giant PSA announced Monday it would start assembling Peugeot and Opel brands in Namibia in the second half of 2018. Under an investment agreement with the Namibian government, PSA whose brands also include Citroen, DS and Vauxhall will reach output capacity of 5,000 vehicles per year at the plant in the port town of Walvis Bay by 2020, it said in a statement.

The initial models will be two 4x4s, the Opel Grandland X and Peugeot 3008, but "other products will follow to meet customer demand," PSA said in a statement. The deal, in which Peugeot will form a joint enterprise with the state owned Namibia Development Corporation, aims at the expanding market in the Southern African Customs Union, which comprises Botswana, Lesotho, Namibia, South Africa and Swaziland.

The investment is part of the "long-term strategy of Groupe PSA to increase its sales in Africa and the middle East, consistent with our target to sell one million vehicles in 2025," said the executive vice president for those regions, Jean-Christophe Quemard.

Other investments, existing or planned, are in Algeria, Ethiopia, Iran, Kenya, Morocco, Tunisia and Nigeria. In 2017, the group sold 592,000 vehicles in Africa and the Middle East, a surge of 54.5 percent, as sales in Asia plummeted.

Global sales were 3.632 million, a figure that includes figures for the newly-acquired Opel and Vauxhaull brands, from August 1. pan/ri/ser PSA PEUGEOT CITROEN(@rukhshanmir)

Pakistan Ambassador to China Masood Khalid said on Monday that since the signing of China-Pakistan Free Zone Trade Agreement in 2007 and the launch of China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) in 2013, the bilateral trade volume and investment between China and Pakistan was soaring. "Currently,

BEIJING, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 12th Mar, 2018 ) :Pakistan Ambassador to China Masood Khalid said on Monday that since the signing of China-Pakistan Free Zone Trade Agreement in 2007 and the launch of China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) in 2013, the bilateral trade volume and investment between China and Pakistan was soaring.

"Currently, China was Pakistan's largest trade partner and foreign investment country," he said in an interview on the occasion of Chinese "two sessions". Ambassador Khalid said that Pakistan has benefited from both China's economic development and "One Belt and One Road" initiative proposed by Chinese President Xi Jinping for building a community of shared future.

Pakistan's 1320 megawatt Sahiwal and 660 megawatt Qasim port coal-fired power plants had been completed; the Peshawar-Karachi highway, the updating project of Karakoram Highway, and Lahore Orange Line were also in the final stage, he said and added, "Considerable achievements can be seen in these China-Pakistan cooperative projects." Ambassador Khalid also mentioned about China's innovation and said that he had already experienced China's mobile payment, bullet train and e-commerce.

However, he said that it was a pity that he had not tried China's public shared Mobike. "I am expecting that China's ability to innovate will reach the world leading class in ten years", he said.

Ambassador Khalid said that China had innovation improvement in these fields, and achievements in innovation of high technology and strategic industries are remarkable. For instance, China's super computer ranked 43 in the world in 2002, however, it already ranked the top in the world.

And furthermore, China had gained rapid progress in the fields of artificial intelligence, quantum mechanics, agriculture and environmental sciences. He said that China's advanced experience of science and technology innovation was worth of learning.

Currently, more than 20,000 Pakistani students are learning in Chinese universities majoring medical science, engineering and scientific research, he added. He said that China's investment in various fields in Pakistan also pushed forward the knowledge construction and reservation of Pakistan's expert groups.

Developing countries often faced inadequate ability to innovate while China had relatively stronger ability to innovate, and could play important role in this regard, he added. Ambassador Khalid said that China has now played an important role in many global issues such as anti-terror, climate change, peace-keeping and global epidemic prevention.

China's voice represented the aspirations of developing countries. "Nowadays, China has played important roles in many global issues. China's voice can be heard frequently in various fields such as anti-terror, climate change, peace-keeping and global epidemic prevention.

China's voice represents the aspirations of developing countries." He said that China had become the pioneer of global business, trade and communication in the world stage. China was not only the world's second economy, but also a powerful engine for the world economy.

China's economic sustainable growth was in the interest of the whole world. And meanwhile, China played an important role in many global issues, and made tremendous contribution to the world. China was now continuing to construct a more beautiful world for the mankind.

Ambassador Khalid appreciated the idea of "Building a community of shared future for mankind" proposed by President Xi Jinping. He said this feasible idea, which was built on the foundation of win-win and mutual prosperity and respect, would lead to a new channel of cooperation for a stable, beautiful and harmonious world.

While talking about "One Belt and One Road", Ambassador Khalid said that the world situation was characterized by turbulence and economic downturn and development stagnation. The initiative "One Belt and One Road" had provided a workable solution to economic challenges.

Ambassador Khalid said that his first visit to China was in 1980s, and then he visited China many times due to work reasons. He had witnessed by himself the giant changes of the Chinese people's living brought by the economic development.

"China has reestablished its status as the main economic power in the world," Ambassador Khalid said. Chinese economy has transferred from high-speed to high quality development. China's GDP in 2017 realized 6.9%, which coincided with China's economic goal.

"In the past five years, China has made remarkable achievements in poverty reduction, science and technology research, space exploration, communication devices, infrastructure construction, military and other various fields; although some skeptical voices can be heard from international communities, China has definitely realized its sustainable economic growth," he commented.Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi Monday said that Pakistan and Iran should work together and make their utmost efforts for enhancing the bilateral trade to $5 billion by 2021.

ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 12th Mar, 2018 ) :Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi Monday said that Pakistan and Iran should work together and make their utmost efforts for enhancing the bilateral trade to $5 billion by 2021.

In a meeting with Foreign Minister of Iran Dr. Javad Zarif, who called on him here, the prime minister reaffirmed Pakistan's desire to enhance mutually beneficial economic cooperation with Iran including bilateral trade, investments and commercial interaction.

During the meeting, both sides discussed efforts for strengthening of bilateral relations and issues related to peace and security in the region. Prime Minister Abbasi emphasized the need to deepen connectivity to harness benefits from regional economic integration.

He expressed his commitment to work to resolve the issues in implementation of Iran-Pakistan Gas Pipeline Project including the financing of pipeline infrastructure and the scope of snap back clause.

The prime minister said that Pakistan was working towards realizing its vision of a peaceful and inter-connected region for shared progress and prosperity.

"We believe that a peaceful and stable Afghanistan is vital for economic progress of the region and Pakistan and Iran as the two neighbouring countries can make important contribution for achieving this objective," he remarked.

He also thanked the Iranian leadership for their steadfast support to the principled struggle of Kashmiris. The Iranian foreign minister appreciated the increasing high level interaction between the two countries.

He said the mutual efforts of the two countries had resulted into enhanced economic and people-to-people interaction, which should be further strengthened. Dr. Zarif also appreciated Pakistan's efforts for strengthening border management to prevent illegal cross border activities.

Dr Javad Zarif is visiting Pakistan from March 11-13 for bilateral consultations with the foreign minister. During this visit, he is also having interaction with relevant ministers and senior civil and military officials.(@rukhshanmir)

Results of 40000 Prize bond Premium announced, the list is published of the winners.

Lahore (UrduPoint / UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 13th March, 2018 ) -: The balloting of prize bonds worth Rs.40,000/- Premium each was held Today in Hyderabad on March 12th. The Draw number is 4. The winner of the prize bond announced, prize bond number 434303 won the amount of 80000000 PKR. The second prize winners are 23961, 519469 and 931526, they all won Rs. 30000000. Third prize of was awarded to 1696 lucky winners.

The draw was held in Hayderabad Pakistan. The full list of 1696 winners is published in our business section, you can read here.

You can check the schedule of Prize Bond Draw list of 2018 in the business section of UrduPoint.The Australian Academy of Science has joined an international coalition of expert bodies calling for the Commonwealth of Nations to guide action on climate change.

CANBERRA, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 12th Mar, 2018 ) :The Australian academy of Science has joined an international coalition of expert bodies calling for the Commonwealth of Nations to guide action on climate change.

The 22 national academies from around the Commonwealth issued a Consensus Statement on Climate Change ahead of April's Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in the United Kingdom (UK).

It marks the first time that Commonwealth nations have come together to call on governments to take further action to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions. The signatories to the statement represent tens of thousands of scientists from around the world.

As a signatory to the 2015 Paris Agreement, Australia has committed to keeping the average global temperature increase below two degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels but David Day, Secretary of Science Policy at the Australian Academy of Science, said achieving that feat was only the first step.

"Even if all the country commitments from the Paris Agreement are met, the best interpretation of the latest data shows that by the end of the century the global climate is likely to be three degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels," Day said in a media release on Monday.

"This is substantially higher than the Paris target to limit warming to less than two degrees, and would have profound impacts affecting billions of people throughout the world." The CHOGM has committed to focusing on sustainability and how developing countries can combat climate change.

"Recognising different capacities, challenges and priorities, the approaches of each nation will not be the same. But, they must be informed by the best available scientific evidence, monitoring and evaluation," Day said.(@ChaudhryMAli88)

Dr. Faisal H. Cheema hails from Pakistan. Belonging to the rural areas of Wazirabad and Hafizabad, he got his education from Crescent Model School and Government College, Lahore before moving to Karachi to attend his medical school at Aga Khan University

Houston(UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 12th Mar, 2018 ) Dr. Faisal H. Cheema hails from Pakistan. Belonging to the rural areas of Wazirabad and Hafizabad, he got his education from Crescent Model School and Government College, Lahore before moving to Karachi to attend his medical school at Aga Khan University.

After graduation, he moved to USA and further trained and worked at Columbia University (NY), Loyola University (IL), Johns Hopkins University (MD), University of Maryland (MD) and University of California Berkley (CA).

He is currently a faculty member at Baylor College of Medicine and Texas Heart Institute in Houston, TX. He has served as Senator for the Ivy-League Columbia University and is involved with several professional, academic, community and philanthropic organizations.

Dr. Cheemas passionate and selfless work for young physicians culminated in establishment of Committee for Young Physicians within Association of Physicians of Pakistani-descent of North America (APPNA), on which he served for more than a decade that included chairing it.

He has helped hundreds of students in their search for residencies and or advancing their medical careers in USA.

He loves to mentor medical students and young physicians. Ever since he left his motherland, he continues to collaborate with various institutions in Pakistan (Aga Khan University, Punjab Institute of Cardiology, Armed Forces Institute of Cardiology, Shifa College of Medicine and others) and guides students from medical schools all across Pakistan.

Dr. Cheema has published more than a 110 scientific manuscripts in high impact journals. In due course of time, through strategic partnerships among academic, corporate, governmental and philanthropic institutions, Dr.

Cheemas mission is to make heart and lung transplant and artificial devices for end-stage heart failure and lung disease a reality in Pakistan. He also aspires to develop a national organ donation and allocation system for Pakistan.

Dr. Faisal H. Cheema and his colleague Dr. Jeffrey A. Morgan have been awarded $4 Million in funding from Brockman Medical Research Foundation to lead cutting edge research on heart transplantation.(@ChaudhryMAli88)

Minister for Interior, Ahsan Iqbal on Monday said Pakistan was quite a peaceful and rapidly developing country against the murky picture being portrayed by some international media outlets like CNN and US President Donald Trump

ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 12th Mar, 2018 ) :Minister for Interior, Ahsan Iqbal on Monday said Pakistan was quite a peaceful and rapidly developing country against the murky picture being portrayed by some international media outlets like CNN and US President Donald Trump.

Addressing the inauguration ceremony of a five day 10th International Scientific school, 2018 here, the minister urged foreign delegates to tell the people in their respective countries about real picture (peaceful) of Pakistan.

The workshop was organized by National Center for Physics and The Abdus Salam International Center for Theoretical Physics (ICTP), Triest, Italy and was attended by scientists from across the world.

The minister congratulated NCP for holding successful event for last 10 years. He said science and technology were the key drivers for development, because technological and scientific revolutions underpin economic advances, improvements in health systems, education and infrastructure.

It is a fact that to promote technological advances, developing countries should invest in quality education for the youth, as well as continuous skills training for researchers and scientists, and should ensure that knowledge is shared as widely as possible across society.

Development of physics, he said was a collaborative enterprise and this enterprise was the reason of many modern inventions. "Economic growth of advanced economies depends in large part on a strong infrastructure for science and technology (S&T), an infrastructure that can lead to the development of new industries, improved competitiveness of existing industries, and the creation of new jobs opportunities," he added.

Among the world's advanced nations, he said a few nations have successfully leveraged advances in science and technology to stimulate economic activity. Therefore, as Science and Technology capabilities become even more important for all countries in addressing traditional development issues.

Programs in some or all fields of science will undoubtedly require substantial Science &Technology inputs, he added. Adopting appropriate technologies leads directly to higher productivity, which is the key to growth.

In societies that have large stock and flows of knowledge, virtuous circles that encourage widespread creativity and technological innovation emerge naturally, and allow sustained growth over long periods.

In societies with limited stocks of knowledge, bright and creative people feel stifled and emigrate as soon as they can, creating a vicious circle that traps those who remain in a more impoverished space.

Such societies stay mired in poverty and dependency. Appreciating NPC's excellent work in the field of physics and related emerging disciplines, the Interior Minister said undoubtedly, National Centre for Physics was an emerging scientific and research institute of this region with international standards.

 "It is really worthy to mention here that NCP is playing its pivotal role in breaking the isolation of Pakistani researchers from the international scientific community and is very actively establishing links between industry and research institutes for the development of society & intellectual growth," he added.

Ahsan said NCP wa a unique research institution in Pakistan and the region for training and nourishment of young researchers in the fields of physics and allied discipline. He said NCP hosts state of the art scientific and technical facilities that are not available in most of the high grade universities of Pakistan.

"I am very happy to note that NCP has a very strong linkage with HEC recognized universities through a viable hosted researchers programme at post graduate level," he said adding "I must appreciate that upon my recommendation, which I gave last year at this platform, to initiate flagship Facility Projects i.e.

projects which can put Pakistan in a high level with respect to socioeconomic development and which help us to reflect Pakistan on the World map". He informed that Planning Commission of Pakistan had approved two Projects from Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP) fund including upgradation and strengthening of R&D Labs of National Centre for Physics at a cost of Rs 441.380 million and the other is for the upgrade of silicon strip tracker and Muon System for the Compact Muon Solenoid (CMS) Experiment, Research and Development of Rs 275.752 million.

This contribution from government of Pakistan shows that NCP's professional and dedicated leadership is taking NCP to right directions, he added.(@ChaudhryMAli88)

ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 11th Mar, 2018 ) :Director General (DG) International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Yukiya Amano would arrive on a three-day official visit to Pakistan on Monday.

During his stay, he would visit various centers of Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission (PAEC) in Islamabad, Faisalabad and Karachi, besides calling on the Prime Minister. As a founding member of IAEA, Pakistan has deep cooperation with IAEA in areas of nuclear power, industrial application of nuclear techniques, non-destructive testing, food and agriculture, soil improvement, radiation induced mutation, radiation oncology and nuclear medicines, environmental protection and isotope hydrology, etc, said a press release.

Widely known as the world's "Nuclear Watch Dog" organization within the United Nations family, the IAEA is the international center for cooperation in the nuclear field.

The Agency works with its member states and multiple partners worldwide to promote the peaceful use of nuclear technology.

Yukiya Amano hails from Japan. He has held the post of DG IAEA since December 2009. Before being appointed to the IAEA's top job, Mr Amano held a number of high-level policy positions, including Chairman of the IAEA board of Governors (BoG) from 2005-2006.

He has extensive experience in disarmament and non-proliferation diplomacy, as well as nuclear energy issues. Official visit of the IAEA chief is of key national interest for Pakistan as many new vistas of cooperation between IAEA and Pakistan would be explored during the visit.Moderation is all about truth and righteousness and same are the teaching of Islamic Shariah, while this particular term must not be interpreted as changes in Shariah, said Imam of the grand Mosque in Makkah, Shaikh Salih Bin Ibe Talib other day at International Islamic University, Islamabad (IIUI).

Islamabad, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 12th Mar, 2018) : Moderation is all about truth and righteousness and same are the teaching of Islamic Shariah, while this particular term must not be interpreted as changes in Shariah, said Imam of the grand Mosque in Makkah, Shaikh Salih Bin Ibe Talib other day at International Islamic University, Islamabad (IIUI).

He was addressing a seminar on "Moderation in the light of Quran and Sunnah and its application in Saudi Arabia and Pakistan" organized by the university at Faisal Masjid campus. Imam e Kaaba hailed Pakistan for role in the services of Muslim world and added that "Pakistan is an atomic power and Muslim world is proud of this country".

He maintained that Pakistani human resource has always added pace to the progress of Muslims. While referring to the Pak-Saudi relations, Imam e Kaaba said that both countries have exemplary ties and mutual bond was getting stronger with the passage of time.

Shaikh Saleh hailed IIUI while discussing Paigham e Pakistan initiative of the university and said that the university has brought the Muslim world on a page to have a narrative against the forbidden deeds such as violence.

He also appreciated the university for arranging discussions and moots for promotion of moderation and dissemination of the message of islam. IIUI Rector, Dr.

Masoom Yasinzai, in his speech on the occasion welcomed Imam e Kaaba and said the Saudi cooperation had made IIUI a truly international institution.

He added that the Ambassador of Saudi Arabia Nawaf Al-Malki and IIUI President Dr. Ahmed Yousif Al-Draiweesh had provided meaningful contribution in progress of the university. IIUI Rector furthered that Pakistani people had immense love for KSA in hearts and reception of respected Imam e Kaaba was a visible example.

IIUI President, Dr. Ahmed Yousif Al-Draiweesh said on the occasion that application of moderation was the dire need of hour. He said that Saudi government had contributed a lot in dissemination of moderation through its commitment against extremism and violence.

IIUI President also briefed the audience about the initiatives of the university taken for moderation. The seminar was also attended by the KSA Ambassador, while diplomats, IIUI Vice Presidents, Directors General, students and relevant officials also attended the seminar.

Earlier, Imam e Kaaba led the Maghrib prayer which was attended by renowned figures of society, IIUI leadership, diplomats and a large number of the people of twin cities. Imam e kaaba also visited the Islamic research Institute of the university and penned his remarks regarding his visit to the university.Sindh Minister for Information and Transport, Syed Nasir Hussain Shah has said that Sindh Government was trying to improve over all education system right from primary to university level. Performance improvement of Educational Boards is also needed to improve the quality of education, this he said while talking to media during visit to a Science exhibition at government girls degree college here on Monday.

KARACHI, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 12th Mar, 2018 ) :Sindh Minister for Information and Transport, Syed Nasir Hussain Shah has said that Sindh Government was trying to improve over all education system right from Primary to university level.

Performance improvement of Educational Boards is also needed to improve the quality of education, this he said while talking to media during visit to a Science exhibition at government girls degree college here on Monday.

"I know there are a lot of problems in education system working in public sector but Sindh government is taking drastic measures to improve the system", he remarked.

He said that the CM Sindh had already declared emergency in education sector with the objective to improve performance of schools, colleges and universities operating in public sector along with developing communication skills of teaching staff.

He visited the stalls set up by students for Magnificent Science Exhibition in the college. The students of the college mixed up with the minister and took their selfies with him and got him autographs on their books and copies. APP/jml/harThe family of Asma Rani, a medical student who was killed in Kohat, Monday demanded capital punishment for killer, asserting that no apology of the accused Mujahid would be accepted.

PESHAWAR, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 12th Mar, 2018 ) :The family of Asma Rani, a medical student who was killed in Kohat, Monday demanded capital punishment for killer, asserting that no apology of the accused Mujahid would be accepted.

Addressing a press conference in Kohat, the brother of Asma Rani said the Mujahid's family was influencing his family for arbitration besides threatening them through different means, adding that he would not negotiate with killer of his sister.

He said Asma Rani told name of her killer before death at the hospital. The killer should be given capital punishment, he added. He urged the judiciary to shift the case to Peshawar for further proceeding as the Mujahid's family was very influential and was exerting pressure on him and his family.

He said accused Mujahid killed his sister through a planning, adding that he came Pakistan on January 23 and after getting complete information about his sister, he killed him on January 27 in front of his house.

It is to mention that the prime accused in Asma Rani murder case, Mujahidullah Afridi was deported to Pakistan on Saturday after he was arrested in Dubai with the help of Interpol after two months when he murdered the medical student Asma Rani in Kohat and fled the country.

A statement of the slain Asma Rani was recorded by police in hospital before she succumbed to her wounds. Investigations into the murder have revealed that the prime suspect, Mujahid Afridi had killed a man in Kohat six month prior to killing Asma Rani.

District Police Officer (DPO) Kohat Abbas Majeed Marwat told media that other day that the man's family had settled the matter with Afridi hence there was no police case.(@ChaudhryMAli88)

Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi Monday said with decades of experience in the use of nuclear technology for peaceful purposes, Pakistan was ready to further strengthen partnership with the International Atomic Energy Agency and contribute towards the achievement of Sustainable Development Goals worldwide.

ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 12th Mar, 2018 ) :Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi Monday said with decades of experience in the use of nuclear technology for peaceful purposes, Pakistan was ready to further strengthen partnership with the International Atomic Energy Agency and contribute towards the achievement of Sustainable Development Goals worldwide.

Talking to Director General of IAEA Yukiya Amano here at the PM Office, the Prime Minister said, with an extensive experience and expertise in the nuclear field, Pakistan was well placed as a provider of services for various IAEA programmes and activities.

During the meeting issues related to cooperation between Pakistan and IAEA were discussed. The Prime Minister appreciated the positive role played by the IAEA in the promotion of peaceful uses of nuclear technology in Pakistan.

Abbasi briefed the IAEA Chief about Pakistan's energy development plans and the significance of nuclear power generation in the energy mix as a clean and environment friendly source of energy. He said Pakistan looks forward to the Agency's assistance in expanding nuclear power production.

During his stay in Pakistan, the Director General of the IAEA would visit various civilian facilities and installations to see for himself the strides made by the country in the application of nuclear technology in agriculture, health, industry, water resource management, environment protection and food safety.(@FahadShabbir)

Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Media Affairs, Senator Dr Musadik Malik Monday said Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) would address real issues of common man relating to health, clean drinking water, education and others.

ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 12th Mar, 2018 ) :Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Media Affairs, Senator Dr Musadik Malik Monday said Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) would address real issues of common man relating to health, clean drinking water, education and others.

All the issues would be highlighted at the forum of Upper House for benefiting the people of this country, he said talking to a private news channel. He urged the concerned quarters to evolve consensus on national issues at the highest forum of Senate.

He added that PML-N government had always developed consensus on national important matters.

Musadik Malik said PML-N never imposed any curb on media. He said the his party always talked about freedom of expression.

He said the present government was working for supremacy of Parliament, rule of law and strengthening democracy in the country. Despite losing Senate chairman seat, he said we would continue to work for best national interest besides focusing on welfare projects. He said continuity of democratic system was imperative to achieve desirous goals and milestone.President Mamnoon Hussain on Monday proposed a system for the rehabilitation and support of people suffering due to unrest and instability in different parts of the Islamic World and said the whole Muslim Ummah, including Pakistan and Saudi Arabia, should work actively in that regard.

ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 12th Mar, 2018 ) :President Mamnoon Hussain on Monday proposed a system for the rehabilitation and support of people suffering due to unrest and instability in different parts of the Islamic World and said the whole Muslim Ummah, including Pakistan and Saudi Arabia, should work actively in that regard.

He also called for steps to counter Islamophobia.  The president said this while talking toImam of Masjid Al-Haram Saleh Bin Muhammad Al Talib,who along with a delegation called on him here at the Aiwan-e-Sadr.

Minister for Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony Sardar Muhammad Yousuf, Minister for Communication Dr Hafiz Abdul Karim, Senator Sajid Mir and Ambassador of Saudi Arabia Nawaf Saeed Bin Almalky were also present on the occasion.

 The president emphasized that Pakistan and Saudi Arabia had convergence of views on international and regional issues and they also fully cooperated each other on international forums. He highlighted that every year the Saudi government made excellent arrangements for Hajj and Umrah.

He stated that Pakistan fully supported the Saudi government's vision 2030, which would create stability in the region and strengthen the economy. The president underscored that Islamophobia had emerged in the world during the last few years, which needed to be countered.

He was pleased that Pakistan and Saudi Arabia were working together to eliminate the misperceptions against islam, he added. He underlined that an effective system through mutual consultation should be developed for the restoration of the people affected from unrest in the Muslim world.

 The President pointed out that unrest was promoted in different parts of the Islamic world and Muslims should learn a lesson from it and should work in unison to eradicate the menace. He stressed that the curriculum of religious educational institutions should be improved in accordance with the requirement of modern era so that the coming generations could meet the challenges of modern world.

In this respect, it was imperative to include the subjects of science and technology in the curriculum, he added.  The president stated that Pakistan wanted Saudi Arabia to be so strong that no power could cast a bad eye on it.

Pakistan would always support Saudi Arabia for this purpose, he added. On the occasion, the president also conveyed his best wishes for King Salman bin Abdulaziz, Crown Prince Muhammad Bin Salman and the people of Saudi Arabia.

 The Imam of Masjid Al-Haram said that relationship of Pakistan and Saudi Arabia was not merely a diplomatic one but it was based on faith. Pakistan was the strength of Saudi Arabia and both countries had collective goals, he added.

He said Pakistan and Saudi Arabia were the major powers of the Islamic world and they had full confidence in their leadership. He said he fully agreed with the suggestions for the unity and proposals to meet the challenges faced by the Muslim Ummah.(@ChaudhryMAli88)

RAWALPINDI, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 11th Mar, 2018 ) :Federal Minister for Norcotics Control General (R) Salah-ud- Din Tirmzi has said that education played a vital role in economic development of country and urged the students to get quality education so that they could contribute towards national progress and stability.

Addressing the annual prize distribution ceremony of Jinnah Preparatory school held in the Auditorium of Rawalpindi Arts Council here on Sunday, Salah-ud- Din Tirmzi said that the education was the only way to overcome poverty, ignorance, unemployment and extremism.

It is need of hour that we invest in education and provide conducive environment to the kids to get education which could enable them to combat the challenges of future. He appreciated that high standard of education of Jinnah Preparatory School, which had provided opportunities to the students to express their capabilities and talents in an efficient manner.

He congratulated parents and students who got positions in annual examinations. Head of Jinnah Preparatory School Rawalpindi Abdul Qadir Hai in his address said that no society could progress without education and mutual cooperation of parents as well teachers.

Later, the chief guest awarded prizes and certificates among the students showing outstanding performance in different categories. The ceremony was also attended by parents, teaching faculty and students. The well prepared kids of Jinnah Preparatory School presented beautiful tableaus, dramas, fancy dress show, skits and cultural show.Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunication (MoITT) and its departments are steadfastly committed to provide enabling environment for the industry and boosting exports of the country

ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 12th Mar, 2018 ) :Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunication (MoITT) and its departments are steadfastly committed to provide enabling environment for the industry and boosting exports of the country.

According to official data , Pakistan's IT industry has exhibited positive growth trends for the last four years with 100% growth in export earnings.During 2016-17, Pakistan's IT exports were $3.3 billion, which have jumped to $5 billion and are expected to grow to $6 billion next years.

Pakistan's IT industry is growing at a fast pace across different categories. Enterprise software has grown by 17%, marketing tech 15%, financial services 13%, consumer goods 9%, retail/e-commerce 8%, professional services 8%, internet of things/hardware 7%, health care 4%, media 4% and non-profit 3%.

Facebook, Amazon and other giants of IT sector are anticipating something huge in the start-up world of Pakistan as evidenced by the huge number of sponsors. Pakistan government has also started promoting start-ups, for example, it has given three-year exemption from taxes to the start-ups and set up national incubation centres in Lahore, Islamabad, Peshawar ,Karachi and Quetta.

Department working under IT & Telecom ministry, Pakistan Software Export board has selected 30 IT professionals and 28 IT companies and given certifications in Capability Maturity Model Integration (CMMI) platform.

Moreover, 134 IT companies got certifications in ISO 9001, ISO 20001 and ISO 27001 helping them to generate IT exports from developed countries. Managing director of PSEB Asim Shahryar Husain told the directors in their previous meeting that PSEB has achieved significant milestones in IT promotion over the last four years.

PSEB participated in 11 international trade fairs along with 65 IT companies. He told the boards that Pakistani companies were able to generate more than 2 thousand leads with the help of those events, he added.

He said, Trade fairs and exhibitions have promoted Pakistan as a viable destination for outsourcing, Pakistan's exports increased due to PSEB efforts of organizing participation in International expos along with IT companies.

Ministry official told APP, PSEB in partnership with National ICT R&D Fund (IGNITE) has placed 1700 plus IT graduates as interns in various IT companies and banks and more than 60 percent of interns had a job offer from their respective companies.

Later in another meeting, Minister of State for IT Anusha Rahman, approved "DigiSkills" programme to provide training to 1 million youth to streamline excellence in technology, innovation, and professionalism, focusing on building a workforce for future driven by 4thIndustrial revolution.China has donated 1,243 metric tons of rice to Liberia as emergency humanitarian food assistance.

MONROVIA, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 12th Mar, 2018 ) :China has donated 1,243 metric tons of rice to Liberia as emergency humanitarian food assistance. A statement by the Liberian government late Sunday confirmed that all 50 containers of rice had arrived in the country and were received by officials.

"The donation was based upon a request from the Liberian government," said Liberia's acting foreign minister Elias Shoniyin. The food assistance would help alleviate the hardship that the continuous rise in the price of rice, a staple food in Liberia, has brought on ordinary citizens, Shoniyin said.

The new administration of President George Weah has been working to stabilize the price of rice with the aim of making it affordable to most of the citizens, he said. Fu Jijun, the Chinese ambassador in Liberia, said the donated rice would be allocated to the needy, and that China is willing to help the West African country raise grain production and strengthen its agriculture sector.(@ChaudhryMAli88)

Residents of a town in Ethiopia's restive Oromia region on Monday disputed the government's characterisation of a deadly shooting that left nine civilians dead as an accident.

Addis Ababa, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 12th Mar, 2018 ) :Residents of a town in Ethiopia's restive Oromia region on Monday disputed the government's characterisation of a deadly shooting that left nine civilians dead as an accident.

Ethiopian state media said Sunday that soldiers shot nine civilians near the town of Moyale on the Kenyan border after mistaking them for members of the banned Oromo Liberation Front (OLF) who were trying to sneak into the country.

But two residents who spoke to AFP said the shooting took place in an area known for its opposition to the government, and came amid worsening relations between the populace and soldiers deployed to Moyale under a nationwide state of emergency declared last month.

"The government is just disseminating misinformation," said one resident, who spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisals. A second resident -- who also did not want to be named -- said the bloodshed began on Saturday after a crowd formed to separate two motorcyclists who had collided and began arguing.

"It was then a military vehicle came along. The military jumped out of the car and started shooting aimlessly, killing indiscriminately," said the resident, who fled across the border to Kenya along with many others.

The first resident, who remains in Moyale, said he counted 10 bodies in the town's hospital.

"Some of them were killed in their homes. Some of them were killed while they were having their lunch.

Some others were killed while they were selling in their shops," he said. Ethiopia declared a state of emergency last month after the surprise resignation of Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn, who will stay in office until a successor is chosen.

Oromia was the epicentre of a protest movement against Ethiopia's one-party rule that started in late 2015 and spread to the neighbouring Amhara region, leaving hundreds dead and resulting in tens of thousands of arrests.

A 10-month state of emergency imposed in October 2016 quelled much of that violence, but the government remains unpopular among the Oromo, Ethiopia's largest ethnicity who inhabit Oromia. Oromo activists called a three-day strike to protest the state of emergency last week which was observed by many businesses even though it was against the law, the resident said.

Both residents said the Shawa Barri area where the shooting happened was home to young men who were active against the government and spread word of the recent strike. The government says five soldiers have been arrested over their role in the killings, which will be investigated by the military.Story Highlights 61%, up from 54%, say campus climate prevents people from speaking freely

Students still prefer a campus environment that allows all speech

Students perceive conservatives as less able to express their views

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Sixty-one percent of U.S. college students agree that the climate on their campus prevents some people from expressing their views because others might find them offensive. In 2016, 54% of college students held this view.

College Students Increasingly Perceive Their Campus Climate Prevents People From Saying Things They Believe Do you strongly agree, somewhat agree, somewhat disagree or strongly disagree with the following statement: The climate on my campus prevents some people from saying things they believe because others might find them offensive. 2016 2017 Change % % pct. pts. Strongly/Somewhat agree 54 61 +7 Strongly/Somewhat disagree 46 38 -8 Gallup/Knight Foundation 2017 College Student Survey

These results are based on a 2017 Gallup/Knight Foundation survey of 3,014 randomly sampled U.S. college students about First Amendment issues. The survey is an update of a nationally representative 2016 Knight Foundation/Newseum Institute/Gallup survey on the same topic.

The full report is available for download here: http://kng.ht/freespeech18

Students' perceptions that their campus climate prevents people from speaking their minds are generally similar by gender, race and ideological self-identification. However, students who identify as Democrats (63%) or independents (62%) are somewhat more likely than Republican students (53%) to think the climate at their college deters speech. That is a reversal from 2016, when Republicans were more likely than Democrats to hold this view.

Other than Republicans, most key subgroups are more inclined now than in 2016 to agree the climate on their campus can inhibit expression. Independents and blacks show slightly greater increases, 13 and 14 percentage points, respectively, than other subgroups.

Reduced Majority of Students Prefer Campus That Allows All Types of Speech

While more students now agree that their campus climate stifles free speech, fewer students now (70%) than in 2016 (78%) favor having an open campus environment that allows all types of speech, even that which is offensive. In contrast, 29% of students now, up from 22% in 2016, would rather campuses be "positive learning environments for all students" by prohibiting certain speech that is offensive or biased.

Most major subgroups of students -- except Republicans -- have become at least slightly less supportive of open campus environments than they were in 2016.

##SPEEDBUMP##

Students Less Likely to Think Conservatives Can Freely Express Their Views

When students perceive the campus climate as deterring certain people from speaking their minds, they may have conservative students in mind more than others. Sixty-nine percent of college students believe political conservatives can freely and openly express their views on campus. While still a majority, it is far less than the 92% who say the same about political liberals. Between 80% and 94% of students believe other campus groups, including many that have historically faced discrimination, can freely express their views.

Notably, students on both the left and right of the political spectrum tend to think conservatives are less able than other groups to express their views on campus. Sixty-six percent of liberal students and 63% of conservative students believe political conservatives at their college can freely express their views; 68% of Republicans and 67% of Democrats say the same.

These same subgroups also hold similar opinions about whether politically liberal students can openly express their views. At least nine in 10 Republicans, Democrats, liberals and conservatives believe this is the case.

The survey explored a number of First Amendment issues on college campuses, including how students balance respect for free speech rights versus the value of inclusion and diversity. Among other key findings are:

Majorities of college students believe protecting free speech rights (56%) and promoting an inclusive society welcoming of diverse groups (52%) are extremely important in a democracy. When asked to choose which is more important, they tilt toward inclusion over free speech, 53% to 46%.

Although they say they prefer open campus environments, students also favor certain policies that may restrict expression, including campus policies prohibiting the use of slurs or other language that is intentionally offensive (73%), banning costumes that stereotype racial or ethnic groups (60%) and establishing designated "free speech zones" on campus (83%). They are divided on instituting speech codes -- codes of conduct that restrict biased speech -- with 49% in favor and 51% opposed.

One in four college students say they have personally felt uncomfortable on campus because of comments they heard about their race, ethnicity or religion. Black (43%) and Jewish students (38%) are among the subgroups most likely to say they have felt uncomfortable. Republicans (17%) are the least likely major subgroup to say they have felt uncomfortable.

Just 28% of students favor colleges canceling invitations to campus speakers because some students oppose the invitation. However, 69% favor colleges canceling planned speeches because of concerns about violent protests.

Although the majority of students oppose college students using violence or shouting down speakers to prevent controversial speakers' messages from being heard, 10% say violence and 37% say shouting down speakers are "acceptable" at least sometimes.

By 57% to 43%, students say most discussion of political or social issues at their college takes place online through social media rather than in classrooms and other public areas of campus.

Students increasingly believe that social media stifles free speech because people are afraid of being attacked (59%) or "blocked" (60%) by those who disagree with their views.

Implications

College campuses have a long history of political activism and expression. Some of that expression -- by students, professors or invited speakers -- has had negative repercussions, from milder forms like making people feel uncomfortable to more extreme forms like the violence that occurred in 2017 at the University of California, Berkeley and the University of Virginia.

College students generally value the ideals of free speech guaranteed by the First Amendment and endorse the idea of open campus environments. Whether colleges are creating such environments is unclear; students' increasing belief that their campus climate deters free speech suggests they may not be. But college students' sometimes inconsistent or conflicting opinions on free speech issues underscore the challenges and complexities that can arise between respecting student rights and making sure all students feel safe and respected on campus.(@FahadShabbir)

A Palestinian family of five members died on dawn Monday when a fire broke out in their home while they were still sleeping, the Xinhua quoted LBCI TV reports

BEIRUT, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 12th Mar, 2018 ) ::A Palestinian family of five members died on dawn Monday when a fire broke out in their home while they were still sleeping, the Xinhua quoted LBCI tv reports.

According to the TV report, an electric shortcut caused the fire that broke out in the house of A.

D in the Imam Mahdi neighborhood in the southern city of Nabatieh. The fire led to the death of AD, his wife M H and his three daughters, Yasmine (16), Sabrine (8) and 8-month-old infant Nadine, who all suffocated from the smoke of the fire.

The Civil Defense Directorate rushed its vehicles to the neighborhood and managed to put off the fire and removed the bodies to a nearby hospital.Published: March 07, 2018

UT Filmmaker Series Continues with Award-Winning Filmmaker Bandar Albuliwi March 12

On Monday, March 12, The University of Tampa's FMX Filmmaker Series continues with award-winning filmmaker Bandar Albuliwi. The event begins at 7 p.m. in Reeves Theater, located on the second floor of the Vaughn Center, and is free and open to the public.



Albuliwi, assistant professor of film, animation and new media at UT, will premiere his short film Je T'aime, and a new version of his previously released film, retitled Azadeh, along with a segment of his debut feature Peace After Marriage (2013), winner of the Creative Promise Award at the Tribeca Film Festival and many international film awards. Albuliwi will also discuss his work as a director in the film industry.



Born in Brooklyn, NY, Albuliwi received his MFA in directing from the American Film Institute Conservatory in Los Angeles. He is a recipient of the Grand Jury Prize of the 22nd annual Fade in Awards (2018) for his television pilot Radicalized! His recent feature screenplay, A Brotherhood, was a finalist at the Sundance Screenwriting Lab and won the Diverse Voices Screenwriting Competition.



The Filmmaker Series is hosted by the Film, Animation and New Media Department (FMX) in conjunction with the College of Arts and Letters. The FMX Department offers BFA degrees in film and media arts, animation and new media.



Parking is available in the Plant Hall parking lot at Kennedy Boulevard and South Hyde Park Drive.



For more information, contact Dana Plays, professor of film, animation and new media, at dplays@ut.edu.

Vegas PBS is accepting original story submissions for the 2018 PBS KIDS Writers Contest. Stories with illustrations by students grades K-5 will be accepted. All entries must be received by Friday, March 23, 2018 at 5 p.m. to be eligible.

Entries must be mailed or hand-delivered to Vegas PBS Ready To Learn, 3050 E. Flamingo Road, Las Vegas, NV 89121. The writers contest is designed to promote the advancement of childrens literacy skills through hands-on, interactive learning.

Stories will be judged on creativity and originality of plot and themes; story structure and use of literary devices; and relevance, quality and originality of illustrations.

The top three winners in each grade level will be honored at a recognition ceremony at Vegas PBS in which the awardees will learn their placements. First place winners will receive a scholarship to attend the Southern Nevada Writing Projects Summer Youth Writing Camp, a five-day program allowing students to enhance their talents and build their confidence as storytellers under the guidance of skilled educators who possess a passion for teaching writing. Prizes also include a trophy, framed enlargements of their work and additional reading and writing resources, all sponsored by Janice Allen. All students who enter will receive a personalized certificate to recognize their participation.

We are proud to continue our tradition of hosting the annual PBS KIDS Writers Contest, said Vegas PBS Ready To Learn Coordinator Jessica Russell. One of the greatest benefits of the writers contest is the creative freedom children are granted for their stories. We cant wait to see what the kids in our community come up with.Activists protesting a prominent donor familys link to the opioid crisis unfurled banners and scattered pill bottles inside New Yorks Metropolitan Museum of Art on Saturday.

The New York Times reports that the protest started just after 4 p.m. Saturday inside the museums Sackler Wing.

The wing is named after brothers Arthur, Mortimer and Raymond Sackler, who donated $3.5 million for the wing in the 1970s.

The Sacklers also owned Purdue Pharma, the company that developed OxyContin, a widely prescribed and widely abused painkiller.

Purdue Pharma pleaded guilty in 2007 to misleading the public about OxyContins risk of addiction and agreed to pay $600 million in fines and other payments.

The protest was led by photographer Nan Goldin, whose work has been exhibited at many museums including the Met.

Goldin started an anti-opioid group called Prescription Addiction Intervention Now, or PAIN, after being addicted to OxyContin from 2014 to 2017.

She shouted, We are artists, activists, addicts. We are fed up.

The protesters threw pill bottles with labels that read OxyContin and prescribed to you by the Sacklers into the wings reflecting pool.

A spokesman for the museum declined to comment, and a spokeswoman for the Sackler family and a Purdue spokesman did not respond immediately to requests for comment.

Officials at Purdue have previously said they would welcome a discussion with Goldin. The company has also said it has taken steps to limit the abuse of opioids, such as paying for prescription-drug monitoring programs.

Arthur, Mortimer and Raymond Sackler have all died, but descendants of Mortimer and Raymond Sackler currently are principle owners of Purdue Pharma, which continues to sell opioids.

Foundations run by members of the Sackler family have given tens of millions of dollars to museums including the Guggenheim in New York and the Victoria and Albert Museum in London.

The protesters called for cultural institutions to reject money from the family.Plans for a first-ever joint military exercise by China and Southeast Asian nations this year would calm safety risks on the most heavily contested sea in Asia and could ease fear of Beijings dominant role in the sovereignty dispute.

At a meeting in February, defense ministers from the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) welcomed the prospect of a maritime exercise with China by the end of 2018, Singapores defense ministry said in a statement. Singapore is heading the association this year. The ministers informally met Chinese defense minister Chang Wanquan, as well, the statement said.

Beijing claims about 90 percent of the disputed waterway, the South China Sea. In Southeast Asia, Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines and Vietnam also claim swathes of the sea, vying with Chinas holdings. Taiwan calls the whole sea its own, as well. China, which has the worlds third most powerful armed forces, has irked the others since 2010 by landfilling islets for military use.

Odds of an exercise this year are high, said Fabrizio Bozzato, a Taiwan Strategy Research Association fellow specializing in East Asia.

This time China is moving to engage ASEAN at a multilateral and collective level for the sake of winning their trust, soothing fears of Chinas overwhelming military supremacy by boosting collective self-confidence and enhancing the role of ASEAN as the preferred interface and dialogue platform, he said.

Reducing risk of conflict

Clashes in the South China Sea are rare, as the rival countries are used to watching out for one another, scholars say. But sailors died in Sino-Vietnamese clashes at sea 1974 and 1988. In 2014, boats from China and Vietnam rammed each other after China let its chief offshore driller place on oil rig in the sea.

Cooling risk of a new conflict led the China-ASEAN political agenda last year when heads of state agreed to work out a South China Sea code of conduct. The code, an extension of a declaration signed in 2002, would spell out ways to prevent accidents at sea. The parties aim to sign it this year.

A joint maritime exercise would back up the code of conduct, Bozzato said.

The countries would send their best military officers to the exercise and simulate a conflict scene on the 3.5 million-square-kilometer sea that extends from Borneo to Hong Kong, analysts believe.

Philippine Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana suggested this month the exercises might start with a table top phase, a term that usually means simulating emergencies without sending ships to sea.

Exercises should let the different countries exchange skills in fighting fires and rescuing people after boat collisions, said Carl Thayer, Southeast Asia-specialized emeritus professor with the University of New South Wales in Australia.

The exercises would form bonds among military officials, who might encounter one another again during a future clash at sea and be able to work things out fast, he said.

Theoretically, in a crisis or unexpected situation you have that kind of trust already, that people do know who theyre dealing with, so thats always seen as an important part militarily and ships even more so because theyre isolated rather than units on the ground, Thayer said.

Advantage for China

China has jumped in to make the others more confident and protect its own vessels, Thayer said. It sees the exercises as an early harvest of longer-term cooperation with the ASEAN bloc, he said.

Southeast Asian countries, if instead pressured by China at sea, can turn to the United States for support. Washington does not claim the sea but periodically sends naval vessels to back its position that it should be open for freedom of navigation.

China often fumes when the United States, which is militarily stronger than China, sends ships. This month the USS Carl Vinson aircraft carrier group reached the Philippines and Vietnam, putting China on alert.

On its own, a joint exercise among claimants in disputed waters would mark an important development in regional relations, said Jonathan Spangler, director of the South China Sea Think Tank in Taipei.

But improvement of broader relations would take longer, he said. "It all depends whether or not China and ASEAN can keep up the positive momentum," Spangler said. "Because the underlying disputes have not been resolved yet, that may prove difficult in the long run.

Questions about location

Southeast Asian leaders still must pick locations for any exercises, a possible sticking point. Countries that claim sovereignty over the spot would need to sign off, and no one has formally offered.

The first exercise, if not a table-top phase, might take place outside the South China Sea but close enough to simulate it, analysts say.

Because its a confidence-building exercise, it certainly has the South China Sea in mind, and because it has the South China Sea in mind there are also political sensitivities as to what will be the scope of the exercise, said Collin Koh, maritime security research fellow at Nanyang Technological University in Singapore. The parties will probably avoid war simulation, he added.

Were not going to expect something that is kinetic in nature, Koh said. I dont think were expecting something that involves live firing or the use of conventional weapons systems.British Prime Minister Theresa May said Monday a military-grade nerve agent known to have been developed by Russia was used to poison former Russian spy Sergei Skripal and that her government has concluded it is highly likely Moscow was responsible.

May told a somber and packed House of Commons there were only two explanations for what happened when Skripal and his daughter Yulia were found slumped unconscious in a town in southern England on March 4.

Either this was a direct act by the Russian state against our country or the Russian government lost control of this catastrophically damaging nerve agent and allowed it to get into the hands of others, she said. Britain has given the Kremlin two days to respond.

The British prime minister identified the nerve agent as Novichok (which means newcomer in Russian). It is known to be more powerful than VX and was developed in Russia in the 1970s and 1980s. May had been expected to unveil a raft of initial retaliatory measures against Russia, but told parliament her government would wait until it had received an explanation from Moscow. The Russian ambassador, Alexander Vladimirovich Yakovenko, was summoned to Britain's Foreign Office and told by Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson that the Kremlin had until Tuesday afternoon to respond and explain how a nerve agent the Russians developed and only they possess was used in an attack in Britain.

Mays statement marks a sharp escalation in an unfolding diplomatic and political crisis that is plunging relations between Britain and Russia to their lowest point since the Cold War. Some analysts are likening it to 1971, when Britain expelled 90 Russian diplomats for spying activities.

WATCH: May on what happened to Skripal



This attempted murder using a weapons-grade nerve agent in a British town was not just a crime against the Skripals, it was an indiscriminate and reckless act against the United Kingdom, putting the lives of innocent civilians at risk," May told parliament. We will not tolerate such a brazen attempt to murder innocent civilians on our soil."

Sergei Skripal and his 33-year-old daughter remain in critical condition.

Just before May spoke, Russian President Vladimir Putin brushed off suggestions of Kremlin involvement in the poisoning of Skripal, a Russian military intelligence colonel who was recruited as a double agent by Britains MI6 and freed by Russia in a spy swap in 2010.

The Russian leader told a BBC journalist during an election trip to southern Russia that Britain needs to complete a proper investigation.

Sort this out for yourselves first, then come talk to us, he said.

His spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, said Moscow had nothing to do with the poisoning.

The incident occurred in British territory. By all means, this is not an affair that concerns Russia, let alone Russias leadership, he said. Russian state television presenters have been blaming the British for the poisoning, arguing Britain wants to fuel Russophobia and create a pretext for a boycott of the World Cup, which is being held in Russia later this year.

The Russian embassy said Britain was playing a dangerous game and warned of serious repercussions.

British officials say they are encouraging NATO allies, including the United States, to agree to a coordinated response, depending on Russias response. French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Angela Merkel reportedly are sympathetic and have agreed to act in concert.

The chairman of the British parliaments foreign affairs committee, Tom Tugendhat, said earlier it would be more effective if other countries joined with retaliatory action.

If we could bring others with us, that would make a very big difference, he said.

A former director of policy planning for NATO, Fabrice Pothier, warned Monday that Britain may face problems in persuading NATOs European members to join in serious coordinated action, highlighting their frustration with Britain over Brexit.

There is little appetite to help the U.K. and little appetite for more sanctions on Russia, he told Britains Sky News. The question is whether she [Theresa May] will be able to rally her NATO European counterparts around more sanctions and this isnt going to be easy.

Before her statement to the House of Commons, May chaired a meeting of the countrys National Security Council, bringing together senior ministers with top intelligence and security officials. They received a report from toxicologists at Porton Down, Britains weapons research facility, about the poison used.

The foreign and defense ministers, Boris Johnson and Gavin Williamson, have been campaigning semi-publicly the past few days for the adoption of a much tougher approach toward Russia than was pursued after the fatal poisoning in 2006 of another former Russian spy, the dissident Alexander Litvinenko.

He died after drinking tea laced with radioactive polonium-210.

Four Russian diplomats were expelled in 2007 by Britain over Russian obstructionism in Britains efforts to investigate the assassination. Putin retaliated by expelling four British diplomats. After a public inquiry concluded in 2010 that Litvinenkos murder very probably had been Kremlin-sanctioned, Britain remonstrated with Russian and froze the assets of two Russian suspects.

The response was dubbed inadequate by Litvinenkos widow, Marina - a view that has become increasingly shared the past week by British lawmakers, who say a more muscular approach by Britain may have deterred the poisoning of the Skripals.

Local anger in Salisbury mounted Monday after British officials warned that traces of the nerve agent used had been found in a pub and restaurant the Skripals visited. Their advice to hundreds of people who visited the same places to wash their clothes is triggering accusations of a laggardly official response.

British officials say any sanctions that Britain imposes will aim to punish the inner circle around Putin and Kremlin-tied oligarchs, who have bought property in London, educate their children in Britains private schools and use the British capitals finances houses and banks to shield their money and move it around the world.

Analysts say they doubt British retaliation will damage Putin in the Russian presidential election being held on Sunday. The election has been one devoid of suspense with Putins victory seen as inevitable. The Kremlin, though, has worried about voter apathy and been determined to secure a strong turnout to demonstrate his popularity and legitimacy, say Russia watchers.Putin's popularity in Russia has often surged when the Kremlin has been in conflict with the West.

Former U.S. Ambassador to Russia Michael McFaul said the fact Novichok was used suggested the Kremlin wanted people to understand the poisoning was state-sanctioned.

He tweeted: Putin & his agents used on purpose military grade nerve agent to try to assassinate Skripal make sure we all knew who did it. He is taunting us, daring us to do nothing. The agent is banned under the international convention on chemical weapons.

Novichok works like all nerve agents, overriding neurotransmitters in the body and shutting down the body with death coming from heart failure or suffocation. Made of two relatively harmless materials, it turns toxic when mixed.The crisis in Cameroons Anglophone regions continues to escalate. In a new video, a regional government official kidnapped by armed separatists says he will be executed if the government does not reveal the whereabouts of 47 detained separatist leaders.

The video has been circulating on social media in Cameroon since Saturday, and has been shared by the accounts of several prominent separatist members. The video begins with a seal and the words Ambazonian Defense Forces.

Ambazonia is the name separatist groups have given to Cameroons English-speaking northwest and southwest regions, both gripped by a strike and violent protests since late 2016.

The video shows Aaron Abinbom, the delegate for social affairs in the northwest.

Aninbom looks unkempt and speaks in a dark room. He says his captors demand to know the whereabouts of 47 separatist leaders arrested in Nigeria and not seen in public since their extradition to Cameroon at the end of January.

"because they have given me 48 hours that I would be sacrificed if these leaders are not shown to be alive," he said.

When contacted by VOA, Cameroon government spokesman Issa Tchiroma declined to comment on the video.

Animbom was abducted February 26 in the northwestern town of Batibo. He was abducted barely two weeks after Joseph Namata, the most senior government official in the Batibo subdivision, was taken from his residence. Namata has not been seen since.

The government and security forces have called for assistance from the local population in locating the two missing officials.

At the heart of the crisis is the tension between Cameroon's French-speaking majority and the two English-speaking regions, where many feel their language is being pushed out of schools, courts and government.

Violence has intensified in the Anglophone regions since Nigeria detained and extradited the separatist activists, including leader Ayuk Tabe Julius. Tabe declared himself president of the so-called English-speaking republic of Ambazonia. The government says hundreds of people, including 30 policemen and soldiers have been killed this year.

On Friday, Paul Atanga Nji, permanent secretary of Cameroon's security commission, announced that armed separatists had tried to kidnap children from a school in the English-speaking northwest.

Nji said one soldier and two attackers were killed in the shoot-out.Yetnebersh Nigussie had opportunities other girls in rural Ethiopia can only dream of.

Unlike her peers growing up in Wollo province, Nigussie wasnt married off as a young girl or forced to work at home.

Instead, she devoted herself to learning.

Nigussie moved to the capital, Addis Ababa, and pursued an education, eventually earning a law degree and founding the Ethiopian Center for Disability and Development, a group that advocates for the rights of disabled people in her home country.

What makes Nigussies accomplishments especially noteworthy are the challenges she overcame.

Nigussie lost her sight at age 5 after contracting meningitis. But where some see obstacles, Nigussie, now 36, sees potential.

"I believe challenges are opportunities. So we human beings are created to change challenges into opportunities," she told VOA's Amharic Service in a phone interview last week. "Thats why I always tell [people] that, when I turned blind at the age of 5, that brought a new opportunity. I would have never been educated had I not been blind. All my siblings and the children in my area, in my age [group]  none of them have gotten educational opportunities."

Advocacy

Nigussie has built her career on advocating for people with disabilities. In recognition of her accomplishments, she will receive the prestigious Spirit of Helen Keller Award, presented by the nongovernmental organization Helen Keller International, at a May 2 gala in New York.

First presented in 1959, the award is named for an American activist who was deaf and blind. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Keller gained fame for her lectures, writings and advocacy work promoting the rights of women and the disabled.

"Receiving the Spirit of Helen Keller Award is a great thing because Helen Keller has been my source of inspiration that I am living. We believe in the same thing: telling people not to focus on our disabilities, [but] rather on our abilities," Nigussie said. "Helen was always saying that I dont know what darkness is, but I know there is a light. So its a great thing to be associated with such a fantastic hero who has been always my inspiration in life."

Recognizing contributions

Now, Nigussie wants to honor women making an impact across the globe with a separate award: Her Abilities, which she will give out annually in partnership with Light for the World. Nigussie is an adviser to the Austria-based organization.

The award will recognize women making an impact in the areas of health and education, rights, and sport and culture. It is open to women with disabilities worldwide.

"The reason we decided to focus on women with disabilities is that we believe they face double, and sometimes triple, discrimination," Nigussie said. "We need to spotlight their work and make sure that they are visible to the world.  So its very much in line with my personal motto: I have one disability and 99 abilities. So were not going to focus on the one disability. Were going to talk about their 99 abilities  or more  and were going to celebrate their achievements, their greatness."

Nominations for the award will open July 2, and winners will be announced in December.

Overcoming barriers

An estimated 15 million people in Ethiopia live with disabilities, and they often lack access to resources and protections while facing stigmatization and a heightened risk of poverty and social isolation. According to the World Health Organization, Africans with disabilities face significant gaps in their access to welfare, education, vocational training and counseling services.

Nigussies organization, the Ethiopian Center, has sought to address these barriers through job training and publications. For example, it offers an online guide to Ethiopian hotels, restaurants and offices that are accessible to people with disabilities.

The activist also hopes to continue advocating for legal changes, including overturning a restriction that makes it illegal for deaf people in Ethiopia to drive.

Nigussie said she is humbled by the recognition and motivated to do more.

"I believe all these challenges would lead people with disabilities, in particular in Africa, to make sure that they overcome the challenge," she said. "No challenges are coming to stop us. They are coming as a puzzle for us to solve."A top U.N. rights expert said the crackdown on Myanmar's Rohingya minority bears "the hallmarks of genocide," as a new report accuses Myanmar's military of building bases where some of the Rohingya homes once stood.

Yanghee Lee, U.N. special rapporteur on human rights in Myanmar, used her strongest words yet to describe the situation in Myanmar's northern Rakhine state to the U.N. Human Rights Council in Geneva Monday.

"I am becoming more convinced that the crimes committed following 9 October 2016 and 25 August 2017 bear the hallmarks of genocide, and call in the strongest terms for accountability," she said.

The United Nations has previously used the term "ethnic cleansing" to describe the crackdown on nearly 700,000 Rohingya Muslims who were forced to flee to Bangladesh. Myanmar military soldiers are accused of executions, rapes and burning villages as a response to attacks on security outposts by Rohingya insurgents.

Also Monday, a new report came out by rights group Amnesty International that shows Myanmar's military is building new roads and structures over burned Rohingya villages.

"Where there used to be Rohingya homes, markets and mosques, the authorities have now bulldozed them," Amnesty International senior crisis adviser Matt Wells told VOA.



"In their place, what we are seeing on satellite imagery and confirmed by interviews that we've done, is that the authorities have built new security force bases, new roads and other infrastructure," he said.

Wells said the new development makes it impossible for the Myanmar government to fulfill its pledge to allow Rohingya refugees to return to their homes.

"What we are seeing directly contradicts what the Myanmar government has been saying. Publicly, it says it is ready to start repatriating refugees that are in Bangladesh. But the reality is that they are often building on top of these former villages," he said.

Amnesty used satellite imagery and interviews to document the destruction of villages in Rakhine state. The region has been largely sealed off to rights groups, the media and U.N. investigators.

Lee told the U.N. Human Rights Council that it will be impossible for the Rohingya to claim where they are from or where they previously had lived in Rakhine if the regions landscape is significantly altered.

Htin Lynn, permanent representative of Myanmar, told the U.N. Council in Geneva that the upheaval and exodus of the Rohingya from Rakhine State is the fault of terrorist attacks by the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army.

He said that most of the Rohingya villages remained intact, and legal action is being taken where there is clear evidence of human rights violations.Fishing vessels that temporarily switch off a public tracking system raise suspicions that they are hiding illegal fishing, according to the advocacy group Oceana.

Vessel owners say Oceana is relying on the wrong tracking system. They note that government regulators monitor them through a separate, private system.

The automatic identification system, or AIS, broadcasts a publicly available signal carrying the ship's name, location, speed and direction. Its main function is to prevent collisions at sea.

Oceana and partners use it to track fishing vessels and watch for illegal activity. They created the online Global Fishing Watch monitoring system in an effort to increase transparency in the fishing industry.

The new report presents case studies of vessels that turned off their AIS transponders at times that the group found suspicious.

A Panamanian-flagged vessel switched off its AIS at the western edge of the Galapagos Marine Reserve, a protected area where industrial fishing is prohibited, then turned its tracker on again 15 days later, just east of the reserve. The ship then headed for port in Ecuador.

In another case, a Spanish-flagged vessel repeatedly went dark on the border of Gambian national waters, at a time when a European Union agreement barred fishing in Gambia's territory.

"A lot of these developing West African coastal states don't have the resources necessary to really police their waters," said report co-author Lacey Malarky. They rely on AIS data to keep an eye on their waters. "A vessel turning off its AIS is really concerning for them," she added.

AIS may be turned off if the ship's safety or security is at risk, such as in areas where pirates are known to operate.

But the timing raises eyebrows, the report authors say.

Ships should be required to notify authorities when and why they go dark, Malarky said. "There shouldn't ever be a question as to whether a vessel is following the rules because it's shutting off its public tracking system."

Ship owners note that AIS is not intended to monitor fishing activity. Fishing boats are required to carry vessel monitoring system transponders, or VMS, in addition to AIS.

"Our vessel has been and is being monitored 24 hours [per day], 365 days [per year] through the VMS equipment specifically developed for this purpose," said Jon Zulueta, managing director of Atunsa, one of the companies with a ship identified in the Oceana report. "Therefore, the illegal fishing insinuation is malicious and without any basis."

Oceana notes that while national and regional fisheries managers have access to VMS data, it broadcasts less frequently and is not accessible to the public.

The group says governments should require all fishing vessels to carry continuous and publicly available tracking systems.U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley is denouncing the Syrian government and Russia for the failure of a cease-fire in Syria that the U.N. Security Council demanded two weeks ago.

They have made a mockery of this process and this institution, Haley told a council meeting Monday on the issue. For the sake of the Syrian people and the integrity of this council, we must respond and take action.



On Feb. 24, the 15-nation Security Council unanimously adopted a resolution calling for a 30-day truce to allow humanitarian aid into besieged areas, including rebel-held eastern Ghouta, and to evacuate the critically sick and injured. With few exceptions, the cessation of hostilities has not been implemented, and in some areas, fighting has intensified.

Haley said the United States has drafted a new cease-fire resolution that provides no room for evasion. She did not offer any details of the proposed draft, but she criticized the Syrian and Russian governments for exploiting loopholes in the current cease-fire that allow for continuing military operations against legitimate terrorist groups.



The Syrian and Russian regimes insist that they are targeting terrorists, but their bombs and artillery continue to fall on hospitals and schools  on innocent civilians, Haley said.



The U.S. proposed text, seen by VOA, calls for a 30-day ceasefire immediately upon adoption of the resolution.

There have also been reports of possible chlorine attacks on civilians during the past two weeks. Haley reminded Security Council members of a U.S. airstrike last April on an air base in Syria in retaliation for the government's alleged use of sarin against the town of Khan Sheikhoun.



We also warn any nation that is determined to impose its will through chemical attacks and inhuman suffering, most especially the outlaw Syrian regime  the United States remains prepared to act if we must, Haley said. It is not the path we prefer, but it is a path we have demonstrated we will take, and we are prepared to take it again.

Russia: Criticism is Political



Russian Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia attributed criticism of his government to political agendas, not humanitarian ones. He dismissed an immediate cease-fire as never being realistic, and said Moscow is doing its part to create a sustained de-escalation of violence across Syria.

He also expressed concern that efforts are being made to frame the Syrian government for using chemical weapons in order to justify foreign military action.

We understand very well the rationale behind the disinformation campaign, Nebenzia told the council. We, and the Syrian party, have our fears that what is being prepared is a provocation, in order to then blame the Syrian authorities that they are carrying out chemical attacks.

He said according to Russian information, the Nusrah Front terrorist group was responsible for a chlorine attack in eastern Ghouta on March 5.

All of this is being done in order to prepare the ground for the unilateral use of force against sovereign Syria, Nebenzia said.

U.S. Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis said Sunday that the United States is "getting reports" that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's forces are using chlorine gas in their offensive against rebels in eastern Ghouta.

After the meeting, Nebenzia said he had not yet seen the U.S. cease-fire draft text Haley announced.

Syrias envoy Bashar al-Jaafari dismissed statements critical of his government as irresponsible and provocative and a direct incitement to terrorist groups to use the chemical weapons so they can fabricate evidence to accuse the Syrian army.

On Monday, one of the main Syrian rebel groups in eastern Ghouta said it had reached an agreement with Russia to evacuate wounded people from the district. It was not clear if the wounded involved were rebel fighters, civilians or both. The group said the evacuations would take place in stages, but did not detail the timing or where the people would be taken.

Guterres: We Can't Give Up

U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres gave a lengthy briefing to council members, concluding that there has been no cessation of hostilities.

Syria is bleeding inside and out, Guterres said. He urged council members not to abandon efforts to implement a cease-fire. We cannot give up for the sake of the Syrian people, he said.

The Syrian conflict enters its eighth year on Thursday. More than a half million people are estimated to have died as a result, and 5.6 million Syrians have become refugees.A private charter helicopter hired for a photo shoot crashed into New York City's East River on Sunday night and flipped upside down in the water, killing all five passengers aboard, officials said.

The pilot freed himself and was rescued by a tugboat, officials said, while police and fire department divers who recovered the passengers had to remove them from tight harnesses while they were upside down.

"It took awhile for the divers to get these people out. They worked very quickly as fast as they could," Fire Commissioner Daniel Nigro said. "It was a great tragedy that we had here."

Video taken by a bystander and posted on Twitter shows the red helicopter land hard in the water and then capsize, its rotors slapping at the water.

Witnesses on a waterfront esplanade near where the aircraft went down said the helicopter was flying noisily, then suddenly dropped into the water and quickly submerged. But the pilot appeared on the surface, holding onto a flotation device as a tugboat and then police boats approached.

"It's cold water. It was sinking really fast," Mary Lee, 66, told the New York Post. "By the time we got out here, we couldn't see it. It was underwater."

Celia Skyvaril, 23, told the Daily News that she could see a person on what looked like a yellow raft or float screaming and yelling for help.

News footage showed one victim being loaded into an ambulance while emergency workers gave him chest compressions.

A bystander, Susan Larkin, told The Associated Press that she went down to see rescue boats in the river and a police helicopter circling overhead, hovering low over the water.

"You could clearly see they were searching," she said.

A Federal Aviation Administration spokeswoman said the Eurocopter AS350 went down just after 7 p.m. The aircraft was owned by Liberty Helicopters, a company that offers both private charters and sightseeing tours popular with tourists. A phone message left with the company was not immediately returned.

The skies over New York constantly buzz with helicopters carrying tourists, businesspeople, traffic reporters, medical teams and others. Crashes are not unheard of.

In 2009, a sightseeing helicopter of the same model and operated by the same company as the one in Sunday's wreck collided with a small, private plane over the Hudson River, killing nine people, including a group of Italian tourists.

A crash in October 2011 in the East River killed a British woman visiting the city for her 40th birthday. Two other passengers died weeks later as a result of their injuries.

A helicopter on a sightseeing tour of Manhattan crashed into the Hudson River in July 2007, shaking up the eight people aboard but injuring no one. In June 2005, two helicopters crashed into the East River in the same week. One injured eight people including some banking executives. The other hit the water shortly after takeoff on a sightseeing flight, injuring six tourists and the pilot.

Nigro and Police Commissioner James O'Neill said the rescue operation Sunday took place in a 4 mph current in water about 50 feet (15 meters) deep, under challenging conditions.

The cause of the crash is unknown. The FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board are investigating.

Officials did not immediately release the names of the pilot or passengers or say how the passengers died.

The helicopter was recovered in the rescue operation and towed to a pier.

The helicopter went down near Gracie Mansion, the mayoral residence.Hong Kong pro-democracy candidates won two of the four seats contested in Sunday's by-election for the city's semi-democratic legislature.

The election was held to replace four lawmakers who were ousted last year after inserting protests into their oaths of office that the Chinese government deemed improper. Two other seats remain open.

Monday's final results leaves the pro-democracy side just short of being able to wield some veto power in the 70-seat legislature, effectively security Beijing's power.

Voter turnout in the semiautonomous region was 43 percent.

Pro-democracy candidate Agnes Chow, who had hoped to replace disqualified lawmaker and activist Nathan Law, was barred from running at the last minute because she advocated for Hong Kongers to determine their own future.

"This election is not just a normal election; it is a battle between the pro-Beijing camp and the pro-democracy camp," Chow said, adding that it was an important choice for the people of Hong Kong between "rule of law or rule by the Communist Party."

Little-known activist Au-Nok-hin, a neighborhood councilor, won after being enlisted to replace Chow to run against pro-Beijing rival Judy Chan in the vote's main battleground.

The vote came as China's National Peoples Congress voted to abolish constitutional term limits, leaving democracy supporters in Hong Kong more worried about diminishing autonomy under the potentially indefinite rule of Xi Jinping.

In 1997, Hong Kong was returned to China from British colonial rule under a "one country, two systems" formula which allowed Hong Kong a certain level of autonomy. But tensions have increased in the past two decades, periodically seeing activists pushing in vain for independence from Beijing.Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico's government moved closer to collapse on Monday after his junior coalition partner called for early elections amid a political crisis sparked by the killing of journalist.

Junior ruling party Most-Hid (Bridge) said late on Monday, after more than eight hours of talks, it would seek a deal with coalition parties about leading the country toward a snap election or would leave the government if no agreement was made.

"We think this situation can be solved only by early elections," its leader Bela Bugar told reporters.

Slovakia has been thrown into political crisis after the murder in late February of a journalist probing corruption, sparking the largest street protests since the end of communism nearly three decades ago and pushing Fico's government to the brink.

The prime minister, in power 10 of the last 12 years, has fought to keep his three-party government intact. Earlier on Monday, Fico's closest ally in his Smer party, Interior Minister Robert Kalinak, said he would resign - which Most-Hid had demanded since last week.

However, with street protests growing, Most-Hid raised its demands on Monday.

Fico's coalition holds a narrow majority in parliament. He could still seek to rule in a minority without Most-Hid but faces limited options for support.

The leader of the third coalition member, the Slovak National Party (SNS), said earlier his party would want an early election if the coalition loses its majority.

Bugar said he would seek a deal for the coalition to call an early election on its own terms. Opposition parties have also sought a no-confidence motion against Fico's government. Bugar said it was too early to say how his party would vote on such a motion.

The killing of reporter Jan Kuciak, shot dead at home with his fiancee, and his reporting have swelled public anger over corruption in the European Union member country.

Kuciak focused on tax fraud involving politically connected businessmen. Before he was killed, he had been investigating Italian businessmen in Slovakia with suspected mafia links. One of the Italians Kuciak wrote about had co-owned firms with two Slovaks who went on to work in Fico's office.

Both have resigned but deny links to the murder. Their Italian former business partner denies connections to the mafia.

No one has been charged in the killings.Iran has accused the United States of helping Islamic State militants in Afghanistan to fuel regional terrorism and threaten neighboring countries.

Visiting Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif made the allegations while speaking to a gathering of diplomats, scholars and journalists in Islamabad.

He said U.S. helicopters were found transporting IS members from the eastern Afghan district of Haska Meyna, also called Deh Bala, to unknown locations.

"We see intelligence, as well as eyewitness accounts, that Daesh fighters, terrorists, were airlifted from battle zones, rescued from battle zones, including recently from the prison of Haska [Meyna]," said Zarif, using the Arabic acronym for IS.

Iran and Russia consistently allege that "unmarked" helicopters have been flying to Afghan areas where IS militants are entrenched.

"This time, it wasn't unmarked helicopters. They were American helicopters, taking Daesh out of Haska prison. Where did they take them? Now, we don't know where they took them, but we see the outcome. We see more and more violence in Pakistan, more and more violence in Afghanistan, taking a sectarian flavor," Zarif said.

Washington denies the allegations as "mere rumors" and cites its relentless airstrikes in support of Afghan forces against IS bases in eastern Nangarhar province, where Haska Meyna is located.

American troops also routinely accompany the Afghan forces into battle against IS. Last year, the highest number of U.S. combat casualties anywhere in the world occurred in Nangarhar.

The terrorist group uses Nangarhar as its main base to launch attacks elsewhere in Afghanistan. Lately, IS militants have made territorial gains in the northern Jowzjan province next to the border with central Asian states, raising alarms in Moscow.

At an international conference Kabul hosted late last month, the Afghan national security adviser, Haneef Atmar, offered Russian and Iranian delegates joint investigations into allegations of unmarked helicopters flying IS fighters to battle zones in the country.

Iranian Foreign Minister Zarif said Iran was ready to use its influence, along with Afghanistan's neighboring countries, including Pakistan, to promote peace talks between Kabul and the Taliban to prevent IS from spreading its activities in the region.

U.S. officials accuse Iran of supporting the Taliban, while Afghans have long alleged the insurgent group uses sanctuaries in Pakistan to sustain its violent campaign in Afghanistan.The caretaker leader of Italy's ruling Democratic Party (PD) said on Monday the party should go into opposition after its bruising election defeat and resist calls to participate in the next government as a junior partner.



A March 4 election ended in stalemate, with an alliance of conservative parties falling 49 seats short of a majority in the lower house of parliament. The largest single party, the anti-establishment 5-Star Movement, was 95 seats adrift.



Either group could govern if they won the backing of the center-left bloc, dominated by the PD, which took 112 seats in the 630-seat lower house. The PD could also provide both camps with a majority in the upper house Senate.



Maurizio Martina, who has taken over as acting PD chief following the resignation of former leader Matteo Renzi, told a party meeting that 5-Star and the far-right League should try to form a government even though they were pre-election adversaries.



"The people voted for you to govern, now do it," Martina said in reference to 5-Star leader Luigi Di Maio and Matteo Salvini, head of the League which was the leading party in the rightwing coalition.



"Dear Di Maio and Salvini, take on your responsibility," he told the party, meeting to lick its wounds after its worst-ever election performance and try to chart a path forwards.



Martina's words were in line with Renzi's parting shots, but it remains to be seen whether the PD will continue to resist calls from within its ranks and from left-wing commentators for it to support a potential 5-Star government.



Earlier on Monday Salvini rejected the idea of governing with the PD, hours after his main ally, former prime minister Silvio Berlusconi, called for its support.



"The Italians did not vote for us to bring Renzi back to government. Do you think a League voter wants [current Prime Minister Paolo] Gentiloni in power?" Salvini told reporters after a party meeting in Milan.



His statements contrasted with an appeal Berlusconi made to the PD in Monday's Stampa newspaper, asking for its help to form a government and avoid a swift return to the polls.



Berlusconi weaker



The former premier, who cannot run for office due to a 2013 tax fraud conviction, said the election result meant he and his rightwing allies had "the right, and above all the duty, to lead the next government", and he called on the PD to show a sense of responsibility.



"Nobody ... can ignore the country's need to be governed," he said, adding it would be much better to take "a few weeks" to put together a coalition rather than rush to a new election.



Forza Italia's relegation to second place within the alliance was the first such defeat for Berlusconi in all his 25 years in politics, and weakened the position he had carved out as a moderate guarantor who could keep his allies in check.



Berlusconi ruled out that the League, now the second-biggest party in parliament, could break ranks with its conservative allies and join forces with 5-Star.



"I trust Salvini's loyalty and his political intelligence. I cannot see how a party in our coalition could imagine cooperating with a 5-Star government," he said.



Italian media speculation is growing that the only way out of the parliamentary deadlock might be a "national unity" government backed by all the main parties.



The new parliament sits for the first time on March 23. One of its first duties will be to elect presidents for the two chambers, which will give a first glimpse of party dynamics within the legislature.



Salvini indicated at the weekend that the League should lead one house and 5-Star the other. However, looking to forge ties with the centre left, Forza Italia suggested the conservatives should back a PD candidate in one of the chambers.After a year of threats and diatribes, U.S. President Donald Trump and third-generation North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un have agreed to meet face-to-face for talks about the North's nuclear program.

It remains to be seen whether a summit, if it takes place, could lead to any meaningful breakthrough after an unusually provocative year. North Korea tested its most powerful nuclear weapon to date and test-launched three intercontinental ballistic missiles theoretically capable of striking the U.S. mainland.

Will there be a breakthrough? Failure? Or merely the start of another long and difficult process meant to remove the North's nuclear capabilities?

Here's a look at what may lie ahead and the challenges that remain:

Why now?

Analysts say Trump's decision to accept Kim's invitation for a summit and to do it by May could be linked in part to a desire to claim a significant achievement in his most difficult foreign policy challenge before the U.S. midterm elections in November.

Kim, on the other hand, seems desperate to save a sanctions-battered North Korean economy.

Both leaders have interests in striking a big deal, said Cheong Seong-Chang, a senior analyst at South Korea's Sejong Institute. Should it happen, the May summit between Trump and Kim will come shortly after a planned April meeting between Kim and South Korean President Moon Jae-in.

It's likely that North Korea will also push for summits with China, Russia and Japan later in the year to further break out of its isolation, Cheong said.

Trump will likely try to achieve something dramatic in his meeting with Kim, said Hong Min, an analyst at Seoul's Korea Institute for National Unification, including a possible exchange of verbal commitments on the denuclearization of North Korea and a peace treaty between the two countries.



Where to meet?

The United States and North Korea will likely be talking quite a bit in coming months and maybe even exchanging high-level delegations to set up the logistics of the summit.

One of the biggest questions is where it will take place.

The United States would prefer Washington, while North Korea will want Trump to come to Pyongyang, its capital.

Unless the countries agree to a third-country location, which would likely be South Korea, experts see it as more likely that Trump will fly to Pyongyang.

While no incumbent U.S. president has ever set foot in North Korea, Trump might be willing to become the first because it would fit the strong-willed, in-your-face type of leadership he tries to project, Hong said.

It's hard to imagine Kim going to Washington because he is much less diplomatically experienced; the planned meeting with Moon in April will be his first with any state leader since he took power in 2011.

They could also meet in the truce village of Panmunjom in the Demilitarized Zone between the rival Koreas or, Hong said, the southern South Korean resort island of Jeju.

What will North Korea want?

A big question will be whether Trump can accept a freeze of North Korea's nuclear weapons program rather than its elimination, said Koh Yu-hwan, a North Korea expert at Seoul's Dongguk University.

Kim will likely want to keep some nukes as a deterrent, but that might be hard for Trump to tolerate when he spent so much time harshly criticizing his predecessor, Barack Obama, for allegedly standing by and watching as North Korea became a nuclear threat.

Still, Kim might express a firmer commitment to denuclearization to Trump, including giving a full report on the North's current nuclear weapons arsenal and allowing thorough international verification once the denuclearization process takes hold, said Choi Kang, vice president of Seoul's Asan Institute for Policy Studies.

While some experts speculate that North Korea might ask for a halt of annual military drills between the United States and South Korea or even the withdrawal of U.S. troops from the Korean Peninsula, Choi said it's meaningful that Kim, at least according to South Korean presidential official Chung Eui-yong, said he understands that the joint military exercises between the allies "must continue." This signals an important departure from the past when the North thoroughly rejected the U.S.-South Korea alliance.

Kim might even free several American citizens currently detained in the North to brighten the atmosphere of his summit with Trump, Choi said.



Have we seen this before?

The whirlwind events of the past months might be compared to 1994, when former U.S. President Bill Clinton concluded a major nuclear agreement between Washington and Pyongyang.

Under the "Agreed Framework," North Korea halted construction of two reactors the United States believed were for nuclear weapons production in return for two alternative nuclear power reactors that could be used to provide electricity but not bomb fuel, and 500,000 annual metric tons of fuel oil for the North.

U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright traveled to Pyongyang in 2000, and there were talks of a summit between Clinton and then-North Korean leader Kim Jong Il, the father of Kim Jong Un. But there was no arrangement before George W. Bush's election. The Agreed Framework broke down after U.S. intelligence agencies said North Korea was pursuing a second way to make bombs, using enriched uranium.

North Korea is clearly a different country than it was two decades ago, holding a legitimate nuclear program as a bargaining chip. But Trump, in just his second year in office and facing a similarly strong-willed leader eager to directly break a diplomatic deadlock, could be in a better position to cut a meaningful deal with North Korea than Clinton was at the end of his presidency.

"Chemistry wise, Trump and Kim might get along; they both strive to be bold and could be eager to strike a deal," said Choi. "After years of diplomatic stalemate over the North's nuclear program, we could use an injection of top-down decision making."Islamic Pakistan has sworn in newly-elected members of its Senate, including the first female representative from the countrys marginalized minority Hindu community.

Mondays proceedings remained focused on Krishna Kumari from the so-called untouchables, or Dalit, which is at the bottom of the Hindu caste hierarchy still prevalent in Pakistan and neighboring India.

Kumari, a 39-year-old human rights activists, is a member of the opposition Pakistan People's Party (PPP) and was elected from a remote village in her native southern Sindh province.

Election of male Hindus to the Senate or the National Assembly, lower house of parliament, is not uncommon in Pakistan.

Kumari was warmly welcomed by Muslim senators as she entered the chamber for the first time, a landmark development in Pakistan where religious minorities, often complain of oppression and discrimination at the hands of Islamic fundamentalists.

Hindus, who make up four percent of Pakistans 207 million population, have lately complained of forced conversions to Islam carried out by Islamists in their villages, causing many families to migrate to Hindu-majority India.

In another historic development, late Monday the 104 member upper house of parliament for the first time elected its new chairman from the poverty-stricken violence-hit province of Baluchistan.

Newly-elected Senate Chairman Sadiq Sanjrani won the post because of support from major opposition parties amid allegations political parties have paid lawmakers from rival parties to vote for their candidates.

Sanjranis supporters insist giving him the opportunity will help in addressing grievances of Baluchistan, where residents have long complained the federal government is using the provinces natural resources, but not doing enough for their economic uplift.

Militant ethnic Baluch have been waging a low-level insurgency against the state in the sparsely populated largest Pakistani province, which is at the center of a multi-billion dollar massive economic cooperation project with China.

Bills approved by the legislative National Assembly are required by Pakistan's constitution to be approved by the Senate to become laws.The yet to be confirmed summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has raised expectations that a major breakthrough in resolving the nuclear crisis on the Korean Peninsula is within reach.

It is expected that there will be more rapid progress regarding the freezing and dismantling of the North Korean nuclear programs than in the past, as the leaders of the U.S. and North Korea will meet directly this time, said Cheong Seong-chang, a North Korea analyst at the Sejong Institute in South Korea.

However the process to achieve the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula is complex and will require significant concessions from all involved.



Deal or no deal



On Saturday, Trump said his meeting could fizzle without an agreement or it could result in "the greatest deal for the world" with the denuclearization of the Korean peninsula.



In the short term, Kim could make a seemingly dramatic offer to stop developing its intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) capability that directly threatens the U.S., to extend its unilateral freeze on missile and nuclear tests, and even to reduce over time its stockpile of nuclear material.



It is unclear what concessions the U.S. might offer in return. The Trump administration is wary of providing relief and assistance in exchange for promises, given Pyongyangs record of reneging on past agreements. Washington would likely demand that international inspectors be given access to verify the freeze and dismantling process, before agreeing to reduce economic sanctions.



But to get a significant deal Trump must offer something significant in return.



In order to make this whole process successful, for which Donald Trump will be responsible, he would have to provide economic concessions, said Go Myong-Hyun, a North Korea analyst with the Asan Institute for Policy Studies in Seoul.



No preconditions



Both Pyongyang and Washington have already made significant concessions in moderating their conditions for dialogue.



The Kim government has agreed to suspend all missile and nuclear tests during negotiations and discuss the possibility of giving up its nuclear deterrence if their security concerns are assured. Since November of 2017 North Korea has refrained from provocative actions after a two-year period in which it conducted two nuclear tests and accelerated efforts to develop a nuclear-armed ICBM that can target the U.S. mainland.

For his part, Trump has dropped the longstanding U.S. condition that Pyongyang first take concrete measures to end its nuclear program before there can be talks. The Trump administration insists, however, that its maximum pressure campaign will remain in place until a deal is reached. U.S. led efforts at the United Nations produced tough sanctions, banning billions of dollars of North Korean exports. The Trump administration also emphasized the threat of U.S. military action, if sanctions were to fail, to increase pressure on Kim to eliminate the nuclear threat.



Delay tactics

North Korea is estimated to have between 13-30 nuclear weapons, hundreds of medium and long-range missiles, and is continuing to produce enough fissile material for two to three nuclear bombs a year. In addition to its nuclear reactor in Yongbyong, which produces plutonium, North Korea reportedly has hidden uranium enrichment facilities, as well, to produce nuclear fuel.

Even if inspectors were allowed in, it would take possibly years to properly inspect and dismantle the Norths nuclear program. The Kim government strategy may be cooperate enough to reduce sanctions, but to delay and obstruct the denuclearization process for years on end.

If North Korea can have nuclear weapons for the next 20 years in the process of nuclear disarmament, then North Korea becomes a de facto nuclear state, said Go with the Asan Institute.

Inter-Korean summit

South Korean President Moon Jae-in, who has worked to facilitate talks between Pyongyang and Washington, will hold a leaders summit with Kim in April, prior to the U.S.-North Korea summit.

The inter-Korean summit is expected to deal with restarting military to military communications, organizing reunions for families separated since the Korean War divided the country, and resuming humanitarian aid.

The Moon administration may also offer Kim economic incentives contingent on denuclearization progress, such as reopening the jointly run Kaesong complex of South Korean manufacturers that employed over 5,000 North Koreans before it was shut down after a 2016 nuclear test.

The Unification Ministry in Seoul said on Monday it would only consider restoring these economic ties once denuclearization progress is made.

The issue of reopening the Kaesong Industrial Complex can be discussed in a process where the inter-Korean relations and North Koreas nuclear issue are in progress as a mutually virtuous cycle, said Baik Tae-hyun, the spokesman for the Ministry of Unification.

Peace treaty

Clarifying North Koreas stance on denuclearization would be a key long-term goal in the upcoming summit between Trump and Kim. The North Korean leader reportedly said his country would have no reason to retain nuclear weapons if the military threat from the U.S. and its allies is resolved.

But in the past, Pyongyang has called for a permanent peace treaty to the replace the armistice ending the Korean War, which has been used to justify the continued presence of 28,000 American military forces in South Korea.

When North Korea says it will give up its nuclear weapons and missiles, it is expected that the United States will have to cease all joint South Korea-U.S. military exercises, completely eliminate the international communitys sanctions on North Korea, and to accept establishing diplomatic ties between the U.S. and North Korea, said Cheong with the Sejong Institute.

Washington and Seoul oppose ending their longstanding military alliance that is defensive in nature in exchange for the Norths denuclearization.

North Korea has still not officially commented on the upcoming summits or responded to recent inquiries from the South Korean government.

"I feel they're approaching this matter with caution and they need time to organize their stance," said the Unification Ministry spokesman.

Lee Yoon-jee contributed to this report from Seoul.Officials in Nepal say a passenger plane from Bangladesh crashed and burst into flames as it was attempting to land at the Kathmandu airport, killing at least 50 people.

A spokesman for the Dhaka-based U.S.-Bangla Airlines said 71 people, including four crew members, were on board the aircraft. Of the 67 passengers, 32 were from Bangladesh, 33 from Nepal, and one each from China and the Maldives. Witnesses say the plane swerved repeatedly and was flying low before the accident happened.



Officials say several people were rescued from the burning wreckage of the Canadian-made twin propeller plane, a Bombardier Dash 8.

The chief executive officer of U.S.-Bangla Airlines, Imran Asif, accused Kathmandu's air traffic control of giving incorrect signals for the landing.



Airport officials said the pilot had been told to approach the runway from the south, but he instead came in for landing from the north. They say air traffic controllers told the pilot he was not properly aligned with the runway, and asked if things were okay, to which he replied, "Yes."



Reporters who arrived at the scene after the crash say the plane had broken into several large pieces and lay on a grassy field near the runway.

Nepali Prime Minister Khadga Prasad Oli visited the plane crash site hours after the accident.

Rescue workers worked throughout the day to remove bodies from the plane and to search for any survivors.

Witnesses say fire crews put out the flames within minutes, but that for a time a cloud of thick, dark smoke rose above the wreckage.



The airport briefly closed after the accident, but has since reopened.



There has been a series of accidents at Kathmandu's airport in the past.



In 1992, a Thai Airways flight from Bangkok crashed while trying to land, killing all 113 aboard. Just two months later, a Pakistan International Airlines plane crashed as it approached the airport, killing all 167 people on board.



The most recent crash at the airport causing fatalities was in 2012, when a Sita Air turboprop plane carrying trekkers to Mount Everest hit a bird and crashed after takeoff. All 19 people on board were killed.It took a trek of about 180 kilometers to Indias financial capital, Mumbai, for tens of thousands of farmers in the Maharashtra state to win assurances of respite from loans and ownership rights over forest land they are tilling.

Named the Long March, the farmers' protest in one of Indias most prosperous states highlighted how the countrys growing economy has failed to improve farm incomes.



Wearing red caps and waving red flags, the protesters, who included men, and women both young and old, walked for six days to reach a central park early Monday in Mumbai. The farmers had vowed to camp in the city until their demands were met and march to the state assembly building.



After meeting farmers' representatives, Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis announced a series of steps to alleviate the distress in the state's rural sector. This included granting ownership rights to forest land they had been tilling for decades.



We have met almost all their demands, Fadnavis said. Within the next six months, we will accept the claims made and transfer the forest land according to the law, he said.



Fadnavis said a scheme to waive off agricultural loans in the aftermath of crop failures will be expanded to include more farmers. The government had announced a loan waiver plan of about $5 billion last year, but that failed to give relief to all the distressed farmers.

Most of the farmers who reached Mumbai were either landless, who have been eking a living off cultivating patches of forest land, or those who own small, unirrigated tracts of land that yield small incomes that are quickly wiped away in the event of poor monsoons or unseasonable rains.



Ashok Dhawale, president of the All India Kisan Sabha that organized the protest, had hoped the visibility the farmers' protest received in Mumbai would help their cause.

We are hoping with this pressure the government comes to an honorable settlement, he said.



This is the second major protest by farmers in the state in less than a year. Last year, they dumped milk and vegetables on highways to protest a slump in prices that wiped out profits despite a bumper crop.



Rural distress has been deepening in the past decade. The average income of farmers in 17 states, according to a 2016 government economic survey, is a meager $300 per year.



Prime Minister Narendra Modi has promised to double farm incomes in five years, but so far, the countryside has seen little impact.



Analysts say spiraling protests by farmers could pose a significant challenge to his Bharatiya Janata party during general elections scheduled for next year.



Maharashtra is not the only state to witness farmers' unrest. Protests have also erupted in several states such as Madhya Pradesh and Tamil Nadu in the past year.



Leaders of farmers organizations said they would bring their protests to major cities to get better attention. A huge rally is being planned for next month in New Delhi.Russian President Vladimir Putin is suggesting that Jews, Ukrainians or Tatars might have meddled in the 2016 U.S. presidential election, but again is rejecting Kremlin interference.

In a wide-ranging interview with NBC News that aired Sunday, Putin dismissed the conclusion of the U.S. intelligence community that he ordered a campaign to undermine U.S. democracy and help real estate mogul Donald Trump win a four-year White House term.

"Why have you decided the Russian authorities, myself included, gave anybody permission to do this?" Putin asked. The Russian leader said he also was not convinced of Russian meddling after U.S. special counsel Robert Mueller last month indicted 13 Russian nationals and three Russian companies on charges of interfering in the election. He vowed to "never" turn over the individuals for trial in the U.S.

"So what if they're Russians?" Putin said of the allegations. "There are 146 million Russians. So what? I don't care. I couldn't care less. They do not represent the interests of the Russian state."

"Maybe," Putin suggested, "they are not even Russians, but Ukrainians, Tatars or Jews with Russian citizenship, which should also be checked. Maybe they have dual citizenship or a green card. Maybe the U.S. paid them for this.

"How can you know that? I do not know either," he said.

"Could anyone really believe that Russia, thousands of miles away, influenced the outcome of the election? Doesn't that sound ridiculous, even to you?" Putin asked.

Jewish groups condemned Putin's suggestion that Jews were responsible for the election meddling.

Jonathan Greenblatt, chief executive of the Anti-Defamation League, said, "President Putin bizarrely has resorted to the blame game by pointing the finger at Jews and other minorities in his country. It is deeply disturbing to see the Russian president giving new life to classic anti-Semitic stereotypes that have plagued his country for hundreds of years."

The American Jewish Committee said in a Twitter comment, "President Putin suggesting that Russian Federation minorities, be they Ukrainian, Tatar, or Jewish, were behind U.S. election meddling is eerily reminiscent of the "Protocols of the Elders of Zion." He should clarify his comments at the earliest opportunity."

The "Protocols of the Elders of Zion" refers to a fictional anti-Semitic work published in a Russian newspaper in 1903, purporting to depict a Jewish conspiracy for global domination. The U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum says that Adolf Hitler in World War II used the falsified papers as propaganda and was influenced by them.

Top U.S. congressional Democrats on Monday called on Trump to "devote all resources available" to ensure that the 13 Russians indicted by Mueller stand trial in the U.S. The lawmakers said it is "extraordinary and confounding how little your administration is doing to counter Putin's campaign to undermine our grand democracy, including the refusal to implement sanctions that passed Congress nearly unanimously."

Trump has reluctantly acknowledged the Russian interference in the U.S. election, but also recently said that the meddling might have been carried out by "other countries, and maybe other individuals." He has repeatedly said that investigation of allegations that his campaign colluded with Russia to help him win are an excuse by Democrats to explain his upset victory over former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.A judge is scheduled to hear arguments on a request from actress Rose McGowan to dismiss a charge of cocaine possession she faces in Virginia.



McGowan's lawyers have suggested in court papers that the drugs may have been planted by agents hired by disgraced Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein to discredit her after she went public with sex assault accusations against him.



McGowan was charged after authorities said cocaine was found in a wallet she left behind on a flight to Dulles International Airport in January 2017.



McGowan's lawyer, Jessica Carmichael, argued that the drugs could have been planted before the wallet was found by a cleaning crew.



A hearing is scheduled Monday morning in Leesburg on McGowan's motion to dismiss.Ronald Reagan and Mikhail Gorbachev chose Reykjavik, Iceland. Franklin Roosevelt, Winston Churchill and Josef Stalin huddled at Yalta. Dwight Eisenhower and Soviet leader Nikita Khruschev will always have Paris.

So where should President Donald Trump and Kim Jong Un meet up for the first face-to-face talks between a U.S. and North Korean president?

The Demilitarized Zone between North and South Korea is one possibility. Sweden has offered to help. And theres always neutral Geneva, Switzerland.

Someplace in Asia perhaps - such as Beijing - hasnt been ruled out. Nor, for that matter, has a ship in international waters.

The question crackled through diplomatic and government circles Friday, one day after a South Korean official announced in the dark on a White House driveway that the two heads of state who had threatened mutual obliteration for months would take a meeting.

Its not clear what location is suitable for leaders who have sniped at each other - Little Rocket Man vs. senile dotard - in nerve-rattling Twitter exchanges about nuclear war.

Its all about optics, from their first handshake, said Lisa Collins, a Korea scholar and fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. There are 70 years of historical baggage between the two countries ... so to have the meeting in a place thats a safe location and one that doesnt overly highlight the differences between the two countries would probably be the best.

The White House wasnt offering suggestions in the hours after the announcement.

Trump, a former reality TV star, understands well the value of optics. But symbolism, security and practicality also come into play. Holding talks in either the U.S. or North Korea seem unlikely. Traveling to North Korea risks conferring legitimacy on Kim and his country.

As for Kim: Except for schooling in Switzerland and perhaps some vacations during that time, its not clear that Kim has left North Korea. So Mar-a-Lago, the presidents Florida estate that was good enough for Chinese President Xi Jinping last April, probably wont do this time.

More likely is the no-mans-land of Peace Village in the DMZs Panmunjom. There is a building there with a line through the middle that marks the border - and was the site of the 1953 armistice. Theoretically, Kim could shake Trumps hand by reaching over the line without ever setting foot outside North Korea. And Trumps been wanting to visit the DMZ, anyway. A shrouded-in-secrecy stop there during Trumps tour of Asia last year was scrubbed due to bad weather.

In April, the leaders of North and South Korea are to meet there for their own historic bilateral talks.

Swedish Prime Minister Stefan Lofven, meanwhile, has offered to help, given that his nation has an embassy in Pyongyang. We are a non-aligning country, Lofven pointed out during a press conference with Trump this week. If the president decides, the key actors decide if they want us to help out, well be there.

History offers some lessons in bilateral summitry.

Sometimes, talks fail. In diplomatic circles, Reykjavik, Icelands frosty capital, refers President Ronald Reagan and Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachevs hastily arranged arms reduction talks in 1986. They failed to produce a deal, but did result in iconic photos of the two leaders smiling together in the final years of the Cold War.

Other times, they blow up. Peaceful coexistence was the goal, but not the immediate result, of a summit in Paris between Khruschev and Eisenhower. The talks were tense over the Soviet downing of a U-2 plane in 1960 that Eisenhower was forced to admit had been spying on Russia. The Russian leader stalked out of the meeting, cooling any thoughts of a lasting peace for awhile.

Its good to have a backup venue: What were to be talks in 1989 between President George H.W. Bush and Gorbachev aboard a ship near Malta turned into the seasick summit when seven-foot waves forced the leaders to cancel some meetings.

Talks and the most powerful images sometimes go only so far. Egyptian President Anwar Sadat stunned the world when he set foot in Israel in 1977 and addressed the Israeli parliament. The visit set the tone for the Camp David peace summit and treaty in 1979. The Egyptian-Israeli agreement has remained intact and laid the groundwork for other Mideast summits. But the peace process has stalled in recent years.The Taliban has captured a western Afghan district near the border with Iran after inflicting heavy casualties on government forces.

Insurgents early Monday assaulted Anar Dara in the province of Farah and partially took control of the district headquarters, a provincial government spokesman said.



Naser Mehri told VOA fierce fighting was still raging in the area because government forces were still holding out in army bases and buildings of the intelligence agency, the National Directorate of Security (NDS).

Air support and fresh troops have been sent to the mountainous Afghan district but the Taliban has mined all roads leading to Anar Dara, making it difficult for the ground reinforcements to reach the battle zone.

An interior ministry spokesman in Kabul confirmed the deaths of at least eight Afghan security personnel, saying retaliatory airstrikes also killed nearly 60 insurgents.

The Taliban claimed it was in full control of the district center, the police headquarters and surrounding areas.

An insurgent spokesman, Qari Yousuf Ahmadi, asserted 15 Afghan troops had been killed and military vehicles seized, along with a large quantity of ammunition. The Taliban also released pictures of its fighters patrolling streets in the town.

But independent verification of battlefield claims from either side was difficult to ascertain.

Taliban territorial advances came just two days after insurgents staged a surprise assault in Bala Buluk, another insurgency-plagued district in Farah, and killed dozens of Afghan troops.

The provincial governor resigned in January, citing political interference and rampant corruption in law enforcement agencies in Farah.

Authorities have also accused Iran of facilitating Talibans advances in Afghanistans relatively peaceful western border provinces, charges Tehran denies.

Critics warn Talibans advances in Farah could pose serious security challenges because of its proximity with the southern Helmand province. Insurgents control or contest most of the districts in Helmand, the largest Afghan province and opium-poppy producing region.

Afghan military-led operations backed by U.S. airstrikes have lately inflicted heavy casualties on the Taliban in Helmand, which borders Pakistan.

Military commanders anticipate an uptick in fighting across Afghanistan with the onset of spring when insurgents stage major battlefield attacks.

The latest U.S. military assessments from December show that the Afghan government controls less than 56 percent of the countrys 407 districts while the Taliban controls or influences the rest.The U.S. said Monday it has yet to hear back from North Korea in the days since President Donald Trump agreed to meet in person with Pyongyang's reclusive leader, Kim Jong Un.

Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, on a visit to Nigeria, said the U.S. expects to "hear something directly" from North Korea. But he seemed unconcerned that there has been no immediate public response to Trump's acceptance of Kim's invitation for a face-to-face meeting over possible denuclearization of the Korean peninsula and other issues.

"As you know, it's a very recent development," Tillerson said. "There will be several steps ... necessary to agree on location, agree on the scope of those discussions. It's very early stages. So, I know those are all questions that people are anxious to have answers to. I would say just remain patient, and we'll see what happens."

He declined to float ideas for where the summit might occur, saying, "I think it's going to be very important that those kinds of conversations are held quietly through the two parties."

Separately, U.S. lawmakers stressed the need for exhaustive preparations and consultations involving U.S. and North Korean officials ahead of a Trump-Kim encounter.

"A lot of work needs to be done, and we ought to know how the meeting is likely to conclude before the leaders meet," Republican Senator Roy Blunt of Missouri told VOA.

"A meeting like that is not useful and, in fact, could be counterproductive unless proper preparation is done, which would involve a series of meetings by diplomats," Arizona Republican Senator Jeff Flake said.

Flake noted that extensive high-level consultations between Washington and Havana preceded former President Barack Obama's 2016 trip to Cuba.

"For months and months and months, [former U.S. Assistant Secretary of State] Roberta Jacobson was down there [in Havana] negotiating," Flake told VOA. "There is so much to take into account [regarding North Korea]  our alliances, our nonproliferation regime, things that the president [Trump] doesn't have experience with and, in my view, doesn't fully appreciate, given the statements he's made."

U.S. officials vowed Sunday they would not make any concessions to North Korea ahead of the summit and would continue to pressure North Korea.

"Make no mistake about it, while these negotiations are going on, there will be no concessions made," Central Intelligence Agency director Mike Pompeo told Fox News Sunday.

Pompeo said the North Korean ruler must "continue to allow us to perform our military-necessary exercises" with South Korea, "and then he's got to make sure that he leaves on the table that discussion for denuclearization" of his military.

Tufts University Korean Studies assistant professor Sung Yoon Lee told VOA that Kim has tricked the world into believing he has offered concessions.

"We know that nuclear and ballistic missile tests are prohibited under more than 10 U.N. Security Council resolutions, so the mere utterance of abstinence from illicit, forbidden activities is no concession at all," he said.

In the past, Trump has derided the possibility of direct talks with North Korea, telling Tillerson in October he was "wasting his time" considering the possibility of negotiations.

But on Saturday, Trump noted the historical significance of him accepting the North Korean leader's offer to meet.

"Well, they say, 'Well, [former President Barack] Obama could have done that.' Trust me, he wouldn't have done it. By the way, neither would [former President George W.] Bush or [former President Bill] Clinton," Trump said. "Anybody could have done it. Obama could have done it. Obama had his chance."

Senator Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, a Democratic opponent of Trump, said on NBC, "I want to see our president succeed, because if he succeeds, America succeeds. The world is safer. But I am very worried that they're going to take advantage of him."

Republican Flake recalled his own similar response years ago: "When President Obama said he was going to meet with Castro, I said, 'Good.' I'm all in favor of these kinds of meetings," he said. "What I hope is that the prep work is done."Masked Mexican rebel leader Subcomandante Marcos, wearing a purple three-piece suit, is paired with Britney Spears in a Wonder Woman costume. Their child is a tiny albino Marcos, smoking a pipe and wearing a turban with his own little ski mask, his body the black-suited torso of James Bond.



Another work by border artist Claudio Dicochea shows Ronald Reagan standing on a Pan American jet in colorful cowboy boots. Coupled with Salma Hayek reprising her role as Frida Kahlo but wearing the uniform of a Russian czar, their son is Heath Ledger as the Joker dressed in a pirates getup. Their daughter is the late Mexican movie star Dolores del Rio with the body of superhero Vampirella and the headdress of Aztec emperor Montezuma.



Spotlighted in the exhibit Acid Baroque, on display at the Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art through May 20, these and other works by the 45-year-old Dicochea give a modern psychedelic spin to the colonial casta or caste paintings first created in 18th century Mexico, taking viewers to the crossroad of colonialism and contemporary popular culture as he examines the idea of mestizaje, or mixed-race identity. The exhibit is part of a program at the museum that showcases up-and-coming artists from Mexico and the American Southwest.



The original caste paintings are still seen at some museums, including the one at Mexico Citys Chapultepec Castle, and feature portraits of mixed-race families  usually the parents and one or two children. They illustrate how intermarriage among Indians, blacks, Spaniards and mixed-race people after the conquest created hierarchal classifications of every mix imaginable, with the children born from diverse couplings arranged from lightest- to darkest-skinned in a kind of table of elements.



In Dicocheas reimagining of the genre, public figures and celebrities from the 20th and 21st centuries such as Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis and Fidel Castro, as well as numerous Mexican TV soap opera stars, are the parents and children.



Race is fluid as the artist uses various materials on wood including acrylic, charcoal, graphite and transfer to tie images together into colorful collages. John Wayne the cowboy movie idol is pictured as an Indian rather than an Indian killer. Albert Einstein is shown as a black child in jeans and T-shirt on a bicycle.



Its a really serious meditation on race by someone who grew up on the border, museum director and chief curator Sara Cochran said. I like to call this a Trojan horse show, a beautiful show that teaches you something by the back door.



For Dicochea, creating a new riff on the old casta paintings is a critique of the role visual arts play in shaping ideas about race.



At the core level, Im showing that the ideas of race and ethnicity are social processes that are made up rather than natural phenomenon, that they are constructed to exert control, he said.



His work is being displayed through the museums southwestNET program, which annually spotlights one or more mid-career artists from the region believed to be on the verge of achieving iconic status, Cochran said. The artists can come from Mexico or anywhere in the Southwest from California to Texas and up to Utah and Colorado.



Past southwestNet artists have included Postcommodity, an arts collective that brought a four-channel video with sound of the U.S.-Mexico border fence, titled A Very Long Line, to the 2017 Whitney Biennial in New York.



Dicochea was born in San Luis Colorado, Mexico, where the northwestern corner of Sonora state meets southwestern Arizona, just south of Yuma. His family immigrated to the U.S. when he was an infant, and he grew up along the border.



As a youth, Dicochea labored briefly as a farmworker, irrigating fields in the Yuma Valley. He left at age 20 to study at the University of Arizona in Tucson, later continuing his studies at the San Francisco Art Institute and Arizona State University in Tempe, where he obtained a masters in fine arts. He and his wife, Adriana, a painter from the border city of Nogales, Mexico, now live in San Antonio, Texas.



Among Dicocheas earliest mentors was the late African-American painter Robert Colescott, known for satirical paintings such as George Washington Carver crossing the Delaware, which replaced the revolutionary war hero with the black botanist and inventor standing in a boat filled with domestic workers and minstrels.



Dicochea included Colescotts work in an exhibit of sometimes racially charged works he recently put together with curator Julio Cesar Morales at the ASU Art Museum in an examination of the current social and cultural climate.



Claudio addresses gender, race and class, said Morales, offering a very smart mashup of different cultures and styles to tell the story of where we are now.One of the main Syrian rebel groups in the besieged eastern Ghouta area says it has reached an agreement with Russia to evacuate wounded people from the region on the outskirts of Damascus.

Jaish al-Islam announced the move Monday, saying it had communicated with Russia through the United Nations to reach the deal.

It was not clear if the wounded involved were rebel fighters, civilians or both. The group said the evacuations would take place in stages, but did not detail the timing or where the people would be taken.

The Syrian military, backed by Russian forces, has in the past month pressed an offensive in eastern Ghouta aimed at reclaiming control of one of the last major areas around the country's capital that is still in the hands of opposition fighters.

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which monitors the Syrian conflict, says more than 1,000 civilians have been killed in eastern Ghouta.

Syria's conflict began in March 2011, and the Observatory says the overall death toll is now more than 500,000 people.

The U.N. Security Council has demanded a 30-day halt in fighting across Syria in order to allow those in need of medical care to get help and for humanitarian aid to reach people who need food and supplies. So far, the council's resolution has been largely ignored.

U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is due to brief the council Monday as it meets to discuss implementation of the cease-fire.U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson is cutting short his trip to Africa by about a day to deal with pressing matters including North Korea.

"Due to demands in the Secretary's schedule he is returning to the U.S. one day early, after concluding official meetings in Chad and Nigeria," Under Secretary of State Steve Goldstein said Monday.

While Tillerson was in Africa, President Donald Trump announced he accepted North Koreas invitation for direct talks with its leader Kim Jong-un by May. No specific plans have been set.

On Monday, Tillerson visited N'Djamena, the capital of Chad, for talks with Chadian President Idriss Deby. He later said the U.S. may soon lift travel restrictions on Chadians that President Trump imposed last October.

He said the Chadian government has taken steps to "strengthen" control over its own passports and improve information-sharing.

The top U.S. diplomat then flew to Nigeria's capital, Abuja, to confer with Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari before heading home.

Tillerson canceled events in Kenya on Saturday because he "not feeling well." Undersecretary of State Steve Goldstein said Monday that Tillerson now feels fine. He said the Secretary will arrive in Washington early Tuesday to attend meetings on Korea, tariffs and his upcoming testimony in Congress regarding the State Department budget.

On Sunday, he laid a wreath at the U.S. Embassy in Nairobi at a ceremony to honor those killed and injured in a bombing there by al-Qaida 20 years ago.

"As all of you well know, in 1998, terrorists thought they could demoralize and destroy the Kenyan and American people by attacking the U.S. embassy here in Nairobi. Of course they were wrong. Nearly 20 years later, we meet here to honor those who we lost and those who were injured," Tillerson told an audience including survivors of the attack.

After meeting Friday in Nairobi with Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta, Tillerson hailed the political reconciliation between Kenyatta and opposition leader Raila Odinga as "a positive step toward healing Kenyas ethnic and political divisions," the State Department said in a statement.

Kenyatta and Odinga met for the first time since last summers contentious presidential elections to start what they called a joint push for national unity.

Tillerson underscored at the meeting with Kenyatta "strong U.S. support for democratic institutions"  including the media  and voiced concern over "restrictions to political space."

The Kenyan government shut down three television channels in January on the day that Odinga took a symbolic presidential oath in a mock inauguration. The government defied a court order to allow the stations, which had planned to live-stream the oath, to resume broadcasts.



Tillerson's five-nation African trip began with a stop in Ethiopia on Wednesday, following by a visit to Djibouti.



Tillerson said the U.S. will seek to work with African nations, providing them with incentives to improve governance and meet their long-term security and development goals.President Donald Trump said Monday the U.S. will be talking with European officials about eliminating tariffs it believes hurt the American economy.

Trump, in a Twitter remark, said Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross plans to talk with European Union officials about what the president described as "large Tariffs and Barriers they use against the U.S.A."

He said the levies are "not fair to our farmers and manufacturers."

His tweet echoed comments this past weekend, when he said Europe has "wonderful countries who treat the U.S. very badly on trade."

Trump, representing the world's single largest economy, and officials of the 28-nation EU, collectively the biggest economy, have sparred over Trump's imposition of a new 25 percent tariff on steel imports to the U.S. and 10 percent on aluminum imports.

In response, EU officials have threatened to add taxes to an array of signature U.S. exports, including Harley Davidson motorcycles, blue jeans, bourbon, cranberries and orange juice.

Trump in turn has suggested that if the Europeans boost tariffs on U.S. products he would impose new levies on popular German cars exported to the U.S.

Europe's top trade official, Cecilia Malmstroem, said trade is being used "as a weapon to threaten and intimidate us."

"But we are not afraid, we will stand up to the bullies," she said.

Top U.S. and EU trade officials met Saturday in Brussels, but failed to iron out their differences. Malmstroem said talks would continue this week.



The White House on Sunday vowed to help provide "rigorous firearms training" to some schoolteachers and formally endorsed a bill to tighten the federal background checks system, but backed off President Trump's earlier call to raise the minimum age to purchase some guns to 21 years old from 18 years old.



Responding directly to last month's gun massacre at a Florida high school, the president said the federal government will help states implement a number of moves, including training for specially qualified school personnel volunteers to carry firearms. Military veterans and retired police officers will be encouraged to seek new careers as teachers.



The idea of arming some teachers has been controversial and has drawn sharp opposition from the National Education Association, the country's largest teachers lobby, among other groups.



The White House says Trump also backs new laws to reform and strengthen background checks for potential gun buyers and allow states to seek court orders to take away weapons from those who have shown to be a threat to themselves and others.



Trump is also proposing expanding mental health programs.



Many of the student survivors have urged Washington to toughen restrictions on gun purchases, including raising the minimum age to purchase some guns to 21 years old from 18 years old. But, such measures are fiercely opposed by the National Rifle Association.



After 17 people were shot and killed last month at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla., Trump elevated the issue of school safety in his administration. He called for raising the minimum age for purchasing an AR-15 or similar-style rifles from 18 to 21 years old.



"Now, this is not a popular thing to say, in terms of the NRA. But I'm saying it anyway," Trump said in a Feb. 28 meeting with lawmakers. "You can buy a handgun  you can't buy one; you have to wait until you're 21. But you can buy the kind of weapon used in the school shooting at 18. I think it's something you have to think about."



But the plan released Sunday did not address the minimum age for gun purchases. When asked by reporters about the age issue, a senior administration official said it was "a state-based discussion right now" and would be explored by a commission chaired by Education Secretary Betsy DeVos.



DeVos characterized the administration's efforts as "a pragmatic plan to dramatically increase school safety."



"We are committed to working quickly because there's no time to waste," DeVos said on a Sunday evening conference call with reporters. "No student, no family, no teacher and no school should have to live the horror of Parkland or Sandy Hook or Columbine again."



Nikolas Cruz, charged with the shooting at Marjory Stonelam Douglas High School last month, is just 19 and allegedly used a AR-15 assault-style weapon.



He was also a well-known troublemaker at Douglas high school and made a number of violent threats.Honduran security forces, especially the military police, used excessive and lethal force against protesters demonstrating against President Juan Orlando Hernandez's disputed re-election in November, the United Nations said on Monday.



The security forces shot dead at least 16 people, including two women and two children, out of at least 23 people known to have died during the protests, the U.N. human rights office said in a report.



"These cases raise serious concerns and may amount to extra-judicial killings," the report said.



Seven people were killed by shots to the head, it said.



"Analysis of the type of injuries suffered by the victims indicate that the security forces made intentional lethal use of firearms, including beyond dissuasive or self-defense [legitimate] purposes, such as when protestors were fleeing."



Hernandez, a conservative supported by the United States, appeared set to lose the November 26 election until an abrupt halt in the vote count and a shift in the results took victory away from his center-left rival, Salvador Nasralla.



Allegations of fraud sparked protests but the result was eventually ratified by the country's electoral tribunal and both Mexico and the United States backed the incumbent.



Hernandez had pledged a hard-line strategy criticized by human rights groups to bring order to the impoverished Central American country, which has been plagued by battles between security forces, local gangs and drug traffickers.



By January 27, the date of the presidential inauguration, no charges had been brought against any member of the security forces in relation to the killings, the U.N. report said.



The U.N. also said a curfew imposed as part of a state of emergency on December 1 was excessive, with some 1,351 people detained within four days in mass arrests.



U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra'ad al-Hussein said in a statement things were likely to get worse unless Honduras prosecuted people for the killings.



"The already fragile human rights situation in Honduras, which suffers from high levels of violence and insecurity, is likely to deteriorate further unless there is true accountability for human rights violations, and reforms are taken to address the deep political and social polarization in the country," he said.A U.N. rights watchdog called on Saudi Arabia on Monday to end discriminatory practices against women, including its pervasive system of male guardianship, and give them full access to justice.

After reviewing the deeply conservative kingdom's record, the independent experts welcomed recent decisions to allow women to launch their own businesses and to lift a de facto ban on them driving a car, set for June.

Saudi Arabia is still one of the most restrictive countries in the world for women. It has no female ministers and retains a guardianship system requiring women to have a male relative's approval for important decisions.

In its conclusions, the U.N. Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) urged the Saudi government to "abolish practices of male guardianship." It should enforce a recent order that would entitle all women to obtain a passport, travel or study abroad, choose their residency, and access health care "without having to seek their guardian's consent."

"We asked for the abolition of the system, because even though they said they had passed a law, we realized that in practice the system still continued," Hilary Gbedemah, a panel member, told Reuters.

A Saudi delegation told the panel last month that it had implemented rules and laws tailored to traditions and religious values that allowed women more independence as they played a growing economic role. Laws concerning justice and child protection had been strengthened.

But the experts said that Saudi Arabia should implement a comprehensive strategy to "eliminate patriarchal attitudes and stereotypes that discriminate against women."

Rape and all forms of violence against women should be made crimes under Saudi law, they said.

Child marriages, forced marriages and the compulsory dress code for women should be ended, it said. Women should have the right to choose their dress and not face violence or threats by the religious police and their male guardian.

Discussion of the guardianship issue had been "very wide" with the delegation, Gbedemah said.

"We saw it where women were deemed to be disobedient to their guardians, where they needed their consent to marry, where the guardians could enforce dress codes, and in the area of domestic violence," she said.

"So, in a nutshell, these are the four important areas that we asked for follow-up on, within two years," she said.

Gbedemeh, asked about the planned lifting of the ban on driving, said: "Even if it is symbolic, it is a positive step.

"Because for so long it was taken for granted that women could not and would not drive," she said. "I am positive that once this is done, it will open the gates for leverage for removal of other restrictions."Sahar, 11, and her siblings are setting up an apartment in Riverdale, Maryland, that will soon be the new home for a refugee family from Ethiopia.

"I came here to help," she said. "I am happy."

Sahar and her family are refugees themselves. They recently came from Afghanistan and live in a nearby apartment that was also fully furnished and ready for them to move in when they arrived a few months ago.

The volunteers say they want to repay the generosity they received when they came to America.

"When I came here, I was confused," said Sajid Malik. "Today, I feel good by helping here because I have seen a difficult time like this."

A Maryland-based nonprofit called Kindworks runs the program that helps refugees settle in.

"We work with resettlement agencies," said Salma Hasan Ali of Kindworks. "We find out from them which family is arriving when. Then we reach out to our members and ask them for items we need for a home."

So far, Kindworks has set up 17 apartments for refugees from Afghanistan, Syria and several African countries.

"We are able to harness so much love, interest and care from Americans who know these refugees are coming," said Alexa Clark Abdelatey of Kindworks. "They want them to feel welcome, which is so meaningful."

In a few hours, the apartment is ready and waiting for its new residents who will soon arrive to start their new lives.The White House is stopping short of blaming Russia for the poisoning of a former Russian military intelligence officer who was a double agent for Britain's intelligence services.

"The use of a highly lethal nerve agent against U.K. citizens on U.K. soil is an outrage," White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders told reporters Monday. "The attack was reckless, indiscriminate and irresponsible. We offer the fullest condemnation and we extend our sympathy to the victims and their families and our support to the U.K. government."

WATCH: Spy investigation

Sanders added that the United States stands by "our closest ally and the special relationship that we have," but she did not share in London's strong accusations toward Moscow for the March 4 poisoning of Sergei Skripal and his daughter, Yulia, in Salisbury. Both remain hospitalized in critical condition.

"I think they're still working through even some of the details of that," replied Sanders to a reporter's question about whether Russia is to blame.

"It actually sounds like a measured response and that's fine and it should be," the Stimson Center's director of nuclear safeguard, Cindy Vestergaard, tells VOA. She explains that U.S. authorities will likely prefer to review evidence compiled by the British before pointing a finger at Moscow.

"As with any state declaring chemical weapons perpetrators, others need to confirm the facts before doing the same," said Vestergaard, who has studied chemical assassinations. "Even then, the preference is still for the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons  an international organization tasked with verifying and implementing the Chemical Weapons Convention  to do the same."

U.K. Prime Minister Theresa May told Parliament earlier in the day that it is "highly likely" Russia is responsible for the attack with the military-grade Novichok nerve agent, and that Moscow has until Wednesday to respond.

"Should there be no credible response, we will conclude that this action amounts to an unlawful use of force by the Russian state against the United Kingdom, and I will come back to this House and set out the full range of measures we will take in response," the prime minister warned.

"This is a circus show in the British Parliament," Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova told reporters.

Criticism for Trump

"This reckless, targeted hit-job was an attack against the United Kingdom and we must condemn it," Congressman Adam Kinzinger, a Republican from the state of Illinois, said on Twitter.

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said the use of any nerve agent "is horrendous and completely unacceptable."

"The U.K. is a highly valued ally, and this incident is of great concern to NATO. NATO is in touch with the U.K. authorities on this issue," Stoltenberg said.

President Donald Trump has faced criticism for his lack of tough words about Russia and its president, Vladimir Putin, after U.S. intelligence agencies determined that Moscow sought to interfere in the 2016 presidential election.

On Monday, 140 members of the opposition Democratic Party called on Trump to impose sanctions on Russia.

The Democrats say Trump is "ignoring the law" by not imposing sanctions on Moscow under the bipartisan Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act.

"We've given you the tools needed to meet this challenge. If you continue to leave those tools on the shelf, we will push for additional legislative action with more stringent requirements," according to the letter. "If you refuse to protect the United States from a hostile foreign government, Congress must act on our own. The future of our democracy is on the line."Please enable cookies on your web browser in order to continue.

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Nepalese investigators have retrieved the black box from the wreckage a Bangladeshi plane that crashed here, killing 49 people, authorities said today as the conversation between the air traffic controllers and the pilot before the tragedy indicated a possible confusion over the runway.





The Dhaka to Kathmandu US-Bangla Airlines flight, with 67 passengers and four crew members on board, caught fire after it careened off the runway and ploughed into a football ground near the Tribhuvan International Airport yesterday.





"The flight data recorder has been recovered we have kept it safely," said Raj Kumar Chettri, the airport's general manager, adding that an investigation into the cause of the crash had begun.





The airline and airport authorities have blamed each other for the tragedy, the worst in the country in 25 years, after it emerged that there was confusion over landing instructions.





The last four minutes of the conversation between the pilot and Air Traffic Control at the airport indicates a possible confusion in the mind of the pilot about Runway 02 (the southern end) and Runway 20 (the northern end), a Nepalese newspaper reported.





The Nepali pilots of other aircraft are heard warning the ATC that the US-Bangla pilot seems disoriented, according to the Nepali Times. At the very outset of the tape, the control tower was heard warning the pilot, "I say again, do not proceed towards Runway 20." And later, he is warned to remain on hold and not to land because there is another aircraft on approach.





After the plane apparently takes a right orbit, the ATC asks the pilot whether he wants to land on Runway 02 or 20. The latter responds and says "We would like to land on 20"; he is cleared to land on that end of the runway, the report said.





The pilot was then asked if he has the runway in sight, to which he replies, 'Negative', it said. He was asked to turn right, but immediately after that, the Flight 211 pilot says "Affirmative", that the runway is in sight.





The pilot then says, "Cleared to land Runaway 02", even though he had sought permission for 20. However, ATC too now clears him to land on Runway 02.





Meanwhile, speaking to the Army 53 aircraft which is on hold about 10 kilometres away, the ATC says the Bangladesh aircraft is "on final for 20".





The last recorded words of the pilot are: "[Unintelligible] said sir, are we cleared to land?" After some silence, the clearly alarmed ATC controller shouts, "I say again, turn'!".





There is silence for a while, then a 'Fire One' calls the tower, indicating that a crash has occurred and the airport fire tender has been activated. The Dhaka-based US-Bangla Airlines is a private carrier that launched in July 2014 with the motto "Fly Fast Fly Safe". The airlines is a unit of the US-Bangla Group, a US Bangladeshi joint venture company. -- PTI

Given the success of Cloud Gate  the city of Chicago claims it is the most popular tourist site in the Midwest  it cant easily be recast as an oppressive urban vanity project. But in the new culture wars, in which one side must win and the other must lose, it can be held up as an object up for grabs. Just as the NRA hopes to pass legislation that will allow states concealed carry permits to be valid even in other states that dont allow concealed carry, there is the suggestion that one day, perhaps, these great urban icons will belong not to the cities that built them, but to the larger gun culture. To its members, the organization offers through-the-looking-glass promise. When the battle is won, you will look into the brilliant, reflective surface of this sculpture and see not the hated elites, but you, triumphant.I wouldnt put it on the money. That has nothing to do with it, he said, adding that even if the hospital had a blank check, he did not believe it would be capable of reopening the obstetrics unit because of other work it simultaneously had to do.Anacostia resident Sharese Clayton said she opted to send her two young daughters to Excel a few years ago because she was unimpressed with the traditional public school system. She was initially unsure she would keep them at Excel when she learned it would become part of the D.C. Public Schools system, but said she has decided to give it a chance.At one point, she remembered, free oysters were being served in the lounge and a delegate asked whether she wanted some. She didnt want the oysters but she did want access to that lounge, so she said yes. But instead of inviting her in, the male delegate set a plate outside the door  like feeding a kitten, she said.The federal governments reluctance to fund research has had a ripple effect. A study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association last year found that from 2004 to 2015, research related to gun violence was substantially underfunded and understudied compared with other leading causes of death, based on the mortality rates of each. The study said that gun violence research received a paltry 1.6 percent of the funding ($22 million) that would be predicted ($1.4 billion) based on the number of deaths caused by guns  36,252 in 2015, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.In one study, college students privately rated a peers application to graduate school and were told that the writer had suffered a personal tragedy. They then had the chance to re-rate her essay, this time knowing she would see their evaluation. Readers inflated their assessments for the writers benefit, especially when they empathized with her. Oncologists often avoid using the word cancer during diagnoses, replacing it with vague, sanitized language. This might make conversation easier but can also leave patients in the dark. A physician at a neonatal intensive care unit once told me about a family whose child would probably die in the coming weeks. The medical team had never told them this bluntly. Theyre such nice people, he said, and you dont want to tell them such bad news.Helicopter crash in New York kills 2: A helicopter crashed into New York City's East River on Sunday night and flipped upside down in the water, killing two of the six people aboard and leaving three others in critical condition, officials said. The helicopter, a private charter hired for a photo shoot, went down near Gracie Mansion, the mayoral residence. One person, the pilot, freed himself and was rescued by a tugboat, officials said. The passengers were recovered by police and fire department divers.Some of these stories are really about authoritarianism: Many populist leaders are actually anti-pluralist leaders, and they change the rules of their democracies to make it more difficult for their opponents to win. But another factor is at work as well: Unlike social democrats or earnest liberals, these politicians were never trying to appeal to the good sense of voters, they were never selling efficiency and effectiveness, and their voters dont expect it from them. In a recent speech, Orban declared that Western Europe had caused the decline of Christian culture, and he described Hungary as the last bastion of Christianity. If you are emotionally moved by that declaration, why should you care if his son-in-law is getting rich? The political scientist Jan-Werner Muller has also written that corruption and cronyism arent a problem for this kind of leader as long as they look like measures pursued for the sake of a moral, hardworking us and not for the immoral or even foreign them. News organizations across the country often highlight the mid-March Sunshine Week  created by the American Society of News Editors to remind the public of the presss crucial role in ensuring open government  by writing editorials or commentaries about the importance of a free press. This week, for the second straight year, the presidency of Donald Trump is being used as a bogeyman to suggest that the medias efforts are more endangered than ever. The Associated Press offered such an example in a package in conjunction with this Sunshine Week.The specter of a president who has made no secret of his hostility to the media trying to silence the porn star also raises constitutional concerns. Now that Trump is president, the existence of an extramarital relationship becomes a matter of public concern, according to C.J. Peters, dean of the University of Akron School of Law.We warn any nation determined to impose its will through chemical attacks and inhuman suffering, but most especially the outlaw Syrian regime, the United States remains prepared to act if we must, she said. It is not a path we prefer. But it is a path we have demonstrated we will take, and we are prepared to take again.Heres a quirk you might not believe if you lived through the states loss of 90,000 manufacturing jobs, more than a third of its total, between 1999 and 2016: Connecticut gained 2,900 factory positions in 2017.

Thats only the third annual gain since the 1980s, and its the largest one-year gain in more than a generation.

Happy Days are here again? Not so fast. The state as a whole added just 2,300 jobs in 2017 even with the manufacturing jump  meaning all other sectors combined actually lost 600 jobs for the full year. That makes two straight years with lame growth, a fraction of the nations pace.

So its a mixed picture, overall lousy, based on Fridays annual revision of the jobs numbers weve been following every month from the Department of Labor. Economist Donald Klepper-Smith of DataCore Partners reported Monday that Connecticut ranked No. 43 in job creation in 2017, behind all other states in the Northeast.

The bright spot? When was the last time manufacturing outpaced all other sectors combined for a full year in Connecticut? My guess after following this for more than 25 years: never, or at least since Sam Colt and Oliver Winchester set out to win the West.

The picture comes into focus in Stratford, where Straton Industries, a defense and aerospace subcontractor that machines parts and assemblies, added a half-dozen employees over the last few months alone  a 10 percent gain. And the company could use more workers if it could find them with the right skills, said Dave Cremin, the president and owner.

The lack of skilled labor has been our biggest challenge for a decade, Cremin said.

Cremin is bullish about Connecticuts high-end manufacturing picture.

Across town, Sikorsky Aircraft has been stable at about 7,900 local employees for a year or so, but is looking ahead to a likely ramp-up after it signs contracts for the CH-53K King Stallion heavy lift helicopter.

Gov. Dannel P. Malloy inked a $225 million aid package for Sikorsky a couple of years ago to ensure the giant rotorcraft will be built here, just as production of the storied Black Hawk reaches long-planned declines.

In East Hartford and Middletown, Pratt & Whitney reaches peak output of its geared turbofan commercial jet engines and its f135 engine for the Joint Strike Fighter. Both programs have faced controversy, but hiring remains robust.

And in Groton, Electric Boat is at full employment building Virginia-class attack submarines and designing the next-generation Columbia class of subs to carry nuclear warheads.

Call it my naive hope, but if factory declines led Connecticut down, maybe a new era of gains could pull an ailing state back into economic health.

For now, lets shoot for coming out of intensive care.

The world is in a technological growth phase and it boils down to, who can make this stuff? Were a skilled state, thats one thing weve got going for us, Cremin said. I think that bodes well for us ... The world needs the high end right now.

Straton is boosting training, has an apprenticeship program and spends about $400,000 a year on new equipment, Cremin said.

A couple of miles toward Milford, close to the Housatonic River, the very small Glyne Manufacturing Co., which shapes high-end tubes, hasnt added to its staff of 10 other than to replace people it lost. But the feeling is good and work is steady, Vice President Tom Frei said.

It just seems like there are a lot of people we havent done work for in a couple of years and now there are small jobs, Frei said.

Its a tempered hope. Stratford is the town where Phil Young just won a special election to the state House of Representatives, making him the first Democrat to represent his district in 44 years. Is that a sign people are starting to see progress? Does it mean Democrats will hold the governors seat despite Malloys unpopularity and deep budget shortfalls Connecticut still faces?

We can hardly say that, considering Young, a chef, won by barely more than 60 votes in a genteel race. Coming off a door-to-door campaign, Young, 54, said families in his district, the eastern side of town, are kind of treading water.

Its gotten better, but its not great, Young said in his first week on the job at the state Capitol. I did not see that people were really rosy out there, no I did not. People were kind of dissatisfied with the pace of things.

But not utterly dissatisfied, either, he said.

What if the pace does pick up? Preliminary numbers from the labor department showed a gain of 3,400 jobs in the Connecticut economy in January. If we do have a good year, will that help the Democrats hold on to power?

If we gain momentum, Thank God for Donald Trump, said J.R. Romano, the Republican state chairman. There is a trend in the right direction. ... and it is finally hitting the shores of Connecticut.

Democrats say the gains under Trump, including Fridays bump of 313,000 jobs for February, are still below what the economy did in the last few years under former President Barack Obama, whose policies set the stage for sustained growth.

That debate wont end, and clearly the state picture depends primarily on the U.S. economy  and on federal defense spending. Ironically, Malloy is hurt by his worst-performing sector, government jobs, precisely because hes the only governor in recent memory who has actually cut the state payroll significantly.

The state job report is based on monthly surveys of employers, and the annual revisions use payroll data and other measures to draw a clearer picture. What we learned was that while manufacturing was much higher than we thought, the total number of jobs in finance  another crucial engine of prosperity  was lower than we had thought, by a couple of thousand jobs.

Im using yearly averages here, since were looking at full years. If we look at the year-over-year change in December, manufacturing was up by a head-spinning 6,300 jobs.

Overall, we thought we had created 5,900 jobs in 2017 based on the monthly reports, which was a lousy year. The new total of 2,300 jobs for the year is downright anemic, especially with a banner year on the machine shop floors.

Connecticut is going to have to make those tough choices to really get fiscally responsible, said Cremin, at Straton Industries. I dont know how youre going to power your way out of this.WESTPORT  Westport lost a prominent arts activist and philanthropist with the passing of Howard J. Aibel, who died March 9 from complications from pneumonia.

Aibels legacy will live on, however, as the Westport Country Playhouse renamed its campus The Howard J. Aibel Theater Center at Westport Country Playhouse in February thanks to a $3 million donation from Aibel, who served on the Playhouse board vice chair at the time of his death.

Aibel was 88 at the time of his death.

Our community has lost a great leader and advocate. Howard never sought the spotlight but always sought to inspire others to action, leading by his own actions. He believed that experiencing live theatre is central to a life well lives; his was certainly well lived, Michael Barker, Playhouse managing director said in a statement following Howards death.

A former international dispute resolution attorney and before that, Executive Vice President and Chief legal officer of ITT Corporation, Aibel, 88, was active in many nonprofit organizations, serving as chairman of the Alliance of Resident Theatres in New York, a member of the Weston Conservation Commission, trustee emeritus of Sacred Heart University, and as a former board member of the Westport Arts Center. Aibel moved to Westport in the 1960s and most recently resided in Weston.

Aibel was a long-time supporter of the Westport Arts Center and the arts in Fairfield County, with a special affinity for theater, visual arts, and chamber music, the Westport Arts Center wrote in a post on its website following news of Aibels death.

Inded, Aibels heart seemed to be in the arts. I have found live theater to be life transformative, Aibel said following the announcement the Playhouse would take his name.

In addition to his arts philanthropy, Aibel held positions as the president of the Harvard Law Association of New York, vice president of the Bar Association of New York, and a trustee of the Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights.

It was with deep sadness that I learned of the passing of Howard Aibel, Westport First Selectman Jim Marpe wrote in a statement on March 12, adding Aibel embodied a life of fulfilling service, compassion and philanthropy to the greater community.The 30th Annual James Jones First Novel Fellowship awarded first place and $10,000 to Rose Whitmore of San Leandro, Calif., for her novel titled Feats of Strength in the Time of Hoxha. Whitmore was selectedWhen three-year-old Keaton Streilein and his baby brother Elliott go outside, they can see the only school in the Sage Creek subdivision, but it may be the closest theyll ever get to it.

Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 12/3/2018 (1288 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

When three-year-old Keaton Streilein and his baby brother Elliott go outside, they can see the only school in the Sage Creek subdivision, but it may be the closest theyll ever get to it.

Sage Creek, the Qualico development with the motto "Naturally Appealing," is so appealing to homebuyers that its elementary school, which opened last September, is bursting at the seams.

The provincial government refuses to build a new school because of its financial situation and because there are empty desks at other schools in the division. It means that even though the Streilein family lives about as far south in the Louis Riel School Division as possible, their children will likely be bused in the future to schools such as Ecole Provencher in the north end of the division.

"Were looking for fall 2020, but we just moved here," their mom, Jamie, said. "We know we have a zero per cent chance of ever getting into that school."

Thats because the duration of residency is a factor in getting enrolled at Ecole Sage Creek School.

MIKAELA MACKENZIE / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS The Streilein family, as well as others in the subdivision, have little to no hope of getting their kids into the school in the area. Instead, the kids are likely to be bused to schools in the north area of their division.

An email sent to parents who went to kindergarten information meetings this year outlines the procedure. Starting with registration for September, the division is asking parents "to provide proof of residency with the acceptable documentation to assess their eligibility for a placement at (the school)." Children whose siblings are already in the school will be first in line for enrolment.

In future years, the email said, "the length of time the parents/guardians have been residing in the Sage Creek catchment (without interruption) will determine where a child is placed in the queue for the allocated kindergarten spaces."

The Streilein family bought their lot last year and moved into their new home in January. They relocated from a rural area.

"My husband and I both work in Winnipeg, and we didnt want to do the commute anymore," Streilein said.

"We just didnt know about the school. The school wasnt even open when we bought the lot... I definitely wouldnt have moved here and now Im considering moving again and Ive only been here for two months. Its just crazy."

Chris Sigurdson, chairman of the school division, said he sympathizes with the Streilein family and dozens of others in the development.

MIKAELA MACKENZIE / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Mom Jamie Streilein and her son Keaton, 3, are facing a division policy that says families who were first to move into Sage Creek will get priority for openings at the community's school.

"All of our projections say we need one English and one French immersion school there," Sigurdson said.

"The NDP said, Build this one first and the other one later. But then the government changed. One school there has never been enough. We always knew that."

The NDP lost power to the Tories in 2016. The schools official capacity is 600 students, but 627 students registered last September. This fall, 740 students are expected.

The division has decided to convert the schools art room and science lab into classroom space, as well as install partitions to make space in the centre of the facility into another classroom. Space is so tight that as many as three classes are using the gymnasium at the same time.

Sigurdson said they asked the province to build four portables at the school, which would have allowed all area children to attend it for at least two more years, but that was also rejected.

Sigurdson said the division decided to have parents show proof of how long they have lived in the area after hearing from residents.

MIKAELA MACKENZIE / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Jamie Streilein is now wondering if her family should move out of Sage Creek to be able to send her children to schools closer to home.

"We originally were going to have a free-for-all where people would line up first-come, first-served, but the community wasnt keen on it. They said the people who had lived there longer should have first dibs.

"We dont know if anyone else in Canada is doing this."

Sigurdson said the closest schools to Sage Creek are also full, so the only option will be to bus the students to other schools.

"No one wants to bus students far away, but the province says use all school spaces. They dont realize its a big area we have," he said.

"People come to us, but we dont build schools. All we can do is put pressure on the provincial government."

Education Minister Ian Wishart said in a statement that "Manitoba Education and Training does not construct new schools solely in anticipation of future enrolment growth.

MIKAELA MACKENZIE / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS The Streilein family enjoys their new house, but isn't looking forward to 2020 when their children may have to be bused outside the community to attend school.

"While developers may promote the possibility of a future school, the announcement and construction of schools is determined by the Public Schools Finance Board."

Wishart said that board has been meeting regularly with division officials to monitor enrolment increases and make sure there is enough classroom space in existing schools for children from Sage Creek.

"Its important to note there are approximately 500 vacant spaces in nearby schools," he said.

Wishart also said the schools capacity "was based on student projections from the school division in advance of the design and, over the past few years, the area has continued to grow" and was one of the reasons the schools size was increased to accommodate 600 students from the original 450 students.

Eric Vogan, Qualicos vice-president of communities for the Winnipeg region, said Sage Creek was originally planned to have three schools, each with 400 students, but a few years later, the province said the schools had to accommodate at least 600 students.

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"We were able to amend our plans to two large sites instead of three sites," Vogan said.

"The school board says we definitely need a new school and the province doesnt disagree with the numbers, but they do not have the money due to fiscal austerity."

Vogan said when the development is completed, it will have about 3,000 single-family homes and another 1,200 to 2,000 units in townhouses and apartments. He said it is about halfway completed.

"Its disheartening," he said about the lack of plans by the province to build a second school in the development.

"It means the kid across the street your daughter wants to play with doesnt know which school theyll be going to... but every homebuyer is thorough enough to investigate that decision. They all walk in knowing these are possibilities."

kevin.rollason@freepress.mb.caPatricia Ebenspanger recalls the moment her daughter Danica was diagnosed with a cancerous brain tumour at the age of four.

Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 12/3/2018 (1288 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Opinion

Patricia Ebenspanger recalls the moment her daughter Danica was diagnosed with a cancerous brain tumour at the age of four.

"Its absolutely terrifying to find out your child has cancer," Patricia says.

After a couple of operations, chemotherapy and radiation, Danica survived the cancer.

Twenty-four years later, the familys experience with cancer is one of the reasons they volunteer with the Canadian Cancer Societys Daffodil Days campaign.

During the campaign, volunteers sell bunches of yellow daffodils at various locations across the province.

The money raised pays for research and support services that benefit Manitoba cancer patients and their families.

Patricia and Danica got involved with Daffodil Days six years ago.

"We just thought it would be a fun and rewarding way to give back," Patricia says.

Danica lives with a variety of side-effects from her cancer that make it difficult to work full time.

Volunteering with Daffodil Days has allowed her to get out of the house, learn new skills and meet people.

"I enjoy giving back to the Canadian Cancer Society," Danica says.

One of her most meaningful experiences selling daffodils was when a man shared the story of his own cancer journey.

"People get very emotional, but its good. People need to share their stories," Patricia says.

Linda Jans, another Daffodil Days volunteer, also has a personal connection to the cause.

Her husband, Ed, died from lung cancer in 1992, just three days shy of his 54th birthday.

"It was just before Christmas," Jans says. "It was hard."

This year marks Jans 10th year volunteering with Daffodil Days. She drives around her neighbourhood, East Kildonan, delivering daffodils to seniors residences.

She returns once the campaign is over to pick up the money thats been raised, as well as any leftover daffodils.

For Jans, meeting people is the most enjoyable aspect of volunteering.

"Theyre a great bunch at the Canadian Cancer Society," she says, adding that she also enjoys interacting with the people in the residences where she delivers the daffodils.

She recalls forming a relationship with one elderly woman who invited her in for tea.

"She passed away last year, so its kind of sad. She was just wonderful. She appreciated what the Canadian Cancer Society was doing. Ive had a few people thank me very much for (delivering) the daffodils and so on, but that was one of the highlights."

It takes approximately 400 volunteers to run Daffodil Days, says Lynn Davidson, who co-ordinates volunteers for the campaign.

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"We couldnt do it without volunteers," she says.

This years Daffodil Days campaigns runs March 16 to 25, and Davidson is looking for people to get involved.

"Weve got a lot of volunteer spots still available," Davidson says.

"I think right now, everyone could use a bit of spring after shovelling the snow, so (come sell) daffodils to perk people up."

Davidson can be contacted at 204-789-0887 or by email at ldavidson@mb.cancer.ca.

If you know a special volunteer, please contact aaron.epp@gmail.com.If you happen to see me staggering around the frozen-food aisle in the grocery store today, you should probably just keep on walking.

Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 12/3/2018 (1288 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Opinion

If you happen to see me staggering around the frozen-food aisle in the grocery store today, you should probably just keep on walking.

It pains me to say this, but dont waste your time offering me a cheery greeting, because chances are, if I even realize you are speaking to me, I will simply scowl back in a sullen and disdainful manner.

Would you like to know why I plan on being in a foul mood today? Id be happy to tell you. I plan on being an oversized version of Oscar the Grouch, because this morning I will have been deprived of the one thing I value above all else  a good nights sleep.

Unless you have been snoozing under a rock  which right about now sounds like an excellent idea  you will know that yesterday, on the second Sunday in March, we were forced once again to "spring forward" and revert to daylight time, wherein we set our (bad word) clocks ahead by an entire hour.

For those of you who failed Grade 5 math or happen to live in Saskatchewan, where they dont spring forward or fall back, setting our clocks an hour ahead means  and you may want to write this next bit down  we get an hour less sleep. Think about that, kids: We. Get. An. Hour. Less. Sleep! Does that sound like a good idea to anyone? Hands up if you think losing an entire hour of sack time is just a super idea? No one? I didnt think so.

Fortunately, the government has an excellent reason for making us do this  THE GOVERNMENT HATES US! I apologize for activating the caps lock feature on my keyboard, but I can tell that most of you are falling asleep in your oatmeal while attempting to read todays newspaper. The fact you are using toothpicks to prevent your eyelids from slamming shut was my first clue.

The general idea behind daylight time is that instead of sleeping through an hour of sunlight in the morning, we move our clocks ahead one hour to make more productive use of the sunlight we get. In the fall, when the daylight hours are reduced, clocks are set back an hour so we get more sunlight in the morning.

Everybody got that? To recap: we are sacrificing an hour of sweet, sweet sleep in order to get an extra hour of daylight during the evening. As a spokesman for old, cranky people, I would like to issue the following heart-felt statement: "What a (bad word) crock!"

We, as a nation, do not need an extra hour of daylight in the evening. Canadians are not idiots, which means we do not spend our evening hours frolicking in the outdoors. No, we right-minded Canadians spend our evening hours inside, on our couches, binge-watching Netflix shows on our big-screen TVs and, on occasion, running to the kitchen to fetch cold beverages and delicious grease-containing snack items.

If you need further proof, consider the fact that all of our important modern gadgets  microwave ovens, computers, beer fridges and high-tech blenders designed to mix the perfect margarita  are kept indoors, in the dark, where we also keep most of our electricity.

Speaking of electricity, far too many people believe the concept of daylight time came from the famously old American statesman and inventor Benjamin Franklin. This is not true. Franklin  who came up with the proverb "Early to bed, early to rise, makes a man unpopular with his friends"  did publish a letter stating that Parisians economize on candles by getting up earlier in the morning. But no one in Paris read it because it was written in English, and they were all too tired anyway.

The truth is, the notion of daylight time was first proposed in 1895 by a guy from New Zealand named George Hudson, who happened to be an entomologist and wanted more after-work daylight time to engage in his favourite hobby, which happened to be collecting insects.

What does that mean in purely scientific terms? It means the rest of us have to be sleep-deprived and nod off standing in the checkout aisle at the supermarket, all because some pathetic bug enthusiast from New Zealand wanted more sunshine to participate in what is arguably  excuse me while I once again activate the caps-lock feature on my keyboard  THE NERDIEST HOBBY ON THE PLANET THAT DOES NOT INVOLVE COLLECTING STAMPS!

Maybe Im just in a really bad mood, or maybe Im just too tired to care. But the point I am trying to make is that the idea of giving up an hours sleep so that people who do not contribute to society  yes, I am looking at you younger persons who stay up past 10 p.m.  can enjoy a bit more sunlight is a monumentally stupid idea, even though we Canadians have been playing the time-change game for more than 100 years.

Its time we, as patriotic Canadians, took stock of our priorities. Here are mine:

Priority No. 1  Sleeping as much as possible.

Doug Speirs | Uplift A weekly review of funny, uplifting news in Winnipeg and around the globe that is delivered to your inbox each Wednesday. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement.

Priority No. 2  Thinking about sleeping.

Priority No. 3  Whining about anything that gets in the way of Priority No. 1.

I could also have mentioned the fact that science has proven losing an hour of sleep in the spring leads to more car crashes, strokes and heart attacks. But, based on the pained expression on your sleepy faces, I suspect you already knew that. You might not know that a U.S. study also found that springing ahead leads to an increase in "cyberloafing," wherein we all spend more time goofing around on the internet than working, which is arguably the one positive thing about the time change.

What Im trying to say is this: the time has come to halt this monstrous governmental conspiracy in which we are deprived of our democratic right to lie in bed. I urge you to contact the nearest politician and demand we stop the madness.

Then go back to sleep and dream of the day when daylight time is outlawed, and only outlaws support it.

doug.speirs@freepress.mb.caA basic income guarantee has been back in the news a lot lately, thanks to Mark Zuckerberg, Elon Musk and other tech giants who have been publicly endorsing the concept.

Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 12/3/2018 (1288 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Opinion

A basic income guarantee has been back in the news a lot lately, thanks to Mark Zuckerberg, Elon Musk and other tech giants who have been publicly endorsing the concept.

But its not just talk in Canada.

Ontario is piloting a basic income across three cities, Quebec has brought in a basic income for those who have a limited capacity to work and B.C. just set aside $4 million to investigate the feasibility of a basic income for the province in their recent budget  with other Canadian provinces and other countries observing these measures closely. The Senate also passed a motion with cross-partisan support to have the federal government consider a national basic income pilot project.

The idea has legs across the political spectrum. Why is it resonating so widely?

A basic income can take different forms, including a "universal" basic income (the form proposed by many tech billionaires) or a negative income tax (as in Ontario and Quebec), for example. But the general concept is to provide citizens living below the poverty line unconditional cash payments to help make ends meet regardless of their employment. The objective is to give everyone enough to meet the basic needs of life and raise populations out of poverty.

But it has its critics, too. The idea of a guaranteed income is garnering mixed reviews, with some pundits hailing it as a solution for poverty, while others speculate that the hefty cost alone may increase taxes for everyone, including basic-income recipients.

Yet, research demonstrates a basic income may improve the quality of life and health, specifically the mental well-being, of recipients. Research shows poverty, along with the material and social deprivation it brings, to be a determinant of poor mental health of Canadians. With as many as 4.8 million people living below the low-income measure in Canada, there are a lot of people who could be directly aided by a guaranteed basic income.

Poverty is a result of insecure employment or unemployment, depriving individuals of sufficient incomes for basic needs such as food and housing. As the quality of life erodes, the resulting stress often leads to mental-health issues, such as depression and anxiety. An example of this can be seen through a recent Ontario study, which found food insecurity to be a predictor of higher mental health-care utilization for working-age adults.

Having a basic income would give individuals access to basic necessities, preventing chronic day-to-day stress. It may also pay dividends for decreased use of the health system as a result.

Canada implemented a basic-income program in the 1970s, targeting Winnipeg and the town of Dauphin. Mincome, as it was called, was a guaranteed annual income experiment funded by the federal and provincial governments. For three years, the project provided an annual guaranteed income to families living below the poverty line to assess whether it would disincentivize recipients to work.

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Decades after the project was shelved, research on its impact concluded that Mincome did not disincentivize recipients to work. Two main groups, however, had increased unemployment rates during this time: school-aged males and new mothers. But its a good-news story there, too. High school graduation rates increased with this group of males not needing to work to support their families, and new mothers were given the chance to stay home with their children without the pressure of having insufficient income to survive.

Most interestingly, Dr. Evelyn Forgets research on Mincome shows there to have been fewer hospitalizations due to accidents, injuries and mental-health issues during this period. Recipients flourished under the experimental pilot, with noticeable social and health benefits.

Forty years later, the modern-day workforce is dramatically changing: millennials are working precarious jobs without benefits, while technology is displacing older, experienced workers out of their jobs and making it harder for them to compete for new jobs.

With a guaranteed annual income, recipients will have the flexibility, confidence and dignity to spend their money on their immediate needs at their discretion. Whether it be spent on job training and licences, nutritious food for their families, quality child care or transit, individuals will spend their time and money on immediate need, usually within the local economy.

Ontario and Quebecs steps toward a basic income are a great start, but the idea has enough merit that it needs to be discussed across the country, involving policy-makers from all sectors and levels of government.

Vinusha Gunaseelan is a second-year health services research MSc student at the University of Toronto. She is a student contributor to EvidenceNetwork.ca.The Trump administration approved Arkansas proposed Medicaid work requirements scheme last week, making it the third state to receive such a waiver since the beginning of the year.

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) did not decide upon other terms of Arkansas waiver requests, among which is a so-called partial expansion of Medicaid in the state. The state proposes that it would continue to receive the same amount of federal funding that it has received since it expanded Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act (ACA), while reducing eligibility to those on the federal poverty line. The poverty line for an individual is a laughable $12,140 for individuals and $25,100 for a family of four. The CMS could decide later to approve that part of Arkansas waiver. Such a decision would result in over 60,000 Arkansas residents losing Medicaid coverage immediately.

Arkansas new eligibility requirements, scheduled to begin on June 1, are some of the strictest since CMS began granting waivers this year. Under the plan, all adult Medicaid participants under the age of 50 will be required to work 80 hours per month or engage in work-related activities unless exempted. They must report their hours electronically on the Arkansas Medicaid portal monthly. Those with exemptions must report every two months, providing documentation that they still qualify for their exemption.

Participants who fail to meet the requirements or produce evidence of having met the requirements for three months will lose coverage for the remainder of the calendar year. This is the most punitive lockout period allowed to any state thus far.

Brad Woodhouse, the director of advocacy group Protect Our Care, has called Arkansas new rules draconian. In a statement following the CMS approval of Arkansas new requirements, Woodhouse called the monthly paperwork requirements onerous, and said that the plan breaks new ground in needless and ideologically-driven cruelty.

According to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities (CBPP), the new requirements will effectively force many eligible people off the rolls simply because they lack internet service. According to the CBPP, electronic reporting will pose a particular challenge for people without Internet access. In Kentucky, 19 percent of non-elderly adult Medicaid enrollees lack any Internet access, and 42 percent don't have broadband access, recent research shows; access to the Internet in Arkansas is likely similar.

As the CBPP also points out, Studies show that red tape and paperwork requirements reduce enrollment in Medicaid; getting doctors letters or other proof will be burdensome both for enrollees and providers, even more so when its required every two months.

Such requirements will put a burden upon caregivers and the disabled to pursue more frequent doctors visits, which in turn will eat into their allotment of doctors visits imposed by Medicaid.

Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson cloaks his intentions to gut Medicaid in the same moth-worn jargon that the ruling class always employs when it sets out to destroy social programs. This is not about punishing anyone, he stated. Its about giving people the opportunity to work. According to Hutchinson, these policies are designed to move poor people up the economic ladder.

Hutchinson failed to mention the fact that, as in other states, most of Arkansas Medicaid participantsfully 60 percentcurrently work. Moreover, an abundance of studies have shown that Medicaid coverage actually allows more people to work and to work more productively.

Additionally, as the CBPP analysis points out, not all workers have a steady schedule from one month to another; a retail worker who cant get 80 hours of work in the slower sales months after the Christmas holidays could fail to meet the requirement for three months early in the year and lose coverage for the rest of that year, the CBPP notes. These requirements will unnecessarily burden those workers with little job security, jeopardizing their ability to address health concerns in a timely way. In turn, their ability to continue working will be negatively impacted.

Physicians groups such as the American Psychiatric Association (APA), American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), and the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), among others, have spoken out emphatically against schemes that would reduce Medicaid eligibility. In January, those groups issued a statement pointing out that Imposing work requirements, lock-outs, premiums, and other out-of-pocket costs will limit access to preventive and primary care services and inhibit Medicaid beneficiaries from seeking care that helps them avoid costlier health conditions and maintain wellness.

Hutchinson, however, is not concerned with such troublesome facts. We did not want to wait on a full analysis, Hutchinson told the press on Monday. [W]e wanted to get this work requirement in place. He purposely eschewed the fact that the analyses have already been made, and that they have unwaveringly failed to support his claims.In a Saturday campaign rally in the suburbs of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Republican president Donald Trump called for the execution of convicted drug dealers. This call came at a rally for a Republican congressional candidate in a district heavily affected by the closure of steel mills and the ravages of a drug epidemic that has claimed the lives of thousands in working-class communities.

Do you think the drug dealers who kill thousands of people during their lifetime, do you think they care whos on a blue-ribbon committee? the president rhetorically asked his audience. He continued, The only way to solve the drug problem is through toughness I dont think we should play games.

Trump compared the supposedly lenient drug laws in the United States to the zero tolerance laws existing in countries such as Singapore and China, saying I think its a discussion we have to start thinking about. I don't know if were readyI don't know if this countrys ready for it.

Trump made similar comments at a White House summit late last month, presenting the execution of drug traffickers as a means of stemming the opioid epidemic. The Washington Post reported Friday that the White House was considering a new policy to allow prosecutors the right to pursue the death penalty against convicted drug dealers.

Trumps statements come amid a rapidly expanding social crisis, in which over 64,000 Americans lost their lives to a drug overdose in 2016, the last year for which statistics are available. Despite the recommendations of a six-member, bipartisan commission established last March, the Trump administration has produced nothing to address the social devastation which is responsible for the crisis. Instead, the president has relied increasingly on authoritarian and police-state measures.

In January, Democratic Representative Patrick Kennedy, a member of Trumps commission, stated the presidents work on the drug crisis has been a charade. But the Democrats have generally gone along with the pretense of action, praising Trumps declaration of a 90-day national emergency even though it was backed by little new funding. The Trump administrations proposed budget slashes funding for mental health and drug treatment.

Rather than supplying funds for drug treatment, counseling and other life-saving measures, the Trump administration has sought to curtail access. In January, Seema Verma, Trumps administrator for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMMS) unveiled plans to introduce work requirements for low income recipients of Medicaid, which would cut drug treatments for the poor and unemployed.

The viciousness of the Trump administrations pursuit of low-level drug offenders is matched perhaps only by its hypocrisy. In October, Trump was forced to withdraw his nomination of Pennsylvania Republican Representative Tom Marino to head the federal Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) after it was revealed that the congressman had spearheaded efforts to cripple the agencys ability to regulate the pharmaceutical industrys dispersal of cheap prescription painkillers.

Unsurprisingly, Trumps recent comments calling for the death of drug peddlers who kill 5,000 people with drugs ... [and] are making a lot of money were not a reference to the big-shot criminals, the CEOs and major stockholders of the pharmaceutical manufacturers and distribution companies, but rather to the street-level drug sellers who are the retail minions of the corporate bosses.

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[16 October, 2017]On March 10-11, Frances neo-fascist National Front (FN) held its first party congress since FN presidential candidate Marine Le Pen lost the May 2017 elections to President Emmanuel Macron. Since then, the FN has been shaken by an internal conflict over its line on the European Union, and its leadership has announced plans for a refoundation of the party.

Le Pen, the only candidate for president of the party, was re-elected with 100 percent of the vote. She declared, Our objective is clear, it is to take power. She also proposed to rename the FN the Rassemblement National (National Rally). One of the reasons invoked by FN officials for the name change was to drop a name widely associated with neo-fascism in France that would make it easier for the party to make alliances with other political forces, including the traditional right.

The FN organized its party congress so as to stress the international rise of far right forces on both sides of the Atlantic. Le Pens speech was preceded by a video message from Matteo Salvini, the leader of Italys far-right Lega (formerly the Northern League).

The congress was marked by the surprise appearance on Saturday of former Trump adviser and former head of the far-right Breitbart News site, Steve Bannon. To stormy applause from the FN delegates, he said: Let them call you racist, xenophobic, Islamophobic  Wear it as a badge of honour. Because every day, we get stronger and they get weaker. He added, You are part of a worldwide movement that is bigger than Italy, bigger than Poland, bigger than Hungary.

FN founder Jean-Marie Le Pen, the father of Marine, whom Marine expelled from the party, while signing copies of his memoirs during the speech, commented: I think this is not exactly the definition of de-demonization of the FN.

Since 2016, Bannon has been in contact with the FN founders granddaughter, Marion Marechal-Le Pen, who officially abandoned her positions in the FN and her seat in the National Assembly after the presidential elections, declaring she was leaving politics for a time to enter into civilian life. She declared in 2016 that there had been contacts between Trumps team and the FN. Bannon, for his part, called Marion Marechal-Le Pen a new rising star in the FN, in an interview where he laid out his ambitions to expand the operations of Breitbart News to France.

After Trumps election, Marechal-Le Pen said she would say yes to the invitation of Stephen Bannon, director of the Trump campaign, to work together. Last month, while technically still in political retirement, she travelled to the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in Washington, DC to speak. In Lille, Bannon again hailed Marechal-Le Pen, declaring that she is an impressive personality.

On Sunday, in a demagogic and protectionist speech, Marine Le Pen attacked globalization and promoted nationalism as an alternative. She presented the FN as an anti-establishment and anti-Macron party, denouncing money and advancing xenophobic rhetoric accompanied by masked appeals to anti-Semitism. On this basis, she even made cynical criticisms of Macrons plans to privatize the rail service, declaring: Two conceptions of the world are facing off  The globalists against the nationalists.

Without openly calling for an exit from the European Union and the common euro currency, she announced that the FN is preparing to rewrite the main EU treaties. In a poll held in November, a majority of FN members said that they supported leaving the euro and the EU.

Le Pen evoked all the basic themes of the FN, in barely coded language, presenting appeals against immigrants and Muslims as a defence of Christian culture or a need for a strong security policy. The FNs anti-worker outlook appeared clearly when Le Pen said that part of our programme is to put an end to May 1968, the date of the last major French general strike, to enthusiastic applause.

Continuing its tactic of hiding its cloven hoof, its historic roots in the French collaboration with Nazism in World War II and the attempt to maintain French colonial rule during the Algerian war, the FN voted new party statutes eliminating Jean-Marie Le Pens position as honorary president. It was thus distancing itself from the party founder, repeatedly convicted for anti-Semitic statements and Holocaust denial, and ultimately expelled from the FN in 2015. The FN renamed its central committee the national committee, without making any major obvious changes in its personnel.

Overall, French mass media presented the congress as showing that the FN is moving towards the centre and the mainstream, compelled to open itself to less hard-line tendencies and to normalize its politics. It was also presented as a party in deep crisis, destined for a time to play a minor role, with Marine Le Pen politically weakened or even finished.

Nothing would be further from the truth, however. The European bourgeoisie is putting neo-fascist parties into government, as in Austria, or integrating them without difficulty into plans for re-militarization and attacks on workers social rights, as in Germany.

In fact, it is not the FN that is moving to the centre but the financial aristocracy that is moving towards the far right. Over the last five years, the ruling class has systematically taken over the FNs policies. Under the Socialist Party (PS) government of President Francois Hollande, or now under Macron, the French financial oligarchy imposed a state of emergency giving full powers to police, and considered writing the deprivation of nationality into the constitution; appealed to anti-Muslim sentiment; and stepped up appeals for a return to the draft.

Now, a section of the French ruling elite together with the American far right is promoting Marion Marechal-Le Pen as an alternative to her aunt Marine Le Pen, whom many press outlets are dismissing as incapable of leading the FN to power.

But Jean-Marie Le Pens granddaughter is very far to the right, a figure tied to the royalist Action francaise movement, the descendant of the anti-Semitic Action francaise of Charles Maurras, the main basis of the Nazi-collaborationist Vichy regime, and to Catholic fundamentalists. Bannons nomination to the White House was applauded by the Ku Klux Klan and the Daily Stormer, a neo-Nazi site whose name refers to the violently anti-Semitic paper of Julius Streicher, one of the Nazi leaders condemned to death in the Nuremburg Trials.

Thus, what took place at the Lille FN congress was not a reorientation towards the centre, or a lasting move by the neo-fascists toward moderation. It was an operation to reinforce its ties with the more extreme right-wing sections of the Republican Party in the United States, while reasserting the FNs historic ties with the fascist and colonialist past of French imperialism.On Tuesday last week, 18,000 California registered nurses (RNs) represented by the California Nurses Association (CNA) voted in favor of a strike at 21 Kaiser Permanente medical centers and dozens of medical offices and clinics.

The CNA stated that the strike vote was primarily in response to Kaisers refusal to provide adequate staffing at its facilities, including charge nurses who provide bedside assistance and resource nurses who can support RNs when they eat or take a break.

Nurses also oppose the replacement of the current GRASP database management system with a new one known as EPIC, the latter of which the union says encountered numerous problems when it was implemented at Sutter Health hospitals.

While Kaiser claims it is not proposing wage cuts, it is planning to lower the pay for new hires in Sacramento by 10 percent and those in Fresno and the Central Valley by 20 percent, saying that the pay cuts are justified by the lower cost of living in those areas.

Kaiser Permanente is the largest managed care organization in the United States. At the end of 2017, it had 11.8 million members, 39 hospitals and 682 medical office buildings. The not-for-profit organization, according to Kaiser Permanentes most recent annual report, had $3.6 billion in net income in 2017, up from $3.1 billion the previous year. However, none of these funds have been used to address staffing and other issues that have driven nurses to authorize a strike.

The strike vote reflects an intense desire among rank-and-file nurseswho have been subjected to staffing shortages and inadequate pay for yearsto engage in a genuine struggle to defend their livelihoods.

However, the union will work to ensure that the strike remains short and isolated from the struggles of other health care workers. The CNA has a long history of conducting demoralizing one- or two-day strikes that have inevitably resulted in concessions contracts.

In 2011, the National Union of Healthcare Workers (NUHW) and the CNA responded to attacks on the living standards of nurses by mobilizing 23,000 nurses for a one-day strike.

In November 2012, the CNA held a one-day strike at California facilities owned by Sutter Health, and three weeks later staged a two-day strike against the same facilities. The Service Employees International Union (SEIU) also represented workers at the Sutter Health facilities, but the two unions deliberately blocked any coordination between workers. After the SEIU settled its contract, the union did not call for a sympathy strike with those workers represented by CNA or direct its members to support the nurses struggle.

The CNA oversaw a strike by 3,100 nurses and technicians at Sutter Health hospitals in 2013. Prior to the week-long strike, the CNA had called eight one- or two-day strikes since contract negotiations began in 2011. The following year, CNA and National Nurses United (NNU), a coalition of three unions including the CNA, held a two-day strike at a San Bernardino hospital.

As part of an agreement reached by the CNA with Kaiser in January 2015 covering 18,000 nurses, salaries were increased by 14 percent over the next 3 years. However, this gain was offset by concessions on pensions and benefits, and the salary increase did not extend to the 2,600 mental health workers, organized in the NUHW, who were on strike at the same time the CNA reached the deal.

In the spring of 2015, the NNU organized a two-day strike at hospitals in California and Illinois, which was called off after reaching only a tentative agreement.

The CNA and NNU subsequently called a one-week strike at Kaiser Permanentes Los Angeles Medical Center (LAMC) in March 2016. Nurses there had seen their wages frozen since 2011 and had been working without a contract since 2010. The NNU called off the strike after announcing that there would be higher wages and restructured benefits, that is, benefit cuts that would offset the wage increases. In June of that same year, LAMC nurses went on strike yet again. However, after only four days, the CNA and NNU halted the strike and nurses returned to work, still without a contract.

These extremely limited strikes are designed to have minimal impact and have failed to resolve the issues that motivated the strike in the first place. Their purpose is to wear down workers so that they are willing to accept whatever rotten contract the union ultimately negotiates.

These are not really strikes in any real sense of the term but are simply used as a pressure valve to enable hospital workers to let off steam while the union and health care conglomerates prepare yet more attacks on the workers. As an attorney for the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) recently argued in front of the US Supreme Court, Union security is the tradeoff for no strikes.

The unions operate as labor enforcers for corporations and the state, ensuring that strikes are rare, short and ineffective. For nurses to advance their interests and defend their livelihoods, they will need to break from the trade unions, form independent rank-and-file committees to coordinate their struggle, and appeal broadly to the working class for supportnot to the Democratic Party, which the unions slavishly support.

The need to break with the trade unions was highlighted by the recent nine-day strike by West Virginia teachers, which was opposed and eventually shut down by the unions after they negotiated an agreement that provided a paltry 5 percent raise and failed to address the teachers primary concern over escalating health care costs.

The West Virginia teachers strike, the WSWS wrote, indicates the trajectory of the developing movement. The resurgence of class struggle will bring workers into ever more direct and open conflict with the trade unions. Wherever a struggle begins, workers must be armed with an understanding of the role that the unions will play. They exist to defend capitalism and police the working class.While academic activity at public universities across Kenya remains completely shut down and lecturers are vowing to remain on strike into a second week, universities, in collusion with the government, are seeking to suppress the strike.

On Tuesday, the universities filed a petition in court asking it to declare the strike illegal and order the lecturers back to work. The court stated it will issue its ruling by Friday.

The strike was organized and launched on March 1 by the Universities Academic Staff Union (UASU) and Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists and Dentists Union (KMPDU). At the heart of the walkout are lecturers low salaries and overall deteriorating conditions of the Kenyan public university system, after a multi-decade campaign conducted by the government to gut public spending allocated for education, which has had dire consequences for both academic staff and students alike.

With an air of desperation amid a total stoppage of public-run universities across Kenya, the Inter-Public Universities Councils Consultative Forum (IPUCCF) petitioned the Employment and Labour Relations Court to declare the strike illegal and order the lecturers immediate return to work.

In its argument before the court on Friday, the UASU accused the universities of proposing a return to work formula without bringing a counter-proposal to meet lecturers demands, namely salary increases and increased benefits for academic staff, and renovation and upkeep of the deteriorating university system, with steps taken toward a new collective bargaining agreement to replace the one that expired in 2017.

Titus Koceyo, a lawyer for the UASU, told the court, I would like to draw the attention of this court that even in the pleadings filed in this case by the universities, there is no counter proposal attached. The correct position is that universities have never had any counter proposal to what we presented to form the basis of concluding the CBA negotiations.

In arguing that the court should reject the universities claim that the strike is illegal, Koceyo stated that the UASU and KMPDU had issued a seven-day strike notice the week before the walkout. He added, In the absence of a counter-proposal, there was nothing for a conciliator to resolve, hence the need for a seven-day strike notice. The action by lecturers does not violate any law.

For its part, the Ministry of Education, which oversees public-run universities in Kenya, attempted to lay blame for the lack of progress in negotiations for a new contract on the political chaos resulting from the hotly contested presidential elections last year, in which the poll was overturned by Supreme Court.

The Education and Labour Ministries told the court it should declare the strike illegal. Lecturers have to participate in the conciliation for a good reason, it argued. The strike was premature. Proper procedure was not followed and it should be declared illegal.

The lawyer for the universities, Ruth Kirwa, made the claim before the court that the lecturers acted in bad faith toward negotiations of a new agreement, and that the strike was premature.

In a display of fear that the walkout will spark a broader movement among the Kenyan working class as a whole, whose living standards for decades have come under relentless attack by successive Kenyan governments, Kirwa told the court, It is imperative and of urgency that this court issues an injunction against the industrial action called for by UASU as it is unlawful and will disrupt the forums operations unjustifiably as well as set a bad precedent for industrial relations. Kirwa went on to claim that the government was willing to commit to a counter-proposal, but that the strike did not follow due process, and requested the court to halt the unprotected strike.

For decades, the 33 public-run universities in Kenya have been in decline. Many facilities lack a library and reference study materials, and even basic accessories such as chairs and tables, with many institutions having no Internet access. Buildings have fallen into disrepair and a lack of upkeep, leaving students in classes with leaking roofs. Technological equipment such as computers are non-existent at many universities. Due to the enormous cost of education, the majority of Kenyan youth enroll in the lower-cost public universities, which has led to large classrooms and a lack of teaching personnel.

For years, successive governments have conducted attacks on public education, particularly in the 1990s when the government adopted a market-based approach to education, promoting for-profit schools and universities and gutted funding for public schools.

At the other end, the government has made available unlimited funding, supplemented with $1.1 billion per year in aid from the United States, to carry out the US-backed war in Somalia. The governments claim of no money for the deteriorating university system is belied by the fact that Kenya is one of the most socially polarized countries on earth. Sitting atop the heights of Kenyan society are 16 individuals and companies holding more than $22 billion, including President Uhuru Kenyatta, valued at $500 million, while the vast majority of the population of 50 million live in abject poverty. According to the World Bank, the majority of Kenyans make less than $3 per day.

The government of President Kenyatta has displayed nothing but scorn and contempt for strikes and protests, and the ruling government has made its hostility to the Kenyan masses clear with statements declaring such struggles illegal and without merit. To this end, security forces have brutally suppressed these struggles, resulting in scores of deaths. Underlying this approach is the palpable fear within the Kenyan ruling class of a social explosion beyond its control.

As for the role played by the UASU and KMPDU, as well as the entire Kenyan trade union apparatus, these organizations function as a labor enforcement mechanism to suppress class struggle, as well as to tie workers to the tyranny of the profit system. The unions, whose leadership consists of figures comprising the Kenyan bourgeoisie, seek above all to stifle a fight by workers against capitalism, which is the true source of social misery experienced by the Kenyan working class.A five-day tour by New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern of four small and impoverished Pacific island countries has been seized on by the corporate media to once again glorify the Labour Party-led government.

From March 5 to 10, Ardern visited Samoa, Tonga, Niue and the Cook Islands, accompanied by deputy prime minister and NZ First leader Winston Peters, coalition partner and Green Party leader James Shaw, and opposition National Party foreign affairs spokesman Gerry Brownlee.

TVNZ reporter Barbara Dreaver said Ardern really shined and was liked enormously by the locals. Peters was supposedly greeted like a hero. Newshubs Lloyd Burr gushed that Arden showed the incredible ability to captivate audiences by firstly disarming them with charm and then killing them with kindness. Small sums of aid were announced, including an extra $10 million for Tongas rebuilding after Cyclone Gita, which left thousands homeless last month.

The predictable and sickening media frenzy could not conceal the purpose of the high-powered tour: to reassert New Zealand imperialisms dominance in the southwest Pacific and push back against China. In recent years, Samoa, Tonga and other Pacific countries have received hundreds of millions of dollars in aid, infrastructure investment and loans from Beijing, outstripping that provided by Australia and New Zealand.

Four days before the Pacific tour, Peters delivered a speech at the Australian strategic think tank, the Lowy Institute, declaring that the Labour-NZ First-Greens government would embark on a new, re-energised Pacific strategy.

The Pacific, he warned, was an increasingly contested strategic space, no longer neglected by Great Power ambition, and so Pacific Island leaders have more options. This is creating strategic anxiety. He called for New Zealand and its allies Australia, the European Union and the United States, to better pool our energies and resources to maintain our relative influence against external actors and interests.

In other words, the imperialist powers that have ruthlessly exploited the Pacific for more than a century must work together to push back against China and Russia. New Zealands Pacific reset dovetails with Washingtons militarisation of the Asia-Pacific region, threats of war against North Korea, and trade war measures, aimed primarily at economically isolating China.

Peters indicated that New Zealand and its allies must prepare for a major war. He stated twice in his speech that there has never been a time since 1945 when Australia and New Zealand need to work together more closely in the Pacific. During World War II, Pacific islands were turned into bloody battlefields where the US, Australia and New Zealand fought Japan for domination over the region.

New Zealand is an imperialist power. It occupied Samoa from 1914 to 1962 and brutally oppressed the countrys inhabitants. Along with Australia and Britain, New Zealand capitalists profited from the looting of phosphates from Nauru and Banaba, in Kiribati. The Cook Islands and Niue are effectively still New Zealand colonies, with limited independence, while Tonga and Samoa depend heavily on NZ and Australian aid.

The NZ First leader declared that New Zealand had a shared destiny with the family of Pacific countries and our national security, and our prosperity are inextricably linked. While hypocritically stating that New Zealand recognised Pacific countries clear wish to manage their own international relations, Peters complained that some Pacific leaders are attracted to easy sources of funding, and that the seductive experience of travelling in some parts of the world  is mind-bending for some young politicians.

Peters said he and Ardern would share perspectives with Pacific leaders on the strategic environment facing the Pacific, including the proliferation of external actors.

Tensions surfaced during a March 4 joint press conference with Ardern and Samoan Prime Minister Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi. The latter rejected Peters suggestion that Chinese activities in the region were not transparent, saying: Its all out in the open  nothing was hidden.

Tuilaepa added that over the next five years China had earmarked $US2 billion for grants and a further $2 billion in soft loans for Pacific countries. He brushed aside questions about Samoas total debt to China, saying he did not recall the figure.

During her visit Ardern announced just $NZ9.5 million in extra aid for Samoa, mostly in the form of grants for businesses.

The visit to Tonga took place amid intense political intrigue, and economic chaos exacerbated by Cyclone Gita. Ardern met Prime Minister Akilisi Pohiva, but not Tongas head of state King Tupou VI, who was in China for talks with President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Keqiang. Tonga is a kingdom in which the royal family and nobility wield significant political power and the parliament is only partially elected.

Tonga and other Pacific countries joined a strategic partnership with Beijing in 2014 and China has loaned tens of millions of dollars to the country, mainly for infrastructure projects and government buildings. China is expected to play a major role in rebuilding following last months cyclone.

On March 1, shortly before Arderns visit, Tongan police arrested Lord Tuivakano, a noble member of parliament who was prime minister from 2010 to 2014. Tuivakano is one of many figures in the Tongan ruling establishment accused of being part of a scheme to sell passports to wealthy Chinese individuals. He also signed the 2014 strategic partnership with China.

On March 4, Internal Affairs Minister Akosita Lavulavu and her husband Etuate were also arrested on corruption charges relating to alleged forgery of documents.

The arrests and their timing raise questions about New Zealands involvement. Tongas police commissioner Stephen Caldwell, who ordered the arrests, is a New Zealander, whose position is financed by the NZ governments aid program. The police and justice system is largely funded by New Zealand.

Police Minister Mateni Tapuleluelu, reportedly angered by the arrests and the amount of power wielded by Caldwell, offered to resign on March 1, but this was rejected by Prime Minister Pohiva.

Far from respecting the independence of the Pacific island nations, the regional imperialist powers are actively preparing to intervene with military force. Since 2012, New Zealand has hosted biennial military exercises called Operation Katipo, involving Australian and US troops, specifically designed to prepare troops to invade a Pacific nation and suppress the local population.

On March 9, New Zealand Defence Minister Ron Mark, a member of NZ First, held talks in Wellington with his Australian counterpart Marise Payne. In a joint statement they declared that we today face an ever-more contested and competitive world, characterised by rapid change. The statement emphasised that the two militaries would cooperate closely to maintain stability in the Pacific as a high priority. Payne also stressed the importance of the two countries alliance with the US, including collaboration in the ongoing war in Iraq.

Significantly, the leading role in New Zealands Pacific strategy is being played by NZ First, the most overtly anti-immigrant and nationalist party, which the Labour-led government handed a large amount of power. NZ First has called for greater military spending, while seeking to whip up anti-Chinese xenophobia. Peters has demanded an inquiry into National Party MP Jian Yang, alleging he is a Chinese Communist Party spy.

Ardern recently ordered an investigation by the intelligence agencies into alleged Chinese interference. A similar anti-Chinese witch-hunt, aimed at preparing the population for war, is underway in Australia.On the eve of Tuesdays special election in a western Pennsylvania congressional district, President Donald Trump visited the Pittsburgh area for a campaign rally, while both state and national Democrats attacked the administration from a right-wing standpoint, criticizing Trump as insufficiently nationalistic on trade and unduly soft and credulous on North Korea.

The March 13 election in the 18th Congressional District, which occupies the southwest corner of the state, adjacent to West Virginia, is to fill the vacancy created by the resignation of the longtime Republican incumbent Tim Murphy, who resigned in a scandal. Trump carried the district in the presidential election by 20 percentage points, but his administration is so unpopular among workers that the congressional race is a virtual tie in pre-election polling.

The rally Saturday night near the Pittsburgh airport was nominally in support of the Republican candidate, state legislator Rick Saccone, but Trump barely mentioned the candidate, focusing, as usual, on himself, denouncing the media, and making a series of bigoted and fascistic remarks, particularly in supporting summary execution of alleged drug dealers (see: Trump calls for execution of drug dealers at Pennsylvania rally).

Significantly, Trump made almost no reference to the huge tax cuts for the wealthy and big business which Republican strategists have portrayed as the partys main achievement. Given the composition of the 18th district, which is predominantly working class and one of the few remaining heavily unionized industrial areas, Trump focused instead on his decision to impose tariffs on steel and aluminum imports, which he claimed was already bearing fruit in terms of reopening plantsa claim that was preposterous, given that he only signed the executive order on Thursday afternoon.

The Trump administration is making the same propaganda claims for the executive order on tariffs that it did for the business tax cut, citing a handful of supposedly pro-worker actions by the corporations, while ignoring the overall trend. After the tax cut, corporations handed out a few hundred million dollars in employee bonuses, while initiating $170 billion in stock buybacks, dividend payouts and other measures to share the tax windfall with their big shareholders. In similar fashion, a single steel plant reopening has been announced, but that will be endlessly publicized as though Trumps trade war measures were producing a renaissance of American industry.

More significant than Trumps now familiar racist, misogynist and completely vulgar ranting was the Democratic response, which was to criticize Trumps policy actions of the past week from the right, from the standpoint of an even more ferocious economic nationalism and a more comprehensive defense of the interests of American imperialism.

Conor Lamb, the Democratic candidate in Tuesdays special congressional election, has avoided public criticism of Trump on any issue, while adopting a series of policies identified with the Republican Party, including opposition to raising the minimum wage to $15 an hour and to any effort to restrict the possession of assault rifles. He is running on his record as a Marine Corps veteran and federal prosecutor.

Other Pennsylvania Democrats praised Trumps imposition of tariffs on steel and aluminum imports. Senator Robert Casey, who is seeking reelection in November, hailed the president for taking action to protect our steelworkers. Pittsburgh Mayor Bill Peduto said, There is no doubt that if we get a more level playing field, the opportunity to produce more steel is very real.

Other Democrats seeking reelection in industrial states sounded the same note, including senators Sherrod Brown of Ohio, Joe Donnelly of Indiana, and Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin. Most top Democrats have indicated that their only concern with the tariffs was that they should not hit US allies like Canada, but should be targeted against major rivals like China and Russia, which account for only a small fraction of US steel imports.

Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer told the Washington Post Wednesday, I totally agree, wholeheartedly agree with President Trumps instinct to go after China  All of these academics [say] anytime you try to do anything on trade, its protectionist. They ought to not let that deter them, but they ought to put together a real plan that works.

Perhaps the most revealing response to Trump came from Senator Elizabeth Warren, a leader of the Democratic Partys liberal wing, who appeared on three of the five Sunday interview programs, on NBC, CNN and, for the first time, Fox News, in what amounted to a media test drive for a potential presidential bid in 2020.

In all three appearances Warren criticized Trumps announced willingness to hold a summit meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, warning that Trump was unprepared for such a meeting, had failed to properly staff the State Department and had never appointed an ambassador to South Korea.

She told CNN, When youre going into negotiations like this, it matters to have the people there first who are working and who are advising about the economy and about our military objectives and who know the players and know the history I am very worried that hes going to go into these negotiations and be taken advantage of. 

Warren also criticized Trump from the right on trade tariffs, although she backed his initial action. I think tariffs are one part of reworking our trade policy overall, she said. We need a trade policy thats comprehensive, one that makes a distinction between the trading partners that follow the rules and the trading partners that break the rules like China.

On Fox, Warren adopted an even more openly right-wing stance on the talks with North Korea, adapting to her audience. She remarked, One of the things we have to remember is that the Kim family, dictator after dictator for generations now, has been holding for a face-to-face negotiation with an American president. This is the big prize for them, just being able to be in the same picture with him. And a reason for this is the Kims have seen this as an opportunity both to legitimize their dictatorship and to legitimize their nuclear weapons program.

Similarly, on trade, she pointed out that Trump had only imposed tariffs on steel and aluminum. I think what it takes is you got to think about trade in a much broader way, Warren said. Its very much about tariffs but its also the negotiations, for example, have been about things like intellectual property rights and copyrights and access to domestic markets. This last is a reference to major issues that have arisen in US trade talks with China.The growing wave of working-class unrest in the United States and internationally is exposing and clarifying basic political questions. Among them is the central purpose of the campaign by the tech giants, the US government and the mass media to censor the Internet, under the fraudulent pretense of combating fake news and Russian meddling. The real aim is the suppression of social opposition.

This week is opening with an expanding number of working-class struggles. Although the unions managed to sell out and end the nine-day strike of 30,000 West Virginia teachers and school employees last week, the rebellion of educators across the US is spreading. Teachers in Oklahoma, Kentucky and Arizonaorganizing chiefly through Facebook groups that have added tens of thousands of users in the last few weeksare pressing for West Virginia-like strikes to demand higher pay and secure pensions.

This is part of a broader movement of the working class, including a strike by 1,400 Frontier telecommunications workers in West Virginia and Virginia, and a strike mandate vote by 18,000 registered nurses at hospital giant Kaiser Permanente in California. Although the contract for a quarter of a million United Parcel Service workers does not expire until midsummer, thousands of workers are using social media to press for strike action.

In the United Kingdom, more than 40,000 lecturers are in the fourth week of strikes at 65 universities across the country. In Denmark, the right-wing government has responded to a threat by 80,000 public sector workers to strike on April 4 by announcing that it will lock out all 400,000 state employees in what the Danish media says would be the worst industrial disruption in decades.

Within the ruling class, there are growing warnings about the way workers have used the Internet to organize their struggles and escape the stranglehold of the corporatist, anti-working-class trade unions.

In their four-decade-long string of unending betrayals, the unions have depended on a monopoly of information and the isolation of workers to lie, threaten and browbeat workers to submit to concessions. This is beginning to break down. In particular, social media platforms have allowed workers in different sectors and countries to communicate directly with each other, organize protests and share information.

The New York Times, in an article published March 8 (West Virginia Walkouts a Lesson in the Power of a Crowd-Sourced Strike) comments worriedly that West Virginia teachers found ways to organize and act outside the usual parameters of traditional unionism. Teachers and service workers across the state aired their frustrations in an enormous Facebook group, and their walkout ultimately included members of three different unions and many people who did not belong to a union.

The rebellion of teachers against the back-to-work order from the unions was a crucial turning point, and a telling one, the Times writes. [T]he rank and file, not union leaders, came to call the shots.

Unions have tended throughout most of their histories to be forces that seek stability, not unrest, Joseph A. McCartin, a labor historian at Georgetown University told the Times, When they are weakened, were more likely to see the reemergence of instability and militancy, and the kind of model that were seeing happen in West Virginia.

In justifying their demands that Facebook, Google and other Internet companies take aggressive measures to censor content online, the Democratic Party and the intelligence agencies have claimed that Russia is propagating fake news in order to sow discord and divisions in the United States. As the WSWS has noted, however, and as ongoing developments prove, discord does not need to be sown; it exists, and it is busting out in the open.

By associating popular opposition with Russian meddling, the ruling class is seeking to criminalize all political dissent and censor free speech on the Internet. With the growth of the class struggle, the campaign to censor the Internet will only escalate and take ever-more overt forms, in the US and internationally.

In the media, there are growing efforts to demand explicit restrictions on left-wing views as part of a campaign against extremism. The New York Times published a column Sunday (YouTube, the Great Radicalizer) complaining that YouTubes algorithms are directing people to leftish conspiratorialarguments about the existence of secret government agencies. The author, Zeynep Tufekci, from the Berkman Center for Internet and Society at Harvard University, complains that YouTube [which is owned by Google] may be one of the most powerful radicalizing instruments of the 21st century.

Human beings have many natural tendencies that need to be vigilantly monitored in the context of modern life, Tufekci writes, associating interest in left-wing politics with addiction to sugar and fatty foods. The situation is especially dangerous given how many peopleespecially young peopleturn to YouTube for information.

She concludes her brief for authoritarian control of what people are viewing on line: This state of affairs is unacceptable but not inevitable. In other words, greater censorship methods are required.

In a comment posted on Wired magazine on Sunday (Bad Actors are Using Social Media Exactly as it is Designed), Joshua Geltzer, a Georgetown University law professor and former member of the National Security Council staff under the Obama administration, writes that bad actors like Russia are not abusing Facebook, Twitter and other social media platforms; they are simply using its inherent features, such as the ability to share ideas rapidly and globally.

It is necessary, Geltzer writes, for tech companies to at least experiment with bolder approaches to restricting malicious actors access to their services. This would include efforts to use artificial intelligence and machine learning and take seriously the increasing demand for spotting and halting bad actors before they can post radicalizing content or ensure that their socially divisive messages go viral.

The greatest socially divisive message that the ruling class fears is socialism. It is for this reason that the World Socialist Web Site has been a principal target of the censorship campaign since the introduction of Googles new search algorithms last April.

It will not have been lost on the ruling class that during the West Virginia strike, the WSWS was followed by thousands of teachers. The WSWSs call for the election of rank-and-file strike committees to take the conduct of the struggle out of the hands of the unions and expand it into an independent movement of the entire working class, including preparations for a general strike, corresponds to the objective logic of the class struggle itself.

The defense of Internet freedom and opposition to all forms of censorship is a class question. Preserving the freedom to communicate online and share information is essential for the working class. Workers must understand the far-reaching significance of the censorship campaign, and that it is directed at suppressing their growing opposition to social inequality and war. All the forces arrayed against themthe two big-business parties and their affiliates, the union apparatus, the mass mediawill do everything they can to preserve the social and economic system upon which their wealth depends.

Within the working class, there is a deep commitment to democratic rights and an innate hostility to efforts by the government and technology giants to curtail free speech. This opposition must be consciously organized and politically directed against the source of austerity, censorship and warthe capitalist system.

To expose the growing drive toward censorship, and to organize resistance, the World Socialist Web Site, International Youth and Students for Social Equality, and the Socialist Equality Party are holding a series of meetings throughout the US, Organizing Resistance to Internet Censorship. We urge all of our readers to attend these meetings, publicize them as widely as possible, and contact the WSWS to organize a meeting in your area.New South Wales rail authorities, acting on behalf of the state Liberal-National government, and in concert with the Rail, Tram and Bus Union (RTBU) and other unions, last week initiated a ballot of some 9,000 train workers on another regressive enterprise agreement (EA).

The vote, which reportedly concludes on March 18, is an anti-democratic conspiracy hatched by rail management and the RTBU. Since the dispute over low wages and intolerable working conditions began in early January, the union has prevented any mass meetings or discussions among rail workers, including by blocking the comments feature on its official Facebook page.

The RTBU claims it is not advocating a yes or a no vote. In reality, the union has done everything it can to push through the deal, including by issuing a bulletin to members at the beginning of March stating that most of the changes to the EA were agreed in principle.

At the same time, the union has used the ballot to prevent a vote by rail workers on launching strikes and stoppages. A Fair Work Commission ruling banning any industrial action for six weeks expired in early March.

The text of the EA makes clear that it is yet one more union-brokered sellout that will intensify the assault on wages and conditions. It should be rejected with the contempt it deserves.

As with virtually every EA, the deal provides for endless pro-business restructuring. Among its aims are to commit to reform and promote a culture of continuous improvement, benchmarking. It seeks to provide a mechanism for ongoing change, where required, in order for the Employer to meet its strategic objectives of a ... reliable, efficient, financially responsible and customer focused service. This means an ongoing reduction of conditions to cut costs and services.

The EA explicitly states that the marginal 3 percent wage rise per annum, well below the real rising cost of living, is contingent on reforms. These include an unspecified realignment of frontline management across NSW Trains.

Rail workers have told the WSWS this could mean the further widespread sacking of station staff. Also included is a crackdown on sick leave, forcing workers to provide a medical certificate for any absence of two days, down from three. The deal provides for a single Rail Operations Centre, meaning the closure of existing facilities that coordinate the train system, signaling further job cuts.

The EA facilitates the expansion of contract and casual labour across the Sydney and NSW Trains network, which has meant the destruction of full-time positions. The documents claim that management will use direct permanent employment as the preferred and predominant employment option is not worth the paper on which it is written.

The deal provides management with all the leeway it requires. It declares that the employer may engage Employees either on a full-time, part-time, temporary fixed term or casual basis, in all classifications to provide flexibility of employment and to accommodate variability of business activity (emphasis added). In other words, management can hire casuals in any area, at any time, on the grounds that it is cost-effective.

The entire agreement is based on the unstated premise that nothing will be done to address the chronic shortage of train drivers, after an effective three-year hiring freeze, and that guards and station staff will face reduced staffing, after a quarter of station staff positions were eliminated between 2013-14 and 2017.

The sections of the deal covering train drivers and station staff will ensure that the conditions that led to widespread opposition among workers, including lengthy shifts, virtually no time off and enforced overtime, will continue.

The EA features provisions for union-company arbitration, supposedly involving RTBU-orchestrated ballots, which can alter virtually any aspect of the agreement.

A section headlined Facilitation of changes to the terms of this agreement declares that the parties [i.e., management and the union] acknowledge that continuous improvement, the acceptance of ongoing change and commitment to safety are fundamental to the success of Sydney trains. To that end, the EA permits union-agreed changes to working arrangements, conditions and payments for station staff.

The deal foreshadows the possible abolition of home stationingwhereby workers are tied to a specific geographical areaif agreed by the unions and rail management. Staff could be dispatched anywhere on the network, with minimal notice. Other clauses open the door to changing cleaning staff work locations and infrastructure worker shift lengths, rostering and working arrangements. In other words, virtually all conditions, including those nominally codified in the EA, can be eliminated.

The agreement maintains provisions that give management, and the unions, the ability to victimise and malign workers, including a Staff Review Process for station employees and cleaners. The EA features a significantly expanded disciplinary process, providing for investigations of workers for 12 weeks or more, and enforced leave without pay for those accused of serious misconduct.

The Deed accompanying the agreement makes clear that sackings, on top of years of job cuts, are on the agenda. It explicitly states that management may impose forced redundancies.

Workers whose jobs are being destroyed, and are eligible for voluntary redundancy, have just 14 days to accept such a package, in order to receive a rail incentive payment. Employees who wait any longer than two weeks will receive substantially less. Workers who do not want to resign must go through a priority assessment period, during which they must seek an approved permanent position that is vacant.

These details demonstrate why the RTBU, and management, have enforced a gag on train workers speaking publicly about the EA, and why they have sought to suppress any rank-and-file discussion.

The RTBUs March 2 bulletin includes a warning against social media. Some members, it cynically states, find it easier to choose this medium to be their only platform to run a yes or no campaign in cyber space, rather than confronting management directly. In other words, workers should voice their grievances individually to management and risk discipline, rather than discuss matters collectively, which the union regards as illegitimate.

The bulletin declares that it is important for all members to exercise their right to vote and to vote without influence. This is nothing less than an attempt to prescribe any campaigning or political activity among workers. It is also a monumental fraud. Sydney and NSW Trains have sought to influence the vote, by calling sham depot meetings to promote the agreement.

These meetings were tacitly endorsed by union officials, who attended them. While claiming not to take a position on the deal, the union has effectively backed it, including by declaring its support for most of the changes, and by wearing down workers for the past three months.

The record makes clear that the RTBU is seeking to push through another rotten deal, as it has in every previous dispute over an enterprise agreement.

A campaign for a no vote must be organised as widely as possible. This requires a rebellion against the union, and the establishment of genuine organisations of struggle, including independent rank-and-file committees.

Opposing the agreement is just the first step. Such committees must organise mass meetings of workers, and coordinate a unified industrial and political struggle by all rail workers, and other transport employees, including freight staff, bus drivers and ferry workers, against the destruction of jobs and conditions.

Above all, the ongoing assault on railway workers underscores the need for a new political perspective that rejects the subordination of public transport, and every aspect of social life, to the profit dictates of a tiny corporate and financial elite. That means the fight for a workers government that would implement socialist policies, including placing transport, along with the banks and corporations, under public ownership and democratic workers control.

We urge those workers who agree with this political perspective to contact the Socialist Equality Party to discuss how to take it forward.The trade war measures signed by US President Donald Trump and disputes over oil and gas exploration in the eastern Mediterranean have further enflamed the tensions between Washington and Ankara, which are already engaged militarily on opposite sides in the Kurdish regions of Syria.

Following Trumps decision to impose import tariffs of 25 percent on steel and 10 percent on aluminum, Turkey and the European Union reached an agreement to act together against the measures. According to an official statement, Turkish Economy Minister Nihat Zeybekci and EU Trade Commissioner Cecilia Malmstrom agreed in a phone call that they should act together at the World Trade Organization in the future.

WTO Director Roberto Azevedo stated on Tuesday that the tariffs on steel and aluminum could trigger a trade war, which would not be in anybodys interest. When we enter this road it will be very difficult to turn away. The concept of an eye for an eye can blind us and drag the world into a deep recession, he said.

Turkeys steel exports to the US were worth $1.2 billion last year, amounting to some 10 percent of its total steel exports, while aluminum exports reached $78.5 million. Cemil Ertem, a prominent adviser of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, wrote in the Milliyet daily that Ankara might retaliate tariffs on alternative goods such as cotton.

Further tensions have arisen, when Turkish, Greece and Cypriot media reported this week, that the Pentagon has strengthened its naval forces in the eastern Mediterranean to escort an ExxonMobil ship heading for oil and gas exploration in Cypriot waters.

The Russian news agency Sputnik reported that ships from both the US Navy and Marine Corps, as well as oil surveyors from ExxonMobil, arrived in the Mediterranean Sea. The ships arrival comes just days after a standoff between Turkish naval vessels and Italian drillers over a disputed economic zone.

ExxonMobils spokeswoman Suann Guthrie told the Cyprus News Agency that the acreage licensed to ExxonMobil is not contested by Turkey.

Turkish Presidential spokesman Ibrahim Kalin told reporters that Cyprus should carry out hydrocarbon activities with the participation of the Turkish Cypriot administration. We have no problem with gas exploration and drilling activities in the region, he said. But if you initiate illegal means in your exploration efforts and violate sovereign rights, there will, of course, be consequences. Turkey will never hesitate in taking the necessary steps.

Tensions between Turkey, Greek Cyprus and Greece increased last month, as the Turkish navy blocked an exploration vessel of the Italian energy company ENI off the southeastern coast of the island, known as Block 3. Ankara considers this block, among others, as part of the economic zone of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, created in the northern part of the island in 1983 and recognized only by Turkey. It stands categorically against any exploratory drilling for oil and gas off Cyprus, without approval of the Turkish Cypriots.

In an interview with the Greek daily Kathimerini, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu explained that increasing the use of its domestic energy resources is one of the major elements of Turkish energy policy. According to Cavusoglu, This includes the hydrocarbon resources that are potentially located in our maritime jurisdiction areas in the Eastern Mediterranean. It is our sovereign right to search for and to exploit these resources. Therefore, we plan to launch our drilling activities in the Eastern Mediterranean in the near future.

Cavusoglu said it was unacceptable that the Greek Cypriot side persists in acting as though it were the sole owner of the island. Both the Turkish Cypriots and Turkey have repeatedly stressed that unilateral exploration and exploitation activities in the Eastern Mediterranean are not legitimate in the absence of a just and lasting comprehensive settlement in Cyprus, he added.

Egypt also got involved in the issue, after Cavusoglu described the December 2013 agreement between Egypt and Cyprus on the joint exploitation of hydrocarbon reserves in the eastern Mediterranean as null and void. In an official statement the Egyptian Foreign Ministry warned Ankara that any attempts targeting or undermining Egypts sovereign rights in that region will be rejected and confronted.

Turkey and Egypt had close ties under the former President Mohammed Morsi of the Muslim Brotherhood, before he was toppled by General Abdel Fattah al-Sisi in a US-backed coup in July 2013. Since then, relations between Egypt and Turkey have suffered a heavy blow. Meanwhile, Egyptian-Cypriot relations have continued to develop.

Along with ExxonMobil and ENI, BP and Total are also amongst the energy giants descending on the eastern Mediterranean area in a quest for super profits that threatens to further escalate not only major disputes between regional states, but also inter-imperialist rivalries.

Meanwhile, Ankara has reiterated its calls for the US to prevent the Syrian Kurdish fighters of the Peoples Protection Units (YPG) from traveling to the Afrin region of Syria to fight against the Turkish military and its proxy ground force, the so-called Free Syrian Army. Turkey has long been enraged at Washingtons support for the YPG, which Ankara views as a terrorist organization.

At a news conference on Tuesday, March 6, Turkeys Foreign Ministry spokesman Hami Aksoy accused the Pentagons spokesperson Col. Robert Manning of continuing to speak nonsense. A day earlier, the latter had said that some ground operations against the Islamic State by the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), the main US proxy force in Syria dominated by the YPG, had been temporarily put on hold because of Turkeys Afrin operation.

The deployment of Kurdish forces to Afrin has also been confirmed by Maj. Adrian Rankine-Galloway, another Pentagon spokesman, who said, Some fighters operating within the SDF have decided to leave operations in the middle Euphrates river valley to fight elsewhere, possibly in Afrin. Previously, US Gen. Joseph Votel, head of the US Central Command, said Turkish activity in Afrin was distracting from the fight against the Islamic State.

While the Islamic State forces have largely been defeated, the Pentagon still needs the YPG to hold territory in Syria in order to assure US imperialism another base for its operations in the Middle Easta strategic aim that Washington seeks to conceal under the pretext of ensuring that the Islamist militant group does not re-emerge.About 300 workers at Windsor, Ontario auto parts supplier ZF-TRW voted by 87 percent on Sunday to end a 60-hour work stoppage. Workers had struck the plant early Friday morning after rejecting by 62 percent a tentative pattern contract recommended by their union, Unifor. ZF-TRW is a key feeder plant to Windsors giant Fiat-Chrysler auto assembly facility which builds the Pacifica and Dodge Caravan. Production there was slowed Friday and completely idled on Saturday due to a lack of parts in the just-in-time delivery process.

The revised contract placed in front of ZF workers on Sunday morning was virtually identical to the deal they rejected on Thursday night but accepted by workers at three other companies supplying parts to Fiat-Chrysler. So determined was Unifor to end the strike and restore its standing with the auto bosses as a guarantor of labour peace, that it brought retired Canadian Auto Workers union national president, Ken Lewenza, out of moth-balls to lobby hard for the contracts passage as ZF workers arrived to vote.

Unifor officials refused to alter the economic centerpiece of the agreement, but in an effort to quickly wind-up the strike made adjustments to some local contract language that allowed for more flexibility in time-off applications and signing bonus/Christmas bonus payment scheduling and reduced the number of ZF workers assigned to multiple jobs.

The stand by the ZF-TRW workers evoked support from other auto workers in Windsor, who have suffered years of concessions including the imposition of a two-tier wage structure with a 10-year grow in period. One Windsor Assembly tier two worker said of the ZF-TRW strike, I definitely support them. You have to stand up. She said that was a sentiment broadly shared at the plant. A lot of workers were saying, yes, fight for what you need, fight for what you believe in!

We definitely understood. Some workers joined them on the picket line.

She said the in-progression wages remained a big issue at Windsor Assembly as it does for parts workers. They have brought in 2,000 new hires since they started production of the Pacifica. 10 years for a grow in is ridiculous. We are all doing the same jobs.

Not only are we making less money, we don't get SUB (supplemental unemployment benefits) for 5 years. If you get laid off, that hurts. We are not even getting the equivalent of minimum wage (on standard unemployment pay).

They are not only saving on wages, they are saving on benefits. I know what the benefits here used to be, and our benefits now are very substandard. They might raise our pay a little, but then they hit us on benefits.

With the conclusion of the strike, two truckloads of parts were immediately dispatched to Windsor Assembly, which then re-started production Sunday night.

Unifor had initially bargained what it characterized as a pattern agreement with Avancezone of four parts companies that supply material to Fiat-Chrysler. But when that deal was placed in front of Dakkota and HBPO management last week, those corporations initially balked, sparking a brief walkout by workers at those two plants when the contract expired without a new agreement. A quick intervention by Fiat-Chryslerno doubt with threats on future purchasing agreementsconvinced Dakkota and HBPO management to agree to the Avancez pattern. ZF-TRW management also agreed to the proposed pattern prior to the initial Thursday rejection of the contract by workers in that company.

The pattern agreement signed by Unifor, now with all four feeder companies, calls for a $2 per hour increase spread out over a three-year period, a one point increase in company payments to the defined contribution pension scheme beginning in 2019 and virtually no improvement in the already inferior benefits program. Most workers in the plant had earned a near poverty $19.40 (CDN) per hour prior to the strike. The new hourly wage for assemblers comes in at $20.15. Second tier new hires earn 15 percent less for the first two years of employment. Temporary workers earn even less.

Expectations amongst many workers were running high after the province hiked the Ontario minimum wage by $2.40 to $14 per hour in January (with another $1 boost scheduled for next year) that thereby greatly reduced the wage differentials between the lowest paid workers in the province and workers in the auto parts industry.

Unifor signalled to management early in the bargaining process that it had no intention of leading workers in a fight to seriously redress decades of concessions contracts in the parts industry when Local 444 President James Stewart last month publicly denounced the so-called unreasonable wage expectations of workers.

Over the course of the past week, Unifor made even more clear its retrograde view of so-called pattern bargaining. James Stewart made plain in several statements to reporters that it was against the unions culture to have one bargaining unit win superior wages and benefits through strike action that would supersede an inferior pattern deal.

Historically, pattern agreements were meant to ensure that significant gains by workers at one employer would be extended to workers at other companies in the industry. Stewart and the entire union officialdom stand that principle on its head, defending pattern bargaining as a means to ensure that a miserable contract at one company must be imposed at all others.In the first high-profile criminal trial since the launching of the #MeToo movement, a Connecticut jury acquitted 25-year-old Saifullah Khan on four charges of sexual assault on March 7.

The charges stemmed from a Halloween party that took place at Yale College in 2015. After drinking and texting throughout the day, Khan and his accuser spent the night together. When she awoke, she became upset and confronted him. The next day, she went to Yales sexual assault resource center where an administrator reported Khan to the police. A week later, Yale suspended Khan without a hearing. Three days after his suspension, police arrested him.

Khan, whose family lives in Afghanistan and could not be present for his trial, was a semester away from graduating with a degree in cognitive science. His bail was set at $100,000. Had he been convicted, he would have faced years in prison.

The trial acquired national attention and took place amid a highly toxic atmosphere on campus. Yale students demanding Khans conviction were vocal in the student newspaper and present in the courtroom throughout his trial.

But Khans lawyers challenged this prevailing mood and waged a rigorous defense. Khans defense attorney, Norm Pattis, said during closing arguments: These are dangerous times for everyone on campus. After the verdict, Pattis told the press that the defense team used the case to challenge the outer limits of the #MeToo movement, which he said was a form of mass hysteria. Sex happens, especially on college campuses.

He added, Were grateful to six courageous jurors who were able to understand that campus life isnt the real world. Kids experiment with identity and sexuality. When an experiment goes awry, its not a crime.

The jury deliberated for just two-and-a-half hours before acquitting Khan on all charges. One juror, speaking anonymously after the decision, said the jurors consciously tried to ignore the #MeToo fervor surrounding the trial. The anonymous juror told the press that the jurors asked themselves whether there was enough evidence to show that there could not have been consent. And we couldnt get there. Another juror, James Galullo, said the jury members were able to see their way through all the noise.

The New York Times could barely contain its anger over the acquittal. In a March 7 article, the Times wrote, Mr. Khans lawyers worked relentlessly to discredit the account of the woman, who was not identified by name in the arrest warrant application. They asked repeatedly how much she had to drink, and how she could claim not to remember certain details, such as how she arrived back at her dorm room, but remembered others, such as the alleged assault itself. They parsed her text messages with Mr. Khan, asking if she had not been flirting with him in the days before the incident.

The Times cited Laura Palumbo, a representative of the National Sexual Violence Resource Center, who attacked defense counsels cross-examination. Such questions are all victims worst fears in coming forward. It is very intentionally working to trigger victim-blaming and stereotypes and misconceptions about sexual assault.

These statements expose the antidemocratic foundations of the #MeToo campaigns attack on the Sixth Amendments confrontation clause, which states, in all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the rightto be confronted with the witnesses against him.

In the Anglo-American legal tradition, this centuries-old due process right emerged in the aftermath of the 1603 trial of Walter Raleigh for treason. Raleigh was charged with attempting to kill King James I based on a declaration from his alleged co-conspirator, Henry Brooke (Lord Cobham). Raleighs request to cross-examine Brooke was denied and as a result he was imprisoned in the tower of London for 13 years. The bourgeois revolutionaries of the English Civil War and American Revolution made repeated reference to the injustice of Raleighs conviction in their elaboration of the right to cross-examine and confront.

The right to cross-examine protects the accused from the police powers of the state. Without this protection, the English jurist Lord Blackstone wrote, the state could convict based on the private and secret examination taken down in writing before an officer.

Following the argument that cross-examination equates to victim blaming to its logical legal conclusion, defendants could be convicted based on hearsay. This would effectively end the adversarial nature of criminal proceedings by preventing defendants from questioning the prosecutions allegations. By comparison, prosecution witnesses have no right to make accusations without being subjected to potentially uncomfortable questions aimed at revealing whether their claims are true or false.

Yales backseat prosecutors have not relented in the wake of the verdict and are demanding the school reject Khans appeal to be reinstated as a student. An opinion article in the Yale Daily News by staff writer Amelia Nierenberg titled Not not guilty said readmitting Khan would be a grievous mistake, as using legal standards of not guilty do not apply in a private community like Yale. Legal acquittal does not mean innocence. It does not mean that Khan did not engage in deeply dubious sexual conduct.

Nierenberg continues, Fortunately, a courtroom and a college community have different standards of proof. Here, the question is not, Is this person absolutely guilty? Instead, the question is more, Has this person acted in such a way that their right to continued participation in our community is forfeit?

This is the language of a witch hunt. The proponents of the #MeToo movement admit that their goal is to ostracize (take away the right to continued participation in our community) without any due process protections for the accused (which do not apply in a private community). According to such arguments, not only does the presumption of innocence not apply before trial, it also does not apply after an acquittal in criminal court (legal acquittal does not mean innocence).

So far, many careers and livelihoods have been ruined by mere accusations of sexual assault, and none of the major denunciations have led to criminal trial.Just days after the dramatic conclusion to their season of The Bachelor, race car driver Arie Luyendyk Jr. took his new bride-to-be, Lauren Burnham, for a few laps around the IndyCar race track in a car emblazoned with his name.

The fast and furious couple were in Florida for this weekend's INDYCARs Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg. Both Luyendyk and his father, Arie Luyendyk Sr., are IndyCar drivers.

Indycar

Indycar

The 36-year-old reality star talked to reporters after the race about his decision to break up with Becca Kufrin, which was done on-air in a tough-to-watch segment, and propose instead to Burnham.

"She always had my heart," Luyendyk Jr. said of his new fiancee. "And in the end it was a battle between my head and my heart, but she always had my heart."

Indycar

Burnham, 25, also got the opportunity to take a spin around the track with legendary driver Mario Andretti, an experience she called "one of the top 5 coolest things I've ever done" in an Instagram post later.On the 50th anniversary of Stanley Kubricks 2001: A Space Odyssey, noted entrepreneur and expansive thinker Elon Musk discussed his fears about artificial intelligence that were more chilling than the cinematic HAL-9000 supercomputer of science fiction.

The founder of SpaceX and Tesla, who made a surprise appearance at HBOs Westworld panel at South by Southwest, hosted a impromptu question-and-answer session today at Austins Moody Theater that was moderated by Westworld creator Jonathan Nolan.

Relaxing in a lined brown bomber jacket, Musk held forth on some of his favorite topics, from colonizing Mars to digging tunnels under Los Angeles to lay the infrastructure for high-speed public transportation system that would once-and-for-all solve the commuter nightmare that is the Interstate 405.

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Musk offered some surprising insights. Asked by Nolan whom he was most inspired by, Musk didnt miss a beat: Kanye West, obviously. The tech entrepreneur critiqued HBOs Silicon Valley, saying the first four episodes indulged in Hollywoods urge to ridicule of the nations tech hub, but he found the rest of the series  especially the second season  amazing.

All the crazy stuff you see in that show, Silicon Valley, the truth is a lot crazier, said Musk, who in 2000 merged his online banking startup with a competitor to form PayPal.

The SpaceX founder dangled the lure of space travel, predicting he might offer short flights aboard interplanetary ships in the first half of next year. Musk just as quickly tempered his prediction with a self-deprecating joke that people have told me that sometimes my timelines are optimistic.

Musk reserved his most chilling pronouncements for artificial intelligence.

Im close to AI and it scares the hell out of me, Musk said. Its capable of vastly more than anyone knows, and the improvement is exponential.

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Musk cited the example of AlphaGo, Google DeepMinds artificial-intelligence program. The AI had been trained to tackle the Chinese game Go, which is a 2,000-plus year old abstract war simulation.

In 2016, Google announced that its program had defeated every other Go-playing software  and a formidable human opponent, Fan Hui, a European champion. Then, it bested the world champion, Lee Sedol, four games out of five, in a competition that was live-streamed on YouTube.

Those experts who think AI is not progressing: look at things like Go, Musk said. Their batting average is quite weak.

Musk said hes witnessed the dramatic rate of improvement in his own work with Teslas Autopilot feature. In the first version, Autopilot reduced traffic accidents by 45%, he said, and the most recent version will be at least two or three times better.

The threat of machines getting smarter than their creators is so real, in fact, that Musk calls for public oversight to ensure the technology is developed safely.

The danger of AI is much greater than the danger of nuclear warheads  by a lot, Musk said. Mark my words, AI is far more dangerous than nukes.

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'Mars' Season 2: Esai Morales, Roxy Sternberg, Five More Round Out Cast As Production BeginsThe proud papa is celebrating the 4th of July a day early with a photo of his adorable baby smiling and dancing while lying in a guitar case.

John Stamos made a little Tennessee girl's dream come true on Saturday, when he FaceTimed with the little fan so she could talk with Uncle Jesse from the beloved '80s and '90s sitcom Full House and its revival, Fuller House.

The girl's mother, Rachel Houston, had posted a video of her daughter, Iris, crying that she desperately wanted to talk to Uncle Jesse.

"I want Uncle Jesse," the little girl cries, in an adorable Instagram video.

"From the show?" her mom asks.

"Yeah," the girl responds in between sobs.

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Stamos, 54, who is probably most famous for his portrayal of Jesse Katsopolis on the show, couldn't help himself upon seeing the video.

"This made my world!" he wrote on Instagram. "I need to FaceTime with this young lady. #adorbs."

A day later, he followed through, calling the Columbia, Tennessee girl up on FaceTime in a conversation that sounds like it might lead to a friendship and maybe even a set visit down the road.

"Well, I had an illuminating 15 min, 43 sec FaceTime chat with my new friend, Iris," Stamos wrote on Instagram. "We laughed we cried, then we laughed again. We covered it all and hopefully she'll take me up on my invite to visit the #FullerHouse set this summer. Thanks to her sweet mom, @RachLHouston XO."

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Fuller House, the sequel to the original series, just finished its third season and was recently renewed for a fourth season on Netflix.

Watch below to see how Stamos was considered the "baby whisperer" on the set of Full House.

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Related Articles:Oprah Winfrey sat down for an interview on The Van Jones Show on Sunday night, where she dropped some sage advice for anyone running for office.

I am not running for office  Im not ready to go there, Winfrey told Jones. But if I were running for office, and I will say to whoever is going to run for office, do not give your energy to the other side. Do not spend all your time talking about your opponents. Do not give your energy to that which you really dont believe in. Do not spend an ounce of your time on that. Winfrey also parlayed her words of wisdom into advice for Parkland students, as she explained that winning is all about strategy.

Thats why I said to these young people from Parkland, You cant just go down there and march. There is a strategy to the marching. There is an intention. There has to be a very clear intention behind what youre doing and why youre doing it.'

Winfrey has already confirmed that she will never run for president. But when Jones asked the Queen of All Media what she would say to Donald Trump if she had 10 minutes with him, Winfrey flat out said she wouldnt. I would only speak where I feel that I can be heard, Winfrey said.

The Van Jones Show featuring Oprah Winfrey aired Sunday, March 11, at 8 p.m. on CNN.

Check out Oprahs incredibly powerful Golden Globes speech:

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Tell us what you think! Hit us up on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram  or leave your comments below. And check out our host, Kylie Mar, on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram.President Trump Says Wife Melania's Life Is 'Not So Easy' Amid Stormy Daniels Scandal President Trump Says Melania's Life Is 'Not So Easy'

Life as the first lady isnt all Easter egg rolls for Melania Trump, according to husband President Donald Trump.

Speaking at a Moon Township, Pennsylvania, rally on Saturday, the president addressed his wifes role in fighting the countrys opioid epidemic.

Great first lady. Shes great. Shes great, he said, adding, You think her life is so easy, folks? Not so easy. She is a great first lady.

RELATED: Hypocrisy! Melania and Ivanka Trump Tweet About International Womens Day and the Internet Claps Back

We put Melania and other people on this blue ribbon committee, President Trump added, according to The Hill.

According to The Hill, he continued, again referencing the first ladys work with his administration on addressing the opioid crisis, Do you think the drug dealers that kill thousands of people during their lifetime, do you think they care who is on a blue ribbon committee? The only way to solve the drug problem is through toughness. When you catch a drug dealer, youve got to put him away for a long time.

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Trumps comments mark the second time in recent weeks that the president has addressed his wife in a speech. At the Gridiron dinner earlier this month, President Trump seemed to joke about rumors of trouble in his marriage as well as his ever-changing administration.

So many people have been leaving the White House, he said, according to CNN. Its actually been really exciting and invigorating cause you want new thought. So I like turnover. I like chaos. It really is good.

CNN reported that the president continued, Now the question everyone keeps asking is, Who is going to be the next to leave? Steve Miller or Melania? 

President Trump followed up by saying his wife is actually having a great time in Washington, D.C., according to pool reports from the White House Press Office.

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Rumors of marital strife between the first couple were sparked by reports that Trump had allegedly carried on an extramarital relationship with adult film star Stormy Daniels in 2006.

Daniels, whose real name Stephanie Clifford, just filed a lawsuit against president related to their alleged affair. Although she accepted $130,000 under a confidentiality agreement with President Trumps lawyer days before the 2016 presidential election, Daniels now claims the nondisclosure agreement she signed to allegedly keep quiet about their 2006 affair is invalid. Daniels wants a judge to void the agreement.

Just this week, the first lady faced criticism for writing about International Womens Day on Twitter.

Happy #IWD2018. Today we recognize, celebrate & honor women around the globe, she wrote, also announcing that she will present the #WomenOfCourage award to some extraordinary women on March 21.

In response, one user wrote, Melania  I dont know where to begin. Your husbands administration is undermining women every day.

When will you truly stand up for womens rights instead of being #complicit? I wish you greater empathy and compassion.

Related:Despite appearances on social media that she's doing just fine, Tori Spelling continues to struggle with issues with her husband Dean McDermott, a source tells ET.

Tori and Deans marriage is in shambles despite having a sit down last week to try to make it work. They made an attempt to use the tools given to them by their therapist to create a healthy environment for the kids but it isnt working, the source says. One of Toris main issues with Dean is he isn't helping with the kids as much as she feels he should. He used to do everything but has stepped away and started taking more time for himself.

Spelling married McDermott in 2006, and the couple have five children together. As for McDermott, the source says that hes just trying to keep the peace as much as he can.

"Dean is trying to be calm and handle things," the source says. "He doesn't want to raise his voice or say anything that she could misconstrue to the police."

"She panics every time he is out," the source also alleges. "If she doesn't know exactly where he is, her anxiety goes through the roof. She seems to live in fear he will cheat again.

ET previously confirmed that McDermott called police on March 7 to do a welfare check on his wife at a location in Thousand Oaks, California. The source claims that prior to the call, the two fought, and she threatened not to come back from a doctor's appointment with one of their kids.

She lost it again, she flipped out again and threatened him," the source claims. "That was the reason the police had to go to the doctors office. Dean was worried Tori would take their kid and not return."

"Dean doesn't want the mother of his children to get arrested, he just wants to show Tori he is serious about watching her behavior and the children, the source adds. "Close friends only see this getting worse. Things don't look good. It is causing total unrest in the home because the kids are present during her outbursts and threats.

Story continues

Though Spelling has since returned to work after the police visit, the source says that the troubles have persisted.

"There is non-stop chaos in their home and in their marriage," the source says. "Friends are talking about a possible intervention of sorts before things get even worse."

To see more about what led to Spelling's alleged breakdown, watch the video below.

-- Reporting by Adriane Schwartz

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Related Articles:Tori Spelling and Dean McDermott spent time as a family with their children, days after police were called to their home.

The couple took their five children  Stella, 9, and Hattie, 6, and sons Liam, 10, Finn, 5, and baby Beau, who turned 1 last week  out to dinner at the Black Bear Diner in Encino, California. Despite the recent incident, the group looked happy while arriving at the eatery.

McDermott, 51, was seen in Los Angeles on Thursday leaving a lawyers office. A source told PEOPLE that Spelling, 44, took their children to her mother Candys home that day.

The actor called the police to check up on his wife after she left their house on Wednesday, according to TMZ. Police reportedly surrounded the building in Thousand Oaks, California, while Spelling was inside. TMZ also had a video of McDermott standing outside the office, holding Beau.

The site reported that deputies located the Beverly Hills, 90210 alum at the doctors office, spoke to her and determined she and their kids were okay. Because no crime had been committed, no further action was taken.

Police and Spelling did not immediately return PEOPLEs request for comment.

Tori Spelling, Dean McDermott and their children

A week earlier, police were called to their home over a disturbance. Los Angeles Police Department officer Rosario Herrera told PEOPLE authorities received a call for service at 7:17 a.m. on March 1, to Spellings Woodland Hills address. Officer Drake Madison said the situation ended up being a domestic incident and that no crime was committed. He could not confirm who placed the call.

According to the audio dispatch call obtained by The Blast, the issue involved a female with a possible mental illness. TMZ also reported Spelling called the police the night before because she thought someone was breaking into her house, but it turned out to be McDermott coming home.

RELATED: Tori Spelling & Dean McDermott Celebrate Sons Birthday Together After Disturbance at Their Home

A source recently told PEOPLE that Spelling is in a tough place and can get very stressed, noting that it isnt easy for her to juggle five young kids at home.

The last year has been really tough on Tori, said another insider. She has a ton of pressure and stress, with the kids, work and her marriage. She internalizes a lot of her anxiety and she knows its not healthy for her. Of course, shes going to get to a breaking point eventually.

Tori and Dean have their ups and downs, added the insider. But they love each other and family is most important to both of them.Tori Spelling is headed back to Beverly Hills!

Years after starring together on Beverly Hills, 90210, PEOPLE can share that the 44-year-old actress and longtime pal Jennie Garth are working on a new show based loosely on the series, which ran from 1990 to 2000, and was later rebooted as 90210 from 2008 to 2013.

The show is in development with CBS and will feature Spelling and Garth, 45, playing exaggerated version of themselves.

Although the series does not yet have a name, both women attended development meetings about the dramedy on Friday at the CBS Studio Center Lot near Los Angeles.

RELATED: Tori Spelling Shares TBT with 90210 BFF Jennie Garth: Best Friends Complete Each Other

Documenting her productive day, Spelling shared a photo on social media of herself as she sat in a car on the CBS lot.

Alluding to why she was there, she captioned the snap, #back2work great creative day yesterday with my #partnerincrime @jenniegarth #90210vibes #donnaandkellyforver #besties.

The news came just days after police were called to Spelling and husband Dean McDermotts home over a disturbance. Then, on Wednesday, the actor called the police to check up on his wife after she left their house, according to TMZ. Police reportedly surrounded a building in Thousand Oaks, California, while Spelling was inside. TMZ also obtained a video of McDermott standing outside the office, holding Beau.

TMZ reported that deputies who spoke to Spelling determined she and their kids were okay. Because no crime had been committed, no further action was taken. Police and Spelling did not immediately return PEOPLEs request for comment.

A source recently told PEOPLE that Spelling is in a tough place and can get very stressed, noting that it isnt easy for her to juggle five young kids at home.

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Although its been over a decade since Beverly Hills, 9010 went off the air, Spelling and Garth have remained close, and their friendship has evolved.

Our kids are becoming friends which is really cool, Spelling said in 2014 at The MOMS Denise Albert and Melissa Gersteins screening of their then-new show, ABC Family series Mystery Girls, as she explained how their friendship had come full circle.

Story continues

In June of last year, Spelling celebrated National Best Friend day with a sweet tribute to her longtime pal.

Alongside a throwback photo of the pair, the actress spelled out all the reasons why Garth was her BFF.

Someone who has seen you thru your bad years (teens, boyfriends, and hair) and your good years (marriage, motherhood, and middle age(?)) and still ?s you that person is truly your best friend, she wrote.

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I love you @jenniegarth, Spelling continued. You make me strong, and I make you soft. Best friends complete each other #nationalbestfriendday.A few weeks ago, the alleged affair between Donald Trump and adult film star Stormy Daniels seemed destined to become just another one of the myriad revelations that would have ended any other administration in American history. However, it appears that Trump's adulterous philandering, a subject about which he has never been reluctant to brag, may develop into a story of legitimate geopolitical import thanks to the astonishing incompetence of Michael Cohen, his lawyer-cum-fixer charged with making this unpleasantness go away.

Last month, Cohen released a statement that read suspiciously like a ransom note in which he claimed that a $130,00 payment made to Daniels in the weeks before the 2016 election came from Cohen's own pocket, and that his client had not reimbursed Cohen "either directly or indirectly" for his troubles. In response to the obvious question of what reason he could have for gifting a suitcase of money to a porn star for reasons unrelated to her affair with his client, Cohen replied, his voice spiritually shaking, "Just because something isn't true doesn't mean that it can't cause you harm or damage. I will always protect Mr. Trump."

One problem, though: Trump never bothered to sign the confidentiality agreement that accompanied the six-figure deal, according to a lawsuit filed last week by Daniels and her attorney, Michael Avenatti. The likeliest explanation for this other than sloppinessis that leaving his signature line blank would give the president plausible deniability as to the agreement's very existence. Daniels and Avenatti, though, argue that it means that there is no existing agreement between Daniels and Trump, and that Daniels can speak on the subject as she pleases.

Last week, Avenatti teased a forthcoming 60 Minutes tell-all interview with Daniels, prompting Cohen to go on a whirlwind media tour in which he revealedin between calling the story a "fake dossier"-like fabrication from the "liberal mainstream media"that he rustled up the money in question by drawing on his home equity line of credit. Of the many ways in which Trump has asked his various flunkies to debase themselves for his benefit, having a lawyer borrow against his own home might be the most hilarious.

Story continues

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The reason Cohen is twisting himself into such absurd logical knots is because if he acted to buy Daniels' silence and boost his client's shot at winning the White House, the payment is almost certainly an unlawful, unreported campaign contribution. On the other hand, if Trump really didn't know anything about what his lawyer was doing on his behalfan assertion that strains credulity, of course, but bear with meCohen arguably violated his ethnical obligation to keep his client informed. Freelancing is a very bad look for lawyers, who are generally not allowed to make major decisions unless the client signs off first. This is especially true when it comes to making and accepting formal settlement offers of alleged legal liability.

Further complicating Cohen's predicament is the fact that he was a prominent figure in the Trump campaign who handled much of its legal work. (Some of his emails related to the Daniels payment originated from his Trump.org email address.) If Cohen made an unreported hush-money payment in his capacity as a campaign official in order to boost his candidate's chances at winning the White House, that would be a problem for him regardless of the potential ramifications for his license to practice law. As a result, Cohen is stuck making a particularly absurd, narrow argument: that he paid Daniels of his own volition in order to cover up an affair that he says never happened; that he used his own money to do so, with no hope or expectation of reimbursement; and that he acted without regard for what it would mean for his client, if viewed through a legal lens, or for his boss, if viewed through a political one.

According to the New York Times, CBS is currently fact-checking the 60 Minutes segment and submitting it to the network's legal team for review. Daniels and Avenatti have kept up the public pressure on Cohen and Trump, even offering to return the $130,000 payment as a show of good faith. Given the hints Daniels has already dropped about the type of thing she might release to the American people if unmuzzled, Cohen would be well-advised to hire as many lawyers as possible who are smarter than he is.

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We could be weeks away from the first porn-star dick-pic presidential scandal in American history.

Related:

For more news videos visit Yahoo View.Illustration: Quinn Lemmers for Yahoo Lifestyle

When people hear that I gave up my home to travel the world and work remotely for five years, they think Im either nuts or living the dream. The truth is somewhere in the middle.

But romantic as that choice might seem, life doesnt just stop when you decide to explore the world. Money problems, health issues, personal strife  they happen to us all, no matter where we go. When I began my journey abroad in 2015, at the age of 42, I prepared for some worst-case scenarios. One of those was the potential for health issues  but I also figured that was what insurance was for.

My first two years abroad were not struggle-free, but my health held steady. My father died just before my first anniversary as a nomad, and when that happened, I went home to Canada for a visit. While home, I took the opportunity to visit my gynecologist for a complete physical  just to make sure I was healthy before I headed back into the world. My mother had died of uterine cancer years before, and I was always extra-cautious about my gynecological health.

The timing was poor, and my internal exam couldnt be completed. After five dry months, I had my period before leaving home. My doctor and I discussed my bloodless months, but we both thought nothing of it  stress and travel can disrupt flows. But as I resumed traveling in Europe and the weeks and months wore on, my period didnt stop. Light spotting hounded me as I moved through the Czech Republic and Hungary, and into Greece.

My second-to-last night in Greece brought extremely heavy bleeding. The next day was my last before heading to Africa for a month in Morocco. I consulted a pharmacist and told them about my travel plans, and they insisted I visit an Athens ER. This was the last thing I wanted to do, but I thought of my mother and her illness, and knew I needed to go to the hospital.

After eight hours of testing, I was told that Id need an outpatient procedure called an endometrial ablation. The doctor who saw me suggested that I could stave off bleeding during Morocco with progesterone tablets, then return for the ablation, which had a four-day recovery period. I took the pills and headed to pack for my flight.

Story continues

Morocco began uneventfully, but I felt awful. Three weeks in, things climaxed with a terrifying night of blood loss. I went through a whole pack of pads in one night, changing them every 30 minutes. Was I hemorrhaging internally? It wasnt just heavy bleeding, it was a horror show.

The next morning, I sobbed while telling my German innkeeper of my terrifying night. She and her housekeeper headed out to pharmacies on my behalf and brought back copious thick pads and more progesterone. I was popping the pills Id gotten in Greece like candy, and theyd begun to work. My flow finally became somewhat manageable.

But my fear intensified. The bloody horror show suggested that I had been misdiagnosed in Athens, and my thoughts once again circled back to my mother and the uterine cancer that had killed her. A doctor in Canada had once told me that because of my genetics, I had a high risk of developing uterine cancer myself. What if that was what was going on? What if I required far more than an outpatient visit?

I sat in my Moroccan inn thinking over the options. Returning to Canada was out. The 12-hour flight, the likely wait of weeks for a diagnosis and then potentially months for surgery, the many thousands it would cost me to fly there and then rent a home in which to recover  it seemed easier and more affordable to find a solution abroad, where the cost of living was far lower.

I began researching gynecological services throughout Europe, from Scotland to Croatia to Hungary. Ten days later I boarded a flight for Albania, to visit a private but budget-friendly American-style hospital. It was scary, and I was going in blind. But it felt like my best option.

As soon as I arrived in Albania, all of my fear disappeared. The Albanian hospital was a model of efficiency. Within 96 hours of landing, I had a battery of tests and went under the knife for a hysterectomy  more than 5,800 miles from my former life in Vancouver.

It was Dr. Zef who broke the news to me that a hysterectomy was needed. He understood English very well but was too proud to bungle his words, so hed speak Albanian to his nurse, and shed translate. When I started sobbing about my mother and my associated cancer risks, Dr. Zef stood up, rounded his desk, and squeezed me like a grandfather would. Shushing me, he wiped my tears away.

Is OK, all be OK, he promised, before chuckling affectionately and squeezing my cheeks. His warm smile and sparkling eyes have stayed in my memory  Ive never had such a kind face console me in a moment of need. My fear dissipated. The world needs more cheek-pinching mirthful surgeons.

I thought surgery day would terrify me, but waking that morning, knowing that surgery was critical, I found strength. I was exhausted and in pain. I reflected on the days before my mothers hysterectomy. She seemed so resigned and cool. Now I understood why.

Hysterectomy surgery is routine, but much can go awry. In the year since my surgery, a friends hysterectomy required an emergency bowel resection soon after. And, of course, it was my moms routine hysterectomy that revealed her cancer. She was dead six months later.

The hysterectomy itself, though, is almost easy. Its recovery thats hard, its recovery when things can go wrong. For eight weeks after surgery, extreme caution is needed when lifting things. For the first four weeks, its advisable to lift only three to eight pounds at a time. This was not conducive to my solo nomadic life, which regularly required carrying around a 50-pound duffle bag.

I couldnt just agree to surgery; I needed a recovery plan. We delayed surgery for 72 hours so I could prepare for my weeks ahead.

Despite terrific abdominal pain, I got an Airbnb sorted out so that life in my makeshift home could be lifting-free  anything I needed would be at waist height. I cooked and filled my freezer with soups that Dr. Zef insisted would be best for recovery. I stocked up on everything from toilet paper to bread and coffee.

In a stroke of luck, my Airbnb hosts stepmother had been a surgical recovery nurse for 25 years. I hired her to visit me twice daily for the first week. She brought prescriptions and fruit, checked my incision for infection, and helped me clean my dressing.

For the weeks of my recovery, Tirana, Albania, was my home. Initially, it was a cheap surgery destination filled with ugly communist-era construction and decaying roads. But by the end of my stay, it had stolen my heart.

Tirana taught me that kindness transcends language. It convinced me that old-world medicine should go hand-in-hand with modern practices. It taught me that we only learn how strong we are when life forces our hand.

And it taught me about besa, a code of honor centuries old that Albanians live by even today. Basically, friend or foe, when youre an Albanians guest, they will die to protect you. What better place to recover from surgery?

Nearly a year later, leaving my uterus in Albania has made my travels better  and obviously my health better too. Having a hysterectomy in Albania was never a part of my life plan, but it is what happened. And it reinforced my faith in myself and in the kindness of strangers. It also taught me that home can be found in the most unexpected of places.

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We have used your information to see if you have a subscription with us, but did not find one. Please use the button below to verify an existing account or to purchase a new subscription.A woman went found a dress at a thrift store with a surprising family connection.

Shannon Hiramoto from Kauai, Hawaii was met with quite the surprise on a recent shopping adventure at Salvation Army. Always on the hunt for for vintage versions of the muumuu, she came across a mini dress (the Hawaiian-style dress is usually long) in a pink and purple print that caught her eye. Hiramoto, self-proclaimed muumuu enthusiast according to Khon2, knew the piece was special  but had no idea how extraordinary it truly was until she dug a little deeper.

Shannon Hiramoto made a regular trip to Salvation Army, not expecting what shed find. (Photo: Instagram/machinemachine)

When I looked at the tag, it said Liberty House, then it also had handwritten on it Kamei,' she explained to the local news channel, and it blew my mind, because thats my great-grandmothers name, her last name.

Without a second thought, Hiramoto took the muumuu home, thinking that the coincidence was too crazy to overlook. But it wasnt until some time later that she started to feel as though shed actually seen the dress before. I just knew that she always liked to wear muumuu that had pink or purple or red, Hiramoto said of her great-grandmother, and it seemed familiar in this memory way. So she called up her mother to start looking through family photo albums.

The results were unfruitful at first, until just a few days later.

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My mom texts me a photo and its this, Hiramoto said pointing to the muumuu she had on, and its [my great-grandmother], and its a full-body shot and I was just so excited.

But the fateful discovery went even further when they deciphered the location of the photo as the United Church of Christ in Hanapepe. Whats really special about it is shes there, Hiramoto said. Her ashes, her remains are in the back of the church there, so it was like visiting her again.

Hiramoto went to re-visit her great-grandmother, returning to that same church in the same muumuu to take the same picture. And although Hiramoto has no idea where the muumuu has been in the five years since her great-grandmothers passing, shes taking full control of where itll go next, starting with her own daughter.

Story continues

Its magic, Hiramoto said. I think its just her way of telling me Im on the right track.

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Church surprises pizza delivery woman struggling to make ends meet with shocking tip

Grateful woman gives her stepfather the greatest Christmas gift he could ask for

Heart transplant recipient runs first race while donors father cheers from the sidelines

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Meghan Markle will attend her first official engagement Monday, alongside Queen Elizabeth, at the Commonwealth Day service at Westminster Abbey. The move, which shows just how warmly Prince Harrys American fiancee has been welcomed into the royal fold, will be the most important engagement Ms. Markle has carried out to date.

Markle will join the Queen and other senior royals including the Prince of Wales, the Duchess of Cornwall, and the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. All eyes, however, will be on Markle and how she fares at such an important event. The royal-to-be and Prince Harry have outlined their intention to work closely with the Commonwealth, a voluntary association of 53 countries, many of them former British colonies like Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Jamaica, South Africa, and Cyprus. Meghan and Harry have said that they plan to concentrate on projects helping young people in Commonwealth countries and realms once they are married. Prince Harry is also due to take on an official leadership role within the Commonwealth, which is expected to be announced at next months Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (C.H.O.G.M.).

The prince has also been asked to pay a special tribute to his grandmother and her work within the Commonwealth at a concert to celebrate the Queens 92nd birthday at the Royal Albert Hall on April 21. Royal sources describe Harrys prominent role alongside Kylie Minogue, one of the headliners at the concert, which is scheduled on the Queens actual birthday. The concert is still being planned, acts are being confirmed at the moment, and exactly who is doing what has yet to be finalized, but theres a definite plan for Prince Harry to have a prominent role on the night, said one source. The idea is that he will be onstage for some of the night.

Sources say that Markle will also attend the concert, and is keen to learn more about the Commonwealth and meet with some of its leaders. Although she is American, Markle has spent much of the past seven years living in Canada, and there are rumors the couple will visit the Commonwealth country after their May wedding. There are also rumors that Harry and Meghan will travel to Australia, which is hosting the Invictus Games in October, and possibly New Zealand on behalf of the Queen.

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Meghan Markles Royal Style

Birmingham, March 8 By Chris Jackson/Getty Images.

London, February 28 By Chris Jackson/AFP/Getty Images.

Edinburgh, February 13 By Andrew Milligan/WPA Pool/Getty Images.

Edinburgh, February 13 Left, by Samir Hussein/WireImage; Right, by Chris Jackson/Getty Images.

London, February 1 By John Stillwell/PA Images/Getty Images.

Wales, January 18 Left, by Chris Jackson/Getty Images; Right, by Karwai Tang/WireImage.

London, January 9 By Chris Jackson/Getty Images.

Sandringham, December 25 By Chris Jackson/Getty Images.

Nottingham, December 1 By Andy Stenning/WPA Pool/Getty Images.

Nottingham, December 1 By David Hartley/REX/Shutterstock.Photo credit: Getty

From Town & Country

Following the announcement of Meghan Markle's engagement to Prince Harry, a spokesperson for Kensington Palace confirmed that she intends to become a citizen of the United Kingdom. And today, we saw a striking display of British patriotism from the soon-to-be-royal.

While in attendance at the Commonwealth Day service, Markle was caught on-camera singing the national anthem of the United Kingdom, "God Save the Queen." Watch a clip of her singing below:

Markle's attendance at today's service is symbolic of how warmly she's been welcomed into the Harry's family. In recent months, she's taken many steps toward becoming a royal. Just last week, she was reportedly baptized in a private ceremony into the Church of England, and she will be confirmed as well before her May 19 wedding to Prince Harry. Additionally, she is already taking her future role as a working royal seriously, and says she plans to "hit the ground running" highlighting issues regarding women's empowerment.

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As Fox 5 reports, a bystander spotted former Vice President Joe Biden speaking to a homeless man outside an AMC movie theater in Washington, D.C.s Georgetown neighborhood on March 8. According to Caleb Baca, the man who captured the moment, the rumored 2020 presidential hopeful was leaving a movie date with his granddaughter.

People are praising the former veeps character thanks to a viral photo that has surfaced. (Photo: Craig Barritt/Getty Images for Glamour)

Im not exactly sure what he gave the homeless man, but he appeared to write something down on a piece of paper inside the movie theater, which he then proceeded to give the homeless man outside, Baca told Fox 5.

Joe Biden took his granddaughter to the movies in Georgetown last night..on his way out he stopped to speak w/ a Posted by Paul Equale on Friday, March 9, 2018

The photo has quickly gone viral since its posting on Facebook by D.C. businessman Paul Equale. It currently has more than 170,000 reactions and 117,000 shares.

The former Delaware senator has been praised on social media for his act of kindness and compassion.

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His actions have also been compared to Donald Trump, who could face him in a 2020 election.

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Biden has yet to publicly respond to the photo.

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It's not difficult to find out exactly where Education Secretary Betsy DeVos comes from and what she believes. She and her family  one of the wealthiest families in Michigan  have donated millions of dollars to organizations that seek to expand religious education and push for taxpayer-funded vouchers for private schools, hurting public schools in the process.

But when she talks to the press, DeVos prefers corporate-style PR-speak that doesn't actually mean anything. That's precisely why listening to her interviews is so frustrating.

On the heels of a newly unveiled White House proposal to "harden " schools by helping states to arm teachers  something she says individual states and communities should consider  DeVos spoke with 60 Minutes about guns, "school choice," and underperforming schools.

In the interview with Lesley Stahl, DeVos not only showed limited knowledge of everything from gun policy to sexual assault, but also had a worrisome tic: responding to questions with non-answers. Ahead, some of the most dead-end exchanges between the two.

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Jared Kushner's Brother Donates $50,000 To March For Our LivesFile photo: Getty Images

A Massachusetts teacher was placed on administrative leave after allegedly making inappropriate gun-related comments to students at Plymouth North High School on Friday.

Boston 25 News reports that students in the schools cafeteria were told to stay in place due to a students medical emergency. Thats when a student jokingly commented on how he would use the opportunity to get the answers to an upcoming test. The teacher allegedly replied to the joke that the answers of the test were in his house by the nightstand where he keeps his gun.

Alexis MacDonald, 18, overheard and immediately texted her mom, who alerted the police.

The student said, Ill just find the answers to the test online somewhere, and he [the teacher] responded with, No, because they are in my safe at my house near my gun, said MacDonald.

Police were then called to the school to investigate the incident, according to Superintendent Gary Maestas.

In a note to parents, Maestas said the inappropriate remarks were made about a gun the teacher owns. A statement on Plymouth Public Schools Facebook page read: We want to make students and parents aware that our investigation, assisted by Police, has indicated that this situation involved a statement only, and not the possession of anything illegal.

Police records show officers responded to the high school on Friday after reports of suspicious activity, but no arrests were listed.

Maestas said the teachers employment status is being reviewed as the district continues its investigation.

After last months Parkland, Fla., massacre, in which a former student is accused of opening fire at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School with an AR-15, killing 17 people, students and faculty across the country have been quick to report any suspicious gun-related activity to prevent future incidents.

In Indiana earlier this month, a teacher was suspended for having a gun in his car while parked on school property, Indy Channel reports. Two students spotted the gun and alerted officials.

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According to a CBS report, a New Jersey history high school teacher was suspended after he spoke out forcefully about the need for the high school to beef up security. He allegedly expressed support for arming teachers after the Parkland school shooting.

Student gun threats are also being taken more seriously. Last week, an elementary school student, 11, was suspended for two weeks after he allegedly threatened to shoot a teacher in Springfield, Ohio, according to the Dayton Daily News.

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As Robert Muellers Trump-Russia investigation expands and accelerates, the president is reportedly looking to shake up his legal staff. While Ty Cobb has acted as Donald Trumps lawyer throughout the investigation, Trump and Cobb have both made it clear that Cobb is a temporary solution to a problem growing more worrisome by the week. Among many Republicans in Washington, there is a very real fear that Trump could face impeachment proceedings next year if Democrats retake the House in November.

Trump, apparently, has the same fear in mind. According to The New York Times, Trump met last week with veteran attorney Emmet T. Flood, who represented Bill Clinton during his impeachment trial in 1998. A number of sources confirmed that an interview had taken place in the Oval Office, during which the two discussed the possibility of Flood joining Trumps team to help deal with Muellers inquiry. If Flood agreed, his duties would consist of a day-to-day role helping the president navigate his dealings with the Justice Department.

Two sources noted that the meeting does not signify any new developments in the investigation, per se, but rather underscores Trumps realization that it wont end anytime soon. Last summer, Trumps attorneys reassured him that Muellers probe would wrap up by Thanksgivinga timeline they soon extended to Christmas, and then into early 2018. Instead, the Russia investigation appears to be gathering steam.

Flood, who declined to represent Trump last summer, would not replace Cobb if he took the job, according to the Times. But Trump also appears eager to reboot his legal strategy, alternating between praising Cobbs cooperative style and agitating for a more confrontational approach. Cobb has reportedly told friends he does not expect to remain in his job much longer, and some advisers have suggested Trump invite his longtime New York lawyer, Marc E. Kasowitz, to take the lead again.

On Sunday, Trump fired back at Times reporter Maggie Haberman, claiming that he is perfectly happy with his current lawyers. The Failing New York Times purposely wrote a false story stating that I am unhappy with my legal team on the Russia case and am going to add another lawyer to help out. Wrong. I am VERY happy with my lawyers, John Dowd, Ty Cobb and Jay Sekulow. They are doing a great job.

Trump, notably, did not say anything about the key portion of Habermans reportthat the president invited Flood to the White House as he seeks a legal strategy to head off potential impeachment proceedings. Instead, he attacked Haberman, who has interviewed him multiple times, as a Hillary flunky who knows nothing about me and is not given access. Neither the White House nor Flood responded to requests for comment.After another week of White House scandals, Donald Trump vented his frustrations Saturday in a swaggering, unscripted campaign speech in Moon Township, Pennsylvania: a 73-minute whirlwind of taunts, insults, and vulgarityand, occasionally, words of praise for the man he was there to support, congressional candidate Rick Saccone. The stakes for Tuesdays special election couldnt be higher for the Republican Party. Despite pouring millions into a district that Trump won by 20 points, Saccone is barely ahead of Democratic candidate Conor Lamb in a race that Republican lawmakers fear could augur a blue wave in November. If the Democrats were to prevail in western Pennsylvania, that would be quite an earthquake, Rep. Charlie Dent said last week. If a strong pro-Trump district like this goes the other way, it would send a bad signal around the country in districts far more competitive than this one.

For Trump, it is not just Republican control of the House that is in danger. If Democrats manage to retake the lower chamber, it is also Trumps presidency that would face an existential threat: impeachment. We have to defeat Nancy Pelosi and Maxine Waters, a very low IQ individual, Trump said. You ever see her? ... We will impeach him. Shes a low IQ individual. You cant help it. She really is. The underlying fear crept in again and again. Heres the thing: Were dealing with people that want to obstruct. They want to stop us from doing things, Trump said of Democrats. The task for everyone here tonight is to make sure that this great American comeback continues. Full speed ahead.

Trump occasionally mentioned Saccone, calling him handsome and insulting his opponent as Lamb the sham. But, for the most part, the speech was a vehicle for Trump to talk about Trump. Dont forget, this got us elected, Trump said of his casual, seat-of-the-pants speaking style. If I came like a stiff, you guys wouldnt come here tonight. He also revealed his new slogan for the 2020 campaign: Keep America Great! He said that hed love to beat Oprah and that he knows her weakness.

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Foreign enemies, too, occupied Trumps mind. He raged against Mexican president Enrique Pena Nieto for refusing to pay for a border wall: I said: Are you crazy? ... I said: Bye-bye. Were not making a deal. North Korea, he said, was tough, and should have been handled ... and everybody will say it, too. But thats OK. Because thats what we do, we handle things. He threatened to fight a trade war with the European Union over his tariffs on steel and aluminum: Were gonna tax Mercedes Benz. Were gonna tax BMW. He reiterated that drug dealers ought to get the death penalty, criticized sanctuary cities for not cooperating with the Justice Department, and called for an end to chain migration.

As is typical at any Trump rally, the president delighted in relitigating the 2016 electionand, also typically, got key facts wrong. Women! We love you! We love you. Hey, didnt we surprise them with women during the election? Remember? Women wont like Donald Trump. I said, have I really had that kind of a problem? I dont think so. Trump said he got 52 percent of the womens vote, which is mostly true if you count only white women, which are apparently the only kind of women the president was focused on. Exit polls show that only 25 percent of Hispanic women voted for Trump, and just 4 percent of black women.

And, of course, no presidential public appearance would be complete without his usual attack on the fake media. In one particularly stream-of-consciousness moment, he referred to Meet the Press host Chuck Todd a sleeping son of a bitch.

The freewheeling performance was the first of its kind since the resignations of White House aides Hope Hicks and Gary Cohn, both of whom acted as checks on some of Trumps worst impulses. Hicks, as Trumps communications director and longtime confidant, served as a sounding board and security blanket; Cohn, as Trumps chief economic adviser, made it his goal to tamp down Trumps protectionist instincts. With both exiting, the Trump presidency is entering a new phase, as my colleague Gabriel Sherman reported last weekone in which Trump is feeling liberated to act on his impulses and to defy his advisers.

According to five Republicans close to the White House, Trump is preparing to execute a clean reset of his senior staff in the coming weeks, as part of his larger effort to wrest control from aides he believes have been holding him back. Saturdays rally was, perhaps, the first look at this new, unconstrained Trump.Olympic figure skater Adam Rippon told MSNBCs Kasie Hunt on Sunday that if the Team USA were invited to the White House, hed probably decline.

I dont think that I would go, Rippon said. If I or any of my moms sons spoke to women or treated people the way that Donald Trump has, my mom would kill me and I would be dead.

This would be a profile of my life, he added, not me giving an interview because I would be dead.

Rippon, one of the first openly gay U.S. athletes to compete in the Winter Olympics, is an outspoken critic of this administration  specifically Vice President Mike Pence, who led the U.S. delegation in Pyeongchang, South Korea.

You mean Mike Pence, the same Mike Pence that funded gay conversion therapy? Rippon told USA Today shortly after Pence was announced as delegation leader in January. The paper reported Rippon declined a meeting that the vice president tried to set up, presumably because of Pences history of anti-LGBTQ stances.

Earlier this week, Rippon reconsidered a possible meeting. You dont get to make any sort of change if you dont try to at least reach across and have the opportunity to speak, he told CNN. I still have that Olympics platform and Id like to use it.

No word on when a meeting with Pence might take place, but it sounds like Rippon will be avoiding the White House.

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This article originally appeared on HuffPost.From acclaimed filmmaker Andrew Haigh ("Weekend" & "45 Years"), and based on the beloved novel by Willy Vlautin, comes "Lean On Pete" - a deeply moving story about love, loneliness, family, and friendship, told through the unique prism of one boy's connection to a very special racehorse. Fifteen-year-old Charley Thompson (Charlie Plummer) arrives in Portland, Oregon with his single father Ray (Travis Fimmel), both eager for a fresh start after a series of hard knocks. While Ray descends into personal turmoil, Charley finds acceptance and camaraderie at a local racetrack where he lands a job caring for an aging quarter horse named "Lean On Pete." The horse's gruff owner Del Montgomery (Steve Buscemi) and his seasoned jockey Bonnie (Chloe Sevigny) help Charley fill the void of his father's absence - until he discovers that Pete is bound for slaughter, prompting him to take extreme measures to spare his new friend's life.Istanbul (AFP) - An Istanbul court on Monday began hearing a case against Uber brought by the city's taxi drivers seeking to have the ride-hailing app blocked, as tensions mount in Turkey over its popularity.

The suit brought by the main association representing taxi drivers for Istanbul is the latest legal headache for the fast-growing but controversial Uber which has already seen its licence withdrawn in London.

Dozens of taxi drivers held a noisy protest outside the main courthouse in Istanbul where the case was heard, brandishing placards including "we don't want the global thief".

Lawyers for the Taxi Drivers Association told the court they wanted the app blocked in the city. The court said it would wait for a report from the association and adjourned the next hearing until June 4.

- 'Ready for anything' -

Tensions over the growing popularity of Uber have spread in Turkey, in some cases resulting in violence.

On Saturday, shots were fired at an Uber vehicle in Istanbul's Kucukcekmece district but the driver was unhurt.

Uber drivers have also received false calls from people pretending to be passengers who then beat them up, according to a report in the Turkish newspaper Haberturk last week.

Eyup Aksu, the head of the main taxi drivers guild in Istanbul, slammed Uber as "pirates" and warned that the taxi drivers were ready to act if decisions went against them.

"If the judiciary takes a contrary decision then our patience is sapped. Taxi drivers are ready to do anything for their bread," he said outside the courthouse.

Taxi drivers gathered at the court threw bottles of water at vehicles they suspected of being driven by Uber drivers, the Dogan news agency said.

- Business troubles -

The yellow taxis of Istanbul form the transport backbone of the city, with some 18,000 vehicles helping move commuters and tourists in a megapolis where public transport can be patchy.

Some complain Istanbul taxi drivers can be abrasive and prone to ripping off tourists. But most drivers, who usually rent their car from the licence holder, are doing their best to earn a living honestly in a tough city.

Taxi drivers around the world have complained that Uber has made inroads into their business but the company's biggest trouble has been in London where Uber lost its licence over criminal record checks for drivers.

It is still allowed to operate in the British capital pending an appeal. New chief executive Dara Khosrowshahi is seeking to clean up the company's reputation worldwide after replacing ousted co-founder Travis Kalanick last year.Legislation banning marriage for those under 17 is poised to be passed in Florida after being approved by the state House Friday.

GettyImages-855607432

Getty Images

Under the new bill, which has been sent to the office of Governor Rick Scott to be signed into law, marriage licenses cannot be issued to anyone under the age of 18.

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There are exceptions for 17 years who want to marry someone of their own age or up to two years older with the permission of their parents.

The anti-child marriage bill was approved after years of campaigning by Sherry Johnson, who was forced to marry her rapist - when she was just 11 years old.

My heart is happy, she told WJHG.

"My goal was to protect our children and I feel that my mission has been accomplished. This is not about me. I survived."

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The House and Senate had reached a compromise to pass the bill, after the Senate approved an earlier version of the bill banning all marriages for those under 18.

Under current laws, there is no minimum age for marriage in Florida if there is a pregnancy and a judge approves.

Governor Scott intends to approve the new bill, a spokesman said.

According to Human Rights Watch, between 2001 and 2016 more than 16,000 children under the age of 18 were married in Florida. It said that those who marry as children are more likely to drop out of school, experience poverty, domestic violence, and physical and mental health issues.

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A legislative staff analysis showed that between 2012 and 2016 a 13 year old and seven 14 year olds were among those granted marriage licenses, reported CBS News.

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In one case, a marriage license was issued for a 16 or 17 year old girl and a 90-year-old man.

Fraidy Reiss, another campaigner against child marriage, said she was disappointed the stricter version passed by the Senate failed to win approval.

The final version leaves girls of 17 unprotected, she said. Parental consent is not a safeguard as children often are forced into marriage by their parents, she said.

The bill that was pending would have ended child marriage. The bill as is would limit child marriage, she told the Foundation.

Its a step in the right direction, but its certainly not a victory.

This article was first written by Newsweek

More from NewsweekTurkish-backed Free Syrian Army fighters are seen in Maryamayn in eastern Afrin - REUTERS

Residents of the Syrian city of Afrin are bracing for an onslaught from Turkish troops and allied rebels, threatening a fresh humanitarian crisis in the war-torn country.

Turkey was poised to enter the Kurdish-majority city after advances in recent weeks took them to within a mile of its limits.

There were fears for the some one million civilians, thousands of whom have already been displaced by fighting in villages and other cantons closer to Syrias border with Turkey.

Convoys of activists were reportedly leaving for Afrin from the cities of Cizre in southern Turkey and Kobane in northern Syria in an effort to protect the city by volunteering to put themselves between rebel fighters and the Turks and the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG).

Turkey launched operation Olive Branch on January 20 against the YPG, which controls the Afrin region in northwest Syria and which Ankara regards as a terrorist group.

Syrian civilians ride their cars through Ain Dara in northern Afrin region as they flee Afrin city Credit: AFP

More than 200 civilians and 370 YPG fighters have been killed so far, according to the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR). Some 340 Syrian rebels have also been killed, and 42 Turkish soldiers.

Recent drone footage showed large-scale destruction in villages and towns on the approach to the city.

Pro-Kurdish groups held protests across the UK on Sunday ahead of the Turkish assault, calling on the international community to act.

If the world stands by and continues to do nothing, the devastation you are seeing in Eastern Ghouta today will be Afrin city tomorrow, said Jamie Janson, a British volunteer fighting with the YPG in Afrin, joining the plea.

Protesters trespassed onto the tracks at Manchester Piccadilly. Credit: Chris Woodhouse

He claimed that while the worlds attention was on Ghouta, mass murder was being carried out against the Kurds.

For seven weeks now Afrin has been bombed and shelled without mercy. The people have resisted one of the largest armies in the world, with no air force to protect them from round-the-clock bombardment. The human cost has been enormous, the destruction indiscriminate.

Story continues

People don't even wake up when windows rattle from early morning bomb blasts any more. It feels a bit like Pompeii the day before Vesuvius, Mr Janson told the Telegraph from Syria.

He is one of three Britons among dozens of international volunteer fighters in Afrin, including Huang Lei from Manchester and Dan Smith, a combat medic.

Jamie Janson fighting in northern Syrian with the YPG Credit: The Telegraph

Only one route currently leads out of Afrin and into government-controlled zones in Syria's northern province of Aleppo.

The government has repeatedly offered the Kurds, who have long held separatist ambitions in Syria, protection in return for handing over their positions.

During the course of the seven-year war, the regime and the YPG have occasionally united in a marriage of convenience against their common enemy, Turkey. But Kurdish leaders have so far rejected the deal.

The latest moves will only aggravate tensions between Turkey and the US, which has urged Ankara to halt its offensive against its Kurdish partner forces - their most reliable in the fight against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (Isil).

A Western diplomat said Turkey had told its Nato allies that they would stop before the city, planning only to secure the border.

They were taken aback by the recent advances. We thought the Afrin offensive was more about Turkey trying to get the USs attention rather that any serious attempt to take territory in Syria, he told the Telegraph. We told them the last thing Syria needs is a needless battle.

Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, holding an olive branch arrives to deliver a speech at an event in Ankara, Turkey, Credit: AP

Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Turkeys President, on Sunday angrily lashed out at Nato, accusing the Western military alliance of failing to back its campaign.

"Hey Nato! With what has been going on in Syria, when are you going to come and be alongside us?" Mr Erdogan said in remarks to supporters. "Is this friendship? Is this NATO unity?" he asked, noting how Turkey had backed the alliance by participating in its operations in Afghanistan and elsewhere.

His latest comments were among the toughest he has directed in recent times against Nato, which Turkey joined in 1952 as the US sought to make sure it did not fall under Soviet sway after World War II.

2018 is shaping up to be an even bloodier year than last, which was itself one of the deadliest in the intractable conflict.

The SOHR, which tracks death tolls using a network of contacts inside Syria, yesterday published figures which showed that 511,000 people had been killed since 2011.

An injured girl receives treatment at the Avrin hospital in the Kurdish-majority town of Afrin in northern Syria Credit: AFP

About 85 percent of the dead were civilians killed by the forces of the Syrian government and its Russian patron.

The onslaught continued in Eastern Ghouta, where some 1,100 have been killed in three weeks.

Nikki Haley, US ambassador to the UN, warned that if the UN Security Council fails to act on Syria, Washington "remains prepared to act if we must," just as it did last year when it fired missiles at a Syrian government air base over a deadly chemical weapons attack.

"It is not the path we prefer, but it is a path we have demonstrated we will take, and we are prepared to take again," she said.The White House on Sunday unveiled a plan for school safety that involves rigorous firearms training in response to last month's school shooting in Parkland, Florida. Education Secretary Betsy DeVos will lead a federal Commission on School Safety to examine protecting schools, and she committed to arming teachers.

Schools have to be protected like every other large gathering. We protect stadiums, we protect theaters, we protect airports, said DeVos on Monday on NBCs Today Show.

DeVos said she didnt think it made sense to arm every teacher or have armed teachers in every school, but only in places where its appropriate.

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Despite President Donald Trump saying that he wanted to raise the age limit of purchasing some firearms to 21 in the wake of the shooting, the White Houses plan didnt address the policy, and DeVos would not commit to it.

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Joe Raedle/Getty

Everything is on the table, said DeVos. We have to get much broader than just the gun issue where camps go into their corners. There are many things that have driven this issue in the first place.

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The proposal of arming teachers has been controversial and has received criticism from organizations like the National Education Association (NEA).

Bringing more guns into our schools does nothing to protect our students and educators from gun violence, said NEA President Lily Eskelsen Garcia in a statement last month. Our students need more books, art and music programs, nurses and school counselors; they do not need more guns in their classrooms.

Story continues

Some states such as Texas, Ohio and California already allow their teachers to be armed.

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The White House also endorsed a bill to improve the criminal background check system for purchasing firearms and made several proposals for mental health initiatives.

The shooter in the Parkland massacre at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, Nikolas Cruz, raised several red flags before the shooting, including a tip to the FBI. The Bureau admitted that it didnt properly investigate the tip, and Trump has called for its tip line procedures to be examined.

This article was first written by Newsweek

More from NewsweekFacebook

A third explosion has been linked to two other deadly attacks at homes in Texas this month, where police are warning residents not to touch any unexpected boxes that end up on their door steps.

Austin Police Chief Brian Manley confirmed to reporters that the third blast  which followed just hours after an earlier deadly explosion Monday  is suspected of being connected to the recent explosions.

"This, again, is the third in what we believe to be related incidents that have occurred in the past 10 days," Mr Manley said. "Similar to what we have said in the earlier incidents, we want the community to be aware of what is going on."

The third blast sent a 75-year-old Hispanic woman to the hospital, while the second blast killed a 17-year-old boy and injured an adult woman who was in the room at the time of the explosion. A previous explosion on March 2 killed a 39-year-old man.

That third explosion was reported at 11.50am Monday while investigators responding to the second attack were still on scene. That second attack was reported at 6.44am on the same day after the 17-year-old boy brought a package into the kitchen from his home's front steps, detonating the device.

Mr Manley said that residents should not even touch packages that end up on their doorsteps if they are not expected, and said even picking up a package could have deadly consequences.

Officials investigating the incidents did not immediately disclose what types of explosives were used in the attacks, but said that they have not settled on any particular theories about the motivations behind the attack or who it might be. None of the packages were reportedly delivered through standard mail delivery services, Mr Manley said, suggesting that they had all been placed there in-person by the attacker.Vienna (AFP) - Austria on Monday marks the 80th anniversary of its annexation by Nazi Germany, with the country's President Alexander Van der Bellen urging young people not to be "taken in" by neo-fascist and far-right ideologies.

On March 12, 1938, Adolf Hitler ordered 200,000 soldiers, SS officers and police to invade Austria, his native country, subsequently declaring its "Anschluss" or annexation by the Third Reich.

A "Day of Commemoration" will be held on Monday to mark the events of 1938 that changed the course of Austrian history and served as a prelude to World War II.

Asked in an interview with the Kurier daily what future generations could learn from the Anschluss, van der Bellen replied: "Not to be taken in."

People should not take "peaceful cohabitation, co-determination and stable political conditions for granted," he warned. "These things can change."

Van der Bellen -- a former leader of the environmentalist Greens who in late 2016 beat an anti-immigration candidate in a polarising and nail-biting presidential election -- said minorities enjoy better protection today.

"They can't be outlawed at the stroke of a pen as they could then by a majority. If that weren't the case, the state could be immediately turned into a tyranny of the majority, as happened back then."

Van der Bellen has repeatedly called for vigilance and for tolerance since a coalition government took power in December, headed by the 31-year-old conservative Chancellor Sebastian Kurz, with the leader of the far-right Freedom Party (FPOe), Heinz-Christian Strache, as his deputy.

The FPOe, which counts former Nazis among its founders, is the oldest of the major right-wing nationalist and anti-immigration groupings currently on the rise in the European Union.

FPOe politicians have repeatedly rejected neo-Nazism, racism and anti-Semitism since the party joined the ruling coalition.

Story continues

The party has also expressed its gratitude to "the Republic of Austria, democracy, parliamentarism and the rule of law".

But the FPOe's position regarding the status of the Austrian state has long been ambiguous, with a strong current within the party -- particularly among student fraternities -- viewing Austria as part of a wider pan-German or "Greater German" identity.

Appearing on Austrian television alongside other leading politicians for the Anschluss commemorations, Strache said it was everyone's individual responsibility to remember "the National Socialist (Nazi) terror regime that murdered people on a large scale because of their religion, their origin and their political opinions."

- Embarrassing controversies -

But since it joined the ruling coalition, the FPOe has found itself embroiled in a string of embarrassing controversies regarding its relationship to Austria's history.

In January, for example, a leading FPOe candidate in regional elections quit the party because of a scandal over song lyrics praising the Holocaust.

While Strache has been keen to clean up his party's image, other incidents have tarnished it, such as one FPOe member of parliament who declared in 2006 on television that "National Socialism also had its good sides".

Many events marking the Anchluss anniversary feature eyewitnesses of the time, while public debates will focus on the responsibility of Austria and everyday Austrians in Hitler's seizure of power.

Talking about such issues in public was almost unheard of until the late 1980s, as Austria preferred to hide behind the status of Nazi victim that the Allies had officially conferred on it.

Such denial has prevented Austria from embarking on the very painful "Vergangenheitsbewaeltigung" or self-examination and coming to terms with the past that Germany has undertaken.

Austrian conservatives began paving the way for Nazism as early as 1933 when they put an end to parliamentary democracy, then crushed the Social Democrats in 1934 and set up a one-party regime.

In a country in the throes of an identity crisis following the disintegration of the Austro-Hungarian empire, and in full economic slump, anti-Semitism flourished as early as the 1920s.

"Everything had already long been ready by the time the Nazis arrived," Kitty Suschny -- who was just 13 in 1938 -- told a conference, recalling that a ban on "dogs and Jews" was imposed overnight in the grounds of Vienna's Schoenbrunn Palace.

The persecution of Jews began in the early hours of the Anschluss.

And on March 15, a euphoric crowd greeted Hitler in Vienna.

An artistic installation will be unveiled Monday at the site where the dictator made his first speech after the annexation of the country.

On Wednesday, Chancellor Kurz will ask his cabinet to approve a proposal for a memorial to the victims of the Holocaust to be erected in the centre of Vienna.A public park space in Baltimore that once honored two Confederate Army generals has been renamed for civil rights icon Harriet Tubman.

Hundreds of people, including city officials and Tubman family members, gathered in Wyman Park Dell for the ceremony on Saturday, held on the 105th anniversary of her death, The Baltimore Sun reported.

We stand on the shoulders of this great woman, Ernestine Jones-Williams, a 71-year-old descendant of the abolitionist leader who spoke on behalf of the family, said. We are overwhelmed. Overwhelmed. Thank you, and God bless you.

The site, now named Harriet Tubman Grove, features a barren pedestal that once held bronze statues of Robert E. Lee and Thomas Stonewall Jackson on horseback. Mayor Catherine Pughs administration ordered the removal of all four of the citys Confederate monuments in August following the deadly white supremacist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia. Its unclear when or if the three other former Confederate memorial sites will be rededicated.

Ciara Harris, chief of staff to Baltimore Recreation and Parks Director Reginald Moore, said the space now dedicated to Tubman has become a gathering place for city residents of all backgrounds since the Confederate monuments removal, according to the Sun.

Harriet Tubman Grove will provide the city an opportunity to correct historic injustice to a Maryland native, Harris said. Our city is properly recognizing an African-American hero.

Tubman was one of the most well-known conductors of the Underground Railroad, a network of safe houses and passageways used by slaves in the mid-19th century to escape from the South to freedom. She guided over 300 slaves into liberation and raised money to open schools for African-Americans after the Civil War, according to the Harriet Tubman Historical Society.

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This article originally appeared on HuffPost.Geneva (AFP) - The BBC said Monday that London-based members of its Persian service had faced death threats over their reporting, as it pressed the United Nations to act against Iran in defence of press freedom.

Britain's public broadcaster is lobbying the Human Rights Council this week to help raise awareness about what it describes as a sustained harassment campaign by the Iranian regime against its Persian-language reporters.

BBC Persian TV's special correspondent Kasra Naji told journalists in Geneva that "more than 20 of us, BBC Persia staff and our families, received death threats."

Several people required "police protection" in Britain he added.

Those comments came after Britain's ambassador to the UN in Geneva, Julian Braithwaite, condemned Iran's treatment of the BBC during a Council meeting on the country's human rights record.

"We call on Iran to drop the criminal charges against the BBC Persian staff and cease harassment of all journalists and their families with immediate effect," Braithwaite said, referring to a probe launched by Tehran alleging that BBC Persia's work was "a crime against Iran's national security."

BBC officials plan to address the Council directly later this week.

While condemning harassment of reporters in Iran, the BBC and press rights groups have raised particular alarm over the attempt to intimidate people outside the country.

"What is different about this is the way that they have reached beyond their borders," said Jeremy Dear, the deputy general secretary of the International Federation of Journalists.

He told reporters this strategy had "massive potential implications" for foreign reporting.

Naji reported that the sister of one London-based BBC Persia journalist was arrested in Iran in 2013 and held in solitary confinement for 17 days.

Iranian authorities indicated she would be released if the reporter agreed to quit the BBC or spy on her colleagues, according to Naji.

The BBC said it has never received a response from Tehran about its concerns, despite repeated attempts to open dialogue.

The secretary of Iran's High Council for Human Rights, Mohammad-Javad Larijani, did not address the BBC's concerns in his remarks to the rights council on Monday.Ottawa (AFP) - A German flag accidentally flapped Monday at an official welcome in Canada for Belgium's king and queen.

The flag with horizontal stripes of black, red and yellow was affixed to a tree along with Canada's flag outside the residence of Governor General Julie Payette.

On Belgium's banner the black, yellow and red stripes are vertical.

It was supposed to mark a tree that had been planted on the grounds in 1977 by Queen Fabiola, during the last Belgian royal visit, near where King Philippe and his wife Mathilde would also plant a sapling.

"While we were preparing for the tree planting ceremony on the grounds of Rideau Hall, it was brought to our attention that there was a mixup with a small flag that was used to help identify the tree planted by Her Majesty Queen Fabiola in 1977," Governor General Julie Payette's spokeswoman said.

"We rectified the situation immediately, prior to their majesties' arrival at the tree planting."

The governor general represents Queen Elizabeth II, Canada's head of state.

King Philippe and Queen Mathilde are on a state visit to Canada until March 17 with stops scheduled in Ottawa, Toronto and Montreal.

They arrived at the governor general's mansion on Monday in an open horse-drawn carriage accompanied by members of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police in dress uniforms of red serge.

Following a cannon salute and an inspection of the guard, King Philippe thanked Canadian soldiers for fighting on behalf of his country's freedom in the two world wars.

"We owe our freedom to these soldiers," he said.

Afterward the royals proceeded to the tree planting.Belgrade (AFP) - The Serbian government said Monday it planned to erect a monument honouring the country's pro-European prime minister Zoran Djindjic, assassinated in 2003, even as some voices called for a statue to the man he ousted, Slobodan Milosevic.

The government said in a statement it had a "duty to finance a monument to a man assassinated while he was prime minister."

Djindjic -- who already has a boulevard in the capital named after him -- was shot by a sniper in broad daylight in front of a Serbian government building on March 12, 2003.

He was 50 at the time of his death and is seen as the architect of a popular uprising that ousted Milosevic in October 2000.

Milosevic -- widely considered responsible for the 1990s wars in Croatia, Bosnia and Kosovo that killed more than 130,000 people -- had been refusing to cede power, despite being defeated in the election.

It was Djindjic's administration that extradited Milosevic to The Hague where he was tried by a UN tribunal for genocide and war crimes. He died in his prison cell on March 11, 2006.

His extradition paved the way for Serbia to set in motion the process to join the European Union. That accession process is still ongoing.

But some Serbs continue to view the move as treason.

Last week, the Socialist Party of Serbia (SPS) -- set up by Milosevic and now a member of the ruling coalition -- proposed setting up a monument in Belgrade in honour of the late strongman.

The SPS's current head is Foreign Minister Ivica Dacic, who was the party's spokesman under Milosevic.

"I agree with this idea, but the municipal authorities will have the final word," Dacic told the Vecernje Novosti paper at the weekend.

The party had put forward a similar proposal in 2016, but it was rejected.

"Milosevic's policy already has monuments throughout the Balkans -- its cemeteries are full," one Twitter user commented.

"We already have a monument since 1999," said another, posting a photograph of a ruined army building in downtown Belgrade, destroyed by rockets during NATO bombing campaign to stop the Kosovo war in 1999.By Massimiliano Di Giorgio and Sara Rossi ROME (Reuters) - The caretaker leader of Italy's ruling Democratic Party (PD) said on Monday the party should go into opposition after its bruising election defeat and resist calls to participate in the next government as a junior partner. A March 4 election ended in stalemate, with an alliance of conservative parties falling 49 seats short of a majority in the lower house of parliament. The largest single party, the anti-establishment 5-Star Movement, was 95 seats adrift. Either group could govern if they won the backing of the centre-left bloc, dominated by the PD, which took 112 seats in the 630-seat lower house. The PD could also provide both camps with a majority in the upper house Senate. Maurizio Martina, who has taken over as acting PD chief following the resignation of former leader Matteo Renzi, told a party meeting that 5-Star and the far-right League should try to form a government even though they were pre-election adversaries. "The people voted for you to govern, now do it," Martina said in reference to 5-Star leader Luigi Di Maio and Matteo Salvini, head of the League which was the leading party in the rightwing coalition. "Dear Di Maio and Salvini, take on your responsibility," he told the party, meeting to lick its wounds after its worst-ever election performance and try to chart a path forwards. Martina's words were in line with Renzi's parting shots, but it remains to be seen whether the PD will continue to resist calls from within its ranks and from left-wing commentators for it to support a potential 5-Star government. Earlier on Monday Salvini rejected the idea of governing with the PD, hours after his main ally, former prime minister Silvio Berlusconi, called for its support. "The Italians did not vote for us to bring Renzi back to government. Do you think a League voter wants (current Prime Minister Paolo) Gentiloni in power?" Salvini told reporters after a party meeting in Milan. His statements contrasted with an appeal Berlusconi made to the PD in Monday's Stampa newspaper, asking for its help to form a government and avoid a swift return to the polls. BERLUSCONI WEAKER The former premier, who cannot run for office due to a 2013 tax fraud conviction, said the election result meant he and his rightwing allies had "the right, and above all the duty, to lead the next government", and he called on the PD to show a sense of responsibility. "Nobody ... can ignore the country's need to be governed," he said, adding it would be much better to take "a few weeks" to put together a coalition rather than rush to a new election. Forza Italia's relegation to second place within the alliance was the first such defeat for Berlusconi in all his 25 years in politics, and weakened the position he had carved out as a moderate guarantor who could keep his allies in check. Berlusconi ruled out that the League, now the second-biggest party in parliament, could break ranks with its conservative allies and join forces with 5-Star. "I trust Salvini's loyalty and his political intelligence. I cannot see how a party in our coalition could imagine cooperating with a 5-Star government," he said. Italian media speculation is growing that the only way out of the parliamentary deadlock might be a "national unity" government backed by all the main parties. The new parliament sits for the first time on March 23. One of its first duties will be to elect presidents for the two chambers, which will give a first glimpse of party dynamics within the legislature. Salvini indicated at the weekend that the League should lead one house and 5-Star the other. However, looking to forge ties with the centre left, Forza Italia suggested the conservatives should back a PD candidate in one of the chambers. (Writing by Gavin Jones, Isla Binnie and Crispian Balmer; Editing by Robin Pomeroy and Andrew Roche)The Daily News publishes death notices and obituaries on a daily basis for Norfolkans, area residents and former residents.

Death notices, which include information about when and where a person died, funeral services, burial and visitation for the deceased and memorial information, are published free of charge.

If families of the deceased desire to have an obituary printed, there is a fee charged for doing so. Because of that, families of the deceased can decide what information they want included in the obituary, as well as if they desire to have a photograph published along with it. The Daily News reserves the right to edit.

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People needing additional information about death notices and obituaries can call the Daily News at 371-1020 or (877) 371-1020 and ask for the newsroom.Betsy DeVos says she hasnt intentionally visited schools in her home state, Michigan, that are underperforming, in awkward interview

Donald Trumps education secretary, Betsy DeVos, stumbled through a TV interview on Sunday, admitting she did not know why many US schools were underperforming and agreeing that maybe she should visit some in order to find out.



The billionaire rarely gives interviews and is the only member of the Trump cabinet to be protected by a squad of US marshals, because she attracts controversy and protests and has received death threats.

DeVos was brought into the Trump administration with no experience as an educator but with a reputation for promoting private and charter schools. She supports switching government money from the federally funded public school system into schemes such as vouchers that allow parents to send their children to private, religious or charter schools.

DeVos most recently faced bitter criticism after visiting Majory Stoneman Douglas high school in Parkland, Florida, soon after a shooting there in February in which 17 people were killed. She mostly avoided talking to students, especially those who were calling for stricter gun control laws.

On CBS 60 Minutes on Sunday evening, the interviewer Lesley Stahl pointed out to DeVos that despite her having had a huge influence over school policy in her home state, Michigan, the performance of public schools there was declining.

DeVos said: Michigan schools need to do better. There is no doubt about it.

Stahl asked: Have you seen the really bad schools? Maybe try to figure out what theyre doing?

DeVos said: I have not intentionally visited schools that are underperforming.

Stahl pointed out that maybe she should. Maybe I should, said DeVos. Yes.

Asked what she and her department had been doing in her first year in office, she said: Weve begun looking at and rolling back a lot of the overreach of the federal government in education.

Story continues

Under DeVos, such actions have included repealing Obama-era recommendations that transgender students use public bathrooms that suit their gender identity and changing Title IX guidelines to allow colleges greater power to give the benefit of the doubt to those accused of sexual assault.

Asked if she thought false accusations of rape were as common as actual attacks, DeVos said: I dont know, I dont know.

On the subject of arming schoolteachers, which Trump has recommended, DeVos said she could not imagine her first-grade teacher carrying a gun but said it should be considered for those who are capable.

DeVos will head Trumps controversial new commission on school safety.

The White House press secretary, Sarah Sanders, on Monday sidestepped questions about DeVoss interview performance and seemed to downplay DeVoss role on the commission.

I think that the president is going to be the lead on school safety when it comes to this administration, she said, adding that he had laid out his positions on gun laws.

Thats the focus of the president. Not one or two interviews, but on actual policy that can help protect the safety and security of school kids across this country.The age issue has put the President at odds with the nations largest gun-rights lobbying group, the NRA, and certain fellow Republicans: AP

Donald Trump has said there is not much political support for raising the minimum age to purchase certain guns, as the White House backpedalled on imposing a gun control measure that the President publicly backed.

In a plan to prevent school shootings, the Trump administration has left the issue of arming teachers up to states and local communities, and backed away from raising the age limit to buy assault-style weapons  two ideas that Mr Trump said he favoured last month.

But the age issue has put the President at odds with the nations largest gun-rights lobbying group, the National Rifle Association (NRA), and certain fellow Republicans.

The NRA, wich spent more than $11m (7.91m) supporting Mr Trump during the 2016 election, sued the state of Florida last week over a new gun law signed by Republican Governor Rick Scott, banning the purchase of firearms by anyone under the age of 21, claiming it was unconstitutional.

The law also allows the arming and training of school staff and introduced a three-day waiting period on all gun sales and a ban on bump stocks, a device that enables semi-automatic rifles to fire hundreds of rounds a minute.

 On 18 to 21 Age Limits, watching court cases and rulings before acting. States are making this decision, Mr Trump said in a tweet. Things are moving rapidly on this, but not much political support (to put it mildly).

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He also reiterated his support for strengthening background checks, arming school officials and banning bump stocks.

Very strong improvement and strengthening of background checks will be fully backed by White House. Legislation moving forward. Bump Stocks will soon be out. Highly trained expert teachers will be allowed to conceal carry, subject to State Law. Armed guards OK, deterrent! Mr Trump tweeted.

During a press briefing, reporters asked White House spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders repeatedly why Mr Trump was not pushing forward his proposal to increase the age limit for buying certain guns even though the idea appears to have a lot of public support.

Story continues

Hes making sure that the things we can do right now, were actually doing. Instead of holding some of those pieces back were working through the process to see what we can do to get the other things done, Ms Sanders said.

Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos on Monday pushed back against the idea of arming teachers with assault-style weapons.

I dont think assault weapons in schools, carried by any school personnel, is the appropriate thing, Ms DeVos said in an interview with NBC.

A new federal commission chaired by Ms DeVos will examine the age issue as part of the White Houses plan to prevent school shootings. Administration officials have already had to defend the new commission, after the President panned such policy groups over the weekend, saying we cant just keep setting up blue-ribbon committees as all they do are talk, talk, talk.

In the wake of a school shooting in Parkland, Florida last month that left 17 people dead, Mr Trump has hosted several roundtables aimed at finding a solution to gun violence.

Stunning many, he also announced his support for certain gun-control measures that are opposed by the NRA, but many Republicans in Congress have not followed suit.

Additionally, Democrats have said the pieces of gun control legislation that appear the most likely to pass in Congress do not do enough to address gun violence.

Ms DeVos has called the White Houses proposal meaningful actions, steps that can be taken right away to help protect students. She said on Monday said the plan was the first step in a more lengthy process.

No deadline has been set for the commissions recommendations. However, officials expect them to be published in less than a year.

When asked why the White House has backed away from Mr Trumps support for increasing the age to buy assault-style weapons, Ms DeVos said that everything is on the table.

She also stressed that the commission would study a wide range of issues, but that it should be up to states to decide whether to arm teachers.

This is an issue that is best decided by local communities and by states, DeVos said on NBC. Its not going to be appropriate in every location, but it is going to be appropriate in some places.

The White Houses proposal has already been criticised by gun control advocates.

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Americans expecting real leadership to prevent gun violence will be disappointed and troubled by President Trumps dangerous retreat from his promise, said Avery Gardiner, the co-president of the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence.

Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer it as tiny baby steps designed not to upset the NRA, when the gun violence epidemic in this country demands that giant steps be taken.Education Secretary Betsy DeVos had one of the most contentious confirmation hearings of the Trump administration, with two Republicans voting against her nomination. On Sunday night, she told Lesley Stahl of 60 Minutes that shes more misunderstood than anything.

However, in the very same interview, the billionaire advocate for school choice, which allows taxpayer funds for public education to be channeled to other schools, including private religious-based institutions, struggled to provide data backing up her signature issue.

DeVos claimed that when kids opt to go to private or charter schools, public schools also improve. Then, DeVos admitted she didnt know if that happened in her home state of Michigan, where she has long advocated for such programs.

Heres the exchange:

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Have you seen the really bad schools? Maybe try to figure out what theyre doing? Stahl asked.

I have not, DeVos confessed. I have not. I have not intentionally visited schools that are underperforming.

Maybe you should, Stahl suggested.

Also on HuffPost

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This article originally appeared on HuffPost.The Black Lives Matter movement slammed the National Rifle Association on Friday after the group filed a lawsuit against the Florida legislation that would raise the age to buy rifles to 21.

The civil rights organization retweeted the Associated Press and called the NRA a terrorist organization.

Trending: Videos of Mysterious Unidentified Objects Need To Be Taken Seriously, Former Government Official Says

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The NRAs decision to file the lawsuit comes after Florida Governor Rick Scott signed off on the Senate Bill 7026 in the wake of the Parkland school shooting when a 19-year-old entered Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School with an AR-15 rifle and killed 17 people.

"This bill punishes law-abiding gun owners for the criminal acts of a deranged individual," executive director of the NRA Institute for Legislative Action Chris W. Cox said. "Securing our schools and protecting the constitutional rights of Americans are not mutually exclusive."

The NRA and the Black Lives Matter organization have never seen eye to eye, and have attacked one anothers organizations before.

Don't miss: White Male Workers Respond Poorly To Women And Racial Minorities In Power And Take It Out On Colleagues: Report

Black Lives Matter activists responded to an NRA video that was aired in 2017 featuring images and videos of protesters in Baltimore over the in-custody death of Freddie Gray. The civil rights chapter from Los Angeles fired back with their own video, mocking the NRAs advertisement by copying their ominous music and lighting.

When the NRA issues a public call to their constituents, inciting violence against people who are constitutionally fighting for their lives, we dont take that lightly, says BLM LA member Funmilola Fagbamila in the response video.

BLM activists also slammed the NRA for not responding to the death of Philando Castile, a black gun owner, who was shot on July 6, 2016, in St. Anthony Minnesota after Officer Jeronimo Yanez shot him. The association eventually commented on Castiles death a few days later on CNN.

Story continues

Most popular: Chuck Todd Responds to Trump Calling Him a 'Sleeping Son of a Bitch'



I think its absolutely awful. I dont agree with every single decision that comes out from courtrooms of America. There are a lot of variables in this particular case, and there were a lot of things that I wish would have been done differently, said  NRA spokesperson Dana Loesch said of Castiles shooting. Do I believe that Philando Castile deserved to lose his life over a (traffic) stop? I absolutely do not.

A year later, Loesch argued on Twitter that Castile was not legally carrying his handgun when he was shot because he had marijuana in his possession.

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This article was first written by Newsweek

More from NewsweekBy Alistair Smout and Michael Holden LONDON (Reuters) - British Prime Minister Theresa May said on Monday it was "highly likely" that Moscow was responsible for the poisoning in England of Russian former double agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter using a military-grade nerve agent. May told parliament that either the Russian state was directly responsible for the poisoning or it had allowed the nerve agent to get into the hands of others. London has given Russia until the end of Tuesday to explain its use. British officials had identified the substance as being part of the Novichok group of nerve agents which were developed by the Soviet military during the 1970s and 1980s, May said. "Should there be no credible response, we will conclude that this action amounts to an unlawful use of force by the Russian state against the United Kingdom," she said, calling the attack a "reckless and despicable act". Russia's foreign ministry hit back immediately, saying May's comments were a "circus show" and part of a political information campaign against Russia. White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders said U.S. President Donald Trump's administration stood by America's "closest ally". "The use of a highly lethal nerve agent against UK citizens on UK soil is an outrage," Sanders said. "The attack was reckless, indiscriminate and irresponsible. We offer the fullest condemnation." Skripal, 66, and his 33-year-old daughter Yulia, have been in hospital in a critical condition since being found unconscious on a bench outside a shopping centre in the city of Salisbury on March 4. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said the use of any nerve agent was "horrendous and completely unacceptable" and "this incident is of great concern to NATO". Relations between Britain and Russia have been strained since the murder in London of former KGB agent Alexander Litvinenko, who died in 2006 after drinking green tea laced with radioactive polonium-210. On Monday, May said the latest poisoning took place "against a backdrop of a well-established pattern of Russian state aggression" and that Britain was ready to take "much more extensive measures" against Russia than in the past. Russia's ambassador to London has been summoned to explain to British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson how the nerve agent came to have been used. "On Wednesday we will consider in detail the response from the Russian state," May said. Novichok agents are believed to be five to 10 times more lethal than the more commonly known VX and Sarin gases. They cause a slowing of the heart and restriction of the airways, leading to death by asphyxiation, University of Reading pharmacology professor Gary Stephens said. RUSSIAN TV: WORLD CUP SPOILER PLOT Russian President Vladimir Putin brushed off a question about the affair while visiting a grain centre in southern Russia, saying British authorities should first "get to the bottom of things", the BBC's Moscow correspondent wrote on Twitter. Russian state TV accused Britain of poisoning Skripal as part of a special operation designed to spoil Russia's hosting of the soccer World Cup this summer. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Skripal worked for British intelligence and the attack happened in Britain so it was not a matter for the Russian government. A British policeman who was one of the first to attend to the stricken spy was also affected by the nerve agent. He is now conscious in a serious but stable condition, police said. Skripal is a former colonel in Russia's GRU military intelligence who was convicted of passing secrets to Britain's MI6 intelligence agency and later exchanged in a spy swap. The chairman of the British parliament's foreign affairs committee, Tom Tugendhat, said Russia's so-called oligarchs, who have amassed fortunes during Putin's 18-year rule, should be denied entry to the luxuries of London and the West. The British capital has been dubbed "Londongrad" due to the large quantities of Russian money that have poured in since the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991. May last year said Putin was seeking to undermine the West and the international order by meddling in elections, and promised to ensure corrupt money did not flow into Britain from Russia. A British public inquiry found the 2006 killing of Litvinenko had probably been approved by Putin and carried out by two Russians, Dmitry Kovtun and Andrei Lugovoy - a former KGB bodyguard who later became a member of the Russian parliament. Cordons remained in place in the centre of Salisbury and some police investigators wore full chemical and biological suits. The army was later deployed to help remove items from the scene. Health officials said there was no wider risk to public health. Jenny Harries, deputy medical director at Public Health England, suggested members of the public who had visited the same restaurant and pub as Skripal and his daughter on March 4 should wash their clothes, clean phones and bags with baby wipes and wash items such as jewellery and spectacles with warm water and detergent. (Additional reporting by Andrew Osborn in Moscow, Jonathan Shenfield and Alex Fraser in Salisbury, Anthony Deutsch in Amsterdam and David Alexander in Washington; Writing by William Schomberg; Editing by Richard Balmforth and Catherine Evans)San Francisco (AFP) - US President Donald Trump blocked Monday an unsolicited bid by Singapore-based Broadcom to take over smartphone chipmaker Qualcomm, citing national security concerns.

Trump issued an order barring the proposed mega-acquisition, saying there is credible evidence such a deal "threatens to impair the national security of the United States," according to a White House statement.

The order came despite Broadcom's assurances that it would complete its move to the United States by early April, ahead of a planned Qualcomm shareholder vote on the $117 billion deal -- meaning any national security concerns were moot.

"Broadcom's proposal to acquire Qualcomm has always been premised on the completion of Broadcom's previously announced plan to redomicile," the company said in a statement.

"In short, US national security concerns are not a risk to closing, as Broadcom never plans to acquire Qualcomm before it completes redomiciliation."

The Treasury Department said in a letter over the weekend that on three separate occasions Broadcom had violated a Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States order by failing to give advance notice before taking actions such as filing takeover-related securities filings in the United States.

A CFIUS investigation of the proposed acquisition so far has "confirmed" national security concerns earlier identified by US officials, according to the letter.

Trump ordered Broadcom and Qualcomm to "immediately and permanently abandon the proposed takeover."

The rival chip giants were told to notify CFIUS in writing that all aspects of the order had been followed.

- Battling boards -

Qualcomm has been maneuvering for weeks to rebuff Broadcom's unwanted advances, and had asked CFIUS to look into national security implications of a merger.

Concern over China's potential influence, and rising US protectionist sentiment, hangs over an effort by California-based Qualcomm to repel a Singaporean firm's hostile takeover bid.

Story continues

Qualcomm rejected multiple Broadcom offers during weeks of parries and thrusts between the two firms since the proposed deal emerged in November.

The company, which makes most of the world's microprocessors for smartphones, had postponed until April 5 an annual shareholders' meeting set for this week after secretly requesting a national security review of Broadcom's bid.

CFIUS noted that a Broadcom-Qualcomm merger could weaken Qualcomm's leadership in the field.

This would likely help Chinese competitors such as telecommunications firm Huawei, particularly in the emerging 5G blazing fast wireless internet, where a stronger China could present a national security issue.Nairobi (AFP) - Burundi's ruling party has bestowed the title of "eternal supreme guide" on President Pierre Nkurunziza, a party official confirmed Sunday, as critics claimed he wants to lock in power for life.

"He is our elder, our father, our adviser," CNDD-FDD secretary general Evariste Ndayishimiye said in a video sent to AFP whose authenticity was confirmed by an official.

A party statement issued after a meeting Saturday of the party's top leadership in Nkurunziza's native Buye in the north of the former Belgian colony did not spell out the implications of the title.

The 54-year-old former rebel leader has ruled the densely populated central African country since 2005 after a devastating civil war.

A constitutional referendum in May could allow him to run in elections in 2020, paving the way for him to remain in power until 2034.

Critics mocked the development, with one decrying the "cult of personality around his majesty the King Nkurunziza I".

But another party official, who asked not to be named, insisted to AFP the move did not reflect "an excess such as those of (former North Korean dictator) Kim Il Sung, as our detractors suggest".

Burundi has faced a serious political crisis since Nkurunziza sought a fiercely contested third term in office in April 2015.

Post-election violence claimed at least 1,200 lives and displaced more than 400,000 people between April 2015 and May 2017, according to estimates by the International Criminal Court, which has opened an investigation.

Nkurunziza has led several purges in the ranks of the former rebellion and surrounded himself with a select group of generals.

Opposition parties warn the constitutional changes could deal a death blow to the Arusha peace accords that helped to end the 1993-2006 civil war, in which more than 300,000 people died.

The Arusha accords stipulate that no president can govern the country for more than 10 years. The current constitution sets a limit of two five-year mandates.As far as trans issues, this administration has been the worst ever, Caitlyn Jenner said March 9. (Photo: SOPA Images via Getty Images)

Over a year after she publicly supported Donald Trumps candidacy, Caitlyn Jenner continues to distance herself from the increasingly unpopular president, saying on Thursday that his administration has been the worst ever for trans people.

As far as trans issues, this administration has been the worst ever, she told Newsweek at the Champions of Jewish Values International Awards Gala in New York on March 9.

Theyve set our community back 20 years, easily, she added. Its going to be hard to change, but weve been through these types of things before, and well continue to fight it.

The former Olympian has flip-flopped somewhat on Trump before. Though she appeared at the presidents inauguration in January 2017, shes been critical of the administrations policies in interviews and on social media.

In an April 2017 interview with PEOPLE, Jenner said her loyalties were with my community and not with the Republican party, and not with Donald Trump. She told The View in July shed met with members of Trumps cabinet on LGBTQ issues as shed been disappointed in a few ways with the presidents stance on issues important to the queer community, but didnt offer any specifics.

She sparked outrage less than a month later, however, when she sported a red hat bearing Trumps Make America Great Again slogan while driving in Los Angeles. She later apologized, telling TMZ, I will never do it again and Im getting rid of the hat.

Though she told Newsweek last week that shed built some very nice and good relationships with the Republican party since the inauguration, she added, I have not been back to see Trump.

Ultimately, shed like the president to do a better job when it comes to equality.

Were all Americans, she said.

Also on HuffPost

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This article originally appeared on HuffPost.Ottawa (AFP) - Canada's competition watchdog announced Monday an investigation of the country's largest newspaper publishers Torstar and Postmedia after the pair swapped and shuttered dozens of dailies last year.

"The Competition Bureau is investigating alleged anti-competitive conduct contrary to the conspiracy provisions of the Competition Act," Commissioner John Pecman said in a statement, adding he was also examining possible merger violations.

No charges have been laid, and allegations of a "conspiracy" have not been tested in court.

Earlier, search warrants were executed at Postmedia and Torstar's offices related to their November 27, 2017 swapping of 41 newspapers -- 34 of which were immediately shuttered.

Postmedia and Torstar both said they were cooperating with the investigation. Postmedia also rejected accusations of wrongdoing.

"Postmedia is strongly of the view that there has been no contravention of the Competition Act with respect to this matter," it said.

The November deal saw Postmedia, which owns dailies in most major Canadian cities including the National Post, acquire 22 weekly papers as well as two free dailies, and immediately put all but one of them on the chopping block.

Torstar -- which publishes Canada's largest circulation daily, the Toronto Star, and its subsidiary Metroland -- acquired 15 weekly and small-town daily newspapers mostly in Ontario, as well as free dailies 24 Hours Toronto and 24 Hours Vancouver.

Metroland, citing falling advertising revenues, also shuttered three daily and eight community publications.

The deal was called "a deathblow to local news coverage" by the union representing media workers, while Ottawa earmarked Can$50 million for struggling local news in last month's federal budget.More than 1000 women marched in the streets in Tunis Saturday to demand equal inheritance rights for both sexes following a debate that left the Tunisian society divided.

The current Tunisian inheritance law is based on Islamic jurisprudence, which grants women half of what it gives men in inheritance, while making men financially responsible for women.

The protesters, joined by few men, chanted slogans saying In a civil state I take exactly what you take, demanding that men and women be treated on an equal footing in inheritance.

The inheritance debate took a heated turn after President Beji Caid Essebsi advocated inheritance law reform, on the occasion of Tunisian Womens National Day last August saying we will find a way to reconcile religion and constitutional principles. The inheritance is an issue for humans. God and His prophet left humans to manage these issues.

Such an announcement was met by opposition in conservative circles of the Tunisian society. Some Muslim clerics described gender equality in inheritance as a flagrant violation of Islamic precepts.

In his address on the occasion of Womens National Day, President Beji Caid Essebsi also called for the repeal of the law, which prohibits Tunisian Muslim women from marrying non-Muslim men and for amendments granting women equal rights as men, including those governing womens inheritance.China removed presidential term limits from its constitution on Sunday, giving President Xi Jinping the right to remain in office indefinitely, and confirming his status as the countrys most powerful leader since Mao Zedong died more than 40 years ago.

Chinas ruling Communist Party announced the proposed amendment only last month and there was never any doubt it would pass as parliament is packed with loyal party members who would not have opposed the proposal.

GettyImages-930369792

Getty Images

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The amendments also include inserting Xis political theory into the constitution, something that was already added to the party charter in October at the end of a party congress, a feat no other leader since Mao had managed while in office. Additionally, clauses were included to give a legal framework to a new super anti-corruption department.

Only two no votes were cast, with three abstentions, from almost 3,000 delegates.

Reporters were briefly ushered from the main hall in the Great Hall of the People as delegates filled in their ballot papers, but allowed in to see them placing the papers, one by one, into large red ballot boxes around the room.

Xi cast his vote first, on the podium at the front of the hall, followed in turn by the other six members of the partys elite Standing Committee, which runs China.

The room erupted into loud applause when the result of the vote was passed, though Xi did not address parliament.

The limit of two five-year presidential terms was written into Chinas constitution in 1982 after Maos death six years earlier by Deng Xiaoping, who recognized the dangers of one-man rule and the cult of personality after the chaos of the Cultural Revolution and instead espoused collective leadership.

Story continues

Speaking later to reporters, Shen Chunyao, chairman of the Legislative Affairs Commission of parliaments standing committee, dismissed concerns the move could risk a return to strongman rule or lead to political turmoil or infighting.

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As for the assumptions, conjecture and stretched situations in your question, I think that does not exist, Shen said.

In the past nine decades of the partys history it has overcome hardships and resolved major problems, including orderly leadership transitions and keeping the party and countrys vitality and long-term stability, he added.

In the nearly 40 years of reform and opening up, we have successfully established, upheld and expanded the political development road of socialism with Chinese characteristics, Shen said.

So, going forward the road we are on will definitely be longer and wider, and the future brighter and brighter.

Xi, 64, swiftly consolidated power after taking over as party chief in late 2012, and the move to lift the presidential term limits is not unexpected.

In the run up to the vote, critics on Chinese social media attacked the move and drew parallels to North Korea or suggested a Mao-type cult of personality was forming. But the government quickly mounted a propaganda push, blocking some comments and publishing pieces praising the proposal.

The party loyalists who attend the annual session of parliament have said the decision is popular with ordinary Chinese people and asserted that China was lucky to have a leader of Xis caliber.

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Protecting the countrys long-term stability is an extremely good thing, Cheng Bingqiang from Sichuan province told Reuters shortly ahead of the vote, when asked if he worried about Xi being in office forever.

He Guangliang from the southwestern province of Guizhou said it wasnt fair to draw comparisons with North Korea.

China has its own national characteristics, He said. Theres no one system that suits all countries.

However the question was too sensitive for several legislators, who scurried away when asked about Xi being in office forever.

You cant ask me that, said one lady, laughing nervously and declining to give her name.

In a further measure of Xis strength, a key Xi ally, former top graft-buster Wang Qishan, could be elected vice president on Saturday, having stepped down from the Standing Committee in October.

He cast his vote right after the seven members of the Standing Committee. The amendment also lifts term limits for the vice presidency.

Weve not got around to discussing that yet, Chen Yunying, a senior defector from self-ruled Taiwan who is married to Justin Yifu Lin, the World Banks former chief economist.

Well get it in the next few days, she told Reuters, referring to the candidate list for vice president, and adding everyone has been saying it will be Wang for the position.

Xi began his second five-year term as party chief in October and at the end of the week will be formally appointed by parliament to his second term as president.

The government has said lifting the term limits is about protecting the authority of the party with Xi at its center. The partys official Peoples Daily has said this does not mean life-long terms.

The party gave Xi the title of core leader in 2016, a significant strengthening of his position at the time.

While the presidency is important, Xis positions as head of the party and head of the military are considered more important, and these titles are always given first by state media. With the passage of the amendment, now none of the posts have formal term limits.

This article was first written by Newsweek

More from NewsweekChina's President Xi Jinping is seen on a large screen over delegates as he joins a session of the National People's Congress to vote on a constitutional amendment at The Great Hall Of The People on March 11, 2018 in Beijing, China - Getty Images AsiaPac

Xi Jinping has cleared the way to rule for life and set China on a more authoritarian course after the country's rubber stamp parliament voted overwhelmingly to abolish presidential term limits on Sunday.

The move turns the clock back on decades of reform and reverses a system of collective leadership that was installed following the turmoil of Mao Tse-tungs one-man rule.

Almost 3,000 delegates of Chinas National Peoples Congress (NPC) backed the measure during a historic meeting inside Beijing's cavernous Great Hall of the People.

The Chinese president was among the first to vote, placing his orange ballot paper in a red box bearing the official seal of state at the centre of the stage at the front of the huge hall.

The deputies then left their seats to cast anonymous votes as jaunty music played during a ritual which lasted ten minutes.

The room erupted into loud applause when the result of the vote was passed with 2,958 in support. Two voted against, while three abstained and one ballot paper was spoiled, signifying almost total loyalty to Mr Xis vision for strongman rule.

Mr Xi showed little emotion throughout.

Special report: The cave the Chinese president called home

At least two-thirds of delegates were required to vote in favour of the constitutional changes to allow Mr Xi to rule beyond the end of his second term in 2023.

Observers now believe the Chinese president is almost untouchable.

Andrew Nathan, a China expert at the University of Columbia, said Mr Xi has locked up every possible source of power in the tripartite Party, state, and military apparatus."

"I have no doubt, human nature being what it is, that there are many Party elites who are jealous and disapproving of him, or who hate him, partly due to the anti-corruption campaign and partly due simply to his monopolising power in this way, he told The Telegraph.

China's President Xi Jinping places his ballot in a box during a vote on an amendment to the constitution during a session of the National People's Congress at The Great Hall Of The People on March 11, 2018 in Beijing, China Credit: Getty Images

"But they have been isolated, cowed, and silenced. Although it is hazardous to make predictions about China, I can see no sign of a brewing power struggle. Xi seems secure."

Story continues

The ruling Communist Party says the move to scrap presidential limits has received widespread support from officials and ordinary people. China's tightly-controlled media have presented it as a routine matter.

But the country's huge army of Internet censors have been forced to mobilise to confront criticism which has emerged on social media.

Authorities have also moved to silence outspoken critics who have expressed concern about a return to one-man rule in a nation which now ranks among the most powerful on earth.

Roderick MacFarquhar, a former China Correspondent at The Daily Telegraph and a current China expert at Harvard University, said Mr Xis power grab still relied on the support of Chinas Peoples Liberation Army (PLA) in the long term.

One bad adventure could lead to Xi being ousted, Prof MacFarquhar said.

"In that connection, the one group that Xi has to keep on side is the military." The NPC is controlled by the ruling Communist Party and a strong vote supporting the Chinese president was widely expected.

The parliament also backed inserting Mr Xis political theory into the constitution, a feat no other leader since Mao had managed while in office.

The party gave Mr Xi the title of "core" leader in 2016, a significant strengthening of his position at the time.

An emerging 'cult of personality' around the Chinese leader has seen him being bestowed with a range of adulatory titles, and one local official recently likened him to a living Buddhist deity.

In the 1990s, intellectuals such as Francis Fukuyama questioned whether humanity had reached the "end of history", with liberal democracy and capitalism apparently victorious over communism and totalitarianism.

However, observers are now identifying a return to strongman, illiberal rule in countries like Russia, China, Turkey and the Philippines.

Additional reporting by Christine WeiRobert Farley

Security,

Our world might have been a very different place.

What If Hitler Never Invaded Russia?

Would this alternative German strategy have worked? A German Mediterranean option would have been very different than invading the Soviet Union. Instead of a huge Axis land army of 3 million men, the Mediterranean would have been a contest of ships and aircraft, supporting relatively small numbers of ground troops through the vast distances of the Middle East. With the Soviet Union remaining neutral (and continuing to ship resources to Germany under the NaziSoviet Pact,) Germany would have been able to concentrate the Luftwaffe in the Mediterranean. German aircraft mauled the Royal Navy in 194142, even while supporting the campaign in Russia. The full weight of the Luftwaffe would have been devastating.

One of the most momentous decisions in history was Adolf Hitler's invasion of the Soviet Union on June 22, 1941.

Operation Barbarossa transformed Nazi Germany's war from a one-front struggle, against a weakened Britain and a still-neutral United States, into a two-front conflict. The Eastern Front absorbed as much as three-quarters of the German army and inflicted two-thirds of German casualties.

So what would have happened if Hitler had not invaded Russia? The dynamics of the Third Reich and Hitler meant that Germany would not remain passive. In fact, it is hard to imagine Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union not at war, though the question is when this would have happened.

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One possibility was invading Britain in 1941, and thus either ending the European war or freeing the up the Third Reich to fight a later one-front war in the East. Thus Operation Sealion, the proposed 1940 amphibious assault on southern England, would merely have been postponed a year. The problem is that the Kreigsmarinethe German navywould still have been badly outnumbered by the Royal Navy, even with the addition of the new battleship Bismarck. The British would have enjoyed an additional year to reinforce the Royal Air Force and to rebuild the divisions battered during the Fall of France. Britain would also have been receiving Lend-Lease from the United States, which by September 1941 was almost a belligerent power that escorted convoys in the North Atlantic. A few months later, America did formally enter the conflict; despite the Japanese advance in the Pacific, the United States would certainly have concentrated its growing strength on keeping Britain unconquered and in the war.

Story continues

A more likely possibility is that Hitler could have chosen to move south instead of east. With most of Western Europe under his control after the summer of 1940, and Eastern Europe either subdued or allied with Germany, Hitler had a choice by mid-1941. He could either follow his instincts and ideology and move against the Soviet Union, with its rich resources and open spaces for Nazi colonists. Smashing Russia would also be the apocalyptic climax for what Hitler saw as an inevitable showdown with the cradle of communism.

Or, he could have turned towards the Mediterranean and the Middle East, as his naval chief Admiral Erich Raeder preferred. In the real World War Two, Rommel's North African campaign was a sideshow to the main event in Russia. In the alternate scenario, North Africa becomes the main event.

One possibility would be to pressure Franco to drop Spanish neutrality and allow German troops to enter Spain and capture Gibraltar, thus sealing off the direct route from Britain to the Mediterranean (if Franco was stubborn, another possibility would be to invade Spain and then take Gibraltar anyway.) Another option would be to reinforce Rommel's Afrika Korps, drive across Libya and Egypt to capture the Suez Canal (which Rommel almost did in July 1942.) From there the Germans could advance on Middle Eastern oil fields, or should Germany attack Russia in 1942, move through the Caucuses in a pincer operation that would squeeze Russia from the west and south. Meanwhile, steel and other resources would have been switched from building tanks and other land armaments, to building massive numbers of U-boats that would have strangled Britain's maritime lifeline.

Would this alternative German strategy have worked? A German Mediterranean option would have been very different than invading the Soviet Union. Instead of a huge Axis land army of 3 million men, the Mediterranean would have been a contest of ships and aircraft, supporting relatively small numbers of ground troops through the vast distances of the Middle East. With the Soviet Union remaining neutral (and continuing to ship resources to Germany under the NaziSoviet Pact,) Germany would have been able to concentrate the Luftwaffe in the Mediterranean. German aircraft mauled the Royal Navy in 194142, even while supporting the campaign in Russia. The full weight of the Luftwaffe would have been devastating.

On the other hand, the logistics of a Middle Eastern offensive would have been daunting, due to the great distances and lack of Italian shipping capacity to transport fuel. Germany had an efficient air force and navy, but it was primarily a continental power whose strength rested on its army. Assuming that America entered the war in December 1941, than it is possible that the focal point of the European theater in 1942 would have been GermanItalian air and naval forces supporting a reinforced Afrika Korps, versus British and American land, air and naval forces defending or counterattacking in the Near East.

Which in turn raises another question: what if Hitler didn't cancel Operation Barbarossa, but rather postponed it until the summer of 1942? Assuming the Axis were successful in the Middle East, the Soviets would have faced a GermanItalian expeditionary force advancing north through the Caucasus (perhaps Turkey would have joined the rising Axis tide.) Another year would also have given Germany more time to loot and exploit the resources of conquered Western Europe.

On the other hand, the Red Army in June of 1941 was caught terribly off-balance, still reeling and reorganizing from Stalin's purges. The extra year would have given the Soviets time to finish regrouping the Red Army as well as absorbing formidable new equipment such as the T-34 tank and Katyusha rocket launcher. Delaying Barbarossa until 1942, assuming Britain hadn't surrendered, would have meant that Germany would begin its attack on Russia while still needing to bolster its western defenses against the inevitable Anglo-American counterattack.

Superior German tactical and operational skills, as well as greater combat experience, would have given the Wehrmacht the edge in the opening days of Barbarossa 1942. Yet the catastrophic losses the Red Army suffered in 1941 would probably have been lower, leading to the possibility that Barbarossa delayed would have been a gift to the Soviets.

Michael Peck is a contributing writer for the National Interest. He can be found on Twitter and Facebook.

This first appeared in 2016.

Read full articleThe Church of Scientology will debut its TV network on Monday, the organization announced on Twitter.

HELLO WORLD, and greetings from Scientology Media Productions in Hollywood, CA! the message reads. Its TIME for us to tell OUR story.

A promotional video accompanying the message says the network will showcase a new voice. The e-meter is also featured in the clip, a device described in the video as the cutting edge of spiritual technology.

This content is not available due to your privacy preferences. Update your settings here to see it.

This content is not available due to your privacy preferences. Update your settings here to see it.

The organizations reference to telling their side of the story is likely in response to the documentaries and programs focused on the controversial inner-workings of the church reported by ex-members  including Alex Gibneys HBO documentary Going Clear: Scientology & The Prison Of Belief and Leah Reminis A&E show, Scientology and the Aftermath.

HuffPosts Yashar Ali previously reported in November that at least three of the women accusing actor Danny Masterson of rape are Scientologists. Despite evidence, sources told HuffPost that investigations into the matters stalled. Masterson is a longtime member of the church, which has been accused of covering up allegations of misconduct against the organization and its members.

Reports on the organization launching a media network have been around since 2016, according to the Hollywood Reporter.

The Scientology Network will be available to audiences on Scientology.tv, Apple TV, DirecTV, Roku, fireTV, iTunes and Google Play.

Love HuffPost? Become a founding member of HuffPost Plus today.

This article originally appeared on HuffPost.Bogota (AFP) - Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos on Monday ordered government negotiators to resume talks with the South American country's last active rebel group, the National Liberation Army (ELN).

"I have instructed the head of the negotiating team, Gustavo Bell, to travel to Quito and reactivate the dialogue," the president said.

Santos suspended long-running peace talks with the ELN in the Ecuadoran capital in late January following a series of attacks on police stations that left six people dead and dozens more wounded.

Those attacks occurred after a bilateral ceasefire had expired on January 9, during a break in the talks.

Santos' announcement came in response to a unilateral ceasefire by the ELN for Sunday's legislative elections, seen as a test of the group's willingness to get back to the negotiating table.

During the suspension of the talks, government forces had resumed operations against the ELN, killing 10 rebels last Tuesday in the group's biggest recent battlefield loss.

The ELN has about 1,500 fighters.

Colombia's biggest guerrilla group, the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), made peace with the government in 2016 and has since transformed into a political party that participated in Sunday's elections.Jerusalem (AFP) - A compromise aimed at saving Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's coalition advanced Monday as speculation built over whether the premier wants early elections to bolster his standing ahead of a potential indictment for bribery.

Defence Minister Avigdor Lieberman also provided the government with some breathing space by announcing he did not intend to quit for now -- even though he opposes the legislation upon which the compromise deal is based.

While the coalition crisis building in recent days was still not definitively resolved, Monday's moves could lessen the chances for elections for the time being.

Netanyahu has repeatedly said he wants the coalition to last its entire term, which ends in November 2019, but some coalition members suspect him of allowing a "fake" crisis to worsen to give him the option of forcing elections.

Polls suggest Netanyahu could remain prime minister in fresh elections despite the corruption allegations.

Some Israeli political commentators accuse Lieberman and Netanyahu of working together to preserve the option of fresh polls for the prime minister. Both men deny it.

"If there are elections, we shall take part and we shall win," Netanyahu told parliament on Monday evening. "But we are not there."

Though Netanyahu's legal woes hang over the discussions, the dispute within the coalition centres on a separate issue entirely: legislation to exempt young ultra-Orthodox Jewish men from military conscription.

Lieberman opposes the legislation and wants to see the ultra-Orthodox serve in the military like their secular counterparts.

Ultra-Orthodox political parties have said they would not support a national budget for 2019 unless the bill is approved.

- Postponing crisis -

A compromise in the works would at least postpone the crisis, if not outright resolve it.

In a meeting late Sunday, ultra-Orthodox factions told Netanyahu they would agree to support the budget if the military conscription bill passed a ministerial committee and an initial parliamentary reading, postponing a final vote until the summer session.

Story continues

On Monday, the ministerial committee gave approval to the bill.

Late in the evening the parliamentary finance committee approved the budget draft for the second and third readings needed to pass it into law, with committee chairman Moshe Gafni, of the ultra-Orthodox United Torah Judaism party voting in its favour, the parliamentary website said.

The budget was expected to put to its final vote on Tuesday or Wednesday, it added.

Lieberman later told lawmakers from his Yisrael Beitenu party that he would continue to oppose the legislation, but would remain in the government for now and could resign later.

"We shall not volunteer to leave the government," Lieberman said.

"For as long as it has not passed its third (and final) reading, we shall fight from inside."

He added that "there is no more interesting post than the post of defence minister. I do not know of anyone who would volunteer to leave the job."

Netanyahu separately called on all coalition partners -- "first and foremost Defence Minister Avigdor Lieberman" -- to remain in the government.

Should Lieberman and his party quit, Netanyahu's coalition could in theory continue with a one-seat majority in parliament.

Netanyahu however says that he does not want to do so, calling it unsustainable.

The 68-year-old premier could soon face charges in at least two separate corruption affairs, while investigations are continuing into two others.

Three of his former associates have signed state witness deals with police.

Police recommended his indictment for bribery in the first two cases in February and the attorney general is considering how to proceed, a process expected to take months.

In one case, Netanyahu and his family are accused of accepting expensive gifts from wealthy supporters in exchange for financial benefits or favours.

The other alleges he sought a secret deal with the publisher of a top-selling newspaper for favourable coverage.

Netanyahu has been prime minister for a total of 12 years, from 1996-1999 and again since 2009.

He is not required to step down if indicted -- only after he is convicted with all appeals exhausted -- though political pressure would surely mount.Berlin (AFP) - A former Nazi SS guard dubbed the "Bookkeeper of Auschwitz" has died aged 96 without ever having served his sentence for being an accessory to murder, German media said Monday.

Oskar Groening was among the last former Nazis to face trial for their roles in World War II, more than 70 years after the conflict, thanks to a landmark case allowing prosecution for aiding and abetting the German killing machine.

He worked as an accountant at Auschwitz, sorting and counting the money taken from those killed or used as slave labour, and shipping it back to his Nazi superiors in Berlin.

He was also on several occasions assigned to "ramp duty", processing deportees as they arrived by rail in cattle cars at the Nazi German death camp in occupied Poland.

Groening was found guilty in July 2015 of being an accessory to the murders of 300,000 Jews at the camp and sentenced to four years in prison.

Germany's constitutional court ruled in late December that he must serve out his sentence, rejecting defenders' argument that imprisonment at such an advanced age would violate his "right to life".

A court doctor determined that he was able to serve his sentence on condition he was given appropriate nursing and medical care but he was never jailed.

As of the time of his death at a German hospital on Friday, according to the weekly Der Spiegel, there had been no response to a formal "request for mercy" filed in January in a last-ditch bid to avoid jail.

One million European Jews died between 1940 and 1945 at Auschwitz before it was liberated by Soviet forces.

- 'Moral guilt' -

Yet, of the camp's 6,500 SS personnel who survived the war, fewer than 50 were ever convicted.

The legal basis for prosecuting former Nazis changed in 2011 with Germany's landmark conviction of former death camp guard John Demjanjuk.

He was sentenced not for atrocities he was known to have committed, but on the basis that he served at the Sobibor camp in occupied Poland -- for having been a cog in the Nazis' killing machine.

Story continues

This argument also led to Groening's conviction.

During his trial, Groening acknowledged "moral guilt" but said it was up to the court to rule on his legal culpability.

He said he was "very sorry" for his actions. "No one should have taken part in Auschwitz," he said. "I know that. I sincerely regret not having lived up to this realisation earlier and more consistently."Berlin (AFP) - A former Nazi SS guard dubbed the "Bookkeeper of Auschwitz" has died aged 96 nearly three years after his conviction for being an accessory to murder, German media said Monday.

A spokesman of the prosecutor's office in the northern city of Hanover told AFP that Oskar Groening's lawyer had informed him of his death but he was unable to confirm it officially.

Groening worked as an accountant at Auschwitz, sorting and counting the money taken from those killed or used as slave labour, and shipping it back to his Nazi superiors in Berlin.

He was found guilty in July 2015 of being an accessory to the murders of 300,000 people at the camp and sentenced to four years in prison.

A court doctor determined last year that he was able to serve his sentence, on condition he was given appropriate nursing and medical care, but he was never jailed.Country music star Tim McGraw collapsed on stage Sunday night during a performance in Ireland, Rolling Stone reported.

Faith Hill, one of the most successful country artists of all time and McGraws wife, was also performing at the event. She later reassured worried fans about McGraws condition.

Hes been super dehydrated, Hill said in a clip posted on an Instagram fan page. I apologize, but I made the decision that he cannot come back out on stage.

Fans cheered and chanted, Get well, Tim!

Country music star Tim McGraw collapsed on stage Sunday in Ireland after apparently suffering from dehydration. (Photo: Kevin Winter via Getty Images)

In clips from earlier in the show, McGraw, 50, showed no hint of the trouble to come. Reports on social media said he fell to his knees at the end of the song Humble & Kind, and had to be helped off stage.

Medical staff on site treated McGraw for dehydration, Dublins Sunday World newspaper reported.

Hill also told the crowd that the whole band had been suffering from dehydration as a result of their hectic travel schedule.

McGraw and Hill were participating in Country to Country (C2C), a three-night country music festival in London, Glasgow and Dublin, where the main acts play all three cities, each headlining on different nights.

McGraw, who has sold more than 80 million records worldwide and is best known for the hits Just To See You Smile and Live Like You Were Dying, has won three Grammys and a host of other accolades, including 11 CMA Awards. He and Hill have also recorded a number of duets, including the chart-topper Its Your Love.

In addition, McGraw works as an actor, appearing in films such as The Blind Side, Friday Night Lights and Tomorrowland.

McGraw and Hill are currently scheduled to start another tour in late May.

Also on HuffPost

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This article originally appeared on HuffPost.London (AFP) - Jurors in the trial of a teenager accused of an attempted London Underground bombing on Monday heard that he had said it was his "duty to hate Britain" well before the botched attack in September.

Ahmed Hassan, an 18-year-old Iraqi asylum seeker, arrived in Britain in October 2015, two years before he allegedly left a bucket of explosives that partially exploded on a Tube train at Parsons Green station, injuring 30 people.

Katie Cable, a lecturer and mentor at a suburban college where Hassan studied media, told London's Old Bailey court that he had said he blamed Britain for the death of his parents in Iraq.

"It's my duty to hate Britain," she said he had told her.

Cable testified that she believed his father was blown up and his mother had been shot.

When Hassan came to Britain, he told authorities he was in fear of the Islamic State group and that it had taken him by force and trained him "how to kill" when he was in Iraq.

But the court also heard that the lecturer had even alerted a government terrorism prevention scheme of her concerns after she saw a message in August 2016 on his phone reading: "IS has accepted your donation".

Cable testified that Hassan talked about Tony Blair and expressed "anger" at events in Iraq, telling her "the British" were responsible for his parents' death.

Hassan has denied the charge of attempted murder and causing an explosion on a packed train on September 15.

The attack, claimed by IS, was the fifth time Britain had been targeted in a six-month period.Newly elected president of Chile Sebastian Pinera reaffirmed his countrys position in support of Moroccos territorial integrity and sovereignty over the Sahara

Speaking on the sidelines of his investiture ceremony to Speaker of Moroccos Lower House Habib El Malki, Pinera stressed that supporting Moroccos territorial integrity is an unwavering commitment in Chiles foreign policy.

Regarding trade and economic cooperation, the Chilean president-elect said there are important areas for fruitful and effective partnership between the two countries, notably in the agricultural and tourism sectors.

Pinera, who commended the leadership of Morocco in renewable energy, also expressed his countrys willingness to take advantage of the kingdoms experience in this area.

He also highlighted the important role played by the Mohammed VI Cultural Center for the dialogue of civilizations since it opened in the city of Coquimbo in 2007.

Last January, the Chilean parliament adopted with a sweeping majority a resolution supporting Moroccos initiative to grant the Sahara a substantive autonomy.

Sixty-six Chilean MPs voted in favor, 11 against and 22 abstained. This outspoken support for the autonomy initiative, which Morocco presented to the UN in 2007 as a lasting solution to the Sahara dispute, is reflective of a steady Chilean position in favor of Moroccos territorial integrity.

The Chilean executive has always backed Moroccos stance on the regional dispute over the Sahara and the adoption by the Chilean Parliament of this resolution of support adds to the credibility of Moroccos autonomy initiative and puts a nail in the coffin of the Polisario, which has campaigned for the Algerian-nurtured separatist thesis in Latin America for decades.A 26-year-old firefighter from Texas was among the five people killed Sunday when a helicopter crashed into the East River in New York City and flipped upside down, trapping the tightly harnessed passengers inside, authorities confirmed Monday.

Brian McDaniel, a firefighter with the Dallas Fire-Rescue Department, was on vacation in the Big Apple when he boarded the private charter for a photo shoot, according to the Texas fire station and the New York Police Department.

The helicopter slammed into the water shortly after 7 p.m. Sunday before it flipped and became completely submerged, FDNY Fire Commissioner Daniel Nigro said at a news conference. The pilot survived after freeing himself, but the five passengers died, authorities said.

Rescue divers had trouble removing the five passengers from the submerged helicopter because they were so tightly strapped into their seats, Nigro said. People had to be cut out, the fire commissioner said.

Brian McDaniel, a 26-year-old firefighter with the Dallas Fire-Rescue Department, was killed in New York City on March 11, 2018, when a helicopter crashed into the East River.

McDaniel had served nearly two years as a fire rescue officer with the Dallas Fire-Rescue Department, according to the departments spokesman Jason Evans. He worked for Fire Station 36. Despite his short tenure, hearts are heavy with grief as we not only try to come to grips with his loss departmentally but to also be there in every way that we can for his family, Evans said in a statement. The fire department said McDaniel was single and had no children but that he was survived by his family in Denver, including his father, mother and older brother.

Its unclear what caused Sundays deadly crash. The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating the incident and is slated to provide an update on the crash late Monday afternoon.

The NYPD on Monday identified the four other people who were killed in the crash as 34-year-old Daniel Thompson of New York, 29-year-old Tristan Hill of New York, 26-year-old Trevor Cadigan of Dallas, and 29-year-old Carla Vallejos Blanco from Argentina.

Authorities said the helicopter is owned by Liberty Helicopter Tours, which on its website calls itself the largest and most experienced helicopter sightseeing and charter service in the Northeast. In a statement, the company said it is focused on supporting the families affected by this tragic incident and on fully cooperating with the FAA and NTSB investigations.A previous daycare owner in Oregon has been sentenced to 21 years after she gave children melatonin, a sleep-aid, so she could hit the gym and go tanning while they slept.

January Neatherlin, 32, who was sentenced Friday, had been running an illegal childcare operation called Little Giggles for four years and lied to parents saying that she was a registered nurse.

The daycare, which was run out of her home, came under police surveillance after a tip from Neatherlins former roommate and boyfriend. Police said they saw the 32-year-old leave her house twice while she was supposed to be watching seven children.

Police said she drove her kids to school on the first trip and on the second went to a local tanning salon.

The children who had been left in her care during those trips had melatonin in their systems, according to court documents.

Neatherlin reportedly told parents they could not pick up their children between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. and police found those were the times she had checked in at a local Cross Fit gym and tanning salon.

She referred to those hours as nap time.

A child in Neatherlin's care was also once sent to a Portland hospital with multiple head injuries and that she admitted to overheating bottle of milk, giving a young child burns, according to reports.

Neatherlin is accused of asking other inmates to claim they had worked for her at the day care.

Neatherlin pleaded guilty to 11 counts of first-degree criminal mistreatment and one count of third-degree assault, according to court records.

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Related Articles:The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has concluded that dentists are 23 times more likely to contract a rare, progressive lung disease  one that has no cure and few survive. For the 650,000 dental personnel nationwide, including nearly 200,000 dentists, the news is raising alarm bells that dangerous chemicals may be the cause.

Released in the organizations weekly Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report report, the findings date to 2016, when the CDC was contacted by a dentist who was diagnosed with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. The dentist was receiving treatment at a clinic in Virginia, where he learned that several other dentists had been treated for the exact same thing  which prompted him to call the CDC.

Dentists are vulnerable to contracting a rare, usually fatal lung disease that has no cure. (Photo: Getty Images)

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, or IPF, is a chronic, progressive, an ultimately deadly form of lung disease characterized by scarring of the lungs that makes it progressively harder to breathe.

The statistics on IPF are grim. According to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, there is no cure and just two FDA-approved drug treatments. Although doctors have tried a variety of ways to curb the diseases effects, including oxygen therapy, none have proven to reverse the damage. In severe cases, patients opt for a lung transplant. But in the absence of a cure, the median survival rate is between 2.5 and 3.5 years.

For all of these reasons, the aforementioned dentist who contracted the disease was alarmed to learn of the dentists that had preceded him to the clinic. The CDC zeroed in on the Virginia facility, studying medical records for the nearly 900 patients treated for IPF between September 1996 and June 2017. In that group, they found eight patients who had been dentists and one who was a dental hygienist. By the time of the study, seven of the nine patients with IPF from dental professions had died.

The dentist who contacted the CDC told them that early in his career  before dentists were careful about handling toxic materials  he may not have worn protective gear. The interviewed patient, who had never smoked, reported not wearing a National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health-certified respirator during dental activities throughout his 40-year dental practice, the study reads. He wore a surgical mask for the last 20 years of his dental practice.

Story continues

Researchers say these activities could have exposed the individual to silica, polyvinyl siloxane, alginate, and other compounds with known or potential respiratory toxicity. Its crucial information for the nearly 200,000 dentists nationwide, and the more than 200,000 dental hygienists who support them. In an interview with CNN, Dr. Paul Casamassimo, director of the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistrys Pediatric Oral Health & Research Center, said he wasnt shocked by the news.

We do work with materials and with human bioproducts that are potentially damaging to our bodies if we inhale them, Casamassimo told CNN. This probably has been more common than we have known in the past.

Randall Nett, an epidemiologist at the CDC and one of the leader authors on the study, says its important to highlight the dangers of this work. As we learn about potentially harmful exposures in dental practice, NIOSH [The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health] works to make recommendations for a safer and healthier workplace, Nett tells Yahoo Lifesetyle. That is why it is important we learn more about what potentially caused this cluster of IPF among dentists, so that we can identify specific risks and work to reduce potentially high-risk exposures.

The Department of Labors Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) echoes Netts concerns on its website, stating that dentists may be at risk for exposure to numerous workplace hazards  including but not limited to, the spectrum of bloodborne pathogens, pharmaceuticals and other chemical agents, human factors, ergonomic hazards, noise, vibration, and workplace violence. On its site, OSHA outlines specific guidelines for dentists to stay safe, including wearing certified respiratory protection during exposure to toxic chemicals.

Nett says its too soon to prove that the chemicals are what caused the lung disease, but stresses the importance of finding a high prevalence of it in one group. This cluster of IPF cases reinforces the need to understand further the unique occupational exposures of dental personnel, Nett says, and the association between these exposures and the risk for developing IPF so that appropriate strategies can be developed for the prevention of potentially harmful exposures.

Editors Note: An earlier version of this article cited an outdated National Institutes of Health page stating that there were no approved drug therapies for IPF. In reality, there are two: Ofev (nintedanib) and Esbriet (pirfenidone). Both were approved by the FDA in 2014.

Read more from Yahoo Lifestyle:

Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter for nonstop inspiration delivered fresh to your feed, every day.



Burnout of doctors: the hidden cost of medicine? - iStockphoto

We like to believe doctors are all-powerful and omniscient. When we visit one, it is naturally concerns about our own health that are uppermost in our minds.

Yet rarely do we stop to consider the psychological toll a doctors work takes on them. In my work as a psychologist specialising in helping doctors, I have seen at close quarters just how serious this toll can be. The emotional and physical strain experienced by those in the medical profession is described in my new book, Also Human: The Inner Lives of Doctors, in which Ive tried to shine a light on the hidden cost of medicine.

For more than 20 years, I have met doctors dealing with depression, burn out, extreme trauma, exhaustion, anxiety, and a whole host of other problems, which they must somehow set aside while powering through long shifts helping others.

Bella was one example; a real high flyer, she attended one of the most academic medical schools in the country, winning prizes in both medicine and surgery. But as her first day of work as a junior doctor approached, she experienced a mounting dread: how would she cope with the demands of the job?

A few weeks in, she was approaching the end of a 13-hour shift in A&E. She and her peers had been clearly told in their induction they must not work more than 13 hours at a time. Some doctors, once theyre 12-and-a-half hours in, will busy themselves with paperwork rather than take on any new cases, but Bella wasnt like that, and took on a new patient just before her shift ended. First she made sure that all the immediate tasks had been completed. But when she went to her supervisor to try and ensure a safe handover, she was given a furious dressing down in front of the whole team and accused of being irresponsible.

Caroline Elton, a psychologist who specialises in helping doctors Credit: Caroline Elton (c) Charlotte Knee Photography.jpg

Despite what shed been told in her training, Bella was ordered to stay for as long as it took to finish treating the patient, and ended up working a 15-hour shift.

What really shocked me was that I worked so hard, and followed all the rules, but I still ended up getting shouted at, she told me later.

Story continues

Too exhausted to drive home, she went to the toilets and broke down in tears. When a colleague found her crying there, she was devastated the image of herself as a cool and competent doctor was torn to shreds.

Perhaps society will eventually recognise that, while the demands of a job in medicine are exceptional, doctors, like their patients, are also human

With her confidence destroyed, an insidious depression spiralled rapidly out of control. Again, Bella did as shed been instructed to do in medical school and asked her supervising consultant for help. His response? Of course this is how you feel. Youre an F1 [Foundation Year 1 medic]; youre a girl. Youre going to be upset. She ended up leaving frontline healthcare and working in pharmaceuticals.

Bellas case is far from exceptional. Over the years I have seen a number of junior doctors who have become so distressed in their first posts they have had to stop work. Some leave permanently while others - like Kelly - return to the profession.

Within days of starting her first job as a doctor, Kelly thought, I cant do this any more. So extreme was her anxiety, she vomited out of fear every morning before work. A couple of weeks later she went to speak to the senior clinician in charge of training; the clinician was so concerned about Kellys state of mind, she mentally ran through a suicide checklist before letting her go home.

Junior doctors can go for 13 hours without finding time to eat Credit: Peter Byrne/PA

Im not going back, Kelly told me in our first sessions. But she did, eventually, return, and is now on her way to completing her training as a psychiatrist.

Each year, at hospitals all over the country, newly qualified junior doctors start work on the first Wednesday in August and, like Bella and Kelly, become overwhelmed by the extent of their responsibilities. On a night shift, they can be called all over the hospital to deal with patients. If they feel uncertain, they can theoretically ask someone more senior, but these seniors have their own heavy workloads to manage and may not respond as quickly as needed, or at all. Unsupported and overloaded, junior doctors can go for 13 hours without finding time to eat, and sometimes, like Hilary, they face situations they do not feel equipped to handle.

The path to becoming a junior doctor

Hilary, a GP who came to see me because she was also thinking of leaving medicine, described her first day as a junior doctor years earlier, in which she was the only doctor on the surgical ward that day. Faced with a very sick patient who looked like she was going to die, she had little idea what to do and no-one to ask. When a fledgling doctor attached to another ward walked past, she spotted Hilarys distress and summoned her own mother, a highly experienced nurse in the same hospital, who immediately took control of the situation.

Meanwhile Hilarys bleep had been been going off repeatedly, summoning her to the surgical assessment unit (SAU). Once the initial patient had been dispatched for urgent treatment, she dashed down to the SAU and encountered an angry nurse. There are nine patients waiting. Where have you been? the nurse demanded. Before Hilary could explain, the nurse gave her a rushed account of each of the nine patients. Could you possibly help me work out who I should see first? Hilary asked.

Figure it out yourself, blue eyes, came the response. And with that the nurse walked off - probably to get on with her own enormous list of tasks.

Theres little understanding of what happens when doctors are exposed to traumas repeatedly Credit: Sam Edwards/Caiaimage

Even when the systems function more effectively, and junior doctors arent thrown in at the deep end, it remains the case that death, dying and distress are inescapable components of a doctors work. Yet theres little understanding of what happens when doctors are exposed to such traumas repeatedly. How do they respond when they hear a patient screaming in pain, or see the ravages of disease or trauma on somebodys body? How do they cope when they need to tell a parent their child has died? A common defence is to shut down emotionally, unable to take on board so much suffering. This is understandable but can rapidly turn into burn-out. Yet if they cant put any form of protective barrier between themselves and the suffering of their patients, very rapidly they can become overwhelmed. Neither response is healthy, but doctors are given precious little help with finding the middle way.

Some specialties, such as surgery, remain hostile to women, and- as in many other professions - there is still not equal pay. At the same time, incidents of institutional racism are more common than we might like to think. One student felt humiliated when a patient refused to be examined by her because she was black. When she told her supervisor of her distress, the supervisor brushed it off, telling her it was no different to when a patient wont let a junior doctor examine them because they fear theyre too inexperienced.

In another incident, a devout Muslim doctor was looking at an x-ray of someone with broken bones when a consultant said to him, you people blow people up.

Perhaps historians looking back at how we treated doctors in 2018 will regard our medical systems with the same horror we do when reading about surgeons in the 19th century refusing to wash their hands between patients. Perhaps society will eventually recognise that, while the demands of a job in medicine are exceptional, doctors, like their patients, are also human.

Names have been changed

As told to Rosa Silverman

Also Human - the Inner lives of Doctors by Caroline Elton is published by Cornerstone (16.99). To order your copy for 14.99 plus p&p call 0844 871 1514 or visit books.telegraph.co.ukEducation Secretary Betsy DeVos, who has said shes rolling back campus sexual assault guidelines to protect the rights of the accused, wouldnt say whether she thought false accusations outnumber actual sex crimes in a 60 Minutes interview broadcast Sunday.

Are you ... suggesting that the number of false accusations are as high as the number of actual rapes or assaults? host Lesley Stahl asked during the 13-minute interview.

DeVos first attempted to dodge the question, telling Stahl that one sexual assault is one too many, and one falsely accused individual is one too many. When Stahl repeated the question, DeVos became flustered.

I dont know. I dont know, DeVos answered. But Im committed to a process thats fair for everyone involved.

The Education Department did not immediately return HuffPosts request for comment.

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DeVos has been widely criticized for rescinding an Obama-era Title IX guideline called The Dear Colleague Letter. The 2011 letter was a comprehensive set of guidelines that clarifies schools responsibilities under the gender-equality law. It also serves as a tool for victims and those accused throughout the reporting process.

The education secretary came under fire last summer when she met people wrongly accused of sex crimes in group discussions of campus sexual assault. One group she met with mainly consisted of members of the National Coalition for Men, which a survivor advocate described as viciously and very intentionally harass[ing] rape survivors.

During a September 2017 speech at George Mason University Law School, DeVos called the current campus reporting process a failed system that is increasingly elaborate and confusing. She dedicated nearly half of her 20-minute speech to anecdotes about people wrongfully accused of assault.

In January, several civil rights and sexual assault survivor advocacy groups sued the Education Department and DeVos over her actions to roll back the Title IX guidelines.

Story continues

Watch the full 60 Minutes interview below.

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CORRECTION: A previous version of this article indicated that DeVos planned to roll back The Dear Colleague Letter. In fact, the Education Secretary officially rescinded the letter in September of last year.

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Betsy DeVos Says She's 'Misunderstood,' Then Struggles To Explain Her Own Policies

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This article originally appeared on HuffPost.Donald Trump has said he believes North Koreas promise not to test nuclear weapons while the proposed meeting with his counterpart Kim Jong-un takes place.

On Twitter, he wrote: North Korea has not conducted a Missile Test since November 28, 2017 and has promised not to do so through our meetings. I believe they will honour that commitment!

Mr Trumps comments came after he took many by surprise by accepting an invitation to meet with Mr Kim later this year. It remains unclear whether the meeting will take place and a location it yet to be decided.

North Korea has indicated it plans to refrain from testing missiles and nuclear weapons during talks with the US, according to South Koreas National Security Advisor Chung Eui-Yong, who was speaking after officials from the South met with the North.

During his first year in office, Mr Trump has repeatedly criticised North Korea, which has launched a series of intercontinental ballistic missiles and conducted its sixth and largest nuclear test.

The leaders have regularly exchanged insults, with Mr Trump referring to the North Korean leader as Little Rocket Man and threatening the country with fire and fury like the world has never seen.

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Mr Kim responded by calling Mr Trump a dotard.

Since the talks were announced, Mr Trump has maintained a positive tone about a potential resolution to the hostilities between the two nations.

Speaking at a rally in Pennsylvania, he urged the crowd not to boo when Kim Jong-Uns name was mentioned.

When the jeers began, Mr Trump said: No, its very positive ... no, after the meeting you may do that, but now we have to be very nice because lets see what happens, lets see what happens.

Many were less convinced that the meeting would go to plan, with some responding to Mr Trumps positive tweet on social media with comments including You are naive! and Youre being played.

No US President has ever met with a leader of North Korea while in office.

Story continues

The two countries do not have diplomatic relations and officials suggested it could take longer to arrange such a meeting than the intended month of May.

Samantha Vinograd, a national security official under former President Barack Obama, said: There is no way that President Trump can be ready, by May, to have a high stakes negotiation on denuclearisation on the Korean Peninsula, its just impossible.

Mr Trump also posted another message on Twitter, knocking the medias response to the meeting plans.

He wrote: In the first hours after hearing that North Koreas leader wanted to meet with me to talk denuclearisation and that missile launches will end, the press was startled and amazed. They couldnt believe it.

But by the following morning the news became FAKE. They said so what, who cares!

He has also said that sanctions against North Korea would remain in place, despite the plans to meet.

Agencies contributed to this report.Early this month, President Donald Trump accused Republicans of being so afraid of the National Rifle Association (NRA) that they wouldnt raise the minimum age to buy an assault weapon. Now hes backing off the idea himself, according to senior officials who spoke with reporters Sunday.

On Monday, Trump is expected to announce the new Federal Commission on School Safety. Over the next year, the group, led by Education Secretary Betsy DeVos, will study the idea of raising the age to buy assault weapons from 18 to 21 and other policies on how to end school shootings.

The plan follows the massacre of 17 students and teachers at a Florida high school last month in which a gunman used an AR-15 assault rifle. The NRA opposes the idea of raising the minimum age and has lobbied Trump to abandon the idea.

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03_12_Trump

Chris Kleponis-Pool/Getty Images

On Saturday, Trump accused commissions like the one hes appointing as being all talk and no action. We can't just keep setting up blue-ribbon committees, he said during a rally in Pennsylvania, adding all they did was talk, talk, talk. Two hours later, then they write a report.

The president wants to move ahead quickly with a plan backed by the NRA to provide weapons training to teachers. The scheme would involve federal dollars.

During a bipartisan White House meeting the other week, Trump accused Pennsylvania Republican Senator Pat Toomey of being too afraid of the NRA to raise the minimum age in a new gun control law he is proposing.

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It doesn't make sense that I have to wait until I'm 21 to get a handgun, but I can get this weapon at 18, Trump said at the time.

Read more: Watch: NRA unveils ominous recruitment ad that slams athletes, Hollywood phonies, journalists

Story continues

After Trump met with NRA executive director Chris Cox the next day, Cox said the president had changed his mind. The following morning, the White House said Trump understood there was not a lot of broad support for raising the purchasing age.

Trump administration officials said Sunday that a more pragmatic approach was now being taken. Trump backs legislation that proposes beefing up background checks for those buying weapons. He also supports better mental health services.

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Appointing a study panel amounts to "tiny baby steps designed not to upset the NRA, when the gun violence epidemic in this country demands that giant steps be taken," said Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer.

DeVos said Sunday that her commission was not just a way for Trump to pass the buck. There are a lot of states that are addressing these issues in very cohesive and coherent ways, she said during an interview on 60 Minutes, suggesting she would examine what they are doing. Arming teachers should be an option for states and communities to consider, said DeVos.

This sounds like talking instead of acting, 60 Minutes journalist Lesley Stahl told her.

No, there is a sense of urgency indeed, DeVos replied.

This article was first written by Newsweek

More from NewsweekPresident Trump is Golden State-bound.

On Tuesday, Trump will be making his first trip to California since assuming the presidency in January 2017. He is the first sitting president since Eisenhower not to visit California, the world's sixth largest economy, during their first year in office.

During his visit, Trump will first go to San Diego, where he plans to personally inspect eight border wall prototypes. He will then visit Miramar Air Station, where he is scheduled to deliver a speech to all five branches of the military. Finally, Trump will head up to Los Angeles to attend a campaign fundraiser in Beverly Hills. According to Politico, tickets for the event will cost up to $250,000.

Rocky relationship

Trump's relationship with the Golden State has been rocky at best, and his reception may not be as warm as the one he received in his recent Pennsylvania campaign rally.

He has committed to fighting the state's position on illegal immigrants, and Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced that he will be suing the state over this sanctuary status last week. This move has increased tensions between the Trump administration and Gov. Jerry Brown, who accused Trump of "declaring war" on California.

Some residents in the San Diego and Los Angeles areas reportedly plan to protest Trump's visit.

See original article on Fortune.com

More from Fortune.comThe Sephardic Synagogue Magen David in Washington expressed its gratitude to King Mohammed VI for launching a restoration project of cemeteries of Moroccan-born Jews.

A ceremony was organized by the Synagogue during which participants lauded the lofty actions of the King to preserve the Moroccan Jewish heritage at home and abroad.

The event was attended by Chairwoman of Cape Verde Jewish Heritage Project (CVJFP), Carol Castiel who told the press that without this contribution in 2011, this project would never have been possible.

Castiel also recalled that in June 2015, a Jews delegation from Cape Verde made a trip to the country of their ancestors, Morocco, on the initiative of the ministry of Moroccans living abroad and Migration Affairs.

In 2010, King Mohammed VI initiated a program to repair hundreds of ancient synagogues and cemeteries scattered throughout Morocco. Since then, the kingdom has spent millions of dollars to repair nearly 200 of these sites. In 2011, in the wake of the Arab spring, Judaism became enshrined in the countrys new constitution as a key part of Moroccan identity.To honor the students of Marjorie Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla., the Miami Heats Dwyane Wade has developed an art exhibit that commemorates victims and challenges survivors.

Seventeen people died in the shooting rampage at the high school last month. The exhibit, Parkland 17, is part of Miamis ongoing Art Walk event, and features a range of powerful visual elements, from empty desks to stark numbers:

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The names of the 17 lost were on empty school desks. Messages on the wall read On an average day [96] Americans are killed by guns and Be the change you wish to see in the world. The exhibit also includes a Ring your Rep phone booth where visitors can call their representatives and voice their thoughts on gun violence.

Dwyane wanted to find a way to honor the victims, but he also wanted to make sure that there was something behind this that you can honor, that you can remember whats coming next and what can we do to make sure this never happens again, said creative director Calyann Barnett.

Manuel Oliver, whose 17-year-old son Joaquin died in the shooting, created the exhibit. Wade visited the exhibit on Saturday night after the Heats win over the Washington Wizards.

Wade has taken a deep interest in the MSD students and the Parkland tragedy. He etched Joaquin Olivers name on his sneakers earlier this month, and later visited the high school to inspire and listen to the students.

I just had a great conversation with some of the students at Stoneman Douglas High School about some important/impactful things that they have planned, Wade said in a tweet last week. Im looking forward to being more involved in the change that they WILL create.

Parkland 17 exhibit (via screenshot)

____

Jay Busbee is a writer for Yahoo Sports. Contact him at jay.busbee@yahoo.com or find him on Twitter or on Facebook.Cairo (AFP) - Egypt's military said Sunday 16 jihadists, an officer and a soldier were killed in the past four days during a major military operation against Islamic State group jihadists in Sinai.

The army launched a sweeping campaign after Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, who is standing in elections for his second term this month, gave them a three-month deadline to crush IS in Sinai.

He issued his ultimatum in November after suspected IS gunmen massacred more than 300 worshippers in a Sinai mosque associated with Sufi Muslim mystics.

Since the military, then led by Sisi, ousted Islamist president Mohamed Morsi in 2013, security forces have sought to quell attacks by the Egypt branch of IS.

The jihadists have killed hundreds of soldiers, policemen and civilians, mainly in North Sinai but also elsewhere in Egypt.

They have also killed scores of Christians in church bombings and shootings, as well as bombing a Russian airliner carrying tourists from an Egyptian resort in 2015, killing all 224 people on board.

The military says it has evidence IS has sought to move members to Sinai following its defeats in Iraq and Syria.Elon Musk made a surprise appearance at the South by Southwest (SXSW) Conference on Sunday where he revealed during a Q&A that his company SpaceXs Mars rocket could be ready for test flights as soon as next year.

The billionaire entrepreneur has previously said he is aiming to launch a cargo mission to Mars by 2022 as part of a plan to eventually set up a human colony on the Red Planet.

I can tell you that we are building the first ship, the first Mars interplanetary ship right now, Musk told a crowd at the conference in Austin, Texas. And I think well be able to do short flights, sort of up-and-down flights, probably some time in the first half of next year, he said.

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Musk was referring to SpaceXs next-generation BFR rocket system that will be capable of interplanetary space travel while also being completely reusable if the project is successful.

However, he joked that the timelines for his projects tended to be a little ambitious, prompting laughter from the audience.

A single launch of the BFR would only cost around $5 to $6 million, making it cheaper per flight than even the Falcon I, SpaceXs first rocket, which was designed to simply launch satellites into Earths orbit.

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GettyImages-855377456

PETER PARKS/AFP/Getty Images

Whats amazing about this ship, assuming we can make full and rapid reusability work, is that we can reduce the module cost per flight dramatically by orders of magnitude compared to where it is today, Musk said. The SpaceX founder and CEO said the cost-effectiveness of the BFR will enable the creation of a permanent base on the moon and a city on Mars.

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When asked what the general public could do to help his ambitions of reaching Mars, Musk said: I think right now the biggest thing that would be helpful is just general support and encouragement.

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Once [BFR] has been built and theres a means of getting cargo and people to and from Mars, as well as to and from the moon and other places in the solar system, then I think thats where a tremendous amount of entrepreneurial resources will be needed....This is because you have to build out the entire base of industry, everything that allows human civilization to exist.

In the short term for example, a Mars colony would require glass domes for growing crops, power stations and other essential infrastructure. But, Musk said, eventually new opportunities will arise because there will be demand on the planet for everything from "iron foundries" to "bars" and "pizza joints."

This article was first written by Newsweek

More from NewsweekADDIS ABABA (Reuters) - Ethiopian soldiers killed nine civilians and injured 12 after mistaking them for rebels near a town along the country's border with Kenya, state media said on Sunday. The soldiers were deployed to the Moyale area of the country's Oromiya region in pursuit of Oromo Liberation Front fighters who had crossed into Ethiopia from three locations, the Ethiopian News Agency said. "Nine civilians were killed and 12 others were injured during an operation that was launched with faulty intelligence," members of the armed forces told the agency. Several soldiers have been suspended and are under investigation, it said, adding that a high-level military delegation had been dispatched to the area to launch an inquiry. The Oromo Liberation Front is a secessionist group which the government has branded as terrorist. The incident took place at a time when outbreaks of violence have continued to plague the country, mostly in Oromiya. Last month, Addis Ababa imposed a six-month, nationwide state of emergency to tamp down unrest in Africas second most populous nation. The move was made a day after Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn announced his resignation in what he said was a bid to smooth the way for reforms. His replacement is expected to be named this month. (Reporting by Aaron Maasho; Editing by Mark Potter)Kiev (AFP) - The European Union pressed Ukraine on Monday to create an independent anti-corruption court with the power to prosecute and convict officials guilty of state graft.

The bloc's diplomatic chief Federica Mogherini arrived in Kiev Sunday for a visit aimed at reaffirming continued EU support for Ukraine four years after its break with Russia.

But the warm message has been clouded by a fight between Ukraine and its foreign donors over who should have the ultimate power to appoint judges to the court.

The International Monetary Fund would like the process overseen by a public council of international experts.

The draft legislation approved in the first of two readings by parliament hands that role to a Ukrainian commission the IMF fears will be influenced by the ruling elite.

"We, and I believe the Ukrainian citizens... expect and want to see more considerable progress in the fight against corruption," Mogherini told a joint press conference with Prime Minister Volodymyr Groysman.

"The anti-corruption institutions must be allowed to do their work independently with enough powers and resources to investigate, prosecute and eventually ensure the conviction of those responsible for corruption."

The new court will investigate high-profile cases and is seen as the missing link in a chain of institutions created after Ukraine started large-scale reforms.

But the IMF said "it would not be able to support the draft law" that President Petro Poroshenko submitted to parliament and lawmakers approved on March 1.

The IMF has a number of other concerns with the bill in its current form.

Lawmakers are working in parliamentary committees to bring the draft in line with the IMF requirements.

Yet Poroshenko told the Financial Times that judges to the court must be appointed by Ukrainians and not foreign experts.

"If anybody can imagine that foreign donors will form Ukraine's courts, this is against the constitution," he said.By Alessandra Prentice and Olena Vasina KIEV (Reuters) - The European Union's foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini said on Monday there was "no fatigue" on the part of the EU towards Ukraine, as demonstrated by its extension of sanctions on Russia and financial aid for Kiev. On a visit to Ukraine, Mogherini signaled strong support but also urged authorities to do more to fight corruption and to set up an anti-corruption court in line with the recommendations of the Venice Commission, a rights watchdog. Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko, addressing a business forum later, expressed confidence a compromise could be found over the anti-corruption court that would satisfy both the Venice Commission and be in line with Ukrainian law. Mogherini said Ukraine had made impressive progress on key reforms but more was needed. The EU aims to disburse the first tranche of a new assistance package worth 1 billion euros ($1.23 billion) to Ukraine before the end of the year but the conditions of that aid are yet to be discussed, she said. "There is no fatigue in our support for Ukraine, also because we have seen results," Mogherini said at a press briefing with Poroshenko. The West threw its backing behind Ukraine after the 2013/2014 Maidan protests brought a pro-Western government to power, but since then critics have accused Poroshenko and the government of dragging their feet over reforms. That has given rise to talk of "Ukraine fatigue" to reflect frustration at the slow pace of change. The wrangling over the anti-corruption court law is a case in point. Ukraine must pass the law in order to qualify for more aid from the International Monetary Fund, but the Fund has expressed "serious concern" that the legislation's current draft form will not guarantee the new court's independence. The law was passed on its first reading in March. Poroshenko said the final "text of the bill will comply with the recommendations of the Venice Commission, Ukrainian legislation and the Constitution." While Mogherini was in Kiev on Monday, the European Union announced the extension for another six months of its sanctions against Russia, imposed over the annexation of Crimea and support for rebels in eastern Ukraine. Speaking alongside Mogherini, Poroshenko urged European Union countries to supply defensive weapons to Ukraine, following in the footsteps of U.S. President Donald Trump. (Writing by Matthias Williams; editing by Andrew Roche)By Noah Barkin , Robin Emmott and Tsvetelia Tsolova BERLIN/BRUSSELS/SOFIA (Reuters) - China is considering paring back annual summits with eastern European countries that have fueled concerns in western capitals that Beijing is seeking to divide the continent, according to three European diplomats. The diplomats said there were indications China could delay the next "16+1" summit, scheduled for the Bulgarian capital Sofia later this year, and hold future meetings every two years instead of on an annual basis. The possible shift comes amid unease in Beijing over criticism of the summits in Brussels, Berlin and other capitals, at a time when the EU is discussing steps to more strictly control corporate takeovers of European firms by Chinese rivals. Wider EU-China summits have become more tense in recent years, with the past two meetings failing to produce a joint statement amid disagreements over the South China Sea and trade. Some diplomats also cited disappointment in China and eastern Europe with the slow pace of deals under the format, which was launched in 2012 with a summit in Warsaw and has been held each year since, most recently in Budapest in November. "The 16+1 format won't die, because these formats never do, they have their own lives, but it will be a less intensive format, probably shifting more to bilateral talks," one senior EU official said. Another European diplomat suggested a decision had been taken at the highest levels of the Chinese government to lower the profile of the summits out of concern that they were hurting Beijing's image and undermining its broader goals in Europe. The Chinese foreign ministry did not respond to requests for comment. A spokesman for the Bulgarian government said Sofia was focused on its role as holder of the rotating EU presidency in the first half of 2018 and no date had been set for the next 16+1 summit. ORBAN THREAT Besides China, the 16 countries that participate in the summits include EU members Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, Slovakia and Slovenia, as well as non-EU states Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Macedonia, Montenegro and Serbia. These countries have seen the summits as a way to lure Chinese investment in roads, railways, power stations and other infrastructure as part of Beijing's "Belt and Road" plan to build transport and trade links in more than 60 countries. Enthusiasm remains strong in non-EU states like Serbia, which do not have access to EU structural or cohesion funds. Hungary has also been a champion of the format. Prime Minister Viktor Orban said in January: "We need capital to build new roads and pipelines. If the EU is unable to provide enough capital, then we will simply collect it in China." Nevertheless, Tamas Matura, a professor at Corvinus University in Budapest, said the expected tsunami of Chinese investment into Hungary had not materialized. "Even though many announcements have been made and many cornerstones have been laid, there are very few tangible achievements, and even those are investments in the range of a few million dollars," Matura wrote in a December report on Chinese investments. In other eastern states, notably in the Baltics, there has been frustration with China's insistence that summit participants sign up to pre-cooked political declarations. Some capitals also complain about a lack of face time with Chinese leaders and Beijing's push for control of joint investment projects. "They say, we give you money, we control this," said a source close to the Polish government. "ONE EUROPE" On a visit to Berlin last month, Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said his country had greeted China's interest with "lots of enthusiasm" several years ago but did "not have too many good projects with China today". Still, the Polish source described the summits as helpful and denied there was any talk about scrapping them. He suggested that "old Europe" countries like Germany were intent on weakening the format amid fears of growing Chinese influence. Late last month, German Chancellor Angela Merkel sent a veiled warning to EU states participating in Chinese government-led infrastructure projects, saying they should take care not to undermine the bloc's common foreign policy. Her outgoing foreign minister, Sigmar Gabriel, irked China last year by calling on Beijing to follow a "One Europe" policy - a play on China's insistence that partners eschew diplomatic relations with self-ruled Taiwan, claimed by China as its own. At the urging of Germany, France and Italy, the EU is currently exploring the introduction of a mechanism to vet Chinese corporate takeovers in Europe - a move Beijing is lobbying aggressively to prevent. "China realizes that the EU is not that comfortable," said the senior EU official. "China also realizes this is becoming a less popular format," he said of 16+1. "They don't like the bad press." (Additional reporting by Ben Blanchard in Beijing, Lidia Kelly and Wojciech Zurawski in Warsaw, Krisztina Than in Budapest, David Mardiste in Tallinn; Writing by Noah Barkin; Editing by Giles Elgood)ATHENS (Reuters) - A lawmaker from Greece's far-right Golden Dawn party was given a suspended prison sentence on Monday for trying to hit the mayor of Athens in a 2013 incident linked to the group's anti-immigrant activities. A court handed down the four-month suspended sentence on George Germenis for attempting to cause bodily harm. Golden Dawn, which rose from obscurity by tapping into popular anger during the country's economic crisis, tried in May 2013 to distribute food to ethnic Greeks only on a central Athens square in front of parliament. However, Mayor George Kaminis banned the event, calling it a "soup kitchen of hatred" and police scuffled with Golden Dawn supporters when they prevented the distribution. Germenis then confronted Kaminis at a separate event elsewhere in the Greek capital when the mayor was handing out Easter presents to children. Greek media broadcast a video of the incident. The mayor said that Germenis tried to hit him but was stopped by security men. Germenis denied any wrongdoing, saying his intention was merely to protest against the ban on the Golden Dawn event. Legal cases often take several years to come to court in Greece. aminis, who testified against Germenis, said that Monday's ruling was a "landmark decision". In 2013, Greek police arrested Golden Dawn's leader and more than a dozen senior party members following the killing of an anti-fascist rapper by a party supporter. That trial is still ongoing. The party's leader has been given a suspended prison sentence for incitement of illegal activity, violence and discord. (Reporting by Constantinos Georgizas and Renee Maltezou; editing by David Stamp)New York (AFP) - Five people have died after a helicopter owned by a tour group plunged into Manhattan's East River, police said on Monday.

The red chopper, which is owned by tourism group Liberty, was carrying six people including the pilot when it crashed into the river near the upscale Upper East Side neighborhood shortly after 7:00 pm (2300 GMT) on Sunday.

"Five people are deceased," a New York Police Department spokesperson told AFP, saying the dead were all passengers on the helicopter.

Following the crash, "the pilot freed himself, the other five did not," Fire Commissioner Daniel Nigro told reporters during an earlier press conference.

Divers rushed to the scene and freed the passengers, two of whom were pronounced dead, while three others were taken to hospital in critical condition, Nigro said.

"We are told the five people were all tied tightly in harnesses that had to be cut and removed," he said.

Liberty organizes aerial tours of America's financial capital. Police chief James O'Neill said the aircraft had been leased by photographers.

The cause of the accident was not immediately clear, but local media indicated the pilot had sent a distress signal that mentioned an engine problem shortly before the crash.

The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating the incident.Morocco and Qatar signed 11 cooperation agreements covering education, culture, youth, media, finance, banking, housing, training, handicrafts and agriculture.

The agreements were signed at the end of the seventh Moroccan-Qatari high Joint commission in Rabat under the chairmanship of head of government Saad Eddine El Othmani and Qatars Prime minister and Interior minister Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa AlThani.

During the works of the committee, the two delegations expressed satisfaction at the momentum witnessed in bilateral cooperation since the visit paid by King Mohammed VI to Doha last November.

Speaking on this occasion, El Otmani stressed the need to maintain the endeavor to develop bilateral relations with a view to tapping into the potential of the two countries in all fields.

The Qatari delegation, for its part, lauded Morocco for its lofty stands in support of Arab and Islamic just causes.

The joint statement wrapping up the commissions works underscored Qatars support for Moroccos territorial integrity and sovereignty over the Sahara.

The Moroccan-Qatari ties were put to a test last June after the outbreak of the crisis opposing Qatar to its GCC neighbors. Rabat adopted a neutral position offering good offices and seeking to bridge the gap between Qatar and Saudi Arabia, UAE and Bahrain which imposed a blockade on Doha in reaction to diverging stands concerning a set of regional issues, chief of which Qatars position regarding the Muslim brotherhood.

In the wake of the blockade, Morocco rushed to bring a helping hand of solidarity.Vatican City (AFP) - As Pope Francis marks the fifth year of his papacy next week, the pontiff once hailed as a fearless reformer is under fire for his handling of the sex abuse scandals that have rocked the Roman Catholic Church.

Since taking over in March 2013, the 81-year-old Argentinian has championed the cause of the marginalised, saying he wanted a "poor church for the poor" and shunning papal palaces and ostentatious displays of wealth.

His reform agenda has introduced the possibility in certain cases to allow divorced and remarried believers to take communion, although he still agrees with the Church's traditional positions on other issues, such as abortion, artificial contraception and gay marriage.

But the sex abuse scandals have haunted his papacy and last month the Vatican announced it was reviving its anti-paedophile panel.

A trip to Chile in January was seen as a resounding failure after he defended a bishop accused of covering up the crimes of a paedophile priest.

Francis, who like his predecessor Benedict XVI, promised a "zero tolerance" approach to sexual abuse, sparked uproar when he said: "The day they bring me proof against Bishop (Juan) Barros, then I will speak."

But he later apologised to the victims and sent a Vatican top expert on sex abuse to hear the witnesses in the case.

- 'Repeating mistakes of the past' -

Marie Collins of Ireland, who was raped as child by a priest, told AFP that while it might be "human nature to want to defend your institution... the Church, instead of learning from the past, is repeating the mistakes of the past."

"The Church tends to make the same mistake -- in every country where survivors start to come forward, they are treated in the same way," said Collins, who resigned last year from the now revived anti-paedophilia commission.

Francis was similarly lenient towards Don Mauro Inzoli, an Italian priest nicknamed "Don Mercedes" for his expensive tastes.

Story continues

Don Inzoli had been effectively defrocked by Benedict, but Francis overturned that ruling, mitigating his sentence to "a life of prayer."

Nevertheless, after the priest was sentenced to nearly five years in prison in Italy for sex abuse of adolescents last June, the pope dismissed him of clerical duties.

When Francis set up the commission in December 2014 to look into how to protect minors and vulnerable adults in the Church, Collins was one of two abuse survivors to sit on the panel.

- Children 'continue to be abused and raped' -

Collins walked out in March 2017, denouncing the "shameful" lack of cooperation within the Vatican and complaining that a tribunal announced in 2015 to deal with paedophile priests has never actually been set up.

German Cardinal Gerhard Mueller, the Church's top doctrinal watchdog who has since been ousted by Francis, argued that the tribunal would double up with already existing bodies.

Catherine Bonnet, a French child psychiatrist who also sat on the commission, complained that "in three years we only had six plenary meetings in Rome".

"We did have regular e-mail exchanges, but it's hard to debate in that way," she told AFP in an interview.

"We have made proposals on important points, but, to my knowledge, Pope Francis has not given answers, which is really worrying.

"The problem is that the pope is extremely busy with many issues. But the issue of protecting today's children is urgent. Children continue to be abused and raped within the Church."

Collins, too, said "the words coming from the pope and the Vatican are very good. The problem is, the actions don't follow through."

For her, the problem was "that those within the Vatican don't see how their actions are viewed from outside."

The decision, for example, to hold the funeral of disgraced US Cardinal Bernard Law in the St. Peter's basilica in December may have been within liturgical tradition.

But it caused offence to survivors of sexual abuse in the US.

Law, a former Boston archbishop, became one of the main faces of the sex abuse crisis in the Roman Catholic Church after admitting that he failed to protect children from predator priests, despite evidence they had been molesting youngsters.

Another case casting a shadow over Francis' papacy is the Vatican's finance chief Cardinal George Pell, who is facing committal proceedings in Australia to determine whether he should stand trial on multiple historical sexual offence charges.

As the Vatican's number three, 76-year-old Pell is the highest ranking Catholic official to face such charges.

The pope did however, oversee a change in Church law in 2016 allowing bishops to be dismissed in cases of "negligence" when reporting incidents of paedophilia.

The Vatican also organises awareness classes and the Pope regularly meets with survivors of abuse.

But Church law does not oblige the hierarchy to denounce suspected cases of abuse to the civilian authorities.

"We must be as transparent as possible, it is the duty of the Church to do everything possible to avoid abuses," said German theologian Hans Zollner, regarded as one of the leading experts in the field.Photo credit: Ford

From Road & Track

Recently updated, the revised Ford Ka+ and new Ka+ Active feature new powertrains, tech, and styling to keep pace with the rapidly advancing small-car segment. Ford claims to have sold more than 61,000 Ka+ vehicles in Europe since its late-2016 introduction and figures that the redesign and addition of the Ka+ Active model, which it calls a crossover, will widen its appeal and increase sales. Its probably right.

Although both broke cover a few weeks ago, the 2018 Geneva motor show marks the pairs official arrival. Offered in Essential and Ultimate trims, the refreshed Ka+ channels the current Ford design language by way of a trapezoidal mesh grille with a chrome surround and large swept-back headlamps. Standard foglamps and daylight running lights get chrome detailing, and restyled front and rear bumpers help keep things looking fresh.



Photo credit: Ford





The Ka+ Active differentiates itself from the Ka+ with a nearly one-inch-higher ride height, additional rocker-panel and wheel-arch cladding, and tough-looking roof rails. The design of its 15-inch aluminum wheels and a special Canyon Ridge metallic exterior paint color are Active-only details. Inside, the Ka+ Active is dressed out with an Active-specific leather steering wheel, special fabric designs for the seats, and all-weather mats to protect both the cabin and cargo area from muddy boots and sporting gear.



Photo credit: Ford





Suspension is by struts in front and a torsion-beam axle aft, while steel or aluminum wheels are available with 195/55R-15 tires; the Ka+ Active gets 185/60R-15 tires. Nearly 50 percent of the body of the Ka+ is made from high-strength steel, including the floor, front and rear chassis rails, front bumper and passenger door beams, and window pillars. Ford claims this contributes to improved crash performance.

With the refresh comes a choice of either a diesel or gasoline engine for both the Ka+ and Ka+ Active. The 94-hp turbo-diesel 1.5-liter inline-four is aimed at drivers who really pile on the miles, while the new 1.2-liter three-cylinder Ti-VCT (Twin independent Variable Camshaft Timing) gasoline engine is available in either 70- or 85-hp states of tune. The new engines feature stop/start functionality and meet the latest Euro Stage 6 emissions standards. Both engines are mated to a standard five-speed manual transmission.

Story continues

Photo credit: Ford

Ushered into service as the replacement for the outgoing 1.2-liter Duratec inline-three, the new 1.2-liter three-cylinder gas engine is derived from the same core architecture as the 1.5-liter EcoBoost unit that produces 197 horsepower in the upcoming Ford Fiesta ST. In its milder states of tune in these Ka+ models, it offers a reported 10 percent increase in torque from 1000 to 3000 rpm as well as an average 4 percent improvement in fuel efficiency. Engine noise and harshness are said to be reduced by an offset crankshaft design that eliminates the need for a balance shaft, a valvetrain designed for quieter operation, and an acoustic-isolation system that reduces the amount of engine noise entering the cabin.



Photo credit: Ford

The 1.5-liter turbo-diesel gets some attention, too, with internal measures to increase refinement. Its torquey for such a tiny beast, producing 158 lb-ft from 1750 to 2500 rpm. Fuel efficiency is improved with Fords Smart Regenerative Charging, which selectively engages the alternator when the vehicle is coasting and/or braking.



Since theyre one size smaller than the subcompact Fiesta, its a good bet that neither of these Ka+ models will make the trip to the United States. Should you find yourself across the pond when they go on sale later this year, however, youll need the equivalent of about $12,400 for the base model.



You Might Also LikeGood evening from Hong Kong, where Ive landed after an exhilarating week in Singapore for Brainstorm Design and two fascinating days in Chinas southwestern Yunnan province.

The Wall Street Journal reports that, on Friday, China lashed out at the United States after President Trump called for global tariffs on steel and aluminum. Thats sort of true. Chinas Commerce Ministry declared itself strongly opposed to Trumps proposed sanctions while trade associations representing Chinas steel and aluminum industries brayed for Beijing to retaliate by blocking US farm products and high-end consumer goods.

Still, from my vantage, Chinas reaction to Trumps lurch toward protectionism has been remarkably subdued. Compared to the indignation Trumps new trade policies elicited in Europe (where officials from the European Union have vowed to retaliate against the US by boycotting products ranging from bourbon to blue jeans), Chinas criticisms seem downright civilized.

Beijings restraint reflects the fact that Trumps tariffs on steel imports, though they play well with his US political base, wont have much impact on the Chinese economy. China produces roughly the half the worlds steel, but most of it never leaves China. As the Journal notes, the countrys steel exports to the US are mainly low-grade products that pose no threat to Americas high-end manufacturers. In the first ten months of last year, Chinese steel accounted for a minuscule 2.2% of total US imports of the metal. In fact, US steel imports from China fell 30% in 2017 compared to the previous year.

Trumps tariffs on aluminum may hurt a bit more, but not much. China also produces about half the worlds aluminum, and the US is one of its major export markets. But most analysts think China will manage to reroute aluminum to other countries exempt from Trumps tariffs.

The real trade war is yet to come and it wont be fought over metal. Executives in Silicon Valley are bracing for the fallout if Trump, as expected, slaps China with new sanctions for the theft of US intellectual property. In August, the Trump administration launched a broad investigation into Chinese trade practices under Section 301 of the 1974 US Trade Act. Trump will likely use the results of that investigation, which could be announced any day now, as justification to impose a host of new restrictions on Chinese trade and investment. The White House is said to be considering measures that extend far beyond sanctions including banning Chinese investors from acquiring an interest in US tech companies, expanding the powers of the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States or even prohibiting US stock exchanges from listing Chinese companies.

Story continues

Trump trade advisor Peter Navarro has predicted that, if threatened with such far reaching penalties, China will surrender rather than retaliate in order to preserve access to the US market. Thats a high stakes bet. China is far less dependent on trade with the US than it was a decade ago, while its own market has become crucial to the success of a wide range of US companies. In a full-fledged trade clash, China could inflict severe pain on US firms in sectors including tech, agriculture, autos and airlines.

The current clash over metal is political theater. But a broader trade conflict with China, especially if it focuses on trade in technology, has the potential to do serious economic damage in both nationsand could get very ugly very fast.

More China news below.

Technology and Innovation

To market, to market. Foxconn, Apples most important assembly partner, won approval this week to list in Shanghai about a month. The approval took a speedy 36 days, which analysts say marks the countrys eagerness to attract new economy firms to list on its markets, as well as billionaire founder Terry Gous vision to expand beyond assembling PCs and phones for the worlds top electronic brands. Bloomberg

The everything store. Chinese consumer tech giant Xiaomi plans to sell its smartphones in the United States by the end of this year or early 2019. The firm has evolved beyond its Apple imitator reputation to build a broader connected device platform by funding small companies that build smart products on its behalf and is widely tipped to IPO this year. In the meantime, heres a look inside their everything store. Fast Company

Sour apple. Apple raised public ire this week an Apple customer in China alleged that an Apple employee hacked into his iCloud account and threatened to leak his data. Apple issued an official statement in local media saying that support staff should not be able to access customer data and that the employee has been fired. But local reports revealed the employee had submitted his resignation before the incident. TechNode

Yes and no. China does not recognize Bitcoin and other digital currencies as legitimate forms of payment, central bank governor Zhou Xiaochuan, said this week. But the country is still open to the idea of a digital currency if it does not disrupt the financial system, he added. South China Morning Post

Good neighbours. Airbnb has temporarily removed all listings and refunded all bookings in central Beijing up until March 30, after the conclusion of the ongoing Chinas National Peoples Congress in the citys Great Hall of the People. When asked about the exact request Airbnb likely received from authorities, the company declined to reveal details but said it undertook the actions to be good neighbors. Business Insider

Trade and Economy

Getting even. After U.S. President Donald Trump authorized 25% import tariffs on steel and 10% for aluminum, Chinas metals industry is urging Beijing to retaliate by targeting coal and other sectors that are key to Trumps support base. Some Chinese officials have also identified US soybeans as prime target for retaliation. Reuters

Cut the froth. Shareholders who own more than 5% stakes in commercial banks through financial products such as insurance and asset management schemes have been ordered by Chinas banking regulator to reduce their holdings within a year. The China Banking Regulatory Commission will target small and mid-tier banks shareholding structures and conduct on-site checks, as part of measures to control risk and reduce froth in Chinas financial sector. Reuters

Open door policy. Meanwhile, the countrys securities regulator has published draft rules allowing foreign financial institutions to obtain control of Chinese securities firms. Foreign ownership in a Chinese securities firm will rise to 51% from current 49%, and the cap will be removed three years after the new rules take effect. Caixin Global

Teslas Twitter lobby. Teslas Elon Musk this week called on Trump via Twitter to challenge Chinas auto trade rules, which limit foreign ownership of Chinese ventures and imposes a 25% import duty on cars, ten times the 2.5% levy the U.S. puts on China-built vehicles. Trump did not respond to the tweet but cited in its his announcement of the new steel and aluminium tariffs instead. Caixin Global

No go. UBS has been suspended by Hong Kongs securities regulator from serving as a sponsor on initial public offerings in Hong Kong for 18 months, for reasons both parties did not disclose. UBS said it is appealing the decision. Wall Street Journal

In Case You Missed It

Chinas Annual Parliament Has Rarely Felt Like Such a Charade TIME

China Is Not a Garden-Variety Dictatorship The Atlantic

Kim Jong Un wants to be seen as Donald Trumps equal. A meeting would do that. Washington Post

The flimsy finances behind Chinas miracle Reuters

Walling Off China Wont Erase U.S. Trade Deficits Wall Street Journal

It is up to China to save the global trading system Financial Times

How Didi Chuxing plans to beat Uber in ride-hailing race Financial Times

We need a Toutiao for podcasts TechNode

Lies and statistics: How many of Chinas women are actually in the tech sector? TechNode

Politics and Policy

Positive gestures. Chinese President Xi Jinping has praised Donald Trump for his positive gesture to resolve the North Korea nuclear crisis, after Trump agreed to meet with North Korean Kim Jong-un. The Chinese and U.S. leader spoke via telephone this week, according to state media reports. South China Morning Post

Chinas new ministry. China will create a new energy ministry to manage the countrys vast oil, natural gas, coal and power sectors, as part of a central governments shake-up to make policymaking more efficient. Reuters

Its official. Chinas controversial move to scrap presidential term limits and allow Xi Jinping to stay in office till 2023 will be officially rubberstamped tomorrow, after 3,000 National Peoples Congress delegates cast their votes in Beijing. At least two-thirds of the delegates vote for it to pass, but dissent is highly unlikely, given the power Xi has amassed within the Communist Party. Financial Times

Summaries by Debbie Yong. @debyong

debbie.yong@timeinc.com

Find past issues, and sign up for other Fortune newsletters.Paris (AFP) - French car giant PSA announced Monday it would start assembling Peugeot and Opel brands in Namibia in the second half of 2018.

Under an investment agreement with the Namibian government, PSA -- whose brands also include Citroen, DS and Vauxhall -- will reach output capacity of 5,000 vehicles per year at the plant in the port town of Walvis Bay by 2020, it said in a statement.

The initial models will be two 4x4s, the Opel Grandland X and Peugeot 3008, but "other products will follow to meet customer demand," PSA said in a statement.

The deal, in which Peugeot will form a joint enterprise with the state-owned Namibia Development Corporation, aims at the expanding market in the Southern African Customs Union, which comprises Botswana, Lesotho, Namibia, South Africa and Swaziland.

The investment is part of the "long-term strategy of Groupe PSA to increase its sales in Africa and the Middle East, consistent with our target to sell one million vehicles in 2025," said the executive vice president for those regions, Jean-Christophe Quemard.

Other investments, existing or planned, are in Algeria, Ethiopia, Iran, Kenya, Morocco, Tunisia and Nigeria.

In 2017, the group sold 592,000 vehicles in Africa and the Middle East, a surge of 54.5 percent, as sales in Asia plummeted.

Global sales were 3.632 million, a figure that includes figures for the newly-acquired Opel and Vauxhaull brands, from August 1.A 9-month-old baby has been rescued after she was allegedly abandoned in the middle of the street in upstate New York.

In a heart-wrenching video taken by a bystander, the small baby can be seen crying as she lies in the middle of the road by herself.

Eventually a stranger picks up the distressed baby.

A woman claiming to be the babys mother then shows up before the video cuts out.

The Utica Police Department said the babys mother, Ledrika E. Ford, 27, has since been arrested and charged with child endangerment.

After the incident, police said they searched for Ford and the child for hours before they were located.

Ford told police that the infant was secured in the back seat of a vehicle they were in and when she looked back a short time later, the child was not there.

She told police she immediately returned to the area from which shed left and found the 9-month-old.

The baby was later taken to a local hospital. Child Protective Services are now involved in the case, reports said.

Police thanked the bystanders who found the infant and helped keep her safe.

The Utica Police Department would like to thank the citizens in the video who attended to the child showing their caring and compassionate spirit of the City of Utica, cops wrote on their Facebook page.

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Related Articles:A baby was rescued after strangers found the 9-month-old crawling on a busy road in upstate New York. Video of the incident, which was shared to Facebook by user Rn Jay, shows a good samaritan picking the baby up while others are heard talking about how to handle the situation. The child has since been removed from his mothers care.

In the footage, the baby can be heard crying and people getting out of their cars in Utica to help. The group quickly decides its best to call emergency services. The man who took the video then turns the camera on himself and asked, Thats what people do now  leave their kids in the street?

Just before the video ends, a woman can be heard in the background saying thats my baby, thats my baby.

The Utica Police Department later released a statement saying they had charged the babys mother, Ledrika E. Ford, 27, for child endangerment. All four of Fords children have since been removed from her care.

Ford told police she and a relative were not sure how the baby ended up on the street. Ford said the child was secured in the rear seat of a vehicle that she was in when they left a location on Bleecker Street. However, shortly after Ford looked to the back seat and found that the child was not there.

The pair then say they immediately returned to the area where they last saw the child, finding the baby with the group of strangers.

Police say they began investigating the incident after they were made aware of the Facebook video. The Utica Police Department would like to thank the citizens in the video who attended to the child showing their caring and compassionate spirit of the City of Utica, cops wrote on their Facebook page.

Read more from Yahoo Lifestyle:

Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter for nonstop inspiration delivered fresh to your feed, every day.After Hong Kongs pro-democracy camp failed to win back all four seats in a crucial by-election Sunday, activists say they fear Chinas freest city could effectively be governed by a rubber-stamping body for Beijing.

Pro-democracy candidates won two of the seats up for grabs, but ceded the other two to pro-Beijing rivals, according to final results released Monday. The four seats were left vacant after six legislators were ousted at Beijings request in 2016 and 2017 following political statements made during the oath-taking ceremony. Their elimination severed the pro-democracy blocs veto power over legislative amendments.

Beijing has responded to the rise of Hong Kongs young political hopefuls in the wake of 2014s massive pro-democracy protests, known as the Umbrella Movement, by invalidating their candidacy.

Prominent activist and former student protest leader Agnes Chow was not even allowed on the by-election ballot due to Beijings dislike of her party Demosist?s political views, which include calling for Hong Kongs right to self-determination.

Read More: China Blocks Pro-Independence Hong Kong Lawmakers in Unprecedented Move

Democracy activists say these disqualifications have left voters disillusioned and raised concerns over the extent of Beijings encroachment on the semi-autonomous territorys sovereignty. Since returning from British rule to China in 1997, Hong Kong has enjoyed significant liberties under a governance agreement known as one country, two systems, but some say the arrangement is eroding as Chinas Communist Party seeks to thwart political opposition.

People are very dissatisfied with Beijing and are also worried that [Hong Kongs] Legislative Council will no longer be able to properly fulfill its role, says 21-year-old democracy activist Joshua Wong, a leading figure of the Umbrella Movement and secretary-general of Demosist?.

Half of the semi-democratic Legislative Council is elected by trade-based interest groups called functional constituencies, while the other half is directly elected. But Wong said this election process is increasingly being co-opted by Beijing.

Story continues

He attributed the by-elections low voter turnout  just 43% of the eligible 2.1 million cast ballots  to hesitancy following the disqualifications.

Pro-democracy candidate Au Nok-hin (C) is congratulated by disqualified lawmaker Nathan Law (R) and disqualified candidate Agnes Chow (L) after Au won the Legislative Council by-election for the Hong Kong Island constituency on March 12, 2018.

Suzanne Pepper, a Hong Kong-based writer and academic, says that while she has not seen a breakdown of the vote, she suspects younger, pro-democracy voters did not cast ballots because they feel their dream of building a democratic system within the Chinese state is dead.

They have concluded that any candidate who shares that dream, as they define it, will be [disqualified] either as a candidate or afterward, as a Legislative Councilor. So they must feel not indifference but a sense of futility and defeat, she says.

Au Nok-hin, the democracy activist who stepped in for Chow and was elected in Hong Kong Island, says his win is not something to be happy about.

Our goal was to win back the four seats won in the Legislative Council in 2016. We should remember that it was unnecessary to have these by-elections, he says.

Before the polls, the pro-democracy camp had referred to the election as a referendum on democracy in Hong Kong, urging voters to help send a message to Beijing.

If thats the case, they lost the referendum since anything short of retaining all four of their seats is a loss, says Ngok Ma, an associate professor of government and public administration at the Chinese University of Hong Kong.

The message sent instead, he adds, is that China is taking control and there is no use resisting.Republicans on the House Intelligence Committee say that they have completed interviews for their investigation into possible collusion between President Donald Trumps campaign and Russians and that they have found no evidence of such scheming, according to multiple reports.

We have found no evidence of collusion, coordination, or conspiracy between the Trump campaign and the Russians, they told reporters Monday.

The Republican members of the committee concluded that although Russian President Vladimir Putins government did take action to interfere in the election, it did not do so with the intention of aiding Trump. This contradicts earlier findings from U.S. intelligence agencies.

(Photo: Leah Millis / Reuters)

Committee chairman Rep. Devin Nunes (R-Calif.) said a full report is forthcoming.

Once the Committees final report is issued, we hope our findings and recommendations will be useful for improving security and integrity for the 2018 midterm elections, he said in a statement.

Democrats on the Republican-controlled committee will likely issue a competing report, CNN reported.

Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), the highest-ranking Democrat on the committee, told reporters last month that there is ample evidence of Trumps campaign colluding with Russia. He blasted the committees Republican majority for ending the investigation.

The Majority was not willing to to pursue the facts wherever they would lead, would prove afraid to compel witnesses like [former White House chief strategist] Steve Bannon, [former White House communications director] Hope Hicks, [Attorney General] Jeff Sessions, Donald Trump Jr., [former campaign manager] Corey Lewandowski and so many others to answer questions relevant to our investigation, Schiff said in a scathing response.

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However, Rep. Mike Conaway (R-Texas), the lawmaker leading the committees probe, told reporters that the worst the investigation uncovered involved perhaps some bad judgment, inappropriate meetings, inappropriate judgment at taking meetings.

Story continues

Two other committees  the Senate Intelligence and Senate Judiciary Committees  are pursuing their own probes into the matter. Justice Department special counsel Robert Mueller is continuing a third investigation into Russias meddling in the election.

President Trump welcomed the release on Twitter:

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Also on HuffPost

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President Donald Trump shakes hands with Russian Ambassador to the United States Sergei Kislyak during talks with Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov (not in picture) in the Oval Office at the White House.

President Donald Trump and Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov meet for talks in the Oval Office.

President Donald Trump shakes hands with Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov as they meet for talks in the Oval Office.

President Donald Trump and Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov meet for talks in the Oval Office.

President Donald Trump and Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov meet for talks in the Oval Office.

Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, President Donald Trump, and Russian Ambassador to the United States Sergei Kislyak talking during a meeting in the Oval Office.

Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, President Donald Trump, and Russian Ambassador to the United States Sergei Kislyak talking during a meeting in the Oval Office.

This article originally appeared on HuffPost.By Krisztina Than BUDAPEST (Reuters) - Hungary aims to coordinate more closely on refugee policy with Austria and Italy after elections there boosted anti-migrant parties, broadening an alliance of EU states focused on internal security. Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto said on Monday that the approach to migration of the Vienna government and the center-right in Italy was very similar to the bloc's central European member states. "So it is obvious that we will work together in the future," he told Reuters in an interview. "This is not against the western part of Europe, this is against migration, and this is in favor of our interests because we put security first." A bitter row over migration policy sparked by the biggest influx of refugees into the European Union since World War Two has undermined trust within the bloc and weakened its unity, with its eastern states refusing to sign up to a quota system favored by several richer members to the west and north. In refusing to accept Muslim refugees, Hungary and its neighbors in the Visegrad group - the Czech Republic, Poland and Slovakia - have cited security concerns and the desire to preserve the traditional Christian make-up of their societies. In Austria, Chancellor Sebastian Kurz formed a coalition with the Freedom Party following an election last year dominated by the issue of migration, making the country the only one in western Europe with a far-right grouping in government. In Italy this month, the governing center-left Democratic Party lost out to anti-establishment and right-wing parties that campaigned hard against immigration in an election that delivered a hung parliament. 'MORE EFFICIENT' COOPERATION Szijjarto said the Visegrad countries had no plans to enlarge that alliance, but this should not prevent closer ties with like-minded states. "What we definitely would like to do is to have a closer and more efficient cooperation with Austria and of course hopefully with the upcoming Italian government," he said. Kurz said on Friday that Austria planned to use its presidency of the European Union this year to shift the bloc's focus away from resettling refugees within the EU and towards preventing further waves of arrivals. He also pledged closer cooperation with Hungary after meeting Prime Minister Viktor Orban at the end of January. Orban has been one of the EU's hardliners on migration and is campaigning on a fierce anti-immigration agenda ahead of Hungary's own national election on April 8, when he will seek a third term in office. Asked about a recent video in which Janos Lazar, the top aide to Orban, blamed immigrants for pushing out "white Christians" in a district of Vienna, Szijjarto said he did not think the comments were unfortunate. Facebook first removed the video then reversed its decision. "It is an open issue in Austria that the number of Muslim kids to be enrolled in Vienna schools is approaching the number of the Austrian kids to be enrolled. That is an open debate...," Szijjarto said. The Social Democrats (SPO), who govern Vienna in coalition with the Greens, said Lazar's comments were part of a "racist and xenophobic election strategy" by Orban's Fidesz party ahead of elections. (Reporting by Krisztina Than; editing by John Stonestreet)Have a question about your taxes? Send them to us at moneyquestions@yahoo.com and we may answer it in an upcoming Facebook livestream on March 22.

Every year, millions of people dont file their taxes. It might be because theyre afraid they owe money to the IRS that they cant pay, or because they think their income falls below the threshold required to file.

But if you didnt file taxes in 2014, you might want to pay attention.

According to the IRS, Americans left $1.1 billion in unclaimed federal income tax refunds in 2014. The money belongs to about one million taxpayers who didnt file their returns, and the IRS says about half of the refunds are for more than $847.

The IRS is making this announcement now because time is running out for people to claim their refunds. Generally, Americans have three years to file a past return before their refund money becomes property of the U.S. Treasury. That means April 17, 2018, is the last day for people who didnt file their returns in 2014.

Failing to file federal returns also varies greatly by state. In Vermont, 27,000 people failed to file their return in 2014, leaving behind about $2 million. In Texas, 108,000 people didnt file a tax return in 2014, leaving behind a whopping $122 million.

If this notice applies to you, there a few things to consider. First, if you file your 2014 return, your refund will be held if you also neglected to file a return in 2015 and 2016. Also, if you owe money for child support or past due debts (like student loans) the IRS will take those fees out of your refund.

Filing a past return could also be lucrative. The Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) is designed to help low- and moderate-income families. In 2014 the tax credit was worth as much as $6,143, which you could claim if your income was below a certain threshold. For example, a single person with three or more children could qualify for the EITC if they made less than $46,997.

Those wanting to file an old tax return can find the appropriate forms on the IRS documents page. To get your hands on old income forms (W2, 1098 or 1099), taxpayers can request copies from their employer or bank. If unable to do so, you can also order a free wage and income transcript at IRS.gov using the Get Transcript Online tool.

Story continues

The window to file your 2014 taxes ends April 17, 2018, so all returns must be mailed and postmarked by that date.

Brittany is a reporter at Yahoo Finance. Follow her on Twitter.

What happens if you dont file your tax return?

4 lesser known, but legitimate online tax software programs

We ran our taxes through 5 different software programsJerusalem (AFP) - Israel's defence minister said Monday he would remain in the government for now, leaving Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's coalition intact after intensifying speculation over whether the country is headed for early polls.

The crisis within Netanyahu's right-wing coalition follows speculation over whether the premier wants early polls to bolster his political standing ahead of his possible indictment for bribery in the coming months.

Defence Minister Avigdor Lieberman's announcement does not bring an end to the coalition crisis and came with a warning that he still could resign later.

But progress has been made on a compromise that could lessen the chances of elections for the time being.

"We shall not volunteer to leave the government," Lieberman told a meeting of lawmakers from his Yisrael Beitenu party.

"There is no more interesting post than the post of defence minister. I do not know of anyone who would volunteer to leave the job. We are all as one here."

Netanyahu separately called on Lieberman and all other coalition partners to remain in the government.

He has repeatedly said he wants the coalition to last its entire term, which ends in November 2019, but some members of his coalition suspect him of allowing the crisis to worsen to expedite elections.

Earlier Monday, Israeli ministers gave initial approval to a bill exempting young ultra-Orthodox men from military service, the first concrete step towards resolving the crisis.

Lieberman does not support the bill, but his comments on Monday left the government with some room for manoeuvre in the coming weeks.

The coalition has been at loggerheads since ultra-Orthodox parties said they would not support next year's budget unless a law is passed to exempt religious students from military service.

Finance Minister Moshe Kahlon said he would resign if the budget does not pass in the Knesset's winter session, which ends on March 18.

But in a late meeting Sunday, ultra-Orthodox factions told Netanyahu they would agree to support the budget if the military conscription bill passed the ministerial committee and an initial parliamentary reading, postponing a final vote until the summer session.

Netanyahu, 68, could soon face charges in at least two separate corruption affairs. He has been prime minister for a total of 12 years, from 1996-1999 and again since 2009.By Jeffrey Heller JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu repeatedly urged his feuding coalition partners on Monday to remain in the government, despite speculation he was seeking its collapse and a snap election to help him survive corruption allegations. The cabinet dispute centres on a long-standing faultline in Israeli society between those who serve in the military and those who receive a religious exemption. This has surfaced again over the framing of a bill that would extend such exemptions for ultra-Orthodox Jewish seminary students. Opposition politicians and at least one coalition partner have suggested Netanyahu is not committed to resolving the issue and might actually prefer to let the government unravel. An early election, political commentators said, could be used by Netanyahu to shore up public support before Israel's attorney-general decides whether to accept police recommendations to indict him in two graft cases. Recent opinion polls have shown strong backing for his right-wing Likud party, even as he faces possible bribery charges in those investigations, suspicions of corruption in at least one other case, and testimony by three former aides who have turned state's witness. Netanyahu denies any wrongdoing. In a statement on Monday, the four-term prime minister said he wanted to keep his current six-party coalition intact. "I call on all the coalition partners, and chief among them Defence Minister Avigdor Lieberman, to remain in the government and continue this partnership in order to ensure security, prosperity and stability for the State of Israel," he said. Netanyahu issued the statement minutes before Lieberman, head of the secular Yisrael Beitenu party that opposes the exemption from military service for religious students, was due to comment on a bill backed by ultra-Orthodox factions. It passed a preliminary vote in a parliamentary committee on Monday. Later in the day Netanyahu was summoned by lawmakers to address parliament about the current crisis and reiterated that there was still time to settle any differences. "Should there be an election, we will run and we will win. But we are not there yet. The hour is late, but not too late," he said, above heckles from the opposition. "A supreme effort must be made, one last supreme effort in order to preserve the government in its current composition." The next election is not due until November 2019. FRICTION As expected, Lieberman again rejected the legislation but made clear his party, which has five of the coalition's 66 seats in the 120-member parliament, would stay in the government for now. "As long as it has not gone through second and third readings we will fight from within (the government). The moment it passes the second and third readings, we will draw our own conclusions," Lieberman said of the bill. Those votes in parliament could be months away, a time gap that could leave room for compromise. For decades the exemption from military service on religious grounds has caused friction in Israel, where most Jewish men and women are called up for military service when they turn 18. The ultra-Orthodox say their study of the Torah is vital for the continued survival of the Jewish people and also fear that young men serving in the army would come into contact with women and with less pious elements in society. Last September, Israel's Supreme Court gave parliament a year to pass a new conscription bill after ruling that parts of the existing exemption were unconstitutional. (Editing by Gareth Jones and Peter Graff)Bnei Brak (Israel) (AFP) - Dozens of ultra-Orthodox Jews blocked a main artery near Tel Aviv on Monday, Israeli police said, in the latest protest against compulsory military service.

A police statement said that "around 50" protesters cut off the north-south highway 4 in the predominantly ultra-Orthodox city of Bnei Brak.

An AFP journalist saw border police officers physically dragging away sit-down demonstrators.

Video footage aired on Israeli television channels showed appeared to be thousands more gathered nearby, chanting in support, with a police water cannon standing by.

They reported that the main highway was cleared after two hours.

There has been a string of demonstrations in recent months, spurred by arrests of young ultra-Orthodox men accused of dodging military service.

The issue triggered a potentially terminal crisis in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's ruling coalition, with ultra-Orthodox political parties threatening to break up the government unless a bill to exempt their youngsters from the draft was passed.

Defence Minister Avigdor Lieberman and his fiercely secular Yisrael Beitenu party want to see the ultra-Orthodox serve in the military like other Israelis and have vowed to fight the bill in parliament.

Israeli law requires men to serve two years and eight months in the military on reaching the age of 18, while women must serve for two.

There was a lull in the political infighting on Monday after a government committee approved sending the bill for a preliminary parliamentary reading, with a final vote not expected for months.

Lieberman told Yisrael Beitenu MPs that he would continue to oppose it but would remain in the government for now, although he could resign later.

Ultra-Orthodox men are excused from military service if they are engaged in religious study, but must still report to the army to receive their exemption.

Some seminary students have refused even to do that.

There were protests in Jerusalem last week, after the arrest of a young ultra-Orthodox man who failed to show up to request an exemption after receiving a call-up notice.TOKYO (Reuters) - Japanese Finance Minister Taro Aso said on Monday he had no intention to resign over revelations that documents related to a state land sale were altered. "It's extremely regrettable and I apologise for this," Aso told reporters, when asked whether he felt responsible as head of the ministry involved in the alterations. He said the alterations were conducted by bureaucrats at the finance ministry's division in charge of state land sales. (Reporting by Tetsushi Kajimoto, Stanley White and Leika Kihara; Editing by Stephen Coates)By Leika Kihara TOKYO (Reuters) - Japan's finance minister is considering skipping a Group of 20 finance leaders' gathering in Buenos Aires next week, Kyodo news agency reported, as a suspected cover-up of a cronyism scandal paralyses parliament and puts his job on the line. Premier Shinzo Abe and his close ally, Finance Minister Taro Aso, are under pressure over the finance ministry's announcement it had altered records of a discounted sale of state-owned land to a school operator with ties to Abe's wife. While Aso told reporters on Monday he had no intention to resign, opposition lawmakers are calling for the minister to step down to take responsibility for the scandal. Aso was scheduled to attended the G20 gathering on March 19-20, where finance leaders from major economies are set to debate global economic developments, rising fears of protectionism and cryptocurrencies. Kyodo, quoting ruling party lawmakers, said Aso is considering skipping the G20 meeting as parliament debate on next fiscal year's budget has been delayed due to the scandal. (Reporting by Leika Kihara; Editing by James Dalgleish)Tokyo (AFP) - Japan's finance minister admitted Monday that official papers related to a favouritism scandal dogging Prime Minister Shinzo Abe had been altered, but denied any plans to step down over the row.

Abe's government has faced mounting pressure in recent days over the 2016 sale of state-owned land to one of his supporters at a price well below market value.

Speaking to reporters outside his office, the prime minister "deeply" apologised to the public for this "incident that could shake confidence" in government operations.

"I take people's criticism sincerely and want Finance Minister (Taro) Aso to be responsible for pushing ahead with an investigation to fully reveal why this kind of incident happened," added Abe.

Earlier Monday, Aso told a hastily arranged press conference: "Changing official documents is very grave and extremely regrettable and I deeply apologise."

"What is important is that these things don't happen again," Aso added.

The scandal first emerged early last year, but resurfaced after the revelation that official documents related to the sale had been changed.

Versions of the original and the doctored documents published Monday by opposition lawmakers appeared to show Abe's name had been scrubbed, along with that of his wife Akie, and Aso.

Aso blamed the alterations on "some staff members" at the ministry, and said he had only learned about them on Sunday.

But he batted off suggestions he might resign over the scandal.

"I am not thinking about that at all," he said, adding he did not believe the alterations were intended to protect Abe and his wife.

Abe called on his finance minister and close ally to make his "utmost efforts to rebuild the organisation (finance ministry) so that this never happens again".

- 'Debased democracy' -

The opposition immediately went on the attack over the affair. "What became clear is that they debased democracy," by lying to parliament, said opposition lawmaker Renho, who uses one name.

Story continues

Opposition politicians have alleged that the buyer of the land -- a right-wing operator of private schools -- was able to clinch the sale at such a favourable price because of his ties to the Abe family.

The operator had named Akie Abe the honorary principal of the school he was planning to build on the government plot.

Aso said the documents were doctored to be "coherent" with a speech made in parliament by the head of the tax agency Nobuhisa Sagawa, who stepped down on Friday over the scandal.

Sagawa was head of the finance ministry department that oversaw the land deal, before being promoted last year to tax agency chief.

"It is possible that Sagawa ordered the alterations," the Mainichi Shimbun newspaper said, citing government sources.

Adding to the pressure, a finance ministry official linked to the scandal was found dead on Friday, although it is not clear if the reported suicide is linked to the affair.

Abe has consistently denied any wrongdoing and vowed to resign if he was found to be involved in the land deal.

But a poll released published Monday in the Yomiuri Shimbun showed his support dropping by six percentage points from last month to 48 percent, the first reading under 50 percent since he won re-election in October.

Eight out of 10 voters said the government was not responding appropriately to the allegations, according to the survey conducted over the weekend among 1,036 voters.

The allegations have also paralysed parliament in recent days, with some opposition lawmakers boycotting debates.

Abe is facing re-election as head of his ruling LDP party in September, which would put him on course to be Japan's longest-serving premier.

Some analysts have said the scandal could harm his chances although no serious challenger to his rule have yet put themselves forward.By Stanley White and Tetsushi Kajimoto TOKYO (Reuters) - Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and his close ally, Finance Minister Taro Aso, faced growing pressure on Monday over a suspected cover-up of a cronyism scandal that has dogged the premier for more than a year. Copies of documents seen by Reuters showed that references to Abe, his wife and Aso were removed from finance ministry records of the discounted sale of state-owned land to a school operator with ties to Abe's wife, Akie. Abe, now in his sixth year in office, has denied that he or his wife did favors for the school operator, Moritomo Gakuen, and has said he would resign if evidence was found that they had. Excised references seen by Reuters did not appear to show that Abe or his wife intervened directly in the deal. Suspicion of a cover-up could slash Abe's ratings and dash his hopes for a third term as leader of his Liberal Democratic Party (LDP). Victory in the LDP September leadership vote would put him on track to become Japan's longest-serving premier. The doubts are also putting pressure on Aso to resign. "It could shake confidence in the administration as a whole. I strongly feel responsibility as the head of administration," Abe told reporters after the finance ministry reported on the altered documents. "I apologize to all of the people." Abe said he wanted Aso to make every effort to clarify all the facts and ensure such things do not happen again. Aso told a separate news conference that several officials at his ministry's division in charge of the sale were involved in altering the documents to make them conform with testimony in parliament by the then-head of the division. "It has become clear that there was a cover-up and falsification," opposition Democratic Party leader Yuichiro Tamaki told reporters. He said Aso should resign and parliament hold hearings on the matter. The 77-year-old Aso, who is also deputy premier and whose backing is vital for Abe, apologized for his ministry's actions, but said that he had no intention of stepping down. The risk for Aso and Abe, experts said, is that the suspected cover-up does more damage than the land sale itself. "The cover-up is now a bigger issue than the original incident," said Koichi Nakano, a professor at Sophia University. A finance ministry official said that 14 items had been altered in the documents after February last year - when the scandal broke - at the instruction of the ministry's financial division to match testimony in parliament. ASO'S SURVIVAL? One such reference was to Akie's visit to the school at the heart of the suspected scandal. Also removed was a reference to ties by Abe and Aso to a conservative lobby group, Nippon Kaigi. The records include a comment from Yasunori Kagoike, the former head of Moritomo Gakuen, citing Akie Abe as telling him: "This is good land so please proceed." A kindergarten run by Moritomo Gakuen taught a nationalist curriculum in line with views espoused by Nippon Kaigi. "At the very least, it seems that Aso's chances of surviving as finance minister are diminishing rapidly," wrote Tobias Harris, vice president of consultancy Teneo Intelligence, in an email. He said there was no "smoking gun" showing direct intervention by Abe or his wife. But Harris added: "It now seems to be more a question of whether Abe can manage an orderly exit at the end of his term in September or whether he'll resign hastily again - but I don't see how he can win a new mandate amidst the Abe fatigue that will surely grow after these revelations." A Sankei newspaper poll over the weekend said 71 percent of respondents said Aso should go. On Friday, National Tax Agency chief Nobuhisa Sagawa resigned over remarks in parliament last year about the case. Sagawa headed the ministry division that submitted the documents before he was tapped as tax agency chief in July, an appointment critics saw as a reward for his efforts to diffuse the issue with his statements to parliament last year. Some LDP members said politicians should not pass the buck to bureaucrats. "It is inconceivable that the bureaucrats on the spot had such authority (to alter the documents)," media quoted Shigeru Ishiba, an LDP lawmaker who has made no secret of his desire to challenge Abe in the party race, as saying on the weekend. Abe, 63, swept back to power in December 2012 promising to revive the economy and bolster Japan's defense. It was a rare comeback for the conservative lawmaker, who quit abruptly in 2007 after a year in office marked by scandals in his cabinet, a deadlocked parliament and ill health. His ruling bloc won a two-thirds "super majority" in an October lower house poll, helped by opposition disarray. A March 9-11 survey by the Yomiuri newspaper showed support for Abe's cabinet has now fallen to 48 percent, down six points from a month earlier. Non-support rose to 42 percent and 80 percent said that the matter had not been handled appropriately. (Writing by Linda Sieg; Additional reporting by Takaya Yamaguchi, Kaori Kaneko, Ami Miyazaki, Yoshifumi Takemoto and Nobuhiro Kubo, Elaine Lies and Malcolm Foster; Editing by Michael Perry, Robert Birsel)U.S. lawmakers, Jewish groups and prominent Jewish figures bristled at Russian President Vladimir Putins suggestion that various minority groups, including Jews, could have been responsible for interference in the 2016 U.S. presidential election.

It is deeply disturbing to see the Russian president giving new life to classic anti-Semitic stereotypes that have plagued his country for hundreds of years, with a comment that sounds as if it was ripped from the pages of the Protocols of the Elders of Zion, Jonathan Greenblatt, Anti-Defamation League chief executive, said in a statement. Protocols of the Elders of Zion is an anti-Semitic pamphlet published in Russia in the early 20th century that warned against Jewish world domination.

The American Jewish Committee demanded that Putin clarify comments he made in an interview with NBC News that aired on Saturday in which he denied he had anything to do with election meddling. Others took issue with the silence from President Donald Trump and the White House:

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Putin, in an interview with NBC News Megyn Kelly, denied personal involvement in attempts to influence the election. Special Counsel Robert Mueller indicted 13 Russians and three Russian companies last month for attempting to interfere.

Putin instead deflected blame onto minority groups.

Maybe theyre not even Russians, he told Kelly. Maybe theyre Ukrainians, Tatars, Jews, just with Russian citizenship. Even that needs to be checked. Maybe they have dual citizenship. Or maybe a green card. Maybe it was the Americans who paid them for this work. How do you know? I dont know.

Anti-Semitism remains rampant across Russia, even though Putin has promoted a facade of tolerance. He encouraged Jews who fled the Soviet Union to return, but the number of Russian Jews who have fled for Israel in recent years has risen.

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This article originally appeared on HuffPost.Sources who are Ivanka have some great things to say about Ivanka. Photo: Carl Court/Getty Images

You might have heard some negative things about Ivanka Trump recently, like that U.S. counterintelligence officials are scrutinizing one of her business deals and the president is plotting to push her and her husband out of the White House. Then there are Jared Kushners woes, which range from having his security clearance downgraded to reports that Special Counsel Robert Mueller is looking into the mingling of Kushner family business and the Trump transition.

Usually such gossip is shot down by sources close to Jared and Ivanka, but late last month Ivanka chatted with the Washington Post, partially on the record, about how she navigates her dual role as First Daughter and senior adviser. According to Ivanka, and glowing statements from several people who work for her father, we might have misjudged her. Heres what we learned.

If Ivanka has a fault, its being too innocent. There was no way for her to know that people in the Trump White House would be so nasty (aside from the rampant infighting on the campaign).

Ivanka has privately said she was naive when she first came to Washington. She was unprepared for the palace infighting that has so shaped the White House power dynamics. It was not until the hiring of White House spokesman Josh Raffel last April that she and Kushner aggressively moved to protect their reputations.

She also has lamented to friends that she is sometimes weaponized  unwittingly invoked by other officials as a high-profile surrogate for their personal grievances, knowing that if Ivanka is said to be frustrated about something, it is likely to draw more attention.

Accusing her of focusing on random pet projects is mean and untrue. She also drummed up support for the GOP tax bill and her trip to the Olympics may have laid the groundwork for her father to agree to talk to North Korean leader Kim Jong-un (though it seems no planning went into her fathers sudden decision). Awkward silences during dinner with Korean president Moon Jae-in: not on her watch!

Ivanka said she was determined to forge a warm rapport with Moon, a progressive who has a somewhat cool relationship with her father. When South Koreas first couple hosted the traveling Americans for a dinner of bibimbap with marinated tofu at the presidential Blue House in Seoul, Ivanka knew from her research how to strike up a conversation with first lady Kim Jung-sook. They chatted about their shared interest in K-pop, a distinct musical style originating on the peninsula.

She 100 percent carried the conversation of the dinner, said White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders, a member of the visiting U.S. delegation. She and Moon instantly had a good connection and she and the first lady had really good chemistry.

Ivanka works really hard. No executive time for her.

She peppered National Security Council experts in advance with questions, not just about the nuclear threat, but also about South Korean President Moon Jae-in and his wifes hobbies. Flying over the Pacific bound for the Winter Olympic Games last month, she pored over a research dossier for hours. And she and her team choreographed many of the possible encounters she might have, including acting out what she would do if a North Korean official tried to shake her hand.

I dont like to leave a lot up to fate, President Trumps 36-year-old daughter, also a senior White House adviser, said in an interview with The Washington Post.

That includes her voice. Shes very committed to letting Americans enjoy the patrician accent shes affected.

In some television appearances, Ivanka seems to present a simulacrum of herself  a for-public-consumption version that is at once both poised and guarded, complete with a breathy, unplaceable accent. In private, her voice sounds an octave deeper. She can be by turns lighthearted and defiant, down-to-earth and supremely confident. And like both her husband and her father, Ivanka sprinkles her conversation with the occasional curse word.

But shes still super relatable. Who among us doesnt have a soft spot for Journey, and a personalized memento from one of the band members?

On a small table in her well-appointed office sit several pictures of her kids, a framed copy of Trumps typed Remarks Regarding the Capital of Israel  signed To Ivanka, Love Dad in the presidents oversized Sharpie scribble  and the lyrics to Journeys Dont Stop Believin  handwritten to her by one of the songwriters.

In fact, shes just like any other White House staffer. I must work incredibly diligently to follow protocol as any other staffer would, Ivanka explained. Thats why shell occasionally update her employer on the policies shes pushing on Capitol Hill, and the topics discussed during her frequent, unscheduled chats with her dad.

The fact that she has her own relationships with members on the Hill enables us to accomplish more, and anytime shes engaging in conversations, shes checking in with us on how she can be helpful and getting our advice on what we need, said Marc Short, White House director of legislative affairs. She would say, Im intending to go have a meeting today but I want to make sure your office is comfortable with it and what are the White House priorities I can help with.

Though she and her father speak multiple times a day  sometimes in unscheduled calls when the president spontaneously dials her  she says she honors [chief of staff John] Kellys demand that she inform him and other officials about any policy-related discussions the two have.

Except when shes not like other staffers. But who knows, maybe Kellyanne Conway is allowed to tell Trump shes not cool with the travel ban and wont publicly defend it.

[Ivanka] does not see herself as a talking head and refuses to promote policies with which she personally disagrees; for instance, she was notably silent on last years Republican health-care plan, and has said little recently about her fathers guns agenda.

The president is still on Ivankas side. Kelly shouldnt get any ideas, because Trump definitely wants her to stay in the White House.

Everybody loves and respects Ivanka, the president said in a statement. She works very hard and always gets the job done in a first class manner. She was crucial to our success in achieving historic tax cuts and reforms and served as my envoy in South Korea, where she was incredibly well received. Her work on behalf of American families has made a real impact.

And if he isnt, its only because he loves her.On Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, the host ripped companies shameless, patronizing pandering to women on International Womens Day. Some McDonalds stores turned the trademark Golden Arches upside down to look like a W, which caused Oliver to wonder if every other day is Mens Day. Porsche dimmed letters in its logo to spell SHE. And Brawny ran a Whos your shero? campaign.

Now, the only problem with that, Oliver said, is that we consulted some linguistics experts, and it turns out  and this is true  that theres already a word for women heroes and its the word heroes. Its a little like the word sheroes, only its not stupid and it is a word.

Mattel recently released Barbie dolls based on inspiring women, one being Mexican artist Frida Kahlo, whom Salma Hayek portrayed in the 2002 movie Frida. Oliver didnt have anything against the Barbies but against a newscaster who got a little too excited at the thought of Hayek.

It was a segment about womens empowerment, childrens toys, and a long-dead artist, Oliver said. But he decided, I can perv out on this. I will perv out on this.

Oliver also had quite an interesting interpretation of the Womens Day speech given by Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Last Week Tonight with John Oliver airs Sundays at 11 p.m. on HBO.

Watch John Oliver take aim at the NRAs online streaming site:

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Tell us what you think! Hit us up on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram  or leave your comments below. And check out our host, Kylie Mar, on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram.By Nate Raymond BOSTON (Reuters) - A federal judge on Monday rejected a lawsuit by Massachusetts' attorney general challenging new rules by President Donald Trump's administration that make it easier for employers to avoid providing insurance that covers women's birth control. U.S. District Judge Nathaniel Gorton in Boston dismissed a lawsuit by Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey that sought to block rules that provide exemptions from an Obamacare mandate requiring such coverage on moral or religious grounds. The ruling came after two other judges in California and Pennsylvania in December issued preliminary injunctions blocking the Republican president's administration from enforcing the rules, which it announced in October. Gorton said that in contrast to those two states, where there is "no doubt" employers intend to take advantage of the exemptions, "the record is uniquely obscure" as to whether any in Massachusetts would. He noted that after the new rules were announced, Massachusetts enacted a law in November called the ACCESS Act that required employer-sponsored health plans to cover birth control without imposing co-pays. As a result, Gorton said that state law provided reasons to believe Massachusetts women were less likely to be affected by the federal rules, undercutting Healey's claim that the state would be injured by them and that she had standing to sue. "While we are disappointed in today's decision, we remain steadfast in our commitment to ensuring affordable and reliable reproductive health care for women," Healey, a Democrat, said in a statement. "We will continue to fight for these protections." The U.S. Justice Department, which is defending the rules, had no immediate comment. The lawsuit is among several that Democratic state attorneys general filed after the Trump administration on Oct. 6 unveiled the rules, which targeted the contraceptive mandate implemented as part of 2010's Affordable Care Act, popularly known as Obamacare. The rules allow businesses or nonprofits to lodge religious or moral objections to obtain an exemption from the law's mandate that employers provide contraceptive coverage in health insurance with no co-payment. Conservative Christian activists and congressional Republicans praised the move, while reproductive rights advocates and Democrats criticized it. (Reporting by Nate Raymond; Editing by Jonathan Oatis and Peter Cooney)Seoul (AFP) - A South Korean member of parliament resigned Monday after being accused of sex abuse, the latest target of a spreading #MeToo campaign in the country, as an exhibition to an accused poet was dismantled.

Min Byung-doo, a three-term lawmaker with the ruling Democratic Party, submitted his resignation despite requests by his own organisation to reconsider as his exit whittled away its position as largest party in the legislature.

He is the first sitting MP to step down over allegations of abuse, which have swept fields from politics to the arts.

A woman who declined to be named claimed in an interview with the online news website Newstapa that Min had forcibly kissed her and unzipped her trousers at a karaoke in 2008.

Min, 59, denied the accusation in a statement last week but said he was "ready to resign if I committed any wrongdoings that I was not aware of".

Min's resignation has to be approved by the parliament to take effect, but would reduce the Democratic Party to 120 seats in the single chamber, just four more than the conservative Liberty Korea opposition. And at least seven by-elections are already due in June.

Also Monday, the main library of the capital Seoul removed an exhibition in honour of Ko Un, who is regularly tipped for the Nobel Prize in literature but has been accused of sex abuse.

Famed poet Choi Young-mi claimed that Ko, 84, had often groped young female writers and editors after publishing a thinly-veiled poem "Monster", in which she detailed her experiences at his hands.

Another poet, Park Jin-sung, also said he had seen Ko groping women and exposing his penis to them while other literary figures turned a blind eye.

As public fury over Ko escalated, the education ministry said last week almost all of Ko's works and mentions of his name would be removed from school textbooks.

Seoul Metropolitan Library, where a replica of Ko's study featuring his books and other personal items donated by him had been on display since last year, removed the exhibition.

Story continues

"We will take steps to return all the materials to the poet," said a library official quoted by the Yonhap news agency.

Ko has denied the allegations against him in a statement to the Guardian, saying he did "nothing which might bring shame on my wife or myself".

South Korean women have long been reluctant to come forward about sex abuse due to fears of relentless public shaming and bullying in a country that remains deeply patriarchal despite economic and technological advances.

But a Seoul prosecutor in January made a rare move to speak out about sex abuse by a superior on live television, triggering a wave of accusations against figures ranging from artists to politicians.

In the most high-profile case, Ahn Hee-jung, a former presidential contender and a star politician, stepped down last week as a provincial governor after his aide accused him of multiple rapes.

He was questioned for around nine hours by prosecutors on Friday.A total of 49 people have been killed after a plane crashed as it landed at Kathmandu airport in Nepal.

The plane, a twin-propeller Bombardier Dash 8 flying from Bangladesh, swerved repeatedly before it crashed, landing near the runway and bursting into flames.

The death toll among those on board the US-Bangla Airlines flight remained unclear amid the chaos of the crash, with badly injured victims being rushed to nearby hospitals.

US-Bangla Airlines flight BS211 from Dhaka to Kathmandu was carrying 67 passengers and four crew members.

The plane crashed on Monday afternoon at Kathmandu airport in Nepal (Picture: AP)

Police spokesman Manoj Neupane said on Tuesday that 49 people were confirmed to have been killed and 22 injured.

They were being treated in several hospitals in Nepals capital.

The government has ordered an investigation to find the cause of the crash.

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A statement from the prime ministers office said a six-member investigative team headed by a former government secretary will gather the facts to determine the cause and prevent future crashes.

In the recording posted by air traffic monitoring website liveatc.net, the pilot asked for permission to land from the north, which an air traffic controller granted.

Less than a minute later the pilot said he was ready to land from the south, and the controller repeated that, clearing the plane to land from the south.

A separate conversation between the tower and a Nepali pilot added to the sense of miscommunication between the controllers and the pilot of the Bangladeshi plane before the crash on Monday.

Looks like they are really confused, one man says in Nepali talking about US-Bangla Flight BS211. They appear to be extremely disoriented, another man said.

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Just before landing the pilot asks, Are we cleared to land? Moments later, the controller comes back on, using a tone rarely heard in such conversations  perhaps even panic  and tells the pilot: I say again, turn!

Seconds later, the controller orders fire trucks on to the runway.

Rescuers surround the plane that crashed at Kathmandu Airport (Picture: AP)

Smoke from the crash site at the airport (Picture: AP)

However, Kathmandu airports general manager only told reporters on Monday that the pilot did not follow the control towers instructions and approached the airports only runway from the wrong direction.

The airplane was not properly aligned with the runway. The tower repeatedly asked if the pilot was OK and the reply was yes,' Raj Kumar Chetri said.

Nitin Keyal was about to board a domestic flight at the airport when he saw the plane coming in.

It was flying very low, said Mr Keyal, a medical student. Everyone just froze looking at it. You could tell it wasnt a normal landing.

He said it landed just off the runway, broke apart and burst into flames. For a few minutes no one could believe what was happening. It was just terrible, he said.Lisa Cohen had recently escaped her career as a lawyer to pursue her passion  being a photographer  when she was hit with a diagnosis of multiple sclerosis in 2001. The Montclair, New Jersey, native was saddled with problems, including vision loss in one eye (known as optic neuritis) and fatigue. Great, I'm a photographer and I can't see, she shares with Yahoo Lifestyle. A steroid treatment helped her regain her sight. But eight years later, Cohen suffered another setback: muscle spasticity, which leaves her leg muscles continuously contracted. It makes it harder for me to stand. It makes it harder for me to walk, she says. At first, she let fear take over, limiting what she did to stay safe. But Cohen, who describes herself as a fighter by nature, realized there was no reason to let MS rule her life. So she decided to live her life like a rock star.Washington (AFP) - Porn star Stormy Daniels, who claims to have had a sexual relationship with Donald Trump over a decade ago, offered on Monday to return the $130,000 she received in exchange for agreeing not to discuss the affair, The New York Times reported.

The newspaper said the offer to return the money was made in a letter from Daniels' lawyer, Michael Avenatti, to Trump's personal lawyer, Michael Cohen.

Avenatti filed a lawsuit on behalf of Daniels last week seeking to toss out the confidential settlement she signed just days before the November 2016 election.

The lawsuit alleges that Daniels, whose real name is Stephanie Clifford, began an "intimate relationship" with Trump in the summer of 2006 and that it continued well into 2007.

In Monday's letter, Avenatti said that once Daniels returned the money the "hush agreement" would be deemed "null and void" and she could "speak openly and freely about her prior relationship with the President and the attempts to silence her."

Daniels would also be allowed to "publish any text messages, photos and/or videos relating to the President that she may have in her possession, all without fear of retribution and legal liability for damages," it said.

Avenatti said Daniels would wire the money into an account of Trump's choosing by Friday, the Times said.

Cohen, Trump's lawyer, was given until noon (1600 GMT) Tuesday to respond.

Avenatti said last week that Daniels "believes it's important that the public learn the truth about what happened.

"I think it's time for her to tell her story and for the public to decide who's telling the truth," he said.

Asked about the allegations last week, White House spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders noted that Trump has denied them. "The president has denied the allegations against him," Sanders said.

As part of the lawsuit filed with a California court seeking to declare the non-disclosure agreement null and void, Avenatti released a copy of the settlement.

Story continues

It shows that Daniels received a $130,000 payment from a company known as Essential Consultants LLC in return for her silence.

Using the pseudonyms Peggy Peterson and David Dennison, Daniels and Trump were to sign the agreement, along with Essential Consultants.

But Trump never signed it, providing the basis for Avenatti's attempt to have it thrown out and release Daniels from her obligations.

The watchdog group Common Cause filed a federal complaint in January arguing that the payout to Daniels may have violated campaign finance rules.

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For more news videos visit Yahoo View.(Photo: Ahmed Alaklouk)

A 22-year-old man living in the U.S. illegally has been charged with a federal crime after police in Indianapolis, Indiana, found him in possession of guns on two occasions in January, The Indianapolis Star reported Sunday.

Police responding to a Jan. 20 call from security at the Hyatt Regency hotel in downtown Indianapolis saw Ahmed Alaklouk was in possession of a firearm described by the Star as an AR-15-styled rifle, which he reportedly told police was fully tricked out.

Alaklouk, described as as a Tunisian native and Saudi Arabian citizen in federal court documents obtained by the Star, had been renting a room at the Hyatt when hotel security contacted the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department around 3 a.m. after they saw several weapons in his parked truck. There were six handguns in the backseat and an assault-style rifle in the front seat, according to the Star.

Police reportedly told Alaklouk to keep his firearms in a hotel safe and out of sight in his truck to avoid a potential break-in. Officers said the rifle had been modified to function like an AR-15 and was equipped with a scope, bipod and bump stock, reported the Star.

Federal law prohibits people in the U.S. illegally from possessing guns and ammunition, prompting federal prosecutors to file a federal gun charge against Alaklouk on Wednesday. U.S. Department of Homeland Security placed an immigration detainer in Marion County Jail for Alaklouk so he may be held in custody while federal agents obtain a warrant to begin deportation proceedings, the Star reported.

A bump stock, shown here in a Utah gun shop in October 2017, attaches to a semi-automatic rifle to increase its firing rate. (Photo: George Frey / Reuters)

Hotel security reportedly contacted police a second time around 7:45 a.m. when they found Alaklouks rifle in the front seat of his truck again and were concerned about his hotel room overlooking the area where thousands of Womens March participants were expected to gather hours later.

Police and hotel security then removed Alaklouk and two other unidentified men from the hotel, according to the Star.

Story continues

AR-15-style rifles are often the weapon of choice for mass shooters, including the suspected gunman in last months deadly shooting at a high school in Parkland, Florida.

Bump stocks are a type of gun modification that allow semi-automatic weapons to fire like automatic weapons. Stephen Paddock had outfitted his rifle with a bump stock, which enabled him to fire hundreds of rounds into a crowd of concertgoers at a music festival in Las Vegas last year.

The hotels general manager, Joe Pinto, confirmed the incident Monday in a statement emailed to HuffPost.

At Hyatt Regency Indianapolis, the safety of our guests and colleagues is a top priority, Pinto wrote. On January 20, hotel security was alerted to firearms in a vehicle parked in the garage. The police department was in touch with the vehicle owner to notify him of the policy violation, which requires firearms to be unloaded and stored in a locked container, and the guest left the property soon after.

A week later, police responded to another firearm-related incident involving Alaklouk roughly four miles west of the hotel. A woman called 911 after Alaklouk pointed his rifle at her and her father and threatened to kill them over a business disagreement at Alaklouks store, Medo Tire Shop, according to the Star.

Charges were filed against Alaklouk on behalf of the state on Jan. 31 in Marion Superior Court in Indianapolis. He is being charged with two felony counts of criminal confinement, two felony counts of intimidation, one felony count of unlawful possession of a firearm and a battery misdemeanor.

A representative for the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department confirmed Alaklouk was arrested, but did not provide additional comment. Jennifer Lukemeyer, Alaklouks attorney in the criminal case, declined to comment.

Read the full report on The Indianapolis Star.

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This article originally appeared on HuffPost.Democrat Conor Lamb and Republican Rick Saccone are coming down to the wire in a special congressional election in Trump Country.

Special elections are, well, special. They dont necessarily follow recent precedents, for the simple reason that a lot of voters dont interrupt their lives to participate in a one-off balloting. But they also, particularly at the congressional level, attract a lot of national money and attention.

Sometimes special elections have a real impact on the partisan balance between the parties, as in Alabama last December, when Democrat Doug Joness conquest of what everyone considered a locked-down Republican Senate seat suddenly opened an unlikely path to possible Democratic control of the upper chamber. But sometimes they are mostly symbolic in importance, which is definitely the case with the special U.S. House election in the 18th district of Pennsylvania next week. This is, in fact, a contest for a district that will not (thanks to an anti-gerrymandering decision by the Pennsylvania Supreme Court) even exist in November.

PA-18 matters for two simple reasons. First, it could confirm (or less likely, deny) the pro-Democratic trend in special elections at every level since Trump became president  a trend that should produce big Democratic gains in the midterms, and depending on their size, could flip control of the House. And second, this is an election in classic, stereotypical Trump Country, and in a district that was both solidly Republicans for years and solidly pro-Trump in 2016.

In normal circumstances, this contest should be a slam dunk for Republican candidate Rick Saccone, who faces Democrat Conor Lamb. Longtime GOP congressman Tim Murphy  whose resignation over a sex/abortion scandal forced this special election  routinely won the district easily. He didnt even draw a Democratic opponent in 2014 and 2016. The Cook Political Report gives the district a partisan voting index rating of R+11, which means its 11 points more Republican than the country as a whole. And this isnt one of those Republican districts where the presidents not very popular, like the cockpit of the biggest House special election of 2017, GA-06, which Trump only carried by a point. Trump carried PA-18 by 19 points, a margin a bit higher than Mitt Romneys in 2012.

Additionally, Saccone is getting a lot of help from the national party and its conservative allies. The president made his second trip to the district the weekend before the balloting; the vice-president and multiple cabinet members have shown up, as has Ivanka Trump. The presidents decision to announce a plan to place tariffs on steel and aluminum imports well before the April deadline for action may have been influenced by PA-18, where protectionist sentiment has long been strong.

But the more tangible help has come from national party and outside groups, which have offset Saccones poor personal fund-raising with an estimated $9 million in spending. (Lamb has raised over $3 million, but isnt getting much financial help; hes sworn off Super-PAC money.

The anti-Lamb ads Republicans have been running are, er, interesting. Earlier in the campaign Lamb announced he would not, if he won, vote to continue Nancy Pelosi as House party leader the next time shes up. Hes kept to a carefully centrist message, largely refusing to criticize Trump  while endorsing his tariffs  and stressing his background in law enforcement, his military service, and even his Catholicism. But heres one prominent GOP ad:

Its unclear how Lambs service as a drug gang-busting assistant U.S. attorney in the Obama administration makes him accountable for its immigration policies, much less its negotiations with Iran. But its part of the template for Republicans attacks on Democrats, so they are following it.

Lambs card in the hole is his close relationship with the labor movement in the district, much of which used to routinely support Tim Murphy.

Hes worked very hard to secure union support, and labor is supplying much of his get-out-the-vote muscle. And his messaging may not mention Trump, but he does go after congressional Republicans for threatening middle-class, labor priorities like Social Security and Medicare:

One of the reasons for Lambs strong labor support is Saccones record, which is not remotely as friendly to labor as was Murphys. The Republicans like to say that he was Trump before Trump was Trump, but hes got a movement conservative strain of thinking thats not that good politically in this part of Pennsylvania:

[U]nion leaders say Saccones record in the state House will hurt him with their members. He was endorsed by Pennsylvanias Right-to-Work Committee in 2014 and he voted against a bill that expanded access to unemployment compensation.

They dont forget that, [union political organizer Giles] Grinko said of union workers, noting painters rely on unemployment when work is scarce in the winter. Its not a Trump issue. Its whos doing best for their paycheck and who hurt them the most.

Republicans hope their ultimate counterweight to Lambs union heft was supplied on the Saturday before the election, when the 45th president held a pop-up rally in the district. As usual, Trump went off script and made all sorts of potentially unfortunate news on subjects far from PA-18 (e.g., maligning the intelligence of U.S. Rep. Maxine Waters and casting further doubt on his willingness to meet with Kim Jung-Un), but he did get get to the point:

Trump did everything he could to tie himself to Saccone on Saturday night. He invited him on stage at the end of the rally, calling him a good person and a very hard worker. Trump didnt downplay the significance of the race, saying the whole world was watching, but added that he didnt want to put pressure on the candidate.

This is a very extraordinary guy. We need him, Trump said. We need Republicans. We need the votes. Otherwise theyre going to take away your taxes, your tax cuts, theyre going to take away your Second Amendment rights.

He also referred to Saccones opponent as Lamb the Sham.

Its hard to know whats going to happen Tuesday.

Polling in special elections is notoriously unreliable, for the obvious reason that its hard to figure out who will go to the trouble to vote, and you generally cannot base likely voter samples on past elections. In Alabamas December special election, polls were all over the place. And polling in PA-18 has been relatively sparse, though it has shown a steady trend in Lambs favor. Gravis has polled the race three times, and has found Saccones initial lead dropping from 12 points to 6 points and then 3 points. Two very recent polls have actually shown Lamb ahead: Emerson College (48/45) and RABBA Research (48/44).

In the final days of the campaign, there has unmistakably been an effort by Republican operatives in Washington to pre-spin a possible Lamb victory as both very likely, and as entirely attributable to the fecklessness of Rick Saccone. Check out this report from Politico about a blunt message sent by National Republican Congressional Committee chairman, Representative Steve Stivers:

You need to start pulling your weight, Stivers implored Saccone, the mustachioed 60-year-old state legislator who is carrying the weight of the Republican Party in a crucial contest next week.

Stivers warning, described by two people familiar with the discussion, was intended to put the candidate on notice. The national GOP would be helping him out substantially, Stivers said. But if Saccone didnt start upping his fund-raising game and getting his sluggish campaign in order, he could lose a race that should be a gimme for the party.

Stivers was right that the race should have been a GOP gimme. But thats part of why its special. Saccone is probably still the favorite, but it never hurts to turn a underwhelming win into a giant upset (Republican wins heavily Republican district! isnt an ideal election night headline for the GOP), while also preparing for possible disaster. Unless theres a Saccone landslide on March 13 (which nobodys talking about), any outcome is likely to be good news for Democrats looking forward. In fact, if Conor Lamb loses, he may just keep on running for the regular 2018 nomination in PA-18, which is about to become a significantly more favorable district for Democrats. And if Lamb wins, the finger-pointing and excuse-making among Republicans for an inexcusable loss in MAGA-land will intensify.Muscat (AFP) - US Defence Secretary Jim Mattis said Sunday he would not be speaking about the delicate situation with North Korea, saying the White House and State Department are leading the negotiations.

"This is a diplomatically led effort," Mattis told reporters when asked about a possible meeting between President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.

"When you get into a position like this, the potential for misunderstanding remains very high... so I want those who are actually engaging in the discussions to be the ones who answer all media questions about it," he added.

"Right now, every word is going to be nuanced and parsed apart across different cultures at different times of the day in different contexts, and right now I want a very straight line from those actually responsible, not from those of us in a supporting or background role," Mattis said.

Top South Korean official Chung Eui-yong announced Thursday that Kim and Trump will meet by May to secure a deal to remove nuclear weapons from the Korean peninsula.

Mattis was among the senior officials present in the White House when Trump accepted the invitation.

Chung said Kim is committed to denuclearisation, and Kim had pledged that North Korea would refrain from any further nuclear or missile tests during talks.

Mattis did not comment when asked about Foal Eagle joint drills with South Korea, which are expected to begin in the coming weeks.Meghan Markle will attend a Commonwealth Day Service with the Queen later today [Photo: Getty]

Meghan Markle will today attend her first official event with the Queen when she joins other senior royals at a services to mark Commonwealth Day.

Last month, the soon-to-be royal made her official royal working debut alongside fiance Prince Harry and future in-laws the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge at the first ever Royal Foundation Forum.

And today, the bride-to-be will make an appearance, alongside her fiance Prince Harry, at Westminster Abbey at a Commonwealth Day service, which will also be attended by the Prince of Wales, Duchess of Cornwall, Prince William, the Duchess of Cambridge and Prime Minister, Theresa May.

The Duke of Edinburgh, who has effectively retired from public duties, will not be at the annual event.

After the service, William, Kate, Harry and Meghan will attend a private reception for those involved in the event.

Meghan Markle will attend a Commonwealth Day Service with the Queen later today [Photo: Getty]

The Commonwealth service is the largest annual inter-faith gathering in the UK and former One Direction band member Liam Payne will perform during the service.

The Queen is the head of the Commonwealth, and both Harry and Meghan have previously indicated their commitment to the institution during an interview to mark their engagement.

Harry explained that the soon-to-be wed couple were looking forward to travelling around the Commonwealth and meeting some of the 2.4 billion people from the 53 member states.

Last year, Prince William faced criticism for skipping the service to attend his controversial lads-only skiing holiday in Verbier.

Social media poked fun at the royals dad dancing when video footage emerged of him throwing some shapes on the dancefloor.

This will be the first official royal engagement that Meghan Markle will attend with the Queen [Photo: Getty]

The Commonwealth Day service, which celebrates peace and democracy between the 53 countries, was instead attended by brother Prince Harry and his grandmother, the Queen, who wore a hot pink suit for the regal occasion.

This year all eyes will be on Meghan and the sartorial choice she makes for her first official event with her fiances grandmother.

Story continues

Prince Harry, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and the Queen attending the Commonwealth Day service in 2014 [Photo: Getty]

Last week, it was reported that Meghan been baptised by the Archbishop of Canterbury in a secret ceremony with her fiance Prince Harry at her side.

With just over two months to go until the royal wedding, bride-to-be Meghan was thought to have attended an intimate 45-minute service at the Chapel Royal on Tuesday evening.

News of the secret baptism follows reports that Meghan also celebrated her hen do last weekend.

It is thought the 36-year-old former Suits star spent the day getting pampered with her closest friends at a secret spa location.

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Everything we know about the royal wedding so far

The ultimate Meghan Markle style file

Its 100 days to the royal wedding: Heres everything we know so farPARIS (Reuters) - Mexico reported two outbreaks of highly pathogenic H7N3 bird flu virus in the central part of the country, of which one at chicken farm, the World Organisation for Animal Health said on Monday, citing a Mexican agriculture ministry report.

The virus killed 1,380 birds at a rural farm with 1,900 approximately-80-weeks-old Rhode Island Red chickens and white chickens in the state of Guanajuato, the ministry said in the report posted on the website of the Paris-based OIE. The remaining birds were culled.

Another outbreak was detected among backyard birds in the neighbouring state of Queretaro where it killed seven birds out of a flock of 26.

Mexico had reported an outbreak of H7N3 in May last year.

(Reporting by Sybille de La Hamaide, editing by Gus Trompiz)The acting director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Dr. Anne Schuchat, sent a statement to media outlets on Monday about missing employee Commander Timothy Cunningham. The 35-year-old has been missing since February 12.

"We have not given up hope that he will soon be found," Schuchat wrote. "If Tim reads this message, we hope you come home soon."

As a commander in the United States Public Health Service, Cunningham had worked on teams that responded to the Ebola and Zika crises. Cunningham, who attended Harvard and Morehouse College, left work early on February 12 because he said he was feeling ill. He was officially reported missing February 14.

Trending: Deaf Cat Named 'Animal Psychic' for Russia World Cup 2018

Cunningham's keys, phone, wallet and identification were found at his home after he vanished. His dog was also left alone, which his family said was uncharacteristic of the man.

Tim never leaves Beau unattended, his father told NBC. He just doesnt do it.

Cunningham's family has offered a $15,000 reward for information related to his disappearance.

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schuchat media briefing

Alex Wong/Getty Images

After Cunningham's disappearance, reports surfaced based on a statement from an Atlanta police officer that Cunningham had been told he would not be getting a promotion before he went missing. Schuchat, however, pushed back on the officer's statement.

"As many of his colleagues in the USPHS have pointed out, this information is incorrect. In fact, he received an early promotion/exceptional proficiency promotion to Commander effective July 1, 2017," she wrote.

Story continues

The CDC said it would continue to work with the Atlanta police department to solve the mystery of Cunningham's disappearance.

This article was first written by Newsweek

More from NewsweekCHISINAU (Reuters) - Moldova's justice minister resigned on Monday after a leaked telephone conversation appeared to show him chatting in 2015 with a man later convicted of what is known in the country as the "theft of the century". Jurnal TV broadcast the conversation between Alexandru Tanase and businessman Veaceslav Platon, who is serving a jail sentence for money-laundering and fraud linked to the disappearance of $1 billion from Moldova's banking system. In the recording, Platon asks Tanase, who was then head of the Constitutional Court, why no progress had been made with the investigation into the fraud. Tanase replies: "in Moldova, as in African countries, laws are not respected." In a Facebook post on Monday, Tanase did not confirm or deny the authenticity of the recording, but said he would resign and called the release of the recording politically motivated. "I have to leave, having become the target of a smear campaign," he said. Multiple attempts to reach Tanase for further comment were unsuccessful. The bank fraud saw an eighth of the impoverished former Soviet republic's gross domestic product stolen from three of its largest banks between 2012-2014. Prime Minister Pavel Filip, who has not yet accepted Tanase's resignation, defended the minister. "Tanase is a professional in his field. In a short space of time he has managed to achieve a lot, in particular to start judicial reforms," he said in a cabinet meeting. Tanase was appointed justice minister in December 2017. The pro-Western government has been under pressure from the European Union and the International Monetary Fund to speed up reforms, whose delayed implementation held up EU loans in October. (Reporting by Alexander Tanas; Writing by Alessandra Prentice; Editing by Matthias Williams and Robin Pomeroy)The Daily Beast

Photo Illustration by The Daily Beast / Photo GettyOn the day Donald Trumps second impeachment trial began in the Senate, the campaign for embattled Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL)reportedly under federal investigation since the summer for alleged sex crimes with an underage teenmade by far its largest ever political contribution: $100,000 to a mysterious nonprofit created to defend the then-president.While that donation may not sound out of the ordinary, it stands out for a number of reasons. For oneYangon (AFP) - Myanmar is building security installations on top of razed Rohingya villages, Amnesty International said Monday, casting doubt on plans to repatriate hundreds of thousands of refugees.

Nearly 700,000 Rohingya Muslims have fled northern Rakhine state to Bangladesh since Myanmar launched a brutal crackdown on insurgents six months ago that the US and UN have called ethnic cleansing.

Myanmar rejects that term, saying it was responding to attacks by the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army in late August.

But critics accuse the military of using the insurgent attacks to launch disproportionate, scorched-earth "clearance operations" as a pretext to push out the loathed minority.

The new Amnesty report, "Remaking Rakhine State", uses satellite imagery and interviews to point to a rapid increase in military infrastructure and other construction since the start of the year that researchers say amounts to a "land grab".

"The new evidence and the rebuilding that Amnesty has documented in our latest research shows that the Myanmar authorities are building over the top of the very places the Rohingya need to return to," Tirana Hassan, Amnesty's crisis response director, told AFP ahead of the report's release on Monday.

"In some instances there has been the destruction of existing homes."

Though admitting the images only paint a partial picture, the rights group says structures for security forces, helipads and even roads have been built in and around torched Rohingya properties.

Satellite imagery of one village called Kan Kya on the outskirts of Rakhine's Maungdaw town taken two months after the August attacks shows a settlement scarred by fire.

But by early March buildings could be seen on the revamped land. Amnesty believes they are part of a new base for security forces.

Similar building activity was also detected in Inn Din village, where Myanmar has admitted that its security forces took part in the killings of 10 Rohingya residents in September.

Story continues

Rakhine state has been largely sealed off from rights groups, the media and UN investigators.

Myanmar and Bangladesh were supposed to start repatriating Rohingya refugees in late January but many are reluctant to return to a place without guarantees of basic rights and safety.

The report also highlights concerns that abandoned Rohingya land will be set aside for ethnic Rakhine Buddhists and other non-Muslim groups in the area, and that alterations to the landscape will erase evidence of alleged atrocities by the military.

Zaw Htay, a government spokesman, rejected the claims, and said the government was not basing military forces in residential areas but that police stations were part of village construction plans.

"It's not true that we are deploying the military among houses and among villages," he said, adding that bulldozing is necessary to work on burned land. "As this region is behind in development, we are rebuilding systematically."Niamey (AFP) - Niger and Chad on Sunday launched major ground and air strikes in northeast Nigeria against Boko Haram, after the militants formally pledged allegiance to the Islamic state group in Syria and Iraq.

The attacks, which follow a sustained build-up of troops in southern Niger, opens up a new front in regional efforts to wipe out the Islamist group, whose six-year insurgency has spread across borders.

"Very early this morning, troops from Niger and Chad began an offensive against Boko Haram... in the area of Bosso and near to Diffa," a Niger government source in Niamey told AFP on condition of anonymity.

More than 200 vehicles, some of them with machine guns, as well as tanks, ambulances, water tankers and transport trucks, were seen moving towards the border, radio station Anfani, based in Diffa, said.

Aircraft targeted Boko Haram positions on Saturday and early Sunday, it added, while a Diffa resident and aid worker said troops were seen heading to the border and heavy gunfire was heard.

The previously lacklustre counter-insurgency against Boko Haram has been given renewed vigour with the deployment of troops from Cameroon, Chad and Niger last month.

The armies have claimed a series of successes in rebel-held territory in recent weeks, as part of an operation to clear and control northeast Nigeria in time for general elections set for March 28.

Much of the focus has been on Chad's well-trained army, who have experience in tackling Al-Qaeda-linked extremists in Mali alongside French forces.

But Nigeria's military spokesman Chris Olukolade said the Nigerien and Chadian attacks were "complementary to the ongoing push against the terrorists" that it was heading.

"The mission of routing the terrorists from Nigeria's territory is being conducted from various fronts in and out of Nigeria and is achieving expected results so far," he said in a text message.

- Game changer? -

More than 13,000 people have been killed and some 1.5 million made homeless in the conflict since 2009 and the coalition is a reflection of regional fears about security, following cross-border attacks.

Story continues

The African Union on Friday endorsed the creation of an additional regional force of up to 10,000 men to join the fight against Boko Haram.

Western powers have so far largely stayed out of direct involvement in the conflict, viewing it as an essentially "local" or regional problem.

But Boko Haram's pledge of allegiance to Islamic State in an audio message on Saturday night, could be a game-changer, according to analysts.

"Operating as an IS proxy could draw Western efforts against its operations, particularly from France, which already runs a multi-country anti-terrorist campaign in the west and central African region," said Ryan Cummings, from risk consultants Red24.

"Operation Barkhane's headquarters in the Chadian capital N'Djamena is just a stone's throw away from Boko Haram's area of operations in northeast Nigeria," he added.

- Increasing links -

Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau described the formal pledge of allegiance to IS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi as a religious duty and said it would "enrage the enemy of Allah".

In doing so the Nigerian militants join extremists from Libya to Pakistan who have previously done the same, as IS group looks to expand its reach.

There have been growing indications that Boko Haram was looking to formally align itself, starting last year when Shekau declared the captured town of Gwoza, in Borno state, part of a caliphate.

That followed a similar declaration by Baghdadi while both groups have captured swathes of territory.

In recent weeks, previously poorly produced Boko Haram videos took on the look and feel of more polished IS propaganda and were posted directly online, guaranteeing a wider audience.

IS was also reported to have received pledges of allegiance from militants in Nigeria.

Shekau may have attempted to tone down his violent rhetoric and improve Boko Haram's public image among the wider jihadi movement but indiscriminate attacks have continued against civilian "soft" targets.

On Saturday, at least 58 people were killed in three bomb blasts in the Borno state capital, Maiduguri, in a further example that the threat has far from been contained as elections approach.

Experts said the pledge of allegiance to IS, which is also being forced on the defensive in Iraq, could be a result of the military pressure.

"This might be a way to send a message to the troops, to strengthen morale or attract more followers, particularly in Boko Haram's case," said Yan St-Pierre, a counter-terrorism expert at the Modern Security Consulting Group in Berlin.

St-Pierre suggested the pledge was linked to IS inroads in Libya, from where Boko Haram has been said to receive arms and ammunition via smuggling routes in the Sahel region.

"Most of the contact Boko Haram groups or factions have had with ISIS have been along that axis, and Sudan," he added.Tehran (AFP) - Eleven women were killed when a private plane crashed in Iran while flying the daughter of a prominent Turkish businessman and her friends back from a hen party, officials and media reports said on Monday.

The Bombardier Challenger 604, carrying Mina Basaran and seven of her friends back from the United Arab Emirates, went down in southwestern Iran on Sunday en route from Sharjah to Istanbul. Three crew, all women, were also on board.

Iran's Civil Aviation Organisation said the plane crashed at 6:09 pm (1439 GMT) on Sunday after the pilot had asked to descend due to a "technical problem".

The business jet went down in the Zargos mountains, about 400 kilometres (250 miles) south of Tehran.

The aviation agency said six of the eight passengers were Turkish citizens and the other two Spanish.

Iranian news agency ISNA reported that the bodies of all 11 on board had been found by rescue teams. The remains were being brought down from the mountainside by helicopter to the Shahr-e Kord airport in the local provincial capital.

IRNA, another Iranian news agency, reported that a group of those close to the victims had arrived at Shahr-e Kord, accompanied by a Turkish diplomat.

It said all the bodies had been identified except two, which were badly burned.

- Black boxes found -

Turkish media reported that Mina Basaran, the 28-year-old daughter of tycoon Huseyin Basaran, had spent several days in the UAE with friends celebrating ahead of her wedding next month.

The party was also intended for three of the other women, due to be married this summer. Several of the women, like Mina, had successful careers in the fashion industry.

Turkish media reported that at least one of the victims was pregnant.

Photographs reprinted from social media showed the women lounging at a resort at the UAE and posing with the two pilots inside the plane.

The two female pilots were reportedly Beril Gerbes and Melike Kuvvet, who was one of the first female pilots in the Turkish armed forces but left and worked in civil aviation.

Story continues

Turkish media reports said Mina Basaran was to marry her fiance Murat on April 14 at the Ciragan Saray, an Ottoman-era palace by the Bosphorus and one of the most prominent wedding venues in Turkey.

Mina's father Huseyin had named a massive residential property development on the Asian side of Istanbul in the district of Fikirtepe after her -- Mina Towers.

There was no immediate indication as to the cause of the crash.

The aircraft's black boxes were found and will be handed to Turkish authorities, IRNA said.

The crash comes less than a month after a twin-engine passenger plane of Iran's Aseman Airlines crashed in the Zagros range, killing all 66 people on board.

That plane had disappeared off the radar after taking off from Tehran on a domestic flight as a snowstorm battered the mountains.What did you expect? Photo: JOSHUA ROBERTS/Bloomberg via Getty Images

On February 21, President Trump met with survivors of the Parkland school shooting and attempted to convey a sincere intention to act. Thank you for pouring out your hearts, he said, because the world is watching and were going to come up with a solution. A week later Trump held a surreal, televised discussion with members of Congress in which he advocated comprehensive gun control, including powerful background checks and raising the age of legal purchase for assault rifles. He accused fellow Republicans of being afraid of the National Rifle Association. It was classic Trump: full of confidence, insisting something big would happen, and having no idea what he was talking about.

What happened next was predictable. Trump met with the head of the NRA. He stopped talking about the issue he was going to solve. He held a White House meeting about video games, an apparent attempt to deflect attention away from guns as a cause of mass murder. And now the Trump administration has unveiled its plan, which looks a lot like  something a politician who was afraid of the NRA would support. Theres no higher age limit to purchase an assault rifle. It focuses on arming schoolteachers, an absurd notion that massively overstates the capacity of even well-trained teachers to win a gunfight, and ignores the dangers of introducing hundreds of thousands of new guns into schools.

The abandonment of his brief advocacy of gun control shows why conservatives who consider Trump a reliable advocate for their agenda have been rewarded, and those who dismissed him as a fraud have had so little evidence to support their position. Trump has a mixed ideological and partisan record, and has at times supported liberal positions on many issues, including gun control. Yet he has not proven to be a maverick or the bipartisan deal-maker conservatives feared. Instead he has maintained a nearly spotless record of adhering to conservative orthodoxy.

The reason is that he simply lacks the basic grasp of policy or politics necessary to break ranks with his party. Trump might be temporarily seized with a moderate sentiment, but he can be coaxed back into line by the conservative advisers who surround him. And as a man driven by personal loyalties and grudges, he gravitates toward people who praise him and lashes out at those who oppose him. Since the former are all Republicans, and the latter mostly Democrats, it is childs play for conservatives to bring Trump back into the fold when he wanders off. It has gotten to the point where nobody even takes Trump seriously when he makes him promises of bipartisan action. He is far too weak and ignorant to follow through.By Gwladys Fouche OSLO (Reuters) - A government minister has rocked Norway's traditionally consensual politics by accusing the opposition Labour Party - a target of the country's worst peacetime massacre - of putting terrorists' rights before national security. Justice Minister Sylvi Listhaug's comments have drawn counter-accusations that she is trying to be more populist than President Donald Trump in a country where debate is usually much less confrontational than in the United States. Listhaug, a member of the right-wing Progress Party, hit a raw nerve as most of Anders Behring Breivik's victims were at a Labour Party youth camp when he staged his attacks in 2011, killing 77 people. The row erupted after Labour voted against a bill that Listhaug had proposed. This would give authorities the right, without judicial review, to strip individuals suspected of terrorism or of being foreign fighters of their Norwegian citizenship. Labour wants the courts to rule on such decisions. On March 9, Listhaug posted on Facebook a picture of masked people clad in military fatigues, black scarves and ammunition with the text: "Labour thinks terrorists' rights are more important than the nation's security. Like and Share". The Christian Democrat Party - which the minority government of Conservative Prime Minister Erna Solberg needs to pass laws in parliament - criticized Listhaug. "It is trashing the political debate in Norway when you accuse your opponents of things they don't stand for," Christian Democrat leader Knut Arild Hareide told broadcaster NRK. "Sylvi Listhaug is trying to be better at being a populist than Trump." On July 22, 2011 Breivik staged the worst act of violence in Norway since World War Two, by placing a car bomb in central Oslo that killed eight and then gunning down 69 people, many of them teenagers, at the Labour camp on Utoeya Island. Before the attacks, Breivik - an anti-Muslim neo-Nazi sometimes referred to by his initials ABB - had at one point been a member of the Progress Party. Afterwards Labour avoided using this to score political points against the Progress Party, which is now the junior partner in Solberg's coalition. "We were very careful not to link ABB and the Progress Party after July 22. Listhaug has now made it more difficult," tweeted Labour's Raymond Johansen, Oslo's governing mayor. "Our people know what it is like to be a victim of terrorism," he told Reuters on Monday. "So when the justice minister criticizes Labour for our standpoint ... it is cynical and lacks respect." Listhaug was not available for further comment. She posted her comments on the day "Utoeya July 22", a movie about the massacre, opened in Oslo. Labour's general secretary Kjersti Stenseng challenged Listhaug: "First, she should see the film. And then she should be ashamed of herself." A number of other films are in the pipeline about the attacks by Breivik, who is now in prison. Paul Greengrass, director of the movie United 93 about the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks on the United States, is planning a film for Netflix. A Swedish documentary is expected in the autumn and a TV series is due next year. Solberg also expressed her displeasure. "It was too harsh a Facebook post," she told reporters on Monday. (This version of the story corrects the job title of interviewee in paragraph 10 to "Oslo's governing mayor" from "leader of Oslo's City Council") (Editing by David Stamp)Washington (AFP) - The White House will hold a conference on the humanitarian situation in Gaza on Tuesday, but it is unclear whether any Palestinian officials will attend.

President Donald Trump's "administration believes that deteriorating humanitarian conditions in Gaza require immediate attention," US special envoy Jason Greenblatt said in a statement announcing the conference.

The meeting is expected to include top White House aide Jared Kushner, National Security Council staff and "many of the relevant parties," according to Greenblatt.

It is unclear whether Palestinians officials will break their de facto boycott of US officials to attend.

The Palestinians were enraged by President Donald Trump's decision to break with long-standing US policy by recognizing Jerusalem as Israel's capital.

"We are pleased with the committed list of attendees, which includes many of the relevant parties and anticipate a robust dialogue," said Greenblatt.

"The challenge will be determining which ideas can be realistically implemented in light of the fact that the Palestinians of Gaza continue to suffer under the authoritarian rule of Hamas."

A decade-long Israeli blockade and a dispute between Gaza's Islamist rulers and the West Bank-based Palestinian Authorities have brought the coastal territory's economy to its knees.

Israel has maintained a blockade of Gaza since 2007, which it says is necessary to isolate Hamas. The two sides have fought three wars since 2008.

Rights groups and UN officials say the blockade amounts to collective punishment and strangles the economy in the enclave, where unemployment is around 40 percent.Paris Jackson has made her pot-smoking habits public  but some fans arent feeling it.

The 19-year-old daughter of Michael Jackson documented her date with a large bud on Instagram Stories, which she also shared on Twitter. And while recreational marijuana was officially legalized in her home state of California in January, the openness of the Gringo actress about blazing up rubbed some of her followers the wrong way.

Paris Jackson, pictured at the 2018 Oscars, is defending her pot use. (Photo: JEAN-BAPTISTE LACROIX/AFP/Getty Images)

A few suggested that, by smoking pot, Jackson was setting a bad example for her younger fans. Others accused her of glamorizing drug use to get attention. Then there were those who invoked her late fathers memory to shame her behavior.

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Jackson responded to the criticism, tweeting, I think Im doing pretty OK considering the circumstances. She told another follower that she thought her weed video was funny.

She also defended marijuana as an amazing organic medicine and incredible medical tool.

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Despite the criticism, plenty of fans tweeted support for Jacksons herbal habit.

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Last year, Jackson described herself as sober as she opened up to Rolling Stone about her earlier addiction to antidepressants and other drugs.

Read more from Yahoo Lifestyle:

Khloe Kardashian slammed for Thin AF post and making light of mental illness

Marijuana could treat chronic pain better than opiods

11-year-old student is suspended after unknowingly eating a pot-laced cookie

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Parkland shooting survivors David Hoff (L) and Alfonso Calderon (R) speak with CNN on Monday. (Photo: CNN)

Two student survivors of last months deadly shooting at a Parkland, Florida, high school are urging President Donald Trump to break his ties with the National Rifle Association and live up to his pledge to push for stricter U.S. gun laws.

In a Monday interview with CNN, David Hogg and Alfonso Calderon expressed disappointment over the White Houses new gun and school safety proposals, which include arming teachers to help prevent future on-campus shootings. But dropped from the plan was Trumps call to raise the legal age for buying certain firearms  including semi-automatic rifles  from 18 to 21 years old.

Trump endorsed changing the age requirement last month during a bipartisan meeting with lawmakers at the White House in the wake of the Florida shooting in which the suspected gunman used a semi-automatic rifle. The NRA, however, quickly came out against the age proposal.

What President Trump showed when he said he wanted to raise the age to 21 is bipartisanship and he wanted to work together on this and save some lives, Hogg told CNN. But the other thing that he showed after that is he is no better than the other politicians because he called out other GOP members and said essentially that youre owned by the NRA and thats why you dont want to take action.

At the White House meeting, Trump had pointedly scolded lawmakers for not having previously acted on raising the minimum age for buying semi-automatic weapons, saying they were afraid of the NRA and he wasnt.

But in a series of Monday morning tweets, he touted his proposal to arm some teachers and sought to justify his backpedaling on the age issue.

Highly trained expert teachers will be allowed to conceal carry, subject to State Law. Armed guards OK, deterrent! Trump tweeted, adding that theres not much political support (to put it mildly) for raising the age requirement.

I ask him why? Hogg said in his interview. Show us youre better than the other politicians, that you arent owned by the NRA and that you want to take action. Those proposals were great, but proposals without action remain proposals.

Story continues

Calderon took on one of the main NRA arguments against raising the age requirement.

They always talk about the narrative of good guys with guns stopping bad guys with guns. But to that I say, what if the bad guys couldnt get the guns because we have comprehensive gun laws, he said.

Watch the full CNN interview below.

Related...

Will Trump Follow Through On Guns? He Didn't Do So On Immigration.

Trump Announces Support For Arming Teachers, Backpedals On Gun Purchase Age

Trump's Retreat On Guns Is The Worlds Least-Shocking Surprise

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This article originally appeared on HuffPost.Republican Rick Saccone acknowledges the crowd during a campaign rally with President Donald Trump: AP

Donald Trump and his eldest son are making a final push to sway voters in a Pennsylvania special election, a close race which is being seen as a marker for the chances of both Republicans and Democrats in the midterms in November.

In a tweet, Mr Trump declared that state legislator and Republican candidate Rick Saccone would be much better for the steel industry, as Republicans battle Democrats for control of Pennsylvanias 18th congressional district seat located in the heart of steel country.

The election is being held to fill the congressional district seat left vacant by former Republican Representative Tim Murphy, who resigned in October.

The Pittsburgh Post Gazette just endorsed Rick Saccone for Congress, the President tweeted. He will be much better for steel and business. Very strong on experience and what our Country needs. Lamb will always vote for Pelosi and Dems ...Will raise taxes, weak on Crime and Border.

Donald Trump Jr, eating ice cream with Mr Saccone at Sarris Candies in front of dozens of cameras, said Trump supporters gotta stay in the game, they gotta stay motivated.

Our guys just can't take winning for granted, Mr Trump Jr. said. They have to get out there, they have to continue this fight, now, for the rest of '18, in '20 and in eight years we can make a big difference. They just can't be lazy. They've gotta get out and vote, and if they get out and vote, we win easily.

Republicans are working hard to fend off an unexpected threat from Democratic candidate Conor Lamb, a Marine veteran and former federal prosecutor. Mr Lamb mostly stayed away from the cameras on Monday, spending his final day knocking on doors in suburbs and small towns outside Pittsburgh.

Several senior administration officials, including the President himself over the weekend, have appeared with Mr Saccone in the district that Mr Trump easily won in the 2016 presidential election.

While Mr Trump is a divisive figure, the jury is still out on whether the Mr Lamb, 33, can win over traditionally Democratic voters and overcome Republican Party loyalty in the GOP-leaning district.

Story continues

When endorsing Mr Saccone, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazettes conservative editorial board complimented Mr Lamb as an impressive young man. However, it warned that he could become part of a Democratic majority that would try to impeach Mr Trump.

While on the campaign trail, the 60-year-old Mr Saccone has tried at times to make the race about experience, the Associated Press reported, boasting about his four decades in the public and private sector, from his career in the Air Force and stint in North Korea to his current job as a college professor.

He sometimes mocked Mr Lamb as having no record at all.

Even though he is a political novice, Mr Lamb has far outpaced Mr Saccone in fundraising.

The two candidates are also essentially tied in the average of the polls, FiveThirtyEight reports.

According to FiveThirtyEights weighted average of presidential results, Pennsylvanias 18th congressional district is 21 percentage points more Republican-leaning than the nation as a whole.

While this is high, many of the other areas where there have been recent special elections were also heavily Republican-leaning. And Democrats in the vast majority of those races have consistently done better than expected.

Democrats are on a mission to recapture a majority in the House of Representatives later this year. Democrats must flip 24 Republican-held seats to take control of the lower chamber, and an upset in Pennsylvania on Tuesday will encourage them as they look to win in places where the party has lost ground in recent decades.The White Houses metals tariffs plan has numerous casualties, the big winner is the man in charge of trade and manufacturing

Peter Navarro has long argued that trade imbalances and intellectual property theft by China are the true threat to US economic power. Photograph: Rex/Shutterstock

Donald Trumps threatened trade tariffs have claimed many victims: international trade, domestic steel consumers and Trumps dissenting economic adviser Gary Cohn. But so far there has been one big winner  Peter Navarro, director of the Office of Trade and Manufacturing Policy.

Navarro was a key architect of Trumps America First policy of economic nationalism and a tireless critic of Chinas economic policies  one of his books is decorated with a map of America being stabbed in the heart with a knife marked Made in China.

Although he has agitated for aggressively protectionist trade policy since joining the Trump campaign in 2016, the tariffs are his first key victory.

During the campaign, Navarro, the only economics PhD in the Trump team, described his role as merely a facilitator. The president  hes the man who leads, he told the Wall Street Journal. He says, I want to do this. How do we do it? The way I help is figuring out how you might do it.

On his first full day in office, Trump announced he would pull the US out of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) but, hemmed in by free-traders, subsequently he has so far taken few steps to enact Navarros anti-China agenda.



But the resignation of the National Economic Council director Cohn earlier this week was a clear signal that the globalists in the White House are in retreat. Navarro, 68, is one of several names being floated to fill Cohns position.

That appointment might be no more than symbolic; Navarros hand is strengthening, and the metals tariffs Trump announced last week may be no more than an hors doeuvre to a larger economic agenda  one that strikes fear into free-traders.

Trumps former campaign director Steve Bannon was Navarros early champion, announcing at the March 2017 Conservative Political Action Conference that the University of California, Irvine economics professor would be part of a team rethinking how we are going to reconstruct our trade arrangements around the world.

Story continues

Navarro has long argued that trade imbalances and intellectual property theft by China are the true threat to US economic power. His thinking on China was laid out in two books: Death by China and Crouching Tiger: What Chinas Militarism Means for the World.

In the first, he described China as turning into the planets most efficient assassin, and urged regulators to block Chinese acquisition of US companies. He also advocated that the US form partnerships with Europe, Japan and other victims of Chinas mercantilism to resist China and bring actions against it through the World Trade Organisation.

In the second, he laid out a fearful scenario of Chinese carrier killer ballistic missiles and advocated maintaining military strength and regional alliances to defend America against the Chinese threat.

The outgoing director of the National Economic Council Gary Cohn attends a cabinet meeting. Photograph: Pool/Getty Images

Despite being thwarted by Cohn and other more traditional thinkers in the White House during the first year of the Trump administration, aspects of Navarros philosophy still surfaced. It was Navarro who pushed Trump to threaten to pull out of Nafta and to use tariffs to force a renegotiation with Canada and Mexico; and it was Navarro who shaped Trumps warning on German trade surpluses.

In a Wall Street Journal op-ed in March 2017, Navarro argued that running large and persistent trade deficits also facilitates a pattern of wealth transfers offshore. He warned that foreigners will eventually own so much of the US that Americans will wind up working longer hours just to eat and to service the debt.

That, it seems, was music to Trumps ears. Navarro argued that reducing a trade deficit through tough, smart negotiations is a way to increase net exports  and boost the rate of economic growth.

Suppose, he proposed, America successfully negotiates a bilateral trade deal this year with Mexico in which Mexico agrees to buy more products from the US that it now purchases from the rest of the world. This would show up in government data as an increase in US exports, a lower trade deficit, and an increase in the growth of Americas GDP.

But while Cohn led the White House economics team, Navarros brand of economic nationalism was forced to take a back seat. Navarro was originally appointed head of a newly created National Trade Council; then head of the Office of Trade and Manufacturing Policy, reporting to Cohn.



Now with Cohn gone  a move the JP Morgan chief Jamie Dimon described on Thursday as unfortunate and terrible  Navarro may be unleashed.

On Wednesday, Navarro announced that under the administrations tariffs plan Canada and Mexico would remain free of the new tariffs if they successfully concluded negotiations rewriting Nafta.

Theres going to be an opportunity for Canada and Mexico to successfully negotiate a fair new Nafta, but if that is unsuccessful then tariffs will be imposed, he said.

But will Navarro make it to become White House chief economics adviser? He told Bloomberg TV hed be honored but added he was not on that list, let me be clear.Joe Biden: REUTERS/Eduardo Munoz

An image of former Vice President Joe Biden speaking with a homeless man in Washington DC has gone viral, being shared more than 100,000 times on Facebook.

The image was taken outside of an AMC cinema in Georgetown, with Mr Biden said to have been heading to see a film with his granddaughter, who was in the city visiting friends.

The photograph was taken by Caleb Baca on Thursday night, according to local television station Fox 5, but was posted into Facebook businessman Paul Equale, with that post being shared 103,000 times since it was posted on Friday - with more than 148,000 people reacting to it.

Mr Equale said in the post that A bystander took [the] candid shot. Speaking about Mr Biden, he added that character is about what you do when no one is watching.

I'm not exactly sure what he gave the homeless man, but he appeared to write something down on a piece of paper inside the movie theater, which he then proceeded to give the homeless man outside, Mr Baca told Fox 5.

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Earlier in the week, Mr Biden was in Pennsylvania campaigning for Democrat Conor Lamb, who is battling Rick Saccone for a place in Congress in a special election in the Pennsylvanias 18th district. He said that Mr Lamb reminded him "of his son Beau".

Mr Saccone is backed by President Donald Trump, who called him a really good person in a rally in the state on Saturday.

There have been a number of reports in recent months that Mr Biden is still considering a run for the presidency in 2020. One such report by Politico, suggested that a number of scenarios were being discussed, including Mr Biden announcing his candidacy early enough to set the field of those who might oppose him, or late and miss the first two contests in Iowa and New Hampshire. The idea of campaigning on a one-term presidency has also been suggested, according to reports.

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For more news videos visit Yahoo View.Elizabeth Warren. Photo: Win McNamee/Getty Images

The Democratic Partys left wing is stronger today than at any time since the silent majority loudly rejected George McGovern. Team Blues top presidential prospects have pledged their allegiance to socialized medicine, free public college, universal child care and paid family leave, while the partys Establishment think-tank has gone so far as to propose a federal job guarantee. Moderate Democratic senators are now pushing the same sort of public option for health insurance that their centrist predecessors once lived to kill. And the Democratic leaderships official 2018 platform  ostensibly, the consensus agenda of the partys mainstream  calls for a $15 minimum wage, labor law reforms that promote unionization, and vigorous antitrust enforcement.

Meanwhile, less than two decades after 40 congressional Democrats voted for George W. Bushs regressive tax cuts, not a single one backed Donald Trumps  even though ten Democratic senators were staring down tough reelection bids in states that the GOP president had won.

By all appearances, the Democratic Establishment has finally concluded that a stopped-clock socialist is right a couple times a century  and that their partys path out of the wilderness cuts away from Wall Street and toward the left.

Or, so it appeared until last week  when more than a dozen members of the Senate Democrats voted to advance a bill that would make it easier for banks to discriminate against black people, coerce mobile-home buyers into predatory loans, and pursue high-risk lending strategies that increase the likelihood of a future financial crisis.

You can pursue more thorough accounts of the legislations toxic flaws here and here. But the upshot is simple: In the name of providing regulatory relief to community banks, the bill empowers small lenders to abuse consumers; liberates medium-size banks (including ones large enough to have required bailouts ten years ago) from the heightened regulatory scrutiny that Congress had put on them after the 2008 crisis; and provides the nations largest banks with various loopholes that will make it easier for them to take bigger risks and evade regulatory oversight.

For these reasons, among others, the Congressional Budget Office has concluded that the bill would significantly increase the odds of taxpayers having to bail out a failed bank in the near-future.

Thus, the fact that so many Democratic senators are eager to help Mitch McConnell pass it  and that Chuck Schumer has made no discernible effort to dissuade them from doing so  raises the question: Have progressives really changed the ideological orientation of the Democratic Party, or does Wall Street still hold the deed to blue Americas big tent?

This week, BuzzFeed News argued that the partys handling of the banking bill actually confirmed the former interpretation:

Democratic presidential hopefuls are scrambling to come out against the first big bipartisan legislation of the Trump era, positioning themselves as hardliners on Wall Street regulation and free from the influence of banks.

Its a sign that on a national political scale, many Democrats are betting there will no longer be any room with voters for nuance on the issue of Wall Street  or any appetite for bipartisanship. Ahead of a potentially bruising Democratic primary, some of the countrys top Democrats are apparently hoping to shed any perception that they are cozy with Wall Street donors.

Theres something to be said for this reading. It was not always the case that rising stars in the Democratic Party took pains to distance themselves from Wall Street. Just a few short years ago, Cory Booker called Barack Obamas besmirching of Bain capitals good name nauseating; now, the New Jersey senator is calling for strengthening regulatory constraints on Wall Streets greed.

On the other hand, one shouldnt have to be an anti-Wall Street hardliner to reject this bill. Less than a decade after the financial sectors malfeasance triggered a global economic crisis (that we still havent fully recovered from), it should not be considered extreme  or, in BuzzFeeds framing, a rejection of all nuance  to oppose legislation that will increase the probability of a systemic bank failure, according to the governments nonpartisan scorekeepers.

There is a case for lightening the regulatory burden that post-crisis regulations heaped on community banks. But the idea that this objective is so urgently necessary, it is worthwhile for Democrats to accept a bipartisan compromise  that undermines protections against discriminatory lending, and increases the likelihood of a future financial crisis  is completely insane. As of late 2017, 96 percent of Americas community banks were profitable, and a high percentage of those were posting record-high profits. Meanwhile, such banks have been showing higher rates of loan growth than any other class of financial institutions in the United States. We do not have a community banking crisis in this country  let alone, one big enough to justify the compromises that Senate Democrats are making in its name.

And the political case for supporting this bill is nearly as weak as the substantive one. BuzzFeed, Politico, and other mainstream outlets have suggested that moderate Democrats are backing the legislation out of a desire to burnish their bipartisan credentials ahead of tough reelection bids this fall. And its true that many of the Democrats supporting this bill will be on the ballot in pro-Trump states in November. But the notion that what swing voters in North Dakota, West Virginia, and Indiana are looking for is a Democrat whos willing to take it easy on Wall Street is bonkers. Donald Trump did not attack Hillary Clinton for being too hostile to Goldman Sachs; the attendees at his rallies did not cheer promises to lower Citibanks capital requirements. Does anyone actually believe that there are a significant number of voters in Montana who are ready to forgive Jon Tester for voting against tax cuts and Obamacare repeal  but would turn against him because he refused to help mobile-home retailers exploit their customers?

The reality is, there are exactly two reasons why Democrats are supporting this bill: Some of their well-heeled campaign donors really want it to pass, and virtually no one but those donors is paying much attention to it.

That last point is critical. In my view, its the key to understanding the tension between the Democrats leftward drift, and their right-flanks stubborn support for Wall Street giveaways: Progressives have pushed the Democratic Party left on high-visibility issues; but on highly technical, regulatory matters  where public (and/or media) interest is inherently limited  it will remain very difficult for grassroots activists to exercise more influence over policy than than the partys corporate donors, and their armies of lobbyists. And this challenge will be further exacerbated by the fact that those donors demands will often be bipartisan  which means that the mainstream media will reflexively frame them as sensible, moderate, and uncontroversial.

Now, if Democrats had full control of the government, progressives would almost certainly be able to kill anything resembling this banking bill. After all, only a small minority of Chuck Schumers caucus is bucking the base on it. But even a bill this wonky and low-profile is still more visible than much of the policymaking thats conducted within the Executive Branchs regulatory agencies  and it is, therefore, rather easy to imagine corporate America outdueling the left on that front the next time Democrats take power.

All of which is to say: Social democracy dies in darkness. This terrible bank bill is a reminder that the left will always have trouble outmuscling the Democrats Wall Street wing in policy fights that happen far from the media spotlight. One upshot of this is that the personal ideology of the next Democratic standard-bearer matters an awful lot. Progressives may have enough clout to force the next Democratic president to push major legislation that reflects their priorities, regardless of his or her own inclinations; but he or she is likely to enjoy much greater flexibility when it comes to cabinet appointments.

Given these realities, the case for the left to back a 2020 candidate whos consistently evinced a personal, ideological commitment to combating Wall Street power (like, say, Elizabeth Warren) over one whos only recently had their come-to-populism moment (like, say, Cory Booker, Kirsten Gillibrand, or virtually every other rumored 2020 hopeful) seems strong.Hubert de Givenchy with a model wearing his design in 1969. (Photo: INA via Getty Images)

Hubert de Givenchy, the iconic French couturier, died at the age of 91 on Saturday.

The designer, who founded his namesake fashion house in 1952, was largely known for collaborating with the actress Audrey Hepburn, who wore his designs in films like Sabrina and Breakfast at Tiffanys. Hepburn also accepted her 1954 Academy Award (Best Actress, for her role in Roman Holiday) while wearing a Givenchy gown.

Givenchy, who The New York Times remembers as a pillar of romantic elegance in fashion, retired from his fashion house in 1995. In the following years, designers such as John Galliano, Alexander McQueen, Riccardo Tisci and now Clare Waight Keller (the labels first female artistic director) have added their own unique touches to the legacy of Givenchy. But he could never be replaced, and his mark on the fashion world will surely not be forgotten.

In honor of the designers stunning career, take a look back at some of his most iconic designs, from 1952s Bettina blouse to Hepburns classic little black dress in Breakfast at Tiffanys and more:

1952

Model Bettina Graziani wearing the "Bettina blouse," a piece from Hubert de Givenchy's very first collection.

1953

A model wearing an embroidered evening dress by Givenchy.

1954

Actress Audrey Hepburn wearing the iconic Givenchy gown from the movie "Sabrina," 1954.

1954

Hepburn wearing a Givenchy gown at the 26th annual Academy Awards at the Pantages Theater in Los Angeles on March 25, 1954.

1955

A model wears a short coat by Givenchy.

1955

A model wearing a wool design by Givenchy.

1955

A model wears a white satin dinner dress with a stole by Givenchy.

1955

A model wearing a dress designed Givenchy, at the fashion house near the Parc Monceau in Paris.

1957

Hepburn wearing a red dress by Givenchy in a scene from the film "Funny Face" in 1957.

1961

First lady Jackie Kennedy wearing a Givenchy dress in Versailles, June 2, 1961, during an official visit in France.

1961

Hepburn in a black cocktail dress designed by the French couturier in a promotional portrait for director Blake Edwards' film "Breakfast at Tiffany's."

1963

Hepburn modeling an embroidered silk dinner dress by Givenchy, in Vogue, 1963.

1964

Hepburn wearing a Givenchy burnt orange raw silk and shantung floor-length coat over an off-white floor length dress with tie at waist and cowl neck in a 1964 issue of Vogue.

1969

Givenchy during the last preparations for the parade of his spring collection, 1969.

1969

Model Katharina Sarnitz in a creation by Givenchy, photographed in Milan, 1969.

Fall/Winter 1973-1974

A model wears a design from Givenchy's fall/winter 1974-1975 ready-to-wear collection.

Fall/Winter 1973-1974

A model wears a design from Givenchy's fall/winter 1974-1975 ready-to-wear collection.

Fall/Winter 1979-1980

A model is wearing a wedding dress paired with a hat with a long tulle train during the Givenchy fall/winter 1979-1980 couture show in Paris.

Spring/Summer 1984

Models walk the runway at Givenchy's spring/summer 1984 show.

Fall/Winter 1984-1985

A model walks the runway in Paris at the 1984-1985 fall/winter couture show by Givenchy.

Fall/Winter 1984-1985

A model walks the runway in Paris at the 1984-1985 fall/winter couture show by Givenchy.

Fall/Winter 1984-1985

A model wears a design from Givenchy's fall/winter 1984-1985 ready-to-wear collection.

Fall/Winter 1984-1985

A model walks the runway at Givenchy's spring/summer 1984-1985 couture show in Paris.

Fall/Winter 1985-1986

A model wears a design by the French designer for his fall/winter 1985-1986 couture show in Paris.

Spring Summer 1987

A model walks the runway at Givenchy's 1987 spring/summer couture presentation.

Spring/Summer 1987

A model wears a blue gown from the house's spring/summer 1987 couture collection.

Spring/Summer 1988

A fashion model wears a strapless, black-and-white polk dot haute couture evening gown from the French designer's spring/summer 1988 show in Paris.

Spring/Summer 1989

A model walks in the Givenchy spring/summer 1989 show in Paris.

Spring/Summer 1991

A model wears a floral design by Givenchy at the designer's 1991 spring/summer couture presentation.

Spring/Summer 1991

A model wears a gold design from the designer's spring/summer 1991 couture collection.

Spring/Summer 1991

A model wears a floral dress during Givenchy's spring/summer 1991 couture show.

Fall/Winter 1991-1992

A feathered design from the house's fall/winter 1991-1992 couture show in Paris.

Fall/Winter 1991-1992

A model walks the runway during the Givenchy fall/winter 1991-1992 couture fashion show in Paris.

Fall/Winter 1991- 1992

A model walks the runway at Givenchy's fall/winter 1991-1992 show.

Fall/Winter 1991-1992

A model walks during the Givenchy fall/winter 1991-1992 ready-to-wear show.

Related...

This Single Photo Encapsulates Why Everyone Loves Audrey Hepburn

Lucille Ball, Audrey Hepburn, and Other Iconic Stars Lived in Style

French Fashion Designer Hubert de Givenchy Dead At 91

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This article originally appeared on HuffPost.Paris (AFP) - Pre-election polls are not becoming less reliable, said a study Monday addressing public distrust stemming from surprise results in Britain's 2015 general election and the 2016 US presidential vote.

To investigate whether suspicion is warranted, a duo from the universities of Southampton and Texas analysed over 30,000 national voter intention surveys conducted for 351 general elections in 45 countries from 1942 to 2017.

"We find that, contrary to conventional wisdom, the recent performance of polls has not been outside the ordinary," Will Jennings and Christopher Wlezien wrote in the journal Nature Human Behaviour.

"Ultimately, although the polling industry faces a range of substantial challenges, we find no evidence to support the claims of a crisis in the accuracy of polling."

The error margin in surveys used to predict election outcomes has remained more or less consistent over the past 75 years, the researchers said.

The magnitude of the poll error in both the US and the UK elections "was not especially unusual," they added.

The work was prompted by questions raised after voters in Britain unexpectedly gave the Conservative Party a majority in 2015 when a hung parliament had been predicted.

In the United States, most pollsters had predicted a win for Hillary Clinton in the 2016 election, which she lost to Donald Trump.

There are good reasons to fear that polling errors may have increased, the duo said.

These include that response rates to surveys using well-established methods such as face-to-face and telephone interviews have declined -- potentially jeopardising representativeness.

At the same time, cheaper, easier and possibly less rigorous methods such as online polling have become more popular.

But the team said pollsters have adapted to these changes, introducing weighting and other techniques to boost accuracy.

Weighting involves an adjustment of poll data to ensure that a sample of participants accurately reflects the population from which they are drawn.

Story continues

The researchers stressed they were not claiming that traditional polling methods are working just as well as before, or that polling has not changed.

"Rather, we infer, based on our evidence, that survey organisations have adapted to the well-known challenges they face."

It is inevitable that pollsters will "get it wrong" from time to time, and subjected to scrutiny, added the team.

"Indeed, this can lead to methodological reflection and innovation, and in turn improvements in polling."The Anti-Defamation League has condemned Russian President Vladimir Putin for saying it does not bother him that Russian nationals have been indicted by the special counsels office for alleged interference in the 2016 U.S. presidential election, by arguing that those responsible may not even be Russian nationals, but minorities like Jews and Tatars with dual citizenship.

I couldnt care less because they do not represent the government, I could not care less. They do not represent the interests of the Russian state, Putin told NBC News Megyn Kelly in an interview that aired March 9 on the network. Maybe they are not even Russian. Maybe they are Ukrainians. Tatars. Jews. Just with Russian citizenship. Even that needs to be checked. Maybe they have dual citizenship or maybe a green card. Maybe it was the Americans who paid them for this work. How do you know?

Putins comments raised eyebrows among Jewish groups given Russias history of anti-Semitic attacks and discrimination against the Jewish people. The Anti-Defamation League spoke out against the remarks on Sunday.

It is deeply disturbing to see the Russian president giving new life to classic anti-Semitic stereotypes that have plagued his country for hundreds of years, with a comment that sounds as if it was ripped from the pages of the Protocols of the Elders of Zion, ADL CEO Jonathan Greenblatt said in a statement. We live in a moment when anti-Semitic violence is on the rise and words can have profound consequences, particularly when spoken by public figures or elected officials like President Putin. We hope he swiftly clarifies his words before they cause further damage to those communities he has singled out.

Special Counsel Robert Muellers office indicted 13 Russian nationals last month for attempting to sow discord in the U.S. electorate and interfere in the election, largely through social media campaigns.Vladimir Putin ordered a passenger plane carrying 110 passengers be shot down in 2014 over what later transpired to be a false alarm, the Russian president has said.

According to an interview featured as part of a two-hour documentary entitled Putin, the president received a phone call from security officers dealing with the Sochi Olympics, saying that a bomb threat had been made from a flight that left Ukraine toward Turkey just before the Winter Games opening ceremony on February 7, 2014.

The pilots of the Turkish Pegasus Airlines Boeing 737-800 flight from Kharkiv to Istanbul reported that one of the passengers said he had a bomb and demanded the plane be diverted toward Sochi.

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Speaking to reporter Andrey Kondrashov, Putin said he sought advice from his security team, who informed him that in emergencies such as this the best course of action is to down the plane.

GettyImages-929075096

ALEXEY NIKOLSKY/AFP/Getty Images

I told them: act according to the plan, Putin said, according to a Reuters report. Putin then made his way toward the Olympic venue with International Olympic Committee officials to watch the opening ceremony.

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Putin then received another phone call, through which he was told the bomb threat was a false alarm and the hoax was made by a drunk passenger who never had a bomb with him. The flight then continued its way toward Turkey.

Reuters said Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov had confirmed the events that are featured in the documentary, which has been made available to view via Russian social media.

Russia's Tass news agency reported that when asked if there were any circumstances where he could envisage returning Crimea to Ukraine, Putin replies: "What are you talking about? Such circumstances do not exist and never will.

Story continues

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Russia annexed the territory in 2014, but large parts of the international community still regard it as part of Ukraine. The movie was released just one week ahead of the presidential elections in Russia on March 18 that Putin is expected to win.

None of the candidates are predicted to stand much of a chance against Putin, with the most high-profile opposition leader, Alexei Navalny, banned from taking part in the elections.

According to the Russian Public Opinion Research Center, Ksenia Sobchak of the Civil Initiative is the most unpopular of the presidential candidates. The results of a survey showed 82 percent of Russians said they wouldnt vote for Sobchak under any circumstances Tass reports

This article was first written by Newsweek

More from NewsweekQatar government officials collected what they allege is damaging information on the United Arab Emirates influence on senior White House adviser Jared Kushner in secret meetings, but chose not to hand the evidence over to special counsel Robert Mueller, NBC News reported Monday.

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The information included efforts by the United Arab Emirates, Lebanese-American businessman George Nader and GOP donor Elliott Broidy to get the Trump administration to oppose Qatar, three sources familiar with discussions told NBC News. The Qatari officials, who earlier this year visited Washington, D.C., reportedly decided against sharing the details with Mueller to avoid negatively impacting their relations with the Trump administration.

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The Qataris reportedly believe the blockade was influenced by the meetings with Nader, Broidy and the Emiratis, as well as the Qatari governments refusal to finance a troubled New York City property owned by Jared Kushner's family-run real estate company Kushner Cos. a month earlier.

Trump backed the blockade last June. A Qatari delegation met with Trump administration officials in late January and early February of this year to talk about national security. Last week, a spokesperson for the Qatari embassy in Washington, D.C., stated that Qatar will not be speaking with Mueller.

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The White House and a spokesman for Kushner did not respond to a request for comment from Newsweek.

But a spokesman for Kushner's lawyer said Trumps son-in-law was "a point person for completely appropriate contacts from foreign officials and he did not mix his or his former company's business in those contacts and any claim otherwise is false," according to NBC News.

Story continues

Kushner Cos. spokeswoman Chris Taylor told Newsweek earlier this month that reports that brokering attempts occurred are untrue.

To be clear, we did not meet with anyone from the Qatari government to solicit sovereign funds for any of our projects, Taylor stated. To suggest otherwise is inaccurate and false.

This article was first written by Newsweek

More from NewsweekCutting a lonely figure: the President at his desk in the Oval Office: AP

Wait a second. Werent we told all would be OK with Donald Trump in the Oval Office because thered be enough grown-ups around him to keep him in check? On taking the oath he had the cream of the crop of Republican policy experts in Washington DC to choose from. Academics and wonks aching to come out of eight years of Obama-induced hibernation.

Even at the start, it didnt work out quite that way. Trump was elected in part because he had made expert a derogatory term. Likewise establishment, to which almost all the more obvious candidates for positions in his West Wing clearly belonged. On top of that, he had stamped his feet and ruled out hiring anyone who had not been supportive of him during the campaign.

That limited his hiring pool somewhat. The result was Javanka, Bannon and Michael Flynn. Good Lord, he even named Omarosa spokesperson for the White Houses Office of Public Liaison. Unlike Javanka, she is only one person, by the way. Her qualification for public service? A sizzling career as a contestant on The Apprentice.

Spin-the-bottle drama ensued. Flynn was fired. (He awaits sentencing after pleading guilty to lying about talking to Russians.) Bannon was fired for getting too big for his boots. Reince Priebus was fired as Chief of Staff for, in Trumps view, failing to fill his boots. Sean Spicer was ousted as spokesman because he was too easy for Melissa McCarthy to lampoon. I forget why Omarosa was let go, but she was.

There may have been brief periods, however, when the West Wing could have been described as functioning, more or less. Foreign policy types in the GOP, like Senator John McCain, were reassured that the man who replaced Flynn as National Security Advisor was HR McMaster, a widely respected retired general. And they trusted John Mattis over at the Pentagon.

But that Trump had proved unable or unwilling to achieve a modicum of stability within his own inner circle was highlighted by the Brookings Institution on the first anniversary of his coming to office. His bleed-rate of A Team advisors in his first year, it reported, had far outstripped that all of all his five immediate predecessors, double the rate even of Ronald Reagan, the previous leader in the field.

Story continues

Now its got a lot worse. Rob Porter, the Staff Secretary who with Chief of Staff John Kelly was in charge of smoothing the flow of papers to the Oval Office desk, was fired last month, in bungled fashion, after it emerged he was a wife-abuser. (Two of them.) Hope Hicks, Trumps Director of Communications, has since announced her departure. And now Gary Cohn, his top economic advisor, is taking his leave after falling out with the boss over tariffs.

What we have now, clearly, is a West Wing in deep disarray. We know this because Trump has seen the need publicly to insist otherwise. Believe me, everyone wants to work in the White House, Mr Trump said during a news conference last week with Swedish Prime Minister Stefan Lofven. They want a piece of the Oval Office, they want a piece of the West Wing.

No they dont. Equally unconvincing was his tweeted claim that turmoil is healthy. The new Fake News narrative is that there is CHAOS in the White House. Wrong! People will always come & go, and I want strong dialogue before making a final decision. I still have some people that I want to change (always seeking perfection). There is no Chaos, only great Energy!

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Perfection in the West Wing? By every reckoning its a miserable place to be. Those left behind frequently are doing multiple jobs at once, because there are now so many gaps. They are left with vacancies atop of vacancies, said Kathryn Dunn-Tenpas of Brookings, which now estimates that turnover in the Trump inner circle has reached a mad 43 per cent. That kind of turnover creates a lot of disruption, she said, not least because those who have already gone have taken so much policy and institutional knowledge with them.

Many are exhausted for other reasons. They fear they too may have a target on their backs working for a boss who has demonstrated not a scintilla of loyalty to anyone but himself. They worry about getting caught up in the ongoing probe by special counsel Robert Mueller into Russia and the legal fees they could incur. Worse, if they also head for the exits finding new jobs may be tough because having the Trump White House on their resume is not exactly helpful.

But leave many still will, whether by their own volition or after being pushed. There have been waves of speculation about both McMaster and Kelly. Ivanka and Jared equally appear to be on the ropes. There was even a report this week that Trump had lost patience with Sarah Huckabee Sanders, the current spokesperson, for being insufficiently fierce with reporters seeking comment on Trumps past relations with Stormy Daniels, a one-time adult film star.

Where is this all taking us? For one, its evident, now that Cohn has thrown in the towel, that the forces that were dedicated to containing Trumps anti-globalist instincts have finally been routed. In the ascendant are Wilbur Ross, the Commerce Secretary, and Peter Navarro, Director of Trade and Industrial Policy, both of whom share his zeal for protectionism.

We may not be there quite yet  there is still life in the West Wing beyond the closed door of the Oval Office  but increasingly this is becoming a presidency if not quite of one then of a very few. Any president being left to his or her own devices would be inherently unhealthy. No leader, however smart, however wise, however filled with energy, can be a good caretaker of their country if they are bereft of good and steady counsel.

But when that leader is Donald Trump it is especially unnerving.Yahoo News photo Illustration; photos: AP, Getty

Like most teenagers in the United States, Luis looked forward to his 18th birthday. Unlike most teens, Luiss excitement was not about being able to vote or buy cigarettes or other American rites of passage associated with turning 18, but about the prospect of being released from custody and reunited with his family.

A little more than two months before his birthday, Luis, whose name has been changed to protect his identity because he is currently seeking asylum, arrived at the southern U.S. border after a long and dangerous journey through Mexico. His father had never been a part of his life, so when his mother fell ill and went to live in a church without him, Luis decided to leave his Guatemalan village, which had become ruled by violence, and seek work in Mexico. But not long after arriving in Chiapas, Luis met someone who told him that if he had family in the U.S., he should go there. Luis knew he had relatives in Atlanta and, though he had no idea how to get there, he set out on a journey to find them.

After turning himself in at the border, he was placed in the custody of the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR), an agency within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services that is tasked with the care of unaccompanied immigrant children. He was put on a plane and taken to live in a shelter-like facility in Dobbs Ferry, N.Y., where a caseworker began collecting the paperwork necessary to request Luiss reunification with his relatives in Atlanta.

With his 18th birthday looming, his caseworker told Luis they would have to get the documents submitted as quickly as possible, warning that if he wasnt released before his birthday he could be sent to an adult detention center. The prospect of this made Luis start to panic but, he said, his caseworker insisted that he neednt worry. We have time, he recalled her telling him.

So they proceeded to gather the paperwork and submit a request to ORR for Luis to be released to live with his brother-in-law in Georgia. As far as Luis knew, there werent any issues and, by the eve of his birthday, he says, the caseworker told him there was a plane ticket to Atlanta ready for him to leave that night. They were just waiting on a response from the government as to whether it was going to approve his case.

Story continues

I was happy because I was ready to leave, Luis recalled. I got ready with all of my clothes, my backpack, but as Luis and his caseworker made their way to the facilitys exit, she revealed to him some devastating news: His case had been denied.

Terrified and confused, Luis racked his brain for what he had done to suddenly deserve being treated like a criminal.

All I did was turn 18, he said.

Red tape traps teenagers seeking refuge in US

Luis is part of a growing trend, observed in recent months by legal advocates and social service providers who work with ORR, of unaccompanied immigrant teens  most of them fleeing violence at home in Guatemala, Honduras or El Salvador  being handcuffed, shackled and thrown into adult ICE detention, literally before dawn on their 18th birthdays. Most were in the process of pursuing asylum or other legal forms of refuge in the U.S.

Those directly affected by these changes constitute a relatively small but highly vulnerable population of young people known, in the parlance of the U.S. government, as Unaccompanied Alien Children, or UACs.

These are, generally speaking, foreign-born girls and boys under the age of 18 who have been caught  or, in many cases, turned themselves over to Customs and Border Protection  after entering the country illegally without a parent or guardian; hence the label unaccompanied. They are the victims of the Trump administrations crackdown on undocumented immigrants generally, and in particular its focus on the violent MS-13 gang, which recruits teenagers from Central America.

The overwhelming majority of UACs who have arrived since 2014 have come from Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador, countries racked by poverty, corruption and brutal gang violence. Their journeys to the U.S. through Mexico often involve exploitation or abuse at the hands of traffickers.

The UACs might qualify for asylum in the U.S., but their status is complicated by the fact that they crossed the border illegally. Federal statutes and court rulings have established legal guidelines for how to treat this population of young people whove entered the country illegally but express fears of returning home.

A 1997 federal court decision known as the Flores Agreement required the government to release such children without unnecessary delay and make prompt and continuous efforts to reunify them with family in the U.S. while they make their legal case to stay.

Back then, the care of immigrant children was the responsibility of the Immigration Naturalization Service (INS). But in the aftermath of 9/11, the INS was dismantled, and most immigration and enforcement agencies were reshuffled into the newly established Department of Homeland Security. Not included under this broad new DHS umbrella, however, were the so-called UACs. With the passage of the Homeland Security Act in 2002, Congress incorporated the principles of the Flores Agreement and determined that custody should fall under the purview of the Department of Health and Human Services.

Congress concern for the welfare of these children was further codified by the 2008 passage of the William Wilberforce Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act (TVPRA), which granted immigrant kids the right to legal protections while in ORR custody, and mandated that the agency ensure that children in its care are promptly placed in the least restrictive setting that is in the best interest of the child.

But the priorities that shaped the treatment of immigrant children over the past two decades have been subordinated to the Trump administrations hard-line approach to immigration. In speeches, President Trump and Attorney General Jeff Sessions have singled out minors from Central America as threats who take advantage of loopholes in immigration laws to infiltrate the U.S. and commit crimes.

Approximately 150,000 Central American teens and children have been caught crossing the border and referred to ORR since 2014.

The Department of Justice estimates that there are currently 10,000 active MS-13 members across 40 U.S. states, a figure that has remained relatively stable since at least 2006, with the highest concentrations in New York, Virginia and the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area. (Though the gang now has a much larger presence in Central America, it was actually established in Los Angeles in the 1980s by teens whose parents had fled a deadly civil war in El Salvador.)

Police in New Yorks Suffolk County have attributed 27 murders to MS-13 members since 2013; the parents of two teenage victims from the heavily Hispanic town of Brentwood, on Long Island, were saluted by President Trump in Januarys State of the Union. A recent report by the Washington Post suggests that the surge in unaccompanied minors from Central America has helped fuel recent violence by MS-13, as members target these vulnerable recent arrivals for recruitment.

But even ORR, in its own memo to the White House Domestic Policy Council, admitted that the great majority of UAC in ORR custody do not pose a safety risk to the public and are not affiliated with gangs. Many UAC come to the United States to escape violence and gangs in their home communities.

The same memo refers to a June 9, 2017, ORR review of the teenagers in its secure and staff secure facilities  the small number who have been determined to pose a potential risk to the community, or to themselves, or of fleeing custody. From that review, ORR determined that of the 138 UAC in those facilities on June 9, 35 were voluntarily involved with gangs. Four additional UAC had reported that they had been forced into gang participation. In the context of the nearly 2,400 UAC in ORR custody on that date, this means that gang members were approximately 1.6% of all UAC in care.

Nevertheless, a number of procedural changes at ORR, together with ICEs enforcement policies, are creating what critics call an inescapable cycle of prolonged detention.

As an ORR spokesperson noted in a statement to Yahoo News, unaccompanied youths technically fall under DHS jurisdiction as soon as they turn 18. Still, legal advocates and social service providers who work with ORR say that in prior years ICE exercised discretion in how to treat them and would often sign off on alternatives proposed by lawyers or caseworkers in anticipation of their milestone birthday.

Under those agreements, 18-year-olds who were not deemed dangerous or a flight risk could be released on their own recognizance, or to family members, or placed in some kind of group housing, either with an ankle bracelet or with orders to check in at an ICE office regularly until their case has been resolved in court. A source in DHS who did not want to be identified confirmed that this had been the policy under previous administrations.

These so-called post-18 plans are still being prepared and proposed for clients who are on track to age out of ORR care, but advocates for the children say ICE is no longer considering them as an option.

The DHS source did not know how many teens have been taken directly into adult detention upon turning 18 under the current administration, nor could the source point to a specific policy change with regard to how ICE handles such cases. A February 2017 memo issued by then-Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly eliminated ICEs prior list of enforcement priorities established by Kellys predecessor, Jeh Johnson, encouraging ICE agents to focus enforcement resources on certain categories of undocumented immigrants, including convicted violent criminals and recent border crossers.

By eliminating these priorities, Kelly implemented a new era of indiscriminate immigration enforcement, pursuing anyone and everyone who is in the country illegally, regardless of circumstance.

I think Kelly and Trump were just in such a hurry to arrest everyone that they maybe didnt think of the implications on these kids, said the DHS source.

A class action lawsuit filed last week by the National Immigrant Justice Center accuses ICE of automatically transferring 18-year-olds from ORR to ICE custody without considering potential alternatives to detention. The suit argues that by failing to consider the least restrictive option available in the best interest of the child, ICE was violating a 2013 amendment to the TVPRA that extended such requirements to kids who turn 18 while in ORR custody.

Meanwhile, advocates suspect ORR is slowing the process of releasing children into the least restrictive situation, as required by law, so that more of them are aging out into ICE custody.

The ORR declined to provide Yahoo News with recent data on the number of immigrant teens in its custody whove been transferred immediately to adult ICE detention upon turning 18. It did, however, reveal the portion of unaccompanied children whove aged out of ORR custody in general, which, although small, demonstrates a clear upward trend from 1 percent in 2014 to 2.4 percent in 2017, increasing incrementally each year.

At the same time, according to data published on the agencys website, the number of unaccompanied minors in ORR custody whove been reunified with a sponsor has decreased significantly across almost every state since October 2016.

One possible explanation is that family members, who may be undocumented themselves, are reluctant to come to the attention of DHS by volunteering as sponsors.

Arguably, though, the biggest effects on the reunification process stem from a series of policy and procedural changes implemented at ORR under the banner of what Director Scott Lloyd dubbed the agencys new Community Safety Initiative. According to an August 2017 memo to the White House Domestic Policy Council, the initiative was created in response to public and congressional concerns about the Mara Salvatrucha, or MS-13, Central American street gang in American communities, and the involvement in that gang of some individuals who were previously in the ORR UAC Program.

Among the changes imposed under the Community Safety Initiative was a new requirement that either Lloyd or his deputy director, Jonathan White, personally review and approve all requests for release of any UAC who, at any point during their time in ORR custody, had been housed in secure or staff-secure facilities.

At any one time, that is a small fraction of the total number of UACs in ORR custody; the great majority are in shelter-level residences. But the New York Civil Liberties Union filed a class action lawsuit last month against Lloyd and others claiming that, under Lloyds leadership, the process of reunifying the children in the plaintiff class that is, those who have at any point been placed in a secure or staff-secure facility, even if their stay there was ultimately deemed unnecessary and they were moved back to a less secure facility  has ground to a virtual halt, trapping these children in highly restrictive government-controlled facilities. (PDF)

The suit focuses specifically on New York, but the same trends have been observed by legal and social service providers that work with ORR around the country.

Nithya Nathan-Pineau is an attorney and senior program director for the Capital Area Immigrants Rights Coalitions Detained Immigrant Childrens Program, which provides legal services to children in ORR custody in the Washington, D.C. area. Because two of the three facilities in the country that provide secure detention for kids in ORR custody are located in the D.C. area (the third is in Northern California), Nathan-Pineau and her colleagues are well suited to observe trends within that population. Before the NYCLU filed its lawsuit, she described similar scenarios of stalled cases and seemingly interminable detention.

We have kids whove been trying for over a year to reunify with biological parents, and theyre sitting in secure detention, she told Yahoo News. Im seeing more kids moving up to that higher level of security and not moving, and essentially getting stuck in secure or staff-secure. They may move between those levels, but were not seeing kids really get released to sponsors.

In fact, she added, we havent seen a reunification out of secure detention in over a year.

Increasingly, allegations of gang affiliation  often based on information children disclose upon entering ORR custody, such as having been forcibly recruited or victimized by gangs either at home or along their journey to the U.S.  are leading to more secure and staff-secure placements, albeit often temporarily.

To bolster its new gang focus, the Community Safety Initiative calls for working with law enforcement to train residential facility staff and ORR-contracted social service providers who work with teens before and after release on how to identify gang affiliations, including cues such as clothing.

Someone who attended one of these training sessions and spoke to Yahoo News on condition of anonymity said the guidelines felt a little bit more like profiling. The potential for mistakes was, this person said, deeply troubling, because a misidentification could keep a teenager locked up for years.

As part of the intake process at ORR facilities, children have traditionally been encouraged to share all the details of their journey in order that those who may have been victims of trafficking or have otherwise fled particularly dangerous situations may be identified. Now, this person said, that information is being used against them, as staff are labeling kids as gang-affiliated at the mere mention of a gang, no matter the context.

They may have been a victim of trafficking or may have known somebody who was in a gang, but now a staff member who attends one of these trainings where you have very limited information being presented by DHS, they can then designate that child as gang-affiliated and they go straight to secure. That was never a policy before.

Such placements are subject to review, but once theyve gone to secure they cannot be released without their case being approved by [ORR] headquarters, the source said, where their requests for release are languishing, unanswered.

That is really devastating because kids who pose no threat and may have been the victims of horrific trafficking for years are now having their cases held up, and theyre not able to reunify in a safe environment because of these policy changes.

Even detainees who arent flagged for secure facilities are spending more time in custody than before, says Nathan-Pineau, noting that ORRs average stay in shelter-level custody was previously around 30 days. According to statistics posted to the ORR website, the average length of stay in shelter and transitional foster care during fiscal year 2017 was 41 days.

Robert Carey, who served as ORR director under President Barack Obama from April 2015 to January 2017, questioned whether the ORRs new policies signaled a shift in the agencys role toward more of a focus on law enforcement.

My question is, does that really belong in child service agency? he asked.

Carey also expressed concern about the trend toward transferring unaccompanied teens from ORR custody to adult detention as soon as they turn 18.

Many of these children have been victims of violence and sexual exploitation, so to put them in an adult detention facility is an end to be avoided, not pursued, and not to be done lightly, he said.

Those policies are, to me, extremely politicized, said Diane Eikenberry, associate director of policy with the National Immigrant Justice Center. Its not about the best interest of the kid. Its a messaging tool for the political appointees to say to the White House, Weve got your back.

Eikenberry argued that prolonged detention  whether by ORR or ICE  undercut the decades of recognition that it is inhumane to throw children in jail.

So far, the clearest result prolonged detention appears to be having is deterring those whove already made the dangerous journey here from continuing to pursue legal claims of asylum.

Its really discouraging to see that because we believe that people have the right to seek asylum, said Nathan-Pineau. Its not illegal to come to the United States to seek asylum. Its never been illegal, and it shouldnt be considered to be illegal now.

Before he was taken into ICE custody, Luis said, his caseworker told him hed have two options: You can pay a lawyer and fight your case, or you can sign an order of deportation and go back to your country.

I was scared, he told Yahoo News. I didnt want to go back to Guatemala, but I didnt want to go to jail.

Luis chose to fight his case and was taken to New Jerseys Bergen County jail, which is contracted by ICE to house immigrant detainees. He was given an orange shirt and matching pants with the word Prisoner printed in big, black letters down one of the legs, and locked in a cell with an older man from Africa who Luis said initially shared his food with him and then angrily accused him of stealing it.

The days inside passed very slowly, Luis recalled. Theres nothing to do; they dont let you out, and the truth is, I didnt know if it was night or day because youre just totally enclosed.

For the first few weeks, he didnt have any communication with the outside world  including his family. He was allowed to make one free phone call when he first arrived, but when he called his relatives in Atlanta no one answered. He had no money for additional calls, so no one knew where he was. About two weeks in, Luis says he was given the option to work in the kitchen, and about a week later he was paid.

After more than two months behind bars, Luis was finally taken from the jail  clad in his orange prisoner clothes, his wrists cuffed and shackled to a chain around his waist  to a courthouse in Manhattan for his first appearance in front of an immigration judge. He met with Alex Lampert, an attorney with Brooklyn Defender Services (BDS), part of a state-funded network of legal aid groups in New York that offer free representation in immigration court. The program, known as the New York Immigrant Family Unity Project, or NYIFUP, was the first of its kind in the country.

Though a number of cities have similar local initiatives, New York has the only statewide program. So for unaccompanied teens in most other parts of the country, being transferred to adult ICE detention also means losing access to the legal services previously provided to them as minors in ORR custody.

With Lamperts help, Luis was released on bond after three months of detention and is now currently living with a pastor in the Bronx. He has successfully petitioned for Special Immigrant Juvenile Status, a legal classification available to certain undocumented immigrants under the age of 21 whove been abused, neglected or abandoned by one or both parents and for whom returning to their home country is not in their best interest. SIJS status will enable Luis eventually to petition the government for a green card.

In the meantime, Lampert added, he also has an asylum application pending.

Between his time ORR and ICE, Luis was in custody for approximately five months after he arrived in the United States. Still, he is lucky to now be pursuing these legal avenues for relief from outside the confines of detention.

The detention itself is very coercive, by design or at least, by effect, said Lampert, noting that, for many teens, as well as adults, the barriers imposed by being locked up make even cases that could easily be won outside detention almost impossible to pursue from behind bars.

On a recent Thursday last month, a teenage girl from Guatemala was shuffled into one of the immigration courtrooms in Manhattan for her first appearance before a judge since entering the United States seven months earlier. Her entire time in the country had been spent in custody, first by ORR for four months, followed by another three months in ICE detention. Her brown, layered hair fell slightly in front of wide eyes that darted around the courtroom as she waited for her turn to approach the bench. When her name was finally called, she stood no more than 5 feet tall and could barely raise her right hand from the shackle affixed to her waist.

Her lawyer, another attorney with BDS who declined to provide more details about the girls case, told the judge that her client wanted out of detention, and would accept an order of removal back to Guatemala. The judge asked both the attorney and the girl a series of questions that ended when, with the help of a Spanish interpreter, the girl told the judge definitively, I just want the deportation order.

And with that, in under 10 minutes, her prolonged detention in the United States was effectively over and she would soon be sent back to the country shed fled seven months before.

Editors Note: This story initially cited data inaccurately claiming that In October 2016, CBP referred 66,708 unaccompanied minors to ORR care  which is close to the number of kids referred to ORR during the height of the 2014 surge. Those numbers dipped dramatically during the first few months of 2017, reaching a low of 15,766 in April of that year, but have steadily started to climb back up to rates comparable with previous years, ranging between 34,000 and just over 40,000 each month since October. Those numbers, since removed, reflected the total number of undocumented people apprehended at the Southwest border during that time period.

Read more from Yahoo News:TOKYO (Reuters) - Some references to Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and his wife, Akie, were removed from documents related to a controversial sale of state-owned land, according to documents submitted to parliament by the ministry of finance. One reference was to Akie's visit to the school at the heart of a suspected cronyism scandal, according to the documents seen by Reuters on Monday. Abe has repeatedly denied he or his wife did favors for school operator Moritomo Gakuen, which bought the land, and has said he would resign if evidence were found that they had. The issue last year sharply eroded Abe's popularity. Suspicions of a cover-up could slash Abe's ratings and dash his hopes of a third term as leader of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) in an election in September. (Reporting by Takaya Yamaguchi; Writing by Chang-Ran Kim; Editing by Michael Perry)Incumbent Dan Lipinskis the man for Nancy Pelosi in a red-hot Illinois primary. Photo: Aaron P. Bernstein/Getty Images; Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call

In todays special congressional election in southwest Pennsylvania, Democrats are testing the value of a Big Tent Party in the candidacy of Conor Lamb, who has promised not to vote for Nancy Pelosi as party leader and is heterodox on a few other issues, notably gun regulation. But Lamb is running in what has been a solidly Republican district, one that Donald Trump carried by nearly 20 points in 2016. In next weeks Illinois primary (not a special election, but a regular midterm election) there is a Democratic House race that provides a different big tent test: to what extent should Democrats tolerate a right-leaning congressman in a solid blue district?

Representative Dan Lipinski is in many respects the kind of old-school Chicago Democrat who was fairly common when his father Bill (who basically deeded the seat to his son) was elected to Congress in 1982: a pro-life labor guy whos not really liberal in any meaningful sense and reflects the occasionally illiberal views of Catholic ethnic constituents along with Chicago business interests. His district includes the Irish ethnic neighborhood from whence the Daley family emerged to dominate the city. But its also been evolving, with a sizable Hispanic population and a new strain of liberal politics: Bernie Sanders carried Lipinskis district in the 2016 primaries. And the third-congressional district is in no sense the kind of marginal district where distinctively moderate Democrats are needed to win elections: Both Hillary Clinton in 2016 and Barack Obama in 2008 and 2012 carried it by double digits. Yet Lipinski has increasingly aggravated liberals, not only with his support of abortion restrictions and his opposition to protections for LGBTQ folk, but with votes in 2010 against the Affordable Care Act and the Dream Act.

And so, inevitably, a serious left-bent primary challenge to Lipinski has arisen in the form of Marie Newman, a marketing consultant and anti-bullying activist who not only criticizes the incumbents heresies but also champions the standard progressive causes of single-payer health care and a big minimum-wage increase. Unsurprisingly, shes been endorsed by Bernie Sanders. But two of Lipinskis Chicago colleagues in the House, Jan Schakowsky and Luis Gutierrez, have also endorsed Newman. Yes, these two are both stalwart members of the Congressional Progressive Caucus. But it still defies protocol to, as Politico put it in a not terribly objective comment, plung[e] a knife into the back of a neighboring Chicago-area congressman whom theyd served with in Congress for over a decade.

As signs grow that Lipinski is in real trouble (a survey last week from Public Policy Polling for the pro-choice group NARAL showed the incumbent leading Newman by a slim two points), the House Democratic leadership has come to his aid, as The Hill reports:

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), Minority Whip Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) and Rep. Joseph Crowley (N.Y.), chairman of the House Democratic Caucus, have all come out vocally in recent days to throw their weight behind the incumbent.

After some alleged balkiness, the House Democratic Caucuss campaign arm, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee is also helping Lipinski.

In most respects this is a dog-bites-candidate story: Pelosi and her leadership, like their predecessors from time immemorial, almost invariably support Democratic incumbents regardless of ideology. But Lipinski definitely puts a strain on that tradition:

The endorsement from Pelosi is particularly notable. She was the leading force behind the passage of ObamaCare in the House, has been a life-long champion of LGBT rights and access to abortion, the Dream Act was among her last victories as House Speaker, and Lipinski has regularly voted against her in the lower chambers biennial leadership races.

Tribal loyalty aside, the case for keeping Lipinski around really boils down to the belief that its helpful to Democrats in more conservative parts of the country to be able to point to an anti-abortion and (relatively) anti-immigrant congressman as a symbol of party tolerance. Personally, I doubt the swing voters of Mississippi or Nebraska are really watching the primary in Illinois closely by way of defining their perceptions of the Donkey Party, and even if they are, you have to wonder why the Democrats of the third district must be the ones to sacrifice their own representation to national big tent symbolism. Lipinski himself warns that Newman represents an intolerant tea party of the left. But as New Yorks Eric Levitz points out, Lipinski hasnt comported himself as a moderate Democrat, so much as a conservative one.

In the end, if Lipinski survives it will be due less to national party support than to very local AFL-CIO support. But labors not entirely backing its dynastic Chicago ally: SEIU has endorsed Newman.

Again, either candidate is a sure winner in November. But if Lipinski does go down, expect Republicans from Maine to Hawaii to echo his tea party of the left accusation, though for obvious reasons they will probably choose a different terminology.WASHINGTON, Pa.  Dwight Harris, 40, is a registered Republican who enthusiastically voted for Donald Trump and is largely satisfied with the choice he made.

Harris, a second-generation coal miner tired of people who feel entitled to government handouts, is exactly the kind of voter that Republican congressional candidates need to count on in a difficult election year.

But when a canvassing team from the United Steel Workers labor union knocked on Harris door on Thursday afternoon, Harris let them know that he was already planning to vote for Democrat Conor Lamb in Tuesdays special congressional election.

The reason was simple: His union, the United Mine Workers of America, had informed him that Lamb supports bipartisan congressional legislation to plug the hole in the unions troubled pension fund.

Republican Rick Saccone, on the other hand, wont even talk to our union at all about the pensions or anything, Harris said.

That left Harris no choice but to go with Lamb, with whom he disagrees on other issues. I cant cut my own throat, he said.

Attrition from union members like Harris is part of a perfect political storm brewing for Republicans in Pennsylvanias 18th Congressional District, where over 80,000 people  from more than one-fifth of households  belong to unions. Unions, many of which have endorsed the districts Republican candidate in the past, have mobilized in full force against Saccone, whose anti-union record includes support for right-to-work laws.

President Donald Trump speaks at a rally for Republican Rick Saccone in Moon Township, Pennsylvania, on March 10, 2018. (Photo: Joshua Roberts / Reuters)

Along with union drop-off from the GOP, higher than normal Democratic enthusiasm, suburban moderate voters frustration with the president and an especially weak Republican candidate have converged to endanger the GOP hold on a favorably gerrymandered district that Trump won by nearly 20 percentage points in 2016.

The GOP-held seat, which stretches from the suburbs of Pittsburgh to rural coal country on the border with West Virginia, came up for grabs after eight-term Republican Rep. Tim Murphy resigned in October. (The anti-abortion rights congressman was caught urging a woman with whom he was having an extramarital affair to get an abortion.)

Story continues

On paper, the special election will have a limited impact on the balance of power in Congress. Pennsylvanias Supreme Court redrew the district boundaries in February, enabling Lamb to run again in November in the new 17th Congressional District, which went for Trump by just 3 points.

However, even a temporary victory in solid red territory would devastate Republican morale and turbocharge Democratic enthusiasm ahead of the midterm elections. It would signal that no district is safe from the political blowback to Trumps presidency and diminish his political capital in Congress.

As a result, national Republican groups have gone all in to prop up Saccones campaign, spending millions of dollars on television advertisements, direct mail literature and field canvassers.

But in spite of outside spending that was at one point 17 times greater than that of Democratic groups, Saccone and Lamb are neck-and-neck in the few available public polls of the race.

Trump, recognizing he will get some of the blame if Saccone loses, has tried to engineer a last-minute turnaround for the flagging candidate. He held a packed rally for Saccone at the Pittsburgh airport on Saturday night where he nicknamed the Democratic contender Lamb the Sham. Trump has since been admonishing his followers on Twitter to turn out for Saccone, who will be much better for steel and business.

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Even Trumps recently announced steel and aluminum tariffs were conveniently timed to coincide with an election in a region where the steel industry is embedded in the local DNA.

But on the eve of the election, it appeared that not even Trumps visit was enough to give Saccone a boost. Lambs lead over Saccone grew to six percentage points in a new Monmouth University university poll released Monday. The poll assumes higher-than-normal Democratic turnout, which would be consistent with recent elections in Alabama and Virginia.

Republicans insist that Saccones struggles are not a reflection of the unpopularity of Trump or congressional Republicans and their policies. For the most part, GOP officials have instead laid the blame squarely on Saccone, a 60-year-old state lawmaker, political science professor and former military intelligence officer with a deeply conservative voting record and dry speaking style.

Candidates and campaigns matter and thats why its a race, said a national Republican operative active in the race who asked not to be named. You have one candidate thats out of central casting, Conor Lamb, and then you have a candidate on the Republican side, who, it was expected, would be lackluster in fundraising.

Indeed, as of Feb. 21, Saccone had raised just over $900,000, compared with Lambs $3.9 million haul.

But Super PACs and the national GOP have more than closed the gap for Saccone. The Congressional Leadership Fund, a super PAC aligned with House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.), has spent $3.5 million, as has the National Republican Congressional Committee, the party body that helps elect Republicans to the House. Three other Republican super PACs spent a combined $1.7 million on ads, and the Republican National Committee chipped in $1 million on field organizing and campaign literature.

But the outside groups dollars do not go as far on the airwaves. Media outlets are only required to give candidates themselves the lowest possible television and radio advertising rates, and outside spending often lacks the focus and coordination of a campaigns efforts.

When candidates dont raise as much in hard dollars, its very difficult to run these things from afar, said Mike DeVanney, a Pittsburgh-based Republican political consultant.

Other Republicans have noted the amateurish nature of Saccones media and field operations, including goofy Facebook Live broadcasts. White House adviser Kellyanne Conways visit with campaign volunteers last Thursday drew fewer than 20 people, according to The Associated Press. On another occasion, the AP reported, Saccone himself failed to arrive as promised for a canvassing event with supporters in Greensburg.

Saccones lavish use of his expense account at the state legislature has also become fodder for attack ads.

Lamb, a 33-year-old Marine veteran and former federal prosecutor from one of Democratic Pittsburghs most prominent families, was the perfect foil. His background, devout Catholic faith and more conservative positions on guns (he opposes new regulations), coal and fracking (he considers them part of the countrys energy future) made it harder to peg him as the kind of urbane liberal that instinctively repels the districts considerable share of blue-collar voters.

On the divisive issue of abortion rights, Lamb has said that he personally believes that life begins at conception. But he does not back additional restrictions on abortion, including a ban on the practice 20 weeks into a pregnancy.

Lamb courted moderate and independent voters with his opposition to a brief government shutdown in January, as well as pleas for bipartisan fixes to the Affordable Care Act and the nations infrastructure. And in a region ravaged by the opioid epidemic, he promised to continue prosecuting drug dealers, including those in white lab coats, as he put it in one piece of campaign literature.

Its tempting to see in Lamb a kind of Pittsburgh-area version of Jon Ossoff, the young and clean-cut fiscal moderate whose failed special election bid for a suburban Georgia congressional district in June attracted astronomical national funds and attention.

But notwithstanding the endorsement of the economically centrist Blue Dog PAC, Lamb has run on what can best be described as a pro-union, liberal populist platform. At virtually every campaign event, Lamb expresses a reverence for union workers and their priorities that is matched only by his solemn respect for his fellow military veterans. And in keeping with the regions mythic United Steel Workers union, Lamb immediately voiced qualified support for Trumps tariffs on steel and aluminum.

Lamb has also run heavily on protecting Social Security and Medicare, a fact he touted in an ad denouncing those who call the social insurance programs entitlements, rather than earned benefits. In a questionnaire for the progressive advocacy group Social Security Works PAC, Lamb endorsed expanding the two social insurance programs. He also wants to empower Medicare to negotiate lower prescription drug prices.

Lambs run a pretty good race, said a western Pennsylvania GOP strategist who asked not to be named for professional reasons. Had he been willing to be more moderate on abortion, it could have been really helpful for him.

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Dwight Harris, 40, is a Republican voting for Conor Lamb. (Photo: Daniel Marans/HuffPost)

Notwithstanding Lambs adroit political balancing act, Saccone and Republican groups have bent over backwards to portray him as an out-of-touch liberal, rather than focus much on the GOP candidates merits or policies.

They have tried desperately to tie Lamb to House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), whom Lamb said he would not back as Democratic leader. In a bid to find something that would stick, Republican groups went on to rip Lambs opposition to the GOP tax cut bill, cast doubt on his prosecutorial record and even tried to confuse liberals with mailers touting Lambs opposition to expanded gun reforms.

If Lamb wins, said Devanney, its an inflection point. Its an opportunity for the party to examine whats happened.

Well be able to look at the playbook and see if running against Nancy Pelosi and Barack Obama still works, he added.

In conversations with voters across the district, there were already signs that the negative playbook was backfiring.

Ive been getting some nasty stuff from Saccone about Lamb, said Bonnie Schrader, a 54-year-old independent who voted for Murphy but is now backing the Democrat. Ive heard more bad stuff from him than any good stuff that hes planning on doing.

Pelosi has nothing to do with the race, she added. Shes already in there.

Also on HuffPost

Conor Lamb Nomination

Conor Lamb reacts to winning the Democratic nomination for the 18th District seat inside Washington High School gymnasium, where the nomination convention was being held in Washington, Pennsylvania, on Nov. 19.

Saccone Greets Trump

Rick Saccone, the Republican candidate in the special election for Pennsylvania's 18th District, greets President Donald Trump upon arrival at Pittsburgh International Airport on Jan. 18. Trump held a rally in support of the GOP tax cut legislation that doubled as a campaign event for Saccone.

Tim Murphy

The special election was prompted by the sudden resignation of Rep. Tim Murphy (R-Pa.). Murphy, who opposes abortion rights, was caught telling a woman with whom he was having an extramarital affair to get an abortion.

Pennsylvania's 18th District is geographically diverse. It includes affluent suburbs south of Pittsburgh like Mt. Lebanon, pictured here, as well as rural areas and old mill towns.

Pennsylvania's 18th District also includes rural areas like this stretch of road between Houston and Burgettstown.

Ted Skowvron, a 93-year-old World War II veteran and retired union crane operator, is angry about President Donald Trump. At an event for Democrat Conor Lamb at the American Legion post in Houston, Pennsylvania, on Jan. 13, Skowvron braved the snow and below-freezing temperatures to encourage Lamb to take on the president.



"I just wanted to let you know: Get in there and get him out. Cuss if you don't do it. I'm coming down myself," Skowvron said. "The way Trump talks to people, the way he's treating the world ... He's ruining the country," Skowvron added.

Alex Nakoneczny, 67, a retired coal miner, and Greg McIlheny, 67, owner of Shelley's Pike Inn Diner, are staunch Democrats who planned to vote for Conor Lamb in the special election without knowing much about him. They both supported Bernie Sanders in the 2016 primary and believe he would have defeated Trump in the general election, though they were happy to vote for Hillary Clinton.



Trump performed well in the area because young people supported him, according to Nakoneczny. "They're tired of all these promises," he said. "Everybody's promising 'em, nobody's ever doing nothing."



Nakoneczny continued: "As much as Trump sucks, he's telling you, 'I'm putting yinz first. I'm doing what you wanna do.' But he's not doing it the right way, ya know what I mean?"

Tina Dhanse, 48, a supervisor at the local Salvation Army, was not sure how she planned to vote in the special election. Her partner, Don Snedeker, 49, a truck driver, leans conservative, but never votes because he believes it could lead the government to sign him up for jury duty, which would cause him to miss work. Dhanse voted for Donald Trump in November 2016 because he was new to politics.



"I'm like, 'You know what: Let somebody in who's been in business that seems to know what he's doing because he's not broke," she recalled. But Dhanse has heard that the GOP tax legislation is "not gonna really do much for the middle class."



"The people that make a million dollars, they should be able to give a little more to make businesses give raises. People can't live on $7.25 an hour," Dhanse added. "And the minimum wage hasn't changed for how long? Thirteen years or something like that."

Wes Donahoe, 29, is a medical equipment repair specialist in Jeannette, Pennsylvania. He voted for Libertarian Gary Johnson in the 2016 election and didn't know enough about the special election candidates to decide how he would vote. But he is pretty satisfied with President Donald Trump, including the tax cut bill, which he believes will help him and most people in the middle class.



At the same time, Donahoe said the corporate tax cuts will probably not prompt companies to create new jobs. "Just because a company is getting more tax breaks doesn't mean that there's more demand for [their] production or service or anything," he said.

Robert Lintz (left) wishes he could retire, but the 74-year-old does not have a pension or a 401k, so he puts up billboards when the weather is warm enough. He lives on a $1,500 Social Security benefit and another $300 to $400 from the billboard work in warmer months. "I'd just like to be able to afford stuff," he said.



Lintz, a lifelong Democrat, voted for Barack Obama but left the top of the ballot blank in 2016. He said he would have rather voted for Mickey Mouse than either Hillary Clinton or Donald Trump. "I don't think there is a party for working people any more," he said. "They're all the same. Call it Republicats and it would be right now."



Hearing Lintz opine at the McDonald's in Burgettstown, Pennsylvania, Don Dowler, 72, walked over. Dowler, a retired union member, voted for Donald Trump in 2016 and is inclined to vote Republican in the special election. But if Dowler heard the Republican candidate is anti-labor, he said, "That might affect me, yeah. It depends which way he goes."

This article originally appeared on HuffPost.KATHMANDU, (Reuters) - Rescue workers recovered badly burnt bodies from the wreckage of a Bangladeshi aircraft that crashed while coming in to land at Nepal's Kathmandu airport on Monday, a Reuters witness said. There were 71 people on board the plane and 17 had been rescued, an airport official said earlier. The number of dead and injured was not known. A Reuters photographer said he could see bodies covered in cloth laid out near the tarmac of the airport. (Reporting by Navesh Chitrakar; Writing by Sanjeev Miglani; Editing by Robert Birsel)Richard Pryors youngest son said he could hear his father up in heaven telling him, Boy you better not mess this up!

Maybe next time, Dad.

Mason Pryor acknowledged he bombed during his standup comedy routine on Foxs Showtime at the Apollo recently. (Watch it above.)

A flat routine about President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin generated a torrent of boos. The 30-year-old comic told the crowd to have some respect, and he walked off mid-set.

I bombed when I shouldnt have, he said backstage. I wasnt funny.

Host Steve Harvey, a standup pro, encouraged Pryor to return to the stage for some type of closure on Thursdays show. Pryor took the advice and did, with a quick hit on the split between his dad and mother, Geraldine Mason, that got some laughs.

But boos erupted again, Harvey explained on his iHeartRadio show. According to the host, Pryor told a woman in the audience in his return to the stage, Shut up, B, and later picked up and dry-humped the tree stump that performers traditionally rub for luck  and nearly dropped it.

Despite the rough night, Pryor received some encouragement from fans on Facebook after what he called his first big-time gig. He told TMZ that it was a learning experience and that he would take the advice of fellow comics and streamline his material next time.

This content is not available due to your privacy preferences. Update your settings here to see it.

This article has been updated to include Harveys radio show comments revealing additional details of Pryors antics.

Also on HuffPost

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Richard Pryor and Shelley Bonis married in 1967. They divorced a few years later.

Richard and Shelley had a daughter, Rain, in 1969.

Growing up in an interracial family in the 1970s was difficult for Rain, she says. "What was ironic is to then be in this house in Beverly Hills and having crosses burned on our front lawn in the middle of the night."

Rain followed her father into the entertainment industry, becoming an actress. Here, they attend a movie premiere together for one of Richard's films in 1989.

Richard and Rain guest starred together on "Chicago Hope" in 1995.

In 2000, Richard accepted the Lifetime Achievement Award at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival. Rain was by his side, as was his wife Jennifer.

This article originally appeared on HuffPost.A leading Russian defense official has confirmed that laser weapons previously alluded to by President Vladimir Putin are in service and capable of disarming targets with rapid precision.

Russian Deputy Defense Minister Yuri Borisov told his ministry's official Krasnaya Zvezda newspaper on Monday that the "combat laser systems" Putin spoke of in his State of the Nation speech earlier this month were in fact delivered to the country's armed forces last year. Once found only in works of fiction, Borisov said such devices were now a very real and necessary tool of modern warfare.

Related: U.S. military may lose war to Russia because top general does not 'have all the forces' he needs

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"We can talk a lot about laser weapons and movies were made about them a long time ago and fantastic books have been written, and everyone knows about this. But the fact that these systems have started entering service is indeed todays reality," Borisov said in comments translated by the state-run Tass Russian News Agency.

"Starting from last year laser systems have been entering service that allow disarming a potential adversary and hitting those facilities, which are the targets," he added, saying such a device could take out targets "within fractions of a second."

RussiaCombatLaserComplex

Russian Ministry of Defense/Social Media

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Accompanying Putin's March 1 speech, in which he revealed an array of new and advanced weapons, was a short video showing what appeared to be a truck-mounted laser system. The ministry entitled the clip "Combat Laser Complex," but Putin said at the time that he was not ready to reveal the weapon's true name or any other details.

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"We have achieved significant progress in laser weapons. It is not just a concept or a plan any more. It is not even in the early production stages. Since last year, our troops have been armed with laser weapons," Putin told lawmakers.

"I do not want to reveal more details. It is not the time yet. But experts will understand that with such weaponry, Russias defense capacity has multiplied," he added.

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While not much else is known about the system, such laser weapons can be used to intercept missiles and aircraft by disrupting their electronics. The U.S. Missile Defense Agency has begun developing its own laser weapon, a high-tech anti-missile drone that would be built with the $9.9 billion budget the agency requested as part of President Donald Trump's 2019 budget. The Navy was also looking to upgrade its own $40 million Laser Weapons System, potentially preparing to install it on San Antonio-class amphibious transport dock ship USS Portland.

RTX4ZSFW

Maxim Shemetov/Reuters

In addition to the new laser weapon, Putin unveiled the long-awaited, nuclear-capable RS-28 Sarmat heavy intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), which is called "SS-X-30 Satan 2" by Western military alliance NATO, as well as the Kinzal hypersonic missile, a nuclear-powered cruise missile and a nuclear torpedo. Putin claimed that even the U.S.'s leading defense systems would be of little use against his latest weapons.

Since coming to political power at the turn of the millennium, Putin has sought to revive Russia's military from its post-Soviet collapse and transform it into a force capable of challenging the global ambitions of his leading rival, the U.S. Moscow has become increasingly involved in world affairs and, in recent years especially, enhanced its political and military ties to nations around the world.

This article was first written by Newsweek

More from NewsweekRussias Defense Ministry said Saturday that it has successfully tested an advanced hypersonic missile, which President Vladimir Putin lauded as invincible earlier this month.

Video footage released by the ministry appears to show the Kinzhal missile detaching from a fighter jet. Russian officials said the missile  named after a type of dagger  successfully hit the assigned target, the BBC reports. The ministry described the launch as normal.

A MiG-31 fighter crew of the Russian Aerospace Forces conducted a combat training launch of a hypersonic missile of the Kinzhal high-precision air missile system in the designated area, the ministry said in a statement. The hypersonic missile confirmed its technical operational performance and timing data of the Kinzhal missile system.

The missile is one of a range of next generation nuclear weapons unveiled by Russian President Vladimir Putin on March 1 that are designed to get past Americas defense systems. Putin has called the Kinzhal missile the ideal weapon and said it has a range of 1,200 miles and travels at 10 times the speed of sound.

On Sunday, U.S. Defense Secretary James Mattis expressed doubt that Russia had developed such an advanced weapon and said the test would not affect U.S. policy, according to CNN.

I saw no change to the Russian military capability, and each of these systems he [Putin] is talking about that are still years away, I did not see them changing the military balance, Mattis told reporters in Oman. They did not impact any need on our side for a change in our deterrent posture.

Russia is holding presidential elections next week, which Putin is widely believed to win.Hundreds of people could have been contaminated by the nerve agent that poisoned a Russian double agent in Salisbury, officials have confirmed, as locals questioned why they were not warned sooner.

A week after Sergei Skripal and his daughter, Yulia, were left in a critical condition following an attack in the city, residents were advised to take action to protect themselves.

Anyone who visited the same pub or restaurant as the pair last Sunday were told to wash their clothes immediately and clean all jewellery, mobile phones, spectacles and other items with antiseptic wipes.

Staff at Zizzi's restaurant in the city, where the couple dined shortly before falling ill, were told to destroy any clothes they had been wearing at the time and also visit their doctor for a health check.

Drinkers at the popular Mill pub in the city were also urged to take similar steps if they were there between Sunday lunchtime and Monday night, when the venue was eventually sealed off by police.

Traces of the nerve agent - which has been identified but that officials have refused to name - have been found in both locations, it is understood.

Skripal poisoning - Salisbury map

England's chief medical officer, Dame Sally Davies, estimated that around 500 people could have been affected in the time window.

She insisted the risk to the public from the nerve agent remained low, but conceded that contact with the nerve agent, could pose a risk with "prolonged, long-term exposure" to the skin.

Sergei Skripal and his daughter in Zizzi's

Anyone who visited either location on Sunday afternoon is being advised to:

Wash the clothing that you were wearing in an ordinary washing machine using your regular detergent at the temperature recommended for the clothing

Any items which cannot be washed, and which would normally be dry cleaned, should be put in two plastic bags tied at the top and stored safely in your own home. We are currently reviewing the best way of cleaning these clothes and will provide further advice on our website

Wipe personal items such as phones, handbags and other electronic items with cleansing or baby wipes and dispose of the wipes in the bin (ordinary domestic waste disposal)

Other items such as jewellery and spectacles which cannot go in the washing machine or be cleaned with cleansing or baby wipes, should be hand washed with warm water and detergent and then rinsed with clean cold water. Please thoroughly wash your hands with soap and water after cleaning any items.

On Monday, Theresa May will chair a meeting of the National Security Council, attended by the heads of all three intelligence agencies, after which she is expected to formally link Russia to the Salisbury poisonings.

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Military personnel wearing protective suits in Salisbury Credit: Chris J Ratcliffe /Getty

Scientists at Porton Down, the Government's chemical warfare laboratory, are understood to have been carrying out final tests overnight that will prove beyond reasonable doubt that the nerve agent used in the attacks was made in Russia.

Mrs May is then expected to announce fresh sanctions against Russians close to President Putin, as well as the expulsion of some Russian diplomats from the UK.

There is growing anger among Salisbury residents over the delay in passing on information to the public.

Maureen Jones, 73, who has lived in Salisbury her entire life, said: "I can't understand why it has taken a week for them to tell people [this].

Dan Munday said: Enough of this cloak and dagger stuff, let the public know whats going on, it is our city after all.

Another local who was in the Mill pub at around the same time as Mr Skripal and his daughter, said he was outraged that he was only being told to take preventative measures now.

He said: "I am not reassured because I do not know all the facts. What are the long term effects?"

A police car is removed from an area of Salisbury on Sunday Credit: Chris J Ratcliffe /Getty

While health officials insisted the risk to the public was minimal, members of the military, wearing chemical protection suits, continued to seal off parts of the city.

Just minutes after holding a press conference intended to reassure the public, scores of military personnel, police officers and paramedics descended on Bourne Hill police station and offices in the city.

Two military tents were set up and dozens of Army personnel donned protective suits as they moved a series of vehicles from the carpark.

It is thought the vehicles could have been used by police officers who attended the scene last Sunday.

Detective Sergeant Nick Bailey, who was one of the first responders last Sunday, remains in a serious condition in hospital, although he is able to sit up and talk.

DS Nick Bailey is still seriously ill in hospital

Mystery still surrounds the exact circumstances of last weeks poisoning, with uncertainty remaining over when and where Mr Skiral and his daughter were targeted.

Philip Ingram a former intelligence and security officer, who has studied chemical warfare, said all the indications pointed towards a liquid nerve agent similar to the one used in the attack on the North Korean leaders half brother last year.

Mr Ingram said: The fact that traces have been found at multiple locations suggests this is almost certainly a thickened liquid that would have a very persistent effect.

It could have been administered in a variety of ways, either by brushing into the target or perhaps by smearing it on clothing that would come into contact with his skin. But there are still many unanswered questions, not least how the police officer has come to be so ill.

The Mill pub remains closed following the discovery of the nerve agent there Credit: Chris J Ratcliffe /Getty

Maureen Jones, 73, who has lived in Salisbury her entire life, said the advice to wash clothing and wipe down other belongings had come too late.

She said: "I can't understand why it has taken a week for them to tell people they should do that."

Julie Green who also lives in Salisbury, said: "You can't help but be a little concerned when you come in to the city centre and see large areas cordoned off and lots of people in protective suits around you."

John Glen, the MP for Salisbury said he was frustrated: "It is an evolving investigation, so understanding what has happened and what the effects of his nerve agent are is still being worked on. But I am somewhat frustrated that Public Health England did not inform me what was going on."

He added: "I also find it slightly odd that the chief medical officer is making a statement to camera in London about this situation when the people want some reassurance here in Salisbury."

A vehicle is taken away by a military vehicle in Salisbury Credit: Geoff Pugh for the Telegraph

But Dr Jenny Harries, joint director of Public Health England (PHE), defended the decision to issue new guidance a week after the initial poisoning.

She said: "This is about a very, very small risk of repetitive contact with traces of contamination that people may have taken out. The advice we're giving today about washing clothes - very simple things... that will remove that risk as we go forward."By Stephanie Nebehay GENEVA (Reuters) - A U.N. rights watchdog called on Saudi Arabia on Monday to end discriminatory practices against women, including its pervasive system of male guardianship, and give them full access to justice. After reviewing the deeply conservative kingdom's record, the independent experts welcomed recent decisions to allow women to launch their own businesses and to lift a de facto ban on them driving a car, set for June. Saudi Arabia is still one of the most restrictive countries for women in the world. It has no women ministers and retains a guardianship system requiring women to have a male relative's approval for important decisions. In its conclusions, the U.N. Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) urged the Saudi government to "abolish practices of male guardianship". It should enforce a recent order that would entitle all women to obtain a passport, travel or study abroad, choose their residency, and access health care "without having to seek their guardian's consent". "We asked for the abolition of the system, because even though they said they had passed a law, we realized that in practice the system still continued," Hilary Gbedemah, a panel member, told Reuters. A Saudi delegation told the panel last month that it had implemented rules and laws tailored to traditions and religious values that allowed women more independence as they played a growing economic role. Laws concerning justice and child protection had been strengthened. But the experts said that Saudi Arabia should implement a comprehensive strategy to "eliminate patriarchal attitudes and stereotypes that discriminate against women". Rape and all forms of violence against women should be made crimes under Saudi law, they said. Child marriages, forced marriages and the compulsory dress code for women should be ended, it said. Women should have the right to choose their dress and not face violence or threats by the religious police and their male guardian. Discussion of the guardianship issue had been "very wide" with the delegation, Gbedemah said. "We saw it where women were deemed to be disobedient to their guardians, where they needed their consent to marry, where the guardians could enforce dress codes, and in the area of domestic violence," she said. "So in a nutshell, these are the four important areas that we asked for follow-up on, within two years," she said. Gbedemeh, asked about the planned lifting of the ban on driving, said: "Even if it is symbolic, it is a positive step. "Because for so long it was taken for granted that women could not and would not drive," she said. "I am positive that once this is done, it will open the gates for leverage for removal of other restrictions". (Reporting by Stephanie Nebehay; Editing by Susan Fenton)London (AFP) - A secretive British army base, which identified the nerve gas used to poison a Russian ex-spy earlier this month, has for years been fuelling conspiracy theories with its pioneering research into chemical and biological weapons.

Located near Salisbury, the southwestern English city where Sergei Skripal, 66, and his 33-year-old daughter were targeted, Porton Down is Britain's most controversial military facility.

The Defence Science and Technology Laboratory -- its official name -- employs 3,000 scientists across a sprawling rural site and has an annual budget of 500 million (560 million euros, $695 million).

British Prime Minister Theresa May told lawmakers Monday its "world-leading experts" had positively identified the military-grade nerve agent used as belonging to a group known as "Novichok" and "of a type developed by Russia".

Porton Down was founded in 1916 to counter German chemical attacks in World War I, which initially involved chlorine and then mustard gas and phosgene.

In the 1950s scientists there developed non-lethal CS gas, better known as tear gas, as well as the deadly nerve agent VX.

Given international conventions that prohibit the use of chemical weapons, research conducted at Porton Down is defensive in nature, Britain's defence ministry (MoD) says.

The state-of-the-art facility aims only to improve equipment and testing to protect troops and the population, it says.

In recent years, the laboratory has participated in Ebola research, and has been involved in the fight against the epidemic in Sierra Leone since 2013.

It has also analysed the use of chemical weapons in the Syrian conflict, in particular sarin gas, the British government has previously revealed.

The long history of secrecy surrounding the site has fuelled persistent rumours and conspiracies, including accusations of experiments on animals and humans.

In 1999, police opened a probe into testing that may have endangered the lives of soldiers without their knowledge.

Story continues

The investigation did not result in criminal prosecutions, but in 2008 the MoD awarded 360 former members of the armed forces compensation of 3 million (3.4 million euros, $4.2 million).

They claimed to have served against their will as guinea pigs in Cold War-era chemical testing, but the ministry did not admit responsibility.

In a June 2016 press release -- titled "The truth about Porton Down" -- the MoD tried to rebut some of the claims about the site, including that aliens had been taken there and that it had been used to cultivate cannabis.

It outlined the work carried out at the facility, admitting that successful testing "could not, currently, be achieved without the use of animals".

The laboratory also elaborated on its volunteer programme, under which some 20,000 people have taken part in studies over the decades.

"(It) has always been operated to the highest ethical standards of the day," the MoD said.South Korea's national security adviser on Monday thanked Chinese President Xi Jinping for his "big role" in the diplomatic process that has set up a historic summit between Donald Trump and Kim Jong Un.

Just days after he stood outside the White House and announced the planned meet between the US president and the North Korean leader, Chung Eui-yong was in Beijing to brief Xi and China's top diplomats on the fast-moving efforts to address the nuclear standoff.

Trump and Kim have agreed to meet by the end of May, although they have yet to confirm a date or time.

"The situation on the Korean peninsula has recently undergone very positive changes. President Moon Jae-in believes that the leadership of the Chinese government, especially the leadership ability of President Xi has played a big role in this," Chung told Xi at the Great Hall of the People.

Chung said Xi's "unwavering" commitment to the denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula and a peaceful settlement played a "significant" part in the recent developments.

"We are very grateful to China for its consistent position," he said.

"Once again, we expect that China will continue to play an active and leading role and the South Korean government will continue to coordinate closely with China."

Chung renewed Moon's invitation for Xi to visit Seoul. The South Korean leader visited Beijing in December on a trip aimed at thawing tense bilateral relations strained over Seoul's decision to host a US missile defence system that Beijing sees as a threat to its own security.

Xi said Chung had achieved "positive results" in his visits to North Korea and the United States last week, which led to the diplomatic breakthrough.

Xi did not say more about the North Korean nuclear crisis, but he said China's relations with South Korea have "maintained a good momentum of improvement".

Earlier, China's top diplomat Yang Jiechi told Chung that Beijing "will continue to realise the goal of denuclearisation, uphold the peaceful unification of the peninsula, and solve problems through dialogue and consultation".

Story continues

China, which has repeatedly pressed the US and North Korea to hold talks, has urged Xi and Kim to hold their meeting as soon as possible.

Beijing has played a key role in implementing UN sanctions on the North, which are believed to have put immense pressure on the country's fragile economy.

China is North Korea's only diplomatic ally and its most important trade partner.

Still, some in China are afraid the country, which hosted failed six-nation talks on the nuclear issue a decade ago, could be cut out of negotiations on denuclearising the Korean peninsula.

South Korea also sent its spy chief Suh Hoon to Tokyo to brief the Japanese leadership on the North Korea situation.

Japan has welcomed the Trump-Kim meeting announcement, but stressed that Pyongyang must take "concrete actions" for talks to be meaningful.

"The recent change by North Korea is the result of the maximum pressure that Japan, the US and South Korea have imposed in cooperation," Japanese foreign minister Taro Kono said Monday after his meeting with Suh.

"(We) agreed that we will not repeat our past mistakes and continue putting maximum pressure to realise the abandonment (of Pyongyang's) nuclear and missile programme."FREETOWN (Reuters) - Sierra Leone's presidential election results were too close to call after half the votes had been counted on Saturday, with the two front runners neck-and-neck, making a second round likely. Ex-foreign minister Samura Kamara of the ruling All People's Congress and rival Julius Maada Bio, a former junta leader and candidate of the Sierra Leone People's Party, each had about 43 percent of the ballots cast in Wednesday's poll. Kamara was about 1,500 votes ahead. The other two main candidates -- Kandeh Yumkella, a former United Nations Under-Secretary, and Samuel Sam-Sumana -- got 6.7 percent and 3.4 percent, respectively. There were 12 other minor candidates. President Ernest Bai Koroma is stepping aside after his maximum two terms in office and the vote to replace him has largely been peaceful, a triumph for a country that lived through a brutal, diamond-fuelled civil war in the 1990s. But the winner faces a huge task trying to kick start the West African country's economy, which after recovering from the war has been ravaged by low prices for iron ore, its main export, and an Ebola epidemic. (Reporting by Umaru Fofana and Christo Johnson; Writing by Tim Cocks; Editing by Toby Chopra)Military personnel investigating the incident. Photo: Adrian Dennis/AFP/Getty Images

British prime minister Theresa May said on Monday that it was highly likely that Russia was behind behind the dramatic poisoning of an ex-spy and his daughter in the English town of Salisbury last week. She also announced that British scientists had discovered what was used to poison the man, Sergei Skripal, and his daughter Yulia: a military-grade substance from a series of nerve agents called Novichok.

Speaking before Parliament, May said that either this was a direct act by the Russian state against our country, or the Russian government lost control of its potentially catastrophically damaging nerve agent, and allowed it to get into the hands of others.

On March 4, Skripal and his daughter, who was visiting from Russia, were found unconscious and slumped on a bench in the town of Salisbury, which is about 90 miles southwest of London. The two remain in critical but stable condition.

Skripal is an ex-double agent who once worked for British intelligence services. Imprisoned by Russia in the 2000s, he was moved to the U.S., then the U.K., as part of a prisoner exchange in 2010.

As a measure of how powerful the substance used to incapacitate him is, the British government has asked that people who patronized a restaurant and pub that the Skripals visited before they were discovered to wash their possessions as a precaution.

Last week, Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson warned Russia that it would face consequences if the country was found to be responsible for the poisonings. Now that May has pointed the finger at Vladimir Putins regime, some sort of retaliation is expected  though its unclear what. May said that she had summoned the Russian ambassador to the U.K., and expected an official Russian government response by the end of Tuesday.

Should there be no credible response, we will conclude that this action amounts to an unlawful use of force by the Russian state against the United Kingdom, and I will come back to this House and set out the full range of measures we will take in response, Mrs. May added.

Russia has denied any responsibility.

The attack in Salisbury brought to mind the 2006 poisoning death of Alexander Litvinenko, a prominent critic of Vladimir Putin, in London. The British government was criticized for not acting aggressively enough after that brazen killing, a stance that perhaps inspired Russia to duplicate it. Buzzfeed reported last year that Russia is the suspect behind 14 killings on British soil in recent years, but that British police had shut down every one of those cases.

But with Russian aggression now seen as a worldwide menace, and with Skripals poisoning such a a public spectacle, that was not an option in this case. Instead, May seems eager to confront Putin, with uncertain results.

My take: a major diplomatic row between UK and Russia is looming. Expulsions inevitable, and aggressive response from Kremlin to be expected, possible eclipsing UK measures  Luke Harding (@lukeharding1968) March 12, 2018

The use of novichok in Salisbury not surprising but remarkable. Developed by Soviet Union in 70s and 80s, and more deadly than VX nerve agent. A brutal calling card that would inevitably be discovered. Conclusion: Putin and FSB wanted this row now  Luke Harding (@lukeharding1968) March 12, 2018

Mays forceful condemnation also raises the question of what President Trump, who is generally loath to criticize Putin on any matter, will say about the incident, if anything.

At a press conference Monday afternoon, White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said the attack was reckless, but conspicuously didnt mention Russia.By Tatiana Jancarikova BRATISLAVA (Reuters) - Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico's government moved closer to collapse on Monday after his junior coalition partner called for early elections amid a political crisis sparked by the killing of journalist. Junior ruling party Most-Hid (Bridge) said late on Monday, after more than eight hours of talks, it would seek a deal with coalition parties about leading the country toward a snap election or would leave the government if no agreement was made. "We think this situation can be solved only by early elections," its leader Bela Bugar told reporters. Slovakia has been thrown into crisis after the murder in late February of a journalist probing corruption, sparking the largest street protests since the end of communism nearly three decades ago and pushing Fico's government to the brink. The prime minister, in power 10 of the last 12 years, has fought to keep his three-party government intact. Earlier on Monday, Fico's protege and closest ally in his Smer party, Interior Minister Robert Kalinak, said he would resign - which Most-Hid had demanded since last week. However, with street protests growing, Most-Hid raised its demands on Monday. Fico's coalition holds a narrow majority of 78 seats in the 150-member parliament. Fico could still seek to rule in a minority without Most-Hid but faces limited options for support. The leader of the third coalition member, the Slovak National Party (SNS), said earlier his party would want an early election if the coalition loses its majority. SNS and Smer are expected to react to Most-Hid's decision on Tuesday, Slovak news websites reported. Opposition parties, also wanting early elections, have sought a no-confidence motion against Fico's government and need 76 votes to topple it. Bugar said it was too early to say how his party would vote on such a motion. He said he would seek a deal for the coalition to call an early election on its own terms. For an early election, 90 votes in parliament are needed. PROTESTS The killing of reporter Jan Kuciak, shot dead at home with his fiancee, and his reporting have swelled public anger over corruption in the European Union member country. Slovakia has prospered in the past decade, joining the euro zone and growing at one of the fastest rates in Europe, but many see Fico as having failed to fight graft and cronyism. Many of Most-Hid's lawmakers were also angered last week when Fico began referring to what the party called "conspiracy theories". Echoing Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, Fico has accused foreign forces of trying to destabilise Slovakia and has questioned the president's meetings with financier George Soros in New York last year. After an estimated 50,000 people rallied in the capital Bratislava last Friday, and thousands more in other cities, another protest is planned for Friday. Kuciak focussed on tax fraud involving politically connected businessmen. Before he was killed, he had been investigating Italian businessmen in Slovakia with suspected mafia links. One of the Italians Kuciak wrote about had co-owned firms with two Slovaks who went on to work in Fico's office. Both have resigned but deny links to the murder. Their Italian former business partner denies connections to the mafia. No one has been charged in the killings. In seeking the interior minister's resignation, critics had said Kalinak, who oversaw the police, could not guarantee an independent investigation into Kuciak's death. (Reporting by Tatiana Jancarikova; writing by Jason Hovet; editing by Jonathan Oatis)JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) - Rating's agency Moody's warned on Monday the water crisis affecting Cape Town would cause the city's borrowing to rise sharply and the provincial economy to shrink the longer the situation lasted. A severe drought afflicting South Africa's Western Cape province is expected to cut agricultural output by 20 percent in 2018, decimating the wheat crop and reducing apple, grape and pear exports to Europe, according to national government. The City is bracing for "Day Zero" in late August when its taps could run dry. Moody's said in a report that one of the most direct impacts would be on Cape Town's operating revenues, as 10 percent of them are from water charges. The ratings agency estimates capital expenditure related to water and sanitation infrastructure could be as much as 12.7 billion rand ($1 billion) over the next five years. "The long-term solutions are likely to require significant capital and operating expenditure," Daniel Mazibuko, an analyst at Moody's said. The drought also threatens to slow South Africa's economic rebound which has been fueled by a surge in agricultural production. Cape town generated nearly 10 percent of the country's total gross domestic product in 2016. Last Tuesday, Statistics South Africa said the economy grew 3.1 percent in October-December, the highest rate since the second quarter of 2016, after expanding by a revised 2.3 percent in the third quarter. Agriculture showed a 37.5 percent expansion after growing 41.1 percent in the previous quarter. Government has declared drought a national disaster after its southern and western regions including Cape Town got hit hard by the drought, freeing extra funds to tackle the crisis. (Reporting by Mfuneko Toyana; Editing by James Macharia)(Photo: CreativaImages via Getty Images)

Christians would never say Billy Graham, John Piper, Joel Osteen or their own church pastors and worship leaders are God. Yet, the influence of charismatic leaders like these is producing a spiritual climate where, instead of following Jesus, some Christians settle for a leaders personal brand of Christ, valuing the preacher more than the Word itself.

If a leader has enough charisma, a tight enough personal brand or has received endorsements from other celebrities, thats all they need to gather a flock willing to follow them into heaven. Judah Smith, after building a megachurch across multiple campuses in Seattle, attracted the attention of stars like Justin Bieber and Seahawks Russell Wilson. As a result of these endorsements, Smith has become increasingly popular around America. And celebrities following the now-star pastor Smith maintain and expand his influence and authority.

The problem here is not admiring, being influenced by or following pastors, nor is it inherently problematic for Christian leaders to experience public success or fame. The pitfall of Christian celebrity culture is that leaders, in talking about Jesus, are often followed as if they were Jesus or as if their words are infallible or beyond critique. In a culture of quick fame through social media and the accessibility of trendy spirituality, leaders themselves are able to be well-known without necessarily being well-versed.

Christian leaders fame becomes their authority to lead, and their authority over a congregation gives them more fame. Its a vicious cycle. A particular pastors way of following Jesus becomes the way of Jesus. Given the reality that white, able-bodied and cisgendered men have the most cultural access to pulpits in the U.S., it becomes a problem when their ideas of Jesus are in turn afforded the most cultural validity. And people of color, the LGBTQ+ community and other marginalized groups arent given an authoritative voice within the faith.

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However, to simply critique the leader is to turn a blind eye to their following who so badly need a charismatic leader to spoon-feed them a limited version of the Gospel in order to be interested in pursuing Jesus at all. The vagabond, poor, humble Jesus of the Bible just isnt as sexy and spiritual as our celebrities.

People usually follow leaders who reflect their own ideas back to them. Within Evangelicalism in particular, networks of famous Christian leaders simply reproduce a homogenous, conservative theology; and their followers lift them up not because their leaders teach them a new way to follow Christ but because their leaders make them feel comfortable and complacent in their own limited worldview.

The rise of Evangelicals like Jerry Falwell Jr. and Franklin Graham reflect this reality. Republicans who already respect and follow the conservatism of these two men elevated their voices in the 2016 election, influencing swarths of conservative Christians through their social media platforms and campaign influence. Leaders gain authority because individuals give it to them. Thus, Christians give their leaders authority and a platform, and they become tools to push their congregations often problematic ideas out to the public.

The irony is that Christian celebrities are humans; they grow and change. But when that happens in a Christian celebrity culture built around reifying our own ideas, Christians are quick to abandon their celebrities by the wayside. Rob Bell, named one of the Times 100 in 2011, was largely influential in Evangelical spaces when he founded and pastored Mars Hill Church, which by 2005 boasted around 11,000 on a weekly basis. His books, videos and resources were at the center of many church gatherings because of his unique ability to ask real questions about the Bible and communicate ideas clearly. However, when he began publicly asking questions about hell in his NYT bestseller Love Wins, Christians began not only rejecting his book, but his work and integrity as a person. Once beloved by evangelicals, Bell was suddenly a heretic and pariah in the eyes of many influential evangelical leaders like John Piper, Mark Driscoll and Francis Chan.

It is a frail religiosity that cannot hold nuance in its leaders, but the concept of Christian celebrity allows Christians to reject any leaders (and their theology) who no longer satisfied the role the celebrity once filled. This is a fickle expression of faith, one that is based not in the Gospel, but in humans who have limitations and will change. Christian celebrity culture creates in and out groups based on the collective belief in faith leaders, as opposed a universal belief in the teachings of Christ.

There are many who are able to hold Christian celebrities in an appropriate place. Millenials in particular are looking less for an attractional church and more for authenticity and community. Charismatic leaders drive congregants to attractional churches, but the growing needs of young people for belonging inherently decenters the importance of Christian celebrity and refocuses the church on Jesus.

Celebrity Christianity creates a culture wherein we mistake a persons public persona for their character and create protective cocoons around leaders that shield them from critique in their work and their personal life. When ones experience with the divine is tied up in a fallible person, the place where Jesus begins and that person ends become indistinguishable. The church becomes anemic when its members are so fixated on celebrities to shape their faith that they miss out on or dismiss the many different ways to follow, believe in and live faithfully with Jesus.

Brandi Miller is a campus minister and justice program director from the Pacific Northwest.

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This article originally appeared on HuffPost.GettyImages-929228756_master

Syrian families have taken to living in crowded, dark basements to escape the constant bombing in Douma, the biggest town in the rebel-held eastern Ghouta enclave. As many as 300 people may be packed into a shelter, with no bathroom and just one toilet. However, more and more families are having to sleep in the open on the streets, because there is no more room in any of Douma's cellars.

President Bashar al-Assad and his Russian allies have said the onslaught on eastern Ghouta is needed to end the rule of Islamist insurgents over civilians there and to stop mortar fire on nearby Damascus. But the intensity of the offensive, which the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights says has killed 1,160 people in three weeks, has provoked condemnation from Western countries and pleas from United Nations agencies for a humanitarian halt.

Trending: Clergyman Banned From Church of England Bans Following Voyeurism Charges

Government forces have now captured more than half the rebel enclave, entirely besieging Douma and the large town of Harasta, cutting them off from each other and neighboring areas. As the Syrian army pushes deeper into eastern Ghouta, thousands of families have fled from the front lines to Douma, hoping to escape bombing. The opposition-controlled town council said the situation had become "catastrophic," with no more room below ground for civilians to hide. At least 70 people had been buried in a town park because air strikes made it unsafe to reach the cemetery on the outskirts, it said.

Warplanes, helicopters and artillery rain down a near-constant stream of missiles, bombs, rockets and shells on the enclave, which is home to an estimated 400,000 civilians who face dire shortages of food and medicine, leading to severe malnutrition and ravaging illness.

This article was first written by Newsweek

More from NewsweekBeirut (AFP) - Seven years of conflict in Syria have left more than 350,000 people dead, according to an updated overall death toll released Monday by the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

The Britain-based monitoring group, which relies on an extensive network of sources on the ground across Syria, said 353,935 people have been killed since March 15, 2011.

The conflict, which will enter its eighth year on Thursday, is taking a devastating toll on civilians, including in the ongoing regime assault on the rebel enclave of Eastern Ghouta, near Damascus.

According to the head of Observatory, 106,390 civilians have been killed in seven years.

Here is a breakdown of the deaths, according to the Observatory:

- 106,390 civilians, including 19,811 children and 12,513 women

- 63,820 regime soldiers

- 58,130 regime-allied and militia fighters (including 1,630 from Lebanon's Hezbollah and 7,686 from other foreign Shiite groups)

- 63,360 hardline Islamists and jihadists (including from the Islamic State group and a former Al-Qaeda affiliate)

- 62,039 fighters from other forces, including non-jihadist rebels, Kurdish forces and defected government soldiers

- 196 identity unknown but death documentedBy Suleiman Al-Khalidi AMMAN (Reuters) - Syrian jets struck rebel-held towns in the country's south on Monday, the first aerial attacks on the area since the United States and Russia reached an agreement making it a "de-escalation zone" last year, rebels and residents said. At least eight raids struck the rebel-held towns of Busr al-Harir, Hrak, al-Gharaiya al-Gharbiya and al-Sowara in rural areas in eastern Deraa province in southern Syria, two rebel officials told Reuters. A rebel source said some of the targets hit in the raids were close to a front line in northern Deraa close to a major Syrian army garrison near the government-held town of Izra. Another strike hit a civil defence centre in the Laja area and residential areas in several towns, a resident in Busr al Harir said. The south is one of three parts of the country where large populations are still under the control of rebels opposed to President Bashar al-Assad, along with a northern area near the Turkish border and the Eastern Ghouta region on the outskirts of Damascus. Government forces have focused their efforts on Eastern Ghouta since mid-February, launching one of the fiercest campaigns of the war now entering its eighth year. Worries are growing in Jordan and Western powers that the Syrian army, backed by Moscow and Iranian-backed militias, will press on with a major assault to regain the south if it retakes Eastern Ghouta, two senior Western diplomats said. One rebel commander said the strikes in the south appeared to be a warning to rebels under the Free Syrian Army (FSA) umbrella, who were planning to wage an offensive in coming days to relieve pressure on their comrades in Eastern Ghouta. "We were starting an operation, and we had not announced zero hour, and the regime pre-empted us," said Abu Nabout, a military commander in Liwa Tawheed al-Jnoob, a rebel faction in the FSA rebel alliance. Another rebel official said FSA factions were already mobilising fighters for a possible wider showdown. "I can say all the factions in the south are in a state of full readiness and alertness with all their equipment and fighting force," said Khaled al-Faraj, the commander of a rebel group operating in Quneitra province. Russia, which backs Syria's government in the civil war, and the United States, which has backed rebel forces seeking to topple Assad, met secretly in Jordan in June and announced a ceasefire in Syria's southwest a month later. The July 7 truce - the first U.S. peacekeeping effort of the war under President Donald Trump - was expanded last November in the southwestern triangle bordering Israel and Jordan. Although violations have occurred, it has reduced fighting there and was meant to lead to a longer-lasting de-escalation, a step towards a full settlement. The U.S. State Department said on Monday it was concerned by the violence and called an "urgent meeting" in Jordan to ensure maintenance of the de-escalation zone. "If (reports of the strikes are) true, this would be a clear violation of the (southwest) ceasefire by the Syrian regime that broadens the conflict," a State Department official said. "We urge all parties in the southwest de-escalation zone not to take actions that would jeopardize the ceasefire and make future cooperation more difficult." Rebels have long feared Syria's army would return to attack them once it has consolidated gains in the north and other areas. Insurgents say the de-escalation zones free Syria's army to make territorial gains elsewhere. Syrian rebels say they have been monitoring increased activity by pro-government and Iranian-backed militias in parts of the south, which they suspect are preparations for a future offensive. Washington has been channelling tens of millions of dollars into bolstering civic institutions and extending humanitarian aid to opposition-run local councils in the south as part of a post-truce stabilisation programme, according to officials. U.S. ally Jordan is worried about a possible breakdown in the truce and a major flareup in violence, which could send tens of thousands of refugees fleeing fighting in Deraa towards the safety of its northern borders, diplomats say. Jordan's King Abdullah praised Russian President Vladimir Putin during a visit to Moscow last month for helping to maintain the truce in southern Syria. Abdullah fears a spillover into the kingdom in the event of a major battle along its border. His country hosts a monitoring centre run with Russian logistical support that tracks ceasefire violations and has stepped up intelligence cooperation. Moscow counts on Amman to put pressure on mainstream FSA groups that operate in southern Syria to maintain the truce while Jordan lobbies Russia to put pressure on the Syrian army not to wreck the de-escalation zone. Israel, Jordan and Washington have also pressed Moscow to remove Iranian-backed forces from areas along the southwest border as part of the ceasefire in southern Syria. (Reporting by Suleiman Al-Khalidi, editing by Larry King)AMMAN/BEIRUT (Reuters) - Thousands of families are sleeping in the open in the streets of the biggest town of Syria's rebel-held eastern Ghouta enclave, where there is no longer any room in packed cellars to shelter from government bombardment, local authorities said. The army's onslaught in eastern Ghouta, backed by air and artillery strikes, has killed about 1,160 people since Feb. 18, a war monitor said, as President Bashar al-Assad seeks to crush the last big rebel stronghold near the capital Damascus. Thousands of families have fled from the front lines to Douma, hoping to escape bombing. The opposition-controlled town council said on Monday the situation had become "catastrophic", with no more room below ground for civilians to hide. At least 70 people had been buried in a town park because air strikes made it unsafe to reach the cemetery on the outskirts, it said. In a video filmed inside Douma, one man cowering in a heavily damaged shelter said: "It is completely uninhabitable. It is not even safe to put chickens in. There is no bathroom, just one toilet, and there are 300 people." Douma residents said dozens of people were trapped alive under rubble, with rescuers unable to reach them due to the intensity of the raids. Government forces have now captured more than half the rebel enclave, entirely besieging Douma and the large town of Harasta, cutting them off from each other and neighboring areas with advances on Saturday and Sunday. In an apparent sign of local discontent with the rebel policy of holding out, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitoring group reported that hundreds of people protested in the town of Kafr Batna to demand a deal to end the onslaught. Shots were fired at the crowd by unknown people and one person was killed, it said. The spokesman for Failaq al-Rahman, the main rebel group there, was not immediately available for comment. Jaish al-Islam, one of eastern Ghouta's main rebel groups, said on Monday it had reached an agreement with the government's ally Russia to evacuate wounded people, after communicating with Moscow through the United Nations. A U.N. humanitarian spokeswoman said the United Nations was not part of that deal and still called for the urgent evacuation of more than 1,000 sick and wounded people in eastern Ghouta. State television broadcasts from the government-controlled side of the battlefront showed dark grey clouds of smoke billowing from several places across a landscape of shattered buildings. A minaret had lost a chunk from one side of its slender tower. In the background, heavy vehicles could be heard rumbling past and the deep crump of explosions echoed around. HALF-MILLION DEAD The assault is one of the heaviest in the war, which enters its eighth year this week. The Observatory, said on Monday that the death toll had passed half a million people. It has confirmed the deaths of 511,000 people, it said, and has the names of more than 350,000 of them. About 85 percent were killed by government forces and their allies, it said. Eastern Ghouta has been besieged for years after many of its residents joined the initial protests against Assad's rule in 2011 that triggered the slide into civil war. The United Nations says 400,000 people live in the enclave, already suffering shortages of food and medicine even before the massive assault began in mid-February. Assad and his ally Russia say the assault on eastern Ghouta is needed to end the rule of Islamist insurgents over the civilian population and to stop mortar fire on nearby Damascus. The ferocity of the assault has prompted condemnation from Western countries and calls from U.N. agencies for a ceasefire. Russia and Damascus say a ceasefire ordered by the U.N. Security Council does not protect the fighters in eastern Ghouta, arguing that they are members of banned terrorist groups. The United Nations has warned of dire shortages of food and medicine, where international deliveries have long been erratic and often obstructed before they could reach the enclave. A convoy of relief trucks crossed front lines into eastern Ghouta on Friday and unloaded all its food despite the fighting. The expulsion of the rebels from eastern Ghouta would represent their biggest defeat since they lost their enclave in Aleppo in December 2016. They still control large areas in the northwest and southwest and a few scattered pockets elsewhere but have been driven from most major population centers. Across eastern Ghouta heavy aerial strikes continued on the towns of Irbeen, Harasta and other residential areas on Monday, state media said. (Reporting by a reporter in eastern Ghouta, Suleiman Al-Khalidi in Amman, Angus McDowall and Ellen Francis in Beirut; Editing by Tom Perry, Gareth Jones and Peter Graff)TASHKENT (Reuters) - The Taliban is likely to miss an Afghan peace conference at which participants are set to call for direct talks between the militant group and the government of President Ashraf Ghani, the foreign ministry in Uzbekistan said on Monday. Representatives of the group have made no application to attend the March 26-27 meeting in the Uzbek capital Tashkent, suggesting they will not attend, a ministry statement said. Ghani is set to attend along with U.S. Deputy Secretary of State John Sullivan and European Union foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini. Also set to attend are the foreign ministers of India, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan and Turkey and U.N. Special Representative for Afghanistan, Tadamichi Yamamoto. The Taliban urged Washington last month to begin talks to end almost 17 years of war in Afghanistan, which suggests they want to explore dialogue. The group ruled Afghanistan until 2001 when it was defeated by a U.S.-led troops in the wake of the Sept. 11 attacks and it is fighting to restore Islamic rule in the country. Ghani in February offered recognition of the Taliban as a legitimate political group as part of a proposed process he said could lead to talks. Conference participants will call for an urgent start of direct talks between the Kabul government and the Taliban, the press office of Uzbekistan's foreign ministry said in a written reply to questions from Reuters. The United States last year stepped up its military assistance to Afghanistan, notably through a sharp increase in air strikes, with the aim of breaking a stalemate with the insurgents and forcing them to the negotiating table. While the U.S. military says the strategy has hit the Taliban hard, they still control or contest much of the country. On Monday, Afghan forces battled to recapture a district center in the western province of Farah, after Taliban fighters seized the town in an overnight attack. (Reporting by Mukhammadsharif Mamatkulov; Writing by Olzhas Auyezov; Editing by Matthew Mpoke Bigg)By Jon Herskovitz AUSTIN, Texas (Reuters) - Two package bombs exploded miles apart in the capital city of Texas on Monday, killing a teenager and injuring two women in attacks that Austin police linked to a deadly blast earlier this month. In all three cases, a package was left at the front of a residence and exploded after an unsuspecting victim picked it up or tried to open it, Austin Police Chief Brian Manley told reporters. "We are looking at these incidents as being related," Manley said, adding that federal investigators were among those looking for suspects and a possible motive for the attacks. All the victims, including a 39-year-old man who died in the March 2 blast, were either African-American or Hispanic, Manley said. "We cannot rule out that hate crime is at the core of this but we are not saying that that is the cause," Manley told a news conference. He warned residents to watch out for boxes left outside their homes and to report anything suspicious to police. The attacks took place as Austin hosted thousands of out-of-town visitors for its annual South by Southwest festival. London Mayor Sadiq Khan gave the keynote address on Monday afternoon. The Monday blasts were in homes about four miles (6 km) apart in East Austin, a predominantly Hispanic and minority area undergoing gentrification after a surge in the city's population. The 17-year-old found a package outside his house in a tree-lined, mixed race residential area and brought it into the kitchen, where it exploded, Manley said. A woman at the home, in her 40s, was taken to an area hospital with injuries that were not thought to be life-threatening. The victim of the second Monday blast was a woman in a wheelchair who had been watering her grass, said Brandon Rendon, a 27-year-old contractor who lives four houses down from her home in the mainly working-class Hispanic Montopolis area. It looked like small terrorism, said Rendon, who heard a loud bang and was among locals who poured into the street to see what happened. The March 2 incident, initially investigated as a suspicious death but now considered a homicide, occurred at a house in the city's wealthy Harris Ridge neighborhood, about 12 miles northeast of downtown. Police said they had no indication it was related to terrorism. (Reporting by Jon Herskovitz and Andrew Hay; Editing by Frank McGurty and Tom Brown)Deal or no deal? Photo: Mandel Ngan/AFP/Getty Images

Last week, Donald Trump decided, on a whim, to accept Kim Jong-uns invitation to come by for some nuclear talks and chill. The critical response to the presidents decision has fallen into two (somewhat overlapping) categories:

Trump has no idea what he is doing, a history of being swooned by authoritarian leaders attempts at flattery, and few (if any) experts on North Korea among his White House staff.

North Koreas track record shows that its word cannot be trusted.

Both of these concerns have merit, and constitute obstacles to reaching an effective nuclear agreement with Pyongyang. But the American medias emphasis on the latter point can seem a tad myopic, when it isnt accompanied by an acknowledgement of the United States less-than-pristine record of honoring nuclear agreements with rogue regimes.

To take just one recent example: In 2003, Muammar Qaddafi took the U.S. up on its denuclearization for security deal  only to be tortured and killed eight years later by rebels whom the U.S. government had backed. It would not be irrational for Kim to look at this precedent and conclude that his tyrannical regime is more secure with weapons of mass destruction, than it would be without them. Thus, if Trump is to convince Kim to relinquish his nuclear arsenal, hes going to have to find a way to reestablish Americas diplomatic credibility.

Instead, he is planning to do the very opposite.

For the moment, the White House is preparing for the president to meet with Kim sometime in May  and the president is (reportedly) preparing to kill Americas nuclear agreement with Iran that same month. As Axios reports:

President Trump told Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu in their meeting at the White House last Monday that he wont show flexibility in the negotiations with France, Germany and the U.K. on amending the Iran nuclear deal, two senior Israeli officials told me.

The officials say Trump told Netanyahu that until now the three European powers only proposed cosmetic changes that he doesnt find satisfactory. Trump said he demands significant changes in the Iran deal itself and not simply the addition of a supplemental agreement between the U.S. and the European countries, according to the officials.

The bottom line: Trump stressed that if his demands are not met, the U.S. will withdraw from the deal.

Trumps official deadline for reaching a new agreement with the European powers is May 12.

It is hard to imagine a better way of sabotaging a deproliferation agreement with North Korea than betraying one with Iran. After all, every argument that Trump has made against the latter will (almost certainly) apply even more strongly to any plausible version of the former. The president has called the Iran nuclear agreement unacceptable because it does not mandate a strict enough inspection regime, and still leaves Tehran in a position to potentially develop a nuclear weapon at some point in the medium-term future. But the inspection regime that Iran agreed to is far more aggressive than any North Korea has ever tolerated. Tehran now allows international inspectors to scrutinize sites all across Iran; even when Pyongyang still allowed international inspectors into North Korea, the regime confined them to living and working at one site, the main nuclear reactor at Yongbyon, as the New York Timess David Sanger notes.

Further, in the agreement, Iran forfeited 97 percent of its low-enriched uranium, and never got far enough to develop a single nuclear weapon. North Korea has at least 20 nuclear weapons, and much more experience and expertise in their development. No nuclear deal with the Kim regime will leave it further away from redeveloping an atomic weapon than Iran is today.

Separately, Trump has, on occasion, criticized the Iran agreement for failing to address that nations internal human-rights abuses  which, however real and contemptible, pale in comparison to those of North Koreas totalitarian regime.

If the president gets the North Koreans just to stop what they are doing, and perhaps get a timetable for future action, that would be a huge step in slowing the North Koreans program, Christopher Hill, who led negotiations with North Korea under George W. Bush, told the Times. But it still wouldnt be close to what Iran agreed to do.

The past few months have witnessed a lively debate over whether North Korea is a rational actor on the global stage  and thus, whether it can be dealt with diplomatically. But if Kim accepts a denuclearization agreement with the United States  immediately after Trump nullifies one with Iran  it will be conclusive proof of his regimes irrationality.Tehran (AFP) - Four "terrorists" were killed after infiltrating Iran and attacking a military checkpoint in a southeastern border area, officials said on Monday.

The attack took place on Sunday near the city of Saravan, about 50 kilometres (30 miles) from the Pakistani border, in the province of Sistan-Baluchistan, the Islamic Republic's elite Revolutionary Guards said in a statement.

Revolutionary Guard troops fought off the attack, it said, saying one of the attackers was killed after detonating an explosive vest.

Two members of the Basiji paramilitary force affiliated with the Guards were wounded in the fight, during which one of the attackers was killed after detonating an explosive vest.

The Guards statement said three assailants had been killed but ground forces commander Brigadier General Mohammad Marani later updated the figure to four dead.

He said on state television that the assailants had mounted their attack from "the soil of a neighbouring country" but did not name the country.

In the past, Iran has accused Pakistan of supporting Jaish al-Adl, a jihadist group accused by Tehran of links to Al-Qaeda, which has carried out numerous attacks in Sistan-Baluchistan.

Iranian media regularly reports armed clashes between security forces and criminal groups or "terrorists" in the border province, whose residents are mostly Sunni members of the Baluchi ethnic minority.

Iran's population is 90 percent Shiite and predominantly Persian.

From 2005 to 2010, Sistan-Baluchistan was destabilised by a rebellion led by a Sunni Baloch group Jundallah, "Soldiers of Allah", whose activities virtually ceased after the execution of its leader in mid-2010.Abuja (AFP) - Secretary of State Rex Tillerson brought his truncated maiden Africa trip to a close on Monday, promising the full backing of the United States to two countries on the frontline of the war on terror.

Washington's top diplomat has been on a five-country tour of east and west Africa but was forced to cut short his visit "due to demands in (his) schedule", the State Department said.

After stops in Ethiopia, Djibouti and Kenya, which were overshadowed by US President Donald Trump's surprise announcement on talks with North Korea, he squeezed visits to Chad and Nigeria into just one day.

Before returning to Washington, Tillerson notably promised Nigeria support ranging from equipment to intelligence to help secure the swift release of 110 schoolgirls kidnapped last month by Boko Haram jihadists.

The students were taken from their state-run school in Dapchi, in the northeastern state of Yobe, on February 19. Nothing has been heard from them since.

The abduction brought back painful memories of the kidnapping of 276 girls from Chibok in April 2014 that sparked global outrage and calls for their release, led by then-first lady Michelle Obama.

The Dapchi abduction has yet to garner such support.

Tillerson called it "heartbreaking" and added: "Nigeria has the United States' full support and we are actively working with our partners in what we can to assist you in this fight."

Washington was already "very engaged" with Nigeria and its neighbours "in supporting, equipping and training" as well as advising and providing information.

"I think that's the best way we can help the government of Nigeria secure the release these girls, which we hope will be done in a peaceful manner," he added.

"We hope something can be worked out and they (Boko Haram) can be persuaded to release these girls quickly. That's what we pray."

- Talks not force -

Nigeria's President Muhammadu Buhari benefitted at the polls in 2015 from his predecessor's handling of the aftermath of Chibok.

Story continues

But Dapchi and persistent suicide bombings and raids in the northeast have raised questions about the extent of his repeated claim the jihadists are on the verge of defeat.

The United States has agreed to sell Nigeria 12 Super Tucano A-29 ground attack aircraft in a $593 million deal, which the country's foreign minister Geoffrey Onyeama said on Monday would be a "game-changer".

The Obama administration blocked the sale on human rights grounds.

Buhari's office said the president asked Tillerson for further support in terms of training and equipment, without elaborating.

It also said in a statement that Buhari had "chosen negotiation" to secure the return of the Dapchi schoolgirls rather than the use of military force.

"We are trying to be careful. It is better to get our daughters back alive," he was quoted as saying.

Buhari is expected to visit Yobe state this week.

- Travel ban -

Tillerson arrived in Abuja from N'Djamena, where he said Washington supported the fight by the so-called G5 Sahel countries against jihadists in the volatile Saharan region.

Chad was an "important partner" in fighting terrorism, Tillerson told a news conference.

Chad last year was stunned to find itself on one of six Muslim-majority countries whose countries are affected by President Donald Trump's travel ban.

The US military has a drone unit at the N'Djamena airport, Washington backs a multinational force fighting Boko Haram jihadists, helps train Chadian troops and provides military equipment to its armed forces, according to a Chadian military official.

Tillerson said he wanted "to ensure that the people of Chad understand they are welcome in the United States" and argued the country's inclusion on the list "has never harmed in any way whatsoever the cooperation between our two countries."

Progress had been made with dealing with what has been cited as the reason for including Chad on the list -- problems with its passports, which are not biometric.

He said steps were being taken "to allow us to begin to normalise the travel relationship with Chad".Nirav S. Patel, Abraham M. Denmark

Security, Asia

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un greets Chung Eui-yong, head of South Koreas National Security Office, in Pyongyang. The Presidential Blue House/Yonhap via Reuters

The current outreach should certainly be grounded in realistic assumptions about what is possible, and the implications of failure.

Tough Diplomacy Is America's Best Bet with North Korea

The Washington foreign-policy communitys reactions to President Trumps decision to meet with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un have been a mix of surprise and criticism. While the surprise is certainly justified, its time to offer credible and practical ideas for him and his team rather than bromides of conventional wisdom. The old rule book has gone out the window, for better or worse. We have no other option but to give the process a chance and be part of the solution.

While we may never truly understand what motivates Kim Jong-un, it is clear that maximum pressuremore a continuation of President Obamas strategy with a new nameis working. The Trump administration deserves credit for continuing to build pressure on North Korea, and especially for gaining Chinas cooperation. Now is the time to test the proposition and determine if a bold, all-in diplomatic overture can work.

In many ways, the potential for military action with North Korea, whether intentional or inadvertent, has increased during the Trump presidency. The facts are clear: North Korea is quickly modernizing its nuclear and intercontinental ballistic missile capabilities. The CIAs director has stated publicly that North Korea will be able to strike the United States with nuclear weapons within a handful of months. In addition, North Koreas constant saber rattling, proliferation of chemical and other military equipment to regimes like Syria, state-sponsored cyberattacks, and role in destabilizing the northeast Asian security and economic landscape are unacceptable.

As a result, the surprise announcement that President Trump will meet Kim Jong-un before May shocked Washingtons foreign-policy establishment. While the Trump administration has never elucidated a clear formula for how to actually position the United States effectively for a dialogue with North Korea, he has consistently emphasized the horrible nature of Kims regime. Recall that Trump spent a great deal of time during his State of the Union address criticizing the regimes depravity, so much that Vice President Mike Pence could not bring himself to stand when the inter-Korean team entered the opening ceremonies of the Pyeongchang Olympics. The Trump administration put North Korea back on the list of state sponsors of terror, and North Korea continues to hold three Americans in captivity. All this makes Trumps decision to meet with Kim that much more bold and shocking.

Story continues

As many have noted, North Korea is a land of lousy options, but the only viable one is diplomacy. For the naysayers who want to draw a political line in the sand against such an overture, they are overlooking the urgency of the matter, or are overly wedded to historic antecedents that have resulted in failure and manipulation of the United States and its allies.

Were in uncharted territory; what we need is pragmatic thinking about what to do when the president actually sits down with North Koreas leader.

The Trump-Kim summit should focus on establishing a common foundation for diplomacy. By coming to a shared vision for a way ahead, the two leaders have an opportunity to find a breakthrough that has stymied diplomatic efforts for decades. Yet the current outreach should certainly be grounded in realistic assumptions about what is possible, and the implications of failure.

As part of this effort, the administration should approach this summit with a commitment to a set of principles that will help preserve the security of the United States, and alleviate anxiety and uncertainty in Tokyo and Seoul. The following Six Nos should be the foundational U.S. preconditions that guide Washingtons diplomatic approach:

 No comprehensive sanctions relief without the complete and verified disclosure of all nuclear, chemical, biological, cyber and missile facilities in North Korea;

 No short-term financial assistance without the release of all U.S. prisoners from North Korean custody and the verified closure of North Korean labor and prison camps and other state-backed organs of repression;

 No normalization or peace treaty without the complete, irreversible and verified abandonment of all nuclear weapons and existing nuclear programs by North Korea, and their successful return to the Treaty on the Nonproliferation of Nuclear Weapons and to IAEA safeguards;

 No agreements without prior consultation with U.S. allies in Seoul and Tokyo;

 No dissolution of the U.S.South Korea alliance or removal of U.S. military forces from the Korean Peninsula; and

 No open-ended diplomatic process that would create conditions for North Korea to continue to develop their nuclear and ballistic-missile programs, or that undermine U.S. and South Korean operational readiness.

Asia policyunlike that concerning the Middle Easthas enjoyed broad and long-standing bipartisan support. The Washington foreign-policy community has the opportunity to recognize that the situation is dire, that conventional wisdom has not solved the problem, and that it has an opportunity to help the Trump administration advance a deliberate and reasoned path for diplomacy while showing the American people that national interest comes before any other consideration. The risks are too great. President Trump has already said that if diplomatic efforts fail, Phase 2 will occur. Developing a diplomatic process is our best bet.

Nirav Patel is president of the Asia Group and a former deputy assistant secretary of state for East Asia and the Pacific. Abraham Denmark is director of the Asia Program at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, and a former deputy assistant secretary of defense for East Asia.

Image: North Korean leader Kim Jong-un greets Chung Eui-yong, head of South Koreas National Security Office, in Pyongyang. The Presidential Blue House/Yonhap via Reuters

Read full articleWashington (AFP) - President Donald Trump stood accused Monday of caving in to the US gun lobby one month after the Florida school shooting, as the White House pushed ahead with plans to arm teachers but backpedaled on curbing access to assault rifles.

Under pressure to act after a teenager killed 17 people with a semi-automatic rifle in Parkland, Trump had signaled support for raising from 18 to 21 the federal minimum age for purchasing the powerful weapons.

But a new policy statement focused on Trump's idea of arming teachers, "making sure our schools are safe and secure, just like our airports, stadiums and government buildings."

As for federal age limits on gun purchases, it only said the government would form a special commission on school safety, with Education Secretary Betsy DeVos in charge.

It made no mention of expanding the vetting of firearms buyers to sales online and at gun shows, another idea previously floated by the White House.

However, the policy statement did endorse minor legislation in Congress to improve federal and state databases used for background checks by licensed dealers.

Those moves fell close in line with the position of the National Rifle Association, the powerful gun lobby that fights any gun ownership restrictions.

Trump himself admitted in an earlier tweet that he is not currently pushing age restrictions that could have prevented 19-year-old Nikolas Cruz from buying the powerful AR-15 assault rifle used on February 14 to kill 14 students and three adults at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida.

"On 18 to 21 Age Limits, watching court cases and rulings before acting. States are making this decision. Things are moving rapidly on this, but not much political support (to put it mildly)," the president wrote.

- Trump 'caved to the gun lobby' -

Trump's step backwards, after two extraordinary meetings in recent weeks with NRA executives, has critics accusing him of wilting after three of the worst mass shootings in US history scarred his first year in office.

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"President Trump has completely caved to the gun lobby," said Democratic Senator Diane Feinstein.

"He backed off his openness toward an assault weapons ban, support for expanded background checks, barring those who exhibit 'red flags' from buying guns and raising the age to buy assault weapons to 21."

Feinstein called the notion of arming teachers an "utterly ridiculous idea that teachers strongly oppose."

The tepid steps lessened the hopes of gun control advocates that Trump would take a stand in the wake of the Parkland shooting.

Robert Spitzer, an expert on the gun rights debate and chair of the political science department at the State University of New York, College at Cortland, foresaw no meaningful reform in the White House announcement.

"His initiative basically amounts to a big nothing," he said of Trump.

- Public wants tougher controls -

Polls since Parkland shooting show the US public has turned strongly for tougher regulations.

Students from the high school have taken the lead in a national campaign to advance gun control, meeting Trump and other leading politicians, and helping force through a new law on age limits for purchasers in Florida.

But the NRA, which considers the US Constitution's Second Amendment a guarantee of broad gun ownership rights, has pressed the White House and Congress to hold off.

On Friday, it filed a lawsuit contesting Florida's new age limit law.

"It totally eviscerates the right of law-abiding adults between the ages of 18 and 21 to keep and bear arms," the NRA said.

The Justice Department did announce a concrete move Saturday -- a plan to ban bump stocks.

But that comes more than five months after a man killed 58 people in Las Vegas using multiple AR-15 rifles equipped with the devices, which turn semi-automatic rifles into machine guns, and they are still on sale.

Spitzer was not optimistic of any solid action on gun control, given that the Republican-controlled Congress faces a tough election battle in November.

"The NRA did not want to see Congress enacting any legislation," he said. "If there are 100 mass shootings next week, the Congress is not going to move on any significant new gun law."Visit could embolden Democrats and marginalise members of Trumps own party as this years midterm elections hang in the balance

Prototypes of Donald Trumps proposed border wall in San Diego, California. Photograph: Frederic J Brown/AFP/Getty Images

Donald Trumps visit to California will generate a memorable image: the president inspecting prototypes of his planned border wall.



Four years after he first proposed a wall, an idea that helped vault him to the White House, he will on Tuesday finally be able to touch solid concrete on some of the eight barriers, 30ft tall and 30ft wide, arrayed in the desert outside San Diego.

Congress may yet stymie construction of a wall along the frontier with Mexico but Trump will at least have a photo-op to accompany vows to deter and expel undocumented migrants, rhetoric which electrifies his base across the United States.

Californias Republican leaders, however, may view this political theatre very differently: as the equivalent of a man sawing a tree branch on which they  and he  all sit.

Bashing immigrants elicits nativist GOP cheers outside the state but in California it could doom GOP candidates in Novembers midterm elections  and hand Congress to the Democrats.

Hes gaining cheap applause outside California at the cost of real seats in California. Its not a good trade, said Jack Pitney, a Claremont McKenna University political scientist and former GOP congressional aide.

California is a convenient Republican punching bag. But punching bags dont like getting punched. Trumps presence [here] will remind voters in swing districts about what they have come to loathe in the Republican party. His visit will motivate turnout among Hispanic voters and anger progressive white voters. Theres no way his presence will be a plus to candidates in difficult races.

The blowback would be especially costly if a blue wave in California helps Democrats regain control of the House and leaves Trump more vulnerable to impeachment.

Regardless, the White House has ratcheted up a feud with the USs most diverse, populous state.

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Last week, the justice department sued California over so-called sanctuary policies that try to protect undocumented migrants from deportation.

During a visit to Sacramento, the attorney general, Jeff Sessions, accused Democratic officials of obstructing federal immigration enforcement efforts.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (Ice) agents have sowed panic and anger recently by sweeping up farm workers and 7-Eleven employees.

Video of agents dragging a mother from her screaming children near San Diego drew more denunciation and millions of views on Facebook.

Such tactics please Trump supporters  including some in California  who voted for him on the promise of curbing illegal immigration. But analysts say the crackdown will further marginalise Californias beleaguered GOP.

Republican voter registration has slumped to 25%, on par with the number expressing no party preference. Democrats monopolise statewide offices and dominate the legislature.

California is a big reason Trump lost the popular vote to Hillary Clinton in 2016 and now once solid Republican redoubts, especially in Orange county, may topple in the midterms. Two incumbents, Darrell Issa and Ed Royce, have decided to not run.

Trumps immigration policies are repeating a cycle California saw in the mid 1990s when Republicans cracked down on undocumented migrants only for courts to push back and Latinos to rise up, turning the state of Ronald Reagan and Richard Nixon into a Democratic bastion.

GOP candidates, however, cannot renounce Trump without alienating Trump-adoring activists and donors. The presidents visit will oblige them to do a delicate dance, close but not too close.

All Republicans incumbents face this as a challenge. They cannot run against the president and need the financial resources that the Republican base can provide, said Louis DeSipio, a politics professor at the University of California, Irvine.

When the Orange County Register asked 11 GOP candidates to rank Trumps performance only four agreed, the rest declining to respond or saying it was too early in his tenure.President Donald Trump speaks to supporters in Moon Township, Pennsylvania, on Saturday. (Photo: Jeff Swensen via Getty Images)

President Donald Trump inaccurately bragged that he won the majority of womens votes in the 2016 presidential election at a political rally on Saturday.

Appearing before a crowd in Moon Township, Pennsylvania, Trump boasted that he had proved his naysayers wrong when he received 52 percent of womens votes. That figure was actually 41 percent.

Women wont like Donald Trump, he portrayed critics as having said during his campaign.

I said, have I really had that kind of a problem? I dont think so. But, Women wont like Donald Trump. It will be a rough night for Donald Trump because the women wont come out. We got 52 percent, right? 52. And Im running against a woman. You know, its not that easy, he said, referring to his presidential political rival, Hillary Clinton.

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As for where that 52 percent came from, that figure was actually the percentage of white women who voted for him. When it came to minority women, only 4 percent of black women voted for him and only 25 percent of Hispanic women.

(Overall, among both male and female minority groups, a past analysis by Reuters found that Trump won the presidency with the lowest minority support seen in at least 40 years.)

In contrast, Clinton received 54 percent of womens votes.

Trumps comments were made while attending a rally for GOP House candidate Rick Saccone, a nominee in Pennsylvanias 18th Congressional District, who is in campaigning against Democrat Conor Lamb.

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This article originally appeared on HuffPost.President Trump defended his action plan on school safety Monday, claiming that the White Houses newly unveiled proposals aimed at curbing gun violence in the wake of last months Parkland, Fla., massacre are moving rapidly  and saying he will take a wait-and-see approach to increasing the minimum age to purchase certain firearms.

Very strong improvement and strengthening of background checks will be fully backed by White House, Trump tweeted early Monday. Legislation moving forward. Bump Stocks will soon be out. Highly trained expert teachers will be allowed to conceal carry, subject to State Law. Armed guards OK, deterrent!

On 18 to 21 Age Limits, watching court cases and rulings before acting, the president continued. States are making this decision. Things are moving rapidly on this, but not much political support (to put it mildly). Trump, as president, could try to rally political support behind the measures.

But Trump has remained focused on his argument that some school faculty should be armed.

He added in another Monday tweet: If schools are mandated to be gun free zones, violence and danger are given an open invitation to enter. Almost all school shootings are in gun free zones. Cowards will only go where there is no deterrent!

On Sunday night, the Trump administration announced several policy proposals, including a vow to provide rigorous firearms training to some teachers and the endorsement of a bipartisan bill intended to fix the national background-check system for buying guns. But the announcement did not include increasing the minimum age to buy certain guns from 18 to 21  an idea Trump raised himself last month during a meeting at the White House.

At that time, Trump said he was willing to take on the National Rifle Association, which opposes raising the age limit, and he even predicted the nations most powerful gun lobby would follow his lead.

It should all be at 21, Trump said. And the NRA will back it.

Story continues

The president then stunned lawmakers and the NRA when he suggested that law enforcement should seize guns from potentially dangerous people first [and] go through due process second.

But after meeting with NRA executives earlier this month, Trump appeared to back away from any changes to age limits or due process protocols.

On Friday, Florida Gov. Rick Scott signed into law a school safety and gun bill that raises the minimum age of purchasing firearms to 21. The NRA, which had said it supports the idea of states determining gun laws, immediately sued the state of Florida, claimed the ban on firearm purchases by those under 21 was unconstitutional.

The White House also called for the establishment of a federal commission on school safety chaired by Education Secretary Betsy DeVos.

The move angered some of the student survivors of the Feb. 14 shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, which left 17 dead. DeVos visited the school last week but reportedly refused to answer questions about her plans for preventing future school shootings  and abruptly ended a press conference following the visit.

Betsy DeVos basically paid for her position, student David Hogg said on CNN Sunday night. She doesnt really have any experience in this area. She doesnt support public schools. She paid $200 million just to get this title. And I think shes not the right person for this.

During her confirmation hearing, the education secretary acknowledged that her family had donated about $200 million to Republican candidates.

On NBCs Today show Monday, DeVos insisted that everything is on the table  including raising the minimum age for firearms purchases.

The plan is really the first step in a more lengthy process, she said.

Read more from Yahoo News:One of President Donald Trumps top spokesmen on Sunday all but confirmed that the White House would not include universal background checks in its proposal for reducing gun violence.

Less than two weeks ago, at a bipartisan meeting with lawmakers at the White House, Trump expressed support for the idea.

White House deputy press secretary Raj Shah shied away from an embrace of that position during an appearance Sunday on ABCs This Week. His backtracking was consistent with Wall Street Journal reporting from Saturday and what many skeptics had predicted.

Host Jon Karl reminded Shah of what Trump had said at the Feb. 28 meeting  in particular, the presidents support for universal background checks.

I was in the room when he was negotiating with congressional leaders, Karl said. He  made it very clear that he favors universal background checks on all gun purchases.

Karl then asked it that would be part of the administrations legislative recommendations to Congress

Well, improving the background check system is going to be a big component of Shah said, before Karl interrupted him.

He didnt say improving, he said making them universal, Karl said.

I understand, but Im saying improving background checks from the Fix NICS legislation would be part of the proposal, as well as other measures, Shah said.

NICS is the National Instant Criminal Background Check System, which is already in place. Fix NICS is a bill sponsored by Sens. John Cornyn (R-Texas) and Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) to bolster the system by improving the flow of information into it from states and various federal agencies.

In the wake of last months mass shooting at a Florida high school, the bill has widespread support. But what it calls for is far less ambitious than universal background checks. That provision would extend NICS so that it includes private sales, such as those that often occur at gun shows.

At the White House meeting, Trump surprised many of his allies by saying he supported a universal background check proposal that Sens. Joe Manchin (D-W.V.) and Pat Toomey (R-Penn.) had tried and failed to pass in 2013.

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Opposition by nearly all Republicans and a handful of Democrats left the bill a few votes short of the 60 it needed to pass the Senate.



Other administration officials have previously walked back Trumps comments at last months session with lawmakers. Press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said just two days later that Trump did not necessarily support universal background checks.

Many experts believe that such expanded checks have the potential to reduce gun violence, especially if they were part of a broader, more stringent licensing system of the kind a few states have in place.

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This article originally appeared on HuffPost.Mike Gerson thinks white conservative Evangelicals went off the rails long before Donald Trump came along. Photo: Samuel Corum/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images

Its hardly newsworthy when someone within or beyond the conservative Evangelical ranks laments or mocks that communitys staunch support for Donald J. Trump.

But a new argument from Michael Gerson, a prominent adviser to (and speechwriter for) George W. Bush, takes the critique of his fellow white Evangelicals quite a bit further. Yes, he agrees with the familiar complaints about Christian-right leaders whitewashing Trump and excusing his heathenish behavior and point of view. But he locates the fatal steps off the paths of righteousness a bit earlier in the narrative than those who seem to think everything in white Evangelical politics was peachy keen until the 45th president came along. And thats why he calls Trump the last temptation for Evangelicals, but by no means the first.

The answer extends back some 150 years, and involves cultural and political shifts that long pre-date Donald Trump. It is the story of how an influential and culturally confident religious movement became a marginalized and anxious minority seeking political protection under the wing of a man such as Trump, the least traditionally Christian figure  in temperament, behavior, and evident belief  to assume the presidency in living memory.

Gerson offers a quick overview of the entire history of Evangelical engagement in politics, which he dates from the abolition movement prior to the Civil War. He believes things started going wrong when Evangelicals began to spurn positive engagement with their countrys culture and politics, and instead fought change for the sake of fighting change  i.e., when fundamentalism gained sway:

Fundamentalism embraced traditional religious views, but it did not propose a return to an older evangelicalism. Instead it responded to modernity in ways that cut it off from its own past. In reacting against higher criticism, it became simplistic and overliteral in its reading of scripture. In reacting against evolution, it became anti-scientific in its general orientation. In reacting against the Social Gospel, it came to regard the whole concept of social justice as a dangerous liberal idea. This last point constituted what some scholars have called the Great Reversal, which took place from about 1900 to 1930. All progressive social concern, [historian George] Marsden writes, whether political or private, became suspect among revivalist evangelicals and was relegated to a very minor role.

So by the time conservative Evangelicals returned to strong political engagement in the 1970s, they were predisposed to a narrow, negative, and quite literally reactionary view of secular America (and of their more liberal mainline Protestant cousins). Their hostility to science had long been solidified by opposition to evolution (a disastrous position that is still repelling young people), and their tendency to view anodyne developments as ominous secular conspiracies led them into such causes as restoring public-school prayer, which Gerson calls an asinine issue. The mood among Evangelicals was made much darker by the advent of disruptive cultural trends, especially the sexual revolution and then feminism.

As a result, the primary evangelical political narrative is adversarial, an angry tale about the aggression of evangelicalisms cultural rivals. In a remarkably free country, many evangelicals view their rights as fragile, their institutions as threatened, and their dignity as assailed. The single largest religious demographic in the United States  representing about half the Republican political coalition  sees itself as a besieged and disrespected minority. In this way, evangelicals have become simultaneously more engaged and more alienated.

And ripe for exploitation, of course, by an increasingly reactionary Republican Party.

Gerson himself is best known for promoting a positive Evangelical social vision (borrowed, tellingly, from Catholic social teachings) that Bush marketed under the label of compassionate conservatism. While Gerson is rightly proud of the global fight against AIDS that he pressed Bush to wage as an example of compassion, he admits that the broader effort lost momentum, thanks to 9/11, the Iraq War, and a lack of enthusiasm among both pols and conservative Evangelicals.

So whats largely left of white conservative Evangelical engagement with the public sector is a combination of cultural grievances and paranoia, made even narrower by racial isolation drifting into white identity politics. Thus they arrived at the juncture where an opportunistic Donald Trump stood, promising to trade them protection for support.

And heres where Gerson is especially insightful: Conservative Evangelicals didnt back Trump despite his unsavory personality, but in some respects because of it:

Trump consistently depicts evangelicals as they depict themselves: a mistreated minority, in need of a defender who plays by worldly rules. Christianity is under siege, Trump told a Liberty University audience. Relish the opportunity to be an outsider, he added at a later date: Embrace the label. Protecting Christianity, Trump essentially argues, is a job for a bully.

That is an intuitively more convincing explanation of the affection that the Christian right has for Trump than the idea that hes a god-chosen infidel like Cyrus the Great, or a sort of Evangelical-by-osmosis thanks to the holy men (plus Paula White) whom hes allowed into his circle. But like Russell Moores accusation that the conservative Evangelical marriage to the GOP and the Christian nationalism that is the marriages fruit are inherently wicked, Gerson is asking Christian-right leaders and followers to retrace too many steps for comfort. Besides, hes tainted by his association with the onetime Evangelical darling George W. Bush and his globalist outlook  and he has a column in the Washington Post.

But perhaps at the level of a punch in the gut, Gersons case for a rethinking of the whole Christian-right enterprise will get some believers thinking:By Doina Chiacu and Pete Schroeder

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. officials on Sunday defended President Donald Trump's decision to meet with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, saying the move was not just for show and not a gift to Pyongyang.

"President Trump isn't doing this for theatre. He's going to solve a problem," said Central Intelligence Agency Director Mike Pompeo on the "Fox News Sunday" program.

The United States expects North Korea to halt all nuclear and missile testing in advance of any meeting, Pompeo and Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin said on Sunday news shows.

The goal of the meeting remains denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula, something Kim has agreed to discuss, they said. Pompeo said U.S. military exercises in the region would continue in the lead-up to the talks.

The Republican president agreed on Thursday to accept an invitation from the North Korean leader to meet by May after months of escalating tensions over Pyongyang's advancing nuclear and missile programs.

Trump would become the first sitting U.S. president to meet with a leader of the reclusive country. The two men would face each other after a public volley of insults, with Trump calling Kim "Little Rocket Man" and Kim referring to Trump as a "dotard."

No venue or date for the meeting has been determined, but Trump's prompt acceptance set off a flurry of activity.The South Korean officials who carried Kim's invitation to Washington will split up to visit the leaders of China and Japan this week to update them on the talks, a South Korean presidential official said on Sunday.

China, North Korea's main ally, has encouraged dialogue over Pyongyang's nuclear program, and its state media on Saturday credited Beijing for helping ease tensions.

"China continues to be helpful!" Trump tweeted on Saturday.

North Korea's leaders have sought a face-to-face meeting with a U.S. president for decades, but have been rebuffed over human rights concerns as well as the nuclear ambitions.

Story continues

U.S. student Otto Warmbier died last summer shortly after his release from a 17-month detention. Three Americans remain detained in North Korea.

Many Democrats as well as Trump's fellow Republicans said the United States should have demanded concessions before granting North Korea a meeting.

"Before they get that kind of prize, we should insist that they make some real changes, verifiable changes to their programs," Democratic U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren said on NBC's "Meet the Press."

Warren said she was worried the North would "take advantage" of Trump.

"EYES WIDE OPEN"

Pompeo and Mnuchin said the United States would make no concessions and would keep the pressure on North Korea by maintaining economic sanctions and a strong U.S. defence posture before the meeting. They also dismissed criticism that Trump's decision to meet elevated the North Korean leader on an international stage.

"This administration has its eyes wide open, and the whole time this conversation takes place the pressure will continue to mount on North Korea," Pompeo said on CBS' "Face the Nation."

The United States slapped sanctions on individuals and groups in North Korea in October over "flagrant" human rights abuses and added sanctions in February.

Six Republican senators last week sent a letter asking Trump to share his plan to keep up pressure on "this heinous regime."

One of them, Republican Cory Gardner, told CBS on Sunday it was important to see concrete steps from North Korea before the meeting. "After this meeting, there's going to be very little left of that diplomatic runway," he said.

Mnuchin addressed criticism that Trump has not used more diplomacy to contain Pyongyang's nuclear ambitions. "So the president is going to sit down and see if he can cut a deal," he said on NBC's "Meet the Press."

The prospect of doing something no American president has done - especially on such an intractable geopolitical problem - was irresistible to Trump, Eurasia Group President Ian Bremmer said on CNN's "Fareed Zakaria GPS."

"So it's the first. It's incredible television. Clearly Trump wants to make this happen," Bremmer said. "But that doesn't mean it's going to happen."

(Reporting by Doina Chiacu and Pete Schroeder, additional reporting by Christine Kim in Seoul and Ben Blanchard in Beijing; Editing by Caren Bohan, Jeffrey Benkoe and Richard Chang)President will call for minimum age for buying certain guns to be raised to 21, days after the NRA sued Florida over a similar plan

Trumps proposal will put him at odds with the NRA. Photograph: Nicholas Kamm/AFP/Getty Images

Donald Trump will propose to arm school staff and raise the minimum age to purchase certain firearms to 21 in a plan the administration will release on Sunday, a White House spokesman said.

The proposal on age limits for gun purchases will put the president on a collision course with the National Rifle Association, which endorsed him and donated to his White House campaign.

Sundays announcement came two days after the NRA filed a lawsuit against a measure signed into law by Floridas governor, Rick Scott, that included raising the age limit on buying a gun from 18 to 21.

The deputy White House press secretary, Raj Shah, told ABCs This Week Trump was also likely to back a bipartisan Senate bill that Republican John Cornyn and Democrat Chris Murphy introduced to improve federal compliance with criminal background checks.

Theres going to be a series of proposals, Shah said. Some will be legislative, some will be administrative and some will be recommendations for states as well as a taskforce to study this issue in more depth and make more additional policy recommendations. So its going to be consistent with what the president has talked about.

During his White House run, Trump touted his support for gun rights. Since the shooting last month in which 17 people were killed at a high school in Parkland, Florida, he has offered conflicting statements on gun policies, at times calling for new restrictions and at other times rowing back.

Student survivors of the Florida shooting have mobilized to call for stricter laws. A former student at Marjory Stoneman Douglas high school is accused of using an assault-style rifle to carry out the massacre.

Shah did not say if Trumps proposal to raise the minimum age for buying certain guns would involved supporting federal legislation or encouraging states to act. Many Republican lawmakers say such moves should be left to states.

Story continues

Shah also said there would be a provision that would involve having trained individuals in schools, including staff.

On Friday, Scott said the Florida bill was an example to the entire country that government can, and has, moved fast on gun control.

An NRA spokesman, Chris Cox, responded that the bill punished law-abiding gun owners for the criminal acts of a deranged individual.

Chris Grady, a senior at Stoneman Douglas and an organizer of a rally against gun violence planned for 24 March in Washington, called March for our Lives, said the Florida bill was nowhere near the long-term solution and a baby step, but a huge step at the same time.

On Saturday, the Department of Justice formally submitted a regulation to ban bump stocks, a modification to high-capacity rifles that lets them fire like an automatic weapon, that would not need congressional approval.

The gunman Stephen Paddock used a bump stock in an October 2017 shooting in Las Vegas that left 58 people dead and more than 850 injured.Washington (AFP) - US President Donald Trump has singled out Europe in a billowing trade row, threatening to tax German cars if the European Union doesn't lower barriers to US products.

His threat, issued amid a roiling dispute over Trump's announcement of tariffs on steel and aluminum imports from nearly every country, came in a campaign rally late Saturday in Pennsylvania.

He told a boisterous crowd that if Europe did not lower trade barriers to US imports, "we're gonna tax Mercedes-Benz, we're gonna tax BMW."

While it was not entirely clear whether the threat reflected actual US policy or merely an effort by the president to play to an appreciative crowd, he had used similar language earlier on Twitter.

"The European Union, wonderful countries who treat the US very badly on trade, are complaining about the tariffs on Steel & Aluminum," Trump tweeted. "If they drop their horrific barriers & tariffs on US products going in, we will likewise drop ours. Big Deficit. If not, we Tax Cars etc. FAIR!"

The announcement of duties of 25 percent on imported steel and 10 percent on aluminum has stung the EU and other major partners, coming as a surprise to allied countries and even, reportedly, to some close presidential advisers.

- 'Consistent' policy -

But the deputy White House spokesman, Raj Shah, said Sunday that no one should have been surprised.

Asked on ABC's "This Week" whether Trump's national security adviser, H.R. McMaster, was among those caught off guard, Shah demurred.

"I'm not going to get into specifics," he said. "But it's consistent with what the president said not just during the campaign, but for decades."

Failing to include the national security adviser in talks on tariffs would seem highly unusual, given Trump's argument that weakened US steel and aluminum industries would threaten national security.

In his speech Saturday in Pennsylvania -- historically a major steel-producing state, but which has lost thousands of jobs to mechanization and foreign competition -- Trump said that EU countries "kill us on trade."

Story continues

"We can't even sell our farming goods in there, they totally restrict us. So then they say, 'We want those tariffs taken off.'

"I said, 'Good, open up the barriers and get rid of your tariffs, and if you don't do that, we're gonna tax Mercedes-Benz, we're gonna tax BMW.'"

Both German automakers sell thousands of vehicles yearly in the US, but they also have production facilities in the United States.

- Crunch talks continue -

The president made his comments after crunch talks in Brussels between EU negotiators and US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer aimed at defusing the row and avoiding an all-out trade war.

"As long-standing security partners of the United States, (the EU and Japan) underlined to ambassador Lighthizer their expectation that EU and Japanese exports to the US would be exempted from the application of higher tariffs," an EU statement said after the talks.

But European Trade Commissioner Cecilia Malmstroem later tweeted: "No immediate clarity on the exact US procedure for exemption however, so discussions will continue next week."

Brussels has pushed back hard against Washington's shock measures, loudly announcing a list of US products it could hit with countermeasures.

Many traditionally pro-trade Republican lawmakers in the US fiercely oppose the tariffs, saying they might help steel and aluminum makers, but would mean higher prices on many other products.

"I think this is counterproductive," Senator Ron Johnson, Republican of Wisconsin, said Sunday on CNN. It "could really result in retaliatory actions by our trade partners and it just injects uncertainty to an economy that was doing quite well."

Trump received rare support, however, from a liberal Democratic congresswoman, Senator Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts.

Warren, a longtime consumer-protection advocate and possible 2020 presidential candidate, was asked about the tariffs on CNN.

"I have to say, when President Trump says he's putting tariffs on the table, I think tariffs are one part of reworking our trade policy overall," she said. "We need a trade policy that's comprehensive."Washington (AFP) - Donald Trump deployed his spy chief Sunday to sell his snap decision to engage North Korea's Kim Jong Un in momentous nuclear talks that the president himself predicted would be a "tremendous success" but others warn carry big risks.

CIA director Mike Pompeo portrayed North Korea as buckling under the pressure of US-led international sanctions, and insisted there would be no let-up for the duration of the negotiations.

"Never before have we had the North Koreans in a position where their economy was at such risk, where their leadership was under such pressure," he said on Fox News Sunday.

"Make no mistake: while these negotiations are going on, there will be no concessions made," he said.

The Sunday talk show appearances by Pompeo and others served to answer critics who warn that the talks, entered into by an impulsive, inexperienced president, carry high risks.

If they fail, the two nuclear-armed states could then be left with few options short of military confrontation, experts on the years-long impasse with North Korea say.

Pompeo suggested that Trump understood the dangers. "The president isnt doing this for theater, he is going there to solve a problem."

Trump used a Saturday night campaign rally in Pennsylvania steel country to defend his decision to sit down with Kim after months of insult-filled brinkmanship, replete with nuclear threats.

He said the United States had "shown great strength" when tensions were high but the regime's leaders "want to make peace."

"I think it's time," Trump told supporters.

Before boarding his Marine One helicopter for the rally, he told reporters: "I think North Korea is going to go very well, I think we will have tremendous success ... We have a lot of support."

"The promise is they wouldn't be shooting off missiles in the meantime, and they're looking to de-nuke. So that'd be great."

Story continues

- What next? -

Trump accepted the invitation Thursday after it was relayed to him in an impromptu White House meeting with the South Korean national security adviser, Chung Eui-yong.

Chung, who had met with Kim previously, told Trump that the North Korean leader had pledged to halt missile and nuclear tests during the negotiations, to discuss denuclearization and to raise no public objections to scheduled US-South Korean military exercises.

What comes next is unclear.

Deputy press secretary Raj Shah would not rule out a White House summit or Trump going to North Korea for the talks, although he said on ABC's "This Week" that the latter venue was not "highly likely."

Pompeo said "channels are open" but he shed no light on how the United States will proceed or even whether it has heard back from the North Koreans on Trump's agreement to talk to Kim.

Two key Trump advisers were out of the country, US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson being in Africa and Defense Secretary Jim Mattis in Oman.

Neither Tillerson, Mattis nor National Security Adviser H.R. McMaster has commented substantively on the North Korea talks.

- 'Potential for misunderstanding' -

"I do not want to talk about Korea at all. I will leave it to those who are leading the effort," Mattis told reporters during a flight to Oman, "because its that delicate, when you get into a position like this."

"The potential for misunderstanding remains very high or goes higher."

Pompeo said there wasn't "any doubt about who is going to take the lead on this."

"The president of the United States is going to take the lead," he said on CBS's "Face the Nation."

Trump reached out to the leaders of China and Japan in phone calls Friday, and later said he had received encouragement for the diplomatic gambit.

He tweeted that Chinese President Xi Jinping "appreciates that the U.S. is working to solve the problem diplomatically rather than going with the ominous alternative. China continues to be helpful!"

He described Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe as "very enthusiastic."

A White House readout of the conversation with Xi said the two leaders committed to keeping the pressure on North Korea until it takes "tangible steps toward complete, verifiable and irreversible denuclearization."

- Skepticism -

Not everyone was so sanguine about the prospects of a breakthrough, however, and some Democrats shuddered at the thought of such sensitive -- and potentially explosive -- negotiations being in Trump's hands.

"I am very worried that he's going into these negotiations and be taken advantage of," Senator Elizabeth Warren, a leading liberal voice, said on CNN.

She said that while diplomacy was good, the State Department has been "decimated" with no US ambassador in South Korea or an assistant secretary for the region.

Republican Senator Jeff Flake of Arizona was skeptical that North Korea would abandon its nuclear weapons.

"I dont think anybody really believes that North Korea is prepared to denuclearize," he said on NBC's "Meet the Press."

"Now, maybe a freeze where they say, All right. We are a nuclear power. Lets get some security guarantees. But denuclearization, [as] Ive heard it suggested, that thats what the North Koreans have already agreed to, I would question that."Chicago (AFP) - Two parcel bombs rattled the US city of Austin on Monday, 10 days after a similar deadly blast, as Texas police said they were investigating the possibility of serial hate crimes against African Americans.

A 17-year-old was killed early Monday after bringing a package into his home and opening it, while a woman living at the same address was also injured. On March 2, a first parcel bomb claimed the life of a 39-year-old man.

"We do see similarities and believe that these cases are linked at this time," Austin police chief Brian Manley told a news conference, adding that there was "no immediate indication" of terrorism and that police had yet to establish a definite motive.

"We do know that both of the homes that were the recipients of these packages belong to African Americans, so we cannot rule out that hate crime is at the core of this, but we are not saying that that's the cause," he said.

Later on Monday, a woman in her 70s was injured in a third explosion, which the city fire department said was also caused by a package.

Police did not however confirm an immediate connection to the first two incidents -- or whether the victim was black.

Authorities believe the packages were left overnight and not delivered through the mail, and were canvassing neighboring homes for any outdoor surveillance video.

The explosions came as Austin, a metropolis of two million people, welcomed some half a million attendees from nearly 100 countries for the massive entertainment and media festival South by Southwest.

Festival organizers did not immediately say whether they would be taking extra precautions.

Residents have meanwhile been warned to avoid opening unexpected items left at their doorsteps and report anything suspicious to police.

"I want the public to be aware and to be cautious," Manley said.

The home targeted in Monday morning's attack was significantly damaged and investigators from several agencies would be combing through the property for clues, Manley said.

While he did not release details of the evidence recovered, he said investigators had identified the type of explosive device used.

The Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms said a national response team would join Austin police in the investigation.(Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump issued an order on Monday prohibiting semiconductor maker Broadcom Ltd's <AVGO.O> proposed takeover of Qualcomm Inc<QCOM.O> on grounds of national security, bringing an end to what would have been the technology industry's biggest deal ever.

Qualcomm had rebuffed Broadcom's $117 billion takeover bid, which was under investigation by the U.S. Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS), a multi-agency panel led by the U.S. Treasury Department that reviews the national security implications of acquisitions of U.S. corporations by foreign companies.

"The proposed takeover of Qualcomm by the Purchaser (Broadcom) is prohibited, and any substantially equivalent merger, acquisition, or takeover, whether effected directly or indirectly, is also prohibited," the presidential order released on Monday said.

The order issued by the White House cited "credible evidence" that led Trump to believe that Broadcom taking control of Qualcomm "might take action that threatens to impair the national security of the United States."

This is the fifth time ever a U.S. President has blocked a deal based on CFIUS objections and the second deal Trump has stopped since assuming office.

Trump's move accelerated a decision that appeared likely after CFIUS told Broadcom in a letter on Sunday that its investigation "so far confirmed the national security concerns."

The U.S. Treasury Department letter was "obviously a poison pill," Jim Lewis, a CFIUS expert at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, said before the Trump order. He described the CFIUS communication to Broadcom as "unprecedented."

The semiconductor industry is racing to develop chips that power so-called 5G wireless technology, allowing the transmission of data at faster speeds.

San Diego-based Qualcomm has emerged as one of the biggest competitors to Chinese companies vying for market share in the sector, such as Huawei Technologies Co, making it a prized asset.

Story continues

A source familiar with CFIUS' thinking had said that if the deal was completed, the U.S. military was concerned that within 10 years, "there would essentially be a dominant player in all of these technologies and that's essentially Huawei, and then the American carriers would have no choice. They would just have to buy Huawei (equipment)."

Broadcom had struggled to complete its proposed deal to buy Qualcomm which had cited several concerns including the price offered and potential antitrust hurdles.

(Reporting by Diane Bartz and Chris Sanders in Washington; Supantha Mukherjee and Pushkala Aripaka in Bengaluru; Greg Roumeliotis in New York; Editing by Peter Henderson)By Stephanie Nebehay GENEVA (Reuters) - Negotiations with North Korea on its nuclear programme should be accompanied by talks to address alleged human rights violations there including torture and political prisoner camps, the United Nations said on Monday. U.S. President Donald Trump has agreed to meet North Korean leader Kim Jong Un by the end of May to discuss the future of Pyongyang's nuclear weapons programme. North Korea and South Korea will hold a summit by the end of April in the "truce village" of Panmunjom on their border. "My main message today is that any advancement on the security dialogue should be accompanied by a parallel expansion on the human rights dialogue," Tomas Ojea Quintana, U.N. special rapporteur on human rights in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), told the U.N. Human Rights Council. Later, addressing a news conference, he said: "The momentum is there for the negotiations to use and to bring the human rights issue into the discussion - that's what I'm saying." Ojea Quintana urged North Korean authorities to allow him to visit to make "an assessment on the ground", adding: "This is what I expect from the government of the DPRK in this new environment in regard to negotiations on the nuclear issue." He disagreed with a "sanctions regime against the economy as a whole" and called for studying any serious detrimental effects on North Korea's 23 million people. The delegation of North Korea, which does not recognise Ojea Quintana's mandate, did not attend the rights council debate. It denies accusations of committing widespread rights abuses against its people. Jason Mack, a first secretary at the U.S. mission to the United Nations in Geneva, denounced alleged extrajudicial killings, enforced disappearances, torture, arbitrary arrests, sexual violence and forced labour in North Korea. "Many of these abuses are committed in political prison camps where an estimated 80,000 to 120,000 individuals are detained, including children and family members of the accused," Mack told the Geneva forum. "The DPRK also uses forced labour including export of North Korean workers and child labourers to underwrite the regime's illicit weapons programmes," he said. In the debate, Japan raised the issue of its nationals abducted by North Korea, while South Korea called for the release of six of its citizens in custody there. In a report last week, Ojea Quintana said that an easing of international tensions with North Korea should lead to dialogue with Pyongyang to prevent continued "grave abuses". "The country's extensive penitentiary system and severe restrictions on all forms of free expression, movement and access to information continue to nurture fear of the state and leave people at the mercy of unaccountable public officials," Ojea Quintana told the Council on Monday. Carl Hallergard, deputy head of the European Union delegation, voiced the bloc's deep concern at continuing rights violations, saying that "some of (them) may amount to crimes again humanity". (Reporting by Stephanie Nebehay; Editing by Mark Heinrich)The Department of Justice has proposed a ban on bump stocks, devices that modify semiautomatic rifles to allow them to be fired more rapidly, making good on a promise by President Donald Trump after last months massacre at a Florida high school.

The agency submitted its proposal to the Office and Management and Budget, it said in a press release on Saturday. The ban would be achieved by clarifying the definition of machine gun under U.S. law.

President Trump is absolutely committed to ensuring the safety and security of every American and he has directed us to propose a regulation addressing bump stocks, Attorney General Jeff Sessions said in the statement.

The move comes as the gun-control debate continues to rage after the assault at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, on Feb. 14.

That shooting ignited fresh calls for restrictions on guns, especially AR-15-style rifles like the one used to kill 17 people at the Florida school. The suspect in that shooting didnt use a bump stock, although the accused sniper in a mass shooting in Las Vegas in October used such a device in an attack that killed more than 50 concert-goers  the deadliest massacre in modern U.S. history.

Trumps Order

Trump signed an order on Feb. 20 directing the Justice Department to make the change, which the OMB must approve before its published and opened up to public comments. I expect that these critical regulations will be finalized, Jeff, very soon, Trump said at the time, addressing Sessions during an event at the White House.

The DOJs move comes a day after the National Rifle Association sued Florida over legislation that bars people under 21 years old from buying firearms, hours after Governor Rick Scott signed the bill into law Friday.

The latest U.S. mass shooting was Friday, when an ex-patient took hostage and later killed three women employees at a treatment program located within a home for military veterans in Yountville, California.

We are deeply saddened by the tragic situation in Yountville and mourn the loss of three incredible women who cared for our Veterans, Trump said on Twitter early Saturday.

Efforts to address gun violence and school safety through legislation have been piling up in the U.S. Senate since the Parkland shooting, but there are no plans to vote on them. Most of them are modest measures due to opposition from the NRA.By Michelle Nichols UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - A day after the United Nations Security Council demanded a ceasefire across Syria in February, U.S. Ambassador Nikki Haley - angry that Russia delayed the vote for several days and skeptical the Syrian government would comply - spoke with President Donald Trump. "There's a lot of decisions to be made now," said Haley during a visit to Central America days after the unanimous Feb. 24 Security Council vote. "We all throw options out on the table and then the president will decide." On Monday, Haley told the Security Council that if the 15-member body failed to act on Syria then Washington "remains prepared to act if we must," just as it did in April last year when the United States bombed a Syrian government air base it said was used to launch a deadly chemical weapons attack. The United States is asking the council to adopt a new resolution demanding an immediate 30-day ceasefire in Damascus and rebel-held eastern Ghouta, where Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's forces, backed by Russia and Iran, say they are targeting "terrorist" groups shelling the capital. The assault on Ghouta is one of the heaviest in Syria's war. Eastern Ghouta has been besieged for years after many of its residents joined the initial protests against Assad's rule in 2011. The death toll in the seven-year-long war has passed half a million people, the British-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. "We have to decide what action are we going to take on everything else that's happening," said Haley during her Central America trip. "Whether it's how the Syrian regime is using chlorine, and whether it's the ceasefire not being handled or the humanitarian access." The Syrian government has denied using chemical weapons. It was not immediately clear when the U.S. resolution would be put to a vote. But during her Central America trip, Haley made clear she has no desire to play diplomatic games with Russia. A resolution needs nine votes in favor and no vetoes by Russia, China, the United States, France or Britain to pass. Haley, a member of Trump's cabinet, said the council is "so obsessed with unity and that's great and it's pretty and it's nice, but if unity doesn't accomplish anything it's not good for anybody." "You're making everybody happy except for the people of Syria. And those are the people we're supposed to be fighting for," she said. U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres told the council on Monday that since the adoption of the February ceasefire resolution, which was drafted by Sweden and Kuwait, "there has been no cessation of hostilities." Haley, who had engagements in Chicago in the days leading up to the Feb. 24 ceasefire vote, was furious at what she described as "Russian stalling." Sweden and Kuwait delayed calling a vote for several days in a successful bid to win Russia's support by dampening language on when a truce would start. Russia has said the Security Council could not impose a ceasefire without a deal between the warring parties. The council is also considering a separate U.S. push for the creation of a new inquiry into who is to blame for chemical weapons attacks in Syria. Russia blocked the renewal of a previous international investigation in November. "Syria is Russia's. They took ownership of it, they need to fix it and now they're whining because they can't," Haley said during her Central America trip. "Iran is controlling Assad and Russia is their puppet covering for them at the Security Council." Russia is worried that Trump is planning further military action against the Syrian government. "We are very much concerned that the alleged chemical use might be a pretext for something bigger and much more dangerous," Russian U.N. Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia told Reuters. (Reporting by Michelle Nichols; editing by Grant McCool)LONDON, March 12 (Reuters) - The chairman of the British parliament's foreign affairs committee said on Monday the nerve agent attack on a former Russian agent in southern England looked like state-sponsored attempted murder and he expected Moscow to be blamed.

Lawmaker Tom Tugendhat said the poisoning of former double agent Sergei Skripal, 66, and his daughter Yulia, 33, looked "awfully like it was state-sponsored attempted murder".

Prime Minister Theresa May will chair a meeting of the country's National Security Council later on Monday to discuss the incident.

"We're expecting the prime minister to make an announcement soon and frankly I would be surprised if she did not point the finger at the Kremlin," Tugendhat told BBC radio. (Reporting by Michael Holden; editing by Guy Faulconbridge)Photo: Merrick Morton/ 2010 Columbia Tristar Marketing Group, Inc. All rights reserved.

While we might already be familiar with the ins and outs of dressing for the gym, the cold, or the beach, knowing what to wear for ultraspecific dress codes like job interviews, wakes, and dressy casual isnt always obvious. Thats why were launching What Do I Wear?  a series in which we talk to experts about the tips and tricks of dressing for occasions that might need more specifics than a casual Google search can give you. While weve covered finance job interviews before, in this installment, were talking to experts about how to dress for your first tech job.

The way people view the dress code in the tech industry is largely informed by the people who run it: Think Mark Zuckerberg in a T-shirt and hoodie, or Steve Jobs in a turtleneck and jeans. Its the opposite of dressy, skewing toward anything goes. So when it comes to preparing for your first tech interview in Silicon Valley or otherwise, is it okay to wear any old schlubby thing or should you actually step it up? According to experts, it depends.

G2 Crowd chief marketing officer Ryan Bonnici  whos served in senior-level roles at Salesforce, Microsoft, and HubSpot  says hes seen it all when it comes to dressing for interviews. I really think that theres no one size fits all, he says, because it all boils down to the company culture. It depends on the company youre working for and the role and the CEO. He always recommends that candidates check the Glassdoor page or company website to find hints on how to dress.

Stephen Milbank, the co-founder of New Yorkbased tech start-up Button, agrees, saying candidates will show up in anything from overalls and hoodies to blazers. Most of the engineers that we interview are coming from other start-ups or companies that are following what cultures were set at places like Google or Facebook, so everything is pretty similar: jeans and tee shirts and hoodies and general casualwear, he says. My CTO has his own sense of style that sets the pace for his team. He enjoys Hawaiian shirts, graphic tees, and Warby Parker glasses. The sales side is more J.Crew business casual because they have more external meetings with clients.

Both Bonnici and Milbank emphasize that being comfortable is more important than the perfect presentation, though. In the end, how you perform is what we care about. I would like to think that in tech, were more about being a meritocracy than anything about appearances, says Milbank.

Here, they give us some clues about the spectrum of dressing for a tech interview, whether you anticipate that youll need to dress it up or keep it casual.

Dressy

Bonobos Tailored Fit Washed Chinos $88 now 50% off $44 For a dressier interview, you cant go wrong with fitted pants or simple jeans, a nice fitted, tailored jacket, and then a button-up shirt. Often times for new candidates, theres a tendency to overdress. To wear a full suit, and even potentially a tie, and that might give away that youre not from the industry because its so rare that you would see someone in a full suit, let alone a full suit and a tie.  Ryan Bonnici $44 at Nordstrom Buy

Traditional Fit Solid Dress Shirt $39 For the button up shirt, go for white or probably not something with crazy patterns or written slogans or things like that. The goal is smart casual.  Bonnici $39 at Nordstrom Buy

I.N.C. Stretch Slim-Fit Blazer $80 Overall, you need to be mindful of making sure youre rounding out your outfit. So if youre wearing professional chinos and a blazer, then you might feel comfortable wearing a t-shirt under the blazer because everything else can dress you up. If youre going with jeans and a more casual blazer I might say to dress that up with a nice white shirt. So I think you have to balance it out.  Bonnici $80 at Macy's Buy

Sabato Double Monk Strap Shoe $130 Id steer clear of flip-flops, sneakers, as well as loud or colorful shoes or high-tops for a dressier interview. Not to say you shouldnt wear them once you start, but try and keep the focus of the interview on your work-related skills. Smart and casual walking shoes can work well, or, my preference is to go for a nice leather shoe (which goes well with a chino). Say, a double or single monk strap.  Bonnici $130 at Nordstrom Buy

Parke Blazer $178 Similar to mens interviews, I dont think you can go wrong with a well-tailored smart-casual look, like a smart and well-tailored blazer and a blouse with pants or chinos.  Bonnici $178 at J.Crew Buy

Casual

Normandie Straight Leg Jeans $189 now 50% off $95 Jeans are totally safe here because whats most important is that people are wearing something thats comfortable. Milbank $95 at Nordstrom Buy

Emma Ankle Skinny Jeans $45 Many women wear jeans or skirts with tee shirts and button-downs, or dresses. It just kind of depends on what youre comfortable in. Milbank $45 at Nordstrom Buy

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By Henry Nicholls and Alex Fraser

SALISBURY, England (Reuters) - Hundreds of people who visited the Zizzi restaurant or the Mill pub in the English city of Salisbury were told on Sunday to wash their clothes after traces of nerve agent used to attack a former Russian spy last week were found at both sites.

Public Health England said there was no immediate health risk to anyone who may have been in either the restaurant or the pub, but their was a small chance that any of the agent that had come into contact with clothing or belongings could still be present in minute amounts and contaminate skin.

Former double agent Sergei Skripal, 66, and his daughter Yulia, 33, have been in hospital in a critical condition since March 4, when they were found unconscious on a bench in the southern English cathedral city of Salisbury.

"We have now learned there has been some trace contamination by the nerve agent in both the Mill pub and Zizzi restaurant in Salisbury," chief medical offer Sally Davies said on Sunday.

She said she was confident that no one who was in the restaurant or the pub on March 4 or 5 had been harmed, but their clothing should be washed and personal items like phones wiped as a precaution against any long-term exposure to any substance.

Skripal and his daughter remained in a "critical but stable condition in intensive care," the chief executive of the local hospital said at a news conference.

A police officer who initially responded was "conscious and in a serious but stable condition," she added.

British police have said a nerve agent was used against Skripal and his daughter, but have not made public which one.

SMALL RISK

Public Health England said it had weighed new evidence before issuing its advice on Sunday, and it said the general public had not been at risk in the days since the attack.

"This is about a very, very small risk of repetitive contact for any traces of contamination that people may have taken out," Public Health England's deputy medical director Jenny Harries said at the same press conference.

Story continues

"In risk terms one or two days is not what we are concerned about, what we are worrying about is whether there could be an ongoing risk that could build over the future."

Cordons were still around the restaurant and the pub on Sunday, and police could not say how long they would remain.

A number of police cars and other vehicles were removed from a local car park by soldiers wearing protective clothing and gas masks on Sunday, a Reuters eyewitness said.

Items from the Zizzi restaurant, including a table, had been removed and destroyed, the BBC said.

Local residents said they were concerned by the warnings about contamination issued to the people who had visited the venues.

"It's worried a lot of people," dog walker Phil Burt said. "This town is usually packed on a Sunday, but I think a lot of people are just staying away."

Many in British media and politics have speculated that Russia could have played a part in the attack on Skripal, but interior minister Amber Rudd said on Saturday it was too early to say who was responsible.

Skripal betrayed dozens of Russian agents to British intelligence before his arrest in Moscow in 2004. He was sentenced to 13 years in prison in 2006, and in 2010 was given refuge in Britain after being exchanged for Russian spies.

Finance minister Philip Hammond said Britain would respond "appropriately" if a foreign state is found to have been involved in the poisoning.

"This is a police investigation and it will be evidence-led and we must go where the evidence takes us," Hammond told BBC television on Sunday.

"So we have to allow the police investigation to run its course. But if there were to be an involvement of a foreign state evidenced by this investigation, then obviously that would be very serious indeed and the government would respond appropriately," he said.

(Reporting by Paul Sandle and William Schomberg; Editing by Mark Potter and David Evans)

Related video:When President Donald Trumps unexpectedly agreed to meet North Korean leader Kim Jong Un by the end of May, he sparked a flurry of questionsincluding where the historic summit could take place.

News of the breakthrough, which follows a monthslong war of words between the two leaders, was welcomed by key regional players such as China, Russia and Japan as a step in the right direction, but none are expected to host the meeting.

A South Korean presidential official gave reporters an overview of the possibilities under consideration. "Places like Switzerland, Sweden or Jeju Island have been gaining a lot of attention, but we also view the [Joint Security Area] as a serious option," the unnamed official said, according to South Korean news agency Yonhap.

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Switzerland has a history of neutrality and experience in hosting landmark summits, such as the talks between President Ronald Reagan and Soviet Union leader Mikhail Gorbachev that took place in 1985 in Geneva. The French-Swiss city, the seat of various international organizations, also hosted various talks between the U.S., China and the two Koreas in the late 1990s.

03_12_Switzerland

Harold Cunningham/Getty Images

The North Korean leader may feel at home in Switzerland, where he lived during his teenage years under a pseudonym, studying at the International School of Berne. The countrys Foreign Ministry had already offered to host multilateral talks in September after North Korea conducted a hydrogen bomb test. The ministry told local media Friday the offer is still there but it is up to the respective parties to decide where to meet.

Story continues

Sweden also offered to host the summit. We can be a channel or do whatever we can to see that the dialogue is smooth, Swedish Prime Minister Stefan Lofven said Friday at a press conference after meeting Trump. The Swedish leader said his country has North Koreas trust, due to its neutral position and its diplomatic presence in the country, through which it has often helped others mediate with Pyongyang.

Don't miss: Undertale Switch Release Date Is Sometime In 2018, No Specifics Given

Trump acknowledged this during the press conference, mentioning Swedens support in advocating for Americans detained in North Korea. Lofven also emphasized that the final decision has to be made by those involved in the talks. If the president decides [and] the key actors decide if they want us to help out, well be there, he said.

Another offer to host the meeting came from the former president of Mongolia, Tsahiagiin Elbegdorj, who proposed his own country in a tweet on Friday. Here is an offer: US President Trump and NK leader Kim meet in UB [Ulaanbaatar]. Mongolia is the most suitable, neutral territory. We facilitated important meetings, including between Japan and NK, he wrote.

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Kim, who has not left the country on official visits since taking power in December 2011, may prefer staying closer to homeor not leave at all. So even the idyllic Jeju Island, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, may be an unlikely candidate, despite its governor's efforts.

Most popular: No, A Massive Geomagnetic Storm Will Not Hit Earth on March 18

As the Island of Peace, Jeju is the ideal place to hold the North Korea-U.S. summit, Jeju Governor Won Hee-ryong said in a statement quoted in South Korea media, referring to the islands designation given by the South Korean government over a decade ago. Despite the reputation for peace, the presence of a military base, which is involved in regular U.S.-South Korean joint military exercises loathed by North Korea, could also prove an obstacle to hosting Kim.

The Joint Security Area, the only part of the heavily-guarded demilitarized zone border area dividing the two Koreas in which North and South Korean soldiers face one another, is seen as the most likely location for the talks. Panmunjom village, located within the JSA, is already due to host a meeting between the North Korean leader and South Korean President Moon Jae-in.

03_12_Panmunjom

Carl Court/Getty Images

The village, administered by the United Nations Command, was the stage for the signing of the armistice that ended the 1950-53 Korean War. At the time, no peace agreement was signed.

"If North Korea and the U.S., who are the directly involved parties of the truce agreement, hold the summit at Panmunjom, it would hold the significant meaning of turning a symbol of division into one of peace," said the South Korea official, quoted in Yonhap.

A final, remote, possibility would be for Trump to travel to Pyongyanga move that would no doubt be seen as deferential to the North Korean leader but could also provide the spectacle and high-stake environment that the American president relishes. Trump's trademark unpredictability leaves all cards on the table.

This article was first written by Newsweek

More from NewsweekThe White House on Sunday announced support for firearms training for some teachers to protect schools, and has backed off an earlier call by President Donald Trump to raise the age individuals can purchase assault-style weapons from 18 to 21.

The series of proposals generally fall in line with what the National Rifle Association supports in the wake of the massacre last month at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School that killed 17 people.

Trump reiterated his proposals in a series of tweets Monday morning. He defended his plan to allow highly trained expert teachers in schools, and said armed guards [are] OK and a deterrent!

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He punted the issue of raising the minimum gun purchase age to 21 to state lawmakers, claiming there is not much political support (to put it mildly). The NRA opposes raising the purchase age.

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The nations largest teachers lobby, the National Education Association, is adamantly opposed to Trump and the NRAs controversial initiative to arm teachers. An armed teacher in Georgia last month fired his handgun after he barricaded himself in a high school classroom, where he was eventually arrested by police. NRA CEO Wayne LaPierre touted arming teachers in a speech last month to the Conservative Political Action Conference. The White House plan would involve funding to provide weapons training for teachers.

Trumps apparent reversal from proposing to raise the age young people can buy military assault-style weapons like the AR-15 that was used in the Parkland school shooting is a startling turnaround. It comes just weeks after he taunted legislators, saying that they were afraid of the NRA, while he was not. Trump specifically asked Sen. Pat Toomey (R-Pa.) if the senator had left raising the minimum age for gun purchases out of his bill strengthening background checks because senators are afraid of the NRA.

Last month, Trump said in a meeting with legislators: Now, this is not a popular thing to say, in terms of the NRA. But Im saying it anyway. You cant buy [a handgun until] until youre 21. But you can buy the kind of weapon used in the school shooting at 18. I think its something you have to think about.

Story continues

Asked by reporters to explain the reversal on Monday, White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders struggled to say if there was anything in Trumps plan that the NRA opposes. She only suggested that changing the minimum age will be reviewed, and later insisted that the president still supports this.

On Friday, Florida Gov. Rick Scott (R) a longtime NRA member  signed a bill into law raising the minimum age for all gun purchase from 18 to 21. But the NRA almost immediately sued to block the law and protect the constitutional rights of would-be gun buyers under the age of 21. The states controversial guardian program  opposed by the Florida Education Association  will allow some school employees and teachers to carry handguns with law enforcement training if a school district agrees to participate in the program.

The White House guns plan also includes support for a bill, known as the Fix NICS measure, designed to improve background checks for gun purchases. But it does not contain universal background checks, which would be far more effective.

Fix NICS is a bill sponsored by Sens. John Cornyn (R-Texas) and Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) to bolster the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) by improving the flow of information into it from states and various federal agencies. But the measure is far less ambitious than universal background checks, which would include private sales, such as those that often occur at gun shows.

The White House announced that the president is establishing a federal commission on school safety, to be chaired by Education Secretary Betsy DeVos, that will explore possible solutions to school shootings. It may consider the age young people can purchase guns, the Washington Post reported Sunday. But nothing in the current White House proposals address raising the minimum age for buyers.

DeVos called the proposals a pragmatic plan to increase school safety, the Post reported.

Several Democrats slammed the proposals. This plan is weak on security and an insult to the victims of gun violence, Sen. Bob Casey (D-Pa.) said in a statement. When it comes to keeping our families safe, its clear that President Trump and Congressional Republicans are all talk and no action.

This article has been updated to include Trumps tweets and comments from Sanders.

Marina Fang contributed reporting.

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This article originally appeared on HuffPost.WASHINGTON  The White House on Monday denounced the poisoning of a former Russian spy in England with a nerve agent as an outrage but did not echo Londons charge that Moscow was highly likely to be behind the attack.

The use of a highly lethal nerve agent against U.K. citizens on U.K. soil is an outrage. The attack was reckless, indiscriminate and irresponsible, President Trumps press secretary, Sarah Sanders, told reporters. We offer the fullest condemnation and we extend our sympathy to the victims and their families and our support to the U.K. government. We stand by our closest ally and the special relationship that we have.

Sanders spoke shortly after British Prime Minister Theresa May told British lawmakers that either the government of Vladimir Putin was directly behind the attack, or Moscow lost control of this potentially catastrophically damaging nerve agent and allowed it to get into the hands of others. The attack targeted Sergei Skripal, who passed Russian secrets to the U.K., and his daughter Yulia.

May said that London had demanded an explanation from Moscow by Tuesday.

Should there be no credible response, we will conclude that this action amounts to an unlawful use of force by the Russian state against the United Kingdom, she said.

Asked whether the United States could corroborate the U.K.s attribution, Sanders declined to do so, saying British officials were still working through even some of the details of that.

But, she said, U.S. authorities were ready if we can be of any assistance.

Sanderss comments were the first time the White House had spoken publicly about the attack. A Yahoo News request for comment on Friday morning went unanswered.

It was not clear whether Trump and May had discussed the incident. Asked about transatlantic communications on the issue, a U.K. government spokesperson told Yahoo News that there have been conversations between senior U.S. and U.K. officials. There will be more contact over the coming days.A mother of two had to have nearly all of her limbs amputated after doctors didnt diagnosis her with sepsisa common condition that can be life-threatening if not treated.

In addition to having her legs, arm, and some of her fingers removed, Magdalena Malec also had to have a kidney transplant, The Telegraph reports.

Nothing will restore what I had. I will never paint my nails again, I will never make a ponytail for my daughter, Malec, 31, told the British newspaper. I do not trust doctors and I am very skeptical about all medical appointments and diagnoses.

Trending: New Army Minesweeper Can See Buried IEDs

Sepsis occurs when an already-established infection in the body isnt treated. It usually causes tissue damage or organ failure, but in some cases it can lead to death, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Sepsis is treated with a combination of antibiotics, oxygen and IV fluids. Some patients may require kidney dialysis or surgery to remove the damaged tissue.

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Malecs sepsis developed shortly after she learned she had an ectopic pregnancy, which is when the fertilized egg makes its way outside of the uterus, with her third child. While recovering from surgery due to the ectopic pregnancy, she started to have severe blood loss to her limbs. Turns out, it was due to her doctors not recognizing early signs of sepsis, according to The Telegraph.

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Shes now taking legal action against Luton & Dunstable University Hospital, located in Luton, England.

The catastrophic chain of events which led to Magdalena's near death and horrendous injuries were completely avoidable if the hospital Trust had followed its own sepsis protocol, David Thomas, her lawyer, said.

Story continues

A spokesperson for the hospital has issued an apology, acknowledging that the care provided to her fell below the standards we strive for.

In the United States, more than 1.5 million people suffer from sepsis each year, 250,000 of which end up dying, according to CDC data.

This article was first written by Newsweek

More from Newsweek[Photo: Twitter]

Heads up, this is the sweetest story youll read all week.

Sending a text to the wrong number is usually a little embarrassing, often resulting in a short yet awks text exchange of explanation.

But not this mistaken message, which lead to a super sweet stranger text thread and ultimately resulted in thousands of pounds being raised for a little boys cancer treatment.

Confused? Lets rewind.

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When Sydney needed a second opinion while out solo dress shopping, she took a few quick snapshots of herself in the frock and fired them off to a friend.

Except she hadnt texted her friend, but a complete stranger, named Tony Wood.

Rather than just ignore Syd, in her hour of changing room need, Tony, a father-of-six, decided to get his kids involved to help offer her an opinion on the dress.

I believe this message was intended for someone else, his text response started.

Tony then messaged Syd a photo of his children giving the dress a big fat thumbs up.

Aww.

But the story doesnt end there.

Touched by the sweet stranger exchange a friend of Syds posted screenshots of the messages to Twitter and the thread quickly captured the hearts of social media, clocking up more than 691K likes and over 172K retweets.

Unsurprisingly news got back to Tony that his children were quickly becoming social media famous, so he decided to tweet a shout-out to the kids brother, who was missing from the picture.

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Hello! Apparently you have made my children Twitter famous! My 2nd youngest (not pictured, he was at chemo clinic) has a FB page for his fight against Leukaemia and one of our Prayer Warriors recognised the children! he wrote on Twitter.

Btw, my wife agreed that the dress looked great! God Bless!

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And in yet another heart-warming twist, another user shared a link to little Kaizlers GoFundMe page, urging Twitter to do its magic.

My wife isnt home, so I couldnt get her opinion, but the kids and I think you look stunning in your dress! You should definitely go with that one!

Story continues

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Thankfully, Twitter was more than happy to oblige and in an ending worthy of a Hollywood movie, more than 9000 has been donated to the fund since the mistaken message exchange went viral.

Taking to Twitter to thank everyone Tony wrote: The kindness and generosity of Twitter and other venues saw our gofundme account surpass our goal last night!

I cant begin to thank everyone enough! This is a major hour of need for us and this blessing will help more than you know!

Told you, sweetest story youll read all week.

Follow us on Instagram and Facebook for non-stop inspiration delivered fresh to your feed, every day. For Twitter updates, follow @YahooStyleUK.

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This comedian is replying to men asking when International Mens Day is, but some people arent happy about it

Teenager inspires thousands with viral body confidence tweet

Social media is applauding this blogger for normalising saggy boobsParis (AFP) - Vladimir Putin is widely expected to win Russia's presidential election on Sunday, giving him a fourth term that would take him to nearly a quarter-century as the head of state or government.

Here are some of the world leaders who have held power the longest -- excluding monarchs enthroned for life.

- More than four decades -

Topping the list with 49 years in power is Cuba's revolutionary hero Fidel Castro, who handed over to his brother Raul in 2008 when he was in his early 80s.

Taiwan's first president Chiang Kai-shek was in charge on the island and in mainland China for a total of 47 years until his death in 1975.

North Korean founder Kim Il Sung ran the reclusive state for 46 years before dying in office in 1994. He is still revered as the "eternal leader".

Albania's communist dictator Enver Hoxha was in power for 40 years until his death in 1985.

Moamer Kadhafi ruled Libya with an iron fist for almost 42 years before being ousted and then slaughtered in 2011 by rebels.

Omar Bongo Ondimba governed oil-rich Gabon for more than 41 years until his death in 2009.

- Still counting -

Currently the world's longest serving president is Equatorial Guinea's Teodoro Obiang Nguema, with 38 years under his belt since he toppled his uncle in 1979.

Others that are still counting their years in power:

Cameroon's President Paul Biya: 35 years.

Congo President Denis Sassou: 34 years, excluding a five-year pause.

Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen: 33 years.

Uganda's President Yoweri Museveni: 32 years.

Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei: 29 years.

Sudan's President Omar al-Bashir: 28 years.

Chad's President Idriss Deby: 27 years.

Kazakhstan's President Nursultan Nazarbayev: 28 years.

Tajikistan's President Emomali Rakhmon: 25 years.

Eritrea's President Isaias Afwerki: 24 years.The sole survivor of the helicopter flight that ended in tragedy in New Yorks East River on Sunday night radioed for help shortly before the aircraft went down.

Mayday, mayday, mayday, said the pilot, identified by police on Monday as 33-year-old Richard Vance, to air traffic controllers at La Guardia airport. Mr Vance had five passengers on board the Liberty Helicopters charter flight.

The line was poor and the dispatcher asked him to repeat his message several times.

East River engine failure, Mr Vance said.

Say it one more time, the dispatcher is heard to say.

Engine failure over the East River, Lima Hotel, the pilot repeated, giving his call sign.

Apparently still misunderstanding the situation, the dispatcher asked, Do you require any assistance?

Another voice cut in: That was a mayday call, La Guardia.

Okay, got it, the dispatcher responded.

He later confirmed he had the aircrafts last reported position and the New York Police Department had been notified and had sent police boats to the scene.

A second pilot said he would do a run down the East River and look for him.

One pilot called in a short time later after reaching the scene: La Guardia, 27 Whisky Alpha is directly above the site. It appears the aircraft is inverted in the water.

He later confirmed, the aircraft is upside down and reported that a boat is pulling up on scene right now.

No details about the identity of the five passengers have yet been released.

The single-engine aircraft  described by a Federal Aviation Association spokeswoman as a Eurocopter AS350  was owned by Liberty Helicopters, a company that offers sightseeing tours and private charter flights in New York City.

Liberty helicopters have been involved in at least two previous crashes.

In 2009, a Liberty sightseeing helicopter of the same model collided with a small, private plane over the Hudson River, killing nine people.

A similar helicopter crashed in the Hudson two years earlier, also operated by Liberty, according to news reports at the time. All eight people on board survived.

Story continues

On its website, Liberty describes itself as "the largest and most experienced helicopter sightseeing and charter service in the Northeast".

The company claims to deliver "unparalleled safety records" and to have received multiple awards for safety, including the 5 Star Diamond Award and the Annual Safety Award from the Helicopter Association International.

According to Liberty, regular pilot training and high maintenance standards coupled with our unsurpassed safety and security measures assures our passengers the safest and most pleasurable experience possible.

Liberty Helicopters could not be reached for comment.

Around 700 Airbus H125 helicopters  formally known as Eurocopter AS350  are in service worldwide, according to Airbus.

Agencies contributed to this report.Lusaka (AFP) - No one sells them openly, no one admits to owning one, and no one has been arrested -- but Zambia is waging a fierce campaign against sex dolls.

The government launched the crackdown on the sex toys last month, threatening offenders with heavy jail terms over the dolls which, it says, are "very unnatural".

The action has propelled the issue of sex dolls to the top of the news agenda and made them a hot topic of conversation and debate on social media, dividing opinion in the largely conservative southern African country.

"Being a Christian nation, obviously we are anchored in Christian principles and one of the values is morality and ethics," Minister of National Guidance and Religious Affairs Godfridah Sumaili told AFP.

Selling or using a sex doll is against Zambian law, she said, vowing to ensure they are not bought on the internet and imported.

"The use of sex dolls is definitely in contradiction to our natural heritage and our principles," Sumaili added.

"The law actually forbids anybody to trade (in) and to use such objects -- and so this is why we are saying for Zambians that this is a very unnatural thing."

- 'A lifeless object' -

The minister said the ban was necessary after media reports emerged of sex dolls being imported into Zambia, apparently from Asia. Police are investigating, she added.

In recent months, Zambia's independent and semi-official press have devoted many column inches to reports of sex shops popping up around the capital Lusaka selling sex dolls, as well as chronicling the backlash.

"God created man and woman for sexual satisfaction -- but for a man or woman to use a lifeless object is immoral," Sumaili said.

"Let's not import foreign beliefs and experiences. Let us just believe in what we are."

- 'Help combat AIDS' -

The manufacture of sex dolls has become increasingly sophisticated, with China developing custom-made "smart" dolls that can talk, play music and turn on dishwashers.

Story continues

Sex dolls' inventors say they can cure loneliness and help elderly men who lack female companionship.

In Zambia, the dolls made of silicone were reportedly in a variety of shapes and shades, but an AFP reporter failed to find any shops selling them.

The Patriots for Economic Progress (PEP) -- a fringe liberal party in Zambia -- claims the government's attitude to sex dolls reflects its increasingly authoritarian tendencies under President Edgar Lungu.

"The argument that the Bible does not allow the use of any objects is wrong," said PEP party chief Sean Tembo.

"The same Bible encourages free will and it will be wrong to send someone to prison for choosing to use sex dolls. Some men have low self-esteem and cannot propose love."

Tembo said sex dolls could even tackle the spread of HIV/AIDS -- in a country with a 12.4 percent adult infection rate.

"Men can use sex dolls and this will help reduce the cases of AIDS," he said, contesting the minister's claim they were illegal.

"There is no law that bans the importation or use of sex dolls and there is no law that criminalises masturbation. The use of sex dolls will be in private, in one's bedroom and not in a public place."

- Privacy violation? -

Zambia is a largely conservative nation, where homosexuality is illegal and anyone in an intimate same-sex relationship faces up to 14 years in jail.

Officials say that sex dolls fall under a constitutional law against making, owning, importing, selling or displaying "obscene matters or things" -- punishable with a maximum prison term of five years.

No shops openly sell them in Zambia, though they are available from international internet suppliers.

The state-owned Zambia Daily Mail reported Sumaili's campaign under the headline "No toying with sex dolls", and later ran a feature on how the policy was a constant talking point on public minibuses.

"I would order a sex doll without hesitation," the newspaper quoted one unidentified male passenger as saying.

"I am assured of a disease-free relationship because a sex doll will not cheat on me. They are not materialistic and will forever remain faithful.

"Government is now violating our privacy as citizens," he said.

Lusaka resident, Jane Kaluba, 25, told AFP that sex dolls were a test of how best to balance morality with individual rights.

"I don't support the use of sex dolls but I still feel that one should be free to choose what one wants," she said.Makerere University has resolved to stop providing meals in the halls of residence effective June this year.



The position was reached at a recent council meeting where a report from the Finance and Planning Committee of Council presented findings of the survey conducted among students. Food is given to two categories of students, both government resident and non-residents. The university says government students' number about 6,000 with about 2,000 being residents at the campus.

Makerere University Cyriaco Kabagambe, the dean of students at Makerere University told URN in an exclusive interview on Saturday that in a survey, over 50 per cent of students recommended that the university gives them their money to buy food. Cyriaco Kabagambe, the dean of students at Makerere University told URN in an exclusive interview on Saturday that in a survey, over 50 per cent of students recommended that the university gives them their money to buy food.

"What is not going to be there is provision of food as is now where you have government students and you have got someone on contract contracted by the university to cook food and bring it to the students. The existence of service providers in a form which I cant explain now must be there." Kabagambe.



Following the university council policy to outsource catering services, the university in August 2014 contracted four firms to provide catering services at six serving centres. Venus Meas Enterprises was procured to provide food to students in University Hall and Mitchell Hall, while Rema Restaurant and Take Away was providing food to Nkrumah and Nsibirwa Hall residents.

Students from Complex, Lumumba and Mary Stuart Halls of resident have been getting meals prepared by Finaland Bars and Restaurant at Mary Stuart Hall, while Bbosa Institutional Catering Services has been providing food to students in Africa, LivingstoneHall and Galloway House for medical students in Mulago and agriculture students at Kabanyolo Hostel in Gayaza.



Kabagambe told URN that the contracts for the food service providers are ending by June this year and that the university will not enter contracts with them again under the current arrangement.

"We feed the students according to the money which is available what that money can afford but many times the students are not satisfied they are saying the food is not good. Secondly, even the 2,000 students who are residents and whom we feed the studies we have carried out is that more than 50% of them actually prefer to get their money. Besides the contract of service providers is ending in July. They end with the financial year so come July 1st there will be no contract and I dont think it would prudent enough to negotiate another contract."



The university has been paying money directly to the companies to provide food to government sponsored students and hall residents since 2014. Midway, the university was under pressure from the food providers to increase the money paid for each student citing the high commodity prices.



The government valuer had determined the appropriate rental fees for kitchen space for the stipulated period of the service contracts. Each service provider was paying between Shs 500,000 and Shs 1.5 million each month.



He however said due to the escalation of food prices, the university management in January 2017 waived off the fees pending the approval of the contracts committee. In the contract, service providers have been providing food to students including but not limited to beef, chicken, fish, rice, beans, peas, matooke, sweet potatoes, posho, milk, bread and eggs.



The companies were supposed to provide quality affordable meals to students within the acceptable range of Shs 2,000 per meal. Government provides Shs 4,000 per day for meals for each student. However, the university says the money insufficient. Giftson Kamara, a student residing in Livingstone Hall said scrapping off of meals of government students' shows how the university lacks a complete understanding not what the government students want.



"I have always stood against the scrapping but rather an improved service delivery. To me it's an absurd and unreasonable move because they will be exposing their students to health complications given the poor drainage and sanitation communities in the neighboring hostel villages."



Kamara wants the university to revise the decision they took arguing it is likely cause more confusion and strikes among students.



"Will the money come in time so that the students pay where they will be having their meals? We know the delays in the living out allowances, internship and this won't be any different," Kamara stated.



Godwin Toko Abunia, a student resident of Mitchell Hall told URN that the university did not hold conclusive studies among students to come up with that position.

"The best way could have been to consult the students. Do they want the money, do they want the food? If they want the money, how many want the money? If they want the food, how many want the food? The problem that this university faces is that a group of 25 people sit at the main building and take decisions that affect the 40,000 of us without even the bare minimum of consultation. I have heard students with very divergent views, there are those who want the money and there are those who want the food." said Abunia.



He argues that giving Shs 4,000 per day for meals for each student is a ridiculous move aimed at starving majority of students who will not afford the current food prices. The lowest meal around the university's designated food joints goes for Shs 5,000 a meal, however outside the university, depending on the food joint, food ranges between Shs 3,000 to Shs 10,000.



Saphira Kubakunza a law student at Makerere said that the move is like to cause a strike among students if not handled well. Dr Deus Muhwezi Kamunyu, the Makerere University Academic Staff Association (MUASA) chairperson welcomed the move arguing that if well managed, it would allow the university management to concentrate on decisions that are only related to student learning and other aspects of their life while at Black Africa's greatest academic institution.



Dr Kamunyu however decries the Shs 4000 per day for meals for each student saying it cannot sustain a student in Kampala. He argues that the amount can only do so and a clear cost sharing arrangement.



"If the phasing out of meals is the ultimate decision arrived at in consultation with government, I do not see the problem with it. I also think Shs 4000 is very little money for fully sponsored government students because the cost of living today makes it an incomprehensible figure. Contextually, cooking for students should be phased out and replaced by a student self-management programme," said Dr Kamunyu.The man who killed Trae Oyler should have been in jail when it happened. Now we know how and why he was let loose.If I were Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit, I would summon myself to an urgent meeting with Benjamin Netanyahu and tell him the following:

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Mr. Prime Minister, the moment of truth has arrived. Up until recently, I believed all the investigations launched against you would end in nothingnot because there isnt anything, but because they wouldnt be able to prove anything. But following the recent developments in Case 4000 and states witnesses Ari Harow, Shlomo Filber and Nir Hefetz, the picture has changed.

According to the investigation material piling up on my desk, its very likely that at the end of the day and at the end of the prolonged investigations, you will be indictedwhether for bribery, breach of trust or violation of the Public Service (Gifts) Law.

Mandelblit and Netanyahu. An effort to close the cases or, at least, settle for a symbolic indictment and a suspended sentence (Photo: Reuters)

So I would recommend, Mr. Prime Minister, that you quit your post as early as now, put the keys on the table and say to the public: "Thats it. I served the people and the state for many years with a considerable amount of success, and now its time to retire. The economic situation I leave behind is positive (look at the number of people arriving at and departing from Ben-Gun Airport on every holiday and every day; look at the number of new cars rollingwith difficulty, mind youon Israels roads). The security situation isnt bad either compared to the situation around us, and dont forget the fence that was built along the border with Egypt and is preventing infiltrators from entering."

I believe, Mr. Netanyahu, that an early retirement at this time wont only benefit Israel, it holds quite a few personal advantages for you too. As private people, you and your wife would be permitted to receive as many gifts and benefits from friends and non-friends as you want (cigars, champagne, watches, jewelry and more) without it being considered an offense. You would also be able to know who your real friends are, who gives you gifts without expecting anything in return.

If you quit voluntarily right now, Mr. Prime Minister, I have no doubt that the apple of your eyethe mediawill change its attitude towards you as well, and that you will receive sympathetic articles and reports. Once you quit, you will likely soon become the underdog that the media like to flatter. Moreover, the media will immediately start comparing you to your successor, and one day you will hear people say in the streets of Jerusalem, We miss Bibi.

My advice to you, Mr. Prime Minister, is that you ignore the coalition parties support, as they will soon realize that your rule is unstable and rush to find you a replacement. And dont be too impressed with the words of praise and glorification you are being showered with by the tongue-clickersDudi Amsalem, Miri Regev, Miki Zohar and others. At the end of the day, they too identify with the famous saying, A leopard cant change his spots.

The late President Ezer Weizmann (Photo: Shaul Golan)

Therefore, I suggest, Mr. Prime Minister, that you leave the neglected and rickety residence on Balfour Street before its too late and move to your spacious, fancy residence in Caesarea (yet another retirement advantage). That way, you would be sparing both yourself and us the never-ending investigation saga.

When that happens, I will make an effort to put an end to your affairs by closing the cases or, at least, settling for a symbolic indictment and a suspended sentence.

Youre a smart man, Mr. Prime Minister. Thats indisputable, even if you and your wife seem to suffer from an irresistible impulse, as jurists would put it, when it comes to money and benefits.

My suggestion is that you follow the example of late President Ezer Weizmann, who sensibly quit his post as president in the wake of the Weizmann-Saroussi affair before it was too late, without being prosecuted.

And, God forbid, should you end up like former President Moshe Katsav, who foolishly rejected an extremely simple plea bargain offered to him by Attorney General Menachem Mazuz, to settle for minor offenses and a suspended sentence, and was sentenced instead to seven years in prison.

Consider yourself warned!The Russian military said late on Sunday that it had managed to evacuate 52 civilians, including 26 children, from Syria's rebel-held eastern Ghouta after talks with local authorities.

The civilians, inhabitants of the town of Misraba, were taken to a temporary refugee camp where they were receiving medical aid, the Russian military said in a statement.The Syrian army broke apart the rebel enclave in eastern Ghouta on Sunday, cutting off two major towns from the rest of the area, state media said, after a fierce battle waged under cover of an unrelenting bombardment.

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State television on Sunday broadcast from the eastern Ghouta town of Mudeira, which state television and a war monitor said the army had captured to link up with units on the other side of the enclave.

A military media unit run by the Iran-backed Lebanese group Hezbollah, an ally of the Syrian government, said the army had also entirely surrounded the town of Douma.

Bombardment in Douma (Photo: AFP)

Footage showed several massive plumes of smoke in the distance behind a war-ravaged townscape with big holes in walls and roofs, and yet more smoke wafting across the streets. The sound of blasts could be heard.

More than 1,100 civilians have been killed in the onslaught on the biggest rebel stronghold near Damascus since it began three weeks ago with a withering bombardment, said the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

It said there was intense fighting on several fronts accompanied by a government artillery barrage, continuous air raids and attacks by helicopters.

Children in Ghouta (Photo: Reuters)

The advance on Mudeira, after the capture of the neighboring town of Mesraba on Saturday, has driven a wedge deep inside the insurgent territory, leaving the major towns of Douma and Harasta cut off.

Rebel groups in eastern Ghouta have vowed they will fight on. A statement issued by Free Syrian Army factions there late on Saturday said they had taken a decision not to accept a surrender and negotiated withdrawal.

After the army advances split up the enclave, Jaish al-Islam emerged as the strongest group in the town of Douma, Ahrar al-Sham in the town of Harasta and Failaq al-Rahman in the new southern pocket of eastern Ghouta.

(Photo: AP, Syrian Civil Defense White Helmets)

Syrian state media also reported army advances near Jisreen and Aftaris in the southeastern part of the rebel-held territory.

Syrian President Bashar Assad and his ally Russia see the rebels as terrorist groups, and say their offensive is needed to end the rebels rule over eastern Ghoutas large population.

But the violence of their assault has prompted condemnation from Western countries and repeated calls by United Nations aid agencies for a humanitarian ceasefire.

Syrian regime forces in eastern Ghouta (Photo: AFP)

Activists and fighters in eastern Ghouta in recent days have said the bombardment has included incendiary material that causes fires and burn injuries. Local doctors have also reported several incidents of bomb attacks followed by the smell of chlorine and choking symptoms.

The government denies using either incendiary weapons or chlorine gas bombs, and said on Saturday it had information that the rebels were planning to stage a fake chemical attack to discredit the army.

Gunfire

In Muscat, US Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said it would be very unwise for Syrian government forces to use weaponized gas, citing unconfirmed reports of chlorine attacks in eastern Ghouta.

Visiting Oman, Mattis stopped short of threatening to retaliate against Syrian forces if a chlorine attack were confirmed. But he noted Americas cruise missile strike on April 6, 2017, on a Syrian air base over a sarin gas attack and said President Donald Trump had full political maneuver room to take whatever decision he believed was appropriate.

While the government and Russia say they have set up safe routes into government-held territory, no civilians are known to have crossed through them yet.

Damascus and Moscow accuse rebels of firing on anybody who tries to leave, something the insurgents deny though a Reuters witness said there was shelling and gunfire near one exit route on Friday.

Rebels and some eastern Ghouta residents contacted by Reuters have said people there do not want to come back under Assads rule for fear of persecution, an idea the government says is groundless.

Douma (Photo: AFP)

On Saturday, the army found 60 civilians cowering in a basement in Mesraba. Activists in eastern Ghouta said thousands of people from Mesraba had already fled into Douma, further into the rebel territory, before the army took it.

Syrian state television reported on Sunday that rebel mortar fire had killed four people after hitting a taxi. Assad has sworn to end insurgent shelling of the capital.

Defeat in eastern Ghouta would deliver the rebels their biggest blow since December 2016, when a government offensive drove them from Aleppo, their largest urban stronghold.

Backed by Russian war planes and other military assistance since 2015, Assad has gained momentum on several fronts across the country, driving rebels from numerous pockets and recapturing swathes of the east from Islamic State.

But he is still far from regaining control over the entire country. Rebel groups hold large areas of the northwest and southwest, while northeastern Syria is in the hands of Kurdish fighters and allied militias.

Meanwhile, the increasingly global nature of the war means that military attempts to regain several of those areas could pit Assad and his Russian and Iranian backers against forces that are also directly supported by powerful foreign countries.South Korea's national security director was meeting with top officials from North Korea's closest ally China on Monday following word of a possible summit between President Donald Trump and the North's leader Kim Jong Un.

Chung Eui-yong briefed top foreign policy adviser Yang Jiechi on the recent inter-Korean talks and was to meet later in the day with Chinese President Xi Jinping. Chung announced last week that Trump had said that he would meet Kim by May "to achieve permanent denuclearization" of the Korean Peninsula.Police have arrested four people, including a senior Jerusalem Municipality official, on suspicions of bribery, fraud and breach of trust, abuse of power and tax offenses.

Following the arrests, police conducted searches in the suspects' homes and offices. The suspects will be brought before the Rishon LeZion Magistrates' Court for a remand hearing later Monday.An Yisrael Beytenu source said Monday that if the IDF draft bill passes its third reading in the Knesset, the party would quit the government.

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According to a compromise reached late Sunday between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Deputy Health Minister Yaakov Litzman of the United Torah Judaism party, the draft bill would pass its preliminary reading before the approval of the 2019 state budget and its second and third reading during the Knesset's summer session. In return, the Haredim have promised to vote in favor of the state budget as early as this week.

Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman's party said its Knesset members, including Minister Sofa Landver, would vote against the law in its preliminary reading this week. A minister who votes against the coalition is summarily fired.

From left to right: Defense Minister Lieberman, PM Netanyahu and Deputy Health Minister Litzman

Meanwhile Moday, Yesh Atid leader Yair Lapid slammed the compromise reached between Netanyahu and Litzman.

"The new wording of the 'draft-dodging law' is an insult to the IDF and an insult to those who enlist," Lapis said. "According to this wording, the Haredim will enlist if they feel like it. If they don't feel like it, they just wont show up. It's a national disgrace."

The compromise that emerged from Netanyahu and Litzman's meeting was approved late Sunday by UTJ's Hasidic Torah Sages Council, headed by the Ger Rebbe.

Following the Council's approval, the bill will be placed on the Ministerial Legislation Committee's docket for 9 am Mondayand then sent to a preliminary Knesset reading on Wednesday, with a commitment that it would pass its second and third readings in the Knesset's summer session. In return, the Haredim have promised to vote in favor of the state budget as early as this week.

Lapid. 'A national disgrace' (Photo: Alex Kolomoisky)

The Haredi MKs received a letter Sunday night from Rabbi Mordechai Stern, secretary to the Council of Torah Sages, stating: "I hereby inform you that since the government representatives have agreed to accept the draft bill wording suggest by the Haredi representatives, and since this bill will be approved in the ministerial committee on Monday and in a preliminary reading at the Knesset on Wednesday and, God willing, will be submitted for three readings at the government's consent in the summer session, our rabbis have decided that this is how the Knesset members will vote on the budget."

Litzman and the rabbis basically reneged on their original demand that the law would have to pass three readings before the Haredi MKs vote in favor of the budget.

"We did our bit, we compromised," a UTJ source said early Monday. "The ball is no longer in our court."

The Haredi MKs know, however, there is a good chance the new draft bill wont be approved by the High Court of Justice.

Senior Justice Ministry officials said Monday that the new draft bill approved by the Hasidic Council of Torah Sages fails to meet the rules and conditions presented by the High Court of Justice for an equal share of the burden. Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit has yet to provide his final opinion on the matter.

The bill is based on a framework put forward by Shas MK Yoav Ben-Tzur, which states that a goal will be set of 3,800 Haredi recruits joining the IDF and national service with each recruitment cyclewith their number gradually increasing.

In addition, the law will omit any sanctions or incentives, instead including an article starting that the government will inspect general draft quotas every five years and if it finds Haredi conscripts failed to meet them, the law will expire.

Despite estimates that an accord may yet to be reached with the Haredi parties, Likud remains unsure about how to solve the political crisis with Lieberman, who flatly refused to vote on bills not promulgated by a professional defense establishment committee.

Prime Minister Netanyahu said during a Likud ministers meeting Sunday that a government without Yisrael Beytenu was out of the question. "We are working for a stable government until the end of its term in November 2019. All factions must reach an agreement and decide to go on together. One thing is clear: We won't last with a 61-member government."An Yisrael Beytenu source said Monday that if the IDF draft bill passes its third reading in the Knesset, the party would quit the government.

According to a compromise reached late Sunday between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Deputy Health Minister Yaakov Litzman of the United Torah Judaism party, the draft bill would pass its preliminary reading before the approval of the 2019 state budget and its second and third reading during the Knesset's summer session. In return, the Haredim have promised to vote in favor of the state budget as early as this week.The new IDF draft bill accepted by the Hasidic Council of Torah Sages was approved by the Ministerial Committee for Legislation on Monday morning and will be sent to a preliminary Knesset reading Wednesday.

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One of the members of the ministerial committee, Immigration Absorption Minister Sofa Landver of the Yisrael Beytenu party, didn't show up for the vote but left a note stating her objection to the bill.

Following the vote, Landver filed an appeal against the bill's approval, requiring the committee or the government to reconvene to cancel the appeal.

Minister Sofa Landver (Photo: Alex Kolomoisky)

It is still unclear how the Yisrael Beytenu faction will vote on Wednesday. Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman's party has said that its Knesset members, including Minister Landver, would vote against the law in its preliminary reading. A minister who votes against the coalition is summarily fired.

Earlier Monday, an Yisrael Beytenu source said the party would quit the government if the bill passed its third reading. Lieberman has yet to comment on the compromise that was reached late Sunday between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Deputy Health Minister Yaakov Litzman of the United Torah Judaism party, but is expected to address the issue during a faction meeting Monday afternoon.

Senior Justice Ministry officials said Monday that the new draft bill approved by the Hasidic Council of Torah Sages failed to meet the rules and conditions presented by the High Court of Justice for an equal share of the burden. Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit told Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked before the vote that there is a constitutional obstacle to advance the law as it contradicts the equality value. Nevertheless, Shaked plans to send the bill to a preliminary Knesset reading, assuming the problem will be dealt with at a later stage.

According to the Justice Ministry officials, once the coalition factions and the prime minister reach a final decision on an acceptable draft bill, it will seen as a governmental bill and the attorney general would provide his final opinion pertaining to whether it meets the conditions for an equal share of the burden, as formulated by the High Court.

Attorney General Mandelblit will provide his final opinion once the coalition factions reach a final decision on the bill (Photo: Ohad Zwigenberg)

The bill is based on a framework put forward by Shas MK Yoav Ben-Tzur, which states that a goal will be set of 3,800 Haredi recruits joining the IDF and national service with each recruitment cyclewith their number gradually increasing.

In addition, the law will omit any sanctions or incentives, instead including an article starting that the government will inspect general draft quotas every five years and if it finds Haredi conscripts failed to meet them, the law will expire.

Justice Minister Shaked, who was one of the leaders of the compromise agreement, told Ynet earlier Monday that there was no need to drag the country to elections without any real, essential issue on the agenda.

"The State of Israel is neither a disturbed democracy nor a banana republic. In this crisis, everyone is right and everyone must compromise," the Bayit Yehudi minister clarified.

"The finance minister is right when he says that although the budget doesnt have to be passed now, a promise has been made to pass the budget and promises must be kept. The Haredim are right when they say that a new draft bill has to be passed, but it doesnt have to pass three readings right now. There's still time. And the defense minister is right when he says that the bill has to be coordinated with him."

Minister Shaked. 'Everyone is right and everyone has to compromise' (Photo: Hillel Meir/TPS)

Shaked stressed that after the bill passes its preliminary reading, the rest of the legislation process will be coordinated with the attorney general and with the Defense Ministry. "The bill is still subject to changes in the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee and its wording will be coordinated with the Defense Minister," she said.

"There is no real dispute here," the justice minister added. "It's a political crisis, a crisis that needs to be solved. I dont think there's anyone in the public who is interested in elections now. Our country is important to everyone and democracy is important to everyone, and we can't make a mockery of the election process and dissolve a government every two or three years."

Addressing claims that Prime Minister Netanyahu was interested in elections, Shaked said: "Netanyahu realized that none of the partners is interested in elections. He heads the coalition and it's his decision. I haven't heard about an ultimatum to stay in the government till November 2019. None of the parties has been given such an ultimatum."

As for the possibility of an indictment against Netanyahu, Shaked said: "If there is an indictment, we'll sit down and talk, but let's hope there won't be one. The prime minister is performing very well. The ministers are doing a good job in their ministries. We just have to let them work.

"In any event, investigations must not lead to elections under any circumstances. If investigations turn into a political elimination tool, democracy suffers. We will all wait patiently for the attorney general's decision. He is a serious person and will make a decision based solely on the evidence, not on protests or articles. There's still time for that, so let's get back to work."

Bennett. 'We chose national responsibility' (Photo: Marc Israel Sellem)

Bayit Yehudi leader Naftali Bennett said Monday, "I believe and hope there won't be elections. I want to live in a country where elections are held on time.

"We chose national responsibility. This is an empty crisis. In the past decade, there has been a plan which has led to a slow increase in the number of Haredi recruits. If someone really thinks the IDF wants 30,000 Ger Hasidim with 17 different kashrut certificates and segregated bases and that it could be containedthey're wrong."

Tova Tzimuky and Alexandra Lukash contributed to this report.Antonia Manuel's passport

Security at Entebbe international airport has arrested two foreign nationals for alleged trafficking of heroine; an illegal narcotic drug.

The suspects; 37-year-old Laudato Nassimo, an Italian and 64-year-old Antonio Manuel, a Portuguese national, were arrested separately as they attempted to travel with the heroine in their luggage.



Nassimo who was in transit to Brussels, Belgium aboard SN Brussels Airlines was found with 3kgs of heroin while Manuel who was heading to Amsterdam, the Netherlands aboard Egypt Air was found with more than 6kgs of the narcotic drug.



Police spokesperson Emilian Kayima says that the drug was found hidden in the false bottom of the suspect's luggage which can hardly be seen by the scans. Manuel's luggage also had an anti-dog repellent, a device used to dispel aggressive dogs. It also stops dogs from sniffing the heroin.



The two suspects have since recorded statements and are being detained at the Aviation Police where they will be charged under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Control Act.



The arrest of the two suspects brings to three, the number of people arrested for alleged drug trafficking and distribution over the last one week.



On Monday, Idrissa Traore, a Malian national and resident of Bunga in Kampala, was arrested at Bamako building in Namasuba where he had been carrying out his cocaine distribution business. His cover was blown by another suspect Musa Fofana, a Burundian national who was arrested earlier at Bujumbura airport with 7kgs of heroin.



During a search at the Traore's building, police recovered 36 pellets of heroin and two travel bags with heroin concealed on both sides.The largest rebel group in Syria's eastern Ghouta region, just outside the capital of Damascus, says it has agreed with Russian forces to have wounded people evacuated from the enclave.

The Army of Islam said in a statement on Monday that the agreement with the Russians was reached through the United Nations.

It says the wounded will be evacuated in stages but makes no mention if they are rebel fighters or civilians. The group also did not say when the evacuations would begin or where the wounded would be taken. Eastern Ghouta has been under a ferocious government offensive since February 18, leaving more than 1,000 civilians dead.Religious Services Minister David Azoulay submitted a letter of resignation to Knesset Speaker Yuli Edelstein for medical reasons.

Azoulay will be replaced in the Knesset by his son, Yinon, on behalf of the Shas party.Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman referred to the new IDF draft bill Monday as "a classic fake law."

Speaking at the start of the Yisrael Beytenu faction meeting, Lieberman said all faction members, including Minister Sofa Landver, would vote against the proposed law.Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman said Monday his entire faction would vote against IDF draft bill, following the compromise reached Sunday night between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Deputy Health Minister Yaakov Litzman of the United Torah Judaism party.

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Speaking at the start of the Yisrael Beytenu faction meeting, Lieberman said all faction members, including Minister Sofa Landver, would vote against the proposed law.

"This is a fake law," he said. "It's a betrayal of our soldiers."

Lieberman. 'If the bill passes, we''ll draw our conclusions' (Photo: Hillel Meir/TPS)

The defense minister clarified, however, that he had no intention of quitting the government before the law passed its second and third reading at the Knesset.

"I'm not volunteering to leave the government until the law's final approval," he said. "If it passes, we'll draw our conclusions."

Earlier, Prime Minister Netanyahu urged Lieberman not to quit the government.

"We have an excellent government with tremendous achievements: In the security area, in the economic area and in the diplomatic area. So it's important to continue our partnership, which is generating these tremendous achievements.

"I call on all the coalition partners, primarily Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman, to stay in the government and continue this partnership to guarantee the State of Israel's security, prosperity and stability.

"We are facing major challenges, and we all know what they are, as well as major opportunities. It's important, therefore, to continue our partnership in a wide government which is the only way to keep serving the citizens of Israel."

Education Minister Naftali Bennett said during the Bayit Yehudi faction meeting, "This isn't just a fake crisis here. What we have here is a fake leadership which prefers to chase polls rather than tell the voters the truth and deal with it."

Addressing Netanyahu's involvement in the crisis, Bennett said: "We support the prime minister's effort. There is no deal between me and him. All the people around the table are interested in sustaining a good government."

Meanwhile, Zionist Union leader Avi Gabbay slammed the Netanyah-Lieberman "alliance of corruption," following the compromise on the IDF draft bill that was reached between Netanyahu and Deputy Health Minister Yaakov Litzman late Sunday.

"No one has any expectations from the stars of this act, Netanyahu and his defense minister. This is an alliance of corruption," Gabbay said at the start of the Zionist Union faction meeting.

"The coalition members' conduct is a spiritual weakening and moral bankruptcy. Who would have thought that they would be begging a prime minister who the police believe should be indicted for bribery? Where is your courage, integrity and leadership? We won't let Netanyahu use us to set the date that suits him best. We will do what's good for Israel."

Gabbay and Livni. Zionist Union leader slams Lieberman-Netanyahu 'corruption alliance' (Photo: Yoav Dudkevitch)

Hatnua leader Tzipi Livni said during the meeting, "This is the beginning of the end for the prime minister, the government and their political path. This is also a fascinating example of what this government symbolizes, with the radicals leading Netanyahu by the nose. The prime minister, who leads the biggest party, has no stand. All he has are survival considerations."

She warned that the IDF draft law was illegal and unconstitutional.

At the Yesh Atid faction meeting, party leader Yair Lapid said that the compromise on the "draft-dodging law" proved "just how cynical, rotten and shameless our politics is.

"According to the draft-dodging law," Lapid added, "if they don't feel like enlistingthere's no problem. This law is an insult to the IDF and an insult to those who enlist. The political system around us is losing all its values."

Ministerial committee approves draft bill

The new IDF draft bill accepted by the Hasidic Council of Torah Sages was approved by the Ministerial Committee for Legislation on Monday morning and will be sent to a preliminary Knesset reading Wednesday.

One of the members of the ministerial committee, Immigration Absorption Minister Sofa Landver of the Yisrael Beytenu party, didn't show up for the vote but left a note stating her objection to the bill.

Following the vote, Landver filed an appeal against the bill's approval, requiring the committee or the government to reconvene to cancel the appeal.

Senior Justice Ministry officials said Monday that the new draft bill approved by the Hasidic Council of Torah Sages failed to meet the rules and conditions presented by the High Court of Justice for an equal share of the burden. Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit told Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked before the vote that there is a constitutional obstacle to advance the law as it contradicts the equality value. Nevertheless, Shaked plans to send the bill to a preliminary Knesset reading, assuming the problem will be dealt with at a later stage.

According to the Justice Ministry officials, once the coalition factions and the prime minister reach a final decision on an acceptable draft bill, it will seen as a governmental bill and the attorney general would provide his final opinion pertaining to whether it meets the conditions for an equal share of the burden, as formulated by the High Court.

The bill is based on a framework put forward by Shas MK Yoav Ben-Tzur, which states that a goal will be set of 3,800 Haredi recruits joining the IDF and national service with each recruitment cyclewith their number gradually increasing.

In addition, the law will omit any sanctions or incentives, instead including an article starting that the government will inspect general draft quotas every five years and if it finds Haredi conscripts failed to meet them, the law will expire.Real estate investor Moshe Haba, who was once a candidate for the role of the Finance Ministry's director-general, is one of the officials arrested in the investigation into suspected corruption at the Jerusalem municipality, it was cleared for publication on Monday.

The court extended his remand by five days.Hundreds of ultra-Orthodox members of the Jerusalem Faction demonstrated Monday afternoon on Jabotinsky Street in Bnei Brak, blocking main roads in protest of an arrest of a yeshiva student who failed to appear at the IDF recruiting office and was jailed in military prison for defection.

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Protestors blocked the Geha interchange, cutting access to Highway 4 to the south. Several demonstrators then clashed with police forces who attempted to disperse them.

"We'd rather die and not enlist, we'll happily go to jail," protesters were heard shouting.

The demonstration was a continuation of the demonstration held last week in Jerusalem in protest of another arrest of a yeshiva student from the hardline Haredi community who was also imprisoned for refusing to enlist.

"The continuation of the struggle was determined by the clear instructions of the Council of Torah Sages, which instructed us to continue the struggle against the draft with all our might," the statement by the Jerusalem Faction said.

"We hereby announce the intensification of the demonstrations until the draft law is reverted to its (previoused) form, without stipulating recruitment quotas.

"We call upon our fellow Israelites, who look with weary eyes at their representatives in the Knesset, how they make compromise after compromise and cut into the living flesh of the Torah world and are even willing to sell Judaism for jobs and money."

Many police forces from the Tel Aviv district have been in the area since the morning, including dozens of police officers, Yassam forces, detectives and cavalry.

(Photo: Motti Kimchi)

In a statement issued by the police, it was noted that they would allow the protest to take place, but at the same time, they would not allow public order violations that could harm the peace of the general public.

"We will allow the freedom of speech and protest of any citizen who desires it, but at the same time we will have zero tolerance to those who seek to disrupt public order and may harm the peace of the general public," the police said.WARSAW - Poland's President Andrzej Duda admitted in an interview Monday that the timing of his country's controversial Holocaust law was "wrong" and called to amend its problematic language.

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"It was wrong that the (new law) was adopted (by Polish deputies ) on the eve of Holocaust Remembrance Day," he told Polish newspaper Dziennik Gazeta Prawna.

Duda also noted that the expedited legislative process to pass the law surprised him. "It is difficult for me to understand what motivated legislators to act this way," he said.

Poland's President Andrzej Duda (Photo: Reuters)

The law passed by the Polish lawmakers, which Duda signed and approved but sent to the constitutional court to evaluate, outlaws blaming Poland as a nation for Holocaust crimes committed by Nazi Germany. The legislation calls for prison terms of up to three years for falsely attributing the crimes of Nazi Germany to Poland.

The Polish president, a lawyer himself, criticized the unspecific, general language of the legislation and explained he expected the constitutional court to fix the faults in it, and mostly specify that the law focuses on "acts committed with criminal intention."

He didn't rule out submitting a proposal to amend the law's language himself, stressing that regardless the law was a matter of Polish sovereignty and that "no one from abroad can dictate to us whether Poles are allowed to defend themselves against slandering."

Duda said he spoke to Israeli officials about the controversial law when he visited the country a year ago. "I promised that I would strive to exclude artistic and research activity from this law," he said, noting this seemed to have been enough. "I was not asked anything else about this matter. I had the impression that the law doesn't raise reservations in Israel, except for these two problems. That's why I was surprised by the scale of the Israeli attack, because these two exclusions were introduced into the act."

Poland's President Andrzej Duda (Photo: Reuters)

Asked if he had doubts about signing the bill into law, Duda said he did not consider vetoing the bill. "It is not a clamor that decides whether or not given legislation is signed," he said.

At the same time, he did admit there were many Poles who turned Jews in to the Nazis, asserting that "In such times, people who commit crimes can be found in every nation. But please do not say that the crime was committed by the Polish nation. The Polish nation fought against the Germans."

The Polish president also took issue with the answer Poland's Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki gave Yedioth Ahronoth journalist Ronen Bergman at the Munich Security Conference, when he said there were also "Jewish perpetrators" in the Holocaust.

Duda said he found the statement "uncomfortable," but at the same time defended Morawiecki, saying "I am sure that the prime minister had no intention of offending anyone's sensitivity."

Polish PM Morawiecki's answer to Ronen Bergman

X

The legislation continues to dominate public discourse in Poland. On Sunday, more than 100 civil society organizations in Poland released a letter to international public opinion and mostly to "our friends the Jews" against the Holocaust law. The letter was read out in Polish, Hebrew and English at a rally attended by hundreds of Poles.

"Know that we are here, and together with us are millions of Poles who think and feel as we doobjecting to the obscene and absurd law the parliament passed, objecting to a false rewriting of history done by the current government, and calling out: 'Not in our name!'" the letter read.

The rally was held at the Gdanski train station, the departure point for some 14,000 Poles of Jewish descent who were forced to leave the country in a March 1968 purge by the communist regime of the time. Participants held up signs saying "We're all Jews" and "Just the truth, and the entire truth."

In recent days, opposition to the law has been increasing in Polish public opinion, and the demand to change or nix it has also been coming from influential circles within the ruling Law and Justice party.Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he was not scared of going to elections during a special Knesset hearing on Monday, asserting that "If there are elections, we will contend and win, but we are not there yet."

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In the wake of threats from Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman and his Yisrael Beytenu party to quit the government in the wake of the Haredi draft law amendment, the prime minister argued that "Precisely because of the big challenges we face, I call on my friends, and primarily Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman and the heads of the Haredi factions ... to act responsibly. The country needs a stable, firm, wide government that functions for a long time. It needs our government."

Prime Minister Netanyahu (Photo: Alex Kolomoisky)

He urged to "make one last supreme effort to preserve the longevity of this government in its current form."

"You know why? A government that relies on a one-vote majority simply cannot function. We've been there; we've seen what it's like. That is why we expended the government, and indeed the current government is functioning well," the prime minister explained.

Later in his speech, which was interrupted several times, Netanyahu launched an attack on the opposition. "You stood here, determined and ruled in a responsible and authorized voice that I destroyed the ties with the US, that I am exaggerating the Iranian threat, that I am leading to diplomatic isolation. Today, it's known the policy we're leading is bringing unprecedented diplomatic prosperity for Israel," he claimed.





Prime Minister Netanyahu (Photo: Alex Kolomoisky)

"You said I was destroying the economy, but our policy helped the Israeli economy become one of the leading and most successful economies in the world. Unemployment is at an all-time low, growth is high, and inequality is steadily declining. Our strong economy allows us to take care of security, welfare, health, infrastructure, cultureall fields," he boasted.

"Tourism in Israel is at an all-time record. The people of Israel go abroad and return saying 'Things are good here.' They love the country. Furthermore, they're proud of the country. This is in complete contradiction to what they hear from you and your friends in the media," Netanyahu further accused.

Netanyahu while opposition members were talking (Photo: Alex Kolomoisky)

The Zionist Union party collected 40 signatures of MKs to hold the discussion, requiring the prime minister to be present throughout. The head of Zionist Union's faction in the Knesset, MK Yoel Hasson, said ahead of the discussion that "Precisely at this time, when Netanyahu is acting based on his own personal interests and no the good of the public, he will have to come and provide answers to members of Knesset."

The first to take the podium was Zionist Union MK Tzipi Livni, who accused the prime minister of wanting to go to elections to hide his alleged corruption.

"You want elections before the public knows the truth about your personal corruption, before people who know you and worked with you and know what you did say the whole truth," Livni charged. "To hide the truth, you will once again pull out from your pocket the hatred and the persecution that you normally use to incite one against his brother. You feed off the hate you sow."

Zionist Union MK Tzipi Livni (Photo: Alex Kolomoisky)

"Mr. Prime Minister, your term will end at some point. I don't know when that will happen, but I hope it happens fast," she continued. "The only question that remains is how much you are going to destroy the foundations on which the State of Israel was established as a democratic state. I know you want the history books to write that you protected Israel, I suppose you'll speak like always about how much Israel is a strong country thanks to you, but it's not. The rot of your corruption is what's destroying us from within."

Yesh Atid leader MK Yair Lapid wondered about Netanyahu's claims of a conspiracy against him.

"Your main claim is that there is collaboration against you by elements who convened in some dark room and decided together to overthrow you. These are the elements you told us 'cannot be trusted': The TV, the radio, the newspapers, the police commissioner you appointed yourself, the attorney general and state attorney you appointed yourself, the state comptroller you appointed yourself. I only have one question, why?" Lapid said.

(Photo: Alex Kolomoisky)

"A prime minister in Israel that has an ounce of responsibility left can't write on Facebook that the police and the prosecution are pressuring state's witnesses to lie. He can't say that law enforcement authorities can't be trusted," he stressed.

"The thing that stands out the most in all of the affairs is your ending and obsessive focus on one topic onlyyourself and your fate, what's good for you. For the good of the country, it's your time to bow out," Lapid concluded.

In his time at the podium, Zionist Union MK Mickey Rosenthal said that "the prime minister is suspected of bribery, surrounded himself with a group of criminals."

This prompted Culture Minister Miri Regev (Likud) to rush to Netanyahu's defense. "Who are you? Are you the court? You shakshuka!" she yelled at the former investigative journalist, referring to a documentary movie he created in 2008 titled "The Shakshuka System," which deals with the connection between private capital and government.





(Photo: Alex Kolomoisky)

Carrying on, Rosenthal spoke directly to Netanyahu, saying "The one organizing a puputsch here is you, and not the prosecution. You declared to the Israeli public that the Israel Police has waged a coup d'etat here."

Meretz MK Tamar Zandberg said mockingly that "the death throes of a government that has no public or moral mandate are always the most pitiable and most desparate. This is what we're seeing now."

"It's not Bibi, it's the Bibism," she continued, referring to the prime minister by his nickname. "Next we're going to hear from the coalition's benches that the prime minister has no problem running the country from prison. Mr. Prime Minister, you are serving under police recommendations (to indict for) bribery ... this isn't an election crisis, this is an investigations crisis."

Meretz MK Tamar Zandberg (Photo: Alex Kolomoisky)

Zandberg compared the government's conduct to The Godfather, The Shawshank Redemption and The Sopranos. "The prime minister with the fake smile is trying to convince all of us that he's going to come out strong in the elections. Sir, no one is infallible," she added.

Her comments made Deputy Minister Yaron Mazuz (Likud) angry, and he was removed from the plenum after yelling "Shame on you, go home!"

Deputy Minister Yaron Mazuz removed from the plenum (Photo: Alex Kolomoisky)With a party founded by ex-Nazis back in government, Austria marked the 80th anniversary of its annexation by Adolf Hitlers Germany on Monday with greater public self-examination than usual.

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Hitler sent troops into Austria, the land of his birth, on March 12, 1938, in pursuit of his dream of a Greater Germany. They were greeted by cheering crowds who waved swastika flags and made the Nazi salute.

FPO leader Heinz-Christian Strache (Photo: AP)

For decades after World War Two, Austria presented itself as the first victim of Nazism. While that official position has changed and now stresses the need for Austria to accept responsibility, there is still far less public discussion and commemoration of that chapter of its history than in Germany.

The anniversary also coincides with the advent of a new conservative-led coalition government in Vienna that includes the anti-immigration Freedom Party (FPO), founded by former Nazis in the 1950s.

Austrians were not only victims but also perpetrators, often in positions of leadership, President Alexander Van der Bellen told a ceremony that included ministers from both Chancellor Sebastian Kurz s conservative party and the FPO.

Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz (Photo: Reuters)

Austria recognizes its responsibility, said Van der Bellen, a left-leaning environmentalist who beat the FPO candidate in a presidential election runoff in 2016.

Skepticism

The FPO now focuses its criticism on Islam while courting Jewish voters and denouncing anti-Semitism. But Israel refuses to deal with FPO ministers and some Jewish leaders are skeptical about whether the party has really changed.

The FPO is setting up a committee of historians to look into its past after two of its members right-wing fraternities were involved in an anti-Semitism scandal.

The head of Austrias main Jewish organization, Oskar Deutsch, attended Mondays ceremony, though his group has stayed away from similar events in the past because of a self-imposed ban on dealing with the FPO.

Anti-FPO protests in Vienna (Photo: Reuters)

Deutsch expressed scepticism about the governments announcement on Sunday evening that it hopes to build a commemorative wall that would bear the names of the 66,000 Austrian victims of the Holocaust.

I am not opposed to an additional monument in central Vienna, but a parliament without anti-Semitism and a government without German nationalist fraternity members would be more important, he said in a statement.

At Mondays ceremony, held in the former imperial palace where Hitler addressed a crowd of hundreds of thousands to announce the annexation, or Anschluss in German, Van der Bellen urged Austrians to be vigilant about the threats to democracy.

(Austrians must learn) the lesson that democracies too can fall victim to populism and demagogy, the lesson that discrimination is a first step towards dehumanization, the lesson that anti-Semitism and racism do not simply disappear but exist even today in big and small ways, he said.

Strache visiting Yad Vashem, Jerusalem, 2006 (Photo: Reuters)

Chancellor Kurz, a hardliner on immigration, said Austria had a duty to actively support Jewish life and fight every form of anti-Semitism, regardless of whether it has long been here or was freshly imported.

We also have a particular obligation towards the state of Israel and the need for security of Jews there.Opposition parties Yesh Atid and Meretz demanded Monday evening to be allowed to raise to a vote a proposal to dissolve the Knesset and go to elections.

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In a letter sent to Knesset Speaker Yuli Edelstein, Yesh Atid MK Ofer Shelah and Meretz MK Tamar Zandberg argued that if private bill proposalssuch as the ultra-Orthodox parties' draft law amendmentcan be brought to a vote on Wednesday, then according to the Knesset's Rules of Procedure, they too can raise to a vote a private bill proposalto dissolve the Knesset.

So far, the opposition could not raise such a proposal to a vote because the agenda included only government-sponsored bill proposals, but not private ones.

MK Tamar Zandberg and MK Ofer Shelah (Photos: Alex Kolomoisky)

"Following the prime minister's speech and his baseless claims against the opposition for not submitting proposals to dissolve the Knesset at this present time, and your announcement at the Knesset Presidium that on Wednesday, a private bill proposal by MK Yoav Ben-Tzur will be brought to a preliminary reading, we demand on behalf of the Yesh Atid and Meretz parties to raise to a vote the bill proposals on the dispersal of the 20th Knesset, which have been submitted by our factions," the two MKs wrote.

During Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's speech at the Knesset on Monday afternoon, he mocked the opposition for not wanting elections. "I've never seen such a thing, an opposition that is afraid of elections," he said. "An opposition that wants the government to keep serving."

MK Yoel Hasson (Zionist Union) took to Twitter to reject Netanyahu's accusation, saying his party has already submitted a proposal to dissolve the Knesset on Monday morning.

After his speech, Netanyahu met with Edelstein. He might hold other meetings at the Knesset during the evening.

The coalition is facing yet another crisis over the ultra-Orthodox parties' insistence to pass an amendment to the IDF draft law, which would solicit state recognition of Torah studies to being equal to military service, before the end of the Knesset's winter session on March 18, threatening not to support the 2019 state budget if their demand is not met.

But other coalition parties have threatened to quit to government over the issue, raising the possibility of early elections.

Netanyahu reached a compromise with the Haredi parties at a late-night meeting on Sunday, appearing to defuse the crisis. Then on Monday, a junior coalition partner, Yisrael Beytenu, said it would not support the compromise. Talks between the sides were to continue in the coming days.

Opposition members have accused the prime minister of creating an artificial crisis, potentially triggering elections a year and a half ahead of schedule, in order to shore up his position as he fights corruption allegations against him. The thinking is that it would be much harder to force a newly re-elected Netanyahu to step down if he is indicted in the coming months.

The attorney general is expected to make a decision on an indictment by the fall.British Prime Minister Theresa May says her government has concluded it is "highly likely" Russia is responsible for the poisoning of an ex-spy and his daughter.

May told British lawmakers on Monday that Sergei Skripal and his daughter, Yulia, were exposed to a nerve agent known as Novichok (Novice), a weapon developed in the Soviet Union in the end of the Cold War

May says the attack in a city in England fits a pattern of Russian aggression and that Russia's ambassador to the UK has been summoned to explain what happened.

She said: "We will not tolerate such a brazen attempt to murder innocent civilians on our soil."

Skripal and his daughter remain in critical condition more than a week after they were found unconscious in Salisbury on March 4.Russia's UN ambassador says an immediate cease-fire in Syria "would have been utopian" and that Moscow prefers a preliminary agreement ahead of sustained de-escalation in all areas, not just the suburbs of Damascus.

Vassily Nebenzia told the UN Security Council on Monday that "this is the only realistic way forward," and that it was part of a cease-fire adopted by the council last month. He said Russia is trying to implement that cease-fire, which has done little to stop the heavy fighting in eastern Ghouta, outside the capital.

He defended Syrian and Russian military operations there, saying "the suburbs of Damascus cannot remain a hotbed of terrorism." He accused militants, including those linked to al-Qaida, of undermining the cease-fire.US President Donald Trump is expected to present his peace plan to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict soon, The New York Times reported Monday, citing three Trump administration officials.

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The White House, according to the Times, is still polishing the plan, seeking to find a formula that will ensure the American intiative is not dead on arrival. The Trump administration hopes that when the peace plan is finally put on the table, the pressure on the Palestinians to enter negotiations with Israel will increase.

PM Netanyahu (L) and US President Trump (Photo: Haim Katz/GPO)

According to the report, the delay in presenting the plan, which was written by Trump's son-in-law and adviser Jared Kushner, US Ambassador to Israel David Friedman, and adviser on Middle East affairs Jason Greenblatt, stems from two reasons: The expected Palestinians opposition to the plan and the possibility of snap elections in Israel, which will make Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu wary of making any concessions out of fear of creating resentment among his voters on the Right.

Despite these challenges, the White House nevertheless decided to go ahead with the plan, although the exact date for its publication has yet to be determined.

One official quoted by the Times likened the plan to the Israeli navigation software Waze, as its purpose is helping both sides bypass obstacles on their way to the final destinationwhat Trump refers to as the "ultimate deal."

Not expected to push for a two-state solution

It is unlikely Trump's peace plan would present clear guidelines similar to the Saudi plan, which was adopted by the Arab League.

The plan is not expected to offer a two-state solution, but instead offer a blueprint for a two-state solution, should both sides decide on it as the best option. At the same time, the document will include appendices to solutions to controversial issues such as borders, security arrangements, Palestinian refugees and the status of Jerusalem.

The White House is working to write the plan in such a way that would allow both sides to pick and choose, taking out of the plan what they believe will work and ignoring what they believe won't.

According to the report, no one outside the White House saw the plan, but its three authors met with Netanyahu for hours at the Blair House, the official guesthouse of the US president, during his visit to Washington last week.

Netanyahu and Trump meet in the Oval Office (: MCT)

Contrary to report, when the prime minister returned to Israel, he said at the cabinet meeting that "there is no concrete American plan on the table" and that only 15 minutes of his meeting with Trump were devoted to the Palestinian issue.

Meanwhile, representatives of Arab states, which had previously pledged to help put pressure on the Palestinians in all matters related to negotiations with Israel, informed the White House that they would not be able to do so after Trump's decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital and move the American embassy there.

Since the controversial American declaration, the Palestinians have cut off contact with the Trump administration and have turned to another route: putting pressure on other countriesespecially in Europeto replace the United States as mediator in the peace talks with Israel.Hundreds of people demonstrated Monday afternoon in front of the Knesset building to protest the failure to bring the remaining Ethiopian Jews to Israel.

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The protestors, including family members of some 8,000 Jews awaiting aliyah from Ethiopia, protested that despite the government's 2015 decision to address it, the issue was not included in the state budget of 2018 or 2019.

Ethiopian demonstrators (Photo: AFP)

Sefi Belilin, 22, who participated in the demonstration, said that she immigrated to Israel with some of her family members 13 years agoand since then her two older sisters have been waiting for permission to immigrate.

"I married two years ago, and when I walked to the wedding canopy I felt that they were missing and I did not understand why they could not be with me at this moment," she said.

"How does it make sense that the state prevents my sisters from being with me on such an exciting day in my life?"

The Chairperson of the State Control Committee, MK Shelly Yachimovich (Zionist Union), attacked the government's response to the issue, telling demonstrators that "there is no reason not to accept your family (in this countryed) apart from racism ... No issue of immigration has been neglected like yours.

"If you were blond and white, your parents and brothers would be here a long time ago."

MK Abraham Negosa (Likud), who immigrated to Israel from Ethiopia in 1985, echoed Yachimovich's assertions.

"We demanded that the government make a decision, and on February 25 the issue was brought to the agenda of the cabinet meeting, but someone deliberately made sure that the issue was last to be discussed and that we won't have time to discuss it," he said.

"Yesterday, March 11, they discussed the issue, but transferred it to another committee. There is money to bring immigrants from Russia, France, South Americabut for some reason there is no money to bring in Ethiopian Jews.

"This is discrimination between Jews and Jews, between blood and blood. We call upon the prime minister and the interior minister to make a decision and bring our brothers as soon as possible.

"The situation in Ethiopia is not simple. A state of emergency was declared in the country and the prime minister resigned. Therefore, our families need to be here.

"We will continue to fight until the last Jew arrives in the State of Israel and reunites with his family."The White House says President Donald Trump will hold talks next week with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

Spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders says 32-year-old bin Salmanthe heir apparent to King Salmanwill visit the White House on March 20.

Sanders says Trump looks forward to discussing how to strengthen ties between the United States and Saudi Arabia, as well as how to advance common security and economic priorities.

Trump visited Saudi Arabia last year on his first foreign trip as president.Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is set to meet Monday night with Yisrael Beytenu leader Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman, who threatened to quit the government if the legislation passes.

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The amendment to the IDF draft law, which was proposed by Shas MK Yoav Ben-Tzur, would solicit state recognition of Torah studies to being equal to military service, essentially ensuring exemptions to all yeshiva students.

Members of the Likud party have spent the day trying to convince Lieberman to toe the coalition's line and accept the draft law amendment, while offering to make changes to the legislation based on notes from the Defense Ministry.

Top row left-to-right: Finance Minister Kahlon, Prime Minister Netanyahu, Interior Minister Deri; bottom row, left-to-right: Deputy Health Minister Litzman, Defense Minister Lieberman, Education Minister Bennett (Photo: Ohad Zwigenberg, Alex Kolomoisky and Reuters)

Some Likud officials said it was made clear to Lieberman that if elections are called now, he is not guaranteed to keep the defense portfolio in the next government as well.

Netanyahu held a long meeting on Monday evening with Knesset Speaker Edelstein and Minister Yariv Levin, who is the liaison between the Knesset and the government, in an effort to find a solution to the crisis.

Many in the political system, however, claim the train has already left the station and elections were only a matter of time.

The 20th Knesset might be dissolved this week or alternatively only after the Passover hiatus. "Either way, it appears inevitable," a coalition official said.

"It's a very dramatic 24 hours for the future of the government," a Likud official said.

On Tuesday, the Ministerial Committee for Legislation is due to meet to discuss Yisrael Beytenu's appeal against the ultra-Orthodox parties' draft law amendment.

Immigration Minister Sofa Landver, who submitted the appeal on behalf of her party, will land at Ben-Gurion Airport at 2pm Tuesday after a few days abroad and head straight to the Knesset to explain the reasons behind the appeal.

After the Ministerial Committee for Legislation rejects the Yisrael Beytenu appeal, the legislation will be brought to a preliminary reading at the Knesset plenum.

Knesset Speaker Yuli Edelstein has also approved to raise to a vote a proposal to dissolve the Knesset, which was submitted by members of the opposition. If passed, the elections for the 21st Knesset will take place within 90 days.

Amid the tense atmosphere in the Knesset, officials in the legislature have already begun discussing possible dates for the elections.

Netanyahu prefers a quick process, which would see the elections held in June. But some of his coalition partners prefer to postpone the elections as much as possible, arguing that the municipal elections are scheduled for November and the timetable should be planned with that in mind.

To set a date, representatives from all Knesset factions will meet at the Knesset speaker's office and vote for their party's preferred date. Each party's vote will be worth the number of seats it currently has in the parliament. A majority of 61 MKs will determine the date for the elections.- A former military officer says he was forced to execute ex-president Hilla Limann by J.J Rawlings

- The highlife musician also says he had no choice but to leave Ghana

- Hilla Limann's daughter says she will never forgive Rawlings

A former military officer and Ghanaian highlife musician, Nana Adomako Nyamekye has revealed how he was forced to "commit some crimes" by Former President Jerry John Rawlings.

Nana Adomako Nyamekye claims he was ordered to shoot the then President Dr. Hilla Limann and his vice Mr. Joseph de-Graft Johnson a few hours before the coup which brought Flt Lt Jerry John Rawlings to power.

READ ALSO: Fake soldier breaks into security of Vice President Bawumia

Unable to execute this order, Nyamekye decided to leave the country and thus start a new life there.

"On the night of 31st December, they (Rawlings men) had wanted to task me and my friend to either shoot or arrest Dr. Hilla Limann and Vice President Joseph W.S. de-Graft Johnson immediately they stepped on the dancefloor but I refused, he revealed in an interview.

Meanwhile, daughter of Hilla Limann says she finds no connection with the former president especially when he conspired to overthrow her father while he was president in 1979.

In an interview with Zylofon FM, Dr. Zilla Limann expressed that she barely talks with the former present and even barely knows his family.

READ ALSO: Stonebwoy finally leaves Zylofon?

The revelation made by the daughter of Hilla Limann follows the overthrow of his government by Jerry Rawlings on the 31st December 1981 which saw the coming in of the PNDC administration. Meanwhile, Liman's wife had also appealed to Jerry Rawlings to apologize to the Limann family arguing that his overthrow was unjustifiable.

Dr. Limann had chronic health problems and later died of natural causes.

He was survived by his wife, Mrs. Fulera Limann, and seven children: Lariba Montia (nee Limann), Baba Limann, Sibi Andan (nee Limann), Lida Limann, Daani Limann, Zilla Limann and Salma Limann.

Star Gist on YEN brings you an exclusive interview with upcoming music star Kobla Jnr:

Know someone who is extremely talented and needs recognition? Your stories and photos are always welcome. Get interactive via our Facebook or Instagram page.

Source: Yen- Singaporean officials have hanged to death a Ghanaian for drug trafficking

- Billy smuggled hard drugs to Singapore but was caught at the airport as Kumasi

- Ghana's foreign affairs ministry is yet to comment on the issue

A 39-year old Ghanaian man has been killed by hanging at Singapore for smuggling and peddling hard drugs.

Billy Agbozo, who has been on trial since 2013, was hanged to death by authorities from Singapore after a court ruling.

READ ALSO: Fake soldier breaks into security of Vice President Bawumia

YEN.com.gh has gathered that Billy Agbozo traveled by air from Accra, Ghana to Dubai on April 4, 2013, before boarding a plane bound for Singapore. He arrived at Singapore's Changi Airport the next day and planned to spend five nights in the Asian country.

He was immediately stopped by border security there who inspected his belongings which included a black haversack and a red-and-black suitcase.

In the course of the search, a substance was discovered containing 1.63kg of methamphetamine with an estimated street value of about $135,600. It has been revealed that Billy's accomplice could also be Ghanaian as recorded interviews show how he spoke in fluent Twi with one of his dealers.

This discovery of the substance led to his immediate arrest as he was found guilty of illegally importing controlled drugs under Singapore's Misuse of Drugs Act.

READ ALSO: Is Mensa Otabil the only pastor with the power to "burn" corruption, "foolish" acts in Ghana?

So far, the foreign affairs minister has not commented on the matter as checks show that Billy's earlier petition to the president and the Court of Appeal were all not answered. The laws in Singapore state that trafficking more than 15 grams of heroin results in a mandatory death sentence.

Despite various calls for the death sentence at Singapore to be abolished, it remains clear that the developed nation stays true to its resolve to check crime no matter the legal implications.

Star Gist on YEN brings you an exclusive interview with upcoming music star Kobla Jnr:

Know someone who is extremely talented and needs recognition? Your stories and photos are always welcome. Get interactive via our Facebook or Instagram page.

Source: Yen.com.ghEvery lady, no matter her age, loves to be pampered and treated like a queen even on their worst days because that is how they were created.

The attention a woman wants to be given to make her feel special supersedes any other matter at hand.

Not all men know who to treat ladies right but ladies always look for qualities they love in a man they would want to befriend or even go into a relationship with.

Women, like how they were created, love a lot of things and it would take a very attentive man to be able to decipher all the things a lady loves.

READ ALSO: My celebrity ex-girlfriend left me after 3 months and now wants to come back- Kuami Eugene open up on love life

Many women are particular about the things they love especially when it is coming from the opposite gender.

Some women would want to be treated to the goodies of life and the best things money can buy. Other women fall in love when they are treated with respect and loved beyond measure.

Other ladies love it when a man surprises them with gifts and romantic dinners or even trips to very beautiful destinations.

There is no clear cut group of things that all ladies love about men because of the different reactions ladies have to different situations and issues.

READ ALSO: Kumi Guitar opens up on 'nasty' attitude of Stonebwoy at Zylofon Media causing his 'exit'

Today, YEN.com.gh brings you some of the views we had from our readers when we posed the question, Ladies, what do you love most about men?

This is what some of our readers had to say:

Forgive Soga was all about the things of the heart...

...So was Tilda

Ike was shocked that he did not see any lady talk about momo...It is a trap!

From all indications, Eunice was looking to marry a romantic pastor.

Priscilla would rather have someone laughing at her very dry jokes...lol

Best comment goes to Mary Amponsah...she is the real MVP. She talked about the cash!

A fighter looking for a lover boy?

Munira, we meant what you love about men, not what you hate...lol

Agyeiwaa loves the men who would 'sponsor'

Josephine loves it when her man is her hero.

Eeiii...Emelia does not find anything attractive about Ghanaian men oh!

Adiza must find herself a laundryman boyfriend.

READ ALSO: Top Freemason members pay their last respect to K.B. Asante

YEN is building a platform where Ghanaians can share local news and own experiences with each other. Witnessing an incident?

Want to tell about a local problem? Know someone who is extremely talented and needs recognition?

Your stories and photos are always welcome. Send us a message via YENs official Facebook page.

Source: Yen.com.ghSharing is caring!

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A new idea, Liz and one of her amazing contributors Madeleine Jones created this post together after our collective experience exploring New Zealand. Words by Liz, all images by Mads. Enjoy!

New Zealand is one of those incredible places that almost always has a universally deep impact on those who visit her. In fact, New Zealand has a habit of getting under your skin and staying there, drawing you back in again and again. Its one of those rare countries that people visit on holiday and return to again and again. Or even just pick up and move here.

It calls to people. It can change you if you let it. New Zealand has a lot of lessons to teach us and can inspire in ways you might never have imagined.

A common story in Wanaka where I live, you frequently hear: well, I came for a visit 10 years ago and just never left. Its certainly the story here.

Relaxing at Lake Crucible after a big day hiking

Dont you want to spend the night on this boat like we did at Milford?

New Zealand has so much to offer, but by far, my favorite part of living here is the nature. Isnt that why we all journey here? For the crazy landscapes, the stunning views, the sparkling glaciers, cheeky birds, ancient forests and neon blue rivers? And the wine, did I mention the wine?

And while you can certainly see a lot on a road trip here, NZs road infrastructure is a far cry from what you might be accustomed to in Europe or North America. There arent cable cars or gondolas to incredible scenery, and there are very few roads that lead deep into the mountains. The whole do it yourself culture is very much alive and kicking here.

You want those great views? Unless you pay for a helicopter up to them, you better start walking.

No shortage of incredible valleys in New Zealand

Franz Josef Glacier, beautiful in all weather

If there is one place on earth that will inspire you to lace your boots on, strap on a pack and hit the trails, its got to be New Zealand. With no dangerous animals to eat you, and an incredible system of backcountry huts and thousands and thousands of miles of beautiful trails and terrain that all promise a reward, what more could you ask for?

There are so many ways to visit this little island nation at the end of the world, it all depends on your budget, time, and travel style. It all depends on you! Unless you can move out here like me, which be warned  is a total possibility once you visit here!  I definitely recommend doing an adventure tour with Active Adventures.

Trying to organize the logistics behind a trip to New Zealand that involves a lot of hikes and adventure can be a total pain. Trust me, I live here. With the help of local experts who know the lay of the land like the back of their hand, youre guaranteed an amazing experience in New Zealand without the stress of planning.

Here are our top 10 inspirational moments from a Tui tour around New Zealand with Active Adventures this summer. Eight days around the best of the South Island  enjoy!

1. Walking among the Southern Alps for the first time

There is nothing quite so impressive as the Southern Alps, let alone walking around them for the first time.

As we began walking along the Siberia Valley, the delicate wildflowers swayed in the crisp summer breeze and the bluebird skies skimmed the snowy peaks in the distance that soon became closer and closer. We found ourselves bonding as we waded across waist deep rivers together, between these incredible sun-soaked giants.

It was just us and the mountains. What a moment to be alive!

As we slipped away from the chaos of the outside world we began to feel so many different emotions  happiness, fatigue, joy, hardship, and euphoria. When your mind is freed from distractions it wanders, and when youre in nature, you wander to some pretty amazing places physically, mentally, and emotionally.

Everything felt so raw and real, so remote and isolated; I found myself being completely at peace and in touch with my surroundings. I knew I was exactly where I should be.

The more time we spent in nature the more drawn to it I became, by the end I was craving it!

2. Falling asleep in the middle of Milford Sound

Undoubtedly Milford Sound has earned its place as one of the great wonders of New Zealand.

Despite of being in such a remote place, most people just visit Milford Sound as a day trip from Queenstown. But the beating heart of Fiordland is worth more than a flash visit. The best way to experience it is to overnight on a boat there.

As the sun sets, the bus tourists head back home and you are left in peaceful solitude in this wild corner of Fiordland all alone on a boat. Does it get any better than that? Dont think so.

Oh wait, did I mention the dolphins?

Spending time with a pod of particularly playful dolphins, who were happy to escort us all the way back to the docks, was such an unforgettable highlight for any animal lover. Everyone went wild over this special experience and who can blame them?

From dolphins to seals, and penguins to dramatic soaring peaks and thundering waterfalls, Milford is one of those places that must be seen to be believed.

3. Disconnecting and getting back to nature

Surprisingly, one of my favorite things about the Tui tour New Zealand with Active Adventures was having the opportunity to disconnect and get back to nature.

Some of the towns, if you can even call them that, were just a blip on the map, tucked between the mountains and huge forests that made you feel so alive.

Once you are out in the wilderness here, especially in the national parks in New Zealand, you are usually out of range and reception. And there are definitely no cafes or free wifi out in the bush here. Its just you and the mountains, an opportunity we dont often have anymore these days, right?

This also means that you need to learn to be strong and capable out in nature, as you cant just ring for help or ask for a lift, another advantage to doing guided adventure trips is the added safety and experience elements.

Perhaps my favorite memory was waking up in the small wooden Siberia Hut in what felt like Middle Earth, or at least the middle of nowhere; a backcountry hut with no lights, no electricity, no internet or phone service.

It was everything I needed, the most important bit was, in fact, the realization that I needed nothing at all. Getting deep here, guys.

While drying socks and boots overnight in a hut by the fire might seem an insignificant task to some, for me it was truly a gift. I worked my butt off in those dirty boots and to settle down by your own fire with good company and no Facebook afterwards made it all the more rewarding.

4. Soaking up the history in quirky Hokitika

New Zealand is not just mountains, and while its often touted as one of the last settled places on Earth, it has a rich blend of history and culture that makes it distinct from other places around the world.

The cultural experiences in the small beachside town of Hokitika offered a beautiful insight into the history of both the Maori people in New Zealand and, later on, the influx of settlers looking for gold.

While many people know its history for the massive gold-mining boom in the 19th century, around Hokitika, the West Coast, was well-known to the Maori for its beautiful jade, or pounamu, where gatherers would go in search of the elusive greenstone, used for tools, weapons and decorations. Hokitika these days does a roaring trade in pounamu, and its almost hard to imagine that this sleepy little town once was home to over 100 pubs.

5. Bonding with new friends out in nature

Nothing brings people together like shared adventures, right guys?

When you spend a week hiking and having adventures that are sometimes challenging with new people, you get to know each other pretty fast! As a solo traveler, I am not sure I would attempt some of these walks or adventures alone in a place I hadnt been before but with the comfort of guides who know the ins and outs of the mountains and new friends to inspire and encourage you, its easier to give it a go!

I love jumping in on tours like this knowing that everyone is equally as excited as you for the scenery and adventure, and its easy to feed off each others energy.

6. Getting my butt kicked hiking up to Lake Crucible

New Zealands mountains have the knack of putting life into perspective.

The long days hike up to Lake Crucible, an iconic blue lake in the heart of Mt. Aspiring National Park near Wanaka, is a killer. But trust me, its worth every panic and sore muscle, and Id do it again in a heartbeat.

Not easily accessible, its an optional activity on tour, and to do on your own requires skill, planning, a lot of time and backcountry experience.

Instead of a long days hike through the bush, we knocked it out by flying into the Siberia Valley to overnight at the Siberia hut. From there its an intense tramp up to Lake Crucible that tested me in ways I hadnt felt in years.

From multiple river crossings to boulder scrambles, steep climbs and endless trails looking for markers, by the time you pop out at the top of the alpine lake, you will likely have experienced every human emotion possible! But you did it, how good does that feel?

The reward of arriving at a spectacularly serene place after truly earning it is just incredible. Suddenly all the struggles of the rugged terrain were worth it. This was definitely more than a physical challenge for me, and afterwards I felt completely connected to nature in the purest way. A wholeness that was my greatest reward.

7. Become nature obsessed kayaking under waterfalls in Fiordland

Milford Sound is one of those places that is both equally beautiful in sunshine and rain. When the rain comes, and oh boy it does (Fiordland receives the most rainfall in New Zealand), hundreds of temporary waterfalls spring down the vertical cliffs of the mountains, the peaks often shrouded in mists.

It definitely feels like youve stepped into another world here, rain or shine.

Lucky for us, we had sunshine for our kayaking excursion.

A few hours of kayaking the deep, dark and mysterious waters of Milford Sound, all the way out to the edge of waterfall, was more peaceful and serene than I could have ever imagined. Experiencing Milford from sea-level gave a whole new perspective of the delights this magical place has to offer.

Nothing made me happier than tickling the icy waters with my fingertips off the edge of my kayak, to put a huge big cheesy smile on my face and to feel completely content and grounded, really reminding myself where I was. Pinch me!

8. Falling in love with Wanaka and Hawea

Yes, there is a reason that the Queenstown Lakes area including Wanaka and Queenstown are so popular. Its stunning there.

We made our grand entrance not by car but rather by bike!

Hot and dry with a strong beating sun on our backs and mountains in the distance, we felt utterly free as we rode our bikes across diverse and ever-changing landscapes. One moment meant riding alongside crystal clear blue rivers, while the next found us pedaling through lush forests, where it felt like we were flying across the softest of grassy grounds, only then to pop out into open Wanaka fields engulfed by the biggest of skies.

What a place!

9. Experiencing real kiwi adventure on a jet boat on the Wilkin River

Only in New Zealand would they strap a jet engine on the back of a metal boat in order to get up the very shallow braided rivers. Kiwi ingenuity at its finest!

Ducking, weaving and holding on for dear life, we raced along the bright turquoise Wilkin River after our Siberia Valley adventure. It was the most exhilarating ride of them all! And what is a trip to the land of adventure without having a bit of adrenaline-fueled fun?

The spectacular scenery, as exquisite as it was, could not compare to the thrill of the ride, made me squeal with joy!

10. Making every moment count on the Routeburn

While the route to Key Summit on the Routeburn Track is steep and unrelenting, the resilience and endurance required to make it to the top, only made the spectacular views at the end that much more worthwhile.

Nothing beats earning your views! Unless there are bubbles at the end!

The Routeburn Track is one of New Zealands Great Walks, a multi-day hike through the mountains of Fiordland and Mt. Aspiring National Parks, though you can also walk up parts of the track if you know where to go.

As we reached the main point of Key Summit we were pleasantly surprised with a summit picnic, set amidst some of the most exquisite scenery I had ever laid eyes on. We were surrounded by beautiful peaks, glistening in the sun as far as you could see, with the sound of the kea, New Zealands mountain parrot in the distance.

Explore the world on your own adventure with Active Adventures

We celebrated all afternoon and I couldnt have thought of a more perfect way to end the most incredible eight days on an adventure in New Zealand.

Do you want to come to New Zealand for adventure? Do you enjoy hiking and getting back to nature when you travel? Spill!

Many thanks to Mads for taking such incredible photos and also to Active Adventures for hosting us on their South Island Tui tour  like always, were keeping it real. All opinions are our own, like you could expect less!India's largest telecom operator Bharti Airtel on Monday received an approval from its board to raise Rs 16,500 crore to refinance debt and pay spectrum liabilities. This is believed to be Airtel's biggest fund raising plan approved in just one board meeting. For this, the company will raise non-covertible debentures (NCDs) worth Rs 10,000 crore, and issue foreign currency bonds up to $1 billion.



In a BSE filing on Monday, Bharti Airtel said the Board of Directors has approved the "Issuance of Non-Convertible Debentures (NCDs) of up to Rs 10,000 crore on a private placement basis in such tranches/series and at such rates as may be approved from time to time on cumulative basis along with all NCDs issued by the company". The company also gave its approval for the Issuance of Foreign Currency Bonds up to a limit of USD 1 Billion or equivalent in one or more tranches.



The company said any funds, if raised from the issuance of aforesaid debt securities, will be used for routine treasury activities, including refinancing of existing debt and spectrum liabilities. A Bharti Airtel spokesperson on March 10 had said: "The Company is seeking approvals in the usual course of business. Any funds raised under such approvals, if granted, are to be used for routine treasury activities, including refinancing of debt and spectrum liabilities." The company will be able to go through its fund-raising plan once it gets approval from its shareholders.



The Sunil Mittal-led firm has gone through consecutive quarters of plunging profits due to the price war unleashed by Mukesh Ambani-run Reliance Jio. The earlier shareholders' nod to raise NCDs up to Rs 10,000 crore is valid till March 12,2018, which is why the company intends to obtain a fresh approval from shareholders, the company said in its BSE filing. Bharti Airtel, in its efforts to reduce debt and compete in the fiercely competitive telecom market, has raised Rs 12,089 crore through its stake sale in its tower unit Bharti Infratel, it said.



Bharti Airtel has also got Rs 2,649 crore investment from Singapore-based telecom operator and partner Singtel. This money would also be used reduce its debt. Singtel will be allotted up to 85,450,000 new equity shares in Bharti Telecom at an issue price of Rs 310 per equity share. The preferential allotment of shares which is expected to be closed by March 2018 would allow SingTel to raise its 'economic interest' in Bharti Airtel by 0.9 per cent to 39.5 per cent. As on December 31, 2017, Bharti Airtel's consolidated net debt stood at Rs 91,714 crore, higher than Rs 91,480 crore in the previous quarter. The shares of Bharti Airtel were trading 4.12 per cent up at Rs 418.50 on BSE on Monday.Karti Chidambaram was sent to judicial custody till March 24 in the INX Media corruption case after the CBI said he was not needed for interrogation. Delhi court special judge Sunil Rana also dismissed his plea for an early bail hearing. Now his bail plea will be heard on March 15. The court also declined his request for a separate cell in Tihar jail, and protection inside the jail premises. The court said the authorities would follow the jail manual in this regard, also denying his request for home food in the jail.

Karti argued that his father was once the home minister and handled terror cases. He also invoked the death of biscuit baron Rajan Pillai in 1995 and said that he did not want to be exposed to attacks. "Something may happen to me," he added.

Meanwhile, Karti's CA, S Bhaskararaman, has moved the court for anticipatory bail in the same case. Bhaskararaman is currently in jail due to a case filed by the Enforcement Directorate (ED).

Karti Chidambaram, son of former Finance Minister P Chidambaram, who has already served 12 days since February 28 in police custody, was produced before a special judge on expiry of his three-day police custody. P Chidambaram was also present in the courtroom.



Karti was arrested on his return from the United Kingdom in connection with the FIR lodged on May 15 last year. It alleged irregularities in the Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) clearance to INX Media for receiving overseas funds of about Rs 305 crore in 2007 when his father was Union Finance Minister. The CBI had initially alleged that Karti Chidambaram received Rs 10 lakh as bribe for facilitating Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) clearance to INX Media. It, however, later revised the figure to USD 1 million (about Rs 6.50 crore at the current exchange rate and Rs 4.50 crore in 2007).



The fresh evidence in the case, which triggered Karti Chidambaram's arrest, was based on the statement of Indrani Mukerjea, former director of INX Media (P) Ltd, who recorded it under section 164 of the CrPC before a magistrate on February 17.

(With PTI inputs)